The emerging role of neutrophils in neurodegeneration

Neutrophils are the first line of defense in the innate immune system, helping to maintain tissue homeostasis as well as eliminating pathogens and self-components. The traditional view of neutrophils as simple phagocytes has been revised over the last decade as new research reveals their unappreciated complexity. Neutrophils are phenotypically and functionally heterogeneous, allowing them to act as modulators of both inflammation and immune responses. During acute inflammation, neutrophils perform a variety of beneficial effector functions, but when inflammation is induced by injury (sterile inflammation) the benefits of neutrophils in tissue repair are more controversial. In several pathological conditions, including cancer and autoimmune diseases, neutrophils can trigger harmful tissue damage. Interestingly, neutrophils are also key players in neuroinflammatory disorders, during which they transmigrate in the central nervous system, acquire a toxic phenotype, home in on neurons, and release harmful molecules that compromise neuronal functions. In this review, we discuss recent data that redefine the cell biology and phenotype of neutrophils, focusing on the role of these cells in multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer's disease, both of which feature strong neuroinflammatory components

A região catarinense do Alto Vale do Rio do Peixe e a cadeia vitivinícola como alternativa de desenvolvimento: uma revisão

É comum vermos campanhas de marketing e comunicação com o mercado consumidor de vinhos, relacionando o consumo do produto a um estado emocional de sedução, ou então à qualidade única e típica de uma determinada região do mundo; basta observar nos rótulos. Este artigo consiste em uma análise do complexo industrial voltado à vitivinicultura na região do Alto Vale do Rio do Peixe, localizada no centro do estado de Santa Catarina, cujo objetivo principal é avaliar a cadeia produtiva da indústria do vinho local, propondo a ideia da criação de uma marca regional que possa fornecer maiores condições de competitividade do produto no mercado, já que há um cluster desse ramo de atividade nessa região. Os resultados deste estudo apontaram que nenhuma empresa atuante na região do “Vale do Vinho” conseguirá atingir o efeito mercadológico de construção de uma boa imagem,  marca forte e uma identidade consolidada em nível de Brasil, atuando sozinha, salvo raras exceções. Assim recomenda-se fomentar o associativismo, organizando e alavancando a cadeia produtiva vitivinícola na região, por meio de novas tecnologias, pesquisa e novas cultivares. Palavras-chave: marca regional, vitivinicultura; Cadeia produtiva; Cluster

Análise da adequação do curso de administração da UNOESC na perspectiva da teoria de marketing

Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro Sócio-Econômico.Análise da formação profissional em administração proporcionada através da Unoesc, verificando a existência de adequação em relação ao mercado de trabalho e as perspectivas da profissão de administrador na região de Videira, SC. Pesquisa de marketing aos egressos do curso entre 1990 a 1998 e aos dirigentes de empresas, identificando deficiências na formação profissional em administração, e habilidades necessárias ao exercício profissional de administrador

Como implantar gestão de processos na empresa Uniforuze Uniformes

Monografia apresentada ao Setor de Pós-graduação da Universidade do Extremo Sul Catarinense-UNESC, para a obtenção do título de especialista em MBA Gestão Empresarial.Este estudo buscou elaborar projeto para a implantação de gestão por processos por meio da identificação das atividades realizadas na empresa Uniforuze Uniformes visando à reestruturação organizacional, haja vista a inexistência da gestão por processos na mesma e as necessidades para possibilitar com que a empresa consiga atingir seus objetivos. Para se conseguir a elaboração de uma proposta de implantação de gestão por processos, a identificação dos processos, bem como seus fornecedores e clientes com respectivos requisitos foram definidos e sugeridos a direção da empresa

Editorial: Neurodegenerative Diseases: Looking Beyond the Boundaries of the Brain

Neurodegenerative Diseases: Looking Beyond the Boundaries of the Brai

In vitro Models of Neurodegenerative Diseases

Neurodegenerative diseases are progressive degenerative conditions characterized by the functional deterioration and ultimate loss of neurons. These incurable and debilitating diseases affect millions of people worldwide, and therefore represent a major global health challenge with severe implications for individuals and society. Recently, several neuroprotective drugs have failed in human clinical trials despite promising pre-clinical data, suggesting that conventional cell cultures and animal models cannot precisely replicate human pathophysiology. To bridge the gap between animal and human studies, three-dimensional cell culture models have been developed from human or animal cells, allowing the effects of new therapies to be predicted more accurately by closely replicating some aspects of the brain environment, mimicking neuronal and glial cell interactions, and incorporating the effects of blood flow. In this review, we discuss the relative merits of different cerebral models, from traditional cell cultures to the latest high-throughput three-dimensional systems. We discuss their advantages and disadvantages as well as their potential to investigate the complex mechanisms of human neurodegenerative diseases. We focus on in vitro models of the most frequent age-related neurodegenerative disorders, such as Parkinson\u2019s disease, Alzheimer\u2019s disease and prion disease, and on multiple sclerosis, a chronic inflammatory neurodegenerative disease affecting young adults

Common peripheral immunity mechanisms in multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer’s disease

Neurodegenerative diseases are closely related to inflammatory and autoimmune events, suggesting that the dysregulation of the immune system is a key pathological factor. Both multiple sclerosis (MS) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are characterized by infiltrating immune cells, activated microglia, astrocyte proliferation, and neuronal damage. Moreover, MS and AD share a common pro-inflammatory signature, characterized by peripheral leukocyte activation and transmigration to the central nervous system (CNS). MS and AD are both characterized by the accumulation of activated neutrophils in the blood, leading to progressive impairment of the blood–brain barrier. Having migrated to the CNS during the early phases of MS and AD, neutrophils promote local inflammation that contributes to pathogenesis and clinical progression. The role of circulating T cells inMS is well-established, whereas the contribution of adaptive immunity to AD pathogenesis and progression is a more recent discovery. Even so, blocking the transmigration of T cells to the CNS can benefit bothMS and AD patients, suggesting that common adaptive immunity mechanisms play a detrimental role in each disease. There is also growing evidence that regulatory T cells are beneficial during the initial stages of MS and AD, supporting the link between the modulatory immune compartments and these neurodegenerative disorders. The number of resting regulatory T cells declines in both diseases, indicating a common pathogenic mechanism involving the dysregulation of these cells, although their precise role in the control of neuroinflammation remains unclear. The modulation of leukocyte functions can benefit MS patients, so more insight into the role of peripheral immune cells may reveal new targets for pharmacological intervention in other neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases, including AD

Fonte alternativa para o agronegócio

Em dois anos, o estoque de CRA depositado na B3 aumentou mais de seis vezes e pode crescer ainda mais

Perfluoropolyether-Based Micellar Aggregates Coatings for Corrosion Resistance Enhancement of Copper-Based Alloys

In this paper, a perfluoropolyether (PFPE) micellar solution was effectively deposited on metallic substrates using a dip-coating process to enhance brass and nickel aluminum bronze (NAB) corrosion resistance. Particular attention was paid to the aesthetic results as well. Enabling the metallic substrates hydrophobic to facilitate water and moisture removal was the key concept of this work. The corrosion resistance of the as-received and coated metals was investigated via a salt spray chamber test. The study focused on the characterization of the polymeric coating via dynamic light scattering and wettability tests, while the substrates were assessed with traditional metallographic techniques. The preparation of the polymeric solution was important in determining the final corrosion resistance of the two substrates. Noteworthy was the effectiveness of the PFPE-based coating when it was applied to the brass rather than the NAB. Moreover, the polymer concentration of the dip-coating polymeric emulsion was the most significant factor to obtaining adequate protection: higher polymer concentrations resulted in a decrease in corrosion resistance