First report of Rhytidodes gelatinosus (Rudolphi, 1819) Looss, 1901 (Digenea: Rhytidodidae) in an olive-ridley Turtle Lepidochelys olivacea (Eschscholtz, 1829) from Brazil.

This article reports the first occurrence of Rhytidodes gelatinosus (Rudolphi, 1819) Looss, 1901 (Digenea: Rhytidodidae) in the olive-ridley turtle Lepidochelys olivacea (Testudines: Chelonidae), in an individual found in the State of Sergipe, Brazil. Although R. gelatinosus has already been described in other species of sea turtles in the world, this is the first report of this parasite in L. olivacea. We also present a list of hosts and locations where this helminth has already been identified.

Helminth Fauna of Juvenile Green Sea Turtles (Chelonia mydas) from Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil.

The helminth fauna of juvenile green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas Linnaeus, 1758) is still poorly known. Herein, we study the gastrointestinal helminths of 28 juvenile green sea turtles found stranded on the north coast of Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil. All turtles were infected showing a rich helminth fauna. In total, 14802 trematodes belonging to 30 species and 5 families including Micros-caphidiidae, Plagiorchiidae, Pronocephalidae, Hapalotrematidae, and Telorchiidae were recovered. An unidentified nematode specimens was also found. The mean intensity was 536 (95% CI = 362 - 853) (range: 1 - 2831), and the species richness was 7.86 (95% CI = 6.46 - 9.21) (range: 1 - 17). The coast of Rio de Janeiro state represents new locality records for Angiodictyum posterovitellatum, Microscaphidium aberrans, M. warui, Octangium hyphalum, O. sagitta, Enodiotrema reductum and Pleurogonius laterouterus. This study confirms that the green sea turtle harbors the richest helminth fauna among sea turtle species and provides useful information on the gastrointestinal helminths of a poorly known stage in the life cycle of this endangered chelonian.

Frequency of leisure-time physical activity and pulse pressure in the Brazilian population: a population-based study.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between the frequency of leisure-time physical activity and brachial pulse pressure (PP), according to physical activity intensity and type, sex, and age, in the general Brazilian population. STUDY DESIGN: This was a cross-sectional study based on data from the Brazilian 2013 National Health Survey. METHODS: The sample consisted of 20,058 men and 20,600 women aged between 18 and 65 years. The frequency of leisure-time physical activity was obtained through a questionnaire and classified according to intensity (vigorous or moderate) and type (cyclic or acyclic). We calculated PP as the difference between systolic and diastolic blood pressures based on the measure of a digital pressure device. Multiple linear regression analysis was applied to analyze the association of different sexes, frequency, type, and intensity of leisure-time physical activity and PP. RESULTS: Adjusted results showed that one session of moderate physical activity per week could benefit men's PP: ß = -1.87 mmHg; SE = 0.83. For women, the adjusted model reveals that physical activity undertaken twice a week is sufficient to benefit PP: ß = -1.77 mmHg; SE = 0.72. However, according to type, two times a week of acyclic activities increased PP in men: ß = 2.62 mmHg; SE = 0.62 and decreased in women: ß = -2.67 mmHg; SE = 0.72. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that low frequencies of leisure-time physical activity are sufficient to induce beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system for both sexes. Also, there are some differences between sexes in cardiac adaptations according to type, frequency, and intensity of physical activity.

Some Digenetic Trematodes Found in a Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta Caretta) from Brazil.

This paper reports three recovered species of digeneans from an adult loggerhead sea turtle - Caretta caretta (Testudines, Cheloniidae) in Brazil. These trematodes include Diaschistorchis pandus (Pronocephalidae), Cymatocarpus solearis (Brachycoeliidae) and Rhytidodes gelatinosus (Rhytidodidae) The first two represent new geographic records. A list of helminths reported from the Neotropical region, Gulf of Mexico and USA (Florida) is presented.

The efficacy of predatory fungi on the control of gastrointestinal parasites in domestic and wild animals-A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Gastrointestinal parasites like nematodes are associated with significant impacts on animal health, causing poor growth rates, diseases and even death. Traditional parasite control includes the use of anthelmintic drugs, albeit being associated with drug resistance and ecotoxicity. In the last decade, biological control of parasites using nematophagous or predatory fungi has been increasingly studied, although systematic evidence of its efficacy is still lacking. The aim of this work was to assess the evidence of efficacy of nematophagous fungi in the control of nematodes and other gastrointestinal parasites in different animal species. METHODS: Using the PICO method (Population, Intervention, Comparison and Outcomes), we performed a systematic review on the subject to search for original papers published between January 2006 and October 2019, written in English, and indexed in PubMed/Medline. Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms were used in the syntax. Papers were selected for detailed review based on title and abstract. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied, and relevant data were collected from the remaining papers. RESULTS: The literature search retrieved 616 papers. Eighty-nine were submitted to a detailed review. In the end, 53 papers were included in the analysis. The studies were very heterogeneous, using different fungi, doses, frequency of administration, duration of treatment, host animals, and target parasites. Considering the 53 papers, 44 studies (83 % of the interventions) showed efficacy, with only 9 studies (17 %) showing no significant differences when compared to control. CONCLUSION: With the increasing hazards of drug resistance and ecotoxicity, biological control with predatory fungi stands out as a good tool for future parasite management, whether as a complementary treatment or as an alternative to standard parasite control.

Unbalanced inflammatory reaction could increase tissue destruction and worsen skin infectious diseases - a comparative study of leishmaniasis and sporotrichosis.

The clinical presentations of skin diseases produced by different pathogens, as American tegumentary leishmaniasis (ATL) and sporotrichosis can be similar and possibly influenced by the skin immune system (SIS). The aim of the study was to understand the underlying mechanisms of skin inflammation produced by different pathogens. We used immunohistochemistry to analyze 96 patients: a- localized cutaneous leishmaniasis (LCL-ATL); b- sporotrichoid cutaneous leishmaniasis (SCL-ATL); c-lymphocutaneous (LC-SP); d- fixed (F-SP) sporotrichosis. LCL-ATL and SCL-ATL had a significantly higher percentage of CD8, FasL and NOS2 than sporotrichosis. In contrast, LC-SP had a substantially higher percentage of CD4, BCl2 and neutrophils than ATL lesions. These results indicated some differences in the profile of the in situ immune response suggesting that SIS is a complex, adaptable system capable of different responses to intracellular or extracellular pathogens. However, regardless of the etiological agents, the inflammatory reaction and clinical manifestations can be similar. SCL-ATL and LC-SP presented similarities in both clinical presentation and in situ inflammatory profile (CD3, CD22, neutrophils, macrophages). The clinical presentation of ATL and sporotrichosis could be explained by a combination of factors both of the host SIS and the etiological agent. The unbalanced host parasite relationship could result in atypical manifestations of skin disease.

Zika in Rio de Janeiro: Assessment of basic reproduction number and comparison with dengue outbreaks.

Zika virus infection was declared a public health emergency of international concern in February 2016 in response to the outbreak in Brazil and its suspected link with congenital anomalies. In this study, we use notification data and disease natural history parameters to estimate the basic reproduction number (R 0) of Zika in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. We also obtain estimates of R 0 of dengue from time series of dengue cases in the outbreaks registered in 2002 and 2012 in the city, when DENV-3 and DENV-4 serotypes, respectively, had just emerged. Our estimates of the basic reproduction number for Zika in Rio de Janeiro based on surveillance notifications (R 0 = 2·33, 95% CI: 1·97-2·97) were higher than those obtained for dengue in the city (year 2002: R 0 = 1·70 [1·50-2·02]; year 2012: R 0 = 1·25 [1·18-1·36]). Given the role of Aedes aegypti as vector of both the Zika and dengue viruses, we also derive R 0 of Zika as a function of both dengue reproduction number and entomological and epidemiological parameters for dengue and Zika. Using the dengue outbreaks from previous years allowed us to estimate the potential R 0 of Zika. Our estimates were closely in agreement with our first Zika's R 0 estimation from notification data. Hence, these results validate deriving the potential risk of Zika transmission in areas with recurring dengue outbreaks. Whether transmission routes other than vector-based can sustain a Zika epidemic still deserves attention, but our results suggest that the Zika outbreak in Rio de Janeiro emerged due to population susceptibility and ubiquitous presence of Ae. aegypti.

Malaria in penguins - current perceptions.

Avian malaria is a mosquito-borne disease caused by protozoans of the genus Plasmodium, and it is considered one of the most important causes of morbidity and mortality in captive penguins, both in zoological gardens and rehabilitation centres. Penguins are known to be highly susceptible to this disease, and outbreaks have been associated with mortality as high as 50-80% of affected captive populations within a few weeks. The disease has also been reported in wild penguin populations, however, its impacts on the health and fitness of penguins in the wild is not clear. This review provides an overview of the aetiology, life cycle and epidemiology of avian malaria, and provides details on the strategies that can be employed for the diagnostic, treatment and prevention of this disease in captive penguins, discussing possible directions for future research.

Study of ion suppression for phenolic compounds in medicinal plant extracts using liquid chromatography-electrospray tandem mass spectrometry.

A systematic study on the various sources of ion suppression in UHPLC-MS-MS analysis was carried out for 24 phenolic antioxidants in 6 different extracts of medicinal plants from Amazonia. The contributions of matrix effects, mobile-phase additives, analyte co-elution and electric charge competition during ionization to the global ion suppression were evaluated. Herein, the influence of mobile-phase additives on the ionization efficiency was found to be very pronounced, where ion suppression of approximately 90% and ion enhancement effects greater than 400% could be observed. The negative effect caused by the wrong choice of internal standard (IS) on quantitative studies was also evaluated and discussed from the perspective of ion suppression. This work also shows the importance of performing studies with this approach even for very similar matrices, such as varieties of medicinal plants from the same species, because different effects were observed for the same analyte.

A new approach to determining pharmacologic adulteration of herbal weight loss products.

Pharmaceutical adulterants are commonly found in herbal weight loss products, and analytical techniques for detecting these adulterants have become increasingly important to the public health community. Previously we reported a novel analytical method for the determination of adulterants in herbal formulations by capillary electrophoresis with contactless conductivity detection. The current study refines this previously described technique by testing if anxiolytics, diuretics, and laxatives interfered with the detection of anorectics and antidepressants. A survey of herbal weight loss products sold by compounding pharmacies in Brazil were analysed to determine the presence of pharmaceutical adulterants. A total of 106 herbal products, collected from 73 pharmacies in nine Brazilian states, were analysed for amfepramone, sibutramine, fenproporex, fluoxetine, paroxetine, sertraline and bupropion using the new analytical method. The method permitted the rapid and selective screening for the seven adulterants. Of the 106 weight loss products sampled, four (3.8%) were found to be adulterated by fenproporex or sibutramine. The adulterated samples were compounded by four different pharmacies located in three different Brazilian states. The novel capillary electrophoresis method we developed may be a useful tool for public health organisations tasked with analysing herbal weight loss products.

Hydrogels containing rutin intended for cutaneous administration: efficacy in wound healing in rats.

OBJECTIVE: Development of a hydrogel containing rutin at 0.025% (w/w) and evaluation of its in vivo efficacy in cutaneous wound healing in rats. METHODS: Hydrogels were prepared using Carbopol Ultrez® 10 NF and an aqueous dispersion of rutin in polysorbate 80. Hydrogels were characterized by means of pH measurement, rheological and spreadability analysis and rutin content determination by liquid chromatography. The in vivo healing effect was evaluated through the regression of skin lesions in rats and by analysis of oxidative stress. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Hydrogels showed adequate pH values (5.50-6.50) and pseudoplastic non-Newtonian behavior. After 5 days of treatment of wounds, hydrogels containing rutin presented a higher decrease in the wound area compared to the control hydrogels. Analysis of the oxidative stress showed a decrease in lipid peroxidation and protein carbonyl content as well as an increase in catalase activity after the treatment with the hydrogel containing rutin. Furthermore, this treatment increased total protein levels. CONCLUSION: This study shows for the first time the feasibility of using dermatological formulations containing rutin to improve skin wound healing.

Flame and graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry for trace element determination in vegetable oils, margarine and butter after sample emulsification.

Trace element analysis plays an important role in oil characterisation and in the detection of oil adulteration because the quality of edible oils and fats is affected by their trace metal content. In this study, the quantification of selected metals in various oils and fats (rice oil, canola oil, sunflower oil, corn oil, soy oil, olive oil, light margarine, regular margarine and butter) was carried out using flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS) and graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS) after sample emulsification. FAAS was used to determine the Na, K, Ca, Mg, Zn and Fe levels in the samples, while GFAAS was used for quantifying Cr, Ni, As, Pb, Cd, Cu and Mn, as these elements appeared in the samples at much lower concentrations. Tween-80 and Triton X-100 were employed as surfactants, and emulsions were prepared by a conventional method that involved heating and mixing of the constituents. Complete stabilisation was achieved through magnetic stirring for 15 min at room temperature. The evaluated figures of merit were linearity, accuracy and sensitivity, which were determined by the characteristic concentration and mass. Analysis of spiked samples demonstrated accuracy, which ranged from 90% (Na) to 112% (Fe) for FAAS and from 83% (Cd) to 121% (Pb) for GFAAS measurements. Atomic absorption spectrometry proved to be a promising approach for the analysis of metals in emulsified edible oils and fats. Additionally, under appropriate emulsification conditions (formulation, stirring time and temperature), the emulsions were homogeneous, had excellent stability, and had appropriate viscosity. The proposed method has proved to be simple, sensitive, reproducible, and economical.

The Illegal Use of Synthetic Pharmaceuticals in Herbal Formulations: An Overview of Adulteration Practices and Analytical Investigations.

Alternative medicine has historically been very popular in developing countries. In this context, self-medication with herbal formulations has increased in both developing and developed nations in recent years. The adulteration of such formulations violates the laws of many countries because it can lead to unpredictable effects in the human body, either due to the isolated effects of an added pharmaceutical or to its interaction with other substances present in the formulation. The development of methodologies for the screening and quantification of adulterated samples should be of great interest for analytical, clinical, and forensic scientists. This review aims to provide a comprehensive approach to this topic and to discuss adulteration cases related to herbal formulations reported in the literature over the last few decades. Furthermore, a classification of the most commonly found synthetic adulterants that are linked to the active principle of herbal formulations was proposed according to their pharmacological action. The available analytical methodologies for the identification of adulteration practices are presented in a systematic and comprehensive way.

Determination of sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, zinc, and iron in emulsified egg samples by flame atomic absorption spectrometry.

In this study, oil-in-water formulations were optimized to determine sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, zinc, and iron in emulsified egg samples by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS). This method is simpler and requires fewer reagents when compared with other sample pre-treatment procedures and allows the calibration to be carried out using aqueous standards. Different oily phases such as corn oil, decyl oleate and octyl stearate were tested, as well as Tween 80, Triton X-100 and Triton 114 were analyzed as surfactants. The optimum type and proportion of formulations were determined and their use depended on the element studied. The emulsion preparation was performed by a conventional method that involves mixing both phases at 60 degrees C by magnetic stirring and phase inversion to change the water-to-oil ratio by increasing the volume of the surfactant-water external phase and correspondingly decreasing the volume of internal phase. The accuracy of the method was further confirmed by determining the metals in a whole egg powder CRM and recoveries ranged from 97.5% for Mg to 102.2% for Na, with relative standard deviations lower than 2.3%. The precision of the procedures was determined through repeatability (intra-day precision) and intermediate precision (inter-day). The repeatability presented RSD values lower than 4.2%. The intermediate precision was evaluated using the RSD and F-test. The RSD values to intermediate precision was lower than 5.3% and the computed F-values were lower than tabulated F-values, indicating no significant difference between the results obtained on different days. The proposed method including, sample emulsification for subsequent metal determination for FAAS, has proved to be sensitive, reproducible, simple and economical.

Food safety knowledge of cheese consumers.

The aim of this study was to evaluate habits and practices of cheese consumers toward their level of knowledge of food safety. A total of 1000 people were interviewed in several cities of the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Five hundred thirty-eight (53.8%) people consume cheese daily, while 318 (31.8%) and 144 (14.4%) consume cheese weekly and monthly, respectively. Five hundred twenty-two (52%) people reported its usage as an ingredient used in the preparation of other dishes, while 320 (32%) of the interviewed people consume cheese directly as a part of the diet. Typical Brazilian cheeses such as "Minas Frescal" and "Prato" cheese are preferred by 528 (52.8%) of the consumers. Of the total consumers, 764 (76.4%) purchase cheese from supermarkets, while 236 (23.6%) from open-air markets. Inspected cheese is purchased by 350 (35%) consumers, while 650 (65%) buy it without knowing if they were submitted to previous fiscalization. Four hundred thirty (43%) consumers do not know any disease transmitted by cheese that has not been inspected. Overall, educational campaigns must be developed by the Sanitary Surveillance and the Health Agencies to improve the knowledge of the consumer about food safety of cheeses.

Interaction of aluminium ions with some amino acids present in human blood.

The interaction of aluminium with some amino acids present in human blood was studied combining ion-chromatography (IC), atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) and ultrafiltration (UF) techniques. An IC system for simultaneous determination of ornithine, lysine, glutamic acid, aspartic acid and tyrosine was developed. By adding aluminium to standard solutions of the amino acids and keeping the pH at 6 and 7 it was possible to verify that aluminium caused a reduction on the amino acid chromatographic signals. Similar experiment, carried out for copper showed the same behaviour (with different percentage of signal reductions) and validated the results for aluminium, considering that the interaction Cu-amino acid is well-established. The AAS analysis of sample fractions (500 microl) after the IC separation showed that aluminium (as copper as well) is not present in the fractions in which the amino acid peaks appear in the chromatogram. These approaches carried out with serum samples after UF showed that part of the "free" fraction of serum aluminium is distributed, besides other ligands, among these amino acids. It was found that in serum the affinity for aluminium followed the sequence Lys>Orn>Tyr>Glu approximately Asp.

HPLC-based method using sample pre-column clean-up for the determination of methanethiol and ethanethiol in parenteral amino acid solutions.

A method has been developed for the chromatographic determination of methanethiol (MT) and ethanethiol (ET) as contaminants in amino acid parenteral nutrition (PN) solutions. The clean-up of the samples before chromatographic analysis was investigated by solid-phase extraction (SPE) on pre-columns filled with polyethylene powder (PE), aluminium oxide (AlOx), silica (SiOx), or polyurethane foam (PUF) as adsorbents. The thiols were more efficiently separated from the matrices by SPE on PUF pre-columns. Simultaneous derivatization and elution with DTNB (5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid)) enabled further discrimination between MT and ET by reversed-phase HPLC with spectrophotometric detection. The retention times for the derivatized MT and ET species were 12.5 and 23.0 min, respectively. Recoveries from spiked PN samples were calculated to be approximately 90%, and the MT and ET content of commercial PN solutions was determined using the methodology described. Detection limits of 15 and 10 microg L(-1) were calculated for MT and ET, respectively.

Seasonality of insect succession and pig carcass decomposition in a natural forest area in southeastern Brazil.

In this study, successional patterns, relative abundance of larvae and adults of sarcosaprophagous insects, carcass decay, diversity and seasonality of species, and their potential as forensic indicators were studied. Four experiments were carried out in each season in a natural area of southeastern Brazil. Two pigs (Sus scrofa L.) were used in each experiment and were exposed to sunlight and shade, respectively. The Calliphoridae outnumbered the Sarcophagidae in specimens collected and reared from the carcasses. More insects were collected from carcasses exposed to the sun, while a larger number of specimens were reared from those in the shade. Temperature and rainfall influenced the stages of carcass decay and insect activity and abundance. Chrysomya albiceps was the most abundant species in all four experiments. The carcasses were used as a protein source and substratum for oviposition. The dark putrefaction and fermentation stages yielded more flies than the other stages. These results show that flies are important in carcass decay and are, therefore, also of forensic importance. Seven species can be considered valuable forensic indicators in Southeastern Brazil. However, only three species were useful as forensic indicators in wooded areas: P. intermutans, H. segmentaria, and H. semidiaphana.

Sulfur speciation by capillary zone electrophoresis: conditions for sulfite stabilization and determination in the presence of sulfate, thiosulfate and peroxodisulfate.

Capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) was used for the separation of the sulfur species SO3(2-), SO4(2-), S2O(3-) and S2O8(2-). Using an electrolyte system with 9.5 mmol L(-1) potassium chromate as UV-absorbing probe and 1 mmol L(-1) diethylenetriamine (DETA) as electroosmotic flow modifier, various possibilities for the stabilization of sulfite and electrophoretic separation of the sulfur anions were investigated. By adding 5% propanol as a stabilizer to both the working electrolyte and the sample solution, a good stabilization for sulfite and a separation of the sulfur anions in a short analysis time (4 min) was achieved. The advantages by using propanol instead of other stabilizers often used in analytical techniques are discussed. The electrophoretic separation of the sulfur anions was optimized with respect to the pH of the working electrolyte and concentration of the electroosmotic flow modifier (DETA). The detection limits achieved for SO3(2-), SO4(2-), S2O3(2-) and S2O8(2-) were 0.35, 0.25, 0.78 and 0.80 mg L(-1), respectively.

Polarographic determination of cyanide as contaminant in pralidoxime mesylate formulations.

A method for the polarographic determination of cyanide as contaminant in pralidoxime mesylate (PM) formulations was developed. The volatile cyanide formed in the formulations was stabilized as tetracyanonickelate (TCN) anion complex after reaction with ammoniacal Ni(II) solution. The stable TCN anion complex (K(stb)=10(31)) was determined by anodic stripping voltammetry at the hanging mercury drop electrode (HMDE). The polarographic signal was proportional to the cyanide concentration and the high concentration of PM did not interfere. The linear range of calibration was from 1.2 to 16 mug cyanide with r=0.998. The RSD was 1.3% (n=5) for 2.4 mug cyanide and a detection limit of 0.8 mug cyanide was calculated. The proposed method is adequate as a quality control of PM formulations.