Pancreatic Cancer Cell Glycosylation Regulates Cell Adhesion and Invasion through the Modulation of a2b1 Integrin and E-Cadherin Function

In our previous studies we have described that ST3Gal III transfected pancreatic adenocarcinoma Capan-1 and MDAPanc-28 cells show increased membrane expression levels of sialyl-Lewis x (SLex) along with a concomitant decrease in α2,6-sialic acid compared to control cells. Here we have addressed the role of this glycosylation pattern in the functional properties of two glycoproteins involved in the processes of cancer cell invasion and migration, α2β1 integrin, the main receptor for type 1 collagen, and E-cadherin, responsible for cell-cell contacts and whose deregulation determines cell invasive capabilities. Our results demonstrate that ST3Gal III transfectants showed reduced cell-cell aggregation and increased invasive capacities. ST3Gal III transfected Capan-1 cells exhibited higher SLex and lower α2,6-sialic acid content on the glycans of their α2β1 integrin molecules. As a consequence, higher phosphorylation of focal adhesion kinase tyrosine 397, which is recognized as one of the first steps of integrin-derived signaling pathways, was observed in these cells upon adhesion to type 1 collagen. This molecular mechanism underlies the increased migration through collagen of these cells. In addition, the pancreatic adenocarcinoma cell lines as well as human pancreatic tumor tissues showed colocalization of SLex and E-cadherin, which was higher in the ST3Gal III transfectants. In conclusion, changes in the sialylation pattern of α2β1 integrin and E-cadherin appear to influence the functional role of these two glycoproteins supporting the role of these glycans as an underlying mechanism regulating pancreatic cancer cell adhesion and invasion

Design and implementation of a leisure program to improve function and wellbeing in people with depressive disorder

Depression is a major cause of disability and disease with significant costs to the health system and for the whole society. Regarding the treatment, in recent years has questioned the effectiveness of antidepressant drugs, with a recognition that although depressive disorders tend to improve with these treatments, residual symptoms seems to be still the norm, which is associated with the risk of new episodes or relapses, and faster its appearance. Otherwise many of the specialized clinical guidelines, propose a based on stepped-care model intervention, prioritizing less intrusive actions, including low-intensity psychosocial-interventions.

Intraspecific variability of Holostylis reniformis: concentration of lignans, as determined by maceration and supercritical fluid extraction (SFE-CO2), as a function of plant provenance and plant parts

Maceration and supercritical fluid extraction were used to prepare extracts from parts of plants (Holostylis reniformis) collected in two different regions of Brazil. ¹H NMR, HPLC-DAD-ESI/MS, HPLC-DAD, GC-MS, and chemometric techniques were used to analyse lignans in the extracts and showed that yields of SFE-CO2 were less than or equal to those of hexane maceration extracts. These analyses, in conjunction with the concentrations of aliphatic hydrocarbons, fatty acids and their methyl and ethyl derivatives in the extracts, also allowed the chemical composition of parts and provenance of the plant to be differentiated.

Electrometric studies on uranyl molybdates as a function of pH

The formation and composition of uranyl molybdates obtained by the interaction of uranyl acetate and sodium molybdate at specific pH levels 7.6, 5.5 and 4.1 have been studied by employing electrometric techniques involving pH and conductometric titrations. The results provide cogent evidence for the formation of three uranyl molybdates having the molecular formulae UO2O.MoO3, 3UO2O.7MoO3 and 2UO2O.8MoO3 in the vicinity of pH 5.7, 4.6 and 3.8, respectively. Analytical investigations of the compounds have also been carried out which substantiate the results of electrometric study.

Electrometric investigations on the formation of cerium(III) tungstates as a function of PH

The course of reaction between cerium(III) nitrate and different sodium tungstates (Na2WO4, Na10W12O41 and Na6W12O39) has been followed by means of pH and conductometric titrations between the reactants at different pH levels, in aqueous and alcoholic media, with each of the reagents alternatively used as titrant. The electrometric experiments provide definite evidence of the formation of normal-Ce2O3.3WO3 and para- 5Ce2O3.36WO3 tungstates of cerium in the vicinity of pH 6.2 and 5.3. The formation of normal tungstate is almost quantitative and the pH titrations offer a simple means for determination of cerium(III) or tungstate solutions at suitable concentrations and pH range.

Electrometric studies on formation of cerium vanadates as a function of pH

The precise nature of the reaction between nitric acid and sodium ortho-vanadate solutions has been studied by means of electrometric techniques involving potentiometric and conductometric titrations. The well defined inflections and breaks in the titration curves confirm the existence of the anions, pyro-V2O7(4-), meta-VO3- and poly-H2V10O28(4-) corresponding to the ratios of VO4(3-):H+ as 1:1, 1:2 and 1:2.6 in the neighborhood of pH 10.5, 7.4 and 3.6, respectively. The interaction of cerium(III) nitrate with sodium vanadate solutions, at specific pH levels 12.4, 10.5, 7.4 and 3.6 was also studied by potentiometric and conductometric titrations between the reactants. The end-points obtained from the sharp inflections in the titration curves provide definite evidence for the formation and precipitation of cerium ortho-Ce2O3.V2O5, pyro-2Ce2O3.3V2O5 and meta-Ce2O3.3V2O5 vanadates in the neighborhood of pH 7.4, 6.2 and 4.8, respectively. Analytical investigations on the precipitates formed confirm the results of the electrometric study.

Determination of Alkalinity and dissociation constants of high salinity waters: use of F5BC titration function

Measurements of parameters expressed in terms of carbonic species such as Alkalinity and Acidity of saline waters do not analyze the influence of external parameters to the titration such as Total free and associated Carbonic Species Concentration, activity coefficient, ion pairing formation and Residual Liquid Junction Potential in pH measurements. This paper shows the development of F5BC titration function based on the titrations developed by Gran (1952) for the carbonate system of natural waters. For practical use, samples of saline waters from Pocinhos reservoir in Paraiba were submitted to titration and linear regression analysis. Results showed that F5BC involves F1x and F2x Gran functions determination, respectively, for Alkalinity and Acidity calculations without knowing "a priori" the endpoint of the titration. F5BC also allows the determination of the First and Second Apparent Dissociation Constant of the carbonate system of saline and high ionic strength waters.

Regulation of B Cell Gene Expression and Function by Ikaros, Helios and Bcl6

B lymphocytes constitute a key branch of adaptive immunity by providing specificity to recognize a vast variety of antigens by B cell antigen receptors (BCR) and secreted antibodies. Antigen recognition activates the cells and can produce antibody secreting plasma cells via germinal center reaction that leads to the maturation of antigen recognition affinity and switching of antibody effector class. The specificity of antigen recognition is achieved through a multistep developmental pathway that is organized by interplay of transcription factors and signals through BCR. Lymphoid malignancies arise from different stages of development in abnormal function of transcriptional regulation. To understand the B cell development and the function of B cells, a thorough understanding of the regulation of gene expression is important. The transcription factors of the Ikaros family and Bcl6 are frequently associated with lymphoma generation. The aim of this study was to reveal the targets of Ikaros, Helios and Bcl6 mediated gene regulation and to find out the function of Ikaros and Helios in B cells. This study uses gene targeted DT40 B cell lines and establishes a role for Ikaros family factors Ikaros and Helios in the regulation of BCR signaling that is important at developmental checkpoints, for cell survival and in activation. Ikaros and Helios had opposing roles in the regulation of BCR signals. Ikaros was found to directly repress the SHIP gene that encodes a signaling lipid-metabolizing enzyme, whereas Helios had activating effect on SHIP expression. The findings demonstrate a balancing function for these two Ikaros family transcription factors in the regulation of BCR signaling as well as in the regulation of gene expression. Bcl6 was found to repress plasma cell gene expression program while maintaining gene expression profile of B cells. Analysis of direct Bcl6 target genes suggested novel mechanisms for Bcl6-mediated suppression of plasma cell differentiation and promoting germinal center phenotype.

Vascular Function in Chronic Kidney Disease and in Renovascular Disease

Cardiovascular mortality is 15 to 30 times higher in patients with chronic kidney disease than in the age-adjusted general population. Even minor renal dysfunction predicts cardiovascular events and death in the general population. In patients with atherosclerotic renovascular disease the annual cardiovascular event and death rate is even higher. The abnormalities in coronary and peripheral artery function in the different stages of chronic kidney disease and in renovascular disease are still poorly understood, nor have the cardiac effects of renal artery revascularization been well characterized, although considered to be beneficial. This study was conducted to characterize myocardial perfusion and peripheral endothelial function in patients with chronic kidney disease and in patients with atherosclerotic renovascular disease. Myocardial perfusion was measured with positron emission tomography (PET) and peripheral endothelial function with brachial artery flow-mediated dilatation. It has been suggested that the poor renal outcomes after the renal artery revascularization could be due to damage in the stenotic kidney parenchyma; especially the reduction in the microvascular density, changes mainly evident at the cortical level which controls almost 80% of the total renal blood flow. This study was also performed to measure the effect of renal artery stenosis revascularization on renal perfusion in patients with renovascular disease. In order to do that a PET-based method for quantification of renal perfusion was developed. The coronary flow reserve of patients with chronic kidney disease was similar to the coronary flow reserve of healthy controls. In renovascular disease the coronary flow reserve was, however, markedly reduced. Flow-mediated dilatation of brachial artery was decreased in patients with chronic kidney disease compared to healthy controls, and even more so in patients with renovascular disease. After renal artery stenosis revascularization, coronary vascular function and renal perfusion did not improve in patients with atherosclerotic renovascular disease, but in patients with bilateral renal artery stenosis, flow-mediated dilatation improved. Chronic kidney disease does not significantly affect coronary vascular function. On the contrary, coronary vascular function was severely deteriorated in patients with atherosclerotic renovascular disease, possibly because of diffuse coronary artery disease and/or diffuse microvascular disease. The peripheral endothelial function was disturbed in patients with chronic kidney disease and even more so in patient with atherosclerotic renovascular disease. Renal artery stenosis dilatation does not seem to offer any benefits over medical treatment in patients with renovascular disease, since revascularization does not improve coronary vascular function or renal perfusion.

Orthogonal function method in modelling paper web quality variation

This work is devoted to the analysis of signal variation of the Cross-Direction and Machine-Direction measurements from paper web. The data that we possess comes from the real paper machine. Goal of the work is to reconstruct the basis weight structure of the paper and to predict its behaviour to the future. The resulting synthetic data is needed for simulation of paper web. The main idea that we used for describing the basis weight variation in the Cross-Direction is Empirical Orthogonal Functions (EOF) algorithm, which is closely related to Principal Component Analysis (PCA) method. Signal forecasting in time is based on Time-Series analysis. Two principal mathematical procedures that we used in the work are Autoregressive-Moving Average (ARMA) modelling and Ornstein–Uhlenbeck (OU) process.

Seeder-fertilizer machine: energetic demand as a function of vegetal covering handling and manure deposition shank depth in no-tillage system

The purpose of this work was evaluating the energetic demand of a seeder-fertilizer machine as a function of the type and handling of vegetal covering culture and of the fertilizer deposition shank depth. A Valtra BM100 tractor was used implemented to pull a high precision seeder-fertilizer machine with four ranks of seeding, spaced 0.9 m for maize culture. Experiment was conducted with design in randomized blocks in factorial plots, in the Laboratory of Machines and Agricultural Mechanization experimental area (LAMMA) of UNESP-Jaboticabal, using two covering cultures (black-mucuna and crotalaria), three handlings of this covering, two mechanical (straw crusher and roller knife) and one chemical (pulverization of herbicide), performed 120 days after seeding of covering cultures and three depths of fertilizer deposition shank, completing 18 treatments, with four repetitions, totaling 72 observations. Parameters of displacement speed, gliding, force on traction bar, peak force, power on pulling bar and fuel consumption were evaluated. It was possible to conclude that force on traction bar was less for depths of 0.11 and 0.14 m of fertilizer plough shank, the same occurring for peak force, power on traction bar and volumetric consumption. The specific consumption was lower at a depth of 0.17 m of fertilizer plough shank. Covering cultures and their handlings did not interfere in the performance of machines under inquiry.

The regulation and function of collagenase-3 (MMP-13) in cutaneous wound healing and squamous cell carcinoma

Matrix metalloproteinase-13 (MMP-13) is a potent proteolytic enzyme, whose expression has been previously associated with fetal bone development and postnatal bone remodeling and with adult gingival wound healing. MMP-13 is also known to be involved in the growth and invasion of various cancers including squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the skin. The aim of this study was to further elucidate the function and regulation of MMP-13 in wound repair and cancer. In this study, it was shown that fetal skin fibroblasts express MMP-13 in response to transforming growth factor-β in a p38 MAP kinase dependent manner. In addition, MMP-13 was found to be expressed in vivo by wound fibroblasts in human fetal skin grafted on SCID mice. Adenovirally delivered expression of MMP-13 enhanced collagen matrix contraction by fibroblasts in vitro in association with altered cytoskeletal structure, enhanced proliferation and survival. These results indicate that MMP-13 is involved in cell-mediated collagen matrix remodeling and suggest a role for MMP-13 in superior matrix remodeling and scarless healing of fetal skin wounds. Using an MMP-13 deficient mouse strain, it was shown that MMP-13 is essential for the normal development of experimental granulation tissue in mice. MMP-13 was implicated in the regulation of myofibroblast function and angiogenesis and the expression of genes involved in cellular proliferation and movement, immune response, angiogenesis and proteolysis. Finally, epidermal mitogen, keratinocyte growth factor (KGF) was shown to suppress the malignant properties of skin SCC cells by downregulating the expression of several target genes with potential cancer promoting properties, including MMP-13, and by reducing SCC cell invasion. These results provide evidence that MMP-13 potently regulates cell viability, myofibroblast function and angiogenesis associated with wound healing and cancer. In addition, fibroblasts expressing MMP-13 show high collagen reorganization capacity. Moreover, the results suggest that KGF mediates the anti-cancer effects on skin SCC

Fuel consumption of a tractor in function of wear, of ballasting and tire inflation pressure

When using appropriate inflation pressures and load capacity (ballast), it may obtain a higher yield and prolongation of the life of the tire, besides it may minimize the problems of loss of traction, increased slippage and fuel consumption. This study aimed to evaluate the fuel consumption of a tractor operating with new and worn tires in three conditions of ballasting and three inflation pressures, when driving on compacted soil with vegetation cover. The experiment was conducted at the experimental unit from the Department of Animal Science, Federal University of Lavras, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, in an agricultural soil compacted by cattle trampling and with vegetation cover. It was used a tractor 4x2 with front wheel assist, of a 65.62 kW engine power. The tires were of R1 type, diagonal (front: 12.4 to 24; and rear: 18.4 to 30), the average height of the clutches of the new tires were 0.3 and 0.35 m for front and rear tires, respectively, and for the worn tires were 0.018 and 0.0045 m, for the front and the rear tires, respectively. The results showed advantages for the tractor equipped with new tires.

Estimating the most important criteria for hatching eggs as function of broiler breeders age

This research aimed to compare two female broiler breeder ages during the incubation period regarding management using the Analytic Hierarchy Process method (AHP). This method is characterized by the possibility of analyzing a multicriteria problem and assists a decision making. This study was carried out on a commercial hatchery located in São Paulo, Brazil. Two ages of broiler breeder (42 and 56 weeks) were compared relative to production rate. Production index data were the same in both ages and were submitted to multicriteria decision analysis using the AHP method. The results indicate that broiler breeders of 42 weeks presented better performance than those of 56 week-old. The setter phase (incubation) is more critical than the hatcher. The AHP method was efficient for this analysis and can serve as a methodological basis for future studies to improve the hatchability of broilers eggs.

Energetic efficiency of an agricultural tractor in function of tire inflation pressure

The tire inflation pressure, among other factors, determines the efficiency in which a tractor can exert traction. It was studied the effect of using two tire inflation pressures, 110.4 kPa in the front and rear wheels, 124.2 kPa in the front wheel and 138 kPa in the rear wheels, the energetic efficiency of an agricultural tractor of 147 kW of engine power, in the displacement speed of 6.0 km.h-1, on track with firm surface, with the tractor engine speed of 2000 rpm. For each condition of the tire pressure, the tested tractor was subjected to constant forces in the drawbar of 45 kN and 50 kN, covering 30 meters. It was used a randomized complete block with a 2x2 factorial arrangement (tire pressure and drawbar power) with four replications, totaling 16 experimental units. Data were subjected to analysis of variance, using the Tukey test at 5% probability for comparison averages. The lowest hourly and specific fuel consumption, the lowest slippage of the wheelsets and the highest efficiency in the drawbar was obtained with the tire inflation pressure of 110.4 kPa in the front and rear tires of the tractor, highlighting that lower pressures improve energetic and operational performance of the tractor.