Integrative phylogenetic, phylogeographic and morphological characterisation of the Unio crassus species complex reveals cryptic diversity with important conservation implications.

The global decline of freshwater mussels and their crucial ecological services highlight the need to understand their phylogeny, phylogeography and patterns of genetic diversity to guide conservation efforts. Such knowledge is urgently needed for Unio crassus, a highly imperilled species originally widespread throughout Europe and southwest Asia. Recent studies have resurrected several species from synonymy based on mitochondrial data, revealing U. crassus to be a complex of cryptic species. To address long-standing taxonomic uncertainties hindering effective conservation, we integrate morphometric, phylogenetic, and phylogeographic analyses to examine species diversity within the U. crassus complex across its entire range. Phylogenetic analyses were performed using cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (815 specimens from 182 populations) and, for selected specimens, whole mitogenome sequences and Anchored Hybrid Enrichment (AHE) data on âˆ¼ 600 nuclear loci. Mito-nuclear discordance was detected, consistent with mitochondrial DNA gene flow between some species during the Pliocene and Pleistocene. Fossil-calibrated phylogenies based on AHE data support a Mediterranean origin for the U. crassus complex in the Early Miocene. The results of our integrative approach support 12 species in the group: the previously recognised Unio bruguierianus, Unio carneus, Unio crassus, Unio damascensis, Unio ionicus, Unio sesirmensis, and Unio tumidiformis, and the reinstatement of five nominal taxa: Unio desectusstat. rev., Unio gontieriistat. rev., Unio mardinensisstat. rev., Unio nanusstat. rev., and Unio vicariusstat. rev. Morphometric analyses of shell contours reveal important morphospace overlaps among these species, highlighting cryptic, but geographically structured, diversity. The distribution, taxonomy, phylogeography, and conservation of each species are succinctly described.

Particle-based model of liquid crystal skyrmion dynamics.

Motivated by recent experimental results that reveal rich collective dynamics of thousands-to-millions of active liquid crystal skyrmions, we have developed a coarse-grained, particle-based model of the dynamics of skyrmions in a dilute regime. The basic physical mechanism of skyrmion motion is related to squirming undulations of domains with high director twist within the skyrmion cores when the electric field is turned on and off. The motion is not related to mass flow and is caused only by the reorientation dynamics of the director field. Based on the results of the "fine-grained" Frank-Oseen continuum model, we have mapped these squirming director distortions onto an effective force that acts asymmetrically upon switching the electrical field on or off. The resulting model correctly reproduces the skyrmion dynamics, including velocity reversal as a function of the frequency of a pulse width modulated driving voltage. We have also obtained approximate analytical expressions for the phenomenological model parameters encoding their dependence upon the cholesteric pitch and the strength of the electric field. This has been achieved by fitting coarse-grained skyrmion trajectories to those determined in the framework of the Frank-Oseen model.

Pattern of anuran infection by acanthocephalans from the Cerrado, Northeastern Brazil with a summary for South America.

In Brazil, acanthocephalans parasitise anurans in several biomes. In the present study, we performed an analysis of acanthocephalan infections across 175 anuran individuals from the Cerrado biome, belonging to ten species: Boana raniceps, Pithecopus hypochondrialis, Scinax fuscomarginatus, Scinax x-signatus, Leptodactylus pustulatus, Leptodactylus macrosternum, Leptodactylus vastus, Physalaemus cuvieri, Adenomera hylaedactyla, and Elachistocleis piauiensis. We also verified the specificity of the parasites using the STD* index. Additionally, we conducted a survey of acanthocephalan infection in anurans in South America. The studied assemblage in the Brazilian Cerrado presented 57 parasitised hosts of 175 specimens (overall prevalence: 32.6%). In total, 437 acanthocephalans cystacanths were recorded, among which 286 presented the same morphotype but could not be identified, 148 belonged to the genus Centrorhynchus, and three belonged to Oncicola. Unidentified acanthocephalans had a higher prevalence in L. vastus (53.85%) and the highest intensity was in L. pustulatus (17±16). The highest prevalence of Centrorhynchus sp. was in the species S. fuscomarginatus (28.57%), while the highest intensity was observed in L. vastus (111). The taxon Oncicola sp. it had a prevalence of 3.23% and an intensity of 3 only in S. x-signatus. The highest specificity was recorded for Oncicola sp. (STD*= 1), whereas the lowest was found in Centrorhynchus sp. (STD*= 2.21). Finally, according to the survey for South America, we found ten records of acanthocephalan taxa parasitizing 58 species of anurans distributed in seven countries (Brazil with the most records).

Surface Characteristics and Microbial Adhesion in Polymethylmethacrylate for Denture Base Submitted to Antimicrobial Agents and Cleaning Agents: A Systematic Review.

This review aimed to identify the influence of antimicrobial and cleaning agents on surface characteristics such as surface free energy (SFE) and wettability, and microbial adhesion in polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) for denture base. The review question, based on PICO, was: "Does intervention with antimicrobial and cleaning agents in PMMA influence the surface free energy, wettability, and consequently the microbial adhesion?" and the protocol was registered in Open Science Framework (osf. io/v3xgn). The search was performed in PubMed, Lilacs, Embase, Scopus, and Science Direct databases, using the terms: ("acrylic resin" OR PMMA) AND (antimicrobial OR antibacterial) AND ("electrostatic interaction" OR surface free energy) AND (biofilm OR "bacteria adhesion"), and resulted in 462 articles, of which 7 were included. The antimicrobials polypara-xylylene, carboxybetaine methacrylate, ethylene glycol methacrylate phosphate, and deposition of F and Ag ions in PMMA influenced the SFE and wettability. Denture cleaners reduced microbial adhesion. Five of the included studies evaluated the microbial adhesion, however, only two observed a direct relationship between SFE, wettability, and microbial adhesion. It was concluded that the intervention with antimicrobial and cleaning agents in PMMA can interfere in SFE and surface wettability, but no correlation was observed between microbial adhesion and these surface characteristics in PMMA.

Prevention of Caries in Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review on the Effectiveness of Dental Materials.

This study aims to identify dental materials and their effectiveness in preventing caries in patients after chemotherapy and radiotherapy for the head and neck. The electronic search was performed in PubMed, Science Direct, Embase and Scopus. All 653 articles found passed through a double-blinded screening process. The exclusion of articles by reading titles and abstracts selected 16 articles for full reading, of which 4 were included into the study. A risk of bias analysis for non-randomized and randomized articles was performed using respectively the ROBINS I and ROB II tools. The data extraction suggested that the casein phosphopeptide-amorphous calcium phosphate (CPP-ACP), in association with fluorine, is able to form harder surfaces compared to the control group, the intraoral fluoride-releasing system (IFRS) effectiveness is similar to the fluorine in gel and a mouthwash composed of natural enzymes (Oral7) did not demonstrate effectiveness in the prevention dental caries. New randomized controlled clinical trials are necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of prevention when applying dental materials in patients after treatment of head and neck cancer.

Unusual magnetic resonance imaging findings of cystic bone lesions in congenital generalized lipodystrophy.

Cystic bone lesions are the hallmark of skeletal abnormalities in patients with congenital generalized lipodystrophy (CGL). However, their pathophysiology is still unclear and theories about their origin remain largely speculative. This article reports on a patient with CGL and cystic bone lesions, some of them with unusual magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings that include elevated signal intensity on T1-weighted images and fluid-fluid levels, the latter evolving to a more "classic" cystic appearance on follow-up. Even though similar findings were first described almost 30 years ago, little attention was given to them back then; furthermore, other than the present report, no other study has performed sequential exams to follow their evolution in serial MRI. The authors conduct a review of the literature, hypothesizing that these remarkable findings may reflect an intermediate stage in the process of cystification of the abnormal bone marrow, incapable to perform adipose conversion, lending factual support to the modern theories about this issue.

Endoparasite community structure of an anuran assemblage in the Caatinga, Northeastern Neotropical Region.

Amphibians are a widespread Chordata taxon and are important for maintaining the balance of both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Brazil has a rich amphibian fauna; however, little is known about the role of their ecology and phylogenetic relationships during the assembly processes of associated endoparasite communities. Herein, we describe an endoparasite community in an anuran assemblage in the Caatinga, a unique biome of dry forests in north-eastern Brazil. We studied endoparasite diversity, as well as the effects of body length, body mass, body volume and sex on parasite abundance. We also investigated the influence of ecological and historical factors and anuran microhabitat use on endoparasite composition. We analysed individuals from 13 anuran species distributed across five families: Odontophrynidae (Proceratophrys cristiceps); Leptodactylidae (Leptodactylus fuscus, Leptodactylus vastus, Leptodactylus macrosternum, Leptodactylus troglodytes and Physalaemus cuvieri); Hylidae (Pithecopus gonzagai, Scinax x-signatus, Boana raniceps and Dendropsophus nanus); Bufonidae (Rhinella diptycha and Rhinella granulosa); and Microhylidae (Dermatonotus muelleri). We found nine species of endoparasites, including seven nematodes (Aplectana membranosa, Cosmocerca sp., Oswaldocruzia mazzai, Raillietnema spectans, Rhabdias fuelleborni, Schrankiana sp. and Physaloptera sp.), one species of Trematoda (Glypthelmins pseudium) and one non-identified cestode. There was no significant relationship between endoparasite abundance and host body length, body mass, body volume and sex. A phylogenetic principal component analysis showed that ecological factors had a greater influence on endoparasite assemblage than historical factors. Similarly, our results showed that ecological factors had a greater influence on anuran microhabitat use compared to historical factors, which contributed to the generalist characteristics presented by most of the sampled endoparasite species.

Microrheology of semiflexible filament solutions based on relaxation simulations.

We present an efficient computational methodology to obtain the viscoelastic response of dilute solutions of semiflexible filaments. By considering an approach based on the fluctuation-dissipation theorem, we were able to evaluate the dynamical properties of probe particles immersed in solutions of semiflexible filaments from relaxation simulations with a relatively low computational cost and higher precision in comparison to those based on stochastic dynamics. We used a microrheological approach to obtain the complex shear modulus and the complex viscosity of the solution through its compliance which was obtained directly from the dynamical properties of a probe particle attached to an effective medium described by a mesoscopic model, i.e., an effective filament model (EFM). The relaxation simulations were applied to assess the effects of the bending energy on the viscoelasticity of the semiflexible filament solutions, and our methodology was validated by comparing the numerical results to the experimental data on DNA and collagen solutions.

Comparing the effects of whey and casein supplementation on nutritional status and immune parameters in patients with chronic liver disease: a randomised double-blind controlled trial.

Protein supplementation may be beneficial for patients with chronic liver disease (CLD). This study compared the effects of whey protein isolate (WP) and casein (CA) supplementation on nutritional status and immune parameters of CLD patients who were randomly assigned to take 20 g of WP or CA twice per d as a supplement for 15 d. Body composition, muscle functionality and plasmatic immunomarkers were assessed before and after supplementation. Patients were also classified according to the model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) into less (MELD < 15) and more (MELD ≥ 15) severe disease groups. Malnutrition, determined by the Subjective Global Assessment at baseline, was observed in 57·4 % and 54·2 % of patients in the WP and CA groups, respectively (P = 0·649). Protein intake was lower at baseline in the WP group than in the CA group (P = 0·035), with no difference after supplementation (P = 0·410). Both the WP and CA MELD < 15 groups increased protein intake after supplementation according to the intragroup analysis. No differences were observed in body composition, muscle functionality, most plasma cytokines (TNF, IL-6, IL-1ß and interferon-γ), immunomodulatory proteins (sTNFR1, sTNFR2, brain-derived neurotrophic factor and glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor) or immunomodulatory hormones (adiponectin, insulin and leptin) after supplementation in the WP groups at the two assessed moments. WP supplementation increased the levels of interferon-γ-induced protein-10/CXCL10 (P = 0·022), eotaxin-1/CCL11 (P = 0·031) and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1/CCL2 (P = 0·018) and decreased IL-5 (P = 0·027), including among those in the MELD ≥ 15 group, for whom IL-10 was also increased (P = 0·008). Thus, WP consumption by patients with CLD impacted the immunomodulatory responses when compared with CA with no impact on nutritional status.

Influence of disease phase on embitterment and emotional dysregulation in psoriatic patients.

This study aimed to evaluate the psychosocial differences between patients with psoriasis in different phases of the disease. Seventy-one patients in exacerbation and 83 in remission were evaluated regarding sociodemographic, clinical and psychological variables, on the premise that the visibility of lesions (exacerbation phase) may impact the emotional regulation and embitterment. A regression analysis was performed to identify the variables that contribute to explain embitterment: a diagnosis of anxiety and/or depression and psoriasis severity are the identified ones. The results point to higher values of emotional dysregulation and embitterment, as well as more critical clinical variables in patients with active disease, namely, alcohol and coffee consumption, smoking and less satisfaction with current treatment, more diagnoses and more family history of anxiety and depression, more psychology/psychiatry consultations and more use of anxiolytics and antidepressants. However, only the results referring to alcohol consumption and embitterment are significantly higher in subjects in the exacerbation phase of the disease. Particular clinical attention should be provided to patients in exacerbation phase regarding psychotherapeutic approach.

Parasitic Infection Patterns in Coleodactylus Meridionalis (Squamata: Sphaerodactylidae) from Atlantic Forest Fragments, Northeast of The Neotropical Region.

Studies that seek to understand which factors influence the patterns of infection in the lizard Coleodactylus meridionalis are non-existent. In this way, we recorded the infection rates for these lizards from three different sized fragments of the Atlantic rainforest and investigated if there is influence of the size, mass and sex of the host regarding the endoparasite abundance. In addition, we investigated if there were possible associations between the host's diet and parasitism, by calculating the diet niche breadth (based on the prey number of pooled stomachs) for each host population and comparing the diet between fragments and sexes (from the three sampled fragments). We collected 38 lizards across the three sampled forest fragments. We only found parasites in the lizards sampled from the smallest of the three forest fragments which included: Physaloptera lutzi, Haplometroides odhneri and Oligacanthorhynchus sp. For this population, lizards with greater length and body mass have a greater endoparasite abundance. In addition, based on the results obtained in our study, the diet of the lizards varies in food composition between sampled populations. Finally, knowing that among the infected lizards there is no sexual dimorphism in relation to size and body mass and that the stomach sampling for this population is insufficient to calculate the indexes related to the food niche; we used the number of prey lizards from all populations, thus we were able to associate the fact that female lizards have a greater endoparasite abundance due to variations in food composition between sexes.

Efficacy of sodium hypochlorite and peracetic acid against Aspergillus nomius in Brazil nuts.

The objective of this work was to assess the efficacy of sodium hypochlorite and peracetic acid for sanitization of Brazil nuts. To evaluate the natural microbiota of the nuts, the total bacteria and fungi as well as the Aspergillus section Flavi were counted. The moisture, water activity and the presence of aflatoxins was quantified. The response surface method was used to determine the influence of exposure time and sanitizers concentration on the reduction of Aspergillus nomius inoculated on the nuts. Microbiological, sensory and quantification analyzes of aflatoxins were performed under optimum conditions The evaluation of the initial contamination of the nuts, despite presenting high microbiological contamination, humidity and water activity, was not detected aflatoxins in any samples. In artificially inoculated samples, the response surface and the desirability function were obtained to determine the optimal point of use for each sanitizer. The nuts had high microbiological contamination, moisture content and water activity. Aflatoxins were not detected in any samples. The response surface and desirability function indicated the optimal sanitization conditions were 250 mg/L and 8.5 min and 140 mg/L and 15 min for sodium hypochlorite and peracetic acid, respectively. Reductions greater than 2 log CFU/g were obtained with sodium hypochlorite and of 1 log CFU/g for peracetic acid. In the tests performed with new Brazil nuts samples under the optimized conditions, reductions of less than 2 log CFU/g were obtained. Aflatoxin B1 was detected in one untreated sample (1.51 µg/kg), one sample treated with sodium hypochlorite (0.60 µg/kg) and two samples treated with peracetic acid (0.64 and 0.72 µg/kg). Demonstrating that the sanitizers in the concentrations used had no action on aflatoxins, despite being efficient for fungal control. The treatments did not cause an unacceptable sensorial impact on the samples.

Comparison of explicit values clarification method (VCM), implicit VCM and no VCM decision aids for men considering prostate cancer screening: protocol of a randomized trial.

BACKGROUND: Screening with prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test for prostate cancer is considered a preference sensitive decision; meaning it does not only depend on what is best from a medical point of view, but also from a patient value standpoint. Decision aids are evidence-based tools which are shown to help people feel clearer about their values; therefore it has been advocated that decision aids should contain a specific values clarification method (VCM). VCMs may be either implicit or explicit, but the evidence concerning the best method is scarce. We aim to compare the perceived clarity of personal values in men considering PSA screening using decision aids with no VCM versus an implicit VCM versus an explicit VCM. METHODS: Male factory employees from an industrial facility in the Northern region of Portugal aged 50 to 69 years old will be randomly assigned to one of three decision aid groups used to support prostate cancer screening decisions: (i) decision aid with information only (control), (ii) decision aid with information plus an implicit VCM, (iii) decision aid with information plus an explicit VCM. Men will be allowed release time from work to attend a session at their workplace. After a brief oral presentation, those willing to participate in the study will fill the baseline questionnaire, plus a 5 point-Likert scale question about intentions to undergo screening, and will then receive the intervention materials to complete. We estimated a total sample size of 276 participants; with 92 in each group. The primary outcome will be the perceived clarity of personal values assessed by the Portuguese validated translation of the three subscales of the Decisional Conflict Scale. Secondary outcomes will be intention to be screened (before and after the intervention), the total score from the Decisional Conflict Scale and the self-report of having or not undergone screening at 6 months. DISCUSSION: This study will add to the body of evidence on the role of decision aids to support health preference-sensitive choices and provide further insight on the impact of different methods for eliciting people's values embedded within a decision aid. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT03988673 - clinicalTrials.gov (2019/06/17).

Using lizards to evaluate the influence of average abundance on the variance of endoparasites in semiarid areas: dispersion and assemblage structure.

The distribution of parasites within host populations and communities, and the mechanisms responsible for these patterns, are poorly understood aspects of wildlife parasitology. Here, we evaluate the influence of the average abundance of endoparasite variance, using endoparasites of lizards from the Caatinga domain (semiarid region), north-eastern Brazil. We hypothesized that, due to the high number of generalist endoparasite species, they may occur randomly throughout host populations in an aggregate pattern. In addition, we evaluated the degree to which sample variance is influenced by the average abundance of endoparasite species, patterns of co-occurrence and dominance among endoparasite species and similarities between abundance and the richness of endoparasite infracommunities in several host species. Between September 2015 and February 2016, 2141 lizards (1233 infected) from 16 species were collected from six Caatinga areas. In total, 25,687 endoparasites were collected, which belonged to 13 species including nematodes, pentastomids, cestodes, trematodes and acanthocephalans. Parasite-host associations documented here included 39 newly identified interactions. Endoparasites occurred in a typical aggregate pattern of distribution within their hosts; there was no measurable preference related to the acquisition of hosts by endoparasites. Despite the new records, endoparasites found were commonly associated with lizards in Caatinga environments, which may reflect fauna composed of generalist endoparasite species.

Antioxidant capacity of Camellia japonica cultivars assessed by near- and mid-infrared spectroscopy.

MAIN CONCLUSION: Camellia japonica antioxidant capacity highly differs among its cultivars and could be successfully predicted by near- and mid-infrared spectroscopy. Camellia japonica is a Theaceae family species which are mainly used as an ornamental plant due to its colourful flowers presenting over than 32,000 recognized cultivars. However, this species have been somehow neglected due to the popular tea source, Camellia sinensis. In this study, the antioxidant profile (total phenolic and flavonoid content and total antioxidant capacity-TPC, TFC and TAC) of 31 C. japonica cultivars leaves was determined and further assessed by near- and mid-infrared spectroscopy. The leaves' antioxidant profile was revealed to be highly dependent on the cultivars analysed being in some cases distinct even for different trees of the same cultivar. Near- and mid-infrared spectroscopy proved to be suitable techniques to predict the total phenolic and flavonoid content as well as the total antioxidant capacity. The best results were obtained with near-infrared spectroscopy whose root mean square error of the prediction set samples was of 5.7 mg of gallic acid/g dry leaf; 3.5 mg catechin/g dry leaf and 3.3 mM Trolox/g dry leaf for TPC, TFC and TAC (with coefficients of the determinations equal to or higher than 0.93). Moreover, the range error ratios were higher than 15 meaning that the developed partial least-squares models are very good for calibration and quantification determinations according to the guidelines for near-infrared models development and maintenance. In this work, the antioxidant profile of several C. japonica cultivars leaves was determined for the first time, being that a rapid and low cost spectroscopic-based method was also proposed for its determination.

Causes and factors related to hospitalizations in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: analysis of a 20-year period (1995-2015) from a single referral centre in Catalonia.

INTRODUCTION: Although extensively characterized in the outpatient setting, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in the hospitalization wards is still scarcely portrayed, particularly in the perspective of its evolution over the years. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of SLE patients hospitalized in the Department of Autoimmune Diseases of a university hospital during a 20-year period (1995-2015), describing hospitalization characteristics, causes and predictors of outcome. RESULTS: A total of 814 hospitalizations concerning 339 patients were analysed. The main causes of admission were flare (40.2%), infection (19.2%), diagnostic procedures (18.8%) and thrombotic events (5.4%). Therapy with cyclophosphamide (odds ratio (OR) 1.908, p = 0.047) was associated with admission due to infection, while antimalarials displayed a protective effect (OR 0.649, p = 0.024). Nearly 3.9% of patients required admission to an intensive care unit, with associated antiphospholipid syndrome (OR 7.385, p = 0.04) standing as a predicting factor for this outcome. Readmission at 30 days occurred in 5.8% of patients, with thrombocytopenia (OR 6.007, p = 0.002) and renal involvement (OR 3.362, p = 0.032) featuring as predicting factors. Eight patients died, with antiphospholipid syndrome (OR 26.814, p = 0.02) and thrombocytopenia (OR 31.523, p = 0.01) being associated with mortality. There was no significant variation in patients' demographics or admission causes across the 20-year period, except for a decrease in admissions due to thrombotic and musculoskeletal causes. Recently, an increase in the use of mycophenolate mofetil and lower doses of glucocorticoids were noted. CONCLUSION: While demographics of SLE hospitalizations have not markedly changed over the past 20 years, changes in therapy patterns were observed. Thrombocytopenia, antiphospholipid syndrome and renal involvement featured as predictors of poor outcome.

Effects of recombinant bovine interleukin-8 (rbIL-8) treatment on health, metabolism, and lactation performance in Holstein cattle I: Production and functional characterization of rbIL-8 in vitro and in vivo.

In the present study, we standardized processes of cloning and purification of recombinant bovine interleukin-8 (rbIL-8) from bacterial culture and assessed its biological activity in Holstein cattle. Plasmid containing a subclone of bovine IL-8 was expressed using Escherichia coli BL21 and cell lysate was purified by chromatography. The presence of rbIL-8 was assessed by Western blot analyses and function was confirmed in vitro using a chemotaxis chamber. Based on optical density values, chemoattractant properties of rbIL-8 were 10-fold greater compared with control wells. Two in vivo studies were conducted to assess the biological activity of rbIL8. For study 1, one-year-old Holstein heifers (n = 20) were randomly allocated to receive a single intravaginal administration containing 1,125 µg of rbIL-8 diluted in 20 mL of saline solution (rbIL-8, n = 10) or a single intravaginal administration of 20 mL of saline solution (control, n = 10). For study 2, nonpregnant lactating Holstein cows (n = 31) were randomly allocated to receive an intrauterine administration with 1,125 µg of rbIL-8 diluted in 20 mL of saline solution (rbIL-8, n = 11), a positive control consisting of resin-purified lysate of E. coli BL21 not transfected with the plasmid coding for rbIL-8 diluted in 20 mL of saline solution (E. coli, n = 10), and a negative control administered with 20 mL of saline solution (control, n = 10). An increase in vaginal neutrophils was observed in heifers treated with rbIL-8 within 3 h of treatment, but not in control heifers. Additionally, intrauterine administration of rbIL-8 increased the proportion of PMN cells in uterine cytological samples from 3.5% before treatment to 75.8% 24 h later-an increase that was not observed in the negative control group and cows treated with resin-purified lysate of E. coli. To further evaluate the effect of local and systemic rbIL-8 stimulation on the dynamics of circulating white blood cells, a third study was conducted. In study 3, nonpregnant 8-mo-old Holstein heifers (n = 30) were randomly allocated into 1 of 3 treatment groups: intravenous rbIL-8 (1,125 µg of rbIL-8 diluted in 5 mL of saline solution, n = 10); intravaginal rbIL-8 (1,125 µg of rbIL-8 diluted in 20 mL of saline solution; n = 10); or intravaginal saline (20 mL of saline solution, n = 10). Intravenous injection of rbIL-8 resulted in a transient increase in rectal temperature, which was greater at 2 h after treatment compared with cows treated intravaginally with rbIL-8 or heifers treated with saline solution. Heifers treated with rbIL-8 intravenously displayed a marked reduction in neutrophils, basophils, lymphocytes, and monocytes within the first 4 h posttreatment compared with heifers treated intravaginally. However, at 6 h after treatment, heifers treated with rbIL-8 intravenously displayed a rebound in white blood cell counts caused by an increase in neutrophil counts. These results show that the presented purification method is effective and results in biologically active rbIL-8 that can be used safely to modulate immune responses in cattle.

Secondary dengue infection in immunocompetent murine model leads to heart tissue damage.

Dengue, considered the most important arthropod-borne viral disease affecting humans, is transmitted by the bite of mosquitoes of the genus Aedes and caused by one of the four distinct serotypes of dengue virus (DENV-1, -2, -3 and -4). Infection with one of the four serotypes provides lifelong homotypic immunity. However, immunity against the heterologous serotypes is transient. As a consequence, secondary infection may lead to severer manifestations due to cross-reactivity of antibodies and T-cells. Over 500,000 people are hospitalized every year and around 2,5 million, living in endemic areas, are at risk of infection. Given the background, the development of vaccines and anti-DENV drugs is of the utmost importance, as is the characterization of an animal model for testing them. The purpose of this study was to investigate ultrastructural alterations caused by DENV secondary infection in BALB/c mice heart. To achieve our goal, six BALB/c mice were infected with DENV-1 and, 4 months later, reinfected with DENV-2. Uninfected mice were used as negative controls. Heart samples were collected and processed for ultrastructural and histopathological analysis. Our results showed edema, endothelium activation characterized by the presence of transport vesicles, free platelets in interstitium, mitochondria presenting rarefied matrix and degenerated cristae, and disorganization of muscle fibers. These results point not only to BALB/c mice susceptibility to DENV infection, but also to the fact that, although it is not an often reported occurrence, dengue can lead to heart damage. Keywords: dengue; experimental model; reinfection; BALB/c mice.

Differentiation of Taxonomically Closely Related Species of the Genus Acinetobacter Using Raman Spectroscopy and Chemometrics.

In recent years, several efforts have been made to develop quick and low cost bacterial identification methods. Genotypic methods, despite their accuracy, are laborious and time consuming, leaving spectroscopic methods as a potential alternative. Mass and infrared spectroscopy are among the most reconnoitered techniques for this purpose, with Raman having been practically unexplored. Some species of the bacterial genus Acinetobacter are recognized as etiological agents of nosocomial infections associated with high rates of mortality and morbidity, which makes their accurate identification important. The goal of this study was to assess the ability of Raman spectroscopy to discriminate between 16 Acinetobacter species belonging to two phylogroups containing taxonomically closely related species, that is, the Acinetobacter baumannii-Acinetobacter calcoaceticus complex (six species) and haemolytic clade (10 species). Bacterial spectra were acquired without the need for any sample pre-treatment and were further analyzed with multivariate data analysis, namely partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLSDA). Species discrimination was achieved through a series of sequential PLSDA models, with the percentage of correct species assignments ranging from 72.1% to 98.7%. The obtained results suggest that Raman spectroscopy is a promising alternative for identification of Acinetobacter species.

Mechanical Properties of Topical Anti-Psoriatic Medicines: Implications for Patient Satisfaction with Treatment.

Different types of topical preparations are available as anti-psoriatic medicines, semisolid formulations being the preferred dosage forms for the treatment of body lesions. The mechanical characterization of these semisolid formulations is seldom reported, although mechanical features have been recognized to play an important role in treatment acceptability and adherence. The aim of this study was to characterize the mechanical properties of semisolid topical formulations commercially available for psoriasis treatment. One complementary aim was to evaluate patient satisfaction with topical treatment and discuss the results according to the mechanical features of the dosage form. Eight ointments (O 1-8), five creams (C 1-5), one oleogel (G1), and one excipient (E1-petrolatum) were characterized for textural properties (spreadability and penetration tests) and flow behavior. Power law model was fitted to the results. A questionnaire for the assessment of satisfaction with topical medicines used for psoriasis treatment over 6 months was developed and applied to 79 psoriasis patients. All the tested formulations presented a shear-thinning behavior with power law indexes (n) lower than 1. Ointments were distinct from the other dosage forms, since they presented higher consistency coefficients (K), firmness, and adhesiveness and this was evidenced by hierarchical cluster analysis, which identified two clusters based on the mechanical properties. Cluster 1 included the ointments and petrolatum and the cluster 2 enclosed the creams and the gel. The clusters were associated with several attributes classified by patients as analyzed with Fisher's exact test. In all cases, higher satisfaction was observed for cluster 2. The knowledge obtained regarding the influence of the dosage form on the degree of satisfaction with the treatment could be helpful in supporting the selection of the dosage form in clinical practice and thus improve treatment adherence and clinical outcomes. The differences observed between the mechanical properties of the formulations studied may be also relevant to the industry, as guidance to the development of new medicines.