Myoglobin microplate assay to evaluate prevention of protein peroxidation.

The current therapeutic strategies are based on the design of multifunctional drug candidates able to interact with various disease related targets. Drugs that have the ability to scavenge reactive oxygen species (ROS), beyond their main therapeutic action, may prevent the oxidative damage of biomolecules. Therefore, analytical approaches that monitor in a continuous mode the ability of drugs to counteract peroxidation of physiologically relevant biotargets are required.

Fonsecaea pugnacius, a Novel Agent of Disseminated Chromoblastomycosis.

We report a fatal case of a chromoblastomycosis-like infection caused by a novel species of Fonsecaea in a 52-year-old immunocompetent Caucasian male from an area of chromoblastomycosis endemicity in Brazil. The patient had a 30-year history of slowly evolving, verrucous lesions on the right upper arm which gradually affected the entire arm, the left hemifacial area, and the nose. Subsequent dissemination to the brain was observed, which led to death of the patient.

MicroRNAs as novel biomarkers in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma--a systematic review.

Introduction: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short non-coding RNAs that have the ability to regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. MiRNAs are deregulated in many cancer types, and several miRNAs have been suggested as novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). The objective of this study was to systematically collect and evaluate current knowledge of miRNAs functioning as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers within DLBCL.

Single-Dose, Randomized, Open-Label, Two-Way, Crossover Bioequivalence Study of Two Formulations of Pregabalin 300 mg Hard Capsules in Healthy Volunteers Under Fasting Conditions.

Aims: This bioequivalence study was conducted to assess the bioequivalence of two formulations, test and reference, of pregabalin 300 mg hard capsules, under fasting conditions.

Methods: This was a single-center, randomized, single-dose, open-label, laboratory-blinded, two-way crossover study, with a minimum washout period of 7 days. Plasma samples were collected prior to and up to 36 h after dosing.

An Optimized Firefly Luciferase Bioluminescent Assay for the Analysis of Free Fatty Acids.

A firefly luciferase (LUC)-based bioluminescent assay for total free fatty acids (FFA) is presented. It is based on LUC's capability of converting FFA into fatty acyl-adenylates with consumption of adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP). Since ATP is a cosubstrate in LUC's bioluminescent reaction, together with firefly D-luciferin (D-LH2 ) and atmospheric oxygen (O2 ), any reduction in the assay's ATP content will lead to a decrease in the bioluminescent signal, which is proportional to the amount of FFA.

The effect of oil spills on the bacterial diversity and catabolic function in coastal sediments: a case study on the Prestige oil spill.

The accident of the Prestige oil tanker in 2002 contaminated approximately 900 km of the coastline along the northern Spanish shore, as well as parts of Portugal and France coast, with a mixture of heavy crude oil consisting of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, alkanes, asphaltenes and resins. The capacity of the autochthonous bacterial communities to respond to the oil spill was assessed indirectly by determining the hydrocarbon profiles of weathered oil samples collected along the shore, as well as through isotope ratios of seawater-dissolved CO2, and directly by analyses of denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis fingerprints and 16S rRNA gene libraries. Overall, the results evidenced biodegradation of crude oil components mediated by natural bacterial communities, with a bias towards lighter and less substituted compounds.

Immature mosquitoes in bamboo internodes in municipal parks, city of são paulo, Brazil.

We conducted an inventory of the mosquito fauna of the internodes of bamboo plants grown in municipal parks in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. During October 2010 to July 2013, a total of 8,541 immature stages belonging to 21 mosquito species were collected from bamboos over 61 municipal parks. Of these, Aedes albopictus was the most abundant species followed by Ae.

Imaging-based high-throughput screening assay to identify new molecules with transmission-blocking potential against Plasmodium falciparum female gamete formation.

In response to a call for the global eradication of malaria, drug discovery has recently been extended to identify compounds that prevent the onward transmission of the parasite, which is mediated by Plasmodium falciparum stage V gametocytes. Lately, metabolic activity has been used in vitro as a surrogate for gametocyte viability; however, as gametocytes remain relatively quiescent at this stage, their ability to undergo onward development (gamete formation) may be a better measure of their functional viability. During gamete formation, female gametocytes undergo profound morphological changes and express translationally repressed mRNA.

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma classification system that associates normal B-cell subset phenotypes with prognosis.

Purpose: Current diagnostic tests for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma use the updated WHO criteria based on biologic, morphologic, and clinical heterogeneity. We propose a refined classification system based on subset-specific B-cell-associated gene signatures (BAGS) in the normal B-cell hierarchy, hypothesizing that it can provide new biologic insight and diagnostic and prognostic value.

Patients And Methods: We combined fluorescence-activated cell sorting, gene expression profiling, and statistical modeling to generate BAGS for naive, centrocyte, centroblast, memory, and plasmablast B cells from normal human tonsils.

Role of glycated hemoglobin in the screening and diagnosis of posttransplantation diabetes mellitus after renal transplantation: A diagnostic accuracy study.

Background: The role of glycated hemoglobin (A1C) in the screening and diagnosis of posttransplantation diabetes mellitus (PTDM) is still not entirely understood. We evaluated the use of A1C test in renal transplant recipients at four months after transplantation.

Methods: A total of 122 out of 274 patients without previous diabetes that underwent kidney transplantation were enrolled.

Doctors' awareness concerning primary immunodeficiencies in Brazil.

Background: PIDs are a heterogeneous group of genetic illnesses, and delay in their diagnosis is thought to be caused by a lack of awareness among physicians concerning PIDs. The latter is what we aimed to evaluate in Brazil.

Methods: Physicians working at general hospitals all over the country were asked to complete a 14-item questionnaire.

[Social representation of domestic violence against women among Nursing Technicians and Community Agents].

Objective: To analyze the social representations of the Nursing Technicians and Community Health Agents about domestic violence against women.

Method: A qualitative study carried out in the city of Rio Grande, RS, in which evocations and interviews were collected between July and November 2013. For the treatment of data were used the EVOC 2005 software and the context analysis.

Direct xylan conversion into glycolipid biosurfactants, mannosylerythritol lipids, by Pseudozyma antarctica PYCC 5048(T).

Mannosylerythritol lipids (MEL) are glycolipid biosurfactants, produced by Pseudozyma spp., with increasing commercial interest. While MEL can be produced from d-glucose and d-xylose, the direct conversion of the respective lignocellulosic polysaccharides, cellulose and xylan, was not reported yet.

Biorefining strategy for maximal monosaccharide recovery from three different feedstocks: eucalyptus residues, wheat straw and olive tree pruning.

This work proposes the biorefining of eucalyptus residues (ER), wheat straw (WS) and olive tree pruning (OP) combining hydrothermal pretreatment (autohydrolysis) with acid post-hydrolysis of the liquid fraction and enzymatic hydrolysis of the solid fraction towards maximal recovery of monosaccharides from those lignocellulose materials. Autohydrolysis of ER, WS and OP was performed under non-isothermal conditions (195-230°C) and the non-cellulosic saccharides were recovered in the liquid fraction while cellulose and lignin remained in the solid fraction. The acid post-hydrolysis of the soluble oligosaccharides was studied by optimizing sulfuric acid concentration (1-4%w/w) and reaction time (10-60 min), employing a factorial (2(2)) experimental design.

Targeting the spindle assembly checkpoint for breast cancer treatment.

Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in women worldwide and the second leading cause of cancer deaths after lung cancer. As in other malignancies, aneuploidy is a common feature of breast cancer and influences its behavior. Aneuploidy has been linked to inappropriate activity of the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC), a surveillance mechanism that, in normal cells, prevents anaphase onset until correct alignment of all chromosomes at the metaphase is achieved.

Internal transcribed spacer sequence-based rapid molecular identification of Prototheca zopfii and Prototheca blaschkeae directly from milk of infected cows.

The increasing incidence of rare mastitis-causing pathogens has urged the implementation of fast and efficient diagnostic and control measures. Prototheca algae are known to be associated with diseases in humans and animals. In the latter, the most prevalent form of protothecosis is bovine mastitis with Prototheca zopfii and Prototheca blaschkeae representing the most common pathogenic species.

Brain structure. Cell types in the mouse cortex and hippocampus revealed by single-cell RNA-seq.

The mammalian cerebral cortex supports cognitive functions such as sensorimotor integration, memory, and social behaviors. Normal brain function relies on a diverse set of differentiated cell types, including neurons, glia, and vasculature. Here, we have used large-scale single-cell RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) to classify cells in the mouse somatosensory cortex and hippocampal CA1 region.

Squamous cell carcinoma derived from chronic chromoblastomycosis in Brazil.

Background: Chromoblastomycosis (CBM) is a chronic fungal infection caused mainly by the melanized fungi Fonsecaea species. The chronic lesions may be predisposed to develop into cancer, the most serious complication of the disease.

Methods: In this report, 7 cases of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) resulting from chronic CBM in patients from Maranhão in the Brazilian Amazon are described.

Low to moderate doses of infrared A irradiation impair extracellular matrix homeostasis of the skin and contribute to skin photodamage.

Human skin is daily exposed to sun rays, which include not only ultraviolet radiation, but also an important quantity of infrared (IR) radiation. In the past few years, many publications have underlined the negative impact of IR radiation on the human skin, particularly when the skin and/or the cells are exposed to high sun irradiance and significant doses of IR. In the present study, we demonstrate, in vitro on normal human fibroblasts, that even under low irradiance with single or very few repeated doses, infrared A irradiation (IRA) produces free radicals, triggers major changes in the expression of the type I collagen and elastin network, impairs the dermal-epidermal junction, upregulates several matrix metalloproteinases and has an impact on the expression of key genes of the extracellular matrix.

MicroRNAs in B-cells: from normal differentiation to treatment of malignancies.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that play important post-transcriptional regulatory roles in a wide range of biological processes. They are fundamental to the normal development of cells, and evidence suggests that the deregulation of specific miRNAs is involved in malignant transformation due to their function as oncogenes or tumor suppressors. We know that miRNAs are involved in the development of normal B-cells and that different B-cell subsets express specific miRNA profiles according to their degree of differentiation.

School-age children with specific language impairment produce more speech disfluencies than their peers.

Purpose: To compare the occurrence of speech disfluencies during narrative production in children with specific language impairment (SLI) and their age-matched peers.

Methods: The study included 60 children aged between 7 and 10 years, 40 with typical language development and 20 with SLI. For data collection, a series of 15 stories was used, each one represented by pictures composed of four scenes.

Paracoccidioidomycosis in patients with lymphoma and review of published literature.

This paper describes four new cases of lymphomas, two Hodgkin lymphomas and two non-Hodgkin lymphomas in patients with paracoccidioidomycosis. All had mycosis diagnosed before lymphomas with Paracoccidioides brasiliensis demonstrated in several lymph nodes, as seen in the disseminated form of the disease. When lymphoma was diagnosed, one patient was under regular paracoccidioidomycosis treatment and in clinic-serological remission for this disease, another was under regular treatment but with clinic-serological mycosis activity, one had abandoned paracoccidioidomycosis treatment 6 years earlier, and the other had not yet received any kind of antifungal drugs.