Morphological alterations in gastrointestinal organs of western-diet obese rats submitted to vertical sleeve gastrectomy or Roux-en-Y gastric bypass.

To assess the effect of vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG) and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) on the esophageal and intestinal morphology of western diet (WD)-obese rats and to characterize the stomach histopathology of WD rats submitted to VSG. Male Wistar rats received WD from 2-4 months of age, to induce obesity, before randomly submitting them to pseudo (WD-SHAM), VSG (WD-VSG) or RYGB (WD-RYGB) surgeries. Gastrointestinal histomorphometry was performed at 3-months post-surgery.

Allelic Variants in Established Hypopituitarism Genes Expand Our Knowledge of the Phenotypic Spectrum.

We report four allelic variants (three novel) in three genes previously established as causal for hypopituitarism or related disorders. A novel homozygous variant in the growth hormone gene, c.171delT (p.

DNA damage in circulating leukocytes measured with the comet assay may predict the risk of death.

The comet assay or single cell gel electrophoresis, is the most common method used to measure strand breaks and a variety of other DNA lesions in human populations. To estimate the risk of overall mortality, mortality by cause, and cancer incidence associated to DNA damage, a cohort of 2,403 healthy individuals (25,978 person-years) screened in 16 laboratories using the comet assay between 1996 and 2016 was followed-up. Kaplan-Meier analysis indicated a worse overall survival in the medium and high tertile of DNA damage (p < 0.

Knowledge and actions for the control of the vector Aedes aegypti in a municipality in the Legal Amazon.

Infections caused by arboviruses that have mostly impacted the Brazilian morbidity and mortality are caused by the same vector, Aedes aegypti. Preventive actions related to the vector are the most effective strategies in the prevention and control of these diseases. This study aimed to associate the knowledge on the vector that transmits dengue, Zika and chikungunya with the sociodemographic and behavioral preventive practices towards Aedes aegypti in the municipality of Tangara da Serra, Mato Grosso State, in the Brazilian Legal Amazon.

Influence of Intestinal Helminth Burden on Clinical Manifestations, Therapeutic Response, and Leishmania braziliensis Load in Patients with New World Cutaneous Leishmaniasis.

Leishmania braziliensis is the most important cause of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) in the Americas. A Th1-type immune response is required to control Leishmania infection, but an exaggerated inflammatory response leads to the development of ulcers seen in CL. Infection with intestinal helminths has the potential to inhibit the Th1 response in a manner that depends both on the species of helminth present as well as the burden of helminthiasis.

Molecular Detection of Soil-Transmitted Helminths and Enteric Protozoa Infection in Children and Its Association with Household Water and Sanitation in Manhiça District, Southern Mozambique.

Intestinal parasite infections can have detrimental health consequences in children. In Mozambique, soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections are controlled through mass drug administration since 2011, but no specific control program exists for enteric protozoa. This study evaluates STH and protozoan infections in children attending healthcare in Manhiça district, Southern Mozambique, and its association with water and sanitation conditions.

Popular videos related to low back pain on YouTube™ do not reflect current clinical guidelines: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Quality of low back pain (LBP) information offered on YouTube ™ is unclear.

Objective: To describe the current low back pain information available on YouTube ™ and determine if these videos report information that aligns with clinical guidelines. Further analysis explored whether specific features of the videos explain their popularity.

Cellular infiltrate in cutaneous leishmaniasis lesions and therapeutic outcome.

Background: The treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis is a challenge. A better understanding of the in situ mechanisms involved in the evolution and cure of the disease is essential for the development of new therapies.

Objective: Correlate histopathological and immunological characteristics of cutaneous leishmaniasis lesions with clinical outcome after different treatment regimens.

Functional Polymorphisms in the p53 Pathway Genes on the Genetic Susceptibility to Zika Virus Teratogenesis.

Congenital Zika Syndrome (CZS) occurs in up to 42% of individuals exposed to ZIKV prenatally. Deregulation in gene expression and protein levels of components of the p53 signaling pathway, such as p53 and MDM2, due to ZIKV infection has been reported. Here, we evaluate functional polymorphisms in genes of the p53 signaling pathway as risk factors to CZS.

Comparison of two different biomaterials in the bone regeneration (15, 30 and 60 days) of critical defects in rats.

Purpose: To evaluate and compare two types of different scaffolds in critical bone defects in rats.

Methods: Seventy male Wistar rats (280 ± 20 grams) divided into three groups: control group (CG), untreated animals; biomaterial group 1 (BG1), animals that received the scaffold implanted hydroxyapatite (HA)/poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid (PLGA); and biomaterial group 2 (BG2), animals that received the scaffolds HA/PLGA/Bleed. The critical bone defect was induced in the medial region of the skull calotte with the aid of an 8-mm-diameter trephine drill.

Effects of Patient Characteristics on Diagnostic Performance of Self-Collected Samples for SARS-CoV-2 Testing.

We evaluated the performance of self-collected anterior nasal swab (ANS) and saliva samples compared with healthcare worker-collected nasopharyngeal swab specimens used to test for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). We used the same PCR diagnostic panel to test all self-collected and healthcare worker-collected samples from participants at a public hospital in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Among 1,076 participants, 51.

Monitoring Emerging Human Immunodeficiency Virus Drug Resistance in Sub-Saharan Africa in the Era of Dolutegravir.

Dolutegravir-based regimens are now standard of care for human immunodeficiency virus treatment for millions of people around sub-Saharan Africa. To ensure its continued efficacy, monitoring of emerging drug resistance that inform a treatment strategy among those failing is crucial. In this report, we outline the US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief to leverage viral load infrastructure to implement effective drug resistance surveillance in the countries it supports.

A Genetically Modified Anti-Plasmodium Bacterium Is Harmless to the Foragers of the Stingless Bee Partamona helleri.

Paratransgenesis consists of genetically engineering an insect symbiont to control vector-borne diseases. Biosafety assessments are a prerequisite for the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Assessments rely on the measurement of the possible impacts of GMOs on different organisms, including beneficial organisms, such as pollinators.

Study of the capacity of the essential oil of Lantana montevidensis to modulate the action of fluconazole on Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis strains.

In recent decades, fungal infections have been increasing, as well as the indiscriminate use of large-scale antifungal. The objective of the present study was to characterize the chemical components of L. montevidensis leaf essential oil (EOLm) and evaluate its antifungal potential and fluconazole modulating activity against Candida strains.

Epidemiologic, Immunologic, and Virus Characteristics in Patients With Paired Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Serology and Reverse-Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction Testing.

Background: The natural history and clinical progression of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections can be better understood using combined serological and reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing.

Methods: Nasopharyngeal swabs and serum were collected at a single time-point from patients at an urban, public hospital during August-November 2020 and tested for SARS-CoV-2 using RT-PCR, viral culture, and anti-spike pan-immunoglobulin antibody testing. Participant demographics and symptoms were collected through interview.

Planning and implementation of the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner course to assist victims of sexual violence: an experience report.

Objective: To describe the authors' experiences in planning and implementing a training course based on the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner.

Method: This is an experience report with qualitative characteristics of a descriptive nature and cross-sectional cut. In 2019, nurses were trained to care for victims of sexual violence through a course known in the United States as Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner.

Using TD-NMR relaxometry and 1D H NMR spectroscopy to evaluate aging of Nellore beef.

The aim of this study was to explore the use of TD-NMR relaxometry and H NMR spectroscopy-based for detecting differences in meat quality attributes. There was limited association between various TD-NMR signals and any physicochemical parameters of fresh and aged meat differing in tenderness ratings. Samples were then divided into three groups based on statistical changes in metabolite concentration.

Water Deprivation Induces Biochemical Changes Without Reduction in the Insecticidal Activity of Maize and Soybean Transgenic Plants.

Like conventional crops, transgenic plants expressing insecticidal toxins from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) are subjected to water deprivation. However, the effects of water deprivation over the insecticidal activity of Bt plants are not well understood. We submitted Bt maize and Bt soybean to water deprivation and evaluated biochemical stress markers and the insecticidal activity of plants against target insects.

The hCOMET project: International database comparison of results with the comet assay in human biomonitoring. Baseline frequency of DNA damage and effect of main confounders.

The alkaline comet assay, or single cell gel electrophoresis, is one of the most popular methods for assessing DNA damage in human population. One of the open issues concerning this assay is the identification of those factors that can explain the large inter-individual and inter-laboratory variation. International collaborative initiatives such as the hCOMET project - a COST Action launched in 2016 - represent a valuable tool to meet this challenge.

Two Immersive Virtual Reality Tasks for the Assessment of Spatial Orientation in Older Adults with and Without Cognitive Impairment: Concurrent Validity, Group Comparison, and Accuracy Results.

Objective: Spatial disorientation is common in Alzheimer's disease (AD), Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), and preclinical individuals with AD biomarkers. However, traditional neuropsychological tests lack ecological validity for the assessment of spatial orientation and to date, there is still no gold standard. The current study aimed to determine the validity and accuracy of two virtual reality tasks for the assessment of spatial orientation.

The Quorum Sensing Auto-Inducer 2 (AI-2) Stimulates Nitrogen Fixation and Favors Ethanol Production over Biomass Accumulation in .

Autoinducer 2 (or AI-2) is one of the molecules used by bacteria to trigger the Quorum Sensing (QS) response, which activates expression of genes involved in a series of alternative mechanisms, when cells reach high population densities (including bioluminescence, motility, biofilm formation, stress resistance, and production of public goods, or pathogenicity factors, among others). Contrary to most autoinducers, AI-2 can induce QS responses in both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, and has been suggested to constitute a trans-specific system of bacterial communication, capable of affecting even bacteria that cannot produce this autoinducer. In this work, we demonstrate that the ethanologenic Gram-negative bacterium (a non-AI-2 producer) responds to exogenous AI-2 by modulating expression of genes involved in mechanisms typically associated with QS in other bacteria, such as motility, DNA repair, and nitrogen fixation.