Cloning and characterization of small RNAs from wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Trabalho final do 6º ano médico com vista à atribuição do grau de mestre (área científica de gastroenterologia), apresentado à Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de CoimbraIntrodução: A endoscopia digestiva tem sido fundamental para o diagnóstico e tratamento de muitas patologias do foro gastrenterológico. Contudo, todos os procedimentos endoscópicos acarretam algumas complicações. Estas são bastante baixas com a endoscopia diagnóstica, aumentando com a endoscopia terapêutica. Esta revisão apresenta uma introdução à incidência e prevenção das complicações que podem ocorrer após a endoscopia digestiva alta, colonoscopia e colangiopancreatografia endoscópica retrógrada. Métodos: A pesquisa bibliográfica foi efectuada através da b-on (pubmed, medline, …) utilizando as palavras-chave: complicações da endoscopia digestiva alta, complicações da colonoscopia, complicações da colangiopancreatografia retrógrada endoscópica. Resultados: As complicações pré-procedimento incluem as resultantes da sedação, da anestesia tópica e da preparação intestinal. As principais complicações processuais consistem, principalmente, em perfuração e hemorragia. Há também um risco de transmissão de doenças infecciosas de e para o paciente. Conclusões: A endoscopia, como todos os procedimentos invasivos, traz significativos riscos potenciais para o paciente. Contudo, endoscopistas experientes e sensibilizados para as potenciais complicações, utilizando material apropriado, nas devidas condições de utilização e instalações físicas adequadas, podem evitar e tratar atempadamente as complicações resultantes da endoscopia.Background: Endoscopy has been critical to the diagnosis and treatment of many gastroenterologic pathologies. However, all endoscopic procedures entail some complications. These are very low with diagnostic endoscopy, increasing with the therapeutic endoscopy. This review presents an introduction to the incidence and prevention of complications that may occur after upper endoscopy, colonoscopy and ERCP. Methods: The literature search was carried out by b-on (pubmed, medline,…) using the keywords: complications of endoscopy, complications of colonoscopy and complications of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. Results: The pre-procedure complications include those arising from sedation, topical anesthesia and bowel preparation. The major procedural complications consist mainly of perforation and hemorrhage. There is also a risk of transmission of infectious diseases to and for the patient. Conclusions: Endoscopy, like all invasive procedures, carries significant potential risks to the patient. However, endoscopists experienced and aware of potential complications, using appropriate material, under appropriate conditions of use and adequate physical facilities, can prevent and treat complications in a timely manner

Photonic quasicrystal nanopatterned silicon thin film for photovoltaic applications

In this paper, the authors numerically studied the optical properties of a silicon photonic quasicrystal (PQC) nanohole array for photovoltaic applications. With the same active layer thickness, the ultimate efficiency of a solar cell integrated with an optimized PQC nanohole array can be enhanced by 9.01% and 1.40% compared to that with an ordered square lattice of a nanohole array and a random nanohole array, respectively. The absorptance enhancement is mainly due to the higher-order rotational symmetry in PQC structures, which leads to the presence of additional resonant modes, the broadening of existing modes and the reduction of surface reflectance. The angular response for both transverse-electric and transverse-magnetic modes are also analyzed in detail

Working with the homeless: The case of a non-profit organisation in Shanghai

This article addresses a two-pronged objective, namely to bring to the fore a much neglected social issue of homelessness, and to explore the dynamics of state-society relations in contemporary China, through a case study of a non-profit organisation (NPO) working with the homeless in Shanghai. It shows that the largely invisible homelessness in Chinese cities was substantially due to exclusionary institutions, such as the combined household registration and 'detention and deportation' systems. Official policy has become much more supportive since 2003 when the latter was replaced with government-run shelters, but we argue that the NPO case demonstrates the potential for enhanced longer-term support and enabling active citizenship for homeless people. By analysing the ways in which the NPO offers services through collaboration and partnership with the public (and private) actors, we also argue that the transformations in postreform China and the changes within the state and civil society have significantly blurred their boundaries, rendering state-society relations much more complex, dynamic, fluid and mutually embedded

Disaccharide combinations and the expression of enolase3 and plasma membrane Ca2+ ATPase isoform in sturgeon sperm cryopreservation

ContentsAcipenser sinensis and Acipenser dabryanus are critically endangered species, so germplasm conservation via cryopreservation of sperm is necessary. Disaccharides can act as membrane-impermeable cryoprotectants, and enolase3 (ENO3) and plasma membrane Ca2+ ATPase isoform (PMCA2) are proteins associated with sperm quality. We considered seven characteristics of sperm quality in cultured brood stock from A.sinensis and A.dabryanus. We tested use of sucrose or trehalose alone and in combination at different concentrations for cryopreservation of A.dabryanus sperm. A low concentration of sucrose plus trehalose (S15T15) was optimal. Mixing of the extender with sucrose, lactose, or trehalose alone or with pairwise mixtures revealed that a mixture of lactose and trehalose (L15T15) gave the best results for both A.sinensis and A.dabryanus. Enolase3 and PMCA2 expression levels were measured in cryopreserved A.sinensis sperm via Western blotting. Relative ENO3 and PMCA2 expression levels were examined, and the relationship between disaccharide composition, sperm quality and protein expression was explored in A.sinensis. The results showed that relative ENO3 and PMCA2 expression levels were the highest at L15T15 in cryopreserved A.sinensis sperm. There were significant positive correlations between ENO3 expression and percentage membrane integrity, and between PMCA2 expression and sperm motility parameters (percentage of motile sperm, curvilinear velocity, straight-line velocity and average path velocity; p&lt;.05) in cryopreserved A.sinensis sperm. Our results indicate the optimal disaccharide combination and concentrations for cryopreservation of A.sinensis and A.dabryanus sperm and suggest that ENO3 and PMCA2 expression levels could serve as a valuable indicator of sperm quality in A.sinensis.</p