The role of the complement system in Shiga toxin-associated hemolytic uremic syndrome.

Background: This research explores complement activation products involvement and risk and protective polymorphisms in the complement alternative pathway genes in Shiga toxin-associated hemolytic uremic syndrome (STEC-HUS) pathogenesis.

Methods: We analyzed the levels of complement activation products, C3a, C5a and soluble C5b-9 (sC5b-9) and plasma concentrations of Factor H (FH) and FH-related protein 1 (FHR-1) in 44 patients with STEC-HUS, 12 children with STEC-positive diarrhea (STEC-D), and 72 healthy controls (HC). STEC-HUS cases were classified as "severe" or "non-severe".

Pharmacokinetics of Methadone in Adult Patients Undergoing Cardiac Surgery With Cardiopulmonary Bypass.

Background: Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) induces profound physiological changes that may alter the pharmacokinetics of methadone. We aimed to describe the pharmacokinetics of an intravenous bolus of methadone racemate in adult patients undergoing heart surgery with CPB.

Methods: We prospectively studied 29 patients aged 45 to 75 years scheduled for cardiac surgery with CPB who received methadone 0.

Performance of urine Xpert MTB/RIF ultra in a tuberculosis screening strategy in hospitalized patients with advanced HIV disease: Results from an implementation initiative in Brazil.

Objectives: To evaluate the performance of Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra testing in urine samples as part of a TB screening strategy in patients with advanced HIV disease (AHD).

Methods: We conducted a multicentre prospective cohort study across three HIV reference hospitals in Brazil, between January and December 2023. The study included adult hospitalized patients with AHD, defined by a CD4 count of <200 cells/μL in the last 3 months or clinical presentation suggestive of opportunistic infection, without effective antiretroviral treatment.

Dynamics of Histoplasma fungal load in people living with HIV with disseminated histoplasmosis under treatment with liposomal amphotericin B.

Objectives: Disseminated histoplasmosis (DH) is a lethal fungal disease in patients living with HIV in endemic regions of the world. Diagnosis relies mainly on microscopy, culture, and antigen detection. Our goal was to evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic role of our RT-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) in blood specimens allowing to quantify the whole nucleic acids (WNA) load.

Subchronic exposure to nonylphenol ethoxylate (NPE) induces cardiotoxicity and oxidative stress in American bullfrog tadpoles: a mechanistic approach.

Tropical regions, particularly those with high levels of endemism such as South America, harbor a diverse array of amphibian species. However, these regions often lack specific regulations governing the release of emerging contaminants, including the surfactant nonylphenol ethoxylate (NPE), into water bodies, which can have devastating consequences for these sensitive ecosystems. This study evaluated the sublethal effects of 16-day subchronic exposure to NPE at an environmentally relevant concentration of 30 µg/L on American bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus) tadpoles using multiple endpoints, including biometric parameters, antioxidant responses, oxidative stress biomarkers, heart rate, and myocardial contractility.

Molecular identification of Histoplasma capsulatum in patients with disseminated histoplasmosis and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.

Histoplasmosis is caused by the fungus Histoplasma capsulatum and is often fatal for individuals with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Delayed diagnosis is a major factor in worsening coinfection, as it can be mistaken for other diseases. Thus, rapid identification of Histoplasma in immunocompromised patients is essential.

Postural balance, mobility, and handgrip strength one year after hospitalization due to COVID-19.

Background: Symptoms such as impairment of postural balance, mobility and muscle strength can last up to 12 months post COVID-19 hospitalization, need to be better understood, as they can have repercussions in activities of daily living.

Research Question: What happens to postural balance, mobility, and handgrip strength of COVID-19 patients after hospitalization?

Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted with patients of both sexes, aged ≥18, admitted to hospital diagnosed with COVID-19. Outcomes were assessed at 1, 4, 6, and 12 months post-discharge, including: postural balance - Brief-Balance Evaluation Systems Test, mobility - Timed "Up & Go" Test, and handgrip strength - dynamometry.

IRT/IRT as a newborn cystic fibrosis screening method: optimal cutoff points for a mixed population.

The Brazilian Unified National Health System (SUS) has incorporated newborn screening for cystic fibrosis since 2001. The protocol involves two samples of immunoreactive trypsinogen (IRT1/IRT2). This study aims to analyze fixed and floating values at the first and second IRT (IRT1/IRT2) cutoff points and assess the accuracy of the IRT/IRT methodology in a population from Northeastern Brazil.

Pharyngeal phase of swallowing in post-stroke dysphagia: videoendoscopy and speech-language-hearing assessment.

Purpose: To investigate the outcomes of fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of pharyngeal swallowing phase and clinical evaluation of swallowing among dysphagic individuals with and without chronic stroke in different food consistencies.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional and retrospective study based on data collection from medical records. 134 swallowing video endoscopy exams of dysphagic patients were analyzed, in which they were divided into two groups according to the diagnosis of stroke, in which data were collected regarding mobility and strength of the tongue, phonation and cough efficiency, and the pharyngeal signs of dysphagia with four food consistencies from the International Dysphagia Diet Standardization Initiative (IDDSI), for comparison between groups.

Relationship between oral status, swallowing function, and nutritional risk in older people with and without Parkinson's disease.

Purpose: To compare oral status, swallowing function (through instrumental and SLH assessment), and nutritional risk between dysphagic individuals with and without Parkinson's disease.

Method: This is a cross-sectional retrospective study based on data collected from medical records. It included 54 dysphagic older adults, divided into two groups according to the diagnosis of Parkinson's disease.

Translation and cross cultural adaptation of the questionnaire "Quality of Alimentation" for brazilian portuguese.

Purpose: We aimed to provide translation and cultural adaptation of the questionnaire "Quality of Alimentation" from English to Brazilian Portuguese.

Methods: The transcultural translation process consisted of the following steps: translation of the original English version to Portuguese by two bilingual translators native in the targeted language; Reverse translation by two translators native in the original language; Review of reverse translation; Review of the Portuguese version from the questionnaire by a local committee of experts in bariatric surgery; Pre-trial to evaluate of clarity, comprehension, and overall acceptability by the target population.

Results: In its final Portuguese version, the questionnaire "Quality of alimentation" was found to be of clear comprehension and easy applicability.

Territorial dynamics of highly complex health services in the Belém Metropolitan Region, Brazil: is specialized health care subsidized by the SUS?

This article presents an analysis of the territorial dynamics of the specialized healthcare network, focusing on medium and high complexity care in hospitals in the municipalities that make up the Belém Metropolitan Region. The analysis is based on secondary data from DATASUS available on the National Health Facility Registry (CNES) up to January 2022. The findings show that the private network accounts for the largest proportion of services in the region; however, the service capacity of the SUS is greater than that of the private sector due to the large volume of services outsourced to private facilities via public-private partnerships, with philanthropic hospitals allocating the largest proportion of services to public patients.

[The territorial nature of the Primary Health Care of Brazil's Unified Health System (SUS): the proliferation of community medical clinics in the Metropolitan Region of Belém, State of Pará, Brazil].

The scope of this article is an analysis of the proliferation of community medical clinics in the municipalities that comprise the Metropolitan Region of Belem. An investigation was conducted into the performance of the primary health care network of Brazil's Unified Health System, with a view to getting a better understanding of the reasons for, and origins of, the proactive stance of the community health sector. The discussion is based on the review of primary and secondary data, obtained via fieldwork in 119 community clinics in the Metropolitan Region of Belem, and information from Brazil's Unified Health System data center.

Effects of pasture management and supplementation on the productive performance of recently lambed ewes.

The hypothesis was tested that the performance of lactating ewes is affected by the supplementation level and pasture management. Two supplementation levels (0.5 and 1.

Orthopantomography Cone Beam Computed Tomography for the Assessment of the Proximity of Posterior Maxillary Apexes with the Maxillary Sinus: A Cross-sectional Study.

Background: The lack of knowledge of the relation of the maxillary sinus with the apexes of maxillary posterior teeth can lead to important complications during common dental procedures. This can be avoided using different imaging techniques, such as orthopantomography (OPG) and cone beam computed tomography (CBCT). The present study aims to compare the performance of OPG with CBCT in measuring the vertical distance of the apexes of posterior-superior teeth to the maxillary sinus.

Lodderomyces elongisporus as causative organism of oropharyngeal infections - Two case reports.

We report two cases of patients with oropharyngeal infection by Lodderomyces elongisporus. The identification of the two isolates was confirmed after sequencing the ITS1 and ITS4 regions. The antifungal susceptibility test revealed low MIC values for the different antifungals tested.

Biocatalysts Based on Immobilized Lipases for the Production of Fatty Acid Ethyl Esters: Enhancement of Activity through Ionic Additives and Ion Exchange Supports.

Ionic additives affect the structure, activity and stability of lipases, which allow for solving common application challenges, such as preventing the formation of protein aggregates or strengthening enzyme-support binding, preventing their desorption in organic media. This work aimed to design a biocatalyst, based on lipase improved by the addition of ionic additives, applicable in the production of ethyl esters of fatty acids (EE). Industrial enzymes from (TLL), (RML), (CALB) and Lecitase, immobilized in commercial supports like Lewatit, Purolite and Q-Sepharose, were tested.

Performance of non-formalin fixed paraffin embedded samples in hybrid capture and amplicon next-generation sequencing panels.

Background: Genomic profiling using next-generation sequencing (NGS) is fundamental for driving prognostic and therapy in cancer. Formalin-fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) tissue is the widely used material, whereas non-FFPE may represent an alternative. However, studies comparing the NGS performance of non-FFPE materials to FFPE are still lacking in the literature.

Parallel oxygenators in the same circuit for refractory hypoxemia on veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. A 3-patient series.

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenator (ECMO) is a well-established therapy for respiratory failure. Refractory hypoxemia, despite the use of ECMO, remains a challenging problem. The ECMO circuit may not provide enough oxygenation support in the presence of high cardiac output, increased physiologic demand, and impaired gas exchange.

Risk Factors for the Impairment of Ambulation in Older People Hospitalized with COVID-19: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

(1) Background: Some older people hospitalized with COVID-19 have experienced reduced ambulation capacity. However, the prevalence of the impairment of ambulation capacity still needs to be established. Objective: To estimate the prevalence of, and identify the risk factors associated with, the impairment of ambulation capacity at the point of hospital discharge for older people with COVID-19.

Performance of ChatGPT, Bard, Claude, and Bing on the Peruvian National Licensing Medical Examination: a cross-sectional study.

Purpose: We aimed to describe the performance and evaluate the educational value of justifications provided by artificial intelligence chatbots, including GPT-3.5, GPT-4, Bard, Claude, and Bing, on the Peruvian National Medical Licensing Examination (P-NLME).

Methods: This was a cross-sectional analytical study.

A Spatial-Spectral Classification Method Based on Deep Learning for Controlling Pelagic Fish Landings in Chile.

Fishing has provided mankind with a protein-rich source of food and labor, allowing for the development of an important industry, which has led to the overexploitation of most targeted fish species. The sustainable management of these natural resources requires effective control of fish landings and, therefore, an accurate calculation of fishing quotas. This work proposes a deep learning-based spatial-spectral method to classify five pelagic species of interest for the Chilean fishing industry, including the targeted , and and non-targeted and fish species.