Sarah Alves

Introduction: Children with tumors experience multiple metabolic alterations, including increased lipid oxidation of free fatty acids, inhibition of lipoprotein lipase, and elevated production of inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α and IL-6), which may contribute to cachexia. The micronutrient selenium, with its antioxidant action, seems to play an important role in controlling metabolic changes. Aims: Thus, we aimed to evaluate the impact of selenium supplementation in children with leukemia and solid tumors through the analysis of inflammatory markers and expression of antioxidant regulatory genes using real-time PCR. Methods: This work recruited patients supplemented with selenium aged 3 to 19 years with leukemias and lymphomas or solid tumors from the Pediatric Oncology Service at FMABC. The inflammatory markers IL-6, TNF-α, RBP4, and Tbars were detected through serum evaluations, and the antioxidant regulatory genes, including Thioredoxin, Glutathione Peroxidase, Nuclear transcription factor kappa β, and Selenoprotein P, were analyzed in whole blood samples by real-time PCR. Results: This study evaluated 26 pediatric oncology patients. No significant differences were observed in Tbars or IL6 concentrations between groups. However, selenium supplementation significantly reduced the expression of SEPP1 (p =0.030), NFKB (p =0.003), and TRX (p =0.007) genes compared to baseline, suggesting a potential modulatory effect of selenium on inflammatory gene expression. Conclusion: This study suggests that selenium supplementation may help modulate inflammatory responses in pediatric oncology patients. While no significant differences were found in Tbars or IL-6, selenium significantly reduced the expression of SEPP1, NFKB, and TRX genes. These results indicate a potential role of selenium in controlling inflammatory gene pathways.

This study investigates the adsorption efficacy of aluminum-modified mesoporous silica (Al-MCM-41, Si/Al = 16.1) for the removal of tetracycline (TC) from aqueous solutions, employing both batch and fixed-bed column systems in the quest for sustainable solutions to eliminate emerging contaminants. The synthesized material exhibited a highly ordered hexagonal structure and high surface area (∼850 m² g^–1), confirmed by X-ray diffraction, nitrogen physisorption, FTIR, and transmission electron microscopy analyses. Batch adsorption kinetics followed a pseudo-second-order model, indicating surface-controlled uptake, while isotherm data fit both Langmuir and Freundlich models, with a maximum adsorption capacity of 82.74 mg g^–1. Thermodynamic analysis revealed a spontaneous and exothermic process (ΔH° = −25.8 kJ mol^–1), suggesting combined physisorption and weak chemisorption. In fixed-bed column experiments, the Yan model provided the best fit to breakthrough curves, achieving an adsorption capacity of 19.1 mg g^–1 at an influent concentration of 15 mg L^–1. These results demonstrate the good efficiency and practical applicability of Al-MCM-41 in continuous-flow systems for removing emerging contaminants such as TC, supporting the development of sustainable water treatment technologies.

Prostate cancer diagnosis relies on methods like PSA testing, digital rectal exams, and biopsies. The Z-scan technique, a nonlinear optical method, may provide a new, non-invasive approach to detecting circulating free DNA (ccfDNA) in serum, offering potential improvements in cancer diagnosis and monitoring. The aim of this study is to evaluate whether the Z-scan technique can serve as an alternative or complementary diagnostic tool to existing prostate cancer tests. The Z-scan technique was applied to detect apoptotic and necrotic ccfDNA fragments in the serum or plasma of prostate cancer patients. This technique measures the nonlinear refractive index’s dispersive and absorptive components and was compared with laboratory data, such as PSA levels and cancer progression indicators. The study found a correlation between Z-scan-derived θ values and PSA levels, suggesting its utility in identifying cancer relapse. However, no correlation was observed with the Gleason scale. The Z-scan technique shows promise as a diagnostic and monitoring tool for prostate cancer, offering a potential non-invasive alternative to traditional methods.

This research studied the role of DMSO in a binary system of Triton X and water in the hexagonal mesophase. One effect of DMSO addition, determined using polarized optical microscopy and small-angle X-ray scattering measurements, is to promote a decrease in the hexagonal to isotropic phase transition temperature, TH-ISO, decreasing the range of temperatures of the hexagonal phase until the hexagonal phase completely disappears when DMSO is added up to 5.0 mol %. The periodicity and the lattice parameter of the hexagonal arrangement, calculated as a function of DMSO concentration, slight increased due to the insertion of DMSO molecules in the water region, causing a greater distance between the cylindrical micelles, while the radius of the apolar domains kept constant at 22 (1) & Aring;.

Aim: Biomarkers have been broadly studied as a tool for the diagnosis and prognosis for different types of cancer. Z-scan is a kind of measurement technique that generates a nonlinear refractive in... Lay abstract Biomarkers are molecules, proteic or not, found in different body fluids or tissues. The study of these molecules makes it possible to diagnose several diseases in their initial stages...

We aim to evaluate the action of transcutaneous laser in the initial wound healing process. The use of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) has proven to be effective on inflammatory modulation and wound healing. The trial was performed on five groups of rats, through a dorsal incision. All groups received treatment on auricular artery. Groups 1 and 3 were treated with transcutaneous LLLT over a period of 15 min. Groups 2 and 4 received one and two inactive laser applications (placebo), respectively. Group 5 was the control one. Blood samples were collected 2 h after the last application of LLLT so that cytokine levels could be measured by ELISA. Tissue fragments were harvested for morphometric, histomorphometric, and RT-qPCR analyses. The morphometric analysis revealed a greater decrease in the wounded area in G1 when compared with G2, whereas in G3, the improvement in the area was greater when compared with G4. Finally, the histomorphometric analysis showed that G1 was the group closer to G5 in terms of collagen fiber count. G2 and G4 had higher amounts of collagen fibers than G5 while G3 had a lower quantity. The use of the transcutaneous LLLT in the current study influenced the wound healing process.

In this work, binary mixtures of a non-ionic surfactant (Triton X-100) and water were studied with concentrations of 30%wt H₂O, showing, lamellar mesophase at temperatures below 10^oC. Different dicationic ionic liquids were used for doping these mesophases: 1,n-bis(3-methylimidazolium-1-yl)alkane, 1,n-bis(1-methylpyrrolidinium-1-yl)alkane and 1,n-bis(pyridinium-N-yl)alkane dibromide, where n = 6 and 8. Polarized Optical Microscopy and Small-Angle X-ray Scattering were used for identifying the mesophases and the influence of different dicationic ionic liquids on the lyotropic liquid crystals phase transitions. The addition of dicationic ionic liquids to the lyotropic liquid crystals samples led to changes in transition temperature and in mesophase structure itself (such as characteristic distances).