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Introduction: Autonomy is considered a vital principle of professionalism. In recent years, despite important advances, the Pharmacy and pharmacists' autonomy has been questioned due to conflicts that jeopardize the consolidation of this profession in the division of work in health., Objective: to understand the construct of autonomy based on perceptions of formal leaders associated with professional organizations., Methods: A qualitative study was conducted through interviews with key informants. The data obtained were submitted to content analysis., Results: Perceptions about the autonomy in pharmaceutical practice were categorized according to strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to this construct., Conclusion: The findings allowed us to understand the autonomy of pharmaceutical practice in Brazil, generate hypotheses about the future of Pharmacy, and build strategies to maintain its occupational status., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

The study evaluates Hermetia illucens larvae's ability to decrease direct methane emissions and nutrients from cattle and swine manure. Hermetia illucens larvae were put into fresh cattle and swine manure, and the same conditions, without larvae, for the control treatment were established. The methane emissions were measured until the first prepupae appeared. The methane emissions from the bioconversion of animal manure by Hermetia illucens larvae were up to 86% lower than in the control treatments (conventional storage). The cumulative methane emissions from cattle and swine manure bioconversion were 41.4 ± 10.5 mg CH 4 kg -1 and 134.2 ± 17.3 mg CH 4 kg -1 , respectively. Moreover, Hermetia illucens larvae could reduce 32% of dry matter, 53% nitrogen, 14% phosphorus, and 42% carbon in swine manure. Meanwhile, in cattle manure, reductions of 17% of dry matter, 5% of nitrogen, 11% of phosphorus, and 15% of carbon and pH reductions in both swine and cattle manure were found. Thus, the production of larvae was higher in swine manure than cattle manure. Furthermore, the larvae frass from swine manure was appropriate for agricultural use, unlike the larvae frass from cattle manure requiring further processing. These results reveal the ability of Hermetia illucens larvae to mitigate methane emissions from animal manure and show it to be a promising technology for manure treatment, with great potential to promote a circular economy in the livestock sector.

Problem: Gut dysbiosis is caused by several factors, including the use of antibiotics. Since intestinal dysbiosis is associated with a wide range of immunopathological and reproductive conditions, the main goal of this study was to evaluate amoxicillin-induced gut dysbiosis and its influence on the oestrous cycle in mice., Method of Study: Mice were treated with amoxicillin or PBS, and faecal microbiota was evaluated by 16S rDNA metagenomic sequencing. The oestrous cycle was evaluated by vaginal cytology, vaginal opening and flow cytometry. After the induction of gut dysbiosis, the ovaries and the caecum were analysed to differential expression of IL-1β and IL-10 genes and histological analysis., Results: Amoxicillin-treated mice presented differing bacterial groups in the faecal microbiota when compared to the PBS-treated group indicating that amoxicillin treatment-induced gut dysbiosis and they gained weight. The vaginal cytology analysis showed that amoxicillin-induced gut dysbiosis decreased the number of cells but increased the relative number of leucocytes and altered the oestrous cycle. IL-1β was shown to be upregulated in the caecum and in the ovary of the dysbiotic mice. On the other hand, IL-10 expression was shown to be diminished in both organs of the dysbiotic mice. The oocyte area from dysbiotic group presented lower than non-dysbiotic mice with increasing thickness of the pellucid zone. The follicular teak from dysbiotic mice showed lower thickness than non-dysbiotic mice., Conclusion: The results indicate that amoxicillin induces gut dysbiosis and influences the oestrous cycle and the inflammatory status of the ovary and the caecum., (© 2020 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

A primary lead smelter operated in Santo Amaro City in Brazil from 1960 to 1993, leaving approximately 500,000 tons of industrial dross containing 2⁻3% of lead and other toxic elements that contaminated the industry grounds and the urban environment. This study aimed to present the local residents' perception towards soil contamination by the smelter. In a cross-sectional study, 208 residents from randomly selected households were interviewed about dross hazards and proposals for its management. A city map depicts the distribution and concentration of lead, cadmium, arsenic, zinc, nickel, and antimony, measured in the soil of the 39 households with visible smelter dross. Only one site complies with the soil quality reference values; 27 (69.2%) call for preventive measures, and 11 (28.2%) require intervention. The smelter dross continues widely spread over the city. Thirty (76.9%) out of the 39 residents were able to recognize the smelter dross on household surroundings. However, this ability was not associated with the concentrations of toxic elements in the soil of their residences and surroundings. The smelter and the local Prefecture were most frequently held liable for taking soil cleanup actions. The most frequently (38.0%) cited solution for managing the dross found in the households was "to provide the residents with information about health risks related to the dross".

The gastrointestinal tract has become a focus of study recently. The crosstalk between microbiota, especially bacteria, and the intestinal mucosa has to be accurately balanced in order to maintain physiological homeostasis in the human body. This dynamic interaction results in different levels of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), IgA, and T cell lymphocyte subsets, which could lead the human body towards health or disease. The disruption of this microbiome characterises gut dysbiosis. Antibiotics are usually prescribed to fight against bacterial infection. They can also modulate the human microbiome, since it acts directly over organisational taxonomic units (OTUs) when taken orally. As a result, these pharmaceuticals enable gut dysbiosis and its systemic effects due to microbiome disturbance. Here, current data have been gathered from mice model experiments and epidemiological studies in an antibiotic-centred perspective. The presented data suggest the importance of translational studies in a murine model focusing on GIT homeostasis with bacterial groups since any changes to the GIT-microbiota have systemic repercussions in human health and disease., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

To investigate the polysaccharides of cubiu (Solanum sessiliflorum D.) fruits, pulp and peel were subjected to sequential extractions using different solvents, giving rise to pectins heterogeneous with respect to their structural characteristics, xylan, arabinogalactoxyloglucans and glucomannans. Chemical, physicochemical and spectroscopic analyses were used to characterize the polysaccharides obtained. Pectins with uronic acid content of commercial grade were obtained from the peel of cubiu fruits using water (25°C and 100°C) and EDTA and from its pulp using water (100°C). The fraction with the highest yield (9.6%) and uronic acid content (79.0%) extracted from the peel using water at 100°C was chemically and structurally characterized. This fraction consists predominantly of a mixture of a homogalacturonan (degree of methyl-esterification 56.9%) and a small amount of rhamnogalacturonan I branched by type I and type II arabinogalactans. The results suggest that cubiu is a promising source of pectins with high uronic acid content extractable by cheaper and environmentally friendly method., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The assessment of damage to indoor cultural heritage, in particular by pollutants, is nowadays a major and growing concern for curators and conservators. Nevertheless, although many museums have been widely investigated in Europe, the effects of particulate matter and gaseous pollutants in museums under tropical and subtropical climates and with different economic realities are still unclear. An important portion of the world's cultural heritage is currently in tropical countries where both human and financial resources for preserving museum collections are limited. Hence, our aim is to assess the damage that can be caused to the artwork by pollution in hot and humid environments, where air quality and microclimatic condition differences can cause deterioration. As a case study, particulate matter as well as gases were collected at the Oscar Niemeyer Museum (MON) in Curitiba, Brazil, where large modern and contemporary works of art are displayed. NO2, SO2, O3, Acetic Acid, Formic Acids and BTEX, in the ambient air, were sampled by means of passive diffusive sampling and their concentrations were determined by IC or GC-MS. The particulate matter was collected in bulk form and analyzed with the use of energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence and aethalometer. The chemical compositions of individual particles were quantitatively elucidated, including low-Z components like C, N and O, as well as higher-Z elements, using automated electron probe microanalysis. The gaseous and particulate matter levels were then compared with the concentrations obtained for the same pollutants in other museums, located in places with different climates, and with some reference values provided by international cultural heritage conservation centers. Results are interpreted separately and as a whole with the specific aim of identifying compounds that could contribute to the chemical reactions taking place on the surfaces of artifacts and which could potentially cause irreversible damage to the artworks., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To examine the possible relationship between lexical variables (categorization and naming) and developmental stuttering., Methods: Thirty Brazilian Portuguese speaking children with ages ranging from 7 to 9 years and 11 months participated in the study. We applied a lexical priming paradigm to experimentally investigate whether children with developmental stuttering (Research Group) differed from their fluent peers (Control Group), with respect to reaction time in three conditions - control (without prime); semantically related prime, and semantically independent prime - of two experimental tasks: categorization and naming of the target stimulus., Results: No difference between groups was observed in reaction time on the categorization task. However, there was a condition effect showing that, for both groups, reaction time was shorter in the semantically related prime condition when compared to the no prime condition. In the naming task, a between-group difference was observed in reaction time, indicating a longer reaction time in the Research Group than the Control Group. There was no condition effect on naming, i.e. the Research Group showed slower reaction time regardless of prime type., Conclusions: The results confirm the hypothesis that, in children with developmental stuttering, readiness in motor programming of speech is slowed when compared to fluent children. There is no difference between groups when the lexical function does not require speech readiness.

Background: Alcohol is the number one toxic substance consumed by people of all age groups, which makes its use a public health problem. The overall trend shows that university students are those who suffer the most pressure., Objective: To assess the prevalence of alcohol use among students newly enrolled at a public university in Alagoas, Brazil., Materials and Methods: We conducted an analytical sectional study at the Federal University of Alagoas, with 1435 (44% of total) newly enrolled students of all courses in 2006. They answered a questionnaire based on the CAGE. Some points such as sex, age, marital status, course, housing, family characteristics and how drugs fit into in the student life were studied with the resources of EpiInfo version 3.3.2. The survey was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the Federal University of Alagoas (number 000878/2005-17)., Results: Of the group studied, 95.9% lived with family and 87.6% reported ever drinking alcohol at some time in their life. Of all the respondents, 55.4% of men reported having the habit of drinking with friends or colleagues (Odds = 0.71; CI = 0.58-0.88; P-value = 0.00088). Among all respondents, 17.7% of male students and 9.8% females skipped class after using alcohol (Odds = 0.52; CI = 0.38-0.72; P-value = 0.000023). The transition from adolescence to youth and study time at university is marked by greater vulnerability to alcohol abuse. The family is decisive for the initiation of alcohol use, and the university is a factor that increases the possibility of maintaining the practice. The fact that not all students were present in the classroom at the time of the application questionnaire may have limited the search because this was a sectional study., Conclusion: Alcohol consumption in this university is similar to that in other higher education institutions in the world, which is a cause for concern, since the external lesions are accentuated with the practice of using alcohol, characterizing the risk of violence.

In the Recôncavo of Bahia (located between 12 degrees 33' and 13 degrees 10'S and 38 degrees 00'and 39 degrees 00'W), there are significant discharges of SO(2) and NO(x) due to local, industrial and urban activities. The incoming air masses from the Atlantic Ocean are enriched with seaspray, which neutralizes part of the rain acidity. The extent of seaspray neutralization of rain acidity was quantified in four sites of the region, each with different loads of seaspray. Rain samples were obtained daily at the same time, integrating the precipitation of the previous 24h, using wet-only collectors and analyzed for pH by potentiometry and for sodium by flame photometry. The amount of rain acidity in Recôncavo neutralized by seaspray ranged from <1% up to 88% and depended on the site. On average, neutralization ranged from 5% to 18%.

A cross-sectional epidemiological study has investigated lead poisoning among all the 101 children aged 1 to 5 years, living at less then 500 m from a lead smelter which has been operating since 1960 in Santo Amaro da Purificação, State of Bahia, Brazil. Lead poisoning was evaluated by determining the concentrations of zinc protoporphyrin (ZPP) in whole blood. Results were compared with those obtained from 98 children of the same age range, in a nursery from Salvador, capital of the State of Bahia. In Santo Amaro, ZPP geometric mean was 65.5 mg/dl (geometric S.D. = 1.7), much higher, therefore, than the normal threshold of 30 microg/dl recommended by the CDC-USA. A child was excluded from statistical analyses because of very high ZPP level: 789 mg/dl. In Salvador, ZPP geometric mean was 31.0 mg/dl (geometric SD = 1.6). "Extremely elevated" ZPP levels (above 156 mg/dl) were observed in 8% of the children from Santo Amaro and in none (0%) of the children from Salvador, this statistical difference being highly significant. Anaemia was present among 35.0% of the children from Santo Amaro and among 25.5% of those from Salvador. One year-old children showed the highest levels of ZPP and anaemia. No marked statistical association was found between ZPP levels and anaemia. Lead contamination of this children population remained in a permanently high level during, at least, the period from 1980 to 1992. In December, 1993 the lead smelter has definitively ceased its industrial activities in Santo Amaro da Purificação.

A cross-sectional epidemiologic survey conducted at the beginning of 1992 evaluated the status of lead intoxication among children from 1 to 5 years of age living within 500 meters of a primary lead smelter in the Brazilian city of Santo Amaro, Bahia. A total of 103 children in this age group were initially enrolled in the study; however, 2 were later excluded because they could not be located, and 1 was excluded from the statistical analyses for reasons noted below. The results were compared with those from similar surveys made in 1980 and 1985 in the same area with children of the same age. A blood sample was obtained from each child, the child's hematocrit and zinc protoporphyrin (ZPP) level were determined, and an interview questionnaire was used to collect information of clinical or epidemiologic interest from the child's mother or guardian. The geometric average ZPP was 65.5 micrograms/100 mL (geometric standard deviation = 1.7), a level far exceeding the upper limit of normality established by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of 30 micrograms/100 mL. One child was excluded from the statistical analyses because it exhibited an extremely high ZPP level (789 micrograms/100 mL). Higher average ZPP levels were found for girls, children with darker-skinned racial backgrounds, children from homes where smelter slag was commonly used around the house, children presenting pica, and children of smelter workers. Of the symptoms of lead poisoning investigated, only nervousness and easy irritability exhibited high frequencies among the children studied. However, the prevalence of above-normal ZPP levels suggestive of lead poisoning was 92.2% in 1980, 98.4% in 1985, and 97.0% in 1992. Hence, the apparent prevalence of lead poisoning continued very high in 1992, indicating that the control measures adopted were ineffective or that other unidentified and uncontrolled risk factors were playing an important role. Overall, however, the proportion of children with very high ZPP levels fell sharply, and that of children with moderately high levels also declined notably, indicating that the severity of the problem had been reduced even though new cases of intoxication continued to occur. The Santo Amaro smelter closed its doors in December 1993.

The dose-response relationship between erythrocyte protoporphyrin (EP) and blood lead (PbB) was investigated among children with different subgroups of iron status. The data bank from Santo Amaro City, Brazil, was taken to study 490 children aged 1-9 years who lived at less than 900 m from a primary lead smelter. Mean PbB was 58.9 +/- 25.3 micrograms/dl and mean EP was 87.1 +/- 68.1 micrograms/dl. At PbB levels lower than 60 micrograms/dl, the dose-response curve for EP versus PbB followed the classical pattern; children with low iron status showing greater EP "response" than those with typical iron status and those with high iron status, after controlling for the effects of age and racial group. Among children with PbB > or = 60 micrograms/dl, EP response increased according to the following order: typical < low < high iron status.

In 1980, a survey of lead poisoning was carried out among 592 children aged 1 to 9 years living within 900 m of a lead smelter in Santo Amaro, Brazil. From 1980 to 1985, the lead smelter carried out a number of major improvements aimed at reducing environmental pollution. In January, 1985, a second survey was carried out among a sample of 250 children living in this same geographical area. The geometric mean of zinc protoporphyrin (ZPP) concentration in whole blood was 1.17 (standard deviation = 1.5) mumol l-1. Blood lead concentrations (PbB) determined in a subsample of 53 children had an arithmetic mean and standard deviation of 1.77 +/- 1.00 mumol l-1, with 22 children showing PbB greater than or equal to 1.68 mumol l-1. Twenty-nine (11.6%) of the 250 children lived in houses where the lead content of the soil was greater than 10,000 ppm, and they presented higher ZPP levels than the rest of the population. Children with the habit of pica for soil had elevated ZPP levels. Comparing the results from the 1980 and 1985 surveys, slight improvements in ZPP and PbB levels were observed. However, new cases of lead poisoning are still occurring in the area. The soil is highly contaminated by lead and represents a long-lasting risk factor for child intoxication.

A prevalence study of anaemia was carried out amongst children, aged one to nine years, living near a lead smelter in Santo Amaro City, Northeast Brazil. It was found that the variation in haemoglobin levels was significantly associated with malnutrition and with the interaction between malnutrition and iron deficiency, but not with lead poisoning, iron deficiency, or hookworm infection, having allowed for the effects of age, area of residence, family per capita income and race. The effect of the interaction between malnutrition and iron deficiency on haemoglobin levels was most prominent amongst children aged one year and amongst those living in the most deprived area. The lack of demonstrable interaction between lead poisoning and iron deficiency in the causation of anaemia amongst these children is discussed.

In a cross-sectional study, concentrations of cadmium in hair (CdH) were determined for 263 children aged 1-9 years, living less than 900 m from a lead smelter in Santo Amaro, Brazil. The mean CdH level was significantly higher when individuals with the following characteristics were considered: female, racial group "dark" or "medium", and children of lead workers. The mean CdH value did not vary significantly according to nutritional status or iron status or hair type. Hair Cd levels increased significantly in relation to an increase in cadmium concentration in soil. An increase of 0.024 ppm in mean CdH level was estimated for each 1 ppm increase in the cadmium concentration in soil. However, children with the habit of pica had only a slight increase in CdH levels, when compared with those without the habit. The marked variations observed in CdH levels suggest the possibility of using them as an epidemiological index in situations of intense environmental pollution.

Previous studies have shown heavy pollution by lead and cadmium in the Subae River basin, State of Bahia, Brazil, caused by a lead smelter. Concentrations of these metals were determined in scalp hair of fishermen from three riverside towns and from a reference town. Increased levels for both metals were associated with increasing proximity to the smelter. Mean concentrations of lead and cadmium were higher among fishermen with straight hair than among those with curly hair. The effects of hair washing, hair type, and color and age on metal concentrations in fishermen's hair were studied.

A prevalence study of cadmium absorption was carried out among 396 children aged 1 to 9 years living at less than 900 m from a primary lead smelter in Santo Amaro City, northeast Brazil. Geometric mean and geometric standard deviation of cadmium concentrations in blood (CdB) were 0.087 and 2.5 mumole/liter, respectively, ranging from 0.004 to 0.511 units. Ninety-six per cent of these children presented CdB higher than 0.0089 mumole/liter (or 1.0 microgram/liter) which is usually taken as a reference level. Higher CdB levels were significantly associated with shorter distance from child's home to smelter chimney, residence time in the area greater than 7 months, racial groups Light and Medium, and heavy infection by hookworm. The variation in CdB levels was not associated with child's age, nutritional status, iron status, family per capita income, blood lead level, being a child of a lead worker, the habit of pica, and contamination of child's peridomiciliar environment by smelter dross.