Meta-analysis of the effects of sanitizing treatments on Salmonella spp., Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Listeria monocytogenes inactivation in fresh produce

The aim of this study was to perform a meta-analysis of the effects of sanitizing treatments of fresh produce on Salmonella spp., Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Listeria monocytogenes. From 55 primary studies found to report on such effects, 40 were selected based on specific criteria, leading to more than 1000 data on mean log reduction of these three bacterial pathogens impairing the safety of fresh produce. Data were partitioned to build three meta-analytical models that could allow the assessment of differences in mean log reductions among pathogens, fresh produce and sanitizers. Moderating variables assessed in the meta-analytical models included type of fresh produce, type of sanitizer, concentration, treatment time and temperature. Further, a proposal was done to classify the sanitizers according to their bactericidal efficacy by means of a meta-analytical dendrogram. The results indicated that both time and temperature significantly affected the mean log reductions of the sanitizing treatment (p<0.0001). In general, sanitizer treatments led to lower mean log reductions when applied to leafy greens (for example, 0.68 log-reductions [0.00-1.37] achieved in lettuce) as compared to other non-leafy vegetables (for example, 3.04 mean log-reductions [2.32-3.76] obtained for carrots). Among the pathogens, E. coli 0157:H7 was more resistant to ozone (1.6 mean log reductions), while L. monocytogenes and Salmonella presented high resistance to organic acids such as, citric acid, acetic acid and lactic acid (∼3.0 mean log reductions). With regards to the sanitizers, it has been found that slightly acidic electrolysed water, acidified sodium chlorite and the gaseous chlorine dioxide clustered together, indicating they possessed the strongest bactericidal effect. The results reported seem to be an important achievement for advancing the global understanding of the effectiveness of sanitizers for microbial safety of fresh produce

ESTRUCTURA METODOLÓGICA PARA LA EVALUACIÓN DEL DESEMPEÑO AMBIENTAL EN EL PROCESO DE DISEÑO DE EDIFICIOS PÚBLICOS

The construction sector plays a leading role in global environmental impacts and, in Brazil, it has a significant portion represented by public buildings, which have legislation for the adoption of sustainability criteria in their projects, but limited practical actions. In this context, the present work proposes a methodological framework to estimate potential environmental impacts of the life cycle of Brazilian public buildings, using the technique of life cycle assessment (LCA) in the comparison of constructive solutions, during the design process. The method was structured from a systematic review on the applications of LCA in the initial phases of the project, from the analysis of the design process of public buildings and from regulations related to the LCA technique. A case study was used to test the instrument and the results indicate that, with the occasional change in a construction system with relevant impacts, significant improvements are obtained in the environmental performance of the entire life cycle of the building. A sensitivity analysis was also carried out to verify the influence of the project lifetime periods, considered for the different scenarios evaluated. It was possible to identify that, with the support of specialists, the method can contribute to the inclusion of environmental performance assessment in Public Administration.O setor da construção possui protagonismo nos impactos ambientais globais e, no Brasil, detém uma parcela significativa representada por edifícios públicos, os quais possuem legislação para adoção de critérios de sustentabilidade em seus projetos, porém limitadas ações práticas. Neste contexto, o presente trabalho propõe uma estrutura metodológica para estimar potenciais impactos ambientais do ciclo de vida de edifícios públicos brasileiros, utilizando a técnica de avaliação do ciclo de vida (ACV) na comparação de soluções construtivas, durante o processo de projeto. O método foi estruturado a partir de revisão sistemática sobre as aplicações da ACV nas fases iniciais de projeto, da análise do processo de projeto de edifícios públicos e por normativas relativas à técnica de ACV. Um estudo de caso foi utilizado para testar o instrumento e os resultados apontam que, com a alteração pontual em um sistema construtivo com impactos relevantes, são obtidas melhorias significativas no desempenho ambiental de todo o ciclo de vida da edificação. Também foi conduzida uma análise de sensibilidade, para verificar a influência dos períodos de vida útil de projeto, considerados para os diferentes cenários avaliados. Foi possível identificar que, com o suporte de especialistas, o método pode contribuir para a inclusão da avaliação de desempenho ambiental na Administração Pública.El sector de la construcción tiene un papel de destaque en los impactos ambientales globales y, en Brasil, una porción significativa del sector concierne a los edificios públicos, que tienen legislación para la adopción de criterios de sustentabilidad en sus proyectos, pero acciones prácticas limitadas. En este contexto, el presente trabajo propone un marco metodológico para estimar los impactos ambientales potenciales del ciclo de vida de los edificios públicos brasileños, utilizando la técnica de evaluación del ciclo de vida (LCA) en la comparación de soluciones constructivas, durante el proceso de diseño. El método se estructuró a partir de una revisión sistemática sobre las aplicaciones de LCA en las fases iniciales del proyecto, del análisis del proceso de diseño de edificios públicos y de la normativa relacionada con la técnica LCA. Se utilizó un caso de estudio para probar el instrumento y los resultados indican que, con el cambio ocasional en un sistema constructivo con impactos relevantes, se obtienen mejoras significativas en el desempeño ambiental de todo el ciclo de vida del edificio. También se realizó un análisis de sensibilidad para verificar la influencia de los períodos de vida útil del proyecto, considerados para los diferentes escenarios evaluados. Fue posible identificar que, con el apoyo de especialistas, el método puede contribuir a la inclusión de la evaluación del desempeño ambiental en la administración pública

Extracellular enolase of Candida albicans is involved in colonization of mammalian intestinal epithelium

Enolase is secreted by C. albicans and is present in its biofilms although its extracellular function is unknown. Here we show that extracellular enolase mediates the colonization of small intestine mucosa by C. albicans. Assays using intestinal mucosa disks show that C. albicans adhesion is inhibited, in a dose dependent mode, either by pretreatment of intestinal epithelium mucosa disks with recombinant C. albicans enolase (70% at 0.5 mg/ml enolase) or by pretreatment of C. albicans yeasts with anti-enolase antibodies (48% with 20 µg antiserum). Also using flow cytometry, immunoblots of conditioned media and confocal microscopy we demonstrate that enolase is present in biofilms and that the extracellular enolase is not an artifact due to cell lysis, but must represent functional secretion of a stable form. This is the first direct evidence that C. albicans extracellular enolase mediates colonization on its primary translocation site. Also, because enolase is encoded by a single locus in C. albicans, its dual role peptide, as glycolytic enzyme and extracellular peptide, is a remarkable example of gene sharing in fungi

Insights into the posttranslational structural heterogeneity of thyroglobulin and its role in the development, diagnosis, and management of benign and malignant thyroid diseases

Thyroglobulin (Tg) is the major glycoprotein produced by the thyroid gland, where it serves as a template for thyroid hormone synthesis and as an intraglandular store of iodine. Measurement of Tg levels in serum is of great practical importance in the follow-up of differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC), a setting in which elevated levels after total thyroidectomy are indicative of residual or recurrent disease. The most recent methods for serum Tg measurement are monoclonal antibody-based and are highly sensitive. However, major challenges remain regarding the interpretation of the results obtained with these immunometric methods, particularly in patients with endogenous antithyroglobulin antibodies or in the presence of heterophile antibodies, which may produce falsely low or high Tg values, respectively. The increased prevalence of antithyroglobulin antibodies in patients with DTC, as compared with the general population, raises the very pertinent possibility that tumor Tg may be more immunogenic. This inference makes sense, as the tumor microenvironment (tumor cells plus normal host cells) is characterized by several changes that could induce posttranslational modification of many proteins, including Tg. Attempts to understand the structure of Tg have been made for several decades, but findings have generally been incomplete due to technical hindrances to analysis of such a large protein (660 kDa). This review article will explore the complex structure of Tg and the potential role of its marked heterogeneity in our understanding of normal thyroid biology and neoplastic processes.FapespCNPqCapesUniv Fed Sao Paulo EPM Unifesp, Escola Paulista Med, Lab Endocrinol Mol & Translac, Div Endocrinol & Metab,Dept Med, Sao Paulo, SP, BrazilUniv Fed Mato Grosso do Sul UFMS, Fac Med Famed, Dept Med, Clin Integrada 5,Endocrinol & Metab, Campo Grande, MS, BrazilUniv Fed Sao Paulo, EPM, Dept Bioquim, Div Mol Biol, Sao Paulo, SP, BrazilUniv Fed Sao Paulo EPM Unifesp, Escola Paulista Med, Lab Endocrinol Mol & Translac, Div Endocrinol & Metab,Dept Med, Sao Paulo, SP, BrazilUniv Fed Sao Paulo, EPM, Dept Bioquim, Div Mol Biol, Sao Paulo, SP, BrazilWeb of Scienc

Raoultella ornithinolytica: an opportunistic pathogen in the oral cavity of chronic kidney disease patients

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Uso de softwares educativos como ferramenta na construção do conhecimento de educação ambiental

Atualmente, a informação assume um papel cada vez mais importante, com grande crescimento da Internet, multimídia, do ciberespaço, a educação para a cidadania representa a possibilidade de motivar e sensibilizar as pessoas em transformar as diversas formas de participação na defesa da qualidade de vida. Assim, a educação ambiental assume cada vez mais uma função transformadora, na qual a educação e responsabilização dos indivíduos tornam-se um objetivo essencial para promover o desenvolvimento sustentável.Dessa forma, o presente projeto teve por objetivo desenvolver um software educacional chamado “EcoMemória”, com o mesmo princípio de funcionamento do “Jogo Memória” tradicional, para facilitar o aprendizado das noções básicas de Educação Ambiental, visto que há certa dificuldade na abordagem desses conteúdos pelo corpo docente. Como motivos para esta dificuldade podemos citar: a pequena disponibilidade de material didático adequado para ser utilizado em sala de aula e os jogos didáticos desenvolvidos até o momento, não provocarem o devido estímulo a construção da cidadania e desses conhecimentos. Aos estudantes foram aplicados dois questionários previamente elaborados pela equipe. Quando questionados sobre como consideram seu nível de conhecimento em educação ambiental, 80% responderam bom, 10% muito bom, 5% regular, excelente 3% e insuficiente 2%. Entretanto, 75% dos alunos avaliados não têm informações sólidas a respeito de questões ambientais. A aplicação do Jogo EcoMemória foi realizada após uma palestra explicativa sobre Educação Ambiental e alguns aspectos relevantes (tipos de lixo, como economizar água e importância de se reciclar os resíduos, entre outros), posteriormente o jogo foi utilizado como exercício de fixação do conteúdo exposto em sala de aula. Durante a aplicação do Software em sala de aula, houve grande participação dos alunos, assim como foi possível observá-los compartilhando idéias e explorando melhor o conteúdo abordado, sendo assim o jogo EcoMemória obteve aceitação de 75% dos alunos

Activation Of The Low Molecular Weight Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase In Keratinocytes Exposed To Hyperosmotic Stress

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Herein, we provide new contribution to the mechanisms involved in keratinocytes response to hyperosmotic shock showing, for the first time, the participation of Low Molecular Weight Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase (LMWPTP) activity in this event. We reported that sorbitol-induced osmotic stress mediates alterations in the phosphorylation of pivotal cytoskeletal proteins, particularly Src and cofilin. Furthermore, an increase in the expression of the phosphorylated form of LMWPTP, which was followed by an augment in its catalytic activity, was observed. Of particular importance, these responses occurred in an intracellular milieu characterized by elevated levels of reduced glutathione (GSH) and increased expression of the antioxidant enzymes glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase. Altogether, our results suggest that hyperosmostic stress provides a favorable cellular environment to the activation of LMWPTP, which is associated with increased expression of antioxidant enzymes, high levels of GSH and inhibition of Src kinase. Finally, the real contribution of LMWPTP in the hyperosmotic stress response of keratinocytes was demonstrated through analysis of the effects of ACP1 gene knockdown in stressed and non-stressed cells. LMWPTP knockdown attenuates the effects of sorbitol induced-stress in HaCaT cells, mainly in the status of Src kinase, Rac and STAT5 phosphorylation and activity. These results describe for the first time the participation of LMWPTP in the dynamics of cytoskeleton rearrangement during exposure of human keratinocytes to hyperosmotic shock, which may contribute to cell death.103Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)FAPESP [2006/07315-3]CNPq [PQ-2

SARS‐CoV2 pneumonia recovery is linked to expansion of innate lymphoid cells type 2 expressing CCR10

© 2021 The Authors. European Journal of Immunology published by Wiley-VCH GmbH. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made.Accelerate lung repair in SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia is essential for pandemic handling. Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) are likely players, given their role in mucosal protection and tissue homeostasis. We studied ILC subpopulations at two time points in a cohort of patients admitted in the hospital due to SARS-CoV-2 infection. COVID-19 patients with moderate/severe respiratory failure featured profound depletion of circulating ILCs at hospital admission, in agreement with overall lymphocyte depletion. However, ILCs recovered in direct correlation with lung function improvement as measured by oxygenation index and in negative association with inflammatory and lung/endothelial damage markers like RAGE. While both ILC1 and ILC2 expanded, ILC2 showed the most striking phenotype changes, with CCR10 upregulation in strong correlation with these parameters. Overall, CCR10+ ILC2 emerge as relevant contributors to SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia recovery.This work was funded by the following grants from Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT), Portugal, through “APOIO ESPECIAL RESEARCH4COVID-19,” project numbers 125 to SMF and 803 to ACT. AMCG and GBF received fellowships funded by FCT (DOCTORATES4COVID-19, 2020.10202.BD) and JANSSEN- CILAG FARMACÊUTICA, respectively.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Characterization of oral enterobacteriaceae prevalence and resistance profile in chronic kidney disease patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is a growing public-health concern worldwide. Patients exhibit compromised immunity and are more prone to infection than other populations. Therefore, oral colonization by clinically relevant members of the Enterobacteriaceae family, major agents of both nosocomial and dialysis-associated infections with frequent prevalence of antibiotic resistances, may constitute a serious risk. Thus, this study aimed to assess the occurrence of clinically relevant enterobacteria and their antibiotic resistance profiles in the oral cavity of CKD patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis (CKD-PD) and compare it to healthy controls. Saliva samples from all the participants were cultured on MacConkey Agar and evaluated regarding the levels of urea, ammonia, and pH. Bacterial isolates were identified and characterized for antibiotic resistance phenotype and genotype. The results showed that CKD-PD patients exhibited significantly higher salivary pH, urea, and ammonia levels than controls, that was accompanied by higher prevalence and diversity of oral enterobacteria. Out of all the species isolated, only the prevalence of Raoultella ornithinolytica varied significantly between groups, colonizing the oral cavity of approximately 30% of CKD-PD patients while absent from controls. Antibiotic resistance phenotyping revealed mostly putative intrinsic resistance phenotypes (to amoxicillin, ticarcillin, and cephalothin), and resistance to sulfamethoxazole (~43% of isolates) and streptomycin (~17%). However, all isolates were resistant to at least one of the antibiotics tested and multidrug resistance isolates were only found in CKD-PD group (31,6%). Mobile genetic elements and resistance genes were detected in isolates of the species Raoultella ornithinolytica, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Klebsiella oxytoca, Escherichia coli, and Enterobacter asburiae, mostly originated from CKD-PD patients. PD-related infection history revealed that Enterobacteriaceae were responsible for ~8% of peritonitis and ~ 16% of exit-site infections episodes in CKD-PD patients, although no association was found to oral enterobacteria colonization at the time of sampling. The results suggest that the CKD-induced alterations of the oral milieu might promote a dysbiosis of the commensal oral microbiome, namely the proliferation of clinically relevant Enterobacteriaceae potentially harboring acquired antibiotic resistance genes. This study highlights the importance of the oral cavity as a reservoir for pathobionts and antibiotic resistances in CKD patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio