Severe thrombotic events associated with dengue fever, Brazil.

Dengue fever has been a major problem in hospital settings in Brazil for the past 15 years. The main concern has been the severe forms, i.e.

Vitreous surgery impact in glaucoma development in liver transplanted familial amyloidosis ATTR V30M Portuguese patients.

Purpose: Familial amyloidosis with polyneuropathy (FAP) sometimes courses with vitreous amyloid. The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence of glaucoma after vitrectomy in FAP patients.

Methods: A total of 79 eyes of 42 liver transplanted FAP patients and 16 eyes of 16 non-FAP patients with rhegmatogenous retina detachment were collected.

Spatial visual contrast sensitivity in liver transplanted Portuguese familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy (ATTR V30M) patients.

Liver transplanted patients with familial amyloidosis (FAP) patients develop earlier presbyopia due to the deposition of amyloid on the anterior capsule of the lens. Despite normal visual acuity of 20/20 Snellen chart, some patients reported complaints of impaired vision. The aim of this study is to investigate the visual spatial contrast sensitivity in these patients.

The therapeutical potential of a novel pterocarpanquinone LQB-118 to target inhibitor of apoptosis proteins in acute myeloid leukemia cells.

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a challenging neoplasm that despite therapeutic advances requires efforts to overcome the multidrug resistance (MDR) phenotype, the major cause of relapse. The pterocarpanquinone LQB-118 is a new compound that induces apoptosis in leukemia cells. The objective of this work was to analyze the role of LQB-118 in inhibiting the inhibitor of apoptosis proteins (IAPs), XIAP and survivin, as well as in modulating the subcellular localization of NFκB, in comparison with idarubicin.

Fluorescent charge-assisted halogen-bonding macrocyclic halo-imidazolium receptors for anion recognition and sensing in aqueous media.

The synthesis and anion binding properties of a new family of fluorescent halogen bonding (XB) macrocyclic halo-imidazolium receptors are described. The receptors contain chloro-, bromo-, and iodo-imidazolium motifs incorporated into a cyclic structure using naphthalene spacer groups. The large size of the iodine atom substituents resulted in the isolation of anti and syn conformers of the iodo-imidazoliophane, whereas the chloro- and bromo-imidazoliophane analogues exhibit solution dynamic conformational behavior.

Combined oral midazolam-ketamine better than midazolam alone for sedation of young children: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND.  There is a lack of clinical trials on paediatric dental sedation. AIM.

Effect of a rocker non-heeled shoe on EMG and ground reaction forces during gait without previous training.

Unstable shoes have been designed to promote "natural instability" and during walking they should simulate barefoot gait, enhancing muscle activity and, thus, attributing an advantage over regular tennis shoes. Recent studies showed that, after special training on the appropriate walking pattern, the use of the Masai Barefoot Technology (MBT) shoe increases muscle activation during walking. Our study presents a comparison of muscle activity as well as horizontal and vertical forces during gait with the MBT, a standard tennis shoe and barefoot walking of healthy individuals without previous training.

Downregulation of RKIP is associated with poor outcome and malignant progression in gliomas.

Malignant gliomas are highly infiltrative and invasive tumors, which precludes the few treatment options available. Therefore, there is an urgent need to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying gliomas aggressive phenotype and poor prognosis. The Raf Kinase Inhibitory protein (RKIP), besides regulating important intracellular signaling cascades, was described to be associated with progression, metastasis and prognosis in several human neoplasms.

Bacterial cellulose membranes applied in topical and transdermal delivery of lidocaine hydrochloride and ibuprofen: in vitro diffusion studies.

Bacterial cellulose (BC) is a biomaterial with unique physical and mechanical properties that triggered considerable interest, but there are few studies addressing the use of such membranes for drug loading and controlled release. This study aimed to investigate the applicability of BC membranes in topical or transdermal drug delivery systems. To assess its therapeutic feasibility, the permeation through human epidermis of two model drugs (lidocaine hydrochloride and ibuprofen) in BC and other formulation systems was compared in vitro.

Adult Reye-like syndrome associated with serologic evidence of acute parvovirus B19 infection.

Reye's syndrome is an infrequently diagnosed medical condition affecting mainly children. The etiology, epidemiology and natural history of Reye's syndrome have been cloudily written in footnotes of medical books and exotic papers since the initial description in early 1950s. We report here a case of adult Reye's syndrome associated with serologic evidence of parvovirus B19 infection.

Intramedullary screw fixation of proximal fifth metatarsal fractures in athletes.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to review the short- and long-term clinical and radiological results of intramedullary compression screw fixation of proximal fifth metatarsal fractures in athletes.

Methods: Eleven male and six female active patients with fifth metatarsal zone II and zone III fractures fixed with a 4.5-mm cannulated compression screw were evaluated by chart review, review of radiographs, and clinical evaluation.

Dilated cardiomyopathy and sinoatrial dysfunction in an Estrela mountain dog.

A 1 yr old male Estrela mountain dog was evaluated as a part of a screening program for dilated cardiomyopathy. The dog came from a family with a history of dilated cardiomyopathy but was asymptomatic. Occult dilated cardiomyopathy and sino-atrial dysfunction were diagnosed based on echocardiography and electrocardiography.

A new type of pterocarpanquinone that affects Toxoplasma gondii tachyzoites in vitro.

Toxoplasma gondii, the agent of Toxoplasmosis, is an obligate intracellular protozoan able to infect a wide range of vertebrate cells, including nonprofessional and professional phagocytes. Therefore, drugs must have intracellular activities in order to control this parasite. The most common therapy for Toxoplasmosis is the combination of sulfadiazine and pyrimethamine.

Investigating the imidazolium–anion interaction through the anion-templated construction of interpenetrated and interlocked assemblies.

The interaction between imidazolium cations and coordinating anions is investigated through the anion-templated assembly of interpenetrated and interlocked structures. The orientation of the imidazolium motif with respect to anion binding, and hence the hydrogen bond donor arrangement, was varied in acyclic receptors, interpenetrated assemblies, and the first mono-imidazolium interlocked systems. Their anion recognition properties and co-conformations were studied by solution-phase 1H NMR investigations, solid-state structures, molecular dynamics simulations, and density functional theory calculations.

Post-discharge adverse events following pediatric sedation with high doses of oral medication.

Objective: To compare the occurrence of post-discharge adverse events in children having received a high dose of either chloral hydrate (CH) or midazolam (MZ) during outpatient dental treatment.

Study Design: A repeated-measures study design was carried out with 42 children treated at a sedation center. The sample comprised 103 dental sedation sessions among 22 male and 20 female patients, 1-8 years old, receiving either MZ (1.

Pterocarpanquinones, aza-pterocarpanquinone and derivatives: synthesis, antineoplasic activity on human malignant cell lines and antileishmanial activity on Leishmania amazonensis.

Pterocarpanquinones (1a-e) and the aza-pterocarpanquinone (2) were synthesized through palladium catalyzed oxyarylation and azaarylation of conjugate olefins, and showed antineoplasic effect on leukemic cell lines (K562 and HL-60) as well as colon cancer (HCT-8), gliobastoma (SF-295) and melanoma (MDA-MB435) cell lines. Some derivatives were prepared (3-8) and evaluated, allowing establishing the structural requirements for the antineoplasic activity in each series. Compound 1a showed the best selectivity index in special for leukemic cells while 2 showed to be more bioselective for HCT-8, SF-295 and MDA-MB435 cells.

Biocellulose membranes as supports for dermal release of lidocaine.

Biocellulose (BC) is a highly pure form of cellulose, produced in the form of a swollen membrane, with several applications in the biomedical area. In this study, the behavior of BC membranes as systems for topical delivery of lidocaine was evaluated. The BC-lidocaine membranes were prepared and characterized in terms of structural and morphological properties.

Assessment of a clinical score for screening suspected pulmonary tuberculosis cases.

Objective: To assess the accuracy (sensitivity) of a clinical score for presumptive pulmonary tuberculosis cases during screening.

Methods: Descriptive cross-sectional study comprising 1,365 patients attending the department of lung diseases at a secondary care outpatient clinic in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Southeastern Brazil, during 2006 and 2007. All respondents answered a standardized questionnaire administered by the clinic's nursing staff.

Pneumococcal disease manifestation in children before and after vaccination: what's new?

Pneumococcal infections remain a relevant cause of morbidity and mortality in children, especially in countries where vaccination has not been introduced. In contrast to the common belief by many pediatricians, the most important pneumococcal infections are of the respiratory tract and not invasive diseases. The recent pandemic of the H1N1 virus prompted studies to better understand the interaction between the influenza virus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and pneumonia outcomes.

Effects of sildenafil on the viability of random skin flaps.

Purpose: To assess the viability of McFarlane skin flaps in rats with administration of sildenafil.

Methods: Twenty Wistar rats were distributed into two groups: Control (dorsal skin flap, subdermal application of saline solution at 0.9%) and Study (dorsal skin flap, subdermal application of sildenafil).

Protein tyrosine phosphatase alpha regulates cell detachment and cell death profiles induced by nitric oxide donors in the A431 human carcinoma cell line.

We investigated the role of protein tyrosine phosphatase-alpha (PTPα) expression in the cell death profile of the A431 human carcinoma cell line that was induced by cytotoxic concentrations of the nitric oxide (NO) donors sodium nitroprusside (SNP) and 3,3-bis-(aminoethyl)-1-hydroxy-2-oxo-1-triazene (NOC-18). Both NO donors promoted extensive cell detachment in A431 parental cells as compared to the detachment observed for A431 cells that ectopically expressed PTPα (A431 (A27B(PTPα)) cells). The NO-induced cell death characteristics for both cell lines were examined.

Anticipation of presbyopia in Portuguese familial amyloidosis ATTR V30M.

The aim of this study was to evaluate if Portuguese patients with familial amyloidosis, liver transplanted and not, have an earlier development of presbyopia compared with a normal population and its relation with the presence or the absence of anterior capsule opacification of the lens. This study was performed to evaluate if Portuguese patients with familial amyloidosis and in a blood donors population (control group). Three hundred and fifty-six subjects, 144 amyloidotic patients and 212 healthy individuals, were evaluated for the need of plus lenses for normal near reading (Jaeger chart 1 at 33 cm).

Effectiveness of the local or oral delivery of the novel naphthopterocarpanquinone LQB-118 against cutaneous leishmaniasis.

Objectives: This paper describes the antileishmanial properties of LQB-118, a new compound designed by molecular hybridization, orally active in Leishmania amazonensis-infected BALB/c mice.

Methods: In vitro antileishmanial activity was determined in L. amazonensis-infected macrophages.