Relationship between IL-10 gene -819C/T polymorphism and the risk of inflammatory bowel disease: a meta-analysis.

Background: The -819C/T polymorphism in interleukin 10 (IL-10) gene has been reported to be associated with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) ,but the previous results are conflicting. Materials and Methods: The present study aimed at investigating the association between this polymorphism and risk of IBD using a meta-analysis.PubMed,Web of Science,EMBASE,google scholar and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) databases were systematically searched to identify relevant publications from their inception to April 2016.Pooled odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was calculated using fixed- or random-effects models. Results: A total of 7 case-control studies containing 1890 patients and 2929 controls were enrolled into this meta-analysis, and our results showed no association between IL-10 gene -819C/T polymorphism and IBD risk(TT vs. CC:OR=0.81,95%CI 0.64- 1.04;CT vs. CC:OR=0.92,95%CI 0.81-1.05; Dominant model: OR=0.90,95%CI 0.80-1.02; Recessive model: OR=0.84,95%CI 0.66-1.06). In a subgroup analysis by nationality, the -819C/T polymorphism was not associated with IBD in both Asians and Caucasians. In the subgroup analysis stratified by IBD type, significant association was found in Crohn’s disease(CD)(CT vs. CC:OR=0.68,95%CI 0.48-0.97). Conclusion: In summary, the present meta-analysis suggests that the IL-10 gene -819C/T polymorphism may be associated with CD risk.

Prevalence of preterm labor in Iran: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Preterm labor, which defines as live-birth delivery before 37 weeks of gestation is a main determinant of neonatal morbidity and mortality around the world. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of preterm labor in Iran by a meta-analysis study, to be as a final measure for policy makers in this field. Materials and Methods: In this meta-analysis, the databases of Thomson database (Web of Knowledge), PubMed/Medline, Science Direct, Scopus, Google Scholar, Iranmedex, Scientific Information Database (SID), Magiran, and Medlib were searched for articles in English and Persian language published between 1995 and 2014. Among the studies with regard to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 14 studies (out of 1370 publications) were selected. Data were analyzed by using Stata software version 11. The heterogeneity of reported prevalence among studies was evaluated by the Chi-square based Q test and I2 statistics. Results: The results of Chi-square based on Q test and I2 statistics revealed severe heterogeneity (Q=2505.12, p-value < 0.001 and I2= 99.5%) and consequently, the random effect model was used for the meta-analysis. Based on the random effect model, the overall estimated prevalence of preterm in Iran was 9.2% (95% CI: 7.6 – 10.7). Conclusion: Present study summarized the results of previous studies and provided a comprehensive view about the preterm delivery in Iran. In order to achieve a more desirable level and its reduction in the coming years, identifying affecting factor and interventional and preventive actions seem necessary.

Percurso profissional. Destaque para a análise da produção de resíduos urbanos no Alentejo Central - portugal e utilização do modelo DEA na definição da meta da recolha seletiva

Neste trabalho de Projeto efetua-se o desenvolvimento do tema da produção de Resíduos Urbanos (RU) no Alentejo Central, utilizando-se o modelo DEA (Data Envelopment Analysis) para a análise das metas da recolha seletiva estabelecidas para 2020. Genericamente, quanto maior é o grau de desenvolvimento económico de um território, maior é a taxa de urbanização e maior é também a quantidade de resíduos urbanos produzidos por habitante. O rendimento e a urbanização são variáveis altamente correlacionadas, quando aumenta o rendimento disponível e os padrões de vida, aumenta também o consumo de bens e serviços de modo correspondente, o que leva ao aumento da quantidade de resíduos gerados. Assim, tendo em conta os impactos locais que os RU abandonados trazem, e com o objetivo de quebrar o elo entre crescimento económico e os impactos ambientais associados à produção de resíduos, são implementadas, nos países com elevados níveis de desenvolvimento, políticas baseadas em modelos integrados de gestão de RU que permitem a recuperação, reciclagem e valorização dos materiais, reservando-se a eliminação (deposição em aterro) para frações não valorizáveis, o que gera empregos e riqueza. Em Portugal vigora o Plano Estratégico para os Resíduos Urbanos (PERSU 2020) que define objetivos e metas nacionais, nomeadamente a meta da recolha seletiva, estabelecendo para 2020 um quantitativo nacional mínimo a recuperar de 47 kg por habitante por ano. Deste modo, importa caracterizar, para o período de 2002 a 2012, como evoluiu a produção de RU em comparação com a evolução do PIB em Portugal. A análise foca-se então na produção de RU na região do Alentejo em particular no Alentejo Central que evidencia um elevado nível per capita em comparação com o resto do país, situando-se mesmo acima das regiões do grande Porto e Lisboa. São apresentadas possíveis razões para o registo destes elevados níveis de produção de RU não se conseguindo, no entanto, avançar com evidências. Como o modelo DEA é utilizado no PERSU 2020 para fundamentar a projeção das metas da recolha seletiva por sistema de gestão de resíduos urbanos, fez-se a sua reprodução, o que permitiu uma análise mais detalhada dos dados e o ensaio de novos resultados considerando, para além do nível de produção de RU, o numero de equipamentos de deposição de recolha seletiva como input do modelo; Abstract: Title of the report: Professional career. Emphasis on the analysis of urban waste production in Alentejo Central - Portugal and the use of the DEA in defining the separate collection target This professional report presents the theme of the Urban Waste (UW) production in Central Alentejo, using the DEA (Data Envelopment Analysis) to analyse the target set for selective collection in 2020. Generally, the higher the degree of economic development of a region, the greater the rate of urbanization and the greater also the amount of municipal waste produced per capita. The variables income and urbanization are highly correlated, if you have an increase in the disposable income and living standards, the consumption of goods and services will increase accordingly, which leads to the increase of the amount of produced waste. Thus, taking into account the local impact that the abandoned UW brings, and in order to break the link between economic growth and the environmental impacts associated with the production of waste, countries with high levels of development implement policies based on integrated UW management models that allow the recovery, recycling and valorisation of materials, restricting the disposal (landfill) to non-recoverable fractions, which creates jobs and wealth. Portugal established a national strategic plan for Urban Waste (PERSU 2020) which defines the goals and national targets, including the selective collection target stating for 2020 a minimum recover of 47 kg per capita per year. Then it is relevant to characterize and compare the evolution of UW production and GDP in Portugal for the period 2002 to 2012. The analysis then focuses on the production of UW in Alentejo, particularly in Central Alentejo region, which shows a high per capita level compared to the rest of the country, placed just above the Greater Porto and Lisbon region. Then we explore several possible reasons for this high level of UW production in this region, but none is successful in producing strong evidence. As the DEA is used in PERSU 2020 to support the projection of the selective collection targets for the municipal waste management systems, in this report we develop the model, which allowed access to the data and a more detailed analyse. Then we introduce and test a new input, the number of separate collection deposition equipment, which gives new results that are compared with the original ones.

Integrated Proteomics Identified Up-regulated Focal Adhesion-mediated Proteins In Human Squamous Cell Carcinoma In An Orthotopic Murine Model.

Understanding the molecular mechanisms of oral carcinogenesis will yield important advances in diagnostics, prognostics, effective treatment, and outcome of oral cancer. Hence, in this study we have investigated the proteomic and peptidomic profiles by combining an orthotopic murine model of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), mass spectrometry-based proteomics and biological network analysis. Our results indicated the up-regulation of proteins involved in actin cytoskeleton organization and cell-cell junction assembly events and their expression was validated in human OSCC tissues. In addition, the functional relevance of talin-1 in OSCC adhesion, migration and invasion was demonstrated. Taken together, this study identified specific processes deregulated in oral cancer and provided novel refined OSCC-targeting molecules.