Tissue Microarrays For Testing Basal Biomarkers In Familial Breast Cancer Cases.

The proteins p63, p-cadherin and CK5 are consistently expressed by the basal and myoepithelial cells of the breast, although their expression in sporadic and familial breast cancer cases has yet to be fully defined. The aim here was to study the basal immunoprofile of a breast cancer case series using tissue microarray technology. This was a cross-sectional study at Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Brazil, and the Institute of Pathology and Molecular Immunology, Porto, Portugal. Immunohistochemistry using the antibodies p63, CK5 and p-cadherin, and also estrogen receptor (ER) and Human Epidermal Receptor Growth Factor 2 (HER2), was per-formed on 168 samples from a breast cancer case series. The criteria for identifying women at high risk were based on those of the Breast Cancer Linkage Consortium. Familial tumors were more frequently positive for the p-cadherin (p = 0.0004), p63 (p < 0.0001) and CK5 (p < 0.0001) than was sporadic cancer. Moreover, familial tumors had coexpression of the basal biomarkers CK5+/ p63+, grouped two by two (OR = 34.34), while absence of coexpression (OR = 0.13) was associated with the sporadic cancer phenotype. Familial breast cancer was found to be associated with basal biomarkers, using tissue microarray technology. Therefore, characterization of the familial breast cancer phenotype will improve the understanding of breast carcinogenesis.125226-3

Epistatic Interaction of CYP1A1

There is a clear association between the excessive and cumulative exposure to estrogens and the development of cancer in hormone-sensitive tissues, such as the cervix. We studied the association of CYP1A1 M1 (rs4646903) and COMT (rs4680) polymorphisms in 130 cervical cancer cases (c-cancer) and 179 controls. The CYP1A1 TT genotype was associated with a lower risk for c-cancer (OR = 0.39, p=0.002). The allele C of CYP1A1 was a risk for c-cancer (OR = 2.29, p=0.002). Women with COMT LL genotype had a higher risk of developing c-cancer (OR = 4.83, p<0.001). For the interaction of the CYP1A1&COMT, we observed that TC&HL genotypes had a greater risk for c-cancer (OR = 6.07, p=0.006) and TT&HL genotypes had a protection effect (OR = 0.24, p<0.001). The CYP1A1 TT and COMT LL genotypes had higher estradiol levels in c-cancer (p<0.001 and p=0.037, resp.). C-cancer is associated with less production of 2-methoxy-estradiol resultant of functional polymorphisms of CYP1A1 and COMT, separately. CYP1A1 and COMT work in a metabolic sequence and their interaction could lead to an alternative pathway of estrogen metabolism with production of 16-OH-estrone that is more proliferative

Jogos de Identidade profissional: os engenheiros entre a acção e a formação/Les enjeux identitaires des ingénieurs : entre la formation et l’action/The Quest for a Professional Identity: Engineers between Training and Action

Baseada em contribuições que se debruçam sobre diversas realidades nacionais, não se confinando ao espaço europeu, esta obra oferece uma perspectiva renovada da imagem do engenheiro. Abordando aspectos menos convencionais da profissão, acentuando a dimensão dos contextos político-económico e técnico-científico da prática da engenharia, interrogando os percursos de formação, os autores propõem ao leitor uma reflexão sobre a construção dinâmica, por vezes mesmo difícil, da identidade profissional dos engenheiros. * * * Grâce aux contributions faisant état des diverses situations nationales en Europe et au-delà de ses limites, ce livre offre des éclairages qui permettent de dépasser une image trop convenue de l'ingénieur. En présentant des aspects peu étudiés jusqu'alors, voire des facettes inattendues de ces professionnels et en les situant délibérément au coeur de leur environnement politico-économique et technico-scientifique, il propose au lecteur un vaste panorama à la réflexion sur la construction problématique de l'identité de l'ingénieur. * * * This book offers contributions which portray engineers beyond their conventional image, using national case studies both from Europe and from other parts of the world. It addresses questions which have been scarcely explored and unveils unexpected features of these professionals by placing them at the heart of their political, economic and techno-scientific environment. The reader is in this way invited to reflect on the problematic construction of the engineers' professional identity

LipidTOX: A fatty acid-based index efficient for ecotoxicological studies with marine model diatoms exposed to legacy and emerging contaminants

Contaminants, when present above certain thresholds, can induce physiological constraints to organisms, namely diatoms, a model group representative of marine phytoplankton, triggering feedback mechanisms, such as changes in cell’s fatty acid profiles, that can be used as biomarkers towards xenobiotic exposure. Having this in mind and considering the ecological relevance of diatom fatty acid profiles as well as their recognized potential as biomarkers of contaminant exposure, the present work aims to develop and test the accuracy of an integrative multi-biomarker response index based on the fatty acid profiles of marine diatoms (using Phaeodactylum tricornutum as model diatom) exposed to several emerging contaminants. In terms of the impacts at the individual fatty acid level, it was possible to observe changes transversal to different contaminants, such as the reduction of C14:0 and C16:0 fatty acids, with increasing xenobiotic concentration, as observed, for example, under propranolol and fluoxetine exposure. Enhancement of C16:2n-7 and C16:3n-4 concentrations as well as complete disruption of the basal fatty acid profile was observed in diatoms exposed to copper nanoparticles. These individual diverse and intrinsically connected alterations in fatty acid concentrations depended on the type and dose of the xenobiotic applied, highlighting the need to address these profiles as a whole. The evaluation of the diatom cells’ fatty acids using a multivariate approach revealed a high degree of sensitivity of these biochemical traits to disclose the type of xenobiotic applied to the diatoms, as well as the exogenous concentration used. These biochemical profiles were later incorporated into a unifying numerical index (LipidTOX) using an integrated biomarker response approach. The LipidTOX index showed strong correlations with both the exogenous xenobiotic concentration applied as well as with the growth features assessed for the exposed cultures, revealing a very high efficiency in translating growth impairments imposed by each of the xenobiotics tested at the different test concentrations. The LipidTOX index proved to be an efficient tool for ecotoxicological assays with marine model diatoms and evidenced a high degree of reliability for classifying the exposure of the cells to emerging contaminants. The results and benefits of the LipidTOX index application can be easily communicated to non-expert audiences such as stakeholders, policymakers and environmental managers so that this approach can be used in future toxicological evaluations of the impacts of classical and emerging xenobiotics in marine primary producers.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

LipidTOX: a fatty acid-based index efficient for ecotoxicological studies with marine model diatoms exposed to legacy and emerging contaminants

Contaminants, when present above certain thresholds, can induce physiological constraints to organisms, namely diatoms, a model group representative of marine phytoplankton, triggering feedback mechanisms, such as changes in cell’s fatty acid profiles, that can be used as biomarkers towards xenobiotic exposure. Having this in mind and considering the ecological relevance of diatom fatty acid profiles as well as their recognized potential as biomarkers of contaminant exposure, the present work aims to develop and test the accuracy of an integrative multi-biomarker response index based on the fatty acid profiles of marine diatoms (using Phaeodactylum tricornutum as model diatom) exposed to several emerging contaminants. In terms of the impacts at the individual fatty acid level, it was possible to observe changes transversal to different contaminants, such as the reduction of C14:0 and C16:0 fatty acids, with increasing xenobiotic concentration, as observed, for example, under propranolol and fluoxetine exposure. Enhancement of C16:2n-7 and C16:3n-4 concentrations as well as complete disruption of the basal fatty acid profile was observed in diatoms exposed to copper nanoparticles. These individual diverse and intrinsically connected alterations in fatty acid concentrations depended on the type and dose of the xenobiotic applied, highlighting the need to address these profiles as a whole. The evaluation of the diatom cells’ fatty acids using a multivariate approach revealed a high degree of sensitivity of these biochemical traits to disclose the type of xenobiotic applied to the diatoms, as well as the exogenous concentration used. These biochemical profiles were later incorporated into a unifying numerical index (LipidTOX) using an integrated biomarker response approach. The LipidTOX index showed strong correlations with both the exogenous xenobiotic concentration applied as well as with the growth features assessed for the exposed cultures, revealing a very high efficiency in translating growth impairments imposed by each of the xenobiotics tested at the different test concentrations. The LipidTOX index proved to be an efficient tool for ecotoxicological assays with marine model diatoms and evidenced a high degree of reliability for classifying the exposure of the cells to emerging contaminants. The results and benefits of the LipidTOX index application can be easily communicated to non-expert audiences such as stakeholders, policymakers and environmental managers so that this approach can be used in future toxicological evaluations of the impacts of classical and emerging xenobiotics in marine primary producers.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Ecoengineering Solutions for the Impairment of Spreading and Growth of Invasive Spartina patens in Mediterranean Salt Marshes

The invasion of natural communities by non-indigenous species represents one of the most serious threats to biodiversity. Understanding the ecophysiology of invasive species can provide insights into potential physiological handicaps relative to native species. By doing so, we can leverage the development of ecoengineering solutions for the removal of non-indigenous species, preferably using non-chemical methods. Spartina patens is a known invasive species of cordgrass aggressively proliferating in Mediterranean salt marshes, producing impenetrable monospecific stands. As its occurrence is delimited by the upper high tide water level, we hypothesized that S. patens is intolerant to waterlogging. Therefore, we developed a field experiment where strands of S. patens were kept waterlogged over the entire tidal cycle for 30 days. At the end of the experimental period, plants in the trial plots exhibited severe stress symptoms at different physiological levels compared with control plots (no intervention). At the photobiological level, intervened plants exhibited lower efficiency in producing chemical energy from light, whilst at the biochemical level waterlogging impaired the antioxidant system and increased lipid peroxidation products. Furthermore, the application of chlorophyll a pulse amplitude modulated (PAM) fluorometry, a non-invasive technique, allowed us to evaluate the effectiveness of the implemented measures, being the tool that provided the best separation between the control and intervened population. Considering the physiological traits observed here, ecoengineering solutions based on increased waterlogging of S. patens stands, can be a low-cost and efficient measure to reduce the spreading and growth of this invasive species in the Mediterranean and other salt marshes worldwide with little disturbance.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Inflammatory bowel disease, alpha-synuclein aggregates and Parkinson’s disease: the InflamaSPark protocol

Communication abstract: Proceedings of the 5th International Congress of CiiEM - Reducing inequalities in Health and Society, held at Egas Moniz’ University Campus in Monte de Caparica, Almada, from June 16th to 18th, 2021.This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.The hallmark of Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the accumulation of alpha-synuclein (AS) aggregates. Prior to the central nervous system involvement, PD establishes itself in the gut as a result of the complex interplay between microbiota, the host’s immune/neural systems and increased intestinal permeability. Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) patients present a higher number of AS aggregates in the intestinal wall and an increased risk of developing PD. By studying AS aggregates in gut biopsy specimens of IBD patients and controls, this project aims to further clarify the pathophysiology of PD and to explore the potential of gut a biopsy for AS aggregates as a biomarker for prodromal PD.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Chicory Extracts and Sesquiterpene Lactones Show Potent Activity against Bacterial and Fungal Pathogens

Chicory (Cichorium intybus L.) is an important industrial crop cultivated mainly to extract the dietary fiber inulin. However, chicory also contains bioactive compounds such as sesquiterpene lactones and certain polyphenols, which are currently discarded as waste. Plants are an important source of active pharmaceutical ingredients, including novel antimicrobials that are urgently needed due to the global spread of drug-resistant bacteria and fungi. Here, we tested different extracts of chicory for a range of bioactivities, including antimicrobial, antifungal and cytotoxicity assays. Antibacterial and antifungal activities were generally more potent in ethyl acetate extracts compared to water extracts, whereas supercritical fluid extracts showed the broadest range of bioactivities in our assays. Remarkably, the chicory supercritical fluid extract and a purified fraction thereof inhibited both methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and ampicillin-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa IBRS P001. Chicory extracts also showed higher antibiofilm activity against the yeast Candida albicans than standard sesquiterpene lactone compounds. The cytotoxicity of the extracts was generally low. Our results may thus lead to the development of novel antibacterial and antifungal preparations that are both effective and safe for human use