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This study aimed to evaluate the erosive potential of powdered juice drinks on dental enamel in 2 stages: physiochemical characterization and erosive challenge testing. In stage 1, the pH and titratable acidity of 5 commercially available powdered juices in 10 different flavors were analyzed. Five treatment groups were then established based on the pH values, titratable acidity, and presence of citric acid in the juices, and their energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy profiles were studied. In stage 2, the erosive effect of the juices was tested using a pH cycling model; polished bovine dental enamel blocks (n = 8) were treated 4 times daily on 5 consecutive days with 1% citric acid (positive control) or lemon, orange, pineapple, or cashew juice. The specimens were immersed in the erosive solutions, under agitation (100 rpm), for 1 minute at 25°C. Overnight and between treatments, the blocks were stored in artificial saliva without agitation. At the end of cycling, the enamel surfaces were evaluated by profilometry and scanning electron microscopy. The stage 2 results were submitted to 1-way analysis of variance followed by Tukey test (α = 0.05). The pH values of the juices ranged between 2.86 (lemon) and 3.84 (cashew), while the titratable acidity ranged from 14.5 (cashew) to 90.00 (lemon) mmol/L. Lemon juice showed the least calcium content (2.76%) and no (0.00%) phosphorus concentration. Orange, pineapple, and cashew juices showed the greatest concentrations of calcium and phosphorus and were therefore less erosive than lemon juice. The mean [SD] surface loss was higher in the lemon juice group (0.52 [0.16] μm), with no significant differences (P > 0.05) from the control (0.39 [0.09] μm) and orange juice (0.41 [0.12] μm). In groups exposed to pineapple juice (0.36 [0.04] μm) and cashew juice (0.16 [0.08] μm), the surface loss was significantly lower (P < 0.05) than that found in lemon juice. The results demonstrate that powdered juice drinks (especially lemon juice) present erosive potential and lead to surface loss of dental enamel.

Diabetes patients present a complex healing process due to several factors directly linked to their pathology. The use of medicinal plants that aid in tissue repair can bring great benefits to such individuals. This case report describes how the topical application of the aqueous extract produced from the leaves of Piper amalago L. was used to aid the healing of a lacerated wound in the left thumb of a patient with type 2 diabetes mellitus. The aqueous extract of the leaves of Piper amalago L. was prepared in boiling water. During the boiling process the dried leaves were submerged in the boiling water and left for five min. The injured thumb was submerged in the solution and the leaves were placed on the injury. The action of the aqueous extract obtained from the leaves of P. amalago was shown to be promising in the healing of a wound in a patient with type 2 diabetes mellitus. The topical application of the aqueous extract produced from the leaves of P. amalago assisted in the healing of a lacerated wound in the left thumb of a patient with type 2 diabetes mellitus over a period of 15 days., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Oropouche orthobunyavirus (OROV) has significant impact in public health in Amazon region. This arbovirus is one of the most common causes of febrile illness in Brazil, and is responsible for several epidemics since 1960's. In this study, we sequenced and characterized the complete coding sequences (S-, M- and L-RNA) of 35 OROV isolates from Brazil. Here, we classified 20 strains in genotype I from Pará and Maranhão states, nine as genotype II from Pará and Rondônia states confirmed, four classified into genotype III from Acre, Maranhão, Minas Gerais and Rondônia states and two genotype IV from Amazonas State. Also, we did not observe reassortment events involving the OROV isolates. In addition, we developed novel RT-PCR tools to identify reassortment events among OROV strains. These data will be useful to better understand the molecular epidemiology and diagnostic of OROV infections., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Here, we present a complete genome sequence and annotation of Porphyrobacter sp. strain CACIAM 03H1, which was obtained from a nonaxenic culture of Microcystis aeruginosa , a cyanobacterium isolated from an Amazonian freshwater environment., (Copyright © 2017 Castro et al.)

Given its toxigenic potential, Microcystis aeruginosa is an important bloom-forming cyanobacterium. Here, we present a draft genome and annotation of the strain CACIAM 03, which was isolated from an Amazonian freshwater environment., (Copyright © 2016 Castro et al.)

Ecological interactions between cyanobacteria and heterotrophic prokaryotes are poorly known. To improve the genomic studies of heterotrophic bacterium-cyanobacterium associations, the draft genome sequence (3.2 Mbp) of Limnobacter sp. strain CACIAM 66H1, found in a nonaxenic culture of Synechococcus sp. (cyanobacteria), is presented here., (Copyright © 2016 da Silva et al.)

Here, we present a draft genome and annotation of Flavihumibacter sp. CACIAM 22H1, isolated from Bolonha Lake, Brazil, which will provide further insight into the production of substances of biotechnological interest., (Copyright © 2016 Moraes et al.)

We report here nearly complete genome sequence of Inhangapi virus (INHV) strain BEAR177325, which was isolated from a pool of sandflies (Lutzomyia flaviscutellata) in the Utinga neighborhood, Belém (01º28´S 48°27'W), State of Pará, Brazil, in 1969. The genome of this virus showed similarity with members belonging to the family Rhabdoviridae., (Copyright © 2016 Wanzeller et al.)

We describe here the nearly complete open reading frame (ORF) of five Gamboa virus strains isolated in Panama and Argentina. The viruses with complete ORF showed the regular genome organization observed in other orthobunyaviruses with exception to the presence of NSs protein. All predicted proteins showed homology with viruses belonging to members of the family Bunyaviridae., (Copyright © 2014 Nunes et al.)

Nearly complete genome sequences for three ungrouped viruses, Pacui virus (BEAN27326), Rio Preto da Eva virus (BEAR540870), and Tapirape virus (BEAN767592) isolated in the Amazon region are reported here. All three genomic segments (small, medium and large RNA) were recovered and were similar to members of the genus Orthobunyavirus., (Copyright © 2014 Rodrigues et al.)

We sequenced the oldest blaKPC-2-bearing plasmid isolated in Brazil and another plasmid also carried by a Klebsiella pneumoniae strain of sequence type 442 (ST442), isolated 52 months later. Both plasmids present an IncN backbone and few acquired regions. Because the 2005 plasmid presented deletions and a truncated gene within Tn4401b compared to the 2009 plasmid, we can thus infer that IncN blaKPC-2-bearing plasmids pFCF1305 and pFCF3SP had a common ancestor circulating in Brazil prior to May 2005.

In this study, we sought to investigate the genetic influence of two HLA-G 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR) polymorphisms - 14 bp (rs66554220) and +3142C>G (rs1063320) and their compounding haplotypes in susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in a two-region Brazilian study comprising of 539 patients and 489 controls. All subjects were polymerase chain reaction (PCR) genotyped for the referred polymorphisms and logistic regression models controlling for sex, city and age were performed. Homozygozity for the +3142G allele was associated with an increased risk of RA [odds ratio (OR) = 1.45, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.075-1.959, P(Bonf)  = 0.030], whereas no association was observed for the 14 bp polymorphism. Haplotype comparisons between patients and controls showed a decreased frequency of the delC haplotype in patients (OR = 0.70, 95% CI = 0.521-0.946, P(Bonf)  = 0.040), which remained significant in the rheumatoid factor (RF)-positive group (OR = 0.66, 95% CI = 0.482-0.900, P(Bonf)  = 0.018), but not in the RF-negative group. These results corroborate the hypothesis of an involvement of HLA-G in the susceptibility of RA. The +3142G allele is associated with haplotype lineages that share high identity and are regarded as low producers. The presence of the G allele in homozygosis could be responsible for a low HLA-G expression profile that could favor the triggering of RA., (© 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Globally, yellow fever virus infects nearly 200,000 people, leading to 30,000 deaths annually. Although the virus is endemic to Latin America, only a single genome from this region has been sequenced. Here, we report 12 Brazilian yellow fever virus complete genomes, their genetic traits, phylogenetic characterization, and phylogeographic dynamics. Variable 3' noncoding region (3'NCR) patterns and specific mutations throughout the open reading frame altered predicted secondary structures. Our findings suggest that whereas the introduction of yellow fever virus in Brazil led to genotype I-predominant dispersal throughout South and Central Americas, genotype II remained confined to Bolivia, Peru, and the western Brazilian Amazon.

Dengue virus serotype 4 (DENV-4) reemerged in Roraima State, Brazil, 28 years after it was last detected in the country in 1982. To study the origin and evolution of this reemergence, full-length sequences were obtained for 16 DENV-4 isolates from northern (Roraima, Amazonas, Pará States) and northeastern (Bahia State) Brazil during the 2010 and 2011 dengue virus seasons and for an isolate from the 1982 epidemic in Roraima. Spatiotemporal dynamics of DENV-4 introductions in Brazil were applied to envelope genes and full genomes by using Bayesian phylogeographic analyses. An introduction of genotype I into Brazil from Southeast Asia was confirmed, and full genome phylogeographic analyses revealed multiple introductions of DENV-4 genotype II in Brazil, providing evidence for >3 introductions of this genotype within the last decade: 2 from Venezuela to Roraima and 1 from Colombia to Amazonas. The phylogeographic analysis of full genome data has demonstrated the origins of DENV-4 throughout Brazil.

The 7th cholera pandemic reached Latin America in 1991, spreading from Peru to virtually all Latin American countries. During the late epidemic period, a strain that failed to ferment sucrose dominated cholera outbreaks in the Northern Brazilian Amazon region. In order to understand the genomic characteristics and the determinants of this altered sucrose fermenting phenotype, the genome of the strain IEC224 was sequenced. This paper reports a broad genomic study of this strain, showing its correlation with the major epidemic lineage. The potentially mobile genomic regions are shown to possess GC content deviation, and harbor the main V. cholera virulence genes. A novel bioinformatic approach was applied in order to identify the putative functions of hypothetical proteins, and was compared with the automatic annotation by RAST. The genome of a large bacteriophage was found to be integrated to the IEC224's alanine aminopeptidase gene. The presence of this phage is shown to be a common characteristic of the El Tor strains from the Latin American epidemic, as well as its putative ancestor from Angola. The defective sucrose fermenting phenotype is shown to be due to a single nucleotide insertion in the V. cholerae sucrose-specific transportation gene. This frame-shift mutation truncated a membrane protein, altering its structural pore-like conformation. Further, the identification of a common bacteriophage reinforces both the monophyletic and African-Origin hypotheses for the main causative agent of the 1991 Latin America cholera epidemics.

Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is an autoimmune condition with poorly known etiology, characterized by platelet destruction. Genetic association studies of this disease are scarce, discrepant, and restricted to major histocompatibility complex (MHC) polymorphisms. Hence, a case-control study was conducted with an aim to map the MHC to IPT susceptibility using HLA-B and nine microsatellite loci encompassing MHC class I, II, and III regions. We compared the allelic frequencies in samples of unrelated healthy controls and ITP patients. After correction for multiple tests, only allele MICA*183, also known as A5.1, demonstrated an association, resulting in the identification of a major predisposing region close to STR-MICA. This result may highlight the putative functional role of MICA in the immune response to ITP.

Field trials were conducted in Western Australia to compare captures of the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), in a standard male-targeted trap (Lynfield trap baited with Capilure) with a synthetic, female-targeted attractant marketed as BioLure. BioLure was also compared with other fenale attractants (orange ammonia, liquid protein bait) and tested in plastic McPhail, Tephri, and Lynfield traps. The possibility of using one trap to monitor female and male C. capitata populations was also tested by combining BioLure in a trap with the male attractant, Capilure. The results of these experiments show that BioLure outperformed the female-targeted system currently used for monitoring female C. capitala (liquid protein in MePhail trap). More male C. capitata were caught in the standard male-targeted trap, but more females were caught in traps baited with BioLure irrespective of trap type, climate, host tree, or population level. Combined lure traps caught equivalent total numbers of C. capitata to the standard male-targeted trap, but fewer females were captured. Tephri traps caught more flies than McPhail traps, but McPhail traps caught equivalent proportions of females. We compared the performance in commercial orchards of the standard male-targeted trap with a female-targeted trap (McPhail with BioLure). We found that the male trap detected C. capitata more often, caught more flies, triggered the economic threshold more often (66% of the time) and was more cost effective. The male-targeted trap is recommended for use on commercial orchards if cost is limiting. However, using both male and female-targeted traps increases the chance of detecting flies and triggering the economic threshold level. The synthetic female attractant is recommended for replacement of protein hydrolysate lures and may be used in either Tephri or McPhail traps.

Liver specimens from 10 cases of yellow fever (YF) were studied by light and four by electron microscopy to review morphological aspects of the disease relevant to its diagnosis, with special emphasis on acidophilic bodies (AB) and on the possible presence of the virus within infected cells. The AB were compared with those found in 22 out of 69 liver specimens with other pathological processes. In YF the typical alteration was an acidophilic hepatocellular necrosis with a preferential midzonal distribution. Ceroid pigment was abundant, its amount was proportional to the degree of liver cell damage and it was found in altered hepatocytes and Kupffer cells in the most damaged areas. The inflammatory infiltrate was scanty, not only in portal tracts but also within the lobules. Electron microscopically, no viral particles were found in liver cells or AB. The latter appeared as round or elliptical cytoplasmic masses, surrounded by a conspicuous cellular membrane and densely packed with organelles, fat vacuoles and residual bodies. They differed from AB in other liver diseases by the presence of fat vacuoles and ceroid pigment. Some peculiarities of AB in other liver diseases such as presence of bile pigment and iron, would depend upon the presence of these pigments in the hepatocytes which originated them.