Schistosomiasis: predisposing cause for the formation of hepatic abscesses? Case report

An adult patient with chronic schistosomiasis from an endemic area, complained about a seven day fever, along with jaundice and lumbar backache on the right side. Image exams showed multiple pyogenic liver abscesses. All the classic etiologies were discarded through clinical, radiological and laboratorial criteria. Schistosomiasis can cause pylephlebitis as a complication, along with immunesuppression, granulomatous reaction with central lobular liver necrosis and a greater risk of infection. The authors suggest that schistosomiasis in its chronic form may be the predisposing cause of multiple pyogenic liver abscesses, especially in endemic areas.

S100A6 Amyloid Fibril Formation Is Calcium-modulated and Enhances Superoxide Dismutase-1 (SOD1) Aggregation

S100A6 is a small EF-hand calcium- and zinc-binding protein involved in the regulation of cell proliferation and cytoskeletal dynamics. It is overexpressed in neurodegenerative disorders and a proposed marker for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Following recent reports of amyloid formation by S100 proteins, we investigated the aggregation properties of S100A6. Computational analysis using aggregation predictors Waltz and Zyggregator revealed increased propensity within S100A6 helices HI and HIV. Subsequent analysis of Thioflavin-T binding kinetics under acidic conditions elicited a very fast process with no lag phase and extensive formation of aggregates and stacked fibrils as observed by electron microscopy. Ca2+ exerted an inhibitory effect on the aggregation kinetics, which could be reverted upon chelation. An FT-IR investigation of the early conformational changes occurring under these conditions showed that Ca2+ promotes anti-parallel β-sheet conformations that repress fibrillation. At pH 7, Ca2+ rendered the fibril formation kinetics slower: time-resolved imaging showed that fibril formation is highly suppressed, with aggregates forming instead. In the absence of metals an extensive network of fibrils is formed. S100A6 oligomers, but not fibrils, were found to be cytotoxic, decreasing cell viability by up to 40%. This effect was not observed when the aggregates were formed in the presence of Ca2+. Interestingly, native S1006 seeds SOD1 aggregation, shortening its nucleation process. This suggests a cross-talk between these two proteins involved in ALS. Overall, these results put forward novel roles for S100 proteins, whose metal-modulated aggregation propensity may be a key aspect in their physiology and function.

Influence of commercially available polyimide and formation conditions on the performance and structure of asymmetric polyimide organic solvent nanofiltration membranes

Dissertação apresentada na Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade Nova de Lisboa para a obtenção do grau de Mestre em Engenharia Química e Bioquímica

Effect of active components from Garlic on AGEs formation

Advanced glycation end-products are Maillard reaction products that are found in thermal processed food. This compounds are often referred as unhealthy for human diet, namely because of their capacity to form amino-acid dimers. There is a broad range of answers to get about how these products are formed, how they interact with the organism and how these reactions can be inhibited to prevent the referred effects. Some compounds from garlic are thought to be able to inhibit these reactions. This study using spectrophotometric, High Performance Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) and Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis, helps to understand better not only not only the effect of some compounds obtained from garlic, diallyl sulfide (DAS), diallyl disulfide (DADS) and diallyl trisulfide (DATS), on these AGEs production reaction, but also helped to understand better the reaction itself.

Decavanadate interactions with actin: cysteine oxidation and vanadyl formation

Dalton Trans., 2009, 7985–7994

Formation Control Driven by Cooperative Object Tracking

In this paper we introduce a formation control loop that maximizes the performance of the cooperative perception of a tracked target by a team of mobile robots, while maintaining the team in formation, with a dynamically adjustable geometry which is a function of the quality of the target perception by the team. In the formation control loop, the controller module is a distributed non-linear model predictive controller and the estimator module fuses local estimates of the target state, obtained by a particle filter at each robot. The two modules and their integration are described in detail, including a real-time database associated to a wireless communication protocol that facilitates the exchange of state data while reducing collisions among team members. Simulation and real robot results for indoor and outdoor teams of different robots are presented. The results highlight how our method successfully enables a team of homogeneous robots to minimize the total uncertainty of the tracked target cooperative estimate while complying with performance criteria such as keeping a pre-set distance between the teammates and the target, avoiding collisions with teammates and/or surrounding obstacles.

Celebrar a vida e a morte. A festa em "The garden party" (Katherine Mansfield), e "Feliz Aniversário" (Clarice Lispector)

O conto “The Garden Party” foi escrito em Outubro de 1922. Depois de terminar o famoso “At the Bay” e pôr de parte “Married Man”, que nunca chegou a concluir, Katherine Mansfield inicia uma história sobre a família Sheridan, baseada em acontecimentos reais, ocorridos quando em 1907 Mrs. Beauchamp dera uma festa no jardim, em Wellington. O seu objectivo é, como dirá mais tarde no diário, transmitir a diversidade da vida, o que inclui a morte. “Feliz Aniversário” (1960), tal como “The Garden-Party”, estrutura-se a partir de uma dualidade de significados: a conformidade em relação às convenções sociais, que liga cada ser humano ao seu semelhante e o obriga a um determinado comportamento, representado na festa, e as pequenas hipocrisias e verdades, a solidão e a indiferença escondidas por detrás das máscaras usadas nessa situação.

INVESTIGATION OF BIOFILM FORMATION IN COAGULASE-NEGATIVE STAPHYLOCOCCI ISOLATED FROM PLATELET CONCENTRATE BAGS

Platelet Concentrates (PCs) are the blood components with the highest rate of bacterial contamination, and coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) are the most frequently isolated contaminants. This study investigated the biofilm formation of 16 contaminated units out of 691 PCs tested by phenotypic and genotypic methods. Adhesion in Borosilicate Tube (ABT) and Congo Red Agar (CRA) tests were used to assess the presence of biofilm. The presence of icaADC genes was assessed by means of the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) technique. With Vitek(r)2, Staphylococcus haemolyticus was considered the most prevalent CoNS (31.25%). The CRA characterized 43.8% as probable biofilm producers, and for the ABT test, 37.5%. The icaADC genes were identified in seven samples by the PCR. The ABT technique showed 85.7% sensitivity and 100% specificity when compared to the reference method (PCR), and presented strong agreement (k = 0.8). This study shows that species identified as PCs contaminants are considered inhabitants of the normal skin flora and they might become important pathogens. The results also lead to the recommendation of ABT use in laboratory routine for detecting biofilm in CoNS contaminants of PCs.

BIOFILM FORMATION OF Vibrio cholerae ON STAINLESS STEEL USED IN FOOD PROCESSING

Vibrio cholerae represents a significant threat to human health in developing countries. This pathogen forms biofilms which favors its attachment to surfaces and its survival and transmission by water or food. This work evaluated the in vitro biofilm formation of V. cholerae isolated from clinical and environmental sources on stainless steel of the type used in food processing by using the environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM). Results showed no cell adhesion at 4 h and scarce surface colonization at 24 h. Biofilms from the environmental strain were observed at 48 h with high cellular aggregations embedded in Vibrio exopolysaccharide (VPS), while less confluence and VPS production with microcolonies of elongated cells were observed in biofilms produced by the clinical strain. At 96 h the biofilms of the environmental strain were released from the surface leaving coccoid cells and residual structures, whereas biofilms of the clinical strain formed highly organized structures such as channels, mushroom-like and pillars. This is the first study that has shown the in vitro ability of V. cholerae to colonize and form biofilms on stainless steel used in food processing.

Formation of a stable cyano-bridged dinuclear iron cluster following oxidation of the superoxide reductases from Treponema pallidum and Desulfovibrio vulgaris with K(3)Fe(CN)(6)

Inorg. Chem., 2003, 42 (4), pp 938–940 DOI: 10.1021/ic0262886

Intravenous Busulfan for Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation in Adult Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia: a Survey of 952 Patients on Behalf of the Acute Leukemia Working Party of the European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation

Oral busulfan is the historical backbone of the busulfan+cyclophosphamide regimen for autologous stem cell transplantation. However intravenous busulfan has more predictable pharmacokinetics and less toxicity than oral busulfan; we, therefore, retrospectively analyzed data from 952 patients with acute myeloid leukemia who received intravenous busulfan for autologous stem cell transplantation. Most patients were male (n=531, 56%), and the median age at transplantation was 50.5 years. Two-year overall survival, leukemia-free survival, and relapse incidence were 67±2%, 53±2%, and 40±2%, respectively. The non-relapse mortality rate at 2 years was 7±1%. Five patients died from veno-occlusive disease. Overall leukemia-free survival and relapse incidence at 2 years did not differ significantly between the 815 patients transplanted in first complete remission (52±2% and 40±2%, respectively) and the 137 patients transplanted in second complete remission (58±5% and 35±5%, respectively). Cytogenetic risk classification and age were significant prognostic factors: the 2-year leukemia-free survival was 63±4% in patients with good risk cytogenetics, 52±3% in those with intermediate risk cytogenetics, and 37 ± 10% in those with poor risk cytogenetics (P=0.01); patients ≤50 years old had better overall survival (77±2% versus 56±3%; P<0.001), leukemia-free survival (61±3% versus 45±3%; P<0.001), relapse incidence (35±2% versus 45±3%; P<0.005), and non-relapse mortality (4±1% versus 10±2%; P<0.001) than older patients. The combination of intravenous busulfan and high-dose melphalan was associated with the best overall survival (75±4%). Our results suggest that the use of intravenous busulfan simplifies the autograft procedure and confirm the usefulness of autologous stem cell transplantation in acute myeloid leukemia. As in allogeneic transplantation, veno-occlusive disease is an uncommon complication after an autograft using intravenous busulfan.

Institutions and firm formation: An empirical analysis of Portuguese municipalities

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Economics from the NOVA – School of Business and Economics

Schistosoma mansoni: immunodepression of hepatic schistosome granuloma formation in mice infected by Trypanosoma cruzi

Infection by Trypanosoma cruzi in mice depresses hepatic granuloma formation around Schistosoma mansoni eggs. This immunodepressive effect occurred in mice with Chagas' disease at the acute and/or chronic phases, granulomas being signijicantly smaller than those in Controls. Data suggest that Chagas ' disease depresses the delayed hypersensitivity immune response directly.

Study of multi-component systems in polybenzimidazole membrane formation and their impact on membrane performance

Dissertação para obtenção do Grau de Mestre em Engenharia Química e Bioquímica

Molecular tools to dissect the role of Dmrt2a and Dmrt2b in the left-right axis formation in zebrafish

Dissertação para obtenção do Grau de Mestre em Genética Molecular e Biomedicina