Implantación de una Unidad de Ortogeriatría de Agudos en un hospital de segundo nivel

Background

Patients with hip fracture (HF), due to their characteristics, require a specific support. The Acute Orthogeriatric Unit (OGU) has been shown to be one of the most beneficial.

Objective

To evaluate the main variables of HF patients treated at an OGU and compare them with the previous referral model (RC).

Material and methods

A prospective observational study with retrospective control was conducted on 169 patients, split into two groups. In the RC group, patients were admitted to conventional trauma ward. In the OGU group, an early geriatric assessment was performed, and patients were simultaneously attended daily by the orthopaedic surgeon, nurse and geriatrician, and the surgery times, work load, discharge and destination, were planned in a weekly meeting with the rest of professionals.

Results

A total of 71 patients were included in the RC group and 96 in the OGU group. The preoperative characteristics were similar, except for a slightly higher comorbidity in the OGU group. The OGU patients were operated on earlier (3.82±2.08 vs 4.61±2.5 days; P<.32), and overall hospital stay was reduced by 28% (11.84±4.04 vs 16.46±8.4 days; P<.001). The functional efficiency (Barthel Index at discharge-Barthel Index at admission/overall stay - stay before surgery) was higher in the OGU group (1.56±0.7 vs 2.61±1.1; P<.05). There were no differences in functional status, mortality or discharge location.

Conclusions

The OGU is a level of care that provides effective medical care in HF patients in general hospitals.     

Vitamins K interact with N-terminus α-synuclein and modulate the protein fibrillization in vitro. Exploring the interaction between quinones and α-synuclein

In the last decades, a series of compounds, including quinones and polyphenols, has been described as having anti-fibrillogenic action on α-synuclein (α-syn) whose aggregation is associated to the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Most of these molecules act as promiscuous anti-amyloidogenic agents, interacting with the diverse amyloidogenic proteins (mostly unfolded) through non-specific hydrophobic interactions. Herein we investigated the effect of the vitamins K (phylloquinone, menaquinone and menadione), which are 1,4-naphthoquinone (1,4-NQ) derivatives, on α-syn aggregation, comparing them with other anti-fibrillogenic molecules such as quinones, polyphenols and lipophilic vitamins. Vitamins K delayed α-syn fibrillization in substoichiometric concentrations, leading to the formation of short, sheared fibrils and amorphous aggregates, which are less prone to produce leakage of synthetic vesicles. In seeding conditions, menadione and 1,4-NQ significantly inhibited fibrils elongation, which could be explained by their ability to destabilize preformed fibrils of α-syn. Bidimensional NMR experiments indicate that a specific site at the N-terminal α-syn (Gly31/Lys32) is involved in the interaction with vitamins K, which is corroborated by previous studies suggesting that Lys is a key residue in the interaction with quinones. Together, our data suggest that 1,4-NQ, recently showed up by our group as a potential scaffold for designing new monoamine oxidase inhibitors, is also capable to modulate α-syn fibrillization in vitro.     

Differential mortality of birds killed at wind farms in Northern Portugal

Capsule The Skylark Alauda arvensis had the highest overall mortality in ten Northern Portuguese wind farms surveyed between 2006 and 2011. Analysis from the integration of conventional and molecular techniques suggest a sex and age biased mortality affecting mainly adult males (90.9%), which may be related to their characteristic breeding male song-flights making them highly vulnerable to collision with wind turbines. The results highlight the added value of more complete population impact assessments that go beyond simple carcass identification at wind farms.     

Simvastatin rises reactive oxygen species levels and induces senescence in human melanoma cells by activation of p53/p21 pathway

Recent studies demonstrated that simvastatin has antitumor properties in several types of cancer cells, mainly by inducing apoptosis and inhibiting growth. The arrest of proliferation is a feature of cellular senescence; however, the occurrence of senescence in melanoma cells upon simvastatin treatment has not been investigated until now. Our results demonstrated that exposure of human metastatic melanoma cells (WM9) to simvastatin induces a senescent phenotype, characterized by G1 arrest, positive staining for senescence-associated β-galactosidase assay, and morphological changes. Also, the main pathways leading to cell senescence were examined in simvastatin-treated human melanoma cells, and the expression levels of phospho-p53 and p21 were upregulated by simvastatin, suggesting that cell cycle regulators and DNA damage pathways are involved in the onset of senescence. Since simvastatin can act as a pro-oxidant agent, and oxidative stress may be related to senescence, we measured the intracellular ROS levels in WM9 cells upon simvastatin treatment. Interestingly, we found an increased amount of intracellular ROS in these cells, which was accompanied by elevated expression of catalase and peroxiredoxin-1. Collectively, our results demonstrated that simvastatin can induce senescence in human melanoma cells by activation of p53/p21 pathway, and that oxidative stress may be related to this process.     

Microhabitat Variation Explains Local‐scale Distribution of Terrestrial Amazonian Lizards in Rondônia,Western Brazil

We investigate the role of ecology and phylogeny in the association between lizard abundance and microhabitat variables in an Amazon rain forest site. Using pitfall trap arrays, we collected data from 349 individuals belonging to 23 lizard species. After accounting for spatial autocorrelation and using a canonical correspondence analysis (CCA), we found that lizard captures were significantly associated with microhabitat variables, which accounted for 48 percent of the observed variation. Furthermore, a canonical phylogenetic ordination (CPO) indicated that microhabitat variables are more important in determining the distribution of lizard species than phylogenetic relationships among species. Termite nests, canopy openness, and tree circumference were strongly associated with the number of captures of certain lizard species. Our results confirm autecology studies of individual lizard species for which data are available. We suggest that maintaining heterogeneous forested microhabitats should be a central goal for sustaining a high lizard biodiversity in Amazon rain forests.     

Pollen consumed by the solitary bee Tetrapedia diversipes (Apidae: Tetrapediini) in a tropical agroecosystem

Pollen analysis of the larval food supply is an important tool for identifying the plants that provide the floral resources used by bees. The present study documents the pollen sources consumed by larvae of the solitary bee Tetrapedia diversipes in a tropical agroecosystem. A total of 60 pollen types were recorded with three families being the most important. Euphorbiaceae (60.5%), Malpighiaceae (16.8%) and Asteraceae (12.2%) pollen had the greatest representation in the samples examined. The pollen of Dalechampia dioscoreifolia predominated in the diet of the larvae of T. diversipes (RF?=?56.35%) and indicates the importance of this plant in maintaining populations of this solitary bee.     

Diversity and expression of P450 genes from Dendroctonus valens LeConte (Curculionidae: Scolytinae) in response to different kairomones

Bark beetles (Curculionidae: Scolytinae) are major cause of woody plants death in the world. They colonize the stem and other parts of trees recognizing host-produced specific compounds (kairomones) and insect pheromones. Bark beetle's antennae and alimentary canal participate in the host selection identifying chemical compounds produced by trees and insects, and also in the metabolism and detoxification of these compounds. The red turpentine beetle (RTB), Dendroctonus valens LeConte, is an unaggressive species that colonize > 40 pine species (Pinaceae) in North and Central America. Several studies suggest that bark beetle cytochrome P450 enzymes are involved in monoterpene oxidation. In this study we identified by means of PCR, cloning, sequencing, and bioinformatic analysis, eleven full-length genes: five CYP4, four CYP6, and two CYP9 in the antennae and gut region of RTB, after stimulation with vapors of monoterpenes: (±)-α-pinene, (R)-(+)-α-pinene, (S)-(?)-β-pinene, (S)-(?)-α-pinene and (+)-3-carene; pine trees volatiles used by RTB as kairomones. The recovered cDNA of these genes vary from 1.5 kb to 1.8 kb and the open frame encodes from 496 to 562 amino acid proteins. The bioinformatic analysis suggests that the majority of P450 proteins encoded by these genes are membrane anchored in the endoplasmic reticulum. RT-qPCR assays showed differential expression of all CYP genes between male and female. The gene expression was dependent of monoterpenes and exposure time, with some of them sex, antennae and gut region specific. Significant differences among monoterpenes, gut region, antennae and exposure time were found. Our results suggest that some of these genes may be involved in the detoxification process of these compounds during tree colonization.     

Algistatic effect of a quinonamethide triterpene on Microcystis novacekii

Cyanobacteria proliferation represents a problem to water treatment for human consumption supply. Species of the genus Microcystis, commonly found in continental waters, can bloom and produce microcystine and other toxic compounds associated to human and animal poisoning, depending on the nutrient levels present in the water. The use of natural products to control cyanobacteria blooms is promising since they are less harmful to the environment than compounds obtained by organic syntheses. Triterpenes, which are associated with several biological activities, have been isolated from species of the genus Maytenus (Celastraceae), commonly found in Cerrado regions of Brazil. Tingenone is a pentacyclic triterpene that has cytotoxic properties and induces growth inhibition in some microorganisms. In this study, the effects of tingenone isolated from Maytenus gonoclada at distinct concentrations (e.g., 50, 150, 500, 1,500, and 4,500 μg? L^?1) on the growth rates of Microcystis novacekii was investigated. The algicide activity was verified using M. novacekii cultures growing in ASM1 culture medium at 23 °C and continuous illumination for 96 h. Growth inhibition was monitored by light microscopy and optical density (OD_680 nm). The median effective concentration associated to the M. novacekii inhibition growth induced by tingenone was 12.2 μg? L^?1. The result indicates that tingenone has algicide effect and can be potentially applied in water management for public supply, replacing synthetic algicides.     

Temperature alters interspecific relationships among aquatic fungi

Temperature is a key factor in determining the structure and performance of fungal assemblages on decomposing plant litter in streams. However, little is known of how temperature affects interspecific relationships among fungi. We compared the growth of four aquatic hyphomycetes co-occurring in temperate streams, in monocultures and all species combinations when exposed to five temperatures from 11 to 27 °C. In monocultures, maximum growth rates of Heliscus submersus, Lunulospora curvula and Varicosporium elodeae occurred at 27 °C whereas Articulospora tetracladia had the lowest growth rate. At 27 °C, the increase in species diversity had no effect on the growth of V. elodeae, increased the growth of H. submersus and L. curvula, and decreased the growth of A. tetracladia. Results suggest that within a species' optimal temperature range the growth of that species increases with higher fungal diversity, while outside this range growth decreases with diversity.     

Inhibition of Histone Deacetylase Impacts Cancer Stem Cells and Induces Epithelial-Mesenchyme Transition of Head and Neck Cancer

The genome is organized and packed into the nucleus through interactions with core histone proteins. Emerging evidence suggests that tumors are highly responsive to epigenetic alterations that induce chromatin-based events and dynamically influence tumor behavior. We examined chromatin organization in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) using acetylation levels of histone 3 as a marker of chromatin compaction. Compared to control oral keratinocytes, we found that HNSCC cells are hypoacetylated and that microenvironmental cues (e.g., microvasculature endothelial cells) induce tumor acetylation. Furthermore, we found that chemical inhibition of histone deacetylases (HDAC) reduces the number of cancer stem cells (CSC) and inhibits clonogenic sphere formation. Paradoxically, inhibition of HDAC also induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in HNSCC cells, accumulation of BMI-1, an oncogene associated with tumor aggressiveness, and expression of the vimentin mesenchymal marker. Importantly, we observed co-expression of vimentin and acetylated histone 3 at the invasion front of human HNSCC tumor tissues. Collectively, these findings suggest that environmental cues, such as endothelial cell-secreted factors, modulate tumor plasticity by limiting the population of CSC and inducing EMT. Therefore, inhibition of HDAC may constitute a novel strategy to disrupt the population of CSC in head and neck tumors to create a homogeneous population of cancer cells with biologically defined signatures and predictable behavior.