Anti-staphylococcal, antibiofilm and trypanocidal activities of CrataBL encapsulated into liposomes: Lectin with potential against infectious diseases.

The present study aimed to evaluate the anti-staphylococcal, antibiofilm, cytotoxicity and trypanocidal activity, mechanisms of parasite death and immunomodulatory effect of CrataBL encapsulated into liposomes (CrataBL-Lipo). CrataBL-Lipo were prepared by the freeze-thaw technique and characterized. Anti-staphylococcal and antibiofilm activities of CrataBL and CrataBL-Lipo were evaluated against standard and clinical strains of Staphylococcus aureus susceptible and resistant. Thus, broth microdilution method was performed to determine the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC). Antibiofilm activity at subinhibitory concentrations was evaluated using the crystal violet staining method. Cytotoxicity of CrataBL-Lipo was verified in L929 fibroblasts and J774A.1 macrophages by determining the inhibitory concentration necessary to kill 50 % of cells (IC50). Trypanocidal activities of CrataBL-Lipo was evaluated in Trypanosoma cruzi and the efficacy was expressed as the concentration necessary to kill 50 % of parasites (EC50). The mechanisms of parasite death and immunomodulatory effect of CrataBL-Lipo were evaluated using flow cytometry analysis. CrataBL-Lipo presented Ø of 101.9 ± 1.3 nm (PDI = 0.245), ζ of +33.8 ± 1.3 mV and %EE = 80 ± 0.84 %. CrataBL-Lipo presented anti-staphylococcal activity (MIC = 0.56 mg/mL to 0.72 mg/mL). CrataBL-Lipo inhibited 45.4 %-75.6 % of biofilm formation. No cytotoxicity of CrataBL-Lipo was found (IC50 > 100 mg/L). CrataBL-Lipo presented EC50 of 1.1 mg/L, presenting autophagy, apoptosis and necrosis as death profile. In addition, CrataBL-Lipo reduced the production of IL-10 and TNF-α levels, causing an immunomodulatory effect. CrataBL-Lipo has a therapeutic potential for the treatment of staphylococcal infections and Chagas disease exhibiting a high degree of selectivity for the microorganism, and immunomodulatory properties.

Maternity and motherhood in street situation: integrative review. / Maternidade e maternagem em situação de rua: revisão integrativa.

The objective was to identify through integrative review the approach on maternity and motherhood in street situation. This is an integrative review performed in the databases PubMed, BIREME, Medline, and SciELO search portal, in Portuguese, English and Spanish. The survey was conducted between October and December 2021, following the recommendations of the Prisma flowchart and support of the Mendeley software, submitted to content analysis by Minayo. Eighteen articles were selected. The reading allowed the identification of two thematic categories: "Maternity and mothering in the streets" and "Main challenges experienced in maternity and mothering in street situation". Address about motherhood and mothering as a field of knowledge production creates a tension of the social constructions that do not have effecting rights for lack of programs and forceful intersectoral policies. In addition to the stigmatization for use of psychoactive substances, as well as the patriarchal structure attributed to motherhood. The responsibility for care entails several issues that cross the motherhood and mothering in the streets, namely: concern with the health of children, the fear of losing custody of their loved ones.

Objetivou-se identificar através da revisão integrativa a abordagem sobre a maternidade e maternagem em situação de rua. Trata-se de uma revisão integrativa realizada nas bases de dados PubMed, BIREME, Medline, e portal de buscas SciELO, em português, inglês e espanhol. A pesquisa foi realizada entre os meses de outubro a dezembro de 2021, seguindo às recomendações do fluxograma Prisma e suporte do software Mendeley, submetidos à análise de conteúdo de Minayo. Foram selecionados 18 artigos. A partir da leitura foi possível identificar duas categorias temáticas: "Maternidade e maternagem nas ruas" e "Principais desafios vivenciados na maternidade e maternagem em situação de rua". Abordar sobre a maternidade e maternagem enquanto um campo de produção de saberes cria-se um tensionamento das construções sociais que não possuem efetivação de direitos por falta de programas e políticas intersetoriais contundentes. Além da estigmatização por uso de substâncias psicoativas como também a estrutura patriarcal atribuída à maternidade. A responsabilidade pelo cuidado acarreta diversas questões que atravessam a maternidade e maternagem nas ruas, são elas: preocupação com a saúde dos filhos, a criação da prole, bem como, o temor pela perda da custódia de seus entes.

Human outbreaks of a novel reassortant Oropouche virus in the Brazilian Amazon region.

The Brazilian western Amazon is experiencing its largest laboratory-confirmed Oropouche virus (OROV) outbreak, with more than 6,300 reported cases between 2022 and 2024. In this study, we sequenced and analyzed 382 OROV genomes from human samples collected in Amazonas, Acre, Rondônia and Roraima states, between August 2022 and February 2024, to uncover the origin and genetic evolution of OROV in the current outbreak. Genomic analyses revealed that the upsurge of OROV cases in the Brazilian Amazon coincides with spread of a novel reassortant lineage containing the M segment of viruses detected in the eastern Amazon region (2009-2018) and the L and S segments of viruses detected in Peru, Colombia and Ecuador (2008-2021). The novel reassortant likely emerged in the Amazonas state between 2010 and 2014 and spread through long-range dispersion events during the second half of the 2010s. Phylodynamics reconstructions showed that the current OROV spread was driven mainly by short-range (< 2 km) movements consistent with the flight range of vectors. Nevertheless, a substantial proportion (22%) of long-range (>10 km) OROV migrations were also detected, consistent with viral dispersion by humans. Our data provide a view of the unprecedented spread and evolution of OROV in the Brazilian western Amazon region.

Electro-, photo-, and photoelectrochemical degradation of chloramphenicol on self-doping Ti nanotubes.

In this work, the photo-, electro-, and photo-electro-oxidation of chloramphenicol was investigated. The photo-experiments were carried out with different irradiation sources (an ultraviolet and a simulated solar source) using self-doped titanium nanotubes (SDTNT), a very promising and innovative material that deserves further investigations in the degradation of different pollutants. The photo-electrooxidation (j = 15 mA cm-2) under simulated solar irradiation presented the best efficiency, with ca. 100% degradation and kinetic constant of k = 0.04427 min-1. The FTIR analysis demonstrated a structural modification of the standard molecule occurred for all conditions used, suggesting a modification in functional groups responsible for the biological activity. Furthermore, the TOC analysis showed a significant mineralization of the pollutant (66% from the initial concentration). In addition, both photo-electrooxidation approaches have demonstrated a positive value of S, where the simulated solar irradiation reached the highest value S = 0.6960. The experimental results pointed out evidence that the methodology employed herein for chloramphenicol degradation is greatly interesting and the photo-electrooxidation under simulated solar irradiation is a promising approach for this purpose.

The Virome of Cocoa Fermentation-Associated Microorganisms.

Theobroma cacao plantations are of significant economic importance worldwide, primarily for chocolate production. During the harvest and processing of cocoa beans, they are subjected to fermentation either by microorganisms present in the environment (spontaneous fermentation) or the addition of starter cultures, with different strains directly contributing distinct flavor and color characteristics to the beans. In addition to fungi and bacteria, viruses are ubiquitous and can affect the quality of the fermentation process by infecting fermenting organisms, destabilizing microbial diversity, and consequently affecting fermentation quality. Therefore, in this study, we explored publicly available metatranscriptomic libraries of cocoa bean fermentation in Limon Province, Costa Rica, looking for viruses associated with fermenting microorganisms. Libraries were derived from the same sample at different time points: 7, 20, and 68 h of fermentation, corresponding to yeast- and lactic acid bacteria-driven phases. Using a comprehensive pipeline, we identified 68 viral sequences that could be assigned to 62 new viral species and 6 known viruses distributed among at least nine families, with particular abundance of elements from the Lenarviricota phylum. Interestingly, 44 of these sequences were specifically associated with ssRNA phages (Fiersviridae) and mostly fungi-infecting viral families (Botourmiaviridae, Narnaviridae, and Mitoviridae). Of note, viruses from those families show a complex evolutionary relationship, transitioning from infecting bacteria to infecting fungi. We also identified 10 and 3 viruses classified within the Totiviridae and Nodaviridae families, respectively. The quantification of the virus-derived RNAs shows a general pattern of decline, similar to the dynamic profile of some microorganism genera during the fermentation process. Unexpectedly, we identified narnavirus-related elements that showed similarity to segmented viral species. By exploring the molecular characteristics of these viral sequences and applying Hidden Markov Models, we were capable of associating these additional segments with a specific taxon. In summary, our study elucidates the complex virome associated with the microbial consortia engaged in cocoa bean fermentation that could contribute to organism/strain selection, altering metabolite production and, consequently, affecting the sensory characteristics of cocoa beans.

Implementation of public health consortiums and regional polyclinics in Bahia state, Brazil. / Implantação de consórcios públicos de saúde e policlínicas regionais na Bahia, Brasil.

Public Health Consortiums (PHC) in Brazil represent a strategy to enhance regionalization in the Public Health Care System (SUS in Portuguese) and State/interstate/intermunicipal cooperation. The establishment of regional polyclinics aims to improve access to services with greater technological concentration and closer to users' homes. This study specifically aims to analyze the process of creating PHC and regional polyclinics in Bahia State, based on documental analysis, identifying aspects related to entering the political agenda that facilitate and hinder, the role of state administration, specificities of the composition of these PHC and regional polyclinics. A documental analysis was carried out of the minutes of the Comissão Intergestores Bipartite (CIB-BA) [Bipartite Administrative Commission] from 2015 to 2018 and of constitutive documents of the consortiums established in this state. The Ceará State experience inspired the creation of consortiums in Bahia, especially the structuring of polyclinics. Municipal administrators demonstrated a favorable position regarding the potential of consortiums with cooperation among municipalities. The role of the state government proved to be a facilitating condition, whereas the maintenance of the municipal counterpart in finance constituted a hindering element. The consortiums contributed to the regionalization of health in the state as well as expansion of access to specialized care.

Os consórcios públicos de saúde (CPS) representam uma estratégia para potencializar a regionalização no SUS e a cooperação interfederativa. A implantação de policlínicas regionais visa melhorar o acesso a serviços de maior densidade tecnológica, mais próximos ao município de origem dos usuários. Este estudo objetiva analisar o processo de implantação dos consórcios públicos de saúde e das policlínicas regionais na Bahia, com base em análise documental, identificando aspectos facilitadores e dificultadores relativos à entrada na agenda política, ao papel da gestão estadual e às especificidades da composição dos CPS e das policlínicas regionais no estado da Bahia. Realizou-se análise documental das atas da Comissão Intergestores Bipartite dos anos de 2015 a 2018 e de documentos constitutivos dos consórcios implantados na Bahia. A experiência do Ceará inspirou a criação dos consórcios na Bahia, sobretudo na estruturação das policlínicas. Verificou-se posicionamento favorável dos gestores municipais acerca da potencialidade do consórcio na cooperação entre municípios. A atuação do governo do estado revelou-se condição facilitadora, e a manutenção da contrapartida municipal no financiamento, como elemento dificultador. Os consórcios contribuíram para a regionalização da saúde no estado e a ampliação do acesso à atenção especializada.

Alterations in the Structure, Composition, and Organization of Galactosaminoglycan-Containing Proteoglycans and Collagen Correspond to the Progressive Stages of Dupuytren's Disease.

Dupuytren's disease (DD) is a prevalent fibroproliferative disorder of the hand, shaped by genetic, epigenetic, and environmental influences. The extracellular matrix (ECM) is a complex assembly of diverse macromolecules. Alterations in the ECM's content, structure and organization can impact both normal physiological functions and pathological conditions. This study explored the content and organization of glycosaminoglycans, proteoglycans, and collagen in the ECM of patients at various stages of DD, assessing their potential as prognostic indicators. This research reveals, for the first time, relevant changes in the complexity of chondroitin/dermatan sulfate structures, specifically an increase of disaccharides containing iduronic acid residues covalently linked to either N-acetylgalactosamine 6-O-sulfated or N-acetylgalactosamine 4-O-sulfated, correlating with the disease's severity. Additionally, we noted an increase in versican expression, a high molecular weight proteoglycan, across stages I to IV, while decorin, a small leucine-rich proteoglycan, significantly diminishes as DD progresses, both confirmed by mRNA analysis and protein detection via confocal microscopy. Coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) microscopy further demonstrated that collagen fibril architecture in DD varies importantly with disease stages. Moreover, the urinary excretion of both hyaluronic and sulfated glycosaminoglycans markedly decreased among DD patients.Our findings indicate that specific proteoglycans with galactosaminoglycan chains and collagen arrangements could serve as biomarkers for DD progression. The reduction in glycosaminoglycan excretion suggests a systemic manifestation of the disease.

En Bloc Simultaneous Liver-Kidney Transplantation Compared to the Traditional Technique: Results From a Single Center.

BACKGROUND: Simultaneous liver-kidney transplantation is indicated for patients with concomitant end-stage liver disease and end-stage renal disease. The traditional technique involves separate implantations of the liver and the kidney. In the en bloc approach, the liver is recovered en bloc with the right kidney and the donor renal artery is anastomosed to the donor splenic artery. We aimed to compare the outcomes of the traditional and en bloc techniques for simultaneous liver-kidney transplantation in a single center. METHODS: This single-center retrospective study involved all adult patients who underwent simultaneous liver-kidney transplantation from brain-dead donors from January 2017 to December 2022. RESULTS: A total of 15 patients were included: 10 transplanted with the traditional technique and 5 with the en bloc approach. Patients in the en bloc group presented higher body mass index, shorter kidney cold and total ischemia times, shorter overall surgical time and longer kidney warm ischemia time (29.07 kg/m2vs 23.20 kg/m2 [P = .048]; 560 minutes vs 880 minutes [P = .026]; 615 minutes vs 908 minutes [P = 0.025]; 405 minutes vs 485 minutes [P = .046]; 46 minutes vs 33.5 minutes [P = 0.027], respectively). Ureteroneocystostomy was performed in 2 patients of the en bloc group and ureteroureterostomy in the remaining 3 patients. One patient in the en bloc group presented stenosis of renal artery anastomosis and underwent percutaneous angioplasty. This same patient eventually developed late urinary fistula. In the traditional technique group, there were 2 cases of renal vein thrombosis and 1 of ureteral stenosis. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with the traditional technique, the en bloc approach is feasible and safe, reducing kidney total ischemia time and overall surgical time.

Application of coincidence index in the discovery of co-expressed metabolic pathways.

Analyzing transcription data requires intensive statistical analysis to obtain useful biological information and knowledge. A significant portion of this data is affected by random noise or even noise intrinsic to the modeling of the experiment. Without robust treatment, the data might not be explored thoroughly, and incorrect conclusions could be drawn. Examining the correlation between gene expression profiles is one way bioinformaticians extract information from transcriptomic experiments. However, the correlation measurements traditionally used have worrisome shortcomings that need to be addressed. This paper compares five already published and experimented-with correlation measurements to the newly developed coincidence index, a similarity measurement that combines Jaccard and interiority indexes and generalizes them to be applied to vectors containing real values. We used microarray and RNA-Seq data from the archaeonHalobacterium salinarumand the bacteriumEscherichia coli, respectively, to evaluate the capacity of each correlation/similarity measurement. The utilized method explores the co-expressed metabolic pathways by measuring the correlations between the expression levels of enzymes that share metabolites, represented in the form of a weighted graph. It then searches for local maxima in this graph using a simulated annealing algorithm. We demonstrate that the coincidence index extracts larger, more comprehensive, and more statistically significant pathways for microarray experiments. In RNA-Seq experiments, the results are more limited, but the coincidence index managed the largest percentage of significant components in the graph.

Circulation of bee-infecting viruses in Brazil: a call for action.

Bees are fundamental for maintaining pollination-dependent plant populations, both economically and ecologically. In Brazil, they constitute 66.3% of pollinators, contributing to an annual market value estimated at R$ 43 billion for pollination services. Unfortunately, worldwide bee populations are declining due to parasites and pathogens, more specifically viruses, alongside climate change, habitat loss, and pesticides. In this scenario, extensive research concerning bee diversity, virus diversity and surveillance, is necessary to aid the conservation of native managed pollinators and potential wild alternatives besides mitigating the emergence and spread of viral pathogens. A decrease in pollination can be a point of economic vulnerability in a country like Brazil because of its main dependence on food exports. Here we conducted a study aiming to obtain an overview of circulating viruses in bees within Brazilian territory highlighting the need for further studies to have a more realistic view of bee-infecting viruses in Brazil.

Liver Transplantation for Adenomatosis: A Single-Center Experience.

BACKGROUND: Liver adenomatosis is characterized by multiple adenomas diffusely distributed throughout the liver parenchyma. Studies addressing liver transplantation for those cases are scarce, and the criteria used to indicate transplantation are still debatable. OBJECTIVE: To report a single-center experience of liver transplantation for diffuse adenomatosis. METHODS: Single-center retrospective study involving all adult patients who underwent liver transplantation due to adenomatosis from January/2010 to June/2023. RESULTS: A total of 13 patients were identified, corresponding to 0.89% of liver transplants performed during the study period. The mean age was 33 ± 6.55 years, and most of them were female (n = 9, 69.23%). There were 12 transplants with deceased donors and 1 with a right lobe from a living donor. The most frequent reason to preclude liver resection was multiple and large unresectable adenomas in patients without previous liver disease (n = 8, 61.58%), followed by underlying liver disease (Abernethy Malformation, n = 3, 23.07%) and recurrence after liver resection (n = 2, 15.38%). The indications for liver transplantation were high risk of malignant transformation (n = 7, 53.84%), increasing size and number of nodules (n = 3, 23.07%), confirmed malignant transformation (n = 2, 15.38%), and hemorrhage (n = 2, 15.38%). There was 1 perioperative death due to primary non-function. Another patient died during follow-up because of COVID-19. CONCLUSION: Liver adenomatosis is a rare indication for liver transplantation, with acceptable post-transplant outcomes. Unresectable adenomas with high-risk or confirmed malignant transformation are the main indications for transplant. Reasons for unresectability involve underlying liver disease, multiple and large high-risk nodules, and recurrence after previous resection.

Prevalence of Congenital Anomalies of the Upper Limbs in Brazil: a descriptive cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Congenital Anomalies of the Upper Limb (CAUL) are a group of structural or functional abnormalities that develop during intrauterine life and can lead to limb dysfunction. OBJECTIVES: To analyze the prevalence of congenital anomalies of the upper limbs in Brazil and assess maternal and neonatal variables. DESIGN AND SETTING: A cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted on congenital upper limb malformations among live births across Brazil. METHODS: The study spanned from 2010 to 2019. Data were sourced from the Department of Informatics of the Unified Health System (DATASUS) and the Live Birth Information System (SINASC) portal. Analyses focused on the information reported in field 41 of the Live Birth Declaration Form entered into the computerized system. RESULTS: The most common anomaly in Brazil was supernumerary fingers, classified as ICD-Q69.0, affecting 11,708 children, with a prevalence of 4.02 per 10,000 live births. Mothers aged over 40 years had a 36% higher prevalence of having children with CAUL than mothers under 40 years old (OR = 1.36; 95% CI 1.19-1.56). Newborns weighing ≥ 2,499 g were 2.64 times more likely to have CAUL compared to those weighing ≥ 2,500 g (OR = 2.64; 95% CI 2.55-2.73). CONCLUSION: There was an observed increase in the reporting of CAUL cases over the decade studied. This trend serves as an alert for health agencies, as understanding the prevalence of CAUL and its associated factors is crucial for preventive medicine.

Effect of whole-body vibration frequency on objective physical function outcomes in healthy young adults: Randomized clinical trial.

INTRODUCTION: Whole-body vibration (WBV) is used to improve muscle function but is important to know if doses can affect the objective function outcomes. OBJECTIVE: To compare the effect of two frequencies of WBV on objective physical function outcomes in healthy young adults. METHODS: Forty-two volunteers were randomized into three groups: sham group (SG), and WBV groups with 30 (F30) and 45 Hz (F45). A 6-week WBV intervention protocol was applied by a vibrating platform twice a week, with the platform turn-off for SG and with two frequencies according to group, 30 or 45 Hz. The objective physical functions outcomes assessed were the proprioceptive accuracy, measured by proprioceptive tests, and quasi-static and dynamic balances, measured by Sensory Organization Test (SOT) and Y Balance Test, respectively. The outcomes were assessed before and after the WBV intervention. We used in the results comparisons, by GzLM test, the deltas percentage. RESULTS: After the intervention, no statistical differences were observed in percentage deltas for any outcomes (proprioceptive accuracy, quasi-static and dynamic balances). CONCLUSION: Objective physical function outcomes, after the 6-week WBV protocol, did not present statistically significant results in any of the intervention groups (F30 or F45) and SG.

Effects of crotamine in human prostate cancer cell line.

Our study presents the anticancer potential of crotamine from Crotalus durissus terrificus in human prostate cancer cell line DU-145. Crotamine isolation was conducted through RP-FPLC, its molecular mass analyzed by MALDI-TOF was 4881.4 kDa, and N-terminal sequencing confirmed crotamine identity. Crotamine demonstrated no toxicity and did not inhibit migration in HUVEC cells. Although no cell death occurred in DU-145 cells, crotamine inhibited their migration. Thus, crotamine presented potential to be a prototype of anticancer drug.

Outcomes of urethral meatal preservation ventral urethroplasty for female urethral stricture: a series of cases.

Objective: To present a series of cases with our initial experience and short-term outcomes of a modified vaginal mucosal flap urethroplasty. Methods: Patients diagnosed with urethral stricture and operated by the same operative technique between January 2012 and January 2018 were followed for at least 6 months. Uroflowmetry and clinical outcomes were evaluated. Results: Nineteen patients were included with an average age of 56.4 years, mean preoperative Qmax of 5.3 ml/s, and PVR of 101.4 mL. After 6 months of the procedure, the mean Qmax improved to 14.7 mL/s (p<0.05), PVR decreased to 47.3 mL (p<0.05), and 84.2% of all patients reported improvement in clinical self-reported symptoms. There was an improvement in symptoms such as voiding effort in 84.2% of patients, weak stream (89.5%), and recurrent urinary tract infection (85.7%). The success rate (absence of symptoms and normal Qmax with no significant PVR) of the procedure was 84.2%. Conclusion: The described technique was considered effective for the treatment of female urethra stricture, with a high clinical success rate and an objective improvement of Qmax and decrease in PVR after 6 months of the procedure.

Comparison between Injury Severity Score (ISS) and New Injury Severity Score (NISS) in predicting mortality of thoracic trauma in a tertiary hospital.

INTRODUCTION: measuring the severity of traumatic injuries is crucial for predicting clinical outcomes. Whereas the Injury Severity Score (ISS) has limitations in assigning scores to injuries at the same site, the New Injury Severity Score (NISS) corrects for this problem by taking into account the three most severe injuries regardless of the region of the body. This study seeks to comprehend the clinical and epidemiological profile of trauma patients while comparing the effectiveness of scales for predicting mortality. METHODS: a descriptive, observational and retrospective study using records of patients who underwent thoracotomy at the Hospital das Clínicas of the Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro between 2000 and 2019. Demographic data, mechanisms of injury, affected organs, length of stay and mortality were analyzed. Injury severity was assessed using the ISS and NISS, and statistical analyses were conducted using MedCalc and SigmaPlot. RESULTS: 101 patients were assessed, on average 29.6 years old, 86.13% of whom were men. The average duration of hospitalization was 10.9 days and the mortality rate was 28.7%. The ROC curve analysis revealed a sensitivity of 68.97%, specificity of 80.56% and area under the curve of 0.837 for the ISS, and 58.62%, 94.44% and 0.855 for the NISS, respectively. The Youden index was 0.49 for the ISS and 0.53 for the NISS. CONCLUSION: the study demonstrated comparable efficacy of NISS and ISS in predicting mortality. These findings hold significance in the hospital setting. Professionals must be familiar with these scales to utilize them competently for each patient.

Evaluating the antimicrobial and anti-biofilm activity of three synthetic antimicrobial Citropin analogs and their ability to fight against Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus pseudintermedius.

AIMS: We developed three new analogs of the antimicrobial peptide (AMP) Citropin 1.1: DAN-1-13, AJP-1-1, and HHX-2-28, and tested their potential antimicrobial and antibiofilm activities against Staphylococcus aureus and S. pseudintermedius. Potential cytotoxic or hemolytic effects were determined using cultured human keratinocytes and erythrocytes to determine their safety. METHODS AND RESULTS: To assess the antimicrobial activity of each compound, minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBC) were determined against methicillin-resistant and methicillin-susceptible strains of S. aureus and S. pseudintermedius. Activity against newly formed and mature biofilms was determined in two clinical isolates using spectrophotometry and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). All three compounds exhibited antimicrobial and bactericidal activity against all studied S. aureus and S. pseudintermedius strains, with MICs ranging from 4-32 µg ml-1 and MBCs ranging from 8-128 µg ml-1. Subinhibitory concentrations of all compounds also showed ant-biofilm activity in the two tested isolates. All compounds exhibited limited cytotoxic and hemolytic activity. CONCLUSIONS: Novel analogs of Citropin 1.1 exhibit antimicrobial and bactericidal activities against S. aureus and S. pseudintermedius isolates and inhibit the biofilm formation of these bacteria.

Anatomical Vascular Differences and Leishmania-Induced Vascular Morphological Changes Are Associated with a High Parasite Load in the Skin of Dogs Infected with Leishmania infantum.

Canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL), caused by the protozoan Leishmania infantum, affects several organs, including the skin. Dogs are considered the major domestic reservoir animals for leishmaniasis, and through their highly parasitized skin, they can serve as a source of infection for sandfly vectors. Therefore, studies of the skin parasite-host relationship can contribute to the understanding of the infectious dissemination processes of parasites in the dermis and help to identify targets for diagnosis and treatment. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the association of anatomical vascular differences and Leishmania-induced vascular morphological changes with clinical signs and parasite load by analyzing the ear and abdominal skin from dogs naturally infected with L. infantum. Paired samples of ear and abdominal skin from L. infantum-positive dogs (n = 26) were submitted for histological and immunohistochemistry analyses. The ear skin samples showed a more intense and more diffusely distributed granulomatous inflammatory reaction, a higher number and larger diameter of blood vessels, increased parasite load, higher expression of VEGF+ (vascular endothelial growth factor) and MAC 387+ (calprotectin) recently infiltrating cells, and more intense collagen disruption compared to the abdominal skin samples. Intracellular amastigotes were observed in blood vessels and inside endothelial cells and were diffusely distributed throughout the dermis in the ear skin samples. The NOS2/MAC387+ cell ratio was lower in the ear skin samples than in those of the abdomen, suggesting that in the ear dermis, the inflammatory infiltrate was less capable of producing NO and thereby control the parasite load. Together, these findings indicate how parasites and immune cells are distributed in the skin and suggest an important role for dermal vascularization in cellular influx and thereby in parasite dissemination through the skin of naturally infected dogs.

Accuracy, adaptation and margin quality of monolithic zirconia crowns fabricated by 3D printing versus subtractive manufacturing technique: A systematic review and meta-analysis of in vitro studies.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the accuracy (trueness and precision), marginal and internal adaptation, and margin quality of zirconia crowns made by additive manufacturing compared to subtractive manufacturing technology. METHODS: The investigation adhered to the PRISMA-ScR guidelines for systematic reviews and was registered at the Prospero database (n°CRD42023452927). Four electronic databases, including PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science and manual search was conducted to find relevant studies published until September 2023. In vitro studies that assessed the trueness and precision, marginal and internal adaptation, and margin quality of printed crowns compared to milled ones were included. Studies on crowns over implants, pontics, temporary restorations, laminates, or exclusively experimental materials were excluded. RESULTS: A total of 9 studies were included in the descriptive reporting and 7 for meta-analysis. The global meta-analysis of the trueness (P<0.74,I2=90 %) and the margin quality (P<0.61,I2=0 %) indicated no significant difference between the root mean square of printed and milled zirconia crowns. The subgroup analysis for the printing system showed a significant effect (P<0.01). The meta-analysis of the crown areas indicated no significant difference in most of the areas, except for the marginal (favoring milled crowns) and axial (favoring printed crowns) areas. For precision and adaptation, both methods showed a clinically acceptable level. CONCLUSIONS: Additive manufacturing technology produces crowns with trueness and margin quality comparable to subtractive manufacturing. Both techniques have demonstrated the ability to produce crowns with precision levels, internal discrepancy, and marginal fit within clinically acceptable limits. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: 3D printing emerges as a promising and potentially applicable alternative method for manufacturing zirconia crowns, as it shows trueness and margin quality comparable to restorations produced by the subtractive method.

The sural-sparing pattern in clinical variants and electrophysiological subtypes of Guillain-Barré syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is the most common cause of acute flaccid paralysis worldwide and can be classified into electrophysiological subtypes and clinical variants. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to compare the frequency of the sural-sparing pattern (SSP) in subtypes and variants of GBS. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study analyzed clinical and electrophysiological data of 171 patients with GBS hospitalized in public and private hospitals of Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, between 1994 and 2018; all cases were followed up by the same neurologist in a reference neurology center. Patients were classified according to electrophysiological subtypes and clinical variants, and the SSP frequency was compared in both categories. The exact Fisher test and Bonferroni correction were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: The SSP was present in 53% (57 of 107) of the patients with acute inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (AIDP), 8% (4 of 48) of the patients with axonal subtypes, and 31% (5 of 16) of the equivocal cases. The SSP frequency in the AIDP was significantly higher than in the axonal subtypes (p < 0.0001); the value was kept high after serial electrophysiological examinations. Only the paraparetic subtype did not present SSP. CONCLUSION: The SSP may be present in AIDP and axonal subtypes, including acute motor axonal neuropathy, but it is significantly more present in AIDP. Moreover, the clinical variants reflect a specific pathological process and are correlated to its typical electrophysiological subtype, affecting the SSP frequency.

ANTECEDENTES: A síndrome de Guillain-Barré (GBS) é a causa mais comum de paralisia flácida aguda em todo o mundo e pode ser classificada em subtipos eletrofisiológicos e variantes clínicas. OBJETIVO: Este estudo teve como objetivo comparar a frequência do padrão de preservação do sural (SSP) em subtipos e variantes de GBS. MéTODOS: É um estudo de coorte retrospectivo que analisou dados clínicos e eletrofisiológicos de 171 pacientes com GBS internados em hospitais públicos e privados de Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brasil, entre 1994 e 2018. Todos os casos foram acompanhados pelo mesmo neurologista em centro de referência em neurologia. Os pacientes foram classificados de acordo com os subtipos eletrofisiológicos e variantes clínicas e a frequência do SSP foi comparada em ambas as categorias. O teste exato de Fisher e a correção de Bonferroni foram utilizados para análise estatística. RESULTADOS: O SSP esteve presente em 53% (57 de 107) dos pacientes com polirradiculoneuropatia desmielinizante inflamatória aguda (PDIA), em 8% (4 de 48) dos pacientes com subtipos axonais e em 31% (5 de 16) dos casos não definidos. A frequência do SSP no AIDP foi significativamente maior do que nos subtipos axonais (p < 0,0001); o valor manteve-se elevado após exames eletrofisiológicos seriados. Apenas o subtipo paraparético não apresentou SSP. CONCLUSãO: O SSP pode estar presente na PDIA e nos subtipos axonais, incluindo a neuropatia axonal motora aguda, mas está significativamente mais presente na PDIA. Além disso, as variantes clínicas refletem um processo patológico específico e estão correlacionadas ao seu subtipo eletrofisiológico típico, afetando a frequência do SSP.