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Myoepithelioma is a benign salivary gland tumor. Central myoepitheliomas are very rare. The aim of this report was to describe a case of maxillary myoepithelioma. A 14-year-old female patient presented with an multilocular lesion in the anterior maxilla, with nearly 8 months of duration. The lesion was asymptomatic, and the patient's dental history was unremarkable. The diagnostic hypothesis was an odontogenic tumor. Biopsy specimen consisted of nests of plasmacytoid cells in a myxoid stroma without duct formation. No cellular atypia or bone and cartilage formation were noted. The neoplastic cells were positive for Pan-cytokeratin, S100, CK7, and CK8. The final diagnosis was myoepithelioma. The patient was treated by surgical excision followed by bone curettage, and no signs of recurrence were found after 8 years of treatment., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

The present study aimed to identify tick and flea species infesting captive tapirs (Tapirus terrestris and Tapirus kabomani) in the Brazilian Amazon. Ectoparasites were collected from tapirs chemically restrained in Zoo-botanical Parks, breeding facilities, conservationists and, environmental compensation areas in the states of Amapá, Amazonas, and Pará. After collection, the tick and flea specimens were placed in plastic pots containing isopropanol and identified according to dichotomous keys. Ectoparasite infestations were observed in 55% (18/33) tapirs, of which 61% (11/18) were single infestations with ticks or fleas, and 39% (7/18) were mixed infestations with different species of ticks and/or fleas. In total, 227 ticks (15 larvae, 107 nymphs, 38 females and 67 males) and 14 fleas (eight females and six males) were collected, identifying four tick species (Amblyomma cajennense sensu stricto , Amblyomma naponense, Amblyomma oblongoguttatum, and Amblyomma pacae) and three flea species and/or subspecies (Ctenocephalides felis felis, Rhopalopsyllus australis australis, and Tunga penetrans). In conclusion, infestations with Ixodidae ticks and Rhopalopsyllidae, Pulicidae and Tungidae fleas were found in captive tapirs in the Brazilian Amazon, and A. cajennense s.s. was the most frequent species. Additionally, the present study reports new associations between A. pacae and R. a. australis with T. terrestris and between A. cajennense s.s. with T. kabomani., 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 © 2023. Published by Elsevier GmbH.)

Paper-based analytical devices (PADs) are powerful platforms for point-of-need testing since they are inexpensive devices fabricated in different shapes and miniaturized sizes, ensuring better portability. Additionally, the readout and detection systems can be accomplished with portable devices, allying with the features of both systems. These devices have been introduced as promising analytical platforms to meet critical demands involving rapid, reliable, and simple testing. They have been applied to monitor species related to environmental, health, and food issues. Herein, an outline of chronological events involving PADs is first reported. This work also introduces insights into fundamental parameters to engineer new analytical platforms, including the paper type and device operation. The discussions involve the main analytical techniques used as detection systems, such as colorimetry, fluorescence, and electrochemistry. It also showed recent advances involving PADs, especially combining optical and electrochemical detection into a single device. Dual/combined detection systems can overcome individual barriers of the analytical techniques, making possible simultaneous determinations, or enhancing the devices' sensitivity and/or selectivity. In addition, this review reports on distance-based detection, which is also considered a trend in analytical chemistry. Distance-based detection offers instrument-free analyses and avoids user interpretation errors, which are outstanding features for analyses at the point of need, especially for resource-limited regions. Finally, this review provides a critical overview of the practical specifications of the recent analytical platforms involving PADs, demonstrating their challenges. Therefore, this work can be a highly useful reference for new research and innovation., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Austria, part of Springer Nature.)

In this work, the batch injection analysis system with amperometric detection using reduced graphene oxide as a modifier of glassy carbon electrode (GCE) was investigated for the simple, fast, and sensitive monitoring of levofloxacin (LEVO) and ciprofloxacin (CIPRO) in samples of pharmaceutical formulations, synthetic urine, and milk (low- and high-fat content). LEVO and CIPRO were quantified in seven samples using amperometric measurements at +1.10 V vs Ag/AgCl, KCl(sat). The developed methods showed excellent analytical performance with limits of detection of 0.30 and 0.16 μmol L -1 , linear range from 3.0 to 50 μmol L -1 and 1.0 to 50 μmol L -1 , relative standard deviation below 9.7 and 3.1%, and recovery ranges ranging from 80 to 107% and from 78 to 109% for LEVO and CIPRO, respectively. In addition, the minimum sample preparation (simple dilution) combined with a high analytical frequency (130 to 180 analyses per hour) can be highlighted. Thus, the methods are promising for implementation in routine analysis and quality control to different samples., (© 2021. Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Chagas disease is an anthropozoonosis, caused by a flagellated protozoan, Trypanosoma cruzi, in which the enzootic cycle occurs between mammals and triatomines. Two dogs with a history of sudden death were necropsied at the Federal University of Pará (UFPA). One dog had a pale area in the myocardium, which on histopathological examination showed a T. cruzi amastigote nest; immunohistochemistry (IHC) analysis characterized it as acute Chagas disease (ACD). The second dog showed no macroscopic changes. Microscopically, a few cardiomyocytes were replaced by adipocytes, and IHC result was negative for T. cruzi. However, results of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of the cardiac tissue of both dogs was positive for T. cruzi DNA. After that, an epidemiological study was conducted in the region. For this study, we selected four areas in Castanhal. One of the four areas (Area 1) is where one of the dogs lived. The other three areas were chosen because they were recently deforested for housing. Blood samples were collected from dogs, cats, wild small mammals (marsupials and rodents), and the digestive tract of triatomines. Nested PCR was performed on all the blood samples and the triatomine digestive tracts. In Area 1, T. cruzi DNA was detected in 50% (12/24) of the tested dogs, in the only tested cat (1/1), 50% (1/2) of the tested marsupials (Didelphis marsupials), and 100% of the captured triatomines (Rhodnius pictipes) (2/2). In Area 2, T. cruzi DNA was not detected in any of the 11 (0/11) dogs and two marsupials tested (0/2), and no triatomines were found in this area. In Area 3, T. cruzi DNA was detected in 42.25% (30/71) of the dogs, in 66,6% (2/3) of the cats, the only captured marsupial (D. marsupialis) (1/1), and all three triatomines (3/3) (R. pictipes) tested. In Area 4, the two dogs tested were negative (0/2), 25% (1/4) of the captured marsupials (D. marsupialis) was positive, and no triatomine was captured in this area. The data demonstrate the importance of detecting T. cruzi in dogs, cats, small rodents, and marsupials in the Amazon metropolitan areas, where ecotopes carry reservoirs and vectors capable of participating in the Chagas disease cycle. The proximity between humans and T. cruzi vectors in these places might contribute to increased disease transmission risk and maintenance of agents. It was noted that high-standard condominiums, previously thought to reduce the risk for this disease, presented a new epidemiological risk. The presence of T. cruzi DNA in a dog who, a year earlier had tested negative, when another dog in the same house died of ACD, shows that the transmission cycle is present and active, with a high possibility of disease transmission to animals and humans., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Histoplasma capsulatum, the fungus causing histoplasmosis, has a strong impact on public health. Histoplasmosis is one of the most prevalent systemic mycoses in the Americas and occurs in several mammalian species. Bats are important in the epidemiological cycle of histoplasmosis because they disseminate the fungus throughout the environment. The aim of the present study was to investigate natural H. capsulatum infection in bats located in forested areas, which have undergone anthropogenic perturbations, as well as in the urban areas of the state of Pará. Twenty-two species of bats were captured in 18 municipalities of Pará; the samples obtained from these animals were subjected to nested PCR for amplification of H. capsulatum DNA. The HCI/HCII and HCIII/HCIV primers were used, and the final 210-pb fragment was amplified. Of the 100 bats analysed, two were confirmed to be positive for H. capsulatum. Samples amplified by nested PCR were sequenced and found to share identity and have 100% match with H. capsulatum DNA. H. capsulatum was detected in the area of study: the state of Pará has a wide diversity of bat species, and the region under investigation is situated in the north of the state, which suffers the most severe environmental and climatic changes. Therefore, it is essential to elucidate the distribution of H. capsulatum hosts in this region to facilitate the implementation of effective disease surveillance., (© 2020 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.)

Trypanosoma cruzi is the etiologic agent of American trypanosomiasis and can infect humans and different species of domestic and wild animals. The marsupials are important wild reservoirs of T. cruzi, aiding in the maintenance of this agent in sylvatic and peri-domestic environments. The objective of this study was to report the parasitological and clinicopathological findings of a natural infection by T. cruzi in one specimen of Philander opossum that originated from the Brazilian Amazon. The animal was captured in a forest fragment near a rural community with reports of human Chagas disease. T. cruzi infection was diagnosed by blood smear examinations, blood culture, scent glands secretion culture, histopathological examination, and nested-PCR. Positive samples were subjected to PCR to characterize the discrete typing units (DTUs) of T. cruzi. Characteristic trypomastigotes of T. cruzi were observed in the blood smear, and spheromastigotes, epimastigotes, and trypomastigotes were visualized in the cultures. Non-suppurative myocarditis associated with amastigote clusters was the principal histopathological finding. DNA from T. cruzi was detected in samples of blood, blood cultures, scent glands secretion cultures, cardiac muscles, and the spleen. The TcI and the TcII/V/VI group DTUs were detected in blood culture and scent glands secretion cultures. Infection by T. cruzi can cause myocarditis in P. opossum and DTUs TcI and TcII/V/VI group mixed infection can be detected in the acute phase. P. opossum can be a source of infection for triatomine vectors and has the potential source for direct transmission of T. cruzi by secretions from the scent glands. These data are important to improve the understanding of the complex enzootic transmission cycle of T. cruzi in the Brazilian Amazon., (Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

In this paper, a simple, sensitive and precise electroanalytical method was developed using flow injection analysis (FIA) with amperometric detection and reduced graphene oxide sensor for ascorbic acid determination in samples of multivitamin beverages, milk, fermented milk, and milk chocolate. The advantages of this sensor include a potential displacement of 450 mV and a 2-fold peak current increase for electrochemical oxidation of ascorbic acid, which resulted in a highly sensitive method. No interference of sample matrix was observed, avoiding solvent extraction procedures (samples were only diluted). The FIA allowed a high analytical frequency, approximately 96 injections per hour, together with adequate detection limit of 4.7 μmol L -1 . Good precision (RSD < 7%) and accuracy (recoveries between 91 and 108%) evidenced the robustness of the method. The method was compared with ultra-fast liquid chromatography (UFLC) obtaining statistically similar results (95% confidence level). The ascorbic acid content in samples varied from 0.065 to 2.53 mmol L -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., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The objective of this study was to detect natural Theileria equi infection in captive tapirs (Tapirus terrestris) in the Brazilian Amazon. Samples from 19 captive tapirs were collected from zoological and botanical gardens and conservation parks in the Pará (n = 18) and Amazonas (n = 1) states. Whole-blood samples were collected for subsequent screening of T. equi DNA by PCR using the BEC-UF2 and EQUI-R primer set. Microscopic analyses of blood smears revealed T. equi trophozoites in 37% (7/19) of the animals examined, and T. equi DNA was detected in 58% (11/19) of the blood samples analyzed. Sequencing of amplified PCR products revealed an identity with T. equi isolates obtained from horses and waterbuck available in GenBank. In conclusion, T. equi infection occurs in captive tapirs in the Brazilian Amazon, and these mammals could potentially act as reservoirs., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest None., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)

Background and Objective: Asenapine is an atypical antipsychotic approved by US Food and Drug Administration in 2009 and by European Medicines Agency in 2010 for Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder treatment. Currently, many studies have been developed in an attempt to clarify and minimize the risks related to the use of psychotropic during pre/postnatal period on patients with a history of mental disorders., Conclusion: The aim of this study was to test the impact of pre and/or postnatal exposition to asenapine on mice offspring behavior. Four groups of animals, previously treated with a dosage equivalent to 50% of the bioavailability obtained with a 20 mg daily use for human treatment, were exposed to the Open Field and Elevated plus Maze test. Only the group exposed to asenapine during both pre and postnatal periods showed response difference in the Elevated Plus Maze test, which was restricted to urination. However, our data suggest that the administration of asenapine does not induce significant anxiety-like behaviors in mice., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.)

Background: Effect of Heteropterys aphrodisiaca (dog-node) on anxiety and function of adult female wistar mice. The project is an experiment with the use of H. aphrodisiac root extract, in order to observe the frequency of sexual exposure of females exposed to the extract, quantify the effect of the extract on the concentration of total testosterone and observe the anxiety levels of the animals exposed. Results will be measured with the laboratory testosterone test and LCE and CA tests., Methods: In preparation of the extract, the root was oven dried at 40°C and diluted in alcohol extract (100g of root for 1 liter of alcohol) and lyophilized. 40 adult female mice were enrolled, separated in control group (placebo) and treatment group (50 mg/kg/day) for 15, 30, 45 and 60 days. At each period, hormonal testosterone and anxiety levels by the Elevated-Cross Labyrinth (ECL) tests and Open Camp (CA) were measured in 10 animals that were later euthanized (SBNeC)., Results: The results showed an improvement in the decrease of anxiety, as shown in the variables of number of open arm entries, time on the same side of the field, less avoidance and leakage. However, it appears that the time of exposure to the extract does not result in increased benefit, with possible decline of effect after 45 days of use., Conclusion: With this performed experiment with the "no-de-cachorro" extract, it was possible to understand a little more how this root can act in relation to anxiety, as predicted by the pharmacology that validates the animal models; anxiolytic components decrease anxiety-related behaviors, as shown in the variables of entry numbers in the open arm, time on the same side of the field, less avoidance and escape. However, it seems that the time of exposure to the extract does not modify the performance in the tests, observing until an apparent exhaustion of the anxiolytic action, which evidences the need for more specific studies on the possible effects of the extract., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.)

Background: The latex from the medicinal plant Calotropis procera is often used in folk medicine against infectious and inflammatory diseases., Purpose: In this study, we investigate a protein fraction with immunomodulatory properties, named LPPI, against experimental infections, in vitro and in vivo, with a virulent strain of Listeria monocytogenes., Study Design: LPPI was exposed to cultured macrophages or Swiss mice and then challenged with L. monocytogenes., Methods: Peritoneal macrophages were obtained from Swiss mice, and cultured in 96-well microplates. Soluble latex proteins (LP) were subjected to fractionation by ion-exchange chromatography. The major peak (LPPI) was added into wells at 10 or 100µg/ml. Albumin (100µg/ml) was used for comparison between protein treatments. After incubation for 1h at 5% CO2/ 37°C, the supernatant was discarded and 0.2ml of L. monocytogenes overnight culture was added in the wells. Following 4h and 24h infection, the cytokine mRNA expression was evaluated as well as the number of intracellular colony forming units. Swiss mice (n=16) were injected intraperitoneally (i.p.) with LPPI (5 and 10mg/kg) while the control mice received albumin (10mg/kg) or LP (10mg/kg). After 24h, all animal groups were challenged with L. monocytogenes (10(6) CFU/ ml), also by i.p. route., Results: LPPI was not toxic to uninfected macrophages (pMØ) and significantly increased mRNA expression of TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β and iNOS. Following infection, cell viability was reduced by 50% in albumin-treated pMØ (control); but only 17% in pMØ treated with LPPI at 100µg/ml. In this case, LPPI increased expression of TNF-α and IL-6 whereas the number of bacterial colony-forming units was reduced 100-fold in comparison to control groups. Swiss mice pretreated with LPPI showed dose-dependent survival rates that reached 80%, while mice that received albumin died 1-3 days after infection. After 24h infection, leukocyte migration to the infectious foci was high in LPPI-treated mice whereas the number of viable bacteria in the peritoneal fluid, liver and bloodstream were significantly reduced., Conclusion: We conclude that LPPI present immunomodulatory properties that are beneficial for prevention of systemic bacterial infections caused by the intracellular bacteria L. monocytogenes., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To assess the quality of life of children and adolescents with cancer of studies that applied the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory 3.0 Cancer Module., Methodology: The study was carried out on the basis of data Scopus Web of Science, BIREME, EBSCO host and Psychoinfo of articles in Spanish, English and Portuguese, and published from 1998 to 2013 that used the Pediatric Quality of life Inventory 3.0 Cancer Module., Results: 21 articles were selected, of which 47.6% were carried out in America, and 61.9% of editions comprehended from 2011 to 2013. The scores variation by dimensions and in general was probably related for the selection of comparison groups, as the diversity of inclusion criteria and variants may be observed for the analysis in each study. The existence of a standard dimension could not be verified either for children ́s /adolescents reports or for parents., Conclusion: It is concluded that the scores averages by dimensions in general have not achieved values below 30 and the largest scores by dimension are above 80. It is suggested that the treatment anxiety dimension in children ́s and adolescents ́s reports may have obtained the largest scores within each study, that is lesser than the difficulty of the children and adolescents in face of the treatment and cancer. Nursing becomes a constant presence in the life of children and adolescents with cancer and it may provide a better quality of life for developing nursing activities and the team may demistify, clarify and help in all phases of the illness and treatment.