Evaluation of strategies for the diagnosis of Chagas disease in an endemic area: SaMi-Trop study.

This study aims to evaluate strategies for diagnosing Chagas disease (CD) using rapid tests and risk questions in an endemic area. This is an analytical cross-sectional study conducted with 751 individuals from two municipalities in an endemic region for CD in the North of Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Participants answered a questionnaire with personal information and the risk criteria for CD infection recommended by the Clinical Protocol and Therapeutic Guidelines for Chagas disease (PCDT).

Echocardiographic predictors of mortality in heart failure from Chagas cardiomyopathy: Refining risk stratification with speckle-tracking echocardiography.

Background: Chagas cardiomyopathy is a major cause of mortality in endemic regions, predicted primarily by left ventricular (LV) systolic function. Speckle-tracking echocardiography (STE)-derived strain is a sensitive tool for assessing ventricular function and may enhance risk stratification. This study aimed to determine whether STE provides incremental prognostic value beyond traditional echocardiographic parameters in patients with Chagas cardiomyopathy.

Validation of the work functioning assessment for epilepsy - An ICF-based instrument for measuring work functioning of individuals with epilepsy.

ObjectiveTo validate the Work Functioning Assessment for Epilepsy.DesignMethodological and cross-sectional research in which the Work Functioning Assessment for Epilepsy was applied to a sample of individuals with epilepsy.SettingThe field test was conducted through in-person and online interviews with individuals treated in public and private services in two epilepsy outpatient clinics.

How much do opinions regarding cultivated meat vary within the same country? The cases of São Paulo and Salvador, Brazil.

The problems related to conventional meat production have been widely discussed globally and alternative proteins emerge as more sustainable and ethical options. Thus, understanding the intention to consume cultivated meat is key. This work aimed to study the intention to consume cultivated meat by residents of São Paulo and Salvador, Brazil, studying demographic differences.

Left atrial function in patients with rheumatic mitral stenosis: addressing prognostic insights beyond atrial fibrillation prediction.

Aims: Rheumatic mitral stenosis (MS) frequently leads to impaired left atrial (LA) function because of pressure overload, highlighting the underlying atrial pathology. Two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (2D-STE) offers early detection of LA dysfunction, potentially improving risk assessment in patients with MS. This study aims to evaluate the predictive value of LA function assessed by 2D-STE for clinical outcomes in patients with MS.

Left atrial reservoir strain is a superior discriminator of cardioembolism in ischaemic stroke.

Aims: Echocardiographic measures of left heart size and function have long been associated with cardioembolic mechanisms of stroke development, however, the diagnostic performance and comparison of measures of atrial function in this context has not been well studied. We sought to evaluate the diagnostic performance of left atrial reservoir strain (LASr) in identification of cardioembolism in the ischaemic stroke population relative to traditional measures of left heart size and function.

Methods And Results: Consecutive patients admitted to our institution with ischaemic stroke or transient ischaemic attack were recruited and underwent comprehensive transthoracic echocardiography.

Association between calf circumference and mortality in people receiving home enteral nutrition: A retrospective cohort study.

Background: Among the anthropometric measurements, calf circumference has been widely used as a simple and practical method to diagnose low muscle mass and sarcopenia. However, the association between this measurement and clinical outcomes in people receiving home enteral nutrition is still unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the association of calf circumference with mortality, discharge from home enteral nutrition, continuity in home enteral nutrition, and new hospitalizations in adult and older adult people.

Animal Welfare Science: Why and for Whom?

There are, in the literature, distinct ways to approach animal welfare. The objective of this work was to study the value attributed to farm animals in the scientific papers published in animal welfare and animal production journals at three different points in time, separated by a decade each. The first ten papers mentioning "animal welfare" or "animal well-being" in their objectives or hypotheses from each journal and each focus year were selected.

Parasitemia and antibody response to benznidazole treatment in a cohort of patients with chronic Chagas disease.

Background: Evaluating the effectiveness of Chagas disease treatment poses challenges due to the lack of biomarkers for disease progression and therapeutic response. In this study, we aimed to assess the clearance of Trypanosoma cruzi ( parasites in a group of benznidazole (BNZ)-treated chronic Chagas disease patients using high-sensitivity quantitative PCR (qPCR) and track antibody levels through a semiquantitative chemiluminescent assay.

Methods: A total of 102 seropositive patients with previous PCR-positive results were enrolled in the study.

Pre-Slaughter Stunning of Farmed Atlantic Halibut in CO-Saturated Seawater: Assessment of Unconsciousness by Electroencephalography (EEG).

As fish welfare becomes a growing concern, it is important to ensure humane treatment during slaughter. This study aimed to assess the onset of unconsciousness in Atlantic halibut immersed in CO-saturated seawater through electroencephalography (EEG). Of the 29 fish studied, 10 exhibited escape attempts, indicating aversion to CO-saturated water despite its oxygenation.

DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF A PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALE FOR BARIATRIC SURGERY: THE BARITEST.

Background: It is recommended that bariatric surgery candidates undergo psychological assessment. However, no specific instrument exists to assess the psychological well-being of bariatric patients, before and after surgery, and for which all constructs are valid for both genders.

Aims: This study aimed to develop and validate a new psychometric instrument to be used before and after bariatric surgery in order to assess psychological outcomes of patients.

Dietary patterns and associated factors of children under two years of age born prematurely.

Objective: To identify the dietary patterns and associated factors of children aged between 6 and 23 months, born prematurely and assisted at a University Hospital in Curitiba, state of Paraná, Brazil.

Methods: The parents or guardians of the 135 children were asked about their children's eating habits and the family's socioeconomic and demographic conditions. Information regarding birth and health history were obtained from medical records.

Consumption of food groups and associated factors among children aged 6 to 23 months.

Objective: To assess the consumption of food groups among children aged 6 to 23 months in day care centers and at home and its associated factors.

Methods: This is a population-based cross-sectional study conducted with children from nursery schools in Guaratuba, Paraná. Parents answered a socioeconomic and demographic questionnaire.

From the Point of View of the Chickens: What Difference Does a Window Make?

We aimed to investigate what broiler chickens prefer when given free choice between a barn side with artificial lighting only as opposed to the other barn side with natural light through glass windows and artificial light. Eighty-five 1 day-old male Cobb 500 broiler chickens were divided into 10 pens; half of each pen area was provided with only artificial light (OAL) and the other half with natural and artificial light (NAL), and birds were free to move across sides. Environmental indicators and external conditions such as temperature, relative humidity, air velocity, ammonia and illuminance were monitored inside and outside the barn.

A Cross-Cultural Adaptation of the Collective Efficacy Questionnaire for Sports (CEQS): Validity Evidence for a Brazilian Version.

This three-part study aimed to translate, cross-culturally adapt, and validate the Collective Efficacy Questionnaire for Sports (CEQS) for Brazilian athletes. In Study 1, six translators and six specialists developed a Portuguese version of the CEQS (the CEQS-B), and 10 experts and 10 sports participants provided content validity evidence based on test content. In Study 2, 553 athletes completed the CEQS-B, and we provided evidence of construct and convergent validity for the test's internal structure through factor analysis and of reliability evidence based on the instrument's internal consistency and temporal stability.

Mind the Gap: Animal Protection Law and Opinion of Sheep Farmers and Lay Citizens Regarding Animal Maltreatment in Sheep Farming in Southern Brazil.

We aimed to study the gaps between the law and sheep farmer and citizen opinions regarding animal maltreatment by discussing the risk of sheep maltreatment in regular farming practices in Southern Brazil. We surveyed the perception of 56 farmers and 209 citizens regarding general animal and specific on-farm sheep maltreatment issues. The main themes from these two groups about the key components of animal maltreatment were similar: failing to provide for the basic animal needs (27.

Effects of Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM and Bifidobacterium lactis Bi-07 Supplementation on Nutritional and Metabolic Parameters in the Early Postoperative Period after Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass: a Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial.

Unlabelled: Studies have suggested that Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) causes changes in the intestinal microbiota composition and function due to anatomical and physiological modifications. The role of probiotic supplementation after bariatric procedures remains to be determined.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM and Bifidobacterium lactis Bi-07 supplementation on nutritional and metabolic parameters after RYGB.

Effects of Probiotics Supplementation on Gastrointestinal Symptoms and SIBO after Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass: a Prospective, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial.

Unlabelled: Bariatric surgery may cause undesirable gastrointestinal symptoms due to anatomical, functional and intestinal microbiota changes.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of probiotic supplementation on gastrointestinal symptoms and small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) in patients after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB).

Materials And Methods: This is a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

[Adherence to school food and associated factors among adolescents in public schools in the Southern region of Brazil].

The scope of this study was to analyze adherence to school food and associated factors among adolescents from public state schools in the municipality of Lapa, Paraná, in the Southern region of Brazil. The study uses a cross-sectional and analytical design and includes 492 male and female adolescents aged 10 to 19 years from five urban and five rural schools in the municipality. The students underwent anthropometric assessment and answered a questionnaire about school food and alternative food intakes (purchased or home-cooked).

FOOD INTAKE EVALUATION DURING THE FIRST YEAR OF POSTOPERATIVE OF PATIENTS WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS OR GLYCEMIC ALTERATION SUBMITTED TO ROUX-EN-Y GASTRIC BYPASS.

Background: : Obesity is one of the main causes of glycemic change. Failure of clinical obesity treatment may lead to an increase in bariatric surgery. Dietary guidance, in conjunction with disabsorptive and hormonal factors resulting from the anatomical and physiological changes provoked by the surgery, is associated with changes in food intake.

Predictors of Success in Bariatric Surgery: the Role of BMI and Pre-operative Comorbidities.

Background: This is a retrospective review of 204 patients who underwent bariatric surgery. The impact of weight regain (WR), pre-operative comorbidities and BMI values on the recurrence of comorbidities was evaluated, and an equation was elaborated to estimate BMI at 5 years of bariatric surgery.

Methods: Pre-operative data, after 1 year and after 5 years, was collected from the medical records.

[Factors associated with adherence to school meals by adolescents in State public schools in Colombo, Paraná State, Brazil].

This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of adherence to school meals and associated factors among adolescent schoolchildren (N = 1,569). The adolescents completed an on-line questionnaire on adherence to school meals, and their parents answered another questionnaire on socioeconomic data. The chi-square test was used to assess the association between adherence to school meals and gender, nutritional status, per capita family income, maternal schooling, adolescents' opinions on the dining hall layout, whether they considered school meals healthy, and consumption of other foods.

Translation of social and occupational functioning scale for epilepsy into Portuguese - Brazil.

Epilepsy has important consequences on functionality and social activities. There are few evaluation tools for this purpose. This study aimed to translate the Social and Occupational Functioning Scale for Epilepsy.

Prevalence and risk factors of anemia in children.

Objective: To identify the prevalence and factors associated with anemia in children attending Municipal Early Childhood Education Day Care Center (Centros Municipais de Educação Infantil [CMEI]) nurseries in Colombo-PR.

Methods: Analytical, cross-sectional study with a representative sample of 334 children obtained by stratified cluster sampling, with random selection of 26 nurseries. Data collection was conducted through interviews with parents, assessment of iron intake by direct food weighing, and hemoglobin measurement using the finger-stick test.