Genetic variants in DBC1, SIRT1, UCP2 and ADRB2 as potential biomarkers for severe obesity and metabolic complications.

Introduction: Obesity is a multifactorial disease associated with the development of many comorbidities. This disease is associated with several metabolic alterations; however, it has been shown that some individuals with obesity do not exhibit metabolic syndrome. Adipose tissue neutralizes the detrimental effects of circulating fatty acids, ectopic deposition, and inflammation, among others, through its esterification into neutral lipids that are stored in the adipocyte. However, when the adipocyte is overloaded, i.e., its expansion capacity is exceeded, this protection is lost, resulting in fatty acid toxicity with ectopic fat accumulation in peripheral tissues and inflammation. In this line, this study aimed to investigate whether polymorphisms in genes that control adipose tissue fat storage capacity are potential biomarkers for severe obesity susceptibility and also metabolic complications. Methods: This study enrolled 305 individuals with severe obesity (cases, BMI≥35 kg/m2) and 196 individuals with normal weight (controls, 18.5≤BMI≤24.9 kg/m2). Demographic, anthropometric, biochemical, and blood pressure variables were collected from the participants. Plasma levels of leptin, resistin, MCP1, and PAI1 were measured by Bio-Plex 200 Multiplexing Analyzer System. Genomic DNA was extracted and variants in DBC1 (rs17060940), SIRT1 (rs7895833 and rs1467568), UCP2 (rs660339), PPARG (rs1801282) and ADRB2 (rs1042713 and rs1042714) genes were genotyped by PCR allelic discrimination using TaqMan® assays. Results: Our findings indicated that SIRT1 rs7895833 polymorphism was a risk factor for severe obesity development in the overdominant model. SIRT1 rs1467568 and UCP2 rs660339 were associated with anthropometric traits. SIRT1 rs1467568 G allele was related to lower medians of body adipose index and hip circumference, while the UCP2 rs660339 AA genotype was associate with increased body mass index. Additionally, DBC1 rs17060940 influenced glycated hemoglobin. Regarding metabolic alterations, 27% of individuals with obesity presented balanced metabolic status in our cohort. Furthermore, SIRT1 rs1467568 AG genotype increased 2.5 times the risk of developing metabolic alterations. No statistically significant results were observed with Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Gama and ADRB2 polymorphisms. Discussion/Conclusion: This study revealed that SIRT1 rs7895833 and rs1467568 are potential biomarkers for severe obesity susceptibility and the development of unbalanced metabolic status in obesity, respectively. UCP2 rs660339 and DBC1 rs17060940 also showed a significant role in obesity related-traits.

Classical and Nonclassical Nucleation Mechanisms of Insulin Crystals.

Although the Classical Nucleation Theory (CNT) is the most consensual theory to explain protein nucleation mechanisms, experimental observations during the shear-induced assays suggest that the CNT does not always describe the insulin nucleation process. This is the case at intermediate precipitant (ZnCl2) solution concentrations (2.3 mM) and high-temperature values (20 and 40 °C) as well as at low precipitant solution concentrations (1.6 mM) and low-temperature values (5 °C). In this work, crystallization events following the CNT registered at high precipitant solution concentrations (3.1 and 4.7 mM) are typically described by a Newtonian response. On the other hand, crystallization events following a nonclassical nucleation pathway seem to involve the formation of a metastable intermediate state before crystal formation and are described by a transition from Newtonian to shear-thinning responses. A dominant shear-thinning behavior (shear viscosity values ranging more than 6 orders of magnitude) is found during aggregation/agglomeration events. The rheological analysis is complemented with different characterization techniques (Dynamic Light Scattering, Energy-Dispersive Spectroscopy, Circular Dichroism, and Differential Scanning Calorimetry) to understand the insulin behavior in solution, especially during the occurrence of aggregation/agglomeration events. To the best of our knowledge, the current work is the first study describing nonclassical nucleation mechanisms during shear-induced crystallization experiments, which reveals the potential of the interdisciplinary approach herein described and opens a window for a clear understanding of protein nucleation mechanisms.

Depth Control of an Underwater Sensor Platform: Comparison between Variable Buoyancy and Propeller Actuated Devices.

Underwater long-endurance platforms are crucial for continuous oceanic observation, allowing for sustained data collection from a multitude of sensors deployed across diverse underwater environments. They extend mission durations, reduce maintenance needs, and significantly improve the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of oceanographic research endeavors. This paper investigates the closed-loop depth control of actuation systems employed in underwater vehicles, focusing on the energy consumption of two different mechanisms: variable buoyancy and propeller actuated devices. Using a prototype previously developed by the authors, this paper presents a detailed model of the vehicle using both actuation solutions. The proposed model, although being a linear-based one, accounts for several nonlinearities that are present such as saturations, sensor quantization, and the actuator brake model. Also, it allows a simple estimation of the energy consumption of both actuation solutions. Based on the developed models, this study then explores the intricate interplay between energy consumption and control accuracy. To this end, several PID-based controllers are developed and tested in simulation. These controllers are used to evaluate the dynamic response and power requirements of variable buoyancy systems and propeller actuated devices under various operational conditions. Our findings contribute to the optimization of closed-loop depth control strategies, offering insights into the trade-offs between energy efficiency and system effectiveness in diverse underwater applications.

Systemic benefits of periodontal therapy in patients with obesity and periodontitis: a systematic review.

This systematic review aimed to answer the focused question: "What are the benefits of subgingival periodontal therapy on blood hematological and biochemical index, biomarkers of inflammation and oxidative stress, quality of life, and periodontal pathogen counts in patients with obesity and periodontitis?". A systematic literature search was performed in six databases: PubMed, Embase, LILACS, Web of Science, Cochrane and SCOPUS and other sources, and a manual search was conducted as well. Inclusion criteria were randomized and non-randomized clinical trials, and before-and-after studies on patients with obesity subjected to periodontal therapy. The results were synthesized qualitatively. Risk of bias within studies was assessed using RoB 2 and ROBINS-I tools. The certainty of evidence was evaluated following the GRADE approach. Three randomized controlled trials and 15 before-and-after studies were included. Randomized controlled trials were considered to have a low risk of bias, as compared to before-and-after studies assessed as having low, serious, and critical risks of bias. Non-surgical periodontal therapy plus azithromycin, chlorhexidine, and cetylpyridinium chloride reduced blood pressure and decreased serum levels of HbA1c, hsCRP, IL-1ß, and TNF-α. Salivary resistin level also decreased in patients with obesity and periodontitis after therapy and chlorhexidine mouth rinse. Before-and-after data suggest an improvement in total cholesterol, LDL, triglycerides, insulin resistance, C3, GCF levels of TNF-α, chemerin, vaspin, omentin-1, visfatin, 8-OHdG, and periodontal pathogen counts after therapy.

Dietary plant microRNAs as potential regulators of cellular cholesterol efflux.

AIM: Epidemiological evidence suggests adherence to vegetable-rich diets is associated to atheroprotective effects and bioactive components are most likely to play a relevant role. The notion of inter-kingdom regulation has opened a new research paradigm and perhaps microRNAs (miRNAs) from edible vegetables could influence consumer gene expression and lead to biological effects. We aimed to investigate the potential impact of broccoli-derived miRNAs on cellular cholesterol efflux in vitro. METHODS: Four miRNAs (miR159a, miR159b, miR166a and miR403) from Brassica oleracea var. italica (broccoli), a widely consumed cruciferous vegetable, were selected for further investigation, based on their high abundancy in this vegetable and their presence in other plants. Selected miRNAs were synthesized with a 3'-terminal 2'-O-methylation and their cellular toxicity, in vitro gastrointestinal resistance and cellular uptake were evaluated. Potential target genes within the mammalian transcriptome were assessed in silico following pathway analysis. In vitro cholesterol efflux was assessed in human THP-1-derived macrophages. RESULTS: miRNAs survival to in vitro GI digestion was around 1%, although some variation was seen between the four candidates. Cellular uptake by mammalian cells was confirmed, and an increase in cholesterol efflux was observed. Pathway analysis suggested these miRNAs are involved in biological processes related to phosphorylation, phosphatidylinositol and Wnt signaling, and to the insulin/IGF pathway. CONCLUSIONS: Health-promoting properties attributed to cruciferous vegetables, might be mediated (at least in part) through miRNA-related mechanisms.

Meta-analysis of 46,000 germline de novo mutations linked to human inherited disease.

BACKGROUND: De novo mutations (DNMs) are variants that occur anew in the offspring of noncarrier parents. They are not inherited from either parent but rather result from endogenous mutational processes involving errors of DNA repair/replication. These spontaneous errors play a significant role in the causation of genetic disorders, and their importance in the context of molecular diagnostic medicine has become steadily more apparent as more DNMs have been reported in the literature. In this study, we examined 46,489 disease-associated DNMs annotated by the Human Gene Mutation Database (HGMD) to ascertain their distribution across gene and disease categories. RESULTS: Most disease-associated DNMs reported to date are found to be associated with developmental and psychiatric disorders, a reflection of the focus of sequencing efforts over the last decade. Of the 13,277 human genes in which DNMs have so far been found, the top-10 genes with the highest proportions of DNM relative to gene size were H3-3 A, DDX3X, CSNK2B, PURA, ZC4H2, STXBP1, SCN1A, SATB2, H3-3B and TUBA1A. The distribution of CADD and REVEL scores for both disease-associated DNMs and those mutations not reported to be de novo revealed a trend towards higher deleteriousness for DNMs, consistent with the likely lower selection pressure impacting them. This contrasts with the non-DNMs, which are presumed to have been subject to continuous negative selection over multiple generations. CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis provides important information on the occurrence and distribution of disease-associated DNMs in association with heritable disease and should make a significant contribution to our understanding of this major type of mutation.

Effectiveness, Tolerability, and Safety of Different Amphotericin B Formulations in Invasive Fungal Infections: A Multicenter, Retrospective, Observational Study.

PURPOSE: Data on the real-life use of amphotericin B lipid complex (ABLC) compared with other available formulations are limited. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness, tolerability, and safety of different amphotericin B (AMB) intravenously administered in the context of hospital practice for the treatment of invasive fungal infections (IFI) and to provide new insights into the profile of ABLC. METHODS: This is a multicenter, retrospective, observational study conducted at 10 tertiary Brazilian hospitals. Patients first exposed to any formulation of AMB for treating endemic and opportunistic IFI who had received at least 2 intravenous doses were screened. Retrospective data (from January 2014 to December 2019) were extracted from the patients' medical records. Clinical parameters were examined pre- and post-treatment to determine effectiveness; acute infusion-related side effects (IRSE) and drug interruption to determine tolerability; and adverse events, toxicity, and treatment interruption were stated to analyze safety. FINDINGS: Overall, 1879 medical records of patients were identified. The median (interquartile rate) duration of treatment was 14 (7-21) days. The overall success rate (95% confidence interval [CI]) was 65% (95% CI 60-65). ABLC proved to be effective among AMB formulations with 59% (95% CI 55.6-62.5) within complete response. This was significantly higher in patients who received the drug for a longer period, ≥4 weeks compared to <1 week treatment (P < 0.001). IRSE was observed in 446 (23.7%) patients. Eight cases (1.4%) of severe IRSE in pediatrics and 14 (1.1%) in adults resulted in treatment discontinuation. Regarding safety, 637 (33.9%) patients presented some alteration in creatinine levels during AMB exposure, and 89 (4.74%) had to interrupt or discontinue the drug within the first 14 days of therapy because of renal dysfunction. Overall mortality was 34%. IMPLICATIONS: ABLC is an effective formulation for the treatment of invasive fungal infections, with few adverse events leading to drug discontinuation or lethal outcomes. Furthermore, this real-life study confirmed the comparative safety of AMB lipid formulations versus AMB deoxycholate.

Validation of the Short Version (TLS-15) of the Triangular Love Scale (TLS-45) across 37 Languages.

Love is a phenomenon that occurs across the world and affects many aspects of human life, including the choice of, and process of bonding with, a romantic partner. Thus, developing a reliable and valid measure of love experiences is crucial. One of the most popular tools to quantify love is Sternberg's 45-item Triangular Love Scale (TLS-45), which measures three love components: intimacy, passion, and commitment. However, our literature review reveals that most studies (64%) use a broad variety of shortened versions of the TLS-45. Here, aiming to achieve scientific consensus and improve the reliability, comparability, and generalizability of results across studies, we developed a short version of the scale-the TLS-15-comprised of 15 items with 5-point, rather than 9-point, response scales. In Study 1 (N = 7,332), we re-analyzed secondary data from a large-scale multinational study that validated the original TLS-45 to establish whether the scale could be truncated. In Study 2 (N = 307), we provided evidence for the three-factor structure of the TLS-15 and its reliability. Study 3 (N = 413) confirmed convergent validity and test-retest stability of the TLS-15. Study 4 (N = 60,311) presented a large-scale validation across 37 linguistic versions of the TLS-15 on a cross-cultural sample spanning every continent of the globe. The overall results provide support for the reliability, validity, and cross-cultural invariance of the TLS-15, which can be used as a measure of love components-either separately or jointly as a three-factor measure.

Hydroxytyrosol Induces Dyslipidemia in an ApoB100 Humanized Mouse Model.

SCOPE: Extra virgin olive oil has numerous cardiopreventive effects, largely due to its high content of (poly)phenols such as hydroxytyrosol (HT). However, some animal studies suggest that its excessive consumption may alter systemic lipoprotein metabolism. Because human lipoprotein metabolism differs from that of rodents, this study examines the effects of HT in a humanized mouse model that approximates human lipoprotein metabolism. METHODS AND RESULTS: Mice are treated as follows: control diet or diet enriched with HT. Serum lipids and lipoproteins are determined after 4 and 8 weeks. We also analyzed the regulation of various genes and miRNA by HT, using microarrays and bioinformatic analysis. An increase in body weight is found after supplementation with HT, although food intake was similar in both groups. In addition, HT induced the accumulation of triacylglycerols but not cholesterol in different tissues. Systemic dyslipidemia after HT supplementation and impaired glucose metabolism are observed. Finally, HT modulates the expression of genes related to lipid metabolism, such as Pltp or Lpl. CONCLUSION: HT supplementation induces systemic dyslipidemia and impaired glucose metabolism in humanized mice. Although the numerous health-promoting effects of HT far outweigh these potential adverse effects, further carefully conducted studies are needed.

Exploring Attitudes Toward "Sugar Relationships" Across 87 Countries: A Global Perspective on Exchanges of Resources for Sex and Companionship.

The current study investigates attitudes toward one form of sex for resources: the so-called sugar relationships, which often involve exchanges of resources for sex and/or companionship. The present study examined associations among attitudes toward sugar relationships and relevant variables (e.g., sex, sociosexuality, gender inequality, parasitic exposure) in 69,924 participants across 87 countries. Two self-report measures of Acceptance of Sugar Relationships (ASR) developed for younger companion providers (ASR-YWMS) and older resource providers (ASR-OMWS) were translated into 37 languages. We tested cross-sex and cross-linguistic construct equivalence, cross-cultural invariance in sex differences, and the importance of the hypothetical predictors of ASR. Both measures showed adequate psychometric properties in all languages (except the Persian version of ASR-YWMS). Results partially supported our hypotheses and were consistent with previous theoretical considerations and empirical evidence on human mating. For example, at the individual level, sociosexual orientation, traditional gender roles, and pathogen prevalence were significant predictors of both ASR-YWMS and ASR-OMWS. At the country level, gender inequality and parasite stress positively predicted the ASR-YWMS. However, being a woman negatively predicted the ASR-OMWS, but positively predicted the ASR-YWMS. At country-level, ingroup favoritism and parasite stress positively predicted the ASR-OMWS. Furthermore, significant cross-subregional differences were found in the openness to sugar relationships (both ASR-YWMS and ASR-OMWS scores) across subregions. Finally, significant differences were found between ASR-YWMS and ASR-OMWS when compared in each subregion. The ASR-YWMS was significantly higher than the ASR-OMWS in all subregions, except for Northern Africa and Western Asia.

Systemic benefits of periodontal therapy in patients with obesity and periodontitis: a systematic review

Abstract This systematic review aimed to answer the focused question: "What are the benefits of subgingival periodontal therapy on blood hematological and biochemical index, biomarkers of inflammation and oxidative stress, quality of life, and periodontal pathogen counts in patients with obesity and periodontitis?". A systematic literature search was performed in six databases: PubMed, Embase, LILACS, Web of Science, Cochrane and SCOPUS and other sources, and a manual search was conducted as well. Inclusion criteria were randomized and non-randomized clinical trials, and before-and-after studies on patients with obesity subjected to periodontal therapy. The results were synthesized qualitatively. Risk of bias within studies was assessed using RoB 2 and ROBINS-I tools. The certainty of evidence was evaluated following the GRADE approach. Three randomized controlled trials and 15 before-and-after studies were included. Randomized controlled trials were considered to have a low risk of bias, as compared to before-and-after studies assessed as having low, serious, and critical risks of bias. Non-surgical periodontal therapy plus azithromycin, chlorhexidine, and cetylpyridinium chloride reduced blood pressure and decreased serum levels of HbA1c, hsCRP, IL-1β, and TNF-α. Salivary resistin level also decreased in patients with obesity and periodontitis after therapy and chlorhexidine mouth rinse. Before-and-after data suggest an improvement in total cholesterol, LDL, triglycerides, insulin resistance, C3, GCF levels of TNF-α, chemerin, vaspin, omentin-1, visfatin, 8-OHdG, and periodontal pathogen counts after therapy.

Effects of a Gamified Agent-Based System for Personalized Elderly Care: Pilot Usability Study.

BACKGROUND: The global percentage of older people has increased significantly over the last decades. Information and communication technologies have become essential to develop and motivate them to pursue healthier ways of living. This paper examines a personalized coaching health care service designed to maintain living conditions and active aging among older people. Among the technologies the service includes, we highlight the use of both gamification and cognitive assistant technologies designed to support older people and an application combining a cognitive virtual assistant to directly interact with the older person and provide feedback on their current health condition and several gamification techniques to motivate the older person to stay engaged with the application and pursuit of healthier daily habits. OBJECTIVE: This pilot study aimed to investigate the feasibility and usability of a gamified agent-based system for older people and obtain preliminary results on the effectiveness of the intervention regarding physical activity health outcomes. METHODS: The study was designed as an intervention study comparing pre- and posttest results. The proposed gamified agent-based system was used by 12 participants over 7 days (1 week), and step count data were collected with access to the Google Fit application programming interface. Step count data after the intervention were compared with average step count data before the intervention (average daily values over a period of 4 weeks before the intervention). A　1-tailed Student t test was used to determine the relationship between the dependent and independent variables. Usability was measured using the System Usability Scale questionnaire, which was answered by 8 of the 12 participants in the study. RESULTS: The posttest results showed significant pre- to posttest changes (P=.30; 1-tailed Student t test) with a moderate effect size (Cohen d=0.65). The application obtained an average usability score of 78. CONCLUSIONS: The presented pilot was validated, showing the positive health effects of using gamification techniques and a virtual cognitive assistant. Additionally, usability metrics considered for this study confirmed high adherence and interest from most participants in the pilot.

Therapeutic potential of plant-derived extracellular vesicles as nanocarriers for exogenous miRNAs.

Cell-to-cell communication strategies include extracellular vesicles (EVs) in plants and animals. The bioactive molecules in a diet rich in vegetables and fruits are associated with disease-preventive effects. Plant-derived EVs (PDEVs) are biogenetically and morphologically comparable to mammalian EVs and transport bioactive molecules, including miRNAs. However, the biological functions of PDEVs are not fully understood, and standard isolation protocols are lacking. Here, PDEVs were isolated from four foods with a combination of ultracentrifugation and size exclusion chromatography, and evaluated as vehicles for enhanced transport of synthetic miRNAs. In addition, the role of food-derived EVs as carriers of dietary (poly)phenols and other secondary metabolites was investigated. EVs from broccoli, pomegranate, apple, and orange were efficiently isolated and characterized. In all four sources, 4 miRNA families were present in tissues and EVs. miRNAs present in broccoli and fruit-derived EVs showed a reduced RNase degradation and were ferried inside exposed cells. EVs transfected with a combination of ath-miR159a, ath-miR162a-3p, ath-miR166b-3p, and ath-miR396b-5p showed toxic effects on human cells, as did natural broccoli EVs alone. PDEVs transport trace amounts of phytochemicals, including flavonoids, anthocyanidins, phenolic acids, or glucosinolates. Thus, PDEVs can act as nanocarriers for functional miRNAs that could be used in RNA-based therapy.

Impact of Bariatric Surgery on Thyroid Morphology and Thyroid Function.

INTRODUCTION: Few studies have evaluated the impact of bariatric surgery (BS) on thyroid function and morphology, and how it correlates to inflammatory and metabolic markers. We aimed to evaluate all those parameters together. METHODS: A longitudinal study included 70 patients with severe obesity. The bariatric group (BG) enrolled 40 patients who underwent BS, and the control group (CG) enrolled 30 patients who did not undergo BS. Both were submitted (pre- and 2nd-year) to thyroid ultrasound and laboratory analyses to determine the levels of thyroid hormones, inflammatory, and metabolic markers. RESULTS: Thyroid volume (TV) decreased after BS (-1.5 cm3), differing significantly from the CG (+0.6 cm3; p = 0.003). ΔTV was independently and positively correlated with ΔHOMA-IR (0.41 (0.11/7.16) p = 0.007) and ΔIL6 (0.02 (0.01/0.3) p = 0.016). A nonsignificant correlation between ΔTV and ΔBMI was detected (0.38 (-0.01/0.09) p = 0.152). We also observed a negative correlation between ΔTV and ΔTSH (-2.03 (-2.87/-1.19) p = 0.000) and ΔT3/T4 ratio (-0.06 (-0.09/-0.02) p = 0.001). TSH had a nonsignificant reduction with BS (-0.3872 vs. -0.2483 p = 0.128). The conversion of T4 to T3 had a significant increase after BS, as demonstrated by the T3/T4 ratio (+5.16 p = 0.01). Despite an increase in the prevalence of thyroid nodules in the BG, it was not statistically significant (p = 0.340). CONCLUSION: BS was associated with a reduction in TV and a nonstatistically significant reduction in TSH. The variations in TV were related to the metabolic markers and inflammatory changes. An increase in the conversion of T4 to T3 with BS was detected, possibly related to inflammatory improvement.

Group recommender systems for tourism: how does personality predict preferences for attractions, travel motivations, preferences and concerns?

To travel in leisure is an emotional experience, and therefore, the more the information about the tourist is known, the more the personalized recommendations of places and attractions can be made. But if to provide recommendations to a tourist is complex, to provide them to a group is even more. The emergence of personality computing and personality-aware recommender systems (RS) brought a new solution for the cold-start problem inherent to the conventional RS and can be the leverage needed to solve conflicting preferences in heterogenous groups and to make more precise and personalized recommendations to tourists, as it has been evidenced that personality is strongly related to preferences in many domains, including tourism. Although many studies on psychology of tourism can be found, not many predict the tourists' preferences based on the Big Five personality dimensions. This work aims to find how personality relates to the choice of a wide range of tourist attractions, traveling motivations, and travel-related preferences and concerns, hoping to provide a solid base for researchers in the tourism RS area to automatically model tourists in the system without the need for tedious configurations, and solve the cold-start problem and conflicting preferences. By performing Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis on the data gathered from an online questionnaire, sent to Portuguese individuals from different areas of formation and age groups (n = 1035), we show all five personality dimensions can help predict the choice of tourist attractions and travel-related preferences and concerns, and that only neuroticism and openness predict traveling motivations.

Plant-Based Diets Reduce Blood Pressure: A Systematic Review of Recent Evidence.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Accumulating data on the consumption of plant-based diets and their impact on blood pressure indicate a consensus that plant-based diets are linked to reduced blood pressure. The suggested mechanisms of action are manifold, and, in this systematic review, we provide a summary of the most recent findings on plant-based diets and their impact on blood pressure, along with an analysis of the molecules accountable for the observed effects. RECENT FINDINGS: The overwhelming majority of intervention studies demonstrate that plant-based diets result in lower blood pressure readings when compared to diets that are based on animal products. The various mechanisms of action are being clarified. The data discussed in this systematic review allow us to conclude that plant-based diets are associated with lower blood pressure and overall better health outcomes (namely, on the cardiovascular system) when compared to animal-based diets. The mechanisms of action are being actively investigated and involve many macro- and micronutrients plentiful in plants and the dishes prepared with them.

Mapping human pathogens in wastewater using a metatranscriptomic approach.

The monitoring of cities' wastewaters for the detection of potentially pathogenic viruses and bacteria has been considered a priority during the COVID-19 pandemic to monitor public health in urban environments. The methodological approaches frequently used for this purpose include deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)/Ribonucleic acid (RNA) isolation followed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and reverse transcription (RT)‒qPCR targeting pathogenic genes. More recently, the application of metatranscriptomic has opened opportunities to develop broad pathogenic monitoring workflows covering the entire pathogenic community within the sample. Nevertheless, the high amount of data generated in the process requires an appropriate analysis to detect the pathogenic community from the entire dataset. Here, an implementation of a bioinformatic workflow was developed to produce a map of the detected pathogenic bacteria and viruses in wastewater samples by analysing metatranscriptomic data. The main objectives of this work was the development of a computational methodology that can accurately detect both human pathogenic virus and bacteria in wastewater samples. This workflow can be easily reproducible with open-source software and uses efficient computational resources. The results showed that the used algorithms can predict potential human pathogens presence in the tested samples and that active forms of both bacteria and virus can be identified. By comparing the computational method implemented in this study to other state-of-the-art workflows, the implementation analysis was faster, while providing higher accuracy and sensitivity. Considering these results, the processes and methods to monitor wastewater for potential human pathogens can become faster and more accurate. The proposed workflow is available at https://github.com/waterpt/watermonitor and can be implemented in currently wastewater monitoring programs to ascertain the presence of potential human pathogenic species.

TargIDe: a machine-learning workflow for target identification of molecules with antibiofilm activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Bacterial biofilms are a source of infectious human diseases and are heavily linked to antibiotic resistance. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a multidrug-resistant bacterium widely present and implicated in several hospital-acquired infections. Over the last years, the development of new drugs able to inhibit Pseudomonas aeruginosa by interfering with its ability to form biofilms has become a promising strategy in drug discovery. Identifying molecules able to interfere with biofilm formation is difficult, but further developing these molecules by rationally improving their activity is particularly challenging, as it requires knowledge of the specific protein target that is inhibited. This work describes the development of a machine learning multitechnique consensus workflow to predict the protein targets of molecules with confirmed inhibitory activity against biofilm formation by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. It uses a specialized database containing all the known targets implicated in biofilm formation by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The experimentally confirmed inhibitors available on ChEMBL, together with chemical descriptors, were used as the input features for a combination of nine different classification models, yielding a consensus method to predict the most likely target of a ligand. The implemented algorithm is freely available at https://github.com/BioSIM-Research-Group/TargIDe under licence GNU General Public Licence (GPL) version 3 and can easily be improved as more data become available.

Characteristics, mortality, associated variables with death, and therapeutic response among HIV-positive, solid organ transplant (SOT), and non-HIV-positive/non-transplant (NHNT) patients with cryptococcosis: First multicenter cohort study in Brazil.

Cryptococcosis is traditionally associated with immunocompromised patients but is increasingly being identified in those without the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or other immunocompetent individuals. We aim to describe the characteristics, mortality, and associated variables with death among hospitalized patients with cryptococcosis in Brazil. This is the first multicenter retrospective cohort study conducted in seven public tertiary Brazilian hospitals. A total of 384 patients were included; the median age was 39 years and 283 (73.7%) were men. In all, 304 HIV-positive were hosts (79.2%), 16 (4.2%) solid organ transplant (SOT), and 64 (16.7%) non-HIV-positive/non-transplant (NHNT). Central nervous system (CNS) cryptococcosis had a significantly higher number across disease categories, with 313 cases (81.5%). A total of 271 (70.6%) patients were discharged and 113 (29.4%) died during hospitalization. In-hospital mortality among HIV-positive, SOT, and NHNT was 30.3% (92/304), 12.5% (2/16), and 29.7% (19/64), respectively. Induction therapy with conventional amphotericin B (AMB) mainly in combination with fluconazole (234; 84.2%) was the most used. Only 80 (22.3%) patients received an AMB lipid formulation: liposomal (n = 35) and lipid complex (n = 45). Most patients who died belong to the CNS cryptococcosis category (83/113; 73.4%) when compared with the others (P = .017). Multivariate analysis showed that age and disseminated cryptococcosis had a higher risk of death (odds ratio [OR], 1.03; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.01-1.05; P = .008 and OR, 1.84; 95% CI, 1.01-3.53; P = .048, respectively). Understanding the epidemiology of cryptococcosis in our settings will help to recognize the burden and causes of mortality and identify strategies to improve this scenario.

This multicenter cohort study included 384 hospitalized individuals with cryptococcosis in Brazil. Most individuals were men (74%), HIV-positive (79%), had central nervous system involvement (82%), and received conventional amphotericin plus fluconazole (84%). In-hospital mortality was high (29%).