Presently, results from a study carried out in this area using the essential oil from the Calyptranthes concinna species, a representative from the Myrtaceae family, are reported. The essential oil was obtained by hydrodistillation and gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry was used to identify its chemical constituents. Antibacterial activity was determined using the broth microdilution method, thus obtaining the Minimal Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) value, from which the subinhibitory concentration (MIC/8) was derived. The C. concinna essential oil presented antibacterial activity against both standard and multiresistant bacteria. In addition, the oil demonstrated an antibiotic activity potentiation against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli when in combination with the antibiotic gentamicin, reducing the MIC from 141.38 μg/mL and 208.63 μg/mL to 64 μg/mL and 128 μg/mL, respectively. Conclusions: Findings from the present study suggest this oil is promising in terms of its antimicrobial activity.

Human exposure to industrial chemical compounds is widespread and, although often beneficial, prolonged contact may contribute to disease development, including cancer. While many studies have shown organic pollutants (OP) are cytotoxic, few have explored how long‐term exposure alters cell phenotype. Therefore, the current study investigated whether exposure to the OP perfluorooctanoic acid (Pfoa: 0.01, 0.1, and 1 μM), bisphenol A (Bpa: 0.1 and 1 μM), methoxychlor (Mtx: 0.1 and 1 μM), and benzophenone‐1 (Bp1: 1 and 10 μM) modulates the phenotype of MCF7 human breast cancer cells and MCF10A normal breast epithelial cells. MCF7 cells were exposed to environmentally relevant concentrations of the OP for 24 h and 15 days. Cell viability, proliferation, colony formation, drug‐efflux activity, and gene expression were assessed. A modulation of MCF7 breast cancer cell phenotype was observed, with increased proliferation and colony formation (Pfoa, Bpa, Mtx, Bp‐1), particularly at 15‐day exposure and with expression of genes involved in cell survival, proliferation, differentiation, and chemoresistance (STAT3 and VEGFA [Bpa, Mtx, Bp‐1], BRCA1 [Bp1], ESR2 [Pfoa, Bpa], ABCG2 [Pfoa]). No effects on cell migration and drug‐efflux activity were observed. Likewise, an increase in cell proliferation also occurred for MCF10A nontumor cells (Bpa, Mtx, Bp‐1), but these effects were usually less pronounced than those observed in MCF7 cells. Pan‐cancer analysis revealed a negative correlation between the expression of STAT3, VEGFA, ESR2, and ABCG2 and breast cancer patient survival. These findings suggest that low‐concentration, prolonged exposure to OP may promote tumor progression and aggressiveness in breast cancer, potentially undermining therapeutic outcomes.

After over a decade of minimal circulation, DENV-3 reemerged in Brazil in 2023, driven by the newly detected lineage 3III_B.3.2. Elucidating the patterns of DENV-3 spread and impact on public health, is critically important in the context of Brazil’s hyperendemic dengue scenario. Here, we aimed to investigate the spatiotemporal dispersion of this new lineage and its epidemiological impact in Brazil. We generated 87 near-complete DENV-3 genomes, sampled in nine different Brazilian states, that were analysed with publicly available sequences. Phylogeographic reconstructions inferred introduction events and spatial dispersion of lineage 3III_B.3.2. In parallel, dengue cases notifications (2023–2025) were used to fit multiple logistic regression models assessing associations between DENV serotypes and severity, adjusting for demographic and spatiotemporal covariates. We detected at least 14 introductions of lineage 3III_B.3.2 into Brazil during 2023–2024, followed by diversification into six region-specific clades. Epidemiological analyses applied to the RT-qPCR dengue confirmed cases showed an adjusted odds ratios for severe dengue ranging from 1.24 to 1.71 for DENV-2 and from 1.47 to 1.94 for DENV-3, across different settings and using DENV-1 infection as the reference category. Sensitivity analysis to evaluate potential recent heterotypic infection among infants ≤2 years adjusted by confunders showed an association between DENV-2 and severe dengue, while DENV-3 estimates were not statistically significant. Our results reveal a dynamic pattern of multiple introductions and regionally structured spread of 3III_B.3.2, which may represent a general feature as a similar reconstructed history has also been observed for other DENV serotypes/lineages in Brazil. Although the association observed between DENV-2 and DENV-3 and dengue severity may be influenced by secondary infections, our findings underscore that the co-circulation of multiple serotypes contributes to more severe epidemic outcomes and emphasize the need for ongoing DENV genomic surveillance. DECIT, CGLAB, Fiocruz, CNPq, and FAPES.

Background/Objectives: Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), the most common pediatric soft tissue sarcoma, includes two main subtypes, embryonal (eRMS) and alveolar (aRMS), each with distinct molecular and clinical characteristics. Although cellular processes underlying RMS and differences between PAX3-FOXO1 fusion-positive and fusion-negative tumors are well known, the contribution of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) remains poorly understood. Methods: Here, we reannotated publicly available microarray datasets to comprehensively profile lncRNA expression and reconstruct lncRNA–miRNA–mRNA regulatory networks in RMS. Results: We identified several lncRNAs with subtype-specific differential expression, including HOTAIR as a potential sponge for miR-206, DSCR8 for miR-885-5p, and PRKCQ-AS1 for miR-515-5p in eRMS. Database-supported interaction analyses identified putative regulatory relationships between these lncRNAs and cancer-related miRNAs and mRNAs. Validation using the St. Jude Cloud PeCan platform confirmed distinct lncRNA expression signatures across RMS subtypes and other pediatric solid tumors, supporting subtype-specific regulation. Conclusions: Our findings provide an updated characterization of the lncRNA landscape in RMS and identify candidate lncRNA–miRNA–mRNA regulatory networks that may contribute to disease biology. The proposed regulatory interactions are hypothesis-generating and require experimental validation. Overall, our findings provide a resource for future functional studies and support the investigation of lncRNAs as potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets in RMS.

The Atlantic Forest is regarded a rich source of aromatic plants with a broad spectrum of biological properties. The leaves of seven Piper species were collected from the Atlantic Forest domain in the coastal region of Paraná state in winter (W) and spring (S). The volatile oils were extracted from the leaves through hydrodistillation method. The volatile oils were characterized by means of GC-FID and GC-MS. Sesquiterpenes were among the major compounds in all species studied, with many dozens of representatives. However, very low concentrations of monoterpenes were observed; α-pinene in Piper mosenii and P. cernuum, δ-3-carene in P. rivinoides, camphene and β-pinene in P. cernuum are exceptions. The arylpropanoides myristicine and elemicin were found in considerable amount in P. diospyrifolium (26.2%/S) and P. mosenii (16.4%/W), respectively. These oils were also screened for inhibitory activities against acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and α-glucosidase (AG). For AChE the most active samples were P. diospyrifolium, P. aduncum and P. cernuum, with inhibiting level > 93%. For the less sensitive AG, the most promising candidates were P. diospyrifolium and P. mosenii, with inhibiting level > 65%. These results highlight the importance of native plants as renewable source of new inhibitors for AChE and AG. Further investigation is required to identify the most active constituents or fractions from the selected volatile oils.