Element characterization of the vestigial shell of Octopus vulgaris Cuvier, 1797

The present study represents the first elemental distribution and composition characterization of the vestigial shell in Octopus vulgaris Cuvier, 1797. Ten specimens of O. vulgaris were collected monthly between January and July 2002, on the central coast of Portugal. Using nuclear microscopy, Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS) and Particle Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE) techniques, it was found that along vestigial shell transversal sections, the elemental concentrations were differential. Most striking were those of P, Ca, S, and Cl. At the core of the vestigial shell, high concentration levels of Ca and P were determined, declining towards the periphery. Also, trace concentrations of elements such as Fe, Cu and Zn were found to be higher in the external rings than the inner regions. Future complementary studies of vestigial shell chemical composition, as well as histology studies, are necessary to gain better understanding of the vestigial shell microstructure.Se presenta la primera caracterización de la distribución elemental y de la composición de la concha vestigial del pulpo Octopus vulgaris Cuvier, 1797. Diez muestras de O. vulgaris fueron recogidas mensualmente, entre enero y julio del 2002, en la costa central de Portugal. Utilizando microscopía electrónica, técnicas de espectrometría Rutherford de refracción (RBS) y emisión de rayos X inducida por partículas (PIXE), se pudieron encontrar, a lo largo de las secciones transversales de la concha vestigial, diferencias en las concentraciones elementales, en particular en las de P, Ca, S, y Cl. En el núcleo de la concha vestigial, se pudieron determinar altas concentraciones de Ca y P, que se iban reduciendo hacia la periferia. Asimismo, se encontraron microelementos, como el Fe, Cu y el Zn, a concentraciones que eran mayores en los anillos externos que en las regiones internas. Para una mejor comprensión de la microestructura de la concha vestigial, es necesario llevar a cabo estudios complementarios a éste, y también estudios histológicos.Instituto Español de Oceanografí

Variations in Inflammatory Markers in Acute Myocardial Infarction: a Longitudinal Study

Actualmente a inflamação é considerada uma componente importante na aterosclerose, desde o seu início até à ruptura da placa seguida de trombose e da progressiva obstrução do vaso. A ruptura da cápsula fibrótica da placa expõe factores de tecido presentes no seu núcleo necrótico que induzem o processo inflamatório, promovendo a adesão celular e a coagulação e que conduzem à formação do trombo. Por seu turno, várias citocinas e moléculas de adesão celular contribuem activamente para o desenvolvimento da placa. Em particular a citocina TNF-a e a molécula de adesão intercelular (ICAM-1) poderão ser indicadoras de inflamação enquanto que as formas solúveis de P-selectina e de CD40 ligando (sCD40L) poderão dar a magnitude da activação plaquetária. Neste trabalho foram estudados 17 doentes com enfarte de miocárdio submetidos a angioplastia (grupo AMI) e 16 doentes com confirmação angiográfica de ausência de doença coronária. Os doentes do grupo AMI foram seguidos nas primeiras 24h de evolução do enfarte agudo de miocárdio antes da administração de medicação e da intervenção angiográfica e ao longo do período de recuperação, 2 e 40 dias após enfarte. Foram medidas no soro por imunoensaio as concentrações de TNF-a e das formas solúveis de CD40L, ICAM-1 e P-selectina. Foram observadas variações significativas de sP-selectina relativamente aos controlos. Imediatamente após o enfarte de miocárdio verificou-se um aumento de sP-selectina, seguido de uma descida brusca dos seus níveis às 48h, e de um incremento para valores idênticos aos observados no grupo de controlo ao 40º dia. As variações observadas nas concentrações de sCD40L não foram significativas relativamente aos controlos. No entanto, verificou-se uma tendência de diminuição da concentração até 48h após o enfarte de miocárdio, seguindo-se um aumento que atingiu valores ligeiramente superiores ao do grupo controlo no 40º dia. As concentrações de TNF-a medidas foram sistematicamente superiores às verificadas no grupo controlo, tendo-se ainda observado uma subida gradual desde o enfarte de miocárdio até ao 40º dia, sendo este incremento significativo. Os valores de sICAM-1 não apresentaram quaisquer variações após o enfarte nem relativamente ao grupo controlo. As variações observadas sugerem um papel importante destes marcadores no processo inflamatório e na evolução do enfarte de miocárdio. O aumento brusco da concentração de sP-selectina após o enfarte de miocárdio evidencia a activação plaquetária e trombose. Na evolução do enfarte, e à medida que as variáveis hemodinâmicas retornam a valores estáveis, devido à medicação aplicada, o aumento de sCD40L e TNF-a em circulação pode reflectir o papel destas moléculas na recuperação endotelial e do miocárdio

Variações Longitudinais de Lipoproteínas de Baixa Densidade Oxidadas Associadas à Artéria "Culpada" no Enfarte do Miocárdio com Elevação ST - um Marcador Promissor?

The aim of the present study was to investigate variations in oxidized LDL (oxLDL) at the onset of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and over the recovery period, exploring their relationship with coronary disease severity. A follow-up of 50 AMI patients was evaluated against 25 healthy volunteers (reference group). The AMI patients were evaluated at three time points: at admission before the administration of IIb/IIIa inhibitors and angioplasty, and two and 40 days after intervention. Plasma oxLDL concentrations were measured by ELISA. oxLDL was found to be significantly higher in AMI patients in the acute phase relative to reference levels, decreasing progressively over the recovery period. The results also demonstrated that oxLDL levels were decreased in patients with the left circumflex artery (LCX) as culprit vessel compared to the left anterior descending coronary (LAD) or right coronary artery (RCA). The results highlight a significant increase in oxLDL concentration related to coronary artery disease severity, as conditions such as LCX lesions are usually associated with a favorable prognosis, contrasting with LAD-associated conditions that can compromise large areas of myocardium. The results thus suggest that oxLDL may constitute a promising marker in assessment of AMI evolution

Circulating MicroRNA Profiles in Different Arterial Territories of Stable Atherosclerotic Disease: a Systematic Review

AIMS: Atherosclerosis is associated with altered circulating microRNA profiles. It is yet unclear whether the expression of these potential biomarkers differs according to the location of atherosclerosis. We assessed whether atherosclerosis of different arterial territories, except the coronary, is associated with specific circulating microRNA profiles. METHODS: A systematic search in PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane Library was carried out using a retrieval strategy including MESH and non-MSH terms. Eligible studies have compared circulating microRNA profiles between individuals with and without stable atherosclerotic disease of large or medium size arteries. The review protocol was registered in PROSPERO database (reference CRD42017073846). RESULTS: Eighteen studies were selected for qualitative synthesis: ten focused on carotid, six on lower limbs, and two on renal arteries atherosclerosis, none reporting on other locations. A common microRNA profile to different atherosclerotic disease locations was identified, including deregulation of miR-21, miR-30, miR-126, and miR-221-3p. Specific microRNA profiles for each territory were also identified, with consistency across studies, such as deregulation of miR-21 and miR-29 in carotid atherosclerosis, and let 7e, miR-27b, miR-130a, and miR-210 in lower limbs atherosclerosis. The robustness of the results was very high for let 7e, miR-29, miR-30, considering both the adjustment of microRNA expression for baseline variables and the replication of results in different studies (miR-29 in carotid, let 7e in lower limbs, and miR-30 in carotid and lower limbs atherosclerosis). Globally, the deregulated microRNAs are associated with control of angiogenesis, endothelial cell function, inflammation, cholesterol metabolism, oxidative stress and extracellular matrix composition. CONCLUSIONS: A common microRNA profile to different atherosclerotic disease locations and specific microRNA profiles for each territory were identified. These findings may provide insights into pathophysiology and be useful for selecting potential biomarkers for clinical practice. To the best of our knowledge, no systematic data on this subject has been reported.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Changes of Soluble CD40 Ligand in the Progression of Acute Myocardial Infarction Associate to Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase Polymorphisms and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor But Not to Platelet CD62P Expression

Reported in vitro data implicated soluble CD40 ligand (sCD40L) in endothelial dysfunction and angiogenesis. However, whether sCD40L could exert that influence in endothelial dysfunction and angiogenesis after injury in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients remains unclear. In the present study, we evaluated the association of sCD40L with markers of platelet activation, endothelial, and vascular function during a recovery period early after AMI. To achieve this goal, the time changes of soluble, platelet-bound, and microparticle-bound CD40L levels over 1 month were assessed in AMI patients and correlated with endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) polymorphisms, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) concentrations, and platelet expression of P-selectin (CD62P). The association of soluble form, platelet-bound, and microparticle-bound CD40L with CD62P expression on platelets, a marker of platelet activation, was also assessed to evaluate the role of CD40L in the thrombosis, whereas the association with eNOS and VEGF was to evaluate the role of CD40L in vascular dysfunction. This work shows for the first time that time changes of sCD40L over 1 month after myocardial infarct onset were associated with G894T eNOS polymorphism and with the VEGF concentrations, but not to the platelet CD62P expression. These results indicate that, in terms of AMI pathophysiology, the sCD40L cannot be consider just as being involved in thrombosis and inflammation but also as having a relevant role in vascular and endothelial dysfunction

Stratification of ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction Patients Based on Soluble CD40L Longitudinal Changes

Involvement of soluble CD40 ligand (sCD40L) in thrombosis and inflammation on the context of coronary artery disease is currently being revised. In that perspective, we had studied the association of sCD40L with markers of platelet activation and markers of endothelial and vascular function. On that cohort, a stratification of patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) 1 month after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) was observed based on concentrations of sCD40L. The study intended to identify the groups of AMI patients with different profiles of sCD40L concentrations and verify how medication, clinical evolution, biochemical data, and markers of regulation of endothelial function at genetic (endothelial nitric oxide synthase polymorphisms) and post-transcriptional levels (circulating microRNAs) affect sCD40L serum levels. Lower quartiles of sCD40L (<2.3 ng/mL) were associated with higher concentrations of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), high frequency of G894T polymorphism, and altered expression of a set of microRNAs assumed to be involved in the regulation of endothelial and cardiac function and myocardium hypertrophy, relative to patients in sCD40L upper quartiles. A characteristic sCD40L variation pattern in STEMI patients was identified. Low levels of sCD40L 1 month after PCI distinguish STEMI patients with worse prognosis, a compromised cardiac healing, and a persistent endothelial dysfunction, as given by the association between sCD40L, NT-proBNP, G894T polymorphism, and specific profile of miRNA expression. These results suggest sCD40L could have a prognostic value in STEMI patients.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Selectivity and efficiency of herbicide mixtures on weed control

Um ensaio de campo foi conduzido na Estação Experimental de Surubim, PE, no ano de 1980, com o objetivo de estudar a seletividade e a eficiência de misturas de herbicidas no controle de plantas daninhas em algodoeiro herbáceo (Gossypium hirsutum var. latifolium L.). Os resultados mostram que: 1. as misturas herbicídicas apresentaram-se, indistintamente, seletivas ao algodoeiro e efetivas no controle de plantas daninhas por um período aproximado de 60 dias; 2. a modalidade de aplicação dos tratamentos alachlor + diuron (pré e ppi) e pendimenthalin + diuron (pré e ppi) não interferiram na seletividade, na eficiência de controle, no rendimento do algodão em caroço nem na qualidade da fibra; 3. as misturas testadas não influenciaram as características fenológicas, os componentes da produção, a produção propriamente dita, nem as qualidades tecnológicas da fibra; e 4. em valores absolutos, os maiores rendimentos de algodão em caroço foram atingidos pelos tratamentos metolachlor + diuron e alachlor + diuron, embora não tenham apresentado diferenças significativas dos demais tratamentos em que houve controle de plantas daninhas, superando em 97% e 90% a testemunha sem capina, respectivamente.In order to study the efficacity of several herbicide mixtures against weeds and their phitotoxicity effects on cotton (Gossypium hirsutum var. latifolium L.) a field trial was placed at Experimental Station of Surubim, PE, Brazil, in 1980. The results showed that: 1. the mixtures, indistinctly, showed to be selective to cotton plant and effective on controlling weeds by a period of approximately 60 days; 2. the modality of applying alachlor + diuron and pendimenthalin + diuron (pre-emergent or pre-sowing incorporated) did not affect their selectivity, efficiency on controlling weeds, cotton seed productivity, and fiber quality either; 3. the tested mixtures did not influence phenological cotton plant characteristics, component production, seed cotton field and technological fiber qualities; and 4. the highest cotton production was obtained by the treatments metolachlor + diuron, and alachlor+ diuron, without, however, differing statistically from the other herbicide mixtures.

Avaliação de cultivares de caupi para o consórcio com algodoeiro herbáceo

With the objective of evaluating cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) cultivars regarding their agronomic characteristics, seed quality and levels of competition with annual cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L., r. latifolium) in an intercropping production system, an experiment was carried out at Gurinhém, PB, Brazil, in 1983. Twelve cultivars of cowpea with different growth and fruiting characteristics were used in this experiment. Two rows of cowpea were planted between rows of cotton. The cowpeas were planted 35 cm (leaving five plants per meter of row) from the adjoining cotton rows with a 30 cm spacing between the two rows of cowpea. Cotton was grown in rows 1,0 m x 0,20 m apart. Only three cultivars of cowpea (Epace 6, 40 days and CNC x 105-5E) did not significantly reduce the yield of the annual cotton indicating that these cowpea cultivars are well adapted to an intercropping system with annual cotton. The twelve cultivars of cowpeas showed no statistical difference in yield grain and had an average of 489 kg/ha.Visando a avaliação de cultivares de caupi (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) com relação às características de produção, qualidade de grão e força de competição no consorciamento com o algodoeiro herbáceo (Gossypium hirsutum L., r. latifolium Hutch.), um experimento foi realizado no município de Gurinhém, Paraíba, em 1983. Testaram-se doze cultivares de caupi de hábitos de crescimento e ciclos diferentes, numa modalidade de consórcio em que se utilizaram fileiras duplas da leguminosa, espaçadas entre si de 0,30 cm e distanciadas das fileiras de algodão herbáceo de 0,35 cm, com uma densidade de cinco plantas por metro de fileira, objetivando maior pressão de competição do caupi sobre a malvácea. O algodão foi plantado no espaçamento de 1,0 m x 0,2 m. Apenas três cultivares de caupi (Epace 6, 40 dias e CNC x 105 - 5E) não reduziram significativamente o rendimento do algodão, mostrando sua melhor adaptação ao consórcio com o algodão herbáceo. As doze cultivares de caupi não diferiram entre si com relação à produtividade de grão, com uma média de 489 kg/ha