Phenotypes of sickle cell intensive care admissions: an unsupervised machine learning approach in a single-center retrospective cohort

Annals of Hematology - Sickle cell disease (SCD) is associated with multiple known complications and increased mortality. This study aims to further understand the profile of intensive care unit...     

The cerebrospinal fluid/serum leptin ratio during pharmacological therapy for obesity

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)/serum leptin ratio during pharmacological therapy for obesity with centrally and peripherally acting drugs. Thirty-one obese women (mean age, 32.3 +/- 10 yr; body mass index, 38.2 +/- 5.2 kg/m(2); body fat, 43.3 +/- 5.4%) were studied before and 2 months after a weight loss program consisting of a balanced diet (1200 kcal/d) plus drug therapy. The patients were randomly assigned into three study groups: group I, fenproporex 25 mg/d (n = 10); group II, sibutramine 10 mg/d (n = 10); and group III, orlistat 120 mg tid (n = 11). Body fat, measured by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry, and serum and CSF concentrations of leptin were examined at baseline and 2 months after therapy. At baseline, clinical and biochemical characteristics of the groups were similar. All of the women lost weight, approximately 7.0% of their initial body weight, and the reduction was not different among the groups. Serum leptin fell significantly after 2 months in all groups, and the decline was proportional to the reduction in body fat, because leptin levels adjusted for body fat did not change after treatment. CSF leptin levels showed a significant decrease after 2 months in all groups, and this decline was higher on group III compared with group I (P = 0.006). After therapy, the CSF/serum leptin ratio did not change in group I (1.57 +/- 0.3 to 1.72 +/- 0.62%) and group II (1.78 +/- 1.01 to 1.69 +/- 1.27%), whereas it declined significantly in group III (1.65 +/- 0.43 to 1.09 +/- 0.47%; P < 0.01), corresponding to a decrease of 33.3 +/- 22.5% for the CSF/serum leptin ratio. The percentage change in group III was significantly different from the positive variation on group I (11.9 +/- 42.1%; P = 0.006) and close to the statistical significance compared with the negative variation seen in group II (-7.6 +/- 27.8%; P = 0.06). Our results showed that the CSF/serum leptin ratio decreased after weight loss in obese women treated during 2 months with orlistat, whereas this ratio did not change in this period of time in obese women treated with fenproporex and sibutramine.     

Barriers to physical activity during the COVID-19 pandemic in adults: a cross-sectional study

Sport Sciences for Health - Social isolation due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has reduced physical activity levels in both men and women. The identification of barriers to...     

Clinical, tomographic aspects and relevance of torus palatinus: case report of two sisters

Despite the nomenclature suggested to be a tumor, torus palatinus (TP) is an overgrowth of the bone in the palatal region and represents an anatomic variation. Its prevalence varies among the population studied and its etiology is still unclear; however, it seems to be a multifactorial disorder with genetics and environmental involvement. Surgical removal of the TP is indicated in the following circumstances: (1) deglutition and speech impairment, (2) cancer phobia, (3) traumatized mucosa over the torus, and (4) prosthetic reasons. The aim of this case report is describe cases that occurred in two sisters, emphasizing the genetic etiology of this anatomic variation. In addition, intra-oral exam and computed tomography scan (axial, coronal and sagittal view) provided a detailed assessment of the TP and elimination of other possible diagnoses, furthermore allowed a better analyzes of the anatomic relation with adjacentes structures. No surgical removal was indicated for both cases.     

Periodontal clinical status,microbial profile,and expression of interleukin-1β in men under androgenic anabolic steroids abuse

Clinical Oral Investigations - Androgenic anabolic steroids (AAS) abuse is a serious health problem associated to several systemic complications. Here, we evaluated the periodontal clinical status,...     

An Inherently Bifunctional Subset of Foxp3+ T Helper Cells Is Controlled by the Transcription Factor Eos

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Survival and prognostic factors in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma

Background This study aimed to evaluate sociodemographic and clinical factors influencing overall survival (OS) in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Material and Methods Medical charts of 547 patients with OSCC from a public hospital in northeastern Brazil seen between 1999 and 2013 were evaluated. Survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method. The influence of age, sex, ethnicity, clinical stage, anatomical location, type of treatment, and comorbidities on the patients’ prognosis was evaluated. Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to identify independent prognostic factors. Results The 5-year OS was 39%. Multivariate analysis showed that age < 40 years (HR = 2.20; 95%CI: 1.02-4.72) and a single treatment modality (HR = 1.91; 95%CI: 1.37-2.67) were associated with a poor prognosis, while early clinical stage resulted in better outcomes (HR = 0.38; 95%CI: 0.25-0.58). Conclusions OSCC patients in advanced clinical stages, diagnosed at a younger age, and submitted to a single therapeutic modality have a poorer prognosis. Key words:Head and neck cancer, oral cancer, oral squamous cell carcinoma, survival, prognosis.     

Unraveling the relationship between exposed surfaces and the photocatalytic activity of Ag3PO4: an in-depth theoretical investigation

Over the years, the possibility of using solar radiation in photocatalysis or photodegradation processes has attracted remarkable interest from scientists around the world. In such processes, due to its electronic properties, Ag₃PO₄ is one of the most important semiconductors. This work delves into the photocatalytic activity, stability, and reactivity of Ag₃PO₄ surfaces by comparing plane waves with projector augmented wave and localized Gaussian basis set simulations, at the atomic level. The results indicate that the (110) surface, in agreement with previous experimental reports, displays the most suitable characteristics for photocatalytic activity due to its high reactivity, i.e. the presence of a large amount of undercoordinated Ag cations and a high value work function. Beyond the innovative results, this work shows a good synergy between both kinds of DFT approaches.

Over the years, the possibility of using solar radiation in photocatalysis or photodegradation processes has attracted remarkable interest from scientists around the world.     

Synergistic potential of 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 and calcium–aluminate–chitosan scaffolds with dental pulp cells

Clinical Oral Investigations - This study aimed to develop a porous chitosan–calcium–aluminate scaffold (CH-AlCa) in combination with a bioactive dosage of 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin...