Obinutuzumab-Induced Inflammatory Bowel Disease-Like Pancolitis: A First Case Report.

Introduction: Obinutuzumab is a type II anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody associated with a higher rate of toxicity when compared to rituximab. Gastrointestinal side-effects have been reported but data is still sparse.

Case Presentation: A 47-year-old female with medical history of stage IV follicular non-Hodgkin lymphoma under chemotherapy presented with chronic bloody diarrhea and iron deficiency anemia.

Effect of whitening dentifrices on color, surface roughness and microhardness of dental enamel in vitro.

Purpose: To evaluate the color, surface roughness and microhardness of human dental enamel subjected to brushing with whitening dentifrices.

Methods: The enamel samples (4 x 4 x 2 mm) were darkened using 0.2% chlorhexidine and black tea, and were randomly divided into seven groups (n= 15) for brushing cycles with only water; control; conventional dentifrice (Colgate Maximum Anticaries Protection); dentifrice containing 2% hydrogen peroxide (Colgate Luminous White Advanced); dentifrice containing sodium tripolyphosphate (Sensodyne True White); dentifrice containing activated charcoal (Black is White); and dentifrice containing blue covarine (Close Up White Now).

Prognostic significance of computed tomography-assessed right ventricular enlargement in low-risk patients with pulmonary embolism: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: For patients with acute low-risk pulmonary embolism (PE), determined by a validated clinical prognostic score, the additive prognostic significance of computed tomography (CT)-assessed right ventricular (RV) enlargement is uncertain.

Methods: We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies that enrolled patients with acute low-risk PE to assess the prognostic value of concomitant CT-assessed RV enlargement for 30-day all-cause mortality and PE-related death. We conducted unrestricted searches of PubMed and Embase through December 2019.

Opposing contributions of psychologically distinct components of empathy to empathic accuracy.

[Correction Notice: An Erratum for this article was reported online in on Jul 23 2020 (see record 2020-54558-001). In the original article, significance levels indicated by the asterisks in Table 2 are incorrect. The corrected Table 2 is given in erratum.

Leucine Supplementation Has No Further Effect on Training-induced Muscle Adaptations.

Introduction: Several acute studies have suggested that leucine is a key amino acid to drive muscle protein synthesis. However, there are very few studies on the long-term effects of leucine supplementation on resistance training (RT)-induced gains in muscle mass and strength. We sought to determine the impact of 10 g of leucine on muscle mass and strength in response to RT in healthy young men.

Need for Transthoracic Echocardiogram in Patients with Low-Risk Pulmonary Thromboembolism: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Introduction: It is unclear whether low-risk patients with acute symptomatic pulmonary embolism (PE) should undergo echocardiogram.

Methods: We performed a meta-analysis of studies that enrolled patients with acute low-risk PE to assess the prognostic value of echocardiographic diagnosis of right ventricular (RV) dysfunction for the primary outcome of short-term all-cause mortality, and the secondary outcome of short-term PE-related mortality. We used a random-effects model to pool study results, a Begg rank correlation method to evaluate for publication bias, and I testing to assess heterogeneity.

First international descriptive and interventional survey for cholesterol and non-cholesterol sterol determination by gas- and liquid-chromatography-Urgent need for harmonisation of analytical methods.

Serum concentrations of lathosterol, the plant sterols campesterol and sitosterol and the cholesterol metabolite 5α-cholestanol are widely used as surrogate markers of cholesterol synthesis and absorption, respectively. Increasing numbers of laboratories utilize a broad spectrum of well-established and recently developed methods for the determination of cholesterol and non-cholesterol sterols (NCS). In order to evaluate the quality of these measurements and to identify possible sources of analytical errors our group initiated the first international survey for cholesterol and NCS.

High-Intensity Interval Training Augments Muscle Carnosine in the Absence of Dietary Beta-alanine Intake.

Purpose: Cross-sectional studies suggest that training can increase muscle carnosine (MCarn), although longitudinal studies have failed to confirm this. A lack of control for dietary β-alanine intake or muscle fiber type shifting may have hampered their conclusions. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on MCarn.

Application of the Health Literacy INDEX on the development of a manual for prevention of falls for older adults.

Objective: The Health Literacy INDEX tool has been developed for creating accessible and readable health information materials for people of all literacy levels. To increase knowledge of falls risk factors and actively engage older adults, we developed an improved manual for prevention of falls for low-health literacy older people entitled "Preventing falls-I can do it",with the aid of INDEX.

Methods: First time application of the INDEX tool for assessing the health literacy demands of available manuals for prevention of falls for older adults and subsequent development of an improved manual using the INDEX tool as a checklist, supported by a pretest phase involving sixteen adults ≥65, living in the community, with literacy ≤4th grade and limited functional health literacy.

Cholesterol absorption and synthesis markers in Portuguese hypercholesterolemic adults: A cross-sectional study.

Objective: The dynamics of cholesterol homeostasis and the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD) are complex and multifactorial, to which adds individual variability in the proportion of cholesterol from exogenous versus endogenous sources. The aim of this study was to undertake the first characterization of cholesterol absorption and synthesis profiles in Portuguese hypercholesterolemic adults through the quantification of surrogate markers, and the analysis of the predictive value of age and sex on the cholesterol homeostasis biomarkers.

Methods: Serum samples for the measurement of lipid profiles and cholesterol homeostasis markers were obtained for 100 men and 112 women, aged 30-65, with TC ≥ 5.

Benznidazole/Itraconazole Combination Treatment Enhances Anti-Trypanosoma cruzi Activity in Experimental Chagas Disease.

The nitroheterocyclic drugs nifurtimox and benznidazole are first-line drugs available to treat Chagas disease; however, they have limitations, including long treatment courses and toxicity. Strategies to overcome these limitations include the identification of new drugs with specific target profiles, re-dosing regimens for the current drugs, drug repositioning and combination therapy. In this work, we evaluated combination therapy as an approach for optimization of the current therapeutic regimen for Chagas disease.

"Add-on" effect of phytosterols-enriched fermented milk on lipids and markers of cholesterol metabolism in statin-treated elderly patients.

The effect of plant sterol (PS) enriched matrices on lipid profile has been evaluated in statin-treated individuals, with LDL-C concentrations between 3.35mmol/L and 4.90mmol/L, but studies in the elderly are scarce.

Ageing and poverty: how older Portuguese adults became less poor in the noughties.

The poverty rate amongst older Portuguese adults has decreased significantly in recent years as their incomes have increased and their levels of inequality and material deprivation have converged to the national average. This paper investigates whether this improved situation is homogeneous across this population group, but concludes that poverty pockets subsist. In particular, those aged 75+ and living alone record a poverty rate above 30 % in 2010, showing that this group is still subject to great economic and social vulnerability.

Blood shizonticidal activities of phenazines and naphthoquinoidal compounds against Plasmodium falciparum in vitro and in mice malaria studies.

Due to the recent advances of atovaquone, a naphthoquinone, through clinical trials as treatment for malarial infection, 19 quinone derivatives with previously reported structures were also evaluated for blood schizonticide activity against the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. These compounds include 2-hydroxy-3-methylamino naphthoquinones (2-9), lapachol (10), nor-lapachol (11), iso-lapachol (12), phthiocol (13) and phenazines (12-20). Their cytotoxicities were also evaluated against human hepatoma and normal monkey kidney cell lines.

Microhardness and color monitoring of nanofilled resin composite after bleaching and staining.

Objectives: The present study aimed to investigate the effect of staining solutions on microhardness and shade changes of a nanofilled resin composite, which had been previously in contact with bleaching agents.

Materials And Methods: A total of 135 disk-shaped specimens (10 mm × 2 mm) were fabricated with a nanofilled resin (Filtek Supreme) and photocured with a Light Emission Diode (LED) unit and then allocated into three groups to be bleached with 10% or 16% carbamide peroxide (CP) bleaching agents or a 35% hydrogen peroxide (HP) product. Following bleaching, specimens within each group were subdivided into three groups to be immersed in coffee, red wine or distilled water.

New compounds hybrids 1h-1,2,3-triazole-quinoline against Plasmodium falciparum.

Malaria is one of the most prevalent parasitic diseases in the world. The global importance of this disease, current vector control limitations, and the absence of an effective vaccine make the use of therapeutic antimalarial drugs the main strategy to control malaria. Chloroquine is a cost-effective antimalarial drug with a relatively robust safety profile, or therapeutic index.

Anti-malarial activity of indole alkaloids isolated from Aspidosperma olivaceum.

Background: Several species of Aspidosperma (Apocynaceae) are used as treatments for human diseases in the tropics. Aspidosperma olivaceum, which is used to treat fevers in some regions of Brazil, contains the monoterpenoid indole alkaloids (MIAs) aspidoscarpine, uleine, apparicine, and N-methyl-tetrahydrolivacine. Using bio-guided fractionation and cytotoxicity testing in a human hepatoma cell line, several plant fractions and compounds purified from the bark and leaves of the plant were characterized for specific therapeutic activity (and selectivity index, SI) in vitro against the blood forms of Plasmodium falciparum.

An overview of amines as nutritional supplements to counteract cancer cachexia.

Cancer cachexia is a complex multifactorial syndrome characterized by loss of skeletal muscle mass (with or without loss of fat mass) that cannot be fully reversed by conventional nutritional support and leads to progressive functional impairment. Recently, some amino acids and other amine dietary supplements have been highlighted in medical field due to positive effects upon diseases evolving skeletal muscle atrophy. Therefore, the aim of this brief review is to discuss the putative application of amines as dietary supplements to counteract skeletal muscle wasting on cancer cachexia.

Benznidazole and posaconazole in experimental Chagas disease: positive interaction in concomitant and sequential treatments.

Background: Current chemotherapy for Chagas disease is unsatisfactory due to its limited efficacy, particularly in the chronic phase, with frequent side effects that can lead to treatment discontinuation. Combined therapy is envisioned as an ideal approach since it may improve treatment efficacy whilst decreasing toxicity and the likelihood of resistance development. We evaluated the efficacy of posaconazole in combination with benznidazole on Trypanosoma cruzi infection in vivo.