Widespread nasal carriage of Mycobacterium lepraeamong a healthy population in a hyperendemic region of northeastern Brazil.

A case-control study was conducted to determine the presence ofMycobacterium lepraeDNA in nasal secretions of leprosy cases and nonleprosy individuals in Fortaleza, Brazil. It included 185 cases identified by physicians at the Dona Libânia National Reference Centre for Sanitary Dermatology (CDERM). A control group (Co) (n = 136) was identified among individuals from CDERM not diagnosed as leprosy cases. To augment the spatial analysis of M. leprae specific repetitive element (RLEP) positive prevalence, an external group (EG) (n = 121), a convenience sample of healthy students, were included. Polymerase chain reaction for the RLEP sequence was conducted for all participants. Prevalence of RLEP positivity for cases and Co were 69.2% and 66.9%, respectively, significantly higher than for EG (28.1%), and reported elsewhere. Male sex, belonging to a lower socioeconomic status (D/E), history of a previous contact with a case and being older, were associated with being a leprosy case. Our geographical analysis demonstrated that the bacillus is widespread among the healthy population, with clusters of RLEP positive multibacillary cases concentrated in distinct areas of the city. Our results suggest that in endemic areas, as in Fortaleza, surveillance for both nonhousehold leprosy contacts and members of the general population living in cluster areas should be implemented

Diálogos culturais e educacionais no projeto Esporte Sem Parar: a contribuição das redes sociais

O projeto de extensão interinstitucional Esporte sem parar atua em 40 núcleos espalhados no estado do Rio de Janeiro e tem como meta ofertar atividades esportivas, educativas e socioculturais com foco na saúde física, mental e nutricional. As mídias sociais foram grandes aliadas na disseminação desse projeto. Sendo assim, o objetivo deste artigo consiste em relatar a experiência da realização das capacitações para os participantes dos núcleos, na modalidade on-line, que ocorreram no canal Projeto esporte sem parar, no YouTube®, com o propósito de evidenciar o alcance dos debates esportivos e de saúde, por meio das mídias sociais, no dia a dia dos integrantes do projeto, avaliado pelo número de visualizações e interações no chat. Considerando-se a participação dos 120 integrantes do projeto e uma média de trezentos e trinta visualizações, além das diversas interações no chat, infere-se que este é um instrumento capaz de atingir o público desejado

Photobiomodulation reduces the cytokine storm syndrome associated with Covid-19 in the zebrafish model

Although the exact mechanism of the pathogenesis of COVID-19 is not fully understood, oxidative stress and the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines have been highlighted as playing a vital role in the pathogenesis of the disease. In this sense, alternative treatments are needed to reduce the inflammation caused by COVID-19. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the potential effect of red PBM as an attractive therapy to downregulate the cytokine storm caused by COVID-19 from a zebrafish model. RT-PCR analyses and protein-protein interaction prediction among SARS-CoV-2 and Danio rerio proteins showed that rSpike was responsible for generating systemic inflammatory processes with significantly increased pro-inflammatory (il1b, il6, tnfa, and nfkbiab), oxidative stress (romo1) and energy metabolism (slc2a1a, coa1) mRNA markers, with a pattern like those observed in COVID-19 cases in humans. On the other hand, PBM treatment decreased the mRNA levels of these pro-inflammatory and oxidative stress markers compared with rSpike in various tissues, promoting an anti-inflammatory response. Conversely, PBM promotes cellular and tissue repair of injured tissues and significantly increases the survival rate of rSpike-inoculated individuals. Additionally, metabolomics analysis showed that the most impacted metabolic pathways between PBM and the rSpike-treated groups were related to steroid metabolism, immune system, and lipids metabolism. Together, our findings suggest that the inflammatory process is an incisive feature of COVID-19, and red PBM can be used as a novel therapeutic agent for COVID-19 by regulating the inflammatory response. Nevertheless, the need for more clinical trials remains, and there is a significant gap to overcome before clinical trials.publishedVersio

High similarity of Trypanosoma cruzikDNA genetic profiles detected by LSSP-PCR within family groups in an endemic area of Chagas disease in Brazil

IntroductionDetermining the genetic similarities among Trypanosoma cruzi populations isolated from different hosts and vectors is very important to clarify the epidemiology of Chagas disease.MethodsAn epidemiological study was conducted in a Brazilian endemic area for Chagas disease, including 76 chronic chagasic individuals (96.1% with an indeterminate form; 46.1% with positive hemoculture).ResultsT. cruzi I (TcI) was isolated from one child and TcII was found in the remaining (97.1%) subjects. Low-stringency single-specific-primer-polymerase chain reaction (LSSP-PCR) showed high heterogeneity among TcII populations (46% of shared bands); however, high similarities (80-100%) among pairs of mothers/children, siblings, or cousins were detected.ConclusionsLSSP-PCR showed potential for identifying similar parasite populations among individuals with close kinship in epidemiological studies of Chagas disease

Concentrate intake and performance of dairy calves subjected to programs of supplementary lighting

ABSTRACT: This research aimed to assess Girolando calves’ concentrate intake and performance when placed in shelters with distinct roofing materials and programs of supplementary lighting during the milk-feeding stage. In order to so, we used a completely randomized design with a 3×3 factorial arrangement, with three replications. Females Girolando calves (n=27) were assigned in individual shelters at random with 3 different roofing materials (fiber cement tile, recycled tile and thatched roofs) and subjected to three lighting programs (12, 16 and 20 hours). No interaction was observed between roofing material and lighting programs, whilst no significant effect (P>0.05) was observed among the roofing materials. The supplementary lighting, by providing greater light exposure time, has stimulated intake and therefore, significantly affected (P<0.05) the concentrate intake and performance of the animals that were subjected to 20 hours of light

Estratégias utilizadas por enfermeiros na promoção do aleitamento materno no puerpério imediato

Introdução: O aleitamento materno é uma prática que tem muitos benefícios para a mãe eo recémnascido. Este estudo teve como objetivo identificar as estratégias utilizadas pelos enfermeiros na promoção do aleitamento materno no puerpério imediato, de acordo com a produção científica brasileira. Materiais e Métodos: Trata-se de um estudo descritivo de revisão integrativa da literatura realizada em revistas científicas, presentes na Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde (BVS), que inclui, entre outros, as bases de dados SciELO, LILACS e MEDLINE. Resultados: Com base nos critérios de inclusão e exclusão estabelecidos, foram seleccionados 21 itens que originaram três categorias analíticas. Concluise que os enfermeiros têm as mais variadas estratégias para promover o aleitamento materno em puerpério imediato, seja educacional ou intersubjetiva. Discussão e Conclusões: Parece que, apesar dos esforços dos vários órgãos de saúde, ainda há barreiras para a implementação das medidas recomendadas. Há uma necessidade urgente de ações realizadas por enfermeiros a serem registrados, a fim de proporcionar maior visibilidade para a sua prática. (Rev Cuid 2013; 4(1): 523-30).Palavras chave: Aleitamento Materno, Período PósParto, Cuidados de Enfermagem, Enfermagem. (Fonte: DeCS BIREME).</p