II-VI Quantum Cascade emitters in the 6-8μm range.

We present the growth and characterization of ZnCdSe/ZnCdMgSe quantum cascade (QC) heterostructures grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) and designed to operate at 6-8μm. These structures utilize the better-understood ZnCdMgSe with InP lattice matched compositions yielding a bandgap of 2.80 eV as compared to previous work which used ZnCdMgSe compositions with bandgaps at 3.

Therapeutic effect of ursolic acid in experimental visceral leishmaniasis.

Leishmaniasis is an important neglected tropical disease, affecting more than 12 million people worldwide. The available treatments are not well tolerated and present diverse side effects in patients, justifying the search for new therapeutic compounds. In the present study, the therapeutic potential and toxicity of ursolic acid (UA), isolated from the leaves of Baccharis uncinella C.

Multifunctional gold-nanoparticles: A nanovectorization tool for the targeted delivery of novel chemotherapeutic agents.

Due to their small size and unique properties, multifunctional nanoparticles arise as versatile delivery systems easily grafted with a vast array of functional moieties, such as anticancer cytotoxic chemotherapeutics and targeting agents. Here, we formulated a multifunctional gold-nanoparticle (AuNP) system composed of a monoclonal antibody against epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) (anti-EGFR D-11) for active targeting and a Co(II) coordination compound [CoCl(HO)(phendione)][BF] (phendione=1,10-phenanthroline-5,6-dione) (TS265) with proven antiproliferative activity towards cancer cells (designated as TargetNanoTS265). The efficacy of this nanoformulation, and the non-targeted counterpart (NanoTS265), were evaluated in vitro using cancer cell models and in vivo using mice xenografts.

Role of three different plants on simultaneous salt and nutrient reduction from saline synthetic wastewater in lab-scale constructed wetlands.

Constructed Wetlands (CWs) can be a valuable technology to treat high salinity wastewaters but it is not known their potential for removal of both nutrients and salt, and the type of plants to use. This study evaluated the effect of three plants on salt reduction and simultaneous nutrient removal in CWs microcosms with expanded clay and in hydroponic conditions. Initial values of the synthetic wastewater tested were EC=15dSm, SAR=151; NH-N=24mgL; PO-P=30mgL and NO-N=34mgL.

Farmland biodiversity and agricultural management on 237 farms in 13 European and two African regions.

Farmland is a major land cover type in Europe and Africa and provides habitat for numerous species. The severe decline in farmland biodiversity of the last decades has been attributed to changes in farming practices, and organic and low-input farming are assumed to mitigate detrimental effects of agricultural intensification on biodiversity. Since the farm enterprise is the primary unit of agricultural decision making, management-related effects at the field scale need to be assessed at the farm level.

Comparison between merthiolate-iodine-formalin and Kato-Katz methods for the diagnosis of human helminth infections in resource-limited settings.

Diagnosis of intestinal parasites through examination of fresh faecal samples is hampered by its unpleasantness and the urgent need to detect all parasitic forms. In this paper, we compared the standard Kato-Katz (KK) technique with a traditional fixation method, the merthiolate-iodine-formalin (MIF) method. Two hundred and twenty-seven faecal samples from individuals living in a rural setting in Venezuela with high to moderate prevalences of Ascaris lumbricoides (Al), Trichuris trichiura (Tt) and hookworm infections were examined.

Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs: Ethical Issues in the Emergency Department.

Prescription drug monitoring programs are statewide databases available to clinicians to track prescriptions of controlled medications. These programs may provide valuable information to assess the history and use of controlled substances and contribute to clinical decisionmaking in the emergency department (ED). The widespread availability of the programs raises important ethical issues about beneficence, nonmaleficence, respect for persons, justice, confidentiality, veracity, and physician autonomy.

Nutrition Interventions for Cardiovascular Disease.

Nutrition therapy is effective at controlling cardiovascular disease risk factors and therefore reducing cardiovascular disease risk. Physicians should play an active role in providing nutrition interventions for patients who would benefit from cardiovascular disease risk reduction or refer them to other professionals as needed. The evidence on nutrition interventions for blood pressure and lipid control, including overall dietary patterns, dietary fat and macronutrients, dietary cholesterol, sodium, and alcohol intake, is discussed.

Reducing Health Inequities in the U.S.: Recommendations From the NHLBI's Health Inequities Think Tank Meeting.

The National, Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute convened a Think Tank meeting to obtain insight and recommendations regarding the objectives and design of the next generation of research aimed at reducing health inequities in the United States. The panel recommended several specific actions, including: 1) embrace broad and inclusive research themes; 2) develop research platforms that optimize the ability to conduct informative and innovative research, and promote systems science approaches; 3) develop networks of collaborators and stakeholders, and launch transformative studies that can serve as benchmarks; 4) optimize the use of new data sources, platforms, and natural experiments; and 5) develop unique transdisciplinary training programs to build research capacity. Confronting health inequities will require engaging multiple disciplines and sectors (including communities), using systems science, and intervening through combinations of individual, family, provider, health system, and community-targeted approaches.

Perspectives from NHLBI Global Health Think Tank Meeting for Late Stage (T4) Translation Research.

Almost three-quarters (74%) of all the noncommunicable disease burden is found within low- and middle-income countries. In September 2014, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute held a Global Health Think Tank meeting to obtain expert advice and recommendations for addressing compelling scientific questions for late stage (T4) research-research that studies implementation strategies for proven effective interventions-to inform and guide the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's global health research and training efforts. Major themes emerged in two broad categories: 1) developing research capacity; and 2) efficiently defining compelling scientific questions within the local context.

Acute fibrinous and organizing pneumonia: A report of 13 cases in a tertiary university hospital.

Introduction: Acute fibrinous and organizing pneumonia (AFOP) is a rare diffuse pulmonary disease, but it is not yet known whether it is a distinct form of interstitial pneumonia or simply a reflection of a tissue sampling issue.

Methods: Cross-sectional evaluation of clinical and radiological findings, treatments, and outcomes for patients with histologically confirmed AFOP at a tertiary university hospital between 2002 and 2015.

Results: Thirteen patients (7 women, 53.

A multiple index integrating different levels of organization.

Many methods in freshwater biomonitoring tend to be restricted to a few levels of biological organization, limiting the potential spectrum of measurable of cause-effect responses to different anthropogenic impacts. We combined distinct organisational levels, covering biological biomarkers (histopathological and biochemical reactions in liver and fish gills), community based bioindicators (fish guilds, invertebrate metrics/traits and chironomid pupal exuviae) and ecosystem functional indicators (decomposition rates) to assess ecological status at designated Water Framework Directive monitoring sites, covering a gradient of human impact across several rivers in northern Portugal. We used Random Forest to rank the variables that contributed more significantly to successfully predict the different classes of ecological status and also to provide specific cut levels to discriminate each WFD class based on reference condition.

Iron-modulated pseudocyst formation in Tritrichomonas foetus.

Iron is an essential element for the survival of trichomonads during host-parasite interaction. The availability of this metal modulates several metabolic pathways of the parasites and regulates the expression of virulence factors such as adhesins and proteolytic enzymes. In this study, we investigated the effect of iron depletion on the morphology and life cycle of Tritrichomonas foetus.

Low-Level Laser Therapy (780 nm) on VEGF Modulation at Partially Injured Achilles Tendon.

Objective: The aim of this study was to analyze the modulatory effects of near infrared (780 nm) low-level laser therapy (LLLT) on the presence of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the partially injured Achilles tendons of rats.

Background: LLLT stimulates the healing process for Achilles tendon injuries, although the extent of the modulatory effect of LLLT on the VEGF levels found in the injured tendons remains unclear.

Methods: Sixty-five male Wistar rats were distributed in the following seven groups: LASER 1, 3, and 7 (10 partially injured Achilles tendons in each group, which were treated with LLLT for 1, 3, and 7 days, respectively); Sham 1, 3, and 7 (same injury, with simulated LLLT); Control group containing the five remaining animals and in which no procedures were performed.

Proteomics strategies for bipolar disorder evaluation: From sample preparation to validation.

Bipolar disorder (BD) is a complex and costly psychiatric disorder, which affects one hundred million people worldwide. Due to its heterogeneity, correct BD diagnosis is still a challenge. In order to overcome this issue, different bioanalytical strategies have been proposed in the literature recently.

The circumferential resection margins status: A comparison of robotic, laparoscopic and open total mesorectal excision for mid and low rectal cancer.

Introduction: Minimally invasive surgery for rectal cancer (RC) is now widely performed via the laparoscopic approach, but robotic-assisted surgery may overcome some limitations of laparoscopy in RC treatment. We compared the rate of positive circumferential margins between robotic, laparoscopic and open total mesorectal excision (TME) for RC in our institution.

Methods: Mid and low rectal adenocarcinoma patients consecutively submitted to robotic surgery were compared to laparoscopic and open approach.

Consensus document for the diagnosis and treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: Joint Consensus of Sociedade Portuguesa de Pneumologia, Sociedade Portuguesa de Radiologia e Medicina Nuclear e Sociedade Portuguesa de Anatomia Patológica.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is a rare interstitial lung disease included in the Idiopathic Interstitial Pneumonias group. Although several potential risk factors have been described, it is a progressive fibrosing disease of unknown cause affecting mainly adults over 50 years and associated with a poor prognosis, reflected in a median survival of 2-3 years after diagnosis. The concept of a multidisciplinary working group for the diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is based on the need to have experienced pulmonologists, radiologists and pathologists in the evaluation and correct treatment of the disease, and requires the use of all available data about individual patients, standardized (largely through High Resolution Computed Tomography and pathology when needed) as well as non-standardized data (laboratory, serology and biomarkers).

Kinetics of aerobic cometabolic biodegradation of chlorinated and brominated aliphatic hydrocarbons: A review.

This review analyses kinetic studies of aerobic cometabolism (AC) of halogenated aliphatic hydrocarbons (HAHs) from 2001-2015 in order to (i) compare the different kinetic models proposed, (ii) analyse the estimated model parameters with a focus on novel HAHs and the identification of general trends, and (iii) identify further research needs. The results of this analysis show that aerobic cometabolism can degrade a wide range of HAHs, including HAHs that were not previously tested such as chlorinated propanes, highly chlorinated ethanes and brominated methanes and ethanes. The degree of chlorine mineralization was very high for the chlorinated HAHs.

Proteomics reveals major components of oogenesis in the reproductive tract of sugar-fed Anopheles aquasalis.

Anopheles (Nyssorhynchus) aquasalis is a malaria vector mainly distributed along the coastal regions of South and Central America. In the absence of an effective vaccine against malaria, strategies for controlling the vector are the main tool for interrupting parasite transmission. Mechanisms of oogenesis and embryogenesis in anautogenous mosquitoes are mainly modulated by blood feeding.

Observation Care: Ethical and Legal Considerations for the Emergency Physician.

Background: The Medicare observation rules remain controversial despite Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services revisions and the new 2-midnight rule. The increased financial risks for patients and heightened awareness of the rule have placed emergency physicians (EPs) at the center of the controversy.

Discussion: This article reviews the primary ethical and legal (particularly with respect to the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act) implications of the existing observation rule for EPs and offers practical solutions for EPs faced with counseling patients on the meaning and ramifications of the observation rule.

The Effect of Ursolic Acid on Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis Is Related to Programed Cell Death and Presents Therapeutic Potential in Experimental Cutaneous Leishmaniasis.

Among neglected tropical diseases, leishmaniasis is one of the most important ones, affecting more than 12 million people worldwide. The available treatments are not well tolerated, and present diverse side effects, justifying the search for new therapeutic compounds. In the present study, the activity of ursolic acid (UA) and oleanolic acid (OA) were assayed in experimental cutaneous leishmaniasis (in vitro and in vivo).

A Novel Vasoactive Proline-Rich Oligopeptide from the Skin Secretion of the Frog Brachycephalus ephippium.

Proline-rich oligopeptides (PROs) are a large family which comprises the bradykinin-potentiating peptides (BPPs). They inhibit the activity of the angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) and have a typical pyroglutamyl (Pyr)/proline-rich structure at the N- and C-terminus, respectively. Furthermore, PROs decrease blood pressure in animals.

Effectiveness and safety of monoclonal antibodies for metastatic colorectal cancer treatment: systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: The effectiveness of chemotherapy (CT) for select cases of metastatic colorectal cancer (MCRC) has been well established in the literature, however, it provides limited benefits and in many cases constitutes a treatment with high toxicity. The use of specific molecular biological treatments with monoclonal antibodies (MA) has been shown to be relevant, particularly for its potential for increasing the response rate of the host to the tumour, as these have molecular targets present in the cancerous cells and their microenvironment thereby blocking their development. The combination of MA and CT can bring a significant increase in the rate of resectability of metastases, the progression-free survival (PFS), and the global survival (GS) in MCRC patients.