Network analysis of cattle movement among municipalities in Minas Gerais State, Brazil, from 2013 to 2023.

The aim of this study was to characterize the movement among municipalities in Minas Gerais state, Brazil, and to perform a network analysis based on these movements. Data on cattle movement in Minas Gerais, Brazil, from January 2013 to August 2023 were acquired from Guia de Trânsito Animal (GTA) (Animal Transit Guide), mandatory in Brazil for all livestock movements, provided by Instituto Mineiro de Agropecuária (IMA) (State Animal Health Authority). Descriptive analysis was performed, the five most common municipalities that were the origin and destination of movements were described, and the reason for transportation was assessed.

Service robots in caring for older adults: Uncovering the current conceptual and intellectual structures and future research agenda.

Service robots have supported human activity, mainly caring for older adults, for many years. However, a new generation of service robots empowered by artificial intelligence and other novel technologies indicates an increasing use of service robots in our society. Thus, this article aims to synthesize and integrate current research on service robots in caring for older adults, identifying its conceptual and intellectual structures and future research opportunities.

New insights into gold nanoparticles in virology: A review of their applications in the prevention, detection, and treatment of viral infections.

Viral infections have led to the deaths of millions worldwide and come with significant economic and social burdens. Emerging viral infections, as witnessed with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), can profoundly affect all aspects of human life, highlighting the imperative need to develop diagnostic, therapeutic, and effective control strategies in response. Numerous studies highlight the diverse applications of nanoparticles in diagnosing, controlling, preventing, and treating viral infections.

Insights from animal studies exploring the efficacy and safety of topical losartan, in prophylaxis and treatment of corneal scarring fibrosis.

Several studies in rabbits demonstrated the efficacy and safety of topical losartan, an angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARB) that modulates the TGF-β intracellular signaling pathways by inhibiting the activation of Extracellular Signal-regulated Kinase (ERK), in preventing or treating stromal fibrosis after a range of injuries such as Descemetorhexis, alkali burns, incisions, and photorefractive keratectomy (PRK). Several case reports have shown that topical losartan treatment is also efficacious and safe in humans to prevent or treat stromal fibrosis after many different injuries or diseases. Topical losartan penetrates the full thickness of the cornea and, therefore, can treat both anterior and posterior stromal fibrosis.

Effect of listening to music on anxiety, pain, and cardiorespiratory parameters in cardiac surgery: A randomized clinical trial.

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of listening to music on preoperative anxiety, postoperative pain (at rest and during coughing), and cardiorespiratory parameters in patients undergoing cardiac surgery.

Design: Single-centered, randomized, parallel, superiority clinical trial.

Methods: This study was carried out with 50 adult patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery randomly allocated at a 1:1 ratio to one of the groups, experimental (n = 25) or control (n = 25).

Adherence to a telehealth program for older adults with dementia and their caregivers: A mixed-methods study.

The objectives were to analyze the association between the cognitive performance of older adults/caregivers, adherence to a telehealth program and investigate reasons for dropouts, retention and adherence. A mixed-methods study was conducted involving 41 older adults diagnosed with dementia who participated in a 12-week telehealth program that offered physical exercises for the older adults and psychoeducation for the caregivers. Cognitive performance, adherence rates, benefits and reasons for withdrawal, retention and adherence were determined with the aid of questionnaires, field records, and focus groups.

ReBreed21-ET: Evaluation of a rapid resynchronization program that allows timed embryo transfer every 21 days.

This study evaluated the efficiency of a rapid resynchronization of ovulation program to allow timed embryo transfer (TET) every 21d in heifer embryo recipients. Holstein heifers (n = 510) had synchronized ovulation using a modified 5d CoSynch program for a TET (D7) after induced ovulation (D0). After TET, heifers were blocked by number of previous TETs and randomized into one of two resynchronization of ovulation programs: Resynch28 (n = 279), a traditional resynch program for TET 35d after previous TET; or ReBreed21-ET, a program designed to allow TET 21d after previous TET.

Degradation of plasmid-mediated resistance genes in poultry slaughterhouse wastewater employing a UV/HO process: A metagenomic approach.

Poultry slaughterhouse effluents are important hotspots for the spread of both antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARBs) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), contributing to the antimicrobial resistance (AMR). This study reports a novel investigation to assess the effects of UV/HO treatment on the removal of metaplasmidome-mediated ARGs from poultry slaughterhouse effluents. The effluent samples were subjected at 0.

Relationship of skeletal muscle mass, length of sports experience, and sexual maturity with bone density and geometry in adolescent athletes.

Objective: To identify the relationship between length of sports experience, muscle mass, and sexual maturity with bone mineral density (BMD) and geometry in adolescent basketball and track and field athletes.

Method: The study included adolescent (11-18 years) athletes, of both sexes, who practiced basketball (n = 26) or track and field (n = 24). Skeletal muscle mass was measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis.

Suspect screening and quantitative analysis of 165 contaminants of emerging concern in water, sediments, and biota using LC-MS/MS: Ecotoxicological and human health risk assessment.

This study aimed to implement a targeted multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) screening strategy using liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) for the initial detection of 165 compounds of emerging concern (CECs) in water, sediment, and fish samples. Following the screening, confirmatory and quantitative analyses were conducted using analytical standards for the detected compounds. Qualitative results were confirmed using high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) for those CECs without available standards.

Variants in GHRL, RETN, and PLIN1 are associated with obesity, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome, and influence food consumption in adults with obesity.

Genetic and environmental factors have important role in the pathogenesis of obesity and metabolic diseases. We hypothesized that genes involved in energy intake, cellular lipid metabolism and pro-inflammatory adipokines influence obesity-related metabolic disturbances and food intake. We explored the association of GHRL (rs26311G>C and rs4684677A>T), PLIN1 (rs2289487G>A and rs894160G>A), RETN (rs3745367C>T and rs7408174G>A), and NAMPT (rs1319501T>C) variants with obesity, metabolic and inflammatory markers, and food intake composition.

Ergometer for physical conditioning assessment of people with disabilities and parathletes.

Background: Wheelchair users face various health issues, such as cardiac problems, obesity, tissue deformation, and shoulder and wrist injuries. Although the subject of ergometry is known since 1912 and the mechanic of propulsion gesture and wheelchair configuration has been studied over the years, most of the equipment found in the literature are adaptations or lack the tools for standardization of techniques. This paper aims to conduct biomechanical validation of a new wheelchair ergometer (ERGO1) designed for assessing physical fitness and muscle training of the upper limbs of people with disabilities.

Rare Oncological Diseases and Their Large Slice in Demands to the Brazilian Government for Health Technologies Over 12 Years Since the Creation of CONITEC: Doenças Oncológicas Raras e Sua Grande Parcela Nas Demandas Por Tecnologias em Saúde ao Governo Brasileiro ao Longo de Doze Anos Desde a Criação da CONITEC.

Objectives: To describe the characteristics of the demands for health technologies submitted to the Brazilian Government.

Methodology: A descriptive analysis was carried out by surveying the reports produced by the National Committee for the Incorporation of Health Technologies since its creation in Brazil until 2023. The extracted data were tabulated in 3 domains: identification of demand, epidemiological profile of the disease, and clinical evidence and economic assessment.

Clinical Interplay Between Autism Spectrum Disorder and Bipolar Disorder: A Narrative Review.

Introduction: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Bipolar Disorder (BD) present significant challenges in diagnosis due to their complex nature. This review aims to examine the interface and overlapping features of these conditions.

Methods: We conducted a narrative review to examine clinical overlap, common psychiatric comorbidities, and shared neurobiological bases between ASD and BD.

Colorimetric analysis of intraoral scans: A novel approach for detecting gingival inflammation.

Background: Gingivitis, a widely prevalent oral health condition, affects up to 80% of the population. Traditional assessment methods for gingivitis rely heavily on subjective clinical evaluation. This study seeks to explore the efficacy of interpreting the color metrics from intraoral scans to objectively differentiate between healthy and inflamed gingiva.

Association Between Resting Heart Rate and the Risk of Incident Hypertension Among Older Chinese Adults: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Examining the role of resting heart rate (RHR) in hypertension risk could improve our understanding of its pathogenesis. However, most relevant studies have been conducted in developed countries such as the United States and Brazil, with no evidence for the older Chinese population. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the association between RHR and the risk of developing hypertension in an older Chinese population.

Diversity patterns and knowledge gaps of Atlantic Forest epiphyllous bryophytes: a highly neglected group.

Background: Epiphyllous bryophytes are a group of plants with complex adaptations to colonize the leaves of vascular plants and are considered one of the most specialized and sensitive groups to environmental changes. Despite their specificity and ecological importance, these plants represent a largely neglected group in relation to scientific research and ecological data. This lack of information directly affects our understanding of biodiversity patterns and compromises the conservation of this group in threatened ecosystems.

L-carnitine protects against oxidative damage and neuroinflammation in cerebral cortex of rats submitted to chronic chemically-induced model of hyperphenylalaninemia.

Phenylketonuria is a genetic disorder characterized by high phenylalanine levels, the main toxic metabolite of the disease. Hyperphenylalaninemia can cause neurological impairment. In order to avoid this symptomatology, patients typically follow a phenylalanine-free diet supplemented with a synthetic formula that provides essential amino acids, including L-carnitine.

Teaching Spirituality in Nursing: A Bibliometric Analysis.

The study of spirituality in nursing education has become an emerging academic field, making it important to understand its evolution using bibliometric indicators. To achieve this, a search was conducted on July 8, 2024, using the Web of Science and Scopus databases. Titles and abstracts were screened in Rayyan, and data analysis was performed using Bibliometrix and Biblioshiny in the R language.

Adaptation and validation of a tool for the quality assessment of genetic counseling in Brazil: perspectives from clinical geneticists.

In 2018, Portuguese researchers proposed the "Tool for Quality Assessment of Genetic Counseling," a 5-point Likert scale comprising 50 items across five dimensions, designed to assess genetic counseling from the professional's perspective. This descriptive, cross-sectional study aimed to adapt this tool to Brazilian Portuguese, validate it among Brazilian clinical geneticists, and conduct a preliminary assessment of the quality of genetic counseling in Brazil. The adaptation process involved expert-driven content validation and calculation of the Content Validity Index (CVI) to ensure equivalence between the original and adapted versions.

Septicemic omphalophlebitis by Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus in a southern right whale calf (Eubalaena australis).

Southern right whales (Eubalaena australis) are mysticete cetaceans commonly observed in the coastal waters of Brazil, particularly in Santa Catarina State. There is limited understanding of the causes of calf mortality in this species, particularly concerning infectious diseases. We report a case of omphalophlebitis caused by Streptococcus equi subsp.

Azathioprine and risk of non-melanoma skin cancers in organ transplant recipients: a systematic review and update meta-analysis.

Background: Immunosuppression might increase the risk of skin cancer in organ transplant recipients (OTRs), with azathioprine (AZA), exerting a fundamental role in the carcinogenesis of those tumors. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to address the risk of developing malignant skin neoplasms in OTRs undergoing immunosuppression with AZA.

Methods: PubMed, Cochrane and Embase were searched for studies with OTRs who have a treatment regimen involving Azathioprine therapy after transplantation and that analyzed the emergence of skin neoplasia.

Blue light-emitting diode therapy for recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis: a Brazilian report.

Purpose: RVVC is defined as four or more episodes of candidiasis in a 12-month period. Conventional treatment is complex and often involves long-term medication use or multiple treatments. ABL therapy is a promising treatment option as it is acceptable to women and has only rare side effects.

Efficacy of birthing ball exercises to reduce labor pain and cesarean rates: an updated meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Purpose: This updated systematic review and meta-analysis aims to evaluate the impact of a birthing ball (BB) exercises on low-risk parturients during labor, offering a more comprehensive understanding through a larger sample size, robust analysis, and focus on relevant endpoints that were underexplored in previous studies due to limited data.

Methods: We searched PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Cochrane Central for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing BB (also named Swiss ball) exercises with no intervention or standard care in parturients undergoing low-risk labor. Risk ratios (RR) and mean differences (MD) were calculated using a random-effects model.

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma during pregnancy. Case report.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma during pregnancy is extremely rare. Overall, including our case, only 19 cases confirmed antepartum have been reported to date. We report the case of a 37 year-old woman at 24 weeks of pregnancy in whom a pancreatic adenocarcinoma was identified during investigation of a suspected acute pancreatitis.