Stepwise pathway for early evolutionary assembly of dissimilatory sulfite and sulfate reduction

Funding Information: FLS and SN acknowledge support from the Wiener Wissenschafts, Forschungs- und Technologiefonds (Austria) through the grant VRG15-007. FLS gratefully acknowledges funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation program (grant agreement 803768). IACP acknowledges support from Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (Portugal) through grants PTDC/BIA-MIC/6512/2014 and PTDC/BIA-BQM/29118/2017, R&D unit MOSTMICRO-ITQB (UIDB/04612/2020 and UIDP/04612/2020), and LS4FUTURE Associated Laboratory (LA/P/0087/2020). The computational results of this work have been achieved using the Life Science Compute Cluster (LiSC) of the University of Vienna. Funding Information: FLS and SN acknowledge support from the Wiener Wissenschafts, Forschungs- und Technologiefonds (Austria) through the grant VRG15-007. FLS gratefully acknowledges funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation program (grant agreement 803768). IACP acknowledges support from Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (Portugal) through grants PTDC/BIA-MIC/6512/2014 and PTDC/BIA-BQM/29118/2017, R&D unit MOSTMICRO-ITQB (UIDB/04612/2020 and UIDP/04612/2020), and LS4FUTURE Associated Laboratory (LA/P/0087/2020). The computational results of this work have been achieved using the Life Science Compute Cluster (LiSC) of the University of Vienna. Publisher Copyright: © 2023, The Author(s).Microbial dissimilatory sulfur metabolism utilizing dissimilatory sulfite reductases (Dsr) influenced the biochemical sulfur cycle during Earth’s history and the Dsr pathway is thought to be an ancient metabolic process. Here we performed comparative genomics, phylogenetic, and synteny analyses of several Dsr proteins involved in or associated with the Dsr pathway across over 195,000 prokaryotic metagenomes. The results point to an archaeal origin of the minimal DsrABCMK(N) protein set, having as primordial function sulfite reduction. The acquisition of additional Dsr proteins (DsrJOPT) increased the Dsr pathway complexity. Archaeoglobus would originally possess the archaeal-type Dsr pathway and the archaeal DsrAB proteins were replaced with the bacterial reductive-type version, possibly at the same time as the acquisition of the QmoABC and DsrD proteins. Further inventions of two Qmo complex types, which are more spread than previously thought, allowed microorganisms to use sulfate as electron acceptor. The ability to use the Dsr pathway for sulfur oxidation evolved at least twice, with Chlorobi and Proteobacteria being extant descendants of these two independent adaptations.publishersversioninpres

PACCE: Perl Algorithm to Compute Continuum and Equivalent Widths

We present Perl Algorithm to Compute continuum and Equivalent Widths (pacce). We describe the methods used in the computations and the requirements for its usage. We compare the measurements made with pacce and "manual" ones made using iraf splot task. These tests show that for SSP models the equivalent widths strengths are very similar (differences <0.2A) for both measurements. In real stellar spectra, the correlation between both values is still very good, but with differences of up to 0.5A. pacce is also able to determine mean continuum and continuum at line center values, which are helpful in stellar population studies. In addition, it is also able to compute the uncertainties in the equivalent widths using photon statistics. The code is made available for the community through the web at http://www.if.ufrgs.br/~riffel/software.html.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures, accepted by Astrophysics and Space Scienc

Renal lesions in deer (Cervus elaphus) - Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis involvelment

Renal lesions in deer (Cervus elaphus) - Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis involvelment

Granulomatous lesions and Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis in portuguese wild boars (Sus scrofa)

Granulomatous lesions and Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis in portuguese wild boars (Sus scrofa)

Multi-target analysis of cytostatics in hospital effluents over a 9-month period

The consumption of cytostatics, pharmaceuticals prescribed in chemotherapy, is increasing every year and worldwide, along with the incidence of cancer. The presence and the temporal evolution of cytostatics in wastewaters from a Portuguese hospital center was evaluated through a 9-month sampling campaign, comprising a total of one hundred and twenty-nine samples, collected from May 2019 to February 2020. Eleven cytostatics out of thirteen pharmaceuticals were studied, including flutamide, mycophenolate mofetil and mycophenolic acid, which have never been monitored before. Target analytes were extracted and quantified by solid-phase extraction coupled to liquid-chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analysis; the method was fully validated. All pharmaceuticals were detected in at least one sample, bicalutamide being the one found with higher frequency (detected in all samples), followed by mycophenolic acid, which was also the compound detected at higher concentrations (up to 5340 ± 211 ng/L). Etoposide, classified as carcinogenic to humans, was detected in 60% of the samples at concentrations up to 142 ± 15 ng/L. The risk from exposure to cytostatics was estimated for aquatic organisms living in receiving bodies. Cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, etoposide, flutamide, megestrol and mycophenolic acid are suspected to induce risk. Long-term and synergic effects should not be neglected, even for the cytostatics for which no risk was estimated

Effect of breed on meat quality and global acceptance of native lambs and their crosses

International projections point to the growth in global production of sheep meat, mainly from developing countries. However, the exigencies of consumers on characterization of production systems, nutritional information, and sensorial analysis to target the preferences must be answered. The aim of this study was to characterize the meat quality and the global acceptance of Brazilian native ovine breeds and their crosses, and discuss these aspects on the current basis of human health and wellbeing. Three native breeds (Morada Nova, Rabo Largo, and Santa Inês) that were managed in semi-intensive systems and raised in semi-arid Brazilian regions were used. Chemical composition and fatty acid analysis, sensory evaluation and health indices were accessed. The combined effects of breed, sex and breed by sex interaction produced differentiation in meat fatty acid (FA) profiles. The cholesterol contents ranged between 51 and 59.1 mg/100 g. The Morada Nova lambs showed the lowest lipid content (1.93%). The Morada Nova x Rabo Largo crossbreed breed has the potential to increase the content of conjugated linoleic acid. The high content of α-linolenic acid, which is considered hypocholesterolemic, was responsible for better health indices. The moderate acceptability obtained in sensory traits is compatible with the requirements of the consumer market. The combination of nutritional and sensory traits associated with human health and wellbeing that is presented by these native ovine breeds qualifies them as a good choice of red meat to be included in a larger proportion in human food. Keywords: fatty acids, healthier meat, semi-arid region, shee

Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy of the frontal, cingulate and perirolandic cortices and its relationship to skin conductance in patients with schizophrenia

The aim of the present study was to determine whether specific subgroups of schizophrenic patients, grouped according to electrodermal characteristics, show differences in the N-acetylaspartate/creatine plus choline (NAA / (Cr + Cho)) ratios in the frontal, cingulate and perirolandic cortices. Skin conductance levels (SCL) and skin conductance responses to auditory stimulation were measured in 38 patients with schizophrenia and in the same number of matched healthy volunteers (control). All subjects were submitted to multivoxel proton magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging. When compared to the control group, patients presented significantly lower NAA / (Cr + Cho) ratios in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (schizophrenia = 0.95 ± 0.03; control = 1.12 ± 0.04) and in the right (schizophrenia = 0.88 ± 0.02; control = 0.94 ± 0.03) and left (schizophrenia = 0.84 ± 0.03; control = 0.94 ± 0.03) cingulates. These ratios did not differ between electrodermally responsive and non-responsive patients. When patients were divided into two groups: lower SCL (less than the mean SCL of the control group minus two standard deviations) and normal SCL (similar to the control group), the subgroup with a lower level of SCL showed a lower NAA / (Cr + Cho) ratio in the left cingulate (0.78 ± 0.05) than the controls (0.95 ± 0.02, P < 0.05) and the subgroup with normal SCL (0.88 ± 0.03, P < 0.05). There was a negative correlation between the NAA / (Cr + Cho) ratio in the left cingulate of patients with schizophrenia and the duration of the disease and years under medication. These data suggest the existence of a schizophrenic subgroup characterized by low SCL that could be a consequence of the lower neuronal viability observed in the left cingulate of these patients.CNPqFAPES

Two-year angiographic and intravascular ultrasound follow-up after implantation of sirolimus-eluting stents in human coronary arteries

BACKGROUND: The safety and efficacy of sirolimus-eluting stenting have been demonstrated, but the outcome of patients treated with this novel technology beyond the first year remains unknown. We sought to evaluate the angiographic, intravascular ultrasound (IVUS), and clinical outcomes of patients treated with sirolimus-eluting stents 2 years after implantation. METHODS AND RESULTS: This study included 30 patients treated with sirolimus-eluting Bx Velocity stenting (slow release [SR], n=15, and fast release [FR], n=15) in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Twenty-eight patients underwent 2-year angiographic and IVUS follow-up. No deaths occurred during the study period. In-stent late loss was slightly greater in the FR group (0.28+/-0.4 mm) than in the SR group (-0.09+/-0.23 mm, P=0.007). No patient had in-stent restenosis. At 2-year follow-up, only 1 patient (FR group) had a 52% diameter stenosis within the lesion segment, which required repeat revascularization. The target-vessel revascularization rate for the entire cohort was 10% (3/30) at 2 years. All other patients had < or =35% diameter stenosis. Angiographic lumen loss at the stent edges was also minimal (in-lesion late loss was 0.33+/-0.42 mm [FR] and 0.13+/-0.29 mm [SR]). In-stent neointimal hyperplasia volume, as detected by IVUS, remained minimal after 2 years (FR= 9.90+/-9 mm3 and SR=10.35+/-9.3 mm3). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates the safety and efficacy of sirolimus-eluting Bx Velocity stents 2 years after implantation in humans. In-stent lumen dimensions remained essentially unchanged at 2-year follow-up in the 2 groups, although angiographic lumen loss was slightly higher in the FR group. Restenosis "catch-up" was not found in our patient population

Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis: a rare pulmonary toxicity of sirolimus.

Transpl Int. 2007 Mar;20(3):291-6. Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis: a rare pulmonary toxicity of sirolimus. Pedroso SL, Martins LS, Sousa S, Reis A, Dias L, Henriques AC, Sarmento AM, Cabrita A. Nephrology Department, Hospital Geral de Santo António, Porto, Portugal. [email protected] Abstract The aim of our paper is to describe an unusual pulmonary toxicity of sirolimus (SRL) in a kidney transplant recipient. We present a 34-year-old woman with a second renal transplantation, complicated with steroid-resistant acute rejection and chronic allograft dysfunction. Two years after initiating SRL, she presented complaints of progressive dyspnoea, nonproductive cough, chest pain and low-grade fever of 1 month duration. She had chronic allograft nephropathy and slight elevation of lactic dehydrogenase levels. After exclusion of common reasons of this condition, a computed tomography (CT) of the thorax and bronchoscopy was performed, revealing ground-glass opacification with polygonal shapes on CT and an opaque appearance with numerous macrophages on bronchoalveolar lavage. The alveolar macrophages stained positive by Periodic acid-Schiff. Diagnosis of pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP) was made and drug-induced toxicity was suspected. SRL was withdrawn with marked improvement in the patients' clinical and radiological status. PAP resolved within 3 months without further therapy. PAP is a very rare complication of SRL therapy with only a few cases described. Withdrawal of SRL with conversion to another immunosuppressant seems to be an appropriate procedure in this condition. PMID: 17291222 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLIN

Lack of Neointimal Proliferation After Implantation of Sirolimus-Coated Stents in Human Coronary Arteries: A Quantitative Coronary Angiography and Three-Dimensional Intravascular Ultrasound Study

BACKGROUND: Restenosis remains an important limitation of interventional cardiology. Therefore, we aimed to determine the safety and efficacy of sirolimus (a cell-cycle inhibitor)-coated BX Velocity stents. METHODS AND RESULTS: Thirty patients with angina pectoris were electively treated with 2 different formulations of sirolimus-coated stents (slow release [SR], n=15, and fast release [FR], n=15). All stents were successfully delivered, and patients were discharged without clinical complications. Independent core laboratories analyzed angiographic and 3D volumetric intravascular ultrasound data (immediately after procedure and at 4-month follow-up). Eight-month clinical follow-up was obtained for all patients. There was minimal neointimal hyperplasia in both groups (11.0+/-3.0% in the SR group and 10.4+/-3.0% in the FR group, P:=NS) by ultrasound and quantitative coronary angiography (in-stent late loss, 0.09+/-0.3 mm [SR] and -0.02+/-0.3 mm [FR]; in-lesion late loss, 0.16+/-0.3 mm [SR] and -0.1+/-0.3 mm [FR]). No in-stent or edge restenosis (diameter stenosis >or=50%) was observed. No major clinical events (stent thrombosis, repeat revascularization, myocardial infarction, or death) had occurred by 8 months. CONCLUSIONS: The implantation of sirolimus-coated BX Velocity stents is feasible and safe and elicits minimal neointimal proliferation. Additional placebo-controlled trials are required to confirm these promising results