Contribution for the physical-chemical characterization of Portuguese Crowberry (Corema album)

The present work was undertaken to study some physic-chemical characteristics of Portuguese crowberry, namely: sizeable properties (dimension and weigh), chemical components (water, crude fiber, total and reducing sugars, total soluble solids and acidity), and finally physical characteristics (color and texture). The determination of the chemical components followed standard procedures, for color a colorimeter was used and texture was evaluated by a texturometer. The results obtained indicated that the Portuguese crowberries showed a mean diameter of about 9 mm, and a mass of ~0.7 g. Relating to the chemical analyses, the moisture content was 88 % (expressed in fresh weight), the crude fiber was 37 % (dry basis), the total and reducing sugars were 63 % and 41 % (dry basis), respectively. The total soluble solids were ~6 ºBrix and total acidity was 11 % (expressed in citric acid). Hence, the work undertaken permitted concluding that the white crowberries at study constitute an important source of fibers and sugars.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The role of religiousness on substance-use disorder treatment outcomes: a comparison of black and white adolescents

This study compares 41 Black and 124 White adolescents at intake and discharge from a residential treatment program for substance-use disorders. Study data were obtained as part of a larger study (N = 195) that sought to assess the relationship of helping behavior and addiction recovery. This post-hoc analysis aims to identify cultural strengths that may be associated with recovery from substance-use disorders among Black adolescents. Using regression analyses and controlling for the severity of substance use and background variables that distinguish racial groups, religious practices and behaviors at intake were examined. Specifically, Black youth and White youth were compared on treatment outcomes, including alcohol or drug use during treatment, drug craving, 12-Step work, and 12-Step helping. The burden of health and socioeconomic disparities at intake did not disproportionately disfavor Black adolescents. Outcomes related to 12-Step measures were similar between Black and White youth. White adolescents reported higher craving scores at discharge, and Black adolescents were more likely to use drugs during treatment. High levels of religiousness at treatment intake were linked to greater 12-Step work and greater 12-Step helping at discharge. High levels of religiousness at intake were not related to drug use during treatment or to craving scores at discharge. The relationship between intake levels of religiousness and treatment-related outcomes did not differ by race.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3437261/Accepted manuscrip

Association between exposure to particulate matter and hospital admissions for respiratory disease in children

Con el objetivo de estimar la asociación entre exposición al PM2.5 e internaciones por enfermedades respiratorias en niños, fue realizado estudio ecológico de series temporales con indicadores diarios de internación por enfermedades respiratorias, en niños de cero a diez años de edad, residentes en Piracicaba, SP (período entre 1° de agosto de 2011 y 31 de julio de 2012. Se utilizó modelo aditivo generalizado de la regresión de Poisson. Los riesgos relativos fueron RR= 1,008; IC95% 1,001; 1,016 para el lag 1 y RR= 1,009; IC95% 1,001; 1,017 para el lag 3. El incremento de 10 μg/m3 de PM2.5 implicó aumento en el riesgo relativo entre 7,9 y 8,6 puntos porcentuales. Se concluyó que la exposición al material particulado con menos de 2,5 micras de diámetro aerodinámico estuvo asociada con las internaciones por enfermedades respiratorias en niños.The aim of this study was to estimate the association between exposure to particulate matter less than 2.5 microns in diameter and hospitalization for respiratory disease. It was an ecological time series study with daily indicators of hospitalization for respiratory diseases in children up to 10 years old, living in Piracicaba, SP, Southeastern Brazil, between August 1, 2011 and July 31, 2012. A generalized additive Poisson regression model was used. The relative risks were RR = 1.008; 95%CI 1.001;1.016 for lag 1 and RR = 1.009; 95%CI 1.001;1.017 for lag 3. The increment of 10 μg/m3in particulate matter less than 2.5 microns in diameter implies increase in relative risk of between 7.9 and 8.6 percentage points. In conclusion, exposure to particulate matter less than 2.5 microns in diameter was associated with hospitalization for respiratory disease in children.O objetivo desse estudo foi estimar a associação entre exposição a material particulado com menos de 2,5 micra de diâmetro aerodinâmico e internações por doenças respiratórias em crianças. Foi realizado estudo ecológico de séries temporais com indicadores diários de internação por doenças respiratórias, em crianças de zero a dez anos de idade, residentes em Piracicaba, SP, entre 1º de agosto de 2011 e 31 de julho de 2012. Utilizou-se modelo aditivo generalizado da regressão de Poisson. Os riscos relativos foram RR = 1,008; IC95% 1,001;1,016 para o lag 1 e RR = 1,009; IC95% 1,001;1,017 para o lag 3. O incremento de 10 μg/m 3 de material particulado com menos de 2,5 micra de diâmetro implicou aumento no risco relativo entre 7,9 e 8,6 pontos percentuais. Concluiu-se que a exposição ao material particulado com menos de 2,5 micra de diâmetro aerodinâmico esteve associada às internações por doenças respiratórias em crianças

IL-2, IL-5, TNF-α and IFN-γ mRNA expression in epidermal keratinocytes of systemic lupus erythematosus skin lesions

OBJECTIVE: To analyze cytokine gene expression in keratinocytes from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). INTRODUCTION: Keratinocytes represent 95% of epidermal cells and can secrete several cytokines. METHODS: Keratinocytes were obtained by laser microdissection from 21 patients with SLE (10 discoid and 11 acute lesions) at involved and uninvolved sites. All patients were receiving a low/moderate prednisone dose and 18 were receiving chloroquine diphosphate. IL-2, IL-5, TNF-α and IFN-γ gene expression was evaluated by real-time PCR and expressed as the ratio (R) to a pool of skin samples from 12 healthy volunteers. RESULTS: Heterogeneity in cytokine gene expression was found among patients with SLE. Eighteen of 38 valid SLE samples (47%) presented overexpression (R>1) of at least one cytokine. Lesional skin samples tended to show higher cytokine expression than samples from uninvolved skin (p = 0.06). IL-5 and IFN-γ were the most commonly overexpressed cytokines. Samples with cytokine overexpression corresponded to more extensive and severe lesions. Prednisone dose did not differ between samples without cytokine overexpression (15.71±3.45 mg/day) and those with overexpressed cytokines (12.68±5.41 mg/day) (p = 0.216). Samples from all patients not receiving diphosphate chloroquine had at least one overexpressed cytokine. CONCLUSIONS: The heterogeneous keratinocyte cytokine gene expression reflects the complex immunological and inflammatory background in SLE. Patients with severe/extensive skin lesions showed a higher frequency of cytokine gene overexpression. Increased IFN-γ and IL-5 expression suggests that Th1 and Th2 cells are involved in SLE skin inflammation. The possibility that prednisone and antimalarial drugs may have contributed to low cytokine gene expression in some samples cannot be ruled out.Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Brazilian Society of RheumatologyUniversidade Federal do ParáUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Rheumatology DivisionFleury Medicine and Health Research and Development InstituteCâncer HospitalUNIFESP, Rheumatology DivisionFAPESP: 02/2446-1SciEL

The role of platelets and neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) in sepsis: A comprehensive literature review

Sepsis is defined as "an organic dysfunction secondary to the dysregulated response of the patient to an infection." This concept only reveals the tip of the iceberg, the clinical expression of organic failures, without understanding their basis, which is currently explained by cellular and molecular phenomena. Neutrophils are crucial pillars of early innate immune responses, and their fundamental function is phagocytosis. Additionally, neutrophils can degranulate upon activation, releasing various antimicrobial enzymes and pro-inflammatory cytokines, and form neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), whose purpose is to trap pathogens by releasing their "sticky" nuclear content; the presence of activated platelets amplifies this phenomenon. NETosis is a beneficial process; however, deregulated, it can be detrimental, inducing "immunothrombosis" and compromising the microcirculation, thereby increasing the clinical severity of sepsis. The purpose of this review is to clearly describe the pathophysiological role therapeutic target of NETs, their interaction with platelets in sepsis, and their potential as therapeutic targets, since it has been shown that a therapeutic approach aimed at curbing NETs would be beneficial

Extensive Karyotype Reorganization in the Fish Gymnotus arapaima (Gymnotiformes, Gymnotidae) Highlighted by Zoo-FISH Analysis.

The genus Gymnotus (Gymnotiformes) contains over 40 species of freshwater electric fishes exhibiting a wide distribution throughout Central and South America, and being particularly prevalent in the Amazon basin. Cytogenetics has been an important tool in the cytotaxonomy and elucidation of evolutionary processes in this genus, including the unraveling the variety of diploid chromosome number (2n = from 34 to 54), the high karyotype diversity among species with a shared diploid number, different sex chromosome systems, and variation in the distribution of several Repetitive DNAs and colocation and association between those sequences. Recently whole chromosome painting (WCP) has been used for tracking the chromosomal evolution of the genus, showing highly reorganized karyotypes and the conserved synteny of the NOR bearing par within the clade G. carapo. In this study, painting probes derived from the chromosomes of G. carapo (GCA, 2n = 42, 30 m/sm + 12 st/a) were hybridized to the mitotic metaphases of G. arapaima (GAR, 2n = 44, 24 m/sm + 20 st/a). Our results uncovered chromosomal rearrangements and a high number of repetitive DNA regions. From the 12 chromosome pairs of G. carapo that can be individually differentiated (GCA1-3, 6, 7, 9, 14, 16, and 18-21), six pairs (GCA 1, 9, 14, 18, 20, 21) show conserved homology with GAR, five pairs (GCA 1, 9, 14, 20, 21) are also shared with cryptic species G. carapo 2n = 40 (34 m/sm + 6 st/a) and only the NOR bearing pair (GCA 20) is shared with G. capanema (GCP 2n = 34, 20 m/sm + 14 st/a). The remaining chromosomes are reorganized in the karyotype of GAR. Despite the close phylogenetic relationships of these species, our chromosome painting studies demonstrate an extensive reorganization of their karyotypes