Publications by authors named "Beatriz Almeida"

Background: Cancer patients face a greater risk of complications and death after contracting the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine were suggested to provide additional protection. This study aimed to assess how cancer patients' immune systems respond to the booster shots and categorize their responses.

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The milky spots are structures found in the omentum of humans and other vertebrates, representing a fraction of the lymphomyeloid tissue associated with the celom. They majorly consist of B lymphocytes, T lymphocytes, and macrophages. Also found in smaller quantities are mesothelial, stromal, dendritic, and rare mast cells.

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Cancer patients, prone to severe COVID-19, face immune challenges due to their disease and treatments. Identifying biomarkers, particularly extracellular vesicle (EV)-derived microRNAs (miRNAs), is vital for comprehending their response to COVID-19 vaccination. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate specific EV-miRNAs in the plasma of cancer patients under active treatment who received the COVID-19 booster vaccine.

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Close contact between cats and humans increases the risk of transmission of zoonotic pathogens, through bites and scratches due to the complexity of microorganisms in the oral and nail microbiotas of felines. This study investigated the presence of bacteria and fungi in the oral cavity and claws of 100 apparently healthy cats using conventional and selective microbiological culture media, and next-generation sequencing (NGS) and mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). Furthermore, antimicrobial susceptibility testing of bacteria isolates was performed by disc diffusion method.

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The genus Perissopalla Brennan and White (Trombidiformes: Trombiculidae) is currently represented by ten species with three from Brazil: Perissopalla barticonycteris Brennan, Perissopalla ipeani Brennan, and Perissopalla tanycera Brennan. In the present study, these three species are redescribed and illustrated based on the types and additional non-type specimens. New host and locality records for P.

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Article Synopsis
  • Bone cement with antibiotics like vancomycin or gentamicin is used to fight orthopedic infections, but their effectiveness is limited against some bacteria.
  • This study tested silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) combined with polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) to see if they could reduce biofilm formation by several bacteria, including Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
  • Results showed that while AgNP-loaded PMMA with antibiotics significantly decreased bacteria counts, AgNPs alone weren't as effective, highlighting the importance of using them together for better results against stubborn infections.
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McArdle disease is a rare condition, characterized by a deficiency of phosphorylase muscle isoform, an enzyme responsible for the breaking down of glycogen, necessary for obtaining energy. Patients typically present with exercise intolerance, myalgias, fatigue, cramps, muscle stiffness, and/or weakness induced by physical activity. The diagnosis is generally established late, with a median delay of about 29 years.

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Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) provoked a global pandemic identified as coronavirus disease (COVID-19), with millions of deaths worldwide. However, several important questions regarding its impact on public health remain unanswered, such as the impact of vaccination on vulnerable subpopulations such as cancer patients. Cytokine storm and a sustained inflammatory state are commonly associated with immune cell depletion, being manifested in most immunocompromised individuals.

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The high complexity of the oral microbiota of healthy dogs and the close exposure of humans to companion animals represent a risk of the transmission of potential zoonotic microorganisms to humans, especially through dog bites, including multidrug-resistant ones. Nonetheless, a limited number of comprehensive studies have focused on the diversity of the microorganisms that inhabit the oral cavities of healthy dogs, particularly based on modern molecular techniques. We investigated bacterial and fungal organisms in the oral cavities of 100 healthy dogs based on a combination of conventional and selective microbiological culture, mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS), and next-generation sequencing.

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is a Gram-negative, obligate intraerythrocytic bacterium that causes bovine anaplasmosis. While hard ticks of the genera and can be biological vectors, transmitting this pathogen via saliva during blood meals, blood-sucking insects, and fomites play a role as mechanical vectors. Little is known about the interaction between and Argasidae ticks.

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The coinfections by some microorganisms have been related to severe diseases in humans and animals, where immunosuppressive agents favor opportunistic behavior of other pathogens. A 4-month-old, female mixed-breed dog with a two-week history of inappetence, prostration, emaciation, and respiratory distress was admitted at a veterinary hospital in Brazil. Tachycardia, pale mucous membranes, severe respiratory distress, and a large number of ticks (Rhipicephalus sanguineus s.

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Article Synopsis
  • Many studies focus on surgical techniques and medications, but there is a lack of research on the role of rehabilitation in reducing respiratory complications during the pre and postoperative phases of surgery.
  • This study aimed to evaluate respiratory muscle strength and the incidence of pulmonary complications in patients undergoing hepatectomy, comparing those who received inspiratory muscle training to a control group.
  • Out of 76 eligible subjects, 41 completed the study; results showed no respiratory complications in the training group while the control group had three, indicating that inspiratory muscle training may significantly enhance postoperative outcomes.
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Background: The Parkinson's Disease-Cognitive Rating Scale (PD-CRS) assesses posterior-cortical and frontal-subcortical cognitive functioning and distinguishes mild cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease (PD-MCI); however, it was not evaluated in Brazil.

Objectives: To investigate PD-CRS's reliability, validity, normative data, and accuracy for PD-MCI screening in Brazil.

Methods: The effects of age, education, and sex on PD-CRS scores were explored.

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Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) emerged in December 2019 and quickly spread, giving rise to a pandemic crisis. Therefore, it triggered tireless efforts to identify the mechanisms of the disease, how to prevent and treat it, and to limit and hamper its global dissemination. Considering the above, the search for prophylactic approaches has led to a revolution in the reglementary pharmaceutical pipeline, with the approval of vaccines against COVID-19 in an unprecedented way.

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  • In a study of 136 neurological cases from 2005 to 2021, bacteria were found in 25% of cerebrospinal fluid samples, with various domestic animals affected, including cattle and dogs, and Staphylococcus aureus being the most common bacterial isolate.
  • Susceptibility tests indicated that certain antibiotics like amoxicillin/clavulanic acid were effective against the bacterial strains, but there was notable resistance to others, including tetracycline and penicillin, highlighting concerns about multidrug resistance.
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Background: Very few studies prospectively analyzed medical students' mental health before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to prospectively evaluate mental health in medical students in 2018, 2019, and 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.

Methods: All students from first to fourth year were invited to participate in 2018.

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Background: Patients with kidney failure require vascular access to receive maintenance haemodialysis (HD), which can be achieved by an arteriovenous fistula or a central venous catheter (CVC). CVC use is related to frequent complications such as venous stenosis and infection. Venous stenosis occurs mainly due to trauma caused by the entrance of the catheter into the venous lumen and repeated contact with the vein wall.

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Klebsiella species, particularly K. pneumoniae, are well-known opportunistic enterobacteria related to complexity of clinical infections in humans and animals, commonly refractory to conventional therapy. The domestic animals may represent a source of the pathogenic and multidrug-resistant Klebsiella species to humans.

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Purpose: Describe the preventive strategies used during the COVID-19 pandemic in the return of academic and health care activities in a Speech Therapy Teaching Clinic at a Brazilian public university.

Methods: This is a descriptive study based on documentary research. The strategies were based on official recommendations from national and international institutions and/or organizations to combat COVID-19 published between March and June 2020.

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This study analyzed 57 section (AF) isolates collected by active and passive sampling (N = 450) in several health care facilities and from biological sampling of health care workers (N = 25) and controls (N = 22) in Portugal. All isolates were cultured in different media and screened for azole resistance. Cytotoxicity was assessed for 40 isolates in lung epithelial cells and kidney cells using the MTT assay.

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Pharmacogenetics (PGx) can optimize drug therapy in psychiatry and is particularly important in admixed populations. Here we developed and successfully validated a questionnaire for assessing the perception and knowledge of PGx among Brazilian psychiatrists. Overall, the participants showed some familiarity with PGx.

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Rhodococcus equi is a well-known intracellular facultative bacterium that is opportunistic in nature, and a contagious disease-causing agent of pyogranulomatous infections in humans and multihost animals. Feline rhodococcosis is an uncommon or unnoticed clinical condition, in which the organism is usually refractory to conventional antimicrobial therapy. The pathogenicity of the agent is intimately associated with plasmid-governed infectivity, which is attributed to the presence of plasmid-encoded virulence-associated proteins (Vap).

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With the aging of the population, there is an increase in the incidence of common diseases to this age group, such as dementias. Efforts to improve the quality of health care for these patients, including speech-language therapy, have grown. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness and applicability of the Talk Around It as a complementary strategy in the language therapy of a patient with cognitive communication disorder.

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Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic brought abrupt changes when quarantine measures were implemented. Most medical students had distance learning as their main content delivery mode, but in clerkship (fifth and sixth years), in-person activities were maintained under new protocols. These different modes may have affected student mental health.

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