Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a model to confirm the ability of FTIR to evaluate the presence of protein aggregates

It is known that the presence of protein aggregates in biological samples is associated with natural aging processes and age-related diseases. The objective of this technical study was to evaluate the potential of Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy to identify the presence of protein aggregates in Saccharomyces cerevisiae containing high levels of protein aggregates. We acquired ATR-FTIR spectra at mid-infrared range (between 4000 and 600 cm−1) and used multivariate analysis to analyze the data. Significant differences between spectra of wild type and mutant strains in the spectral range assigned to proteins were observed. In particular, an increase in β-sheet structures in mutant strains (spectral signals at 1683 and 1628 cm−1) was observed, indicating the putative presence of protein aggregates. These results prove the capacity of FTIR to evaluate changes in protein conformation, mainly protein aggregation, in a fast, simple and non-expensive way, producing insights on the possible application of this technique to the detection of protein aggregates in human biological samples.publishe

Salt pan brine water as a sustainable source of sulphated polysaccharides with immunostimulatory activity

Marine environments are an enormous source of materials with biological interest, such as sulphated polysaccharides, which have relevant biological activities. In this study the potential of salt pan brine water as an easily accessible source of sulphated polysaccharides was evaluated. This water revealed to have a high quantity of polymeric material, five times more than sea water, mainly composed by highly sulphated polysaccharides. Structural analysis identified a diversity of polysaccharides, namely rhamnans, fucans, mannans, xylomannans, glucuronomannans, galactans, and glucans. All these structures seem to form complexes that are resistant to the salt pan conditions along salt production. These polysaccharides showed in vitro stimulatory activity for B cells, suggesting their potential application in nutraceutical and biomedical fields. Salt pan brine water is a valuable source of environmentally friendly and low-cost available bioactive compounds prone to be exploited.publishe

Absolute hyperglycemia versus stress hyperglycemia ratio for the prognosis of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 in the first months of the pandemic: a retrospective study

Diabetes is a risk factor for the greater severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The stress hyperglycemia ratio (SHR) is an independent predictor of critical illness, and it is reported to have a stronger association than absolute hyperglycemia. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between absolute hyperglycemia and SHR with the severity of COVID-19 since there are no studies investigating SHR in patients with COVID-19. We conducted a retrospective observational study on hospitalized patients with COVID-19 in the first months of the pandemic, regarding absolute hyperglycemia, SHR, and severity outcomes. Of the 374 patients, 28.1% had a previous diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. Absolute hyperglycemia (64.8% versus 22.7%; p < 0.01) and SHR [1.1 (IQR 0.9-1.3) versus 1.0 (IQR 0.9-1.2); p < 0.001] showed a statistically significant association with previous diabetes. Absolute hyperglycemia showed a significant association with the clinical severity of COVID-19 (79.0% versus 62.7%; p < 0.001), need for oxygen therapy (74.8% versus 54.4%; p < 0.001), invasive mechanical ventilation (28.6% versus 11.6%; p < 0.001), and intensive care unit (30.3% versus 14.9%; p = 0.002), but not with mortality; by contrast, there was no statistically significant association between SHR and all these parameters. Our results are in agreement with the literature regarding the impact of absolute hyperglycemia on COVID-19 severity outcomes, while SHR was not a significant marker. We, therefore, suggest that SHR should not be evaluated in all patients admitted to the hospital for COVID-19, and we encourage the standard measures at the admission of blood glucose and HbA1c levels.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A Retrospective Study

Publisher Copyright: © 2022, The Author(s).Diabetes is a risk factor for greater severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The stress hyperglycemia ratio (SHR) is an independent predictor of critical illness, and it is reported to have a stronger association than absolute hyperglycemia. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship of absolute hyperglycemia and SHR with the severity of COVID-19, since there are no studies investigating SHR in patients with COVID-19. We conducted a retrospective observational study on hospitalized patients with COVID-19 in the first months of the pandemic, regarding absolute hyperglycemia, SHR, and severity outcomes. Of the 374 patients, 28.1% had a previous diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. Absolute hyperglycemia (64.8% versus 22.7%; p < 0.01) and SHR [1.1 (IQR 0.9–1.3) versus 1.0 (IQR 0.9–1.2); p < 0.001] showed a statistically significant association with previous diabetes. Absolute hyperglycemia showed a significant association with clinical severity of COVID-19 (79.0% versus 62.7%; p < 0.001), need for oxygen therapy (74.8% versus 54.4%; p < 0.001), invasive mechanical ventilation (28.6% versus 11.6%; p < 0.001), and intensive care unit (30.3% versus 14.9%; p = 0.002), but not with mortality; by contrast, there was no statistically significant association between SHR and all these parameters. Our results are in agreement with the literature regarding the impact of absolute hyperglycemia on COVID-19 severity outcomes, while SHR was not a significant marker. We therefore suggest that SHR should not be evaluated in all patients admitted in the hospital for COVID-19, and we encourage the standard measures at admission of blood glucose and HbA1c levels.publishersversionepub_ahead_of_prin

Legionella pneumophila strain associated with the first evidence of person-to-person transmission of Legionnaires’ disease: a unique mosaic genetic backbone

A first strong evidence of person-to-person transmission of Legionnaires' Disease (LD) was recently reported. Here, we characterize the genetic backbone of this case-related Legionella pneumophila strain ("PtVFX/2014"), which also caused a large outbreak of LD. PtVFX/2014 is phylogenetically divergent from the most worldwide studied outbreak-associated L. pneumophila subspecies pneumophila serogroup 1 strains. In fact, this strain is also from serogroup 1, but belongs to the L. pneumophila subspecies fraseri. Its genomic mosaic backbone reveals eight horizontally transferred regions encompassing genes, for instance, involved in lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis or encoding virulence-associated Dot/Icm type IVB secretion system (T4BSS) substrates. PtVFX/2014 also inherited a rare ~65 kb pathogenicity island carrying virulence factors and detoxifying enzymes believed to contribute to the emergence of best-fitted strains in water reservoirs and in human macrophages, as well as a inter-species transferred (from L. oakridgensis) ~37.5 kb genomic island (harboring a lvh/lvr T4ASS cluster) that had never been found intact within L. pneumophila species. PtVFX/2014 encodes another lvh/lvr cluster near to CRISPR-associated genes, which may boost L. pneumophila transition from an environmental bacterium to a human pathogen. Overall, this unique genomic make-up may impact PtVFX/2014 ability to adapt to diverse environments, and, ultimately, to be transmitted and cause human disease.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Genome Sequencing of 10 Helicobacter pylori Pediatric Strains from Patients with Nonulcer Dyspepsia and Peptic Ulcer Disease

We present draft genome sequences of 10 Helicobacter pylori clinical strains isolated from children. This will be important for future studies of comparative genomics in order to better understand the virulence determinants underlying peptic ulcer disease.This work was supported by the FCT-PTDC/BIM-MEC/1051/2012 grant from the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) (to M.O.). A.N. and F.F.V. are recipients of postdoctoral fellowships (SFRH/BPD/75295/2010 and SFRH/BPD/95125/2013, respectively) from FCT, and R.R. is a recipient of a fellowship (BRJ-DDI/2012) from the National Institute of Health

The use of a geographic information system to increase outdoor tourism

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Probable Person-to-Person Transmission of Legionnaires’ Disease

Correspondence to the Editor.Legionnaires’ disease is an often severe form of pneumonia that is typically acquired by susceptible persons (e.g., elderly persons and smokers) through inhalation of aerosols that contain legionella species.1-4 A cluster of cases of this disease occurred in Vila Franca de Xira, Portugal, in 2014