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This study aimed to investigate the mineral profile and histopathological findings in the liver of Leptodactylus macrosternum (white-lipped frog) and to assess the association between melanomacrophage areas and hepatic fungal granuloma with several factors such as weight, snout-cloacal length, sex, hepatosomatic index, season (dry and rainy), and condition factor K. A total of 135 frogs of different ages were collected from three areas in the city of Petrolina, Pernambuco, with varying land use (conventional agriculture, organic agriculture, and Caatinga stricto sensu). The liver of all specimens exhibited changes such as granulomatous lesions, inflammatory cell infiltrate, blood vessel congestion, and sinusoid dilation. The melanomacrophage areas were influenced by weight, snout-cloacal length, and hepatosomatic index. Our findings revealed a positive correlation between body size (weight and snout-cloacal length) and melanomacrophage/hepatic granuloma, while the hepatosomatic index showed a negative relationship. For the condition factor K, only age presents relationship. Eleven elements were quantified for the mineral profile, with aluminum (Al), iron (Fe), and zinc (Zn) being the most abundant in both liver and muscle. Although the histopathological findings and mineral profile of the liver and muscle in this study indicate an effect on the health of L. macrosternum in different collection areas, confirming the relationship between environmental characteristics and these findings requires future studies. Furthermore, long-term studies would be necessary to allow the monitoring of all stages of development of these populations, from tadpoles to adults, for a better evaluation of these effects in L. macrosternum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conclusion:Epistaxis has a bimodal age distribution. Anterior epistaxis of mild severity is more common in children; severe epistaxis occurs more often in adults and elderly patients. The occurrence of spontaneous epistaxis was shown to be weakly-to-moderately and inversely correlated to the mean monthly temperature, relative humidity and total rainfall. Objectives:To describe the clinical and epidemiological profiles of patients diagnosed with spontaneous epistaxis; to correlate its monthly occurrence with meteorological variables. Methods:A retrospective cross-sectional study was performed in a referral ENT service in São Paulo, Brazil. The study assessed the clinical and epidemiological features of 508 patients with spontaneous epistaxis treated between February 2010 and January 2011. The occurrence of epistaxis was associated with weather variables for the same study period. Results:Spontaneous epistaxis presented two age peaks of higher incidence (11–20 and 51–70 years). Children more frequently had localized bleeding (p = 0.003), in the anterior region of the nasal cavity (p = 0.0001), of absent-mild severity (p = 0.0082). Diffuse bleeding (p = 0.005), of moderate–severe intensity (p = 0.003), was more common in adults and elderly patients. The total number of visits because of epistaxis was inversely correlated to mean temperature (R = −0.489;p = 0.011), mean relative humidity (R = −0.364;p = 0.038), and total rainfall (R = −0.512;p = 0.009) during each month of the analyzed period. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background The biochemical composition of the saliva and biofilm of children with Down syndrome ( DS) may be associated with the incidence of caries in this population. Aim To evaluate the biochemical composition of the saliva and dental biofilm of children with DS in the city of Porto Alegre, RS. Design The sample comprised 144 children between 6 and 14 years of age, of whom 61 had DS and 83 did not. Stimulated saliva samples were collected from all participants, as were samples of 48-h biofilm. Fluoride (F), calcium (Ca), and phosphorus (Pi) concentrations in saliva and biofilm were determined by colorimetric method (Ca and Pi) or selective electrode (F). The level of insoluble extracellular polysaccharide ( EPS) in dental biofilm was measured using sulphuric acid method. Results Salivary concentration of F, Ca, and Pi did not differ between children with and without DS. The dental biofilm of children with DS, however, showed higher Pi and EPS levels than that of children without the syndrome ( P < 0.05). Conclusions The present results suggest that despite the salivary composition being similar between groups, the dental biofilm of children with DS has higher cariogenic potential than that of children without this condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to present a clinical case of a second lower left premolar with marked dilaceration. The patient complained of "pain when drinking cold water" and when chewing. Clinical examination revealed extensive restoration of composite resin on the occlusal and distal surfaces. At the radiographic examination, an image of extensive and in-depth coronary restoration was perceived, suggesting proximity to the pulp chamber, besides a sharp apical dilaceration of the root. However, no periapical lesion was found. The pulp diagnosis for this case was irreversible pulpitis. The chemical-mechanical preparation was performed with the 25.05 file of the ProDesign Logic system (Easy Equipments, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil), followed by irrigation with 5.25% sodium hypochlorite solution. At the end of the chemical-mechanical preparation, the Easyclean file was used in a reciprocating motion at the working length (WL) for 20s. The obturation was performed using a gutta-percha FM EL cone (Odous de Deus, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil) using the continuous condensation wave technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bos indicus (n=67) and crossbred Bos taurus x Bos indicus (n=67) bulls were finished in extensive or intensive conditions to evaluate the effect of genetic differences and finishing system on the fatty acid (FA) composition of intramuscular fat. Finishing system had a more pronounced effect on FA profiles than the genetic group, but the two factors often interacted for both individual and groups of FA. When compared with animals finished intensively, those finished on pasture produced meat with higher concentration of CLA and polyunsaturated n-3 FA, in particular of 18:3, 20:5 and 22:5. Meat from animals finished intensively had higher amounts of 14:0, 16:0, 18:1 trans-10, 18:1 trans-11, monounsaturated trans FA and 18:2. When the two genetic groups were compared under intensive finishing, B. indicus animals showed lower amounts of 20:4 (synthesised from 18:2) and 20:5 (synthesised from 18:3), suggesting that they may have a lower ability in biochemical pathways involved in the metabolism of n-6 and n-3 long chain fatty acids. Overall, meat from animals finished on pasture had a higher amount of the FA considered desirable for human health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The occurrence of Hepatozoon sp. infection in dogs was evaluated in the urban area of Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The study involved 300 animals, 120 from the Veterinary Hospital of the Federal University of Uberlândia''s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, 80 from private clinics, and 100 from the Animal Protective Association (APA). Among these animals, 7.66% presented Hepatozoon sp. gamonts inside neutrophils. No statistically significant difference was found among the diagnoses based on capillary and venous blood smears, but a statistical significance was identified in age range and breed. The main signs and symptoms the animals presented were pale mucous membranes, swollen lymph nodes, ocular discharge and pain in response to renal palpation. All the ticks collected were of the species Rhipicephalus sanguineus and no oocyst of the parasite was found in the hemolymph of the ixodidae. The findings of this study reinforce the presence of Hepatozoon sp. infecting dogs in Uberlândia, MG, with age and breed possibly related to the infection. The symptoms presented by the animals were consistent with those reported by other researchers. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This study aimed to determine the mineral profile of hair samples of free-ranging capybaras (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) in remnants of the Atlantic Forest located in the Northeast of Brazil, and to evaluate the effects of origin, gender and age of the animals on their mineral accumulation in hair. Twenty hair samples from animals of different areas, genders and ages were prepared using microwave-assisted digestion, employing 5 mL of HNO 3 and 2.5 mL of H 2 SO 4 for 100 mg of sample. Digestion efficiency was assessed by residual carbon content. The digested samples were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP OES). Principal component analysis (PCA) was performed considering the composition data of 11 elements (Al, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mn, Mo, and Na). The digestion method applied was efficient and the most abundant elements with their respective concentration ranges in mg kg−1 were Al (396–2746), Ca (36–3420), Fe (476–51180), K (115–4843), and Na (72–473). ANOVA and PCA differentiated among the capybaras regarding age (adults) and origin (A3), both associated with higher concentrations of Al, Cd, Fe, and K. Although a higher metal bioaccumulation was observed in adult animals, it is important to highlight that this result could have been affected by diet and physiological parameters. The results suggest that A3 was the most anthropized remnant area due to agricultural and urban influences. Multi-elemental determination in hair can be used as a non-invasive method to assess heavy metal contamination in capybaras. Image 1 • Eleven elements were determined in 20 hair samples of capybaras by ICP OES. • The most abundant elements were Al, Ca, Fe, K, and Na. • PCA showed separation trends of hair samples with respect to origin and age. • Adults presented higher concentrations of Al, Fe, and K. • Hair is a useful non-invasive sample to assess metal contaminations in capybaras. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (MAPEOs) are considered to be one of the main sources of mercury release into the environment. Considering the gold mining activities, this study evaluated the Hg concentration in 27 apiaries (Apis spp.) in the South of the Legal Amazon, Mato Grosso State, Brazil. A total of 243 samples distributed in 81 samples of bees, 81 beeswax, and 81 of honeys, collected between the months of July and November 2022, were analyzed. One bee sample showed Hg concentration above the limit of quantification (68.8 ng g -1 ), 27 samples were between the limit of detection and limit of quantification (15 samples of bees, 8 of wax and 4 of honey). In all study areas, trace levels of Hg concentration were detected, 12 near MAPEOs areas and 16 near crop areas. It recorded that the honeys analyzed in this study in Mato Grosso are not contaminated by Hg, not offering any risk to consumers of the product. It is noteworthy that the use of bioindicator tools such as bees, beeswax, and honey is effective in relation to Hg monitoring in apiaries. It can also infer that the implementation of beekeeping in areas that will go through experience the process of environmental recovery, after the mining exploitation, is feasible, in line with permanent biomonitoring of the region., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethical approval: Not applicable. Consent to participate: Not applicable. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Mercury (Hg) is a non-essential trace metal, toxic to living beings and complex to quantify and mitigate in the environment. In this study, 25 plant species native to an Amazon-Cerrado transition area were tested for use in Hg remediation. Species identification, Hg quantification in plant biomass and soil at each sampling point, and evaluation of Hg compartmentalization in each plant were carried out. The results were subjected to statistical tests and evaluated using translocation coefficients (FT), bioconcentration (FBC), and bioaccumulation (FB). The results demonstrated that the distribution and accumulation of Hg differed between species and between the parts of the plant evaluated. Soil was the predominant source of Hg in the study area. The study highlighted seven species with Hg phytoremediation potential. Five translocator species were characterized, among these a preferentially bioaccumulating and bioconcentrating species, in addition to a bioconcentrating species and a preferentially bioconcentrating and bioaccumulating species of Hg. Potentially accumulating species stood out, Blechnum serrulatum Rich. (Blechnaceae), Mauritia flexuosa L.f. (Arecaceae), and Montrichardia arborescens (L.) Schott (Araceae), all widely distributed in tropical regions, characterized as rooted, terrestrial, or amphibious and associated with ruderal environments., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethical approval: Not applicable. Consent to participate: Not applicable. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

This paper aims to bring reflections and notes for strengthening Brazilian structuring public policies, focusing on Popular Health Education in the Unified Health System (SUS) from the perspectives built in the Observatory of Popular Health Education and the Brazilian Reality. The Observatory is a valuable space for sharing health professionals' and popular educators' interpretations and experiences about local and Brazilian realities from the perspective of Popular Health Education. During its two years of activity, the Observatory has gathered summary interpretations of Popular Health Education for the crises that traverse the country's recent history in a dialogical and participatory way. In a panoramic view, the shared statements point to challenges for valuing the human approach to health promotion, including respecting local and community knowledge and social practices. Moreover, we underscore the importance of social participation in constructing participatory social processes in public health toward citizen autonomy and expanded democratic dynamics in the Brazilian State and its social equipment.

Numerous studies evaluate chemical contaminants released by human activities and their effects on biota and aquatic ecosystems. However, few of these studies address non-toxic agents and their potentially harmful effects, which, in a concealed manner, culminate in an increased ecotoxicological risk for aquatic life and public health. This study investigated the presence of toxic and non-toxic pollutants in one of the main watersheds in Northeast Brazil (Rio São Francisco) and proposed a model of dispersion and transfer of resistance among the analyzed bacteria, also assessing the health risks of individuals and aquatic organisms present there. The results are worrying because although most toxic parameters, including physical-chemical and chromatographic aspects, comply with Brazilian environmental standards, non-toxic (microbiological) parameters do not. This research reveals the circulation of pathogens in several points of this hydrographic basin, highlighting the hidden ecotoxicological potential of an aquatic environment considered unaffected by the usual patterns of toxic parameters., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

This narrative review aims to analyze the literature on Collective Health to recognize what has been discussed in Popular Health Education (PHE) from 2019 to 2022. Fifty-nine articles were selected, critically analyzed, and separated into six summary categories: popular education practices as promoters of a participatory vision of health; popular education and the valorization of local popular culture knowledge and practices; popular health education as a strategy to support social reconstruction in the face of setbacks in public policies; the importance of national articulation in popular education as a response to its devaluation; popular education as a liberating project thinking about the democratic formation and the fight against institutional and structural violence; popular education in the university health training process. We achieved significant results that elucidate the importance of PHE within the Unified Health System and the academic education of health professionals, fostering respect for ancestral knowledge and care horizontality. We also reaffirm the need for national articulation and dialogue with grassroots movements to advance Brazil's emancipatory and dignifying health agenda.

This study aimed to evaluate metal exposure through the concentration of essential and toxic micro-minerals in biological samples of Phrynops geoffroanus from an anthropized river. The work was carried out in four areas with different flow characteristics and uses of the river, where individuals of both sexes were captured during the dry and rainy seasons. The elements Al, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, and Zn were quantified in samples of serum (168), muscle (62), liver (61), and kidney (61) by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. The concentration of the elements varied according to the sample type, being higher in the liver and the kidney. In the serum, many elements were below the limit of quantification, but it was possible to determine Al, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb, and Zn. The liver showed high levels of Cu, Fe, Pb, and Zn, and muscle for Fe, Ni, Pb, and Zn, with most of the elements accumulated in the kidney (Al, Cd, Co, Cr, Mn, Mo, and Ni) relative to other tissues. There was no significant difference between the sexes in the accumulation of elements. Between seasons, Cu was higher in serum and Mn in muscle and liver in the dry period, while in the kidney, almost all the elements were higher in the rainy period. The concentrations of the elements in the samples indicated a high degree of environmental contamination, representing risk in the use of the river and consumption of food from local fisheries., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Popular Education in Health (PEH) is a field of knowledge and practices permeated by listening, dialogue, and action. With a set of national experiences and productions, it is a political-pedagogical movement that articulates forces from various social and popular segments, health workers, educators, and researchers in collective health, among other actors. Supported by authors such as Paulo Freire and Victor Valla, among others, PEH has been strengthened in the dimensions of training, participation, management, and health care. Despite the dismantling experienced today in the Brazilian public scene, the PEH Thematic Group (TG) of the Brazilian Association of Public Health (ABRASCO) has been helping to foster, design, and express the voicing of the construction and development of participatory educational and democratic processes in Brazil. This paper showcases the experiences and elaborations of the TG members through the report of the collegiate coordination center members of the last administrations, a period of changes in the political, social, economic, educational and health scenarios, including the influence of the current planetary crisis brought about by the effects of COVID-19, especially in the Brazilian society.

Host single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in different genes can play a role in chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and influence the presence of hepatic fibrosis and comorbidities such as hepatic steatosis. We assessed the combined effect of SNPs in the PNPLA3, MTTP, TM6SF2, and IFNL3/IFNL4 genes in 288 Brazilian patients who were chronically infected with HCV. Hepatic fibrosis was observed in 246 (85.4%) patients and hepatic steatosis in 141 (49.0%) patients. PNPLA3 rs738409 (CG/GG) (P = 0.044) and TM6SF2 rs58542926 (CT) (P = 0.004) were alone associated with fibrosis, and PNPLA3 rs738409 (P < 0.05, in distinct genetic models) was associated with steatosis. Multiple logistic regression of each SNP combined with HCV genotype 3 infection showed that MTTP rs1800591 (GT/TT) combined with HCV genotype 3 was associated with a 6.72-fold increased chance of hepatic steatosis (P = 0.013). In the analysis of SNPs combined 2 by 2, no influence on hepatic fibrosis or steatosis was observed., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

This study aimed to evaluate the quality of life of motorcycle taxi drivers and the association with psychosocial characteristics of their work. This was a cross-sectional epidemiological study with a sample of 400 motorcycle taxi drivers in Jequié, Bahia State, Brazil. The study used a form containing demographic and socioeconomic data, WHO Quality of Life-Bref Questionnaire (WHOQOL-Bref), and the Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ). Motorcycle taxi drivers with greater decision-making control over their work showed better self-rated quality of life in the psychological domain; those with high psychological demands presented better self-rated quality of life in the social relations and environmental domains; those with high strain and active work showed better self-rated quality of life in the social and environmental domains. The psychosocial work environment and especially decision-making autonomy were thus important determinants of self-rated quality of life in this group of motorcycle taxi drivers.

Unlabelled: Individuals often seek help with foreign bodies (FB) in their ears, noses, and throats. Proper recognition, study, and management of foreign bodies is required to prevent complications., Objective: To analyze the profile of the patients seen for FB at a reference otorhinolaryngology emergency care unit between February of 2010 and January of 2011., Method: Cross-sectional retrospective historical cohort study based on digitized patient charts., Results: FB accounted for 827 cases and 5.3% of all patients seen in the ENT emergency unit. Children were affected more frequently, particularly when aged 8 and under. No statistically significant differences were seen between genders. Foreign bodies were mostly located in the ears (64.4%), followed by the nasal fossae (19.5%), and the oropharynx (8.9%). Complications were seen in 4.5% of the cases, and 4.4% required general anesthesia to have the FB removed., Conclusion: In our ENT practice, foreign bodies were more commonly seen in children; the ears were the preferential site of occurrence. Complication rates and use of general anesthesia were low in our practice. It should be stressed that ENT foreign bodies need to be properly managed so as to avoid complications.

Unlabelled: Urgent and emergency care are common happenings in ENT practice and most carry low morbidity and mortality. There are but few studies that address the epidemiology of these situations., Objective: To evaluate the epidemiological characteristics of care in the emergency department of otorhinolaryngology at a high complexity hospital., Method: Epidemiological, cross-sectional study, retrospective with data collection carried out from medical records from the emergency department of otorhinolaryngology of a high complexity hospital in São Paulo, for a period of 12 months., Data Collected: age, gender, clinical diagnosis and management. The cases were divided by subspecialty: otology, rhinology, pharyngolaryngeal-stomatology and head and neck surgery. We evaluated the level of urgency/emergency, etiology and monthly distribution of visits., Results: 17,503 medical records were obtained; 1,863 were excluded. Of the 15,640 cases included, the average age was 36.3 years. 9,818 (62.77%) corresponded to cases considered as emergency/urgency. Among the urgency/emergency cases, 6,422 (65.41%) were diagnosed in the ear and among the 10 most prevalent diagnostics, 7 were in the subspecialty of otology., Conclusion: Among the patients seen in the emergency department of otolaryngology evaluated in this study, 62.77% corresponded to cases of urgency/emergency, predominantly in the otology subspecialty.

Unlabelled: Otitis media (OM) is considered a potentially severe disease due to the risk of complications., Objective: To establish the annual incidence of intratemporal complications (ITC) resulting from OM and to prospectively assess patients for epidemiological and clinical factors., Method: This prospective cohort study included patients admitted during one year at a university hospital diagnosed with intratemporal complications of OM. Patients were analyzed for age, gender, type of intratemporal complication, treatment, and clinical outcome. The overall incidence of complications and the specific incidence rates of each type of complication were determined., Results: 1,816 patients were diagnosed with OM; 592 (33%) had chronic OM; 1224 (67%) had acute OM. Fifteen patients were diagnosed with OM ITC, adding up to an annual incidence of 0.8%. Nineteen diagnoses of ITC were made in 15 patients. Seven (36.8%) patients were diagnosed with labyrinthine fistula, five (26.3%) with mastoiditis, four (21.1%) with peripheral facial palsy, and three (15.8%) with labyrinthitis., Conclusion: The incidence of intratemporal complications remains significant when compared to the rates seen in developed countries. Chronic cholesteatomatous otitis media is the most frequent etiology of intratemporal complications. Labyrinthine fistula is the most common intratemporal complication.

An evaluation was made of the clinical and hematological aspects of 115 dogs infected naturally by Hepatozoon sp. and treated at the Hospital School of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in Uberlândia, MG, Brazil. Of the 115 dogs for whom peripheral blood films were evaluated, 89 (77.39%) presented parasitemia by Hepatozoon sp. solely, while 26 (22.61%) had combination of Hepatozoon sp., Babesia sp. and Ehrlichia sp. Young male dogs less than a year old, of undefined breed (UB), were the most commonly affected. Thirty-nine (33.92%) of the dogs were asymptomatic while 76 (66.08%) presented varied clinical symptoms, the most frequent being anorexia, pulmonary alterations, hyperthermia, pale mucosae, apathy and/or prostration, and diarrhea. The majority of hematological alterations were normochromic-normocytic anemia, leukocytosis, neutrophilia, and nuclear deviation of neutrophils to the left (NDNL). The findings of this study confirm that Hepatozoon sp. causes clinical and hematological alterations of varied intensity, which, albeit not specific to canine hepatozoonosis, reinforce the notion that the discovery of the agent in dogs, even with low parasitemia, should be taken into consideration.