Publications by authors named "Roque A"

Non-human primates (NHPs) are reported as exclusive hosts of Trypanosoma minasense, whose transmission cycle remains unknown. We investigated trypanosomatid infections in 194 NHPs of nine species from the Brazilian Southeast region. We evaluated the impact of landscape composition and forest fragmentation on T.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Astrocytes respond to neurotransmitters by increasing their intracellular Ca2+ concentration (Ca2+ signals). While glutamate released by neurons trigger Ca2+ signals through IP3- and glutamate transporter-dependent mechanisms, dopamine released in distant sites activates astrocytes via dopaminergic receptors. However, little is known about the modulatory effects of dopamine on glutamate-evoked astrocytic activity.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: Myopia, a leading cause of correctable visual impairment, is projected to affect nearly 50% of the global population by 2050, posing a significant public health challenge. Understanding its prevalence and associated factors, particularly in children, is crucial for devising prevention and intervention strategies. This study aims to determine the proportion of myopia in school-aged children in Portugal and to examine the correlation between myopia occurrence and various environmental and genetic factors.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • - Vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency are common in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients, prompting a study to create a pharmacokinetic model for oral cholecalciferol (VitD) and its metabolites in this population.
  • - The study involved 29 CKD patients who were given a single dose of oral VitD, using nonlinear mixed effects modeling to analyze how the drug and its metabolites are processed in the body.
  • - The results indicate that personalized dosing strategies of 600 to 1000 I.U. of VitD per day may be ideal for reaching target 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels, potentially improving treatment for CKD patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Research Question: What are the trends and impact of new technologies on the effectiveness and safety of assisted reproductive technology (ART) performed in Latin America during 2021?

Design: This was a retrospective collection of cycle-based multinational data obtained from ART procedures performed by 204 accredited institutions in 16 countries.

Results: In total 127,351initiated cycles resulted in 20,032 deliveries and 22,708 births. ART utilization showed great variability, from 623.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Histones have antimicrobial properties, particularly against biofilms, but their clinical use can be limited due to concerns about toxicity.
  • The study found that human recombinant histone H1 subtypes, particularly H1.0 and H1.4, effectively reduced PAO1 bacteria, with H1.4 showing potential to disrupt biofilm formation while being non-toxic to larvae.
  • The research highlights histones as promising alternatives in fighting infections by multidrug-resistant bacteria, especially in combination with existing antibiotics like ciprofloxacin, despite some limitations in improving effectiveness.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Histone H1 is involved in the regulation of chromatin structure. Human somatic cells express up to seven subtypes. The variability in the proportions of somatic H1s (H1 complement) is one piece of evidence supporting their functional specificity.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder triggered by dietary gluten in genetically predisposed individuals that primarily affects the small intestine. Studies have reported differentially abundant bacterial taxa in the gut microbiota of celiac patients compared with non-celiac controls. However, findings across studies have inconsistencies and no microbial signature of celiac disease has been defined so far.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Despite the great diversity of bats (64 species) in the State of Acre, northwestern Brazil, there are no studies on occurrence and diversity of Bartonella spp. in bats in this region. The present study investigated the occurrence and molecular identity of Bartonella spp.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Solution-phase hydrogen/deuterium exchange (HDX) coupled to native ion mobility spectrometry mass spectrometry (IMS-MS) can provide complementary structural information about the conformational dynamics of biological molecules. In the present work, the solution-stable isotope labeling (SIL) combined with trapped ion mobility spectrometry (TIMS) in tandem with top-down electron capture dissociation (ECD) is illustrated for the structural characterization of the solution native states of ubiquitin. Four different ubiquitin electrospray solution conditions: (i) single-tip nondeuterated, (ii) theta tip for online SIL HDX, (iii) single-tip SIL-deuterated, and (iv) theta tip for online SIL H/D back exchange (HDbX), were investigated to assess the H/D exchange reactivities of native ubiquitin.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: To compare the impact of a commercial "sleep lotion" versus a placebo control lotion on salivary melatonin and sleep quality.

Methods: The presence of melatonin in the lotion was confirmed and quantitated with High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). In this randomized, controlled, double-blind crossover trial, undergraduate student participants applied lotions on two separate nights and we quantitated melatonin in saliva samples with enzyme linked immunosorbent assays.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objectives: to understand the process of adapting to childbirth during the COVID-19 pandemic from the perspective of a group of pregnant women.

Methods: a qualitative, descriptive-exploratory study was conducted with 23 women. Data were collected between October and December 2021 through documentation and semi-structured interviews, which were analyzed using Minayo's methodology and Roy's Adaptation Model.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Latin America (LATAM) plays an important role in the world's production of aquatic animals and is the second most productive region in the world. Chile, Ecuador, Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, and Perú contribute 87% of LATAM aquaculture production. The fish welfare in aquaculture is of increasing public concern globally, and LATAM is no exception, growing in importance for fish farmers, authorities, and scientists.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Trypanosomatids have achieved significant evolutionary success in parasitizing various groups, yet reptiles remain relatively unexplored. The utilization of advanced molecular tools has revealed an increased richness of trypanosomatids in vertebrate hosts. The aim of this study was to identify the trypanosomatid species infecting Bothrops moojeni and Crotalus durissus kept in captivity from 2000 to 2022.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • - This study explored the toxic effects and potential endocrine disruption of a mixture of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) on the liver cells of Nile tilapia, focusing on their impact on the estrogen pathway.
  • - Although the PAH mixture had minimal effects on cell metabolism and adhesion, it significantly increased gene expression related to estrogen, particularly vitellogenin and estrogen receptor 2, indicating potential endocrine disruption.
  • - The study also revealed changes in oxidative stress markers and altered efflux activity, suggesting that the PAH mixture affects both the estrogen pathway and oxidative stress responses in the hepatocytes of O. niloticus.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The sensorimotor gating is a nervous system function that modulates the acoustic startle response (ASR). Prepulse inhibition (PPI) phenomenon is an operational measure of sensorimotor gating, defined as the reduction of ASR when a high intensity sound (pulse) is preceded in milliseconds by a weaker stimulus (prepulse). Brainstem nuclei are associated with the mediation of ASR and PPI, whereas cortical and subcortical regions are associated with their modulation.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Panic disorder is a common psychiatric diagnosis characterized by acute, distressing somatic symptoms that mimic medically-relevant symptoms. As a result, individuals with panic disorder overutilize personal and healthcare resources in an attempt to diagnose and treat physical symptoms that are often medically benign. A biobehavioral perspective on these symptoms is needed that integrates psychological and medical knowledge to avoid costly treatments and prolonged suffering.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The capability of peptide and amino acid-based molecules to act as ionogelators and eutectogelators entrapping ionic liquids (ILs) and deep eutectic solvents (DESs) forming ionogels and eutectogels has gathered attention in recent decades. The self-assembly process, primarily driven by non-covalent interactions as hydrogen bonding, remains serendipitous in nature. This review provides a comprehensive and detailed report on self-assembly of unmodified and modified amino acids and peptides in the non-conventional solvents, ILs and DESs.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF