Generation and quality control of lipidomics data for the alzheimers disease neuroimaging initiative cohort.

Alzheimers disease (AD) is a major public health priority with a large socioeconomic burden and complex etiology. The Alzheimer Disease Metabolomics Consortium (ADMC) and the Alzheimer Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) aim to gain new biological insights in the disease etiology. We report here an untargeted lipidomics of serum specimens of 806 subjects within the ADNI1 cohort (188 AD, 392 mild cognitive impairment and 226 cognitively normal subjects) along with 83 quality control samples. Lipids were detected and measured using an ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography quadruple/time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTOF MS) instrument operated in both negative and positive electrospray ionization modes. The dataset includes a total 513 unique lipid species out of which 341 are known lipids. For over 95% of the detected lipids, a relative standard deviation of better than 20% was achieved in the quality control samples, indicating high technical reproducibility. Association modeling of this dataset and available clinical, metabolomics and drug-use data will provide novel insights into the AD etiology. These datasets are available at the ADNI repository at http://adni.loni.usc.edu/

FÍSICA E ARTES EM INTEGRAÇÃO

As recentes definições de curricularização da extensão relacionam-se com práticas que são realizadas no projeto Física e Artes em Integração. Relata-se o desenvolvimento do projeto desde 2018 até 2020. A ação objetiva integrar ensino, pesquisa e extensão juntamente às disciplinas de Física e Artes dos Cursos Técnicos Integrados ao Ensino Médio, aliando sustentabilidade e divulgaçãocientífica. A metodologia inicial contempla atividades teóricas que resultariam na construção de instrumentos e oficinas para comunidade, sendo readequada em virtude da pandemia, para a elaboração de um e-book. Os resultados esperados são uma aprendizagem mais significativa discente e a divulgação externa do conhecimento produzido

Física e Artes em integração: relato de experiência de um projeto integrado de Extensão e Ensino no IFC-Brusque

The extension project Physics and Arts in Integration had its origins in the year 2017 and it is expected to continue in 2020. This article reports the history of the project and its development in the years 2018 and 2019. The methodology is based on the integration between the Physics and Arts curricular subjects of the Integrated High School course at IFC-Brusque campus, through their scientific and artistic knowledge, for the construction of musical instruments with recycled material and subsequent development of ludic extension workshops for children and people with disabilities. Theoretical and practical activities were carried out in the two disciplines, which resulted in extension workshops for the external community. The public served, in order to address issues of inclusion and social transformation, were groups from the APAEs in Brusque and Guabiruba and from early childhood education schools around the campus. Sustainability is addressed through the use of recycled materials in the construction of musical instruments. At the end we discuss the difficulties of the project, its strengths and the actions that will be taken to mitigate the problems raised.O projeto de extensão Física e Artes em Integração teve suas origens no ano de 2017 e continua ativo no ano de 2020. Este artigo relata o histórico do projeto e seu desenvolvimento nos anos de 2018 e 2019. A metodologia é baseada na integração entre as disciplinas curriculares de Física e Artes do curso de Ensino Médio Integrado do campus IFC-Brusque, através de seus saberes científicos e artísticos, para a construção de instrumentos musicais com material reciclado e posterior desenvolvimento de oficinas de extensão lúdicas, destinadas a crianças e pessoas com deficiência. Foram feitas atividades teóricas e práticas nas duas disciplinas que resultaram em oficinas de extensão para a comunidade externa. O público atendido, visando abordar questões de inclusão e transformação social, foram turmas das APAEs de Brusque e Guabiruba e de escolas de educação infantil do entorno do campus. A sustentabilidade é abordada através da utilização de materiais reciclados para a construção dos instrumentos musicais. Ao final, discutimos as dificuldades do projeto, seus pontos fortes e as ações que serão tomadas para mitigar os problemas levantados

PERSPECTIVAS DIDÁTICAS ACERCA DA TEORIA DA RELATIVIDADE

A Teoria da Relatividade é fundamental para o entendimento do mundo contemporâneo e suas tecnologias, por conta disso, se faz fortemente presente nas produções culturais da sociedade. A proposta didática de tratar da Teoria da Relatividade no Ensino Médio utilizando produtos culturais surgiu da necessidade de aproximar o conteúdo dos discentes. O presente trabalho visa relatar a metodologia de pesquisa utilizada no projeto, os resultados parciais obtidos, além da discussãoacerca deles. Como resultado, temos um acervo de tais materiais e um estudo sobre a presença da Teoria da Relatividade nos Institutos Federais do Sul do Brasil

TRY plant trait database - enhanced coverage and open access

Plant traits-the morphological, anatomical, physiological, biochemical and phenological characteristics of plants-determine how plants respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels, and influence ecosystem properties and their benefits and detriments to people. Plant trait data thus represent the basis for a vast area of research spanning from evolutionary biology, community and functional ecology, to biodiversity conservation, ecosystem and landscape management, restoration, biogeography and earth system modelling. Since its foundation in 2007, the TRY database of plant traits has grown continuously. It now provides unprecedented data coverage under an open access data policy and is the main plant trait database used by the research community worldwide. Increasingly, the TRY database also supports new frontiers of trait-based plant research, including the identification of data gaps and the subsequent mobilization or measurement of new data. To support this development, in this article we evaluate the extent of the trait data compiled in TRY and analyse emerging patterns of data coverage and representativeness. Best species coverage is achieved for categorical traits-almost complete coverage for 'plant growth form'. However, most traits relevant for ecology and vegetation modelling are characterized by continuous intraspecific variation and trait-environmental relationships. These traits have to be measured on individual plants in their respective environment. Despite unprecedented data coverage, we observe a humbling lack of completeness and representativeness of these continuous traits in many aspects. We, therefore, conclude that reducing data gaps and biases in the TRY database remains a key challenge and requires a coordinated approach to data mobilization and trait measurements. This can only be achieved in collaboration with other initiatives

Replacement of α-galactosidase A in Fabry disease: effect on fibroblast cultures compared with biopsied tissues of treated patients

The function and intracellular delivery of enzyme therapeutics for Fabry disease were studied in cultured fibroblasts and in the biopsied tissues of two male patients to show diversity of affected cells in response to treatment. In the mutant fibroblasts cultures, the final cellular level of endocytosed recombinant α-galactosidases A (agalsidases, FabrazymeTM, and ReplagalTM) exceeded, by several fold, the amount in control fibroblasts and led to efficient direct intra-lysosomal hydrolysis of (3H)Gb3Cer. In contrast, in the samples from the heart and some other tissues biopsied after several months of enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) with FabrazymeTM, only the endothelial cells were free of storage. Persistent Gb3Cer storage was found in cardiocytes (accompanied by increase of lipopigment), smooth muscle cells, fibroblasts, sweat glands, and skeletal muscle. Immunohistochemistry of cardiocytes demonstrated, for the first time, the presence of a considerable amount of the active enzyme in intimate contact with the storage compartment. Factors responsible for the limited ERT effectiveness are discussed, namely post-mitotic status of storage cells preventing their replacement by enzyme supplied precursors, modification of the lysosomal system by longstanding storage, and possible relative lack of Sap B. These observations support the strategy of early treatment for prevention of lysosomal storage

Lanosterol induces mitochondrial uncoupling and protects dopaminergic neurons from cell death in a model for Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder marked by the selective degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the nigrostriatal pathway. Several lines of evidence indicate that mitochondrial dysfunction contributes to its etiology. Other studies have suggested that alterations in sterol homeostasis correlate with increased risk for PD. Whether these observations are functionally related is, however, unknown. In this study, we used a toxin-induced mouse model of PD and measured levels of nine sterol intermediates. We found that lanosterol is significantly (∼50%) and specifically reduced in the nigrostriatal regions of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine-treated mice, indicative of altered lanosterol metabolism during PD pathogenesis. Remarkably, exogenous addition of lanosterol rescued dopaminergic neurons from 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP+)-induced cell death in culture. Furthermore, we observed a marked redistribution of lanosterol synthase from the endoplasmic reticulum to mitochondria in dopaminergic neurons exposed to MPP+, suggesting that lanosterol might exert its survival effect by regulating mitochondrial function. Consistent with this model, we find that lanosterol induces mild depolarization of mitochondria and promotes autophagy. Collectively, our results highlight a novel sterol-based neuroprotective mechanism with direct relevance to PD