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Copyright of RPDI - Revista Portuguesa de Doenças Infecciosas is the property of Sociedade Portuguesa de Doencas Infecciosas e Microbiologia Clinica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In Africa, the scarcity of hominin remains found in direct association with stone tools has hindered attempts to link Homo habilis and Homo erectus with particular lithic industries. The infant mandible discovered in level E at Garba IV (Melka Kunture) on the highlands of Ethiopia is critical to this issue due to its direct association with an Oldowan lithic industry. Here, we use synchrotron imaging to examine the internal morphology of the unerupted permanent dentition and confirm its identification as Homo erectus . Additionally, we utilize new palaeomagnetic ages to show that (i) the mandible in level E is ca. 2 million-years-old, and represents one of the earliest Homo erectus fossils, and (ii) that overlying level D, ca. 1.95 million-years-old, contains the earliest known Acheulean assemblage.

Pleistocene archaeology records the changing behaviour and capacities of early hominins. These behavioural changes, for example, to stone tools, are commonly linked to environmental constraints. It has been argued that, in earlier times, multiple activities of everyday life were all uniformly conducted at the same spot. The separation of focused activities across different localities, which indicates a degree of planning, according to this mindset characterizes later hominins since only 500,000 years ago. Simbiro III level C, in the upper Awash valley of Ethiopia, allows us to test this assumption in its assemblage of stone tools made only with obsidian, dated to more than 1.2 million years (Myr) old. Here we first reconstruct the palaeoenvironment, showing that the landscape was seasonally flooded. Following the deposition of an accumulation of obsidian cobbles by a meandering river, hominins began to exploit these in new ways, producing large tools with sharp cutting edges. We show through statistical analysis that this was a focused activity, that very standardized handaxes were produced and that this was a stone-tool workshop. We argue that at Simbiro III, hominins were doing much more than simply reacting to environmental changes; they were taking advantage of new opportunities, and developing new techniques and new skills according to them., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.)

Streptococcus gallolyticus is a microorganism belonging to the Streptococcus bovis I group isolated in humans, bovines and equines pigeons, among other animals. Streptococcus bovis is a Streptococcus strain found in the rumen, and has been isolated in the milk of animals with mastitis. The authors describe a case of an adult immunocompetent patient with underlying valvular heart disease, with bacteraemia and infective endocarditis by Streptococcus gallolyticus, in whom adenomatous colonic polyps with dysplasia were identified.

Physical therapists' (PTs') perceptions of 26 physical therapy tasks regarding complexity, uniqueness to PTs, and delegation were studied. A questionnaire describing 26 PT tasks was sent to 200 PTs in Pennsylvania identified as working in acute care, rehabilitation, or private practice. The response rate was 45.5%. Eleven of the 26 tasks identified as most unique to PTs were also identified as highly complex. None of these 11 tasks was delegated frequently to a nurse or a PT aide, and only two were delegated to an occupational therapist. All 11 unique tasks were delegated to the physical therapist assistant (PTA), with some level of supervision provided by the majority of respondents. Results indicated there are activities within patient care that are perceived by PTs to be unique to their profession. Also, the role of the PTA may be expanding, warranting further research in this area.

Background: Since pregnancy in older women is becoming more common, the aim of this work was to determine the influence of maternal age on third trimester maternal vitamin E status, and on vitamin E levels in maternal milk., Subjects and Methods: The pregnancies and lactation periods of 57 women were examined. The intake of vitamin E during the third trimester of pregnancy was determined using a 5 days food record. Vitamin E concentrations in serum, transition milk (days 13 and 14 of lactation) and mature milk (day 40 of lactation) were determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)., Results: Pregnant women < 32 years of age (90th percentile) showed significantly higher serum vitamin E levels (1.46 [0.38] mg/dl) than older pregnant women (1.19 [0.24] mg/dl). Transition milk vitamin E levels were significantly lower in pregnant women > or = 29 years of age (75th percentile) than did younger pregnant women (1.7 [0.4] mg/l compared to 2.0 [0.7] mg/l)., Conclusions: Given that serum vitamin E levels were seen to fall in pregnancy and in transition milk, when maternal age increase, the monitoring of maternal nutritional status is highly recommendable. Antioxidant supplements, especially vitamin E, might be prescribed for older, pregnant women.

A study was made into the effect of the age at which meat was first included in the diet on a series of haematological parameters and biochemical indicators of iron status in 94 pre-school children (aged 2-6 years) from Madrid (Spain). Those children who first took meat during their eighth month of life or earlier (Group A) showed better iron status that did those who were introduced to meat later (Group B). Significant differences were found in hemoglobin levels (P < 0.01), mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH) (P < 0.05), serum ferritin (P < 0.05), transferrin levels (P < 0.05) and total iron binding capacity (TIBC) (P < 0.001). Some 13.8% of all subjects showed iron deficiency and 5.3% showed ferropenic anaemia. These latter subjects were the last to have meat included in their diets (9.3 +/- 1.2 months compared to 7.4 +/- 2.0 months in those without ferropenic anaemia) (P < 0.05). It would appear that the age at which meat is included in the diet has an important effect on iron status in pre-school children. Delaying its inclusion beyond the age of eight months seems to be associated with an impairment of later iron status.

Several authors have established a relationship between osteoporosis and periodontal disease. The ageing process is associated with a loss of both oral and total bone mass. It has been shown that a reduction of bone mineralization aggravates pathological periodontal changes, resulting in less support for the teeth. The present study investigates the nutritional influences that may condition the appearance of both pathological process. Insufficient dietary calcium and a reduction in the calcium: phosphorous ratio may favour the appearance of both these conditions by promoting bone reabsorption. Bone loss affects the following in descending order: jaw bones (especially alveolar bone), cranial bones, ribs, vertebrae and long bones. Alveolar bone which has the highest rate of renewal, is affected first and consequently is the most severely affected in the long term. The role of calcium in the etiology of osteoporosis is a controversial issue. Nevertheless, its implication has been proven in numerous investigations. The effect of adequate calcium intake on dental health has formed the basis of several recent studies. These investigations have demonstrated that increased calcium intake improves the suffering of inflammatory processes and tooth mobility in patients suffering from gingivitis with haemorrhaging. Based on the results of studies which link dietary calcium and phosphorous to the risk of osteoporosis and periodontal disease, and bearing in mind that in a large proportion of the Spanish population calcium intake is below that recommended, there is a need for a general improvement of the diet. It may be of special interest to increase the calcium intake of patients suffering periodontal disease. It may also help in the prevention of osteoporosis.

The effect of 10 day-low dosage of n-3 long chain fatty acids (390 mg/day of EPA and 252 mg/day of DHA) on lipid and apolipoprotein (Apo) concentrations has been studied in nine normolipidaemic women aged 28.9 +/- 4.2 years. n-3 fatty acid supplementation did not significantly decrease total cholesterol and triglyceride levels but markedly decreased the Apo A1 and Apo B concentrations (12.7%, p < 0.01 and 23.1%, p < 0.001, respectively), while the Apo A1/Apo B ratio significantly increased (14.8%, p < 0.02). In contrast to the individual variations found for triglycerides and cholesterol, Apo changes indicate a fairly homogeneous response to the fish oil supplement. In seven women Apo A1 decreased (> 10%), whereas Apo B decreased (> 10%) in all of them. The Apo A1/Apo B ratio increased (> 10%) in five of these nine women. Changes in Apo A-1 and Apo B did not significantly correlate with changes in serum lipids. These findings suggest that short-term supplementation with low amount of n-3 long chain fatty acids, EPA and DHA, influences the serum Apo content more than the lipid levels in normolipidaemic women.

Unlabelled: An adequate intake of folates and vitamin B12 is essential for the rapid growth rates characteristic of infancy. However, little information exists on the prevalence of deficiencies of these nutrients in preschool children. The status of these vitamins was therefore evaluated in a group of 79 children between 2 and 6 years of age. A 5 day dietary record (including a Sunday) was kept for all subjects. All food taken at day care centres was monitored using "Precise individual weighing" and recorded by trained personnel. Measurements were made of serum and erythrocyte folate levels, vitamin B12 levels, number of red blood cells, haemoglobin and haematocrit levels, and mean corpuscular volume. Though the mean intake of folic acid surpassed recommended levels for this age group 31.4% of the subjects showed intakes below those recommended. 7.7% of the subjects showed serum folate levels between 3 and 6 ng/mL, values which indicate a moderate deficiency of this vitamin. A correlation was found between folate intake and serum folate levels r = 0.3654 (P < 0.01). Vitamin B12 intake was 438% that recommended. Only 2.9% of the subjects showed vitamin B12 intake below recommended and none showed serum values below 150 pg/ml, the lower normal limit below which deficiency is considered to exist., Conclusion: Amongst preschool children, folate deficiency is probably much more common than vitamin B12 deficiency. However, its incidence is low, and much lower than that observed in other age groups.

Objective: To assess the relationships between concern over bodyweight, anthropometric parameters (both real and ideal) and estimated energy balance., Design: Prospective study., Subjects: 126 young, female university students from Madrid, Spain, between the ages of 19 and 36., Measurements: Energy intake was measured by means of a "seven day food record'. Anthropometric data were collected both at the beginning of the study and at 30 d to determine any change in weight. Subjects were grouped with respect to body mass index (BMI) (BMI < 30th percentile, between 30th and 60th percentiles and > or = 60th percentile). Subjects also completed a questionnaire asking if they would like to lose some weight., Results: The concern of these young women about their body image was greater amongst those with higher BMI. However, 31.6% of subjects with BMI falling < 30th percentile (< 20.1 Kg/m2) wished to lose some weight. Though the mean discrepancy between energy intake and estimated energy expenditure was 5.7%, there were great differences with respect to BMI and concern expressed about bodyweight. The declared energy intake was 9.3% greater than estimated energy expenditure in very thin subjects (BMI < 30th percentile) who expressed no desire to lose weight. However, in subjects with BMI between the 30th and 60th percentiles and who wanted to lose weight, declared energy intake was 11.4% below estimated expenditure. Similarly in subjects with BMI > or = 60th percentile, declared energy intake was 15.7% below estimated expenditure., Conclusion: In order to gain more exact knowledge of food intake in dietary studies, factors such as subject BMI and desire for a different bodyweight should be taken into account.

A study was performed on the breakfast habits of 200 schoolchildren between 9 and 13 years of age. The subjects were classified into two groups: group C, children who consumed fortified breakfast cereals (65 boys and 35 girls), and group NC, children who did not (64 boys and 36 girls). The different dietary habits and the nutritional status of the two groups were analyzed. Haematological, biochemical, anthropometric, and dietary data were collected, the latter involving a 5-day food record. The children of the C group were found not only to have a more complete and nutritive breakfast, but also showed better dietary patterns for the rest of the day. Their lipid intake (% kJ) was lower and the carbohydrate intake (g/d and % kJ) higher than in the NC children. The intakes of thiamine, pyridoxine, folates, and beta-carotenes were also higher in group C. Better dietary habits were reflected in higher blood levels of some important compounds. Group C children had higher retinol, serum folate, and riboflavin levels than NC children. The percentage of children with hypercholesterolaemia (serum cholesterol > 4.5 mmol/l) was higher amongst those of the NC group: 37% as compared with 18% of the C children.