Background Sickle cell anemia (SCA) is a genetic disease marked by abnormal hemoglobin S and sickle-shaped red blood cells. It is highly prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa, especially in Angola, where SCA and malaria are major causes of childhood mortality. This study aimed to explore whether genetic variants in genes associated with red blood cell adhesion to the vascular endothelium influence the manifestations of SCA in Angola...

The expansion of invasive European wild boar ( Sus scrofa scrofa ) populations in Brazil and the increasing commercialization of this species raise concerns about their role as reservoirs of zoonotic and antimicrobial-resistant bacteria. This study aimed to determine the prevalence, antimicrobial resistance profiles, and detection of virulence and resistance genes in Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp. isolated from captive w...

In this work, the environmental occurrence ranges of different European cephalopod species are described for the whole NE Atlantic shelf including the greater North Sea and Baltic Sea. This is done based on the environmental parameters collected in-situ during surveys that caught commercially important cephalopod species (1990–2022). Results are supplemented and compared with information available in the published literature a...

The genus Pouteria (family Sapotaceae) is traditionally used for gastrointestinal, inflammatory, and microbial issues, and has great nutritional applications because of the variety of fruits it contains. Despite its versatile applications, comprehensive research on Pouteria remains outdated, necessitating an integrative review of recent studies exploring its phytochemical evidence and biological activities. An unrestricted sea...

This study evaluated the effect of N-acetylcysteine ​​on oxidative biochemistry and bone damage during the development of ligature-induced experimental periodontitis in rats. The rats were divided into three groups (n = 8/group): control, experimental periodontitis (EP), or experimental periodontitis plus daily N-acetylcysteine administration (EP + NA) (100 mg/kg/day). Periodontitis was induced by bilateral silk ligatures on t...

Multiform glioblastoma (GBM) is the most aggressive primary brain tumor, associated with high heterogeneity, treatment resistance, and poor survival. Temozolomide (TMZ), although the main chemotherapeutic agent used, shows limited efficacy due to low solubility, chemical instability, and acquired resistance. In this context, nanostructured systems can enhance their antitumor efficacy. This study aimed to develop and characteri...

This study evaluated the intraoperative and postoperative analgesic effects of an ultrasound-guided erector spinae plane (ESP) block with bupivacaine in cats undergoing elective ovariohysterectomy. Sixteen healthy client-owned female cats (with, 2.62 ± 0.46 kg; and, 23.06 ± 20.34 months) were randomly assigned to two groups ( n = 8 each). All animals received dexmedetomidine (2.5 µg/kg, intramuscularly), followed by propofol a...

The co-processing of waste in clinker synthesis is a widely adopted strategy to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels and natural raw materials. However, the incineration of waste may increase the release of potentially toxic compounds (PTCs) and volatile metals, raising concerns for the environment and human health. A major limitation in assessing these risks is the lack of suitable methods to directly quantify PTCs in anhyd...

Purpose Healthcare-associated infections and antimicrobial resistance present major challenges worldwide, especially for immunocompromised patients. This study aimed to evaluate the antimicrobial, antibiofilm, and immunomodulatory properties of KW18, a synthetic peptide (NH₂-KWIRRIIRRYVCFFRKFI-COOH) designed through bioinformatics to target multidrug-resistant bacteria and fungi, and to determine whether KW18 could serve as a...

The rapid expansion of zoonotic sporotrichosis in South America necessitates innovative surveillance strategies to identify natural ecological niches. Roadkill provides a unique, underutilized opportunity to monitor Sporothrix circulation within human-impacted landscapes. We conducted a molecular survey via a triplex probe quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) assay targeting pathogenic Sporothrix species in 81 roadkilled vertebra...

This study explored a potential route for valorizing the entire biomass from water hyacinth. Initially, the biomass underwent complete characterization, revealing high contents of ash (35%), extractives (25%), and monosaccharides (41%), with glucose being predominant (21%). Lignin content was low (19%), with a monomeric composition rich in G- and H-units (3.6% and 3.4%, respectively). The biomass exhibited a low calorific valu...