SAGE analysis highlights the putative role of underexpression of ribosomal proteins in GH-secreting pituitary adenomas

Background: Although the molecular pathogenesis of pituitary adenomas has been assessed by several different techniques, it still remains partially unclear. Ribosomal proteins (RPs) have been recently related to human tumorigenesis, but they have not yet been evaluated in pituitary tumorigenesis. Objective: The aim of this study was to introduce serial analysis of gene expression (SAGE), a high-throughput method, in pituitary research in order to compare differential gene expression. Methods: Two SAGE cDNA libraries were constructed, one using a pool of mRNA obtained from five GH-secreting pituitary tumors and another from three normal pituitaries. Genes differentially expressed between the libraries were further validated by real-time PCR in 22 GH-secreting pituitary tumors and in 15 normal pituitaries. Results: Computer-generated genomic analysis tools identified 13 722 and 14 993 exclusive genes in normal and adenoma libraries respectively. Both shared 6497 genes, 2188 were underexpressed and 4309 overexpressed in tumoral library. In adenoma library, 33 genes encoding RPs were underexpressed. Among these, RPSA, RPS3, RPS14, and RPS29 were validated by real-time PCR. Conclusion: We report the first SAGE library from normal pituitary tissue and GH-secreting pituitary tumor, which provide quantitative assessment of cellular transcriptome. We also validated some downregulated genes encoding RPs. Altogether, the present data suggest that the underexpression of the studied RP genes possibly collaborates directly or indirectly with other genes to modify cell cycle arrest, DNA repair, and apoptosis, leading to an environment that might have a putative role in the tumorigenesis, introducing new perspectives for further studies on molecular genesis of somatotrophinomas.

Management of diabetes mellitus and associated cardiovascular risk factors in Brazil – the Brazilian study on the practice of diabetes care

Abstract Background The Brazilian Study on the Practice of Diabetes Care main objective was to provide an epidemiological profile of individuals with type 1 and 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) in Brazil, concerning therapy and adherence to international guidelines in the medical practice. Methods This observational, cross-sectional, multicenter study collected and analyzed data from individuals with type 1 and 2 DM attending public or private clinics in Brazil. Each investigator included the first 10 patients with type 2 DM who visited his/her office, and the first 5 patients with type 1 DM. Results A total of 1,358 patients were analyzed; 375 (27.6%) had type 1 and 983 (72.4%) had type 2 DM. Most individuals were women, Caucasian, and private health care users. High prevalence rates of hypertension, dyslipidemia and central obesity were observed, particularly in type 2 DM. Only 7.3% and 5.1% of the individuals with types 1 and 2 DM, respectively, had optimal control of blood pressure, plasma glucose and lipids. The absence of hypertension and female sex were associated with better control of type 1 DM and other cardiovascular risk factors. In type 2 DM, older age was also associated with better control. Conclusions Female sex, older age, and absence of hypertension were associated with better metabolic control. An optimal control of plasma glucose and other cardiovascular risk factors are obtained only in a minority of individuals with diabetes. Local numbers, compared to those from other countries are worse.

Use of epidemiological data as the basis for developing a medical curriculum

CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: Epidemiology may help educators to face the challenge of establishing content guidelines for the curricula in medical schools. The aim was to develop learning objectives for a medical curriculum from an epidemiology database. DESIGN AND SETTING: Descriptive study assessing morbidity and mortality data, conducted in a private university in São Paulo. METHODS: An epidemiology database was used, with mortality and morbidity recorded as summaries of deaths and the World Health Organization's Disability-Adjusted Life Year (DALY). The scoring took into consideration probabilities for mortality and morbidity. RESULTS: The scoring presented a classification of health conditions to be used by a curriculum design committee, taking into consideration its highest and lowest quartiles, which corresponded respectively to the highest and lowest impact on morbidity and mortality. Data from three countries were used for international comparison and showed distinct results. The resulting scores indicated topics to be developed through educational taxonomy. CONCLUSION: The frequencies of the health conditions and their statistical treatment made it possible to identify topics that should be fully developed within medical education. The classification also suggested limits between topics that should be developed in depth, including knowledge and development of skills and attitudes, regarding topics that can be concisely presented at the level of knowledge.

Machado de Assis e Eça de Queirós: para além da polêmica...

Quando se pensa nas relações entre Machado de Assis e Eça de Queirós é comum referir-se à polêmica travada em torno da repercussão de O primo Basílio no Brasil. Obviamente, vários outros aspectos podem ser considerados quando se propõe uma reflexão sobre diálogos possíveis entre os dois grandes autores das literaturas de língua portuguesa no século XIX. O nosso objetivo aqui é discutir como a presença do clero e a relação com a religião são retratadas, sobretudo, em duas obras desses escritores: Dom Casmurro e A relíquia.

O Estado Novo e as críticas a Machado de Assis na primeira metade dos anos 1940

Este artigo tem como objetivo analisar o tratamento conferido pelo Estado Novo brasileiro (1937-1945) a Machado de Assis, depois das celebrações oficiais do centenário do autor de Dom Casmurro em 1939. Se, no ano da efeméride, o governo se empenhou em alçar o romancista à condição de maior escritor brasileiro, no início dos anos 1940, no âmbito do Departamento de Imprensa e Propaganda (DIP), o tom passa a ser outro: num contexto de prevalência de certo caráter social e documental da obra de arte, o próprio Getúlio Vargas, o ideólogo Cassiano Ricardo e os principais periódicos estadonovistas fazem menção ao suposto absenteísmo e à falta de "cor local" do fundador da Academia Brasileira de Letras.

Bracket/wire play: what to expect from tipping prescription on pre-adjusted appliances

INTRODUCTION: The opinion on the 'straight-wire' concept has been evolving since its origin, characterized by faithful followers or absolute skepticism. Currently, it seems reasonable to state that most professionals have a more realistic and critical viewpoint, with an attitude that reveals Orthodontics' maturity and greater knowledge on the technique. The most relevant criticisms refer to the impossibility of the both the Straight-Wire and the Standard systems to completely express the characteristics related to the brackets due to mechanical deficiencies, such as bracket/wire play. OBJECTIVES: A critical analysis of this relationship, which is unclear due to lack of studies, was the scope of this paper. METHODS: The compensatory treatment of two patients, using Capelozza's individualized brackets, works as the scenery for cephalometric evaluation of changes in incisor inclination produced by different dimensions of leveling archwires. RESULTS: The evaluation of these cases showed that, while the introduction of a 0.019 x 0.025-in stainless steel archwire in a 0.022 x 0.030-in slot did not produce significant changes in incisor inclination, the 0.021 x 0.025-in archwire was capable of changing it, mainly in mandibular incisors, and in the opposite direction to the compensation. CONCLUSION: Considering compensatory treatments, even when using an individualized prescription according to the malocclusion, the bracket/wire play seems to be a positive factor for malocclusion correction, without undesirable movements. Therefore, it seems reasonable to admit that, until a bracket system can have absolute individualization, the use of rectangular wires that still have a certain play with the bracket slot is advisable.

Evolución geomorfológica de la superficie de erosión R1000 en los Llanos de Castro Caldelas (Ourense)

[ES] Se presenta el análisis morfológico de un sector del replano RIOOO' El sector escogido está colgado por encima de la red fluvial actual. Este hecho permite atribuir a los cursos que drenan el replano un carácter semi funcional. Se han identificado once niveles de terrazas erosivas, que corresponden al desmantelamiento del replano inicial. La geometría de la red permite suponer que la organización actual se alcanzó mediante sucesivas capturas. Por otra parte, se han distinguido dos trazados de la red (centrípeta y en bayoneta); la red centrípeta define una superficie hueca y la red en bayoneta una superficie en rampas escalonadas. Se propone que ambas morfologías corresponderían a diferentes estadios de un mismo proceso: el vaciado del RIOOO' Por último, se propone la hipótesis de un descabalamiento tectónico del Rgoo para el origen de los Llanos.

Formaciones superficiales del replano erosivo R1000 en el sector de los Llanos de Castro Caldelas (Ourense, NO de España)

[ES] Se presenta la cartografía geomorfológica y el análisis de cuatro formaciones superficiales que recubren algunos sectores de los Llanos de Castro Caldelas, una planicie topográficamente aislada por el profundo encajamiento de la red fluvial del río Sil y por la falla de Maceda, de edad alpina. Sobre este replano erosivo se ha identificado una red fluvial fosil, parcialmente capturada por el río Sil y varios niveles de terrazas erosivas que corresponden al desmantelamiento del replano inicial R1000. La relación entre morfologías y depósitos permitió elaborar una secuencia de procesos desencadenada por un pulso tectónico que descabaló el replano R800 y produjo el levantamiento relativo de los Llanos de Castro Caldelas y otras áreas adyacentes