Sporotrichosis in immunocompromised patients has a high morbidity and may cause deaths. Particularly, patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) with low T CD4 counts develop a chronic ...disease, with severe and widespread forms. Recently, the ability of
Sporothrix brasiliensis
, the main agent of zoonotic sporotrichosis, to increase its virulence in a diabetic patient without HIV infection was described. Since it was a unique finding, it is not known how often this occurs in patients with chronic and refractory sporotrichosis. The aim of this study is to compare sequential
Sporothrix
isolates obtained from patients with sporotrichosis and AIDS in order to detect changes in virulence-related phenotypes and acquisition of antifungal resistance during the evolution of the disease. Fungal growth in different substrates, antifungal susceptibility, thermotolerance, resistance to oxidative stress, and production of hydrolytic enzymes were evaluated. Correlations were assessed between clinical and phenotypic variables. Sixteen isolates, all identified as
S. brasiliensis
, obtained from five patients were studied. They grew well on glucose and N-acetyl-D-glucosamine, but poorly on lactate. Except from isolates collected from two patients, which were non-wild type for terbinafine, they were considered wild type for the antifungal drugs tested. Thermotolerance of the isolates was moderate to high. Except for phytase and phospholipase, isolates were able to produce virulence-related enzymes on different levels. Changes in all studied phenotypes were observed during the course of the disease in some patients. The results show that the HIV-driven immunosuppression is more relevant than fungal phenotypes on the unfavorable outcomes of disseminated sporotrichosis.
The identification of spatial and temporal rainfall climatology patterns is crucial for hydrometeorological studies over semiarid watersheds, which frequently face water distribution conflicts and ...socioeconomic issues due to water scarcity. Thus, the objective of this study was to propose a comprehensive approach for the characterization of rainfall climatology over semiarid watersheds. Monthly rainfall time series (1962–2015) with up to 30% of gaps measured in 56 rain gauges in the Piranhas-Açu Watershed—Brazilian semiarid region—were used. Data gaps were filled through a combination of simple spatial interpolation techniques. Principal component analysis and cluster analysis identified two homogeneous rainfall subregions in the basin: C1, in the upper portion, and C2, in the middle and lower portions. Rainfall volumes in C2 were up to 23.5% smaller than those in C1, due to orographic structures which contribute to aridity in this region. Rainfall anomalies were calculated in each cluster through the modified Rainfall Anomaly Index (mRAI) and were associated with the phases of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the Atlantic Meridional Mode (AMM). In years when the ENSO (AMM) was in its positive (negative) phase, there was a higher probability of occurrence of months with above-average rainfall, while the opposite was also true. Results showed that the effects of the patterns are mutually influenced, which has been previously found at larger scales. Finally, mRAI trends were identified through the Mann-Kendall test, which indicated significant negative trends in C1 and C2, especially during the wet season.
Glucuronoxylomannan (GXM) participates in several immunoregulatory mechanisms, which makes it an important
Cryptococcus
virulence factor that is essential for the disease
. Trichosporon asahii
and
...Trichosporon mucoides
share with
Cryptococcu
s species the ability to produce GXM. To check whether other opportunistic species in the Trichosporonaceae family produce GXM-like polysaccharides, extracts from 28 strains were produced from solid cultures and their carbohydrate content evaluated by the sulfuric acid / phenol method. Moreover, extracts were assessed for cryptococcal GXM cross-reactivity through latex agglutination and lateral flow assay methods.
Cryptococcus neoformans
and
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
were used as positive and negative controls, respectively. In addition to
T. asahii
, the species
Trichosporon inkin
,
Apiotrichum montevideense
,
Trichosporon japonicum
,
Trichosporon faecale
,
Trichosporon ovoides
,
Cutaneotrichosporon debeurmannianum
, and
Cutaneotrichosporon arboriformis
are also producers of a polysaccharide immunologically similar to the GXM produced by human pathogenic
Cryptococcus
species. The carbohydrate concentration of the extracts presented a positive correlation with the GXM contents determined by titration of both methodologies. These results add several species to the list of fungal pathogens that produce glycans of the GXM type and bring information about the origin of potential false-positive results on immunological tests for diagnosis of cryptococcosis based on GXM detection.
Seaweeds are considered healthy and sustainable food. Although their consumption is modest in Western countries, the demand for seaweed in food markets is increasing in Europe. Each seaweed species ...has unique nutritional and functional features. The preparation of blends, obtained by mixing several seaweeds species, allows the obtaining of maximum benefits and ingredients with single characteristics. In this work, five seaweed blends, commercially available and produced under organic conditions in Europe, were characterized. The proximal composition included contents of ash (20.28-28.68% DW), proteins (17.79-26.61% DW), lipids (0.55-1.50% DW), and total carbohydrates (39.47-47.37% DW). Fatty acid profiles were determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), allowing quantification of healthy fatty acids, namely
-3 and
-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), and calculation of lipid quality indices. Each blend showed a characteristic PUFA content in the lipid pool (35.77-49.43% of total fatty acids) and the content in essential and healthy
-3 PUFA is highlighted. The atherogenicity (0.54-0.72) and thrombogenicity (0.23-0.45) indices evidenced a good nutritional value of lipid fractions. As nutritional and environmentally attractive products, the consumption of the studied seaweed blends can contribute to a healthy lifestyle.
Objective
Due to the increasing prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), more practical diagnostic methods than polysomnography (PSG) have become necessary. This research aims to analyze the ...performance of nocturnal oximetry (NO) in the diagnosis of OSA.
Methods
In this cross-sectional study, we analyzed 41 variables provided by the oximetry of all PSG performed by the LabSono of University Hospital Gaffrée and Guinle, a total of 83 exams. We evaluated the correlation coefficients (Spearman) between these data and the Apnea/Hypopnea Index (AHI) and then calculated the diagnostics performances, by the area under the curve (ROC) (AUC), of the best correlated variables and their respective cutoffs, in the identification of an AHI ≥ 15/h.
Results
Virtually all oximetric data showed good correlations with AHI, except for some temporal data. We chose 5 of them and calculated their diagnostic performances. T < 90% shows AUC of 0.904 (0.835–0.972) and, at cutoff > 19 min, a sensitivity (Sens.) of 75.68% and specificity (Spec.) of 95.65%. DO3/10Total, AUC 0.936 (0.888–0.989), and at the cutoff > 51 has Sens. 97.3% and Spec. 76.09%. ODI3/10/h has AUC 0.932 (0.884–0.988), at the cutoff > 7/h, Sens. 97.3% and Spec. 78.26%. DO4/5Total AUC 0.932 (0.882–0.981), at the cutoff > 64 has Sens. 86.49% and Spec. 82.61% and ODI4/5/h has AUC 0.930 (0.880–0.981), the cutoff > 5.69/h Sens. 97.3% and Spec. 73.91%.
Conclusions
Our study concludes that NO is accurate in identifying AHI > 15/h, and provides reliable information on PSG replacement, which could make the diagnosis of OSA cheaper and more comfortable.
Ethyl alcohol 70% (w/w) is a broad-spectrum bactericidal agent that is mandatorily marketed as a gel in Brazil since 2002. However, there is no method described for the microbiological quality ...control of surface disinfectants in the form of gel, which makes it impossible to monitor the effectiveness of these products by the Health Surveillance. Thus, the present study aimed to adapt an analytical method and validate it so that it is possible to evaluate the bactericidal activity of ethyl alcohol-based disinfectants at 70% (w/w) in gel form. The proposed analytical method is an adaptation of a method developed by the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC), which is currently used to evaluate the bacterial activity of disinfectants in the form of spray and aerosol. The method consisted of challenging the disinfectant by putting it in contact with 60 carriers - previously contaminated with the test microorganism - during the contact time established by the manufacturer. The bacteria used in this work were Staphylococcus aureus CBRVS 00039 ATCC 6538, Salmonella enterica CBRVS 00028 ATCC 10708, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa CBRVS 00025 ATCC 15442. The parameters chosen for the validation of the method were: matrix effect, robustness, and repeatability. The experiments performed with a disinfectant matrix showed that there is no interference of the gel on the effectiveness of alcohol. Satisfactory results regarding the evaluation of bactericidal activity were obtained for the three microorganisms tested when the volume of 100 μL of disinfectant was applied. The method also showed good repeatability, as it proved to be robust with modification of incubation times, equipment and analysts. The development and validation of this method were extremely important for the quality monitoring of these products, besides being the first method described for the evaluation of gel disinfectants.
•An AOAC method (961.02) was adapted and validated for use in products in gel form.•The product volume is an important factor when evaluating the antimicrobial activity.•The method showed a good performance for the evaluated parameters.•This technique can be used for other active substances in gel form after validation.
Macro- and microalgae are currently recognized sources of lipids with great nutritional quality and attractive bioactivities for human health promotion and disease prevention. Due to the lipidomic ...diversity observed among algae species, giving rise to different nutritional and functional characteristics, the mixture of macro- and microalgae has the potential to present important synergistic effects resulting from the complementarity among algae. The aim of this work was to characterize for the first time the lipidome of a blend of macro- and microalgae and evaluate the antioxidant capacity of its lipid fraction. Fatty acids were profiled by GC-MS, the polar lipidome was identified by high resolution LC-MS, and ABTS
and DPPH
assays were used to assess the antioxidant potential. The most abundant fatty acids were oleic (18:1
-9), α-linolenic (18:3
-3), and linoleic (18:2
-6) acids. The lipid extract presented a beneficial
-6/
-3 ratio (0.98) and low values of atherogenic (0.41) and thrombogenic indices (0.27). The polar lipidome revealed 462 lipid species distributed by glycolipids, phospholipids, and betaine lipids, including some species bearing PUFA and a few with reported bioactivities. The lipid extract also showed antioxidant activity. Overall, the results are promising for the valorization of this blend for food, nutraceutical, and biotechnological applications.
Knowledge regarding genome size allows us to infer relationships between taxa, address questions related to systematics and contribute to biodiversity studies. However, currently, less than 3% of the ...described Pteridophyta species have genome size estimates reported in databases, and only around one third of these are tropical species, although the tropics are home of 86% of fern diversity. The region of Timor-Leste, included in one of the 25 hotspots of biodiversity, is considered one of the richest areas of the world in terms of pteridophyte species. Nonetheless, biodiversity-driven research focused on this territory’s biodiversity is scarce. This study presents novel 2C-values for 15 species of ferns collected in Timor-Leste, using flow cytometry. Furthermore, one species of the lycophyte Palhinhaea cernua (L.) Vasc. & Franco, was also studied and its estimated genome size compared to a previous report. Estimates ranged from 10.45 pg in Selliguea feei Bory to 29.7 pg in Microsorum punctatum (L.) Copel, and are considered medium-size genomes. The data was compared with previous reports for closely related species. These are the first 2C-values for two families and seven genera of ferns, increasing the number of pteridophytes with reported C-values from 292 to 307.
Slavery Studies are one of the most consolidated fields in Brazilian historiography with various discussions on issues like slave agency, slavery and law, slavery and capitalism, slave families, ...demography of slavery, transatlantic slave trade, abolition etc. Taking into consideration these new trends of Brazilian slavery studies, this volume of collected articles allows leading scholars to present their research to a broader academic community.
Lyotropic colloidal aqueous suspensions of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) can, after solvent evaporation, retain their chiral nematic arrangement. As water is removed the pitch value of the suspension ...decreases and structural colour-generating films, which are mechanically brittle in nature, can be obtained. Increasing their flexibility while keeping the chiral nematic structure and biocompatible nature is a challenging task. However, if achievable, this will promote their use in new and interesting applications. In this study, we report on the addition of different amounts of hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) to CNCs suspension within the coexistence of the isotropic-anisotropic phases and infer the influence of this cellulosic derivative on the properties of the obtained solid films. It was possible to add 50 wt.% of HPC to a CNCs aqueous suspension (to obtain a 50/50 solids ratio) without disrupting the LC phase of CNCs and maintaining a left-handed helical structure in the obtained films. When 30 wt.% of HPC was added to the suspension of CNCs, a strong colouration in the film was still observed. This colour shifts to the near-infrared region as the HPC content in the colloidal suspension increases to 40 wt.% or 50 wt.% The all-cellulosic composite films present an increase in the maximum strain as the concentration of HPC increases, as shown by the bending experiments and an improvement in their thermal properties.
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