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Introduction: 2,6-Disubstituted piperidin-3-ols are an important group of piperidine alkaloids found in species such as Senna spectabilis, whose main constituents include cassine and spectaline, compounds with relevant pharmacological activity. The analysis of these compounds is challenging due to the complexity of plant extracts and the absence of chromophores capable of absorbing ultraviolet (UV) radiation., Objective: This paper presents a new analytical method to separate and quantify the non-UV-absorbing alkaloids present in ethanol extracts from S. spectabilis flowers using capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) with indirect UV detection., Methodology: The optimized CZE method employs a background electrolyte containing 60 mM histidine (His), 15 mM α-cyclodextrin, 20% acetonitrile (ACN), and pH-adjusted to 4.7 with acetic acid (AcOH)., Results: The limit of detection (LOD) values was 10.2 and 13.9 mg L -1 for cassine and spectaline, respectively. For both analytes, the precision data were better than 2% of relative standard deviation (RSD) for migration times and peak areas. To evaluate the applicability of the developed method, ethanolic extracts from S. spectabilis flowers were prepared and analyzed., Conclusions: Thereby, the method proved to be efficient and complementary to conventional techniques, offering a cost-effective alternative in the quantification of the non-UV-absorbing piperidine alkaloids present in plant extracts., (© 2024 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Nd-based nitride clusterfullerenes NdM 2 N@C 80 with rare-earth metals of different sizes (M = Sc, Y, Lu) were synthesized to elucidate the influence of the cluster composition, shape and internal strain on the structural and magnetic properties. Single crystal X-ray diffraction revealed a very short Nd-N bond length in NdSc 2 N@C 80 . For Lu and Y analogs, the further shortening of the Nd-N bond and pyramidalization of the NdM 2 N cluster are predicted by DFT calculations as a result of the increased cluster size and a strain caused by the limited size of the fullerene cage. The short distance between Nd and nitride ions leads to a very large ligand-field splitting of Nd 3+ of 1100-1200 cm -1 , while the variation of the NdM 2 N cluster composition and concomitant internal strain results in the noticeable modulation of the splitting, which could be directly assessed from the well-resolved fine structure in the Nd-based photoluminescence spectra of NdM 2 N@C 80 clusterfullerenes. Photoluminescence measurements also revealed an unprecedentedly strong nephelauxetic effect, pointing to a high degree of covalency. The latter appears detrimental to the magnetic axiality despite the strong ligand field. As a result, the ground magnetic state has considerable transversal components of the pseudospin g-tensor, and the slow magnetic relaxation of NdSc 2 N@C 80 could be observed by AC magnetometry only in the presence of a magnetic field. A combination of the well-resolved magneto-optical states and slow relaxation of magnetization suggests that Nd clusterfullerenes can be useful building blocks for magneto-photonic quantum technologies., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Background: There is a possibility that cardiac morphometric characteristics are associated with the lipid profile, that is, the composition and concentration of triglycerides, total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, and others lipoproteins in young smokers without comorbidities. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the association of cardiac morphometric characteristics, myocardial fat deposition, and smoking cessation with the lipid profile of young smokers., Methods: A clinical and laboratory evaluation of lipids and the smoking status was performed on 57 individuals, including both a smoker group and a control group. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with proton spectroscopy was performed to identify cardiac changes and triglyceride (TG) deposition in myocardial tissue., Results: No differences were observed between the groups (control vs. smokers) in relation to the amount of myocardial TG deposition ( p  = 0.47); however, when TG deposition was correlated with cardiac MRI variables, a positive correlation was identified between smoking history and myocardial TG deposition [hazard ratio (95% CI), 0.07 (0.03-0.12); p  = 0.002]. Furthermore, it was observed that the smoking group had lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol [51 (45.5-59.5) mg/dl vs. 43 (36-49.5) mg/dl, p  = 0.003] and higher TG [73 (58-110) mg/dl vs. 122 (73.5-133) mg/dl, p  = 0.01] and very-low-density lipoprotein cholesterol [14.6 (11.6-22.2) mg/dl vs. 24.4 (14.7-26.6) mg/dl, p  = 0.01] values. In the control and smoking groups, a negative correlation between TGs and the diameter of the aortic root lumen and positive correlation with the thickness of the interventricular septum and end-diastolic volume (EDV) of both the right ventricle (RV) and left ventricle (LV) were noted. Moreover, in the RV, positive correlations with the end-systolic volume (ESV) index (ESVI), stroke volume (SV), ESV, and EDV were observed. Regarding serum free fatty acids, we found a negative correlation between their values and the diameter of the lumen of the ascending aortic vessel. Lipoprotein lipase showed a positive correlation with the SV index of the RV and negative correlation with the diameter of the lumen of the ascending aortic vessel., Conclusion: Several associations were observed regarding cardiac morphometric characteristics, myocardial fat deposition, and smoking cessation with the lipid profile of young smokers., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (© 2023 Batista, Garcia, Prudente, Barbosa, Modesto, Franco, de Godoy, Paiva, Azevedo and Tanni.)

Purpose: To perform a living systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials comparing the effectiveness of coronary CT angiography (CCTA) and standard of care (SOC) in the evaluation of acute chest pain (ACP)., Materials and Methods: Multiple electronic databases were systematically searched, with the most recent search conducted on October 31, 2022. Studies were stratified into two groups according to the pretest probability for acute coronary syndrome (group 1 with predominantly low-to-intermediate risk vs group 2 with high risk). A meta-regression analysis was also conducted using participant risk, type of SOC used, and the use or nonuse of high-sensitivity troponins as independent variables., Results: The final analysis included 22 randomized controlled trials (9379 total participants; 4956 assigned to CCTA arms and 4423 to SOC arms). There was a 14% reduction in the length of stay and a 17% reduction in immediate costs for the CCTA arm compared with the SOC arm. In group 1, the length of stay was 17% shorter and costs were 21% lower using CCTA. There was no evidence of differences in referrals to invasive coronary angiography, myocardial infarction, mortality, rate of hospitalization, further stress testing, or readmissions between CCTA and SOC arms. There were more revascularizations (relative risk, 1.45) and medication changes (relative risk, 1.33) in participants with low-to-intermediate acute coronary syndrome risk and increased radiation exposure in high-risk participants (mean difference, 7.24 mSv) in the CCTA arm compared with the SOC arm. The meta-regression analysis found significant differences between CCTA and SOC arms for rate of hospitalization, further stress testing, and medication changes depending on the type of SOC ( P < .05)., Conclusion: The results support the use of CCTA as a safe, rapid, and less expensive in the short term strategy to exclude acute coronary syndrome in low- to intermediate-risk patients presenting with acute chest pain. Keywords: Acute Coronary Syndrome, Chest Pain, Emergency Department, Coronary Computed Tomography, Usual Care Supplemental material is available for this article. Published under a CC BY 4.0 license., Competing Interests: Disclosures of conflicts of interest: M.F.B. No relevant relationships. A.C. Royalties from Elsevier. Y.X. Associate editor and statistician for Radiology: Cardiothoracic Imaging. H.L. Support from Siemens Healthineers and Philips Healthcare to institution; travel support from Siemens Healthineers to institution; deputy editor of Radiology: Cardiothoracic Imaging. D.B.D. Institutional research contracts from Abbott, Siemens Healthineers, Roche, Quidel, and Ortho Clinical Diagnostics; participation on NIH PETAL Network data and safety monitoring board; member of the Academy of Academic Chairs of Emergency Medicine Executive Committee and Emergencies in Medicine Board of Directors. S.A. Royalties from Elsevier; editor of Radiology: Cardiothoraocic Imaging. F.U.K. Grants from the Radiological Society of North America and Edwards Lifesciences; consulting fees from Bayer; honoraria for lecture from the International Society for Cell and Gene Therapy; travel support from UT Southwestern Medical Center; associate editor of Radiology: Cardiothoracic Imaging., (© 2023 by the Radiological Society of North America, Inc.)

Editor's Note .- RadioGraphics Update articles supplement or update information found in full-length articles previously published in RadioGraphics . These updates, written by at least one author of the previous article, provide a brief synopsis that emphasizes important new information such as technological advances, revised imaging protocols, new clinical guidelines involving imaging, or updated classification schemes.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Gout is an inflammatory disease characterized by the accumulation of monosodium urate crystals (MSU) in the joints, leading to severe pain and inflammation. Stephalagine is a Brazilian Savanna aporphine alkaloid isolated from Annona crassiflora Mart. Fruit peel, that has been popularly used to treat rheumatism and have been described with antinociceptive properties. However, no studies evaluated the possible therapeutic properties of stephalagine in arthritic pain., Aim of the Study: To evaluate the possible antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects of stephalagine in an acute gout attack in mice., Materials and Methods: Adult male wild type C57BL/6/J/UFU mice (20-25 g) were used (process number 018/17). The treated group received stephalagine (1 mg/kg, by gavage) and the vehicle group received saline (10 mL/kg, by gavage), both 1 h before the MSU crystals (100 μg/ankle joint) administration. All groups were analyzed for mechanical allodynia, thermal hyperalgesia, overt pain-like behaviors, and edema development at 2, 4, 6 and 24 h after injections. Synovial fluid and the ankle articulation from the injected joint were collected 4 h after administrations for myeloperoxidase enzyme activity, IL-1β measurement, and histological analysis., Results: Stephalagine had a significant antinociceptive effect on mechanical allodynia, when compared to vehicle group at 2-24 h after intra-articular injection of MSU and 2 h for spontaneous and cold thermal sensitivity. Stephalagine was also able to significantly reduce the articular edema (45 ± 1%), the activity of the myeloperoxidase enzyme (37 ± 6%), and IL-1β levels (43 ± 3%). The histological analysis confirms that stephalagine dramatically reduced the number of infiltrating inflammatory cells (75 ± 6%) in MSU injected animals. Also, stephalagine treatment did not alter the uric acid levels, xanthine oxidase activity, AST and ALT activities, urea and creatinine levels, neither cause any macroscopic changes in the mice's weight, deformations, changes in the coat, or feces., Conclusion: Stephalagine may be an alternative for the management of gout, once it was able to induce antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects without causing adverse effects on the evaluated parameters., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

To determine whether left ventricular (LV) global longitudinal strain (GLS) measured by feature-tracking (FT) cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) improves after kidney transplantation (KT) and to analyze associations between LV GLS, reverse remodeling and myocardial tissue characteristics. This is a prospective single-center cohort study of kidney transplant recipients who underwent two CMR examinations in a 3T scanner, including cines, tagging, T1 and T2 mapping. The baseline exam was done up to 10 days after transplantation and the follow-up after 6 months. Age and sex-matched healthy controls were also studied for comparison. A total of 44 patients [mean age 50 ± 11 years-old, 27 (61.4%) male] completed the two CMR exams. LV GLS improved from - 13.4% ± 3.0 at baseline to - 15.2% ± 2.7 at follow-up (p < 0.001), but remained impaired when compared with controls (- 17.7% ± 1.5, p = 0.007). We observed significant correlation between improvement in LV GLS with reductions of left ventricular mass index (r = 0.356, p = 0.018). Improvement in LV GLS paralleled improvements in LV stroke volume index (r = - 0.429, p = 0.004), ejection fraction (r = - 0.408, p = 0.006), global circumferential strain (r = 0.420, p = 0.004) and global radial strain (r = - 0.530, p = 0.002). There were no significant correlations between LV GLS, native T1 or T2 measurements (p > 0.05). In this study, we demonstrated that LV GLS measured by FT-CMR improves 6 months after KT in association with reverse remodeling, but not native T1 or T2 measurements., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Background: The use of anthracycline-based chemotherapy is associated with the development of heart failure, even years after the end of treatment. Early detection of cardiac dysfunction could identify a high-risk subset of survivors who would eventually benefit from early intervention. Cardiac magnetic resonance feature-tracking (CMR-FT) analysis offers a practical and rapid method to calculate systolic and diastolic strains from routinely acquired cine images. While early changes in systolic function have been described, less data are available about late effects of chemotherapy in diastolic parameters by CMR-FT. The main goal of this study was to determine whether left ventricular (LV) early diastolic strain rates (GDSR-E) by CMR-FT are impaired in long-term adult survivors of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). Our secondary objective was to analyze associations between GDSR-E with cumulative anthracycline dose, systolic function parameters and myocardial tissue characteristics., Methods: This is a single center cross-sectional observational study of asymptomatic patients in remission of NHL who previously received anthracycline therapy. All participants underwent their CMR examination on a 3.0-T scanner, including cines, T2 mapping, T1 mapping and late gadolinium enhancement imaging. Derived myocardial extracellular volume fraction was obtained from pre- and post-contrast T1 maps. CMR-FT analysis was performed using Trufi Strain software. The data obtained were compared between anthracycline group and volunteers without cardiovascular disease or neoplasia., Results: A total of 18 adult survivors of NHL, 14 (77.8%) males, at mean age of 57.6 (± 14.7) years-old, were studied 88.2 (± 52.1) months after exposure to anthracycline therapy (median 400 mg/m 2 ). Compared with controls, anthracycline group showed impaired LV global early diastolic circumferential strain rate (GCSR-E) [53.5%/s ± 19.3 vs 72.2%/s ± 26.7, p = 0.022], early diastolic longitudinal strain rate (GLSR-E) [40.4%/s ± 13.0 vs 55.9%/s ± 17.8, p = 0.006] and early diastolic radial strain rate (GRSR-E) [- 114.4%/s ± 37.1 vs - 170.5%/s ± 48.0, p < 0.001]. Impaired LV GCSR-E, GLSR-E and GRSR-E correlated with increased anthracycline dose and decreased systolic function. There were no correlations between GDSR-E and myocardial tissue characteristics., Conclusions: Left ventricular early diastolic strain rates by CMR-FT are impaired late after anthracycline chemotherapy in adult survivors of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

To analyze the impact of participation in sports with different cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) demands on changes in metabolic and cardiovascular markers in adolescents. Longitudinal study with 12 months of follow-up (Analysis of Behaviors of Children During Growth [ABCD Growth Study]). Overall, 184 adolescents (age 15.6 ± 2.1) were classified according to sports participation: non-sport (control), low CRF sports, and high CRF sports. Metabolic outcomes were total cholesterol (TC) and its fractions, triacylglycerol (TG), glucose, insulin levels, and the insulin resistance index. Cardiovascular outcomes were arterial thickness (carotid and femoral [ultrasound]), blood pressure, and resting heart rate. Adolescents engaged in sports classified as high CRF demand presented a significant increase in HDL-c (1.2 mg/dL [95%CI: -0.5 to 3.0]) when compared to the non-sport group (-2.4 mg/dL [95%CI: -4.4 to -0.5]). Regular engagement in high CRF sports was significantly related to changes in TC (β = -0.027 [95%CI: -0.048 to -0.005]), HDL-c (β = 0.009 [95%CI: 0.001 to 0.019]), LDL-c (β = -0.032 [95%CI: -0.049 to -0.016]), and glucose (β = -0.017 [95%CI: -0.025 to -0.008]), while engagement in low CRF sports was related to changes in TG (β = -0.065 [95%CI: -0.112 to -0.019]). No significant relationships for cardiovascular parameters were observed in the low CRF group, but one significant relationship was found between high CRF sports and changes in SBP (β = -0.063 [95%CI: -0.117 to -0.009]). In conclusion, engagement in sports seems to be beneficial for improvements in metabolic and cardiovascular parameters in adolescents, mainly sports with higher CRF demand., (© 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

In this work, we present the synthesis and characterization of five new ruthenium compounds with general formula [Ru(L)(dppb)(bipy)]PF 6 , where L = cinnamic acid derivatives, dppb = 1,4-bis(diphenylphosphino)butane and bipy = 2,2'-bipyridine. The cytotoxicity of the complexes was evaluated against human breast tumor cells from the lines MCF-7, MDA-MB-231 and in human (MCF-10A) or mouse (L929) non-tumor cells. Complexes Ru(L 4 )(dppb)(bipy)]PF 6 (4) (L 4  = 4-hydroxycinnamic acid) and [Ru(L 5 )(dppb)(bipy)]PF 6 (5) (L 5  = 3,4-dihydroxycinnamic acid) were the most selective, presenting the highest values of selectivity indexes besides inhibited some processes related to tumor progression in vitro, such as invasion, migration, and adhesion in the MDA-MB-231 cell line. In addition, the complexes 4 and 5 were able to interact with Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) and complex 5 showed antioxidant activity., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Pain relief represents a critical unresolved medical need. Consequently, the search for new analgesic agents is intensively studied. Annona crassiflora, a native species of the Brazilian Savanna, represents a potential source for painful treatment. This study aimed to investigate the antinociceptive potential of A. crassiflora fruit peel, focusing on its major alkaloid, stephalagine, in animal models of pain evoked by the activation of transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) and vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) channels. Male C57BL/6/J mice were submitted to formalin-, cinnamaldehyde-, and capsaicin-induced nociception tests to assess nociceptive behavior, and to the open-field and rotarod tests for motor performance analyses. Moreover, the stephalagine's effect was tested on capsaicin- and cinnamaldehyde-induced Ca 2+ influx in spinal cord synaptosomes. In silico assessments of the absorption, distribution, metabolism and central nervous system permeability of stephalagine were carried out. The ethanol extract and alkaloidal fraction reduced the nociception induced by formalin. When administered by oral route (1 mg/kg), stephalagine reduced the spontaneous nociception and paw edema induced by TRPV1 agonist, capsaicin, and by TRPA1 agonists, cinnamaldehyde- and formalin, without altering the animals' locomotor activity. The prediction of in silico pharmacokinetic properties of stephalagine suggests its capacity to cross the blood-brain barrier. Furthermore, this alkaloid reduces the capsaicin- and cinnamaldehyde-mediated Ca 2+ influx, indicating a possible modulation of TRPV1 and TRPA1 channels, respectively. Together, our results support the antinociceptive and anti-edematogenic effects of the A. crassiflora fruit peel and suggest that these effects are triggered, at least in part, by TRPV1 and TRPA1 modulation by stephalagine., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the authorship and/or publication of this article., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Tobacco smoke is one of the most significant risk factors for cardiovascular diseases and damages in the myocardial tissue directly. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) has been used and is a promising tool to evaluate morphometry and cardiac function in humans. The objective of this study was to evaluate associations of smoking with morphometry and cardiac function by CMR technique in young adult smokers., Methods: Altogether, 49 volunteers (22 smokers and 27 non-smokers) were included in the study. The comparisons between groups were performed by multiple linear regression adjusting for body mass index and gender., Results: In the morphometric and functional evaluation of the left ventricle, we observed statistical significant lower values of end-diastolic volume (EDV) (p = 0.02), ejection volume (EV) (p = 0.001) and indexed ejection volume (IEV) (p = 0.007) in smokers when compared to no-smoker group. Right ventricle showed statistical significant lower values of EDV (p = < 0.001), end-systolic volume (p = 0.01), EV (p = < 0.001), IEV (p = 0.001), indexed end-diastolic volume (p = 0.001) and major axis (p = 0.01) in smokers when compared to non-smokers group., Conclusions: There is a strongly association of smoking in young adult and cardiac function decline, even adjusted by cofounders, which compromises the proper functioning of the heart. Evidence confirms that smoking can directly influence the cardiac function, even without atherosclerosis or other chronic comorbidities, associated with increased risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Objective  The aim of the present study is to evaluate the artery of Adamkiewicz by multidetector computed tomography angiography (MCTA) in a Brazilian population. Methods  Two independent observers evaluated 86 coronary MCTA examinations. The variables studied included the identification of the artery of Adamkiewicz at its origin level, and its entry side in the spine. Results  The artery of Adamkiewicz was detected in 71 (82.5%) examinations. The origin level was identified between the 9th and 11th thoracic vertebrae (T9 and T11) in 56 (79.2%) patients. In 65 (91.5%) patients, the artery was on the left side. The identification of the artery of Adamkiewicz using MCTA showed high reproducibility. Conclusions  Our results were consistent with the literature regarding the identification of the artery of Adamkiewicz using MCTA, suggesting that this technique should be considered as an option to recognize this structure. In addition, we found that the distribution of the artery of Adamkiewicz in the Brazilian population is similar to that of other populations, that is, its most common origin is at the left side, between the 8th and 12th thoracic vertebrae (T8-T12)., Competing Interests: Conflito de Interesses Os autores declaram não haver conflito de interesses.

Objective: To analyze the relationship between sports participation and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels in adolescents and to identify the possible role of mediation developed by trunk fatness (TF)., Methods: Cross-sectional design, part of the longitudinal study entitled "Analysis of Behaviors of Children During Growth" (ABCD Growth Study), Presidente Prudente, SP, Brazil. The sample comprised 259 adolescents (14.7 ± 2.1 [182 boys and 77 girls]) stratified according to sex and engagement in sports in agreement with the inclusion criteria: absence of any known diseases; previous engagement in sports for at least 12 months (≥300 minutes weekly); no regular engagement in sports in the previous 12 months (non-regular sports participation or <300 min/wk); written parental consent and adolescents' assent both signed. Engagement in sports was self-reported. CRP levels were used to assess the inflammatory status. TF was estimated by a densitometer scanner. Age, biological maturation, HOMA-IR, and blood pressure were treated as covariates., Results: There was no mediation effect of TF in the association of any indicators of sports practice and CRP. However, a direct effect of sports was observed on CRP levels when considering previous months of engagement, frequency, and volume of sports for boys and also previous months of engagement in sports for girls., Conclusion: Previous sports participation and the amount of engagement in sports per week (≥300 min/wk) presented an inverse relationship with CRP levels; however, trunk fatness did not mediate this process., (© 2019 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: The measurement of native T1 through cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) is a noninvasive method of assessing myocardial fibrosis without gadolinium contrast. No studies so far have evaluated native T1 after renal transplantation. The primary aim of the current study is to assess changes in the myocardium native T1 6 months after renal transplantation., Methods: We prospectively evaluated 44 renal transplant patients with 3 T CMR exams: baseline at the beginning of transplantation and at 6 months after transplantation., Results: The native T1 time was measured in the midventricular septum and decreased significantly from 1331 ± 52 ms at the baseline to 1298 ± 42 ms 6 months after transplantation (p = 0.001). The patients were split into two groups through a two-step cluster algorithm: In cluster-1 (n = 30) the left ventricular (LV) mass index and the prevalence of diabetes were lower. In cluster-2 (n = 14) the LV mass index and diabetes prevalence were higher. Decrease in native T1 values was significant only in the patients in cluster-1 (p = 0.001)., Conclusions: The native myocardial T1 time decreased significantly 6 months after renal transplant, which may be associated with the regression of the reactive fibrosis. The patients with greater baseline LV mass index and the diabetic group did not reach a significant decrease in T1.

Study Objectives: Sleep is a behavior with the potential to affect cardiovascular health. Given the fact that adiposity and physical activity seem to be related to cardiovascular risk factors during growth, it is still unclear whether sleep quality could affect arterial thickness among adolescents. Thus, the objective of the current study was to analyze the effect of sleep quality on arterial thickness and identify the possible mediation role of physical activity and trunk fat in adolescents., Methods: This was a longitudinal study (12-month follow-up) composed of 71 adolescents with ages ranging from 11 to 14 years at baseline (absence of any known chronic diseases, and no regular medicine use). All variables were assessed twice (baseline and 12-month follow-up): (1) sleep quality was reported using the Mini Sleep Questionnaire (MSQ); (2) physical activity was estimated using pedometers; (3) trunk fat was assessed using a densitometry scanner; and (4) carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and femoral intima-media thickness (FIMT) were assessed using ultrasonography., Results: Adolescents who presented poor sleep quality demonstrated significantly increased FIMT ( r = .299, 95% confidence interval .071 to .498) and for every point increase in the MSQ score from baseline to follow-up there was a 1.12% (95% confidence interval 0.26 to 1.98) increase in FIMT over time. Moreover, trunk fat and physical activity did not mediate the association between sleep quality and arterial thickness, but FIMT had a positive and independent relationship only with trunk fat., Conclusions: Sleep quality was positively associated with FIMT among adolescents, whereas physical activity and adiposity did not mediate this process., (© 2019 American Academy of Sleep Medicine.)

We analyzed the effects of 1 year of engagement in ≥ 300 min/week of organized sports on inflammatory levels and vascular structure in adolescents. The sample was composed of 89 adolescents (11.6 ± 0.7 years old [43 boys and 46 girls]), stratified according to engagement in ≥ 300 min/week of sport practice during at least 12 months of follow-up (n = 15, sport practice; n = 74, non-sport practice). Arterial thickness (carotid and femoral) was assessed by ultrasound scan, while high sensitive C-reactive protein levels were used to assess inflammatory status. Trunk fatness (densitometry scanner), biological maturation (age at peak height velocity), blood pressure, and skipping breakfast were treated as covariates. Independently of body fatness and biological maturation, the group engaged in sports presented a higher reduction in C-reactive protein (mean difference -1.559 mg/L [95%CI -2.539 to -0.579]) than the non-sport group (mean difference -0.414 mg/L [95%CI -0.846 to 0.017]) (p = 0.040). There was a significant relationship between changes in C-reactive protein and changes in femoral intima-media thickness in the non-sport group (r = 0.311 [95%CI 0.026 to 0.549])., Conclusion: Inflammation decreased in adolescents engaged in organized sports, independently of trunk fatness and biological maturation. Moreover, inflammation was related to arterial thickening only in adolescents not engaged in sports. What is Known: • Intima media thickness is a relevant marker of cardiovascular disease in pediatric groups, being affected by obesity and inflammation. • The importance of monitoring inflammatory markers from childhood is enhanced by the fact that alterations in these inflammatory markers in early life predict inflammation and alterations in carotid IMT in adulthood. What is New: • Anti-inflammatory properties related to physical exercise performed at moderate intensity, on inflammation and alterations in IMT are not clear in pediatric groups. • Due to the importance that sport participation has assumed as a promoter of improvements in health and quality of life, it is necessary to understand its potential benefits for cardiovascular health during human growth.

Background and Objectives: Ischemic cardiomyopathy is characterized by imbalance between supply and demand of myocardial oxygen. Endoscopic transthoracic sympathectomy is a therapeutic option indicated in refractory cases. However, the patient's position on the operating table may favor ischemic coronary events triggering the Bezold-Jarisch reflex., Case Report: A female patient, 47 years old, with refractory ischemic cardiomyopathy, admitted to the operating room for endoscopic transthoracic sympathectomy, developed the Bezold-Jarisch reflex with severe bradycardia and hypotension after placement in semi-sitting position to the procedure., Conclusion: Bradyarrhythmia, hypotension, and asystole are complications potentially associated with patient placement in a semi-sitting position, particularly in cases with previous ischemic heart disease., (Copyright © 2015 Sociedade Brasileira de Anestesiologia. Publicado por Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The aim of this study was to analyse whether changes in physical activity and body fatness are related to modifications in cardiovascular risk factors among adolescents. Material and methods A sample of 89 healthy adolescents was recruited for this study. We assessed habitual physical activity, body fat percentage, arterial thickness, blood sample, and biological maturation. Multivariate models were used to analyse the relationships between independent and dependent variables., Results: Physical activity (mean difference: 429.4 steps [95% confidence interval=-427 to 1286]) and body fatness (mean difference: -0.7% [95% confidence interval=-1.6-0.2]) remained stable during the study period. Independent of changes in physical activity, for each percentage increase in body fatness, femoral intima-media thickness increased by 0.007 mm (β=0.007 [95% confidence interval=0.001-0.013]). Longitudinal relationships were found for high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (β=-0.477 mg/dl [95% confidence interval=-0.805 to -0.149]) and triacylglycerol (β=2.329 mg/dl [95% confidence interval=0.275-4.384])., Conclusion: Changes in body fatness are more important than the amount of physical activity on cardiovascular and metabolic risks.

The control of Rhipicephalus microplus is essential to prevent cattle discomfort and economic losses. However, increased resistance and acaricides inefficiency lead producers to adopt strategies that could result in the accumulation of chemical residues in meat and milk with possibilities of poisoning in animals and people. This scenario demonstrates the necessity of research into the identification of novel, effective and environmentally safe therapeutic options for cattle tick control. The objectives of this study were to develop and assess the efficacy of R. microplus biotherapic and of 5% eugenol for the control of R. microplus in artificially infested calves. Eighteen male 6-month-old Holstein calves were divided into three groups of six animals. In Group 1, the animals did not receive medication (control group); in Group 2, the animals received 1 mL of R. microplus biotherapic at dilution 6CH (centesimal Hahnemannian), orally administered twice daily. And in Group 3, they received a single application of eugenol 5% in the pour-on formulation. The median efficacy for biotherapy and eugenol 5% was respectively 10.13 and 13.97%; however, upon analyzing reproductive efficiency, it is noteworthy that the biotherapic had 45.86% efficiency and was superior to the action of eugenol (12.03%) after 37 days of treatment. The ultrastructural study provided information about the effects of R. microplus biotherapic on the ovaries of engorged females and showed disorganization in the deposition of the oocyte exochorion. The results suggest hatchability inhibition of larvae, interference in R. microplus reproduction and future possibilities for eco-friendly control of R. microplus with biotherapic 6CH.

Laelapidae and Rhodacaridae are important families of edaphic predatory mites and species of these families have been considered for use in biological control programs of soil pests. Mites of Cohort Astigmatina (Acari: Sarcoptiformes) have been largely used as factitious prey in the mass rearing of various edaphic or plant-inhabiting predatory mites. Stratiolaelaps scimitus (Womersley) (Mesostigmata: Laelapidae) (widely commercialized for the control of fungus gnats and thrips) and Protogamasellopsis zaheri Abo-Shnaf, Castilho and Moraes (Mesostigmata: Rhodacaridae) (not available commercially but promising for the control of thrips and nematodes) are known to be reared on Tyrophagus putrescentiae (Schrank) (Astigmatina: Acaridae), but the possibility to find a perhaps more efficient prey has not been evaluated. The objective of this paper was to evaluate different astigmatid species as prey for these predators. S. scimitus and P. zaheri oviposited on all evaluated astigmatids and the acarid mites T. putrescentiae and Aleuroglyphus ovatus (Tropeau) were the most suitable prey; to confirm the effect of prey on oviposition rates, pregnant females of the predators were kept under starvation conditions and oviposition was negligible or null. Survivorship was always higher than 78 % and was not influenced by prey species or starvation.

A new species Thyreophagus cracentiseta n. sp. is described morphologically based on adult females, adult homeomorphic and heteromorphic males collected from chicken feed in Brazil. The Thyreophagus species associated with stored food and human habitats are reviewed, and a key to separate species of this genus is provided.

Objective: To analyse the relationship between skipping breakfast and haemodynamic, metabolic, inflammatory, and cardiovascular risk factors in adolescents., Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out with information from an ongoing cohort study in Presidente Prudente, São Paulo, Brazil. The sample comprised of 120 adolescents (11.7±0.8 years old) who met the following inclusion criteria: age between 11 and 14 years; enrolled in the school unit of elementary education; absence of any known disease; and no drug consumption. The parents or legal guardians of the patients signed a formal informed consent. Skipping breakfast was self-reported through face-to-face interviews. Blood pressure, intima-media thickness, trunk fatness, total and fractional cholesterol levels - high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol - triacylglycerol levels, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels were measured., Results: In this study, 47.5% (95% CI: 38.5-56.4%) of the adolescents reported skipping breakfast at least 1 day/week. Adolescents who skipped breakfast had higher values of trunk fatness and systolic blood pressure. Breakfast frequency was negatively related to systolic blood pressure (β -1.99 [-3.67; -0.31]) and z score dyslipidaemia (β -0.46 [-0.90; -0.01]), but this relationship was mediated by trunk fatness., Conclusion: Skipping breakfast is related to cardiovascular risk factors in adolescents, and this relationship was mainly mediated by trunk fatness.

In this work we proposed a method to verify the differentiating characteristics of simple tea infusions prepared in boiling water alone (simulating a home-made tea cup), which represents the final product as ingested by the consumers. For this purpose we used UV-Vis spectroscopy and variable selection through the Successive Projections Algorithm associated with Linear Discriminant Analysis (SPA-LDA) for simultaneous classification of the teas according to their variety and geographic origin. For comparison, KNN, CART, SIMCA, PLS-DA and PCA-LDA were also used. SPA-LDA and PCA-LDA provided significantly better results for tea classification of the five studied classes (Argentinean green tea; Brazilian green tea; Argentinean black tea; Brazilian black tea; and Sri Lankan black tea). The proposed methodology provides a simpler, faster and more affordable classification of simple tea infusions, and can be used as an alternative approach to traditional tea quality evaluation as made by skilful tasters, which is evidently partial and cannot assess geographic origins., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To analyse the relationship between different heart rate variability indices, resting heart rate, and cardiovascular markers in adolescents., Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out with information from an ongoing cohort study. The sample was composed of 99 adolescents who complied with the following inclusion criteria: aged between 11 and 14 years; enrolled in a school unit of elementary education; absence of any known diseases; no drug consumption; and a formal consent signed by the parents or legal guardians. Weight, height, heart rate variability, lipid profile, inflammatory markers, blood pressure, resting heart rate, intima-media thickness, blood flow, and trunk fatness were measured. Partial correlation and linear regression (expressed by β and 95% confidence intervals [95%CI]) analyses were used to analyse the relationships between the variables., Results: In the linear regression analysis, even after adjustments for sex, age, trunk fatness, and somatic maturation, parasympathetic activity presented significant correlations with maximum carotid artery blood flow (β=-0.111 [95%CI=-0.216; -0.007]), systolic blood pressure (β=-0.319 [95%CI=-0.638; -0.001]), and resting heat rate (β=-0.005 [95%CI=-0.009; -0.002])., Conclusion: Parasympathetic activity at rest is inversely related to maximum and minimum blood flow, triacylglycerol levels, and systolic blood pressure. These findings suggest that heart rate variability has the potential to discriminate pre-pubertal adolescents at increased risk.

Objective: To establish reference values for the fetal atrium lateral ventricle measurements in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy in a Brazilian population., Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study was performed with low-risk pregnant women who underwent ultrasound examination at 16-41 weeks of gestation. The atrium of lateral ventricle measurement was performed in the transventricular plane at the end of choroid plexus. We assessed reference curves (percentiles 5th, 50th and 95th) for the atrium of lateral ventricle measurement with gestational age (GA), using the best-fit polynomial equation, and determination coefficient (R(2)) and modeling the variability., Results: The fetal atrium of lateral ventricle measurements was assessed in 519 singleton pregnancies. However, seven fetuses were excluded because of central nervous system malformations, and therefore data from 512 pregnancies were included in the analysis. The mean ± standard deviation (range) of the fetal atrium lateral ventricle measurement (mm) was 5.1 ± 1.4 (1.6-9.7). A best-fit curve was a first-degree polynomial regression: atrium lateral ventricle = 6.455 - 0.049 × GA (R(2) = 0.05)., Conclusion: Reference values for the fetal atrium lateral ventricle measurements in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy in a Brazilian population were established.

With the aim of studying some tick-borne diseases, a total of 327 dogs (114 from Tapirapé and 213 from Karajá indigenous ethnicity, Mato Grosso, MT, Brazil) were sampled. Serum samples were submitted to the indirect fluorescence antibody test (IFAT) to detect antibodies against Babesia vogeli, Ehrlichia canis, and Rickettsia spp. Possible associations of risk factors and the occurrence of seroreativity to tick-borne agents and tick infestations were analyzed through chi-squared tests. Among 327 dogs, 46 (13.15%) were seropositive for B. vogeli and 47 (14.37%) for E. canis. The B. vogeli seroprevalence was higher for Karajá and for adult dogs (p>0.05). No association was found for E. canis seroprevalence. From 103 serum samples tested with rickettsial antigens, 90 (87%) dogs were seropositive to Rickettsia spp., with highest reactivity to Rickettsia amblyommii. Canine seropositivity to Rickettsia spp. was associated (p<0.05) with ethnicity (higher seroprevalence in Tapirapé dogs), age (higher in adults), and hunting (higher among hunting dogs). From the 327 dogs, 39 (11.9%) were infested by ticks (Amblyomma cajennense sensu stricto, Amblyomma ovale, Amblyomma oblongoguttatum, Amblyomma tigrinum, and Rhipicephalus sanguineus). Infestations by Amblyomma spp. ticks were higher in dogs from Tapirapé community and in hunting dogs (p<0.05). Regarding R. sanguineus, infestations were higher (p<0.05) among young dogs.

Background: Filter feature selection methods compute molecular signatures by selecting subsets of genes in the ranking of a valuation function. The motivations of the valuation functions choice are almost always clearly stated, but those for selecting the genes according to their ranking are hardly ever explicit., Method: We addressed the computation of molecular signatures by searching the optima of a bi-objective function whose solution space was the set of all possible molecular signatures, ie, the set of subsets of genes. The two objectives were the size of the signature-to be minimized-and the interclass distance induced by the signature-to be maximized-., Results: We showed that: 1) the convex combination of the two objectives had exactly n optimal non empty signatures where n was the number of genes, 2) the n optimal signatures were nested, and 3) the optimal signature of size k was the subset of k top ranked genes that contributed the most to the interclass distance. We applied our feature selection method on five public datasets in oncology, and assessed the prediction performances of the optimal signatures as input to the diagonal linear discriminant analysis (DLDA) classifier. They were at the same level or better than the best-reported ones. The predictions were robust, and the signatures were almost always significantly smaller. We studied in more details the performances of our predictive modeling on two breast cancer datasets to predict the response to a preoperative chemotherapy: the performances were higher than the previously reported ones, the signatures were three times smaller (11 versus 30 gene signatures), and the genes member of the signature were known to be involved in the response to chemotherapy., Conclusions: Defining molecular signatures as the optima of a bi-objective function that combined the signature size and the interclass distance was well founded and efficient for prediction in oncogenomics. The complexity of the computation was very low because the optimal signatures were the sets of genes in the ranking of their valuation. Software can be freely downloaded from http://gardeux-vincent.eu/DeltaRanking.php.

Objective: To analyze the relationship between inflammatory markers and the lipid profile, blood flow, and artery structure in prepubertal adolescents stratified according to sports practice., Study Design: The sample was composed of 120 adolescents (57 boys and 63 girls) with a mean age of 11.7 ± 0.7 years (ranging from 11 to 13 years). Intima-media thickness (IMT) and blood flow were measured with ultrasonography. The lipid profile and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein were measured after the subjects had fasted for 12 hours overnight. Trunk fatness was measured by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Organized sports participation was analyzed as a categorical variable. Biological maturation was determined via the age at peak height velocity., Results: In the adjusted model, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein was significantly related to high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (β = -5.797 [-11.500 to -0.093]), femoral IMT (β = 0.062 [0.008-0.116]), and the sum of femoral and carotid IMT (β = 1.107 [0.223-1.919]), but only in the group without sports participation. Slopes of the crude linear regression were greater in the group without sports participation for femoral IMT (t = 2.621; P = .009) and the sum of femoral and carotid IMT (t = 2.876; P = .004) when compared with the group with sports participation., Conclusion: Independent of body fatness and biological maturation, inflammatory status was related to artery IMT and dyslipidemia in prepubertal adolescents, modulated by sport participation., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To analyze the relationship among sports practice, physical education class, habitual physical activity and cardiovascular risk in adolescents., Methods: Cross-sectional study with 120 schoolchildren (mean: 11.7±0.7 years old), with no regular use of medicines. Sports practice and physical education classes were assessed through face-to-face interview, while habitual physical activity was assessed by pedometers. Body weight, height and height-cephalic trunk were used to estimate maturation. The following variables were measured: body fatness, blood pressure, resting heart rate, blood flow velocity, intima-media thickness (carotid and femoral) and heart rate variability (mean between consecutive heartbeats and statistical index in the time domain that show the autonomic parasympathetic nervous system activity root-mean by the square of differences between adjacent normal R-R intervals in a time interval. Statistical treatment used Spearman correlation adjusted by sex, ethnicity, age, body fatness and maturation., Results: Independently of potential confounders, sports practice was positively related to autonomic parasympathetic nervous system activity (β=0.039 [0.01; 0.76]). On the other hand, the relationship between sport practice and mean between consecutive heartbeats (β=0,031 [-0.01; 0.07]) was significantly mediated by biological maturation., Conclusions: Sport practice was related to higher heart rate variability at rest., (Copyright © 2015 Associação de Pediatria de São Paulo. Publicado por Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.)

We report here the complete genome sequencing of Ehrlichia mineirensis, an Ehrlichia organism that was isolated from the hemolymph of Rhipicephalus microplus-engorged females. E. mineirensis is the best characterized Ehrlichia isolate from a novel cattle-related clade closely related to the monocytotropic pathogen E. canis., (Copyright © 2015 Cabezas-Cruz et al.)

This study aimed to analyze demographic and clinical aspects of patients diagnosed with Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS) and Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN), as well as identifying the actions of health professionals for the management of Adverse Drug Reactions (ADR) in a public hospital in Distrito Federal, Brazil. A descriptive and retrospective research was held, with quantitative approach. Data collected from all the records of 22 patients admitted with diagnosed with SJS and TEN, from January 2005 to September 2012. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Of these cases, 9 were diagnosed with NET and 7, with SJS; there were more females (14); aged from 21 to 40 years (10); 21 were cured; the drugs more used were the antiepileptic ones (10). Fragility in clinical registers and in the actions to monitor the cases of ADR in this health service was observed.

Background: It is unclear whether early physical activity has a greater influence on intima-media thickness and metabolic variables than current physical activity., Objective: To analyze the relationship between current and early physical activity, metabolic variables, and intima-media thickness measures in adults., Method: The sample was composed of 55 healthy subjects of both sexes (33 men and 22 women). Total body fat and trunk fat were estimated by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Carotid and femoral intima-media thickness were measured using a Doppler ultrasound device. A 12-hour fasting blood sample collection was taken (fasting glucose and lipid profile). Early physical activity was assessed through face-to-face interview, and the current physical activity was assessed by pedometer (Digi-Walker Yamax, SW200), which was used for a period of seven days., Results: Current physical activity was negatively related to total cholesterol (rho=-0.31), while early physical activity was negatively related to triglycerides (rho=-0.42), total cholesterol (rho=-0.28), very low density lipoprotein (rho=-0.44), and carotid intima-media thickness (rho=-0.50). In the multivariate model, subjects engaged in sports activities during early life had lower values of very low density lipoprotein (b=-8.74 [b95%CI=-16.1; -1.47]) and carotid intima-media thickness (b=-0.17 [95%CI: -0.28; -0.05])., Conclusion: Early 95%CI physical activity has a significant influence on carotid intima-media thickness, regardless of the current physical activity.

Cystoisospora belli is an opportunistic protozoan that causes human cystoisosporiasis, an infection characterized by diarrhea, steatorrhea, abdominal pain, fever, and weight loss. The lack of animal models susceptible to C. belli, and the difficulty in obtaining clinical samples with fair amounts of oocysts have limited the research pertaining to the basic biology of this parasite. This study aimed to describe the ultrastructure of endogenous stages of C. belli in Monkey Rhesus Kidney Cells (MK2) and Human Ileocecal Adenocarcinoma cells (HCT-8). Zoites of C. belli exhibited typical morphological features of coccidia, which included a trilaminar pellicle, an apical complex formed by a conoid, polar rings, rhoptries, and micronemes, in addition to dense granules and the endoplasmic reticulum. No crystalloid body was observed but various lipid and amylopectin granules were usually present in the cytoplasm of zoites. We observed a tendency of the endoplasmic reticulum of the host cell to be located near the parasitophorous vacuole membrane. Merozoites were formed by endodyogeny and during replication, the apical complex of the mother cell remained intact. The formation of gametes or oocysts was not observed. The ultrastructural findings of C. belli are further evidence of its proximity to Sarcocystidae family members and corroborate their reclassification as Cystoisospora spp., (© 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

A new genus, Ingaseius nov. gen., and a new species, Ingaseius silvaticus nov. sp., Phytoseiidae, collected from Inga edulis Martius and Inga marginata Wild. (Fabaceae) are described from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. This species is unique in the following characteristics: females and males with few teeth on fixed cheliceral digit and short Jv5, without J2, Z1 and leg macrosetae. In addition, females lack Jv3 and Zv3, and have a reduced ventrianal shield.

Tick-borne infections can result in serious health problems for wild ruminants, and some of these infectious agents can be considered zoonosis. The aim of the present study was the post-mortem detection of hemoparasites in free-living Mazama gouazoubira from Minas Gerais state, Brazil. The deer samples consisted of free-living M. gouazoubira (n = 9) individuals that died after capture. Necropsy examinations of the carcasses were performed to search for macroscopic alterations. Organ samples were collected for subsequent imprint slides, and nested PCR assays were performed to detect hemoparasite species. Imprint slide assays from four deer showed erythrocytes infected with Piroplasmida small trophozoites, and A. marginale corpuscles were observed in erythrocytes from two animals. A. marginale and trophozoite co-infections occurred in two deer. A nested PCR analysis of the organs showed that six of the nine samples were positive for Theileria sp., five were positive for A. phagocytophilum and three were positive for A. marginale, with co-infection occurring in four deer. The results of the present study demonstrate that post-mortem diagnostics using imprint slides and molecular assays are an effective method for detecting hemoparasites in organs.

The tick Rhipicephalus microplus causes significant losses in livestock cattle and has developed increasing resistance to the primary acaricides that are used to treat these infections. The objective of this study was to identify new biomolecules or isolated substances showing acaricidal activity from plants. Larval packet tests were conducted to evaluate the effects of 11 species of plants and three isolated substances (betulinic acid, eugenol, and nerolidol) on R. microplus. An adult female immersion test was performed with the substance that showed the highest larvicidal activity, which was evaluated for inhibition of reproduction. Tests using Licania tomentosa, Hymenaea stigonocarpa, Hymenaea courbaril, Stryphnodendron obovatum, Jacaranda cuspidifolia, Jacaranda ulei, Struthanthus polyrhizus, Chrysobalanus icaco, Vernonia phosphorea, Duguetia furfuracea, and Simarouba versicolor extracts as well as the isolated substance betulinic acid indicated lower acaricidal effects on R. microplus larvae. The extract displaying the best larvicidal activity was the ethanolic extract from L. tomentosa at a concentration of 60%, resulting in a mortality rate of 40.3%. However, nerolidol and eugenol showed larvicidal activity, which was highest for eugenol. Nerolidol caused a 96.5% mortality rate in the R. microplus larvae at a high concentration of 30%, and eugenol caused 100% mortality at a concentration of 0.3%. In the adult immersion test, 5% eugenol was identified as a good biomolecule for controlling R. microplus, as demonstrated by its high acaricidal activity and inhibition of oviposition.

Recently, we reported the in vitro isolation and the molecular characterization of a new species of Ehrlichia (Ehrlichia mineirensis) from haemolymph of Brazilian Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus ticks. This organism shows an ortholog of Ehrlichia canis major immunogenic protein gp36 with a new structure of tandem repeats. In the present study, we used electron microscopy (high pressure freezing and freeze substitution preparative techniques) to characterize morphologically this new agent growing in IDE8 tick cells. The results showed that E. mineirensis shares ultrastructural features with other members of the genus Ehrlichia (Ehrlichia muris, E. canis and Ehrlichia chaffeensis); typical parasitophorous vacuoles (morulae) contain electron-dense and reticulated Ehrlichiae embedded inside a fibrillar matrix. We observed the characteristic Gram-negative-type cell wall composed of both cytoplasmic and rippled outer membrane. We found organisms undergoing binary fission and rarely altered cells with unusual invagination of the cytoplasmic membrane., (Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Phagostimulants are chemical compounds that stimulate feeding. Some tick species are known to have pores in their inner cheliceral digits, called pit sensillum (ps), which are involved in taste perception. This study investigated the existence of ps in chelicerae of Rhipicephalus sanguineus ticks by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and their involvement in the perception of phagostimulatory substances, such as the salts potassium chloride and sodium chloride (KCl and NaCl), sugars (glucose, sucrose and fructose), purines (guanine and hypoxanthine), the nucleotide adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and the tripeptide reduced glutathione (GSH), as well as their combinations at different concentrations. By means of scanning electron microscopy, a ps was observed at the expected location. Using a single-sensillum recording technique, strong activity by R. sanguineus cheliceral sensilla in response to glucose, ATP, GSH and high concentrations of salts was recorded. The responses to ATP and to KCl at 1M were multicellular, while the responses to the other stimulant compounds were monocellular. Glucose and GSH stimulated different neurons. The taste response of R. sanguineus chelicerae seemed to be selective, given that substances that were not expected to participate in this tick's biology were not perceived., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Canine ehrlichiosis and babesiosis are the most prevalent tick-borne diseases in Brazilian dogs. Few studies have focused attention in surveying tick-borne diseases in the Brazilian Amazon region. A total of 129 blood samples were collected from dogs living in the Brazilian eastern Amazon. Seventy-two samples from dogs from rural areas of 19 municipalities and 57 samples from urban stray dogs from Santarém municipality were collected. Serum samples were submitted to Indirect Immunofluorescence Assay (IFA) with antigens of Babesia canis vogeli, Ehrlichia canis, and six Rickettsia species. The frequency of dogs containing anti-B. canis vogeli, anti-E. canis, and anti-Rickettsia spp. antibodies was 42.6%, 16.2%, and 31.7%, respectively. Anti-B. canis vogeli antibodies were detected in 59.6% of the urban dogs, and in 29.1% of the rural dogs (P < 0.05). For E. canis, seroprevalence was similar among urban (15.7%) and rural (16.6%) dogs. For Rickettsia spp., rural dogs presented significantly higher (P < 0.05) prevalence (40.3%) than urban animals (21.1%). This first study on tick-borne pathogens in dogs from the Brazilian eastern Amazon indicates that dogs are exposed to several agents, such as Babesia organisms, mostly in the urban area; Spotted Fever group Rickettsia organisms, mostly in the rural area; and Ehrlichia organisms, in dogs from both areas studied.

The seroprevalence of Anaplasma marginale, Babesia bigemina, Babesia bovis and Trypanosoma vivax and the risk factors for these infections were investigated in 509 cows on 37 farms in the semiarid region of Paraíba, northeastern Brazil. Cow serum samples were tested by means of immunofluorescence assay (IFA) against each specific antigen. The mean seroprevalence values per farm were 15.0% (range: 0-75%) for A. marginale, 9.5% (range: 0-40%) for B. bigemina and 26.9% (range: 0-73.7%) for B. bovis. All cows tested negative for T. vivax. Higher prevalence for A. marginale was significantly associated with less frequent acaricide spraying per year and with higher use of injectable antihelminthics. Presence of cows positive for B. bigemina was significantly associated with acaricide use and with presence of horse flies on the farm. Both occurrence and higher prevalence of B. bovis were significantly associated with recent observations of ticks on cattle. Overall, the present results indicate that the region investigated is an enzootically unstable area for A. marginale, B. bigemina and B. bovis, since most animals were seronegative to at least one agent.

This paper proposes a NIR spectrometric method for screening analysis of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) samples. The proposed method is aimed at discriminating samples with low and high propane content, which can be useful for the adjustment of burn settings in industrial applications. A gas flow system was developed to introduce the LPG sample into a NIR flow cell at constant pressure. In addition, a gas chromatographer was employed to determine the propane content of the sample for reference purposes. The results of a principal component analysis, as well as a classification study using SIMCA (soft independent modeling of class analogies), revealed that the samples can be successfully discriminated with respect to propane content by using the NIR spectrum in the range 8100-8800 cm(-1). In addition, by using SPA-LDA (linear discriminant analysis with variables selected by the successive projections algorithm), it was found that perfect discrimination can also be achieved by using only two wavenumbers (8215 and 8324 cm(-1)). This finding may be of value for the design of a dedicated, low-cost instrument for routine analyses., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The scope of this study was to evaluate the sleep/wake cycle in shift work nurses, as well as their sleep quality and chronotype. The sleep/wake cycle was evaluated by keeping a sleep diary for a total of 60 nurses with a mean age of 31.76 years. The Horne & Östberg Questionnaire (1976) for the chronotype and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) for sleep quality were applied. The results revealed a predominance of indifferent chronotypes (65.0%), followed by moderately evening persons (18.3%), decidedly evening persons (8.3%), moderately morning persons (6.6%) and decidedly morning persons (1.8%). The sleep quality perception was analyzed by the visual analogical scale, showing a mean score of 5.85 points for nighttime sleep and 4.70 points for daytime sleep, which represented a statistically significant difference. The sleep/wake schedule was also statistically different when considering weekdays and weekends. The PSQI showed a mean of 7.0 points, characterizing poor sleep quality. The results showed poor sleep quality in shift work nurses, possibly due to the lack of sport and shift work habits.

This work describes the results of a study of the phytoseiid mites collected from plants in two natural ecosystems in the State of São Paulo, Brazil-Cerrado and Atlantic Forest. In this study, 40 phytoseiid species are reported. Measurements of different structures are given for species for which measurements for the respective São Paulo populations were not previously provided. This study also includes the description of two new genera, Breviseius g. n. and Serraseius g. n., and ten new species, Amblydromalus macroatrium n. sp., Amblyseius atlanticus n. sp., Breviseius sennae n. sp., Cocoseius paucisetis n. sp., Proprioseiospsis pariquerassuensis n. sp., Serraseius caicara n. sp., Typhlodromalus ingae n. sp., Typhlodromalus feresisimilis n. sp., Typhlodromips corniformis n. sp. and Typhlodromips robustisetus n. sp.

Bovine anaplasmosis, caused by the tick-borne rickettsia Anaplasma marginale, is endemic in tropical and subtropical regions of the world and results in economic losses in the cattle industry. Major surface proteins (MSPs) have been used as markers for the genetic characterization of A. marginale strains and demonstrate that many isolates may occur in a given geographic area. However, in Brazil, little is known about the genetic diversity of A. marginale isolates within individual herds. This study was designed to examine the genetic variation among A. marginale infecting calves in a farm in the south of Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Blood samples collected from 100 calves were used to prepare Giemsastained smears that were microscopically examined for the presence of A. marginale. From each blood sample, DNA was extracted and analyzed by a polymerase chain reaction (PCR), followed by sequencing to determine diversity among the isolates. Examination of blood smears showed that 48% of the calves were infected with A. marginale, while the real-time PCR detected 70.2% positivity. Congenital infections were found in four calves. The microsatellite and tandem repeat analyses showed high genetic diversity among the isolates.

Background: Ehrlichia species are the etiological agents of emerging and life-threatening tick-borne human zoonoses that inflict serious and fatal infections in companion animals and livestock. The aim of this paper was to phylogeneticaly characterise a new species of Ehrlichia isolated from Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus from Minas Gerais, Brazil., Methods: The agent was isolated from the hemolymph of Rhipicephalus (B.) microplus engorged females that had been collected from naturally infested cattle in a farm in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. This agent was then established and cultured in IDE8 tick cells. The molecular and phylogenetic analysis was based on 16S rRNA, groEL, dsb, gltA and gp36 genes. We used the maximum likelihood method to construct the phylogenetic trees., Results: The phylogenetic trees based on 16S rRNA, groEL, dsb and gltA showed that the Ehrlichia spp isolated in this study falls in a clade separated from any previously reported Ehrlichia spp. The molecular analysis of the ortholog of gp36, the major immunoreactive glycoproteins in E. canis and ortholog of the E. chaffeensis gp47, showed a unique tandem repeat of 9 amino acids (VPAASGDAQ) when compared with those reported for E. canis, E. chaffeensis and the related mucin-like protein in E. ruminantium., Conclusions: Based on the molecular and phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA, groEL, dsb and gltA genes we concluded that this tick-derived microorganism isolated in Brazil is a new species, named E. mineirensis (UFMG-EV), with predicted novel antigenic properties in the gp36 ortholog glycoprotein. Further studies on this new Ehrlichia spp should address questions about its transmissibility by ticks and its pathogenicity for mammalian hosts.

The present study examined occurrences of ectoparasites and identified them on dogs in rural regions in Brazil, and assessed the influence of climate on these parasites. Ectoparasites were randomly collected from 194 dogs living on farms located in Lavras (n = 92) and Nanuque (n = 102) during the dry season. During the subsequent rainy season, the same dogs in Lavras (n = 71) and Nanuque (n = 66) were resampled. During the experiment, fleas, ticks, lice and fly larvae were collected. The flea species Ctenocephalides felis was the most common ectoparasite collected from these dogs. The main tick species that infested the dogs in rural areas of Nanuque and Lavras was Amblyomma cajennense. In Lavras, the dogs had high levels of flea infestation (80.4 and 88.7% in the dry and rainy seasons, respectively) and low levels of tick infestation (19.6 and 28.2% in the dry and rainy seasons, respectively), without any significant differences in infestation rates between the seasons. In Nanuque, moderate levels of flea infestation (68.6 and 43.9% in the dry and rainy seasons, respectively) and A. cajennense (65.7 and 47.0% in the dry and rainy seasons, respectively) were observed, with significantly lower prevalence in the rainy season (p < 0.05). The presence of ectoparasites was evident at both times of the year, but the different temperatures may have influenced the occurrences of parasites in Lavras and Nanuque.