Identification of immunodominant epitopes of Schistosoma mansoni vaccine candidate antigens using human T cells

Paramyosin and Sm14 are two of the six antigens selected by the World Health Organization as candidates to compose a subunit vaccine against schistosomiasis. Both antigens are recognized by individuals naturally resistant to Schistosoma mansoni infection and induced protective immunity in the murine model. Three Sm14 epitopes and eleven paramyosin epitopes were selected by their ability to bind to different HLA-DR molecules using the TEPITOPE computer program, and these peptides were synthetically produced. The cellular recognition of Sm14 and paramyosin epitopes by peripheral blood mononuclear cells of individuals living in endemic area for schistosomiasis was tested by T cell proliferation assay. Among all Sm14 and paramyosin epitopes studied, Sm14-3 was preferentially recognized by individuals naturally resistant to S. mansoni infection while Para-5 was preferentially recognized by individuals resistant to reinfection. These two peptides represent promising antigens to be used in an experimental vaccine against schistosomiasis, since their preferential recognition by resistant individuals suggest their involvement in the induction of protective immunity

Wildfire, deforestation and health in tropical rainforest areas: a scoping review protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Wildfires and deforestation potentially have direct effects on multiple health outcomes as well as indirect consequences for climate change. Tropical rainforest areas are characterised by high rainfall, humidity and temperature, and they are predominantly found in low-income and middle-income countries. This study aims to synthesise the methods, data and health outcomes reported in scientific papers on wildfires and deforestation in these locations. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: We will carry out a scoping review according to the Joanna Briggs Institute's (JBI) manual for scoping reviews and the framework proposed by Arksey and O'Malley, and Levac et al. The search for articles was performed on 18 August 2023, in 16 electronic databases using Medical Subject Headings terms and adaptations for each database from database inception. The search for local studies will be complemented by the manual search in the list of references of the studies selected to compose this review. We screened studies written in English, French, Portuguese and Spanish. We included quantitative studies assessing any human disease outcome, hospitalisation and vital statistics in regions of tropical rainforest. We exclude qualitative studies and quantitative studies whose outcomes do not cover those of interest. The text screening was done by two independent reviewers. Subsequently, we will tabulate the data by the origin of the data source used, the methods and the main findings on health impacts of the extracted data. The results will provide descriptive statistics, along with visual representations in diagrams and tables, complemented by narrative summaries as detailed in the JBI guidelines. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The study does not require an ethical review as it is meta-research and uses published, deidentified secondary data sources. The submission of results for publication in a peer-reviewed journal and presentation at scientific and policymakers' conferences is expected. STUDY REGISTRATION: Open Science Framework (https://osf.io/pnqc7/)

O modelo de Ising na cadeia linear com interações competitivas de longo alcance

Este trabalho emprega um método de matriz de transferência para estudar a cadeia linear de Ising com interações de longo alcance, podendo estas interações serem do tipo ferromagnéticas ou antiferromagnéticas; o tipo de interação varia periodicamente de acordo com a distância e sua intensidade com a distância como uma lei de potência. Deste modo foi possível obter propriedades termodinâmicas do sistema como a energia livre, a entropia e o calor específico. Alguns resultados interessantes foram obtidos com o cálculo destas propriedades como a ocorrência de entropia residual. Contudo o objeto de investigação principal desta dissertação é a validade de uma conjectura proposta por Tsallis que estabelece que sistemas com interações de longo alcance, como os deste trabalho, obedecem a um escalamento proposto por ele, a ser explicado ao longo deste trabalho. Estes tipos de sistema geralmente não obedecem ao escalamento usual, para todo valor do expoente de decaimento das interações, ocasionando divergências nas funções termodinâmicas intensivas usuais.Também se iniciou um estudo da transição de fase para uma das cadeias apresentadas. Este estudo não é muito conclusivo, mas indica como se proceder em trabalhos futuros. Este estudo envolve análise da função de correlação, que é obtida com o método da matriz de transferência apresentado nesta dissertação. Foi obtida uma série de temperaturas críticas para cadeia finitas em uma das situações mostradas, e, com esses valores pode-se estimar a temperatura críitica da cadeia infinita com técnicas como a dos aproximantes do Padé.Salvado

Brazilian Journal of Physics

p.417-422A numerically efficient transfer matrix approach is used to investigate the validity of the Tsallis scaling hypothesis in the long-range Ising spin chain with competitive interactions. In this model, the interaction between two spins i and j placed r lattice steps apart is Ji, j = (-1)ζ(i,j)J0/rα, where ζ(i, j) is either 0 or 1. This procedure has succeeded to show the validity of the scaling hypothesis for the well investigated ferromagnetic version of the model, i.e., ζ(i, j)= 0,∀i, j, ∀α > 0. Results are reported for some models of a set, which is defined by requiring ζ(i, j) to be a periodic sequence of 0's and 1's. As expected from symmetry arguments, we find that the hypothesis is not valid when ζ(i, j)= 1,∀i, j and α < 1. however, it is verified, with high degree of numerical accuracy, when α < 1, for sequences in which the occurrence of ζ(i, j)= 0 is more frequent than that of ζ(i, j)= 1.São Paul

The use of botulinum toxin type A in the treatment of HTLV-1-associated overactive bladder refractory to conventional therapy

Urinary symptoms occur in 19% of human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1)-infected patients who do not fulfill criteria for HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP) and in almost 100% of HAM/TSP patients. Few studies have evaluated therapies for overactive bladder (OAB) caused by HTLV-1 infection. This case report describes the effect of onabotulinum toxin A on the urinary manifestations of three patients with HAM/TSP and OAB symptoms. The patients were intravesically administered 200 units of Botox®. Their incontinence episodes improved, and their OAB symptoms scores (OABSS) reduced significantly. These data indicate that Botox® should be a treatment option for OAB associated with HTLV-1 infection

The use of botulinum toxin type A in the treatment of HTLV-1-associated overactive bladder refractory to conventional therapy

CARVALHO FILHO, Edgar Marcelino de. “Documento produzido em parceria ou por autor vinculado à Fiocruz, mas não consta à informação no documento”.Submitted by Ana Maria Fiscina Sampaio ([email protected]) on 2018-02-26T17:10:06Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Carneiro JA The use of botulinum toxin type A ....pdf: 1063276 bytes, checksum: e9b2926b22e5859a39b8d2283e0db9ca (MD5)Approved for entry into archive by Ana Maria Fiscina Sampaio ([email protected]) on 2018-02-26T17:22:22Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Carneiro JA The use of botulinum toxin type A ....pdf: 1063276 bytes, checksum: e9b2926b22e5859a39b8d2283e0db9ca (MD5)Made available in DSpace on 2018-02-26T17:22:22Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Carneiro JA The use of botulinum toxin type A ....pdf: 1063276 bytes, checksum: e9b2926b22e5859a39b8d2283e0db9ca (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014Brazilian National Research Council CNPq - (Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e TecnológicoUniversidade Federal da Bahia. Hospital Universitário Professor Edgard Santos. Serviço de Imunologia. Salvador, BA, BrasilUniversidade Federal da Bahia. Hospital Universitário Professor Edgard Santos. Serviço de Imunologia. Salvador, BA, BrasilUniversidade Federal da Bahia. Hospital Universitário Professor Edgard Santos. Serviço de Imunologia. Salvador, BA, BrasilUniversidade Federal da Bahia. Hospital Universitário Professor Edgard Santos. Serviço de Imunologia. Salvador, BA, BrasilUniversidade Federal da Bahia. Hospital Universitário Professor Edgard Santos. Serviço de Imunologia. Salvador, BA, Brasil / Ministério da Ciência e Tecnologia. Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia de Doenças Tropicais. Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico. Brasília, DF, BrasilUrinary symptoms occur in 19% of human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1)-infected patients who do not fulfi ll criteria for HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP) and in almost 100% of HAM/TSP patients. Few studies have evaluated therapies for overactive bladder (OAB) caused by HTLV-1 infection. This case report describes the effect of onabotulinum toxin A on the urinary manifestations of three patients with HAM/TSP and OAB symptoms. The patients were intravesically administered 200 units of Botox®. Their incontinence episodes improved, and their OAB symptoms scores (OABSS) reduced signifi cantly. These data indicate that Botox® should be a treatment option for OAB associated with HTLV-1 infectio