Inflammatory and Immune Mechanisms for Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease in HIV.

Atherosclerotic vascular disease disproportionately affects persons living with HIV (PLWH) compared to those without. The reasons for the excess risk include dysregulated immune response and inflammation related to HIV infection itself, comorbid conditions, and co-infections. Here, we review an updated understanding of immune and inflammatory pathways underlying atherosclerosis in PLWH, including effects of viral products, soluble mediators and chemokines, innate and adaptive immune cells, and important co-infections. We also present potential therapeutic targets which may reduce cardiovascular risk in PLWH.

Enhancing early career professionals' representation and engagement at international conferences: WONCA "Rural Early Career Ambassador Integration" project.

INTRODUCTION: International conferences offer an excellent opportunity for career development and are global academic opportunities with the potential to foster educational and professional growth. However, equitable access to participation and meaningful involvement in such events remains an issue. In this article we describe the novel Rural Early Career Ambassador Integration project and its implications for the 2022 World Rural Health Conference, held at the University of Limerick, Ireland. METHODS: The project offered vertical and cross-country collaborative opportunities to early career professionals with a passion for rural medicine. Three ambassadors of diverse nationalities, ethnicities and professional backgrounds were selected. They bore no personal cost for travel, transport or accommodation relating to the conference. Each ambassador was matched to and clinically shadowed an expert rural GP for a week preceding the conference, who provided mentorship. Mentors and ambassadors collaborated on goal-setting and work-planning throughout the conference, and were offered one-on-one career and networking support. The ambassadors were welcomed and integrated within a larger working party, the WONCA Working Party for Rural Health. RESULTS: The project was well received by conference delegates and organisers, and achieved its stated goal of enhancing conference equity through the representation and meaningful involvement of diverse early career professionals. Vertical and cross-country collaboration generated actionable policy implications as is evidenced by the ambassadors' co-authorship on the Limerick Declaration on Rural Healthcare. CONCLUSION: Although sponsorship for these initiatives remains a challenge, this project highlights the importance of actively including early career professionals at international conferences.

Exploring the ideas of young healthcare professionals from selected countries regarding rural proofing.

INTRODUCTION: Globally, most countries struggle to meet the health needs of rural communities. This has resulted in rural areas performing poorly when compared to urban areas in terms of a range of health indicators. There have been few coherent or systematic strategies that target rural communities and address their needs within the rural context. Rural proofing, defined as the systematic application of a rural lens across policies and guidelines to ensure that they speak to these health needs, seeks to address this gap. The healthcare professionals (HCPs) who will be called upon to advocate for and lead the implementation of rural proofing efforts are those currently in training or early career stages. We thus sought to understand the perspectives of young HCPs regarding the concept of rural proofing. METHODS: The study adopted an interpretivist paradigm. Data were collected using semi-structured individual interviews and focus group discussions (FGDs). Selected HCPs who are in leadership in Rural Seeds, a movement for young HCPs, participated in the study. FGDs in the form of Rural Cafés were led by some Rural Seeds leaders who participated in the interviews and who showed interest in organising the discussions. Eleven exploratory interviews and six FGDs were conducted using Zoom. HCPs were from Australia, Europe, Africa, North America, South America, and Asia. Interviews and FGDs were conducted in English, recorded, and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis was then undertaken. RESULTS: Participants perceived the state of rural healthcare globally to be problematic. Access to care was seen as the most significant issue in rural health care, associated with the challenges of lack of equity in access, and limited funding and support for healthcare professionals and their career pathways. Despite varying understanding of the concept, rural proofing was seen to be of great value in improving rural health care. A number of ideas for applying rural proofing, with examples, were proposed from their perspectives as frontline healthcare providers. They particularly recognised the importance of addressing the local needs of rural communities and the needs of present and future HCPs. Implementation of rural proofing was seen to require the involvement of key stakeholders from a range of sectors at multiple levels. CONCLUSION: Given the state of rural health, young rural HCPs suggest that rural proofing strategies are needed as they have the potential to bring about equity in the delivery of health care in rural and remote communities. These strategies will assist in creating a more positive future for rural health care worldwide and motivate young HCPs to become involved in rural health care, as well as to increase their motivation to take an interest in health policy development. These strategies need to be applied at multiple levels, from national government to local contexts. It is also seen to be critically important to involve multiple levels of stakeholders, from politicians to healthcare providers and community members, in the process of rural proofing.

The use of health education strategies and art in rural health prevention focusing on alcohol abuse/addiction and other drugs.

INTRODUCTION: Health education is a relevant strategy to prevent alcohol and other drugs addiction. The objective of this study is to analyze health education strategies used to prevent drug abuse and addiction in rural areas. METHODS: This study is an integrative review. The study included articles indexed in Virtual Health Library, Periodicals Portal bases from CAPES, Brazilian Digital Library of Theses, PubMed, and SciELO. Relationships between health education strategies and art were sought, without obtaining satisfactory results. RESULTS: The selection of studies obtained 1173 articles. After exclusion, 21 publications were included in the sample. The predominant country of origin of articles was the USA, with 14 references. The lack of Latin American articles is highlighted. Overall, among the interventions carried out with a focus on preventing addiction to alcohol and other drugs, those that considered the specific cultural context of the studied community were relevant. Strategies adapted to the rural context must be built according to local values, beliefs, and practices. Motivational Interviewing proved to be an effective intervention for alcohol addiction harm reduction strategies. DISCUSSION: The frequency of harmful use of alcohol and other drugs in the rural population highlights the need to implement public policies focused on local communities. It is essential to adopt actions focused on health promotion. There is a need for further studies on health education strategies, including their relationships with the arts, in the context of preventing drug abuse in the rural population, in order to enable more effective interventions.

Home visits in rural areas: demands in primary care.

INTRODUCTION: The rural population suffers from important limitations in accessing health care, often lacking a public policy approach to the health and sanitation conditions of their environment. In this sense, primary care emerges with the objective of offering comprehensive care to the population, applying some of its principles as territorialization, person-centered care, longitudinality, and resolution in health care. The goal is to offer the basic health needs of the population considering the determinants and conditions of health in each territory. METHODS: The present study is an experience report that aimed to raise the main health demands of the rural population in the areas of nursing, dentistry, and psychology of a village in the state of Minas Gerais through home visits carried out as part of primary care. RESULTS: Depression and psychological exhaustion were identified as the main psychological demands. Related to nursing, the difficulty of controlling chronic diseases was notable. Regarding dental care, the high prevalence of tooth loss was evident. In an attempt to minimize the limitations of access to health care, some strategies were created targeting the rural population. A radio program that aimed to disseminate basic health information in an accessible way was the main one. DISCUSSION: Therefore, the importance of home visits is evident, especially in rural areas, favoring educational health and preventive practices in primary care and considering the adoption of more effective care strategies for rural populations.

The student experience during a rural clerkship in Brazil.

INTRODUCTION: Universities have the ability to bring science and comprehensive care to remote regions. This can be done through the creation of rural clerkships during the training of health professionals. METHODS: Report of students' experiences during their rural clerkships in Brazil. RESULTS: Rural clerkships made contact possible between students from different areas of health, such as medicine, nutrition, psychology, social assistance, and nursing. This multidisciplinary team expanded the possibilities of care in the region, which often suffers from a shortage of healthcare professionals. DISCUSSION: Students noticed that the use of management and treatment guided by evidence-based medicine was more common in their university than in rural facilities. The relationship between students and local health professionals provided discussions and application of new scientific evidence and updates. Due to the greater number of students and residents of the multi-professional health team, it was possible to initiate health education, integrated case discussions, and territorialization projects. Areas with untreated sewage and a high local concentration of scorpions were identified, which allowed a targeted intervention. The students noticed the numerous differences between the tertiary care they were used to at medical school and the access to health and resources in a rural area. Collaboration between educational institutions and rural areas with scarce resources makes it possible to exchange knowledge between students and local professionals. In addition, these rural clerkships expand the possibilities for care for local patients and make it possible to carry out projects related to health education.

The Limerick Declaration on Rural Health Care 2022.

The 19th World Rural Health Conference, hosted in rural Ireland and the University of Limerick, with over 650 participants coming from 40 countries and an additional 1600 engaging online, has carefully considered how best rural communities can be empowered to improve their own health and the health of those around them. The conference also considered the role of national health systems and all stakeholders, in keeping with the commitments made through the Sustainable Development Goals and the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health as one of the fundamental rights of every human being. This conference declaration, the Limerick Declaration on Rural Healthcare, is designed to inform rural communities, academics and policymakers about how to achieve the goal of delivering high quality health care in rural and remote areas most effectively, with a particular focus on the Irish healthcare system. Congruent with current evidence and best international practice, the participants of the conference endorsed a series of recommendations for the creation of high quality, sustainable and cost-effective healthcare delivery for rural communities in Ireland and globally. The recommendations focused on four major themes: rural healthcare needs and delivery, rural workforce, advocacy and policy, and research for rural health care. Equal access to health care is a crucial marker of democracy. Hence, we call on all governments, policymakers, academic institutions and communities globally to commit to providing their rural dwellers with equitable access to health care that is properly resourced and fundamentally patient-centred in its design.

Fever of Unknown Origin, Wasting Syndrome and Bone Marrow Involvement: A Leprosy Case Report.

Mycobacterium leprae, the etiologic agent of leprosy, is an acid-fast-staining and slow-growing bacilli that infect macrophages and Schwann cells individually or through forming globi. The clinical presentation of leprosy is broad and depends on the host immune response. We report a case of a 42-year-old Brazilian man presenting with fever of unknown origin (FUO), anemia, wasting syndrome, and neuropathy. The diagnosis of lepromatous leprosy was made after an extensive investigation revealed the presence of M. leprae in the bone marrow. Bone marrow involvement in leprosy is rare and some authors believe the presence of M. leprae in the bone marrow can act as a reservoir of the disease facilitating future relapses. It is important to investigate bone marrow involvement in leprosy, especially when the patient presents with cytopenias and positive epidemiologic history.

Central Nervous System Whipple Disease Presenting as Hypersomnolence.

Whipple disease (WD) is a rare systemic infection caused by Tropheryma whipplei (T. whipplei). Its clinical features are broad, and atypical clinical patterns such as the involvement of the heart, lungs, or the central nervous system (CNS) can occur. We report a case of a 58-year-old man who had been previously diagnosed with classic WD; he was evaluated for functional decline, extreme somnolence, and recurrent admissions for hydrocephalus. The patient was diagnosed with a neurologic relapse of WD after a positive T. whipplei polymerase chain reaction (PCR) from a cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) sample. He was successfully treated with IV ceftriaxone followed by oral trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX). In classic WD, the CNS symptoms usually present in the late phase of the disease or in the form of relapse, especially after an inadequate treatment course. This case highlights the importance of considering CNS involvement in WD when a patient with a previous history of classic WD presents with hypersomnolence, hydrocephalus, or other neurologic symptoms.

Cutaneous adverse events to systemic antineoplastic therapies: a retrospective study in a public oncologic hospital

Abstract Background: Mucocutaneous adverse events are common during anticancer treatment, with variable consequences for the patient and their therapeutic regimen. Objective: To evaluate the most common adverse events, as well as the drugs associated with their appearance and the consequences for cancer treatment. Methods: A retrospective study was carried out through the analysis of patients treated at the Clinical Dermatology Unit of a public oncologic hospital. Results: A total of 138 patients with 200 adverse events were evaluated. The most commonly identified adverse events were nail and periungual changes (20%), papulopustular eruptions (13%), acneiform eruptions (12%), hand-foot syndrome (6.5%), hand-foot skin reaction (6%), and xerosis (6%). The most frequently associated antineoplastic treatment groups were classical chemotherapy (46.2%), target therapy (32.3%), and other non-antineoplastic drugs used in neoplasia protocols (16.5%). Of the total number of patients, 17.4% had their treatment suspended or changed due to a dermatological adverse event. Study limitations: Retrospective study and analysis of patients who were referred for specialized dermatological examination only, not allowing the assessment of the actual incidence of adverse events. Conclusion: A wide variety of dermatological manifestations are secondary to antineoplastic treatment with several different drugs resulting, not rarely, in the interruption or modification of therapeutic regimens.

Leprosy Relapse: A Retrospective Study on Epidemiologic, Clinical, and Therapeutic Aspects at a Brazilian Referral Center.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to characterize the profile of patients diagnosed with leprosy relapse and understand the influence of different multidrug therapy (MDT) treatments and initial disease presentation. METHODS: This retrospective study included patients diagnosed with leprosy relapse at a referral center in Brazil from 2013 to 2018. We analyzed their clinico-epidemiologic characteristics, laboratory data, and bacilloscopic tests. Survival analysis was used to determine the time elapsed until relapse according to the previous treatment and clinical forms of the disease. RESULTS: A total of 126 cases of relapse were analyzed, which comprised 11.89% (126/1059) of the cases. The median time elapsed until a relapse was 10 years, and most patients had previously undergone 12 doses of MDT (40.48%; 51/126). Undergoing 24 doses of MDT was associated with a better prognosis regarding relapse over time compared with 6 or 12 doses of MDT therapy. Most cases of relapse were classified as multibacillary (96.03%; 121/126). CONCLUSION: The incidence of relapse was greater than observed in other studies. The high percentage of multibacillary patients who had negative bacillary indices demonstrated that the bacillary index cannot be considered to be an essential criterion for relapse, especially concerning making an early diagnosis.

Type 2 leprosy reaction presenting as a monoarthritis post multidrug therapy.

Type 2 leprosy reaction, or erythema nodosum leprosum (ENL), involves a complex interaction between the host's immune system and Mycobacterium leprae. It may occur before, during, or after treatment and have a variable clinical presentation involving different body systems, such as skin, osteoarticular, kidneys, and others. Thus, the differential diagnosis, depending on its clinical presentation, can be broad and challenging. The authors report a case of a severe monoarthritis during a type 2 reaction after the multidrug therapy (MDT) was discharged and the investigation of the differential diagnoses.

Cutaneous adverse events to systemic antineoplastic therapies: a retrospective study in a public oncologic hospital.

BACKGROUND: Mucocutaneous adverse events are common during anticancer treatment, with variable consequences for the patient and their therapeutic regimen. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the most common adverse events, as well as the drugs associated with their appearance and the consequences for cancer treatment. METHODS: A retrospective study was carried out through the analysis of patients treated at the Clinical Dermatology Unit of a public oncologic hospital. RESULTS: A total of 138 patients with 200 adverse events were evaluated. The most commonly identified adverse events were nail and periungual changes (20%), papulopustular eruptions (13%), acneiform eruptions (12%), hand-foot syndrome (6.5%), hand-foot skin reaction (6%), and xerosis (6%). The most frequently associated antineoplastic treatment groups were classical chemotherapy (46.2%), target therapy (32.3%), and other non-antineoplastic drugs used in neoplasia protocols (16.5%). Of the total number of patients, 17.4% had their treatment suspended or changed due to a dermatological adverse event. STUDY LIMITATIONS: Retrospective study and analysis of patients who were referred for specialized dermatological examination only, not allowing the assessment of the actual incidence of adverse events. CONCLUSION: A wide variety of dermatological manifestations are secondary to antineoplastic treatment with several different drugs resulting, not rarely, in the interruption or modification of therapeutic regimens.

"1, 2, 3... ação": o uso do cinema para o estudo das metáforas da enfermidade na formação em Medicina / "1, 2, 3... action": using cinema to study illness metaphors in medical education / "1, 2, 3... acción": el uso del cine para el estudio de las metáforas de la enfermedad en la formación en medicina

A cinematografia tem se mostrado ferramenta versátil na educação médica podendo ser utilizada no estudo do processo saúde-adoecimento-cuidado. Objetiva-se relatar a experiência do uso da cinematografia para discussão das metáforas da enfermidade no curso médico de uma Universidade Federal. Como preparo, os estudantes leram sobre "Significação e metáforas da doença". Foi exibido o filme "Para sempre Alice" e debatido o tema lido com base em suas metáforas. Posteriormente, os alunos foram à Rede Básica para aplicar o uso das metáforas. Notou-se a importância dos determinantes sociais em saúde e da relevância de ações que extrapolam o âmbito biológico. A atividade, além de lúdica, foi pedagógica e buscou tornar a aprendizagem mais significativa. Percebeu-se a efetividade da cinematografia para interpretação de metáforas da doença e contribuição para uma melhor prática médica.(AU)

Cinematography has shown itself to be a versatile tool in medical education, being used to study the health-illness-care process. This article describes the experience of using cinematography to discuss illness metaphors on a medicine course at a federal university in Brazil. As preparation, the students read about signification and illness metaphors. We showed the film "Still Alice" and the students debated the theme, drawing on the film's metaphors. They then visited primary care services to apply the use of the metaphors. The findings show the importance of the social determinants of health and relevance of actions that go beyond the realm of biology. Besides being game-based, the activity was educational and sought to make learning more meaningful. The findings confirm that cinematography is an effective tool for interpreting illness metaphors and contributes to better medical practice.(AU)

La cinematografía ha mostrado ser una herramienta versátil en la educación médica pudiendo utilizarse en el estudio del proceso salud-enfermedad-cuidado. El objetivo es relatar la experiencia del uso de la cinematografía para la discusión de las metáforas de la enfermedad en el curso médico de una Universidad Federal. Como preparación, los estudiantes leyeron sobre Significación y Metáforas de la Enfermedad. Se exhibió la película "Siempre Alice" y se discutió sobre el tema leído, a partir de sus metáforas. Posteriormente, los alumnos fueron a la Red Básica para aplicar el uso de las metáforas. Se observó la importancia de los determinantes sociales en salud y de la relevancia de acciones que extrapolan el ámbito biológico. La actividad, además de lúdica, fue pedagógica y su objetivo fue hacer que el aprendizaje fuera más significativo. Se percibió la efectividad de la cinematografía para interpretación de metáforas de la enfermedad y contribuir para una mejor práctica médica.(AU)

Avaliação por pares na educação médica: um relato das potencialidades e dos desafios na formação profissional / Peer review in medical education: a report of the potentialities and challenges for professional training

Resumo: Introdução: As Diretrizes Curriculares Nacionais (DCN) para o curso de Medicina propõem métodos de ensino e avaliação em que os discentes possam desenvolver criticidade em relação às necessidades de aprendizado. Nesse contexto, a avaliação por pares (AP) apresenta-se como uma estratégia didática capaz de potencializar esse processo. Apesar disso, ainda se observa pouco uso dessa ferramenta na graduação, contudo ela é frequente em congressos científicos e avaliação de periódicos. Diante disso, este relato de experiência busca compartilhar os aprendizados e as reflexões da implementação sistematizada da AP em um componente curricular de Saúde Coletiva do curso de Medicina da Universidade Federal de Uberlândia. Relato de experiência: O componente em que a atividade foi criada contava com atividades teórico-práticas durante o semestre. Assim, a atividade relatada iniciou-se com a elaboração de pôsteres ao longo do semestre em razão de sua importância em congressos médicos. Esses pôsteres discorriam sobre as vivências dos alunos na atenção primária à saúde. A avaliação desses pôsteres foi feita consecutivas vezes por meio de instrumento de AP pactuado com os estudantes previamente, o qual pontuava critérios estruturais do pôster, bem como seu conteúdo. Os acadêmicos puderam ser avaliados e atuar como avaliadores, sendo supervisionados pelos professores, o que contribuiu para o desenvolvimento da criticidade no processo de aprendizagem. Discussão: Inicialmente, a atividade gerou estranheza dada a pouca familiaridade dos alunos com a AP, o que foi superado ao longo do semestre. Como limitações, apontamos a necessidade de lidar com as subjetividades no processo avaliativo dos alunos, de formação em feedback e gestão de conflitos, além de possíveis limitações tecnológicas dos discentes. Conclusão: A AP, embora seja uma estratégia utilizada em outros cenários científicos, possui caráter inovador na graduação e pode promover as competências esperadas para um profissional médico crítico e autônomo, como a familiaridade com a prática do feedback e a capacidade de análise crítica.

Abstract: Introduction: The Brazilian National Curriculum Guidelines (NCG) for undergraduate courses in medicine propose teaching and assessment methods in which students can develop criticality in relation to learning needs. In this context, Peer Review (PR) represents a didactic strategy capable of enhancing this process. However, there is still little use of this tool in undergraduate training, and frequent use in scientific congresses and evaluation of journals. This experience report seeks to share the learning and reflections of the systematic implementation of the PR in a curricular component of Public Health in a medical undergraduate course at the Federal University of Uberlândia, Brazil. Experience report: The discipline in which the activity was created had theoretical and practical activities during the semester. Thus, the reported activity started with posters about student experiences in Primary Health Care being made throughout the semester due to its importance in medical congresses. These posters were evaluated consecutively using the PR instrument previously agreed with the students, which scored structural criteria of the poster as well as its content. The students could be evaluated and act as evaluators, being supervised by professors, which contributed to the development of criticality in the learning process. Discussion: Initially, the activity generated strangeness by students because of their lack of familiarity with PR, which was overcome over the discipline. As limitations, we point out the need to deal with subjectivities in the students' evaluation process, training in feedback and conflict management, in addition to possible technological limitations of some students. Conclusions: PR, although a strategy used in other scientific scenarios, has an innovative character in undergraduate courses and can promote the skills expected for a critical and autonomous medical professional, such as familiarity with the practice of feedback and the capacity for critical analysis.

Análise e classificação da impressão labial em universitários da região sul do brasil / Analysis and classification of lip prints in undergraduate students from the Southern region of Brazil

Introdução: A queiloscopia pode ser definida como estudo, registro e classificação das cristas e sulcos localizados na superfície das mucosas labiais. Objetivos: Analisar as características queiloscópicas de universitários da região Sul do Brasil, bem como identificar possíveis variações entre os sexos dos participantes. Materiais e métodos: Foi realizado um estudo observacional, classificatório e transversal com uma amostra de conveniência composta por 50 universitários de Odontologia de uma instituição privada. Para a coleta das impressões labiais foi utilizado uma pequena quantidade de batom de coloração vermelha para cada participante, espalhada nos lábios com hastes flexíveis de algodão. Em seguida, os lábios foram pressionados em movimento de rolagem contra cartolina branca apoiada sobre uma placa de vidro. Após a obtenção da impressão labial, esta foi subdividida em oito subquadrantes e numerada em sentido horário, e cada tipo de sulco foi classificado segundo o sistema proposto por Suzuki e Tsuchihashi (1970). Os dados foram analisados estatisticamente com a utilização dos Testes Qui-Quadrado e Razão de Verossimilhança (p=0,05). Resultados: O sulco Tipo I ́ apresentou-se mais frequente (26,3%) seguido pelos Tipos I (24,3%) e II (20,5%). Segundo a variável sexo, o Tipo II (24,0%) e I (23,0%) obteve maior expressividade em homens, enquanto os sulcos I ́(31,5%) e I (25,5%) apresentaram-se prevalentes no sexo feminino. Conclusão: Os tipos de sulcos labiais mais encontrados foram o Tipo I', seguido pelo Tipo I no grupo total avaliado, sendo mais prevalentes os Tipos I´ e II, respectivamente para o sexo feminino e masculino. A queiloscopia não resultou em caracterizações com dimorfismos sexuais, e novos estudos se fazem necessários para sua utilização em casos que envolvam vestígios labiais em identificação humana.

Author Correction: Improving Substrate Consumption and Decrease of Growth Yield in Aerobic Cultures of Pseudomonas denitrificans By Applying Low Voltages in Bioelectric Systems.

The original version of this article unfortunately contained a mistake in Equation 1.

Improving Substrate Consumption and Decrease of Growth Yield in Aerobic Cultures of Pseudomonas denitrificans By Applying Low Voltages in Bioelectric Systems.

It is well known that activated sludge treatment systems generate a lot of surplus sludge having environmental and economic impacts. Although several approaches have been proposed for the treatment/reuse of the excess of sludge, there are few studies focused on decreasing the biomass yield without affecting the metabolic activity. This work reports the effect of low magnitude electrical fields (0.07 to 0.2 V/cm) on the growth yield of a pure strain of Pseudomonas denitrificans (used as model microorganism). Cell potentials between 0.2 and 0.57 V were measured during 24 h to the aerobic culture; biomass production and substrate consumption were evaluated at regular intervals. Results indicated that the substrate (lactate) consumption efficiency increased with the applied potential, up to 100%, while the yield diminished 31% (0.34 g biomass/g lactate consumed) at 0.7 V vs. NHE. Bioenergetics showed that the fraction of electron equivalents toward biomass synthesis decreased from 0.68 (when no potential was applied) to 0.47 at 0.57 V, pointing out the redirection of the energy flow toward maintenance to cope with the stress caused by the imposed voltage. Therefore, the electrical stimulus could be used as control of biomass growth in aerobic wastewater treatment lines.

Peripubertal exposure to environmental enrichment prevents schizophrenia-like behaviors in the SHR strain animal model.

Schizophrenia is a highly disabling mental disorder, in which genetics and environmental factors interact culminating in the disease. The treatment of negative symptoms and cognitive deficits with antipsychotics is currently inefficient and is an important field of research. Environmental enrichment (EE) has been suggested to improve some cognitive deficits in animal models of various psychiatric disorders. In this study, we aimed to evaluate a possible beneficial effect of early and long-term exposure to EE on an animal model of schizophrenia, the SHR strain. Young male Wistar rats (control strain) and SHRs (21 post-natal days) were housed for 6weeks in two different conditions: in large cages (10 animals per cage) containing objects of different textures, forms, colors and materials that were changed 3 times/week (EE condition) or in standard cages (5 animals per cage - Control condition). Behavioral evaluations - social interaction (SI), locomotion, prepulse inhibition of startle (PPI) and spontaneous alternation (SA) - were performed 6weeks after the end of EE. SHRs presented deficits in PPI (a sensorimotor impairment), SI (mimicking the negative symptoms) and SA (a working memory deficit), and also hyperlocomotion (modeling the positive symptoms). EE was able to reduce locomotion and increase PPI in both strains, and to prevent the working memory deficit in SHRs. EE also increased the number of neurons in the CA1 and CA3 of the hippocampus. In conclusion, EE can be a potential nonpharmacological strategy to prevent some behavioral deficits associated with schizophrenia.