Neuroimaging Findings in Paediatric Patients with Sickle Cell Disease

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is an autosomal recessive haemoglobinopathy, which manifests as multisystem ischaemia and infarction, as well as haemolytic anaemia. The morphological changes of red blood cells (RBCs) that promote ischaemia/infarction as the main multi-systemic manifestation, with associated vasculopathy, may also lead to haemorrhage and fat embolisation. Bone infarctions, whether of the skull or spine, are relatively common with subsequent increased infectious susceptibility. We present a broad spectrum of brain and spine imaging findings of SCD from a level III paediatric hospital in Lisbon, between 2010 and 2022. Our aim is to highlight brain and spine imaging findings from a serial review of multiple patients with SCD and respective neuroimaging characterisation.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Canard Cycles and Poincar\'e Index of Non-Smooth Vector Fields on the Plane

This paper is concerned with closed orbits of non-smooth vector fields on the plane. For a subclass of non-smooth vector fields we provide necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of canard kind solutions. By means of a regularization we prove that the canard cycles are singular orbits of singular perturbation problems which are limit periodic sets of a sequence of limit cycles. Moreover, we generalize the Poincar\'e Index for non-smooth vector fields.Comment: 20 pages, 25 figure

ESTRATÉGIAS DE APRENDIZAGEM UTILIZADAS NA MUDANÇA CURRICULAR REVELAM PERSPECTIVAS DE TRANSFORMAÇÃO DOS ESTUDANTES DE ENFERMAGEM PELA NOVA EDUCAÇÃO

El presente artículo tiene como meta investigar la comprensión de los estudiantes sobre la estrategia adoptada en el cambio curricular del curso de graduación en Enfermería. La metodología versa la encuesta cualitativa, los sujetos fueron 27 educandos de una Facultad Privada del estado de Río de Janeiro. La recogida de datos ocurrió en el mes de septiembre de 2007. De los resultados fueron construidas cuatro unidades temáticas: la estrategia del aprendizaje posibilita la búsqueda del conocimiento; la estrategia del aprendizaje encamina al educando a aprender a aprender; la estrategia del aprendizaje fortalece la autonomía y creatividad del educando; el conocimiento es facilitado por la interacción del grupo. Todas las unidades temáticas están en concordancia con la propuesta de las estrategias educativas innovadoras.O presente artigo tem como objetivo a investigar a compreensão dos estudantes sobre a estratégia de aprendizagem adotada na mudança curricular do curso de graduação em Enfermagem. A metodologia versa a pesquisa qualitativa, os sujeitos foram 27 educandos de uma Faculdade Privada do estado do Rio de Janeiro. A coleta de dados ocorreu no mês de setembro de 2007. Dos resultados foram construídas quatro unidades temáticas: a estratégia de aprendizagem possibilita a busca do conhecimento; a estratégia de aprendizagem encaminha o educando a aprender a aprender; a estratégia de aprendizagem fortalece a autonomia e criatividade do educando; o conhecimento é facilitado pela interação do grupo. Todas as unidades temáticas estão em concordância com a proposta das estratégias educativas innovadoras

The Putative Leishmania Telomerase RNA (LeishTER) Undergoes Trans-Splicing and Contains a Conserved Template Sequence

Telomerase RNAs (TERs) are highly divergent between species, varying in size and sequence composition. Here, we identify a candidate for the telomerase RNA component of Leishmania genus, which includes species that cause leishmaniasis, a neglected tropical disease. Merging a thorough computational screening combined with RNA-seq evidence, we mapped a non-coding RNA gene localized in a syntenic locus on chromosome 25 of five Leishmania species that shares partial synteny with both Trypanosoma brucei TER locus and a putative TER candidate-containing locus of Crithidia fasciculata. Using target-driven molecular biology approaches, we detected a ∼2,100 nt transcript (LeishTER) that contains a 5′ spliced leader (SL) cap, a putative 3′ polyA tail and a predicted C/D box snoRNA domain. LeishTER is expressed at similar levels in the logarithmic and stationary growth phases of promastigote forms. A 5′SL capped LeishTER co-immunoprecipitated and co-localized with the telomerase protein component (TERT) in a cell cycle-dependent manner. Prediction of its secondary structure strongly suggests the existence of a bona fide single-stranded template sequence and a conserved C[U/C]GUCA motif-containing helix II, representing the template boundary element. This study paves the way for further investigations on the biogenesis of parasite TERT ribonucleoproteins (RNPs) and its role in parasite telomere biology

PROCESO DE CAMBIO CURRICULAR DEL CURSO DE GRADUACIÓN EN ENFERMERÍA DE LA UNIFESO: POTENCIALIDADES Y VULNERABILIDADES

Se objetivó en este estudio subrayar las potencialidades y vulnerabilidades del proceso del cambio curricular. Los sujetos de la encuesta fueron 43 educandos del segundo período de graduación en enfermería de la UNIFESO, que están insertos en el cambio curricular. Los resultados fueron presentados en unidades temáticas enfatizando las potencialidades y vulnerabilidades del proceso de cambio curricular. Entre las potencialidades, la primera es que el aprendizaje es facilitado por la interacción grupal, la segunda que el aprendizaje ocurre por la participación efectiva de los educandos, tercera, el aprendizaje y el dinamismo del proceso enseñanza-aprendizaje y la cuarta, la integración enseñanza-trabajo-ciudadanía como un diferencial en la formación. Siendo las vulnerabilidades cuestiones relacionadas a la estructura y organización curricular y relativas al proceso enseñanza-aprendizaje. Por consiguiente, se puede afirmar que el desafío puesto es transformar las tensiones generadas por el cambio curricular en momentos propiciadores y generar de las vulnerabilidades las grandes potencialidades del proceso de cambio.Objetivou-se neste estudo a destacar as potencialidades e vulnerabilidades do processo de mudança curricular. Os sujeitos da pesquisa foram 43 educandos do segundo período de graduação em enfermagem da UNIFESO, que estão inseridos na mudança curricular. Os resultados foram apresentados em unidades temáticas enfatizando as potencialidades e vulnerabilidades do processo de mudança curricular. Dentre as potencialidades à aprendizagem é facilitada pela interação grupal, a segunda a aprendizagem ocorre pela participação efetiva dos educandos, a terceira aprendizagem e o dinamismo do processo ensino-aprendizagem e a quarta a integração ensino-trabalho-cidadania como um diferencial na formação. Sendo as vulnerabilidades questões relacionadas à estrutura e organização curricular e relativos ao processo ensino-aprendizagem. Por conseguinte pode-se afirmar que o desafio posto é transformar as tensões geradas pela mudança curricular em momentos propiciadores e gerar das vulnerabilidades as grandes potencialidades do processo de mudanç

Leishmania amazonensis Promastigotes Present Two Distinct Modes of Nucleus and Kinetoplast Segregation during Cell Cycle

Here, we show the morphological events associated with organelle segregation and their timing in the cell cycle of a reference strain of Leishmania (L.) amazonensis promastigotes, the main causative agent of Tegumentary leishmaniasis in the Americas. We show evidences that during the cell cycle, L. amazonensis promastigotes present two distinct modes of nucleus and kinetoplast segregation, which occur in different temporal order in different proportions of cells. We used DAPI-staining and EdU-labeling to monitor the segregation of DNA-containing organelles and DNA replication in wild-type parasites. The emergence of a new flagellum was observed using a specific monoclonal antibody. The results show that L. amazonensis cell cycle division is peculiar, with 65% of the dividing cells duplicating the kinetoplast before the nucleus, and the remaining 35% doing the opposite or duplicating both organelles concomitantly. In both cases, the new flagellum appeared during S to G2 phase in 1N1K cells and thus before the segregation of both DNA-containing organelles; however, we could not determine the exact timing of flagellar synthesis. Most of these results were confirmed by the synchronization of parasites using hydroxyurea. Altogether, our data show that during the cell cycle of L. amazonensis promastigotes, similarly to L. donovani, the segregation of nucleus and kinetoplast do not follow a specific order, especially when compared to other trypanosomatids, reinforcing the idea that this characteristic seems to be species-specific and may represent differences in cellular biology among members of the Leishmania genus

VISCERAL LEISHMANIASIS IN BRAZIL: SCENARIOS AND CHALLENGES FOR THE SURVEILLANCE AND CONTROL

Adaptation of the vector and displacement of infected dogs to previously disease-free areas challenges visceral leishmaniasis (VL) control, and leads to geographic dispersion and occurrence in urban and peri-urban areas. Continuous VL control measures over time must be applied with a wide geographic reach, along with better diagnosis practices and timely treatment. The high case-fatality of human VL in areas of recent introduction and its growing association with HIV impose the need for an early diagnosis, treatment and the adoption of active search for human and canine cases incorporated into the routine of periodic home visits by health professionals. The increasing on public rejection of canine euthanasia as a control measure, the limitations of canine therapy with the current available drugs, and the controversies regarding available vaccines for canine protection are discussed. Good prospects on the insecticide-impregnated collars as an effective control measure are emphasized

Transcription of toll-like receptors 2, 3, 4 and 9, FoxP3 and Th17 cytokines in a susceptible experimental model of canine Leishmania infantum infection

Canine leishmaniosis (CanL) due to Leishmania infantum is a chronic zoonotic systemic disease resulting from complex interactions between protozoa and the canine immune system. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are essential components of the innate immune system and facilitate the early detection of many infections. However, the role of TLRs in CanL remains unknown and information describing TLR transcription during infection is extremely scarce. The aim of this research project was to investigate the impact of L. infantum infection on canine TLR transcription using a susceptible model. The objectives of this study were to evaluate transcription of TLRs 2, 3, 4 and 9 by means of quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) in skin, spleen, lymph node and liver in the presence or absence of experimental L. infantum infection in Beagle dogs. These findings were compared with clinical and serological data, parasite densities in infected tissues and transcription of IL-17, IL-22 and FoxP3 in different tissues in non-infected dogs (n = 10), and at six months (n = 24) and 15 months (n = 7) post infection. Results revealed significant down regulation of transcription with disease progression in lymph node samples for TLR3, TLR4, TLR9, IL-17, IL-22 and FoxP3. In spleen samples, significant down regulation of transcription was seen in TLR4 and IL-22 when both infected groups were compared with controls. In liver samples, down regulation of transcription was evident with disease progression for IL-22. In the skin, upregulation was seen only for TLR9 and FoxP3 in the early stages of infection. Subtle changes or down regulation in TLR transcription, Th17 cytokines and FoxP3 are indicative of the silent establishment of infection that Leishmania is renowned for. These observations provide new insights about TLR transcription, Th17 cytokines and Foxp3 in the liver, spleen, lymph node and skin in CanL and highlight possible markers of disease susceptibility in this model