Los dirigentes deportivos en Portugal:

A realização deste estudo tem como objetivo encontrar respostas sobre a formação académica dos dirigentes desportivos de Hóquei em Patins da primeira e segundas divisões, bem como outros dados interessantes que possamos recolher, afim de termos uma análise mais detalhada da classe. Esta questão é importante para que possamos perceber o estado atual da modalidade e, com isso, ser possível elaborar por parte das entidades competentes, um planeamento que permita melhoramentos a todos os níveis e resulte na evolução do Hóquei em Patins. O método adotado para responder às questões da investigação consistiu num questionário online semiestruturado através da plataforma Google Forms®, dividido em cinco partes: dados do inquirido, a formação e experiência do mesmo, as dificuldades no desempenho da função, os objetivos do clube e importância da formação académica. Como principais resultados, foi possível aferir que os dirigentes desportivos do Hóquei em Patins, carecem de formação académica, não tendo deste modo competências basilares e conhecimentos para o correto desempenho da sua função. Foram encontradas diversas dificuldades, nomeadamente de ordem financeira, o que limita em parte o trabalho dos dirigentes desportivos, que na grande maioria dos casos não são profissionais. Como principal conclusão da investigação, destaca-se que os dirigentes desportivos consideram a formação académica como algo importante para o desempenho da sua função, no entanto, não consideram importante o suficiente para que os force a procurar atualizarem-se em relação a determinadas matérias importantes para a gestão desportiva.The purpose of this study is to find answers about the academic formation of the first and second division hockey leaders, as well as other interesting data that we can collect, in order to have a more detailed analysis of the class. This issue is important so that we can understand the current state of the sport and with this, it's possible to elaborate by the competent authorities a planning that allows improvements at all levels and results in the evolution of hockey. In order to answer the research questions, a semi-structured online questionnaire was developed through the Google Forms® platform, divided into five parts: interviewer data, training and experience, difficulties in the performance of the function, the objectives of the club and importance of academic training. The collected data allowed us to verify that the sports directors of hockey, don't have the academic educations and do not have basic skills and knowledge for the correct performance of their function. A number of difficulties have been found, mainly in financial terms, which in part limits the work of sports managers, who in the vast majority of cases are not professionals. Although these data are found, sports managers consider academic education as important for the performance of their job, but do not consider it important enough that it forces them to search for new skills.El propósito de este estudio es encontrar respuestas sobre la formación académica de los líderes de hockey de primera y segunda división, así como otros datos interesantes que podemos recopilar, para tener un análisis más detallado de la clase. Este problema es importante para que podamos entender el estado actual del deporte y, con esto, es posible elaborar por las autoridades competentes una planificación que permita mejoras en todos los niveles y resulte en la evolución del hockey. Para responder a las preguntas de investigación, se desarrolló un cuestionario en línea semiestructurado a través de la plataforma Google Forms®, dividido en cinco partes: datos del entrevistador, capacitación y experiencia, dificultades en el desempeño de la función, objetivos del club e importancia. de formación académica. Los datos recopilados nos permitieron verificar que los directores deportivos de hockey, no tienen la educación académica y no tienen habilidades y conocimientos básicos para el desempeño correcto de su función. Se han encontrado varias dificultades, principalmente en términos financieros, que limitan en parte el trabajo de los gerentes de deportes, que en la gran mayoría de los casos no son profesionales. Aunque se encuentran estos datos, los gerentes deportivos consideran que la educación académica es importante para el desempeño de su trabajo, pero no lo consideran lo suficientemente importante como para obligarlos a buscar nuevas habilidades

A Leishmania-specific hypothetical protein expressed in both promastigote and amastigote stages of Leishmania infantum employed for the serodiagnosis of, and as a vaccine candidate against, visceral leishmaniasis

Background: LiHyV is an antigenic hypothetical protein present in both promastigote and amastigote stages of Leishmania infantum, which was recently identified by an immunoproteomic approach. A recombinant version of this protein (rLiHyV) was evaluated as a diagnostic marker for canine VL (CVL). In addition, the prophylactic efficacy of the rLiHyV protein, and two of its CD8+ T cell epitopes, has been analyzed in a murine model of visceral leishmaniasis (VL). Methods: Initially, the rLiHyV protein was evaluated by an ELISA technique for the serodiagnosis of CVL. Secondly, vaccines composed of the recombinant protein and both chemically synthesized peptides, combined with saponin as an adjuvant; were administered subcutaneously into BALB/c mice. The cellular and humoral responses generated by vaccination were evaluated. In addition, the parasite burden and immune response were studied 10 weeks after L. infantum infection. Results: The rLiHyV protein was recognized by antibodies of VL dogs. No cross-reactivity was obtained with sera from dogs vaccinated with a Brazilian commercial vaccine, with sera from animals infected with Trypanosoma cruzi, Babesia canis and Ehrlichia canis, or those from non-infected animals living in an endemic area for leishmaniasis. After challenge with L. infantum, spleen cells of BALB/c mice vaccinated with rLiHyV/saponin stimulated with parasite antigens showed a higher production of IFN-γ, IL-12 and GM-CSF, than the same cells obtained from mice vaccinated with the individual peptides, or mice from control (inoculated with saline or saponin) groups. This Th1-type cellular response observed in rLiHyV/saponin vaccinated mice was accompanied by the induction of parasite-specific IgG2a isotype antibodies. Animals immunized with rLiHyV/saponin showed significant reductions in the parasite burden in the liver, spleen, bone marrow and in the lymph nodes draining the paws relative to control mice. Conclusions: The present study showed for the first time that the L. infantum LiHyV protein could be considered as a vaccine candidate against L. infantum infection, as well as a diagnostic marker for CVL.This work was supported by grants from Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Nanobiofarmacêutica (INCT-Nanobiofar), FAPEMIG (CBB-APQ-00819-12), and CNPq (APQ-472090/2011-9, RHAE-456287/2012-4, APQ-482976/2012-8, and APQ-488237/2013-0). MACF is a grant recipient of FAPEMIG/CAPES. EAFC and APF are grant recipient of CNPq.Peer Reviewe

A Leishmania-specific hypothetical protein expressed in both promastigote and amastigote stages of Leishmania infantum employed for the serodiagnosis of, and as a vaccine candidate against, visceral leishmaniasis

Background: LiHyV is an antigenic hypothetical protein present in both promastigote and amastigote stages of Leishmania infantum, which was recently identified by an immunoproteomic approach. A recombinant version of this protein (rLiHyV) was evaluated as a diagnostic marker for canine VL (CVL). In addition, the prophylactic efficacy of the rLiHyV protein, and two of its CD8+ T cell epitopes, has been analyzed in a murine model of visceral leishmaniasis (VL). Methods: Initially, the rLiHyV protein was evaluated by an ELISA technique for the serodiagnosis of CVL. Secondly, vaccines composed of the recombinant protein and both chemically synthesized peptides, combined with saponin as an adjuvant; were administered subcutaneously into BALB/c mice. The cellular and humoral responses generated by vaccination were evaluated. In addition, the parasite burden and immune response were studied 10 weeks after L. infantum infection. Results: The rLiHyV protein was recognized by antibodies of VL dogs. No cross-reactivity was obtained with sera from dogs vaccinated with a Brazilian commercial vaccine, with sera from animals infected with Trypanosoma cruzi, Babesia canis and Ehrlichia canis, or those from non-infected animals living in an endemic area for leishmaniasis. After challenge with L. infantum, spleen cells of BALB/c mice vaccinated with rLiHyV/saponin stimulated with parasite antigens showed a higher production of IFN-γ, IL-12 and GM-CSF, than the same cells obtained from mice vaccinated with the individual peptides, or mice from control (inoculated with saline or saponin) groups. This Th1-type cellular response observed in rLiHyV/saponin vaccinated mice was accompanied by the induction of parasite-specific IgG2a isotype antibodies. Animals immunized with rLiHyV/saponin showed significant reductions in the parasite burden in the liver, spleen, bone marrow and in the lymph nodes draining the paws relative to control mice. Conclusions: The present study showed for the first time that the L. infantum LiHyV protein could be considered as a vaccine candidate against L. infantum infection, as well as a diagnostic marker for CVLThis work was supported by grants from Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Nanobiofarmacêutica (INCT-Nanobiofar), FAPEMIG (CBB-APQ-00819-12), and CNPq (APQ-472090/2011-9, RHAE-456287/2012-4, APQ-482976/2012-8, and APQ-488237/2013-0). MACF is a grant recipient of FAPEMIG/CAPES. EAFC and APF are grant recipient of CNP

Pathophysiology of major depression by clinical stages

The comprehension of the pathophysiology of the major depressive disorder (MDD) is essential to the strengthening of precision psychiatry. In order to determine the relationship between the pathophysiology of the MDD and its clinical progression, analyzed by severity of the depressive symptoms and sleep quality, we conducted a study assessing different peripheral molecular biomarkers, including the levels of plasma C-reactive protein (CRP), serum mature brain-derived neurotrophic factor (mBDNF), serum cortisol (SC), and salivary cortisol awakening response (CAR), of patients with MDD (n = 58) and a control group of healthy volunteers (n = 62). Patients with the first episode of MDD (n = 30) had significantly higher levels of CAR and SC than controls (n = 32) and similar levels of mBDNF of controls. Patients with treatment-resistant depression (TRD, n = 28) presented significantly lower levels of SC and CAR, and higher levels of mBDNF and CRP than controls (n = 30). An increased severity of depressive symptoms and worse sleep quality were correlated with levels low of SC and CAR, and with high levels of mBDNF. These results point out a strong relationship between the stages clinical of MDD and changes in a range of relevant biological markers. This can assist in the development of precision psychiatry and future research on the biological tests for depression

Subtractive phage display selection from canine visceral leishmaniasis identifies novel epitopes that mimic leishmania infantum antigens with potential serodiagnosis applications

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a zoonotic disease that is endemic to Brazil, where dogs are the main domestic parasite reservoirs, and the percentages of infected dogs living in regions where canine VL (CVL) is endemic have ranged from 10% to 62%. Despite technological advances, some problems have been reported with CVL serodiagnosis. The present study describes a sequential subtractive selection through phage display technology from polyclonal antibodies of negative and positive sera that resulted in the identification of potential bacteriophage-fused peptides that were highly sensitive and specific to antibodies of CVL. A negative selection was performed in which phage clones were adhered to purified IgGs from healthy and Trypanosoma cruzi-infected dogs to eliminate cross-reactive phages. The remaining supernatant nonadhered phages were submitted to positive selection against IgG from the blood serum of dogs that were infected with Leishmania infantum. Phage clones that adhered to purified IgGs from the CVL-infected serum samples were selected. Eighteen clones were identified and their reactivities tested by a phage enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (phage-ELISA) against the serum samples from infected dogs (n 31) compared to those from vaccinated dogs (n 21), experimentally infected dogs with cross-reactive parasites (n 23), and healthy controls (n 17). Eight clones presented sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of 100%, and they showed no crossreactivity with T. cruzi- or Ehrlichia canis-infected dogs or with dogs vaccinated with two different commercial CVL vaccines in Brazil. Our study identified eight mimotopes of L. infantum antigens with 100% accuracy for CVL serodiagnosis. The use of these mimotopes by phage-ELISA proved to be an excellent assay that was reproducible, simple, fast, and inexpensive, and it can be applied in CVL-monitoring programsThis work was supported by grants from the Pró-Reitoria de Pesquisa of UFMG (supported 03/2013), the Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Nano-Biofarmacêutica (INCT Nano-Biofar), Rede Nanobiotec/Brasil-UFU (CAPES), PRONEX-FAPEMIG (APQ-01019- 09), FAPEMIG (APQ-00496-11 and APQ-00819-12), and CNPq (APQ- 472090/2011-9 and APQ-482976/2012-8). E.A.F.C. and L.R.G. are recipients of grants from CNPq. M.A.C.-F. is the recipient of a grant from FAPEMIG/CAPE

Frequency of TERT promoter mutations in human cancers

Reactivation of telomerase has been implicated in human tumorigenesis, but the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here we report the presence of recurrent somatic mutations in the TERT promoter in cancers of the central nervous system (43%), bladder (59%), thyroid (follicular cell-derived, 10%) and skin (melanoma, 29%). In thyroid cancers, the presence of TERT promoter mutations (when occurring together with BRAF mutations) is significantly associated with higher TERT mRNA expression, and in glioblastoma we find a trend for increased telomerase expression in cases harbouring TERT promoter mutations. Both in thyroid cancers and glioblastoma, TERT promoter mutations are significantly associated with older age of the patients. Our results show that TERT promoter mutations are relatively frequent in specific types of human cancers, where they lead to enhanced expression of telomerase.We thank to Mrs Mafalda Rocha for the excellent technical support in the sequencing work. This work was partially supported by the Portuguese Science and Technology Foundation (FCT) through BPD (SFRH/BPD/85249/2012 to H. P.), PhD (SFRH/BD/81940/2011 to J.V. and SFRH/BD/79135/2011 to A. A.) and BI grants, and the grant through the Program Ciencia 2008 (J.L.) and the project (PIC/IC/83037/2007). Further funding was obtained from the project 'Microenvironment, metabolism and cancer' partially supported by Programa Operacional Regional do Norte (ON.2-O Novo Norte), under the Quadro de Referencia Estrategico Nacional (QREN), and through the Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional (FEDER). IPATIMUP is an associate laboratory of the Portuguese Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education and is partially supported by the FCT

Lack of Accredited Clinical Training in Movement Disorders in Europe, Egypt, and Tunisia

Background: Little information is available on the official postgraduate and subspecialty training programs in movement disorders (MD) in Europe and North Africa. Objective: To survey the accessible MD clinical training in these regions. Methods: We designed a survey on clinical training in MD in different medical fields, at postgraduate and specialized levels. We assessed the characteristics of the participants and the facilities for MD care in their respective countries. We examined whether there are structured, or even accredited postgraduate, or subspecialty MD training programs in neurology, neurosurgery, internal medicine, geriatrics, neuroradiology, neuropediatrics, and general practice. Participants also shared their suggestions and needs. Results: The survey was completed in 31/49 countries. Structured postgraduate MD programs in neurology exist in 20 countries; structured neurology subspecialty training exists in 14 countries and is being developed in two additional countries. Certified neurology subspecialty training was reported to exist in 7 countries. Recommended reading lists, printed books, and other materials are the most popular educational tools, while courses, lectures, webinars, and case presentations are the most popular learning formats. Mandatory activities and skills to be certified were not defined in 15/31 countries. Most participants expressed their need for a mandatory postgraduate MD program and for certified MD sub-specialization programs in neurology. Conclusion: Certified postgraduate and subspecialty training exists only in a minority of European countries and was not found in the surveyed Egypt and Tunisia. MD training should be improved in many countries.Peer reviewe

Variants in RBP4 and AR genes modulate age at onset in familial amyloid polyneuropathy (FAP ATTRV30M)

Familial amyloid polyneuropathy (FAP) ATTRV30M is a neurodegenerative disorder due to point mutations in the transthyretin gene, with V30M being the commonest. FAP ATTRV30M shows a wide variation in age at onset (AO) between clusters, families and generations. Portuguese patients also show remarkable AO differences between genders. Genes found to be associated with FAP ATTRV30M pathways may act as AO modifiers. Our aim was to further explore the role of APCS and RBP4 genes and to study for the first time the involvement of sex-linked genetic modifiers - AR and HSD17B1 genes - in AO variation in Portuguese families. We collected DNA from a sample of 318 patients, currently under follow-up. A total of 18 tagging SNPs from APCS, RBP4, AR and HSD17B1 and 5 additional SNPs from APCS and RBP4 previously studied were genotyped. To account for nonindependency of AO between members of the same family, we used generalized estimating equations (GEEs). We found that APCS and RBP4 were associated with late AO. In addition, rs11187545 of the RBP4 was associated with an early AO. For the AR, in the male group three SNPs were associated with an early AO, whereas in the female group four were associated with both an early and later AO. These results strengthened the role of APCS and RBP4 genes and revealed for the first time the contribution of AR genes as an AO modifier in both males and females. These findings may have important implications in genetic counseling and for new therapeutic strategies