Açaí (Euterpe oleracea Martius) supplementation in the diet during gestation and lactation attenuates liver steatosis in dams and protects offspring.

Purpose: Maternal high-fat diet affects offspring and can induce metabolic disorders such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). New therapeutic strategies are being investigated as way to prevent or attenuate this condition. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of açaí supplementation in the maternal high-fat diet on dams and offspring lipid metabolism. Methods: Female Fisher rats were divided in four groups and fed a control diet (C), a high-fat diet (HF), an açaí supplemented diet (CA) and a high-fat diet supplemented with açaí (HFA) 2 weeks before mating, during gestation and lactation. The effects of açaí were evaluated in the male offspring after birth (P1) and weaning (P21). Results: HFA reduced relative liver weight, fat and cholesterol liver content in dams and improved liver steatosis as confirmed by histological analyses. HFA increased serum cholesterol and expression of Srebpf1 and Fasn genes. In offspring, HFA decreased relative liver weight, and serum cholesterol only in P21. An increase in the Sirt1, Srebpf1 and Fasn genes expression was observed in P21. Conclusions: These results suggest that açaí supplementation may attenuate NAFLD in dams and protect offspring from the detrimental effects of lipid excess from a maternal high-fat diet

Development of an in vivo murine model of perineural invasion and spread of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck

IntroductionCutaneous squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (cSCCHN) can metastasize by invading nerves and spread toward the central nervous system. This metastatic process is called perineural invasion (PNI) and spread (PNS). An in vivo sciatic nerve mouse model is used for cSCCHN PNI/PNS. Here we describe a complementary whisker pad model which allows for molecular studies investigating drivers of PNI/PNS in the head and neck environment.MethodsA431 cells were injected into the whisker pads of BALB/c Foxn1nu and NSG-A2 mice. Tumor progression was monitored by bioluminescence imaging and primary tumor resection was performed. PNI was detected by H&E and IHC. Tumor growth and PNI were assessed with inducible ablation of LOXL2.ResultsThe rate of PNI development in mice was 10%-28.6%. Tumors exhibited PNI/PNS reminiscent of the morphology seen in the human disease. Our model’s utility was demonstrated with inducible ablation of LOXL2 reducing primary tumor growth and PNI.DiscussionThis model consists in a feasible way to test molecular characteristics and potential therapies, offers to close a gap in the described in vivo methods for PNI/PNS of cSCCHN and has uses in concert with the established sciatic nerve model

Nanotechnology for the treatment of deep endometriosis: uptake of lipid core nanoparticles by LDL receptors in endometriotic foci

OBJECTIVE: Rapidly dividing cells in multiple types of cancer and inflammatory diseases undergo high low density lipoprotein (LDL) uptake for membrane synthesis, and coupling an LDL-like nanoemulsion, containing lipid nanoparticles (LDE) to a chemotherapeutic agent efficiently targets these cells without significant systemic effects. This was a prospective exploratory study that evaluated the uptake of a radioactively labeled LDE emulsion by receptors of endometriotic foci and the capacity of the LDE for cellular internalization. METHODS: The lipid profile of each patient was determined before surgery, and labeled LDE were injected into fourteen patients with intestinal or nonintestinal endometriosis. The radioactivity of each tissue sample (intestinal endometriosis, nonintestinal endometriosis, healthy peritoneum, or topical endometrium) was measured. RESULTS: The group with intestinal endometriosis presented higher levels of plasma LDL but lower LDE uptake by foci than the nonintestinal group, suggesting less cell division and more fibrosis. The uptake of LDE was highest in the topical endometrium, followed by the healthy peritoneum, and lowest in the endometriotic lesion. Since the endometriotic foci showed significant LDE uptake, there was likely increased consumption of LDL by these cells, similar to cells in cancers and inflammatory diseases. Plasma cholesterol levels had no influence on LDE uptake, which showed that the direct delivery of the nanoemulsion to target tissues was independent of serum lipoproteins. There were no significant differences in the parameters (p40.01) because of the small sample size, but the findings were similar to those of previous studies. CONCLUSION: Nanotechnology is a promising therapeutic option for surgery and hormonal blockage for deep endometriosis, with a lower complication rate and no systemic side effects

Amplitude de movimento de quadril associada ao índice de massa corporal em idosos

Introduction: Range of motion (ROM) is defined as the angular displacement of a joint. This displacement is necessary for performing functional activities and varies from individual to individual depending on age, gender, physical activity, presence or absence of dysfunction, and degree of muscle strength. WMD assessment is used in physical assessment to identify joint limitations and enable practitioners to quantitatively monitor the effectiveness of the interventions applied. Objective: To analyze hip range of motion associated with body mass index in the elderly. Materials and Method: The study was an experimental cross-sectional research with quantitative approach. Sixty elderly (30 Senior Citizenship Center - CCI and 30 Outdoor Academies - AAL) aged 60 to 70 years old, of both sexes, were evaluated. Results and discussion: The study showed a prevalence of female elderly, who practiced activities independently and who had at least one type of injury. At the ICC there was the presence of a Physical Education professional, which was not found in AAL. The most common diseases between the two groups were Hypertension, Diabetes and Osteoarthritis. In both again, BMI was high and ROM was low, and when correlated with ROM was inversely proportional. Conclusion: It is concluded that the prevalence of overweight elderly, injured and physical activity practitioners without an individualized exercise program can contribute to low ROM.Introdução: A amplitude de movimento (ADM) é definida como o deslocamento angular de uma articulação. Esse deslocamento é necessário para a realização de atividades funcionais e varia de indivíduo para indivíduo dependendo da idade, sexo, prática de atividade física, presença ou ausência de disfunção e o grau de força muscular. A avaliação da ADM é utilizada na avaliação física para identificar limitações articulares e permitir aos profissionais o acompanhamento de modo quantitativo a eficácia das intervenções aplicadas. Objetivo: analisar a amplitude de movimento de quadril associada ao índice de massa corporal em idosos. Matérias e Método:  O estudo tratou-se de uma pesquisa experimental, transversal com abordagem quantitativa. Foram avaliados 60 idosos (30 Centro de Convivência dos Idosos - CCI e 30 das Academias ao Ar Livre - AAL) com idade entre 60 a 70 anos, de ambos os sexos. Resultados e discussão: O estudo apresentou prevalência de idosos do sexo feminino, que praticavam atividades de forma independente e que possuíam pelo menos um tipo de lesão. No CCI havia a presença de um profissional de Educação Física, o que não foi constatado na AAL. As doenças mais comuns entre os dois grupos foram Hipertensão, Diabetes e Osteoartrites. Em ambos novamente, o IMC apresentou-se elevado e a ADM baixa, e quando correlacionado com a ADM mostrou-se inversamente proporcional. Conclusão: Conclui-se que a prevalência de idosos com sobrepeso, lesionados e praticantes de atividade física sem um programa de exercícios individualizados podem contribuir para a ADM baixa.       &nbsp

De Raíz Diversa. Revista Especializada en Estudios Latinoamericanos (Vol. 1 no. 2 oct-dic 2014)

/Índice/ Autores que colaboran en este número > 9; Editorial > 13; /Artículos/ Oficio de historiador, ¿nuevo paradigma o positivismo? -Carlos Barros > 17; Desafíos de las Ciencias Sociales en América Latina. La experiencia en México. -Carlos Hernández Alcántara > 49; México y América Latina sujetos a la vulnerabilidad externa. -Arturo Huerta González > 69; Sertão Digital. Estudo de caso acerca do uso da Internet em Várzea Alegre, CE. -Maria Erica de Oliveira Lima, Priscila Dallva de Oliveira Falcã > 101; Pranchada infamante: Resistência ao castigo físico do soldado imperial na Guerra contra o Paraguai. -Mário Maestri > 125; Un proyecto de modernidad católico: el Ecuador de García Moreno. -Perla P. Valero Pacheco > 155 El mito del bilingüismo y la colonización lingüística en Paraguay. -Gaya Makaran > 183; Las primeras aproximaciones de la política exterior de Brasil en África y la utilización de las prácticas culturales de la población negra brasileña. -Mónica Velasco Molina > 213; /Reseñas/ Gustavo Ogarrio Badillo.Breve historia de la transición y el olvido. Una lectura de la democratización en América Latina. -Orlando Lima Rocha > 247; Carlos Oliva.Semiótica y capitalismo. Ensayos sobre la obra de Bolívar Echeverría. -Alejandro Fernando González Jiménez > 253; Eduardo Subirats.Mito y literatura: revalorar el simbolismo mitológico. -Carlos Pineda > 259; David Gómez Arredondo.Calibán en cuestión. Aproximaciones teóricas y filosóficas desde nuestra América. -Jaime Ortega Reyna > 265

Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time,1,2 and attempts to address it require a clear un derstanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space.3,4 While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes,5–7 vast areas of the tropics remain understudied.8–11 In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world’s most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity,12 but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepre sented in biodiversity databases.13–15 To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications16,17 may elim inate pieces of the Amazon’s biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological com munities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge,18,19 it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple or ganism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region’s vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most ne glected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lostinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio