Blocking tumor exosome release using nanovectorization systems

Exosomes are small membrane vesicles secreted by most cell types, either normal or malignant and are found in most body fluids such as saliva, plasma and breast milk. In the past decade, the interest in these vesicles has been growing more and more since it was found that besides their beneficial functions such as the removal of cellular debris and unnecessary proteins during cell maturation process, they can also interact with other cells and transfer information between them, thus helping diseases like cancer to progress. The present work intended to use gold nanoparticles as vehicles for gene silencing in an attempt to reduce the tumor-derived exosome secretion, regulated by Rab27a protein, and also aimed to compare the exosome secretion between two breast cell lines, MCF7 and MDA. Changes in RAB27A gene expression were measured by Real-time Quantitative PCR and it was revealed a decreased in RAB27A gene expression, as expected. Exosomes were isolated and purified by two different methods, ultracentrifugation and the commercial kit ExoQuick™ Solution, and further characterized using Western Blot analysis. ExoQuick™ Solution was proven to be the most efficient method for exosome isolation and it was revealed that MDA cells secrete more exosomes. Furthermore, the isolated MCF7-derived exosomes were placed together with a normal bronchial/tracheal epithelial cell line (BTEC) for an additional assay, which aimed to observe the uptake of exosomes by other cells and the exosomes’ capability of promoting cell-cell communication. This observation was made based on alterations in the expression levels of c-Myc and miR-21 genes and the fact that they both have an increased expression in BTEC cells incubated with tumor-derived exosomes when compared to control cells (without incubation with the exosomes) lead us to the conclusion that the exosome uptake and exchange of information between the exosomes and the normal cells did occurred.

Changes in body fluid and energy compartments during prolonged hunger strike

Prolonged total food deprivation in non-obese adults is rare, and few studies have documented body composition changes in this setting. In a group of eight hunger strikers who refused alimentation for 43 days, water and energy compartments were estimated, aiming to assess the impact of progressive starvation. Measurements included body mass index (BMI), triceps skinfold (TSF), arm muscle circumference (AMC), and bioimpedance (BIA) determinations of water, fat, lean body mass (LBM), and total resistance. Indirect calorimetry was also performed in one occasion. The age of the group was 43.3±6.2 years (seven males, one female). Only water, intermittent vitamins and electrolytes were ingested, and average weight loss reached 17.9%. On the last two days of the fast (43rd-44th day) rapid intravenous fluid, electrolyte, and vitamin replenishment were provided before proceeding with realimentation. Body fat decreased approximately 60% (BIA and TSF), whereas BMI reduced only 18%. Initial fat was estimated by BIA as 52.2±5.4% of body weight, and even on the 43rd day it was still measured as 19.7±3.8% of weight. TSF findings were much lower and commensurate with other anthropometric results. Water was comparatively low with high total resistance, and these findings rapidly reversed upon the intravenous rapid hydration. At the end of the starvation period, BMI (21.5±2.6 kg/m²) and most anthropometric determinations were still acceptable, suggesting efficient energy and muscle conservation. Conclusions: 1) All compartments diminished during fasting, but body fat was by far the most affected; 2) Total water was low and total body resistance comparatively elevated, but these findings rapidly reversed upon rehydration; 3) Exaggerated fat percentage estimates from BIA tests and simultaneous increase in lean body mass estimates suggested that this method was inappropriate for assessing energy compartments in the studied population; 4) Patients were not morphologically malnourished after 43 days of fasting; however, the prognostic impact of other impairments was not considered in this analysis.

Semantic relations extraction from unstructured information for domain ontologies enrichment

Based in internet growth, through semantic web, together with communication speed improvement and fast development of storage device sizes, data and information volume rises considerably every day. Because of this, in the last few years there has been a growing interest in structures for formal representation with suitable characteristics, such as the possibility to organize data and information, as well as the reuse of its contents aimed for the generation of new knowledge. Controlled Vocabulary, specifically Ontologies, present themselves in the lead as one of such structures of representation with high potential. Not only allow for data representation, as well as the reuse of such data for knowledge extraction, coupled with its subsequent storage through not so complex formalisms. However, for the purpose of assuring that ontology knowledge is always up to date, they need maintenance. Ontology Learning is an area which studies the details of update and maintenance of ontologies. It is worth noting that relevant literature already presents first results on automatic maintenance of ontologies, but still in a very early stage. Human-based processes are still the current way to update and maintain an ontology, which turns this into a cumbersome task. The generation of new knowledge aimed for ontology growth can be done based in Data Mining techniques, which is an area that studies techniques for data processing, pattern discovery and knowledge extraction in IT systems. This work aims at proposing a novel semi-automatic method for knowledge extraction from unstructured data sources, using Data Mining techniques, namely through pattern discovery, focused in improving the precision of concept and its semantic relations present in an ontology. In order to verify the applicability of the proposed method, a proof of concept was developed, presenting its results, which were applied in building and construction sector.

Minimal computation structures for visual information applications based on printed electronics

In the early nineties, Mark Weiser wrote a series of seminal papers that introduced the concept of Ubiquitous Computing. According to Weiser, computers require too much attention from the user, drawing his focus from the tasks at hand. Instead of being the centre of attention, computers should be so natural that they would vanish into the human environment. Computers become not only truly pervasive but also effectively invisible and unobtrusive to the user. This requires not only for smaller, cheaper and low power consumption computers, but also for equally convenient display solutions that can be harmoniously integrated into our surroundings. With the advent of Printed Electronics, new ways to link the physical and the digital worlds became available. By combining common printing techniques such as inkjet printing with electro-optical functional inks, it is starting to be possible not only to mass-produce extremely thin, flexible and cost effective electronic circuits but also to introduce electronic functionalities into products where it was previously unavailable. Indeed, Printed Electronics is enabling the creation of novel sensing and display elements for interactive devices, free of form factor. At the same time, the rise in the availability and affordability of digital fabrication technologies, namely of 3D printers, to the average consumer is fostering a new industrial (digital) revolution and the democratisation of innovation. Nowadays, end-users are already able to custom design and manufacture on demand their own physical products, according to their own needs. In the future, they will be able to fabricate interactive digital devices with user-specific form and functionality from the comfort of their homes. This thesis explores how task-specific, low computation, interactive devices capable of presenting dynamic visual information can be created using Printed Electronics technologies, whilst following an approach based on the ideals behind Personal Fabrication. Focus is given on the use of printed electrochromic displays as a medium for delivering dynamic digital information. According to the architecture of the displays, several approaches are highlighted and categorised. Furthermore, a pictorial computation model based on extended cellular automata principles is used to programme dynamic simulation models into matrix-based electrochromic displays. Envisaged applications include the modelling of physical, chemical, biological, and environmental phenomena.

Complications of tracheobronchial foreign body aspiration in children: report of 5 cases and review of the literature

Foreign body aspiration (FBA) is one of leading causes of death in children, especially among those younger than 3 years of age. The inhalation of a foreign body may cause a wide variety of symptoms, and early diagnosis is highly associated with the successful removal of the inhaled foreign material. Despite the great advances in endoscopic procedures and anesthesia, a large number of difficulties and complications still result from foreign body aspiration. We describe 5 cases of serious acute complications following aspiration of foreign bodies that became lodged in the tracheobronchial tree, including pneumomediastinum, pneumothorax, total atelectasis, foreign body dislodgment, and need for thoracotomy in children admitted into our intensive care unit in 1999 and 2000; these were all situations that could have been prevented with early recognition and prompt therapeutic intervention.

On the function of the floccular complex of the vertebrate cerebellum: implications in paleoneuroanatomy

The cerebellum floccular complex lobes (FCLs) are housed in the FCL fossa of the periotic complex. There is experimental evidence indicating that the FCLs integrate visual and vestibular information, responsible for the vestibulo-ocular reflex, vestibulo-collic reflex, smooth pursuit and gaze holding. Thus, the behavior of extinct animals has been correlated with FCLs dimension in multiple paleoneuroanatomy studies. Here I analyzed braincase endocasts of a representative sample of Mammalia (48 species) and Aves (59 species) rendered using tomography and image segmentation and tested statistical correlations between the floccular complex volume, ecological and behavioral traits to assess various previously formulated paleobiological speculations. My results demonstrate: 1) there is no significant correlation between relative FCL volume and body mass; 2) there is no significant correlation between relative FCL and optic lobes size in birds; 3) average relative FCL size is larger in diurnal than in nocturnal birds but there is no statistically significant difference in mammals; 4) feeding strategies are related with different FCL size patterns in birds, but not in mammals; 5) locomotion type is not related with relative FCL size in mammals; 6) agility is not significantly correlated with FCL size in mammals. I conclude that, despite the apparent relation between FCL size and ecology in birds, the cerebellum of tetrapods is a highly plastic structure and may be adapted to control different functions across different taxonomic levels. For example, the european mole (Talpa europaea) which is fossorial and practically blind, has a FCL fossae relative size larger than those of bats, which are highly maneuverable. Therefore, variation in FCL size may be better explained by a combination of multiple factors with relation to anatomical and phylogenetic evolutionary constraints.

Amadeus IT holdings information technology

Equity research report

Surgery information reduces anxiety in the pre-operative period

PURPOSE: Patients preparing to undergo surgery should not suffer needless anxiety. This study aimed to evaluate anxiety levels on the day before surgery as related to the information known by the patient regarding the diagnosis, surgical procedure, or anesthesia. METHOD: Patients reported their knowledge of diagnosis, surgery, and anesthesia. The Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) was used to measure patient anxiety levels. RESULTS: One hundred and forty-nine patients were selected, and 82 females and 38 males were interviewed. Twenty-nine patients were excluded due to illiteracy. The state-anxiety levels were alike for males and females (36.10 ± 11.94 vs. 37.61 ± 8.76) (mean ± SD). Trait-anxiety levels were higher for women (42.55 ± 10.39 vs. 38.08 ± 12.25, P = 0.041). Patient education level did not influence the state-anxiety level but was inversely related to the trait-anxiety level. Knowledge of the diagnosis was clear for 91.7% of patients, of the surgery for 75.0%, and of anesthesia for 37.5%. Unfamiliarity with the surgical procedure raised state-anxiety levels (P = 0.021). A lower state-anxiety level was found among patients who did not know the diagnosis but knew about the surgery (P = 0.038). CONCLUSIONS: Increased knowledge of patients regarding the surgery they are about to undergo may reduce their state-anxiety levels.

Systemic hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and dyslipidemia in relation to body mass index: evaluation of a Brazilian population

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of systemic hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolemia, and hypertriglyceridemia in a Brazilian population in relation to body mass index. METHOD: Retrospective evaluation of 1213 adults (mean age: 45.2 ± 12.8; 80.6% females) divided into groups according to body mass index [normal (18.5 - 24.4 kg/m²); overweight (25 - 29.9 kg/m²); grade 1 obesity (30 - 34.9 kg/m²); grade 2 obesity (35 - 39.9 kg/m²), and grade 3 obesity (> 40 kg/m²)]. The prevalence of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolemia, and hypertriglyceridemia were analyzed in each group. The severity of cardiovascular risk was determined. High-risk patients were considered those reporting 2 or more of the following factors: systemic hypertension, HDL < 35 mg/dL, total cholesterol > 240 mg/dL, triglycerides > 200 mg/dL when HDL < 35 mg/dL, and glycemia > 126 mg/dL. Moderate-risk patients were those reporting 2 or more of the following factors: systemic hypertension, HDL < 45, triglycerides > 200 mg/dL, and total cholesterol > 200 mg/dL. RESULTS: The prevalence of systemic hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hypertriglyceridemia, and low HDL-cholesterol levels increased along with weight, but the prevalence of hypercholesterolemia did not. The odds ratio adjusted for gender and age, according to grade of obesity compared with patients with normal weight were respectively 5.9, 8.6, and 14.8 for systemic hypertension, 3.8, 5.8, and 9.2 for diabetes mellitus and 1.2, 1.3, and 2.6 for hypertriglyceridemia. We also verified that body mass index was positively related to cardiovascular high risk (P < .001) CONCLUSION: In our population, cardiovascular risk increased along with body mass index.

Improving accuracy of inflation forecasts using macroeconomic information

This thesis examines the effects of macroeconomic factors on inflation level and volatility in the Euro Area to improve the accuracy of inflation forecasts with econometric modelling. Inflation aggregates for the EU as well as inflation levels of selected countries are analysed, and the difference between these inflation estimates and forecasts are documented. The research proposes alternative models depending on the focus and the scope of inflation forecasts. I find that models with a Generalized AutoRegressive Conditional Heteroskedasticity (GARCH) in mean process have better explanatory power for inflation variance compared to the regular GARCH models. The significant coefficients are different in EU countries in comparison to the aggregate EU-wide forecast of inflation. The presence of more pronounced GARCH components in certain countries with more stressed economies indicates that inflation volatility in these countries are likely to occur as a result of the stressed economy. In addition, other economies in the Euro Area are found to exhibit a relatively stable variance of inflation over time. Therefore, when analysing EU inflation one have to take into consideration the large differences on country level and focus on those one by one.

Prevalência de obesidade em adolescentes do distrito de Viseu

RESUMO - Introdução: A prevalência de obesidade apresenta valores preocupantes em todas as idades e é reconhecida pela Organização Mundial da Saúde como um importante problema de saúde pública. Diversos estudos mostram que a sua prevalência tem aumentado significativamente nas últimas décadas, particularmente nos países industrializados. O objectivo da presente investigação foi calcular a prevalência de excesso de peso e de obesidade em adolescentes do distrito de Viseu. Métodos: Realizámos um estudo transversal onde avaliámos os alunos de vinte e seis das quarenta e oito escolas públicas do terceiro ciclo e secundário do distrito de Viseu, frequentadas por um total de 23 895 alunos, do 7.o ao 12.o ano. A recolha dos dados foi efectuada através de um questionário auto-aplicado e respondido pelos alunos em sala de aula. Dos 8768 questionários distribuídos recolhemos 7644 (87,2%). Foram excluídos da análise os questionários sem informação para o sexo e para a idade. Ficámos com uma amostra global de 7563 adolescentes, sendo 4117 (54,4%) do sexo feminino. O excesso de peso e a obesidade foram avaliados utilizando o índice de massa corporal (IMC) calculado pela razão entre o peso auto declarado em quilogramas e o quadrado da altura, em metros, também auto declarada (kg/m2). Definimos excesso de peso para valores compreendidos entre o percentil 85 e 95, obesidade para um percentil superior ou igual a 95, e excesso de peso e obesidade para um percentil superior ou igual a 85. Resultados: No total da amostra, a prevalência de excesso de peso é de 13,7%, superior no sexo masculino (16,0% vs. 11,6%). A prevalência de obesidade é de 3,4%, superior no sexo masculino (4,2% vs. 2,8%). A prevalência de excesso de peso e obesidade é de 17,1%, superior no sexo masculino (20,2% vs. 14,4%). Os concelhos situados a norte do distrito de Viseu apresentam prevalências superiores, de excesso de peso (15,9% vs. 13,0%, OR = 1,3; IC95% 1,1-1,5), de obesidade (4,5% vs. 3,6%, OR = 1,3; IC95% 1,0-1,7) e de excesso de peso e obesidade (19,1% vs. 15,7%, OR = 1,3; IC95% 1,1-1,4). A prevalência de excesso de peso e obesidade é superior entre os adolescentes com o índice de aglomeração superior a um. Conclusões: Regista-se uma elevada prevalência de excesso de peso e de obesidade, superior no sexo masculino, com diferenças geográficas significativas.

A type system for value-dependent information flow analysis

Information systems are widespread and used by anyone with computing devices as well as corporations and governments. It is often the case that security leaks are introduced during the development of an application. Reasons for these security bugs are multiple but among them one can easily identify that it is very hard to define and enforce relevant security policies in modern software. This is because modern applications often rely on container sharing and multi-tenancy where, for instance, data can be stored in the same physical space but is logically mapped into different security compartments or data structures. In turn, these security compartments, to which data is classified into in security policies, can also be dynamic and depend on runtime data. In this thesis we introduce and develop the novel notion of dependent information flow types, and focus on the problem of ensuring data confidentiality in data-centric software. Dependent information flow types fit within the standard framework of dependent type theory, but, unlike usual dependent types, crucially allow the security level of a type, rather than just the structural data type itself, to depend on runtime values. Our dependent function and dependent sum information flow types provide a direct, natural and elegant way to express and enforce fine grained security policies on programs. Namely programs that manipulate structured data types in which the security level of a structure field may depend on values dynamically stored in other fields The main contribution of this work is an efficient analysis that allows programmers to verify, during the development phase, whether programs have information leaks, that is, it verifies whether programs protect the confidentiality of the information they manipulate. As such, we also implemented a prototype typechecker that can be found at http://ctp.di.fct.unl.pt/DIFTprototype/.

Notes on the ethnoicthyology of fishermen from the Tocantins river (Brazil)

Ethnobiology includes the study of how populations perceive and classify organisms. This study focuses on the utilization and classification of fishes by fishermen from the Tocantins river. The study area is located between the cities of Imperatriz and Estreito (Maranhão and Tocantins States). Interviews with fishermen and collection of fish species were performed from October 1987 to June 1988. The criteria used by fishermen to classify fish species are mainly morphological, such as related to body shape and coloration. Fish habitat is also an information used in folk classification. Terrestrial plants and animals are a reference for some fish names. Fishermen showed a deeper knowledge and detailed classification of species of fish used for food, sale, or medicine. Folk classification represents the knowledge a population has on its environment, and it is more detailed on species which are part of its realized niche as indicated by this study.

GEOCHEMISTRY AND GEOCHRONOLOGY OF SURFICIAL ACRE BASIN SEDIMENTS (WESTERN AMAZONIA): KEY INFORMATION FOR CLIMATE RECONSTRUCTION.

Geochemical and geochronological analyses of samples of surficial Acre Basin sediments and fossils indicate an extensive fluvial-lacustrine system, occupying this region, desiccated slowly during the last glacial cycle (LGC). This research documents direct evidence for aridity in western Amazonia during the LGC and is important in establishing boundary conditions for LGC climate models as well as in correlating marine and continental (LGC) climate conditions.