Planet Populations as a Function of Stellar Properties

Exoplanets around different types of stars provide a window into the diverse environments in which planets form. This chapter describes the observed relations between exoplanet populations and stellar properties and how they connect to planet formation in protoplanetary disks. Giant planets occur more frequently around more metal-rich and more massive stars. These findings support the core accretion theory of planet formation, in which the cores of giant planets form more rapidly in more metal-rich and more massive protoplanetary disks. Smaller planets, those with sizes roughly between Earth and Neptune, exhibit different scaling relations with stellar properties. These planets are found around stars with a wide range of metallicities and occur more frequently around lower mass stars. This indicates that planet formation takes place in a wide range of environments, yet it is not clear why planets form more efficiently around low mass stars. Going forward, exoplanet surveys targeting M dwarfs will characterize the exoplanet population around the lowest mass stars. In combination with ongoing stellar characterization, this will help us understand the formation of planets in a large range of environments.Comment: Accepted for Publication in the Handbook of Exoplanet

Gene therapy for carcinoma of the breast: Genetic toxins

Gene therapy was initially envisaged as a potential treatment for genetically inherited, monogenic disorders. The applications of gene therapy have now become wider, however, and include cardiovascular diseases, vaccination and cancers in which conventional therapies have failed. With regard to oncology, various gene therapy approaches have been developed. Among them, the use of genetic toxins to kill cancer cells selectively is emerging. Two different types of genetic toxins have been developed so far: the metabolic toxins and the dominant-negative class of toxins. This review describes these two different approaches, and discusses their potential applications in cancer gene therapy

Anatomy of the ankle ligaments: a pictorial essay

Understanding the anatomy of the ankle ligaments is important for correct diagnosis and treatment. Ankle ligament injury is the most frequent cause of acute ankle pain. Chronic ankle pain often finds its cause in laxity of one of the ankle ligaments. In this pictorial essay, the ligaments around the ankle are grouped, depending on their anatomic orientation, and each of the ankle ligaments is discussed in detail

Upregulation of PPARβ/δ Is Associated with Structural and Functional Changes in the Type I Diabetes Rat Diaphragm

Diabetes mellitus is associated with alterations in peripheral striated muscles and cardiomyopathy. We examined diaphragmatic function and fiber composition and identified the role of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPAR alpha and beta/delta) as a factor involved in diaphragm muscle plasticity in response to type I diabetes.Streptozotocin-treated rats were studied after 8 weeks and compared with their controls. Diaphragmatic strips were stimulated in vitro and mechanical and energetic variables were measured, cross bridge kinetics assessed, and the effects of fatigue and hypoxia evaluated. Morphometry, myosin heavy chain isoforms, PPAR alpha and beta/delta gene and protein expression were also assessed. Diabetes induced a decrease in maximum velocity of shortening (-14%, P<0.05) associated with a decrease in myosin ATPase activity (-49%, P<0.05), and an increase in force (+20%, P<0.05) associated with an increase in the number of cross bridges (+14%, P<0.05). These modifications were in agreement with a shift towards slow myosin heavy chain fibers and were associated with an upregulation of PPARbeta/delta (+314% increase in gene and +190% increase in protein expression, P<0.05). In addition, greater resistances to fatigue and hypoxia were observed in diabetic rats.Type I diabetes induced complex mechanical and energetic changes in the rat diaphragm and was associated with an up-regulation of PPARbeta/delta that could improve resistance to fatigue and hypoxia and favour the shift towards slow myosin heavy chain isoforms

Tradução e validação do questionário FAOS - FOOT and ankle outcome score para língua portuguesa Translation, cultural adaptation and validation of FOOT and ankle outcome score (FAOS) questionnaire into portuguese

OBJETIVOS: (1) traduzir e validar a versão original da avaliação funcional de tornozelo e pé Foot and Ankle Outcome Score (FAOS) da língua inglesa para a portuguesa em pacientes com história de entorse de tornozelo em inversão, (2) adaptar culturalmente à população brasileira e (3) correlacionar com o questionário de qualidade de vida SF-36. MÉTODO: O método de tradução e validação utilizado seguiu os critérios descritos por Guillemin et al. Foram incluídos 50 indivíduos com diagnóstico clínico de lesão ligamentar lateral do tornozelo por entorse. RESULTADOS: O questionário FAOS mostrou-se com reprodutibilidade de grau forte para todos os domínios intra e inter-examinador (p<0,05). CONCLUSÃO: Por meio da tradução e adaptação cultural da versão em português do questionário FAOS verificamos que há boa reprodutibilidade e validade e este instrumento mostrou-se adequado para a mensuração da função e dos sintomas de pacientes com lesão ligamentar lateral de tornozelo na população brasileira.<br>OBJECTIVE: (1) to translate and validate the original version of the Foot and Ankle Outcome Score (FAOS) questionnaire from English into Portuguese in patients with diagnosis of lateral ligament injuries with ankle sprain history,(2) to provide cultural adaptation for Brazilian patients (3) to correlate it with the quality of life SF_36 questionnaire. METHOD: The method of translation and validation followed the criteria described by Guillemin et al. Fifty patients with ankle sprain were included. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: FAOS questionnaire showed good reproducibility for patients with ankle sprain and good reliability for all intraand inter-interviewer sub-scales (p<0.05). The translation and cultural adaptation of FAOS questionnaire had its properties of assessment, reliability and validity measured, showing that this questionnaire is suitable for use in Brazilian patients with lateral ligament ankle injuries