The pro-resolving lipid mediator Maresin 1 ameliorates pain responses and neuroinflammation in the spared nerve injury-induced neuropathic pain: A study in male and female mice

Specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPMs) have recently emerged as promising therapeutic approaches for neuropathic pain (NP). We evaluated the effects of oral treatment with the SPM Maresin 1 (MaR1) on behavioral pain responses and spinal neuroinflammation in male and female C57BL/6J mice with spared nerve injury (SNI)-induced NP. MaR1, or vehicle, was administered once daily, on post-surgical days 3 to 5, by voluntary oral intake. Sensory-discriminative and affective-motivational components of pain were evaluated with von Frey and place escape/avoidance paradigm (PEAP) tests, respectively. Spinal microglial and astrocytic activation were assessed by immunofluorescence, and the spinal concentration of cytokines IL-1 & beta;, IL-6, IL-10, and macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) were evaluated by multiplex immunoassay. MaR1 treatment reduced SNI-induced mechanical hypersensitivity on days 7 and 11 in both male and female mice, and appeared to ameliorate the affective component of pain in males on day 11. No definitive conclusions could be drawn about the impact of MaR1 on the affective-motivational aspects of pain in female mice, since repeated suprathreshold mechanical stimulation of the affected paw in the dark compartment did not increase the preference of vehicle-treated SNI females for the light side, during the PEAP test session (a fundamental assumption for PAEP's validity). MaR1 treatment also reduced ipsilateral spinal microglial and astrocytic activation in both sexes and marginally increased M-CSF in males, while not affecting cytokines IL-1 & beta;, IL-6 and IL-10 in either sex. In summary, our study has shown that oral treatment with MaR1 (i) produces antinociception even in an already installed peripheral NP mouse model, and (ii) this antinociception may extend for several days beyond the treatment time-frame. These therapeutic effects are associated with attenuated microglial and astrocytic activation in both sexes, and possibly involve modulation of M-CSF action in males.& nbsp;This work was supported by University of Porto/Faculty of Medicine (https://sigarra.up.pt/fmup) and ESF - European Social Fund (https://ec. europa.eu/esf/home.jsp), through NORTE2020 - North Portugal Regional Operational Programme [NORTE-08-5369-FSE-000011-Doctoral Programmes - LTS' PhD fellowship], and by Fundacao Grunenthal Portugal (https://www. fundacaogrunenthal.pt), Bolsa Jovens Investigadores em Dor 2018 - LTS). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript

Evidence for a spectroscopic direct detection of reflected light from 51 Peg b

The detection of reflected light from an exoplanet is a difficult technical challenge at optical wavelengths. Even though this signal is expected to replicate the stellar signal, not only is it several orders of magnitude fainter, but it is also hidden among the stellar noise. We apply a variant of the cross-correlation technique to HARPS observations of 51 Peg to detect the reflected signal from planet 51 Peg b. Our method makes use of the cross-correlation function of a binary mask with high-resolution spectra to amplify the minute planetary signal that is present in the spectra by a factor proportional to the number of spectral lines when performing the cross correlation. The resulting cross-correlation functions are then normalized by a stellar template to remove the stellar signal. Carefully selected sections of the resulting normalized CCFs are stacked to increase the planetary signal further. The recovered signal allows probing several of the planetary properties, including its real mass and albedo. We detect evidence for the reflected signal from planet 51 Peg b at a significance of 3\sigma_noise. The detection of the signal permits us to infer a real mass of 0.46^+0.06_-0.01 M_Jup (assuming a stellar mass of 1.04\;M_Sun) for the planet and an orbital inclination of 80^+10_-19 degrees. The analysis of the data also allows us to infer a tentative value for the (radius-dependent) geometric albedo of the planet. The results suggest that 51Peg b may be an inflated hot Jupiter with a high albedo (e.g., an albedo of 0.5 yields a radius of 1.9 \pm 0.3 R_Jup for a signal amplitude of 6.0\pm0.4 x 10^-5). We confirm that the method we perfected can be used to retrieve an exoplanet's reflected signal, even with current observing facilities. The advent of next generation of observing facilities will yield new opportunities for this type of technique to probe deeper into exoplanets.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figure

Sequenciação Total do Genoma no Instituto Ricardo Jorge: um virar de página na Microbiologia Clínica

comunicação oral, CO5Esta comunicação tem como objectivo divulgar à comunidade médico-científica o impacto significativo que a WGS, agora disponível no Instituto Nacional de Saúde Doutor Ricardo Jorge (INSA), terá em termos de Microbiologia Clínica.N/

HIV-Associated Facial Lipodystrophy: Experience of a Tertiary Referral Center With Fat and Dermis-Fat Compound Graft Transfer

Objectives: HIV-associated lipodystrophy is a common comorbidity in HIV-infected patients, having a profound impact on every aspect of patients' lives, particularly when involving the face. Hence, it is of the utmost importance to evaluate the result of any potential therapies that may help solve HIV-associated facial lipodystrophy. The aim of this article was to evaluate the outcome of patients undergoing facial lipodystrophy correction surgery within our institution. Methods: A retrospective analysis of the clinical charts and iconographic information of patients regarding demographics, morphologic changes, surgical option, postoperative complications, results, and patient satisfaction assessed by a 1- to 10-point scale and by the Assessment of Body Change and Distress questionnaire. Results: Twenty-three patients were operated on from March 2011 to April 2015. Seventy-five percent of cases were treated with fat graft injection, whereas dermis-fat grafts were applied in 25% of patients. The former had their fat harvested more commonly from the abdomen, whereas in the latter case, the graft was harvested mostly from the inner aspect of arms. The mean volume of fat injected on each side of the face was 28.5 ± 22.7 mL. On a scale from 1 to 10, mean patient satisfaction was 7.7 ± 2.8. The Assessment of Body Change and Distress questionnaire revealed statistically significant improvements. Complications occurred in 25% of cases, the most frequent being significant reabsorption. No major complications occurred. Conclusions: Treatment of HIV-associated facial lipodystrophy with autologous fat or dermis-fat compound graft is a safe procedure with long-lasting results and unquestionable aesthetic and social benefits.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Indução de resistência e promoção de crescimento em plantas de arroz tratadas com silício e bioagentes.

Os bioagentes são conhecidos pela eficácia em induzir a defesa e promover crescimento das plantas, e o silício por suprimir doenças ao reforçar as barreiras físicas. O efeito supressor e promotor da combinação entre adubação silicatada e bioindutores foi investigado no patossitema arroz/Magnaporthe oryzae, avaliando-se as concentrações 0, 1, 2, 4 e 8 ton.ha-1 de silicato de cálcio e magnésio e o modo de aplicação dos bioagentes Rizo-46, Rizo-55 e Trichoderma sp

Associação genética negativa entre prolificidade e peso ao nascer em ovinos da raça Morada Nova criados no semiárido.

Resumo: Os dados utilizados neste estudo foram provenientes de ovinos da raça Morada Nova, pertencentes à rebanhos participantes do Núcleo de Melhoramento Genético Participativos de Ovinos da Raça Morada Nova e inseridos no Programa de Melhoramento Genético de Caprinos e Ovinos de Corte ? GENECOC. A matriz de parentesco utilizada continha 4.342 animais. Previamente, as características prolificidade (PROL) e peso ao nascimento (PN) foram analisadas utilizando o procedimento MIXED do programa SAS®, para definição dos efeitos fixos que comporiam o modelo de análise. Assim, foram incluídos no modelo os efeitos de grupo contemporâneo (animais paridos na mesma estação e ano e submetidos ao mesmo manejo), ordem de parto e efeito de ambiente permanente do animal, além da covariável peso ao parto das matrizes para característica prolificidade (PROL). Já para peso ao nascimento (PN) o modelo continha efeitos de grupo contemporâneo (animais nascidos na mesma estação e ano e submetidos ao mesmo manejo), idade da ovelha ao parto, efeito materno e efeito de ambiente permanente materno. As estimativas dos parâmetros genéticos foram obtidas pelo método da Máxima Verossimilhança Restrita não Derivativa (DFREML), utilizando o programa MTDFREML, em análises uni característica e, posteriormente, análise bicaracterística entre PROL x PN. Nas análises uni característica, as herdabilidades foram de magnitude moderada a alta. As herdabilidades da análise bicaracterística foram diferentes dos valores apresentados na análise uni característica para prolificidade (PROL) e peso ao nascimento (PN), enquanto para herdabilidade materna para peso ao nascimento (PNm) os valores não diferiram nas duas análises. As estimativas de correlação genética entre o PROL x PN, PROL x PNm e PN xPNm foram, respectivamente, -0,45, -0,26 e -0,35, indicando que a seleção para prolificidade levaria a uma diminuição no peso ao nascer dos cordeiros

Search for lithium-rich giants in 32 open clusters with high-resolution spectroscopy

Lithium-rich giant stars are rare and their existence challenges our understanding of stellar structure and evolution. We profit from the high-quality sample gathered with HARPS and UVES, in order to search for Li-rich giants and to identify the Li enrichment mechanisms responsible. We derive stellar parameters for 247 stars belonging to 32 open clusters, with 0.07 Ga < ages < 3.6 Ga. We employed the spectral synthesis technique code FASMA for the abundance analysis of 228 stars from our sample. We also determined ages, distances, and extinction using astrometry and photometry from Gaia and PARSEC isochrones to constrain their evolutionary stage. Our sample covers a wide range of stellar masses from 1 to more than 6 solar masses where the majority of the masses are above 2 solar masses. We have found 14 canonical Li-rich giant stars which have experienced the first dredge-up. This corresponds to 6% of our total sample, which is higher than what is typically found for field stars. Apart from the canonical limit, we use the maximum Li abundance of the progenitor stars as a criterion for Li enrichment. We find Li enhancement also among eight stars which have passed the first dredge up and show strong Li lines based on the fact that stars at the same evolutionary stage in the same cluster have significantly different Li abundances. We confirm that giants with higher Li abundance correspond to a higher fraction of fast-rotating giants, suggesting a connection between Li enhancement and stellar rotation as predicted by stellar models. Our Li-rich giants are found in various evolutionary stages implying that no unique Li production mechanism is responsible for Li enrichment but rather different intrinsic or external mechanisms can be simultaneously at play.Comment: accepted in A&A, online data will be available in CD

"I go I die, I stay I die, better to stay and die in my house": understanding the barriers to accessing health care in Timor-Leste.

BACKGROUND: Despite public health care being free at the point of delivery in Timor-Leste, wealthier patients access hospital care at nearly twice the rate of poorer patients. This study seeks to understand the barriers driving inequitable utilisation of hospital services in Timor-Leste from the perspective of community members and health care managers. METHODS: This multisite qualitative study in Timor-Leste conducted gender segregated focus groups (n = 8) in eight districts, with 59 adults in urban and rural settings, and in-depth interviews (n = 8) with the Director of community health centres. Communication was in the local language, Tetum, using a pre-tested interview schedule. Approval was obtained from community and national stakeholders, with written consent from participants. RESULTS: Lack of patient transport is the critical cross-cutting issue preventing access to hospital care. Without it, many communities resort to carrying patients by porters or on horseback, walking or paying for (unaffordable) private arrangements to reach hospital, or opt for home-based care. Other significant out-of-pocket expenses for hospital visits were blood supplies from private suppliers; accommodation and food for the patient and family members; and repatriation of the deceased. Entrenched nepotism and hospital staff denigrating patients' hygiene and personal circumstances were also widely reported. Consequently, some respondents asserted they would never return to hospital, others delayed seeking treatment or interrupted their treatment to return home. Most considered traditional medicine provided an affordable, accessible and acceptable substitute to hospital care. Obtaining a referral for higher level care was not a significant barrier to gaining access to hospital care. CONCLUSIONS: Onerous physical, financial and socio-cultural barriers are preventing or discouraging people from accessing hospital care in Timor-Leste. Improving access to quality primary health care at the frontline is a key strategy for ensuring universal access to health care, pursued alongside initiatives to overcome the multi-faceted barriers to hospital care experienced by the vulnerable. Improving the availability and functioning of patient transport services, provision of travel subsidies to patients and their families and training hospital staff in standards of professional care are some options available to government and donors seeking faster progress towards universal health coverage in Timor-Leste