Barbara Rodrigues Geraldino

Nanostructured carbon materials are low-dimensional systems relevant to oncology biosensing, with their utility arising from an electronic structure coupled to defect and edge states, a charge-transfer behavior and optical response that report molecular binding, an interfacial chemistry governing contact with the analyte, and, in selected cases, magnetic properties enabling manipulation and readout. In functional terms, these behaviors trace to specific quantum-relevant features—quantum confinement, edge and defect states, and the resulting size-dependent optical and charge-transfer responses—rather than to a generic quantum-material designation. This critical review treats nanocarbons as engineered biointerfaces whose performance is set by how the carbon surface behaves in biological fluid, how recognition chemistry is anchored, and how the binding event is transduced, with magnetic responsiveness, stability, reproducibility, and fabrication control as decisive constraints. The analysis separates three material classes—non-magnetic nanocarbon sensors, hybrid carbon–magnetic systems, and defect-associated or potentially metal-free magnetic carbons—while grading evidence as direct, adjacent, comparator-derived, or prospective. Directly, graphene, carbon nanotubes, carbon dots, graphene quantum dots, and magnetic carbon hybrids serve in electrochemical, optical and fluorescent, field-effect, and magnetic-assisted formats. Clinical translation, however, remains constrained by biofouling, protein-corona formation, matrix interference, unstable functionalization, batch variability, incomplete standardization, and scarce validation in real samples and patient cohorts. Metal-free or defect-associated magnetic carbons therefore warrant caution, remaining prospective platforms until the preservation of magnetic response, reproducible functionalization, matrix compatibility, safety, and measurable analytical advantage are directly demonstrated.

Nano-carbon biointerfaces offer versatile platforms for cancer biomarker detection, but their progression from analytical proof-of-concept to clinically usable diagnostic evidence remains uneven. This scoping review maps 191 primary studies published from 2024 to 2026, covering nano-carbon families, surface chemistries, transduction architectures, biological matrices, and translational endpoints in cancer biosensing. The evidence space spans four nano-carbon dimensional classes: zero-dimensional carbon dots and quantum dots, one-dimensional carbon nanotubes, two-dimensional graphene-derived materials, and three-dimensional hybrid composites. Across these platforms, analytical sensitivity did not scale monotonically with nano-carbon dimensionality; instead, performance was shaped by the interaction between material architecture, biointerface chemistry, recognition strategy, transduction modality, and matrix context. A Translational Readiness Matrix showed that approximately 67% of studies remained at Low Evidence Level, whereas only approximately 10% reached Strong Evidence Level. Five recurring bottlenecks constrained translation: incomplete reproducibility reporting, limited Real-matrix Validation, scarce comparator-based clinical evidence, insufficient manufacturing-scale data, and weak regulatory or deployment planning. To address these gaps, this review proposes a nine-item minimum reporting checklist and a four-stage validation roadmap to support more reproducible, comparable, and clinically oriented nano-carbon biosensor development.

O câncer infantojuvenil é a segunda maior causa de óbitos em crianças de 5 a 14 anos. É caracterizado pela proliferação de células anormais, e pode se desenvolver em qualquer tecido do organismo. Destaca-se, nessa faixa etária, a leucemia linfoblástica aguda (26%), tumores do sistema nervoso central (21%), neuroblastoma (7%) e linfoma não-Hodgkin (6%). O meduloblastoma (MB) é um tumor sólido do sistema nervoso central (SNC) mais comum em crianças, ocorre mais frequentemente na região da fossa posterior, onde estão o cerebelo e o tronco cerebral. Apresenta metástase em 30-40% dos diagnósticos iniciais, devido à alta disseminação no líquido cefalorraquidiano. O objetivo desse trabalho foi reunir informações sobre os aspectos gerais do MB e os tratamentos associados à maior sobrevida dos pacientes. Para tal utilizamos a metodologia de revisão narrativa da literatura. Devido aos avanços tecnológicos atualmente cerca de 80% dos pacientes podem ser curados, todavia o aumento da sobrevida evidencia a persistência de efeitos colaterais limitantes na vida desses pacientes. Há uma lacuna de conhecimentos sobre os fatores de risco e a prevalência como o MB, sabendo-se somente que o período de latência na população pediátrica é mais curto e a evolução tumoral. É significativamente mais rápida que em indivíduos maduros. O líquido cefalorraquidiano (LCR) pode ser usado não apenas para diagnóstico inicial, mas também para observar as respostas ao tratamento e reincidência, acompanhando os níveis de biomarcadores após cirurgia, radioterapia ou quimioterapia. Novas perspectivas surgem a partir de estudos em andamento, com diferentes terapias: anticorpos monoclonais, vírus oncolíticos, células Natural Killer e células CAR-T, que prometem ser mais específicos em suas atuações, com menor perfil de efeitos tóxicos e melhor qualidade de vida para os pacientes com MB.

This study systematically evaluated the performance of Attenuated Total Reflectance (ATR) and micro-Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (µFTIR) in transmission and reflection modes for the identification of microplastics (MPs) from real-world plastic products. Twelve common polymers were analyzed in two particle size ranges (500 µm and 100 µm). Identification quality was assessed using the Hit Quality Index (HQI), with a validation threshold of ≥ 70%. ATR analysis of 500 µm particles yielded HQI values > 80% for all polymers, with PET (97.2%), ABS (93.2%), and EVA (92.3%) achieving > 90%, demonstrating high spectral fidelity and reproducibility. µFTIR exhibited significant size-dependent variation: for 100 µm particles, reflection mode (R100) achieved HQI values > 85% for most polymers, including 94.5% for PS and 93.7% for epoxy resin. Conversely, µFTIR performance declined for 500 µm particles, with HQI values < 70% for PET, PS, epoxy resin, and PP. ANOVA (p < 0.0001) and Tukey’s post hoc test confirmed significant differences across techniques and particle sizes, with R100 performing comparably to ATR. These results highlight the influence of particle morphology and acquisition mode on spectral identification and emphasize the need for harmonized analytical protocols. These findings contribute empirical support for the refinement of current standards (e.g., ASTM D8333-20, ISO 24187:2023) recommending HQI ≥ 80% as a reliable threshold for polymer identification via µFTIR.

Objetivo: A psoríase é uma doença inflamatória crônica e autoimune, de origem multifatorial. Envolve desregulação imunológica associada a fatores genéticos, epigenéticos e ambientais, como o estresse. Suas lesões causam desconforto físico e impacto psicossocial, podendo surgir mesmo sem predisposição genética, o que destaca a importância dos fatores ambientais. Este manuscrito procura descrever como o estresse influencia a manifestação e a progressão da psoríase, explorando os mecanismos fisiopatológicos e imunológicos que mediam essa relação, bem como avaliando os impactos do estresse na qualidade de vida e na saúde mental dos pacientes. Método: Trata-se de uma revisão de escopo conduzida segundo as diretrizes PRISMA-ScR, analisando estudos publicados entre 2000 e 2024. A busca bibliográfica foi realizada nas bases PubMed, Scopus e SciELO, utilizando descritores específicos. Resultados: O estresse induz a liberação de hormônios, como o cortisol e as catecolaminas, que afetam o estado psicológico e modulam a resposta imune, desempenhando um papel na patogênese da doença. A interação entre psoríase e disfunções psicológicas é bidirecional: o estresse pode precipitar ou agravar as lesões cutâneas, enquanto a presença dessas lesões pode aumentar o estresse do indivíduo. Conclusão: A relação entre estresse e psoríase reforça a necessidade de uma abordagem integrada no manejo da doença, combinando tratamento farmacológico e intervenções psicológicas para melhorar a qualidade de vida dos pacientes.

O termo 'câncer relacionado ao trabalho' refere-se à neoplasia maligna causada pela exposição direta ou indireta a agentes cancerígenos, ou a condições presentes nos ambientes ou processos de trabalho. Conforme estimativas da Organização Mundial da Saúde (OMS), cerca de 19% de todos os tipos de câncer podem ser atribuídos ao ambiente, incluindo o ambiente de trabalho. Este trabalho relata a experiência do município de Queimados/RJ, no estabelecimento de um fluxo para notificação dos casos de câncer relacionado ao trabalho nesse município. Após realização de oficinas de capacitação em Queimados com o objetivo de sensibilizar os profissionais de saúde quanto à importância das notificações, um fluxo foi estabelecido e os casos de câncer relacionado ao trabalho passaram a ser registrados no SINAN. No período de 2018 a maio de 2022, o município notificou 41 casos, sendo que em 15% deles ficaram evidenciados o nexo causal entre o câncer e a atividade laboral do paciente. As oficinas de capacitação promovidas pelo INCA mostraram-se efetivas no estabelecimento de um fluxo e início das notificações dos casos em Queimados, entretanto é necessário o aprimoramento desse processo, especialmente em relação a completude das fichas de investigação.

The general population and workers are exposed to organophosphate insecticides, one of the leading chemical classes of pesticides used in rural and urban areas. This paper aims to conduct an integrative review of the most used analytical methods for identifying and quantifying dialkylphosphate—which are metabolites of organophosphate insecticides—in the urine of exposed workers, discussing their advantages, limitations and applicability. Searches utilized the PubMed, the Scientific Electronic Library Online and the Brazilian Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations databases between 2000 and 2021. Twenty‐five studies were selected. The extraction methods most used were liquid–liquid extraction (LLE) (36%) and solid‐phase extraction (SPE) (36%), with the SPE being more economical in terms of time and amount of solvents needed, and presenting the best percentage of recovery of analytes, when compared with LLE. Nineteen studies (76%) used the gas chromatography method of separation, and among these, 12 records (63%) indicated mass spectrometry used as a detection technology (analyzer). Studies demonstrate that dialkylphosphates are sensitive and representative exposure biomarkers for environmental and occupational organophosphate exposure.

(1) Background: Benzene, toluene, and xylene isomers (BTX) are present in gasoline. Exposure to benzene may lead to the appearance of a series of signs, symptoms, and complications, which are characterized by benzene poisoning, which is an occupational disease. This study evaluated the presence of signs and symptoms related to occupational exposure and whether occupational exposure to BTX is associated with the development of hematological changes. (2) Material and Methods: This cross-sectional epidemiological study included 542 participants, in which 324 were gas station workers (GSWs) and 218 were office workers (OWs) with no occupational exposure to benzene. To characterize the type of exposure (exposed and not exposed), trans,trans-Muconic acid (tt-MA), Hippuric acid (HA), and Methylhippuric acid (MHA) were used as exposure biomarkers. The tt-MA analysis revealed that the GSWs had 0.29 mg/g of urinary creatinine and the OWs had 0.13 mg/g of urinary creatinine. For HA, the GSWs presented 0.49 g/g of creatinine while the OWs presented 0.07. MHA analysis revealed that the GSWs had 1.57 g/g creatinine and the OWs had 0.01 g/g creatinine. Occupation habits and clinical symptoms were collected by questionnaire and blood samples were analyzed for hematological parameters. The persistence of hematological changes was evaluated with three serial blood collections every 15 days followed by laboratory hematological analysis. A descriptive analysis by the Chi-square test method was performed to evaluate the association between occupational exposure to fuels and the occurrence of changes in hematological parameters. (3) Results: In the GSWs, the most described signs and symptoms were somnolence (45.1%), headache (38.3%), dizziness (27.5%), tingling (25.4%), and involuntary movement (25%). Twenty GSWs that presented hematological alterations performed serial collections fifteen days apart. In addition, these workers presented total leukocyte counts above the upper limit and lymphocyte counts close to the lower limit. Leukocytosis and lymphopenia are hematological alterations present in chronic benzene poisoning. (4) Conclusions: The results found an initial change in different hematological parameters routinely used in clinics to evaluate health conditions. These findings reveal the importance of valuing clinical changes, even in the absence of disease, during the health monitoring of gas station workers and other groups that share the same space.

A freshwater snail assay was employed to assess the embryotoxicity of solvents including acetone, methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, dimethyl-sulfoxide, glycerin, metals/metalloids including mercuric chloride (HgCl₂), cadmium chloride (CdCl₂,), antimony salts Sb⁺³ and Sb⁺⁵, drugs including colchicine, hydroxyurea, cyclophosphamide, an industrial chemical sodium azide (SA), an anionic surfactant dodecyl sodium sulfate-(DSS), H₂O₂ and sodium chloride (NaCl). The assay consists of exposing Biomphalaria glabrata egg masses (EM) to the substances for 96-hr and following up embryo/snail development for lethality, abnormal morphology (teratogenicity), and day of hatching up to day 10 or 14 after spawning. Based upon concentration-response relationships, LC_50%s (embryolethality), EC_50%s (teratogenicity) and IC_50%s (hatching retardation) and 95%CIs were determined for tested chemicals. The LOECs indicated that HgCl₂ (37 nM) and CdCl₂ (140 nM) are potent embryotoxic agents in snails. Teratogenic indices (TI = LC₅₀/EC₅₀) for almost all tested chemicals were lower than or close to unity suggesting that these compounds were not teratogenic in this assay. The snail assay may be adequately performed in a cost-effective standardized protocol which enables testing a number of environmental chemicals over a broad concentration range. The snail assay needs to undergo further validation to be recognized for an internationally harmonized hazard identification in ecotoxicity risk assessment.

The main volatile organic compounds found at gasoline stations are benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene isomers (BTEX). They cause several harmful effects on human health. Regulatory Norm 7 (1978) provides that, in Brazil, biological monitoring of toluene and xylene is carried out by measuring the urinary metabolites hippuric acid (HA) and methylhippuric acid (MHA), respectively. The objective of this study was to assess the exposure to toluene and xylene and to identify related signs and symptoms in gasoline station workers. A cross-sectional epidemiological study was conducted with workers occupationally exposed to fuels. These gasoline station workers were divided into two groups: 94 workers exposed mainly by inhalation (convenience store workers (CSWs)) and 181 workers exposed by inhalation and dermal route (filling station attendants (FSAs)). A comparison group was formed by 119 workers not occupationally exposed to fuels (office workers (OWs)). Workers exposed to fuels had higher average levels of these exposure biomarkers (HA and MHA), which were also higher in convenience store workers than in filling station attendants. In addition, individuals exposed to the solvents present in gasoline had altered mood/depression, cramps, dizziness, drowsiness, headaches, irritability/nervousness, weakness, weight loss, and other symptoms more frequently and had higher urinary levels of HA and MHA compared to the comparison group. Gasoline station workers showed high levels of HA and MHA, reflecting high occupational exposure to the solvents toluene and xylene present in gasoline, demonstrating that changes in the current legislation and in the work environment are necessary to ensure better health protection for these workers.