Risk factors for infection with Giardia duodenalis in pre-school children in the city of Salvador, Brazil.

A cross-sectional study of 694 children aged 2 to 45 months selected from 30 clusters throughout the city of Salvador, Bahia (pop. 2.3 million) was carried out as part of a longitudinal study of diarrhoea in order to identify risk factors for infection with Giardia duodenalis. Variables studied included three social and demographic factors (such as mother's education and marital status), five relating to the peri-domestic environment (rubbish disposal, open sewers, paving of the street), seven relating to the home itself (house construction, susceptibility to flooding, water supply and sanitation) as well as a score for hygiene behaviour based on structured observation. After multivariate analysis using a hierarchical model, only four significant risk factors were found: (a) number of children in the household under five years (b) rubbish not collected from the house (c) presence of visible sewage nearby, and (d) absence of a toilet. All four were significant at the 1% level

Pulmonary Inflammation Is Regulated by the Levels of the Vesicular Acetylcholine Transporter

Acetylcholine (ACh) plays a crucial role in physiological responses of both the central and the peripheral nervous system. Moreover, ACh was described as an anti-inflammatory mediator involved in the suppression of exacerbated innate response and cytokine release in various organs. However, the specific contributions of endogenous release ACh for inflammatory responses in the lung are not well understood. To address this question we have used mice with reduced levels of the vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT), a protein required for ACh storage in secretory vesicles. VAChT deficiency induced airway inflammation with enhanced TNF-alpha and IL-4 content, but not IL-6, IL-13 and IL-10 quantified by ELISA. Mice with decreased levels of VAChT presented increased collagen and elastic fibers deposition in airway walls which was consistent with an increase in inflammatory cells positive to MMP-9 and TIMP-1 in the lung. In vivo lung function evaluation showed airway hyperresponsiveness to methacholine in mutant mice. The expression of nuclear factor-kappa B (p65-NF-kappa B) in lung of VAChT-deficient mice were higher than in wild-type mice, whereas a decreased expression of janus-kinase 2 (JAK2) was observed in the lung of mutant animals. Our findings show the first evidence that cholinergic deficiency impaired lung function and produce local inflammation. Our data supports the notion that cholinergic system modulates airway inflammation by modulation of JAK2 and NF-kappa B pathway. We proposed that intact cholinergic pathway is necessary to maintain the lung homeostasis

Using educational networks to promote internationalization experiences in physiotherapy education

Introduction and Objectives: The Academic Network of Health Sciences of Lusofonia (RACS - racslusofonia.org) was created in 2016, with the mission of promoting training and scientific cooperation in health sciences, between higher education institutions and research centers in different countries and Portuguese speaking communities. Within the Physiotherapy Education Group of RACS we develop a project with a set of activities, developed along the academic path of the physiotherapy students, which allow them to be exposed progressively to the international context. Methods: During the 2021/22 academic year, 10 institutions involving 103 Physiotherapy students from 6 different countries (Portugal, Brazil, Mozambique, Cabo Verde, Angola, and São Tomé e Principe) participate in this project. Students are asked, over a period of 2 months, to carry out at least 2 online meetings within an international group to discuss topics related to the reality of education and the practice of Physiotherapists. As a result, students submit an individual reflection on the most relevant points that were identified in this sharing process. In each of the participating institutions, there was a teacher responsible for preparing, supporting, and evaluating the students' reflections. Results: To assess the impact and satisfaction of the students with activity, an online questionnaire (10 questions) was used, with several dimensions (preparation, performance, and global opinion) where a response rate of 83% was obtained (n=86). Regarding the answers, 93% considered that the objectives of the activity were clear and attainable and that the support materials were adequate (83%). Regarding meetings with international peers, 70% said that communication was easy during the meetings and that the proposed objectives were achieved (91%). Concerning the impact of the activity, 94% considered that the activity contributes to a better understanding of the international context of teaching and practice of physiotherapists, stressing that it should continue to be carried out within the scope of the physiotherapy course (89%). Conclusion(s): The overall reflexion from the students and teachers involved was very positive, reinforcing the importance of this activity and identifying areas of improvement related to student recruitment and support throughout this process. Based on the results, it seems important for us to carry out this project as it facilitates students’ early exposure to international contexts, which may facilitate the development of skills that allow them to play a more active and global professional role.N/

Using educational networks to promote internationalization experiences in physiotherapy education

Introduction and Objectives: The Academic Network of Health Sciences of Lusofonia (RACS - racslusofonia.org) was created in 2016, with the mission of promoting training and scientific cooperation in health sciences, between higher education institutions and research centers in different countries and Portuguese speaking communities. Within the Physiotherapy Education Group of RACS we develop a project with a set of activities, developed along the academic path of the physiotherapy students, which allow them to be exposed progressively to the international context. Methods: During the 2021/22 academic year, 10 institutions involving 103 Physiotherapy students from 6 different countries (Portugal, Brazil, Mozambique, Cabo Verde, Angola, and São Tomé e Principe) participate in this project. Students are asked, over a period of 2 months, to carry out at least 2 online meetings within an international group to discuss topics related to the reality of education and the practice of Physiotherapists. As a result, students submit an individual reflection on the most relevant points that were identified in this sharing process. In each of the participating institutions, there was a teacher responsible for preparing, supporting, and evaluating the students' reflections. Results: To assess the impact and satisfaction of the students with activity, an online questionnaire (10 questions) was used, with several dimensions (preparation, performance, and global opinion) where a response rate of 83% was obtained (n=86). Regarding the answers, 93% considered that the objectives of the activity were clear and attainable and that the support materials were adequate (83%). Regarding meetings with international peers, 70% said that communication was easy during the meetings and that the proposed objectives were achieved (91%). Concerning the impact of the activity, 94% considered that the activity contributes to a better understanding of the international context of teaching and practice of physiotherapists, stressing that it should continue to be carried out within the scope of the physiotherapy course (89%). Conclusion(s): The overall reflexion from the students and teachers involved was very positive, reinforcing the importance of this activity and identifying areas of improvement related to student recruitment and support throughout this process. Based on the results, it seems important for us to carry out this project as it facilitates students’ early exposure to international contexts, which may facilitate the development of skills that allow them to play a more active and global professional role.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Electrochemical degradation of the chloramphenicol at flow reactor

This paper reports a study of electrochemical degradation of the chloramphenicol antibiotic in aqueous medium using a flow-by reactor with DSA® anode. The process efficiency was monitored by chloramphenicol concentration analysis with liquid chromatography (HPLC) during the experiments. Analysis of Total Organic Carbon (TOC) was performed to estimate the degradation degree and Ion Chromatography (IC) was performed to determinate inorganic ions formed during the eletrochemical degradation process. In electrochemical flow-by reactor, 52% of chloramphenicol was degraded, with 12% TOC reduction. IC analysis showed the production of chloride ions (25 mg L-1), nitrate ions (6 mg L-1) and nitrite ions (4.5 mg L-1).Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP

Simultaneous determination of Choline citrate and acetylmethionine in injectable solutions by high performance liquid chromatography

Choline citrate (CC) and acetylmethionine (AM) are lipotropic drugs used in several pharmaceutical formulations. The objective of this research was to develop and validate a high performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method for simultaneous determination of CC and AM in injectable solutions, aiming its application in routine analysis for quality control of these pharmaceutical formulations. The method was validated using a Shim-Pack® C18 (250 x 4.6 mm, 5 µm) column. The mobile phase was constituted of 25 mM potassium phosphate buffer solution, pH 5.7, adjusted with 10 % orthophosphoric acid, acetonitrile and methanol (88:10:2, v/v/v). The flow rate was 1.1 mL.min-1 and the UV detection was made at 210 nm. The analyses were made at room temperature (25 ± 1 ºC). The method is precise, selective, accurate and robust, and was successfully applied for simultaneous quantitative determination of CC and AM in injectables.Colegio de Farmacéuticos de la Provincia de Buenos Aire

Sodium alginate/polycaprolactone co-axial wet-spun microfibers modified with N-carboxymethyl chitosan and the peptide AAPV for Staphylococcus aureus and human neutrophil elastase inhibition in potential chronic wound scenarios

In chronic wound (CW) scenarios, Staphylococcus aureus-induced infections are very prevalent. This leads to abnormal inflammatory processes, in which proteolytic enzymes, such as human neutrophil elastase (HNE), become highly expressed. Alanine-Alanine-Proline-Valine (AAPV) is an antimicrobial tetrapeptide capable of suppressing the HNE activity, restoring its expression to standard rates. Here, we proposed the incorporation of the peptide AAPV within an innovative co-axial drug delivery system, in which the peptide liberation was controlled by N-carboxymethyl chitosan (NCMC) solubilization, a pH-sensitive antimicrobial polymer effective against Staphylococcus aureus. The microfibers' core was composed of polycaprolactone (PCL), a mechanically resilient polymer, and AAPV, while the shell was made of the highly hydrated and absorbent sodium alginate (SA) and NCMC, responsive to neutral-basic pH (characteristic of CW). NCMC was loaded at twice its minimum bactericidal concentration (6.144 mg/mL) against S. aureus, while AAPV was loaded at its maximum inhibitory concentration against HNE (50 μg/mL), and the production of fibers with a core-shell structure, in which all components could be detected (directly or indirectly), was confirmed. Core-shell fibers were characterized as flexible and mechanically resilient, and structurally stable after 28-days of immersion in physiological-like environments. Time-kill kinetics evaluations revealed the effective action of NCMC against S. aureus, while elastase inhibitory activity examinations proved the ability of AAPV to reduce HNE levels. Cell biology testing confirmed the safety of the engineered fiber system for human tissue contact, with fibroblast-like cells and human keratinocytes maintaining their morphology while in contact with the produced fibers. Data confirmed the engineered drug delivery platform as potentially effective for applications in CW care.Authors acknowledge the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), FEDER funds by means of Portugal 2020 Competitive Factors Operational Program (POCI) and the Portuguese Government (OE) for funding the project PEPTEX with reference PTDC/CTMTEX/28074/2017 (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-028074). Authors also acknowledge project UIDP/00264/2020 of 2C2T and UID/QUI/00686/2020 of CQ, funded by national funds through FCT/MCTES. C.S.M. and H.P.F. also acknowledge FCT for PhD funding via scholarship 2020.08547.BD and for auxiliary researcher contract via 2021.02720.CEEIND, respectively

Quantitative determination of gemifloxacin mesylate in tablets by capillary zone electrophoresis and high performance liquid chromatography

The aim of this study was to develop and validate selective and sensitive methods for quantitative determination of an antibacterial agent, gemifloxacin, in tablets by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE). The HPLC method was carried out on a LiChrospher® 100 RP-8e, 5 μm (125 x 4 mm) column with a mobile phase composed of tetrahydrofuranwater (25:75, v/v) with 0.5 % of triethylamine and pH adjusted to 3.0 with orthophosphoric acid. The CZE method was performed using 50 mM sodium tetraborate buffer (pH 8.6). Samples were injected hydrodynamicaly (0.5 psi, 5 s) and the electrophoretic system was operated under normal polarity, at +20 kV and capillary temperature of 18 ºC. A fused-silica capillary 40.2 cm (30 cm effective length) x 75 μm i.d. was used. Both, HPLC and CZE could be interesting and efficient techniques to be applied for quality control in pharmaceutical industries.Colegio de Farmacéuticos de la Provincia de Buenos Aire