Cell-free assays reveal that the HIV-1 capsid protects reverse transcripts from cGAS.

Retroviruses can be detected by the innate immune sensor cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS), which recognizes reverse-transcribed DNA and activates an antiviral response. However, the extent to which HIV-1 shields its genome from cGAS recognition remains unclear. To study this process in mechanistic detail, we reconstituted reverse transcription, genome release, and innate immune sensing of HIV-1 in a cell-free system.

A Two-Year Retrospective Analysis of the Clinical Outcomes of Immediate Submuscular Breast Reconstructions With Native® Acellular Dermal Matrix.

Background: Implant-based submuscular breast reconstruction (SBR) can be performed with the aid of acellular dermal matrices (ADM) for implant coverage on their inferolateral pole, aiming at providing a biological interface for hiding the implant and therefore reducing the risk of complications. The purpose of this study is to assess the long-term post-operative outcomes obtained using the SBR-specific Native® ADM (DECO med s.r.

Active and Healthy Aging After COVID-19 Pandemic in Portugal and Other European Countries: Time to Rethink Strategies and Foster Action.

The population aging in Europe imposes challenges to societies that require adaptations and responses at various levels to minimize impacts and figuring out opportunities. Portugal has been committed to the World Health Organization and European Union's values and policy frameworks concerning active and healthy aging. In 2017, an inter-ministerial working group developed the National Strategy for Active and Healthy Aging.

Sociodemographic disparities in hypertension prevalence: Results from the first Portuguese National Health Examination Survey.

Introduction: Cardiovascular disease is an important cause of death and disability worldwide, and hypertension is responsible for at least 45% of all deaths due to heart disease and 51% of deaths due to stroke. This study aimed to estimate and describe the distribution of prevalence, awareness, treatment and control of hypertension in the Portuguese population in 2015.

Methods: A national survey using a representative sample of 4911 individuals residing in Portugal and aged between 25 and 74 years was implemented.

PRIORITIES FOR HEALTH ECONOMIC METHODOLOGICAL RESEARCH: RESULTS OF AN EXPERT CONSULTATION.

Background: The importance of economic evaluation in decision making is growing with increasing budgetary pressures on health systems. Diverse economic evidence is available for a range of interventions across national contexts within Europe, but little attention has been given to identifying evidence gaps that, if filled, could contribute to more efficient allocation of resources. One objective of the Research Agenda for Health Economic Evaluation project is to determine the most important methodological evidence gaps for the ten highest burden conditions in the European Union (EU), and to suggest ways of filling these gaps.

Facing unemployment: study protocol for the implementation and evaluation of a community-based intervention for psychological well-being promotion.

Background: Economic crises and unemployment have profound impact on mental health and well-being. Main goal of the Healthy Employment (HE) project is to enhance intersectoral actions promoting mental health among unemployed, namely through the implementation and effectiveness-evaluation of short-term and sustainable group interventions.

Methods: The project follows a RE-AIM-based (Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation and Maintenance) framework for assessing a cognitive-behavioural and psychoeducational intervention that has been developed for promoting mental health among unemployed people.

[The Museu da Saúde in Portugal: a physical space, a virtual space].

Museu da Saúde (Museum of Health) in Portugal, based on the dual concept of a multifaceted physical space and a virtual space, is preparing an inventory of its archive. So far, it has studied five of its collections in greater depth: tuberculosis, urology, psychology, medicine, and malaria. In this article, these collections are presented, and the specificities of developing museological activities within a national laboratory, Instituto Nacional de Saúde Doutor Ricardo Jorge, are also discussed, highlighting the issues of the store rooms and exhibition spaces, the inventory process, and the communication activities, with a view to overcoming the challenges inherent to operating in a non-museological space.

[Health Communication: Preventing the Spread of Ebola Virus Disease in the Portuguese Spoken African Countries--Methodology KISS & KEYWORDS].

In this work, Health Communication is considered as an important discipline in medicine and health sciences for his role as true determinant of health. We highlight their contribution to health promotion and disease prevention. Thus, the Health Communication Plan (PCS): Preventing the spread of Ebola virus disease in the Portuguese Speaking African Countries - KISS & KEYWORDS methodology is a tool that aims to minimize the risk of infection by Ebola virus in the Portuguese Speaking African Countries and also train for a general improvement of health conditions of the local populations.

Patterns of adherence to and compliance with the Portuguese smoke-free law in the leisure-hospitality sector.

Background: In 2008, the Portuguese smoke-free law came into effect including partial bans in the leisure-hospitality (LH) sector. The objective of the study is to assess the prevalence of smoking control policies (total ban, smoking permission and designated smoking areas) adopted by the LH sector in Portugal. The levels of noncompliance with each policy are investigated as well as the main factors associated with smoking permission and noncompliance with the law.

Nondenaturing purification of co-transcriptionally folded RNA avoids common folding heterogeneity.

Due to the energetic frustration of RNA folding, tertiary structured RNA is typically characterized by a rugged folding free energy landscape where deep kinetic barriers separate numerous misfolded states from one or more native states. While most in vitro studies of RNA rely on (re)folding chemically and/or enzymatically synthesized RNA in its entirety, which frequently leads into kinetic traps, nature reduces the complexity of the RNA folding problem by segmental, co-transcriptional folding starting from the 5' end. We here have developed a simplified, general, nondenaturing purification protocol for RNA to ask whether avoiding denaturation of a co-transcriptionally folded RNA can reduce commonly observed in vitro folding heterogeneity.

Single VS ribozyme molecules reveal dynamic and hierarchical folding toward catalysis.

Non-coding RNAs of complex tertiary structure are involved in numerous aspects of the replication and processing of genetic information in many organisms; however, an understanding of the complex relationship between their structural dynamics and function is only slowly emerging. The Neurospora Varkud Satellite (VS) ribozyme provides a model system to address this relationship. First, it adopts a tertiary structure assembled from common elements, a kissing loop and two three-way junctions.

Ethics issues experienced in HBM within Portuguese health surveillance and research projects.

Background: In keeping with the fundamental practice of transparency in the discussion and resolution of ethics conflicts raised by research, a summary of ethics issues raised during Portuguese biomonitoring in health surveillance and research is presented and, where applicable, their resolution is described.

Methods: Projects underway aim to promote the surveillance of public health related to the presence of solid waste incinerators or to study associations between human exposure to environmental factors and adverse health effects. The methodological approach involves biomonitoring of heavy metals, dioxins and/or other persistent organic pollutants in tissues including blood, human milk and both scalp and pubic hair in groups such as the general population, children, pregnant women or women attempting pregnancy.

Human exposure to heavy metals in the vicinity of Portuguese solid waste incinerators--Part 2: biomonitoring of lead in maternal and umbilical cord blood.

As part of environmental health surveillance programs related to solid waste incinerators located near Lisbon and on Madeira Island, human biomonitoring projects have been implemented in Portugal, some of them focused on cross-sectional surveys of heavy metals in blood. One of the general aims of these programs is to provide Portuguese data on the extent and pattern of human exposure to the pollutants potentially released in the stack gases from the incinerators, namely heavy metals. The present investigation reports information specifically on blood lead levels of newborn-mother pairs living in the vicinity of the incinerators under study, as well as of statistically similar participants living outside the exposed area.

Online integrated solution to collect data, generate information and manage events in the human biomonitoring field.

In the ambit of Work Package 1 of the ESBIO Project, an online integrated solution to collect data, to generate information, and to manage mainly information-sharing events related with human biomonitoring within Europe has been designed and is being implemented. The present paper summarises the methodological approaches used by the authors as proposers, general promoters and disseminators of this strategic concept, as well as the first outcomes and future actions to be taken, in the short and longer term, to face present and future challenges to make this innovative solution happen.

Human exposure to heavy metals in the vicinity of Portuguese solid waste incinerators--Part 3: biomonitoring of Pb in blood of children under the age of 6 years.

As a part of environmental health surveillance programs related to Portuguese solid waste incinerators (SWI), two biomonitoring projects have been established to investigate additional exposure to lead in children under the age of 6 years living in the vicinity of those facilities. The above-mentioned programs, being the only ones in the country that integrate systematic observations on human exposure to heavy metals, have to provide systematic data from Portuguese regions on the extent and pattern of human exposure to heavy metals, namely to lead. The present paper is the third of a series of papers prepared to accomplish that objective in regards to lead exposure as evaluated by measuring lead levels in children under the age of 6 years.

Human exposure to heavy metals in the vicinity of Portuguese solid waste incinerators--Part 1: biomonitoring of Pb, Cd and Hg in blood of the general population.

Human exposure to heavy metals makes it necessary to monitor these elements in the human body if the objective is to relate heavy metal exposure to adverse health effects. In Portugal, biomonitoring projects on heavy metals are being carried out on people living in the vicinity of solid waste incinerators. The projects are being developed in the ambit of two environmental health surveillance programs related to solid waste incineration facilities, one near Lisbon and the other on Madeira Island, that have the main objective of guaranteeing the safeguard of public health in relation to the potential negative impact of incineration processes on human health.

Determinants of dioxins and furans in blood of non-occupationally exposed populations living near Portuguese solid waste incinerators.

Biomonitoring of dioxin body burden, as evaluated by PCDD/F levels in blood, has been carried out in a total of 138 adults from general population living in the vicinity of solid waste incinerators in Portugal. Measurements were performed included in cross-sectional surveys within two Environmental Health Surveillance Programs launched in response to ecotoxicological concern in relation to solid waste incinerators near Lisbon and in Madeira Island. Overall conclusion from first published results is indicative that dioxin exposure of global populations cannot be related to the emissions of these facilities, meaning that dioxin sources control seems to be effective in relation to both incinerators.

Solution probing of metal ion binding by helix 27 from Escherichia coli 16S rRNA.

Helix (H)27 from Escherichia coli 16S ribosomal (r)RNA is centrally located within the small (30S) ribosomal subunit, immediately adjacent to the decoding center. Bacterial 30S subunit crystal structures depicting Mg(2+) binding sites resolve two magnesium ions within the vicinity of H27: one in the major groove of the G886-U911 wobble pair, and one within the GCAA tetraloop. Binding of such metal cations is generally thought to be crucial for RNA folding and function.

Dynamics inherent in helix 27 from Escherichia coli 16S ribosomal RNA.

The original interpretation of a series of genetic studies suggested that the highly conserved Escherichia coli 16S ribosomal RNA helix 27 (H27) adopts two alternative secondary structure motifs, the 885 and 888 conformations, during each cycle of amino acid incorporation. Recent crystallographic and genetic evidence has called this hypothesis into question. To ask whether a slippery sequence such as that of H27 may harbor inherent conformational dynamics, we have designed a series of model RNAs based on E.

Correlating structural dynamics and function in single ribozyme molecules.

We have studied the correlation between structural dynamics and function of the hairpin ribozyme. The enzyme-substrate complex exists in either docked (active) or undocked (inactive) conformations. Using single-molecule fluorescence methods, we found complex structural dynamics with four docked states of distinct stabilities and a strong memory effect where each molecule rarely switches between different docked states.

Reaction pathway of the trans-acting hepatitis delta virus ribozyme: a conformational change accompanies catalysis.

The hepatitis delta virus (HDV), an infectious human pathogen and satellite of hepatitis B virus, leads to intensified disease symptoms, including progression to liver cirrhosis. Both the circular RNA genome of HDV and its complementary antigenome contain the same cis-cleaving catalytic RNA motif that plays a crucial role in virus replication. Previously, the high-resolution crystal structure of the product form of a cis-acting genomic HDV ribozyme has been determined, while a trans-acting version of the ribozyme was used to dissect the cleavage reaction pathway.