The risk of vector transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi remains high in the State of Paraná.

BACKGROUND: Monitoring and analysing the infection rates of the vector of Trypanosoma cruzi, that causes Chagas disease, helps assess the risk of transmission. OBJECTIVES: A study was carried out on triatomine in the State of Paraná, Brazil, between 2012 and 2021 and a comparison was made with a previous study. This was done to assess the risk of disease transmission. METHODS: Ecological niche models based on climate and landscape variables were developed to predict habitat suitability for the vectors as a proxy for risk of occurrence. FINDINGS: A total of 1,750 specimens of triatomines were recorded, of which six species were identified. The overall infection rate was 22.7%. The areas with the highest risk transmission of T. cruzi are consistent with previous predictions in municipalities. New data shows that climate models are more accurate than landscape models. This is likely because climate suitability was higher in the previous period. MAIN CONCLUSION: Regardless of uneven sampling and potential biases, risk remains high due to the wide presence of infected vectors and high environmental suitability for vector species throughout the state and, therefore, improvements in public policies aimed at wide dissemination of knowledge about the disease are recommended to ensure the State remains free of Chagas disease.

Acanthamoeba spp. monoclonal antibody against a CPA2 transporter: a promising molecular tool for acanthamoebiasis diagnosis and encystment study.

Free-living amoeba of the genus Acanthamoeba are ubiquitous protozoa involved in opportunistic and non-opportunistic infection in humans, such as granulomatous amoebic encephalitis and amoebic keratitis. Both infections have challenging characteristics such as the formation of the resistant cysts in infected tissues, hampering the treatment and most usual diagnosis depending on time-consuming and/or low sensitivity techniques. The use of monoclonal antibodies presents itself as an opportunity for the development of more effective alternative diagnostic methods, as well as an important and useful tool in the search for new therapeutic targets. This study investigated the possibility of using a previously produced monoclonal antibody (mAb3), as a diagnostic tool for the detection of Acanthamoeba trophozoites by direct and indirect flow cytometry and immunofluorescence. Immunoprecipitation assay and mass spectrometry allowed the isolation of the antibody's target and suggested it is a transporter part of the CPA (cation: proton antiporter) superfamily. In vitro tests indicate an important role of this target in Acanthamoeba's encystment physiology. Our results support the importance of studying the role of CPA2 transporters in the context of acanthamoebiasis, as this may be a way to identify new therapeutic candidates.

Bioactive lipids regulate Trypanosoma cruzi development.

Trypanosoma cruzi is the etiological agent of Chagas disease. These parasites undergo dramatic morphological and physiological changes during their life cycle. The human-infective metacyclic trypomastigotes differentiate from epimastigotes inside the midgut of the Triatominae insect vector. Our group has shown that the saliva and feces of Rhodnius prolixus contains a lysophospholipid, lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC), which modulates several aspects of T. cruzi infection in macrophages. LPC hydrolysis by a specific lysophospholipase D, autotaxin (ATX), generates lysophosphatidic acid (LPA). These bioactive lysophospholipids are multisignaling molecules and are found in human plasma ingested by the insect during blood feeding. Here, we show the role of LPC and LPA in T. cruzi proliferation and differentiation. Both lysophospholipids are able to induce parasite proliferation. We observed an increase in parasite growth with different fatty acyl chains, such as C18:0, C16:0, or C18:1 LPC. The dynamics of LPC and LPA effect on parasite proliferation was evaluated in vivo through a time- and space-dependent strategy in the vector gut. LPC but not LPA was also able to affect parasite metacyclogenesis. Finally, we determined LPA and LPC distribution in the parasite itself. Such bioactive lipids are associated with reservosomes of T. cruzi. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to suggest the role of surrounding bioactive lipids ingested during blood feeding in the control of parasite transmission.

The dispersant Corexit 9500 and (dispersed) oil are lethal to coral endosymbionts.

Endosymbionts (Symbiodiniaceae) play a vital role in the health of corals. Seawater pollution can harm these endosymbionts and dispersants used during oil spill cleanup can be extremely toxic to these organisms. Here, we examined the impact of oil and a specific dispersant, Corexit-9500, on two representative endosymbionts - Symbiodinium and Cladocopium - from the Southwestern endemic coral Mussismilia braziliensis. The survival and photosynthetic potential of the endosymbionts decreased dramatically after exposure to the dispersant and oil by ~25 % after 2 h and ~50 % after 7 days. Low concentrations of dispersant (0.005 ml/l) and dispersed oil (Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons, 1132 µg/l; Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons, 595 µg/l) proved highly toxic to both Symbiodinium and Cladocopium. These levels triggered a reduction in growth rate, cell size, and cell wall thickness. After a few hours of exposure, cellular organelles were damaged or destroyed. These acute toxic effects underline the fragile nature of coral endosymbionts.

Light, Copper, Action: Visible-Light Illumination Enhances Bactericidal Activity of Copper Particles.

Bacteria are an old concern to human health, as they are responsible for nosocomial infections, and the number of antibiotic-resistant microorganisms keeps growing. Copper is known for its intrinsic biocidal properties, and therefore, it is a promising material to combat infections when added to surfaces. However, its biocidal properties in the presence of light illumination have not been fully explored, especially regarding the use of microsized particles since nanoparticles have taken over all fields of research and subjugated microparticles despite them being abundant and less expensive. Thus, the present work studied the bactericidal properties of metallic copper particles, in microscale (CuMPs) and nanoscale (CuNPs), in the absence of light and under white LED light illumination. The minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of CuMPs against Staphylococcus aureus that achieved a 6-log reduction was 5.0 and 2.5 mg mL-1 for assays conducted in the absence of light and under light illumination, respectively. Similar behavior was observed against Escherichia coli. The bactericidal activity under illumination provided a percentage increase in log reduction values of 65.2% for S. aureus and 166.7% for E. coli when compared to the assays under dark. This assay reproduced the testing CuNPs, which showed superior bactericidal activity since the concentration of 2.5 mg mL-1 promoted a 6-log reduction of both bacteria even under dark. Its superior bactericidal activity, which overcame the effect of illumination, was expected once the nanoscale facilitated the interaction of copper within the surface of bacteria. The results from MBC were supported by fluorescence microscopy and atomic absorption spectroscopy. Therefore, CuMPs and CuNPs proved to have size- and dose-dependent biocidal activity. However, we have shown that CuMPs photoactivity is competitive compared to that of CuNPs, allowing their application as a self-cleaning material for disinfection processes assisted by conventional light sources without additives to contain the spread of pathogens.

Perimicrovillar membrane assembly: the fate of phospholipids synthesised by the midgut of Rhodnius prolixus.

In this study, we describe the fate of fatty acids that are incorporated from the lumen by the posterior midgut epithelium of Rhodnius prolixus and the biosynthesis of lipids. We also demonstrate that neutral lipids (NL) are transferred to the haemolymphatic lipophorin (Lp) and that phospholipids remain in the tissue in which they are organised into perimicrovillar membranes (PMMs). 3H-palmitic acid added at the luminal side of isolated midguts of R. prolixus females was readily absorbed and was used to synthesise phospholipids (80%) and NL (20%). The highest incorporation of 3H-palmitic acid was on the first day after a blood meal. The amounts of diacylglycerol (DG) and triacylglycerol synthesised by the tissue decreased in the presence of Lp in the incubation medium. The metabolic fates of 3H-lipids synthesised by the posterior midgut were followed and it was observed that DG was the major lipid released to Lp particles. However, the majority of phospholipids were not transferred to Lp, but remained in the tissue. The phospholipids that were synthesised and accumulated in the posterior midgut were found to be associated with Rhodnius luminal contents as structural components of PMMs.

An assessment of responses to egg production and liver health of Japanese quails subjected to different levels of metabolizable energy.

OBJECTIVE: Current quail production is configured as an economic activity in scale. Advancements in quail nutrition have been limited to areas such as breeding and, automation of facilities and ambience. The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance responses, liver and oviduct morphometry, and liver histology of Japanese laying quails subjected to different levels of nitrogen-corrected apparent metabolizable energy (MEn). METHODS: A completely random design was used that consisted of nine levels of MEn, six replicates, and five hens per cage with a total of 270 quails. The experimental period lasted for 10 weeks. The variables of performance were subjected to analysis of variance and then regression analysis using the broken-line model. The morphometric and histological variables were subjected to multivariate exploratory techniques. RESULTS: The MEn levels influenced the responses to zootechnical performance. The brokenline model estimated the maximum responses for feed intake, egg production, egg weight, and egg mass as 3,040, 2,820, 1,802, and 2,960 kcal of MEn per kg of diet, respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed that the occurrence of hepatic steatosis and increased levels of Kupffer cells were not related to MEn levels. CONCLUSION: The level of 2,960 kcal/kg of MEn meets performance variable requirements without compromising hepatic physiology.

Application of polyetheretherketone (PEEK) posts: evaluation of fracture resistance and stress distribution in the root: in vitro and finite element analyses.

To evaluate the feasibility of using a milled polyetheretherketone (PEEK) post and core in endodontically treated teeth with or without a ferrule. Sixty bovine tooth roots were endodontically treated followed by cementation of intraradicular retainers (IR), according to each experimental group: a) non-ferrule glass fiber post (f0FP); b) 2-mm-ferrule glass fiber post (f2FP); c) non-ferrule resized glass fiber post (f0PR); d) 2-mm-ferrule resized glass fiber post (f2PR); e) non-ferrule PEEK post and core (f0PPC); and f) 2-mm-ferrule PEEK post and core (f2PPC). Metal crowns were made and cemented. A periodontal ligament was simulated using polyether. A force was applied to the palatine portion of each sample at 45°, until fracture. Fracture resistance data were submitted to two-way ANOVA and Tukey's test (α = 0.05). Three-dimensional digital models were developed to calculate the tensions formed in the root using finite element analysis. Models of glass fiber posts and PEEK posts and cores were evaluated with or without a ferrule. The results were analyzed by the Mohr-Coulomb criterion. The type of IR was not influenced by fracture strength (p = 0.243). There were significant statistical differences among the remaining factors. Ferrule groups had greater fracture resistance, and the failure mode of teeth with a ferrule was more catastrophic than the non-ferrule group. A ferrule increases fracture resistance and influences failure mode; the PEEK post and core did not modify the biomechanics of endodontically treated teeth, and resembled the glass fiber post results. The crack initiation point differed between the ferrule and non-ferrule groups.

Estimate of lysine nutritional requirements for Japanese quail breeders.

Background: Japanese quail breeders are the basis for genetic improvement and multiplication for commercial layers, however, there have been no known studies on the optimal lysine level for these birds. Thus, study the egg output response to the lysine (Lys) supply using different e-functions and evaluate the that best fit, have allowed the partition the lysine requirements for maintenance, both weight and egg output maximum. Methods: The objectives of this study were to identify the responses to various Lys levels, identify the functions related to these responses and determine the ideal Lys intake amount for Japanese quail breeders. A completely randomized design of seven treatments with seven replicated was used. Treatments consisted of diet supplementation by Lys in concentrations of 16.8, 11.8, 8.4, 6.7, 5.0, 3.4, and 1.7 g/kg. Six exponential models were adjusted. Results: The level of Lys was found to affect bird responses (P < 0.001). The birds responded to the levels provided, allowing for the creation of a lysine response curve. A monomolecular function with four parameters was balanced against the statistics of adjustment and selection of models. It was possible to estimate the level of lysine required for maintenance as 133 ± 2 mg/kg BW0.67, and based an average of 41% efficiency, 22 mg Lys produced 1 g of egg output (EO). The daily intake calculated by the monomolecular factorial model was 284 mg Lys for a bird with 0.170 kg body weight and production of 10 g EO/day. The four-parameter monomolecular function proposed in this study is adequate for interpreting the animal response and calculating lysine intake for breeders.

Collapse of scallop Nodipecten nodosus production in the tropical Southeast Brazil as a possible consequence of global warming and water pollution.

Mollusc rearing is a relevant global socioeconomic activity. However, this activity has faced severe problems in the last years in southeast Brazil. The mariculture scallop production dropped from 51,2 tons in 2016 to 10,2 tons in 2022 in the Baia da Ilha Grande (BIG; Rio de Janeiro). However, the possible causes of this collapse are unknown. This study aimed to analyze decadal trends of water quality in Nodipecten nodosus spat and adult production in BIG. We also performed physical-chemical and biological water quality analyses of three scallop farms and two nearby locations at BIG in 2022 to evaluate possible environmental stressors and risks. Scallop spat production dropped drastically in the last five years (2018-2022: mean ± stdev: 0.47 ± 0.45 million). Spat production was higher in colder waters and during peaks of Chlorophyll a in the last 13 years. Reduction of Chlorophyll a coincided with decreasing spat production in the last five years. Warmer periods (>27 °C) of the year may hamper scallop development. Counts of potentially pathogenic bacteria (Vibrios) and Escherichia coli were significantly higher in warmer periods which may further reduce scallop productivity. Shotgun metagenomics of seawater samples from the five studied corroborated these culture-based counts. Vibrios and fecal indicator bacteria metagenomic sequences were abundant across the entire study area throughout 2022. The results of this study suggest the collapse of scallop mariculture is the result of a synergistic negative effect of global warming and poor seawater quality.

Vitamin D deficiency and anemia in pregnant women: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

CONTEXT: Epidemiological studies suggest an association between vitamin D deficiency and anemia. Evidence of this relationship in pregnant women, however, is scarce. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this systematic review was to investigate the association between vitamin D deficiency and gestational anemia through observational studies. DATA SOURCES: The PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, Embase, and Virtual Health Library databases were searched from inception to April 2021. STUDY SELECTION: Original articles reporting observational studies that investigated the association between vitamin D deficiency and gestational anemia were included. Articles that did not have an abstract, as well as reviews articles, experimental studies, and editorials, were excluded. Two reviewers independently performed study selection, data extraction, and assessment of study quality. Disagreements between the reviewers were resolved by a third reviewer. DATA EXTRACTION: Study quality was assessed by 2 scales. Data were extracted from eligible studies and arranged in a 2 × 2 table. Odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals for the risk of the outcome were estimated using a fixed-effect model. RESULTS: In total, 985 studies were retrieved, of which 17 were included in the systematic review: 11 cohort studies, 3 case-control studies, and 3 cross-sectional studies. For the meta-analysis, 8 studies with a total of 6530 women were included. There was a 61% increase in the odds of anemia in pregnant women with vitamin D deficiency (OR = 1.61; 95%CI, 1.41-1.83; I2 = 48%). CONCLUSIONS: Vitamin D deficiency may be a risk factor for anemia in pregnant women. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO registration no. CRD42020182697.

Determination of the Optimal In-Feed Amino Acid Ratio for Japanese Quail Breeders Based on Utilization Efficiency.

The description of the genetic potential is the first step to estimating amino acid requirements and the ideal amino acid relation (IAAR). The aim of this study was to estimate the parameters that describe the daily maximum theoretical nitrogen retention (NRmaxT, mg/BWkg0.67), daily nitrogen maintenance requirement (NMR, mg/BWkg0.67), protein quality (b), dietary efficiency of the limiting amino acid (bc-1) and determine the lysine requirement and the IAAR for Japanese quail breeders. Two nitrogen balance assays were performed, one assay using 49 quails distributed in seven treatments (protein levels between 70.1 and 350.3 g/kg) and seven replicates and other assay to determine the IAAR by the use of bc-1, 12 treatments and 10 replicate, with a control diet (CD) and 11 treatments that had limited essential amino acids by providing only 60% of the CD. The values obtained for NRmaxT, NMR, b and bc-1 were 3386.61, 0.000486 and 0.000101, respectively. The daily intake of Lys was 291 mg/bird day. Lys was set at 100% for determining the IAAR: 87, 67, 21, 117, 96, 66, 142, 39, and 133 for Met + Cys, Thr, Trp, Arg, Val, Ile, Leu, His, and Phr + Tyr, respectively, for Japanese quail breeders.

Modeling the response of Japanese quail to arginine intake.

Background: Understanding how Japanese quails respond to arginine intake has been an objective that previous studies have not fulfilled. The main responses to be quantified include the arginine requirement for maintenance (mg/kg0.67) and egg mass production (mg/g). Quantifying maintenance and production relationships are essential steps for predicting animal response. The current study aimed to describe how quails respond to arginine intake and determine arginine requirements for maintenance and egg production in Japanese quails. Methods: The experiment was carried out in a completely randomized design, with seven treatments and seven replicates with individual birds as experimental units. The arginine levels were: 2.43, 3.64, 4.85, 6.07, 9.07, 12.13, and 14.56 g/kg. The experiment lasted for eight weeks. The variables analyzed were daily arginine intake, daily arginine deposition in eggs, and body weight. The data were analyzed using a mixed model, with the experimental unit being the random effect and the experimental levels of arginine as a fixed effect. When the effect of arginine levels was detected (P ≤ 0.05), saturation kinetics and an exponential model with four parameters (monomolecular) were adopted. ANOVA results indicated that dietary arginine levels significantly affected (P < 0.01) the analyzed variables. The formulation strategy of the experimental diets allowed amplitude in the dietary arginine levels, and according to bird responses, arginine was the limiting nutrient. Results: The arginine requirement for body weight maintenance (BW0.67) was estimated to be 90 mg/kg BW0.67 by the monomolecular function. The requirement for egg mass (EM) production was estimated to be 25 mg/g per egg. A factorial model was parameterized as follows: daily arginine intake mg/bird = 90 × BW0.67 + 25 × EM ± 12 mg. The model was applied to data obtained from literature, and the resultant error was within the expected limit of 12 mg. The recommended daily arginine intake for the daily production of 11 g of egg and 180 g of BW was determined to be 304 mg/bird. The current study provides procedures that researchers can easily adopt.

Arginine requirement for egg production in Japanese quail.

The objective of this study was to determine the ideal arginine intake for egg production in Japanese quail using the dilution technique. A completely random design was used, with 8 treatments (seven concentrations of arginine plus a control diet) and ten replicates, totaling 80 Japanese quails. The digestible arginine levels included in the study were 0.361%, 0.603%, 0.843%, 1.084%, 1.204%, 1.311%, and 1.460%. The variables analyzed were feed intake, egg production (EP), egg weight, egg output (EO), feed conversion ratio, and body weight were performed using a mixed model. When the effect of arginine levels (P ≤ 0.05) was detected, the model's broken line linear-plateau (BL), quadratic-plateau (BLq), and the first intercept of the BLq in the plateau of BL were adjusted to determine the ideal arginine intake. It observed that the arginine levels modified the quail responses (P < 0.001). Egg production was 10% with the 0.361% arginine in diet and recovered (97%) with the 1.311% arginine diet. The BL and BLq models estimated 232 mg/quail per day and 351 mg/quail per day for EO, respectively. The first intercept obtained was 290 mg/quail per day or 1,411%, which was considered the optimum level arginine intake for EO in Japanese quail.

Insights on the biochemical and cellular changes induced by heat stress in the Cladocopium isolated from coral Mussismilia braziliensis.

Corals are treatened by global warming. Bleaching is one immediate effect of global warming, resulting from the loss of photosynthetic endosymbiont dinoflagellates. Understanding host-symbiont associations are critical for assessing coral's habitat requirements and its response to environmental changes. Cladocopium (formerly family Symbiodiniaceae clade C) are dominant endosymbionts in the reef-building coral, Mussismilia braziliensis. This study aimed to investigate the effect of temperature on the biochemical and cellular features of Cladocopium. Heat stress increased oxygen (O2) and decreased proteins, pigments (Chla + Chlc2), hexadecanoic acid- methyl ester, methyl stearate, and octadecenoic acid (Z)- methyl ester molecules. In addition, there was an increase in neutral lipids such as esterified cholesterol and a decrease in free fatty acids that may have been incorporated for the production of lipid droplets. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) demonstrated that Cladocopium cells subjected to heat stress had thinner cell walls, deformation of chloroplasts, and increased lipid droplets after 3 days at 28°C. These findings indicate that thermal stress negatively affects isolated Cladocopium spp. from Mussismilia host coral.

Fluxes of the Amazon River plume nutrients and microbes into marine sponges.

Sponges have co-evolved with microbes for over 400 myr. Previous studies have demonstrated that sponges can be classified according to the abundance of microbes in their tissues as Low Microbial Abundance (LMA) and High Microbial Abundance (HMA). While LMA sponges rely mainly on water column microbes, HMA appear to rely much more on symbiotic fermentative and autotrophic microbes maintained in their tissues. However, it is unclear if this pattern holds when comparing different species of tropical sponges under extreme nutrient conditions and sediment loads in the water column, such as the Great Amazon Reef System (GARS), which covers an area of ~56,000 km2 off the Amazon River mouth. Sponges are the major GARS benthic components. However, these sponges' microbiome across the GARS is still unknown. Here, we investigated water quality, isotopic values (δ13C and δ15N), metagenomic and lipidomic profiles of sponges obtained from different sectors throughout the GARS. >180 million shotgun metagenomic reads were annotated, covering 22 sponge species. Isotopic and lipidomic analyses suggested LMA sponges rely on the Amazon River Plume for nutrition. HMA sponges (N = 15) had higher Roseiflexus and Nitrospira abundance, whereas LMA sponges (N = 7) had higher Prochlorococcus and Pelagibacter abundance. Functional data revealed that the LMA sponge microbiomes had greater number of sequences related to phages and prophages as well as electron transport and photophosphorylation which may be related to photosynthetic processes associated with the Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus found in the LMA. The higher phages abundance in LMA sponges could be related to these holobionts' reduced defense towards phage infection. Meanwhile, HMA sponge microbiomes had higher Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats-CRISPR abundance, which may be involved in defense against phage infection. This study sheds light on the nutrient fluxes and microbes from the Amazon River plume into the sponge holobionts.

Serological prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection in cats (Belém, Pará, Brazil).

We evaluated the prevalence of anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies in the serum samples collected from domestic cats in Belém, Pará, Brazil. We also correlated the presence of T. gondii antibodies with environmental variables and cat-owner habits. Four-hundred and forty-seven serum samples from domestic cats were analyzed. The sera were tested using an indirect immunofluorescence assay. Among the animals analyzed, 21.92% (98/447) were seropositive. A statistically significant association was found in relation to age and serology among the animals over 1 year old (p<0.01): in the group up to 1 year old, 12.82% (20/156) of the animals were positive, and in the group over 1 year old, 26.80% (78/291) were positive. Our results show that the cats in Belém, Pará region have anti-T. gondii antibodies, and their owners are not aware of toxoplasmosis or how to prevent its transmission.

Limnological effects of a large Amazonian run-of-river dam on the main river and drowned tributary valleys.

Run-of-river dams are often considered to have lower environmental impacts than storage dams due to their smaller reservoirs and low potential for flow alteration. However, this has been questioned for projects recently built on large rivers around the world. Two of the world's largest run-of-river dams-Santo Antônio and Jirau-were recently constructed on the Madeira River, a major tributary to the Amazon River in Brazil. Here we evaluate the effects of the creation of the Santo Antônio dam on the water chemistry and thermal structure of the Madeira River mainstem and back-flooded valleys of tributaries within the reservoir inundated area. In contrast to the mainstem river, some back-flooded tributaries periodically developed thermal stratification, which is associated with higher water residence times. Additionally, biochemical oxygen demand, partial pressure of CO2, and organic carbon all increased in the tributary valleys inundated by the reservoir, possibly due to increased input of allochthonous organic matter and its subsequent mineralization upon back-flooding-a common feature of newly flooded impoundments. The mainstem did not show detectable dam-related changes in water chemistry and thermal structure. Although the majority of the reservoir area maintained riverine conditions, the lateral valleys formed upon back-flooding-corresponding to ~30% of the Santo Antônio reservoir area-developed lake-like conditions akin to a typical reservoir of a storage dam.

The risk of vector transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi remains high in the State of Paraná

BACKGROUND Monitoring and analysing the infection rates of the vector of Trypanosoma cruzi, that causes Chagas disease, helps assess the risk of transmission. OBJECTIVES A study was carried out on triatomine in the State of Paraná, Brazil, between 2012 and 2021 and a comparison was made with a previous study. This was done to assess the risk of disease transmission. METHODS Ecological niche models based on climate and landscape variables were developed to predict habitat suitability for the vectors as a proxy for risk of occurrence. FINDINGS A total of 1,750 specimens of triatomines were recorded, of which six species were identified. The overall infection rate was 22.7%. The areas with the highest risk transmission of T. cruzi are consistent with previous predictions in municipalities. New data shows that climate models are more accurate than landscape models. This is likely because climate suitability was higher in the previous period. MAIN CONCLUSION Regardless of uneven sampling and potential biases, risk remains high due to the wide presence of infected vectors and high environmental suitability for vector species throughout the state and, therefore, improvements in public policies aimed at wide dissemination of knowledge about the disease are recommended to ensure the State remains free of Chagas disease.

Influence of pre-heating and ceramic thickness on physical properties of luting agents.

PURPOSE: The objective of this in vitro study was to evaluate the influence of ceramic thickness and pre-heating of luting agents on their physical properties. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The materials RelyX Arc, RelyX Ultimate, RelyX Veneer, and Filtek Z350 Flow were handled at different temperatures (23°C or 54°C), inserted into matrix, and photoactivated through ceramic disks (0.75 mm or 1.5 mm). The following tests were performed ( n=8): degree of conversion, Knoop Hardness, cross-link density, water sorption, solubility, and ultimate tensile strength. Data were analyzed using three-way analysis of variance and Tukey's test (α=0.05). RESULTS: Regarding ceramic thickness, the thinnest ceramic resulted in higher values of Knoop Hardness ( p=0.027). The lowest temperature (23°C) resulted in a higher solubility ( p=0.0257), and water sorption ( p=0.0229) values. There was also statistical difference among the materials: RelyX Arc showed a higher degree of conversion and ultimate tensile strength, followed by RelyX Veneer, RelyX Ultimate, and Filtek Z350 Flow. For Knoop Hardness and cross-link density tests, RelyX Ultimate showed the highest values, followed by RelyX Arc, RelyX Veneer, and Filtek Z350 Flow. For water sorption and solubility, RelyX Veneer showed the highest values, followed by RelyX Arc, RelyX Ultimate, and Filtek Z350 Flow. CONCLUSION: Pre-heating interfered with water sorption and solubility, whereas ceramic thickness only affected Knoop Hardness; the physical properties of the materials are dependent on their composition.