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Abstract Objective: Olfaction influences nutrition, safety, and the cognitive development of children. Presently there are few olfactory tests for children, and normative reference values are generally lacking. In this study, we validate the Pediatric Smell WheelTM (PSW) to evaluate olfactory function in Brazilian children. Methods: We modified and validated the PSW, a test developed in the United States, for administration in Brazil, and established normative data for Brazilian children. The validation process consisted of five phases. First, we identified odorants familiar to Brazilian children. Second, we established the test-retest reliability of the Brazilian PSW test that employed these odorants. Third, we compared the test scores of healthy children to those microsmic from adenoid hypertrophy. Fourth, we examined the test's ability to detect improvement in olfactory function before and after adenoidectomy. Finally, we determined a normative 10th percentile cut point for defining microsmia in a sample of 169 healthy Brazilian children between 5 and 12 years of age. Results: Eleven odors were identified for inclusion in the test. The test-retest reliability was modest (r = 0.54, p < 0.001), although likely attenuated based on the inclusion of only data from children with normal function. The test clearly differentiated the olfactory function of children with adenoid hypertrophy from that of healthy children and demonstrated the return of function after adenoidectomy. An overall score <7 was found useful in defining hyposmia, although additional age-related cut-points were also defined. Conclusion: A Brazilian version of the PSW was developed and validated and found to be efficacious in detecting smell dysfunction in children ranging in age from 5 to 12 years. Level of evidence: 1b (Diagnosis).
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Fullerene-based polymers and oligomers combined with non-fullerene acceptors show extremely high efficiencies in organic photovoltaic devices. Furthermore, fullerene-based materials are of interest for use in anti-cancer and anti-viral treatments, where their presence can enhance the efficacy of medication considerably. Therefore, it remains important to understand their morphology and electronic properties to improve devices and technological applications. The main goal of this study is to prepare and characterize Langmuir and Langmuir-Schaefer films of PCBM-based materials to investigate the influence of different solvents such as chloroform, toluene, and xylene, and co-components on their morphology. PCBM-based materials were thus studied either alone or in mixtures with a polythiophene derivative (poly(3-hexythiophene), P3HT) commonly used in organic photovoltaic devices. The formation of Langmuir films was studied using surface pressure isotherms and Brewster's angle microscopy (BAM), where the homogeneity, phase behavior, and morphology of the films were investigated. In addition, Langmuir-Schaefer films were characterized by UV-visible absorption spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and Raman spectroscopy, providing information on the morphology of the solid films. This study has shown that it is possible to successfully fabricate Langmuir and Langmuir-Schaefer films of PCBM and PCBM-based oligomers and polymers, both pure and in mixtures with P3HT, to compare their organization, roughness, and optical properties. With the Langmuir films, it was possible to estimate the area of the molecules and visualize their aggregation through BAM images, establishing a relationship between the area occupied by these materials and the solvent used. All characterization techniques corroborate that the use of chloroform significantly reduced the roughness of the LS films mixed with P3HT and also presented a higher ordering compared to films prepared with xylene solutions.
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OBJECTIVE: Olfaction influences nutrition, safety, and the cognitive development of children. Presently there are few olfactory tests for children, and normative reference values are generally lacking. In this study, we validate the Pediatric Smell WheelTM (PSW) to evaluate olfactory function in Brazilian children. METHODS: We modified and validated the PSW, a test developed in the United States, for administration in Brazil, and established normative data for Brazilian children. The validation process consisted of five phases. First, we identified odorants familiar to Brazilian children. Second, we established the test-retest reliability of the Brazilian PSW test that employed these odorants. Third, we compared the test scores of healthy children to those microsmic from adenoid hypertrophy. Fourth, we examined the test's ability to detect improvement in olfactory function before and after adenoidectomy. Finally, we determined a normative 10th percentile cut point for defining microsmia in a sample of 169 healthy Brazilian children between 5 and 12 years of age. RESULTS: Eleven odors were identified for inclusion in the test. The test-retest reliability was modest (râ¯=â¯0.54, pâ¯<â¯0.001), although likely attenuated based on the inclusion of only data from children with normal function. The test clearly differentiated the olfactory function of children with adenoid hypertrophy from that of healthy children and demonstrated the return of function after adenoidectomy. An overall score <7 was found useful in defining hyposmia, although additional age-related cut-points were also defined. CONCLUSION: A Brazilian version of the PSW was developed and validated and found to be efficacious in detecting smell dysfunction in children ranging in age from 5 to 12 years. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 1b (Diagnosis).
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Trastornos del Olfato , Niño , Preescolar , Humanos , Brasil , Hipertrofia , Trastornos del Olfato/diagnóstico , Trastornos del Olfato/etiología , Reproducibilidad de los ResultadosRESUMEN
RESUMO:Introdução: Os Centros de Atenção Psicossocial (CAPS) são serviços especializados na assistência de indivíduos com transtornos mentais graves e persistentes e têm como finalidade trabalhar o processo de reabilitação psicos-social. Objetivo: conhecer a percepção dos usuários de um CAPS sobre a assistência em saúde mental. Método:Trata-se de um estudo descritivo, exploratório, com abordagem qualitativa, realizado com oito usuários de um CAPS de Maceió-AL, no mês de fevereiro de 2017, por meio de entrevista para coleta de material e análise de conteúdo para discussão dos resultados. Resultados: A partir das falas dos sujeitos, surgiram as categorias "O CAPS na visão do usuário" e "Desafios e possibilidades para melhoria no CAPS". Conclusão: O estudo aponta para uma importância significativa desses serviços na saúde mental dos usuários e reconhecimento da necessidade do inves-timento em políticas públicas para melhoria da qualidade da assistência. (AU)
ABSTRACT: Introduction: The psychosocial care centers (CAPS in Brazilian Portuguese) are specialized services that assist people with severe and persistent mental disorders and it has the purpose of developing the process of psychosocial rehabilitation. Objective: to identify the perception of users of CAPS about the assistance in mental health. Method: it is a descriptive and exploratory study, with a qualitative approach, performed with 08 users of CAPS in Maceió-AL, Brazil, in February 2017, through interviews to collect material and content analysis to discuss the results. Results: From the subjects' statements, such categories have emerged "CAPS from the user's perspective" and "Challenges and possibilities to improve CAPS". Conclusion: The research points to the considerable importance of these services to the users and to the acknowledgment of the need to invest in public policies to improve the assistance quality.
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Humanos , Masculino , Femenino , Adulto , Persona de Mediana Edad , Percepción , Atención a la Salud Mental , Rehabilitación Psiquiátrica , Investigación sobre Servicios de Salud , Servicios de Salud MentalRESUMEN
Evidence on the relationship between genetics and mental health are flourishing. However, few studies are evaluating early biomarkers that might link genes, environment, and psychopathology. We aimed to study telomere length (TL) and epigenetic age acceleration (AA) in a cohort of adolescents with and without anxiety disorders (N = 234). We evaluated a representative subsample of participants at baseline and after 5 years (n = 76) and categorized them according to their anxiety disorder diagnosis at both time points: (1) control group (no anxiety disorder, n = 18), (2) variable group (anxiety disorder in one evaluation, n = 38), and (3) persistent group (anxiety disorder at both time points, n = 20). We assessed relative mean TL by real-time quantitative PCR and DNA methylation by Infinium HumanMethylation450 BeadChip. We calculated AA using the Horvath age estimation algorithm and analyzed differences among groups using generalized linear mixed models. The persistent group of anxiety disorder did not change TL over time (p = 0.495). The variable group had higher baseline TL (p = 0.003) but no accelerated TL erosion in comparison to the non-anxiety control group (p = 0.053). Furthermore, there were no differences in AA among groups over time. Our findings suggest that adolescents with chronic anxiety did not change telomere length over time, which could be related to a delay in neuronal development in this period of life.
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Trastornos de Ansiedad/genética , Epigénesis Genética , Telómero , Adolescente , Envejecimiento/genética , Estudios de Casos y Controles , Metilación de ADN , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Reacción en Cadena en Tiempo Real de la PolimerasaRESUMEN
Severe therapy-resistant asthma (STRA) is closely associated with distinct clinical and inflammatory pheno-endotypes, which may contribute to the development of age-related comorbidities. Evidence has demonstrated a contribution of accelerated telomere shortening on the poor prognosis of respiratory diseases in adults. Eotaxin-1 (CCL11) is an important chemokine for eosinophilic recruitment and the progression of asthma. In the last years has also been proposed as an age-promoting factor. This study aimed to investigate the association of relative telomere length (rTL) and eotaxin-1 in asthmatic children. Children aged 8-14 years (n=267) were classified as healthy control (HC, n=126), mild asthma (MA, n=124) or severe therapy-resistant asthma (STRA, n=17). rTL was performed by qPCR from peripheral blood. Eotaxin-1 was quantified by ELISA from fresh-frozen plasma. STRA had shorter telomeres compared to HC (p=0.02) and MA (p=0.006). Eotaxin-1 levels were up-regulated in STRA [median; IQR25-75)] [(1,190 pg/mL; 108-2,510)] compared to MA [(638 pg/mL; 134-1,460)] (p=0.03) or HC [(627 pg/mL; 108-1,750)] (p<0.01). Additionally, shorter telomeres were inversely correlated with eotaxin-1 levels in STRA (r=-0.6, p=0.013). Our results suggest that short telomeres and up-regulated eotaxin-1, features of accelerated aging, could prematurely contribute to a senescent phenotype increasing the risk for early development of age-related diseases in asthma.
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Envejecimiento/genética , Asma/genética , Acortamiento del Telómero/fisiología , Adolescente , Envejecimiento/sangre , Asma/sangre , Estudios de Casos y Controles , Quimiocina CCL11/sangre , Niño , Femenino , Humanos , MasculinoRESUMEN
Schistosoma mansoni is a flatworm that causes schistosomiasis, a neglected tropical disease that affects more than 200 million people worldwide. There is only one drug indicated for treatment, praziquantel, which may lead to parasite resistance emergence. The ribonucleoside analogue 5-azacytidine (5-AzaC) is an epigenetic drug that inhibits S. mansoni oviposition and ovarian development through interference with parasite transcription, translation and stem cell activities. Therefore, studying the downstream pathways affected by 5-AzaC in S. mansoni may contribute to the discovery of new drug targets. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are transcripts longer than 200 nucleotides with low or no protein coding potential that have been involved in reproduction, stem cell maintenance and drug resistance. We have recently published a catalog of lncRNAs expressed in S. mansoni life-cycle stages, tissues and single cells. However, it remains largely unknown if lncRNAs are responsive to epigenetic drugs in parasites. Here, we show by RNA-Seq re-analyses that hundreds of lncRNAs are differentially expressed after in vitro 5-AzaC treatment of S. mansoni females, including intergenic, antisense and sense lncRNAs. Many of these lncRNAs belong to co-expression network modules related to male metabolism and are also differentially expressed in unpaired compared with paired females and ovaries. Half of these lncRNAs possess histone marks at their genomic loci, indicating regulation by histone modification. Among a selected set of 8 lncRNAs, half of them were validated by RT-qPCR as differentially expressed in females, and some of them also in males. Interestingly, these lncRNAs are also expressed in other life-cycle stages. This study demonstrates that many lncRNAs potentially involved with S. mansoni reproductive biology are modulated by 5-AzaC and sheds light on the relevance of exploring lncRNAs in response to drug treatments in parasites.
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Azacitidina/farmacología , Inhibidores Enzimáticos/farmacología , ARN Largo no Codificante/metabolismo , Schistosoma mansoni/efectos de los fármacos , Animales , Epigénesis Genética/efectos de los fármacos , Estadios del Ciclo de Vida/efectos de los fármacos , ARN Largo no Codificante/genética , Schistosoma mansoni/genética , Schistosoma mansoni/metabolismoRESUMEN
Aging affects the body composition and balance of energy metabolism. Here, we collected in a single work several physiological parameters to show how aging and sex differences can influence energy homeostasis. Body mass index (BMI), Lee index, glucose tolerance, glycemia, and lipidogram in fasting were measured in male and female Wistar rats at the ages of 2, 6, 9, 12, and 18 months. We also measured the lipid profile, free fatty acids, glycerol, glycemia, leptin, adiponectin, insulin, corticosterone (CORT), prolactin (PRL), thyroid stimulated hormone, and triiodothyronine (T3) in 3- and 18-month-old rats of both sexes, fed ad libitum. Animals were classified as obese beginning at 2 months in males and 6 months in females. Aged male rats showed hyperglycemia and glucose intolerance compared to young males and old females. In the ad libitum condition, the 18-month males presented higher serum levels of triglycerides, total cholesterol, and free fatty acids than females. The 18-month-old females had higher PRL and CORT concentration than males, but insulin and T3 were higher in 18-month-old males than females. Our work demonstrated that aging processes on energy metabolism in rats is sex specific, with a better lipid profile and glucose tolerance in aged females.
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Envejecimiento/fisiología , Composición Corporal , Metabolismo Energético , Hormonas Peptídicas/metabolismo , Caracteres Sexuales , Envejecimiento/metabolismo , Animales , Femenino , Glucosa/metabolismo , Homeostasis , Metabolismo de los Lípidos , Masculino , Ratas , Ratas WistarRESUMEN
Maintenance of the volume and osmolality of body fluids is important, and the adaptive responses recruited to protect against osmotic stress are crucial for survival. The objective of this work was to compare the responses that occur in aging male and female rats during water deprivation. For this purpose, groups of male and female Wistar rats aged 3 mo (adults) or 18 mo (old) were submitted to water deprivation (WD) for 48 h. The water and sodium (0.15 M NaCl) intake, plasma concentrations of oxytocin (OT), arginine vasopressin (AVP), corticosterone (CORT), atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), and angiotensin II (ANG II) were determined in hydrated and water-deprived animals. In response to WD, old male and female rats drank less water and saline than adults, and both adult and old females drank more water and saline than respective males. Dehydrated old animals displayed lower ANG II plasma concentration and CORT response compared with the respective normohydrated rats. Dehydrated adult males had higher plasma ANP and AVP as well as lower CORT concentrations than dehydrated adult females. Moreover, plasma OT and CORT levels of old female rats were higher than those in the dehydrated old male rats. Relative expression of ANG II type 1 receptor mRNA was decreased in the subfornical organ of adult and old male rats as well as adult female rats in response to WD. In conclusion, the study elucidated the effect of sex and age on responses induced by WD, altering the degree of dehydration induced by 48 h of WD.
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Factores de Edad , Conducta Animal/fisiología , Deshidratación/fisiopatología , Factores Sexuales , Privación de Agua/fisiología , Animales , Arginina Vasopresina/metabolismo , Ingestión de Líquidos/efectos de los fármacos , Femenino , Masculino , Ratas Wistar , Cloruro de Sodio/farmacología , Órgano Subfornical/metabolismoRESUMEN
Schistosoma mansoni is a flatworm that causes schistosomiasis, a neglected tropical disease that affects more than 200 million people worldwide. There is only one drug indicated for treatment, praziquantel, which may lead to parasite resistance emergence. The ribonucleoside analogue 5-azacytidine (5-AzaC) is an epigenetic drug that inhibits S. mansoni oviposition and ovarian development through interference with parasite transcription, translation and stem cell activities. Therefore, studying the downstream pathways affected by 5-AzaC in S. mansoni may contribute to the discovery of new drug targets. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are transcripts longer than 200 nucleotides with low or no protein coding potential that have been involved in reproduction, stem cell maintenance and drug resistance. We have recently published a catalog of lncRNAs expressed in S. mansoni life-cycle stages, tissues and single cells. However, it remains largely unknown if lncRNAs are responsive to epigenetic drugs in parasites. Here, we show by RNA-Seq re-analyses that hundreds of lncRNAs are differentially expressed after in vitro 5-AzaC treatment of S. mansoni females, including intergenic, antisense and sense lncRNAs. Many of these lncRNAs belong to co-expression network modules related to male metabolism and are also differentially expressed in unpaired compared with paired females and ovaries. Half of these lncRNAs possess histone marks at their genomic loci, indicating regulation by histone modification. Among a selected set of 8 lncRNAs, half of them were validated by RT-qPCR as differentially expressed in females, and some of them also in males. Interestingly, these lncRNAs are also expressed in other life-cycle stages. This study demonstrates that many lncRNAs potentially involved with S. mansoni reproductive biology are modulated by 5-AzaC and sheds light on the relevance of exploring lncRNAs in response to drug treatments in parasites.
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Polythiophene thin films are widely studied for applications in organic electronics. However, some comparisons are still missing, regarding distinct deposition techniques and regioregularity. Here regioregular and regiorandom alkyl-substituted polythiophene derivatives (P3ATs) were deposited on solid substrates using both Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) and Langmuir-Schaefer (LS) techniques. The main goal was to verify the possible influence of the regioregularity as well the deposition technique on their optical, electrical and electrochemical properties. LB and LS films of regioregular and regiorandom poly(3-butylthiophene) (P3BT) and poly(3-octylthiophene) (P3OT) were deposited onto glass/Indium-Tin-Oxide) substrates and characterized by UV-visible optical spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, cyclic voltammetry, and conductivity measurements. The results demonstrated the influence of the deposition technique on the electrical outcome, moreover, the regioregularity affected all the performed characterizations. In addition, this paper may be useful to understand how the amphiphilic molecule addition affected the film properties of regioregular and regiorandom P3ATs, particularly the energy diagram provided by the electrochemical and absorption features.
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The influence of the grafting height (5, 10, 20 and 30 cm above the root collar) of P. edulis on P. gibertii was evaluated on the incidence of Fusarium wilt and horticultural performance. Plants of P. gibertii grafted on P. edulis and non-grafted plants of both species were also studied. In addition, histopathological studies were also performed on the roots of non-grafted P. edulis collected at three severity stages of Fusarium wilt. In greenhouse, the graft take was inversely related to the grafting height in general. In the field conditions, the plant growth of P. gibertii grafted on P. edulis was superior to its reciprocal grafting, even though the former combination was susceptible to Fop. Plants of P. edulis grafted on P. gibertii at all grafting heights did not present symptoms of Fop, and the number of fruit yield and quality were equivalent, but plant growth was decreased in relation to the non-grafted plants. Starch depletion in the root system of P. edulis was directly related to the severity of the Fusarium wilt. P. gibertii was confirmed as a Fusarium wilt resistant rootstock of P. edulis, with minimal influence of the grafting height for the control of the disease.
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Agricultura/métodos , Fusarium/crecimiento & desarrollo , Passiflora/microbiología , Control Biológico de Vectores/métodos , Enfermedades de las Plantas/prevención & control , Raíces de Plantas/crecimiento & desarrollo , Desarrollo de la Planta , Enfermedades de las Plantas/microbiologíaRESUMEN
PURPOSE: Generalized competing event (GCE) models improve stratification of patients according to their risk of cancer events relative to competing causes of mortality. The potential impact of such methods on clinical trial power and cost, however, is uncertain. We sought to test the hypothesis that GCE models can reduce estimated clinical trial cost in elderly patients with cancer. METHODS: Patients with nonmetastatic head and neck (n = 9,677), breast (n = 22,929), or prostate cancer (n = 51,713) were sampled from the SEER-Medicare database. Using multivariable Cox proportional hazards models, we compared risk scores for all-cause mortality (ACM) and cancer-specific mortality (CSM) with GCE-based risk scores for each disease. We applied a cost function to estimate the cost and duration of clinical trials with a primary end point of overall survival in each population and in high-risk subpopulations. We conducted sensitivity analyses to examine model uncertainty. RESULTS: For the purpose of enriching subpopulations, GCE models reduced estimated clinical trial cost compared with Cox models of ACM and CSM in all disease sites. The relative cost reductions with GCE models compared with ACM and CSM models, respectively, were -68.4% and -14.4% in prostate cancer, -38.8% and -18.3% in breast cancer, and -17.1% and -4.1% in head and neck cancer. Cost savings in breast and prostate cancers were on the order of millions of dollars. The GCE model also reduced relative clinical trial duration compared with CSM and ACM models for all disease sites. The optimal risk score cutoff for clinical trial enrollment occurred near the top tertile for all disease sites. CONCLUSION: GCE models have significant potential to improve clinical trial efficiency and reduce cost, with a potentially large impact in prostate and breast cancers.
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Neoplasias de la Mama , Ensayos Clínicos como Asunto/economía , Neoplasias de Cabeza y Cuello , Modelos Teóricos , Neoplasias de la Próstata , Anciano , Neoplasias de la Mama/economía , Neoplasias de la Mama/mortalidad , Neoplasias de la Mama/terapia , Costos y Análisis de Costo , Femenino , Neoplasias de Cabeza y Cuello/economía , Neoplasias de Cabeza y Cuello/mortalidad , Neoplasias de Cabeza y Cuello/terapia , Humanos , Masculino , Neoplasias de la Próstata/economía , Neoplasias de la Próstata/mortalidad , Neoplasias de la Próstata/terapia , RiesgoRESUMEN
El objetivo de este estudio descriptivo y transversal fue describir la presencia de microorganismos indicadores y las BPM en los locales que producen sándwiches de verdura en el Mercado Central de Abasto de Asunción (MCAA) en el 2014. Se eligieron sándwiches de verduras debido a la materia prima cruda y mayonesa, a que no sufren tratamiento térmico y son de consumo masivo. Se elaboró una lista de verificación para las BPM según la FAO/OMS. Se estudiaron 20 muestras en 10 locales(2/local) para Recuento de Aerobios Mesófilos (RAM), coliformes totales, E. coli y S. aureus. El límite microbiológico fue dado por la Norma Sanitaria del Ministerio de Salud de Perú y la técnica utilizada fue el Recuento en Placa, utilizando placas de 3M PETRIFILM.El 90% de los 10 localestenía limpieza adecuada,todos refirieron lavadode las verduras previa utilización, para lo cual usaban agua de canilla (90%)o agua reutilizada (10%). El 70% de los manipuladores refirió lavadode manos previa manipulación y 90% después.El 80% de los locales refirió utilizar mayonesa comercial y el 30% la mantenía a temperatura ambiente durante todo el día.El 20% de los locales ofrecíaal día siguiente los sándwiches no vendidos. El 95% (19 de 20)de las muestras se considera microbiológicamente como No Aptas para el consumo, el 70% presentó recuentos mayores para RAM, 85% para coliformes, 30% para E. coli y 75% para S. aureus. Estos productos pueden ser considerados de riesgo para el consumo humano.
The objective of this cross-sectional descriptive study was to evaluate the presence of indicator microorganismsand to describe the Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) in places producing vegetable sandwiches of the Central Supply Market of Asunción (MCAAfor its name in SpanishMercado Central de Abasto de Asunción)in 2014. Vegetable sandwiches were chosen for being of high risk, as they use raw materials and mayonnaise, they do not undergo heat treatment and are of massive consumption.For GMP, a checklist was prepared according to FAO / WHO. Twenty samples in 10 shops (2 samples per shop) were studied for Mesophilic Aerobic Count, total coliform counts, E. coli and S. aureus. Ninety percent of the 10 stores had adequate cleaning. Hundred percent claimed to wash the raw material (vegetables) before being used, 90% used tap water and 10% washed them with reused water. Seventy percent of the cooks washed their hands before preparing the sandwiches and 90% afterwards. Eighty percent of the stores used commercial mayonnaise and 30% keepthem at room temperature throughout the day. Twenty percent of the stores offered unsold sandwiches the next day.Of the 20 samples, 19 (95%) were considered microbiologically as "Not Apt" for consumption, 70% due to high Counting of Mesophilic Aerobes, 85% coliforms, 30% E. coli and 75% S. aureus. These products can be considered as a risk for human consumption.
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Buenas Prácticas de Manipulación , Indicadores de Contaminación , Alimentos Vendidos en la Vía PúblicaRESUMEN
Every year, a dense smoke haze covers a large portion of South America originating from fires in the Amazon Basin and central parts of Brazil during the dry biomass burning season between August and October. Over a large portion of South America, the average aerosol optical depth at 550 nm exceeds 1.0 during the fire season, while the background value during the rainy season is below 0.2. Biomass burning aerosol particles increase scattering and absorption of the incident solar radiation. The regional-scale aerosol layer reduces the amount of solar energy reaching the surface, cools the near-surface air, and increases the diffuse radiation fraction over a large disturbed area of the Amazon rainforest. These factors affect the energy and CO2 fluxes at the surface. In this work, we applied a fully integrated atmospheric model to assess the impact of biomass burning aerosols in CO2 fluxes in the Amazon region during 2010. We address the effects of the attenuation of global solar radiation and the enhancement of the diffuse solar radiation flux inside the vegetation canopy. Our results indicate that biomass burning aerosols led to increases of about 27% in the gross primary productivity of Amazonia and 10% in plant respiration as well as a decline in soil respiration of 3%. Consequently, in our model Amazonia became a net carbon sink; net ecosystem exchange during September 2010 dropped from +101 to -104 TgC when the aerosol effects are considered, mainly due to the aerosol diffuse radiation effect. For the forest biome, our results point to a dominance of the diffuse radiation effect on CO2 fluxes, reaching a balance of 50-50% between the diffuse and direct aerosol effects for high aerosol loads. For C3 grasses and savanna (cerrado), as expected, the contribution of the diffuse radiation effect is much lower, tending to zero with the increase in aerosol load. Taking all biomes together, our model shows the Amazon during the dry season, in the presence of high biomass burning aerosol loads, changing from being a source to being a sink of CO2 to the atmosphere.
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Objective: Bipolar disorder (BD) has been associated with increased rates of age-related diseases, such as type II diabetes, metabolic syndrome, osteoporosis, and cardiovascular disorders. Several biological findings have been associated with age-related disorders, including increased oxidative stress, inflammation, and telomere shortening. The objective of this study was to compare telomere length among participants with BD at early and late stages and age- and gender-matched healthy controls. Methods: Twenty-six euthymic subjects with BD and 34 healthy controls were recruited. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood and mean telomere length was measured using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Results: Telomere length was significantly shorter in both the early and late subgroups of BD subjects when compared to the respective controls (p = 0.002 and p = 0.005, respectively). The sample size prevented additional subgroup analyses, including potential effects of medication, smoking status, and lifestyle. Conclusion: This study is concordant with previous evidence of telomere shortening in BD, in both early and late stages of the disorder, and supports the notion of accelerated aging in BD.
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Humanos , Masculino , Femenino , Adulto , Persona de Mediana Edad , Anciano , Trastorno Bipolar/genética , Envejecimiento/genética , Telómero/genética , Acortamiento del Telómero/genética , Trastorno Bipolar/fisiopatología , ADN/sangre , Estudios de Casos y Controles , Senescencia Celular/genética , Reacción en Cadena en Tiempo Real de la PolimerasaRESUMEN
OBJECTIVE:: Bipolar disorder (BD) has been associated with increased rates of age-related diseases, such as type II diabetes, metabolic syndrome, osteoporosis, and cardiovascular disorders. Several biological findings have been associated with age-related disorders, including increased oxidative stress, inflammation, and telomere shortening. The objective of this study was to compare telomere length among participants with BD at early and late stages and age- and gender-matched healthy controls. METHODS:: Twenty-six euthymic subjects with BD and 34 healthy controls were recruited. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood and mean telomere length was measured using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS:: Telomere length was significantly shorter in both the early and late subgroups of BD subjects when compared to the respective controls (p = 0.002 and p = 0.005, respectively). The sample size prevented additional subgroup analyses, including potential effects of medication, smoking status, and lifestyle. CONCLUSION:: This study is concordant with previous evidence of telomere shortening in BD, in both early and late stages of the disorder, and supports the notion of accelerated aging in BD.
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Envejecimiento/genética , Trastorno Bipolar/genética , Acortamiento del Telómero/genética , Telómero/genética , Adulto , Anciano , Trastorno Bipolar/fisiopatología , Estudios de Casos y Controles , Senescencia Celular/genética , ADN/sangre , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Reacción en Cadena en Tiempo Real de la PolimerasaRESUMEN
OBJECTIVES: Platyrrhine species differ in the extent to and the manner in which they use their incisors and canines during food ingestion. For example, Ateles uses its anterior teeth to process mechanically nondemanding soft fruits, while the sclerocarp-harvesting pitheciids rely extensively on these teeth to acquire and process more demanding foods. Pitheciids themselves vary in anterior tooth use, with the pitheciines (Cacajao, Chiropotes, and Pithecia) noted to use their robust canines in a variety of ways to predate seeds, while Callicebus, which rarely predates seeds, uses its incisors and exceptionally short canines to scrape tough mesocarp from fruits. To investigate the relationship between tooth use and dental wear, microwear textures were investigated for the anterior teeth of these five genera of platyrrhine primates. METHODS: Using a white light confocal microscope, 12 microwear texture attributes that reflect feature size, anisotropy, density, and complexity were recorded from high-resolution epoxy casts of the incisors and canines of adult wild-collected Brazilian specimens of Ateles, Callicebus, Cacajao, Chiropotes, and Pithecia. RESULTS: Pitheciine canines tend to have deep microwear features and complex, anisotropic microwear textures, while Ateles anterior teeth tend to have very small features, low feature density, and less complex and anisotropic surfaces. Callicebus incisor and canine microwear is generally intermediate in size and complexity between those extremes. CONCLUSIONS: These findings align with expectations from reported field observations of tooth use and illustrate the potential for using microwear texture analysis to infer patterns of anterior tooth use in extinct primates. Am J Phys Anthropol 161:6-25, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.