Consciência Política e Participação na Defesa de Direitos LGBTQ+ no Trabalho

This article aims to understand the psychopolitical aspects of the participation of call center workers, trade unionists, and leaderships within collectives in collective actions to defend LGBTQ+ rights at work. The research adopts the conceptual framework of political consciousness developed in the field of political psychology by Sandoval and Silva (2016). Data were produced qualitatively in two stages: interaction with research participants to present the topic and determine their willingness to address its most sensitive aspects; provision of different online questionnaires with qualitative focus for research participants: 14 call center workers, 2 trade unionists, and 6 LGBTQ+ leaderships within collectives. Content analysis of the statements showed heterogenous political consciousness among research participants, in differences involving their political engagement or lack thereof. By discussing these aspects, we filled the gap of works in the field of organizational studies, human resource management, and labor relations, which use theoretical contributions from the psychopolitical approach to address the (de)mobilization of different subjects in the defense of LGBTQ+ rights at work in these fields of knowledge. For the workers, trade unionists, leaderships within collectives and society, these theoretical contributions enabled observing that the coordination between unions and collectives tends to promote the raising of a critical political consciousness, fostering joint actions in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights at workEste artigo visa compreender os aspectos psicopolíticos da participação dos trabalhadores de teleatendimento, de sindicalistas e de lideranças em coletivos em ações coletivas de defesa dos direitos LGBTQ+ no trabalho. A pesquisa adota o modelo conceitual de consciência política desenvolvido no campo da psicologia política por Sandoval e Silva (2016). Os dados foram produzidos qualitativamente em duas etapas: interação com os participantes da pesquisa para apresentar o tema e verificar como se sentiriam dispostos a abordar seus aspectos mais sensíveis; disponibilização de diferentes questionários on-line com enfoque qualitativo para os participantes da pesquisa: 14 trabalhadores de teleatendimento, 2 sindicalistas e 6 lideranças em Coletivos LGBTQ+. A partir da análise do conteúdo das manifestações revelou-se a heterogeneidade nas consciências políticas dos participantes da pesquisa, em diferenças envolvendo seus engajamentos políticos ou a falta dele. Ao discutir tais aspectos foi preenchida a lacuna da ausência de trabalhos no campo dos estudos organizacionais, da gestão com pessoas e das relações de trabalho, que utilizam contribuições teóricas da abordagem psicopolítica para tratar da (des)mobilização de diferentes sujeitos na defesa de direitos LGBTQ+ no trabalho nessas áreas de conhecimento. Para os trabalhadores, sindicalistas, lideranças em coletivos e a sociedade, essas contribuições teóricas permitiram vislumbrar que a articulação entre sindicatos e coletivos tende a potencializar a formação de uma consciência política crítica, fomentando ações conjuntas na luta pelos direitos LGBTQ+ no trabalh

Decompressive fasciotomy in testicular torsion of the spermatic cord in rats

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effect of decompression fasciotomy on testes undergoing torsion of the spermatic cord. METHODS: Spermatic cord torsion was induced in 40 Wistar testes for six and 12 hours. At the time of distortion, decompression fasciotomy was performed on half of the animals. After 42 days, the testicles were examined both macroscopically and microscopically. A non-parametric Mann- Whitney U- test was used for statistical analysis. The results were considered significant at p≤0.05. RESULTS: Testicular weight; volume and degree of histological alterations were evaluated. When the groups without and with fasciotomy were compared, a 12-hour torsion subgroup in the fasciotomy group was noted to present larger volume, heavier weight and superior histological classification when compared with the 12-hour subgroup in the without fasciotomy group. No differences between the two groups after six hours of torsion were found. No significant changes were noticed in the contralateral testis. CONCLUSIONS: Testicular fasciotomy (decompression) benefited the macroscopic and histological aspects of the testicles undergoing cord torsion for a 12-hour period. These results demonstrate the role played by compartment syndrome in the pathophysiology of spermatic cord torsion and the need for decompression

Effect of transcranial direct current stimulation in the initial weeks post-stroke: a pilot randomized study

ABSTRACT Objective This study aimed at assessing the alterations in upper limb motor impairment and connectivity between motor areas following the post-stroke delivery of cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation sessions. Methods Modifications in the Fugl-Meyer Assessment scores, connectivity between the primary motor cortex of the unaffected and affected hemispheres, and between the primary motor and premotor cortices of the unaffected hemisphere were compared prior to and following six sessions of cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation application in 13 patients (active = 6; sham = 7); this modality targets the primary motor cortex of the unaffected hemisphere early after a stroke. Results Clinically relevant distinctions in Fugl-Meyer Assessment scores (≥9 points) were observed more frequently in the Sham Group than in the Active Group. Between-group differences in the alterations in Fugl-Meyer Assessment scores were not statistically significant (Mann-Whitney test, p=0.133). ROI-to-ROI correlations between the primary motor cortices of the affected and unaffected hemispheres post-therapeutically increased in 5/6 and 2/7 participants in the Active and Sham Groups, respectively. Between-group differences in modifications in connectivity between the aforementioned areas were not statistically significant. Motor performance enhancements were more frequent in the Sham Group compared to the Active Group. Conclusion The results of this hypothesis-generating investigation suggest that heightened connectivity may not translate into early clinical benefits following a stroke and will be crucial in designing larger cohort studies to explore mechanisms underlying the impacts of this intervention. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02455427

Downregulation of PHEX in multibacillary leprosy patients: observational cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: Peripheral nerve injury and bone lesions, well known leprosy complications, lead to deformities and incapacities. The phosphate-regulating gene with homologies to endopeptidase on the X chromosome (PHEX) encodes a homonymous protein (PHEX) implicated in bone metabolism. PHEX/PHEX alterations may result in bone and cartilage lesions. PHEX expression is downregulated by intracellular Mycobacterium leprae (M. leprae) in cultures of human Schwann cells and osteoblasts. M. leprae in vivo effect on PHEX/PHEX is not known. METHODS: Cross-sectional observational study of 36 leprosy patients (22 lepromatous and 14 borderline-tuberculoid) and 20 healthy volunteers (HV). The following tests were performed: PHEX flow cytometric analysis on blood mononuclear cells, cytokine production in culture supernatant, 25-hydroxyvitamin D (OHvitD) serum levels and (99m)Tc-MDP three-phase bone scintigraphy, radiography of upper and lower extremities and blood and urine biochemistry. RESULTS: Significantly lower PHEX expression levels were observed in lepromatous patients than in the other groups (χ(2) = 16.554, p < 0.001 for lymphocytes and χ(2) = 13.933, p = 0.001 for monocytes). Low levels of 25-(OHvitD) were observed in HV (median = 23.0 ng/mL) and BT patients (median = 27.5 ng/mL) and normal serum levels were found in LL patients (median = 38.6 ng/mL). Inflammatory cytokines, such as TNF, a PHEX transcription repressor, were lower after stimulation with M. leprae in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from lepromatous in comparison to BT patients and HV (χ(2) = 10.820, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Downregulation of PHEX may constitute an important early component of bone loss and joint damage in leprosy. The present results suggest a direct effect produced by M. leprae on the osteoarticular system that may use this mechanism. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12967-015-0651-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

Targeting the Hypoxic Fraction of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma through the Inhibition of Lactate Transporters MCT1 and MCT4 in Synergy with Metformin

Head and neck cancer is a common form of cancer, and a major factor affecting treatment outcome is tumour hypoxia. A defining characteristic of hypoxia are the changes in cellular metabolism such as producing large amounts of lactate. Monocarboxylate transporters (MCTs) play a crucial role in regulating lactate metabolism, and thus constitute a target against hypoxic cells. In this study, we explored the possibility of inhibiting MCT1 and MCT4 in conjunction with the antidiabetic drug metformin to selectively kill hypoxic cells. We generated a double MCT1/4 knockout cell line and have shown this strategy is effective in halting HNSCC cell proliferation under hypoxia, in addition to further sensitizing these cells to metformin. Moreover, we have shown that full MCT1/4 inhibition slows tumour growth and extends survival in animal models. Our results indicate MCT inhibition constitutes an effective way of targeting the hypoxic niche and generates a potential therapeutic opportunity.M.Sc

Targeting the Hypoxic Fraction of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma through the Inhibition of Lactate Transporters MCT1 and MCT4 in Synergy with Metformin

Head and neck cancer is a common form of cancer, and a major factor affecting treatment outcome is tumour hypoxia. A defining characteristic of hypoxia are the changes in cellular metabolism such as producing large amounts of lactate. Monocarboxylate transporters (MCTs) play a crucial role in regulating lactate metabolism, and thus constitute a target against hypoxic cells. In this study, we explored the possibility of inhibiting MCT1 and MCT4 in conjunction with the antidiabetic drug metformin to selectively kill hypoxic cells. We generated a double MCT1/4 knockout cell line and have shown this strategy is effective in halting HNSCC cell proliferation under hypoxia, in addition to further sensitizing these cells to metformin. Moreover, we have shown that full MCT1/4 inhibition slows tumour growth and extends survival in animal models. Our results indicate MCT inhibition constitutes an effective way of targeting the hypoxic niche and generates a potential therapeutic opportunity.M.Sc

Bilateral vagus nerve neurolymphomatosis diagnosed using PET/CT and diffusion-weighted MRI

Abstract: In neurolymphomatosis, malignant lymphocytes infiltrate the peripheral nervous system in the presence of a known or unknown hematological malignancy. This report describes the findings of diffusion-weighted MRI and 18F-FDG PET/CT in a 65-year-old man with hoarseness. Results revealed a mass with restricted diffusion on diffusion-weighted imaging in the right visceral vascular space, increased uptake of 18F-FDG, and other masses at distant peripheral nerves. Restaging PET/CT showed involvement of the right brachial plexus and right sciatic nerve. Biopsy and immunohistochemistry of the right vagus nerve and cervical lymphadenopathy revealed a diffuse large B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma

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