Identifying imprints of externally derived dust and halogens in the sedimentary record of an Iberian alpine lake for the past ∼13,500 years - Lake Peixão, Serra da Estrela (Central Portugal)

Iberian lacustrine sediments are a valuable archive to document environmental changes since the last glacial termination, seen as key for anticipating future climate/environmental changes and their far-reaching implications for generations to come. Herein, multi-proxy-based indicators of a mountain lake record from Serra da Estrela were used to reconstruct atmospheric (in)fluxes and associated climatic/environmental changes over the last ∼13.5 ka. Depositions of long-range transported dust (likely from the Sahara) and halogens (primarily derived from seawater) were higher for the pre-Holocene, particularly in the late Bølling-Allerød-Younger Dryas period, compared to the Holocene. This synchronous increase could be related to a recognized dust-laden atmosphere, along with the combined effect of (i) an earlier proposed effective transport of Sahara dust for higher latitudes during cold periods and (ii) the progressive Polar Front expansion southwards, with the amplification of halogen activation reactions in lower latitudes due to greater closeness to snow/sea ice (halide-laden) surfaces. Additionally, the orographic blocking of Serra da Estrela may have played a critical role in increasing precipitation of Atlantic origin at higher altitudes, with the presence of snow prompting physical and chemical processes involving halogen species. In the Late Holocene, the dust proxy records highlighted two periods of enhanced input to Lake Peixão, the first (∼3.5-2.7 ka BP) after the end of the last African Humid Period and the second, from the 19th century onwards, agreeing with the advent of commercial agriculture, and human contribution to land degradation and dust emission in the Sahara/Sahel region. The oceanic imprints throughout the Holocene matched well with North Atlantic rapid climatic changes that, in turn, coincided with ice-rafted debris or Bond events and other records of increased storminess for the European coasts. Positive parallel peaks in halogens were found in recent times, probably connected to fire extinction by halogenated alkanes and roadway de-icing.

BET Protein Inhibitor JQ1 Ameliorates Experimental Peritoneal Damage by Inhibition of Inflammation and Oxidative Stress

Peritoneal dialysis (PD) is a current replacement therapy for end-stage kidney diseases (ESKDs). However, long-term exposure to PD fluids may lead to damage of the peritoneal membrane (PM) through mechanisms involving the activation of the inflammatory response and mesothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (MMT), leading to filtration failure. Peritoneal damage depends on a complex interaction among external stimuli, intrinsic properties of the PM, and subsequent activities of the local innate-adaptive immune system. Epigenetic drugs targeting bromodomain and extra-terminal domain (BET) proteins have shown beneficial effects on different experimental preclinical diseases, mainly by inhibiting proliferative and inflammatory responses. However the effect of BET inhibition on peritoneal damage has not been studied. To this aim, we have evaluated the effects of treatment with the BET inhibitor JQ1 in a mouse model of peritoneal damage induced by chlorhexidine gluconate (CHX). We found that JQ1 ameliorated the CHX-induced PM thickness and inflammatory cell infiltration. Moreover, JQ1 decreased gene overexpression of proinflammatory and profibrotic markers, together with an inhibition of the nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) pathway. Additionally, JQ1 blocked the activation of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) and restored changes in the mRNA expression levels of NADPH oxidases (NOX1 and NOX4) and NRF2/target antioxidant response genes. To corroborate the in vivo findings, we evaluated the effects of the BET inhibitor JQ1 on PD patients' effluent-derived primary mesothelial cells and on the MeT-5A cell line. JQ1 inhibited tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)-induced proinflammatory gene upregulation and restored MMT phenotype changes, together with the downmodulation of oxidative stress. Taken together, these results suggest that BET inhibitors may be a potential therapeutic option to ameliorate peritoneal damage.

Regulated necrosis role in inflammation and repair in acute kidney injury

Acute kidney injury (AKI) frequently occurs in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and in turn, may cause or accelerate CKD. Therapeutic options in AKI are limited and mostly relate to replacement of kidney function until the kidneys recover spontaneously. Furthermore, there is no treatment that prevents the AKI-to-CKD transition. Regulated necrosis has recently emerged as key player in kidney injury. Specifically, there is functional evidence for a role of necroptosis, ferroptosis or pyroptosis in AKI and the AKI-to-CKD progression. Regulated necrosis may be proinflammatory and immunogenic, triggering subsequent waves of regulated necrosis. In a paradigmatic murine nephrotoxic AKI model, a first wave of ferroptosis was followed by recruitment of inflammatory cytokines such as TWEAK that, in turn, triggered a secondary wave of necroptosis which led to persistent kidney injury and decreased kidney function. A correct understanding of the specific forms of regulated necrosis, their timing and intracellular molecular pathways may help design novel therapeutic strategies to prevent or treat AKI at different stages of the condition, thus improving patient survival and the AKI-to-CKD transition. We now review key regulated necrosis pathways and their role in AKI and the AKI-to-CKD transition both at the time of the initial insult and during the repair phase following AKI.

Mitochondrial Dysfunction in the Cardio-Renal Axis

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) frequently complicates chronic kidney disease (CKD). The risk of all-cause mortality increases from 20% to 500% in patients who suffer both conditions; this is referred to as the so-called cardio-renal syndrome (CRS). Preclinical studies have described the key role of mitochondrial dysfunction in cardiovascular and renal diseases, suggesting that maintaining mitochondrial homeostasis is a promising therapeutic strategy for CRS. In this review, we explore the malfunction of mitochondrial homeostasis (mitochondrial biogenesis, dynamics, oxidative stress, and mitophagy) and how it contributes to the development and progression of the main vascular pathologies that could be affected by kidney injury and vice versa, and how this knowledge may guide the development of novel therapeutic strategies in CRS.

Regulated cell death pathways in kidney disease

Disorders of cell number that result from an imbalance between the death of parenchymal cells and the proliferation or recruitment of maladaptive cells contributes to the pathogenesis of kidney disease. Acute kidney injury can result from an acute loss of kidney epithelial cells. In chronic kidney disease, loss of kidney epithelial cells leads to glomerulosclerosis and tubular atrophy, whereas interstitial inflammation and fibrosis result from an excess of leukocytes and myofibroblasts. Other conditions, such as acquired cystic disease and kidney cancer, are characterized by excess numbers of cyst wall and malignant cells, respectively. Cell death modalities act to clear unwanted cells, but disproportionate responses can contribute to the detrimental loss of kidney cells. Indeed, pathways of regulated cell death - including apoptosis and necrosis - have emerged as central events in the pathogenesis of various kidney diseases that may be amenable to therapeutic intervention. Modes of regulated necrosis, such as ferroptosis, necroptosis and pyroptosis may cause kidney injury directly or through the recruitment of immune cells and stimulation of inflammatory responses. Importantly, multiple layers of interconnections exist between different modalities of regulated cell death, including shared triggers, molecular components and protective mechanisms.

Serum Lipid & Hematological Profiles in Assessing Single & Multiple Soil-Transmitted Helminth Infections among Direct Fecal Smear Positive Patients in a Tertiary Provincial Hospital in Sorsogon, Philippines

Introduction/Objective

Soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections have been recognized to be a global phenomenon and are still prevalent in tropical countries, particularly those with low human development index such as the Philippines. Previous literature have reported changes in the hematologic and serum lipid parameters of individuals with STH infections, however, there has yet to be a study in the Philippines regarding the association of said parameters to STH infections. This correlation could be valuable in evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of STH infected patients.

Methods/Case Report

The study assessed single and multiple helminth infections caused by STH, particularly A. lumbricoides, T. trichiura, and hookworm direct fecal smear (DFS) positive patients and its correlation to hematologic and serum lipid parameters. The researchers followed a retrospective and systematic approach wherein data readily available from DFS positive patients aged 5-19 years old with complete serum lipid profile (total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, and triglycerides) and complete blood count (RBC count, hemoglobin, hematocrit, MCV, MCH, MCHC, WBC count, neutrophil count, lymphocyte count, monocyte count, eosinophil count, and platelet count) from the tertiary provincial hospital were utilized. Mean and standard deviation were used for the age and hematologic parameters. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with Tukey’s HSD was used for post hoc analysis while Fisher exact test was used to compare the percentages among the groups of patients. Statistical tests were performed using RStudio, at 5% level of significance.

Results (if a Case Study enter NA)

Patients with multiple STH infection have greater risk of lymphopenia than patients with single helminth infection (p=0.053). Moreover, eosinophilia is more observed in patients infected with T. trichiura, hookworm, or with multiple STH infections compared to patients infected with A. lumbricoides alone (p=0.023).

Conclusion

This study demonstrated significant differences among DFS positive patients with single and multiple STH infections in both serum and hematological profiles.

Oxidative Stress and Cellular Senescence Are Involved in the Aging Kidney

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) can be considered as a clinical model for premature aging. However, non-invasive biomarkers to detect early kidney damage and the onset of a senescent phenotype are lacking. Most of the preclinical senescence studies in aging have been done in very old mice. Furthermore, the precise characterization and over-time development of age-related senescence in the kidney remain unclear. To address these limitations, the age-related activation of cellular senescence-associated mechanisms and their correlation with early structural changes in the kidney were investigated in 3- to 18-month-old C57BL6 mice. Inflammatory cell infiltration was observed by 12 months, whereas tubular damage and collagen accumulation occurred later. Early activation of cellular-senescence-associated mechanisms was found in 12-month-old mice, characterized by activation of the DNA-damage-response (DDR), mainly in tubular cells; activation of the antioxidant NRF2 pathway; and klotho downregulation. However, induction of tubular-cell-cycle-arrest (CCA) and overexpression of renal senescent-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) components was only found in 18-month-old mice. In aging mice, both inflammation and oxidative stress (marked by elevated lipid peroxidation and NRF2 inactivation) remained increased. These findings support the hypothesis that prolonged DDR and CCA, loss of nephroprotective factors (klotho), and dysfunctional redox regulatory mechanisms (NRF2/antioxidant defense) can be early drivers of age-related kidney-damage progression.

Modeling the impact of SARS-CoV-2 variants and vaccines on the spread of COVID-19

The continuous mutation of SARS-CoV-2 opens the possibility of the appearance of new variants of the virus with important differences in its spreading characteristics, mortality rates, etc. On 14 December 2020, the United Kingdom reported a potentially more contagious coronavirus variant, present in that country, which is referred to as VOC 202012/01. On 18 December 2020, the South African government also announced the emergence of a new variant in a scenario similar to that of the UK, which is referred to as variant 501.V2. Another important milestone regarding this pandemic was the beginning, in December 2020, of vaccination campaigns in several countries. There are several vaccines, with different characteristics, developed by various laboratories and research centers. A natural question arises: what could be the impact of these variants and vaccines on the spread of COVID-19? Many models have been proposed to simulate the spread of COVID-19 but, to the best of our knowledge, none of them incorporates the effects of potential SARS-CoV-2 variants together with the vaccines in the spread of COVID-19. We develop here a θ - i j -SVEIHQRD mathematical model able to simulate the possible impact of this type of variants and of the vaccines, together with the main mechanisms influencing the disease spread. The model may be of interest for policy makers, as a tool to evaluate different possible future scenarios. We apply the model to the particular case of Italy (as an example of study case), showing different outcomes. We observe that the vaccines may reduce the infections, but they might not be enough for avoiding a new wave, with the current expected vaccination rates in that country, if the control measures are relaxed. Furthermore, a more contagious variant could increase significantly the cases, becoming the most common way of infection. We show how, even with the pandemic cases slowing down (with an effective reproduction number less than 1) and the disease seeming to be under control, the effective reproduction number of just the new variant may be greater than 1 and, eventually, the number of infections would increase towards a new disease wave. Therefore, a rigorous follow-up of the evolution of the number of infections with any potentially more dangerous new variant is of paramount importance at any stage of the pandemic.

Modeling the impact of SARS-CoV-2 variants and vaccines on the spread of COVID-19

The continuous mutation of SARS-CoV-2 opens the possibility of the appearance of new variants of the virus with important differences in its spreading characteristics, mortality rates, etc. On 14 December 2020, the United Kingdom reported a potentially more contagious coronavirus variant, present in that country, which is referred to as VOC 202012/01. On 18 December 2020, the South African government also announced the emergence of a new variant in a scenario similar to that of the UK, which is referred to as variant 501.V2. Another important milestone regarding this pandemic was the beginning, in December 2020, of vaccination campaigns in several countries. There are several vaccines, with different characteristics, developed by various laboratories and research centers. A natural question arises: what could be the impact of these variants and vaccines on the spread of COVID-19? Many models have been proposed to simulate the spread of COVID-19 but, to the best of our knowledge, none of them incorporates the effects of potential SARS-CoV-2 variants together with the vaccines in the spread of COVID-19. We develop here a θ - i j -SVEIHQRD mathematical model able to simulate the possible impact of this type of variants and of the vaccines, together with the main mechanisms influencing the disease spread. The model may be of interest for policy makers, as a tool to evaluate different possible future scenarios. We apply the model to the particular case of Italy (as an example of study case), showing different outcomes. We observe that the vaccines may reduce the infections, but they might not be enough for avoiding a new wave, with the current expected vaccination rates in that country, if the control measures are relaxed. Furthermore, a more contagious variant could increase significantly the cases, becoming the most common way of infection. We show how, even with the pandemic cases slowing down (with an effective reproduction number less than 1) and the disease seeming to be under control, the effective reproduction number of just the new variant may be greater than 1 and, eventually, the number of infections would increase towards a new disease wave. Therefore, a rigorous follow-up of the evolution of the number of infections with any potentially more dangerous new variant is of paramount importance at any stage of the pandemic.

Modeling the impact of SARS-CoV-2 variants and vaccines on the spread of COVID-19

The continuous mutation of SARS-CoV-2 opens the possibility of the appearance of new variants of the virus with important differences in its spreading characteristics, mortality rates, etc. On 14 December 2020, the United Kingdom reported a potentially more contagious coronavirus variant, present in that country, which is referred to as VOC 202012/01. On 18 December 2020, the South African government also announced the emergence of a new variant in a scenario similar to that of the UK, which is referred to as variant 501.V2. Another important milestone regarding this pandemic was the beginning, in December 2020, of vaccination campaigns in several countries. There are several vaccines, with different characteristics, developed by various laboratories and research centers. A natural question arises: what could be the impact of these variants and vaccines on the spread of COVID-19? Many models have been proposed to simulate the spread of COVID-19 but, to the best of our knowledge, none of them incorporates the effects of potential SARS-CoV-2 variants together with the vaccines in the spread of COVID-19. We develop here a θ - i j -SVEIHQRD mathematical model able to simulate the possible impact of this type of variants and of the vaccines, together with the main mechanisms influencing the disease spread. The model may be of interest for policy makers, as a tool to evaluate different possible future scenarios. We apply the model to the particular case of Italy (as an example of study case), showing different outcomes. We observe that the vaccines may reduce the infections, but they might not be enough for avoiding a new wave, with the current expected vaccination rates in that country, if the control measures are relaxed. Furthermore, a more contagious variant could increase significantly the cases, becoming the most common way of infection. We show how, even with the pandemic cases slowing down (with an effective reproduction number less than 1) and the disease seeming to be under control, the effective reproduction number of just the new variant may be greater than 1 and, eventually, the number of infections would increase towards a new disease wave. Therefore, a rigorous follow-up of the evolution of the number of infections with any potentially more dangerous new variant is of paramount importance at any stage of the pandemic.

RICORS2040: the need for collaborative research in chronic kidney disease

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a silent and poorly known killer. The current concept of CKD is relatively young and uptake by the public, physicians and health authorities is not widespread. Physicians still confuse CKD with chronic kidney insufficiency or failure. For the wider public and health authorities, CKD evokes kidney replacement therapy (KRT). In Spain, the prevalence of KRT is 0.13%. Thus health authorities may consider CKD a non-issue: very few persons eventually need KRT and, for those in whom kidneys fail, the problem is ‘solved’ by dialysis or kidney transplantation. However, KRT is the tip of the iceberg in the burden of CKD. The main burden of CKD is accelerated ageing and premature death. The cut-off points for kidney function and kidney damage indexes that define CKD also mark an increased risk for all-cause premature death. CKD is the most prevalent risk factor for lethal coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the factor that most increases the risk of death in COVID-19, after old age. Men and women undergoing KRT still have an annual mortality that is 10- to 100-fold higher than similar-age peers, and life expectancy is shortened by ~40 years for young persons on dialysis and by 15 years for young persons with a functioning kidney graft. CKD is expected to become the fifth greatest global cause of death by 2040 and the second greatest cause of death in Spain before the end of the century, a time when one in four Spaniards will have CKD. However, by 2022, CKD will become the only top-15 global predicted cause of death that is not supported by a dedicated well-funded Centres for Biomedical Research (CIBER) network structure in Spain. Realizing the underestimation of the CKD burden of disease by health authorities, the Decade of the Kidney initiative for 2020–2030 was launched by the American Association of Kidney Patients and the European Kidney Health Alliance. Leading Spanish kidney researchers grouped in the kidney collaborative research network Red de Investigación Renal have now applied for the Redes de Investigación Cooperativa Orientadas a Resultados en Salud (RICORS) call for collaborative research in Spain with the support of the Spanish Society of Nephrology, Federación Nacional de Asociaciones para la Lucha Contra las Enfermedades del Riñón and ONT: RICORS2040 aims to prevent the dire predictions for the global 2040 burden of CKD from becoming true.

A simple but complex enough θ -SIR type model to be used with COVID-19 real data. Application to the case of Italy

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in China many models have appeared in the literature, trying to simulate its dynamics. Focusing on modeling the biological and sociological mechanisms which influence the disease spread, the basic reference example is the SIR model. However, it is too simple to be able to model those mechanisms (including the three main types of control measures: social distancing, contact tracing and health system measures) to fit real data and to simulate possible future scenarios. A question, then, arises: how much and how do we need to complexify a SIR model? We develop a θ -SEIHQRD model, which may be the simplest one satisfying the mentioned requirements for arbitrary territories and can be simplified in particular cases. We show its very good performance in the Italian case and study different future scenarios.

Renin-angiotensin system and inflammation update

The most classical view of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) emphasizes its role as an endocrine regulator of sodium balance and blood pressure. However, it has long become clear that the RAS has pleiotropic actions that contribute to organ damage, including modulation of inflammation. Angiotensin II (Ang II) activates angiotensin type 1 receptors (AT1R) to promote an inflammatory response and organ damage. This represents the pathophysiological basis for the successful use of RAS blockers to prevent and treat kidney and heart disease. However, other RAS components could have a built-in capacity to brake proinflammatory responses. Angiotensin type 2 receptor (AT2R) activation can oppose AT1R actions, such as vasodilatation, but its involvement in modulation of inflammation has not been conclusively proven. Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) can process Ang II to generate angiotensin-(1-7) (Ang-(1-7)), that activates the Mas receptor to exert predominantly anti-inflammatory responses depending on the context. We now review recent advances in the understanding of the interaction of the RAS with inflammation. Specific topics in which novel information became available recently include intracellular angiotensin receptors; AT1R posttranslational modifications by tissue transglutaminase (TG2) and anti-AT1R autoimmunity; RAS modulation of lymphoid vessels and T lymphocyte responses, especially of Th17 and Treg responses; interactions with toll-like receptors (TLRs), programmed necrosis, and regulation of epigenetic modulators (e.g. microRNAs and bromodomain and extraterminal domain (BET) proteins). We additionally discuss an often overlooked effect of the RAS on inflammation which is the downregulation of anti-inflammatory factors such as klotho, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ co-activator 1α (PGC-1α), transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1), SNF-related serine/threonine-protein kinase (SNRK), serine/threonine-protein phosphatase 6 catalytic subunit (Ppp6C) and n-acetyl-seryl-aspartyl-lysyl-proline (Ac-SDKP). Both transcription factors, such as nuclear factor κB (NF-κB), and epigenetic regulators, such as miRNAs are involved in downmodulation of anti-inflammatory responses. A detailed analysis of pathways and targets for downmodulation of anti-inflammatory responses constitutes a novel frontier in RAS research.

Statins: Could an old friend help in the fight against COVID-19?

The COVID-19 pandemic caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has overwhelmed healthcare systems requiring the rapid development of treatments, at least, to reduce COVID-19 severity. Drug repurposing offers a fast track. Here, we discuss the potential beneficial effects of statins in COVID-19 patients based on evidence that they may target virus receptors, replication, degradation, and downstream responses in infected cells, addressing both basic research and epidemiological information. Briefly, statins could modulate virus entry, acting on the SARS-CoV-2 receptors, ACE2 and CD147, and/or lipid rafts engagement. Statins, by inducing autophagy activation, could regulate virus replication or degradation, exerting protective effects. The well-known anti-inflammatory properties of statins, by blocking several molecular mechanisms, including NF-κB and NLRP3 inflammasomes, could limit the "cytokine storm" in severe COVID-19 patients which is linked to fatal outcome. Finally, statin moderation of coagulation response activation may also contribute to improving COVID-19 outcomes. LINKED ARTICLES: This article is part of a themed issue on The Pharmacology of COVID-19. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v177.21/issuetoc.

Mathematical modeling of the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) taking into account the undetected infections. The case of China

In this paper we develop a mathematical model for the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). It is a new θ-SEIHRD model (not a SIR, SEIR or other general purpose model), which takes into account the known special characteristics of this disease, as the existence of infectious undetected cases and the different sanitary and infectiousness conditions of hospitalized people. In particular, it includes a novel approach that considers the fraction θ of detected cases over the real total infected cases, which allows to study the importance of this ratio on the impact of COVID-19. The model is also able to estimate the needs of beds in hospitals. It is complex enough to capture the most important effects, but also simple enough to allow an affordable identification of its parameters, using the data that authorities report on this pandemic. We study the particular case of China (including Chinese Mainland, Macao, Hong-Kong and Taiwan, as done by the World Health Organization in its reports on COVID-19), the country spreading the disease, and use its reported data to identify the model parameters, which can be of interest for estimating the spread of COVID-19 in other countries. We show a good agreement between the reported data and the estimations given by our model. We also study the behavior of the outputs returned by our model when considering incomplete reported data (by truncating them at some dates before and after the peak of daily reported cases). By comparing those results, we can estimate the error produced by the model when identifying the parameters at early stages of the pandemic. Finally, taking into account the advantages of the novelties introduced by our model, we study different scenarios to show how different values of the percentage of detected cases would have changed the global magnitude of COVID-19 in China, which can be of interest for policy makers.

Ferroptosis and kidney disease

Cell death is a finely regulated process occurring through different pathways. Regulated cell death, either through apoptosis or regulated necrosis offers the possibility of therapeutic intervention. Necroptosis and ferroptosis are among the best studied forms of regulated necrosis in the context of kidney disease. We now review the current evidence supporting a role for ferroptosis in kidney disease and the implications of this knowledge for the design of novel therapeutic strategies. Ferroptosis is defined functionally, as a cell modality characterized by peroxidation of certain lipids, constitutively suppressed by GPX4 and inhibited by iron chelators and lipophilic antioxidants. There is functional evidence of the involvement of ferroptosis in diverse forms of kidneys disease. In a well characterized nephrotoxic acute kidney injury model, ferroptosis caused an initial wave of death, triggering an inflammatory response that in turn promoted necroptotic cell death that perpetuated kidney dysfunction. This suggests that ferroptosis inhibitors may be explored as prophylactic agents in clinical nephrotoxicity or ischemia-reperfusion injury such as during kidney transplantation. Transplantation offers the unique opportunity of using anti-ferroptosis agent ex vivo, thus avoiding bioavailability and in vivo pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics issues.

Saharan dust intrusions in the Iberian Peninsula: Predominant synoptic conditions

The Iberian Peninsula (IP) is recurrently affected by dust transport from the Sahara Desert and from the semi-arid Sahel regions. African dust is one of the most important sources of particulate matter in the southern Mediterranean. Therefore, it is vital to understand the underlying processes that lead to episodes of air pollution associated to the occurrence of dust intrusions. This work proposes to make an extended characterization of the preferential circulation weather patterns associated to the onset of dust events affecting the IP between 2006 and 2016. Saharan dust intrusions were analysed and an automatic objective classification procedure was used to classify circulation weather patterns associated to dust events. The spatial distribution of intrusion episodes is not homogeneous throughout the IP, occurring less frequently at northern and northwestern locations than at central and southern sites. Moreover, days with Saharan dust intrusions were more frequent in summer months, and more probable to occur under regimes with a southerly component. Finally, two extreme events with high concentration of particulate matter were analysed relatively to their life-cycle and particle trajectories. The distinct extreme episodes can be associated to different synoptic situations. However, and despite different large-scale configurations, a south or south-easterly component over the region is responsible for the establishment of a dust transport from the Saharan region towards Iberia, and thus leading to the intrusion onset. These results were supported by the calculation of back-trajectories which allowed to source apportioning the particles' origin, through a clear trajectory of air parcels originating from northern Africa in both events. The proposed framework can be useful to the prediction of dust and air pollution events based on the forecast of circulation weather patterns, as the results show that these events across the IP are mainly induced by specific patterns.

Interleukin 17A Participates in Renal Inflammation Associated to Experimental and Human Hypertension

Hypertension is now considered as an inflammatory disease, and the kidney is a key end-organ target. Experimental and clinical studies suggest that interleukin 17A (IL-17A) is a promising therapeutic target in immune and chronic inflammatory diseases, including hypertension and kidney disease. Elevated circulating IL-17A levels have been observed in hypertensive patients. Our aim was to investigate whether chronically elevated circulating IL-17A levels could contribute to kidney damage, using a murine model of systemic IL-17A administration. Blood pressure increased after 14 days of IL-17A infusion in mice when compared with that in control mice, and this was associated to kidney infiltration by inflammatory cells, including CD3⁺ and CD4⁺ lymphocytes and neutrophils. Moreover, proinflammatory factors and inflammatory-related intracellular mechanisms were upregulated in kidneys from IL-17A-infused mice. In line with these findings, in the model of angiotensin II infusion in mice, IL-17A blockade, using an anti-IL17A neutralizing antibody, reduced kidney inflammatory cell infiltrates and chemokine overexpression. In kidney biopsies from patients with hypertensive nephrosclerosis, IL-17A positive cells, mainly Th17 and γδ T lymphocytes, were found. Overall, the results support a pathogenic role of IL-17A in hypertensive kidney disease-associated inflammation. Therapeutic approaches targeting this cytokine should be explored to prevent hypertension-induced kidney injury.

Cell death-based approaches in treatment of the urinary tract-associated diseases: a fight for survival in the killing fields

Urinary tract-associated diseases comprise a complex set of disorders with a variety of etiologic agents and therapeutic approaches and a huge global burden of disease, estimated at around 1 million deaths per year. These diseases include cancer (mainly prostate, renal, and bladder), urinary tract infections, and urolithiasis. Cell death plays a key role in the pathogenesis and therapy of these conditions. During urinary tract infections, invading bacteria may either promote or prevent host cell death by interfering with cell death pathways. This has been studied in detail for uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC). Inhibition of host cell death may allow intracellular persistence of live bacteria, while promoting host cell death causes tissue damage and releases the microbes. Both crystals and urinary tract obstruction lead to tubular cell death and kidney injury. Among the pathomechanisms, apoptosis, necroptosis, and autophagy represent key processes. With respect to malignant disorders, traditional therapeutic efforts have focused on directly promoting cancer cell death. This may exploit tumor-specific characteristics, such as targeting Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) signaling and mammalian Target of Rapamycin (mTOR) activity in renal cancer and inducing survival factor deprivation by targeting androgen signaling in prostate cancer. An area of intense research is the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors, aiming at unleashing the full potential of immune cells to kill cancer cells. In the future, this may be combined with additional approaches exploiting intrinsic sensitivities to specific modes of cell death such as necroptosis and ferroptosis. Here, we review the contribution of diverse cell death mechanisms to the pathogenesis of urinary tract-associated diseases as well as the potential for novel therapeutic approaches based on an improved molecular understanding of these mechanisms.

Clinical proteomics in kidney disease as an exponential technology: heading towards the disruptive phase

Exponential technologies double in power or processing speed every year, whereas their cost halves. Deception and disruption are two key stages in the development of exponential technologies. Deception occurs when, after initial introduction, technologies are dismissed as irrelevant, while they continue to progress, perhaps not as fast or with so many immediate practical applications as initially thought. Twenty years after the first publications, clinical proteomics is still not available in most hospitals and some clinicians have felt deception at unfulfilled promises. However, there are indications that clinical proteomics may be entering the disruptive phase, where, once refined, technologies disrupt established industries or procedures. In this regard, recent manuscripts in CKJ illustrate how proteomics is entering the clinical realm, with applications ranging from the identification of amyloid proteins in the pathology lab, to a new generation of urinary biomarkers for chronic kidney disease (CKD) assessment and outcome prediction. Indeed, one such panel of urinary peptidomics biomarkers, CKD273, recently received a Food and Drug Administration letter of support, the first ever in the CKD field. In addition, a must-read resource providing information on kidney disease-related proteomics and systems biology databases and how to access and use them in clinical decision-making was also recently published in CKJ.

Obstructive renal injury: from fluid mechanics to molecular cell biology

Urinary tract obstruction is a frequent cause of renal impairment. The physiopathology of obstructive nephropathy has long been viewed as a mere mechanical problem. However, recent advances in cell and systems biology have disclosed a complex physiopathology involving a high number of molecular mediators of injury that lead to cellular processes of apoptotic cell death, cell injury leading to inflammation and resultant fibrosis. Functional studies in animal models of ureteral obstruction using a variety of techniques that include genetically modified animals have disclosed an important role for the renin-angiotensin system, transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) and other mediators of inflammation in this process. In addition, high throughput techniques such as proteomics and transcriptomics have identified potential biomarkers that may guide clinical decision-making.

Analysis of the mouse high-growth region in pigs

In the mouse, homozygous animals for the high growth mutation show a 30-50% increase in growth without becoming obese. This region is homologous to the distal part of pig chromosome 5 (SSC5). A previous genome scan detected several quantitative trait loci (QTL) in this region for body composition and meat quality using a three generation Berkshire x Yorkshire resource family. In this study, the effects on swine growth, fat and meat quality traits of three genes previously identified within the mouse high growth region were analysed. The genes studied were CASP2 and RIPKI domain containing adaptor with death domain (CRADD), suppressor of cytokine signalling 2 (SOCS2) and plexinC1 (PLXNC1). In addition, the influence of two other genes located very close to this region, namely the plasma membrane calcium-transporting ATPase 1 (ATP2B1) and dual specificity phosphatase 6 (DUSP6) genes, was also investigated. Single nucleotide polymorphisms were identified and used to map these genes to the QTL region on SSC5. Results indicate significant associations between these genes and several phenotypic traits, including fat deposition and growth in pigs. The present study suggests associations of these genes with swine fat and growth related traits, but further studies are needed in order to clearly identify the genes involved in the regulation of the QTL located on SSC5.

Hydrolysis of sucrose using sulfonated poly(vinyl alcohol) as catalyst

The hydrolysis of sucrose was carried out over poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) with sulfonic acid groups, at 80 degrees C. The products of sucrose hydrolysis were glucose and fructose. A series of PVA with different crosslinking degree were prepared. It was observed that the catalytic activity of PVA matrix increases with the crosslinking degree, due to the increases of the amount of sulfonic acid groups on PVA. Further, the influence of various reaction parameters, such as, catalyst loading, initial concentration of sucrose and temperature, on the hydrolysis of sucrose over PVA_40 was studied. It was found that at 80 degrees C, with 0.511 g of catalyst loading and with an initial concentration of sucrose of 0.6M, a sucrose conversion of about 90%, after 3h, could be obtained. The PVA_40 catalyst was recycled and reused with negligible loss in the activity. A simple kinetic model was developed assuming that the sucrose hydrolysis is an irreversible reaction and the first order with respect to the sucrose concentration. Since the concentration profiles of the reactant and the products do not exhibit any pronounced initial inductive period, the external and internal diffusion of the reactant and products on the catalyst were not considered. It was observed that the kinetic model fits experimental concentration data quite well.

Assessment of the swine protein-annotated oligonucleotide microarray

The specificity and utility of the swine protein-annotated oligonucleotide microarray, or Pigoligoarray (http://www.pigoligoarray.org), has been evaluated by profiling the expression of transcripts from four porcine tissues. Tools for comparative analyses of expression on the Pigoligoarray were developed including HGNC identities and comparative mapping alignments with human orthologs. Hybridization results based on the Pigoligoarray's sets of control, perfect match (PM) and deliberate mismatch (MM) probes provide an important means of assessing non-specific hybridization. Simple descriptive diagnostic analyses of PM/MM probe sets are introduced in this paper as useful tools for detecting non-specific hybridization. Samples of RNA from liver, brain stem, longissimus dorsi muscle and uterine endothelium from four pigs were prepared and hybridized to the arrays. Of the total 20,400 oligonucleotides on the Pigoligoarray, 12,429 transcripts were putatively differentially expressed (DE). Analyses for tissue-specific expression [over-expressed in one tissue with respect to all the remaining three tissues (q < 0.01)] identified 958 DE transcripts in liver, 726 in muscle, 286 in uterine endothelium and 1027 in brain stem. These hybridization results were confirmed by quantitative PCR (QPCR) expression patterns for a subset of genes after affirming that cDNA and amplified antisense RNA (aRNA) exhibited similar QPCR results. Comparison to human ortholog expression confirmed the value of this array for experiments of both agricultural importance and for tests using pigs as a biomedical model for human disease.

Genes located on a SSC17 meat quality QTL region are associated with growth in outbred pig populations

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of markers developed in eight genes, located in a previously detected meat quality QTL region on SSC17, on growth, fat and meat quality traits collected in commercial pig populations of different genetic backgrounds. The genes had been previously mapped to SSC17 as part of a fine-mapping effort. Association analyses were conducted between each marker and the available phenotypic traits. Results showed that three genes (CTSZ, CSTF1 and C20orf43) were significantly associated with the growth traits. In addition, CTSZ also impacted on meat colour, with the less favourable genotype for growth being associated with darker meat. The differences observed between genotypes were substantial and may be of economic importance to pig producers. These markers may be useful for selecting for faster growth or improved meat quality.

Influence of feeding strategies of mixed microbial cultures on the chemical composition and microstructure of copolyesters P(3HB-co-3HV) analyzed by NMR and statistical analysis

NMR spectroscopy was applied for quantitative and qualitative characterization of the chemical composition and microstructure of a series of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydoxyvalerate) copolymers, P(3HB-co-3HV), synthesized by mixed microbial cultures at several different feeding strategies. The monomer sequence distribution of the bacterially synthesized P(3HB-co-3HV) was defined by analysis of their high-resolution 1D (13)C NMR and 2D (1)H/(13)C HSQC and (1)H/(13)C HMBC NMR spectra. The results were verified by employment of statistical methods and suggest a block copolymer microstructure of the P(3HB-co-3HV) copolymers studied. Definitive distinction between block copolymers or a mixture of random copolymers could not be achieved. NMR spectral analysis indicates that the chemical composition and microstructure of the copolymers can be tuned by choosing a correct feeding strategy.

[Posterior reversible encephalopathy and renal failure. Value of the diffusion magnetic resonance]

INTRODUCTION

Posterior reversible encephalopathy (PRE) is a radiological clinical syndrome described for the first time in 1996. The most frequent symptoms are headache, visual disorders, altered mental states and seizures. The basic characteristics is the presence of reversible cerebral injuries generally. They mainly affect the later regions of the brain of bilateral form and they are more prominent in the white matter. It is mainly associated with severe arterial hypertension of fast development and states of immunosuppression.

CASE REPORT

An 11-year-old male child with renal failure that it developed a PRE with extensive affectation corticosubcortical of the cerebral white matter of posterior predominance. Also injuries in frontal lobes, hard body and bulb existed. Its precocious diagnosis by means of conventional magnetic resonance (MR) and diffusion MR allowed a fast treatment, that caused a complete recovery, clinical as much radiological.

CONCLUSION

The MR and the diffusion MR allow to make a diagnosis of certainty of the PRE and to differentiate it from other injuries. The diffusion MR is a fast sequence and of easy essential handling in the precocious diagnosis of this syndrome.

Analysis of FMO genes and off flavour in pork

Off flavours in pork sometimes produce tastes such as sourness, fishy, metallic or other non-typical flavours and are often caused by low pH. Loss of function mutations in flavin containing mono-oxygenase 3 (FMO3) are known to be associated with a fishy off flavour in both chicken eggs and cow's milk and a similar autosomal recessive disorder is present in humans resulting in a fishy odour. FMO3 is a member of a gene family that is clustered on human chromosome 1. Comparative mapping suggested that FMO3 and the remaining FMO genes (ex. FMO1 and FMO5) might map to the orthologous region on pig chromosome 9 (SSC9) where a quantitative trait locus (QTL) for off flavour was previously identified. Primers were designed to amplify FMO1, FMO3 and FMO5 gene fragments and several SNPs were discovered and genotyping tests developed. The genotypes from the Iowa State University Berkshire x Yorkshire resource population were used to linkage map FMO1 and FMO3 to SSC9 and FMO5 to pig chromosome 4 (SSC4). QTL and associations analyses were performed using the map containing FMO1 and FMO3. Results demonstrated that FMO3 and FMO1 mapped less than 1 cM away from the peak for the off flavour QTL previously detected on SSC9 and provide indications of an association between the FMO3 polymorphism and off flavour in pork.

Pharmacologic inhibitors of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERKs) and c-Jun NH(2)-terminal kinase (JNK) decrease glutathione content and sensitize human promonocytic leukemia cells to arsenic trioxide-induced apoptosis

Treatment with 1-4 microM As(2)O(3) slightly induced apoptosis in U-937 human promonocitic leukemia cells. This effect was potentiated by co-treatment with MEK/ERK (PD98059, U0126) and JNK (SP600125, AS601245) inhibitors, but not with p38 (SB203580, SB220025) inhibitors. However, no potentiation was obtained using lonidamine, doxorubicin, or cisplatin instead of As(2)O(3). Apoptosis potentiation by mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) inhibitors involved both the intrinsic and extrinsic executionary pathways, as demonstrated by Bax activation and cytochrome c release from mitochondria, and by caspase-8 activation and Bid cleavage, respectively; and the activation of both pathways was prevented by Bcl-2 over-expression. Treatment with MEK/ERK and JNK inhibitors, but not with p38 inhibitors, caused intracellular glutathione (GSH) depletion, which was differentially regulated. Thus, while it was prevented by N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) in the case of U0126, it behaved as a NAC-insensitive process, regulated at the level of DL-buthionine-(S,R)-sulfoximine (BSO)-sensitive enzyme activity, in the case of SP600125. The MEK/ERK inhibitor also potentiated apoptosis and decreased GSH content in As(2)O(3)-treated NB4 human acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) cells, but none of these effects were produced by the JNK inhibitor. MEK/ERK and JNK inhibitors did not apparently affect As(2)O(3) transport activity, as measured by intracellular arsenic accumulation. SP600126 greatly induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, while BSO and U0126 had little or null effects. These results, which indicate that glutathione is a target of MAP kinases in myeloid leukemia cells, might be exploited to improve the antitumor properties of As(2)O(3), and provide a rationale for the use of kinase inhibitors as therapeutic agents.

Effect of extraction parameters on the chemical structure and gel properties of κ/ι-hybrid carrageenans obtained from Mastocarpus stellatus

Extraction parameters (temperature, pH, duration) and alkaline pre-treatment duration have been systematically varied in the aim of exploring their impact on both chemical structure and gelling properties of carrageenan biopolymers obtained from Mastocarpus stellatus seaweeds, collected on the Northern coast of Portugal. Increasing the alkaline pre-treatment duration PT leads to kappa/iota-hybrid carrageenans containing less sulphate groups and biological precursor monomers. As a result, gel properties in the presence of KCl are improved as demonstrated by the increase in the Young's modulus with parameter PT. Increasing the extraction duration t ameliorates the biopolymer yield with no significant change in the complex kappa/iota-hybrid carrageenan chemical structure. However, smaller molecular weights are obtained and gel properties are seen to be negatively affected. Extraction temperature and pH have dramatic effects on the biopolymer gel strength, and a set of extraction parameters optimized with respect to extraction yield and gel properties is reported. In addition, kappa/iota-hybrid carrageenans obtained throughout this study exhibit a wide range of gel strengths in KCl, and allow us to present correlations between gel thermal properties and the kappa/iota-hybrid carrageenans chemical structure.

Genetic diversity analysis using lowly polymorphic dominant markers: the example of AFLP in pigs

DNA markers are commonly used for large-scale evaluation of genetic diversity in farm animals, as a component of the management of animal genetic resources. AFLP markers are useful for such studies as they can be generated relatively simply; however, challenges in analysis arise from their dominant scoring and the low level of polymorphism of some markers. This paper describes the results obtained with a set of AFLP markers in a study of 59 pig breeds. AFLP fingerprints were generated using four primer combinations (PC), yielding a total of 148 marker loci, and average harmonic mean of breed sample size was 37.3. The average proportion of monomorphic populations was 63% (range across loci: 3%-98%). The moment-based method of Hill and Weir (2004, Mol Ecol 13:895-908) was applied to estimate gene frequencies, gene diversity (F(ST)), and Reynolds genetic distances. A highly significant average F(ST) of 0.11 was estimated, together with highly significant PC effects on gene diversity. The variance of F(ST) across loci also significantly exceeded the variance expected under the hypothesis of AFLP neutrality, strongly suggesting the sensitivity of AFLP to selection or other forces. Moment estimates were compared to estimates derived from the square root estimation of gene frequency, as currently applied for dominant markers, and the biases incurred in the latter method were evaluated. The paper discusses the hypotheses underlying the moment estimations and various issues relating to the biallelic, dominant, and lowly polymorphic nature of this set of AFLP markers and to their use as compared to microsatellites for measuring genetic diversity.

Regulation of apoptosis/necrosis execution in cadmium-treated human promonocytic cells under different forms of oxidative stress

Pulse-treatment of U-937 human promonocytic cells with cadmium chloride followed by recovery caused caspase-9/caspase-3-dependent, caspase-8-independent apoptosis. However, pre-incubation with the glutathione (GSH)-suppressing agent DL-buthionine-(S,R)-sulfoximine (cadmium/BSO), or co-treatment with H2O2 (cadmium/H2O2), switched the mode of death to caspase-independent necrosis. The switch from apoptosis to necrosis did not involve gross alterations in Apaf-1 and pro-caspase-9 expression, nor inhibition of cytochrome c release from mitochondria. However, cadmium/H2O2-induced necrosis involved ATP depletion and was prevented by 3-aminobenzamide, while cadmium/BSO-induced necrosis was ATP independent. Pre-incubation with BSO increased the intracellular cadmium accumulation, while co-treatment with H2O2 did not. Both treatments caused intracellular peroxide over-accumulation and disruption of mitochondrial transmembrane potential (delta psi m). However, while post-treatment with N-acetyl-L-cysteine or butylated hydroxyanisole reduced the cadmium/BSO-mediated necrosis and delta psi m disruption, it did not reduce the effects of cadmium/H2O2. Bcl-2 over-expression, which reduced peroxide accumulation without affecting the intracellular GSH content, attenuated necrosis generation by cadmium/H2O2 but not by cadmium/BSO. By contrast, AIF suppression, which reduced peroxide accumulation and increased the GSH content, attenuated the toxicity of both treatments. These results unravel the existence of two different oxidation-mediated necrotic pathways in cadmium-treated cells, one of them resulting from ATP-dependent apoptosis blockade, and the other involving the concurrence of multiple regulatory factors.

Mapping and association studies of diabetes related genes in the pig

The mitogen-activated protein kinase 8 (MAPK8), resistin (RETN), 11 beta hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase isoform 1 (HSD11B1) and protein kinase B Akt2 (AKT2) genes are all genes known to affect insulin signalling and have been implicated in the progression of obesity and type 2 diabetes in humans. In this study, polymorphisms in the porcine diabetes related MAPK8, RETN, HSD11B1 and AKT2 genes were identified, mapped and their associations with phenotypic measurements in swine were analysed. Polymorphisms detected in the MAPK8, RETN and HSD11B1 loci were used to genotype a Berkshire-Yorkshire pig breed reference family. Using linkage analysis, RETN, HSD11B1 and MAPK8 genes were mapped to pig chromosomes 2, 9 and 14, respectively, while the AKT2 gene was physically mapped to pig chromosome 6q21. Results presented here suggest associations between the polymorphisms in the MAPK8, RETN and HSD11B1 genes with several phenotypic measurements, including fat deposition traits in the pig. Because these genes have been implicated in obesity and diabetes in humans, and this study suggests associations with fat related traits, further research on these genes in swine may provide useful information on genetic factors underlying lean pork production.

Structural evaluation of plasma α2-macroglobulin in acute pancreatitis

In this work we evaluate the proteolytic state of plasma α

Characterization of an X-chromosome PCR-RFLP marker associated with fat deposition and growth in the pig

The X-chromosome, highly conserved within mammals, has been shown to contain major quantitative trait loci (QTL) for growth and fat deposition in the pig. We have discovered a BamHI polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) marker that was assigned to the porcine X-chromosome by two-point and multi-point linkage analysis following genotyping of a three-generation Berkshire by Yorkshire reference family. The marker was positioned 9 cM telomeric to SW2126 and 15.6 cM centromeric to SW1943. Sequence flanking the marker was found to have high similarity to existing database porcine DNA repeat elements. Association analyses of the BamHI marker for growth and meat quality traits in the reference family revealed significant association with marbling (P < 0.03), 10th rib back fat (P < 0.09) and total lipid percentage (P < 0.05), as well as with loin eye area (P < 0.04), average glycolytic potential (P < 0.03) and average lactate content (P < 0.04). Further studies are required to determine the X-chromosome functional gene affecting fat deposition and growth in the pig.

Expeditor: a pipeline for designing primers using human gene structure and livestock animal EST information

We have developed software, called Expeditor, that can be used to combine known gene structure information from human and coding sequence information from farm animal species for a streamlined primer design in target farm animal species. This software has many utilities, which include PCR-based SNP discovery for identification of genes/markers associated with economically important traits in farm animals, comparative mapping analysis, and evolution studies. The use of this software helps minimize tedious manual operations and reduces the chance of errors by more conventional approaches.

Production of polyhydroxyalkanoates by mixed microbial cultures

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are biodegradable bioplastics formed from renewable resources, like sugars, with similar characteristics of polypropylene. These bioplastics are industrially produced by pure cultures using expensive pure substrates. These factors lead to a much higher selling price of PHAs compared to petroleum-based plastics, like polypropylene. The use of mixed cultures and cheap substrates (waste materials) can reduce costs of PHA production by more than 50%. Storage of PHAs by mixed populations occurs under transient conditions mainly caused by discontinuous feeding and variation in the electron donor/acceptor presence. In the last years the mechanisms of storage, metabolism and kinetics of mixed cultures have been studied. The maximum capacity of PHA storage and production rate is dependent on the substrate and on the operating conditions used. In this paper an overview and discussion of various mechanisms and processes for PHA production by mixed cultures is presented.

Copper induction of lignin-modifying enzymes in the white-rot fungus Trametes trogii

Trametes trogii, a white rot basidiomycete involved in wood decay worldwide, produces several ligninolytic enzymes, laccase being the dominant one, with higher titers than those reported for most other white rot fungi studied up to date. The effect of copper on in vitro production of extracellular ligninolytic activities was studied. CuSO(4)·5H(2)O concentrations from 1.6 μM to 1.5 mM were tested in a synthetic medium with glucose 20 g/L and asparagine 3 g/L. The addition of copper (up to 1 mM) did not affect growth but strongly stimulated ligninolytic enzyme production; faster decolorization of the polymeric dye Poly R-478 was observed as well. Maximal production of manganese peroxidase, laccase, and glyoxal oxidase [1.28 U/mL, 93.8 U/mL (with a specific activity of 720 U/mg protein), and 0.46 U/mL respectively] was attained with 1 mM CuSO(4)·5H(2)O. However, higher copper concentrations inhibited growth and notably decreased manganese peroxidase production, although they did not affect laccase secretion. Laccase activity in the culture filtrate was maximal at 50 C and pH 3.4, and the enzyme was completely stable at pH 4.4 and above, and at 30 C for up to 5 d. Denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of extracellular culture fluids showed two laccase activity bands (mol wt 38 and 60 kDa respectively). The pattern of isoenzyme production was not affected by medium composition but differed with culture age.

Qualitative and quantitative analysis of phosphorylated compounds in milk by means of 31P-NMR

31P-NMR has been tested as a technique for determining the phosphorus content of milk samples in both the inorganic form (Pi) and bonded to caseins as phosphoserine (SerP). 31P-NMR made possible the simultaneous determination of Pi and SerP in approximately 1.7 h. The determination is based on measuring the area under the resonance in question and interpolating in a calibration curve prepared using external standards of known phosphorus contents and prepared in the same manner. The concentration area plots obtained were linear in the ranges 162-1993 mg P/l for Pi and 38-40.2 mg P/l for casein SerP. The repeatability of the method was good. When the same milk samples were analysed by both 31P-NMR and the classic colorimetric method the correlation was good. Polyphosphates added to commercial milk were also detected, as diphosphates. The NMR response for diphosphate was linear between 58 and 576 mg P/l and preliminary results indicated that quantitative analysis could be achieved in commercial milk.

Project Pró-natal: population-based study of perinatal and infant mortality in natal, Northeast Brazil

The Pró-Natal project is a collaborative initiative that aims to improve maternal and infant health in a deprived community in Natal, Northeast Brazil. To assess the perinatal and infant mortality in this population of 40,000, we have collected over a 2-year period a consecutive series of 39 autopsy examinations on deaths under 1 year of age. During this period there were 2212 live births in the study population. The 14 perinatal deaths are described using the Wrigglesworth classification, and the 25 infant deaths, using a clinicopathological system. The contribution of normally formed stillbirths was small (14%), which probably reflects the underreporting of stillbirths in this community. The most common cause of death in the live births was complications of prematurity (43%). Specific causes (22%) of perinatal deaths were predominantly infections, including one case of congenital syphilis. Perinatal asphyxia was diagnosed in 14%, and there was one case (7%) of a chromosome abnormality. Infant deaths were predominantly due to respiratory (45%) and gastrointestinal infections (28%), with chronic malnutrition as an underlying cause in 80% of cases. Prenatal care could theoretically have prevented three of the perinatal deaths, and a further six deaths could have been avoided by improved management of labor and the immediate neonatal period. Prevention of malnutrition and improved treatment of acute infections would contribute to a reduction in infant mortality in this population. The Pró-Natal project will use these data to design preventative interventions to reduce perinatal and infant mortality in this community.

[Nicotine dependence: 1-year follow-up patients treated with nicotine replacement and group therapy]

BACKGROUND

Smoking is the main single avoidable cause of death in our country. Little research in the treatment of such disorder has been made.

AIM

To report the results of a prospective follow up for one year of outpatients from our "Smoker's Clinic" at the Department of Psychiatry of the Catholic University.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

One hundred twenty-seven patients (84 male, aged 21 to 70 years old), with DSM-IV criteria for nicotine dependence, were included in a total of 18 groups. Each group received an intensive treatment program of 10 sessions with cognitive-behavioral relapse prevention techniques and nicotine replacement. Patients with active psychiatric diseases were not included in the program.

RESULTS

Eighty-seven percent of subjects were abstinent at the first month and 50% were still abstinent after twelve months of follow up. We did not find differences in gender, age, previous psychiatric disease, number of cigarettes and breath carbon monoxide level between abstinent and non abstinent patients after 12 months of follow up.

CONCLUSION

This intensive nicotine dependence treatment in seriously dependent patients, proved to be successful, regardless of the previous psychiatric history.

[Comparative analysis of isoenzyme patterns of beta-1,4 endoglucanase in species of Saccobolus genus (Ascobolaceae-Pezizales)]

Growth and beta-1, 4 endoglucanase production of six species of Saccobolus were determined. Twenty nine strains of thirteen geographical isolates were tested, using culture medium with crystalline cellulose as carbon source. All species showed good growth and enzyme activity. A high intraspecific homogeneity was observed as there were no differences in the variables measured within the strains of each geographical isolate and the only difference was between the two isolates of S. infestans. Each species had a characteristic electromorph, showing a variable number of isozymes with a maximum of 11 for S. seudodepauperatus and a minimum of 7 for S. platensis. These results support the usage of isoenzymatic patterns of beta-1, 4 endoglucanase and physiological parameters for the identification of species of Saccobolus as an aid to traditional taxonomy. This methodology is an additional tool to traditional taxonomy, based only on morphological characters.

[Control of blood transfusion malaria in an endemic and in a non-endemic region in Brazil]

The aim of the present work was to establish appropriate criteria for screening of donor blood from regions with distinct Malaria epidemiological characteristics. Three locations with different screening criteria were studied: São Paulo, SP (with no vectorial transmission), Belém, PA (with low active transmission) and Matupá and Peixoto de Azevedo, MT (with high active transmission). The Malaria parasite--Plasmodium sp--was searched for by "thick film", QBC Test and antigen Immunofluorescence test, and was not detected in any of the samples. There was, however, a great variation in the positivity of anti-plasmodial antibodies, as determined by IIF-IgG anti-P. vivax and -P. falciparum, between accepted donors in the 3 studied locations and between rejected and accepted donors in São Paulo (1.98% accepted, 22.3% rejected--p < 0.01) and Belém (17.2% accepted, 58.3% rejected--p < 0.01). These data endorse the use of the applied clinical and epidemiological screening. In Matupá and Peixoto de Azevedo, where there was no rejected donor, the serological positivity was 80.6%. We, therefore, consider that the Malaria screening in blood banks should follow clinical and epidemiological criteria suitable to each region. The laboratorial screening techniques should then detect either the parasites (thick film/QBC Test or the parasite antigens.