Cardiac dysfunction induced by obesity es not related to beta-adrenergic system impairment at the receptor-signalling pathway

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

Sports practice is related to parasympathetic activity in adolescents

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

Changes in malondialdehyde and C-reactive protein concentrations after lifestyle modification are related to different metabolic syndrome-associated pathophysiological processes

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is often accompanied by pro-oxidative and pro-inflammatory processes. Lifestyle modification (LiSM) may act as primary treatment for these processes. This study aimed to elucidate influencing factors on changes of malondialdehyde (MDA) and C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations after a LiSM intervention. Sixty subjects (53 yrs, 84% women) clinically approved to attend a 20 weeks LiSM-program were submitted to weekly nutritional counseling and physical activities combining aerobic (3 times/week) and resistance (2 times/week) exercises. Before and after intervention they were assessed for anthropometric, clinical, cardiorespiratory fitness test (CRF) and laboratory markers. Statistical analyses performed were multiple regression analysis and backward stepwise with p<0.05 and R(2) as influence index. LiSM was responsible for elevations in CRF, healthy eating index (HEI), total plasma antioxidant capacity (TAP) and HDL-C along with reductions in waist circumference measures and MetS (47-40%) prevalence. MDA and CRP did not change after LiSM, however, we observed that MDA concentrations were positively influenced (R(2)=0.35) by fasting blood glucose (β=0.64) and HOMA-IR (β=0.58) whereas CRP concentrations were by plasma gamma-glutamyltransferase activity (β=0.54; R(2)=0.29). Pro-oxidant and pro-inflammatory states of MetS can be attenuated after lifestyle modification if glucose metabolism homeostasis were recovered and if liver inflammation were reduced, respectively.

Increased DNA damage is related to maternal blood glucose levels in the offspring of women with diabetes and mild gestational hyperglycemia

This study aimed at correlating maternal blood glucose levels with DNA damage levels in the offspring of women with diabetes or mild gestational hyperglycemia (MGH). Based on oral glucose tolerance test results and glycemic profiles, 56 pregnant women were allocated into 3 groups: nondiabetes, MGH, and diabetes. The offspring of these women (56 infants) were also evaluated. Maternal peripheral blood and umbilical cord blood samples were collected and processed for biochemical and DNA damage analysis by the comet assay. A positive correlation between maternal blood glucose mean and increased offspring DNA damage levels was observed. Hyperglycemia played a role in offspring DNA damage, but other diabetes-induced complications were also involved. Increased maternal blood glucose levels can lead to increased offspring DNA damage levels. Therefore, the monitoring, control, and treatment of pregnant women with diabetes and MGH are highly important to ensure a risk-free pregnancy and healthy infants.

Phenotypic, genetic and environmental parameters for traits related to femur bone integrity and body weight at 42 days of age in a broiler population

Intense selection among broilers, especially for performance and carcass traits, currently favors locomotion problems and bone resistance. Conducting studies relating to development and growth of bone tissue in broilers is necessary to minimize losses. Thus, genetic parameters were estimated for a broiler population's phenotypic traits such as BW at 42 d of age (BW42), chilled femur weight (CFW) and its yield (CFY), and femur measurements: calcium, DM, magnesium, phosphorus, and zinc content; breaking strength; rigidity; length; and thickness. Variance components were estimated through multitrait analyses using the restricted maximum likelihood method. The model included a fixed group effect (sex and hatch) and additive and residual genetic random effects. The heritability estimates we obtained ranged from 0.10 ± 0.05 to 0.50 ± 0.08 for chilled femur yield and BW42, respectively, and indicated that the traits can respond to the selection process, except for CFY, which presented low-magnitude heritability coefficients. Genetic correlation estimates between breaking strength, rigidity, and traits related to mineral content indicated that selection that aims to improve the breaking strength resistance of the femur is highly correlated with mineral content. Given the genetic correlation estimates between BW42 and minerals, it is suggested that in this population, selection for BW42 can be performed with greater intensity without affecting femoral integrity.

The Mycobacterium leprae hsp65 displays proteolytic activity. Mutagenesis studies indicate that the M. leprae hsp65 Proteolytic activity is catalytically related to the HslVU protease?

The present study reports, for the first time, that the recombinant hsp65 from Mycobacterium leprae (chaperonin 2) displays a proteolytic activity toward oligopeptides. The M. leprae hsp65 proteolytic activity revealed a trypsin-like specificity toward quenched fluorescence peptides derived from dynorphins. When other peptide substrates were used (β-endorphin, neurotensin, and angiotensin I), the predominant peptide bond cleavages also involved basic amino acids in P 1, although, to a minor extent, the hydrolysis involving hydrophobic and neutral amino acids (G and F) was also observed. The amino acid sequence alignment of the M. leprae hsp65 with Escherichia coli Hs1VU protease suggested two putative threonine catalytic groups, one in the N-domain (T 136, K 168, and Y 264) and the other in the C-domain (T 375, K 409, and S 502). Mutagenesis studies showed that the replacement of K 409 by A caused a complete loss of the proteolytic activity, whereas the mutation of K 168 to A resulted in a 25% loss. These results strongly suggest that the amino acid residues T 375, K 409, and S 502 at the C-domain form the catalytic group that carries out the main proteolytic activity of the M. leprae hsp65. The possible pathophysiological implications of the proteolytic activity of the M. leprae hsp65 are now under investigation in our laboratory.

Evaluation of quality of life related to i-131 therapy in patients with well-differentiated thyroid cancer and emphasis in salivary morbidity: a follow up study after treatment

To evaluate the impact of iodine-131 therapy received during childhood and adolescence and correlate it with the quality of life in these patients. Methods: We studied 19 patients diagnosed with cancer in childhood or adolescence who underwent thyroidectomy and supplemental therapy with I-131. We also recruited a control group of healthy subjects with the same demographic parameters. All patients were subjected to a scintigraphy examination of the salivary glands, and were also asked to complete a questionnaire in order to assess their overall quality of life. In addition, a more specific questionnaire for patients with head and neck cancer was also given to all study participants. Results: The quantitative and qualitative analyses of the salivary glands showed functional deficits with greater involvement of the parotid gland for volume, concentration and excretion. The right submandibular gland showed significant changes for volume in the patient group. The questionnaires made it possible to observe significant differences between the patient and control groups for symptoms such as thick saliva, dry mouth and speech problems. Conclusion: In spite of being very effective and widely used, iodine radionuclide therapy is correlated with a lower quality of life in young people.

The role of oxidative stress in renal injury related to obesity

The mechanisms linking obesity to kidney damage are unknown. AGEs are responsible for renal damage in obese individuals. The receptor AGEs (RAGE) contributes to nuclear transcription factors that result in the production of proinflammatory cytokines and this seems to contribute to the development of renal disease. Thus, intervention with antioxidant can have an important effect in the prevention and treatment of pro-oxidant and pro-inflammatory state in the kidneys resulting from obesity.

Assessment of the risk of raw milk consumption related to staphylococcal food poisoning

This study aimed to identify the risks of staphylococcal food poisoning due to the consumption of raw milk. Fifty-one farms in Londrina (PR) and 50 in Pelotas (RS) were analyzed, to determine the population of coagulase-positive staphylococci (UFC/ mL), as well as to verify the ability of producing Staphylococcal Enterotoxin A (SEA) by immunodifusion (OSP), the presence of the gene for the production of SEA (PCR) in the cultures, and the research of enterotoxin (SEA to SEE) in milk samples using ELISA commercial kit. Considering the 101 farms analyzed, 19 (18.8%) presented coagulase-positive staphylococci count above 105 UFC/mL. For the evaluation of the enterotoxigenic ability (SEA) by the OSP technique, six cultures coagulase-positive (5.5%) were positive to the test and identified as S. aureus. From the coagualse-negative sample, one (5.5%) was OSP positive. For the evaluation of the presence of the gene for EEA synthesis, 51 cultures of staphylococci were tested. From this total, 14 (27.45%) presented the gene, and from that, only 5 (9.81%) cultures were capable of expressing it in the technique of the OSP. The morphologic characteristic of the evaluated cultures that had enterotoxigenic capacity, from the 14 (33,3%) cultures that presented the gene for EEA production, 05 (11.9%) were characterized as typical cultures of S.aureus in Baird Parker agar. All the 12 milk samples studied for the presence of EEA to EEE in milk were negative. Thus, it can be concluded that there is extensive contamination of raw milk for staphylococci coagulase, however, most of the isolated strains were not enterotoxigenic or did not express such a characteristic. Only 9.81% of the tested colonies expressed the gene and effectively produced SEA. None of the samples had sufficient counts to produce detectable amounts of SEA. The milk samples did not present risk to cause staphylococcal food poisoning if consumed in natura until the collection moment.

Control of bacterial spot of tomato and activation of enzymes related to resistance by chemicals under field conditions

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

A METHODOLOGY TO EVALUATE OBSOLETE INVENTORY IN HEALTH CARE

Many organizations are currently facing inventory management problems such as distributing inventory on-time and maintain the correct inventory levels to satisfy the customer or end users. Organizations understand the need for maintaining the accurate inventory levels but sometimes fall short leading a wide performance gap in maintaining inventory accurately. The inventory inaccuracy can consume much of the investment on purchasing inventory and many times leads to excessive inventory. The research objective of thesis is to provide a decision making criteria to the management for closing or maintaining the warehouse based on basic purchasing and holding cost information. The specific objectives provide information regarding the impact of inventory carrying cost, obsolete inventory, inventory turns. The methodology section explains about the carrying cost ratio that would help inventory managers to adopt best practices to avoid obsolete inventory and also reduce excessive inventory levels. The research model was helpful in providing a decision making criteria based on the performance metric developed. This research model and performance metric had been validated by analysis of warehouse data and results indicated a shift from two-echelon inventory supply chain to a one-echelon or Just In Time (JIT) based inventory supply chain. The recommendations from the case study were used by a health care organization to reorganize the supply chain resulting in the reduction of excessive inventory.

Is Everyone Rated Equal? An Examination of Factors Related to Sexual Risk in Ethnically Diverse Male Adolescents Who Have Sexually Offended

As the juvenile justice system has evolved, there has been a need for clinicians to make judgments about risk posed by adolescents who have committed sexual offenses. There are inherent difficulties in attempting to assess risk for violence among adolescents due to the developmental changes taking place and the absence of well-validated instruments to guide risk prediction judgments. With minority groups increasing in numbers in the U.S., it is likely that professionals will encounter minority individuals when conducting risk assessments. Overall questions regarding race/ethnicity have been neglected and there are few if any published research that explores risk factors with minority juvenile sex offenders. The present study examined whether differences exist between Caucasian and racial/ethnic minority adolescent sexual offenders on four risk assessment measures (J-SORRAT-II, J-SOAP-II, SAVRY, and ERASOR). The sample of 207 male adolescent sexual offenders was drawn from treatment facilities in a Midwestern state. Overall results indicated that minority adolescent sex offenders had fewer risk factors endorsed than Caucasian youth across all risk assessment tools. Exploration of interactions between race and factors such as: family status, exposure to family violence, and family history of criminality upon the assessment tools risk ratings yielded non-significant findings. Limitations, suggestions for future directions, and clinical implications are discussed.

In-hospital death in acute coronary syndrome was related to admission glucose in men but not in women

Background: Admission hyperglycaemia is associated with mortality in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS), but controversy exists whether hyperglycaemia uniformly affects both genders. We evaluated coronary risk factors, gender, hyperglycaemia and their effect on hospital mortality. Methods: 959 ACS patients (363 women and 596 men) were grouped based on glycaemia >= or < 200 mg/dL and gender: men with glucose < 200 mg/dL (menG-); women with glucose < 200 mg/dL (womenG-); men with glucose >= 200 mg/dL (menG+); and women with glucose >= 200 mg/dL (womenG+). A logistic regression analysis compared the relation between gender and glycaemia groups and death, adjusted for coronary risk factors and laboratory data. Results group: menG- had lower mortality than menG+ (OR = 0.172, IC95% 0.062-0.478), and womenG+ (OR = 0.275, IC95% 0.090-0.841); womenG- mortality was lower than menG+ (OR = 0.230, IC95% 0.074-0.717). No difference was found between menG+ vs womenG+ (p = 0.461), or womenG- vs womenG+ (p = 0.110). Age (OR = 1.067, IC95% 1.031-1.104), EF (OR = 0.942, IC95% 0.915-0.968), and serum creatinine (OR = 1.329, IC95% 1.128-1.566) were other independent factors related to in-hospital death. Conclusions: Death was greater in hyperglycemic men compared to lower blood glucose men and women groups, but there was no differences between women groups in respect to glycaemia after adjustment for coronary risk factors.