TRAIL Mediated Signaling in Pancreatic Cancer

Nogueira, Daniele Rubert,Yaylim, Ilhan,Aamir, Qurratulain,Kahraman, OzlemTimirci,Fayyaz, Sundas,Naqvi, Syed Kamran-Ul-Hassan,Farooqi, Ammad Ahmad Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.15

Research over the years has progressively shown substantial broadening of the tumor necrosis factor alpha-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL)-mediated signaling landscape. Increasingly it is being realized that pancreatic cancer is a multifaceted and genomically complex disease. Suppression of tumor suppressors, overexpression of oncogenes, epigenetic silencing, and loss of apoptosis are some of the extensively studied underlying mechanisms. Rapidly accumulating in vitro and in vivo evidence has started to shed light on the resistance mechanisms in pancreatic cancer cells. More interestingly a recent research has opened new horizons of miRNA regulation by DR5 in pancreatic cancer cells. It has been shown that DR5 interacts with the core microprocessor components Drosha and DGCR8, thus impairing processing of primary let-7. Xenografting DR5 silenced pancreatic cancer cells in SCID-mice indicated that there was notable suppression of tumor growth. There is a paradigm shift in our current understanding of TRAIL mediated signaling in pancreatic cancer cells that is now adding new layers of concepts into the existing scientific evidence. In this review we have attempted to provide an overview of recent advances in TRAIL mediated signaling in pancreatic cancer as evidenced by findings of in vitro and in vivo analyses. Furthermore, we discuss nanotechnological advances with emphasis on PEG-TRAIL and four-arm PEG cross-linked hyaluronic acid (HA) hydrogels to improve availability of TRAIL at target sites.

Nanoparticle Induced Oxidative Stress in Cancer Cells: Adding New Pieces to an Incomplete Jigsaw Puzzle

Nogueira, Daniele Rubert,Rolim, Clarice M. Bueno,Farooqi, Ammad Ahmad Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.12

Nanotechnology is an emerging field with many promising applications in drug delivery systems. Because of outstanding developments in this field, rapidly increasing research is directed to the development of nanocarriers that may enhance the availability of drugs to the target sites. Substantial fraction of information has been added into the existing scientific literature focusing on the fact that nanoparticles usually generate reactive oxygen species to a greater extent than micro-sized particles. It is worth mentioning that oxidative stress regulates an array of cell signaling cascades that resulted in cancer cell damage. Accumulating experimental evidence over the years has shown that wide-ranging biological mechanisms are triggered by these NPs in cultured cells due to the unique properties of engineered nanoparticles. In this review, we have attempted to provide an overview of the signaling cascades that are activated by oxidative stress in cancer cells in response to different kinds of nanomaterials, including quantum dots, metallic and polymeric nanoparticles.

Different Criteria for the Definition of Insulin Resistance and Its Relation with Dyslipidemia in Overweight and Obese Children and Adolescents

Nogueira-de-Almeida, Carlos Alberto,de Mello, Elza Daniel The Korean Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology 2018 Pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology & nutrition Vol.21 No.1

Purpose: to compare cut off points corrected for age and gender (COOP) with fixed cut off points (FCOP) for fasting plasma insulin and Homeostatic model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) for the diagnosis of IR in obese children and adolescents and their correlation with dyslipidemia. Methods: A multicenter, cross-sectional study including 383 subjects aged 7 to 18 years, evaluating fasting blood glucose, plasma insulin, and lipid profile. Subjects with high insulin levels and/or HOMA-IR were considered as having IR, based on two defining criteria: FCOP or CCOP. The frequency of metabolic abnormalities, the presence of IR, and the presence of dyslipidemia in relation to FCOP or CCOP were analyzed using Fisher and Mann-Whitney exact tests. Results: Using HOMA-IR, IR was diagnosed in 155 (40.5%) and 215 (56.1%) patients and, using fasting insulin, 150 (39.2%) and 221 (57.7%), respectively applying FCOP and CCOP. The use of CCOP resulted in lower insulin and HOMA-IR values than FCOP. Dyslipidemia was not related to FCOP or CCOP. Blood glucose remained within normal limits in all patients with IR. There was no difference in the frequency of IR identified by plasma insulin or HOMA-IR, both for FCOP and CCOP. Conclusion: The CCOP of plasma insulin or of HOMA-IR detected more cases of IR as compared to the FCOP, but were not associated with the frequency of dyslipidemia. As blood glucose has almost no fluctuation in this age group, even in the presence of IR, fasting plasma insulin detected the same cases of IR that would be detected by HOMA-IR.

Covalent Modification of Cellulosic-based Textiles: A New Strategy to Obtain Antimicrobial Properties

Frederico Nogueira,Joana Vaz,Claudia Mouro,Erhan Piskin,Isabel Gouveia 한국생물공학회 2014 Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering Vol.19 No.3

In the past years the textile industry haswitnessed new advances in the area of textile fiber chainsengineering, which allow the modification of the structureof such chains so as to produce polymers responsive tochanges in the environment, thus capable of attaching tocells and bioactive molecules. On the other hand, followingour society's trend towards higher hygiene standards, theresearch and development of antimicrobial textiles hasshown a remarkable increase. Applications of such textilescan nowadays be found in underwear, sportswear, homefurnishing, protective clothing, wound-dressings and inmicrobial infection high risk settings, such as health careinstitutions. The present research aims at the developmentof a strong, durable and washable antimicrobial L-Cysteine(L-Cys)-functionalized cotton by means of a covalentmechanism. The covalent binding of L-Cys onto cellulosicfibers was assessed by Scanning Electron Microscopy-Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) andFourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis. Antimicrobial assays showed that the functionalized cottonyielded strong microbial killing rates, exhibiting inhibitionratios of 89 and 83% against K. pneumoniae and S. aureus,respectively. These results demonstrate the effectiveness ofthe covalent modification of cotton fabrics with L-Cysadding antimicrobial properties to cotton fibers and thusopen the door to a world of applications in the area ofincreased risk microbial infections.

Amino Acid-Based Material for the Complementary Therapy of Decubitus Ulcers

( Frederico Nogueira ),( Isabel C. Gouveia ) 한국미생물 · 생명공학회 2017 Journal of microbiology and biotechnology Vol.27 No.4

Chronic wounds, pressure sores, lesions, and infections of microbial origin in bedridden, paralyzed, or malnutrition patients remain the object of study of many researchers. A variety of factors behind the development of these disorders are related to the patient`s immune system, making it unable to respond effectively to the treatment of the wound. These factors can be properly controlled, giving particular importance to the ethiology and stage of the wound, as well as the time periods corresponding to the replacement of the dressings. The present research reports a novel foam/soft material, L-Cys-g-PCL, with an application for decubitus/pressure ulcers, especially for wounds with a difficult healing process due to infections and constant oxidation of the soft tissues. During this work, the interactions between S. aureus and L-Cys-g-PCL foam were studied under conditions that simulate decubitus ulcers; namely, pH and exudate. The effects of duration of grafting (1 or 8 h) and pH (7.0 and 8.9) on wettability, surface energy, swelling, and porosity were also evaluated. Results showed an effective microbicidal activity exhibiting an inhibition ratio of 99.73% against S. aureus. This new L-Cys-g-PCL soft material showed saftey to contact skin, ability to be shaped to fill in sunken holes (craters) - pressure ulcers stage III - and to act as a smart material responsive to pH, which can be tailored to develop better swelling properties at alkaline pH where exudates are normally higher, so as to address exudate self-cleaning and prevention of desiccation.

Body composition and functional performance of older adults

Diane Nogueira Paranhos Amorim,Dahan da Cunha Nascimento,Whitley Stone,Vicente Paulo Alves,Karla Helena Coelho Vilaça e Silva 대한골다공증학회 2022 Osteoporosis and Sarcopenia Vol.8 No.2

Objectives: To determine if anthropometric variables, body composition, medication and gender are associated with functional performance and to compare these variables between octogenarians with high and low functional performance. Methods: Observational, cross-sectional study. Weight, height, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) were evaluated. Handgrip strength (HGS) was assessed. Participants’ body composition was assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and functional performance by Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB). A binomial logistic regression was performed. Results: One hundred and twenty-two octogenarians were included and separated into high and low function groups. The high function group showed lower values of WHtR (mean difference [MD] = 0.047, P = 0.025) and body fat (BF%) (MD = 3.54, P = 0.032) and higher values of apendicular skeletal muscle mass (ALM) (MD = 3.03, P = 0.001), HGS (MD = 6.11, P = 0.001) and SPPB score (MD = 4.20, P = 0.001). Women were more likely to be classified as low function (OR = 3.66, P = 0.002) and males showed 5.21 odds ratio (P = 0.021) of having high functional performance compared to females. Also, each decrease in age and medication use displayed 1.30 (P = 0.007) and 1.26 odds ratio increases (P = 0.008) in high functional performance. Conclusions: Older males display better functional performance than women, and decrements in age and medications increase the high functional performance odds ratio. Octogenarians with high functional performance displayed lower BF measurements and higher values of muscle mass and strength.

Robotic approach in complex ventral hernias: anterior component separation technique

Raquel Nogueira,Diego Laurentino Lima,Eduardo ParraDavila,Flavio Malcher 대한내시경로봇외과학회 2023 Journal of Minimally Invasive Surgery Vol.26 No.2

Open onlay ventral hernia repair is still one of the most-used surgical techniques for the repair of hernias worldwide. The robotic anterior component separation technique uses the surgeon’s usual anatomical expertise on onlay mesh placement with the manipulation and advantages of minimally invasive surgery. It maintains the precepts of reestablishment the midline integrity and insertion of mesh in the preaponeurotic space, without contact with the viscera. The use of this technique is simple and quite reproducible if you compare it with other techniques. Also, the time spent in surgery does not last long.

Characterization, Classification and Distribution of Soils from the South Shetlands Archipelago, Antarctica

Felipe Nogueira Bello Simas,Carlos Ernesto Goncalves Reyna,Roberto Ferreira Machado Miche,Marcio Rocha Francelino 한국토양비료학회 2014 한국토양비료학회 학술발표회 초록집 Vol.2014 No.6

Rosmarinus officinalis L. Essential Oil Inhibits In Vivo and In Vitro Leukocyte Migration

Gessilda Alcantara Nogueira de Melo,Renata Grespan,Jefferson Pitelli Fonseca,Thiago Oliveira Farinha,Expedito Leite Silva,Adriano Lopes Romero,Ciomar A. Bersani-Amado,Roberto Kenji Nakamura Cuman 한국식품영양과학회 2011 Journal of medicinal food Vol.14 No.9

Rosmarinus officinalis L. (Lamiaceae), popularly known as rosemary, is used for food flavoring and in folk medicine as an antispasmodic, analgesic, antirheumatic, diuretic, and antiepileptic agent. Few studies have shown the anti-inflammatory effects of rosemary essential oil (REO). This study evaluated the effects of REO on leukocyte migration through in vivo leukocyte migration and in vitro chemotaxis assay. REO was analyzed by using gas chromatography–mass spectometry, and the main components identified were camphor (27.59%), 1,8-cineole (15.74%), α-pinene (16.58%), and β-myrcene (10.02%). In rats, administration of REO reduced the number of leukocytes that rolled, adhered, and migrated to the scrotal chamber after carrageenan injection. All doses of REO tested significantly inhibited leukocyte chemotaxis induced by casein. The effects of REO on leukocyte migration highlight an important mechanism of the anti-inflammatory action of rosemary.

Middle Electrode in a Vertical Transistor Structure Using an Sn Layer by Thermal Evaporation

Gabriel Leonardo Nogueira,Maiza da Silva Ozório,Marcelo Marques da Silva,Rogério Miranda Morais,Neri Alves 대한금속·재료학회 2018 ELECTRONIC MATERIALS LETTERS Vol.14 No.3

We report a process for performing the middle electrode for a vertical field effect transistor (VOFET) by the evaporation ofa tin (Sn) layer. Bare aluminum oxide (Al2O3), obtained by anodization, and Al2O3covered with a polymethylmethacrylate(PMMA) layer were used as the gate dielectric. We measured the electrical resistance of Sn while the evaporation was carriedout to find the best condition to prepare the middle electrode, that is, good lateral conduction associated with openingsthat give permeability to the electric field in a vertical direction. This process showed that 55 nm Sn thick is suitable foruse in a VOFET, being easier to achieve optimal thickness when the Sn is evaporated onto PMMA than onto bare Al2O3. The addition of a PMMA layer on the Al2O3surface modifies the morphology of the Sn layer, resulting in a lowering of thethreshold voltage. The values of threshold voltage and electric field, VTH= − 8 V and ETH= 354.5 MV/m respectively, werecalculated using an Al2O3film 20 nm thick covered with a 14 nm PMMA layer as gate dielectric, while for bare Al2O3thesevalues were VTH= − 10 V and ETH= 500 MV/m.