Cytotoxic screening of plants from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest has led to the identification of Casearia arborea and Sorocea hilarii as sources of antitumor compounds

In the present study, we have evaluated the cytotoxic activity of 282 extracts from 72 native plant species of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest biome. As a result, Casearia arborea and Sorocea hilarii leaves extracts showed cytotoxic activity against three tumour cell lines tested (B16F10, SW480 and Jurkat). After bioassay-guided fractionation, the bioactive fractions were submitted to the dereplication study via High-performance Liquid Chromatography, connected to High-resolution Mass Spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-QTOF/MS) analysis, combined with a Global Natural Products Social Molecular Networking (GNPS) tool. A combination of bioactivity-guided and dereplication approaches resulted in the putative annotation of 27 clerodane diterpenes and 9 flavonoids as main compounds present in the cytotoxic fractions of C. arborea. Regarding the active fraction of S. hilarii, 10 megastigmans, 17 spirostane steroids derivatives and 2 lignans were putatively identified. In conclusion, Casearia arborea and Sorocea hilarii are potential sources of antitumor compounds.

Eradication rate and adherence with high-dose amoxicillin and proton pump inhibitor as first-line treatment for Helicobacter pylori infection: Experience from University Hospital in Chile

INTRODUCTION

In Chile, more than 70% of adults are infected by Helicobacter pylori. Clarithromycin should not be used in any regimen if there is >15% resistance to this antibiotic, being greater than 26% in our population. In this scenario, the effectiveness of triple therapy (proton pump inhibitor [PPI], clarithromycin, amoxicillin) was only 63.8%.

AIM

To evaluate the eradication rate and safety of dual therapy (esomeprazole and amoxicillin) in high doses, through a prospective, observational, and descriptive study.

METHODS

Patients with a positive urease test obtained in an upper digestive endoscopy were included. Any other previous H. pylori eradication regimen were excluded. All patients were treated with esomeprazole 40 mg three times a day and amoxicillin 750 mg four times a day for 14 days. The eradication rate of the dual therapy was evaluated with the H. pylori stool antigen test (the Pylori-Strip® test used) 6 weeks after completing the eradication treatment and with at least 14 days without PPI, being a negative result, confirmation of the effectiveness of this regimen.

RESULTS

Of 122 patients, 106 had a negative H. pylori antigen in stool; The intention-to-treat and per protocol analysis, the eradication rates were 91.8% [95% CI: 87%-97%] and 94% [95% CI: 90%-98%], respectively. Four patients discontinued treatment due to adverse effects. Smoking and adherence to treatment were associated with eradication rate.

CONCLUSIONS

In this cohort of patients with H. pylori infection, high-dose dual therapy has a high eradication rate and good adherence, raising the possibility that it could be used as first-line therapy in our country. Studies with a larger number of patients should confirm these results.

"I can't remember the last time I was comfortable about being home": lived experience perspectives on thriving following homelessness

PURPOSE

Strategies for preventing and ending homelessness are frequently measured by their effectiveness on indices of tenancy sustainment. To shift this narrative, we conducted research to identify what is needed to "thrive" following homelessness from the perspectives of persons with lived experience in Ontario, Canada.

METHODS

Conducted in the context of a community-based participatory research study aimed at informing the development of intervention strategies, we interviewed 46 persons living with mental illness and/or substance use disorder [n = 25 (54.3%) unhoused; n = 21 (45.7%) housed following homelessness] using qualitative interviews. A subsample of 14 participants agreed to engage in photovoice interviews. We analysed these data abductively using thematic analysis informed by health equity and social justice.

RESULTS

Participants described experiences of "living in a state of lack" following homelessness. This essence was expressed through four themes: 1) housing as part one of the journey to home; 2) finding and keeping "my people"; 3) meaningful activity as critical for thriving following homelessness; and 4) struggling to access mental health supports in the context of challenging circumstances.

CONCLUSIONS

Individuals struggle to thrive following homelessness in the context of insufficient resources. There is a need to build on existing interventions to address outcomes beyond tenancy sustainment.

Proteome of Agave angustifolia Haw.: Uncovering metabolic alterations, over-accumulation of amino acids, and compensatory pathways in chloroplast-deficient albino plantlets

Amino acids (AA) are essential molecules for plant physiology, acting as precursor molecules for proteins and other organic compounds. Chloroplasts play a vital role in AA metabolism, yet little is known about the impact on AA metabolism of albino plants' lack of chloroplasts. In this study, we conducted a quantitative proteome analysis on albino and variegated somaclonal variants of Agave angustifolia Haw. to investigate metabolic alterations in chloroplast-deficient plants, with a focus on AA metabolic pathways. We identified 82 enzymes involved in AA metabolism, with 32 showing differential accumulation between the somaclonal variants. AaCM, AaALS, AaBCAT, AaIPMS1, AaSHMT, AaAST, AaCGS, and AaMS enzymes were particularly relevant in chloroplast-deficient Agave plantlets. Both variegated and albino phenotypes exhibited excessive synthesis of AA typically associated with chloroplasts (aromatic AAs, BCAAs, Asp, Lys, Pro and Met). Consistent trends were observed for AaBCAT and AaCM at mRNA and protein levels in albino plantlets. These findings highlight the critical activation and reprogramming of AA metabolic pathways in plants lacking chloroplasts. This study contributes to unraveling the intricate relationship between AA metabolism and chloroplast absence, offering insights into survival mechanisms of albino plants.

Violence and victimisation in the lives of persons experiencing homelessness who use methamphetamine: A scoping review

Methamphetamine (MA) use among individuals who experience homelessness has tripled in recent years. This is a problematic trend given the harmful impacts of this substance on health and social well-being. While there is a large body of literature on the relationship between substance use and trauma, little is known about the scope of existing empirical literature exploring this topic related to MA use. Anecdotally, MA is frequently associated with violence and victimisation, which may be related to stigma associated with using MA. However, little is known about the scope of empirical literature exploring violence and victimisation in the lives of individuals who experience homelessness and use MA. We conducted a scoping review to fill this gap in existing literature using Arksey and O'Malley's methodological framework. Our search was conducted between January 2021 and March 2021 and was deployed in seven databases: Medline, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Sociological Abstracts, Nursing and Allied Health and AMED. Two independent raters screened 700 titles and abstracts after the removal of duplicates. A total of 54 articles were subjected to a full-text review and 20 articles met the inclusion criteria. We generated two themes: methamphetamine and victimisation and challenging behaviours. Six (30%) of the included articles explored MA use in relation to violence, while 18 (90%) explored experiences of victimisation among persons experiencing homelessness. Our findings highlight that individual who experience homelessness and use MA are particularly vulnerable to experiences of trauma. Though existing literature does acknowledge the challenging behaviour associated with MA use, only three existing studies demonstrated a relationship between MA use and physical violence. Research exploring the impacts of MA use on victimisation among persons who experience homelessness, and the development of interventions for managing challenging behaviours associated with MA use are needed.

Systematic Review of Sex and Gender Effects in Traumatic Brain Injury: Equity in Clinical and Functional Outcomes

Background: Although traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of death and disability in male and female patients worldwide, little is known about the effect of sex and gender on TBI outcomes.

Objectives: This systematic review summarizes the evidence on the effect of sex and gender on core TBI outcomes.

Methods: All English-language studies from six literature databases that addressed core outcomes in adults with TBI and included sex or gender, TBI severity, and age in their analyses were considered eligible. Two reviewers extracted data, and two reviewers assessed study quality using tools recommended by the National Institutes of Health. The results were sorted according to time post-injury, injury severity, gender equity ranking of the study's country of origin, and outcomes studied. The results from the included studies were grouped based on the approach taken in reporting their respective findings.

Results and Limitations: Of 172 articles assessed, 58 studies were selected, comprising 1, 265, 955 participants with TBI (67% male across all studies) of all injury severities. All studies were conducted in countries with a very high or high human development index, while the Gender Inequality Index (GII) varied. While the heterogeneity across studies limited any meaningful conclusions with respect to the role of sex and gender, we did observe that as gender equality ranking improved, differences between male and female participants in outcomes would diminish. Inclusion of social equity parameters in the studies was limited.

Conclusions and Implications: The non-uniform findings observed bring forth the need to develop and use a comprehensive and consistent methodology in the study of sex and gender post-TBI, incorporating social equity parameters to uncover the potential social underpinnings of gender effects on health and functional outcomes.

Systematic Review Registration: CRD42018098697.

Interventions and cognitive functioning in adults with traumatic spinal cord injuries: a systematic review and meta-analysis

AIM

This research synthesized scientific evidence on the impact of interventions for adults with traumatic spinal cord injury on cognition, to understand if current intervention approaches are appropriate in light of the risk of post-injury cognitive impairments.

METHOD

Medline, Central, Embase, Scopus, PsycINFO and PubMed were searched for intervention in persons with SCI assessing cognition pre- and post-intervention. Study quality was completed using the National Institutes of Health quality assessment tools. Results were grouped by type of intervention. The meta-analysis involved calculation of pooled effect sizes for interventions utilizing the same cognitive measure.

RESULTS

Eleven studies of moderate quality discussed drug therapy, transcutaneous tibial nerve stimulation, diet modification and dietary supplements, and inpatient rehabilitation. Some aspects of cognition were negatively affected by drugs while diet modification and supplement use, and transcutaneous tibial nerve stimulation showed no evidence of a difference in cognitive scores when compared with no intervention. Inpatient rehabilitation revealed a small but beneficial effect, when results of seven studies were pooled.

CONCLUSION

Evidence on the effects of interventions on cognitive functioning in patients with traumatic spinal cord injury is sparse and inconclusive, so work in this area is timely. It is valuable to know not only which interventions are effective for improving cognition, but also how other commonly used interventions, intended to treat other injury sequela, can affect cognition. PROSPERO: CRD42018087238.Implications for rehabilitationHistorically, rehabilitation of patients with traumatic spinal cord injury has targeted physical impairments, with little attention to cognition; this research aimed to understand if current interventions are appropriate in light of the risk of patients' cognitive impairments. Evidence on the effects of drug therapy, diet and dietary supplements interventions on cognitive functioning in traumatic spinal cord injury is sparse and inconclusive.Combining multiple inpatient rehabilitation interventions shows a positive but heterogeneous effect on the cognitive functioning; interventions applied earlier show greater gains.A major challenge for clinicians is to select an outcome measure sensitive to change over time, and to relate the results to patients' change in cognitive abilities with intervention applicationResearch to understand the functional effect of spinal cord injury on the widely distributed networks of the central and autonomic nervous systems subserving cognition, is timely.

Measuring Change Over Time: A Systematic Review of Evaluative Measures of Cognitive Functioning in Traumatic Brain Injury

Objectives: The purpose of evaluative instruments is to measure the magnitude of change in a construct of interest over time. The measurement properties of these instruments, as they relate to the instrument's ability to fulfill its purpose, determine the degree of certainty with which the results yielded can be viewed. This work systematically reviews all instruments that have been used to evaluate cognitive functioning in persons with traumatic brain injury (TBI), and critically assesses their evaluative measurement properties: construct validity, test-retest reliability, and responsiveness. Data Sources: MEDLINE, Central, EMBASE, Scopus, PsycINFO were searched from inception to December 2016 to identify longitudinal studies focused on cognitive evaluation of persons with TBI, from which instruments used for measuring cognitive functioning were abstracted. MEDLINE, instrument manuals, and citations of articles identified in the primary search were then screened for studies on measurement properties of instruments utilized at least twice within the longitudinal studies. Study Selection: All English-language, peer-reviewed studies of longitudinal design that measured cognition in adults with a TBI diagnosis over any period of time, identified in the primary search, were used to identify instruments. A secondary search was carried out to identify all studies that assessed the evaluative measurement properties of the instruments abstracted in the primary search. Data Extraction: Data on psychometric properties, cognitive domains covered and clinical utility were extracted for all instruments. Results: In total, 38 longitudinal studies from the primary search, utilizing 15 instruments, met inclusion and quality criteria. Following review of studies identified in the secondary search, it was determined that none of the instruments utilized had been assessed for all the relevant measurement properties in the TBI population. The most frequently assessed property was construct validity. Conclusions: There is insufficient evidence for the validity and reliability of instruments measuring cognitive functioning, longitudinally, in persons with TBI. Several instruments with well-defined construct validity in TBI samples warrant further assessment for test-retest reliability and responsiveness. Registration Number: www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/, identifier CRD42017055309.

The course and prognostic factors of cognitive outcomes after traumatic brain injury: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Despite indications that TBI may be a precursor of cognitive decline and subsequent development of Alzheimer's disease, little is known about the time course of this relationship and the factors involved. This systematic review summarizes the evidence pertinent to this subject matter. All English language studies of longitudinal design, and works cited within them, found in six literature databases, were considered, and their quality assessed. Of 65 articles appraised, 44 studies were selected. Results were organized by timing of assessments, injury severity, and cognitive domains assessed. Differences in the course of cognitive performance were observed across injury severity groups and cognitive domains, with differential proportions of reports of improvement, decline, or no change over time. The evidence for genetic, sex-, age-, and injury-related factors as determinants of cognitive outcome was inconsistent. The non-uniform trajectory of cognitive performance post-TBI supports the notion that this construct is non-homogeneous, and that different factors influence its course. Agreement on a core set of predictors and consideration of psychometric properties of outcome measures is needed.

The course and prognostic factors of cognitive status after central nervous system trauma: a systematic review protocol

INTRODUCTION

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is among the most disabling injuries, resulting in a range of cognitive impairments. Traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) often occurs in conjunction with TBI; the two are best considered together in the context of trauma to the central nervous system (CNS). Despite strong indications of cognitive dysfunction in CNS trauma, little is known about its natural history or relationship with other factors. The current protocol outlines a strategy for a systematic review of the current evidence examining CNS trauma as a prognostic factor of cognitive decline in the adult population.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

The review will be conducted and reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. All peer-reviewed English language publications with a longitudinal design that focus on cognition in adults (ages 18 and older) with either TBI or SCI, or both from inception to December 2016 found through Medline, Central, Embase, Scopus, PsycINFO, supplemental PubMed and bibliographies of identified articles will be considered eligible. Quality will be evaluated using published guidelines. Results will be grouped by: (1) prognostic factors of cognitive deficits; and (2) development of, or time until development of, cognitive deficit in patients with CNS trauma. Close attention will be paid to the evaluative properties of the measurements used to assess cognition.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

The authors will publish findings from this review in a peer-reviewed scientific journal(s) and present the results at national and international conferences. This work will advance scientific certainty regarding natural history and prognostic factors of cognitive status in males and females with CNS trauma, informing clinicians, policymakers and future researchers on the topic.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42017055309.

Measurement of the Radiation Energy in the Radio Signal of Extensive Air Showers as a Universal Estimator of Cosmic-Ray Energy

We measure the energy emitted by extensive air showers in the form of radio emission in the frequency range from 30 to 80 MHz. Exploiting the accurate energy scale of the Pierre Auger Observatory, we obtain a radiation energy of 15.8±0.7(stat)±6.7(syst)  MeV for cosmic rays with an energy of 1 EeV arriving perpendicularly to a geomagnetic field of 0.24 G, scaling quadratically with the cosmic-ray energy. A comparison with predictions from state-of-the-art first-principles calculations shows agreement with our measurement. The radiation energy provides direct access to the calorimetric energy in the electromagnetic cascade of extensive air showers. Comparison with our result thus allows the direct calibration of any cosmic-ray radio detector against the well-established energy scale of the Pierre Auger Observatory.

Search for patterns by combining cosmic-ray energy and arrival directions at the Pierre Auger Observatory

Energy-dependent patterns in the arrival directions of cosmic rays are searched for using data of the Pierre Auger Observatory. We investigate local regions around the highest-energy cosmic rays with [Formula: see text] eV by analyzing cosmic rays with energies above [Formula: see text] eV arriving within an angular separation of approximately 15[Formula: see text]. We characterize the energy distributions inside these regions by two independent methods, one searching for angular dependence of energy-energy correlations and one searching for collimation of energy along the local system of principal axes of the energy distribution. No significant patterns are found with this analysis. The comparison of these measurements with astrophysical scenarios can therefore be used to obtain constraints on related model parameters such as strength of cosmic-ray deflection and density of point sources.

Measurement of the proton-air cross section at √s=57 TeV with the Pierre Auger Observatory

We report a measurement of the proton-air cross section for particle production at the center-of-mass energy per nucleon of 57 TeV. This is derived from the distribution of the depths of shower maxima observed with the Pierre Auger Observatory: systematic uncertainties are studied in detail. Analyzing the tail of the distribution of the shower maxima, a proton-air cross section of [505±22(stat)(-36)(+28)(syst)] mb is found.

Measurement of the depth of maximum of extensive air showers above 10{18} eV

We describe the measurement of the depth of maximum, X{max}, of the longitudinal development of air showers induced by cosmic rays. Almost 4000 events above 10;{18} eV observed by the fluorescence detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory in coincidence with at least one surface detector station are selected for the analysis. The average shower maximum was found to evolve with energy at a rate of (106{-21}{+35}) g/cm{2}/decade below 10{18.24+/-0.05} eV, and (24+/-3) g/cm{2}/decade above this energy. The measured shower-to-shower fluctuations decrease from about 55 to 26 g/cm{2}. The interpretation of these results in terms of the cosmic ray mass composition is briefly discussed.

SoxS regulates the expression of the Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium ompW gene

OmpW of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium has been described as a minor porin involved in osmoregulation, and is also affected by environmental conditions. Biochemical and genetic evidence from our laboratory indicates that OmpW is involved in efflux of and resistance towards paraquat (PQ), and its expression has been shown to be activated in response to oxidative stress. In this study we have explored ompW expression in response to PQ. Primer extension and transcriptional fusions showed that its expression was induced in the presence of PQ. In silico analyses suggested a putative binding site for the SoxS transcriptional factor at the ompW regulatory region. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSAs) and footprinting experiments showed that SoxS binds at a region that starts close to -54 and ends at about -197 upstream of the transcription start site. Transcriptional fusions support the relevance of this region in ompW activation. The SoxS site is in the forward orientation and its location suggests that the ompW gene has a class I SoxS-dependent promoter.

Observation of the suppression of the flux of cosmic rays above 4 x 10 (19) eV

The energy spectrum of cosmic rays above 2.5 x 10;{18} eV, derived from 20,000 events recorded at the Pierre Auger Observatory, is described. The spectral index gamma of the particle flux, J proportional, variantE;{-gamma}, at energies between 4 x 10;{18} eV and 4 x 10;{19} eV is 2.69+/-0.02(stat)+/-0.06(syst), steepening to 4.2+/-0.4(stat)+/-0.06(syst) at higher energies. The hypothesis of a single power law is rejected with a significance greater than 6 standard deviations. The data are consistent with the prediction by Greisen and by Zatsepin and Kuz'min.

Upper limit on the diffuse flux of ultrahigh energy tau neutrinos from the Pierre Auger Observatory

The surface detector array of the Pierre Auger Observatory is sensitive to Earth-skimming tau neutrinos that interact in Earth's crust. Tau leptons from nu(tau) charged-current interactions can emerge and decay in the atmosphere to produce a nearly horizontal shower with a significant electromagnetic component. The data collected between 1 January 2004 and 31 August 2007 are used to place an upper limit on the diffuse flux of nu(tau) at EeV energies. Assuming an E(nu)(-2) differential energy spectrum the limit set at 90% C.L. is E(nu)(2)dN(nu)(tau)/dE(nu)<1.3 x 10(-7) GeV cm(-2) s(-1) sr(-1) in the energy range 2 x 10(17) eV< E(nu)< 2 x 10(19) eV.

Comparison of PCR and common clinical tests for the diagnosis of H. pylori in dyspeptic patients

Helicobacter pylori has been recognized as a major gastric pathogen. The objective of this study was to assess the diagnostic value of common clinical tests to detect H. pylori infection, by comparison with PCR. Serum and gastric biopsy specimens from 106 dyspeptic patients were examined. Serology was performed with Pyloriset Dry test, and biopsies were examined histologically, for rapid urease activity and PCR amplification of an ureA gene segment of H. pylori. PCR primers were specific for H. pylori and required at least 1.47 pg of H. pylori DNA, corresponding to about 800 bacterial cells. According to serology, histology, rapid urease, and PCR, positive results were respectively found in 56%, 86%, 64%, and 85% of dyspeptic patients, primarily with gastritis. Relative to PCR, the sensitivity (and specificity) was 55% (38%) for serology, 86% (13%) for histology, 70% (69%) for urease. When combining histology and urease, Bayesian analysis of data indicated no advantage of using combined methods over rapid urease test alone. Histology should not any longer be considered a gold standard test for Helicobacter pylori. Urea breath test still seems the first option for non invasive diagnostic. If an invasive diagnostic is justified, highly specific and sensitive molecular methods should be used to examine specimens.

[Primary hyperaldosteronism. A report of 2 clinical cases]

We describe two clinical cases of primary hyperaldosteronism caused by adrenal adenoma (Conn's syndrome) with very different forms of clinical presentation. Some theoretical considerations about diagnosis and treatment of the disease are made.

Genetic and molecular analysis of spontaneous respiratory deficient (res-) mutants of Escherichia coli K-12

Respiratory deficient (res-) mutants of E. coli are slow growing microcolonial, anaerobic, catalase and benzidine negative strains whose broad phenotypic alteration may result from pleiotropic mutations in genes of the hemin biosynthetic pathway. They are easily recovered from platings of sensitive cells on concentrations of gentamicin higher than the minimal inhibitory concentration. These mutants show a dramatic change in their biochemical diagnostic profile resulting primarily from deficiencies in the active transport mechanisms of the cell. Using well-marked F- and Hfr strains, 157 mutants were analyzed from 3 different parent strains; all but 2 resulted from mutations in 3 loci of the hemin biosynthetic pathway. Of these a marked skew to hemB- mutations was seen, with more than 80% mapping there. The possibility that this hot spot resulted from transpositional activity was tested by Southern hybridization of EcoRI digests of the chromosomal DNA, using as a probe, a 2.8-kb fragment containing the hemB gene. The WT and other hemB+ control strains contained a 14.6-kb fragment. Of 18 hemB strains tested, 14 showed deletion and insertion mutations which fell into four classes based on the variation in the size of the fragment or on the absence of hybridization. The latter resulted from complete deletion of the hemB gene. An increase in fragment size from 1.5-kb to 3.4-kb was observed in some of the strains.