Parathyroid Cyst: Differential Diagnosis

Parathyroid cysts are rare lesions of the cervical region and less frequently of the mediastinum. They occur mostly in women and are usually asymptomatic. They generally occur in the fourth and fifth decades of life and mainly are non-functioning. They commonly present as a neck mass that is found incidentally during surgery or in imaging test. Its importance lies in the difficulty in diagnosis, often confusing itself with thyroid pathology. The diagnosis is usually made intraoperatively, confirmed by histopathological examination.The aim of this paper is to report a case of parathyroid cyst that mimics a thyroid nodule.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Manufacturing and testing of 3D-printed polymer isogrid lattice cylindrical shell structures

This article focuses on the use of fused deposition modeling (FDM) technology to manufacture and test polymer isogrid lattice cylindrical shell (LCS) structures with equilateral triangular unit-cells using non-professional and conventional 3D printing software and hardware. A parametric and automated 3D model for these structures is created in SolidWorks using the Visual Basic (VBA) programming language. Different configurations of the isogrid LCS structure are modeled, manufactured, and tested in order to determine the compressive structural strength and stiffness, as well as to investigate structural instability. The experimental results are used to deduce the inherent limitations of 3D printing, including the inhomogeneities, imperfections, and non-isotropic nature of FDM, as well as the effect of the configurations on local buckling behavior. The results suggest that coupling between local and global buckling has an impact on the compressive stiffness and strength of LCS structures, reducing the accuracy of structural designs neglecting these effects.F71E-503E-DE74 | AD?LIO MANUEL DE SOUSA CAVADASN/

Urbanizaçâo, impactos ambientais e governança no complexo regional Centro-Sul

A palavra governança vem servindo para designar diferentes formas de governar, particularmente aquelas mais sensíveis às demandas da população e que estimulem a inserção dos movimentos sociais nos processos decisórios. No Brasil, “governança ambiental” é usado, em geral, para se referir a processos de exercício de poder que, na área do meio ambiente, estejam ampliando os espaços de participação dos diversos segmentos da sociedade civil organizada. Este artigo analisa aspectos da governança ambiental no contexto do complexo regional Centro-Sul a partir dos resultados obtidos em pesquisa do Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE). Examinou-se a relação porventura existente entre os problemas ambientais detectados e as medidas que, em nível local, vinham sendo tomadas pelo gestor. O estudo considerou duas faixas diferenciadas de urbanização dos municípios do Centro-Sul e, como indicadores clássicos, o IDH e o PIB. O objetivo foi identificar diferenças com relação à inserção da participação popular na gestão ambiental, mediante a análise de algumas variáveis específicas, como participação em Comitês de bacia, existência e composição do Conselho Municipal de Meio Ambiente e do Fórum da Agenda 21 local.governança ambiental; impactos ambientais; urbanização; PIB; IDH

Afadin downregulation by helicobacter pylori Induces epithelial to mesenchymal transition in gastric cells

Afadin is a cytoplasmic protein of the adherens junctions, which regulates the formation and stabilization of both the adherens and the tight junctions. Aberrant expression of Afadin has been shown in cancer and its loss has been associated with epithelial-tomesenchymal transition (EMT). EMT is characterized by the change from an epithelial to a mesenchymal phenotype, with modifications on the expression of adhesion molecules and acquisition of a migratory and invasive cell behavior. While it is known that Helicobacter pylori disrupts the tight and the adherens junctions and induces EMT, the effect of the bacteria on Afadin is still unknown. The aim of this study was to disclose the effect of H. pylori on Afadin and its impact in the induction of an EMT phenotype in gastric cells. Using two different cell lines, we observed that H. pylori infection decreased Afadin protein levels, independently of CagA, T4SS, and VacA virulence factors. H. pylori infection of cell lines recapitulated several EMT features, displacing and downregulating multiple proteins from cell–cell junctions, and increasing the expression of ZEB1, Vimentin, Slug, N-cadherin, and Snail. Silencing of Afadin by RNAi promoted delocalization of junctional proteins from the cell–cell contacts, increased paracellular permeability, and decreased transepithelial electrical resistance, all compatible with impaired junctional integrity. Afadin silencing also led to increased expression of the EMT marker Snail, and to the formation of actin stress fibers, together with increased cell motility and invasion. Finally, and in line with our in vitro data, the gastric mucosa of individuals infected with H. pylori showed decrease/loss of Afadin membrane staining at cell–cell contacts significantly more frequently than uninfected individuals. In conclusion, Afadin is downregulated by H. pylori infection in vitro and in vivo, and its downregulation leads to the emergence of EMT and to the acquisition of an aggressive phenotype in gastric cells, which can contribute to gastric carcinogenesis.This article is a result of the project NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000029, supported by Norte Portugal Regional Programme (NORTE 2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). i3S was financed by ERDF funds through the COMPETE 2020 and Portugal 2020, and by Portuguese funds through FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia/Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007274). MM, JM, and ML have fellowships from FCT (SFRH/BD/95631/2013, SFRH/BD/116965/2016, and SFRH/BPD/110065/2015)

Damage detection using data-driven methods applied to moving-load responses

Developed economies depend on complex and extensive systems of infrastructure to maintain economic prosperity and quality of life. In recent years, the implementation of Structural health monitoring (SHM) systems on full-scale bridges has increased. The goal of these systems is to inform owners of the condition of structures, thereby supporting surveillance, maintenance and other management tasks. Data-driven methods, that involve tracking changes in signals only, are well-suited for analyzing measurements during continuous monitoring of structures. Also, information provided by the response of structures under moving loads is useful for condition assessment. This paper discusses the application of data-driven methods on moving-load responses in order to detect the occurrence and the location of damage. First, an approach for using moving-load responses as time series data is proposed. The work focuses on two data-driven methods - Moving principal component analysis (MPCA) and Robust regression analysis (RRA) - that have already been successful for damage detection during continuous monitoring. The performance of each method is assessed using data obtained by simulating the crossing of a point-load on a simple frame. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Peripheral biomarkers to diagnose obstructive sleep apnea in adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) has been recognized as a major health concern worldwide, given its increasing prevalence, difficulties in diagnosis and treatment, and impact on health, economy, and society. Clinical guidelines highlight the need of biomarkers to guide OSA clinical decision-making, but so far, without success. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, registered on the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews database (ID CRD42020132556), we proposed to gather and further explore candidates identified in the literature as potential OSA biomarkers. Methods: Search strategies for eight different databases (PubMed/Medline, Cochrane Library, Biblioteca Virtual da Saúde, Web of Science, EMBASE, World Intellectual Property Organization database, and bioRxiV and medRxiV Preprint Servers) were developed. We identified studies exploring potential biomarkers of OSA, in peripheral samples of adults, with and without OSA, with no comorbidities defined in study inclusion criteria, published after the last systematic review and meta-analysis conducted on OSA biomarkers, until May 31st, 2020. Risk of bias was assessed through the 14-item Quality Assessment Tool for Diagnostic Accuracy Studies. Demographic, clinical, and candidate biomarkers' data were collected and analyzed via random effects meta-analyses. Findings: Among the 1512 unique studies screened, 120 met the inclusion criteria and 16 studies with low risk of bias were selected for meta-analyses. The selected 16 studies enrolled a total of 2156 participants, from which 1369 were diagnosed with OSA and 787 were disease-free controls. The assessed variables showed high heterogeneity. From the 38 biomarker candidates evaluated, only two were evaluated in more than one study. Most studies pinpointed candidates with more potential for OSA prognosis. ADAM29, FLRT2 and SLC18A3 mRNA levels in PBMCs, Endocan and YKL-40 levels in serum, and IL-6 and Vimentin levels in plasma revealed the most promising candidates for OSA diagnosis. Interpretation: Although the current systematic review and meta-analysis allowed us to identify candidates to further explore as potential biomarkers in future studies, it is evident that OSA biomarkers research is still at an early stage. Most findings derive from small-size single-center study cohorts and single-candidate studies. We point several gaps in current OSA biomarker research that may guide into new directions and approaches towards the identification of OSA biomarkers.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Multi-tissue transcriptomic-informed in silico investigation of drugs for the treatment of dengue fever disease

Transcriptomics, proteomics and pathogen-host interactomics data are being explored for the in silico–informed selection of drugs, prior to their functional evaluation. The effectiveness of this kind of strategy has been put to the test in the current COVID-19 pandemic, and it has been paying off, leading to a few drugs being rapidly repurposed as treatment against SARS-CoV-2 infection. Several neglected tropical diseases, for which treatment remains unavailable, would benefit from informed in silico investigations of drugs, as performed in this work for Dengue fever disease. We analyzed transcriptomic data in the key tissues of liver, spleen and blood profiles and verified that despite transcriptomic differences due to tissue specialization, the common mechanisms of action, “Adrenergic receptor antagonist”, “ATPase inhibitor”, “NF-kB pathway inhibitor” and “Serotonin receptor antagonist”, were identified as druggable (e.g., oxprenolol, digoxin, auranofin and palonosetron, respectively) to oppose the effects of severe Dengue infection in these tissues. These are good candidates for future functional evaluation and clinical trials.Funding was provided by FEDER, Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional funds, through the COMPETE 2020, Competitiveness and Internationalization Operational Programme (POCI), Portugal 2020, and by Portuguese funds through FCT/Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação, in the framework of the project “Institute for Research and Innovation in Health Sciences” (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007274)

Shedding light on the african enigma: In vitro testing of homo sapiens-helicobacter pylori coevolution

The continuous characterization of genome-wide diversity in population and case- cohort samples, allied to the development of new algorithms, are shedding light on host ancestry impact and selection events on various infectious diseases. Especially interesting are the longstanding associations between humans and certain bacteria, such as the case of Helicobacter pylori, which could have been strong drivers of adaptation leading to coevolution. Some evidence on admixed gastric cancer cohorts have been suggested as supporting Homo-Helicobacter coevolution, but reliable experimental data that control both the bacterium and the host ancestries are lacking. Here, we conducted the first in vitro coinfection assays with dual humanand bacterium-matched and -mismatched ancestries, in African and European backgrounds, to evaluate the genome wide gene expression host response to H. pylori. Our results showed that: (1) the host response to H. pylori infection was greatly shaped by the human ancestry, with variability on innate immune system and metabolism; (2) African human ancestry showed signs of coevolution with H. pylori while European ancestry appeared to be maladapted; and (3) mismatched ancestry did not seem to be an important differentiator of gene expression at the initial stages of infection as assayed here.Funds were guaranteed by the project “Advancing cancer research: from basic knowledge to application”; NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000029; Projetos Estruturados de I & D & I, funded by Norte 2020-Programa Operacional Regional do Norte. i3S is financed by FEDER-Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional funds through the COMPETE 2020-Competitiveness and Internationalization Operational Programme (POCI), Portugal 2020, and by Portuguese funds through FCT/Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação in the framework of the project “Institute for Research and Innovation in Health Sciences” (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007274)

Antony and Cleopatra

Analysis done 199

CRABP1, C1QL1 and LCN2 are biomarkers of differentiated thyroid carcinoma, and predict extrathyroidal extension

The prognostic variability of thyroid carcinomas has led to the search for accurate biomarkers at the molecular level. Follicular thyroid carcinoma (FTC) is a typical example of differentiated thyroid carcinomas (DTC) in which challenges are faced in the differential diagnosis. Methods: We used high-throughput paired-end RNA sequencing technology to study four cases of FTC with different degree of capsular invasion: two minimally invasive (mFTC) and two widely invasive FTC (wFTC). We searched by genes differentially expressed between mFTC and wFTC, in an attempt to find biomarkers of thyroid cancer diagnosis and/or progression. Selected biomarkers were validated by real-time quantitative PCR in 137 frozen thyroid samples and in an independent dataset (TCGA), evaluating the diagnostic and the prognostic performance of the candidate biomarkers. Results: We identified 17 genes significantly differentially expressed between mFTC and wFTC. C1QL1, LCN2, CRABP1 and CILP were differentially expressed in DTC in comparison with normal thyroid tissues. LCN2 and CRABP1 were also differentially expressed in DTC when compared with follicular thyroid adenoma. Additionally, overexpression of LCN2 and C1QL1 were found to be independent predictors of extrathyroidal extension in DTC. Conclusions: We conclude that the underexpression of CRABP1 and the overexpression of LCN2 may be useful diagnostic biomarkers in thyroid tumours with questionable malignity, and the overexpression of LCN2 and C1QL1 may be useful for prognostic purposes.This work was financed by FEDER - Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional funds through the COMPETE 2020 - Operacional Programme for Competitiveness and Internationalisation (POCI), Portugal 2020, and by Portuguese funds through FCT - Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia/ Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação in the framework of the project "Institute for Research and Innovation in Health Sciences" (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007274). Further funding from the project "Advancing cancer research: from basic knowledgment to application";NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000029; “Projetos Estruturados de I&D&I”, funded by Norte 2020 – Programa Operacional Regional do Norte; The study was funded by grants from the Research Council of Norway through its Centers of Excellence funding scheme (project number 179571). The funding organizations do not have any interference in the design of the study and collection, analysis, and interpretation of data and in writing the manuscript