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INTRODUCTION: To investigate the actual cost of hematuria evaluation using nationally representative claims data, given that the workup for hematuria burdens the healthcare system with significant associated costs. We hypothesized that evaluation with contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) confers more cost to hematuria evaluation than renal ultrasound (US). METHODS: Using a national, privately insured database (MarketScan), we identified all individuals with an incident diagnosis of hematuria. We included patients who underwent cystoscopy and upper tract imaging within 3 months of diagnosis. We tabulated the costs of the imaging study as well as the total healthcare cost per patient. A multivariable model was developed to evaluate patient factors associated with total healthcare costs. RESULTS: We identified 318,680 patients with hematuria who underwent evaluation. Median costs associated with upper tract imaging were $362 overall, $504 for CT with contrast, $163 for US, $680 for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), $283 for CT without contrast, and $294 for retrograde pyelogram. Median cystoscopy cost was $283. Total healthcare costs per patient were highest when utilizing MRI and CT imaging. When adjusted for comorbidities, the use of any imaging other than ultrasound was associated with higher costs. CONCLUSIONS: In this nationally representative analysis, hematuria evaluation confers a significant cost burden, while the primary factor associated with higher costs of screening was imaging type. Based upon reduced cost of US-based strategies, further investigation should delineate its cost-effectiveness in the diagnosis of urological disease.

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In this study, high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA amplicons and predictive PICRUSt functional profiles were used to perform a comprehensive analysis of the temporal bacterial distribution and metabolic functions of 19 bimonthly samples collected from July 2019 to January 2020 in the surface water of Billings Reservoir, São Paulo. The results revealed that most of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequences belonged to Cyanobacteria and Proteobacteria, which accounted for more than 58% of the total bacterial abundance. Species richness and evenness indices were highest in surface water from summer samples (January 2020), followed by winter (July 2019) and spring samples (September and November 2019). Results also showed that the highest concentrations of sulfate (SO4-2), phosphate (P), ammonia (NH3), and nitrate (NO3-) were detected in November 2019 and January 2020 compared with samples collected in July and September 2019 (P < 0.05). Principal component analysis suggests that physicochemical factors such as pH, DO, temperature, and NH3 are the most important environmental factors influencing spatial and temporal variations in the community structure of bacterioplankton. At the genus level, 18.3% and 9.9% of OTUs in the July and September 2019 samples, respectively, were assigned to Planktothrix, while 14.4% and 20% of OTUs in the November 2019 and January 2020 samples, respectively, were assigned to Microcystis. In addition, PICRUSt metabolic analysis revealed increasing enrichment of genes in surface water associated with multiple metabolic processes rather than a single regulatory mechanism. This is the first study to examine the temporal dynamics of bacterioplankton and its function in Billings Reservoir during the winter, spring, and summer seasons. The study provides comprehensive reference information on the effects of an artificial habitat on the bacterioplankton community that can be used to interpret the results of studies to evaluate and set appropriate treatment targets.

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In this study, high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA amplicons and predictive PICRUSt functional profiles were used to perform a comprehensive analysis of the temporal bacterial distribution and metabolic functions of 19 bimonthly samples collected from July 2019 to January 2020 in the surface water of Billings Reservoir, São Paulo. The results revealed that most of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequences belonged to Cyanobacteria and Proteobacteria, which accounted for more than 58% of the total bacterial abundance. Species richness and evenness indices were highest in surface water from summer samples (January 2020), followed by winter (July 2019) and spring samples (September and November 2019). Results also showed that the highest concentrations of sulfate (SO4–2), phosphate (P), ammonia (NH3), and nitrate (NO3-) were detected in November 2019 and January 2020 compared with samples collected in July and September 2019 (P < 0.05). Principal component analysis suggests that physicochemical factors such as pH, DO, temperature, and NH3 are the most important environmental factors influencing spatial and temporal variations in the community structure of bacterioplankton. At the genus level, 18.3% and 9.9% of OTUs in the July and September 2019 samples, respectively, were assigned to Planktothrix, while 14.4% and 20% of OTUs in the November 2019 and January 2020 samples, respectively, were assigned to Microcystis. In addition, PICRUSt metabolic analysis revealed increasing enrichment of genes in surface water associated with multiple metabolic processes rather than a single regulatory mechanism. This is the first study to examine the temporal dynamics of bacterioplankton and its function in Billings Reservoir during the winter, spring, and summer seasons. The study provides comprehensive reference information on the effects of an artificial habitat on the bacterioplankton community that can be used to interpret the results of studies to evaluate and set appropriate treatment targets.

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In the presented study, a novel approach for thermal atomic layer deposition (ALD) of Al2O3 thin films using plasma-activated water (PAW) as a co-reactant, replacing traditionally employed deionized (DI) water, is introduced. Utilizing ex situ PAW achieves up to a 16.4% increase in the growth per cycle (GPC) of Al2O3 films, consistent with results from plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD). Time-resolved mass spectrometry (TRMS) revealed disparities in CH4 partial pressures between TMA reactions with DI water and PAW, with PAW demonstrating enhanced reactivity. Reactive oxygen species (ROS), namely H2O2 and O3, are posited to activate Si(100) substrate sites, thereby improving GPC and film quality. Specifically, Al2O3 films grown with PAW pH = 3.1 displayed optimal stoichiometry, reduced carbon content, and an expanded bandgap. This study thus establishes "PAW-ALD" as a descriptor for this ALD variation and highlights the significance of comprehensive assessments of PAW in ALD processes.

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The selection pressure imposed by the host immune system impacts hepatitis B virus (HBV) quasispecies variability. This study evaluates HBV genetic diversity in different biological fluids. Twenty paired serum, oral fluid, and DBS samples from chronic HBV carriers were analyzed using both Sanger and next generation sequencing (NGS). The mean HBV viral load in serum was 5.19 ± 4.3 log IU/mL (median 5.29, IQR 3.01-7.93). Genotype distribution was: HBV/A1 55% (11/20), A2 15% (3/20), D3 10% (2/20), F2 15% (3/20), and F4 5% (1/20). Genotype agreement between serum and oral fluid was 100% (genetic distances 0.0-0.006), while that between serum and DBS was 80% (genetic distances 0.0-0.115). Two individuals presented discordant genotypes in serum and DBS. Minor population analysis revealed a mixed population. All samples displayed mutations in polymerase and/or surface genes. Major population analysis of the polymerase pointed to positions H122 and M129 as the most polymorphic (≥ 75% variability), followed by V163 (55%) and I253 (50%). Neither Sanger nor NGS detected any antiviral primary resistance mutations in the major populations. Minor population analysis, however, demonstrated the rtM204I resistance mutation in all individuals, ranging from 2.8 to 7.5% in serum, 2.5 to 6.3% in oral fluid, and 3.6 to 7.2% in DBS. This study demonstrated that different fluids can be used to assess HBV diversity, nonetheless, genotypic differences according to biological compartments can be observed.

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Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease that occurs in genetically predisposed individuals. It involves complex interactions among the host immune system, environmental factors (such as skin barrier dysfunction), and microbial dysbiosis. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified AD risk alleles; however, the associated environmental factors remain largely unknown. Recent evidence suggests that altered microbiota composition (dysbiosis) in the skin and gut may contribute to the pathogenesis of AD. Examples of environmental factors that contribute to skin barrier dysfunction and microbial dysbiosis in AD include allergens, irritants, pollution, and microbial exposure. Studies have reported alterations in the gut microbiome structure in patients with AD compared to control subjects, characterized by increased abundance of Clostridium difficile and decreased abundance of short-chain fatty acid (SCFA)-producing bacteria such as Bifidobacterium. SCFAs play a critical role in maintaining host health, and reduced SCFA production may lead to intestinal inflammation in AD patients. The specific mechanisms through which dysbiotic bacteria and their metabolites interact with the host genome and epigenome to cause autoimmunity in AD are still unknown. By understanding the combination of environmental factors, such as gut microbiota, the genetic and epigenetic determinants that are associated with the development of autoantibodies may help unravel the pathophysiology of the disease. This review aims to elucidate the interactions between the immune system, susceptibility genes, epigenetic factors, and the gut microbiome in the development of AD.

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Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1)-associated myelopathy/tropic spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP) is an insidiously progressive spinal cord disease for which there is no effective treatment. There is great interest in developing potential biomarkers to predict the pathogenesis of HAM/TSP disease. In this study, Illumina Massive Parallel Sequencing (MPS) technology was used to investigate the cellular global noncoding RNAome expression profile in HAM/TSP patients (n = 10), asymptomatic HTLV-1-infected carriers (ASP, n = 8), and a second group of healthy controls (n = 5). Various bioinformatics tools were used to align, annotate, and profile the sRNA-MPS reads. Among the 402 sRNAs detected, 251 were known and 50 were potentially novel sRNAs in the HAM and ASP groups compared with the HC group. Sixty-eight known sRNAs were significantly different between the ASP and HAM groups. Eighty-eight mature miRNAs were downregulated in subjects from HAM compared with ASP. Three of these miRs (hsa-miR-185-5p, 32-5p, and 192-5p) have the potential to be used as biomarkers for predicting the pathogenesis of HAM/TSP. The seven most deregulated miRs target genes have been associated with a variety of biological processes and molecular functions. The reactome pathways relevant to our findings provide a rich source of data and offer the opportunity to better understand sRNA regulation and function in HTLV-1 pathophysiology. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to demonstrate evaluates sRNAs in HTLV-1 patients with HAM/TSP.

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Small RNAs (sRNAs) are epigenetic regulators of essential biological processes associated with the development and progression of leukemias, including adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL) caused by human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1), an oncogenic human retrovirus originally discovered in a patient with adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma. Here, we describe the sRNA profile of a 30-year-old woman with ATLL at the time of diagnosis and after maintenance therapy with the aim of correlating expression levels with response to therapy.

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Fusarium graminearum and Fusarium meridionale are primary contaminants of barley, capable of producing several mycotoxins, mainly type B trichothecenes and zearalenone. Cold plasma decontamination has been gaining prominence, seeking to control the fungal and mycotoxin contamination of food and feed and to improve product quality. To reach this objective, the present study was divided into two parts. In the first part, F. meridionale and F. graminearum strains were exposed to gliding arc plasma jet (GAPJ). Cell viability tests showed the inactivation of F. meridionale after 15-min treatment, whereas F. graminearum showed to be resistant. In the second part, barley grains were treated by GAPJ for 10, 20, and 30 min, demonstrating a reduction of about 2 log CFU/g of the barley's mycobiota, composed of yeasts, strains belonging to the F. graminearum species complex, Alternaria, and Aspergillus. A decrease in DON levels (up to 89%) was observed after exposure for 20 min. However, an increase in the toxin Deoxynivalenol-3-glucoside (D3G) was observed in barley grains, indicating a conversion of DON to D3G.

Assuntos

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Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease that occurs in genetically predisposed individuals. It involves complex interactions among the host immune system, environmental factors (such as skin barrier dysfunction), and microbial dysbiosis. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified AD risk alleles; however, the associated environmental factors remain largely unknown. Recent evidence suggests that altered microbiota composition (dysbiosis) in the skin and gut may contribute to the pathogenesis of AD. Examples of environmental factors that contribute to skin barrier dysfunction and microbial dysbiosis in AD include allergens, irritants, pollution, and microbial exposure. Studies have reported alterations in the gut microbiome structure in patients with AD compared to control subjects, characterized by increased abundance of Clostridium difficile and decreased abundance of short-chain fatty acid (SCFA)-producing bacteria such as Bifidobacterium. SCFAs play a critical role in maintaining host health, and reduced SCFA production may lead to intestinal inflammation in AD patients. The specific mechanisms through which dysbiotic bacteria and their metabolites interact with the host genome and epigenome to cause autoimmunity in AD are still unknown. By understanding the combination of environmental factors, such as gut microbiota, the genetic and epigenetic determinants that are associated with the development of autoantibodies may help unravel the pathophysiology of the disease. This review aims to elucidate the interactions between the immune system, susceptibility genes, epigenetic factors, and the gut microbiome in the development of AD.

RESUMO

Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1)-associated myelopathy/tropic spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP) is an insidiously progressive spinal cord disease for which there is no effective treatment. There is great interest in developing potential biomarkers to predict the pathogenesis of HAM/TSP disease. In this study, Illumina Massive Parallel Sequencing (MPS) technology was used to investigate the cellular global noncoding RNAome expression profile in HAM/TSP patients (n = 10), asymptomatic HTLV-1-infected carriers (ASP, n = 8), and a second group of healthy controls (n = 5). Various bioinformatics tools were used to align, annotate, and profile the sRNA-MPS reads. Among the 402 sRNAs detected, 251 were known and 50 were potentially novel sRNAs in the HAM and ASP groups compared with the HC group. Sixty-eight known sRNAs were significantly different between the ASP and HAM groups. Eighty-eight mature miRNAs were downregulated in subjects from HAM compared with ASP. Three of these miRs (hsa-miR-185-5p, 32-5p, and 192-5p) have the potential to be used as biomarkers for predicting the pathogenesis of HAM/TSP. The seven most deregulated miRs target genes have been associated with a variety of biological processes and molecular functions. The reactome pathways relevant to our findings provide a rich source of data and offer the opportunity to better understand sRNA regulation and function in HTLV-1 pathophysiology. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to demonstrate evaluates sRNAs in HTLV-1 patients with HAM/TSP.

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In this study, different plasma-activated liquids were evaluated for their antimicrobial effects against Escherichia coli, as well as for their cytotoxicity on mammalian cells. The PALs were prepared from distilled (DIS), deionized (DI), filtered (FIL), and tap (TAP) water. Additionally, 0.9% NaCl saline solution (SAL) was plasma-activated. These PALs were prepared using 5 L/min air gliding arc plasma jet for up to 60.0 min of exposure. Subsequently, the physicochemical properties, such as, the oxidation-reduction potential (ORP), the pH, the conductivity, and the total dissolved solids (TDS) were characterized by a water multiparameter. The PALs obtained showed a drastic decrease in the pH with increasing plasma exposure time, in contrast, the conductivity and TDS increased. In a general trend, the UV-vis analyses identified a higher production of the following reactive species of nitrogen and oxygen (RONS), HNO2, H2O2, NO3-, and NO2-. Except for the plasma-activated filtered water (PAW-FIL), where there was a change in the position of NO2- and NO3- at some pHs, The higher production of HNO2 and H2O2-reactive species was observed at a low pH. Finally, the standardized suspensions of Escherichia coli were exposed to PAL for up to 60.0 min. The plasma-activated deionized water (PAW-DI pH 2.5), plasma-activated distilled water (PAW-DIS pH 2.5 and 3), and plasma-activated tap water (PAW-TAP 3.5) showed the best antimicrobial effects at exposure times of 3.0, 10.0, and 30.0 min, respectively. The MTT analysis demonstrated low toxicity of all of the PAL samples. Our results indicate that the plasma activation of different liquids using the gliding arc system can generate specific physicochemical conditions that produce excellent antibacterial effects for E. coli with a safe application, thus bringing future contributions to creating new antimicrobial protocols.

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The growing need for increasingly miniaturized devices has placed high importance and demands on nanofabrication technologies with high-quality, low temperatures, and low-cost techniques. In the past few years, the development and recent advances in atomic layer deposition (ALD) processes boosted interest in their use in advanced electronic and nano/microelectromechanical systems (NEMS/MEMS) device manufacturing. In this context, non-thermal plasma (NTP) technology has been highlighted because it allowed the ALD technique to expand its process window and the fabrication of several nanomaterials at reduced temperatures, allowing thermosensitive substrates to be covered with good formability and uniformity. In this review article, we comprehensively describe how the NTP changed the ALD universe and expanded it in device fabrication for different applications. We also present an overview of the efforts and developed strategies to gather the NTP and ALD technologies with the consecutive formation of plasma-assisted ALD (PA-ALD) technique, which has been successfully applied in nanofabrication and surface modification. The advantages and limitations currently faced by this technique are presented and discussed. We conclude this review by showing the atomic layer etching (ALE) technique, another development of NTP and ALD junction that has gained more and more attention by allowing significant advancements in plasma-assisted nanofabrication.

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Here, we describe the bacterial diversity and physicochemical properties in freshwater samples from the surface and bottom layers of the Billings Reservoir, the largest open-air storage ecosystem in the São Paulo (Brazil) metropolitan area. Forty-four samples (22 from the surface and 22 from the bottom layers) were characterized based on 16S rRNA gene analysis using Illumina MiSeq. Taxonomical composition revealed an abundance of the Cyanobacteria phylum, followed by Proteobacteria, which were grouped into 1903 and 2689 different genera in the surface and the deep-water layers, respectively. Chroobacteria, Actinobacteria, Betaproteobacteria, and Alphaproteobacteria were the most dominant classes. The Shannon diversity index was in the range of 2.3-5.39 and 4.04-6.86 in the surface and bottom layers, respectively. Flavobacterium was the most predominant pathogenic genus. Temperature and phosphorus concentrations were among the most influential factors in shaping the microbial communities of both layers. Predictive functional analysis suggests that the reservoir is enriched in motility genes involved in flagellar assembly. The overall results provide new information on the diversity composition, ecological function, and health risks of the bacterial community detected in the Billings freshwater reservoir. The broad bacterial diversity indicates that the bacterioplankton communities in the reservoir were involved in multiple essential environmental processes.

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Plasma-liquid interaction research has developed substantially in recent years due, mostly, to the numerous applications of cold atmospheric plasma (CAP). Plasma-liquid interactions are influenced by the concentrations of the ionic species present in the liquid environment, and few studies have paid attention to saline water, which generally mediates the reactions in many plasma applications. Therefore, the present review aims to explore the main results and the influence of variables on the modification of properties of saline water by CAP sources following the guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). The searches were carried out in the Scopus, Science Direct, and Web of Science databases, resulting in the inclusion of 37 studies. The main effects of the interaction between CAP and saline water are (i) the production of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS); (ii) the increase in conductivity and decrease in pH, directly proportional to the increase in discharge voltage; (iii) and the effective area of interaction and the shortest distance between electrode and solution. Other effects are the localized evaporation and crystallization of salts, which make the interaction between plasma and saline water a promising field in the development of technologies for desalination and improvement of liquid properties.

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Small RNAs (sRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs) are small endogenous noncoding single-stranded RNAs that regulate gene expression in eukaryotes. Experiments in mice and humans have revealed that a typical small RNA can affect the expression of a wide range of genes, implying that small RNAs function as global regulators. Here, we used small RNA deep sequencing to investigate how jararhagin, a metalloproteinase toxin produced from the venom of Bothrops jararaca, affected mmu-miRNAs expression in mice 2 hours (Jar 2hrs) and 24 hours (Jar 24hrs) after injection compared to PBS control. The findings revealed that seven mmu-miRNAs were substantially differentially expressed (p value (p (Corr) cut-off 0.05, fold change ≥ 2) at 2 hrs after jararhagin exposure and that the majority of them were upregulated when compared to PBS. In contrast to these findings, a comparison of Jar 24hrs vs. PBS 24hrs demonstrated that the majority of identified mmu-miRNAs were downregulated. Furthermore, the studies demonstrated that mmu-miRNAs can target the expression of several genes involved in the MAPK signaling pathway. The steady antithetical regulation of mmu-miRNAs may correlate with the expression of genes that trigger apoptosis via MAPK in the early stages, and this effect intensifies with time. The findings expand our understanding of the effects of jararhagin on local tissue lesions at the molecular level.

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The activation of water by non-thermal plasma creates a liquid with active constituents referred to as plasma-activated water (PAW). Due to its active constituents, PAW may play an important role in different fields, such as agriculture, the food industry and healthcare. Plasma liquid technology has received attention in recent years due to its versatility and good potential, mainly focused on different health care purposes. This interest has extended to dentistry, since the use of a plasma-liquid technology could bring clinical advantages, compared to direct application of non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasmas (NTAPPs). The aim of this paper is to discuss the applicability of PAW in different areas of dentistry, according to the published literature about NTAPPs and plasma-liquid technology. The direct and indirect application of NTAPPs are presented in the introduction. Posteriorly, the main reactors for generating PAW and its active constituents with a role in biomedical applications are specified, followed by a section that discusses, in detail, the use of PAW as a tool for different oral diseases.

Assuntos

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Here, we describe the bacterial diversity and physicochemical properties in freshwater samples from the surface and bottom layers of the Billings Reservoir, the largest open-air storage ecosystem in the São Paulo (Brazil) metropolitan area. Forty-four samples (22 from the surface and 22 from the bottom layers) were characterized based on 16S rRNA gene analysis using Illumina MiSeq. Taxonomical composition revealed an abundance of the Cyanobacteria phylum, followed by Proteobacteria, which were grouped into 1903 and 2689 different genera in the surface and the deep-water layers, respectively. Chroobacteria, Actinobacteria, Betaproteobacteria, and Alphaproteobacteria were the most dominant classes. The Shannon diversity index was in the range of 2.3–5.39 and 4.04–6.86 in the surface and bottom layers, respectively. Flavobacterium was the most predominant pathogenic genus. Temperature and phosphorus concentrations were among the most influential factors in shaping the microbial communities of both layers. Predictive functional analysis suggests that the reservoir is enriched in motility genes involved in flagellar assembly. The overall results provide new information on the diversity composition, ecological function, and health risks of the bacterial community detected in the Billings freshwater reservoir. The broad bacterial diversity indicates that the bacterioplankton communities in the reservoir were involved in multiple essential environmental processes.

RESUMO

Small RNAs (sRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs) are small endogenous noncoding single-stranded RNAs that regulate gene expression in eukaryotes. Experiments in mice and humans have revealed that a typical small RNA can affect the expression of a wide range of genes, implying that small RNAs function as global regulators. Here, we used small RNA deep sequencing to investigate how jararhagin, a metalloproteinase toxin produced from the venom of Bothrops jararaca, affected mmu-miRNAs expression in mice 2 hours (Jar 2hrs) and 24 hours (Jar 24hrs) after injection compared to PBS control. The findings revealed that seven mmu-miRNAs were substantially differentially expressed (p value (p (Corr) cut-off 0.05, fold change ≥ 2) at 2 hrs after jararhagin exposure and that the majority of them were upregulated when compared to PBS. In contrast to these findings, a comparison of Jar 24hrs vs. PBS 24hrs demonstrated that the majority of identified mmu-miRNAs were downregulated. Furthermore, the studies demonstrated that mmu-miRNAs can target the expression of several genes involved in the MAPK signaling pathway. The steady antithetical regulation of mmu-miRNAs may correlate with the expression of genes that trigger apoptosis via MAPK in the early stages, and this effect intensifies with time. The findings expand our understanding of the effects of jararhagin on local tissue lesions at the molecular level.