Hidden life cycle stages of the trypanosomatid Blastocrithidia triatomae Cerisola et al. 1971 (Protista: Excavata: Kinetoplastea) unveiled by a new cultivation method.

Blastocrithidia triatomae is a monoxenic trypanosomatid parasite of triatomines, sharing the same insect vectors with Trypanosoma cruzi Chagas, 1909 and T. rangeli Tejera, 1920. It is known to cause a complex syndrome in insects which induces severe metabolic disorders and increasing in mortality rates.

Serotype switching in Pseudomonas aeruginosa ST111 enhances adhesion and virulence.

Evolution of the highly successful and multidrug resistant clone ST111 in Pseudomonas aeruginosa involves serotype switching from O-antigen O4 to O12. How expression of a different O-antigen serotype alters pathogen physiology to enable global dissemination of this high-risk clone-type is not understood. Here, we engineered isogenic laboratory and clinical P.

[Implications of the Bolsonaro government for the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS].

Our objective in this essay is to discuss the implications of the political project of the far-right in Brazil, in the figure of Jair Bolsonaro, with regard to the setbacks caused in the policy and actions for the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS in Brazil. The objects of our analysis are the dismantling of the AIDS policy; religious-based conservatism; the withdrawal of rights from people living with HIV and the production of fake news, in the context of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. It was possible to observe implications in the policy and in the actions of prevention and treatment, such as the absence of proposals that sought to address structural problems that affect vulnerable groups, including poverty, stigma and violations of fundamental rights.

Statewide Trends in Medications for Opioid Use Disorder Utilization in Rhode Island, United States, 2017-2023.

Background: Buprenorphine and methadone are US Food and Drug Administration-approved medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD). Although utilization of MOUD was increasing pre-COVID-19, it is not well understood how this trend shifted during and "after" the COVID-19 pandemic in Rhode Island. This analysis will consider the differential utilization of MOUD over time and by key demographic factors.

A Tropical Estuary Where Mercury Does Not Biomagnify and its Adjacent Waters that Render Extremely High Mercury Concentrations in Top Predators.

In general, mercury (Hg) undergoes biomagnification in aquatic systems. The absence of Hg biomagnification in a certain aquatic environment constitutes an exceptional finding and this seems to be the case for Sepetiba Bay, in Rio de Janeiro state (RJ), Brazil. There are three distinct ecological populations of Guiana dolphins in the Sepetiba Bay (SB)-Ilha Grande Bay (IGB) Complex, inhabiting: (1) the inner part of SB; (2) SB entrance; and (3) IGB.

Poly(Ionic) Liquid-Enhanced Ion Dynamics in Cellulose-Derived Gel Polymer Electrolytes.

Gel polymer electrolytes (GPEs) are regarded as a promising alternative to conventional electrolytes, combining the advantages of solid and liquid electrolytes. Leveraging the abundance and eco-friendliness of cellulose-based materials, GPEs were produced using methyl cellulose and incorporating various doping agents, either an ionic liquid (1-Butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide [Pyr14][TFSI]), its polymeric ionic liquid analogue (Poly(diallyldimethylammonium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide) [PDADMA][TFSI]), or an anionically charged backbone polymeric ionic liquid (lithium poly[(4-styrenesulfonyl)(trifluoromethyl(S-trifluoromethylsulfonylimino) sulfonyl) imide] LiP[STFSI]). The ion dynamics and molecular interactions within the GPEs were thoroughly analyzed using Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), Heteronuclear Overhauser Enhancement Spectroscopy (HOESY), and Pulsed-Field Gradient Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Diffusion (PFG-NMR).

Functional redundancy in Candida auris cell surface adhesins crucial for cell-cell interaction and aggregation.

Candida auris is an emerging nosocomial fungal pathogen associated with life-threatening invasive disease due to its persistent colonization, high level of transmissibility and multi-drug resistance. Aggregative and non-aggregative growth phenotypes for C. auris strains with different biofilm forming abilities, drug susceptibilities and virulence characteristics have been described.

Statewide Ketamine and Esketamine Prescribing Trends in Rhode Island, 2017-2023.

Ketamine is a versatile anesthetic that has been widely used off-label to treat a variety of indications. Esketamine, a derivative of ketamine, is FDA-approved to treat treatment-resistant depression. This report compares statewide prescription ketamine and esketamine trends.

Clinical Effects and Pharmacokinetic Profile of Intramuscular Dexmedetomidine (10 μg/kg) in Cats.

This study investigated the pharmacokinetic profile of and pharmacodynamic response to dexmedetomidine administered intramuscularly (IM) at a dose of 10 μg/kg in healthy cats. Nine adult cats were evaluated before and after administration of the drug, with serial collections of plasma samples. Dexmedetomidine induced deep sedation, with a rapid onset of action and a duration of one hour, reaching a peak between 20 and 30 min after administration.

The Effect of Psychological Flexibility on Well-Being during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Multiple Mediation Role of Mindfulness and Coping.

The COVID-19 pandemic involved a complex set of stressors affecting the health and well-being of the population. The understanding of the psychological processes that influence well-being in response to the pandemic and their interrelation is vital. A promising process in understanding the emotional impacts of these stressors is psychological flexibility.

Nanomechanics of CCN1-Mediated Phagocytosis.

Phagocytosis is an essential mechanism of the human immune system where pathogens are eliminated by immune cells. The CCN1 protein plays an important role in the phagocytosis of by favoring the bridging of the αβ integrin to the bacterial peptidoglycan (PG), through mechanical forces that remain unknown. Here, we employ single-molecule experiments to unravel the nanomechanics of the PG-CCN1-αβ ternary complex.

Atomic force microscopy analysis of Pel polysaccharide- and type IV pili-mediated adhesion of PA14 to an abiotic surface.

Type IV pili (TFP) contribute to the ability of microbes such as to engage with and move across surfaces. We reported previously that TFP generate retractive forces of ∼30 pN and provided indirect evidence that TFP-mediated surface attachment was enhanced in the presence of the Pel polysaccharide. Here, we use different mutants defective in flagellar, Pel production or TFP production - alone or in combination - to decipher the relative contribution of these biofilm-promoting factors for adhesion.

Buprenorphine prescribing and treatment accessibility in response to regulation changes due to the COVID-19 public health emergency.

Background: In 2021, over 80,000 fatal overdoses occurred in the United States. Since 2020, the federal government has enacted multiple regulatory changes around buprenorphine prescribing for opioid use disorder (OUD) to increase access to buprenorphine. This study aims to explore trends in buprenorphine treatment initiation pre- and post-public health emergency to evaluate changes in the context of X-waiver relaxations and telehealth allowances.

The inactivation of sensitizes to perturbations in lipopolysaccharide transport.

The outer membrane channel TolC complexes with several inner membrane efflux pumps to export compounds across the cell envelope. All components of these complexes are essential for robust efflux activity, yet is more sensitive to antimicrobial compounds when is inactivated compared to the inactivation of genes encoding the inner membrane drug efflux pumps. While investigating these susceptibility differences, we identified a distinct class of inhibitors targeting the core-lipopolysaccharide translocase, MsbA.

Functional Redundancy in Cell Surface Adhesins Crucial for Cell-Cell Interaction and Aggregation.

is an emerging nosocomial fungal pathogen associated with life-threatening invasive disease due to its persistent colonization, high level of transmissibility and multi-drug resistance. Aggregative and non-aggregative growth phenotypes for strains with different biofilm forming abilities, drug susceptibilities and virulence characteristics have been described. Using comprehensive transcriptional analysis we identified key cell surface adhesins that were highly upregulated in the aggregative phenotype during and grown biofilms using a mouse model of catheter infection.

Functional Redundancy in Cell Surface Adhesins Crucial for Cell-Cell Interaction and Aggregation.

is an emerging nosocomial fungal pathogen associated with life-threatening invasive disease due to its persistent colonization, high level of transmissibility and multi-drug resistance. Aggregative and non-aggregative growth phenotypes for strains with different biofilm forming abilities, drug susceptibilities and virulence characteristics have been described. Using comprehensive transcriptional analysis we identified key cell surface adhesins that were highly upregulated in the aggregative phenotype during and grown biofilms using a mouse model of catheter infection.

Light Cannabis Use and the Adolescent Brain: An 8-years Longitudinal Assessment of Mental Health, Cognition, and Reward Processing.

Rationale: For decades, cannabis has been the most widely used illicit substance in the world, particularly among youth. Research suggests that mental health problems associated with cannabis use may result from its effect on reward brain circuit, emotional processes, and cognition. However, findings are mostly derived from correlational studies and inconsistent, particularly in adolescents.

Biofragmentation of Polystyrene Microplastics: A Silent Process Performed by Larvae.

Polystyrene (PS) is one of the main synthetic polymers produced around the world, and it is present in the composition of a wide variety of single-use objects. When released into the environment, these materials are degraded by environmental factors, resulting in microplastics. We investigated the ability of (Diptera, Chironomidae) to promote the fragmentation of PS microspheres (24.

Nutritional Knowledge about Maternal and Newborn Health among Physiotherapists during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Adequate nutrition before and during pregnancy, as well as postpartum, is among the major contributors to maternal and newborn health. Physiotherapists' knowledge of this area is still scarce, although their clinical practice has been linked to newborns' neuropsychomotor development, which, in turn, is influenced by maternal health and nutritional status. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the nutritional knowledge of physiotherapists regarding maternal and newborn health.

Epidemiological Impact of Neurodegenerative Diseases in the Rural Spanish-Portuguese Cross-Border Region.

Introduction: Epidemiological data indicate that neurodegenerative diseases show a high prevalence with a progressive increasing trend, especially in aging populations, as is the case in rural areas. The objective of this study was to assess the quantitative impact of neurodegenerative diseases in rural areas of the Spanish-Portuguese border region and to describe the epidemiological profile of the most prevalent disorders in one of the most depopulated and aged regions of Europe.

Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was designed to estimate the prevalence of subjects diagnosed with the most common neurodegenerative disorders: dementia (Alzheimer's disease and other dementias), Parkinson's disease and Parkinsonism, and multiple sclerosis in the Spanish-Portuguese cross-border border region in 2020.

Pain perception and expectation related to interradicular mini-implants insertion: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objectives: The aim of this systematic review was to compare the expectation and perception of pain reported by patients before and after the installation of interradicular mini-implants.

Materials And Methods: Electronic search was performed in six databases. Inclusion criteria were randomized controlled trials (RCTs) or non-randomized controlled clinical trials (nRCTs); studies using mini-implants in the interradicular region; assessment of pain intensity by visual analogue or numerical scale.

Microencapsulation of bioactive compound extracts using maltodextrin and gum arabic by spray and freeze-drying techniques.

Microencapsulation techniques establish a protective barrier around a sensitive compound, reducing vulnerability to external influences and offering controlled release. This work evaluates microencapsulation of Brazilian seed known as pink pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius) extract incorporated with green propolis extract, (main propolis font from the South America native plant Baccharis dracunculifolia DC) to enhancement antioxidant activity through synergic interaction, comparing to the extracts individually. Four treatments were produced using maltodextrin and combined with gum arabic as encapsulating agent, employing two different microencapsulation technique applied (spray drying and freeze drying) to assess their impact on physicochemical properties.

Buprenorphine Dose and Time to Discontinuation Among Patients With Opioid Use Disorder in the Era of Fentanyl.

Importance: Buprenorphine treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD) has more than doubled since 2009. However, current US Food and Drug Administration buprenorphine dosing guidelines are based on studies among people using heroin, prior to the emergence of fentanyl in the illicit drug supply.

Objective: To estimate the association between buprenorphine dose and time to treatment discontinuation during a period of widespread fentanyl availability.