Activation of M1 muscarinic acetylcholine receptors by proline-rich oligopeptide 7a (Bothrops jararaca snake venom rescues oxidative stress-induced neurotoxicity in PC12 cells.

Background: The bioactive peptides derived from snake venoms of the Viperidae family species have been promising as therapeutic candidates for neuroprotection due to their ability to prevent neuronal cell loss, injury, and death. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the cytoprotective effects of a synthetic proline-rich oligopeptide 7a (PRO-7a;

Gynaecological cancer incidence and mortality trends in a Brazilian State with medium human development index: A 22-year analysis.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to analyse trends in incidence and mortality rates of gynaecological cancer (GC) in Sergipe, a medium Human Development Index (HDI) state in northeastern Brazil during 1996-2017. METHODS: Data were obtained from the Population-based Cancer Registry of Aracaju and Brazilian Mortality Information System database. We included vulvar (VUC), vaginal (VAC), cervical (CC), uterine (UC; C54-C55), ovarian (OC), placental (PC), and unspecified female genital organ cancers. Crude rates, and age-standardised incidence and mortality rates (ASIR and ASMR, respectively) were calculated using a denominator of 100,000 women. We assessed changes in trends using the annual percentage change (APC) and the average APC (AAPC), using the Joinpoint Regression Program. RESULTS: From 1996-2017, GC ASIR exhibited a declining trend (AAPC: -3.1), while ASMR increased (AAPC: 2.1). CC had the highest ASIR and ASMR over the years, ranging from 11.6 to 34.3 cases and 4.2-9.0 deaths per 100,000, respectively. Annual decreases in ASIR were observed for CC (AAPC: -5.2) and VAC (AAPC: -5.5). OC saw an increase in mortality rates (AAPC: 1.9; 1996-2017), and CC experienced an increase during 1996-2003 (APC: 6.9). VUC displayed a substantial rise in ASMR from 2001 to 2009 (APC: 27.1), followed by a decrease (APC: -11.3). An increase in mortality trends for UC was observed during 1996-2004 (APC: 10.0), while its ASIR remained relatively unchanged over the years. CONCLUSION: While overall GC incidence trends declined, mortality rates either increased or failed to decrease significantly. Therefore, additional efforts are required to enhance prevention, diagnosis, and treatment strategies, aimed at reducing and managing the burden of GC in the future.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of neuropathic pain in multiple sclerosis: Prevalence, clinical types, sex dimorphism, and increased depression and anxiety symptoms.

Chronic pain is the most disability symptom related to multiple sclerosis (MS) brain lesions and can also generate anxiety and depression. There are no updated reports of the general prevalence of neuropathic pain, MS clinical types, sex dimorphism, and its association with depression and anxiety. The protocol was listed in PROSPERO (CRD42022303571). The article selection resulted in 24 studies with a low risk of bias. The prevalence of neuropathic pain in MS patients was 26.8% with higher levels of depression and anxiety. We also observed that female patients (74.2%) have a higher prevalence of neuropathic pain than males (28.9%). We showed the enhanced prevalence of neuropathic pain using the female and male data (58.9%) compared to the total prevalence (26.8%). In addition, the SPMS (40.3%) presented an increased prevalence of neuropathic pain compared to PPMS (15.6%). Thus, we demonstrated the association between neuropathic pain, depression and anxiety symptoms and the influence of diagnosis, age, disease score, and disease duration in the increased prevalence of neuropathic pain in MS patients.

Do My Reactions Outweigh My Actions? The Relation between Reactive and Proactive Aggression with Peer Acceptance in Preschoolers.

Aggressive behaviors negatively impact peer relations starting from an early age. However, not all aggressive acts have the same underlying motivations. Reactive aggression arises as a response to an antecedent behavior of someone else, whereas proactive aggression is initiated by the aggressor and is instrumental. In this study, we aim to understand the relation between reactive and proactive aggression and peer acceptance in preschoolers. Parents of 110 children aged between 3 and 6 years old rated their children's manifestation of reactive and proactive aggressive behaviors. To assess the children's peer acceptance score within their class, they completed a paired comparisons task. The outcomes confirmed that reactive aggression in particular is negatively related to peer acceptance at the preschool age. Our results provide insights for the needs and directions of future research and interventions.

Peptide fraction from B. jararaca snake venom protects against oxidative stress-induced changes in neuronal PC12 cell but not in astrocyte-like C6 cell.

Venom-derived proteins and peptides have prevented neuronal cell loss, damage, and death in the study of neurodegenerative disorders. The cytoprotective effects of the peptide fraction (PF) from Bothrops jararaca snake venom were evaluated against oxidative stress changes in neuronal PC12 cells and astrocyte-like C6 cells. PC12 and C6 cells were pre-treated for 4 h with different concentrations of PF, and then H2O2 was added (0.5 mM in PC12 cells; 0.4 mM in C6 cells) and incubated for 20 h more. In PC12 cells, PF at 0.78 µg mL-1 increased viability (113.6 ± 6.3%) and metabolism (96.3 ± 10.3%) cell against H2O2-induced neurotoxicity (75.6 ± 5.8%; 66.5 ± 3.3%, respectively), reducing oxidative stress markers such as ROS generation, NO production, and arginase indirect activity through urea synthesis. Despite that, PF showed no cytoprotective effects in C6 cells, but potentiated the H2O2-induced damage at a concentration lower than 0.07 µg mL-1. Furthermore, the role of metabolites derived from L-arginine metabolism was verified in PF-mediated neuroprotection in PC12 cells, using specific inhibitors of two of the key enzymes in the L-arginine metabolic pathway: the α-Methyl-DL-aspartic acid (MDLA) to argininosuccinate synthetase (AsS), responsible for the recycling of L-citrulline to L-arginine; and, L-NΩ-Nitroarginine methyl ester (L-Name) to nitric oxide synthase (NOS), which catalyzes the synthesis of NO from L-arginine. The inhibition of AsS and NOS suppressed PF-mediated cytoprotection against oxidative stress, indicating that its mechanism is dependent on the production pathway of L-arginine metabolites such as NO and, more importantly, polyamines from ornithine metabolism, which are involved in the neuroprotection mechanism described in the literature. Overall, this work provides novel opportunities for evaluating whether the neuroprotective properties of PF shown in particular neuronal cells are sustained and for exploring potential drug development pathways for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.

Association between sickle cell disease and periodontal disease: A systematic review.

Previous studies have evaluated the association between sickle cell disease (SCD) and periodontal disease; however, their effect on the periodontal parameters remains unclear. This systematic review aimed to investigate whether individuals with sickle cell disease (SCD) increase the risks of periodontal disease more than those without. For the selection of eligible studies, an electronic search was conducted in the MEDLINE/PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Scopus databases. The meta-analysis was based on the inversion of variance using the mean difference (MD) of the continuous outcomes. The quality assessment of included studies was performed using the JBI Critical Appraisal Tools. In total, 13 studies and 2381 participants were included in the qualitative analysis, while 9 studies were considered for the meta-analysis. The meta-analysis indicated that patients with SCD present similar Plaque Index, Clinical Attachment Level, Bleeding on Probing, and Probing Depth when compared to healthy patients (p > .05). However, the Gingival Index was higher for patients with SCD (p = .0002; MD: 0.20). Compared to healthy patients, patients with SCD did not have an increase in periodontal parameters, except for the gingival index. However, further well-designed studies are recommended to reassess the association between SCD and periodontal diseases.

Fitness cost and reversion of resistance Leucoptera coffeella (Lepidoptera: Lyonetiidae) to chlorpyrifos.

A better understanding of fitness costs and insecticide resistance reversion has practical applications for improving resistance management approaches. The coffee leaf miner, Leucoptera coffeella, is one of the most important coffee pests worldwide. Chlorpyrifos is still used to control L. coffeella despite studies showing resistance in this pest. The current study investigated the fitness costs and reversion of resistance to chlorpyrifos in L. coffeella populations in coffee. The control failure of this insecticide was evaluated in 15 field populations. Selection of resistant and susceptible L. coffeella (G1-G10), with and without chlorpyrifos exposure, was evaluated. The following parameters were investigated: consumed leaf area, adult longevity, number of eggs per female, and egg viability. The present study showed control failures of chlorpyrifos and low (< 31-folds) to high levels (> 80-folds) of resistance in all field populations tested. The resistant population showed less fitness than the susceptible population. The fitness of the resistant population decreased significantly after 10 generations of chlorpyrifos selection. Specifically, the number of eggs per female, larvae hatched, and adult longevity were reduced by factors of 5, 2.3 and 3, respectively. Furthermore, the chlorpyrifos-resistant L. coffeella population consumed more than the susceptible population. Therefore, we concluded that non-exposing L. coffeella populations to chlorpyrifos insecticide leads to rapid reversion of resistance and susceptibility. In addition, resistant populations show reduced reproductive fitness and longevity, while consuming more, probably to meet greater metabolic demands.

Being Deaf in Mainstream Schools: The Effect of a Hearing Loss in Children's Playground Behaviors.

Naturalistic playground observations are a rich source of information when studying the social interactions of preschool children. On the playground, children can interact with their peers, explore different places and activities, and engage in different types of play. For deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) children, interactions at a playground can be more difficult because of the large number of auditory stimuli surrounding them. Constraints in the access to the social world on the playground might hamper DHH children's interactions with their typically hearing (TH) peers, activities, and play. This pilot study aimed to examine the playground behaviors of preschool DHH children across three aspects: social levels, type of activities, and play choices. For this purpose, 12 preschool DHH children were observed during recess time, and their behaviors were coded and compared to their 85 TH peers. The preliminary findings indicate that DHH children spend less time in social interactions compared to their TH peers and that they still face difficulties when socially engaging with their TH peers. These findings suggest that interventions should focus on three aspects: the physical environment awareness of TH peers about communicating with DHH children, and the use of exercise play to facilitate social interactions between DHH children and their TH peers.

Natural products modulating interleukins and other inflammatory mediators in tumor-bearing animals: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Cancer is a group of diseases characterized by abnormal cell growth and proliferation. Natural products are a potentially important source for bioactive phytochemicals in the management of cancer, which regulate a broad range of biological events via the modulation of interleukins (ILs), pro- and anti-inflammatory modulators, and other cancer hallmark-mediated signaling pathways. PURPOSE: To systematically review the literature to identify in vivo studies investigating the anticancer properties of medicinal plants and natural molecules as modulators of ILs and their related pro- and anti-inflammatory signaling markers in tumor-bearing animals. METHODS: Articles published in English were searched, without any constraint in respect of countries. The electronic databases PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science were used for the literature search for studies published between January 2010 and January 2022. The search terms used included medicinal plants, anticancer, antineoplasic agent, ILs, cytokine, and their combinations. A manual search to detect any articles not found in the databases was also made. The identified studies were then critically reviewed and relevant data were extracted and summarized. RESULTS: Natural products were found to modulate ILs, including IL-1ß, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-18, IL-23, and IL-12, and interferon gamma; increase tissue inhibitor metalloprotease; decrease vascular endothelial growth factor, tumor necrosis factor alpha, granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor, and nuclear factor kappa B; augment immunity by increasing the major histocompatibility complexes II and CD4+, cluster of differentiation 8 + T cell and class II trans-activator expression; and heighten the action of antioxidant enzymes, which are involved in the detoxification of free radicals and reactive oxygen species. CONCLUSION: Natural products discussed in this review show great potential to regulate ILs and weaken associated pro- and anti-inflammatory signaling markers in tumor-bearing animals. Flavonoids, polyphenols, polysaccharides, alkaloids and tannins are important phytochemicals in the modulation of ILs, especially pro-inflammatory ones. However, in terms of future research, the importance of clinical trials to investigate their beneficial properties should be warranted.

Prevalence of human papillomavirus infection in Brazilian women living with HIV: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: We systematically investigated the prevalence of HPV, high-risk HPV and its genotypes in women living with human immunodeficiency virus (WLHIV) in Brazil. METHODS: A systematic search was performed up to 15 December 2020. We included studies that used molecular methods for HPV detection in cervical samples and reported the prevalence of HPV in Brazilian WLHIV. The pooled prevalence of HPV, high-risk HPV (HR HPV) and HPV types and their 95% confidence interval (CI) were estimated. Subgroup analyses and meta-regression were conducted. RESULTS: Thity-seven studies accounting for 8,436 WLHIV were included. The pooled HPV prevalence was 62% (95%CI 55-68%; I2 = 96.98%; P < 0.001). Prevalence of high-risk HPV was 40% (95%CI, 54-68%; I2 = 94.23%; P < 0.001). We found a wide variety of high-risk HPV genotypes. The high-risk HPV types most reported were HPV 16 (16%) and HPV 58 (6%). We found an increasing ratio of positivity from normal cervix to cancer. There were different factors associated with high-risk HPV, with low CD4+ count the most frequent. CONCLUSION: The increase in the ratio of high-risk HPV positivity from normal cervix to carcinogenic lesions highlights the need to implement well-established testing for high-risk HPV in this population.

Trends in prostate cancer incidence and mortality to monitor control policies in a northeastern Brazilian state.

Prostate cancer differently affects different regions of the world, displaying higher rates in more developed areas. After the implementation of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing, several studies described rising rates globally, but it is possible that indolent lesions are being detected given the lack of changes in mortality data. The Brazilian government recommends against PSA screening in the male population regardless of age, but the Urology Society issued a report recommending that screening should start at 50 years old for certain men and for those aged ≥75 years with a life expectancy exceeding 10 years. In this study, we examined the incidence and mortality rates of invasive prostate cancer over time in the Sergipe state of Brazil. The databases of the Aracaju Cancer Registry and Mortality Information System were used to calculate age-standardized rates for all prostate tumors (International Classification of Diseases 10th edition: C61 and D07.5) in the following age ranges: 20-44, 45-54, and ≥65 years. We identified 3595 cases of cancer, 30 glandular intraepithelial high-grade lesions, and 3269 deaths. Using the Joinpoint Regression Program, we found that the incidence of prostate cancer dramatically increased over time until the mid-2000s for all age groups, after which the rates declined. Prostate cancer mortality rates increased until 2005, followed by a non-significant annual percent change of 22.0 in 2001-2005 and a stable rate thereafter. We noticed that the increases and decreases of the incidence rates of prostate cancer were associated with the screening recommendations. Meanwhile, the increased mortality rates did not appear to be associated with decreased PSA testing; instead, they were linked to the effects of age and improvements in identification of the cause of death. Thus, we do not believe a PSA screening program would benefit the population of this study.

Beachgoer perceptions on health regulations of COVID-19 in two popular beaches on the Brazilian Amazon.

The sandy beaches of the Brazilian Amazon coast have enormous touristic potential and attract thousands of visitors each year, principally in July, at the beginning of the summer vacation period. In 2020, beach going was affected worldwide by the Covid-19 pandemic, but how did the pandemic affect recreational beach use on the Amazon coast in the Brazilian state of Pará? Given this, the objective of this work is to identify public perception in compliance with health safety established by authorities due to COVID-19 pandemic in two popular beaches on the Brazilian Amazon. Recreational patterns on the beaches of this region were analyzed from the user's perspective in July, through semi-structured interviews and direct observations. Recreational activities were prohibited on the beaches located within protected areas. At other locations, however, including Ajuruteua and Atalaia, the beaches were reopened on July 1 st, and both sites received thousands of visitors in July, despite the fact that interviewees believed the pandemic to be dangerous, and considered the situation in Pará state to be at least as bad or worse than in previous months. Agglomerations were verified on both study beaches and social distancing and other protective measures were limited. The increase in the new cases recorded in August was due to the relaxation of restrictions on social, recreational, and economic activities by the local authorities in July 2020, including the reopening of public access to beaches. As Pará state has been hard-hit by the pandemic, prohibitions on recreational beach use should clearly not have been lifted during this period. A number of management measures were presented in this study. These measures should contribute to the prevention of the spread of the virus during the upcoming public holidays, as long as the pandemic continues.

ABORDAGEM DAS TEMÁTICAS "SAÚDE BUCAL DE GESTANTES E BEBÊS" E "SAÚDE DO HOMEM" EM SALAS DE ESPERA: SIGNIFICÂNCIAS POLÍTICO-PEDAGÓGICAS DAS EXPERIMENTAÇÕES VIVENCIADAS EM UM ESTÁGIO SUPERVISIONADO / APPROACH TO THEMES "BUCAL HEALTH OF GESTANTS AND BABIES" AND "MAN'S HEALTH" IN WAITING ROOMS: POLITICAL-PEDAGOGICAL MEANINGS OF THE EXPERIMENTS ENCOURAGED IN A SUPERVISED STAGE

Objetivo: analisar as significâncias político-pedagógicas de duas vivências experimentadas ("Saúde bucal de gestantes e bebês" e "Saúde do homem") por estagiários de um curso de Odontologia em salas de espera de uma Unidade de Atenção Primária de Saúde (UAPS). Metodologia: estudo qualitativo transversalmente estruturado sob estratégia narrativo-descritiva e moldado à técnica argumentativa. Resultados: o "Estágio Supervisionado em Unidade de Atenção Primária I" foi didaticamente sistematizado em dois períodos, "Pré-intervenção" e "Intervenção". Do primeiro, se desvendaram três ações, a "Pactualização do enlace ensino-serviço-comunidade", a "Contextualização dos acadêmicos estagiários" e a "Estruturação e ambientalização das equipes de trabalho". Já o segundo foi guiado pela lógica pedagógica do instrumento "TPC" (Teorizar-Praticar-Criticar), onde todas as ações programadas seguiram a lógica ativa do planejamento estratégico, ou seja, contextualizadas às realidades do cenário de prática, ou seja, salas de espera da Unidade de Atenção Primária de Saúde do bairro JK do município de Governador Valadares, MG. Conclusão: das experimentações vivenciadas algumas inferências merecem destaque: a concepção pedagógica de estratégias práticas de ensino pautadas na articulação ensino-serviço-comunidade; a escuta na identificação dos problemas/demandas a serem enfrentadas pela equipe estagiária; o reconhecimento do potencial dos ambientes de espera para a implantação de ações educativas; a importância de disseminar os aprendizados advindos de experimentações práticas de estágios.

Objective: to analyze the political-pedagogical significance of two experienced experiences ("Oral Health of Pregnant Women and Babies" and "Men's Health") by trainees of a Dentistry course in waiting rooms of a Primary Health Care Unit. Methodology: qualitative study transversally structured under a narrative-descriptive strategy and molded to the argumentative technique. Results: The "Supervised Internship in Primary Care Unit I" was systematized in two periods, "Pre-intervention" and "Intervention". From the first, three actions were unveiled, the "Pactualization of the teaching-service-community link", the "Contextualization of trainee academics" and the "Structuring and environmentalization of work teams". The second one was guided by the pedagogical logic of the instrument "TPC" (Theorizar-Praticar-Criticar), where all the actions programmed followed the active logic of strategic planning, that is, contextualized to the realities of the practice scenario, expects the Primary Health Care Unit of the JK district of the municipality of Governador Valadares, MG. Conclusion: from the weightings listed some inferences deserve to be highlighted: the pedagogical conception of practical teaching strategies based on the teaching-service-community articulation; listening in the identification of problems / demands to be faced by the trainee team; the recognition of the potential of waiting environments for the implementation of educational actions; the importance of disseminating the learning that comes from practical experimentation of internships.

Prevalence and genotype distribution of human papillomavirus in women living with HIV/AIDS in an area of Northeast Brazil.

Women infected by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are more likely to manifest oncogenic viral infections including human papillomavirus (HPV). It was investigated the HPV prevalence, genotype distribution and HPV relationship with cervical lesions among women living with HIV in Sergipe state, Northeast Brazil. A prevalence survey was conducted including 270 HIV-infected women who attended the reference center for HIV in Sergipe from August 2014 to November 2017. Cervical samples were processed by the polymerase chain reaction for HPV-DNA detection. Among the 270 HIV-infected women, 190 (70.4%) were between 26 and 49 years old and 159 (55.6%) were coinfected with HPV. Among the coinfected women, 24 viral types were identified; 113 (72%) subjects had high-risk HPV types, and the most prevalent was HPV 16 (53/35.3%). Positive HPV status was statistically associated with having 0 to 8 years of schooling compared with ≥9 years of schooling; and have been diagnosed with HIV infection less than 5 years ago compared with more than 10 years. Cytological abnormalities were found in 13.4% (31/231) of women, most with high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (16/51.6%). However, of women who had no cytological lesions or malignancy (200/86.6%), almost half were HPV DNA-positive (99/49.5%). In conclusion, the prevalence of HPV among women living with HIV in Sergipe was high. There was a high frequency of high-risk HPV infection, and a wide diversity of genotypes were detected, with HPV 16 being the most frequent.

Toxicity of botanical extracts and their main constituents on the bees Partamona helleri and Apis mellifera.

Africanized and wild bees are sensitive to synthetic insecticides, but may not be sensitive to botanical extracts. In this work, we evaluated the toxicity of botanical extracts with homemade preparations used in agroecological crops and their constituents on the bees Apis mellifera and Partamona helleri. Toxicity bioassays of adult bees were done by means of oral exposure and ingestion, using the insecticide imidacloprid as a positive control. Dietary consumption, respiration rate and bee flight were evaluated as sublethal parameters. Although some extracts were toxic to bees, survival was always higher compared to the results obtained with the imidacloprid, which was lethal to 100% of bees. In dietary consumption, P. helleri consumed less (5 mg/bee) in 3 h than A. mellifera (11 mg/bee), and P. helleri consumed less (7 mg/bee) in 24 h than A. mellifera (22 mg/bee). There was no difference in consumption of food containing plant extracts or food containing water only. We did not detect any adverse effects of the botanical extracts on bee respiration rates or flight. The major constituent of N. tabacum is nicotine (8.4-15.1%), in A. americana it is ß-caryophyllene (11.3%), and in A. colubrina, lupeol (12.2%). Imidacloprid and nicotine were more toxic to bees (LC50 ≤ 1.3 and LC50 ≤ 44.3). Botanical extracts were selective to A. mellifera and the native bee P. helleri, and therefore, have the potential for ecofriendly pest control.

Exposure to cyantraniliprole causes mortality and disturbs behavioral and respiratory responses in the coffee berry borer (Hypothenemus hampei).

BACKGROUND: Hypothenemus hampei Ferrari (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is the main pest of coffee due to the damage caused to coffee berries. Effective management methods and prevention of insecticide resistance are urgently needed against this insect. Bioassays were conducted to assess the effects of the diamide insecticide cyantraniliprole on H. hampei. Cyantraniliprole is the most recent compound registered against this species after the phasing out of endosulfan, the main insecticide historically used against the coffee borer for the past 30 years. Toxicity, survival, progeny production, respiration rate, and behavioral responses to cyantraniliprole were evaluated. RESULTS: Cyantraniliprole was toxic to adult H. hampei (LC50 = 0.67 mg mL-1 and LC90 = 1.71 mg mL-1 ). Adult survival was 95% without exposure to cyantraniliprole, decreasing to 52% in insects exposed to LC50 cyantraniliprole and 27% in insects treated with LC90 cyantraniliprole. Furthermore, H. hampei showed reduced mobility on insecticide-treated surfaces. The insecticide also led to a decrease in the respiration rate of H. hampei for up to 3 h after exposure, altering behavioral responses and locomotor activity. CONCLUSION: Cyantraniliprole exhibits lethal and sublethal effects on H. hampei and can be used in rotation in integrated pest management programs for control of this species in coffee cultivation systems. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

MicroRNA-1254 contributes to the controlling of pro-fibrogenic environment in LX-2 cells by modulating SMAD3 and wound repair: new insights in hepatic fibrosis.

Hepatic fibrosis and its end-stage cirrhosis have increased worldwide, and, despite all the efforts, no successful therapy is available. More recently, the heptapeptide angiotensin-(1-7) [ang-(1-7)] was reported to be able to modulate liver fibrosis and even steatosis; however, the molecular bases of these effects are not clear. In this study, we investigated the overexpression of the microRNA-1254 in the human hepatic stellate cell line LX-2, based on the effect of the heptapeptide in such cells, previously, demonstrated by our research group. In addition, this miRNA was chosen based on the identification of putative binding site of this small molecule in the mRNA sequences of different molecular connectors of the AKT/ PI3K pathway, which is modulated by the heptapeptide and connects to the control of several cellular mechanisms, including proliferation, survival, migration, and even liver fibrogenesis. The results revealed an innovative function of the miR-1254 in controlling SMAD3 and pro-fibrosing elements as well as the wound healing response in LX-2, attenuating the scaring repair of the injured tissue. The combined findings provide useful information for future studies on the controlling of hepatic fibrogenesis.

Occurrence of intestinal parasites in collectors of recyclable materials in southern Brazil

Solid waste produced by modern society, together with lack of basic sanitation and poor hygiene practices result in risks to public health. 46 workers from the cities of Pelotas, Canguçu, Morro Redondo, Rio Grande and Capão do Leão were evaluated by parasitological examination of two fecal samples by Ritchie, Hoffman, Pons and Janer- HPJ techniques and Sheather method as well as a consented interview. 47.8% (22/46) of the examined individuals were parasitized, with no significant difference between both groups (garbage dump and recycling volunteers). Most of the samples evaluated presented forms of helminths (68.2%) while protozoa were found in 31.8% of the samples. Helminths found, and their respective prevalence were: Ascaris lumbricoides (31.8%), Ascaris lumbricoides/Trichuris trichiura (18.2%), Trichuris trichiura (9.1%), Taenia sp (4.6%) and Trichuris trichiura/Ancylostomids (4.6%). Protozoa were: Giardia intestinalis (13, 6%), Entamoeba spp. (9.1%) and Endolimax nana (9.1%). Monoparasitism was observed in 77.3% of the cases. Most of the population consisted of women, 21-40 years of age, low educational level and monthly income less than one minimum wage. The majority of the workers did not use protective equipment. Multivariate analysis revealed that infection from parasites in scavengers who lived near open sewers was 6.65 times higher (p = 0.0065) than in the other workers. In the localities studied, our results showed that the risk of acquiring parasitic infections was related to poor sanitation and the lack of sewerage systems; and not actually due to handling these types of waste. The parasitological indices found are similar to those described previously in other parts of the country

Friendship and Emotion Control in Pre-Adolescents With or Without Hearing Loss.

Emotional functioning plays a crucial role in the social development of children and adolescents. We examined the extent to which emotion control was related to the quality of friendships in pre-adolescents with and without hearing loss. We tested 350 pre-adolescents (75 deaf/hard of hearing in mainstream education (DHHm), 48 deaf/hard of hearing in special education (DHHs), and 227 hearing) through self-report. Outcomes confirmed a positive association between emotion control and positive friendships for all groups, with one notable exception: more approach strategies for emotion regulation were associated with more negative friendship features in the DHHs group. In addition, the DHHm group demonstrated high levels of emotion control, while their levels of positive friendship features were still lower compared to the hearing group.

Altered global microRNA expression in hepatic stellate cells LX-2 by angiotensin-(1-7) and miRNA-1914-5p identification as regulator of pro-fibrogenic elements and lipid metabolism.

The development of new therapeutic strategies to control or reverse hepatic fibrosis requires thorough knowledge about its molecular and cellular basis. It is known that the heptapeptide angiotensin-(1-7) [ang-(1-7)] can reduce hepatic fibrosis and steatosis in vivo; therefore, it is important to uncover the mechanisms regulating its activity and cellular model of investigation. Ang-(1-7) is a peptide of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS), and here we investigated its modulatory effect on the expression pattern of microRNAs (miRNAs) in hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) LX-2, which transdifferentiate into fibrogenic and proliferative cells. We compared the miRNA profiles between quiesced, activated and ang-(1-7)-treated activated HSCs to identify miRNAs that may regulate their transdifferentiation. Thirteen miRNAs were pointed, and cellular and molecular analyses identified miRNA-1914-5p as a molecule that contributes to the effects of ang-(1-7) on lipid metabolism and on the pro-fibrotic environment control. In our cellular model, we also analyzed the regulators of fatty acid metabolism. Specifically, miRNA-1914-5p regulates the expression of malonyl-CoA decarboxylase (MLYCD) and phosphatidic acid phosphohydrolase (PAP or Lipin-1). Additionally, Lipin-1 was closely correlated with mRNA expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPAR)-α and -γ, which also contribute to lipid homeostasis and to the reduction of TGF-ß1 expression. These findings provide a novel link between RAS and lipid metabolism in controlling HSCs activation.