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Aim: The aim of this paper was to compare the quantity and frequency of alcohol use and its associated negative consequences between two groups of college students who were identified as being "risky drinkers." Subjects were randomly allocated in a clinical trial to intervention or control groups. Methods: Risky drinking use was defined as Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) ⩾8 and/or Rutgers Alcohol Problem Index (RAPI) ⩾5 problems in the previous year. Students who had undergone the Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students (BASICS) (N = 145 at baseline; 142 at 12 months, and 103 at 24 months, loss of 29.7%) were compared with a control group (N = 121 at baseline; 121 at 12 months and 113 at 24 months, loss of 9.3%), the nonintervention group. Variables included drinking frequency, quantity and peak consumption, dependence assessment, and family and friends' abuse assessment. Results: Treated students at a 24-month follow-up decreased quantity of alcohol use per occasion and lowered AUDIT and RAPT scores. Conclusions: This is the first brief intervention work on risky drinking with college students in Brazil and the results are encouraging. However, it is difficult to conduct individual prevention strategies in a country where culture fosters heavy drinking through poor public policy on alcohol and lack of law enforcement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Babesiosis and Anaplasmosis are diseases associated with economic losses; ticks and blood-sucking flies are important zoonotic vectors and reservoirs. This study aimed to investigate the presence of anti-Babesia spp. and anti-Anaplasma marginale antibodies using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), in ruminants at the Catimbau National Park. Blood samples were collected from 119 sheep, 119 goats, and 47 cattle. Rhipicephalus microplus ticks were collected from cattle. ELISA showed seropositivity of 34% (16/47), 20.3% (24/119), and 16% (19/119) for anti-Babesia bovis; 34% (16/47), 15.2% (18/119), and 9% (7/119) for anti-Babesia bigemina; and 34% (16/47), 35.6% (42/119), and 17% (20/119) for anti-A. marginale antibodies in cattle, goats, and sheep, respectively. The information collected using an epidemiological questionnaire showed that mostly are breed in a semi-intensive system, with access to Caatinga vegetation. The circulation of B. bovis, B. bigemina, and A. marginale was confirmed. Thus, based on the prevalence, this suggests this is an enzootic instability area and is prone to outbreaks.

Introduction: While there has been notable global advancement in reducing maternal mortality rates (MMRs) in Latin America, the rates among indigenous women remain alarmingly high. This disparity persists in Guatemala, where indigenous women face a two-fold higher MMR compared to their non-indigenous counterparts. Most of the obstetrical care is performed by traditional Mayan birth attendants (TBAs), also known as comadronas, who have minimal formalized clinical training in obstetrical care. Considering there was no national comprehensive training program for TBAs, a unique training program was established in 2014. This program, the School of PowHER (Providing Outreach in Women's Health and Educational Resources), aims to ensure sustainable education led by TBAs for TBAs in rural Guatemala with the ultimate goal of helping TBAs provide basic antenatal care and learn how to identify and refer high-risk pregnancies. The aim of this proposed study is to examine the cultural appropriateness and sensitivity of the training program through a mixed-methods approach., Methods:  We utilized a mixed-methods strategy, combining quantitative and qualitative methodologies. The quantitative aspect involved a 14-item written survey using a three-point Likert scale for responses, while the qualitative part utilized a semi-structured interview guide to conduct a focus group discussion., Results:  The survey (n=33) showed that 32 comadronas found the curriculum applicable (97%) and comprehensible (97%). However, only 26 comadronas (79%) were comfortable with anatomy terminology. Opinions on teaching tools varied: 13 comadronas (39%) felt they were always representative, 13 comadronas (39%) sometimes, and seven comadronas (21%) never. Group discussions echoed this lack of representation. In the learning environment, 32 comadronas felt welcomed (97%) and 31 felt understood (94%), but five comadronas (15%) were not comfortable asking questions. Thirty-one comadronas (94%) believed training made pregnant women trust comadronas more. Group interviews highlighted increased confidence, better care, and perceived lower maternal mortality., Conclusion: This study found the program to be culturally sensitive and effective. Group interviews highlighted increased confidence, improved patient care, and perceived reductions in maternal mortality. Feedback emphasized the need for more culturally relevant materials, resources, and collaboration with the Ministry of Health. This program's community-centered approach could serve as a model for similar initiatives in low- and middle-income countries addressing high maternal mortality rates, despite language and access challenges., Competing Interests: Human subjects: Consent was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. TOPAZ Electronic Protocol Application System: Florida International University issued approval IRB-23-0169. Animal subjects: All authors have confirmed that this study did not involve animal subjects or tissue. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work., (Copyright © 2024, Shtanko et al.)

Nutritional insults early in life, such as during the suckling phase, are associated with phenotypic alterations and promote adverse permanent effects that impair the capacity to maintain energy balance in adulthood. This study aimed to evaluate the long-term effects of a low-protein (LP) diet during lactation on the metabolism and antioxidant systems of adult female rat offspring. Dams were fed a low-protein diet (4% protein) during the first two weeks of lactation or a normal-protein (NP) diet (20% protein) during the entire lactation period. The female offspring received a standard diet throughout the experiment. At 90 days of age, female LP offspring exhibited decreased body weight, feeding efficiency, and fat pad stores. The adult LP female offspring displayed brown adipose tissue hyperplasia without alterations in glucose homeostasis. The LP diet decreased liver triglyceride content and improved the antioxidant system compared to the NP group. The LP diet during the suckling phase promotes a lean phenotype and improves the hepatocyte antioxidant system in adult female offspring. Thus, the LP diet may play an important role in homeostasis and the prevention of metabolic damage.

Despite treatment advances through immunotherapies, including anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapies, the overall prognosis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients remains poor, underscoring the need for novel approaches that offer long-term clinical benefit. This review examined the literature on the subject over the past 20 years to provide an update on the evolving landscape of dendritic cell-based immunotherapy to treat NSCLC, highlighting the crucial role of dendritic cells (DCs) in immune response initiation and regulation. These cells encompass heterogeneous subsets like cDC1s, cDC2s, and pDCs, capable of shaping antigen presentation and influencing T cell activation through the balance between the Th1, Th2, and Th17 profiles and the activation of regulatory T lymphocytes (Treg). The intricate interaction between DC subsets and the high density of intratumoral mature DCs shapes tumor-specific immune responses and impacts therapeutic outcomes. DC-based immunotherapy shows promise in overcoming immune resistance in NSCLC treatment. This article review provides an update on key clinical trial results, forming the basis for future studies to characterize the role of different types of DCs in situ and in combination with different therapies, including DC vaccines., 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., (Copyright © 2024 Oliveira, Silva, Fernandes, Batah, Herrera, Cetlin and Fabro.)

Purpose: The biceps brachii muscle (BBM) is a large and thick muscle on the ventral portion of the upper arm. The scientific literature reports the existence of extra heads., Objective: The present work investigated the frequency of occurrence of BBM accessory head(s) in four different Anatomy Laboratories at universities in Northeast Brazil., Material and Methods: Once the upper limbs with an anatomical variation of the BBM heads were identified, the accessory head was evaluated for morphometric characterization (the length, width, and thickness)., Results: The sample consisted of 249 upper limbs and the outcomes were 26 members with BBM accessory heads (10.44% of the total sample). Among the 26 members studied was found a single accessory head in 22 (84.62%), two accessory heads in 3 (11.54%), and three accessory heads in 1 (3.85%). BBMs with one, two, and three accessory heads were found, with different origins. The average length, width, and thickness of these accessory heads were 169.39mm, 10.25mm, and 3.39mm, respectively., Conclusion: The frequency of BBM accessory heads in a population of northeastern Brazil in this cadaveric study was 10.44%., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Polygenic risk scores (PRSs) for breast cancer have a clear clinical utility in risk prediction. PRS transferability across populations and ancestry groups is hampered by population-specific factors, ultimately leading to differences in variant effects, such as linkage disequilibrium and differences in variant frequency (allele frequency differences). Thus, locally sourced population-based phenotypic and genomic data sets are essential to assess the validity of PRSs derived from signals detected across populations. This study assesses the transferability of a breast cancer PRS composed of 313 risk variants (313-PRS) in a Brazilian trihybrid admixed ancestries (European, African, and Native American) whole-genome sequenced cohort, the Rare Genomes Project. 313-PRS was computed in the Rare Genomes Project (n = 853) using the UK Biobank (UKBB; n = 264,307) as reference. The Brazilian cohorts have a high European ancestry (EA) component, with allele frequency differences and to a lesser extent linkage disequilibrium patterns similar to those found in EA populations. The 313-PRS distribution was found to be inflated when compared with that of the UKBB, leading to potential overestimation of PRS-based risk if EA is taken as a standard. However, case controls lead to equivalent predictive power when compared with UKBB-EA samples with area under the receiver operating characteristic curve values of 0.66 to 0.62 compared with 0.63 for UKBB., Competing Interests: Disclosure Statement None declared., (Copyright © 2024 Association for Molecular Pathology and American Society for Investigative Pathology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Triatomines are biological vectors of Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiological agent of Chagas Disease (CD) and have various mammalian hosts. This study evaluated the entomological indicators and food sources of triatomines in Petrolina in the semi-arid region of Brazil, where CD is endemic., Methods: Triatomines were captured indoors and outdoors through an active search and entomological indices (household and natural infections) were calculated. Parasitological analyses were performed through microscopic visualization using Giemsa-stained insect feces, and DNA sequencing was employed to identify food sources from the gut contents of 82 insects (9.05%) that were better preserved., Results: We captured triatomines (906) in peridomicile (807) and intradomicile (99): Triatoma brasiliensis (84.7%, 767 specimens), Triatoma spp. (8.2%, 74 specimens), T. pseudomaculata (6.5%, 59 specimens), Rhodnius spp. (0.4%, four specimens), R. nasutus (0.1%, one specimen), and T. sordida (0.1%, one specimen). The household infestation index is 11.8%. Thirty-five triatomines were infected (33 T. brasiliensis and two T. pseudomaculata), corresponding to a natural infection index of 3.8%. The identified food sources were human T. pseudomaculata and T. brasiliensis, dogs for T. brasiliensis and rodents (Mus musculus) for T. brasiliensis., Conclusions: The results reinforce the need to intensify CD diagnosis, surveillance, and control actions, as an increase in entomological indices was recorded. Blood from humans and domestic and synanthropic animals was detected in the infected triatomines, suggesting a risk of CD vector transmission in Petrolina. As CD is a zoonosis, multidisciplinary and intersectoral CD surveillance must be conducted in the context of the One Health.

Introduction: The type 2 deiodinase and its Thr92Ala-DIO2 polymorphism have been linked to clinical outcomes in acute lung injury and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)., Objective: The objective was to identify a potential association between Thr92Ala-DIO2 polymorphism and body composition (appendicular muscle mass, myosteatosis, and fat distribution) and to determine whether they reflect the severity or mortality associated with the disease., Methods: In this prospective cohort study (June-August 2020), 181 patients hospitalized with moderate-to-severe COVID-19 underwent a non-contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) of the thorax to assess body composition, laboratory tests, and genotyping for the Thr92Ala-DIO2 polymorphism., Results: In total, 181 consecutive patients were stratified into three subgroups according to the genotype: Thr/Thr (n = 64), Thr/Ala (n = 96), and Ala/Ala (n = 21). The prevalence of low muscle area (MA) (< 92 cm²) was 52.5%. Low MA was less frequent in Ala/Thr patients (44.8%) than in Thr/Thr (60.9%) or Ala/Ala patients (61.9%) (P = 0.027). Multivariate logistic regression analysis confirmed that the Thr/Ala allele was associated with a reduced risk of low MA (41% to 69%) and myosteatosis (62% to 72%) compared with Thr/Thr + Ala/Ala (overdominant model). Kaplan-Meier curves showed that patients with low muscle mass and homozygosity had lower survival rates than the other groups. Notably, the heterozygotes with MA ≥92 cm² exhibited the best survival rate., Conclusion: Thr92Ala-DIO2 heterozygosity is associated with increased skeletal MA and less myosteatosis in patients with COVID-19. The protective effect of Thr92Ala-DIO2 heterozygosity on COVID-19 mortality is restricted to patients with reduced MA.

Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest relevant to this work.

This study aimed to investigate the mineral profile and histopathological findings in the liver of Leptodactylus macrosternum (white-lipped frog) and to assess the association between melanomacrophage areas and hepatic fungal granuloma with several factors such as weight, snout-cloacal length, sex, hepatosomatic index, season (dry and rainy), and condition factor K. A total of 135 frogs of different ages were collected from three areas in the city of Petrolina, Pernambuco, with varying land use (conventional agriculture, organic agriculture, and Caatinga stricto sensu). The liver of all specimens exhibited changes such as granulomatous lesions, inflammatory cell infiltrate, blood vessel congestion, and sinusoid dilation. The melanomacrophage areas were influenced by weight, snout-cloacal length, and hepatosomatic index. Our findings revealed a positive correlation between body size (weight and snout-cloacal length) and melanomacrophage/hepatic granuloma, while the hepatosomatic index showed a negative relationship. For the condition factor K, only age presents relationship. Eleven elements were quantified for the mineral profile, with aluminum (Al), iron (Fe), and zinc (Zn) being the most abundant in both liver and muscle. Although the histopathological findings and mineral profile of the liver and muscle in this study indicate an effect on the health of L. macrosternum in different collection areas, confirming the relationship between environmental characteristics and these findings requires future studies. Furthermore, long-term studies would be necessary to allow the monitoring of all stages of development of these populations, from tadpoles to adults, for a better evaluation of these effects in L. macrosternum., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (FRP) coatings on the mechanical properties of concrete structures, especially those used in the production of power distribution poles. These coatings consist of carbon, glass, hybrid, and aramid fibers embedded within a polyurethane matrix. Aramid fabrics from discarded ballistic garments were used to produce FRP. To achieve this, flexural, Charpy impact, and adhesion tests were conducted on the FRP-reinforced concrete. Additionally, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) analyses were performed on the fracture regions of materials tested for impact resistance. The results indicated that all fabrics utilized in the study enhanced the mechanical properties of the concrete specimens in terms of flexural strength and toughness. The observed differences between the fiber types can be attributed to the unique chemical structures of each fiber and their respective interactions with the PU matrix at the interface. These findings suggest that such coatings can significantly improve the mechanical performance of concrete structures., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

A new species of Oswaldocruzia Travassos, 1917 (Nematoda, Molineidae), parasite of Leptodactylus macrosternum Miranda-Ribeiro, 1926 (Anura: Leptodactylidae), from Caatinga morphoclimatic domain, Brazil, is described based on morphological and molecular data. Oswaldocruzia franciscoensis n. sp. is characterised by an anterior extremity with a cephalic vesicle divided into two portions, a body covered by cuticular longitudinal ridges, and cervical alae. Males of the new species have caudal bursa of type I with a 2-1-2 pattern, spicules divided into a shoe, bifurcated fork, and blade with two unequal branches, in which the longer branch bifurcates at its distal portion end and the smaller branch with three distal processes, each with distal bifurcations. Females have didelphic and amphidelphic uteri, an ovijector divided into vestibule, anterior and posterior sphincters, and anterior and posterior infundibula. The new species differs from its Neotropical congeners that have caudal bursa of type I, based on the presence of cervical alae and by having a spicular blade distally divided into two unequal branches, with the longer branch bifurcating at its distal portion and smaller branch with three distal processes, each distally bifurcated. The partial 18S rDNA sequence generated for Oswaldocruzia franciscoensis n. sp. is the first of a representative belonging to this genus in the Neotropical region.

This work presents a methodology for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) trapping from vehicular emissions using an in-tube extraction device (IT-FEx). Trapping selectivity studies were conducted, evaluating the interaction profile between the aromatic compounds and the polymeric phase (composed of polydimethylsiloxane and internal to the IT-FEx devices), as in an aqueous equilibrium system (25 min of sampling), and as in gaseous dynamic phase (30 s of sampling), regarding a qualitative evaluation. The adsorption profiles were similar, with greater affinity for medium-sized PAHs (four aromatic rings) than for the smaller (one to three rings) and larger (five to six rings). The device was attached to a vehicle emission sampler to evaluate the qualitative emission of diesel-powered vehicles. Certain PAHs, such as phenanthrene, fluoranthene, benz[a]anthracene, chrysene, benzo[b]fluoranthene, and benzo[k]fluoranthene, were effectively trapped by the IT-FEx device and detected by the GC-BID analysis. Finally, it was possible to develop a process that combined the steps of sample preparation and instrumental analysis, using the IT-FEx device and applying it to the gaseous matrix in the dynamic phase; until then, little was elucidated regarding the use of this apparatus. This sampling device, combined with analysis by gas chromatography with a barrier ionization discharge detector (GC-BID), is a powerful tool for identifying many compounds from vehicular emissions and does not require solvents in sample preparation., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: Maternal protein-caloric restriction during lactation can malprogram offspring into having a lean phenotype associated with metabolic dysfunction in early life and adulthood. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between nutritional stress, maternal behavior and metabolism, milk composition, and offspring parameters. Additionally, we focused on the role of hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis hyperactivation during lactation., Methods: Dams were fed a low-protein diet (4% protein) during the first 2 wk of lactation or a normal-protein diet (20% protein) during all lactation. Analyses of dams, milk, and offspring were conducted on postnatal days (PD) 7, 14, and 21., Results: Body weight and food intake decreased in dams, which was associated with reduced fat pad stores and increased corticosterone levels at PD 14. The stressed low-protein diet dams demonstrated alterations in behavior and offspring care. Despite nutritional deprivation, dams adapted their metabolism to provide adequate energy supply through milk; however, we demonstrated elevated corticosterone and total fat levels in milk at PD 14. Male offspring also showed increased corticosterone at PD 7, associated with a lean phenotype and alterations in white and brown adipose tissue morphology at PD 21., Conclusion: Exposure to protein-caloric restriction diet of dams during lactation increased the glucocorticoid levels in dams, milk, and offspring, which is associated with alterations in maternal behavior and milk composition. Thus, glucocorticoids and milk composition may play an important role in metabolic programming induced by maternal undernutrition., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

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

Background: Dengue fever is a tropical disease and a major public health concern, and almost half of the world's population lives in areas at risk of contracting this disease. Climate change is identified by WHO and other international health authorities as one of the primary factors that contribute to the rapid spread of dengue fever., Methods: We evaluated the effect of sanitation on the cross-correlation between rainfall and the first symptoms of dengue in the city of Mato Grosso do Sul, which is in a state in the Midwest region of Brazil, and employed the time-lagged detrended cross-correlation analysis (DCCAC) method., Results: Co-movements were obtained through the time-phased DCCAC to analyze the effects of climatic variables on arboviruses. The use of a time-lag analysis was more robust than DCCAC without lag to present the behavior of dengue cases in relation to accumulated precipitation. Our results show that the cross-correlation between rain and dengue increased as the city implemented actions to improve basic sanitation in the city., Conclusion: With climate change and the increase in the global average temperature, mosquitoes are advancing beyond the tropics, and our results show that cities with improved sanitation have a high correlation between dengue and annual precipitation. Public prevention and control policies can be targeted according to the period of time and the degree of correlation calculated to structure vector control and prevention work in places where sanitation conditions are adequate., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Early diagnosis of genetic rare diseases is an unmet need in Brazil, where an estimated 10-13 million people live with these conditions. Increased use of chromosome microarray assays, exome sequencing, and whole genome sequencing as first-tier testing techniques in suitable indications can shorten the diagnostic odyssey, eliminate unnecessary tests, procedures, and treatments, and lower healthcare expenditures. A selected panel of Brazilian experts in fields related to rare diseases was provided with a series of relevant questions to address before a multi-day conference. Within this conference, each narrative was discussed and edited through numerous rounds of discussion until agreement was achieved. The widespread adoption of exome sequencing and whole genome sequencing in Brazil is limited by various factors: cost and lack of funding, reimbursement, awareness and education, specialist shortages, and policy issues. To reduce the burden of rare diseases and increase early diagnosis, the Brazilian healthcare authorities/government must address the barriers to equitable access to early diagnostic methods for these conditions. Recommendations are provided, including broadening approved testing indications, increasing awareness and education efforts, increasing specialist training opportunities, and ensuring sufficient funding for genetic testing., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Fish cell lines have become increasingly used in ecotoxicity studies, and cytotoxicity assays have been proposed as methods to predict fish acute toxicity. Thus, this protocol presents cytotoxicity assays modified to evaluate cell viability in zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryo (ZEM2S) and liver (ZFL) cell lines in 96-well plates. The cytotoxicity endpoints evaluated are mitochondrial integrity (Alamar Blue [AB] and MTT assays), membrane integrity via esterase activity (CFDA-AM assay), and lysosomal membrane integrity (Neutral Red [NR] assay). After the exposure of the test substances in a 96-well plate, the cytotoxicity assays are performed; here, AB and CFDA-AM are carried out simultaneously, followed by NR on the same plate, while the MTT assay is performed on a separate plate. The readouts for these assays are taken by fluorescence for AB and CFDA-AM, and absorbance for MTT and NR. The cytotoxicity assays performed with these fish cell lines can be used to study the acute toxicity of chemical substances on fish.

Flies are the main bloodsucking ectoparasites of Neotropical bats. The aim of this study was to describe the community of flies on bats from a humid forest enclave, surrounded by the semiarid landscape of the Caatinga domain, in Northeastern Brazil. In addition, we tested the influence of dry and rainy periods on the parasitological indices. Fieldwork was carried out in three anthropized remnants of a humid forest enclave in the Agreste mesoregion of Pernambuco state, Northeastern Brazil. Bats were captured monthly, from August 2018 to July 2019, and the ectoparasites were collected. Overall, 807 bats of 14 species and 11 genera of the families Phyllostomidae (13 spp.) and Vespertilionidae (1 sp.) were captured. Only four bat species had >50 individuals captured, and Carollia perspicillata was the most abundant species (259/807; 32%). Five hundred and seventy-one bat flies from 13 species (11 Streblidae and 2 Nycteribiidae) were collected, of which Trichobius joblingi was the most prevalent fly (197/571; 34.5%). Only the parasitism by T. joblingi was influenced by seasonality, with higher prevalence (P = 0.01) and intensity of infestation (P = 0.02) in the dry season. No lesions associated with parasitism were observed in any of the captured bats. Our results suggest that the bat-fly relationship can be affected in different ways by environmental variables, depending on the species involved. The results of this work contribute to the knowledge about ectoparasites of bats in the Neotropical region, with emphasis on humid forest enclaves, where studies of the host-parasite-environment relationship are scarce., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Rare diseases (RDs) cause considerable death and disability in Latin America. Still, there is no consensus on their definition across the region. Patients with RDs face a diagnostic odyssey to find a correct diagnosis, which may last many years and creates a burden for caregivers, healthcare systems, and society. These diagnostic delays have repercussions on the health and economic burden created by RDs and continue to represent an unmet medical need. This review analyzes barriers to the widespread adoption of newborn screening (NBS) programs and early diagnostic methods for RDs in Latin America and provides recommendations to achieve this critical objective. Increasing the adoption of NBS programs and promoting early diagnosis of RDs are the first steps to improving health outcomes for patients living with RDs. A coordinated, multistakeholder effort from leaders of patient organizations, government, industry, medical societies, academia, and healthcare services is required to increase the adoption of NBS programs. Patients' best interests should remain the guiding principle for decisions regarding NBS implementation and early diagnosis for RDs., (Copyright © 2022 Giugliani, Castillo Taucher, Hafez, Oliveira, Rico-Restrepo, Rozenfeld, Zarante and Gonzaga-Jauregui.)

Acute lung injury is an inflammation that triggers acute respiratory distress syndrome with perialveolar neutrophil infiltration, alveolar-capillary barrier damage, and lung edema. Activation of the toll-like receptor 4 complex (TLR4/MD2) and its downstream signaling pathways are responsible for the cytokine storm and cause alveolar damage. Due to the complexity of this pulmonary inflammation, a defined pharmacotherapy has not been established. Thus, this study evaluated the anti-inflammatory potential of milonine, an alkaloid of Cissampelos sympodialis Eichl, in an experimental model of lung inflammation. BALB/c mice were lipopolysaccharide-challenged and treated with milonine at 2.0 mg/kg. Twenty-four hours later, the bronchoalveolar fluid, peripheral blood, and lungs were collected for cellular and molecular analysis. The milonine treatment decreased the cell migration (mainly neutrophils) to the alveoli, the pulmonary edema, and the cytokine levels (IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α). The systemic IL-6 level was also reduced. The milonine docking analysis demonstrated hydrophobic interaction at TLR4/MD2 groove with Ile124 and Phe126 amino acids. Indeed, the alkaloid downregulated the kinase-Akt and NF-κB through TLR4/MD2. Therefore, milonine is an effective inflammatory modulator being a potential molecule for the treatment of lung inflammation.

Objective: The Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine is routinely applied in Brazil. Adverse events (AE) may occur in patients with inborn or acquired immunodeficiencies, varying between local (BCGitis) or disseminated (BCGosis) reactions. We evaluated 53 individuals with local or disseminated adverse events to BCG vaccination to assess if they had inborn errors of immunity (IEI)., Methods: Patients diagnosed with an adverse event following BCG vaccination between 2014 and 2017 were included in the study. We collected clinical data, immunophenotyped T and B lymphocytes, and natural killer cells (NK), assessed oxidative function of neutrophils through dihydrorhodamine (DHR) 123 testing, and genotyped 361 genes related to IEI through targeted (panel) sequencing., Results: The median age of the 53 individuals was four months (IQ 1.5-12), and 52.8% were male. Forty-eight (90.6%) individuals presented only locoregional AE and five (9.4%) presented both locoregional and disseminated AE. Nine (16.9%) patients were diagnosed with an IEI. Four of them presented BCGitis and five presented BCGosis after BCG vaccination. Clinically, four presented chronic granulomatous disease (CGD), three Mendelian susceptibility to mycobacterial disease (MSMD), and two severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID). Patients with IEI had a higher frequency of systemic symptomatology (p = 0.002), history of other infections (p < 0.001), parental consanguinity (p = 0.01), familial history of sick siblings (p < 0.001), or early deaths in the family (p < 0.01)., Conclusion: There is a high frequency of IEI in patients with locoregional and disseminated adverse events to BCG vaccination, revealing the need for the investigation of IEI accompanied by clinical and familial inquiry., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: In the atherosclerotic plaque microenvironment, oxidized phospholipids expressed in the oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) surface bind to scavenger receptors of macrophages eliciting foam cell formation and plaque progression. Auto-antibodies against oxLDL (oxLDL-Ab) interact with oxidative epitopes leading to the formation of immune complexes that are unable to interact with macrophage receptors, thus abrogating atherogenesis. Release of oxLDL-Ab by B cells involves interleukin 5 and Th2 response, which in turn are potentiated by HDL. Thereby, we hypothesized that individuals with higher levels of HDL-C may plausibly display elevated titers of oxLDL-Ab., Objective: To evaluate the relationship between HDL-C and oxLDL-Ab levels., Methods: Asymptomatic individuals (n = 193) were grouped according to their HDL-C concentration to one of three categories: low (< 68 mg/dL), intermediate (68 to 80 mg/dL) or high (> 80 mg/dL). P values < 0.05 were considered statistically significant., Results: Our analysis included 193 individuals (mean age: 47 years; male: 26.3%). Compared to individuals in the lowest HDL-C tertile, those in the highest tertile were older (36 versus 53 years; p = 0.001) and less frequently male (42.6% versus 20.9%; p = 0.001). Mean values of oxLDL-Ab increased as the HDL-C group escalated (0.31, 0.33 and 0.43 units, respectively; p = 0.001 for trend). Simple linear regression found a significant, positive relationship between the independent variable, HDL-C, and the dependent variable, oxLDL-Ab (R = 0.293; p = 0.009). This relation remained significant (R = 0.30; p = 0.044), after adjustment by covariates. Apolipoprotein AI levels were also related to oxLDL-Ab in both simple and adjusted linear regression models., Conclusion: HDL-C and oxLDL-Ab are independently related.

Hereditary cancer risk syndromes are caused by germline variants, commonly in tumor suppressor genes. Most studies on hereditary cancer have been conducted in white populations. We report the largest study in Brazilian individuals with multiple ethnicities. We genotyped 1682 individuals from all country regions with Next-generation sequencing (NGS) panels. Most were women with a personal/family history of cancer, mostly breast and ovarian. We identified 321 pathogenic/likely pathogenic (P/LP) variants in 305 people (18.1%) distributed among 32 genes. Most were on BRCA1 and BRCA2 (129 patients, 26.2% and 14.3% of all P/LP, respectively), MUTYH (42 monoallelic patients, 13.1%), PALB2 (25, 7.8%), Lynch syndrome genes (17, 5.3%), and TP53 (17, 5.3%). Transheterozygosity prevalence in our sample was 0.89% (15/1682). BRCA1/BRCA2 double heterozygosity rate was 0.78% (1/129) for BRCA variants carriers and 0.06% (1/1682) overall. We evaluated the performance of the genetic testing criteria by NCCN and the Brazilian National Health Agency (ANS). The inclusion criteria currently used in Brazil fail to identify 17%-25% of carriers of P/LP variants in hereditary cancer genes. Our results add knowledge on the Brazilian spectrum of cancer risk germline variants, demonstrate that large multigene panels have high positivity rates, and indicate that Brazilian inclusion criteria for genetic testing should be improved., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to European Society of Human Genetics.)

Rare diseases affect up to 13.2 million individuals in Brazil. The Brazilian Rare Genomes Project is envisioned to further the implementation of genomic medicine into the Brazilian public healthcare system. Here we report the validation results of a whole genome sequencing (WGS) procedure for implementation in clinical laboratories. In addition, we report data quality for the first 1,200 real-world patients sequenced. We sequenced a well-characterized group of 76 samples, including seven gold standard genomes, using a PCR-free WGS protocol on Illumina Novaseq 6,000 equipment. We compared the observed variant calls with their expected calls, observing good concordance for single nucleotide variants (SNVs; mean F-measure = 99.82%) and indels (mean F-measure = 99.57%). Copy number variants and structural variants events detection performances were as expected (F-measures 96.6% and 90.3%, respectively). Our WGS protocol presented excellent intra-assay reproducibility (coefficients of variation ranging between 0.03% and 0.20%) and inter-assay reproducibility (coefficients of variation ranging between 0.02% and 0.09%). Limitations of the WGS protocol include the inability to confidently detect variants such as uniparental disomy, balanced translocations, repeat expansion variants, and low-level mosaicism. In summary, the observed performance of the WGS protocol was in accordance with that seen in the best centers worldwide. The Rare Genomes Project is an important initiative to bring pivotal improvements to the quality of life of the affected individuals., 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., (Copyright © 2022 Coelho, Mascaro-Cordeiro, Lucon, Nóbrega, Reis, de Alexandre, Moura, Oliveira, Guedes, Caraciolo, Zurro, Cervato and Oliveira.)

Coatis are hosts of a great diversity of parasites, that due to anthropic pressures in forest fragments, like changes in landscapes and ecosystems, can influence the dynamics and physiological responses to those parasite infections, affecting the animal's health and fitness. This is the first study about health parameters and parasitic infections of wild coati (Nasua nasua) populations in the Atlantic Forest (Pernambuco Center of Endemism). The following hypotheses were evaluated: (i) infections and co-infections by gastrointestinal parasites and ectoparasites can generate changes in the health parameters of coatis such as the body condition score (BCS), packed cell volume (PCV), leukogram, and serum protein profile; (ii) biological aspects (sex and age) or fragment they inhabit, can influence changes in the health parameters (BCS, PCV, leukogram and serum protein profile). Were studied 55 free-living coatis in three anthropized forest remnants in the Metropolitan Region of Recife. After chemical containment, the animals were submitted to physical examination and collection of biological samples (blood, feces, and ectoparasites). On the physical examination, 23.6% of coatis had a low BCS and 5.4% were overweighted. Amblyomma spp. ticks were found in 83.6% of the animals of all studied remnants, A. sculptumAmblyomma sculptum in 12.7% and A. ovale in 1.8%. Regarding gastrointestinal parasites, Ancylostoma sp. was the most prevalent (80.4%) and most animals (66.7%) had co-infection with Ancylostoma sp. and Capillaria sp., Strongyloides sp., Acanthocephala, Cestoda, and Coccidia. The 76.5% of the coatis presented co-infections with Ancylostoma spp. + Amblyomma spp. Principal coordinates analyses (PCoA) scores of health parameters were used as dependent variables and fragment, sex, age, Ancylostoma sp. infection, gastrointestinal parasites co-infection, Amblyomma spp. infestation and co-infection of Ancylostoma sp. + Amblyomma spp. as a predictor variable in the linear models. Parasites did not influence the PCV of the individuals, but a decrease was evident in adult animals. Variations in protein profile, neutrophils, and lymphocytes, without leaving the normal range for the species, but WBC were predicted by age group, and infections by Ancylostoma or Amblyomma spp., but not their co-infections. The free-living coati populations of the anthropized remnants in the Atlantic Forest of northeastern Brazil proved to be healthy and seem to be adapted to face the challenges of anthropization and parasitic infections., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: In minimally invasive mitral valve repair, right minithoracotomy is the most widely performed method, providing a good view of the mitral valve. But regarding other techniques and although it offers limited visualization, the periareolar access is a less traumatic alternative. This study's purpose is to compare in-hospital outcomes in patients who underwent video-assisted minimally invasive mitral valve repair via right minithoracotomy and periareolar access., Methods: This is a retrospective observational study including 37 patients (> 18 years old), without previous right thoracic surgery, who underwent their primary mitral valve repair, with indication for minimally invasive video-assisted approach (via right minithoracotomy or periareolar access), between January 2018 and August 2019. Patients' medical records were consulted to collect demographics data, operative details, and in-hospital outcomes., Results: Twenty-one patients underwent right minithoracotomy, and 16 were operated via periareolar access. The mean patients' age was 62±12 years in the right minithoracotomy group and 61±9 years in the periareolar access group (P=0.2). There are no significant differences in incision length, cardiopulmonary bypass time, aortic cross-clamping time, hematocrit, amount of chest tube drainage, and intensive care unit and in-hospital length of stay. Time to extubation presented significant differences between the right minithoracotomy and the periareolar access group (4.85 hours vs. 5.62 hours, respectively) (P=0.04)., Conclusion: In this study, we found similar results in the two applied surgical techniques, except for the time to extubation.

Soils comprise a huge fraction of the world's biodiversity, contributing to several crucial ecosystem functions. However, how the forest-to-pasture conversion impact soil bacterial diversity remains poorly understood, mainly in the Caatinga biome, the largest tropical dry forest of the world. Here, we hypothesized that forest-to-pasture conversion would shape the microbial community. Thus, the soil bacterial community was assessed using the 16S rRNA gene sequencing into the Illumina MiSeq platform. Then, we analyzed ecological patterns and correlated the bacterial community with environmental parameters in forest, and two distinct pastures areas, one less productive and another more productive. The variation in soil properties in pastures and forest influenced the structure and diversity of the bacterial community. Thus, the more productive pasture positively influenced the proportion of specialists and the co-occurrence network compared to the less productive pasture. Also, Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, and Verrucomicrobia were abundant under forest, while Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, and Chloroflexi were abundant under pastures. Also, the more productive pasture presented a higher bacterial diversity, which is important since that a more stable and connected bacterial community could benefit the agricultural environment and enhance plant performance, as can be observed by the highest network complexity in this pasture. Together, our findings elucidate a significant shift in soil bacterial communities as a consequence of forest-to-pasture conversion and bring important information for the development of preservation strategies., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

This report describes how image processing harnessed to multivariate analysis techniques can be used as a bio-analytical tool for mastitis screening in cows using milk samples collected from 48 animals (32 from Jersey, 7 from Gir, and 9 from Guzerat cow breeds), totalizing a dataset of 144 sequential images was collected and analyzed. In this context, this methodology was developed based on the lactoperoxidase activity to assess mastitis using recorded images of a cuvette during a simple experiment and subsequent image treatments with an R statistics platform. The color of the sample changed from white to brown upon its exposure to reagents, which is a consequence of lactoperoxidase enzymatic reaction. Data analysis was performed to extract the channels from the RGB (Red-Green-Blue) color system, where the resulting dataset was evaluated with Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Multiple Linear Regression (MLR), and Second-Order Regression (SO). Interesting results in terms of enzymatic activity correlation (R2 = 0.96 and R2 = 0.98 by MLR and SO, respectively) and of somatic cell count (R2 = 0.97 and R2 = 0.99 by MLR and SO, respectively), important mastitis indicators, were obtained using this simple method. Additionally, potential advantages can be accessed such as quality control of the dairy chain, easier bovine mastitis prognosis, lower cost, analytical frequency, and could serve as an evaluative parameter to verify the health of the mammary gland., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Fusarium graminearum Schw. is associated with diseases in seeds and seedlings, mainly in maize, and causes damage to crops and food production. We determined the chemical compositions of essential oils from Pogostemon cablin (Blanco) Benth and Baccharis dracunculifolia DC., and evaluated their antioxidant and antifungal activity against F. graminearum . The oils were applied to the fungus using disc diffusion technique at concentrations of 8.0, 4.0, 2.0 and 1.0 μL mL -1 . Fungistatic effects of P. cablin oil were detectable at 8.0 μL mL -1 , with 80.0% inhibition of fungal growth. This oil contains mono and sesquiterpenes that may be toxic to fungal cell structures. P. cablin oil also had antioxidant activity in free radical sequestration experiments, where as oil from B. dracunculifolia had limited effects. We conclude that essential oil from P. cablin has greater anti-phytopathogenic and antioxidant activity than that from B. dracunculifolia .

The data included in this article supplement the research article titled "Forest-to-pasture conversion modifies the soil bacterial community in Brazilian dry forest Caatinga (manuscript ID: STOTEN-D-21-19067R1)". This data article included the analysis of 18 chemical variables in 36 composite samples (included 4 replicates) of soils from the Microregion of Garanhuns (Northeast Brazil) and also partial 16S rRNA gene sequences from genomic DNA extracted from 27 of these samples (included 3 best quality replicates) for paired-end sequencing (up to 2 × 300 bp) in Illumina MiSeq platform (NCBI - BioProject accession: PRJNA753707). Soils were collected in August 2018 in a tropical subhumid region from the Brazilian Caatinga, along with 27 composite samples from the aboveground part of pastures to determine nutritional quality based on leaf N content. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) and post-hoc tests of environmental data and the main alpha-diversity indices based on linear mixed models (LMM) were represented in the tables. In this case, the collection region (C1 - Brejão, C2 - Garanhuns, and C3 - São João) was the random-effect variable and adjacent habitats formed by a forest (FO) and two pastures (PA and PB succeeded by this forest) composed the fixed-effect variable (land cover), both nested within C. In addition, a table with similarity percentages breakdown (SIMPER) was also shown, a procedure to assess the average percent contribution of individual phyla and bacterial classes. The figures showed the details of the study location, sampling procedure, vegetation status through the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), in addition to the general abundance and composition of the main bacterial phyla., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2022 Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Objective: To assess the potential benefits of minimally invasive aortic valve replacement (MIAVR) compared with conventional AVR (CAVR) by examining short-term outcomes. Methods: A systematic search identified randomized trials comparing MIAVR with CAVR. To assess study limitations and quality of evidence, we used the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool and GRADE and performed random-effects meta-analysis. We used meta-regression and sensitivity analysis to explore reasons for diversity. Results: Thirteen studies (1,303 patients) were included. For the comparison of MIAVR and CAVR, the risk of bias was judged low or unclear and the quality of evidence ranged from very low to moderate. No significant difference was observed in mortality, stroke, acute kidney failure, infectious outcomes, cardiac events, intubation time, intensive care unit stay, reoperation for bleeding, and blood transfusions. Blood loss (mean difference [MD] = -130.58 mL, 95% confidence interval [CI] = -216.34 to -44.82, I 2  = 89%) and hospital stay (MD = -0.93 days, 95% CI = -1.62 to -0.23, I 2  = 81%) were lower with MIAVR. There were shorter aortic cross-clamp (MD = 5.99 min, 95% CI = 0.99 to 10.98, I 2  = 93%) and cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) times (MD = 7.75 min, 95% CI = 0.27 to 15.24, I 2  = 94%) in the CAVR group. In meta-regression analysis, we found that age was the variable with the greatest influence on heterogeneity. Conclusions: MIAVR seems to be an excellent alternative to CAVR, reducing hospital stay and incidence of hemorrhagic events. Despite significantly greater aortic cross-clamp and CPB times with MIAVR, this did not translate into adverse effects, with no changes in the results found with CAVR.

The use of lignocellulosic biomass (LCB) has emerged as one of the main strategies for generating renewable biofuels. For the efficient use of such feedstock, pre-treatments are essential. The hydrolysis of cellulose - major component of LCB - demands enzymatic cocktails with improved efficiency to generate fermentable sugars. In this scenario, lignocellulolytic fungi have enormous potential for the development of efficient enzyme platforms. In this study, two enzymatic cocktails were developed for hydrolysis of two lignocellulosic biomasses: industrial cellulose pulp and cassava peel. The solid biomass ratio in relation to the protein content of the enzyme cocktail was performed by experimental design. The optimized cocktail for the hydrolysis of cellulose pulp (AMZ 1) was composed, in protein base, by 43% of Aspergillus sp. LMI03 enzyme extract and 57% of T. reesei QM9414, while the optimal enzyme cocktail for cassava peel hydrolysis (AMZ 2) was composed by 50% of Aspergillus sp. LMI03 enzyme extract, 25% of the extract of P. citrinum LMI01 and 25% of T. reesei. The ratio between solids and protein loading for AMZ 1 cocktail performance was 52 g/L solids and 30 mg protein/g solids, resulting in a hydrolytic efficiency of 93%. For the AMZ 2 cocktail, the hydrolytic efficiency was 78% for an optimized ratio of 78 g/L solids and 19 mg protein/g solids. These results indicate that cocktails formulated with enzymatic extracts of P. citrinum LMI01, Aspergillus sp. LMI03, and T. reesei QM9414 are excellent alternatives for efficient hydrolysis of plant biomass and for other processes that depend on biocatalysis., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

The objective of this study was to determine the structure of the helminth fauna and identify the macroscopic and histopathological alterations associated with parasitic infections in Phrynops geoffroanus. Freshwater turtles of both sexes were captured during the dry and rainy seasons in four municipalities along the Capibaribe River. The study included 63 animals, of which 79.37% (50/63) were parasitized by one or more helminths. In total, 933 helminths of seven taxa were recovered: Serpinema monospiculatus, Spiroxys figueiredoi, Nematophila grandis, Polystomoides brasiliensis, Cheloniodiplostomum testudinis, Telorchis birabeni, and Prionosomoides scalaris. Monogeneans and digenetic trematodes were more sensitive to environmental pressures, since the prevalences varied significantly between areas. Nematodes proved to be more resistant to environmental pressure and caused severe injuries to their hosts: nodules in the stomach and small intestine, adhesions in the liver capsule, and pulmonary emphysema. Parasitic granulomas were recorded at the infection sites and in the lungs and liver, the latter caused by migration of S. figueiredoi larvae. This is the first record of P. brasiliensis, N. grandis, C. testudinis, and T. birabeni parasitizing P. geoffroanus in the state of Pernambuco. Histopathology proved to be an important tool for studies on the impact of parasites at the individual, population, and ecosystem levels. Considering the use of the Capibaribe River for public water supply, fishing, and other activities, within the One Health perspective, this study demonstrates that the anthropogenic impact affects parasites and their hosts, in addition to the human population that uses this ecosystem., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Caatinga and Atlantic Forest are Brazilian biomes threatened by anthropogenic disturbances, which are a serious threat to biodiversity and favor the emergence of zoonotic pathogens. Capybara populations are increasingly present in urban and rural areas due to the loss of their natural habitats. There are no studies on the rickettsial infection in these rodents in Northeastern Brazil, although there are case records of Brazilian Spotted Fever (BSF) in this region. In this context, we evaluated rickettsial infection in capybaras and their ticks in four areas of the Atlantic Forest and Caatinga biomes in Northeastern Brazil. Blood sera from 21 capybaras were tested by indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) using Rickettsia rickettsii, R. parkeri, and R. amblyommatis antigens. Blood samples and ticks (Amblyomma sp., Amblyomma dubitatum and Amblyomma sculptum) were tested by PCR, targeting a fragment of the rickettsial gltA gene and R. bellii primers. Overall, 15 out of 21 capybaras (71.4%) reacted positively (titer ≥64) to at least one of the three Rickettsia antigens tested, with final titers ranging from 64 to 1024. No rickettsial DNA was found in capybara blood samples. Rickettsial DNA was detected in 22 of 31 adult tick pools using gltA gene, being all nine pools of A. sculptum and 16 of the 19 of A. dubitatum, but all samples were negative to R. bellii specific primers. All attempts to sequence the amplicon were unsuccessful, indicating a possible low rickettsial load in the tick samples. The present study reports for the first time the serological evidence of Rickettsia spp. infection in free-ranging capybaras and suggest the rickettsial infection in A. sculptum and A. dubitatum in the Caatinga and Atlantic Forest biomes in Northeastern Brazil., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Inborn errors of immunity (IEI), which were previously termed primary immunodeficiency diseases, represent a large and growing heterogeneous group of diseases that are mostly monogenic. In addition to increased susceptibility to infections, other clinical phenotypes have recently been associated with IEI, such as autoimmune disorders, severe allergies, autoinflammatory disorders, benign lymphoproliferative diseases, and malignant manifestations. The IUIS 2019 classification comprises 430 distinct defects that, although rare individually, represent a group affecting a significant number of patients, with an overall prevalence of 1:1,200-2,000 in the general population. Early IEI diagnosis is critical for appropriate therapy and genetic counseling, however, this process is deeply dependent on accurate laboratory tests. Despite the striking importance of laboratory data for clinical immunologists, several IEI-relevant immunoassays still lack standardization, including standardized protocols, reference materials, and external quality assessment programs. Moreover, well-established reference values mostly remain to be determined, especially for early ages, when the most severe conditions manifest and diagnosis is critical for patient survival. In this article, we intend to approach the issue of standardization and quality control of the nonfunctional diagnostic tests used for IEI, focusing on those frequently utilized in clinical practice. Herein, we will focus on discussing the issues of nonfunctional immunoassays (flow cytometry, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, and turbidimetry/nephelometry, among others), as defined by the pure quantification of proteins or cell subsets without cell activation or cell culture-based methods., 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., (Copyright © 2021 Perazzio, Palmeira, Moraes-Vasconcelos, Rangel-Santos, de Oliveira, Andrade and Carneiro-Sampaio.)

This work aimed to investigate the partial K-replacement by Na supply to alleviate drought-induced stress in Eucalyptus species. Plant growth, leaf gas exchange parameters, water relations, oxidative stress (H 2 O 2 and MDA content), chlorophyll concentration, carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) isotopic leaf composition (δ 13 C and δ 15 N) were analyzed. Drought tolerant E. urophylla and E. camaldulensis showed positive responses to the partial K substitution by Na, with similar dry mass yields, stomatal density and total stomatal pore area relative to the well K-supplied plants under both water conditions, suggesting that 50% of the K requirements is pressing for physiological functions that is poorly substituted by Na. Furthermore, E. urophylla and E. camaldulensis up-regulated leaf gas exchanges, leading to enhanced long-term water use efficiency (WUE L ). Moreover, the partial K substitution by Na had no effects on plants H 2 O 2 , MDA, δ 13 C and δ 15 N, confirming that Na, to a certain extent, can effectively replace K in plants metabolism. Otherwise, the drought-sensitive E. saligna species was negatively affected by partial K replacement by Na, decreasing plants dry mass, even with up-regulated leaf gas exchange parameters. The exclusive Na-supplied plants showed K-deficient symptoms and lower growth, WUE L , and δ 13 C, besides higher Na accumulation, δ 15 N, H 2 O 2 and MDA content., (© 2021. The Author(s).)