Binding Evolution of the Dengue Virus Envelope Against DC-SIGN: A Combined Approach of Phylogenetics and Molecular Dynamics Analyses Over 30 Years of Dengue Virus in Brazil.

The Red Queen Hypothesis (RQH), derived from Lewis Carroll's "Through the Looking-Glass", postulates that organisms must continually adapt in response to each other to maintain relative fitness. Within the context of host-pathogen interactions, the RQH implies an evolutionary arms race, wherein viruses evolve to exploit hosts and hosts evolve to resist viral invasion. This study delves into the dynamics of the RQH in the context of virus-cell interactions, specifically focusing on virus receptors and cell receptors.

Do the oxidative stress biomarkers predict COVID-19 outcome? An in-hospital cohort study.

In SARSCoV-2 infections, excessive activation of the immune system dramatically elevates reactive oxygen species levels, harms cell structures, and directly increases disease severity and mortality. We aimed to evaluate whether plasma oxidative stress biomarker levels could predict mortality in adults admitted with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), considering potential confounders. We conducted a cohort study of 115 adults (62.

sp. nov.: a New Multidrug-Resistant Species Isolated from a Patient in Brazil.

To increase knowledge on pathogens, we conducted in-depth genomic and phenotypic characterization of a strain isolated from the cerebrospinal fluid of a patient admitted in a neonatal intensive care unit. The strain was identified as a member of the genus based on Vitek 2 system results and 16S rRNA gene sequencing and presented a multidrug resistance profile (MDR). Several molecular and biochemical tests were used to characterize and identify the species for in-depth results.

Assessment of cecal microbiota modulation from piglet dietary supplementation with copper.

Background: Swine production expanded in the last decades. Efforts have been made to improve meat production and to understand its relationship to pig gut microbiota. Copper (Cu) is a usual supplement to growth performance in animal production.

Whole genome sequencing of the multidrug-resistant isolated from a patient in Brazil.

Chryseobacterium indologenes is a non-glucose-fermenting Gram-negative bacillus. This emerging multidrug resistant opportunistic nosocomial pathogen can cause severe infections in neonates and immunocompromised patients. This study aimed to present the first detailed draft genome sequence of a multidrug-resistant strain isolated from the cerebrospinal fluid of an infant hospitalized at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of Brazilian Tertiary Hospital.

Vitamin D deficiency predicts 30-day hospital mortality of adults with COVID-19.

Background & Aims: Several studies have shown conflicting results for the relationship between vitamin D deficiency and COVID-19 outcomes. Here, we aimed to evaluate whether plasma 25(OH)D levels predict mortality in adults admitted with COVID-19, considering potential confounders.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study that included 115 adults (age 62.

Retraction notice to "Use of ivermectin in the treatment of Covid-19: A pilot trial" [Toxicol. Rep. 8 (2021) 505-510].

[This retracts the article DOI: 10.1016/j.toxrep.

A Systematic Immuno-Informatic Approach to Design a Multiepitope-Based Vaccine Against Emerging Multiple Drug Resistant .

is now an important opportunistic pathogen that can cause serious infections in hospitalized or immunocompromised patients. Here, we used extensive bioinformatic analyses based on reverse vaccinology and subtractive proteomics-based approach to predict potential vaccine candidates against . We analyzed the complete proteome sequence of 49 isolate of and identified 5 that were conserved proteins, non-homologous from human and gut flora, extracellular or exported to the outer membrane, and antigenic.

Use of ivermectin in the treatment of Covid-19: A pilot trial.

Objectives: In this randomized open-label trial pilot study we assessed the antiviral effects and safety of various doses of ivermectin in patients with mild clinical symptoms of COVID-19.

Methods: Patients were randomly assigned to receive standard of care (SOC) treatment at hospital admission; SOC plus ivermectin 100 mcg/kg; SOC plus ivermectin 200 mcg/kg; or SOC plus ivermectin 400 mcg/kg. The primary assessed endpoint was the proportion of patients who achieved two consecutive negative SARS-CoV-2 RT PCR tests within 7 days of the start of the dosing period.

Zika Virus Impairs Neurogenesis and Synaptogenesis Pathways in Human Neural Stem Cells and Neurons.

Growing evidences have associated Zika virus (ZIKV) infection with congenital malformations, including microcephaly. Nonetheless, signaling mechanisms that promote the disease outcome are far from being understood, affecting the development of suitable therapeutics. In this study, we applied shotgun mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomics combined with cell biology approaches to characterize altered molecular pathways on human neuroprogenitor cells (NPC) and neurons derived from induced pluripotent stem cells infected by ZIKV-BR strain, obtained from the 2015 Brazilian outbreak.

High Prevalence of Multidrug-Resistant Harboring Several Virulence and β-Lactamase Encoding Genes in a Brazilian Intensive Care Unit.

is an important opportunistic pathogen that commonly causes nosocomial infections and contributes to substantial morbidity and mortality. We sought to investigate the antibiotic resistance profile, pathogenic potential and the clonal relationships between ( = 25) isolated from patients and sources at a tertiary care hospital's intensive care units (ICUs) in the northern region of Brazil. Most of isolates ( = 21, 84%) were classified as multidrug resistant (MDR) with high-level resistance to β-lactams, aminoglycosides, quinolones, tigecycline, and colistin.

Codon adaptation biases among sylvatic and urban genotypes of Dengue virus type 2.

Dengue virus (DENV) emerged from the sylvatic environment and colonized urban settings, being sustained in a human-Aedes-human transmission chain, mainly by the bites of females of the anthropophilic species Aedes aegypti. Herein, we sought evidence for fine-tuning in viral codon usage, possibly due to viral adaptation to human transmission. We compared the codon adaptation of DENV serotype 2 (DENV-2) genotypes from urban and sylvatic habitats and tried to correlate the findings with key evolutionary determinants.

NS1 codon usage adaptation to humans in pandemic Zika virus.

Background: Zika virus (ZIKV) was recognised as a zoonotic pathogen in Africa and southeastern Asia. Human infections were infrequently reported until 2007, when the first known epidemic occurred in Micronesia. After 2013, the Asian lineage of ZIKV spread along the Pacific Islands and Americas, causing severe outbreaks with millions of human infections.

Does adaptation to vertebrate codon usage relate to flavivirus emergence potential?

Codon adaptation index (CAI) is a measure of synonymous codon usage biases given a usage reference. Through mutation, selection, and drift, viruses can optimize their replication efficiency and produce more offspring, which could increase the chance of secondary transmission. To evaluate how higher CAI towards the host has been associated with higher viral titers, we explored temporal trends of several historic and extensively sequenced zoonotic flaviviruses and relationships within the genus itself.

Phenotypic and Genotypic Features of a Heidelberg Strain Isolated in Broilers in Brazil and Their Possible Association to Antibiotics and Short-Chain Organic Acids Resistance and Susceptibility.

serovar Heidelberg is a human pathogen also found in broilers. A strain (UFPR1) has been associated with field reports of resistance to short-chain organic acids (SCOA) in broilers in the South of Brazil, but was susceptible to a -based probiotic added in feed in a related study. This work aimed to (i) report clinical symptoms caused by SH UFPR1 in broilers, (ii) study its susceptibility to some antibiotics , and (iii) SCOA ; and (iv) relate these phenotypic observations with its genome characteristics.

Biological and phylogenetic characteristics of West African lineages of West Nile virus.

The West Nile virus (WNV), isolated in 1937, is an arbovirus (arthropod-borne virus) that infects thousands of people each year. Despite its burden on global health, little is known about the virus' biological and evolutionary dynamics. As several lineages are endemic in West Africa, we obtained the complete polyprotein sequence from three isolates from the early 1990s, each representing a different lineage.

Modularity and evolutionary constraints in a baculovirus gene regulatory network.

Background: The structure of regulatory networks remains an open question in our understanding of complex biological systems. Interactions during complete viral life cycles present unique opportunities to understand how host-parasite network take shape and behave. The Anticarsia gemmatalis multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AgMNPV) is a large double-stranded DNA virus, whose genome may encode for 152 open reading frames (ORFs).