Importance of trace elements in the immunometabolic health of people living with HIV/AIDS: a literature review.

Trace elements (TEs) are essential for human health and for maintaining immune responses against potentially aggressive pathogens, such as the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). During the infectious process, the body needs greater amounts of TEs in order to coordinate an efficient immune response to combat the invading agent, a condition that reflects in lymphocyte proliferation and activation of the antioxidant defense system of neutrophils and macrophages. Thus, during the progression phase of a viral infection, immunomodulation of TEs such as iron, zinc, chromium, magnesium, selenium, copper, calcium, and manganese occurs, can lead to immunosuppression and increased oxidative stress.

Nanostructures for Delivery of Flavonoids with Antibacterial Potential against .

Flavonoids are secondary metabolites that exhibit remarkable biological activities, including antimicrobial properties against , a pathogen responsible for several serious nosocomial infections. However, oral administration of these compounds faces considerable challenges, such as low bioavailability and chemical instability. Thus, the encapsulation of flavonoids in nanosystems emerges as a promising strategy to mitigate these limitations, offering protection against degradation; greater solubility; and, in some cases, controlled and targeted release.

Effects of Different Physical Training Protocols on Metabolic Syndrome Indicators and the Activity of Butyrylcholinesterase in Adolescents: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Metabolic syndrome (MS) increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and affects children and adolescents. Butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) is an enzyme associated with obesity. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of different physical training protocols on MS indicators and their relationship with BChE activity.

Sleep, psychological health, and physical activity level in patients with hypertension.

The aim of this study was to compare sleep, daytime sleepiness, and psychological health in physically active versus inactive patients with hypertension. A cross-sectional design included thirty-seven participants (ACTIVE, n = 15; INACTIVE, n = 22). Sleep was assessed by polysomnography, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and a one-week daily sleep diary.

Synthesis of polymeric nanoparticles by double emulsion and pH-driven: encapsulation of antibiotics and natural products for combating Escherichia coli infections.

The design, development, and obtaining of nanostructured materials, such as polymeric nanoparticles, have garnered interest due to loading therapeutic agents and its broad applicability. Polymeric nanoparticle synthesis employs advanced techniques such as the double emulsion approach and the pH-driven method, allowing the efficient incorporation of active compounds into these matrices. These loading methods ensure compound stability within the polymeric structure and enable control of the release of therapeutic agents.

Molecular characterization of the interaction between human IgG and the M-related proteins from Streptococcus pyogenes.

Group A Streptococcal M-related proteins (Mrps) are dimeric α-helical-coiled-coil cell membrane-bound surface proteins. During infection, Mrp recruit the fragment crystallizable region of human immunoglobulin G via their A-repeat regions to the bacterial surface, conferring upon the bacteria enhanced phagocytosis resistance and augmented growth in human blood. However, Mrps show a high degree of sequence diversity, and it is currently not known whether this diversity affects the Mrp-IgG interaction.

Effects of two years of physically active lessons on cognitive indicators in children.

Our purpose was to evaluate the effect of physically active lessons (PAL) on the cognitive performance of children during two years of follow-up. Four classes (second grade of elementary school) were divided into two intervention classes (n = 34) and two control classes (n = 27). Evaluations were performed before the intervention (M1), after 3 (M2) and 9 (M3) months in the 1st year, and 14 (M4) and 18 (M5) months in the 2nd year.

Effects of exercise training on glucocorticoid-induced muscle atrophy: Literature review.

Glucocorticoids (GCs) administration, such as cortisol acetate (CA) and dexamethasone (DEXA), is used worldwide due to their anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, and immunosuppressive properties. However, muscle atrophy is one of the primary deleterious induced responses from the chronic treatment with GCs since it stimulates muscle degradation inhibiting muscle protein synthesis. Animal models allow a better understanding of the molecular pathways involved in this process of gene modulation and production of hypertrophic and atrophic proteins.

Integrative omics identifies conserved and pathogen-specific responses of sepsis-causing bacteria.

Even in the setting of optimal resuscitation in high-income countries severe sepsis and septic shock have a mortality of 20-40%, with antibiotic resistance dramatically increasing this mortality risk. To develop a reference dataset enabling the identification of common bacterial targets for therapeutic intervention, we applied a standardized genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic and metabolomic technological framework to multiple clinical isolates of four sepsis-causing pathogens: Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae species complex, Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes. Exposure to human serum generated a sepsis molecular signature containing global increases in fatty acid and lipid biosynthesis and metabolism, consistent with cell envelope remodelling and nutrient adaptation for osmoprotection.

Pathogenesis, epidemiology and control of Group A Streptococcus infection.

Streptococcus pyogenes (Group A Streptococcus; GAS) is exquisitely adapted to the human host, resulting in asymptomatic infection, pharyngitis, pyoderma, scarlet fever or invasive diseases, with potential for triggering post-infection immune sequelae. GAS deploys a range of virulence determinants to allow colonization, dissemination within the host and transmission, disrupting both innate and adaptive immune responses to infection. Fluctuating global GAS epidemiology is characterized by the emergence of new GAS clones, often associated with the acquisition of new virulence or antimicrobial determinants that are better adapted to the infection niche or averting host immunity.

How Personalization Affects Motivation in Gamified Review Assessments.

Unlabelled: Personalized gamification aims to address shortcomings of the one-size-fits-all (OSFA) approach in improving students' motivations throughout the learning process. However, studies still focus on personalizing to a single user dimension, ignoring multiple individual and contextual factors that affect user motivation. Unlike prior research, we address this issue by exploring multidimensional personalization compared to OSFA based on a multi-institution sample.

Vancomycin Resistance in and .

, and are both common commensals and major opportunistic human pathogens. In recent decades, these bacteria have acquired broad resistance to several major classes of antibiotics, including commonly employed glycopeptides. Exemplified by resistance to vancomycin, glycopeptide resistance is mediated through intrinsic gene mutations, and/or transferrable resistance gene cassette-carrying mobile genetic elements.

Early Cretaceous Ostracoda (Crustacea) from south-central Araripe Basin, Brazil, with descriptions of seven new species.

A systematic study is made of Early Cretaceous (late Aptian/earlyAlbian) ostracod assemblages from the Santo Antnio section. This section is characterized by sediment belonging to the post-rift sedimentary sequence of the Romualdo Formation in the southern-central region of the Araripe Basin, Brazil and represents on of the first marine ingression in the interior of the continent, during the beginning of the formation of the Atlantic Ocean. The Santo Antonio section presents ostracods in greater diversity than previously known.

Streptococcus pyogenes Hijacks Host Glutathione for Growth and Innate Immune Evasion.

The nasopharynx and the skin are the major oxygen-rich anatomical sites for colonization by the human pathogen Streptococcus pyogenes (group A Streptococcus [GAS]). To establish infection, GAS must survive oxidative stress generated during aerobic metabolism and the release of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by host innate immune cells. Glutathione is the major host antioxidant molecule, while GAS is glutathione auxotrophic.

Neurodegenerative Disease Treatment Drug PBT2 Breaks Intrinsic Polymyxin Resistance in Gram-Positive Bacteria.

Gram-positive bacteria do not produce lipopolysaccharide as a cell wall component. As such, the polymyxin class of antibiotics, which exert bactericidal activity against Gram-negative pathogens, are ineffective against Gram-positive bacteria. The safe-for-human-use hydroxyquinoline analog ionophore PBT2 has been previously shown to break polymyxin resistance in Gram-negative bacteria, independent of the lipopolysaccharide modification pathways that confer polymyxin resistance.

An ionophore breaks the multi-drug-resistance of .

Within intensive care units, multi-drug resistant outbreaks are a frequent cause of ventilator-associated pneumonia. During the on-going COVID-19 pandemic, patients who receive ventilator support experience a 2-fold increased risk of mortality when they contract a secondary pulmonary infection. In our recent paper (De Oliveira (2022), Mbio, doi: 10.

Active Vegetarians Show Better Lower Limb Strength and Power than Active Omnivores.

Vegetarian diets have become popular among athletes and active individuals and can have advantages for physical performance, but the results are still conflicting regarding muscle strength and power. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diet and physical performance of vegetarians through tests of dynamic, isometric, and relative strength; muscle power; and aerobic capacity. In this cross-sectional study, 32 vegetarians and 26 omnivores, who were physically active, were evaluated for the Healthy Eating Index and performance tested back squat, handgrip strength, isometric deadlift strength, jump with countermovement, and maximum aerobic speed (MAS).

Dysregulation of Streptococcus pneumoniae zinc homeostasis breaks ampicillin resistance in a pneumonia infection model.

Streptococcus pneumoniae is the primary cause of community-acquired bacterial pneumonia with rates of penicillin and multidrug-resistance exceeding 80% and 40%, respectively. The innate immune response generates a variety of antimicrobial agents to control infection, including zinc stress. Here, we characterize the impact of zinc intoxication on S.

Rescuing Tetracycline Class Antibiotics for the Treatment of Multidrug-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii Pulmonary Infection.

Acinetobacter baumannii causes high mortality in ventilator-associated pneumonia patients, and antibiotic treatment is compromised by multidrug-resistant strains resistant to β-lactams, carbapenems, cephalosporins, polymyxins, and tetracyclines. Among COVID-19 patients receiving ventilator support, a multidrug-resistant A. baumannii secondary infection is associated with a 2-fold increase in mortality.

The antimicrobial and immunomodulatory effects of Ionophores for the treatment of human infection.

Ionophores are a diverse class of synthetic and naturally occurring ion transporter compounds which demonstrate both direct and in-direct antimicrobial properties against a broad panel of bacterial, fungal, viral and parasitic pathogens. In addition, ionophores can regulate the host-immune response during communicable and non-communicable disease states. Although the clinical use of ionophores such as Amphotericin B, Bedaquiline and Ivermectin highlight the utility of ionophores in modern medicine, for many other ionophore compounds issues surrounding toxicity, bioavailability or lack of in vivo efficacy studies have hindered clinical development.

Strengths and caveats of identifying resistance genes from whole genome sequencing data.

Introduction: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) continues to present major challenges to modern healthcare. Recent advances in whole-genome sequencing (WGS) have made the rapid molecular characterization of AMR a realistic possibility for diagnostic laboratories; yet major barriers to clinical implementation exist.

Areas Covered: We describe and compare short- and long-read sequencing platforms, typical components of bioinformatics pipelines, tools for AMR gene detection and the relative merits of read- or assembly-based approaches.

Repurposing a neurodegenerative disease drug to treat Gram-negative antibiotic-resistant bacterial sepsis.

The emergence of polymyxin resistance in carbapenem-resistant and extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing bacteria is a critical threat to human health, and alternative treatment strategies are urgently required. We investigated the ability of the hydroxyquinoline analog ionophore PBT2 to restore antibiotic sensitivity in polymyxin-resistant, ESBL-producing, carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative human pathogens. PBT2 resensitized , , , and to last-resort polymyxin class antibiotics, including the less toxic next-generation polymyxin derivative FADDI-287, in vitro.