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"Quantitative Buffy Coat" (QBC®) is a direct and fast fluorescent method used for the identification of blood parasites. Since Leishmania chagasi circulates in blood, we decided to test it in American visceral leishmaniasis (AVL). Bone marrow (BM) and peripheral blood (PB) of 49 persons and PB of 31 dogs were analyzed. QBC® was positive in BM of 11/11 patients with AVL and in 1/6 patients with other diseases. Amastigotes were identified in PB of 18/22 patients with AVL and in none without AVL. The test was positive in 30 out of the 31 seropositive dogs and in 28/28 dogs with Leishmania identified in other tissues. QBC® is a promising method for diagnosis of human AVL, and possibly for the exam of PB of patients with AVL/AIDS, for the control of the cure and for the identification of asymptomatic carriers. Because it is fast and easy to collect and execute, QBC® should be evaluated for programs of reservoir control.

Nile tilapia ( Oreochromis niloticus ) and tambaqui ( Colossoma macropomum ) are the two most produced freshwater fishes in Brazil. This study investigated the potential pathogenicity of Streptococcus agalactiae and Francisella orientalis , previously isolated from diseased Nile tilapia, to tambaqui. Experimental infection trials were conducted in juvenile tambaqui at a dose of approximately 10 7 CFU fish -1 , assessing clinical signs, mortality, bacterial recovery, and histopathological changes. Results demonstrated that S. agalactiae exhibited high pathogenicity to tambaqui, causing rapid disease progression, high mortality (83.33%) within 48 h post-infection, and severe lesions in multiple organs, under the experimental conditions. In contrast, F. orientalis infection did not result in mortality or clinical signs, despite bacterial recovery and granulomatous inflammation observed in the tissues. This study highlights the need to consider the potential impact of these pathogens in tambaqui farming.

Brilliant blue 0.05% and trypan blue 0.1% were mixed in a proportion of 1:1 in a 1-mL syringe. This combination produced a waterfall effect with the fast sinking of the dye to the posterior pole and little diffusion through the vitreous cavity. Therefore, it can effectively stain the internal limiting membrane and the epiretinal membrane with a good contrast during surgeries for a macular hole, myopic foveoschisis, and macular pucker., Competing Interests: None., (Copyright © 2024 Ferreira et al.)

Edwardsiella tarda is a crucial pathogenic bacterium in tropical aquaculture. This bacterium was recently isolated from tambaqui ( Colossoma macropomum ), a commercially important fish species in Brazil. This study assessed the antimicrobial susceptibility, pathogenicity, and genetic diversity of the tambaqui-derived E. tarda isolates. Fourteen bacterial isolates isolated from tambaqui were identified as E. tarda by using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry and dnaJ gene sequencing. Antimicrobial susceptibility tests were conducted against seven drugs using the disc diffusion assay. The pathogenicity test conducted by intraperitoneal injection of 2.4 × 10 7 colony-forming units (CFU) fish -1 of E. tarda (ED38-17) into tambaqui juveniles eventually revealed that neither clinical signs nor death were present. However, splenomegaly and whitish areas in the spleen and kidneys were observed. The histological investigation also revealed granulomatous splenitis, nephritis, and hepatitis occurring internally. Repetitive extragenic palindromic-PCR fingerprinting separated the 14 isolates into three genetic groups. The antibiogram revealed that all E. tarda isolates were wild-type (WT) to florfenicol (FLO), norfloxacin (NOR), neomycin (NEO), erythromycin (ERY), and oxytetracycline (OXY); however, some were non-wild-type to sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim (7.1%) and amoxicillin (21.4%). Therefore, through experimental infection, E. tarda ED38-17 could induce pathogenic effects in C. macropomum . Additionally, three distinct genetic types were found, and the E. tarda isolates were WT to FLO, NOR, NEO, ERY, and OXY. These findings raise awareness of a bacteria causing unseen lesions, a pathogen that will potentially impact tambaqui aquaculture in the future.

Objective  To evaluate the better potential and functional results in pain control in the treatment of pathological fractures and prophylactic fixation with an intramedullary nail associated with polymethylmethacrylate, compared with the utilization of an intramedullary nail in long bone tumor lesions. Methods  From January 2012 to September 2017, 38 patients with 42 pathological lesions (fractures or impending fractures according to the Mirels criteria) were treated surgically. Sixteen patients allocated to the control group underwent a locked intramedullary nail fixation, and 22 patients with pathological lesions were allocated to treatment with an intramedullary nail associated with polymethylmethacrylate. Postoperatively, the patients were submitted to the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (MSTS) rating scale, radiographic assessment, and to the assessment of events and complications related to the treatment. Results  The evaluation using the MSTS questionnaire showed better functional results in the group associated with polymethylmethacrylate, in comparison with the control group, which obtained an average score of 16.375 out of a maximum of 30 points (54.6%). The group studied with association with polymethylmethacrylate obtained a mean of 22.36 points (74.5%). The procedure proved to be safe, with similar complication and severity rates, and with no statistical difference in comparison with the standard treatment. Conclusion  Stabilization of tumor lesions with an internal fixation associated with the polymethylmethacrylate demonstrated early rehabilitation and improved the quality of life, allowing rapid functional recovery. The use of polymethylmethacrylate has advantages such as reduced bleeding, tumor necrosis and higher mechanical stability., 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/ ).)

Trypanosoma cruzi P21 is a protein secreted by the parasite that plays biological roles directly involved in the progression of Chagas disease. The recombinant protein (rP21) demonstrates biological properties, such as binding to CXCR4 receptors in macrophages, chemotactic activity of immune cells, and inhibiting angiogenesis. This study aimed to verify the effects of rP21 interaction with CXCR4 from non-tumoral cells (MCF-10A) and triple-negative breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-231). Our data showed that the MDA-MB-231 cells expressed higher levels of CXCR4 than did the non-tumor cell lines. Besides, cytotoxicity assays using different concentrations of rP21 showed that the recombinant protein was non-toxic and was able to bind to the cell membranes of both cell lineages. In addition, rP21 reduced the migration and invasion of MDA-MB-231 cells by the downregulation of MMP-9 gene expression. In addition, treatment with rP21 blocked the cell cycle, arresting it in the G1 phase, mainly in MDA-MB-231 cells. Finally, rP21 prevents the chemotaxis and proliferation induced by CXCL12. Our data showed that rP21 binds to the CXCR4 receptors in both cells, downregulates CXCR4 gene expression, and decreases the receptors in the cytoplasm of MDA-MB-231 cells, suggesting CXCR4 internalization. This internalization may explain the desensitization of the receptors in these cells. Thus, rP21 prevents migration, invasion, and progression in MDA-MB-231 cells., (Copyright © 2020 Borges, Uehara, dos Santos, Martins, de Souza, Junior, da Luz, da Costa, Notário, Lopes, Teixeira, Teixeira, de Castilhos, da Silva and Silva.)

Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan with worldwide prevalence, known to affect a large variety of warm-blooded hosts. However, its ability to induce long-lasting infections in cold-blooded animals remains unclear. The most likely source of infection is through consumption of meat containing tissue cysts or by ingestion of food or water contaminated with oocysts. The current global climate change trend and the progressive degradation of natural habitats are prone to alter the distribution of ectotherm populations over a short period of time, which may favor contact between these animals and the protozoan. In association, alligator meat is considered a delicacy in many regions and its consumption has been previously related to a diversity of foodborne diseases. In that sense, we proposed in this study to search for specific antibodies against T. gondii in serum samples of two common species of alligators from the Brazilian fauna ( Melanosuchus niger and Caimam crocodilus ) . We obtained the serum samples from 84 alligators from the Araguaia region, which were tested by agglutination assays that do not require species-specific secondary antibodies (Modified Agglutination Test - MAT; Indirect Hemagglutination Assay - IHA). From the 84 samples tested, eight (9.5%) were positive by MAT. From those, seven (87.5% of MAT+, 8.3% of the total) were also positive by IHA, reassuring a probable exposure of these animals to the parasite. Direct parasite detection in muscle fragments of one serologically reactive alligator did not yield positive results. Our results provide serological evidence that Brazilian alligators may be exposed to T. gondii and further studies should be performed to elucidate whether alligators are natural hosts of this ubiquitous protozoan parasite., (© 2020 The Authors.)

Context and Objective: Teachers are at great risk of physical and mental stress due to material or psychological difficulties associated with their work. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of common psychiatric symptoms measured on the Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20) scale that would suggest a diagnosis of psychiatric disorders among public school teachers in Palmas, Tocantins, Brazil, in 2012., Design and Setting: Observational cross-sectional study in Palmas, Tocantins, Brazil., Method: We assessed 110 municipal teachers in the city of Palmas, Tocantins, Brazil. They were selected randomly from a list of employees of the Municipal Education Department of Palmas. All of them answered the SRQ-20 questionnaire after giving their consent., Results: Between the years 2008 and 2011, 24 cases of absence from work due to mental disorders were found. We excluded one case and 109 teachers answered the SRQ-20questionnaire. Out of the 109 teachers assessed, 54 had ≥ 7 points on the SRQ-20 scale. This finding suggests that 49.5% of the teachers had symptoms that were sufficient to consider a diagnosis of mental disorder, with the need for treatment., Conclusion: Our study found that the prevalence of mental disorders among teachers is as high as seen in the literature. Our results suggest that recognition of mental disorders is low and that the current statistics fail to reach the occupational health sector.