Silent smoke, silent stress: Mussels as sentinels of cigarette pollution in coastal waters.

Cigarette butts are a major source of marine litter, releasing contaminants such as nicotine and its metabolite cotinine into aquatic ecosystems. This study assessed sublethal biochemical responses of Mytilus galloprovincialis exposed for 28 days to environmentally relevant concentrations (0.5, 5.

Biomolecular conformational changes and transient druggable binding sites through full-length AMPK molecular dynamics simulations.

AMPK (AMP-activated protein kinase) is a crucial signaling protein found in essentially all eukaryotic organisms and acts as an energy sensor. When activated by metabolic stress, AMPK phosphorylates a variety of molecular targets, altering enzyme activity and gene expression to regulate cellular responses. In general, in response to low intracellular ATP levels (high ADP:ATP ratio), AMPK triggers the activation of energy-producing pathways while simultaneously inhibiting energy-consuming processes.

Postprandial hyperglycemia in patients with type 2 diabetes is reduced by raw insoluble fiber: A randomized trial.

Background And Aims: A lower risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is associated with the intake of insoluble fiber. This contradicts the postulate that insoluble fibers do not decrease postprandial glycemic response and that only viscous gel-forming soluble fibers would do this. This study aimed to investigate the effect of a dose of insoluble fibers that meets dietary recommendations on postprandial hyperglycemia in T2DM patients.

Translation and Validation of the Nutrition for Sport Knowledge Questionnaire in Brazil (NSKQ-BR).

This study aimed to translate, culturally adapt, and validate "The Nutrition for Sport Knowledge Questionnaire (NSKQ)" for Brazilian athletes. The NSKQ is an Australian instrument composed of 87 questions divided into six subsections (weight control, macronutrients, micronutrients, sports nutrition, supplementation, and alcohol) designed to assess the nutritional knowledge (NK) of athletes. The translation process followed the recommendations of the World Health Organization for translating and adapting instruments.

Concordance between vessel-specific and vascular territory coronary functional assessment: A comparison of quantitative flow ratio and myocardial perfusion scintigraphy.

Background: Quantitative flow ratio (QFR) and myocardial perfusion scintigraphy (MPS) are utilized for assessing coronary artery disease (CAD) significance. We aimed to analyze their concordance and prognostic impact.

Aims: We aimed to analyze the concordance between QFR and MPS and their risk stratification.

Virtual screening indicates potential inhibitors of the P2X7 receptor.

Anti-inflammatory agents can be synthetic or natural compounds and are often used to attenuate different levels of inflammation. Inflammatory diseases, due to the involvement of multiple systems, are becoming difficult to treat, involve long durations of therapy where applicable, have a high cost of management and have a deleterious impact on public health. The search for natural and synthetic compounds with anti-inflammatory activity is an important strategy in drug design.

Can the Brazilian Caffeine Expectancy Questionnaires Differentiate the and Gene Polymorphisms?-An Exploratory Study with Brazilian Athletes.

This study investigated the ability of the Brazilian Caffeine Expectancy Questionnaire (CaffEQ-BR), full and brief versions, to differentiate genetic profiles regarding the polymorphisms of the CYP1A2 (rs 762551) and ADORA2A (rs 5751876) genes in a cohort of Brazilian athletes. One-hundred and fifty participants were genotyped for CYP1A2 and ADORA2A. After the recruitment and selection phase, 71 (90% male and 10% female, regular caffeine consumers) completed the CaffEQ-BR questionnaires and a self-report online questionnaire concerning sociodemographic data, general health status, and frequency of caffeine consumption.

Evaluation of the blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) sequence with 3 Tesla device in renal transplant patients in the assessment of early allograft disfunction, correlated with biopsy.

Objective: To evaluate the ability of blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) magnetic resonance imaging at 3 Tesla to measure tissue oxygen bioavailability based on R2* values, and to differentiate between acute tubular necrosis and acute rejection compared to renal biopsy (gold standard).

Methods: A prospective, single-center study, with patients submitted to renal transplantation between 2013 and 2014, who developed graft dysfunction less than 4 weeks after transplantation. All patients were submitted to abdominal magnetic resonance imaging at 3 Tesla using the same protocol, followed by two BOLD sequences and kidney biopsy.

Brief Version of Caffeine Expectancy Questionnaire in Brazil.

The use of extensive questionnaires has the limitation of filling time bias, related to the ability to focus and accurately respond to many items, justifying the necessity for a brief version. This study aimed to build a brief version of the Caffeine Expectancy Questionnaire in Brazil (B-CaffEQ-BR) composed of 21 items divided into seven factors, with as adequate consistency and reproducibility as the full version. Quantitative procedures using statistical modeling were applied using the CaffEQ-BR (full version) database keeping the Mean Absolute Error (MAE) (based on the full version) <0.

Translation and Validation of the Caffeine Expectancy Questionnaire in Brazil (CaffEQ-BR).

Caffeine is the world's most commonly used stimulant of the central nervous system. Caffeine is present in coffee and other beverages such as tea, soft drinks, and cocoa-based foods. The caffeine expectancy questionnaire was developed to investigate the effects of caffeine expectations and thus contribute to knowledge about its usage and subjective effects (response expectancies).

The use of probiotics as a supplementary therapy in the treatment of patients with asthma: a pilot study and implications.

Objectives: Evaluate the use of probiotics as an additional therapy in the treatment of children and adolescents with asthma in Belo Horizonte, MG-Brazil.

Methods: A pilot longitudinal, experimental and nonrandomized study with 30 patients from six to 17 years old from Belo Horizonte. In the baseline appointment, all patients received beclomethasone, and one group also received a probiotic containing Lactobacillus reuteri (n=14).

Factors that can influence the survival rates of coral snakes (Micrurus corallinus) for antivenom production.

Envenoming and deaths resulting from snakebites are a particularly important public health problem in rural tropical areas of Africa, Asia, Latin America, and New Guinea. In 2015, The Lancet highlighted snake-bite envenoming as a neglected tropical disease and urged the world to increase antivenom production. In Brazil, around 20,000 snakebites occur per year affecting mostly agricultural workers and children, of which 1% is caused by coral snakes (Micrurus sp.

Percutaneous laser ablation of benign thyroid nodules: a one year follow-up study.

Objective: To evaluate safety and effectiveness of nodule volume reduction and thyroid function after percutaneous laser ablation treatment in patients with benign nonfunctioning thyroid nodules.

Methods: Prospective single-center study, from January 2011 to October 2012, which evaluated 30 euthyroid and thyroid antibodies negative patients with benign solitary or dominant nodule with indication of treatment due to compressive symptoms and aesthetic disturbances. The clinical and laboratory (thyroid ultrasound, TSH, FT4, TG, TG-Ab, TPO-Ab and TRAb levels) evaluations were performed before the procedure, and periodically 1 week, 3 months and 6 months after.

Survival after radiation therapy for high-grade glioma.

Background: High-grade gliomas (HGGs) are a heterogeneous disease group, with variable prognosis, inevitably causing deterioration of the quality of life. The estimated 2-year overall survival is 20%, despite the best trimodality treatment consisting of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy.

Aim: To evaluate long-term survival outcomes and factors influencing the survival of patients with high-grade gliomas treated with radiotherapy.

Minimally invasive treatment of complex collections: safety and efficacy of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator as an adjuvant to percutaneous drainage.

Objective: To analyze the efficacy of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (r-TPA) injection in the evolution of percutaneous drainage of thick collections.

Materials And Methods: This was a single-center study involving the retrospective analysis of hospitalized patients undergoing percutaneous drainage of thick (superficial or intracavitary) fluid collections, followed by injection of a fibrinolytic agent (r-TPA) into the affected space.

Results: A total of 53 percutaneous drainage procedures, with r-TPA injection, were performed in 51 patients.

Treatment adherence and level of control in moderate persistent asthma in children and adolescents treated with fluticasone and salmeterol.

Objective: There is a scarcity of studies that assessed the association between adherence to combination therapy and asthma control in pediatric patients. The authors investigated the association between adherence to fluticasone propionate/salmeterol xinafoate combination-metered aerosol and the level of asthma control in children.

Methods: This was a prospective observational study of 84 patients aged 5-16 years with moderate persistent asthma, who remained uncontrolled despite the use of 1000μg/day of inhaled nonextrafine-hydrofluoric alkane-beclomethasone dipropionate in the three months prior to study enrollment.

Fine needle aspiration biopsy of thyroid nodule smaller than 1.0 cm: accuracy of TIRADS classification system in more than 1000 nodules.

Objective: To identify whether or not the same ultrasound features can be applied and should be considered to support the decision as to which subcentimeter nodules should be biopsied with fine needle aspiration (FNAB).

Methods: Single-institution, IRB approved, retrospective study conducted from 2008 to 2016 that evaluated 1094 thyroid nodules smaller than 1.0 cm that were classified according to TIRADS and submitted for FNAB.

Diabetes education program with emphasis on physical exercise in subjects with type 2 diabetes: a community-based quasi-experimental study.

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) requires permanent multidisciplinary treatment. This study investigated the effects of an educational program with emphasis on physical exercise on biological health markers of subjects with type 2 DM (T2DM).

Methods: This was a quasi-experimental study with subjects who attended a diabetes education program over one year.

Tenofovir monotherapy for hepatitis B after 1 year does not produce renal dysfunction, but is associated with hyperparathyroidism not related to vitamin D.

Introduction: Viral hepatitis B (VHB) represents a major public health problem. Studies from HIV multidrug patients have associated the use of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) with renal dysfunction and phosphate wasting.

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the effect of year-long TDF monotherapy on renal function in VHB patients.

Study of the clinical and histopathological repercussions of the "omental band" in dogs' stomach.

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of the "omental band" as a bariatric surgical technique.

Methods: A sample of 35 dogs was studied. The Test Group was composed by 20 dogs.

The influence of social networking sites on health behavior change: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: Our aim was to evaluate the use and effectiveness of interventions using social networking sites (SNSs) to change health behaviors.

Materials And Methods: Five databases were scanned using a predefined search strategy. Studies were included if they focused on patients/consumers, involved an SNS intervention, had an outcome related to health behavior change, and were prospective.