Hydrophilic interaction chromatography coupled to high resolution mass spectrometry (HILIC-LC-HRMS): An approach to study natural peptides in Viperidae snake venom.

Although proteins in snake venoms have been extensively studied and characterized, low-mass molecules remain relatively unexplored, mainly due to their low abundance, secondary role in envenomation, and some analytical technique limitations. However, these small molecules can provide new important data related to venom toxins' molecular structure, functions, and evolutionary relationships. This research aimed to characterize molecules below 10 kDa in the venoms of snakes from the Viperidae families (Bothrops, Agkistrodon, and Bitis) and compare two chromatographic approaches: reverse-phase chromatography (RP), a classic technique, and hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC), an alternative technique, both coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS).

Effect of Bacterial Nanocellulose with Chemisorbed Antiseptics on Alveolar Bone Repair in Rats Undergoing Bisphosphonate Therapy.

: This work investigated the effect of bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) alone or with chemisorbed chlorhexidine or povidone-iodine on post-tooth extraction repair in rats undergoing bisphosphonate therapy. : Forty Wistar rats were treated with zoledronic acid, subjected to tooth extractions and allocated into groups according to the material inserted in the post-extraction socket: (1) BNC ( = 10); (2) BNC/Iodine ( = 10); (3) BNC/Chlorhex ( = 10); (4) Control ( = 10). Maxillae were dissected and macro- and microscopically analyzed.

Evaluation of the antibacterial and inhibitory activity of the NorA and TetK efflux pumps of Staphylococcus aureus by p-coumaric acid.

The NorA and TetK efflux pumps mediate resistance to fluoroquinolone and tetracycline antibiotics by actively extruding these compounds and reducing their intracellular concentrations. Consequently, intense research has focused on inhibiting these efflux mechanisms using antimicrobial agents derived from natural or synthetic sources. This study used Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) to analyze the various functional groups present in p-coumaric acid.

Efficacy of Radiofrequency Ablation-Guided by Ultrasound in Primary Hyperparathyroidism: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Radiofrequency ablation guided by ultrasound (RFA-USG) is an alternative treatment for primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) patients. Despite showing accurate precision and minimal invasion, its efficacy remains questionable.

Methods: We searched PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Portal Regional da Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde (BVS), Web of Science databases for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies evaluating RFA-USG in PHPT patients.

Perceptibility and Acceptability Thresholds for Color Differences in Ceramic Shade Tabs: A Comparison Between Dentists and Patients.

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the 50%:50% perceptibility thresholds (PT) and acceptability thresholds (AT) for color differences in ceramic shade tabs observed by dentists and patients using CIEDE2000 color difference formula.

Material And Methods: Twenty-two combinations of ceramic shade tabs from the VITA 3D Master shade guide were assembled to be used for the visual comparison analyses. The color difference between each shade tab pair was numerically determined by spectrophotometry using the VITA EasyShade V, and calculated using the CIEDE2000 formula (ΔE00).

Mining Druggable Sites in Influenza A Hemagglutinin: Binding of the Pinanamine-Based Inhibitor M090.

Assessing the binding mode of drug-like compounds is key in structure-based drug design. However, this may be challenged by factors such as the structural flexibility of the target protein. In this case, state-of-the-art computational methods can be valuable to explore the linkages between structural and pharmacological data.

Floodplain forests drive fruit-eating fish diversity at the Amazon Basin-scale.

Unlike most rivers globally, nearly all lowland Amazonian rivers have unregulated flow, supporting seasonally flooded floodplain forests. Floodplain forests harbor a unique tree species assemblage adapted to flooding and specialized fauna, including fruit-eating fish that migrate seasonally into floodplains, favoring expansive floodplain areas. Frugivorous fish are forest-dependent fauna critical to forest regeneration via seed dispersal and support commercial and artisanal fisheries.

Cellular and biochemical alterations induced by diesel oil in the brown alga Sargassum cymosum var. stenophyllum cultured in vitro.

The effect of the in vitro acute exposure to diesel oil (0.001%, 0.01%, 0.

A Meal with Ultra-Processed Foods Leads to a Faster Rate of Intake and to a Lesser Decrease in the Capacity to Eat When Compared to a Similar, Matched Meal Without Ultra-Processed Foods.

: It is unknown whether the negative health effects associated with ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are due to their nutritional composition or to the extent of food processing itself. We evaluated the impact of a test meal composed only of UPF, according to the NOVA classification, compared to a similar meal without UPF in adults with obesity. : This is a parallel, randomized trial.

Dietary Influences on the Longevity and Reproductive Success of in Laboratory Studies: Sucrose vs. Honey.

Malaria continues to be a major public health challenge in tropical and subtropical regions. , a key laboratory model for malaria research, plays a critical role in the study of vector-parasite interactions. Although vector life traits and environmental factors such as age and resource availability can influence the transmission potential of mosquitoes for parasites, the impact of different adult diets on their survival and reproductive fitness remains underexplored.

CheckAP: Prevalence of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and performance evaluation of the EARP questionnaire in the population of Portuguese patients with psoriasis followed in a dermatology setting.

Background: The percentage of Portuguese psoriasis patients with psoriatic arthritis is unknown but musculoskeletal complaints related to PsA affect up to a third of patients. Dermatologists can identify early PsA as skin symptoms often precede joint symptoms in 80% of patients. Efficient and easy to perform screening tools are needed to help dermatologists effectively discriminate between Pso and PsA patients.

Fluorescence images of skin lesions and automated diagnosis using convolutional neural networks.

In recent years, interest in applying deep learning (DL) to medical diagnosis has rapidly increased, driven primarily by the development of Convolutional Neural Networks and Transformers. Despite advancements in DL, the automated diagnosis of skin cancer remains a significant challenge. Emulating dermatologists, deep learning approaches using clinical images acquired from smartphones and considering patient lesion information have achieved performance levels close to those of specialists.

Stone-event-free survival after retrograde intrarenal surgery: is the stone-free-status so relevant for the future outcomes?

Introduction: The primary aim of stone treatment is to achieve stone-free status. Residual fragments can cause stone growth, recurrence, urinary tract infections, and ureteric obstruction. Our goal was to describe the natural history of stone burden after retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) based on stone-free status (SFS), evaluating stone growth and stone-events.

Wnt/β-catenin pathway as a link between therapy resistance-driven epithelial-mesenchymal transition and stemness in colorectal cancer.

The high plasticity of cells undergoing epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) promotes increased tumor heterogeneity, and its interaction with tumor-associated stromal cells appears to contribute to developing a stemness phenotype. Cells with these characteristics exhibit increased resistance to chemotherapy and radiotherapy, leading to disease relapse and metastasis. Here, we discuss the activation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway in promoting EMT and stemness within the context of cellular resistance to these therapies.

Disseminated sporotrichosis with osteoarticular involvement in a patient with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome: a case report.

Sporotrichosis is caused by fungi belonging to the genus Sporothrix, and is generally acquired by traumatic inoculation. A 26-year-old man developed pustular lesions and a 6-kg weight loss after developing a lesion on his right hand 6 months previously. He was diagnosed with acquired human immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and disseminated sporotrichosis cultures of bone and muscle biopsy and blood samples grew Sporothrix schenckii.

New virtual contrast enhancement boost technique can reduce the dose of intravenous contrast medium used in computer tomography angiography of the abdominal aorta.

Purpose: This study aims to evaluate the image quality of computed tomography (CT) angiograms obtained using a virtual contrast augmentation technique, adding an iodine map to the contrast-enhanced images, obtained through a digital subtraction technique, reducing the dose of intravenous iodinated contrast medium compared to the conventional institutional standard technique.

Methods: This prospective investigation enrolled patients previously diagnosed with abdominal aortic aneurysms, who underwent two successive computed tomography angiographies (CTAs) of the aorta. One CTA was performed employing the virtual contrast enhancement boost technique with a 40% decrease in the intravenous contrast medium dose, while the other adhered to the conventional protocol without any reduction in contrast medium volume.

Exploring the contribution of the dopaminergic and noradrenergic systems in the antidepressant-like action of 1-(2-(4-(4-ethylphenyl)-1H-1,2,3-triazol-1-yl)phenyl)ethanone in mice.

1-(2-(4-(4-ethylphenyl)-1H-1,2,3-triazol-1-yl)phenyl)ethanone (ETAP) is a novel hybrid compound containing 1,2,3-triazole and acetophenone. It exhibits antidepressant-like effects in male mice, linked to modulation of serotonergic receptors and monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A) inhibition. This study aimed to evaluate the involvement of the dopaminergic and noradrenergic systems, as well as MAO-B activity inhibition, in the antidepressant-like effect of ETAP in male mice, and to evaluate the antidepressant-like effect of ETAP in female mice.

Urine and serum-based ELISA using a recombinant protein and synthetic peptide for the diagnosis of tegumentary leishmaniasis.

The diagnosis of tegumentary leishmaniasis (TL) presents problems by the variable sensitivity and specificity of the tests, and the biological samples used are also invasive. Here, ELISA experiments were performed using paired TL patient urine and serum samples in reaction against the recombinant LiHyS protein, a predicted B cell epitope and parasite antigenic extract (SLA). Two hundred and five paired samples were used, which were provided by TL patients, healthy controls and patients with Chagas disease, leprosy, malaria or HIV-infected.

Antibacterial and Inhibitory Activity of Nora and Mepa Efflux Pumps of Estragole Complexed to β-Cyclodextrin (ES/β-CD) In Vitro Against Bacteria, Molecular Docking and MPO-Based Pharmacokinetics Prediction.

The work investigates the effect of the estragole complex encapsulated in beta-cyclodextrin (ES/β-CD) in modulating bacterial resistance, specifically in strains expressing NorA and MepA efflux pumps. Efflux pumps are mechanisms that bacteria use to resist antibiotics by expelling them from the cell. Methodology: Several compounds and antibiotics, such as ciprofloxacin and norfloxacin, were used to evaluate the antimicrobial activity and the ability of the ES/β-CD complex to reverse resistance.

Evaluation of Emulsification Techniques to Optimize the Properties of Chalcone Nanoemulsions for Antifungal Applications.

Nanoemulsions (NEs) possess properties that enhance the solubility, bioavailability and therapeutic efficacy of drugs. Chalcones are compounds known for their antifungal properties. In this study, we evaluated different emulsification techniques to create alginate nanoemulsions containing chalcone (1E,4E)-1,5-bis (4-methoxyphenyl) penta-1,4-dien-3-one (DB4OCH).

Eccentric Force and Regional Biceps Femoris Muscle Excitation During Conventional and 80° Hip-Flexed Nordic Curl.

Context: Hamstring injuries are prevalent in high-intensity sports. The lesion often occurs with concomitant knee extension and hip flexion. The Nordic curl has been suggested to prevent such injury, mainly due to its eccentric hamstring activation.