Quantum Simulations and Experimental Insights into Glyphosate Adsorption Using Graphene-Based Nanomaterials.

The increasing global demand for food and agrarian development brings to light a dual issue concerning the use of substances that are crucial for increasing productivity yet can be harmful to human health and the environment when misused. Herein, we combine insights from high-level quantum simulations and experimental findings to elucidate the fundamental physicochemical mechanisms behind developing graphene-based nanomaterials for the adsorption of emerging contaminants, with a specific focus on pesticide glyphosate (GLY). We conducted a comprehensive theoretical and experimental investigation of graphene-based supports as promising candidates for detecting, sensing, capturing, and removing GLY applications. By combining ab initio molecular dynamics and density functional theory calculations, we explored several chemical environments encountered by GLY during its interaction with graphene-based substrates, including pristine and punctual defect regions. Our results unveiled distinct interaction behaviors: physisorption in pristine and doped graphene regions, chemisorption leading to molecular dissociation in vacancy-type defect regions, and complex transformations involving the capture of N and O atoms from impurity-adsorbed graphene, resulting in the formation of new GLY-derived compounds. The theoretical findings were substantiated by FTIR and Raman spectroscopy, which proposed a mechanism explaining GLY adsorption in graphene-based nanomaterials. The comprehensive evaluation of adsorption energies and associated properties provides valuable insights into the intricate nature of these interactions, shedding light on potential applications and guiding future experimental investigations of graphene-based nanofilters for water decontamination.

Molecular Detection and Characterization of Rickettsia Species in Ixodid Ticks from Selected Regions of Namibia.

Rickettsial pathogens are among the emerging and re-emerging vector-borne zoonoses of public health importance. Reports indicate human exposure to Rickettsial pathogens in Namibia through serological surveys, but there is a lack of data on infection rates in tick vectors, hindering the assessment of the relative risk to humans. Our study sought to screen Ixodid ticks collected from livestock for the presence of Rickettsia species in order to determine infection rates in ticks and to determine the Rickettsia species circulating in the country. We collected and pooled Hyalomma and Rhipicephalus ticks from two adjacent regions of Namibia (Khomas and Otjozondjupa) and observed an overall minimum Rickettsia infection rate of 8.6% (26/304), with an estimated overall pooled prevalence of 9.94% (95% CI: 6.5-14.3). There were no statistically significant differences in the estimated pooled prevalence between the two regions or tick genera. Based on the nucleotide sequence similarity and phylogenetic analysis of the outer membrane protein A (n = 9) and citrate synthase (n = 12) genes, BLAST analysis revealed similarity between Rickettsia africae (n = 2) and Rickettsia aeschlimannii (n = 11), with sequence identities ranging from 98.46 to 100%. Our initial study in Namibia indicates that both zoonotic R. africae and R. aeschlimannii are in circulation in the country, with R. aeschlimannii being the predominant species.

Patients hospitalized with active tuberculosis and Covid-19 coinfection: A matched case-control from the Brazilian Covid-19 Registry.

Although control of Covid-19 has improved, the virus continues to cause infections, such as tuberculosis, that is still endemic in many countries, representing a scenario of coinfection. To compare Covid-19 clinical manifestations and outcomes between patients with active tuberculosis infection and matched controls. This is a matched case-control study based on data from the Brazilian Covid-19 Registry, in hospitalized patients aged 18 or over with laboratory confirmed Covid-19 from March 1, 2020, to March 31, 2022. Cases were patients with tuberculosis and controls were Covid-19 patients without tuberculosis. From 13,636 Covid-19, 36 also had active tuberculosis (0.0026%). Pulmonary fibrosis (5.6% vs 0.0%), illicit drug abuse (30.6% vs 3.0%), alcoholism (33.3% vs 11.9%) and smoking (50.0% vs 9.7%) were more common among patients with tuberculosis. They also had a higher frequency of nausea and vomiting (25.0% vs 10.4%). There were no significant differences in in-hospital mortality, mechanical ventilation, need for dialysis and ICU stay. Patients with TB infection presented a higher frequency of pulmonary fibrosis, abuse of illicit drugs, alcoholism, current smoking, symptoms of nausea and vomiting. The outcomes were similar between them.

Serological Evidence of Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever in Livestock in the Omaheke Region of Namibia.

This research examined the positivity ratio of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) antibodies in cattle and sheep within Namibia's Omaheke region after a human disease outbreak in the same geographical area. A total of 200 samples (100 cattle and 100 sheep) were randomly collected from animals brought to two regional auction sites, and then tested using the ID Screen® CCHF Double Antigen Multi-Species Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay kit. Of the cattle samples, 36% tested positive, while 22% of the sheep samples were seropositive. The cattle had a significantly higher positivity ratio than sheep at the individual animal level (p = 0.0291). At the herd level, 62.5% of cattle herds and 45.5% of sheep flocks had at least one positive animal, but this difference was statistically insignificant (p = 0.2475). The fourteen cattle farms with at least one seropositive animal were dispersed across the Omaheke region. In contrast, the ten sheep farms with seropositive cases were predominantly situated in the southern half of the region. The study concluded that the CCHF is endemic in the Omaheke region and likely in most of Namibia, underscoring the importance of continued surveillance and preventive measures to mitigate the impact of CCHFV on animal health and potential spillover into human populations.

Corrigendum: Assessment of risk scores to predict mortality of COVID-19 patients admitted to the intensive care unit.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2023.1130218.].

Overcoming the egress block of Plasmodium sporozoites expressing fluorescently tagged circumsporozoite protein.

Plasmodium sporozoites are the highly motile and invasive forms of the malaria parasite transmitted by mosquitoes. Sporozoites form within oocysts at the midgut wall of the mosquito, egress from oocysts and enter salivary glands prior to transmission. The GPI-anchored major surface protein, the circumsporozoite protein (CSP) is important for Plasmodium sporozoite formation, egress, migration and invasion. To visualize CSP, we previously generated full-length versions of CSP internally tagged with the green fluorescent protein, GFP. However, while these allowed for imaging of sporogony in oocysts, sporozoites failed to egress. Here, we explore different strategies to overcome this block in egress and obtain salivary gland resident sporozoites that express CSP-GFP. Replacing the N-terminal and repeat region with GFP did not allow sporozoite formation. Lowering expression of CSP-GFP at the endogenous locus allowed sporozoite formation but did not overcome egress block. Crossing of CSP-GFP expressing parasites that are blocked in egress with wild-type parasites yielded a small fraction of parasites that entered salivary glands and expressed various levels of CSP-GFP. Expressing CSP-GFP constructs from a silent chromosome region from promoters that are active only post salivary gland invasion yielded normal numbers of fluorescent salivary gland sporozoites, albeit with low levels of fluorescence. We also show that lowering CSP expression by 50% allowed egress from oocysts but not salivary gland entry. In conclusion, Plasmodium berghei parasites with normal CSP expression tolerate a certain level of CSP-GFP without disruption of oocyst egress and salivary gland invasion.

Cycling versus swapping strategies in psoriatic arthritis: results from the rheumatic diseases Portuguese register.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the 2-year retention rate between a second tumor necrosis factor alpha inhibitor (TNFi) and secukinumab (SEK) or ustekinumab (UST), in Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA) patients with previous inadequate response to their first TNFi. METHODS: Prospective longitudinal cohort study with a follow-up period of 2 years using the Nationwide Portuguese Reuma.pt database. Patients with a clinical diagnosis of PsA who also fulfill the CASPAR classification criteria, with previous treatment failure to a first-line TNFi and having started a second biotechnological drug (TNFi, SEK or UST) were included. The Cycling group was defined as switching from a first TNFi to a second TNFi, and the Swapping group as switching from a first TNFi to SEK or UST. Sociodemographic data, disease characteristics, disease activity scores and physical function at baseline and after 6, 12 and 24 months were recorded. Cox-proportional hazards regression was used to compare retention rates between Cycling and Swapping groups. To obtain a predictor model of 2-year discontinuation, a multivariable Cox regression model was performed. RESULTS: In total, 439 patients were included, 58% were female, with a mean age (standard deviation) of 49 (12) years. Globally, 75.6% initiated a second TNFi (Cycling group), and 24.4% started SEK/UST (Swapping group). The retention rates after 6, 12 and 24 months were 72%/66%/59% in the Cycling group; and 77%/66%/59% in the Swapping group. There were no significant differences in retention rates between both strategies (HR: 1.06, 95% CI 0.72-1.16). After 2 years of follow-up, 34.4% of patients discontinued their second biologic, mainly due to inefficacy (72.8%), with no differences found between groups. Baseline treatment with glucocorticoids was the only predictor of discontinuation after 2 years of follow-up (HR:1.668, 95% CI 1.154-2.409). CONCLUSIONS: After failure of a first TNF inhibitor, Cycling and Swapping strategies result in similar retention rates suggesting that both are acceptable in the management of patients with psoriatic arthritis.

Backbone and sidechain NMR assignments of residues 1-81 from yeast Sis1 in complex with an Hsp70 C-terminal EEVD peptide.

Molecular chaperones aid proteins to fold and assemble without modifying their final structure, requiring, in several folding processes, the interplay between members of the Hsp70 and Hsp40 families. Here, we report the NMR chemical shift assignments for 1 H, 15 N, and 13 C nuclei of the backbone and side chains of the J-domain of the class B Hsp40 from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Sis1, complexed with the C-terminal EEVD motif of Hsp70. The data revealed information on the structure and backbone dynamics that add significantly to the understanding of the J-domain-Hsp70-EEVD mechanism of interaction.

Assessment of risk scores to predict mortality of COVID-19 patients admitted to the intensive care unit.

Objectives: To assess the ABC2-SPH score in predicting COVID-19 in-hospital mortality, during intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and to compare its performance with other scores (SOFA, SAPS-3, NEWS2, 4C Mortality Score, SOARS, CURB-65, modified CHA2DS2-VASc, and a novel severity score). Materials and methods: Consecutive patients (≥ 18 years) with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 admitted to ICUs of 25 hospitals, located in 17 Brazilian cities, from October 2020 to March 2022, were included. Overall performance of the scores was evaluated using the Brier score. ABC2-SPH was used as the reference score, and comparisons between ABC2-SPH and the other scores were performed by using the Bonferroni method of correction. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. Results: ABC2-SPH had an area under the curve of 0.716 (95% CI 0.693-0.738), significantly higher than CURB-65, SOFA, NEWS2, SOARS, and modified CHA2DS2-VASc scores. There was no statistically significant difference between ABC2-SPH and SAPS-3, 4C Mortality Score, and the novel severity score. Conclusion: ABC2-SPH was superior to other risk scores, but it still did not demonstrate an excellent predictive ability for mortality in critically ill COVID-19 patients. Our results indicate the need to develop a new score, for this subset of patients.

Novel scFv against Notch Ligand JAG1 Suitable for Development of Cell Therapies toward JAG1-Positive Tumors.

The Notch signaling ligand JAG1 is overexpressed in various aggressive tumors and is associated with poor clinical prognosis. Hence, therapies targeting oncogenic JAG1 hold great potential for the treatment of certain tumors. Here, we report the identification of specific anti-JAG1 single-chain variable fragments (scFvs), one of them endowing chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells with cytotoxicity against JAG1-positive cells. Anti-JAG1 scFvs were identified from human phage display libraries, reformatted into full-length monoclonal antibodies (Abs), and produced in mammalian cells. The characterization of these Abs identified two specific anti-JAG1 Abs (J1.B5 and J1.F1) with nanomolar affinities. Cloning the respective scFv sequences in our second- and third-generation CAR backbones resulted in six anti-JAG1 CAR constructs, which were screened for JAG1-mediated T-cell activation in Jurkat T cells in coculture assays with JAG1-positive cell lines. Studies in primary T cells demonstrated that one CAR harboring the J1.B5 scFv significantly induced effective T-cell activation in the presence of JAG1-positive, but not in JAG1-knockout, cancer cells, and enabled specific killing of JAG1-positive cells. Thus, this new anti-JAG1 scFv represents a promising candidate for the development of cell therapies against JAG1-positive tumors.

Mechanical ventilation and death in pregnant patients admitted for COVID-19: a prognostic analysis from the Brazilian COVID-19 registry score.

BACKGROUND: The assessment of clinical prognosis of pregnant COVID-19 patients at hospital presentation is challenging, due to physiological adaptations during pregnancy. Our aim was to assess the performance of the ABC2-SPH score to predict in-hospital mortality and mechanical ventilation support in pregnant patients with COVID-19, to assess the frequency of adverse pregnancy outcomes, and characteristics of pregnant women who died. METHODS: This multicenter cohort included consecutive pregnant patients with COVID-19 admitted to the participating hospitals, from April/2020 to March/2022. Primary outcomes were in-hospital mortality and the composite outcome of mechanical ventilation support and in-hospital mortality. Secondary endpoints were pregnancy outcomes. The overall discrimination of the model was presented as the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC). Overall performance was assessed using the Brier score. RESULTS: From 350 pregnant patients (median age 30 [interquartile range (25.2, 35.0)] years-old]), 11.1% had hypertensive disorders, 19.7% required mechanical ventilation support and 6.0% died. The AUROC for in-hospital mortality and for the composite outcome were 0.809 (95% IC: 0.641-0.944) and 0.704 (95% IC: 0.617-0.792), respectively, with good overall performance (Brier = 0.0384 and 0.1610, respectively). Calibration was good for the prediction of in-hospital mortality, but poor for the composite outcome. Women who died had a median age 4 years-old higher, higher frequency of hypertensive disorders (38.1% vs. 9.4%, p < 0.001) and obesity (28.6% vs. 10.6%, p = 0.025) than those who were discharged alive, and their newborns had lower birth weight (2000 vs. 2813, p = 0.001) and five-minute Apgar score (3.0 vs. 8.0, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The ABC2-SPH score had good overall performance for in-hospital mortality and the composite outcome mechanical ventilation and in-hospital mortality. Calibration was good for the prediction of in-hospital mortality, but it was poor for the composite outcome. Therefore, the score may be useful to predict in-hospital mortality in pregnant patients with COVID-19, in addition to clinical judgment. Newborns from women who died had lower birth weight and Apgar score than those who were discharged alive.

Development of Dl1.72, a Novel Anti-DLL1 Antibody with Anti-Tumor Efficacy against Estrogen Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer.

The Notch-signaling ligand DLL1 has emerged as an important player and promising therapeutic target in breast cancer (BC). DLL1-induced Notch activation promotes tumor cell proliferation, survival, migration, angiogenesis and BC stem cell maintenance. In BC, DLL1 overexpression is associated with poor prognosis, particularly in estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) subtypes. Directed therapy in early and advanced BC has dramatically changed the natural course of ER+ BC; however, relapse is a major clinical issue, and new therapeutic strategies are needed. Here, we report the development and characterization of a novel monoclonal antibody specific to DLL1. Using phage display technology, we selected an anti-DLL1 antibody fragment, which was converted into a full human IgG1 (Dl1.72). The Dl1.72 antibody exhibited DLL1 specificity and affinity in the low nanomolar range and significantly impaired DLL1-Notch signaling and expression of Notch target genes in ER+ BC cells. Functionally, in vitro treatment with Dl1.72 reduced MCF-7 cell proliferation, migration, mammosphere formation and endothelial tube formation. In vivo, Dl1.72 significantly inhibited tumor growth, reducing both tumor cell proliferation and liver metastases in a xenograft mouse model, without apparent toxicity. These findings suggest that anti-DLL1 Dl1.72 could be an attractive agent against ER+ BC, warranting further preclinical investigation.

Membrane interactions of the anuran antimicrobial peptide HSP1-NH2: Different aspects of the association to anionic and zwitterionic biomimetic systems.

Studies have suggested that antimicrobial peptides act by different mechanisms, such as micellisation, self-assembly of nanostructures and pore formation on the membrane surface. This work presents an extensive investigation of the membrane interactions of the 14 amino-acid antimicrobial peptide hylaseptin P1-NH2 (HSP1-NH2), derived from the tree-frog Hyla punctata, which has stronger antifungal than antibacterial potential. Biophysical and structural analyses were performed and the correlated results were used to describe in detail the interactions of HSP1-NH2 with zwitterionic and anionic detergent micelles and phospholipid vesicles. HSP1-NH2 presents similar well-defined helical conformations in both zwitterionic and anionic micelles, although NMR spectroscopy revealed important structural differences in the peptide N-terminus. 2H exchange experiments of HSP1-NH2 indicated the insertion of the most N-terminal residues (1-3) in the DPC-d38 micelles. A higher enthalpic contribution was verified for the interaction of the peptide with anionic vesicles in comparison with zwitterionic vesicles. The pore formation ability of HSP1-NH2 (examined by dye release assays) and its effect on the size and surface charge as well as on the lipid acyl chain ordering (evaluated by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy) of anionic phospholipid vesicles showed membrane disruption even at low peptide-to-phospholipid ratios, and the effect increases proportionately to the peptide concentration. On the other hand, these biophysical investigations showed that a critical peptide-to-phospholipid ratio around 0.6 is essential for promoting disruption of zwitterionic membranes. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that the binding process of the antimicrobial HSP1-NH2 peptide depends on the membrane composition and peptide concentration.

Development and validation of voltammetric method for determination of amoxicillin in river water.

Amoxicillin is an antibiotic that can accumulate in aquatic environments and lead to the development of resistant bacteria; thus, its determination is of great importance. In this study, a glassy carbon electrode modified with reduced graphene oxide and Nafion was used as a sensor in a square-wave voltammetry method for determination of amoxicillin in river water samples from Guarapuava city, Brazil. The method was validated, using parameters and statistical tools recommended by the validation guidelines, in the range of 1.8-5.4 µmol L-1 (r = 0.922 and R2 = 85.1%). The analytical curve was constructed using external standard calibration in pure electrolyte, since the matrix effect was not significant. Results of linear regression analysis, lack of fit test and analysis of the residual plots pointed that the linear regression was significant, without lack of fit of linear model and that the variances had homoscedastic distribution. Both coefficients of regression curve were significant and, thus, they were included in the regression equation: Response = 7.0 + 3.5CAMX. The limits of detection and quantification were 0.36 and 1.2 µmol L-1, respectively. The method was selective towards interferents such as humic acids and benzylpenicillin. The relative standard deviations for repeatability and intermediate precision were adequate according to the limits established in literature. The mean recoveries were statistically equal to those obtained through a comparative chromatography method, so, the accuracy of the method was also adequate. Therefore, the method can be applied to the voltammetric determination of amoxicillin in river water, affording reliable and consistent measurements.

Liquid-liquid phase separation and fibrillation of the prion protein modulated by a high-affinity DNA aptamer.

Structural conversion of cellular prion protein (PrPC) into scrapie PrP (PrPSc) and subsequent aggregation are key events associated with the onset of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs). Experimental evidence supports the role of nucleic acids (NAs) in assisting this conversion. Here, we asked whether PrP undergoes liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) and if this process is modulated by NAs. To this end, two 25-mer DNA aptamers, A1 and A2, were selected against the globular domain of recombinant murine PrP (rPrP90-231) using SELEX methodology. Multiparametric structural analysis of these aptamers revealed that A1 adopts a hairpin conformation. Aptamer binding caused partial unfolding of rPrP90-231 and modulated its ability to undergo LLPS and fibrillate. In fact, although free rPrP90-231 phase separated into large droplets, aptamer binding increased the number of droplets but noticeably reduced their size. Strikingly, a modified A1 aptamer that does not adopt a hairpin structure induced formation of amyloid fibrils on the surface of the droplets. We show here that PrP undergoes LLPS, and that the PrP interaction with NAs modulates phase separation and promotes PrP fibrillation in a NA structure and concentration-dependent manner. These results shed new light on the roles of NAs in PrP misfolding and TSEs.

Fatores de risco para a saúde mental infanto-juvenil: conhecimentos dos agentes educativos / Factores de riesgo para la salud mental infanto-juvenil: conocimientos de los agentes educativos / Risk factors for mental health in children and young people: knowledge of education agents

Resumo Objetivo Avaliar o nível de conhecimentos dos agentes educativos sobre os fatores de risco para a saúde mental de crianças e adolescentes e analisar a sua associação com variáveis sociodemográficas. Métodos Estudo quantitativo, com recurso a uma amostra não probabilística de 136 agentes educativos (62,5% professores, 32,4% enfermeiros e 5,1% polícias), na sua maioria mulheres (70,6%) e média de idades de 48,34 anos. A colheita de dados, com recurso a um questionário de auto-preenchimento, realizou-se no ano lectivo de 2018 em quatro escolas do concelho de Viseu - Região centro de Portugal. Testes estatísticos utilizados: Qui-Quadrado e Análise de Regressão Múltipla. Resultados Na generalidade os agentes educativos revelaram possuir conhecimentos sobre os fatores de risco para a saúde mental, destacando-se 39,71% que chegam mesmo a evidenciar excelentes conhecimentos. Em termos comparativos, os enfermeiros são os que evidenciam melhores níveis de conhecimentos ( x̄ =15,546), seguindo-se os professores ( x̄ =13,318) e, por fim, os polícias ( x̄ =8,571), diferenças estas significativas (x2=14,725; p= 0,004). O estudo multivariado inferiu ser o género a única variável a se revelar preditora do nível de conhecimentos, explicando 11,5% da sua variabilidade (p=0,002), evidenciando as mulheres maior nível de conhecimentos. Já o efeito preditivo da variável categoria profissional (p=0,051) e tempo de experiência profissional (p=0,0179) não se revelou significativo. Conclusão O facto do género ter sido a única variável que se revelou preditiva do nível de conhecimentos, faz-nos ponderar da necessidade de se adoptarem estratégias diferenciadas em programas de formação, onde as características e vulnerabilidade dos dois sexos sejam salvaguardadas.

Resumen Objetivo Evaluar el nivel de conocimiento de los agentes educativos sobre los factores de riesgo para la salud mental de niños y adolescentes y analizar su relación con variables sociodemográficas. Métodos Estudio cuantitativo, con un muestreo no probabilístico de 136 agentes educativos (62,5% profesores, 32,4% enfermeros y 5,1% policías), en su mayoría mujeres (70,6%) y con un promedio de edad de 48,34 años. La recolección de datos se realizó mediante un cuestionario autocompletado, en el año lectivo 2018, en cuatro escuelas del concejo de Viseu, en la región centro de Portugal. Las pruebas estadísticas utilizadas fueron: prueba χ2 de Pearson y Análisis de Regresión Múltiple. Resultados En general, los agentes educativos revelaron tener conocimientos sobre los factores de riesgo para la salud mental, con un 39,71% que logró demostrar excelentes conocimientos. En términos comparativos, los enfermeros son los que demuestran mejores niveles de conocimiento ( x̄ =15,546), seguidos de los profesores ( x̄ =13,318) y por último los policías ( x̄ =8,571), diferencias estas significativas (x2=14,725; p= 0,004). Con el estudio multivariado se reveló que el género es la única variable que se mostró predictiva del nivel de conocimiento, que explica el 11,5% de su variabilidad (p=0,002) y demuestra mayor nivel de conocimiento en mujeres. Por otro lado, el efecto predictivo de la variable categoría profesional (p=0,051) y tiempo de experiencia profesional (p=0,0179) no demostró ser significativo. Conclusión El hecho de que el género haya sido la única variable que demostró ser predictiva del nivel de conocimiento nos hace considerar la necesidad de adoptar estrategias diferenciadas en programas de capacitación, en los que las características y vulnerabilidad de los dos sexos sean resguardadas.

Abstract Objective To assess the level of knowledge of education agents about risk factors for mental health in children and adolescents, and to analyze these factors connection with sociodemographic variables. Methods This was a quantitative study that used non-probabilistic sample of 136 education agents (62.5% professors, 32.4% nurses and 5.1% police officers). Most of participants were women (70.6%) with mean age of 48.34 years old. Data collection was performed through a self-completion questionnaire during 2018 academic year in four schools of the municipality of Viseu, Central Portugal. Statistical tests used were chi-square and multiple regression analysis. Results In general, education agents showed to have knowledge about risk factors for mental health, highlighting that 39.71% of them had excellent knowledge. In comparative terms, nurses showed better level of knowledge ( x̄ =15.546), followed by professors ( x̄ =13.318) and, police officers ( x̄ =8.571). Differences between participants were significant (x2=14.725; p= 0.004). The multivariate study demonstrated that gender was the only variable to prove to be a predictor of the level of knowledge, explaining the 11.5% of variability (p=0.002), and showing that women had a greater level of knowledge. The predictive effect of the variable professional category (p=0.051) and years of professional experience (p=0.0179) was not significant. Conclusion The fact that gender was the only variable that proved to be predictive of the level of knowledge led us consider the need of adopting differentiated strategies for training programs, in which the characteristics and vulnerability of both sexes should be protected.

Nurses in the triage of the emergency department: self-compassion and empathy. / Enfermeiros na triagem no serviço de emergência: autocompaixão e empatia.

OBJECTIVE: to adapt the Consultation and Relational Empathy Measure (Brazilian version) for nurses; to evaluate the concurrence between empathy self-reported by nurses and that perceived by patients; To correlate self-compassion to the empathy self-reported by nurses and perceived by patients. METHOD: seven specialists validated the Consultation and Relational Empathy Measure Nurses (Brazilian version)' adaptation by original author's authorization. A sample with 15 triage nurses and 93 patients they admitted to the Emergency Department of a philanthropic private hospital were interviewed according to the following instruments: Consultation and Relational Empathy Measure - Nurses (Brazilian version) and the Self-Compassion Scale (Brazilian version). RESULTS: the psychometrics properties of Consultation and Relational Empathy Measure - Nurses (Brazilian version) showed appropriate internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha=0,799). The evaluation of empathy provided by the patients was better than that self-reported by the nurses (p<0,001). The nurses with higher level of self-compassion also showed higher empathy scores (p=0,002). CONCLUSION: our results confirmed the psychometrics properties' adequacy of Consultation and Relational Empathy Measure - Nurses (Brazilian version), allowing to compare empathy scores embased at same parameters. Self-compassion showed to influence self-reported empathy.

Selective antibacterial activity of the cationic peptide PaDBS1R6 against Gram-negative bacteria.

Infections caused by Gram-negative bacteria, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa foremost among them, constitute a major worldwide health problem. Bioinformatics methodologies are being used to rationally design new antimicrobial peptides, a potential alternative for treating these infections. One of the algorithms used to develop antimicrobial peptides is the Joker, which was used to design the peptide PaDBS1R6. This study evaluates the antibacterial activities of PaDBS1R6 in vitro and in vivo, characterizes the peptide interaction to target membranes, and investigates the PaDBS1R6 structure in contact with mimetic vesicles. Moreover, we demonstrate that PaDBS1R6 exhibits selective antimicrobial activity against Gram-negative bacteria. In the presence of negatively charged and zwitterionic lipids the structural arrangement of PaDBS1R6 transits from random coil to α-helix, as characterized by circular dichroism. The tertiary structure of PaDBS1R6 was determined by NMR in zwitterionic dodecylphosphocholine (DPC) micelles. In conclusion, PaDBS1R6 is a candidate for the treatment of nosocomial infections caused by Gram-negative bacteria, as template for producing other antimicrobial agents.

Fast and potent bactericidal membrane lytic activity of PaDBS1R1, a novel cationic antimicrobial peptide.

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are promising candidates for the development of future antibiotics. In an attempt to increase the efficacy of therapeutic AMPs, computer-based design methods appear as a reliable strategy. In this study, we evaluated the antimicrobial efficiency and mechanism of action of a novel designed AMP named PaDBS1R1, previously designed by means of the Joker algorithm, using a fragment of the ribosomal protein L39E from the archaeon Pyrobaculum aerophilum as a template. PaDBS1R1 displayed low micromolar broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity against Gram-negative (MIC of 1.5 µM) and Gram-positive (MIC of 3 µM) bacteria, including carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (MIC of 6.25 µM) and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MIC of 12.5 µM), without cytotoxicity towards HEK-293 cells. In addition, membrane permeabilization and depolarization assays, combined with time-kill studies and FEG-SEM imaging, indicated a fast membrane permeation and further leakage of intracellular content. Biophysical studies with lipid vesicles show a preference of PaDBS1R1 for Gram-negative bacteria-like membranes. We investigated the three-dimensional structure of PaDBS1R1 by CD and NMR analyses. Our results suggest that PaDBS1R1 adopts an amphipathic α-helix upon interacting with hydrophobic environments, after an initial electrostatic interaction with negative charges, suggesting a membrane lytic effect. This study reveals that PaDBS1R1 has potential application in antibiotic therapy.