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Abstract An important aspect of improving care for people with hemophilia B (HB) is developing optimal treatment strategies. Here we aimed to provide in-silico evidence, comparing the estimated optimal posology of factor IX (FIX) products to support the patient-physician decision-making process. A population pharmacokinetic (popPK) model-based assessment comparing the performance of FIX products (rFIX, rIX-FP, rFIXFc, N9-GP) was developed. PopPK analyses were used to determine a product’s optimal posology to target predefined steady-state FIX activity trough levels in a hypothetical population of 10,000 people with severe HB. Model-derived optimal posologies were compared across several parameters including trough levels, proportion of patients per regimen and consumption, considering 64 hypothetical patient scenarios of different FIX trough level targets and ages. Results indicated a marked difference between FIX products estimated to achieve target trough levels, consumption and dosing frequencies. rIX-FP was associated with higher trough levels than rFIX and rFIXFc, at a lower weekly dose and administration frequency, across all age groups. N9-GP use in adolescents and adults was associated with lower consumption compared with rIX-FP. Insights from this study may be utilized by clinicians to inform decision-making, by considering the model-generated estimated optimal posologies alongside multiple clinical factors and patient preferences.

Background Adoptive T-cell therapy targeting antigens expressed in glioblastoma has emerged as a potential therapeutic strategy to prevent or delay recurrence and prolong overall survival in this aggressive disease setting. Ephrin receptor A3 (EphA3), which is highly expressed in glioblastoma; in particular, on the tumor vasculature and brain cancer stem cells, is an ideal target for immune-based therapies.Methods We have designed an EphA3-targeted chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) using the single chain variable fragment of a novel monoclonal antibody, and assessed its therapeutic potential against EphA3-expressing patient-derived glioblastoma neurospheres, organoids and xenografted glioblastoma tumors in immunodeficient mice.Results In vitro expanded EphA3 CAR T cells from healthy individuals efficiently recognize and kill EphA3-positive glioblastoma cells in vitro. Furthermore, these effector cells demonstrated curative efficacy in an orthotopic xenograft model of glioblastoma. EphA3 CAR T cells were equally effective in targeting patient-derived neurospheres and infiltrate, disaggregate, and induce apoptosis in glioblastoma-derived organoids.Conclusions This study provides compelling evidence supporting the therapeutic potential of EphA3 CAR T-cell therapy against glioblastoma by targeting EphA3 associated with brain cancer stem cells and the tumor vasculature. The ability to target patient-derived glioblastoma underscores the translational significance of this EphA3 CAR T-cell therapy in the pursuit of effective and targeted glioblastoma treatment strategies.

Este artigo incide na abordagem das normas inscritas em códigos de ética jornalística sobre a cobertura de casos envolvendo cidadãos menores de idade, com o objetivo de identificar os valores e princípios estabelecidos, bem como a conduta profissional prescrita. A investigação baseia-se na análise de conteúdo de 200 códigos de diversas regiões do mundo. Concluiu-se que 128 (64%) destes apresentam referências diretas ao tema, como respeito pelo melhor interesse da criança, proteção da privacidade, consentimento prévio para contato ou condições de realização de entrevistas. A principal preocupação detectada foi a avaliação dos danos causados a crianças e jovens e a ocultação da identidade, o procedimento mais frequentemente recomendado para sua proteção.

O presente artigo propõe-se a comentar a visão que o humanista italiano Leon Battista Alberti apresenta sobre epigrama, inscrição e epitáfio no capítulo IV do livro VIII do tratado arquitetônico De Re Ædificatoria. A partir da visão de Alberti, buscaremos, por meio da intertextualidade, também identificar as possíveis fontes e tradições epigramáticas com as quais o autor dialoga nessa passagem, fazendo uma breve exposição da história do gênero desde suas origens gregas mais antigas, passando pela sua prática em Roma, até chegarmos ao seu reflorescimento pelos humanistas durante o Renascimento. Esta breve história do epigrama servirá para rastrearmos com mais precisão se Alberti incorpora elementos de apenas uma dessas tradições ou de várias delas. Por fim, procuraremos reunir aqui tanto o que Alberti quanto a crítica literária moderna, embora sem definição explícita, entende por epitáfio.

A influência dos média sociais no campo do jornalismo, hoje incontornável, manifesta-se em várias vertentes, criando desafios que não podem ser ignorados pelos profissionais. Enquanto fontes, estão a ser cada vez mais utilizados, contribuindo para a emergência de novas dinâmicas de produção noticiosa, em particular na cobertura de acontecimentos em continuidade, nos quais impera a velocidade de transmissão e o imediatismo constitui um valor em si mesmo, incentivando a extração de conteúdos disponíveis na internet, sem tempo para escrutínio. Neste artigo, o fenómeno é enquadrado numa perspetiva ética. Através da análise de 32 códigos deontológicos — e instrumentos semelhantes — que incorporam esta realidade em partes específicas foram identificados valores e princípios jornalísticos neles inscritos acerca das modalidades de recolha de informação, sobretudo em redes sociais digitais. A exigência de verificação e validação do material e de identificação da fonte, procedimentos tradicionais, é predominante, atentos os potenciais riscos para o rigor de uma narrativa jornalística. Também é detetada, na maioria dos códigos integrados no corpus, a preocupação de acautelar o dano na esfera privada de cidadãos, eventualmente decorrente da difusão de material. Não se trata apenas de proteger a privacidade, em geral, mas de ponderar questões de grande sensibilidade a ela associáveis: a vulnerabilidade e dor em que se possam encontrar os autores das postagens e a presença nas redes de vítimas ou cidadãos menores de idade.

Relational Keyword Search (R-KwS) systems enable naive/informal users to explore and retrieve information from relational databases without knowing schema details or query languages. They take a keyword query, locate their corresponding elements in the target database, and connect them using information on PK/FK constraints. Although there are many such systems in the literature, most of them only support queries with keywords referring to the contents of the database and just very few support queries with keywords refering the database schema. We propose Lathe, a novel R-KwS that supports such queries. To this end, we first generalize the well-known concepts of Candidate Joining Networks (CJNs) and Query Matches (QMs) to handle keywords referring to schema elements and propose new algorithms to generate them. Then, we introduce two major innovations: a ranking algorithm for selecting better QMs, yielding the generation of fewer but better CJNs, and an eager evaluation strategy for pruning void useless CJNs. We present experiments performed with query sets and datasets previously experimented with state-of-theart R-KwS systems. Our results indicate that Lathe can handle a wider variety of queries while remaining highly effective, even for databases with intricate schemas.

Listeria monocytogenes poses a threat to both human and animal health. This work describes an L. monocytogenes outbreak in a Portuguese rabbit farm, detailing the isolates’ clinical manifestations, necropsy findings, and phenotypic and genomic profiles. Clinical signs, exclusively observed in does, included lethargy and reproductive signs. Post-mortem examination of does revealed splenomegaly, hepatomegaly with a reticular pattern, pulmonary congestion, and haemorrhagic lesions in the uterus, with thickening of the uterine wall and purulent greyish exudates. Positive L. monocytogenes samples were identified in fattening and maternity units across different samples, encompassing does and environmental samples. Core-genome Multi Locus Sequence Typing (cgMLST) analysis confirmed the outbreak, with the 16 sequenced isolates (lineage II, CC31, and ST325) clustering within a ≤2 allelic difference (AD) threshold. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing for five antibiotics revealed that 15 out of 19 outbreak isolates were resistant to sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim (SXT). Concordantly, all SXT-resistant sequenced isolates were found to exclusively harbour a plasmid containing a trimethoprim-resistance gene (dfrD), along with loci linked to resistance to lincosamides (lnuG), macrolides (mphB), and polyether ionophores (NarAB operon). All sequenced outbreak isolates carried the antibiotic resistance-related genes tetM, fosX, lin, norB, lmrB, sul, and mprF. The outbreak cluster comprises isolates from does and the environment, which underscores the ubiquitous presence of L. monocytogenes and emphasizes the importance of biosecurity measures. Despite limited data on listeriosis in rabbit farming, this outbreak reveals its significant impact on animal welfare and production.

This study aimed to evaluate methods for studying the in vitro antimicrobial activity of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) against Brucella abortus and to evaluate the antagonistic effect of LAB on the viability of this pathogen. A total of 18 LAB strains (Lactobacillus plantarum, n = 11; Pediococcus acidilactici, n = 1; Lactobacillus rhamnosus, n = 4; and Lactobacillus brevis, n = 2), isolated from Minas artisanal cheeses produced in three regions (Canastra, Campos das Vertentes, and Araxá) of Minas Gerais State, Brazil, were tested for their antimicrobial activity against B. abortus using three methods: spot-on-lawn, agar well diffusion assay, and antagonistic activity of the culture supernatants. None of the tested LAB strains could inhibit B. abortus in the spot-on-lawn and agar-well diffusion assays. The supernatants produced by LAB had an acidic pH, with intensity depending on bacterial growth and strain, and could inhibit the growth of B. abortus. In contrast, pH-neutralized (pH 7.0) LAB supernatants did not suppress the growth of B. abortus. The results showed that the best technique to study the in vitro antagonism of LAB against B. abortus was the antagonistic activity of culture supernatants. The growth of B. abortus may have been inhibited by acid production.

Global health faces a significant issue with the rise of infectious diseases caused by bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites. The increasing number of multi-drug resistant microbial pathogens severely threatens public health worldwide. Antibiotic-resistant pathogenic bacteria, in particular, present a significant challenge. Therefore, there is an urgent need to identify new potential antimicrobial targets and discover new chemical entities that can potentially reverse bacterial resistance. The main goal of this research work was to create and develop a library of 3,6-disubstituted xanthones based on twin drugs and molecular extension approaches to inhibit the activity of efflux pumps. The process involved synthesizing 3,6-diaminoxanthones through the reaction of 9-oxo-9H-xanthene-3,6-diyl bis(trifluoromethanesulfonate) with various primary and secondary amines. The resulting 3,6-disubstituted xanthone derivatives were then tested for their in vitro antimicrobial properties against a range of pathogenic strains and their efficacy in inhibiting the activity of efflux pumps, biofilm formation, and quorum-sensing. Several compounds have exhibited effective antibacterial properties against the Gram-positive bacterial species tested. Xanthone 16, in particular, has demonstrated exceptional efficacy with a remarkable MIC of 11 µM (4 µg/mL) against reference strains Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 and Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212, and 25 µM (9 µg/mL) against methicillin-resistant S. aureus 272123. Furthermore, some derivatives have shown potential as antibiofilm agents in a crystal violet assay. The ethidium bromide accumulation assay pinpointed certain compounds inhibiting bacterial efflux pumps. The cytotoxic effect of the most promising compounds was examined in mouse fibroblast cell line NIH/3T3, and two monoamine substituted xanthone derivatives with a hydroxyl substituent did not exhibit any cytotoxicity. Overall, the nature of the substituent was critical in determining the antimicrobial spectra of aminated xanthones.

Background: Body image is a potential psychological burden after total laryngectomy (TL) with devastating effects on patients’ health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and communication. This study focused on TL patients to determine the prevalence of dissatisfied body image and whether they have poorer HRQOL and difficulty adjusting to their new voice than TL patients with satisfied body image. It also aimed to investigate the potential predictors of body image. Methods: A multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted. For TL patients, the Body Image Scale (BIS), the European Organization for Research on Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire, Core and Neck Module (EORTC QLQ C30 and EORCT H&N35), and the Self-Experiences of Communication after Laryngeal cancer (SECEL) were used. Patients were categorized as dissatisfied with their body image if the BIS score was ≥8. Multiple regression analysis was performed using the BIS as the dependent measure and HRQOL (QLQ C30 and H& N35) and communication (SECEL) as independent variables. Results: Overall, 31.3% of TL patients had dissatisfied body image, significantly worse HRQOL, and difficulty adjusting to their new voice than patients with satisfied body image. The regression model showed that social eating and socializing (H&N35) and adjustment to their new voice (SECEL) were independent predictors of body image. The model explained 52% of the variance. Conclusions: Screening TL patients at risk for body image concerns may help develop effective interventions to optimize HRQOL and patient communication.

Gulls act as intermediaries in the exchange of microorganisms between the environment and human settlements, including Salmonella spp. This study assessed the antimicrobial resistance and molecular profiles of Salmonella spp. isolates obtained from fecal samples of gulls in the city of Porto, Portugal, in 2008 and 2023 and from water samples in 2023. Antimicrobial susceptibility profiling revealed an improvement in the prevalence (71% to 17%) and antimicrobial resistance between the two collection dates. Two isolate collections from both 2008 and 2023 underwent serotyping and whole-genome sequencing, revealing genotypic changes, including an increased frequency in the monophasic variant of S. Typhimurium. qacE was identified in 2008 and 2023 in both water and fecal samples, with most isolates exhibiting an MDR profile. The most frequently observed plasmid types were IncF in 2008 (23%), while IncQ1 predominated in 2023 (43%). Findings suggest that Salmonella spp. circulate between humans, animals, and the environment. However, the genetic heterogeneity among the isolates from the gulls’ feces and the surface water may indicate a complex ecological and evolutionary dynamic shaped by changing conditions. The observed improvements are likely due to measures to reduce biological contamination and antimicrobial resistance. Nevertheless, additional strategies must be implemented to reduce the public health risk modeled by the dissemination of pathogens by gulls.

Museums share with libraries and archives the mission of safeguarding objects of historical value, but unlike these institutions, they have undergone several modifications over time to take the focus off the object and give more importance to information and the visitor. Currently they encompass different types of experiences, either through digital and interactive elements, or through new approaches, such as storytelling, which has acted as a protagonist of these transformations. In this sense, the museum in the digital modality, known as virtual museum, plays an important role in this sharing of information and experiences. However, by having different modalities of navigation and interaction, especially in formats that simulate the physical visit, such as virtual tour, they present some problems that have been identified in the literature. With this analysis, we try to understand the role of narratives and the way museums use them in the virtual space to understand the gaps in the use of storytelling in this context.

ABSTRACT: The aim of the present study was to characterize (phenotypically and genotypically) two strains of Brucella abortus identified as belonging to biovar 4 isolated from cattle in Brazil. The strains were isolated from cervical bursitis from cattle in the states of Pará and Rio Grande do Sul, respectively. In the phenotypic identification, the isolates were positive in CO2 requirement, produced H2S, were resistant to basic fuchsin (20 µg / mL) and sensitive to thionin (20 µg / mL and 40 µg / mL) and presented M surface antigen, but A surface antigen is absent. The isolates were positive in the PCR for the bcsp31 gene (genus-specific) and in the AMOS-enhanced PCR, both isolates showed a band profile consistent with B. abortus biovar 1, 2 or 4. Moreover, both isolates also showed restriction patterns identical to the reference strain when tested by the omp2b PCR-RFLP. In genotyping using Multiple Locus Variable Number of Tandem Repeat (VNTR) Analysis - MLVA (MLVA16), the isolates showed differences in several loci (Bruce42, Bruce19, Bruce04, Bruce16 and Bruce30); by Multiple Locus Sequence Typing (MLST), they also exhibited differences in sequence type (ST), strain 16/02 ST1 (2-1-1-2-1-3-1-1-1) and strain 128/11 ST (22-1-1 -8-9-3-1-1-1). The extensive typing of B. abortus strains isolated from cattle in Brazil using different approaches confirmed the occurrence of rare B. abortus biovar 4 in the country.

Virtual worlds, particularly those able to provide a three-dimensional physical space, have features that make them suitable to support collaborative activities. These features distinguish virtual worlds from other collaboration tools, but current taxonomies of the field of Computer-Supported Cooperative Work do not account for several distinctive features of virtual worlds, namely those related with non-verbal communication. We intended to find out how the use of an avatar, gestures, spatial sounds, etc., influence collaboration in order to be able to include non-verbal communication in taxonomies of the field Computer-Supported Cooperative Work. Several cases of collaboration in virtual worlds are analysed, to find the impact of these non-verbal characteristics of virtual worlds. We proposed adding the concept of Presence to taxonomies of Computer-Supported Cooperative Work and contribute with guidance for future taxonomy development that includes it as a new dimension. This new dimension of Presence is subdivided into "avatar" and "physical space" subdimensions. In turn, these are divided into "physical appearance", "gestures, sounds and animations" and "focus, nimbus and aura"; "environment" and "objects / artefacts". This new taxonomy-development proposal may contribute to inform better design of virtual worlds in support of cooperative work.

Este artigo opera a relação entre a arte plástica produzida, a partir do culto imperial de Otávio Augusto, e as tópicas da perenidade e da novidade observadas pela poesia augustana. Essa arte plástica, que era útil ao serviço de Augusto, opera imortalidade e memória do princeps. A poesia não só reverbera a poesia grega antiga e helenística como também é dependente daquela produzida pelos poetae noui. O novo estilo plástico, por sua vez, distancia-se da arte plástica republicana e aproxima-se daquela produzida na Grécia clássica e helenística. O trabalho também se ocupa da compreensão de como a imagem do poeta, agente de sua arte, interage com a figura imortal de Augusto, agente da imortalidade da urbs, de sua arquitetura e de seus lugares sagrados.

Purpose – Firms and creditors may delay certain decisions in corporate reorganizations because of actions that require coordination. This paper investigates delays in voting on reorganization plans during claimholder general meetings in Brazil. Design/methodology/approach – Using a sample of 120 hand-collected reorganization plans, we present descriptive and regression (OLS, Poisson, negative binomial, and quantile) analyses to show the primary characteristics of delayed votes. Findings – Our results revealed that a high concentration of debt among the different classes of claimholders appeared to be related to fewer delays. Moreover, a higher number of banks and secured creditors with claims in the reorganization appeared to be positively correlated with delays. Finally, we argue that reorganization plans that require additional time to reach a vote are related to divestment proposals. Originality/value – There is still a lack of empirical results based on evaluations of multiple creditor characteristics and the reorganization proposals presented in firms’ reorganization plans. This is the first paper in Brazil to explore how conflicts of interest among different classes of creditors may relate to delays. Our paper contributes to the literature developed by Gilson (1990), Gilson et al. (1990), Brown et al. (1993), Franks and Tourus (1994), Helwege (1999), Ayotte and Morrison (2009), Ponticelli (2012), and Ivashina et al. (2015) regarding the characteristics of delaying reorganization plan votes during restructuring cases. We corroborate the results obtained by previous papers and provide an analysis of the role played by each class of claimholder in delaying plan votes for Brazilian firms

Objective: To analyze predictors of 5-year survival in women with breast cancer in the state of Sergipe. Materials and methods: This is a retrospective cohort study. This study included 100 women aged between 21 and 77 years diagnosed with breast cancer undergoing adjuvant or neoadjuvant chemotherapy in a public tertiary hospital from August 2011 to December 2012. All women were followed up for 5 years or until the date of death. There was no loss in follow-up. Data were collected during the field visit to the specialized health unit and included demographic and socioeconomic variables, tumor staging at diagnosis, patient paths for presentation to health professionals, initial treatment in primary care and treatment. We used a three-stage model: the first (“patient delay”); the second (“delay in diagnosis”) and the third (“delay in treatment”). The statistical analysis was performed using the MedCalc version 18 statistical software. The study was approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee of the Federal University of Sergipe (CAAE: 0196.0.107.000-11). Written informed consent was obtained from all particip nts. Results: Tumor staging [risk ratio (HR) = 3.41, p = 0.046] was an independent factor that affected the overall survival curve for women with breast cancer. The overall 5-year survival rates found for women with tumor staging IA-IIB compared to tumor staging IIIA-IV were 88.5% and 59.5%, respectively. Through binary logistic regression with forced entry method, it was evident that age (OR = 2.58, p = 0.050), delay in the first stage (OR = 2.57, p = 0.046) and tumor staging (OR = 3.99, p = 0.042) were predictors of mortality in women with breast cancer. Conclusions: Our results highlight the need to strengthen health education actions in primary health care and the implementation of an organized and permanent screening program for the early detection of breast cancer.

Objective: This study's objective was to understand the epidemiologic profile of the patients with inflammatory bowel disease in the state of Tocantins, Brazil. Methods: This is a descriptive study of secondary data, which was gathered by using the Informatics Department of the Brazilian Health System, and it corresponds to the cases registered from January of 2010 to December of 2017. The data of interest were those related to the total number of admissions, age range, gender, ethnicity, city of hospitalization, and type of care. Results: There were 340 hospital admissions due to inflammatory bowel diseases in Tocantins, of which 204 (60%) were female patients and 136 (40%), male patients; the predominant age group was between 20 and 59 years old (65.88%). These hospitalizations lasted an average of 4.7 days and 98.23% of them occurred as a matter of urgency. Conclusion: The study demonstrated that the epidemiological profile of the inflammatory bowel disease in the state of Tocantins consists of female patients, aged between 20 and 59 years, with hospitalizations lasting 4.7 days and mainly urgent, demonstrating that it is necessary to implement screening measures in order to make the diagnosis earlier, thus preventing possible complications. Resumo: Objetivo: Conhecer o perfil epidemiológico dos pacientes portadores da doença inflamatória intestinal no estado do Tocantins. Metodologia: Trata-se de estudo descritivo de dados secundários obtidos a partir do Sistema de Internações Hospitalares do Sistema Único de Saúde, que se compreendem entre Janeiro de 2010 e Dezembro de 2017. Os dados de interesse foram aqueles relacionados ao número total de internações, à faixa etária, sexo, raça, município de internação dos pacientes e caráter dos atendimentos. Resultados: Houve 340 internações hospitalares em razão das doenças inflamatórias intestinais em Tocantins, das quais 204 (60%) foram pacientes femininos e 136 (40%) pacientes masculinos, e a faixa etária predominante foi entre 20 e 59 anos (65,88%). Essas internações duraram em média 4,7 dias e 98,23% delas ocorreram com caráter de urgência. Conclusão: O estudo demonstrou que o perfil epidemiológico da doença inflamatória intestinal no Tocantins constitui-se por pacientes femininos, tendo de 20 a 59 anos, internações de 4,7 dias e predominantemente de urgência, o que torna necessário a implantação de medidas de rastreio de forma a tornar o diagnóstico mais precoce, prevenindo, então, possíveis complicações.

A growing population increases the demand for food, but short shelf-lives and microbial hazards reduce supply and increase food waste. Fresh fish is highly perishable and may be consumed raw, such as salmon in sushi. This work aims to identify strategies to improve the shelf-life and safety of fresh salmon, using available methods (i.e., vacuum) and exploring the use of natural preservatives (i.e., seasonings). Vacuum packaging and good hygiene practices (which reduce initial flora) extended shelf-life up to 20 days. Carnobacterium maltaromaticum was dominant in vacuum packaging conditions and showed potential for inhibiting Listeria monocytogenes. For natural preservatives, L. monocytogenes required higher inhibitory concentrations in vitro when compared to the 10 spoilage bacteria isolated from fresh salmon fillets, presenting a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 0.13% for oregano essential oil (OEO), 10% for lemon juice, 50 mg mL−1 for garlic powder, and >10% for NaCl. A good bacteriostatic and bactericidal effect was observed for a mixture containing 5% NaCl, 0.002% OEO, 2.5% lemon juice, and 0.08 mg mL−1 garlic powder. Finally, using the salmon medium showed an adequate correlation with the commercial culture medium.

Drug resistance is rising to alarming levels, constituting one of the major threats to global health. The overexpression of efflux pumps and the formation of biofilms constitute two of the most common resistance mechanisms, favoring the virulence of bacteria. Therefore, the research and development of effective antimicrobial agents that can also counteract resistance mechanisms are extremely important. Pyrazino[2,1-b]quinazoline-3,6-diones, from marine and terrestrial organisms and simpler synthetic analogues, were recently disclosed by us as having relevant antimicrobial properties. In this study, using a multi-step approach, it was possible to synthesize new pyrazino[2,1-b]quinazoline-3,6-diones focusing on compounds with fluorine substituents since, to the best of our knowledge, the synthesis of fluorinated fumiquinazoline derivatives had not been attempted before. The new synthesized derivatives were screened for antibacterial activity and, along with previously synthetized pyrazino[2,1-b]quinazoline-3,6-diones, were characterized for their antibiofilm and efflux-pump-inhibiting effects against representative bacterial species and relevant resistant clinical strains. Several compounds showed relevant antibacterial activity against the tested Gram-positive bacterial species with MIC values in the range of 12.5–77 μM. Furthermore, some derivatives showed promising results as antibiofilm agents in a crystal violet assay. The results of the ethidium bromide accumulation assay suggested that some compounds could potentially inhibit bacterial efflux pumps.

Because of public health concerns, much greater scrutiny is now placed on antibiotic use in pets, especially for antimicrobial agents that have human analogs. Therefore, this study aimed to characterize the phenotypic and genotypic profiles of multidrug-resistant bacteria isolated from nasal swabs samples taken from a one-year-old male Serra da Estrela dog with rhinorrhea that was treated with amikacin. An extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBL) Klebsiella pneumoniae was isolated in the first sample taken from the left nasal cavity of the dog. Seven days later, methicillin-resistant (MRSP) Staphylococcus pseudintermedius was also isolated. Nevertheless, no alterations to the therapeutic protocol were performed. Once the inhibitory action of the antibiotic disappeared, the competitive advantage of the amikacin-resistant MRSP was lost, and only commensal flora was observed on both nasal cavities. The genotypic profile of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae revealed the same characteristics and close relation to other strains, mainly from Estonia, Slovakia and Romania. Regarding MRSP isolates, although resistance to aminoglycosides was present in the first MRSP, the second isolate carried aac(6′)-aph(2″), which enhanced its resistance to amikacin. However, the veterinary action was focused on the treatment of the primary agent (ESBL K. pneumoniae), and the antibiotic applied was according to its phenotypic profile, which may have led to the resolution of the infectious process. Therefore, this study highlights the importance of targeted therapy, proper clinical practice and laboratory-hospital communication to safeguard animal, human and environmental health.

From the standpoint of the school settings, sport participation constitutes a key strategy concerning the manifestation of positive behaviors that result from the development of personal and social responsibility. Based on the TPSR model, the goal of this study was to evaluate the effects of an intervention geared toward teaching life skills through sport to youngsters who had been committed. The participants were evaluated before and after the intervention. After the initial evaluation, they were randomly assigned to the experimental and control groups. The experimental group took part in the community football program, while the control group attended physical education classes not based on the TPSR model. The experimental model consisted of 3 weekly sessions over the course of 6 weeks, which totaled 18 sessions. This investigation supplied empirical evidence concerning the potential of community sport programs in the teaching and development of life skills deemed necessary for an adequate reintegration of such at-risk youngsters. The model was shown to be valid both in stimulating changes of attitudes and in promoting the adherence to socially positive behaviors. The effectiveness of the model, as well as its unique approach, make its application attractive to both the youngsters and the professionals. This program facilitates the training of youngsters to act, in the sense of promoting both their autonomy and the acquisition of a system of ethics and moral values within a culture of responsibility for how decisions affect the individual and the community. Finally, this intervention generated empirical support in favor of the argument that sport constitutes a unique opportunity within the educational process to establish values, beliefs, attitudes, and practical habits pertaining relationships and cooperation that generate social responsibility in individuals.

The proper integration of technology in teaching and learning processes must consider the role of teachers and students, as well as the design of tasks and the context in which they are implemented. Teachers’ perceived self-efficacy significantly influences their willingness to integrate educational robotics (ER) into their practice, so initial teacher training should provide opportunities for teachers to participate in structured activities that integrate ER. In this study, a class of pre-service teachers from an initial teacher training programme were provided with their first contact with an ER platform through the use of a simulator. We present the design process of a student exploration guide and teacher guide, developed over three iterative cycles of implementation, assessment and redesign. The analysis of the data collected allowed for improvements in the design of the tasks, the graphic component of the student exploration guide, and more precise indications for the teacher’s actions. The main contribution of this study is the chain orchestration between the simulator, student exploration guide and teacher guide, which allowed pre-service teachers to solve a set of challenges of increasing complexity, thereby progressively decreasing their difficulties and contributing to an adequate integration of ER in their future teaching practices.

As filter-feeding animals farmed in water bodies exposed to anthropogenic influences, oysters can be both useful bioremediators and high-risk foodstuffs, considering that they are typically consumed raw. Understanding the dynamic of bacterial and viral load in Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas) tissues, hemolymph, outer shell surface biofilm, and farming water is therefore of great importance for microbiological risk assessment. A one-year survey of oysters collected from a class B production area (Canal de Mira, on the Portuguese western coast) revealed that these bivalve mollusks have a good depurating capacity with regard to bacteria, as Salmonella spp. and viable enterococci were not detected in any oyster flesh (edible portion) samples, despite the fact that these bacteria have regularly been found in the farming waters. Furthermore, the level of Escherichia coli contamination was clearly below the legal limit in oysters reared in a class B area (>230–≤4600 MPN E. coli/100 g). On the contrary, norovirus was repeatedly detected in the digestive glands of oysters sampled in autumn, winter, and spring. However, their presence in farming waters was only detected during winter.

The Internet revolution in 1990, followed by the data-driven and information revolution, has transformed the world as we know it. Nowadays, what seam to be 10 to 20 years ago, a science fiction idea (i.e., machines dominating the world) is seen as possible. This revolution also brought a need for new regulatory practices where user trust and artificial Intelligence (AI) discourse has a central role. This work aims to clarify some misconceptions about user trust in AI discourse and fight the tendency to design vulnerable interactions that lead to further breaches of trust, both real and perceived. Findings illustrate the lack of clarity in understanding user trust and its effects on computer science, especially in measuring user trust characteristics. It argues for clarifying those notions to avoid possible trust gaps and misinterpretations in AI adoption and appropriation.

Number representation systems establish ways in which numbers are mapped to computer architectures, and how operations over the numbers are translated into computer instructions. The efficiency of public-key cryptography is strongly affected by the used number representations, as these systems are constructed from mathematically inspired problems to ensure security, and thus rely on operations over large integers. In this paper, unconventional representations systems, including the Residue Number System (RNS) and stochastic number representations, are systematically reviewed. Homomorphic representations, which allow for parties to operate on data without having access to their plaintext representation, are also considered. The main goal of this survey is to introduce the reader to key aspects of non-traditional number representations that may be exploited for public-key cryptography, without delving too much into the details. Examples of the methods and algorithms herein surveyed include subquadratic modular multiplication for isogeny-based cryptography, the acceleration of Goldreich-Goldwasser-Halevi (GGH) decryption by an order of magnitude, the improvement of the Direct Anonymous Attestation (DAA) protocol both in terms of storage requirements and the time taken to execute it, and efficient algorithm-hiding Fully Homomorphic Encryption (FHE). The implementation of this type of systems in both sequential and parallel platforms is analysed, and their performance is compared with traditional approaches. We hope this work sows the seed of further research on the application of non-positional number arithmetic to other cryptographic use-cases.

O texto apresenta análise com o objetivo de abordar o legado da política de fundos contábeis iniciada por meio do Fundef e aprimorada com o advento do Fundeb. Aponta as eficiências e insuficiências e, também, avanços, limites e desafios para a construção do novo Fundeb permanente. São destacadas as eficiências inclusiva, redistributiva, federativa e de qualidade do sistema – que têm como elementos, também, a inclusão e a equidade. Destaca-se, ainda, a relevante preferência constitucional pelo ensino público e o princípio constitucional da vinculação de recursos à manutenção e desenvolvimento do ensino, ambos como as bases da identidade constitucional em matéria de educação.

Mauro José de Deus Morais,1–3 Luiz Carlos de Abreu,2–4 Fabiano Santana de Oliveira,1–3 Italla Maria Pinheiro Bezerra,2,3,5 Rodrigo Daminello Raimundo,3 Romeu Paulo Martins Silva,1 Vitor Engracia Valenti,6 Andrés Ricardo Pérez-Riera2,31Centro de Saúde e Desporto, Universidade Federal do Acre, Rio Branco, Acre, Brazil; 2Laboratório de Delineamento em Pesquisas e Escrita Científica, Centro Universitário Saúde ABC Santo André, São Paulo, Brazil; 3Laboratório de Delineamento em Pesquisas e Escrita Científica, Escola Superior de Ciências da Santa Casa de Misericórdia de Vitória, Vitória, Espirito Santo, Brazil; 4Graduate Entry Medical School, University of Limerick, Limerick V94 T9PX, Ireland; 5Escola Superior de Ciências da Santa Casa de Misericórdia, EMESCAM, Vitória, Brazil; 6Centro de Estudos do Sistema Nervoso Autônomo, State University of São Paulo, Marília, São Paulo, BrazilCorrespondence: Mauro José de Deus MoraisCentro de Saúde e Desporto, Universidade Federal do Acre, Rua Gumercindo, nº 292, Bairro: Universitário, Rio Branco 69.917.698, Acre, BrazilTel +55 6 899 971 6122Email maurodedeus@outlook.comItalla Maria Pinheiro BezerraEscola Superior de Ciências da Santa Casa de Misericórdia, EMESCAM, Bolsista Capes Brasil, Vitória, Rio Branco 69.915-900, BrazilTel +55 2 799 253 4941Email italla.bezerra@emescam.brIntroduction: Physical exercises help in the rehabilitation and recovery of various diseases. Cardiovascular and hypertension problems are the main causes of people being affected by kidney problems, which as a consequence, affects the heart rate variability (HRV) of the individual. Physical activity developed in a well-planned and thorough way can be a component in the treatment of this problem.Objective: We aimed to evaluate the effects of aerobic exercise intervention during hemodialysis on autonomic heart rate regulation in individuals with chronic kidney disease (CKD).Methods: This was a longitudinal trial conducted in 19 CKD patients. The patients underwent three weekly sessions of aerobic exercise during hemodialysis for 30 mins for 12 weeks (three months).Results: HRV was analyzed before and after the protocol training. Linear indices of HRV were not different between before and after the protocol training. Nonlinear HRV analysis indicated reduced values of determinism (p=0008, Cohen’s d=0.82) and entropy (p=003, Cohen’s d=0.84) after the training protocol.Conclusion: In conclusion, aerobic exercise training during hemodialysis did not improve autonomic control of heart rate in CKD patients.Keywords: autonomic nervous system, cardiovascular system, exercise, kidney diseases, renal dialysis

This paper discusses a disruptive approach to wave energy conversion, based on a hybrid solution: the E-Motions wave energy converter with integrated triboelectric nanogenerators. To demonstrate it, a physical modelling study was carried out with nine E-Motions sub-variants, which were based on three original hull designs (half-cylinder (HC), half-sphere (HS) and trapezoidal prism (TP)). A unidirectional lateral tribo-device was incorporated within the E-Motions’ hull during the experiments. The physical models were subjected to eight irregular sea-states from a reference study on the Portuguese coastline. Results point towards a significant hydrodynamic roll response, with peaks of up to 40 °/m. Three peaks were observed for the surge motions, associated with slow drifting at low frequencies. The response bandwidth of the HC sub-variants was affected by the varying PTO mass-damping values. By comparison, such response was generally maintained for all HS sub-variants and improved for the TP sub-variants, due to ballast positioning adjustments. Maximum power ratios ranged between 0.015 kW/m3 and 0.030 kW/m3. The TENGs demonstrated an average open-circuit voltage and power per kilogram ratio of up to 85 V and 18 mW/kg, respectively, whilst exhibiting an evolution highly dependent upon wave excitation, surge excursions and roll oscillations. Thus, TENGs enable redundant dual-mode wave energy conversion alongside E-Motions, which can power supporting equipment with negligible influence on platform hydrodynamics.

The effective response of antibiotics is threatened by the proliferation of micro-organisms that manifest resistance mechanisms, leading to an increase of progressively untreatable infectious diseases around the world. One solution to this problem could lie in shifting the strategy from searching for new antibacterials to discovering new compounds that potentiate the antimicrobial activity of current antibiotics, therefore reverting resistance, through the interference with several mechanisms including biofilm formation and efflux pumps (EPs). Using bis(2,3-dibromo-4,5-dihydroxybenzyl) ether (BDDE) as a template, a macroalgae brominated bromophenol with antimicrobial activity, a series of 18 chalcone derivatives was prepared and evaluated for its antimicrobial activity and potential to fight antibiotic resistance. This includes seven chalcones, six dihydrochalcones and five diarylpropanes. Among them, two chalcones exhibited interesting antifungal activity and all compounds reversed resistance to vancomycin in the environmental isolate Enterococcus faecalis B3/101. Three compounds caused a four-fold decrease in the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of vancomycin against E. faecalis. All the dihydrochalcones and diarylpropanes displayed inhibition of EPs and biofilm formation in the tested multidrug-resistant strain, suggesting that these compounds are EP inhibitors. Notably, dihydrochalcones and diarylpropanes did not show cytotoxicity in a mouse embryonic fibroblast cell line and they can potentially be regarded as hits for bacterial EP inhibition.

With antimicrobial resistance reaching critical levels worldwide, the development of new compounds that are effective against resistant bacterial pathogens or that can potentiate the effect of known antibiotics is an urgent need. The formation of biofilms and the overexpression of efflux pumps are some of the most common causes of drug resistance. Previous work from our group has shown that alkaloids related to the fumiquinazolines have antibacterial potential. Herein we aimed to synthesize a small library of fumiquinazoline-related alkaloids and to study their antibacterial and anti-biofilm activities as well as their capacity to inhibit bacterial efflux pumps. To achieve these goals, two naturally occurring alkaloids, as well as several new derivatives, were synthesized through a multi-step synthetic pathway. The screening of their antibacterial activities was achieved by determination of the minimum inhibitory concentration of each compound against a panel of clinically relevant bacterial species. Several compounds exhibited promising activities against Gram-positive bacteria. Then, using the ethidium bromide accumulation assay, it was possible to identify some compounds with capacity to inhibit efflux pumps. Some of the synthesized alkaloids also showed anti-biofilm potential, reinforcing the idea that fumiquinazoline-related alkaloids can constitute a key strategy for fighting antimicrobial resistance.

A pandemia da covid-19 e o subsequente processo de confinamento conduziram a linhas de convulsão em diferentes setores da sociedade. Marcado por um contexto de instabilidade e incerteza, onde diferentes manifestações de transformação tecnológica, económica e social potenciam novas práticas e convenções, bem como suscitam novos e renovados desafios deontológicos, o jornalismo não é exceção. Com base nas respostas de um inquérito a 890 jornalistas portugueses, o presente artigo procura mapear os efeitos do estado de emergência de março a abril de 2020 nas práticas e rotinas, e nos preceitos ético-profissionais de uma atividade que avoca uma reavivada relevância num ambiente de desinformação e “infodemia”. Mais do que revelarem novos problemas, os resultados sugerem uma acentuação dos desafios e dilemas pré-existentes. No plano das práticas, indicia-se uma domiciliação relativamente transversal da atividade. Este fenómeno é acompanhado por marcas de despersonalização do contacto com as fontes e eventos, e por sinais de isolamento social dos jornalistas. No campo ético-deontológico, sublinha-se a emergência de questões deontológicas particulares no contexto da pandemia, onde os aspetos relacionados com o rigor — rejeição do sensacionalismo, distinção clara entre factos e opiniões ou repúdio de quaisquer formas de censura —, assim como os elementos subjacentes ao contacto com as fontes, assumem especial dimensão.

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Patients with Strongyloides stercoralis infections are usually asymptomatic but massive hyperinfection may occur in patients with diseases associated with abnormal cell-mediated immunity or receiving immunosuppressive therapy. The authors present the clinical case of a 49-year-old man with a history of diarrhoea and cramping abdominal pain, generalized oedema, petechial rash, melanoderma, cough and dyspnoea. He presented hypokalaemia and arterial hypertension and was admitted with the diagnostic hypothesis of Cushing’s syndrome or adrenocorticotropic hormone ectopic production. The patient developed respiratory failure associated with bilateral lung opacities and was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit. The abdominal computed tomography scan revealed liver and duodenal masses. The duodenal biopsy showed the presence of Strongyloides stercoralis and the liver biopsy showed the presence of small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma. The patient died 50 days after hospital admission. The high level of endogenous cortisol observed in this patient may have facilitated the progression to severe fatal infection.

The growing number of infectious diseases around the world threatens the effective response of antibiotics, contributing to the increase in antibiotic resistance seen as a global health problem. Currently, one of the main challenges in antimicrobial drug discovery is the search for new compounds that not only exhibit antimicrobial activity, but can also potentiate the antimicrobial activity and revert antibiotics’ resistance, through the interference with several mechanisms, including the inhibition of efflux pumps (EPs) and biofilm formation. Inspired by macroalgae brominated bromophenol BDDE with antimicrobial activity, a series of 18 chalcone derivatives, including seven chalcones (9–15), six dihydrochalcones (16–18, and 22–24) and five diarylpropanes (19–21, and 25 and 26), was prepared and evaluated for its antimicrobial activity and potential to fight antibiotic resistance. Among them, chalcones 13 and 14 showed promising antifungal activity against the dermatophyte clinical strain of Trichophyton rubrum, and all compounds reversed the resistance to vancomycin in Enterococcus faecalis B3/101, with 9, 14, and 24 able to cause a four-fold decrease in the MIC of vancomycin against this strain. Compounds 17–24 displayed inhibition of EPs and the formation of biofilm by S. aureus 272123, suggesting that these compounds are inhibiting the EPs responsible for the extrusion of molecules involved in biofilm-related mechanisms. Interestingly, compounds 17–24 did not show cytotoxicity in mouse embryonic fibroblast cell lines (NIH/3T3). Overall, the results obtained suggest the potential of dihydrochalcones 16–18 and 22–24, and diarylpropanes 19–21, 25 and 26, as hits for bacterial EPs inhibition, as they are effective in the inhibition of EPs, but present other features that are important in this matter, such as the lack of antibacterial activity and cytotoxicity.

O bom gerenciamento de uma Unidade de Alimentação e Nutrição (UAN) hospitalar reflete na saúde alimentar de pacientes, a qual implica no auxílio do tratamento e recuperação da saúde. Para isso novas técnicas de hotelaria e gastronomia estão sendo estudadas por gestores hospitalares e então inseridas ao serviço. O objetivo deste estudo foi repassar conhecimento gastronômico, com pequenas adaptações ao âmbito hospitalar, mantendo as propriedades dos alimentos, prezando por sua aparência final como prato apetitoso, e assim fazer a inclusão da gastronomia denominada hospitalar. Para isso, elaborou-se um manual e quatro tutorias, com técnicas sobre bases de cozinha, com combinações e adaptações de receitas bem aceitas e apetitosas ao ambiente hospitalar. Concluiu-se que uma equipe bem treinada é essencial para uma cozinha criativa e pronta para todas as possíveis e necessárias mudanças no ato do servir. ABSTRACT Hospital gastronomy: training in kitchen bases The good management of a Hospital Food and Nutrition Unit (UAN) reflects on the nutritional health of patients, which implies the aid of treatment and recovery of health. For this, new techniques of hotel and gastronomy are being studied by hospital managers and then inserted into the service. The aim of this study was to pass on gastronomic knowledge, with small adaptations to the hospital scope, maintaining the properties of food, prizing for its final appearance as an appetizing dish, and thus to include the gastronomy called hospital. For that, a manual and four tutorials were elaborated, with techniques on kitchen bases, with combinations and adaptations of recipes well accepted and appetizing to the hospital environment. It was concluded that a well-trained staff is essential for creative cooking and ready for all possible and necessary changes in serving.

Antimicrobial peptides are one of the lines of defense produced by several hosts in response to bacterial infections. Inspired by them and recent discoveries of xanthones as bacterial efflux pump inhibitors, chiral amides with a xanthone scaffold were planned to be potential antimicrobial adjuvants. The chiral derivatives of xanthones were obtained by peptide coupling reactions between suitable xanthones with enantiomerically pure building blocks, yielding derivatives with high enantiomeric purity. Among 18 compounds investigated for their antimicrobial activity against reference strains of bacteria and fungi, antibacterial activity for the tested strains was not found. Selected compounds were also evaluated for their potential to inhibit bacterial efflux pumps. Compound (R,R)-8 inhibited efflux pumps in the Gram-positive model tested and three compounds, (S,S)-8, (R)-17 and (R,S)-18, displayed the same activity in the Gram-negative strain used. Studies were performed on the inhibition of biofilm formation and quorum-sensing, to which the enantiomeric pair 8 displayed activity for the latter. To gain a better understanding of how the active compounds bind to the efflux pumps, docking studies were performed. Hit compounds were proposed for each activity, and it was shown that enantioselectivity was noticeable and must be considered, as enantiomers displayed differences in activity.

With most epidemiological studies focused on poultry, dogs are often overlooked as a reservoir of Campylobacter, even though these animals maintain close daily contact with humans. The present study aimed to obtain a first insight into the presence and characteristics of Campylobacter spp. in different canine populations in Portugal, and to evaluate its zoonotic potential through genomic analysis. From a total of 125 rectal swabs collected from companion (n = 71) and hunting dogs (n = 54) living in two different settings, rural (n = 75) and urban (n = 50), 32 Campylobacter spp. isolates were obtained. Four different Campylobacter species were identified by Multiplex PCR and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, of which Campylobacter jejuni (n = 14, 44%) was overall the most frequently found species. Relevant resistance phenotypes were detected in C. jejuni, with 93% of the isolates being resistant to ciprofloxacin, 64% to tetracycline, and 57% to ampicillin, and three isolates being multi-drug-resistant. Comparison of the phenotypic and genotypic traits with human isolates from Portuguese patients revealed great similarity between both groups. Particularly relevant, the wgMLST analysis allowed the identification of isolates from human and dogs without any apparent epidemiological relationship, sharing high genetic proximity. Notwithstanding the limited sample size, considering the high genomic diversity of C. jejuni, the genetic overlap between human and dog strains observed in this study confirmed that the occurrence of this species in dogs is of public health concern, reinforcing the call for a One Health approach.

Desde a edição de Lachmann (1816), houve muitas discussões sobre a extensão do segundo livro de elegias de Propércio. Basicamente observamos, hoje em dia, duas tendências a este respeito: uma que entende que as elegias de Propércio devem ser divididas apenas em quatro livros; e outra, menos conservadora, que argumenta ser o segundo livro muito extenso e, por esse motivo, seria uma fusão de dois livros, o 2A e o 2B. Neste artigo, apoio o pressuposto da divisão do Livro 2 em dois livros, argumentando que a tese de Lyne (1998a) é muito apropriada. Entendo que as elegias nos Livros 1 e 2 são marcadas por uma narração a persona, Cynthia. Considero a elegia inicial do Livro de Propécio 2B, 2.12, como uma digestão, que recapitula o tema central dos dois primeiros livros e apresenta um programa poético mais amplo do que o apresentado nas elegias anteriores. Além disso, pretendo observar as características ecfrástica desta digressão para apoiar a tese de Lyne, adicionando, dessa maneira, um novo argumento. Assim, 2.12, além de ser uma elegia programática, também é uma peça deveras inovadora em termos de argumentação, uma vez que apresenta dois mecanismos retóricos: digressio e ékphrasis.

Animal nutrition has been severely challenged by the ban on antimicrobials as growth promoters. This has fostered the study of alternative methods to avoid colonisation by pathogenic bacteria as well as to improve the growth of animals and feed conversion efficiency. These new options should not alter the normal intestinal microbiota, or affect it as little as possible. The use of probiotics, which are live microorganisms that beneficially affect the host by improving its intestinal microbial balance, can be seen as a promising way to achieve that goal. In this study, New Zealand White rabbits were fed diets containing an autochthonous probiotic of Enterococcus spp., with the strains EaI, EfaI and EfaD, and Escherichia coli, with the strains ECI 1, ECI 2 and ECD, during a 25-d trial, to evaluate the impact of the probiotic on the faecal microbiota, including population dynamics and antimicrobial resistance profiles. A control group of rabbits, which was fed a diet containing a commonly used mixture of antimicrobials (colistin, oxytetracycline, and valnemulin), was also studied. To assess the colonisation ability of the mentioned probiotic, the faecal microbiota of the rabbits was characterised up to 10 d after the administration had ended. Isolates of enterococci and E. coli were studied for phylogenetic relationships using enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus (ERIC-PCR) and pulse-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), respectively. Although partially affected by an unexpected clinical impairment suffered by the rabbits in the experimental group, our results showed the following. The difference between the growth rate of the animals treated with antimicrobials and those fed the probiotic was not statistically significant (P> 0.05). The competitive exclusion product was present in the faecal samples in a large proportion, but stopped being recovered by culture as soon as the administration ended and the housing conditions were changed. Multidrug-resistant strains of enterococci and E. coli were more commonly recovered from faecal samples of animals fed diets containing antimicrobials, than from rabbits fed diets with our probiotic formula. The use of E. coli probiotics to prevent infection by enteropathogenic strains must be carefully considered due to the possible occurrence of gastrointestinal signs. On the other hand, enterococci strains may be more effective, but lack the long-term colonisation ability.

Introduction: Extramedullary plasmacytomas are present in 13% of multiple myeloma (MM) patients. Less than 5% of MM cases are non-secretory. The orbital location is uncommon and a minority of orbital tumours are plasmacytomas. Description: The patient was a 71-year-old man, with right proptosis, retro-ocular pain and epistaxis with visual acuity 2/10, limitation of upper eye movement and scattered ecchymosis. Blood tests revealed severe anaemia, coagulopathy, increased serum creatinine, LDH and C-RP without improvement after antimicrobial treatment. Peripheral immunophenotyping showed 9.4% of plasma cells with intracytoplasmic clonal ? chains. IgG and ? chains were decreased with normal plasma and urine immunofixation. Orbital CT: retro-orbital superomedial tumour with bone destruction. Histology of the tumour and bone biopsy was consistent with plasmacytoma. The patient was deceased in 2 weeks. Discussion: MM accounts for 10% of haematopoietic tumours; 7% of cases present with plasmacytomas at diagnosis. Orbital locations are rarely reported (frequently in the temporal region). Proptosis, ptosis and reduced visual acuity are common symptoms. However, orbital pain is less frequent. Most cases of MM demonstrate hypergammaglobulinaemia. Only 5% of MM cases are non-secretory. The uncommon location, topography, symptom peculiarities and absence of monoclonality led to the diagnostic challenge of this fatal case of MM.

Este artigo discute a questão do rigor em jornalismo, considerado nas suas dimensões técnica e ética, na perspetiva de o reabilitar enquanto eixo central da prática profissional. Para o efeito, introduz um conjunto de questões, a partir da conceptualização daquele princípio em instrumentos deontológicos. A saber: a verdade jornalística e os instrumentos necessários para a alcançar; o cruzamento de fontes, exercício que não deve esgotar-se no chamado contraditório; a liberdade de expressão e os discursos de ódio; os diversos tipos de fake news; os efeitos perniciosos do clickbait e um fenómeno que o autor designa de fast food noticioso, prejudicial ao efetivo cumprimento da missão do jornalismo em sociedades democráticas.