The effects of oculomotor instability on visual performance of people with macular disease

Background: People with macular disease often face difficulties using their preferred retinal locus (PRL) during visual tasks. These difficulties are due to impaired oculomotor control, amongst other causes. The aim of this work was to investigate whether stabilizing the visual target at the PRL is beneficial for visual acuity and reading. Methods: Control of retinal image instability at the PRL was achieved using an eyetracker that moved the target according to the eye movements. Crowded and uncrowded visual acuity was measured at the PRL in people with macular disease and in healthy peripheral retina of control subjects. RSVP reading speed was also measured using the same method of stabilization at the PRL and healthy peripheral retina. Results: Results of a series of experiments showed that stabilizing the visual target can improve visual performance in most cases. In healthy peripheral retina crowded visual acuity improved when the image was stabilized and reduced when fixation instability was over-compensated. At the PRL, in patients, no improvement in visual acuity was obtained under stabilized conditions and again visual acuity reduced for over-compensated fixation instability. However, reading speed improved under stabilized conditions, by 20% in healthy peripheral retina of control subjects, and by up to 40% at the PRL of people with macular disease. Discussion: Good oculomotor control is critical for complex crowded tasks like reading. The improvement in reading speed found whilst compensating for oculomotor instability at the PRL is encouraging. These results indicate that training programs which aim to improve fixation control are likely to bring benefits for visual tasks. The observed increase in reading speed might be clinically relevant but the technique used to control instability needs simplification to be implemented outside the laboratory

Perceived cognitive functioning in breast cancer patients treated with chemotherapy compared to matched healthy women: Evidence from a Portuguese study

Aim: Cognitive concerns are one of the most frequently reported symptoms by breast cancer survivors. This study aimed to evaluate perceived cognitive functioning in Portuguese women with breast cancer treated with chemotherapy. Methods: A cross-sectional study enrolling 146 women (73 with breast cancer and 73 healthy) was conducted from August to October 2017, invited to participate through online dissemination. Participants completed self-reported questionnaires to collect sociodemographic and clinical data and assess perceived cognitive functioning and psychological adjustment variables (anxiety and depression). Results: Compared to healthy women, women with breast cancer showed significantly lower scores on the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Cognitive Function (FACT-Cog) subscales and higher levels of depression. Both groups showed significant negative correlations between perceived cognitive functioning and anxiety and depression. Health status and depression seem to better explain perceived cognitive functioning, with health status adding significantly more explained variance beyond sociodemographic and psychological adjustment variables. Conclusion: The current findings provide evidence for the existence of more cognitive complaints among Portuguese women with breast cancer, compared to healthy individuals. Anxiety, depression, age and education also explain perceived cognitive functioning. Considering that health status and psychological adjustment seem to significantly explain perceived cognitive functioning, special attention should be given by health-care professionals, including nurses, to designing clinical interventions for breast cancer patients to help manage cognitive impairment

Bacterial community dynamics in horizontal flow constructed wetlands with different plants for high salinity industrial wastewater polishing

This study is focused on the diversity of bacterial communities from two series of horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetlands (CW) polishing high salinity tannery wastewater. Each series was planted with Arundo donax or Sarcocornia sp. in a substrate composed by expanded clay and sand. Chemical and biochemical oxygen demand removal efficiencies were similar in each series, varying between 58 and 67% (inlet COD 218 ± 28 mg L−1) and 60 and 77% (inlet BOD5 37 ± 6 mg L−1), respectively. High numbers of culturable bacteria were obtained from substrate and root samples – 5.75 × 106-3.95 × 108 CFU g−1 recovered on marine agar and 1.72 × 107-8.46 × 108 CFU g−1 on nutrient agar. Fifty bacterial isolates were retrieved from the CW, related phylogenetically to Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, α-, β-, and γ-Proteobacteria. Changes in the bacterial communities, from roots and substrate of each series, related to the plant species, hydraulic loading rates and along CW operation were examined using denaturating gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). The clustering analysis suggested that a diverse and distinct bacterial community inhabits each series, which was related to the type of plant present in each CW.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Cancer associated-fibroblast-derived exosomes in cancer progression

To identify novel cancer therapies, the tumor microenvironment (TME) has received a lot of attention in recent years in particular with the advent of clinical successes achieved by targeting immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). The TME consists of multiple cell types that are embedded in the extracellular matrix (ECM), including immune cells, endothelial cells and cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs), which communicate with cancer cells and each other during tumor progression. CAFs are a dominant and heterogeneous cell type within the TME with a pivotal role in controlling cancer cell invasion and metastasis, immune evasion, angiogenesis and chemotherapy resistance. CAFs mediate their effects in part by remodeling the ECM and by secreting soluble factors and extracellular vesicles. Exosomes are a subtype of extracellular vesicles (EVs), which contain various biomolecules such as nucleic acids, lipids, and proteins. The biomolecules in exosomes can be transmitted from one to another cell, and thereby affect the behavior of the receiving cell. As exosomes are also present in circulation, their contents can also be explored as biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of cancer patients. In this review, we concentrate on the role of CAFs-derived exosomes in the communication between CAFs and cancer cells and other cells of the TME. First, we introduce the multiple roles of CAFs in tumorigenesis. Thereafter, we discuss the ways CAFs communicate with cancer cells and interplay with other cells of the TME, and focus in particular on the role of exosomes. Then, we elaborate on the mechanisms by which CAFs-derived exosomes contribute to cancer progression, as well as and the clinical impact of exosomes. We conclude by discussing aspects of exosomes that deserve further investigation, including emerging insights into making treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitor blockade more efficient.Cancer Signaling networks and Molecular Therapeutic

Erythropoietin doping as cause of sudden death in athletes: an experimental study

Aims: To evaluate the cardiovascular (CV) effects of rhEPO treatment in rats under chronic aerobic exercise and to assess the probable cause of sudden death in one rat. Protocol: Male Wistar rats: control - sedentary; rhEPO - 50 IU/Kg/3xwk; swimming (EX) -1 hr, 3x/wk; EX+EPO. Hematology, catecholamines and serotonin, redox status and inflammation, were assessed. One rat of EX+EPO group suffered a sudden death episode. Results: rhEPO treatment in trained rats promoted several markers of increased CV risk. The sudden death rat tissues presented: lungs without signs of drowning; brain with vascular congestion; LV hypertrpphy and deregulations of cardiac fibers, together with a "cardiac liver", suggesting the hypothesis of heart failure as cause of death. Conclusion: The sudden death of a EX+EPO rat, due to a cardiac episode, together with the increased CV risk profile, strongly suggest a high life risk associated to the continuous rhEPO doping. The anatomo-pathological studies were determinant to establish the cause of death

Estudo comparativo das características sensoriais de carne de capão, galo, “frango do campo” e “frango comercial”.

A castração tem como objetivo promover o aumento do conteúdo em gordura intramuscular (Tor et al., 2002; Chen et al., 2005; Tor et al., 2005), melhorando o sabor, textura e suculência da carne (Chen et al., 2005; Tor et al., 2005). Tal efeito tem melhorado sensorialmente a qualidade da carne (Miguel et al., 2008; Webb e O'Neill, 2008), tornando-a mais apreciada pêlos consumidores do que a carne de galos da mesma idade (Chen et al., 2005; Tor et al., 2005). O presente trabalho teve como objetivo obter uma visão global e comparativa da carne de capões em relação aos galos, criados sob o mesmo sistema de produção.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Design of a lipid nanovesicle system encapsulating bacteriophages integrated in a multiple emulsion formulation: A proof-of-concept

Development of a biotechnological process for the inhalational administration of a bacteriophage was pursued, using strategies of nanoencapsulation within lipid nanovesicles. As a proof-of-concept for the nanoencapsulation strategy, a bacteriophage with broad lytic spectrum was entrapped within W/O/W multiple nanoemulsions. Physicochemical characterization of the optimized bacteriophage-encasing nanovesicles encompassed determination of particle hydrodynamic size, size distribution and particle charge via DLS, surface morphology via CRYO-SEM, and thermal analysis via DSC, whereas antimicrobial activity of the nanoemulsions produced was assessed in vitro using several bacterial strains. The optimized nanosystems showed no phase separation and encompassed nanovesicles with an average size of ca. 114 nm and an average Zeta Potential of ca. -13 mV, which were maintained stable over a storage timeframe of ca. 3 months.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Improvement of antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of soy isoflavones extracts bioconverted with ?-glucosidase / Melhoria da atividade antioxidante e antimicrobiana de extratos de isoflavonas de soja bioconvertidos com ?-glucosidase

Soybean is largely produced in Brazil being one of the main Brazilian Agricultural crop, achieving 223 million tons produced in 2017. The consumption of soy products increased in recent years due to the association with healthy benefits in oxidative stress and chronic diseases. The researches have been pointing that the isoflavones presenting in soy are the responsible compounds for alleviating these symptoms. The main purpose of this work were use of ?-glucosidase enzyme to convert glucoside isoflavones to aglycone form in isoflavone soy extract, and then evaluate the antioxidant and antimicrobial activity against some pathogens. The isoflavones were obtained according to Aguiar (2004) with modifications. The soy flour (65 mesh) was defatted with hexane (1:10 w/v) and the extraction of isoflavones was performed using 80% aqueous methanol solution under 100 rpm stirring for 1 hour at room temperature. The mixture was then filtrated, and the supernatant recovered. The extract was used for the bioconversion of glycosyl isoflavones from soy into aglycones isoflavones using ?-glucosidase enzyme. According to recent researches the aglycon form has greater absorption by organism and higher antioxidant activity than the glucoside form. According the results all antioxidant methods presented higher activity to bioconverted extract. The bioconverted extract (1060.73 mg Trolox equivalent) presented near 9 times superior antioxidant activity measured by DPPH method than raw extract (123.21 mg Trolox equivalent).  The Total phenolic content presented similar behavior being higher to bioconverted extract than in raw extract. The antimicrobial activity of the isoflavones extracts raw and bioconverted against S. aureus, C. albicans and E. coli were higher than 1600 ?g/mL in the range studied 0.78 to 1600 ?g/mL