Transcriptoma diferencial entre células-tronco mesenquimais humanas jovens e senescentes

Human mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) are powerful sources for cell therapy in regenerative medicine. The long time cultivation can result in replicative senescence or can be related to the emergence of chromosomal alterations responsible for the acquisition of tumorigenesis features in vitro. In this study, for the first time, the expression profile of MSC with a paracentric chromosomal inversion (MSC/inv) was compared to normal karyotype (MSC/n) in early and late passages. Furthermore, we compared the transcriptome of each MSC in early passages with late passages. MSC used in this study were obtained from the umbilical vein of three donors, two MSC/n and one MSC/inv. After their cryopreservation, they have been expanded in vitro until reached senescence. Total RNA was extracted using the RNeasy mini kit (Qiagen) and marked with the GeneChip ® 3 IVT Express Kit (Affymetrix Inc.). Subsequently, the fragmented aRNA was hybridized on the microarranjo Affymetrix Human Genome U133 Plus 2.0 arrays (Affymetrix Inc.). The statistical analysis of differential gene expression was performed between groups MSC by the Partek Genomic Suite software, version 6.4 (Partek Inc.). Was considered statistically significant differences in expression to p-value Bonferroni correction ˂.01. Only signals with fold change ˃ 3.0 were included in the list of differentially expressed. Differences in gene expression data obtained from microarrays were confirmed by Real Time RT-PCR. For the interpretation of biological expression data were used: IPA (Ingenuity Systems) for analysis enrichment functions, the STRING 9.0 for construction of network interactions; Cytoscape 2.8 to the network visualization and analysis bottlenecks with the aid of the GraphPad Prism 5.0 software. BiNGO Cytoscape pluggin was used to access overrepresentation of Gene Ontology categories in Biological Networks. The comparison between senescent and young at each group of MSC has shown that there is a difference in the expression parttern, being higher in the senescent MSC/inv group. The results also showed difference in expression profiles between the MSC/inv versus MSC/n, being greater when they are senescent. New networks were identified for genes related to the response of two of MSC over cultivation time. Were also identified genes that can coordinate functional categories over represented at networks, such as CXCL12, SFRP1, xvi EGF, SPP1, MMP1 e THBS1. The biological interpretation of these data suggests that the population of MSC/inv has different constitutional characteristics, related to their potential for differentiation, proliferation and response to stimuli, responsible for a distinct process of replicative senescence in MSC/inv compared to MSC/n. The genes identified in this study are candidates for biomarkers of cellular senescence in MSC, but their functional relevance in this process should be evaluated in additional in vitro and/or in vivo assays

Correlação entre a infecção genital pelo vírus do papiloma humano, a resposta imune e os achados colpocitológicos em mulheres grávidas e não grávidas

The genital HPV infection is very common between men and women worldwide, affecting particularly young women, constituting a serious public health problem in less developed regions, favored by the poor living conditions of population. The cytology and colposcopy have notorious importance in the diagnosis of precursor lesions of cervical cancer and therefore its prevention. However, even with such diagnostic tools, the number of women who develop cervical cancer is still high. This study aims to assess the prevalence of genital tract infection by HPV in pregnant and nonpregnant women, evaluating the profile of the immune response presented by the women of these two groups in order to establish correlations among profile of immune response, presence of virus and occurrence of lesions of the uterine cervix. We analyzed specimens obtained from the cervix of 221 patients, 91 pregnant and 130 non-pregnant, aged 14-72 years. The women were subjected to colposcopic and cytologic evaluation detect possible changes in the cervix and then samples were collected in order to perform HPV detection by PCR and real-time PCR for detection of mRNA of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines. In the present study, the overall prevalence of HPV genital infection was 28.1%; of which 31.9% were pregnant patients and 25.4% in non-pregnant women. Young women under 30 years and those with low educational level education showed a higher risk of HPV infection. Colposcopy showed better correlation with detection of HPV DNA by PCR, when compared to cytology. Generally, HPV infected patients, pregnant or not, exhibited reduced mRNA expression of both pro-inflammatory (IFN-γ, TNF-α) and anti-inflammatory (IL -10) cytokines, when compared to patients not infected by HPV. Nonpregnant patients infected presented increase mRNA expression of IL-17 in patients without injury, whereas those with lesion showed higher mRNA expression of TGF-β. Pregnant women without injury infected exhibited increased mRNA expression of TGF-β. There was no difference in HPV prevalence between pregnant and nonpregnant women. There was a reduction of pro-inflammatory cytokines, except IL-17, in all women infected by HPV. Moreover, we observed an increase of TGF-β in HPV-infected women who are pregnant or not. The results suggest that, in women in this study, HPV infection promoted changes in the profile of cytokines necessary for activation of effective immune response, possibly favoring viral persistence

Polimorfismos do gene MSX1 e a fenda labio e/ou palatina não-sindrômica

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior

Avaliação do estado nutricional relativo ao selênio e da expressão gênica de selenoproteínas em pacientes com aterosclerose tratados com estatinas

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of the use of rosuvastatin in patients with atherosclerosis, in relation to blood parameters of selenium and selenoproteins, and also observe possible changes in gene expression of selenoproteins in these patients. The sample consisted of 27 adult and elderly patients with a clinical diagnosis of coronary artery disease undergoing angioplasty, treated at Natal Hospital Center hospital, Natal, RN. Patients were treated with rosuvastatin 10 mg/day during four months. Anthropometric variables such as body mass index (BMI) and Waist circumference (WC) were measured before and after treatment, as well as lipid profile, blood glucose and liver enzymes (AST and ALT). The diet of the patients was also analyzed using 24-hour diet recall. We analyzed the concentrations of selenium in plasma and erythrocytes, and also the activity of Glutathione Peroxidase and gene expression by Real Time PCR of selenoproteins GPx1, SelP1 and SelN1. Patients had mean age of 61.0 ± 9.4 years, 59.3% were men and 40.7% were women. After four months of treatment there was significant reduction of CA and, according to BMI, most were overweight. The intake of macronutrients, cholesterol, polyunsaturated fatty acids, monounsaturated and saturated was adequate, but the energy and fiber intake was below the recommendations. Regarding the selenium intake was observed a high prevalence of inadequacy. As expected, after treatment with rosuvastatin, a significant reduction in total cholesterol, LDL and glucose, which was not observed for HDL. Selenium concentrations in plasma and erythrocytes showed no changes, keeping within the established cutoffs. We observed a significant increase in GPx enzyme activity and mRNA expression of GPX1 and SEPN1, but not for gene SEPP1. Thus, it was found that treatment with rosuvastatin did not reduce the expression of selenoproteins. More studies are needed to clarify the effects of rosuvastatin on gene expression of selenoproteins in patients with atherosclerosis

Feiras livres : cidades de um só dia, aprendizados para a vida inteira

La tesis problematiza constelaciones creativas de saberes marcados por múltiples subjetividades en un espacio singular de las ciudades: la feria libre. Lugar de cambios financieros, pero también afectivos, simbólicos y míticos, ese espacio se mantiene al lado de los lugares comerciales asépticos y climatizados como son los supermercados e hipermercados de los espacios urbanos y de las metrópolis. Las ferias, por su carácter itinerante y sus personajes nómades modernos, son capaces de suscitar múltiples observaciones, divagaciones, afecciones y construcción de conocimientos. En la feria libre del barrio de Alecrim en la ciudad de Natal-RN/Brasil, principal contexto de referencia de esta investigación, en medio de tantos estímulos movilizadores de los órganos de los sentidos, salta a los ojos el elevado contingente de niños y adolescentes ejerciendo las múltiples actividades laborales. En Brasil el trabajo infantil es encajado en prohibiciones prescritas por leyes que recubren singularidades. Sin la pretensión de negar la importancia de tales convenciones y reglas, las reflexiones aquí puestas ultrapasan las amarras homogeneizantes del discurso oficial instituido de prohibición, problematizando a partir de la feria la idea de una caótica y pulsante aula al aire libre en la cual se construyen saberes más próximos de una lógica del sensible (Claude Lévi-Strauss). La feria es un laboratorio de construcción de conocimientos pertinentes (Edgar Morin), aquellos que religan fenómeno y contexto sin oponer manipulación y tiempo real de aplicabilidad de los saberes construidos. En esa escuela sin paredes, puertas, ventanas, cuadros negros o programas, los saberes de la tradición (Conceição Almeida) son probados y compartidos por niños y adolescentes que viven constantemente con un tipo de cambio de bienes y palabras en permanente construcción. En los puestos de la feria y para más allá de ellos encontramos sujetos híbridos (Bruno Latour) que se estructuran por medio de mecanismos creativos capaces de hacerlos navegar en las incertidumbres caóticas de sus vidas. Los aprendizajes de la feria fueron o son la pulsión de reinvención de esos sujetos aparentemente encarcelados en el conformismo como fatalidad última, portadores de historias embarazadas de simbologías tristes y felices que exponen la cara de un humano en permanente combustión, construcción e incertidumbre

Corpo e saúde: reflexões sobre o quadro "Medida Certa"

The present scenario is permeated by different comprehensions about the body and health. These are the result of a historical process experienced by men in different times and social contexts through which were being built. Faced this scenario, we emphasize the media as a powerful means of information and training ideas regarding the body and health of theses. The media also as a means of mediating information we present characteristics of the social scenario where is inserted. In our research we bring reflects about the comprehensions, knowledge and practices propagated by the way the body and health under "Medida Certa" of the program Fantastico the broadcaster Globo Telecommunications, in order to identify how Physical Education, has contributed the construction of knowledge disseminated. Therefore, we focus our analysis to the table "Medida Certa" exhibited by Fantastico in the months of April, May and June of 2011.The data for analysis were collected through the videos shown live in Fantastic and the information provided in the blog that table. Thus, we had 14 videos shown live, 16 videos posted on the blog, 97 posts in blog. As technique of analysis of the datas used of content analysis of the Bardin (2011). About body obtained as analytical categories: body as operating system; biological body; fragmented body exterior to the subject; body trailer quantified to patterns; subject body. How to health we analyze the categories of health existential: health existential based in biological indices of normality; health existential associated with weight loss and aesthetic patterns; health existential associated with physical activity and nutritional control; and finally we propose a comprehension of health existential. Therefore, from the analysis of the data evidenced a predominance of comprehensions, knowledge and practices about the body and health guided the biological constituents of the body, quantification and classification in medium and normal patterns on pervasive forms of care, in the linear association among physical activity and nutritional control with health, evidenced that Physical Education has contributed to these constructions, through some of his discourses with emphasis on biological aspects. Thus, in our study we advocate an understanding of not only the body as object, but also as a subject clipped by organic, cultural, historical and social elements, a living body, feeling, desire and above all expresses itself, and health viewed as something body, interlaced through the biological, cultural, historical and emotional aspects of this body that coexist in this society

Protocolo multiciclos para automação hospitalar sobre Multicast com IEEE 802.3 utilizando

The concepts of the industrial automation are being incorporated in the medical area, in other words, they also pass to be applied in the hospital automation. In this sense, researches have been developed and have usually been approached several of the problems that are pertinent to the processes that can be automated in the hospital environment. Considering that in the automation processes, an imperative factor is the communication, because the systems are usually distributed, the network for data transference becomes itself an important point in these processes. Because this network should be capable to provide the exchange of data and to guarantee the demands that are imposed by the automation process. In this context, this doctorate thesis proposed, specified, analyzed and validated the Multicycles Protocol for Hospital Automation (MP-HA), which is customized to assist the demands in these automation processes, seeking to guarantee the determinism in the communications and to optimize the factor of use of the mean of transmission

Controlador em modo dual adaptativo robusto - DMARC

The so-called Dual Mode Adaptive Robust Control (DMARC) is proposed. The DMARC is a control strategy which interpolates the Model Reference Adaptive Control (MRAC) and the Variable Structure Model Reference Adaptive Control (VS-MRAC). The main idea is to incorporate the transient performance advantages of the VS-MRAC controller with the smoothness control signal in steady-state of the MRAC controller. Two basic algorithms are developed for the DMARC controller. In the first algorithm the controller's adjustment is made, in real time, through the variation of a parameter in the adaptation law. In the second algorithm the control law is generated, using fuzzy logic with Takagi-Sugeno s model, to obtain a combination of the MRAC and VS-MRAC control laws. In both cases, the combined control structure is shown to be robust to the parametric uncertainties and external disturbances, with a fast transient performance, practically without oscillations, and a smoothness steady-state control signal

Contribuições à análise de robustez de sistemas de controle usando redes neurais

This work develops a robustness analysis with respect to the modeling errors, being applied to the strategies of indirect control using Artificial Neural Networks - ANN s, belong to the multilayer feedforward perceptron class with on-line training based on gradient method (backpropagation). The presented schemes are called Indirect Hybrid Control and Indirect Neural Control. They are presented two Robustness Theorems, being one for each proposed indirect control scheme, which allow the computation of the maximum steady-state control error that will occur due to the modeling error what is caused by the neural identifier, either for the closed loop configuration having a conventional controller - Indirect Hybrid Control, or for the closed loop configuration having a neural controller - Indirect Neural Control. Considering that the robustness analysis is restrict only to the steady-state plant behavior, this work also includes a stability analysis transcription that is suitable for multilayer perceptron class of ANN s trained with backpropagation algorithm, to assure the convergence and stability of the used neural systems. By other side, the boundness of the initial transient behavior is assured by the assumption that the plant is BIBO (Bounded Input, Bounded Output) stable. The Robustness Theorems were tested on the proposed indirect control strategies, while applied to regulation control of simulated examples using nonlinear plants, and its results are presented

Uma solução para geração automática de trilhas em língua brasileira de sinais em conteúdos multimídia

Deaf people have serious difficulties to access information. The support for sign languages is rarely addressed in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). Furthermore, in scientific literature, there is a lack of works related to machine translation for sign languages in real-time and open-domain scenarios, such as TV. To minimize these problems, in this work, we propose a solution for automatic generation of Brazilian Sign Language (LIBRAS) video tracks into captioned digital multimedia contents. These tracks are generated from a real-time machine translation strategy, which performs the translation from a Brazilian Portuguese subtitle stream (e.g., a movie subtitle or a closed caption stream). Furthermore, the proposed solution is open-domain and has a set of mechanisms that exploit human computation to generate and maintain their linguistic constructions. Some implementations of the proposed solution were developed for digital TV, Web and Digital Cinema platforms, and a set of experiments with deaf users was developed to evaluate the main aspects of the solution. The results showed that the proposed solution is efficient and able to generate and embed LIBRAS tracks in real-time scenarios and is a practical and feasible alternative to reduce barriers of deaf to access information, especially when human interpreters are not available

Otimizações da transmissão de imagens em redes de sensores visuais sem fio explorando a relevância de monitoramento dos nós fontes e codificação DWT

The development of wireless sensor networks for control and monitoring functions has created a vibrant investigation scenario, covering since communication aspects to issues related with energy efficiency. When source sensors are endowed with cameras for visual monitoring, a new scope of challenges is raised, as transmission and monitoring requirements are considerably changed. Particularly, visual sensors collect data following a directional sensing model, altering the meaning of concepts as vicinity and redundancy but allowing the differentiation of source nodes by their sensing relevancies for the application. In such context, we propose the combined use of two differentiation strategies as a novel QoS parameter, exploring the sensing relevancies of source nodes and DWT image coding. This innovative approach supports a new scope of optimizations to improve the performance of visual sensor networks at the cost of a small reduction on the overall monitoring quality of the application. Besides definition of a new concept of relevance and the proposition of mechanisms to support its practical exploitation, we propose five different optimizations in the way images are transmitted in wireless visual sensor networks, aiming at energy saving, transmission with low delay and error recovery. Putting all these together, the proposed innovative differentiation strategies and the related optimizations open a relevant research trend, where the application monitoring requirements are used to guide a more efficient operation of sensor networks

Calibração cega de receptores cinco-portas baseada em separação cega de fontes

The exponential growth in the applications of radio frequency (RF) is accompanied by great challenges as more efficient use of spectrum as in the design of new architectures for multi-standard receivers or software defined radio (SDR) . The key challenge in designing architecture of the software defined radio is the implementation of a wide-band receiver, reconfigurable, low cost, low power consumption, higher level of integration and flexibility. As a new solution of SDR design, a direct demodulator architecture, based on fiveport technology, or multi-port demodulator, has been proposed. However, the use of the five-port as a direct-conversion receiver requires an I/Q calibration (or regeneration) procedure in order to generate the in-phase (I) and quadrature (Q) components of the transmitted baseband signal. In this work, we propose to evaluate the performance of a blind calibration technique without additional knowledge about training or pilot sequences of the transmitted signal based on independent component analysis for the regeneration of I/Q five-port downconversion, by exploiting the information on the statistical properties of the three output signals

Proposta de integração das redes de comunicação da COSERN como uma solução de contigêncvia em caso de falhas nos enlaces do backbone de automação

T'his dissertation proposes alternative models to allow the interconnectioin of the data communication networks of COSERN Companhia Energética do Rio Grande do Norte. These networks comprise the oorporative data network, based on TCP/IP architecture, and the automation system linking remote electric energy distribution substations to the main Operatin Centre, based on digital radio links and using the IEC 60870-5-101 protoco1s. The envisaged interconnection aims to provide automation data originated from substations with a contingent route to the Operation Center, in moments of failure or maintenance of the digital radio links. Among the presented models, the one chosen for development consists of a computational prototype based on a standard personal computer, working under LINUX operational system and running na application, developesd in C language, wich functions as a Gateway between the protocols of the TCP/IP stack and the IEC 60870-5-101 suite. So, it is described this model analysis, implementation and tests of functionality and performance. During the test phase it was basically verified the delay introduced by the TCP/IP network when transporting automation data, in order to guarantee that it was cionsistent with the time periods present on the automation network. Besides , additional modules are suggested to the prototype, in order to handle other issues such as security and prioriz\ation of the automation system data, whenever they are travesing the TCP/IP network. Finally, a study hás been done aiming to integrate, in more complete way, the two considered networks. It uses IP platform as a solution of convergence to the communication subsystem of na unified network, as the most recente market tendencies for supervisory and other automation systems indicate

Revisitando o problema de visibilidade para visualização tridimensional

We revisit the problem of visibility, which is to determine a set of primitives potentially visible in a set of geometry data represented by a data structure, such as a mesh of polygons or triangles, we propose a solution for speeding up the three-dimensional visualization processing in applications. We introduce a lean structure , in the sense of data abstraction and reduction, which can be used for online and interactive applications. The visibility problem is especially important in 3D visualization of scenes represented by large volumes of data, when it is not worthwhile keeping all polygons of the scene in memory. This implies a greater time spent in the rendering, or is even impossible to keep them all in huge volumes of data. In these cases, given a position and a direction of view, the main objective is to determine and load a minimum ammount of primitives (polygons) in the scene, to accelerate the rendering step. For this purpose, our algorithm performs cutting primitives (culling) using a hybrid paradigm based on three known techniques. The scene is divided into a cell grid, for each cell we associate the primitives that belong to them, and finally determined the set of primitives potentially visible. The novelty is the use of triangulation Ja 1 to create the subdivision grid. We chose this structure because of its relevant characteristics of adaptivity and algebrism (ease of calculations). The results show a substantial improvement over traditional methods when applied separately. The method introduced in this work can be used in devices with low or no dedicated processing power CPU, and also can be used to view data via the Internet, such as virtual museums applications

Um ambiente integrado para manipulação de tráfego multicast

In the two last decades of the past century, following the consolidation of the Internet as the world-wide computer network, applications generating more robust data flows started to appear. The increasing use of videoconferencing stimulated the creation of a new form of point-to-multipoint transmission called IP Multicast. All companies working in the area of software and the hardware development for network videoconferencing have adjusted their products as well as developed new solutionsfor the use of multicast. However the configuration of such different solutions is not easy done, moreover when changes in the operational system are also requirede. Besides, the existing free tools have limited functions, and the current comercial solutions are heavily dependent on specific platforms. Along with the maturity of IP Multicast technology and with its inclusion in all the current operational systems, the object-oriented programming languages had developed classes able to handle multicast traflic. So, with the help of Java APIs for network, data bases and hipertext, it became possible to the develop an Integrated Environment able to handle multicast traffic, which is the major objective of this work. This document describes the implementation of the above mentioned environment, which provides many functions to use and manage multicast traffic, functions which existed only in a limited way and just in few tools, normally the comercial ones. This environment is useful to different kinds of users, so that it can be used by common users, who want to join multimedia Internet sessions, as well as more advenced users such engineers and network administrators who may need to monitor and handle multicast traffic