Two cases of Kallmann syndrome associated with empty sella

Kallmann syndrome (KS) is a developmental disease characterized by the association of isolated hypogonadotropic hypogonadism and anosmia/hyposmia. We report an unusual presentation of two females with KS and empty sella. These females, aged at 20 and 29-year-old, presented primary amenorrhea with prepubertal estradiol and low gonadotropin levels. No other significant clinical signs were observed. Empty sella was observed on MRI in both cases. Sequencing of FGFR1 gene, recently implicated in autosomal form of KS, was performed and one splicing mutation (IVS14 + 1G > A) was identified in one patient.     

Diabetic pregnancy: outpatient follow-up in a Brazilian University Hospital

In this study we assessed neonatal complications of diabetic in 50 pregnant women at a University Hospital during 2001-2002: 13 (26%) with type 1 diabetes (DM1), 16 with DM2, and 21 (42%) with gestational DM (GDM). The mean outpatient follow-up was at 16.3+/-8 wk for patients with DM1, 22.9+/-7.5 wk for DM2, and 26.0+/-8.9 wk for GDM. Mean HbA1c, fasting and 2-h post-prandial glycemia on first attendance were respectively: 6.1+/-1,1% (RV: 2.6-6.2%), 132+/-39 mg/dL and 190+/-54 mg/dL. 22 patients were on insulin and 15 were on oral antidiabetic agents (OA) at first evaluation. OA were taken on conception and during the first pregnancy trimester and no malformations were seen in the children. Their metabolic profile was similar to other pregnant women. Caesarean section was needed in 54.5% of deliveries. Complications: 56.1% were macrosomic babies, with a mean fetal weight of 3.48+/-0.73 Kg, with no differences according to treatment (insulin vs. OA). We conclude that diabetic pregnant women begin their prenatal care at a later period, often taking OA that are not officially advised to be used during pregnancy and are not in a regular metabolic control. As a result, they have macrosomic infants. Even though we have found no complications related to the OA use during pregnancy, we should not encourage their use until more safety studies are available.     

LPS-induced impairment of Na+/K+-ATPase activity: ameliorative effect of tannic acid in mice

Metabolic Brain Disease - Acetylcholine is an excitatory neurotransmitter that modulates synaptic plasticity and communication, and it is essential for learning and memory processes. This...     

Non-tuberculous Mycobacterial Infections in Thoracic Transplant Candidates and Recipients

Purpose of Review

To review and discuss the epidemiology, risk factors, clinical presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) in thoracic transplantation.

Recent Findings

Non-tuberculous mycobacteria are ubiquitous but are an uncommon cause of disease after solid organ transplantation. The incidence of infection is higher in thoracic transplant recipients than in abdominal transplant recipients, with most cases seen after lung transplantation. It is associated with increased morbidity and, occasionally, mortality. Infection in the pre-transplant setting can occur in lung transplant candidates, often posing a dilemma regarding transplant listing. Disease manifestations are diverse, and pulmonary disease is the most common. Diagnosis requires a high index of suspicion. Treatment requires a multiple-drug combination and is limited by drug-drug interactions and tolerability. Mycobacterium abscessus is a challenge in lung transplant recipients, due to its intrinsic resistance and propensity to relapse even after prolonged therapy. Mycobacterium chimaera is an emerging pathogen associated with contamination of heater-cooler units and is described to cause disease months after cardiothoracic surgery.

Summary

NTM infections in thoracic organ transplant recipients are uncommon but are associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. Data from larger multicenter studies is needed to better define the epidemiology of NTM in thoracic transplantation, best treatment options, and the management of infected transplant candidates.

     

Validation to Portuguese of the Scale of Student Satisfaction and Self-Confidence in Learning

Objective:

translate and validate to Portuguese the Scale of Student Satisfaction and Self-Confidence in Learning.

Material and Methods:

methodological translation and validation study of a research tool. After following all steps of the translation process, for the validation process, the event III Workshop Brazil - Portugal: Care Delivery to Critical Patients was created, promoted by one Brazilian and another Portuguese teaching institution.

Results:

103 nurses participated. As to the validity and reliability of the scale, the correlation pattern between the variables, the sampling adequacy test (Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin) and the sphericity test (Bartlett) showed good results. In the exploratory factorial analysis (Varimax), item 9 behaved better in factor 1 (Satisfaction) than in factor 2 (Self-confidence in learning). The internal consistency (Cronbach''s alpha) showed coefficients of 0.86 in factor 1 with six items and 0.77 for factor 2 with 07 items.

Conclusion:

in Portuguese this tool was called: Escala de Satisfação de Estudantes e Autoconfiança na Aprendizagem. The results found good psychometric properties and a good potential use. The sampling size and specificity are limitations of this study, but future studies will contribute to consolidate the validity of the scale and strengthen its potential use.     

On the synergy between silver nanoparticles and doxycycline towards the inhibition of Staphylococcus aureus growth

In a previous paper (RSC Adv., 2015, 5, 66886–66893), we showed that the combination of silver nanoparticles (NanoAg) with doxycycline (DO) culminated in an increased bactericidal activity towards E. coli. Herein we further investigated the metabolic changes that occurred on Staphylococcus aureus upon exposure to NanoAg with the help of attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) coupled with multivariate data analysis. It has been discovered that the combination of DO with NanoAg produced metabolic changes in S. aureus that were not simply the overlap of the treatments with DO and NanoAg separately. Our results suggest that DO and NanoAg act synergistically to impede protein synthesis by the bacteria.

Silver nanoparticles conjugated with doxycycline act synergistically to halt S. aureus growth via inhibition of protein synthesis.     

Amino acid ionic liquids as catalysts in a solvent-free Morita–Baylis–Hillman reaction

In the present work, we describe the preparation of ten amino acid ionic liquids (AAILs) formed from ammonium salts as cations, derivatives of glycerol, and natural amino acids as anions. All of them are viscous oils, colorless or pale yellow, and hygroscopic at room temperature. They have appreciable solubility in many protic and aprotic polar solvents. The AAILs were used as catalysts in a Morita–Baylis–Hillman (MBH) reaction. The ionic liquids derivative from l-proline and l-histidine demonstrated the ability to catalyze the reaction between methyl vinyl ketone and aromatic aldehydes differently substituted in the absence of an additional co-catalyst under organic solvent-free conditions. The AAIL derivatives from l-valine, l-leucine, and l-tyrosine catalyzed the MBH reaction only in the presence of imidazole. The MBH adducts were obtained in moderate to good yields. Although the catalytic site in the ILs was in its enantiomerically pure form, all the MBH adducts were obtained in their racemic form.

In this work, we describe the preparation of ten amino acid ionic liquids (AAILs). The AAILs were used as catalysts in a Morita–Baylis–Hillman (MBH) reaction. The MBH adducts were obtained from moderate to good yields and in their racemic form.