Factorial design fingerprint discrimination of Coffea arabica beans under elevated carbon dioxide and limited water conditions.

Coffee is one of the most important commodities, showing sensitivity to environmental variations. The main effects and their interaction for two levels of atmospheric CO2 concentrations and two water regimes of a factorial design were investigated for the metabolic profiles of Coffea arabica raw beans using UV fingerprint analysis from a mixture design. UV fingerprint results obtained from pure ethanol and binary ethanol-dichloromethane mixtures showed the largest metabolic discriminations between CO2 levels and their extracts were investigated in detail. The biosynthesis of major metabolites, chlorogenic acids, cafestol, kahweol and caffeine were altered owing to environmental conditions. Higher amounts of chlorogenic acids and kahweol were observed in beans from unirrigated plants grown with enriched CO2 and irrigated ones at the current CO2 level. Water availability and CO2 concentration interaction affects the metabolite amounts. Besides a significant CO2 atmospheric effect water availability was a limiting factor for metabolite content only at current CO2 level, suggesting the successful metabolic coping of CO2 enriched Arabic coffee beans suffering future droughts.

Netrin-1 acts as a non-canonical angiogenic factor produced by human Wharton's jelly mesenchymal stem cells (WJ-MSC).

BACKGROUND: Angiogenesis, the process in which new blood vessels are formed from preexisting ones, is highly dependent on the presence of classical angiogenic factors. Recent evidence suggests that axonal guidance proteins and their receptors can also act as angiogenic regulators. Netrin, a family of laminin-like proteins, specifically Netrin-1 and 4, act via DCC/Neogenin-1 and UNC5 class of receptors to promote or inhibit angiogenesis, depending on the physiological context. METHODS: Mesenchymal stem cells secrete a broad set of classical angiogenic factors. However, little is known about the expression of non-canonical angiogenic factors such as Netrin-1. The aim was to characterize the possible secretion of Netrin ligands by Wharton's jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells (WJ-MSC). We evaluated if Netrin-1 presence in the conditioned media from these cells was capable of inducing angiogenesis both in vitro and in vivo, using human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) and chicken chorioallantoic membrane (CAM), respectively. In addition, we investigated if the RhoA/ROCK pathway is responsible for the integration of Netrin signaling to control vessel formation. RESULTS: The paracrine angiogenic effect of the WJ-MSC-conditioned media is mediated at least in part by Netrin-1 given that pharmacological blockage of Netrin-1 in WJ-MSC resulted in diminished angiogenesis on HUVEC. When HUVEC were stimulated with exogenous Netrin-1 assayed at physiological concentrations (10-200 ng/mL), endothelial vascular migration occurred in a concentration-dependent manner. In line with our determination of Netrin-1 present in WJ-MSC-conditioned media we were able to obtain endothelial tubule formation even in the pg/mL range. Through CAM assays we validated that WJ-MSC-secreted Netrin-1 promotes an increased angiogenesis in vivo. Netrin-1, secreted by WJ-MSC, might mediate its angiogenic effect through specific cell surface receptors on the endothelium, such as UNC5b and/or integrin α6ß1, expressed in HUVEC. However, the angiogenic response of Netrin-1 seems not to be mediated through the RhoA/ROCK pathway. CONCLUSIONS: Thus, here we show that stromal production of Netrin-1 is a critical component of the vascular regulatory machinery. This signaling event may have deep implications in the modulation of several processes related to a number of diseases where angiogenesis plays a key role in vascular homeostasis.

Neisseria gonorrhoeae Modulates Immunity by Polarizing Human Macrophages to a M2 Profile.

Current data suggest that Neisseria gonorrhoeae is able to suppress the protective immune response at different levels, such as B and T lymphocytes and antigen-presenting cells. The present report is focused on gonococcus evasion mechanism on macrophages (MФ) and its impact in the subsequent immune response. In response to various signals MФ may undergo classical-M1 (M1-MФ) or alternative-M2 (M2-MФ) activation. Until now there are no reports of the gonococcus effects on human MФ polarization. We assessed the phagocytic ability of monocyte-derived MФ (MDM) upon gonococcal infection by immunofluorescence and gentamicin protection experiments. Then, we evaluated cytokine profile and M1/M2 specific-surface markers on MФ challenged with N. gonorrhoeae and their proliferative effect on T cells. Our findings lead us to suggest N. gonorrhoeae stimulates a M2-MФ phenotype in which some of the M2b and none of the M1-MФ-associated markers are induced. Interestingly, N. gonorrhoeae exposure leads to upregulation of a Programmed Death Ligand 1 (PD-L1), widely known as an immunosuppressive molecule. Moreover, functional results showed that N. gonorrhoeae-treated MФ are unable to induce proliferation of human T-cells, suggesting a more likely regulatory phenotype. Taken together, our data show that N. gonorroheae interferes with MФ polarization. This study has important implications for understanding the mechanisms of clearance versus long-term persistence of N. gonorroheae infection and might be applicable for the development of new therapeutic strategies.

Experiences of families with children and adolescents after completing a cancer treatment: support for the nursing care.

The survival of children and adolescents with cancer has increased in recent years. Researchers and professionals in the health area have prioritized studies on the delayed effects of the treatment and quality of life of the survivors. This study aims to understand how parents and other family members of children and adolescents with cancer, experience the completion of the treatment. This descriptive and exploratory study adopted a qualitative methodological approach. A total of ten families whose children had completed the cancer treatment and were in follow-up in a hospital-school were selected for the study. The data were organized in two thematic axes: the memory % what was experienced and the present % what is being experienced. The study evidenced the participants' vitality to survive the treatment and fragility to live after it. The results allowed identifying aspects that need intervention, aiming at the improvement of quality of life of children, adolescents and the whole family after the end of the treatment.

Experiences of families with children and adolescents after completing a cancer treatment: support for the nursing care

The survival of children and adolescents with cancer has increased in recent years. Researchers and professionals in the health area have prioritized studies on the delayed effects of the treatment and quality of life of the survivors. This study aims to understand how parents and other family members of children and adolescents with cancer, experience the completion of the treatment. This descriptive and exploratory study adopted a qualitative methodological approach. A total of ten families whose children had completed the cancer treatment and were in follow-up in a hospital-school were selected for the study. The data were organized in two thematic axes: the memory percent what was experienced and the present percent what is being experienced. The study evidenced the participants' vitality to survive the treatment and fragility to live after it. The results allowed identifying aspects that need intervention, aiming at the improvement of quality of life of children, adolescents and the whole family after the end of the treatment.

La sobrevivencia de niños y adolescentes con cáncer viene aumentando en los últimos años. Investigadores y profesionales del área de la salud han establecido como prioridad, estudios sobre los efectos tardíos del tratamiento y la calidad de vida de los pacientes. El objetivo de este estudio es comprender como las familias de niños y adolescentes con cáncer vivencian el término del tratamiento. El estudio es de naturaleza descriptivo- exploratoria con análisis cualitativo de los datos. Participaron diez familias de niños y adolescentes en la etapa final de su tratamiento seguido dentro de un hospital-escuela. Los resultados fueron organizados en dos ejes temáticos: la memoria- lo que fue vivido y el presente- lo que se vive. Con este estudio, se evidenció la vitalidad de los participantes para terminar el tratamiento y la fragilidad de vivir posterior al mismo. Los resultados permiten identificar aspectos que requieren de intervención, teniendo como objetivo una mejor calidad de vida para los niños, adolescentes y para su familia, posterior al tratamiento.

A sobrevida de crianças e adolescentes com câncer tem aumentado nos últimos anos. Pesquisadores e profissionais da área de saúde têm estabelecido como prioridade estudos sobre os efeitos tardios do tratamento e qualidade de vida dos sobreviventes. O objetivo deste estudo é compreender como as famílias de crianças e adolescentes com câncer vivenciam a experiência do término do tratamento. O estudo é de natureza descritivo-exploratória com análise qualitativa dos dados. Participaram dez famílias de crianças e adolescentes na fase de término do tratamento que estavam em acompanhamento em um hospital-escola. Os dados foram organizados em dois eixos temáticos: a memória - o que foi vivido e o presente - o que se vive. Com esse estudo, evidenciou-se a vitalidade dos participantes de sobreviver ao tratamento e a tenuidade de viver após ele. Os resultados possibilitaram identificar aspectos que necessitam de intervenção, objetivando a melhoria da qualidade de vida de crianças, adolescentes e da própria família, após o término do tratamento.

Levantamento dos fatores de risco para diabetes mellitus tipo 2 em uma instituição de ensino superior / Survey on risk factors for type-2 diabetes mellitus in an undergraduation school

O aumento da expectativa de vida da população, diminuição da atividade física e aumento da ingesta calórica exercem importante papel no aparecimento do diabetes na população. Assim, o objetivo deste estudo é identificar os fatores de risco para o diabetes mellitus tipo 2, em 99 sujeitos de instituição de ensino, em uma cidade do interior paulista. Os resultados permitiram-nos concluir que: 51,5 por cento dos sujeitos estão com sobrepeso ou obesos; 51,5 por cento tem antecedentes hereditários, 70 por cento não realizam atividades físicas regularmente, 68 por cento sentem-se estressados no trabalho e 6 por cento apresentam níveis pressóricos alterados. Os resultados indicam a necessidade de programa educativo junto às instituições, visando despertar nos sujeitos a necessidade de buscar estilos de vida saudáveis a fim de prevenir os fatores de risco para o diabetes tipo 2

Diabetes Mellitus: fatores de risco em uma instituição de ensino na área da saúde / Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus: risk factors in a school in the health field

O objetivo deste estudo é identificar os fatores de risco para o diabetes mellitus tipo 2. Os resultados indicam a necessidade de programa educativo junto às instituições, visando despertar nos sujeitos a busca de estilos de vida saudáveis a fim de prevenir os fatores de risco para o diabetes tipo 2.