Peripheral Biomarkers of Inflammation in Depression: Evidence from Animal Models and Clinical Studies.

Depression is a highly prevalent psychiatric condition, with over 300 million sufferers, and is an important comorbidity for other conditions, like cardiovascular disorders or diabetes. Therapy is largely based on psychotherapy and/or pharmacological intervention, particularly aimed at altering neurotransmitter levels in the central nervous system, but inadequate response to treatment remains a significant clinical problem. Herein, evidence supporting a molecular link between inflammation and depression will be discussed, particularly the increased prevalence of depression in chronic inflammatory diseases and the evidence on the use of anti-inflammatory drugs to treat depression. Moreover, the potential for the levels of peripheral inflammatory molecules to act as depression biomarkers, in the diagnosis and monitoring of depression will be examined, considering clinical- and animal model-based evidence.

The Contribution of Inflammation to Autism Spectrum Disorders: Recent Clinical Evidence.

Autism comprises a complex and heterogeneous spectrum of neurodevelopmental disorders, usually termed autism spectrum disorders (ASD). It is more prevalent in males than females, and genetic and environmental factors are believed to account in similar percentages to the development of ASD. In recent years, the contribution of inflammation and inflammatory mediators to disease aetiology and perpetuation has been the object of intense research. In this chapter, inflammatory aspects that contribute to ASD are discussed, including abnormal microglia activation and polarization phenotypes, increased systemic levels of pro-inflammatory mediators, and altered patterns of immune cell response to activation stimuli. Also, inflammation in the context of gut microbiome and the impact of inflammation on gender prevalence of ASD are considered. Finally, treatment impact on inflammatory parameters and the potential for use of anti-inflammatory drugs, alone or in combination with antipsychotics, to manage ASD are examined.

Co-occurrence of aflatoxins B1, B2, G1 and G2, ochratoxin A, zearalenone, deoxynivalenol, and citreoviridin in rice in Brazil.

A total of 230 samples of processed rice and its sub-products or derived products were analysed to establish the co-occurrence of several mycotoxins. Samples were analysed in the period 2007-2009 due to the outbreak of beriberi associated with the consumption of rice stored in inappropriate conditions in Brazil. According to data from the Ministry of Health, 323 cases of disease were registered in 2006, of which at least 47 cases resulted in death. The occurrence of total aflatoxin (AFT) (aflatoxin B(1) + B(2) + G(1) + G(2)), ochratoxin A (OTA), zearalenone (ZON), deoxynivalenol (DON), and citreoviridin (CTV) was 58.7%, 40.0%, 45.2%, 8.3% and 22.5%, respectively. From 166 rice samples analysed, 55% had levels <0.11 µg kg(-1) for AFT. For OTA and ZON, of 165 rice samples analysed, 28% and 29% were contaminated with levels from 0.20 to 0.24 µg kg(-1) and from 3.6 to 290.0 µg kg(-1), respectively. One sample (0.6%) was contaminated with 4872.0 µg kg(-1) of ZON. A total of 91% of rice samples (n = 165) did not contain detectable DON (<30.00 µg kg(-1)), although the highest level of contamination was found to be 244 µg kg(-1). From the total of 65 samples analysed, 94% had no detectable CTV (<0.9 µg kg(-1)), with a range from 0.9 to 31.1 µg kg(-1) in 6% of the samples. The highest levels of contamination were found in rice sub-products or derived products from the husk and rice bran. Co-occurrence was observed for AFT and ZON in 17.0%, AFT and OTA in 24.2%, AFT and CTV in 6.2%, OTA and CTV in 4.6%, and ZON and CTV in 3.1%. These fractions were also the major contributors for the co-occurrence. The results found show the necessity of monitoring rice production.

Long non-coding RNAs and cancer: a new frontier of translational research?

Tiling array and novel sequencing technologies have made available the transcription profile of the entire human genome. However, the extent of transcription and the function of genetic elements that occur outside of protein-coding genes, particularly those involved in disease, are still a matter of debate. In this review, we focus on long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) that are involved in cancer. We define lncRNAs and present a cancer-oriented list of lncRNAs, list some tools (for example, public databases) that classify lncRNAs or that scan genome spans of interest to find whether known lncRNAs reside there, and describe some of the functions of lncRNAs and the possible genetic mechanisms that underlie lncRNA expression changes in cancer, as well as current and potential future applications of lncRNA research in the treatment of cancer.

Comportamento alimentar de cabras alimentadas com diferentes teores de fibra em detergente neutro / Feeding behavior of goats fed with different NDF levels

Avaliou-se o comportamento alimentar de cabras alimentadas com dietas que continham diferentes teores de fibra em detergente neutro (FDN) - 49, 54, 59, 64 e 69 por cento -, em função de diferentes teores de inclusão de resíduo úmido de cervejaria (RUC), em substituição ao concentrado da dieta - 0, 25, 50, 75 e 100 por cento. Foram utilizadas cinco cabras mestiças Boer x Saanen e cinco cabras Saanen distribuídas em dois quadrados latinos 5x5. O volumoso utilizado foi feno de tifton, com relação volumoso: concentrado de 40:60. As observações foram feitas em períodos de 20 minutos até o tempo total de 24 horas. Os animais dos diferentes genótipos não apresentaram diferenças no comportamento alimentar. Os tempos gastos com alimentação e com ociosidade não diferiram quanto aos teores de FDN na dieta, no entanto resposta linear crescente foi observada para os tempos despendidos com ruminação e com a mastigação total com o aumento dos teores de FDN e RUC na dieta. As dietas com os teores de 49 e 64 por cento apresentaram menor tempo de ruminação quando comparadas com a dieta com teor de 69 por cento de FDN, com resultados respectivos de 218, 268 e 366 minutos de ruminação. Isso contribuiu para diminuir a eficiência (min/kg MS e FDN) de alimentação, ruminação e mastigação. Conclui-se que o resíduo úmido de cervejaria pode ser usado como fonte de fibra efetiva na dieta de cabras.

The feeding behavior was evaluated in lactating goats fed diets with different levels of NDF (neutral detergent fiber) 49, 54, 59, 64, and 69 percent, in function of different levels of WBG (wet brewery grains) 0, 25, 50, 75, and 100 percent. Five goats Boer x Saanen and five Saanen goats were randomly distributed in two 5x5 latin squares. The used roughage tifton hay in a roughage:concentrate rate of 60:40. The feeding times, idle time, and rumination time were evaluated each 20 minutes during 24 hours. The feeding behavior was not influenced by genotypes. The feeding times and idles times were not affected by increasing NDF levels, however, the rumination time and total chewing time had growing linear effect with increase of NDF levels in which the levels 49 and 64 percent showed shorter rumination time than 69 percent NDF, 218, 268, and 366min respectively. It decreased the feeding, rumination and chewing efficiency (min/kg DM and NDF). It was concluded that WBG can be used as a source of effective fiber in diets of goats.

An assessment of acute biomarker responses in the demersal catfish Cathorops spixii after the Vicuña oil spill in a harbour estuarine area in Southern Brazil.

The Vicuña oil tanker exploded in Paranaguá Bay (South of Brazil), during methanol unloading operations in front of Paranaguá Harbour, on November 15th, 2004, releasing a large amount of bunker oil and methanol. Two weeks after the accident, the acute effects of the Vicuña Oil Spill (VOS) were evaluated in the demersal catfish Cathorops spixii, comparing a contaminated (at the spill site) and a reference site inside the Bay. Data were compared to previous measurements, taken before the accident, in the same species, from the same sites. The physiological biomarkers were the ones that best reflected acute effects of the spill: plasma osmolality, chloride, calcium, magnesium, and potassium. Morphological (liver and gill histopathology) and genetic (piscine micronucleus and DNA strand breaks) biomarkers revealed that damage was already present in fishes from both reference and contaminated sites inside the Bay. Thus, the reference site is not devoid of contamination, as water circulation tends to spread the contaminants released into other areas of the Bay. Acute field surveys of oil spill effects in harbour areas with a long history of contamination should thus be viewed with caution, and whenever possible previous evaluations should be considered for proper appraisal of biomarker sensitivity, especially in mobile bioindicators such as fish.

[Brazilian Nursing Association-Ceará Chapter: a journey through history]. / Associação Brasileira de Enfermagem-Seção Ceará: uma viagem através da história.

In this study, the members of the Brazilian Association of Nursing (ABEn) in Ceará federal state present aspects of the history of this association along its fifty years of work. The information, facts and pictures collected for this study were obtained from documents available in the branch, as well as from semi-structure interviews applied to former presidents of the association. The objective of the interviews was to understand the peculiarities of the experience of these administrators during their participation in the association.

[AIDS/education and prevention: methodologic proposal for the development of educational games]. / AIDS/educação e prevenção: proposta metodológica para elaboração de jogos educativos.

The development of educational resources to mediate actions in health education and AIDS prevention has been a challenge to health's educators. Due to the undeniable importance of this kind of material in environments favourable to learning, the authors created a methodological proposal to be used in the elaboration of educative games with the purpose of mediating educational measures and the prevention of HIV/AIDS. For theoretical framework, the study relied on the ideas/premises about problem solving, adapted from Charles Manguerez's "arch method", which where put into practice in public schools and health institutions in the state of Ceara, having as study population a group of students (180), aged 13 to 19 years, from the period of 1995 to 1997. Data collection occurred during four workshops, according to a predefined scheme. The results dealing with the meaning of the game, place of action and social environment were obtained from the teenagers while they were engaged in the games and further analysed by them, resulting in the formulation of (03) educative games (memor AIDS, baralhAIDS and dominAIDS). The authors conclude that the proposal is favourable to participatory action, encouraging during its entire process the development of intellectual and creative skills, by way of mobilizing human capacities and exercising associations related to the AIDS epidemic. Due to its clarity, the authors consider the proposal scientifically acceptable as a methodological guideline for the elaboration of educative games.

Prediçäo da energia digestível de dietas para equinos a partir de seu conteúdo fibroso / Digestible energy prediction of horse diets from their fiber content

Realizaram-se análises estatísticas de dados referentes à composiçäo bromatológica e ao coeficiente de digestibilidade (CD) de 29 diferentes tipos de dietas utilizadas em 383 ensaios de digestibilidade, recolhidos de 91 trabalhos científicos realizados com equinos, para encontrar correlaçöes entre a fraçäo fibrosa dos alimentos e sua energia digestível (ED, Mcal/kg MS), que permitissem a obtençäo de equaçöes de prediçäo da ED, do CD da energia (CDE) e do CD da matéria orgânica (CDMO) em funçäo do teor de fibra bruta (FB), fibra em detergente neutro (FDN), fibra em detergente ácido (FDA), hemicelulose (HCEL), celulose (CEL) e lignina (LIG) dos alimentos. A análise de regressäo linear simples para todos os tipos de dietas forneceu as seguintes equaçöes: ED = -0,1040 + 0,0416 CDMO (R ao quadrado = 85 por cento); ED = 3,7868-0,0440 FDA (R ao quadrado = 87 por cento); CDE = 86,0261-0,9495 FDA (R ao quadrado = 75 por cento); CDMO = 89,9290-0,9098 FDA (R ao quadrado = 83 por cento); CDMO = 89,0107-1,0916 CEL (R ao quadrado = 89 por cento). A análise de regressäo linear múltipla forneceu apenas uma equaçäo ED = 5,0285-0,0424 FDA-0,0144 MO (R ao quadrado = 89 por cento), para dietas completas. Quando se dividiu as dietas em duas classes, de volumosos e de volumosos mais concentrados, foram obtidas as seguintes equaçöes de regressäo linear simples, que podem ser aplicadas às dietas compostas por volumosos mais concentrados: CDE = 90,3526-1,1551 FDA (R ao quadrado = 79 por cento); CDMO = 90,8290-0,9379 FDA (R ao quadrado = 92 por cento); CDMO = 88,9743-0,9561 CEL (R ao quadrado = 96 por cento); CDMO = 84,8783-4,5545 LIG (R ao quadrado = 90 por cento)