On verbal agreement variation in European Portuguese: syntactic conditions for the 3SG/3PL alternation

In this paper we scrutinize a case of concord variation in European Portuguese (EP) concerning third plural vs. third singular verbal agreement in the co-presence of an overt plural argument, which in the standard variety agrees with the in! ected verb. " e paper is focused on the linguistic factors that correlate with singular concord in this context. Going beyond previous proposals that emphasize the correlation between agreement variation and particular morphological and phonological factors, it is shown that the incidence of non-standard singulars in EP may be straightforwardly explained within a syntactic account. " e empirical basis for this investigation is CORDIAL-SIN, a dialect corpus of EP (600,000 words). " e evidence from this corpus leads us to discuss and reconsider the role that di# erent linguistic factors play in the manifestation of non-standard singulars. It is shown that this case of third singular agreement occurs in the investigated EP varieties in correlation with particular syntactic conditions, mainly in unaccusative-like con- $gurations. Furthermore, it is suggested that this kind of agreement variation may be ultimately ascribed to lexical variation concerning the availability and feature speci$ cation of (null) expletives.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Formation of bone-like apatite layer on chitosan fiber mesh scaffolds by a biomimetic spraying process

Bone-like apatite coating of polymeric substrates by means of biomimetic process is a possible way to enhance the bone bonding ability of the materials. The created apatite layer is believed to have an ability to provide a favorable environment for osteoblasts or osteoprogenitor cells. The purpose of this study is to obtain bone-like apatite layer onto chitosan fiber mesh tissue engineering scaffolds, by means of using a simple biomimetic coating process and to determine the influence of this coating on osteoblastic cell responses. Chitosan fiber mesh scaffolds produced by a previously described wet spinning methodology were initially wet with a Bioglass"–water suspension by means of a spraying methodology and then immersed in a simulated body fluid (SBF) mimicking physiological conditions for one week. The formation of apatite layer was observed morphologically by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). As a result of the use of the novel spraying methodology, a fine coating could also be observed penetrating into the pores, that is clearly within the bulk of the scaffolds. Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIRATR), Electron Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis also confirmed the presence of apatite-like layer. A human osteoblast-like cell line (SaOs-2) was used for the direct cell contact assays. After 2 weeks of culture, samples were observed under the SEM. When compared to the control samples (unmodified chitosan fiber mesh scaffolds) the cell population was found to be higher in the Ca–P biomimetic coated scaffolds, which indicates that the levels of cell proliferation on this kind of scaffolds could be enhanced. Furthermore, it was also observed that the cells seeded in the Ca–P coated scaffolds have a more spread and flat morphology, which reveals an improvement on the cell adhesion patterns, phenomena that are always important in processes such as osteoconduction

Efeitos de diferentes concentrações de nitrato de amônio e nitrato de potássio na micropropagação da valeriana officinalis l. (valerianaceae).

Valeriana offcinalis L consiste em uma planta herbácea, pertencente à família Valerianaceae conhecida popularmente como valeriana selvagem. Possui uso medicinal para tratamento de dores de cabeça, náuseas, distúrbios hepáticos, antídoto e insônia. Uma das formas de propagação da espécie se dá através da micropropagação que constitui um modo de manter sempre disponíveis explantes sadios e livres de contaminação para aplicação de técnicas de regeneração por cultura de tecidos e transformação genética, além de ser altamente conveniente para manutenção de coleções de plantas de genótipos diferentes, livres de patógenos. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar o efeito de diferentes concentrações dos compostos minerais, nitrato de amônio e nitrato de potássio na micropropagação da Valeriana officinalis visando à redução de custos do meio de cultura MS. O experimento é composto por diferentes concentrações e fontes de nitrato na composição do meio de cultura MS (MS + ½ NH4NO3, MS + ½ KNO3, MS + ¼ NH4NO3, MS + ¼ KNO3e MS completo) totalizando cinco tratamentos, com quatro repetições composta por dois frascos contendo três explantes cada. Após 64 dias da inoculação foi feita a pesagem das plântulas por inteira com o auxílio de balança de precisão, para obter os valores de peso médio de massa fresca e após secagem em estufa por três dias na temperatura de 360 C e aos 67 dias obteve valores médio de massa seca. Os dados foram submetidos à análise de variância e as médias comparadas pelo teste de Tukey a 5% de significância. Houve diferença estatística nos tratamentos apenas para a variável peso de massa seca, onde o tratamento mais significativo MS + ¼ KNO3 obteve 0,17 g e o de menor peso significativo foi o meio MS + ½ NH4NO3 com 0,08 g. Houve efeito das concentrações de nitrato de potássio na micropropagação da V. officinalis L. podendo o meio de cultura MS com ¼ KNO3 ser indicado para o cultivo.bitstream/item/222806/1/Valeriana-officinalis.pd

Efeitos de diferentes concentrações de nitrato de amônio e nitrato de potássio na micropropagação da valeriana officinalis l. (valerianaceae).

Valeriana offcinalis L consiste em uma planta herbácea, pertencente à família Valerianaceae conhecida popularmente como valeriana selvagem. Possui uso medicinal para tratamento de dores de cabeça, náuseas, distúrbios hepáticos, antídoto e insônia. Uma das formas de propagação da espécie se dá através da micropropagação que constitui um modo de manter sempre disponíveis explantes sadios e livres de contaminação para aplicação de técnicas de regeneração por cultura de tecidos e transformação genética, além de ser altamente conveniente para manutenção de coleções de plantas de genótipos diferentes, livres de patógenos. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar o efeito de diferentes concentrações dos compostos minerais, nitrato de amônio e nitrato de potássio na micropropagação da Valeriana officinalis visando à redução de custos do meio de cultura MS. O experimento é composto por diferentes concentrações e fontes de nitrato na composição do meio de cultura MS (MS + ½ NH4NO3, MS + ½ KNO3, MS + ¼ NH4NO3, MS + ¼ KNO3e MS completo) totalizando cinco tratamentos, com quatro repetições composta por dois frascos contendo três explantes cada. Após 64 dias da inoculação foi feita a pesagem das plântulas por inteira com o auxílio de balança de precisão, para obter os valores de peso médio de massa fresca e após secagem em estufa por três dias na temperatura de 360 C e aos 67 dias obteve valores médio de massa seca. Os dados foram submetidos à análise de variância e as médias comparadas pelo teste de Tukey a 5% de significância. Houve diferença estatística nos tratamentos apenas para a variável peso de massa seca, onde o tratamento mais significativo MS + ¼ KNO3 obteve 0,17 g e o de menor peso significativo foi o meio MS + ½ NH4NO3 com 0,08 g. Houve efeito das concentrações de nitrato de potássio na micropropagação da V. officinalis L. podendo o meio de cultura MS com ¼ KNO3 ser indicado para o cultivo

Gene expression profiling integrated into network modelling reveals heterogeneity in the mechanisms of BRCA1 tumorigenesis

Background: gene expression profiling has distinguished sporadic breast tumour classes with genetic and clinical differences. Less is known about the molecular classification of familial breast tumours, which are generally considered to be less heterogeneous. Here, we describe molecular signatures that define BRCA1 subclasses depending on the expression of the gene encoding for oestrogen receptor, ESR1. Methods: for this purpose, we have used the Oncochip v2, a cancer-related cDNA microarray to analyze 14 BRCA1-associated breast tumours. Results: signatures were found to be molecularly associated with different biological processes and transcriptional regulatory programs. The signature of ESR1-positive tumours was mainly linked to cell proliferation and regulated by ER, whereas the signature of ESR1-negative tumours was mainly linked to the immune response and possibly regulated by transcription factors of the REL/NFκB family. These signatures were then verified in an independent series of familial and sporadic breast tumours, which revealed a possible prognostic value for each subclass. Over-expression of immune response genes seems to be a common feature of ER-negative sporadic and familial breast cancer and may be associated with good prognosis. Interestingly, the ESR1-negative tumours were substratified into two groups presenting slight differences in the magnitude of the expression of immune response transcripts and REL/NFκB transcription factors, which could be dependent on the type of BRCA1 germline mutation. Conclusion: this study reveals the molecular complexity of BRCA1 breast tumours, which are found to display similarities to sporadic tumours, and suggests possible prognostic implications

A randomized comparative study of patients undergoing myocardial revascularization with or without cardiopulmonary bypass surgery: The MASS III Trial

The MASS III Trial is a large project from a single institution, The Heart Institute of the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil (InCor), enrolling patients with coronary artery disease and preserved ventricular function. The aim of the MASS III Trial is to compare medical effectiveness, cerebral injury, quality of life, and the cost-effectiveness of coronary surgery with and without of cardiopulmonary bypass in patients with multivessel coronary disease referred for both strategies. The primary endpoint should be a composite of cardiovascular mortality, cerebrovascular accident, nonfatal myocardial infarction, and refractory angina requiring revascularization. The secondary end points in this trial include noncardiac mortality, presence and severity of angina, quality of life based on the SF-36 Questionnaire, and cost-effectiveness at discharge and at 5-year follow-up. In this scenario, we will analyze the cost of the initial procedure, hospital length of stay, resource utilization, repeat hospitalization, and repeat revascularization events during the follow-up. Exercise capacity will be assessed at 6-months, 12-months, and the end of follow-up. A neurocognitive evaluation will be assessed in a subset of subjects using the Brain Resource Center computerized neurocognitive battery. Furthermore, magnetic resonance imaging will be made to detect any cerebral injury before and after procedures in patients who undergo coronary artery surgery with and without cardiopulmonary bypass

Body Shaping and Volume Restoration: The Role of Hyaluronic Acid

Driven by the rising popularity of minimally invasive techniques, the demand for cosmetic procedures is increasing. Cosmetic body-shaping procedures can be categorized into those that remove tissue and those that add volume. This review focuses on the latter of these categories, particularly on the use of resorbable hyaluronic acid gels specifically developed for minimally invasive volume enhancement. Pilot studies of hyaluronic acid involving its injection to contour various body deformities and its recent use in female breast augmentation are discussed. Injectable hyaluronic acid is effective and well tolerated. It represents an attractive treatment option for volume restoration or augmentation by providing predictable long-lasting results after minimally invasive administration. Alternative treatment options for volume enhancement also are summarized including fat transfer, silicone implants, and the use of injectable nonresorbable products such as silicone, polyalkylimide, and polyacrylamide gels. As patients continue to opt for nonsurgical procedures that offer predictable results, the development of minimally invasive products such as hyaluronic acid is increasingly important