Analucia

Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) play an important role in promoting brain development, decreasing the incidence of cardiovascular diseases, and reducing inflammation. However, PUFAs are inherently unstable and susceptible to oxidative deterioration due to two or more double bonds in their structure. Delivery systems have been developed to provide effective encapsulation and protection for PUFAs, and finally fulfill their health benefits. Emulsion-based encapsulation is one of the most promising techniques for the delivery of PUFAs...

This paper presents a numerical-experimental procedure to characterize through-holes with arbitrary shapes present on metallic substrates under composite material sleeves using pulsed laser shearography and dynamic excitation combined to the finite element method. The so-called fitting process consists of matching experimental and numerical results in order to determine the shape and dimensions of the holes under the composite repair, or even quantify defects between layers of the composite laminate. The results show that the technique is capable of characterizing, in the worst case, the geometry of a hole with 83% accuracy and its respective area with a maximum error of approximately 20%...

INTRODUCTION: After DAA treatment for chronic hepatitis C infection, peripheral monocyte subsets from patients who achieved sustained virological response (SVR) reduced compared to healthy control. Improvement in inflammatory parameters and liver stiffness has been observed. However, little is known about the long-term impact of DAA treatment on peripheral monocyte subsets and immune mediators levels. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to examine peripheral monocyte subsets and immune mediators levels in Brazilian chronic HCV patients after long-term successful IFN-free SOF-based treatment...

Alginate and pectin are emblematic natural polyuronates that have been widely used in food, cosmetics and medicine. Ca-dependent gelation is one of their most important functional properties. The gelation mechanisms of alginate and pectin, known as egg-box model, were believed to be basically the same, because their Ca-binding sites show a mirror symmetric conformation. However, studies have found that the formation and the structure of egg-box dimmers between alginate and pectin were different. Very few studies have reviewed those differences...

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Neurofeedback (fMRI-NF) targeting brain areas/networks shown to be dysfunctional by previous fMRI research is a promising novel neurotherapy for ADHD. Our pioneering study in 31 adolescents with ADHD showed that fMRI-NF of the right inferior frontal cortex (rIFC) and of the left parahippocampal gyrus (lPHG) was associated with clinical improvements. Previous studies using electro-encephalography-NF have shown, however, that not all ADHD patients learn to self-regulate, and the predictors of fMRI-NF self-regulation learning are not presently known...

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Disturbances in matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and corresponding tissue inhibitors (TIMPs) contribute to hepatitis C virus (HCV)-induced fibrosis. This study aimed to determine MMP-9/TIMP-1 levels in addition to MMP-2 and -9 activities; correlating with the improvement of liver fibrosis in patients under direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy. METHODS: Clinical and laboratory follow-up were performed before treatment and after 12 weeks post-treatment, referred as sustained viral response (SVR)...

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this systemic review, conducted in accordance with the PRISMA statement, was to investigate the impact of surface pretreatments on the bonding strength of high performance polymers (HPPs). METHODS: Eight databases were searched through March 2019. Risk of bias was assessed and random effects meta-analyses were applied to analyze mean differences in shear bond strength (SBS) and tensile bond strength (TBS), considering surface pretreatments and bonding agents after 24h and thermocycling...

OBJECTIVE: Due to the increasing prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), more practical diagnostic methods than polysomnography (PSG) have become necessary. This research aims to analyze the performance of nocturnal oximetry (NO) in the diagnosis of OSA. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, we analyzed 41 variables provided by the oximetry of all PSG performed by the LabSono of University Hospital Gaffrée and Guinle, a total of 83 exams. We evaluated the correlation coefficients (Spearman) between these data and the Apnea/Hypopnea Index (AHI) and then calculated the diagnostics performances, by the area under the curve (ROC) (AUC), of the best correlated variables and their respective cutoffs, in the identification of an AHI ≥ 15/h...

PURPOSE: To identify factors associated with the development of adverse drug reactions (ADR) in ribavirin therapeutic regimens. METHODS: A multicenter, prospective study was conducted in three public health hospitals in Rio de Janeiro between November 2015 and March 2018. Inclusion criteria were defined by patient follow-up at pharmaceutical consultation at the time of drug dispensing as those who used sofosbuvir in combination with simeprevir, daclatasvir, and/or ribavirin...

Quantitative electromyography is an important tool to evaluate myopathies, and some difficult-to-treat asthmatic patients may have a subclinical corticosteroid myopathic process, using only inhaled corticosteroid, according to some studies. In this report, diaphragm quantitative electromyography was used to evaluate asthmatic difficult-to-treat patients, comparing them with a control group. Significant differences were obtained in amplitude, duration and size index of motor unit action potentials, with lower parameters in the asthmatic patients, which may indicate a myopathic process...

Ibrutinib (IB) is an oral Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor that has demonstrated benefit in B cell cancers, but is associated with a dramatic increase in atrial fibrillation (AF). We employed cell-specific differentiation protocols and optical mapping to investigate the effects of IB and other tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) on the voltage and calcium transients of atrial and ventricular human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hPSC-CMs). IB demonstrated direct cell-specific effects on atrial hPSC-CMs that would be predicted to predispose to AF...

PURPOSE: To evaluate, through a systematic review of the literature, the published data regarding marginal bone loss, implant failure proportion, biologic and prosthetic complications, and risk factors associated with short (≤ 8-mm) implants supporting fixed or removable full-arch restorations in the edentulous mandible. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two reviewers performed a search of five databases, with handsearching through the reference lists and grey literature...

BACKGROUND: Heart rate (HR) reduction with ivabradine has been proved to reduce hospitalization and death from heart failure (HF). We sought to investigate whether pyridostigmine would effectively reduce HR in patients with chronic HF as compared with ivabradine. METHODS: Twenty-one patients with HF who were in sinus rhythm with a resting HR over 70 bpm, despite optimal medical treatment, were included in a randomized, double-blind study comparing pyridostigmine versus ivabradine...

PURPOSE: To evaluate the in vitro effects of the Composite Primer and different surface treatments on the shear bond strength (SBS) of acrylic and bis-acryl repairs with resin composite (RC). METHODS: Acrylic (Alike) and bis-acryl (Protemp 4) blocks were prepared. Surface roughness was standardized (0.16 µm) and grit blasting was applied to half of the samples. Blocks were divided randomly into groups according to surface treatment [methyl methacrylate monomer (MMA) for 180 seconds or bonding agents (Composite Primer and Scotchbond Multi Purpose), applied alone or following MMA]...

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis C virus is known to be highly dependent of lipid metabolism to infect new cells and replicate. AIMS: To investigate lipid and apolipoprotein profile in chronic HCV patients according to treatment response. METHODS: Patients recruited from the Hepatitis Treatment Center at Niteroi (Brazil) who received interferon (IFN)-based therapies were separated into two groups, those who achieved sustained virological response (SVR) or not (non-SVR)...

This study aimed at analyzing circulating levels of inflammatory and profibrogenic cytokines in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) chronic infection undergoing therapy with direct-acting antiviral agents (DAA) and correlating these immune biomarkers with liver disease status. We studied 88 Brazilian monoinfected chronic hepatitis C patients receiving interferon- (IFN-) free sofosbuvir-based regimens for 12 or 24 weeks, followed-up before therapy initiation and three months after the end of treatment. Liver disease was determined by transient elastography, in addition to APRI and FIB-4 indexes...

Objective The aim of this study was to obtain data on phrenic neuroconduction and electromyography of the diaphragm muscle in difficult-to-treat asthmatic patients and compare the results to those obtained in controls. Methods The study consisted of 20 difficult-to-treat asthmatic patients compared with 27 controls. Spirometry, maximal inspiratory and expiratory pressure, chest X-ray, phrenic neuroconduction and diaphragm electromyography data were obtained. Results The phrenic compound motor action potential area was reduced, compared with controls, and all the patients had normal diaphragm electromyography...

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to define normative data of phrenic nerve conduction parameters of a healthy population. METHODS: Phrenic nerve conduction studies were performed in 27 healthy volunteers. RESULTS: The normative limits for expiratory phrenic nerve compound muscle action potential were: amplitude (0.47 mv - 0.83 mv), latency (5.74 ms - 7.10 ms), area (6.20 ms/mv - 7.20 ms/mv) and duration (18.30 ms - 20.96 ms). Inspiratory normative limits were: amplitude (0...

Background Direct-acting antivirals (DAA) are currently used for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C (HCV). However, few studies describe the adverse effects (AE) associated with DAA therapy in "real-word" cohorts. Aim To evaluate AE in Brazilian chronic HCV patients after DAA-therapy. Setting A reference center for hepatitis treatment in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Methods An observational "real-world" study was conducted with 102 chronic HCV patients undergoing DAA therapy for 12 or 24 weeks...

Terminalia catappa Linn bark is used to treat dysentery by various populations in Southeast Asian countries, and its leaves have also been used in traditional medicine to treat hepatitis in India and the Philippines. Here, the antifungal actions of crude hydro-alcoholic extract (TcHE) and fractions from T. catappa leaves were assessed via the agar diffusion and microdilution tests on Candida reference strains and clinical isolates from patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Additionally, the potential cytotoxic effects of TcHE were assessed on cultured human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC)...