Superoxide reductases (SORs) are enzymes that detoxify the superoxide anion through its reduction to hydrogen peroxide and exist in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. The substrate is transformed at an ...iron catalytic center, pentacoordinated in the ferrous state by four histidines and one cysteine. SORs have a highly conserved motif, (E)(K)HxP-, in which the glutamate is associated with a redox-driven structural change, completing the octahedral coordination of the iron in the ferric state, whereas the lysine may be responsible for stabilization and donation of a proton to catalytic intermediates. We aimed to understand at the structural level the role of these two residues, by determining the X-ray structures of the SORs from the hyperthermophilic archaea Ignicoccus hospitalis and Nanoarchaeum equitans that lack the quasi-conserved lysine and glutamate, respectively, but have catalytic rate constants similar to those of the canonical enzymes, as we previously demonstrated. Furthermore, we have determined the crystal structure of the E23A mutant of I. hospitalis SOR, which mimics several enzymes that lack both residues. The structures revealed distinct structural arrangements of the catalytic center that simulate several catalytic cycle intermediates, namely, the reduced and the oxidized forms, and the glutamate-free and deprotonated ferric forms. Moreover, the structure of the I. hospitalis SOR provides evidence for the presence of an alternative lysine close to the iron center in the reduced state that may be a functional substitute for the “canonical” lysine.
The purpose of the article is to analyse how to balance public interests with the protection of privacy in the tax field. It has not been an easy task especially in the context of access to financial ...information.
In this area, the compromise to achieve transparency needs to pay regard to the principle of proportionality, as reinforced by recent case law of the ECJ, and align with specific legislation such as the EU General Data Protection Regulation and recently enacted EU Digital Services Act.
It is extremely important to investigate the possible consequences of acting against fundamental rights that are attributed to European citizens (and not only), such as the right to privacy and the protection of personal data. The paper aims to provide relevant and further insight to paths that lead to a fair way to handle such relevant information.
Every citizen, every academically inclined and dedicated individual, every public official, every judicial agent, must question whether the public interest can ever, or at least, recurrently, surpass a fundamental right to privacy, specially, in a sensible area as the financial information of an individual. Such actions can often lead, if mistakes are made along the way, to dangerous outcomes, such as public humiliation, and can even harm the person’s professional and personal life.
Methodology. In the course of the paper, an analysis is made of public decisions taken in cases across the European continent. Additionally, some considerations are made about the recent legislation that is produced by competent authorities, particularly the European Institutions.
Results of the research. The authors offer a personal insight regarding the information that has been gathered, confirming some significant concerns. What is of crucial importance, as stated in the title of this article, is a well established balance between the public interest and the protection of privacy, with explained and defined possible paths to follow.
Cocaine is a highly addictive substance. Its poisoning can lead to potentially fatal multi-organ dysfunction. We report a case of cocaine overdose with severe multi-organ dysfunction. A healthy ...51-year-old man was admitted to the emergency room due to behaviour changes and seizure after inhaling crack. Multiple dysfunctions were developed, with emphasis on liver and kidney dysfunction, due to their severity. The patient had marked hepatic cytolysis with a peak on the third day with alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST): 7941 and 4453 IU/L, respectively with mild coagulopathy and hyperbilirubinemia. Underwent empirical treatment with acetylcysteine with good clinical response. Also developed anuric AKIN3 acute kidney injury secondary to rhabdomyolysis, requiring treatment with intermittent haemodialysis. The approach to a case with severe multiorgan dysfunction is described, with special emphasis on the use of acetylcysteine. The good evolution of the patient can corroborate the use of this drug as a potential modifier of prognosis.
Cryptococcosis is a life-threatening fungal infection that affects immunocompromised patients, causing predominantly meningoencephalitis and pneumonia. Lymph node involvement is rare and its ...identification may not be obvious. We report the case of a patient recently diagnosed with AIDS and previously treated for cryptococcal meningitis who developed multifocal cryptococcal disease despite antifungal treatment, expressed as cervical and mediastinal lymphadenitis and constitutional symptoms. The difficulty of the diagnosis was based on the fact that cryptococcal meningitis was resolved after treatment, and the new manifestations were more typical of other conditions such as tuberculosis and malignancy. Final diagnosis was established after fine-needle aspiration cytology of a lymph node with Cryptococcus identification. Such cases may be difficult to manage, and the possibility of clinical relapse versus cryptococcal immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome is discussed. Induction therapy was restarted and maintained for a longer period, and the total duration was based on clinical response.
Ghrelin is a gut hormone that stimulates food intake. In physiological conditions, ghrelin plasma levels rise with fasting and decrease after meals. Obese individuals have low fasting ghrelin levels ...that rise after food restriction, which is pointed out as a reason for the difficulty in maintaining weight loss. Some bariatric surgery procedures prevent rise in ghrelin levels with weight loss and this has been hypothesised to contribute to the long-term success of the treatment. The main goal of this study was to develop a safe and effective anti-ghrelin vaccine for obesity, through the chemical conjugation of ghrelin with a virus like particle, namely NS1 protein tubules from the Bluetongue Virus (BTV) using a hetero-bifunctional cross linker. Male adult C57BL/6 mice, with a normal weight and with diet-induced obesity (DIO), were randomized into six weight matched groups (n=6/group) and each group of mice received three intra-peritoneal injections with two weeks intervals, containing either 75 μg of ghrelin- NS1 immunoconjugate, 75 μg of NS1 or PBS. Our data show that immunized animals present increasing titres of anti-ghrelin antibodies, while their cumulative food intake significantly decreased and energy expenditure was significantly enhanced, although there were no significative changes in body weight.Vaccinated DIO mice also displayed significant decrease of NPY gene expression in the basal hypothalamus reflecting a decrease in central orexigenic signals. This study suggests that this anti-ghrelin vaccine has a positive impact on energy homeostasis and may be an additional therapeutical tool to be used with diet and exercise for obesity treatment.
To assess hospitalized children's satisfaction with nursing care.
Cross-sectional study using the “Children Care Quality at Hospital” questionnaire. 61 children admitted to the Pediatrics Department ...of a hospital in the Northern Region of Portugal were enrolled.
The ranged age of the participants was 6 to 15 (10,61 ± 2,66 years), and most were male (52.46%; n = 32). The mean score in the three domains was 128 (77.11%), reflecting children's high satisfaction with the nursing care provided during hospitalization. The domain most valued was Nurse Characteristics, while the least valued was Nursing Environment.
Results provide essential input for the dimensions to be considered when planning nursing care for children, managing care, and the physical environment in the wards.
These results highlight the need to hear children's voices. This must encourage nurses to reflect on how children evaluate nursing care and, by doing so, to increase the quality of nursing care provided in Pediatrics settings.
•Children who know the nurses caring for them by name express higher satisfaction.•Children must be heard, included, and have an active voice in their care.•Children provide essential feedback that enhances the quality of care.
Summary
Obesity has been associated with increased incidence and aggressiveness of prostate cancer. Although controversial, several studies suggest that leptin could influence tumour cell growth and ...proliferation. The main goal of this study was to assess cellular growth of prostate adenocarcinoma cells in obese mice with different endogenous hormonal environments in what relates to leptin circulating levels and sensitivity. Four groups of mice (n = 6/group) were used, namely obese mice with congenital non‐functioning leptin receptor OBR (db/db), obese mice with congenital leptin deficiency (ob/ob), mice with diet induced obesity (DIO) and normal weight C57BL/6J mice (control). All groups of mice were injected subcutaneously with 3.0 × 105 RM1 cells/500 μl PBS (murine prostate carcinoma androgen insensitive cells) and tumour growth and angiogenesis were evaluated 14 days after inoculation. The tumours induced in ob/ob and DIO mice were significantly larger (P < 0.001) while those induced in db/db mice were significantly smaller (P = 0.047), when compared with controls. Morphometric analysis revealed that mitotic index and Ki‐67 positive nuclear density, both cell proliferation markers, were also significantly lower in the tumours of db/db mice (P < 0.001) when compared to controls. An inverse correlation was observed between leptin plasma levels and tumour weight (r = −0.642, P < 0.001), mitotic index (r = −0.646, P < 0.01) and Ki‐67 positive nuclear density (r = −0.795, P < 0.001). These results suggest that high leptin concentrations are not favourable to RM1 cell growth and proliferation. On the contrary, high plasma leptin levels were associated with less cellular proliferation and angiogenesis in vivo.
O fim do “emigrante”? A produção científica dedicada ao estudo da emigração portuguesa, seja em Portugal, seja no estrangeiro, continua a considerar preponderantemente aqueles e aquelas que deixaram ...o país como “emigrantes”, e não como “migrantes”. Apesar da mudança que se tem operado desde os finais dos anos 1980 com o sociólogo Abdelmalek Sayad (1999a, 1999b), que viu a necessidade absoluta de restabelecer a integridade do emigrante/imigrante reconciliando estas duas figuras aparentemente ...
Resumo É evidente, internacionalmente, a escassez de teorias políticas focadas na emigração, comparando com a literatura sobre integração imigrante nas sociedades recetoras. Com a perspetiva ...transnacional, quando se notou que os emigrantes mantinham ligações com os seus países de origem, começou a expandir-se a análise à forma como o Estado poderia influenciar vínculos entre emigrantes e os seus países de origem e, mesmo, estimular regressos. No entanto, as políticas de vinculação e/ou de promoção de regresso de emigrantes, e respetivo estudo, tiveram início em países de emigração situados fora da Europa. Deste modo, este artigo pretende contribuir para o debate sobre políticas públicas de regresso de emigrantes e, assim, aumentar o acervo de trabalhos sobre porquê e com que objetivos estas políticas são definidas no espaço intraeuropeu, e a partir do país de origem - Portugal e Espanha. Em Portugal, cerca de duas décadas após um domínio da imigração, a emigração recuperou protagonismo e intensificou-se com o crescimento do desemprego e as medidas de austeridade, a partir de 2011. Na retoma do ciclo de crescimento positivo, o regresso destes “novos” emigrantes portugueses entrou nas agendas académica e política, com o Programa Regressar, em 2019, com medidas para recuperar emigrantes em idade ativa que tivessem saído antes de 2016. Espanha partilha com Portugal um desenvolvimento similar do seu padrão migratório, com o aumento da emigração. Em 2019, lançou um programa de política com o objetivo de recuperar emigrantes, o Un país para volver. Neste artigo fazemos a análise de conteúdo de categorias presentes nas narrativas de política, em perspetiva comparada, a partir dos enunciados destes dois programas criados para estimular o regresso de emigrantes.
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