Caecilians (order Gymnophiona) are apodan, snake-like amphibians, usually with fossorial habits, constituting one of the most unknown groups of terrestrial vertebrates. As in orders Anura (frogs, ...tree frogs and toads) and Caudata (salamanders and newts), the caecilian skin is rich in mucous glands, responsible for body lubrication, and poison glands, producing varied toxins used in defence against predators and microorganisms. Whereas in anurans and caudatans skin gland morphology has been well studied, caecilian poison glands remain poorly elucidated. Here we characterised the skin gland morphology of the caecilian
, emphasising the poison glands in comparison to those of anurans and salamanders. We showed that
glands are similar to those of salamanders, consisting of several syncytial compartments full of granules composed of protein material but showing some differentiated apical compartments containing mucus. An unusual structure resembling a mucous gland is frequently observed in lateral/apical position, apparently connected to the main duct. We conclude that the morphology of skin poison glands in caecilians is more similar to salamander glands when compared to anuran glands that show a much-simplified structure.
Toads have a pair of glandular accumulations on each side of the dorsal region of the head known as parotoid macroglands. These macroglands consist of secretory units (granular glands), each one ...capped with an epithelial plug. When threatened, toads point one of the parotoids toward the aggressor, and if the aggressor squeezes the parotoid with its teeth, jets of poison will come out of the secretory units and hit the predator's oral mucosa, thereby causing poisoning. Our study focused on the mechanism of parotoid function by comparing parotoids from toads naturally attacked by dogs with those manually compressed. We verified that the process of glandular emptying in response to dog bites is very similar to that following manual compression. We observed that the structure of the plug plays an essential role in the release of the poison jets. Our results suggest that the parotoids may act as “bulletproof vests,” reducing the impact of the force exerted by predator attacks, and thus may function as a passive antipredator mechanism.
Although papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) has a good prognosis, 20-90% of patients show metastasis to regional lymph nodes and 10-15% of patients show metastasis to distant sites. Metastatic disease ...represents the main clinical challenge that impacts survival rate. We previously showed that LIMD2 was a novel metastasis-associated gene. In this study, to interrogate the role of LIMD2 in cancer invasion and metastasis, we used CRISPR-mediated knockout (KO) of LIMD2 in PTC cells (BCPAP and TPC1). Western blot and high-content screening (HCS) analysis confirmed functional KO of LIMD2. LIMD2 KO reduced in vitro invasion and migration. Ultrastructural analyses showed that cell polarity and mitochondria function and morphology were restored in LIMD2 KO cells. To unveil the signals supervising these phenotypic changes, we employed phospho-protein array. Several members of the MAPK superfamily showed robust reduction in phosphorylation. A Venn diagram displayed the overlap of kinases with reduced phosphorylation in both cell lines and showed that they were able to initiate or sustain the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and DNA damage checkpoint. Flow cytometry and HCS validation analyses further corroborated the phospho-protein array data. Collectively, our findings show that LIMD2 enhances phosphorylation of kinases associated with EMT and invasion. Through cooperation with different kinases, it contributes to the increased genomic instability that ultimately promotes PTC progression.
Background
Multisensory stimulation (MSS) aims to stimulate the senses such as vision, hearing, touch, taste, smell, vestibular and proprioceptive systems that may be areas affected by dementia. The ...24‐hour Snoezelen spaces in home environments aim to offer a proposed MSS intervention for seniors with dementia syndromes. In addition, studies on this therapy, its benefits and effects both for the elderly living in the community and for their caregivers/family members, are scarce.
Objective
To understand and evaluate the benefits of Snoezelen sensory stimulation in home settings of community‐dwelling elderly.
Materials and Methods
The 24‐hour Snoezelen intervention will be conducted over three/four months, in 9 sessions. The sessions will be organized in stages: The 1st stage, involves the evaluation process, performed in the 1st week, which will consist of two evaluation sessions that include home assessment, establishment of sensory preferences and sensory profile of the elderly. The 2nd stage will be carried out from the 2nd to the 5th week with the implementation of the 24‐hour Snoezelen sessions that aim to teach caregivers how to use the Snoezelen space with two focuses: stimulation and relaxation. The initial session will be determined by the demands presented by the caregiver and the elderly regarding the need to start with a relaxation or stimulation session. The third stage involves the follow‐up of the implementation of the post‐training sessions for caregivers that will be developed from the 6th to the 9th week with 3 sessions. The interval between the 3 sessions will be 15 days so that the caregivers can practice what they have learned during the training. To analyze the impact of the Home Spaces of MRE the effect size will be used considering the averages in the NPI before and after the Intervention. Measures of variance will be applied to evaluate the impact of MRE home stimulation in relation to time (pre‐ and post‐intervention). The degree of significance was set to values of p<0.05
Result: And Conclusion
The study in question is in progress and the results and conclusion will be presented at the congress.
Introduction
Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) is a severe clinical syndrome, with a high mortality rate. Its main milestone is the change in alveolar‐capillary permeability, culminating in ...pulmonary epithelial injury. The mechanism of injury of ARDS involves immune events, activated by various inflammatory cytokines, including IL‐1, INF‐α, which counteract the production of anti‐inflammatory cytokines, such as IL‐10. The extent of the lesion depends on the balance between the pro‐inflammatory and anti‐inflammatory responses. Recently, the role of the autonomic nervous system in the modulation of the immune response has been demonstrated. The concept of “cholinergic anti‐inflammatory reflex” has been studied as a new treatment in different models of septic and aseptic inflammation, due to its property in reducing the inflammatory response through the activation of the vagus nerve and, consequently, tissue damage. However, little is known about the relationship between “cholinergic anti‐inflammatory reflex” and acute lung injury.
Objective
To evaluate the effects of cholinergic pathway stimulation, by administration of anticholinesterase, pyridostigmine (PYR), on IL‐10, INF‐α and IL‐1β levels in the bronchoalveolar lavage supernatant (BAL) in an experimental model of ARDS.
Methods
We used C57BI/6 male mice that were divided into 4 experimental groups: control group (n = 4); LPS group (n = 12); LPS group treated with 1 dose of PYR per day (n = 6); and LPS group treated with 2 doses of PYR per day (n = 10). ARDS was induced by daily intratracheal administration of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) at a concentration of 10μg/ml + 0.9% saline solution which was applied with the aid of a 20μl micropipette and PYR was given daily by gavage, divided into two doses of 1.5mg/kg/day diluted in 150μl saline, the LPS + PYR 1 dose per day and LPS + PYR 2 doses per day, received the first dose after 1 hour of LPS administration, and after 12 hours of the first dose, the LPS + PYR 2 doses received the second dose, completing 3mg/kg/day which is the dose described in the literature to inhibited 85% of acetylcholinesterase activity. After 72 hours of follow‐up the animals were euthanized. After the euthanasia the BAL was collected, where it was possible to quantify the cytokines IFN‐α, IL‐1β and IL‐10 by the ELISA method. For statistical analysis we used the ANOVA test.
Results
Administration of LPS induced increased IFN‐α and IL‐1βcytokine concentrations in lung tissue but did not modify IL‐10 levels. Mice treated with two daily doses of PYR for 72h had significantly lower levels of IFN‐α and IL‐1β when compared to the untreated groups and the group treated with only one daily dose as we can see in table 1 and graphics 1 and 2.
Conclusion
We observed in this experimental model that administration of pyridostigmine, which increases cholinergic activity, decreased the production of proinflammatory cytokines in the lung in a mice ARDS model.
This is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this published in The FASEB Journal.
Este trabalho de investigação surgiu da constatação empírica, enquanto estudante da Universidade de Aveiro, da falta de qualidade da interação/experiência proporcionada pelo Portal Académico da ...Universidade de Aveiro (PACO) e da vontade, consequente, de desenvolver um contributo para obviar esse problema.Assim, procedeu-se, numa primeira instância, à elaboração e realização de um inquérito junto dos alunos da Universidade de Aveiro com o intuito de confirmar a relevância do problema no seu contexto real, bem como de perceber a sua recetividade a novas soluções para a interação com esse sistema de gestão académica online. O inquérito foi complementado com testes de usabilidade recorrendo a uma amostra de futuros estudantes desta academia para identificar as dificuldades sentidas na utilização da plataforma, desde o primeiro momento em que com a mesma se contacta.Os resultados desta análise conduziram, concetualmente, a uma proposta para o redesign da interação com o PACO, mas também à sua declinação num protótipo, que foi testado por alunos e futuros alunos da Universidade de Aveiro, permitindo o seu redesenho para eliminar (ou, pelo menos, mitigar) as lacunas detetadas.A proposta apresentada neste documento não pretende constituir-se como uma solução fechada. A sua utilidade deduz-se, principalmente, do conjunto de indicações consideradas essenciais para uma efetiva qualificação da interação/experiência com o Portal Académico da Universidade de Aveiro.
El presente plan de acción titulado: Fortalecimiento pedagógico en la aplicación de los procesos didácticos de comprensión lectora de las docentes del IV ciclo de la I.E N° 14777, surge del análisis ...de nuestro contexto y responde a la problemática priorizada, la que busca atender las necesidades pedagógicas de las docentes del nivel primario, quienes de acuerdo al monitoreo realizado a su práctica en el aula, se puede observar que presentan dificultad en la aplicación de estos procesos y tienen un escaso manejo de estrategias para el desarrollo de esta competencia, lo que trae como consecuencia que los estudiantes presenten bajos niveles de comprensión lectora y por ende, un bajo rendimiento académico. Por esta razón, es que en el presente Plan de acción se plantea como objetivo principal fortalecer las capacidades pedagógicas de las docentes en la aplicación de los procesos didácticos de comprensión de textos, así como en el uso de estrategias para desarrollar los niveles de comprensión lectora en los estudiantes, en un clima de aula propicio para los aprendizajes. Por ello, teniendo como base el análisis de la información recogida en la entrevista aplicada a las docentes del IV ciclo, así como los aportes teóricos que sustentan el estudio, tales como Isabel Solé (1998) quien considera la importancia de enseñar estrategias a los estudiantes “porque queremos hacer lectores autónomos, capaces de enfrentarse de manera inteligente a textos de muy distinta índole”, Daniel Cassani sobre el enfoque comunicativo y Rutas de aprendizaje (Minedu 2015) los procesos didácticos del área de comunicación, se puede concluir que, el fortalecer las capacidades docentes en la aplicación de los procesos didácticos a través de un plan de capacitación y fortalecimiento, lideradas por el equipo directivo y desarrollando un monitoreo y acompañamiento efectivo, permitirá mejorar el desempeño, docente y lograr mejores aprendizajes.
El presente plan de acción titulado: Fortalecimiento pedagógico en la aplicación de los procesos didácticos de comprensión lectora de las docentes del IV ciclo de la I.E N° 14777, surge del análisis ...de nuestro contexto y responde a la problemática priorizada, la que busca atender las necesidades pedagógicas de las docentes del nivel primario, quienes de acuerdo al monitoreo realizado a su práctica en el aula, se puede observar que presentan dificultad en la aplicación de estos procesos y tienen un escaso manejo de estrategias para el desarrollo de esta competencia, lo que trae como consecuencia que los estudiantes presenten bajos niveles de comprensión lectora y por ende, un bajo rendimiento académico. Por esta razón, es que en el presente Plan de acción se plantea como objetivo principal fortalecer las capacidades pedagógicas de las docentes en la aplicación de los procesos didácticos de comprensión de textos, así como en el uso de estrategias para desarrollar los niveles de comprensión lectora en los estudiantes, en un clima de aula propicio para los aprendizajes. Por ello, teniendo como base el análisis de la información recogida en la entrevista aplicada a las docentes del IV ciclo, así como los aportes teóricos que sustentan el estudio, tales como Isabel Solé (1998) quien considera la importancia de enseñar estrategias a los estudiantes “porque queremos hacer lectores autónomos, capaces de enfrentarse de manera inteligente a textos de muy distinta índole”, Daniel Cassani sobre el enfoque comunicativo y Rutas de aprendizaje (Minedu 2015) los procesos didácticos del área de comunicación, se puede concluir que, el fortalecer las capacidades docentes en la aplicación de los procesos didácticos a través de un plan de capacitación y fortalecimiento, lideradas por el equipo directivo y desarrollando un monitoreo y acompañamiento efectivo, permitirá mejorar el desempeño, docente y lograr mejores aprendizajes.
Trabajo académico
PDF
