Pathergy-like reaction induced by laser hair removal in a patient with Behçet disease.

Behçet disease (BD) is a rare systemic vasculitis of unknown etiology, primarily characterized by recurrent oral aphthous ulcers, genital ulcers, uveitis, and skin lesions. Pathergy test positivity is a nonspecific inflammatory response of the skin to trauma and supports the diagnosis. Recently, new inducers of pathergy reactions have been identified, for example, the placement of dental braces and laser hair removal. Our clinical case highlights the importance of thinking about this potential pathergy inducer in BD patients, to improve their quality of life and avoid complications.

Transmission Route Used By Parasitic Lasidium Larvae of The Freshwater Mussel Anodontites Trapesialis on Guppies Poecilia Reticulata During Short Cohabitation.

We describe for the first time the transmission route employed by the parasitic larvae of the freshwater mussel Anodontites trapesialis (Lamarck, 1819) during cohabitation on the guppy Poecilia reticulata Peter, 1859. The freshwater mussel and fish-host were employed as a model system to investigate the infection and parasite establishment. Laboratory experiments included video recording and histopathological analysis of the infection. In vivo video observations demonstrated that lasidium larvae could be transmitted to guppies during direct contact. A series of histology samples and photography suggest that this larva attaches and colonizes possibly on-site on the outer surface of the fish, causing cellular inflammation in the epidermis layer with cellular hyperplasia in the zone of parasite attachment. An evident hyaline layer, cellular hypertrophy, and a large number of undifferentiated proliferating cells were observed. Hemorrhagic tissue and swelling were observed in the epidermis and dermic zone. The total number of larvae per male and female guppy was 525 ± 86 and 494 ± 167, respectively. No parasitic preference was detected for male versus female parasitized fish.

Measuring improvement in knowledge of drug policy reforms following a police education program in Tijuana, Mexico.

BACKGROUND: Mexico's 2009 "narcomenudeo reform" decriminalized small amounts of drugs, shifting some drug law enforcement to the states and mandating drug treatment diversion instead of incarceration. Data from Tijuana suggested limited implementation of this harm reduction-oriented policy. We studied whether a police education program (PEP) improved officers' drug and syringe policy knowledge, and aimed to identify participant characteristics associated with improvement of drug policy knowledge. METHODS: Pre- and post-training surveys were self-administered by municipal police officers to measure legal knowledge. Training impact was assessed through matched paired nominal data using McNemar's tests. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify predictors of improved legal knowledge, as measured by officers' ability to identify conceptual legal provisions related to syringe possession and thresholds of drugs covered under the reform. RESULTS: Of 1750 respondents comparing pre- versus post training, officers reported significant improvement (p < 0.001) in their technical understanding of syringe possession (56 to 91%) and drug amounts decriminalized, including marijuana (9 to 52%), heroin (8 to 71%), and methamphetamine (7 to 70%). The training was associated with even greater success in improving conceptual legal knowledge for syringe possession (67 to 96%) (p < 0.001), marijuana (16 to 91%), heroin (11 to 91%), and methamphetamine (11 to 89%). In multivariable modeling, those with at least a high school education were more likely to exhibit improvement of conceptual legal knowledge of syringe possession (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 2.6, 95% CI 1.4-3.2) and decriminalization for heroin (aOR 2.7, 95% CI 1.3-4.3), methamphetamine (aOR 2.2, 95% CI 1.4-3.2), and marijuana (aOR 2.5, 95% CI 1.6-4). CONCLUSIONS: Drug policy reform is often necessary, but not sufficient to achieve public health goals because of gaps in translating formal laws to policing practice. To close such gaps, PEP initiatives bundling occupational safety information with relevant legal content demonstrate clear promise. Our findings underscore additional efforts needed to raise technical knowledge of the law among personnel tasked with its enforcement. Police professionalization, including minimum educational standards, appear critical for aligning policing with harm reduction goals.

Access to emergency care services: a transversal ecological study about Brazilian emergency health care network.

OBJECTIVES: Studies of health geography are important in the planning and allocation of emergency health services. The geographical distribution of health facilities is an important factor in timely and quality access to emergency services; therefore, the present study analyzed the emergency health care network in Brazil, focusing the analysis at the roles of small hospitals (SHs). STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional ecological study. METHODS: Data were collected from 9429 hospitals of which 3524 were SHs and 5905 were high-complexity centers (HCCs). For analytical purposes, we considered four specialties when examining the proxies of emergency care capability: adult, pediatrics, neonatal, and obstetric. We analyzed the spatial distribution of hospitals, identifying municipalities that rely exclusively on SHs and the distance of these cities from HCCs. RESULTS: More than 14 and 30 million people were at least 120 km away from HCCs with an adult intensive care unit (ICU) and pediatric ICU, respectively. For neonatal care distribution, 12% of the population was more than 120 km away from a health facility with a neonatal ICU. The maternities situation is different from other specialties, where 81% of the total Brazilian population was within 1 h or less from such health facilities. CONCLUSION: Our results highlighted a polarization in distribution of Brazilian health care facilities. There is a concentration of hospitals in urban areas more developed and access gaps in rural areas and the Amazon region. Our results demonstrate that the distribution of emergency services in Brazil is not facilitating access to the population due to geographical barriers associated with great distances.

Subjects with temporomandibular joint disc displacement do not feature any peculiar changes in body posture.

The presence of body posture changes among patients with temporomandibular disorders (TMD) has been a controversial topic in dentistry. Based on that, the aim of this study was to assess postural features of pain-free subjects with internal derangement of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), viz. disc displacement, when compared to subjects with normal disc position. A total of 21 subjects with unilateral, pain-free TMJ disc displacement (DD) and 21 subjects without any TMD signs of symptoms were assessed for body posture changes by means of posturographic evaluation of several body segments and postural balance reactions through the centre of mass during jaw movements using a balance platform. Posturographic measurements showed the absence of any significant differences between the two groups in any of the outcome parameters. Similarly, all balance platform responses to mandibular movements were not different between groups. There are no significant differences in body posture between subjects with and without unilateral disc displacement in the temporomandibular joint. Such observations, indicating a well-preserved postural balance in the presence of TMJ internal derangement, put into serious question the potential influence of TMJ disorders on whole body posture and viceversa.

Effects of dredging at Aratu port in All Saints Bay, Brazil: monitoring the metal content in water and sediments.

This work reports the chemical monitoring of saline water and sediments at Aratu port, All Saints Bay, Brazil, when subjected to a deep dragging process (DDP) over a 2-year period (2010-2012). The aim of this work was to detect which metals had possible deleterious effects on the biota. It analyzed percentage of silt + clay and TOC and metal concentrations (As, Cd, Cu, Cr, Ni, Pb, and Zn) before, during, and after the DDP. The determination of metal concentration in sediments used the following techniques: atomic absorption spectrometer with flame, also with hydrate generation, and cold vapor spectrophotometry. The DDP disturbed the concentrations of metals in sediments and water, but 15 months after the DDP, only Cu and Zn were detectable on the bottom saline water, and 20 months after the DDP, only Zn was detectable in water. This fact indicates that these metals were longer available for absorption by the marine biota with probable deleterious effect. Indeed, studies by others during the DDP in Aratu port, indicated the decrease from 50 to 40 of the number of microalgae species identified. On the other hand, in the sediments, 20 months after the DDP, the concentrations of As, Cr, Cu, Pb, and Hg, returned to the original values, but Ni and Zn did not return to their original values. Comparison with studies by others indicated that the sediments from dredging were inappropriate for disposal at sea. This work indicated that the metals Cu, Ni, and Zn are the most deleterious elements to the marine environment.

The oxidation of copper catalysts during ethylene epoxidation.

The oxidation of copper catalysts during ethylene epoxidation was characterized using in situ photoemission spectroscopy and electron microscopy. Gas chromatography, proton-transfer reaction mass spectrometry and electron-ionization mass spectrometry were used to characterize the catalytic properties of the oxidized copper. We find that copper corrodes during epoxidation in a 1 : 1 mixture of oxygen and ethylene. The catalyst corrosion passes through several stages, beginning with the formation of an O-terminated surface, followed by the formation of Cu2O scale and eventually a CuO scale. The oxidized catalyst exhibits measurable activity for ethylene epoxidation, but with a low selectivity of <3%. Tests on pure Cu2O and CuO powders confirm that the oxides intrinsically exhibit partial-oxidation activity. Cu2O was found to form acetaldehyde and ethylene epoxide in roughly equal amounts (1.0% and 1.2% respectively), while CuO was found to form much less ethyl aldehyde than ethylene epoxide (0.1% and 1.0%, respectively). Metallic copper catalysts were examined in extreme dilute-O2 epoxidation conditions to try and keep the catalyst from oxidizing during the reaction. It was found that in feed of 1 part O2 to 2500 parts C2H4 (PO2 = 1.2 × 10(-4) mbar) the copper surface becomes O-terminated. The O-terminated surface was found to exhibit partial-oxidation selectivity similar to that of Cu2O. With increasing O2 concentration (>8/2500) Cu2O forms and eventually covers the surface.

Cloning, expression, and antigenic characterization of recombinant protein of Mycoplasma gallisepticum expressed in Escherichia coli.

Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) is a member of the most important avian mycoplasmas, causing chronic respiratory disease in chickens and leading to important economic losses in the poultry industry. Recombinant technology represents a strategic approach used to achieve highly reliable and specific diagnostic tests in veterinary diseases control: in particular this aspect is crucial for confirming mycoplasma infection and for maintaining mycoplasma-free breeder flocks. In this study, we identified a component of the pyruvate dehydrogenase dihydrolipoamide acetyltransferase (i.e., E2) protein by 2-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE), characterized it in immunoblotting assays, and analyzed its recombinant (r-E2) in a rec-ELISA test. For full-length protein expression in Escherichia coli (EC) a point mutation was introduced. A rabbit antiserum produced against r-E2 was tested in a Western Blot using different samples of Mycoplasma species. The results showed the applicability of site-directed mutagenesis, with a good yield of the r-E2 after purification. Also, anti-E2 serum reacted with all the tested MG strains showing no cross reaction with other mycoplasmas. The developed E2 ELISA test was capable of detecting MG antibodies in the sera examined. Those results demonstrate the antigenic stability of the E2 protein which could represent a recombinant antigen with potential diagnostic applications.

Machine learning models' assessment: trust and performance.

The common black box nature of machine learning models is an obstacle to their application in health care context. Their widespread application is limited by a significant "lack of trust." So, the main goal of this work is the development of an evaluation approach that can assess, simultaneously, trust and performance. Trust assessment is based on (i) model robustness (stability assessment), (ii) confidence (95% CI of geometric mean), and (iii) interpretability (comparison of respective features ranking with clinical evidence). Performance is assessed through geometric mean. For validation, in patients' stratification in cardiovascular risk assessment, a Portuguese dataset (N=1544) was applied. Five different models were compared: (i) GRACE score, the most common risk assessment tool in Portugal for patients with acute coronary syndrome; (ii) logistic regression; (iii) Naïve Bayes; (iv) decision trees; and (v) rule-based approach, previously developed by this team. The obtained results confirm that the simultaneous assessment of trust and performance can be successfully implemented. The rule-based approach seems to have potential for clinical application. It provides a high level of trust in the respective operation while outperformed the GRACE model's performance, enhancing the required physicians' acceptance. This may increase the possibility to effectively aid the clinical decision.

Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Ceará: Epidemiology and Treatment in a Reference Liver Transplant Center in Northeast Brazil.

Hepatocellular carcinoma remains a significant worldwide malignancy and an important cause of cancer-related death. The incidence is increasing globally. In Latin America, there is no consistent data on the epidemiology of hepatocellular carcinoma. However, Brazil is considered a country with an intermediate incidence of this liver neoplasm. In the state of Ceará, situated in the northeast region of Brazil, there are no consistent clinical and epidemiologic data on the actual incidence and the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma. The purpose of this article is to describe epidemiologic characteristics and treatment forms of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma who were treated in a Liver Transplant Center. A retrospective observational study was conducted using the database from the register of 299 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma between June 2004 and February 2022. Only patients born in Ceará were included. Therefore, most patients were eligible, based on the Milan Criteria, to undergo liver transplantation with a Model End Stage Liver Disease score of 12.48 ± 4.66 points, and the waiting list time was approximately 7 months with 8.7% hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence after liver transplant. A total of 38.5 % of cases were outside the Milan criteria at the time of cancer diagnosis, and transarterial chemoembolization was the main treatment choice. In conclusion, the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma in Ceará mainly occurs in male patients with hepatitis C or alcoholism, with a mean age of 61.55 years and a previous diagnosis of liver disease. Liver transplantation was the best curative therapeutic form in patients with cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma in Ceará, where a significant number of patients were diagnosed with intermediate and advanced-stage hepatocellular carcinoma, so public health policies are important for the screening and monitoring of liver disease.

A surge in food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic in a cohort in Mexico City.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has not only caused tremendous loss of life and health but has also greatly disrupted the world economy. The impact of this disruption has been especially harsh in urban settings of developing countries. We estimated the impact of the pandemic on the occurrence of food insecurity in a cohort of women living in Mexico City, and the socioeconomic characteristics associated with food insecurity severity. METHODS: We analyzed data longitudinally from 685 women in the Mexico City-based ELEMENT cohort. Food insecurity at the household level was gathered using the Latin American and Caribbean Food Security Scale and measured in-person during 2015 to 2019 before the pandemic and by telephone during 2020-2021, in the midst of the pandemic. Fluctuations in the average of food insecurity as a function of calendar time were modeled using kernel-weighted local polynomial regression. Fixed and random-effects ordinal logistic regression models of food insecurity were fitted, with timing of data collection (pre-pandemic vs. during pandemic) as the main predictor. RESULTS: Food insecurity (at any level) increased from 41.6% during the pre-pandemic period to 53.8% in the pandemic stage. This increase was higher in the combined severe-moderate food insecurity levels: from 1.6% pre-pandemic to 16.8% during the pandemic. The odds of severe food insecurity were 3.4 times higher during the pandemic relative to pre-pandemic levels (p<0.01). Socioeconomic status quintile (Q) was significantly related to food insecurity (Q2 OR = 0.35 p<0.1, Q3 OR = 0.48 p = 0.014, Q4 OR = 0.24 p<0.01, and Q5 OR = 0.17 p<0.01), as well as lack of access to social security (OR = 1.69, p = 0.01), and schooling (OR = 0.37, p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Food insecurity increased in Mexico City households in the ELEMENT cohort as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. These results contribute to the body of evidence suggesting that governments should implement well-designed, focalized programs in the context of economic crisis such as the one caused by COVID-19 to prevent families from the expected adverse health and well-being consequences associated to food insecurity, especially for the most vulnerable.

Knowledge, behavior and practices of the population during the pandemic against the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in the state of Alagoas, Brazil.

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared an international state of emergency in order to contain the rapid spread of COVID-19. To ensure that there is adherence to preventive measures by the population aimed at controlling the pandemic in Alagoas, it is expected that knowledge, behavior and practices play an important role in preventing and controlling the disease. In this sense, it becomes relevant to understand the knowledge of the population about the disease. To evaluate the knowledge, behavior and practices of social media users during social isolation to prevent the transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 in the state of Alagoas, Northeast, Brazil. A probabilistic sample was carried out across the entire territory of the state of Alagoas with those who have access to a device that accesses the internet and a cross-sectional study was carried out using an online questionnaire applied to a convenience sample, recruited between August 2021 and July 2022 by snowball sampling. The questionnaire consisted of seven sessions, the first collecting data on the socioeconomic and sociodemographic profile of the participants, and the other sessions involving knowledge, attitudes and practices, including topics related to the vaccination that had to be administered at that time. High popular knowledge about signs and symptoms, means of transmission and risk groups. Low knowledge about seeking health services. Based on the results obtained, information from official channels became relevant to better teach the population in order to reduce the impact of COVID-19.

Decrease in suicide rates in Brazil during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Natural disasters such as public health epidemics may potentially affect suicide rates. The global COVID-19 pandemic poses an unprecedented challenge for healthcare systems and general populations worldwide. In this retrospective ecological study, we aimed to examine any changes in the suicide rates during the COVID-19 pandemic and to assess the relationship between COVID-19 death rates and deaths by suicide in Brazil. Data on suicide and COVID-19 case numbers were extracted from the Ministry of Health agencies and grouped weekly. We performed a time series analysis of suicide rates, a comparison of mean suicide rates between the pre-COVID-19 period and the COVID-19 period, and conducted a Poisson regression to examine the relationship between deaths due to COVID-19 and suicide rates. Our results showed decreased suicide rates during the COVID-19 pandemic. We also found that deaths owing to COVID-19 impact those owing to suicide after 10 weeks in the upward direction; however, we did not observe for enough time to see a change in the suicide rate curve. These findings are fundamental to understand suicidal behaviors in epidemic situations. However, the field needs more studies evaluating the impact of significant public health events on suicidality, incorporating extended follow-up periods.

An interpretable machine learning approach to estimate the influence of inflammation biomarkers on cardiovascular risk assessment.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Cardiovascular disease has a huge impact on health care services, originating unsustainable costs at clinical, social, and economic levels. In this context, patients' risk stratification tools are central to support clinical decisions contributing to the implementation of effective preventive health care. Although useful, these tools present some limitations, in particular, some lack of performance as well as the impossibility to consider new risk factors potentially important in the prognosis of severe cardiac events. Moreover, the actual use of these tools in the daily practice requires the physicians' trust. The main goal of this work addresses these two issues: (i) evaluate the importance of inflammation biomarkers when combined with a risk assessment tool; (ii) incorporation of personalization and interpretability as key elements of that assessment. METHODS: Firstly, machine learning based models were created to assess the potential of the inflammation biomarkers applied in secondary prevention, namely in the prediction of the six month risk of death/myocardial infarction. Then, an approach based on three main phases was created: (i) set of interpretable rules supported by clinical evidence; (ii) selection based on a machine learning classifier able to identify for a given patient the most suitable subset of rules; (iii) an ensemble scheme combining the previous subset of rules in the estimation of the patient cardiovascular risk. All the results were statistically validated (t-test, Wilcoxon-signed rank test) according to a previous verification of data normality (Shapiro-Wilk). RESULTS: The proposed methodology was applied to a real acute coronary syndrome patients dataset (N = 1544) from the Cardiology Unit of Coimbra Hospital and Universitary centre. The first assessment was based on the GRACE tool and a Random Forest classifier, the incorporation of inflammation biomarkers achieved SE=0.83; SP=0.84 whereas the original GRACE risk factors reached SE=0.75; SP=0.85. In the second phase, the proposed approach with inflammation biomarkers achieved SE=0.763 and SP=0.778. CONCLUSIONS: This approach confirms the potential of combining inflammation markers with the GRACE score, increasing SE and SP, when compared with the original GRACE. Additionally, it assures interpretability and personalization, which are critical issues to allow its application in the daily clinical practice.

Coronavirus disease 2019 related parosmia: an exploratory survey of demographics and treatment strategies.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical features, therapeutic efficacy and symptom time course of post-coronavirus disease 2019 parosmia. METHODS: A 22-item online questionnaire was distributed to AbScent research group and Facebook coronavirus disease 2019 anosmia group adult members to assess clinical features, interventions and their subjective efficacy for parosmia. RESULTS: A total of 209 participants (86 per cent females) reported: smell loss on average 3 days after coronavirus symptoms, recovery 4 weeks later, and first parosmia symptoms 12 weeks post infection. Respondents reported 10 per cent body weight loss, and listed onion and garlic as significant parosmia triggers. Regarding quality of life, depression was the most cited item (54 per cent). Smell training was trialled by 74 per cent of participants, followed by nasal corticosteroid spray (49 per cent). Stellate ganglion block, trialled by 16 per cent of respondents, had the highest reported improvement (45 per cent), with 21 per cent reporting a sustained benefit - the highest rate amongst registered treatment options. CONCLUSION: Post-coronavirus parosmia has a significant impact and remains challenging to treat. Stellate ganglion block appears to be successful relative to other reported treatments. Further research into the pathophysiology, efficacy and mechanism of stellate ganglion block effect is warranted.

Evaluation of in vitro and in vivo adhesion and immunomodulatory effect of Lactobacillus species strains isolated from chickens.

This study aimed to characterize the in vitro and in vivo adhesion and immunomodulatory effect of Lactobacillus strains isolated from chickens. Lactobacillus samples isolated from 65-wk-old birds were identified by PCR; their adhesion was evaluated in vitro via basement membrane-type cell matrix and in vivo through carboxyfluorescein succinimidyl amino ester staining inoculation in 1-d-old birds and duodenum, jejunum, ileum, and cecum collections at 1, 4, 12, and 24 h after inoculation. The 5 best adhesive samples at the in vitro test formed a pool for total IgA and IgG measurement in sera and intestinal fluid. The birds were divided into groups by inoculation scheme: group 1 was treated with a pool of Lactobacillus spp. at 2-d-old and challenged 1 d later with Salmonella Enteritidis and then treated again with a pool of Lactobacillus spp. at 4 d of age; group 2 was treated with a pool of Lactobacillus spp. at 2 and 4 d of age; group 3 was challenged with Salmonella Enteritidis at 3 d of age; and group 4 was a negative control. Collections were taken at 7, 14, 21, 28, and 35 d after the first inoculation. The results suggest that basement membrane matrix use represents an important technique for triage of samples for subsequent in vivo evaluation and that carboxyfluorescein succinimidyl amino ester staining is efficient for identifying this bacterial characteristic. The Lactobacillus-treated groups (1 and 2) presented the highest IgA concentrations at the end of the experiment (12,054.6 and 10,568.4 ng/mL, respectively). The group 2 IgG values in intestinal fluid exceeded those of the other 3 groups (P < 0.05), peaking at 6.419 ng/mL. In most serum collections, the Lactobacillus-treated groups (1 and 2) did not differ significantly in IgG concentrations (P > 0.05), whereas group 3 presented the highest concentration of this antibody. It is concluded that there was greater adhesion of strains in the cecum and an important correlation between in vitro and in vivo results. These results also suggest the immunomodulatory action of Lactobacillus spp. in the chicken.

A review on recent developments in hydrodynamic cavitation and advanced oxidative processes for pretreatment of lignocellulosic materials.

Environmental problems due to utilization of fossil-derived materials for energy and chemical generation has prompted the use of renewable alternative sources, such as lignocellulose biomass (LB). Indeed, the production of biomolecules and biofuels from LB is among the most important current research topics aiming to development a sustainable bioeconomy. Yet, the industrial use of LB is limited by the recalcitrance of biomass, which impairs the hydrolysis of the carbohydrate fractions. Hydrodynamic cavitation (HC) and Advanced Oxidative Processes (AOPs) has been proposed as innovative pretreatment strategies aiming to reduce process time and chemical inputs. Therefore, the underlying mechanisms, procedural strategies, influence on biomass structure, and research gaps were critically discussed in this review. The performed discussion can contribute to future developments, giving a wide overview of the main involved aspects.

Evaluation of antibacterial and antifungal activity of antimicrobial soaps.

Soaps play an important role in our hygiene and health, as they not only have a bactericidal effect but also remove dirt from the human body. To evaluate the effectiveness of soaps with antimicrobial activity from different commercial brands sold in Brazil. Tests of the antimicrobial activity of different soaps were carried out through diffusion in agar against the microorganisms Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterobacter cloacae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Proteus mirabilis, and Candida albicans. All commercial soaps tested transfer antimicrobial inhibition halo formation against S. aureus and P. aeruginosa bacteria. Only two commercial soaps inhibit the species A. baumannii and C. albicans. None of the seven products studied showed inhibition of E. cloacae, P. mirabilis, and E. coli bacteria. When comparing the information contained in the packaging of the products with the results obtained during a survey, divergences were observed. The soaps that provide greater efficiency against the tested microorganisms were presented in presentations 1 and 2, which become useful against the bacteria species S. aureus, P. aeruginosa, and A. baumannii and a fungus species C. albicans. Marks 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 parallel the same sensitivity result opposite as bacteria of the species S. aureus and P. aeruginosa, with quantitative variation only of the inhibition halo. There was a divergence between the information contained in the packaging of the seven products under study and the results of the experimental tests.

Molecular docking studies and evaluation of the antiretroviral activity and cytotoxicity of the species Lafoensia pacari Saint-Hilaire.

Interest in antiviral plant species has grown exponentially and some have been reported to have anti-HIV properties. This research aims to perform the bio-guided phytochemical fractionation by antiretroviral activity of Lafoensia pacari stem barks. This in vitro experimental study involved the preparation of plant material, obtention of ethanolic extract, fractionation, purification, identification and quantification of fractions, acid-base extraction, nuclear magnetic resonance, HIV-1 RT inhibition test and molecular docking studies. From the bio-guided fractionation by the antiretroviral activity there was a higher activity in the acetanolic subfractions, highlighting the acetate subfraction - neutrals with 60.98% of RT inhibition and ellagic acid with 88.61% of RT inhibition and absence of cytotoxicity. The macrophage lineage cytotoxicity assay showed that the chloroform fraction was more toxic than the acetate fraction. The analysis of the J-resolved spectrum in the aromatic region showed a singlet at 7.48 and 6.93 ppm which was identified as ellagic acid and gallic acid, respectively. The 5TIQ enzyme obtained better affinity parameter with the ellagic acid ligand, which was confirmed by the HSQC-1H-13C spectra. Gallic acid was also favorable to form interaction with the 5TIQ enzyme, being confirmed through the HSQC-1H-13C spectrum. From the PreADMET evaluation it was found that ellagic acid is a promising molecule for its RT inhibition activity and pharmacokinetic and toxicity parameters.

Physicochemical, microbiological and parasitological analysis of water for human consumption in a quilombola community in Alagoas.

Water is the indispensable natural resource for all living beings. For human consumption, it must be potable, so as not to pose a risk to health, and can be used for ingestion, food preparation and personal hygiene. Knowing this importance, this study aimed to carry out physical-chemical, microbiological and parasitological analyzes of water for human consumption in a quilombola community of Santa Luzia do Norte in Alagoas. A cross-sectional, experimental and quantitative study was carried out between January and December 2019. The physical-chemical parameters of residual chlorine, turbidity, fluoride, fluoridation, color and pH were analyzed, microbiological analyses were based on the research of total and thermotolerant coliforms (E. coli) and parasitological analyses were performed based on the research of protozoa and intestinal helminths. Some physical-chemical parameters (turbidity and pH) were observed outside the limits required by the Ministry of Health, and the presence of total coliforms in some of the analyzed samples (17.85%), characterizing this community at risk related to waterborne diseases. The samples analyzed did not present infecting forms of parasitic species. Regarding the variables evaluated, the results found showed that the lack of adequate basic sanitation affects the quality of water used for human consumption by the quilombola population of Santa Luzia do Norte-AL.