Publications by authors named "Souza Ec"

Dengue is the most common arboviral disease. It is typically spread by the bite of an infected female or mosquitoes. Dengue is endemic in subtropical and tropical regions, but its geographic reach keeps expanding.

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The diet of indicator fish species plays a crucial role in assessing ecosystem health. This study evaluated streams with and without urban influences, focusing on abiotic parameters and the trophic ecology of Psalidodon fasciatus and Piabina argentea. Forested streams exhibited higher redox potential, dissolved oxygen, transparency, and depth, whereas urban streams had higher temperatures, greater widths, and increased levels of total dissolved solids, conductivity, total coliforms, and thermotolerant coliforms.

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Purpose: Adjuvant radiotherapy has been a standard of care for craniopharyngioma. Nevertheless, it is a rare disease with multiple presentations, and results with conservative surgery followed by radiotherapy (RT) can vary. We compared treatment results for both adult and pediatric patients.

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Purpose: To describe a multimodal imaging and a 5-year follow-up of a case of cilioretinal artery occlusion (CLRAO) in a 40-year-old woman with idiopathic retinal vasculitis, aneurysms, and neuroretinitis (IRVAN) syndrome.

Methods: Fundus photography, indocyanine green and fluorescein angiography, optical coherence tomography (OCT), OCT angiography (OCTA), and a literature review of retinal artery occlusions associated with IRVAN syndrome were performed.

Results: Fundus examination revealed bilateral blurred margins of the discs and peri-vascular hard exudates.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study investigated the correlation between rheumatic fever (RF) history and benzathine penicillin (BP) treatment with extensive macular atrophy with pseudodrusen (EMAP) in Brazilian patients through a retrospective, observational case-control approach.
  • - Out of 77 patients (66.2% women, average age 58.6), a significant majority had a history of RF (90.9%) and BP treatment (94.8% starting at an average age of 7.3 years with an 11.8-year duration).
  • - Results showed that longer BP treatment duration was linked to a decrease in atrophic area, while older age at RF diagnosis influenced the likelihood of subretinal dr
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Optic neuritis is an important cause of unilateral and acute visual loss in young adults, but other differential diagnoses should be considered, especially when the disease has an atypical presentation. This report presents the case of a young woman with reduced visual acuity in her right eye, associated with optic disc edema and a relative afferent pupillary defect, that was initially misdiagnosed as optic neuritis and subsequently found to have paracentral acute middle maculopathy, possibly secondary to subtle impending central retinal vein occlusion. This case emphasizes the need to remember that retinal vascular diseases can occasionally mimic optic neuritis.

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  • - This case report details a new type of retinal vascular abnormality found in a 65-year-old woman experiencing sudden vision loss, identified during a posterior vitreous detachment investigation.
  • - The imaging revealed a focal telangiectatic venule in the perifoveal region, which persisted even after the woman's symptoms resolved.
  • - The condition is thought to be an unusual form of macular telangiectasia, with the study providing valuable insights into the mechanisms behind perifoveal retinal vascular abnormalities.
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  • The study analyzed virological and clinical data from 251 COVID-19 patients in Cuiabá, Brazil, focusing on the first and second pandemic waves.
  • Key findings revealed a significant association between higher fatality rates and factors like age over 61, lung damage, and various comorbidities, with severe cases being more common in the second wave.
  • The research also identified specific changes in blood parameters and viral genetic lineage mutations that correlated with increased mortality rates among patients.
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Despite success in achieving viral suppression during pregnancy in people living with HIV (PLWH), postpartum adherence remains a challenge. We aimed to describe rates of adherence at a Prevention of Mother-to-Child HIV Transmission (PMTCT) Center before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study was conducted from a cohort of PLWH who received prenatal care and were virally suppressed near delivery.

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Objective: To assess the effectiveness of various sealing techniques in cholecystotomies under maximum intraluminal pressure stress using an ex vivo swine model.

Sample: 30 gallbladders from different animals were used.

Methods: The experiment was conducted ex vivo, with the formation of 3 groups, each comprising 10 samples.

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Due to the possible effects of global warming, new materials that do not have a negative impact on the environment are being studied. To serve a variety of industries and outdoor applications, it is necessary to consider the impact of photoluminosity on the performance of biocomposites in order to accurately assess their durability characteristics and prevent substantial damage. Exposure to photoluminosity can result in adverse effects such as discoloration, uneven surface, loss of mass, and manipulation of the intrinsic mechanical properties of biocomposites.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study focuses on dome-shaped macula (DSM), a condition causing visual impairment due to sub-foveal serous retinal detachment (SRD), and evaluates the effects of a new laser treatment method on affected patients.
  • It included seven patients with SRD and assessed various eye health indicators before and after treatment, with an average follow-up of about 13 months.
  • Results showed a significant reduction in central subfield thickness and improvement in visual acuity post-treatment, with no reported adverse effects, indicating the treatment's effectiveness for resolving SRD due to DSM.
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  • Thousands of tons of biomass from agroindustries in the Amazon, such as acai, babassu, Brazil nut, and oil palm, are currently discarded but have potential to be converted into high-value activated carbon.
  • This study examined the characteristics of these biomasses, including their lignin and carbon content, to evaluate their suitability for activated carbon production.
  • The results showed that all four biomasses can produce effective activated carbon with significant adsorption capacities, particularly babassu, which outperformed the others in quality.
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Background: The best management for AVM, particularly high-grade ones and those that have been ruptured before, is still unknown. Data from prospective data lacks support for the best approach.

Methods: We retrospectively review patients with AVM at a single institution that were treated with radiation or a combination of radiation and embolization.

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Microbial resistance to drugs is a public health problem; therefore, there is a search for alternatives to replace conventional products with natural agents. One of the potential antimicrobial agents is wood vinegar derived from the carbonization of lignocellulosic raw materials. The objectives of the present work were to evaluate the antibacterial and antifungal action of two kinds of wood vinegar (WV), one of Eucalyptus urograndis wood and another of Bambusa vulgaris biomass, and determine their chemical profile.

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Background: The scenario of the patient with neuropathies, which are related to urinary disorders, impacts the quality of life. Symptoms can lead to social isolation, impair activities of daily living, and shorten life expectancy. This study aims to make a practical and integrative review of current recommendations for the urogynecological approach of patients with neuropathy and urinary dysfunction.

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The interest of biofuel producers in Neotropical species that have high growth rates, slight wood density variability, and elemental composition that does not compromise the environment has increased in recent decades. We investigated the density and chemical characteristics of wood of Schizolobium parahyba var. amazonicum (Huber × Ducke) Barneby as a source for the generation of bioenergy.

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(Rottb.) Maas was collected in Serra do Tepequém, municipality of Amajari, state of Roraima, Brazil. The essential oil was obtained from the fresh leaves by hydrodistillation using a Clevenger apparatus and analysed using GC-FID and GC-MS.

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Tannins are polyphenols that can be extracted from different parts of the plant and have different known commercial applications. The extraction of tannins generates a significant amount of low-density wastes. An alternative that can be applied to ensure energy reuse of this low-density waste is a densification process, such as briquetting.

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Purpose: To describe chorioretinal signs in a case series of Giant Cell Arteritis (GCA).

Methods: This is a multicenter retrospective observational case series with GCA that presented with a headache and an abrupt, unilateral loss in vision. Workup included temporal artery biopsies, intravenous fluorescein angiography, optical coherence tomography (OCT), optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA), blood levels of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and C-reactive protein (CRP).

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Rationale: Annona species are of interest for the isolation of bioactive molecules; however, studies of Annona jahnii Saff. are limited. The exploration of bioactive metabolites of endophytes isolated from this species is unprecedented and allows the preservation of the host plant, in addition to enabling the discovery of compounds with promising biological activities.

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Rationale: Propolis has a great diversity in its composition due to numerous factors; therefore, each study is an important contribution to the knoFwledge of its composition and biological action. The objective of this study was to determine the chemical profile and biological activity of propolis produced by Scaptotrigona depilis.

Methods: Extracts with 70% ethanol (EPE70) and with cereal alcohol (CAPE) were elaborated, and then characterized using UHPLC-ESI(+)-MS/MS.

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