Stevia Rebaudiana fraction presents broad-spectrum antibacterial action and antibiofilm action for Staphylococcus aureus / Fração Stevia Rebaudiana apresenta ação antibacteriana de amplo espectro e ação antibiótica para Staphylococcus aureus

Fractions of S. rebaudiana leaves, extracted in Ethyl Acetate (EAF), rich in antioxidant compounds and Isobutanolic fraction (IF), with a high content of glycosides, were evaluated for antibacterial and antibiofilm potential against reference strains of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria of clinical interest. EAF had bactericidal action against Gram-positive strains evaluated and against most Gram-negative strains, with the exception of Salmonella enteritidis. Gram-positive species showed greater sensitivity to EAF. For IF, up to the maximum concentration, there was no bactericidal effect for the strains. The pretreatment of planktonic cells of S. aureus with subinhibitory concentrations of EAF determined a reduction in the potential of structuring of the biofilm by up to 71%. The fraction showed effectiveness in biofilm treatments formed by S. aureus, with a 99% reduction in cell viability compared to the control. In addition to the antibacterial action on planktonic cells, EAF has promising effects against S. aureus biofilms

Chitosan microparticles loaded with essential oils inhibit duo-biofilms of Candida albicans and Streptococcus mutans

Oral candidiasis is a common fungal infection that affects the oral mucosa, and happens when Candida albicans interacts with bacteria in the oral microbiota, such as Streptococcus mutans, causing severe early childhood caries. C. albicans and S. mutans mixed biofilms are challenging to treat with conventional antimicrobial therapies, thus, new anti-infective drugs are required. Objective: This study aimed to test a drug delivery system based on chitosan microparticles loaded with geranium and lemongrass essential oils to inhibit C. albicans and S. mutans mixed biofilms. Methodology: Chitosan microparticles loaded with essential oils (CM-EOs) were obtained by spray-drying. Susceptibility of planktonic were performed according CLSI at 4 to 2,048 µg/mL. Mixed biofilms were incubated at 37ºC for 48 h and exposed to CM-EOs at 256 to 4,096 µg/mL. The antimicrobial effect was evaluated using the MTT assay, with biofilm architectural changes analyzed by scanning electron microscopy. RAW 264.7 cell was used to evaluate compound cytotoxicity. Results: CM-EOs had better planktonic activity against C. albicans than S. mutans. All samples reduced the metabolic activity of mixed C. albicans and S. mutans biofilms, with encapsulated oils showing better activity than raw chitosan or oils. The microparticles reduced the biofilm on the slides. The essential oils showed cytotoxic effects against RAW 264.7 cells, but encapsulation into chitosan microparticles decreased their toxicity. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that chitosan loaded with essential oils may provide an alternative method for treating diseases caused by C. albicans and S. mutans mixed biofilm, such as dental caries

O que fazer com resíduos de equipamentos eletroeletrônicos (REEE’s) do CESC e CESCD?

Os famosos celulares chamados ‘’tijolão’’, bem como as lanterninhas ou aquelas famosas televisão de tubo, fazem parte do passado e atualmente constituem os resíduos de equipamentos elétricos e eletrônicos – REEE, que são elementos dos quais proprietários desses resíduos perdem o interesse, ou não tem mais valor significativo, e são descartados as vezes de maneira imprópria, podendo futuramente causar danos severos ao meio ambiente. No Brasil temos a lei CONAMA 257/99 retratando sobre fim da vida útil de baterias e pilhas que devem ser entregues pelos usuários aos estabelecimentos que comercializam ou empresas técnicas autorizadas para dar fim correto destes equipamentos. Como base de realização deste trabalho, uma coleta equipamentos no CESC e CESCD foi realizada, onde buscou-se selecionar quais deles entravam na definição de REEE. Tais equipamentos foram: Monitores, gabinetes, teclados e impressoras, e quais destes componentes usar, carcaça, capacitores, coolers, resistores etc. Com todo esse material em mãos, o próximo procedimento foi a confecção dos experimentos. Dentre eles são: motor a pistão eletromagnético onde seu funcionamento se dá pela transformação de energia elétrica em energia do movimento/mecânica, podendo calcular quantas rotações a ventoinha pode dar por minuto, com possibilidade de obtenção de velocidade e aceleração; a utilização de pastilhas piezoeléctricas para transformar a pressão dada pelos dedos no teclado de um computador em energia elétrica, fazendo assim uma transformação de energia mecânica em elétrica, além de diodo para fazer a ponte retificadora transformando corrente continua em alternada e um capacitor para armazenamento de energia

Vinte anos dos Estudos Eleitorais Portugueses, 2002-2022: A Base de Dados integrada

Para uma descrição completa do estudo, http://www.apis.ics.ulisboa.pt/catalogo/APIS0097.“Vinte anos dos Estudos Eleitorais Portugueses, 2002-2022” é uma base de dados integrada que junta os inquéritos pós-eleitorais conduzidos nos anos 2002, 2005, 2009, 2011, 2015, 2019 e 2022. Estes inquéritos junto da população adulta portuguesa têm o objetivo de medir o comportamento eleitoral (participação e opção de voto) em eleições legislativas, assim como uma série de potenciais correlatos, incluindo exposição aos media, discussão política e uma série de atitudes e valores políticos.info:eu-repo/semantics/updatedVersio

Reuma.pt/vasculitis - the Portuguese vasculitis registry

BACKGROUND: The vasculitides are a group of rare diseases with different manifestations and outcomes. New therapeutic options have led to the need for long-term registries. The Rheumatic Diseases Portuguese Register, Reuma.pt, is a web-based electronic clinical record, created in 2008, which currently includes specific modules for 12 diseases and > 20,000 patients registered from 79 rheumatology centres. On October 2014, a dedicated module for vasculitis was created as part of the European Vasculitis Society collaborative network, enabling prospective collection and central storage of encrypted data from patients with this condition. All Portuguese rheumatology centres were invited to participate. Data regarding demographics, diagnosis, classification criteria, assessment tools, and treatment were collected. We aim to describe the structure of Reuma.pt/vasculitis and characterize the patients registered since its development. RESULTS: A total of 687 patients, with 1945 visits, from 13 centres were registered; mean age was 53.4 ± 19.3 years at last visit and 68.7% were females. The most common diagnoses were Behçet's disease (BD) (42.5%) and giant cell arteritis (GCA) (17.8%). Patients with BD met the International Study Group criteria and the International Criteria for BD in 85.3 and 97.2% of cases, respectively. Within the most common small- and medium-vessel vasculitides registered, median [interquartile range] Birmingham Vasculitis Activity Score (BVAS) at first visit was highest in patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) (17.0 [12.0]); there were no differences in the proportion of patients with AAV or polyarteritis nodosa who relapsed (BVAS≥1) or had a major relapse (≥1 major BVAS item) during prospective assessment (p = 1.00, p = 0.479). Biologic treatment was prescribed in 0.8% of patients with GCA, 26.7% of patients with AAV, and 7.6% of patients with BD. There were 34 (4.9%) deaths reported. CONCLUSIONS: Reuma.pt/vasculitis is a bespoke web-based registry adapted for routine care of patients with this form of rare and complex diseases, allowing an efficient data-repository at a national level with the potential to link with other international databases. It facilitates research, trials recruitment, service planning and benchmarking.publishersversionpublishe

APENDICITE AGUDA: ABORDAGEM DIAGNÓSTICA E AVANÇOS NO TRATAMENTO CIRÚRGICO.

Acute appendicitis is an inflammation of the cecal appendix, a frequent surgical emergency. Early diagnosis is vital to avoid serious complications. Migratory abdominal pain and associated symptoms help in the diagnosis. Imaging techniques, especially ultrasound and tomography, confirm the condition. The treatment is mainly surgical, with preferably laparoscopic appendectomy. Methodology: The research reviewed literature from 2015 to 2024 on "Acute Appendicitis: Diagnostic Approaches and Advances in Surgical Treatment", using scientific bases such as PubMed and SciELO. He selected original articles with full access, focused on clinical manifestations, imaging diagnoses and surgical advances, excluding studies out of scope or more than 10 years old. Results and discussions: The cecal appendix, located in the right iliac fossa, measures about 8 to 10 cm and may have an immunological role in childhood. Acute appendicitis usually results from appendicular obstruction, causing migratory abdominal pain and symptoms such as fever and nausea. The diagnosis involves clinical history, physical, laboratory and imaging techniques, with ultrasound and tomography being crucial. The use of low-dose CT and new scoring systems improve diagnostic accuracy and reduce negative appendectomy. Final considerations: Acute appendicitis is a common surgical emergency, requiring early diagnosis and treatment to avoid complications. Advanced techniques such as ultrasound and CT, especially low-dose, improve diagnostic accuracy. Appendictomy, preferably laparoscopic, is the standard treatment. Studies highlight the importance of combined diagnostic methods and surgical advances for better management.A apendicite aguda é uma inflamação do apêndice cecal, uma emergência cirúrgica frequente. O diagnóstico precoce é vital para evitar complicações graves. A dor abdominal migratória e sintomas associados ajudam no diagnóstico. Técnicas de imagem, especialmente ultrassonografia e tomografia, confirmam a condição. O tratamento é principalmente cirúrgico, com apendicectomia preferencialmente laparoscópica. Metodologia: A pesquisa revisou literatura de 2015 a 2024 sobre "Apendicite Aguda: Abordagens Diagnósticas e Avanços no Tratamento Cirúrgico", usando bases científicas como PubMed e SciELO. Selecionou artigos originais com acesso integral, focados em manifestações clínicas, diagnósticos por imagem e avanços cirúrgicos, excluindo estudos fora do escopo ou com mais de 10 anos. Resultados e discussões: O apêndice cecal, localizado na fossa ilíaca direita, mede cerca de 8 a 10 cm e pode ter um papel imunológico na infância. A apendicite aguda geralmente resulta de obstrução apendicular, causando dor abdominal migratória e sintomas como febre e náuseas. O diagnóstico envolve história clínica, exame físico, laboratoriais e técnicas de imagem, com ultrassonografia e tomografia sendo cruciais. O uso de TC de baixa dose e novos sistemas de pontuação melhoram a precisão diagnóstica e reduzem apendicectomias negativas. Considerações Finais: A apendicite aguda é uma emergência cirúrgica comum, necessitando de diagnóstico precoce e tratamento para evitar complicações. Técnicas avançadas como ultrassonografia e TC, especialmente de baixa dose, melhoram a precisão diagnóstica. A apendicectomia, preferencialmente laparoscópica, é o tratamento padrão. Estudos destacam a importância de métodos diagnósticos combinados e avanços cirúrgicos para melhor manejo

Chitosan microparticles loaded with essential oils inhibit duo-biofilms of Candida albicans and Streptococcus mutans

Abstract Oral candidiasis is a common fungal infection that affects the oral mucosa, and happens when Candida albicans interacts with bacteria in the oral microbiota, such as Streptococcus mutans, causing severe early childhood caries. C. albicans and S. mutans mixed biofilms are challenging to treat with conventional antimicrobial therapies, thus, new anti-infective drugs are required. Objective This study aimed to test a drug delivery system based on chitosan microparticles loaded with geranium and lemongrass essential oils to inhibit C. albicans and S. mutans mixed biofilms. Methodology Chitosan microparticles loaded with essential oils (CM-EOs) were obtained by spray-drying. Susceptibility of planktonic were performed according CLSI at 4 to 2,048 µg/mL. Mixed biofilms were incubated at 37ºC for 48 h and exposed to CM-EOs at 256 to 4,096 µg/mL. The antimicrobial effect was evaluated using the MTT assay, with biofilm architectural changes analyzed by scanning electron microscopy. RAW 264.7 cell was used to evaluate compound cytotoxicity. Results CM-EOs had better planktonic activity against C. albicans than S. mutans. All samples reduced the metabolic activity of mixed C. albicans and S. mutans biofilms, with encapsulated oils showing better activity than raw chitosan or oils. The microparticles reduced the biofilm on the slides. The essential oils showed cytotoxic effects against RAW 264.7 cells, but encapsulation into chitosan microparticles decreased their toxicity. Conclusion This study demonstrates that chitosan loaded with essential oils may provide an alternative method for treating diseases caused by C. albicans and S. mutans mixed biofilm, such as dental caries

Síndromes anêmicas: uma abordagem fisiopatológica sobre as principais considerações clínicas / Anemic syndromes: a pathophysiological approach to key clinical considerations

O seguinte artigo é uma revisão narrativa de literatura fundamentada nas plataformas do SciELO, LILACS, Pubmed, Google Acadêmico e Brazilian Journal of Health Review no período de janeiro a março de 2022. Atualmente, a anemia é algo que não é investigado sobre a sua etiologia e  sujeita a negligência, muitos pacientes são vítimas dos riscos de hemotransfusão e até privados de tratarem doenças que seriam possivelmente de manejo mais simples se detectadas precocemente. O seguinte artigo objetivou descrever as principais considerações sobre as síndrome anêmicas, em especial em sua  fisiopatologia e implicações clínicas. A temática de síndromes anêmicas é um tema complexo, que possui várias etiologias, apresentações clínicas, sintomatologias e meios diagnósticos. A terapêutica é focada em investigar o fator etiológico de base e simultaneamente tratar as implicações e aliviar o quadro clínico. Logo, o estudo em questão narra de modo detalhado a fisiopatologia da anemia e aborda as principais síndromes anêmicas para a clínica médica.

ATLANTIC-PRIMATES: a dataset of communities and occurrences of primates in the Atlantic Forests of South America

Primates play an important role in ecosystem functioning and offer critical insights into human evolution, biology, behavior, and emerging infectious diseases. There are 26 primate species in the Atlantic Forests of South America, 19 of them endemic. We compiled a dataset of 5,472 georeferenced locations of 26 native and 1 introduced primate species, as hybrids in the genera Callithrix and Alouatta. The dataset includes 700 primate communities, 8,121 single species occurrences and 714 estimates of primate population sizes, covering most natural forest types of the tropical and subtropical Atlantic Forest of Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina and some other biomes. On average, primate communities of the Atlantic Forest harbor 2 ± 1 species (range = 1–6). However, about 40% of primate communities contain only one species. Alouatta guariba (N = 2,188 records) and Sapajus nigritus (N = 1,127) were the species with the most records. Callicebus barbarabrownae (N = 35), Leontopithecus caissara (N = 38), and Sapajus libidinosus (N = 41) were the species with the least records. Recorded primate densities varied from 0.004 individuals/km 2 (Alouatta guariba at Fragmento do Bugre, Paraná, Brazil) to 400 individuals/km 2 (Alouatta caraya in Santiago, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil). Our dataset reflects disparity between the numerous primate census conducted in the Atlantic Forest, in contrast to the scarcity of estimates of population sizes and densities. With these data, researchers can develop different macroecological and regional level studies, focusing on communities, populations, species co-occurrence and distribution patterns. Moreover, the data can also be used to assess the consequences of fragmentation, defaunation, and disease outbreaks on different ecological processes, such as trophic cascades, species invasion or extinction, and community dynamics. There are no copyright restrictions. Please cite this Data Paper when the data are used in publications. We also request that researchers and teachers inform us of how they are using the data. © 2018 by the The Authors. Ecology © 2018 The Ecological Society of Americ