Toads of the Rhinella genus have a pair of paratoid glands that store biological secretions of high toxicity and varied chemical composition, rich in biologically active compounds. The present work aimed to carry out the investigation of the metabolomic profile and evaluation of the biological potential of the secretion paratoid glands (PGS) from Rhinella granulosa. The paratoid secretion was collected in the Piauí state (Brazil), extracted with methanol and the extract was analyzed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Fifty chemical constituents were identified. The extract showed cytotoxicity against tumor cell lines of the central nervous system (half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) = 1.9 µg mL-1) and prostate (IC50 = 1.6 µg mL-1), unsatisfactory antimicrobial potential (minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) > 312 µg mL-1) and inhibited the enzyme acetylcholinesterase (IC50 = 5.119 mg mL-1). The results presented relevant information about the PGS and contributed to the understanding of the metabolomic and biological potential of R. granulosa.

Abstract Elastic optical networks (EONs) have been pointed out as a promising candidate for transporting data with high transmission rates in adaptive optical networks. Consequently, the occurrence of a failure in a simple element may cause the interruption of various services. Survival mechanisms have been crucial to try to overcome the problems created by possible failures. In this paper, we propose a new dedicated path protection mechanism for link-failure survivability in EONs, referred to as Spectrum Continuity and Contiguity based Dedicated Protection (SCCDP). SCCDP tries to avoid the trap topology problem in search for a link-disjoint route pair. In addition, the calculation of the link-disjoint routes is based on modified version of the Dijkstra's algorithm, referred to as Spectrum Continuity and Contiguity based Shortest Path (SCCSP), which chooses the pair of routes according to the end-to-end spectrum continuity and contiguity. The performance of the proposed algorithm is compared to other well-known algorithms in the Literature. Two different network topologies are used in our simulations for comparison purposes. Our proposal achieved better results concerning blocking probability.

We propose two policies to select the route for an adaptive-alternative routing algorithm for all-optical networks. We use the NrPSR to find the Nr routes with lower cost for a given source-destination pair according to a cost function expanded in a power series (PSR) in which the coefficients are determined by a Particle Swarm Optimizer (PSO). The selected route to attend to the call request can be chosen among the Nr found routes depending on the adopted policy. In the first proposal, named NrPSR(OSNR JE), we select the route that presents the lower OSNR that attends the Quality of Transmission requirements. In the second approach, named NrPSR(OSNR MAX), we select the route that presents the higher OSNR. In our simulations we considered some physical layer effects, such as: ASE noise generation, Optical Amplifier gain and ASE saturation and OXC crosstalk. We compared the performance of our proposed policies to others previous proposed policies for the NrPSR and other well known algorithms described in the literature. NrPSR(OSNR JE) outperformed all other routing algorithms.

INTRODUÇÃO: A via radial evoluiu na última década para uma abordagem versátil, mostrando resultados equivalentes ou superiores aos da via femoral. Avaliamos a incorporação da técnica radial em um centro formador de cardiologistas intervencionistas, e comparamos seus resultados aos da técnica femoral. MÉTODOS: Estudo observacional, unicêntrico, que incluiu pacientes consecutivos submetidos a intervenção coronária percutânea (ICP) entre 2007 e 2011. A via de acesso foi escolhida pelo residente, em conjunto com o intervencionista responsável pela ICP. Comparamos o desfecho combinado de óbito, infarto do miocárdio (IM) periprocedimento, acidente vascular cerebral isquêmico ou sangramentos maiores entre os dois grupos na fase hospitalar. RESULTADOS: Foram submetidos a ICP 5.545 pacientes, 29,8% pela via radial e 70,2% pela via femoral. A média de idade foi de 60,8 ± 11,7 anos, sendo 68,9% do sexo masculino e 29% portadores de síndromes coronárias agudas. Houve aumento do uso da via radial até 2010, e estabilização no ano subsequente (11,8% em 2008, 26,1% em 2009, 45,1% em 2010 e 42,6% em 2011). Os pacientes que utilizaram a via radial tinham perfil tanto clínico como angiográfico menos complexo. Não houve diferenças nos desfechos combinados (5% vs. 5,9%; P = 0,18), no óbito (0,1% vs. 0,8%; P = 0,71), no acidente vascular cerebral (0,06% vs. 0,03%; P = 0,53) ou no IM periprocedimento (4,5% vs. 3,8%; P = 0,27). Contudo, menor incidência de sangramentos maiores (0,4% vs. 1,3%; P < 0,01) e de complicações vasculares (0,5% vs. 2,2%; P < 0,01) foi observada com a via radial. CONCLUSÕES: Em nosso centro formador de cardiologistas intervencionistas, a ICP pela via radial foi rapidamente incorporada, e trouxe, para pacientes selecionados, resultados equivalentes aos da via femoral, com redução dos índices de sangramentos maiores e de complicações vasculares.

BACKGROUND: The radial artery access has evolved into a flexible approach in the last decade, showing similar or superior results when compared to the femoral approach. We assessed the incorporation of the radial artery access in a training center for interventional cardiologists and compared the results to those of the femoral artery access. METHODS: Observational, single-center study, including consecutive patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) between 2007 and 2011. The access route was chosen by the resident along with the interventionist responsible for PCI. We compared the composite endpoint of death, periprocedural myocardial infarction (MI), ischemic stroke or major bleeding between the two groups during hospitalization. RESULTS: Among 5,545 patients undergoing PCI, 29.8% used the radial approach and 70.2 used the femoral approach. Mean age was 60.8 ± 11.7 years, 68.9% were males and 29% had acute coronary syndromes. There was an increase in the use of the radial approach until 2010 and stabilization in the subsequent year (11.8% in 2008, 26.2% in 2009, 45.1% in 2010 and 42.6% in 2011). Patients using the radial approach had a less complex clinical and angiographic profile. There were no differences in the composite endpoint (5% vs. 5.9%; P = 0.18), death (0.1% vs. 0.8%; P = 0.71), stroke (0.06% vs. 0.03%; P = 0.53) or periprocedural MI (4.5% vs. 3.8%; P = 0.27). However, there was a lower incidence of major bleeding events (0.4% vs. 1.3%; P < 0.01) and vascular complications (0.5% vs. 2.2%; P < 0.01) with the radial approach. CONCLUSIONS: At our interventional cardiology training center, PCI through the radial approach was quickly incorporated and provided, for selected patients, outcomes similar to those of the femoral approach, with decrease of major bleeding and vascular complication rates.

A novel method is presented to design the configuration of pumping lasers of Raman amplifiers using a multi-objective particle swarm optimizer. The goal is to obtain the pump laser wavelengths and powers that maximize the amplifier on-off gain, while maintaining the flatness of the gain over the used bandwidth. We used an algorithm called Multiple Objective Particle Swarm Optimization with Crowding Distance and Roulette Wheel to generate the non-dominated solutions, considering the average on-off gain and the ripple of the amplifier over the transmission bandwidth as the objectives in the optimization process. We designed amplifiers using three, four and five pump lasers. The experimental results showed that our proposal was able to design Raman amplifiers with a gain ripple lower than 0.2 dB and with an average on-off gain around 16.7 dB, when 20 signal channels and a total pump power of 1 W were considered. Moreover, we demonstrated that it is possible to allow the decision maker to choose among many possible non-dominated solutions depending on the application requirements.

INTRODUÇÃO: Embora os stents farmacológicos tenham reduzido de forma inconteste o crescimento neointimal e sua consequência clínica direta, a reestenose, questionamentos acerca de sua segurança a longo prazo têm motivado o desenvolvimento de novas tecnologias. A aplicação sistêmica de fármacos antiproliferativos teria o potencial de solucionar o problema da reestenose e ao mesmo tempo amenizar a questão da segurança tardia inerente aos polímeros sintéticos. Recentemente, estudo investigando a administração intravenosa de uma solução de paclitaxel ligado à albumina (ABI-007) produziu efeito discreto na redução da formação de tecido neointimal. Este trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar, por meio da angiografia e do ultrassom intracoronário (USIC) seriados, a efetividade da aplicação intracoronária do ABI-007 na supressão da hiperplasia neointimal após implante de stents não-farmacológicos MÉTODO: Entre novembro de 2006 e maio de 2007, pacientes portadores de lesões coronárias de novo, com extensão < 18 mm, em vasos nativos de 2,5 mm a 3,5 mm de diâmetro, foram submetidos a intervenção coronária percutânea com implante de stents não-farmacológicos, seguida de injeção intracoronária de 70 mg/m² de ABI-007. Avaliação com angiografia e USIC foi programada para todos os pacientes imediatamente após o procedimento e aos seis meses de seguimento. Desfecho primário era a perda luminal tardia (QCA) e o porcentual de obstrução volumétrica gerado pela hiperplasia neointimal (USIC) aos seis meses RESULTADOS: Foram incluídos 11 pacientes, com média de idade de 58,4 ± 7,3 anos, 54% do sexo feminino e 18,2% de diabéticos. A artéria descendente anterior foi o vaso mais frequentemente tratado (45,5%) e a maioria das lesões era do tipo A/B1 (63,7%). A administração de ABI-007 foi bem tolerada por todos os pacientes. Aos seis meses, a perda luminal tardia foi de 0,84 ± 0,46 mm, tendo sido identificados três casos (27,3%) de reestenose binária. Ao USIC, o porcentual de obstrução volumétrica foi de 38,4 ± 16,2%. Não houve casos de remodelamento vascular significativo, nem de má-aposição tardia dos stents. Ao final de dois anos, não houve ocorrência de eventos cardíacos maiores CONCLUSÃO: Embora a administração intracoronária de ABI-007 tenha sido bem tolerada, sem efeitos tóxicos adversos reportados, essa modalidade terapêutica apresentou baixa capacidade de suprimir a formação de tecido neointimal após implante de stents nãofarmacológicos, com perda tardia e porcentual de obstrução volumétrica semelhantes aos observados após implante de stents não-farmacológicos isolados.

BACKGROUND: Although drug-eluting stents have proven to be highly effective in decreasing neointimal hyperplasia and its direct clinical consequence, restenosis, concerns regarding their long-term safety have led to the development of new technologies. The systemic use of antiproliferative drugs may resolve restenosis while minimizing the longterm safety issues inherent to synthetic polymers. Recently, a study investigating the intravenous administration of albumin-bound paclitaxel (ABI-007) showed that it produced a mild effect on the reduction of neointimal tissue formation. The present study was aimed at investigating, by means of serial angiography and intravascular ultrasound (IVUS), the efficacy of intracoronary ABI-007 administration in the suppression of neointimal hyperplasia after bare-metal stent implantation METHOD: From November 2006 and May 2007, patients with de novo coronary lesions < 18 mm were submitted to percutaneous coronary intervention using bare-metal stents, followed by a 70 mg/m² intracoronary injection of ABI-007. Angiography and IVUS assessment was planned for all of the patients immediately after the procedure and at the six-month follow-up. The primary end-point was late lumen loss (LL) and percent neointimal volume obstruction caused by neointimal hyperplasia (IVUS) at 6 months RESULTS: 11 patients were included, with mean age of 58.4 ± 7.3 years, 54% were female and 18.2% diabetics. Left anterior descending artery was the most frequent vessel treated (45.5%) and most of the lesions were type A/B1 (63.7%). ABI-007 administration was well tolerated by all patients. At the 6-month follow-up, LL was 0.84 ± 0.46 mm and three cases (27.3%) of binary restenosis were identified. IVUS percent volumetric obstruction was 38.4 ± 16.2%. No cases of significant vascular remodeling or late acquired stent malapposition were observed. After two years, there were no cases of major adverse cardiac events CONCLUSION: Although the intracoronary ABI-007 administration was well tolerated, with no adverse toxic events reported, this treatment modality demonstrated a low capacity of suppressing neointimal tissue formation after bare-metal stent implantation, with late loss and percent of volumetric obstruction percentages similar to those observed after bare-metal stent implantation alone.

O propósito deste estudo foi comparar a biocompatibilidade do cimento Portland modificado (CPM) com agregado de trióxido mineral (MTA) no subcutâneo de um modelo murino. Foram usados 24 ratos Wistar macho. No tecido subcutâneo dorsal de cada animal se colocaram 3 tubos de silicone. Um contendo MTA, outro CPM e o último vazio. Os animais foram sacrificados em 3 grupos de 8 aos 7, 14 e 30 dias. As amostras se fixaram em formol e se coloriram com hematoxilina - eosina, Masson e Luna. No dia 7 os tubos vazios mostraram uma leve infiltração de células inflamatórias. No grupo CPM, se observou um infiltrado inflamatório com alguns eosinófilos e tecido conectivo imaturo. O grupo MTA mostrou um infiltrado similar sem eosinófilos e abundante necrose de tecido e numerosas células gigantes multinucleadas do tipo corpo estranho. Ao dia 14, o infiltrado crônico com eosinófilos persistiu em contato com CPM. No grupo MTA, a necrose e células multinucleadas afastadas ainda se podiam observar. Ao dia 30, os 3 grupos mostraram tecido fibroso maduro. Estes resultados mostram uma resposta diferente aos materiais avaliados no presente estudo. Apesar do que MTA e CPM causaram um infiltrado crônico, no grupo MTA predominou a necrose e as células gigantes, enquanto isso, no grupo CPM se observaram grandes quantidades de eosinófilos.

The purpose of this study was compare the biocompatibility of modified Portland cement (CPM) and mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) in a subcutaneous rat model. Twenty-four male Wistar rats were used. Three silicon tubes were placed on the dorsal subcutaneous tissue of each animal: one tube contained MTA, one tube contained CPM and the other was an empty tube. The rats were sacrificed in 3 groups of 8 animals at 7, 14 and 30 postoperative days, respectively. Tissue samples were fixed in 10% buffered formalin, embedded in paraffin, and serial sections were cut and stained with hematoxylin and eosin, Masson Trichrome and Luna's stain. At day 7, the empty tubes displayed a mild inflammatory infiltrate. In the CPM group, an inflammatory infiltrate was observed with some eosinophils and immature connective tissue. The MTA group showed a similar infiltrate without eosinophils and presence of abundant necrotic tissue and numerous multinucleate foreign body giant cells. At day 14, the chronic infiltrate with eosinophils persisted when in contact with CPM. In the MTA group, necrosis and distant giant cells could still be seen. At day 30, all 3 groups showed mature fibrous collagenous tissue. These findings indicate a different response to the materials evaluated in this study. Although, MTA and CPM induced a chronic inflammatory infiltrate, necrosis and multinucleated foreign body giant cells predominated in the MTA group, while in the CPM group numerous eosinophils were seen at all the observational periods.

INTRODUÇÃO: A intervenção coronária percutânea em vasos de fino calibre está associada a piores resultados imediatos e tardios, com elevadas taxas de reestenose, motivando o desenvolvimento de novos instrumentais para tal finalidade. OBJETIVO: Avaliar a exeqüibilidade, a eficácia e a segurança do novo sistema de stent CardioMindTM para o tratamento de lesões em vasos de fino calibre. MÉTODO: Dez pacientes portadores de lesões únicas, de novo, < 14 mm, em artérias coronárias nativas < 2,5 mm de diâmetro foram submetidos a implante do stent CardioMindTM. Todos os pacientes foram submetidos a angiografia e ultra-sonografia intracoronária (USIC) pósprocedimento e aos seis meses, com o desfecho primário de eficácia avaliado pela perda luminal tardia (PT) à angiografia e porcentagem (%) de obstrução do stent à USIC. RESULTADOS: A média das idades foi de 63 ± 10,6 anos, 60% dos pacientes eram do sexo feminino e 60%, diabéticos. O diâmetro de referência do vaso e a extensão da lesão foram de 2,06 ± 0,27 mm e 9,35 ± 1,39 mm, respectivamente. Sucesso do dispositivo e do procedimento foi obtido em todos os pacientes. Aos seis meses, a PT foi de 0,53 ± 0,60 mm e o volume de obstrução do stent à USIC, de 24,1 ± 8,7%. Um paciente apresentou reestenose binária, necessitando nova revascularização. Não houve óbitos e/ou infarto do miocárdio no acompanhamento clínico de seis meses. CONCLUSÕES: Este estudo piloto, com a utilização pela primeira vez em humanos do sistema de stent CardioMindTM em artérias coronárias de fino calibre, demonstrou ser esse stent factível e seguro, com resultados animadores na redução da hiperplasia intimal. O impacto clínico desses achados deve ser avaliado numa coorte maior de pacientes.

BACKGROUND: Percutaneous coronary intervention in small vessels is associated to poor short and long-term results with high rates of restenosis, inducing the development of newer devices for this purpose. OBJECTIVE: To assess the feasibility, efficacy and safety of the new CardioMindTM stent system in the treatment of small vessel coronary artery disease (CAD). METHODS: Ten patients presenting a single, de novo lesion in a native coronary artery < 2.5 mm in diameter were assigned to receive the CardioMindTM stent. All patients were submitted to angiography and intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) evaluation immediately post-procedure and at 6 months. The primary end-point of efficacy was assessed by the late lumen loss at angiography and percentage (%) of neointimal obstruction at IVUS at 6 months. RESULTS: Mean age was 63 ± 10.6 years, 60% were female and 60% diabetics. Reference vessel diameter and lesion length were 2.06 mm ± 0.27 mm and 9.35 mm ± 1.39 mm, respectively. Device and procedure success were obtained in all patients. At 6-month, late loss was 0.53 mm ± 0.60 mm and % of neointimal obstruction by IVUS was 24.1% ± 8.7%. One patient presented binary restenosis requiring repeat percutaneous intervention. There were no cases of cardiac death and/or myocardial infarction. CONCLUSIONS: The CardioMindTM stent system showed to be viable and safe in this "First-In-Man" study of the use of this novel device in the treatment of small vessel CAD, with encouraging results in the reduction of in-stent late loss and neointimal formation. The clinical impact of these findings should be assessed in a larger cohort of patients.