Publications by authors named "Maria Grillo"

Article Synopsis
  • The study focuses on treating four children with FH antibody-mediated hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) using eculizumab, an alternative therapy, alongside immunosuppression instead of traditional treatments like plasmapheresis.
  • In the review, patients displayed improvements in hematological signs and kidney function within weeks of starting eculizumab, with three of them discontinuing the treatment after six months without complications.
  • The findings indicate that a short eculizumab regimen could effectively reverse severe symptoms and enhance kidney health, potentially with lower relapse risks when combined with immunosuppressive agents.
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  • Engineered live bacteria, specifically a modified version of Mycoplasma pneumoniae, show promise in treating lung infections like ventilator-associated pneumonia, which often has high mortality rates.
  • The researchers validated the safety of this modified bacterium in mice and enhanced its function by adding genes that target harmful bacteria and biofilms.
  • Results indicate that the engineered strain effectively combats acute lung infections and can break down biofilms in medical devices, possibly improving treatment alongside existing antibiotics.
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Brucellosis, a re-emerging zoonotic infection, threatens animal welfare and public health with serious economic consequences. A definitive diagnosis requires Brucella isolation by culturing field specimens in specific media. This study aimed to (i) assess the effectivity of recommended Farrell's médium (FM) and CITA medium (CM) for the isolation of four Brucella melitensis strains (16M, Rev1, and the 16MΔ and Rev1Δ in-frame deletion mutants) with variable susceptibility to polymyxins; (ii) develop a Brucella selective medium (BSM) suitable for these strains; (iii) test BSM, FM, and CM with other Brucella species; and (iv) develop an improved selective culture medium (SIC) for all brucellae, including B.

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The lipopolysaccharide (LPS) O-polysaccharide (O-PS) is the main virulence factor in . After synthesis in the cytoplasmic membrane, O-PS is exported to the periplasm by the Wzm/Wzt system, where it is assembled into a LPS. This translocation also engages a bactoprenol carrier required for further biosynthesis pathways, such as cell wall biogenesis.

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Low weight at birth may be due to intrauterine growth restriction or premature birth. Preterm birth is more common in low- and middle-income countries: 60% of preterm birth occur in sub-Saharan African or South Asian countries. However, in some higher-income countries, preterm birth rates appear to be increasing in relation to a reduction in the lower threshold of fetal viability.

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Extensive pig systems are gaining importance as quality production systems and as the standard for sustainable rural development and animal welfare. However, the effects of natural foods on epidemiology remain unknown. Herein, we assessed the presence of and the composition of the gut microbiota in pigs from both -free and high prevalence farms.

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After Enteritidis and Typhimurium, 4,[5],12:i:- is the most reported serovar in human clinical cases. During the past 20 years, many tools have been used for its typing and second-phase flagellar deletion characterization. Currently, whole genome sequencing (WGS) and different bioinformatic programs have shown the potential to be more accurate than earlier tools.

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  • Acute or chronic guanosine (GUO) administration shows anxiolytic-like effects in rats, suggesting involvement of the adenosine (ADO) system, although direct evidence was lacking prior to this study.
  • The study confirmed that GUO induces these effects; however, pretreatment with adenosine receptor (AR) agonists blocked the anxiolytic effects of GUO, indicating AR involvement.
  • Binding assays further revealed potential GUO binding sites, where ADO displaced GUO binding more effectively than AR selective agonists, hinting at a complex interaction between GUO and ADO receptors.
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Objective: To contextualize the performance of nurses/nursing team in the dispensing of materials to assist users in home visits, in primary care.

Methods: Dialectical qualitative study conducted between March and April 2018 in which 24 nurses from primary health care units in the Gloria/Cruzeiro/Cristal District of Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, completed the self-administered questionnaire, whose data were treated by thematic content analysis. The study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee.

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Phage lytic proteins are promising antimicrobials that could complement conventional antibiotics and help to combat multi-drug resistant bacteria that cause important human and animal infections. Here, we report the characterization of endolysin LysRODI (encoded by staphylophage phiIPLA-RODI) and its application as a prophylactic mastitis treatment. The main properties of LysRODI were compared with those of endolysin LysA72 (encoded by staphylophage phiIPLA35) and the chimeric protein CHAPSH3b (derived from the virion-associated peptidoglycan hydrolase HydH5 and lysostaphin).

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In this work, an electrochemical enzyme-linked oligonucleotide array to achieve simple and rapid multidetection of aflatoxin B (AFB) is presented. The assay is based on a competitive format and disposable screen-printed cells (SPCs). Firstly, the electrodeposition of poly(aniline-anthranilic acid) copolymer (PANI-PAA) on graphite screen-printed working electrodes was performed by means of cyclic voltammetry (CV).

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The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential use of an e-nose in combination with lateral flow immunoassays for rapid aflatoxin and fumonisin occurrence/co-occurrence detection in maize samples. For this purpose, 161 samples of corn have been used. Below the regulatory limits, single-contaminated, and co-contaminated samples were classified according to the detection ranges established for commercial lateral flow immunoassays (LFIAs) for mycotoxin determination.

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Notwithstanding the improvement in treatment results for paediatric T cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (T-ALL) it remains important to understand if genetic aberrations influence therapy response. PTEN tumour suppressor gene inactivation is a frequent event in T-ALL but its effect on patient therapy response is debatable. We analysed the effect of the presence of mutated PTEN on outcome in 257 children with T-ALL treated with Associazione Italiana di Ematologia e Oncologia Pediatrica (AIEOP)-Berlin-Frankfürt-Münster (BFM) protocols.

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A longitudinal study was conducted to investigate the presence of multidrug antimicrobial resistance (multi-AR) in Salmonella enterica in pigs reared under conventional preventative medicine programmes in Spain and the possible association of multi-AR with ceftiofur or tulathromycin treatment during the pre-weaning period. Groups of 7-day-old piglets were treated by intramuscular injection with ceftiofur on four farms (n=40 piglets per farm) and with tulathromycin on another four farms (n=40 piglets per farm). A control group of untreated piglets (n=30 per farm) was present on each farm.

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Objectives: Surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) for the treatment of in very old patients with severe aortic stenosis is associated with a high risk of morbidity and mortality. Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has become the preferred alternative. Therefore, we sought to evaluate outcomes in very old patients who underwent SAVR versus TAVI.

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Background: Although octogenarians constitute a fast-growing portion of cardiovascular patients, few data are available on the outcome of patients aged ≥85 years with ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI).

Methods And Results: We analyzed 126 consecutive patients aged ≥85 years (age 88±2 years) with STEMI, undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI) within 12 hours from symptoms onset. Long-term follow-up (median 898 days) was obtained for the 102 patients surviving the index-hospitalization.

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Objective: To analyse educational activities carried out in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, considered permanent education in healthcare.

Method: This is a mixed methods study with a qualitative approach and the participation of 492 municipal health departments. Data were collected in March and October 2014 through interviews available online.

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The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of a structured group education program administered by a primary care nurse in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. The sample included 137 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, randomized into two groups: intervention (5-week educational course and reinforcements every 4 months for one year) and control (with no structured diabetes mellitus education) with an evaluation of metabolic control, weight, blood pressure, distress scores, and knowledge on diabetes. There were no differences between the two groups in HbA1c at 4, 8, or 12 months when compared to baseline values.

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The brucellae are the etiological agents of brucellosis, a worldwide-distributed zoonosis. These bacteria are facultative intracellular parasites and thus are able to adjust their metabolism to the extra- and intracellular environments encountered during an infectious cycle. However, this aspect of Brucella biology is imperfectly understood, and the nutrients available in the intracellular niche are unknown.

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We sought to analyze, from the perspective of professors and students, the reasons and consequences of the expansion of undergraduate courses in nursing, discussing the dilemmas and the contradictions confronting the labor market. It was a qualitative study with data obtained from focus groups, conducted in 18 undergraduate nursing courses in the state of Minas Gerais, during the period of February to October of 2011. The narratives were submitted to critical discourse analysis.

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Background: Hypertension frequently coexists with type 2 diabetes (DM), and increases the risk of cardiovascular outcomes. The aim of the study was to obtain/maintain blood pressure (BP) goals (ADA/JNC 7) according to a stepwise algorithm using the medication supplied by the Brazilian government.

Methods: A one-year, single-arm interventional study conducted with type 2 diabetes patients.

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Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) is a frequent commensal of the human nasopharynx that causes opportunistic infection in immunocompromised individuals. Existing evidence associates lipooligosaccharide (LOS) with disease, but the specific and relative contributions of NTHi LOS modifications to virulence properties of the bacterium have not been comprehensively addressed. Using NTHi strain 375, an isolate for which the detailed LOS structure has been determined, we compared systematically a set of isogenic mutant strains expressing sequentially truncated LOS.

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Education plays an important role in diabetes mellitus (DM) treatment, as it enables patients to manage their disease. There is a wide range of tested educational interventions, and, to date, no universal model that can be standardized and recognized as effective for all individuals with the disease has been defined. This article aims to review the effect of different types of educational interventions for self-management of glycemic control in patients with DM type 2, in addition to define general recommendations for this treatment strategy.

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Aims: Acute coronary lesions are known to be the most common trigger of out of hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). Aim of the present study was to assess the predictive value of ST-segment changes in diagnosing the presence of acute coronary lesions among OHCA patients

Methods: Findings of coronary angiography (CA) performed in patients resuscitated from OCHA were retrospectively reviewed and related to ST-segment changes on post-ROSC electrocardiogram (ECG) RESULTS: Ninety-one patients underwent CA after OHCA; 44% of patients had ST-segment elevation and 56% of patients had other ECG patterns on post-ROSC ECG. Significant coronary artery disease (CAD) was found in 86% of patients; CAD was observed in 98% of patients with ST-segment elevation and in 77% of patients with other ECG patterns on post-ROSC ECG (p=0.

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Background: The American Diabetes Association (ADA) has published several diabetes treatment algorithms, but none have been tested in real-life settings. The aim of this study is to analyze the feasibility of achieving and/or maintaining HbA1c levels <7.0% using current diabetes treatment guidelines and the resources available in the public health care system of Brazil.

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