Applications of Raman spectroscopy in cancer diagnosis.

Novel approaches toward understanding the evolution of disease can lead to the discovery of biomarkers that will enable better management of disease progression and improve prognostic evaluation. Raman spectroscopy is a promising investigative and diagnostic tool that can assist in uncovering the molecular basis of disease and provide objective, quantifiable molecular information for diagnosis and treatment evaluation. This technique probes molecular vibrations/rotations associated with chemical bonds in a sample to obtain information on molecular structure, composition, and intermolecular interactions. Raman scattering occurs when light interacts with a molecular vibration/rotation and a change in polarizability takes place during molecular motion. This results in light being scattered at an optical frequency shifted (up or down) from the incident light. By monitoring the intensity profile of the inelastically scattered light as a function of frequency, the unique spectroscopic fingerprint of a tissue sample is obtained. Since each sample has a unique composition, the spectroscopic profile arising from Raman-active functional groups of nucleic acids, proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates allows for the evaluation, characterization, and discrimination of tissue type. This review provides an overview of the theory of Raman spectroscopy, instrumentation used for measurement, and variation of Raman spectroscopic techniques for clinical applications in cancer, including detection of brain, ovarian, breast, prostate, and pancreatic cancers and circulating tumor cells.

Computational study of putative residues involved in DNA synthesis fidelity checking in Thermus aquaticus DNA polymerase I.

A fidelity-checking site for DNA polymerase I has been proposed based on recent single-molecule Förster resonance energy transfer studies. The checking site is believed to ensure proper base pairing of the newly inserted nucleotide. Computational studies have been utilized to predict residues involved in this putative checking site on the Klenow and Bacillus fragments. Here, we employ energy decomposition analysis, electrostatic free energy response, and noncovalent interaction plots to identify the residues involved in the hypothesized checking site in the homologous Klenow fragment from Thermus aquaticus (Klentaq). Our results indicate multiple protein residues that show altered interactions for three mispairs compared to the correctly paired DNA dimer. Many of these residues are also conserved along A family polymerases.

Necessidades de enfermagem de saúde mental: intervenção na doença mental após desastre ou situação de emergência / Mental health nursing needs: intervention in mental disease after disaster or emergency situation / Necesidades de enfermería de salud mental: intervención en la enfermedad mental después de desastre o situación de emergencia

RESUMO CONTEXTO: O enfermeiro especialista em enfermagem de saúde mental e psiquiátrica deve ter a sua intervenção assente nas necessidades em saúde mental que identifica, com atividades de promoção de saúde, prevenção da doença e auxílio nos processos de reabilitação em todos os contextos. As situações de desastres causam enumeras alterações na pessoa com doença mental havendo maior risco de manifestações da doença após a vivência de uma situação de stresse, tendo este profissional um papel preponderante. OBJETIVO: Verificar as necessidades em enfermagem de saúde mental das pessoas com doença mental após situação de stresse associada a um desastre. MÉTODO: Revisão sistemática da literatura através da pesquisa em diversas bases de dados, utilizando os descritores em língua Portuguesa e Inglesa. Os critérios de inclusão foram os seguintes: pessoas com mais de 18 anos, experiência de situação de desastre, artigos originais com data de publicação compreendida entre os anos de 2014 e 2018. RESULTADOS: Obtiveram-se 6 estudos: 5 apresentavam metodologia quantitativa e 1 metodologia qualitativa transversal. CONCLUSÕES: Com os estudos desta revisão foi possível constatar que as pessoas apresentam inúmeras respostas ao nível da saúde mental, especificamente da ansiedade, stresse pós traumático e sintomas de depressão após uma situação de stresse, no entanto não foi possível perceber as reais necessidades em enfermagem de saúde mental por apenas um estudo ser centrado num programa de saúde mental comunitária, mas que não foi eficaz. Há necessidade da realização de mais estudos para que se tenha conhecimento científico nesta área.

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: The nurse specialist in mental and psychiatric health nursing should have the intervention based on the needs in mental health identified, with health promotion activities, disease prevention and rehabilitation assistance in all contexts. Disaster situations cause a number of changes in the person with mental illness and there is a greater risk of changes after the experience of a stress situation, and this professional has a preponderant role. AIM: To verify the mental health nursing needs of people with mental illness after disaster-related. METHODS: Systematic review of the literature was done through the research in several databases, using the descriptors in Portuguese and English. The criteria for inclusion in the selection of articles were as follows: people over 18 years of age, experience of a disaster situation, original articles with a publication date between 2014 and 2018. RESULTS: Six studies were obtained: 5 presented quantitative methodology and a cross-sectional qualitative methodology. CONCLUSIONS: With the studies of this review it was possible to verify that people present numerous responses to mental health, anxiety, post-traumatic stress and symptoms of depression after a stress situation, however, it was not possible to perceive the real needs in mental health nursing because only one study was centered on a community mental health program, but it was not effective. There is a need for more studies to be made available in this area.

RESUMEN CONTEXTO: El enfermero especialista en enfermería de salud mental y psiquiátrica debe basar su intervención en las necesidades en salud mental que identifica, con actividades de promoción de la salud, prevención de la enfermedad y auxilio en los procesos de rehabilitación en todos los contextos. Las situaciones de desastres causan numerosas alteraciones en la persona con enfermedad mental habiendo mayor riesgo de alteraciones tras la vivencia de una situación de estrés, teniendo este profesional un papel preponderante. OBJETIVO: Verificar las necesidades en enfermería de salud mental de las personas con enfermedad mental después de una situaciónde estrés asociada a un desastre. MÉTODO: Realizada larevisión sistemática de la literatura a través de la búsqueda en diversas bases de datos, utilizando los descriptores en lengua portuguesa e inglesa. Los criterios de inclusión fueron los siguientes: personas con más de 18 años, experiencia de situación de desastre, artículos originales con fechade publicación comprendida entre 2014 y 2018. RESULTADOS: Se obtuvieronseis estudios: cinco presentaronunametodología cuantitativa y un estudio, metodología cualitativa transversal. CONCLUSIONES: Con los estudios de esta revisión se pudo constatar que las personas presentan numerosas respuestas con respecto a la salud mental, a la ansiedad, al estrés postraumático y a los síntomas de depresión después de una situación traumática. Sin embargo, no se percibieron las necesidades reales en enfermería de salud mental porque solo uno de los estudios se centró en un programa de salud mental comunitaria, pero que no fue eficaz. Son necesarios más estudios para aumentar el conocimiento científico en esta temática.

Hypothesis driven single nucleotide polymorphism search (HyDn-SNP-S).

The advent of complete-genome genotyping across phenotype cohorts has provided a rich source of information for bioinformaticians. However the search for SNPs from this data is generally performed on a study-by-study case without any specific hypothesis of the location for SNPs that are predictive for the phenotype. We have designed a method whereby very large SNP lists (several gigabytes in size), combining several genotyping studies at once, can be sorted and traced back to their ultimate consequence in protein structure. Given a working hypothesis, researchers are able to easily search whole genome genotyping data for SNPs that link genetic locations to phenotypes. This allows a targeted search for correlations between phenotypes and potentially relevant systems, rather than utilizing statistical methods only. HyDn-SNP-S returns results that are less data dense, allowing more thorough analysis, including haplotype analysis. We have applied our method to correlate DNA polymerases to cancer phenotypes using four of the available cancer databases in dbGaP. Logistic regression and derived haplotype analysis indicates that ~80SNPs, previously overlooked, are statistically significant. Derived haplotypes from this work link POLL to breast cancer and POLG to prostate cancer with an increase in incidence of 3.01- and 9.6-fold, respectively. Molecular dynamics simulations on wild-type and one of the SNP mutants from the haplotype of POLL provide insights at the atomic level on the functional impact of this cancer related SNP. Furthermore, HyDn-SNP-S has been designed to allow application to any system. The program is available upon request from the authors.