LPS-induced impairment of Na+/K+-ATPase activity: ameliorative effect of tannic acid in mice

Metabolic Brain Disease - Acetylcholine is an excitatory neurotransmitter that modulates synaptic plasticity and communication, and it is essential for learning and memory processes. This...     

Non-tuberculous Mycobacterial Infections in Thoracic Transplant Candidates and Recipients

Purpose of Review

To review and discuss the epidemiology, risk factors, clinical presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) in thoracic transplantation.

Recent Findings

Non-tuberculous mycobacteria are ubiquitous but are an uncommon cause of disease after solid organ transplantation. The incidence of infection is higher in thoracic transplant recipients than in abdominal transplant recipients, with most cases seen after lung transplantation. It is associated with increased morbidity and, occasionally, mortality. Infection in the pre-transplant setting can occur in lung transplant candidates, often posing a dilemma regarding transplant listing. Disease manifestations are diverse, and pulmonary disease is the most common. Diagnosis requires a high index of suspicion. Treatment requires a multiple-drug combination and is limited by drug-drug interactions and tolerability. Mycobacterium abscessus is a challenge in lung transplant recipients, due to its intrinsic resistance and propensity to relapse even after prolonged therapy. Mycobacterium chimaera is an emerging pathogen associated with contamination of heater-cooler units and is described to cause disease months after cardiothoracic surgery.

Summary

NTM infections in thoracic organ transplant recipients are uncommon but are associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. Data from larger multicenter studies is needed to better define the epidemiology of NTM in thoracic transplantation, best treatment options, and the management of infected transplant candidates.

     

Validation to Portuguese of the Scale of Student Satisfaction and Self-Confidence in Learning

Objective:

translate and validate to Portuguese the Scale of Student Satisfaction and Self-Confidence in Learning.

Material and Methods:

methodological translation and validation study of a research tool. After following all steps of the translation process, for the validation process, the event III Workshop Brazil - Portugal: Care Delivery to Critical Patients was created, promoted by one Brazilian and another Portuguese teaching institution.

Results:

103 nurses participated. As to the validity and reliability of the scale, the correlation pattern between the variables, the sampling adequacy test (Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin) and the sphericity test (Bartlett) showed good results. In the exploratory factorial analysis (Varimax), item 9 behaved better in factor 1 (Satisfaction) than in factor 2 (Self-confidence in learning). The internal consistency (Cronbach''s alpha) showed coefficients of 0.86 in factor 1 with six items and 0.77 for factor 2 with 07 items.

Conclusion:

in Portuguese this tool was called: Escala de Satisfação de Estudantes e Autoconfiança na Aprendizagem. The results found good psychometric properties and a good potential use. The sampling size and specificity are limitations of this study, but future studies will contribute to consolidate the validity of the scale and strengthen its potential use.     

On the synergy between silver nanoparticles and doxycycline towards the inhibition of Staphylococcus aureus growth

In a previous paper (RSC Adv., 2015, 5, 66886–66893), we showed that the combination of silver nanoparticles (NanoAg) with doxycycline (DO) culminated in an increased bactericidal activity towards E. coli. Herein we further investigated the metabolic changes that occurred on Staphylococcus aureus upon exposure to NanoAg with the help of attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) coupled with multivariate data analysis. It has been discovered that the combination of DO with NanoAg produced metabolic changes in S. aureus that were not simply the overlap of the treatments with DO and NanoAg separately. Our results suggest that DO and NanoAg act synergistically to impede protein synthesis by the bacteria.

Silver nanoparticles conjugated with doxycycline act synergistically to halt S. aureus growth via inhibition of protein synthesis.     

Amino acid ionic liquids as catalysts in a solvent-free Morita–Baylis–Hillman reaction

In the present work, we describe the preparation of ten amino acid ionic liquids (AAILs) formed from ammonium salts as cations, derivatives of glycerol, and natural amino acids as anions. All of them are viscous oils, colorless or pale yellow, and hygroscopic at room temperature. They have appreciable solubility in many protic and aprotic polar solvents. The AAILs were used as catalysts in a Morita–Baylis–Hillman (MBH) reaction. The ionic liquids derivative from l-proline and l-histidine demonstrated the ability to catalyze the reaction between methyl vinyl ketone and aromatic aldehydes differently substituted in the absence of an additional co-catalyst under organic solvent-free conditions. The AAIL derivatives from l-valine, l-leucine, and l-tyrosine catalyzed the MBH reaction only in the presence of imidazole. The MBH adducts were obtained in moderate to good yields. Although the catalytic site in the ILs was in its enantiomerically pure form, all the MBH adducts were obtained in their racemic form.

In this work, we describe the preparation of ten amino acid ionic liquids (AAILs). The AAILs were used as catalysts in a Morita–Baylis–Hillman (MBH) reaction. The MBH adducts were obtained from moderate to good yields and in their racemic form.     

Twenty Years of Active Bacterial Core Surveillance

Active Bacterial Core surveillance (ABCs) was established in 1995 as part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Emerging Infections Program (EIP) network to assess the extent of invasive bacterial infections of public health importance. ABCs is distinctive among surveillance systems because of its large, population-based, geographically diverse catchment area; active laboratory-based identification of cases to ensure complete case capture; detailed collection of epidemiologic information paired with laboratory isolates; infrastructure that allows for more in-depth investigations; and sustained commitment of public health, academic, and clinical partners to maintain the system. ABCs has directly affected public health policies and practices through the development and evaluation of vaccines and other prevention strategies, the monitoring of antimicrobial drug resistance, and the response to public health emergencies and other emerging infections.     

Fructose:Glucose Ratios—A Study of Sugar Self-Administration and Associated Neural and Physiological Responses in the Rat

This study explored whether different ratios of fructose (F) and glucose (G) in sugar can engender significant differences in self-administration and associated neurobiological and physiological responses in male Sprague-Dawley rats. In Experiment 1, animals self-administered pellets containing 55% F + 45% G or 30% F + 70% G, and Fos immunoreactivity was assessed in hypothalamic regions regulating food intake and reward. In Experiment 2, rats self-administered solutions of 55% F + 42% G (high fructose corn syrup (HFCS)), 50% F + 50% G (sucrose) or saccharin, and mRNA of the dopamine 2 (D2R) and mu-opioid (MOR) receptor genes were assessed in striatal regions involved in addictive behaviors. Finally, in Experiment 3, rats self-administered HFCS and sucrose in their home cages, and hepatic fatty acids were quantified. It was found that higher fructose ratios engendered lower self-administration, lower Fos expression in the lateral hypothalamus/arcuate nucleus, reduced D2R and increased MOR mRNA in the dorsal striatum and nucleus accumbens core, respectively, as well as elevated omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids in the liver. These data indicate that a higher ratio of fructose may enhance the reinforcing effects of sugar and possibly lead to neurobiological and physiological alterations associated with addictive and metabolic disorders.