The correlation between abnormal Krüger strict morphology and the sperm DNA fragmentation index.

Objective: This study aims to investigate whether alterations in sperm DNA fragmentation rates are more frequent when Krüger strict morphology is ≥4% (normal).

Methods: The retrospective study included 132 participants from March 2020 to November 2021. Participants were divided into two groups based on the inclusion criteria: normal and abnormal Krüger strict morphology, with a mean age of 40 years.

Targeting the NLRP3 inflammasome-IL-1β pathway in type 2 diabetes and obesity.

Increased activity of the NACHT, LRR and PYD domains-containing protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome-IL-1β pathway is observed in obesity and contributes to the development of type 2 diabetes and its complications. In this review, we describe the pathological activation of IL-1β by metabolic stress, ageing and the microbiome and present data on the role of IL-1β in metabolism. We explore the physiological role of the IL-1β pathway in insulin secretion and the relationship between circulating levels of IL-1β and the development of diabetes and associated diseases.

Evaluation of Antimicrobial Resistance Patterns of Strains Isolated among COVID-19 Patients in Brazil Typed by Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy.

This study aimed to characterize strains isolated from hospitalized patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. This was achieved using phenotypic and molecular techniques, including their antimicrobial resistance profile and biofilm formation. Eighteen strains were isolated from a hospital in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and identified by VITEK2, MALDI-TOF/MS (VITEK MS and MALDI Biotyper), and 16S rRNA sequencing.

Hepatic endotheliitis in Golden Syrian hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) experimentally infected with SARS-CoV-2.

Hepatic injuries in COVID-19 are not yet fully understood and indirect pathways (without viral replication in the liver) have been associated with the activation of vascular mechanisms of liver injury in humans infected with SARS-CoV-2. Golden Syrian hamsters are an effective model for experimental reproduction of moderate and self-limiting lung disease during SARS-CoV-2 infection. As observed in humans, this experimental model reproduces lesions of bronchointerstitial pneumonia and pulmonary vascular lesions, including endotheliitis (attachment of lymphoid cells to the luminal surface of endothelium).

Cytotoxicity Screening of A.St.-Hil. & Naudin (Chichá) and L. (Peanut) and Comparative Chemical Profiles Before and After Digestion.

This study traced the cytotoxicity, antioxidant activity, and phytochemical profile before and after digestion of nuts from A. St.-Hil.

A Structural In Silico Analysis of the Immunogenicity of L-Asparaginase from .

L-asparaginase is an essential drug used to treat acute lymphoid leukemia (ALL), a cancer of high prevalence in children. Several adverse reactions associated with L-asparaginase have been observed, mainly caused by immunogenicity and allergenicity. Some strategies have been adopted, such as searching for new microorganisms that produce the enzyme and applying protein engineering.

Overexpression of miR-22-3p and miR-29c-3p in CFU-Hill colonies is related to senescence process among children with low birth weight.

Background: The current study mainly focused on provide further insights into the association of the miR-22-3p and miR-29c-3p expression in CFU-Hill colonies with birth weight and senescence process in children.

Methods: This cross-sectional study evaluated 61 children (32 boys, 29 girls). The CFU-Hill colonies number was evaluated in vitro by cell culture technique and senescence was detected by β-galactosidase (SA-β-Gal) assay.

Position paper of diagnosis and treatment of post-extubation laryngitis in children: a multidisciplinary expert-based opinion.

Objectives: To make recommendations on the diagnosis and treatment of post-extubation laryngitis (PEL) in children with or without other comorbidities.

Methods: A three-iterative modified Delphi method was applied. Specialists were recruited representing pediatric otolaryngologists, pediatric and neonatal intensivists.

Ketogenic diet in pharmacoresistant epilepsies: a clinical nutritional assessment.

Background:  Epilepsies are among the most prevalent chronic neurological diseases, usually beginning in childhood. About 30% of children with epilepsies develop seizures that are difficult to control with medication. Recurrent epileptic seizures hinder diet intake, impairing the nutritional status.

Detection of anti-SARS-CoV-2 salivary antibodies in vaccinated adults.

Since the introduction of efficient anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, the detection of antibodies becomes useful for immunological monitoring and COVID-19 control. Therefore, this longitudinal study aimed to evaluate the detection of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in the serum and saliva of COVID-19-vaccinated adults. The study included 13 not vaccinated and 35 vaccinated participants with two doses of CoronaVac (Sinovac/Butantan) vaccine who subsequently received BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech) vaccine as a booster dose.

Association of Cytokine Gene Polymorphisms and Their Impact on Active and Latent Tuberculosis in Brazil's Amazon Region.

Some genetic variations in cytokine genes can alter their expression and influence the evolution of (Mtb) infection. This study aimed to investigate the association of polymorphisms in cytokine genes and variability in plasma levels of cytokines with the development of tuberculosis (TB) and latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI). Blood samples from 245 patients with TB, 80 with LTBI, and healthy controls (n = 100) were included.

Heterologous expression of fungal L-asparaginase: a systematic review.

To review the available literature about heterologous expression of fungal L-asparaginase (L-ASNase). A search was conducted across PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus and Web of Science databases; 4172 citations were identified and seven articles were selected. The results showed that heterologous expression of fungal L-ASNase was performed mostly in bacterial expression systems, except for a study that expressed L-ASNase in a yeast system.

l-Asparaginase Type II from : Heterologous Expression and In Silico Analysis.

The search for new drug-producing microorganisms is one of the most promising situations in current world scientific scenarios. The use of molecular biology as well as the cloning of protein and compound genes is already well established as the gold standard method of increasing productivity. Aiming at this increase in productivity, this work aims at the cloning, purification and in silico analysis of l-asparaginase from in Komagataella phaffii ( protein expression systems.

Profile analysis of emerging respiratory virus in children.

Acute respiratory infections (ARIs) are caused by a variety of microorganisms. Of all ARIs, 80% are caused by viruses such as human respiratory syncytial virus, metapneumovirus, influenza, parainfluenza, rhinovirus, and, more recently, Sars-CoV-2, which has been responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic. The objective of our study was to evaluate clinical data from a viral panel performed in children hospitalized with SARS or COVID-19 in the infirmary or ICU of 5 pediatric hospitals in the city of Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil.

Characterization of T Helper 1 and 2 Cytokine Profiles in Newborns of Mothers with COVID-19.

An infectious disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 greatly affects the pediatric population and is 3 times more prevalent in newborns than in the general population. In newborns, the overexpression of immunological molecules may also induce a so-called cytokine storm. In our study, we evaluated the expression of cytokines in newborns admitted to a neonatal ICU whose mothers had SARS-CoV-2 and symptoms of SARS.

Phenotypic plasticity in Copaifera langsdorffii Desf. in different forest fragments in São Paulo state, Brazil.

Forest fragments are susceptible to environmental shifts and this demands high phenotypic plasticity of the species growing in these areas. In this context, the objective of the present work was to study the phenotypic plasticity of copaíba (Copaifera langsdorffii Desf.) based on morphological and anatomical metrics of the leaflets of plants from six forest fragments.

Breastfeeding by chikungunya virus-infected dams confers resistance to challenge in the offspring.

Vertical transmission of Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) has been reported in humans, but the transmission routes have not been completely understood, and experimental animal models are needed to enable detailed investigation of the transmission and pathogenesis of congenital infections. The intertwining of immune response and virus components at the gestation/breastfeeding interfaces between mother and fetus/newborn may have effects during the offspring development. An experimental model of CHIKV was established by infecting pregnant BALB/c female mice that enabled confirmation that dams inoculated up to the 10 gestational day transmit CHIKV transplacentally to approximately 8.

Latent Tuberculosis: A Promising New Compound to Treat Non-Replicating and Intramacrophagic Mycobacteria.

As a biologic reservoir of (), one-quarter of the world population is infected with the well-known latent tuberculosis (LTBI). About 5-10% of LTBI patients will progress to active disease in the first years after primary infection and, despite using the recommended treatment, 20% can still reactivate the infection. A new LTBI treatment could minimize adverse effects and antibiotic resistance that can occur when the same drug is used to treat the latent and active disease.

Identification of immunomodulatory drugs that inhibit multiple inflammasomes and impair SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) induces mild or asymptomatic COVID-19 in most cases, but some patients develop an excessive inflammatory process that can be fatal. As the NLRP3 inflammasome and additional inflammasomes are implicated in disease aggravation, drug repositioning to target inflammasomes emerges as a strategy to treat COVID-19. Here, we performed a high-throughput screening using a 2560 small-molecule compound library and identified FDA-approved drugs that function as pan-inflammasome inhibitors.

Costs of matched-sibling, unrelated, and haploidentical hematopoietic cell transplantation and risk factors for greater financial burden - a Brazilian FACT-accredited single-center analysis.

The complexity and costs of hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) have increased over the last decades with the popularization of unrelated donor (URD) transplantation and the introduction of haploidentical transplantation with posttransplant cyclophosphamide. Few studies have addressed this issue. The objective of this study was to analyze HCT costs in a single FACT-accredited private non-profit hospital.

Cytotoxic Cyclotides from , a South American Plant Species.

Cyclotides are mini-proteins with potent bioactivities and outstanding potential for agricultural and pharmaceutical applications. More than 450 different plant cyclotides have been isolated from six angiosperm families. In Brazil, studies involving this class of natural products are still scarce, despite its rich floristic diversity.

Identification of potential biomarkers and survival analysis for oral squamous cell carcinoma: A transcriptomic study.

Objective: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is one of the most common neoplasms worldwide. The current study aimed to identify potential biomarkers associated with OSCC survival.

Materials And Methods: Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in atypical OSCC cases were identified using two public datasets: The Cancer Genome Atlas and the Gene Expression Omnibus database.

L-Asparaginase from Produced by a Recombinant Strain.

L-asparaginase is an important enzyme in the pharmaceutical field used as treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia due to its ability to hydrolyze L-asparagine, an essential amino acid synthesized by normal cells, but not by neoplastic cells. Adverse effects of L-asparaginase formulations are associated with its glutaminase activity and bacterial origin; therefore, it is important to find new sources of L-asparaginase produced by eukaryotic microorganisms with low glutaminase activity. This work aimed to identify the L-asparaginase gene sequence from , a filamentous fungus isolated from the Brazilian Savanna (Cerrado) soil with low glutaminase activity, and to biosynthesize higher yields of this enzyme in the yeast .