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  1. Article: A Comparison of the Academic Achievement at the End of the Medicine Undergraduate Degree Program Between Students Who Only Used the University Admission Test and Those Who Used the University Admission Test Plus Marks from the High School National Exam (ENEM) at a Single Brazilian Center.

    Bestetti, Reinaldo Bulgarelli / Durand, Marina de Toledo / Couto, Lucélio B / Faria-Jr, Milton / Fumagalli, Helen Figueiredo / Silva, Vinicius M R / Romão, Gustavo S / Furlan-Daniel, Rosemary / Garcia, Marcelo E / Ferri, Sônia M N / Reis, Ana Cláudia S / Jorge-Neto, Salim D / Geleilete, Tufik Jose M

    Advances in medical education and practice

    2023  Volume 14, Page(s) 1185–1190

    Abstract: Purpose: The role of marks in the University Admission Test (UAT) plus the marks from pre-university academic records in predicting academic achievement at the end of the Medicine undergraduate degree program is not completely known. This study was ... ...

    Abstract Purpose: The role of marks in the University Admission Test (UAT) plus the marks from pre-university academic records in predicting academic achievement at the end of the Medicine undergraduate degree program is not completely known. This study was undertaken to compare the performance of marks in the UAT alone with those of the UAT plus marks from the National High School Exam (ENEM in Brazil) regarding students' outcomes at the end of the Medicine undergraduate degree program.
    Methods: Fifty-one (51) students from the last semester (12th) of our Medicine undergraduate degree program were included in the study. They were divided into a group of those who used the marks obtained in the UAT plus the marks obtained in the ENEM (ENEM group, n=9), and those who only used the marks in the UAT (non-ENEM group, n=42). We compared the academic achievement of the non-ENEM group with that of the ENEM group regarding the mean marks obtained in the clerkship, in the Progress Test (PT), and in the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE).
    Results: The mean scores obtained in the disciplines of the clerkship were higher in the non-ENEM group compared to the ENEM group (7.32 ± 0.41 vs 6.98 ± 0.31, p= 0.01). Both groups obtained similar mean marks in the OSCE and in the PT. A moderate correlation was observed between the marks in the clerkship with those of the UAT from the non-ENEM group (p=0.00006; r=0.45).
    Conclusion: Marks of the UAT alone appear to be associated with a higher academic achievement in the clerkship than marks of the UAT plus scores obtained from the ENEM at the end of the Medicine undergraduate degree program.
    Language English
    Publishing date 2023-10-21
    Publishing country New Zealand
    Document type Journal Article
    ZDB-ID 2578539-4
    ISSN 1179-7258
    ISSN 1179-7258
    DOI 10.2147/AMEP.S372822
    Database MEDical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System OnLINE

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  2. Article ; Online: Compound screen identifies the small molecule Q34 as an inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2 infection

    Qi Cui / Gustavo Garcia, Jr. / Mingzi Zhang / Cheng Wang / Hongzhi Li / Tao Zhou / Guihua Sun / Vaithilingaraja Arumugaswami / Yanhong Shi

    iScience, Vol 25, Iss 1, Pp 103684- (2022)

    2022  

    Abstract: Summary: The COVID-19 outbreak poses a serious threat to global public health. Effective countermeasures and approved therapeutics are desperately needed. In this study, we screened a small molecule library containing the NCI-DTP compounds to identify ... ...

    Abstract Summary: The COVID-19 outbreak poses a serious threat to global public health. Effective countermeasures and approved therapeutics are desperately needed. In this study, we screened a small molecule library containing the NCI-DTP compounds to identify molecules that can prevent SARS-CoV-2 cellular entry. By applying a luciferase assay-based screening using a pseudotyped SARS-CoV-2-mediated cell entry assay, we identified a small molecule compound Q34 that can efficiently block cellular entry of the pseudotyped SARS-CoV-2 into human ACE2-expressing HEK293T cells, and inhibit the infection of the authentic SARS-CoV-2 in human ACE2-expressing HEK293T cells, human iPSC-derived neurons and astrocytes, and human lung Calu-3 cells. Importantly, the safety profile of the compound is favorable. There is no obvious toxicity observed in uninfected cells treated with the compound. Thus, this compound holds great potential as both prophylactics and therapeutics for COVID-19 and future pandemics by blocking the entry of SARS-CoV-2 and related viruses into human cells.
    Keywords Chemistry ; Small molecule ; Virology ; Cell biology ; Science ; Q
    Language English
    Publishing date 2022-01-01T00:00:00Z
    Publisher Elsevier
    Document type Article ; Online
    Database BASE - Bielefeld Academic Search Engine (life sciences selection)

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  3. Article ; Online: Integrating ecological niche and hydrological connectivity models to assess the impacts of hydropower plants on an endemic and imperilled freshwater turtle

    Regolin, André Luis / Bressan, Raíssa / Kunz, Tobias S. / Martello, Felipe / Ghizoni‐Jr, Ivo R. / Cherem, Jorge José / Capela, Danilo José Vieira / Oliveira‐Santos, Luiz Gustavo R. / Collevatti, Rosane Garcia / Sobral‐Souza, Thadeu

    Journal of Applied Ecology. 2023 Aug., v. 60, no. 8 p.1734-1748

    2023  

    Abstract: Hydropower is the main renewable energy source around the globe; however, cumulative impacts of hydropower plants (HPPs) come with vast environmental concerns. As freshwater species are susceptible to hydrodam‐induced environmental modifications, an ... ...

    Abstract Hydropower is the main renewable energy source around the globe; however, cumulative impacts of hydropower plants (HPPs) come with vast environmental concerns. As freshwater species are susceptible to hydrodam‐induced environmental modifications, an understanding of how HPPs change species distribution is required to predict and mitigate the impacts of the expansion of hydroelectric matrices generation, securing energy provision and biodiversity conservation. We assessed the impacts of HPPs on the distribution of an endemic and imperilled freshwater turtle with very unique ecological requirements, the Williams' side‐necked turtle Phrynops williamsi. To prevent and mitigate impacts, we prioritized sites for species conservation by classifying planned HPP locations according to their predicted adverse effects on species distribution. We built ecological niche models to estimate the distribution of the species. Then, we contrasted the species distribution with current and planned HPPs in Brazil to (i) verify whether HPPs locations coincide with high suitability areas; (ii) assess the difference in the magnitude of impacts on species caused by HPPs regarding their licensing stage and type; and (iii) identify priority areas for species conservation over the sites where new HPPs are planned based on an integrative analysis of ecological niche and hydrological connectivity models. Finally, we assessed the risk of species extinction at multiple levels according to IUCN criteria. HPPs overlap areas of high suitability for the species, independently of type or licensing stage. Differences in adverse impacts among HPP types were determined by the affected area and the degree of disruption in connectivity. In the future, the area impacted by small HPPs will nearly equal those of large HPPs, which currently have the highest impacts on species. The conservation status of the species partially corroborated previous assessments and suggested that its extinction risk was underestimated at some levels. Synthesis and applications. Our modelling approach highlights potential conflicts between hydropower generation and species conservation. This analysis can be a complementary tool to drive decisions on the ecological sustainability of HPPs; it can reveal the patterns of cumulative impacts of HPPs on riverine species and freshwater ecosystems, informing the planning of sustainable energy provision.
    Keywords applied ecology ; biodiversity conservation ; conservation status ; energy ; environmental sustainability ; extinction ; freshwater ; geographical distribution ; niches ; riparian areas ; risk ; turtles ; water power ; Brazil
    Language English
    Dates of publication 2023-08
    Size p. 1734-1748.
    Publishing place John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
    Document type Article ; Online
    Note JOURNAL ARTICLE
    ZDB-ID 410405-5
    ISSN 1365-2664 ; 0021-8901
    ISSN (online) 1365-2664
    ISSN 0021-8901
    DOI 10.1111/1365-2664.14436
    Database NAL-Catalogue (AGRICOLA)

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  4. Article ; Online: Water quality trends of streams in Puerto Rico: Evaluating 50 years of the Clean Water Act.

    Martínez-Rodríguez, Gustavo A / Vázquez-Cartagena, Miguel A / Perdomo-García, Cristian R / Macchiavelli, Raul E / Sotomayor-Ramírez, David / Rosa, Juan R

    Journal of environmental quality

    2024  Volume 53, Issue 2, Page(s) 253–264

    Abstract: Water quality regulations entail a substantial commitment of resources from governments and private entities. It is important to continually evaluate the effectiveness of these regulations to ensure they are having the intended impact. In this paper, we ... ...

    Abstract Water quality regulations entail a substantial commitment of resources from governments and private entities. It is important to continually evaluate the effectiveness of these regulations to ensure they are having the intended impact. In this paper, we evaluated nutrient data as indicators of primary productivity and dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations and pH as response variables to assess historical water quality trends from 55 stations of Puerto Rico. The stations were divided into impaired versus non-impaired categories based on their historical total phosphorus (TP) mean concentration. Mean TP and total nitrogen (TN) concentrations were significantly higher in the impaired stations relative to the non-impaired stations. In contrast, DO mean concentrations and mean pH values were significantly lower in the impaired stations. A generalized additive mixed model was used to demonstrate temporal trends. A significant decrease in TP and TN concentrations was observed with time at the impaired stations. This was accompanied by significant increases in DO concentrations and pH. The non-impaired stations showed a marginal (statistically nonsignificant) decreasing trend with time. The large reductions in nutrient concentrations observed at the impaired stations seem to be related to the closure of several primary wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) across the island. The conversion of abandoned crop agricultural lands into secondary forest in recent decades has resulted in small but significant decreases in TN (not TP) in receiving streams. We conclude that the Clean Water Act has promoted improvements in water quality in Puerto Rico by advancing upgrades in sanitary infrastructure and the regulation of point sources of pollution.
    MeSH term(s) Water Quality ; Water Pollutants, Chemical/analysis ; Environmental Monitoring/methods ; Puerto Rico ; Phosphorus/analysis ; Nitrogen/analysis ; China
    Chemical Substances Water Pollutants, Chemical ; Phosphorus (27YLU75U4W) ; Nitrogen (N762921K75)
    Language English
    Publishing date 2024-02-21
    Publishing country United States
    Document type Journal Article
    ZDB-ID 120525-0
    ISSN 1537-2537 ; 0047-2425
    ISSN (online) 1537-2537
    ISSN 0047-2425
    DOI 10.1002/jeq2.20550
    Database MEDical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System OnLINE

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  5. Article ; Online: Human iPSC-Derived Cardiomyocytes Are Susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 Infection

    Arun Sharma / Gustavo Garcia, Jr. / Yizhou Wang / Jasmine T. Plummer / Kouki Morizono / Vaithilingaraja Arumugaswami / Clive N. Svendsen

    Cell Reports Medicine, Vol 1, Iss 4, Pp 100052- (2020)

    2020  

    Abstract: Summary: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). COVID-19 is defined by respiratory symptoms, but cardiac complications including viral myocarditis are also prevalent. ... ...

    Abstract Summary: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). COVID-19 is defined by respiratory symptoms, but cardiac complications including viral myocarditis are also prevalent. Although ischemic and inflammatory responses caused by COVID-19 can detrimentally affect cardiac function, the direct impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on human cardiomyocytes is not well understood. Here, we utilize human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) as a model to examine the mechanisms of cardiomyocyte-specific infection by SARS-CoV-2. Microscopy and RNA sequencing demonstrate that SARS-CoV-2 can enter hiPSC-CMs via ACE2. Viral replication and cytopathic effect induce hiPSC-CM apoptosis and cessation of beating after 72 h of infection. SARS-CoV-2 infection activates innate immune response and antiviral clearance gene pathways, while inhibiting metabolic pathways and suppressing ACE2 expression. These studies show that SARS-CoV-2 can infect hiPSC-CMs in vitro, establishing a model for elucidating infection mechanisms and potentially a cardiac-specific antiviral drug screening platform.
    Keywords COVID-19 ; SARS-CoV-2 ; coronavirus ; induced pluripotent stem cells ; viral myocarditis ; cardiomyocytes ; Medicine (General) ; R5-920
    Language English
    Publishing date 2020-07-01T00:00:00Z
    Publisher Elsevier
    Document type Article ; Online
    Database BASE - Bielefeld Academic Search Engine (life sciences selection)

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  6. Article: University Admission Test Associates with Academic Performance at the End of Medical Course in a PBL Medical Hybrid Curriculum.

    Bestetti, Reinaldo B / Couto, Lucélio B / Roncato-Paiva, Priscila / Romão, Gustavo S / Faria-Jr, Milton / Furlan-Daniel, Rosemary Aparecida / Geleilete, Tufik José Magalhães / Jorge-Neto, Salim Demetrio / Mendonça, Fernanda Porfirio / Garcia, Marcelo Engracia / Durand, Marina Toledo

    Advances in medical education and practice

    2020  Volume 11, Page(s) 579–585

    Abstract: Purpose: Most studies assessing the value of the university admissions test (UAT) to predict academic performance at the end of a medical course were carried out on lecture-based medical courses. However, the association between performance in the UAT ... ...

    Abstract Purpose: Most studies assessing the value of the university admissions test (UAT) to predict academic performance at the end of a medical course were carried out on lecture-based medical courses. However, the association between performance in the UAT with academic achievement at the end of medical course in a problem-based learning (PBL) medical hybrid curriculum remains controversial. The aim of this study was to correlate marks in the UAT with those obtained in the Organized Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE), in the progress testing (PT), and in the final marks of the clerkship (FMC).
    Methods: We used data from 48 medical students. A single and a multiple dependency studies were performed to assess bivariate and multiple correlation between the UAT or the essay scores (dependent variables) and the OSCE, PT, and FMC (independent variables). Pearson test, multiple linear regression, and ANOVA tests were used and a p-value < 0.05 was considered significant.
    Results: In the bivariate analysis, only the UAT and FMC marks were correlated (r=0.34; p=0.02). However, the multiple dependency study showed a moderate correlation among UAT, OSCE, PT, and FMC marks (r=0.46; p=0.01). No correlation was found between the essay scores and PT, FMC, and OSCE scores.
    Conclusion: Our study shows that UAT marks, but not essay scores, can predict academic achievement, particularly in terms of clinical competence (FMC) at the end of a medical course in a PBL hybrid curriculum.
    Language English
    Publishing date 2020-08-25
    Publishing country New Zealand
    Document type Journal Article
    ZDB-ID 2578539-4
    ISSN 1179-7258
    ISSN 1179-7258
    DOI 10.2147/AMEP.S255732
    Database MEDical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System OnLINE

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  7. Article ; Online: Antiviral Drug Screen of Kinase Inhibitors Identifies Cellular Signaling Pathways Critical for SARS-CoV-2 Replication

    Garcia Jr, Gustavo / Sharma, Arun / Ramaiah, Arunachalam / Sen, Chandani / Kohn, Donald B. / Gomperts, Brigitte N. / Svendsen, Clive N. / Damoiseaux, Robert / Arumugaswami, Vaithilingaraja

    SSRN Electronic Journal ; ISSN 1556-5068

    2020  

    Keywords covid19
    Language English
    Publisher Elsevier BV
    Publishing country us
    Document type Article ; Online
    DOI 10.2139/ssrn.3682004
    Database BASE - Bielefeld Academic Search Engine (life sciences selection)

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  8. Article: Energy Metabolism and Redox State in Brains of Wistar Audiogenic Rats, a Genetic Model of Epilepsy.

    Dechandt, Carlos Roberto Porto / Ferrari, Gustavo Duarte / Dos Santos, Jonathas Rodrigo / de Oliveira, José Antonio Cortes / da Silva-Jr, Rui Milton Patrício / Cunha, Alexandra Olimpio Siqueira / Garcia-Cairasco, Norberto / Alberici, Luciane Carla

    Frontiers in neurology

    2019  Volume 10, Page(s) 1007

    Abstract: The Wistar Audiogenic Rat (WAR) strain is a genetic model of epilepsy, specifically brainstem-dependent tonic-clonic seizures, triggered by acute auditory stimulation. Chronic audiogenic seizures (audiogenic kindling) mimic temporal lobe epilepsy, with ... ...

    Abstract The Wistar Audiogenic Rat (WAR) strain is a genetic model of epilepsy, specifically brainstem-dependent tonic-clonic seizures, triggered by acute auditory stimulation. Chronic audiogenic seizures (audiogenic kindling) mimic temporal lobe epilepsy, with significant participation of the hippocampus, amygdala, and cortex. The objective of the present study was to characterize the mitochondrial energy metabolism in hippocampus and cortex of WAR and verify its relationship with seizure severity. Hippocampus of WAR naïve (no seizures) presented higher oxygen consumption in respiratory states related to the maximum capacities of phosphorylation and electron transfer system, elevated mitochondrial density, lower GSH/GSSG and catalase activity, and higher protein carbonyl and lactate contents, compared with their Wistar counterparts. Audiogenic kindling had no adding functional effect in WAR, but in Wistar, it induced the same alterations observed in the audiogenic strain. In the cortex, WAR naïve presented elevated mitochondrial density, lower GSH/GSSG and catalase activity, and higher protein carbonyl levels. Chronic acoustic stimulation in Wistar induced the same alterations in cortex and hippocampus. Mainly in the hippocampus, WAR naïve presented elevated mRNA expression of glucose, lactate and excitatory amino acids transporters, several glycolytic enzymes, lactate dehydrogenase, and Na
    Language English
    Publishing date 2019-10-01
    Publishing country Switzerland
    Document type Journal Article
    ZDB-ID 2564214-5
    ISSN 1664-2295
    ISSN 1664-2295
    DOI 10.3389/fneur.2019.01007
    Database MEDical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System OnLINE

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  9. Article ; Online: Membrane hydrophobicity determines the activation free energy of passive lipid transport.

    Rogers, Julia R / Espinoza Garcia, Gustavo / Geissler, Phillip L

    Biophysical journal

    2021  Volume 120, Issue 17, Page(s) 3718–3731

    Abstract: The collective behavior of lipids with diverse chemical and physical features determines a membrane's thermodynamic properties. Yet, the influence of lipid physicochemical properties on lipid dynamics, in particular interbilayer transport, remains ... ...

    Abstract The collective behavior of lipids with diverse chemical and physical features determines a membrane's thermodynamic properties. Yet, the influence of lipid physicochemical properties on lipid dynamics, in particular interbilayer transport, remains underexplored. Here, we systematically investigate how the activation free energy of passive lipid transport depends on lipid chemistry and membrane phase. Through all-atom molecular dynamics simulations of 11 chemically distinct glycerophospholipids, we determine how lipid acyl chain length, unsaturation, and headgroup influence the free energy barriers for two elementary steps of lipid transport: lipid desorption, which is rate limiting, and lipid insertion into a membrane. Consistent with previous experimental measurements, we find that lipids with longer, saturated acyl chains have increased activation free energies compared to lipids with shorter, unsaturated chains. Lipids with different headgroups exhibit a range of activation free energies; however, no clear trend based solely on chemical structure can be identified, mirroring difficulties in the interpretation of previous experimental results. Compared to liquid-crystalline phase membranes, gel phase membranes exhibit substantially increased free energy barriers. Overall, we find that the activation free energy depends on a lipid's local hydrophobic environment in a membrane and that the free energy barrier for lipid insertion depends on a membrane's interfacial hydrophobicity. Both of these properties can be altered through changes in lipid acyl chain length, lipid headgroup, and membrane phase. Thus, the rate of lipid transport can be tuned through subtle changes in local membrane composition and order, suggesting an unappreciated role for nanoscale membrane domains in regulating cellular lipid dynamics.
    MeSH term(s) Biological Transport ; Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions ; Lipid Bilayers ; Molecular Dynamics Simulation ; Thermodynamics
    Chemical Substances Lipid Bilayers
    Language English
    Publishing date 2021-07-22
    Publishing country United States
    Document type Journal Article ; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
    ZDB-ID 218078-9
    ISSN 1542-0086 ; 0006-3495
    ISSN (online) 1542-0086
    ISSN 0006-3495
    DOI 10.1016/j.bpj.2021.07.016
    Database MEDical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System OnLINE

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  10. Article: Neurological pathophysiology of SARS‐CoV‐2 and pandemic potential RNA viruses: a comparative analysis

    Chakravarty, Nikhil / Senthilnathan, Thrisha / Paiola, Sophia / Gyani, Priya / Castillo Cario, Sebastian / Urena, Estrella / Jeysankar, Akash / Jeysankar, Prakash / Ignatius Irudayam, Joseph / Natesan Subramanian, Sumathi / Lavretsky, Helen / Joshi, Shantanu / Garcia, Gustavo, Jr / Ramaiah, Arunachalam / Arumugaswami, Vaithilingaraja

    FEBS letters. 2021 Dec., v. 595, no. 23

    2021  

    Abstract: SARS‐CoV‐2 has infected hundreds of millions of people with over four million dead, resulting in one of the worst global pandemics in recent history. Neurological symptoms associated with COVID‐19 include anosmia, ageusia, headaches, confusion, delirium, ...

    Abstract SARS‐CoV‐2 has infected hundreds of millions of people with over four million dead, resulting in one of the worst global pandemics in recent history. Neurological symptoms associated with COVID‐19 include anosmia, ageusia, headaches, confusion, delirium, and strokes. These may manifest due to viral entry into the central nervous system (CNS) through the blood–brain barrier (BBB) by means of ill‐defined mechanisms. Here, we summarize the abilities of SARS‐CoV‐2 and other neurotropic RNA viruses, including Zika virus and Nipah virus, to cross the BBB into the CNS, highlighting the role of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in assessing presence and severity of brain structural changes in COVID‐19 patients. We present new insight into key mutations in SARS‐CoV‐2 variants B.1.1.7 (P681H) and B.1.617.2 (P681R), which may impact on neuropilin 1 (NRP1) binding and CNS invasion. We postulate that SARS‐CoV‐2 may infect both peripheral cells capable of crossing the BBB and brain endothelial cells to traverse the BBB and spread into the brain. COVID‐19 patients can be followed up with MRI modalities to better understand the long‐term effects of COVID‐19 on the brain.
    Keywords COVID-19 infection ; Nipah henipavirus ; RNA ; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 ; Zika virus ; blood-brain barrier ; brain ; magnetism ; pandemic ; pathophysiology
    Language English
    Dates of publication 2021-12
    Size p. 2854-2871.
    Publishing place John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
    Document type Article
    Note REVIEW
    ZDB-ID 212746-5
    ISSN 1873-3468 ; 0014-5793
    ISSN (online) 1873-3468
    ISSN 0014-5793
    DOI 10.1002/1873-3468.14227
    Database NAL-Catalogue (AGRICOLA)

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