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Background/Objectives: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) is increasing worldwide, and an increasing number of cases are diagnosed in younger age groups. This study aimed to propose predictive models based on demographic, anthropometric, and non-invasive clinical variables to predict MetS in adolescents. Methods : A total of 2064 adolescents aged 18-19 from São Luís-Maranhão, Brazil were enrolled. Demographic, anthropometric, and clinical variables were considered, and three criteria for diagnosing MetS were employed: Cook et al., De Ferranti et al. and the International Diabetes Federation (IDF). A feed-forward artificial neural network (ANN) was trained to predict MetS. Accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity were calculated to assess the ANN's performance. The ROC curve was constructed, and the area under the curve was analyzed to assess the discriminatory power of the networks. Results : The prevalence of MetS in adolescents ranged from 5.7% to 12.3%. The ANN that used the Cook et al. criterion performed best in predicting MetS. ANN 5, which included age, sex, waist circumference, weight, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure, showed the best performance and discriminatory power (sensitivity, 89.8%; accuracy, 86.8%). ANN 3 considered the same variables, except for weight, and exhibited good sensitivity (89.0%) and accuracy (87.0%). Conclusions : Using non-invasive measures allows for predicting MetS in adolescents, thereby guiding the flow of care in primary healthcare and optimizing the management of public resources.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the genetic diversity among traditional common bean accessions through morphological descriptors and molecular markers. Sixty-seven common bean accessions from the Germplasm bank of the Instituto Federal of Espírito Santo-Campus de Alegre were evaluated. For this, 25 specific morphological descriptors were used, namely 12 quantitative and 13 qualitative ones. A diversity analysis based on morphological descriptors was carried out using the Gower algorithm. For molecular characterization, 23 ISSR primers were used to estimate dissimilarity using the Jaccard Index. Based on the dendrograms obtained by the UPGMA method, for morphological and molecular characterization, high genetic variability was observed between the common bean genotypes studied, evidenced by cophenetic correlation values in the order of 0.99, indicating an accurate representation of the dissimilarity matrix by the UPGMA clustering. In the morphological characterization, high phenotypic diversity was observed between the accessions, with grains of different shapes, colors, and sizes, and the accessions were grouped into nine distinct groups. Molecular characterization was efficient in separating the genotypes in the Andean and Mesoamerican groups, with the 23 ISSR primers studied generating an average of 6.35 polymorphic bands. The work identified divergent accessions that can serve different market niches, which can be indicated as parents to form breeding programs in order to obtain progenies with high genetic variability.

Objective: To describe the implementation of an oral cancer screening program at the Barretos Cancer Hospital (BCH) and present the outcome based on data obtained from 2014 to 2020., Materials and Methods: The residents of the Regional Health District of Barretos (DRS-V) were personally invited by community health agents or nurses, and among 13,973 people, 15,222 oral examinations were carried out over the years in 18 of its municipalities. Oral examinations were performed at the Mobile Dental Unit and at the Prevention Department of the BCH. Inclusion criteria were being 35 years of age or older, having a personal history of tobacco or alcohol consumption, or having a lesion in the oral cavity found by community health agent or self-reported, regardless of age or risk factors., Results and Conclusion: The main result of our study was the stages of oral cancer among screen detected cases were smaller compared to cases in the hospital registry, in the state and in Brazil. Oral cancer detection rate per 1,000 oral examinations was 10.7.The early stages of oral cancer found by screening in primary care facilities or using mobile units suggest that, when organized, screening may improve the prognosis of oral cancer., 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.)

The monkeypox virus (MPXV) outbreak, primarily endemic to Africa, has spread globally, with Brazil reporting the second-highest number of cases. The emergence of MPXV in non-endemic areas has raised concerns, particularly due to the co-circulation of other exanthematous viruses such as varicella-zoster virus (VZV) and molluscum contagiosum virus (MOCV). To perform an accurate differential diagnosis of MPXV during the ongoing outbreak in Minas Gerais, Brazil, a 5PLEX qPCR assay targeting orthopoxviruses (OPV), VZV, and MOCV was used to retrospectively analyze all clinical samples that tested negative for MPXV in the initial screening conducted at Funed. In summary, our study analyzed 1,175 clinical samples received from patients suspected of MPXV infection and found a positivity rate of 33.8% (397 samples) for MPXV using the non-variola qPCR assay. Testing the 778 MPXV-negative clinical samples using the 5PLEX qPCR assay revealed that 174 clinical samples (22.36%) tested positive for VZV. MOCV DNA was detected in 13 and other OPV in 3 clinical samples. The sequencing of randomly selected amplified clinical samples confirmed the initial molecular diagnosis. Analysis of patient profiles revealed a significant difference in the median age between groups testing positive for MPXV and VZV and a male predominance in MPXV cases. The geographic distribution of positive cases was concentrated in the most populous mesoregions of Minas Gerais state. This study highlights the challenges posed by emerging infectious diseases. It emphasizes the importance of epidemiological surveillance and accurate diagnosis in enabling timely responses for public health policies and appropriate medical care., Importance: Brazil ranks second in the number of cases during the global monkeypox epidemic. The study, conducted in Minas Gerais, the second most populous state in Brazil with over 20 million inhabitants, utilized differential diagnostics, revealing a significant number of positive cases for other exanthematous viruses and emphasizing the need for accurate diagnoses. During the study, we were able to assess the co-circulation of other viruses alongside monkeypox, including varicella-zoster virus, molluscum contagiosum virus, and other orthopoxviruses. The significance of the research is underscored by the concentration of positive cases in populous areas, highlighting the challenges posed by emerging infectious diseases. This demographic context further amplifies the importance of the research in guiding public health policies and medical interventions, given the substantial population at risk. The study not only addresses a global concern but also holds critical implications for a state with such a large population and geographic expanse within Brazil. Overall, the study emphasizes the pivotal role of surveillance and precise diagnosis in guiding effective public health responses and ensuring appropriate medical interventions., Competing Interests: P.A. and M.B.A. are employees of Bio-Manguinhos (Fundação Oswaldo Cruz/FIOCRUZ), the institution responsible for the development and provision of the Kit Molecular 5PLEX OPXV/MPXV/VZV/MOCV/RP to the BrMoH. However, there was no involvement or interference from this institution in the execution of the experiments or the writing of the manuscript.

This review article covers the therapeutic potential of the plants Harpagophytum procumbens and Turnera subulata in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Despite the recognition of their beneficial properties, there is notable shortage of specific clinical and in vitro studies on these species regarding neurodegenerative diseases. Compounds such as harpagosides and vite-xin-2-O-rhamnoside, found in Harpagophytum procumbens and Turnera subulata , respectively, as well as other antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents, are associated with mechanisms of action that involve reducing oxidative stress and modulating the inflammatory response, indicating their therapeutic potential in these pathologies. Additionally, the use of nutraceuticals derived from medicinal plants has emerged as a promising approach, offering natural therapeutic alternatives. However, the pressing need for studies focusing on the pharmacokinetics, safety, and pharmacological interactions of these extracts for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases is emphasized. This review also evaluated advances in nutraceutical delivery systems, highlighting technological innovations that can optimize the precise delivery of these compounds to patients. Such findings highlight the gaps in the study of these plants for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases and, at the same time, the potential for opening new perspectives in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, providing expectations for innovative solutions in this critical domain of medicine.

Tailings from iron mining are characterized by high concentrations of iron and manganese oxides, as well as high pH values. With these characteristics, most of the potentially toxic elements (PTE) contained in the tailings are somewhat unavailable. The aim of the present study was to evaluate how a reduction in the pH of iron mine tailings may affect PTE availabilities. The tailings were collected on the banks of the Gualaxo do Norte River (Mariana, MG, Brazil), one of the main areas impacted by the rupture of the Fundão Dam (Barragem de Fundão). A completely randomized experimental design was used, including five pH values (6.4, 5.4, 4.3, 3.7, and 3.4) and five replications. The concentrations of the PTE (Ba, Cr, Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb, Ni, and Zn) were determined after extraction following different methodologies: USEPA 3051A, DTPA, Mehlich-1, Mehlich-3, and distilled water. A comparison of the available concentrations of the elements in the tailings with those in a soil not impacted by tailings shows that Cr, Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Ba, and Co were higher in the soil impacted by the tailings. The different methods used for evaluating the availability of PTE in the tailings at various pH exhibited the following decreasing order in relation to the quantity extracted: Mehlich-3 > Mehlich-1 > DTPA > distilled water. However, regarding sensitivity to change in pH, the order was DTPA > water > Mehlich-1 > Mehlich-3. The increases in the concentrations of PTE due to the reduction in the pH of the tailings did not lead to concentrations that exceed the limits of Brazilian regulations. The DTPA extractant exhibited higher coefficients of correlation between the PTE concentrations and the pH of the tailings, proving to be suitable for use in areas affected by the deposition of iron mine tailings., 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 © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: This study aimed to analyse the relationship between adverse pregnancy outcomes (APO) and occlusal traits in the primary dentition, checking for different mediation paths., Setting and Sample Population: Children evaluated at birth (T1), between 12 and 24 months (T2), and between 24 and 36 months (T3) were included. Two hundred and seventeen children who participated in T1 and T2 were randomly selected to perform the occlusion examination., Materials and Methods: This is a prospective cohort study (BRISA). The theoretical model was tested by structural equation modelling (SEM), estimating standardized coefficients (Coeff.) (α = 0.05). The primary exposure was APO-a latent variable manifested from three health problems at birth: low birthweight (LBW), pre-term birth (PTB) and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), evaluated in T1. The outcomes were four different occlusal traits assessed in T3: overjet, anterior and posterior crossbite, and crowding. Each outcome's direct and indirect effects were tested, mediated by growth, breathing, breastfeeding, and pacifier use., Results: There was no direct association between APO and any of the outcomes: overjet (Coeff. = -0.163, P = .241), anterior crossbite (Coeff. = -0.696, P = .065), posterior crossbite (Coeff. = -0.087, P = .589) and crowding (Coeff. = 0.400, P = .423). The indirect (total and specifics) effects tested also showed no association (P > .05). However, APO was associated with lower child growth in all models; breastfeeding was associated with higher child growth in all models, and pacifier use was associated with overjet (Coeff. = 0.184, P < .001) and posterior crossbite (Coeff. = 0.373, P = .011)., Conclusion: APO was not a risk factor for overjet, crossbite and crowding in an early stage of the primary dentition by direct and indirect pathways. However, growth has been lower in children with APO and higher in children breastfed. Also, the harmful effects of using a pacifier in dental occlusion are highlighted., (© 2022 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

This study evaluated the replacement of starch (ST; cracked corn) by neutral detergent-soluble fiber (NDSF; citrus pulp) and its effects on feed intake, performance, digestibility, carcass traits, and nitrogen balance of lambs. In Experiment 1, male lambs (n = 24, 19.1 ± 1.9 kg body weight [BW]) received: Starch (ST) = 250 g starch/kg dry matter (DM); ST/NDSF = 180 g starch/kg DM + 180 g NDSF/kg DM; or NDSF = 250 g NDSF/kg DM. After 84 d, animals were slaughtered and carcasses were evaluated. In Experiment 2, male lambs (n = 15, 23.2 ± 2.3 kg BW) were used to assess digestibility and nitrogen balance. Final BW, average daily gain, gain to feed and feed intake decreased when animals were fed NDSF (P≤0.002), reflecting in lighter carcasses (P<0.0001). The NDSF decreased edible non-carcass components (P=0.0006), total usable products (P<0.0001), commercial cuts and intramuscular fat (P≤0.02). Except for NDSF and ST, the digestibility of nutrients was improved for NDSF diet (P≤0.04). The use of 250 g NDSF/kg DM as citrus pulp in finishing diets for lambs impairs performance, carcass, meat traits and nitrogen balance. However, the moderate replacement of corn by citrus pulp does not change productive variables.

The biggest challenge for the reproduction of flood-irrigated rice is to identify superior genotypes that present development of high-yielding varieties with specific grain qualities, resistance to abiotic and biotic stresses in addition to superior adaptation to the target environment. Thus, the objectives of this study were to propose a multi-trait and multi-environment Bayesian model to estimate genetic parameters for the flood-irrigated rice crop. To this end, twenty-five rice genotypes belonging to the flood-irrigated rice breeding program were evaluated. Grain yield and flowering were evaluated in the agricultural year 2017/2018. The experimental design used in all experiments was a randomized block design with three replications. The Markov Chain Monte Carlo algorithm was used to estimate genetic parameters and genetic values. The flowering is highly heritable by the Bayesian credibility interval: h2 = 0.039-0.80, and 0.02-0.91, environment 1 and 2, respectively. The genetic correlation between traits was significantly different from zero in the two environments (environment 1: -0.80 to 0.74; environment 2: -0.82 to 0.86. The relationship of CVe and CVg higher for flowering in the reduced model (CVg/CVe = 5.83 and 13.98, environments 1 and 2, respectively). For the complete model, this trait presented an estimate of the relative variation index of: CVe = 4.28 and 4.21, environments 1 and 2, respectively. In summary, the multi-trait and multi-environment Bayesian model allowed a reliable estimate of the genetic parameter of flood-irrigated rice. Bayesian analyzes provide robust inference of genetic parameters. Therefore, we recommend this model for genetic evaluation of flood-irrigated rice genotypes, and their generalization, in other crops. Precise estimates of genetic parameters bring new perspectives on the application of Bayesian methods to solve modeling problems in the genetic improvement of flood-irrigated rice., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Introduction: Although the diurnal fluctuation of motor dysfunction, reversible with small doses of dopamine, is a cornerstone for the phenotype of the autosomal dominant Segawa syndrome, the non-motor symptoms of this neurotransmitter deficiency have still received limited attention., Objective: This study aims to evaluate non-motor symptoms of this dopa-responsive dystonia through an intrafamilial comparative cross-sectional study., Methods: Seventeen individuals with a c.IVS5 + 3insT (c.626 + 3insT) variation in the GTP cyclohydrolase-1 gene ( GCH1 , HGNC: 4193) and 34 intrafamilial controls were studied using the Beck Depression Inventory-II, the Wiener Matrizen Test 2, the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, the MINI/MINI PLUS Questionnaires, the World Health Organization Quality of Life - BREF Instrument and a drug use assessment questionnaire., Results: No significant difference was found between the groups in the prevalence of sleep disorders and in cognitive function. Nevertheless, generalized anxiety disorder ( p  = 0.050) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in childhood ( p  = 0.011) were observed only in individuals without the molecular variation. The group with the GCH1 variation presented a worse perception about how safe they feel in their daily lives ( p  = 0.034), less satisfaction with themselves ( p  = 0.049) and with their relationships ( p  = 0.029), and a higher prevalence of past major depressive episodes before use of L-Dopa ( p  = 0.046)., Conclusion: Low dopamine could have been protective against generalized anxiety disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in childhood in Segawa group individuals. The prevalence of depression was higher in individuals with the molecular variant prior to the L-Dopa treatment. Considering it, the penetrance estimates for the variant carriers increased from 58.8% to up to 88% in this large studied family. Additionally, neuropsychiatric tests of all individuals with a molecular diagnosis in an affected family are a valuable instrument for its clinical management., (© 2022 The Authors.)

After the Fundão iron ore mining dam rupture in November 2015, yellow/ocher emulsions never before reported on the continental shelf adjacent to the Doce River began to be seen, both in coalesced and foam forms. XRD analyses pointed to a prevailing composition of iron and kaolinite with a substantial contribution of an organic-metallic compound, measured in multiple periods over 2 years of sampling. Optical microscopy images allowed the identification of micelles composed of nanoparticles of iron oxyhydroxide making up this emulsion. The generation of dendritic snowflake-shaped microcrystals on fiber filters after water sample filtration and heating confirmed the presence of micelles composed of iron oxyhydroxide nanoparticles enveloped by organic polymers. After losing water, the micelles may act as a self-assembly template seed, where the polymer acts in the oriented adsorption of nanoparticles according to their crystallographic structure. The study brought to light the distinct behavior of a portion of the tailings material, which has already been reported to not have the same flocculation process as the clay minerals previously found in the suspended particulate material (SPM) before the dam rupture., 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 © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective  To evaluate patients submitted to arthroscopic repair of the rotator cuff (RC) comparing the results of muscle, functional strength, and pain obtained in 2 distinct groups: patients < 55 years old (G55) and patients > 65 years old (G65). Methods  Data collection was performed with 63 participants (29 < 55 years old and 34 > 65 years old), in 2 moments, analyzing: A) demographic, surgical and RC lesion characteristics; B) functional variables, muscle strength, and pain. Results  Higher levels of anterior elevation force, lateral, and medial rotation of the operated shoulder were observed in group G55. However, when the difference between these forces of the operated shoulder and of the contralateral shoulder was evaluated, there was no significant difference between the groups. The other variables of function and pain were similar ( p  > 0.05). There was also no difference between the groups in the University of California at Los Angeles Shoulder Rating Scale (UCLA) ( p  = 0.56) and Constant-Murley Score ( p  = 0.99) scores. Conclusion  Arthroscopic repair of the RC in older, active, selected patients may achieve functional improvement and quality of life similar to that performed in younger patients., Competing Interests: Conflito de Interesses Os autores declaram não haver conflito de interesses., (Sociedade Brasileira de Ortopedia e Traumatologia. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commecial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ ).)