Early Diagnostic Prediction of Infective Endocarditis: Development and Validation of EndoPredict-Dx.

Background: Infective endocarditis is a life-threatening disease with diverse clinical presentations, making diagnosis challenging and requiring a range of complementary tests. The level of suspicion, based on clinical judgment, guides decisions regarding the initiation of empirical treatment and the selection of appropriate diagnostic tools. This study aimed to develop and validate the EndoPredict-Dx score for early prediction of infective endocarditis diagnosis.

A genome assembly of the Atlantic chub mackerel (): a valuable teleost fishing resource.

The Atlantic chub mackerel, (Gmelin, 1789), is a medium-sized pelagic fish with substantial importance in the fisheries of the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. Over the past decade, this species has gained special relevance, being one of the main targets of pelagic fisheries in the NE Atlantic. Here, we sequenced and annotated the first high-quality draft genome assembly of , produced with PacBio HiFi long reads and Illumina paired-end short reads.

Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity of curcumin transdermal gel in an IL-10 knockout mouse model of inflammatory bowel disease.

Inflammatory bowel diseases are a group of inflammatory disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. Their prevalence is still low in Brazil, but the incidence is increasing annually. A variety of compounds present in Curcuma longa L.

Genome-wide association study for resistance to pv. in .

Bacteria halo blight (BHB), a coffee plant disease caused by pv. , has been gaining importance in producing mountain regions and mild temperatures areas as well as in coffee nurseries. Most cultivars are susceptible to this disease.

Vena Cava Filter Misplacement: A Killer Traveler.

Inferior vena cava filter embolization is not uncommon and can reach 11.8%. However, device migration to the heart is not frequent and occurs in cases after inferior vena cava filter fracture.

Clinical trials in cardiac xenotransplantation: Are we ready to overcome barriers?

Heart allotransplantation has become one of the methods of choice in the treatment of severe heart failure. In the face of its difficulties, such as the unmet balance between organ supply and demand, the use of xenotransplantation (XTx) might be an attractive option shortly, even more with the ongoing progress achieved regarding the avoidance of hyperacute rejection and primary organ disfunction, maintenance of xenograft function and control of xenograft growth. To make possible this translational challenge, some points must be taken into account indeed, and they are the equipoise of human benefit and animal suffering, the risk of unknown infections, a well prepared informed consent, ethical and religious beliefs, and the role of cardiac XTx in a ventricular assistance device era.

Mitral Valve Papillary Fibroelastoma as the Cause of Ischemic Stroke in a Young Patient: A Case Report.

BACKGROUND Primary cardiac tumors represent less than 5% of total cardiac tumors. Fibroelastoma is a rare benign cardiac tumor that is usually asymptomatic but is acknowledged for its emboligenic potential for causing cardiac, neurological, and vascular symptoms and increasing patient morbidity and mortality. CASE REPORT This report describes the clinical case of a 27-year-old woman who entered the Emergency Department with motor aphasia and hemiparesis in the right dimidium.

Polyalanine peptide variations may have different mechanisms of action against multidrug-resistant bacterial pathogens.

Objectives: The number of bacterial pathogens resistant to the currently available antibiotics has dramatically increased, with antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) being among the most promising potential new drugs. In this study, the applicability and mechanisms of action of Pa-MAP 2 and Pa-MAP 1.9, two AMPs synthetically designed based on a natural AMP template, were evaluated.

EcDBS1R4, an Antimicrobial Peptide Effective against with In Vitro Fusogenic Ability.

Discovering antibiotic molecules able to hold the growing spread of antimicrobial resistance is one of the most urgent endeavors that public health must tackle. The case of Gram-negative bacterial pathogens is of special concern, as they are intrinsically resistant to many antibiotics, due to an outer membrane that constitutes an effective permeability barrier. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have been pointed out as potential alternatives to conventional antibiotics, as their main mechanism of action is membrane disruption, arguably less prone to elicit resistance in pathogens.

Pro-inflammatory diet is associated with a high number of cardiovascular events and ultra-processed foods consumption in patients in secondary care.

Objective: To evaluate the association of dietary inflammatory index (DII®) with the occurrence of cardiovascular events, cardiometabolic risk factors and with the consumption of processed, ultra-processed, unprocessed or minimally processed foods and culinary ingredients.

Design: This was a cross-sectional study that analysed the baseline data from 2359 cardiac patients. Data on socio-demographic, anthropometric, clinical and food consumption were collected.

Liver transcriptome resources of four commercially exploited teleost species.

The generation of omic resources is central to develop adequate management strategies for species with economic value. Here, we provide high-coverage RNA-seq datasets of liver tissue (containing between 80,2 and 88,4 million of paired-end reads) from four wildtype teleost species with high commercial value: Trachurus trachurus (TTR; Atlantic horse mackerel), Scomber scombrus (SSC; Atlantic mackerel), Trisopterus luscus (TLU; pout), and Micromesistius poutassou (MPO; blue whiting). A comprehensive assembly pipeline, using de novo single and multi-kmer assembly approaches, produced 64 single high-quality liver transcriptomes - 16 per species.

Heyde Syndrome Treated by Conventional Aortic Valve Replacement.

Heyde syndrome manifests as aortic stenosis associated with gastrointestinal bleeding. We describe the case of a 64-year-old man who came to the emergency room due to acute heart failure and intermittent gastrointestinal bleeding. Treatment involves initial correction of anemia and heart failure followed by aortic valve replacement.

Implementation of a Brazilian Cardioprotective Nutritional (BALANCE) Program for improvement on quality of diet and secondary prevention of cardiovascular events: A randomized, multicenter trial.

Background: Appropriate dietary recommendations represent a key part of secondary prevention in cardiovascular disease (CVD). We evaluated the effectiveness of the implementation of a nutritional program on quality of diet, cardiovascular events, and death in patients with established CVD.

Methods: In this open-label, multicenter trial conducted in 35 sites in Brazil, we randomly assigned (1:1) patients aged 45 years or older to receive either the BALANCE Program (experimental group) or conventional nutrition advice (control group).

Synergistic and antibiofilm activity of the antimicrobial peptide P5 against carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

In the search for new antimicrobial molecules, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) offer a viable alternative to conventional antibiotics, as they physically disrupt the bacterial membranes, leading to membrane disruption and eventually cell death. In particular, the group of linear α-helical cationic peptides has attracted increasing research and clinical interest. The AMP P5 has been previously designed as a cationic linear α-helical sequence, being its antimicrobial and hemolytic properties also evaluated.

The Role of 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography in the Diagnosis of Left-sided Endocarditis: Native vs Prosthetic Valves Endocarditis.

Background: 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG-PET/CT) has emerged as a useful diagnostic tool for suspected infective endocarditis (IE) in patients with prosthetic valves or implantable devices. However, there is limited evidence regarding use of 18F-FDG-PET/CT for the diagnosis of native valve endocarditis (NVE).

Methods: Between 2014 and 2017, 303 episodes of left-sided suspected IE (188 prosthetic valves/ascending aortic prosthesis and 115 native valves) were studied.

Selective antibacterial activity of the cationic peptide PaDBS1R6 against Gram-negative bacteria.

Infections caused by Gram-negative bacteria, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa foremost among them, constitute a major worldwide health problem. Bioinformatics methodologies are being used to rationally design new antimicrobial peptides, a potential alternative for treating these infections. One of the algorithms used to develop antimicrobial peptides is the Joker, which was used to design the peptide PaDBS1R6.

Psd2 pea defensin shows a preference for mimetic membrane rafts enriched with glucosylceramide and ergosterol.

Psd2 is a pea defensin with 47 amino acid residues that inhibits the growth of fungal species by an uncharacterized mechanism. In this work, Psd2 interactions with model membranes mimicking the lipid compositions of different organisms were evaluated. Protein-lipid overlay assays indicated that Psd2 recognizes Fusarium solani glucosylceramide (GlcCer) and ergosterol (Erg) in addition to phosphatidylcholine (POPC) and some phosphatidylinositol species, such as PtdIns (3)P, (5)P and (3,5)P, suggesting that these lipids may play important roles as Psd2 targets.

Fast and potent bactericidal membrane lytic activity of PaDBS1R1, a novel cationic antimicrobial peptide.

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are promising candidates for the development of future antibiotics. In an attempt to increase the efficacy of therapeutic AMPs, computer-based design methods appear as a reliable strategy. In this study, we evaluated the antimicrobial efficiency and mechanism of action of a novel designed AMP named PaDBS1R1, previously designed by means of the Joker algorithm, using a fragment of the ribosomal protein L39E from the archaeon Pyrobaculum aerophilum as a template.

Neuropeptide receptors as potential pharmacological targets for obesity.

Obesity is a chronic multifactorial disease, characterized by an excessive accumulation of adipose tissue. It is usually the result of excessive food intake and/or low energy expenditure. Obesity can be triggered by lifestyle, nutritional, genetic, environmental, hormonal and psychological factors.

Antimicrobial Peptides: Effect on Bacterial Cells.

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are one of the most promising alternatives to conventional antibiotics. Atomic force microscopy (AFM), as imaging and force spectroscopy tool, has been applied to study their mechanism of action and development. Here, we describe different methods to be applied in the study of AMP effects on bacteria, either by imaging or by force spectroscopy studies, essential to underlie their action and to identify possibly outcomes of the same.

"": A Draft Genome Assembly, Liver Transcriptome, and Nutrigenomics of the European Sardine, .

Clupeiformes, such as sardines and herrings, represent an important share of worldwide fisheries. Among those, the European sardine (, Walbaum 1792) exhibits significant commercial relevance. While the last decade showed a steady and sharp decline in capture levels, recent advances in culture husbandry represent promising research avenues.

Application of Light Scattering Techniques to Nanoparticle Characterization and Development.

Over the years, the scientific importance of nanoparticles for biomedical applications has increased. The high stability and biocompatibility, together with the low toxicity of the nanoparticles developed lead to their use as targeted drug delivery systems, bioimaging systems, and biosensors. The wide range of nanoparticles size, from 10 nm to 1 μm, as well as their optical properties, allow them to be studied using microscopy and spectroscopy techniques.