Antifungal susceptibility, clinical findings, and biofilm resistance of Fusarium species causing keratitis: a challenge for disease control.

Fusarium keratitis (FK) is an important clinical condition that can lead to blindness and eye loss, and is most commonly caused by the Fusarium solani species complex (FSSC). This study evaluated the susceptibility of planktonic cells and biofilms of FSSC (n = 7) and non-FSSC (n = 7) isolates obtained from patients with keratitis from a semi-arid tropical region to amphotericin B (AMB), natamycin (NAT), voriconazole (VRZ), efinaconazole (EFZ), and luliconazole (LCZ). Analysis of clinical data showed that trauma was the most common risk factor for FK patients.

Large carpenter bees show high dispersal in a tropical semi-arid region susceptible to desertification.

Desertification is a major threat to biodiversity in arid areas of the world, partly because many organisms in these regions already exist at or near the limits of their movement and physiology. Here, we used molecular data to investigate patterns of persistence and dispersal in an ecologically and economically important carpenter bee ( Lepeletier) found throughout the semiarid Caatinga region of Brazil. We used a genome-wide approach (double digest restriction-site associated DNA, ddRAD) to gather genetic data from bees sampled from eight sites within a semiarid region subject to desertification in Northeastern Brazil.

Development of Liposomes Loaded with Chloroaluminum Phthalocyanine for Application of Photodynamic Therapy in Breast Cancer.

Chloraluminium phthalocyanine (ClAlPc) has potential therapeutic effect for the treatment of cancer; however, the molecule is lipophilic and may present self-aggregation which limits its clinical success. Thus, nanocarriers like liposomes can improve ClAlPc solubility, reduce off-site toxicity and increase circulation time. For this purpose, developing suitable liposomes requires the evaluation of different lipid compositions.

Fusarium keratitis in a Brazilian tropical semi-arid area: Clinical-epidemiological features, molecular identification and antifungal susceptibility.

Background: Fungal keratitis is a severe eye infection that can result in blindness and visual impairment, particularly in developing countries. Fusarium spp. are the primary causative agents of this condition.

Effectiveness of telesimulation on cardiorespiratory arrest for nursing students.

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of telesimulation on cardiorespiratory arrest to improve the performance of nursing students.

Methods: This was an experimental study, whose sample consisted of 30 undergraduate nursing students from a Brazilian university. It was structured from two groups: an experimental (n=15) and a control (n=15).

Expression of tumoral GSK3-β, PD-L1, and CD8 cell density in urothelial carcinomas, association with tumor grade and overall survival.

Unlabelled: Bladder cancer is the most common malignancy in the urinary tract, and is biologically and clinically quite heterogeneous. Around 90% of diagnoses are made in the 6 decade, being more prevalent in males. The programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) and programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) axis play a putative role in immune checkpoint and as a means through which cancer evades the immune system.

Synergistic Antigenotoxic and Antioxidant Action of Gum Arabic and Eugenol in Rat Liver Following Induction of Colorectal Carcinogenesis.

Objective: Much research has been conducted to identify natural antioxidant and antimutagenic compounds capable of preventing, reverting or treating conditions caused by oxidative stress and genotoxicity. In this study we evaluated the effects of 10% gum arabic (GA) and eugenol (EUG) on hepatic oxidative stress and genotoxicity induced by dimethylhydrazine (DMH) in rats.

Methods: The prevention arm of the study included 4 control groups and 4 experimental groups.

β-Estradiol and progesterone enhance biofilm development and persister cell formation in monospecies and microcosms biofilms derived from vulvovaginal candidiasis.

The present study aimed to: (1) evaluate the influence of the steroid hormones (SH) on biofilm development; (2) investigate the formation of persister cells (PC) in biofilms; and (3) investigate the influence of SH on PC formation. Biofilms were derived from vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) samples and evaluated by three models: microcosm biofilms grown in Vaginal Fluid Simulator Medium (MiB-VFSM); monospecies biofilms grown in VFSM (MoB-VFSM) and RPMI media (MoB-RPMI). SH altered cell counting and biomass of biofilms grown in VSFM; MoB-RPMI were negatively affected by SH.

Systematic literature review of primary and secondary cervical cancer prevention programs in South America.

Objective: To identify the 2022 recommendations made by ministries of health in the 13 countries and areas of South America for human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination and cervical cancer screening.

Methods: A systematic review of scientific literature and official documents was conducted between July 7 and October 17, 2022. The review included an initial search on official websites (e.

Predictive Factors for the Risk of Sexual Dysfunction in Climacteric Women: Population-based Study.

Background: It is known that sexual problems increase with age but little is known about the predictors of female sexual dysfunction (FSD) in Brazilian climacteric women.

Aim: To identify predictive factors for FSD in climacteric women.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional population-based study carried out through a household survey.

Associations Between Eight Earth Observation-Derived Climate Variables and Enteropathogen Infection: An Independent Participant Data Meta-Analysis of Surveillance Studies With Broad Spectrum Nucleic Acid Diagnostics.

Diarrheal disease, still a major cause of childhood illness, is caused by numerous, diverse infectious microorganisms, which are differentially sensitive to environmental conditions. Enteropathogen-specific impacts of climate remain underexplored. Results from 15 studies that diagnosed enteropathogens in 64,788 stool samples from 20,760 children in 19 countries were combined.

It takes two to tango: synthesis of cytotoxic quinones containing two redox active centers with potential antitumor activity.

We report the synthesis of 47 new quinone-based derivatives click chemistry and their subsequent evaluation against cancer cell lines and the control L929 murine fibroblast cell line. These compounds combine two redox centers, such as an -quinone/-quinone or quinones/selenium with the 1,2,3-triazole nucleus. Several of these compounds present IC values below 0.

Morphological analysis of myocardial bridges and coronary arterial dominance in northeast Brazil.

Background: Coronary arterial dominance and myocardial bridges have clinical implications, since a left dominant pattern associated to the presence of myocardial bridges is often associated to a higher incidence of arteriosclerosis and higher mortality by myocardial infarction.

Objective: To determine the presence and position of myocardial bridges and their relation with coronary arterial dominance.

Methods: Fifty-seven human cadaveric hearts were analyzed into three groups, as follows: right dominance; left dominance; codominance.

Donor Choriocarcinoma Transmission From Solid Organ Transplantation: A Case Report.

Transplantation of any organ has some inherent risk of disease transmission, such as infection and malignancy. The present study aims to describe 2 cases of choriocarcinoma transmission after kidney and liver transplantation originating from the same patient. The donor was a 17-year-old woman who died of cerebral hemorrhage.

Clinical Validation of the Nursing Diagnosis, Decreased Cardiac Tissue Perfusion, in Patients with Coronary Artery Obstruction.

Objective: To verify the accuracy of the nursing diagnosis, decreased cardiac tissue perfusion, in patients with coronary artery disease.

Methods: Clinical validation consisted of evaluation by 75 participants. Sensitivity and specificity measurements were performed by means of latent class analysis.

Medication follow-up in newborns with extremely low birth-weight.

Objective: The medication follow-up in infants with extremely low birth-weight in a neonatal intensive care unit is described, identifying drug-related problems (DRP), drug-related negative outcomes, and the relationship between the occurrence of DRP and birth-weight of newborns and their impact on pharmacotherapy and length of hospital stay.

Methods: A descriptive and exploratory study was performed in which medication follow-up of a population of infants with extremely low birth-weight admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit of a government-run maternity hospital was carried out by clinical pharmacists. Monitoring comprised assessment of patients' pharmacotherapy needs through visits to the neonatal unit, evaluation of prescriptions and information on medical records, identification of issues associated with pharmacotherapy and follow-up of the newborns' clinical evolution to determine whether desired results were achieved.

HIV/AIDS knowledge among MSM in Brazil: a challenge for public policies.

Introduction: High level of HIV/AIDS knowledge is required for an effective adoption of preventive strategies.

Objective: To assess HIV/AIDS knowledge among men who have sex with men (MSM) in 12 Brazilian cities.

Methods: Respondent-Driven Sampling method was used for recruitment.

Discrimination based on sexual orientation against MSM in Brazil: a latent class analysis.

Introduction: Discrimination based on sexual orientation can influence vulnerability to HIV, increasing exposure to risky sexual behavior among men who have sex with men (MSM).

Objectives: To analyze data using latent class analysis (LCA) to identify groups of individuals with specific patterns of discrimination based on sexual orientation (DSO).

Methods: Cross-sectional study using respondent-driven sampling in 12 Brazilian cities in 2016.

Wernicke's encephalopathy in a patient with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma post-Autologous HSCT.

Wernick's Encephalopathy (WE) is an acute neuropsychiatric syndrome caused by thiamine deficiency post hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT). WE is associated with high mortality and morbidity rates, but due to its rare occurrence, it is rarely considered in patients submitted to this procedure. Considering that, the manuscript reports the clinical characteristics and the possible factors that predisposed the occurrence of WE in a patient with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma post-Autologous HSCT.

Acute kidney injury and other factors associated with mortality in hiv-infected patients.

Objective: HIV-related mortality is still high, especially in developed countries. The aim of this study is to investigate factors associated to death in HIV-infected patients.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study with all HIV adult patients admitted to a tertiary infectious diseases hospital in Fortaleza, Northeast Brazil, from January 2013 to December 2014.

Mandibular Regional Odontodysplasia in an 8-year-old Boy showing Teeth Disorders, Gubernaculum Tracts, and Altered Bone Fractal Pattern.

Unlabelled: Regional odontodysplasia (RO) is a rare nonhereditary developmental condition usually affecting maxilla and female patients. A few number of articles have used the cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) to describe imaging findings in RO. Thus, this article aims to report unusual imaging findings in a Brazilian child who presented with mandibular RO.

Antidiarrheal activity of a novel sulfated polysaccharide from the red seaweed Gracilaria cervicornis.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: The use of marine seaweeds as a source of natural compounds with medicinal purposes is increasing in Western countries in the last decades, becoming an important alternative in the traditional medicine of many developing countries, where diarrhea still remains a severe public health problem, with high rates of mortality and morbidity. Sulfated polysaccharides (PLS) extracted from red seaweeds can exhibit therapeutic effects for the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders. Thus, the pharmacological properties of the PLS from Gracilaria cervicornis, an endemic seaweed found in the Brazilian northeast coast, was evaluated as an alternative natural medication for diarrhea.

Advantages of the Alpha-lipoic Acid Association with Chlorpromazine in a Model of Schizophrenia Induced by Ketamine in Rats: Behavioral and Oxidative Stress evidences.

Schizophrenia is a chronic mental disorder reported to compromise about 1% of the world's population. Although its pathophysiological process is not completely elucidated, evidence showing the presence of an oxidative imbalance has been increasingly highlighted in the literature. Thus, the use of antioxidant substances may be of importance for schizophrenia treatment.