Symptomatology and IgG Levels before and after SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Breakthrough Infections in Vaccinated Individuals.

(1) Background: After the COVID-19 pandemic, there is concern regarding the immunity of the population to SARS-CoV-2 variants, particularly the Omicron variant and its sub-lineages. (2) Methods: The study involved analyzing the immune response and symptomatology of 27 vaccinated individuals who were subsequently infected by Omicron sub-lineages. Blood samples were collected for serological analysis, including the detection of IgG antibodies reactive to the Nucleocapsid (N) and Spike (S) antigens of SARS-CoV-2.

Effect of long-term liquid dairy manure application on activity and structure of bacteria and archaea in no-till soils depends on plant in development.

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of long-term liquid dairy manure (LDM) application on the activity and structure of soil bacterial and archaea communities in two cropping seasons over 1 year of a no-till crop rotation system. The experiment was run in a sandy clay loam texture Oxisol, in Brazil, including LDM doses of 60, 120, and 180 m ha year, installed in 2005. Soil sampling was conducted during spring 2018 and autumn 2019 at 0-10-cm depth.

Real-world effectiveness of original BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 against symptomatic Omicron infection among children 5-11 years of age in Brazil: A prospective test-negative design study.

Objective: To estimate original wild-type BNT162b2 effectiveness against symptomatic Omicron infection among children 5-11 years of age.

Methods: This prospective test-negative, case-control study was conducted in Toledo, southern Brazil, from June 2022 to July 2023. Patients were included if they were aged 5-11 years, sought care for acute respiratory symptoms in the public health system, and were tested for SARS-CoV-2 using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction.

The role of NtrC in the adaptation of Herbaspirillum seropedicae SmR1 to nitrogen limitation and to nitrate.

The RNA-Seq profiling of Herbaspirillum seropedicae SmR1 wild-type and ntrC mutant was performed under aerobic and three nitrogen conditions (ammonium limitation, ammonium shock, and nitrate shock) to identify the major metabolic pathways modulated by these nitrogen sources and those dependent on NtrC. Under ammonium limitation, H. seropedicae scavenges nitrogen compounds by activating transporter systems and metabolic pathways to utilize different nitrogen sources and by increasing proteolysis, along with genes involved in carbon storage, cell protection, and redox balance, while downregulating those involved in energy metabolism and protein synthesis.

Hepatic transcriptome, transcriptional effects and antioxidant responses in Poecilia vivipara exposed to sanitary sewage.

Aquatic environments are subject to threats from multiple human activities, particularly through the release of untreated sanitary sewage into the coastal environments. These effluents contain a large group of natural or synthetic compounds referred to as emerging contaminants. Monitoring the types and quantities of toxic substances in the environment, especially complex mixtures, is an exhausting and challenging task.

A new approach to study semi-coordination using two 2-methyl-5-nitroimidazole copper(ii) complexes of biological interest as a model system.

Two novel copper(ii) complexes [Cu(2mni)(HO)](NO)·2HO (1) and [Cu(2mni)(NO)] (2), where 2mni is 2-methyl-5-nitroimidazole, were prepared and characterized in the solid state using single-crystal and powder X-ray diffraction analyses, EPR, electronic and vibrational spectroscopies (FTIR and Raman), and thermogravimetric methods. Both products present an elongated distorted octahedral geometry with axial Cu-O bond lengths of 2.606(14) and 2.

Effects on gene expression during maize-Azospirillum interaction in the presence of a plant-specific inhibitor of indole-3-acetic acid production.

Amongst the sustainable alternatives to increase maize production is the use of plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB). Azospirillum brasilense is one of the most well-known PGPB being able to fix nitrogen and produce phytohormones, especially indole-3-acetic acid - IAA. This work investigated if there is any contribution of the bacterium to the plant's IAA levels, and how it affects the plant.

One-step selective layer assemble: A versatile approach for the development of a SARS-CoV-2 electrochemical immunosensor.

The appearance of new viruses and diseases has made the development of rapid and reliable diagnostic tests crucial. In light of it, we proposed a new method for assembling an electrochemical immunosensor, based on a one-step approach for selective layer formation. For this purpose, a mixture containing the immobilizing agent (polyxydroxybutyrate, PHB) and the recognition element (antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein) was prepared and used to modify a screen-printed carbon electrode with electrodeposited graphene oxide, for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein (N-protein).

BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 against symptomatic Omicron infection following a mass vaccination campaign in southern Brazil: A prospective test-negative design study.

Background: Evidence regarding effectiveness of BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine against Omicron in Latin America is limited. We estimated BNT162b2 effectiveness against symptomatic COVID-19 in Brazil when Omicron was predominant.

Methods: This prospective test-negative, case-control study was conducted in Toledo, Brazil, following a mass COVID-19 vaccination with BNT162b2.

A simple preparation of prestained molecular markers for electrophoresis using inexpensive and readily available proteins.

Protein electrophoresis in polyacrylamide gels in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS-PAGE) is one of the most commonly performed procedures in biochemical laboratories. It requires the use of molecular weight (MW) markers as an internal technical control and to determine the migration rate of a particular protein. In this work, we describe a simple method for preparing "homemade" prestained protein markers using readily available cow's milk and chicken egg white proteins without the need of any major protein purification step, and produce prestained MW markers ranging from 19 to 98 kDa.

20-Month monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater of Curitiba, in Southern Brazil.

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the collapse of healthcare systems and led to the development and application of several approaches of wastewater-based epidemiology to monitor infected populations. The main objective of this study was to carry out a SARS-CoV-2 wastewater based surveillance in Curitiba, Southern Brazil Sewage samples were collected weekly for 20 months at the entrance of five treatment plants representing the entire city and quantified by qPCR using the N1 marker. The viral loads were correlated with epidemiological data.

Acetylene Reduction Assay: A Measure of Nitrogenase Activity in Plants and Bacteria.

Nitrogen is one of the most abundant elements in the biosphere, but its gaseous form is not biologically available to many organisms, including plants and animals. Diazotrophic microorganisms can convert atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia, a form that can be absorbed by plants in a process called biological nitrogen fixation (BNF). BNF is catalyzed by the enzyme nitrogenase, which not only reduces N to NH , but also reduces other substrates such as acetylene.

Extracellular vesicle microRNAs in celiac disease patients under a gluten-free diet, and in lactose intolerant individuals.

Background: Celiac disease (CD) is an autoimmune disorder triggered by an abnormal immunological response to gluten ingestion and is associated with deregulated expression of cellular microRNAs (miRNAs) of the gut mucosa. It is frequently misdiagnosed as lactose intolerance (LI) due to symptom resemblance. Microvilli loss may be counteracted by a rigorous gluten-free diet (GFD).

Infection of SARS-CoV-2 in domestic dogs associated with owner viral load.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-positive pet owners are reported to be a risk factor for infection of their pets; however, the influence of the viral load and associated risks has not been fully established. This study aimed to assess potential association of viral load in owners with the presence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in their dogs. Of 20 SARS-CoV-2-positive pet owners from 13 families in Curitiba, Brazil, 5 of 22 (22.

BNT162b2 against COVID-19 in Brazil using a test-negative design: Study protocol and statistical analysis plan.

Introduction: Real-world data on COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness are needed to validate evidence from randomized clinical trials. Accordingly, this study aims to evaluate, in a real-world setting in Brazil, the effectiveness of Pfizer-BioNTech BNT162b2 against symptomatic COVID-19 and COVID-19-related complications across diverse populations.

Materials And Methods: A test-negative case-control study with follow-up of cases is currently being conducted in Toledo, a city in southern Brazil, following a mass COVID-19 vaccination campaign with BNT162b2.

Novel approach based on GQD-PHB as anchoring platform for the development of SARS-CoV-2 electrochemical immunosensor.

In the present work, we report an innovative approach for immunosensors construction. The experimental strategy is based on the anchoring of biological material at screen-printed carbon electrode (SPE) modified with electrodeposited Graphene Quantum Dots (GQD) and polyhydroxybutyric acid (PHB). It was used as functional substract basis for the recognition site receptor-binding domain (RBD) from coronavirus spike protein (SARS-CoV-2), for the detection of Anti-S antibodies (AbS).

Transcriptomic Response of the Diazotrophic Bacteria Strain PAL5 to Iron Limitation and Characterization of the Regulatory Network.

has been the focus of several studies aiming to understand the mechanisms behind this endophytic diazotrophic bacterium. The present study is the first global analysis of the early transcriptional response of exponentially growing to iron, an essential cofactor for many enzymes involved in various metabolic pathways. RNA-seq, targeted gene mutagenesis and computational motif discovery tools were used to define the regulon.

SARS-CoV-2 Delta and Omicron Variants Surge in Curitiba, Southern Brazil, and Its Impact on Overall COVID-19 Lethality.

Screening efforts and genomic surveillance are essential tools to evaluate the course of the COVID-19 pandemic and assist the public healthcare system in dealing with an increasing number of infections. For the analysis of COVID-19 cases scenarios in Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil, we performed a diagnosis of positive cases, coupled with genotyping, for symptomatic and asymptomatic members of the Federal University of Paraná. We achieved over 1000 samples using RT-qPCR for diagnosis.

Polyoxovanadates as new P-glycoprotein inhibitors: insights into the mechanism of inhibition.

A promising strategy to overcome multidrug resistance is the use of inhibitors of ABC drug transporters. For this reason, we evaluated the polyoxovanadates (POVs) [V O ] (V ), [H V O (PO )] (V ), [V O Cl] (V ) and [V O I] (V ) as inhibitors of three major multidrug resistance-linked ABC transporters: P-glycoprotein (P-gp), ABCG2 and MRP1. All of the POVs selectively inhibited P-gp.

High Genomic Identity between Clinical and Environmental Strains of Suggests Pre-Adaptation to Different Hosts and Intrinsic Resistance to Multiple Drugs.

The genus is widely studied for its ability to associate with grasses and to perform biological nitrogen fixation. However, the bacteria of the genus have frequently been isolated from clinical samples. Understanding the genomic characteristics that allow these bacteria to switch environments and become able to colonize human hosts is essential for monitoring emerging pathogens and predicting outbreaks.

Re-emergence of Gamma-like-II and emergence of Gamma-S:E661D SARS-CoV-2 lineages in the south of Brazil after the 2021 outbreak.

Background: We report a genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 lineages circulating in Paraná, southern Brazil, from March 2020 to April 2021. Our analysis, based on 333 genomes, revealed that the first variants detected in the state of Paraná in March 2020 were the B.1.