In this era of rapid global change, factors influencing the stability of ecosystems and their functions have come into the spotlight. For decades the relationship between stability and complexity has been investigated in modeled and empirical systems, yet results remain largely context dependent. To overcome this we leverage a multiscale inventory of fungi and bacteria ranging from single sites along an environmental gradient, to habitats inclusive of land, sea and stream, to an entire watershed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Zika virus (ZIKV) infection during pregnancy can lead to congenital Zika syndrome (CZS) and may result in neurodevelopmental alterations in exposed children, with and without CZS. This study aimed to evaluate ZIKV infection during pregnancy as a risk factor for early and long-term adverse outcomes.
Methods: This retrospective-prospective, matched cohort study was conducted in Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.
The objective of this study was to analyze the antimicrobial and anti-stick capacity of essential oil extracted from oregano (Origanum vulgare) in relation to various strains of Escherichia coli (Ec 41, Ec 42, Ec 44, Ec 45) isolated from meat products. Techniques such as Determination of Minimum Inhibitory Concentration were used (MIC) and Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (CBM). Furthermore, the method was used disk diffusion method to examine the interaction between O.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: R-Glabridin is a major flavonoid of licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) root and known to modulate GABAA receptors, which are targets of many clinical hypnotics. However, R-glabridin hypnotic activity has not been reported in animals.
Methods: Inverted photomotor responses (IPMRs) were used to assess the hypnotic effects of natural R-glabridin and synthetic R/S-glabridin in wild-type zebrafish larvae and transgenic larvae lacking functional GABAA receptor β3 subunits (β30/0).
Leishmaniases affect millions of people around the world, caused by Leishmania parasites. Leishmania are transmitted by female sandflies from Phlebotominae subfamily during their blood meals. In mammals, promastigotes are phagocytosed mainly by macrophages, differentiate into amastigotes and multiply.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: to verify the effect of educational technologies on the quality of life of people with diabetes.
Method: quasi-experimental study, before-and-after type, developed with a group of 34 people. Six interventions were carried out, in groups or individually, using educational technologies, such as clinical simulators and physical educational games.
Gland Surg
November 2024
Background: Surgical resection of locally advanced or borderline pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is a recognized procedure with curative intent performed in specialized oncology centers. Postoperative dysautonomia such as gastroparesis, mild hypotension, and diarrhea are common in elderly patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy. A distinctive feature of our case, is the severing of an important sympathetic chain by the surgical procedure, leading to recurrent severe neurogenic shock.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Anthropogenic vanadium (V) emissions and exposure in the general population have recently increased. Experimental studies have shown that V is a nephrotoxic agent, but little is known about its effects on human kidney health. This work evaluated the association between urinary V concentrations with early kidney damage biomarkers and function in a pediatric population without any disease diagnosed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The findings of variants of uncertain significance (VUS) on a clinical genetic testing report pose a challenge for attending healthcare professionals (HCPs) in patient care. Here, we describe the outcomes of multidisciplinary VUS Rounds, implemented at a neurological disease tertiary care centre, which aid in interpreting and communicating VUS identified in our neurogenetics patient population.
Methods: VUS Rounds brought together genetic counsellors, molecular geneticists and scientists to evaluate VUS against genomic and phenotypic evidence and assign an internal temperature classification of 'VUS Hot', 'True VUS' or 'VUS Cold', corresponding to potential pathogenicity.
•The negative impact of infectious diseases and their immunoprevention during the different stages of a woman's life requires a broad approach including adolescence, adulthood, pregnancy and the postmenopausal phase. •Immunization of pregnant women should be a priority for the protection of the maternal-fetal dyad, especially in regions with high rates of infections preventable by immunization. •Brazil has one of the most comprehensive vaccination programs in the world - the National Immunization Program (, PNI) - that serves all age groups: newborns, children, adolescents, adults, pregnant women and older adults, as well as groups with special needs, such as adolescents, pregnant and older adult women.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBMC Med Educ
October 2024
Coronavirus disease (COVID)-19 had an impact on medical graduation, causing weaknesses arising from social isolation and remote emergency teaching, with an emphasis on deficits in the development of non-technical skills (soft skills). In this context, the interaction between a group of medical students and adolescents who develop activities at the Center for Learning and Mobilization for Citizenship in Campinas/SP, Brazil, was evaluated about the development of soft skills during the COVID-19 pandemic. The observational study was carried out using an electronic questionnaire based on a Likert scale on the feelings of undergraduate medical students regarding participation in project activities in the context of the development of social skills.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Submicroscopic Plasmodium infections can be a source of persistent malaria transmission. The aim of this study was to assess their frequency, distribution, morbidity and associated factors in a pre-elimination malaria setting in sub-Saharan Africa, Guinea-Bissau, where the Plasmodium falciparum is the predominant Plasmodium species.
Methods: Dried fingerprick whole blood samples from 601 participants in the 2017 national, household-based, cross-sectional survey to estimate malaria prevalence were subjected to DNA extraction.
The animal gut microbiome can have a strong influence on the health, fitness, and behavior of its hosts. The composition of the gut microbial community can be influenced by factors such as diet, environment, and evolutionary history (phylosymbiosis). However, the relative influence of these factors is unknown in most bird species.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTree growth and longevity trade-offs fundamentally shape the terrestrial carbon balance. Yet, we lack a unified understanding of how such trade-offs vary across the world's forests. By mapping life history traits for a wide range of species across the Americas, we reveal considerable variation in life expectancies from 10 centimeters in diameter (ranging from 1.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe describe the geographical variation in tree species composition across Amazonian forests and show how environmental conditions are associated with species turnover. Our analyses are based on 2023 forest inventory plots (1 ha) that provide abundance data for a total of 5188 tree species. Within-plot species composition reflected both local environmental conditions (especially soil nutrients and hydrology) and geographical regions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The EAT-Lancet diet is a diet aimed at promoting population and planetary health from the perspective of sustainable diets in terms of environmental and health aspects. This study aimed to assess the association between adherence to the EAT-Lancet diet and cardiometabolic risk factors among adults and elderly individuals in a capital city in the northeastern region of Brazil.
Methods: This is an analytical cross-sectional observational study from a population-based sample conducted between 2019 and 2020, involving 398 non-institutionalized adults and elderly people, of both sexes from "Brazilian Usual Consumption Assessment" study (Brazuca-Natal).
The role of oxidative stress in health and homeostasis has generated interest in the scientific community due to its association with cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, cancer, and other diseases. Therefore, extensive research seeks to identify new exogenous antioxidant compounds for supplementation. Polysaccharides are recognized for their antioxidant properties.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMetazoans rely on interactions with microorganisms through multiple life stages. For example, developmental trajectories of mosquitoes can vary depending on the microorganisms available during their aquatic larval phase. However, the role that the local environment plays in shaping such host-microbe dynamics and the consequences for the host organism remain inadequately understood.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To investigate the association between allergic diseases and the tendency to self-harm in adolescents, considering the role of sedentary behavior.
Methods: This was a population-based cross-sectional study, carried out in 2022, with 727 adolescents aged 12 to 19 years, from a capital in the Northeast of Brazil. The authors evaluated the association between each allergic disease (asthma, rhinitis and eczema) and self-harm, sedentary behavior and other variables.
This paper presents a novel information generation methodology to support safer cycling patterns in urban environments, leveraging for that Large Language Models (LLMs), AI-based agents, and open geospatial data. By processing multiple files containing previously computed urban risk levels and existing mobility infrastructure, which are generated by exploiting open data sources, our method exploits multi-layer data preprocessing procedures and prompt engineering to create easy-to-use, user-friendly assistive systems that are able to provide useful information concerning cycling safety. Through a well-defined processing pipeline based on Data Ingestion and Preparation, Agents Orchestration, and Decision Execution methodological steps, our method shows how to integrate open-source tools and datasets, ensuring reproducibility and accessibility for urban planners and cyclists.
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