Agreement and diagnostic differences among three definitions of sarcopenia in patients with chronic hepatitis C

BACKGROUND

There is neither a gold standard definition nor a universal consensus to diagnose sarcopenia in patients with chronic hepatitis C. Thus, we aimed to compare the prevalence of sarcopenia and the agreement and discrepancies between European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP1), EWGSOP2, and Foundation for the National Institutes of Health Biomarkers Consortium Sarcopenia Project (FNIH) definitions in chronic hepatitis C.

METHODS

Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry was used to assess muscle mass by quantifying appendicular lean mass (ALM) adjusted for squared height (ALM/ht2) or for body mass index (ALMBMI). Muscle function was evaluated by handgrip strength. Subjective Global Assessment was used to assess the nutrition status.

RESULTS

This cross-sectional study included 103 outpatients (mean age, 50.6 ± 11.3 years; 33.0% with compensated cirrhosis). Sarcopenia prevalence was 8.7%, 9.7%, and 9.7%, according to EWGSOP1, EWGSOP2, and FNIH definitions, respectively. There was neither a sex- nor a liver disease severity-specific difference in the prevalence of sarcopenia between the criteria applied. Sixteen (15.5%) patients fulfilled at least one of these criteria, and 3 out of 16 (18.8%) simultaneously had sarcopenia by consensus of the three criteria. Sarcopenic obesity was identified in 9 out of 16 (56.3%) patients, and 6 out of 9 (66.7%) of these only met FNIH consensus.

CONCLUSIONS

In patients without cirrhosis or with compensated cirrhosis, and with chronic hepatitis C, the agreement between EWGSOP1 and EWGSOP2 classifications was substantial for sarcopenia diagnosis. Concerning EWGSOP and FNIH criteria, a fair agreement and limited overlap were found in these patients.

Resolution pharmacology and the treatment of infectious diseases

Inflammation is elicited by the host in response to microbes, and is believed to be essential for protection against infection. However, we have previously hypothesized that excessive or misplaced inflammation may be a major contributor to tissue dysfunction and death associated with viral and bacterial infections. The resolutive phase of inflammation is a necessary condition to achieve homeostasis after acute inflammation. It is possible that targeting inflammation resolution may be beneficial for the host during infection. In this review, we summarize the evidence demonstrating the expression, roles and effects of the best described pro-resolving molecules in the context of bacterial and viral infections. Pro-resolving molecules play a pivotal role in modulating a spectrum of pathways associated with tissue inflammation and damage during both viral and bacterial infections. These molecules offer a blend of anti-inflammatory, pro-resolving and sometimes anti-infective benefits, all the while circumventing the undesired and immune-suppressive unwanted effects associated with glucocorticoids. Whether these beneficial effects will translate into benefits to patients clearly deserve further investigation.

Enhanced degradation of Direct Red 80 dye via Fenton-like process mediated by cobalt ferrite: generated superoxide radicals and singlet oxygen

Azo dyes, widely used in the textile industry, contribute to effluents with significant organic content. Therefore, the aim of this work was to synthesize cobalt ferrite (CoFe2O4) using the combustion method and assess its efficacy in degrading the azo dye Direct Red 80 (DR80). TEM showed a spherical structure with an average size of 33 ± 12 nm. Selected area electron diffraction and XRD confirmed the presence of characteristic crystalline planes specific to CoFe2O4. The amount of Co and Fe metals were determined by ICP-OES, indicating an n(Fe)/n(Co) ratio of 2.02. FTIR exhibited distinct bands corresponding to Co-O (455 cm-1) and Fe-O (523 cm-1) bonds. Raman spectroscopy detected peaks associated with octahedral and tetrahedral sites. For the first time, the material was applied to degrade DR80 in an aqueous system, with the addition of persulfate. Consistently, within 60 min, these trials achieved nearly 100% removal of DR80, even after the material had undergone five cycles of reuse. The pseudo-second-order model was found to be the most fitting model for the experimental data (k2 = 0.07007 L mg-1 min-1). The results strongly suggest that degradation primarily occurred via superoxide radicals and singlet oxygen. Furthermore, the presence of UV light considerably accelerated the degradation process (k2 = 1.54093 L mg-1 min-1). The material was applied in a synthetic effluent containing various ions, and its performance consistently approached 100% in the photo-Fenton system. Finally, two degradation byproducts were identified through HPLC-MS/MS analysis.

Molecular characterization and toxigenic profiles of Bacillus cereus isolates from foodstuff and food poisoning outbreaks in Brazil

Bacillus cereus sensu stricto (s.s.) is a well-known foodborne pathogen that produces a range of enterotoxins and is able to cause two different types of foodborne illnesses-the emetic and the diarrheal syndromes. In this study, 54 B. cereus s.s. strains isolated from foodstuff and foods involved in food poisoning outbreaks were characterized according to the presence of toxin-encoding genes, virulence-encoding genes, and panC typing. Most isolates were assigned to panC groups IV (61.1%) and III (25.9%), but members of groups II and V could also be found. Investigation of specific alleles revealed high numbers of isolates carrying toxin and other virulence genes including nheA (100%), nheB (100%), hblA (79.6%), hblC (79.6%), hblD (74.1%), cytK-2 (61.1%), clo (100%), pc-plc (75.9%), sph (68.5%), pi-plc (66.6%), hlyIII (62.9%), and hlyII (24.1%). All isolates were negative for ces and cytK-1. In summary, we detected various enterotoxin and other virulence factor genes associated with diarrheal syndrome in strains analyzed, implicated or not with food poisoning. Furthermore, the most isolates analyzed belong to high-risk phylogenetic groups' panC types III and IV. Our study provides a convenient molecular scheme for characterization of B. cereus s.s. strains responsible for food poisoning outbreaks in order to improve the monitoring and investigation and assess emerging clusters and diversity of strains.

Antinociceptive Effect of Dillenia indica (Linn.) Mediated by Opioid and Cannabinoid Systems: Pharmacological and Chemical Studies

Dillenia indica (Linn.) has been reported by several biological activities, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antidiabetic, anti-hyperglycemic, antiproliferative, antimutagenic, anticholinesterase, and antimicrobial. In Brazilian traditional medicine, the fruits of D. indica have been used to treat general topical pain and inflammation, but with no scientific validation. Thus, aiming to study its chemical constitution and antinociceptive properties, the crude extract (CE) and fractions obtained from the fruits of D. indica were submitted to an in vivo pharmacological evaluation and a dereplication study by LC-MS/MS analysis, assisted by the Global Natural Product Social Molecular Networking (GNPS). The oral antinociceptive activity of the fruits of D. indica and the possible participation of the opioid and cannabinoid systems were demonstrated in the formalin-induced nociception model. The chemical dereplication study led us to identify several known chemical constituents, including flavonoids, such as caffeoylmalic acid, naringenin, quercetin, and kaempferol. According to literature data, our results are compatible with significant antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities. Therefore, the flavonoid constituents of the fruits of D. indica are probably responsible for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antinociceptive effects mediated by both opioid and cannabinoid systems, confirming its folk use in the treatment and relief of pain.

Chimeric proteins of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae as vaccine and preclinical model for immunological evaluation

Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae (M. hyopneumoniae) is a primary agent of porcine enzootic pneumonia, a disease that causes significant economic losses to pig farming worldwide. Commercial vaccines induce partial protection, evidencing the need for a new vaccine against M. hyopneumoniae. In our work, three chimeric proteins were constructed, composed of potentially immunogenic domains from M. hyopneumoniae proteins. We designed three chimeric proteins (Q1, Q2, and Q3) based on bioinformatics analysis that identified five potential proteins with immunogenic potential (MHP418, MHP372, MHP199, P97, and MHP0461). The chimeric proteins were inoculated in the murine model to evaluate the immune response. The mice vaccinated with the chimeras presented IgG and IgG1 against proteins of M. hyopneumoniae. There was induction of IgG in mice immunized with Q3 starting from 30 days post-vaccination, and groups Q1 and Q2 showed induction at 45 days. Mice of the group immunized with Q3 showed the production of IgA. In addition, the mice inoculated with chimeric proteins showed a proinflammatory cytokine response; Q1 demonstrated higher levels of TNF, IL-6, IL2, and IL-17. In contrast, animals immunized with Q2 showed an increase in the concentrations of TNF, IL-6, and IL-4, whereas those immunized with Q3 exhibited an increase in the concentrations of TNF, IL-6, IL-10, and IL-4. The results of the present study indicate that these three chimeric proteins can be used in future vaccine trials with swine because of the promising antigenicity.

Is Galleria mellonella model a good alternative to study virulence in Staphylococcus aureus from bovine mastitis?

Staphylococcus aureus is one of the agents of bovine mastitis of hardest control due to a complex pathogenesis comprising a variety of virulence factors, which ensures its persistence in the mammary gland, causing significant health and economic losses. Therefore, understanding the pathogenesis of this agent is imperative. Galleria mellonella has stood out as an invertebrate animal model for the study of infectious diseases that affect several hosts. This work aimed to evaluate G. mellonella larvae as an experimental model for the study of virulence phenotypes in an S. aureus population isolated from bovine mastitis. Thirty genetically divergent S. aureus strains were chosen based on PFGE analysis. After experimental infection, larvae survival rates, bacterial growth in hemolymph, melanization intensity of the dorsal vessel, and histological characteristics of the infected tissues were evaluated. The G. mellonella model showed a clear diversity in the S. aureus pathogenicity pattern, allowing the differentiation of strains with virulence phenotypes ranging from high to low degrees. Histological analysis confirmed that the strains tested were capable of inducing the formation of nodules and melanization spots in the dorsal vessels of the larvae in different magnitudes. The strains 16S-717, 19C-828, and 31S-1443 presented the highest virulence intensity among the bacteria tested and will be used further for the generation of S. aureus mutant populations to prospect genetic targets aimed to develop control strategies of bovine mastitis. Altogether, our results suggest that G. mellonella is an attractive and low-cost animal model for characterizing virulence phenotypes of large S. aureus populations.

Combining surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy and paper spray mass spectrometry for the identification and confirmation of psychotropic substances in alcoholic beverages

Criminal practices in which an individual becomes vulnerable and prone to sexual assault after ingesting drinks spiked with doping substances have become a social concern globally. As forensic protocols require a multi-tiered strategy for chemical evidentiary analysis, the backlog of evidence has become a significant problem in the community. Herein, a fast, sensible, and complementary dual analytical methodology was developed using a single commercial paper substrate for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) and paper spray mass spectrometry (PS-MS) analysis to identify psychotropic substances added to alcoholic beverages irrefutably. To study and investigate this criminal practice, pharmaceutical formulations containing distinct psychotropic substances (zolpidem, clonazepam, diazepam, and ketamine) were added to drinks typically consumed at parties and festivals (Pilsen beer, açaí Catuaba®, gin tonic, and vodka mixed with Coca-Cola Zero®). A simple liquid-liquid extraction with a low-temperature partitioning (LLE-LTP) procedure was applied to the drinks and effectively minimized matrix effects. As a preliminary analysis, SERS spectra combined with Hierarchical Clustering Analysis (HCA) provided sufficient information to investigate the samples further. The presence of the protonated species for the psychotropic substances in the spiked drinks was readily verified in the mass spectra and confirmed by tandem mass spectrometry. Finally, the results demonstrate the potential of this methodology to be easily implemented into the routine of forensic laboratories and to be further employed at harm reduction tends at parties and festivals to detect contaminated beverages promptly and irrefutably as an efficient tool to prevent such crimes.

Developments in Leishmaniasis diagnosis: A patent landscape from 2010 to 2022

The current study aims to contribute to the understanding of leishmaniasis diagnosis by providing an overview of patent filings in this field and analyzing whether the methods revealed are consistent with the needs described by the scientific community, in special the main gaps detected by the World Health Organization's 2021-2030 Roadmap for Neglected Tropical Diseases. To this aim, a patent search was carried out focusing on documents disclosing leishmaniasis diagnostic methods supported by experimental evidence and with earliest priority date from 2010 onwards. Our results show that patenting activity is low and patent families are often formed by individual filings. Most R&D activity occurs in Brazil, which is also the main market of protection. Brazilian academic institutions are the main patent drivers, and collaboration between different institutions is rare. Most patent families describe immunological methods based on ELISA assays, using antibodies directed to K39 and homologues. kDNA is the primary gene for molecular testing. Experimental evidence of test performance in fulfilling critical diagnostic gaps is usually absent. The patent scenario suggests that leishmaniasis diagnostic gaps need to be more closely addressed to drive innovation directed to the control and/or elimination of leishmaniasis. From the public policy point of view, the following strategies are suggested: (i) strengthening collaborative networks, (ii) enhancing the participation of the private sector, and (iii) increasing funding, with special focus on the remaining diagnostic gaps.

Delivery of Plasmid DNA by Ionizable Lipid Nanoparticles to Induce CAR Expression in T Cells

Introduction

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) cell therapy represents a hallmark in cancer immunotherapy, with significant clinical results in the treatment of hematological tumors. However, current approved methods to engineer T cells to express CAR use viral vectors, which are integrative and have been associated with severe adverse effects due to constitutive expression of CAR. In this context, non-viral vectors such as ionizable lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) arise as an alternative to engineer CAR T cells with transient expression of CAR.

Methods

Here, we formulated a mini-library of LNPs to deliver pDNA to T cells by varying the molar ratios of excipient lipids in each formulation. LNPs were characterized and screened in vitro using a T cell line (Jurkat). The optimized formulation was used ex vivo to engineer T cells derived from human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) for the expression of an anti-CD19 CAR (CAR-CD19BBz). The effectiveness of these CAR T cells was assessed in vitro against Raji (CD19+) cells.

Results

LNPs formulated with different molar ratios of excipient lipids efficiently delivered pDNA to Jurkat cells with low cytotoxicity compared to conventional transfection methods, such as electroporation and lipofectamine. We show that CAR-CD19BBz expression in T cells was transient after transfection with LNPs. Jurkat cells transfected with our top-performing LNPs underwent activation when exposed to CD19+ target cells. Using our top-performing LNP-9-CAR, we were able to engineer human primary T cells to express CAR-CD19BBz, which elicited significant specific killing of CD19+ target cells in vitro.

Conclusion

Collectively, our results show that LNP-mediated delivery of pDNA is a suitable method to engineer human T cells to express CAR, which holds promise for improving the production methods and broader application of this therapy in the future.

Heart age gap estimated by explainable advanced electrocardiography is associated with cardiovascular risk factors and survival

Aims

Deep neural network artificial intelligence (DNN-AI)-based Heart Age estimations have been presented and used to show that the difference between an electrocardiogram (ECG)-estimated Heart Age and chronological age is associated with prognosis. An accurate ECG Heart Age, without DNNs, has been developed using explainable advanced ECG (A-ECG) methods. We aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of the explainable A-ECG Heart Age and compare its performance to a DNN-AI Heart Age.

Methods and results

Both A-ECG and DNN-AI Heart Age were applied to patients who had undergone clinical cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging. The association between A-ECG or DNN-AI Heart Age Gap and cardiovascular risk factors was evaluated using logistic regression. The association between Heart Age Gaps and death or heart failure (HF) hospitalization was evaluated using Cox regression adjusted for clinical covariates/comorbidities. Among patients [n = 731, 103 (14.1%) deaths, 52 (7.1%) HF hospitalizations, median (interquartile range) follow-up 5.7 (4.7-6.7) years], A-ECG Heart Age Gap was associated with risk factors and outcomes [unadjusted hazard ratio (HR) (95% confidence interval) (5 year increments): 1.23 (1.13-1.34) and adjusted HR 1.11 (1.01-1.22)]. DNN-AI Heart Age Gap was associated with risk factors and outcomes after adjustments [HR (5 year increments): 1.11 (1.01-1.21)], but not in unadjusted analyses [HR 1.00 (0.93-1.08)], making it less easily applicable in clinical practice.

Conclusion

A-ECG Heart Age Gap is associated with cardiovascular risk factors and HF hospitalization or death. Explainable A-ECG Heart Age Gap has the potential for improving clinical adoption and prognostic performance compared with existing DNN-AI-type methods.

A Hybrid Model for Cardiac Perfusion: Coupling a Discrete Coronary Arterial Tree Model with a Continuous Porous-Media Flow Model of the Myocardium

This paper presents a novel hybrid approach for the computational modeling of cardiac perfusion, combining a discrete model of the coronary arterial tree with a continuous porous-media flow model of the myocardium. The constructive constrained optimization (CCO) algorithm captures the detailed topology and geometry of the coronary arterial tree network, while Poiseuille's law governs blood flow within this network. Contrast agent dynamics, crucial for cardiac MRI perfusion assessment, are modeled using reaction-advection-diffusion equations within the porous-media framework. The model incorporates fibrosis-contrast agent interactions and considers contrast agent recirculation to simulate myocardial infarction and Gadolinium-based late-enhancement MRI findings. Numerical experiments simulate various scenarios, including normal perfusion, endocardial ischemia resulting from stenosis, and myocardial infarction. The results demonstrate the model's efficacy in establishing the relationship between blood flow and stenosis in the coronary arterial tree and contrast agent dynamics and perfusion in the myocardial tissue. The hybrid model enables the integration of information from two different exams: computational fractional flow reserve (cFFR) measurements of the heart coronaries obtained from CT scans and heart perfusion and anatomy derived from MRI scans. The cFFR data can be integrated with the discrete arterial tree, while cardiac perfusion MRI data can be incorporated into the continuum part of the model. This integration enhances clinical understanding and treatment strategies for managing cardiovascular disease.

Authenticity study of commercial samples of St. John's wort by paper spray ionization mass spectrometry and chemometric tools

Hypericum perforatum L. (St. John's wort) is one of the world's most consumed medicinal plants for treating depression and psychiatric disorders. Counterfeiting can occur in the medicinal plant trade, either due to the lack of active ingredients or the addition of substances not mentioned on the labels, often without therapeutic value or even harmful to health. Hence, 43 samples of St. John's wort commercially acquired in different Brazilian regions and other countries were analyzed by paper spray ionization mass spectrometry (PS-MS) and modeled by principal component analysis. Hence, samples (plants, capsules, and tablets) were extracted with ethanol in a solid-liquid extraction. For the first time, PS-MS analysis allowed the detection of counterfeit H. perforatum samples containing active principles typical of other plants, such as Ageratum conyzoides and Senna spectabilis. About 52.3% of the samples were considered adulterated for having at least one of these two species in their composition. Furthermore, out of 35 samples produced in Brazil, only 13 were deemed authentic, having only H. perforatum. Therefore, there is a clear need to improve these drugs' quality control in Brazil.

Screening for Chagas disease from the electrocardiogram using a deep neural network

BACKGROUND

Worldwide, it is estimated that over 6 million people are infected with Chagas disease (ChD). It is a neglected disease that can lead to severe heart conditions in its chronic phase. While early treatment can avoid complications, the early-stage detection rate is low. We explore the use of deep neural networks to detect ChD from electrocardiograms (ECGs) to aid in the early detection of the disease.

METHODS

We employ a convolutional neural network model that uses 12-lead ECG data to compute the probability of a ChD diagnosis. Our model is developed using two datasets which jointly comprise over two million entries from Brazilian patients: The SaMi-Trop study focusing on ChD patients, enriched with data from the CODE study from the general population. The model's performance is evaluated on two external datasets: the REDS-II, a study focused on ChD with 631 patients, and the ELSA-Brasil study, with 13,739 civil servant patients.

FINDINGS

Evaluating our model, we obtain an AUC-ROC of 0.80 (CI 95% 0.79-0.82) for the validation set (samples from CODE and SaMi-Trop), and in external validation datasets: 0.68 (CI 95% 0.63-0.71) for REDS-II and 0.59 (CI 95% 0.56-0.63) for ELSA-Brasil. In the latter, we report a sensitivity of 0.52 (CI 95% 0.47-0.57) and 0.36 (CI 95% 0.30-0.42) and a specificity of 0.77 (CI 95% 0.72-0.81) and 0.76 (CI 95% 0.75-0.77), respectively. Additionally, when considering only patients with Chagas cardiomyopathy as positive, the model achieved an AUC-ROC of 0.82 (CI 95% 0.77-0.86) for REDS-II and 0.77 (CI 95% 0.68-0.85) for ELSA-Brasil.

INTERPRETATION

The neural network detects chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy (CCC) from ECG-with weaker performance for early-stage cases. Future work should focus on curating large higher-quality datasets. The CODE dataset, our largest development dataset includes self-reported and therefore less reliable labels, limiting performance for non-CCC patients. Our findings can improve ChD detection and treatment, particularly in high-prevalence areas.

Ecological drivers of sustained enzootic yellow fever virus transmission in Brazil, 2017-2021

Beginning December 2016, sylvatic yellow fever (YF) outbreaks spread into southeastern Brazil, and Minas Gerais state experienced two sylvatic YF waves (2017 and 2018). Following these massive YF waves, we screened 187 free-living non-human primate (NHPs) carcasses collected throughout the state between January 2019 and June 2021 for YF virus (YFV) using RTqPCR. One sample belonging to a Callithrix, collected in June 2020, was positive for YFV. The viral strain belonged to the same lineage associated with 2017-2018 outbreaks, showing the continued enzootic circulation of YFV in the state. Next, using data from 781 NHPs carcasses collected in 2017-18, we used generalized additive mixed models (GAMMs) to identify the spatiotemporal and host-level drivers of YFV infection and intensity (an estimation of genomic viral load in the liver of infected NHP). Our GAMMs explained 65% and 68% of variation in virus infection and intensity, respectively, and uncovered strong temporal and spatial patterns for YFV infection and intensity. NHP infection was higher in the eastern part of Minas Gerais state, where 2017-2018 outbreaks affecting humans and NHPs were concentrated. The odds of YFV infection were significantly lower in NHPs from urban areas than from urban-rural or rural areas, while infection intensity was significantly lower in NHPs from urban areas or the urban-rural interface relative to rural areas. Both YFV infection and intensity were higher during the warm/rainy season compared to the cold/dry season. The higher YFV intensity in NHPs in warm/rainy periods could be a result of higher exposure to vectors and/or higher virus titers in vectors during this time resulting in the delivery of a higher virus dose and higher viral replication levels within NHPs. Further studies are needed to better test this hypothesis and further compare the dynamics of YFV enzootic cycles between different seasons.

Assessing the functional diversity of rhizobacteria from cacao by partitioning root and shoot biomasses

Plant-microbe interactions are critical for the sustainability of agricultural production. In this study, our aims were to characterize the genetic and functional diversity of the culturable bacterial community associated with the cacao rhizosphere and access their potential for growth promotion of cacao seedling. Culture-dependent and molecular methods were used to characterize the population densities and diversity of bacterial communities from soil and cacao plants at two locations and two plant ages. A total of 63 strains were identified through hsp60 sequencing. Pseudomonas and Enterobacter were the most abundant genera in association with the cacao rhizosphere, whereas Bacillus was more numerous in soil. Parameters of seedling growth promotion were evaluated 60 days after inoculation of seeds, with partition of the assessments into root and shoot weight. Each isolate showed beneficial, neutral or deleterious effects on plant growth, depending on the isolate and on the parts of plant assessed. Interestingly, although an apparent overall decrease in total biomass of seedlings (roots + shoots dry matters) was observed for the majority of isolates (89%), 94% of all isolates, in fact, revealed an increase in plant roots/shoots dry biomass ratio. Despite that part of the isolates (35%) appeared to significantly decrease plant height, and that 65% did not influence plant height (neutral effect), 18 had significantly increased root dry biomass; nevertheless, seven of these root growth-increasing isolates simultaneously decreased shoots-related growth parameters. The results of this study evidentiated the functional diversity of culturable cacao rhizobacteria and how the partitioning of roots and shoots in the assessment of plant growth parameters could reveal the biotechnological potential of these isolates for promoting growth of clones for rehabilitation of commercial cacao plantations. KEY POINTS: • The most common culturable bacteria in cacao roots were Pseudomonas and Enterobacter • Most culturable bacteria from cacao roots increased the root/shoot ratio • Roots and shoots should be examined separately to detect cacao beneficial bacteria.

Ethanol Preference Leads to Alterations in Telomere Length, Mitochondria Copy Number, and Antioxidant Enzyme Activity in Zebrafish Brains

BACKGROUND

The motivations for and effects of ethanol consumption vary considerably among individuals, and as such, a significant proportion of the population is prone to substance abuse and its negative consequences in the physical, social, and psychological spheres. In a biological context, the characterization of these phenotypes provides clues for understanding the neurological complexity associated with ethanol abuse behavior. Therefore, the objective of this research was to characterize four ethanol preference phenotypes described in zebrafish: Light, Heavy, Inflexible, and Negative Reinforcement.

METHODS

To do this, we evaluated the telomere length, mtDNA copy number using real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR), and the activity of these antioxidant enzymes: catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) in the brain, and the interactions between these biomarkers. Changes observed in these parameters were associated with ethanol consumption and alcohol abuse.

RESULTS

The Heavy, Inflexible, and Negative Reinforcement phenotypes showed ethanol preference. This was particularly the case with the Inflexible phenotype, which was the group with the greatest ethanol preference. These three phenotypes showed telomere shortening as well as high SOD/CAT and/or GPx activities, while the Heavy phenotype also showed an increase in the mtDNA copy number. However, the Light phenotype, containing individuals without ethanol preference, did not demonstrate any changes in the analyzed parameters even after being exposed to the drug. Additionally, the PCA analysis showed a tendency to cluster the Light and Control groups differently from the other ethanol preference phenotypes. There was also a negative correlation between the results of the relative telomere length and SOD and CAT activity, providing further evidence of the biological relationship between these parameters.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results showed differential molecular and biochemistry patterns in individuals with ethanol preference, suggesting that the molecular and biochemical basis of alcohol abuse behavior extends beyond its harmful physiological effects, but rather is correlated with preference phenotypes.

COVID-19 in patients with chronic kidney disease: a 2-year study of incidence and mortality in relation to the variants of concern waves in Brazil

BACKGROUND

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a risk factor for severe coronavirus disease (COVID-19). In Brazil, the disease is the 10th highest cause of death. We evaluated the epidemiological impact of COVID-19 in CDK and non-CDK patients.

METHODS

Positive patients for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) from 2020 to 2022 were classified according to the severity of COVID-19 and the numbers of cases and deaths were correlated to each wave of SARS-CoV-2 variants in Brazil.

RESULTS

We compared all variables, and our data show that CDK significantly increased the mortality rate among patients, especially before COVID-19 vaccination, in comparison with non-CKD patients.

CONCLUSIONS

CKD patients had a significantly increased mortality rate compared with non-CKD.

Antimicrobial, Antibiofilm Activities and Synergic Effect of Triterpene 3β,6β,16β-trihydroxyilup-20(29)-ene Isolated from Combretum leprosum Leaves Against Staphylococcus Strains

Antimicrobial resistance is a natural phenomenon and is becoming a huge global public health problem, since some microorganisms not respond to the treatment of several classes of antibiotics. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the antibacterial, antibiofilm, and synergistic effect of triterpene 3β,6β,16β-trihydroxyilup-20(29)-ene (CLF1) against Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis strains. Bacterial susceptibility to CLF1 was evaluated by minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) assay. In addition, the effect combined with antibiotics (ampicillin and tetracycline) was verified by the checkerboard method. The biofilms susceptibility was assessed by enumeration of colony-forming units (CFUs) and quantification of total biomass by crystal violet staining. The compound showed bacteriostatic and bactericidal activity against all Staphylococcal strains tested. The synergistic effect with ampicillin was observed only for S. epidermidis strains. Moreover, CLF1 significantly inhibited the biofilm formation and disrupted preformed biofilm of the all strains. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images showed changes in the cell morphology and structure of S. aureus ATCC 700698 biofilms (a methicillin-resistant S. aureus strain). Molecular docking simulations showed that CLF1 has a more favorable interaction energy than the antibiotic ampicillin on penicillin-binding protein (PBP) 2a of MRSA, coupled in different regions of the protein. Based on the results obtained, CLF1 proved to be a promising antimicrobial compound against Staphylococcus biofilms.

Influence of fasting during the night shift on next day eating behavior, hunger, and glucose and insulin levels: a randomized, three-condition, crossover trial

AIMS

To investigate the influence of fasting during the night shift on eating behavior, hunger, glucose and insulin levels the following day.

METHODS

Study with 10 male police officers who have been working at night. Participants were tested under three different conditions separated by at least 6 days of washout in a randomized, crossover design: "Night Shift Fasting" (NSF)-two nights of fasting during the night shift; "Night Shift Eating" (NSE)-two nights with the consumption of a standardized meal during the night shift (678 ± 42 kcal consumed at ~ 0200 h); and "Nighttime Sleep" (NS)-two nights of sleep. The morning after, blood glucose and insulin and hunger ratings were assessed, and food intake was assessed with an ad libitum test meal. Food intake was also assessed throughout the remainder of the day using a food record. Generalized Estimating Equations were used to analyze the effect of experimental condition.

RESULTS

Food intake during the test meal, especially of proteins and fats, was higher after fasting during the night shift compared to the other conditions (p < 0.05), whereas desire to eat scores were lower after the NSF compared to NSE condition (p = 0.043). Hunger levels were lower after the NSF compared to the NS condition (p = 0.012). Insulin and HOMA-IR were also lower in the morning after NSF (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Fasting during the night shift leads to not only a higher intake of energy and macronutrients both in the early morning after work and throughout the next day, but also lower insulin levels and HOMA-IR in the morning.

REGISTRATION NUMBER OF CLINICAL TRIAL

NCT03800732. Initial release: 01/09/2019. Last release: 02/23/2022.

Imperfect diet choice reduces the performance of a predatory mite

Two mutually unexclusive hypotheses prevail in the theory of nutritional ecology: the balanced diet hypothesis states that consumers feed on different food items because they have complementary nutrient and energy compositions. The toxin-dilution hypothesis poses that consumers feed on different food items to dilute the toxins present in each. Both predict that consumers should not feed on low-quality food when ample high-quality food forming a complete diet is present. We investigated the diet choice of Phytoseiulus persimilis, a predatory mite of web-producing spider mites. It can develop and reproduce on single prey species, for example the spider mite Tetranychus urticae. A closely related prey, T. evansi, is of notorious bad quality for P. persimilis and other predator species. We show that juvenile predators feeding on this prey have low survival and do not develop into adults. Adults stop reproducing and have increased mortality when feeding on it. Feeding on a mixed diet of the two prey decreases predator performance, but short-term effects of feeding on the low-quality prey can be partially reversed by subsequently feeding on the high-quality prey. Yet, predators consume low-quality prey in the presence of high-quality prey, which is in disagreement with both hypotheses. We suggest that it is perhaps not the instantaneous reproduction on single prey or mixtures of prey that matters for the fitness of predators, but that it is the overall reproduction by a female and her offspring on an ephemeral prey patch, which may be increased by including inferior prey in their diet.

Formulations of essential oils obtained from plants traditionally used as condiments or traditional medicine active against Staphylococcus aureus isolated from dairy cows with mastitis

The prophylactic and therapeutic overuse of antimicrobials on the farm has contributed to the emergence of hard-to-fight bacterial strains causing bovine mastitis. Aiming at alternative therapies, this study evaluated the antimicrobial activity of 20 essential oils against clinical Staphylococcus aureus strains. Of them, five with strong activities were selected and evaluated for their minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) in culture medium and milk, cytotoxicity against bovine mammary cells (MAC-T), antiadhesive properties, and interactions among themselves and with cefoperazone. The oils remained active on milk, were not cytotoxic, and some concentrations stimulated MAC-T cells growth, suggesting healing potential. Subinhibitory concentrations of Coriandrum sativum, Origanum vulgare, Syzygium aromaticum, and Thymus vulgaris reduced biofilm formation by at least 80%. Several oil and cefoperazone combinations displayed additive interaction, with O. vulgare and C. sativum showing the most promising results. We developed formulations for being used as prophylactic postdipping solutions in the field, containing different concentrations (1% or 3%) of the active oils, alone or in combination, with 3% glycerin, 1% Tween 80, and water. The formulations showed strong antimicrobial activity in milk and enhanced antiadhesive properties, specially when two oils were combined in the formula, indicating promising biotechnological and therapeutical applications.

Lymphomas Affecting the Sublingual Glands: A Clinicopathological Study

BACKGROUND

Lymphomas affecting the sublingual glands are extremely rare and very few case reports are currently available. Therefore, the aim of the current study is to describe the clinicopathological features of a series of lymphomas involving the sublingual glands.

METHODS

Cases diagnosed in four pathology services were assessed and the formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue blocks were retrieved for diagnosis confirmation. Clinical data were obtained from patients' medical files.

RESULTS

We obtained seven cases of lymphomas in the sublingual glands, representing two follicular lymphomas, two diffuse large B cell lymphomas not otherwise specified (DLBCL NOS), two extranodal marginal zone B cell lymphoma of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT lymphomas) and one mantle cell lymphoma (MCL). In all cases the tumor cells infiltrated the glandular parenchyma, although in two of them the neoplastic cells were located more superficially and permeated the glandular acini and ducts. Clinically, the tumors presented as asymptomatic nodules and two patients (affected by DLBCL NOS and MCL) died, while the other five patients remained alive at last follow-up.

CONCLUSION

Lymphomas affecting the sublingual glands are usually of the mature B cell lineage, often represent low-grade subtypes and may clinically resemble other more common lesions in the floor of the mouth like salivary gland tumors.

Characterization of irradiation channels in the carousel of TRIGA Mark I IPR-R1 research reactor, Brazil, aiming at the application of k 0-standardization method of neutron activation analysis

New values of neutron fluxes and spectral parameters f and α were determined experimentally in all irradiation devices of the TRIGA Mark I IPR-R1 nuclear research reactor at Nuclear Technology Development Centre (CDTN), Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Sets of monitors Au, Fe, Zn and Zr were irradiated bare and Cd-covered, according to "Cd-ratio for multi-monitor" method. Values were validated by analysing the certified reference material BCR-320R irradiated in chosen channels. The calculations were made based on irradiation channel values and the average values of the Carousel. The results of E n -score point out that the k 0-method is producing reliable results. From now on, the values of mass fractions in several matrices, the production and studies with radioisotopes will be more accurate and the activities calculated more precisely.

Comparative polyphasic characterization of Weissella strains isolated from beaked whale and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss): confirmation of Weissella ceti sp. nov. and description of the novel Weissella tructae sp. nov. isolated from farmed rainbow trout

The weissellosis agent bacterium (WS08T = CBMAI 2730) was isolated from diseased rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in Brazil. The whole genome sequence of this strain was compared with the Mexican W-1 strain, also isolated from diseased rainbow trout, and with the Weissella ceti type strain CECT 7719 T (= 1119-1A-09 T = CCUG 59653 T), recovered from the beaked whale. Digital DNA-DNA hybridization pairwise analyses scored 98.7% between the Mexican W-1 and Brazilian WS08T but just 24.4% for both fish isolates compared to the W. ceti type strain CECT 7719 T. The 16S rRNA gene sequence comparisons with isolates of W. ceti, available at GenBank, were conducted. All rainbow trout-pathogenic isolates grouped close (97% bootstrap confirmation), but when this group was compared to the W. ceti type strain CECT 7719 T the similarity varied from 78.9 to 79.1%. Phenotypic assays were also conducted, and the W. ceti type strain diverged from WS08T and W-1 in the hydrolysis of aesculin, D-mannose, and potassium gluconate and in the hydrolysis of hippurate. Moreover, WS08T and W-1 showed weak growth at 5 °C whereas no growth was observed for W. ceti CECT 7719 T. The major fatty acids (> 10% total fatty acids) presented by WS08T and W-1 were summed feature 8 (C18:1 ω7c/C18:1 ω6c), summed feature 3 (C16:1 ω6c/C16:1ω7c), and C16:0. The results of phylogenetic and phenotypic analyses clearly differentiated the W. ceti CECT 7719 T type strain from the assessed pathogenic strains obtained from rainbow trout. Therefore, Weissella strains isolated from rainbow trout, here represented by strain WS08T (= CBMAI 2730), should be known as members of a novel species for which the name Weissella tructae sp. nov. is proposed.

A spatial attention guided deep learning system for prediction of pathological complete response using breast cancer histopathology images

MOTIVATION

Predicting pathological complete response (pCR) to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients accurately is direly needed for clinical decision making. pCR is also regarded as a strong predictor of overall survival. In this work, we propose a deep learning system to predict pCR to NAC based on serial pathology images stained with hematoxylin and eosin and two immunohistochemical biomarkers (Ki67 and PHH3). To support human prior domain knowledge-based guidance and enhance interpretability of the deep learning system, we introduce a human knowledge-derived spatial attention mechanism to inform deep learning models of informative tissue areas of interest. For each patient, three serial breast tumor tissue sections from biopsy blocks were sectioned, stained in three different stains and integrated. The resulting comprehensive attention information from the image triplets is used to guide our prediction system for prognostic tissue regions.

RESULTS

The experimental dataset consists of 26 419 pathology image patches of 1000×1000 pixels from 73 TNBC patients treated with NAC. Image patches from randomly selected 43 patients are used as a training dataset and images patches from the rest 30 are used as a testing dataset. By the maximum voting from patch-level results, our proposed model achieves a 93% patient-level accuracy, outperforming baselines and other state-of-the-art systems, suggesting its high potential for clinical decision making.

AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION

The codes, the documentation and example data are available on an open source at: https://github.com/jkonglab/PCR_Prediction_Serial_WSIs_biomarkers.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

T-cell receptor variable region usage in Chagas disease: A systematic review of experimental and human studies

T cells recognize their ligand, the peptide major histocompatibility complex (MHC), via the T-cell receptor (TCR), which is composed of covalently linked α and β or γ and δ chains. This recognition is critical for T-cell ontogeny and controls the selection, activation, and function of T lymphocytes. Specific TCR αβ variable regions have been associated with immunopathogenesis of Chagas disease. Here, we present a systematic review that compiles experimental in vivo and human data regarding the preferential expression of variable alpha (Vα) and variable beta (Vβ) chain regions in Trypanosoma cruzi infection. The original studies indexed in PubMed/Medline, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were screened according to the PRISMA strategy. The analysis showed that expression of TCR Vα subfamilies were evaluated in one human study, and, unlike TCR Vβ, TCR Vα presented a more restricted usage. Despite the great variability in the usage of TCR Vβ regions in human Chagas disease, a down-regulation of TCR Vβ5 expression by T cells from patients in the acute phase of the disease was shown. Opposingly, this TCR region was found overly expressed in CD4+ T cells from chronic Chagas patients. It was also demonstrated that murine Vβ9+ T cells derived from nonlymphoid organs of T. cruzi-infected animals had a modulatory profile, while splenic Vβ9+ T cells produced inflammatory cytokines, indicating that although they display the same TCR Vβ region usage, these cells are functionally distinct. Despite the limitations of few papers and year of publication of the studies, compiling the data derived from them reveals that further investigation of TCR usage will point to their potential role in protective or pathogenic responses, as biomarkers of disease progression, and in the search for dominant peptides potentially useful for the development of vaccines or therapies.

Chagas disease is a neglected tropical disease, caused by infection with Trypanosoma cruzi. Differential expression of certain T-cell receptor (TCR) variable regions has been associated with the immunopathogenesis of Chagas disease. Here, we present a systematic review that compiled experimental in vivo and human data regarding the preferential expression of TCR alpha and beta chain variable regions in Chagas disease. The original studies indexed in the PubMed/Medline, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were screened according to the PRISMA strategy. Despite the great variability in the use of TCR Vβ in T. cruzi infection, the outcomes indicate that there is a down-regulation of TCR Vβ5 expression in T cells from patients in the acute phase of Chagas disease. However, this region is preferentially expressed by CD4+ T cells from chronic Chagas patients. Additionally, it has been demonstrated that murine Vβ9+ T cells derived from nonlymphoid organs displayed a modulatory profile, while splenic Vβ9+ T cells produced inflammatory cytokines, indicating that although they express the same TCR Vβ region, these cells are functionally distinct. Information on TCR expression, specificity and function have critical impact on vaccine design.

Semantic Academic Profiler (SAP): a framework for researcher assessment based on semantic topic modeling

Recent efforts have focused on identifying multidisciplinary teams and detecting co-Authorship Networks based on exploring topic modeling to identify researchers’ expertise. Though promising, none of these efforts perform a real-life evaluation of the quality of the built topics. This paper proposes a Semantic Academic Profiler (SAP) framework that allows summarizing articles written by researchers to automatically build research profiles and perform online evaluations regarding these built profiles. SAP exploits and extends state-of-the-art Topic Modeling strategies based on Cluwords considering n-grams and introduces a new visual interface able to highlight the main topics related to articles, researchers and institutions. To evaluate SAP’s capability of summarizing the profile of such entities as well as its usefulness for supporting online assessments of the topics’ quality, we perform and contrast two types of evaluation, considering an extensive repository of Brazilian curricula vitae: (1) an offline evaluation, in which we exploit a traditional metric (NPMI) to measure the quality of several data representations strategies including (i) TFIDF, (ii) TFIDF with Bi-grams, (iii) Cluwords, and (iv) CluWords with Bi-grams; and (2) an online evaluation through an A/B test where researchers evaluate their own built profiles. We also perform an online assessment of SAP user interface through a usability test following the SUS methodology. Our experiments indicate that the CluWords with Bi-grams is the best solution and the SAP interface is very useful. We also observed essential differences in the online and offline assessments, indicating that using both together is very important for a comprehensive quality evaluation. Such type of study is scarce in the literature and our findings open space for new lines of investigation in the Topic Modeling area.

Explainable death toll motion modeling: COVID-19 data-driven narratives

Models have gained the spotlight in many discussions surrounding COVID-19. The urgency for timely decisions resulted in a multitude of models as informed policy actions must be made even when so many uncertainties about the pandemic still remain. In this paper, we use machine learning algorithms to build intuitive country-level COVID-19 motion models described by death toll velocity and acceleration. Model explainability techniques provide insightful data-driven narratives about COVID-19 death toll motion models—while velocity is explained by factors that are increasing/reducing death toll pace now, acceleration anticipates the effects of public health measures on slowing the death toll pace. This allows policymakers and epidemiologists to understand factors driving the outbreak and to evaluate the impacts of different public health measures.

Estimating intrinsic growth rates of arthropods from partial life tables using predatory mites as examples

The intrinsic rate of natural increase of a population (r_m) has been in focus as a key parameter in entomology and acarology. It is considered especially important in studies of predators that are potential biological control agents of fast-growing pests such as mites, whiteflies and thrips. Life-table experiments under controlled laboratory conditions are standard procedures to estimate r_m. However, such experiments are often time consuming and may critically depend on the precise assessment of the developmental time and the fecundity rate early in the reproductive phase. Using selected studies of predatory mites with suitable life-table data, we investigated whether and how measurements of growth rates can be simplified. We propose a new method for estimating r_m from partial life tables, in which the researcher can choose a level of precision based on a stand-in measure of relative error. Based on this choice, the procedure helps the researcher to decide when a life-table experiment can be terminated. Depending on the chosen precision, significant amounts of experimental time can be saved without seriously compromising the reliability of the estimated growth parameter.

Examination of the interior of sand fly (Diptera: Psychodidae) abdomen reveals novel cuticular structures involved in pheromone release: Discovering the manifold

The males of many species of New World Phlebotomines produce volatile terpenoid chemicals, shown in Lutzomyia longipalpis s.l. to be sex/aggregation pheromones. Pheromone is produced by secretory cells which surround a cuticular reservoir which collects the pheromone and passes it through a cuticular duct to the surface of the insect. The pheromone then passes through specialised cuticular structures on the abdominal surface prior to evaporation. The shape and distribution of the specialised structures are highly diverse and differ according to species. In this study we used SEM to examine the interior cuticular pheromone collection and transport structures of 3 members of the Lu. longipalpis s.l. species complex and Migonemyia migonei. We found a new structure which we have called the manifold which appears to be a substantial extension of the interior tergal cuticle connected in-line with the cuticular duct and reservoir. The manifold of the Campo Grande member of the complex is longer and wider than the Jacobina member whereas the manifold of the Sobral member was shorter than both other members of the complex. Overall, the secretory apparatus of the Sobral member was smaller than the other two. The manifold of M. migonei was very different to those found in Lu. longipalpis s.l. and was positioned in a pit-like structure within the tergal cuticle. The secretory reservoir was connected by a short duct to the manifold. Differences in the size and shape of the manifold may be related to the chemical structure of the pheromone and may have taxonomic value. Examination of the interior cuticle by SEM may help to locate the secretory apparatus of vector species where pheromonal activity has been inferred from behavioural studies but the external secretory structures or pheromones have not yet been found.

Is social cohesion produced by weak ties or by multiplex ties? Rival hypotheses regarding leader networks in urban community settings

In his seminal work, Mark Granovetter (1973) challenged sociologists to test sociometric hypotheses regarding collective action in communitarian settings. In this article, we tested the two main hypotheses which consider social cohesion in communitarian urban settings–these being firstly cohesion by weak ties and secondly cohesion by multiplex ties. We studied the elite leaders of two slum communities of Belo Horizonte (Brazil). Three social processes were examined as multiplex interactions: recognized status, exchange of useful information and collaboration. Our findings reveal, on the one hand, that multiplexity is associated with the frequency of ties and, on the other, that reciprocity and shared domains of performance fuel such strong multiplexity. If we assume that elite connections conform to a high order structure, our findings, in contrast to previously well-established hypotheses, reveal a segmented social order in which multiplexity does not mean the overlapping of social circles. On the contrary, multiplexed social exchanges are restricted to specialized domains.

Ligand Accessibility Insights to the Dengue Virus NS3-NS2B Protease Assessed by Long-Timescale Molecular Dynamics Simulations

Dengue is a tropical disease caused by the dengue virus (DENV), with an estimate of 300 million new cases every year. Due to the limited vaccine efficiency and absence of effective antiviral treatment, new drug candidates are urgently needed. DENV NS3-NS2B protease complex is essential for viral post-translational processing and maturation, and this enzyme has been extensively studied as a relevant drug target. Crystal structures often underestimate NS3-NS2B flexibility, whereas they can adopt different conformational states depending on the bound substrate. We conducted molecular dynamics simulations (∼30 μs) with a non- and covalently bound inhibitor to understand the conformational changes in the DENV-3 NS3-NS2B complex. Our results show that the open-closing movement of the protease exposes multiple druggable subpockets that can be investigated in later drug discovery efforts.

Alkaloid and acetogenin-rich fraction from Annona crassiflora fruit peel inhibits proliferation and migration of human liver cancer HepG2 cells

Plant species from Annonaceae are commonly used in traditional medicine to treat various cancer types. This study aimed to investigate the antiproliferative potential of an alkaloid and acetogenin-rich fraction from the fruit peel of Annona crassiflora in HepG2 cells. A liquid-liquid fractionation was carried out on the ethanol extract of A. crassiflora fruit peel in order to obtain an alkaloid and acetogenin-rich fraction (AF-Ac). Cytotoxicity, proliferation and migration were evaluated in the HepG2 cells, as well as the proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), vinculin and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) expression. In addition, intracellular Ca2+ was determined using Fluo4-AM and fluorescence microscopy. First, 9 aporphine alkaloids and 4 acetogenins that had not yet been identified in the fruit peel of A. crassiflora were found in AF-Ac. The treatment with 50 μg/mL AF-Ac reduced HepG2 cell viability, proliferation and migration (p < 0.001), which is in accordance with the reduced expression of PCNA and EGFR levels (p < 0.05). Furthermore, AF-Ac increased intracellular Ca2+ in the HepG2 cells, mobilizing intracellular calcium stores, which might be involved in the anti-migration and anti-proliferation capacities of AF-Ac. Our results support the growth-inhibitory potential of AF-Ac on HepG2 cells and suggest that this effect is triggered, at least in part, by PCNA and EGFR modulation and mobilization of intracellular Ca2+. This study showed biological activities not yet described for A. crassiflora fruit peel, which provide new possibilities for further in vivo studies to assess the antitumoral potential of A. crassiflora, especially its fruit peel.

Leiomyoma and Leiomyosarcoma (Primary and Metastatic) of the Oral and Maxillofacial Region: A Clinicopathological and Immunohistochemical Study of 27 Cases

Smooth muscle neoplasms represent an important group of lesions which is rare in the oral cavity. Leiomyoma (LM) is benign smooth muscle/pericytic tumor usually presenting as non-aggressive neoplasm, while leiomyosarcoma (LMS) represents its malignant counterpart. The rarity of these lesions, together with its unspecific clinical presentation and a variable histopathological appearance, lead to a broad list of differential diagnoses, hampering their diagnoses. Therefore, in this study we describe the clinical and microscopic features of a series of oral and maxillofacial LMs and LMSs. A retrospective search from 2000 to 2019 was performed and all cases diagnosed as LM and LMS affecting the oral cavity and gnathic bones were retrieved. Clinical and demographic data were obtained from the patients' pathology records, while microscopic features and immunohistochemistry were reviewed and completed when necessary to confirm the diagnoses. Twenty-two LMs and five LMSs were obtained. In the LM group, males predominated, with a mean age of 45.7 years. The upper lip was the most affected site, and 18 cases were classified as angioleiomyomas and four as solid LM. In the LMS group, females predominated, with a mean age of 47.6 years. The mandible was the most affected site. Diffuse proliferation of spindle cells, with necrosis and mitotic figures, were frequent microscopic findings. LMs and LMSs were positive for α-smooth muscle actin, HHF-35 and h-caldesmon. In conclusion, oral LM/LMS are uncommon neoplasms with the latter usually presenting as metastatic disease. H&E evaluation may be very suggestive of oral LMs, but h-caldesmon staining is strongly recommended to confirm LMS diagnosis.

Strongyloidiasis Serological Analysis with Three Different Biological Probes and Their Electrochemical Responses in a Screen-Printed Gold Electrode

(1) Background: The validation of biological antigens is the study's utmost goal in biomedical applications. We evaluated three different probes with single and multiple epitopes through electrochemical detection of specific IgG in serum for human strongyloidiasis diagnosis. (2) Methods: Screen-printed gold electrodes were used and probes consisting of two single-epitope synthetic peptides (D3 and C10) with different sequences, and a multi-epitope antigen [detergent phase (DP)-hydrophobic membrane proteins]. Human serum samples from three populations were used: Strongyloides stercoralis positive, positive for other parasitic infections and negative controls. To test the immobilization of probes onto a screen-printed gold electrode and the serum IgG detection, electrochemical analyses were carried out through differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) and the electrode surface analyses were recorded using atomic force microscopy. (3) Results: The electrochemical response in screen-printed gold electrodes of peptides D3 and C10 when using positive serum was significantly higher than that when using the DP. Our sensor improved sensitivity to detect strongyloidiasis. (4) Conclusions: Probes' sequences are critical factors for differential electrochemical responses, and the D3 peptide presented the best electrochemical performance for strongyloidiasis detection, and may efficiently substitute whole antigen extracts from parasites for strongyloidiasis diagnosis in electrochemical immunosensors.

Functional biomarker signatures of circulating T-cells and its association with distinct clinical status of leprosy patients and their respective household contacts

BACKGROUND

Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease classified into two subgroups for therapeutic purposes: paucibacillary (PB) and multibacillary (MB), closely related to the host immune responses. In this context it is noteworthy looking for immunological biomarkers applicable as complementary diagnostic tools as well as a laboratorial strategy to follow-up leprosy household contacts.

METHODS

The cross-sectional study enrolled 49 participants, including 19 patients and 30 healthy controls. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were isolated and incubated in the presence of Mycobacterium leprae bacilli. The cells were prepared for surface (CD4+ and CD8+) and intracytoplasmic cytokine staining (IFN-γ, IL-4 and IL-10). Multiple comparisons amongst groups were carried out by ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis, Student T or Mann-Whitney test. Comparative analysis of categorical variables was performed by Chi-square. Functional biomarker signature analysis was conducted using the global median values for each biomarker index as the cut-off edge to identify the proportion of subjects with high biomarker levels.

RESULTS

The cytokine signature analysis demonstrated that leprosy patients presented a polyfunctional profile of T-cells subsets, with increased frequency of IFN-γ+ T-cell subsets along with IL-10+ and IL-4+ from CD4+ T-cells, as compared to health Controls (Venn diagram report). Moreover, statistical analysis was carried out using parametric or non-parametric variance analysis followed by pairwise multiple comparisons, according to the data normality distribution. L(PB) displayed a polyfunctional profile characterized by enhanced percentage of IFN-γ+, IL-10+ and IL-4+ produced by most T-cell subsets, as compared to L(MB) that presented a more restricted cytokine functional profile mediated by IL-10+ and IL-4+ T-cells with minor contribution of IFN-γ produced by CD4+ T-cells. Noteworthy was that HHC(MB) exhibited enhanced frequency of IFN-γ+ T-cells, contrasting with HHC(PB) that presented a cytokine profile limited to IL-10 and IL-4.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data demonstrated that L(PB) displayed enhanced percentage of IFN-γ+, IL-10+ and IL-4+ as compared to L(MB) that presented functional profile mediated by IL-10+ and IL-4+ T-cells and HHC(MB) exhibited enhanced frequency of IFN-γ+ T-cells, contrasting with HHC(PB). Together, our findings provide additional immunological features associated with leprosy and household contacts. These data provide evidence that biomarkers of immune response can be useful complementary diagnostic/prognostic tools as well as insights that household contacts should be monitored to access putative subclinical infection.

Study of the differentially abundant proteins among Leishmania amazonensis, L. braziliensis, and L. infantum

Leishmaniasis has been considered as emerging and re-emerging disease, and its increasing global incidence has raised concerns. The great clinical diversity of the disease is mainly determined by the species. In several American countries, tegumentary leishmaniasis (TL) is associated with both Leishmania amazonensis and L. braziliensis, while visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is associated with L. (L.) infantum. The major molecules that determine the most diverse biological variations are proteins. In the present study, through a DIGE approach, we identified differentially abundant proteins among the species mentioned above. We observed a variety of proteins with differential abundance among the studied species; and the biological networks predicted for each species showed that many of these proteins interacted with each other. The prominent proteins included the heat shock proteins (HSPs) and the protein network involved in oxide reduction process in L. amazonensis, the protein network of ribosomes in L. braziliensis, and the proteins involved in energy metabolism in L. infantum. The important proteins, as revealed by the PPI network results, enrichment categories, and exclusive proteins analysis, were arginase, HSPs, and trypanothione reductase in L. amazonensis; enolase, peroxidoxin, and tryparedoxin1 in L. braziliensis; and succinyl-CoA ligase [GDP -forming] beta-chain and transaldolase in L. infantum.

Performance evaluation of eight rapid tests to detect HIV infection: A comparative study from Brazil

Rapid tests (RTs), also known as point-of-care tests, usually release results within 30 minutes with no need for a qualified staff, equipment, or laboratory structure. The Brazilian Ministry of Health published a resolution in 2013, recommending the use of RTs for the diagnosis of HIV infection, where one positive RT must be followed by another different RT. This was meant to increase the chance of proper diagnosis in specific settings and special populations. However, data comparing and validating the different HIV RTs available in Brazil are scarce. Therefore, the present study seeks to evaluate eight anti-HIV RTs available in the Brazilian market regarding their analytical performance: sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, positive and negative likelihood ratios, and accuracy. We also evaluated the agreement between kits (Kappa index) and the quality of the reading pattern of the tests. This was an observational, analytical, and concordance study, in which previously defined positive and negative samples, based on their serological pattern for anti-HIV antibodies (chemiluminescent immunoassay-ECLIA-used as screening and Western Blot used as the confirmatory test) were tested. Analytical performance and Kappa index were calculated, considering a 95% CI and p<0.05. This study identified differences in the performances of the eight tested kits. Six out of eight RTs showed good performance and can be used in the routine laboratory and health care units as screening tests. Regarding the quality of the RT band reading pattern, two brands had several samples showing quite faint bands, thus compromising its use in clinical and laboratory settings.

Osmotic adjustment and hormonal regulation of stomatal responses to vapour pressure deficit in sunflower

Dynamic variation of the stomatal pore in response to changes in leaf-air vapour pressure difference (VPD) constitutes a critical regulation of daytime gas exchange. The stomatal response to VPD has been associated with both foliage abscisic acid (ABA) and leaf water potential (Ψ  _l ); however, causation remains a matter of debate. Here, we seek to separate hydraulic and hormonal control of stomatal aperture by manipulating the osmotic potential of sunflower leaves. In addition, we test whether stomatal responses to VPD in an ABA-deficient mutant (w-1) of sunflower are similar to the wild type. Stomatal apertures during VPD transitions were closely linked with foliage ABA levels in sunflower plants with contrasting osmotic potentials. In addition, we observed that the inability to synthesize ABA at high VPD in w-1 plants was associated with no dynamic or steady-state stomatal response to VPD. These results for sunflower are consistent with a hormonal, ABA-mediated stomatal responses to VPD rather than a hydraulic-driven stomatal response to VPD.

mmCSM-AB: guiding rational antibody engineering through multiple point mutations

While antibodies are becoming an increasingly important therapeutic class, especially in personalized medicine, their development and optimization has been largely through experimental exploration. While there have been many efforts to develop computational tools to guide rational antibody engineering, most approaches are of limited accuracy when applied to antibody design, and have largely been limited to analysing a single point mutation at a time. To overcome this gap, we have curated a dataset of 242 experimentally determined changes in binding affinity upon multiple point mutations in antibody-target complexes (89 increasing and 153 decreasing binding affinity). Here, we have shown that by using our graph-based signatures and atomic interaction information, we can accurately analyse the consequence of multi-point mutations on antigen binding affinity. Our approach outperformed other available tools across cross-validation and two independent blind tests, achieving Pearson's correlations of up to 0.95. We have implemented our new approach, mmCSM-AB, as a web-server that can help guide the process of affinity maturation in antibody design. mmCSM-AB is freely available at http://biosig.unimelb.edu.au/mmcsm_ab/.

High-quality alternative food reduces cannibalism in the predatory mite Amblyseius herbicolus (Acari: Phytoseiidae)

Predatory mites of the Phytoseiidae family are important biological control agents. Many species of this family are omnivores, i.e., besides on prey, they can feed on plant resources such as nectar and pollen. It has been shown that the addition of alternative food for predators to a crop enhances biological control. However, factors such as food availability and quality can also affect interactions such as cannibalism, and thus influence biological control. We investigated the role of quality of the alternative food in the tendency of Amblyseius herbicolus to engage in cannibalism, a common ecological interaction in many phytoseiid mite species. Cannibalism on eggs by A. herbicolus was significantly reduced in the presence of high-quality food (cattail pollen) compared to egg cannibalism without alternative food, whereas this was not the case in the presence of low-quality food (cotton pollen). This suggests that cattail pollen is a high-quality alternative food, not only because it results in increased development and reproduction of predators, but also because it can minimize cannibalism.

Reconstructing the Phylogeny of Corynebacteriales while Accounting for Horizontal Gene Transfer

Horizontal gene transfer is a common mechanism in Bacteria that has contributed to the genomic content of existing organisms. Traditional methods for estimating bacterial phylogeny, however, assume only vertical inheritance in the evolution of homologous genes, which may result in errors in the estimated phylogenies. We present a new method for estimating bacterial phylogeny that accounts for the presence of genes acquired by horizontal gene transfer between genomes. The method identifies and corrects putative transferred genes in gene families, before applying a gene tree-based summary method to estimate bacterial species trees. The method was applied to estimate the phylogeny of the order Corynebacteriales, which is the largest clade in the phylum Actinobacteria. We report a collection of 14 phylogenetic trees on 360 Corynebacteriales genomes. All estimated trees display each genus as a monophyletic clade. The trees also display several relationships proposed by past studies, as well as new relevant relationships between and within the main genera of Corynebacteriales: Corynebacterium, Mycobacterium, Nocardia, Rhodococcus, and Gordonia. An implementation of the method in Python is available on GitHub at https://github.com/UdeS-CoBIUS/EXECT (last accessed April 2, 2020).

Leaf water potential of coffee estimated by landsat-8 images

Traditionally, water conditions of coffee areas are monitored by measuring the leaf water potential (ΨW) throughout a pressure pump. However, there is a demand for the development of technologies that can estimate large areas or regions. In this context, the objective of this study was to estimate the ΨW by surface reflectance values and vegetation indices obtained from the Landsat-8/OLI sensor in Minas Gerais-Brazil Several algorithms using OLI bands and vegetation indexes were evaluated and from the correlation analysis, a quadratic algorithm that uses the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) performed better, with a correlation coefficient (R2) of 0.82. Leave-One-Out Cross-Validation (LOOCV) was performed to validate the models and the best results were for NDVI quadratic algorithm, presenting a Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) of 27.09% and an R2 of 0.85. Subsequently, the NDVI quadratic algorithm was applied to Landsat-8 images, aiming to spatialize the ΨW estimated in a representative area of regional coffee planting between September 2014 to July 2015. From the proposed algorithm, it was possible to estimate ΨW from Landsat-8/OLI imagery, contributing to drought monitoring in the coffee area leading to cost reduction to the producers.

Secondary forest fragments offer important carbon and biodiversity cobenefits

Tropical forests store large amounts of carbon and high biodiversity, but are being degraded at alarming rates. The emerging global Forest and Landscape Restoration (FLR) agenda seeks to limit global climate change by removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through the growth of trees. In doing so, it may also protect biodiversity as a free cobenefit, which is vital given the massive shortfall in funding for biodiversity conservation. We investigated whether natural forest regeneration on abandoned pastureland offers such cobenefits, focusing for the first time on the recovery of taxonomic diversity (TD), phylogenetic diversity (PD) and functional diversity (FD) of trees, including the recovery of threatened and endemic species richness, within isolated secondary forest (SF) fragments. We focused on the globally threatened Brazilian Atlantic Forest, where commitments have been made to restore 1 million hectares under FLR. Three decades after land abandonment, regenerating forests had recovered ~20% (72 Mg/ha) of the above-ground carbon stocks of a primary forest (PF), with cattle pasture containing just 3% of stocks relative to PFs. Over this period, SF recovered ~76% of TD, 84% of PD and 96% of FD found within PFs. In addition, SFs had on average recovered 65% of threatened and ~30% of endemic species richness of primary Atlantic forest. Finally, we find positive relationships between carbon stock and tree diversity recovery. Our results emphasize that SF fragments offer cobenefits under FLR and other carbon-based payments for ecosystem service schemes (e.g. carbon enhancements under REDD+). They also indicate that even isolated patches of SF could help to mitigate climate change and the biodiversity extinction crisis by recovering species of high conservation concern and improving landscape connectivity.

Resource theory of contextuality

In addition to the important role of contextuality in foundations of quantum theory, this intrinsically quantum property has been identified as a potential resource for quantum advantage in different tasks. It is thus of fundamental importance to study contextuality from the point of view of resource theories, which provide a powerful framework for the formal treatment of a property as an operational resource. In this contribution, we review recent developments towards a resource theory of contextuality and connections with operational applications of this property. This article is part of the theme issue 'Contextuality and probability in quantum mechanics and beyond'.

Effects of salbutamol and phlorizin on acute pulmonary inflammation and disease severity in experimental sepsis

Respiratory infection can be exacerbated by the high glucose concentration in the airway surface liquid (ASL). We investigated the effects of salbutamol and phlorizin on the pulmonary function, oxidative stress levels and SGLT1 activity in lung, pulmonary histopathological damages and survival rates of rats with sepsis. Sepsis was induced by cecal ligation and puncture surgery (CLP). Twenty-four hours after surgery, CLP rats were intranasally treated with saline, salbutamol or phlorizin. After 2 hours, animals were anesthetized and sacrificed. Sepsis promoted atelectasis and bronchial inflammation, and led to increased expression of SGLT1 on cytoplasm of pneumocytes. Salbutamol treatment reduced bronchial inflammation and promoted hyperinsuflation in CLP rats. The interferon-ɤ and Interleucin-1β concentrations in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) were closely related to the bronchial inflammation regulation. Salbutamol stimulated SGLT1 in plasma membrane; whereas, phlorizin promoted the increase of SGLT1 in cytoplasm. Phlorizin reduced catalase activity and induced a significant decrease in the survival rate of CLP rats. Taken together, sepsis promoted atelectasis and lung inflammation, which can be associated with SGLT1 inhibition. The loss of function of SGLT1 by phlorizin are related to the augmented disease severity, increased atelectasis, bronchial inflammation and a significant reduction of survival rate of CLP rats. Alternatively salbutamol reduced BAL inflammatory cytokines, bronchial inflammation, atelectasis, and airway damage in sepsis. These data suggest that this selective β2-adrenergic agonist may protect lung of septic acute effects.

Soil fertility and rainfall during specific phenological phases affect seed trait variation in a widely distributed Neotropical tree, Copaifera langsdorffii

PREMISE

Knowledge of intra-specific variation in seed traits and its environmental determinants is important for predicting plant responses to environmental changes. Here, we tested the hypothesis that differences in soil fertility and rainfall during specific phenological phases drive variation in seed traits in a widely distributed tree, Copaifera langsdorffii. We also tested the hypothesis that climatic heterogeneity increases within-plant variation in seed traits.

METHODS

Inter- and intra-population and within-plant variation in seed mass, number, and seed size/seed number were evaluated for 50 individuals from five populations distributed along a rainfall gradient and occurring on varying soil types. Using multivariate approaches, we tested the effects of soil fertility characteristics and rainfall in five reproductive phenological phases on seed traits.

RESULTS

The seed traits varied greatly both among populations and within plants. Inter-population variation in seed mass was driven by total rainfall during fruit development, and variation in seed number was influenced by total rainfall during the dry season before the reproductive phase. Phosphorus levels and potential acidity of the soil also explained the variations in seed mass and seed mass/seed number, respectively. A positive association between intra-annual variation in rainfall and within-plant variation in seed mass and seed number was found.

CONCLUSION

Both rainfall during specific reproductive phases and soil conditions shape the variation in the seed mass and number of C. langsdorffii. Environment-driven seed trait variation may contribute to this species' broad niche breadth, which in turn may determine the species' persistence under future climatic conditions.