Effective encapsulation of reuterin-producing Limosilactobacillus reuteri in alginate beads prepared with different mucilages/gums

The mainly aim of this study was to use mucilaginous solutions obtained from tamarind, mutamba, cassia tora, psyllium and konjac powdered to encapsulate reuterin-producing Limosilactobacillus reuteri in alginate beads by extrusion technique. In the particles were determined the bacterial encapsulation efficiency, cell viability during storage and survival under simulated gastric and intestinal conditions. Moreover, the reuterin production, its entrapment into the beads and the influence on viability of encapsulated microorganism were evaluated. Scanning electron microscopy and Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy were employed to characterize the produced particles. The beads showed a relatively spherical shape with homogenous distribution of L. reuteri. The use of gums and mucilages combined with alginate improved the encapsulation efficiency (from 93.2 to 97.4%), the viability of encapsulated bacteria during refrigerated storage (especially in prolonged storage of 20, 30 and 60 days) and the survival after exposure to gastric and enteric environments (from 67.7 to 76.6%). The L. reuteri was able to produce reuterin via bioconversion of glycerol in the film-forming solutions, and the entrapment of the metabolite was improved using konjac, mutamba and tamarind mucilaginous solutions in the encapsulation process (45, 44.57 and 41.25%, respectively). Thus, our findings confirm the great potential of these hydrocolloids to different further purposes, enabling its application as support material for delivery of chemical or biological compounds.

Primary health care attributes of family health teams with and without family physician

Background

The four essential attributes of primary health care (PHC): access, longitudinality, comprehensiveness and coordination, guide the professional practices of service management and also the professionals of the family health strategy teams. Family medicine residence (FMR) is the speciality that trains medical practitioners capable of acting properly in PHC. It develops a person-centred approach, oriented towards the individual, his family and community, which dialogues with the PHC precepts of comprehensive patient care from a social point of view. Thus, the objective of this study was to verify whether there are differences in the PHC attributes perceived by patients treated by teams with FMR doctors and by the others.

Methods

This was an observed cross-sectional study conducted during 2019, which used the Adult Primary Care Assessment Tool (PCATool) to evaluate preliminarily 28 PHC teams working at the city of São Paulo, Brazil. The teams were compared based on 337 patient answers using domains medians and Mann-Whitney tests. The study was approved by the ethics committee.

Results

Eight teams (28.6%) had doctors trained in FMR. The attributes of longitudinality and access were very similar between the two groups. The teams with FMR doctors showed better evaluations in the components: information systems, median 7.78, versus 6.67 (p = 0.391); services available, median 6.52, versus 6.06 (p = 0.086); and services received, median 4.85, versus 3.85 (p = 0.180) of the coordination and comprehensiveness attributes.

Conclusions

We didn't find statistically significant results indicating better PHC attributes of teams with FMR doctors, based on user perception. A continuous study is recommended to follow the evolution of this speciality in the PHC context.

Key messages

FMR is a fundamental key to PHC and must be evaluated continuously. It is necessary to strengthen their insertion in the Brazilian health system and discuss the ways to do so.

The correlation between the quality of primary healthcare attributes and different health outcomes

Background

Measuring the structure and processes of healthcare services form the basis of improvement efforts and make it possible to hold organizations accountable for the services they provide. Besides having a positive impact in different health outcomes, primary health care (PHC) could also affect experiences in secondary and tertiary care through its coordinating role, therefore efforts to assess the quality of the delivery of its services are important. Hence, the study objectives were to evaluate the PHC attributes of PHC teams and the correlation of these attributes with different health outcomes.

Methods

This was a cross-sectional study conducted during 2019, which used the Adult Primary Care Assessment Tool (PCATool) to evaluate 28 PHC teams working on the public healthcare sector at the city of São Paulo, Brazil. The Spearman's correlation coefficient was used to evaluate the association between each PCATool dimension and referral rates, hypertension, diabetes, prenatal care and gestational outcomes. The study was approved by the local ethics committee.

Results

A statistically significant positive correlation was identified between controlled hypertension and care coordination (rho=0.396; 95% CI:0.012-0.678; p = 0.036), and between 6 or more prenatal care visits and comprehensive care (rho=0.441; 95% CI:0.063-0.708; p = 0.018). A statistically significant negative correlation was identified between low birth weight and care coordination (rho=-0.502; 95% CI:-0.748- -0.136; p = 0.006) and between referral rates and comprehensive care (rho=-0.499; 95%CI:-0.753- -0.114); p = 0.009).

Conclusions

This study reinforces the importance of the PHC attributes for different relevant health outcomes and of their continuous evaluation for services improvement.

Key messages

The quality of PHC attributes has a direct impact on different relevant health outcomes. Ways to improve the PHC performance must be considered based on its attributes.

Identification and characterization of genes related to cellulolytic activity in basidiomycetes

Enzymes produced by basidiomycetes that are involved in the cellulose degradation process, and their respective codifying genes, must be identified to facilitate the development of novel biotechnological strategies and applications in the agro-industry. The objective of this study was to identify prospective cellulase-producing genes and characterize their cellulolytic activity, in order to elucidate the potential biotechnological applications (with respect to vegetal residues) of basidiomycetes. The basidiomycete strains Lentinula edodes U8-1, Lentinus crinitus U9-1, and Schizophyllum commune U6-7 were analyzed in this study. The cellulolytic activities of these fungi were evaluated based on the halo formation in carboxymethyl cellulose culture medium after dyeing with Congo red. The presence of cellulase-codifying genes (cel7A, cel6B, cel3A, and egl) in these fungal strains was also evaluated. L. edodes and S. commune presented the highest cellulolytic halo to mycelial growth radius ratio, followed by L. crinitus. Four genes were amplified in the L. edodes strain, whereas three and one genes were isolated from L. crinitus and S. commune, respectively. The cel6B gene (L. edodes) presented the conserved domain glyco_hydro_6 and characterized as cellobiohydrolase gene. The results of this study contribute to the existing knowledge on cellulases in basidiomycetes, and serve as a basis for future studies on the expression of these genes and the characterization of the catalytic activity of these enzymes. This allows for better utilization of these fungi in degrading vegetal fibers from agro-industrial residues and in other biotechnological applications.

Seasonality, biology and threats to Sicalis luteola (Sparrman, 1789) (Aves, Thraupidae) in northeastern Brazil

Sicalis luteola occurs from Mexico to South America. In the Northeastern Brazilian region its biology, population dynamics and threats are poorly known. The subspecies S. luteola luteiventris apparently migrates northward during austral winter. The specific aims of this work were: 1) to verify the seasonality of the species; 2) to analyze information on molting and breeding, and 3) to check the main threats to this bird in northeastern Brazil. The highest number of records were in March, April, and May (51.12%) and the lowest in November and December (3%).We found a greater population peak in April in the states of Rio Grande do Norte and Ceará, and in April and May in Pernambuco. In Paraíba there was not an apparent seasonal variation in frequency. We captured 66 individuals, all adults, being 38 males and 28 females. 30% of the captured birds showed contour feathers molt, mainly on the head. A total of 23 individuals had brood patch, all being females. Six nests were found and four contained two to three eggs. We found that the main threat is the illegal trade. Our findings may support conservation plans for this bird in the region.

Distribution and conservation of three important bird groups of the Atlantic Forest in north-east Brazil

Abstract The Pernambuco Endemism Center in north-east Brazil has the most fragmented forest cover and the largest number of threatened birds of the whole Atlantic Forest. We analyzed the distribution of three groups of bird species: forest-dependent, endemic and/or threatened using the interpolation method of Inverse Distance Weighting. We also checked the concentration of these birds in protected and unprotected areas, suggesting new sites that need to be protected. The richness concentration of forest-dependent, endemic and/or threatened birds in 123 sites were analysed. There was a greater concentration of the three groups in north Alagoas, south and north Pernambuco, and north and west Paraíba. The distribution of the three groups was almost regular in different vegetation types, although a lower concentration was found in the pioneer formation. There was a greater concentration of birds from all three groups between Pernambuco and Alagoas, and this must be due to the presence of more forest fragments with better structure and vegetation heterogeneity. The protected and unprotected areas hosted important records of endemic and/or threatened birds. We suggested some important places for implementation of new protected areas due to the larger concentrations of the target birds and because they are located within the boundaries of the Important Bird Areas.

Analysis of the workers head transcriptome of the Asian subterranean termite, Coptotermes gestroi

The lower termite, Coptotermes gestroi (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae), is originally from Southeast Asia and has become a pest in Brazil. The main goal of this study was to survey C. gestroi transcriptome composition. To accomplish this, we sequenced and analyzed 3003 expressed sequence tags (ESTs) isolated from libraries of worker heads. After assembly, 695 uniESTs were obtained from which 349 have similarity with known sequences. Comparison with insect genomes demonstrated similarity, primarily with genes from Apis mellifera (28%), Tribolium castaneum (28%) and Aedes aegypti (10%). Notably, we identified two endogenous cellulases in the sequences, which may be of interest for biotechnological applications. The results presented in this work represent the first genomic study of the Asian subterranean termite, Coptotermes gestroi.

Potential pathogenic role of aggregative-adhering Corynebacterium diphtheriae of different clonal groups in endocarditis

Invasive diseases caused by Corynebacterium diphtheriae have been described increasingly. Several reports indicate the destructive feature of endocarditis attributable to nontoxigenic strains. However, few reports have dealt with the pathogenicity of invasive strains. The present investigation demonstrates a phenotypic trait that may be used to identify potentially invasive strains. The study also draws attention to clinical and microbiological aspects observed in 5 cases of endocarditis due to C. diphtheriae that occurred outside Europe. Four cases occurred in female school-age children (7-14 years) treated at different hospitals in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. All patients developed other complications including septicemia, renal failure and/or arthritis. Surgical treatment was performed on 2 patients for valve replacement. Lethality was observed in 40% of the cases. Microorganisms isolated from 5 blood samples and identified as C. diphtheriae subsp mitis (N = 4) and C. diphtheriae subsp gravis (N = 1) displayed an aggregative adherence pattern to HEp-2 cells and identical one-dimensional SDS-PAGE protein profiles. Aggregative-adhering invasive strains of C. diphtheriae showed 5 distinct RAPD profiles. Despite the clonal diversity, all 5 C. diphtheriae invasive isolates seemed to display special bacterial adhesive properties that may favor blood-barrier disruption and systemic dissemination of bacteria. In conclusion, blood isolates from patients with endocarditis exhibited a unique adhering pattern, suggesting a pathogenic role of aggregative-adhering C. diphtheriae of different clones in endocarditis. Accordingly, the aggregative-adherence pattern may be used as an indication of some invasive potential of C. diphtheriae strains.

Periodontal disease as reservoir for multi-resistant and hydrolytic enterobacterial species

AIMS

This investigation aimed to isolate enteric rods from subgingival sites of patients presenting chronic periodontitis lesions, and to assess antimicrobial resistance and expression of hydrolytic enzymes.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Enterobacteriaceae were isolated from 20% patients, and assayed for antimicrobial susceptibility and hydrolytic enzymes with specificity to different substrates. Isolates comprised seven Enterobacter cloacae (43.75%), five Serratia marcescens (31.25%), one Klebsiella pneumoniae (6.25%), one Enterobacter aerogenes (6.25%), one Pantoea agglomerans (6.25%), and one Citrobacter freundii (6.25%). Gelatinase activity was observed for 75% strains; caseinase and elastase was produced by six and two strains, respectively. DNase, lecithinase and lipase were expressed by S. marcescens. Most of strains were resistant to ampicillin (93.75%) and amoxicillin/clavulanic acid (81.25%). The majority of strains were susceptible to cephalosporins and aztreonam. Enterobacteria remained susceptible to imipenem, streptomycin and fluoroquinolones. Resistance to gentamicin, amikacin, sulfamethoxazole/thrimethoprim, tetracycline, and chloramphenicol were also observed. Eight strains presented multiple drug resistance.

CONCLUSIONS

Subgingival sites from periodontal diseases contain multi-resistant and hydrolytic enzyme-producing enterobacteria that may contribute to overall tissue destruction and spreading.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

Enterobacteria isolated from patients generally considered as healthy individuals poses periodontal diseases as reservoir for systemic infections particularly in immunocompromised and hospitalized hosts.

Genetic population data of 12 STR loci of the PowerPlex Y system in the state of São Paulo population (Southeast of Brazil)

Allele frequency distributions and population data for 12 Y-chromosomal short tandem repeats (STRs) included in the PowerPlex Y Systems (Promega) were obtained for a sample of 200 healthy unrelated males living in São Paulo State (Southeast of Brazil). A total of 192 haplotypes were identified, of which 184 were unique and 8 were found in 2 individuals. The average gene diversity of the 12 Y-STR was 0.6746 and the haplotype diversity was 0.9996. Pairwise analysis confirmed that our population is more similar with the Italy, North Portugal and Spain, being more distant of the Japan.

Assessment of basal and gonadotropin-releasing hormone-stimulated gonadotropins by immunochemiluminometric and immunofluorometric assays in normal children

CONTEXT

Recently, new methodologies have been applied to commercial immunofluorometric (IFMA) and immunochemiluminometric (ICMA) LH and FSH assays.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of the study was to use ICMA to establish basal and GnRH-stimulated LH and FSH reference values in normal subjects of different ages and sexual development, compared with IFMA.

DESIGN AND METHODS

We established basal and GnRH-stimulated LH and FSH levels of 315 prepubertal and pubertal children (170 males and 145 females) divided into five groups according to Tanner stage. Of these, 106 subjects (59 males and 47 females) were submitted to GnRH test. The prepubertal upper limit of normal for basal LH, determined by the 95th percentiles of the prepubertal population, were 0.2 IU/liter (ICMA) and 0.6 IU/liter (IFMA) in both genders.

RESULTS

No overlap of basal LH levels determined by ICMA was observed between prepubertal and pubertal males, but basal LH determined by IFMA overlapped in 11.8% of subjects. In girls, both methods yielded overlapping values (10.4%, ICMA; and 84.6%, IFMA). The LH peak after GnRH stimulation that defined puberty was 4.1 IU/liter (ICMA) and 3.3 IU/liter (IFMA) in boys and 3.3 IU/liter (ICMA) and 4.2 IU/liter (IFMA) in girls. After GnRH stimulation, values determined by the two methods overlapped in both genders.

CONCLUSIONS

We conclude that ICMA is more sensitive and precise than IFMA, permitting differentiation of pubertal and prepubertal stage in boys under basal conditions. However, in girls the overlap of basal values was marked, indicating the need for the GnRH test to establish maturity of the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal axis.

Portopulmonary hypertension syndrome in schistosomiasis mansoni

Portopulmonary hypertension syndrome (PPHS) is a complication of portal hypertension where the substrate is micro-vessel lesions which are indicative of plexogenic arteriopathy. PPHS has not been linked to pulmonary schistosomiasis. We report, to the best of our knowledge for the first time, a case of PPHS associated with schistosomiasis mansoni.

Cytosolic thioredoxin peroxidase I is essential for the antioxidant defense of yeast with dysfunctional mitochondria

The specific role of cytosolic thioredoxin peroxidase I (cTPx I), encoded by TSA1 (thiol-specific antioxidant), was investigated in the oxidative stress response of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In most cases, deletion of TSA1 has showed only a slight effect on hydrogen peroxide sensitivity. However, when the functional state of the mitochondria was compromised, the necessity of TSA1 in cell protection against this oxidant was much more evident. All the procedures used to disrupt the mitochondrial respiratory chain promoted increases in the generation of H(2)O(2) in cells, which could be related to their elevated sensitivity to oxidative stress. In fact, TSA1 is highly expressed when cells with respiratory deficiency are exposed to H(2)O(2). In conclusion, our results indicate that cTPx I is a key component of the antioxidant defense in respiratory-deficient cells.

Corynebacterium diphtheriae threats in cancer patients

The aim of this study was to determine the bacteriological properties of Corynebacterium diphtheriae strains isolated from bronchiole washing and cancer lesions. Bacteriological characterization included fluorescence/double sugar urease (King/DSU) screening tests, pyrazinamidase (PYZ), CAMP-reactions and radial immunodiffusion toxigenicity assay. Microorganisms produced fluorescence under ultraviolet light and were catalase positive; urea and aesculin hydrolysis negative; fermentation of glucose, maltose and sucrose and no fermentation of mannitol and xylose; PYZ and CAMP reaction negative. The API-Coryne system was used for bacterial preliminary identification at local hospital laboratory and produced numerical profiles 1010325 and 0010325 for sucrose positive C. diphtheriae var. mitis (nitrate positive) and C. diphtheriae var. belfanti (nitrate negative), respectively. The hemagglutination, adherence to glass and polystyrene assays evaluated adhesive characteristics. Strains were toxigenic and able to adhere to glass, polystyrene and human erythrocyte surfaces (titer 4). C. diphtheriae strains isolated from cancer patients expressed adhesive characteristics similar to strains isolated from immunocompetent hosts. Circulation of toxigenic C. diphtheriae continues to present a threat for children and adults including patients with cancer in hospital environment. Laboratories should remain alert to the possibility of isolation of diphtheria bacilli from adults with neoplastic disease.

Cell surface components and adhesion in Corynebacterium diphtheriae

Main primary approaches and new developments in the study of the molecular basis of the adhesive process of Corynebacterium diphtheriae are reviewed along with a discussion of the potential importance of hemagglutinins, exposed sugar residues, hydrophobins and trans-sialidase enzymes as adhesins of strains of the sucrose fermenting and non-fermenting biotypes.

The genome sequence of the plant pathogen Xylella fastidiosa. The Xylella fastidiosa Consortium of the Organization for Nucleotide Sequencing and Analysis

Xylella fastidiosa is a fastidious, xylem-limited bacterium that causes a range of economically important plant diseases. Here we report the complete genome sequence of X. fastidiosa clone 9a5c, which causes citrus variegated chlorosis--a serious disease of orange trees. The genome comprises a 52.7% GC-rich 2,679,305-base-pair (bp) circular chromosome and two plasmids of 51,158 bp and 1,285 bp. We can assign putative functions to 47% of the 2,904 predicted coding regions. Efficient metabolic functions are predicted, with sugars as the principal energy and carbon source, supporting existence in the nutrient-poor xylem sap. The mechanisms associated with pathogenicity and virulence involve toxins, antibiotics and ion sequestration systems, as well as bacterium-bacterium and bacterium-host interactions mediated by a range of proteins. Orthologues of some of these proteins have only been identified in animal and human pathogens; their presence in X. fastidiosa indicates that the molecular basis for bacterial pathogenicity is both conserved and independent of host. At least 83 genes are bacteriophage-derived and include virulence-associated genes from other bacteria, providing direct evidence of phage-mediated horizontal gene transfer.

Influence of early postnatal gonadal hormones on anxiety in adult male rats

Behavioral sex differences have been linked to the presence of testosterone secretion during a critical perinatal period. The present experiment tested whether or not castration at different ages (early postnatal period and adulthood) would alter performance in the plus maze, a behavioral test of anxiety. Intact adult male rats (n = 17) were compared to intact adult females (n = 17); adult castrated males (n = 7) to sham-operated adult male rats (n = 9); and newborn castrated males (n = 7) to sham-operated male offspring (n = 8). When adult, the subjects were left on an elevated plus maze for 5 min. Females made a higher percentage of entries onto the open arms and showed a greater number of scans over the edge of an open arm than males. There were no differences in the percentage of arm entries or time spent on the open arms when adult castrated males were compared to sham-operated rats. On the other hand, newborn castrated males showed a significantly higher number of open arm entries and spent a greater percentage of time on the open arms than sham-operated offspring. The results demonstrate that the absence of male gonadal hormones during the perinatal period decreases anxiety, as assessed in the elevated plus maze, leading to a behavioral pattern that resembles that of females. These data provide evidence for the organizational role of gonadal hormones in the development of behavioral inhibitory systems.

[Familial incidence of intracranial aneurysms]

São relatados 4 casos de aneurismas cerebrais que ocorreram em duas famílias. A etiologia dos aneurismas intracranianos é discutida, principalmente no que se refere à ocorrência de aneurismas dentro de uma mesma família. A literatura pertinente é revista e são tecidos comentários sobre a validade estatística dessa associação.