Publications by authors named "Alessandra Machado"

Background: Climate change has severe health impacts, particularly for populations living in environmentally sensitive areas such as riversides, slopes, and forests. These challenges are exacerbated for Indigenous communities, who often face marginalisation and rely heavily on the land for their livelihoods. Despite their vulnerability, the perspectives of Indigenous populations on climate change and its impacts remain underexplored, creating a critical gap in the literature.

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Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are a leading cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide. Rapid diagnostic tools are crucial for timely intervention, especially in high-risk groups such as truck drivers. In Brazil, the Mission® test uniquely offers test strips for simultaneous measurement of total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), triglycerides (TG), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL).

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Weissella, a genus of lactic acid bacteria, has diverse beneficial attributes including probiotic activity and biotechnological applications. Therefore, the investigation of the Weissella genus has garnered growing interest. In this study, we sequenced the complete genome of Weissella paramesenteroides UFTM 2.

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Article Synopsis
  • * The study aimed to investigate how maternal separation affects anxiety-like behavior and memory extinction, alongside examining the role of a linseed oil diet rich in omega-3 fats in mitigating these effects.
  • * Results showed that maternal separation led to increased anxiety and freezing behavior during memory tests, but a linseed oil diet helped improve anxiety-like behavior, albeit with mixed results on inflammation and mitochondrial functionality in the amygdala.
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Unlabelled: The remaining filling material after retreatment can harbor bacteria and organic tissues that can influence the outcome of the therapy.

Aim: The aim of this study was to evalúate, by micro-CT, the amount of filling material remaining in the root canal after its removal using WaveOne Gold or ProDesign RT.

Material And Method: Forty human mandibular canines were instrumented with the ProTaper Next system up to the X2 instrument (25.

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The aim was to evaluate primary implant stability and bone microarchitecture in two drilling situations, by comparing the conventional technique (CT) and osseodensification (OD) (Versah Burs - Jackson - Mississippi - USA). The implant insertion torque (IT), implant stability quotient (ISQ), and the peri-implant trabecular microstructure were assessed on bone fragments obtained from pig's tibia (n=12), divided between CT (n=6) and OD (n=6). After the drilling procedure, the implants were installed (3.

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Background: According to the Th1/Th2 paradigm, the expansion of Th1-type clones in individuals with type 1 diabetes results in reduced Th2-type clones, preventing the development of atopic diseases and vice versa. However, there is no consensus regarding the direct or inverse relationship between autoimmune and atopic diseases.

Objective: The aim of this scoping review was to examine the knowledge gap about the possibility of coexistence of asthma and type 1 diabetes and determine the prevalence of this association.

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Leposternon microcephalum is a species belonging to the Amphisbaenia, a group of burrowing reptiles. Amphisbaenia present various morphological and physiological adaptations that allow them to penetrate the ground and live underground, through a system of galleries and permanent chambers that they build themselves. Among the morphological adaptations in this group, those of the skull stand out as it serves as the main excavation tool.

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Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is caused by mutations in the gene that encodes the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor, which leads to an excessive increase in plasma LDL cholesterol levels. Previous studies have shown that FH is associated with gliosis, blood-brain barrier dysfunction, and memory impairment, but the mechanisms associated with these events are still not fully understood. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the role of microgliosis in the neurochemical and behavioral changes associated with FH using LDL receptor knockout (LDLr) mice.

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Street foods play important socioeconomic and cultural roles and are popular worldwide. In addition to providing convenient and low-cost meals for urban populations, street food offers an essential source of income for vendors, especially women, and it can reflect traditional local culture, which is an important attraction for tourists. Despite these benefits, the microbiological safety of street food has become a worldwide concern because it is often prepared and sold under inadequate safety conditions, without legal control and sanitary surveillance.

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In this study, we evaluated the antimicrobial susceptibility, the presence of gene-encoding virulence factors and CRISPR systems, as well as the ability to produce lytic enzymes among clinical E. faecalis and E. faecium isolates (n = 44).

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This study aimed to evaluate the endodontic instrumentation outcomes with asymmetrical files compared to reciprocating and hand files (HFs) in 3D-printed prototypes of upper primary incisors using micro-computed tomography (micro-CT). For this purpose, 50 prototypes were randomly divided (n = 10) according to the instrumentation technique as follows: HFs, a reciprocating file (WaveOne® Gold [WOG]), and three asymmetrical movement files: XP-Endo® Shaper (XPS), XP-Endo® Finisher (XPF), and XP Clean (XPC). The specimens were scanned and, after registration of the baseline and instrumented volumes, changes in the root canal volume (RCV), debris accumulation, removed root material volume (RRMV), non-instrumented areas, and the presence of cracks/perforations were quantified.

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COVID-19 reached pandemic level in March 2020 and the number of confirmed cases continued to increase worldwide. The clinical course of the disease has not yet been fully characterized, and some specific symptoms related to smell, taste, and feeding behavior require further examination. The present study aimed to assess the presence of symptoms related to the feeding behavior occurred during and/or after COVID-19 in adults residing in Portugal and to link them to disease severity using a multivariate approach.

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The illicit trade of tobacco products, by enabling access to cheaper cigarettes, favors smoking initiation and hinders its cessation, minimizing the effects of price policy and taxes on reducing the demand for tobacco. This is especially the case among populations with lower income and schooling, where smoking is concentrated. Its confrontation requires multisectoral actions, aligned with the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, supported by estimates of the illicit trade magnitude and the analysis of its characteristics.

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This study analyzed the root trunk (RT) and the pre-furcation area (PFA) of mandibular first molars. Thirty lower first mandibular molars extracted due to advanced periodontal disease were evaluated in a high-energy spiral computerized micro-tomography. Two gutta-percha markings on the cementoenamel junction (CEJ) and at the furcation entrance (FE) at buccal and lingual surfaces served as reference points for measurements of RT length, and PFA width and depth, at the levels of CEJ, 1 mm apical to CEJ, 2 mm apical to CEJ, and at the FE.

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Article Synopsis
  • The genera Mitophis and Tetracheilostoma are small threadsnakes found only on some West Indian islands, exhibiting unique physical traits due to extreme miniaturization.
  • This study analyzes their bone structure and internal organs, revealing notable differences from other related snakes, particularly in the skull and backbone.
  • Findings suggest that these morphological changes are influenced by evolutionary pressures related to island life, highlighting the importance of physical characteristics in understanding the taxonomy of these reptiles.
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Objective: To describe the reflection-action process for the development of nurses' competence in prenatal care.

Method: Action research with 30 nurses from primary health care in a municipality in the south of the country, through workshops held between June and August 2019, analyzed according to Creswell.

Results: Nurses identify nursing consultation as a differential in prenatal care; point out the ignorance of work processes as an obstacle to the protagonism in prenatal care; and they highlight the registration of activities and the dissemination of the nurse's role with the team and the population as aspects that strengthen and value the profession.

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Methods: Pregnant Wistar rats received diets enriched in soybean oil (SO) or OO during gestation/lactation. At birth, litters were subdivided into MS or intact groups. After weaning, the pups received standard chow until adulthood, when they were subjected to behavioral tasks.

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The use of xenobiotics in food production and how food intake is carried out in different cultures, along with different eating habits (omnivorism (ON), ovolactovegetarianism (VT), and strict vegetarianism (VG)) seem to have implications for antimicrobial resistance, especially in the human gut microbiota. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate aspects of the clinical resistome of the human gut microbiota among healthy individuals with different eating habits. Volunteers were divided into 3 groups: = 19 omnivores (ON), = 20 ovolactovegetarians (VT), and = 19 strict vegetarians (VG), and nutritional and anthropometric parameters were measured.

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Objective: To cross-validate estimates of the size of the illicit cigarette trade based on the results of four different survey methods.

Methods: In 2018/2019, four non-industry-funded, large-scale studies were conducted in selected Brazilian cities: packs discarded in household garbage/PDG (1 city), packs littered in the streets/PLS (5 cities), a phone survey of tobacco users' purchase behaviors/VIGITEL (5 cities), and a face-to-face household survey of tobacco users' purchase behaviors/FTF-household (2 cities). The proportions of illicit cigarettes consumed were based on the price paid by smokers in their last purchase (VIGITEL or FTF-household) and/or direct observation of brand names and health warnings (PDG, PLS or FTF-household).

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The processes permeating the relationships between bioturbation and microorganisms remain poorly understood due to the difficulty of traditional techniques in quantifying their two- and three-dimensional aspects. We used cutting-edge technologies to address the macro- and microorganisms' interactions under metal-contamination. Bioturbation (mucus-lined gallery perimeter, mucus-lined gallery surface area, and gallery water volume) positively influence the carbohydrate consumption rate by the bacterial consortium, elevating bacterial metabolic activity, despite metal-contamination.

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We investigated the effect of a chronic palatable diet rich in simple sugars on memory of different degrees of emotionality in male adult rats, and on hippocampal plasticity markers in different stages of development. On postnatal day (PND) 21, 45 male Wistar rats were divided in two groups, according to their diet: (1-Control) receiving standard lab chow or (2-Palatable Diet) receiving both standard chow plus palatable diet ad libitum. At PND 60, behavioral tests were performed to investigate memory in distinct tasks.

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Introduction: Oral feeding safety is necessary to provide nutrition, hydration, and eating pleasure for patients with dysphagia. Commercial thickeners are prescribed for these patients to change food viscosity and may alter the proper preparation of modified food.

Objective: Analyze composition, employed terminology, preparation instructions, recommended amount and weight of provided measuring spoons, nutritional information, and viscosity of 7 commercial thickeners.

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