Heavy metal concentrations in Brazilian port areas and their relationships with microorganisms: can pollution in these areas change the microbial community?

The objectives of this study were to analyze the difference in ways in which metals polluting Brazilian port areas influence bacterial communities and the selection of resistant strains. The hypothesis tested was that port areas would have microbial communities significantly different from a pristine area, mainly due to a greater load of metals found in these areas. Sediment samples were collected in two port areas (Santos and São Sebastião) and one pristine area (Ubatuba).

Liquid Fungal Cocultivation as a Strategy to Access Bioactive Metabolites.

Fungi are a rich source of bioactive compounds. Fungal cocultivation is a method of potentiating chemical interactions and, consequently, increasing bioactive molecule production. In this study, we evaluated the bactericidal, antiprotozoal, and cathepsin V inhibition activities of extracts from axenic cultures of 6 fungi (, and ) that infest tropical fruits and 57 extracts obtained by their cocultivation.

Do tailings from the Mariana, MG (Brazil), disaster affect the initial development of millet, maize, and sorghum?

The collapse of the Fundão dam in Mariana, MG, in 2015 resulted in the overflow of more than 50 million m of mud containing mine tailings, leaving a path of destruction and immeasurable social and environmental consequences. Tailings' chemical and physical assessments revealed the presence of some elements at levels higher than those allowed by Brazilian guidelines. The tailings also showed high density, which restricts vegetation recovery.

Curcumin, Alone or in Combination with Aminoguanidine, Increases Antioxidant Defenses and Glycation Product Detoxification in Streptozotocin-Diabetic Rats: A Therapeutic Strategy to Mitigate Glycoxidative Stress.

Both oxidative stress and the exacerbated generation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) have crucial roles in the onset and progression of diabetic complications. Curcumin has antioxidant and antidiabetic properties; its combination with compounds capable of preventing the advanced glycation events, such as aminoguanidine, is an interesting therapeutic option to counteract diabetic complications. This study is aimed at investigating the effects of treatments with curcumin or aminoguanidine, alone or in combination, on metabolic alterations in streptozotocin-diabetic rats; the focus was mainly on the potential of these bioactive compounds to oppose the glycoxidative stress.

Stanniocalcin 2 contributes to aggressiveness and is a prognostic marker for oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Stanniocalcin 2 (STC2), a glycoprotein that regulates calcium and phosphate homeostasis during mineral metabolism, appears to display multiple roles in tumorigenesis and cancer progression. This study aimed to access the prognostic value of STC2 in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and its implications in oral tumorigenesis. STC2 expression was examined in 2 independent cohorts of OSCC tissues by immunohistochemistry.

Allelochemical Activity of Eugenol-Derived Coumarins on L.

Coumarins are widely distributed substances in plant species that promote phytotoxic effects, allowing them to be exploited as herbicides less harmful to the environment, since many invasive species have demonstrated resistance to commercially available products. The derived coumarins used in this study had not been tested in plant models and their effect on plants was unknown. The objective of this study was to evaluate the phytotoxic action of these coumarins in bioassays with L.

The Brazilian Portuguese version of the ICIQ-OABqol: cross-cultural adaptation and reliability.

Introduction And Hypothesis: The International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire Overactive Bladder Symptoms Quality of Life (ICIQ-OABqol) Module evaluates the quality of life of individuals with overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms, and its use in scientific studies and clinical practice is recommended by the International Continence Society. The aim was to conduct the cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Brazilian Portuguese version of the ICIQ-OABqol (ICIQ-OABqol_portuguese) in individuals with OAB symptoms.

Methods: An observational cross-sectional study was performed at the Clinical Physiotherapy of PUC MINAS in Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil, between March 2017 and October 2018.

Use of mobile apps for controlling of the urinary incontinence: A systematic review.

Objective: The primary objective was to evaluate the impact of app use on urinary incontinence control through pelvic floor muscle training when compared to the postal treatment plan. The secondary objectives were to evaluate how app use may affect the quality of life (QoL) of users and treatment adherence.

Material And Methods: Eight databases (PubMed, SciELO, Embase, Web of Science, LILACS, Open Gray, Open Thesis, and OATD) were used as research sources.

Anti-urolithiatic and anti-inflammatory activities through a different mechanism of actions of Cissus gongylodes corroborated its ethnopharmacological historic.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Species Cissus gongylodes has been used in the traditional medicine in South America and India for the treatment of urolithiasis, biliary and inflammatory problems without any scientific evidence.

Aim Of The Study: This work was developed to investigate for the first time the anti-inflammatory and anti-urolithiatic activities of leaf decoction of C. gongylodes.

Magnetic restricted-access carbon nanotubes for dispersive solid phase extraction of organophosphates pesticides from bovine milk samples.

Magnetic restricted-access carbon nanotubes (M-RACNTs) were synthesised and used for dispersive solid phase extraction of organophosphates (chlorpyriphos, malathion, disulfoton, pirimiphos) from commercial bovine raw milk samples. Due to their magnetic susceptibility, M-RACNTs were easily separated from the samples/solvents using a neodymium magnet, and the extracted organophosphates were analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The protein exclusion capacity was about 100%.

Restricted access carbon nanotube for microextraction by packed sorbent to determine antipsychotics in plasma samples by high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

This manuscript describes the development of the restricted access carbon nanotube (RACNT) as a selective stationary phase for microextraction by packed sorbent (MEPS) to determine antipsychotics (chlorpromazine, clozapine, olanzapine, and quetiapine) in untreated plasma samples from schizophrenic patients by ultra-high liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). The synthesis was achieved by chemically covering commercial multi-walled carbon nanotubes with bovine serum albumin (BSA) to subsequently pack the material in a polyethylene conical tube (1000 μL). The RACNTs' sorbents were able to exclude about 97% of the plasma proteins, maintaining the same performance for about 100 assays.

Prognostication for oral squamous cell carcinoma patients based on the tumour-stroma ratio and tumour budding.

Aims: Previous studies have demonstrated that the tumour-stroma ratio (TSR) and tumour budding are of prognostic value for oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCCs). The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic significance of those histological parameters, individually and in combination, for OSCC.

Methods And Results: The TSR and tumour budding (the presence of five or more buds at the invasive front) were estimated in 254 patients with OSCC.

Assessment of the ecotoxicity of the pharmaceuticals bisoprolol, sotalol, and ranitidine using standard and behavioral endpoints.

The pharmaceuticals bisoprolol (BIS), sotalol (SOT), and ranitidine (RAN) are among the most consumed pharmaceuticals worldwide and are frequently detected in different aquatic ecosystems. However, very few ecotoxicity data are available in the literature for them. To help fill these data gaps, toxicity tests with the algae Raphidocelis subcapitata, the macrophyte Lemna minor, the cnidarian Hydra attenuata, the crustacean Daphnia similis, and the fish Danio rerio were performed for assessing the ecotoxicity of these pharmaceuticals.

A new approach for identifying antagonism among fungi species and antifungal activity.

New antifungals are increasingly needed due to the emergence of resistant fungal strains. Traditional antifungal assays are laborious and require significant amounts of samples. The present work presents a new proposal to evaluate antifungal activity and antagonism among fungal species, based on experiments of fungal culture and co-culture, H NMR profile of fungal culture extracts and chemometrics.

Exploring the bioactivity potential of : phytochemical composition, antimicrobial and antileishmanial activities of extracts from different anatomical parts.

(L.) Br. (Lamiaceae) is an African shrub popularly known as 'cordão-de-frade' in Brazil, traditionally used to treat infectious diseases, among other uses.

Biological sample preparation by using restricted-access nanoparticles prepared from bovine serum albumin: application to liquid chromatographic determination of β-blockers.

Restricted-access nanoparticles (RANPs) were prepared from bovine serum albumin by coacervation. They have an average sized of 311 nm. They were characterized and used to capture the β-blockers atenolol, metoprolol and propranolol from untreated biological samples.

Web Services for Molecular Docking Simulations.

Docking process is one of the most significant activities for the analysis of protein-protein or protein-ligand complexes. These tools have become of unique importance when allocated in web services, collaborating scientifically with several areas of knowledge in an interdisciplinary way. Among the several web services dedicated to carrying out molecular docking simulations, we selected the DockThor web service.

Single and mixture toxicity of four pharmaceuticals of environmental concern to aquatic organisms, including a behavioral assessment.

Pharmaceuticals are frequently detected in aquatic environments as mixtures and can cause toxic effects to non-target organisms. We aimed to evaluate the single and mixture effects of the pharmaceuticals metformin, bisoprolol, ranitidine and sotalol using Daphnia similis and Danio rerio. In addition, we aimed to test the predictive accuracy of the mathematical models concentration addition and independent action and to evaluate the nature of the possible toxicological interactions among these pharmaceuticals using the combination index-isobologram model.

Effect of single and multiple doses of low-level laser therapy on viability and proliferation of stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHED).

The present study aimed to evaluate in vitro whether the low-level laser (LLL) delivering fractionated total energy (multiple irradiation) or single irradiation stimulates regeneration-associated events (viability and proliferation) in stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHED). Cells received LLL irradiation (InGaAlP-660 nm), according to the following experimental groups: G1 (single irradiation 2.5 J/cm, 10 mW, 10 s, 0.

Biological properties of electrospun cellulose scaffolds from biomass.

Nowadays the development of sustainable technologies for the effective production of polymeric materials that can be used as biomaterials will be of importance. In this work, cellulose (CEL) was purified from potato peel waste (PPW) and used to produce electrospun nanofibers for tissue engineering applications. The purified CEL was solubilized in copper ethylenediamine (Cuen) and the electrospun nanofibers was produced through electrospinning technique in diameter range of 250-500 nm at electrical field strength of 20 kV.

A new restricted access molecularly imprinted fiber for direct solid phase microextraction of benzodiazepines from plasma samples.

Restricted access molecularly imprinted polymers (RAMIPs) are hybrid materials that present selective binding sites for a template (or similar molecules), and an external hydrophilic layer that avoids the binding of proteins to the material, making them appropriate for the sample preparation of protein fluids. RAMIPs have been used successfully in online and offline solid phase extractions, but there is no application as a fiber in solid phase microextraction (SPME), to the best of our knowledge. In this paper, molecularly imprinted fibers were synthesized inside glass capillary tubes (0.

The foliar application of a mixture of semisynthetic chitosan derivatives induces tolerance to water deficit in maize, improving the antioxidant system and increasing photosynthesis and grain yield.

Research has shown that chitosan induces plant stress tolerance and protection, but few studies have explored chemical modifications of chitosan and their effects on plants under water stress. Chitosan and its derivatives were applied (isolated or in mixture) to maize hybrids sensitive to water deficit under greenhouse conditions through foliar spraying at the pre-flowering stage. After the application, water deficit was induced for 15 days.

Influence of silanes on the stability of resin-ceramic bond strength.

Purpose: To evaluate the in vitro stability of resin-ceramic bond strength provided for silanes with acidic functional monomers.

Methods: Five ceramic blocks were fabricated. The blocks were randomly divided into groups (n=30) and assigned to the following surface treatments: ( C) HF + RelyX Ceramic Primer, ( G1) HF + Porcelain Liner M, ( G2) HF + Clearfil Ceramic Primer, ( G3) Phosphoric acid ( H₃PO₄) + Clearfil Ceramic Primer, ( G4) H₃PO₄ + Porcelain Liner M.