A distanásia como geradora de dilemas éticos nas Unidades de Terapia Intensiva: considerações sobre a participação dos enfermeiros La distanasia como generadora de dilemas éticos en las Unidades deTerapia Intensiva: algunos aspectos a cerca de lo envolvimiento de los enfermeros Disthanasia as an ethical dilemma at the Intensive Care Units: considerations about nurses involvement

A distanásia apresenta-se como uma das fontes geradoras de dilemas éticos nas Unidades de Terapia Intensiva (UTI). Discute-se o contexto que favorece a prática da distanásia nesse ambiente, com ênfase na utilização excessiva do suporte tecnológico. Tecemos comentários sobre a participação dos familiares e profissionais envolvidos, principalmente médicos e enfermeiros, considerando-se o papel sócio-profissional atribuído a cada um. Pretende-se com as considerações apresentadas, fornecer subsídios para a reflexão do tema, com vistas a uma participação mais ativa dos enfermeiros de UTI nos dilemas éticos relacionados à distanásia.<br>La distanasia se presenta como una de las fuentes generadoras de los dilemas éticos en las Unidades de Terapia Intensiva (UTI) Discute el contexto que favorece la práctica de la distanasia en este ambiente, con énfasis en la utilización excesiva del arsenal tecnologico. Además de los comentarios sobre la posición de los familiares y de los profesionales involucrados, principalmente los médicos y enfermeros, se consideró el papel socio-profesional que se atribuye a cada uno. Para finalizar, los profesionales del area son estimulados a refletir sobre el tema y los enfermeros a participar de manera más activa en las discusiones de los dilemas éticos relacionados a la distanasia.<br>Disthanasia is conceptualized and presented as an ethical dilemma in Intensive Care Units (ICU). The context favoring the disthanasia practice on this environment focusing the excessive use of technological devices will be discussed. The study will approach the family, physician and nurse’s participation in the situations, considering the social and professional role of each one. This study aims to provide support for healthcare professionals to reflect on this subject, aiming the nurse’s more effective participation on ethical dilemmas related to disthanasia

Class I HLA-restricted cytotoxic T lymphocyte responses against malaria-elucidation on the basis of HLA peptide binding motifs

In animal models, CD8+ T cells are a critical effector mechanism in the protective immunity against malaria. Conventional approaches to the development of many vaccines, including those against malaria, have however proved inadequate. In particular, an alternative approach is needed for the development of vaccines designed to induce a cellular immune response mediated by CD8+ T cells. Advances in the field of molecular immunology during the past decade have provided an insight into the presentation of peptides by MHC class I molecules and their recognition by CD8+ T cells. These studies have provided a conceptual basis for the development of efficacious parasitic and viral vaccines. By a combination of immunochemical and cellular immunologic analyses based on specific peptide binding motifs, a subunit malaria vaccine that includes CD8+ T cell epitopes restricted by the most common class I HLA alleles, including HLA-A2, can now be constructed

Measuring and interpreting transposable element expression

International audienceTransposable elements (TEs) are insertional mutagens that contribute greatly to the plasticity of eukaryotic genomes, influencing the evolution and adaptation of species as well as physiology or disease in individuals. Measuring TE expression helps to understand not only when and where TE mobilization can occur, but also how this process alters gene expression, chromatin accessibility or cellular signalling pathways. Although genome-wide gene expression assays such as RNA-sequencing include transposon-derived transcripts, the majority of computational analytical tools discard or misinterpret TE-derived reads. Emerging approaches are improving the identification of expressed TE loci and helping to discriminate TE transcripts that permit TE mobilization from gene-TE chimeric transcripts or pervasive transcription. Here, we review the main challenges associated with the detection of TE expression, including mappability, insertional and internal sequence polymorphisms, and the diversity of the TE transcriptional landscape, as well as the different experimental and computational strategies to solve them