Abstract: COVID-19 rapidly spread across the world in an unprecedented outbreak with a massive number of infected and fatalities. The pandemic was heavily discussed and searched on the internet, which generated big amounts of data related to it. This led to the possibility of attempting to forecast coronavirus indicators using the internet data. For this study, Google Trends statistics for 124 selected search terms related to pandemic were used in an attempt to find which keywords had the best Spearman correlations with a lag, as well as a forecasting model. It was found that keywords related to coronavirus testing among some others, such as “I have contracted covid”, had high correlations (≥0.7) with few weeks of lag (≤4 weeks). Besides that, the ARIMAX model using those keywords had promising results in predicting the increase or decrease of epidemiological indicators, although it was not able to predict their exact values. Thus, we found that Google Trends data may be useful for predicting outbreaks of coronavirus a few weeks before they happen, and may be used as an auxiliary tool in monitoring and forecasting the disease in Brazil.

ABSTRACT Objective This study aimed to establish the utility values of different health states associated with diabetic retinopathy in a Brazilian sample to provide input to model-based economic evaluations. Subjects and methods This cross-sectional study was performed in a sample of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) who underwent teleophthalmology screening at a primary care service from 2014 to 2016. Five diabetic retinopathy health states were defined: absent, non-sight-threatening, sight-threatening, and bilateral blindness. Utility values were estimated using the Brazilian EuroQol five dimensions (EQ-5D) tariffs. Descriptive statistics were calculated. Analysis of covariance was performed to adjust the utility values for potential confounders. Results The study included 206 patients. The mean (± standard deviation [SD]) utility value was 0.765 ± 0.19 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.740–0.790). The adjusted mean utility value was 0.748 (95% CI, 0.698–0.798) in patients without diabetic retinopathy, 0.752 (95% CI, 0.679–0.825) in those with non-sight-threatening state, 0.628 (95% CI, 0.521–0.736) in those with sight-threatening state, and 0.355 (95% CI, 0.105–0.606) in those with bilateral blindness. A significant utility decrement was found between patients without diabetic retinopathy and those with a sight-threatening health state (0.748 vs. 0.628, respectively, p = 0.04). Conclusions The findings suggest that a later diabetic retinopathy health state is associated with a decrement in utility value compared with the absence of retinopathy in patients with T2D. The results may be useful as preliminary input to model-based economic evaluations. Further research is needed to investigate the impact of diabetic retinopathy on health-related quality of life in a sample more representative of the Brazilian population.

Resumo Toxoplasma gondii, Neospora caninum e Sarcocystis neurona são protozoários intracelulares do filo Apicomplexa. O papagaio-de-cara-roxa (Amazona brasiliensis) é um psitacídeo endêmico da floresta atlântica, considerado uma espécie quase ameaçada de extinção e bioindicadora por sua sensibilidade às mudanças no ambiente. O objetivo do presente estudo foi detectar a presença de anticorpos contra T. gondii, N. caninum e S. neurona em filhotes de papagaios-de-cara-roxa (Amazona brasiliensis) de vida livre na Ilha Rasa, Brasil. Amostras de sangue foram coletadas de 51 papagaios e armazenadas a - 20ºC até a realização da Reação de Imunofluorescência Indireta (RIFI). As lâminas de RIFI com os antígenos, foram preparadas com taquizoítos de T. gondii (cepa RH) e N. caninum (cepa NC-1) e com merozoítos de S. neurona (cepa SNR37). Os plasmas foram diluídos em PBS (Ph 7,2) nas diluições 1:16 para T. gondii, 1:50 para N. caninum e 1:5 para S. neurona. O conjugado anti-IgG de galinhas marcado com fluoresceína (FITC) foi utilizado na diluição de 1:50. Não foram detectados anticorpos para os três protozoários nas amostras sugerindo que os filhotes de papagaios-de-cara-roxa não foram expostos aos protozoários.

Abstract Toxoplasma gondii, Neospora caninum and Sarcocystis neurona are obligate intracellular parasites within the phylum Apicomplexa. The red-tailed Amazon parrot (Amazona brasiliensis) is a near-threatened species of psittacine that is endemic to the Atlantic Forest of Brazil and has been designated as a bioindicator because of its sensitivity to environmental qualitative status and changes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the presence of antibodies against T. gondii, N. caninum and S. neurona in wild red-tailed Amazon parrot nestlings on Rasa Island, Brazil. Blood samples were collected from 51 parrots and plasma samples were stored at – 20 °C until immunofluorescence antibody tests (IFAT) were performed. Antigen slides were prepared using tachyzoites of T. gondii (RH strain) and, N. caninum (NC-1 strain) and using merozoites of S. neurona (SNR37 strain). Plasma samples were tested at initial dilutions of 1:16 for T. gondii, 1:50 for N. caninum and 1:5 for S. neurona. An anti-chicken antibody conjugated with FITC was used as a secondary antibody at 1:50 dilution. No antibodies for any of these three protozoa were found, thus suggesting that these wild red-tailed Amazon parrot nestlings had not been exposed to these parasites.

Resumo Gansos, patos, marrecos e cisnes são aves da ordem Anseriformes, encontrados em vida livre, zoológicos, parques e criados para consumo da carne. Toxoplasma gondii, Sarcocystis sp. e Neospora caninum são protozoários capazes de infectar diversas espécies animais. Aves domésticas e silvestres podem ser hospedeiras intermediárias e servir como disseminadoras e potenciais fontes de infecção para seres humanos por meio da carne. O objetivo do estudo foi 1) realizar a soroprevalência de T. gondii, Sarcocystis sp. e N. caninum em gansos (Anser sp.) provenientes de parques públicos e de um cativeiro e 2) comparar a soroprevalência entre os locais. Foi realizada sorologia de 149 Anser sp. pelo método da reação de imunofluorescência indireta. Anticorpos para Sarcocystis sp., T. gondii e N. caninum foram encontrados em 28,18%, 18%, e 0,67% dos animais, respectivamente; 57% dos gansos dos parques públicos e 26,53% dos animais cativos foram soropositivos para algum dos protozoários. A ocorrência de anticorpos para tais protozoários indica contaminação ambiental, ressaltando a alta prevalência de anticorpos para T. gondii, zoonose transmitida por ingestão dos oocistos. Sugere-se investigação da água e medidas ambientais para reduzir a contaminação dos animais e do ambiente. Este é o primeiro trabalho que avaliou sorologicamente gansos provenientes de parques urbanos de Curitiba, Paraná para T. gondii, Sarcocystis sp. e N. caninum.

Abstract Geese, ducks, mallards, and swans are birds of the order Anseriformes, which are found in the wild, in zoos and parks, and raised for meat consumption. Toxoplasma gondii, Sarcocystis sp., and Neospora caninum are protozoans of several species of animals. Wild and domestic birds can serve as intermediate hosts, disseminators and potential sources of infection of these protozoa to humans through contaminated meat. The aims of this study were: (i) to perform a serological survey of T. gondii, Sarcocystis sp. and N. caninum in geese (Anser sp.) from public parks and from captivity and (ii) to compare seroprevalence between these two locations. Antibodies were detected by Immunofluorescence antibody test using the serum of 149 geese. Antibodies to Sarcocystis sp., T. gondii, and N. caninum were detected in 28.18%, 18% and 0.67% of geese, respectively; 57% of geese from urban parks and 26.53% of geese from captivity were seropositive for at least one protozoa. The results indicate environmental contamination, particularly for the occurrence of antibodies against T. gondii – a zoonosis that causes toxoplasmosis and is transmitted through oocyte ingestion. This is the first serological survey of T. gondii, Sarcocystis sp. and N. caninum in geese from urban parks in Curitiba, Brazil.

Resumo: O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a influência de cultivares de figueiras (Ficus carica) cultivadas em regiões subtropicais nas características físico-químicas, reológicas e sensoriais dos doces de figos em conserva. Os frutos frescos das cultivares foram analisados quanto a comprimento, diâmetro, massa unitária, sólidos solúveis totais, acidez total titulável, pH, relação sólidos solúveis totais/acidez total titulável e cor. Os figos em conserva foram avaliados quanto a acidez titulável, pH, cor, perfil de textura e características sensoriais. As diferentes características físico-químicas dos figos frescos influenciaram as dos frutos em conserva obtidos. Os figos em conserva de 'Lemon' e 'Pingo de Mel' apresentaram os menores e os maiores pH, respectivamente, enquanto os de 'Troiano' apresentaram a maior acidez total titulável. Em relação à cor, após o processamento, os figos em conserva, no geral, apresentaram coloração mais esverdeada e escura que o fruto fresco. Os figos em conserva obtidos de 'Brunswick' e 'Troiano' tiveram a menor aceitação e os de 'Bêbera Branca' e 'Roxo de Valinhos', a maior. Figos em conserva menos ácidos e mais macios são mais amplamente aceitos, o que pode ser obtido de todas as cultivares, exceto de Brunswick e Troiano.

Abstract: The objective of this work was to evaluate the influence of fig (Ficus carica) cultivars grown in subtropical regions on the physicochemical, rheological, and sensorial characteristics of the canned figs. Fresh fruits of the cultivars were analyzed for length, diameter, unit mass, total soluble solids, total titratable acidity, pH, total soluble solids/total titratable acidity ratio, and color. Canned figs were evaluated for titratable acidity, pH, color, texture profile, and sensory characteristics. The different physicochemical characteristics of the fresh figs influenced those of the obtained canned fruits. The canned figs from 'Lemon' and 'Pingo de Mel' presented the lowest and highest pH, respectively, whereas those from 'Troiano' showed the highest total titratable acidity. As for color, after processing, the canned figs, in general, presented a more greenish and darker color than the fresh fruits. The canned figs from 'Brunswick' and 'Troiano' had the lowest acceptance, whereas those from 'Bêbera Branca' and 'Roxo de Valinhos', the greatest. Less acid and softer canned figs are more widely accepted, which can be obtained from all cultivars, except from Brunswick and Troiano.

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE To translate and to observe the psychometric measures of the Brazilian version of the Quality of Prenatal Care Questionnaire. METHODS The translation protocol followed the standards of the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research. Descriptive statistics were performed to identify characteristics of 280 literate postpartum women in a public hospital. We examined the internal consistency using Cronbach's alfa. To determine the test-retest reproducibility and the instrument's stability, we performed the intraclass correlation coefficient and Bland and Altman plot between two applications. We investigated the item's properties using the item response theory. RESULTS The overall Cronbach's alpha index was 0.975. The intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.995 (95%CI 0.993-0.996) and a uniform distribution was visualized at the Bland and Altman plot. The item response theory identified the discriminatory power and the difficulty level of the instrument and of each item. The instrument showed acute angulation of the expected total score, and good concentrate information and good standard error curves, preserving the latent construct and its original items. CONCLUSIONS This analysis concluded that the Brazilian version of the Quality of Prenatal Care Questionnaire is a high-quality, reliable and valid questionnaire to determine the quality of prenatal care among Brazilian women. The questionnaire is suitable for the cultural context represented.

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE To translate and to observe the psychometric measures of the Brazilian version of the Quality of Prenatal Care Questionnaire. METHODS The translation protocol followed the standards of the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research. Descriptive statistics were performed to identify characteristics of 280 literate postpartum women in a public hospital. We examined the internal consistency using Cronbach's alfa. To determine the test-retest reproducibility and the instrument's stability, we performed the intraclass correlation coefficient and Bland and Altman plot between two applications. We investigated the item's properties using the item response theory. RESULTS The overall Cronbach's alpha index was 0.975. The intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.995 (95%CI 0.993-0.996) and a uniform distribution was visualized at the Bland and Altman plot. The item response theory identified the discriminatory power and the difficulty level of the instrument and of each item. The instrument showed acute angulation of the expected total score, and good concentrate information and good standard error curves, preserving the latent construct and its original items. CONCLUSIONS This analysis concluded that the Brazilian version of the Quality of Prenatal Care Questionnaire is a high-quality, reliable and valid questionnaire to determine the quality of prenatal care among Brazilian women. The questionnaire is suitable for the cultural context represented.

O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a aplicabilidade da pesquisa de anticorpos anti- Toxoplasma gondii e anti- Neospora caninum em amostras de leite bovino pela reação de imunofluorescência indireta (RIFI) e sua concordância com a detecção desses anticorpos em amostras de soro sanguíneo, simultaneamente coletadas das mesmas vacas. No total, foram analisadas amostras correspondentes de soro sanguíneo e de leite de 177 vacas em início de lactação. Para o T. gondii, o diagnóstico no leite demonstrou concordância boa e sensibilidade baixa, quando comparado ao soro sanguíneo com título de anticorpos séricos ≥64 (ponto de corte). Quanto ao N. caninum, obteve-se concordância excelente entre a detecção de anticorpos no soro sanguíneo com título ≥50 (considerado ponto de corte para termos de diagnóstico) e no leite, com sensibilidade de 80,7% e especificidade de 100%, no entanto, para as vacas com títulos de anticorpos ≥100 no soro sanguíneo, a sensibilidade e a especificidade foram de 100%. Nas condições do presente estudo, demonstrou-se que a RIFI não é indicada para diagnóstico da toxoplasmose em amostras de leite bovino, devido ao alto percentual de vacas soropositivas para anticorpos anti-T. gondii no soro sanguíneo diluído 1:64, em cujas amostras de leite não houve detecção desses anticorpos. Por outro lado, a RIFI é um teste viável para o diagnóstico da neosporose bovina, especialmente considerando como ponto de corte um título de anticorpos séricos ≥100, podendo ser recomendável pela praticidade de coleta da amostra como parte de programas de saúde dos rebanhos e estudos epidemiológicos

This study aimed to evaluate: the applicability search for anti-Toxoplasma gondii and anti-Neospora caninum antibodies in cattle milk samples by indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT), and their concordance with detection of the same antibodies in blood serum samples, simultaneously collected from the same cows. A total of 177 cows in the beginning of lactation provided corresponding samples of blood serum and milk. To T. gondii, milk diagnosis demonstrated good conformity and low sensitivity in comparison with blood samples whose serum antibody titer ranged ≥64 (cut-off point). As for N. caninum it was obtained optimum conformity between the detection of blood serum antibodies, with titer ranging ≥50 (diagnose-aimed cut-off point) and milk, with sensitivity reaching 80.7% and 100% specificity. However, sensitivity and specificity reached 100% for cows whose antibodies titers in blood serum ranged ≥100. The study was able to demonstrate that IFAT is not indicate to diagnose toxoplasmosis in cattle milk samples due to the high percentage of cows that showed seropositivity to anti-T. gondii antibodies at the 1:64 blood serum dilution, in whose blood samples there was no such antibody detection. On the other hand, IFAT is a feasible test for diagnosing cattle neosporosis, especially when cut-off point is a serum antibody titer ≥100. It can be recommended as part of herd health programs and epidemiologic studies due to sampling practicality

Hidrocarbonetos policíclicos aromáticos (HPA) estão presentes no óleo diesel, sendo considerados perigosos devido à sua toxicidade. Neste estudo relatamos a degradação de 16 HPA em dois solos diferentes (S1 e S2) contaminados artificialmente com óleo diesel, usando processos foto-Fenton e pseudo-foto-Fenton. Planejamentos fatoriais foram usados para obter condições de tratamento mais eficientes e econômicas. Para a reação foto-Fenton, as condições mais favoráveis resultaram 94,6% e 95,6% de degradação dos HPA para os solos S1 e S2, respectivamente. O processo pseudo-foto-Fenton também apresentou um nível satisfatório de degradação, obtido em condições econômicas, com ferro endógeno, baixa concentração de peróxido, curto tempo de exposição à radiação e sem ajuste do pH do solo. Os resultados demonstram a eficiência do processo pseudo-foto-Fenton para tratar áreas contaminadas por HPA.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) components of diesel fuel are considered hazardous, due to their toxicity. We report the degradation of 16 PAHs using photo-Fenton and photo-Fenton-like processes in two different soil samples (S1 and S2) artificially contaminated with diesel oil. Experimental factorial designs were used to determine the most effective treatment conditions, with a view to achieving economical feasibility. For photo-Fenton reactions, the best degradation conditions resulted in an overall PAH concentration reduction of 94.6% and 95.6% for soils S1 and S2, respectively. The photo-Fenton-like processes also led to satisfactory degradation levels, obtained with only endogenous iron, low hydrogen peroxide concentration, short exposure time and no soil pH adjustment. These results demonstrate the viability of photo-Fenton-like processes to treat PAH contaminated areas.