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Natural polymers have recently been investigated for various applications, such as 3D printing and healthcare, including treating infections. Among microbial infections, fungal diseases remain overlooked, with limited therapeutic options and high recurrence. Cutaneous cryptococcosis is an opportunistic fungal infection triggered by mechanical inoculation or hematogenous dissemination of the yeast that causes cryptococcal pneumonia and meningitis. Every year, Cryptococcus neoformans endanger the lives of immunosuppressed hosts, resulting in 180,000 deaths per year. Nonetheless, healthy individuals can also be affected by this fungal infection. Cryptococcosis has a restricted and expensive therapeutic regimen with no topical approach to skin manifestations. This study sought to create a 3D printable biodegradable polymeric hydrogel carrying ketoconazole, a low-cost antifungal drug with reported anticryptococcal activity. The developed hydrogel exhibited good 3D printability and rheological properties, including a pseudoplastic behavior. The FTIR spectra of cross-linked hydrogels revealed interactions between alginate and Ca +2 , referred to as the egg-box model, indicated by the decrease in peaks at 1600 and 1410 cm -1 . Furthermore, the hydrogel loaded with ketoconazole showed remarkable antifungal activity against C. neoformans strains indicated by inhibition zones, which cross-linking did not seem to affect its antifungal performance. The developed material remained structurally stable for up to 12 days (288 h) in swelling studies, and preliminary cytotoxicity performed with V79 cells indicates potential for in vivo studies and topical application., (© 2024 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

An immunocompromised patient was infected by the SARS-CoV-2 variant of interest named Zeta (P.2) in February 2021. More than one year later, he suffered from symptomatic COVID-19 and sequencing revealed the same variant, which accumulated 23 substitutions. This case illustrates intra-host evolution of a particular SARS-CoV-2 variant, highlighting the importance of genomic surveillance of immunocompromised patients.

Background: Movement behaviours, such as sedentary behavior (SB) and physical inactivity, have become a public health issue due to their implications for physical and mental health. The literature indicates that the university environment influences the movement behaviors of university students, and the strategies adopted during the pandemic may have favored a decrease in the practice of physical activity and an increase in the time dedicated to SB in this population. We aimed to evaluate the association of SB and moderate to vigorous leisure-time physical activity (MVPA) with presence of symptoms of mental disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic., Methods: This is a multicenter survey conducted with undergraduate students from eight Brazilian universities between October 2021 and February 2022 using an online questionnaire. The outcome variable was symptoms of anxiety and depression, assessed by the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21. SB was assessed by total sitting time, being that individuals with ≥ 9 h/day were classified with high SB. The practice of MVPA was evaluated based on weekly frequency, duration, and type of exercise. Subsequently, the ratio between the time spent in MVPA (minutes/day) and the time spent in SB (hours/day) was calculated, being considered as cutoff point was the practice of 2.5 min of MVPA for each sedentary hour. To assess the association between the outcome and explanatory variables, multivariable logistic regression was performed., Results: A total of 8,650 students participated in the study, with an average age of 23.9 years (SD: ± 6.34). In the multivariate analysis, the odds of anxiety symptoms [OR: 1.37 (95% CI: 1.24-1.50)] and depression [OR: 1.61 (95% CI: 1.47-1.77)] were higher in individuals with ≥ 9 h of SB per day. In the analysis of the relationship between MVPA and SB, not engaging in 2.5 min of MVPA per hour of SB increases the odds of anxiety symptoms [OR: 1.44 (95% CI: 1.31-1.58)] and depression [OR: 1.74 (95% CI: 1.59-1.92)]., Conclusion: The results suggest that SB is a risk factor associated with symptoms of anxiety and depression and that not engaging in MVPA exacerbates the negative effects of SB., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM) can generate severe complications, such as Diabetic Kidney Disease (DKD) or Diabetic Nephropathy (DN), with it emerging as the leading cause of terminal (end-stage) renal disease all over the world. For T1DM, the clinical evaluation of DKD uses markers like the Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR) and the Urinary Albumin Excretion (UAE). However, early diagnosis of DKD is still a challenge. For this reason, investigating molecular markers, such as microRNAs (miRNAs), offers a promising perspective to an early diagnosis, highlighting the stability and the ability to reflect incipient molecular manifestations. Thus, here we investigated four miRNAs (hsa-let-7i-5p, hsa-miR-143-3p, hsa-miR-501-3p, and hsa-miR-100-5p) regarding nephropathy in patients with T1DM, considering the albuminuria (micro and macro) as a standard to evaluate the groups. As a result, we found a reduced expression of miR-100-5p in patients with MIC, indicating a protective role in nephropathy. Beyond that, expression levels between the groups (Non vs. UAE) were not significant when comparing the miRNAs miR-501-3p and miR-143-3p. Finally, miR-143-3p and miR-100-5p were linked to some target genes such as AKT1, MMP13, and IGF1R, that are connected to signal pathways and cellular metabolism.

This study assessed the association of birth weight, gestational age, and intrauterine growth with bone mineral density (BMD) at 22 and 30 years of age in the 1982 and 1993 birth cohorts in Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. BMD was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and the association was assessed using analysis of variance. Multiple linear regression was used to control for confounding factors: sex; household income at birth; maternal smoking during pregnancy; maternal schooling; maternal ethnicity/skin color; and pre-pregnancy body mass index. The study tested whether body fat in adulthood was a mediator of the association analyzed, using the G-computation Formula. A total of 6,803 participants from the 1982 and 1993 cohorts were evaluated at 30 and 22 years of age, respectively. Birth weight was associated with BMD at all sites, with a greater difference at the femoral neck. Individuals born weighing less than 2,000g had on average -0.036g/cm2 (95%CI: -0.064; -0.008) of BMD in the femoral neck than individuals weighing more than 3,500g. Individuals with an intrauterine growth z-score at least 1.28 standard deviation below the mean had an average of -0.013g/cm2 (95%CI: -0.024; -0.002) of BMD in the lumbar spine compared with individuals with an above-average z-score. The mediation analysis showed that body fat in adulthood did not mediate the association. Birth conditions have been associated with BMD in adulthood and the identification of early factors related to bone loss is essential due to the demographic inversion that has been taking place in low- and middle-income countries.

Most COVID-19 survivors have reported experiencing persistent symptoms after the infection - these types of cases are known as long COVID. Since Brazil was an epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic, a high burden of long COVID is expected. This study aimed to identify the prevalence and factors associated with long COVID in adults in Southern Brazil, analyzing data from the PAMPA cohort. Participants filled out a self-reported online questionnaire in June 2022. This study only included subjects who tested positive for COVID-19. Long COVID was defined by any symptoms that persisted for at least three months after the SARS-CoV-2 infection. Poisson's regression models with robust variance were used to identify factors associated with long COVID; and results were reported as prevalence ratios (PR) and respective 95% confidence intervals (95%CI). A total of 1,001 participants (77.4% women, mean age [SD] = 38.3 [11.9] years) were analyzed. The prevalence of long COVID among these patients was 77.4% (95%CI: 74.7; 79.9). The likelihood of long COVID was higher in unvaccinated participants (PR = 1.23, 95%CI: 1.06; 1.42), in those with chronic conditions (PR = 1.13, 95%CI: 1.04; 1.24), and in those who were hospitalized due to the COVID-19 infection (PR = 1.24, 95%CI: 1.16; 1.32). This prevalence was also higher in women (PR = 1.21, 95%CI: 1.09; 1.33) than in men. Physical activity was associated with a reduced likelihood of fatigue, neurological complications, coughing, and headaches as persistent symptoms after a COVID-19 infection. It was found that three out of four adults in Southern Brazil experienced long COVID. Public policies aiming to reduce the burden of long COVID must be prioritized, especially in groups that are at higher risk of developing this harmful condition.

Nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain, leucine-rich repeat-containing protein family (NLR) are intracellular pathogen recognition receptors mediating innate immunity, releasing proinflammatory cytokines IL-1β and IL-18, and promoting pyroptotic cell death, upon sensing pathogenic or endogenous danger signals. In animal models, NLRP3 inflammasome has a dual role, pathogenic or protective in Leishmania-infection, depending on the Leishmania species and mice strain. Caspase recruitment containing domain 8 (CARD8) is a negative regulator of NLRP3 inflammasome and also an inhibitor of transcription factor NFĸB, a major transcription factor of proinflammatory cytokines. We investigated whether single nucleotide variants in CARD8 may partially explain why only a proportion of individuals coming from the same area of endemicity of leishmaniasis develop cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania guyanensis. We genotyped four single nucleotide variants of the CARD8 gene by direct nucleotide sequencing in 1741 individuals from an endemic area of leishmaniasis, constituting 850 patients with CL and 891 healthy controls. The frequencies of the genotypes of the variants rs2288877 T>C, rs73944113 C>T, and rs2043211 A>T are similar among the patients with CL and HC, while the variant rs2288876 A>G) reveals an excess of the genotype AA among the patients with CL (44%) compared to 37% in the HC group. Allele A of the variant rs2288876 A>G) is associated with susceptibility to CL (OR = 1.2 [95%CI 1.03-1.4]; P = 0.01). Haplotype analysis showed that individuals harboring the haplotype CCAA have 280% odds of developing CL caused by L. guyanensis (OR = 3.8 [95% CI 2.0-7.7]; p = 0.00004). The variants rs2288877 T>C and rs2288876 A>G correlate with the plasma level of IL-8. Spearman correlation showed a significant positive correlation between the rs2288876 A>G allele A and the level of IL-8 (ρ = 0.22; p = 0.0002). CARD8 may partially contribute to the development of CL caused by L. guyanensis., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2023 Sequera et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Leishmaniases, a group of vector-borne diseases, are caused by the protozoan intracellular parasite Leishmania (L.) and are transmitted by the phlebotomine sandflies. A wide range of clinical manifestations in L- infection is observed. The clinical outcome ranges from asymptomatic, cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) to severe mucosal leishmaniasis (ML) or visceral leishmaniasis (VL), depending on the L. species. Interestingly, only a fraction of L.-infected individuals progress to disease development, suggesting a key role of host genetics in the clinical outcome. NOD2 plays a critical role in the control of host defense and inflammation. The NOD2-RIK2 pathway is involved in developing a Th1- type response in patients with VL and C57BL/6 mice infected with L. infantum. We investigated whether variants in the NOD2 gene (R702W rs2066844, G908R rs2066845, and L1007fsinsC rs2066847) are associated with susceptibility to CL caused by L. guyanensis (Lg) in 837 patients with Lg-Cl and 797 healthy controls (HC) with no history of leishmaniasis. Both patients and HC are from the same endemic area of the Amazonas state of Brazil. The variants R702W and G908R were genotyped by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP), and L1007fsinsC was by direct nucleotide sequencing. The minor allele frequency (MAF) of L1007fsinsC was 0.5% among the patients with Lg-CL and 0.6% in the healthy controls group. R702W genotypes frequencies were similar in both groups. Only 1% and 1.6% were heterozygous for G908R among the patients with Lg-CL and HC, respectively. None of the variants revealed any association with susceptibility to the development of Lg-CL. Correlations of genotypes with the level of plasma cytokines revealed that individuals with the mutant alleles of R702W tend to have low levels of IFN-γ. G908R heterozygotes also tend to have low IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-17, and IL-8. Variants of NOD2 are not involved in the pathogenesis of Lg-CL., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2023 Mesquita et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Objective: To evaluate the acute effects of expiratory positive airway pressure (EPAP) on exercise tolerance, dyspnea, leg discomfort, and breathing pattern in patients with COPD., Methods: Fifteen patients with COPD were assessed with the following three different protocols: EPAP of 7.5 cmH 2 O used during a constant cycle ergometer exercise test (Protocol-1); EPAP of 7.5 cmH 2 O used for 15 minutes before the test (Protocol-2); and a sham system without pressure used for 15 minutes before the test (Protocol-3). Dyspnea and leg discomfort were assessed using Borg scale, whereas breathing pattern by optoelectronic plethysmography. Statistical analyses were performed using generalized estimating equations and Bonferroni tests (α = 5%), considering the protocols (1, 2, and 3) and moment (resting and the end of exercise)., Results: Exercise tolerance was lower in protocol 1: 108 ± 45 seconds compared to protocols 2: 187 ± 99 seconds ( p=  .011) and 3: 183 ± 101 seconds ( p = .021). No difference was observed between protocols 2 and 3 ( p > .999). Dyspnea in protocol 1: 7.0 ± 2.08 was higher than protocols 2: 4.10 ± 2.45 ( p = .001) and 3: 3.90 ± 2.21 ( p < .001), but no differences were observed between protocols 2 and 3 ( p > .999). No significant difference was observed for leg discomfort among the protocols ( p = .137). There were no statistically significant differences for most variables of breathing pattern among the protocols., Conclusion: A reduction on exercise tolerance and an increase in dyspnea were found with EPAP of 7.5 cm H 2 O during a constant cycle ergometer exercise test in patients with COPD.

Background: Considering the potential role of miRNAs as biomarkers and their interaction with both nuclear and mitochondrial genes, we investigated the miRNA expression profile in type 1 diabetes (T1DM) patients, including the pathways in which they are involved considering both nuclear and mitochondrial functions., Methods: We analyzed samples of T1DM patients and control individuals (normal glucose tolerance) by high throughput miRNA sequencing (miRNome). Next, five miRNAs - hsa-miR-26b-5p , hsa-let-7i-5p , hsa-miR-143-3p , hsa-miR-501-3p and hsa-miR-100-5p - were validated by RT-qPCR. The identification of target genes was extracted from miRTarBase and mitoXplorer database. We also performed receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and miRNAs that had an AUC > 0.85 were considered potential biomarkers., Results: Overall, 41 miRNAs were differentially expressed in T1DM patients compared to control. Hsa-miR-21-5p had the highest number of predicted target genes and was associated with several pathways, including insulin signaling and apoptosis. 34.1% (14/41) of the differentially expressed miRNAs also targeted mitochondrial genes, and 80.5% (33/41) of them targeted nuclear genes involved in the mitochondrial metabolism. All five validated miRNAs were upregulated in T1DM. Among them, hsa-miR-26b-5p showed AUC>0.85, being suggested as potential biomarker to T1DM., Conclusion: Our results demonstrated 41 DE miRNAs that had a great accuracy in discriminating T1DM and control group. Furthermore, we demonstrate the influence of these miRNAs on numerous metabolic pathways, including mitochondrial metabolism. Hsa-miR-26b-5p and hsa-miR-21-5p were highlighted in our results, possibly acting on nuclear and mitochondrial dysfunction and, subsequently, T1DM dysregulation., 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 Ferraz, Santos, da-Silva-Cruz, Braga-da-Silva, Magalhães, Ribeiro-dos-Santos, Vidal, Vinasco-Sandoval, Reis-das-Mercês, Sena-dos-Santos, Pereira, Silva, Melo, Souza, Leal, Figueiredo, Neto, Moraes, Lemos, Queiroz, Felício, Cavalcante, Ribeiro-dos-Santos and Felício.)

Background: Testicular germ cell tumors (TGCTs), a group of heterogeneous neoplasms, are the most frequent tumors of teenagers and young men, with the incidence rising worldwide. High cure rates can be achieved through cisplatin (CDDP)-based treatment, but approximately 10% of patients present refractory disease and virtually no treatment alternatives. Here, we explored new strategies to treat CDDP-resistant., Methods: In vitro TGCT CDDP-resistance model was established and differential mRNA expression profiles were evaluated using NanoString technology. Then, TGCT cell lines were treated with four potential drugs (PCNA-I1, ML323, T2AA, and MG-132) to overcome CDDP-resistance., Results: We found several differentially expressed genes related to DNA repair and cell cycle regulation on CDDP-resistant cell line (NTERA-2R) compared to parental cell line (NTERA-2P), and the proteasome inhibitor MG-132 demonstrated cytotoxic activity in all cell lines evaluated, even at a nanomolar range. MG-132 also enhanced cell lines' sensitivity to CDDP, increasing apoptosis in both NTERA-2P and NTERA-2R., Conclusions: MG-132 emerges as a potential new drug to treat CDDP-resistant TGCT. Targeted therapy based on molecular mechanism insights may contribute to overcome acquired chemotherapy CDDP-resistance., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2022 The Author(s). Published by IMR Press.)

Objective: to identify the multidisciplinary health team's perception on aspects of the physical and emotional development of children and adolescents who have suffered sexual violence., Methods: a qualitative study, carried out with 30 health professionals in a hospital in Bahia, Brazil, between June and July 2019. Data were collected from an interview guided by a semi-structured questionnaire. The results were interpreted according to Symbolic Interactionism., Results: some sexually violated children were under five years old and healthy, others had physical/mental disabilities. Victimized adolescents were in the pre-pubertal phase, with fragile body structure, not emotionally mature and unaware of sexuality., Final Considerations: children's physical and emotional aspects make children vulnerable to sexual victimization, as they facilitate the control and dominion that offenders need to have over them. As a protection strategy, it is recommended using sexual and health education linked to greater surveillance of family members, multidisciplinary team and educators.

Objective: To investigate the prevalence and factors associated with suicide risk among high school students from a federal educational institution in Rio Grande do Sul (IFRS)., Methods: This is a cross-sectional study based on a census of students (n=510) enrolled in IFRS, campus Rio Grande, in the second half of 2019. Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire. Suicide risk was measured with the instrument Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview, and data were analyzed using Poisson regression with robust variance adjustment., Results: The prevalence of high suicide risk was 17.3% (95% confidence interval - 95%CI 14.0-20.0), with the following independent associated factors: female gender, higher socioeconomic status, alcohol consumption, less social support, attempt to lose weight, self-harm behavior, and increased risk of depression, anxiety, and stress., Conclusions: One in six students showed a high suicide risk. The identification of factors associated with the outcome is useful for detecting the most severe cases and referring them to specialized care.

Objective: To assess the prevalence of excessive use of social media and associated factors, as well as possible health consequences in high school students in southern Brazil., Methods: This is a population-based cross-sectional study, conducted with high school students in the city of Rio Grande, RS. All students who were attending high school at the Federal Institute of Rio Grande do Sul, campus Rio Grande, were eligible for this research in the second semester of 2019. In total, 513 students participated in the study. The dependent variable was excessive use of social media, defined as more than five hours per day. Descriptive and bivariate analyses were carried out and the Poisson regression was used to verify associations, with robust adjustment of variance., Results: The prevalence of students who reported excessive use of social media was 35.9%. The groups that were most susceptible to excessive use of social media had the following profile: female, black/brown skin, aged between 18 and 20 years old, attending the first year of high school. Excessive use of social media was shown to be associated with smoking, risk of depression, anxiety and stress, high risk of suicide and drug use., Conclusions: More than a third of students used social media excessively. This behavior was associated with negative health outcomes.

Introduction: Fibrous dysplasia is a benign disorder, in which normal bone is replaced by fibrosis and immature bone trabeculae, showing a similar distribution between the genders, and being more prevalent in the earlier decades of life. Fibrous dysplasia of the temporal bone is a rare condition, and there is no consensus as to whether it is more common in monostotic or polyostotic forms. External auditory meatus stenosis and conductive dysacusis are the most common manifestations, with cholesteatoma being a common complication, whereas the involvement of the otic capsule is an unusual one. Surgical treatment is indicated to control pain or dysacusis, otorrhea, cholesteatoma, and deformity., Objectives: To describe the clinical experience of a tertiary referral hospital with cases of fibrous dysplasia of the temporal bone., Methods: Sampling of patients diagnosed with fibrous dysplasia of the temporal bone, confirmed by tomography, treated at the pediatric otology and otorhinolaryngology outpatient clinics, between 2015 and 2018. The assessed variables were age, gender, laterality, external auditory meatus stenosis, deformity, hearing loss, presence of secondary cholesteatoma of the external auditory meatus, lesion extension and management., Results: Five patients were included, four females and one male, with age ranging from 13 to 34 years. Three had the polyostotic form and two the monostotic form of fibrous dysplasia of the temporal bone. Four patients had local deformity and external auditory meatus stenosis, two of which progressed to cholesteatoma. All patients showed some degree of hearing impairment. All had preserved otic capsule at the tomography. Two patients are currently undergoing clinical observation; two were submitted to tympanomastoidectomy due to secondary cholesteatoma; one was submitted to lesion resection, aiming to control the dysacusis progression., Conclusion: Five cases of fibrous dysplasia of the temporal bone were described, a rare disorder of which the otologist should be aware., (Copyright © 2020 Associação Brasileira de Otorrinolaringologia e Cirurgia Cérvico-Facial. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.)

Background: The effect of glycemic control on diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is well known. Recent evidence has suggested that Vitamin D (VD) may have a nephroprotective effect in diabetes, but the relationship between VD, glycemic control, and albuminuria has yet to be clarified., Objective: Evaluate the relationship between 25-hydroxy-vitamin D [25(OH)D], HbA1c, and albuminuria in Diabetes Mellitus (DM)., Patients and Methods: Cross-sectional study with 1576 individuals with DM who had 25(OH)D, HbA1c, and albuminuria levels measured. Patients with abnormal creatinine levels were excluded, in order to avoid interference on VD levels by impaired kidney function., Results: Patients with HbA1c ≥7% had lower 25(OH)D when compared to patients with HbA1c <7% (29.7 ± 10.2 vs 28.1 ± 9.9 ng/ml, p = 0.003) and 25(OH)D levels seems to predict 1.5% of HbA1c behavior. The 25(OH)D concentrations in patients with normoalbuminuria were higher than the levels observed in those with micro or macroalbuminuria (29.8 ± 9.0 vs 26.8 ± 8.6 and 25.1 ± 7.6, respectively, p = 0.001), patients who had 25(OH)D <20 ng/ml and 25(OH)D <30 ng/ml were at a higher risk of presenting albuminuria [OR = 2.8 (95% CI = 1.6 - 4.9), p<0.001, and OR = 2.1 (95% CI = 1.3 - 4.6), p<0.001, respectively]. In our regression model, albuminuria was influenced by HbA1c (r² = 0.076, p<0.00001) and 25(OH)D (r² = 0.018, p = 0.002) independently., Conclusion: Our study found an association between vitamin D levels, HbA1c and DKD. Additionally, our data suggest that the association between urinary albumin excretion and vitamin D levels is independent of glycemic control in patients with diabetes. Even though our patients presented normal creatinine levels, it is necessary further prospective studies to confirm if this association precedes or not the loss of renal function., 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 Felício, de Rider Britto, Cortez, de Souza Resende, de Lemos, de Moraes, de Aquino, de Souza Parente, de Queiroz, Abrahão Neto, de Alcântara, da Silva, de Souza Neto, Freire Piani, de Souza, Silva, de Oliveira, Said, Nascimento de Lemos, de Melo, Gomes, Contente Braga de Souza, de Sá Oliveira dos Reis, Leal, Lobato and Felício.)

Background: Cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy (CAN) is associated with diabetes mellitus , increasing morbidity and mortality. Some cross-sectional studies associated CAN with low 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels. The aim of our study was to evaluate the effect of high-dose vitamin D (VD) supplementation on CAN in Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM) patients., Methods: We performed a prospective study with 23 patients diagnosed with T1DM and CAN. Subjects with VD levels <30 ng/ml received 10,000 IU/day; the ones with VD levels between 30-60 ng/ml were given 4,000 IU/day for 12 weeks., Results: There was an improvement in CAN parameters related to resting heart rate variability, such as time domain parameters [Maximum RR interval (0.77 ± 0.11 vs 0.94 ± 0.51 s, p <0.05), Mean length of regular RR intervals (0.71 ± 0.10 vs 0.76 ± 0.09 s, p <0.05) and Standard deviation of all NN intervals (0.02 ± 0.01 vs 0.03 ± 0.02 s; p <0.01)] and frequency domain parameters [Low Frequency (1.9 ± 0.5 vs 2.5 ± 0.9 s, p < 0.001), Total Power (2.5 ± 0.4 vs 2.8 ± 0.6 s, p <0.05)]. In addition, there was a correlation between absolute VD level variation and posttreatment High Frequency (%), as well as among percent variation in VD level and end-of-study Low Frequency/High Frequency ratio (r=0.6, p<0.01; r= -0.5, p<0.05, respectively)., Conclusion: Our pilot study is the first to suggest a strong association between high-dose vitamin D supplementation and improved cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy in T1DM patients. It occurred without any variation in HbA1C, blood pressure levels, lipids, and insulin dose., Clinical Trial Registration: http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN32601947, identifier ISRCTN32601947., (Copyright © 2020 Silva, de Queiroz, de Melo, Abrahão Neto, Janaú, de Souza Neto, de Lemos, de Oliveira, de Alcântara, de Moraes, da Silva, de Souza, Said, de Lemos, Felício, Santos, Motta, dos Reis, Lobato, de Figueiredo, de Souza, Piani and Felício.)

Objective: to construct a theoretical, field and analysis mapping of nursing education in the context of public education policies in Brazil., Method: a descriptive study with a mixed approach of investigation, having as theoretical-analytical instruments the studies on maps construction (theoretical, field and analytical), which allowed the distribution, imbalances, tendencies and contradictions verification of the phenomenon studied., Results: the disordered expansion of vacancies in nursing has been occurring in a disorganized, asymmetric way and directed to the distancing of the State in the assistance to the educational sector, as well as the consequent privatization of education and reaffirmation of social imbalance of regions with the lowest economic power., Final Considerations: the study made technological, scientific and academic contributions possible and showed that public policies directed intense and disorderly expansion of courses/vacancies, indicating the need to establish strategies that can promote actions to strengthen the quality of nursing education.

The 5'-methylthioadenosine phosphorylase (MTAP) gene is located in the chromosomal region 9p21. MTAP deletion is a frequent event in a wide variety of human cancers; however, its biological role in tumorigenesis remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to characterize the MTAP expression profile in a series of gliomas and to associate it with patients' clinicopathological features. Moreover, we sought to evaluate, through glioma gene-edited cell lines, the biological impact of MTAP in gliomas. MTAP expression was evaluated in 507 glioma patients by immunohistochemistry (IHC), and the expression levels were associated with patients' clinicopathological features. Furthermore, an in silico study was undertaken using genomic databases totalizing 350 samples. In glioma cell lines, MTAP was edited, and following MTAP overexpression and knockout (KO), a transcriptome analysis was performed by NanoString Pan-Cancer Pathways panel. Moreover, MTAP's role in glioma cell proliferation, migration, and invasion was evaluated. Homozygous deletion of 9p21 locus was associated with a reduction of MTAP mRNA expression in the TCGA (The Cancer Genome Atlas) - glioblastoma dataset (p < 0.01). In addition, the loss of MTAP expression was markedly high in high-grade gliomas (46.6% of cases) determined by IHC and Western blotting (40% of evaluated cell lines). Reduced MTAP expression was associated with a better prognostic in the adult glioblastoma dataset ( p < 0.001). Nine genes associated with five pathways were differentially expressed in MTAP-knockout (KO) cells, with six upregulated and three downregulated in MTAP. Analysis of cell proliferation, migration, and invasion did not show any significant differences between MTAP gene-edited and control cells. Our results integrating data from patients as well as in silico and in vitro models provide evidence towards the lack of strong biological importance of MTAP in gliomas. Despite the frequent loss of MTAP, it seems not to have a clinical impact in survival and does not act as a canonic tumor suppressor gene in gliomas., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Renewing carbon and re-establishing it again in the soil is one of the valuable means to cope with climate change. There are many technologies for carbon apprehension and storage, but the most important one gaining attention is biochar technology. So, to carbonize and return different biological materials back to the farmland, a comprehensive study was proposed to characterize and evaluate the carbon (C) mineralization of biochars produced from different animal manures and crop straws. Six types of biochars were prepared from animal manures (poultry litter, swine and cattle manures) and crop straws (rice, soybean, and corn straws). The biochars were analyzed for chemical characteristics (elemental variables, thermal decomposition, cation exchange capacity, pH, electrical conductivity, specific surface area, and surface functional groups) and an incubation experiment was conducted to evaluate C mineralization from soil biochar mixture. Biochars produced from crop straws resulted to have more C as compared to the biochars produced from animal manures. Concentration of nitrogen was low, while P, K, Ca, and Mg were found reasonably higher in all biochars except swine manure biochar. The plant-derived biochars presented lower CO 2 emissions when incorporated to soil at 1 and 2% of C. Varying but all the biochars prepared represented an alkaline pH. Biochars prepared from the crop straws resulted to have more C, alkaline in nature, high CEC, low CO 2 emissions, can sequester C and more suitable to enhance the soil fertility in comparison to biochars produced from other sources.

Purpose: Serum IGF-1 (Insulin like growth factor 1) and Growth Hormone (GH) provocative tests are reasonable tools for screening and diagnosis of idiopathic GH Deficiency (IGHD). However, the average cut-off points applied on these tests have a lower level of evidence and produce large amounts of false results. The aim of this study is to evaluate the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of IGF-1 and GH stimulation tests as diagnostic tools for IGHD, using clinical response to recombinant human GH (rhGH) treatment as diagnostic standard [increase of at least 0.3 in height standard deviation (H-SD) in 1 year]. Methods: We performed a prospective study with 115 children and adolescents presenting short stature (SS), without secondary SS etiologies such as organic lesions, genetic syndromes, thyroid disorders. They were separated into Group 1 [patients with familial SS or constitutional delay of growth and puberty (CDGP), not treated with rhGH], Group 2 (patients with suspicion of IGHD with clinical response to rhGH treatment), and Group 3 (patients with suspicion of IGHD without growth response to rhGH treatment). Then, they were assessed for diagnostic performance of IGF-1, Insulin Tolerance Test (ITT) and clonidine test (CT) alone and combined at different cut-off points. Results: Based on the ROC curve, the best cut-off points found for IGF-1, ITT, and CT when they were used isolated were -0.492 SDS (sensitivity: 50%; specificity: 53.8%; accuracy: 46.5%), 4.515 μg/L (sensitivity: 75.5%; specificity: 45.5%; accuracy: 52.7%), and 4.095 μg/L (sensitivity: 54.5%; specificity: 52.6%; accuracy: 56.9%), respectively. When we had combined IGF-1 with-2SD as cut-off alongside ITT or CT, we found 7 μg/L as the best cut-off point. In this situation, ITT had sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of 93.9, 81.8, and 90.1%, while CT had 93.2, 68.4, and 85.7%, respectively. Conclusion: Our data suggest that diagnosis of IGHD should be established based on a combination of clinical expertise, auxologic, radiologic, and laboratorial data, using IGF-1 at the -2SD threshold combined, with ITT or CT at the cut-off point of 7 μg/L. Additional studies, similar to ours, are imperative to establish cut-off points based on therapeutic response to rhGH in IGHD, which would be directly related to a better treatment outcome., (Copyright © 2019 Felício, Janaú, Moraes, Zahalan, de Souza Resende, de Lemos, de Souza Neto, Farias de Franco, Leitão, Silva, de Oliveira, de Alcântara, Contente Braga de Souza, da Silva, dos Santos, de Queiroz, de Moraes, de Figueiredo, Farinassi, Farias, da Silva, Felício and Abrahão Neto.)

Introduction: Stroke is a leading disease accounting for burden of chronic NCDs especially in lower and lower-middle income (LMI) settings. Quality of Life (QOL) is considered as an important facet of determination of success of patient management. EQ-5D-3L is a generic QOL tool. It provides an index score amalgamating responses for five descriptive questions and a visual analogue scale (VAS) value., Objectives: To assess the validity and reliability of EQ-5D-3L for stroke patients in Sri Lanka, which is a LMI setting., Methods: A descriptive cross sectional study was done among 100 stroke survivors among whom 50 each were managed at an ambulatory setting and an in-ward setting. A second wave of data collection was done for reliability analysis among one half of participants. The validity of EQ-5D-3L was assesses with five a-priori hypotheses. Reliability was assessed with test-retest method and with internal consistency. Non parametric Mann Whitney U test and Spearman correlation coefficients were used in the analysis., Results: The EQ-5D index scores had significant positive correlation with SF-36 domain scores (p<0.001). The EQ-5D VAS scores had significant positive correlation with SF-36 domain scores (p<0.01). Index and VAS values of the EQ-5D were proved to be valid in known-group comparison (p<0.001). Participants reporting some kind of impairment for EQ-5D-3L dimensions had lower SF-36 domain scores. All the kappa values in the analysis of test-retest method were significant (p<0.001). For the VAS score, the Spearman correlation coefficient in test-reter analysis was 0.993 (p<0.001). Cronbach’s alpha value was 0.928., Conclusions: and Recommendations EQ-5D-3L questionnaire demonstrates construct validity and a is a reliable toolin measuring QOL among stoke survivors in Sri Lanka.

To evaluate the effect of vitamin A supplementation in postpartum infants and women on serum retinol levels and breast milk. The databases Medline, PubMed, Lilacs and SciELO were consulted. The descriptors used were vitamin A, dietary supplement, child, postpartum period, infant and nutrition programs policies. Search found 7432 articles. After elimination of duplicity and application of eligibility criteria, 8 studies remained. All evaluated the effect of vitamin A supplementation on immediate postpartum, five studies used retinyl palmitate supplementation, one with retinyl palmitate and two did not specify the form of supplementation. Six studies evaluated colostrum and two included supplementation of children. It was found that supplementation in the puerperium increases the concentrations of serum retinol and breast milk, however, this result was in the short term and was relevant when the previous concentrations of the mother were low. When maternal serum concentrations are adequate, the retinol content in milk does not change, with little relevance for children. Further studies should be performed to evaluate the effect of megadoses supplementation on serum concentrations of children.

The scope of this study was to evaluate exclusive and total breastfeeding in children up to 2 years of age treated in Basic Health Units (BHU) of Recife in the state of Pernambuco. A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in the Basic Health Units of Mustardinha, Jardim Uchôa, Fernandes Figueira and Upinha Novo Prado. The study population consisted of children of 0 to 24 months of age. One hundred and forty-one children from 0 to 24 months of age were evaluated, of which 56.4% were female, 22% were ≤ 6 months old, 21.3% were between 7 and 12 months of age and 56.7% were between 13 and 24 months of age. Analysis of the prevalence of exclusive and total breastfeeding revealed an average of 60.84 and 182.52 days, respectively. Male children, the use of pacifiers and bottle-feeding was associated with shorter exclusive breastfeeding duration.

The scope of this article is to analyze the accreditation criteria of the studies that evaluated actions of health promotion and risk factor prevention of Health Promoting Schools (HPS). A systematic review was conducted based on the recommendations proposed in the "Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (Prisma)" protocol of articles that assessed HPS in the following databases: SciELO, Lilacs, Medline, PubMed and Portal Capes. From the analysis of the three pillars for accreditation of HPS, three of the studies analyzed did not include all the criteria for certification as HPS on the "Planning Process" and "Health Promotion Activities Developed" pillars. The schools cited in these studies perform health education, prevention and/or health promotion activities, however, it is misleading to refer to themselves as HPS. The main challenges for implementation, development and continuity of HPS were identified as being intersectionality and insufficient financial and qualified human resources. HPS need to be certified and submitted to an ongoing evaluation process. It is also suggested the topic of health promotion be included in the syllabuses of training courses of health education teachers and other health education professionals.

The potential of the reflective collective portfolio as a method of teaching, learning and assessment needs to be emphasized. The objectives is to assess and validate the quality of the collective portfolio as a method of teaching, learning and assessment in the training of health professional. Portfolio quality was analyzed using an inventory of analysis that was adapted and tested for this study. In total, 70 portfolios were analyzed. The Kappa test was used to analyze reproducibility, confirming the level of agreement between the appraisers. Descriptive analysis and the t-test were performed to compare results from the years the portfolios were produced. The constructs (layout and organization, comprehensive, reflective, critical and creative thought) exhibited Cronbach alpha values above 0.7, confirming the high reliability of the tool. The weighted Kappa test revealed an elevated and significant agreement (+90%) between the appraisers. Notably, certain items and constructs exhibited significant differences over the years. All of the constructs were assessed better from 2011 onwards, when the assessment and self-assessment tool was implemented. The success of the portfolio depends on strategies that provide students with greater clarity and forms of developing the method.

The theory of landscape ecology applied to the methods of spatial analysis helps to understand changes in the structure of forest remnants. In view of this theory, the objective of the present study was to analyze the structure of a fragmented area between the years 1979 and 2015 through calculation of landscape metrics for arboreal, shrubby and herbaceous vegetation classes. Vegetation classes were classified with visits to the field, interpretation of aerial photographs from 1979 and supervised classification of Landsat 8 from 2015. The metrics calculated for each class were area and total number of fragments, total edge and average connectivity among the fragments. The analysis of structure found that it changed negatively due to an increase in the number of small fragments, which increased the intensity of edge effects and reduced connectivity between fragments for all classes.

BACKGROUND In southeastern Brazil, autochthonous cases of malaria can be found near Atlantic Forest fragments. Because the transmission cycle has not been completely clarified, the behaviour of the possible vectors in those regions must be observed. A study concerning the entomological aspects and natural infection of anophelines (Diptera: Culicidae) captured in the municipalities of the mountainous region of Espírito Santo state was performed in 2004 and 2005. Similarly, between 2014 and 2015, 12 monthly collections were performed at the same area of the study mentioned above. METHODS Center for Disease Control (CDC) light traps with CO2 were set in open areas, at the edge and inside of the forest (canopy and ground), whereas Shannon traps were set on the edge. FINDINGS A total of 1,414 anophelines were collected from 13 species. Anopheles (Kerteszia) cruzii Dyar and Knab remained the most frequently captured species in the CDC traps set in the forest canopy, as well as being the vector with the highest prevalence of Plasmodium vivax/simium infection, according to molecular polymerase chain reaction techniques. CONCLUSIONS P. vivax/simium was found only in abdomens of the mosquitoes of the subgenus Nyssorhynchus, weakening the hypothesis that this subgenus also plays a role in malaria transmission in this specific region.

Purpose  To describe the trends in the prevalence of macrosomia (birth weight ≥ 4,000 g) according to gestational age in Brazil in the periods of 2001-2010 and 2012-2014. Methods  Ecological study with data from the Brazilian Live Birth Information System (SINASC, in the Portuguese acronym) regarding singleton live newborns born from 22 gestational weeks. The trends in Brazil as a whole and in each of its five regions were analyzed according to preterm (22-36 gestational weeks) and term (37-42 gestational weeks) strata. Annual Percent Changes (APCs) based on the Prais-Winsten method and their respective 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to verify statistically significant changes in 2001-2010. Results  In Brazil, the prevalence of macrosomic births was of 5.3% (2001-2010) and 5.1% (2012-2014). The rates were systematically higher in the North and Northeast Regions both in the preterm and in term strata. In the preterm stratum, the North Region presented the highest variation in the prevalence of macrosomia (+137.5%) when comparing 2001 (0.8%) to 2010 (1.9%). In the term stratum, downward trends were observed in Brazil as a whole and in every region. The trends for 2012-2014 were more heterogeneous, with the prevalence systematically higher than that observed for 2001-2010. The APC in the preterm stratum (2001-2010) showed a statistically significant trend change in the North (APC: 15.4%; 95%CI: 0.6-32.3) and South (APC: 13.5%; 95%CI: 4.8-22.9) regions. In the term stratum, the change occurred only in the North region (APC:-1.5%; 95%CI: -2.5--0.5). Conclusion  The prevalence of macrosomic births in Brazil was higher than 5.0%. Macrosomia has potentially negative health implications for both children and adults, and deserves close attention in the public health agenda in Brazil, as well as further support for investigation and intervention., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: There are no conflicts of interest to declare., (Thieme Revinter Publicações Ltda Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.)

This study aims to analyze studies that evaluated the performance of Primary Health Care (PHC) services by using the Primary Care Assessment Tool (PCATool) under a worldwide user perspective. This is a systematic review that implemented the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) model, from the following databases: Lilacs, Medline, SciELO, PubMed and the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES) Journals Website, using descriptors Primary Care Assessment Tool and PCATool. Considering inclusion and exclusion criteria, we analyzed 22 research papers published from 2007 to 2015. The best-evaluated attributes were cultural competence, first contact use and longitudinality. On the other hand, the worst evaluated were first contact accessibility, family orientation, community orientation and comprehensiveness. Most of the health services evaluated were from Brazil, applied to "traditional" primary care clinic (UBS) and the Health Family Strategy (FHS). Services evaluated should strengthen structure and process components to achieve a better performance in PHC.