Mapping oral medicine (stomatology) and oral and maxillofacial pathology international organizations: a scoping review of global data and historical analysis.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the historical evolution and dissemination of the Oral Medicine and Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology international societies and associations across the globe, and to provide insights into their significant contributions toward oral health promotion. STUDY DESIGN: This review was conducted in accordance with the JBI Scoping Review Methodology Group guidance. The reporting followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). RESULTS: Search strategy was applied to 5 databases (MEDLINE/PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Web of Science, Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences (LILACS)) and grey literature (Google Scholar, Open Grey and ProQuest), as well as additional sources, such as organization websites. Eighty-nine sources were included in this review. Forty-six professional associations/societies were identified, of which 39 represented a country or geopolitical region, 2 represented continents, 2 represented multinational organizations and 3 multinational study groups. CONCLUSIONS: Documentation of the historical establishment and development of Oral Medicine and Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology organizations worldwide is limited and describing these processes remains challenging. Analysis of global data reveals heterogeneous development and distribution, resulting in disparities in accessibility and standardization. Further efforts toward oral health promotion should be implemented.

Dengue Outbreak Caused by Multiple Virus Serotypes and Lineages, Colombia, 2023-2024.

Dengue cases rose to record levels during 2023-2024. We investigated dengue in Valle del Cauca, Colombia, to determine if specific virus serotypes or lineages caused its large outbreak. We detected all 4 serotypes and multiple lineages, suggesting that factors such as climatic conditions were likely responsible for increased dengue in Colombia.

Classics in Chemical Neuroscience: Muscimol.

Muscimol (3) is a psychoactive isoxazole present in various Amanita mushrooms, along with ibotenic acid and muscarine. It is structurally related to GABA and acts as a GABAA agonist with great affinity. Muscimol use dates back to Siberian shamanic cultures as an entheogen, where it was ingested orally to exert psychoactive effects. Although not approved for clinical use, its potential and use as a research tool in neuroscience is of immense value, with 3H-muscimol being used as a radioligand in GABA receptor research. Since its discovery in the early 60s, many research groups have worked on the synthesis of the compound. Recent research suggests the potential use of muscimol in neuropathic pain relief and other potential uses are also being studied. In this review, we will cover the history, chemistry, pharmacology and overall importance of the compound.

A brief history of the animals' scientific research, international rules and Brazilian regulations.

Several countries and non-governmental organizations have discussed the use of animals in industry and biomedical areas. This work shows the progression of animal' rights for scientific purposes in Brazil and how Brazilian Councils have advanced to follow worldwide regulations. Since the first rules about animals' usage in Ireland in 1635, the British Cruelty to Animals Act in 1876, and the Brazilian animal protection rules in 1924 and 1934, most worldwide actions culminated in the Universal Declaration of Animal Rights (1978). In 1979, the Brazilian Law 6.638 displayed directives for didactic-scientific practice of vivisection. In 2008, the Arouca Law 11.794 filled regulatory gaps and created the National Council for the Control of Animal Experimentation (CONCEA). In 2014, the CONCEA incorporated the 3R's philosophy and recognized substitute techniques, but only in 2023 it prohibited vertebrate animals in scientific research, development and control of personal hygiene products, cosmetics and perfumes. It is clear current Brazilian and international rules are unable to cover all aspects of animal wellbeing, even for regulations of commercial issues. Certainly, innovative tools, as organ-on-chip, in vitro techniques and bioinformatical advancements will provide a crucial animal welfare and new laws will minimize animal pain and distress, including for disregarded invertebrates.

Fort Sherman Virus Infection in Human, Peru, 2020.

Fort Sherman virus (FSV) was isolated in Panama in 1985 from a US soldier. We report a case of human FSV infection in a febrile patient from northern coastal Peru in 2020. FSV infections spanning ≈35 years and a distance of 2,000 km warrant diagnostics, genomic surveillance, and investigation of transmission cycles.

International medical graduates and PAs: A history and update.

ABSTRACT: During the 1980s and 1990s, international medical graduates (IMGs) sought legal and educational measures aimed at obtaining licensure as physician associates/assistants (PAs). Proponents of IMGs asserted that their ethnic backgrounds and identification with their respective communities could increase access to care for some segments of the population and therefore should be permitted pathways to qualify as PAs. A variety of legal measures were introduced into state legislatures in at least five states and were firmly opposed and defeated by the PA profession. Recent attempts by IMGs to obtain licensure as PAs have occurred in Puerto Rico and Arizona. In their haste to address healthcare access and satisfy various constituencies, state legislators and regulatory boards fail to recognize established professional norms. This is occurring as medical organizations are examining alternative pathways for state licensure of physicians who have completed training and/or practiced outside of the United States. PA organizations, particularly state chapters, must be vigilant in upholding qualifications for practice and licensure standards, and state PA organizations must work to convince legislators to avoid using PA professional regulations to solve a workforce issue that is essentially an issue of physician medical education remediation.

Comunicação em Saúde no Instagram da Prefeitura do Rio de Janeiro: análise das estratégias da vacinação contra a covid-19 / Health Communication on the Instagram of the Rio de Janeiro City Hall: Analysis of covid-19 Vaccination Strategies / Comunicación en Salud en el Instagram del Ayuntamiento de Río de Janeiro: análisis de las estrategias de vacunación contra la covid-19

Esta pesquisa pretendeu analisar a forma com a qual a Prefeitura do Rio de Janeiro utilizou o Instagram para comunicação em saúde nos cinco primeiros meses da vacinação contra a covid-19. Utilizou-se a análise de conteúdo de 148 publicações selecionadas do Instagram da Prefeitura e, dessa análise, emergiram duas categorias. Verificou-se que a Prefeitura do Rio de Janeiro diversificou recursos para divulgar a campanha de vacinação, procurando estimular a confiança vacinal por meio da interatividade com os usuários e enfatizando personalidades e locais históricos da cidade. Constatou-se que a Prefeitura do Rio de Janeiro adotou estratégias tradicionais e informacionais para a referida campanha de vacinação e buscou utilizar as ferramentas da plataforma digital para amplificá-la. Ao final, discutem-se as limitações da utilização das redes sociais por entes e órgãos estatais e como estabelecer diálogos com os princípios do Sistema Único de Saúde.

This research aimed to analyze how the Municipality of Rio de Janeiro (RJ) utilized Instagram for health communication during the first five months of the covid-19 vaccination campaign. Content analysis was employed on 148 selected posts from the Municipality's Instagram, resulting in the emergence of two categories. It was observed that the Municipality of Rio de Janeiro diversified resources to promote the vaccination campaign, seeking to boost vaccine confidence through user interactivity, and emphasizing personalities and historical locations within the city. The Municipality of RJ employed both traditional and informational strategies for the vaccination campaign while leveraging digital platform tools to amplify its reach. In conclusion, the study discusses the limitations of social media usage by governmental entities and how to establish dialogues aligned with the principles of the Unified Health System.

Esta investigación tuvo como objetivo analizar la forma en que el Ayutamiento de Río de Janeiro (RJ) utilizó Instagram para la comunicación en salud durante los primeros cinco meses de la vacunación contra la covid-19. Se realizó un análisis de contenido sobre 148 publicaciones seleccionadas del Instagram de el Ayutamiento, lo que resultó en la identificación de dos categorías. Se observó que el Ayuntamiento de Río de Janeiro diversificó los recursos para difundir la campaña de vacunación, buscando estimular la confianza en la vacunación a través de la interactividad con los usuarios, enfocándose en personalidades y lugares históricos de la ciudad. Se constató que el Ayutamiento de RJ empleó estrategias tanto tradicionales como informativas para la campaña de vacunación, al tiempo que aprovechaba las herramientas de la plataforma digital para amplificar su alcance. En conclusión, se discuten las limitaciones del uso de las redes sociales por parte de entidades y organismos estatales, así como la manera de establecer diálogos alineados con los principios del Sistema Único de Salud.

Spatiotemporal Epidemiology of Oropouche Fever, Brazil, 2015-2024.

We assessed the spatiotemporal dynamics of Oropouche fever in Brazil during 2015-2024. We found the number of cases substantially increased during that period, particularly in the Amazon region. Our findings underscore the need for improved surveillance and public health measures in response to the disease's potential spread beyond endemic areas.

Brief historical account of autism in Peru. / Breve recuento histórico del autismo en Perú.

We present a historical account of autism in Peru. Currently, the term "autism spectrum conditions", from the neurodiversity paradigm, is used to describe neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by persistent difficulties in communication, social interaction, and restricted and repetitive behaviors and interests. In Peru, the scientific study of nervous and mental diseases began around 1920 and although the diagnosis of "childhood autism" was proposed in 1959, it only began to spread in the 1980s. Although significant advances were made in the 21st century, Peru still faces many challenges in addressing autism.

Presentamos un recuento histórico del autismo en el Perú. Actualmente, desde el paradigma de la neurodiversidad, se utiliza el término «condiciones del espectro autista¼ para describir alteraciones del neurodesarrollo caracterizadas por dificultades persistentes en la comunicación, la interacción social y comportamientos e intereses restringidos y repetitivos. En Perú, el estudio científico de las enfermedades nerviosas y mentales comenzó alrededor de 1920, y aunque el diagnóstico de «autismo infantil¼ se planteó en 1959, comenzó a extenderse recién en la década de 1980. Si bien en el siglo XXI se presentaron avances significativos, Perú todavía enfrenta muchos retos en el abordaje del autismo.

Lower Microscopy Sensitivity with Decreasing Malaria Prevalence in the Urban Amazon Region, Brazil, 2018-2021.

Malaria is increasingly diagnosed in urban centers across the Amazon Basin. In this study, we combined repeated prevalence surveys over a 4-year period of a household-based random sample of 2,774 persons with parasite genotyping to investigate the epidemiology of malaria in Mâncio Lima, the main urban transmission hotspot in Amazonian Brazil. We found that most malarial infections were asymptomatic and undetected by point-of-care microscopy. Our findings indicate that as malaria transmission decreases, the detection threshold of microscopy rises, resulting in more missed infections despite similar parasite densities estimated by molecular methods. We identified genetically highly diverse populations of Plasmodium vivax and P. falciparum in the region; occasional shared lineages between urban and rural residents suggest cross-boundary propagation. The prevalence of low-density and asymptomatic infections poses a significant challenge for routine surveillance and the effectiveness of malaria control and elimination strategies in urbanized areas with readily accessible laboratory facilities.

Zoonotic Mansonella ozzardi in Raccoons, Costa Rica, 2019-2022.

Mansonella ozzardi, a filarioid parasite, causes human mansonellosis in the Americas. We identified raccoons (Procyon lotor) as wildlife reservoirs of M. ozzardi in Costa Rica. Noting the sympatry of free-ranging raccoons and humans, we conclude that mansonellosis is a considerable public health risk in the region.

Equidae pythiosis in Brazil and the world: a systematic review of the last 63 years (1960-2023).

This systematic review compiles reports of clinical pythiosis in horses, mules and donkeys from 1960 to 2023 worldwide, focusing on Brazil. We searched databases and included 71 articles detailing clinical characteristics, geographic distribution, epidemiology, diagnostic methods, therapies, and outcomes. The results showed that publications on equine pythiosis have significantly increased since 2010. Brazil reported the highest incidence, comprising 55% of cases, predominantly in the southern, northeastern, and central-western regions during summer and autumn. Cutaneous pythiosis was the most prevalent form, generally presenting as single lesions in the appendicular region, and affected females more than males. Diagnosis typically involved histopathology, used alone or with other methods. Various treatments have been employed, with surgery, often combined with chemotherapy and immunotherapy, being the most common. Notably, 80.84% of treated animals recovered, highlighting the effectiveness of these therapies in enhancing survival rates. The limitations of the study included the lack of data in published case reports, which made it difficult to collect and calculate epidemiological data. Additionally, we recognize that pythiosis in Brazil is underreported, since this disease does not have mandatory notification and several cases are not registered and/or reported in the literature. Lastly, it is hypothesized that equid pythiosis may be more widespread than currently known, and its real occurrence in Brazil remains uncertain.

Retrospective Study of Infections with Corynebacterium diphtheriae Species Complex, French Guiana, 2016-2021.

Human infections with Corynebacterium diphtheriae species complex (CdSC) bacteria were rare in French Guiana until 2016, when the number of cases diagnosed increased. We conducted an epidemiologic, multicenter, retrospective study of all human CdSC infections diagnosed in French Guiana during January 1, 2016-December 31, 2021. A total of 64 infectious episodes were observed in 60 patients; 61 infections were caused by C. diphtheriae and 3 by C. ulcerans. Estimated incidence increased from 0.7 cases/100,000 population in 2016 to 7.7 cases/100,000 population in 2021. The mean patient age was 30.4 (+23.7) years, and male-to-female ratio was 1.7:1 (38/22). Of the 61 C. diphtheriae isolates, 5 tested positive for the diphtheria toxin gene, and all results were negative by Elek test; 95% (61/64) of cases were cutaneous, including the C. ulcerans cases. The increase in reported human infections underscores the need to raise awareness among frontline healthcare practitioners to improve prevention.

The History of Agrobacterium Rhizogenes: From Pathogen to a Multitasking Platform for Biotechnology.

Agrobacterium's journey has been a roller coaster, from being a pathogen to becoming a powerful biotechnological tool. While A. tumefaciens has provided the scientific community with a versatile tool for plant transformation, Agrobacterium rhizogenes has given researchers a Swiss army knife for developing many applications. These applications range from a methodology to regenerate plants, often recalcitrant, to establish bioremediation protocols to a valuable system to produce secondary metabolites. This chapter reviews its discovery, biology, controversies over its nomenclature, and some of the multiple applications developed using A. rhizogenes as a platform.