3,4-Dioxygenated xanthones as antifouling additives for marine coatings: in silico studies, seawater solubility, degradability, leaching, and antifouling performance.

Marine biofouling pollution is a process that impacts ecosystems and the global economy. On the other hand, traditional antifouling (AF) marine coatings release persistent and toxic biocides that accumulate in sediments and aquatic organisms. To understand the putative impact on marine ecosystems of recently described and patented AF xanthones (xanthones 1 and 2), able to inhibit mussel settlement without acting as biocides, several in silico environmental fate predictions (bioaccumulation, biodegradation, and soil absorption) were calculated in this work. Subsequently, a degradation assay using treated seawater at different temperatures and light exposures was conducted for a period of 2 months to calculate their half-life (DT50). Xanthone 2 was found to be non-persistent (DT50 < 60 days) at 50 µM, contrary to xanthone 1 (DT50 > 60 days). To evaluate the efficacy of both xanthones as AF agents, they were blended into four polymeric-based coating systems: polyurethane- and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-based marine paints, as well as room-temperature-vulcanizing PDMS- and acrylic-based coatings. Despite their low water solubility, xanthones 1 and 2 demonstrated suitable leaching behaviors after 45 days. Overall, the generated xanthone-based coatings were able to decrease the attachment of the Mytilus galloprovincialis larvae after 40 h. This proof-of-concept and environmental impact evaluation will contribute to the search for truly environmental-friendly AF alternatives.

The role of non-standard translation in Candida albicans pathogenesis.

Candida albicans typically resides in the human gastrointestinal tract and mucosal membranes as a commensal organism. To adapt and cope with the host immune system, it has evolved a variety of mechanisms of adaptation such as stress-induced mutagenesis and epigenetic regulation. Niche-specific patterns of gene expression also allow the fungus to fine-tune its response to specific microenvironments in the host and switch from harmless commensal to invasive pathogen. Proteome plasticity produced by CUG ambiguity, on the other hand is emerging as a new layer of complexity in C. albicans adaptation, pathogenesis, and drug resistance. Such proteome plasticity is the result of a genetic code alteration where the leucine CUG codon is translated mainly as serine (97%), but maintains some level of leucine (3%) assignment. In this review, we dissect the link between C. albicans non-standard CUG translation, proteome plasticity, host adaptation and pathogenesis. We discuss published work showing how this pathogen uses the fidelity of protein synthesis to spawn novel virulence traits.

Lifelong exercise training modulates cardiac mitochondrial phosphoproteome in rats.

Moderate physical activity has traditionally been associated with the improvement of cardiac function and, consequently, with the extension of life span. Mitochondria play a key role in the adaptation of heart muscle to exercise-related metabolic demands. In order to disclose the molecular mechanisms underlying the beneficial effect of lifelong physical activity in cardiac function, we performed label-free quantitative mass spectrometry-based proteomics of Sprague-Dawley rat heart mitochondrial proteome and phosphoproteome. Our data revealed that 54 weeks of moderate treadmill exercise modulates the abundance of proteins involved in the generation of precursor metabolites and cellular respiration, suggesting an increase in carbohydrate oxidation-based metabolism. Moreover, from the 1335 phosphopeptides identified in this study, 6 phosphosites were exclusively assigned to heart mitochondria from sedentary rats and 17 to exercised animals, corresponding to 6 and 16 proteins, respectively. Most proteins exhibiting significant alterations in specific phosphorylation sites were involved in metabolism. Analysis of the acquired data led to the identification of several kinases potentially modulated by exercise training, which were selected for further validation. Indeed, higher protein abundance levels of RAF and p38 in mitochondria were confirmed to be modulated by sustained exercise. Our work describes the plasticity of heart mitochondria in response to long exercise programs manifested by the reprogramming of phosphoproteome and provides evidence for the kinases involved in the regulation of metabolic pathways and mitochondrial maintenance.

[Endovascular management of an infectious and ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm. Clinical report]. / Tratamento endovascular de um aneurisma infeccioso da aorta abdominal em rotura - Caso Clínico.

Infectious aneurysms are about 1-3% of all aneurysms of the infrarenal aorta. Its treatment is challenging and the best strategy is far from consensual. The authors report a case of a HIV + patient with multiple other co-morbidities, which was seen in the emergency department with fever and left back pain. These symptoms would prove to be in relation to a ruptured infectious aneurysm of the abdominal aorta. Facing this situation it was decided to select an endovascular technique with implantation of an aorto uni - iliac stent graft with a right-left femoro-femoral cross-over using a 8 mm PTFE graft and exclusion of the left common iliac . The patient didn't have any complication from the situation or the procedure, but died 18 months postoperatively because of a pneumonia caused by Pneumocystis jiroveci. Although it is not the ideal solution for the treatment of infectious elective aneurysms, we believe that endovascular treatment seems to be a viable option and should be taken into account in a subgroup of patients that for their co-morbidities are not good candidates for conventional surgery and for those in rupture, either as a bridge or as a final solution.

Histopathological findings on Carassius auratus hepatopancreas upon exposure to acrylamide: correlation with genotoxicity and metabolic alterations.

Acrylamide is an amide used in several industrial applications making it easily discharged to aquatic ecosystems. The toxicity of acrylamide to aquatic organisms is scarcely known, although previous studies with murine models provided evidence for deleterious effects. To assess the effects of acrylamide to freshwater fish, goldfish (Carassius auratus L.) were exposed to several concentrations of waterborne acrylamide and analysed for genotoxic damage, alterations to detoxifying enzymes and histopathology. Results revealed a dose-dependent increase in total DNA strand breakage, the formation of erythrocytic nuclear abnormalities and in the levels of hepatic cytochrome P4501A (CYP1A) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity. In addition, acrylamide induced more histopathological changes to pancreatic acini than to the hepatic parenchyma, regardless of exposure concentration, whereas hepatic tissue only endured significant alterations at higher concentrations of exposure. Thus, results confirm the genotoxic potential of acrylamide to fish and its ability to induce CYP1A, probably as a direct primary defence mechanism. This strongly suggests the substance's pro-mutagenic potential in fish, similarly to what is known for rodents. However, the deleterious effects observed in the pancreatic acini, more severe than in the liver, could indicate a specific, albeit unknown toxic mechanism of acrylamide to fish that overran the organism's metabolic defences against a chemical agent rather than causing a general systemic failure.

[Complications of vascular access for hemodialysis - limits, imagination and commitment]. / Complicações dos acessos vasculares para hemodiálise - limites, imaginação e empenho.

Terminal chronic kidney disease courses with high mortality and is a serious public health problem on a global scale. In Portugal, it involves about 14,000 patients of whom 5,000 are transplanted. The remaining require permanent renal replacement techniques. Every year, there are 2,200 new cases and the mortality rate is around 20%. One of the most important determinants for the survival of hemodialysis patients is the quality of vascular access. The role of the vascular surgeon is to planify and to do the best access possible, monitoring and fight for its patency and thereby improve not only the quality of life but also to combat mortality associated with complications of vascular access - first cause of hospital admission of these patients. The authors report 10 clinical cases in which the limits of the hemodialysis surgery were tested and where it was necessary commitment and imagination to prevent the vascular access loss. The management of some complications is a challenge for the vascular surgeon and currently it is necessary to find hybrid/complementary solutions. Examples of some complications and challenges are steal syndromes, venous hypertension, vascular access in unusual places and 'total' failure of vascular access. Focusing on maintaining vascular access working improves the quality of dialysis, quality of life for patients, saves vascular capital for future access and in extreme cases, saves lifes.

Reuse of treated wastewater and sewage sludge for fertilization and irrigation.

The objective of the present work was to assess the short-term potential of treated wastewater and sewage sludge for ornamental lawn fertilization and irrigation. A field experiment was performed and the following treatments were considered: sewage sludge application + irrigation with public water; sewage sludge application + irrigation with treated wastewater; irrigation with public water; irrigation with treated wastewater (TW). Irrigation with treated wastewater showed a positive effect on lawn installation through higher growth of grass (1,667 cm) and higher dry matter yield (18,147 g m(-2)). These results represent a significant increase in the grass yield compared with public water irrigation. The grass height (2,606 cm) and dry matter yield (23,177 g m(-2)) increased even more, when sewage sludge produced in the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) was applied to soil, which proves once more its benefits as an organic fertilizer. At the end of the experiment, an increase of some soil parameters (pH, electrical conductivity, organic matter, Ca2+, Na+, K+, Mg2+ and NH4+) was observed, indicating that treated wastewater irrigation can cause a soil sodization. This short-term study indicated that use of treated wastewater and sewage sludge for ornamental lawn fertilization and irrigation is an environmentally sustainable option for re-use of the WWTP by-products.

[Some reflections on the Klippel Trenaunay syndrome: A single entity or an association of vascular malformations]. / Algumas considerações sobre o syndrome de klippel trenaunay: uma entidade única ou um conjunto de malformações vasculares?

The author started in the year 2000, in the St Marta Hospital, a consultation for congenital vascular malformations, that was extrapolated to the Pulido Valente Hospital - CHLN where he continues to see multiple patients with this type of pathology, mainly located to the extremities.The Klippel Trenaunay syndrome, which was described as a set of anomalies constituted by the presence of a cutaneous angiomatous malformation ( port wine stain ), varicose veins and gigantism of the limbs, is undoubtedly the most common malformations that he is asked to treat. So he thought that it would be interesting to undertake an actual review of this pathology.After analyzing the various components in question he concludes that the condition is undoubtedly a set of malformations ranging from a cutaneous component, to the venous and lymphatic malformations and clear the osseous component, that causes the bone dysmorphic appearance, and that is essential a multidisciplinary approach to achieve a final satisfactory therapeutic result.