Assessing Helicobacter pylori motility and biofilm formation in subinhibitory concentrations of antimicrobials.

Numerous studies have shown that subinhibitory concentrations of antimicrobials can alter bacterial virulence factors. This study evaluates motility and biofilm formation by H. pylori 43504 grown in subinhibitory concentrations of amoxicillin (AMX), clarithromycin (CLA), or tetracycline (TET). For the swimming and swarming motility assays, H. pylori 43504 suspensions were prepared with the strain alone or with the strain in AMX, CLA, or TET at ½ MIC. Next, the media were incubated at 37 ºC, under microaerophilia. To assess biofilm formation in the presence of one of the antimicrobials at subinhibitory antimicrobial concentrations, bacterial suspensions (109 CFU/mL) were prepared in 2.5% FBS containing AMX, CLA, or TET at ½ MIC. After incubation for 10 days, H. pylori 43504 grown in medium containing AMX, CLA, or TET at ½ MIC presented greater swimming motility and lower swarming motility than the non-treated strain. H. pylori 43504 grown in medium containing AMX, CLA, or TET at ½ MIC showed stronger biofilm production than the non-treated strain. Our results showed that AMX, CLA, or TET at subinhibitory concentrations favors H. pylori 43504 swimming motility and biofilm formation after incubation for 3 days. This may have clinical consequences and make the microorganism difficult to eradicate

Comparative Genomic Analysis of Human Fungal Pathogens Causing Paracoccidioidomycosis

Paracoccidioides is a fungal pathogen and the cause of paracoccidioidomycosis, a health-threatening human systemic mycosis endemic to Latin America. Infection by Paracoccidioides, a dimorphic fungus in the order Onygenales, is coupled with a thermally regulated transition from a soil-dwelling filamentous form to a yeast-like pathogenic form. To better understand the genetic basis of growth and pathogenicity in Paracoccidioides, we sequenced the genomes of two strains of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis (Pb03 and Pb18) and one strain of Paracoccidioides lutzii (Pb01). These genomes range in size from 29.1 Mb to 32.9 Mb and encode 7,610 to 8,130 genes. To enable genetic studies, we mapped 94% of the P. brasiliensis Pb18 assembly onto five chromosomes. We characterized gene family content across Onygenales and related fungi, and within Paracoccidioides we found expansions of the fungal-specific kinase family FunK1. Additionally, the Onygenales have lost many genes involved in carbohydrate metabolism and fewer genes involved in protein metabolism, resulting in a higher ratio of proteases to carbohydrate active enzymes in the Onygenales than their relatives. To determine if gene content correlated with growth on different substrates, we screened the non-pathogenic onygenale Uncinocarpus reesii, which has orthologs for 91% of Paracoccidioides metabolic genes, for growth on 190 carbon sources. U. reesii showed growth on a limited range of carbohydrates, primarily basic plant sugars and cell wall components; this suggests that Onygenales, including dimorphic fungi, can degrade cellulosic plant material in the soil. In addition, U. reesii grew on gelatin and a wide range of dipeptides and amino acids, indicating a preference for proteinaceous growth substrates over carbohydrates, which may enable these fungi to also degrade animal biomass. These capabilities for degrading plant and animal substrates suggest a duality in lifestyle that could enable pathogenic species of Onygenales to transfer from soil to animal hosts.National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (U.S.)National Institutes of Health. Department of Health and Human Services (contract HHSN266200400001C)National Institutes of Health. Department of Health and Human Services(contract HHSN2722009000018C)Brazil. National Council for Scientific and Technological Developmen

Conteúdos lúdicos, expressivos e artísticos na educação formal Playful, expressive and artistic content in formal education

A prática de atividades lúdicas ou o incentivo ao fluir expressivo e artístico são propostas que permeiam a Educação, desde a Antiguidade Clássica. Atualmente, a necessidade premente de atentar para a inclusão contextualizada dessas práticas, vem sendo convalidada pelas diretrizes propostas pelos Parâmetros Curriculares tanto das disciplinas de Educação Física, como da Educação Artística. Entretanto esse espaço, ainda sutil, merece enfoque mais incisivo, por meio de estudos mais aprofundados acompanhados de práticas direcionadas que convalidem sua relevância. Assim, este estudo, de natureza qualitativa, objetivou investigar se essas variáveis estão disponíveis dentro dos conteúdos disseminados pelos professores e se possuem um espaço destinado ou não dentro da Educação formal. Para tanto, foi realizado um estudo exploratório com trinta professores voluntários, de ambos os sexos, pesquisados in loco, com consentimento livre e esclarecido, das disciplinas de Educação Física e Artística, utilizando como instrumento, para a coleta de dados, um questionário com perguntas mistas. Os dados foram analisados descritivamente, indicando que é possível notar a presença do lúdico e da arte, em ambas as disciplinas; mediando os processos de aprendizagem. Além disso, que os professores utilizam amplamente desses recursos, no entanto, nem sempre, de forma consciente e contextualizada, e que, apesar da implantação dos parâmetros curriculares desde 1998, esse espaço ainda não está consolidado.<br>The practices of playing activities or the incentive to the flow of artistic expression are proposals related to education, since classical antiquity. Nowadays, the crying needs to consider the contextual inclusion of these practices have been consolidated by the proposed plans for curricular standard, either in the subjects Physical Education or Arts. However, this space, tenuous, deserves a more incisive focus, by deep studies accompanied by directed practices which consolidate its importance. So, this study, of a qualitative nature, aimed to investigate if these variables are available within the disseminated contents by the teachers, and if they have or not a specific space within formal education. So, an exploratory study was accomplished with thirty volunteer teachers, both, male and female, researched in loco, free consented, in the subjects of Physical Education and Arts, and in order to collect the data needed, it was used a questionnaire with assorted questions. The data were analyzed in a descriptive way, indicating that it is possible to find the playing activities and art, in both subjects, mediating the learning processes. Besides, it was observed that the teachers widely use these resources, however, not always in a conscious and contextual way, and in spite of the introduction of the National Curricular Parameters since 1998, this space isn't consolidated yet

Kinases of two strains of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae and a strain of Mycoplasma synoviae: an overview

Mycoplasma synoviae and Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae are wall-less eubacteria belonging to the class of Mollicutes. These prokaryotes have a reduced genome size and reduced biosynthetic machinery. They cause great losses in animal production. M. synoviae is responsible for an upper respiratory tract disease of chickens and turkeys. M. hyopneumoniae is the causative agent of enzootic pneumonia in pigs. The complete genomes of these organisms showed 17 ORFs encoding kinases in M. synoviae and 15 in each of the M. hyopneumoniae strain. Four kinase genes were restricted to the avian pathogen while three were specific to the pig pathogen when compared to each other. All deduced kinases found in the non pathogenic strain (J[ATCC25934]) were also found in the pathogenic M. hyopneumoniae strain. The enzymes were classified in nine families composing five fold groups