Evolution-based protein engineering: functional switching between transthyretins and 5-hydroxyisourate hydrolases.

Transthyretin (TTR) is a vertebrate-exclusive transport protein that plays a key role in binding and distributing thyroid hormones. However, its evolutionary origin lies in the duplication of the gene that encoding the enzyme 5-hydroxyisourate hydrolase (HIUase), which is involved in uric acid metabolism. Unlike TTR, HIUase is ubiquitous in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes, with the exception of hominids.

Clitoroplasty in the correction of clitoral hypertrophy: description of a technique that spares neurovascular structures.

Clitoral hypertrophy is a condition that has a negative impact on a womans intimate life and can cause embarrassment and impact on her sexual life. The article describes a surgical technique of clitoroplasty performed with a 360° circumferential subcoronal incision only in the skin and Dartos tunica to avoid neuronal damage, followed by degloving to the base of the clitoris, preserving the dorsal neurovascular bundle. The body of the clitoris was amputated, preserving 0.

End-to-side neurorrhaphy in the reconstruction of peripheral segmental neural loss: an experimental study.

Purpose: To evaluate the effects on peripheral neural regeneration of the end-to-side embracing repair technique compared to the autograft repair technique in Wistar rats.

Methods: Fifteen male Wistar rats were divided into three groups with five animals each: denervated group (GD), autograft group (GA), and embracing group (EG). For the evaluation, the grasping test, electroneuromyography (ENMG), and muscle weight assessment were used.

Applications of Mass Spectrometry in the Characterization, Screening, Diagnosis, and Prognosis of COVID-19.

Mass spectrometry (MS) is a powerful analytical technique that plays a central role in modern protein analysis and the study of proteostasis. In the field of advanced molecular technologies, MS-based proteomics has become a cornerstone that is making a significant impact in the post-genomic era and as precision medicine moves from the research laboratory to clinical practice. The global dissemination of COVID-19 has spurred collective efforts to develop effective diagnostics, vaccines, and therapeutic interventions.

Women in surgery: do surgical specialties keep up with the feminization of medicine in Brazil?

Introduction: historically, surgical medical specialties are mostly male, a scenario which, in recent years, has undergone changes. In this sense, despite the relevance of the growth of female participation in the medical career, little is discussed about the distribution between genders of the main surgical medical specialties in the country.

Objective: discuss the process of feminization in surgical specialties in Brazil over the last few years, tracing a distribution profile of these specialties.

Low-cost suture simulator to gain basic surgical skills.

Purpose: To introduce a new low-cost simulation model for training basic surgical skills.

Methods: The training model was made from a mixture of 20 g of acetic silicone with 11 g of maize starch. Validation consisted of serial training sessions, evaluating the mean pre- and post-training time and the mean final score according to the global rating scale.

Screening of endophytic fungi from Antarctic mosses: Potential production for L-asparaginase free of glutaminase and urease activity.

Studies involving endophytic fungi aim to identify organisms inhabiting extreme and relatively unexplored environments, as these fungi possess unique characteristics and uncommon biochemical pathways that enable them to produce compounds with biotechnological potential. Among various enzymes, L-Asparaginase is employed in the treatment of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. In this study, we identified endophytic fungi from Sanionia uncinata and Polytrichastrum alpinum collected on King George Island in Antarctica.

A realistic model for vasectomy reversal training using swine testicles.

Purpose: To evaluate the viability of the porcine vas deferens as a realistic microsurgical training model for vasectomy reversal.

Methods: The model uses swine testicles (vas deferent), which are usually discarded in large street markets since they are not part of Brazilian cuisine. The spermatic cord was carefully dissected, and the vas deferens were isolated, measuring 10 cm in length.

Profile of thyroidectomies in Brazil from 2010 to 2020 from a macro-regional perspective.

Objective: To describe the distribution profile of thyroidectomies in Brazil from 2010 to 2020 from a macro-regional perspective.

Materials And Methods: This is a retrospective, detailed and descriptive study built on secondary data obtained from the Hospital Information System of the Unified Health System (SIH/SUS). We organized the data in tables and grouped them according to the federative unit, macro-region, type of procedure, mortality rate, and year of performance.

The Effects of Hydrolyzed Collagen and Collagen Peptide in the Treatment of Superficial Chondral Lesions: An Experimental Study.

 To evaluate the effects of hydrolyzed collagen and collagen peptide in the treatment of superficial chondral lesions in rats.  This research employed 18 . A single intraarticular infiltration of sodium iodoacetate (2 mg solution) through the patellar ligament induced joint damage in previously anesthetized animals.

Trends in cataract surgical treatment within the Brazilian national public health system over a 20-year period: Implications for Universal Eye Health as a global public health goal.

Cataract is a highly prevalent, treatable, and sight threatening condition considered one of the main focuses of public health policies addressing visual impairment and blindness towards Universal Eye Health. We aimed to investigate the trends on number of cataract surgical procedures performed through the Brazilian national health system (SUS) from 2000 to 2019 while also evaluating costs associated with it. The Brazilian Public Health System Information Database (DATASUS) was used as the primary data source for procedures including extracapsular cataract extraction (ECCE) and phacoemulsification.

Association between the rs820218 Variant within the Gene and Rotator Cuff Rupture in an Amazonian Population.

Background: Rotator cuff disease is one of the leading causes of musculoskeletal pain and disability, and its etiology is most likely multifactorial but remains incompletely understood. Therefore, the objective of this research was to investigate the relationship of the single-nucleotide rs820218 polymorphism of the SAP30-binding protein (SAP30BP) gene with rotator cuff tears in the Amazonian population.

Methods: The case group consisted of patients who were operated on due to rotator cuff tears in a hospital in the Amazon region between 2010 and 2021, and the control group was composed of individuals who were selected after negative physical examinations for rotator cuff tears.

Epidemiological profile of surgical treatment of varicose veins in Brazil from 2010 to 2020.

Background: Varicose veins have become more common over recent years and in the most serious cases surgical treatment is necessary to resolve patients' clinical status. Despite their importance, there are no epidemiological studies that cover the whole of Brazil, showing how surgery to correct varicose veins conducted by the Unified Health System (SUS) is distributed in the country.

Objectives: To describe the ecological profile of surgical treatment to correct varicose veins in Brazil from 2010 to 2020.

Anatomical description of the extratemporal facial nerve under high-definition system: a microsurgical study in rats.

Purpose: To describe the microsurgical anatomical aspects of the extratemporal facial nerve of Wistar rats under a high-definition video system.

Methods: Ten male Wistar rats (12-15 weeks old), without veterinary diseases, weighing 220-280 g, were used in this study. All animals in this study were submitted to the same protocol and by the same surgeon.

Incisional hernia repair in rats: description of the sublay technique under videomagnification system.

Purpose: To describe the technique of sublay correction of incisional hernia in Wistar rats under videomagnification system.

Methods: Five male rats of the species Rattus norvegicus, of the Wistar lineage, with body weight between 250-350 g and 60 days old were used. Incisional hernia was inducted in all animals.

Do Brazilian medical journals reference Brazilian articles? A cross-sectional study.

Background: The quantity and quality of Brazilian scientific output increases decade by decade. However, there is a tendency to undervalue Brazilian journals, illustrated by the low number of citations compared with texts in international journals, with the tacit justification that foreign articles are of superior quality.

Objectives: To investigate the differences in numbers of citations of Brazilian and international periodicals in three Brazilian journals from 2016 to 2020.

Proteomic analysis reveals stage-specific reprogramed metabolism for the primary breast cancer cell lines MGSO-3 and MACL-1.

Breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer in women worldwide. Its molecular subtypes are based on the presence/absence of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). MACL-1 and MGSO-3 are cell lines derived from primary tumor sites of patients diagnosed with luminal A subtype carcinoma (ER+/PR+/HER2-) and ductal carcinoma in situ (ER-/PR-/HER2+), respectively.

Trends in treatment of retinal disorders in the Brazilian Public Health System over a 10-year period.

Objective: To investigate trends in terms of number and cost of intravitreal injection, photocoagulation and panphotocoagulation procedures performed by the Brazilian Public Health System, from 2010 to 2019.

Methods: The Brazilian Public Health System Database was used as the primary source of data. Intravitreal injection, photocoagulation and panphotocoagulation procedures performed from 2010 to 2019 were investigated.

Carbon nanotube-reinforced cell-derived matrix-silk fibroin hierarchical scaffolds for bone tissue engineering applications.

In bone tissue engineering, the development of advanced biomimetic scaffolds has led to the quest for biomotifs in scaffold design that better recreate the bone matrix structure and composition and hierarchy at different length scales. In this study, an advanced hierarchical scaffold consisting of silk fibroin combined with a decellularized cell-derived extracellular matrix and reinforced with carbon nanotubes was developed. The goal of the carbon nanotube-reinforced cell-derived matrix-silk fibroin hierarchical scaffolds is to harvest the individual properties of their constituents to introduce hierarchical capacity in order to improve standard silk fibroin scaffolds.

Moving Pieces in a Cellular Puzzle: A Cryptic Peptide from the Scorpion Toxin Ts14 Activates AKT and ERK Signaling and Decreases Cardiac Myocyte Contractility via Dephosphorylation of Phospholamban.

Cryptic peptides (cryptides) are biologically active peptides formed after proteolysis of native precursors present in animal venoms, for example. Proteolysis is an overlooked post-translational modification that increases venom complexity. The tripeptide KPP (Lys-Pro-Pro) is a peptide encrypted in the C-terminus of Ts14-a 25-mer peptide from the venom of the scorpion that has a positive impact on the cardiovascular system, inducing vasodilation and reducing arterial blood pressure of hypertensive rats among other beneficial effects.

Cardiomyocyte Proteome Remodeling due to Isoproterenol-Induced Cardiac Hypertrophy during the Compensated Phase.

Purpose: Although the pathophysiological response of cardiac tissue to pro-hypertrophic stimulus is well characterized, a comprehensive characterization of the molecular events underlying the pathological hypertrophy in cardiomyocytes during the early compensated cardiac hypertrophy is currently lacking.

Experimental Design: A quantitative label-free proteomic analysis of cardiomyocytes isolated was conducted from mice treated subcutaneously with isoproterenol (ISO) during 7 days in comparison with cardiomyocytes from control animals (CT).

Results: Canonical pathway analysis of dysregulated proteins indicated that ISO-hypertrophy drives the activation of actin cytoskeleton and integrin-linked kinase (ILK) signaling, and inhibition of the sirtuin signaling.

Discovery and characterization of SSR markers in Eugenia uniflora L. (Myrtaceae) using low coverage genome sequencing.

Eugenia uniflora L. (Myrtaceae) is a tree species widely distributed in South America suffering the effects of the exploitation of natural populations. In this study, we employed low coverage sequencing of the E.

Phylogeography of plastid DNA sequences suggests post-glacial southward demographic expansion and the existence of several glacial refugia for Araucaria angustifolia.

Despite the high diversity of the Southern South American environments, the patterns and processes driving both their species diversity and demographic history are still poorly known and are a challenging task. In this study, we evaluate plastid DNA sequences of the conifer species Araucaria angustifolia aiming to (i) assess the species genetic structure within its main range of occurrence, (ii) infer its population demographic history, looking for evidence of southward expansion, (iii) search for evidence of glacial refugia within the species distribution area and (iv) discuss some conservation and management strategies for this species. Twenty haplotypes were identified, revealing the presence of three distinct genetic groups across the geographic range of the species and structuring the populations into Northern, Central and Southern groups.

Characterization of Plastidial and Nuclear SSR Markers for Understanding Invasion Histories and Genetic Diversity of L.

Invasive plant species are expected to display high dispersal capacity but low levels of genetic diversity due to the founder effect occurring at each invasion episode. Understanding the history of invasions and the levels of genetic diversity of such species is an important task for planning management and monitoring strategy for these events. Peruvian Peppertree ( L.