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Severe brain damage associated with Zika-related microcephaly (ZRM) have been reported to result in oropharyngeal dysphagia (OPD); however, it is unknown if OPD presents in children with prenatal Zika virus (ZIKV) exposure but only mild or undetectable abnormalities. The aims of this study were: to compare the frequency and characteristics of OPD in children with ZRM and in children without microcephaly born to mothers who tested polymerase chain reaction positive (PCR+) for ZIKV during pregnancy; and to investigate the concordance of caregiver reports of OPD with the diagnosis from the clinical swallowing assessment (CSA). Between Mar/2017 and May/2018, we evaluated 116 children (n = 58 with microcephaly, n = 58 children without microcephaly born to ZIKV PCR + mothers) participating in the Microcephaly Epidemic Research Group (MERG) cohort of children born during the 2015-2016 ZIKV epidemic in Pernambuco, Brazil. To assess OPD we used: a CSA; a clinical assessment of the stomatognathic system; and a questionnaire administered to caregivers. The frequency of OPD was markedly higher in children with ZRM (79.3%) than in the exposed but normocephalic group (8.6%). The children with microcephaly also presented more frequently with anatomic and functional abnormalities in the stomatognathic system. There was a high degree of agreement between the caregiver reports of OPD and the CSA (κ = 0.92). In conclusion, our findings confirm that OPD is a feature of Congenital Zika Syndrome that primarily occurs in children with microcephaly and provide support for policies in which children are referred for rehabilitation with an OPD diagnosis based on caregiver report.

A new greener strategy to incorporate Bi 2 S 3mercaptopropionic acid (MPA) quantum dots (QDs) onto TiO 2 nanotube (NT) films was developed, using in situ electrochemical synthesis with a graphite/sulfur powder macroelectrode (cathode) and cavity cell. Simultaneously, the obtained QDs were adsorbed on TiO 2 NTs, for the photoelectrochemical cell (PEC) assays. After the electrochemical synthesis, different thermal post-treatments were performed for growth and crystallization of obtained nanocrystals. The obtained TiO 2 −Bi 2 S 3 nanostructured composites were characterized by UV−vis, diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Photoelectrochemical tests were carried out, where TiO 2 NTs/Bi 2 S 3 QDs with 15 min post-treatment at 90 °C presented a greater photocurrent density, when irradiated with visible light (427−655 nm region, 10 mW.cm −2 ) and compared to pristine TiO 2 NTs. Such performance can be attributed to the synergetic effect caused by the good interface between TiO 2 NTs/Bi 2 S 3 QDs, promoted by the electrochemical method of synthesis employed. The proof of concept evidenced in this work can be potentially extended for the sensitization of TiO 2 NTs with other semiconductors for PEC hydrogen generation and solar cell applications.