Glutamate imbalance in key structure of the default mode network in adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

The default mode network (DMN) is atypically active in patients with ADHD, likely contributing to the inattention patterns observed in patients with the disorder. Nonetheless, magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) studies have rarely targeted the posterior cingulate cortex, a key DMN region, and little is known about the biochemical setting within this network in patients with ADHD. We aimed to assess the differences in metabolite profiles of the posterior cingulate cortex-a key region of the DMN-between patients with ADHD and controls. Five brain metabolites-glutamate, inositol, N-acetyl aspartate, choline, and creatine-were measured through MRS in the posterior cingulate cortex of patients and controls in a 3.0 T scanner. Between-group comparison of neurometabolite concentrations in PCC was performed using multivariate analysis of covariance. A total of 88 patients and 44 controls were included in the analysis. Patients with ADHD showed lower levels of glutamate in the posterior cingulate cortex compared to controls (p = 0.003). Lower concentrations of glutamate in the posterior cingulate cortex suggest that a glutamatergic imbalance within the posterior cingulate cortex might play a role in the pathogenesis of ADHD. Further understanding of the causes and consequences of such glutamate decrease might help explain how some glutamate-related drug effects impact on ADHD symptomatology.

Refining patterns of MEF2C effects in white matter microstructure and psychiatric features.

Several GWAS reported Myocyte Enhancer Factor 2 C (MEF2C) gene associations with white matter microstructure and psychiatric disorders, and MEF2C involvement in pathways related to neuronal development suggests a common biological factor underlying these phenotypes. We aim to refine the MEF2C effects in the brain relying on an integrated analysis of white matter and psychiatric phenotypes in an extensively characterized sample. This study included 870 Brazilian adults (47% from an attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder outpatient clinic) assessed through standardized psychiatric interviews, 139 of which underwent a magnetic resonance imaging scan. We evaluated variants in the MEF2C region using two approaches: 1) a gene-wide analysis, which uses the sum of polymorphism effects, and 2) SNP analyses, restricted to the independent variants within the gene. The outcomes included psychiatric phenotypes and fractional anisotropy for brain images. Results: The gene-wide analyses pointed to a nominal association between MEF2C and the Temporal Portion of the Superior Longitudinal Fasciculus (SLFTEMP). The SNP analysis identified four independent variants significantly associated with SLFTEMP and one (rs4218438) with Substance Use Disorder. Our findings showing specific associations of MEF2C variants with temporal-frontal circuitry components may help to elucidate how the MEF2C gene underlies a broad range of psychiatric phenotypes since these regions are relevant to executive and cognitive functions.

Dissecting the cross-trait effects of the FOXP2 GWAS hit on clinical and brain phenotypes in adults with ADHD.

The Forkhead box P2 (FOXP2) encodes for a transcription factor with a broad role in embryonic development. It is especially represented among GWAS hits for neurodevelopmental disorders and related traits, including attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, neuroticism, and risk-taking behaviors. While several functional studies are underway to understand the consequences of FOXP2 variation, this study aims to expand previous findings to clinically and genetically related phenotypes and neuroanatomical features among subjects with ADHD. The sample included 407 adults with ADHD and 463 controls. Genotyping was performed on the Infinium PsychArray-24 BeadChip, and the FOXP2 gene region was extracted. A gene-wide approach was adopted to evaluate the combined effects of FOXP2 variants (n = 311) on ADHD status, severity, comorbidities, and personality traits. Independent risk variants presenting potential functional effects were further tested for association with cortical surface areas in a subsample of cases (n = 87). The gene-wide analyses within the ADHD sample showed a significant association of the FOXP2 gene with harm avoidance (P = 0.001; PFDR = 0.015) and nominal associations with hyperactivity symptoms (P = 0.026; PFDR = 0.130) and antisocial personality disorder (P = 0.026; PFDR = 0.130). An insertion/deletion variant (rs79622555) located downstream of FOXP2 was associated with the three outcomes and nominally with the surface area of superior parietal and anterior cingulate cortices. Our results extend and refine previous GWAS findings pointing to a role of FOXP2 in several neurodevelopment-related phenotypes, mainly those involving underlying symptomatic domains of self-regulation and inhibitory control. Taken together, the available evidence may constitute promising insights into the puzzle of the FOXP2-related pathophysiology.

Geographic isolation and long-distance gene flow influence the genetic structure of the blue fan palm Brahea armata (Arecaceae).

The formation of the Baja California Peninsula (BCP) has impacted the microevolutionary dynamics of different species in ways that depend on biological traits such as dispersal capacity. Plants with relatively low levels of vagility have exhibited high genetic divergence between the BCP and Continental mainland. Brahea armata (Arecaceae) is a palm species inhabiting the northern part of the BCP and Sonora; its distribution occurs in isolated oases of vegetation. We aimed to evaluate the influence of the formation of the BCP on the genetic structure of B. armata using nuclear microsatellites and chloroplast markers (cpDNA) to compare patterns of genetic diversity and structure with previous published studies. Because gene flow through seeds is usually more limited compared to pollen flow, we expect to find stronger genetic structure at (cpDNA) than at nuclear markers. Moreover, larger genetic structure might also be explained by the smaller effective population size of cpDNA. We analyzed six microsatellite markers and two cpDNA regions. The main results indicated high levels of genetic differentiation among isolated populations located in the BCP, while low genetic differentiation was found between southern populations of the BCP and Sonora, suggesting long distance gene flow. In contrast, chloroplast markers indicated high levels of genetic structure between BCP and Sonora populations, suggesting asymmetrical gene flow between pollen (measured by nuclear microsatellites) and seed (cpDNA markers). This study provides valuable information on genetic diversity of B. armata that can be relevant for conservation and management; and develops microsatellites markers that can be transferred to other Brahea species.

Bothrops atrox mice experimental envenoming treatment using light-emitting diode (led) as an adjunct therapy to conventional serum therapy.

The use of anti-venom is one of the main control measures for snakebite envenoming when applied immediately after the snakebite. Systemic effects of the envenoming are usually reversed; however, neutralization of local effects is hardly achieved. The need for adjuvant therapies associated with serum therapy can improve the treatment for local effects of envenoming, with greater effectiveness in preventing or delaying the progression of damage, reducing the clinical signs and symptoms of victims of snakebites. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the photobiomodulation therapy using LED and/or dexamethasone associated with conventional serum therapy for the treatment of local damage caused by Bothrops atrox envenomation in a murine model. For this, experimental envenoming was carried out in the gastrocnemius muscle of male Swiss mice weighing 18 to 22 g divided into 8 groups of animals, distributed in groups non-treat, treated with anti-bothropic serum, dexamethasone, and LED, or the associated treatments, by intramuscular inoculation of 50 µg of venom or sterile PBS (control). After 30 min, the proposed treatments were administered alone or in combination. After 3 h, blood and muscle samples were collected for myotoxicity, cytotoxicity, histological analysis, and IL-1ß assays. The evaluation of the treatment alone showed that serum therapy is not effective for the treatment of local damage and photobiomodulation demonstrated to be an effective therapy to reduce leukocyte infiltration, hemorrhage, and myotoxicity in experimental envenoming; dexamethasone proved to be a good resource for the treatment of the inflammatory process reducing the leukocyte infiltration. The association of serum therapy, LED, and dexamethasone was the best treatment to reduce the local effects caused by Bothrops atrox venom. All in all, the association of photobiomodulation therapy using LED with conventional serum therapy and the anti-inflammatory drug is the best treatment for reducing the undesirable local effects caused by snakebite accidents involving B. atrox species.

_Combining return to sport, psychological readiness, body mass, hamstring strength symmetry, and hamstring/quadriceps ratio increases the risk of a second anterior cruciate ligament injury.

PURPOSE: To investigate the combinations of variables that comprise the biopsychosocial model domains to identify clinical profiles of risk and protection of second anterior cruciate ligament injury. METHODS: One hundred and forty-five patients for return-to-sport testing after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction (ACLR) were contacted, and 97 were deemed eligible. All were evaluated between 6 and 24 months and followed up for 2 years. Participants answered the International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) and Anterior Cruciate Ligament-Return to Sport after Injury Scale (ACL-RSI), performed the postural stability assessment using the Biodex Balance System, and assessed muscle strength at 60° and 300°/s on the isokinetic dynamometer. Personal factors (age, gender, body mass index), body structures (graft type and concomitant injuries), and environmental factors (time between surgery and evaluation) were also collected. The participants were asked about the occurrence of a second ACL injury and return to sport after 2 years of follow-up. Classification and regression tree (CART) analysis was used to determine predictors of a second ACL injury. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was performed to verify the accuracy of the CART analysis, in addition to the sensitivity, specificity, and relative risk (RR) of the model. RESULTS: Of the initial 97 participants, 88 (89.8%) responded to follow-up and 14 (15.9%) had a second ACL injury (11 graft ruptures and three contralateral ACL). CART analysis identified the following variables as predictors of second ACL injury: return to sport, hamstring strength symmetry at 300°/s, ACL-RSI score, hamstrings/quadriceps ratio at 60°/s, and body mass index (BMI). CART correctly identified 9 (64.3%) of the 14 participants who were reinjured and 71 (95.9%) of the 74 participants who were not. The total correct classification was 90.9%. The area under the ROC curve was 0.88 (95% CI 0.72-0.99; p < 0.001), and the model showed a sensitivity of 75% (95% CI 42.8-94.5), specificity of 93.4% (95% CI 85.3-97.8), and RR of 15.9 (95% CI 4.9-51.4; p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: The combination of hamstring strength symmetry, hamstring/quadriceps ratio (body functions); return to sport (activity and participation); psychological readiness; and BMI (personal factors) could identify three clinical risk profiles for a second ACL injury with good accuracy. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV.

High-intensity interval training attenuates the effects caused by arterial hypertension in the ventral prostate.

BACKGROUND: The prostatic effects induced by arterial hypertension is very controversial and its mechanism is unclear. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is an exercise considered to be hypotensive. The objective of this work was to investigate the molecular, biochemical, and morphological effects of 8 weeks of HIIT in the prostatic tissue of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). METHODS: Twenty male SHR rats, 51.4 weeks old, were used. The SHR animals were divided into two groups: spontaneously sedentary hypertensive and spontaneously hypertensive submitted to HIIT. We analyze androgens receptor and glucocorticoid receptors in the prostate. Still, we verify effects of the hypertension and HIIT on the physiopathology prostatic, for immunohistochemistry investigated BCL-2, BAX, IGF-1, FAS/CD95, data's inflammatory tumour necrosis factor α, nuclear factor kappa B and interleukin (IL)-6, anti-inflammatory IL-10. The echocardiographic evaluation was performed at the baseline and after the training period. RESULTS: Arterial hypertension promote high prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia incidence in the prostate, increases IGF-1, BCL-2 (p < 0.05), and inflammatory proteins (p < 0.05). Eight weeks of HIIT training reduced the arterial pressure and increase the concentration of tissue collagen and intracellular glycogen and showed a higher expression of BAX, FAS/CD95, and IL-10 proteins (p < 0.05), coinciding with a lower incidence of lesions and lower prostate weight (p < 0.05) and reduction of the BCL-2 and IGF-1. CONCLUSION: Our data suggested that arterial hypertension suppressed apoptosis and increased damage prostatic. On other hand, HIIT promotes morphology and function improves in the prostatic environment, inhibited inflammation, and increased apoptosis.

Physical exercise regulates apoptosis and prostatic inflammatory effects induced by high-fat diet in PPAR-alpha deleted mice.

The high-fat diet (HFD) promotes obesity and develops inflammation, causing dysregulation of energy metabolism and prostatic neoplastic tissue changes. PPARɑ deletion leads to loss of homeostasis between the pro and anti-inflammatory response, and dysregulation of lipid metabolism, causing changes in different physiological processes and damage to the prostate. On the other hand, aerobic physical exercise has been suggested as a non-pharmacological tool to improve energy metabolism and cellular metabolism in the prostate, however, the underlying molecular mechanism remains unclear. the current study aimed to evaluate PPARα as a possible regulator of the protective effects of aerobic physical exercise in the prostate by examining prostatic alterations in wild-type and PPARα deletion mice fed a standard diet or an HFD. Wild-type and PPARα-null mice were fed a standard or HFD diet for 12 weeks, and submitted to aerobic physical exercise for 8 weeks. The HFD promoted the increase of inflammatory markers IL-6, TNF-α, NF-kB, and an increase of inflammatory foci in animals in both genotypes. Although the PPARα deletion animals submitted to the aerobic physical exercise were not able to regulate response pro-inflammatory, but promoted an increase in IL-10 in the prostate. In animals WT, the aerobic physical exercise, reduced all inflammatory markers, improve the inflammatory response, and showed a higher expression of BAX and IL-10 proteins was protective against prostatic tissue lesions. Suggested that PPARα deletion associated with HFD suppressed apoptosis and increased damage prostate. On other hand, aerobic physical exercise improves prostatic tissue by increasing the response to anti-inflammatory and apoptosis protein.

The course of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder through midlife.

The course of ADHD from childhood up to young adulthood has been characterized in several studies. However, little is known about the course of symptoms into middle age and beyond. This study aims to evaluate predictors of ADHD trajectories in midlife based on three assessments. The follow-up sample comprised 323 adults with ADHD, evaluated at baseline and seven and thirteen years later, from the average ages of 34 up to 47 years old. ADHD status at reassessments was used to characterize trajectories. Demographics, ADHD features, comorbidities, and polygenic scores for ADHD and genetically correlated psychiatric disorders were evaluated to predict ADHD trajectories. Study retention rate was 67% at T2 (n = 216) and 62% at T3 (n = 199). Data from patients evaluated three times showed that 68.8% coursed stable, 25.5% unstable, and 5.7% remission trajectory of ADHD. Women, individuals with more severe syndromes, higher frequency of comorbidities at reassessments, and genetic liability to depression present a higher probability of a stable trajectory. Our findings shed light on midlife ADHD trajectories and their gender, genomic and clinical correlates.

Genetic deletion of IL-6 increases CK-MB, a classic cardiac damage marker, and decreases UPRmt genes after exhaustive exercise.

The intensity, duration, type of contraction, and muscle damage influence interleukin-6 (IL-6) response to acute exercise. However, in response to an exhaustive exercise session, the upregulation of IL-6 in the serum and heart is associated with an inflammatory condition and can inhibit autophagy. This study aimed to investigate the role of IL-6 in autophagy pathway responses and mitochondrial function in the heart of mice submitted to acute exhaustive physical exercise. The mice were allocated into three groups, five animals per group, for the wild type (WT) and the IL-6 knockout (IL-6 KO): Basal (sedentary; Basal), 1 h (after 1 h of the acute exercise; 1 h), and 3 h (after 3 h of the acute exercise; 3 h). After the specific time for each group, the blood was collected, each mouse heart was removed, and the left ventricle (LV) was isolated. In summary, under basal conditions, without the influence of the acute exercise, the IL-6 KO group showed lower number of nuclei in the cardiac tissue, but higher collagen deposition; lower messenger RNA (mRNA) levels of Prkaa1 and Mtco1, but higher mRNA levels of Ulk1; and higher protein levels of the ratio p-AMPK/AMPK in the heart when compared to WT at the same time point. After the acute exercise (1 and 3 h), the IL-6 KO group had lower mRNA levels of Tfam, Mtnd1, Mtco1, and Nampt in the heart when compared to WT after exercise; higher serum levels of creatine kinase (CK), CK-MB, and lactate dehydrogenase for the IL-6 group when compared to the WT group after the exercise. Specifically, the heat-shock protein 60 protein levels in the heart increased 3 h after exhaustive exercise in the WT group, but not in the IL-6 KO group. The study emphasizes that IL-6 may offer cardioprotective effects, including mitochondrial adaptations in response to acute exhaustive exercise.

Translation, cross-cultural adaptation, validation and responsiveness in the Brazilian Portuguese version of the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS-BR).

PURPOSE: To carry out the translation, cultural adaptation, and validation in the Brazilian Portuguese version of Knee Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS-BR) in individuals with knee osteoarthritis (KOA). METHODS: Patients with KOA (n = 136) answered KOOS-BR, Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) and Numerical Pain Scale (NPS) to access construct validity. KOOS-BR was answered again with an interval of five to eight days. The following were performed: Cronbach's alpha to assess internal consistency, intraclass correction coefficient (ICC2,1) to assess reproducibility, standard error of measurement (SEM) and minimal detectable change (MDC) as error measurements. Dimensionality was tested through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Responsiveness was investigated by the correlation between KOOS-BR subscales with global perceived effect (GPE) before and after physical therapy treatment for 6 weeks. Floor and ceiling effects (< 15%) were also assessed. RESULTS: KOOS-BR version showed good test-retest reliability in all KOOS-BR subscales (ICC = 0.77-0.84), with proper internal consistency (α = 0.71-0.94). KOOS-BR showed a moderate direct correlation with physical health domains of SF-36 (r = 0.39-0.68; p < 0.001) and a moderate inverse correlation with pain intensity (r = - 0.51 to - 0.57; p < 0.001). KOOS-BR proved to be responsive, the correlation between the KOOS-BR subscales and GPE before and after treatment ranged from 0.42 to 0.60 (p < 0.001). There was no ceiling and floor effect. CONCLUSION: KOOS-BR is reliable, valid, and responsive in patients with KOA. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II.

Prostate histological investigation in rats exposed to bisphenol a and phytochemicals during the perinatal period and subjected to hormonal stimulus in adulthood.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is an environmentally dispersed chemical associated with tumor development. Phytochemicals such as indole-3-carbinol (I3C) and genistein (GEN) have chemoprotective effects on tumor cells. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the prostatic morphological aspects of rats exposed to BPA, GEN, and I3C during the perinatal period and submitted to hormonal stimulus in adulthood. Blood was collected to obtain hormone concentrations. Slides stained with hematoxylin & eosin, and picrosirius were subjected to fractal, stereological, morphometric, and collagen quantification analysis. I3C decreased the plasma dihydrotestosterone levels, and both phytochemicals increased the plasma estrogen levels. Unlike phytochemicals, BPA did not alter any of the parameters evaluated. GEN reduced the epithelial height, while I3C increased the fractal dimension and stromal collagen. Although BPA did not alter the prostate morphology, the phytochemicals provided beneficial effects for the prostate histological organization in adult animals subjected to hormonal stimulus.

Genome sequencing, annotation and exploration of the SO2-tolerant non-conventional yeast Saccharomycodes ludwigii.

BACKGROUND: Saccharomycodes ludwigii belongs to the poorly characterized Saccharomycodeacea family and is known by its ability to spoil wines, a trait mostly attributable to its high tolerance to sulfur dioxide (SO2). To improve knowledge about Saccharomycodeacea our group determined whole-genome sequences of Hanseniaspora guilliermondii (UTAD222) and S. ludwigii (UTAD17), two members of this family. While in the case of H. guilliermondii the genomic information elucidated crucial aspects concerning the physiology of this species in the context of wine fermentation, the draft sequence obtained for S. ludwigii was distributed by more than 1000 contigs complicating extraction of biologically relevant information. In this work we describe the results obtained upon resequencing of S. ludwigii UTAD17 genome using PacBio as well as the insights gathered from the exploration of the annotation performed over the assembled genome. RESULTS: Resequencing of S. ludwigii UTAD17 genome with PacBio resulted in 20 contigs totaling 13 Mb of assembled DNA and corresponding to 95% of the DNA harbored by this strain. Annotation of the assembled UTAD17 genome predicts 4644 protein-encoding genes. Comparative analysis of the predicted S. ludwigii ORFeome with those encoded by other Saccharomycodeacea led to the identification of 213 proteins only found in this species. Among these were six enzymes required for catabolism of N-acetylglucosamine, four cell wall ß-mannosyltransferases, several flocculins and three acetoin reductases. Different from its sister Hanseniaspora species, neoglucogenesis, glyoxylate cycle and thiamine biosynthetic pathways are functional in S. ludwigii. Four efflux pumps similar to the Ssu1 sulfite exporter, as well as robust orthologues for 65% of the S. cerevisiae SO2-tolerance genes, were identified in S. ludwigii genome. CONCLUSIONS: This work provides the first genome-wide picture of a S. ludwigii strain representing a step forward for a better understanding of the physiology and genetics of this species and of the Saccharomycodeacea family. The release of this genomic sequence and of the information extracted from it can contribute to guide the design of better wine preservation strategies to counteract spoilage prompted by S. ludwigii. It will also accelerate the exploration of this species as a cell factory, specially in production of fermented beverages where the use of Non-Saccharomyces species (including spoilage species) is booming.

Taurine supplementation in conjunction with exercise modulated cytokines and improved subcutaneous white adipose tissue plasticity in obese women.

Interventions that can modulate subcutaneous white adipose tissue (scWAT) function, such as exercise training and nutritional components, like taurine, modulate the inflammatory process, therefore, may represent strategies for obesity treatment. We investigated the effects of taurine supplementation in conjunction with exercise on inflammatory and oxidative stress markers in plasma and scWAT of obese women. Sixteen obese women were randomized into two groups: Taurine supplementation group (Tau, n = 8) and Taurine supplementation + exercise group (Tau + Exe, n = 8). The intervention was composed of daily taurine supplementation (3 g) and exercise training for 8 weeks. Anthropometry, body fat composition, and markers of inflammatory and oxidative stress were determined in plasma and scWAT biopsy samples before and after the intervention. We found that, although taurine supplementation increased taurine plasma levels, no changes were observed for the anthropometric characteristics. However, Tau alone decreased interleukin-6 (IL-6), and in conjunction with exercise (Tau + Exe), increased anti-inflammatory interleukins (IL-15 and IL10), followed by reduced IL1ß gene expression in the scWAT of obese women. Tau and Tau + Exe groups presented reduced adipocyte size and increased connective tissue and multilocular droplets. In conclusion, taurine supplementation in conjunction with exercise modulated levels of inflammatory markers in plasma and scWAT, and improved scWAT plasticity in obese women, promoting protection against obesity-induced inflammation. TRN NCT04279600 retrospectively registered on August 18, 2019.

The role of glucocorticoid receptor gene in the association between attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder and smaller brain structures.

ADHD is associated with smaller subcortical brain volumes and cortical surface area, with greater effects observed in children than adults. It is also associated with dysregulation of the HPA axis. Considering the effects of the glucocorticoid receptor (NR3C1) in neurophysiology, we hypothesize that the blurred relationships between brain structures and ADHD in adults could be partly explained by NR3C1 gene variation. Structural T1-weighted images were acquired on a 3 T scanner (N = 166). Large-scale genotyping was performed, and it was followed by quality control and pruning procedures, which resulted in 48 independent NR3C1 gene variants analyzed. After a stringent Bonferroni correction, two SNPs (rs2398631 and rs72801070) moderated the association between ADHD and accumbens and amygdala volumes in adults. The significant SNPs that interacted with ADHD appear to have a role in gene expression regulation, and they are in linkage disequilibrium with NR3C1 variants that present well-characterized physiological functions. The literature-reported associations of ADHD with accumbens and amygdala were only observed for specific NR3C1 genotypes. Our findings reinforce the influence of the NR3C1 gene on subcortical volumes and ADHD. They suggest a genetic modulation of the effects of a pivotal HPA axis component in the neuroanatomical features of ADHD.

Study on supplemental test to improve the detection of bovine tuberculosis in individual animals and herds.

BACKGROUND: Bovine tuberculosis (bTB), is a worldwide disease caused by Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis). The success of bTB eradication and control programs is based on early detection and the removal of reactors from a herd thus routine testing and cull strategy have been applied globally. Since the late nineteenth century, the Tuberculin Skin Test (TST) has been the primary antemortem test available to support bTB eradication campaigns. Due to the TST limitations in terms of Se and Sp, the credibility of the diagnosis is frequently questioned given the occurrence of false-positive and false-negative reactions, therefore, it is necessary to confirm reactive animals using other methods, ensuring the reliability of the diagnosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of a multiplex enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) relative to the tuberculin test used for the diagnosis of tuberculosis in cattle in Brazil. RESULTS: Lack of agreement between comparative cervical tuberculin test and ELISA IDEXX TM was observed. The 2 animals positive on the comparative cervical tuberculin test did not react at the ELISA IDEXX TM and 22 negative reactors by comparative cervical tuberculin test were positive by the ELISA IDEXX TM. The ELISA IDEXX TM showed sensitivity that is significantly lower than the official screening test the single cervical tuberculin. ELISA IDEXX TM also detected infected animals and herds undetected by the comparative cervical tuberculin test. The parallel use of comparative cervical tuberculin test and ELISA IDEXX TM increased sensitivity and the feasibility bTB screening. CONCLUSIONS: The results obtained here suggest that the ELISA IDEXX TM may be a supplemental test for the detection of Mycobacterium bovis infection in regions without routine testing and slaughter, where the disease generally progresses to more advanced stages and antibody responses are likely to be more prevalent. Evidence to support the validation of the ELISA IDEXX™ as a supplemental test for bTB eradication programs was provided.

The importance on the use of active methods when teaching human morphophysiology.

Traditional didactic methods have not been successful in promoting independent and reflective students. Thus new teaching techniques are essential to optimize the way students learn. This study aimed to evaluate the perception of students, from the Faculty of Ceilandia, University of Brasília (FCE/UnB), about the active method "inverted class," which has as its primary characteristic to stimulate the student to study and research the contents before the theoretical classes or explanation of the teacher. To this end, 64 students of the summer course participated in the Flipped Classroom and later evaluated the discipline method. Initially, they received a script with clinical questions about the class's content, which should be discussed and answered about the basic, clinical, and practical application concepts. To evaluate the didactic method applied, on the last day of class, the summer class students were invited to answer a survey about satisfaction when learning the contents. For 98% of the students, the teaching method used was approved. It is also emphasized that this class had 48 repeating students, unmotivated with the course because, for many, they declared themselves unable to be approved. Given the success of the method, we decided to apply it throughout 2018, so the method was applied to over 180 students of FCE/UnB health courses. In short, it is considered that the results presented here to support other studies that highlight the need for changes in traditional teaching methods, which is a didactic option in undergraduate courses.

Feeding strategies to optimize vanillin production by Amycolatopsis sp. ATCC 39116.

The growing consumer demand for natural products led to an increasing interest in vanillin production by biotechnological routes. In this work, the biotechnological vanillin production by Amycolatopsis sp. ATCC 39116 is studied using ferulic acid as precursor, aiming to achieve maximized vanillin productivities. During biotech-vanillin production, the effects of glucose, vanillin and ferulic acid concentrations in the broth proved to be relevant for vanillin productivity. Concerning glucose, its presence in the broth during the production phase avoids vanillin conversion to vanillic acid and, consequently, increases vanillin production. To avoid the accumulation of vanillin up to a toxic concentration level, a multiple-pulse-feeding strategy is implemented, with intercalated vanillin removal from the broth and biomass recovery. This strategy turned out fruitful, leading to 0.46 g L-1 h-1 volumetric productivity of vanillin of and a production yield of 0.69 gvanillin gferulic acid-1, which are among the highest values reported in the literature for non-modified bacteria.

Genomic Epidemiology of 2015-2016 Zika Virus Outbreak in Cape Verde.

During 2015-2016, Cape Verde, an island nation off the coast of West Africa, experienced a Zika virus (ZIKV) outbreak involving 7,580 suspected Zika cases and 18 microcephaly cases. Analysis of the complete genomes of 3 ZIKV isolates from the outbreak indicated the strain was of the Asian (not African) lineage. The Cape Verde ZIKV sequences formed a distinct monophylogenetic group and possessed 1-2 (T659A, I756V) unique amino acid changes in the envelope protein. Phylogeographic and serologic evidence support earlier introduction of this lineage into Cape Verde, possibly from northeast Brazil, between June 2014 and August 2015, suggesting cryptic circulation of the virus before the initial wave of cases were detected in October 2015. These findings underscore the utility of genomic-scale epidemiology for outbreak investigations.

Impact of nanoconfinement on acetylacetone Equilibria in Ordered Mesoporous Silicates.

Nanoconfinement is one of the most intriguing nanoscale effects and affects several physical and chemical properties of molecules and materials, including viscosity, reaction kinetics, and glass transition temperature. In this work, liquid nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) was used to analyze the behavior of 2,4-pentadienone in ordered mesoporous materials with a pore diameter of between 3 and 10 nm. The liquid NMR results showed meaningful changes in the hydrogen chemical shift and the keto-enol chemical equilibrium, which were associated with the pore diameter, allowing the authors to observe the effects of nanoconfinement. An interesting phenomenon was observed where the chemical equilibria of 2,4-pentadienone confined in a mesoporous material with a pore diameter of 3.5 nm was similar to that obtained with free (bulk) 2,4-pentadienone in larger pore materials. Another interesting result was observed for the enthalpy and entropy of the tautomeric equilibria of 2,4-pentadienone confined in mesoporous materials with a 5.5 nm pore diameter being -7.9 kJ mol-1 and -15.9 J mol-1.K. These values are similar to those obtained by dimethyl sulfoxide. This phenomenon indicates the possible use of ordered mesoporous materials as a reaction substitute in organic solvents. It was further observed that while the values of enthalpy (ΔH) and entropy (ΔS) had been modified by confinement, the Gibbs free energy (ΔG) value remained closer to that observed in free (bulk) 2,4-pentadienone. It is expected that this study will help in understanding the effects of nanoconfinement and provide a simple method to employ NMR techniques to analyze these phenomena.