Improved mouse models of the small intestine microbiota using region-specific sampling from humans.

Our understanding of region-specific microbial function within the gut is limited due to reliance on stool. Using a recently developed capsule device, we exploit regional sampling from the human intestines to develop models for interrogating small intestine (SI) microbiota composition and function. In vitro culturing of human intestinal contents produced stable, representative communities that robustly colonize the SI of germ-free mice. During mouse colonization, the combination of SI and stool microbes altered gut microbiota composition, functional capacity, and response to diet, resulting in increased diversity and reproducibility of SI colonization relative to stool microbes alone. Using a diverse strain library representative of the human SI microbiota, we constructed defined communities with taxa that largely exhibited the expected regional preferences. Response to a fiber-deficient diet was region-specific and reflected strain-specific fiber-processing and host mucus-degrading capabilities, suggesting that dietary fiber is critical for maintaining SI microbiota homeostasis. These tools should advance mechanistic modeling of the human SI microbiota and its role in disease and dietary responses.

A comprehensive overview on solid waste leachate effects on terrestrial organisms.

Leachate is a highly complex waste with high toxicological potential that poses a significant threat to the terrestrial environment. Determining leachate physicochemical parameters and identifying xenobiotics alone is, however, not enough to determine the real environmental impacts. In this context, the use of terrestrial model organisms has been highlighted as a tool in ecotoxicological leachate assessments and as a guiding principle in risk assessments. In this context, this review aimed to present the most current state of knowledge concerning leachate toxicity and the bioassays employed in this evaluation concerning terrestrial plants and animals. To this end, a literature search on leachate effects on terrestrial organisms was carried out using ten search terms, in 32 different combinations, at the Web of Science and Scopus databases. A total of 74 eligible articles were selected. The retrieved studies analyzed 42 different plant and animal species and employed nine endpoints, namely phytotoxicity, genotoxicity, bioaccumulation, antioxidant system, cytotoxicity, reproduction, physiological changes, behavior and lethality. A frequent association of toxic leachate effects with metals was observed, mainly Pb, Cd, Cr, Mg, Zn and Cr, which can cause antioxidant system alterations and cyto- and genotoxicity. These elements have also been associated to reproductive effects in earthworms and mice. Specifically concerning plants, most of the retrieved studies employed Allium cepa in toxicity assays, reporting phytotoxic effects frequently associated to metals and soil parameter changes. Animal studies, on the other hand, mostly employed mice and evaluated genotoxicity and antioxidant system effects. Even with the description of toxic leachate effects in both plants and animals, a lack of knowledge is still noted concerning reproductive, physiological, cytotoxic, and behavioral effects in terrestrial species. We, thus, suggest that further studies be carried out on other animals, advancing our understanding on potential environmental leachate effects, also allowing for human health risk assessments.

Metagenomic Immunoglobulin Sequencing (MIG-Seq) Exposes Patterns of IgA Antibody Binding in the Healthy Human Gut Microbiome.

IgA, the most highly produced human antibody, is continually secreted into the gut to shape the intestinal microbiota. Methodological limitations have critically hindered defining which microbial strains are targeted by IgA and why. Here, we develop a new technique, Metagenomic Immunoglobulin Sequencing (MIG-Seq), and use it to determine IgA coating levels for thousands of gut microbiome strains in healthy humans. We find that microbes associated with both health and disease have higher levels of coating, and that microbial genes are highly predictive of IgA binding levels, with mucus degradation genes especially correlated with high binding. We find a significant reduction in replication rates among microbes bound by IgA, and demonstrate that IgA binding is more correlated with host immune status than traditional microbial abundance measures. This study introduces a powerful technique for assessing strain-level IgA binding in human stool, paving the way for deeper understanding of IgA-based host microbe interactions.

Molecular detection of Leptospira spp. in small wild rodents from rural areas of São Paulo State, Brazil.

BACKGROUND: Leptospirosis represents a One Health issue, affecting humans and animals. This study investigated pathogenic leptospires in small wild rodents in São Paulo, Brazil. METHODS: Kidney samples from 164 rodents underwent qPCR testing, targeting pathogenic Leptospira spp. RESULTS: Thirty-five animals (21.34%) tested positive, including five rodent species: Akodon montensis (2/21; 9.5%), Necromys lasiurus (1/4; 25%), Oligoryzomys nigripes (24/92; 26.1%), Oligoryzomys flavescens (5/26; 19.2%), and Sooretamys angouya (3/14; 21.4%). Botucatu municipality exhibited the highest prevalence, with 42.5% (20/47) of the animals testing positive. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of Leptospira spp. in wild rodents suggests they may be chronic carriers, contaminating the environment.

One Health Approach to Leptospirosis: Dogs as Environmental Sentinels for Identification and Monitoring of Human Risk Areas in Southern Brazil.

Leptospirosis has been a neglected, widespread and reemerging zoonotic disease of global importance. The One Health holistic approach combining human, animal and environmental health has been important for control and prevention of zoonotic disease. An urban municipality in Southern Brazil with a high prevalence of leptospirosis was selected by convenience, with asymptomatic human and canine individuals serologically tested using MAT against 30 Leptospira spp. serovars. Epidemiological questionnaires were assessed along with the historical national database, with associated risk factors to dog and human seropositivity analyzed using multiple logistic regression. The spatial distribution of retrospective human leptospirosis cases was analyzed using a Kernel map and overlapped dog seropositivity and historical flooding areas, demonstrating that domestic and asymptomatic dogs may be important environmental sentinels for leptospirosis in such urban areas, even in the absence of human seropositivity and low canine seropositivity. Associated risk factors for leptospirosis in dogs and humans according to multiple regression included healthy dogs (p = 0.02, odds ratio-OR = 0.17, confidence interval of 95%CI 0.03-0.71) with indoor access (p = 0.059, OR = 5.12, 95%CI 1.10-37.7) and human males (p = 0.042, OR = 2.44, 95%CI 1.08-6.11) with presenting calf pain (p = 0.005, OR = 3.14, 95%CI 1.46-7. 14), jaundice (p < 0.001, OR = 4.61, 95%CI 2.11-10.10) and renal failure (p = 0.008, OR = 4.49, 95%CI 1.49-13.76). The greater the rain precipitation (above 3 mm of average annual precipitation), the higher the number of leptospirosis cases in humans. In conclusion, dog active serosurvey and rain precipitation should be systematically reported and plotted altogether as a basis for the early detection and monitoring of human risk areas. Such findings may serve as a basis for public health policies in Brazil and other endemic countries worldwide.

Salmonella detection with LAMP and qPCR and identification of serovars of interest by multiplex qPCR in poultry carcasses.

Salmonella is present in the poultry production chain and is a major challenge in terms of food safety and animal health. The early Salmonella detection is one of the main tools to control and prevent the transmission of this pathogen. Microbiological isolation and serotyping to identify and differentiate Salmonella serovars are laborious processes, time-consuming, and expensive. Therefore, molecular diagnostic methods can be rapid and efficient alternatives to the detection of this pathogen. Thus, the aim herein was to standardize and evaluate the use of loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) in comparison with real-time PCR (qPCR) for detection of Salmonella associated with a multiplex qPCR for simultaneous identification and differentiation of S. Enteritidis, S. Typhimurium, S. Pullorum, and S. Gallinarum. The LAMP, qPCR, and multiplex qPCR assays were comparable in specificity. The three techniques were evaluated for specificity for 16 different serovars of Salmonella and for 37 strains of the serovars of interest. The limit of detection and the efficiency of the LAMP, qPCR, and multiplex qPCR reactions were determined. The techniques were applied to 33 samples of chicken carcasses and compared to the results of conventional microbiology for validation. As results, LAMP was specific in the detection of different Salmonella serovars but presented lower limit of detection ranging from 101 to 104 CFU/reaction. In comparison, qPCR could detect less cells (100 to 102 CFU/reaction), reaching equal specificity and better repeatability in the assays. The qPCR multiplexing for identification of the different serovars also showed good specificity, with the detection threshold between entre 101 and 102 CFU/reaction. The results obtained in the analyses on poultry carcasses suggested a correspondence between the results obtained in molecular methods and in conventional microbiology. Thus, the proposed assays are promising for the diagnosis of Salmonella in poultry carcasses, already proved to be faster and more efficient than conventional diagnostics techniques, being of great interest for poultry production, animal, and public health.

Beclin 1 regulates astrocyte phagocytosis and phagosomal recruitment of retromer.

Phagocytosis plays an important role in maintaining brain homeostasis and when impaired can result in the accumulation of unwanted cellular material. While microglia are traditionally considered the phagocytes of the brain, astrocytes are also capable of phagocytosis and are the most numerous cells in the brain. In Alzheimer's disease (AD), astrocytes can be found surrounding ß-amyloid (Aß) plaques yet they seem unable to eliminate these deposits, suggesting phagocytosis may be impaired in AD. Mechanisms that might diminish astrocyte phagocytosis in AD are currently unclear. Here, we demonstrate that the autophagy protein beclin 1, which is reduced in AD, plays a role in regulating astrocyte phagocytosis. Specifically, we show that reducing beclin 1 in C6 astrocytes impairs the phagocytosis of latex beads, reduces retromer levels, and impairs retromer recruitment to the phagosomal membrane. Furthermore, we show that these beclin 1-mediated changes are accompanied by reduced expression of the phagocytic receptor Scavenger Receptor Class B type I (SR-BI). Collectively, these findings suggest a critical role for the protein beclin 1 in both receptor trafficking and receptor-mediated phagocytosis in astrocytes. Moreover, these findings provide insight into mechanisms by which astrocytes may become impaired in AD.

One Health Approach on Dog Bites: Demographic and Associated Socioeconomic Factors in Southern Brazil.

Despite being an important public health issue, particularly due to rabies, dog bites and associated risk factors have rarely been assessed by health services from a One Health perspective. Accordingly, the present study aimed to assess dog biting and associated demographic and socioeconomic risk factors in Curitiba, the eighth-largest Brazilian city with approximately 1.87 million people, based on the post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) rabies reports between January/2010 and December/2015. The total of 45,392 PEP reports corresponded to an average annual incidence of 4.17/1000 habitants, mainly affecting white (79.9%, 4.38/1000 population), males (53.1%, 4.81/1000 population), and children aged 0-9 years (20.1%, 6.9/1000 population), with severe accidents associated with older victims (p < 0.001) and mainly caused by dogs known to the victims. An increase of USD 100.00 in the median neighborhood income was associated with a 4.9% (95% CI: 3.8-6.1; p < 0.001) reduction in dog bites. In summary, dog biting occurrence was associated with victims' low income, gender, race/color, and age; severe accidents were associated with elderly victims. As dog bites have been described as multifactorial events involving human, animal, and environmental factors, the characteristics presented herein should be used as a basis to define mitigation, control, and prevention strategies from a One Health perspective.

Spatial Owner-Dog Seroprevalence of Leptospira spp. Antibodies in Oceanic Islands and Costal Mainland of Southern Brazil.

Leptospirosis has been described as a disease neglected worldwide. Affecting humans and animals, the disease is often related to poor environmental conditions such as lack of sanitation and presence of synanthropic rodents. Despite being considered as a One Health issue, no study has focused on comparing owner-dog seroprevalence between islands and seashore mainland. Accordingly, the present study assessed anti-Leptospira spp. antibodies by applying microscopic agglutination test (MAT) methods to Leptospira and assessing associated risk factors via univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis of owners and their dogs in islands and seashore mainland of southern Brazil. No anti-Leptospira spp. Seropositivity was found in 330 owner serum samples, while dogs presented an overall seroprevalence of 5.9%. All seropositive dogs reacted to serogroups of Leptospira interrogans, including 66.7% of Pyrogenes, 44.4% Canicola, 22.2% Icterohaemorrhagiae, 16.7% Australis; six reacted to more than one serogroup. No association was found among seropositivity and epidemiological variables, except that neighborhood dogs were less likely to be seropositive. Although no seropositivity was observed in owners, seropositivity in dogs had the potential to indicate such species as being sentinels for environmental exposure and potential human risk of infection.

Molecular detection of Leptospira spp. in small wild rodents from rural areas of São Paulo State, Brazil

ABSTRACT Background: Leptospirosis represents a One Health issue, affecting humans and animals. This study investigated pathogenic leptospires in small wild rodents in São Paulo, Brazil. Methods: Kidney samples from 164 rodents underwent qPCR testing, targeting pathogenic Leptospira spp. Results: Thirty-five animals (21.34%) tested positive, including five rodent species: Akodon montensis (2/21; 9.5%), Necromys lasiurus (1/4; 25%), Oligoryzomys nigripes (24/92; 26.1%), Oligoryzomys flavescens (5/26; 19.2%), and Sooretamys angouya (3/14; 21.4%). Botucatu municipality exhibited the highest prevalence, with 42.5% (20/47) of the animals testing positive. Conclusions: The presence of Leptospira spp. in wild rodents suggests they may be chronic carriers, contaminating the environment.

Construção e validação de um questionário de frequência alimentar para adultos brasileiros de acordo com a classificação Nova / Development and validation of a food frequency questionnaire for Brazilian adults according to the Nova system classification

Introdução: A ciência tem mostrado cada vez mais os efeitos deletérios da alimentação inadequada sobre a saúde humana e planetária. Nesse cenário, o estudo da alimentação, considerando o processamento, ganha destaque, e surge a classificação Nova, que categoriza alimentos segundo grau, extensão e propósito de processamento. Essa classificação tem sido utilizada em diversos estudos epidemiológicos. Entretanto, tais estudos têm uma limitação em comum: o uso de instrumentos de avaliação do consumo alimentar inespecíficos para o processamento de alimentos, o que pode levar a vieses na mensuração do consumo alimentar e seus efeitos na saúde global. Objetivo: Desenvolver e validar um questionário de frequência alimentar (QFA-Nova) que avalia o consumo habitual de alimentos segundo a classificação Nova para adultos brasileiros. Métodos: O QFA-Nova é um questionário autoaplicável e quantitativo. A lista de alimentos incluiu os alimentos mais consumidos (em diferentes graus de processamento) pela população brasileira adulta, de acordo com dados de dois recordatórios de 24 horas da Pesquisa de Orçamentos Familiares 2017-2018 (POF 17-18). Um pré-teste foi realizado com amostra de 20 adultos para avaliar a compreensão do instrumento. Para a validação, foram utilizados os dados do estudo NutriNet Brasil, que investiga a relação entre padrões alimentares e morbimortalidade por doenças crônicas não-transmissíveis em adultos brasileiros. Foram convidados, através da plataforma do estudo, 1.200 participantes. Os participantes responderam a dois recordatórios de 24 horas desenvolvidos e validados, previamente, para avaliar o processamento de alimentos (R24h-Nova) no ano anterior e responderam o QFA-Nova duas vezes com intervalo de quatro a seis semanas. Foram comparadas as estimativas de consumo dos seguintes grupos da classificação Nova: alimentos in natura ou minimamente processados (G1), ingredientes culinários processados (G2), alimentos processados (G3) e alimentos ultraprocessados (G4). Para reprodutibilidade, foram comparadas as estimativas das duas aplicações do QFA-Nova. Para validade de critério, foram comparadas as estimativas da primeira aplicação do QFA-Nova e da média de dois R24h-Nova. Foi estimado o coeficiente de correlação intraclasse para as duas análises. Para validação de critério, foi estimado também a concordância da classificação em quintis de consumo dos grupos da classificação Nova por meio do coeficiente kappa. Resultados: Foram incluídos 243 participantes na análise de reprodutibilidade e 377 participantes na análise de validação de critério. A análise de reprodutibilidade mostrou excelente capacidade de reprodução de resultados semelhantes ao longo do tempo com coeficiente de correlação intraclasse de 0,91 para todos os grupos. Na validação de critério, houve concordância moderada entre os instrumentos com coeficiente de correlação intraclasse que variou entre 0,61 para alimentos processados e ultraprocessados e 0,65 para alimentos in natura e minimamente processados. A classificação em quintis apresentou concordância substancial através do coeficiente kappa ajustado para prevalência e viés (PABAKs= 0,74; 0,72; 0,70 e 0,73, respetivamente, para G1, G2, G3 e G4 da Nova). Conclusões: O QFA-Nova é um instrumento válido para avaliar o consumo alimentar segundo o processamento de alimentos. O instrumento apresentou também boa capacidade de discriminar indivíduos segundo magnitude de consumo de todos os grupos da classificação Nova. Espera-se que o QFA-Nova seja utilizado em estudos epidemiológicos que investiguem o impacto do processamento de alimentos na saúde pública.

Introduction: Science has increasingly shown the deleterious effects of inadequate nutrition on human and planetary health. In this scenario, the study of nutrition considering food processing has gained prominence, leading to the development of the Nova classification, which categorizes foods based on the degree, extent, and purpose of processing. This classification has been widely used in epidemiological studies. However, these studies share a common limitation: the use of non-specific dietary assessment tools for food processing, which may lead to biases in measuring dietary intake and its effects on global health. Objective: To develop and validate a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ-Nova) that assesses the habitual food intake according to the Nova classification in Brazilian adults. Methods: The FFQ-Nova is a self-administered, quantitative questionnaire. The food list included the most consumed foods (at different degrees of processing) by the Brazilian adult population, based on data from two 24-hour dietary recalls from the Household Budget Survey 2017-2018 (POF 17-18). We conducted a pre-test with a sample of 20 adults to assess the understanding of the instrument. We used data from the NutriNet Brazil study, which investigates the relationship between dietary patterns and morbidity/mortality from non-communicable chronic diseases in Brazilian adults for validation. 1,200 participants were invited through the study platform. Participants completed two 24-hour recalls previously developed and validated to assess food processing (R24h-Nova) in the previous year and completed the FFQ-Nova twice, four to six weeks apart. We compared the consumption estimates of the following groups of the Nova classification: unprocessed or minimally processed foods (G1), processed culinary ingredients (G2), processed foods (G3), and ultra-processed foods (G4). For reproducibility, we compared the estimates from the two applications of the FFQ-Nova. For criterion validity, we compared the estimates from the first administration of the FFQ-Nova with the mean of two R24h-Nova. We estimated the intraclass correlation coefficients for both analyses. For criterion validation, we also estimated the agreement of the classification into quintiles of consumption of the Nova groups using the kappa coefficient. Results: We included 243 participants in the reproducibility analysis and 377 participants in the criterion validity analysis. The reproducibility analysis demonstrated excellent reproducibility over time, with an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.91 for all Nova groups. In the criterion validity analysis, there was moderate agreement between the instruments, with intraclass correlation coefficients ranging from 0.61 for processed and ultra-processed foods to 0.65 for unprocessed and minimally processed foods. The classification into quintiles showed substantial agreement, as indicated by the prevalence- and bias-adjusted kappa coefficients (PABAKs= 0.74; 0.72; 0.70 and 0.73 respectively for Nova's G1, G2, G3 and G4). Conclusion: The FFQ-Nova is a valid instrument for assessing dietary intake according to food processing. The instrument also showed good ability to discriminate individuals according to the magnitude of consumption in all Nova groups. We expected that the FFQ-Nova will be used in epidemiological studies to investigate the effects of food processing on public health.

Adequacy of the content on infant feeding on popular websites regarding the recommendations of the Dietary Guidelines for Brazilian children under 2 years of age / Adequação do conteúdo sobre alimentação de lactentes em websites populares quanto às recomendações do Guia alimentar para crianças brasileiras menores de 2 anos

Abstract Objectives: to verify the adequacy of recommendations on food and nutrition for infants available on popular websites in relation to the "Twelve Steps for a Healthy Diet" from the Dietary guidelines for Brazilian children under 2 years of age. Methods: popular websites were searched via the Google platform to collect data about food recommendations for children under 2 years of age. The data was categorized according to criteria developed with the Guide: totally agree, partially agree, disagree, contradictory and absent. The websites were described according to the frequency of each step and the distribution in the categories. Results: 82 websites were included. Most frequent steps: 1 (84.1%), 2 (82.9%) and 4 (63.4%); least present: 8 (23.2%), 10 (19.5%), 11 (3.7%) and 12 (1.2%). The highest percentages of adequacy in relation to the Guide were steps 1 and 4 with 46.4% and 53.8%, respectively. Steps 3 (37.9%) and 7 (75.0%) had the highest percentages of disagreement or contradiction. Conclusions: there is proper information on the internet, however, these are mixed with missing, in disagreement, partially in agreement or contradictory information, which reinforces the importance of disseminating the recommendations of the Guide

Resumo Objetivos: analisar a adequação das recomendações sobre alimentação e nutrição de lactentes disponíveis em websites populares em relação aos "Doze passos para uma alimentação saudável" descritos no Guia alimentar para crianças brasileiras menores de dois anos. Métodos: websites populares foram buscados via plataforma Google para coleta de dados relativos às recomendações sobre alimentação de lactentes. As informações foram categorizadas segundo critérios desenvolvidos em relação à consonância com o Guia em: totalmente de acordo, parcialmente de acordo, em desacordo, contraditórias e ausentes. Os websites foram descritos e apresentados segundo frequência de cada passo e a distribuição segundo as categorias. Resultados: foram incluídos 82 websites. Passos mais presentes: 1 (84,1%), 2 (82,9%) e 4 (63,4%); passos menos presentes: 8 (23,2%), 10 (19,5%), 11 (3,7%) e 12 (1,2%). Os maiores percentuais de adequação em relação ao Guia foram os passos 1 e 4 com 46,4% e 53,8%, respectivamente. Os passos 3 (37,9%) e 7 (75,0%) apresentaram os maiores percentuais de desacordo ou contradição. Conclusões: identificou-se a presença de informações adequadas na internet, entretanto, estas se misturam com informações ausentes, em desacordo, parcialmente de acordo ou contraditórias, reforçando a importância da disseminação das recomendações do Guia.

One health approach on serosurvey of anti-Leptospira spp. in homeless persons and their dogs in South Brazil.

Although leptospirosis has been described as a worldwide bacterial zoonosis primarily affecting vulnerable populations, to date no study has focused on concomitant serosurvey of homeless persons and their dogs. The aim of the present study was, to use a One Health approach to serologically assess homeless persons and their dogs in 3 major cities of south Brazil (São Paulo, Curitiba, and Foz do Iguaçu). Environmental information was obtained with an epidemiological questionnaire given to all participants. A total of 200 human and 75 dog samples were tested for anti-Leptospira spp. antibodies to thirty different serovars using the microscopic agglutination test. None of the homeless persons were positive while 5 of the 75 (6.7%) dogs were positive. Among homeless population, 89% (177 of 200) were male, 61% (122 of 200) self-declared Non-white, and 67% (134 of 200) were educated up to the 8th school grade. Lower exposure of homeless persons to Leptospira spp. in the present study when compared to other vulnerable populations (slum and low-income residents) may be result of less direct exposure as they are able to rapidly change locations in response to flooding events. In addition, these results may reflect the effectiveness of a specific healthcare service provided to people living in the streets in the 3 cities. While dogs may be used as environmental sentinels for leptospirosis, the low seropositivity results found in this report may indicate low transmission risk to homeless owners in direct daily contact with their dogs.

Seropositivity of Anti-Toxoplasma gondii Antibodies in Owners and Their Dogs Living on Island and Mainland Seashore Areas of Southern Brazil.

Although toxoplasmosis has been considered among the most neglected zoonoses worldwide, no study has focused on the frequency and associated risk factors of owners and their dogs living on an island and mainland seashore areas. Accordingly, anti-Toxoplasma gondii IgG antibodies were screened by indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) in owners and dogs from three oceanic islands and two nearby mainland harbor areas, with associated risk factors for toxoplasmosis assessed by univariable and multivariable logistic regression models. Overall, anti-T. gondii seropositivity was observed in 59/328 (18.0%) owners and 66/283 (23.3%) dogs, with no statistical difference between owners (p = 0.360) and dogs (p = 0.655) from islands and mainland areas. Consumption of local water springs (p = 0.016; OR = 2.11) was an associated risk factor for T. gondii seropositivity, and owners with the habit of spring water intake were twice more likely seropositive (p = 0.014; OR = 2.14). Presence of anti-T. gondii antibodies in dogs was associated with seropositive owners (p = 0.008; OR = 2.81), household consumption of beef meat (p = 0.042; OR = 1.7) and chicken (p = 0.026; OR = 2.9). Despite being lower than the worldwide prevalence, toxoplasmosis seropositivity in owners and their dogs in southern Brazil was influenced by the positive owner, water source, and meat consumption, and not by inhabiting islands or seashore mainland areas, presence of dogs, cats, or both. In addition, drinking water quality should always be considered a critical risk factor for toxoplasmosis on islands.

Serological survey of anti-Leptospira spp. antibodies in individuals with animal hoarding disorder and their dogs in a major city of Southern Brazil.

BACKGROUND: Individuals with hoarding disorder (HD) presented a persistent difficulty in detaching from objects and/or animals. Unhealthy conditions, frequently found in cases of animal HD (AHD), may favour environmental contamination and the spread of zoonotic pathogens. Despite that, only one study of zoonotic diseases in individuals with AHD and their companion animals has been conducted to date. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to assess the seroprevalence of anti-Leptospira spp. antibodies in individuals with AHD and their dogs in a major city of Southern Brazil. METHODS: Blood samples were obtained from 264 dogs (21 households) and 19 individuals with AHD (11 households) and tested by microscopic agglutination test. RESULTS: All human samples were seronegative. Seropositivity was found in 16/264 (6.1%; CI 95% 3.3-9.6%) dogs from 11/21 (52.38%) households, with titres ranging from 100 up to 400, and Copenhageni (10/16; 62.5%) was the most frequent serovar. Surprisingly, seropositivity of hoarded dogs found herein was among the lowest reportedly observed in other dog populations of Brazil. Two epidemiological variables were significantly associated with seropositivity in dogs: the presence of cat hoarding (p = 0.004) and the report of flood occurrence in the household (p = 0.031). CONCLUSIONS: No individuals with AHD were seropositive, and besides the lower seroprevalence of dogs, they probably had contact with Leptospira spp. at some point in their life. Since dogs can be considered potential sentinels in leptospirosis, public health programs must become aware of the risk of leptospirosis cases in households of individuals with AHD and nearby communities.

O trabalho em equipe na implementação de um grupo na Estratégia Saúde da Família / Teamwork in the implementation of a group in the Family Health Strategy / El trabajo en Equipo en la Implementación de un grupo en la Estrategia Salud Familiar

Objetivo: Compreender como a implementação de um grupo terapêutico influencia no processo de trabalho em equipe na Estratégia Saúde da Família (ESF). Métodos: Trata-se de um estudo de caso único, de natureza qualitativa e exploratória, realizado entre novembro de 2018 e fevereiro de 2019 em uma Unidade de Saúde da Família pertencente ao Distrito Sanitário VII da cidade do Recife, Pernambuco, Brasil. Participaram oito profissionais da equipe de saúde da família e do núcleo ampliado de saúde da família e atenção básica, que se envolveram na construção de um grupo terapêutico. A coleta de dados aconteceu a partir de um grupo focal e utilizou-se a técnica de análise de conteúdo com referencial teórico da educação em saúde, do apoio matricial e da interprofissionalidade para a análise dos dados. Resultados: Com a construção das três categorias temáticas ­ a experiência do grupo como dispositivo de promoção da saúde; a formação em saúde e o trabalho com grupos; o grupo e a influência do apoio matricial no trabalho em equipe, para os entrevistados ­, o grupo terapêutico incentivou o autocuidado, à medida que compartilhou formas alternativas de cuidado, ampliou o campo de atuação profissional e o potencial de intervenção da equipe na realidade de saúde dos usuários. Conclusão: A construção de um grupo terapêutico apresenta, aos profissionais, uma estratégia de educação em saúde potente para criar espaços de aprendizado, compartilhamento e acolhimento dentro do serviço de atenção primária. À medida que potencializa o autocuidado e estimula a autonomia dos usuários, esse processo de construção promove saúde por influenciar na forma como está organizado o trabalho em equipe.

Objective: To understand how the implementation of a therapeutic group influences the teamwork process in the Family Health Strategy (Estratégia Saúde da Família ­ ESF). Methods: This is a single case study of a qualitative and exploratory nature carried out between November 2018 and February 2019 in a Family Health Center belonging to the VII Health District of the city of Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil. Eight professionals from the family health team and the extended family health and primary care center participated. These were involved in the construction of a therapeutic group. Data were collected from a focus group and content analysis was used based on a theoretical framework of health education, matrix support and interprofessionality for data analysis. Results: With the construction of three thematic categories ­ the group experience as a health promotion tool; health training and group work; the group and the influence of matrix support on teamwork ­ the interviewees said the therapeutic group encouraged self-care as it shared alternative forms of care, expanded the field of professional action and the team's potential for intervention in the reality of users' health. Conclusion: The construction of a therapeutic group presents professionals with a powerful health education strategy to create spaces for learning, sharing and user embracement within the primary care service. While enhancing self-care and encouraging users' autonomy, this construction process promotes health by influencing the way teamwork is organized.

Objetivo: Comprender cómo la implementación de un grupo terapéutico influencia en el proceso de trabajo en equipo en la Estrategia Salud Familiar (ESF). Métodos: Se trata de un estudio de caso único, de naturaleza cualitativa y exploratoria, realizado entre noviembre de 2018 y febrero de 2019 en una Unidad de Salud Familiar perteneciente al Distrito Sanitario VII de la ciudad de Recife, Pernambuco, Brasil. Participaron ocho profesionales del equipo de salud familiar y del núcleo ampliado de salud familiar y atención primaria, que se comprometieron en la construcción de un grupo terapéutico. La recogida de datos ocurrió a partir de un grupo focal y utilizó la técnica de análisis de contenido con referencial teórico de la educación en salud, del apoyo matricial y de la interprofesionalidad para el análisis de datos. Resultados: Con la construcción de las tres categorías temáticas ­ la experiencia del grupo como dispositivo de promoción de la salud; la formación en salud y el trabajo con grupos; el grupo y la influencia del apoyo matricial en el trabajo en equipo, para los entrevistados ­, el grupo terapéutico incentivó el autocuidado, a la en que compartió formas alternativas de cuidado, amplió el campo de actuación profesional y el potencial de intervención del equipo en la realidad de salud de los usuarios. Conclusión: La construcción de un grupo terapéutico presenta, a los profesionales, una estrategia de educación en salud potente para crear espacios de aprendizaje, intercambio y acogida dentro del servicio de atención primaria. Al paso que potencializa el autocuidado y estimula la autonomía de los usuarios, este proceso de construcción promueve salud por influenciar en la forma como está organizado el trabajo en equipo.

Antioxidant system alterations and biological health status of earthworms following long-term exposure to antibiotic-contaminated poultry litter.

Poultry litter is widely applied as a fertilizer even though it is one of the main antibiotic sources to agricultural soils. Long-term sublethal effects (56 days) on the antioxidant system of Eisenia andrei earthworms following exposure to fluoroquinolone-contaminated poultry litter (enrofloxacin + ciprofloxacin) at 5.0, 10, and 20 g kg-1 were evaluated. The following biomarkers were assessed: superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione-S-transferase (GST), reduced glutathione (GSH), and a lipid peroxidation (LPO) proxy. Significant CAT and SOD increases, and a moderate positive correlation (ρ = 0.67, p < 0.05) between these enzymes was observed. Glutathione-S-transferase levels increased significantly at 10 g kg-1, while GSH exhibited a dose-dependent response at 5.0 mg kg-1 (4-106%), 10 mg kg-1 (28-330 %), and 20 mg kg-1 (45-472%). LPO levels exhibited a decreasing trend with increasing poultry litter concentrations of 8-170% (5.0 g kg-1), 7-104% (10 mg kg-1), and 3-6% (20 mg kg-1). A principal component analysis (PCA) highlighted increased SOD and CAT activities, possibly due to increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) concentrations. Biological health status assessments based on the biomarker response index indicate major alterations in the first month of exposure and becoming moderate in the second month. These findings indicate an antioxidant system attenuation trend. It is possible, however, that successive poultry litter applications may reduce the long-term recovery capacity of the evaluated biomarkers.

A fast and cheap in-house magnetic bead RNA extraction method for COVID-19 diagnosis.

COVID-19 has posed a worldwide public health challenge affecting millions of people in different countries. Rapid and efficient detection of SARS-CoV-2 is essential for pandemic control. Reverse Transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) of nasopharyngeal swabs is the gold standard method for the virus detection, but the high demand for tests has substantially increased the costs and reduced the availability of reagents, including genetic material purification kits. Thus, the present study aimed to compare two bead-based RNA extraction methods (an in-house and a commercial kit) from nasopharyngeal swabs and RT-qPCR detection of SARS-CoV-2. Twenty-five positive and five negative nasopharyngeal swab samples were subjected to extraction of nucleic acids using both methods in an automated platform. Both protocols revealed a high correlation between Cycle Quantifications (Cqs) (r = 0.99, p < 0.0001). In addition, the in-house kit was 89.5 % cheaper when compared to the mean cost of commercial RNA extraction kits. The results show that the in-house protocol is an affordable and reliable option for RNA extraction for SARS-CoV-2 detection from nasopharyngeal swabs.

Pharmacological and Therapeutic Potential of Myristicin: A Literature Review.

Natural products have been used by humanity for many centuries to treat various illnesses and with the advancement of technology, it became possible to isolate the substances responsible for the beneficial effects of these products, as well as to understand their mechanisms. In this context, myristicin, a substance of natural origin, has shown several promising activities in a large number of in vitro and in vivo studies carried out. This molecule is found in plants such as nutmeg, parsley, carrots, peppers, and several species endemic to the Asian continent. The purpose of this review article is to discuss data published in the last 10 years at Pubmed, Lilacs and Scielo databases, reporting beneficial effects, toxicity and promising data of myristicin for its future use in medicine. From 94 articles found in the literature, 68 were included. Exclusion criteria took into account articles whose tested extracts did not have myristicin as one of the major compounds.

First Report of Bacterial Canker Caused by Pseudomonas syringae pv. morsprunorum Race 1 on Cherry in Chile.

Chile is the main exporter of sweet cherries (Prunus avium), with a total of 228.6 thousand tons exported in the 2019-20 season, and a production from the Coquimbo to the Aysén region (http://www.iqonsulting.com/yb/). In January 2019, cherry trees from a commercial orchard located near Osorno city (40°37'S, 72°54'W), Region de Los Lagos, Chile, showed symptoms such as the presence of wood cankers, necrotic spots in leaves, and premature defoliation, with a mean disease incidence near 40%. Symptomatic leaves with necrotic spots were collected for analysis, from which all the necrotic spots were extracted by incision with a sterile scalpel, macerated in 30 mL of AFT buffer and subsequently, 100 µL of the suspension was plated on King's B (KB) agar and incubated for 48 to 72 h at 27°C, obtaining a total of two bacterial colonies identified as 7684.1 and 7684.2. Afterward, each colony was stroked in a new KB agar plate, incubated for 16 h at 27°C, and the obtained biomass was used in subsequent experiments. In KB agar, both colonies exhibited fluorescence under UV light and, according to the LOPAT method (Lelliott et al., 1966), they were gram negative, positive to levan and tobacco hypersensitivity tests and negative to oxidase, potato soft rot, arginine dihydrolase and gelatin tests, and were confirmed as Pseudomonas syringae. Then, the 16s and gyrB genes of each isolate were amplified by PCR, sequenced, and compared with the NCBI Genbank database (Weisburg et al., 1991; Sarkar and Guttman, 2004), finding a 99,93% genetic similarity (1064/1065) with a previously reported 16s sequence of a Pseudomonas syringae pv. morsprunorum (Psm) isolate (accession number CP026558.1), and a 99,69% (636/638) with a previously reported gyrB gene of Psm (accession number LC364094.1), respectively. Additionally, the closest pathovar different to morsprunorum aligned with our gyrB sequence was P. syringae pv. aesculin, with 97,8% of identity (624/638). Our sequences were deposited in Genbank with the accession numbers MN528473 (16s), MN535696 (gyrB) for 7684.1, and MN528474 (16s), MN535697 (gyrB) for 7684.2. To identify if the isolates correspond to Psm races 1 (Psm1) or 2 (Psm2), race-specific conventional PCRs and qPCRs assays were carried out using the specific primers described by Kaluzna et al., (2016), showing that the two isolates were positive to Psm1 in both PCR assays. Pathogenicity was tested by inoculating immature cherry fruitlets (cv. Sweetheart) with bacterial suspension at 108 CFU/mL. For each strain, ten fruitlets were inoculated by pricking with a sterile needle previously immersed in the bacterial suspension (Ruinelli et al., 2019). Sterile distilled water was used as negative control. Seven to fourteen days post-inoculation, necrotic and water-soaked brown lesions with yellow margins were observed on the fruits inoculated with bacterial strains. The pathogen was reisolated and confirmed as Pseudomonas syringae pv. morsprunorum by 16s and gyrB sequencing, and as race 1 by race-specific PCRs. Our results were confirmed by the National Plant Protection Organization, (Servicio Agrícola y Ganadero de Chile, SAG), generating the first report of Psm race 1 in Chile. Thus, SAG established new protocols for quarantine of absent pests in the national territory (Resol. N°3080, SAG, Chile), and an immediate phytosanitary program for Psm (Resol. Exenta N°8948/2019, SAG, Chile). In conclusion, our discovery contributes to the monitoring and control of the disease in Chile.