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This study investigated pumpkin seed protein (PSP) as a carrier for astaxanthin (AST). Interaction mechanisms revealed through fluorescence spectroscopy and molecular docking, showed that hydrogen bonds and Van der Waals forces form the PSP-AST complex. AST binding altered PSP's secondary structure, increasing α-helix (7.32 %) and β-sheet (14.49 %) content while reducing β-turn (12.55 %) and random coil (9.26 %) content. Temperature significantly affected AST degradation, with higher stability observed in the PSP-AST complex. The degradation process was non-spontaneous, with a higher activation energy for complexed AST (26.53 KJ/mol) than free AST (14.69 KJ/mol). Additionally, AST reduced PSP oxidation by 16 % in oxidative conditions, and PSP protected AST during in vitro digestion. This study provides key insights for enhancing AST stability, highlighting its potential applications in the food and pharmaceutical industries., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a complex neurodegenerative disorder with substantial genetic influence. While genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified numerous risk loci for late-onset AD (LOAD), the functional mechanisms underlying most of these associations remain unresolved. Large genomic rearrangements, known as structural variants (SVs), represent a promising avenue for elucidating such mechanisms within some of these loci., Methods: By leveraging data from two ongoing cohort studies of aging and dementia, the Religious Orders Study and Rush Memory and Aging Project (ROS/MAP), we performed genome-wide association analysis testing 20,205 common SVs from 1088 participants with whole genome sequencing (WGS) data. A range of Alzheimer's disease and other common age-related clinical and neuropathologic traits were examined., Results: First, we mapped SVs across 81 AD risk loci and discovered 22 SVs in linkage disequilibrium (LD) with GWAS lead variants and directly associated with the phenotypes tested. The strongest association was a deletion of an Alu element in the 3'UTR of the TMEM106B gene, in high LD with the respective AD GWAS locus and associated with multiple AD and AD-related disorders (ADRD) phenotypes, including tangles density, TDP-43, and cognitive resilience. The deletion of this element was also linked to lower TMEM106B protein abundance. We also found a 22-kb deletion associated with depression in ROS/MAP and bearing similar association patterns as GWAS SNPs at the IQCK locus. In addition, we leveraged our catalog of SV-GWAS to replicate and characterize independent findings in SV-based GWAS for AD and five other neurodegenerative diseases. Among these findings, we highlight the replication of genome-wide significant SVs for progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), including markers for the 17q21.31 MAPT locus inversion and a 1483-bp deletion at the CYP2A13 locus, along with other suggestive associations, such as a 994-bp duplication in the LMNTD1 locus, suggestively linked to AD and a 3958-bp deletion at the DOCK5 locus linked to Lewy body disease (LBD) (P = 3.36 × 10 -4 )., Conclusions: While still limited in sample size, this study highlights the utility of including analysis of SVs for elucidating mechanisms underlying GWAS loci and provides a valuable resource for the characterization of the effects of SVs in neurodegenerative disease pathogenesis., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: The ROS and MAP studies were approved by an Institutional Review Board (IRB) of Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL. All participants agreed to an annual clinical evaluation and signed an informed consent and an Anatomic Gift Act agreeing to post-mortem brain donation. All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the Institutional Review Board of Rush University Medical Center and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. Each participant signed an informed consent form to participate in the study. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2025. The Author(s).)

The processing of coffee consists on the separation of the grains from other parts of the fruit, then roasted and extracted to obtain the beverage that is so appreciated worldwide. Several studies have dedicated efforts to treat the residue from coffee processing, while recovering lignols of industrial interest. Given this scenario, the nutrients in the coffee husk can enhance microbial growth, providing optimal conditions for the microorganisms to produce metabolites that may have medicinal properties. Deep eutectic solvents (DES) are a class of solvents and/or catalysts designed on demand for specific uses, being used to enhance extraction processes of coffee husk. Our present study was successful establishing conditions where the coffee husk enhanced the growth of microorganisms from two Brazilian biomes, the endophytic fungus from Cerrado and the actinomycete, from Atlantic Rainforest in Boraceia, São Paulo. The DES composed by ChCl/LA (1:10) was selected as cosolvent for the extraction, while it also optimized microbial cultivation conditions. Coffee husk was an excellent supplement for culture media, once the fungus FE316 produced Fumiquinazoline A, Tripprostatin B and Pseurotin A, while the actinomycete AC154 produced Trichorozin-IV as metabolites only expressed when in addition to the coffee husk. UHPLC-MS/MS analysis enabled the annotation of lignin monomer compounds, such as alkaloids, phenylpropanoids and terpenoids present in the coffee husk, more specifically, caffeic acid, isochlorogenic acid B, chlorogenic acid and coniferyl aldehyde, underscoring the value of this biomass.

Background: Female breast cancer (FBC) is a well-known public health issue worldwide. However, male breast cancer (MBC), though rare, may be overlooked by both public health authorities and clinicians. Both diseases exhibit similarities, and understanding their behavior over time is crucial to grasping their annual impact on many citizens. Furthermore, analyzing if medical personnel are well allocated and influence disease outcomes in a limited setting such as the Public Health System (PHS) is of utmost importance., Methods: This ecological study utilized secondary data from 2008 to 2020 to explore the relationship between the number of doctors per 100,000 inhabitants and mortality from FBC and MBC in Brazil. All data were sourced from Brazil's PHS. Mortality rates were analyzed by age and standardized according to the World Health Organization's population figures. The number of physicians was calculated per 100,000 inhabitants. A linear regression analysis was performed using a stepwise selection/backward elimination approach., Results: Between 2008 and 2020, Brazil recorded 195,969 breast cancer-related deaths among adults, including 2,220 male victims. The majority of these deaths occurred in the Southeast region among patients older than 50 years. Although both MBC and FBC demonstrated increasing trends over the study period, no correlation was found between the number of physicians and mortality rates for MBC. Conversely, an increase in primary care physicians over the years was positively correlated with mortality rates for FBC (p < 0.05). In addition, the number of physicians in the PHS (β = -0.163; 95% CI: -0.240 to -0.085; p = 0.002), oncologists (β = -0.507; 95% CI: -0.881 to -0.134; p = 0.015), and radiotherapists (β = -6.402; 95% CI: -12.357 to -0.446; p = 0.039) all showed an inverse association with FBC mortality., Conclusions: The increasing trends in FBC and MBC underscore the need for urgent monitoring. Lower FBC mortality correlates with higher numbers of physicians and specialized care, highlighting the critical role of healthcare workforce capacity and the strategic allocation of specialized personnel in enhancing patient outcomes., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: According to the Brazilian National Health Council’s Resolution No. 466 of December 12, 2012, there is no need for ethical assessment by an ethics committee because public and unrestricted data was used in this analysis. Therefore, by law, once there was no experimental protocols, there is no need for approval by an institutional and/or licensing committee. Consent for publication: Not applicable. All data are public, unidentified and of unrestricted access. Therefore, according to the Brazilian National Health Council’s Resolution No. 466 of December 12, 2012, there is no need for an informed consent. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2025. The Author(s).)

Infertility is a primary health issue affecting about 15% of couples of reproductive ages worldwide, leading to physical, mental, and social challenges. Advances in nanobiotechnology and regenerative medicine are opening new therapeutic horizons for infertility by developing polysaccharide-based nanostructured biomaterials. This review explores the role of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine in infertility treatment, explicitly focusing on the promising potential of polysaccharide-based hydrogels. In this context, using these biomaterials offers unique advantages, including biodegradability, biocompatibility, and the ability to mimic the natural endometrial microenvironment, making them highly effective for applications in endometrial regeneration, ovarian tissue engineering, spermatogenesis support, and controlled drug delivery. This review discusses the various properties and uses of polysaccharide-based hydrogels, like alginate, hyaluronic acid, and chitosan, in helping to restore reproductive function. While these materials hold great promise, some notable challenges to their clinical use include issues like rapid degradation, mechanical instability, and potential immune reactions. Future research should focus on developing hybrid hydrogels, investigating advanced fabrication techniques, and testing these materials in clinical settings. By combining findings from recent studies, this review aims to provide a solid foundation for researchers and clinicians looking to discover new and effective strategies for treating infertility, ultimately connecting research efforts with practical applications in healthcare., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: Not applicable. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2025. The Author(s).)

Introduction: Individuals living with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) are subject to numerous chronic complications, including disabling chronic pain, often dependent on opioids and with important repercussions on the quality of life. The use of Medicinal Cannabis in this scenario may be a promising strategy for mitigating this impact., Areas Covered: This work compiles current knowledge regarding the endocannabinoid system in humans and the role of this system in various organic functions. Articles were retrieved through a comprehensive search of the PubMed NCBI database, covering relevant studies up to 2024. These data bring important speculations on the potential role of the use of medicinal cannabis in modulating SCD chronic complications, and the preliminary results of clinical trials carried out in this condition are discussed., Expert Opinion: The search for understanding the role of cannabis-derived products in the management of chronic complications of sickle cell disease could add resources to the serious challenge of dealing with the multiple aspects of the disease faced by patients. They range from the management of chronic pain itself to the risks of opioid dependence, in addition to other difficult scenarios, such as leg ulcers and chronic inflammation and its consequences.

Introduction: The absence of a unique patient identifier in the Brazilian hospital administrative database prevents the identification of hospital episodes with multiple hospitalisations of the same patient., Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the information gain by using a computer routine to identify acute Obstetrics hospital episodes and its impact on assessing marks of case severity., Methods: The data source was a de-identified Brazilian hospital administrative database from 2017 to 2020, including hospitalisations records of women of reproductive age (10 to 49 years old) for treating acute conditions (N=16,087,490). We processed this database by combining C++ and Python routines to create a hospital episodes database. From the latter, we selected obstetrics hospital episodes from 2018 to 2019 (N = 4,926,877). We compared selected characteristics of the hospital episodes according to their type (multiple vs single records per episode), testing for differences using effect size measures. We compared relative differences in case severity marks when using the hospital episode as the unit of analysis to that of isolated hospitalisations (N = 5,018,350)., Results: Compared to single-record episodes, multiple-records episodes had longer length of stay, higher amount reimbursed, and lower proportion of discharge alive. When comparing isolated hospitalisations to hospital episodes analysis, we observed an increase in all case severity indicators, especially for hospital deaths, with an increment of 13.15%. The computer routine decreased the hospital admissions with a reason for hospital discharge that did not indicate the outcome (hospital stay or inter-hospital transfer) from 2.29% to 0.73., Conclusions: The deterministic matching computer routine proved valuable for identifying records that refer to the same hospital episode, which improved the assessment of severe cases., Competing Interests: Statement on conflicts of interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: None declared.

The abiu-do-mato (Pouteria caimito) is a fruit highly valued by Amazonian populations; however, its chemical composition and properties remain largely unexplored. This study aimed to fill this gap by analyzing the fruit's chemical profile and evaluating its antioxidant and cytotoxic properties. The research assessed proximate composition through physicochemical analysis, mineral content via atomic absorption spectrophotometry, and antioxidant activity using DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP assays. Total phenolic content was determined with the Folin-Ciocalteu reagent, while fatty acid and volatile compound profiles were identified using GC-MS. Additionally, NMR and HRMS were employed to characterize the chemical composition of the pulp and peel, and cytotoxicity was evaluated in vitro. Results showed that the peel contained the highest levels of antioxidant activity and phenolic compounds, followed by the pulp and seeds. GC-MS analysis of hexane extracts identified 19 compounds, primarily volatiles and fatty acids, with palmitic, elaidic, and linoleic acids being the most abundant. Methanolic extracts revealed 17 compounds, including catechin and its derivatives. Cytotoxicity assays indicated no toxic effects on the tested cells. These findings enhance the understanding of Pouteria caimito, highlighting its nutritional potential and possible applications in food and health-related industries., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2025 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To investigate associations between possible sleep bruxism (PSB) and sleep disorders in children/adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as well as parental perceived stress., Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted involving children/adolescents with ASD five to 19 years of age and their parents at a public institution that supports disabled people in the city of João Pessoa in Northeast Brazil. The parents answered a form addressing sociodemographic characteristics and medical data (schooling, income, age, sex, support level and use of medications). PSB was recorded based on the reports of the parents. Parental stress was investigated using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10). Sleep disorders in the children/adolescents were investigated using the Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children (SDSC). Data analysis involved descriptive, bivariate and Poisson regression analyses (95% CI; p < 0.05)., Results: Fifty children/adolescents with ASD participated in the study. Boys accounted for 84.0% of the sample (n = 42). PSB in the children/adolescents was reported by 28.0% of the parents. The mean parental PSS-10 score was 20.3 ± 8.5 and the mean SDSC score was 48.8 ± 17.5. The adjusted Poisson model revealed associations between PSB and higher levels of perceived stress of the parents (PR = 1.05; 95% CI: 1.01-1.09), sleep breathing disorders (PR = 1.14; 95%CI: 1.05-1.24) and sleep-wake transition disorders (PR = 1.16; 95%CI: 1.00-1.36; p = 0.044)., Conclusion: The occurrence of PSB in children and adolescents with ASD was associated with higher levels of parental stress, higher scores for sleep breathing disorders and sleep-wake transition disorders., Competing Interests: Declarations. Conflict of Interest: The authors declare no conflicts of interest with regards to the study, authorship or publication of this article., (© 2025. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Urbanization results in increased numbers of people living in cities and poses challenges and opportunities to public health policies. Studies of urban scaling have unveiled how cities' socio-economic and infrastructural attributes vary systematically with city size. Previous studies have explored the scaling properties of health outcomes across metropolitan areas in different countries, but chronic diseases have been infrequently examined. This paper examines scaling behaviors of 4 cardiovascular risk factors: hypertension, diabetes, tobacco smoking, and obesity across 230 cities in six countries of Latin America. In analyses pooled across countries, diabetes and hypertension showed weakly superlinear scaling (higher prevalence in larger cities). In comparison, obesity showed linear scaling, and tobacco showed weakly sublinear scaling (lower prevalence in larger cities), although most coefficients did not differ significantly from the null. In country-specific analyses, hypertension and diabetes tended to show a superlinear pattern across most countries, obesity tended to show a sublinear pattern in most countries, and tobacco tended to be superlinear (in contrast to the analysis pooled across countries where it was sublinear). Results suggest the need to examine further the drivers of this varying scaling of risk factors., Competing Interests: Declarations. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests. Ethical approval: The SALURBAL study protocol was approved by the Drexel University Institutional Review Board with ID #1612005035 and by appropriate site-specific IRBs., (© 2025. The Author(s).)

Sample types currently used for Influenza A virus (IAV) surveillance in swine farms vary in sensitivity, convenience of collection, and herd representativeness. Family oral fluids are an effective population-based sample type for detecting porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) (ribonucleic acid) RNA by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-rtPCR) in breeding herds. However, little is known about the efficacy of family oral fluids samples for detecting IAV RNA in these herds. This study compared the probability of IAV RNA detection among individual and population-based samples. A 3,500-sow breeding herd was sampled for matched sets (n = 57) of family oral fluids, udder wipes, sow nasal wipes, individual piglet nasal wipes, and drinker wipes, tested by RT-rtPCR for IAV RNA. Overall, 57.9 % (33/57) of family oral fluids, 49.1 % (28/57) of udder wipes, 28.1 % (16/57) of sow nasal wipes, 15.8 % (9/57) of drinker wipes, and 66.6 % (38/57) of individual piglet nasal wipes were positive. Family oral fluids showed a Kappa value of 0.81, indicating near-perfect agreement with individual piglet nasal wipes, while udder wipes had a substantial agreement (Kappa = 0.65). Other sample types showed fair agreement (Kappa < 0.28). These results validate family oral fluids as an efficient alternative population-based sample for IAV surveillance in breeding herds. The proportion of positive piglets within litters by room was 91 % in room A (20/22), 70 % in room B (17/24), and 9 % in room C (1/11). This study also highlights the importance of sampling different farrowing rooms within the same breeding herd to enhance IAV surveillance., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that this research was conducted without any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2025 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Sexual exploitation of children and adolescents (SECA) is a mostly invisible phenomenon, having negative impacts on adolescents' health and well-being. There is increasing awarenessof preventative strategies to reduce sexual exploitation of children and adolescents, but limited evidence on their effectiveness and mechanisms. This project addresses this gap through the impact and process evaluation of 'Growing Up Without Violence' (GWV), the largest intervention in Brazil tackling SECA., Methods: We will conduct a two-arm cluster randomised trial (CRT) with parallel assignment in the municipalities of Cabo de Santo Agostinho and Jaboatão dos Guararapes, in Brazil. We will randomly allocate 30 schools to intervention and 30 to wait-list control arms. In each of these schools, we will randomly select independent samples of fifty students (aged 12 to 17) to participate in baseline and endline surveys. We will invite students to self-complete pre-programmed questionnaires in a private school space, under the supervision of trained researchers. Our main analysis is a cross-sectional comparison between control and intervention schools of students' levels of basic knowledge for identifying appropriate and inappropriate sexual advances and acts (primary outcome). Secondary outcomes include knowledge of risks of online sexual exploitation, willingness to report incidents of sexual abuse and exploitation, and recall of exposure SECA preventive training content., Discussion: To our knowledge, this is the first large-scale rigorous evaluation of an intervention to prevent SECA in Brazil. Findings will inform our strategies and future interventions to prevent SECA., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors of the manuscript “Growing up without violence (GWV): study protocol for a cluster randomised trial and process evaluation of a school-based intervention preventing adolescent sexual exploitation in Brazil” - Ligia Kiss, Agnese Iuliano, Malini Pires, Ana Paula Portella, Heloína Paiva and Baptiste Laurent - declare that they have no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Objective: This study aims to map the scientific literature on the effects of auriculotherapy in the treatment of anxiety-fatigue and sleep disturbances in cancer patients, highlighting the main application protocols., Method: A scoping review was conducted following the PRISMA-ScR guidelines and the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology. The search was conducted in twelve data sources by two independent researchers. Publications were included if they were available in full text, with no language or time restrictions. Data were analyzed descriptively, with tables and statistics reporting absolute and relative frequencies., Results: The final sample included 16 studies with a total of 669 cancer patients. Of these, 11 were randomized controlled trials published between 2015 and 2022, with a notable concentration in 2019 and 2021. Asian countries were highly represented (62,5 %), followed by Latin America (12,5 %). Breast cancer was the most common tumor type, accounting for 68,75 %. The primary auricular points used were shenmen, followed by heart, subcortex, kidney, and sympathetic. The duration of the protocols ranged from three to eight weeks. The most commonly used materials were needles, seeds, magnetic pellets, and crystal balls., Conclusions: The results of this review highlight the effects of auriculotherapy in the management of anxiety-fatigue and sleep disturbance in cancer patients, demonstrating symptom improvement and benefits that outweigh the minor side effects associated with the procedure., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Nanoparticulate drug delivery systems (NDDS) based nanoformulations have emerged as promising drug delivery systems. Various NDDS-based formulations have been reported such as polymeric nanoparticles (NPs), nanoliposomes, solid lipid NPs, nanocapsules, liposomes, self-nano emulsifying drug delivery systems, pro liposomes, nanospheres, microemulsion, nanoemulsion, gold NPs, silver NPs and nanostructured lipid carrier. They have shown numerous advantages such as enhanced bioavailability, aqueous solubility, permeability, controlled release profile, and blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability. This advantage of NDDS can help to deliver pure drugs to the target site. However, the formulation of nanoparticles is a complex process that requires optimization to ensure product quality and efficacy. Quality by Design (QbD) is a systemic approach that has been implemented in the pharmaceutical industry to improve the quality and reliability of drug products. QbD involves the optimization of different parameters like zeta potential (ZP), particle size (PS), entrapment efficiency (EE), polydispersity index (PDI), and drug release using statistical experimental design. The present article discussed the detailed role of QbD in optimizing nanoformulations and their advantages, advancement, and applications from the industrial perspective. Various case studies of QbD in the optimization of nanoformulations are also discussed., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: Not applicable. Consent for publication: Yes. Competing interests: None., (© 2024. Controlled Release Society.)

This study examines blood mercury (Hg) concentrations in Calonectris spp. shearwaters from three colonies along the Atlantic and Mediterranean waters of the Iberian Peninsula (southwestern Europe), investigating their relationship with foraging ecology through GPS tracking and stable isotopes (δ 15 N and δ 13 C) data during the breeding season. Hg levels exhibited a spatial gradient, increasing from the Atlantic Ocean (1.8 ± 0.4 μg g -1 dw) towards the Mediterranean Sea, with shearwaters from the Columbretes Islands (NW Mediterranean) showing the highest Hg levels (6.5 ± 2.1 μg g -1 dw). Individuals breeding in the Alboran Sea, a transition area between both basins, had intermediate Hg concentrations (3.1 ± 1.5 μg g -1 dw). All individuals were above the Hg toxicity threshold associated with negative reproductive, body condition, and immune system outcomes. However, all shearwaters had a Se:Hg molar ratio above 4, indicating effective protection of Se against Hg toxicity. Positive significant relationships between Hg concentrations, δ 15 N values, and time spent foraging in deep sea waters were observed in Mediterranean colonies, highlighting the ecological context's role in Hg accumulation. Results suggest that feeding on higher trophic level prey, in deep-sea areas, and geographic location contribute to Hg accumulation in these populations. Given the potential health risks associated with elevated Hg levels, further research is warranted to explore the ecological factors driving Hg accumulation and the implications for the health status of these populations., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The development of specific growth charts for Turner Syndrome (TS) promotes adequate assessment of growth and weight gain, and earlier diagnosis of comorbidities, and may help to analyze the effectiveness of treatments to promote growth and puberty. The aim of this study was to construct a growth chart with the largest possible series of patients with a cytogenetic diagnosis of TS from a Brazilian reference center., Methods: This is a longitudinal study, with 259 cases of TS born between 1957 and 2014 and followed between 1975 and 2019, without the use of GH or oxandrolone. 3,160 height measurements and 2,918 wt measurements were used, with subsequent calculation of the Body Mass Index (BMI). For data analysis, the "GAMLSS" package of the "R" software was used., Results: The mean target height was 157.8 cm (standard deviation 5.2; median 160.4 cm). The mean height of patients with TS at 20 years of age was 145.6 cm (standard deviation 5.9; median 146.7 cm). Height, weight, and BMI by age graphs were developed for TS girls between 2 and 20 years., Conclusion: These growth charts may be used to monitor the growth of girls with TS and to verify the effect of adjuvant treatments on promoting growth., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Sociedade Brasileira de Pediatria. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To develop and assess the Bed Bridge Test's (BBT) feasibility, safety, and clinimetric properties and evaluate functional capacity in hospitalised patients., Materials and Methods: This feasibility and measurement study examined four BBT versions, including the timed-limited at 30 and 60 s and repetition-limited at 5 and 10 times, in hospitalised patients in a university hospital in Brazil. Ninety-two functionally stable patients with respiratory, gastrointestinal, or post-surgical conditions participated. Participants completed the BBT versions in a random order. BBT concurrent criterion validity was evaluated using the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), Sit-to-Stand (STS) test, and Functional Status Score (FSS)., Results: The participants were 51 ± 17 years old, 60% female, and 66% with clinical conditions. All participants completed the BBT versions without adverse events. Test-retest reliability was good-excellent (intraclass correlation coefficient >0.87) for all BBT versions, with acceptable agreement parameters and minimal detectable changes. The time-limited versions of the BBT might be affected by a ceiling effect. Floor effects were minimal for all BBT versions. BBT showed moderate associations with SPPB and STS and weak associations with FSS., Conclusions: The BBT is feasible and has promising measurement properties.

Aims: To develop a model capable of distinguishing carcinoma ex-pleomorphic adenoma from pleomorphic adenoma using a convolutional neural network architecture., Methods and Results: A cohort of 83 Brazilian patients, divided into carcinoma ex-pleomorphic adenoma (n = 42) and pleomorphic adenoma (n = 41), was used for training a convolutional neural network. The whole-slide images were annotated and fragmented into 743 869 (carcinoma ex-pleomorphic adenomas) and 211 714 (pleomorphic adenomas) patches, measuring 224 × 224 pixels. Training (80%), validation (10%), and test (10%) subsets were established. The Residual Neural Network (ResNet)-50 was chosen for its recognition and classification capabilities. The training and validation graphs, and parameters derived from the confusion matrix, were evaluated. The loss curve recorded 0.63, and the accuracy reached 0.93. Evaluated parameters included specificity (0.88), sensitivity (0.94), precision (0.96), F1 score (0.95), and area under the curve (0.97)., Conclusions: The study underscores the potential of ResNet-50 in the microscopic diagnosis of carcinoma ex-pleomorphic adenoma. The developed model demonstrated strong learning potential, but exhibited partial limitations in generalization, as indicated by the validation curve. In summary, the study established a promising baseline despite limitations in model generalization. This indicates the need to refine methodologies, investigate new models, incorporate larger datasets, and encourage inter-institutional collaboration for comprehensive studies in salivary gland tumors., (© 2024 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Background and Purpose: Prolonged survival of neutrophils is essential for determining the progression and severity of inflammatory and immune-mediated disorders, including gouty arthritis. Survivin, an anti-apoptotic molecule, has been described as a regulator of cell survival. This study aims to examine the effects of YM155 treatment, a survivin selective suppressant, in maintaining neutrophil survival in vitro and in vivo experimental settings of neutrophilic inflammation., Experimental Approach: BALB/c mice were injected with monosodium urate (MSU) crystals and treated with YM155 (intra-articularly) at the peak of inflammatory response. Leukocyte recruitment, apoptosis neutrophil and efferocytosis were determined by knee joint wash cell morphology counting and flow cytometry. Resolution interval (Ri) was quantified by neutrophil infiltration, monitoring the amplitude and duration of the inflammation. Cytokine production was measured by ELISA. Mechanical hypernociception was assessed using an electronic von Frey aesthesiometer. Efferocytosis was evaluated in zymosan-induced neutrophilic peritonitis. Survivin and cleaved caspase-3 expression was determined in human neutrophils by flow cytometry., Key Results: Survivin was expressed in neutrophils during MSU-induced gout, and the treatment with YM155 reduced survivin expression and shortened Ri from ∼8 h observed in vehicle-treated mice to ∼5.5 h, effect accompanied by increased neutrophil apoptosis and efferocytosis, both crucial for the inflammation resolution. Reduced IL-1β and CXCL1 levels were also observed in periarticular tissue. YM155 reduced histopathological score and hypernociceptive response. In human neutrophils, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) increased survivin expression, whereas survivin inhibition with YM155 induced neutrophil apoptosis, with activation of caspase-3., Conclusions and Implications: Survivin may be a promising therapeutic target to control neutrophilic inflammation., (© 2024 British Pharmacological Society.)

Tributyltin is a biocide and bisphenol S is a plasticizer. The effects of the TBT + BPS mix on thyroid axis function are unknown. This study evaluated the effects of subacute exposure to TBT and BPS, both in mix and alone, in female young Wistar rats. Thyroid morphophysiology, gene expression, oxidative stress and collagen deposition were evaluated. TBT and BPS exposure resulted in a decrease in thyroid hormone levels, whereas TBT alone resulted in a decrease in TSH levels. The TBT + BPS group exhibited an increase in T 4 levels, a decrease in T 3 levels, a decrease in TPO activity, and an increase in TSHr mRNA expression. Deiodinase 1 (D1) and 2 (D2) were increased in the hypothalamus-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis (except for D2 in the pituitary gland) and in the liver of the TBT + BPS group, beside increases in the pituitary TRHr and thyroid ER mRNAs. The thyroid morphology of the TBT + BPS group revealed significant expansion of both the thyroid follicle and its surrounding tissue. In contrast, the TBT and BPS groups displayed numerous thyroid follicles undergoing fusion, a decrease in epithelial height and the epithelial/colloid ratio. The BPS group was the only group that exhibited increased collagen deposition. The TBT + BPS group demonstrated significant increases in the transcript levels of nrf2 and keap1. In all groups, the number of thiol groups decreased. There was an increase in SOD activity in the TBT + BPS group. Overall, subacute exposure to a mix deregulates the HPT axis, which correspondingly affects gene expression and causes enzymatic and morphological changes in the thyroid gland., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests:Leandro Miranda-Alves reports financial support was provided by Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2025. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

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. Municipalities were considered nodes and movements were the edges in the network analysis, which was also considered a direct graph. Most of the municipalities of origin and destination of movements were in Triângulo Mineiro/Alto Paranaíba region. The transportation directed to farms [5769,910/13,022,761 (44.31 %)] was the most observed considering the reason of transportation, followed by slaughterhouses [5196,787/13,022,761 (39.99 %)], livestock event [2040,698/13,022,761 (15.67 %)] and to others [15,366/13,022,761 (0.11 %)]. The analysis of cattle movements (according to the accessed GTA) among the years showed an average of 1042,153.27 (SD: 2889,595.96) movements. Additionally, the network analysis results described static and high-connected networks, with great values of municipalities in the strong component (850.27; SD: 1.19) and the presence of three large communities covering most of the state in all years (2013-2023). In general, our results demonstrated a highly connected network intrastate throughout the analyzed years, with movements particularly concentrated in the Triângulo Mineiro/Alto Paranaíba region., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose, (Copyright © 2025 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Several anatomical and functional changes occur during menopause and lead to female sexual dysfunction (FSD). The use of energy-based devices to improve women's sexual health brings an innovative scenario., Aim: To evaluate the effect of non-invasive radiofrequency (RF) treatment compared to vaginal estrogen therapy (E) and vaginal moisturizer (M) in postmenopausal women with FSD., Materials & Methods: Thirty-two sexually active postmenopausal women aged 45-75 years were enrolled in a single center randomized controlled trial with three intervention arms: non-invasive RF, vaginal estrogen (E), or vaginal moisturizer (M) treatment. Assessments at baseline, and 4 months were conducted using the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI). The primary outcome of this RCT was an assessment of the effect of RF on FSD compared to that of E and M., Results: According to the total FSFI score, 100 % of participants in the RF and E arms and 90 % in the M arm had sexual problems at the baseline. The mean age of the participants was 58+/-5.3, 57.9+/-6.3, and 59.6+/-6.0 years in the RF, E, and M arms, respectively (p = 0.741). After 4 months of follow-up, FSD had ameliorated by 146.1 % in the RF arm (improvement of 17.32 points in the total FSFI score), with no significant improvement in the other arms (p = 0.009). We observed improvements in sexual desire (1.32 points in the partial FSFI score), arousal (2.37 points in the partial FSFI score), and orgasm (2.8 points in the partial FSFI score) only in the RF arm (p = 0.004, p < 0.001, and p < 0.001, respectively)., Clinical Implications: The use of an energy-based device independently of hormonal therapy to improve female SF is very promising. Our findings may contribute to treatment decisions when there is failure of vaginal estrogen therapy, a need for a combination of treatments, or a patient preference for the use of energy-based devices, in postmenopausal women with FSD., Conclusion: Non-invasive RF treatment for FSD showed superior efficacy compared to vaginal estrogen therapy and vaginal moisturizer after 4 months of follow-up. Further studies with longer follow-up periods are needed to corroborate these findings and evaluate the long-term effects of non-invasive RF therapy on sexual function., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2025 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Home blood pressure (BP) variability (BPV) and BP phenotypes such as white-coat hypertension (WCH), white-coat uncontrolled hypertension (WUCH), masked hypertension (MH) and masked uncontrolled hypertension (MUCH) are predictors of adverse cardiovascular events. This study compared home BPV across BP phenotypes built from abnormal office BP (OBP) and home BP monitoring (HBPM) thresholds defined by three distinct societies [European Society of Hypertension (ESH): OBP ≥ 140/90 mmHg and HBPM ≥ 135/85 mmHg; American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA): OBP and HBPM ≥ 130/80 mmHg and Brazilian Society of Cardiology (BSC): OBP ≥ 140/90 mmHg and HBPM ≥ 130/80 mmHg]., Methods: This cross-sectional study evaluated 51 194 treated (37% men, age = 61 ± 15 years) and 56 100 untreated (41% men, age = 54 ± 16 years) individuals from 1045 Brazilian centers who underwent OBP and HBPM measurements. Systolic and diastolic home BPV were estimated as the: standard deviation, coefficient of variation, and the variability independent of the mean of HBPM., Results: Results of adjusted analysis showed that home BPV parameters were significantly greater in individuals with WCH/WUCH according to the BSC criteria, in those with MH/MUCH defined by the ACC/AHA criteria, and tended to be greater in individuals with either MH/MUCH or WCH/WUCH defined by the ESH criteria.Furthermore, restricted cubic spline analysis showed a U-shaped association between BPV and the difference between OBP and HBPM in treated and untreated individuals., Conclusion: Home BPV was greater in WCH/WUCH and/or MH/MUCH depending on the criteria used to define abnormal OBP and HBPM thresholds. These findings underscore the need to standardize abnormal BP criteria in clinical practice., (Copyright © 2024 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Drug-coated balloons present a potentially advantageous therapeutic approach for managing coronary in-stent restenosis (ISR). However, the comparative benefits of paclitaxel-coated balloons (PCBs) over uncoated balloons (UCBs) remain unclear., Aims: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate and compare the clinical outcomes of patients treated with PCBs and UCBs., Methods: We systematically searched PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane for studies comparing PCBs and UCBs in managing coronary ISR. We used a random-effects model to pool risk ratios (RRs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Statistical analyses were conducted using Review Manager 5.4.1. Heterogeneity was assessed using I 2 statistics. Quality and risk of bias were evaluated using the Cochrane Collaboration's tool., Results: We included seven randomized controlled trials with 1349 patients, of whom 840 underwent percutaneous coronary intervention with PCB. In our pooled analysis, patients treated with PCB had lower risks of target lesion revascularization (RR 0.31, 95% CI 0.18-0.52; p < 0.01), target vessel revascularization (0.53, 0.42-0.67; p < 0.01), major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) (0.25, 0.16-0.38; p < 0.01), and myocardial infarction (MI) (0.59, 0.37-0.95; p = 0.03). However, there were no significant differences in all-cause mortality (0.79, 0.37-1.70; p = 0.54), cardiac death (0.46, 0.03-8.12; p = 0.60), while tendencies for a significant difference were found for target lesion failure (0.39, 0.13-1.11; p = 0.08), or stent thrombosis (0.21, 0.03-1.35 p = 0.10)., Conclusion: These findings suggest that PCBs are superior to UCBs regarding the occurrence of target lesion revascularization, target vessel revascularization, MACEs, and MI, but they do not differ in all-cause mortality, and cardiac death, while trends to significant differences favoring PCB were found to stent thrombosis and target lesion failure., (© 2025 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Integrating foreign genes into loci, allowing their transcription without affecting endogenous gene expression, is the desirable strategy in genomic engineering. However, these loci, known as genomic safe harbors (GSHs), have been mainly identified by empirical methods. Furthermore, the most prominent available GSHs are localized within regions of high gene density, raising concerns about unstable expression. As synthetic biology is moving towards investigating polygenic modules rather than single genes, there is an increasing demand for tools to identify GSHs systematically. To expand the GSH repertoire, we present SHIP, an algorithm designed to detect potential GSHs in eukaryotes. Using the chassis organism Saccharomyces cerevisiae, five GSHs were experimentally curated based on data from DNA sequencing, stability, flow cytometry, qPCR, electron microscopy, RT-qPCR, and RNA-Seq assays. Our study places SHIP as a valuable tool for providing a list of promising candidates to assist in the experimental assessment of GSHs in eukaryotic organisms with available annotated genomes., Competing Interests: Declarations. Competing interests: The authors declare software registration (Process Number: BR512023002017-6)., (© 2025. The Author(s).)

Despite limited studies, free-living birds are considered reservoirs of several diseases, including zoonotic diseases. Thus, we aimed to investigate the presence and characteristics of Campylobacter spp., Escherichia coli, and Salmonella spp. in wild birds assessing their potential risks to human and animal health. Fecal samples were collected from wild and exotic rescued birds, as well as exotic parrots from commercial breeding facilities. Campylobacter spp. and Salmonella spp. were not detected in the samples. E. coli was biochemically confirmed in 58.33% of the samples, resulting nine distinct isolates. PCR analysis identified no enteroinvasive or enteropathogenic E. coli strains, but two isolates were characterized as avian pathogenic E. coli (APEC). The isolates were inoculated into chicken embryos to determine their pathogenicity index, utilizing commensal and pathogenic E. coli strains as controls. All isolates demonstrated higher pathogenicity compared to probiotic bacteria and commensal E. coli. Specifically, two isolates exhibited pathogenicity levels comparable to the positive control (APEC ST131). Furthermore, for the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) test, we evaluated 7 antibiotics: ampicillin, ceftazidime, cefotaxime, ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, colistin, and sulfamethoxazole combined with trimethoprim. Four isolates were classified as multidrug-resistant and the highest level of resistance was to fluoroquinolones. This work demonstrated that wild or captive exotic birds can excrete potentially pathogenic and/or multidrug-resistant E. coli, which may impact the health of other animals and humans., Competing Interests: Declarations. Competing interest: The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (© 2025. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Objective: This study aims to evaluate risk factors for infection/colonization by resistant bacteria among patients in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU)., Methods: This systematic review is reported according to PRISMA. The search occurred by consulting the PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, SciELO, and Scopus databases. Inclusion criteria considered studies with Neonatal population admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (P); Risk factors for resistant bacterial infection (E); No risk factors for resistant bacterial infection (C); Isolation of resistant bacteria in an outbreak (O), Observational studies (S). For Meta-Analysis, data were transformed to a logarithmic scale to directly calculate the standard error from the confidence intervals. The quality of studies was assessed Critical Appraisal Tools recommended by JBI., Results: A total of 21 articles were eligible and presented a sample size ranging from 10 to 263 newborns (a total of 1979 neonates). Six (28.6 %) studies evaluated infection, five (23.8) evaluated colonization, and 10 (47.6 %) evaluated colonization and infection, covering Gram-positive (n = 8; 38 %) and Gram-negative (n = 13; 62 %) bacteria. In the meta-analysis, the use of venous access (OR: 1.58; 95 %CI 1.14-2.20), mechanical ventilation (OR: 7.55 95 %CI 4.27-13.36), and parenteral nutrition (OR: 4.79; 95 %CI 2.23-10.29) increased the chance of colonization/infection by multiresistant microorganisms. The included studies were considered as having adequate quality., Conclusion: The main risk factors in outbreaks of infection/colonization by resistant microorganisms in Neonatal Units are the use of invasive devices and parenteral nutrition, which leads to the identification of newborns at risk, targeting the development of preventive measures., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2025 Sociedade Brasileira de Pediatria. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.)

The existing information supports the use of this material as described in this safety assessment. cis-6-Nonenal was evaluated for genotoxicity, repeated dose toxicity, reproductive toxicity, local respiratory toxicity, photoirritation/photoallergenicity, skin sensitization, and environmental safety. Data from read-across analog decen-1-al (CAS # 65405-70-1) show that cis-6-nonenal is not expected to be genotoxic. Data on read-across analog hexanal (CAS # 66-25-1) provide a calculated Margin of Exposure (MOE) >100 for the repeated dose toxicity and reproductive toxicity endpoints. Data from read-across analog 10-undecenal (CAS # 112-45-8) provided cis-6-nonenal a No Expected Sensitization Induction Level (NESIL) of 1700 μg/cm 2 for the skin sensitization endpoint. The photoirritation/photoallergenicity endpoints were evaluated based on ultraviolet/visible (UV/Vis) spectra; cis-6-nonenal is not expected to be photoirritating/photoallergenic. The local respiratory toxicity endpoint was evaluated using the Threshold of Toxicological Concern (TTC) for a Cramer Class I material, and the exposure to cis-6-nonenal is below the TTC (1.4 mg/day). The environmental endpoints were evaluated; cis-6-nonenal was found not to be Persistent, Bioaccumulative, and Toxic (PBT) as per the International Fragrance Association (IFRA) Environmental Standards, and its risk quotients, based on its current volume of use (VoU) in Europe and North America (i.e., Predicted Environmental Concentration/Predicted No Effect Concentration [PEC/PNEC]), are <1., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest ☒ The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper. We wish to confirm that there are no known conflicts of interest associated with this publication and there has been no significant financial support for this work that could have influenced its outcome. RIFM staff are employees of the Research Institute for Fragrance Materials, Inc. (RIFM). The Expert Panel receives a small honorarium for time spent reviewing the subject work., (Copyright © 2025. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Plastic ingestion greatly affects waterbirds, causing lacerations and potentially leading to health disruptions from chemical leaching. Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), used as flame retardants in plastics, remain persistent in the environment despite restrictions, along with the less studied methoxylated PBDEs (MeO-BDEs), that may result from their transformation. Since most plastic pollution in the heavily impacted marine environment comes from terrestrial sources, freshwater/estuarine and coastal environments can also be heavily exposed to contamination. Nonetheless, research in these areas remains limited. We studied the breeding waterbird community from Ria Formosa (Algarve, Portugal) as a proxy of such contamination and sampled the wader species feeding in mudflats and saltpans, little terns feeding in lagoon channels and the adjacent sea, opportunistic gulls feeding mostly on fishery discards and landfills and marine foraging gulls feeding exclusively at sea. Specifically, we assessed 1) plastic ingestion, through the analysis of regurgitations and faeces, and 2) PBDEs and MeO-BDES uptake in eggs, feathers, and preen oil. Results showed that, overall, microplastics were the most commonly detected particles. Yellow-legged gulls (Larus michahellis) and little terns (Sternula albifrons) ingested more particles, especially fibres. Eggs of black-winged stilt (Himantopus himantopus) and yellow-legged gull had higher PBDEs concentrations, while MeO-BDEs did not differ among species. Feathers exhibited low detection values, but MeO-BDEs suggests marine invertebrates' consumption. Little terns accumulated more PBDEs and MeO-BDEs, suggesting an association between plastic ingestion and contamination load. However, species-specific traits, dietary preferences, and foraging areas should also be taken into consideration., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Tuberculosis is one of the leading causes of global mortality, and the standard, prolonged, and intensive treatment can affect intestinal homeostasis. This study investigated amoxicillin-induced bacterial gut dysbiosis and its impact on the immune response of C57BL/6 mice to pulmonary infection by Mycobacterium bovis-BCG. It was observed that amoxicillin treatment resulted in bacterial gut dysbiosis, characterized by an increase in the phylum Proteobacteria and a reduction in Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes. This alteration was associated with a decrease in the animals' body weight and a reduction in the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1β and IL-6, suggesting a compromised immune response. Additionally, microstructural analysis revealed significant alterations in the caecum and pulmonary structure of the mice, indicating tissue damage associated with intestinal dysbiosis. The results indicate that amoxicillin-induced bacterial gut dysbiosis may negatively affect pulmonary immunity and exacerbate M. bovis-BCG infection, highlighting the need to consider the impacts of intestinal microbiota on the development and control of tuberculosis. This study contributes to the understanding of the interaction between intestinal microbiota, antibiotic treatment, and immunity in pulmonary infections., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2025 Miyauchi-Tavares et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

This study addresses the combination of immunotherapy and chemotherapy in cancer treatment, recognising its promising effectiveness but highlighting the challenges of complex interactions between these therapeutic modalities. The central objective is to determine guidelines for the optimal administration of drugs, using an optimal control model that considers interactions in tumour dynamics, including cancer cells, the immune system, and therapeutic agents. The optimal control model is transformed into a multi-objective optimisation problem with treatment constraints. This is achieved by introducing adjustable trade-offs, allowing personalised adaptations in drug administration to achieve an optimal balance between established objectives. Various optimisation problems are addressed, considering two and three simultaneous objectives, such as optimising the number of cancer cells and the density of effector cells at the final treatment time. The diverse combinations presented reflect the model's flexibility in the face of multi-objective optimisation, providing a range of approaches to meet specific medical needs. The analysis of Pareto optimal fronts in in silico investigation offers an additional resource for decision-makers, enabling a more effective determination of the optimal administration of cytotoxic and immunotherapeutic agents. By leveraging an optimal control model, we have demonstrated the effectiveness of considering interactions in tumour dynamics, including the integration of immunotherapy and chemotherapy. Our findings underscore the importance of tailored treatment plans to achieve optimal outcomes, showcasing the versatility of our approach in addressing individual patient needs. The insights gained from our analysis offer valuable guidance for future research and clinical practice, paving the way for more effective and personalised cancer therapies., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2025 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To report a rare case of intraocular sporotrichosis in a patient with disseminated sporotrichosis and a consumptive syndrome possibly secondary to multiple myeloma., Material and Methods: Case report., Results: A 55-year-old male patient with consumptive syndrome and a history of alcoholism presented to the uveitis clinic complaining of decreased visual acuity in the right eye (RE), accompanied by ocular pain and hyperemia. He had disseminated sporotrichosis and was undergoing treatment with itraconazole 400 mg/day. Ophthalmologic examination revealed visual acuity of light perception in the RE and 20/30 in the left eye (LE). Slit-lamp biomicroscopy of the RE showed granulomatous keratic precipitates, cells 4+, flare 3+, posterior synechiae, cataract, and a round, yellowish-white lesion in the temporal region of the anterior chamber. Fundoscopy of the RE was not possible due to media opacity, and ultrasonography suggested a vitreous inflammatory process. Aqueous humor culture tested positive for Sporothrix sp. Intracameral and intravitreal injections of amphotericin B were administered, followed by phacoemulsification without intraocular lens implantation, combined with pars plana vitrectomy and an additional intravitreal injection of amphotericin B. At follow-up, visual acuity improved to 20/60, with a reduction of inflammation. The patient remains under investigation for multiple myeloma., Conclusion: Rare manifestations of intraocular sporotrichosis highlight the need to investigate underlying  immunosuppression.

The history of the plague, caused by Yersinia pestis, is marked by some of the most devastating pandemics. Its arrival in Brazil on the turn of the 19-20th century led to significant public health challenges and responses. Here, we discuss a comprehensive perspective on the history of the plague in Brazil, emphasising epidemiological trends, public health responses and scientific advances. Understanding the history of the plague in Brazil provides valuable insights into infectious disease control. The study highlights the importance of early detection, robust public health infrastructure, and ongoing research, emphasising the lasting influence of epidemic diseases on society.

Introduction: Osteonecrosis usually occurs with necrotic bone exposure in the mandible asymptomatically for long periods but can evolve to present pain, fistula, odor, bleeding, and suppuration., Objective: To evaluate the influence of cyclosporine treatment and its influence on osteonecrosis in a rat model., Methods: The animals were randomly divided into 05 groups (n = 8/group). The negative control group (SAL), positive control group treated with zoledronic acid (ZA + SAL), and test groups were treated with cyclosporine A (CsA) at 5, 2.5, and 1.25 mg/kg and treated with ZA. The left lower second molars were extracted. The animals were euthanized 1 month after tooth extraction. Digital radiographs, histological slides, and immunoexpression of IL-2, IL-6, TNF-α, PPAR-γ, c-Fos, c-Jun, FoxP3, and INF-γ were analyzed. Western blot assays were performed to investigate the expression of RORyT. In addition, hematological analysis, body mass variation, and femur mechanical tests were performed., Results: Radiographs showed that in the groups treated with ZA, there was an increase in the radiolucent area suggestive of osteonecrosis, and treatment with cyclosporine did not reduce this parameter (p < 0.001). In the western blot analysis, animals treated with ZA showed increased expression of RORyT (1.887 ± 0.114) compared to the saline group (0.799 ± 0.107), and treatment with the highest dose of cyclosporine (0.652 ± 0.070) reduced this expression (p < 0.001)., Discussion: Studies have observed bone health in animals treated with CsA. Treatment with this immunosuppressant showed a bone-protective effect of CsA, which corroborates our findings., Conclusion: Treatment with CsA reduced the immunoexpression of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-2 and TNF-α and decreased the expression of RORyT., Competing Interests: Declarations. Conflict of interest: There are no conflict of interest., (© 2025. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Magneto-optical borogermanate glasses were developed by incorporating electro-electronic waste recovered from fluorescent lamps. Glasses with a composition of (41GeO₂-25B₂O₃-4Al₂O₃-10Na₂O-20BaO)-x%wst, (x = 0, 10, 20, 30, and 50 wt% of waste) were prepared. The final chemical composition was determined, and the glasses were characterized through thermal, structural, morphological, optical, and magneto-optical analyses. The addition of lamp waste to the glass matrix did not induce crystallization and stable glass materials were obtained, as confirmed by thermal analysis. Raman spectroscopy has shown that the addition of different amounts of waste into the vitreous matrix induces structural rearrangements as evidenced by the vibration bands of non-bridging B-O⁻ bonds. Regarding optical properties, the transmittance of the glasses slightly decreased with waste incorporation. Photoluminescence showed electronic transitions attributed to the Tb³⁺ and Eu³⁺ ions and non-radiative energy transfer from the host to both Ln³⁺ ions and between them was observed. Finally, a Verdet constant value of -40.9 rad. T⁻¹.m⁻¹ at 632.8 nm was obtained, highlighting the potential of these sustainable glasses as Faraday rotators., (© 2025 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Microplastics (MPs) pollution has revealed a serious environmental issue, demonstrating chronic consequences for the affected environments and organisms. Although these plastic particles, pristine and aged, can circulate in different environmental matrices, their actual impacts on aquatic ecosystems are still under investigation. Here, we studied the toxicity of naturally aged secondary polypropylene (PP) MPs after constant exposure to ultraviolet radiation (26 µm) to the freshwater amphipod Hyalella azteca. The concentrations tested were 135, 1350, and 13,500 items/L. H. azteca was investigated for mortality and changes in enzyme markers after 7 and 14 days of exposure followed by a further 7 days of depuration. The results show that mortality was only significant at the highest concentration tested. The concentration of 13,500 items induced oxidative stress after 7 days of exposure only at the MDA levels and CAT activity, while the concentrations of 1350 and 13,500 items/L induced oxidative stress in all tested markers (SOD, CAT, GST and MDA after 14 days. After 7 days of depuration, the levels of biochemical damage were reduced, demonstrating the ability of the species to recover as they are isolated from this pollutant., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2025. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

The aim of this study was to explore the association between oral health literacy (OHL) and dental caries in children, evaluating the direct and indirect effects of brushing frequency, obesity, and socioeconomic factors. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 739 schoolchildren aged eight to ten years and their parents/caregivers who answered a questionnaire addressing sociodemographic characteristics and oral hygiene habits as well as the OHL - Adult Questionnaire. Cavitated dental caries in the schoolchildren was evaluated using International Caries Detection and Assessment System criteria. Descriptive analysis was performed, followed by structural equation modeling into the theoretical model (95% CI). Goodness-of-fit indices were considered satisfactory (root mean square error of approximation < 0.06; comparative fit index > 0.90-0.95; standardized root mean square residual < 0.10 and Tucker-Lewis Index > 0.90-0.95). Mother's age (standardized coefficient [SC]: -0.08; p < 0.01), caregiver's schooling (SC: -0.22; p < 0.01), obesity (SC: 0.13; p < 0.01), and brushing frequency (SC: -0.09; p < 0.01) had a direct effect on dental caries, whereas OHL had an indirect influence on the outcome. Mother's age, caregiver's schooling, brushing frequency, and obesity directly affected the occurrence of cavitated carious lesions in children in the mixed dentition phase, whereas OHL had an indirect effect on this clinical outcome.

Purpose: To verify whether the breathing mode interferes with surface periorbital temperatures and propose a thermographic analysis method for this region., Methods: Exploratory, observational, cross-sectional study. Thermographic images of 14 mouth-breathing and 14 nasal-breathing children were collected and analyzed using the Visionfy program (Thermofy®, Brazil) with breast 1 color scale. The ellipse tool delimited the region of interest (periorbital region) and a customized shape subdivided the region of interest into four arcs. The study collected maximum, mean, and minimum absolute and standardized temperatures of the arcs and performed interrater and intrarater comparisons and comparative analysis of temperatures between groups. Temperatures in the group of mouth breathers were compared with pruritus, hyperemia, tearing, and ocular edema., Results: the intrarater agreement indicated a satisfactory result for most analyzed temperatures. The interrater agreement, in general, was excellent for maximum, good for mean, and poor for minimum temperatures. The association between periorbital data and temperatures showed an association between ocular edema and temperatures in the upper and lower right arcs and between pruritus and the maximum temperature in the lower right arc., Conclusion: the method had satisfactory intrarater and interrater agreement for maximum and mean temperatures. Ocular edema was associated with temperatures in the group of mouth breathers. Breathing mode was not associated with periorbital temperature.

The aim of this systematic review was to synthesize the available literature on pretreatment factors, from a patient-centered perspective, that predict successful orthodontic treatment. Systematic and unrestricted searches were conducted across the electronic MEDLINE, Embase, Web-of-Science, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and LILACS/Bireme databases. Grey literature was also searched to identify potential studies. Qualitative assessments of the role of patient-centered pretreatment factors in orthodontic treatment success (adherence, satisfaction, and discontinuation rates) were evaluated and synthesized. Study selection and data extraction were performed independently by two reviewers. A total of sixteen studies were included. Three main domains related to the patient emerged as positive predictors of orthodontic treatment success: previous patterns of social behavior, attitudes of parents/caregivers, and reasonable motivation. Certain personality traits were associated with both positive and negative levels of adherence and treatment satisfaction. The evidence did not support the notion that the impact of malocclusion on aesthetic self-perception could serve as an indicator of cooperation, satisfaction, or discontinuation rates related to orthodontic treatment. Positive social behavior patterns and parental/caregiver attitudes, along with realistic prior motivation toward treatment goals, were found to be reliable predictors of orthodontic treatment success. Additionally, some personality traits were found to be associated with successful treatment outcomes. However, the evidence did not support the impact of malocclusion on self-perceived aesthetics as an indicator of compliance and satisfaction levels with orthodontic treatment.

Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper. We wish to confirm that there are no known conflicts of interest associated with this publication and there has been no significant financial support for this work that could have influenced its outcome. RIFM staff are employees of the Research Institute for Fragrance Materials, Inc. (RIFM). The Expert Panel receives a small honorarium for time spent reviewing the subject work.

Introduction: The spectrum of eosinophil functions has expanded from fighting helminths to multiple novel roles in malignancy, infection, cancer, and metabolism. In asthma, glucocorticoids, prostaglandins (PG), and cysteinyl-leukotrienes (LT) regulate eosinophil biology through separate signaling pathways. Here we've evaluated the complex interplay between Dexa, PGE2, and CysLTs in eosinopoiesis and eosinophil biology in an allergic asthma model., Methodology: We used different inbred mouse strains to probe the interactions between these agents in eosinophil differentiation and maturation in bone marrow culture. Flow cytometry and histological analyses evaluated eosinophil precursor proliferation, maturation, and VLA-4 expression. The in vivo function of eosinophils was assessed by their in vivo migration into allergen-challenged sites., Results: Eosinophil production in IL-5-stimulated bone marrow cultures is enhanced by dexamethasone but suppressed by PGE2, which triggers eosinophil apoptosis via inducible NO synthase (iNOS). Dexamethasone-primed cultures contain mostly immature eosinophils; by contrast, dexamethasone associated with PGE2 leads to the production of mature eosinophils (without inducing eosinophil apoptosis), by a mechanism independent of iNOS. Interaction between dexamethasone and LTD4 in culture produces mostly mature eosinophils expressing VLA-4, capable of migration into the lungs in ovalbumin-sensitized and -challenged mice., Discussion: The combination of dexamethasone and either PGE2 or LTD4 - both mediators of allergic inflammation - supports the maturation of eosinophils (overcoming the maturation blockade observed with dexamethasone alone), which are functional in an in vivo model of asthma., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2025 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Mercury (Hg) is a non-essential element that bioaccumulates and biomagnifies in food webs through site-specific biogeochemical processes. Seabirds are valuable bioindicators of Hg contamination, yet certain regions, like the Portuguese coast, remain underrepresented. This study measured Hg concentrations in the blood of yellow-legged gulls (Larus michahellis), Audouin's gulls (Ichthyaetus audouinii), and Cory's shearwaters (Calonectris borealis) breeding along the Portuguese coastline. The influence of foraging ecology on Hg contamination was investigated using stable isotopes (δ 13 C, δ 15 N, δ 34 S) along with GPS-loggers. Thus, 52 % of the adults were at low risk (0.95-4.8 μg g -1 dry weight, dw), while 37 % were at moderate risk of Hg toxicity (>4.8 μg g -1 dw). The highest trophic positions (indicated by δ 15 N values) were associated with higher Hg concentrations, particularly in gulls from Deserta Island. Yellow-legged gulls foraging in terrestrial habitats (inferred from lower δ 13 C and δ 34 S values and GPS data) generally exhibited lower Hg concentrations, although patterns varied between regions. Gulls from Deserta Island had elevated Hg concentrations, likely because they feed on discarded demersal fish. In contrast, those from Porto showed some of the lowest concentrations, likely because they fed on terrestrial food. However, other factors not evaluated here, like age, sex, or even phylogeny could have also influenced Hg uptake and bioaccumulation and should not be disregarded in future research. This study highlights the critical role of foraging strategies in Hg contamination and stresses the importance of estimate food web-specific baseline isotopic composition to better understand how these differences may impact Hg trophic transfer., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Dengue virus (DENV) is an RNA virus belonging to the Flaviviridae family, comprising four antigenically distinct serotypes. Dengue is the primary arthropod-transmitted virus globally, posing a significant public health challenge, especially in Brazil, where the largest outbreak of Zika virus (ZIKV) was also recorded in 2016. ZIKV shares genomic and structural similarities with DENV, and their co-circulation in Brazil provides evidence of co-infection. The innate immune response against DENV and ZIKV is mediated by pattern recognition receptors that initiate intracellular signaling, leading to antiviral or inflammatory responses. This study aims to better understand the innate immune response to ZIKV in macrophages previously infected with DENV. To achieve this, bone marrow cells from C57BL/6 mice were differentiated into macrophages (BMDMs) and independently infected with each of the four DENV serotypes for 12 h, followed by ZIKV infection for an additional 12 h. Twenty-four hours post-infection, macrophage activation markers CD86 were assessed using flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy. Pro-inflammatory and antiviral gene expressions were evaluated by qPCR. IFN-β was found to be down-regulated in all analyzed groups. No differences in CD86 expression were observed in ZIKV-infected BMDMs previously infected with DENV, except for serotype 4, which showed an increase in both activation markers. Conversely, TNF-α and IL-1β were down-regulated compared to non-infected or only DENV4-infected cells, correlating with increased cell viability and decreased production of the cytokine TNF-α. Bioinformatic analysis suggested that the expression of both cytokines might be regulated by miRNAs, including miR-181a-5p, which is also up-regulated in the innate immune response. Taken together, the results indicated that co-infection with DENV serotype 4 and ZIKV in mice BMDMs increases the expression of CD86, promoting macrophage activation, but reduces the expression of pro-inflammatory genes TNF-α and IL-1β, indicating enhanced cell viability what can be modulated by miRNAs., Competing Interests: Declarations. Competing interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interests., (© 2025. The Author(s) under exclusive licence to Sociedade Brasileira de Microbiologia.)

Perioperative risk assessment helps inform clinical practice for older people with hip fractures. This is a cohort study, where perioperative risk screening, including NHFS, was performed at admission, followed by an evaluation of 30-day outcomes. 503 patients were included, 73% female, 79.4 ± 9.3 years old; 58% presented extracapsular and 42% intracapsular fractures, with a 30-day mortality of 9%. The NHFS was higher in the patients who died at 5.6 ± 1.1 compared to survivals at 4.3 ± 1.5 (p-value < 0.001). NHFS > 4 was associated with 30-day mortality observed by Cox regression adjusted by fracture type: HR 4.55 (95% CI 2.10-9.82) (p-value < 0.001) and Kaplan-Meyer Curve (HR 3.94; 95% CI 2.19-7.07; p-value < 0.001). ROC curve showed the accuracy of NHFS in explaining 30-day mortality (AUC 0.74; 95% CI 0.67-0.81). Complications were higher among patients with NHFS > 4. The performance of NHFS was better than the traditional perioperative risk ASA score. Therefore, NHFS can be implemented in real-world clinical practice to estimate the 30-day mortality risk for hip fracture in older patients in Brazil. NHFS > 4 is critical for 30-day mortality and complications; this cutoff helps inform clinical practice. The present study might motivate other centers to consider NHFS in their perioperative risk assessment routine., Competing Interests: Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2025. The Author(s).)

This study investigates essential (Mg, Ca, Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Se, Ni) and non-essential (Li, Be, Cr, Rb, Sr, Cs, Cd, Sn, Ba, and Pb) element concentrations and stable isotope (δ 13 C, δ 15 N, δ 34 S) compositions in feathers of Brown Boobies (Sula leucogaster) from three distinct Atlantic islands: the Archipelagos of Saint Peter and Saint Paul (SPSP), Abrolhos, and Cagarras. We aimed to investigate the ecological and environmental factors influencing these seabird populations and assess potential variations in contaminant exposure and dietary habits based on location, sex, and maturity stages. Our finding revealed significant geographical differences in trace element concentrations. The Brown Boobies from Cagarras had higher concentrations (mean ± SD, μg g -1 ) of Fe (29 ± 20) and Mn (0.82 ± 0.82) than those from Abrolhos (Fe: 21 ± 20; Mn: 0.24 ± 0.09) and SPSP (Fe: 15 ± 16; Mn: 0.21 ± 0.06). Tin concentrations were also higher in Cagarras (Sn: 0.02 ± 0.01) than in SPSP (Sn: 0.01 ± 0.01). Our analyses revealed significant differences in Li, Mg, Rb, and Zn concentrations between adults and juveniles. However, there were no sex-related differences in element concentrations within each locality. SIBER analyses revealed distinct dietary differences among the three Brown Boobies populations, with the Cagarras seabirds occupying a higher trophic position compared to the SPSP population. This study highlights the importance of considering different populations to understand contaminant exposure and ecological dynamics in Brown Boobies along the South Atlantic. The Cagarras population shows significantly higher contaminant levels, likely due to proximity to anthropogenic activities. These results highlight the necessity for ongoing monitoring to evaluate long-term effects on the more impacted population and to ensure seabird health and sustainability in the Atlantic Ocean., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2025 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Human spaceflight subjects the body to numerous and unique challenges. Astronauts frequently report a sense of sinonasal congestion upon entering microgravity for which the exact pathomechanisms are unknown. However, cephalad fluid shift seems to be its primary cause, with CO 2 levels and environmental irritants playing ancillary roles. Current management focuses on pharmacotherapy comprising oral and nasal decongestants and antihistamines. These are among the most commonly used treatments in astronauts. With longer and more distant space missions on the horizon, there is a need for efficacious and payload-sparing non-pharmacological interventions. Neurostimulation is a promising countermeasure technology for many ailments on Earth. In this paper, we explore the risk factors and current treatment modalities for sinonasal congestion in astronauts, highlight the limitations of existing approaches, and argue for why neurostimulation should be considered., Competing Interests: Author TM was employed by Beyond 700 Pty Ltd. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2025 Ax, Zimmermann, Bothe, Barchetti, de Paiva, March de Ribot, Jensen and Millar.)

Statistical learning (SL), the ability to extract patterns from the environment, has been assumed to play a central role in whole cognition, particularly in language acquisition. Evidence has been gathered, however, from behavioral experiments relying on simplified artificial languages, raising doubts on the generalizability of these results to natural contexts. Here, we tested if SL is affected by the composition of the speech streams by expositing participants to auditory streams containing either four nonsense words presenting a transitional probability (TP) of 1 (unmixed high-TP condition), four nonsense words presenting TPs of 0.33 (unmixed low-TP condition) or two nonsense words presenting a TP of 1, and two of a TP of 0.33 (mixed condition); first under incidental (implicit), and, subsequently, under intentional (explicit) conditions to further ascertain how prior knowledge modulates the results. Electrophysiological and behavioral data were collected from the familiarization and test phases of each of the SL tasks. Behavior results revealed reliable signs of SL for all the streams, even though differences across stream conditions failed to reach significance. The neural results revealed, however, facilitative processing of the mixed over the unmixed low-TP and the unmixed high-TP conditions in the N400 and P200 components, suggesting that moderate levels of entropy boost SL.