Immunohistochemical Evaluation of TNF Expression in Canine Cystic Endometrial Hyperplasia

Tumour Necrosis Factor (TNF) has been identified in the uterus of several species, and altered TNF expression is reported in some pathological conditions. This study sought to evaluate TNF expression in canine cystic endometrial hyperplasia (CEH; n=20) and compare it with expression in postpartum samples (PP; n=5).This work was supported by Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, Center for Studies in Education, Technologies and by Health and by strategic project PEst-OE/CED/UI4016/201

Automatic control system for an oil-hydraulic actuator of a scissor lift

Lifting equipment’s have the purpose to lift goods within their safe working load and design rules specified in standards. However, some applications require additional care regarding handling the load when this care is out of the standard’s specifications. This paper presents the control and supervision system development of a scissor lift table, which should ensure, during its motion, that the vertical speed is constant. This lift table is working alongside a system for handling boxes composed by 3 entry conveyors and 1 exit conveyor. In this work, it was carried out the study of the direct and inverse kinematics to obtain the equations of position, speed and force for the oil-hydraulic actuator and the applicability of Denavit-Hartenberg’s algorithm for these equations. It was proposed a hydraulic circuit, with the selection of the main hydraulic components and the design of the oil-hydraulic actuator (a cylinder) with the magnetostrictive transducer as well. A programmable logical controller was selected, as well as the sensors and actuators for the conveyor system and a program was developed which allows to automatically control the system. The lift table’s velocity control is done by equations which define an oil flow profile of the hydraulic cylinder, which ensures a constant vertical speed of the lift table. To improve the control of the system, initial and final flow ramps were added to the equations, with reduced oil flow at the target height. It was observed that the use of Denavit-Hartenberg’s algorithm revealed to be limited, on which it was necessary to use other calculation methods to obtain the equations of speed and force. However, the proposed oil-hydraulic circuit, as well as the developed speed control, allow the control of the lift table’s position and speed.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Prognostic Factors in Adult Patients with Idiopathic IgA Nephropathy

Introduction. IgA nephropathy is the dominant primary glomerular disease found throughout the majority of the world’s developed countries. Accurately identifying patients who are at risk of progressive disease is challenging. We aimed to characterise clinical and histological features that predict poor prognosis in adults. Patients and Methods. We performed a single-centre retrospective observational study of biopsy-proven IgA nephropathy. The primary outcome was renal survival and death from any cause, and the secondary outcome was proteinuria remission. Results. Data from 49 cases were available for analysis with a median follow-up of 4 years. There were no deaths. Univariable analyses identified acute renal failure, low estimated glomerular filtration rate for ≥3 months (low eGFR), arterial hypertension, baseline proteinuria, glomerular sclerosis >50% and interstitial fibrosis >50% as poor prognostic markers. Low eGFR persisted significant by multivariable model that used only clinical parameters. Multivariable models with histopathologic parameters observed that tubular atrophy/interstitial fibrosis >50% was independently associated with the primary outcome. Proteinuria remission throughout follow-up had no prognostic value in our revision. Conclusions. Two independent predictors of poor renal survival at time of biopsy were found: low eGFR and tubular atrophy/interstitial fibrosis >50%

Proton-coupled electron transfer mechanisms of the copper centres of nitrous oxide reductase from Marinobacter hydrocarbonoclasticus – An electrochemical study

PTDC/BBB-BQB/0129/2014, FCT/MCTES, UID/Multi/04378/2019, UID/QUI/50006/2019, Centro de Quimica Estrutural multiannual funding 2020-2023, UID/QUI/00100/2019.Reduction of N2O to N2 is catalysed by nitrous oxide reductase in the last step of the denitrification pathway. This multicopper enzyme has an electron transferring centre, CuA, and a tetranuclear copper-sulfide catalytic centre, “CuZ”, which exists as CuZ*(4Cu1S) or CuZ(4Cu2S). The redox behaviour of these metal centres in Marinobacter hydrocarbonoclasticus nitrous oxide reductase was investigated by potentiometry and for the first time by direct electrochemistry. The reduction potential of CuA and CuZ(4Cu2S) was estimated by potentiometry to be +275 ± 5 mV and +65 ± 5 mV vs SHE, respectively, at pH 7.6. A proton-coupled electron transfer mechanism governs CuZ(4Cu2S) reduction potential, due to the protonation/deprotonation of Lys397 with a pKox of 6.0 ± 0.1 and a pKred of 9.2 ± 0.1. The reduction potential of CuA, in enzyme samples with CuZ*(4Cu1S), is controlled by protonation of the coordinating histidine residues in a two-proton coupled electron transfer process. In the cyclic voltammograms, two redox pairs were identified corresponding to CuA and CuZ(4Cu2S), with no additional signals being detected that could be attributed to CuZ*(4Cu1S). However, an enhanced cathodic signal for the activated enzyme was observed under turnover conditions, which is explained by the binding of nitrous oxide to CuZ0(4Cu1S), an intermediate species in the catalytic cycle.authorsversionpublishe

The prognostic impact of magnesium in acute heart failure is different according to the presence of diabetes mellitus

Background: Hypermagnesemia predicts mortality in chronic heart failure (HF); however, in acute HF, magnesium does not seem to be outcome-associated. Diabetes mellitus (DM) frequently associates with altered magnesium status. We hypothesized that DM might influence the prognostic impact of magnesium in acute HF. Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study of hospitalized patients with acute HF. Patients without data on admission serum magnesium were excluded. Follow-up: 1 year from hospital admission. Primary end point: all-cause mortality. Patients were divided according to median serum magnesium (1.64 mEq/L). The Kaplan-Meier survival method was used to determine survival curves according to magnesium levels. The analysis was stratified according to the presence of DM. A multivariable Cox regression analysis was used to study the prognostic impact of magnesium. Results: We studied 606 patients. The mean age was 76 ± 12 years, 44.1% were male, 50.7% had DM, and 232 (38.3%) died during follow-up. Median magnesium was 1.64 (1.48-1.79) mEq/L. Patients with magnesium ≥1.64 mEq/L had higher 1-year mortality [141 (46.4%) vs 91 (30.1%), P < .001]. After adjustments for age, sex, history of atrial fibrillation, systolic blood pressure, heart rate, ischemic etiology, B-type natriuretic peptide, estimated glomerular filtration rate, alcohol consumption, antihyperglycaemic agents or glycated hemoglobin, admission glycemia, New York Heart Association class IV, and severe left ventricle systolic dysfunction, serum magnesium ≥1.64 mEq/L was associated with higher mortality only in patients with DM: HR 1.89 (95% confidence interval: 1.19-3.00), P = .007, and 1.27 (95% confidence interval: 0.83-1.94) and P = .26 for non-DM patients. The results were similar if magnesium was analyzed as a continuous variable. Per 0.1 mEq/L increase in magnesium levels, patients with DM had 13% increased risk of 1-year mortality. Conclusions: Higher magnesium levels were associated with worse prognosis only in HF patients with DM.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Assessment of sediment contamination in an impacted estuary: differential effects and adaptations of sentinel organisms and implications for biomonitoring

Conferência realizada em Lisboa, de 6-9 November de 2013Estuarine pollution is reflected in the concentration of toxicants in sediments, depending on their geochemical properties, since sediments trap substances from the water column, either dissolved or bound to suspended matter. However, determining risk of sediment contaminants to biota has many constraints. For such reason, integrative approaches are keystone. Taking the Sado estuary (SW Portugal) as a case study, contrasted to a reference estuary (the Mira) within the same geographical location, the present study aimed at integrating sediment contamination with the effects and responses to pollutants in distinct benthic organisms with commercial and ecological value

Caracterização de tipos polínicos transportados por abelhas em sistemas agroflorestais com dendê (Elaeis guineensis Jacq. - Arecaceae).

Diante da expansão econômica da dendeicultura no Brasil, a Embrapa Amazônia Oriental, em parceria com a empresa Natura, implementou Sistemas Agroflorestais (SAFs) nas zonas de ocorrência do dendê na localidade de Quatro-Bocas, Tomé-Açu/PA. A partir do Projeto?Sistemas Agroflorestais na Agricultura Familiar?, tendo como estudo integrante o subcomponente biodiversidade, objetivou-se identificar os grãos de pólen transportados por abelhas nesses SAFs, com o intuito de colaborar com informações acerca das preferências alimentares das abelhas em diferentes ambientes. As abelhas foram coletadas com armadilhas aromáticas em três sistemas com dendê, intitulados biodiversos, e em áreas adjacentes aos SAFs, denominadas de capoeira e pastagem degradada, acondicionadas em frascos de vidro contendo ácido acético e enviadas à equipe de Palinologia do Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi. Por meio de sucessivas lavagens com ácido acético, os grãos de pólen foram removidos da superfície corporal dos animais e processados quimicamente pelo método de acetólise. Posteriormente, foram medidos, descritos e fotomicrografados em microscopia de luz. A partir do material analisado foi possível separar três grupos polínicos: pólen dos sistemas biodiversos; pólen da área de capoeira e pólen da área de pastagem degradada (ambas adjacentes aos sistemas biodiversos). Nos biodiversos foram identificados os tipos polínicos Anacardiaceae, Burseraceae e Convolvulaceae; na capoeira verificaram-se os tipos Anacardiaceae, Asteraceae e Fabaceae e na pastagem degradada os tipos Euphorbiaceae, Malvaceae, Meliaceae e Rutaceae. A família Anacardiaceae foi a melhor representada, destacando os gêneros Anacardium e Tapirira, como os mais frequentes em todas as três áreas, família esta considerada de grande valor apícolaEditores técnicos: Roberto Porro, Milton Kanashiro, Maria do Socorro Gonçalves Ferreira, Leila Sobral Sampaio e Gladys Ferreira de Sousa

[Accepted Manuscript] Worldwide comparison of ovarian cancer survival: Histological group and stage at diagnosis (CONCORD-2)

Ovarian cancer comprises several histological groups with widely differing levels of survival. We aimed to explore international variation in survival for each group to help interpret international differences in survival from all ovarian cancers combined. We also examined differences in stage-specific survival. The CONCORD programme is the largest population-based study of global trends in cancer survival, including data from 60 countries for 695,932 women (aged 15-99years) diagnosed with ovarian cancer during 1995-2009. We defined six histological groups: type I epithelial, type II epithelial, germ cell, sex cord-stromal, other specific non-epithelial and non-specific morphology, and estimated age-standardised 5-year net survival for each country by histological group. We also analysed data from 67 cancer registries for 233,659 women diagnosed from 2001 to 2009, for whom information on stage at diagnosis was available. We estimated age-standardised 5-year net survival by stage at diagnosis (localised or advanced). Survival from type I epithelial ovarian tumours for women diagnosed during 2005-09 ranged from 40 to 70%. Survival from type II epithelial tumours was much lower (20-45%). Survival from germ cell tumours was higher than that of type II epithelial tumours, but also varied widely between countries. Survival for sex-cord stromal tumours was higher than for the five other groups. Survival from localised tumours was much higher than for advanced disease (80% vs. 30%). There is wide variation in survival between histological groups, and stage at diagnosis remains an important factor in ovarian cancer survival. International comparisons of ovarian cancer survival should incorporate histology