VDD pacemaker: An effective and reliable physiological pacing modality in elderly patients.

Background: In elderly patients, single chamber pacing may be considered. For sinus rhythm patients, VDD pacemaker (PM), by preserving atrial sensing, is a more physiological mode than VVI devices. This study aims to evaluate the long-term performance of VDD PM in elderly patients with atrioventricular block (AVB).

Physicians' quality of life, illness and presenteeism: a cross-sectional epidemiological study.

Introduction: The World Health Organization defines quality of life as " an individuals' perception of their position in life, in the context of the culture and value systems in which they live and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards, and concerns." physicians, when dealing with illness and exposing themselves to the risks of their profession, must act without compromising their own health status in view of the function performed.

Objectives: To evaluate and correlate physicians' quality of life, professional illness, and presenteeism.

Reduced numbers of regulatory T cells in chronic heart failure seems not to be restored by cardiac resynchronization therapy.

Background: T cells have been implicated in the development and progression of inflammatory processes in chronic heart failure (CHF). Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) has beneficial effects on symptoms and cardiac remodeling in CHF. However, its impact on the inflammatory immune response remains controversial.

NMDA Receptor Activation and Ca/PKC Signaling in Nicotine-Induced GABA Transport Shift in Embryonic Chick Retina.

Nicotinic receptors are present in the retina of different vertebrates, and in the chick retina, it is present during early development throughout to post-hatching. These receptors are activated by nicotine, an alkaloid with addictive and neurotransmitter release modulation properties, such as GABA signaling. Here we evaluated the mechanisms of nicotine signaling in the avian retina during the development of neuron-glia cells at a stage where synapses are peaking.

Prenatal care and human rights: Addressing the gap between medical and legal frameworks and the experience of women in Brazil.

Access to quality and affordable healthcare is central to the fulfilment of women's reproductive and sexual health needs and rights. For this reason, the World Health Organization declared access to appropriate healthcare services during pregnancy and childbirth a fundamental women's right. Prenatal care is a recognized human right to women's health in Brazil, as declared by the 1988 Constitution and many Brazilian policies.

Chemiexcited Neurotransmitters and Hormones Create DNA Photoproducts in the Dark.

In DNA, electron excitation allows adjacent pyrimidine bases to dimerize by [2 + 2] cycloaddition, creating chemically stable but lethal and mutagenic cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs). The usual cause is ultraviolet radiation. Alternatively, CPDs can be made in the dark (dCPDs) via chemically mediated electron excitation of the skin pigment melanin, after it is oxidized by peroxynitrite formed from the stress-induced radicals superoxide and nitric oxide.

Global warming and heat wave risks for cardiovascular diseases: A position paper from the Portuguese Society of Cardiology.

Global warming is a result of the increased emission of greenhouse gases. The consequences of this climate change threaten society, biodiversity, food and resource availability. The consequences include an increased risk of cardiovascular (CV) disease and cardiovascular mortality.

Molecular diversity of Sarcocystis spp. in opossums (Didelphis spp.) from Southeastern and Midwestern Brazil.

South American opossums (Didelphis spp.) are definitive hosts of Sarcocystis neurona, Sarcocystis speeri, Sarcocystis lindsayi and Sarcocystis falcatula. In Brazil, diverse studies have demonstrated a high frequency of Sarcocystis falcatula-like in sporocysts derived from opossums, and high genetic diversity has been observed in surface antigen-encoding genes (SAGs).

Antibiotic indication in endodontics by Colombian dentists with different levels of training: a survey.

Aim: This study investigated how Colombian dentists with different academic levels indicate antibiotics with therapeutic purposes in endodontics.

Materials And Method: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 559 dentists in the form of an online questionnaire.

Results: Three hundred and twenty questionnaires were answered (57.

Diagnostic accuracy of magnetic resonance elastography and point-shear wave elastography for significant hepatic fibrosis screening: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

The hepatic diseases are extremely common in clinical practice. The correct classification of liver fibrosis is extremely important, as it influences therapy and predicts disease outcomes. The purpose of this study is to compare the diagnostic performance of point-shear wave elastography (pSWE) and magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) in the hepatic fibrosis diagnostic.

Topical ocular delivery of nanoparticles with epoetin beta in Wistar Hannover rats.

Topical instillation of drugs targeting the posterior ocular segment is an expanding area of research. Chitosan and hyaluronic acid have remarkable mucoadhesive properties and potentially enhance pre-corneal retention time after topical instillation. Bearing this in mind, we explored the possibility of delivering epoetin beta (EPOβ) to the posterior segment of the eye in a chitosan-hyaluronic acid (CS/HA-EPOβ) nanoparticulate system using the topical route of administration.

Assessment of distance to primary percutaneous coronary intervention centres in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction: Overcoming inequalities with process mining tools.

Objectives: In ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), time delay between symptom onset and treatment is critical to improve outcome. The expected transport delay between patient location and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) centre is paramount for choosing the adequate reperfusion therapy. The "Centro" region of Portugal has heterogeneity in PCI assess due to geographical reasons.

Acute Pulmonary Edema During a Cesarean Delivery After an Adverse Drug Event.

Acute pulmonary edema (APEd) is rare in pregnancy and in the postpartum period. An intermediate type of APEd characterized as a transudate with a protein concentration between that of cardiogenic and noncardiogenic APEd has been described in the literature. This transudate might actually be the result of capillary pressure having increased to a point of high-permeability edema and/or alveolar hemorrhage.

Chemiexcitation: Mammalian Photochemistry in the Dark.

Light is one way to excite an electron in biology. Another is chemiexcitation, birthing a reaction product in an electronically excited state rather than exciting from the ground state. Chemiexcited molecules, as in bioluminescence, can release more energy than ATP.

Design and In Situ Validation of Low-Cost and Easy to Apply Anti-Biofouling Techniques for Oceanographic Continuous Monitoring with Optical Instruments.

Biofouling is the major factor that limits long-term monitoring studies with automated optical instruments. Protection of the sensing areas, surfaces, and structural housing of the sensors must be considered to deliver reliable data without the need for cleaning or maintenance. In this work, we present the design and field validation of different techniques for biofouling protection based on different housing materials, biocides, and transparent coatings.

AIDS-related mortality in Pará Province, Brazilian Amazon region: Spatial and temporal analysis.

Unlabelled: Despite considerable therapeutic advances in the care of people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and an overall reduction of 47% in the AIDS mortality rate in the last decade, the AIDS-mortality rates remains high. The social determinants of health (SDH) have a direct influence on the dynamics of this phenomenon. However, changes in SDH caused by the implemented policies against HIV have been poorly investigated.

"Optimal" Central Venous Catheter Tip Position Does Not Increase Catheter Duration: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background Central venous cannulation provides venous access in different settings. Multiple guidelines and checklists still recommend confirmation of central venous catheter (CVC) tip position using a chest radiograph. The rationale is to detect and prevent complications thus optimizing CVC placement.

Nutrigenomics in Parkinson's disease: diversity of modulatory actions of polyphenols on epigenetic effects induced by toxins.

Although the pathogenesis of Parkinson's Disease (PD) is not completely understood, there is a consensus that it can be caused by multifactorial mechanisms involving genetic susceptibility, epigenetic modifications induced by toxins and mitochondrial dysfunction. In the past 20 years, great efforts have been made in order to clarify molecular mechanisms that are risk factors for this disease, as well as to identify bioactive agents for prevention and slowing down of its progression. Nutraceutical products have received substantial interest due to their nutritional, safe and therapeutic effects on several chronic diseases.

Improved Behavioral Box and Sensing Techniques for Analysis of Tactile Discrimination Tasks in Rodents.

Neuroscience behavioral studies stand out among the research works in this area. In these studies, normally, rodents are put inside closed platforms known as behavioral boxes in order to perform tasks and have their behaviors observed by way of sensors and annotations by hand. In this work, we aim to improve this research process by developing new techniques based upon the full automation of the behavioral box processes for more easily acquiring data.

Paecilomyces variotti in deep dental caries.

() is a fungal species found in soil, wood and some foods, and has been associated with some severe systemic infections. has not been previously identified in carious tissue, and the aim of the present study is to report the presence of in a deep carious lesion discussing its possible local and systemic associations. A 28 year-old male was submitted to extraction of the upper left second premolar (tooth #25) presenting a deep carious lesion.

Single-cell T cell receptor sequencing of paired human atherosclerotic plaques and blood reveals autoimmune-like features of expanded effector T cells.

Atherosclerosis is a lipid-driven chronic inflammatory disease; however, whether it can be classified as an autoimmune disease remains unclear. In this study, we applied single-cell T cell receptor seqencing (scTCR-seq) on human carotid artery plaques and matched peripheral blood mononuclear cell samples to assess the extent of TCR clonality and antigen-specific activation within the various T cell subsets. We observed the highest degree of plaque-specific clonal expansion in effector CD4 T cells, and these clonally expanded T cells expressed genes such as , and , indicative of recent TCR engagement, suggesting antigen-specific stimulation.