Assessing the predicted impact of single amino acid substitutions in calmodulin for CAGI6 challenges.

Recent thermodynamic and functional studies have been conducted to evaluate the impact of amino acid substitutions on Calmodulin (CaM). The Critical Assessment of Genome Interpretation (CAGI) data provider at University of Verona (Italy) measured the melting temperature (T) and the percentage of unfolding (%unfold) of a set of CaM variants (CaM challenge dataset). Thermodynamic measurements for the equilibrium unfolding of CaM were obtained by monitoring far-UV Circular Dichroism as a function of temperature.

Polyphasic approach to the selection of Esteya isolates for the control of the pinewood nematode, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus.

Pine wilt disease, caused by the pinewood nematode, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, is a major phytosanitary concern to pine forests worldwide. Managing pine wilt disease involves a complex logistical undertaking, with limited effectiveness and significant ecological repercussions. An increasing demand for biosolutions has sparked an interest in microbial antagonists capable of controlling the nematode.

Large scale paired antibody language models.

Antibodies are proteins produced by the immune system that can identify and neutralise a wide variety of antigens with high specificity and affinity, and constitute the most successful class of biotherapeutics. With the advent of next-generation sequencing, billions of antibody sequences have been collected in recent years, though their application in the design of better therapeutics has been constrained by the sheer volume and complexity of the data. To address this challenge, we present IgBert and IgT5, the best performing antibody-specific language models developed to date which can consistently handle both paired and unpaired variable region sequences as input.

The Effects of Post-Warm-Up Active and Passive Rest Periods on a Vigilance Task in Karate Athletes.

This study aimed to analyze how active versus passive rest periods after a warm-up influence performance in psychomotor vigilance tasks (PVT). Twenty amateur karate athletes participated in a randomized cross-over study consisting of two sessions with either a 20 min active rest involving kata techniques or passive rest. PVT was administered before and after these conditions to assess the changes in reaction time.

Priorities in physical therapy research: A scoping review.

Background: Physical therapy is an ever-evolving profession. To improve research efficiency, it is crucial to identify knowledge gaps and establish research priorities.

Objective: To review priorities for physical therapy research, and to summarize the evidence into a global research agenda.

Biofilm matrix regulation by Zap1 under acidic conditions: transcriptomic and proteomic analyses.

The vaginal acidic environment potentiates the formation of biofilms, leading to complicated and recurrent infections. Importantly, the production of matrix is known to contribute to the recalcitrant features of biofilms. In this study, we reveal that Zap1 regulates the matrix of acidic biofilms and analyzed the modulation of their transcriptome (by microarrays) and matrix proteome (by LC-MS/MS) by Zap1.

Screening and in silico characterization of prophages in Helicobacter pylori clinical strains.

The increase of antibiotic resistance calls for alternatives to control Helicobacter pylori, a Gram-negative bacterium associated with various gastric diseases. Bacteriophages (phages) can be highly effective in the treatment of pathogenic bacteria. Here, we developed a method to identify prophages in H.

A Newly Validated HPLC-DAD Method for the Determination of Ricinoleic Acid (RA) in PLGA Nanocapsules.

The assessment of ricinoleic acid (RA) incorporated into polymeric nanoparticles is a challenge that has not yet been explored. This bioactive compound, the main component of castor oil, has attracted attention in the pharmaceutical field for its valuable anti-inflammatory, antifungal, and antimicrobial properties. This work aims to develop a new and simple analytical method using high-performance liquid chromatography with diode-array detection (HPLC-DAD) for the identification and quantification of ricinoleic acid, with potential applicability in several other complex systems.

Effects of low dose computed tomography (LDCT) on lung cancer screening on incidence and mortality in regions with high tuberculosis prevalence: A systematic review.

Background: Lung cancer screening (LCS) using low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) is a strategy for early-stage diagnosis. The implementation of LDCT screening in countries with a high prevalence/incidence of tuberculosis (TB) is controversial. This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to identify whether LCS using LDCT increases early-stage diagnosis and decreases mortality, as well as the false-positive rate, in regions with a high prevalence of TB.

A millimetre-scale capacitive biosensing and biophysical stimulation system for emerging bioelectronic bone implants.

Bioelectronic bone implants are being widely recognized as a promising technology for highly personalized bone/implant interface sensing and biophysical therapeutic stimulation. Such bioelectronic devices are based on an innovative concept with the ability to be applied to a wide range of implants, including in fixation and prosthetic systems. Recently, biointerface sensing using capacitive patterns was proposed to overcome the limitations of standard imaging technologies and other non-imaging technologies; moreover, electric stimulation using capacitive patterns was proposed to overcome the limitations of non-instrumented implants.

Current use of patient-reported outcome measures by musculoskeletal physiotherapists in Portugal.

Background: Musculoskeletal conditions are the leading cause of disability, requiring continuous outcome measurement, including the utilization of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs).

Objective: The aims of the study were a) to characterize the use PROMs by Portuguese physiotherapists in patients with musculoskeletal conditions; b) to analyze the associated factors of their use and; c) to identify the barriers and facilitators to their implementation.

Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was carried out with musculoskeletal physiotherapists working in Portugal.

PRIMITI: A computational approach for accurate prediction of miRNA-target mRNA interaction.

Current medical research has been demonstrating the roles of miRNAs in a variety of cellular mechanisms, lending credence to the association between miRNA dysregulation and multiple diseases. Understanding the mechanisms of miRNA is critical for developing effective diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. miRNA-mRNA interactions emerge as the most important mechanism to be understood despite their experimental validation constraints.

The rules of multiplayer cooperation in networks of communities.

Community organisation permeates both social and biological complex systems. To study its interplay with behaviour emergence, we model mobile structured populations with multiplayer interactions. We derive general analytical methods for evolutionary dynamics under high home fidelity when populations self-organise into networks of asymptotically isolated communities.

Cystatin F Depletion in -Infected Macrophages Improves Cathepsin C/Granzyme B-Driven Cytotoxic Effects on HIV-Infected Cells during Coinfection.

Cystatin F (CstF) is a protease inhibitor of cysteine cathepsins, including those involved in activating the perforin/granzyme cytotoxic pathways. It is targeted at the endolysosomal pathway but can also be secreted to the extracellular milieu or endocytosed by bystander cells. CstF was shown to be significantly increased in tuberculous pleurisy, and during HIV coinfection, pleural fluids display high viral loads.

Cross-cultural adaptation and reliability of the European Portuguese version of the Musculoskeletal Health Questionnaire: A methodological study.

Purpose: To culturally adapt the Musculoskeletal Health Questionnaire (MSK-HQ) to European Portuguese and evaluate its reliability in individuals with musculoskeletal conditions.

Materials And Methods: The study was carried out in two phases. In the first phase, the MSK-HQ was translated and culturally adapted.

Role of Type I Interferons during and HIV Infections.

Tuberculosis and AIDS remain two of the most relevant human infectious diseases. The pathogens that cause them, (Mtb) and HIV, individually elicit an immune response that treads the line between beneficial and detrimental to the host. Co-infection further complexifies this response since the different cytokines acting on one infection might facilitate the dissemination of the other.

piscesCSM: prediction of anticancer synergistic drug combinations.

While drug combination therapies are of great importance, particularly in cancer treatment, identifying novel synergistic drug combinations has been a challenging venture. Computational methods have emerged in this context as a promising tool for prioritizing drug combinations for further evaluation, though they have presented limited performance, utility, and interpretability. Here, we propose a novel predictive tool, piscesCSM, that leverages graph-based representations to model small molecule chemical structures to accurately predict drug combinations with favourable anticancer synergistic effects against one or multiple cancer cell lines.

SARS-CoV-2 transmission in a highly vulnerable population of Brazil: a household cohort study.

Background: Household transmission studies seek to understand the transmission dynamics of a pathogen by estimating the risk of infection from household contacts and community exposures. We estimated within/extra-household SARS-CoV-2 infection risk and associated factors in a household cohort study in one of the most vulnerable neighbourhoods in Rio de Janeiro city.

Methods: Individuals ≥1 years-old with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 in the past 30 days (index cases) and household members aged ≥1 year were enrolled and followed at 14 and 28 days (study period November/2020-December/2021).

Updates in the Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis.

Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is an inflammatory and degenerative condition resulting in articular cartilage destruction and functional loss. Its prevalence has grown considerably due to increased life expectancy and obesity, and its diagnosis relies on evaluation, medical examination, and confirmation by supplementary radiographic images. Knee OA is multifactorial and influenced by several local, systemic, and external aspects.

MyBack - effectiveness and implementation of a behavior change informed exercise programme to prevent low back pain recurrences: a hybrid effectiveness-implementation randomized controlled study protocol.

Background: Low back pain (LBP) is a common health condition and the leading cause of years lived with disability worldwide. Most LBP episodes have a favourable prognosis, but recurrences within a year are common. Despite the individual and societal impact related to LBP recurrences, there is limited evidence on effective strategies for secondary prevention of LBP and successful implementation of intervention programmes in a real-world context.

Development of New Drugs to Treat Tuberculosis Based on the Dinitrobenzamide Scaffold.

Tuberculosis (TB) continues to be a major global health challenge and a leading cause of death from infectious diseases. Inspired by the results from a previous work by our group on antimycobacterial -alkylnitrobenzamides, which are structurally related to the nitrobenzamide family of decaprenylphosphoryl-β-d-ribose oxidase (DprE1) inhibitors, the present study explored a broad array of substituted benzamides. We particularly focused on previously unexplored 3,5-dinitrobenzamide derivatives.