Sputum induction and its diagnostic applications in inflammatory airway disorders: a review

Sputum induction is a technique that covers the induction and the subsequent processing of the expectorate primarily for the analysis of cells and different inflammatory biomarkers present in the airways to further understand the pathophysiology of different inflammatory respiratory disorders such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) as well as the diagnosis of lung diseases such as lung cancer, tuberculosis, and Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia. It is a non-invasive, safe, cost-effective, and reliable technique reported to exhibit a high success rate. However, due to being technically demanding and time-consuming and having the need of employing trained staff, this technique is only used in restricted research centres and in limited centres of clinical use. When the sputum is collected after induction, the primary goal is to obtain a differential cell count and evaluate the molecular biomarkers of airway inflammation such as eosinophil cationic protein, eosinophil-derived neurotoxin, major basic protein, tryptase, cytokine production [e.g., interleukin (IL)-5], albumin, and fibrinogen. In addition, cytospins from the processed sputum are used for immunocytochemical staining of cellular products such as EG-2 reactive protein, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, tumour necrosis factor alpha, and IL-8 that play significant roles in understanding the pathophysiology of inflammatory airway diseases. Nowadays, this technique can be further used by performing an additional analysis such as flow cytometry and in situ hybridisation on the sputum supernatant to investigate more the immune response and pathophysiological process of such various respiratory diseases. In addition, the application of sputum fluid phase to assess the biomarkers could be used more routinely in pathological laboratories for diagnosing lung cancer, COPD, and asthma as well as for monitoring lung cancer progression and asthma and COPD treatment, allowing for early detection and a better treatment provided by the clinicians

Assessment of metal exposure (uranium and copper) in fatty acids and carbohydrates profiles of Calamoceras marsupus larvae (Trichoptera) and Alnus glutinosa

Physiological changes were explored in fatty acids (FA) and carbohydrate (CHO) composition in the shredder Calamoceras marsupus larvae (Trichoptera) and leaf litter (C. marsupus food) exposed to copper and uranium under natural and experimental conditions. We measured FA and CHO content in leaf litter and larvae specimens from reference and impacted streams, and exposed for 5 weeks to four realistic environmental concentrations of copper (35 μg L−1 and 70 μg L−1) and uranium (25 μg L−1 and 50 μg L−1). Regarding FA, (1) leaf litter had a reduced polyunsaturated FA (PUFA) content in metal treatments, s (14 to 33% of total FA), compared to natural conditions (≥39% of total FA). Leaf litter exposed to uranium also differed in saturated FA (SFA) composition, with lower values in natural conditions and higher values under low uranium concentrations. (2) C. marsupus had/showed low PUFA content under Cu and U exposure, particularly in high uranium concentrations. Detritivores also decreased in PUFA under exposure to both metals, particularly in high uranium concentrations. On the other hand, (1) microorganisms of the biofilm colonizing leaf litter differed in CHO composition between natural (impacted and reference) and experimental conditions, with glucose and galactose being consistently the most abundant sugars, found in different amounts under copper or uranium exposure; (2) CHO of detritivores showed similar high galactose and fucose concentrations in contaminated streams and high copper treatments, whereas low copper treatment showed distinct CHO profiles, with higher mannose, glucose, arabinose, and fucose concentrations. Our study provides evidence of metal exposure effects on FA and CHO contents at different trophic levels, which might alter the quality of food flow in trophic websFil: Tagliaferro, Marina Beatriz. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas; ArgentinaFil: Rocha, Carolina. Universidad de Coimbra. Facultad de Ciencias E Tecnología. Departamento de Ciencias Da Vida; PortugalFil: Marques, Joao Carlos. Universidad de Coimbra. Facultad de Ciencias E Tecnología. Departamento de Ciencias Da Vida; Portugal. Marine And Environmental Sciences Centre; PortugalFil: Goncalves, Ana Marta. Universidad de Coimbra. Facultad de Ciencias E Tecnología. Departamento de Ciencias Da Vida; Portugal. Marine And Environmental Sciences Centre; PortugalVIII Congreso Argentino de la Sociedad de Toxicología y Química AmbientalMar del PlataArgentinaSociedad de Toxicología y Química Ambienta

Hard and soft contributions in diffraction : a closed look

Disentangle the hard and soft dynamics in diffractive DIS is one of the main open questions of the strong interactions. We propose the study of the logarithmic slope in Q2 of the diffractive structure function as a potential observable to discriminate between the Regge and the QCD-based approaches. Our results indicate that a future experimental analyzes could evidentiate the leading dynamics at ep diffractive processes in the HERA kinematical regime

Inhibitory Selection Mechanisms in Clinically Healthy Older and Younger Adults

OBJECTIVE: Declines in working memory are a ubiquitous finding within the cognitive-aging literature. A unitary inhibitory selection mechanism that serves to guide attention toward task-relevant information and resolve interference from task-irrelevant information has been proposed to underlie such deficits. However, inhibition can occur at multiple time points in the memory-processing stream. Here, we tested whether the time point at which inhibition occurs in the memory-processing stream affects age-related memory decline. METHOD: Clinically healthy younger (n = 23) and older (n = 22) adults performed two similar item-recognition working memory tasks. In one task, participants received an instruction cue telling them which words to attend to followed by a memory set, promoting perceptual inhibition at the time of encoding. In the other task, participants received the instruction cue after they received the memory set, fostering inhibition of items already in memory. RESULTS: We found that older and younger adults differed in their ability to inhibit items both during encoding and when items had to be inhibited in memory but that these age differences were exaggerated when irrelevant information had to be inhibited from memory. These results provide insights into the mechanisms that support cognitive changes to memory processes in healthy aging

Hipercolesterolémia Familiar: Em Cada Amostra Sanguínea Uma Oportunidade Diagnóstica

Introdução: A Hipercolesterolémia Familiar (HF) e uma doença hereditária autossómica dominante com uma incidência estimada de 1:500 na sua forma heterozigótica. Caracteriza-se pela existência de níveis de colesterol muito elevados, habitualmente superiores a 300 mg/dl, e que são evidentes desde os primeiros dias de vida. A ausência de um programa de rastreio universal faz do diagnóstico precoce um desafio sobretudo durante a idade pediátrica. O presente trabalho integra-se no Estudo Português de Hipercolesterolémia Familiar e tem como objectivo caracterizar do ponto de vista clinico, laboratorial e genético uma família com HF. Caso clinico: Jovem do sexo masculino de 19 anos seguido em consulta de endocrinologia pediátrica desde os 13 anos por apresentar, em avaliação laboratorial de rotina, colesterol total de 319 mg/ dL. Historia familiar de hipercolesterolemia (colesterol acima de 290 mg/dL) em cinco familiares em primeiro grau, com manifestações clinicas como arco corneano, xantelasmas e ainda morte prematura por enfarte agudo do miocárdio aos 51 anos (avo materna). O estudo genético identificou uma mutação heterozigótica C371X do gene que codifica o receptor LDL (RLDL) no caso index e familiares directos. Trata-se de uma mutação “nonsense” descrita pela primeira vez na população portuguesa e que condiciona uma redução de 50% no número de receptores de LDL (Haploinsuficiência). Conclusão: Nas idades pediátricas, face a ausência de sinais clínicos, a história familiar e o doseamento oportunístico do colesterol sérico, isto e em amostras colhidas por outras razoes, assumem-se como as duas abordagens fundamentais no diagnóstico de HF. As medidas dietéticas e a promoção de estilos de vida saudáveis são as intervenções de primeira linha que devem ser reforçadas perante a confirmação de HF em idade pediátrica. As terapêuticas farmacológicas são ainda tema de discussão na comunidade cientifica, com resultados dispares relativamente a segurança (risco-beneficio) da sua utilização em crianças pre-puberes

MATERNAL SELF-EFFICACY FOR PREMATURE NEWBORN CARE AND BREASTFEEDING MAINTENANCE

Objective: to assess maternal self-efficacy for the care of premature newborns in the neonatal intensive care unit and after hospital discharge and relate it to the duration of breastfeeding at home.  Method: longitudinal study that used self-efficacy assessment scales of 38 mothers of premature newborns in the period from November 2020 to January 2022 in the city of Cascavel - PR - Brazil. Data analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistics.Results: Maternal self-efficacy during hospitalization turned out to be high, remaining so in the assessment after discharge. Self-efficacy for breastfeeding had no statistically significant differences during hospitalization (p=0.335) and after discharge (p=0.640). However, mothers with high self-efficacy in hospitalization and at home maintained exclusive breastfeeding longer. Conclusion: Identifying maternal self-efficacy should be a routine in nursing clinical practice during hospitalization and after discharge, to enhance the maintenance of exclusive breastfeeding

Evolution of carnivorous traps from planar leaves through simple shifts in gene expression

Leaves vary from planar sheets and needle-like structures to elaborate cup-shaped traps. Here, we show that in the carnivorous plant Utricularia gibba, the upper leaf (adaxial) domain is restricted to a small region of the primordium that gives rise to the trap's inner layer. This restriction is necessary for trap formation, because ectopic adaxial activity at early stages gives radialized leaves and no traps. We present a model that accounts for the formation of both planar and nonplanar leaves through adaxial-abaxial domains of gene activity establishing a polarity field that orients growth. In combination with an orthogonal proximodistal polarity field, this system can generate diverse leaf forms and account for the multiple evolutionary origins of cup-shaped leaves through simple shifts in gene expression

The BepiColombo Environment Radiation Monitor, BERM

The BepiColombo Environment Radiation Monitor (BERM) on board the European Space Agency's Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO), is designed to measure the radiation environment encountered by BepiColombo. The instrument measures electrons with energies from similar to 150 keV to similar to 10 MeV, protons with energies from similar to 1.5 MeV to similar to 100 MeV, and heavy ions with Linear Energy Transfer from 1 to 50 MeV.mg(-1).cm(2). BERM is operated continuously, being responsible for monitoring the radiation levels during all phases of the mission, including the cruise, the planetary flybys of Earth, Venus and Mercury, and the Hermean environment. In this paper, we describe the scientific objectives, instrument design and calibration, and the in-flight scientific performance of BERM. Moreover, we provide the first scientific results obtained by BERM during the BepiColombo flyby of Earth in April 2020, and after the impact of a solar energetic particle event during the cruise phase in May 2021. We also discuss the future plans of the instrument including synergies with other instruments on the BepiColombo and on other missions.Peer reviewe

Repercussões da prática educativa no autocuidado e manejo do Diabetes Mellitus tipo 1 na infância

Objective: to present the effects of health education for the self-care and management of type 1 Diabetes Mellitus among children. Method: a qualitative study with a focus group and description of the children’s glycemic profile. The health education activities, of a playful type and with an educational booklet, were carried out with four children with diabetes and their families, in an outpatient clinic of a university hospital. Thematic content analysis was performed. Results: physical activity proved to be an effective option for the practice of self-care, however, there was non-compliance to the adoption of dietary habits aimed at diabetes, concerning inadequate glycemic control, and increased complications. Changes in the management of the disease were observed when comparing the before and after of educational activities. Conclusions: playful resources and an educational booklet had a positive impact on family management and the self-care of children with Diabetes Mellitus.Objetivo: apresentar as repercussões de uma prática de educação em saúde para o autocuidado e manejo da Diabetes Mellitus tipo 1 entre crianças. Método: estudo qualitativo com grupo focal e descrição do perfil glicêmico das crianças. As atividades de educação em saúde, lúdica e com cartilha educativa, foram desenvolvidas com quatro crianças com diabetes e seus familiares, em ambulatório de hospital universitário. Análise de conteúdo do tipo temática. Resultados: a atividade física mostrou-se como alternativa eficaz para prática de autocuidado, porém, houve resistência à adoção de hábitos alimentares direcionados ao diabetes, relacionados ao controle glicêmico inadequado e aumento de complicações. Observou-se mudanças no manejo da doença comparando-se o antes e após as atividades educativas. Conclusões: recursos lúdicos e cartilha educativa repercutiram positivamente no manejo da família e no autocuidado da criança com Diabetes Mellitus