Characterization of miRNA processing machinery in the embryonic chick lung

Lung development is a very complex process that relies on the interaction of several signaling pathways that are controlled by precise regulatory mechanisms. Recently, microRNAs (miRNAs), small non-coding regulatory RNAs, have emerged as new players involved in gene expression regulation controlling several biological processes, such as cellular differentiation, apoptosis and organogenesis, in both developmental and disease processes. Failure to correctly express some specific miRNAs or a component of their biosynthetic machinery during embryonic development is disastrous, resulting in severe abnormalities. Several miRNAs have already been identified as modulators of lung development. Regarding the spatial distribution of the processing machinery of miRNAs, only two of its members (dicer1 and argonaute) have been characterized. The present work characterizes the expression pattern of drosha, dgcr8, exportin-5 and dicer1 in early stages of the embryonic chick lung by whole mount in situ hybridization and cross-section analysis. Overall, these genes are co-expressed in dorsal and distal mesenchyme and also in growing epithelial regions. The expression pattern of miRNA processing machinery supports the previously recognized regulatory role of this mechanism in epithelial and mesenchymal morphogenesis.QRE

Observância e efetividade das intervenções de um protocolo clínico utilizado para pacientes com sepse grave e choque séptico de uma Unidade de Cuidados Intensivos da Espanha

The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to assess levels of compliance with the intervention bundles contained in a clinical pathway used in the treatment of patients with severe sepsis and septic shock, and to analyze the pathway’s impact on survival and duration of hospital stays. We used data on 125 patients in an Intensive Care Unit, divided into a control group (N=84) and an intervention group (N=41). Levels of compliance increased from 13.1% to 29.3% in 5 resuscitation bundle interventions and from 14.3% to 22% in 3 monitoring bundle interventions. In-hospital mortality at 28 days decreased by 11.2% and the duration of hospital stay was reduced by 5 days. Although compliance was low, the intervention enhanced adherence to the instructions given in the clinical pathway and we observed a decline in mortality at 28 days and shorter hospital stays.El objetivo de este estudio cuasiexperimental fue valorar el nivel de cumplimiento de las intervenciones de los paquetes de medidas de un protocolo clínico para pacientes con sepsis grave y shock séptico y analizar su impacto sobre la supervivencia y la duración de estancias hospitalarias. Se incluyeron los datos de 125 pacientes divididos en grupo control (N=84) e intervención (N=41) de una Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos. El nivel de cumplimiento aumentó de 13,1% a 29,3% en 5 intervenciones del paquete de reanimación y de 14,3% a 22% en 3 intervenciones del paquete de seguimiento. La mortalidad hospitalaria a los 28 días disminuyó un 11,2% y la duración de la estancia hospitalaria se redujo en 5 días. Aunque el cumplimiento fue bajo, la intervención aumentó la adhesión a las indicaciones del protocolo clínico y se observó un descenso de la mortalidad a los 28 días y menor duración de estancias hospitalarias

The representation of conceptual knowledge: visual, auditory and olfactory imagery compared with semantic processing.

Two experiments comparing imaginative processing in different modalities and semantic processing were carried out to investigate the issue of whether conceptual knowledge can be represented in different format. Participants were asked to judge the similarity between visual images, auditory images, and olfactory images in the imaginative block, if two items belonged to the same category in the semantic block. Items were verbally cued in both experiments. The degree of similarity between the imaginative and semantic items was changed across experiments. Experiment 1 showed that the semantic processing was faster than the visual and the auditory imaginative processing, whereas no differentiation was possible between the semantic processing and the olfactory imaginative processing. Experiment 2 revealed that only the visual imaginative processing could be differentiated from the semantic processing in terms of accuracy. These results showed that the visual and auditory imaginative processing can be differentiated from the semantic processing, although both visual and auditory images strongly rely on semantic representations. On the contrary, no differentiation is possible within the olfactory domain. Results are discussed in the frame of the imagery debate