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1.
Respirar (Ciudad Autón. B. Aires) ; 16(1): 79-83, Marzo 2024.
Artigo em Espanhol | LILACS, UNISALUD, BINACIS | ID: biblio-1551228

RESUMO

Se presenta el caso de un niño de 3 años con diagnóstico de asma, rinitis alérgica, características craneofaciales dismórficas e infecciones respiratorias altas y bajas recurrentes, manejado como asma desde un inicio. Como parte del estudio de comorbilidades, se decide realizar una prueba del sudor que sale en rango intermedio y más tarde se encuentra una mutación, donde se obtiene un resultado positivo para una copia que se asocia a fibrosis quística. Se revisará el caso, así como el diagnóstico, clínica y tratamiento del síndrome metabólico relacionado con el regulador de conductancia transmembrana de fibrosis quística (CRMS).


We present the case of a 3-year-old boy with a diagnosis of asthma, allergic rhinitis, dysmorphic craniofacial characteristics and recurrent upper and lower respiratory infections, managed as asthma from the beginning. As part of the study of comorbidi-ties, it was decided to carry out a sweat test that came out in the intermediate range and later one mutation was found, where a positive result was obtained for a copy that is associated with cystic fibrosis. The case will be reviewed, as well as the diagnosis, symptoms and treatment of the metabolic syndrome related to the cystic fibrosis trans-membrane conductance regulator (CRMS).


Assuntos
Humanos , Masculino , Pré-Escolar , Asma/diagnóstico , Sons Respiratórios/diagnóstico , Tosse/diagnóstico , Fibrose Cística/diagnóstico , Síndrome Metabólica/diagnóstico , Rinite Alérgica/diagnóstico , Infecções Respiratórias , Radiografia Torácica , Comorbidade , Triagem Neonatal , Regulador de Condutância Transmembrana em Fibrose Cística/genética
2.
Epilepsia Open ; 9(2): 776-784, 2024 Apr.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38366910

RESUMO

There are limited data on first seizure (FS) among adults in low and middle-income countries. We describe findings from a prospective cohort study involving 180 adults presenting with seizures in emergency departments in five Latin American countries. Overall, 102 participants (56.7%) had acute symptomatic seizures (ASyS) while 78 (43.3%) had unprovoked seizures (UPS). Among patients with ASyS, 55 (53.9%) had structural causes, with stroke (n = 24, 23.5%), tumor (n = 10, 9.8%), and trauma (n = 3, 3%) being the most frequent. Nineteen patients (18.6%) had infectious causes, including four (4%) with meningoencephalitis, three (3%) neurocysticercosis, and two (2%) bacterial meningoencephalitis. Twenty patients (19.6%) had metabolic/toxic evidence, including four (4%) with uremic encephalopathy, two (2%) hyponatremia, and three (3%) acute alcohol intoxication. Immune dysfunction was present in seven (7%) patients and neurodegenerative in two (2%). Among participants with UPS, 45 (57.7%) had unknown etiology, 24 (30.7%) had evidence of structural disorders (remote symptomatic), four (5%) were related to infectious etiology (>7 days before the seizure), and five (6.4%) had genetic causes. During the 3- and 6-month follow-up, 29.8% and 14% of patients with UPS, respectively, experienced seizure recurrence, while 23.9% and 24.5% of patients with ASyS had seizure recurrence. Longer follow-up is necessary to assess seizure recurrence for patients with ASyS after the acute cause is resolved and to determine the 10-year risk of recurrence, which is part of the definition of epilepsy. PLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARY: We monitored 180 adults who presented with their first seizure in emergency departments across five Latin American countries. Among these patients, 57% had acute symptomatic seizures, with structural causes such as stroke (23%), infection (17%), or tumor (10%) being more prevalent. Among the 43% with unprovoked seizures, 58% showed no identifiable acute cause, while 6.4% were due to genetics. Within 3 months after their initial seizure, 26.6% of individuals experienced a second seizure, with 11.9% continuing to have seizures in Months 3-6. Between Months 3 and 6, an additional 20% of patients encountered a second seizure. Research is needed to better understand the cause and prognosis of these patients to improve outcomes.


Assuntos
Meningoencefalite , Neoplasias , Acidente Vascular Cerebral , Adulto , Humanos , América Latina , Estudos Prospectivos , Projetos Piloto , Recidiva , Convulsões/etiologia , Estudos de Coortes , Prognóstico , Acidente Vascular Cerebral/complicações , Neoplasias/complicações , Meningoencefalite/complicações
3.
Ecol Evol ; 14(2): e10977, 2024 Feb.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38380062

RESUMO

Behavioural, physiological and biochemical mechanisms constitute the adaptive capacities that allow marine ectotherms to explore the environment beyond their thermal optimal. Limitations to the efficiency of these mechanisms define the transition from moderate to severe thermal stress, and serve to characterise the thermoregulatory response in the zone of thermal tolerance. We selected a tropical population of Hippocampus erectus to describe the timing of the physiological and biochemical mechanisms in response to the following increments in water temperature: (i) 4°C abrupt (26-30°C in <5 min); (ii) 7°C abrupt (26-33°C); (iii) 4°C gradual (1°C every 3 h) and (iv) 7°C gradual (1.5°C every 3 h). The routine metabolic rate (Rrout) of juvenile H. erectus was measured immediately before and after 0.5, 12 and 28 h of being exposed to each thermal treatment. Samples of muscle and abdominal organs were taken to quantify indicators of aerobic and anaerobic metabolism and antioxidant enzymes and oxidative stress at each moment throughout exposure. Results showed a full thermoregulatory response within 0.5 h: Rrout increased in direct correspondence with both the magnitude and rate of thermal increase; peroxidised lipids rapidly accumulated before the antioxidant defence was activated and early lactate concentrations suggested an immediate, yet temporary, reduction in aerobic scope. After 12 h, Rrout had decreased in sea horses exposed to 30°C, but not to 33°C, where Rrout continued high until the end of trials. Within 28 h of thermal exposure, all metabolite and antioxidant defence indicators had been restored to control levels (26°C). These findings testify to the outstanding thermal plasticity of H. erectus and explain their adjustment to rapid fluctuations in ambient temperature. Such features, however, do not protect this tropical population from the deleterious effects of chronic exposure to temperatures that have been predicted for the future.

4.
Transl Behav Med ; 2024 Feb 10.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38340345

RESUMO

We examined the 12-month maintenance effects of a previously successful integrated model of diabetes care at improving glycemic management and psychological well-being among Latino adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D). A randomized controlled trial (2015-19) compared an integrated care intervention (ICI) with usual care among 456 adults with T2D. The ICI included integrated medical and behavioral care and health education over 6 months. Assessments were completed at baseline, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. Most participants were female (63.7%) with a mean age of 55.7 years. In multilevel models, significant Group × Time (quadratic) interaction effects were found for HbA1c [Bint = 0.10, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.02, 0.17, P < .01] and anxiety symptoms (Bint = 0.20, 95% CI 0.05, 0.35, P < .009), but not depression symptoms (Bint = 0.15, 95% CI -0.01, 0.31, P < .07). Analyses of instantaneous rate of change in the ICI group showed significant decreases at 3 and 6 months for both HbAc1 (B = -0.31 at 3 months; B = -0.12 at 6 months) and anxiety symptoms (B = -0.92 at 3 months; B = -0.46 at 6 months), and no significant instantaneous changes at 9 or 12 months, suggesting that initial improvements were largely maintained. The usual care group showed a small decrease in anxiety symptoms at 6 months (B = -0.17), but no other significant changes at any time-point for anxiety or HbA1c (all Ps > .05). This culturally tailored integrated care model shows potential in producing and sustaining positive effects on clinical and psychological outcomes above standard care.


Our previous studies found that a culturally adapted, enhanced service (integrated care intervention) that we developed improved glycemic management and decreased depression and anxiety symptoms over the 6 months that the service was offered. In this study, we examined whether those improvements in diabetes management and depression and anxiety symptoms were maintained up to 6 months after the conclusion of the intervention. The integrated care intervention involved providing medical and behavioral healthcare on the same day and at the same location as well as health education for 6 months. The study participants were 456 Latino adults (aged 23­80 years) who had type 2 diabetes and were not taking insulin. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups: the integrated care intervention or usual care. In this study, we found that the improvements in glycemic management and in anxiety and depression symptoms previously shown were largely maintained. These findings suggest that culturally adapted health services that include both medical and behavioral care and health education programs may benefit Latino patients with type 2 diabetes.

5.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38056684

RESUMO

Microplastics (MP) are vectors for other environmental contaminants, such as metals, being a considerable problem, especially in the aquatic ecosystem. To investigate the combined effects of MP (high density polyethylene) with lead (Pb), we exposed the mangrove fiddler crab Minuca vocator to Pb (50 mg L-1), and MP (25 mg L-1) alone and in mixture, for 5 days. We aimed to determine Pb and MP bioaccumulation, as well as physiological (oxygen consumption and hemolymph osmolality) and biochemical (superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and lipid peroxidation) traits effects. Co-exposure of MP and Pb significantly increased the bioaccumulation of Pb, but reduced MP tissue accumulation. Regarding the physiological traits, increasing osmolality and oxygen consumption rates compared to the control were observed, particularly in the combined Pb and MP exposure. As to biochemical traits, the combination of Pb and MP induced the most significant responses in the enzymatic profile antioxidant enzyme activity. The catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and dismutase superoxide (SOD) decreased compared to individual exposure effects; the combination of MP and Pb had a synergistic effect on promoting lipid peroxidation (LPO). The co-exposure of MP and Pb acted synergistically when compared to the effects of the isolated compounds. Due to the increasing MP contamination in mangroves, more severe physiological and biochemical effects can be expected on mangrove crabs exposed to metal contamination.


Assuntos
Braquiúros , Plásticos , Animais , Catalase/metabolismo , Microplásticos , Chumbo/toxicidade , Estresse Oxidativo , Ecossistema , Antioxidantes/metabolismo , Superóxido Dismutase/metabolismo , Glutationa Peroxidase/metabolismo
6.
Anat Sci Educ ; 17(1): 11-23, 2024.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37850629

RESUMO

Growth in the online survey market may be increasing response burden and possibly jeopardizing higher response rates. This meta-analysis evaluated survey trends over one decade (2011-2020) to determine: (1) changes in survey publication rates over time, (2) changes in response rates over time, (3) typical response rates within health sciences education research, (4) the factors influencing survey completion levels, and (5) common gaps in survey methods and outcomes reporting. Study I estimated survey publication trends between 2011 and 2020 using articles published in the top three health sciences education research journals. Study II searched the anatomical sciences education literature across six databases and extracted study/survey features and survey response rates. Time plots and a proportional meta-analysis were performed. Per 2926 research articles, the annual estimated proportion of studies with survey methodologies has remained constant, with no linear trend (p > 0.050) over time (Study I). Study II reported a pooled absolute response rate of 67% (95% CI = 63.9-69.0) across 360 studies (k), totaling 115,526 distributed surveys. Despite response rate oscillations over time, no significant linear trend (p = 0.995) was detected. Neither survey length, incentives, sponsorship, nor population type affected absolute response rates (p ≥ 0.070). Only 35% (120 of 339) of studies utilizing a Likert scale reported evidence of survey validity. Survey response rates and the prevalence of studies with survey methodologies have remained stable with no linear trends over time. We recommend researchers strive for a typical absolute response rate of 67% or higher and clearly document evidence of survey validity for empirical studies.


Assuntos
Anatomia , Anatomia/educação , Inquéritos e Questionários , Escolaridade , Motivação
7.
Bull Environ Contam Toxicol ; 111(5): 60, 2023 Oct 31.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37903889

RESUMO

Benzophenone-3 (BP-3) is an active ingredient in sunscreen lotions and personal-care products that protects against the damaging effects of ultraviolet rays. Given its worldwide dissemination, it has been linked with harmful effects on aquatic biota; however, its impact is not fully understood calling for further studies. To understand the impacts on an important economically and ecologically species, we evaluated the toxicity of BP-3 during the embryonic development of Octopus maya. Embryos were exposed to increasing concentrations of up to 500 µg BP-3/L until hatching. Antioxidant enzyme activities, oxidative-stress indicators, and B-esterases activities were measured at different developmental phases (organogenesis, activation, and growth). There were no significant differences between treatments, suggesting the lack of production of toxic metabolites that may be related to a protective chorion, an underdeveloped detoxification system, and the experimental conditions that limited phototoxicity.


Assuntos
Octopodiformes , Animais , Carboxilesterase/farmacologia , Estresse Oxidativo , Antioxidantes/farmacologia , Desenvolvimento Embrionário
9.
J Therm Biol ; 114: 103495, 2023 May.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37276747

RESUMO

Ocean warming is expected to occur due to anthropogenic climate change bringing a spatial shift of marine communities. Experimental data that characterize the aerobic power budget via an aerobic scope, thermal metabolic scope, or thermal preferences have been proposed as tools that can describe species distribution since they characterize species fitness or performance under different temperatures. This study tested the potential relationship between observed occurrences and different physiological studies in the Americas for 11 commercially important species in Mexico. Projections were also developed for Mexico's exclusive economic zone under different climate warming scenarios. The physiological data were fitted from optimum up to pejus temperatures and projected to sea surface temperatures for present (2003-2014) and Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) scenarios (RCP 2.6, RCP 4.5, RCP 6.0, and RCP 8.5) for the period 2040-2050 and 2090-2100. For species with wide distributions in the Americas, the number of occurrences reported decreases at higher latitudes related to the decrease in species performance calculated from laboratory experiments. In addition, higher species occurrences are usually reported around optimum temperatures. Overall, the results suggest that pejus temperatures likely restrict latitudinal distribution, at least for widely distributed taxons. Regarding Mexican projections, the results varied widely by species. For example, in the Atlantic Ocean, Octopus maya and Panulirus argus are vulnerable to warming scenarios, while Centropomus undecimalis is not. Interestingly, northern Campeche Bank, the Gulf of California, and Western Baja California may act as thermal refugia for marine species indicating they could be assigned as protected areas to support fisheries throughout the Mexican exclusive economic zone. This research adds to the increasing evidence of the relationship between thermal niche and wild population distribution.


Assuntos
Mudança Climática , Meio Ambiente , México , Temperatura , Refúgio de Vida Selvagem , Ecossistema
10.
Bull Environ Contam Toxicol ; 110(3): 63, 2023 Mar 14.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36917264

RESUMO

No ecotoxicological information exists on phenanthrene (Phe) exposure in cephalopods, animals of commercial and ecological importance. This study investigated the effect of Phe on two B-esterases, Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and Carboxylesterases (CbE), in Octopus maya embryos. Octopus embryos were exposed to different treatments: control (seawater), solvent control (seawater and DMSO 0.01%), 10 and 100 µg/L of Phe. AChE and CbE activities were measured at different developmental stages (blastula, organogenesis, and growth). B-esterase activities increased in control and solvent control as the embryos developed, showing no statistically significant differences between them. On the other hand, the embryos exposed to Phe had significant differences from controls, and between the high and low concentrations. Our results indicate that B-esterases are sensitive biomarkers of exposure to Phe in O. maya. Still, complementary studies are needed to unravel the toxicodynamics of Phe and the implications of the found inhibitory effect in hatched organisms.


Assuntos
Octopodiformes , Fenantrenos , Animais , Acetilcolinesterase , Esterases , Fenantrenos/toxicidade , Solventes
12.
Anim Cogn ; 26(3): 1065-1072, 2023 Jun.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36809584

RESUMO

The Novel Object Recognition task (NOR) is widely used to study vertebrates' memory. It has been proposed as an adequate model for studying memory in different taxonomic groups, allowing similar and comparable results. Although in cephalopods, several research reports could indicate that they recognize objects in their environment, it has not been tested as an experimental paradigm that allows studying different memory phases. This study shows that two-month-old and older Octopus maya subjects can differentiate between a new object and a known one, but one-month-old subjects cannot. Furthermore, we observed that octopuses use vision and tactile exploration of new objects to achieve object recognition, while familiar objects only need to be explored visually. To our knowledge, this is the first time showing an invertebrate performing the NOR task similarly to how it is performed in vertebrates. These results establish a guide to studying object recognition memory in octopuses and the ontological development of that memory.


Assuntos
Octopodiformes , Reconhecimento Psicológico , Animais , Comportamento Exploratório , Percepção Visual , Reconhecimento Visual de Modelos
13.
Nutrients ; 14(21)2022 Oct 26.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36364758

RESUMO

Engaging in multiple health risk behaviors simultaneously may increase the risk for cardiometabolic diseases. This study examined the prevalence and clustering of three health behaviors (physical activity, fruit and vegetable consumption, and smoking) among Latino men. The participants were 99 Mexican and 104 Puerto Rican men who participated in a study addressing culture- and obesity-related factors. The health behaviors were obtained from self-reported and anthropometric assessments through objective measurements. Among all participants, 5% had no health risk behaviors, 30% had one, 47% had two, and 18% had all three; their most common health risk behavior cluster was low physical activity and low fruit and vegetable consumption (28%). Among Puerto Rican men, 7% had no health risk behaviors, 24% had one, 51% had two, and 18% had all three; their most common health risk behavior cluster was current smoker and low fruit and vegetable consumption (28%). Among Mexican men, 3% had no health risk behaviors, 36% had one, 43% had two and 19% had all three; their most common health risk behavior cluster was low physical activity and low fruit and vegetable consumption (33%). The findings highlight the need for lifestyle interventions that target multiple health risk behaviors related to cardiometabolic diseases in Latinos.


Assuntos
Doenças Cardiovasculares , Hispânico ou Latino , Masculino , Humanos , Porto Rico , Doenças Cardiovasculares/epidemiologia , Análise por Conglomerados , Assunção de Riscos
14.
Nutrients ; 14(21)2022 Nov 03.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36364897

RESUMO

This study examined the logistical, practical, and cultural preferences of Latinos regarding the design of a healthy eating, physical activity, and body image intervention. Puerto Rican and Mexican men (n = 203) completed an interview as part of an NIH-funded study. Overall, 66.5% preferred the intervention to be in Spanish only or both Spanish and English; 88.67% said it was moderately, very or extremely important for the intervention leader to be bilingual; and 66.01% considered it moderately to extremely important for the leader to be Hispanic or Latino. Most participants (83.74%) reported they would be willing to attend an intervention that met twice per week and 74.38% said they would be willing to attend an intervention that met for 1.5 to 2 h, twice weekly. Overall, the majority said they would be moderately to extremely interested in attending an exercise program if it consisted of aerobics with Latin or salsa movements (74.88%) and if it consisted of aerobics with Latin or salsa music (70.44%). Some participants were moderately to extremely interested in attending an intervention if it included dichos (Latino sayings) (65.02%) and cuentos (folktales or stories) (69.46%). The findings have implications for lifestyle and body image interventions aimed at preventing cardiometabolic diseases.


Assuntos
Imagem Corporal , Dieta Saudável , Masculino , Humanos , Exercício Físico , Homens , Hispânico ou Latino
15.
Front Physiol ; 13: 928013, 2022.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36160859

RESUMO

Current understanding of cephalopod digestive tract physiology is based on relatively "old" literature and a "mosaic of data" from multiple species. To provide a background to the discussion of methodologies for investigating physiology we first review the anatomy of the cephalopod digestive tract with a focus on Octopus vulgaris, highlighting structure-function relationships and species differences with potential functional consequences (e.g., absence of a crop in cuttlefish and squid; presence of a caecal sac in squid). We caution about extrapolation of data on the digestive system physiology from one cephalopod species to another because of the anatomical differences. The contribution of anatomical and histological techniques (e.g., digestive enzyme histochemistry and neurotransmitter immunohistochemistry) to understanding physiological processes is discussed. For each major digestive tract function we briefly review current knowledge, and then discuss techniques and their limitations for the following parameters: 1) Measuring motility in vitro (e.g., spatiotemporal mapping, tension and pressure), in vivo (labelled food, high resolution ultrasound) and aspects of pharmacology; 2) Measuring food ingestion and the time course of digestion with an emphasis on understanding enzyme function in each gut region with respect to time; 3) Assessing transepithelial transport of nutrients; 4) Measuring the energetic cost of food processing, impact of environmental temperature and metabolic rate (flow-through/intermittent respirometry); 4) Investigating neural (brain, gastric ganglion, enteric) and endocrine control processes with an emphasis on application of molecular techniques to identify receptors and their ligands. A number of major knowledge lacunae are identified where available techniques need to be applied to cephalopods, these include: 1) What is the physiological function of the caecal leaflets and intestinal typhlosoles in octopus? 2) What role does the transepithelial transport in the caecum and intestine play in ion, water and nutrient transport? 3) What information is signalled from the digestive tract to the brain regarding the food ingested and the progress of digestion? It is hoped that by combining discussion of the physiology of the cephalopod digestive system with an overview of techniques and identification of key knowledge gaps that this will encourage a more systematic approach to research in this area.

16.
PLoS One ; 17(8): e0273554, 2022.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36037204

RESUMO

Mitochondrial respirometry is key to understand how environmental factors model energetic cellular process. In the case of ectotherms, thermal tolerance has been hypothesized to be intimately linked with mitochondria capability to produce enough adenosine triphosphate (ATP) to respond to the energetic demands of animals in high temperatures. In a recent study made in Octopus maya was proposed the hypothesis postulating that high temperatures could restrain female reproduction due to the limited capacity of the animals' heart to sustain oxygen flow to the body, affecting in this manner energy production in the rest of the organs, including the ovarium Meza-Buendia AK et al. (2021). Unfortunately, until now, no reports have shown temperature effects and other environmental variables on cephalopod mitochondria activity because of the lack of a method to evaluate mitochondrial respiratory parameters in those species' groups. In this sense and for the first time, this study developed a method to obtain mitochondrial respirometry data of adult Octopus maya's heart. This protocol illustrates a step-by-step procedure to get high yield and functional mitochondria of cephalopod heart and procedure for determining the corresponding respiratory parameters. The procedure described in this paper takes approximately 3 to 4 hours from isolation of intact mitochondria to measurement of mitochondrial oxygen consumption.


Assuntos
Octopodiformes , Trifosfato de Adenosina/metabolismo , Animais , Feminino , Coração , Mitocôndrias/metabolismo , Mitocôndrias Cardíacas/metabolismo , Consumo de Oxigênio
17.
Am J Trop Med Hyg ; 2022 Apr 11.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35405656

RESUMO

Behavioral economic principles are increasingly being used in the fight against HIV, including improving voluntary testing in sub-Saharan Africa and South America. However, behavioral nudges have not been widely tested as a strategy to optimize HIV testing in pregnant women. Here, we assessed whether behavioral nudges or financial incentives were effective in optimizing HIV testing among pregnant women in a high-HIV burden setting. A randomized clinical trial was conducted between May 21 and Oct 5, 2018, to allocate pregnant women in Ecuador into three study arms: information only, soft commitment (i.e., a behavioral nudge), and financial incentives. All participants received an informational flyer, including the address of a testing location. Participants in the soft-commitment arm signed and kept a form on which they committed to get tested for HIV. Those in the financial incentive arm received a $10 incentive when tested for HIV. A stepwise logistic regression analysis estimated the effect of the study arms on HIV testing rate. Participants in the financial-incentive arm had higher odds of getting an HIV test (adjusted odds ratio 17.06, P < 0.001) as compared with information-only participants. Soft-commitment had the opposite effect (adjusted odds ratio 0.14, P = 0.014). Financial incentives might be useful in improving HIV testing among pregnant women, especially among those who might be at higher risk but who have not completed an HIV test.

18.
PeerJ ; 10: e12895, 2022.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35378931

RESUMO

Background: Elevated temperatures reduce fertilization and egg-laying rates in the octopus species. However, the molecular mechanisms that control the onset of fertilization and egg-laying in the octopus' oviducal gland are still unclear; and the effect of temperature on the expression of key reproductive genes is unknown. This study aims to better understand the molecular bases of octopus fertilization and egg-laying, and how they are affected by elevated temperatures. Method: RNA-seq of oviducal glands was performed for samples before, during, and after fertilization and their transcriptomic profiles were compared. Also, at the fertilization stage, the optimal and thermal-stress conditions were contrasted. Expression levels of key reproductive genes were validated via RT-qPCR. Results: In mated females before egg-laying, genes required for the synthesis of spermine, spermidine, which may prevent premature fertilization, and the myomodulin neuropeptide were upregulated. Among the genes with higher expression at the fertilization stage, we found those encoding the receptors of serotonin, dopamine, and progesterone; genes involved in the assembly and motility of the sperm flagellum; genes that participate in the interaction between male and female gametes; and genes associated with the synthesis of eggshell mucoproteins. At temperatures above the optimal range for reproduction, mated females reduced the fertilization rate. This response coincided with the upregulation of myomodulin and APGW-amide neuropeptides. Also, genes associated with fertilization like LGALS3, VWC2, and Pcsk1 were downregulated at elevated temperatures. Similarly, in senescent females, genes involved in fertilization were downregulated but those involved in the metabolism of steroid hormones like SRD5A1 were highly expressed.


Assuntos
Octopodiformes , Transcriptoma , Humanos , Animais , Masculino , Feminino , Temperatura , Transcriptoma/genética , Octopodiformes/genética , Sêmen , Fertilização/genética
19.
Polymers (Basel) ; 14(6)2022 Mar 20.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35335578

RESUMO

The current geopolymers have limited mechanical strength against the effect of tension, which makes them susceptible to brittle failure. However, owing to their potential as a sustainable construction material, there is growing interest in improving the poor mechanical properties of geopolymers. This study experimentally investigated crucial properties of polypropylene-fiber-reinforced fly ash-based geopolymer composites. The effects of polypropylene fibers (PPF) addition (0.5%, 1.0% and 1.5% by volume) on the mechanical properties of the geopolymer composites were investigated with respect to compressive and flexural strength, deformation behavior of Young's and shear moduli, and resilience capacity. In addition, scanning electron microscopy was performed to establish the morphology of the geopolymeric matrix and the fiber-matrix interfacial interaction. The addition of PPF significantly increased the flexural strength: compared with the control, at 7 days it was 27% greater for the 0.5% PPF composite and 65% greater for the 1.0% PPF composite. By 14 days it was 31% and 61% greater, respectively. By contrast, the 1.5% PPF composite had lower strength parameters compared with the control because the fiber dispersion increased the porosity. Similar trends were seen for resilience. The SEM observations showed the dispersion of the fibers and helped elucidate the fiber-matrix interaction mechanism.

20.
Pharmaceutics ; 14(3)2022 Feb 22.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35335862

RESUMO

Although polyphenols have great pharmacological potential, the main disadvantage is that they have low bioavailability at the desired site. Thus, the use of biocompatible systems for drug delivery is a strategy that is currently gaining great interest. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of microencapsulation of caffeic acid and pinocembrin on the antioxidant and antiangiogenic activity of both polyphenols, by the use of nPSi-ßCD composite microparticles. For this HUVEC, cells were exposed to H2O2 and to treatments with polyphenols in solution and loaded in the composite microparticle. The polyphenols were incorporated into a microparticle using nanoporous silicon, chitosan and a ß-cyclodextrin polymer as the biomaterial. The evaluation of the antiangiogenic effect of the treatments with polyphenols in solution and microencapsulated was carried out through functional tests, and the changes in the expression of target genes associated with the antioxidant pathway and angiogenesis was performed through qPCR. The results obtained show that the caffeic acid and pinocembrin have an antioxidant and antiangiogenic activity, both in solution as microencapsulated. In the caffeic acid, a greater biological effect was observed when it was incorporated into the nPSi-ßCD composite microparticle. Our results suggest that the nPSi-ßCD composite microparticle could be used as an alternative oral drug administration system.

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