The Spatial Distribution of Absolute Skeletal Muscle Deoxygenation During Ramp-Incremental Exercise Is Not Influenced by Hypoxia.

Time-resolved near-infrared spectroscopy (TRS-NIRS) allows absolute quantitation of deoxygenated haemoglobin and myoglobin concentration ([HHb]) in skeletal muscle. We recently showed that the spatial distribution of peak [HHb] within the quadriceps during moderate-intensity cycling is reduced with progressive hypoxia and this is associated with impaired aerobic energy provision. We therefore aimed to determine whether reduced spatial distribution of skeletal muscle [HHb] was associated with impaired aerobic energy transfer during exhaustive ramp-incremental exercise in hypoxia. Seven healthy men performed ramp-incremental cycle exercise (20 W/min) to exhaustion at 3 fractional inspired O2 concentrations (FIO2): 0.21, 0.16, 0.12. Pulmonary O2 uptake (VO₂) was measured using a flow meter and gas analyser system. Lactate threshold (LT) was estimated non-invasively. Absolute muscle deoxygenation was quantified by multichannel TRS-NIRS from the rectus femoris and vastus lateralis (proximal and distal regions). VO₂peak and LT were progressively reduced (p < 0.05) with hypoxia. There was a significant effect (p < 0.05) of FIO2 on [HHb] at baseline, LT, and peak. However the spatial variance of [HHb] was not different between FIO2 conditions. Peak total Hb ([Hbtot]) was significantly reduced between FIO2 conditions (p < 0.001). There was no association between reductions in the spatial distribution of skeletal muscle [HHb] and indices of aerobic energy transfer during ramp-incremental exercise in hypoxia. While regional [HHb] quantified by TRS-NIRS at exhaustion was greater in hypoxia, the spatial distribution of [HHb] was unaffected. Interestingly, peak [Hbtot] was reduced at the tolerable limit in hypoxia implying a vasodilatory reserve may exist in conditions with reduced FIO2

Quantitative image analysis of polyhydroxyalkanoates inclusions from microbial mixed cultures under different SBR operation strategies

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) produced from mixed microbial cultures (MMC), regarded as potential substitutes of petrochemical plastics, can be found as intracellular granules in various microorganisms under limited nutrient conditions and excess of carbon source. PHA is traditionally quantified by laborious and time-consuming chromatography analysis, and a simpler and faster method to assess PHA contents from MMC, such as quantitative image analysis (QIA), is of great interest. The main purpose of the present work was to upgrade a previously developed QIA methodology (Mesquita et al., 2013a, 2015) for MMC intracellular PHA contents quantification, increase the studied intracellular PHA concentration range and extend to different sequencing batch reactor (SBR) operation strategies. Therefore, the operation of a new aerobic dynamic feeding (ADF) SBR allowed further extending the studied operating conditions, dataset, and range of the MMC intracellular PHA contents from the previously reported anaerobic/aerobic cycle SBR. Nile Blue A (NBA) staining was employed for epifluorescence microscope visualization and image acquisition, further fed to a custom developed QIA. Data from each of the feast and famine cycles of both SBR were individually processed using chemometrics analysis, obtaining the correspondent partial least squares (PLS) models. The PHA concentrations determined from PLS models were further plotted against the results obtained in the standard chromatographic method. For both SBR the predicted ability was higher at the end of the feast stage than for the famine stage. Indeed, an independent feast and famine QIA data treatment was found to be fundamental to obtain the best prediction abilities. Furthermore, a promising overall correlation (R2 of 0.83) could be found combining the overall QIA data regarding the PHA prediction up to a concentration of 1785.1 mgL-1 (37.3 wt%). Thus, the results confirm that the presented QIA methodology can be seen as promising for estimating higher intracellular PHA concentrations for a larger reactors operation systems and further extending the prediction range of previous studies.This study was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) under the scope of the strategic funding of UID/BIO/04469/2013 unit and COMPETE 2020 (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006684) and BioTecNorte operation (NORTE01-0145-FEDER-000004) funded by European Regional Development Fundunder the scope ofNorte2020 - ProgramaOperacional Regional do Norte.The authors also acknowledge the financial support to Cristiano S. Leal (PTDC/EBB-EBI/103147/2008, FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER009704) and Daniela P. Mesquita through the FCT postdoctoral grant (SFRH/BPD/82558/2011).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

EDUCAÇÃO TEATRAL E O USO DA COMUNICAÇÃO ALTERNATIVA

A linguagem teatral constitui um campo artístico de diferentes códigos e técnicas. O ensino de teatro é um grande desafio e quando se fala de Teatro de Animação, e no contexto da inclusão, percebe-se que há uma lacuna no conhecimento. Este trabalho tem como objetivo compreender como o teatro e os jogos teatrais podem contribuir para o desenvolvimento da comunicação da pessoa com autismo. Metodologicamente, foi utilizada a pesquisa-ação no contexto da arte-educação.  Foi realizada de fevereiro de 2019 a outubro de 2020, semanalmente, integrando um total de 47 encontros, com dois meninos com autismo. Para a efetivação da pesquisa, os instrumentos foram a observação participante e a intervenção com jogos teatrais. Como resultados destacam-se: os bonecos, fantoches, dedoches, sombras e/ou objetos podem oportunizar a crianças com autismo novas formas de lidar com o mundo e a matéria concreta; é necessária a adaptação de abordagens, estratégias e métodos, para que o professor de teatro trabalhe com o aluno com deficiência; a Comunicação Alternativa Ampliada foi fundamental para o processo de interação e aprendizagem dos alunos com autismo; a construção de um protagonismo artístico das crianças com autismo; os corpos dessas crianças se revelaram como um dos veículos de comunicação e identidades. Conclui-se que é possível vincular o ensino de Teatro de Animação com a Comunicação Alternativa e Ampliada para o trabalho com crianças com autismo, promovendo a inclusão no universo da arte

Dosimetry and Gastrointestinal Toxicity Relationships in a Phase II Trial of Pelvic Lymph Node Radiotherapy in Advanced Localised Prostate Cancer.

AIMS:Pelvic lymph node (PLN) radiotherapy for high-risk prostate cancer is limited by late gastrointestinal toxicity. Application of rectal and bowel constraints may reduce risks of side-effects. We evaluated associations between intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) dose-volume data and long-term gastrointestinal toxicity. MATERIALS AND METHODS:Data from a single-centre dose-escalation trial of PLN-IMRT were analysed, including conventionally fractionated (CFRT) and hypofractionated (HFRT) radiotherapy schedules. Associations between volumes of rectum and bowel receiving specified doses and clinician- and patient-reported toxicity outcomes were investigated independently. A metric, δ median (δM), was defined as the difference in the medians of a volume between groups with and without toxicity at a specified dose and was used to test for statistically significant differences. RESULTS:Constraints were respected in most patients and, when exceeded, led to higher rates of gastrointestinal toxicity. Biologically relevant associations between rectum dose-points and toxicity were more numerous with both mild and moderate toxicity thresholds, but statistical significance was limited after correction for false discovery rate. Rectal V50Gy (CFRT) associated with grade 2+ bleeding; bowel V43Gy and V47 (HFRT/4 days/week schedule) associated with patient-reported loose stools and diarrhoea, respectively. Further investigation showed that CFRT patients with rectal bleeding had a mean rectal V50Gy above the treatment planning constraint. CONCLUSIONS:When dose-volume parameters are kept below tight constraints, toxicity is low. Residual dosimetry loses much of its predictive power for gastrointestinal toxicity in the setting of PLN-IMRT for prostate cancer. We have benchmarked dose-volume constraints for safely delivering PLN-IMRT using CFRT or HFRT

Choice of activity-intensity classification thresholds impacts upon accelerometer-assessed physical activity-health relationships in children

It is unknown whether using different published thresholds (PTs) for classifying physical activity (PA) impacts upon activity-health relationships. This study explored whether relationships between PA (sedentary [SED], light PA [LPA], moderate PA [MPA], moderate-to-vigorous PA, vigorous PA [VPA]) and health markers differed in children when classified using three different PTs

Phylodynamics of foot-and-mouth disease virus O/PanAsia in Vietnam 2010-2014

© 2017 The Author(s). Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) is endemic in Vietnam, a country that plays an important role in livestock trade within Southeast Asia. The large populations of FMDV-susceptible species in Vietnam are important components of food production and of the national livelihood. In this study, we investigated the phylogeny of FMDV O/PanAsia in Vietnam, reconstructing the virus' ancestral host species (pig, cattle or buffalo), clinical stage (subclinical carrier or clinically affected) and geographical location. Phylogenetic divergence time estimation and character state reconstruction analyses suggest that movement of viruses between species differ. While inferred transmissions from cattle to buffalo and pigs and from pigs to cattle are well supported, transmission from buffalo to other species, and from pigs to buffalo may be less frequent. Geographical movements of FMDV O/PanAsia virus appears to occur in all directions within the country, with the South Central Coast and the Northeast regions playing a more important role in FMDV O/PanAsia spread. Genetic selection of variants with changes at specific sites within FMDV VP1 coding region was different depending on host groups analyzed. The overall ratio of non-synonymous to synonymous nucleotide changes was greater in pigs compared to cattle and buffalo, whereas a higher number of individual amino acid sites under positive selection were detected in persistently infected, subclinical animals compared to viruses collected from clinically diseased animals. These results provide novel insights to understand FMDV evolution and its association with viral spread within endemic countries. These findings may support animal health organizations in their endeavor to design animal disease control strategies in response to outbreaks

Microbiota- and Radiotherapy-Induced Gastrointestinal Side-Effects (MARS) Study: A Large Pilot Study of the Microbiome in Acute and Late-Radiation Enteropathy.

Purpose Radiotherapy is important in managing pelvic cancers. However, radiation enteropathy may occur and can be dose limiting. The gut microbiota may contribute to the pathogenesis of radiation enteropathy. We hypothesized that the microbiome differs between patients with and without radiation enteropathy.Experimental Design: Three cohorts of patients (n = 134) were recruited. The early cohort (n = 32) was followed sequentially up to 12 months post-radiotherapy to assess early radiation enteropathy. Linear mixed models were used to assess microbiota dynamics. The late cohort (n = 87) was assessed cross-sectionally to assess late radiation enteropathy. The colonoscopy cohort compared the intestinal mucosa microenvironment in patients with radiation enteropathy (cases, n = 9) with healthy controls (controls, n = 6). Fecal samples were obtained from all cohorts. In the colonoscopy cohort, intestinal mucosa samples were taken. Metataxonomics (16S rRNA gene) and imputed metataxonomics (Piphillin) were used to characterize the microbiome. Clinician- and patient-reported outcomes were used for clinical characterization.Results In the acute cohort, we observed a trend for higher preradiotherapy diversity in patients with no self-reported symptoms (P = 0.09). Dynamically, diversity decreased less over time in patients with rising radiation enteropathy (P = 0.05). A consistent association between low bacterial diversity and late radiation enteropathy was also observed, albeit nonsignificantly. Higher counts of Clostridium IV, Roseburia, and Phascolarctobacterium significantly associated with radiation enteropathy. Homeostatic intestinal mucosa cytokines related to microbiota regulation and intestinal wall maintenance were significantly reduced in radiation enteropathy [IL7 (P = 0.05), IL12/IL23p40 (P = 0.03), IL15 (P = 0.05), and IL16 (P = 0.009)]. IL15 inversely correlated with counts of Roseburia and Propionibacterium.Conclusions The microbiota presents opportunities to predict, prevent, or treat radiation enteropathy. We report the largest clinical study to date into associations of the microbiota with acute and late radiation enteropathy. An altered microbiota associates with early and late radiation enteropathy, with clinical implications for risk assessment, prevention, and treatment of radiation-induced side-effects.See related commentary by Lam et al., p. 6280