Deposits of transforming growth factor-beta-induced protein in granular corneal dystrophy type II after LASIK.

PURPOSE: To analyze components of the deposits in the corneal flap interface of granular corneal dystrophy type II (GCD II) patients after laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK). METHODS: Four corneal GCD II specimens displaying disease exacerbation after LASIK were analyzed. Three of these specimens included the recipient corneal button after penetrating keratoplasty or deep lamellar keratoplasty for advanced GCD II after LASIK. The fourth specimen, a similar case of GCD II after LASIK, included the amputated corneal flap. Specimens were processed for histopathologic and immunohistochemical analyses. RESULTS: Corneal stromal deposits in the LASIK flaps of all specimens were stained with 3 anti-transforming growth factor-beta-induced protein (TGFBIp) antibodies. The deposits displayed bright red color staining with Masson trichrome; however, negative staining was seen with Congo red, suggesting that hyaline is the main component localizing to the TGFBIp deposits rather than amyloid. CONCLUSIONS: Amorphous granular material deposited along the interface of the LASIK flap in GCD II corneas is composed mainly of hyaline deposits.

Mutant prominin 1 found in patients with macular degeneration disrupts photoreceptor disk morphogenesis in mice.

Familial macular degeneration is a clinically and genetically heterogeneous group of disorders characterized by progressive central vision loss. Here we show that an R373C missense mutation in the prominin 1 gene (PROM1) causes 3 forms of autosomal-dominant macular degeneration. In transgenic mice expressing R373C mutant human PROM1, both mutant and endogenous PROM1 were found throughout the layers of the photoreceptors, rather than at the base of the photoreceptor outer segments, where PROM1 is normally localized. Moreover, the outer segment disk membranes were greatly overgrown and misoriented, indicating defective disk morphogenesis. Immunoprecipitation studies showed that PROM1 interacted with protocadherin 21 (PCDH21), a photoreceptor-specific cadherin, and with actin filaments, both of which play critical roles in disk membrane morphogenesis. Collectively, our results identify what we believe to be a novel complex involved in photoreceptor disk morphogenesis and indicate a possible role for PROM1 and PCDH21 in macular degeneration.

Abundant Occurrence of Basal Radial Glia in the Subventricular Zone of Embryonic Neocortex of a Lissencephalic Primate, the Common Marmoset Callithrix jacchus.

Subventricular zone (SVZ) progenitors are a hallmark of the developing neocortex. Recent studies described a novel type of SVZ progenitor that retains a basal process at mitosis, sustains expression of radial glial markers, and is capable of self-renewal. These progenitors, referred to here as basal radial glia (bRG), occur at high relative abundance in the SVZ of gyrencephalic primates (human) and nonprimates (ferret) but not lissencephalic rodents (mouse). Here, we analyzed the occurrence of bRG cells in the embryonic neocortex of the common marmoset Callithrix jacchus, a near-lissencephalic primate. bRG cells, expressing Pax6, Sox2 (but not Tbr2), glutamate aspartate transporter, and glial fibrillary acidic protein and retaining a basal process at mitosis, occur at similar relative abundance in the marmoset SVZ as in human and ferret. The proportion of progenitors in M-phase was lower in embryonic marmoset than developing ferret neocortex, raising the possibility of a longer cell cycle. Fitting the gyrification indices of 26 anthropoid species to an evolutionary model suggested that the marmoset evolved from a gyrencephalic ancestor. Our results suggest that a high relative abundance of bRG cells may be necessary, but is not sufficient, for gyrencephaly and that the marmoset's lissencephaly evolved secondarily by changing progenitor parameters other than progenitor type.

Eficiência agronômica de fertilizantes fosfatados fluidos e sólidos

Um experimento para avaliar a eficiência agronômica de fertilizantes fosfatados fluidos e sólidos foi desenvolvido em casa de vegetação no Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura - CENA/USP, em Piracicaba (SP), de junho a outubro de 1992. Plantas de milho foram cultivadas durante 30 dias, por três cultivos sucessivos, em vasos contendo 1 kg de dois latossolos vermelho-amarelos com diferentes capacidades de retenção de fósforo. Os fosfatos na forma fluida - ácido fosfórico e suspensão coloidal 10-30-00 e sólida - fosfato monoamônico e superfosfato triplo foram aplicados no primeiro cultivo nas doses 0, 70, 140 e 210 mg kg-1 de P2O5 (0, 30,6, 61,2 e 91,8 mg kg-1 de P). Avaliaram-se os tratamentos pelo rendimento de matéria seca, pela absorção de fósforo e pelos índices: de eficiência agronômica (IEA) e equivalente em superfosfato triplo (EqST). Os resultados indicaram não haver diferenças entre as fontes fosfatadas fluidas e sólidas quanto ao seu efeito sobre a produção de matéria seca e absorção de fósforo pelas plantas de milho. Entretanto, a aplicação de doses crescentes dos fosfatos aos solos promoveu aumentos significativos no rendimento de matéria seca e absorção de fósforo. Em ambos os solos, a eficiência agronômica dos fertilizantes fosfatados fluidos e sólidos foi semelhante.

Utilização de nitrogênio de adubos verde e mineral pelo milho

Desenvolveu-se, na Estação Experimental de Piracicaba - Instituto Agronômico (SAA-SP), de março/94 a setembro/95, um experimento para avaliar o potencial de fornecimento de nitrogênio de adubos, verde e mineral, aplicados, de forma exclusiva ou combinada, na cultura do milho. Em uma primeira fase, produziram-se, simultaneamente, mucuna-preta sem marcação isotópica no campo e adubo verde marcado com 15N em casa de vegetação e, na segunda, a mucuna-preta foi incorporada ao solo, cultivando-se, em seguida, milho. O experimento constou dos seguintes tratamentos: testemunha, 15N-mucuna-preta (4,4 t ha-1 de matéria seca e 25,8 g kg-1 de N), 15N-uréia (50 e 100 kg ha-1 de N) e as possíveis combinações de mucuna-preta e uréia marcadas ou não com 15N. Esses foram dispostos em delineamento experimental de blocos ao acaso com quatro repetições. O solo forneceu a maior parte do N acumulado nas plantas de milho, seguido, em ordem decrescente, pela uréia e mucuna-preta. A contribuição da uréia para o N acumulado nas plantas de milho foi proporcional à dose aplicada. O aproveitamento de nitrogênio da uréia pelo milho foi maior que o da mucuna-preta, sendo os melhores efeitos proporcionados pela combinação das duas fontes.

Influence of neuroblastoma stage on serum-based detection of MYCN amplification.

BACKGROUND: MYCN oncogene amplification has been defined as the most important prognostic factor for neuroblastoma (NB), the most common solid extracranial neoplasm in children. High copy numbers are strongly associated with rapid tumor progression and poor outcome, independently of tumor stage or patient age, and this has become an important factor in treatment stratification. PROCEDURE: By real-time quantitative PCR analysis, we evaluated the clinical relevance of circulating MYCN DNA of 267 patients with locoregional or metastatic NB in children less than 18 months of age. RESULTS: For patients in this age group with INSS stage 4 or 4S NB and stage 3 patients, serum-based determination of MYCN DNA sequences had good sensitivity (85%, 83%, and 75% respectively) and high specificity (100%) when compared to direct tumor gene determination. In contrast, the approach showed low sensitivity patients with stages 1 and 2 disease. CONCLUSION: Our results show that the sensitivity of the serum-based MYCN DNA sequence determination depends on the stage of the disease. However, this simple, reproducible assay may represent a reasonably sensitive and very specific tool to assess tumor MYCN status in cases with stage 3 and metastatic disease for whom a wait and see strategy is often recommended.

Efeito do nitrogênio e potássio na nutrição do pimentão cultivado em ambiente protegido

Avaliou-se a influência do N e K na concentração e acúmulo de nutrientes no pimentão, cultivar Mayata, irrigado por gotejamento. O experimento foi instalado em cultivo protegido telado, em Latossolo Vermelho mesoférrico, entre o período de novembro de 1996 a agosto de 1997, durante 34 semanas. Os tratamentos constaram de três doses de N (13,3; 26,6 e 39,9 g m-2), como uréia, e três doses de K (5,5; 11,0 e 16,6 g m-2), como KCl, distribuídas em esquema fatorial, utilizando o delineamento em blocos casualizados. Todas as plantas foram irrigadas por gotejamento tendo sido a uréia e o cloreto de potássio aplicados logo abaixo dos gotejadores. As doses de N não afetaram a concentração dos nutrientes em folhas recém-maduras, no início do florescimento e início da frutificação, enquanto o K diminuiu a concentração de P e S, no início da frutificação, exceto na dose de 5,5 g m-2 de K. O N aumentou o acúmulo de nutrientes na parte aérea, ao final do ciclo de cultivo, quando aplicado na dose de 26,6 g m-2, porém não influenciou a produção de frutos. O K contribuiu para a absorção de nutrientes e produção de frutos, somente quando presente em baixas concentrações no solo. Doses de K de 16,6 g m-2, relacionaram-se com a alta condutividade elétrica (1.400 µS cm-1), até a camada de 40 cm, e com a alta concentração de cloreto na parte aérea e frutos de pimentão.

Capacidade de suporte de carga e umidade crítica de um Latossolo induzida por diferentes manejos

Os diferentes manejos de plantas invasoras em lavouras cafeeiras têm promovido alterações estruturais aos solos, comprometendo a sua qualidade física. Assim, o conhecimento da capacidade de suporte de carga do solo sob diferentes sistemas de manejo de plantas invasoras é essencial para o manejo sustentável do solo de lavouras cafeeiras. Os objetivos deste estudo foram: (a) avaliar a influência da adoção, durante 30 anos, de diferentes sistemas de manejo de plantas invasoras na capacidade de suporte de carga de um Latossolo Vermelho distroférrico (LVdf) cultivado com cafeeiros e localizado na Fazenda da Epamig em São Sebastião do Paraíso, MG (Latitude de 20 º 55 ' 00 " S e Longitude 47 º 07 ' 10 " W ); b) determinar a tensão máxima (σmax) aplicada ao solo por um trator; e c) estabelecer as umidades volumétricas críticas (θcrítica) para o tráfego de um trator. Os manejos de plantas invasoras avaliados foram: sem capina (SCAP); capina manual (CAPM); herbicida de pós-emergência (HPOS); roçadora (ROÇA); enxada rotativa (ENRT); grade (GRAD); e herbicida de pré-emergência (HPRE). Em cada sistema de manejo, 15 amostras indeformadas de solo foram coletadas aleatoriamente no centro das entrelinhas dos cafeeiros, nas profundidades de 0-3, 10-13 e 25-28 cm, totalizando 315 amostras. Em uma mata nativa (MATA) sob LVdf, adjacente à área de estudo, foram coletadas 15 amostras adicionais por profundidade, as quais serviram de referência dos atributos avaliados. Os equipamentos utilizados no manejo da lavoura cafeeira foram tracionados por um trator cafeeiro Valmet® modelo 68. Para determinar a θcrítica para o tráfego do trator, foram consideradas apenas aquelas tensões que não excedem a resistência interna do solo expressa pela pressão de preconsolidação. As amostras indeformadas foram utilizadas para determinar a pressão de preconsolidação (σp) em diferentes umidades volumétricas (θ) e obtenção da densidade do solo (Ds). A partir do excedente das amostras indeformadas, foram determinados distribuição granulométrica de partículas, C orgânico do solo (COS) e teor de óxidos. Modelos de capacidade de suporte de carga (CSC) do tipo σp = 10(a+bq) entre pressão de preconsolidação e umidade volumétrica foram obtidos para verificar os possíveis efeitos dos diferentes sistemas de manejo de plantas invasoras na estrutura do solo. A tensão máxima aplicada pelo trator cafeeiro foi de 220 kPa para o pneu dianteiro 6-16 na pressão de inflação de 172 kPa. O menor valor de umidade crítica foi de 0,27 cm³ cm-3 para o LVdf sob o manejo SCAP na profundidade de 0-3 cm, e o maior valor, de 0,48 cm³ cm-3 para o solo sob o manejo HPRE na profundidade de 0-3 cm. O manejo de plantas invasoras utilizando GRAD e HPRE favorece a formação do encrostamento superficial e os incrementos dos valores de densidade do solo e capacidade de suporte de carga na profundidade de 0-3 cm. O solo sob MATA apresenta menor capacidade de suporte de cargas nas três profundidades estudadas, em relação ao solo cultivado com cafeeiros e submetido a diferentes manejos de plantas invasoras. Os diferentes manejos de plantas invasoras utilizadas no centro das entrelinhas da lavoura cafeeira não influenciaram a densidade do solo e o teor de C orgânico do Latossolo, na profundidade de 25-28 cm, em relação ao solo sob mata nativa.

Human Prominin-1 (CD133) Is Detected in Both Neoplastic and Non-Neoplastic Salivary Gland Diseases and Released into Saliva in a Ubiquitinated Form.

Prominin-1 (CD133) is physiologically expressed at the apical membranes of secretory (serous and mucous) and duct cells of major salivary glands. We investigated its expression in various human salivary gland lesions using two distinct anti-prominin-1 monoclonal antibodies (80B258 and AC133) applied on paraffin-embedded sections and characterized its occurrence in saliva. The 80B258 epitope was extensively expressed in adenoid cystic carcinoma, in lesser extent in acinic cell carcinoma and pleomorphic adenoma, and rarely in mucoepidermoid carcinoma. The 80B258 immunoreactivity was predominately detected at the apical membrane of tumor cells showing acinar or intercalated duct cell differentiation, which lined duct- or cyst-like structures, and in luminal secretions. It was observed on the whole cell membrane in non-luminal structures present in the vicinity of thin-walled blood vessels and hemorrhagic areas in adenoid cystic carcinoma. Of note, AC133 labeled only a subset of 80B258-positive structures. In peritumoral salivary gland tissues as well as in obstructive sialadenitis, an up-regulation of prominin-1 (both 80B258 and AC133 immunoreactivities) was observed in intercalated duct cells. In most tissues, prominin-1 was partially co-expressed with two cancer markers: carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and mucin-1 (MUC1). Differential centrifugation of saliva followed by immunoblotting indicated that all three markers were released in association with small membrane vesicles. Immuno-isolated prominin-1-positive vesicles contained CEA and MUC1, but also exosome-related proteins CD63, flotillin-1, flotillin-2 and the adaptor protein syntenin-1. The latter protein was shown to interact with prominin-1 as demonstrated by its co-immunoisolation. A fraction of saliva-associated prominin-1 appeared to be ubiquitinated. Collectively, our findings bring new insights into the biochemistry and trafficking of prominin-1 as well as its immunohistochemical profile in certain types of salivary gland tumors and inflammatory diseases.

Inflammatory role of ASC in antigen-induced arthritis is independent of caspase-1, NALP-3, and IPAF.

Because IL-1beta plays an important role in inflammation in human and murine arthritis, we investigated the contribution of the inflammasome components ASC, NALP-3, IPAF, and caspase-1 to inflammatory arthritis. We first studied the phenotype of ASC-deficient and wild-type mice during Ag-induced arthritis (AIA). ASC(-/-) mice showed reduced severity of AIA, decreased levels of synovial IL-1beta, and diminished serum amyloid A levels. In contrast, mice deficient in NALP-3, IPAF, or caspase-1 did not show any alteration of joint inflammation, thus indicating that ASC associated effects on AIA are independent of the classical NALP-3 or IPAF inflammasomes. Because ASC is a ubiquitous cytoplasmic protein that has been implicated in multiple cellular processes, we explored other pathways through which ASC may modulate inflammation. Ag-specific proliferation of lymph node and spleen cells from ASC-deficient mice was significantly decreased in vitro, as was the production of IFN-gamma, whereas IL-10 production was enhanced. TCR ligation by anti-CD3 Abs in the presence or absence of anti-CD28 Abs induced a reduction in T cell proliferation in ASC(-/-) T cells compared with wild-type ones. In vivo lymph node cell proliferation was also significantly decreased in ASC(-/-) mice, but no effects on apoptosis were observed either in vitro or in vivo in these mice. In conclusion, these results strongly suggest that ASC modulates joint inflammation in AIA through its effects on cell-mediated immune responses but not via its implication in inflammasome formation.

ICD-11 for quality and safety: overview of the who quality and safety topic advisory group.

This paper outlines the approach that the WHO's Family of International Classifications (WHO-FIC) network is undertaking to create ICD-11. We also outline the more focused work of the Quality and Safety Topic Advisory Group, whose activities include the following: (i) cataloguing existing ICD-9 and ICD-10 quality and safety indicators; (ii) reviewing ICD morbidity coding rules for main condition, diagnosis timing, numbers of diagnosis fields and diagnosis clustering; (iii) substantial restructuring of the health-care related injury concepts coded in the ICD-10 chapters 19/20, (iv) mapping of ICD-11 quality and safety concepts to the information model of the WHO's International Classification for Patient Safety and the AHRQ Common Formats; (v) the review of vertical chapter content in all chapters of the ICD-11 beta version and (vi) downstream field testing of ICD-11 prior to its official 2015 release. The transition from ICD-10 to ICD-11 promises to produce an enhanced classification that will have better potential to capture important concepts relevant to measuring health system safety and quality-an important use case for the classification.

18

Career interventions for adults frequently include personality assessment. Personality in career counseling contexts should no longer be considered as vocational personality associated with personality interests but, rather, as a set of dispositions that has an impact on several vocational and career-related outcomes, such as work engagement, work satisfaction, job performance, etc. Although the relationship between personality and the vocational and career related outcomes is not direct, it might certainly be mediated by several regulatory processes, such as work adaptability, and moderated by contextual and environmental factors. Personality assessment initiates an individual's self-regulatory process and contributes to the overall effectiveness of career interventions when feedback is individualized and stimulates a deconstruction, reconstruction, and co-construction of the vocational or multiple self-concept. Personality assessments can also promote the reconstruction of a self-concept more aligned with the perception of the environment about the personality of the counselee, strengthening the reality principle allowing more rational and controlled choices. In addition, some specific personality profiles, such as having high levels of neuroticism and low levels of conscientiousness, can be considered as risk factors frequently leading to career decision-making difficulties. Moreover, people with low conscientiousness benefit less from career interventions, so special attention should be devoted to counselees having that characteristic. Two case studies are provided to illustrate these important aspects of personality assessment in career interventions.