Noé Mitterhofer Eiterer Ponce de Leon da Costa

Background: To evaluate the sociodemographic and clinical profiles of pregnant women with positive IgM anti‑T. gondii in the eastern Brazilian Legal Amazon, during the period from 2018 to 2023. Methods: This was an indirect observational study through the retrospective analysis of 1,049 medical records from pregnant women attended in the Obstetrics service of Basic Health Units. The dependent variable was the presence of IgM antibodies, and the independent variables included age brackets, ethnicity, schooling, occupation, and clinical complaints. Data were analyzed using Epi‑Info 3.3.2 software. Risk factors and odds ratio (OR) with 95% CI were calculated. Results: From the 1,049 medical records analyzed, 52 (4.97%) presented IgM anti‑T. gondii antibodies. There was a significant correlation between IgM presence and age older than 30 years (OR 2.17; CI: 1.60–7.12), being employed (OR: 8.42; CI: 1.05–22.12), being married (OR: 3.02; CI: 1.43–9.32), and having less than eight years of schooling (OR: 3.04; CI: 1.24–11.56). Conclusions: The prevalence of IgM antibodies in the studied population was considered high, associated with low schooling, employment, and age over 30 years. The asymptomatic characteristic of acute infection is highlighted, reinforcing the need for effective prenatal screening.

Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic performance of an in-house-developed IgG Western blot (WB) for congenital toxoplasmosis and its complementary role with other serological markers. Methodology: For this purpose, the study utilized 42 mother–child pairs, evaluating the WB in comparison with a Composite Reference Standard (CRS). Cohen’s Kappa coefficient measured agreement, while McNemar’s test compared WB with Combined Serology (neonatal IgG titers higher than the mother’s (IgG↑), IgM, IgA). Results: The WB demonstrated a sensitivity of 75.0% and a specificity of 100.0%. Kappa indicated substantial agreement with the CRS (κ = 0.67; 95% CI: 0.44–0.89). McNemar’s test found no statistically significant difference between WB and Combined Serology (p = 0.7516). Crucially, WB detected 4 unique cases missed by Combined Serology, and Combined Serology detected 6 cases missed by WB. This complementarity increased the overall diagnostic rate from 82.14% to 96.43%. Conclusions: IgG-WB is a crucial complementary diagnostic tool, especially for asymptomatic newborns. Its integration significantly improves diagnostic certainty, allowing for more timely treatment for congenital toxoplasmosis.

Background and Objective: International guidelines emphasise the importance of objective cough assessment for evaluating therapeutic efficacy. Cough negatively impacts quality of life and generates high costs for healthcare systems. However, the accuracy of cough frequency monitors remains unclear. This study aimed to identify tools developed to monitor cough frequency and evaluate their accuracy. Methods: Observational studies involving adults, children, or infants who used cough frequency monitors were included from the Pubmed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Web of Science databases published up to 24 November 2024. Two independent reviewers performed the screening, data extraction, and quality assessment of the studies using QUADAS‐2. Summary estimates of diagnostic accuracy were calculated with meta‐analysis using bivariate mixed effects regression. Results: Nineteen studies were included in the review. In the 16 studies included in the meta‐analysis with 52,612 events, sensitivity was 89% (95% CI 0.84–0.93, I ² 89.3%) and specificity was 99% (95% CI 0.98–1.00, I ² 88.2%). The area under the curve (AUC) of 0.96 indicated excellent discriminative capacity. In the 11 devices and 4 applications identified, individual accuracy was > 0.9. Conclusion: The tools are accurate in distinguishing between cough and non‐cough sounds, but their clinical application still presents technical challenges and requires investment. Future research should improve the monitors, maintaining high accuracy but allowing for agile, cost‐effective assessment.

The corn leafhopper (Dalbulus maidis), vector of the corn stunt complex (Spiroplasma kunkelii, Phytoplasma, and MRFV) in corn (Zea mays L.), causes losses of up to 100% in the crop. This review aimed to analyze the limitations of current control methods and the potential of integrated strategies. A systematic review was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines, selecting 8 articles (N=8) published between 2021 and 2025 to evaluate the effectiveness of chemical and biological control tactics against D. maidis. The review reveals that chemical control, such as seed treatment, has limited effectiveness (persisting up to stage V2) and fails to prevent transmission by already infected insects. Strategies focused solely on vector mortality have been proven insufficient. In contrast, biocontrol with entomopathogenic fungi (e.g., Cordyceps javanica) has proven to be more effective, as it disrupts the feeding behavior of D. maidis and directly interrupts pathogen transmission. In the field, the combination of these fungi with resistant hybrid seeds has achieved efficacy equivalent to that of insecticides. It is concluded that effective management requires a paradigm shift: from population control to interruption of transmission. Integrated Pest Management (IPM), integrating resistant hybrids, monitoring, and behavioral biocontrol, is consolidating itself as the most sustainable and resilient strategy.

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of seed tuber weight, staking system, and planting fertilization on the purple yam (Dioscorea trifida) crop. The experiment was conducted in the municipality of Caapiranga, in the state of Amazonas, Brazil. A randomized complete block design was used in a 3x2x5 factorial arrangement with four replicates. Three staking systems (intercropping with cassava, smooth wire espalier, and wooden stakes), two seed tuber weights (100 and 300 g), and five fertilization practices [no fertilization or soil correction, poultry manure (PM), triple superphosphate (TS), PM + TS, and PM + TS + dolomitic limestone] were evaluated. The assessed traits were number of tubers per plant, tuber weight (g), and tuber yield (Mg ha-1). The treatments containing PM yielded superior results for all evaluated traits. The highest mean values for number of tubers and total tuber yield are obtained in the espalier and wooden stake systems. In addition, 300 g seed tubers produce a significantly higher tuber number and total yield.

Cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp] is widely cultivated in Brazil, with diverse genotypes, which make it adaptable to different production systems and cultivation purposes, whether for grain or pod production. The objective of this study was to evaluate the genetic diversity of cowpea genotypes based on phenotypic traits for green pod production in southern Tocantins, Brazil. Two experiments were conducted, in Gurupi, Tocantins, and in Dianópolis, Tocantins. Twenty cowpea genotypes were evaluated using a randomized complete block design with four repetitions. The following traits were evaluated: pod length and width, number of grains per pod, number of pods per plant, weight of 100 green grains, wet and dry weight of 15 pods, pod moisture content, and green pod yield. The experimental data were subjected to analysis of variance, principal component analysis, Pearson's linear correlation analysis, path analysis, and cluster analysis. Green pod yield was the trait that contributed the most to the total variability observed in the study. Correlation analysis and path analysis demonstrated that green pod yield was most directly affected by the number of pods per plant and wet pod weight. Cluster analysis based on the Mahalanobis distance matrix formed four distinct groups. The genotypes MNC11-1013E-16, MNC11-1019E-8, MNC11-1020E-16, MNC11-1026E-15 and MNC11-1026E-19 stood out with the highest green pod yield values.

Entomopathogenic fungi are effective biological control agents for pest management, also demonstrating several benefits to host plants when acting as endophytes. These fungi benefit from the host’s nutrition and protection, while plants gain greater resistance to herbivores, pathogens, and other biotic stresses. This study evaluated one isolate each of Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin and Metarhizium anisopliae (Metschnikoff) Sorokin for their endophytic colonization ability and growth-promotion effects in Eucalyptus L’Hér plants. Two methods of artificial inoculation, stem injection and foliar spraying, were used for both fungal species and performed at 0, 15, 30, and 45 days after inoculation. Both fungal isolates successfully colonized Eucalyptus tissues during all evaluated periods. The colonized Eucalyptus plants showed increased number of leaves and branches after endophytic colonization by B. bassiana. M. anisopliae had a higher colonization rate when inoculated by both methods (stem injection and foliar spraying). The positive effects of endophytic colonization on plant growth are associated with the production of bioactive metabolites by the species, via mechanisms that are not yet fully understood. Endophytic isolates offer strategies that may contribute to pest management in Eucalyptus plantations.

Despite their economic relevance, studies on the physical, chemical, and sensory traits of green corn are still scarce. Therefore, this work aimed to identify superior hybrid combinations for post-harvest traits. For this purpose, 36 genotypes were evaluated in two different seasons, including 34 experimental hybrids and 2 testers (AG1051 and FT2015). AG1051 is a double hybrid of green corn, and FT2015 is a single hybrid of sweet corn. pH and °Brix in raw and cooked grains and weight loss were evaluated. It is concluded that there are promising crosses for the evaluated post-harvest traits. The crosses L111 x FT2015 and L33 x FT2015 showed high °Brix values in raw (means of 9.83 and 7.00) and cooked (means of 8.08 and 7.08) grains, low pH values in raw (means of 7.21 and 7.29) and cooked (means of 7.04 and 7.22) grains, and low weight loss (means of 1.66 g and 1.49 g).

Toxoplasmosis is a parasitic disease associated with significant morbidity and mortality. This cross-sectional study aimed to determine the prevalence, associated risk factors, and ocular health outcomes related to Toxoplasma gondii seropositivity in 161 residents from four Quilombolas communities in the northern region of Tocantins, Brazilian Legal Amazon. Peripheral blood samples were collected and tested by Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) for Immunoglobulin G (IgG) and/or Immunoglobulin M (IgM) and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), while a standardized form was used to collect sociodemographic, health, and behavioral data. Statistical analysis, conducted using Epi-Info 3.3.2, considered T. gondii seropositivity as the primary outcome, with a significance level less than 5% (p ≤ 0.05). An overall seroprevalence of 62.11% (100/161) was observed. Key risk factors significantly, as measured by the Odds Ratio (OR), associated with T. gondii seropositivity included being elderly (OR: 4.07, CI: 2.05–8.06, p < 0.01), having cats (OR: 5.56, CI: 2.74–22.27, p < 0.01), a low parental education level (OR: 2.97, CI: 1.46–6.02, p < 0.01), children playing on the ground (OR: 2.50, CI: 1.30–4.82, p < 0.01), and having a home vegetable garden (OR: 3.80, CI: 1.94–7.47, p < 0.01). Regarding ocular health, no conclusive direct association was established between T. gondii seropositivity and specific ocular manifestations when analyzed for children and the elderly separately. Observed ocular problems in the grouped population were primarily linked to age-related comorbidities rather than parasitic infection. High rates of T. gondii seropositivity, driven by specific environmental and socioeconomic factors, highlight the vulnerability of these communities, emphasizing the need for targeted preventive strategies.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of and risk factors for congenital toxoplasmosis in neonates treated in the public health network of the eastern region of the Brazilian Amazon, northern Tocantins state. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted with neonates born to mothers with gestational toxoplasmosis who received care between 2017 and 2024. The outcome under analysis was positivity for immunoglobulin M in the electrochemiluminescence assay (CLIA). We estimated the prevalence of transplacental infection and respective 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) and its association with risk factors using the odds ratio (or) with a p-value < 0.05 in infected neonates before and after 16 gestational weeks at maternal infection diagnosis. Results: A total of 1142 neonates were surveyed, in which 496 were diagnosed with congenital toxoplasmosis (IgM positive), thus obtaining a prevalence of vertical transmission of 45.4%. The main risk factors for vertical transmission were the mother’s education level equal to or less than eight years, (OR = 1.5; 95% CI 1.2; 2.0) and having less than six prenatal consultations (OR = 22.8; 95% CI 3.0; 172.6). Conclusions: A high prevalence of congenital toxoplasmosis was observed, with higher rates of infection in neonates born to mothers with lower levels of education.