a pilot study

This study’s aim was two-fold: (i) to test the intra-session reliability of the one-leg balance activity test; and (ii) to assess the influence of age on reaction time (RT) and the differences between dominant and non-dominant feet. Fifty young soccer players with an average age of 12.4 1.8 years were divided into two groups: younger soccer players (n = 26; 11.6 0.9 years) and older soccer players (n = 24; 14.2 0.8 years). Each group then completed four trials (two with each leg) of the one-leg balance activity (OLBA) to evaluate RT under a single-leg stance. Mean RT and the number of hits were calculated, and the best trial was also selected. T-tests and Pearson correlations were performed for statistical analysis. Values for RT were lower, and the number of hits was higher while standing on the non-dominant foot (p = 0.01). MANOVA revealed that the “Dominant Leg” factor did not affect the multivariate composite (Pillai Trace = 0.05; F(4, 43) = 0.565; p = 0.689; Partial ETASquared = 0.050; Observed Power = 0.174). The “Age” factor did not present an effect on the multivariate composite (Pillai Trace = 0.104; F(4, 43) = 1.243; p = 0.307; Partial ETA Squared = 0.104; Observed Power = 0.355). The results of the present investigation demonstrate that RT may be lower while standing on the non-dominant foot.9E1A-F9DD-3EB8 | Filipe Manuel ClementeN/

Conservação in vitro de físalis por meio do cultivo de segmentos nodais em crescimento lento

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of temperature and osmotic agents on the in vitro conservation of Cape gooseberry (Physalis peruviana). Temperatures at 18 and 25°C, as well as the osmotic agents sucrose, mannitol, and sorbitol were tested. A short-term in vitro conservation of Cape gooseberry can be achieved at 18°C, using 30 g L-1 sucrose.O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar os efeitos da temperatura e de agentes osmóticos na conservação in vitro de físalis (Physalis peruviana). Foram testadas as temperaturas de 18 e 25°C, bem como os agentes osmóticos sacarose, manitol e sorbitol. A conservação de físalis in vitro, em curto prazo, pode ser conseguida a 18°C, em meio com adição de 30 g L-1 de sacarose

Regulation of Human PINK1 ubiquitin kinase by Serine167, Serine228 and Cysteine412 phosphorylation.

Loss-of-function mutations in the human PINK1 kinase (hPINK1) are causative of early-onset Parkinson’s disease (PD). Activation of hPINK1 induces phosphorylated ubiquitin to initiate removal of damaged mitochondria by autophagy. Previously we solved the structure of the insect PINK1 orthologue, Tribolium castaneum PINK1, and showed that autophosphorylation of Ser205 was critical for ubiquitin interaction and phosphorylation (Kumar, Tamjar, Waddell et al., 2017). Here we report new findings on the regulation of hPINK1 by phosphorylation. We reconstitute E. coli expressed hPINK1 activity in vitro by direct incorporation of phosphoserine at the equivalent site Serine 228 (pSer228), providing direct evidence for a role for Ser228 phosphorylation in hPINK1 activation. Furthermore, using mass spectrometry, we identify six novel Ser/Thr autophosphorylation sites including regulatory Serine167 phosphorylation (pSer167), which in addition to pSer228 is required for ubiquitin recognition and phosphorylation. Strikingly, we also detect phosphorylation of a conserved Cysteine412 (pCys412) residue in the hPINK1 activation segment. Structural modelling suggests that pCys412 inhibits ubiquitin recognition and we demonstrate that mutation of Cys412 to Ala renders hPINK1 more active towards ubiquitin when expressed in human cells. These results outline new insights into hPINK1 activation by pSer167 and pSer228 and a novel inhibitory mechanism mediated by pCys412. These findings will aid in the development of small molecule activators of hPINK1

Regulation of Human PINK1 ubiquitin kinase by Serine167, Serine228 and Cysteine412 phosphorylation.

Loss-of-function mutations in the human PINK1 kinase (hPINK1) are causative of early-onset Parkinson’s disease (PD). Activation of hPINK1 induces phosphorylated ubiquitin to initiate removal of damaged mitochondria by autophagy. Previously we solved the structure of the insect PINK1 orthologue, Tribolium castaneum PINK1, and showed that autophosphorylation of Ser205 was critical for ubiquitin interaction and phosphorylation (Kumar, Tamjar, Waddell et al., 2017). Here we report new findings on the regulation of hPINK1 by phosphorylation. We reconstitute E. coli expressed hPINK1 activity in vitro by direct incorporation of phosphoserine at the equivalent site Serine 228 (pSer228), providing direct evidence for a role for Ser228 phosphorylation in hPINK1 activation. Furthermore, using mass spectrometry, we identify six novel Ser/Thr autophosphorylation sites including regulatory Serine167 phosphorylation (pSer167), which in addition to pSer228 is required for ubiquitin recognition and phosphorylation. Strikingly, we also detect phosphorylation of a conserved Cysteine412 (pCys412) residue in the hPINK1 activation segment. Structural modelling suggests that pCys412 inhibits ubiquitin recognition and we demonstrate that mutation of Cys412 to Ala renders hPINK1 more active towards ubiquitin when expressed in human cells. These results outline new insights into hPINK1 activation by pSer167 and pSer228 and a novel inhibitory mechanism mediated by pCys412. These findings will aid in the development of small molecule activators of hPINK1

Polyploidy induction in Physalis alkekengi

Physalis alkekengi is an ornamental plant that can also be used as a medicinal plant due to its anti-inflammatory, bactericidal, antitumor and fungicidal properties. Polyploidization can be an important tool in the genetic improvement of this species. The objective this work was to obtain tetraploids in vitro and to evaluate the phytotechnical traits of P. alkekengi. For this, nodal segments of P. alkekengi var. Franchettii were inoculated into petri dishes containing 100 ml of MS medium supplemented with colchicine at concentrations 0; 0.04; 0.08; 0.12; and 0.16% and kept in the dark for 24 and 48h. After the respective treatment periods with colchicine the segments were inoculated into test tubes. The tetraploids were identified by flow cytometry and classical cytogenetics. In vitro seedlings were measured: root length, nodal segment length, leaflet number and total leaf area. In the acclimatization phase, the area of ​​the second leaf and total leaf, petiole radius, stem length, fruit weight with calyx, without calyx, fruit diameter, number of seeds and brix of the pulp were evaluated. Chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll, total carotenoid, total chlorophyll / total carotenoid ratio and chlorophyll a / b ratio were also estimated. The treatment that most produced tetraploid seedlings was with 0.08% colchicine per 24h. No significant difference was observed in 7 (seven) variables, these being all variables of photopigments, stem diameter (steam) and brix. In general, diploid (2x) plants were better in 9 (nine) while tetraploid seedlings were better in 6 (six) of the phytotechnical variables. It was concluded that the MS medium supplemented with 0.08% colchicine for 24 h allowed P. alkekengi tetraploides to be obtained with better phytotechnical qualities

A selective p53 activator and anticancer agent to improve colorectal cancer therapy

Impairment of the p53 pathway is a critical event in cancer. Therefore, reestablishing p53 activity has become one of the most appealing anticancer therapeutic strategies. Here, we disclose the p53-activating anticancer drug (3S)-6,7-bis(hydroxymethyl)-5-methyl-3-phenyl-1H,3H-pyrrolo[1,2-c]thiazole (MANIO). MANIO demonstrates a notable selectivity to the p53 pathway, activating wild-type (WT)p53 and restoring WT-like function to mutant (mut)p53 in human cancer cells. MANIO directly binds to the WT/mutp53 DNA-binding domain, enhancing the protein thermal stability, DNA-binding ability, and transcriptional activity. The high efficacy of MANIO as an anticancer agent toward cancers harboring WT/mutp53 is further demonstrated in patient-derived cells and xenograft mouse models of colorectal cancer (CRC), with no signs of undesirable side effects. MANIO synergizes with conventional chemotherapeutic drugs, and in vitro and in vivo studies predict its adequate drug-likeness and pharmacokinetic properties for a clinical candidate. As a single agent or in combination, MANIO will advance anticancer-targeted therapy, particularly benefiting CRC patients harboring distinct p53 status.We thank PT national funds (FCT/MCTES, Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, and Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior) through grants UIDB/50006/2020, UID/BIO/04469/2019, UIDB/04539/2020, and UIDP/04539/2020 (CIBB); BioTecNorte operation (NORTE-01-0145-FEDER000004) and Porto Neurosciences and Neurologic Disease Research Initiative at I3S (Norte-01-0145-FEDER-000008) funded by the European Regional Development Fund under the scope of Norte2020 - Programa Operacional Regional do Norte; Masaryk University (Project MUNI/A/1127/2019) and Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic (project nos. LQ1605 and LM2018125); FCT financial support through the fellowships SFRH/BD/119144/2016 (H.R.) and SFRH/BD/117949/2016 (L.R.); Fondazione AIRC (IG#18985, A.I.); and the Programa Operacional Potencial Humano (POCH), specifically the BiotechHealth Programme (Doctoral Programme on Cellular and Molecular Biotechnology Applied to Health Sciences, PD/00016/2012). We thank Dario Rizzotto for assistance in preparing the libraries for RNA sequencing. Funding: This work was supported by PT National Funds (FCT/MCTES, Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, and Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior) via the projects UIDB/50006/2020 (LAQV/REQUIMTE), UIDB/00313/2020, and UIDP/00313/2020, co-funded by COMPETE2020-UE.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Palliative Cares To Older Person Under The Nurse's Optics

INTRODUCTION: Chronic-degenerative diseases need specialized health care, especially in palliative care, since from the beginning of the disease the elderly is in this classification. In this context, the study aimed to know the meaning of palliative care to the elderly person from the nurse METHODS: This is a descriptive, cross-sectional, qualitative study carried out in a private tertiary hospital in the Northeast of Brazil. The survey was conducted from March to June 2016, with 19 nurses. In the data collection, a semi-structured interview, with four questions were used: what does palliative care mean to you? What does care for the elderly in hospice care mean to you? What strategies do you adopt to promote palliative care for the elderly? Tell me about your experience in providing palliative care to the elderly. The technique of data analysis and organization was the Discourse of the Collective Subject. RESULTS: Four categories of palliative care were produced: meaning palliative care; Experience in providing palliative care to the elderly; Meaning of caring for the elderly in palliative care; Strategies to promote palliative care for the elderly. CONCLUSION: The meaning of palliative care was synonymous with comfort and quality of life. It is important to emphasize the patient-centered care and to carry out further studies on the subject to make nursing professionals aware of the importance of promoting adequate behavior in palliative care

Impact of COVID-19 on cardiovascular testing in the United States versus the rest of the world

Objectives: This study sought to quantify and compare the decline in volumes of cardiovascular procedures between the United States and non-US institutions during the early phase of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the care of many non-COVID-19 illnesses. Reductions in diagnostic cardiovascular testing around the world have led to concerns over the implications of reduced testing for cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality. Methods: Data were submitted to the INCAPS-COVID (International Atomic Energy Agency Non-Invasive Cardiology Protocols Study of COVID-19), a multinational registry comprising 909 institutions in 108 countries (including 155 facilities in 40 U.S. states), assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on volumes of diagnostic cardiovascular procedures. Data were obtained for April 2020 and compared with volumes of baseline procedures from March 2019. We compared laboratory characteristics, practices, and procedure volumes between U.S. and non-U.S. facilities and between U.S. geographic regions and identified factors associated with volume reduction in the United States. Results: Reductions in the volumes of procedures in the United States were similar to those in non-U.S. facilities (68% vs. 63%, respectively; p = 0.237), although U.S. facilities reported greater reductions in invasive coronary angiography (69% vs. 53%, respectively; p < 0.001). Significantly more U.S. facilities reported increased use of telehealth and patient screening measures than non-U.S. facilities, such as temperature checks, symptom screenings, and COVID-19 testing. Reductions in volumes of procedures differed between U.S. regions, with larger declines observed in the Northeast (76%) and Midwest (74%) than in the South (62%) and West (44%). Prevalence of COVID-19, staff redeployments, outpatient centers, and urban centers were associated with greater reductions in volume in U.S. facilities in a multivariable analysis. Conclusions: We observed marked reductions in U.S. cardiovascular testing in the early phase of the pandemic and significant variability between U.S. regions. The association between reductions of volumes and COVID-19 prevalence in the United States highlighted the need for proactive efforts to maintain access to cardiovascular testing in areas most affected by outbreaks of COVID-19 infection