Triatomines in the city: A study of Rhodnius neglectus in Jaboticabal, São Paulo, Brazil, and its epidemiological implications.

Background: Chagas disease, a significant global health concern rooted in social inequalities and political oversights, remains a challenging public health issue impacting millions worldwide. The increasing detection of triatomines, the vectors of Chagas disease, in urban areas complicates the situation.

Methods: This study investigated the incidence of Rhodnius neglectus in the urban areas of Jaboticabal, São Paulo, Brazil, following several reports and previous collections of triatomines in the city.

Communicating the diagnosis of spinal muscular atrophy in endogamous vs. non-endogamous regions.

Introduction: The high prevalence of endogamy, or inbreeding, in northeastern Brazil, is due to historical and cultural factors, with large families living in cities far from the coast and subject to low socioeconomic and infrastructure levels. This breeding practice results in low genetic variability with an increased prevalence of rare autosomal recessive and neurodegenerative diseases, such as spinal muscular atrophy (SMA).

Objective: Understanding the impact of communicating the diagnosis of SMA on the mental health of patients and their families and the differences between the Northeast (endogamous region) and the other regions of Brazil (non-endogamous ones).

Communication of the Diagnosis of Spinal Muscular Atrophy in the Views of Patients and Family Members, a Qualitative Analysis.

Introduction: Communicating the diagnosis of a genetic and neurodegenerative disease, such as spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), requires a transmission centered on the patient and/or the family caregiver, ensuring autonomy to those involved and strengthening the doctor-patient relationship.

Objective: Analyzing the communication of the SMA diagnosis from the perspective of patients and family members.

Methods: This qualitative study was developed through semi-structured interviews, via teleconsultation.

EMPATIA: A Guide for Communicating the Diagnosis of Neuromuscular Diseases.

Introduction: Neuromuscular diseases comprise a heterogeneous group of genetic syndromes that lead to progressive muscle weakness, resulting in functional limitation. There is a gap in the literature regarding the communication of the diagnosis of such diseases, compromising the autonomy of patients and families, besides causing stress on the assistant physician.

Objectives: Developing a guide to reduce communication barriers in the diagnosis of neuromuscular diseases.

Communicating the Spinal Muscular Atrophy diagnosis to children and the principle of autonomy.

Introduction: The trinomial relationship between physicians/children/guardians is essential in the process of communicating a disease and its prognosis.

Objective: Analyzing the exercise of autonomy by this trinomial relationship in communicating the diagnosis of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA).   METHODOLOGY: Caregivers of SMA patients answered a questionnaire containing a structured interview and the Event Impact Scale - Revised.

Efficacy of a dinotefuran, pyriproxyfen and permethrin combination product against Ctenocephalides felis felis (Bouché, 1835) (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae) on artificially infested rabbits.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of an insecticidal product in rabbits that combines the neonicotinoid dinotefuran with the pyrethroid permethrin plus the insect growth regulator pyriproxyfen. Adult New Zealand rabbits (n = 12) were infested with Ctenocephalides felis felis (50 males and 50 females per rabbit) at days -7, -2, +5, +12 and +19. The control group (n = 6) received no treatment and the treated group (n = 6) received the commercial formulation, indicated for use in dogs, which was applied topically on day 0.

Author Correction: Blocking Zika virus vertical transmission.

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Genetic variations on SETD5 underlying autistic conditions.

The prevalence of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and the number of identified ASD-related genes have increased in recent years. The SETD5 gene encodes a SET-containing-domain 5 protein, a likely reader enzyme. Genetic evidences suggest that SETD5 malfunction contributes to ASD phenotype, such as on intellectual disability (ID) and facial dysmorphism.

Blocking Zika virus vertical transmission.

The outbreak of the Zika virus (ZIKV) has been associated with increased incidence of congenital malformations. Although recent efforts have focused on vaccine development, treatments for infected individuals are needed urgently. Sofosbuvir (SOF), an FDA-approved nucleotide analog inhibitor of the Hepatitis C (HCV) RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) was recently shown to be protective against ZIKV both in vitro and in vivo.

Repurposing of the anti-malaria drug chloroquine for Zika Virus treatment and prophylaxis.

One of the major challenges of the current Zika virus (ZIKV) epidemic is to prevent congenital foetal abnormalities, including microcephaly, following ZIKV infection of pregnant women. Given the urgent need for ZIKV prophylaxis and treatment, repurposing of approved drugs appears to be a viable and immediate solution. We demonstrate that the common anti-malaria drug chloroquine (CQ) extends the lifespan of ZIKV-infected interferon signalling-deficient AG129 mice.

Modeling the Interplay Between Neurons and Astrocytes in Autism Using Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells.

Background: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with unclear etiology and imprecise genetic causes. The main goal of this work was to investigate neuronal connectivity and the interplay between neurons and astrocytes from individuals with nonsyndromic ASD using induced pluripotent stem cells.

Methods: Induced pluripotent stem cells were derived from a clinically well-characterized cohort of three individuals with nonsyndromic ASD sharing common behaviors and three control subjects, two clones each.

Modeling neuro-immune interactions during Zika virus infection.

Although Zika virus (ZIKV) infection is often asymptomatic, in some cases, it can lead to birth defects in newborns or serious neurologic complications in adults. However, little is known about the interplay between immune and neural cells that could contribute to the ZIKV pathology. To understand the mechanisms at play during infection and the antiviral immune response, we focused on neural precursor cells (NPCs)-microglia interactions.

Dynamic flux chamber measurements of hydrogen sulfide emission rate from a quiescent surface--A computational evaluation.

Enclosure devices have been studied and used for research purposes and practical applications in order to measure the emission rate of odorous pollutants from quiescent liquid surfaces to atmosphere. However, important questions remain about the interference of these measuring devices on the actual emission rate. The main concern regarding the use of a flux chamber is the fact that odorous compounds can accumulate into the chamber and yield gas-phase concentration increase inside the equipment, which causes a reduction of the emission rate during the measurement and thus gives an inaccurate local emission rate.

Induced pluripotent stem cells for modeling neurological disorders.

Several diseases have been successfully modeled since the development of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology in 2006. Since then, methods for increased reprogramming efficiency and cell culture maintenance have been optimized and many protocols for differentiating stem cell lines have been successfully developed, allowing the generation of several cellular subtypes in vitro. Gene editing technologies have also greatly advanced lately, enhancing disease-specific phenotypes by creating isogenic cell lines, allowing mutations to be corrected in affected samples or inserted in control lines.

Aquapuncture Using Stem Cell Therapy to Treat Mdx Mice.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) occurs due to genetic mutations that lead to absence or decrease of dystrophin protein generating progressive muscle degeneration. Cell therapy using mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) has been described as a treatment to DMD. In this work, MSC derived from deciduous teeth, called stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHED), were injected in acupoint as an alternative therapy to minimize muscle degeneration in twenty-two mdx mice.

Serum amyloid A in the placenta and its role in trophoblast invasion.

The serum amyloid A (SAA) protein is known to function in the acute phase response and immunoregulation. Recently, SAA has been shown to be involved in cell proliferation, differentiation and migratory behavior in different cell types. Here, we evaluated whether exogenous SAA could influence trophoblast invasion and differentiation using both the trophoblast-like BeWo cell line and fully differentiated human extravillous trophoblast cells (EVT) isolated from term placentae.

The term basal plate of the human placenta as a source of functional extravillous trophoblast cells.

Background: Extravillous trophoblast (EVT) cells are of pivotal importance in human embryo implantation and homeostasis of the maternal fetal interface. Invasion of the endometrium by EVT contributes to placental anchorage, spiral artery remodeling, immunological defense, tolerogenic responses, and several collaborative cross talks involved in establishing and maintaining a successful pregnancy. We report here an improved protocol for the isolation of fully differentiated EVT cells from the basal plate of the human term placenta.