The major Thiobacillus ferrooxidans outer membrane protein forms low conductance ion channels in planar lipid bilayers

AbstractA protein isolated and purified from the outer membrane of the acidophilic, chemolithotrophic bacterium, Thiobacillus ferrooxidans with an oligomeric molecular weight of 90 000 Da (p9O) was incorporated into phosphatidylethanolamine planar lipid bilayers. The protein formed slightly anionic channels in KCl solutions, with a conductance of 25 pS in 100 mM KCl. The current—voltage relationship was linear between ±6O mV, and the conductance was a saturating function of the salt concentration. These channels fluctuated from a single open to closed state at low potentials, but present flickering activity at higher potentials

Bioactive compounds: a goldmine for defining new strategies against pathogenic bacterial biofilms?

Most human infectious diseases are caused by microorganisms growing as biofilms. These three-dimensional self-organized communities are embedded in a dense matrix allowing microorganisms to persistently inhabit abiotic and biotic surfaces due to increased resistance to both antibiotics and effectors of the immune system. Consequently, there is an urgent need for novel strategies to control biofilm-associated infections. Natural products offer a vast array of chemical structures and possess a wide variety of biological properties; therefore, they have been and continue to be exploited in the search for potential biofilm inhibitors with a specific or multi-locus mechanism of action. This review provides an updated discussion of the major bioactive compounds isolated from several natural sources - such as plants, lichens, algae, microorganisms, animals, and humans - with the potential to inhibit biofilm formation and/or to disperse established biofilms by bacterial pathogens. Despite the very large number of bioactive products, their exact mechanism of action often remains to be clarified and, in some cases, the identity of the active molecule is still unknown. This knowledge gap should be filled thus allowing development of these products not only as novel drugs to combat bacterial biofilms, but also as antibiotic adjuvants to restore the therapeutic efficacy of current antibiotics

CONTENÇÃO MECÂNICA DE IDOSOS NA ATENÇÃO DOMICILIAR: REVISÃO DE LITERATURA

Objetivos: Identificar na literatura publicações que abordem o uso de contenção mecânica na atenção domiciliar. Métodos: Revisão integrativa da literatura realizadas nas bases de dados MEDLINE, LILACS, CINAHL e SCOPUS, no período de 2008 a 2018. Resultados: As prevalências de contenção física variavam entre 20% a 40%, a alta variação ser refere as distintas metodologias e legislações vigentes quanto à pratica de contenção física. A grade lateral é a contenção mais comum e as razões mais citadas para conter foram segurança do paciente, para evitar quedas e pedido dos familiares. Identificou-se que 16,7% dos profissionais afirmaram ter aconselhado aos cuidadores o uso de restrições e, que 93% destes não souberam identificar alternativas para esta prática. Conclusão: Recomenda-se orientações específicas ao cuidado domiciliar centradas nas famílias, evitando a transposição inadequada do meio hospitalar para o âmbito domiciliar, e disseminar intervenções alternativas à contenção

Dados sociodemográficos, condições de saúde e sinais de violência contra idosos longevos

Este estudo objetivou identificar a relação entre dados sociodemográficos, condições de saúde e sinais de violência e maus tratos contra idosos longevos. Trata-se de um estudo exploratório descritivo com abordagem quantitativa, realizado em cinco unidades básicas de saúde de Vitória da Conquista/ BA, amostra de 310 idosos com idade superior a 80 anos. O instrumento foi constituído de dados sócios demográficos, condições de saúde e índice de avaliação de maus-tratos e abuso a idosos. No grupo Indicadores de Possível Abuso, encontrou-se diferença estatística significativa entre evidências possíveis de fraturas relacionada com a renda referente a aposentado (p=0,002), evidência possíveis de fraturas e estado civil relativo a viúvo (p=0,033); no grupo Indicadores de Possível Negligência, entre evidência possível de diarreia e estado civil referente a viúvo (p=0,001), evidência possível de desidratação e estado civil referente a viúvo (p=0,001);e, no grupo Indicadores de Possível Exploração, entre incapacidade de controlar dinheiro/bens e profissão aposentado (p=0,001), incapacidade de controlar dinheiro/bens e estado mental referente à alteração cognitiva sugestiva de déficit (p=0,001). Constatou-se no presente estudo que houve relação entre os sinais de violência e maus tratos nos idosos avaliados com a capacidade funcional, a nutrição baixa com o estado civil viúvo, a qualidade da pele com o comprometimento da capacidade funcional, a existência de fraturas com o estado civil viúvo e aposentado, diarreia e desidratação com estado civil viúvo, a incapacidade de controlar dinheiro e bens com aposentado e alteração cognitiva sugestiva de déficit nos achados.AbstractThis study aimed to identify the relationship between sociodemographic data, health and signs of violence and abuse against the elderly. This is a descriptive exploratory study with a quantitative approach, carried out in five basic health units from Victory da Conquista/BA, sample of 310 elderly aged over 80 years. The instrument consisted of sociodemographic data, health and evaluation index mistreatment and abuse against the elderly. In the Possible Abuse Indicators group, a statistically significant difference was found between possible evidence of fractures and income related to retirees (p=0.002), possible evidence of fractures, and widow marital status (p=0.033). In the group Indicators of Possible Neglect between possible evidence of diarrhea and widowed marital status (p=0.001), possible evidence of dehydration and widowed marital status (p=0.001). And in the group Possible Exploitation Indicators between inability to control money/goods and retired profession (p=0.001), inability to control money/goods and mental state regarding cognitive impairment suggestive of deficit (p=0.001). It was found in the present study that there was a relationship between signs of violence and abuse in the elderly evaluated with functional capacity, low nutrition with widowed marital status, skin quality with impairment of functional capacity, the existence of fractures with widowed and retired marital status, diarrhea and dehydration with widowed marital status, inability to control money and assets with retirement, and cognitive impairment suggestive of deficit in the finding

Promoção da saúde de pacientes hipertensos: uma revisão integrativa / Health promotion of hypertensive patients: an integrative review

Objetivo: Realizar uma revisão na literatura vigente sobre promoção da saúde de pacientes hipertensos. Método: A busca dos estudos foi realizada de forma ampla através do acesso nas bases de dados (MEDLINE), (LILACS), (SCIELO), SCIENCEDIRECT e Banco de dados em Enfermagem. O levantamento foi efetuado a partir dos seguintes Descritores em Ciências da Saúde (DeCS): “Enfermagem”, “Promoção da saúde”, “Educação em saúde” e “Hipertensão”, pesquisadas isoladas e combinadas com o operador booleano "AND". Resultados: A prática de educação em saúde deve ser realizada nos mais variados contextos. A educação em saúde deve envolver os mais variados temas que podem englobar desde o tipo de alimentação que o paciente deve adotar, assim como estilo de vida de uma maneira geral e tratamento farmacológico, pois a não aderência a medicação é um dos fatores que podem prejudicar de maneira importante o modo como o paciente lida com a doença. Vários instrumentos podem ser usados para a promoção da saúde de pacientes hipertensos. Considerações finais: O profissional pode trabalhar de maneira multiprofissional para alcançar os objetivos propostos permitindo maior objetividade e assertividade nas condutas realizadas, fazendo com que o processo de promoção da saúde de pacientes com doenças crônicas acontece de maneira efetiva

Long-Lasting Efficacy of Radio Electric Asymmetric Conveyer Neuromodulation Treatment on Functional Dysmetria, an Adaptive Motor Behavior

BackgroundFluctuating asymmetry (FA) is widely defined as the deviation from perfect bilateral symmetry and is considered an epigenetic measure of environmental stress. Rinaldi and Fontani hypothesized that the FA morpho-functional changes originate from an adaptive motor behavior determined by functional alterations in the cerebellum and neural circuits, not caused by a lesion, but induced by environmental stress. They called this phenomenon functional dysmetria (FD). On this premise, they developed the radio electric asymmetric conveyer (REAC) technology, a neuromodulation technology aimed at optimizing the best neuro-psycho-motor strategies in relation to environmental interaction.AimsPrevious studies showed that specific REAC neuro postural optimization (NPO) treatment can induce stable FD recovery. This study aimed to verify the duration of the NPO effect in inducing the stable FD recovery over timeMaterials and methodsData were retrospectively collected from a population of 29,794 subjects who underwent a specific semiological FD assessment and received the NPO treatment, regardless of the pathology referred.ResultsThe analysis of the data collected by the various participants in the study led us to ascertain the disappearance of FD in 100% of the cases treated, with a stability of the result detected up to 18 years after the single administration of the REAC NPO treatment.ConclusionsThe REAC NPO neurobiological modulation treatment consisting of a single administration surprisingly maintains a very long efficacy in the correction of FD. This effect can be explained as the long-lasting capacity of the NPO treatment to induce greater functional efficiency of the brain dynamics as proven in previous studies

Mamíferos Marinhos

UID/HIS/04666/2019publishersversionpublishe

SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility and COVID-19 disease severity are associated with genetic variants affecting gene expression in a variety of tissues

Variability in SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility and COVID-19 disease severity between individuals is partly due to genetic factors. Here, we identify 4 genomic loci with suggestive associations for SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility and 19 for COVID-19 disease severity. Four of these 23 loci likely have an ethnicity-specific component. Genome-wide association study (GWAS) signals in 11 loci colocalize with expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) associated with the expression of 20 genes in 62 tissues/cell types (range: 1:43 tissues/gene), including lung, brain, heart, muscle, and skin as well as the digestive system and immune system. We perform genetic fine mapping to compute 99% credible SNP sets, which identify 10 GWAS loci that have eight or fewer SNPs in the credible set, including three loci with one single likely causal SNP. Our study suggests that the diverse symptoms and disease severity of COVID-19 observed between individuals is associated with variants across the genome, affecting gene expression levels in a wide variety of tissue types

A global experiment on motivating social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic

Finding communication strategies that effectively motivate social distancing continues to be a global public health priority during the COVID-19 pandemic. This cross-country, preregistered experiment (n = 25,718 from 89 countries) tested hypotheses concerning generalizable positive and negative outcomes of social distancing messages that promoted personal agency and reflective choices (i.e., an autonomy-supportive message) or were restrictive and shaming (i.e., a controlling message) compared with no message at all. Results partially supported experimental hypotheses in that the controlling message increased controlled motivation (a poorly internalized form of motivation relying on shame, guilt, and fear of social consequences) relative to no message. On the other hand, the autonomy-supportive message lowered feelings of defiance compared with the controlling message, but the controlling message did not differ from receiving no message at all. Unexpectedly, messages did not influence autonomous motivation (a highly internalized form of motivation relying on one’s core values) or behavioral intentions. Results supported hypothesized associations between people’s existing autonomous and controlled motivations and self-reported behavioral intentions to engage in social distancing. Controlled motivation was associated with more defiance and less long-term behavioral intention to engage in social distancing, whereas autonomous motivation was associated with less defiance and more short- and long-term intentions to social distance. Overall, this work highlights the potential harm of using shaming and pressuring language in public health communication, with implications for the current and future global health challenges