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Cyntia Camilo Franco Borges Zago,1 Bruna de Freitas Oliveira,1 Giovanna Uehara,1 Ana Laura Carvalho da Silva,1 Laura Penna Rocha,1 Fabiano Bichuette Custódio,2 Liliane Silvano Araújo,1 Crislaine Aparecida da Silva,1 Marlene Antônia Reis,1 Juliana Reis Machado1 1Kidney Research Center-Department of Pathology, Genetics and Evolution, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, Minas Gerais, Brazil; 2Department of Clinical Medicine, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, Minas Gerais, BrazilCorrespondence: Juliana Reis Machado, Kidney Research Center – Department of Pathology, Genetics and Evolution, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, Minas Gerais, Brazil, Tel +55 (34) 3700-6450, Email juliana.patologiageral@gmail.comPurpose: In the kidneys, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus leads to Lupus Nephritis (LN), a form of glomerulonephritis. There is evidence that patients with LN may present activation of specific pathways for podocyte injury. This injury can occur through different mechanisms such as loss of podocyte adhesion to the glomerular basement membrane, cell death or dedifferentiation. Podocyturia with consequent podocytopenia has been described in some nephropathies such as LN, highlighting the importance of studying podocyte injuries in this condition. Evaluating in situ morphological characteristics of podocytes becomes relevant for a better understanding of the processes involved in their pathogenesis. This study investigated podocytes in different classes of LN in renal biopsies performed by the Kidney Research Center at the Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro.Patients and Methods: Twenty control cases and 29 biopsy cases diagnosed with LN were selected, divided according to the histopathological classes of the disease. Podocyte density was assessed through immunohistochemistry for Wilms tumor 1 protein and the evaluation of foot process effacement was performed by transmission electron microscopy.Results: Podocyte density was lower in the LN and this reduction was observed in all analyzed classes when compared to the control group. More foot process effacement was observed in the LN group, with more effacement in classes I/II and class IV compared to the control group. The class IV group showed more foot process effacement than the class III group and presented higher proteinuria levels compared to the classes I/II group. A strong, positive, and significant correlation was observed between the activity index and foot process effacement in the class IV group.Conclusion: Podocytes play an important role in the development of LN, and possibly, injuries to these cells are more closely related to the inflammatory/diffuse proliferative cellular process developed in class IV LN.Keywords: podocyte density, foot processes effacement, activity index, renal biopsy

EOS has been the main storage system at CERN for more than a decade, continuously improving in order to meet the ever evolving requirements of the LHC experiments and the whole physics user community. In order to satisfy the demands of LHC Run-3, in terms of storage performance and tradeoff between cost and capacity, EOS was enhanced with a set of new functionalities and features that we will detail in this paper. First of all, we describe the use of erasure coded layouts in a large-scale deployment which enables an efficient use of available storage capacity, while at the same time providing end-users with better throughput when accessing their data. This new operating model implies more coupling between the machines in a cluster, which in turn leads to the next set of EOS improvements that we discuss, targeting I/O traffic shaping, better I/O scheduling policies and tagged traffic prioritization. Increasing the size of the EOS clusters to cope with experiment demands, means stringent constraints on the data integrity and durability that we addressed by a re-designed consistency check engine. Another focus area of EOS development was to minimize the operational load by making the internal operational procedures (draining, balancing or conversions) more robust and efficient, to allow managing easily multiple clusters and avoid possible scaling issues. All these improvements available in the EOS 5 release series, are coupled with the new XRootD 5 framework which brings additional security features like TLS support and optimizations for large data transfers like page read and page write functionalities. Last but not least, the area of authentication/authorization methods has seen important developments by adding support for different types of bearer tokens that we will describe along with EOS specific token extensions. We conclude by highlighting potential areas of the EOS architecture that might require further developments or re-design in order to cope with the ever-increasing demands of our end-users.

Renal biopsies of 86 patients with lupus nephritis were assessed according to the WHO classification, and according to activity and chronicity indices. The aim of the present study was to correlate clinical, and histological features (WHO class, activity and chronicity indices, and α-SM actin expression) with the progression of lupus nephritis, and identify the pathological role of α-SM actin in lupus nephritis. The median follow-up time was 75.5±57.3 months. Two patients were grouped as WHO class IIa lupus nephritis, eight patients as class IIb, 16 patients as class III, 25 patients as class IV, 15 patients as class V, and 19 patients as mixed pattern lupus nephritis. Sex, age, race, and the α-SM actin expression in glomeruli and tubulo-interstitial area in WHO class III and IV showed no correlation with clinical follow-up outcome of lupus nephritis. Unfavorable clinical outcome of lupus nephritis was correlated with WHO class IV compared to the other classes, and with the chronicity index in WHO class III patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Os estudos sobre fenologia reprodutiva das espécies arbóreas geram conhecimentos que são necessários para definição de estratégias de conservação e manejo florestal. Assim, o presente trabalho teve como objetivo a caracterização da fenologia reprodutiva de espécies para produção de madeira ou lenha em formações secundárias da Floresta Ombrófila Densa. Entre junho de 1998 e julho de 1999, foram avaliados os períodos de floração e frutificação de no mínimo 5 até 41 plantas arbóreas reprodutivas, pertencentes a 19 espécies, em uma área localizada no município de São Pedro de Alcântara, Santa Catarina. As observações fenológicas (floração e frutificação) foram realizadas a cada 15 dias. A proporção de plantas que floresceu e frutificou variou de 5,5 a 80,0% (média de 28,4%), dependendo da espécie. Também, existem diferenças entre espécies em relação ao DAP mínimo para floração, que variou de 5,6 a 21,5 cm. A floração da maior parte das espécies ocorreu no período de outubro a janeiro. A frutificação concentrou-se nos meses de janeiro a março. Além destes fatores, as fenofases reprodutivas também são dependentes do ambiente onde se desenvolvem, razão pela qual muitas espécies estudadas apresentaram períodos reprodutivos diferentes daqueles mencionados para outras regiões. Os resultados deste trabalho reforçam a necessidade de estudos específicos para elaboração de planos de manejo florestal com espécies madeireiras nativas, bem como para definir estratégias de coleta de sementes.

Plantas de Eucalyptus camaldulensis sob quatro níveis de adubação foram estabelecidas em quatro espaçamentos, na região dos cerrados, em Minas Gerais, com o objetivo de avaliar a influência destas variáveis na produção e no acúmulo de biomassa nas plantas. Os espaçamentos foram constituídos por uma distância fixa entre as linhas de 3 m e distância entre as plantas na linha de 2, 3, 4 e 5 m. A adubação consistiu de níveis proporcionais crescentes de uma combinação de fertilizantes denominados 0, 1, 2 e 4. A produção e a alocação de biomassa foram avaliadas aos 20 e 32 meses de idade. Equações de regressão foram ajustadas, utilizando-se dados obtidos aos 32 meses de idade, para estimativa da produção de biomassa da parte aérea e da madeira. A produção média de biomassa da madeira, aos 32 meses, foi 71, 120 e 98% superior nos níveis de adubação 1, 2 e 4, respectivamente, quando comparadas com plantas no nível 0. A adubação promoveu redução na relação raiz/parte aérea, tendo sido 0,87, 0,70, 0,67 e 0,59, para níveis crescentes de adubação. A produção de biomassa da parte aérea e da madeira, por planta, aumentou com o espaçamento entre as plantas, ou seja, maior produção foi obtida no espaçamento mais amplo (3 x 5 m), sendo a produção por unidade de área maior nos menores espaçamentos. A produção de biomassa apresentou comportamento quadrático, tendo as maiores produções, por unidade de área e por planta, sido obtidas entre os níveis de adubação 2,7 e 2,8.

A avaliação do processo de trabalho sobre a saúde de trabalhadores de uma fábrica de cimento, localizada no Estado do Rio de Janeiro, é relatada. A metodologia interativa utilizada, constou de distintas formas de avaliação do ambiente de trabalho através da incorporação de várias instituições, com atribuição na área de Saúde do Trabalhador, de técnicos de diversas formações, do sindicato e da valorização da experiência do trabalhador, contribuindo ativamente no processo de vigilância do SUS. Os níveis de material particulado e de ruído foram medidos. O porcentual médio de sílica livre cristalina encontrado no material particulado, foi de 2%, o que resultou em um limite de tolerância, determinado como especificado na Legislação Brasileira (NR-15), de 2,0mg/m³. A concentração de partículas, tanto em amostras coletadas em nível da zona respiratória dos trabalhadores, quanto às amostras de área, variou de 3,59 a 52,44mg/m³, o nível de ruído situou-se entre 83dB e 110dB. A maioria dos valores encontrados superam o valor limite estabelecido pela Legislação Brasileira. Esses resultados, somados ao registro do olhar dos trabalhadores, revelaram um ambiente e processo de trabalho insalubre, colocando em risco a saúde dos operários.

The aim of the present study was to compare and correlate histologically and electromyographically the effects of partial epineural burying of sural nerve segments in sectioned and sutured rat sciatic nerves. Sixty adult male Wistar rats were operated on 3 groups: Group 1, sural nerve graft, 9mm long, placed next to neurorrhaphy; Group 2, sural nerve graft, 9mm long, buryied 10mm distant from neurorrhaphy; Group 3, sural nerve graft, 18mm long, set next to neurorrhaphy. The morphological features were examined at light microscope after 3 months in 45 rats. The elements observed were: vascularization, vacuoles in nerve fibers, mastocytes and inflammatory infiltrate. The morphometry was made after 6 months in 15 rats from Group 1, 2 and 3, measuring external nerve fiber diameters and counting myelinated nerve fibers/mm². The electrophysiological study was perfomed after 6 months, registering maximum amplitude and frequency of EMG pontentials, at rest, in extensor digitorum longus muscle. Group 3 rats presented sciatic nerves better conserved morphologically and mean external nerve fiber diameters greater than those from Groups 1 and 2. There were no significant differences in density of nerve fibers/mm², and in the electrophysiological study in rats from Group 1, 2 and 3. The epineural burying of sural nerve grafts with greater length and placed next to the neurorrhaphy?s site had a significantly better regeneration of the histological features than the smaller ones distant from neurorrhaphy.

Adiaspiromicose é usualmente diagnosticada em tecido pulmonar corado por hematoxilina-eosina, ácido periódico Schiff e prata-metenamina. Os autores descrevem a morfologia do fungo corado pelo mucicarmim, picro-sírius e vermelho Congo, inclusive à luz polarizada. Tratando-se de diagnósticos duvidosos, essas técnicas poderiam facilitar na diferenciação entre Emmonsia parva var crescens e outros agentes.

Most of the flower-pollinator interactions are based on rewards as pollen and nectar. Our group however, has been focusing on the chemical composition of unusual rewards like floral resins and floral oils. We are now reporting the chemistry of the floraloils of Oncidium pubes which are composed of diacylglycerols and triacylglycerols possessing one or two acetyl residues and one long chain fatty acid. The substitution pattern of some of the diacylglycerols was inferred to be 1, 3 based on spectroscopic analyses and comparison with 3 different synthetic compounds obtained from D-mannitol, oleic acid and acetic acid. The fatty acid residues possess double bond and/or acetoxy group as functional groups. Finally our results provided chemical evidences that pollination of Oncidium pubes is not based upon an attraction-deception system but on floral lipids and this is the first time this has ever been mentioned in the literature.

OBJETIVO: Realizar estudo retrospectivo relativo ao achado de lesões de cisticercose e às localizações mais comumente atingidas em exames usuais de necropsias. MÉTODOS: Foram revistos, retrospectivamente, 1.596 protocolos de necropsias em Uberaba, MG, Brasil, no período de 1974 a 1997, registrando-se: a idade, o sexo, a cor, o índice de massa corporal (IMC) e a localização do cisticerco. RESULTADOS: Encontraram-se relatos de cisticercose em 53 (3,3%) protocolos. A média das idades foi de 50 ± 15,4 anos (variando de 15 a 86 anos), 62,3% eram homens, 64,1% brancos. As localizações encontradas foram: encefálica (79,2%), cardíaca (22,6%), muscular esquelética (11,3%) e outras (5,7%). Não houve diferença estatística das variáveis entre os grupos positivos ou negativos para o diagnóstico de cisticercose. Observaram-se dois casos de neurocisticercose localizados no núcleo ventromedial do hipotálamo. CONCLUSÃO: A ocorrência de cisticercose, bem como a localização cardíaca foram mais freqüentemente encontradas em relação a outros estudos da região. Em dois casos de cisticercose hipotalâmica havia associação com obesidade.

As alterações anatomopatológicas renais foram estudadas em 119 casos de indivíduos com a síndrome da imunodeficiência humana adquirida (SIDA) no Hospital Escola da Faculdade de Medicina do Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba MG. A partir das amostras de rim fixadas em formol, foram confeccionadas lâminas e analisadas ao microscópio de luz. Dos 119 casos estudados, 67 tiveram diagnóstico de nefrite túbulo intersticial (NTI), sendo 18 inespecíficas, 2 xantogranulomatosas e encontrou-se agente infeccioso em 48: fungos em 28 (16 Cryptococcus sp, 9 Histoplasma sp, 1 Candida sp e 2 Paracoccidioides brasiliensis); bactérias em 18 (9 Mycobacterium sp); vírus em 6, Citomegalovírus. Em 43 havia necrose tubular aguda (NTA). Outros diagnósticos foram: nefrocalcinose (15,1%) e hialinose arteriolar (22,7%). Encontrou-se também 2 casos com glomeruloesclerose segmentar focal (GESF) e um caso de hiperplasia mesangial difusa. Houve predomínio da NTI, que pode ser devido às infecções oportunistas, predominando as fúngicas; a toxicidade por drogas ou ainda devido a possível ação direta do próprio vírus. A necrose tubular aguda (NTA), foi a segunda causa em freqüência, de acometimento renal da amostra. Concluiu-se que o envolvimento renal nos pacientes com SIDA apresenta um espectro variado de processos patológicos, principalmente relacionados com infecções oportunistas, o tratamento e os procedimentos para diagnósticos, e ainda as nefropatias associadas ao vírus da imunodeficiência humana (VIH).

Na síndrome da imunodeficiência adquirida (AIDS) pode-se verificar o acometimento da supra-renal por efeito citopático direto pelo HIV, por infecções oportunistas ou neoplasias. Estes achados poderiam variar de acordo com a procedência do paciente, devido às doenças peculiares à região. Neste trabalho avaliou-se o comprometimento da supra-renal em quatorze pacientes que morreram de AIDS no Hospital Escola, em Uberaba. Treze eram do sexo masculino e treze brancos. A idade foi de 29,9 ± 7,8 anos e o índice de massa corporal foi de 19 ± 4,1kg/m2. Os fragmentos de supra-renal obtidos nas necropsias foram analisados em microscópio de luz. Encontramos inflamação em 100% dos casos, identificando-se o agente etiológico em oito (58,1%) casos. O Citomegalovírus foi identificado em sete casos, o Cryptococcus sp e o Herpes simplex em dois e o Histoplasma sp em um caso, estes achados são semelhantes aos da literatura. Em um caso, encontramos calcificação do parênquima e em outro, flebite da veia central. Em alguns casos que apresentavam lesão não foi possível identificar o agente etiológico, talvez em decorrência do efeito citopático direto pelo HIV ou devido a toxicidade das drogas utilizadas no tratamento da AIDS e das infecções oportunistas.

Abstract Background Brain morphometry is extensively used in cross-sectional studies. However, the difference in the estimated values of the morphometric measures between patients and healthy subjects may be small and hence overshadowed by the scanner-related variability, especially with multicentre and longitudinal studies. It is important therefore to investigate the variability and reliability of morphometric measurements between different scanners and different sessions of the same scanner. Methods We assessed the variability and reliability for the grey matter, white matter, cerebrospinal fluid and cerebral hemisphere volumes as well as the global sulcal index, sulcal surface and mean geodesic depth using Brainvisa. We used datasets obtained across multiple MR scanners at 1.5 T and 3 T from the same groups of 13 and 11 healthy volunteers, respectively. For each morphometric measure, we conducted ANOVA analysis and verified whether the estimated values were significantly different across different scanners or different sessions of the same scanner. The between-centre and between-visit reliabilities were estimated from their contribution to the total variance, using a random-effects ANOVA model. To estimate the main processes responsible for low reliability, the results of brain segmentation were compared to those obtained using FAST within FSL. Results In a considerable number of cases, the main effects of both centre and visit factors were found to be significant. Moreover, both between-centre and between-visit reliabilities ranged from poor to excellent for most morphometric measures. A comparison between segmentation using Brainvisa and FAST revealed that FAST improved the reliabilities for most cases, suggesting that morphometry could benefit from improving the bias correction. However, the results were still significantly different across different scanners or different visits. Conclusions Our results confirm that for morphometry analysis with the current version of Brainvisa using data from multicentre or longitudinal studies, the scanner-related variability must be taken into account and where possible should be corrected for. We also suggest providing some flexibility to Brainvisa for a step-by-step analysis of the robustness of this package in terms of reproducibility of the results by allowing the bias corrected images to be imported from other packages and bias correction step be skipped, for example.

Abstract Background The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is a major signaling organelle, which integrates a variety of responses against physiological stresses. In plants, one such stress-integrating response is the N-rich protein (NRP)-mediated cell death signaling pathway, which is synergistically activated by combined ER stress and osmotic stress signals. Despite the potential of this integrated signaling to protect plant cells against different stress conditions, mechanistic knowledge of the pathway is lacking, and downstream components have yet to be identified. Results In the present investigation, we discovered an NAC domain-containing protein from soybean, GmNAC6 (Glycine max NAC6), to be a downstream component of the integrated pathway. Similar to NRP-A and NRP-B, GmNAC6 is induced by ER stress and osmotic stress individually, but requires both signals for full activation. Transient expression of GmNAC6 promoted cell death and hypersensitive-like responses in planta. GmNAC6 and NRPs also share overlapping responses to biotic signals, but the induction of NRPs peaked before the increased accumulation of GmNAC6 transcripts. Consistent with the delayed kinetics of GmNAC6 induction, increased levels of NRP-A and NRP-B transcripts induced promoter activation and the expression of the GmNAC6 gene. Conclusions Collectively, our results biochemically link GmNAC6 to the ER stress- and osmotic stress-integrating cell death response and show that GmNAC6 may act downstream of the NRPs.

Abstract Background We are reporting the first Collagenofibrotic Glomerulopathy (CG) in South America. So, this collagen type III glomerulopathy is not limited to Japan but may be found throughout the world. Case Reports We describe three patients that presented some factors in common, such as sex, age and the presence of non-nephrotic proteinuria associated with microscopic hematuria. The findings with the immunofluorescence microscopy, of immunoglobulins, and components of the complement were usually negative. The picrosyrius staining showed the presence of reddish material in the mesangium, when it was seen under standard microscopy; however, when it was seen with birefringence, it became greenish under polarized light, showed the collagen found in this area of the glomerulus. The identification of CG was made through electronic microscopic scanning, and curved and disorganized fibers were found. Conclusion These cases are the first from South America to be reported, and they are about an idiopathic renal disease that is not related to any specific races or locations. The reports contribute to a better understanding of this disease, which although not so prevalent, should be considered as an importantly differential diagnostic of cases of proteinuria.

Abstract Background Chamydophila pneumoniae (CP) and/or Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) are two bacteria detected in vulnerable atheromas. In this study we aimed to analyze whether CP and/or MP aggravates atherosclerosis induced by cholesterol-enriched diet in C57BL/6 apoE KO male mice. Thirty male apoE KO mice aged eight weeks fed by a diet containing 1% cholesterol until 32 weeks of age were divided into four groups: the first was inoculated with CP (n = 7), the second with MP (n = 12), the third with both CP + MP (n = 5), and the fourth with saline (sham n = 6). The animals were re-inoculated at 36 weeks of age, and sacrificed at 40 weeks of age. Two ascending aorta and one aortic arch segments were sampled. In the most severely obstructed segment, vessel diameter, plaque height, percentage of luminal obstruction and the degree of adventitial inflammation were analyzed. The plaque area/intimal surface ratio was obtained by measuring all three segments. The adventitial inflammation was semiquantified (0 absent, 1 mild, 2 moderate, and 3 diffuse). Results The mean and standard deviation of plaque height, % luminal obstruction, external diameter, the plaque area/intimal surface ratio and the adventitial inflammation values are the following for each group: MP (0.20 +/- 0.12 mm, 69 +/- 26%, 0.38 +/- 0.11 mm, 0.04 +/- 0.04 and 0.22 +/- 0.67), CP (0.23 +/- 0.08 mm, 90 +/- 26%, 0.37 +/- 0.08 mm, 0.04 +/- 0.03, and 0.44 +/- 0.53), MP + CP (18 +/- 0.08 mm, 84 +/- 4.0%, 0.35 +/- 0.25 mm, 0.03 +/- 0.03 and 1.33 +/- 0.82) and sham (0.08 +/- 0.09 mm, 42 +/- 46%, 0.30 +/- 0.10 mm, 0.02 +/- 0.03 and 0.71 ± 0.76). A wider area of plaque/intimal surface was observed in MP + CP inoculated groups (p = 0.07 and 0.06) as well as an increased plaque height in CP (p = 0.01) in comparison with sham group. There was also an increased luminal obstruction (p = 0.047) in CP inoculated group in comparison to sham group. Adventitial inflammation in MP + CP inoculated group was higher than MP, CP and the sham groups (p = 0.02). Conclusion Inoculation of CP, MP or both agents in C57BL/6 apoE KO male mice caused aggravation of experimental atherosclerosis induced by cholesterol-enriched diet, with distinct characteristics. CP inoculation increased the plaque height with positive vessel remodeling and co-inoculation of MP + CP caused the highest adventitial inflammation measures.

Abstract Background Malnutrition in early life is associated with obesity in adulthood and soybean products may have a beneficial effect on its prevention and treatment. This study evaluated body composition, serum leptin and energy balance in adult rats subjected to protein restriction during the intrauterine stage and lactation and recovering on a soybean flour diet. Methods Five groups of the Wistar strain of albino rats were used: CC, offspring born to and suckled by mothers fed a control diet and fed the same diet after weaning; CS, offspring born to and suckled by mothers fed a control diet and fed a soybean diet with 17% protein after weaning; LL, offspring of mothers fed a low protein diet and fed the same diet after weaning; LC, offspring of mothers fed a low protein diet, but fed a control diet after weaning; LS, offspring of mothers fed a low protein diet, but fed a soybean diet with 17% protein after weaning. Food intake, body, perirenal and retroperitoneal adipose tissue were measured in grams. Leptin was quantified using the Enzyme Linked Immuno Sorbent Assay (ELISA) and insulin by radioimmunoassay (RIA). Carcass composition was determined by chemical methods and energy expenditure was calculated by the difference between energy intake and carcass energy gain. Data were tested by analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results The LC and LS groups had higher energetic intake concerning body weight, lower energy expenditure, proportion of fat carcass and fat pads than CC and CS groups. The LS group showed reduced body weight gain and lower energy efficiency, which was reflected in less energy gain as protein and the proportion of carcass protein, and lower energy gain as lipid than in the LC groups, although both groups had eaten the same amount of diet and showed equal energy expenditure. Serum leptin did not differ among groups and was unrelated to food or energy intake and energy expenditure. Serum insulin was higher in the LS than in the LC group. Conclusion Protein restriction during intrauterine life and lactation periods did not provoke obesity in adulthood. Nutritional recovery with soybean diet decreased the body weight at the expense of lower energy efficiency with repercussion on lean mass.

Abstract Background Molecular studies of Bacillus diversity in various environments have been reported. However, there have been few investigations concerning Bacillus in steel plant environments. In this study, genotypic and phenotypic diversity and phylogenetic relationships among 40 bacterial isolates recovered from steel plant waste were investigated using classical and molecular methods. Results 16S rDNA partial sequencing assigned all the isolates to the Bacillus genus, with close genetic relatedness to the Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus cereus groups, and to the species Bacillus sphaericus. tDNA-intergenic spacer length polymorphisms and the 16S–23S intergenic transcribed spacer region failed to identify the isolates at the species level. Genomic diversity was investigated by molecular typing with rep (repetitive sequence) based PCR using the primer sets ERIC2 (enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus), (GTG)5, and BOXAIR. Genotypic fingerprinting of the isolates reflected high intraspecies and interspecies diversity. Clustering of the isolates using ERIC-PCR fingerprinting was similar to that obtained from the 16S rRNA gene phylogenetic tree, indicating the potential of the former technique as a simple and useful tool for examining relationships among unknown Bacillus spp. Physiological, biochemical and heavy metal susceptibility profiles also indicated considerable phenotypic diversity. Among the heavy metal compounds tested Zn, Pb and Cu were least toxic to the bacterial isolates, whereas Ag inhibited all isolates at 0.001 mM. Conclusion Isolates with identical 16S rRNA gene sequences had different genomic fingerprints and differed considerably in their physiological capabilities, so the high levels of phenotypic diversity found in this study are likely to have ecological relevance.

Introduction: Impairments in bottom-up perceptual processing have been associated to the age-related cognitive decline. Digital cognitive training focusing on bottom-up and/or top-down processes have been studied as a tool to remediate age-related cognitive decline. However, the most effective training type and order of application remain unclear., Methods: One hundred and fifteen older adults were randomly assigned to 40 h of bottom-up then top-down or top-down then bottom-up digital cognitive training or an active control group. We evaluated cognition at baseline, after 20 h and 40 h of training and at follow-up using a mixed-model analysis., Results: Global cognition improved, for the top-down group, after 20 h of training (p = 0.04; d = 0.7) and for all three groups after 40 h. The improvement in global cognition remained five months after the bottom-up/ top-down training (p = 0.009; d = 4.0). There were also improvements in the recall cognitive domain, after 20 h of training, for the bottom-up group and, after 40 h, for all three groups. Gains were observed in verbal fluency after 40 h of training for both therapeutic groups. Processing speed was significantly slower, after 20 h of training, for the control and bottom-up groups and, after 40 h, only for the control group. Emotion recognition improved, after 20 h, for the control group as compared to the therapeutic groups., Conclusions: These results indicate that the bottom-up/top-down training has the most endurable effects, which reveals the importance of the order of application of the exercises for gains in cognition in older adults., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health – Fogarty International Center (Grant R03TW009002 to RP); Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (FAPERJ) (Grant E-26/110.305/2014 to RP) and Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) (Grant 400455/2012-9 to RP). Posit Sciences provided the exercises of the intervention groups at no cost. The authors of the current manuscript, declare that the funding received from such agencies did not limit the ability to complete the investigation as planned and publish the results. They had full control of all primary data.We also declare that we have the data available so that Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics can review it, if requested. R.P. is the founder of NeuroForma LTDA, a company with a financial interest in cognitive training. The remaining authors have no conflict of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: In healthcare systems in general, access to diabetic retinopathy (DR) screening is limited. Artificial intelligence has the potential to increase care delivery. Therefore, we trained and evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of a machine learning algorithm for automated detection of DR., Methods: We included color fundus photographs from individuals from 4 databases (primary and specialized care settings), excluding uninterpretable images. The datasets consist of images from Brazilian patients, which differs from previous work. This modification allows for a more tailored application of the model to Brazilian patients, ensuring that the nuances and characteristics of this specific population are adequately captured. The sample was fractionated in training (70%) and testing (30%) samples. A convolutional neural network was trained for image classification. The reference test was the combined decision from three ophthalmologists. The sensitivity, specificity, and area under the ROC curve of the algorithm for detecting referable DR (moderate non-proliferative DR; severe non-proliferative DR; proliferative DR and/or clinically significant macular edema) were estimated., Results: A total of 15,816 images (4590 patients) were included. The overall prevalence of any degree of DR was 26.5%. Compared with human evaluators (manual method of diagnosing DR performed by an ophthalmologist), the deep learning algorithm achieved an area under the ROC curve of 0.98 (95% CI 0.97-0.98), with a specificity of 94.6% (95% CI 93.8-95.3) and a sensitivity of 93.5% (95% CI 92.2-94.9) at the point of greatest efficiency to detect referable DR., Conclusions: A large database showed that this deep learning algorithm was accurate in detecting referable DR. This finding aids to universal healthcare systems like Brazil, optimizing screening processes and can serve as a tool for improving DR screening, making it more agile and expanding care access., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Purpose: Tumors affecting the female genital tract and their treatments have the potential to induce adverse modifications in vaginal health and impact personal aspects of patient's lives. Vulvovaginal atrophy is one of the morphological changes observed in individuals with a history of gynecological cancer, influenced both by the biological environment of tumors and the main therapeutic modalities employed. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to identify approaches to treat vulvovaginal atrophy while assessing the impact on the emotional and sexual health of women diagnosed with gynecological cancers., Methods: To achieve this goal, a systematic review was conducted following the methodological guidelines outlined by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). The databases used for literature research were PubMed and Web of Science., Results: Initially, 886 articles were obtained. After eliminating duplicates and applying inclusion/exclusion criteria, seven articles were selected for analysis. The period of highest publication activity spanned from 2017 to 2020, with the majority conducted in Italy. Five treatment modalities were identified and categorized as vaginal suppository, oral medication, surgical procedure, CO2 laser therapy, and vaginal dilator. Twenty-four outcomes related to vaginal health and 30 outcomes related to overall, sexual, and emotional quality of life were analyzed., Conclusion: In general, all interventions demonstrated the ability to improve vaginal health or, at the very least, the sexual health of patients. Thus, despite limitations, all treatments have the potential to address vulvovaginal atrophy in patients with a history of gynecological cancer., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Fat mass and obesity-related (FTO) gene single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) interferes with food preferences that impact macronutrient intake. Few studies have investigated the relationship of this polymorphisms with the intake of micronutrients. Moreover, studies have shown multiple micronutrient deficiencies in patients with obesity. This work evaluated the effect of the FTO rs9939609 gene polymorphism on dietary nutritional quality and food intake of macronutrients and vitamins in of women with obesity candidates for metabolic surgery. The study included 106 women (24 to 60 years old) with BMIs of 36.1 to 64.8 kg/m 2 . A food frequency questionnaire validated for the local population was applied to obtain information about food intake. The Index of Nutritional Quality (INQ) was used to assess the adequacy of macronutrient and vitamin intake. Energy, protein and lipid intakes were higher in carriers of the A allele compared to TT in the younger age groups but were similar in the class of subjects aged ≥45 years. The INQ for protein was higher in carriers of the A allele than in carriers of the TT allele. The INQs for protein, carbohydrate, vitamins B 2 , B 3 and B 6 decreased, whereas the INQ for vitamin C increased with advancing age. The INQ for vitamin A was lower in AA than in TT, regardless of age, whereas vitamin E was higher in younger AA than in older AA. The INQ for vitamin B 9 was higher in younger women than in older women. In conclusion, the FTO gene contributed to the intake of more energy, protein and lipids and interfered with the intake of vitamins B 9 , A and E. With the exception of vitamin A, the effect of the genotype was attenuated with ageing., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare there are no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Metals are important cofactors in the metabolic processes of cyanobacteria, including photosynthesis, cellular respiration, DNA replication, and the biosynthesis of primary and secondary metabolites. In adaptation to the marine environment, cyanobacteria use metallophores to acquire trace metals when necessary as well as to reduce potential toxicity from excessive metal concentrations. Leptochelins A-C were identified as structurally novel metallophores from three geographically dispersed cyanobacteria of the genus Leptothoe . Determination of the complex structures of these metabolites presented numerous challenges, but they were ultimately solved using integrated data from NMR, mass spectrometry and deductions from the biosynthetic gene cluster. The leptochelins are comprised of halogenated linear NRPS-PKS hybrid products with multiple heterocycles that have potential for hexadentate and tetradentate coordination with metal ions. The genomes of the three leptochelin producers were sequenced, and retrobiosynthetic analysis revealed one candidate biosynthetic gene cluster (BGC) consistent with the structure of leptochelin. The putative BGC is highly homologous in all three Leptothoe strains, and all possess genetic signatures associated with metallophores. Postcolumn infusion of metals using an LC-MS metabolomics workflow performed with leptochelins A and B revealed promiscuous binding of iron, copper, cobalt, and zinc, with greatest preference for copper. Iron depletion and copper toxicity experiments support the hypothesis that leptochelin metallophores may play key ecological roles in iron acquisition and in copper detoxification. In addition, the leptochelins possess significant cytotoxicity against several cancer cell lines.

Objective: To evaluate the profile of patients with diabetic kidney disease (DKD) with and without concomitant diabetic retinopathy (DR) to identify clinical predictors of the development of both complications together., Subjects and Methods: Cross-sectional study including patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes and DKD followed at the endocrinology division of a public hospital in Southern Brazil and referred for retinography assessment. The definition of DR was the occurrence of any diabetes-related damage identified in color fundus photographs under mydriasis. Urinary albumin excretion ≥ 14 mg/L and/or glomerular filtration rate < 60 mL/min/1.73 m 2 (CKD-EPI equation) were used to define DKD. Factors evaluated included the clinical differences of the participants according to the presence or absence of DR. Multiple regression models were used to identify predictors of DR presence according to the clinical characteristics evaluated., Results: The study included 517 patients with DKD, 433 (83.7%) of whom had type 2 diabetes (median age 64.7 years [interquartile range 59-73 years] years, 59.8% women, 83.4% white) and 84 (16.3%) had type 1 diabetes (median age 46.6 years [interquartile range 33.5-54.2 years], 46.4% women, 91.7% white). Patients with type 2 diabetes and DR (versus those without DR) were more often on insulin (odds ratio [OR] 3.63, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.89-7.00), had diabetes for longer (OR 1.04, 95% CI 1.02-1.07), and had higher systolic blood pressure (OR 1.01, 95% CI 1.00-1.02). No predictors of DR presence were identified in participants with type 1 diabetes., Conclusion: Among patients with DKD and type 2 diabetes, insulin use, longer diabetes duration, and higher systolic blood pressure level were associated with the presence of DR., Competing Interests: Disclosure: no potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.