Publications by authors named "Larissa N Almeida"

Paneth cells (PCs), a subset of intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) found at the base of small intestinal crypts, play an essential role in maintaining intestinal homeostasis. Altered PCs function is associated with diverse intestinal pathologies, including ileal Crohn's disease (CD). CD patients with ileal involvement have been previously demonstrated to display impairment in PCs and decreased levels of anti-microbial peptides.

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Objective: To validate the Vocal Tract Discomfort Scale for the Brazilian Portuguese (VTDS-BR), based on internal consistency, reliability, and accuracy.

Methods: The participants were 431 adults of both sexes, divided in two groups: dysphonia (DG) and vocally healthy (VHG). We built a digital database with personal, professional information and the item-by-item VTDS-BR responses of the participants.

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B cells play a central role in humoral immunity but also have antibody-independent functions. Studies to date have focused on B cells in blood and secondary lymphoid organs but whether B cells reside in non-lymphoid organs (NLO) in homeostasis is unknown. Here we identify, using intravenous labeling and parabiosis, a bona-fide tissue-resident B cell population in lung, liver, kidney and urinary bladder, a substantial proportion of which are B-1a cells.

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Purpose: To compare the efficiency of different vocal self-assessment instruments for dysphonia screening.

Methods: 262 dysphonic and non-dysphonic individuals participated in the research. The mean age was 41.

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Objective: this study aims to verify the stages of evidence of validity of the voice-adapted present perceived control scale (V-APPCS) in its translated and cross-culturally adapted version for the Brazilian Portuguese "Voice-Adapted Present Perceived Control Scale" and to estimate the psychometric measurements of the properties of its items based on the item response theory (IRT).

Methods: the instrument underwent a process of translation and cross-cultural adaptation for the Brazilian Portuguese, the process was carried out by two qualified translators, native in the destination language, and fluent in the language and culture of origin. The first translated version of the protocol was forwarded to a back-translation, performed by a third bilingual Brazilian translator.

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Mutated and unmutated IgE and IgG play different and partly opposing roles in allergy development, but the mechanisms controlling their relative production are incompletely understood. Here, we analyzed the IgE-response in murine food allergy. Deep sequencing of the complementary-determining region (CDR) repertoires indicated that an ongoing unmutated extrafollicular IgE response coexists with a germinal center response, even after long-lasting allergen challenges.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The third edition of the Flow Cytometry Guidelines offers essential information for conducting flow cytometry experiments, covering immune cell phenotypes and functional assays in both humans and mice.
  • - It includes tables that highlight the differences between human and murine cell phenotypes, along with examples of flow cytometry applications related to autoimmune diseases, cancers, and infectious diseases.
  • - The guidelines also provide practical tips and common pitfalls to avoid, and are authored by renowned experts in the field, making it a crucial resource for researchers in both basic and clinical settings.
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Food allergies are common, costly and potentially life-threatening disorders. They are driven by Th2, but inhibited by Th1 reactions. There is also evidence indicating that IL-2 agonist treatment inhibits allergic sensitization through expansion of regulatory T cells.

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Objective: To investigate the psychometric properties of the Voice-Related Quality of Life (V-RQOL) questionnaire in Brazilian Portuguese by assessing its reliability and conducting exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA).

Methods: This research was carried out in two stages: (1) a document-based retrospective approach and (2) a field study step. The study included 566 dysphonic and vocally healthy individuals.

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The major histocompatibility complex haplotype represents the most prevalent genetic risk factor for the development of autoimmune diseases. However, the mechanisms by which major histocompatibility complex-associated genetic susceptibility translates into autoimmune disease are not fully understood. Epidermolysis bullosa acquisita is an autoimmune skin-blistering disease driven by autoantibodies to type VII collagen.

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Objectives: To investigate the psychometric properties of the Brazilian version of the Vocal Tract Discomfort Scale, known as Escala de Desconforto do Trato Vocal (EDTV), based on factor analysis, in patients with dysphonia.

Methods: This was a retrospective documentary and cross-sectional study. The study database contained sociodemographic variables, laryngeal diagnosis, auditory-perceptual evaluation and EDTV items.

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These guidelines are a consensus work of a considerable number of members of the immunology and flow cytometry community. They provide the theory and key practical aspects of flow cytometry enabling immunologists to avoid the common errors that often undermine immunological data. Notably, there are comprehensive sections of all major immune cell types with helpful Tables detailing phenotypes in murine and human cells.

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Introduction: Evaluating the relationship among teachers' voice symptoms, perceived voice control, and common mental disorders (CMDs) might contribute to the understanding of the relationship between vocal wear and the teacher well-being. The understanding of this relationship may also help in taking more informed clinical decisions in voice rehabilitation when considering possible perceived voice control difficulties and the need to develop voice self-control strategies.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the voice symptoms, perceived voice control, and CMDs in public elementary and secondary school teachers, and to analyze the relationships among these variables.

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Bone marrow plasma cells have been reported to represent a major source of IL-10; however, the impact of plasma cell derived IL-10 in that tissue remains poorly understood. We confirm in this study that even in the absence of acute immune reactions, mature plasma cells represent the dominant IL-10+ cell population in the bone marrow, and identify myeloid-lineage cells as a main local target for plasma cell derived IL-10. Using Vert-X IL-10 transcriptional reporter mice, we found that more than 50% of all IL-10+ cells in bone marrow were CD138+ plasma cells, while other IL-10+ B lineage cells were nearly absent in this organ.

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Introduction: In terms of treatment results, the readiness stage presents the best conditions for adherence to a therapeutic proposal, and it allows for an estimated disease prognosis and assistance with treatment monitoring. Patients with dysphonia who are treated using vocal rehabilitation (basically a behavioral program), regardless of disease etiology, can optimize their treatment by understanding the stages of behavioral change.

Objectives: To evaluate the accuracy of the components constituting the stages of readiness to change on the University of Rhode Island Change Assessment-Voice (URICA-V) scale using confirmatory factor analysis and internal consistency indices.

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The biological significance of C5a receptor [(C5aR)2/C5L2], a seven-transmembrane receptor binding C5a and C5adesArg, remains ill-defined. Specific ligation of C5aR2 inhibits C5a-induced ERK1/2 activation, strengthening the view that C5aR2 regulates C5aR1-mediated effector functions. Although C5aR2 and C5aR1 are often coexpressed, a detailed picture of C5aR2 expression in murine cells and tissues is still lacking.

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Article Synopsis
  • TCTs from Chagas disease can trigger inflammation and microvascular leakage through the activation of innate immune cells via TLR2 and subsequent immune pathways.
  • The study reveals that mast cells (MCs) play a crucial role in this inflammatory response, particularly through the activation of the kallikrein-kinin system (KKS), leading to increased bradykinin levels.
  • In experiments with mice, it was found that MCs are essential for controlling the parasite load in the heart, suggesting that MC interactions with the KKS are vital for regulating inflammation during Chagas disease.
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C3a exerts multiple biologic functions through activation of its cognate C3a receptor. C3 and C3aR mice have been instrumental in defining important roles of the C3a/C3aR axis in the regulation of acute and chronic inflammatory diseases, including ischemia/reperfusion injury, allergic asthma, autoimmune nephritis, and rheumatoid arthritis. Surprisingly little is known about C3aR expression and function in immune and stromal cells.

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Complement and the kallikrein-kinin cascade system are both activated in injured tissues. Little is known about their partnership in the immunopathogenesis of Chagas disease, the chronic infection caused by the intracellular protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi. In this study, we show that pharmacological targeting of the C5a receptor (C5aR) or the bradykinin B2 receptor (B2R) inhibited plasma leakage in hamster cheek pouch topically exposed to tissue culture trypomastigotes (TCTs).

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Purpose: To analyze the preferences and attitudes of listeners in relation to regional (RA) and softened accents (SA) in television journalism.

Methods: Three television news presenters recorded carrier phrases and a standard text using RA and SA. The recordings were presented to 105 judges who listened to the word pairs and answered whether they perceived differences between the RA and SA, and the type of pronunciation that they preferred in the speech of television news presenters.

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Objective: To analyze perceptual-auditory and acoustic characteristics of children's voices of different age ranges.

Patients And Methods: Ninety-three 3- to 10-year-old children grouped from 3 to 5, 6 to 7, and 8 to 10 years served as participants. The severity of vocal deviation and the parameters of roughness, breathiness, strain, and instability were assessed using a visual analog scale.

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A hallmark of aging is an imbalance between production and clearance of reactive oxygen species and increased levels of oxidatively damaged biomolecules. Herein, we demonstrate that splenic and nodal antigen-presenting cells purified from aging mice accumulate oxidatively modified proteins with side-chain carbonylation, advanced glycation end products, and lipid peroxidation. Furthermore, we show that the endosomal accumulation of oxidatively modified proteins interferes with the efficient processing of exogenous antigens and degradation of macroautophagy-delivered proteins.

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