Predictors of Hepatic Fibrosis in Type 2 Diabetes Patients with Metabolic-Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease.

Background/objectives: Approximately 25% of the world's population and more than 60% of patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) have metabolic-dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). The association between these pathologies is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in Brazil and worldwide due to the high frequency of advanced fibrosis and cirrhosis. The objective of this study was to determine the epidemiologic and clinical-laboratory profile of patients with T2D and MASLD treated at an endocrinology reference service in a state in northeastern Brazil, and to investigate the association of liver fibrosis with anthropometric and laboratory measurements.

Perspectives on Creating a Chronic Pain Support Line in Portugal: Results of a Focus Group Study among Patients and Healthcare Professionals.

Chronic pain (CP) patients frequently feel misunderstood and experience a lack of support. This led to the creation of support telephone lines in some countries. However, there is no scientific data grounding their development or evaluating their performance.

Surrogate species in pesticide risk assessments: Toxicological data of three stingless bees species.

Discussions about environmental risk reassessment of pesticides have grown in the last decades, especially in tropical and subtropical regions since the diversity of bee species in these places is quite different. Stingless bees are highly affected by pesticides, and toxicity information is necessary to include them in the regulatory process of countries that hosts a diversity of these species. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the Median Lethal Concentration (LC), estimate the Median Lethal Dose (LD) and compared the sensitivity of three species of stingless bees exposed to the commercial formulation of the neonicotinoid thiamethoxam (TMX).

Optimization of in vitro culture of honeybee nervous tissue for pesticide risk assessment.

The most used pesticides have neurotoxic action on the neurotransmitter system of target and non-targeted insects, such as honeybees. However, honeybees have foremost importance worldwide, which has encouraged the development of tools to evaluate the action of specific pesticide molecules on their nervous system, providing accurate data on damage to their brain. In this sense, our study aimed to optimize in vitro honeybee nervous tissue culture to assess pesticide risks.

A systematic review of research conducted by pioneer groups in ecotoxicological studies with bees in Brazil: advances and perspectives.

Brazil presents the most threatened endemic or rare species among neotropical regions, with the Hymenoptera order, to which bees belong, classified as a high-risk category. In Brazil, the main cause of bee death is the indiscriminate use of pesticides. In this context, groups such as Bee Ecotoxicology and Conservation Laboratory (LECA in Portuguese) and Bees and Environmental Services (ASAs in Portuguese) have become a reference in studies evaluating the impacts of pesticides on bees since 1976.

Motor Rehabilitation of Upper Limbs Using a Gesture-Based Serious Game: Evaluation of Usability and User Experience.

Gesture-based serious games can be based on playful and interactive scenarios to enhance user engagement and experience during exercises, thereby increasing efficiency in the motor rehabilitation process. This study aimed to develop the (RG) as a complementary therapy tool for upper limb rehabilitation in clinics and home environments and to evaluate aspects of usability and user experience of it. The evaluation consisted of the use of a gesture-based serious game with motor rehabilitation sessions managed in a web platform.

A high quality method for hemolymph collection from honeybee larvae.

The drastic decline of bees is associated with several factors, including the immune system suppression due to the increased exposure to pesticides. A widely used method to evaluate these effects on these insects' immune systems is the counting of circulating hemocytes in the hemolymph. However, the extraction of hemolymph from larvae is quite difficult, and the collected material is frequently contaminated with other tissues and gastrointestinal fluids, which complicates counting.

Standardization of in vitro nervous tissue culture for honeybee: A high specificity toxicological approach.

Bees are important pollinators that help to maintain the biodiversity of wild and cultivated plants. However, the increased and inappropriate use of agrochemicals has caused an imbalance in the populations of these insects visiting flowers for pollen and nectar collection. Therefore, new research methods for understanding the mechanisms of action of pesticides and their impacts on the brains of bees, such as neurotoxicity and cellular changes, in response to different active characteristics and dosages of insecticides are necessary.

Nursing work: challenges for health management in the northeast of Brazil.

Aim: Social exchange theory is used as the framework to examine the interaction between supervisor-subordinate relationships, training and affective commitment for Northeast Brazilian public sector nursing professionals.

Background: There are continuing challenges to nursing management worldwide in terms of the supply of nursing professionals, their work relationships, nurse training and commitment to their employing organisations. The interplay between these factors for nurses in the Northeast of Brazil has not been well understood.

[Blood feeding preference of Lutzomyia whitmani (Diptera, Psychodidae) in a transmission area for American cutaneous leishmaniasis in the State of Maranhão, Brazil].

The aim of this study was to determine the sources of blood meals for females of Lutzomyia whitmani, a phlebotomine species incriminated as the main vector for American cutaneous leishmaniasis in Maranhão. For this, 70 Lutzomyia whitmani females were collected in the municipality of Axixá, an area with one of the greatest numbers of cases of American cutaneous leishmaniasis in humans in Maranhão. They were analyzed using the precipitin technique.

[Ketogenic diet for intractable epilepsy in children and adolescents: report of six cases].

Background: This study aims to report on use of the ketogenic diet in a group of six children and adolescents with intractable epilepsy.

Methods: Authors reviewed the medical records of every patient under 15 years of age who received the ketogenic diet between April 1999 and July 2003. A comparison is made between treatment results, adverse events and beneficial effects with the pertinent medical literature.