Bacteriophage-receptor binding proteins for multiplex detection of Staphylococcus and Enterococcus in blood

Health care-associated infections (HCAIs) affect hundreds of millions of patients, representing a significant burden for public health. They are usually associated to multidrug resistant bacteria, which increases their incidence and severity. Bloodstream infections (BSIs) are among the most frequent and life-threatening HCAIs, with Enterococcus and Staphylococcus among the most common isolated pathogens. The correct and fast identification of the etiological agents is crucial for clinical decision-making, allowing to rapidly select the appropriate antimicrobial and to prevent from overuse and misuse of antibiotics and the consequent increase in antimicrobial resistance. Conventional culture methods are still the gold standard to identify these pathogens, however are time-consuming and may lead to erroneous diagnosis, which compromises an efficient treatment. (Bacterio)phage receptor binding proteins (RBPs) are the structures responsible for the high specificity conferred to phages against bacteria and thus are very attractive biorecognition elements with high potential for specific detection and identification of pathogens. Taking into account all these facts, we have designed and developed a new, fast, accurate, reliable and unskilled diagnostic method based on newly identified phage RBPs and spectrofluorometric techniques that allows the multiplex detection of Enterococcus and Staphylococcus in blood samples in less than 1.5 hours after an enrichment step.This study was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) under the scope of the project “Phages‐on‐chip” PTDC/BTM‐SAL/32442/2017 (POCI‐01‐0145‐FEDER‐032442) and the strategic funding of UIDB/04469/2020 unit and BioTecNorte operation (NORTE‐01‐0145‐FEDER‐000004) funded by the European Regional Development Fund under the scope of Norte2020 − Programa Operacional Regional do Norte. Catarina Nogueira, Ana Brandão and Susana Costa were supported by the FCT grants PD/BD/143037/2018, SFRH/BD/133193/2017 and SFRH/BD/130098/2017, respectively. We would also like to acknowledge Professor Hermínia de Lencastre, Doctor Carina Almeida and Doctor Nuno Cerca for gently providing some of the strains used in this study. We acknowledge Professor Paulo Freitas for providing some of the infrastructures to perform the experiments.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Impact of COVID-19 on cardiovascular testing in the United States versus the rest of the world

Objectives: This study sought to quantify and compare the decline in volumes of cardiovascular procedures between the United States and non-US institutions during the early phase of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the care of many non-COVID-19 illnesses. Reductions in diagnostic cardiovascular testing around the world have led to concerns over the implications of reduced testing for cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality. Methods: Data were submitted to the INCAPS-COVID (International Atomic Energy Agency Non-Invasive Cardiology Protocols Study of COVID-19), a multinational registry comprising 909 institutions in 108 countries (including 155 facilities in 40 U.S. states), assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on volumes of diagnostic cardiovascular procedures. Data were obtained for April 2020 and compared with volumes of baseline procedures from March 2019. We compared laboratory characteristics, practices, and procedure volumes between U.S. and non-U.S. facilities and between U.S. geographic regions and identified factors associated with volume reduction in the United States. Results: Reductions in the volumes of procedures in the United States were similar to those in non-U.S. facilities (68% vs. 63%, respectively; p = 0.237), although U.S. facilities reported greater reductions in invasive coronary angiography (69% vs. 53%, respectively; p < 0.001). Significantly more U.S. facilities reported increased use of telehealth and patient screening measures than non-U.S. facilities, such as temperature checks, symptom screenings, and COVID-19 testing. Reductions in volumes of procedures differed between U.S. regions, with larger declines observed in the Northeast (76%) and Midwest (74%) than in the South (62%) and West (44%). Prevalence of COVID-19, staff redeployments, outpatient centers, and urban centers were associated with greater reductions in volume in U.S. facilities in a multivariable analysis. Conclusions: We observed marked reductions in U.S. cardiovascular testing in the early phase of the pandemic and significant variability between U.S. regions. The association between reductions of volumes and COVID-19 prevalence in the United States highlighted the need for proactive efforts to maintain access to cardiovascular testing in areas most affected by outbreaks of COVID-19 infection

Catálogo Taxonômico da Fauna do Brasil: setting the baseline knowledge on the animal diversity in Brazil

The limited temporal completeness and taxonomic accuracy of species lists, made available in a traditional manner in scientific publications, has always represented a problem. These lists are invariably limited to a few taxonomic groups and do not represent up-to-date knowledge of all species and classifications. In this context, the Brazilian megadiverse fauna is no exception, and the Catálogo Taxonômico da Fauna do Brasil (CTFB) (http://fauna.jbrj.gov.br/), made public in 2015, represents a database on biodiversity anchored on a list of valid and expertly recognized scientific names of animals in Brazil. The CTFB is updated in near real time by a team of more than 800 specialists. By January 1, 2024, the CTFB compiled 133,691 nominal species, with 125,138 that were considered valid. Most of the valid species were arthropods (82.3%, with more than 102,000 species) and chordates (7.69%, with over 11,000 species). These taxa were followed by a cluster composed of Mollusca (3,567 species), Platyhelminthes (2,292 species), Annelida (1,833 species), and Nematoda (1,447 species). All remaining groups had less than 1,000 species reported in Brazil, with Cnidaria (831 species), Porifera (628 species), Rotifera (606 species), and Bryozoa (520 species) representing those with more than 500 species. Analysis of the CTFB database can facilitate and direct efforts towards the discovery of new species in Brazil, but it is also fundamental in providing the best available list of valid nominal species to users, including those in science, health, conservation efforts, and any initiative involving animals. The importance of the CTFB is evidenced by the elevated number of citations in the scientific literature in diverse areas of biology, law, anthropology, education, forensic science, and veterinary science, among others

Com o diabo no corpo: os terríveis papagaios do Brasil colônia

Desde a Antiguidade, papagaios, periquitos e afins (Psittacidae) fascinaram os europeus por seu vivo colorido e uma notável capacidade de interação com seres humanos. A descoberta do Novo Mundo nada faria além de acrescentar novos elementos ao tráfico de animais exóticos há muito estabelecido pelos europeus com a África e o Oriente. Sem possuir grandes mamíferos, a América tropical participaria desse comércio com o que tinha de mais atrativo, essencialmente felinos, primatas e aves - em particular os papagaios, os quais eram embarcados em bom número. Contudo, a julgar pelos documentos do Brasil colônia, esses voláteis podiam inspirar muito pouca simpatia, pois nenhum outro animal - exceto as formigas - foi tantas vezes mencionado como praga para a agricultura. Além disso, alguns psitácidas mostravam-se tão loquazes que inspiravam a séria desconfiança de serem animais demoníacos ou possessos, pois só três classes de entidades - anjos, homens e demônios - possuíam o dom da palavra. Nos dias de hoje, vários representantes dos Psittacidae ainda constituem uma ameaça para a agricultura, enquanto os indivíduos muito faladores continuam despertando a suspeita de estarem possuídos pelo demônio. Transcendendo a mera curiosidade, essa crença exemplifica o quão intrincadas podem ser as relações do homem com o chamado “mundo natural”, revelando um universo mais amplo e multifacetado do que se poderia supor a princípio. Nesse sentido, a existência de aves capazes de falar torna essa relação ainda mais complexa e evidencia que as dificuldades de estabelecer o limite entre o animal e o humano se estendem além dos primatas e envolvem as mais inusitadas espécies zoológicas.Since ancient times, parrots and their allies (Psittacidae) have fascinated Europeans by their striking colors and notable ability to interact with human beings. The discovery of the New World added new species to the international exotic animal trade, which for many centuries had brought beasts to Europe from Africa and the Orient. Lacking large mammals, tropical America participated in this trade with its most appealing species, essentially felines, primates and birds - especially parrots - which were shipped in large numbers. It should be noted, however, that at times these birds were not well liked. In fact, according to documents from colonial Brazil, only the ants rank higher than parrots as the animals most often mentioned as agricultural pests. On the other hand, some of these birds were so chatty that people suspected them to be demonic or possessed animals, since only three classes of beings - angels, men and demons - have the ability to speak. Nowadays, several Psittacidae still constitute a threat to agriculture, and the suspicion that extremely talkative birds were demon possessed has also survived. More than a joke or a mere curiosity, this belief exemplifies how intricate man’s relationships with the “natural world” may be. In this sense, the existence of birds that are able to speak adds a further twist to these relationships, demonstrating that the problem of establishing a boundary between the animal and the human does not only involve primates, but also includes some unusual zoological species

Familial aggregation of cardiovascular risk factors—The Rio de Janeiro study

R. Pozzan, M. E. C. Magalhães, A. A. Brandão, C. L. T. Andrade, C. L. Szwarcwald and A. P. Brandão State University of Rio de Janeiro - Rio de Janeiro - BrazilMade available in DSpace on 2010-08-23T16:58:37Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 3 license.txt: 1848 bytes, checksum: c2574946aaa52c2a6f639b0a6cef7106 (MD5) LANDMANN_Familial Aggregation_2000.pdf: 187534 bytes, checksum: 574f4cee0411b18880fa5b0c9355eb9c (MD5) LANDMANN_Familial Aggregation_2000.pdf.txt: 11076 bytes, checksum: 051a072dd1fa1b652abb323047de852b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2000-04Made available in DSpace on 2010-11-04T14:19:38Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 3 LANDMANN_Familial Aggregation_2000.pdf.txt: 11076 bytes, checksum: 051a072dd1fa1b652abb323047de852b (MD5) LANDMANN_Familial Aggregation_2000.pdf: 187534 bytes, checksum: 574f4cee0411b18880fa5b0c9355eb9c (MD5) license.txt: 1848 bytes, checksum: c2574946aaa52c2a6f639b0a6cef7106 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2000-04Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública. Departamento de Administração e Planejamento em Saúde. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública. Departamento de Administração e Planejamento em Saúde. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Disturbance of lipid and carbohydrate metabolism, overweight, and high blood pressure seem to be strongly aggregated in families, constituting the multiple metabolic syndrome. In order to investigate these findings, 259 children and adolescents, came from a blood pressure (BP) study developed in 1987–89, were evaluated with their parents (n=414) and siblings (n=519) 10 years later. Clinical (BP, weight, sex, and age) and laboratorial (cholesterol [C], HDL cholesterol [HDL], LDL cholesterol [LDL], triglycerides [TG], and insulin [I]) data were obtained. A standardized regression analyses of the residuals (predicted value subtracted from measured value) was adapted for each lipid, anthropometric and BP variables. Sex, age, and weight were used to adjust BP correlations and sex, age, weight, and BP were used to control lipids correlations. The correlation coefficients found were expressed in the table below: These data show a strong familial aggregation of cardiovascular risk factors, specially with mothers and sons, suggesting that genetic and environmental factors play an important role in this determinism. Moreover, these findings reinforce the concept that primary prevention should begin early in life

A controvérsia sobre o uso de alimentação 'alternativa' no combate à subnutrição no Brasil: analysis of a controversy The policy and politics of alternative food programs in Brazil

É consensual a urgência de eliminar a subnutrição infantil no Brasil, mas como fazê-lo é motivo de debates. O Programa de Alimentação Alternativa implementado pela Pastoral da Criança da Confederação Nacional dos Bispos do Brasil (CNBB) e financiado pelo governo federal e organismos internacionais é um exemplo típico de tais controvérsias. Os críticos do programa têm apresentado "evidências científicas" de que existem problemas de ordem nutricional com os produtos utilizados (partes desprezadas de alimentos) no preparo daquele alimento alternativo ou multimistura. Os proponentes do programa, por sua vez, também se utilizam do mesmo instrumental acadêmico para "demonstrar" o valor nutricional dos produtos utilizados.Este artigo é uma reconstrução e análise do conteúdo e contexto desta controvérsia.<br>The urgency to solve infant malnutrition in Brazil is undisputed. Policies to achieve that, however, are not consensual. The Alternative Food Program, put forward by the Catholic National Confederation of Brazilian Bishops' Children Pastoral with the support of various federal organizations and international agencies, has been the focus of heated debate. Although the initiative per se has much to be praised for, program opponents argue that nutritional problems in food byproducts have been "demonstrated" by scientific research. To counteract their critics, program proponents also point to scientific results that have just as well "demonstrated" the nutritional value of the used products. The present article reconstructs and analyzes the content and context of this controversy

The Brazilian Zika virus strain causes birth defects in experimental models.

Zika virus (ZIKV) is an arbovirus belonging to the genus Flavivirus (family Flaviviridae) and was first described in 1947 in Uganda following blood analyses of sentinel Rhesus monkeys. Until the twentieth century, the African and Asian lineages of the virus did not cause meaningful infections in humans. However, in 2007, vectored by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, ZIKV caused the first noteworthy epidemic on the Yap Island in Micronesia. Patients experienced fever, skin rash, arthralgia and conjunctivitis. From 2013 to 2015, the Asian lineage of the virus caused further massive outbreaks in New Caledonia and French Polynesia. In 2013, ZIKV reached Brazil, later spreading to other countries in South and Central America. In Brazil, the virus has been linked to congenital malformations, including microcephaly and other severe neurological diseases, such as Guillain-Barré syndrome. Despite clinical evidence, direct experimental proof showing that the Brazilian ZIKV (ZIKV(BR)) strain causes birth defects remains absent. Here we demonstrate that ZIKV(BR) infects fetuses, causing intrauterine growth restriction, including signs of microcephaly, in mice. Moreover, the virus infects human cortical progenitor cells, leading to an increase in cell death. We also report that the infection of human brain organoids results in a reduction of proliferative zones and disrupted cortical layers. These results indicate that ZIKV(BR) crosses the placenta and causes microcephaly by targeting cortical progenitor cells, inducing cell death by apoptosis and autophagy, and impairing neurodevelopment. Our data reinforce the growing body of evidence linking the ZIKV(BR) outbreak to the alarming number of cases of congenital brain malformations. Our model can be used to determine the efficiency of therapeutic approaches to counteracting the harmful impact of ZIKV(BR) in human neurodevelopment

Decreased Neurofilament L Chain Levels in Cerebrospinal Fluid and Tolerogenic Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells in Natalizumab-Treated Multiple Sclerosis Patients – Brief Research Report

&lt;jats:sec&gt;&lt;jats:title&gt;Background&lt;/jats:title&gt;&lt;jats:p&gt;Neurofilament Light (NfL) chain levels in both cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum have been correlated with the reduction of axonal damage in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients treated with Natalizumab (NTZ). However, little is known about the function of plasmacytoid cells in NTZ-treated MS patients.&lt;/jats:p&gt;&lt;/jats:sec&gt;&lt;jats:sec&gt;&lt;jats:title&gt;Objective&lt;/jats:title&gt;&lt;jats:p&gt;To evaluate CSF NfL, serum levels of soluble-HLA-G (sHLA-G), and eventual tolerogenic behavior of plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) in MS patients during NTZ treatment.&lt;/jats:p&gt;&lt;/jats:sec&gt;&lt;jats:sec&gt;&lt;jats:title&gt;Methods&lt;/jats:title&gt;&lt;jats:p&gt;CSF NfL and serum sHLA-G levels were measured using an ELISA assay, while pDCs (BDCA-2&lt;jats:sup&gt;+&lt;/jats:sup&gt;) were accessed through flow cytometry analyses.&lt;/jats:p&gt;&lt;/jats:sec&gt;&lt;jats:sec&gt;&lt;jats:title&gt;Results&lt;/jats:title&gt;&lt;jats:p&gt;CSF levels of NfL were significantly reduced during NTZ treatment, while the serum levels of sHLA-G were increased. Moreover, NTZ treatment enhanced tolerogenic (HLA-G&lt;jats:sup&gt;+&lt;/jats:sup&gt;, CD274&lt;jats:sup&gt;+&lt;/jats:sup&gt;, and HLA-DR&lt;jats:sup&gt;+&lt;/jats:sup&gt;) molecules and migratory (CCR7&lt;jats:sup&gt;+&lt;/jats:sup&gt;) functions of pDCs in the peripheral blood.&lt;/jats:p&gt;&lt;/jats:sec&gt;&lt;jats:sec&gt;&lt;jats:title&gt;Conclusion&lt;/jats:title&gt;&lt;jats:p&gt;These findings suggest that NTZ stimulates the production of molecules with immunoregulatory function such as HLA-G and CD274 programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) which may contribute to the reduction of axonal damage represented by the decrease of NfL levels in patients with MS.&lt;/jats:p&gt;&lt;/jats:sec&gt