HOSPITALIZATION, USE OF BIOLOGICS AND SURGERY RATES IN INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASES: A SINGLE-CENTRE COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS BETWEEN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS IN A TERTIARY UNIT FROM LATIN AMERICA.

Background: Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) have rising incidence and prevalence rates globally. In IBD, there are scarce stu-dies comparing differences between patients according to socioeconomic status. Our aim was to comparatively evaluate hospitalizations, use of biologics and rates of surgery in patients with IBD between public and private healthcare systems.

Biological therapy, surgery, and hospitalization rates for inflammatory bowel disease: An observational Latin American comparative study between adults and pediatric patients.

Objective: Compare the proportions of use of biological therapy, surgeries, and hospitalizations between adults and pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)-Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC)-patients.

Patients And Methods: Observational, retrospective, and multicenter study. Data were collected from all consecutive IBD patients seen as outpatients or admitted to hospital, during 2015-2021, in two IBD tertiary centers in a South Brazilian capital.

Multi-center prospective survey of hepatocellular carcinoma in Kerala: More than 1,200 cases.

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is considered uncommon in India. The aim of this study was to document the demographic characteristics and clinical aspects of HCC in Kerala, India.

Methods: A survey of HCC in Kerala was performed.

Anti-Ebola Virus Antibody Levels in Convalescent Plasma and Viral Load After Plasma Infusion in Patients With Ebola Virus Disease.

Background: Ebola virus (EBOV) neutralizing antibody in plasma may reduce viral load following administration of plasma to patients with Ebola virus disease (EVD), but measurement of these antibodies is complex.

Methods: Anti-EBOV antibody was measured by 2 neutralization and 2 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) in convalescent plasma (ECP) from 100 EVD survivor donors in Liberia. Viral load was assessed repetitively in patients with EVD participating in a clinical trial of enhanced standard of care plus ECP.

Sedation practices in gastrointestinal endoscopy-A survey from southern India.

Gastrointestinal endoscopies can cause an unpleasant experience for the patient. In India, most endoscopists follow a common institutional policy for sedation. The aim of this study was to analyze the sedation practices in various endoscopy centers across southern India.

Report of a workshop on ensuring sustainable access to safe blood in developing countries: International Blood Safety Forum, March 24, 2017.

On March 24, 2017, more than 90 experts in blood safety and international development from blood centers, industry, government, and international and nongovernmental organizations gathered in Arlington, Virginia, for the Third International Blood Safety Forum, cosponsored by America's Blood Centers and Global Healing. This report summarizes presentations and major conclusions. The meeting explored ways to increase access to affordable, safe blood for low- and lower-middle-income countries (LMICs) in an era when funding from the US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and the Global Fund has been redirected from preventing the spread of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) to diagnosing and treating the 25 million-plus people living with HIV in LMICs.

Multidimensional mitochondrial energetics: Application to the study of electron leak and hydrogen peroxide metabolism.

Oxygen consumption is a valuable tool to link with measurements of mitochondrial electron leakage to form reactive oxygen species (ROS), which in mitochondria is predominantly superoxide and HO. However, oxygen consumption may respond differently to changes in conditions than superoxide/HO production does, complicating the use of respiration as a sole indicator of mitochondrial energetics. The same equipment that is valuable for fluorescent monitoring of HO efflux provides a straightforward means of estimating membrane potential (ΔΨ), thereby an alternative metric of mitochondrial energetics is readily added to complement studies on the link between mitochondrial energetics and electron leak.

ADALIMUMAB FOR ULCERATIVE COLITIS: RESULTS OF A BRAZILIAN MULTICENTER OBSERVATIONAL STUDY.

Background: Adalimumab is a monoclonal antibody, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα) inhibitor that has efficacy for inducing and maintaining remission in moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis. Real world studies with adalimumab in Latin American ulcerative colitis patients are scarce.

Objective: To assess the clinical remission rates in induction and maintenance with adalimumab therapy in ulcerative colitis.

SAFETY PROFILE OF ANTI-TNF THERAPY IN CROHN'S DISEASE MANAGEMENT: A BRAZILIAN SINGLE-CENTER DIRECT RETROSPECTIVE COMPARISON BETWEEN INFLIXIMAB AND ADALIMUMAB.

Background: Infliximab and adalimumab are considered effective drugs in the management of Crohn's disease. However, due to significant immunossupression, they can cause important adverse events, mostly infections.

Objective: The aim of this study was to quantify and describe adverse events derived from adalimumab and infliximab use in Crohn's disease patients, and to compare the safety profile between these two agents.

Apheresis for collection of Ebola convalescent plasma in Liberia.

Purpose: This report describes initiation of apheresis capability in Liberia, Africa to support a clinical trial of convalescent plasma therapy for Ebola Virus Disease.

Methods: A bloodmobile was outfitted in the United States as a four-bed apheresis unit with capabilities including pathogen reduction, electronic blood establishment computer system, designated areas for donor counseling and laboratory testing, and onboard electrical power generation. After air transport to Liberia, the bloodmobile was positioned at ELWA Hospital, Monrovia, and connected to the hospital's power grid.

Repair of large incisional hernias. To drain or not to drain. Randomized clinical trial.

Purpose: To evaluate the occurrence of seroma and surgical wound infection after surgery.

Methods: A total of 42 individuals with large incisional hernias were subjected toonlay mesh repair. Following the mesh placement, the participants were randomly allocated to two groups.

A porcine model for teaching surgical cricothyridootomy.

Objective: To evaluate the acceptability of an educational project using A porcine model of airway for teaching surgical cricothyroidotomy to medical students and medical residents at a university hospital in southern Brazil.

Methods: we developed a teaching project using a porcine model for training in surgical cricothyroidotomy. Medical students and residents received lectures about this surgical technique and then held practical training with the model.

Differentiating between apparent and actual rates of H2O2 metabolism by isolated rat muscle mitochondria to test a simple model of mitochondria as regulators of H2O2 concentration.

Mitochondria are often regarded as a major source of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in animal cells, with H2O2 being the predominant ROS released from mitochondria; however, it has been recently demonstrated that energized brain mitochondria may act as stabilizers of H2O2 concentration (Starkov et al. [1]) based on the balance between production and the consumption of H2O2, the later of which is a function of [H2O2] and follows first order kinetics. Here we test the hypothesis that isolated skeletal muscle mitochondria, from the rat, are able to modulate [H2O2] based upon the interaction between the production of ROS, as superoxide/H2O2, and the H2O2 decomposition capacity.

The use of rapid diagnostic tests for transfusion infectious screening in Africa: a literature review.

Infectious risk associated with blood transfusion remains a major public health challenge in Africa, where prevalence rates of the major transfusion-transmissible infections (ie, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, human immunodeficiency virus, and syphilis) are among the highest in the world. Resource-limited blood services often operate with minimal predonation screening safeguards, prompting exclusive reliance on laboratory testing to mitigate infectious risk. Transfusion screening with rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) has been adopted in areas that lack the capacity to support the routine use of more sophisticated technologies.

A pilot external quality assurance study of transfusion screening for HIV, HCV and HBsAG in 12 African countries.

Background And Objectives: Serologic screening for the major transfusion transmissible viruses (TTV) is critical to blood safety and has been widely implemented. However, actual performance as measured by proficiency testing has not been well studied in sub-Saharan Africa. Therefore, we conducted an external quality assessment of laboratories engaged in transfusion screening in the region.

Prevention of metabolic disorders and reproductive performance deficits by the blockade of Angiotensin II AT1 receptor in female rats fed with cafeteria diet.

Besides the well-known detrimental effects of obesity on cardiovascular and metabolic function, studies have shown that obesity is also associated with impaired reproductive function in women. Alterations in Angiotensin II (Ang II) have been associated with obesity and with female reproduction. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the reproductive and metabolic effects of Ang II AT1 receptor blockade with losartan in an animal model of obesity, in which female rats were offered a palatable, high calorie diet from weaning to adulthood.

Photochromic transduction layers in organic memory elements.

Photochromic molecules provide an intriguing and relatively untapped alternative to traditional materials utilized in organic memory devices. Here, we review recent progress in the implementation of photochromic molecules in electrically-addressed organic memory devices. Recent results for a lightemitting photochromic organic diode are highlighted in the context of multifunctional devices with the ability to simultaneously operate as multilevel memory, signage and display elements.

Prevalence and patterns of diverticulosis in patients undergoing colonoscopy in a southern Indian hospital.

The prevalence of diverticular disease of colon of colon is reportedly low in Asian compared to Western countries. We analyzed the prevalence of colonic diverticulosis in a selected cohort of patients undergoing colonoscopy. Retrospective study of records of patients undergoing colonoscopy in a tertiary hospital in southern India.

Early onset of obesity induces reproductive deficits in female rats.

The incidence of obesity is increasing rapidly all over the world and results in numerous health detriments, including disruptions in reproduction. However, the mechanisms by which excess body fat interferes with reproductive functions are still not fully understood. After weaning, female rats were treated with a cafeteria diet or a chow diet (control group).

Laparoscopic colonic resection for rectosigmoid colonic tumours: a retrospective analysis and comparison with open resection.

Laparoscopic approach for treatment of colorectal malignancy is gaining acceptance gradually; however the benefits of laparoscopic surgery in colonic and rectal tumours is still open to debate. This study aims at a retrospective analysis of operative and short term outcome of patients with rectosigmoid tumours. A retrospective analysis of operative, postoperative and short-term outcome of 62 patients who underwent laparoscopic colorectal resection for cancer of rectosigmoid region were compared with a same number of parameters-matched patients who underwent open colorectal resection.

Photoprogrammable organic light-emitting diodes.

Enlightening the memory: The integration of a crosslinkable photochromic dithienylperfluorocyclopentene (DTE) into organic light-emitting diodes (OLED) allows for the individualization of the emissive area of the OLED device, for example, for signage applications. The operation principle is based on switching the injection barrier for holes (positive charge carriers). Very large ON/OFF ratios of up to 3000 for current as well as electroluminescence have been achieved.