RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN COLUMN DENSITY AND SURFACE MIXING RATIO FOR O3 AND NO2: IMPLICATIONS FOR SATELLITE OBSERVATIONS AND THE IMPACTS OF VERTICAL MIXING

Satellites have great potential for diagnosis of surface air quality conditions, though reduced sensitivity of satellite instrumentation to the lower troposphere currently impedes their applicability. One objective of the NASA DISCOVER-AQ project is to provide information relevant to improving our ability to relate satellite-observed columns to surface conditions for key trace gases and aerosols. In support of DISCOVER-AQ, this dissertation investigates the degree of correlation between O3 and NO2 column abundance and surface mixing ratio during the four DISCOVER-AQ deployments; characterize the variability of the aircraft in situ and model-simulated O3 and NO2 profiles; and use the WRF-Chem model to further investigate the role of boundary layer mixing in the column-surface connection for the Maryland 2011 deployment, and determine which of the available boundary layer schemes best captures the observations. Simple linear regression analyses suggest that O3 partial column observations from future satellite instruments with sufficient sensitivity to the lower troposphere may be most meaningful for surface air quality under the conditions associated with the Maryland 2011 campaign, which included generally deep, convective boundary layers, the least wind shear of all four deployments, and few geographical influences on local meteorology, with exception of bay breezes. Hierarchical clustering analysis of the in situ O3 and NO2 profiles indicate that the degree of vertical mixing (defined by temperature lapse rate) associated with each cluster exerted an important influence on the shapes of the median cluster profiles for O3, as well as impacted the column vs. surface correlations for many clusters for both O3 and NO2. However, comparisons to the CMAQ model suggest that, among other errors, vertical mixing is overestimated, causing too great a column-surface connection within the model. Finally, the WRF-Chem model, a meteorology model with coupled chemistry, is used to further investigate the impact of vertical mixing on the O3 and NO2 column-surface connection, for an ozone pollution event that occurred on July 26-29, 2011. Five PBL schemes were tested, with no one scheme producing a clear, consistent “best” comparison with the observations for PBLH and pollutant profiles; however, despite improvements, the ACM2 scheme continues to overestimate vertical mixing.

Características de las conductas agresivas de los estudiantes de primero, segundo y tercero de bachillerato de la Unidad Educativa César Dávila Andrade. Cuenca 2016

Antecedentes: La agresividad es parte de la una reacción fisiológica en los humanos, se liga en la mayoría de los casos a factores del ambiente y familiares que si existe un adecuado diagnóstico podrían ser controlados. Objetivo: Describir las características de las conductas agresivas de los estudiantes de primero, segundo y tercero de Bachillerato de la Unidad Educativa “César Dávila Andrade”. Cuenca 2016. Metodología: La presente investigación fue de tipo cuantitativo descriptiva de corte transversal, el universo fue de 216 estudiantes de primero, segundo y tercero de bachillerato. Se aplicó el Cuestionario de Agresión, seguido por una encuesta sociodemográfica. Los datos fueron tabulados por medio del programa estadístico de SPSS 21. Resultados: La media de edad fue de 16,22 años con el 66,7% de adolescentes de sexo masculino y el 98,1% de adolescentes presentaron un estado civil soltero; el 30,6% de los adolescentes vivían con sus padres y sus hermanos, el 56,9% de las familias fueron nucleares y en el 65,7% de las familias el número de integrantes fue 5 o menos. Según los puntajes generales del cuestionario Agresión RPQ la agresividad reactiva fue más elevada que la agresividad proactiva con 19,16 y 15,82 puntos, respectivamente. Conclusiones: La agresividad presenta indicadores elevados en los adolescentes del Unidad Educativa “Cesar Dávila Andrade” siendo mayor en el sexo masculino y en adolescentes con familias con regulares relaciones y de características extendidas

MicroRNA modulation of aldosterone production in the adrenal gland

Hypertension is the major risk factor for coronary disease worldwide. Primary hypertension is idiopathic in origin but is thought to arise from multiple risk factors including genetic, lifestyle and environmental influences. Secondary hypertension has a more definite aetiology; its major single cause is primary aldosteronism (PA), the greatest proportion of which is caused by aldosteroneproducing adenoma (APA), where aldosterone is synthesized at high levels by an adenoma of the adrenal gland. There is strong evidence to show that high aldosterone levels cause adverse effects on cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, renal and other systems. Extensive studies have been conducted to analyse the role that regulation of CYP11B2, the gene encoding the aldosterone synthase enzyme plays in determining aldosterone production and the development of hypertension. One significant regulatory factor that has only recently emerged is microRNA (miRNA). miRNAs are small non-coding RNAs, synthesized by a series of enzymatic processes, that negatively regulate gene expression at the posttranscriptional level. Detection and manipulation of miRNA is now known to be a viable method in the treatment, prevention and prognosis of certain diseases. The aim of the present study was to identify miRNAs likely to have a role in the regulation of corticosteroid biosynthesis. To achieve this, the miRNA profile of APA and normal human adrenal tissue was compared, as was the H295R adrenocortical cell line model of adrenocortical function, under both basal conditions and following stimulation of aldosterone production. Key differentially-expressed miRNAs were then identified and bioinformatic tools used to identify likely mRNA targets and pathways for these miRNAs, several of which were investigated and validated using in vitro methods. The background to this study is set out in Chapter 1 of this thesis, followed by a description of the major technical methods employed in Chapter 2. Chapter 3 presents the first of the study results, analysing differences in miRNA profile between APA and normal human adrenal tissue. Microarray was implemented to detect the expression of miRNAs in these two tissue types and several miRNAs were found to vary significantly and consistently between them. Furthermore, members of several miRNA clusters exhibited similar changes in expression pattern between the two tissues e.g. members of cluster miR-29b-1 (miR-29a-3p and miR-29b-3p) and of cluster miR-29b-2 (miR-29b-3p and miR-29c- 3p) are downregulated in APA, while members of cluster let-7a-1 (let-7a-5p and let-7d-5p), cluster let-7a-3 (let-7a-5p and let-7b-5p) and cluster miR-134 (miR- 134 and miR-382) are upregulated. Further bioinformatic analysis explored the possible biological function of these miRNAs using Ingenuity® Systems Pathway Analysis software. This led to the identification of validated mRNAs already known to be targeted by these miRNAs, as well as the prediction of other mRNAs that are likely targets and which are involved in processes relevant to APA pathology including cholesterol synthesis (HMGCR) and corticosteroidogenesis (CYP11B2). It was therefore hypothesised that increases in miR-125a-5p or miR- 335-5p would reduce HMGCR and CYP11B2 expression. Chapter 4 describes the characterisation of H295R cells of different strains and sources (H295R Strain 1, 2, 3 and HAC 15). Expression of CYP11B2 was assessed following application of 3 different stimulants: Angio II, dbcAMP and KCl. The most responsive strain to stimulation was Strain 1 at lower passage numbers. Furthermore, H295R proliferation increased following Angio II stimulation. In Chapter 5, the hypothesis that increases in miR-125a-5p or miR-335-5p reduces HMGCR and CYP11B2 expression was tested using realtime quantitative RT-PCR and transfection of miRNA mimics and inhibitors into the H295R cell line model of adrenocortical function. In this way, miR-125a-5p and miR-335-5p were shown to downregulate CYP11B2 and HMGCR expression, thereby validating certain of the bioinformatic predictions generated in Chapter 3. The study of miRNA profile in the H295R cell lines was conducted in Chapter 6, analysing how it changes under conditions that increase aldosterone secretion, including stimulation Angiotensin II, potassium chloride or dibutyryl cAMP (as a substitute for adrenocorticotropic hormone). miRNA profiling identified 7 miRNAs that are consistently downregulated by all three stimuli relative to basal cells: miR-106a-5p, miR-154-3p, miR-17-5p, miR-196b-5p, miR-19a-3p, miR-20b- 5p and miR-766-3p. These miRNAs include those derived from cluster miR-106a- 5p/miR-20b-5p and cluster miR-17-5p/miR-19a-3p, each producing a single polycistronic transcript. IPA bioinformatic analysis was again applied to identify experimentally validated and predicted mRNA targets of these miRNAs and the key biological pathways likely to be affected. This predicted several interactions between miRNAs derived from cluster miR-17-5p/miR-19a-3p and important mRNAs involved in cholesterol biosynthesis: LDLR and ABCA1. These predictions were investigated by in vitro experiment. miR-17-5p/miR-106a-p and miR-20b-5p were found to be consistently downregulated by stimulation of aldosterone biosynthesis. Moreover, miR-766-3p was upregulation throughout. Furthermore, I was able to validate the downregulation of LDLR by miR-17 transfection, as predicted by IPA. In summary, this study identified key miRNAs that are differentially-expressed in vivo in cases of APA or in vitro following stimulation of aldosterone biosynthesis. The many possible biological actions these miRNAs could have were filtered by bioinformatic analysis and selected interactions validated in vitro. While direct actions of these miRNAs on steroidogenic enzymes were identified, cholesterol handling also emerged as an important target and may represent a useful point of intervention in future therapies designed to modulate aldosterone biosynthesis and reduce its harmful effects.

Estado de saúde vs qualidade de vida

Objetivo: Compreender se o estado de saúde condiciona a qualidade de vida dos funcionários e identificar que variáveis influenciam a qualidade de vida dos funcionários da instituição. Métodos: Estudo descritivo-correlacional, quantitativo. Questionário sociodemográfico e versão portuguesa do MOS SF-36. Amostra funcionários docentes e não docentes que aceitaram participar no estudo. Tratamento dos dados através do Software Statistical Package for Social Sciences versão 20. Parecer positivo da Comissão de Ética, do diretor da instituição e consentimento informado dos participantes. Resultados: Diferenças estatisticamente significativas entre a qualidade de vida e o estado de saúde na Componente Física. À medida que aumentam os valores da Componente Mental, aumentam os valores da autoperceção de um estado de saúde mais elevado. Quando mais elevados os valores de cada componente, mais elevada é a autoperceção do estado de saúde dos inquiridos. Podem ter influência no estado de saúde e na qualidade de vida dos inquiridos a presença de doenças crónicas, as habilitações literárias e o estado civil. Conclusões: Realçada a importância da promoção da saúde, prevenção da doença, de forma a obter ganhos na qualidade de vida, ganhos em saúde, acrescentando não apenas mais anos à vida mas, mais vida aos anos. Isto porque os problemas de saúde estão na sua maioria relacionados com hábitos e estilos de vida nocivos para a saúde.

Stratigrafia paleobiologica a macroinvertebrati marini nel Pleistocene inferiore-medio di Montalbano Jonico (Basilicata)

La tesi analizza le dinamiche a macroinvertebrati bentonici marini lungo la “Sezione Ideale” di Montalbano Jonico (Matera) che era stata candidata a GSSP per il Pleistocene medio. Obiettivo è quello determinare se le associazioni a molluschi avessero risposto alle dinamiche glaciale interglaciale, individuate dagli isotopi stabili dell’ossigeno, anche in contesti relativamente profondi. Unendo tutti i dati raccolti è stato possibile affermare che le associazioni a macroinvertebrati bentonici abbiano risposto alle variazioni climatiche e hanno permesso di quantificare le oscillazioni del livello marino alla scala glaciale interglaciale. Inoltre, analizzando i depositi messisi in posto durante il MIS 19, sono state ricostruite delle oscillazioni a scala sub-milankoviana. Questo ha permesso di constatare che negli stadiali del MIS 19a siano documentate delle associazioni a macroinvertebrati bentonici con strutture tassonomiche simili a quelle rinvenute nel MIS 20. Le evidenze raccolte ci permettono di affermare che alla scala della ciclicità climatica di 104-5 anni il turnover faunistico sia associabile alle variazioni batimetriche, ad una scala a più alta frequenza (103-4 anni), il turnover sia invece maggiormente influenzato dalla stabilità dei parametri ambientali che contraddistinguono gli ambienti deposizionali campionati. Nel dettaglio periodi glaciali e stadiali del MIS 19a, sono caratterizzati da associazioni dominate da Ditrupa che indicata instabilità legata ad apporti sedimentari e/o torbidità dell’acqua. Mentre, periodi di interstadiali e interglaciali presentano depositi caratterizzati da associazioni dominate da Tritia e Alvania che testimoniano contesti di piattaforma esterna e ridotti apporti terrigeni. In conclusione, l’analisi delle associazioni a macroinvertebrati marini ha permesso di identificare i principali “driver” ambientali del turnover faunistico a diverse scale temporali e ricostruire le dinamiche paleoambientali lungo la Sezione Ideale.

Diagnóstico e Manejo dos Pacientes com Cefaleia Primária em Unidade Básica de Saúde no Município de Mauriti – Ceará

A cefaleia ou dor de cabeça é um complexo sintomático agudo ou componente de uma doença em desenvolvimento. É um dos sintomas clínicos mais presentes nas emergências e nas unidades básicas de saúde (UBS). Uma das principais queixas encontradas nas UBS podemos defini-la como uma sensação de desconforto ou dor na extremidade cefálica, e que pode ser de caráter agudo ou crônico, pulsátil, latejante, em aperto de localização diversificada com a presença ou ausência de sintomas associados. São inúmeras as consequências dos diversos tipos de cefaleias, dentre elas: ausência das atividades escolares e profissionais, isolamento social, depressão, mau humor, diminuição do rendimento e aumento das despesas com a saúde. De acordo com o ranking da Organização Mundial de Saúde (OMS) a enxaqueca é a 19a moléstia mais causadora de incapacitância na população mundial e dados da Sociedade Brasileira de Cefaléia afirmam que a enxaqueca tem prevalência de 15% na população brasileira, sendo responsável por 35% das consultas neurológicas.