Role of PTHrP in human intestinal Caco-2 cell response to oxidative stress

AbstractWe have previously demonstrated that parathyroid hormone (PTH) induces apoptosis in human colon adenocarcinoma Caco-2 cells but the effects of its tumoral analog PTH-related peptide (PTHrP) in this cell line are still unknown. In the present work we investigated whether PTHrP, as PTH, is able to induce Caco-2 cell apoptosis or if it exerts protective effects under apoptotic conditions. Using Caco-2 cells cultured under serum deprivation in the presence or absence of PTHrP we demonstrated that, differently to PTH, its analog employed at the same concentration (10−8M) is not a pro-apoptotic hormone. Cells were exposed to an oxidative insult in the form of hydrogen peroxide to induce apoptosis, which leads to a 50% loss of cell viability determined by MTS assay, morphological changes observed under fluorescence microscopy and Western blot analysis. Herein we demonstrate, for the first time, that pre-treatment with PTHrP prior to H2O2 incubation, prevents cell death induced by the apoptotic inductor; and using specific inhibitors we evidenced that protein kinase B (AKT), extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2), c-Jun N-terminal kinase 1/2 (JNK1/2) and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) mediate this anti-apoptotic effect. Also, we found that PTHrP decreases the pro-apoptotic protein BAX levels and increases the protein expression of the anti-apoptotic HSP27. Immunoblot analysis revealed that H2O2 increases the phosphorylation levels of AKT and MAPKs, exhibiting a cellular defense response; and consequently increases phospho-BAD levels. The H2O2-induced activation of protein kinases is reverted when cells are pre-treated with PTHrP. Altogether these results evidence a protective effect of PTHrP under apoptotic conditions in intestinal cells, which may be mediated by AKT and MAPKs

Salud mental y sexualidad : estudio comparativo sobre conocimientos y actitudes de sexualidad entre estudiantes de primer ingreso y graduandos

Objetivo: Determinar los conocimientos y actitudes relacionados a salud mental y sexualidad entre estudiante de primer ingreso y graduandos. Metodología: Es un estudio descriptivo, cuali y cuantitativo prospectivo. Se tomó una muestra de 120 estudiantes, a la cual se le aplicó un instrumento por parte del equipo de investigación al azar entre los grupos de estudiantes de primer ingreso, (60) y graduandos, (60), se revisaron los horarios y se visitaron las aulas luego de terminados los diferentes cursos y se les orientaba brevemente respecto al estudio y se entregaban las encuestas a los/as interesados/as de la carrera de licenciatura de la Facultad de Enfermería de la Universidad de Panamá. Esta prueba se aplicó preliminarmente a diez estudiantes. Resultados: El conocimiento calificado como regular entre los de primer ingreso es mayor, (9,1%) que el de los graduandos, (1,6%). Del total del grupo un 82% de las/os graduandas/os refirieron haber tenido relaciones sexuales y las/os de primer ingreso 40%. El 12,50%, tiene conductas riesgosas, pues están a favor del sexo durante el noviazgo y no tienen muy clara la función del preservativo. En este estudio no encontramos diferencias significativas entre los factores de riesgo, conocimientos y actitudes relacionados a salud mental y sexual entre los/las estudiantes participantes en el estudio p>0.752. Conclusiones: Las/os estudiantes de la Facultad de Enfermería poseen un moderado nivel de conductas de riesgo que no decrece a medida que van obteniendo más información científica sobre sexualidad través de la carrer

Crops' exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity to drought occurrence

In the context of sustainable agricultural management, drought monitoring plays a crucial role in assessing the vulnerability of agriculture to drought occurrence. Drought events are very frequent in the Iberian Peninsula (and in Portugal in particular), and an increase in frequency of these extreme events are expected in a very near future. Therefore, the quantitative assessment of the natural-ecosystem vulnerability to drought is still very challenging, mainly due to the difficulties of having a common definition of vulnerability. Consequently, several methods have been proposed to assess agricultural vulnerability. In this work, a principal component analysis (PCA) was performed based on the components which characterize the exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity of the agricultural system to drought events with the aim of generating maps of vulnerability of agriculture to drought in Portugal. Several datasets were used to describe these components, namely drought indicators, vegetation indices and soil characterization variables. A comparison between the PCA-based method and a variance method using the same indicators was performed. Results show that both methods identify Minho and Alentejo as regions of low and extreme vulnerability, respectively. The results are very similar between the two methods, with small differences in certain vulnerability classes. However, the PCA method has some advantages over the variance method, namely the ability to identify the sign of the indicators, not having to use the indicator–component subjective relationship, and not needing to calculate weights. Furthermore, the PCA method is fully statistical and presents results according to prior knowledge of the region and the data usedFundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia | Ref. PTDC/CTA-CLI/28902/2017Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia | Ref. WaterJPI/0004/2014Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia | Ref. ERA4CS/0005/201

Análisis estratégico de factores de riesgo para la salud de adultos : San Miguelito-Perejil, marzo-1994

Objetivo general. Analizar estratégicamente problemas de salud y factores de riesgo, ambientales, biológicos, del estado socieconómico y del estilo de vida, relacionados con la morbilidad de adultos según nivel de postergación con la finalidad de hacer recomendaciones a los servicios de salud de adultos en el corregimiento de Calidonia en 1994. Objetivos específicos. Identificar los factores de riesgo del ambiente físico, social, biológicos, del estilo de vida y servicios de salud a que se encuentra expuesto el adulto entre 20 y 59 años de edad de las localidades de Perejil y San Miguel. Describir esos factores de riesgo que son prevenibles y/o controlables en esas localidades. Evaluar la creencia que tienen esas comunidades de la importancia del control de salud del adulto sano. Realizar el análisis estratégico de los problemas de salud y sus factores de riesgo de acuerdo al nivel de postergación. Sugerir acciones de promoción y protección de la salud considerando prioritariamente a los grupos humanos menos favorecidos y de mayores riesgos en esas comunidades, para contribuir a elevar el nivel de salud de la población en edad productiva

Fatores determinantes na perceção do serviço online: valor percebido do consumidor no sector de viagens e alojamento

A Internet tem vindo a modificar as formas tradicionais de relacionamento entre compradores e vendedores, oferecendo novos modelos de compra, venda e fornecimento de serviços aos clientes. No contexto português, o sector mais popular de compras online em Portugal é o sector de viagens e alojamento, com uma percentagem de 55%. Ao longo do tempo foram surgindo vários modelos com o intuito de estudar a qualidade dos serviços, a fim de proporcionar uma qualidade de serviço superior e estabelecer uma relação empresa-cliente favorável. Após terem sido investigados os fatores que afetam a perceção de valor do serviço online foi investigado o modelo OCVAL proposto por Carlson et al. (2013). Neste contexto foi aplicado um questionário, através do udo o método de amostragem por conveniência; onde foram obtidas 200 respostas válidas. Posteriormente feita uma análise exploratória, onde os itens foram agrupados através do método de rotação varimax. Algumas dimensões foram reestruturadas e outras eliminadas, e foi concluído que o modelo OCVAL, aplicado à amostra obtida, não se verifica na população portuguesa para os consumidores sector de viagens e alojamento.The internet changed the traditional ways of relationship between and the consumers. The company started offering new buying, selling and shipment models to their customers. On a Portuguese context the most seller sector is the holydays and accommodations with 55% of online sales. Through the time evolution new models where investigated to study the service quality, to provide a higher service quality and maintain a better relationship between the customer and the company. After investigating the factors that affect the value perception of the online service, the OCVAL model proposed by Carlson et al. (2013). In this context a questionnaire was applied, using the method of convenience sampling; where 200 valid answers were obtained. An exploratory analysis was performed, where the items were grouped using the varimax rotation method. Some dimensions were restructured, and others were eliminated, and it was concluded that the OCVAL model, applied to the sample obtained, does not occur in the Portuguese population for travel and accommodation sector consumers

High temperature vapour-liquid equilibria of water-polyalcohol mixtures

Tese de doutoramento, Química (Química Tecnológica), Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciências, 2014It is known that the presence of strong hydrogen bonds in the liquid state creates azeotropes, which disappear with the increase of temperature. This behavior suggests that the distillation at high temperatures could provide a good strategy to separate components of binary mixtures such as alcohol-water systems, very relevant in the chemical industry. Biodegradable fuels start to play an important role in the world global economy, as oil prices are increasing steadily and the search for alternative energies and fuels is vital for the sustainability of world economy. The production of biodegradable fuels as alcohols, needs properties of binary mixtures involving methanol, ethanol, propanol, butanol and pentanol (linear and branched), both from experiment, prediction and correlation. High temperature vapour liquid equilibrium (VLE) measurements became one of the key data for the design of high pressure distillation units. Also, alcohols have a wide use in industry as solvents for fats, oils, resins, paints, and nitrocellulose; others find use in the manufacture of perfumes and brake fluids. Mixtures of ethanol with 1-propanol, 1-butanol, or 1-pentanol can be used as fuel oxygenates, as cryogenic fluids and as heat reservoir in cryogenic power generation systems. That’s why the knowledge of thermodynamic properties for these mixtures at various temperatures is important. It was with this vision that a VLE experimental program at high temperatures was developed in a collaboration between the Centre for Molecular Sciences and Materials (CCMM-FCUL) and the Experimental Thermodynamics Laboratory (CQE-IST). The VLE measurements over the temperature range 363.3 K to 423.7 K have been performed for the systems water+ethanol, water+1-propanol and ethanol+1-propanol using a flow apparatus. The VLE measurements at high temperature show some experimental difficulties due to the possible thermal degradation of some alcohols, like methanol. With the purpose of minimizing this phenomenon, these studies must be carried out using a flow apparatus. This was the main reason for the choice of a flow method over a few types available.The theoretical interpretation of these VLE data has been done in the past by using equations of state. The success of these interpretations is limited by the type of compounds and also by the working conditions. From the various possibilities, new methods designed to take into account the effects of molecular association have been proposed over the years. The Statistical Associating Fluid Theory (SAFT) equation of state developed by Gubbins and coworkers is one of them. In this work a variation of this equation (Statistical Associating Fluid Theory for potentials of Variable Range - SAFT-VR) was used to predict the VLE of the binary mixtures in question. This theory was found to accurate predict the behavior of these binary mixtures with some limitations for some pure components.Sabe-se que a presença de fortes ligações de hidrogénio no estado líquido cria azeótropos, que desaparecem com o aumento da temperatura. Este comportamento sugere que a destilação a elevadas temperaturas representa uma boa estratégia para separar os componentes de misturas binárias, tais como sistemas de água-álcool, muito relevantes na indústria química. Os combustíveis biodegradáveis começam a desempenhar um papel importante na economia global do mundo, com os preços do petróleo a aumentar de forma constante, pelo que a busca de energias e de combustíveis alternativos é vital para a sustentabilidade da economia mundial. A produção de combustíveis biodegradáveis como os álcoois requer propriedades de misturas binárias envolvendo álcoois tais como metanol, etanol, propanol, butanol e pentanol (cadeia linear ou ramificada), tanto a partir da experimentação, como da previsão e da correlação. A obtenção de dados de equilíbrio líquido vapour (ELV) a temperaturas elevadas tornou-se um dos meios mais importantes para o dimensionamento de unidades de destilação de alta pressão. Foi com essa visão que um programa experimental de equilíbrio líquido-vapour (VLE) a elevadas temperaturas foi desenvolvido em colaboração entre o Centro de Ciências Moleculares e Materiais (CCMM - FCUL) e o Laboratório de Termodinâmica Experimental (CQE - IST). As medições de ELV no intervalo de temperaturas 363.3K 423.7K foram realizadas para os sistemas água+etanol, água+1-propanol e etanol+1-propanol utilizando um aparelho de fluxo. As medições de ELV a elevadas temperaturas mostram algumas dificuldades experimentais, devido à possível degradação térmica de alguns álcoois, tais como o metanol. Com a finalidade de minimizar este fenómeno, foi escolhido um método de fluxo. A interpretação teórica destes dados de ELV tem sido feita no passado recorrendo a equações de estado. O sucesso destas interpretações é limitado pelo tipo de compostos e também pelas condições de trabalho. De entre várias equações de estado, novos métodos que tomam em conta os efeitos de associação molecular têm sido propostos ao longo dos anos. A equação de estado Statistical Associating Fluid Theory (SAFT) desenvolvido por Gubbins e colegas é uma delas. Neste trabalho uma variação dessa equação (Statistical Associating Fluid Theory for potentials of Variable Range - SAFT-VR) foi utilizada para prever o ELV das misturas binárias em questão. Esta teoria previu eficazmente o comportamento destas misturas binárias com algumas limitações para alguns componentes puros

Molecular Identification of Brucella Abortus Bv5 and Strain 19 in Water Buffaloes (Bubalus Bubalis) in Northeast Argentina

Buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) populations are spread across northern Argentina, and they share their habitat with bovines. Both species are susceptible to brucellosis, and they are under a National Plan of Control and Eradication. To characterize the Brucella spp. that infects buffaloes, the blood of 35 animals that tested positive to brucellosis by a complement fixation test was collected. DNA was obtained and analyzed by polymerase chain reaction using different molecular markers. The genera, species, and biovars of Brucella were established by analyzing specific regions of the genes omp31, eri, alkB, and omp2ab. Brucella spp. was identified in 15 of 35 tested buffaloes. The product of the omp31 gene identified the genera. The detection of two fragments of 297 bp and/or 1000 bp from the eri gene confirmed the presence of B. abortus S19 and wild-type B. abortus. The amplification of the alkB gene allowed the identification of B. abortus biovars characterized by fragments of 498 bp (bv1, bv2, or bv4). The simultaneous amplification of 498 bp (alkB) and 1000 bp (eri) products suggested the presence of B. abortus bv1, which is highly prevalent in the cattle of Argentina. Fragments of 827 bp and 857 bp were amplified from the omp2ab gene, and their sequences showed 100% identity with B. melitensis and B. abortus bv5 (GenBank). However, the 721 bp product (alkB) specific for B. melitensis could not be amplified. This is the first report indicating the presence of B. abortus bv5 in Latin America.Fil: Martinez, Diana. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste; ArgentinaFil: Thompson, Carolina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria. Centro Regional Santa Fe. Estacion Experimental Agropecuaria Rafaela; ArgentinaFil: Russo, Ana Maria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Centro de Investigaciones y Transferencia de Formosa; ArgentinaFil: Jacobo, Roberto. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste; ArgentinaFil: Torioni de Echaide, Susana. Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria. Centro Regional Santa Fe. Estacion Experimental Agropecuaria Rafaela; Argentin

Academic Spin-Offs and the benefits generated by startups developed Through University-Companies cooperation in Brazil

Startups developed through academic Spin-offs foster the development of products and processes inside and outside the innovation ecosystem that originated them and have become an important research topic with regard to Technology Transfer mechanisms and University-Company cooperation. Therefore, the objective of this article was to bring up information that could contribute to the discussion on academic spin-offs, startups and the benefits initially generated by this cooperation. The adopted methodology was the exploratory descriptive, aiming the perception in the literature used in some arguments and data that would help the understanding of this relationship. In view of this, the results show us that there is a large number of qualified personnel within these firms and that this intellectual capital cooperates with the positive impact on a country\u27s economic and social development

Skeletal Anomalies in Senegalese Sole (Solea senegalensis, Kaup) Fed with Different Commercial Enriched Artemia: A Study in Postlarvae and Juveniles

The high incidence of skeletal anomalies in Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis) still constitutes a bottleneck constraining its production. There are diverse commercially available products for the enrichment of live preys, but few reports of their influence on skeletogenesis in Senegalese sole. This study evaluated the presence of vertebral anomalies in postlarvae and juvenile Senegalese sole fed with Artemia spp. metanauplii enriched with four commercial products (EA, EB, EC, and ED) in a fish farm. The most frequent alterations consisted of deformations of the neural/haemal arches and spines and fusions and deformations of hypurals, epural, or parhypural. The correspondence analysis ordered fish from each age in separated semiaxis, indicating the presence of different anomaly patterns for the two sampled stages. The results showed only very light changes in the frequency of vertebral abnormalities among tested enrichment products, i.e., individuals from EC and EA lots displayed less vertebral body anomalies and/or vertebral column deviations at 31 and 105 days after hatching, respectively. The existence of a large shared malformation pattern in all the experimental groups leads to impute to the rearing conditions as the main driving factor of the onset of such group of anomalies, probably masking some dietary effectThis research was funded by “Consellería de Economía e Industria” of Xunta de Galicia (10MMA020E) and Stolt Sea Farm and by “Programa de Consolidación e Estructuración de Unidades de Investigación Competitivas GPC2015/034”, SpainS

COST-EFFECTIVENESS ANALYSIS OF DIRECTLY OBSERVED THERAPY FOR TUBERCULOSIS AND ITS EXPANSION IN RIO DE JANEIRO

Objective: Brazil is one of the countries with the largest number of cases of tuberculosis worldwide; Rio de Janeiro exhibits some of highest mortality and incidence rates in the country. The aim of the present study was to perform a cost-effectiveness analysis of directly observed therapy (DOT) and simulate its expansion for new cases of pulmonary tuberculosis in Rio de Janeiro.Methods: A decision tree was plotted that simulated the progression of the disease for six months. In the cost-effectiveness analysis, strategies of self-administered treatment (SAT) and DOT (directly observed therapy) with 100% coverage were compared; the current coverage, 48%, and coverage of 100% were considered with regard to expansion. The study was based on the epidemiological pattern of tuberculosis in Rio de Janeiro among adults from both genders and without economic differences; the government perspective was adopted. The outcomes were varied to investigate the occurrence of parametric sensitivity.Results: Although the cost of treatment was increased by three times, DOT proved to be cost-effective for the treatment of new cases, with an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of BRL 30,454 per saved life. Expansion of DOT coverage would avert 180 deaths and 171 instances of treatment dropout, in addition to providing an additional 420 instances of cure, with an investment of approximately BRL 6,700,000.00.Conclusion: DOT might contribute to improving the current tuberculosis situation in the state of Rio de Janeiro. Its expansion would fit with the resources estimated by the Brazilian government needed to combat non-drug-resistant tuberculosis.Â