ICTIOFAUNA DE ZONA RASA DO ESTUÁRIO DOS RIOS TIMONHA E UBATUBA, NORDESTE DO BRASIL

The influence on seasonality on the ichthyofauna of shallow waters and estuaries of northeastern Brazil has been little studied. The present investigation evaluated the number of species, abundance and diversity as a function of alternation of dry and rainy periods along 12 months in three areas from the estuary of Timonha and Ubatuba rivers, between the border of Ceará and Piauí States. Overall, 25 hand-trawling net were performed from August 2014 to September 2015, assessing the structure of fish assemblage with the 1387 total individuals captured, belonging to 49 species of Teleostei (38 genera and 24 families). Considering the number of species, the families Carangidae (7 species), Gerreidae (6), and Lutjanidae (4) contributed most. The community structure revealed a greater numerical participation of Eucinostomos argenteus, Mugil curema, Atherinela brasiliensis, Trachinotus falcatus and Sphoeroides testudineus, which accounted for 68.9% of the total number of individuals captured. Estuarine species dominated the community, followed by marine migrants and marine stragglers. The upper part of estuary, Porto dos Mosquitos, presented 38 species, Porto do Itam 32 species, and Porto da Lama 6 species. The diversity index was higher in the dry season when compared to the rainy period, which may indicate higher competition between species during rainfall regime. The results presented here show seasonal differences in the ichthyofaunal composition throughout the hydrological cycle, where mangrove and estuarine coastal areas are the key early life fish habitats, contributing to the diversity and conservation of fish populations in the region.Keywords: Inventory; estuarine fishes; spatial distribution; mangrove; taxonomy.A influência da sazonalidade sobre a ictiofauna das águas rasas e estuários do nordeste do Brasil tem sido pouco estudada. A presente investigação avaliou o número de espécies, abundância e diversidade como função da alternância dos períodos de chuva e estiagem ao longo de 12 meses em três áreas do estuário dos rios Timonha e Ubatuba, na divisa dos estados do Ceará e Piauí. No geral, 25 arrastos manuais foram realizados de agosto de 2014 a setembro de 2015, acessando a estrutura da assembleia de peixes com o total de 1387 indivíduos capturados, que pertencem a 49 espécies de Teleostei (38 gêneros e 24 famílias). Considerando o número de espécies, as famílias que mais contribuíram foram Carangidae (7 espécies), Gerreidae (6) e Lutjanidae (4). A estrutura da comunidade revelou uma maior participação numérica de Eucinostomos argenteus, Mugil curema, Atherinela brasiliensis, Trachinotus falcatus e Sphoeroides testudineus que responderam por 68,9% do total dos indivíduos capturados. Os estuarinos dominaram em número de espécies seguidos pelos migrantes marinhos e visitantes marinhos. A localidade mais a montante, Porto dos Mosquitos, apresentou 38 espécies, Porto do Itam 32 espécies, e Porto da Lama seis espécies. O índice de diversidade foi superior no período seco quando comparado com o período chuvoso, o que pode indicar maior competição entre espécies durante regime de chuvas. Os resultados apresentados aqui mostram diferenças sazonais na composição da ictiofauna durante os ciclos hidrológicos, onde áreas costeiras de manguezais e estuarinas são habitats-chave para o início da vida de peixes, contribuindo para a diversidade e conservação de populações de peixes na região.Palavras-chave: inventário, peixes estuarinos, distribuição espacial, manguezais, taxonomia

Eugenol as a Promising Molecule for the Treatment of Dermatitis: Antioxidant and Anti-inflammatory Activities and Its Nanoformulation

Contact dermatitis produces an inflammatory reaction primarily via stimulation of keratinocytes and cells of the immune system, which promote the release of cytokines, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and other chemical mediators. Eugenol (EUG, phenylpropanoid of essential oils) has attracted attention due to its anti-inflammatory properties, as well as antioxidant effect. On the other hand, it is volatile and insoluble and is a skin irritant. In this case, nanostructured systems have been successfully employed as a drug carrier for skin diseases since they improve both biological and pharmaceutical properties of active compounds. The cytotoxic, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory effects of EUG were assessed in human neutrophils and keratinocytes. Additionally, polymeric nanocarries (NCEUG) were prepared to improve the chemical and irritant characteristics of EUG. EUG presented apparent safety and antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects on human neutrophils, but presented cytotoxic effects on keratinocytes. However, the nanocapsules were able to reduce its cytotoxicity. An in vivo experiment of irritant contact dermatitis (ICD) in mice induced by TPA showed that NCEUG reduced significantly the ear edema in mice when compared to the EUG solution, as well as the leukocyte infiltration and IL-6 level, possibly due to better skin permeation and irritancy blockage. These findings suggest that EUG is a promising bioactive molecule, and its nanoencapsulation seems to be an interesting approach for the treatment of ICD

Effectiveness of anodal transcranial direct current stimulation to improve muscle strength and motor functionality after incomplete spinal cord injury: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Study design Systematic review and meta-analysis. Objectives We aimed to investigate the effects of anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) against sham on muscle strength and motor functionality after incomplete spinal cord injury (iSCI). Setting University of São Paulo, Brazil. Methods A preplanned protocol was registered (PROSPERO, CRD42016050444). Pubmed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Central Library and BVS databases were searched independently by two authors up to March 2018. Cochrane Collaboration’s Tool was used for the risk of bias assessments. Generic inverse variance and random-effects model were used to calculate pooled effect sizes (ES), 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and p-values in meta-analyses. Results Six randomized clinical trials met inclusion criteria (n = 78 iSCI individuals) and were included in the meta-analysis. Results showed a marginal significant pooled effect of active tDCS in improving motor functionality with a small ES (SMD = 0.26, 95% CI = −0.00 to 0.53, p = 0.05, I2 = 0%). On the other hand, the pooled effect of active tDCS on muscle strength did not reach statistical significance, in parallel with a small ES (SMD = 0.35, 95% CI = −0.21 to 0.92, p = 0.22, I2 = 0%) when compared with sham tDCS. No significant adverse events were reported. Conclusions Overall, there was a significant effect of tDCS in improving motor functionality following iSCI. However, a small ES and the marginal p-value suggest that these results should be interpreted with caution. Further high-quality clinical trials are needed to support or refute the use of tDCS in daily clinical practice

MORTALIDADE E PRINCIPAIS DESFECHOS CLÍNICOS EM PESSOAS VIVENDO COM HIV: 20 ANOS DE ACOMPANHAMENTO EM UM CENTRO DE REFERÊNCIA NA BAHIA – BRASIL

Introdução/Objetivo: A Coorte ECOAH (Estudo de Coorte Ambispectiva em pacientes HIV acompanhados em um centro de referência na Bahia–Brasil, 2001–2030) visa entender a epidemia por HIV na Bahia. Objetivamos descrever a mortalidade das pessoas vivendo com HIV/AIDS (PVHIV) em 20 anos de acompanhamento no CEDAP (Centro Estadual Especializado em Diagnóstico, Assistência e Pesquisa). Métodos: Estudo longitudinal, incluindo todas as PVHIV, maiores de 18 anos, matriculadas no CEDAP, entre 2002 a 2021. Os dados foram obtidos a partir dos registros individuais, com busca ativa de óbito das PVHIV, no Sistema de Informação de Mortalidade com declarações de óbito disponíveis até 31/06/2022. As causas de morte foram agrupadas em 13 categorias baseadas na 10ª edição da Classificação Estatística Internacional de Doenças e Problemas Relacionados com a Saúde. Estudo aprovado pelo Comitê de Ética em Pesquisa da Sesab, com apoio do CNPq (Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico). Resultados: Ocorreram 21.689 matriculas no CEDAP no período. Do total, 61,0% (n = 13.240) relacionavam-se ao HIV/AIDS em maiores de 18 anos e destas, 48,0% (n = 10.508) foram acompanhadas no centro. A taxa de mortalidade geral foi 19,3% (n = 2026), o tempo médio de seguimento 6,1 anos (±3,9) e a média de idade ao morrer 42,9 (±12,6) anos. Em 5,5% dos casos, os óbitos ocorreram no mesmo ano de matrícula. Prevaleceu o sexo masculino (62,4%), solteiros (57,7%), autodeclarados negros e pardos (79,1%), com até 8 anos de estudo (40,7%), residentes em Salvador (70,7%). O óbito foi mais frequente em hospitais (76,2%) e 5,5% dos casos ocorreram no mesmo ano de matrícula, podendo refletir o acesso tardio ao tratamento e/ou cuidados clínicos. A causa básica associada ao HIV/Aids ocorreu em 63,2%, seguida das causas externas (8,8%), neoplasias (5,3%) e doenças cardiovasculares (5,1%). A tuberculose foi a coinfecção mais frequentemente relatada como causa imediata ou associada ao óbito (8,4%). Considerando os óbitos ocorridos a partir de 2020 (n = 310), cerca de 15% foram associados à infecção pelo coronavírus (COVID-19), reflexo do impacto da coinfecção por COVID nas PVHIV. Conclusão: Os resultados relativos à mortalidade das PVHA acompanhadas no centro de referência da Bahia demonstram que as principais causas de morte nessa população ainda são aquelas diretamente relacionadas ao HIV/Aids, a despeito de dados recentes demonstrando uma redução das mortes associadas ao HIV/Aids

A novel diselenide attenuates the carrageenan-induced inflammation by reducing neutrophil infiltration and the resulting tissue damage in mice

Selenium-containing compounds have emerged as promising treatment for redox-based and inflammatory diseases. This study aimed to investigate the in vitro and in vivo anti-inflammatory activity of a novel diselenide named as dibenzyl[diselanediyIbis(propane-3-1diyl)] dicarbamate (DD). DD reacted with HOCl (k = 9.2 x 107 M−1s−1), like glutathione (k = 1.2 x 108 M−1s−1), yielding seleninic and selenonic acid derivatives, and it also decreased HOCl formation by activated human neutrophils (IC50=4.6 μM) and purified myeloperoxidase (MPO) (IC50=3.8 μM). However, tyrosine, MPO-I and MPO-II substrates, did not restore HOCl formation in presence of DD. DD inhibited the oxidative burst in dHL-60 cells with no toxicity up to 25 µM for 48h. Next, an intraperitoneal administration of 25, 50, and 75 mg/kg DD decreased total leukocyte, neutrophil chemotaxis, and inflammation markers (MPO activity, lipid peroxidation, albumin exudation, nitrite, TNF-α, IL-1β, CXCL1/KC, and CXCL2/MIP-2) on a murine model of carrageenan-induced peritonitis. Likewise, 50 mg/kg DD (i.p.) decreased carrageenan-induced paw edema over 5h. Histological and immunohistochemistry analyses of the paw tissue showed decreased neutrophil count, edema area, and MPO, carbonylated, and nitrated protein staining. Furthermore, DD treatment decreased the fMLP-induced chemotaxis of human neutrophils (IC50=3.7 μM) in vitro with no toxicity. Lastly, DD presented no toxicity in a single-dose model using mice (50 mg/kg, i.p.) over 15 days and in Artemia salina bioassay (50 to 2000 µM), corroborating findings from in silico toxicological study. Altogether, these results demonstrate that DD attenuates carrageenan-induced inflammation mainly by reducing neutrophil migration and the resulting damage from MPO-mediated oxidative burst.</p

Effects of high-frequency transcranial magnetic stimulation on functional performance in individuals with incomplete spinal cord injury: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Background: Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has been investigated as a new tool in neurological rehabilitation of individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). However, due to the inconsistent results regarding the effects of rTMS in people with SCI, a randomized controlled double-blind crossover trial is needed to clarify the clinical utility and to assess the effect size of rTMS intervention in this population. Therefore, this paper describes a study protocol designed to investigate whether the use of rTMS can improve the motor and sensory function, as well as reduce spasticity in patients with incomplete SCI. Methods: A double-blind randomized sham-controlled crossover trial will be performed by enrolling 20 individuals with incomplete SCI. Patients who are at least six months post incomplete SCI (aged 18–60 years) will be recruited through referral by medical practitioners or therapists. Individuals will be randomly assigned to either group 1 or group 2 in a 1:1 ratio, with ten individuals in each group. The rTMS protocol will include ten sessions of high-frequency rTMS (5 Hz) over the bilateral lower-limb motor area positioned at the vertex (Cz). Clinical evaluations will be performed at baseline and after rTMS active and sham. Discussion: rTMS has produced positive results in treating individuals with physical impairments; thus, it might be promising in the SCI population. The results of this study may provide new insights to motor rehabilitation thereby contributing towards the better usage of rTMS in the SCI population. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02899637 . Registered on 25 August 2016.Medicine, Faculty ofNon UBCReviewedFacult