Publications by authors named "Bittencourt A"

Background: To investigate the association between metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic pancreas disease (MASPD) and insulin resistance (IR).

Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 157 participants diagnosed with MASPD based on ultrasonography criteria. Baseline demographic data were collected, including age, gender, and body mass index.

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Increased spread of antimicrobial resistance by Gram-Negative Bacilli (GNB) poses a global challenge, with exacerbated burden post-pandemic. The aim of this study was to investigate the in vitro activity of ceftolozane/tazobactam and its comparators against the frequently identified GNB isolated from patients admitted to Brazilian medical sites between the year 2018‒2019 and 2020‒2021. The impact of pandemic on antimicrobial resistance and presence of β-lactamase genes were also evaluated.

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Objective: To analyze in silico the evidence of molecular mimicry between human beta-cell autoantigens and cow's milk proteins as a potential type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) trigger.

Materials And Methods: The in silico analysis was performed using bioinformatics tools to compare the amino acid sequences of cow's milk proteins (bovine serum albumin [BSA] and beta-lactoglobulin [BLG]) and human beta-cell autoantigens (glutamic acid decarboxylase-65 [GAD-65], insulin, and zinc transporter 8 [ZnT8]). The structural and functional characteristics of the proteins were analyzed to identify potential molecular mimicry mechanisms.

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The aim of the present study was to analyze palatal marginal alveolar exostosis (PMAE) and palatal torus (PT). Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) of the maxilla in multiplanar sections and volumetric renderings were used to assess this. PT and PMAE were classified according to location and morphology.

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The sugarcane industry generates byproducts that contribute to the proliferation of . An analysis was carried out to verify the efficacy of HP88 and LPP7 at different vinasse temperatures to control larvae. Ten fly larvae were deposited in plastic containers containing four mL of 50% vinasse.

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Early life adversity has been linked with a higher probability of developing behavioral impairments and environmental manipulation is a strategy that may reduce the negative effects of exposure to adversity in early life. Here, we focused on exploring the influence of environmental enrichment (EE) as a protective factor in the context of early life adversity. We hypothesized that 24 hours of maternal deprivation (MD), in the second week of life, could induce anxiety-like behavior alterations and that exposure to EE could induce resilience to these behaviors due to alterations in the serotonergic system.

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Article Synopsis
  • Improving cerium oxide (CeO2) catalytic performance for methane (CH4) activation can be achieved by blending with other oxides and varying particle sizes.
  • This study uses theoretical methods, including density functional theory, to analyze how CH4 dehydrogenation occurs on (La2Ce2O7)n clusters of different sizes.
  • Key findings show that the binding energies and adsorption strength of CH3 and H species depend on the coordination of the adsorption site and the chemical environment, with stronger binding leading to lower activation energy barriers for the reaction.
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Ctenocephalides felis felis is a relevant and widely distributed ectoparasite that acts as a vector of disease-causing pathogens. Moreover, it is responsible for economic losses due the use of harmful chemicals to the environment and that favor the emergence of insecticide-resistant populations. Research on entomopathogenic nematodes may open up an alternative route to the insect chemical control.

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American tegumentary leishmaniasis (ATL) diagnosis is an open question, and the search for a solution is urgent. The available tests that detect the etiological agent of the infection are specific for ATL diagnosis. However, they present disadvantages, such as low sensitivity and the need for invasive procedures to obtain the samples.

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We report a theoretical investigation of temperature, size, and composition effects on the structural, energetic, and electronic properties of the (La4O6)n, (La2Ce2O7)n, and (Ce4O8)n nanoclusters (NCs) for n = 10, 18. Furthermore, we investigated the single O vacancy formation energy as a function of the geometric location within the NC. Our calculations are based on the combination of force-field molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and density functional theory calculations.

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Infective dermatitis associated with human T-cell lymphotropic virus type-1 (HTLV-1) (IDH) is a severe form of chronically infected eczema occurring in early childhood, although very rarely cases have been reported in adults. Most of the cases are from Jamaica and Brazil and occur in individuals with low socioeconomic status. IDH is always associated with refractory Staphylococcus aureus or beta-hemolytic Streptococcus infection of the skin and nasal vestibules.

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This study aimed to evaluate the virulence of NEPT11 against larvae of . Groups of 10 third-instar fly larvae were deposited in Petri dishes, to which were added 50, 100 and 200 EPNs/larva in 4ml of distilled water. The volume of the control group was the same as the treated group, but without EPNs.

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Unlabelled: The disability of cells to react to insulin, causing glucose intolerance and hyperglycemia, is referred to as insulin resistance. This clinical condition, which has been well-researched in organs such as adipose tissue, muscle, and liver, has been linked to neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's disease (AD) when it occurs in the brain.

Objective: The authors aimed to gather data from the current literature on brain insulin resistance (BIR) and its likely repercussions on neurodegenerative disorders, more specifically AD, through a systematic review.

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It has been suggested that substance use disorders could lead to accelerated biological aging, but only a few neuroimaging studies have investigated this hypothesis so far. In this cross-sectional study, structural neuroimaging was performed to measure cortical thickness (CT) in tricenarian adults with cocaine use disorder (CUD, n  = 30) and their age-paired controls (YC, n  = 30), and compare it with octogenarian elder controls (EC, n  = 20). We found that CT in the right fusiform gyrus was similar between CUD and EC, thinner than the expected values of YC.

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The identification of Leishmania species that cause tegumentary leishmaniasis (TL) is important for taxonomic and prognostic purposes. Molecular analysis using different Leishmania genomic targets is the most useful method for identifying Leishmania species. Therefore, we evaluated the performance of ribosomal RNA internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) and heat shock protein (hsp70) genetic markers by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis (RFLP) and sequencing, for identification of Leishmania species.

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Plastination consists of replacing lipid and water with a curable polymer. This technique has numerous advantages, of which the production of non-toxic, inert, highly durable, dry, and easy maintenance and storage specimens stand out. Like all anatomical techniques, plastination also has disadvantages, and one of them is tissue shrinkage.

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The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of the EPN HP88 on larvae in sugarcane bagasse ash. Groups of 10 stable fly larvae were placed in Petri dishes containing filter paper and bagasse ash. Concentrations of 50, 150 and 250 EPNs/larva of in four milliliters of distilled water were added to each plate.

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•Non-alcoholic fatty pancreatic disease is associated with insulin resistance. •The triglyceride-glucose index has been used as a reliable marker for the diagnosis of insulin resistance. •The triglyceride-glucose index correlates positively with the degree of non-alcoholic fatty pancreatic disease.

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Plastination is a technique used to preserve biological tissues while retaining most of their original appearance. In the technique, developed by Dr. Gunther von Hagens in 1977, specimens were impregnated with a polymer, such as silicone, epoxy, or polyester.

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Background: Sporotrichosis is an endemic subcutaneous mycosis classically caused by the Sporothrix schenckii species complex. Recently, sporotrichosis has emerged in Brazil as a cat-transmitted epidemic caused by a new species, Sporothrix brasiliensis.

Objectives: To survey the clinical-epidemiological profile of all sporotrichosis cases diagnosed between 2011 and 2020 at a reference hospital in São Paulo metropolitan area and evaluate the annual distribution of cases in relation to seasonality.

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Objective: To define the mathematical relationship between fructosamine levels and average glucose values.

Subjects And Methods: The study comprised laboratory data of 1,227 patients with type 1 or 2 diabetes mellitus. Fructosamine levels measured at the end of a 3-week period were compared against the average blood glucose levels of the previous 3 weeks.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study investigates how chronic cocaine use disorder (CUD) affects the thickness of the cingulate gyrus and examines the role of early life stress (ELS) as a potential influencing factor.
  • - Participants included 78 individuals with CUD and 53 healthy controls, who underwent MRI scans to analyze cingulate cortical thickness, revealing significant reductions in thickness in multiple cingulate areas among those with CUD.
  • - The results indicate that years of cocaine use correlate negatively with cingulate thickness, and those with a history of ELS show exacerbated effects on the brain's structure, particularly in the right isthmus cingulate cortex.
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