SUMMARY OBJECTIVE: A small portion of the asthmatic population (3.6%) has severe asthma (SA), presenting high morbimortality rates and demanding more financial resources than other asthmatic populations. The use of immunobiological therapy is an effective tool in controlling symptoms, decreasing the number of exacerbations, and reducing the use of systemic corticosteroids in these patients. In Brazil, epidemiological data regarding this asthmatic population using immunobiologicals and their evolution are scarce. METHODS: This is an observational, analytical, cross-sectional, and retrospective study. The sample consisted of adult patients with SA in follow-up at the pulmonology service of the Complexo Hospital de Clínicas of the Federal University of Paraná, from January 2011 to August 2019. The analyzed variables were as follows: the number of exacerbations that required hospitalization in the previous year, forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), and asthma control test (ACT) scores before and after the start of immunobiological therapy. RESULTS: We studied 20 patients with SA using omalizumab or mepolizumab. We observed an increase in the mean ACT score of 4.8 points, a nonsignificant reduction in the number of exacerbations that required hospitalization, and a slight improvement in the FEV1. Regarding the patients using chronic systemic corticosteroid therapy, 14.2% (n=1) of patients had the medication discontinued and 57% (n=4) of patients had the dose reduced by half. CONCLUSION: The use of omalizumab and mepolizumab as additional therapy in SA provided a significant improvement in the ACT and allowed the dose reduction of systemic corticosteroids, without significant improvement in FEV1 and in the frequency of severe exacerbations.

BACKGROUND Plasmodium vivax, the major cause of malaria in Latin America, has a large subtelomeric multigene family called vir. In the P. vivax genome, about 20% of its sequences are vir genes. Vir antigens are grouped in subfamilies according to their sequence similarities and have been shown to have distinct roles and subcellular locations. However, little is known about vir subfamilies, especially when comes to their functions. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the diversity, antigenicity, and adhesiveness of Plasmodium vivax VIR-E. METHODS Vir-E genes were amplified from six P. vivax isolates from Manaus, North of Brazil. The presence of naturally acquired antibodies to recombinant PvBrVIR-E and PvAMA-1 was evaluated by ELISA. Binding capacity of recombinant PvBrVIR-E was assessed by adhesion assay to CHO-ICAM1 cells. FINDINGS Despite vir-E sequence diversity, among those identified sequences, a representative one was chosen to be expressed as recombinant protein. The presence of IgM or IgG antibodies to PvBrVIR-E was detected in 23.75% of the study population while the presence of IgG antibodies to PvAMA-1 antigen was 66.25% in the same population. PvBrVIR-E was adhesive to CHO-ICAM1. MAIN CONCLUSIONS PvBrVIR-E was antigenic and adhesive to CHO-ICAM1.

BACKGROUND Different strategies for improvement of malaria control and elimination are based on the blockage of malaria parasite transmission to the mosquito vector. These strategies include the drugs that target the plasmodial sexual stages in humans and the early developmental stages inside mosquitoes. OBJECTIVES Here we tested Malaria Box compounds in order to evaluate their activity against male and female gametocytes in Plasmodium berghei, mosquito infection in P. vivax and ookinete formation in both species. METHODS/FINDINGS The membrane feeding assay and the development of ookinetes by a 24 h ex vivo culture and the ookinete yield per 1000 erythrocytes were used to test transmission-blocking potential of the Malaria Box compounds in P. vivax. For P. berghei we used flow cytometry to evaluate male and female gametocyte time course and fluorescence microscopy to check the ookinete development. The two species used in this study showed similar results concerning the compounds’ activity against gametocytes and ookinetes, which were different from those in P. falciparum. In addition, from the eight Malaria Box compounds tested in both species, compounds MMV665830, MMV665878 and MMV665941 were selected as a hit compounds due the high inhibition observed. CONCLUSION Our results showed that P. berghei is suitable as an initial screening system to test compounds against P. vivax.

BACKGROUND Thrombocytopenia in malaria involves platelet destruction and consumption; however, the cellular response underlying this phenomenon has still not been elucidated. OBJECTIVE To find associations between platelet indices and unbalanced Th1/Th2/Th17 cytokines as a response to thrombocytopenia in Plasmodium vivax infected (Pv-MAL) patients. METHODS Platelet counts and quantification of Th1/Th2/Th17 cytokine levels were compared in 77 patients with uncomplicated P. vivax malaria and 37 healthy donors from the same area (endemic control group - ENCG). FINDINGS Thrombocytopenia was the main manifestation in 55 patients, but was not associated with parasitaemia. The Pv-MAL patients showed increases in the mean platelet volume (MPV), which may be consistent with larger or megaplatelets. Contrary to the findings regarding the endemic control group, MPV and platelet distribution width (PDW) did not show an inverse correlation, due the increase in the heterogeneity of platelet width. In addition, the Pv-MAL patients presented increased IL-1β and reduced IL-12p70 and IL-2 serum concentrations. Furthermore, the reduction of these cytokines was associated with PDW values. MAIN CONCLUSIONS Our data demonstrate that an increase in MPV and the association between reductions of IL-2 and IL-12 and PDW values may be an immune response to thrombocytopenia in uncomplicated P. vivax malaria.

BACKGROUND Despite treatment with effective antimalarial drugs, the mortality rate is still high in severe cases of the disease, highlighting the need to find adjunct therapies that can inhibit the adhesion of Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes (Pf-iEs). OBJECTIVES In this context, we evaluated a new heparan sulfate (HS) from Nodipecten nodosus for antimalarial activity and inhibition of P. falciparum cytoadhesion and rosetting. METHODS Parasite inhibition was measured by SYBR green using a cytometer. HS was assessed in rosetting and cytoadhesion assays under static and flow conditions using Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) and human lymphatic endothelial cell (HLEC) cells expressing intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM1) and chondroitin sulfate A (CSA), respectively. FINDINGS This HS inhibited merozoite invasion similar to heparin. Moreover, mollusk HS decreased cytoadherence of P. falciparum to CSA and ICAM-1 on the surface of endothelial cells under static and flow conditions. In addition, this glycan efficiently disrupted rosettes. CONCLUSIONS These findings support a potential use for mollusk HS as adjunct therapy for severe malaria.

As fraquezas prejudicam a organização, impedindo-a de atingir seus objetivos. Esta pesquisa tem como objetivo identificar, através da análise SWOT e classificar pelo Diagrama Causa e Efeito, quais são as fraquezas mais comuns relacionadas à área de Tecnologia da Informação (TI) em organizações localizadas na Grande São Paulo, Brasil. O método de pesquisa foi exploratório com abordagens qualitativas e quantitativas, analisando-se 33 empresas. Obteve-se como resultados que os principais pontos fracos comuns a essas empresas estão relacionados principalmente as categorias: ‘Mão de Obra’, ‘Gerenciamento’, ‘Materiais’, ‘Financeiro’ e ‘Relacionamento com o Cliente’. Embora a amostra seja insuficiente para generalização, são apresentadas algumas das principais fraquezas que geralmente são encontradas, precisam ser resolvidas e contempladas no Planejamento Estratégico de TI dessas organizações. Os resultados reafirmam também o que é apresentado na literatura sobre o assunto.

Weaknesses undermine the organization, preventing it from achieving its goals. This research aims to identify, through the SWOT analysis and to classify by Cause and Effect Diagram, what are the most common weaknesses related to Information Technology (IT) in organizations located in Greater São Paulo, Brazil. The research method was exploratory with qualitative and quantitative approaches, analyzing 33 companies. The main weaknesses common to these companies are mainly related to the categories: ‘Workforce’, ‘Management’, ‘Materials’, ‘Financial’ and ‘Customer relations’. Although the sample is insufficient for generalization, some of the main weaknesses that are usually found are presented. These need to be resolved and addressed in the IT Strategic Planning of these organizations. The results also reaffirm what is presented in the literature on the subject.

Las debilidades perjudican a la organización, impidiéndole alcanzar sus objetivos. Esta investigación tiene como objetivo identificar, a través del Matriz Análisis DAFO y clasificar por el Diagrama Causa y Efecto, cuáles son las debilidades más comunes relacionadas al área de Tecnología de la Información (TI) en 33 organizaciones ubicadas en la Grande São Paulo, Brasil. Se utilizó un método de investigación exploratorio y de abordaje cualitativo y cuantitativo. Las principales debilidades comunes encontradas están relacionadas con las categorías: ‘Mano de obra’, ‘Gestión’, ‘Materiales’, ‘Finanzas’ y ‘Relaciones con el cliente’. Aunque la muestra es insuficiente para ser susceptible de generalización, se han presentado algunas de las principales debilidades que se encuentran en las encuestas, que deben ser resueltas y que deben ser parte de Planeamiento Estratégico de TI. Los resultados refuerzan lo que se presenta en la literatura sobre el tema.

In this paper we investigated the ability of the GIAO-mPW1PW91/6-31G(d)//mPW1PW91/6-31G(d) level of theory to predict the 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) chemical shifts of the 2’-hydroxy-3,4,5-trimethoxy-chalcone molecule. Two different approaches were used. First: the absolute shieldings σ for all carbon atoms in each geometrically optimized conformers of the 2’-hydroxy-3,4,5-trimethoxy-chalcone molecule were calculated at the GIAO-mPW1PW91/6-31G(d)//mPW1PW91/6-31G(d) level of theory. This approach is further used to generate weighted average values for each atom considering the previously obtained conformational distribution. Second: only the σ for the lowest energetic conformer will be taken to account. The robustness of the method was evaluated for two other chalcones: (E)-1-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-3-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)prop-2-en-1-one and (E)-1-(4-aminophenyl)-3-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)prop-2-en-1-one, corroborating the ability of the method in chemical shift prevision. Although, both approaches were able to reproduce the chemical shifts of the 2’-hydroxy-3,4,5-trimethoxy-chalcone, significant differences in the calculated values for C-4 and methoxy carbons were observed. The best results were obtained using the second approach (II).

Resumo Introdução: Pacientes em hemodiálise (HD) têm alta mortalidade e morbidade por complicações cardiovasculares, inclusive por redução da capacidade funcional e qualidade de vida. Objetivo: Analisar a evolução clínica e laboratorial de pacientes em HD ambulatorial submetidos à reabilitação cardiopulmonar (RCP) intradialítica. Métodos: Avaliamos 14 pacientes em um estudo prospectivo por 8 meses, utilizando protocolo de RCP com exercícios aeróbicos intradialíticos. Analisamos frequência cardíaca (FC), pressão arterial sistólica (PAS) e diastólica (PAD), saturação periférica de oxigênio (SpO2) e escala de Borg modificada em todas as sessões de HD. Avaliamos função cardíaca por ecocardiograma, capacidade funcional (CF) pelo teste de caminhada de seis minutos (TC6M), e qualidade de vida pelo Questionário SF-36, antes e depois da RCP. Dados bioquímicos e de Kt/Vsp foram coletados dos prontuários. Resultados: Durante a RCP, os resultados de FC, PAS, PAD, SpO2 e escala de Borg não mostraram alterações significativas. No TC6M observamos aumento progressivo da distância percorrida (p < 0,001) e redução na escala de Borg pós-TC6M entre D0-D180 (p = 0,009). Não houve alteração significativa nos testes bioquímicos e no KT/Vsp. Houve aumento na fração de ejeção de 65,7 ± 10,2 para 73,6 ± 10,1% (p = 0,028) e no diâmetro diastólico do ventrículo esquerdo (p = 0,027). No questionário SF-36, houve melhora significativa nos domínios: limitação física (p = 0,012), dor (p = 0,007) e vitalidade (p = 0,009). Conclusão: A RCP intradialítica nesta população foi segura e permitiu melhora objetiva da CF e tolerância ao exercício, melhora subjetiva na percepção do esforço, aumento significativo da função cardíaca, bem como melhoria na qualidade de vida em diferentes domínios.

Abstract Introduction: Patients on hemodialysis (HD) present high mortality from cardiovascular complications and high morbidity, including decreasing functional capacity and quality of life. Objective: To analyze clinical and laboratory responses of patients in HD to intradialytic cardiopulmonary rehabilitation on an outpatient basis. Methods: We evaluated 14 patients in a prospective study for 8 months using cardiopulmonary rehabilitation protocol (CRehab) consisted of intradialytic aerobic exercise with a cycle ergometer. We analyzed heart rate (HR), systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2) and modified Borg scale. We evaluated cardiac function by echocardiogram, functional capacity by six minutes walk test (6MWT), and quality of life by SF-36 survey, before and after CRehab. Biochemical data and KT/Vsp were collected form medical records. Results: During CRehab, the results of HR, SBP, DBP, SpO2 and Borg scale showed no significant changes. 6MWT test showed progressive increase in the distance covered (p < 0.001) as well as a reduction in the scale of Borg post-6MWT (p = 0.009). There was no significant change in any biochemical data or in KT/Vsp. There was increase in left ventricular ejection from 65.7 ± 10.2% to 73.6 ± 10.1% (p = 0.028) and in left ventricular diastolic diameter (p = 0.027). According to SF-36 survey, patients showed improvement in three areas: physical role functioning (p = 0.012), bodily pain (p = 0.007) and vitality (p = 0.009). Conclusion: The intradialytic CRehab applied in this population was safe and allowed objective improvement of functional capacity and exercise tolerance, subjective improvement in the perception of effort, significant increase in cardiac function and better quality of life in different domains.

Objetivo: Avaliar a prevalência de sarcopenia em pacientes com DPOC e determinar se sarcopenia está correlacionada com a gravidade e o prognóstico de DPOC. Métodos: Estudo retrospectivo em pacientes com DPOC atendidos no ambulatório de pneumologia de nossa instituição. Os pacientes realizaram absorciometria de dupla energia por raios X. O diagnóstico de sarcopenia foi baseado no índice de massa muscular esquelética, definido como massa magra apendicular/altura2 somente para indivíduos com baixo peso, sendo ajustado pela massa gorda para aqueles com peso normal/sobrepeso. A gravidade da doença (estádio da DPOC) foi avaliada com os critérios da Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD). O grau de obstrução e o prognóstico foram determinados pelo índice Body mass index, airflow Obstruction, Dyspnea, and Exercise capacity (BODE). Resultados: Foram incluídos 91 pacientes (50 mulheres), com média de idade de 67,4 ± 8,7 anos e média de IMC de 25,8 ± 6,1 kg/m2. Sarcopenia foi diagnosticada em 36 (39,6%) dos pacientes, sem diferenças relacionadas a sexo, idade ou status tabágico. Não houve associação de sarcopenia com estádios GOLD ou VEF1 (utilizado como indicador do grau de obstrução). O IMC, a porcentagem de gordura corporal e a massa magra total foram menores nos pacientes com sarcopenia do que naqueles sem a doença (p < 0,001). A prevalência de sarcopenia foi maior nos pacientes com BODE nos quartis 3 ou 4 que naqueles com BODE nos quartis 1 ou 2 (p = 0,009). A análise multivariada mostrou que os quartis do BODE estavam significativamente associados à sarcopenia, independentemente de idade, gênero, status tabágico e estádio GOLD. Conclusões: Em pacientes com DPOC, sarcopenia parece estar associada a alterações desfavoráveis na composição corporal e pior prognóstico.

Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of sarcopenia in COPD patients, as well as to determine whether sarcopenia correlates with the severity and prognosis of COPD. Methods: A cross-sectional study with COPD patients followed at the pulmonary outpatient clinic of our institution. The patients underwent dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. The diagnosis of sarcopenia was made on the basis of the skeletal muscle index, defined as appendicular lean mass/height2 only for low-weight subjects and adjusted for fat mass in normal/overweight subjects. Disease severity (COPD stage) was evaluated with the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) criteria. The degree of obstruction and prognosis were determined by the Body mass index, airflow Obstruction, Dyspnea, and Exercise capacity (BODE) index. Results: We recruited 91 patients (50 females), with a mean age of 67.4 ± 8.7 years and a mean BMI of 25.8 ± 6.1 kg/m2. Sarcopenia was observed in 36 (39.6%) of the patients, with no differences related to gender, age, or smoking status. Sarcopenia was not associated with the GOLD stage or with FEV1 (used as an indicator of the degree of obstruction). The BMI, percentage of body fat, and total lean mass were lower in the patients with sarcopenia than in those without (p < 0.001). Sarcopenia was more prevalent among the patients in BODE quartile 3 or 4 than among those in BODE quartile 1 or 2 (p = 0.009). The multivariate analysis showed that the BODE quartile was significantly associated with sarcopenia, regardless of age, gender, smoking status, and GOLD stage. Conclusions: In COPD patients, sarcopenia appears to be associated with unfavorable changes in body composition and with a poor prognosis.

In the Amazon Region, there is a virtual absence of severe malaria and few fatal cases of naturally occurring Plasmodium falciparum infections; this presents an intriguing and underexplored area of research. In addition to the rapid access of infected persons to effective treatment, one cause of this phenomenon might be the recognition of cytoadherent variant proteins on the infected red blood cell (IRBC) surface, including the var gene encoded P. falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1. In order to establish a link between cytoadherence, IRBC surface antibody recognition and the presence or absence of malaria symptoms, we phenotype-selected four Amazonian P. falciparum isolates and the laboratory strain 3D7 for their cytoadherence to CD36 and ICAM1 expressed on CHO cells. We then mapped the dominantly expressed var transcripts and tested whether antibodies from symptomatic or asymptomatic infections showed a differential recognition of the IRBC surface. As controls, the 3D7 lineages expressing severe disease-associated phenotypes were used. We showed that there was no profound difference between the frequency and intensity of antibody recognition of the IRBC-exposed P. falciparum proteins in symptomatic vs. asymptomatic infections. The 3D7 lineages, which expressed severe malaria-associated phenotypes, were strongly recognised by most, but not all plasmas, meaning that the recognition of these phenotypes is frequent in asymptomatic carriers, but is not necessarily a prerequisite to staying free of symptoms.

In Brazil, malaria remains a disease of major epidemiological importance because of the high number of cases in the Amazonian Region. Plasmodium spp infections during pregnancy are a significant public health problem with substantial risks for the pregnant woman, the foetus and the newborn child. In Brazil, the control of malaria during pregnancy is primarily achieved by prompt and effective treatment of the acute episodes. Thus, to assure rapid diagnosis and treatment for pregnant women with malaria, one of the recommended strategy for low transmission areas by World Health Organization and as part of a strategy by the Ministry of Health, the National Malaria Control Program has focused on integrative measures with woman and reproductive health. Here, we discuss the approach for the prevention and management of malaria during pregnancy in Brazil over the last 10 years (2003-2012) using morbidity data from Malaria Health Information System. Improving the efficiency and quality of healthcare and education and the consolidation of prevention programmes will be challenges in the control of malaria during pregnancy in the next decade.

Introduction In vitro bioassays were performed to access the larvicidal activity of crude extracts from the endophytic fungus Pestalotiopsis virgulata (Melanconiales, Amphisphaeriaceae) and the saprophytic fungus Pycnoporus sanguineus (Basidiomycetes, Polyporaceae) against the mosquitoes Aedes aegypti and Anopheles nuneztovari. Methods The extracts were tested at concentrations of 100, 200, 300, 400 and 500ppm. Ethyl acetate mycelia (EAM) extracts and liquid culture media (LCM) from Pe. virgulata and Py. sanguineus were tested against third instar larvae of Ae. aegypti and An. nuneztovari. Results The larvicidal activity of the EAM extracts from Pe. virgulata against Ae. aegypti had an LC50=101.8ppm, and the extract from the basidiomycete fungus Py. sanguineus had an LC50=156.8ppm against the Ae. aegypti larvae. The Pe. virgulata extract had an LC50=16.3ppm against the An. nuneztovari larvae, and the Py. sanguineus extract had an LC50=87.2ppm against these larvae. Conclusions These results highlight the larvicidal effect of EAM extracts from the endophyte Pe. virgulata against the two larval mosquitoes tested. Thus, Pe. virgulata and Py. sanguineus have the potential for the production of bioactive substances against larvae of these two tropical disease vectors, with An. nuneztovari being more susceptible to these extracts.

Two methods for the determination of Ivermectin in veterinarian medications were developed and compared. One of the methods was based on UV spectrometry and the other on HPLC-UV. The former method was shown to be positively biased regarding the nominal concentrations of Ivermectin in different medications. The method of standard addition was unable to correct this bias, indicating significant matrix effects. The HPLC-UV method showed good linearity, throughput, recovery and limits of detection and quantitation adequate for its application in the evaluation of Ivermectin in medications. Several medications were evaluated and good agreement between our results and their nominal concentrations was found.

It is generally accepted that Plasmodium vivax, the most widely distributed human malaria parasite, causes mild disease and that this species does not sequester in the deep capillaries of internal organs. Recent evidence, however, has demonstrated that there is severe disease, sometimes resulting in death, exclusively associated with P. vivax and that P. vivax-infected reticulocytes are able to cytoadhere in vitro to different endothelial cells and placental cryosections. Here, we review the scarce and preliminary data on cytoadherence in P. vivax, reinforcing the importance of this phenomenon in this species and highlighting the avenues that it opens for our understanding of the pathology of this neglected human malaria parasite.