Carbon Sources and Water-Rock Interactions in the Allier River, France

AbstractThe Allier River is an important tributary of the Loire River, one of the major rivers in France. The Allier River presents both a natural environment upstream and a zone deeply impacted by mines and human activities. The δ13C and δ7Li combination show that the Allier River DIC is due to mixing of carbon from organic decay produced in a natural environment upstream, progressively enriched in DIC of anthropogenic origin downstream, and magmatic carbon inputs often associated with hydrothermal contributions

Archaeological Geophysical Prospection in Peatland Environments: case studies and suggestions for future practice

Peatland environments, in contrast to ‘dry-land’ sites, preserve organic material, including anthropogenic objects, because they are anaerobic, and are therefore of great importance to archaeology. Peat also preserves macro- and micro- paleoenvironmental evidence and is the primary resource for understanding past climates and ecology. Archaeological sites often lie within or at the base of wet, deep, homogenous peat rendering them invisible to surface observers. As a result, they most often c..

The use of pioglitazone and the risk of bladder cancer in people with type 2 diabetes: nested case-control study

Objective To determine if the use of pioglitazone is associated with an increased risk of incident bladder cancer in people with type 2 diabetes

Morte e luto: competências dos profissionais

A concepção social de morte é resultado de um longo processo histórico, marcado por diferentes sistemas econômicos e sociais, bem como por costumes que envolvem dimensões existenciais, subjetivas e espirituais. Este artigo tem como objetivo revisar a morte, o luto e as competências profissionais nos diversos contextos. A metodologia adotada consiste na revisão bibliográfica de artigos pesquisados nas bases de dados PubMed, Scielo.org, BVS Psi, EBSCO, LILACS, PePSIC, PsycNET, Science Direct e Web of Knowledge (ISI), no período de 2008 a 2014, por meio de termos como morte, luto e profissionais, incluindo o ciclo da vida (crianças, adolescentes, adultos e idosos). Conclui-se que há deficiência na formação educacional dos profissionais que lidam com a morte e o luto, sobretudo aqueles que trabalham em contextos de saúde. Observou-se a necessidade da criação de programas voltados à educação para a morte nos currículos dos profissionais e na sociedade de maneira geral, incluindo medidas interventivas e protocolos em terapia cognitivo-comportamental para adquirir competências no enfrentamento adequado e saudável dessas experiências

Serial optical coherence microscopy for label-free volumetric histopathology

The observation of histopathology using optical microscope is an essential procedure for examination of tissue biopsies or surgically excised specimens in biological and clinical laboratories. However, slide-based microscopic pathology is not suitable for visualizing the large-scale tissue and native 3D organ structure due to its sampling limitation and shallow imaging depth. Here, we demonstrate serial optical coherence microscopy (SOCM) technique that offers label-free, high-throughput, and large-volume imaging of ex vivo mouse organs. A 3D histopathology of whole mouse brain and kidney including blood vessel structure is reconstructed by deep tissue optical imaging in serial sectioning techniques. Our results demonstrate that SOCM has unique advantages as it can visualize both native 3D structures and quantitative regional volume without introduction of any contrast agents

Aspectos patológicos de miopatias em frangos de corte.

As alterações patológicas que ocorrem no músculo das aves são denominadas de miopatias. A primeira miopatia descrita foi a necrose do músculo peitoral profundo em perus e frangos, que podia ser reproduzida com estímulo para batimento de asas (1). Posteriormente foi identificada a alteração conhecida como ?white striping?, caracterizada por estrias brancas de gordura na superfície do músculo peitoral superficial. Mais recentemente foram observados novos quadros como o ?wooden breast - peito madeira? (2). Podem ocorrer também alterações na coloração ou tonalidade da carne de aves devido à queda brusca e acentuada do pH muscular, levando à condição conhecida como carne PSE (pale, soft and exudative) - carne pálida, mole e exudativa - ou quando por depleção de glicogênio no músculo ocorre a carne DFD (dark, firm and dry) - carne dura, firme e seca. O presente trabalho objetiva determinar se as condições observadas nas carcaças têm relação com causas microbianas e/ou infecciosas e avaliar se estas condições apresentam riscos para a saúde do consumidor

The Type and the Position of HNF1A Mutation Modulate Age at Diagnosis of Diabetes in Patients with Maturity-Onset Diabetes of the Young (MODY)-3

OBJECTIVE—The clinical expression of maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY)-3 is highly variable. This may be due to environmental and/or genetic factors, including molecular characteristics of the hepatocyte nuclear factor 1-α (HNF1A) gene mutation. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—We analyzed the mutations identified in 356 unrelated MODY3 patients, including 118 novel mutations, and searched for correlations between the genotype and age at diagnosis of diabetes. RESULTS—Missense mutations prevailed in the dimerization and DNA-binding domains (74%), while truncating mutations were predominant in the transactivation domain (62%). The majority (83%) of the mutations were located in exons 1- 6, thus affecting the three HNF1A isoforms. Age at diagnosis of diabetes was lower in patients with truncating mutations than in those with missense mutations (18 vs. 22 years, P = 0.005). Missense mutations affecting the dimerization/DNA-binding domains were associated with a lower age at diagnosis than those affecting the transactivation domain (20 vs. 30 years, P = 10−4). Patients with missense mutations affecting the three isoforms were younger at diagnosis than those with missense mutations involving one or two isoforms (P = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS—These data show that part of the variability of the clinical expression in MODY3 patients may be explained by the type and the location of HNF1A mutations. These findings should be considered in studies for the search of additional modifier genetic factors

Intra-operative spectroscopic assessment of surgical margins during breast conserving surgery

Background: In over 20% of breast conserving operations, postoperative pathological assessment of the excised tissue reveals positive margins, requiring additional surgery. Current techniques for intra-operative assessment of tumor margins are insufficient in accuracy or resolution to reliably detect small tumors. There is a distinct need for a fast technique to accurately identify tumors smaller than 1 mm2 in large tissue surfaces within 30 min. Methods: Multi-modal spectral histopathology (MSH), a multimodal imaging technique combining tissue auto-fluorescence and Raman spectroscopy was used to detect microscopic residual tumor at the surface of the excised breast tissue. New algorithms were developed to optimally utilize auto-fluorescence images to guide Raman measurements and achieve the required detection accuracy over large tissue surfaces (up to 4 × 6.5 cm2). Algorithms were trained on 91 breast tissue samples from 65 patients. Results: Independent tests on 121 samples from 107 patients - including 51 fresh, whole excision specimens - detected breast carcinoma on the tissue surface with 95% sensitivity and 82% specificity. One surface of each uncut excision specimen was measured in 12–24 min. The combination of high spatial-resolution auto-fluorescence with specific diagnosis by Raman spectroscopy allows reliable detection even for invasive carcinoma or ductal carcinoma in situ smaller than 1 mm2. Conclusions: This study provides evidence that this multimodal approach could provide an objective tool for intra-operative assessment of breast conserving surgery margins, reducing the risk for unnecessary second operations

Atorvastatin Therapy during the Peri-Infarct Period Attenuates Left Ventricular Dysfunction and Remodeling after Myocardial Infarction

Although statins impart a number of cardiovascular benefits, whether statin therapy during the peri-infarct period improves subsequent myocardial structure and function remains unclear. Thus, we evaluated the effects of atorvastatin on cardiac function, remodeling, fibrosis, and apoptosis after myocardial infarction (MI). Two groups of rats were subjected to permanent coronary occlusion. Group II (n = 14) received oral atorvastatin (10 mg/kg/d) daily for 3 wk before and 4 wk after MI, while group I (n = 12) received equivalent doses of vehicle. Infarct size (Masson's trichrome-stained sections) was similar in both groups. Compared with group I, echocardiographic left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and fractional area change (FAC) were higher while LV end-diastolic volume (LVEDV) and LV end-systolic and end-diastolic diameters (LVESD and LVEDD) were lower in treated rats. Hemodynamically, atorvastatin-treated rats exhibited significantly higher dP/dtmax, end-systolic elastance (Ees), and preload recruitable stroke work (PRSW) and lower LV end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP). Morphometrically, infarct wall thickness was greater in treated rats. The improvement of LV function by atorvastatin was associated with a decrease in hydroxyproline content and in the number of apoptotic cardiomyocyte nuclei. We conclude that atorvastatin therapy during the peri-infarct period significantly improves LV function and limits adverse LV remodeling following MI independent of a reduction in infarct size. These salubrious effects may be due in part to a decrease in myocardial fibrosis and apoptosis