Scientific Literacy-LC in the various domains of scientific and technological knowledge, has been seen as necessary to form the citizens, who, when scientifically literate, make social use of science, understanding scientific information disseminated in everyday life and incorporating it into own nbsp;needs. The objective of this work was to bring together concepts and contributions from LC; and present bibliometric indicators on this phenomenon. Bibliometry was used to extract data from the Scopus database in September/2022, verifying “scientific literacy/Scientific Literacy” in articles published in Brazil and world. The main conclusions indicate that the countries considered developed are ranked among the top ten places, with the USA leading with 23.8% of world publications regardless of the theme; and Brazil, in 15th place, with 1.8% of publications. In works on CL, the US is in first place, with 32.5%; and Brazil, in ninth place, with 3.6%. The areas that most publish about CL in the world and in Brazil are Social Sciences and Humanities. Of the articles published worldwide, 91.2% are in English; in Brazil, 51.6% are in Portuguese; and 50.0% in English. It is suggested that the LC arouses current interest in the scientific community, since, worldwide, publications on the subject increase with an annual average rate of 13.3%. In this work, the main authors, institutions, areas, journals and languages ​​of publications on CL were mapped, showing its importance to support research in different areas, whether educational, social, applied to health, among others.

La Alfabetización Científica (AC), en los diversos dominios del conocimiento científico y tecnológico, ha sido vista como necesaria para formar ciudadanos que, alfabetizados científicamente, hagan un uso social de la ciencia, comprendiendo la información científica difundida en la vida cotidiana e incorporándola a las propias necesidades. Objetivo de este trabajo fue reunir conceptos y aportes de LC; y presentar indicadores bibliométricos sobre este fenómeno. Se utilizó bibliometría para extraer datos de la base de datos Scopus en septiembre 2022, verificando el término de búsqueda “alfabetización científica/Alfabetización científica” en artículos publicados en Brasil y en el mundo. Principales conclusiones indican que países considerados desarrollados se ubican entre diez primeros lugares, con EE.UU. a la cabeza con el 23,8% de las publicaciones mundiales independientemente de la temática; y Brasil, en el puesto 15, con el 1,8% de las publicaciones. En trabajos CL, EE.UU. el primer lugar, con 32,5%; Brasil, en noveno lugar, con 3,6%. Áreas que más publican sobre CL en el mundo y Brasil son Ciencias Sociales y Humanidades. Artículos publicados a nivel mundial, 91,2% están en inglés; Brasil, el 51,6% está en portugués; 50,0% en inglés. Sugiere que LC despierta interés actual en la comunidad científica, ya que, a nivel mundial, las publicaciones sobre el tema aumentan con una tasa promedio anual de 13,3%. Este trabajo se mapearon los principales autores, instituciones, áreas, revistas e idiomas de publicación sobre CL, mostrando su importancia para apoyar la investigación en diferentes áreas, ya sea educativa, social, aplicada a la salud, entre otras.

O Letramento Científico (LC), nos vários domínios de conhecimentos científicos e tecnológicos, tem sido colocado como necessário para formar o cidadão, o qual, quando é letrado cientificamente, faz uso social da ciência, entendendo informações científicas difundidas no cotidiano e as incorporando às próprias necessidades. O objetivo deste trabalho foi congregar conceitos e contribuições do LC; e apresentar indicadores bibliométricos sobre esse fenômeno. Utilizou-se a bibliometria para extrair dados da base Scopus em setembro de 2022, verificando o termo de busca “letramento científico/Scientific Literacy” em artigos publicados no Brasil e no mundo. As principais conclusões indicam que os países considerados desenvolvidos estão ranqueados dentre os dez primeiros lugares, sendo que os EUA lideram com 23,8% das publicações mundiais independentemente do tema; e o Brasil, em 15º lugar, com 1,8% de publicações. Em trabalhos sobre LC, os EUA estão em primeiro lugar, com 32,5%; e o Brasil, em nono, com 3,6%. As áreas que mais publicam sobre LC no mundo e no Brasil são Ciências Sociais e Humanidades. Dos artigos publicados no mundo, 91,2% são de língua inglesa; no Brasil, 51,6% são em português; e 50,0% em inglês. Sugere-se que o LC desperta atual interesse na comunidade científica, pois, em âmbito mundial, as publicações sobre o tema sobem com uma taxa média anual de 13,3%. Neste trabalho, mapearam-se principais autores, instituições, áreas, periódicos e idiomas de publicações sobre LC, mostrando a importância deste para fundamentar pesquisas de diversas áreas, sejam educacionais, sociais, aplicadas à saúde, entre outras.

BACKGROUND Toxoplasma gondii causes toxoplasmosis and is controlled by activated macrophages. However, infection of macrophages by tachyzoites induces TGF-β signaling (TGF-s) inhibiting nitric oxide (NO) production. NO inhibition may be a general escape mechanism of distinct T. gondii strains. OBJECTIVES To evaluate in activated macrophages the capacity of T. gondii strains of different virulence and genetics (RH, type I; ME-49, type II; VEG, type III; P-Br, recombinant) to evade the NO microbicidal defense system and determine LC3 loading to the parasitophorous vacuole. METHODS Activated peritoneal macrophages were infected with the different T. gondii strains, NO-production was evaluated by the Griess reagent, and inducible nitric oxide synthase expression, TGF-s, and LC3 localisation assayed by immunofluorescence. FINDINGS Only RH persisted in macrophages, while VEG was more resistant than P-Br and ME-49. All strains induced TGF-s, degradation of inducible nitric oxide synthase, and NO-production inhibition from 2 to 24 h of infection, but only RH sustained these alterations for 48 h. By 24 h of infection, TGF-s lowered in macrophages infected by ME-49, and P-Br, and NO-production recovered, while VEG sustained TGF-s and NO-production inhibition longer. LC3 loading to parasitophorous vacuole was strain-dependent: higher for ME-49, P-Br and VEG, lower for RH. All strains inhibited NO-production, but only RH sustained this effect probably because it persisted in macrophages due to additional evasive mechanisms as lower LC3 loading to parasitophorous vacuole. MAIN CONCLUSIONS These results support that T. gondii can escape the NO microbicidal defense system at the initial phase of the infection, but only the virulent strain sustain this evasion mechanism.

ABSTRACT With the aim of introducing permanent prostheses with main properties equivalent to cortical human bone, Ti-diamond composites were processed through powder metallurgy. Grade 1 titanium and mixtures of Ti powder with 2%, 5% and 10 wt% diamond were compacted at 100MPa, and then sintered at 1250°C/2hr/10-6mbar. Sintered samples were studied in the point of view of their microstructures, structures, yield strength and elastic modulus. The results showed that the best addition of diamonds was 2 wt%, which led to a uniform porosity, yield strength of 370MPa and elastic modulus of 13.9 GPa. Samples of Ti and Ti-2% diamond were subjected to in vitro cytotoxicity test, using cultures of VERO cells, and it resulted in a biocompatible and nontoxic composite material.

Toxoplasma gondii causes toxoplasmosis, a worldwide disease. Experimentation with pigs is necessary for the development of new therapeutic approaches to human diseases. BR-1 mini pigs were intramuscularly infected with T. gondii with tachyzoites (RH strain) or orally infected with cysts (ME-49 strain). Haematology and serum biochemistry were analysed and buffy coat cells were inoculated in mice to determine tachyzoite circulation. No alterations were observed in erythrocyte and platelet values; however, band neutrophils increased seven days after infection with ME-49. Serology of the mice inoculated with pig blood leucocytes revealed circulating ME-49 or RH strain tachyzoites in the pigs' peripheral blood at two and seven or nine days post-infection. The tachyzoites were also directly observed in blood smears from the infected pigs outside and inside leucocytes for longer periods. Alanine-aminotransferase was high at days 21 and 32 in the RH infected pigs. After 90 days, the pigs were euthanised and their tissue samples were processed and inoculated into mice. The mice serology revealed the presence of parasites in the hearts, ileums and mesenteric lymph nodes of the pigs. Additionally, cysts in the mice were only observed after pig heart tissue inoculation. The infected pigs presented similar human outcomes with relatively low pathogenicity and the BR-1 mini pig model infected with ME-49 is suitable to monitor experimental toxoplasmosis.

Lipid bodies [lipid droplets (LBs)] are lipid-rich organelles involved in lipid metabolism, signalling and inflammation. Recent findings suggest a role for LBs in host response to infection; however, the potential functions of this organelle in Toxoplasma gondii infection and how it alters macrophage microbicidal capacity during infection are not well understood. Here, we investigated the role of host LBs in T. gondii infection in mouse peritoneal macrophages in vitro. Macrophages cultured with mouse serum (MS) had higher numbers of LBs than those cultured in foetal bovine serum and can function as a model to study the role of LBs during intracellular pathogen infection. LBs were found in association with the parasitophorous vacuole, suggesting that T. gondii may benefit from this lipid source. Moreover, increased numbers of macrophage LBs correlated with high prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production and decreased nitric oxide (NO) synthesis. Accordingly, LB-enriched macrophages cultured with MS were less efficient at controlling T. gondii growth. Treatment of macrophages cultured with MS with indomethacin, an inhibitor of PGE2 production, increased the microbicidal capacity against T. gondii. Collectively, these results suggest that culture with MS caused a decrease in microbicidal activity of macrophages against T. gondii by increasing PGE2 while lowering NO production.

Historically, scientists in Brazil has significantly contributed to the biology, cultivation and structural organization of the pathogenic protozoan Toxoplasma gondiiand its interaction with host cells, starting with the description of the protozoan by Splendore in 1908. The intracellular and extracellular corpuscoli observed in rabbits, corresponded to what we now as tachyzoites. Later on, a pioneering method to grow T. gondii in tissue cultures was developed by Guimarães and Meyer, 1942. They also observed for the first time T. gondii by transmission electron microscopy and made the initial description of the cytoskeleton of T. gondii by observing negatively stained cells. In the 1980's, the relation of the cytoskeleton with the sub-pellicular microtubules was reveled by freeze-fracture. More recently, several Brazilian groups have analyzed in detail basic aspects of the early interaction of the protozoan with the host cell, such as the role of protein phosphorylation, transfer of host cell surface components to the protozoan and genesis and organization of the parasitophorous vacuole. Tachyzoites strategically inhibit nitric oxide production during active invasion of activated macrophages. In vitro studies on the sexual cycle of T. gondii using primary cultures of cat enterocytes and the egress from host cells are being carried out. Perspectives are that the contribution of Brazilian science to the knowledge on T. gondii biology will continue to flourish in years to come.

Cells die through a programmed process or accidental death, know as apoptosis or necrosis, respectively. Bothrops jararaca is a snake whose venom inhibits the growth of Trypanosoma cruzi epimastigote forms causing mitochondrion swelling and cell death. The aim of the present work was to determine the type of death induced in epimastigotes of T. cruzi by this venom. Parasite growth was inhibited after venom treatment, and 50% growth inhibition was obtained with 10 µg/ml. Ultrastructural observations confirmed mitochondrion swelling and kinetoplast disorganization. Furthermore, cytoplasmic condensation, loss of mitochondrion membrane potential, time-dependent increase in phosphatidylserine exposure at the outer leaflet plasma membrane followed by permeabilization, activation of caspase like protein and DNA fragmentation were observed in epimastigotes throughout a 24 h period of venom treatment. Taken together, these results indicate that the stress induced in epimastigote by this venom, triggers a programmed cell death process, similar to metazoan apoptosis, which leads to parasite death.

The effects of Photodynamic Therapy using 2nd generation photosensitizers have been widely investigated aiming clinical application treatment of solid neoplasms. In this work, ultrastructure changes caused by the action of two 2nd generation photosensitizers and laser irradiation on CHO-K1 and HeLa (neoplastic) cells were analyzed by transmission electron microscopy. Aluminum phthalocyanine chloride, aluminum phthalocyanine tetrasulfonate chloride and radiation from a semiconductor laser at a fluency of 0.5 J/cm² (Power=26mW; l=670nm) were used. The results showed induction of apoptosis. Such alterations where observed in HeLa but not in CHO-K1 cells after Aluminum phthalocyanine tetrasulfonate chloride (AlPcS4) photodynamic treatment. The Aluminum phthalocyanine chloride (AlPc) photodynamic treatment induced necrosis on the neoplastic cell line, and cytoplasm and nuclear alterations on the normal cell line.