Impaired signaling pathways on Berardinelli-Seip congenital lipodystrophy macrophages during Leishmania infantum infection.

Berardinelli-Seip congenital lipodystrophy (CGL), a rare autosomal recessive disorder, is characterized by a lack of adipose tissue. Infections are one of the major causes of CGL individuals' premature death. The mechanisms that predispose to infections are poorly understood. We used Leishmania infantum as an in vitro model of intracellular infection to explore mechanisms underlying the CGL infection processes, and to understand the impact of host mutations on Leishmania survival, since this pathogen enters macrophages through specialized membrane lipid domains. The transcriptomic profiles of both uninfected and infected monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs) from CGL (types 1 and 2) and controls were studied. MDMs infected with L. infantum showed significantly downregulated expression of genes associated with infection-response pathways (MHC-I, TCR-CD3, and granzymes). There was a transcriptomic signature in CGL cells associated with impaired membrane trafficking and signaling in response to infection, with concomitant changes in the expression of membrane-associated genes in parasites (e.g. δ-amastins). We identified pathways suggesting the lipid storage dysfunction led to changes in phospholipids expression and impaired responses to infection, including immune synapse (antigen presentation, IFN-γ signaling, JAK/STAT); endocytosis; NF-kappaB signaling; and phosphatidylinositol biosynthesis. In summary, lipid metabolism of the host plays an important role in determining antigen presentation pathways.

Towards an inclusive digital literacy: An experimental intervention study in a rural area of Brazil.

About half of the world's population remains without access to internet in an era of digital transformation. In this study, we aimed to investigate the impact of implementing the use of logic and mathematics through digital literacy on a population of elementary school students in a town in Northeast Brazil. In a non-randomized experimental longitudinal intervention study, 5th-grade students were followed during one semester. They underwent observational testing during class with the use of scales to evaluate their activities in a digital environment, and they were evaluated with respect to their ability to use digital devices. A logic/math assessment was applied prior to and at the end of the course for intervention group and compared to a control group. Questionnaires were used to assess the educators', legal guardians' and students' perceptions on digital habits and their respective sociodemographic features. The intervention consisted of a 16-h long course developed consisting of 8 2-h long classes which focused on digital technology, digital culture, and computational thinking. The students had a strong interest in the classes. Although some students did not have prior contact with computers, their development was outstanding. Digital literacy competencies and technology-use behavior increased throughout the semester independent of family income and use of digital devices at home. Students progressively improved their interaction with the computer (e.g. touchpad and typing skills) and their confidence in the digital environment. Students' scores on the logic/math assessment showed significant improvement. This was not observed in the control group, demonstrating the importance of this type of intervention even with one provided by a 16-h course. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10639-021-10711-z.

Infecção do sítio cirúrgico após cesariana em uma maternidade de Manaus, Brasil: a importância do uso racional da antibioticoterapia / Surgical site infection after cesarean section in a maternity hospital in Manaus, Brazil: the importance of rational antibiotic therapy

Objetivo: Descrever o perfil epidemiológico e microbiológico das puérperas com diagnóstico de infecção após cesárea, caracterizando as infecções de sítio cirúrgico e o tratamento. Métodos: Coorte prospectiva de parturientes submetidas a parto cesáreo em maternidade pública de Manaus, Amazonas, Brasil, com diagnóstico de infecção de sítio cirúrgico, entre 1º de julho de 2019 e 30 de abril de 2020. Foram coletados dados epidemiológicos. Para a investigação do perfil microbiológico, foi realizada a identificação da cultura a partir da secreção da infecção do sítio cirúrgico e do antibiograma das culturas. Resultados: Um total de 81 pacientes foi diagnosticado com infecção de sítio cirúrgico durante o período de estudo. A taxa de infecção de sítio cirúrgico na maternidade em estudo foi de 6,0%. As pacientes possuíam baixa escolaridade e baixa renda mensal, com ocupações que requerem menor qualificação, sendo a maioria solteira. Entre as pacientes, 70,4% eram obesas e 28,4% apresentaram sobrepeso; 45,6% delas tiveram parto cesáreo de emergência e 29,6% não usaram antibióticos profiláticos. Staphylococcus aureus foi a cultura identificada mais frequentemente e apresentou resistência ao antibiótico mais prescrito: a gentamicina. Conclusão: A taxa de infecção do sítio cirúrgico foi alta durante o período do estudo. Ressaltamos a necessidade de um protocolo eficaz de identificação bacteriana e acompanhamento da puérpera. O conhecimento das características epidemiológicas e microbiológicas pode auxiliar no planejamento dos cuidados realizados pelas instituições de saúde para minimizar os casos de infecção de sítio cirúrgico e suas consequências.(AU)

Objective: To describe the epidemiological and microbiological profiles of puerperal women diagnosed with the infection after cesarean sections, characterizing the surgical site infections and treatment. Methods: Prospective cohort of parturients underwent cesarean delivery at a public maternity hospital in Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil, diagnosed with surgical site infection between July 1, 2019, and April 30, 2020. Epidemiological data were collected. To investigate the microbiological profile, both culture identification from surgical site infection secretion and antibiogram for the cultures were performed. Results: A total of 81 patients were confirmed to have surgical site infection during this study period; The surgical site infection rate in the maternity hospital under study was 6.0%. The patients presented a low level of education and monthly income, with occupations that require lower qualification, and most of them are single. Seventy point four percent of the patients were obese, and 28.4% were overweight. Forty-five point six percent of patients had an emergency cesarean delivery, and 29.6% did not use prophylactic antibiotics. Staphylococcus aureus was the most frequent culture identified from surgical site infection secretion and presented resistance to the most prescribed antibiotic, Gentamicin. Conclusion: The rate of surgical site infection was high during the study period. We highlight the need for an effective bacterial identification protocol and monitoring of puerperal women. Knowledge of epidemiological and microbiological characteristics can assist in the planning of care performed by the health institutions to minimize cases of surgical site infection and its consequences.(AU)

Sex-biased gene expression in the frontal cortex of common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) and potential behavioral correlates.

INTRODUCTION: The common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus), a small New World monkey, has been widely used as a biological model in neuroscience to elucidate neural circuits involved in cognition and to understand brain dysfunction in neuropsychiatric disorders. In this regard, the availability of gene expression data derived from next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies represents an opportunity for a molecular contextualization. Sexual dimorphism account for differences in diseases prevalence and prognosis. Here, we explore sex differences on frontal cortex of gene expression in common marmoset's adults. METHODS: Gene expression profiles in six different tissues (cerebellum, frontal cortex, liver, heart, and kidney) were analyzed in male and female marmosets. To emphasize the translational value of this species for behavioral studies, we focused on sex-biased gene expression from the frontal cortex of male and female in common marmosets and compared to humans (Homo sapiens). RESULTS: In this study, we found that frontal cortex genes whose expression is male-biased are conserved between marmosets and humans and enriched with "house-keeping" functions. On the other hand, female-biased genes are more related to neural plasticity functions involved in remodeling of synaptic circuits, stress cascades, and visual behavior. Additionally, we developed and made available an application-the CajaDB-to provide a friendly interface for genomic, expression, and alternative splicing data of marmosets together with a series of functionalities that allow the exploration of these data. CajaDB is available at cajadb.neuro.ufrn.br. CONCLUSION: The data point to differences in gene expression of male and female common marmosets in all tissues analyzed. In frontal cortex, female-biased expression in synaptic plasticity, stress, and visual processing might be linked to biological and behavioral mechanisms of this sex. Due to the limited sample size, the data here analyzed are for exploratory purposes.

Draft Genome Sequence of the Novel Enterobacter cloacae Strain amazonensis, a Highly Heavy Metal-Resistant Bacterium from a Contaminated Stream in Amazonas, Brazil.

Here, we report the draft genome of the Enterobacter cloacae strain amazonensis, a bacterium highly resistant to mercury that was isolated from a metal- and sewage-contaminated stream in Amazonas, Brazil. The exploration of the 5.0-Mb genome revealed 104 genes encoding resistance to toxic compounds and heavy metals, highlighting the potential biotechnological applications of this strain.