Differential expression of the eukaryotic release factor 3 (eRF3/GSPT1) according to gastric cancer histological types

Background: There are now several lines of evidence to suggest that protein synthesis and translation factors are involved in the regulation of cell proliferation and cancer development. Aims: To investigate gene expression patterns of eukaryotic releasing factor 3 (eRF3) in gastric cancer. Methods: RNA was prepared from 25 gastric tumour biopsies and adjacent non-neoplastic mucosa. Real time TaqMan reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was performed to measure the relative gene expression levels. DNA was isolated from tumour and normal tissues and gene dosage was determined by a quantitative real time PCR using SYBR Green dye. Results: Different histological types of gastric tumours were analysed and nine of the 25 tumours revealed eRF3/GSPT1 overexpression; moreover, eight of the 12 intestinal type carcinomas analysed overexpressed the gene, whereas eRF3/GSPT1 was overexpressed in only one of the 10 diffuse type carcinomas (Kruskal-Wallis Test; p , 0.05). No correlation was found between ploidy and transcript expression levels of eRF3/GSPT1. Overexpression of eRF3/GSPT1 was not associated with increased translation rates because the upregulation of eRF3/GSPT1 did not correlate with increased eRF1 levels. Conclusions: Overexpression of eRF3/GSPT1 in intestinal type gastric tumours may lead to an increase in the translation efficiency of specific oncogenic transcripts. Alternatively, eRF3/GSPT1 may be involved in tumorigenesis as a result of its non-translational roles, namely (dis)regulating the cell cycle, apoptosis, or transcription.

Impact of the background region of interest in the relative renal function

Renal scintigraphy with 99mTc-dimercaptosuccinic acid (99mTc-DMSA) is performed with the aim of detect cortical abnormalities related to urinary tract infection and accurately quantify relative renal function (RRF). For this quantitative assessment Nuclear Medicine Technologist should draw regions of interest (ROI) around each kidney (KROI) and peri-renal background (BKG) ROI, although, controversy still exists about BKG-ROI. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of the normalization procedure, number and location of BKG-ROI on the RRF in 99mTc-DMSA scintigraphy.

Effects of an exercise training program in physical condition after liver transplantation in familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy: a case report

Introduction: Familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy (FAP) is a neurodegenerative disease that leads to sensory and motor polyneuropathies as well as functional limitations. So far, liver transplantation is the only treatment for FAP because the mutated protein causing the disease is mainly produced in the liver. With the increasing survival of transplant recipients, functional and cardiovascular problems as consequences of immunosuppressant side effects are increasing associated with sedentary lifestyles and/or retransplantation status. We sought to analyze the impact of exercise training programs on 1 FAP patient’s course long-term after liver transplantation. Methodology. A FAP patient (female; 49 years of age; body mass index 18.8 kg/m2) underwent a liver transplantation 133 months before assessment. She was assessed for body composition, isometric quadriceps muscle strength, functional capacity, fatigue, and levels of physical activity before and after a 6-month period of combined exercise training. Results: After the exercise training program, almost all variables were improved, namely, total body skeletal muscle mass, proximal femoral bone mineral density, quadriceps strength, maximal oxygen consumption on 6 minutes walk test (6mwt) or VO2peak, total ventilation on 6mwt, and fatigue. The improvement in distance on 6mwt (69.2 m) was clinically significant. Preintervention the levels of physical activity were below international recommendations for health; after the program they achieved the recommendations. Conclusion: The results showed an improvement in functional capacity with a decrease in future disability risk associated with a better lifestyle with respect to physical activity levels in 1 patient.

Stability Condition Based Sliding Mode Modulators for Multilevel Power Converters

Sliding mode controllers for power converters usually employ hysteresis comparators to directly generate the power semiconductors switching states. This paper presents a new sliding mode modulator based on the direct implementation of the sliding mode stability condition, which for multilevel power converters shows advantages, as branch equalized switching frequencies and less distortion on the ac currents when operating near the rated converter power. The new sliding mode multilevel modulator is used to control a three-phase multilevel converter, operated as a reactive power compensator (STATCOM), implementing the stability condition in a digital signal processing system. The performance of this new sliding mode modulator is compared with a multilevel modulator based on hysteresis comparators. Simulation and experimental results are presented in order to highlight the system operation and control robustness.

Pressão, memorização e eficácia publicitária. Para além da repetição: a criatividade como factor potencial de eficácia da comunicação publicitária

Este artigo analisa a questão da eficácia publicitária num contexto de saturação. O reconhecimento da marca ou a recordação da publicidade associada à marca serão sempre, pelo menos, objectivos secundários de uma qualquer campanha publicitária. A eficácia surge assim associada inegavelmente à capacidade de memorização por parte do público-alvo das campanhas. Assim, parece consensual que as bases da eficácia publicitária são a memorização e a frequência publicitária no seu conjunto. Os modelos quantitativos existentes baseados em extensas bases de dados utilizados para estimar os resultados de eficácia utilizam sobretudo a relação cobertura/repetição, mas não chegam para saber qual a real eficácia do anúncio face aos objectivos junto de um determinado target. É possível aumentar a eficácia, através da criatividade, sem aumentar a pressão publicitária. Num contexto de saturação publicitária, o aumento da pressão publicitária não resultará certamente em maior eficácia. A resposta passará pelo poder da criatividade, desde logo nas estratégias do marketing e da comunicação, mas também das próprias mensagens publicitárias e na criatividade ao nível da utilização dos meios, sejam eles mais ou menos tradicionais.

Assessment of fungal contamination in a group of Lisbon's gymnasiums with a swimming pool

The study’s main purpose was the assessment of the environmental fungal contamination, the exploration of possible associations between related environmental variables and the study of the relationship between fungal contamination of air and surfaces. A descriptive study was developed based upon air and surfaces monitoring for fungal contamination in ten indoor gymnasiums with a swimming pool located in Lisbon’s urban area. Fifty 200 litres air samples and 120 surface swabs were collected. Surfaces samples were collected before and after cleaning and disinfection and temperature and relative humidity values were registered during the collection period. Twenty five different species of fungi were identified in the air samples, being the three most commonly isolated genera the following: Cladosporium (36.6%), Penicillium (19.0%) and Aspergillus (10.2%). Thirty-seven different species of fungi were identified in the surface samples. Fusarium sp. was the most frequent genera before (19.1%) and after (17.2%) cleaning and disinfection. There was a significant association between the numbers of visitors and the fungal contamination determined in the surface samples (p<0.05). There was no significant association (p>0.05) between the contamination encountered in the air samples and the one registered in the surface samples and between the fungal contamination and the temperature or relative humidity measured on location. The data obtained enabled the assessment of the establishment’s fungal contamination and led the authors to conclude, consequently, that physical activity, which generally promotes health, can in fact be challenged by this factor.

Possíveis implicações da contaminação fúngica num aviário

Introdução – Apesar de em Portugal se verificar o aumento da indústria da produção de aves para consumo humano, apenas alguns estudos incidem sobre a qualidade do ar interior e as implicações da sua degradação. Objectivos – Descrever a contaminação fúngica num aviário, analisar possíveis associações com a temperatura ambiente e a humidade relativa e o possível impacto na saúde dos consumidores e trabalhadores desta unidade. Métodos – Foi desenvolvido um estudo descritivo para avaliar a contaminação fúngica num aviário. Colheram‑se 5 amostras de ar de 100 litros através do método de compactação e 4 amostras de superfícies, utilizando a técnica da zaragatoa e um quadrado de 10 cm de lado de metal. Simultaneamente, os parâmetros ambientais – temperatura ambiente e humidade relativa – também foram medidos. Resultados – Foram identificadas vinte espécies de fungos no ar, sendo os seguintes os quatro géneros mais comummente isolados: Cladosporium (40,5%), Alternaria (10,8%), Chrysosporium e Aspergillus (6,8%). Nas superfícies, 21 espécies de fungos foram identificadas, sendo os 4 géneros mais identificados Penicillium (51,8%), Cladosporium (25,4%), Alternaria (6,1%) e Aspergillus (4,2%). Importa referir o facto de Aspergillus flavus, também isolado no ar, ser reconhecido como produtor de micotoxinas (aflatoxina) e Aspergillus fumigatus, uma das espécies isoladas no ar e superfícies, ser capaz de causar aspergilose grave ou fatal. Não se verificou relação significativa (p> 0,05) entre a contaminação fúngica e as variáveis ambientais. Conclusão – Caracterizou‑se a distribuição fúngica no ar e superfícies do aviário e analisou‑se a possível influência das variáveis ambientais. Foi reconhecido um potencial problema de Saúde Pública devido à contaminação fúngica e à possível produção de micotoxinas com a eventual contaminação dos produtos alimentares. A contaminação fúngica, particularmente causada pelo Aspergillus fumigatus, e a possível presença de micotoxinas no ar, devem ser encaradas também como fatores de risco neste contexto ocupacional. ABSTRACT - Background – Although there is an increasingly industry that produce whole chickens for domestic consumption in Portugal, only few investigations have reported on the indoor air of these plants and the consequences of their degradation. Objectives – Describe one poultry environmental fungal contamination analyse possible associations between temperature and relative humidity and its possible impact on the health of consumers and of the poultry workers. Methods – A descriptive study was developed to monitor one poultry fungal contamination. Five air samples of 100 litres through impaction method were collected and 4 swab samples from surfaces were also collected using a 10 cm square of metal. Simultaneously, environmental parameters – temperature and relative humidity – were also measured. Results – Twenty species of fungi in air were identified, being the 4 most commonly isolated the following genera: Cladosporium (40.5%), Alternaria (10.8%), Chrysosporium and Aspergillus (6.8%). In surfaces, 21 species of fungi were identified, being the 4 genera more identified Penicillium (51.8%), Cladosporium (25.4%), Alternaria (6.1%) and Aspergillus (4.2%). In addition, Aspergillus flavus also isolated in the poultry air is a well‑known producer of potent mycotoxins (aflatoxin), and Aspergillus fumigatus, one of the species isolated in air and surfaces, is capable of causing severe or fatal aspergillosis. There was no significant relationship (p>0,05) between fungal contamination and environmental variables. Conclusions – Was characterized fungal distribution in poultry air and surfaces and analyzed the association of environmental variables. It was recognized the Public Health problem because of fungal contamination and also due to probable mycotoxins production with the possible contamination of food products. Fungal contamination, particularly due to the presence of Aspergillus fumigatus and also the possible presence of mycotoxins in the air, should be seen as risk factor in this occupational setting.

The role of an illiquidity factor in the Portuguese stock market

This study examines the role of illiquidity (proxied by the proportion of zero returns) as an additional risk factor in asset pricing. We use Portuguese monthly data, covering the period between January 1988 and December 2008. We compute an illiquidity factor using the Fama and French [Fama, E. F., and K. R. French (1993), "Common risk factors in the returns on stocks and bonds", Journal of Financial Economics, Vol. 33, Nº. 1, pp. 3-56] procedure and analyze the performance of CAPM, Fama-French three-factor model and illiquidity-augmented versions of these models in explaining both the time-series and the cross-section of returns. Our results reveal that the effect of characteristic liquidity is subsumed by the models considered, but the risk of illiquidity is not priced in the Portuguese stock market.

Role of malnutrition and parasite infections in the spatial variation in children’s anaemia risk in Northern Angola

Anaemia has a significant impact on child development and mortality and is a severe public health problem in most countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Nutritional and infectious causes of anaemia are geographically variable and anaemia maps based on information on the major aetiologies of anaemia are important for identifying communities most in need and the relative contribution of major causes. We investigated the consistency between ecological and individual-level approaches to anaemia mapping, by building spatial anaemia models for children aged ≤15 years using different modeling approaches. We aimed to a) quantify the role of malnutrition, malaria, Schistosoma haematobium and soil-transmitted helminths (STH) for anaemia endemicity in children aged ≤15 years and b) develop a high resolution predictive risk map of anaemia for the municipality of Dande in Northern Angola. We used parasitological survey data on children aged ≤15 years to build Bayesian geostatistical models of malaria (PfPR≤15), S. haematobium, Ascaris lumbricoides and Trichuris trichiura and predict small-scale spatial variation in these infections. The predictions and their associated uncertainty were used as inputs for a model of anemia prevalence to predict small-scale spatial variation of anaemia. Stunting, PfPR≤15, and S. haematobium infections were significantly associated with anaemia risk. An estimated 12.5%, 15.6%, and 9.8%, of anaemia cases could be averted by treating malnutrition, malaria, S. haematobium, respectively. Spatial clusters of high risk of anaemia (>86%) were identified. Using an individual-level approach to anaemia mapping at a small spatial scale, we found that anaemia in children aged ≤15 years is highly heterogeneous and that malnutrition and parasitic infections are important contributors to the spatial variation in anemia risk. The results presented in this study can help inform the integration of the current provincial malaria control program with ancillary micronutrient supplementation and control of neglected tropical diseases, such as urogenital schistosomiasis and STH infection.

A iliteracia financeira como factor de risco para as instituições de crédito portuguesas

Mestrado em Contabilidade e Gestão das Instituições Financeiras

O impacto da entrada das agências de rating nos países emergentes: estudo comparativo Brasil/Angola

Mestrado em Contabilidade e Gestão das Instituições Financeiras

Impact of the background Region of Interest in the relative renal function

Renal scintigraphy with 99mTc-dimercaptosuccinic acid (99mTc-DMSA) is performed with the aim of detect cortical abnormalities related to urinary tract infection and accurately quantify relative renal function (RRF). For this quantitative assessment Nuclear Medicine Technologist should draw regions of interest (ROI) around each kidney (KROI) and peri-renal background (BKG) ROI although controversy still exists about BKG-ROI. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of the normalization procedure, number and location of BKG-ROI on the RRF in 99mTc-DMSA scintigraphy.

Validação da eficácia dos procedimentos de limpeza, no equipamento de fabrico e embalagem, na indústria farmacêutica

Na indústria farmacêutica, a limpeza dos equipamentos e superfícies é muito importante no processo de fabrico/embalagem dos produtos farmacêuticos. Possíveis resíduos contaminantes devem ser removidos dos equipamentos e das superfícies envolvidas no processo. De acordo com as Boas Práticas de Fabrico (GMP), os procedimentos de limpeza e os métodos analíticos usados para determinar as quantidades de resíduos devem ser validados. O método analítico combinado com o método de amostragem utilizado na colheita de amostras deve ser sujeito a um ensaio de “recovery”. Neste trabalho apresenta-se uma estratégia inovadora para a validação de limpeza de formas farmacêuticas semi-sólidas. Propõe-se o uso de um método de amostragem que consiste na colheita direta de amostra após o seu fabrico, sendo a análise de resíduos feita directamente nesta amostra. Os produtos escolhidos para a avaliação da estratégia foram dois medicamentos dermatológicos, apresentados na forma de pomada e produzidos numa unidade de fabrico de vários produtos, pela Schering Plough Farma/ Merck Sharp & Dohme (Cacém, Portugal). Como métodos analíticos para a quantificação dos resíduos, utilizaram-se métodos validados por via espectrofotométrica (HPLC), usados na análise do produto acabado. A validação de limpeza foi avaliada através da análise de uma quantidade conhecida de pomada (produto B (*)), usando o método de análise da pomada fabricada anteriormente (produto A (*)), de modo a verificar-se a existência ou não de agente de limpeza e substâncias ativas deixadas após a limpeza do produto A, e vice-versa. As concentrações residuais das substâncias ativas e do agente de limpeza encontradas após a limpeza foram nulas, ou seja, inferiores ao limite de deteção (LOD), sendo que o critério de aceitação da limpeza utilizado foi de 6,4 x 10-4 mg/g para a substância ativa 1 (*); 1,0 x 10-2 mg/g para a substância ativa 2 (*); 1,0 x 10-3 mg/g para a substância ativa 3 (*) e de 10 ppm para o agente de limpeza. No ensaio de “recovery”, obtiveram-se resultados acima de 70% para todas as substâncias ativas e para o agente de limpeza nas duas pomadas. Antes de se proceder a este ensaio de “recovery”, houve a necessidade de ajustar as condições cromatográficas dos métodos analíticos de ambos os produtos e do agente de limpeza, por forma a obter-se valores da conformidade do sistema (fator de tailling e de resolução) de acordo com as especificações. A precisão dos resultados, reportada como desvio padrão relativo (RSD), deu abaixo de 2,0%, excepto nos ensaios que envolvem a substância ativa 3, cuja especificação é inferior a 10,0%. Os resultados obtidos demonstraram que os procedimentos de limpeza usados na unidade de fabrico em causa são eficazes, eliminando assim a existência de contaminação cruzada.

Translation termination and protein folding pathway genes are not correlated in gastric cancer

Background: The eukaryotic release factor 3 (eRF3) has been shown to affect both tubulin and actin cytoskeleton, suggesting a role in cytoskeleton assembly, mitotic spindle formation and chromosome segregation. Also, direct interactions between eRF3 and subunits of the cytosolic chaperonin CCT have been described. Moreover, both eRF3a and CCT subunits have been described to be up-regulated in cancer tissues. Our aim was to evaluate the hypothesis that eRF3 expression levels are correlated with the expression of genes encoding proteins involved in the tubulin folding pathways. Methods: Relative expression levels of eRF1, eRF3a/GSPT1, PFDN4, CCT2, CCT4, and TBCA genes in tumour samples relative to their adjacent normal tissues were investigated using real time-polymerase chain reaction in 20 gastric cancer patients. Results: The expression levels of eRF3a/GSPT1 were not correlated with the expression levels of the other genes studied. However, significant correlations were detected between the other genes, both within intestinal and diffuse type tumours. Conclusions: eRF3a/GSPT1 expression at the mRNA level is independent from both cell translation rates and from the expression of the genes involved in tubulin-folding pathways. The differences in the patterns of expression of the genes studied support the hypothesis of genetically independent pathways in the origin of intestinal and diffuse type gastric tumours.

Q192R polymorphism of the paraoxonase-1 gene as a risk factor for obesity in Portuguese women

Introduction - Obesity became a major public health problem as a result of its increasing prevalence worldwide. Paraoxonase-1 (PON1) is an esterase able to protect membranes and lipoproteins from oxidative modifications. At the PON1 gene, several polymorphisms in the promoter and coding regions have been identified. The aims of this study were i) to assess PON1 L55M and Q192R polymorphisms as a risk factor for obesity in women; ii) to compare PON1 activity according to the expression of each allele in L55M and Q192R polymorphisms; iii) to compare PON1 activity between obese and normal-weight women. Materials and methods - We studied 75 healthy (35.9±8.2 years) and 81 obese women (34.3±8.2 years). Inclusion criteria for obese subjects were body mass index ≥30 kg/m2 and absence of inflammatory/neoplasic conditions or kidney/hepatic dysfunction. The two PON1 polymorphisms were assessed by real-time PCR with TaqMan probes. PON1 enzymatic activity was assessed by spectrophotometric methods, using paraoxon as a substrate. Results - No significant differences were found for PON1 activity between normal and obese women. Nevertheless, PON1 activity was greater (P<0.01) for the RR genotype (in Q192R polymorphism) and for the LL genotype (in L55M polymorphism). The frequency of allele R of Q192R polymorphism was significantly higher in obese women (P<0.05) and was associated with an increased risk of obesity (odds ratio=2.0 – 95% confidence interval (1.04; 3.87)). Conclusion - 55M and Q192R polymorphisms influence PON1 activity. The allele R of the Q192R polymorphism is associated with an increased risk for development of obesity among Portuguese Caucasian premenopausal women.