Information profiles for DNA pattern discovery

Finite-context modeling is a powerful tool for compressing and hence for representing DNA sequences. We describe an algorithm to detect genomic regularities, within a blind discovery strategy. The algorithm uses information profiles built using suitable combinations of finite-context models. We used the genome of the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe strain 972 h- for illustration, unveilling locations of low information content, which are usually associated with DNA regions of potential biological interest.Comment: Full version of DCC 2014 paper "Information profiles for DNA pattern discovery

Nutrition Education Intervention to Promote Nutrition Knowledge in Preschool Children at District of Leiria, Portugal

Funding: This research was funded by Seed Money from CCISP-HES-SO and Portuguese national funds provided by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT/UI/05704/2020).Several factors can influence children’s food choices and preferences. Food and nutrition education at school can therefore be the key to improving children’s nutrition knowledge, and consequently their eating behavior. To this end, several strategies seem effective, and the current difficulty lies in choosing the best methodology to implement. To determine which intervention has the greatest impact on preschool children’s nutrition knowledge about vegetables: serious game, children’s story, children’s story associated with stickers, or food wheel. This experimental study had the participation of 162 children, aged between 3 to 6 years, attending four public school institutions in the district of Leiria, Portugal. To increase children’s nutrition knowledge about vegetables, four interventions were carried out: digital game, children’s story, children’s story associated with stickers, and a food wheel. To assess the recognition of foods, identification of vegetables, and the functions of five vegetables (lettuce, tomato, carrot, cucumber, and red cabbage), two instruments were applied at three different times (at the start, conclusion, and 6 months after the intervention). The collected data were analyzed using IBM SPSS software. There was an increase in nutrition knowledge both post-intervention and 6 months followup, compared to the initial moment. This increase was statistically significant (p <0.001) when evaluated overall. The intervention with the digital game “Veggies 4 my heart”, compared to the children’s story associated with stickers, proved to be more effective in increasing nutrition knowledge related to the vegetable's functions, 6 months after the intervention (p = 0.028). The four interventions were effective to promote nutrition knowledge about vegetables in preschool children. The interventions with the digital game or with the child’s story with stickers seem to be the most appropriate to increase knowledge about vegetable functions.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Impacto da pandemia da COVID-19 nas associações de cultura, recreio e desporto: Os casos de Portugal e Brasil

As nações portuguesa e brasileira compartilham, historicamente, importantes simetrias. Estes enlaces históricos são salutares para compreendermos semelhanças que ainda se reproduzem em tempos atuais, como é o caso do contexto associativo. Em casos de países como Brasil e Portugal, o período de transição democrática (marcado pela instituição das Constituições de 1976 em Portugal e 1988 no Brasil) estabeleceu-se enquanto período de grande florescimento de movimentos da sociedade civil, principalmente daquelas associações que já possuíam maior enraizamento no tecido social. No caso das associações de cultura, recreio e desporto, os dados dos institutos nacionais de pesquisa demonstram que estas constituem, nos dois países, um tipo associativo muito expressivo (em número de unidades), sendo ao mesmo tempo dos mais antigos e com maior longevidade.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Odontoameloblastoma: a Clinical Case Report

O odontoameloblastoma é um tumor odontogénico misto muito raro. Reportam-se 29 casos bem documentados na literatura inglesa consultada, dos quais apenas 5 têm envolvimento do segmento anterior da mandíbula. Um homem de 51 anos apresentava um tumor da região anterior da mandíbula, com tumefacção dura, difusa e indolor na região parassinfisária direita da mandíbula. Radiograficamente existia extensa lesão radiolucente, bem delimitada, desde o dente 46 ao dente 34, com pequenas estruturas calcificadas no interior. Observava-se expansão óssea com provável perfuração cortical e reabsorções radiculares. Após biópsia realizou-se resseção cirúrgica. O exame anatomopatológico permitiu o diagnóstico de odontoameloblastoma. Não houve recorrência nos 30 meses de seguimento. O odontoameloblastoma é um tumor localmente agressivo com comportamento aparentemente semelhante ao dos ameloblastomas, em termos de crescimento, expansão óssea, rizólise e recorrência, parecendo prudente adotar o mesmo critério terapêutico para ambos

Mitochondrial-dependent apoptosis in Huntington's disease human cybrids

We investigated the involvement of mitochondrial-dependent apoptosis in Huntington's disease (HD) vs. control (CTR) cybrids, obtained from the fusion of human platelets with mitochondrial DNA-depleted NT2 cells, and further exposed to 3-nitropropionic acid (3-NP) or staurosporine (STS). Untreated HD cybrids did not exhibit significant modifications in the activity of mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes I-IV or in mtDNA sequence variations suggestive of a primary role in mitochondrial susceptibility in the subpopulation of HD carriers studied. However, a slight decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential and increased formation of intracellular hydroperoxides was observed in HD cybrids under basal conditions. Furthermore, apoptotic nuclei morphology and a moderate increase in caspase-3 activation, as well as increased levels of superoxide ions and hydroperoxides were observed in HD cybrids upon 3-NP or STS treatment. 3-NP-evoked apoptosis in HD cybrids involved cytochrome c and AIF release from mitochondria, which was associated with mitochondrial Bax translocation. CTR cybrids subjected to 3-NP showed increased mitochondrial Bax and Bim levels and the release of AIF, but not cytochrome c, suggesting a different mode of cell death, linked to the loss of membrane integrity. Additionally, increased mitochondrial Bim and Bak levels, and a slight release of cytochrome c in untreated HD cybrids may help to explain their moderate susceptibility to mitochondrial-dependent apoptosi

Convalescence after tonsillectomy: comparative study between traditional dissection and with harmonic scalpel (Ultracision)

Introdução: Na população pediátrica a amigdalectomia é um dos procedimentos cirúrgicos mais frequentes. O facto de existirem diversas técnicas cirúrgicas e de poderem estar associadas a diferente morbilidade, continua a gerar discussão acerca de qual escolher. Nesse sentido, o objectivo deste trabalho é comparar a morbilidade pós-operatória de 2 técnicas de amigdalectomia: dissecção clássica e dissecção com bisturi harmónico. Material e métodos: Estudo retrospectivo. Foram alternadamente seleccionados doentes submetidos a amigdalectomia por dissecção clássica e com bisturi harmónico, no Serviço de Otorrinolaringologia do Hospital de Braga, Portugal, entre Julho e Dezembro de 2011, num total de 40 doentes em cada grupo. Dados relativos à duração do internamento, complicações no pós-operatório imediato, data de introdução da dieta habitual e recurso ao serviço de urgência até ao 15º dia pós-operatório foram recolhidos e comparados. Resultados: 80 crianças, entre os 3 e os 14 anos, idade média de 6 anos, 56% do sexo feminino. Foram submetidas a adenoamigdalectomia 73 crianças e a amigdalectomia 7 crianças. Não se verificaram complicações durante o internamento e todos os doentes tiveram alta no dia seguinte ao da cirurgia. Um número significativamente maior de doentes submetidos a amigdalectomia com bisturi harmónico (12/40 vs 1/40) recorreu ao serviço de urgência nos dias seguintes à cirurgia, por odinofagia ou hemorragia (p <0.05). O número de dias após cirurgia, em média, em que foi introduzida dieta habitual, foi também significativamente maior no grupo submetido a amigdalectomia com bisturi harmónico (7 dias vs 4 dias) (p <0.05). Conclusões: O uso do bisturi harmónico na amigdalectomia mostrou neste estudo estar associado a maior morbilidade pós-operatória, verificando-se maior recurso ao serviço de urgência e maior demora na introdução de dieta habitual. Estes factores devem ser tidos em conta na indicação da técnica cirúrgica de amigdalectomia, principalmente na população pediátrica

Fibrogenesis in Kidney Transplant: Dysfunction Progress Biomarkers

Fibrogenesis markers, such as alpha-actin (AA), CD163 (macrophages), and E-cadherin, have been studied as chronic kidney allograft injury (CAI) predictors, a major cause of allograft failure. OBJECTIVE: Investigate the value of these markers in predicting CAI and initiation of dialysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective analysis of 26 kidney allograft biopsies (from 22 patients with CAI) during 2 years, evaluating intensity and percentage of marked cells on glomeruli and tubulointerstitial compartment. At the time of the biopsy, patients were 45.5 ± 15.8 years and 4.2 years after transplant, and they had a mean glomerular filtration rate (GFR) of 25.8 ± 9.9 mL/min. From an average of 8.5 glomeruli per biopsy, there was ≤25% sclerosis in 17 cases, 26% to 50% in 5, and >50% in 4. Interstitial fibrosis or tubular atrophy affected ≤25% of cortical area in 14 cases, 26% to 50% in 8, and >50% in 2. Twelve patients started dialysis 5.8 ± 4.7 years after transplant, with an average GFR 20.9 mL/min at the time of the biopsy. RESULTS: There was a higher intensity and percentage of CD163-marked cells in the tubulointerstitial compartment in advanced interstitial fibrosis. We found an association between intensity of AA in the tubulointerstitial compartment and initiation of dialysis (P = .003) and a negative correlation between intensity of E-cadherin loss and GFR (r = -0.56, P = .012). CONCLUSIONS: In our study, intensity of tubulointerstitial AA was shown to be a predictor of initiation of dialysis, and E-cadherin loss intensity was associated to CAI progression. However, prospective and larger studies are needed to evaluate the predictive value of these markers.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio