The urine protein/creatinine ratio as a reliable indicator of 24-h urine protein excretion across different levels of renal function and proteinuria: the TUNARI prospective study.

Background: The 24-h urine protein (24-hUP) excretion is the gold standard for evaluating proteinuria. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of protein/creatinine ratio (PCR) for estimating 24-hUP at various levels of renal function and proteinuria levels.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between December 2021 and December 2023 in Salvador, Bahia-Brazil, as an extension of previously published data from the TUNARI study.

Fatigue by the Chalder Questionnaire and post-hemodialysis recovery in a population of predominantly African descent: The PROHEMO.

Background/objective: A high prevalence of fatigue and a positive association between fatigue and post-hemodialysis recovery have been reported in predominantly white populations of maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients. The present study evaluates associations between self-reported fatigue by the 11-item Chalder Fatigue Questionnaire (CFQ-11) and the need for post-hemodialysis recovery in a predominantly African-descent MHD population.

Methods: A total of 233 patients (94% Black or Mixed-Race) participating in the "Prospective Study of the Prognosis of Patients on Maintenance Hemodialysis" (PROHEMO), Salvador, Brazil were recruited for this cross-sectional study.

Identification of sialic acid receptors for influenza A virus in snakes.

The tissue tropism and the wide host range of influenza A viruses are determined by the presence of sialic acid (SA) α2,3-Gal and SA α2,6-Gal receptors. Recent studies have shown that animals possessing both receptors allow for the rearrangement and emergence of new viral strains of public health importance. This study aimed to evaluate the expression and distribution of human and avian influenza A receptors in nine Neotropical snake species using lectin immunohistochemistry.

Early morphological and neurochemical changes of the bed nucleus of stria terminalis (BNST) in gestational protein-restricted male offspring.

Background: The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) is a structure with a peculiar neurochemical composition involved in modulating anxietylike behavior and fear.

Aim: The present study investigated the effects on the BNST neurochemical composition and neuronal structure in critical moments of the postnatal period in gestational protein-restricted male rats' offspring.

Methods: Dams were maintained during the pregnancy on isocaloric rodent laboratory chow with standard protein content [NP, 17%] or low protein content [LP, 6%].

A Survey of Diseases in Different Species of Wild, Captive, and Illegally Traded Birds in Brazil.

Native and exotic avian species can act as reservoirs of pathogens, including bacteria and viruses, with conservation and public health implications. A retrospective study on the diagnosis and frequency of diseases in wild and exotic avian species was conducted. The occurrence of particular diseases was associated with the type of captivity or the bird's origin.

Self-Reported Fatigue by the Chalder Fatigue Questionnaire and Mortality in Brazilian Hemodialysis Patients: The PROHEMO.

Background: The existing data support the Chalder Fatigue Questionnaire (CFQ-11) as a valid instrument to assess fatigue in maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients. The objective of this work was to investigate whether self-reported fatigue can serve as an independent prognostic indicator for mortality in MHD patients.

Methods: The data are from 233 adult patients enrolled in the cohort "The Prospective Study of the Prognosis of Chronic Hemodialysis Patients" (PROHEMO) developed in Salvador, BA, Brazil.

Mortality, health-related quality of life, and depression symptoms in younger and older men and women undergoing hemodialysis.

Background And Objective: Some studies on maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients report a longer survival, albeit with poorer health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and more depression symptoms in women than in men. Whether these gender differences vary with age is uncertain. We tested the associations of gender with mortality, depression symptoms, and HRQoL in MHD patients of different age groups.

Nanoscale friction on MoS/graphene heterostructures.

Stacked hetero-structures of two-dimensional materials allow for a design of interactions with corresponding electronic and mechanical properties. We report structure, work function, and frictional properties of 1 to 4 layers of MoS grown by chemical vapor deposition on epitaxial graphene on SiC(0001). Experiments were performed by atomic force microscopy in ultra-high vacuum.

Impact of an Electronic Alert in Combination with a Care Bundle on the Outcomes of Acute Kidney Injury.

Early diagnosis is essential for the appropriate management of acute kidney injury (AKI). We evaluated the impact of an electronic AKI alert together with a care bundle on the progression and mortality of AKI. This was a single-center prospective study that included AKI patients aged ≥ 18 years, whereas those in palliative care, nephrology, and transplantation departments were excluded.

Race and Mortality in Hemodialysis Patients in Brazil.

Rationale & Objective: Studies in the United States and United Kingdom generally report better survival for Black than White patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis, a finding not explained by differences in sociodemographics or comorbid conditions. It is not clear if such findings can be generalized to other countries. We investigated the association between race and mortality among a Black, White, and Mixed-Race sample of maintenance hemodialysis patients in Salvador, Brazil.

Gestational protein restriction alters early amygdala neurochemistry in male offspring.

Background: Gestational protein intake restriction-induced long-lasting harmful outcomes in the offspring's organs and systems. However, few studies have focused on this event's impact on the brain's structures and neurochemical compounds.

Aim: The present study investigated the effects on the amygdala neurochemical composition and neuronal structure in gestational protein-restricted male rats' offspring.

Association of single and serial measures of serum phosphorus with adverse outcomes in patients on peritoneal dialysis: results from the international PDOPPS.

Background: While high serum phosphorus levels have been related to adverse outcomes in hemodialysis patients, further investigation is warranted in persons receiving peritoneal dialysis (PD).

Methods: Longitudinal data (2014-17) from the Peritoneal Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study (PDOPPS), a prospective cohort study, were used to examine associations of serum phosphorus with all-cause mortality and major adverse cardiovascular events via Cox regression adjusted for confounders. Serum phosphorus levels were parameterized by four methods: (i) baseline serum phosphorus; (ii) mean 6-month serum phosphorus; (iii) number of months with serum phosphorus >4.

Outbreak of canine distemper and coinfections in a maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) and in three giant anteaters (Myrmecophaga tridactyla).

Canine distemper outbreak and coinfections in three giant anteaters and in a maned wolf has been described. Three giant anteaters developed respiratory and digestive clinical signs after the introduction of a maned wolf to a Wildlife Rehabilitation Center. The maned wolf and two anteaters died, and one anteater was euthanized.

Recent Developments and Current Status of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement Practice in Latin America - the WRITTEN LATAM Study.

Background: Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is a worldwide adopted procedure with rapidly evolving practices. Regional and temporal variations are expected to be found.

Objective: To compare TAVR practice in Latin America with that around the world and to assess its changes in Latin America from 2015 to 2020.

Utility of a Single Itch-Related Question and the Skindex-10 Questionnaire for Assessing Pruritus and Predicting Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients Receiving Hemodialysis.

Rationale & Objective: Chronic kidney disease-associated pruritus has been linked with poorer mental and physical health-related quality of life (HR-QOL) in patients receiving hemodialysis. We used the Skindex-10 questionnaire and a single itch-related question to evaluate their prediction of HR-QOL.

Study Design: Prospective, international cohort.

Severe Gestational Low-Protein Intake Impacts Hippocampal Cellularity, Tau, and Amyloid-β Levels, and Memory Performance in Male Adult Offspring: An Alzheimer-Simile Disease Model?

Background: Maternal undernutrition has been associated with psychiatric and neurological disorders characterized by learning and memory impairment.

Objective: Considering the lack of evidence, we aimed to analyze the effects of gestational protein restriction on learning and memory function associated with hippocampal cell numbers and neurodegenerative protein content later in life.

Methods: Experiments were conducted in gestational low- (LP, 6% casein) or regular-protein (NP, 17% casein) diet intake offspring.

Routinely measured cardiac troponin I and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide as predictors of mortality in haemodialysis patients.

Aims: Cardiac troponin (cTn) and B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) are elevated in haemodialysis (HD) patients, and this elevation is associated with HD-induced myocardial stunning/myocardial strain. However, studies using data from the international Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study (DOPPS) have shown that these cardiac biomarkers are measured in <2% of HD patients in real-world practice. This study aimed to examine whether routinely measured N-terminal pro-BNP (NT-proBNP) and cTnI (contemporary assay) are more appropriate than clinical models for reclassifying the risk of HD patients who have the highest risk of death.

Immunoinformatics Design of Multi-Epitope Peptide-Based Vaccine Against Using Transmembrane Proteins as a Target.

Schistosomiasis remains a serious health issue nowadays for an estimated one billion people in 79 countries around the world. Great efforts have been made to identify good vaccine candidates during the last decades, but only three molecules reached clinical trials so far. The reverse vaccinology approach has become an attractive option for vaccine design, especially regarding parasites like spp.