The raising of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants led to the use of COVID-19 bivalent vaccines, which include antigens of the wild-type (WT) virus, and of the Omicron strain. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the impact of bivalent vaccination on the neutralizing antibody (NAb) response. We enrolled 93 volunteers who had received three or four doses of monovalent vaccines based on the original virus (n = 61), or a booster shot with the bivalent vaccine (n = 32).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe aim of this experiment was to evaluate growth, body development and ingestive behavior of Nelore and crossbred heifers. Twenty-two contemporary heifers (eight Nelore, seven Nelore × Angus (½ Angus) and seven Nelore × Pantaneiro (½ Pantaneiro) crosses) were evaluated. The variables evaluated were weight, subcutaneous fat thickness [assessed by ultrasound in the longissimus dorsi (SFT) and biceps femoris (SFTP8)] morphometric measures and ingestive behavior (determined between 7 am and 5 pm).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDespite the worldwide importance of disease complexes involving root-feeding nematodes and soilborne fungi, there have been few in-depth studies on how these organisms interact at the molecular level. Previous studies of guava decline have shown that root exudates from -parasitized guava plants (NP plants), but not from nematode-free plants (NF plants), enable the fungus to rot guava roots, leading to plant death. To further characterize this interaction, NP and NF root exudates were lyophilized; extracted with distinct solvents; quantified regarding amino acids, soluble carbohydrates, sucrose, phenols, and alkaloids; and submitted to a bioassay to determine their ability to enable to rot the guava seedlings' roots.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Emergency overcrowding is a problem in hospitals worldwide. The expansion of wards has limitations. Hospital administrative leaders are constantly looking for opportunities to improve the efficiency of resource use.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNMR spectroscopy has become a standard technique in studies both on carbon capture and storage. C NMR allows the detection of two peaks for carbonated aqueous samples: one for CO and another one for the species H CO , HCO , and CO -herein collectively named H CO . The chemical shift of this second peak depends on the molar fraction of the three species in equilibrium and has been used to assess the equilibrium between HCO and CO .
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: The purpose of this study was to identify the occurrence of AKI, and factors associated with in-hospital mortality and unfavorable outcomes in patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) and acute kidney injury (AKI) severity.
Method: A retrospective cohort study which analyzed data with severe TBI between 2013 and 2017. We examined demographic and clinical information, and outcome by in-hospital mortality, and the Glasgow Outcome Scale six months after TBI.
The search for new methods in the toxicology field has increased the use of early life stages of zebrafish (Danio rerio) as a versatile organism model. Here, we use early stages of zebrafish to evaluate glyphosate as pure active ingredient and within a commercial formulation in terms of oxidative stress. Biomarkers involved in the oxidative status were evaluated along with other markers of neurotoxicity, genotoxicity, cytotoxicity, energy balance and motor performance, and the selected tools were evaluated by its sensitivity in determining early-warning events.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe development of gluten-free bakery products, the quality of which is comparable to the quality of regular wheat-based products, remains a technological challenge. In this study, flaxseed oil cake (FOC), a by-product of flaxseed oil extraction and a source of nutritional and functional compounds, was used as an ingredient in the experimental bread formulation as partial replacement of starches (5%, 15%, and 30%). The gluten-free breads (GFBs) were evaluated for technological parameters, nutritional value, and sensory quality.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFComp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol
April 2024
Climate change increasingly influences the loss of biodiversity, especially in ectothermic organisms, which depend on environmental temperatures to obtain heat and regulate their life cycle. Studies that aim to understand the impact of temperature variation are important to better understand the possible impacts generated on the homeostasis of ectothermic organisms. Our objective was to characterize the responses of juvenile Liolaemus arambarensis lizards to abrupt changes in temperature, quantifying markers of body condition, intermediary and hormonal metabolism and oxidative balance.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe use of pyrohydrolysis as a sample preparation method for further halogen determination is extensively discussed in this review, covering studies published in the last 30 years. This method is compatible with both organic (such as cellulose, fossil fuels, carbon nanotubes, and graphite) and inorganic (such as rocks, silicates, alumina, and nuclear fuels) matrices. It has also been used for samples with different organic matter content, such as coal, mineral supplements, and soil.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe objective was to perform a spatial analysis of the hospital mortality rate (HMR) due to severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) attributed to COVID-19 among children and adolescents in Brazil from 2020 to 2021. A cluster method was used to group federal units (FUs) based on HMR. In 2020, clusters with high HMRs were formed by north/northeast FUs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGroup A Streptococcal M-related proteins (Mrps) are dimeric α-helical-coiled-coil cell membrane-bound surface proteins. During infection, Mrp recruit the fragment crystallizable region of human immunoglobulin G via their A-repeat regions to the bacterial surface, conferring upon the bacteria enhanced phagocytosis resistance and augmented growth in human blood. However, Mrps show a high degree of sequence diversity, and it is currently not known whether this diversity affects the Mrp-IgG interaction.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFChemosphere
February 2024
In the context of a rising global temperature, biomass burning represents an increasing risk to human health, due to emissions of highly toxic substances such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAHs). Size-segregated particulate matter (PM) was collected in a region within the sugarcane belt of São Paulo state (Brazil), where biomass burning is still frequent, despite the phasing out of manual harvesting preceded by fire. The median of the total concentration of the 15 PAHs determined was 2.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe fetal membranes are an essential mechanical structure for pregnancy, protecting the developing fetus in an amniotic fluid environment and rupturing before birth. In cooperation with the cervix and the uterus, the fetal membranes support the mechanical loads of pregnancy. Structurally, the fetal membranes comprise two main layers: the amnion and the chorion.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOdysseus (OdsH) was the first speciation gene described in Drosophila related to hybrid sterility in offspring of mating between Drosophila mauritiana and Drosophila simulans. Its origin is attributed to the duplication of the gene unc-4 in the subgenus Sophophora. By using a much larger sample of Drosophilidae species, we showed that contrary to what has been previously proposed, OdsH origin occurred 62 MYA.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe search for fast and efficient treatment for dermonecrotic lesions caused by the venom of the spider from the , is a demand in health. Prednisolone is one of the most used drugs, however it has side effects. In this context, addictionally gold nanoparticles (GNPs) have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antibacterial properties.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The first chikungunya virus (CHIKV) outbreaks during the modern scientific era were identified in the Americas in 2013, reaching high attack rates in Caribbean countries. However, few cohort studies have been performed to characterize the initial dynamics of CHIKV transmission in the New World.
Methodology/principal Findings: To describe the dynamics of CHIKV transmission shortly after its introduction in Brazil, we performed semi-annual serosurveys in a long-term community-based cohort of 652 participants aged ≥5 years in Salvador, Brazil, between Feb-Apr/2014 and Nov/2016-Feb/2017.
This perspective, pre- and post-intervention study with a one-year follow-up primarily aimed to ascertain prescribers' approval rate of pharmacists' interventions and clinical status of hypertension following comprehensive medication management (CMM) intervention in the ambulatory care clinic. Between January 2018 and January 2022 overall 100 patients with hypertension and other comorbidities were referred to the CMM services at the Health Centre Zagreb - Centar (HCZC). Out of 275 interventions directed to prescribers, 73.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe aimed to quantify the N losses through volatilization of the main conventional and stabilized N fertilizers applied in coffee plantations. Additionally, we also assessed microbiological attributes of the soil (microbial biomass carbon (MBC); microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN); microbial basal respiration (MBR); metabolic quotient (qCO); urease, β-glucosidase, acid phosphatase, and arylsulfatase activities) and agronomic aspects of the crop (N content in the leaves and beans, yield, and N exportation by the beans). Treatments consisted of the combination of three fertilizers (ammonium nitrate - AN, conventional urea - U, and urea with N- (n-butyl) thiophosphoric triamide (NBPT) - U, and five doses of N (0, 150, 275, 400, and 525 kg ha year of N), with four replicates, totalling 60 experimental plots.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAdvanced cutaneous melanoma is considered to be the most aggressive type of skin cancer and has variable rates of treatment response. Currently, there are some classes of immunotherapy and target therapies for its treatment. Immunotherapy can inhibit tumor growth and its recurrence by triggering the host's immune system, whereas targeted therapy inhibits specific molecules or signaling pathways.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: This study aimed to describe the demographic and clinical characteristics of cancer patients with COVID-19, exploring factors associated with adverse outcomes.
Patients And Methods: This retrospective cohort study methodically extracted and curated data from electronic medical records (EMRs) of numerous healthcare institutions on cancer patients diagnosed with a confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection between May 2020 and August 2021, to identify risk factors linked to extended hospitalization and mortality. The retrieved information encompassed the patients' demographic and clinical characteristics, including the incidence of prolonged hospitalization, acute complications, and COVID-19-related mortality.