Anti-ganglioside antibodies in patients with Zika virus infection-associated Guillain-Barré Syndrome in Brazil.

Zika virus infection is associated with the development of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), a neurological autoimmune disorder caused by immune recognition of gangliosides and other components at nerve membranes. Using a high-throughput ELISA, we have analyzed the anti-glycolipid antibody profile, including gangliosides, of plasma samples from patients with Zika infections associated or not with GBS in Salvador, Brazil. We have observed that Zika patients that develop GBS present higher levels of anti-ganglioside antibodies when compared to Zika patients without GBS. We also observed that a broad repertoire of gangliosides was targeted by both IgM and IgG anti-self antibodies in these patients. Since Zika virus infects neurons, which contain membrane gangliosides, antigen presentation of these infected cells may trigger the observed autoimmune anti-ganglioside antibodies suggesting direct infection-induced autoantibodies as a cause leading to GBS development. Collectively, our results establish a link between anti-ganglioside antibodies and Zika-associated GBS in patients

Insight into the exoproteome of the tissue-derived trypomastigote form of <em>trypanosoma cruzi</em>

The protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi causes Chagas disease, one of the major neglected infectious diseases. It has the potential to infect any nucleated mammalian cell. The secreted/excreted protein repertoire released by T. cruzi trypomastigotes is crucial in host-pathogen interactions. In this study, mammalian tissue culture-derived trypomastigotes (Y strain) were used to characterize the exoproteome of the infective bloodstream life form. Proteins released into the serum-free culture medium after 3h of incubation were harvested and digested with trypsin. NanoLC-MS/MS analysis resulted in the identification of 540 proteins, the largest set of released proteins identified to date in Trypanosome spp. Bioinformatic analysis predicted most identified proteins as secreted, predominantly by non-classical pathways, and involved in host-cell infection. Some proteins possess predicted GPI-anchor signals, these being mostly trans-sialidases, mucin associated surface proteins and surface glycoproteins. Moreover, we enriched phosphopeptides and glycopeptides from tryptic digests. The majority of identified glycoproteins are trans-sialidases and surface glycoproteins involved in host-parasite interaction. Conversely, most identified phosphoproteins have no Gene Ontology classification. The existence of various proteins related to similar functions in the exoproteome likely reflects this parasite’s enhanced mechanisms for adhesion, invasion and internalization of different host-cell types, and escape from immune defences

O processo de trabalho do enfermeiro gerontólogo: uma revisão integrativa de literatura

The aim was to analyze the national and international scientific production on the work process of gerontologist nurses. This is an exploratory and descriptive study, based on an integrative literature review, where the six steps inherent to this method were applied. The data survey was carried out in May 2021 in the Scientific Electronic Library Online library and in the databases of Latin American and Caribbean Literature in Health Sciences and Nursing Data Library in the Virtual Health Library from the association of descriptors. The search found 13 articles selected for this review. It was evidenced that there is a deficit of nurses specialized in gerontology, which weakens the work of nurses and the quality of care for the elderly and their families. Therefore, nurses need to be trained in safe health practices in elderly care, as the peculiarities inherent to aging cannot be discarded in the care process.Objetivou-se analisar a produção científica nacional e internacional sobre o processo de trabalho do enfermeiro gerontólogo. Trata-se de um estudo exploratório e descritivo, sedimentado em revisão integrativa de literatura, onde foram aplicadas as seis etapas inerentes a este método. O levantamento de dados foi realizado em maio de 2021 na biblioteca da Scientific Electronic Library Online e nas bases de dados da Literatura Latino-Americana e do Caribe em Ciências da Saúde e Biblioteca de Dados de Enfermagem na Biblioteca Virtual de Saúde a partir da associação dos descritores. Foram encontrados na busca 13 artigos selecionados para esta revisão. Foi evidenciado que há um déficit de enfermeiros especializados em gerontologia, o que fragiliza o trabalho do enfermeiro e a qualidade do atendimento ao idoso e a sua família. Portanto, o enfermeiro precisa estar capacitado em práticas seguras de saúde no atendimento ao idoso, pois as particularidades inerentes ao envelhecimento não podem ser descartadas no processo de cuidado

Preparación y caracterización de microesferas magmáticas de poliestireno mediante una técnica de emulsión múltiple.

Las microesferas magmáticas encuentran diversas aplicaciones en medicina y biotecnología como portadores magneto-dirigibles de fármacos y en la separación y aislamiento de objetos biológicos, entre otros. La ventaja del empleo de las partículas magmáticas para este tipo de separaciones consiste en la disminución del tiempo empleado en ellas y en la facilidad para su aislamiento mediante un imán una vez concluido el proceso. Se presenta un método de obtención de microesferas magmáticas de poliestireno utilizando una emulsión múltiple agua-en aceite-en agua. En este método la fase acuosa interna consiste en una dispersión coloidal de partículas de magnetita superparamagnéticas; la fase oleosa se compone de poliestireno disuelto en diclorometano y la fase acuosa externa es una disolución de alcohol polivinflico en agua Se evidencia que las condiciones de obtención tales como la concentración de magnetita en la fase acuosa interna y la cantidad de disolvente volátil en la fase oleosa tienen una marcada influencia sobre la eficiencia de encapsulación y las dimensiones delas microesferas. Las microesferas de poliestireno obtenidas contienen la magnetita dispersada dentro de la matriz polimérica, por lo que conservan su carácter superparamagnético. Cálculos basados en la curva de magnetización inicial indican que las partículas de magnetita contenidas en las microesferas tienen un tamaño promedio semejante al del ferrofluido de partida (Do = 6,4 nm)

Bitter orange (Citrus aurantium L.) intake before submaximal aerobic exercise is safe for cardiovascular and autonomic systems in healthy males: A randomized trial

Background: There are still no studies of the cardiovascular safety of the isolated use of Citrus aurantium in aerobic submaximal exercise. Objective: To evaluate the effect of C. aurantium supplementation on the recovery of cardiorespiratory and autonomic parameters following a session of submaximal aerobic exercise. Methods: Twelve healthy male adults achieved a crossover, randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled trial. C. aurantium (600 mg, p-synephrine at 30% amount [180 mg]) or placebo (600 mg of starch) were ingested 90 min before evaluation in randomized days. We evaluated systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), pulse pressure (PP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR) and, HR variability indexes at Rest and during 60 min of recovery from exercise. Results: Citrus aurantium ingestion accelerated the reduction in SBP after exercise, anticipated the return of vagal modulation of the heart after exercise via the HF (ms2), pNN50 (%), and 2 UV% indices. Moreover, rushed the output of sympathetic modulation after exercise via the 0V% index. No unfavorable cardiovascular effects were achieved for HR, DBP, PP, and MAP parameters. Conclusions: Citrus aurantium was shown to be safe for the cardiovascular and autonomic systems alongside submaximal aerobic exercise in healthy males

The Fourteenth Data Release of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey: First Spectroscopic Data from the extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey and from the second phase of the Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment

The fourth generation of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS-IV) has been in operation since July 2014. This paper describes the second data release from this phase, and the fourteenth from SDSS overall (making this, Data Release Fourteen or DR14). This release makes public data taken by SDSS-IV in its first two years of operation (July 2014-2016). Like all previous SDSS releases, DR14 is cumulative, including the most recent reductions and calibrations of all data taken by SDSS since the first phase began operations in 2000. New in DR14 is the first public release of data from the extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (eBOSS); the first data from the second phase of the Apache Point Observatory (APO) Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOGEE-2), including stellar parameter estimates from an innovative data driven machine learning algorithm known as "The Cannon"; and almost twice as many data cubes from the Mapping Nearby Galaxies at APO (MaNGA) survey as were in the previous release (N = 2812 in total). This paper describes the location and format of the publicly available data from SDSS-IV surveys. We provide references to the important technical papers describing how these data have been taken (both targeting and observation details) and processed for scientific use. The SDSS website (www.sdss.org) has been updated for this release, and provides links to data downloads, as well as tutorials and examples of data use. SDSS-IV is planning to continue to collect astronomical data until 2020, and will be followed by SDSS-V.Comment: SDSS-IV collaboration alphabetical author data release paper. DR14 happened on 31st July 2017. 19 pages, 5 figures. Accepted by ApJS on 28th Nov 2017 (this is the "post-print" and "post-proofs" version; minor corrections only from v1, and most of errors found in proofs corrected