Dysphonia Screening in Firefighters and Associated Factors.

Objective: To verify the likelihood of dysphonia in firefighters and its relationship with individual and occupational factors and mental health.

Method: This cross-sectional observational study with 442 firefighters collected data on sociodemographic, occupational, and lifestyle aspects and screening for common mental disorders (CMD). Individuals were divided into two groups: those slightly likely and those moderately/highly likely to have dysphonia, according to the Brazilian Dysphonia Screening Tool.

Growth performance, reproductive status, and chromosomal instability in triploid Nile tilapias.

Reproductive control is one of the biggest challenges in tilapia production and triploidy was developed as an alternative to sterilization. In general, polyploids present chromosomal instability but for triploid Nile tilapia it has yet to be reported. This study evaluated the chromosomal instability from juveniles to adulthood, growth performance and gonadal status of tilapia hatched from eggs submitted or not to heat shock for triploid induction.

Skeletal muscle mass increases after viral eradication with direct-acting antivirals in patients with chronic hepatitis C: A longitudinal study.

Background: Results of studies evaluating the effect of viral eradication following direct-acting antiviral (DDA) therapy on skeletal muscle mass of patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) are scarce.

Aim: To assess the components of sarcopenia (low muscle mass, low muscle strength and low physical performance) in a cohort of CHC individuals before and after DAA therapy.

Methods: We performed a longitudinal study of patients with CHC who underwent body composition assessment before (T0), and at 12 (T1) and 48 (T2) weeks after DDA therapy.

Mycotoxins in Cattle Feed and Feed Ingredients in Brazil: A Five-Year Survey.

Mycotoxins are toxic secondary metabolites produced by a variety of fungi, which when ingested can cause several deleterious effects to the health of humans and animals. In this work, the detection and quantification of six major mycotoxins (aflatoxins-AFLA, deoxynivalenol-DON, fumonisins-FUMO, ochratoxin A-OTA, T-2 toxin-T-2 and zearalenone-ZON) in 1749 samples of feed and feed ingredients for cattle, collected in Brazil between 2017 and 2021, was carried out using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In total, 97% of samples were contaminated with at least one mycotoxin, yet, very few samples exceeded the lowest European Union guidance values for cattle, and the estimated daily intake also showed a low risk for the animals.

Effects of different temperatures on testis structure and function, with emphasis on somatic cells, in sexually mature Nile tilapias (Oreochromis niloticus).

The Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) is economically one of the most important freshwater fish and is an excellent model for studies under laboratory conditions. Temperature is considered a very important modulator of reproductive activity in fish, although few studies have specifically addressed the effects of this key factor on morphological and functional aspects of teleost testes. Therefore, our main objectives in the present study were to analyze the effects of different temperatures (20, 25, 30, and 35 degrees C) on testicular somatic and germ cells in sexually mature Nile tilapias.