Pollen analysis of honey and pollen stored by Melipona (Melikerria) fasciculata Smith, 1854 (Apidae Meliponini), in an Amazon and Cerrado transition area, Maranhão, Brazil.

The identification of meliponicultural flora is fundamental for the preservation of bees, as well as enabling the development of pollinator management and reforestation programs. In this context, this study aimed to investigate the types of pollen found in the honey and pollen pots of the Melipona fasciculata bee in Arari, State of Maranhão, between August 2022 and July 2023. 40 types of pollen were identified, distributed among 18 botanical families, with Fabaceae standing out (46.15% in pollen pots and 37.86% in honey pots), Myrtaceae (11.53% in pollen and 13.51% in honey) and Rubiaceae (7.69% in pollen and 5.40% in honey). Sapindaceae, in the honey pots, accounted for 5.40%. The other families showed lower percentages, 3.84% in the pollen pots and 2.70% in the honey pots. In terms of similarity, two distinct groups were observed in both the pollen and honey pots. In the pollen pots, group A (May-June ~ 97%) and group B (Feb-Mar ~ 99%) stood out, while in the honey pots, group A (Mar-Apr ~ 98%) and group B (Jun-Jul-Sept ~ 98%) showed the highest percentages. These findings highlight the wide range of resources used by the M. fasciculata species, as well asits preference for Fabaceae and Myrtaceae, due to the diversity and availability of trophic resources. An understanding of the meliponicultural flora is essential to support effective conservation strategies, which aim not only to guarantee the survival of the bees, but also to ensure the continued production of honey, a resource of great importance to local communities.

Norovirus recovery from floors and air after various decontamination protocols.

BACKGROUND: The dispersal of airborne norovirus (NoV) particles from the floor after contamination with faeces or vomit is a challenge for infection control, as this pathogen is infectious at low doses. Therefore, it is imperative to establish a safe protocol for floor decontamination. AIM: To assess the presence of residual NoV-GII particles on floors and airborne particles following various floor decontamination procedures. METHODS: Two types of floor (vinyl and granite) were contaminated intentionally with 10% human faeces, positive for NoV-GII. Two decontamination protocols were implemented: cleaning followed by disinfection using 1% sodium hypochlorite, and cleaning followed by disinfection using a manual ultraviolet C (UV-C) light device. Swab samples were taken from the floors, and air samples were obtained using an air sampler. The TaqMan method for real-time reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction was employed for analysis. FINDINGS: The disinfection protocol using 1% sodium hypochlorite after cleaning proved to be more effective than cleaning followed by UV-C light exposure (P<0.001). Viral particles were detected in 27 of 36 air samples after cleaning, with no significant difference between the two floor types. On average, 617 genome copies/sample were identified in air samples after cleaning, but the number decreased gradually after disinfection. CONCLUSION: NoV-GII can be aerosolized during floor cleaning, and its particles may be inhaled and then swallowed or can settle on surfaces. Therefore, residual viral particles on floors must be fully eliminated. Cleaning followed by 10 min of 1% sodium hypochlorite disinfection proved to be the superior decontamination protocol.

Gastric epithelioid haemangioendothelioma.

Epithelioid haemangioendothelioma (EHE) is a rare tumour of vascular origin, characterised by celular proliferation, endotelial, epitelioid or hystiocitoid. It may develop in any organ, but it is more common in lung and liver. Surgery is the recommended treatment; however, in case of a potentially benign situation, an expectant attitude should be adopted. The case reports a 71-year-old female who underwent a laparotomy for a colonic adenocarcinoma. During surgery, a polypoid lesion in the dependency of the gastric wall was found incidentally, which was removed. Histopathology and immunohistochemical analysis confirmed the diagnosis of EHE. Gastric vascular neoplasms represent about 0.9-3.3% of all gastric tumours. Usually have a good prognosis, but due to the borderline biological behaviour of these tumours, it is important to have a detailed clinical evaluation at follow-up of these patients.

[Pulmonary function in Portuguese firefighters]. / Função respiratória em bombeiros portugueses.

INTRODUCTION: Portugal has had a high rate of forest fires in recent years. Inhaled wood smoke can have short- and long-term effects on the lung function of people exposed to it. STUDY OBJECTIVES: To assess the lung function of active wildland (forest) firefighters. METHODS: Cross-sectional study. A self-questionnaire on personal and work habits was used and spirometry values were obtained using Piko-6 for a 209 people sample. RESULTS: We found a high rate of smoking (42.9%) and an 11.8% prevalence of obstruction. 41.7% of the obstructed individuals were non-smokers, did not state a knowledge of any respiratory disease, engaged in no other activity that could be related to lung function decrease and did not wear airway protection apparatus. 85.7% did not use any airway protection apparatus when firefighting due to lack of such equipment in their brigades. CONCLUSIONS: Data showed that there is a high pre- valence of smoking habits in this sample of Portuguese firefighters; there is an unsatisfactory usage of airway protection apparatus and the prevalence of airway obstruction is higher than the COPD prevalence in the Portuguese population. We recommend stopping smoking and use of equipment for respiratory protection.

[Prognosis of postoperative aortic dissection. Assessment with magnetic resonance]. / Prognóstico da dissecção da aorta após cirurgia. Avaliação por ressonância magnética.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate operated type A aortic dissection by Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), in order to detect long-term complications and identify prognostic indexes of evolution. DESIGN: Prospective study with a three-year period of follow-up. Prognosis evaluation. SETTINGS: Outpatient Clinic at Hospital de Santa Maria and Magnetic Resonance Imaging Center at Hospital da Cruz Vermelha. PATIENTS: A sample of 37 patients submitted to type A aortic dissection surgery, included sequentially, after exclusion of those with contraindication to MRI. METHODS: Initial evaluation (clinical and MRI study) at 3 to 4 months and at 1, 2 and 3 years after surgery. The mean follow-up time was 39.3 +/- 2.9 months. We evaluated the following complications over the aorta (aortic graft and five segments of residual aorta) and the aortic valve: aneurysm, pseudoaneurysm, rupture, re-dissection, progressive aortic valve regurgitation, reoperation and death. The prognostic indexes analysed were: presence of residual flap; false lumen patency; presence of re-entry points; false lumen to aorta dimension ratio; initial aortic dimension; increase of aortic dimension. RESULTS: All patients, with the exception of three that died, remained asymptomatic. COMPLICATIONS: Aneurysm was detected in 45.9% of patients, located in one or more segments; rupture occurred in three patients, preceded by aneurysm and pseudoaneurysm development; moderate or severe aortic regurgitation was detected in 47.8% of patients. Prognostic indexes: 1. Aneurysm development in each segment yeilded a significant association with: presence of residual flap in the same and other segments; higher initial dimension of the same and other segments, with the exception of the abdominal segment; higher increase in dimension of the same and other segments, with the exception of the abdominal segment; 2. Moderate or severe aortic regurgitation development showed a tendency to association with higher increase in dimension of proximal ascending aorta. 3. No association was found between aneurysm and aortic regurgitation development. CONCLUSIONS: Patients operated for type A aortic dissection had a high incidence of late complications which lead to reoperation and in some cases death. The presence of a residual flap, increased aortic dimensions and higher increase rate of aortic dimensions were associated with a complicated evolution. MRI was a very useful technique for long-term monitoring and to identify prognostic indexes of evolution.

Future caries susceptibility in children with early childhood caries following treatment under general anesthesia.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess the susceptibility of children to the future development of caries following comprehensive treatment for early childhood caries (ECC) under general anesthesia. METHODS: The patients selected for this retrospective study were identified by analyzing dental records of children receiving treatment at the Franciscan Children's Hospital & Rehabilitation Center, Boston, MA (FCH & RC). In total, 4,143 records were reviewed. Of these, ECC was diagnosed in 42 patients before their admission to the operating room. Thirty-one control children were selected randomly from the dental records reviewed at FCH & RC. The control group was initially caries-free. The caries status of the children diagnosed with ECC was evaluated and compared with the control group. Children in both groups were seen for recall at intervals of six to nine months over a two-year period. The carious lesions were recorded in two categories; new smooth surface caries (NSSC) and new pit and fissure caries (NPFC). RESULTS: Thirty-three of 42 (79%) ECC children compared to nine of 31 (29%) control children had detectable carious lesions at subsequent recall visits. Children with ECC demonstrated a mean number of 3.2 +/- 3.3 new carious lesions compared to a mean of only 0.8 +/- 1.6 carious lesions in the control group. These differences were statistically significant (t71 = 3.8; P < 0.001). In addition, of the 42 patients treated for ECC under general anesthesia, seven (17%) required retreatment under general anesthesia within two years following their initial full-mouth rehabilitation. The prevalence of NSSC in the ECC group was significantly higher than the control group (t71 = 3.5; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Despite increased preventive measures implemented for children who experienced ECC, this study concluded that this group of children is still highly predisposed to greater caries incidence in later years. These findings strongly suggest that more aggressive preventive therapies may be required to prevent the future development of carious lesions in children who experienced ECC.

[Magnetic resonance in cardiology. The current clinical outlook]. / A ressonância magnética em cardiologia. Perspectivas clínicas actuais.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a diagnostic technique used clinically in cardiology over the last ten years. It offers great advantages over other methods as it is noninvasive, does not use radiation, is tomographic and multiplanar. MRI is a very flexible technique based on the interaction between atomic nuclei, usually hydrogen, and external magnetic fields. This leads to image formation and to other important functional diagnostic information. MRI has undergone great technical developments and has proven to be most useful in several areas: cardiovascular structure; global and regional cardiac function; cardiovascular flow; coronary anatomy; myocardial perfusion and metabolism. The initial clinical diagnostic goals of MRI were mainly the anatomic characterization of aortic pathology, congenital heart disease, pericardium diseases and cardiac masses. With the development of cine MRI and, more recently, with rapid imaging and flow evaluation techniques, it has been increasingly used in the functional assessment of cardiovascular diseases. The functional study of the above mentioned clinical pathologies is now possible and information can also be obtained in other important areas; cardiac volumes and function; cardiovascular shunts, valvular heart disease; ischemic heart disease (ischemia detection, infarction quantification, coronary anatomy and flow). It also has an important role in myocardial characterization and is promising for myocardial metabolism, evaluated by spectroscopy. The goal of this review is the presentation of the main MRI techniques and the present clinical applications of this imaging method in cardiovascular diagnosis.

[Hereditary fructose intolerance]. / Intolerância hereditária à frutose.

Hereditary fructose intolerance (HFI) is a rare autosomal recessive, metabolic disorder, that results from a deficiency of aldolase B (fructose-biphosphate aldolase) in the liver, kidney and intestine. Recent molecular studies have identified the mutation A149P in most European patients. We describe the first case of HFI with molecular analysis in a Portuguese child, presenting the same mutation of the aldolase B gene. The role of molecular studies in the diagnosis of HFI risk patients and their families is emphasized.

Investigaçäo prospectiva da prevalência familiar da cardiomiopatia hipertrófica / Prospective investigation of prevalence familiary of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

Programa de atuaçäo da Equipe Multiprofissional de Médicos e Assistentes Sociais, visando realizar um trabalho de pesquisa junto a pacientes portadores de cardiomiopatias hipertróficas e seus familiares

[The dehydrogenation of butandiol by "vibrio parahaemolyticus" and other vibrios (author's transl)]. / La butanedioldéshydrogénase chez Vibrio parahaemolyticus et d'autres vibrions

The butandiol dehydrogenase was examined in 64 vibrios isolated in Togo 1970/71. This enzyme was found in all of the not halophilic strains and in the species Vibrio alginolyticus, whereas the species V. parahaemolyticus exhibited as well dehydrating as not dehydrating strains. The butandiol dehydrogenase could be a good marker for epidemiologic analysis in characterizing V. parahaemolyticus strains isolated from different sources, especially if no antisera are available.