Erratum To: Functional And Evolutionary Analyses Of The Mir156 And Mir529 Families In Land Plants.

1

Morphologic and Genetic Analysis of Synhimantus (Synhimantus) laticeps from a Long-Eared Owl (Asio otus)

The long-eared owl (Asio otus) is a medium-sized owl species that is well-distributed in almost all of the territories in Portugal. Nematodes were found in the oral cavity of a long-eared owl (A. otus) admitted to CRASSA (Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre of Santo Andre). During a physical exam and stabilization of the bird, five nematodes were collected. The worms were examined and measured under light microscopy, and photos were taken. After a morphological analysis was conducted, all the nematodes (five females) were identified as Synhimantus (Synhimantus) laticeps. Two specimens were subjected to molecular analysis, which confirmed the result. This study provides a combined morphological and genetic approach to S. laticeps. To the authors' best knowledge, this is the first report including genetic sequencing of S. laticeps in a long-eared owl (A. otus) from Portugal.This work was supported by the projects UIDB/CVT/00772/2020 and LA/P/0059/2020 funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT). S.S.-S. thanks FCT for the financial support of his PhD work under the 2021 scholarship 2021.09461.BD contract through the Maria de Sousa-2021 program

First report of human Thelazia callipaeda infection in Portugal

The zoonotic parasitic nematode Thelazia callipaeda, also known as the oriental eye worm, is endemic in several European countries, including Portugal. Infections may result in ocular disease in domestic and wild animals as well as humans, with more or less severe manifestations. We report the first human case of ocular thelaziosis by T. callipaeda in Portugal, a country where the parasite had already been found to infect dogs, cats, red foxes, wild rabbits and a beech marten. An 80-year-old patient from east-central Portugal, who had been suffering from tearing for a few years, had whitish filiform fragments removed from the left eye. Polymerase chain reaction of partial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 and 18S small subunit rRNA genes followed by bidirectional sequencing and BLAST analysis confirmed T. callipaeda haplotype 1, the only haplotype previously reported in Europe. The endemicity of T. callipaeda in domestic and wild animals in east-central Portugal makes it very likely that infection of the human patient had occurred locally. In east-central and other geographical areas of Portugal, veterinarians and physicians, especially ophthalmologists, should regard T. callipaeda as a cause of ocular pathology in animals and humans. © 2022This work was supported by national funds, through Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT, Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology), under projects UIDB/CVT/00772/2020 and LA/P/0059/2020, and also projects UIDB/04750/2020 and LA/P/0064/2020

Outer Surface Protein C Is a Dissemination-Facilitating Factor of Borrelia burgdorferi during Mammalian Infection

The Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi dramatically upregulates outer surface protein C (OspC) in response to fresh bloodmeal during transmission from the tick vector to a mammal, and abundantly produces the antigen during early infection. As OspC is an effective immune target, to evade the immune system B. burgdorferi downregulates the antigen once the anti-OspC humoral response has developed, suggesting an important role for OspC during early infection.In this study, a borrelial mutant producing an OspC antigen with a 5-amino-acid deletion was generated. The deletion didn't significantly increase the 50% infectious dose or reduce the tissue bacterial burden during infection of the murine host, indicating that the truncated OspC can effectively protect B. burgdorferi against innate elimination. However, the deletion greatly impaired the ability of B. burgdorferi to disseminate to remote tissues after inoculation into mice.The study indicates that OspC plays an important role in dissemination of B. burgdorferi during mammalian infection

Collagen Type IV-Related Nephropathies in Portugal: Pathogenic COL4A5 Mutations and Clinical Characterization of 22 Families

Alport syndrome (AS) is caused by pathogenic mutations in the genes encoding α3, α4 or α5 chains of collagen IV (COL4A3/COL4A4/COL4A5), resulting in hematuria, chronic renal failure (CRF), sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) and ocular abnormalities. Mutations in the X-linked COL4A5 gene have been identified in 85% of the families (XLAS). In this study, 22 of 60 probands (37%) of unrelated Portuguese families, with clinical diagnosis of AS and no evidence of autosomal inheritance, had pathogenic COL4A5 mutations detected by Sanger sequencing and/or multiplex-ligation probe amplification, of which 12 (57%) are novel. Males had more severe and earlier renal and extrarenal complications, but microscopic hematuria was a constant finding irrespective of gender. Nonsense and splice site mutations, as well as small and large deletions, were associated with younger age of onset of SNHL in males, and with higher risk of CRF and SNHL in females. Pathogenic COL4A3 or COL4A4 mutations were subsequently identified in more than half of the families without a pathogenic mutation in COL4A5. The lower than expected prevalence of XLAS in Portuguese families warrants the use of next-generation sequencing for simultaneous COL4A3/COL4A4/COL4A5 analysis, as first-tier approach to the genetic diagnosis of collagen type IV-related nephropathies.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Promoção, prevenção e cuidado da hipertensão arterial no Brasil

OBJETIVO: Estimar a prevalência de ações de promoção, prevenção e cuidado da hipertensão arterial em adultos e identificar sua associação com estado descompensado de hipertensão. MÉTODOS: Estudo epidemiológico transversal de base populacional realizado por meio de entrevista com 12.324 adultos, de 20 a 59 anos, em 100 municípios brasileiros. As variáveis independentes, consideradas como promoção, prevenção e cuidado, foram: ter recebido orientações sobre a manutenção do peso ideal e sobre atividade física; ter consultado um médico e ter realizado eletrocardiograma no último ano. Pressão arterial acima de 140/90 mmHg foi considerada estado descompensado, sendo a variável dependente para a avaliação da qualidade do cuidado. RESULTADOS: Do total, 16,3% (n = 2.004) referiram diagnóstico médico de hipertensão. As maiores prevalências de hipertensão foram observadas na categoria de idade de 50 a 59 anos, concentradas nas regiões Sudeste e Centro-Oeste. Mais da metade (66,1%) esteve em consulta médica por hipertensão no último ano, da qual metade (52,4%) realizou eletrocardiograma. Dos hipertensos que tiveram sua pressão arterial aferida na entrevista (74,6%), menos da metade (42,4%) apresentava cifras tensionais descompensadas. CONCLUSÕES: Não houve associação entre haver consultado médico no último ano e cifras tensionais descompensadas. A proporção de hipertensos descompensados foi significativamente menor entre os que foram orientados para manter o peso ideal, realizar atividade física e os que fizeram eletrocardiograma. Ser do sexo masculino, ter idade acima de 40 anos e habitar na região Sul mostraram-se associados a estado descompensado da hipertensão.OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence of promotion, prevention and arterial hypertension care actions in adults and to identify their association with decompensated hypertension. METHODS: A population-based cross-sectional epidemiological study was conducted by interviewing 12,324 adults aged from 20 to 59 years, in 100 Brazilian cities. The independent variables considered as promotion, prevention and hypertension care were as follows: to have received guidance on ideal weight maintenance and physical activity practice; to have consulted a doctor; and to have had an electrocardiogram performed in the previous year. A blood pressure higher than 140/90 mm/Hg was considered to be decompensated, being the dependent variable adopted to assess quality of care. RESULTS: Of all participants, 16.3% (n = 2,004) reported a medical diagnosis of hypertension. The highest prevalences of hypertension were observed in the 50 to 59 year age group, primarily in the Southeast and Center-West regions. More than half (66.1%) of participants had a medical consultation about hypertension in the previous year, of which half (52.4%) had an electrocardiogram. Of all those with hypertension who had their blood pressure measured during interview (74.6%), less than half (42.4%) had decompensated values. CONCLUSIONS: There was no association between having consulted a doctor in the previous year and decompensated blood pressure values. The proportion of decompensated hypertensive participants was significantly lower among those who had received guidance on ideal weight maintenance and physical activity practice and those who had had an electrocardiogram performed. The following factors were associated with decompensated hypertension: to be male, to be aged more than 40 years and to live in the South region.OBJETIVO: Estimar la prevalencia de acciones de promoción, prevención y cuidado de la hipertensión arterial en adultos e identificar la asociación con el estado descompensado de hipertensión. MÉTODOS: Estudio epidemiológico transversal de base poblacional realizado a través de entrevista en 12.324 adultos, de 20 a 59 años, en 100 municipios brasileños. Las variables independientes, consideradas como promoción, prevención y cuidado fueron: haber recibido orientaciones sobre la manutención del peso ideal y actividad física; haber consultado un médico y haber realizado el electrocardiograma en el último año. Presión arterial por encima de 140/90 mm/Hg se consideró estado descompensado, siendo la variable dependiente para la evaluación de la calidad del cuidado. RESULTADOS: del total, 16,3% (n= 2.004) refirieron diagnóstico médico de hipertensión. Las mayores prevalencias de hipertensión se observaron en la categoría de edad de 50 a 59 años, concentradas en las regiones Sureste y Centro-Oeste. Más de la mitad (66,1%) estuvo en consulta médica por hipertensión en el último año, y la mitad de estos (52,4%) realizó electrocardiograma. De los hipertensos que chequearon la presión arterial en la entrevista, 74,6%, menos de la mitad (42,4%) presentó cifras tensionales descompensadas. CONCLUSIONES: No hubo asociación entre haber consultado el médico en el último año y cifras tensionales descompensadas. La proporción de hipertensos descompensados fue significativamente menor entre los que fueron orientados para mantener el peso ideal, realizar actividad física y los que hicieron electrocardiograma. Ser del sexo masculino, tener edad por encima de 40 años y habitar en la región Sur, se evidenciaron asociados al estado descompensado de la hipertensión

Nanostructured 3D Constructs Based on Chitosan and Chondroitin Sulphate Multilayers for Cartilage Tissue Engineering

Nanostructured three-dimensional constructs combining layer-by-layer technology (LbL) and template leaching were processed and evaluated as possible support structures for cartilage tissue engineering. Multilayered constructs were formed by depositing the polyelectrolytes chitosan (CHT) and chondroitin sulphate (CS) on either bidimensional glass surfaces or 3D packet of paraffin spheres. 2D CHT/CS multi-layered constructs proved to support the attachment and proliferation of bovine chondrocytes (BCH). The technology was transposed to 3D level and CHT/CS multi-layered hierarchical scaffolds were retrieved after paraffin leaching. The obtained nanostructured 3D constructs had a high porosity and water uptake capacity of about 300%. Dynamical mechanical analysis (DMA) showed the viscoelastic nature of the scaffolds. Cellular tests were performed with the culture of BCH and multipotent bone marrow derived stromal cells (hMSCs) up to 21 days in chondrogenic differentiation media. Together with scanning electronic microscopy analysis, viability tests and DNA quantification, our results clearly showed that cells attached, proliferated and were metabolically active over the entire scaffold. Cartilaginous extracellular matrix (ECM) formation was further assessed and results showed that GAG secretion occurred indicating the maintenance of the chondrogenic phenotype and the chondrogenic differentiation of hMSCs