The importance of proteins of the RNase II/RNB-family in pathogenic bacteria

WOS: 84907164467publishersversionpublishe

Varietal thiols in white wines from portuguese grape varieties

Wines from Antão Vaz, Arinto, Fernão Pires, Verdelho da Madeira and Viosinho grape cultivars, from 2009 and 2010 vintages, were studied in order to characterize the volatile thiols profile, namely 4-mercapto-4-methyl-pentan-2-one (4MMP), 3-mercaptohexan-1-ol (3MH) and 3-mercaptohexyl acetate (3MHA). Volatile thiols profile of these wines was also compared to a Sauvignon blanc wine produced in Portugal. Besides sensory analysis, all wines were analyzed using GC coupled to different detectors, namely FID, FPD, MS and Olfactometry (GC-O). In all wines, GC-O analyses showed the existence of two olfactory zones related to the presence of 4MMP and 3MH. A third olfactory zone for 3MHA was only observed for the youngest wines. The wines produced from Portuguese cultivars presented aromatic intensities comparable or even higher than those obtained in the Sauvignon blanc wine. Indeed, 3MH was found in all wines and the highest amounts were observed in Antão Vaz, Arinto and Viosinho wines. In general, these findings are in agreement with those obtained by sensory analysis

Erratum: Moreira, J., et al., Spin-Coated Polysaccharide-Based Multilayered Freestanding Films with Adhesive and Bioactive Moieties. Molecules 2020, 25, 840

Erratum: Moreira, J., et al., Spin-Coated Polysaccharide-Based Multilayered Freestanding Films with Adhesive and Bioactive Moieties. Molecules 2020, 25, 840. DOI: 10.3390/molecules25040840The authors wish to make changes to the published paper 11 j. 1. UV-Vis Analysis of Catechol-Modified Polymers In the original manuscript theie is a mistake concerning the word "Wavenumber" in the X-Coordinate in Figure 1. Tile corrected word is "Wavelength". Tlx- A uthors also wish to change mg«mL-l to mg ml-1 in the legend of Figure l;see corrected Figure 1 below. (Figure Presented).(undefined

NMR-metabolomics shows that bola is an important modulator of Salmonella typhimurium metabolic processes under virulence conditions

BolA is a ubiquitous global transcription factor. Despite its clear role in the induction of important stress‐resistant physiological changes and its recent implication in the virulence of Salmonella, further research is required to shed light on the pathways modulated by BolA. In this study, we resorted to untargeted1H‐NMR metabolomics to understand the impact of BolA on the metabolic profile of Salmonella Typhimurium, under virulence conditions. Three strains of S. Typhimurium SL1344 were studied: An SL1344 strain transformed with an empty plasmid (control), a bolA knockout mutant (ΔbolA), and a strain overexpressing bolA (bolA+). These strains were grown in a minimal virulence‐inducing medium and cells were collected at the end of the exponential and stationary phases. The extracts were analyzed by NMR, and multivariate and univariate statistical analysis were performed to identify significant alterations. Principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS‐DA) of1H‐NMR data allowed the discrimination between the metabolic profiles of these strains, revealing increased levels of acetate, valine, alanine, NAD+, succinate, coenzyme A, glutathione, and putrescine in bolA+. These results indicate that BolA regulates pathways related to stress resistance and virulence, being an important modulator of the metabolic processes needed for S. Typhimurium infection.publishersversionpublishe

BolA Is Required for the Accurate Regulation of c-di-GMP, a Central Player in Biofilm Formation

The bacterial second messenger cyclic dimeric GMP (c-di-GMP) is a nearly ubiquitous intracellular signaling molecule involved in the transition from the motile to the sessile/biofilm state in bacteria. C-di-GMP regulates various cellular processes, including biofilm formation, motility, and virulence. BolA is a transcription factor that promotes survival in different stresses and is also involved in biofilm formation. Both BolA and c-di-GMP participate in the regulation of motility mechanisms leading to similar phenotypes. Here, we establish the importance of the balance between these two factors for accurate regulation of the transition between the planktonic and sessile lifestyles. This balance is achieved by negative-feedback regulation of BolA and c-di-GMP. BolA not only contributes directly to the motility of bacteria but also regulates the expression of diguanylate cyclases and phosphodiesterases. This expression modulation influences the synthesis and degradation of c-di-GMP, while this signaling metabolite has a negative influence in bolA mRNA transcription. Finally, we present evidence of the dominant role of BolA in biofilm, showing that, even in the presence of elevated c-di-GMP levels, biofilm formation is reduced in the absence of BolA. C-di-GMP is one of the most important bacterial second messengers involved in several cellular processes, including virulence, cell cycle regulation, biofilm formation, and flagellar synthesis. In this study, we unravelled a direct connection between the bolA morphogene and the c-di-GMP signaling molecule. We show the important cross-talk that occurs between these two molecular regulators during the transition between the motile/planktonic and adhesive/sessile lifestyles in Escherichia coli This work provides important clues that can be helpful in the development of new strategies, and the results can be applied to other organisms with relevance for human health.IMPORTANCE Bacterial cells have evolved several mechanisms to cope with environmental stresses. BolA-like proteins are widely conserved from prokaryotes to eukaryotes, and in Escherichia coli, in addition to its pleiotropic effects, this protein plays a determinant role in bacterial motility and biofilm formation regulation. Similarly, the bacterial second messenger c-di-GMP is a molecule with high importance in coordinating the switch between planktonic and sessile life in bacteria. Here we have unravelled the importance of accurate regulation of cross-talk between BolA and c-di-GMP for a proper response in the regulation of these bacterial lifestyles. This finding underlines the complexity of bacterial cell regulation, revealing the existence of one additional tool for fine-tuning such important cellular molecular mechanisms. The relationship between BolA and c-di-GMP gives new perspectives regarding biofilm formation and opens the possibility to extend our studies to other organisms with relevance for human health

Bond behaviour of NSM CFRP-concrete systems: adhesive and CFRP cross-section influences

Near Surface Mounted (NSM) strengthening technique has been used in a sustainable way for retrofitting existing structures. This technique, which utilizes CFRP laminates inserted in the concrete cover, has been used due to the several advantages when compared with the technique based on the application of these reinforcing materials on the concrete surface (EBR technique). Although several studies have been developed on this topic in the recent past, open issues still deserve research, such as the influence of the adhesive type on the performance of the NSM-CFRP system. The present work details an experimental program carried out in order to assess the effect of using three adhesives with distinct mechanical properties on the bond behavior of the NSM-CFRP system, through direct pullout tests (DPT). Thus, the following variables were considered in the present study: (i) the type of adhesive; (ii) the cross section of the laminate; and, (iii) the bond length. The experimental pullout force-slip responses were obtained and digital image correlation (DIC) was used for obtaining additional information about the bond mechanisms developed. In general, two of the three adhesives, with similar mechanical characteristics, provided essentially similar bond behavior, with high level of effectiveness, whereas the third adhesive, which had a much lower elastic modulus than the other two, provided the lowest effectiveness in terms of the investigated parameters.This work was supported by FEDER funds through the Operational Program for Competitiveness Factors – COMPETE and National Funds through FCT (Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology) under the projects CutInDur FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-014811 (FCT PTDC/ECM/112396/2009), FRPreDur FCOMP-01- 0124-FEDER-028865 (FCT PTDC/ECM-EST/2424/2012), FRPLongDur POCI-01-0145-FEDER-016900 (FCT PTDC/ECM-EST/1282/2014) and partly financed by the project POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007633.

Comportamento da aderência de sistema de reforço NSM-CFRP na presença de diferentes tipos de adesivos

No contexto atual, o reforço de estruturas de betão armado assume uma importância cada vez maior devido a diversos fatores. A técnica de reforço de estruturas de betão armado que utiliza laminados de CFRP inseridos no betão de recobrimento (designada por NSM – Near Surface Mounted na literatura inglesa) tem vindo a ser alvo de vários estudos dadas as suas potencialidades. No entanto, o estudo da influência do tipo de adesivo na aplicação desta técnica apresenta conhecimento limitado. É sobretudo neste aspeto que o presente estudo incide. Foi desenvolvido um programa experimental constituído por ensaios de arranque direto com o objetivo de estudar o comportamento da ligação entre os laminados de CFRP e o betão de sistemas NSM-CFRP, utilizando três variáveis de estudo: (i) tipo de adesivo; (ii) comprimento de ancoragem; e, (iii) secção transversal do laminado de CFRP. Durante a realização dos ensaios, sob controlo de deslocamento, foi monitorizada a força de arranque bem como o deslizamento no final da zona carregada. Foi também utilizada a Correlação Digital de Imagem (DIC) como complemento para avaliação do comportamento da ligação. De uma forma geral, dois dos adesivos proporcionaram padrões de comportamento da ligação semelhantes, dada a semelhança das suas propriedades mecânicas. Um terceiro adesivo, de propriedades mecânicas bastante inferiores originou resultados menos promissores. A ligação tende a ser tanto mais resistente quanto maior for o seu comprimento. Em termos da influência da secção transversal do laminado, é notória a maior capacidade resistente da ligação para laminados com área de secção transversal superior. A utilização da metodologia DIC permitiu concluir que os mecanismos resistentes da ligação são fortemente dependentes das propriedades resistentes do adesivo.FCT e cofinanciado pelo Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional (FEDER) através do Program a Operacional Fatores de Competitividade e internacionalização (POCI) e do Programa Regional d e Lisboa no âmbito dos projetos FRPLongDur POCI-01-0145-FEDER-016900 (PTDC/ECM-EST/1282/2014) e POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007633. S&P Clever Reinforcement (oferta do laminado de CFK e adesivo S&P Resin 220) e Sika (oferta do adesivo SikaDur 30

Durability of bond in NSM CFRP-concrete systems under different environmental conditions

This paper addresses the durability of bond between concrete and carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) strips installed according to the near-surface mounted (NSM) technique (NSM CFRP-concrete systems) under the effects of two main groups of environmental conditions: (i) laboratory-based ageing conditions; (ii) real outdoor ageing conditions. The bond degradation was evaluated by carrying out direct pullout tests on aged specimens that were previously subjected to distinct environmental conditions for different periods of exposure. Moreover, the degradation of the mechanical properties of the involved materials was investigated. The digital image correlation (DIC) method was used to document the evolution of the deformation fields at the surface over the whole region of interest consisting of concrete and epoxy adhesive at the ligament region. This information supported the discussion about the evolution of the bond resistant mechanism developed in NSM CFRP-concrete specimens during testing, as well as the assessment of the bond quality of the system. In general, the results obtained from the durability tests conducted have shown that the different exposure environments, which may be considered as quite severe, did not result in significant damage on NSM CFRP-concrete system. The maximum decrease of about 12% on bond strength was obtained for real outdoor environments. Conversely, a maximum increase of 8% on bond strength was obtained on the specimens exposed to the temperature cycles between –15 °C and +60 °C. DIC allowed to document the stress transfer mechanisms established between the CFRP and the concrete substrate, revealing the crack patterns and the influence widths of the CFRP reinforcement strips, which were shown to be important for avoiding group effect when using multiple parallel strengthening CFRP strips.FEDER funds through the Operational Program for Competitiveness Factors - COMPETE and National Funds through FCT - Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology under the projects CutInDur FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-014811 (PTDC/ECM/112396/2009), FRPLongDur POCI-01-0145-FEDER-016900 (PTDC/ECM-EST/1282/2014) and partly financed by the project POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007633. The authors also like to thank all the companies that have been involved supporting and contributing for the development of this study, mainly: S&P Clever Reinforcement Ibérica Lda., Artecanter - Indústria de Transformação de Granitos, Lda., Vialam – Indústrias Metalúrgicas e Metalomecânicas, Lda.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Impact of Routine Use of Drug-eluting Stents in Contemporary Interventional Cardiology at a Tertiary Center: One-decade Experience of the DESIRE Registry

ABSTRACTBackgroundDrug-eluting stents (DES) have changed contemporary interventional cardiology practice, enabling the approach of increasingly more complex clinical and angiographic scenarios. The objective of this study was to demonstrate the changes observed in the last 10 years in the indication and practice of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) at a tertiary private hospital in the State of São Paulo.MethodsDESIRE is a single-center prospective registry aiming at following the acute and late outcomes of consecutive patients treated by DES.ResultsFrom 2002 to 2011, 4,299 patients were included, with mean age of 64.3±11.2years, 23% were female and 30.5 were diabetic. The total number of lesions treated was 6,518 of which 61.5% were type B2/C. During the course of the study, DES were progressively more used, reaching a penetration of 88.4% in 2011. The complexity of PCIs has increased and in the past year 1.76 lesions per patient were treated with an average of 1.89 DES. The SYNTAX score increased from 12.3±4.4 (2002-2006) to 15.7±4.7 (2007-2011). Clinical follow-up was obtained in 98.2% of the patients, with a median of 5.2years, and during this period target-lesion revascularization rate was 5%, myocardial infarction was 6.7% and cardiovascular death was 4.1%. Stent thrombosis was observed in 2.4% of the cases.ConclusionsOur results showed a marked increment in the complexity profile of patients treated in the last 10 years and at the same time confirm the long-term effectiveness of DES, despite the clinical and angiographic profile of patients