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Salmonella Minnesota has emerged in Brazil as the predominant serovar in poultry and poultry products, along with Salmonella Heidelberg. To understand the emergence of Salmonella Minnesota over the last few years in Brazil, we performed a comparative analysis between 69 selected S . Minnesota genomes from Pathogen Detection database and 65 clonal emergent genomes isolated from Brazil. We demonstrate the presence of multidrug resistance genes against tetracycline [ tet (A)], sulfonamide ( sul2 ), and AmpC beta-lactamase ( bla CMY-2 ) in emergent genomes, along with the carriage of a megaplasmid of resistance and virulence (~210 kb), designated pESM (plasmid for emergent Salmonella Minnesota). pESM is an IncC/A2 plasmid predicted to increase S . Minnesota environmental tolerance to mercury ( mer operon) and provide resistance to tetracycline and ampicillin due to the presence of tet (A) and bla CMY-2 , respectively. Moreover, pESM carries the yersiniabactin siderophore (high-pathogenicity island of Yersinia ) related to the iron uptake. The temporal inference demonstrated that the most recent common ancestor dated from ~1978 and that the clonal emergent genomes carrying the pESM belong to a completely different lineage of S . Minnesota. Our results indicate that the presence of pESM likely contributes to the emergence of S . Minnesota and is precisely related to the successful spread of this particular clonal lineage in Brazil.IMPORTANCE Salmonella Minnesota has emerged in Brazil as one of the leading serovars related to human and animal infection, presenting high virulence and antibiotic resistance to drugs classified as the highest priority for clinical treatment in humans. This study performed whole-genome sequencing, temporal analysis, and phylogenetics to understand the genetic insights related to the emergence of Salmonella Minnesota in Brazil. Long-read sequencing has led to the identification and characterization of a unique megaplasmid carrying virulence, antibiotic resistance, and heavy-metal tolerance genes, which may play a central role in S . Minnesota's successful emergence in Brazil and possibly worldwide. The potentially high transmissibility of this plasmid between clones and serovars represents a risk to public health since its acquisition may increase Salmonella 's fitness, virulence, resistance, and persistence. Understanding the genetic aspects related to the emergence of serovars can help devise measures to mitigate the spread of hazardous multidrug-resistant strains., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Parasitic co-infections are common in developing countries and can interfere with leprosy treatment, leading to an increased risk of inflammatory leprosy reactions. This study assessed serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels against Toxoplasma gondii and Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) antigens in 270 leprosy patients from Brazilian states. Regarding the respective cut-offs, the prevalence of IgG seropositivity for T. gondii and VL were 21.05 % and 47.36 % in the leprosy-negative group, and 77.7 % and 52.6 % in the leprosy-positive group. Of the 270 leprosy patients, 158 (58.5 %) presented with inflammatory leprosy reactions. Of those, 72 (59.5 %) had neuritis, 35 (48.6 %) had reverse reactions, and 28 (38.9 %) had ENL in both Brazilian states. Leprosy patients with anti-Leishmania IgG seropositivity were 3.25 times more likely to develop neuritis (95 % C.I.: 1.187 - 9.154; p = 0.019). These findings are particularly relevant for clinical settings where both leprosy and parasitic diseases are prevalent and could provide essential guidance for detecting and addressing complications arising from parasitic co-infections in leprosy patients, thereby improving clinical management strategies., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Secondary lung infection by inhaled Staphylococcus aureus (SA) is a common and lethal event for individuals infected with influenza A virus (IAV). How IAV disrupts host defense to promote SA infection in lung alveoli, where fatal lung injury occurs, is not known. We addressed this issue using real-time determinations of alveolar responses to IAV in live, intact, perfused lungs. Our findings show that IAV infection blocked defensive alveolar wall liquid (AWL) secretion and induced airspace liquid absorption, thereby reversing normal alveolar liquid dynamics and inhibiting alveolar clearance of inhaled SA. Loss of AWL secretion resulted from inhibition of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) ion channel in the alveolar epithelium, and airspace liquid absorption was caused by stimulation of the alveolar epithelial Na+ channel (ENaC). Loss of AWL secretion promoted alveolar stabilization of inhaled SA, but rescue of AWL secretion protected against alveolar SA stabilization and fatal SA-induced lung injury in IAV-infected mice. These findings reveal a central role for AWL secretion in alveolar defense against inhaled SA and identify AWL inhibition as a critical mechanism of IAV lung pathogenesis. AWL rescue may represent a new therapeutic approach for IAV-SA coinfection.

Staphylococcus aureus is responsible for severe skin and respiratory infections and food poisoning, resulting in hospitalizations and high morbidity worldwide. Staphylococci have extensive virulence mechanisms and antimicrobial resistance that pose a global challenge to contain the spread of infectious outbreaks. Antimicrobials are used as growth promoters, and for prevention and treatment of infections in animals that provide us with food. The improvement of animal health is undeniable, but the selection of multidrug-resistant strains that can spread resistance genes among microorganisms is undesirable. The administration of sublethal doses of antimicrobials in farm animals causes stress to Staphylococci inducing the formation of a complex extracellular polymeric structure called biofilm. Such a structure may favor the persistence of infection by disseminating antimicrobial-resistant strains that can be consumed in contaminated food of animal origin. In ruminant mastitis and hospitals, the potential of the biofilm structure in the persistence of infections, especially those caused by S. aureus , has already been demonstrated, as well as its role as a source of resistant genes. In the meat production chain, the potential for persistent contamination by biofilm structure is evidently a worrying health risk . This review brings together studies demonstrating that biofilm production facilitates the exchange of mobile genetic elements and random mutations in S. aureus strains within the structure. This contributes to the emergence of more resistant clonal complexes and, with biofilm support, persists in the meat production chain.

Antimicrobial resistance is a major public health problem and is mainly due to the indiscriminate use of antimicrobials in human and veterinary medicine. The consumption of animal-based foods can contribute to the transfer of these genes between animal and human bacteria. Resistant and multi-resistant bacteria such as Salmonella spp. and Campylobacter spp. have been detected both in animal-based foods and in production environments such as farms, industries and slaughterhouses. This review aims to compile the techniques for detecting antimicrobial resistance using traditional and molecular methods, highlighting their advantages and disadvantages as well as the effectiveness and confidence of their results.

Some species of the fungus Sporothrix cause a chronic granulomatous infection in humans and animals called sporotrichosis. In the last decades, some research into serological tests has been carried out by different groups for the rapid detection of this infection. We performed a systematic review of the literature with meta-analysis to evaluate studies using Sporothrix spp. antigens and to evaluate their accuracy for sporotrichosis diagnostic. We searched Scopus, MEDLINE, Web of Science, GALE, Technology Research Database, DOA, Elsevier, SciELO, and Google Scholar Databases. The united results of sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative likelihood ratios, and diagnostic odds ratio with their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) were assessed. A total of 15 assays from 8 studies using 7 different serological methods and 8 different antigens were analyzed. The studies were performed in the USA, Brazil, and Venezuela from 1973 until 2015 and presented good quality. A high heterogeneity for sensitivity [I 2  = 90.7%; 87% CI = (84-89), P < 0.001] and specificity [I 2  = 89.2%; 93% CI = (92-95), P < 0.001] was observed. The performance of diagnostic tests was 0.93. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was the main tool used, and the ConA-binding fraction antigen of the strain 1099-18 appears as a promising diagnostic biomarker candidate., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Mycobacterium leprae infection depends on the competence of the host immune defense to induce effective protection against this intracellular pathogen. The present study investigated the serum levels of vitamin D and the antimicrobial peptide cathelicidin, to determine the statistical correlation between them in leprosy patients before and post-six months of multidrug therapy (MDT), household contacts, and healthy individuals. Previous studies associated these molecules with high risks to develop mycobacterial diseases, such as tuberculosis and leprosy. A total of 34 leprosy patients [paucibacillary (n = 14), multibacillary (n = 20)], and 25 household contacts were recruited. Eighteen healthy adults were selected as a control group. Serum concentrations of vitamin D (25(OH)VD 3 ) and cathelicidin were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit, respectively. There were no significant differences in serum levels of 25(OH)VD 3 between all groups, and the overall prevalence rate of vitamin D deficiency was 67.1%. Cathelicidin levels were significantly lower in both untreated and treated patients when compared to controls and household contacts (p < 0.05). Strong correlations between hypovitaminosis D and reduced cathelicidin in untreated (r = 0.86) and post-six months of MDT (r = 0.79) leprosy patients were observed. These results suggest that vitamin D status and cathelicidin levels are strongly correlated during multidrug therapy for leprosy and nutritional supplementation from the beginning of treatment could strengthen the immune response against leprosy., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In this study, new eco-friendly hydrogel adsorbents were synthesized based on carboxymethylcellulose (CMC, degree of substitution [DS] = 0.7) chemically cross-linked with citric acid (CA) using a green process in aqueous solution and applied for the adsorption of methylene blue (MB). Spectroscopic analyses demonstrated the mechanism of cross-linking through the reaction of hydroxyl functional groups from CMC with CA. These CMC hydrogels showed very distinct morphological features dependent on the extension of cross-linking and their nanomechanical properties were drastically increased by approximately 300% after cross-linking with 20% CA (e.g. elastic moduli from 80 ± 15 to 270 ± 50 MPa). Moreover, they were biocompatible using an in vitro cell viability assay in contact with human osteosarcoma-derived cells (SAOS) for 24 h. These CMC-based hydrogels exhibited adsorption efficiency above 90% (24 h) and maximum removal capacity of MB from 5 to 25 mg g -1 depending on the dye concentration (from 100 to 500 mg L -1 ), which was used as the model cationic organic pollutant. The adsorption of process of MB was well-fit to the pseudo-second-order kinetics model. The desorption of MB by immersion in KCl solution (3 mol L -1 , 24 h) showed a typical recovery efficiency of over 60% with conceivable reuse of these CMC-based hydrogels. Conversely, CMC hydrogels repelled methyl orange dye used as model anionic pollutant, proving the mechanism of adsorption by the formation of charged polyelectrolyte/dye complexes.

This study focused on the synthesis and comprehensive characterization of environmentally friendly hydrogel membranes based on carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) for wound dressing and skin repair substitutes. These new CMC hydrogels were prepared with two degrees of functionalization (DS=0.77 and 1.22) and chemically crosslinked with citric acid (CA) for tuning their properties. Additionally, CMC-based hybrids were prepared by blending with polyethylene glycol (PEG, 10wt.%). The results demonstrated that superabsorbent hydrogels (SAP) were produced with swelling degree typically ranging from 100% to 5000%, which was significantly dependent on the concentration of CA crosslinker and the addition of PEG as network modifier. The spectroscopical characterizations indicated that the mechanism of CA crosslinking was mostly associated with the chemical reaction with CMC hydroxyl groups and that PEG played an important role on the formation of a hybrid polymeric network. These hydrogels presented very distinct morphological features depended on the degree of crosslinking and the surface nanomechanical properties (e.g., elastic moduli) were drastically affected (from approximately 0.08GPa to 2.0GPa) due to the formation of CMC-PEG hybrid nanostructures. These CMC-based hydrogels were cytocompatible considering the in vitro cell viability responses of over 95% towards human embryonic kidney cells (HEK293T) used as model cell line., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: PTC-specific analysis identified novel fusions involving RET , BRAF , NTRK1 , NTRK3 , AGK and ALK genes in adults and pediatric PTCs. Although many novel fusions are PTC-specific events and, therefore, are ideal for diagnosis purposes, validation across additional and larger patient cohorts is essential for introducing these potential diagnostic or prognostic biomarkers into the clinical practice. As most of the BRAF , NTRK3 and ALK fusions were initially found in pediatric PTC or in more aggressive thyroid carcinomas, and there is a great disparity across population, in this study, we screened a large set of adult-sporadic PTC cases for the most prevalent kinase fusion lately described in the TCGA., Design and Methods: The prevalence of the fusions was determined by RT-PCR in 71 classical PTC, 45 follicular variants of PTC (FVPTC), 19 follicular thyroid adenomas (FTAs) and 22 follicular thyroid carcinomas (FTCs)., Results: ETV6-NTRK3 was exclusively found in FVPTC, in both encapsulated and infiltrative variants, but was not found in FTAs and FTCs. STRN-ALK was found in both classical PTC and FVPTC. No AGK-BRAF fusion was identified in this series, endorsing that AGK-BRAF is a genetic event mainly associated with pediatric PTCs., Conclusions: The identification of kinase fusions in thyroid carcinomas helps to expand our knowledge about the landscape of oncogenic alterations in PTC. As ETV6-NTRK3 and STRN-ALK are recurrent and not identified in benign lesions, they can certainly help with diagnosis of thyroid nodules. Further analysis is needed to define if they can also be useful for prognosis and guiding therapy., (© 2018 European Society of Endocrinology.)

Neutrophils are critical players in the first line of defense against pathogens and in the activation of subsequent cellular responses. We aimed to determine the effects of the interaction of Trypanosoma cruzi with human neutrophils, using isolates of the two major discrete type units (DTUs) associated with Chagas' disease in Latin America (clone Col1.7G2 and Y strain, DTU I and II, respectively). Thus, we used CFSE-stained trypomastigotes to measure neutrophil-T. cruzi interaction, neutrophil activation, cytokine expression and death, after infection with Col1.7G2 and Y strain. Our results show that the frequency of CFSE+ neutrophils, indicative of interaction, and CFSE intensity on a cell-per-cell basis were similar when comparing Col1.7G2 and Y strains. Interaction with T. cruzi increased neutrophil activation, as measured by CD282, CD284, TNF and IL-12 expression, although at different levels between the two strains. No change in IL-10 expression was observed after interaction of neutrophils with either strain. We observed that exposure to Y and Col1.7G2 caused marked neutrophil death. This was specific to neutrophils, since interaction of either strain with monocytes did not cause death. Our further analysis showed that neutrophil death was a result of apoptosis, which was associated with an upregulation of TNF-receptor, TNF and FasLigand, but not of Fas. Induction of TNF-associated neutrophil apoptosis by the different T. cruzi isolates may act as an effective common mechanism to decrease the host's immune response and favor parasite survival.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to conduct a cross-cultural adaptation of the Assistive Technology Device Predisposition Assessment (ATD PA) for use in Brazil., Method: The selection of the Assistive Technology Device Predisposition Assessment (ATD PA) was determined by previous literature reviews of articles published in 2014 and 2016 in six databases with the terms "assistive device" or "assistive technology" or "self-help device" combined with "evidence-based practice" or "framework" or "measurement scale" or "model and outcome assessment". This review indicated that the conceptual model of Assistive Technology (AT) most discussed in the literature was the Matching Person and Technology (MPT) model, and this finding determined the selection of ATD PA as an assessment within the MPT portfolio of measures. The procedures for cross-cultural adaptation were as follows: Equivalence of Concept, Semantic and Operational. Five experts were asked to translate 725 items and these translations were evaluated and a high level of agreement was demonstrated., Results: The Portuguese version, Avaliação de Tecnologia Assistiva - Predisposição ao Uso - ATD PA Br, was derived from the original version in English (ATD PA)., Conclusion: The ATD PA Br will support professionals and people with disabilities in Brazil to better select AT devices according to the clients' needs. Implications for rehabilitation Provides a systematic way of selecting assistive technology devices for the use of individuals with disabilities according to the Brazilian reality. A systematic way of selecting the assistive technology that can help decrease the abandonment of the assistive technology use. The use of the Matching Person and Technology theorical model and of the assessment ATD PA Br is essential to guide the researches and clinical practice in Brazil.

Single mRNA molecules can be imaged in living cells by a method that consists in genetically inserting binding sites for a bacteriophage protein in the gene of interest. The resulting reporter transgene is then integrated in the genome of cells that express the phage protein fused to a fluorescent tag. Upon transcription, binding of the fluorescent protein to its target sequence makes the RNA visible. With this approach it is possible to track, in real time, the life cycle of a precursor mRNA at the site of transcription in the nucleus and transport of mature mRNA to the cytoplasm. In order to measure the fluorescence associated with individual RNA molecules over time, we developed a semi-automated quantitative image analysis tool termed STaQTool. We describe in detail the implementation and application of the STaQTool software package, which is a generic tool able to process large 4D datasets allowing quantitative studies of different steps in gene expression.

Early guidance emphasizes the provision of information to families about growth and normal development in childhood such as specific information about security at home. This research aimed to analyze mothers' knowledge about the prevention of accidents in childhood before and after an educational intervention. It was conducted as a quasi-experimental study with 155 mothers in a Basic Health Unit in northeastern of Brazil in April and May of 2015. The data were collected in two stages through a self-report questionnaire performed before and after the educational intervention by the subjects. The results revealed a significant increase in knowledge about prevention of accidents in childhood in all the self-applied questions (p<0.05). After the educational intervention, there seemed to be a significant difference with the questions regarding the knowledge on preventing fall (p=0.000), drowning (p=0.000), and intoxication (p=0.007). The authors concluded that the educational intervention performed in this study increased the subjects' knowledge on prevention of accidents in childhood.

The vast majority of human protein-coding genes contain up to 90% of non-coding sequence in the form of introns that must be removed from the primary transcripts or pre-mRNAs. Diverse forms of mRNAs encoded from a single gene are created by the differential use of splice sites and alternative splicing is rapidly evolving. Although the kinetic properties of splicing are thought to be critical for proofreading and regulatory mechanisms, tools for making direct experimental measurements of splicing rates are still limited. We recently developed a strategy that permits real-time imaging of fluorescent-labelled introns in single pre-mRNA molecules. Here we describe the software tool that we created for automatic tracking and quantification of intronic fluorescence at the site of transcription in live human cells., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Microscopy protocols that allow live-cell imaging of molecules and subcellular components tagged with fluorescent conjugates are indispensable in modern biological research. A breakthrough was recently introduced by the development of genetically encoded fluorescent tags that combined with fluorescence-based microscopic approaches of increasingly higher spatial and temporal resolution made it possible to detect single protein and nucleic acid molecules inside living cells. Here, we describe an approach to visualize single nascent pre-mRNA molecules and to measure in real time the dynamics of intron synthesis and excision.

Introduction: Peripheric nerve tumors typically derive from Schwann cells of the peripheral nerve sheet. Since these tumors are uncommon, they should be considered in preoperative differential diagnosis., Objective: To report the experience of a tertiary care department., Methods: Forty-two patients with head and neck peripheral neurogenic tumors were retrospectively analyzed and evaluated from 1977 to 2013. The preoperative diagnosis was confirmed by biopsy or imaging study., Results: The mean age was 41.7 and 15 patients (36%) were male. The mean size was 5.5cm and 26 (61%) were located laterally in the neck. Most tumors (39.9%) presented as an asymptomatic neck mass. Most (39.9%) were resected through a neck approach. Cranial nerves were the commonest site of origin., Conclusions: Extracranial neurogenic tumors presented with a mean size of 5.5cm, were located laterally in the neck, normally had their origin from cranial nerves, and their resection approach is cervical., (Copyright © 2015 Associação Brasileira de Otorrinolaringologia e Cirurgia Cérvico-Facial. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.)

Expression of genetic information in eukaryotes involves a series of interconnected processes that ultimately determine the quality and amount of proteins in the cell. Many individual steps in gene expression are kinetically coupled, but tools are lacking to determine how temporal relationships between chemical reactions contribute to the output of the final gene product. Here, we describe a strategy that permits direct measurements of intron dynamics in single pre-mRNA molecules in live cells. This approach reveals that splicing can occur much faster than previously proposed and opens new avenues for studying how kinetic mechanisms impact on RNA biogenesis., (© 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

We report the expression pattern of a novel Xenopus laevis gene, zcchc24, which encodes a protein containing two zinc finger domains from the zf-CCHC and zf-3CxxC superfamilies. This protein shares >84% amino acid identity with its vertebrate homologues. During X. laevis embryonic development, zcchc24 is expressed at gastrula stages in the dorsal mesoderm, including the cardiac precursors region. During neurula stages, zcchc24 is expressed as two stripes in the dorsal region, more precisely, in the somitogenic mesoderm until the cardiac mesoderm. At early tailbud stages, zcchc24 continues to be expressed in these regions, but starts to be expressed in the migrating neural crest. Later, this gene is expressed in the head, branchial arches, heart and somites. The zinc finger domains present in Zcchc24 protein and its dynamic gene expression pattern suggest that Zcchc24 might be involved in the regulation of heart, somites and of branchial arch formation/patterning, namely in the regulation of apoptosis.

The aim of this study was to investigate the vulnerability of adolescent students related to sexually transmitted diseases (STD) and the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), identifying the main risk behaviors and prevention. This quantitative, cross-sectional study was performed in three public schools in Imperatriz--Maranhão, with 295 adolescents, using a structured questionnaire. The results show that: most young people (86.3%) who used a condom the last time they had intercourse, usually keep this practice, 82.8% of adolescents who understand the concept of HIV protect themselves against these infections and believe the main form of contamination is through sex, infected blood or through the placental barrier. We conclude that most teenager participants showed coherent knowledge about sexual practices and risk behaviors that make them vulnerable to STD/HIK presenting a positive aspect for the prevention of these diseases.

Despite advances in obstetrics, prematurity is still a major public health problem because of the neonatal morbidity and mortality it causes. The objective of this study was to investigate maternal risk factorsfor premature births in a public maternity in the city of Imperatriz-MA. A cross-sectional comparative study was conducted with 116 mothers, through structured interviews. The data were analyzed using Epi-Info version 3.5.1. The variables that showed statistically significant association with preterm delivery were monthly income below two minimum wages (p = 0.046), stress during pregnancy (p = 0.027), primiparity (p = 0.044), absent or inadequate prenatal care (p <0.001) and clinical complications in pregnancy (p<0.001). The results show that the maternal risk factors implicated in prematurity are related mainly with lifestyle, socioeconomic and clinical variables, and prenatal care.