Morphology of Pyramidal Neurons in the Rat Prefrontal Cortex: Lateralized Dendritic Remodeling by Chronic Stress

The prefrontal cortex (PFC) plays an important role in the stress response. We filled pyramidal neurons in PFC layer III with neurobiotin and analyzed dendrites in rats submitted to chronic restraint stress and in controls. In the right prelimbic cortex (PL) of controls, apical and distal dendrites were longer than in the left PL. Stress reduced the total length of apical dendrites in right PL and abolished the hemispheric difference. In right infralimbic cortex (IL) of controls, proximal apical dendrites were longer than in left IL, and stress eliminated this hemispheric difference. No hemispheric difference was detected in anterior cingulate cortex (ACx) of controls, but stress reduced apical dendritic length in left ACx. These data demonstrate interhemispheric differences in the morphology of pyramidal neurons in PL and IL of control rats and selective effects of stress on the right hemisphere. In contrast, stress reduced dendritic length in the left ACx

Measles outbreak in a tertiary level hospital, Porto, Portugal, 2018: challenges in the post-elimination era

A measles outbreak has been occurring in a healthcare setting in Porto, Portugal, since early March 2018, posing public health challenges for a central hospital and the community. Up to 22 April, 96 cases were confirmed, 67 in vaccinated healthcare workers, mostly between 18-39 years old. Following identification of the first cases, control measures were rapidly implemented. Concomitantly, other measles cases were notified in the Northern Region of the country. No common epidemiological link was identified.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Preparation of Dipteran Larvae for Scanning Electron Microscopy with Special Reference to Myiasigen Dipteran Species

Although controversy exists concerning the role of chemical fixatives in scanning electron microscopy (SEM) studies of Dipteran larvae, we have observed that filtered 10% formaldehyde solution gives excellent results as a preservative. After immersing in vivo in formaldehyde, the larvae material is preserved for prolonged periods (up to 8 months), before examination with SEM. As a fixative, formaldehyde preserves the structure of the larval cuticle and produces no visible artifacts. Moreover, postfixation is not necessary. Due to pecularities of the way of life of Wohlfahrtia magnifica (principally the accumulations of necrotic tissue, purulent particles, and other types of substances that often adhere to the numerous spines of larvae), this species must be cleaned before examination by SEM. Manual cleaning with alternating bidistilled water and 0.9% saline solution proved to be a rapid, easy and inexpensive method that gave good results. Both lyophilization drying and critical point drying were used before sputtering the material. While lyophilization drying proved to be the most effective method for instars II and III, critical point drying was the best technique for study of specimens belonging to instar I. The optimum time for drying and conditions for lyophilization and sputter-coating with gold were determined experimentally. Samples were mounted on SEM stubs with double-sided adhesive and silver conductive paint. The method proposed is easy and effective for the SEM study of larvae myiasis-producing diptera

Potential of mathematical modeling in fruit quality

A review of mathematical modeling applied to fruit quality showed that these models ranged inresolution from simple yield equations to complex  representations of processes as respiration, photosynthesis and assimilation of nutrients. The latter models take into account complex  genotype environment interactions to estimate their effects on growth and yield. Recently, models are used to estimate seasonal changes in quality traits as fruit size, dry matter, water content and the concentration of sugars and acids, which are very important for flavor and aroma. These models have demonstrated their ability to generate relationships between physiological variables and quality attributes (allometric relations). This new kind of hybrid models has sufficient complexity to predict quality traits behavior

Ianus: an Adpative FPGA Computer

Dedicated machines designed for specific computational algorithms can outperform conventional computers by several orders of magnitude. In this note we describe {\it Ianus}, a new generation FPGA based machine and its basic features: hardware integration and wide reprogrammability. Our goal is to build a machine that can fully exploit the performance potential of new generation FPGA devices. We also plan a software platform which simplifies its programming, in order to extend its intended range of application to a wide class of interesting and computationally demanding problems. The decision to develop a dedicated processor is a complex one, involving careful assessment of its performance lead, during its expected lifetime, over traditional computers, taking into account their performance increase, as predicted by Moore's law. We discuss this point in detail

Identification of hepatitis a virus mimotopes by phage display, antigenicity and immunogenicity

A phage-displayed peptide approach was used to identify ligands mimicking antigenic determinants of hepatitis A virus (HAV) for the first time. Bacteriophages displaying HAV mimotopes were isolated from a phage-display peptide library by affinity selection on serum antibodies from hepatitis A patients. Selected phage-peptides were screened for reactivity with sera from HAV infected patients and healthy controls. Four cloned peptides with different sequences were identified as mimotopes of HAV; three of them showed similarity in their amino acid sequences with at least one of the VP3 and VP1 antigenic proteins of HAV. One clone was recognised by 92% of the positive sera. The phagotopes competed effectively with HAV for absorption of anti-HAV-specific antibodies in human sera, as determined by ELISA. The four phage clones induced neutralising anti-HAV antibodies in immunised mice. These results demonstrate the potential of this method to elucidate the disease related epitopes of HAV and to use these mimotopes in diagnostic applications or in the development of a mimotope-based hepatitis A vaccine without the necessity of manipulation of the virus

Regularizing Portfolio Optimization

The optimization of large portfolios displays an inherent instability to estimation error. This poses a fundamental problem, because solutions that are not stable under sample fluctuations may look optimal for a given sample, but are, in effect, very far from optimal with respect to the average risk. In this paper, we approach the problem from the point of view of statistical learning theory. The occurrence of the instability is intimately related to over-fitting which can be avoided using known regularization methods. We show how regularized portfolio optimization with the expected shortfall as a risk measure is related to support vector regression. The budget constraint dictates a modification. We present the resulting optimization problem and discuss the solution. The L2 norm of the weight vector is used as a regularizer, which corresponds to a diversification "pressure". This means that diversification, besides counteracting downward fluctuations in some assets by upward fluctuations in others, is also crucial because it improves the stability of the solution. The approach we provide here allows for the simultaneous treatment of optimization and diversification in one framework that enables the investor to trade-off between the two, depending on the size of the available data set

NUP98 is fused to adducin 3 in a patient with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia and myeloid markers, with a new translocation t(10;11)(q25;p15)

The nucleoporin 98 gene (NUP98) has been reported to be fused to 13 partner genes in hematological malignancies with 11p15 translocations. Twelve of them have been identified in patients with myeloid neoplasias and only 1, RAP1GDS1 (4q21), is fused with NUP98 in five patients with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL). Three of these patients coexpressed T and myeloid markers, suggesting the specific association of t(4;11)(q21;p15) with a subset of T-ALL originating from an early progenitor, which has the potential to express mature T-cell antigens as well as myeloid markers. We describe here a new NUP98 partner involved in a t(10;11)(q25;p15) in a patient with acute biphenotypic leukemia, showing coexpression of mature T and myeloid markers. The gene involved, located in 10q25, was identified as ADD3 using 3'-RACE. ADD3 codes for the ubiquitous expressed subunit gamma of the adducin protein, and it seems to play an important role in the skeletal organization of the cell membrane. Both NUP98-ADD3 and ADD3-NUP98 fusion transcripts are expressed in the patient. This is the second partner of NUP98 described in T-ALL. Adducin shares with the product of RAP1GDS1, and with all of the nonhomeobox NUP98 partners, the presence of a region with significant probability of adopting a coiled-coil conformation. This region is always retained in the fusion transcript with the NH(2) terminus FG repeats of NUP98, suggesting an important role in the mechanism of leukemogenesis

S-Adenosylmethionine revisited: its essential role in the regulation of liver function

Dietary methionine is mainly metabolized in the liver where it is converted into S-adenosylmethionine (AdoMet), the main biologic methyl donor. This reaction is catalyzed by methionine adenosyltransferase I/III (MAT I/III), the product of MAT1A gene, which is exclusively expressed in this organ. It was first observed that serum methionine levels were elevated in experimental models of liver damage and in liver cirrhosis in human beings. Results of further studies showed that this pathological alteration was due to reduced MAT1A gene expression and MAT I/III enzyme inactivation associated with liver injury. Synthesis of AdoMet is essential to all cells in the organism, but it is in the liver where most of the methylation reactions take place. The central role played by AdoMet in cellular function, together with the observation that AdoMet administration reduces liver damage caused by different agents and improves survival of alcohol-dependent patients with cirrhosis, led us to propose that alterations in methionine metabolism could play a role in the onset of liver disease and not just be a consequence of it. In the present work, we review the recent findings that support this hypothesis and highlight the mechanisms behind the hepatoprotective role of AdoMet

Diabetes and Increased Lipid Peroxidation are Associated with Systemic Inflammation Even in Well-Controlled Patients

Background The effect of the interaction between type 2 diabetes and dyslipidemia on inflammation and lipid peroxidation (LPO) has not been assessed. Aim To investigate whether diabetes coupled with dyslipidemia alters oxidative metabolism leading to increased LPO products and inflammatory status. Methods 100 patients were divided into four groups based upon diabetic and dyslipidemic status: poorly controlled diabetes with dyslipidemia (DM-PC/D), well-controlled diabetes with dyslipidemia (DM-WC/D), normoglycemic individuals with dyslipidemia (NG/D), and normoglycemic individuals without dyslipidemia (NG/ND). Plasma was evaluated for an LPO product (MDA), antioxidant levels and inflammatory cytokines. Results Diabetics presented significantly higher levels of LPO (p \u3c 0.05) and the DM-PC/D had higher levels of proinflammatory cytokines and MDA in the plasma in comparison with normoglycemics (p \u3c 0.05). Interestingly IL1-β, IL-6, and TNF-α in DM-WC/D were not statistically different from those in DM-PC/D. Normoglycemic individuals with dyslipidemia presented significantly increased levels of IL-6 and TNF-α when compared to normoglycemic without dyslipidemia (p \u3c 0.05). MDA levels were also positively correlated with the presence of DM complications (r = 0.42, p \u3c 0.01). Conclusions These findings show that dyslipidemia is associated with an increased inflammatory status, even in well-controlled diabetics and in normoglycemics. Our results suggest that lipid metabolism and peroxidation are important for the development of inflammation, which is elevated in several complications associated with diabetes