The first probable evidence of leprosy in a male individual (17th-19th century AD) unearthed in Northern Portugal (Travanca, Santa Maria da Feira).

Objective: This study describes the first evidence of a probable paleopathological case of leprosy from northern Portugal.

Materials: An adult male, skeleton 403, exhumed from the Christian cemetery associated with the church dedicated to Saint Mamede (Travanca, Santa Maria da Feira), dated from the 17th-19th century AD.

Methods: Standard bioarchaeological methods were used for sex and age-at-death determinations, and leprosy-related bone lesions were identified through macroscopic analysis guided by paleopathological diagnostic criteria.

Bacteriophage Cocktail-Mediated Inhibition of Biofilm on Endotracheal Tube Surface.

Although different strategies to control biofilm formation on endotracheal tubes have been proposed, there are scarce scientific data on applying phages for both removing and preventing biofilms on the device surface. Here, the anti-biofilm capacity of five bacteriophages was evaluated by a high content screening assay. We observed that biofilms were significantly reduced after phage treatment, especially in multidrug-resistant strains.

Concentrations and properties of ice nucleating substances in exudates from Antarctic sea-ice diatoms.

The ocean contains ice nucleating substances (INSs), some of which can be emitted to the atmosphere where they can influence the formation and properties of clouds. A possible source of INSs in the ocean is exudates from sea-ice diatoms. Here we examine the concentrations and properties of INSs in supernatant samples from dense sea-ice diatom communities collected from Ross Sea and McMurdo Sound in the Antarctic.

Participatory health through behavioural engagement and disruptive digital technology for postoperative rehabilitation: protocol of the PATHway trial.

Introduction: Postsurgical rehabilitation is critical for optimal recovery in people undergoing orthopaedic surgery. Currently, knee and lumbar spine postsurgical care is not standardised, economically sustainable, nor based on quality evidence, contributing to substantial clinical variation, poor outcomes and increasing healthcare costs. This protocol describes the design of a randomised controlled trial aiming to evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a postsurgical clinical pathway augmented by disruptive technology and compared with standardised rehabilitation alone, in decreasing pain and improving function after total knee replacement (TKR) or lumbar laminectomy (with or without fusion).

Applicability of statistical analysis for performance and reliability evaluation of large-scale water treatment plants with direct filtration systems.

Water treatment plants (WTPs) are extremely important in basic sanitation services because of their association with human health by producing safe drinking water. Thus, their proper operation is of utmost relevance and has led to the development of distinct performance evaluation methodologies. Direct filtration is a leading technology applied in WTPs.

Predictive factors of functional independence in basic activities of daily living during hospitalization and after discharge of stroke patients.

: The aim of this study was to identify the predictive factors of functional independence in the basic activities of daily living during hospitalization, on the 10th and 28th day after stroke.: A total of 433 patients (204 men and 229 women) took part. Functional independence data were collected using the Step 1 from an instrument called Stepwise.

Vitamin D supplementation: position Statement of the Iberoamerican Society of Osteoporosis and Mineral Metabolism (SIBOMM).

Background: Vitamin D (VD) deficiency is a global pandemic that affects more than a third of the population worldwide. The population of Latin America and the Caribbean exceeds 620 million inhabitants with diverse ethnic origins and different latitudes and altitudes, which make comparisons and generalizations difficult.

Aim And Method: We sought to establish an expert consensus regarding the recommendations for VD supplementation in Latin America by means of the Delphi methodology.

Long-term effect of biochar-based fertilizers application in tropical soil: Agronomic efficiency and phosphorus availability.

Incorporation of phosphorus (P) into an organic matrix may be an effective strategy to increase plant P use efficiency in high P-fixing soils. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of biochar-based fertilizers (BBFs), produced from poultry litter (PLB) and coffee husk (CHB) enriched with phosphoric acid and magnesium oxide, in combination with triple superphosphate (TSP) on plant growth and soil P transformations. Treatments were prepared as: TSP, CHB, PLB, CHB + TSP [1:1], CHB + TSP [3:1], PLB + TSP [1:1] and PLB + TSP [3:1]; with numbers in brackets representing the proportion of BBF and TSP on a weight basis.

Delay in head and neck cancer care during the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on health outcomes.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak has created unprecedent challenges for healthcare systems worldwide. Oncology services have been reorganized to decrease the risk of nosocomial acquisition of SARS-CoV-2, but changes in treatment pathways and follow-up cancer care can result in patients receiving suboptimal or delayed care. Herein, we describe a cross-sectional nested cohort study conducted to evaluate delays in care for patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) in post-treatment follow-up or palliative care during the COVID-19 pandemic in Northeast Brazil and its impact on health outcomes.

Good management practices of venomous snakes in captivity to produce biological venom-based medicines: achieving replicability and contributing to pharmaceutical industry.

One of the factors responsible for lack of reproducible findings may be attributed to the raw material used. To date, there are no apparent studies examining reproducibility using venoms for the development of new toxin-based drugs with respect to regulatory agencies' policies. For this reason, protocols were implemented to produce animal toxins with quality, traceability, and strict compliance with Good Manufacturing Practices.

Differential expression of miRNAs in canine peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) exposed to Leishmania infantum in vitro.

Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) is a neglected tropical disease, caused by L. infantum in the New World, where dogs are the main reservoir. These parasites can regulate host immune response through miRNA differential expression in the early stages of infection; however such early response has not yet been investigated in the canine model.

Anemia at Presentation Predicts Acute Mortality and Need for Readmission Following Geriatric Hip Fracture.

Unlabelled: There is a paucity of research regarding the relationship between anemia and postoperative morbidity and mortality among geriatric patients presenting with hip fracture. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of anemia at presentation on 30-day morbidity and mortality among geriatric patients with hip fracture.

Methods: The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS-NSQIP) database was queried for all hip fracture patients ≥60 years old from 2011 to 2016.

Could cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation modulate the power spectral density of alpha-band in migrainous occipital lobe?

Objective: To identify the correlation between cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and the power spectral density (PSD) of alpha-band on the occipital lobe of migraineurs.

Methods: Firstly, a cross-sectional study was performed to compare the PSD of alpha-band in the occipital cortex of 25 migraineurs versus 10 healthy volunteers in resting state and during repetitive light stimuli (RLS). Secondly, the patients participated in 12 sessions of cathodal (n = 11) or sham tDCS (n = 10) over the primary visual cortex (V1) to investigate the alpha-band PSD.

Ovarian gene expression in collared peccary (Pecari tajacu Linnaeus, 1758) subjected to gonadotropin stimulation protocols.

Ovarian response of collared peccaries (Pecari tajacu), after hormonal stimulation with gonadotropin association (eCG/hCG), was accessed by both gene expression and follicular development. Thus, collared peccaries (n = 8) were treated with the dose used for sows (swine dose, SWD) or with dose adjusted for peccary's weight (allometric dose, ALD). The gene expression of receptors was evaluated for both gonadotropins (FSHR and LHCGR) and growth factors (proteins codified by TGFβR-1, BMPR1-A and BMPR2 genes) in antral follicles, cortex and corpora haemorrhagica (CH).

From despair to hope: copying of relatives of hospitalized children before bad news report.

Objective: to understand the experiences of relatives of critically ill children before bad news report.

Method: a phenomenological study based on Heidegger's philosophical framework. Data collection was carried out from October 2018 to March 2019, through phenomenological interviews with 15 relatives of children hospitalized in a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.

Growing up (being) without a mother: children's experiences during maternal imprisonment.

Objective: to understand, through dramatic therapeutic play, children's experiences during maternal imprisonment.

Methods: this is a phenomenological study in the light of Winnicott's theoretical framework carried out in a philanthropic assistance center in the capital of São Paulo, with eight children aged three to ten who participated in an interview mediated by dramatic therapeutic play session.

Results: two categories emerged: Children being without a mother: a storm with lightning and thunder and Children growing up without a mother: drizzle, heavy rain and some rays of sun.

Characterization and application of magnetic biochar for the removal of phosphorus from water.

Activated biochars were prepared from residues of medium density fiberboard (MDF) produced by the furniture industry. Biomass residue was pre-treated with FeCl3 in two different FeCl3:biomass ratios (0.5:1 and 1:1, w/w) aiming to produce a matrix embedded with iron oxide.

Association of -94 ATTG insertion/deletion NFkB1 and c.*126G>A NFkBIA genetic polymorphisms with oxidative and nitrosative stress biomarkers in Brazilian subjects with Parkinson's Disease.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a complex neurodegenerative disorder, resulting dopaminergic neuronal cell death in the substantia nigra. The disease is characterized by major motor impairment, being bradykinesia, rest tremor, rigidity and loss of postural reflexes the most common, while autonomic dysfunctions, sleep disturbances and psychiatric disorders are some of the wide range of non-motor symptoms. Several processes have been identified to be associated with disease development, such as mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative/nitrosative stress and neuroinflammation.

Alamandine through MrgD receptor induces antidepressant-like effect in transgenic rats with low brain angiotensinogen.

Alamandine (Ala-Arg-Val-Tyr-Ile-His-Pro), a heptapeptide hormone of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS), exerts its effects through the Mas-related G-protein coupled receptor of the type D, MrgD, which is expressed in different tissues, including the brain. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that alamandine could attenuate the depression-like behavior observed in transgenic rats with low brain angiotensinogen, TGR (ASrAOGEN)680. Transgenic rats exhibited a significant increase in the immobility time in forced swim test, a phenotype reversed by intracerebroventricular infusion of alamandine.

Wear Rates of XLPE Nearly 50% Lower Than Previously Thought After Adjusting for Initial Creep: An RCT Comparing 4 Bearing Combinations.

Background: The ideal bearing combination for total hip arthroplasty (THA) remains debatable. Highly cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) is widely used, but long-term wear rates are not fully known, nor is how much the initial "creep," if any, affects overall wear. Additionally, the use of oxidized zirconium (OxZir) is purported to lower polyethylene wear rates, but this has not been proven.

Identification and Characterization of New Bacteriophages to Control Multidrug-Resistant Biofilm on Endotracheal Tubes.

Studies involving antimicrobial-coated endotracheal tubes are scarce, and new approaches to control multidrug-resistant biofilm on these devices should be investigated. In this study, five new bacteriophages from domestic sewage were isolated. All of them belong to the order , family.

Pitfalls Associated with Discriminating Mixed-Species Biofilms by Flow Cytometry.

Since biofilms are ubiquitous in different settings and act as sources of disease for humans, reliable methods to characterize and quantify these microbial communities are required. Numerous techniques have been employed, but most of them are unidirectional, labor intensive and time consuming. Although flow cytometry (FCM) can be a reliable choice to quickly provide a multiparametric analysis, there are still few applications on biofilms, and even less on the study of inter-kingdom communities.

Leaf Extract as a Potential Antioxidant Molecule Using In Vitro and In Vivo Assays.

The genus is widely used in traditional folk medicine, but few scientific data exist for this genus. The goal of this study was to characterise the chemical composition and antioxidant activities of leaf extracts using and assays. Six extracts were obtained: hexane (HE), chloroform (CE), ethanol (EE), methanol (ME), water end extract (WEE), and water extract (WE).