This study aimed to investigate the kinetics, isotherms, and thermodynamics of biosorption of the cationic dye rhodamine B by a low-cost biosorbent prepared from
Aspergillus oryzae
cells. Culture ...medium composition (mineral salts, nitrogen source, and carbon source) influenced removal efficiency, and dye removal increased with increasing biosorbent concentrations until a plateau was reached at 10 g L
−1
. Temperature and dye concentration were directly related to removal, and the highest removal efficiency was obtained at 40 °C and 200 mg L
−1
of dye. The adsorption kinetics was best fitted to a pseudo-second-order model, and equilibrium data were well described by the Freundlich equation. Thermodynamic analysis indicated that the biosorption of rhodamine B by
A. oryzae
cells is physical in nature, spontaneous, and more favorable at higher temperatures and dye concentrations. Overall, the results suggest that inactivated
A. oryzae
biomass is a promising biosorbent for the removal of cationic dyes from wastewater.
Clonal outbreaks due to azole-resistant
(ARCP) isolates have been reported in numerous studies, but the environmental niche of such isolates has yet to be defined. Herein, we aimed to identify the ...environmental niche of ARCP isolates causing unremitting clonal outbreaks in an adult ICU from a Brazilian cancer referral center.
sensu stricto isolates recovered from blood cultures, pericatheter skins, healthcare workers (HCW), and nosocomial surfaces were genotyped by multilocus microsatellite typing (MLMT). Antifungal susceptibility testing was performed by the EUCAST (European Committee for Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing) broth microdilution reference method and
was sequenced to determine the azole resistance mechanism. Approximately 68% of isolates were fluconazole-resistant (76/112), including pericatheter skins (3/3, 100%), blood cultures (63/70, 90%), nosocomial surfaces (6/11, 54.5%), and HCW's hands (4/28, 14.2%). MLMT revealed five clusters: the major cluster contained 88.2% of ARCP isolates (67/76) collected from blood (57/70), bed (2/2), pericatheter skin (2/3), from carts (3/7), and HCW's hands (3/27). ARCP isolates were associated with a higher 30 day crude mortality rate (63.8%) than non-ARCP ones (20%,
= 0.008), and resisted two environmental decontamination attempts using quaternary ammonium. This study for the first time identified ARCP isolates harboring the Erg11-Y132F mutation from nosocomial surfaces and HCW's hands, which were genetically identical to ARCP blood isolates. Therefore, it is likely that persisting clonal outbreak due to ARCP isolates was fueled by environmental sources. The resistance of Y132F ARCP isolates to disinfectants, and their potential association with a high mortality rate, warrant vigilant source control using effective environmental decontamination.
Aedes aegypti and A. albopictus mosquitoes are the main vectors for dengue virus (DENV) and other arboviruses, including Zika virus (ZIKV). Understanding the factors that affect transmission of ...arboviruses from mosquitoes to humans is a priority because it could inform public health and targeted interventions. Reasoning that interactions among viruses in the vector insect might affect transmission, we analysed the viromes of 815 urban Aedes mosquitoes collected from 12 countries worldwide. Two mosquito-specific viruses, Phasi Charoen-like virus (PCLV) and Humaita Tubiacanga virus (HTV), were the most abundant in A. aegypti worldwide. Spatiotemporal analyses of virus circulation in an endemic urban area revealed a 200% increase in chances of having DENV in wild A. aegypti mosquitoes when both HTV and PCLV were present. Using a mouse model in the laboratory, we showed that the presence of HTV and PCLV increased the ability of mosquitoes to transmit DENV and ZIKV to a vertebrate host. By transcriptomic analysis, we found that in DENV-infected mosquitoes, HTV and PCLV block the downregulation of histone H4, which we identify as an important proviral host factor in vivo.
COVID-19 is associated with a prothrombotic state leading to adverse clinical outcomes. Whether therapeutic anticoagulation improves outcomes in patients hospitalised with COVID-19 is unknown. We ...aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of therapeutic versus prophylactic anticoagulation in this population.
We did a pragmatic, open-label (with blinded adjudication), multicentre, randomised, controlled trial, at 31 sites in Brazil. Patients (aged ≥18 years) hospitalised with COVID-19 and elevated D-dimer concentration, and who had COVID-19 symptoms for up to 14 days before randomisation, were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive either therapeutic or prophylactic anticoagulation. Therapeutic anticoagulation was in-hospital oral rivaroxaban (20 mg or 15 mg daily) for stable patients, or initial subcutaneous enoxaparin (1 mg/kg twice per day) or intravenous unfractionated heparin (to achieve a 0·3–0·7 IU/mL anti-Xa concentration) for clinically unstable patients, followed by rivaroxaban to day 30. Prophylactic anticoagulation was standard in-hospital enoxaparin or unfractionated heparin. The primary efficacy outcome was a hierarchical analysis of time to death, duration of hospitalisation, or duration of supplemental oxygen to day 30, analysed with the win ratio method (a ratio >1 reflects a better outcome in the therapeutic anticoagulation group) in the intention-to-treat population. The primary safety outcome was major or clinically relevant non-major bleeding through 30 days. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04394377) and is completed.
From June 24, 2020, to Feb 26, 2021, 3331 patients were screened and 615 were randomly allocated (311 50% to the therapeutic anticoagulation group and 304 50% to the prophylactic anticoagulation group). 576 (94%) were clinically stable and 39 (6%) clinically unstable. One patient, in the therapeutic group, was lost to follow-up because of withdrawal of consent and was not included in the primary analysis. The primary efficacy outcome was not different between patients assigned therapeutic or prophylactic anticoagulation, with 28 899 (34·8%) wins in the therapeutic group and 34 288 (41·3%) in the prophylactic group (win ratio 0·86 95% CI 0·59–1·22, p=0·40). Consistent results were seen in clinically stable and clinically unstable patients. The primary safety outcome of major or clinically relevant non-major bleeding occurred in 26 (8%) patients assigned therapeutic anticoagulation and seven (2%) assigned prophylactic anticoagulation (relative risk 3·64 95% CI 1·61–8·27, p=0·0010). Allergic reaction to the study medication occurred in two (1%) patients in the therapeutic anticoagulation group and three (1%) in the prophylactic anticoagulation group.
In patients hospitalised with COVID-19 and elevated D-dimer concentration, in-hospital therapeutic anticoagulation with rivaroxaban or enoxaparin followed by rivaroxaban to day 30 did not improve clinical outcomes and increased bleeding compared with prophylactic anticoagulation. Therefore, use of therapeutic-dose rivaroxaban, and other direct oral anticoagulants, should be avoided in these patients in the absence of an evidence-based indication for oral anticoagulation.
Coalition COVID-19 Brazil, Bayer SA.
Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is an immune system reaction that occurs in patients with a history of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), in which the grafted donor's cells attack those ...of the host. The objective of this systematic review was to present a study on oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSSC) that developed from GVHD areas in patients undergoing HSCT.
An electronic search was conducted in the databases PUBMED, WEB OF SCIENCE, SCOPUS, MEDLINE and SCIENCE DIRECT, according to PRISMA guidelines.
Of the 1582 results, 23 articles were included, resulting in 81 cases. The most common underlying disease for performing the transplant was Myeloid Leukemia (55.6%). The mean age was 39 years, with a predilection for males (64.2%). The tongue was the site of GVHD that most frequently underwent transformation to SCC (59.3%). The average time between transplantation and the development of GVHD was of approximately of 8 months, while the average period of development between transplantation and the development of OSCC was of approximately of 111 months. The most common treatment to GVHD was cyclosporine associated with corticosteroids.
OSCCs arising from areas of GVHD present a different evolution from conventional oral carcinomas, since they affect younger patients, smoking and alcohol are not important etiological factors and finally because they present good prognosis, but further studies with larger number cases followed are needed to confirm our findings.
Objectives
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of ovariohysterectomy (OVH) on feline mammary fibroepithelial hyperplasia (FMFH) treatment, as well as the influence of previous ...injectable progestin on clinical signs and treatment of FMFH.
Methods
Seventy-nine female cats diagnosed with FMFH between 2014 and 2018 were included. The animals were distributed as follows: (1) treated only with OVH (TA) or OVH plus antiprogestin (TB); and (2) no administration (G1) or previous administration (G2) of injectable progestin before FMFH diagnosis. Data regarding clinical signs of FMFH, occurrence of persistent mammary growth after OVH, and time until complete remission of FMFH post-surgery were recorded and evaluated.
Results
Mastectomy was not performed in any cat during the study. TA was adopted in 71/79 (89.9%) cases, with 42/71 (59.2%) from G2 and 29/71 (40.8%) from G1. TB was adopted in 8/79 (10.1%) cats, all from G2. Total remission of FMFH was observed in 73/79 (92.4%) cats, with six animals from G2 having died (n = 6/79 7.6%). The time until complete remission of FMFH was higher (P <0.0001) in cats from G2 than from G1. Moreover, animals from G2 had a higher percentage of persistent mammary growth after OVH (P <0.001) and a tendency to higher mortality (P = 0.052) compared with G1.
Conclusions and relevance
Previous treatment with injectable progestin may result in a more complex clinical presentation of FMFH. Ovariohysterectomy is a good treatment option for FMFH when there is no interest in breeding the queen. Treatment with antiprogestin is recommended, especially if persistent mammary growth is detected after OVH.
Aim
This randomized placebo‐controlled clinical trial evaluated the effect of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis (B. lactis) HN019‐containing probiotic lozenges as adjuvant to scaling and root ...planing (SRP) in patients with generalized chronic periodontitis.
Materials and Methods
Forty‐one chronic periodontitis patients were recruited and monitored clinically, immunologically, and microbiologically at baseline (before SRP) and 30 and 90 days after SRP. All patients were randomly assigned to a Test (SRP + Probiotic, n = 20) or Control (SRP + Placebo, n = 21) group. The probiotic lozenges were used twice a day for 30 days. The data were statistically analysed.
Results
The Test group presented a decrease in probing pocket depth and a clinical attachment gain significantly higher than those of the Control group at 90 days. The Test group also demonstrated significantly fewer periodontal pathogens of red and orange complexes, as well as lower proinflammatory cytokine levels when compared to the Control group. Only the Test group showed an increase in the number of B. lactis HN019 DNA copies on subgingival biofilm at 30 and 90 days.
Conclusion
The use of B. lactis HN019 as an adjunct to SRP promotes additional clinical, microbiological, and immunological benefits in the treatment of chronic periodontitis (NCT03408548).
The objective of this meta-analysis was to develop and evaluate models for predicting nitrogen (N) excretion in feces, urine, and manure in beef cattle in South America. The study incorporated a ...total of 1,116 individual observations of N excretion in feces and 939 individual observations of N excretion in feces and in urine (g/d), representing a diverse range of diets, animal genotypes, and management conditions in South America. The dataset also included data on dry matter intake (
; kg/d) and nitrogen intake (
; g/d), concentrations of dietary components, as well as average daily gain (
; g/d) and average body weight (
; kg). Models were derived using linear mixed-effects regression with a random intercept for the study. Fecal N excretion was positively associated with DMI, NI, nonfibrous carbohydrates, average BW, and ADG and negatively associated with EE and CP concentration in the diet. The univariate model predicting fecal N excretion based on DMI (model 1) performed slightly better than the univariate model, which used NI as a predictor variable (model 2) with a root mean square error (
) of 38.0 vs. 39.2%, the RMSE-observations SD ratio (RSR) of 0.81 vs. 0.84, and concordance correlation coefficient (
) of 0.53 vs. 0.50, respectively. Models predicting urinary N excretion were less accurate than those derived to predict fecal N excretion, with an average RMSE of 43.7% vs. 37.0%, respectively. Urinary and manure N excretion were positively associated with DMI, NI, CP, average BW, and ADG and negatively associated with neutral detergent fiber concentration in the diet. As opposed to fecal N excretion, the univariate model predicting urinary N excretion using NI (model 10) performed slightly better than the univariate model using DMI (model 9) as predictor variable with an RMSE of 36.0% vs. 39.7%, RSR 0.85 vs. 0.93, and CCC of 0.43 vs. 0.29, respectively. The models developed in this study are applicable for predicting N excretion in beef cattle across a broad spectrum of dietary compositions and animal genotypes in South America. The univariate model using DMI as a predictor is recommended for fecal N prediction, while the univariate model using NI is recommended for predicting urinary and manure N excretion because the use of more complex models resulted in little to no benefits. However, it may be more useful to consider more complex models that incorporate nutrient intakes and diet composition for decision-making when N excretion is a factor to be considered. Three extant equations evaluated in this study have the potential to be used in tropical conditions typical of South America to predict fecal N excretion with good precision and accuracy. However, none of the extant equations are recommended for predicting urine or manure N excretion because of their high RMSE, and low precision and accuracy.
Cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in Manaus, Brazil, resurged in late 2020 despite previously high levels of infection. Genome sequencing of viruses ...sampled in Manaus between November 2020 and January 2021 revealed the emergence and circulation of a novel SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern. Lineage P.1 acquired 17 mutations, including a trio in the spike protein (K417T, E484K, and N501Y) associated with increased binding to the human ACE2 (angiotensin-converting enzyme 2) receptor. Molecular clock analysis shows that P.1 emergence occurred around mid-November 2020 and was preceded by a period of faster molecular evolution. Using a two-category dynamical model that integrates genomic and mortality data, we estimate that P.1 may be 1.7- to 2.4-fold more transmissible and that previous (non-P.1) infection provides 54 to 79% of the protection against infection with P.1 that it provides against non-P.1 lineages. Enhanced global genomic surveillance of variants of concern, which may exhibit increased transmissibility and/or immune evasion, is critical to accelerate pandemic responsiveness.
Yellow fever (YF) vaccine can cause neurologic complications. We examined YF vaccine–associated neurologic disease reported from 3 tertiary referral centers in São Paulo, Brazil, during 2017–2018 and ...compared the performance of criteria established by the Yellow Fever Vaccine Working Group/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Brighton Collaboration. Among 50 patients who met inclusion criteria, 32 had meningoencephalitis (14 with reactive YF IgM in cerebrospinal fluid), 2 died, and 1 may have transmitted infection to an infant through breast milk. Of 7 cases of autoimmune neurologic disease after YF vaccination, 2 were acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, 2 myelitis, and 3 Guillain-Barré syndrome. Neurologic disease can follow fractional vaccine doses, and novel potential vaccine-associated syndromes include autoimmune encephalitis, opsoclonus-myoclonus-ataxia syndrome, optic neuritis, and ataxia. Although the Brighton Collaboration criteria lack direct vaccine causal assessment, they are more inclusive than the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria.