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Background: Work accidents pose the most risk to the health of workers and thus represent a considerable public health problem., Objective: To establish the epidemiological profile of healthcare workers who were victims of accidents involving biological materials in Canoas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, in 2017., Methods: Cross-sectional descriptive study based on reports of work accidents involving exposure to biological materials included in the epidemiological surveillance database of the Municipal Secretariat of Health of Canoas., Results: 121 work accidents involving exposure to biological materials occurred in 2017. Accidents prevailed among females (93.4%), whites (69.4%) and workers aged 20 to 30 years old (40.5%). Percutaneous exposure was associated with 76.8% of accidents, blood was the most prevalent biological material involved (90%) and hollow needles the main causative agent (64.5%). Gloves were the most frequently worn piece of personal protective equipment (PPE) (75.2%). About 93.4% of the sample was vaccinated against hepatitis B., Conclusion: Habits long consolidated in daily practice need to be reviewed, including training on correct use of PPE and adoption of precautions in all stages of care delivery.

A catalog of the type specimens of mites deposited at the Mite Collection of the Zoology and Botany Department of São Paulo State University (São José do Rio Preto, São Paulo state, Brazil) is presented. The collection of type specimens includes 120 species of 64 genera and 16 families, most of which from Brazil, but also from Angola, Australia, Costa Rica, Phillipines, South Africa, Sultanate of Oman and Thailand. For each species the original publication, provenance data, specimens conditions are provided.

Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus ticks cause major constraints to public and livestock health, and serious economic losses. It is well known that the immune response to infestations with cattle ticks is influenced by the host genetic background leading to distinct immunological profiles between bovine hosts genetically susceptible and resistant. The influence of Bos indicus (Bi) and Bos taurus (Bt) maternal lineage ancestry of mitochondrial DNA in the profile of the immune response of Zebu cattle to ticks remains unknown. The present work evaluated the hematological parameters and the immune response profile in the peripheral blood of a Guzerat dairy herd, further categorized into two maternal lineage ancestry subgroups (Bi-mtDNA and Bt-mtDNA) after experimental infestation with larvae of R. microplus. Our data demonstrated that although hematological and erythrogram analysis showed a similar profile throughout, some cell populations present a distinct profile between the groups. Especially MON, CD335 + and CD8 + T-cells are predominant in Bi-mtDNA. Moreover, an overall picture of R. microplus infestation demonstrated that Bi-mtDNA presented a more efficient and earlier innate immune response. Bi-mtDNA showed a greater number of connections with R. microplus counts and also with the CD25 + activation marker of the immune response. Bi-mtDNA showed greater number of connections, with an important participation of the innate immune while Bt-mtDNA showed a delay in the immune response. Elucidating the mechanisms by which resistant animals prevent heavy tick infestation is a crucial step in the development of predictive biomarkers for tick resistance for use in selective breeding programs, and is also potentially useful for the development of anti-tick vaccines., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Detection and classification of tree species from remote sensing data were performed using mainly multispectral and hyperspectral images and Light Detection And Ranging (LiDAR) data. Despite the comparatively lower cost and higher spatial resolution, few studies focused on images captured by Red-Green-Blue (RGB) sensors. Besides, the recent years have witnessed an impressive progress of deep learning methods for object detection. Motivated by this scenario, we proposed and evaluated the usage of Convolutional Neural Network (CNN)-based methods combined with Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) high spatial resolution RGB imagery for the detection of law protected tree species. Three state-of-the-art object detection methods were evaluated: Faster Region-based Convolutional Neural Network (Faster R-CNN), YOLOv3 and RetinaNet. A dataset was built to assess the selected methods, comprising 392 RBG images captured from August 2018 to February 2019, over a forested urban area in midwest Brazil. The target object is an important tree species threatened by extinction known as Dipteryx alata Vogel (Fabaceae). The experimental analysis delivered average precision around 92% with an associated processing times below 30 miliseconds.

The effect of bariatric surgery on resting energy expenditure (REE) remains unclear, particularly in terms of the REE/fat-free mass (FFM) ratio. We performed a systematic review with a meta-analysis on Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) studies to investigate the effect of bariatric surgery on the REE/FFM ratio 6 and 12 months postoperatively. Five of the 13 records of 6-month data (n = 406) showed a reduction in the REE/FFM ratio without significant summary effects. As regards 12-month data (10 records, n = 713), there was a significant relative REE mean reduction of 1.95 kcal/kg in FFM (CI: -2.82 to -1.09; I 2  = 28%; p < 0.00001). These findings suggest that bariatric surgery, specifically RYGB, leads to a decrease in the REE/FFM ratio during the first postoperative year, which may compromise long-term treatment outcomes.

Competition plays a central role in the maintenance of biodiversity. A backbone of classic niche theory is that local coexistence of competitors is favoured by the contraction or divergence of species' niches. However, this effect should depend on the diversity of resources available in the local environment, particularly when resources vary in multiple ecological dimensions. Here, we investigated how available resource breadth (i.e. prey diversity) and competition together shape multidimensional niche variation (between and within individuals) and interspecific niche overlap in 42 populations of congeneric tropical frog species. We modelled realized niches in two key trophic dimensions (prey size and carbon stable isotopes) and sampled available food resources to quantify two-dimensional resource breadth. We found a 14-fold variation in multidimensional population niche width across populations, most of which was accounted for by within-individual diet variation. This striking variation was predicted by an interaction whereby individual niche breadth increased with resource breadth and decreased with the number of congeneric competitors. These ecological gradients also interact to influence the degree of niche overlap between species, which surprisingly decreased with population total niche width, providing novel insights on how similar species can coexist in local communities. Together, our results emphasize that patterns of exploitation of resources in multiple dimensions are driven by both competitive interactions and extrinsic factors such as local resource breadth.

Objective: To characterize socioeconomic, demographic, health and clinical aspects of men with prostate cancer in the state of Maranhão, Brazil., Methodology: Prospective, descriptive primary study., Results: Of 226 men with prostate cancer, 44.2% were aged 71-80 years, 82.3% self-reported as mestizo, and 62.8% were not retired. Moreover, 90.3% had a monthly income of up to two minimum wages, 63.7% had less than eight years of schooling, 80.5% were married, 61.9% were from the interior of the state, and 76.1% did not practice physical activity. Regarding their health, 53.1% sought health care only when they presented a problem and 51.3% underwent prostatectomy., Conclusion: Tools and strategies developed for the male public should focus on the promotion and prevention of prostate cancer, taking into account the inherent characteristics of men by region, thus enabling early diagnosis and consequent possibility of cure.

No living Opilioacarus species have been described from Europe for more than a century since the first finding and species description in the early twentieth century. Using the material deposited in Museo Civico di Storia Naturale of Verona, Italy, it was possible to identify and describe a new Opilioacarus species and review the genus diagnosis, using the shape of setae d and setation of the preanal segment. The new species is also briefly compared with the other Opilioacarus species; Opilioacarus italicus (With, 1904) is considered a nomen dubium.

Ecologists have long searched for a universal size-scaling constant that governs trophic interactions. Although this is an appealing theoretical concept, predator-prey size ratios (PPSRs) vary strikingly across and within natural food webs, meaning that predators deviate from their optimal prey size by consuming relatively larger or smaller prey. Here we suggest that this unexpected variation in allometric scaling of trophic interactions can be predicted by gradients of prey limitation consistent with predictions from optimal foraging theory. We analyzed >6,000 trophic interactions of 52 populations from four tropical frog species along a gradient of prey limitation. The mean of PPSR and its variance differed up to two orders of magnitude across and within food webs. Importantly, as prey availability decreased across food webs, PPSR and its variance became more size dependent. Thus, trophic interactions did not follow a fixed allometric scaling but changed predictably with the strength of prey limitation. Our results emphasize the importance of ecological contexts in arranging food webs and the need to incorporate ecological drivers of PPSR and its variance in food web and community models.

Although neglected by classic niche theory, individual variation is now recognized as a prevalent phenomenon in nature with evolutionary and ecological relevance. Recent theory suggests that differences in individual variation across competitors can affect species coexistence and community patterns. However, the degree of individual variation is flexible across wild populations and we still know little about the ecological drivers of this variation across populations of single species and, especially, across coexisting species. Here, we aimed to (a) elucidate the major drivers of individual niche variation in natural communities and (b) to determine how consistent this variation is across coexisting species and communities. We analysed natural patterns of individual-level niche variation in four species of coexisting generalist frogs across a wide range of tropical communities. Specifically, we used gut contents and stable isotopes (δ 13 C and δ 15 N) from frog species and their prey to quantify individual niche specialization. Then, we combined data on local community structure, availability of prey, phylogenetic relationships and predator-prey size models to test how this variation is related to four ecological factors which are predicted to be key drivers of individual specialization: intraspecific competition, interspecific competition, ecological opportunity (i.e., diversity of resources) and predation. We found that the degree of individual trophic specialization varied by up to ninefold across populations within the same species. This sizable variation in trophic specialization across populations was at least partially explained by gradients of density of competitors (both conspecifics and heterospecifics) and intraguild predation. However, the specific relationships between individual specialization and these ecological gradients were strongly species-specific. As consequences, the identity of the species with more individual variation changed among sites and there was typically no spatial correlation in the degree of individual specialization across coexisting species. Our results show that individual niche specialization within and across species can be strongly context-dependent and that hierarchies of individual variation among coexisting species are not necessarily consistent across communities. Recent theory suggests that this pattern could lead to concurrent changes in competitive interactions across sites and thereby could play a key role in species coexistence at the landscape level. Our results suggest that individual variation across and within coexisting species has the potential to affect not only species coexistence at local communities, but also regional diversity patterns., (© 2018 The Authors. Journal of Animal Ecology © 2018 British Ecological Society.)

The study aimed at evaluating the testicular structure and spermatogenesis of Santa Inês and Santa Inês and Dorper crossbred sheep. Sixteen testicles of the animals under study were used, in order to evaluate the volumetric proportion, the diameter of the tubules, the height of seminiferous epithelium, the frequency of stages of the seminiferous epithelium cycle and the spermatogenic yield. The data were submitted to Student-Newman-Keulstestat 5% significance. The tubular diameter was 173.12 ± 29.09 μm and 185.71 ± 29.7 μm, and the height of the seminiferous epithelium was 52.29 ± 9.98 μm and 56.68 ± 11.25 μm, for the crossbred and the Santa Inês, respectively. There was no difference between the testicular compartments and the frequency of the stages of the seminiferous epithelium cycle between the groups. Santa Inês sheep presented a number of 15.36 ± 4.49 spermatocytes in the pre-leptotene/leptotene stage and 27.42 ± 6.65 spermatocytes in the pachytene, whereas the crossbred presented 13.18 ± 5.19 and 23.48 ± 7.80, respectively. The crossbred showed higher meiotic yield (3.98 ± 1.28) and spermatogenesis yield (3.71 ± 1.02). It is concluded there are differences in testicular morphology and spermatogenesis between Santa Inês sheep and crossbred Dorper/Santa Inês, indicating that the crossbreeding between the Santa Inês and Dorper animals allows a gain in the reproductive potential.

Neocarus coronatus n. sp., is described from caves and the surrounding epigean habitats from a karst area of São Desidério county, Bahia state, Brazil. A dissection procedure is presented for the better use of scarce Opilioacaridae material, especially to analyze gut contents. Sexual dimorphism is presented, mainly differences in the density of setae on the dorsal shield in the prominent triangular anterior region. Females have an ovipositor with 3 pairs of smooth digitiform projections and 6-8 eugenital setae. Adults have a palpal tibiotarsus with 4 d setae. Using Low-Temperature Scanning Electron Microscopy (LT-SEM), evaluation of the chaetotaxy (especially setal shape) and morphology are greatly improved over standard light microscopy techniques enhancing the interpretation of characters for species differentiation. Also, we discuss the fragility of microinvertebrates in cave habitats.

The inherently multidimensional nature of the niche has not yet been integrated into the investigation of individual niche specialization within populations. We propose a framework for modeling the between- and within-individual components of the population niche as a set of variance-covariance matrices, which can be visualized with ellipses or ellipsoids. These niche components can be inferred using multiple response mixed models, and can incorporate diverse types of data, including diet composition, stable isotopes, spatial location, and other continuous measures of niche dimensions. We outline how considering both individual and population niches in multiple dimensions may enhance our understanding of key concepts in ecology and evolution. Considering multiple dimensions as well as the within-individual component of variation can lead to more meaningful measures of niche overlap between species. The impact of a population on its food web or ecosystem can depend on the degree of individual variation (via Jensen's inequality), and we suggest how the dimensionality of individual specialization could amplify this effect. Finally, we draw from concepts in quantitative genetics and the study of animal personalities to propose new hypotheses about the ecological and evolutionary basis of niche shifts in multiple dimensions. We illustrate key ideas using empirical data from sea otters, wetland frogs, and threespine stickleback, and discuss outstanding questions about the consequences of multidimensional niche variation. Setting variation among individuals in an explicitly multivariate framework has the potential to transform our understanding of a range of ecological and evolutionary processes., (© 2017 by the Ecological Society of America.)

Objectives: to evaluate cannabinoid receptors (CBRs) expression on peripheral immune cells, i.e., blood monocytes, neutrophils, lymphocytes, and NK cells, and their relationship to a wide range of serum cytokine levels in subjects with schizophrenia and controls., Methods: A sample of 55 people with chronic schizophrenia and 48 controls were enrolled in the study. The expression of the cannabinoid receptors CB1R and CB2R was evaluated in peripheral blood leukocytes by flow cytometry. Serum levels of cytokines/chemokines were simultaneously analyzed by cytometric bead array., Results: We found higher expression of cannabinoid receptors on cells of the innate immune system in subjects with schizophrenia when compared with controls. Serum levels of interleukin-4 (IL-4), IL-6, IL-10, IL-17, interferon (IFN-γ), and (C-X-C motif) ligand 10/interferon gamma-induced protein 10 (CXCL10/IP10) were decreased, while levels of the chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 2/monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (CCL2/MCP-1) were increased in the schizophrenia group in comparison with controls. Patients with schizophrenia showed simpler correlation network between cytokines and CBRs expression than controls., Conclusion: Patients with schizophrenia showed increased CBRs expression in cells of the innate immune system and simpler correlation network between cytokines and CBRs expression when compared with controls. These results suggest a defective endocannabinoid system-mediated immunomodulation in patients with schizophrenia., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The present study investigated the frequencies of rs1800450 ( MBL   ⁎ B, G>A), rs1800451 ( MBL   ⁎ C, G>A), and rs5030737 ( MBL   ⁎ D, C>T) polymorphisms in exon 1 of the MBL2 gene among patients with chronic viral hepatitis. Blood samples from patients infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV; n = 65), hepatitis C virus (HCV; n = 92), and a noninfected control group ( n = 300) were investigated. The presence of polymorphisms was detected using a real-time polymerase chain reaction to correlate with liver disease pathogenesis and fibrosis staging according to the Metavir classification. The genotypic and allelic frequencies showed no significant differences between the groups, but patients with active HBV and the wild AA genotype presented a positive correlation between increased transaminase and HBV DNA levels and the presence of mild to moderate fibrosis. Patients with HCV and the wild AA genotype presented mild inflammation and higher HCV RNA levels, although the same association was not observed for the fibrosis scores. The results suggest that the mutations in exon 1 of the MBL2 gene do not contribute directly to the clinical and laboratory features of HCV and HBV infections, but further studies should be performed to confirm whether the wild AA genotype has indirect effect on disease progression.

This paper reports two deep-sea shrimps, Acanthephyra acanthitelsonis and A. armata from southwestern Atlantic waters. The samples were collected in two different moments, the first in the Potiguar Basin, northeast of Brazil (03/05° S; 38/35° W), covering the states of Rio Grande do Norte (RN) and Ceará (CE) in the year of 2011, and afterward on Rocas Atoll, located in the state of Rio Grande do Norte (RN) (3° 51' S, 033° 49' W; 3° 52' S, 033° 47' W) in the year of 2015. The occurrence of A. acanthitelsonis on Rocas Atoll and A. armata found along the continental slope in the Potiguar Basin, comprising both species, which were recorded for the first time in the southwestern Atlantic. This paper increases the number of Acanthephyra species recorded in Brazilian waters up to six and adds to our knowledge and distribution of deep-sea fauna in the south Atlantic.

We investigate a model for fatigue crack growth in which damage accumulation is assumed to follow a power law of the local stress amplitude, a form that can be generically justified on the grounds of the approximately self-similar aspect of microcrack distributions. Our aim is to determine the relation between model ingredients and the Paris exponent governing subcritical crack-growth dynamics at the macroscopic scale, starting from a single small notch propagating along a fixed line. By a series of analytical and numerical calculations, we show that, in the absence of disorder, there is a critical damage-accumulation exponent γ, namely γ&#95;{c}=2, separating two distinct regimes of behavior for the Paris exponent m. For γ>γ&#95;{c}, the Paris exponent is shown to assume the value m=γ, a result that proves robust against the separate introduction of various modifying ingredients. Explicitly, we deal here with (i) the requirement of a minimum stress for damage to occur, (ii) the presence of disorder in local damage thresholds, and (iii) the possibility of crack healing. On the other hand, in the regime γ<γ&#95;{c}, the Paris exponent is seen to be sensitive to the different ingredients added to the model, with rapid healing or a high minimum stress for damage leading to m=2 for all γ<γ&#95;{c}, in contrast with the linear dependence m=6-2γ observed for very long characteristic healing times in the absence of a minimum stress for damage. Upon the introduction of disorder on the local fatigue thresholds, which leads to the possible appearance of multiple cracks along the propagation line, the Paris exponent tends to m≈4 for γ≲2 while retaining the behavior m=γ for γ≳4.

Dogs represent the most important domestic reservoir of L. chagasi (syn. L. infantum). A vaccine against canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL) would be an important tool for decreasing the anxiety related to possible L. chagasi infection and for controlling human visceral leishmaniasis (VL). Because the sand fly salivary proteins are potent immunogens obligatorily co-deposited during transmission of Leishmania parasites, their inclusion in an anti-Leishmania vaccine has been investigated in past decades. We investigated the immunogenicity of the "LbSapSal" vaccine (L. braziliensis antigens, saponin as adjuvant, and Lutzomyia longipalpis salivary gland extract) in dogs at baseline (T0), during the post-vaccination protocol (T3rd) and after early (T90) and late (T885) times following L. chagasi-challenge. Our major data indicated that immunization with "LbSapSal" is able to induce biomarkers characterized by enhanced amounts of type I (tumor necrosis factor [TNF]-α, interleukin [IL]-12, interferon [IFN]-γ) cytokines and reduction in type II cytokines (IL-4 and TGF-β), even after experimental challenge. The establishment of a prominent pro-inflammatory immune response after "LbSapSal" immunization supported the increased levels of nitric oxide production, favoring a reduction in spleen parasitism (78.9%) and indicating long-lasting protection against L. chagasi infection. In conclusion, these results confirmed the hypothesis that the "LbSapSal" vaccination is a potential tool to control the Leishmania chagasi infection., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

The bark of A. occidentale L. is rich in tannins. Studies have described various biological activities of the plant, including antimicrobial, antioxidant, antiulcerogenic and antiinflammatory actions. The objective of this study was to assess the activity of the ethyl acetate phase (EtOAc) of A. occidentale on acute inflammation and to identify and quantify its phenolic compounds by HPLC. The method was validated and shown to be linear, precise and accurate for catechin, epicatechin, epigallocatechin and gallic acid. Swiss albino mice (Mus musculus) were treated with saline, Carrageenan (2.5%), Indomethacin (10 mg/kg), Bradykinin (6 nmol) and Prostaglandine E2 (5 µg) at different concentrations of EtOAc - A. occidentale (12.5; 25; 50; and 100 mg/kg/weight p.o.) for the paw edema test. Challenge was performed with carrageenan (500 µg/mL i.p.) for the doses 50 and 100 mg/kg of EtOAc. Levels of cytokines IL-1, TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-10 were also measured. All EtOAc - A. occidentale concentrations reduced the edema. At 50 and 100 mg/kg, an anti-inflammatory response of the EtOAc was observed. Carrageenan stimulus produced a neutrophil count of 28.6% while 50 and 100 mg/kg of the phase reduced this to 14.5% and 9.1%, respectively. The EtOAc extract reduced levels of IL-1 and TNF-α. These results suggest that the EtOAc plays a modulatory role in the inflammatory response. The chromatographic method can be used for the analysis of the phenolic compounds of the EtOAc phase.

This study investigated whether the body morphology of the tetra fish Astyanax lacustris (previously Astyanax asuncionensis) varied between populations inhabiting one lagoon (a lentic, shallow environment, with great habitat complexity created by aquatic macrophytes) and an adjacent river (a deeper, lotic environment where aquatic macrophytes are scarce) in a seasonally flooded wetland, despite population mixing during the wet season. Morphological differences matched a priori predictions of the theory relating functional body morphology and swimming performance in fishes between lagoon and river habitats. Observed morphological variation could have resulted from adaptive habitat choice by tetras, predation by piscivores and adaptive phenotypic plasticity during development., (© 2016 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.)

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is transmitted by phlebotomine sandfly vectors and domestic dogs serve as a reservoir. The elimination of seropositive dogs has been a recommended strategy for managing the disease in Brazil. A protective canine vaccine would be an important tool for controlling the disease, reducing the parasites available to sandfly vectors and, consequently, reducing the number of human VL cases. Leishmune(®) is an anti-canine Leishmaniosis (VL Canine) vaccine produced by Zoetis (Pfizer, Brazil) that was commercially available in Brazil until 2014. The main goal of the present study was to investigate the protective immunological events induced by vaccination with Leishmune(®) in the time frame of one year. Healthy, non-vaccinated dogs and dogs of 1, 6 and 10 months post-vaccination were evaluated. Results showed that Leishmune(®) induced an increase in phagocytic activity of neutrophils and monocytes and also increased NO production. Immunological events were correlated with functional responses, as high levels of IgG and an increase of the receptor Fcγ were detected. Vaccination induced an increased expression of TLR (2, 4, 5, 9), integrin (CD29, CD49f), activation (MHCII) and co-stimulatory (CD80, CD81) molecules by neutrophils and monocytes. Vaccination led to decrease of IL-4 and an increase of IL-8 production by monocytes and higher IFN-γ and IL-17 production by T-cells. The results suggested that Leishmune(®) was able to induce a long-lasting change in immune response, mediated by supportive immunological events that may be participating in protective immunity against CL., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The immunological biomarkers profiles were evaluated using Luminex as putative measures to monitor canine mammary carcinomas (MCs). Forty female dogs were categorized into benign mixed tumour (MC-BMT = 28) and mammary carcinoma (MC=12). The ascendant biomarker signatures were used to compare the groups. For example, a higher frequency of MC-BMT animals producing IL-6, CXCL-8 and CXCL-10 was observed, whereas for the MC group IL-2 and CXCL-8 were detected. MC-BMT animals without metastasis had an increase in the levels of IL-2, CXCL-8, CXCL-10, IL-6, TNF-α, IL-15 and a decrease in IL-10 and CXCL-8. MC-BMT animals with metastasis showed only an increase in CXCL-10 and a decrease in IL-18. After comparing the ascendant signatures following the presence of metastasis in both groups, a higher frequency of dogs exhibiting IL-10 production was observed. Pearson correlation (P = 0.0273) and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis revealed that this pattern was associated with worse outcome and lower survival rates in MC animals., (© 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Trypanosomiasis is a disease caused by Trypanosoma (Dutonella) vivax, a hemoprotozoa that can affect bovines. In South America, the sanguineous form is mechanically transmitted from one mammalian host (ruminant) to another by the bite of a blood-sucking insect or by needles contaminated with infected blood. The negative impact of the parasitosis caused by T. vivax infection on the reproductive activity of male and female ruminants is known to reduce fertility. In males, alterations such as degeneration, diffuse or interlobular inflammatory infiltrate found in ovine and bovine testicles, can affect fertility through decreased sperm quality. This study evaluated the impact of natural infection with T. vivax on Zebu bulls from the Central Station of Artificial Insemination (CSAI) with regard to libido and the negative effects caused by this protozoan on semen quality., Methods: Blood samples of 44 animals were collected to evaluate the presence of the trypomastigote form of T. vivax in blood smears obtained from hematocrit and buffy coat, and antibody titer IgG anti T. vivax in indirect Immunoflorescence (IFI). Furthermore, data related to libido, ejaculate volume, spermatic concentration, and seminal vigor were recorded for these animals employing the criteria of the CSAI., Results: Nine animals (20.45 %) showed T. vivax trypomastigotes and parasitemia between 0.02 and 0.07, and antibody titers from 1:80 to 1:320 in IFI. Twenty nine negative animals in parasitological tests were not reactive in IFI, and six animals presented the antibodies IgG anti T. vivax in IFI. Data on reproductive activity showed that animals infected with T. vivax have a decreased libido and an increased spermatic volume, whereas other factors related to the reproductive process such as spermatic concentration, motility and spermatic force, were unchanged in infected bulls., Conclusions: The T. vivax infection in Zebu bulls from CSAI caused patent parasitemia, induced a febrile state, promoted reduction in the libido and increased the ejaculate volume. These conditions together may account to decrease the performance of these animals.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to report the application of antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) via sinus tract associated with laser phototherapy (LPT) in conservative treatment of a late failure of endodontic retreatment in two clinical cases of post-treatment apical periodontitis., Background Data: Post-treatment apical periodontitis is a microbiological matter, because infection is present in almost all cases associated with this condition, even in teeth with apparently adequate root canal treatments. Infection is usually located within the root canal system, but in a few cases it may spread to the periradicular tissues. Many biofilms are susceptible to aPDT, particularly in dental disease. In the present two cases reports, aPDT was applied via sinus tract., Methods: In the two clinical cases, endodontic retreatment was unsuccessful, with the presence of a persistent swelling sinus tract, despite the standard quality of the endodontic retreatment. Before any surgical intervention, a noninvasive aPDT via sinus tract was performed. The photosensitizer methylene blue (0.01%) was inserted through the entrance of the sinus tract. Laser irradiation was performed perpendicularly (660 nm, 40 mW, 90 J/cm(2), 63 sec/point) directly over the entrance of the sinus tract. LPT (808 nm, 100 mW, 210 J/cm(2), 59 sec/ point) was applied after each aPDT session. Seven (case 1) and 10 (case 2) successive aPDT applications were performed followed by LPT., Results: The 18 month follow-up after treatment revealed control of the swelling sinus tract and diminishing of persistent apical periodontitis. The treatment succeeded, avoiding both surgical interventions and antimicrobial prescription., Conclusions: The protocol of aPDT associated with LPT applied via sinus tract was revealed to be efficient for clinical infection control, and was found to be safe and conservative.

Brucella ovis infection is associated with epididymitis, orchitis and infertility in rams. Most of the information available on B. ovis and host cell interaction has been generated using murine macrophages or epithelial cell lines, but the interaction between B. ovis and primary ovine macrophages has not been studied. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of the B. ovis abcEDCBA-encoded ABC transporter and the virB operon-encoded Type IV Secretion System (T4SS) during intracellular survival of B. ovis in ovine peripheral blood monocyte-derived macrophages. ΔabcBA and ΔvirB2 mutant strains were unable to survive in the intracellular environment when compared to the WT B. ovis at 48 hours post infection (hpi). In addition, these mutant strains cannot exclude the lysosomal marker LAMP1 from its vacuolar membrane, and their vacuoles do not acquire the endoplasmic reticulum marker calreticulin, which takes place in the WT B. ovis containing vacuole. Higher levels of nitric oxide production were observed in macrophages infected with WT B. ovis at 48 hpi when compared to macrophages infected with the ΔabcBA or ΔvirB2 mutant strains. Conversely, higher levels of reactive oxygen species were detected in macrophages infected with the ΔabcBA or ΔvirB2 mutant strains at 48 hpi when compared to macrophages infected with the WT strain. Our results demonstrate that B. ovis is able to persist and multiply in ovine macrophages, while ΔabcBA and ΔvirB2 mutations prevent intracellular multiplication, favor phagolysosome fusion, and impair maturation of the B. ovis vacuole towards an endoplasmic reticulum-derived compartment.

Background: The process for obtaining monoclonal antibodies against a specific antigen is very laborious, involves sophisticated technologies and it is not available in most research laboratories. Considering that most cytokines remain partially conserved among species during evolution, the search for antibody cross-reactivity is an important strategy for immunological studies in veterinary medicine. In this context, the amino acid sequence from human and canine cytokines have demonstrated 49-96 % homology, suggesting high probability of cross-reactivity amongst monoclonal antibodies. For this, 17 commercially available anti-human monoclonal antibodies [IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8 (#1, #2), IL-10, IL-12, IL-13, IL-17A, IFN-γ (#1, #2), TNF-α (#1, #2) and TGF-β], were evaluated in vitro for intracellular cytokine detection in a stimulated canine blood culture by flow cytometry and confocal microscopy. Lymphocytes from peripheral blood of healthy and two unhealthy dogs were analyzed., Results: Eleven anti-human mAbs [IL-1α, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8 (#1, #2), IL-12, IL-17A, TNF-α (#1, #2) and TGF-β] cross-reacted against canine intracellular cytokines. The specificity of the assays was not affected after Fc-blocking. Three anti-human cytokine mAbs [IL-4, IL-8 (#2) and TGF-β] when evaluated by confocal microscopy also cross-reacted with intracellular canine cytokines. The identification of human mAbs that cross-reacted with canine cytokines may support their use as immunological biomarkers in veterinary medicine studies., Conclusion: The identification of these 11 anti-human cytokine mAbs that cross-reacted with canine cytokines will be useful immunological biomarkers for pathological conditions by flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy in dogs.

Brucella abortus S19 and RB51 strains have been successfully used to control bovine brucellosis worldwide; however, currently, most of our understanding of the protective immune response induced by vaccination comes from studies in mice. The aim of this study was to characterize and compare the immune responses induced in cattle prime-immunized with B. abortus S19 or RB51 and revaccinated with RB51. Female calves, aged 4 to 8 months, were vaccinated with either vaccine S19 (0.6-1.2 x 1011 CFU) or RB51 (1.3 x 1010 CFU) on day 0, and revaccinated with RB51 (1.3 x 1010 CFU) on day 365 of the experiment. Characterization of the immune response was performed using serum and peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Blood samples were collected on days 0, 28, 210, 365, 393 and 575 post-immunization. Results showed that S19 and RB51 vaccination induced an immune response characterized by proliferation of CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells; IFN-ɣ and IL-17A production by CD4+ T-cells; cytotoxic CD8+ T-cells; IL-6 secretion; CD4+ and CD8+ memory cells; antibodies of IgG1 class; and expression of the phenotypes of activation in T-cells. However, the immune response stimulated by S19 compared to RB51 showed higher persistency of IFN-ɣ and CD4+ memory cells, induction of CD21+ memory cells and higher secretion of IL-6. After RB51 revaccination, the immune response was chiefly characterized by increase in IFN-ɣ expression, proliferation of antigen-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells, cytotoxic CD8+ T-cells and decrease of IL-6 production in both groups. Nevertheless, a different polarization of the immune response, CD4+- or CD8+-dominant, was observed after the booster with RB51 for S19 and RB51 prime-vaccinated animals, respectively. Our results indicate that after prime vaccination both vaccine strains induce a strong and complex Th1 immune response, although after RB51 revaccination the differences between immune profiles induced by prime-vaccination become accentuated.

This study aimed to evaluate protection induced by the vaccine candidate B. ovis ΔabcBA against experimental challenge with wild type B. ovis in rams. Rams were subcutaneously immunized with B. ovis ΔabcBA encapsulated with sterile alginate or with the non encapsulated vaccine strain. Serum, urine, and semen samples were collected during two months after immunization. The rams were then challenged with wild type B. ovis (ATCC25840), and the results were compared to non immunized and experimentally challenged rams. Immunization, particularly with encapsulated B. ovis ΔabcBA, prevented infection, secretion of wild type B. ovis in the semen and urine, shedding of neutrophils in the semen, and the development of clinical changes, gross and microscopic lesions induced by the wild type B. ovis reference strain. Collectively, our data indicates that the B. ovis ΔabcBA strain is an exceptionally good vaccine strain for preventing brucellosis caused by B. ovis infection in rams.

Adults of Bromeliacaruscardoso gen. n., sp. n. are described from phytotelmata of Quesneliaarvensis (Vellozo) Mez. (Bromeliaceae) in the subtropical area of the Atlantic rainforest, São Paulo State, Brazil. The new genus Bromeliacarus is proposed and diagnosed, based primarily on the autapomorphic presence of 7-9 pairs of acetabula flanking the gonopore. A possible relationship between Bromeliacarus and other Wettinidae are discussed.

Objectives: To evaluate the expression of Galectins (Gal) 1, 3 and 9, Metalloproteinase 3 (MMP-3) and mast cell density in oral lesions of patients with potentially malignant disorders (PMD) and oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCC) by comparison with the controls., Study Design: We selected 40 cases of PMD, 40 OSCC and 13 with normal histopathological profile. Immunohistochemistry was performed for Gal-1, Gal-3, Gal-9 and MMP-3., Results: Gal-9 was significantly higher in patients with OSCC than in others groups (p < 0.001). Gal-1 expression was significantly lower in patients with leukoplakia than those with OSCC and controls (p = 0.0001). Gal-3 was significantly lower in patients with OSCC than those with leukoplakia (p = 0.03). MMP-3 was lower in patients with leukoplakia in comparison with the lichen planus group (p = 0.013)., Conclusion: The increased expression of Gal-9 may be helpful to differentiate of OSCC from other oral cavity lesions., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)

New methods for evaluating the canine immune system are necessary, not only to monitor immunological disorders, but also to provide insights for vaccine evaluations and therapeutic interventions, reducing the costs of assays using dog models, and provide a more rational way for analyzing the canine immune response. The present study intended to establish an in vitro toll to assess the parasitological/immunological status of dogs, applicable in pre-clinical trials of vaccinology, prognosis follow-up and therapeutics analysis of canine visceral leishmaniasis. We have evaluated the performance of co-culture systems of canine Leishmania chagasi-infected macrophages with different cell ratios of total lymphocytes or purified CD4(+) and CD8(+) T-cells. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from uninfected dogs were used for the system set up. Employing the co-culture systems of L. chagasi-infected macrophages and purified CD4(+) or CD8(+) T-cell subsets we observed a microenvironment compatible with the expected status of the analyzed dogs. In this context, it was clearly demonstrated that, at this selected T-cell:target ratio, the adaptive immune response of uninfected dogs, composed by L. chagasi-unprimed T-cells was not able to perform the in vitro killing of L. chagasi-infected macrophages. Our data demonstrated that the co-culture system with T-cells from uninfected dogs at 1:5 and 1:2 ratio did not control the infection, yielding to patent in vitro parasitism (≥ 80%), low NO production (≤ 5 μM) and IL-10 modulated (IFN-γ/IL-10 ≤ 2) immunological profile in vitro. CD4(+) or CD8(+) T-cells at 1:5 or 1:2 ratio to L. chagasi-infected macrophages seems to be ideal for in vitro assays. This co-culture system may have great potential as a canine immunological analysis method, as well as in vaccine evaluations, prognosis follow-up and therapeutic interventions., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Brucella abortus live vaccines have been used successfully to control bovine brucellosis worldwide for decades. However, due to some limitations of these live vaccines, efforts are being made for the development of new safer and more effective vaccines that could also be used in other susceptible species. In this context, understanding the protective immune responses triggered by B. abortus is critical for the development of new vaccines. Such understandings will enhance our knowledge of the host/pathogen interactions and enable to develop methods to evaluate potential vaccines and innovative treatments for animals or humans. At present, almost all the knowledge regarding B. abortus specific immunological responses comes from studies in mice. Active participation of macrophages, dendritic cells, IFN-γ producing CD4(+) T-cells and cytotoxic CD8(+) T-cells are vital to overcome the infection. In this review, we discuss the characteristics of the immune responses triggered by vaccination versus infection by B. abortus, in different hosts., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The rosette architecture of some bromeliad species traps water and organic matter from the canopy in leaf axils (forming phytotelmata) and harbors many species of invertebrate animals (Frank & Lounibos 2009). Some water mites are adapted to live in phytotelmata; typically recorded from water-filled tree holes, bromeliad tanks, and a range of plant axils. Karl Viets (1939) was the first acarologist who discovered Micruracaropsis phytotelmaticola (Viets, 1939) in the water contained in the leaf bases of epiphytic Bromeliaceae in Surinam. Later on, Orghidan et al. (1977) described Arrenurus bromeliacearum Orghidan, Gruia & Viña Bayés, 1977 from phytotelmata in Cuba. Orghidan & Gruia (1987) reported Arrenurus andrewfieldi Orghidan & Gruia, 1983 from phytotelmata of epiphytic bromeliad Vriesea platynema in Venezuela. Smith & Harvey (1989) described Arrenurus kitchingi Smith & Harvey, 1989 from water-filled tree holes in Queensland, Australia. The same authors (Smith & Harvey 1989) also reported that members of genus Thyopsis occur in water-filled tree holes in Ohio, USA. Rosso de Ferradás & Fernández (2001) reported two Arrenurus species from water accumulated in Guzmania mucronata (Bromeliaceae) in Venezuela, A. andrewfieldi Orghidan & Gruia, 1983 and A. caquetiorum Rosso de Ferradás & Fernández, 2001.

Objective: Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) is a rare disease that is currently considered a low-grade neoplasm with metastatic potential and variable progression. Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitors, such as sirolimus and everolimus, have recently become a treatment option for LAM patients, especially those with extrapulmonary manifestations. The objective of the present study was to describe a case series of four patients with LAM in Brazil who showed significant improvement, particularly in their extrapulmonary manifestations, after treatment with sirolimus (at 1-4 mg/day)., Methods: We describe four cases of LAM patients with different extrapulmonary manifestations who were treated with sirolimus., Results: After treatment with sirolimus for 12 months, one patient presented resolution of severe chylothorax; one had a significant reduction in renal angiomyolipoma volume; and one showed significant regression of retroperitoneal lymphangioleiomyomas and abdominal lymph node enlargement. After treatment with sirolimus for 6 months, the remaining patient had a significant reduction in the volume of a massive retroperitoneal lymphangioleiomyoma., Conclusions: Our findings confirm that mTOR inhibitors are beneficial for patients with LAM, especially those with extrapulmonary manifestations, such as renal angiomyolipoma, lymphangioleiomyomas, and chylous effusions. However, certain aspects, such as the optimal dose, duration of treatment, and long-term adverse effects, have yet to be sufficiently clarified for mTOR inhibitors to be incorporated into LAM management protocols.

Differential serological diagnosis of Chagas disease and leishmaniasis is difficult owing to cross-reactivity resulting from the fact that the parasites that cause these pathologies share antigenic epitopes. Even with optimized serological assays that use parasite-specific recombinant antigens, inconclusive test results continue to be a problem. Therefore, new serological tests with high sensitivity and specificity are needed. In the present work, we developed and evaluated the performance of a new flow cytometric serological method, referred to as FC-TRIPLEX Chagas/Leish IgG1, for the all-in-one classification of inconclusive tests. The method uses antigens for the detection of visceral leishmaniasis, localized cutaneous leishmaniasis, and Chagas disease and is based on an inverted detuned algorithm for analysis of anti-Trypanosomatidae IgG1 reactivity. First, parasites were label with fluorescein isothiocyanate or Alexa Fluor 647 at various concentrations. Then serum samples were serially diluted, the dilutions were incubated with suspensions of mixed labeled parasites, and flow cytometric measurements were performed to determine percentages of positive fluorescent parasites. Using the new method, we obtained correct results for 76 of 80 analyzed serum samples (95% overall performance), underscoring the outstanding performance of the method. Moreover, we found that the fluorescently labeled parasite suspensions were stable during storage at room temperature, 4 °C, and -20 °C for 1 year. In addition, two different lots of parasite suspensions showed equivalent antigen recognition; that is, the two lots showed equivalent categorical segregation of anti-Trypanosomatidae IgG1 reactivity at selected serum dilutions. In conclusion, we have developed a sensitive and selective method for differential diagnosis of Chagas disease, visceral leishmaniasis, and localized cutaneous leishmaniasis.

Background: The main control strategy for visceral leishmaniasis in Brazil has been based on the elimination of seropositive dogs, although this is not widely accepted. In this context, the use of a long-lasting protective vaccine against canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL) has been highly expected. The aim of this work was to determine the timeline kinetics of the cytokine microenvironment derived from circulating leukocytes as supportive immunological biomarkers triggered by Leishmune® vaccine. Cross-sectional kinetic analysis of cellular immunity cytokines was carried out at three times (1, 6 and 12 months) after primovaccination with Leishmune®. In vitro short-term whole blood cultures were stimulated with Leishmania infantum soluble antigen (SLAg). The secreted cytokine signatures and their major sources were determined., Results: At six months after vaccination, Leishmune® induced an increase in IL-8, IFN-γ, IL-17a and TNF-α levels and a decrease in IL-10. Cytokine signature analysis revealed a shift in the microenvironment towards a pro-inflammatory profile mediated by IL-8 and IFN-γ. Both, CD4(+) (↑TNF-α(+) and ↑IFN-γ (+)) and CD8(+) (↑IL-17a and ↓IL-4) T-cells contributed to the acquired immune responses observed after stimulation with SLAg., Conclusions: The changes observed in the cytokine profile suggested that Leishmune® was able to induce an effective response at six months after primovaccination. After one year, it returned to baseline suggesting the need of additional boosting.

Few studies have been carried out on the application of laser phototherapy (LPT) for treating painful temporomandibular disorder (TMD) in elderly population that is growing worldwide. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the pain, jaw movements, and psychosocial factors in ten elderly patients with painful TMD before and after LPT. All patients were evaluated before and after LPT by using the Research Diagnostic Criteria for temporomandibular disorders (RDC/TMD) axes I and II. For pain assessment, a visual analogue scale (VAS) was used. The LPT was carried out with an GaAlAs diode laser (780 nm; spot size 0.04 cm(2)) in punctual and contact mode. Two settings of irradiations were applied as follows: in patients presenting myofascial pain, 10 mW, 5 J/cm(2), 20 s, 0.2 J per application point; and in patients with joint TMD, 70 mW, 105 J/cm(2), 60 s on five points, 4.2 J per point. Two sessions of LPT were carried out per week over four consecutive weeks, in the total of eight sessions. Data was statistically analyzed (p < 0.05). Significant pain reduction was found in all patients. There were increase in maximum mouth opening without pain and reduction in muscle pain during right and left lateral excursion. A significant reduction in chronic pain severity (p = 0.02) and significant improvements in depression (p = 0.038) and nonspecific physical symptoms with pain (p = 0.0167) were observed. The present findings indicate that LPT is able to promote pain relief and improvement of jaw movements in elderly patients with TMD, with a positive effect on psychosocial aspects.

A new genus and species of Opilioacaridae, Brasilacarus cocaris n. gen., n. sp., is described from adult females and males from Manaus, Brazil. Brief descriptions of damaged tritonymphs and deutonymphs are also provided. The new genus appears to be related to Caribeacarus but possess a unique group of additional strongly modified setae on the tibiotarsus.

Eleven commercially available PE-labeled anti-human (IL-1-α, IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, IL-17A, IL-5, IL-10, IL-12 and IL-13) and anti-mouse (IL-10, TNF-α) cytokine monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) were tested for cross-reactivity with cattle, goat, and sheep cytokines. Cross-reactivity was assessed by comparative analysis with the standard reactivity of the target species. Our data demonstrated that anti-human IL-1-α, IL-6, IL-8, IL-17A and IL-10 mAbs cross-react with all ruminant species tested. Anti-human IL-5 mAb showed a strong cross-reactivity with cattle and goat IL-5, while anti-human TNF-α mAb showed a selective cross-reactivity with goat TNF-α. No cross-reactivity with the ruminant cytokines was observed for anti-human IL-12 and IL-13 mAbs or for the two anti-mouse cytokine mAbs tested. The present study demonstrated the cross-reactivity of various anti-human cytokine mAbs with cattle, sheep, and goat cytokines, increasing the range of immunological biomarkers for studies in veterinary medicine.

One possible undesirable consequence of orthodontic therapy is the development of incipient caries lesions of enamel around brackets. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of CO2 (λ = 10.6 μm) and Nd:YAG (λ = 1,064 nm) lasers associated or not with topical fluoride application on the prevention of caries lesions around brackets. Brackets were bonded to the enamel of 65 premolars. The experimental groups (n = 13) were: G1--application of 1.23% acidulated fluoride phosphate gel (AFP, control); G2--Nd:YAG laser irradiation (0.6 W, 84.9 J/cm(2), 10 Hz, 110 μs, contact mode); G3--Nd:YAG laser irradiation associated with AFP; G4--CO2 laser irradiation (0.5 W, 28.6 J/cm(2), 50 Hz, 5 μs, and 10 mm focal distance); and G5--CO2 laser irradiation associated with AFP. Quantitative light-induced fluorescence was used to assess enamel demineralization. The data were statistically compared (α = 5%). The highest demineralization occurred in the Nd:YAG laser group (G2, 26.15% ± 1.94). The demineralization of all other groups was similar to that of the control group. In conclusion, CO2 laser alone was able to control enamel demineralization around brackets at the same level as that obtained with topical fluoride application.

This paper studies the Sznajd model for opinion formation in a population connected through a general network. A master equation describing the time evolution of opinions is presented and solved in a mean-field approximation. Although quite simple, this approximation allows us to capture the most important features regarding the steady states of the model. When spontaneous opinion changes are included, a discontinuous transition from consensus to polarization can be found as the rate of spontaneous change is increased. In this case we show that a hybrid mean-field approach including interactions between second nearest neighbors is necessary to estimate correctly the critical point of the transition. The analytical prediction of the critical point is also compared with numerical simulations in a wide variety of networks, in particular Barabási-Albert networks, finding reasonable agreement despite the strong approximations involved. The same hybrid approach that made it possible to deal with second-order neighbors could just as well be adapted to treat other problems such as epidemic spreading or predator-prey systems.

Trypanosoma cruzi strains from distinct geographic areas show differences in drug resistance and association between parasites genetic and treatment response has been observed. Considering that benznidazole (BZ) can reduce the parasite burden and tissues damage, even in not cured animals and individuals, the goal is to assess the drug response to BZ of T. cruzi II strains isolated from children of the Jequitinhonha Valley, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, before treatment. Mice infected and treated with BZ in both phases of infection were compared with the untreated and evaluated by fresh blood examination, haemoculture, polymerase chain reaction, conventional (ELISA) and non-conventional (FC-ALTA) serologies. In mice treated in the acute phase, a significant decrease in parasitaemia was observed for all strains. Positive parasitological and/or serological tests in animals treated during the acute and chronic (95.1-100%) phases showed that most of the strains were BZ resistant. However, beneficial effect was demonstrated because significant reduction (p < 0.05%) and/or suppression of parasitaemia was observed in mice infected with all strains (acute phase), associated to reduction/elimination of inflammation and fibrosis for two/eight strains. BZ offered some benefit, even in not cured animals, what suggest that BZ use may be recommended at least for recent chronic infection of the studied region.

Aiming to identify new sources of bioactive secondary metabolites, we isolated 82 endophytic fungi from stems and barks of the native Brazilian tree Caesalpinia echinata Lam. (Fabaceae). We tested their ethyl acetate extracts in several in vitro assays. The organic extracts from three isolates showed antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli [minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) 32-64 μg/mL]. One isolate inhibited the growth of Salmonella typhimurium (MIC 64 μg/mL) and two isolates inhibited the growth of Klebsiella oxytoca (MIC 64 μg/mL), Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis (MIC 64-128 μg/mL). Fourteen extracts at a concentration of 20 μg/mL showed antitumour activities against human breast cancer and human renal cancer cells, while two isolates showed anti-tumour activities against human melanoma cancer cells. Six extracts were able to reduce the proliferation of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells, indicating some degree of selective toxicity. Four isolates were able to inhibit Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis and one isolate inhibited Trypanosoma cruzi by at least 40% at 20 μg/mL. The trypanocidal extract obtained from Fusarium sp. [KF611679] culture was subjected to bioguided fractionation, which revealed beauvericin as the compound responsible for the observed toxicity of Fusarium sp. to T. cruzi. This depsipeptide showed a half maximal inhibitory concentration of 1.9 μg/mL (2.43 μM) in a T. cruzi cellular culture assay.

Objectives: The aim of this 24-month double-blind randomized paired-tooth clinical study was to evaluate the 2-year clinical performance of two self-etch adhesives containing or not chlorhexidine digluconate (CHX) in non-carious cervical lesions (NCCLs)., Methods: Twenty-two patients, with at least four NCCLs, participated in this study. After sample size calculation, 126 restorations were assigned to one of the following groups: CSE--Clearfil SE Bond (Kuraray); CSE/CHX--Clearfil SE Bond+CHX; ADS--AdheSE (Ivoclar Vivadent); and ADS/CHX--AdheSE+CHX. The composite resin Filtek Z-250 composite (3M ESPE) was placed incrementally by one expert operator. The restorations were evaluated at baseline and after 2 years using the modified USPHS criteria. Statistical analyses were performed with Friedman repeated measures ANOVA by rank and Fisher exact test for significance in each pair (α=0.05)., Results: No significant difference was observed between baseline and 2-year for any criteria when adhesives with and without the addition of CHX were compared (p>0.05). ADS and ADS/CHX resulted in lower retention rates (82% on average) than CSE and CSE/CHX (97%) (p=0.02)., Conclusions: The inclusion of CHX into the primer of both self-etch systems did not add clinical advantages over the 2-year period. Clearfil SE Bond resulted in better retention rate than AdheSE., Clinical Significance: It is more important to choose a gold standard self-etch adhesive, like a Clearfil SE Bond, than to consider the inclusion of CHX in the self-etch adhesives., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Although the pathophysiology of paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) is not completely understood, the study of immune response against fungus has provided insight into understanding the natural course of the disease and its clinical manifestations, hence contributing to the development of preventive measures and treatment proposals. The aim of this study was to evaluate the histopathological and immunological aspects involved in the role of different effector and regulatory responses, as well as the correlation between the TLRs, Galectins, Matrix Metalloproteinases and cytoplasmic proteases of mast cells in this infection., Methods: Sixteen biopsy specimens with oral lesions of chronic PCM, as well as 13 sections of normal oral mucosa were analyzed. Histopathological and immunological aspects involved in the role of different effector and regulatory responses were evaluated. Indirect immunohistochemistry was performed for IL-17, IL-10, IL-4, TGF-β, FoxP3, Gal-1, Gal-3, Gal-9, TLR-2, TLR-4, MMP-3 and MMP-9, as well as for chymase and tryptase for mast cells identification. Fibrosis was quantified using Picrosirius., Results: There was a significant increase in the area of fibrosis and in the number of cells expressing IL-10, IL-4, IL-17, FoxP3, Gal-3, TLR-2, MMP3 and MMP9 in patients with PCM in comparison with patients in the group control. There was no difference in the expression of TGF-β, TLR-4, Gal-1 or Gal-9. Mast cells number was found to be significantly lower in oral chronic PCM when compared to control samples after quantification of mast cells and expression of chymase and tryptase. PCM granulomas were classified to the morphological aspects in organized ou non-organized. Expression of IL-4 in non-organized granulomas was significantly higher., Conclusion: The proteins studied herein appear to play an important role in the development and maintenance of oral lesions of PCM, as well as in the processes of development and progression of lesions caused by the fungus and by the immune response associated with the infection., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)

Background: Phenotypic diversity among populations may result from divergent natural selection acting directly on traits or via correlated responses to changes in other traits. One of the most frequent patterns of correlated response is the proportional change in the dimensions of anatomical traits associated with changes in growth or absolute size, known as allometry. Livebearing fishes subject to predation gradients have been shown to repeatedly evolve larger caudal peduncles and smaller cranial regions under high predation regimes. Poecilia vivipara is a livebearing fish commonly found in coastal lagoons in the north of the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Similar to what is observed in other predation gradients, lagoons inhabited by P. vivipara vary in the presence of piscivorous fishes; contrary to other poeciliid systems, populations of P. vivipara vary greatly in body size, which opens the possibility of strong allometric effects on shape variation. Here we investigated body shape diversification among six populations of P. vivipara along a predation gradient and its relationship with allometric trajectories within and among populations., Results: We found substantial body size variation and correlated shape changes among populations. Multivariate regression analysis showed that size variation among populations accounted for 66% of shape variation in females and 38% in males, suggesting that size is the most important dimension underlying shape variation among populations of P. vivipara in this system. Changes in the relative sizes of the caudal peduncle and cranial regions were only partly in line with predictions from divergent natural selection associated with predation regime., Conclusions: Our results suggest the possibility that adaptive shape variation among populations has been partly constrained by allometry in P. vivipara. Processes governing body size changes are therefore important in the diversification of this species. We conclude that in species characterized by substantial among-population differences in body size, ignoring allometric effects when investigating divergent natural selection's role in phenotypic diversification might not be warranted.

In this study, the understanding of intersectoriality together with the Family Health Strategy (FHS) was analyzed from the perceptions of individuals involved with the social context of primary care in the city of Sobral in the state of Ceará. An analytical study of a qualitative nature was conducted in May 2014. The focal group was the data collection technique with 11 participants chosen for the key functions they perform in their direct interface with the FHS. Data were analyzed using the Lefevre and Lefevre Discourse of the Collective Subject technique (2003). The "word cloud" analysis technique - a graphical way of viewing linguistic data based on Wordle™ software - was also used. Five discourses on intersectoriality were produced: a) the understanding of the group; b) its importance in the context of the FHS; c) actions performed in the FHS; d) facilitators or obstacles to intersectoriality in the FHS; e) suggestions for enhancing intersectorial cooperation in the FHS. The responses highlighted the complexity of this issue, which requires health managers and professionals to overcome the reductionist model that is derived from a biological perspective on health, the polysemic nature of the term and acknowledging that this is a project under construction.

The aims of this study were to address the protective immune response induced by S19 vaccination (n=10) and RB51 revaccination, in pregnant (n=9) and non-pregnant (n=10) S19 calfhood-vaccinated cattle as follows: evaluate the in vitro CD4(+) and CD8(+) T-lymphocytes specific proliferation, and in vitro expression of IFN-γ by CD4(+) and CD8(+) T-cells and IL-4 by CD4(+), CD8(+) and CD21(+) lymphocytes subset. Upon in vitro stimulation with γ-irradiated Brucella abortus 2308, blood mononuclear cells from S19 vaccinated and RB51 revaccinated cows exhibited significantly higher proliferation of CD4(+) and CD8(+) T-lymphocytes and CD4(+)IFN-γ(+) T-cells compared to non-vaccinated animals. RB51 revaccination, regardless of the pregnancy status, did not enhance the proliferation of CD4(+) or CD8(+) T-cells nor IFN-γ or IL-4 production. Data from the present study suggest that cattle's cellular immune response induced after brucellosis vaccination and revaccination is due to CD4(+) and CD8(+) T-lymphocytes, being CD4(+) T-cells the main source of IFN-γ., (Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)