Novel markers of inflammatory response and hepatic dysfunction in canine leishmaniasis

Dogs are the main host of Leishmania infantum, and the clinical presentation may range from asymptomatic to systemic manifestations. The immune mechanisms in infected, but clinically healthy dogs, prevails Th1 response mediated by cytokines. In this sense, adenosine deaminase (ADA) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) are considered as key enzymes in several physiological processes, including the modulation of inflammatory process. Considering the variable immune response against Leishmania and the known participation of ADA and BChE, the aim of this study was to assess the relation between these two enzymes with the inflammatory response as well as hepatic function in dogs naturally infected with L. infantum. For this purpose, the activity of ADA and BChE was assessed in sera of 24 dogs naturally infected with L. infantum, plus 17 healthy dogs. The naturally infected dogs had clinical signs compatible with leishmaniasis and sera activities of ADA (P<0.01) and BChE (P<0.05) decreased, when compared to the healthy group. The reduction of ADA activity probably represented an effect on inflammatory response, especially due to the decreased hydrolysis of extracellular adenosine, might in order to protect against tissue damage and, also, setting a down-regulation on pro-inflammatory cytokines. BChE enzyme had no effect on modulating the immune response in leishmaniasis, but it decreased, a fact may related to deficiency of synthesis in the liver. Therefore, ADA and BChE activities reduced probably in order to protect against extra tissue damage and due failure in synthesis, respectively.

Análise da percepção de desconforto em diferentes regiões dos pés

The comfort is is an important feature for acquiring shoes. Matching this product to the characteristics of their customers is one of the requirements for a comfortable shoe. In this study, there were evaluated the discomfort perception in different parts of the feet by obese and nonobese volunteers.

Marcas e lugares: um estudo sobre marcas turísticas no Rio de Janeiro

This paper, through a literature review, demonstrates the importance of the use of brands by men, initially as a form of expression and communication. History has shown that the visual language and the use of images in the form of the brands, proved a very efficient and direct interpretation, with accuracy to what it represents, setting the brand as a financially valued member. The paper deals with analysis of the Spanish example that argues the way that touristic points has been used to represent places in the whole world; then, at the same time, it measures the case of the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro where brands are created for special events and there is not a representative tourist brand to this town; But when analyzing the places in the city, symbols like The Copacabana Promenade has a strong presence in the collective imagination, that's the reason why it has been used as an element of strong local identity and in the Industrial Design.

Eddy-induced upwelling off Cape Sao Tome (22 degrees S, Brazil)

The regional ocean off southeast Brazil (20 degrees S-28 degrees S) is known as a current-eddy-upwelling region. The proximity of the Brazil Current to the coast in the Cape Sao Tome vicinities, as well as of its quasi-stationary unstable meanders, suggests the possibility of background eddy-induced upwelling. Such phenomenon can intensify the prevalent coastal upwelling due to wind and topographic effects. In this paper, with the help of a numerical simulation, we provide evidence that eddy-induced upwelling in the absence of wind is possible in this region. The simulation was conducted with a regional configuration of the 3-D Princeton Ocean Model initialized by a feature-based implementation of the Brazil Current and Cape Frio eddy, blended with climatology. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A two-layer approximation to the Brazil Current-Intermediate Western Boundary Current System between 20 degrees S and 28 degrees S

It has been shown that the vertical structure of the Brazil Current (BC)-Intermediate Western Boundary Current (IWBC) System is dominated by the first baroclinic mode at 22 degrees S-23 degrees S. In this work, we employed the Miami Isopycnic Coordinate Ocean Model to investigate whether the rich mesoscale activity of this current system, between 20 degrees S and 28 degrees S, is reproduced by a two-layer approximation of its vertical structure. The model results showed cyclonic and anticyclonic meanders propagating southwestward along the current axis, resembling the dynamical pattern of Rossby waves superposed on a mean flow. Analysis of the upper layer zonal velocity component, using a space-time diagram, revealed a dominant wavelength of about 450 km and phase velocity of about 0.20 ms(-1) southwestward. The results also showed that the eddy-like structures slowly grew in amplitude as they moved downstream. Despite the simplified design of the numerical experiments conducted here, these results compared favorably with observations and seem to indicate that weakly unstable long baroclinic waves are responsible for most of the variability observed in the BC-IWBC system. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Feature-oriented regional modeling and simulations (FORMS) for the western South Atlantic: Southeastern Brazil region

The multi-scale synoptic circulation system in the southeastern Brazil (SEBRA) region is presented using a feature-oriented approach. Prevalent synoptic circulation structures, or ""features,"" are identified from previous observational studies. These features include the southward-flowing Brazil Current (BC), the eddies off Cabo Sao Tome (CST - 22 degrees S) and off Cabo Frio (CF - 23 degrees S), and the upwelling region off CF and CST. Their synoptic water-mass (T-S) structures are characterized and parameterized to develop temperature-salinity (T-S) feature models. Following [Gangopadhyay, A., Robinson, A.R., Haley, PJ., Leslie, W.J., Lozano, C.j., Bisagni, J., Yu, Z., 2003. Feature-oriented regional modeling and simulation (forms) in the gulf of maine and georges bank. Cont. Shelf Res. 23 (3-4), 317-353] methodology, a synoptic initialization scheme for feature-oriented regional modeling and simulation (FORMS) of the circulation in this region is then developed. First, the temperature and salinity feature-model profiles are placed on a regional circulation template and objectively analyzed with available background climatology in the deep region. These initialization fields are then used for dynamical simulations via the Princeton Ocean Model (POM). A few first applications of this methodology are presented in this paper. These include the BC meandering, the BC-eddy interaction and the meander-eddy-upwelling system (MEUS) simulations. Preliminary validation results include realistic wave-growth and eddy formation and sustained upwelling. Our future plan includes the application of these feature models with satellite, in-situ data and advanced data-assimilation schemes for nowcasting and forecasting the SEBRA region. (c) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Human telomere disease due to disruption of the CCAAT box of the TERC promoter

Mutations in the coding region of telomerase complex genes can result in accelerated telomere attrition and human disease. Manifestations of telomere disease include the bone marrow failure syndromes dyskeratosis congenita and aplastic anemia, acute myeloid leukemia, liver cirrhosis, and pulmonary fibrosis. Here, we describe a mutation in the CCAAT box (GCAAT) of the TERC gene promoter in a family in which multiple members had typical features of telomeropathy. The genetic alteration in this critical regulatory sequence resulted in reduced reporter gene activity and absent binding of transcription factor NF-Y, likely responsible for reduced TERC levels, decreased telomerase activity, and short telomeres. This is the first description of a pathogenic mutation in the highly con-served CCAAT box and the first instance of a mutation in the promoter region of TERC producing a telomeropathy. We propose that current mutation-screening strategies should include gene promoter regions for the diagnosis of telomere diseases. This clinical trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT00071045. (Blood. 2012;119(13):3060-3063)

BCL2A1a Over-Expression in Murine Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cells Decreases Apoptosis and Results in Hematopoietic Transformation

We previously reported the development of a lethal myeloid sarcoma in a non-human primate model utilizing retroviral vectors to genetically modify hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells. This leukemia was characterized by insertion of the vector provirus into the BCL2A1 gene, with resultant BCL2A1 over-expression. There is little information on the role of this anti-apoptotic member of the BCL2 family in hematopoiesis or leukemia induction. Therefore we studied the impact of Bcl2a1a lentiviral over-expression on murine hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells. We demonstrated the anti-apoptotic function of this protein in hematopoietic cells, but did not detect any impact of Bcl2a1a on in vitro cell growth or cell cycle kinetics. In vivo, we showed a higher propensity of HSCs over-expressing Bcl2a1a to engraft and contribute to hematopoiesis. Mice over-expressing Bcl2a1a in the hematologic compartment eventually developed an aggressive malignant disease characterized as a leukemia/lymphoma of B-cell origin. Secondary transplants carried out to investigate the primitive origin of the disease revealed the leukemia was transplantable. Thus, Bcl2a1 should be considered as a protooncogene with a potential role in both lymphoid and myeloid leukemogenesis, and a concerning site for insertional activation by integrating retroviral vectors utilized in hematopoietic stem cell gene therapy.

Age-adjusted recipient pretransplantation telomere length and treatment-related mortality after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

Telomere attrition induces cell senescence and apoptosis. We hypothesized that age-adjusted pretransplantation telomere length might predict treatment-related mortality (TRM) after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Between 2000 and 2005, 178 consecutive patients underwent HSCT from HLA-identical sibling donors after myeloablative conditioning regimens, mainly for hematologic malignancies (n = 153). Blood lymphocytes' telomere length was measured by real-time quantitative PCR before HSCT. Age-adjusted pretransplantation telomere lengths were analyzed for correlation with clinical outcomes. After age adjustment, patients' telomere-length distribution was similar among all 4 quartiles except for disease stage. There was no correlation between telomere length and engraftment, GVHD, or relapse. The overall survival was 62% at 5 years (95% confidence interval [CI], 54-70). After a median follow-up of 51 months (range, 1-121 months), 43 patients died because of TRM. The TRM rate inversely correlated with telomere length. TRM in patients in the first (lowest telomere length) quartile was significantly higher than in patients with longer telomeres (P = .017). In multivariate analysis, recipients' age (hazard ratio, 1.1; 95% CI, .0-1.1; P = .0001) and age-adjusted telomere length (hazard ratio, 0.4; 95% CI; 0.2-0.8; P = .01) were independently associated with TRM. In conclusion, age-adjusted recipients' telomere length is an independent biologic marker of TRM after HSCT. (Blood. 2012;120(16):3353-3359)

Interphase Chromosome Flow-FISH

A 2-day method using flow cytometry and FISH for interphase cells was developed to detect monosomy 7 cells in myelodysplastic syndrome patients. The method, Interphase Chromosome Flow-FISH (IC Flow-FISH), involves fixation of leukocytes from blood, membrane permeabilization, hybridization of cellular DNA with peptide nucleic acid probes with cells intact, and analysis by flow cytometry. Hundreds to thousands of monosomy 7 cells were consistently detected from 10-20 mL of blood in patients with monosomy 7. Proportions of monosomy 7 cells detected in IC Flow-FISH were compared with results from conventional cytogenetics; identification of monosomy 7 populations was verified with FACS; and patient and donor cells were mixed to test for sensitivity. IC Flow-FISH allows for detecting monosomy 7 without requiring bone marrow procurement or the necessity of metaphase spreads, and wider applications to other chromosomal abnormalities are in development. (Blood. 2012; 120(15): e54-e59)

Análise do arco longitudinal medial em adolescentes usuárias de calçados de salto alto

O objetivo do estudo foi analisar a influência do calçado de salto alto no arco longitudinal medial (ALM) do pé de adolescentes. Fizeram parte do estudo 82 adolescentes entre 13 e 20 anos, sendo 54 não usuárias (grupo controle - GC) e 28 usuárias (grupo experimental - GE) de calçado de salto alto. Foram obtidas as impressões plantares de ambos os pés para análise do ALM, antes e depois do uso de um calçado de salto alto padronizado por um período de 30 minutos. As impressões plantares foram avaliadas pelo índice de Chippaux-Smirak (ICS) e pelo arco de Cavanagh & Rodgers (ICR). O teste de Shapiro-Wilks foi utilizado para a verificação da normalidade dos dados. Variáveis paramétricas pareadas foram tratadas com o Teste t de Student pareado e as não-paramétricas com o teste de Wilcoxon. As comparações não-pareadas foram realizadas com o teste t de Student para as variáveis paramétricas e o de Mann-Withney para as não-paramétricas, com nível de significância de 0,05. Houve diferença no ALM entre os lados direito e esquerdo apenas no GC antes do uso do calçado. Na comparação entre antes e depois do uso do sapato, notou-se diferença apenas no pé esquerdo do GC pelo ICS. Já entre GC e GE, não houve diferença. Apesar dos resultados não evidenciarem alterações no ALM, deve-se lembrar que esta é uma medida estática, sendo necessários estudos do componente dinâmico e do uso do calçado de salto crônico para correlacionar com os achados deste trabalho.

Competencias básicas y laborales. Nuevo enfoque en el desarrollo de las competencias

[ES] Durante el desarrollo de este documento, se hace un recorrido por las competencias profesionales, competencias clave; precursoras de las que conocemos hoy día como básicas y, las competencias que estructuran y articulan los factores que conforman la empleabilidad, presentes en los mejores profesionales, independientemente del nivel de cualificación o puesto que ocupen. La educación basada en competencias, que ha comenzado su recorrido hace, relativamente, poco tiempo en nuestro sistema educativo, ha supuesto un cambio total en los paradigmas del sistema, dando un enfoque mucho más profundo al proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje y marcando el camino a seguir por la comunidad educativa para satisfacer los fines de la Educación. En este viaje de ida y vuelta por las competencias, se analizan algunas de las más importantes para el mundo laboral que vinculo, bien mediante descriptores o como aspectos de aprendizaje, a las competencias básicas de la ESO y a las personales y sociales de los ciclos formativos. La información contenida en este artículo, así como los resultados cualitativos obtenidos del análisis llevado a cabo, aportan un nuevo punto de vista para trabajar las competencias en la educación secundaria, y en los ciclos formativos, especialmente en los últimos cursos de ambos. También se recogen las implicaciones que, a nivel curricular, derivan del nuevo enfoque, de tal manera que se amplía el ámbito de contextualización del entorno de aprendizaje, se establecen los principios metodológicos y estrategias didácticas para establecer dinámicas y actividades que potencien y desarrollen competencias tanto básicas como de empleabilidad en los alumnos. Así mismo, se esboza una guía que ayude a aquellos profesores que quieran dar un enfoque más práctico a las competencias básicas, bien para atender a la diversidad como para motivar a los alumnos que necesitan un enfoque más práctico de la asignatura. Por supuesto para la enseñanza de las formaciones profesionales ésta debería pautar la rutina básica de trabajo en las aulas y talleres. La creciente incertidumbre en el plano económico y, cada vez más, en el social y laboral, donde los escenarios dejan de ser estables y previsibles para dar paso a entornos sometidos a cambios rapidísimos y de gran calado, hace que necesitemos nuevas y más potentes capacidades para aprender y trabajar en el nuevo entorno en el que tendremos que educar a nuestros adolescentes. Hoy más que nunca debemos girar el poliedro de las competencias básicas para exponerlas, más abiertamente, al contexto del mundo laboral, estableciendo una vinculación directa entre éstas y las habilidades para la empleabilidad, que van cobrando importancia creciente, por encima, incluso, del nivel de cualificación técnico requerido para desempeñar una profesión.

¿Confiar en los criollos? Apreciaciones sobre la condición de los españoles americanos en el siglo XVIII

Este trabajo realiza una reflexión sobre el recelo que el sector criollo ocasionaba en las altas magistraturas de la monarquía hispánica, de la que emana, obviamente, la política selectiva de cargos y honores tanto en el ámbito de la administración como en el de la Iglesia. El talento y la calidad moral de este segmento de la población estuvieron, más que en ninguna otra época, en tela de juicio a lo largo de todo el siglo XVIII. El trabajo traza una panorámica sustentada en obras y documentos del setecientos donde se realizan apologías o críticas de los españoles americanos. La hipótesis que sostiene esta investigación plantea que si la desconfianza hacia la población hispánica de América no hubiera calado tan profundamente, la política borbónica podría haber tenido otra orientación, y por tanto la memoria histórica de los criollos, posterior a la Independencia, podría haber sido menos negativa con respecto a su pasado virreinal.

Terapias sistémicas : Su soporte espistemológico a partir de la segunda cibernética. Cambios en la dinámica terapéutica

Se buscará indagar en los aspectos epistemológicos que se han introducido en la terapia familiar sistémica. Cambios que se produjeron a partir de las nuevas conceptualizaciones, provenientes de lo que se ha denominado 'cibernética de segundo orden'. Este novedoso paradigma ha resultado grávido en consecuencias en la dinámica terapéutica especifica de esta modalidad de intervención. La 'cibernética de segundo orden', también conocida como 'cibernética de la cibernética' o 'cibernética de los sistemas observantes', parte de supuestos epistemológicos que posibilitan la visualización de la situación terapéutica como una constelación compleja en el cual el terapeuta, el grupo terapéutico y la familia en cuestión conforman un todo entramado e imbricado en una situación multideterminada. En contraposición con la 'cibernética de primer orden', que todavía considera alterapeuta como disociado de aquello que esta observando. Se tratarán las implicancias terapéuticas del cambio de paradigma, en tanto correlato de los supuestos epistemológicos que lo sustentan, en contraposición al anterior. Resulta de vital interés explicitar los supuestos epistemológicos de una terapia que, desde sus albores, ha resultado un intento de praxis de un programa epistemológico mayor. La mayor relevancia de la aplicación de la 'cibernética de segundo orden' se ha dado en la corriente estructuralista de la terapia familiar sistémica. Es por esto, que nos centraremos en esta perspectiva, aunque el impacto del nuevo paradigma proveniente de la cibernética ha calado también en las terapias de corte estratégico. La nueva cosmovisión, de fuerte poder heurístico, se ha diseminado por toda la terapia familiar sistémica; Pero los objetivos y la dinámica de cura de la escuela estructuralista, cuyo mayor referente es el argentino Salvador Minuchin, se han adaptado en pos de unmejor aprovechamiento de esta nueva forma de ver la terapia. Es así que el presente trabajo se centrará, sucintamente, en los aportes del nuevo paradigma cibernético aplicado a la terapia familiar sistémica de corte estructuralista. Permitiendo un recorrido por la terapéutica que se desprende de la 'cibernética de segundo orden'. Se acentuará la perspectiva ecológica que da cuenta de la particular inserción del sujeto convaleciente en la trama familiar en la que está, inevitablemente, inmerso. Vemos la originalidad de dicha pespectiva, que enmarca el trabajo de la clínica psicológica como el correlato de la forma de concebir la realidad (ontología) y la forma de acceder mediante una racionalidad crítica y científica a dicha construcción que llamamos 'realidad' (epistemología). Desarrollos de lo más actuales que surjen como el intento de ruptura con la lógica de disciplinas aisladas y parcelarias en busca de una comprensión holística de la realidad. He aquí o que se ha denominado 'ecología' u 'epistemología relacional'. En la vertiente que se analizará en el presente trabajo la aplicación pragmática de dicha perspectiva decantará en una visión compleja de la sinterrelaciones familiiares, no habrá bajo ningún punto de vista, una causalidad lineal en forma de un determinismo causa- efecto, sino que la trama deberá ser develada en toda su complejidad. Esto implica un sostenimiento constante de todas las variables intervinientes tratando de no caer en reduccionismos que derivan en panaceas inservibles

¿Confiar en los criollos? Apreciaciones sobre la condición de los españoles americanos en el siglo XVIII

Este trabajo realiza una reflexión sobre el recelo que el sector criollo ocasionaba en las altas magistraturas de la monarquía hispánica, de la que emana, obviamente, la política selectiva de cargos y honores tanto en el ámbito de la administración como en el de la Iglesia. El talento y la calidad moral de este segmento de la población estuvo, más que en ninguna otra época, en tela de juicio a lo largo de todo el siglo XVIII. El trabajo traza una panorámica sustentada en obras y documentos del setecientos donde se realizan apologías o críticas de los españoles americanos. La hipótesis que sostiene esta investigación plantea que si la desconfianza hacia la población hispánica de América no hubiera calado tan profundamente, la política borbónica podría haber tenido otra orientación, y por tanto la memoria histórica de los criollos, posterior a la Independencia, podría haber sido menos negativa con respecto a su pasado virreinal