Dissecting gastrointestinal dysfunction and inflammation in a “pre-motor” rodent model of Parkinson’s disease

Research on Parkinson’s disease (PD) has mainly focused on the degeneration of the dopaminergic neurons of nigro-striatal (NS) pathway; also, post-mortem studies have demonstrated that the noradrenergic and the serotonergic transmitter systems are also affected (Jellinger, 1999). Degeneration of these neuronal cell bodies is generally thought to start prior to the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the NS pathway and precedes the appearance of the motor symptoms that are the “hallmark” of PD. Gastrointestinal (GI) motility is often disturbed in PD, manifesting chiefly as impaired gastric emptying and constipation. These GI dysfunction symptoms may be the result of a loss in noradrenergic and serotonergic innervation. GI deficits were evaluated using an organ bath technique. Groups treated with different combinations of neurotoxins (6-OHDA alone, 6-OHDA + pCA or 6-OHDA + DSP-4) presented significant differences in gut contractility compared to control groups. Since a substantial body of literature suggests the presence of an inflammatory process in parkinsonian state (Whitton, 2007), changes in pro-inflammatory cytokines in the gut were assessed using a cytokine microarray. It has been found in this work that groups with a combined dopaminergic and noradrenergic lesion have a significant increase in both expressions of IL-13 and VEGF. IL-6 also shows a decrease in treatment groups; however this decrease did not reach statistical significance. The therapeutic value of Exendin-4 (EX-4) was evaluated. It has been previously demonstrated that EX-4, a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonist, is neuroprotective in rodent models of PD (Harkavyi et al., 2008). In this thesis it has been found that EX-4 was able to reverse a decrease in gut contractility obtained through intracerebral bilateral 6-OHDA injection. Although more studies are required, EX-4 could be used as a possible therapy for the GI symptoms prominent in the early stages of PD.

Fragilidade e pré-fragilidade em pessoas idosas residentes na comunidade

RESUMO: Objectivo: Este estudo tem como principal objectivo determinar perfis de fragilidade em pessoas idosas, residentes ma comunidade. Metodologia: Trata-se de um estudo de natureza não experimental, quantitativo, exploratório e descritivo, com uma amostra de conveniência, constituída por pessoas idosas (n=47), residentes na comunidade. As variáveis em análise foram o fenótipo de fragilidade, onde a força de preensão foi avaliada através de um dinamómetro portátil, a percepção de exaustão através da CES-D, a velocidade de marcha foi avaliada pelo Timed Up and Go Test, a actividade física através de uma escala simplificada, com base nos estudos de Grimby, e a perda de peso não intencional através de uma questão sobre perda de peso no último ano. As restantes variáveis foram avaliadas por questionário, à excepção da capacidade funcional, avaliada por uma escala com actividades básicas e instrumentais da vida diária assim como locomoção, e da força de membros inferiores, avaliada pelo teste de sentar e levantar da cadeira durante 30 segundos. Resultados: Verificou-se que a maioria da amostra era pré-frágil, com uma frequência próxima de fragilidade e uma quase inexistência de não fragilidade. Contribui para isto, essencialmente, a velocidade de marcha e perda de peso não intencional. Apesar de se encontrar uma grande presença de comorbilidade e independência com limitação nos indivíduos deste estudo, não se verifica uma relação de significância entre estas variáveis. Verificam-se relações significativas com a Hipertensão arterial e a percepção do estado de saúde. Conclusão: Não foi possível definir um perfil de fragilidade de forma consistente, devido à grande variabilidade de resultados encontrados e à não existência de correlações significativas, no que diz respeito à síndrome de fragilidade. -----------ABSTRACT: Objective: This study aims to determine profiles of fragility in elderly people, living in the community Methodology: This is a study of a non experimental, quantitative, exploratory and descriptive, with a convenience sample, consisting of elderly (n = 47), living in the community. The variables analyzed were the frailty phenotype where grip strength was measured using a handheld dynamometer, the perception of exhaustion through the CES-D, gait speed was assessed by the Timed Up and Go Test, physical activity through a simplified scale based on studies of Grimby and unintentional loss of weight through a question about weight loss in the last year.The remaining variables were assessed by questionnaire, with the exception of functional capacity assessed by a scale with basic and instrumental activities of daily living as well as locomotion, and lower limb strength, evaluated by sitting and rising from a chair for 30-second test. Results: It was found that most of the sample was pre-fragile with a frequency close to the fragility and almost no non-brittleness. Contribute to this, essentially, gait speed and unintentional weight loss. Despite being a large presence of comorbidity and independence in individuals with limitation of this study, no there is a significant relationship between this variables. There are significant relations with hypertension and the perception of health status. Conclusion: It was not possible to define a profile of fragility consistently, due to the great variability of results and the absence of significant correlations, with respect to the frailty syndrome.

The use of analytical hierarchy process in spatial decision support system for land use management

Geographic information systems give us the possibility to analyze, produce, and edit geographic information. Furthermore, these systems fall short on the analysis and support of complex spatial problems. Therefore, when a spatial problem, like land use management, requires a multi-criteria perspective, multi-criteria decision analysis is placed into spatial decision support systems. The analytic hierarchy process is one of many multi-criteria decision analysis methods that can be used to support these complex problems. Using its capabilities we try to develop a spatial decision support system, to help land use management. Land use management can undertake a broad spectrum of spatial decision problems. The developed decision support system had to accept as input, various formats and types of data, raster or vector format, and the vector could be polygon line or point type. The support system was designed to perform its analysis for the Zambezi river Valley in Mozambique, the study area. The possible solutions for the emerging problems had to cover the entire region. This required the system to process large sets of data, and constantly adjust to new problems’ needs. The developed decision support system, is able to process thousands of alternatives using the analytical hierarchy process, and produce an output suitability map for the problems faced.

How to increase brand value expanding the category and brand presence to the main meal occasion for Sumol- Compal

Having registered negative retail value growth of 4% in Portugal in 2014, the juice category is set to decline further by 5,5% until 2019. Manufacturers of juices and nectars are therefore increasingly looking for new categories in order to balance this negative forecast in their home territory. One apparent growth opportunity for Compal, the leading producer of juices and nectars, is to expand its commercial reach to new occasions of consumption. This report carefully analyzes the opportunities related to an expansion to the main meal occasion and introduces a complete marketing and communications plan for a possible new main meal juice, Compal à Mesa. The product concept represents a rather premium positioning for the main meal occasion, including new flavor mixes that are targeted at different occasions of meals. The justification of the introduced concept includes a discussion of the primary and secondary research that was performed