Microwave Mediated Acylation of Alcohols, Phenols and Thiophenols in Neat Acetic Anhydride.

A microwave-based method for the acylation of alcohols, phenols, and thiols has been developed without the need of a catalyst or base additives. The reaction is far more rapid than previously reported acylation methods, tolerates a wide variety of functional groups, and provides easy isolation of products in excellent yields without the need for chromatography. Most products can be isolated directly via evaporation under reduced pressure or by pouring the reaction mixture into water and filtering.

Heart function enhancement by an Nrf2-activating antioxidant in acute Y-strain Chagas disease, but not in chronic Colombian or Y-strain.

Oxidative stress promotes T. cruzi growth and development of chronic Chagas heart dysfunction. However, the literature contains gaps that must be fulfilled, largely due to variations in parasite DTU sources, cell types, mouse strains, and tools to manipulate redox status.

Water-Light Interaction and Its Effect on the Morphophysiology of Vell. Seedlings.

Plant responses to different light and water availability are variable among species and their respective phenotypic plasticity, and the combination between these two abiotic factors can alleviate or intensify stressful effects. This study aimed to evaluate the impacts of exposure time of Vell. seedlings to different water and light availability considering natural radiation variations and the interaction of these factors.

Ecophysiological mechanisms and growth of Inga vera Willd. under different water and light availability.

Light and water availability can impact plant survival and growth, making ecophysiological studies crucial for understanding their tolerance and to single and combined stresses. The aimed of this study was to investigate the physiological and growth responses of Inga vera Willd. plants induced by different water regimes and light intensities.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi promote the growth of Dipteryx alata Vogel.

The symbiosis between arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and fruit tree plants is a sustainable strategy for producing seedlings. However, information for Dipteryx alata Vogel., a native species, is still scarce.

Do Silicon and Salicylic Acid Attenuate Water Deficit Damage in Radlk Seedlings?

Water deficit is one of the factors that most influence plant growth and yield. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of silicon and salicylic acid application and water deficit on the growth and photosynthetic and osmoregulatory metabolism of Radlk. seedlings and their recovery potential after the resumption of irrigation.

Does silicon and salicylic acid contribute in the morphophysiology of Schinus terebinthifolia seedlings under flooding?

Flooding can damage the photosynthetic apparatus and initial growth of Schinus terebinthifolia. We aimed this study evaluates the potential of silicon (Si) and salicylic acid (SA) as mitigating agents on the ecophysiological responses and initial growth of S. terebinthifolia subjected to flooding periods.

How cutting types and shading levels influence the vegetative propagation of Pereskia aculeata?

Information from Pereskia aculeata Miller (Cactaceae) responses regarding the portion of the stem cuttings branch parental plants and the shading level need to be investigated in order to establish techniques for their producing seedlings. We aimed was to evaluate the effect of cutting types and shading levels in the production of P. aculeata seedlings.

The Road to Becoming a World Champion in Futsal.

Purpose: The aim of the current study was to report the training program and monitoring outcomes of the Portuguese national futsal team during the preparation and competition phases of the FIFA Futsal World Cup Lithuania 2021™. For that, the variations in training load and wellness were measured, as well as their relationship.

Methods: The study followed a retrospective cohort design.

Does silicon help to alleviate water deficit stress and in the recovery of Dipteryx alata seedlings?

Water deficit to causes serious problems in the growth and development of plants, impairing their metabolism. Thus, it is necessary to use agents that can mitigate plant damage. This study assesses the potential of silicon to mitigate water deficit stress in Dipteryx alata Vogel seedlings and to help in their recovery after the resumption of irrigation.

Bilateral teleoperation with object-adaptive mapping.

Task space mapping approaches for bilateral teleoperation, namely object-centered ones, have yielded the most promising results. In this paper, we propose an invertible mapping approach to realize teleoperation through online motion mapping by taking into account the locations of objects or tools in manipulation skills. It is applied to bilateral teleoperation, with the goal of handling different object/tool/landmark locations in the user and robot workspaces while the remote objects are moving online.

Inducible nitric oxide synthase in heart tissue and nitric oxide in serum of Trypanosoma cruzi-infected rhesus monkeys: association with heart injury.

Background: The factors contributing to chronic Chagas' heart disease remain unknown. High nitric oxide (NO) levels have been shown to be associated with cardiomyopathy severity in patients. Further, NO produced via inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS/NOS2) is proposed to play a role in Trypanosoma cruzi control.

CD8+ T-cells expressing interferon gamma or perforin play antagonistic roles in heart injury in experimental Trypanosoma cruzi-elicited cardiomyopathy.

In Chagas disease, CD8(+) T-cells are critical for the control of Trypanosoma cruzi during acute infection. Conversely, CD8(+) T-cell accumulation in the myocardium during chronic infection may cause tissue injury leading to chronic chagasic cardiomyopathy (CCC). Here we explored the role of CD8(+) T-cells in T.

Moderate exercise improves depression parameters in treatment-resistant patients with major depressive disorder.

Background: Treatment-resistant major depressive disorder (MDD) is a complex condition, with very low remission rates. Physical exercise has been used, with some encouraging results, as an alternative therapy in other depressive disorders. This study assessed the impact on depression and functioning parameters of a moderate intensity exercise program, as an adjuvant to pharmacotherapy, in treatment-resistant MDD patients.

Perforin-expressing cytotoxic cells contribute to chronic cardiomyopathy in Trypanosoma cruzi infection.

Understanding the dual participation of the immune response in controlling the invader and at the same time causing tissue damage might contribute to the design of effective new vaccines and therapies for Chagas disease. Perforin, a cytolytic protein product of killer cells, is involved in resistance to acute Trypanosoma cruzi infection. However, the contribution of perforin in parasite control and chronic chagasic cardiomyopathy is unclear.

Chronic Trypanosoma cruzi-elicited cardiomyopathy: from the discovery to the proposal of rational therapeutic interventions targeting cell adhesion molecules and chemokine receptors--how to make a dream come true.

One hundred years ago, Carlos Chagas discovered a new disease, the American trypanosomiasis. Chagas and co-workers later characterised the disease's common manifestation, chronic cardiomyopathy, and suggested that parasitic persistence coupled with inflammation was the key underlying pathogenic mechanism. Better comprehension of the molecular mechanisms leading to clinical heart afflictions is a prerequisite to developing new therapies that ameliorate inflammation and improve heart function without hampering parasite control.

Perforin and gamma interferon expression are required for CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell-dependent protective immunity against a human parasite, Trypanosoma cruzi, elicited by heterologous plasmid DNA prime-recombinant adenovirus 5 boost vaccination.

A heterologous prime-boost strategy using plasmid DNA, followed by replication-defective recombinant adenovirus 5, is being proposed as a powerful way to elicit CD4(+) and CD8(+) T-cell-mediated protective immunity against intracellular pathogens. We confirmed this concept and furthered existing research by providing evidence that the heterologous prime-boost regimen using the gene encoding amastigote surface protein 2 elicited CD4(+) and CD8(+) T-cell-mediated protective immunity (reduction of acute parasitemia and prolonged survival) against experimental infection with Trypanosoma cruzi. Protective immunity correlated with the presence of in vivo antigen-specific cytotoxic activity prior to challenge.

CCL2/MCP-1 controls parasite burden, cell infiltration, and mononuclear activation during acute Trypanosoma cruzi infection.

CCL2/MCP-1 has emerged recently as a critical factor in infectious and autoimmune myocarditis. In fact, this chemokine is produced in great amounts in hearts from Trypanosoma cruzi-infected mice and is known to enhance parasite uptake and destruction by macrophages. Herein, we studied the involvement of CCL2 in tissue inflammation and resistance to T.

Strain-specific protective immunity following vaccination against experimental Trypanosoma cruzi infection.

Immunisation with Amastigote Surface Protein 2 (asp-2) and trans-sialidase (ts) genes induces protective immunity in highly susceptible A/Sn mice, against infection with parasites of the Y strain of Trypanosoma cruzi. Based on immunological and biological strain variations in T. cruzi parasites, our goal was to validate our vaccination results using different parasite strains.

[Tarsal switch levator for mitochondrial myogenic ptosis].

Purpose: To report the use of tarsal switch levator resection procedures that lift the palpebral fissure to visual axis without causing corneal complications in patients with mitochondrial myogenic ptosis.

Methods: Prospective study. The technique consists of an upper eyelid tarsectomy, with transfer of the autologous tarsoconjunctival graft to the posterior lamella of the lower eyelid.

[Frontalis suspension with polytetrafluorethylene for the treatment of blepharoptosis].

Purpose: To evaluate the functional results and complications of the use of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene in frontalis suspension surgery for the treatment of blepharoptosis.

Methods: Frontalis suspension procedure with polytetrafluoroethylene was performed between 2003 and 2007 on 23 patients (36 eyes) with blepharoptosis. An average follow-up time was 15.

Treatment of chronically Trypanosoma cruzi-infected mice with a CCR1/CCR5 antagonist (Met-RANTES) results in amelioration of cardiac tissue damage.

The comprehension of the molecular mechanisms leading to Trypanosoma cruzi-elicited heart dysfunction might contribute to design novel therapeutic strategies aiming to ameliorate chronic Chagas disease cardiomyopathy. In C3H/He mice infected with the low virulence T. cruzi Colombian strain, the persistent cardiac inflammation composed mainly of CCR5(+) T lymphocytes parallels the expression of CC-chemokines in a pro-inflammatory IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha milieu.