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In microbiology, identification of all isolates by sequencing is still unfeasible in small research laboratories. Therefore, many yeast diversity studies follow a screening procedure consisting of clustering the yeast isolates using MSP-PCR fingerprinting, followed by identification of one or a few selected representatives of each cluster by sequencing. Although this procedure has been widely applied in the literature, it has not been properly validated. We evaluated a standardized protocol using MSP-PCR fingerprinting with the primers (GTG)5 and M13 for the discrimination of wine associated yeasts in South Brazil. Two datasets were used: yeasts isolated from bottled wines and vineyard environments. We compared the discriminatory power of both primers in a subset of 16 strains, choosing the primer (GTG)5 for further evaluation. Afterwards, we applied this technique to 245 strains, and compared the results with the identification obtained by partial sequencing of the LSU rRNA gene, considered as the gold standard. An array matrix was constructed for each dataset and used as input for clustering with two methods (hierarchical dendrograms and QAPGrid layout). For both yeast datasets, unrelated species were clustered in the same group. The sensitivity score of (GTG)5 MSP-PCR fingerprinting was high, but specificity was low. As a conclusion, the yeast diversity inferred in several previous studies may have been underestimated and some isolates were probably misidentified due to the compliance to this screening procedure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sporotrichosis is a subacute or chronic mycosis caused worldwide by the dimorphic species complex, Sporothrix schenckii. We studied 85 isolates recovered in Brazil to verify their identification and evaluate their in vitro antifungal susceptibility patterns. Based on phenotypic tests (microscopic features, ability to grow at 30°C and 37°C, colony diameters, as well as assimilation of sucrose and raffinose) and molecular assays (amplification of a fragment of the calmodulin gene), the strains were identified as S. schenckii, S. brasiliensis and S. globosa, with a predominance of S. schenckii isolates. There was 37.7% disagreement between the phenotypic and genotypic identification methodologies. In general, terbinafine was the most active drug, followed by ketoconazole and itraconazole, and the less active fluconazole and voriconazole. Five isolates (one S. globosa and four S. schenckii) were found to be itraconazole-resistant strains but, in general, there were no differences in the in vitro antifungal susceptibility profiles among the Sporothrix species. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Highlights: [•] Chars from the pyrolysis of mixtures composed by pine, plastics, and scrap tires. [•] Removal of Pb2+ from aqueous medium using chars. [•] Char from mixture of the three raw materials with worst Pb2+ removal performance. [•] Char from mixture composed by tires and plastics more efficient in Pb2+ adsorption. [•] Chemisorption with Ca2+, K+, and Zn2+ exchange on Pb2+ removal by tire derived char. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Brasileira de Biociencias is the property of Revista Brasileira de Biociencias and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Natural Resources (1984-5901) is the property of CBPC - Companhia Brasileira de Producao Cientifica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Peperomia pellucida is popularly known as coraçãozinho in the Brazilian northeast and is used in the treatment of abscesses, furuncles, and conjunctivitis. Our work aimed to determine the term of the development stages and the species cycle in the four seasons of the year (complete development, beginning of bloom, complete bloom, and seed set), verifying the plant's therapeutic profile during the four distinct development phases in order to detect differences in its potency. Pharmacological tests were performed to observe the anti-inflammatory activity. Results: Phenological observations were accessed for a 12 month-period, from the Brazilian summer of 1999/2000 to fall 2000. On average the plantules' emergence occurred 15 days after seeding. All plantules grew in a similar manner up to 25 days after transplantation in all seasons. Starting on the 25th day, we observed faster growth during spring, with plants reaching a height of about 60 cm after 100 days of transplantation, unlike other seasons, in which plants reached heights of 40, 40, and 35 cm during winter, summer, and fall, respectively. The P. pellucida aqueous extract showed significant anti-inflammatory activity during phenophases 1 and 2 of winter and spring. Depending on the plant's phenophase there was variation in the potency of edema inhibition. Conclusion: P. pellucida has a phenological cycle of approximately 100 days. It is recommended that the P. pellucida aqueous extract is used as an antiedematogenic only during phenophases 1 and 2 of winter and spring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The availability of osteoinductive coatings on dental and orthopedic implants will result in an improved fixation of these devices. Those cases where implants are placed in poor-quality bone or where high failure rates are obtained are especially expected to gain from such coatings. This paper presents a novel, biological approach to obtain bioactive and osteoinductive coatings on bone-replacement implant materials. This so-called tissue engineering approach utilizes osteogenic bone marrow cells that are cultured on an implant material to form a bone-like tissue. The implant materials used herein included porous calcium phosphate scaffolds and metallic plates, the latter of which were coated with a biomimetic calcium phosphate coating to facilitate cellular attachment. Bone marrow cells were obtained from a variety of species, including humans, and were grown to facilitate cellular proliferation. The cells were subsequently seeded onto the implants and cultured for an additional week to facilitate osteogenic differentiation and extracellular matrix production. The resulting hybrid implants, encompassing the biomaterial carrier and cultured bone-like tissue, were subsequently implanted subcutaneously in nude mice for 4 weeks, followed by histological examination for de novo bone formation. The results revealed that newly formed bone was seen both in porous implants and on flat metallic surfaces. This bone tissue engineering approach, therefore, offers great potential to enhance bony healing around implants in a compromised bone bed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Brasileira de Terapia Intensiva is the property of Associacao de Medicina Intensiva Brasileira and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objectives: To evaluate physician's opinion and availability to participate in mHealth-related clinical studies with patient recruitment and assessment via telemedicine and to identify characteristics associated with the willingness to participate. Methods: Cross-sectional, observational study, based on an anonymous web survey conducted in May-Jun of 2020 to 237 physicians, from Portugal and Spain that collaborated with an asthma mHealth project (INSPIRERS). Results: Response rate was 51% ( n  = 120). Most (74%, n  = 89) physicians were available to participate in such studies, but 62% anticipated lower recruiting capacity and 40% increased difficulty in obtaining quality data. Physicians aged ≤40 years, from secondary care (vs. general practitioners) and that used apps in personal life or clinical practice were more likely to be available. Conclusions: Three-quarters of the physicians were available to participate in mHealth-related clinical studies with patient recruitment and assessment through telemedicine. Age group, medical specialty, and app use were associated with the willingness to participate.

Background: Adherence to medication is crucial to improve clinical outcomes in patients with heart failure (HF). However, at least 1 out of 4 patients is nonadherent to his or her medication. Several studies have quantified medication adherence in HF patients, monitoring only 1 drug with the Medication Event Monitoring System (MEMS). Some authors have argued that monitoring 1 drug reflects the whole adherence behavior, although there is some evidence of important differences in adherence to distinct drug classes. Furthermore, medication characteristics could be a relevant predictor of adherence, and different drugs could pose different barriers to patients., Objectives: To (a) quantify medication adherence to angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI), beta blockers, and loop diuretics and (b) compare the agreement in adherence among drug classes in chronic HF., Methods: Medication adherence to 3 different drugs was monitored using MEMS in 63 patients (81% male, mean age 63.5 years). Medication adherence was measured as the percentage of prescribed doses effectively taken. Patients were considered to be adherent when at least 88% of prescribed doses were taken. Adherence agreement between drug classes was analyzed with Bland-Altman plots and Kappa coefficients. , Results: The mean adherence was 97.3% for ACEI, 97.2% for beta blockers, and 96.0% for loop diuretics. Individual patients did not adhere equally to all drug classes, with differences within the same patient ranging from -35% to 33%. The proportion of patients classified as adherent was 77.8% to ACEI, 69.8% to beta blockers, and 69.8% to loop diuretics. The agreement between each of 2 drugs regarding adherence was substantial (beta blocker vs. ACEI: K = 0.72; beta blocker vs. diuretic: K = 0.62; ACEI vs. diuretic: K = 0.72). If patients were classified as adherent and nonadherent based only on 1 drug, 20% of patients would be misclassified regarding the other drugs. , Conclusions: Patients can adhere differently to medication used in HF treatment, with lowest adherence to loop diuretic and beta blockers and highest adherence to ACEI. Studies measuring medication adherence should always specify the drug class being analyzed and should not mix different drug classes to generalize about adherence behavior.

Chromoblastomycosis is a chronic cutaneous and subcutaneous mycosis. The management of this infection continues to be challenging because there is no consensus on the therapeutic regimen. We report here a case of a 69-year-old male patient with cauliflower-like lesions on his left leg and foot. He had already been treated with itraconazole at a dose of 200 mg/day for 5 months, with mycological cure for all the affected areas. However, the lesions relapsed at both sites, and treatment with itraconazole was resumed at the dose previously used. Initially, direct mycological examination, cultural, and microculture slide observation were performed. Afterward, sequencing of the ITS1-5.8S rDNA-ITS2 region of the fungal DNA and evaluation of its susceptibility to antifungal agents alone and in combination were performed. In direct mycological examination, the presence of sclerotic cells was verified, and the fungus was identified as Fonsecaea based on cultural and microscopic examinations. Identification as Fonsecaea monophora was confirmed after sequencing of the ITS region and phylogenetic analysis. The isolate was susceptible to itraconazole and terbinafine. The combinations of amphotericin B and terbinafine and terbinafine and voriconazole were synergistic. The use of drugs for which the causative agent is susceptible to singly or in combination may be an alternative for the treatment of mycosis. Furthermore, the identification of the agent by molecular techniques is important for epidemiological purposes. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of relapsed chromoblastomycosis caused by F. monophora in Brazil.

The objective of this study was to identify the symptoms related to the overall health status associated with shift work in nursing and relate it to the quality of sleep. The study was performed at Hospital da Irmandade da Santa Casa in Poços de Caldas, Minas Gerais State. The participants were 136 nursing professionals, of an average age of 33.1 years, divided into the following categories: nurse (8.1%); nurse technician (80.9%); and nursing aides working the day and night shifts (11%). The health symptoms were identified based on the Overall Health Status Inventory, and quality of sleep was evaluated based on sleep logs. The Chi-Square test showed statistical significance (p=0.021) for the presence of flatulence and abdominal distension during the night shift. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that subjects working the day shift who experienced symptoms of poor digestion (sometimes or always) and irritability (always) had a poorer quality of sleep.

The genus Citrus is well-known for its economic importance and complex taxonomy. Only three to six Citrus taxa are considered true biological species, among them is Citrus medica, the citron. Previous studies based on chromomycin A3 (CMA)/4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole staining showed that the citron has a homomorphic karyotype, consisting of four distinct chromosome types according to the CMA(+) heterochromatin distribution. Based on the pattern of CMA(+) bands and the hybridization of 25 bacterial artificial chromosomes (BACs) from a genomic library of Poncirus trifoliata, a closely related species to the genus Citrus, we were able to identify each chromosome pair and build a comparative cytogenetic map for C. medica. The data showed a high degree of sequence conservation between these genera, enabling heterologous hybridization of BACs, and the establishment of chromosomal homeologies. It was thus possible to visualize changes in the position of some BACs in relation to CMA(+) bands. Since no breakdown of synteny was observed between these species, expansions and contractions in repetitive DNA sequences seem to be the major driving force of chromosomal evolution since the separation of these two genera.

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are responsible for the life-long production of the blood system and are pivotal cells in hematologic transplantation therapies. During mouse and human development, the first HSCs are produced in the aorta-gonad-mesonephros region. Subsequent to this emergence, HSCs are found in other anatomical sites of the mouse conceptus. While the mouse placenta contains abundant HSCs at midgestation, little is known concerning whether HSCs or hematopoietic progenitors are present and supported in the human placenta during development. In this study we show, over a range of developmental times including term, that the human placenta contains hematopoietic progenitors and HSCs. Moreover, stromal cell lines generated from human placenta at several developmental time points are pericyte-like cells and support human hematopoiesis. Immunostaining of placenta sections during development localizes hematopoietic cells in close contact with pericytes/perivascular cells. Thus, the human placenta is a potent hematopoietic niche throughout development.

The preparation, characterization, and in vitro bone marrow cell culturing on porous PEOT/PBT copolymer scaffolds are described. These scaffolds are meant for use in bone tissue engineering. Previous research has shown that PEOT/PBT copolymers showed in vivo degradation, calcification, and bone bonding. Despite this, several of these copolymers do not support bone marrow cell growth in vitro. Surface modification, such as gas-plasma treatment, is needed to improve the in vitro cell attachment. Porous structures were prepared using a freeze-drying and a salt-leaching technique, the latter one resulting in highly porous interconnected structures of large pore size. Gas-plasma treatment with CO(2) generated a surface throughout the entire structure that enabled bone marrow cells to attach. The amount of DNA was determined as a measure for the amount of cells present on the scaffolds. No significant effect of pore size on the amount of DNA present was seen for scaffolds with pore sizes between 250-1000 microm. Light microscopy data showed cells in the center of the scaffolds, more cells were observed in the scaffolds of 425-500 microm and 500-710 microm pore size compared to the ones with 250-425 microm and 710-1000 microm pores., (Copyright 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res 64A: 291-300, 2003)

Background: Peperomia pellucida is popularly known as coraçãozinho in the Brazilian northeast and is used in the treatment of abscesses, furuncles, and conjunctivitis. Our work aimed to determine the term of the development stages and the species cycle in the four seasons of the year (complete development, beginning of bloom, complete bloom, and seed set), verifying the plant's therapeutic profile during the four distinct development phases in order to detect differences in its potency. Pharmacological tests were performed to observe the anti-inflammatory activity., Results: Phenological observations were accessed for a 12 month-period, from the Brazilian summer of 1999/2000 to fall 2000. On average the plantules' emergence occurred 15 days after seeding. All plantules grew in a similar manner up to 25 days after transplantation in all seasons. Starting on the 25th day, we observed faster growth during spring, with plants reaching a height of about 60 cm after 100 days of transplantation, unlike other seasons, in which plants reached heights of 40, 40, and 35 cm during winter, summer, and fall, respectively. The P. pellucida aqueous extract showed significant anti-inflammatory activity during phenophases 1 and 2 of winter and spring. Depending on the plant's phenophase there was variation in the potency of edema inhibition., Conclusion: P. pellucida has a phenological cycle of approximately 100 days. It is recommended that the P. pellucida aqueous extract is used as an antiedematogenic only during phenophases 1 and 2 of winter and spring.