A leucine-supplemented diet improved protein content of skeletal muscle in young tumor-bearing rats

Cancer cachexia induces host protein wastage but the mechanisms are poorly understood. Branched-chain amino acids play a regulatory role in the modulation of both protein synthesis and degradation in host tissues. Leucine, an important amino acid in skeletal muscle, is higher oxidized in tumor-bearing animals. A leucine-supplemented diet was used to analyze the effects of Walker 256 tumor growth on body composition in young weanling Wistar rats divided into two main dietary groups: normal diet (N, 18% protein) and leucine-rich diet (L, 15% protein plus 3% leucine), which were further subdivided into control (N or L) or tumor-bearing (W or LW) subgroups. After 12 days, the animals were sacrificed and their carcass analyzed. The tumor-bearing groups showed a decrease in body weight and fat content. Lean carcass mass was lower in the W and LW groups (W = 19.9 ± 0.6, LW = 23.1 ± 1.0 g vs N = 29.4 ± 1.3, L = 28.1 ± 1.9 g, P < 0.05). Tumor weight was similar in both tumor-bearing groups fed either diet. Western blot analysis showed that myosin protein content in gastrocnemius muscle was reduced in tumor-bearing animals (W = 0.234 ± 0.033 vs LW = 0.598 ± 0.036, N = 0.623 ± 0.062, L = 0.697 ± 0.065 arbitrary intensity, P < 0.05). Despite accelerated tumor growth, LW animals exhibited a smaller reduction in lean carcass mass and muscle myosin maintenance, suggesting that excess leucine in the diet could counteract, at least in part, the high host protein wasting in weanling tumor-bearing rats.1589159

Helminth fauna of small mammals (insectivores and rodents) in Doñana (southeastern Iberian Peninsula)

Peer Reviewe

Euclid: Superluminous supernovae in the Deep Survey

Context. In the last decade, astronomers have found a new type of supernova called superluminous supernovae (SLSNe) due to their high peak luminosity and long light-curves. These hydrogen-free explosions (SLSNe-I) can be seen to z ~ 4 and therefore, offer the possibility of probing the distant Universe. Aims. We aim to investigate the possibility of detecting SLSNe-I using ESA’s Euclid satellite, scheduled for launch in 2020. In particular, we study the Euclid Deep Survey (EDS) which will provide a unique combination of area, depth and cadence over the mission. Methods. We estimated the redshift distribution of Euclid SLSNe-I using the latest information on their rates and spectral energy distribution, as well as known Euclid instrument and survey parameters, including the cadence and depth of the EDS. To estimate the uncertainties, we calculated their distribution with two different set-ups, namely optimistic and pessimistic, adopting different star formation densities and rates. We also applied a standardization method to the peak magnitudes to create a simulated Hubble diagram to explore possible cosmological constraints. Results. We show that Euclid should detect approximately 140 high-quality SLSNe-I to z ~ 3.5 over the first five years of the mission (with an additional 70 if we lower our photometric classification criteria). This sample could revolutionize the study of SLSNe-I at z > 1 and open up their use as probes of star-formation rates, galaxy populations, the interstellar and intergalactic medium. In addition, a sample of such SLSNe-I could improve constraints on a time-dependent dark energy equation-of-state, namely w(a), when combined with local SLSNe-I and the expected SN Ia sample from the Dark Energy Survey. Conclusions. We show that Euclid will observe hundreds of SLSNe-I for free. These luminous transients will be in the Euclid data-stream and we should prepare now to identify them as they offer a new probe of the high-redshift Universe for both astrophysics and cosmology.Acknowledgements. We thank the internal EC referees (P. Nugent and J. Brichmann) as well as the many comments from our EC colleagues and friends. C.I. thanks Chris Frohmaier and Szymon Prajs for useful discussions about supernova rates. C.I. and R.C.N. thank Mark Cropper for helpful information about the V IS instrument. C.I. thanks the organisers and participants of the Munich Institute for Astro- and Particle Physics (MIAPP) workshop “Superluminous supernovae in the next decade” for stimulating discussions and the provided online material. The Euclid Consortium acknowledges the European Space Agency and the support of a number of agencies and institutes that have supported the development of Euclid. A detailed complete list is available on the Euclid web site (http://www.euclid-ec.org). In particular the Agenzia Spaziale Italiana, the Centre National dEtudes Spatiales, the Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- and Raumfahrt, the Danish Space Research Institute, the Fundação para a Ciênca e a Tecnologia, the Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, The Netherlandse Onderzoekschool Voor Astronomie, the Norvegian Space Center, the Romanian Space Agency, the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) at the Swiss Space Office (SSO), the United Kingdom Space Agency, and the University of Helsinki. R.C.N. acknowledges partial support from the UK Space Agency. D.S. acknowledges the Faculty of Technology of the University of Portsmouth for support during his PhD studies. C.I. and S.J.S. acknowledge funding from the European Research Council under the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013)/ERC Grant agreement No. [291222]. C.I. and M.S. acknowledge support from EU/FP7-ERC grant No. [615929]. E.C. acknowledge financial contribution from the agreement ASI/INAF/I/023/12/0. The work by KJ and others at MPIA on NISP was supported by the Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V. (DLR) under grant 50QE1202. M.B. and S.C. acknowledge financial contribution from the agreement ASI/INAF I/023/12/1. R.T. acknowledges funding from the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad under the grant ESP2015-69020-C2- 2-R. I.T. acknowledges support from Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) through the research grant UID/FIS/04434/2013 and IF/01518/2014. J.R. was supported by JPL, which is run under a contract for NASA by Caltech and by NASA ROSES grant 12-EUCLID12-0004

ERK1/2 is activated in non-small-cell lung cancer and associated with advanced tumours

Activation of the ERK1/2 pathway is involved in malignant transformation both in vitro and in vivo. Little is known about the role of activated ERK1/2 in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The purpose of this study was to characterise the extent of the activation of ERK1/2 by immunohistochemistry in patients with NSCLC, and to determine the relationship of ERK1/2 activation with clinicopathological variables. Specimens from 111 patients with NSCLC (stages I-IV) were stained for P-ERK. Staining for epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and Ki-67 was also performed. In all, 34% of the tumour specimens showed activation for ERK1/2, while normal lung epithelial tissue was consistently negative. There was a strong statistical correlation between nuclear and cytoplasmic P-ERK staining and advanced stages (P<0.05 and P<0.001, respectively), metastatic hilar or mediastinal lymph nodes (P<0.01, P<0.001), and higher T stages (P<0.01, P<0.001). We did not find correlation of nuclear or cytoplasmic P-ERK staining with either EGFR expression or Ki-67 expression. Total ERK1/2 expression was evaluated with a specific ERK1/2 antibody and showed that P-ERK staining was not due to ERK overexpression but rather to hyperactivation of ERK1/2. Patients with a positive P-ERK cytoplasmic staining had a significant lower survival (P<0.05). However, multivariate analysis did not show significant survival difference. Our study indicates that nuclear and cytoplasmic ERK1/2 activation positively correlates with stage, T and lymph node metastases, and thus, is associated with advanced and aggressive NSCLC tumours

Cryptosporidium Spp. And Giardia Spp. In Feces And Water And The Associated Exposure Factors On Dairy Farms

The aims of this study were to verify the prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia spp. in animal feces and drinking water on dairy farms and to identify a possible relation between the exposure factors and the presence of these parasites. Fecal samples from cattle and humans and water samples were collected on dairy farms in Paraná, Brazil. Analysis of (oo)cysts in the feces was performed by the modified Ziehl-Neelsen staining and centrifugal flotation in zinc sulfate. Test-positive samples were subjected to nested PCR amplification of the 18SSU ribosomal RNA gene for identification of Cryptosporidium and Giardia and of the gp60 gene for subtyping of Cryptosporidium. Microbiological analysis of water was carried out by the multiple-tube method and by means of a chromogenic substrate, and parasitological analysis was performed on 31 samples by direct immunofluorescence and nested PCR of the genes mentioned above. Identification of the species of Cryptosporidium was performed by sequencing and PCR with analysis of restriction fragment length polymorphisms. The prevalence of Giardia and Cryptosporidium was higher in calves than in adults. Among the samples of cattle feces, Cryptosporidium parvum was identified in 41 (64%), C. ryanae in eight (12.5%), C. bovis in four (6.3%), C. andersoni in five (7.8%), and a mixed infection in 20 samples (31.3%). These parasites were not identified in the samples of human feces. Thermotolerant coliform bacteria were identified in 25 samples of water (45.5%). Giardia duodenalis and C. parvum were identified in three water samples. The gp60 gene analysis of C. parvum isolates revealed the presence of two strains (IIaA20G1R1 and IIaA17G2R2) in the fecal samples and one (IIaA17G2R1) in the water samples. The presence of coliforms was associated with the water source, structure and degradation of springs, rain, and turbidity. The prevalence of protozoa was higher in calves up to six months of age. C. parvum and G. duodenalis were identified in the water of dairy farms, as were thermotolerant coliforms; these findings point to the need for guidance on handling of animals, preservation of water sources, and water treatment. © 2017 Toledo et al.This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.12

Diez años de atención farmacéutica en España: explorando la realidad

Este trabajo pretende valorar el impacto, después de 10 años, de la implementación de la atención farmacéutica (AF) en la farmacia comunitaria. La investigación se realizó en tres regiones de España, escogidas por representar la variedad del país; registra la prevalencia de la AF practicada por los farmacéuticos comunitarios y explora el impacto que esa implementación ha tenido en las expectativas y actuaciones de pacientes y médicosde atención primaria. Se comienza analizando las diferencias en el número de farmacéuticos que practican AF entre las tres regiones y sus razones: localización, experiencia profesional y motivación. A continuación, se utilizan dos métodos para valorar el impacto de esa implementación en esas tres regiones. En primer lugar, se realizan grupos focales con pacientes que han recibido y que no han recibido AF, valorando el conocimiento del servicio de AF, las expectativas acerca de la AF (incluida su principal demanda) y la satisfacción con la AF recibida. En segundo lugar, se realizaron entrevistas a médicos de familia de cada región, en las áreas donde trabajaban farmacéuticos que practicaban AF, para evaluar la comprensión de la AF, la opinión sobre los farmacéuticos como profesionales sanitarios, la comunicación con ellos y la visión de sus competencias en la atención a los pacientes. Finalmente, se realizaron entrevistas a los farmacéuticos que ofrecen AF para conocer sus estrategias, con el fin de comunicar sus nuevas funciones a los pacientes y a los médicos de familia

Diez años de atención farmacéutica en España: explorando la realidad

Este trabajo pretende valorar el impacto, después de 10 años, de la implementación de la atención farmacéutica (AF) en la farmacia comunitaria. La investigación se realizó en tres regiones de España, escogidas por representar la variedad del país; registra la prevalencia de la AF practicada por los farmacéuticos comunitarios y explora el impacto que esa implementación ha tenido en las expectativas y actuaciones de pacientes y médicosde atención primaria. Se comienza analizando las diferencias en el número de farmacéuticos que practican AF entre las tres regiones y sus razones: localización, experiencia profesional y motivación. A continuación, se utilizan dos métodos para valorar el impacto de esa implementación en esas tres regiones. En primer lugar, se realizan grupos focales con pacientes que han recibido y que no han recibido AF, valorando el conocimiento del servicio de AF, las expectativas acerca de la AF (incluida su principal demanda) y la satisfacción con la AF recibida. En segundo lugar, se realizaron entrevistas a médicos de familia de cada región, en las áreas donde trabajaban farmacéuticos que practicaban AF, para evaluar la comprensión de la AF, la opinión sobre los farmacéuticos como profesionales sanitarios, la comunicación con ellos y la visión de sus competencias en la atención a los pacientes. Finalmente, se realizaron entrevistas a los farmacéuticos que ofrecen AF para conocer sus estrategias, con el fin de comunicar sus nuevas funciones a los pacientes y a los médicos de familia

Paediatricians provide higher quality care to children and adolescents in primary care: A systematic review

Aim: The number of primary care paediatricians is decreasing in Europe without a justifiable reason. We aimed to compare the clinical practice of paediatricians and family doctors attending children and adolescents in primary care. Methods: MEDLINE, Embase, CENTRAL, TRIP and Google Scholar were searched from December 2008 to February 2018. No language or study design restrictions were applied. Three reviewers assessed eligibility of the studies. Seven pairs of reviewers performed the data extraction and assessed the methodological quality independently. Discrepancies were resolved by consensus. Results: Fifty-four, out of 1150 studies preselected, were included. We found that paediatricians show more appropriate pharmacology prescription patterns for the illness being treated; they achieve higher vaccination rates and have better knowledge of vaccines and fewer doubts about vaccine safety; their knowledge and implementation of different screening tests are better; they prescribe psychoactive drugs more cautiously and more in line with current practice guidelines; their evaluation and treatment of obesity and lipid disorders follow criteria more consistently with current clinical practice guidelines; and they perform fewer diagnostic test, show a more suitable use of the test and request fewer referrals to specialists. Conclusion: According to published data, in developed countries, paediatricians provide higher quality care to children than family doctors

Levantamento fitossociológico de plantas daninhas em cafezal orgânico.

A adequação de um cafezal para o sistema orgânico causa grande mudança no sistema de manejo de plantas daninhas, mas as informações sobre o comportamento da comunidade infestante em áreas de cultivo de café orgânico são escassas no Brasil. Objetivou-se com este trabalho realizar um levantamento fitossociológico da comunidade infestante em três cafezais (variedades Mundo Novo, Bourbon Vermelho e Obatã) desenvolvidos em sistema orgânico, no município de Garça (SP). Nas três áreas estudadas foram arremessados ao acaso cem quadrados metálicos com área vazada de 0,25 m2, nas entrelinhas da cultura. As espécies contidas no interior dos quadros foram identificadas segundo a espécie botânica, nome popular e família. A partir dos resultados, determinaram-se os parâmetros fitossociológicos: frequência, densidade, abundância, frequência relativa, densidade relativa, abundância relativa, índice de valor de importância e similaridade florísticas pelos métodos de Simple Matching de Sneath & Sokal e similaridade de Sorensen. As famílias que mais se destacaram, com maior número de espécies nas três áreas foram Poaceae e Asteraceae. Houve alta similaridade em todos os contrastes testados, já que pelo menos metade das espécies identificadas foi comum às duas áreas contrastadas