The extracellular small leucine-rich proteoglycan biglycan is a key player in gastric cancer aggressiveness

Biglycan (BGN gene), an extracellular proteoglycan, has been described to be associated with cancer aggressiveness. The purpose of this study was to clarify the clinical value of biglycan as a biomarker in multiple independent GC cohorts and determine the in vitro and in vivo role of biglycan in GC malignant features. We found that BGN is commonly over-expressed in all analyzed cohorts, being associated with disease relapse and poor prognosis in patients with advanced stages of disease. In vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrated that biglycan knock-out GC cells display major phenotypic changes with a lower cell survival, migration, and angiogenic potential when compared with biglycan expressing cells. Biglycan KO GC cells present increased levels of PARP1 and caspase-3 cleavage and a decreased expression of mesenchymal markers. Importantly, biglycan deficient GC cells that were supplemented with exogenous biglycan were able to restore biological features, such as survival, clonogenic and migratory capacities. Our in vitro and in vivo findings were validated in human GC samples, where BGN expression was associated with several oncogenic gene signatures that were associated with apoptosis, cell migration, invasion, and angiogenesis. This study provided new insights on biglycan role in GC that should be taken in consideration as a key cellular regulator with major impact in tumor progression and patients’ clinical outcome.This work was funded by FEDER funds through the Operational Programme for Competitiveness Factors-COMPETE (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-016585; POCI-01-0145-FEDER-029780; POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007274; POCI-01-0145-FEDER-029780) and National Funds through the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), under the projects: PTDC/BBB-EBI/0567/2014 (to C.A.R.), PTDC/MED-QUI/29780/2017 (to CG), and UID/BIM/04293 supported by Norte Portugal Regional Programme (NORTE 2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). F.P. was funded by FCT cofinanced by Fundo Social Europeu-FSE with a grant with reference: SFRH/BPD/115730/2016

Improvement in the flow of materials in the painting section of an industrial company

This research was undertaken in the Painting section at the company Preh Portugal, which is currently increasing its capacity. The plastic components are painted and engraved, and then supplied to internal customers so that they can then be assembled on the final line. The main purpose of the study resides in analyzing the value flow. The methodology used consisted of the case study itself, in association with the use of lean tools. The objective was to reduce the changeovers generated by activities which, in the customer’s perspective, are of no added value. To this end, one studied the possibility of altering the configuration of the FIFO supermarket, as well as optimizing laser production in the section. The changes proposed resulted in gains of 74,02% and 74,4% regarding the distance of the routes covered by material and operators, respectively. Additional studies were carried out in the Painting section, more specifically in the new section of Painting. Here, one analyzed the layout projected by the company and subsequently carried out some changes which will enable gains of 48 and 43% in the distance of the routes covered by material and operators, respectively.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Inflation and late-time accelerated expansion driven by kk-essence degenerate dynamics

We consider a k-essence model in which a single scalar field can be responsible for both primordial inflation and the present observed acceleration of the cosmological background geometry, while also admitting a nonsingular de Sitter beginning of the Universe (it arises from de Sitter and ends in de Sitter). The early one is driven by a slow-roll potential, and the late one is driven by a dynamical dimensional reduction process which freezes the scalar field in a degenerate surface, turning it into a cosmological constant. This is done by proposing a realizable stable cosmic time crystal, although giving a different interpretation to the ''moving ground stat'', in which there is no motion because the system loses degrees of freedom. Furthermore, the model is free of pathologies such as propagating superluminal perturbations, negative energies, and perturbation instabilities.Comment: 11 pages, 2 figures. Replaced to match published versio

Aneurismas Gigantes do Septo Interauricular Simulando Massas Quísticas. Dois Casos com Opções Terapêuticas Diferentes

With the recent technical improvement in echocardiography imaging (second harmonics) the number of interatrial septum aneurysms (ASA) increased and are easily recognized. We assist to an overdiagnosing number of cases and diagnostic criteria emerged to face this problem. In the great majority of the cases ASA are small and inoffensive, but as ASA is considered a risk factor for cardioembolism when associated with persistence of foramen oval (PFO), an examination by transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) for exclusion of PFO makes the sense and is a common testing in patients with cryptogenic stroke. Besides these frequent ASA, other forms exist; the authors describe two cases of uncommon and huge ASA, one mimicking a right atrial tumor and the other a quistic, hipoechoic mass. The first case was associated with mitral stenosis and was submitted to surgery and the second was closed with an Amplatzer occluder device usually used in atrial septal defect (ASD)

Diabetic Choroidopathy: a Review of the Current Literature

Diabetic retinopathy is an increasingly prevalent disease, and a leading contributor to the burden of all-cause blindness worldwide. In addition to retinal changes, choroidal abnormalities are common in patients with diabetes. The first studies concerning this vascular structure were based on histologic, indocyanine angiography and laser Doppler flowmetry techniques, but the development of new optical coherence tomography (OCT) technologies and imaging software for enhanced depth imaging (EDI)-OCT in recent years has made it possible to provide more detailed images of the choroidal anatomy and topography.In diabetic patients, several choroidal changes have been described in the literature throughout the years; the recent focus is choroidal thickness, which is significantly different from that in healthy patients. However, understanding choroidal manifestations of diabetic eye disease remains a real challenge, and this gap is hindering efforts towards better defining choroidal evaluation as a predictive factor for disease evolution and treatment response.This review aims to summarize the recent literature concerning changes in choroidal structure in diabetic patients, the relationship to diabetic retinal disease progression, and finally, the current and potential application of the measurement of variations in choroidal thickness for patient management.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The impact of social risk in a paediatric department

Introdução: Os maus tratos a crianças correspondem a qualquer acção ou omissão não acidental, que ameace a sua segurança, dignidade e correcto desenvolvimento biopsicossocial. Pretendeu-se avaliar o seu impacto no internamento de Pediatria. Metodologia: Estudo retrospectivo dos doentes internados no Serviço de Pediatria de um hospital terciário entre 1/10/10 e 30/09/11, sinalizados ao Núcleo Hospitalar de Apoio a Crianças e Jovens em Risco (NHACJR). Foi considerada alta clínica o momento em que o doente já não apresentava critérios clínicos para o internamento. Na avaliação do impacto económico foi considerado o valor do custo diário de assistência hospitalar (85,00€) referido no DR 1ªsérie, de Janeiro de 2009. Resultados: Num total de 1052 internamentos, foi solicitada avaliação ao NHACJR em 4,1% (43) dos episódios. Os lactentes representaram 53,5% das sinalizações. O desemprego verificou-se em 66% dos pais e 37,2% destes tinham completadoo 3º ciclo de ensino básico. O modelo de família nuclear foi identificado em 37,2% dos casos. A presença de indicadores de risco social sem evidência aparente de maus tratos ocorreu em 48,8%. A negligência foi identificada em 39,5% das crianças, seguida dos maus tratos físicos com 6,9%. Quatro internamentos foram por motivos exclusivamente sociais, com um tempo médio de internamento de 10,5 dias. Dez crianças com critérios clínicos de internamento vieram a ter adiamento da alta hospitalar por motivos sociais, com um prolongamento médio do tempo de internamento de 33,2 dias. Neste grupo de catorze casos ocorreram seis infecções nosocomiais, um traumatismo crânio-encefálico e o custo adicional estimado de assistência hospitalar foi de 31.790,00€. Comentários: O impacto das razões sociais no internamento em Pediatria não é negligenciável quer do ponto de vista clínico quer económico. Uma reflexão multidisciplinar sobre a necessidade de maior apoio social na comunidade revela-se necessária, tendo por base os direitos da criança hospitalizada e o contexto socioeconómico actual

Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome in a Spontaneous Pregnancy

Introdução: O Síndrome de Hiperestimulação do Ovário (SHO) geralmente é descrito como uma complicação iatrogénica dos tratamentos de indução da ovulação. Raramente, pode estar associado a ciclos ovulatórios espontâneos, sendo mais frequente em gravidez múltipla, patologia molar e hipotiroidismo. A apresentação clínica é variável, podendo nos casos mais graves ser fatal. Caso clínico: Grávida de 13 semanas, nulípara, sem história de tratamentos de infertilidade, referenciada por aumento bilateral do volume ovárico e ascite. Apresentava ligeiro desconforto abdominal, tendo a ecografia revelado ovários aumentados de volume, multiquísticos e ascite ligeira. Os níveis de estradiol estavam aumentados, com hCG e TSH normais. A terapêutica foi expectante, com uma evolução favorável. Discussão: O SHO espontâneo apesar de ser uma entidade rara, deve ser equacionada como hipótese diagnóstica nas situações de massa pélvica na gravidez. Estão descritos 3 possíveis mecanismos para o SHO espontâneo, baseados na permissividade do receptor ovárico da FSH para a hCG e/ou TSH, podendo ocorrer com níveis normais ou elevados de hCG e/ou TSH.

Characterization of Myeloid Cellular Populations in Mesenteric and Subcutaneous Adipose Tissue of Holstein-Friesian Cows

Immune cells resident in adipose tissue have important functions in local and systemic metabolic homeostasis. Nevertheless, these immune cell populations remain poorly characterized in bovines. Recently, we described diverse lymphocyte subpopulations in adipose tissue of Holstein-Friesian cows. Here, we aimed at characterising myeloid cell populations present in bovine adipose tissue using multicolour flow cytometry, cell sorting and histochemistry/immunohistochemistry. Macrophages, CD14(+)CD11b(+)MHC-II(+)CD45(+) cells, were identified in mesenteric and subcutaneous adipose tissue, though at higher proportions in the latter. Mast cells, identified as SSC-A(high)CD11b(-/+)CD14(-)MHC-II(-)CH138A(-)CD45(+) cells, were also observed in adipose tissue and found at higher proportions than macrophages in mesenteric adipose tissue. Neutrophils, presenting a CH138A(+)CD11b(+) phenotype, were also detected in mesenteric and subcutaneous adipose tissue, however, at much lower frequencies than in the blood. Our gating strategy allowed identification of eosinophils in blood but not in adipose tissue although being detected by morphological analysis at low frequencies in some animals. A population not expressing CD45 and with the CH138A(+) CD11b(-)MHC-II- phenotype, was found abundant and present at higher proportions in mesenteric than subcutaneous adipose tissue. The work reported here may be useful for further studies addressing the function of the described cells

Negative curvature hollow core fiber sensor for the measurement of strain and temperature

Three different types of strain and temperature sensors based on negative curvature hollow core fiber (NCHCF) are proposed. Each sensor is produced by splicing a small section of the NCHCF between two sections of single mode fiber. Different types of interferometers are obtained simply by changing the splicing conditions. The first sensor consists on a single Fabry-Perot interferometer (FPI). The remaining two configurations are attained with the same sensing structure, depending on its position in relation to the interrogation setup. Thus, a double FPI or a hybrid sensor, the latter being composed by an FPI and a Michelson interferometer, are formed. The inline sensors are of submillimeter size, thus enabling nearly punctual measurements.publishe