Support for automatic refactoring of business logic

Software’s structure profoundly affects its development and maintenance costs. Poor software’s structure may lead to well-known design flaws, such as large modules or long methods. A possible ap- proach to reduce a module’s complexity is the Extract Method refactor- ing technique. This technique allows the decomposition of a large and complex method into smaller and simpler ones, while reducing the orig- inal method’s size and improving its readability and comprehension. The OutSystems platform is a low-code platform that allows the de- velopment of web and mobile applications that rely on a set of visual Domain-Specific Languages (DSLs). Even low-code languages when im- properly used can lead to software that has maintenance issues like long methods. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to present the research and devel- opment done to provide the OutSystems platform with a tool that au- tomatically suggests Extract Method refactoring opportunities. The re- search combines program slicing techniques with code complexity metrics to calculate the best refactoring opportunities that preserve programs’ functionality. The proposed approach was tested on typical OutSystems apps and was shown to be able to reduce the overall applications’ complexity.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Gene expression modulation by paraquat-induced oxidative stress conditions in Paracoccidioides brasiliensis

Paracoccidioides brasiliensis is a thermodimorphic fungus associated with paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM), the most common systemic mycosis in Latin America. the infection is initiated by inhalation of environmentally dispersed conidia produced by the saprophytic phase of the fungus. in the lungs, P. brasiliensis assumes the parasitic yeast form and must cope with the adverse conditions imposed by cells of the host immune system, which includes a harsh environment, highly concentrated in reactive oxygen species (ROS). in this work, we used the ROS-generating agent paraquat to experimentally simulate oxidative stress conditions in order to evaluate the stress-induced modulation of gene expression in cultured P. brasiliensis yeast cells, using a microarray hybridization approach. the large-scale evaluation inherent to microarray-based analyses identified 2070 genes differentially transcribed in response to paraquat exposure, allowing an integrated visualization of the major metabolic changes that constitute the systemic defense mechanism used by the fungus to overcome the deleterious effects of ROS. These include overexpression of detoxifying agents, as well as of molecular scavengers and genes involved in maintenance of the intracellular redox potential. Particularly noteworthy was to verify that the oxidative stress resistance mechanism of P. brasiliensis also involves coordinated overexpression of a series of genes responsible for chitin-biosynthesis, suggesting that this pathway may constitute a specific regulon. Further analyses aiming at confirming and understanding the mechanisms that control such regulon may provide interesting new targets for chemotherapeutic approaches against P. brasiliensis and other pathogenic fungi. (C) 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Univ Mogi das Cruzes, Nucleo Integrado Biotecnol, BR-08780911 Mogi Das Cruzes, SP, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Inst Ciencia & Tecnol, BR-12231280 Sao Jose Dos Campos, SP, BrazilUniv Fed ABC, Ctr Ciencias Nat & Humanidades, BR-09210170 Santo Andre, SP, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Inst Ciencia & Tecnol, BR-12231280 Sao Jose Dos Campos, SP, BrazilWeb of Scienc

Prevalence of peripheral arterial occlusive disease in patients referred to a tertiary care hospital in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, for coronary angiography

The presence of peripheral arterial occlusive disease increases the morbidity and mortality of patients with coronary artery disease. The objective of the present study was to calculate the prevalence of peripheral arterial occlusive disease in patients referred for coronary angiography. This prevalence study was carried out at the Hemodynamics Unit of Hospital Santa Isabel, Salvador, Brazil, from December 2004 to April 2005. After approval by the Ethics Committee of the hospital, 397 patients with angiographic signs of coronary artery disease were enrolled. Diagnosis of peripheral arterial occlusive disease was made using the ankle-brachial blood pressure index (£0.90). Statistical analyses were performed using the z test and a level of significance of a = 5%, 95%CI, the chi-square test and t-test, and multiple logistic regression analysis. The prevalence of peripheral arterial occlusive disease was 34.3% (95%CI: 29.4-38.9). Mean age was 65.7 ± 9.4 years for patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease, and 60.3 ± 9.8 years for patients without peripheral arterial occlusive disease (P = 0.0000003). The prevalence of peripheral arterial occlusive disease was 1.57 times greater in patients with hypertension (P = 0.007) and 2.91 times greater in patients with coronary stenosis ³50% (P = 0.002). Illiterate patients and those with little education had a 44% higher chance of presenting peripheral arterial occlusive disease probably as a result of public health prevention policies of limited effectiveness. The prevalence of peripheral arterial occlusive disease in patients referred to a tertiary care hospital in Salvador, Bahia, for coronary angiography, was 34.3%.Hospital Agenor Paiva Serviço de Cirurgia VascularUniversidade Federal da Bahia Faculdade de Medicina Departamento de Medicina PreventivaUniversidade Estadual de Ciências da Saúde de Alagoas Departamento de CirurgiaUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Escola Paulista de MedicinaUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Escola Paulista de Medicina Departamento de CirurgiaHospital Ana Nery Serviço de Cirurgia Vascular Departamento de Acessos para HemodiáliseEscola Baiana de Medicina e Saúde PúblicaUNIFESP, EPM, Depto. de CirurgiaSciEL

Morphofunction assessment of ovarian autotransplantation in the retroperitoneum

Introdução: Em muitos procedimentos pélvicos e abdominais, a ooforectomia bilateral se impõe, porém suas complicações sistêmicas, como insuficiências hormonais, podem ser de difícil controle. Objetivo: Visando a preservação da função gonadal, em casos de ooforectomia, avaliaram-se aspectos funcionais e histológicos de tecido ovariano auto-implantado, em posição heterotópica. Material e Métodos: Foram selecionadas 36 ratas Wistar, com ciclos estrais, normais, divididas aleatoriamente em quatro grupos (n=9): G1 . controle- submetido a laparotomia, sem procedimento cirúrgico adicional; G2- ooforectomia bilateral; G3- os ovários retirados foram implantados integralmente no retroperitônio; G4- os ovários retirados foram fatiados e também implantados no retroperitônio. Nos 3o e 6o  meses pós-operatórios, realizaram-se esfregaços vaginais e estudos histológicos dos implantes ovarianos.Resultados: Os animais do grupo G1 tiveram seus ciclos normalmente. As ratas dos grupos G2 permaneceram durante todo o período em diestro. No grupo G3, no sexto mês, duas ratas tiveram ciclos completos, compatíveis com a fase estral; três animais apresentaram ciclos irregulares e os restantes permaneceram em diestro. No grupo G4, no sexto mês pós-operatório, três ratas apresentaram ciclos incompletos, cinco ratas apresentaram ciclos estrais completos, e apenas uma permaneceu fixa em diestro. O estudo anatomopatológico confirmou viabilidade ovariana em ambos os grupos de auto-implante (G3 e G4) com melhores resultados para o G4. Conclusões: O auto-implante ovariano no retroperitônio, na forma fatiada, apresentou melhor preservação morfofuncional do que a do íntegro.Introduction: Oophorectomy is required in many pelvic and abdominal procedures. The endocrine disturbances may be followed by severe systemic complications. Objective: In order to maintain the ovarian function after oophorectomy, the present study assessed ovarian autotransplantation in the retroperitoneum. Material and Methods: Thirty-six cycling female Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups: G1 (control) - sham operation; G2 - bilateral oophorectomy; G3 - bilateral oophorectomy and integre ovarium autotransplantation in the retroperitoneum; G4 - bilateral oophorectomy followed by sliced ovarium autotransplantation in the retroperitoneum. The estrous cycle was investigated in the third and sixth months. Hystologic studies of the ovaries were carried out. Results: The animals of group G1 preserved the cycling sequence. The rats of group G2 remained in diestrus. In group G3, the vaginal smear of two rats showed pattern of estrus, three showed irregular cycles, and the other animals remained in diestrus. In group G4, the rats showed irregular cycles, five presented normal cycle sequence and only one rat remained in diestrous. The histology indicated ovarian viability in Groups 3 and 4, and better aspect in Group 4. Conclusions: Sliced ovarian autotransplantation in the retroperitoneum showed better morphofunction preservation

Genetic transformation of novel isolates of chicken Lactobacillus bearing probiotic features for expression of heterologous proteins: a tool to develop live oral vaccines

BACKGROUND: The use of lactic acid bacteria as vehicles to delivery antigens to immunize animals is a promising issue. When genetically modified, these bacteria can induce a specific local and systemic immune response against selected pathogens. Gastric acid and bile salts tolerance, production of antagonistic substances against pathogenic microorganisms, and adhesive ability to gut epithelium are other important characteristics that make these bacteria useful for oral immunization. RESULTS: Bacteria isolated on de Man, Rogosa and Sharpe medium (MRS) from different gastrointestinal portions of broiler chicks were evaluated for their resistance to artificial gastric acid and bile salts, production of hydrogen peroxide, and cell surface hydrophobicity. Thirty-eight isolates were first typed at species level by PCR amplification of 16S-23S rRNA intergenic spacers using universal primers that anneal within 16S and 23S genes, followed by restriction digestion analyses of PCR amplicons (PCR-ARDRA). An expression cassette was assembled onto the pCR2.1-Topo vector by cloning the promoter, leader peptide, cell wall anchor and terminator sequences derived from the laminin binding S-layer protein gene of L. crispatus strain F5.7 (lbs gene). A sequence encoding the green fluorescent protein (GFP) was inserted as reporter gene, and an erythromycin resistance gene was added as selective marker. All constructs were able to express GFP in the cloning host E. coli XL1-Blue and different Lactobacillus strains as verified by FACS and laser scanning confocal microscopy. CONCLUSION: Lactobacillus isolated from gastrointestinal tract of broiler chickens and selected for probiotic characteristics can be genetically modified by introducing an expression cassette into the lbs locus. The transformed bacteria expressed on its cell wall surface different fluorescent proteins used as reporters of promoter function. It is possible then that similar bacterial model expressing pathogen antigens can be used as live oral vaccines to immunize broilers against infectious diseases

In vitro screening of cytotoxic activity of euphol from Euphorbia tirucalli on a large panel of human cancer-derived cell lines

A large number of classic antineoplastic agents are derived from plants. Euphorbia tirucalli L. (Euphorbiaceae) is a subtropical and tropical plant, used in Brazilian folk medicine against many diseases, including cancer, yet little is known about its true anticancer properties. The present study evaluated the antitumor effect of the tetracyclic triterpene alcohol, euphol, the main constituent of E. tirucalli in a panel of 73 human cancer lines from 15 tumor types. The biological effect of euphol in pancreatic cells was also assessed. The combination index was further used to explore euphol interactions with standard drugs. Euphol showed a cytotoxicity effect against several cancer cell lines (IC50 range, 1.41-38.89 µM), particularly in esophageal squamous cell (11.08 µM) and pancreatic carcinoma cells (6.84 µM), followed by prostate, melanoma, and colon cancer. Cytotoxicity effects were seen in all cancer cell lines, with more than half deemed highly sensitive. Euphol inhibited proliferation, motility and colony formation in pancreatic cancer cells. Importantly, euphol exhibited synergistic interactions with gemcitabine and paclitaxel in pancreatic and esophageal cell lines, respectively. To the best of our knowledge, this study constitutes the largest in vitro screening of euphol efficacy on cancer cell lines and revealed its in vitro anti-cancer properties, particularly in pancreatic and esophageal cell lines, suggesting that euphol, either as a single agent or in combination with conventional chemotherapy, is a potential anti-cancer drug.Amazônia Fitomedicamentos Ltda. (grant no. FITO 05/2012) and Barretos Cancer Hospital, all from Brazilinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Efeito do gengibre no poder anaeróbico de membros inferiores de ginastas da seleção brasileira

Introduction: Aerobic gymnastics is a sport that has consistently grown over the previous decades, and its practice demands its athletes to perform complex and high-intensity movements. Objective: The study was to analyze whether ginger supplementation had an ergogenic effect on the anaerobic power of limbs (PAMI) in aerobic gymnastic athletes. Methods: A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial was conducted with nine athletes (23.11 + 4.14 years, 1.63 + 0.09 m, 60.51 + 7.38 kg) from the Brazilian National Team of Aerobic Gymnastics. After ingesting 400 mg of Zingiber officinale or placebo for seven days, the subjects underwent an anaerobic power test (RAST). Peak Velocity and Peak power (m/s and W), average and minimum power (W), and fatigue index (W/s and %) data were obtained from the RAST. Results: After verifying the no normality of the sample, the Mann-Whitney was applied, but no significant differences were found in the peak velocity of the ginger supplementation (6.28 ± 0.41 m/s; 445.28 ± 117.15 W) compared to placebo (6.22 ± 0.45 m/s; 425.95 ± 130.39 W). Conclusions: It is concluded that ingesting 400 mg of Z. officinale does not have an ergogenic effect on the anaerobic power of the lower limbs of aerobic gymnastic athletes.Introdução: a ginástica aeróbica é um esporte que tem crescido consistentemente nas últimas décadas, e sua prática exige que seus atletas realizem movimentos complexos e de alta intensidade. Objetivo: analisar se a suplementação com gengibre tem efeito ergogênico no poder anaeróbico dos membros (PAMI) em atletas de ginástica aeróbica. Métodos: foi realizado um estudo randomizado, duplo-cego, controlado por placebo, com nove atletas (23,11 + 4,14 anos, 1,63 + 0,09 m, 60,51 + 7,38 kg) da Seleção Brasileira de Ginástica Aeróbica. Após a ingestão de 400 mg de Zingiber officinale ou placebo por sete dias, os indivíduos foram submetidos a um teste de potência anaeróbica (RAST). Os dados de Velocidade de pico e Potência de pico (m/s e W), potência média e mínima (W) e índice de fadiga (W/s e %) foram obtidos no RAST. Resultados: Após verificar a não normalidade da amostra, foi aplicado o Mann-Whitney, mas não foram encontradas diferenças significativas na velocidade de pico da suplementação de gengibre (6,28 ± 0,41 m / s; 445,28 ± 117,15 W) em comparação ao placebo (6,22 ± 0,45 m / s; 425,95 ± 130,39 W). Conclusões: conclui-se que a ingestão de 400 mg de Z. officinale não exerce efeito ergogênico no poder anaeróbico dos membros inferiores de atletas de ginástica aeróbica

Genome-wide signatures of complex introgression and adaptive evolution in the big cats.

The great cats of the genus Panthera comprise a recent radiation whose evolutionary history is poorly understood. Their rapid diversification poses challenges to resolving their phylogeny while offering opportunities to investigate the historical dynamics of adaptive divergence. We report the sequence, de novo assembly, and annotation of the jaguar (Panthera onca) genome, a novel genome sequence for the leopard (Panthera pardus), and comparative analyses encompassing all living Panthera species. Demographic reconstructions indicated that all of these species have experienced variable episodes of population decline during the Pleistocene, ultimately leading to small effective sizes in present-day genomes. We observed pervasive genealogical discordance across Panthera genomes, caused by both incomplete lineage sorting and complex patterns of historical interspecific hybridization. We identified multiple signatures of species-specific positive selection, affecting genes involved in craniofacial and limb development, protein metabolism, hypoxia, reproduction, pigmentation, and sensory perception. There was remarkable concordance in pathways enriched in genomic segments implicated in interspecies introgression and in positive selection, suggesting that these processes were connected. We tested this hypothesis by developing exome capture probes targeting ~19,000 Panthera genes and applying them to 30 wild-caught jaguars. We found at least two genes (DOCK3 and COL4A5, both related to optic nerve development) bearing significant signatures of interspecies introgression and within-species positive selection. These findings indicate that post-speciation admixture has contributed genetic material that facilitated the adaptive evolution of big cat lineages