Correlation between Intestinal Health and Coccidiosis Prevalence in Broilers during Different Seasons of the Year in Brazil from 2012 to 2018

Coccidiosis is a disease caused by intracellular protozoan parasites, specifically belonging to the genus Eimeria. These parasites target the gastrointestinal tract in different types of hosts, causing sores in the intestinal lining. The presence of these lesions reduces the animal’s ability to digest and absorb nutrients, significantly impacting their overall performance. The current study aimed to explore the potential correlation between seasonal variations and the incidence of Eimeria spp-induced lesions in broiler chickens’ gastrointestinal tracts in Brazil from 2012 to 2018. A total of 8,607 broiler chickens, aged 14 to 42 days, were sampled from 103 poultry integrated companies in Brazil to conduct intestinal health examinations. The sampling process involved selecting 3 to 6 chickens from each poultry house for examination. The assessment included various abnormalities such as shedding of intestinal cells and excessive fluid and mucus presence, thickening and tension of the intestines, food movement, roughened mucosal surface resembling a Turkish towel in the small intestine, tissue death, duodenal inflammation, intestinal inflammation, gizzard erosion, presence of worms and bedding material, and ingestion of mealworms. During the seasons, winter exhibited the highest average occurrence of Eimeria maxima microorganisms at 52.83%, with E. acervulina following closely at 26.42% in second place. In spring, E. maxima had an occurrence of 11.31%, while in fall, E. tenella had the lowest occurrence at 6.74%. When analyzing the seasonal occurrence of Eimeria, it was observed that E. maxima micro was more common during winter compared to summer (P = 0.0491). However, no discernible variation was observed in the occurrence of the remaining species across different seasons. Research findings suggest that subclinical coccidiosis is most prevalent during the winter season in Brazil. Likewise, clinical disease caused by E. acervulina is also prevalent during this time. In contrast, E. maxima is more likely to cause clinical disease in the spring, whereas E. tenella is more commonly associated with clinical disease in the fall. Lesions induced by Eimeria spp. are associated with factors influencing the overall health of broiler intestines. These findings allow for the utilization of seasonal metrics in disease management, thereby reducing economic losses associated with the condition.

Ancylostoma ceylanicum and other zoonotic canine hookworms:neglected public and animal health risks in the Asia-Pacific region

Zoonotic hookworm infections remain a significant public health problem,causing nearly 500 milion cases globally and approximately four million disability-adjusted life years lost annually.More than one-fth of these cases are attrib-uted to Ancylostoma ceylanicum,an emerging zoonotic health issue in the Asia-Pacific region.This review presents key research gaps regarding the epidemiology,diagnosis,control,prevention and elimination of A.ceylanicum and other canine zoonotic hookworms as neglected health threats.A.ceylanicum is the second most prevalent human hook-worm in the region;it is the most common hookworm among dogs and cats-reservoirs of zoonotic infections.Previous population genetic and phylogenetic analyses revealed that A.ceylanicum has three possible transmis-sion dynamics:zoonotic,animal-only,and human-only pathways.The actual burden of zoonotic ancylostomiasis in most endemic countries remains unknown due to the use of parasitological techniques(e.g.,Kato-Katz thick smear and floatation techniques)that have reduced diagnostic performance and do not allow accurate species identifica-tion in helminth surveys.The emergence of benzimidazole resistance in soil-transmitted helminths(STHs),includ-ing hookworms,is a concern due to the protracted implementation of mass drug administration(MDA).Resistance is conferred by single nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs)that occur in theβ-tubulin isotype 1 gene.These mutations have been reported in drug-resistant A.caninum but have not been found in A.ceylanicum in the field.A.ceylanicum remains understudied in the Asia-Pacific region.The zoonotic nature of the parasite warrants investigation of its occur-rence in human and animal reservoir hosts to understand the dynamics of zoonotic transmission in different endemic foci.The detection of benzimidazole resistance-associated SNPs in zoonotic hookworms from Asia-Pacific countries has yet to be thoroughly explored.Considering the high level of hookworm endemicity in the region,the circulation of resistant isolates between humans and animals potentially presents a significant One Health threat that can under-mine current MDA and proposed animal deworming-based control efforts.

Etiology of Fungemia in Neonates: Four Decades of Case Reports

Objectives: To compare groups of etiologic agents for neonatal fungemia based on previously published case reports with regard to case outcomes. Methods: Secondary analysis of data from case reports published in scientific literature indexed in Medline, Scopus and LILACS databases, and starting from the year, full texts were registered until the year 2010. Results: Thirty-four species of fungi were isolated in 252 cases reported over a 40-year period. The distribution of fungal groups according to the development level of a case’s region of origin was very uneven (p Aspergillus sp.) in more developed countries. However, 73% of the chi-squared distribution corresponded to differences observed in the frequency of Candida sp. and non-albicans Candida. While the frequency of candidemia by C. albicans was progressively declining in the period from 1966 to 2010, reports of non-albicans candidemia and other non-Candida fungi became significantly (p albicans Candida or non-Candida fungi were isolated. Conclusion: fungi of the genera Candida and Aspergillus were the etiologic agents most frequently identified in published cases of neonatal fungemia;the outcome of death was more often related to cases where non-albicans Candida or non-Candida fungi were isolated.

Auditory Health and Risk Factors in Rural Workers Exposed to Pesticides in Piedade de Caratinga County-Minas Gerais

In Brazil, the amount of pesticides consumed doubled in the last 10 years. Thus, in 2008 it assumed the lead position in the world. However, its indiscriminate application in agriculture without the use of the necessary care has contributed to environmental degradation and increased occupational exposures, making it a serious health problem in the country. The recent study looked to evaluate the auditory health and risk factors in rural workers exposed to pesticides in Piedade de Caratinga County—MG, and chart their socioeconomic profile and lifestyle while identifying the types of crops and the use and management of pesticides. Developed, then, a descriptive and exploratory study involving 23 men, rural workers, exposed to pesticides, with no history of exposure to noise, with changes in meatoscopy and aged ≤50 years of age. The results show the sample consisted of 23 men with a mean age of 36.7 ± 9.3, whom have low education, with a monthly income of 1 minimum wage, working in the fields for over 15 years. There was a predominance of horticulture using organophosphate pesticides and pyrethroids. Part of the sample shows auditory loss, the most common sensorineural conductive loss. It is essential that the population exposed to this type of risk is informed and receives guidance from educational campaigns developed by the multidisciplinary team of basic health units.

Association between Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: Exacerbation of Major Depression Symptoms?

Introduction: Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) usually presents neuropsychiatric manifestations, such as psychosis, convulsion, mood disorder and chronic headache, with mood disorder being the most prevalent. It is also known that other psychiatric disorders and menstrual cycle disorders are frequent in SLE. The aim of this study was to describe for the first time the frequency of premenstrual dysphoric disorder in patients with SLE diagnosis, and its association with depression and anxiety. Material and Methods: An evaluation was made of 62 (sixty-two) patients with diagnosis of SLE, based on the American College of Rheumatology criteria, who received follow-up care at an ambulatory reference center. The patients were submitted to a sociodemographic evaluation questionnaire, upon which the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI PLUS), Brazilian Version 5.0.0, was used to evaluate the diagnosis. Results: Twenty (32%) patients were found to have premenstrual dysphoric disorder, and there was a statistically significant association with major depression (p = 0.010), but no statistical significance was found with dysthymia (p = 0.063) or anxiety (p = 0.223). Conclusions: The frequency of premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) in patients with SLE was high, as well as the frequency of major depression in this group. There was an association between these two disorders.

Neuropsychological and Physical Trajectories in Neurotypical and High-cognitive Performing Older Adults

The maintenance of high cognitive performance in old age has increasingly become a public health interest due to associations between cognition,well-being,longevity,and autonomy.The objective of the research is to investigate cognitive,physical,and psychological trajectories of neurotypical older adults(NOAs)and high performing older adults(HPOAs).An exploratory study to investigate 21 NOAs and six HPOAs(mean age 71,SD=±3.59),followed up for one year.The older adults were submitted to physical fitness,quality of life,anxiety,depression,RAVLT,ACE-R,and Stroop tests,being assessed at three moments:baseline,six months after the cognitive(MEMO)or stimulation(Stimullus)interventions,and six months after the multimodal interventions,which could be physical or psychopedagogical interventions(health education lectures).Nonparametric statistical tests(Mann-Whitney and Wilcoxon)were performed with p≤0.05.The results demonstrated that the cognitive measures were good predictors of cognitive performance and we observed positive correlations between cognitive and mood measures.The older adults with high performance had a lower prevalence of depressive symptoms.There were gains in global cognitive performance,mood,and in physical fitness variables associated with multimodal interventions,evident in the neurotypical group.

Pancreatic cancer cells render tumor-associated macrophages metabolically reprogrammed by a GARP and DNA methylation-mediated mechanism

How tumor-associated macrophages transit from a predominant antitumor M1-like phenotype to a protumoral M2-like phenotype during the development of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) remains to be elucidated. We thus conducted a study by employing a PDA-macrophage co-culture system, an “orthotopic” PDA syngeneic mouse model, and human PDA specimens, together with macrophages derived from GARP knockout mice and multiple analytic tools including whole-genome RNA sequencing, DNA methylation arrays, multiplex immunohistochemistry, metabolism measurement, and invasion/metastasis assessment. Our study showed that PDA tumor cells, through direct cell–cell contact, induce DNA methylation and downregulation of a panel of glucose metabolism and OXPHOS genes selectively in M1-like macrophages, leading to a suppressed glucose metabolic status in M1-like but not in M2-like macrophages. Following the interaction with PDA tumor cells, M1-like macrophages are reprogrammed phenotypically to M2-like macrophages. The interaction between M1-like macrophages and PDA cells is mediated by GARP and integrin αV/β8, respectively. Blocking either GARP or integrin would suppress tumor-induced DNA methylation in Nqo-1 gene and the reprogramming of M1-like macrophages. Glucose-response genes such as Il-10 are subsequently activated in tumor-educated M1-like macrophages. Partly through Il-10 and its receptor Il-10R on tumor cells, M1-like macrophages functionally acquire a pro-cancerous capability. Both exogenous M1-like and M2-like macrophages promote metastasis in a mouse model of PDA while such a role of M1-like macrophages is dependent on DNA methylation. Our results suggest that PDA cells are able to reprogram M1-like macrophages metabolically and functionally through a GARP-dependent and DNA methylation-mediated mechanism to adopt a pro-cancerous fate.

Metabolic effects of intestinal absorption and enterohepatic cycling of bile acids

The classical functions of bile acids include acting as detergents to facilitate the digestion and absorption of nutrients in the gut. In addition, bile acids also act as signaling molecules to regulate glucose homeostasis, lipid metabolism and energy expenditure. The signaling potential of bile acids in compartments such as the systemic circulation is regulated in part by an efficient enterohepatic circulation that functions to conserve and channel the pool of bile acids within the intestinal and hepatobiliary compartments. Changes in hepatobiliary and intestinal bile acid transport can alter the composition, size,and distribution of the bile acid pool. These alterations in turn can have significant effects on bile acid signaling and their downstream metabolic targets. This review discusses recent advances in our understanding of the inter-relationship between the enterohepatic cycling of bile acids and the metabolic consequences of signaling via bile acid-activated receptors, such as farnesoid X nuclear receptor(FXR)and the G-protein-coupled bile acid receptor(TGR5).