Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus haemolyticus Displaying Reduced Susceptibility to Vancomycin and High Biofilm-Forming Ability.

Background: Staphylococcus haemolyticus is one of the most frequently coagulasenegative staphylococci isolated from healthcare-associated infections, mainly those related to implanted medical devices.

Objectives: This study aimed to determine the antimicrobial susceptibility profile and biofilm forming capacity of S. haemolyticus isolated from bloodstream infections.

Nasal Carriage by among Healthcare Workers and Students Attending a University Hospital in Southern Brazil: Prevalence, Phenotypic, and Molecular Characteristics.

Background: can asymptomatically colonize the human anterior nares and skin, and nasal colonization by this bacterium represents a potential risk for development of invasive infections. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of nasal carriage among healthcare workers and students attending a university hospital and to characterize the isolates phenotypically and molecularly.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed with 324 volunteers.

Prevalence of occupational infectious diseases among primary oral health care teams and prevention measures.

Background: The dental surgeon and dental health assistant experience risk situations and must be prepared for the prevention of diseases and accidents at work.

Objective: Evaluating the prevalence of occupational infectious diseases and prevention measures used by the DS and dental health assistants.

Methods: Cross-sectional study carried out with professionals working at the Northwestern region of Rio Grande do Sul.

Health workers: cardiovascular risk and occupational stress.

Background: Work might cause severe physical stress associated with emotional overload, especially among hospital employees.

Objective: To identify risk factors for cardiovascular diseases and occupational stress among employees of a teaching hospital.

Method: Cross-sectional study conducted with 45 employees of a philanthropic health institution in the central area of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

Periodontitis: Genomic instability implications and associated risk factors.

Periodontitis is a bacterial infection characterized by the presence of a dense inflammatory infiltrate, which may result in increased DNA damage and other nuclear/cellular abnormalities. Therefore, it is important to evaluate the periodontal diseases influence on DNA damage and other nuclear/cellular abnomalies formation as cancer risk markers. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the periodontal diseases effect, according to its severity, on the occurrence of DNA damage and other nuclear/cellular abnormalities.

Comparison of HRM analysis and three REP-PCR genomic fingerprint methods for rapid typing of MRSA at a Brazilian hospital.

Introduction: Infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria are increasingly common and represent a serious problem for public health. Staphylococcus aureus is one of the major agents of infections, and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) has spread worldwide.

Coagulase-negative staphylococci in Southern Brazil: looking toward its high diversity.

Introduction: Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) are the most prevalent pathogens in nosocomial infections and may serve as a reservoir of mobile genetic elements such as the staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) encoding methicillin resistance. Molecular characterization of SCCmec types combined with advanced molecular typing techniques may provide essential information for understanding the evolution and epidemiology of CoNS infections. We therefore aimed to investigate the SCCmec distribution, multidrug-resistance (MDR), and biofilm formation in CoNS blood culture isolates from a hospital in Southern Brazil.

Molecular and phenotypic characteristics of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolated from hospitalized patients.

Introduction: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is one of the leading causes of infections acquired in both community and hospital settings. In this study, MRSA isolated from different sources of hospitalized patients was characterized by molecular and phenotypic methods.

Methodology: A total of 123 S.

Purification and characterization of a Kunitz inhibitor from Poincianella pyramidalis with insecticide activity against the Mediterranean flour moth.

This paper describes the characterization of a trypsin inhibitor from Poincianella pyramidalis seeds (PpyTI). The partial sequencing of PpyTI revealed homology to Kunitz inhibitors, clustered as a member of Family I03 in MEROPS database. PpyTI has a single polypeptide chain of 19,042 Da and presents stability at high temperatures (up to 70 °C) and a wide range of pH.

Insecticidal activity of plant lectins and potential application in crop protection.

Lectins constitute a complex group of proteins found in different organisms. These proteins constitute an important field for research, as their structural diversity and affinity for several carbohydrates makes them suitable for numerous biological applications. This review addresses the classification and insecticidal activities of plant lectins, providing an overview of the applicability of these proteins in crop protection.

Adaptive mechanisms of insect pests against plant protease inhibitors and future prospects related to crop protection: a review.

The overwhelming demand for food requires the application of technology on field. An important issue that limits the productivity of crops is related to insect attacks. Hence, several studies have evaluated the application of different compounds to reduce the field losses, especially insecticide compounds from plant sources.

Evaluation of four different DNA extraction methods in coagulase-negative staphylococci clinical isolates.

Currently there are several methods to extract bacterial DNA based on different principles. However, the amount and the quality of the DNA obtained by each one of those methods is highly variable and microorganism dependent, as illustrated by coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) which have a thick cell wall that is difficult to lyse. This study was designed to compare the quality and the amount of CoNS DNA, extracted by four different techniques: two in-house protocols and two commercial kits.

The trypsin inhibitor from Entada acaciifolia seeds affects negatively the development of Mediterranean flour moth, Anagasta kuehniella.

The Mediterranean flour moth (Anagasta kuehniella) is a pest insect that attacks stored foods. The difficulty in controlling this kind of pest promotes the development of alternatives for pest control, among them the use of proteins with insecticide effect. In this work, we evaluated the role of a trypsin inhibitor purified from Entada acaciifolia seeds (EATI) on the A.

Short and long-term antinutritional effect of the trypsin inhibitor ApTI for biological control of sugarcane borer.

Plant-derived trypsin inhibitors have been shown to have potent anti-insect effects and are a promising alternative for the biological control of pests. In this work, we tested the anti-insect activity of Adenanthera pavonina trypsin inhibitor (ApTI) against Diatraea saccharalis larvae, a major insect pest in sugarcane. The addition of 0.

Insensitive trypsins are differentially transcribed during Spodoptera frugiperda adaptation against plant protease inhibitors.

0The fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) is an important pest insect due to high degree of polyphagia. In order to better understand its adaptation mechanism against plant protease inhibitors, bioassays were carried supplementing diet with the Kunitz trypsin inhibitor from Entada acaciifolia seeds (EATI). In vitro assays showed an increase of proteolytic activity in EATI-fed larvae midgut.

Purification of a Kunitz-type inhibitor from Acacia polyphyllaDC seeds: characterization and insecticidal properties against Anagasta kuehniella Zeller (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae).

Anagasta kuehniella is a polyphagous pest that causes economic losses worldwide. This species produces serine proteases as its major enzymes for protein digestion. In this study, a new serine-protease inhibitor was isolated from Acacia polyphylla seeds (AcKI).

Inhibition of biofilm maturation by linezolid in meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis clinical isolates: comparison with other drugs.

Biofilm resistance mechanisms are multifactorial and vary from one organism to another. The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy of linezolid against indwelling device-related meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis (MRSE) biofilm, and compare this with other antimicrobials. MICs, minimum biofilm inhibitory concentrations (MBICs) and minimum biofilm eradication concentrations (MBECs) were determined by the microtitre plate method.

Bacterial skin colonization and infections in patients with atopic dermatitis.

Atopic Dermatitis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease that affects a large number of children and adults. The disease results from an interaction between genetic predisposition, host environment, skin barrier defects, and immunological factors. A major aggravating factor associated with Atopic Dermatitis is the presence of microorganisms on the patient's skin surface.

Rifampicin fails to eradicate mature biofilm formed by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Introduction: Antimicrobial activity on biofilms depends on their molecular size, positive charges, permeability coefficient, and bactericidal activity. Vancomycin is the primary choice for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection treatment; rifampicin has interesting antibiofilm properties, but its effectivity remains poorly defined.

Methods: Rifampicin activity alone and in combination with vancomycin against biofilm-forming MRSA was investigated, using a twofold serial broth microtiter method, biofilm challenge, and bacterial count recovery.

Enhancement of antistaphylococcal activities of six antimicrobials against sasG-negative methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus: an in vitro biofilm model.

This study was designed to evaluate antimicrobial activities against methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus in both sessile and planktonic forms and to detect genes associated with this biofilm phenotype. Minimal biofilm inhibition and eradication concentrations (MBIC and MBEC, respectively) were determined by an in vitro biofilm model, and icaA, atlA, and sasG genes were detected by polymerase chain reaction. Vancomycin and tigecycline presented better biofilm inhibitory activity (MBIC range: 4-8 μg/mL) (P ≤ 0.

High biofilm production by invasive multiresistant staphylococci.

Biofilm-forming staphylococci are known for being opportunistic and invasive pathogens that cause severe disease, mostly catheter-related infections. Early detection and pathogenic strains carrying highly transferable resistance cassettes epidemiology are essential for infection spread control. Hence, this study was designed to evaluate staphylococci biofilm formation and SCCmec typing.

Structural insights regarding an insecticidal Talisia esculenta protein and its biotechnological potential for Diatraea saccharalis larval control.

Talisin is a seed-storage protein from Talisia esculenta that presents lectin-like activities, as well as proteinase-inhibitor properties. The present study aims to provide new in vitro and in silico biochemical information about this protein, shedding some light on its mechanistic inhibitory strategies. A theoretical three-dimensional structure of Talisin bound to trypsin was constructed in order to determine the relative interaction mode.

Practical and theoretical characterization of Inga laurina Kunitz inhibitor on the control of Homalinotus coriaceus.

Digestive endoprotease activities of the coconut palm weevil, Homalinotus coriaceus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), were characterized based on the ability of gut extracts to hydrolyze specific synthetic substrates, optimal pH, and hydrolysis sensitivity to protease inhibitors. Trypsin-like proteinases were major enzymes for H. coriaceus, with minor activity by chymotrypsin proteinases.

Prevalence of extended-spectrum beta-lactamases-producing microorganisms in nosocomial patients and molecular characterization of the shv type isolates.

The emergence of Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamase (ESBL)-producing microorganisms in Brazilian hospitals is a challenge that concerns scientists, clinicians and healthcare institutions due to the serious risk they pose to confined patients. The goal of this study was the detection of ESBL production by clinical strains of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella sp. isolated from pus, urine and blood of patients at Hospital Universitário Santa Maria, Rio Grande Sul, RS, Brazil and the genotyping of the isolates based on bla SHV genes.

[Prevalence of the TEM, SHV and CTX-M families of extended-spectrum beta-lactamases in Escherichia coli and Klebsiella spp at the University Hospital of Santa Maria, State of Rio Grande do Sul].

In this study, the distribution and prevalence of extended-spectrum beta-lactamases belonging to the TEM, SHV and CTX-M families were estimated among samples of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella spp. at the university hospital of Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul. Over a 14-month period, 90 microorganisms were selected as likely ESBL producers.