Abstract INTRODUCTION: The treatment of mucosal leishmaniasis (ML) is difficult due to the toxicity and route of administration of standard drugs. Miltefosine is an oral agent used for leishmaniasis treatment; however, no data exist regarding its use for ML in Brazil. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the efficacy of miltefosine for ML treatment compared to that of pentavalent antimonial in a pilot study. METHODS: We performed a randomized clinical trial with two parallel groups. The tested intervention consisted of miltefosine 1.3-2 mg/kg/day (two capsules) for 28 days or intravenous 20 mg SbV/kg/day of meglumine antimoniate (N-MA) for 30 days. The final endpoint was defined as complete healing of the lesion four years after treatment. We also analyzed an early endpoint at 90 days after treatment. RESULTS: Forty patients were included in this study: each experimental group comprised 20 patients. Applying a multivariate model in an intention-to-treat analysis, we observed that patients treated with miltefosine had a cure probability 2.08 times greater (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.03-4.18) than those treated with N-MA at 90 days after treatment. At the final endpoint, we observed no differences in cure probability between miltefosine and N-MA (relative risk = 0.66; 95% CI = 0.33-1.32). With respect to adverse reactions, significant differences between groups were related to gastrointestinal effects, which were more frequent in the miltefosine group. CONCLUSIONS: Miltefosine may be an interesting alternative for treating ML because of its oral administration and cure rate after long-term follow-up.

This study showed that laboratory markers of recent infection by dengue, Zika or chikungunya arboviruses were detected in the biological samples of approximately one-third of patients with encephalitis, myelitis, encephalomyelitis or Guillain-Barré syndrome, in a surveillance programme in Piauí state, Brazil, between 2015-2016. Fever and myalgia had been associated with these cases. Since in non-tropical countries most infections or parainfectious diseases associated with the nervous system are attributed to herpesviruses, enteroviruses, and Campylobacter jejuni, the present findings indicate that in tropical countries, arboviruses may now play a more important role and reinforce the need for their surveillance and systematic investigation in the tropics.

RESUMO Este estudo analisa a problemática da comunicação no seio das comunidades científicas da área de Biblioteconomia e Ciência da Informação e como as redes sociais on-line se configuram como novos espaços de disponibilização da documentação científica e interação dos investigadores. O foco deste estudo é o contributo da presença on-line dos investigadores das áreas em análise para a promoção da visibilidade e internacionalização do trabalho académico desenvolvido. Realizou-se o levantamento da presença dos referidos investigadores na Rede Social ResearchGate (http://www.ResearchGate.net), suas motivações e percepções acerca da importância dessa presença para a visibilidade e internacionalização do trabalho de pesquisa que realizam. As motivações que nos levaram a escolher como cenários de investigação essas comunidades científicas no contexto brasileiro e português, dentre vários aspectos, destaca-se, a identificação com a temática e o interesse em contribuir com a comunidade científica dessa área no contexto Brasil e Portugal, a partir dos resultados desta investigação, que sublinham indicadores e subsídios necessários para a discussão nessa área, centrados nos seguintes eixos: internacionalização e visibilidade, tecnologias digitais e ensino superior e comunicação da ciência em rede. A análise destes resultados permite gerar uma compreensão do papel desempenhado por estes novos espaços híbridos entre arquivo e espaço de interação, na dinâmica de comunicação da comunidade acadêmica e científica da área da Biblioteconomia e Ciência da Informação.

ABSTRACT This study analyzes the problem of the communication in the scientific communities from the Librarianship and Information Sciences areas and how online social networks are configured as new spaces for the availability of the scientific documentation and interaction of researchers. The focus of this study is the contribution of the online presence of researchers in the areas under analysis to promote the visibility and internationalization of the academic work developed. A survey of the presence of these researchers in the Social ResearchGate Network (http://www.ResearchGate.net), their motivations and perceptions about the importance of this presence for the visibility and internationalization of the research work carried out. The motivations that led us to choose as research scenarios these scientific communities in the Brazilian and Portuguese context, among various aspects, we highlight the identification with the theme, and the interest in contributing with the scientific community of this area in the context of Brazil and Portugal , from the results of this research which will highlight the indicators and the necessary subsidies for the discussion in this area, focusing on the following axes: internationalization and visibility, digital technologies and higher education and communication of the network science. The analysis of these results can generate an understanding of the role played by these new hybrid spaces between archive and space of interaction, in the dynamics of the communication from the academic and scientific community in the Librarianship and Information Science areas.

Abstract: INTRODUCTION: Rhinosporidiosis is a chronic infection of the mucous membrane and is caused by Rhinosporidium seeberi, an aquatic mesomycetozoan. The mode of infection is probably transepithelial penetration. The large number of rivers and lakes and the strong presence of riparian populations in the State of Maranhão are strong predisposing factors for rhinosporidiosis. METHODS: A 5-year retrospective study was conducted in a tertiary medical center situated in Maranhão, Northeast Brazil. Twenty-five Maranhense patients diagnosed with rhinosporidiosis were analyzed. RESULTS: Most of the patients were children, adolescents and young adults (age range: 7-24 years, mean age: 14 years). The majority of the participants were male (84%), brown (76%), and students (92%). All lesions involved the entire nasal cavity and presented with a vascular polypoid mass. All patients were treated by surgical excision of the lesions. CONCLUSIONS: Rhinosporidiosis affects younger age groups, especially students from the countryside and the outskirts of urban areas. This study will aid and guide physicians in diagnosing and treating this infection in endemic areas.

Este estudo teve como objetivo avaliar o papel do camarão Macrobrachium amazonicum como carreador de Candida spp. do ambiente aquático, por meio da análise da correlação entre Candida spp. isoladas desse camarão e do seu ambiente (água de superfície e sedimento) através das técnicas de M13-PCR fingerprinting e RAPD-PCR. Para tanto, 27 cepas de Candida spp. foram avaliadas. Essas cepas foram recuperadas a partir do trato gastrointestinal de M. amazonicum adultos (7/27), oriundos da lagoa do Catú, Ceará, Brasil, e do meio aquático (águas superficiais e sedimentos) desse lago (20/27). A comparação molecular entre as cepas de camarões e o ambiente aquático foi conduzida por M13-PCR fingerprinting e RAPD-PCR, utilizando os iniciadores M13 e OPQ16, respectivamente. A análise molecular revelou semelhanças entre os padrões de bandas de oito isolados de Candida com o iniciador M13 e 11 isolados com o primer OPQ16, indicando que elas estão presentes no trato digestivo de M. amazonicum e no ambiente aquático, onde esses camarões habitam. Portanto, essa espécie de camarão pode ser usada como sentinela para monitoramento ambiental através da recuperação de Candida spp. do ambiente aquático, a partir do seu trato gastrointestinal

This study aimed to evaluate the role of the Amazon River prawn, Macrobrachium amazonicum, as carrier of Candida spp., by analyzing the correlation between Candida spp. from these prawns and their environment (surface water and sediment), through M13-PCR fingerprinting and RAPD-PCR. For this purpose, 27 strains of Candida spp. were evaluated. These strains were recovered from the gastrointestinal tract of adult M. amazonicum (7/27) from Catú Lake, Ceará State, Brazil and from the aquatic environment (surface water and sediment) of this lake (20/27). Molecular comparison between the strains from prawns and the aquatic environment was conducted by M13-PCR fingerprinting and RAPD-PCR, utilizing the primers M13 and OPQ16, respectively. The molecular analysis revealed similarities between the band patterns of eight Candida isolates with the primer M13 and 11 isolates with the primer OPQ16, indicating that the same strains are present in the digestive tract of M. amazonicum and in the aquatic environment where these prawns inhabit. Therefore, these prawns can be used as sentinels for environmental monitoring through the recovery of Candida spp. from the aquatic environment in their gastrointestinal tract