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In Ceara, Brazil, seasonal influenza transmission begins before national annual vaccination campaigns commence. To assess the perinatal consequences of this misalignment, we tracked severe acute respiratory infection (SARI), influenza, and influenza immunizations during 2013-2018. Among 3,297 SARI cases, 145 (4.4%) occurred in pregnant women. Statewide vaccination coverage was >80%; however, national vaccination campaigns began during or after peak influenza season. Thirty to forty weeks after peak influenza season, birthweights decreased by 40 g, and rates of prematurity increased from 10.7% to 15.5%. We identified 61 children born to mothers with SARI during pregnancy; they weighed 10% less at birth and were more likely to be premature than 122 newborn controls. Mistiming of influenza vaccination campaigns adversely effects perinatal outcomes in Ceara. Because Ceara is the presumptive starting point for north-to-south seasonal influenza transmission in Brazil, earlier national immunization campaigns would provide greater protection for pregnant women and their fetuses in Ceara and beyond.

This study evaluated the antihyperglycemic, anti-bone-resorptive, and anti-inflammatory efficacy of the probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus EM1107 in an experimental model of ligature-induced periodontitis in diabetic rats treated with metformin (Met).A total of 114 male Wistar rats was randomly divided into six groups: (1) control, (2) experimental periodontitis (EP), (3) EP + diabetes mellitus (DM), (4) EP + probiotic (Prob), (5) EP + DM + Prob, and (6) EP + DM + Prob + Met. The animals received probiotic gavage during the 30 days of the experiment. DM was induced on the 14th day of the experiment with a single injection of streptozotocin into the penile vein, followed by ligature for EP induction and Met gavage on the 19th day and euthanasia on the 30th day. Heart blood, gingival and periodontal tissue, and hemimaxillae were collected. Biomolecular analysis, immunoenzymatic assays, histomorphology, and microtomographic analysis were performed. Data were statistically analyzed (p 0.05).There was a significant reduction in interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in the Prob groups (p 0.05) as well as in blood glucose levels in the Prob and Met groups (p 0.001). In addition, histomorphological analysis revealed that the Prob groups had a reduction in inflammatory infiltrate. Tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) and microtomographic analyses showed that the EP/DM/Prob/Met group had significantly lower linear and volumetric bone loss than those who had no treatment (p 0.01). SOD and GPx immunostaining decreased in all groups receiving probiotics.The findings suggest the immunoinflammatory efficacy of the probiotic L. rhamnosus EM1107 administered either alone or in association with Met in type 1 DM associated with periodontitis.

OBJECTIVE: Determine the minimum dosage of alanyl-glutamine (Ala-Gln) required to improve gut integrity and growth in children at risk of environmental enteropathy (EE).METHODS: This was a double-blinded randomized placebo-controlled dose-response trial. We enrolled 140 children residing in a low-income community in Fortaleza, Brazil. Participants were 2 to 60 months old and had weight-for-age (WAZ), height-for-age (HAZ), or weight-for-height (WHZ) z-scores less than -1. We randomized children to 10 days of nutritional supplementation: Ala-Gln at 3 g/day, Ala-Gln at 6 g/day, Ala-Gln at 12 g/day, or an isonitrogenous dose of glycine (Gly) placebo at 12.5 g/day. Our primary outcome was urinary lactulose-mannitol excretion testing. Secondary outcomes were anthropometry, fecal markers of inflammation, urine metabolic profiles, and malabsorption (spot fecal energy).RESULTS: Of 140 children, 103 completed 120 days of follow-up (24% dropout). In the group receiving the highest dose of Ala-Gln, we detected a modest improvement in urinary lactulose excretion from 0.19% on day 1 to 0.17% on day 10 (P = 0.05). We observed significant but transient improvements in WHZ at day 10 in 2 Ala-Gln groups, and in WHZ and WAZ in all Ala-Gln groups at day 30. We detected no effects on fecal inflammatory markers, diarrheal morbidity, or urine metabolic profiles; but did observe modest reductions in fecal energy and fecal lactoferrin in participants receiving Ala-Gln.CONCLUSIONS: Intermediate dose Ala-Gln promotes short-term improvement in gut integrity and ponderal growth in children at risk of EE. Lower doses produced improvements in ponderal growth in the absence of enhanced gut integrity.

Recent models indicate seasonal influenza transmission in Brazil begins annually in the semiarid state of Ceará (pop. 8.8M)—before vaccine campaigns begin. To assess the extent and maternal-child health consequences of this misalignment, we tracked severe acute respiratory infections (SARI), influenza, and influenza immunizations from 2013-2018. Of 3,297 SARI cases, 145 (4%) occurred in pregnancy. Vaccine coverage was >80%; however, campaigns often occurred during or after peak influenza. Birth weights nadired and prematurity increased 30-40 weeks following peak influenza, by a magnitude of 40g and 10.7% to 15.5%, respectively. We identified 61 babies of mothers with gestational SARI; they weighed 10% less at birth (P = 0·019) and were more often premature (OR: 2.944; 95% CI: 1.100 – 7.879) relative to controls (n=122). Mistiming of influenza vaccination adversely impacts pregnancy and birth outcomes in Ceará, with critical implications for influenza transmission dynamics nationally.

A child’s diet contains nutrients and other substances that influence intestinal health. The present study aimed to evaluate the relations between complementary feeding, intestinal barrier function and environmental enteropathy (EE) in infants. Data from 233 children were obtained from the Brazilian site of the Etiology, Risk Factors, and Interactions of Enteric Infections and Malnutrition and the Consequences for Child Health and Development Project cohort study. Habitual dietary intake from complementary feeding was estimated using seven 24-h dietary recalls, from 9 to 15 months of age. Intestinal barrier function was assessed using the lactulose–mannitol test (L–M), and EE was determined as a composite measure using faecal biomarkers concentrations – α-1-antitrypsin, myeloperoxidase (MPO) and neopterin (NEO) at 15 months of age. The nutrient adequacies explored the associations between dietary intake and the intestinal biomarkers. Children showed adequate nutrient intakes (with the exception of fibre), impaired intestinal barrier function and intestinal inflammation. There was a negative correlation between energy adequacy and L–M (ρ = −0·19, P < 0·05) and between folate adequacy and NEO concentrations (ρ = −0·21, P < 0·01). In addition, there was a positive correlation between thiamine adequacy and MPO concentration (ρ = 0·22, P < 0·01) and between Ca adequacy and NEO concentration (ρ = 0·23; P < 0·01). Multiple linear regression models showed that energy intakes were inversely associated with intestinal barrier function (β = −0·19, P = 0·02), and fibre intake was inversely associated with the EE scores (β = −0·20, P = 0·04). Findings suggest that dietary intake from complementary feeding is associated with decreased intestinal barrier function and EE in children.

Background Few studies have focused on quantitatively analyzing nutrients from infant diets, compromising complementary feeding evaluation and health promotion worldwide. Objectives This study aimed to describe dietary intake in infants from 9 to 24 mo of age, determining nutrient intakes associated with the risk of underweight, wasting, and stunting. Methods Usual nutrient intakes from complementary feeding were determined by 24-h recalls collected when infants were 9-24 mo of age in communities from 7 low- and middle-income countries: Brazil (n = 169), Peru (n = 199), South Africa (n = 221), Tanzania (n = 210), Bangladesh (n = 208), India (n = 227), and Nepal (n = 229), totaling 1463 children and 22,282 food recalls. Intakes were corrected for within- and between-person variance and energy intake. Multivariable regression models were constructed to determine nutrient intakes associated with the development of underweight, wasting, and stunting at 12, 18, and 24 mo of age. Results Children with malnutrition presented significantly lower intakes of energy and zinc at 12, 18, and 24 mo of age, ranging from -16.4% to -25.9% for energy and -2.3% to -48.8% for zinc. Higher energy intakes decreased the risk of underweight at 12 [adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 0.90; 95% CI: 0.84, 0.96] and 24 mo (AOR: 0.91; 95% CI: 0.86, 0.96), and wasting at 18 (AOR: 0.91; 95% CI: 0.83, 0.99) and 24 mo (AOR: 0.83; 95% CI: 0.74, 0.92). Higher zinc intakes decreased the risk of underweight (AOR: 0.12; 95% CI: 0.03, 0.55) and wasting (AOR: 0.19; 95% CI: 0.04, 0.92) at 12 mo, and wasting (AOR: 0.05; 95% CI: 0.00, 0.76) at 24 mo. Conclusions Higher intakes of energy and zinc in complementary feeding were associated with decreased risk of undernutrition in the studied children. Data suggest these are characteristics to be improved in children's complementary feeding across countries.

Objective The objective of this study by the finite element method was to analyze the stress distribution on a single-rooted mandibular premolar tooth restored in two different ways. Methods Laboratory simulation considered the following situations: 1) premolar restored with gold cast post and ceramic crown; 2) premolar restored with glass fiber post, composite resin core and ceramic crown. For this we used a two-dimensional model of a premolar with load application of 300N in the axial and oblique directions within the ANSYS program for Windows. Results Under the axial load, a higher concentration of stresses was observed around the cast post (166 MPa). In the oblique load simulation, there was a concentration of stresses on the buccal root wall, internally and externally, in the tooth restored with cast post (222 MPa). In both load directions, the glass fiber post dissipated the stress received with greater uniformity (55 to 111 MPa). Conclusion These data suggested that from the biomechanical point of view, the use of a glass fiber post and composite resin core could be more advantageous than the cast post technique for a mandibular single-rooted premolar tooth. Objetivo Analisar, por meio do método dos elementos finitos, a distribuição de tensões em elemento dental pré-molar inferior unirradicular restaurado de duas maneiras distintas. Métodos A simulação laboratorial considerou as seguintes situações: 1) pré-molar restaurado com núcleo metálico fundido em liga áurea e coroa em cerâmica; 2) pré-molar restaurado com pino de fibra de vidro, núcleo de preenchimento em resina composta e coroa em cerâmica. Para isso foi utilizado um modelo bidimensional de um pré-molar com aplicação de carga de 300N nas direções axial e oblíqua com uso de programa ANSYS para Windows. Resultados Diante da carga axial, foi observada uma maior concentração de tensões na região do núcleo fundido (166 Mpa). Na simulação de carga oblíqua, observou-se uma concentração de tensões na parede radicular vestibular, interna e externamente, no dente restaurado com núcleo fundido (222 Mpa). Nas duas situações em estudo, o pino de fibra de vidro e núcleo de preenchimento dissipou, com maior uniformidade, a tensão recebida (55 a 111 Mpa). Conclusão Esses dados sugerem que o uso de pino de fibra pré-fabricado e núcleo de preenchimento em resina composta pode ser mais vantajoso que a indicação de núcleo fundido, sob o ponto-de-vista biomecânico, em dente pré-molar inferior unirradicular.

Fluid–structure analysis is frequently used to design offshore structures in a large range of engineering applications. In order to install wind turbines from the seashore, it is required that its towers must be attached at the sea floor or a system needs to be developed that allows the turbine to float. Therefore, the objective of this work is to develop a coupled structural finite element analysis using localized Lagrange multipliers (LLM) at idealized monopile wind turbines. This method enables us to model large structures like wind turbine towers submerged in the ocean and determine the influence of the fluid–structure interaction on the dynamic structural response of these equipments. In this work, the mixed formulation [Formula: see text] developed takes into account the condition of irrotationality of the acoustic fluid. The classical LLM method is modified, thus, a new mixed-formulation for the interface frame has fluid pressure and solid displacement as degree of freedom. In other words, a coupling frame is introduced as fictitious porous material with the aim of non-symmetrical coupling between elastic solid and potential fluid. The solution to the non-matching meshes domain problem is also achieved with this methodology by several numerical strategies. The equations of solid and fluid domains are obtained by classical finite element method and their interaction is modeled with Localized Lagrange Multipliers. The solutions of numerical equations are obtained by direct form in a monolithic approach. The new modeling by using a porous material interface frame algorithm is verified through examples.

We evaluated the impact of subclinical enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (EAEC) infection alone and in combination with other pathogens in the first 6 months of life on child growth.Nondiarrheal samples from 1684 children across 8 Multisite Birth Cohort Study, Malnutrition and Enteric Diseases (MAL-ED) sites in Asia, Africa, and Latin America were tested monthly; more than 90% of children were followed-up twice weekly for the first 6 months of life.Children with subclinical EAEC infection did not show altered growth between enrollment and 6 months. Conversely, EAEC coinfection with any other pathogen was negatively associated with delta weight-for-length (P 0.05) and weight-for-age (P 0.05) z scores between 0 and 6 months. The presence of 2 or more pathogens without EAEC was not significantly associated with delta weight-for-length and weight-for-age. The most frequent EAEC coinfections included Campylobacter spp, heat-labile toxin-producing enterotoxigenic E coli, Cryptosporidium spp, and atypical enteropathogenic E coli. Myeloperoxidase levels were increased with EAEC coinfection (P 0.05). EAEC pathogen codetection was associated with lower neopterin levels compared to those of no-pathogen control children (P 0.05). Mothers of children with EAEC coinfections had lower levels of education, poorer hygiene and sanitation, lower socioeconomic status, and lower breast-feeding rates compared to mothers of children in whom no pathogen was detected (P 0.05).These data emphasize the public health importance of subclinical EAEC infection in early infancy in association with other pathogens and the need for improved maternal and child care, hygiene, sanitation, and socioeconomic factors.