Analysis of the Genomic Features and Evolutionary History of Pithovirus-Like Isolates Reveals Two Major Divergent Groups of Viruses.

New representatives of the phylum have been rapidly described in the last decade. Despite this, not all viruses of this phylum are allocated to recognized taxonomic families, as is the case for orpheovirus, pithovirus, and cedratvirus, which form the proposed family Pithoviridae. In this study, we performed comprehensive comparative genomic analyses of 8 pithovirus-like isolates, aiming to understand their common traits and evolutionary history.

High SARS-CoV-2 tropism and activation of immune cells in the testes of non-vaccinated deceased COVID-19 patients.

Background: Cellular entry of SARS-CoV-2 has been shown to rely on angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors, whose expression in the testis is among the highest in the body. Additionally, the risk of mortality seems higher among male COVID-19 patients, and though much has been published since the first cases of COVID-19, there remain unanswered questions regarding SARS-CoV-2 impact on testes and potential consequences for reproductive health. We investigated testicular alterations in non-vaccinated deceased COVID-19-patients, the precise location of the virus, its replicative activity, and the immune, vascular, and molecular fluctuations involved in the pathogenesis.

Ultrastructural analysis of monkeypox virus replication in Vero cells.

In early May 2022, the first worldwide monkeypox virus (MPXV) outbreak was reported, with different clinical aspects from previously studied human monkeypox infections. Despite monkeypox medical importance, much of its biological aspects remain to be further investigated. In the present work, we evaluated ultrastructural aspects of MPXV asynchronous infections in Vero cells by transmission electron microscopy (TEM).

Comparative Analysis of Transcriptional Regulation Patterns: Understanding the Gene Expression Profile in .

The nucleocytoplasmic large DNA viruses (NCLDV) possess unique characteristics that have drawn the attention of the scientific community, and they are now classified in the phylum . They are characterized by sharing many genes and have their own transcriptional apparatus, which provides certain independence from their host's machinery. Thus, the presence of a robust transcriptional apparatus has raised much discussion about the evolutionary aspects of these viruses and their genomes.

Dengue virus 3 genotype I shows natural changes in heparan sulphate binding sites, cell interactions, and neurovirulence in a mouse model.

Dengue virus (DENV) is the most prevalent pathogen of the family. Due to the considerable increase in DENV incidence and spread, symptoms such as CNS involvement have increased. Heparan sulphate (HS) was the first molecule identified as an adhesion factor for DENV in mammalian cells.

The morphogenesis of different giant viruses as additional evidence for a common origin of Nucleocytoviricota.

Large and giant DNA viruses are a monophyletic group constituting the recently established phylum Nucleocytoviricota. The virus particle morphogenesis of these viruses exhibit striking similarities. Viral factories are established in the host cells where new virions are assembled by recruiting host membranes, forming an inner lipid layer.

Allocation of resources for health care in COVID-19 pandemic times: integrative review.

Objective: To analyze information on resource allocation in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, published in indexed scientific journals, from December 2019 to March 2020.

Methods: This is an integrative literature review, which took place in March 2020. All databases were investigated and studies were found only in MEDLINE.

Human mastadenovirus in water, sediment, sea surface microlayer, and bivalve mollusk from southern Brazilian beaches.

Anthropogenic contamination of beaches in the south of Brazil was assessed by detection of Escherichia coli, human mastadenovirus species C (HAdV-C) and F (HAdV-F) and hepatitis E virus (HEV). Sampling was carried out in October (2016), and in January, April and July (2017). Water, sediment, sea surface microlayer (SML), bivalves, and air sentinel samples were evaluated.

Low occurrence of Hepatitis A virus in water samples from an urban area of Southern Brazil.

Hepatitis A virus (HAV), a member of Picornaviridae family, is the main causative agent of acute viral hepatitis in the world, mainly in developing countries. HAV may be present in contaminated water and food and its presence is often associated to a lesser extent with socioeconomic factors and environmental quality. The main goals in the present study were to standardize a cell culture combined to a polymerase chain reaction protocol for the detection and quantification of viral viability and analyze whether the virus could be found in water samples collected in four urban streams of Sinos River watershed.

Microbial risk assessment in recreational freshwaters from southern Brazil.

In this study, total coliforms (TC), Escherichia coli, enterovirus (EV), rotavirus (RV), and human mastadenovirus species C and F (HAdV-C and HAdV-F) were evaluated in water samples from Belo Stream. For HAdV-C and F, the infectivity was assessed by integrated cell culture quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (ICC-qPCR). Samples were collected monthly (May/2015 to April/2016) at four sites.

Hepatitis A Virus, Hepatitis E Virus, and Rotavirus in Foods of Animal Origin Traded at the Borders of Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay.

The aim of this study was to investigate hepatitis A virus (HAV), hepatitis E (HEV), and rotavirus (RV) in fresh and processed meat traded on the border of Brazil with Argentina and Uruguay. In total, 159 samples of raw and processed foods of animal origin were collected in Paso de los Libres, Argentina (n = 53 raw meat, n = 24 processed meat) and Rivera, Uruguay (n = 55 raw meat, n = 18 processed meat), or were seized by the Brazilian International Agricultural Surveillance System-VIGIAGRO (Brazil-Argentina border) (n = 8 raw meat, n = 1 bush meat). All samples were tested for the presence of HAV, HEV, and RV genomes.

Proliferation and differentiation of stem cells in contact with eluate from fibrin-rich plasma membrane.

Objective: To evaluate the ability of the eluate from fibrin-rich plasma (FRP) membrane to induce proliferation and differentiation of isolated human adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) into chondrocytes.

Method: FRP membranes were obtained by centrifugation of peripheral blood from two healthy donors, cut, and maintained in culture plate wells for 48 h to prepare the fibrin eluate. The SCATh were isolated from adipose tissue by collagenase digestion solution, and expanded .

Recovery rate of multiple enteric viruses artificially seeded in water and concentrated by adsorption-elution with negatively charged membranes: interaction and interference between different virus species.

Viral concentration method by adsorption-elution with negative membranes has been widely employed for concentrating viruses from environmental samples. In order to provide an adequate assessment of its recovery efficiency, this study was conducted to assess viral recovery rates for viral species commonly found in water (HAdV-5, EV, RV, BAdV and CAV-2), quantifying viral genomes at the end of the five different steps of the process. Recovery rates were analyzed for several viruses combined in a single water sample and for each virus assayed separately.

Bioaccumulation of animal adenoviruses in the pink shrimp.

Adenoviruses are among the most promising viral markers of fecal contamination. They are frequently found in the water, sediment and soil of regions impacted by human activity. Studies of the bioaccumulation of enteric viruses in shrimp are scarce.

Do the clinical effects of enamel matrix derivatives in infrabony defects decrease overtime? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Previous systematic reviews have demonstrated better results with enamel matrix derivative proteins (EMDP) as compared with open flap debridement (OFD) for the management of infrabony periodontal defects (IPD). The aim of this study was to determine whether these differences vary according to the follow-up and quality of the studies. Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Medline/PubMed, Lilacs, Embase and Web of Science electronic databases were searched up to August 2013 for randomized clinical trials.

[Assessment of adherence to antiretroviral drugs in a municipality in southern Brazil].

The aim of this research is to assess predicting factors and adherence levels to antiretrovirals through self-report and the date of drug retrieval. It is a transversal study in which 67 patients were interviewed. Patients who used more than 90% of doses were considered to have complied with the treatment.

Consequences of subchronic and chronic exposure to intermittent hypoxia and sleep deprivation on cardiovascular risk factors in rats.

Since studies suggest that both hypoxia and sleep fragmentation are related to cardiovascular alterations induced by obstructive sleep apnea, the present study was designed to evaluate the effects of hypoxia, sleep deprivation, and their combination on biochemical blood parameters in rats. In subchronic experiments (4 days), rats were exposed to intermittent hypoxia (IH) during the light period (2min room air-2min 10% O(2) for 12h/day) and/or paradoxical sleep deprivation (PSD, 24h/day). Consequences of chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH) exposure were examined after 21 consecutive days of hypoxia protocol from 10:00 to 16:00 followed by a sleep restriction (SR) period of 18h (16:00-10:00).

Acute stressor-selective effects on homocysteine metabolism and oxidative stress parameters in female rats.

Homocysteine levels are affected by diet factors such as vitamin deficiencies, non-diet factors such as genetic disorders, and stress exposure. Hyperhomocysteinemia has been implicated in several disorders, including cardiovascular disease, depression, schizophrenia, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. Since sex differences play a role both in stress responses and in susceptibility to various diseases, the objective of this study was to evaluate possible alterations in homocysteine metabolism including cysteine, folate, and vitamin B(6), and oxidative stress markers in female rats exposed to different types of acute stress.

Blood oxidative stress markers in Gaucher disease patients.

Background: Gaucher disease (GD) is the most common glycosphingolipidosis resulting in accumulation of glucoceramide. The most effective treatment for this disease is enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) which involves recombinant enzyme infusion. Enzymatic deficiency in GD patients may induce a cascade of events culminating in secondary effects such as the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS).

Prevalence of myocardial infarction is related to hyperhomocysteinemia but not influenced by C677T methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase and A2756G methionine synthase polymorphisms in diabetic and non-diabetic subjects.

Background: Hyperhomocysteinemia has emerged as a novel risk factor for myocardial infarction (MI). Some mechanisms proposed to explain its relationship with coronary events are also shared by major coronary risk factors. We examined whether C677T methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase and A2756G methionine synthase polymorphisms could affect the relative risk for MI.

Physiological variation in plasma total homocysteine concentrations in rats.

Hyperhomocysteinemia was initially related to cardiovascular diseases; but homocysteine (Hcy) metabolism disturbances have more recently associated with a wide range of pathophysiological conditions including age-related diseases, disrupted circadian rhythms and gynaecological disorders. Since in many cases we do not know to what extent animal models are physiologically similar to human ones, this study aimed to track spontaneous variations in rat plasma Hcy concentrations during different physiological processes such as life cycle, 24 hours and estrous cycle. Plasma total Hcy concentrations were accessed by HPLC.

Increased homocysteine levels associated with sex and stress in the learned helplessness model of depression.

Elevated levels of homocysteine (Hcy) have been associated with major depressive (MD) illness. As human females show a higher predisposition towards depression, this study examined how Hcy levels in rats are affected by sex and estrous cycle in the learned helplessness (LH) model of depression. Male and female rats in either estrus or diestrus were subjected to LH, with intervals of 4 days between the two stress tests and between tests and sacrifice, in order to accommodate the female estrous cycle.