Chem Biol Interact
March 2023
Background: β-lapachone (β-lap) is a naphthoquinone widely found in species of vegetables. However, its poor aqueous solubility limits its systemic administration and clinical applications in vivo. To overcome this limitation, several studies have been carried out in order to investigate techniques that can enhance the solubility and dissolution rate of β-lap, such as the use of inclusion complexes with cyclodextrin.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRev Esc Enferm USP
January 2023
Objective: To identify information needs of patients with coronary artery disease and develop and validate the content of educational messages for mobile phones for these patients.
Method: The study was carried out in three phases: 1) Identification of information needs in relation to coronary artery disease of patients hospitalized for an acute coronary event; 2) Development of templates containing text and pictures about the disease and treatment; 3) Content validity analysis of template evidence through the assessment of 10 experts. Templates were considered validated when the Content Validity Ratio (CVR) was equal to or greater than 0.
The present study investigated the effects of murici and tapereba on improving hepatic and inflammatory biomarkers in high-fat-diet rats. Female Wistar rats were divided into five groups ( = 10/group): control (CON), high-fat diet (HF), murici drink + high-fat diet (Mu-HF), tapereba drink + high-fat diet (Tap-HF), and murici and tapereba blend drink + high-fat diet (MT-HF). Drinks were offered daily for 60 days, following which body and liver weights, hepatosomatic indexes, serum parameters, inflammatory profile, and antioxidant activity (DPPH and ORAC) were analyzed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Fibromyalgia is a polysymptomatic syndrome with a prevalence between 0.2% and 13% of the population and causes work disabilities in approximately half of affected patients. Several treatments to fibromyalgia have been proposed with partial improvement.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis study investigated the occurrence of plastic particles in the digestive tracts of fish from headwater streams in a human-thinly populated region of the subtropical Sinos River basin in southern Brazil. In total, 258 individuals from 17 species were collected using electric fishing. Thirty-eight percent (38%) of the specimens contained plastic particles.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUrban areas next to mangroves are subject to progressive heavy metal contamination. Treelets of Inga laurina were collected in this ecosystem and cultivated for 30 days in waterlogged conditions and closed pots (WC) and at field capacity (FC), while exposed to different Cd concentrations (0, 50 and 100 mg·kg). Soil water conditions did not affect total Cd in plants, with Cd accumulating in roots and WC inducing less leaf chlorophyll while increasing carotenoids and chlorophyll ratio.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Dental diseases have detrimental effects on healthcare systems and societies at large. Providing access to dental care can arguably improve health outcomes, reduce healthcare utilization costs, and improve several societal outcomes.
Objectives: Our objective was to review the literature to assess the impacts of dental care programs on healthcare and societal outcomes.
Biomolecules
November 2022
Cardiovascular (CV) disease is the main cause of death in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a clinical condition without any approved pharmacological therapy. Thus, we investigated the effects of ornithine aspartate (LOLA) and/or Vitamin E (VitE) on CV parameters in a steatohepatitis experimental model. Adult Sprague Dawley rats were randomly assigned (10 animals each) and treated from 16 to 28 weeks with gavage as follows: controls (standard diet plus distilled water (DW)), NAFLD (high-fat choline-deficient diet (HFCD) plus DW), NAFLD+LOLA (HFCD plus LOLA (200 mg/kg/day)), NAFLD+VitE (HFCD plus VitE (150 mg twice a week)) or NAFLD+LOLA+VitE in the same doses.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAtrazine (ATZ) is a herbicide that is frequently present in surface waters and may result in damage to the health of various organisms, including humans. However, most scientific literature reports injuries caused by ATZ at high concentrations, which are not found in the environment. Therefore, the scope of this study was to investigate the impacts of realistic concentrations of ATZ found in surface waters (1, 2, 5, 10, 15 and 20 μg/L) using the bioindicators Allium cepa, Daphnia magna and zebrafish (Danio rerio).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTrop Med Infect Dis
December 2022
Detailed information concerning latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) and treatment outcomes is scarce in Brazil. This retrospective cross-sectional study aimed to describe LTB treatment (LTBT) at a tertiary center in Central-West Brazil from 2017 to 2019. We recommended the use of LTBTs before the implementation of a rifapentine-isoniazid (3HP) regimen in Brazil.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe gut microbiome provides vital functions for mammalian hosts, yet research on its variability and function across adult life spans and multiple generations is limited in large mammalian carnivores. Here, we used 16S rRNA gene and metagenomic high-throughput sequencing to profile the bacterial taxonomic composition, genomic diversity, and metabolic function of fecal samples collected from 12 wild spotted hyenas () residing in the Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya, over a 23-year period spanning three generations. The metagenomic data came from four of these hyenas and spanned two 2-year periods.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe overuse of antimicrobials in poultry has led to the development and dissemination of multidrug-resistant bacteria in the poultry industry. One of the most effective mechanisms of resistance found in is the production of extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBL); there are several ESBLs, including the TEM, SHV, and CTX-M families. This resistance mechanism and the risks associated with transmitting these resistant microorganisms between animals, the environment, and humans can occur through direct contact and consumption of infected animals.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUnlabelled: Various functions in the central nervous system, such as growth, development, and cognition can be influenced by vitamins and minerals, which are capable of helping to maintain brain health and function throughout life. Cognition is understood as the aspects related to knowledge, learning, and understanding, as well as the ability to develop these functions. A possible association between low levels of vit D and deficit in the performance of cognitive functions in healthy humans or with some pathological condition is discussed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMansonellosis is a neglected and emerging tropical disease. Among all zoonotic filarial diseases, it is probably the most prevalent and least studied, with approximately 114 million people infected. The parasites of Mansonella spp.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe purpose of this study was to investigate stressful responses during a 6-week training protocol in young Lusitano horses used for dressage. The hypothesis was that the proposed training protocol would improve fitness and ensure the welfare of the animals by reducing stress predictors. Nine 4-year-old horses were evaluated before (M1) and six weeks after (M2) beginning a training protocol.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA novel, easily prepared and accessible water-soluble supramolecular catalyst for the Suzuki-Miyaura CC coupling reaction was synthesized and characterized by FTIR, NMR, XRD, SEM, and HR-TEM. An inexpensive Pd(II) source added to the resulting aqueous solution of thioglycolic ester β-cyclodextrin (1-TGA-SH-β-CD/PdCl) showed Pd nanoclusters and efficient catalytic activity for Suzuki-Miyaura CC coupling reactions of aryl halides with aryl boronic acids, employing KCO as base, in an environmentally benign aqueous solution prepared in open flasks. Organic aryl halides including chlorides can produce moderate to excellent yields with aryl boronic acids and a small catalytic amount (0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe physicochemical characteristics of diets and faeces were evaluated in combination with data of rumen fluid and blood lactate collected from two distinct feedlot systems in Brazil to understand the causes and correlations to digestive disorders in these production systems. The data were collected during two visits to a finishing system which fed about 80,000 head per year, and four visits to two properties that fed 150 to 180 straight bred Nellore bulls per year to be sold as stud cattle. The findings suggest that ruminal acidosis occurred when there was high intake of starch-rich concentrate, and that subacute rumen acidosis (SARA) most likely occurred in situations where more than 4% of faecal dry matter was excreted as particles larger than 4 mm.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPLoS One
November 2022
Background: Tooth loss is an oral health condition with high prevalence and negative impact on quality of life. It is the result of the history of oral diseases and their treatment as well as provision of dental care and access to dental services. Socioeconomic characteristics are determinants of tooth loss and living in rural areas is also a risk factor for its incidence.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe have evaluated the structural and luminescence properties of Eu- or Nd-doped lanthanum niobate systems synthesized a sol-gel route and containing different dopant contents. XRD analysis revealed that the orthorhombic LaNbO and monoclinic LaNbO crystalline phases were present in all the samples, regardless of the dopant concentration. The excitation spectra of the samples displayed a broad band due to Nb→O charge transfer; this band was quite sensitive to the increasing Eu content.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has placed a significant burden on everyone. Although dental professionals are at an increased risk of COVID-19 infection, currently, very little is known about how oral health professionals and their professions could be affected by the pandemic. This study aims to investigate dentists' perceptions on present and future dental practice in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, undergraduate medical students (UMS) exposed to isolation, social distancing and complete or partial face-to-face educational activities interruption may present increased stress, depression and anxiety. This study was undertaken to evaluate if, during isolation, UMS involved in online group activities as investigators of a research project (volunteer group) would present better mental health than their colleagues, not involved in that research (control group). A Web-based survey, via the Google Forms platform, including details on demographic data, life habits, previous health conditions, worries with the COVID-19 pandemic, sleep pattern modifications and depression, anxiety and mental stress, using the DASS-21 (Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale) was implemented from 20 July to 31 August 2020.
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