BACKGROUND There is concern about the potential risk posed by compounds with estrogen-like activity present in the environment. As previous studies have shown that combined exposure to such compounds results in dose additivity, it should be possible to assess estrogen exposure with suitable biomarkers of effect. OBJECTIVES Our goal was to identify candidate protein biomarkers of effect for es...

PURPOSE To introduce scrotoscopy in the diagnosis of testicular torsion and evaluate its value in clinical application. PATIENTS AND METHODS From February 2010 to June 2013, 14 patients, aged 12 to 24 years, were included into this study due to acute onset of scrotal pain. On Doppler ultrasound imaging, the blood flow decreased in seven cases (including two "no flow" cases) and remained norma...

Background: The ureteral access sheath (UAS) has revolutionized the management of urinary pathology in the upper tract by providing rapid repeatable access to the upper urinary tract. However, in many practices, it remains a controversial tool in endourology given concerns of possible ureteral injury and presumed long-term sequela from those injuries. This case suggests that these concerns may ...

BACKGROUND There is a felt need for trying newer therapeutic modalities in patients with chronic spontaneous urticaria, especially in the subset of patients classified as non-responders to antihistamines. Autologous serum therapy is an upcoming modality of treatment, and we decided to study its efficacy by subcutaneous route. AIMS To evaluate the effectiveness of subcutaneous autologous serum...

It has been suggested that xenoestrogens, a group of agents termed endocrine disruptors, may contribute to the development of hormone-dependent cancers, such as breast and endometrial cancers. We previously demonstrated that the xenoestrogen, bisphenol A (BPA), was able to induce the transformation in vitro of human breast epithelial cells. The normal-like human breast epithelial cell line, MCF...

Risk mitigation plans (RMP) are an innovative and important strategy for monitoring the sanitary risks of medication. The scope of the study was to identify RMPs for drugs registered with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the actions to minimize risks established by the Brazilian Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) and the manufacturers of these drugs. This is a quantitative and descri...

BACKGROUND Cholera toxin B subunit (CTB) has been extensively considered as an immunogenic and adjuvant protein, but its yield of expression is not satisfactory in many studies. The aim of this study was to compare the expression of native and mutant recombinant CTB (rCTB) in pQE vector. METHODS ctxB fragment from Vibrio cholerae O1 ATCC14035 containing the substitution of mutant ctxB for ami...

Identification by the Ulysses spacecraft of interstellar grains inside the planetary system provides a new window for the study of diffuse interstellar matter. Dust particles observed by Ulysses and confirmed by Galileo are more massive (≥ 10−13 g) than the ’classical’ interstellar grains. Even bigger grains (≈ 10−7 g) were observed in form of interstellar meteors. We analyze the consequences o...

Kisspeptin and its receptor, GPR54, play important roles in mammalian reproduction and cancer development. However, little is known about their function in nonmammalian species. In the present study, we have isolated the cDNA encoding the kisspeptin receptor, GPR54, from the bullfrog, Rana catesbeiana. The bullfrog GPR54 (bfGPR54) cDNA encodes a 379-amino acid heptahelical G protein-coupled rec...

Growing experience in interventional cardiology leads to the use of large diameter of vascular equipment. In some instances, the so-called hybrid procedures are performed. After performing the interventional procedure, the opening in ventricular wall is closed surgically. Our intention was to check if the MVSDO can be used to close the perforation in the heart after the interventional cardiolog...