Prostaglandin E2 induces ovulation in prepubertal mice.

The objective of this study was to determine the ability of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) to induce ovulation and expression of PGE2 receptor (EP2 and EP4) and COX genes (COX-1 and COX-2) in the ovary and pituitary of prepubertal mice. Thepositive control consisted of the application of 5 µg of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH, n = 29); the negativecontrol applied 0.5 mL of phosphate buffered saline (PBS, n=31); the treatment tested the application of 250 µg of PGE2 (n = 29), making a total of 89 prepubertal mice (BALB/c). Mice were euthanized 14 to 15 h after treatments to detectovulation and tissue collection. A Chi-square test was used to compare the proportion of animals ovulating. Geneexpressions and number of ovulation were analyzed by one-way ANOVA and Tukey?s test was used to compare meansamong groups. A greater proportion of mice (P two-fold higher (P < 0.05) in the PGE2 group compared to the PBS and GnRH groups. Further, PGE2 stimulated Cox1 (2.7 fold, P < 0.05) while GnRH stimulated Cox2 expression (6.5 fold, P < 0.05) in the pituitary when compared to the PBS group. In conclusion, our results support the hypothesis that PGE2 can induce ovulation in prepubertal mice with a concomitant increase in Ep2 and Cox1 gene expression in the pituitary gland. O objetivo deste estudo foi determinar a capacidade da prostaglandina E2 (PGE2) em induzir a ovulação e expressão do receptor PGE2 (EP2 e EP4) e genes COX (COX-1 e COX-2) no ovário e na hipófise de camundongos pré-púberes. O controle positivo consistiu na aplicação de 5 µg de hormônio liberador de gonadotrofina (GnRH, n = 29); o controle negativo aplicação 0,5 mL de tampão fosfato-salino (PBS, n=31); o tratamento testado aplicação de 250 µg de PGE2 (n = 29), perfazendo um total de 89 camundongos (BALB/c) pré-púberes. Os camundongos foram sacrificados 14 a 15 h após os tratamentos para detectar ovulações e coleta de tecido. O teste do qui-quadrado foi usado para comparar a proporção de animais ovulando. As expressões gênicas e o número de ovulação foram analisados por ANOVA e o teste de tukey foi usado para comparar as médias entre os grupos. Uma maior proporção de camundongos (P <0,001) ovulou após receber GnRH (89,7%, 26/29) em comparação com o grupo PGE2 (58,6%, 17/29). No entanto, a proporção foi maior em comparação com aqueles tratados com PBS (0%, 0/31). A expressão do gene Ep2 na hipófise foi duas vezes maior (P <0,05) no grupo PGE2 em comparação com os grupos PBS e GnRH. Além disso, a PGE2 estimulou a Cox1(2,7 vezes, P <0,05) enquanto o GnRH estimulou a expressão de Cox2 (6,5 vezes, P <0,05) na pituitária em comparação com o grupo PBS. Em conclusão, nossos resultados suportam a hipótese de que PGE2 é capaz de induzir ovulação em camundongos pré-púberes com aumento concomitante na expressão dos genes Ep2 e Cox1 na glândula pituitária

Remote Detection of water and nutritional status of soybeans using UAV-based images.

Digital aerial images obtained by cameras embedded in remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) have been used to detect and monitor abiotic stresses in soybeans, such as water and nutritional deficiencies. This study aimed to evaluate the ability of vegetation indexes (VIs) from RPA images to remotely detect water and nutritional status in two soybean cultivars for nitrogen. The soybean cultivars BONUS and BRS-8980 were evaluated at the phenological stages R5 and R3 (beginning of seed enlargement), respectively. To do so, plants were subjected to two water regimes (100% ETc and 50% ETc) and two nitrogen (N) supplementation levels (with and without). Thirty-five VIs from multispectral aerial images were evaluated and correlated with stomatal conductance (gs) and leaf N content (NF) measurements. Near-infrared (NIR) spectral band, enhanced vegetation index (EVI), soil-adjusted vegetation index (SAVI), and renormalized difference vegetation index (RDVI) showed linear correlation (p<0.001) with gs, standing out as promising indexes for detection of soybean water status. In turn, simplified canopy chlorophyll content index (SCCCI), red-edge chlorophyll index (RECI), green ratio vegetation index (GRVI), and chlorophyll vegetation index (CVI) were correlated with NF (p<0.001), thus being considered promising for the detection of leaf N content in soybeans

HOXA1 is overexpressed in oral squamous cell carcinomas and its expression is correlated with poor prognosis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>HOX genes encode homeodomain-containing transcription factors involved in the regulation of cellular proliferation and differentiation during embryogenesis. However, members of this family demonstrated oncogenic properties in some malignancies. The present study investigated whether genes of the HOXA cluster play a role in oral cancer.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In order to identify differentially expressed HOXA genes, duplex RT-PCR in oral samples from healthy mucosa and squamous cell carcinoma was used. The effects of HOXA1 on proliferation, apoptosis, adhesion, invasion, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and anchorage-independent growth were assessed in cells with up- and down-regulation of HOXA1. Immunohistochemical analysis using a tissue microarray (TMA) containing 127 oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCC) was performed to determine the prognostic role of HOXA1 expression.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We showed that transcripts of HOXA genes are more abundant in OSCC than in healthy oral mucosa. In particular, HOXA1, which has been described as one of the HOX members that plays an important role in tumorigenesis, was significantly more expressed in OSCCs compared to healthy oral mucosas. Further analysis demonstrated that overexpression of HOXA1 in HaCAT human epithelial cells promotes proliferation, whereas downregulation of HOXA1 in human OSCC cells (SCC9 cells) decreases it. Enforced HOXA1 expression in HaCAT cells was not capable of modulating other events related to tumorigenesis, including apoptosis, adhesion, invasion, EMT and anchorage-independent growth. A high number of HOXA1-positive cells was significantly associated with T stage, N stage, tumor differentiation and proliferative potential of the tumors, and was predictive of poor survival. In multivariate analysis, HOXA1 was an independent prognostic factor for OSCC patients (HR: 2.68; 95% CI: 1.59-2.97; p = 0.026).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our findings indicate that HOXA1 may contribute to oral carcinogenesis by increasing tumor cell proliferation, and suggest that HOXA1 expression might be helpful as a prognostic marker for patients with OSCC.</p

Genomics and epidemiology for gastric adenocarcinomas (GE4GAC): a Brazilian initiative to study gastric cancer

Abstract Gastric cancer (GC) is the fifth most common type of cancer worldwide with high incidences in Asia, Central, and South American countries. This patchy distribution means that GC studies are neglected by large research centers from developed countries. The need for further understanding of this complex disease, including the local importance of epidemiological factors and the rich ancestral admixture found in Brazil, stimulated the implementation of the GE4GAC project. GE4GAC aims to embrace epidemiological, clinical, molecular and microbiological data from Brazilian controls and patients with malignant and pre-malignant gastric disease. In this letter, we summarize the main goals of the project, including subject and sample accrual and current findings

Outcomes from elective colorectal cancer surgery during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic

This study aimed to describe the change in surgical practice and the impact of SARS-CoV-2 on mortality after surgical resection of colorectal cancer during the initial phases of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic

Biochemical characterization, action on macrophages, and superoxide anion production of four basic Phospholipases A2 from Panamanian Bothrops asper Snake Venom

Submitted by EMERSON LEAL ([email protected]) on 2016-06-20T13:23:11Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Biochemical Characterization, Action on.pdf: 2093810 bytes, checksum: 0b5ba2ff6883e6faada0f1d189a44b90 (MD5)Approved for entry into archive by EMERSON LEAL ([email protected]) on 2016-07-14T15:25:25Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Biochemical Characterization, Action on.pdf: 2093810 bytes, checksum: 0b5ba2ff6883e6faada0f1d189a44b90 (MD5)Made available in DSpace on 2016-07-14T15:25:25Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Biochemical Characterization, Action on.pdf: 2093810 bytes, checksum: 0b5ba2ff6883e6faada0f1d189a44b90 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013Made available in DSpace on 2016-07-15T18:40:37Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 3 Biochemical Characterization, Action on.pdf.txt: 41466 bytes, checksum: c3be979a3b56d53538068e99960e1440 (MD5) Biochemical Characterization, Action on.pdf: 2093810 bytes, checksum: 0b5ba2ff6883e6faada0f1d189a44b90 (MD5) license.txt: 2991 bytes, checksum: 5a560609d32a3863062d77ff32785d58 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013Universidade de São Paulo. Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Toxicológicas e Bromatológicas. Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto. Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brasil. / Universidad Autónoma de Chiriquí. Departamento de Química. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Exactas. UNACHI, Panama. / Complejo Hospitalario Metropolitano. Departamento de Laboratorio Clínico. Caja de Seguro Social. CHM-CSS, Panama.Universidade de São Paulo. Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Toxicológicas e Bromatológicas. Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto. Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brasil.Universidade de São Paulo. Departamento de Física e Química. Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto. Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Centro de Estudos de Biomoléculas Aplicadas a Saúde-CEBio. Núcleo de Saúde. Universidade Federal de Rondônia. Porto Velho, RO, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Centro de Estudos de Biomoléculas Aplicadas a Saúde-CEBio. Núcleo de Saúde. Universidade Federal de Rondônia. Porto Velho, RO, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Centro de Estudos de Biomoléculas Aplicadas a Saúde-CEBio. Núcleo de Saúde. Universidade Federal de Rondônia. Porto Velho, RO, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Centro de Estudos de Biomoléculas Aplicadas a Saúde-CEBio. Núcleo de Saúde. Universidade Federal de Rondônia. Porto Velho, RO, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Centro de Estudos de Biomoléculas Aplicadas a Saúde-CEBio. Núcleo de Saúde. Universidade Federal de Rondônia. Porto Velho, RO, Brasil.Bothrops asper (Squamata: Viperidae) is the most important venomous snake in Central America, being responsible for the majority of snakebite accidents. Four basic PLA2s (pMTX-I to -IV) were purified from crude venom by a single-step chromatography using a CM-Sepharose ion-exchange column (1.5 × 15 cm). Analysis of the N-terminal sequence demonstrated that pMTX-I and III belong to the catalytically active Asp49 phospholipase A2 subclass, whereas pMTX-II and IV belong to the enzymatically inactive Lys49 PLA2s-like subclass. The PLA2s isolated from Panama Bothrops asper venom (pMTX-I, II, III, and IV) are able to induce myotoxic activity, inflammatory reaction mainly leukocyte migration to the muscle, and induce J774A.1 macrophages activation to start phagocytic activity and superoxide production

Gestão pública, formação e identidade de profissionais de educação infantil Public management, education and identity of early child education professionals

O artigo trata da gestão da educação infantil e das políticas de formação de profissionais da área. Buscou resgatar histórias de formação das profissionais responsáveis pela gestão da educação infantil nas Secretarias Municipais de Educação do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. O texto está estruturado em três partes. A primeira contextualiza a pesquisa, traz questões de natureza metodológica sobre o questionário aplicado nos municípios e sintetiza dados obtidos com esse instrumento. A segunda aborda as entrevistas realizadas com as profissionais no que diz respeito ao referencial teórico-metodológico, traz aspectos práticos da sua realização e apresenta uma síntese das principais categorias que emergiram dos relatos. A terceira parte focaliza o tema da gestão, identidade e formação. As entre vistadas falam do contexto em que atuam, de hierarquia e poder, revelando situações em que a precariedade, a falta de condições materiais e humanas, o despreparo e o improviso convivem com a dedicação, o idealismo e o compromisso profissional.<br>The article addresses early child education and the policies set forth for the professional formation in this field. It sought to rescue stories about the education of professionals in charge of the management of early child education at the Municipal Secretariats of Education of the State of Rio de Janeiro. The text consists of three sections. The first contextualizes the research, addressing issues of methodological nature related to the questionnaire employed in the municipalities and summarizes the data thus obtained. The second section deals with the interviews conducted with these professionals, discussing the theoretic-methodological framework employed, practical aspects related to the conduction of the interviews, and the main categories that emerged from the reports. The third part focuses on the themes of management, identity and education. The interviewed speak about the context within which they work, about hierarchy and power, disclosing situations in which the precariousness, the lack of material and human resources, the lack of preparation, and decisions made on the spur of the moment coexist with dedication, idealism and professional commitment