MicroRNA history : discovery, recent applications and next frontiers

We thank the Department of Scientific Publications at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center for English language editing of the manuscript.Since 1993, when the first small non-coding RNA was identified, our knowledge about microRNAs has grown exponentially. In this review, we focus on the main progress in this field and discuss the most important findings under a historical perspective. In addition, we examine microRNAs as markers ofdisease diagnosis and prognosis, and as new therapeutic targets.M.I.A is supported by a PhD fellowship (SFRH/BD/47031/2008) from FCT (Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia) from Portugal. G.A.C. is supported as a Fellow at The University of Texas MD Anderson Research Trust, as a Fellow of The University of Texas System Regents Research Scholar, and by the CLL Global Research Foundation. Work in Dr. Calin’s laboratory was supported in part by NIH, by DoD, by 2009 Seena Magowitz – Pancreatic Cancer Action Network – AACR Pilot Grant and by the U.S./European Alliance for the Therapy of CLL

MicroRNAs and metastases--the neuroblastoma link

[Excerpt] MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs of approximately 22 nucleotides in length that regulate gene expression post-transcriptionally. These small RNAs are fundamental regulators of several cellular processes, such as differentiation, development, apoptosis, proliferation, cell cycle regulation and metabolism, through the binding to 3' untranslated regions, coding sequence or 5' untranslated regions of target messenger RNAs (mRNAs), preventing their translation or causing their degradation.1 A modest change in only one miRNA will affect multiple mRNA targets; consequently, the deregulation of miRNAs has important consequences to the cellular homeostatic stability, and aberrant miRNAs expression patterns have been described in several types of cancer.2 Recently, miRNAs have been implicated in the metastatic process of several tumors such as human breast and colorectal cancers3 and, as reported this issue of Cancer Biology & Therapy by Guo et al. in neuroblastoma.4 These are extracranial solid tumors, arising from neural crest cells, that are most common in infants and children; metastasis, the main cause of death, is present at the time of diagnosis in approximately 60% of patients. (5) [...

Ceramic biomaterials for tissue engineering

Bioceramics, natural and synthetic, are designed to induce a strong bonding to bone and appeared as an alternative to metallic implants. Bioceramic materials currently used for the repair and reconstruction of hard and soft tissues can be categorized according its composition, structure, and properties. These biomaterials are grouped bioinert ceramics as alumina and zirconia, bioactive glasses and glass ceramics and bioresorbable calcium phosphates-based materials. The bioceramics concepts, namely physico-chemical, mechanical and biological properties, and respective applications in diverse fields of tissue engineering are discussed in depth herein. An up-to-date of bioceramics clinical trials is also considered. Based on the stringent requirements for clinical application, prospects for the development of advanced functional bioceramics for tissue engineering are highlighted for the future.The authors thank to the project FROnTHERA (NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000023), supported by Norte Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE 2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The financial support from the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology to M-ERA-NET/0001/2014 project, for the fellowship grant (SFRH/BPD/108763/2015) and for the funds provided under the program Investigador FCT 2012 and 2015 (IF/00423/2012 and IF/01285/2015) are also greatly acknowledge.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Testing the Equivalence of Regular Languages

The minimal deterministic finite automaton is generally used to determine regular languages equality. Antimirov and Mosses proposed a rewrite system for deciding regular expressions equivalence of which Almeida et al. presented an improved variant. Hopcroft and Karp proposed an almost linear algorithm for testing the equivalence of two deterministic finite automata that avoids minimisation. In this paper we improve the best-case running time, present an extension of this algorithm to non-deterministic finite automata, and establish a relationship between this algorithm and the one proposed in Almeida et al. We also present some experimental comparative results. All these algorithms are closely related with the recent coalgebraic approach to automata proposed by Rutten

The influence of water pH on the sex determination of tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum).

The Amazonian tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum) are the most important native fish in Brazilian aquaculture. The species is responsible for more than 38% of the national production of fish. At harvest, females are almost 20% heavier than males, therefore are the most profitable sex to be cultivated in tambaqui farming. In order to provide knowledge supporting the development of new technologies for the tambaqui industry, we aimed to evaluate the influence of pH on the sex determination of tambaqui

Complications of endoscopic nasosinusal surgery – Review of 667 patients from the Centro Hospitalar do Porto

Objectivos: Determinar a taxa de complicações da cirurgia endoscópica nasossinusal (CENS) num centro hospitalar com 20 anos de experiência nesta área. Desenho do estudo: Estudo retrospectivo de 667 pacientes submetidos a CENS. Material e Métodos: Foram analisados os dados relativos aos pacientes submetidos a CENS desde Janeiro de 2006 a Dezembro de 2009, e avaliadas as complicações da técnica cirúrgica no per e pós--operatório, com um período mínimo de follow-up de 3 meses. Resultados: Num total de 677 cirurgias, verificou-se uma taxa de 7,39% de complicações (5,91% minor e 1,48% major). As complicações da CENS variaram de acordo com a extensão do procedimento cirúrgico, sendo mais frequentes nos casos de cirurgia de revisão, estando também relacionadas com a presença e grau de polipose nasossinusal. Conclusões: Duas décadas após a afirmação da CENS, esta ainda está associada a complicações. É fundamental um conhecimento anatómico profundo e um planeamento cirúrgico detalhado, baseado na análise imagiológica rigorosa, para que estas sejam reduzidas ao mínimo.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Immobilization of biomolecules on chitosan surface for selective recruitment, controlled growth and differentiation of cells from mixed populations

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The role of estradiol in adrenal insufficiency and its interaction with corticosterone on hydromineral balance

AbstractEstradiol (E2) plays an important role in controlling the homeostasis of body fluids. Several studies have reported the involvement of the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis (HPA) in the homeostatic control of hydromineral balance and the influence of estrogens on the modulation of this system. Nevertheless, until now, the physiological relevance of HPA axis activity on the hydromineral balance in females has not yet been fully elucidated. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to evaluate the effects of E2 (20μg/animal) pretreatment on neuroendocrine and hydroelectrolyte changes induced by adrenalectomy (ADX) with or without glucocorticoid hormone replacement (corticosterone, CORT; 10mg/kg) in ovariectomized rats (OVX). The results show that sodium appetite, natriuresis and the elevated plasma angiotensin II (ANG II) concentration induced by ADX were attenuated by E2 pretreatment. Additionally, a reduction of AT1 mRNA expression in the subfornical organ (SFO) and an increase in plasma atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) concentrations by E2 pretreatment were observed. E2 pretreatment reversed the reduction in water intake induced by ADX in ADX CORT-replaced rats. Moreover, E2 pretreatment attenuated corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) mRNA expression in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) induced by ADX. In contrast, E2 pretreatment increased CRF mRNA expression in the PVN in ADX CORT-replaced rats. Taken together, these results suggest that E2 has an important role in the modulation of behavioral and neuroendocrine responses involved in the maintenance of body fluid homeostasis in ADX rats with or without glucocorticoid replacement therapy

Influence of the external pressure on the quantum correlations of molecular magnets

The study of quantum correlations in solid state systems is a large avenue for research and their detection and manipulation are an actual challenge to overcome. In this context, we show by using first-principles calculations on the prototype material KNaCuSi$_{4}$O$_{10}$ that the degree of quantum correlations in this spin cluster system can be managed by external hydrostatic pressure. Our results open the doors for research in detection and manipulation of quantum correlations in magnetic systems with promising applications in quantum information science