Association Between Iron-Related Protein Lipocalin 2 and Cognitive Impairment in Cerebrospinal Fluid and Serum

A worldwide increase in longevity is bringing novel challenges to public health and health care professionals. Cognitive impairment in the elderly may compromise living conditions and precede Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most prevalent form of dementia. Therefore, finding molecular markers associated with cognitive impairment is of crucial importance. Lipocalin 2 (LCN2), an iron-related protein, has been suggested as a potential marker for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and AD. This study aimed at investigating the association between LCN2 measured in serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) with cognitive impairment. A cross-sectional design based on two aging cohorts was used: individuals diagnosed with subjective cognitive complaints (SCC), MCI, and AD from a Swedish memory clinic-based cohort, and individuals diagnosed with SCC and AD from a Portuguese cohort. Binary logistic [for the outcome cognitive impairment (MCI + AD) in the Swedish cohort and AD in the Portuguese cohort] and multinomial logistic (for the outcomes MCI and AD) regression analyses were used. No associations were found in both cohorts when controlling for sex, education, and age. This explanatory study suggests that the association between serum and CSF LCN2 concentrations with cognitive impairment reported in the literature must be further analyzed for confounders.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Spurious infection by Calodium hepaticum (Bancroft, 1983) Moravec, 1982 and intestinal parasites in forest reserve dwellers in Western Brazilian Amazon

Subsistence hunting is the main source of protein for forest reserve dwellers, contributing to the development of spurious infections by Calodium hepaticum, frequently associated with the consumption of the liver from wild mammals. The prevalence of infections by soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) and intestinal protozoa is considered an indicator of the social vulnerability of a country, besides providing information on habits, customs and quality of life of a given population. Intestinal parasites mostly affect poor rural communities with limited access to clean water and adequate sanitation. This study reports the results of a parasitological survey carried out in 2017 and 2019, in two municipalities (Xapuri and Sena Madureira) in Acre State. Stool samples were collected from 276 inhabitants. Upon receipt, each sample was divided into two aliquots. Fresh samples without preservative were processed and examined by the Kato-Katz technique. Samples fixed in 10% formalin were processed by the spontaneous sedimentation and the centrifugal sedimentation techniques. Calodium hepaticum eggs were found in three stool samples. The overall STH prevalence was 44.9%. The hookworm prevalence (19.2%) was higher than that of Ascaris lumbricoides (2.5%) and Trichuris trichiura (0.7%), an unexpected finding for municipalities belonging to the Western Brazilian Amazon. When considering parasites transmitted via the fecal-oral route, Endolimax nana and Entamoeba coli showed the highest positivity rates, of 13% and 10.9%, respectively. This study is the first report of spurious infection by C. hepaticum among forest reserve dwellers that consume undercooked liver of lowland pacas. Additionally, this is the first report of Blastocystis sp. in Acre State

Análise da atividade antimicobacteriana de 36 extratos vegetais da Mata Atlântica brasileira

Trinta e seis extratos vegetais originários da Mata Atlântica foram testados quanto à sua atividade antimicobacteriana frente ao M. tuberculosis H37Rv e M. kansasii, utilizando o método REMA em concentrações seriadas de 100 a 0,20 µg/mL. Dentre os trinta e seis extratos testados, cinco mostraram atividade frente ao M. tuberculosis, e destes apenas, três mostraram atividade ao M. kansasii, que apresentou susceptibilidade a outros dez. O teste de citotoxicidade com células VERO foi realizado com os cinco extratos ativos frente ao M. tuberculosis em que identificou-se a não toxicidade em apenas um extrato (Peschiera affinis) na concentração de 100 µg/mL.Thirty-six plant extracts from the brazilian Atlantic Forest were tested for their antimycobacterial activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv and M. kansasii, using the method REMA in seriate concentrations of 100 to 0.20 µg/mL. Among the thirty six extracts tested, five were active against M. tuberculosis, and three of these extracts also showed activity against M. kansasii. Cytotoxicity test with VERO cells was performed with the five extracts active against M. tuberculosis. Only the extract of Peschiera affinis was identified as non-toxic in the concentration of 100µg/mL

Nandrolone and resistance training induce heart remodeling: Role of fetal genes and implications for cardiac pathophysiology

Aims: This study was conducted to assess the isolated and combined effects of nandrolone and resistance training on cardiac morphology, function, and mRNA expression of pathological cardiac hypertrophy markers.Main methods: Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups and submitted to 6 weeks of treatment with nandrolone and/or resistance training. Cardiac parameters were determined by echocardiography. Heart was analyzed for collagen infiltration. Real-time RT-PCR was used to assess the pathological cardiac hypertrophy markers.Key findings: Both resistance training and nandrolone induced cardiac hypertrophy. Nandrolone increased the cardiac collagen content, and reduced the cardiac index in non-trained and trained groups, when compared with the respective vehicle-treated groups. Nandrolone reduced the ratio of maximum early to late transmitral flow velocity in non-trained and trained groups, when compared with the respective vehicle-treated groups. Nandrolone reduced the alpha-myosin heavy chain gene expression in both non-trained and trained groups, when compared with the respective vehicle-treated groups. Training reduced the beta-myosin heavy chain gene expression in the groups treated with vehicle and nandrolone. Only the association between training and nandrolone increased the expression of the skeletal alpha-actin gene and atrial natriuretic peptide in the left ventricle.Significance: This study indicated that nandrolone, whether associated with resistance training or not, induces cardiac hypertrophy, which is associated with enhanced collagen content, re-expression of fetal genes the in left ventricle, and impaired diastolic and systolic function. (C) 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)FAEPEX/UNICAMPConselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Univ Estadual Campinas, Piracicaba Dent Sch, Dept Physiol Sci, Piracicaba, SP, BrazilUniv São Paulo, Sch Med, Heart Inst InCor, Hypertens Unit, São Paulo, SP, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Inst Sci & Technol, São Paulo, SP, BrazilUniv São Paulo, Sch Phys Educ & Sports, Biochem Lab, São Paulo, SP, BrazilUniv Estadual Campinas, Piracicaba Dent Sch, Dept Morphol, Piracicaba, SP, BrazilPontifical Catholic Univ Campinas, Life Sci Ctr, Campinas, SP, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Inst Sci & Technol, São Paulo, SP, BrazilFAPESP: 05/60284-6Web of Scienc

Proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines in the CSF of patients with Alzheimer's disease and their correlation with cognitive decline

Cumulative data suggest that neuroinflammation plays a prominent role in Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis. The purpose of this work was to assess if patients with AD present a specific cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cytokine profile and if it correlates to disease progression. We determined the levels of 27 cytokines in CSF of patients with AD and compared them with patients with frontotemporal dementia and nondemented controls. In addition, we correlated the cytokine levels with cognitive status and disease progression after 12 months. Patients with AD had higher levels of proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines (eotaxin, interleukin [IL]-1ra, IL-4, IL-7, IL-8, IL-9, IL-10, IL-15, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, monocyte chemotactic protein 1, platelet-derived growth factor, tumor necrosis factor alfa) compared to nondemented controls. There was a negative correlation between the disease progression and the levels of several cytokines (IL-1β, IL-4, IL-6, IL-9, IL-17A, basic fibroblast growth factor, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, interferon gamma, macrophage inflammatory proteins-1β). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study reporting a "protective" role of the upregulation of specific intrathecal cytokine levels in AD. This finding supports that a fine "rebalancing" of the immune system represents a new target in AD therapeutic approach.The work at ICVS/3B's has been developed under the scope of the project NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000013, supported by the Northern Portugal Regional Operational Program (NORTE, 2020), under the Portugal 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER) and funded by FEDER funds through the Competitiveness Factors Operational Program (COMPETE) and by National funds, through the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), under the scope of the project POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007038. The work at Centro Hospitalar do Porto (CHP) work was funded by "Bolsa para Investigacao" of Departamento de Ensino Formacao e Investigacao (DEFI) do CHP. S.P. das Neves is a recipient of a PhD fellowship with the reference PD/BD/114120/2015, from POCH through FCT National Funds

O Programa de Cidades Históricas : por uma política integrada de preservação do patrimônio cultural urbano

O Programa de Cidades Históricas (PCH), implementado a partir de 1973, foi o primeiro programa federal que investiu recursos para a recuperação do patrimônio cultural urbano. Implementado pelo Ministério do Planejamento, buscava o desenvolvimento econômico das cidades históricas e dialogava com outros assuntos em pauta naquele momento, como o desenvolvimento urbano e regional e o turismo cultural. Tinha em sua concepção uma mudança na maneira de abordar as cidades históricas: a partir do entendimento da cidade como produtora de capital, o patrimônio cultural geraria desenvolvimento econômico pelo seu consumo para a atividade turística. De 1973 a 1979, foram investidos 17,3 milhões de dólares, realizando-se 143 obras em monumentos (85% dos investimentos); 8 cursos de qualificação de mão de obra nos três níveis (superior, intermediário e operário); 7 planos urbanísticos; 6 obras em espaços públicos (urbanos); e 10 ações de tipos diversos. Nossa análise busca entender essa política a partir do seu processo de formulação e implementação, no período de 1972 a 1979. Pretende, nesse sentido: a) avaliar as relações de poder em jogo durante a construção e a implementação do programa; b) compreender o grau de sucesso que o programa obteve na construção de um Sistema Nacional de Patrimônio Cultural, analisando sua articulação junto aos estados e outros órgãos federais; e c) avaliar o papel do programa enquanto indutor de novas práticas institucionais no campo da preservação do patrimônio cultural, especialmente com relação ao Iphan e aos estados federativos brasileiros.The Historic Cities Program (PCH: 1973-1979) was the first federal program that has invested resources to the recovery of the urban cultural heritage. Implemented by the Ministry of Planning, sought economic development of historic towns and dialogued with other items on the agenda at the time, such as urban and regional development and cultural tourism. It brought a change in the way of approach the historic towns: from the understanding of the city as a producer of capital, heritage would generate economic development through its consume by the tourism. From 1973 to 1979 it was invested 17.3 million dollars, performing 143 works on monuments (85% of investments); 8 hand-to-work training courses in three levels (top, middle and working class); 7 urban plans; 6 works in public spaces (urban); and 10 shares of various types. Our analysis seeks to understand this policy from its formulation and implementation in the period from 1972 to 1979. The aim, in this sense, is: a) to assess the power relations at play during construction and implementation of the Program; b) to understand the degree of success that the program achieved in building a national system, analyzing its relationship with states and other federal agencies; and c) to evaluate the role of Program while inducing new institutional practices in the field of preservation of cultural heritage, especially with regard to Iphan

Zika Brazilian Cohorts (ZBC) Consortium: Protocol for an Individual Participant Data Meta-Analysis of Congenital Zika Syndrome after Maternal Exposure during Pregnancy.

Despite great advances in our knowledge of the consequences of Zika virus to human health, many questions remain unanswered, and results are often inconsistent. The small sample size of individual studies has limited inference about the spectrum of congenital Zika manifestations and the prognosis of affected children. The Brazilian Zika Cohorts Consortium addresses these limitations by bringing together and harmonizing epidemiological data from a series of prospective cohort studies of pregnant women with rash and of children with microcephaly and/or other manifestations of congenital Zika. The objective is to estimate the absolute risk of congenital Zika manifestations and to characterize the full spectrum and natural history of the manifestations of congenital Zika in children with and without microcephaly. This protocol describes the assembly of the Consortium and protocol for the Individual Participant Data Meta-analyses (IPD Meta-analyses). The findings will address knowledge gaps and inform public policies related to Zika virus. The large harmonized dataset and joint analyses will facilitate more precise estimates of the absolute risk of congenital Zika manifestations among Zika virus-infected pregnancies and more complete descriptions of its full spectrum, including rare manifestations. It will enable sensitivity analyses using different definitions of exposure and outcomes, and the investigation of the sources of heterogeneity between studies and regions

Robust estimation of bacterial cell count from optical density

Optical density (OD) is widely used to estimate the density of cells in liquid culture, but cannot be compared between instruments without a standardized calibration protocol and is challenging to relate to actual cell count. We address this with an interlaboratory study comparing three simple, low-cost, and highly accessible OD calibration protocols across 244 laboratories, applied to eight strains of constitutive GFP-expressing E. coli. Based on our results, we recommend calibrating OD to estimated cell count using serial dilution of silica microspheres, which produces highly precise calibration (95.5% of residuals <1.2-fold), is easily assessed for quality control, also assesses instrument effective linear range, and can be combined with fluorescence calibration to obtain units of Molecules of Equivalent Fluorescein (MEFL) per cell, allowing direct comparison and data fusion with flow cytometry measurements: in our study, fluorescence per cell measurements showed only a 1.07-fold mean difference between plate reader and flow cytometry data