Cystic Fibrosis: Clinical Phenotypes in Children and Adolescents

dos Santos, Ana Luiza Melo,de Melo Santos, Helen,Nogueira, Marina Bettiol,Tavora, Hugo Tadashi Oshiro,da Cunha, Maria de Lourdes Jaborandy Paim,de Melo Seixas, Renata Belem Pessoa,Monte, Luciana de Fr The Korean Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology 2018 Pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology & nutrition Vol.21 No.4

Purpose: The objective of this study was to describe the clinical phenotypes of children and adolescents with cystic fibrosis (CF); and to assess the role of pancreatic insufficiency and neonatal screening in diagnosis. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted, which included 77 patients attending a reference center of CF between 2014 and 2016. Epidemiological data, anthropometric measurements, and the presence of pulmonary, pancreatic, gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary manifestations were evaluated based on clinical data and complementary examinations. Results: Of the 77 patients, 51.9% were male, with a median age of 147 months (7.0-297.0 months), and the majority showed adequate nutritional status. The most common phenotype was pulmonary (92.2%), followed by pancreatic (87.0%), with pancreatic insufficiency in most cases. Gastrointestinal manifestation occurred in 46.8%, with constipation being the more common factor. Hepatobiliary disease occurred in 62.3% of patients. The group with pancreatic insufficiency was diagnosed earlier (5.0 months) when compared to the group with sufficiency (84.0 months) (p=0.01). The age of diagnosis was reduced following implementation of neonatal screening protocols for CF (6.0 months before vs. 3.0 months after, p=0.02). Conclusion: The pulmonary phenotype was the most common, although extrapulmonary manifestations were frequent and clinically relevant, and should mandate early detection and treatment. Neonatal screening for CF led to earlier diagnosis in patients with pancreatic failure, and therefore, should be adopted universally.

Bond strength of self-adhesive resin cements to composite submitted to different surface pretreatments

dos Santos, Victor Hugo,Griza, Sandro,de Moraes, Rafael Ratto,Faria-e-Silva, Andre Luis The Korean Academy of Conservative Dentistry 2014 Restorative Dentistry & Endodontics Vol.39 No.1

Objectives: Extensively destroyed teeth are commonly restored with composite resin before cavity preparation for indirect restorations. The longevity of the restoration can be related to the proper bonding of the resin cement to the composite. This study aimed to evaluate the microshear bond strength of two self-adhesive resin cements to composite resin. Material and Methods: Composite discs were subject to one of six different surface pretreatments: none (control), 35% phosphoric acid etching for 30 seconds (PA), application of silane (silane), PA + silane, PA + adhesive, or PA + silane + adhesive (n = 6). A silicone mold containing a cylindrical orifice ($1mm^2$ diameter) was placed over the composite resin. RelyX Unicem (3M ESPE) or BisCem (Bisco Inc.) self-adhesive resin cement was inserted into the orifices and light-cured. Self-adhesive cement cylinders were submitted to shear loading. Data were analyzed by two-way ANOVA and Tukey's test (p < 0.05). Results: Independent of the cement used, the PA + Silane + Adhesive group showed higher microshear bond strength than those of the PA and PA + Silane groups. There was no difference among the other treatments. Unicem presented higher bond strength than BisCem for all experimental conditions. Conclusions: Pretreatments of the composite resin surface might have an effect on the bond strength of self-adhesive resin cements to this substrate.

Donor Surgical Morbidity in Pediatric Living-Donor Liver Transplant: A Portuguese Experience

dos Santos, Jose Pedro Fernandes,Martins, Ricardo,Lopes, Maria Francelina The Korean Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology 2021 Pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology & nutrition Vol.24 No.6

Purpose: Living-donor liver transplant emerged as an alternative treatment for end stage liver disease due to the lack of cadaveric organs availability that met the demand. In Portugal, pediatric living-donor liver transplant (P-LDLT) was initiated in 2001 in Portugal in order to compensate for the scarcity of cadaveric organs for such cases. The aim of this study was to retrospectively analyze the morbi-mortality of the 28 donors included in P-LDLT program performed at Coimbra's Pediatric Hospital (CHUC), a Portuguese reference center. Methods: We retrospectively collected pertinent donor data and stratified complications according to Clavien's scoring system. Results: In total, 28.6% (n=8) of the donors had surgical complications. According to Clavien-Dindo's classification, two donors had major complications (Clavien grade ≥3), four donors had grade 2 complications, and two donors had grade 1 complications. There were no P-LDLT-related mortalities in the present case series. The most common verified complications were biliary tract injuries and superficial incisional infections, which are consistent with the complications reported in worldwide series. Conclusion: These patients from CHUC shows that donor hepatectomy in P-LDLT is a safe procedure, with low morbidity and without mortality.

Optical and Structural Properties of Emerging Dilute III-V Bismides

Santos, B.H. Bononi Dos,Gobatoa, Y. Galvao,Heninib, M. The Korean Vacuum Society 2014 Applied Science and Convergence Technology Vol.23 No.5

In this paper, we present a review of optical and structural studies of $GaBi_xAs_{1-x}$ epilayers grown by Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) on (311)B and (001) GaAs substrates with different As fluxes. The results indicate that under near-stoichiometric conditions the bismuth incorporation is higher for samples grown on (311)B GaAs substrates than for those grown on (001) GaAs. In addition, carrier localization effects in GaBiAs layers are clearly revealed for both samples by optical measurements. The (311)B samples showed evidence of higher density of defects. It has also been found that the nonradiative centers play a significant role in the recombination process in this material system. The influence of post-growth annealing on the microstructural, optical, and magneto-optical properties was also investigated. An important improvement of optical and spin properties after thermal annealing due to the reduction of defects in the GaBiAs layers was observed.

Analysis in silico of superoxide dismutase genes family provides insights into the evolution of this gene family in Coffea spp.

dos Inocentes Meneses Felipe,Lobo Luís Gustavo Gomes,de Souza Silvia Graciele Hülse,dos Santos Tiago Benedito 한국작물학회 2023 Journal of crop science and biotechnology Vol.26 No.4

Superoxide dismutase (SOD) is extremely important antioxidant enzyme and plays essential roles in plant growth, development, and response to diferent abiotic stresses. The SODs genes family has been characterized in several plant species; however, there is no report on identifying these genes in Cofea spp. In this study, the objective was to identify and analyze in silico the SODs genes using the three genomes of Cofea spp. We used various bioinformatics tools to perform physicochemical analyses of proteins, gene structure, chromosome mapping, conserved domain, cis-acting elements, syntenic and phylogenetic analyses, and miRNA targets. A total of 32 SODs genes were identifed in the genomes of Cofea spp. (9—C. canephora; 13—C. arabica L.; 9—C. eugenioides), and phylogenetically classifed into 3 subgroups, copper zinc (Cu/ZnSOD/CSD), manganese (Mn-SOD/MSD), and iron (Fe-SOD/FSD), respectively. Physicochemical analyses of the cofee SODs proteins revealed that the length, molecular weight, and pI values varied between species from 105 (CcCSD4) to 317 (CeCSD7) amino acids, 12.00 (CeCSD4) to 34.59 (CeFSD1) kDa, and 5.37 (CeFSD1) at 9.35 pI (CeCSD4). The intron numbers of SODs genes ranged from 1 to 8. Chromosomal mapping revealed an uneven distribution of SODs genes in the chromosomes of the respective cofee species. In addition, we identifed eight stress-responsive cis-elements in the promoters of cofee SODs genes. In addition, we identifed a total of 13, 12, and 11 putative miRNA families, which can target genes encoding SODs in the 3 cofee species. This study will serve as a biotechnological basis for the characterization of SODs genes involved in regulating gene expression under adverse conditions. This allows the development of biotechnological strategies to ensure greater sustainability of cofee production by establishing ways to reduce damage caused by stressful conditions in cofee production.

Impacts of Human Induced Activities on Species Composition and Diversity in Miombo Woodlands of Bagamoyo District, Tanzania

Dos Santos A Silayo,M.C.T. Tarimo,Amini R.E. Kweka,Muganda A. Michael 한국외국어대학교 아프리카연구소 2006 Asian Journal of African Studies Vol.20 No.-

The Miombo woodlands in Bagamoyo district are among the richestplant community stands in Eastern Tanzania that is subjected to a serious human induced activities like of charcoal production, farming and grazing. We investigated on the ecological impacts of these activities on species diversity and composition. The study was conducted in Mbwewe general land forest and Uzigua forest reserve in Bagamoyo District, Coastal Region, Tanzania. These forests differ in both management and utilization regimes. We adopted a systematic sampling design for which, 48 sample plots; 30 plots in the public forest and 18 plots in the reserved forest were laid out for data collection. The number of plots for the general land forest was higher due its bigger size, vegetation heterogeneity and diverse human activities. About 81% tree and 19% shrubs of 59 different species were recorded. Acacia polyacantha sub species campylacantha and Brachystegia boehmiiwere dominant species in the general land and reserved forest respectively. Stand parameters; number of stems, basal area and wood volume per ha were higher in the reserved forest. Distribution of stem numbers by size class show reversed J-shape trend in both forest types, indicating active growth of the woodland while, wood volume and basal area per ha showed normal distribution. The Shannon - winner indexes of diversity were 2.86 and 2.5 while the indices of dominance were 0.08 and 0.11 indicating higher species diversity in the forest reserve. The loss of woodland species especially on the general land will continue with associated consequences if appropriate plant utilization and land use management practices are not carried out. We therefore recommend intensive law enforcement and community education. The government should also consider subsidizing electricity costs to make it 'affordable' so as to reduce high level of charcoal demand at the national level which was observed to be the main reason for tree cuts.

Effect of High Phytase Inclusion Rates on Performance of Broilers Fed Diets Not Severely Limited in Available Phosphorus

Dos Santos, Tiago Tedeschi,Srinongkote, S.,Bedford, M.R.,Walk, C.L. Asian Australasian Association of Animal Productio 2013 Animal Bioscience Vol.26 No.2

Phytate is not only an unavailable source of phosphorus (P) for broilers but it also acts as an anti-nutrient, reducing protein and mineral absorption, increasing endogenous losses and reducing broiler performance. The objective of this study was to investigate the anti-nutritional effects of phytate by including high levels of phytase in diets not severely limited in available P. A total of 768 male Arbor Acres broilers were distributed in six treatments of eight replicate pens of 16 birds each consisting of a positive control diet (PC), positive control with 500 FTU/kg phytase, negative control (NC) diet with lower available P and calcium (Ca) levels and the same NC diet with 500, 1,000 or 1,500 FTU/kg phytase. Body weight gain (BWG), feed intake (FI), feed conversion ratio (FCR) and mortality were determined at 21 and 35 d of age while foot ash was determined in four birds per pen at 21 d of age. FI, FCR and foot ash where not affected by the lower mineral diets at 21 d of age nor by the enzyme inclusion but broilers fed lower Ca and available P diets had lower BWG. At 35 d of age no difference was observed between broilers fed the positive or NC diets but broilers fed 500, 1,000 and 1,500 FTU/kg on top of the NC diet had better FCR than broilers fed the positive control diet. When compared to birds fed a diet adequate in P, birds fed the same diet included with 500, 1,000 and 1,500 FTU/kg of phytase in marginally deficient available P and Ca diets had an improvement of performance. These results support the concept that hydrolysing phytate and reducing the anti-nutritional effects of phytate improves bird performance on marginally deficient diets that were not covering the P requirement of birds.

Presidential Public Diplomacy 2.0: Seven Lessons to Prevent Fire in Cyberspace

dos Santos, Niedja de Andrade e Silva Forte The Korean Association for Public Diplomacy 2021 Journal of public diplomacy Vol.1 No.1

The Amazon fires in summer 2019 triggered an incendiary Twitter debate between French president Emmanuel Macron and Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro that engaged political leaders, celebrities, and audiences worldwide. Currently, diplomats-in-chief connect to the global public through completely open debates, often without proper advice from foreign-affairs ministers, which may result in misunderstandings and conflicts among world leaders. Hence, this study argues that these interactions must be supported by Nicholas Cull's seven lessons in public diplomacy. The main topic on hand is presidential public diplomacy performed through digital means in cyberspace. Thus, after distinguishing cyberspace, digital diplomacy, and cyberdiplomacy, the literature review focuses on presidential public diplomacy, presidential diplomacy on Twitter, and Cull's seven lessons. Subsequently, the case study method provides a snapshot of the debate between Macron and Bolsonaro over the Amazon fires. This study concludes by answering the research question and indicating grist for the mill with regard to future developments.

Analysis of Different Electric Current Frequencies in Soil Apparent Conductivity

dos Santos Fernando Ferreira Lima,de Queiroz Daniel Marçal,Valente Domingos Sárvio Magalhães,Khorsandi Farzaneh,de Moura Araújo Guilherme 한국농업기계학회 2023 바이오시스템공학 Vol.48 No.2

Purpose The electrical resistivity method is commonly used to identify areas with similar soil characteristics by measuring the soil’s apparent electrical conductivity (EC a ). However, the ideal frequency range to be used and the infl uence of the signal frequency on EC a values obtained by sensors is still uncertain. This study aimed to (1) evaluate the eff ect of electric current frequency on EC a values and (2) evaluate the correlation between EC a values obtained from diff erent frequencies and soil attributes of agronomic interest, such as soil water content and pH. EC a determinations were obtained in four experimental areas using six diff erent frequencies of electric current (1, 5, 10, 20, 30, and 40 Hz). Methods The infl uence of the electric current signal frequency on the value obtained by the sensor was analyzed by linear regressions in all experimental areas, followed by the F- test ( α = 0.05). Pearson’s correlations ( α = 0.05) were calculated to quantify the relationships between EC a and soil physical and chemical attributes, for each frequency of the electric current signal of the sensor. Results Statistical analyses indicated that the electric current frequency does not signifi cantly aff ect the measured conductivity value. According to the chi-square test ( p ≤ 0.05), the number of signifi cant correlations between EC a and soil physical and chemical attributes was homogeneous for all frequencies. The F -test indicated that the frequency of the electric current had no signifi cant eff ect on EC a in 90% of the experimental points. Conclusion It was shown that all frequencies in the range of 1 to 40 Hz can be used to correlate EC a values with chemical and physical soil attributes, such as soil water content ( r = 0.73, p < 0.05) and exchangeable calcium content ( r = 0.66, p < 0.05).

Health-Related Quality of Life, Depression and Anxiety in Hospitalized Patients with Tuberculosis

Santos, Ana Paula Cere dos,Lazzari, Tassia Kirchmann,Silva, Denise Rossato The Korean Academy of Tuberculosis and Respiratory 2017 Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases Vol.80 No.1

Background: Much of the attention of tuberculosis (TB) programs is focused on outcomes of microbiological cure and mortality, and health related quality of life (HRQL) is undervalued. Also, TB patients have a significantly higher risk of developing depression and anxiety compared with those in the general population. We intend to evaluate the HRQL and the prevalence of symptoms of depression and anxiety in hospitalized patients with TB. Methods: Cross-sectional study in a tertiary care hospital in Brazil. Adult patients with pulmonary TB that were hospitalized during the study period were identified and invited to participate. HRQL was measured using the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 (SF-36) version 2. Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was used to record symptoms of anxiety and depression. Results: Eighty-six patients were included in the analysis. The mean age of all patients was $44.6{\pm}15.4$ years, 69.8% were male, and 53.5% were white. Thirty-two patients (37.2%) were human immunodeficiency virus positive. Twenty-seven patients (31.4%) met study criteria for depression (HADS depression score ${\geq}11$) and 33 (38.4%) had anxiety (HADS anxiety score ${\geq}11$). Scores on all domains of SF-36 were significantly lower than the Brazilian norm scores (p<0.001). Conclusion: The present study shows that TB patients may have a poor HRQL. Additionally, we found a possible high prevalence of depression and anxiety in this population. Health care workers should be aware of these psychological disorders to enable a better management of these patients. The treatment of these comorbidities may be associated with better TB outcomes.