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A new species of Characidium is described from the headwaters of the Rio Itararé, upper Rio Paraná basin, at the boundaries of the Ponta Grossa Arch and the Devonian Escarpment Environmental Protection Area. The new species is supported by both morphological and molecular data, including species delimitation methods (Assemble Species by Automatic Partitioning, Barcode Index Number, Poisson Tree Process and its Bayesian implementation, and Generalized Mixed Yule Coalescent). The species is genetically close to other species that also exhibit the presence of scales on the isthmus, including Characidium litorale, Characidium satoi, Characidium xanthopterum, and Characidium aff. zebra. The high genetic diversity among Characidium species underscores the necessity of employing a complementary perspective in studies of this group. The discovery of a new species in the headwaters of the Rio Itararé further reinforces the importance of this biogeographic region for the conservation of ichthyofauna.

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Solanum lycocarpum fruits contain two major glycoalkaloids (GAs), solamargine (SM) and solasonine (SS). These compounds are reported as cytotoxic. However, they have poor water solubility and low bioavailability. To overcome these disadvantages and getting an efficient formulation the current study aimed to develop, characterize, and test the effectiveness of a nanotechnology-based strategy using poly(D,L-lactide) (PLA) nanoparticles functionalized with folate as delivery system of glycoalkaloidic extract (AE) for bladder cancer therapy. The strategic of adding folic acid into nanoformulations can increase the selectivity of the compounds to the cancer cells reducing the side effects. Our results revealed the successful preparation of AE-loaded folate-targeted nanoparticles (NP-F-AE) with particle size around 177 nm, negative zeta potential, polydispersity index <0.20, and higher efficiency of encapsulation for both GAs present in the extract (>85 %). To investigate the cellular uptake, the fluorescent dye coumarin-6 was encapsulated into the nanoparticle (NP-F-C6). The cell studies showed high uptake of nanoparticles by breast (MDA-MB-231) and bladder (RT4) cancer cells, but not for normal keratinocytes cells (HaCaT) indicating the target uptake to cancer cells. The cytotoxicity of nanoparticles was evaluated on RT4 2D culture model showing 2.16-fold lower IC50 than the free AE. Furthermore, the IC50 increased on the RT4 spheroids compared to 2D model. The nanoparticles penetrated homogeneously into the urotheliumof porcine bladder. These results showed that folate-conjugated polymeric nanoparticles are potential carriers for targeted glycoalkaloidic extract delivery to bladder cancer cells.

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Quantitative structure-property relationship (QSPR) modelling has been used in many scientific fields. This approach has been extensively applied in environmental research to predict physicochemical properties of compounds with potential environmental impact. The soil sorption coefficient is an important parameter for the evaluation of environmental risks, and it helps to determine the final fate of substances in the environment. In the last few years, different QSPR models have been developed for the determination of the sorption coefficient. In this study, several QSPR models were generated and evaluated for the prediction of log Koc from the relationship with log P. These models were obtained from an extensive and diverse training set (n = 639) and from subsets of this initial set (i.e. halves, fourths and eighths). The aim of this study was to investigate whether the size of the training set affects the statistical quality of the obtained models. Furthermore, statistical equivalence was verified between the models obtained from smaller sets and the model obtained from the total training set. The results confirmed the equivalence between the models, thus indicating the possibility of using smaller training sets without compromising the statistical quality and predictive capability, as long as most chemical classes in the test set are represented in the training set.

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The multifaceted character of 5f electrons in actinide materials, from localized to itinerant and in between, together with their complex interactions with 6d and other conduction electron states, has thwarted efforts for fully understanding this class of compounds. While theoretical efforts abound, direct experimental probes of relevant electronic states and their hybridization are limited. Here we exploit the presence of sizable quadrupolar and dipolar contributions in the uranium L3-edge X-ray absorption cross section to provide unique information on the extent of spin-polarized hybridization between 5f and 6d electronic states by means of X-ray magnetic circular dichroism. As a result, we show how this 5f-6d hybridization regulates the magnetism of each sublattice in UCu2Si2 and UMn2Si2 compounds, demonstrating the potentiality of this methodology to investigate a plethora of magnetic actinide compounds.

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The Chronic Constriction Injury of the Infraorbital Nerve (CCI-ION) is a well-established model to study facial sensory changes related to trigeminal neuropathic pain. CCI-ION induces heat hypersensitivity that resolves within 2-3 weeks and a delayed mechanical hypersensitivity that emerges during the second week post-injury. The role of descending facilitatory pain pathways from the rostro ventromedial medulla (RVM) in mediating the heat and tactile hypersensitivity was examined. CCI-ION induced heat hypersensitivity observed 5days post-surgery was reversed by systemic, but not RVM lidocaine. CCI-ION-induced tactile hypersensitivity observed 15days post-surgery was reversed by systemic lidocaine and attenuated by RVM lidocaine. CCI-ION-induced spontaneous pain was determined using conditioned place preference (CPP) to pain relief at each time-point. At day 5 post-CCI-ION, neither systemic nor RVM lidocaine induced CPP. However, at 15days post-CCI-ION, CPP was observed to the chamber paired with RVM lidocaine, but not systemic lidocaine. These data indicate that CCI-ION induced heat hypersensitivity is not dependent on descending facilitatory pain pathways 5-days post-injury whereas descending facilitatory pain pathways mediate tactile allodynia and spontaneous pain 15days post-CCI-ION. This suggests that CCI-ION induces early peripheral sensitization followed by development of central sensitization that mediates spontaneous pain and contributes to mechanical hypersensitivity.

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The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between cyclin D1 expression and clinicopathological parameters in patients with prostate carcinoma. We assessed cyclin D1 expression by conventional immunohistochemistry in 85 patients who underwent radical prostatectomy for prostate carcinoma and 10 normal prostate tissue samples retrieved from autopsies. We measured nuclear immunostaining in the entire tumor area and based the results on the percentage of positive tumor cells. The preoperative prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level was 8.68±5.16 ng/mL (mean±SD). Cyclin D1 staining was positive (cyclin D1 expression in REPLACE_GT5% of tumor cells) in 64 cases (75.4%) and negative (cyclin D1 expression in ≤5% of tumor cells) in 21 cases (including 15 cases with no immunostaining). Normal prostate tissues were negative for cyclin D1. Among patients with a high-grade Gleason score (≧7), 86% of patients demonstrated cyclin D1 immunostaining of REPLACE_GT5% (PREPLACE_LT0.05). In the crude analysis of cyclin D1 expression, the high-grade Gleason score group showed a mean expression of 39.6%, compared to 26.9% in the low-grade Gleason score group (PREPLACE_LT0.05). Perineural invasion tended to be associated with cyclin D1 expression (P=0.07), whereas cyclin D1 expression was not associated with PSA levels or other parameters. Our results suggest that high cyclin D1 expression could be a potential marker for tumor aggressiveness.

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The objective of this study was to clarify the role of bisphosphonates in the treatment of osteoporosis in patients with prostate adenocarcinoma under androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). The Medline, EMBASE, Cancerlit and the American Society of Clinical Oncology abstract databases were searched for published randomized, placebo-controlled trials evaluating the usage of bisphosphonates in patients with prostate cancer (PC) under ADT. The outcomes assessed were fracture, osteoporosis, incidence of adverse events and changes in bone mineral density (BMD) during treatment. A total of 15 articles (2634 participants) were included in the meta-analysis. Treatment with bisphosphonates showed a substantial effect in preventing fractures (risk ratio (RR), 0.80; P = 0.005) and osteoporosis (RR, 0.39; P <0.00001). Zoledronic acid showed the best number needed to treat (NTT), compared with placebo, in relation to fractures and osteoporosis (NNT = 14.9 and NNT = 2.68, respectively). The between-group difference (bisphosphonates vs placebo) in the lumbar spine and femoral neck BMD were 5.18 ± 3.38% and 2.35 ± 1.16%, respectively. This benefit of bone loss prevention could be reached without major side effects (cardiovascular or gastrointestinal events). Bisphosphonates are effective in preventing bone loss in patients with PC who are under ADT.

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PURPOSE: To correlate ovarian reserve (OR) markers with response in assisted reproduction techniques (ART) and determine their ability to predict poor response among patients with endometriosis (EDT). METHODS: We evaluated ART cycles of 27 women with EDT and 50 with exclusive male factor. Basal follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and anti-müllerian hormone (AMH) levels were determined. Ovarian response to gonadotropin stimulation was assessed and correlation coefficients calculated between the variables and reserve markers. Areas under the curve (AUC) determined ability of tests to predict poor response. RESULTS: AMH was significantly correlated with response in both groups and it was the only marker with significant discriminative capacity to predict poor response among EDT (AUC = 0.842; 95% CI: 0.651-0.952) and control group (AUC = 0.869; 95% CI: 0.743-0.947). CONCLUSION: Infertile patients with endometriosis can benefit from the pre-therapeutic assessment of OR markers. However, regardless of disease presence, only AMH predicts poor response to stimulus.

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Magnetocaloric properties of antiferromagnetic RGa(2) (R = Ce, Pr, Nd, Dy, Ho and Er) compounds have been reported. These systems present an antiferromagnetic transition below 15 K and a field induced metamagnetic transition from the antiferromagnetic to ferromagnetic state. Our results show that the character of the magnetic field induced transition along the series affects the magnetocaloric properties. For the compounds with R = Ho, Dy and Er both negative and positive magnetocaloric effect (MCE) were observed above µ(0)ΔH = 2 T where the rate between negative and positive MCE contributions depends on how the magnetic transitions occur in these compounds. The evaluated values of maximum magnetocaloric properties of RGa(2) compounds are similar to other potential magnetic refrigerant materials reported in the literature.

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PURPOSE OF INVESTIGATION: Celiac disease (CD) involves immunologically mediated intestinal damage with consequent micronutrient malabsorption and varied clinical manifestations, and there is a controversial association with infertility. The objective of the present study was to determine the presence of CD in a population of infertile women with endometriosis. METHODS: A total of 120 women with a diagnosis of endometriosis confirmed by laparoscopy (study group) and 1,500 healthy female donors aged 18 to 45 years were tested for CD by the determination of IgA-transglutaminase antibody against human tissue transglutaminase (t-TGA) and anti-endomysium (anti-EMA) antibodies. RESULTS: Nine of the 120 women in the study group were anti-tTGA positive and five of them were also anti-EMA positive. Four of these five patients were submitted to intestinal biopsy which revealed CD in three cases (2.5% prevalence). The overall CD prevalence among the population control group was 1:136 women (0.66%). CONCLUSION: This is the first study reporting the prevalence of CD among women with endometriosis, showing that CD is common in this population group (2.5%) and may be clinically relevant.

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Chronic anovulation, polycystic ovarian morphology and hyperandrogenism are the diagnostic criteria for polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Metabolic disturbances are more common in PCOS women who are prone to develop metabolic syndrome and to present higher levels of some cardiovascular disease risk marker. Oral contraceptives are widely used in PCOS, but conflicting data have been reported regarding their impact on carbohydrate and lipid metabolism on PCOS women. This paper presents a critical evaluation of combined oral contraceptives (COCs) metabolic effect - carbohydrate metabolism and insulin sensitivity, lipid metabolism, haemostasis, body weight, arterial pressure and cardiovascular impact - on PCOS women. Because of the paucity of data on the impact of COCs on cardiovascular and metabolic parameters in PCOS patients, most of there commendations are based on studies involving ovulatory women. The use of low-dose COCs is preferable in PCOS, especially among patients with glucose intolerance, insulin resistance and uncomplicated diabetes mellitus. Although reported as a side effect of COCs, marked weight gain has not been confirmed among users. However, when arterial hypertension or elevated risk for thromboembolism is present, progestogen-only hormonal contraceptives should be used instead of COCs. Regarding dyslipidaemia, COCs reduce low-density lipoprotein and total cholesterol and elevate high-density lipoprotein and triglycerides, and therefore are not recommended for women with high triglycerides levels. The choice of a COC, which alleviates the PCOS-induced hyperandrogenism without significant negative impact on cardiovascular risk, is one of the greatest challenges faced by gynaecologists nowadays.

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OBJECTIVE: To determine the validity and the intra- and interobserver reliability of volume measurements of an endometrium-like model using a three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound rotational technique. METHODS: A 3D ultrasound dataset was obtained from a sample of bovine liver containing a portion of chicken chest muscle (CCM). The process was repeated seven times using pieces of CCM of different sizes, resulting in seven datasets. Each portion of CCM was then placed in a water-filled volume-scaled tube and the 'actual' volumes were calculated by water displacement. For each dataset, ten volumes were calculated by each of two observers using a (VOCAL) with a 15 degrees rotational step. Reliability was assessed by calculating intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and validity by examining the percentage difference from the actual volume using limits of agreement. RESULTS: The volume measurement of organic tissues using the 3D ultrasound rotational method was highly reliable (intraobserver ICC, 0.998 for Observer 1 and 0.997 for Observer 2; interobserver ICC, 0.997) and valid (the bias and 95% limits of agreement of the percentage difference from the actual volume was only 0.57 (-3.07 to 4.21) % for Observer 1 and - 0.17 (-4.34 to 4.0) % for Observer 2). CONCLUSIONS: The 3D sonographic measurement, using VOCAL with a 15 degrees rotational step, of small and irregular tissues is reliable and valid, suggesting that it is a useful technique for measurement of the endometrial volume and other volumes of similar size.

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A longitudinal prospective study was conducted in 21 women with polycistic ovary syndrome (PCOS), aged 27.20 +/- 5.02 years and treated with metformin (1500 mg/day)for 8 weeks. The patients were assessed for spontaneous menstruation, weight, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, waist/hip ratio (WHR), glucose and insulin concentrations under fasting conditions and after a 75-g glucose tolerance test, lipid profile, testosterone, androstenedione, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, sex-hormone binding globulin (SHBG), and insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I. Spontaneous menstruation was observed in 81% of the women treated with metformin, with no changes in weight or BMI. Waist measurement and the WHR were reduced. The quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (QUICKI) improved from 0.33 +/- 0.03 to 0.35 +/- 0.04 (p < 0.005), and serum total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol were reduced, while high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol was increased. Serum testosterone concentrations were also reduced. There were no differences in serum triglycerides, SHBG or IGF-I. The occurrence of spontaneous menstruation and changes in the pattern of body fat distribution, the reduction in serum testosterone concentrations, the improvement in lipid profile and the reduction of insulinemia with the use of metformin permit us to conclude that treatment with this drug is of benefit to women with PCOS.

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PURPOSE: Intrauterine insemination (IUI) is a method for the treatment of marital infertility involving the intrauterine or fallopian deposition of washed spermatozoa, depending on the amount of inseminated semen. In view of the divergent opinions about the inseminated volume, the objective of this study was to compare the two techniques (3.0 mL or 0.5 mL) in two groups of patients. METHODS: We performed 164 cycles of ovulation induction followed by IUI. The patients were divided into two groups according to the technique used. Group low volume--50 cycles and 0.5 mL of inseminated semen; Group high volume--114 cycles and 3.0 mL of inseminated semen. The cycle was monitored on the basis of endometrial thickness and follicular development measured by transvaginal ultrasound. Human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) was administered in the presence of a follicle measuring 18 mm in mean diameter. The procedure was performed after sperm washing using a discontinuous PureSperm gradient, 40 h later. RESULTS: We obtained a similar clinical pregnancy rate for the two groups (14.0% for Group low volume and 15.7% for Group high volume). There was one abortion in each group. We detected no interference by any etiology of infertility or by the total motile recovered sperm with pregnancy rate. CONCLUSIONS: The results did not demonstrate superiority of one method over the other, with both therapeutic alternatives being satisfactory for the treatment of infertile couples.

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PURPOSE: The objective of the present study was to determine the prevalence of endometriosis among the relatives of patients with confirmed endometriosis. METHODS: We analyzed the prevalence of endometriosis among first-, second-, and third-degree relatives in a group of 101 patients with varying symptoms related to endometriosis seen at two public hospitals and submitted to laparoscopy and/or laparotomy. The control group consisted of 43 women submitted to laparoscopy without a diagnosis of endometriosis. RESULTS: Among the patients with endometriosis, we detected nine families with a positive history of endometriosis, comprising one mother, six sisters, three aunts, and two cousins, as opposed to no case among the controls. CONCLUSIONS: These data confirm a familial tendency for endometriosis and suggest that this disorder has a genetic basis.

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Insulin resistance has been reported to be associated with hyperandrogenism and polycystic ovaries. To study the prevalence of insulin resistance in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCO) and the correlation between hyperinsulinemia and hyperandrogenism, 48 patients were divided into four groups: group 1, non-obese ovulatory women (n = 10); group 2, obese ovulatory women (n = 9); group 3, non-obese women with PCO (n = 14); group 4, obese women with PCO (n = 15). Each patient was submitted to an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Glucose, insulin, androstenedione and testosterone levels were determined and the blood glucose and insulin response of women with PCO and normal women were compared. Glucose intolerance was observed in group 3 (28.6%) and group 4 (40%) but not in groups 1 or 2, and hyperinsulinemia was observed in group 2 (66.7%), group 3 (64.3%) and group 4 (86.6%). There was a correlation between androstenedione and testosterone levels and insulinemia in group 4. There was also a high prevalence of insulin resistance in patients with PCO regardless of obesity, and hyperandrogenism-aggravated insulin resistance.

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During three years (1988-1990) blood samples from 307 people were taken to test antibodies for Human Immunodeficiency Virus type 1 (HIV-1) in homo and bisexual males living in Belém, being 149 (48.5%) of the former and 158 (51.5%) of the later. All patients requested examinations spontaneously to find out their status. The ages of tested people ranged from 16 to 64 years old. Serologic diagnosis was made using an enzyme immunoassay (Abbott, São Paulo-Brasil) for screening and an indirect immunofluorescence test (FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro-Brasil) for confirmation. If results were conflicting with these tests, western blot (Du Pont CO. Wilmington-USA) was performed to obtain a definitive result. Sixty-eight (22.1%) of all sera were positive. Although, the positivity in the homosexual group (26.2%) was more higher than in the bisexual group (18.3%). The positivity rate in both groups was directly proportional with the increase of age. Of course, people with less than 20 years old had only 3% of positivity, while between 20-29 had 18.1%, 30-39 had 34.5%, 40-49 had 40% and 50-59 had 50%. The projected curve of positivity, is progressive, that is to say, the risk of homo/bisexual males increases with age and is probably related to increased sexual activity. We conclude that more than one quarter of homosexual men are infected with HIV-1 in Belém.

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