Publications by authors named "Val R"

Euschistus heros (Fabricius, 1798) (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) is a soybean pest in Brazil. It has a reproductive success that may be associated with the female receptaculum seminis or spermatheca, a reproductive organ for spermatozoa storage until the oocyte fertilization. This study describes the anatomy and histology of the female receptaculum seminis in E.

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Background: Anabolic androgenic steroid (AAS) abuse has been associated with coronary artery disease (CAD). Pericoronary fat attenuation (pFA) is a marker of coronary inflammation, which is key in the atherosclerotic process.

Objective: To evaluate pFA and inflammatory profile in AAS users.

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Mutations in the small genome present in mitochondria often result in severe pathologies. Different genetic strategies have been explored, aiming to rescue such mutations. A number of these strategies were based on the capacity of human mitochondria to import RNAs from the cytosol and designed to repress the replication of the mutated genomes or to provide the organelles with wild-type versions of mutant transcripts.

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Article Synopsis
  • Patients hospitalized with COVID-19 often have cardiovascular issues and high mortality rates, reaching 41.7% in a studied cohort of 2546 patients in Brazil.
  • Factors significantly linked to high in-hospital mortality include the need for mechanical ventilation, elevated C-reactive protein, presence of cancer, and high troponin levels, with a notable interaction between age and sex observed.
  • The study emphasizes the importance of understanding these risk factors for better patient monitoring and potential interventions based on unique characteristics related to age and sex.
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Objectives: We aimed to explore angiographic patterns and in-hospital outcomes of patients with concomitant coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) and myocardial infarction (MI).

Background: Patients with COVID-19 may experience MI during the course of the viral infection. However, this association is currently poorly understood.

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We address here organellar genetic regulation and intercompartment genome coordination. We developed earlier a strategy relying on a tRNA-like shuttle to mediate import of nuclear transgene-encoded custom RNAs into mitochondria in plants. In the present work, we used this strategy to drive -cleaving hammerhead ribozymes into the organelles, to knock down specific mitochondrial RNAs and analyze the regulatory impact.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study aimed to validate a new MRI technique called accelerated k-t SENSE for measuring left ventricle (LV) volumes, function, and mass, compared to the standard method 2D cine steady-state free precession (2D-SSFP).
  • - Researchers scanned 16 healthy volunteers and 26 heart failure patients using both techniques, assessing the images for quality and comparing LV metrics through aortic reference flows.
  • - Findings showed that accelerated k-t SENSE closely matched 2D-SSFP measurements, confirming its accuracy and feasibility for clinical use with shorter scan times and better image quality.
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The identification of patients at risk for breast cancer by genetic testing has proven to reduce breast cancer mortality. In 2010, due to a lack of systematization in hereditary cancer assistance in our center, we implemented a multidisciplinary Heredofamilial Cancer Unit (HFCU). We analyze if the HFCU improved the rates of referrals and preventive management of breast cancer patients with genetic risk.

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Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic inflammatory degenerative process that affects joints such as the hands, hips, shoulders, feet, spine, and especially knees in millions of people worldwide. Some authors have shown that Curcuma longa components may exhibit benefic effects in the treatment of degenerative diseases as OA. This plant belongs to the family Zingiberaceae and it is popularly known as turmeric or saffron.

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Objectives: Perfusion abnormalities are frequently seen in Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) when a left bundle branch block is present. A few studies have shown decreased coronary flow reserve in the left anterior descending territory, regardless of the presence of coronary artery disease.

Objective: We sought to investigate rubidium-82 (82Rb) positron emission tomography imaging in the assessment of myocardial blood flow and coronary flow reserve in patients with left bundle branch block.

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Genetic transformation of mitochondria in multicellular eukaryotes has remained inaccessible, hindering fundamental investigations and applications to gene therapy or biotechnology. In this context, we have developed a strategy to target nuclear transgene-encoded RNAs into mitochondria in plants. We describe here mitochondrial targeting of trans-cleaving ribozymes destined to knockdown organelle RNAs for regulation studies and inverse genetics and biotechnological purposes.

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Given the essential functions of these organelles in cell homeostasis, their involvement in incurable diseases and their potential in biotechnological applications, genetic transformation of mitochondria has been a long pursued goal that has only been reached in a couple of unicellular organisms. The challenge led scientists to explore a wealth of different strategies for mitochondrial delivery of DNA or RNA in living cells. These are the subject of the present review.

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With the expansion of the RNA world, antisense strategies have become widespread to manipulate nuclear gene expression but organelle genetic systems have remained aside. The present work opens the field to mitochondria. We demonstrate that customized RNAs expressed from a nuclear transgene and driven by a transfer RNA-like (tRNA-like) moiety are taken up by mitochondria in plant cells.

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Background: Pathologic complete response (pCR) after preoperative systemic chemotherapy (PSCh) is associated with better outcome in locally advanced breast cancer (LABC).

Patients And Methods: PSCh included: doxorubicin (A) 50 mg/m(2) i.v.

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Unlabelled: This study assessed the effect of estradiol, raloxifene and genistein on the preservation of bone 3D-microarchitecture and volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD) in the ovariectomized mouse model. Our results indicated that raloxifene was more effective in preserving bone ovariectomized-induced changes, the advantage being concentrated in both bone microarchitecture and vBMD.

Introduction: This study assessed the effect of different estrogen receptor (ER) agonists on the preservation of bone 3D-microarchitecture and volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD) in the ovariectomized (OVX) mouse model.

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Several data implicate the immune system in bone lost after estrogen deficiency, however, some of the effects on the immune system of estrogen deficiency or of estrogen receptor (ER) modulation are not well established. In this study, the effect of ER agonists on the immune system in ovariectomized mice is analyzed. Mice were ovariectomized and were administered 17beta-estradiol (E2), raloxifene (RAL) or genistein (GEN).

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In the present work, three commercial acid (pH 3.5-4) pyrogallol-containing hair gels, SunSet Alizador Negro (two formulations) and Embelleze Henê Gel, were tested for mutagenicity using two well-established assays. In the Salmonella mutagenicity assay using 648-5000 microg/plate of cosmetic samples, none of the samples reached a 2-fold increase in revertants relative to the controls.

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To explore the uterine effects of administration of compounds that exert their bone-sparing functions through estrogen receptors, we administered 17beta-E2, raloxifene, or genistein to ovariectomized mice and analyzed the uterus weight and histology 4 weeks after beginning the treatments. Results indicated that raloxifene and genistein have partial agonistic properties on the uterus in estrogen-depleted mice, and that genistein induced apoptosis and several atypias in the glandular epithelium of endometrium, as demonstrated in hematoxylin-eosin-stained histological sections.

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