176 research outputs found
Biomarkers in Overactive Bladder: A New Objective and Noninvasive Tool?
Overactive bladder syndrome (OAB) is a highly prevalent urinary
dysfunction, with considerable economic and human costs. Clinical diagnosis of OAB is still based on subjective symptoms. A new
accurate, objective and noninvasive test to diagnose OAB and assess therapeutic outcome is lacking. Recent studies in lower
urinary tract (LUT) dysfunctions, particularly in OAB patients, indicate that urinary proteins (neurotrophins, prostaglandins, and
cytokines), serum C reactive protein, and detrusor wall thickness are altered, and such changes could be used as biomarkers of the
disease. Nowadays, increasing emphasis has been given to the role of urinary neurotrophins, namely nerve growth factor (NGF) and
brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), as key players in some urinary dysfunctions. Although recently considered to be a bladder
dysfunction biomarker, urinary NGF presents low sensitivity and specificity. Preliminary results suggest that BDNF may serve as a
more efficient biomarker. Even though we have to wait for future studies to confirm the potential role of NGF and BDNF as OAB
biomarkers, it is already clear that neurotrophins will contribute to elucidate the physiopathological basis of OAB. Herein are
reviewed the latest advances in this new and exciting field, the detection and clinical application of emerging OAB biomarkers
Effects of disturbance area on fouling communities from a tropical environment: Guanabara Bay, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Em comunidades incrustantes marinhas, o espaço livre no substrato é um dos principais recursos limitantes para o estabelecimento de novos organismos. Assim sendo, distúrbios físicos que removam biomassa se mostram importantes agentes para a estruturação e dinâmica dessas comunidades. A extensão do distúrbio é uma característica que parece afetar os padrões de recolonização, e desta forma altera a diversidade de espécies. O objetivo deste trabalho foi analisar os efeitos de áreas crescentes de distúrbio em comunidades incrustantes. Para tal, comunidades macrobentônicas incrustantes foram previamente desenvolvidas por 6 meses na Baía de Guanabara (22°52'S, 043°08'W), recebendo uma única vez distúrbios circulares, aleatoriamente posicionados, com áreas crescentes (7 níveis, de 0 a 75% da cobertura removida, 10 réplicas por nível). Amostragens quinzenais foram realizadas após o distúrbio, de modo a acompanhar os padrões de desenvolvimento das comunidades. Na primeira amostragem observou-se que índices máximos de diversidade foram obtidos nas comunidades que receberam níveis intermediários de distúrbio. No entanto, no decorrer do tempo este perfil deu lugar a um pico de diversidade nas comunidades que sofreram os maiores níveis de distúrbio. Notou-se também um incremento contínuo da riqueza e diversidade ao longo do tempo até a 7ª amostragem (110 dias após os distúrbios), com subseqüente redução a partir deste momento. Tais padrões parecem corroborar a Hipótese do Distúrbio Intermediário, embora em médio prazo o perfil da comunidade mude drasticamente, revelando que perturbações físicas representam de fato um importante fator na estruturação de comunidades marinhas de substrato consolidado da Baía de Guanabara, além de realçar a importância de estudos de maior duração na avaliação dos impactos de distúrbios em comunidades marinhas.In marine fouling communities, free space is one of the key limiting resources for settlement of new organisms. In this way, removing biomass through physical disturbances would play an important role in the structure and dynamics of these communities. The disturbance size seems to be a characteristic that influences recolonization patterns, thus affecting species diversity. The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of growing disturbance areas on fouling communities. Fouling panels were allowed to develop for 6 mo. at Guanabara Bay (22°52'S, 043°08'W) prior to a single application of randomly positioned, circular physical disturbances of growing areas (7 levels, from 0 to 75% removed cover, 10 replicates per treatment). Samples were taken fortnightly after the disturbance event, so as to follow the development patterns of the community afterward. At the first sampling the diversity showed maximum indices in communities to which intermediary disturbance levels were applied. However, this profile changed later to a diversity peak in communities with higher disturbance levels. It also showed a continuous increase in richness and diversity through time until the 7th sample (110 days after the disturbance event), with subsequent decrease. Such patterns seem to corroborate the Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis, despite the drastic profile change with time, revealing that disturbance is indeed an important factor structuring hard bottom communities at Guanabara Bay, and highlighting the importance of longer term studies of disturbance impacts in marine communities
Review Article Biomarkers in Overactive Bladder: A New Objective and Noninvasive Tool?
Overactive bladder syndrome (OAB) is a highly prevalent urinary dysfunction, with considerable economic and human costs. Clinical diagnosis of OAB is still based on subjective symptoms. A new accurate, objective and noninvasive test to diagnose OAB and assess therapeutic outcome is lacking. Recent studies in lower urinary tract (LUT) dysfunctions, particularly in OAB patients, indicate that urinary proteins (neurotrophins, prostaglandins, and cytokines), serum C reactive protein, and detrusor wall thickness are altered, and such changes could be used as biomarkers of the disease. Nowadays, increasing emphasis has been given to the role of urinary neurotrophins, namely nerve growth factor (NGF) and brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), as key players in some urinary dysfunctions. Although recently considered to be a bladder dysfunction biomarker, urinary NGF presents low sensitivity and specificity. Preliminary results suggest that BDNF may serve as a more efficient biomarker. Even though we have to wait for future studies to confirm the potential role of NGF and BDNF as OAB biomarkers, it is already clear that neurotrophins will contribute to elucidate the physiopathological basis of OAB. Herein are reviewed the latest advances in this new and exciting field, the detection and clinical application of emerging OAB biomarkers
Impact of deficit irrigation on water use efficiency and carbon isotope composition (δ13C) of field-grown grapevines under Mediterranean climate
The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of
deficit irrigation on intrinsic water use efficiency (A/gs)
and carbon isotope composition (δ 13C) of two grapevine
cultivars (Moscatel and Castelão), growing in
a commercial vineyard in SW Portugal. The study
was done in two consecutive years (2001 and 2002).
The treatments were full irrigation (FI), corresponding
to 100% of crop evapotranspiration (ETc), rain-fed (no
irrigation, NI), and two types of deficit irrigation (50%
ETc): (i) by supplying the water either to one side of the
root system or to the other, which is partial rootzone
drying (PRD), or (ii) dividing the same amount of water
by the two sides of the root system, the normal deficit
irrigation (DI). The water supplied to the PRD treatment
alternated sides approximately every 15 d. The values
of predawn leaf water potential (ψpd) and the cumulative
integral of ψpd (Sψ) during the season were lower
in 2001 than in the 2002 growing season. Whereas
differences in Wpd and SW between PRD and DI were
not significantly different in 2001, in 2002 (a dryer year)
both cultivars showed lower values of SW in the PRD
treatment as compared with the DI treatment. This
suggests that partial rootzone drying may have a positive
effect on water use under dryer conditions, either
as a result of better stomatal control and/or reduced
vigour. The effects of the water treatments on δ13C
were more pronounced in whole grape berries and
pulp than in leaves. The δ13C of pulp showed the best
correlation with intrinsic water use efficiency (A/gs) as
well as with Sψ. In spite of the better water status
observed in PRD compared with DI in the two cultivars
in 2002, no statistical differences between the two
treatments were observed in A/gs and δ13C. On the
other hand, they showed a higher δ13C compared with
FI. In conclusion, it is apparent that the response to
deficit irrigation varies with the environmental conditions
of the particular year, the driest conditions
exacerbating the differences among treatments. The
highest values of d13C found in the pulp of NI vines in
Castela˜o compared with Moscatel suggest different
sensitivities to water deficits in the two cultivars, as
was empirically observed
Grape berry metabolism in field-grown grapevines exposed to different irrigation strategies
The response of grape berry metabolism to vine water
status was investigated in field grown grapevines (Vitis
vinifera cv. Castelão) in southern Portugal. Water was supplied
as: full irrigation (FI), to minimum water deficit corresponding
to 100 % of crop evapotranspiration (Etc), partial
rootzone drying (PRD) and deficit irrigation (DI), both
corresponding to an irrigation amount of 50 % Etc, and a
rainfed, i.e. no irrigation treatment (NI). In PRD, water was
supplied to one side of the root system during each irrigation
period, alternating sides every 15 d approximately.
During the growing period, PRD and DI vines showed intermediate
pre-dawn leaf water potential (Ψpd) values
(around -0.4 MPa) by the end of the growing season, FI
vines -0.2 MPa and NI -0.8 MPa. Berry weight as well as
the content of glucose and fructose per berry increased in
irrigated vines (PRD, DI, and FI) compared to NI vines. Although
both malic and tartaric acid declined in non-irrigated
vines, there was no significant difference between
treatments at harvest. The activities of invertase, malate
dehydrogenase and malic enzyme were not affected by irrigation
throughout the ripening process. The contribution
of other factors involved in the reduction of sugars and
organic acids in berries of non-irrigated vines are discussed.
These results show that deficit irrigation, like PRD
and DI, do not have any negative impact on growth and quality
of grape berries compared to fully irrigated vines, but
may result in improved berry quality compared to rainfed
vines
Deficit irrigation in grapevine improves water-use efficiency while controlling vigour and production quality
Grapevine irrigation is becoming an important practice to guarantee wine quality
or even plant survival in regions affected by seasonal drought. Nevertheless, irrigation
has to be controlled to optimise source to sink balance and avoid excessive
vigour. The results we present here in two grapevine varieties (Moscatel and Castela
˜o) during 3 years, indicate thatwe can decrease the amount ofwater applied by
50%(as in deficit irrigation, DI, and in partial root drying, PRD) in relation to full
crop’s evapotranspiration (ETc) [full irrigated (FI) vines] with no negative effects
on production and even get some gains of quality (in the case of PRD).We report
that in non-irrigated and in several cases in PRD vines exhibit higher concentrations
of berry skin anthocyanins and total phenols than those presented by DI and
FI vines.We showed that these effects on quality weremediated by a reduction in
vigour, leading to an increase on light interception in the cluster zone. Because
plant water status during most of the dates along the season was not significantly
different between PRD and DI, and when different, PRD even exhibited a higher
leaf water potential than DI vines, we conclude that growth inhibition in PRD was
not a result of a hydraulic control. The gain in crop water use in DI and PRD was
accompanied by an increase of the δ13 C values in the berries in DI and PRD as
compared to FI, suggesting that we can use this methodology to assess the integrated
water-use efficiency over the growing season
Effects of partial root-zone drying irrigation on cluster microclimate and fruit composition of field-grown Castelão grapevines
The partial root-zone drying (PRD) irrigation technique
has been proposed for viticulture as a possible way to
save water without compromising yield. Half of the plant
root system is slowly dehydrating whereas the other half is
irrigated; after about two weeks the opposite side of vines is
irrigated. A PRD irrigation system (50 % of the crop
evapotranspiration - ETc) was installed in a vineyard (Vitis
vinifera L. cv. Castelão) in Southern Portugal and compared
with two other irrigation systems, deficit irrigation,
DI (50 % ETc) and full irrigation, FI (100 % ETc), as well
as with non-irrigated vines (NI). Water was applied twice a
week, from fruit set (mid-June) until one week before harvest
(September 3). While FI vines remained well watered
during the ripening period, a severe water stress developed
in NI plants. PRD and DI vines exhibited mild water deficits
during the same period. A significant decrease in vegetative
growth (shoot weight, pruning weight, leaf layer number
and percentage of water shoots) was observed in NI and
PRD vines when compared to DI and FI. In denser canopies
(FI and DI) berry temperature was always lower than that of
the more open ones (NI and PRD). The higher degree of
cluster exposition in PRD and NI had a positive influence
on berry composition due to temperature and incident radiation,
leading to higher concentrations of anthocyanins
and total phenols in the berry skin compared to DI and FI
vines. Irrigation did not significantly affect berry sugar
accumulation and pH in berries. Compared to FI, PRD and
DI treatments water use efficiency (the amount of fruit produced
per unit of water applied) was doubled since at the
same yield the amount of water applied, was reduced by
50 %
Dental and composite resin discoloration induced by different hydraulic calcium silicate-based cements: two-year in vitro assessment
Few long-term studies assess the discoloration induced by hydraulic calcium silicate-based cement on dental structures. In addition, as far as we know, no long-term study has assessed the discoloration induced by these cement on composite resin. Objective: This in vitro study aimed to assess, during a period of two years, the discoloration potential of different hydraulic calcium silicate-based cements (hCSCs) on the enamel/dentin structure and composite resin restoration. Methodology: A total of 40 enamel/dentin discs were obtained from bovine incisors, and 40 composite resin discs (10 mm in diameter × 2 mm thick) were fabricated. A 0.8 mm-deep cavity was made in the center of each disc and filled with the following hCSCs (n=10): Original MTA (Angelus); MTA Repair HP (Angelus); NeoMTA Plus (Avalon); and Biodentine (Septodont). An initial color measurement was performed (T0 - baseline). After 7, 15, 30, 45, 90, 300 days, and two years, new color measurements were performed to determine the color (ΔE00), lightness (ΔL’), chroma (ΔC’), hue differences (ΔH’), and whiteness index (WID). Results: For enamel/dentin, the ΔE00 was significant among groups and periods (p<0.05). NeoMTA Plus had the greatest ΔE00. The NeoMTA Plus group had the greatest ΔE00 after two years for composite resin. Significant reduction in lightness was observed for all groups after two years (p<0.05). The most significant WID values were observed after 30 days for Biodentine (enamel/dentin) and MTA Repair HP groups (composite resin) (p<0.05). Conclusions: The hCSCs changed the colorimetric behavior of both substrates, leading to greater darkening over time. The Bi2O3 in the Original MTA seems relevant in the short periods of color change assessment
Evaluating the ability of an artificial-intelligence cloud-based platform designed to provide information prior to locoregional therapy for breast cancer in improving patient's satisfaction with therapy: the CINDERELLA trial
Background: Breast cancer therapy improved significantly, allowing for different surgical approaches for the same disease stage, therefore offering patients different aesthetic outcomes with similar locoregional control. The purpose of the CINDERELLA trial is to evaluate an artificial-intelligence (AI) cloud-based platform (CINDERELLA platform) vs the standard approach for patient education prior to therapy. Methods: A prospective randomized international multicentre trial comparing two methods for patient education prior to therapy. After institutional ethics approval and a written informed consent, patients planned for locoregional treatment will be randomized to the intervention (CINDERELLA platform) or controls. The patients in the intervention arm will use the newly designed web-application (CINDERELLA platform, CINDERELLA APProach) to access the information related to surgery and/or radiotherapy. Using an AI system, the platform will provide the patient with a picture of her own aesthetic outcome resulting from the surgical procedure she chooses, and an objective evaluation of this aesthetic outcome (e.g., good/fair). The control group will have access to the standard approach. The primary objectives of the trial will be i) to examine the differences between the treatment arms with regards to patients' pre-treatment expectations and the final aesthetic outcomes and ii) in the experimental arm only, the agreement of the pre-treatment AI-evaluation (output) and patient's post-therapy self-evaluation. Discussion: The project aims to develop an easy-to-use cost-effective AI-powered tool that improves shared decision-making processes. We assume that the CINDERELLA APProach will lead to higher satisfaction, better psychosocial status, and wellbeing of breast cancer patients, and reduce the need for additional surgeries to improve aesthetic outcome
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