Improving the early diagnostic of prostate cancer by multiple biomarker detection with new biosensing devices

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common form of cancer in men, in Europe (World Health Organization data). The most recent statistics, in Portuguese territory, confirm this scenario, which states that about 50% of Portuguese men may suffer from prostate cancer and 15% of these will die from this condition. Its early detection is therefore fundamental. This is currently being done by Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) screening in urine but false positive and negative results are quite often obtained and many patients are sent to unnecessary biopsy procedures. This early detection protocol may be improved, by the development of point-of-care cancer detection devices, not only to PSA but also to other biomarkers recently identified. Thus, the present work aims to screen several biomarkers in cultured human prostate cell lines, serum and urine samples, developing low cost sensors based on new synthetic biomaterials. Biomarkers considered in this study are the following: prostate specific antigen (PSA), annexin A3 (ANXA3), microseminoprotein-beta (MSMB) and sarcosine (SAR). The biomarker recognition may occurs by means of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIP), which are a kind of plastic antibodies, and enzymatic approaches. The growth of a rigid polymer, chemically stable, using the biomarker as a template allows the synthesis of the plastic antibody. MIPs show high sensitivity/selectivity and present much longer stability and much lower price than natural antibodies. This nanostructured material was prepared on a carbon solid. The interaction between the biomarker and the sensing-material produces electrical signals generating quantitative or semi-quantitative data. These devices allow inexpensive and portable detection in point-of-care testing.

Gastric myoelectrical activity in neonates of different gestational ages by means of electrogastrography

PURPOSE: to describe the patterns of the gastric myoelectrical activity, pre-and postprandially, in clinically stable neonates of different gestational ages, during their first two weeks of life by means of Electrogastrography. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Electrogastrography was recorded in forty-five clinically stable neonates of different gestational ages (group I: 15 neonates of > 37 weeks, group II: 15 premature neonates of 32-37 weeks; Group III: 15 premature neonates of 28-31 weeks) receiving intermittent enteral feedings during their first two weeks of life. Electrogastrography recordings were performed for 1 hour pre-and postprandially. The Electrogastrography signal was recorded using the portable MicroDigitrapper Electrogastrography recording device and after motion artifacts were deleted, the remaining Electrogastrography data were submitted to quantitative analysis based on the "Running Spectrum Analysis". RESULTS: The percentages of normogastria, pre-and postprandially were greater than the percentages of gastric dysrythmias in all three studied groups. Furthermore, all neonates had the mean values of the Electrogastrography dominant frequency predominantly within the normogastria range, in both periods analyzed. There were no significant differences in the relative change of the Electrogastrography dominant power among the groups. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that the Electrogastrography patterns are similar between premature and full term neonates during the pre-and postprandial periods. The results of this study also indicate that the gastric myoelectrical activity in premature and full term neonates is immature, as compared to that described for older neonates, children and adults.

Titanium pigment in tissues of drug addicts: report of 5 necropsied cases

The aim of this report is to describe the anatomic-pathologic findings from necropsies of 5 drug addicts with titanium pigment in several organs after chronic intravenous injection of crushed propoxyphene hydrochloride tablets. Samples from liver, spleen, lungs, lymph nodes, and bone marrow were obtained, and after being grossly studied, they were submitted to evaluation using common light and polarized microscopy. In all 5 cases, a pigment with characteristics of titanium dioxide was found within tissue samples of the organs studied. Our findings suggest that research concerning titanium pigment within body tissues should be enhanced, considering the potential contribution of this morphologic data to forensic pathology.

Hypertension in employees of a University General Hospital

PURPOSE: To find out the prevalence of hypertension in employees of the Hospital and relate it to social demographic variables. METHODS: Blood pressure measurement was performed with a mercury sphygmomanometer, using an appropriate cuff size for arm circumference, weight, and height in a population sample of 864 individuals out of the 9,905 employees of a University General Hospital stratified by gender, age, and job position. RESULTS: Hypertension prevalence was 26% (62% of these reported being aware of their hypertension and 38% were unaware but had systolic/diastolic blood pressures of >140 and/or >90 mm Hg at the moment of the measurement). Of those who were aware of having hypertension, 51% were found to be hypertensive at the moment of the measurement. The prevalence was found to be 17%, 23%, and 29% (P <.05) in physicians, nursing staff, and "others", respectively. The univariate analysis showed a significant odds ratio for the male gender, age >50 years, work unit being the Institute of Radiology and the Administration Building, educational level of work >10 years, and body mass index >30 kg/m². The multivariate logistic regression model revealed a statistically significant association of hypertension with the following variables: gender, age, skin color, family income, and body mass index. CONCLUSIONS: Hypertension prevalence was high, mainly in those who were not physicians or members of the nursing staff. High-risk groups (obese, non-white, men, low family income) should be better advised of prevention and early diagnosis of hypertension by means of special programs.

Estimate of Physiological Age in Females of PASSALUS (Insecta, Coleoptera)

Studies on development of female reproductive system insects have shown its utility in physiological age grading. The irreversible charocter of ovarian alterations correlated with mandibular wear and presence of yellow body, were applied to estimate the physiological age of Passalus convexus and Passalus latifrons females, giving results comparable to other studies and indicating the value of these methods in determination of physiological age.

In Search of the Origins of Modernism: Venice and the Crisis of Classical Architecture in the mid-eighteenth century

This paper attempts to prove that in the years 1735 to 1755 Venice was the birthplace and cradle of Modern architectural theory, generating a major crisis in classical architecture traditionally based on the Vitruvian assumption that it imitates early wooden structures in stone or in marble. According to its rationalist critics such as the Venetian Observant Franciscan friar and architectural theorist Carlo Lodoli (1690-1761) and his nineteenth-century followers, classical architecture is singularly deceptive and not true to the nature of materials, in other words, dishonest and fallacious. This questioning did not emanate from practising architects, but from Lodoli himself– a philosopher and educator of the Venetian patriciate – who had not been trained as an architect. The roots of this crisis lay in a new approach to architecture stemming from the new rationalist philosophy of the Enlightenment age with its emphasis on reason and universal criticism.

Recensão: Claire Bishop, "Radical Museology: or What’s ‘Contemporary’ In Museums of Contemporary Art?"

Recensão de: Claire Bishop, "Radical Museology: or What’s ‘Contemporary’ In Museums of Contemporary Art?", Londres: Koenig Books, 2013

Safest level of tricaine methanesulfonate (ms-222) to induce anesthesia in juveniles of Matrinxã, Brycon cephalus

The use of MS-222 as an anesthetic for matrinxã juveniles was investigated. At dosage of 100 mg/L or lower fish did not achieve a complete anesthesia state. At 150 mg/L, MS-222 induced anesthesia within 36 seconds and recovered from a 10 minutes period of anesthesia within 5.2 min. Higher concentrations (200, 250 and 300 mg/L) anesthetized fish in lesser times, with the offset of mortality (16.7 and 33.3%) at the 200 and 300 mg/L MS-222 doses, respectively. The only significant differences observed in the hematological parameters, was for the glucose values in fish anesthetized with 250 and 300 mg/L. From the results, the recommended dose of MS-222 for handling matrinxã juveniles is 150 mg/L.

Seasonal changes of leaf Nitrogen content in trees of Amazonian floodplains

In Amazonian floodplains the trees are exposed to extreme flooding of up to 230 days a year. Waterlogging of the roots and stems affects growth and metabolic activity of the trees. An increased leaf fall in the aquatic period and annual increment rings in the wood indicate periodical growth reductions. The present study aims at documenting seasonal changes of metabolism and vitality of adult trees in the annual cycle as expressed by changes of leaf nitrogen content. Leaves of six tree species common in floodplains in Central Amazonia and typical representants of different growth strategies were collected every month between May 1994 and June 1995 in the vicinity of Manaus, Brazil. Mean leaf nitrogen content varied between 1.3% and 3.2% in the non-flooded trees. Three species showed significantly lower Ν content in the flooded period (p=0.05, 0.001, 0.001), the difference ranging 20-25% lower than in the non-flooded period. Two species showed no significant difference while Nectandra amazonum showed 32% more Ν in the flooded season (p=0.001). Leaf nitrogen content was generally high when new leaves were flushed (in the flooded period) and decreased continuously thereafter in all species. Three species showed an additional peak of nitrogen during the first month of the terrestrial phase, in leaves which had flushed earlier, indicating that flooding may disturb nitrogen uptake.

Presence of oOrganophosphate Insecticides in fish of the Amazon River

Trace levels of three organophosphate insecticides (OPI) were detected in eight fish species from the region of Santarém, State of Pará, Brazil. Individual concentrations of OPI in fish ranged from less than the detection limit to 2,1 ppb. Mean concentrations of chlorpyrifos, malathion, and methyl-parathion were 0,3 ± 0,3, 0,1 ± 0,1, and 0,3 ± 0,3 ppb, respectively. Pellona flavipinnis, the largest and fattest piscivorous species analyzed, was the most contaminated. Since an inhabitant of this Amazonian region consumes 220 g of fish per day on average, ingested doses of chlorpyrifos, malathion, and methyl-parathion may reach up to 308, 220, and 462 ng·d-1, respectively. Compared to acceptable daily intakes (ADI), quantities of OPI absorbed via fish consumption on a daily basis are far below deleterious levels. We estimated that even considering the highest OPI contents detected, the average daily fish consumption of anadult of 60 kg would have to increase by ca. 1 950, 5 450, and 2 600 times to reach ADI of chlorpyrifos, malathion, and methyl-parathion, respectively. Neither fish diet nor fish lipid content enabled us to completely explain the interspecific differences observed.

Haematophagic behavior in laboratory of Lutzomyia cruzi (Mangabeira) (Diptera: Psychodidae) in relation to three mammalian blood sources in Manaus, Brazil

The sand fly Lutzomyia cruzi is considered as one of vectors of visceral leishmaniasis in Brazil. This work examined optimum feeding age, feeding time, host preference, fecundity rates, and female blood meal volume taken by single females from a closed colony of L. cruzi. Mean feeding time was longer on hamsters, 6.6 minutes, than on humans, 5.7 minutes. 49.1% of the 48h-old flies fed on humans and 43.3% of 72h-old flies fed on hamsters. Of a total of 120 females, 61% fed on humans and 25% fed on hamsters. Total fecundity was significantly higher in females fed on hamster than on human or opossum. Laboratory-reared L. cruzi females fed earlier, more promptly, and preferably on humans than on hamsters when offered these blood-meal sources simultaneously. The blood-meal volume is higher in females fed on hamsters than other hosts (human and opossum).

Artificial neural networks in diagnosis of liver diseases

Liver diseases have severe patients’ consequences, being one of the main causes of premature death. These facts reveal the centrality of one`s daily habits, and how important it is the early diagnosis of these kind of illnesses, not only to the patients themselves, but also to the society in general. Therefore, this work will focus on the development of a diagnosis support system to these kind of maladies, built under a formal framework based on Logic Programming, in terms of its knowledge representation and reasoning procedures, complemented with an approach to computing grounded on Artificial Neural Networks.

Interactions between carpenter bees and orchid bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae) in flowers of Bertholletia excelsa Bonpl. (Lecythidaceae)

Competition between two species of bees for the same type of floral resource may generate antagonistic behavior between them, especially in cultivated areas where food resources are limited, seasonally and locally. In this study, was tested the hypothesis of antagonism between two solitary bee species of the family Apidae, Eulaema mocsaryi (Euglossini) and Xylocopa frontalis (Xylocopini), visiting the Brazil nut flowers (Bertholletia excelsa: Lecythidaceae) in a central Amazonia agricultural area. The visitation time was analyzed to detect the possible temporal overlap in the foraging of these bees. Furthermore, was analyzed their interspecific interactions for manipulating flower species visited by an opponent species, as well as attempts to attack this opponent. The individuals of Xylocopa frontalis visited the Brazil nut flowers before Eulaema mocsaryi, although the peak visitation of both did not presented significant differences. Neither of the species manipulated flowers recently visited by opponent species, and there were practically no antagonistic interactions between them. Thus, X. frontalis and E. mocsaryi shared the same food source in the flowers of B. excelsa due to differences in their time of visits and non-aggressive way of interacting with the opponent. This result has important implications for pollinating the Brazil nut, and a possible management of X. frontalis and E. mocsaryi, since these two were the most abundant pollinators in the studied locality.

Use of the flooded forest by fish assemblages in lakes of the National Park of Anavilhanas (Amazonas, Brazil)

We evaluated diversity and distribution of fish species in two habitats: flooded forest and open water of lakes of Rio Negro. Each of four lakes within the Anavilhanas Archipelago was sampled three times from 2009-2010. Species diversity generally was higher in flooded forests and at night, according to correspondence analysis. Predators were most active at night, but showed no preference between the flooded forest and open water habitats. Omnivores, filter feeders, and detritivores were most active during the day.