Development and Evaluation of a Sensitive PCR-ELISA System for Detection of Schistosoma Infection in Feces

Schistosomiasis is a neglected disease caused by worms of the genus Schistosoma. The transmission cycle requires contamination of bodies of water by parasite eggs present in excreta, specific snails as intermediate hosts and human contact with water. Fortunately, relatively safe and easily administrable drugs are available and, as the outcome of repeated treatment, a reduction of severe clinical forms and a decrease in the number of infected persons has been reported in endemic areas. The routine method for diagnosis is the microscopic examination but it fails when there are few eggs in the feces, as usually occurs in treated but noncured persons or in areas with low levels of transmission. This study reports the development of the PCR-ELISA system for the detection of Schistosoma DNA in human feces as an alternative approach to diagnose light infections. The system permits the enzymatic amplification of a specific region of the DNA from minute amounts of parasite material. Using the proposed PCR-ELISA approach for the diagnosis of a population in an endemic area in Brazil, 30% were found to be infected, as compared with the 18% found by microscopic fecal examination. Although the technique requires a complex laboratory infrastructure and specific funding it may be used by control programs targeting the elimination of schistosomiasis

COMPLICAÇÕES DE DEISCÊNCIA DOS TECIDOS MOLES PERI-IMPLANTARES: UMA REVISÃO DOS FATORES ASSOCIADOS E FREQUÊNCIA DE OCORRÊNCIA.

  Given the importance of associated factors and the need for appropriate preventive strategies, this study aims to review the existing literature on complications of peri-implant soft tissue dehiscence, analyzing the associated factors and frequency of occurrence. From this review, we intend to provide a solid scientific basis for the implementation of clinical practices that minimize the incidence of this complication and improve the results of treatments with dental implants. The results of this review emphasize the importance of a multifaceted approach to preventing and managing peri-implant soft tissue dehiscence. The quality of the gingival tissues, the surgical technique, the type and positioning of the implant, the patient's oral hygiene, and rigorous post-operative care are crucial determinants. Furthermore, systemic and environmental factors, the biocompatibility of implant materials, and the surgeon's experience play significant roles. Multidisciplinary collaboration and technological advances emerge as important allies to improve clinical results. Therefore, careful assessment and detailed planning are essential to reduce complications and ensure the long-term success of dental implants, promoting a better quality of life for patients.Diante da importância dos fatores associados e da necessidade de estratégias preventivas adequadas, este estudo tem como objetivo revisar a literatura existente sobre as complicações de deiscência dos tecidos moles peri-implantares, analisando os fatores associados e a frequência de ocorrência. A partir dessa revisão, pretende-se fornecer uma base científica sólida para a implementação de práticas clínicas que minimizem a incidência dessa complicação e melhorem os resultados dos tratamentos com implantes dentários. Os resultados desta revisão enfatizam a importância de uma abordagem multifacetada para prevenir e gerenciar a deiscência dos tecidos moles peri-implantares. A qualidade dos tecidos gengivais, a técnica cirúrgica, o tipo e o posicionamento do implante, a higiene bucal do paciente, e os cuidados pós-operatórios rigorosos são determinantes cruciais. Além disso, fatores sistêmicos e ambientais, a biocompatibilidade dos materiais dos implantes, e a experiência do cirurgião desempenham papéis significativos. A colaboração multidisciplinar e os avanços tecnológicos emergem como aliados importantes para melhorar os resultados clínicos. Portanto, uma avaliação cuidadosa e um planejamento detalhado são essenciais para reduzir as complicações e garantir o sucesso a longo prazo dos implantes dentários, promovendo uma melhor qualidade de vida para os pacientes

Vitamin A, vitamin E, iron and zinc status in a cohort of HIV-infected mothers and their uninfected infants

Introduction We hypothesized that nutritional deficiency would be common in a cohort of postpartum, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected women and their infants. Methods Weight and height, as well as blood concentrations of retinol, α-tocopherol, ferritin, hemoglobin, and zinc, were measured in mothers after delivery and in their infants at birth and at 6-12 weeks and six months of age. Retinol and α-tocopherol levels were quantified by high performance liquid chromatography, and zinc levels were measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The maternal body mass index during pregnancy was adjusted for gestational age (adjBMI). Results Among the 97 women 19.6% were underweight. Laboratory abnormalities were most frequently observed for the hemoglobin (46.4%), zinc (41.1%), retinol (12.5%) and ferritin (6.5%) levels. Five percent of the women had mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentrations < 31g/dL. The most common deficiency in the infants was α-tocopherol (81%) at birth; however, only 18.5% of infants had deficient levels at six months of age. Large percentages of infants had zinc (36.8%) and retinol (29.5%) deficiencies at birth; however, these percentages decreased to 17.5% and 18.5%, respectively, by six months of age. No associations between infant micronutrient deficiencies and either the maternal adjBMI category or maternal micronutrient deficiencies were found. Conclusions Micronutrient deficiencies were common in HIV-infected women and their infants. Micronutrient deficiencies were less prevalent in the infants at six months of age. Neither underweight women nor their infants at birth were at increased risk for micronutrient deficiencies

Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time,1,2 and attempts to address it require a clear un derstanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space.3,4 While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes,5–7 vast areas of the tropics remain understudied.8–11 In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world’s most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity,12 but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepre sented in biodiversity databases.13–15 To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications16,17 may elim inate pieces of the Amazon’s biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological com munities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge,18,19 it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple or ganism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region’s vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most ne glected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lostinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time,1,2 and attempts to address it require a clear understanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space.3,4 While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes,5,6,7 vast areas of the tropics remain understudied.8,9,10,11 In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world's most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity,12 but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepresented in biodiversity databases.13,14,15 To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications16,17 may eliminate pieces of the Amazon's biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological communities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge,18,19 it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple organism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region's vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most neglected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lost

Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time,1,2 and attempts to address it require a clear understanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space.3,4 While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes,5,6,7 vast areas of the tropics remain understudied.8,9,10,11 In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world's most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity,12 but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepresented in biodiversity databases.13,14,15 To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications16,17 may eliminate pieces of the Amazon's biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological communities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge,18,19 it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple organism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region's vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most neglected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lost

Envelhecimento vocal em idosos instucionalizados Vocal aging of institutionalized elderly people

OBJETIVOS: avaliar de forma perceptivo-auditiva as características vocais de idosos institucionalizados, identificar se essas características interferem no processo de comunicação e correlacioná-las com a avaliação das estruturas do sistema estomatognático e do padrão de fala. MÉTODOS: estudo clínico do tipo transversal, no qual foram realizadas anamneses e avaliações fonoaudiológicas em uma amostra aleatória de 48 indivíduos idosos, residentes na Casa do Ancião Francisco Azevedo - Belo Horizonte/MG, que não apresentavam nenhum tipo de alteração neurológica, uma vez que, buscou-se traçar as manifestações fonoaudiológicas de idosos em processo de envelhecimento sadio. Utilizou-se protocolos específicos, desenvolvidos pelas autoras, de acordo com os aspectos pertinentes aos objetivos do presente estudo. RESULTADOS: na avaliação perceptivo-auditiva da qualidade vocal, constatou-se predominantemente qualidade vocal rouca (70,8%), em grau moderado (33,3%), loudness reduzida (56,2%), pitch grave (62,5%) e tempos máximos de fonação reduzidos (81,2%). Dos 48 participantes, 85,4% relataram que a voz não interfere no processo de comunicação. Em relação aos padrões de fala, predominaram inteligibilidade preservada (83,3%), articulação preservada (72,9%) e precisão articulatória preservada (83,3%). CONCLUSÕES: existem alterações nos parâmetros referentes à voz decorrentes da idade, sendo que elas não interferem na comunicação e mantêm relação diversa com outras mudanças nas estruturas do sistema estomatognático. Este estudo veio complementar as pesquisas na área de voz envolvendo indivíduos da terceira idade, sob processo de envelhecimento sadio e residentes em instituições de longa permanência.<br>PURPOSES: to investigate vocal aspects related to healthy aging in the institutionalized elderly people, and to identify if these aspects interfer with communication and correlate vocal changes with motor oral system evaluation and speech patterns. METHODS: transversal clinic research in which the methods used were interview and phonoaudiological examination of a randomized sample of 48 aged patients, resident in Casa do Ancião Francisco Azevedo - Belo Horizonte/MG, who did not show neurological disabilities. Specific protocols were used, developed by the authors, according to aspects related to the purposes of this study RESULTS: vocal parameters were analyzed and the following conditions were observed: hoarse voice (70,8%), in moderate degree (33,3%), reduced loudness (56,2%), bass pitch (62,5%) and short maximum phonation periods (81,2%). About 41 (85,4%) patients reported that vocal problems do not interfer with their communication process. Normal aging did not result directly in alterations in speech patterns, but changes in motor oral system due to health aging showed different associations with those patterns. CONCLUSIONS: this study showed the presence of alterations in the aspects related to voice but they do not interfer with the communication process. There were not alterations in speech patterns due to health aging but changes in motor oral system showed different association with those patterns. This study has contributed to improve knowledge about voice and elderly that suffer changes due to health aging and live in old people's homes