Immunomodulating effects of egg yolk low lipid peptic digests in a murine model

There is a close link between nutrition and immunity. Bioactive peptides derived from various protein sources have been demonstrated to exert immunomodulating effects. Those activated sequences may also be found in egg yolk. When administered in vivo to chicken, egg yolk digests prevented bacterial infections. Thus, egg yolk low lipid peptic digests' (EYLLPD) effects were studied in a murine model to elucidate their action's mechanism and immunomodulating capacity. The mucosal immune response was investigated by immunohistochemistry. IL-6 production was evaluated by ELISA. The results show that EYLLPD induces an immune response with an increase in IgA+ cells, while orchestrating the Th1/Th2 response. Furthermore, they reveal a potential role of the epithelium in the effects of EYLLPD at the epithelial surface, as suggested by the increase of the IL-6 secretion by small intestinal epithelial cells (SIEC). In summary, this study shows that EYLLPD enhances mucosal immune responses and that SIEC might have played an important role in preventing the bacterial infection.     

Analysis,Synthesis and Characterization of Thin Films of a-Si:H (n-type and p-type) Deposited by PECVD for Solar Cell Applications

In this paper, the analysis, synthesis and characterization of thin films of a-Si:H deposited by PECVD were carried out. Three types of films were deposited: In the first series (00 process), an intrinsic a-Si:H film was doped. In the second series (A1–A5 process), n-type samples were doped, and to carry this out, a gas mixture of silane (SiH₄), dihydrogen (H₂) and phosphine (PH₃) was used. In the third series (B1–B5 process), p-type samples were doped using a mixture of silane (SiH₄), dihydrogen (H₂) and diborane (B₂H₆)_. The films’ surface morphology was characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM), while the analysis of the films was performed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and UV–visible ellipsometry was used to obtain the optical band gap and film thickness. According to the results of the present study, it can be concluded that the best conditions can be obtained when the flow of dopant gases (phosphine or diborane) increases, as seen in the conductivity graphs, where the films with the highest flow of dopant gas reached the highest conductivities compared to the minimum required for materials made of a-Si:H silicon for high-quality solar cells. It can be concluded from the results that the magnitude of the conductivity, which increased by several orders, represents an important result, since we could improve the efficiency of solar cells based on a-Si:H.     

Trends in Mortality from Stroke in Latin America and the Caribbean, 1979–2015

Background:Stroke is the second largest single cause of death and disability in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). There have been large overall declines in stroke mortality rates in most LAC countries in recent decades.Objective:To analyze trends in mortality caused by stroke in LAC countries in the period 1979–2015.Methods:We extracted data for age-standardized stroke mortality rates per 100,000 in LAC for the period 1979–2015 from the World Health Organization Mortality Database. Joinpoint regression was used to analyze the trends and compute the annual percent change (APC) in LAC as a whole and by country. Analyses were conducted by gender, region and World Bank income classification.Results:Mortality from stroke has decreased in LAC over the study period by an average APC of –1.9%. Most countries showed significant downward trends, with the sharpest decreases in Chile, Colombia and Uruguay. We recorded statistically significant decreases of –1.4% and –2.4% in mortality rates in men and women, respectively, in the whole LAC. Southern and high-income countries showed the steepest decreases.Conclusions:Stroke mortality has decreased in LAC, in both sexes, especially in southern and high-income countries. Our results could serve as a reference for the development of primary prevention and acute management of stroke policies focused on countries with higher mortality.     

Commercially Available Flavonols Are Better SARS-CoV-2 Inhibitors than Isoflavone and Flavones

Despite the fast development of vaccines, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is still circulating and generating variants of concern (VoC) that escape the humoral immune response. In this context, the search for anti-SARS-CoV-2 compounds is still essential. A class of natural polyphenols known as flavonoids, frequently available in fruits and vegetables, is widely explored in the treatment of different diseases and used as a scaffold for the design of novel drugs. Therefore, herein we evaluate seven flavonoids divided into three subclasses, isoflavone (genistein), flavone (apigenin and luteolin) and flavonol (fisetin, kaempferol, myricetin, and quercetin), for COVID-19 treatment using cell-based assays and in silico calculations validated with experimental enzymatic data. The flavonols were better SARS-CoV-2 inhibitors than isoflavone and flavones. The increasing number of hydroxyl groups in ring B of the flavonols kaempferol, quercetin, and myricetin decreased the 50% effective concentration (EC₅₀) value due to their impact on the orientation of the compounds inside the target. Myricetin and fisetin appear to be preferred candidates; they are both anti-inflammatory (decreasing TNF-α levels) and inhibit SARS-CoV-2 mainly by targeting the processability of the main protease (M^pro) in a non-competitive manner, with a potency comparable to the repurposed drug atazanavir. However, fisetin and myricetin might also be considered hits that are amenable to synthetic modification to improve their anti-SARS-CoV-2 profile by inhibiting not only M^pro, but also the 3′–5′ exonuclease (ExoN).     

Bovine colostrum enhances natural killer cell activity and immune response in a mouse model of influenza infection and mediates intestinal immunity through toll-like receptors 2 and 4

Oral administration of bovine colostrum affects intestinal immunity, including an increased percentage of natural killer (NK) cells. However, effects on NK cell cytotoxic activity and resistance to infection as well as a potential mechanism remain unclear. Therefore, we investigated the effects of bovine colostrum (La Belle, Inc, Bellingham, WA) on the NK cytotoxic response to influenza infection and on toll-like receptor (TLR) activity in a primary intestinal epithelial cell culture. We hypothesized that colostrum would increase NK cell activity and that TLR-2 and TLR-4 blocking would reduce interleukin 6 production by epithelial cells in response to contact stimulation with colostrum. Four-month-old female C57BL/6 mice were supplemented with 1 g of colostrum per kilogram of body weight before and after infection with influenza A virus (H1N1). Animals were assessed for weight loss, splenic NK cell activity, and lung virus titers. Colostrum-supplemented mice demonstrated less reduction in body weight after influenza infection, indicating a less severe infection, increased NK cell cytotoxicity, and less virus burden in the lungs compared with controls. Colostrum supplementation enhanced NK cell cytotoxicity and improved the immune response to primary influenza virus infection in mice. To investigate a potential mechanism, a primary culture of small intestine epithelial cells was then stimulated with colostrum. Direct activation of epithelial cells resulted in increased interleukin 6 production, which was inhibited with TLR-2 and TLR-4 blocking antibodies. The interaction between colostrum and immunity may be dependent, in part, on the interaction of colostrum components with innate receptors at the intestinal epithelium, including TLR-2 and TLR-4.     

Characterization of Heavy Metals in a Uranium Ore Region of the State of Pernambuco,Brazil

The concentrations of As, Zn, Co, Cr, and Ba were determined in soil samples from an anomalous uranium ore region in the countryside of the state of Pernambuco, Brazil. The main land use system in this region is dairy farming, and there is a need to evaluate the potential risk of milk contamination. Twenty-three soil samples were activated with neutrons and analyzed using a high-resolution gamma-ray spectrometer system. The results, recorded in mg kg^?1, varied from 0.4 to 6.7 for As, from 17.0 to 110.0 for Zn, from 2.8 to 38.4 for Co, from 12.1 to 65.5 for Cr, and from 443.0 to 1,497.0 for Ba. All of the Ba concentrations were higher than the intervention value adopted by the Brazilian National Environmental Board. This finding justifies research in other environmental areas to predict the toxicological risks to the local population.     

Effect of low level laser therapy on dental pulp during orthodontic movement

AIM: To validate the protocol described here to be used in future clinical trials related to the effect of laser therapy on dental pulp.METHODS: Histologically treated samples from eight human healthy premolar teeth obtained from the middle root level were distributed in four groups: group 1 (G1) absolute control; group 2 (G2) only laser irradiation; group 3 (G3) exposed only to orthodontics; and group 4 (G4) treated with orthodontics and laser. Laser treatment was performed at 830 nm wavelength, 100 mW (energy 80 J/cm², 2.2 J), for 22 s in the vestibular surface and 22 s in the palatal surface, 1 mm away from the dental root mucosa. Three staining methods were performed: hematoxylin-eosin (HE), Masson’s Trichrome method and Gomori’s method.RESULTS: The pulp histology parameters were evaluated and the results classified in to 3 parts: an inflammatory response, soft tissue response (dental pulp) and hard tissue response (dentin and predentin). There was no inflammation (chronic or acute) in any of the evaluated groups. The zones of pulp necrosis were found in one premolar of G3 and in one of G4; in groups G2 and G4 there was higher angiogenesis than in the other two groups. G4 group presented the highest level of vascularization. A reduced nerve density was observed in G3. A G2 specimen showed increased nerve density. A higher rate of calcification was observed in G1 compared to G2. Denticles, either real or false, were observed in G1, G2 and G3. Sclerosis of dentin and focal dentin loss was observed among all the groups. Secondary dentin was present in one sample in G1 and G2. A necrosis zone was found in one sample of G3 and G4. No differences between groups were observed in the odontoblast irregularity layer but the layer was wider in the group treated with laser only. A notable difference was detected in reduction of the cell-free layer between the groups G1 and G4. The findings in pulp tissue favor its adaptative response against dental movement induced by orthodontics. No definitive conclusions may be derived as this is a pilot study.CONCLUSION: The protocol described here was shown to be an effective method to evaluate changes in dental pulp submitted to low level laser in teeth under orthodontic movement.     

Lesiones producidas en aficionados durante los festejos taurinos populares

Introduction

To identify the different types of injuries occurred during activities for the general public involving bulls. We analyze the conditions in which these injuries occurred, radiological examinations performed, treatment and complications.

Low systemic vascular resistance: differential diagnosis and outcome

OBJECTIVE: To determine the frequency and prognosis of the various causes of low systemic vascular resistance (SVR). DESIGN: Analysis of consecutive patients over a 5-year period; retrospective review. SETTING: Medical intensive care unit of a large university hospital. PATIENTS: Fifty-five patients with unexplained hypotension and a SVR less than 800 dynes x s/cm5. BACKGROUND: There are minimal data in the medical literature determining the frequency or outcome of patients with a low SVR that is unrelated to sepsis or the sepsis syndrome. We retrospectively reviewed and analyzed all hemodynamic data in a large university hospital over a 5-year period to determine the frequency and prognosis of the various causes of low SVR. Fifty-five patients with unexplained hypotension and a SVR less than 800dynesxs/cm5were identified. MAIN RESULTS: Twenty-two patients (Groups 1 and 2) met the criteria for sepsis syndrome. The mean SVR for this group was 445 +/- 168 dynesxs/cm5 with an associated mortality of 50%. Group 3 contained 20 patients with possible sepsis. Thirteen patients (Group 4) were nonseptic. The mean SVR of this group was 435 +/- 180 dynes x s/cm5 with an associated mortality of 46%. Extremely low SVR (below 450 dynes x s/cm5) was associated with a significantly higher mortality regardless of the etiology. CONCLUSIONS: At least a quarter of patients with hypotension and a low SVR have nonseptic etiologies. The patients with nonseptic etiologies have a similar mortality to septic patients. Clinicians should be aware of the wide spectrum of conditions that induce a low SVR.