Loss of nuclear poly(A)-binding protein 1 causes defects in myogenesis and mRNA biogenesis

The nuclear poly(A)-binding protein 1 (PABPN1) is a ubiquitously expressed protein that plays a critical role in polyadenylation. Short expansions of the polyalanine tract in the N-terminus of PABPN1 lead to oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy (OPMD), which is an adult onset disease characterized by eyelid drooping, difficulty in swallowing and weakness in the proximal limb muscles. Although significant data from in vitro biochemical assays define the function of PABPN1 in control of poly(A) tail length, little is known about the role of PABPN1 in mammalian cells. To assess the function of PABPN1 in mammalian cells and specifically in cells affected in OPMD, we examined the effects of PABPN1 depletion using siRNA in primary mouse myoblasts from extraocular, pharyngeal and limb muscles. PABPN1 knockdown significantly decreased cell proliferation and myoblast differentiation during myogenesis in vitro. At the molecular level, PABPN1 depletion in myoblasts led to a shortening of mRNA poly(A) tails, demonstrating the cellular function of PABPN1 in polyadenylation control in a mammalian cell. In addition, PABPN1 depletion caused nuclear accumulation of poly(A) RNA, revealing that PABPN1 is required for proper poly(A) RNA export from the nucleus. Together, these experiments demonstrate that PABPN1 plays an essential role in myoblast proliferation and differentiation, suggesting that it is required for muscle regeneration and maintenance in vivo.

Acute 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid intoxication in broiler chicks

The acute toxicity of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), a herbicide, was studied in chicks dosed with 100, 300, 500, or 600 mg 2,4-D/kg BW, by the oral route. Clinical, laboratory, and histopathological methods were used as indicators of toxicity. After acute exposure, the herbicide decreased motor activity and induced muscular weakness and motor incoordination; decreased weight gain; increased serum creatine kinase (CK) and alkaline phosphatase (AP) activities and serum uric acid (UA), creatinine (CR), and total proteins (TP) levels; and did not change serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) or alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activities. These changes were time-and dose-dependent and reversible. The LD50 (lethal dose 50%) calculated for oral 2,4-D in chicks was 420 mg/kg BW (385 to 483). Chromatographic analysis of the serum of the intoxicated chicks showed the presence of the herbicide; the amount found was dose-and time-dependent, increasing from 2 to 8 h after exposure and decreasing afterwards. Histopathological post-mortem studies conducted on intoxicated chicks showed hepatic (vacuolar degeneration of the hepatocytes), renal (tubular nephrosis), and intestinal (hemorragic) lesions. Taken together, the observed alterations mainly reflected kidney and muscle tissue damage, although hepatic toxicity may also have occurred after acute 2,4-D intoxication.

Mechanisms for consideration for intervention in the development of organophosphorus-induced delayed neuropathy

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Velocidade da marcha como preditor de fragilidade em uma amostra populacional de idosos brasileiros

Gait speed has been described as a predictive indicator of important adverse outcomes in older populations. Among the criteria to evaluate frailty, gait speed has been identified as the most reliable predictor of fragility, practical and low cost. Objective: This study assesses the discriminating capability of gait speed in determining the presence of fragility in the elderly community in northeast of Brazil. Method: We performed an observational analytic study with a transversal character with a sample of 391 community-living elders, aged 65 years or older, of both sexes, in the city of Santa Cruz-RN. Participants were interviewed using a multidimensional questionnaire to obtain sociodemographic information, physical-related and mental health-related information. The unintentional weight loss, muscle weakness, self-reported exhaustion, slow gait and low-physical activity were considered to evaluate the frailty syndrome. Gait velocity was measured as the time taken to walk the middle 4,6 meters of 8,6 meters (excluding 2 meters to warm-up phase and 2 meters to deceleration phase).We calculate the sensitivity and specificity of gait speed test in different cutoff points for the test run time, from which ROC curve was constructed as a measure of test predictive value to identify frail elders. The prevalence of frailty in Santa Cruz-RN was 17.1%. The gait speed test accuracy was 71%when speed is below 0,91m/s. Among women, the gait speed test accuracy was 80%(gait speed below 0.77m/s) and among men, the test accuracy was 86% (gait spend below 0,82%) (p<0,0001).Conclusion: our findings have clinical relevance when we consider that the detection of frailty presence by the gait speed test can be observed in elderly men and women by a simple, cheap and efficient exam

A Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) como preditora da fragilidade em idosos residentes na comunidade

Introduction: The SPPB provides information about physical function and is a predictor of adverse events in the elderly. Frailty is a multidimensional syndrome that increases susceptibility to diseases and disability. However it may be possible to prevent or postpone frailty if is identified early. Our objective is to analyze SPPB s ability in screening for frailty a community-dwelling young elderly from cities with distinct socioeconomic conditions. Methods: Data were originated from community dwelling adults (65-74 years old) in Canada (Saint Bruno; n = 60) and Brazil (Santa Cruz; n = 64). SPPB was used to assess physical performance. Frailty was defined as the presence of ≥ 3 of these criteria: weight loss, exhaustion, weakness, mobility limitation and low physical activity. One point was given for each criterion met, totalizing a frailty score ranged from 0 to 5. The Linear Regression and Receiver Operating Characteristics analyses were performed to evaluate the SPPB s screening ability. Results: Mean age was 69.48, 10.0% of the Saint Bruno s sample and 28.1% of Santa Cruz s were frail (p = 0.001), the SPPB score means were 9.6 and 8.5 respectively (p = 0.01). SPPB correlated with the frailty score (R2 = 0.33), with better results for Saint Bruno. A cutoff of 9 in SPPB had good sensitivity and specificity in discriminating frail from non frail in Saint Bruno (AUC = 0.81) but showed fair results in Santa Cruz (AUC = 0.61). Conclusion: The SPPB has moderate ability in predicting frailty among older adult s population, and is an useful test to identify people with good functionality and low frailty when SPPB scores are ≥9

Equações preditivas para as pressões respiratórias máximas de crianças brasileiras

I ntroduction: The assessment of respiratory muscle strength is important in the diagnosis and monitoring of the respiratory muscles weakness of respiratory and neuromuscular diseases. However, there are still no studies that provide predictive equations and reference values for maximal respiratory pressures for children in our population. Aim: The purpose of this study was to propose predictive equations for maximal respiratory pressures in healthy school children. Method: This is an observational cross-sectional study. 144 healthy children were assessed. They were students from public and private schools in the city of Natal /RN (63 boys and 81 girls), subdivided in age groups of 7-8 and 9-11 years. The students presented the BMI, for age and sex, between 5 and 85 percentile. Maximal respiratory pressures were measured with the digital manometer MVD300 (Globalmed ®). The maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP) and maximal expiratory pressures (MEP) were measured from residual volume and total lung capacity, respectively. The data were analyzed using the SPSS Statistics 15.0 software (Statistical Package for Social Science) by assigning the significance level of 5%. Descriptive analysis was expressed as mean and standard deviation. T'Student test was used for unpaired comparison of averages of the variables. The comparison of measurements obtained with the predicted values in previous studies was performed using the paired t'Student test. The Pearson correlation test was used to verify the correlation of MRP's with the independent variables (age, sex, weight and height). For the equations analysis the stepwise linear regression was used. Results: By analyzing the data, we observed that in the age range studied MIP was significantly higher in boys. The MEP did not differ between boys and girls aged 7 to 8 years, the reverse occurred in the age between 9 and 11 years. The boys had a significant increase in respiratory muscle strength with advancing age. Regardless sex and age, MEP was always higher than the MIP. The reference values found in this study are similar to a sample of Spanish and Canadian children. The two models proposed in previous studies with children from other countries were not able to consistently predict the values observed in this studied population. The variables sex, age and weight correlated with MIP, whereas the MEP was also correlated with height. However, in the regression models proposed in this study, only gender and age were kept exerting influence on the variability of maximal inspiratory and expiratory pressures. Conclusion: This study provides reference values, lower limits of normality and proposes two models that allow predicting, through the independent variables, sex and age, the value of maximal static respiratory pressures in healthy children aged between 7 and 11 years old

Correlação entre os parâmetros do cortisol salivar e o fenótipo de fragilidade em idosos institucionalizados

Introduction: The Frailty Syndrome is characterized by the decrease of energy reserve and the reduced resistance to stressors. Studies indicate that the neuroendocrine markers can be related to the appearance of this syndrome. The main endocrine answer to stress is the increase of cortisol levels. Objective: To analyze the correlation between the frailty syndrome the salivary cortisol in elderly residing in nursing homes. Method: A traversal study was accomplished, in João Pessoa city, PB, with a sample composed by 69 institutionalized elderly. The collected data refer to the frailty phenotype (weight loss, exhaustion, slowness, weakness, and lower level of physical activity) and to salivary cortisol parameters (first measure - 6-7h; second measure - 11-12h; third measure - 16-17h). In the statistical analysis the Pearson s correlation test was used, Chi square Test and Anova and Simple Linear Regression analyses. Results: The sample was composed by 37.7% of men and 62.3% of women, with age average of 77.52 (±7.82). There was a percentile of 45.8% frail elderly. The frail elderly obtained higher cortisol values in the third measure (p=0.04) and the frailty load was significantly associated to the first measure (r=0.25, p=0.04). The simple linear regression analysis presented a determination rate (R2=0.05) between frailty load and first cortisol measure. Conclusion: The largest cortisol values in the morning and before sleeping among the frail elderly supply indications that can have a relationship of cortisol increase levels and the frailty presence in elderly from nursing homes.

Apoio social e síndrome da fragilidade em idosos residentes na comunidade

Introduction: The frailty in the elderly is the result of a complex interplay between many social and clinical factors involved in its genesis. Although there is an understanding of its association with increased risk of adverse clinical outcomes, still it is unclear whether this syndrome can be aggravated due to lack of social support. So, the objective of this study was to analyze the association between social support and frailty syndrome in elderly community residents. Materials and methods: Observational analytical cross-sectional study, with a sample of 300 elderly living in the city of Natal-RN. Were collected informations about socialdemographic, economics and physical health data. The Social support was assessed by the status of cohabitation; marital status; contact frequency and diversity rate; received and given attendance frequency rate; and Map Minimum Relations of the Elderly. The frailty was assessed using the following criteria: unintentional weight loss, weakness, low physical activity, exhaustion and Slowness. To observe any possible associations, we performed the Pearson chi-square test, the Student t test and multivariate analysis using binary logistic regression, adopting a significance level of 5%. Results: It was observed that there were no associations of frailty with the social support variables, except for housekeeping mode (p = 0.046) of the MMRI. For the sociodemographic, economic, physical health and social support data, only age (p <0.001), sedentary lifestyle (p = 0.002) and poor perceived health (p = 0.001) were the ones that remained in the logistic regression model, with strong association for the presence of frailty. Conclusion: Among the variables related to social support, only to help with housekeeping was significantly associated with frailty. However, more studies need to be developed to characterize the social vulnerability, as well as health services need to recognize the importance of social support as an integral part of care for the elderly

Caracterização do processo de trabalho do cirurgiãodentista na estratégia de saúde da família do município de Parnamirim-RN

Family Health Strategy (FHS), founded in 1994 has appeared to play a strategic role in the SUS construction and consolidation. It has reaffirmed its Principles and Guidelines and has elected family as core of attention. The principle that has guided the work concerns the quality of the relationship between professional and family. Thus, the FHS has the family as a subject of health-disease process, and relations with its own characteristics and can be partners in building their health and improvement of quality of life of its members and the entire community. This study aims to characterize the surgeon-dentist (SD) working process in the family health strategy, from the knowledge of the SD integration with other team members; organization of services; development of shares, changes perceived by SDs, as well as knowing the surgeon-dentist profile who is part of this strategy. The collecting tool used was a semi-structured questionnaire, in which participated 30 professionals. As for profile, most professionals were women, completed the graduation in public university and did not have any training to work by joining the FHS. Almost all have other public or private working ties. They often carry out activities with students, and occasionally do home visits. In relation to team work, in activities such as home visits, school health, community activities, among others, they sometimes seek the cooperation of other members. The way of accessing for users in the most part has occurred through the schedule. The most frequently activities made to the Centro Especialidades Odontológicas (CEO), are in Endodontics and Prosthesis. The majority of them participate in team meetings, but they do not have frequency set to happen. As for the planning and programming of activities to be conducted, most said that individually develops them. Concerning the performance of their duties, most reported being satisfied, but that improvements could happen. Besides, they reported improvements in dental care following the inclusion of SD in the FHS in various aspects, such as access, organization, humanization, care and oral disease prevention. The professionals had poor integration with other team members, in addition to have a profile to more individualistic work, a fact seized by way of development and planning of actions. They work the actions in individual and curative way, in detriment promotion and collective ones. They work humanization, definition of territory and adscript population. Thus, it is concluded that the working process developed by SDs, includes the part which is advocated by FHS. This points out to a greater undertaking of this process aiming to detect the weakness met in order to reach the potential that the FHS represents in organization of basic attention

Centros de especialidades odontológicas: avaliação da atenção de média complexidade na rede pública da Grande Natal

The Specialized Dental Care Centers (CEO) were developed to provide specialized dental care to the population, given the accumulated needs of health since the past. They must operate as units of reference for the Oral Health Team of the Primary Care, complementing the dental procedures performed at this level of attention. This study aims to assess the performance of CEOs of the Grande Natal Health Region as a strategy of Secondary Care consolidation in oral health through users, dentists and managers. For this to try to identify factors about access, hosting and satisfaction with the service, the actions developed in these centers, integration between the CEOs and the Basic Health Units (UBS), considering the reference and counter reference. Data were collected through semi-structured interview, conducted in four CEOs, among 253 users, 31 dentists and 4 managers. It was submitted to descriptive statistical analysis and to content analysis by software ALCESTE 4.5. The results revealed that the specialties of prosthesis, endodontics and surgery were the most sought by 38.2%, 23.7% and 21.7% of respondents, respectively. It was noticed that among users aged 18 to 30 years-old the greatest demand is for the specialty of endodontics (44.4%) and over 50 years for prosthesis (76.4%). There is a weakness in the reference and counter reference between UBS and CEO, because part of users goes directly to the centers without going before to the Primary Care and the majority does not want to return to the dentist of Health Unit. Satisfaction with care was reported by 90.9% of users, because they resolved the problems needed and were welcomed by the team. But the delay in care was the main factor for not satisfaction. For most dentists, some users could solve their problems completely in Primary Care, which shows the existence of unnecessary referrals to the CEOs, however they consider the existence of limiting factors in UBS that compromise the service. Most dentists revealed that some users do not get to CEOs with the basic dental treatment done, and some of them do not counter reference users. It can be concluded that the studied CEOs are being resolutive for those who access them, offering necessary care for the population, and if they don t account with this service, will encounter obstacles to resolution of problems, ranging seek care service in particular, in another public sector, or even giving up treatment. However, it is perceived the need of professionals training to understand the importance of the reference and counter reference, to that they can better serve and guide users. It is also important that cities offer better conditions to UBS and CEOs, so they can work together, with complementary actions of oral health, seeking full care, aiming for better resolution to the users' health problems

On the evection resonance and its connection to the stability of outer satellites

In terms of stability around the primary, it is widely known that the semimajor axis of the retrograde satellites is much larger than the corresponding semimajor axis of the prograde satellites. Usually this conclusion is obtained numerically, since precise analytical derivation is far from being easy, especially, in the case of two or more disturbers. Following the seminal idea that what is unstable in the restricted three-body problem is also unstable in the general N-body problem, we present a simplified model which allows us to derive interesting resonant configurations. These configurations are responsible for cumulative perturbations which can give birth to strong instability that may cause the ejection of the satellite. Then we obtain, analytically, approximate bounds of the stability of prograde and retrograde satellites. Although we recover quite well previous results of other authors, we comment very briefly some weakness of these bounds. Copyright (c) 2008 Tadashi Yokoyama et al.

(Con)vivendo em fortalezas: o outro lado do morar bem

The intensification of the fear in the city and in the spaces controlled by this feeling has contributed to a growing socio-spatial inequality, and the rapid growth of market protection. The residential condos emerge as a possible solution to the problem. This is a housing typology expanding worldwide which is seen, especially by the urban middle class, as enablers of quality of life and safety. In Brazil, especially in large cities, the quest for quality of life is directly connected with the desire for security translated through space control (use of high walls, gates, entrance hall, security cameras) and people who use it. This thesis aims at investigating how the different categories of inhabitants of an area predominantly occupied by vertical residential condos realize the socio-spatial dimension and the socio-urban space determined by this type of development. It especially takes into consideration the issue of urban insecurity, based on the assumption that, although published and sold by marketing as safe places , synonym of welfare and supporters of community life , the living in these condos, may even inhibits, social relationships, contributing to socio-spatial isolation and consequent social weakness. This is a survey that seeks to meet the assumptions of Environmental Psychology towards the comprehension of person-environment studies, emphasizing the use of different methods (desk research, observations of and group interviews, focus group technique using photographic resources), as well as the focus on current problems of the urban scene and the knowledge gained in Social Psychology

O psicólogo na proteção social especial: atuação junto às vítimas de violação de direitos no CREAS

The objective of this research was to investigate psychologist‟s practices at the Reference Specialized Center of Social Assistance (CREAS), special social care unit of medium complexity of the Unique System of Social Assistance (SUAS). With the creation of CREAS occurred the reorganization of specialized services and programs which were scattered within the socialassitantial network and began to be part of this center, creating a mosaic of actions directed to people with their rights violated. At the same time, there was a significant arrival of psychologists to the field of Social Assistance and their questioning facing specialized social demands and the (un)definitions of SUAS‟ policy concerning to special social protection. Was aimed in this research to investigate how psychologist‟s practices are developed at CREAS using semi-structured interviews and following the practices developed by three psychologists at a CREAS in the state of Rio Grande do Norte (RN), indicated by the Ministry of Social Development and Fight against Hunger (MDS) as one of the national references in 2008. It was highlighted a complex work field, which is delineated between the user´s rights perspective and the maintenance of historical difficulties concerning to the Social Assistance. In which the professional is requested to act toward the fight against rights violation, but does not find a field where is possible inter-sector and articulated work, in addition of being exposed to the precariousness of work and the weakness of employment ties, associated to the lack of formation to work in the area. Accordingly, there is still a range of challenges to psychologists in the building of a profession which confront risk situations and break off rights violation.

O Serviço Residencial Terapêutico: cartografias de um híbrido no contexto da desinstitucionalização em saúde mental

This thesis seeks to uphold the idea that the therapeutic residential service, as hybrid device and recent process of deinstitutionalization in mental health, works as a problem producer while it also indicates challenges and potentialities in this process, the attention on mental health and on its own care production. To that end, we work with the prospect map with which we approach reality as the subjectivities production field which transformations and intensities are the major thought propellants. From this perspective, it was possible to produce three "purpose maps" from meetings with actors and groups involved with the TRS and the theoretical study carried out. On the first map we mapped the conditions of possibility of this device and its design in the midst of the process of institutionalization and health policies. We indicate on it the TRS configuration as a hybrid and we hassled its proposition as a means of "social rehabilitation" that can work as a social homogeneity mechanism. On a second map, we cartographied mental captures through images and ways historically built from madness presented in the biopolitical contemporary game and we indicated that the resistance to such catches should be built on a politic daily basis as important vectors of the institutionalization process in mental health. Finally, on a third map we mapped the carefulness produced in the TRS, by analyzing the transition psychiatric hospital - TRS and the caregivers´ team work. On this mapping, the care, for the weakness in the coresponsibility field, is reveled crossed by mental, disciplinary and normality elements, but it is also built in resistance born from links in the intersubjective field of the caring work. We conclude, then, that the TRS power and the deinstitutionalization process itself were in building and strengthening affective labor micro political networks of life and liberty producers

Avaliação da qualidade da atenção primária à saúde da criança no Rio Grande do Norte: visão das usuárias

The study aims to evaluate the quality of the work processes of the teams from the Family Health Strategy regarding the comprehensive health care for children, in the view of users in the state of Rio Grande do Norte. This is a cross-sectional observational evaluative research with quantitative approach. The primary data are part of the External Review from the Program of Improving Access and Quality of Primary Care (PMAQ) in 2012. 190 women were interviewed. The inclusion criteria was the presence in the clinic at the time of the survey, have attended the service in the last 12 months and be a mother or companion of a child up to two years old. A research protocol was developed in the dimensions of Growth and Development, Breastfeeding and nutrition, and health problems and its variables. The results revealed that mothers / companions who responded to the questionnaire 71% were aged between 18 and 35 years, 92.1% were literate, 96.3% had a monthly income and 62.6% received financial assistance from the government. As for the children, 39.4% were aged between 13 to 24 months. In promotion and prevention actions for children, 64.2% had consultation up to the 7th day of life, 91.1% underwent the screening test, 95.3% had a health handbook, 98.9% had a vaccine, 17.9% breastfed or breastfeed from 6 to 24 months. As for link and continuity of care, 86.8% of the children were accompanied by the same professional staff and 59.5% left with next consultation scheduled. In acute situations 42.4% of the children went to the health unit and 64% of these were attended. It is concluded that the actions involving prevention and health promotion of children in RN, are evaluated positively by the service users and meet the requirements of MS, as well as link and continuity of care. The weakness in access and reception of users is evident, indicating the need to adapt the service to the demand of health and planning actions to welcome all who seeks basic health unit-UBS