During the COVID-19 lockdown period from March 17 to May 11, 2020, French authorities in Paris and its suburbs relocated people experiencing recurrent homelessness to emergency shelters, hotels, and ...large venues. A serological survey was done at some of these locations to assess the COVID-19 exposure prevalence in this group.
We did a cross-sectional seroprevalence study at food distribution sites, emergency shelters, and workers' residences that were provided medical services by Médecins Sans Frontières in Paris and Seine-Saint-Denis in the Ile-de-France region. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antibody seropositivity was detected by Luciferase-Linked Immunosorbent Assay and Pseudo Neutralization Test. Sociodemographic and exposure related information was collected via a verbal questionnaire to analyse risk factors and associations with various COVID-19 symptoms.
Between June 23 and July 2, 2020, 426 (52%) of 818 individuals recruited tested positive in 14 sites. Seroprevalence varied significantly by type of recruitment site (χ2 p<0·0001), being highest among those living in workers' residences (88·7%, 95% CI 81·8–93·2), followed by emergency shelters (50·5%, 46·3–54·7), and food distribution sites (27·8%, 20·8–35·7). More than two thirds of COVID-19 seropositive individuals (68%, 95% CI 64·2–72·2; 291 of 426) did not report any symptoms during the recall period. COVID-19 seropositivity was strongly associated with overcrowding (medium density: adjusted odds ratio aOR 2·7, 95% CI 1·5–5·1, p=0·0020; high density: aOR 3·4, 1·7–6·9, p<0·0001).
These results show high exposure to SARS-CoV-2 with important variations between those at different study sites. Living in crowded conditions was the strongest factor associated with exposure level. This study underscores the importance of providing safe, uncrowded accommodation, alongside adequate testing and public health information.
Médecins Sans Frontières, Epicentre, Institut Pasteur's URGENCE nouveau coronavirus fund, Total Foundation.
Patients with evidence of microplastics and nanoplastics in carotid artery plaque, as compared with patients without, had a greater risk of adverse cardiovascular events at 34 months of follow-up.
Chagas disease is currently endemic to 21 Latin-American countries and has also become a global concern because of globalization and mass migration of chronically infected individuals. Prophylactic ...and therapeutic vaccination might contribute to control the infection and the pathology, as complement of other strategies such as vector control and chemotherapy. Ideal prophylactic vaccine would produce sterilizing immunity; however, a reduction of the parasite burden would prevent progression from Trypanosoma cruzi infection to Chagas disease. A therapeutic vaccine for Chagas disease may improve or even replace the treatment with current drugs which have several side effects and require long term treatment that frequently leads to therapeutic withdrawal.
Here, we will review some aspects about sub-unit vaccines, the rationale behind the selection of the immunogen, the role of adjuvants, the advantages and limitations of DNA-based vaccines and the idea of therapeutic vaccines. One of the main limitations to advance vaccine development against Chagas disease is the high number of variables that must be considered and the lack of uniform criteria among research laboratories. To make possible comparisons, much of this review will be focused on experiments that kept many variables constant including antigen mass/doses, type of eukaryotic plasmid, DNA-delivery system, mice strain and sex, lethal and sublethal model of infection, and similar immunogenicity and efficacy assessments.
A simple method has been used to synthesize nanostructured La0.5Ba0.5CoO3 (LBCO) powders, by confining chemical precursors into the pores of polycarbonate filters. The proposed method allows us to ...obtain powders formed by crystallites of different sizes, it is scalable and does not involve the use of sophisticated deposition techniques.
The area specific polarization resistance of symmetrical cells was studied to analyze the electrochemical behavior of the LBCO nanostructures as cathodes for Solid-Oxide Fuel Cells.
We show that the performance is improved by reducing the size of the crystallites, obtaining area specific resistance values of 0.2 Ωcm2 at 700 °C, comparable with newly developed cathodes using novel deposition techniques.
Este artigo trata da elaboração de uma ferramenta computacional para o dimensionamento de vigas protendidas biapoiadas, conforme a NBR 6118 (ABNT, 2014). São contemplados os níveis de protensão ...completa, limitada e, especialmente, parcial. Para diferentes carregamentos, o programa realiza o pré-dimensionamento da força de protensão, calcula as perdas imediatas e progressivas, além de verificar os estados-limites de serviço de compressão excessiva, descompressão, formação e abertura das fissuras e deformações excessivas. A ferramenta também verifica os estados-limites últimos no ato da protensão, dimensionamento à flexão e à força cortante. O programa foi desenvolvido utilizando o Microsoft Excel e o Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications, com base no programa desenvolvido em Dominicini e Coelho (2014). Apresenta interface gráfica com o usuário e geração de memoriais de cálculo, servindo como recurso didático no meio acadêmico, tanto em nível de graduação quanto de pós-graduação. Os resultados obtidos são validados pela comparação com exemplos presentes na literatura.
► The effect of HPH on the viscoelastic properties of tomato juice was evaluated. ► The HPH increased tomato juice storage (G′) and loss (G″) modules. ► HPH processing improved juice consistency more ...than modified its nature/behaviour. ► Two modified Cox–Merz rule were used.
High pressure homogenization (HPH) is a non-thermal technology which has been widely studied as a partial or total substitute for the thermal processing of food. Although microbial inactivation has been widely studied, there are only a few papers in the literature reporting on physicochemical changes in fruit products due to HPH, especially regarding their rheological properties. The present work evaluated the effect of HPH (up to 150MPa) on the viscoelastic properties of tomato juice. HPH increased the tomato juice storage (G′) and loss (G″) moduli. The parameters G′ and G″ were modelled as a power function of the oscillatory frequency (ω), and then evaluated as a function of homogenization pressure. It was observed that HPH processing improved tomato juice consistency more than it modified its nature/behaviour. The changes observed in the viscoelastic properties were attributed to disruption of the suspended particles during processing. Moreover, two modified Cox–Merz rules were used to correlate the products steady-state shear properties with viscoelasticity. The results obtained indicated that this process could be used to improve both product elastic and viscous behaviour, highlighting possible applications of the HPH process as a valuable tool to promote physical property changes in food products.
Cestodes are platyhelminth parasites with a wide range of hosts that cause neglected diseases. Neurotransmitter signaling is of critical importance for these parasites which lack circulatory, ...respiratory and digestive systems. For example, serotonin (5-HT) and serotonergic G-protein coupled receptors (5-HT GPCRs) play major roles in cestode motility, development and reproduction. In previous work, we deorphanized a group of 5-HT7 type GPCRs from cestodes. However, little is known about another type of 5-HT GPCR, the 5-HT1 clade, which has been studied in several invertebrate phyla but not in platyhelminthes. Three putative 5-HT GPCRs from Echinococcus canadensis, Mesocestoides vogae (syn. M. corti) and Hymenolepis microstoma were cloned, sequenced and bioinformatically analyzed. Evidence grouped these new sequences within the 5-HT1 clade of GPCRs but differences in highly conserved GPCR motifs were observed. Transcriptomic analysis, heterologous expression and immunolocalization studies were performed to characterize the E. canadensis receptor, called Eca-5-HT1a. Functional heterologous expression studies showed that Eca-5-HT1a is highly specific for serotonin. 5-Methoxytryptamine and α-methylserotonin, both known 5-HT GPCR agonists, give stimulatory responses whereas methysergide, a known 5-HT GPCR ligand, give an antagonist response in Eca-5-HT1a. Mutants obtained by the substitution of key predicted residues resulted in severe impairment of receptor activity, confirming that indeed, these residues have important roles in receptor function. Immunolocalization studies on the protoscolex stage from E. canadensis, showed that Eca-5-HT1a is localized in branched fibers which correspond to the nervous system of the parasite. The patterns of immunoreactive fibers for Eca-5-HT1a and for serotonin were intimately intertwined but not identical, suggesting that they are two separate groups of fibers. These data provide the first functional, pharmacological and localization report of a serotonergic receptor that putatively belongs to the 5-HT1 type of GPCRs in cestodes. The serotonergic GPCR characterized here may represent a new target for antiparasitic intervention.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
To evaluate the possible in vitro interaction between natural extracts of watercress (Nasturtium officinale R. Br.) and 2‐phenylethyl isothiocyanate, a natural compound derived gluconasturtiin ...largely present in watercress tissues, with a standard antibiotic, a synergy study was carried out against 11 isolates of extended‐spectrum β‐lactamases‐Escherichia coli. Aqueous and methanolic watercress extracts and 2‐phenylethyl isothiocyanate were combined with the antibiotic, and a disc diffusion assay and minimum inhibitory concentration methods were used to assess the in vitro antibacterial activity. The results of this study showed that there is an increase in antibacterial activity of the antibiotic when it was combined with plants extracts and pure compounds. The most interesting result was the combination between 2‐phenylethyl isothiocyanate and the antibiotic. Synergistic effects of the antibiotic with watercress extracts and 2‐phenylethyl isothiocyanate suggest the potential of these plants and their natural compounds to improve the performance of the antibiotics and could be an interesting tool for antimicrobial therapy. The results led us to conclude that watercress has important pharmacological substances which can be used for developing new and effective antimicrobial agents.
Significance and Impact of the Study
This in vitro study intends to demonstrate the potential use of watercress extracts and 2‐phenylethyl isothiocyanate as antimicrobial tools against extended‐spectrum β‐lactamases‐Escherichia coli and to determine their ability to act synergistically with commercial standard antibiotics. We intended to increase the knowledge about different clinical and pharmaceutical approaches to fight against E. coli rather than the traditional use of antibiotics. The results may be useful to those involved in the pharmaceutical, biochemical and microbiology industry and/or academic research in terms of developing alternative control measures and efficient intervention methods.
Significance and Impact of the Study: This in vitro study intends to demonstrate the potential use of watercress extracts and 2‐phenylethyl isothiocyanate as antimicrobial tools against extended‐spectrum β‐lactamases‐Escherichia coli and to determine their ability to act synergistically with commercial standard antibiotics. We intended to increase the knowledge about different clinical and pharmaceutical approaches to fight against E. coli rather than the traditional use of antibiotics. The results may be useful to those involved in the pharmaceutical, biochemical and microbiology industry and/or academic research in terms of developing alternative control measures and efficient intervention methods.
•The process of briquetting improved the energy density and physic-mechanical characteristics of raw biomass.•E. urograndis bark biomass residues can be used as a source of raw material to produce ...briquettes.•The E. urograndis bark as a source of bioenergy presents disadvantages in relation to the wood due to the high ash content and low HHV.
The aim of this article is to evaluate the use of eucalyptus bark, in the form of briquettes, as an energy source. Bark of a Eucalyptus grandis x Eucalyptus urophylla (E. urograndis) hybrid was obtained from the processing (debarking) of eucalyptus poles before industrial preservation treatment. For comparison purposes, wood discs were cut from the same poles. Two conditions of granulometry of the bark (crushed and crushed+milled) were separated to verify the effect of the particle size on the quality of briquettes. Biomass of the bark and wood, in its natural form, were evaluated and briquettes were produced for energy and physic-mechanical characterization. The direct application of bark in its natural form, as a source of bioenergy, presents disadvantages when compared to the wood, due to the high ash content and the low heating value. The E. urograndis wood and bark biomass residues can be used as a source of raw material to produce high quality briquettes. It was possible to verify a gain of the energy density through the process of briquetting, when compared to the raw biomass, as well as an improvement on the physic-mechanical characteristics.
Adenosine is a neuromodulator acting through inhibitory A1 receptors (A1Rs) and facilitatory A2ARs, which have similar affinities for adenosine. It has been shown that the activity of intracellular ...adenosine kinase preferentially controls the activation of A1Rs, but the source of the adenosine activating A2ARs is unknown. We now show that ecto-5'-nucleotidase (CD73), the major enzyme able to convert extracellular AMP into adenosine, colocalizes with A2ARs in the basal ganglia. In addition to astrocytes, striatal CD73 is prominently localized to postsynaptic sites. Notably, CD73 coimmunoprecipitated with A2ARs and proximity ligation assays confirmed the close proximity of CD73 and A2ARs in the striatum. Accordingly, the cAMP formation in synaptosomes as well as the hypolocomotion induced by a novel A2AR prodrug that requires CD73 metabolization to activate A2ARs were observed in wild-type mice, but not in CD73 knock-out (KO) mice or A2AR KO mice. Moreover, CD73 KO mice displayed increased working memory performance and a blunted amphetamine-induced sensitization, mimicking the phenotype of global or forebrain-A2AR KO mice, as well as upon pharmacological A2AR blockade. These results show that CD73-mediated formation of extracellular adenosine is responsible for the activation of striatal A2AR function. This study points to CD73 as a new target that can fine-tune A2AR activity, and a novel therapeutic target to manipulate A2AR-mediated control of striatal function and neurodegeneration.
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