Comparison of body fat content and distribution of familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy patients versus healthy subjects

The deposition of amyloid fibers at the peripheral nervous system can induce motor neuropathy in Familial Amiloidotic Polyneuropethy (FAP) patients. This produces progressive reductions in functional capacity. The only treatment for FAP is a liver transplant, followed by aggressive medication that can affect patients' metabolism. To our knowledge, there are no data on body fat distribution or comparison between healthy and FAP subjects, which may be important for clinical assessment and management of this disease. PURPOSE: To analyze body fat content and distribution between FAP patients and healthy subjects. METHODS: Body fat content and distribution were measured through Double Energy X-ray Densitometry (DXA) in two groups. Group 1 consisted of 43 Familial Amyloidotic Polyneuropathy patients (19 males, 32 + 8 Yrs, and 24 females, 37 + 5 yrs), who had liver transplant less than 2 months before. Group 2 consisted of 18 healthy subjects of similar age (8 males, 36 + 7 yrs, and 10 females, 39 + 5 yrs). RESULTS: Healthy subjects showed higher values than FAP patients for: BMI (24,2+2,3kg/m2 vs 22,3+3,8 kg/m2 respectively, p<0,05), % trunk BF (26,21+8,34kg vs 20,78+9,05kg respectively, p<0,05), % visceral BF (24,43+7,97% vs 19,21+9,30% respectively, p<0,05), % abdominal BF (26,63+8,51% vs 20,63+10,35% respectively, p<0,05) abdominal subcutaneous BF (0,533+0,421kg vs 0,353+0,257kg respectively, p=0,05), abdominal BF/BF ratio (0,09+0,02 vs 0,08+0,02 respectively, p<0,05) and abdominal BF/trunk BF ratio (0,19+0,03 vs 0,17+0,03 respectively, p<0,05). CONCLUSIONS: These results showed that FAP patients soon after liver transplantation exhibited a healthier body fat profile compared to controls. However, fat content and distribution varied widely in FAP subjects, suggesting an individualized approach for assessment and intervention rather than general guidelines. Future research is needed to investigate the long term consequences on body fat following liver transplant in this population.

Comparison of body fat content and distribution of familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy patients versus healthy subjects

The deposition of amyloid fibers at the peripheral nervous system can induce motor neuropathy in Familial Amiloidotic Polyneuropethy (FAP) patients. This produces progressive reductions in functional capacity. The only treatment for FAP is a liver transplant, followed by aggressive medication that can affect patients' metabolism. To our knowledge, there are no data on body fat distribution or comparison between healthy and FAP subjects, which may be important for clinical assessment and management of this disease.

Determination of chitin content in fungal cell wall: an alternative flow cytometric method

The conventional methods used to evaluate chitin content in fungi, such as biochemical assessment of glucosamine release after acid hydrolysis or epifluorescence microscopy, are low throughput, laborious, time-consuming, and cannot evaluate a large number of cells. We developed a flow cytometric assay, efficient, and fast, based on Calcofluor White staining to measure chitin content in yeast cells. A staining index was defined, its value was directly related to chitin amount and taking into consideration the different levels of autofluorecence. Twenty-two Candida spp. and four Cryptococcus neoformans clinical isolates with distinct susceptibility profiles to caspofungin were evaluated. Candida albicans clinical isolate SC5314, and isogenic strains with deletions in chitin synthase 3 (chs3Δ/chs3Δ) and genes encoding predicted Glycosyl Phosphatidyl Inositol (GPI)-anchored proteins (pga31Δ/Δ and pga62Δ/Δ), were used as controls. As expected, the wild-type strain displayed a significant higher chitin content (P < 0.001) than chs3Δ/chs3Δ and pga31Δ/Δ especially in the presence of caspofungin. Ca. parapsilosis, Ca. tropicalis, and Ca. albicans showed higher cell wall chitin content. Although no relationship between chitin content and antifungal drug susceptibility phenotype was found, an association was established between the paradoxical growth effect in the presence of high caspofungin concentrations and the chitin content. This novel flow cytometry protocol revealed to be a simple and reliable assay to estimate cell wall chitin content of fungi.

Image quality of myocardial perfusion-gated studies: effect of ingestion of different fat content in the reduction of extra-myocardial abdominal signal

Myocardial perfusion-gated-SPECT (MP-gated-SPECT) imaging often shows radiotracer uptake in abdominal organs. This accumulation interferes frequently with qualitative and quantitative assessment of the infero-septal region of myocardium. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of ingestion of different fat content on the reduction of extra-myocardial uptake and to improve MP-gated-SPECT image quality. In this study, 150 patients (65 ^ 18 years) who were referred for MP-gated-SPECT underwent a 1-day-protocol including imaging after stress (physical or pharmacological) and resting conditions. All patients gave written informed consent. Patients were subdivided into five groups: GI, GII, GIII, GIV and GV. In the first four groups, patients ate two chocolate bars with different fat content. Patients in GV – control group (CG) – had just water. Uptake indices (UI) of myocardium (M)/liver(L) and M/stomach–proximal bowel(S) revealed lower UI of M/S at rest in all groups. Both stress and rest studies using different food intake indicate that patients who ate chocolate with different fat content showed better UI of M/L than the CG. The UI of M/L and M/S of groups obtained under physical stress are clearly superior to that of groups obtained under pharmacological stress. These differences are only significant in patients who ate high-fat chocolate or drank water. The analysis of all stress studies together (GI, GII, GIII and GIV) in comparison with CG shows higher mean ranks of UI of M/L for those who ate high-fat chocolate. After pharmacological stress, the mean ranks of UI of M/L were higher for patients who ate high- and low-fat chocolate. In conclusion, eating food with fat content after radiotracer injection increases, respectively, the UI of M/L after stress and rest in MP-gated-SPECT studies. It is, therefore, recommended that patients eat a chocolate bar after radiotracer injection and before image acquisition.

Agentes fitoquímicos como radio-sensibilizadores na terapêutica em medicina nuclear

Mestrado em Medicina Nuclear. Área de especialização: Radiofarmácia.

Bi-Dimensional Characterization of a Wimax Radio Channel at 3.5GHz

This paper presents the characterization of an indoor Wimax radio channel using the Finite-Difference Time-Domain (FDTD) [1] method complemented with the Convolutional Perfect Matched Layer (CPML) technique [2]. An indoor 2D scenario is simulated in the 3.5GHz band (IEEE 802.16d-2004 and IEEE 802.16e-2005 [3]). In this study, we used two complementary techniques in both analysis, technique A and B for fading based on delay spread and technique C and D for fading based on Doppler spread. Both techniques converge to the same result. Simulated results define the channel as flat, slow and without inter-symbolic interference (ISI), making the application of the spatial diversity the most appropriate scheme.

Optoelectronic properties of a-Si(1-x)C(x)H films grown in hydrogen diluted silane-methane plasma

This work reports on the optoelectronic properties and device application of hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbide (a-Si(1-x)C(x):H) films grown by plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD). The films with an optical bandgap ranging from about 1.8 to 2.0 eV were deposited in hydrogen diluted silane-methane plasma by varying the radio frequency power. Several n-i-p structures with an intrinsic a-Si(1-x)C(x):H layer of different optical gaps were also fabricated. The optimized devices exhibited a diode ideality factor of 1.4-1.8, and a leakage current of 190-470 pA/cm(2) at -5 V. The density of deep defect states in a-Si(1-x)C(x):H was estimated from the transient dark current measurements and correlated with the optical bandgap and carbon content. Urbach energies for the valence band tail were also determined by analyzing the spectral response within sub-bandgap energy range. (C) 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim

How new online communication tools and the availability of content influence the audiences and the creative process

We live in a changing world. At an impressive speed, every day new technological resources appear. We increasingly use the Internet to obtain and share information, and new online communication tools are emerging. Each of them encompasses new potential and creates new audiences. In recent years, we witnessed the emergence of Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other media platforms. They have provided us with an even greater interactivity between sender and receiver, as well as generated a new sense of community. At the same time we also see the availability of content like it never happened before. We are increasingly sharing texts, videos, photos, etc. This poster intends to explore the potential of using these new online communication tools in the cultural sphere to create new audiences, to develop of a new kind of community, to provide information as well as different ways of building organizations’ memory. The transience of performing arts is accompanied by the need to counter that transience by means of documentation. This desire to ‘save’ events reaches its expression with the information archive of the different production moments as well as the opportunity to record the event and present it through, for instance, digital platforms. In this poster we intend to answer the following questions: which online communication tools are being used to engage audiences in the cultural sphere (specifically between theater companies in Lisbon)? Is there a new relationship with the public? Are online communication tools creating a new kind of community? What changes are these tools introducing in the creative process? In what way the availability of content and its archive contribute to the organization memory? Among several references, we will approach the two-way communication model that James E. Grunig & Todd T. Hunt (1984) already presented and the concept of mass self-communication of Manuel Castells (2010). Castells also tells us that we have moved from traditional media to a system of communication networks. For Scott Kirsner (2010), we have entered an era of digital creativity, where artists have the tools to do what they imagined and the public no longer wants to just consume cultural goods, but instead to have a voice and participate. The creativity process is now depending on the public choice as they wander through the screen. It is the receiver who owns an object which can be exchanged. Virtual reality has encouraged the receiver to abandon its position of passive observer and to become a participant agent, which implies a challenge to organizations: inventing new forms of interfaces. Therefore, we intend to find new and effective online tools that can be used by cultural organizations; the best way to manage them; to show how organizations can create a community with the public and how the availability of online content and its archive can contribute to the organizations’ memory.

Neighbour list optimization for real LTE radio network

With the increasing complexity of current networks, it became evident the need for Self-Organizing Networks (SON), which aims to automate most of the associated radio planning and optimization tasks. Within SON, this paper aims to optimize the Neighbour Cell List (NCL) for Long Term Evolution (LTE) evolved NodeBs (eNBs). An algorithm composed by three decisions were were developed: distance-based, Radio Frequency (RF) measurement-based and Handover (HO) stats-based. The distance-based decision, proposes a new NCL taking account the eNB location and interference tiers, based in the quadrants method. The last two algorithms consider signal strength measurements and HO statistics, respectively; they also define a ranking to each eNB and neighbour relation addition/removal based on user defined constraints. The algorithms were developed and implemented over an already existent radio network optimization professional tool. Several case studies were produced using real data from a Portuguese LTE mobile operator. © 2014 IEEE.