Pemphigoid gestationis is a rare, autoimmune blistering dermatosis of pregnancy. No increase in f... more Pemphigoid gestationis is a rare, autoimmune blistering dermatosis of pregnancy. No increase in fetal or maternal mortality has been demonstrated, but a greater prevalence of premature and small-for-gestationalage babies has been reported. Topical and systemic corticosteroids and antihistamines are the manstay of treatment. The authors report a case of a 27-year-old woman at 28-weeks gestation with sudden onset of pruriginous vesicles and blisters in the abdomen and limbs. Systemic corticosteroids were introduced and maintained throughout gestation to prevent flares and tapered after the birth of a healthy child.
The purpose of this work is to obtain photocatalytic fabrics based on reduced graphene oxide (RGO... more The purpose of this work is to obtain photocatalytic fabrics based on reduced graphene oxide (RGO) and TiO 2 coatings on polyester fabrics. The influence of the applied number of RGO coatings on properties such as light absorption, conductivity, electroactivity and photocatalytic properties of the fabrics was established. An improvement of these properties with the number of RGO coatings applied was obtained. FESEM, EDX, XPS and FTIR-ATR showed the incorporation of the TiO 2 nanoparticles on the fabrics. FTIR-ATR showed the formation of a bidentate carboxylic ligand with titanium atoms. The photocatalytic properties of the fabrics were tested with Rhodamine B dye solutions. Photocatalytic efficiency increased with the number of RGO coatings, due to the increased light absorption, and better electrical properties. The charge transfer resistance (R ct) and its time constant () decreased, indicating a better electron transfer which helps to increase the lifetime of the pair electron/hole.
The purpose of this work is to obtain photocatalytic fabrics based on reduced graphene oxide (RGO... more The purpose of this work is to obtain photocatalytic fabrics based on reduced graphene oxide (RGO) and TiO 2 coatings on polyester fabrics. The influence of the applied number of RGO coatings on properties such as light absorption, conductivity, electroactivity and photocatalytic properties of the fabrics was established. An improvement of these properties with the number of RGO coatings applied was obtained. FESEM, EDX, XPS and FTIR-ATR showed the incorporation of the TiO 2 nanoparticles on the fabrics. FTIR-ATR showed the formation of a bidentate carboxylic ligand with titanium atoms. The photocatalytic properties of the fabrics were tested with Rhodamine B dye solutions. Photocatalytic efficiency increased with the number of RGO coatings, due to the increased light absorption, and better electrical properties. The charge transfer resistance (R ct) and its time constant () decreased, indicating a better electron transfer which helps to increase the lifetime of the pair electron/hole.
poumon rhumatoïde (3 cas). La biologie a relèvé un syndrome inflammatoire intense dans tous les c... more poumon rhumatoïde (3 cas). La biologie a relèvé un syndrome inflammatoire intense dans tous les cas. Le facteur rhumatoïde était positif chez tous les patients. Le traitement de fond ne paraissait pas poser de problèmes de tolérance à cet âge : 4 malades ont été traités par méthotrexate, 5 par les anti-paludéens de synthèse et 3 par de la sulfasalazine associé à une corticothérapie à la dose variant de 7,5 mg/j à 15 mg/j. Conclusion.-La PR à début tardif se distingue de la PR à début précoce par certaines particularités : un ratio homme/femme plus équilibré, un mode de début plus aigu accompagné d'une altération de l'état général, une distribution articulaire initiale volontiers rhizomélique, avec en particulier atteinte des épaules. Contrairement à ce qui a été longtemps admis, l'évolution n'est pas moins sévère par rapport aux formes classiques. En fait, la PR à début tardif est un cadre hétérogène dans lequel plusieurs formes cliniques méritent d'être individualisées. Le pronostic fonctionnel et les atteintes radiologiques observés au cours de la PR à début tardif justifient une approche thérapeutique efficace mais qui respecte ce terrain particulier.
poumon rhumatoïde (3 cas). La biologie a relèvé un syndrome inflammatoire intense dans tous les c... more poumon rhumatoïde (3 cas). La biologie a relèvé un syndrome inflammatoire intense dans tous les cas. Le facteur rhumatoïde était positif chez tous les patients. Le traitement de fond ne paraissait pas poser de problèmes de tolérance à cet âge : 4 malades ont été traités par méthotrexate, 5 par les anti-paludéens de synthèse et 3 par de la sulfasalazine associé à une corticothérapie à la dose variant de 7,5 mg/j à 15 mg/j. Conclusion.-La PR à début tardif se distingue de la PR à début précoce par certaines particularités : un ratio homme/femme plus équilibré, un mode de début plus aigu accompagné d'une altération de l'état général, une distribution articulaire initiale volontiers rhizomélique, avec en particulier atteinte des épaules. Contrairement à ce qui a été longtemps admis, l'évolution n'est pas moins sévère par rapport aux formes classiques. En fait, la PR à début tardif est un cadre hétérogène dans lequel plusieurs formes cliniques méritent d'être individualisées. Le pronostic fonctionnel et les atteintes radiologiques observés au cours de la PR à début tardif justifient une approche thérapeutique efficace mais qui respecte ce terrain particulier.
The study of polymorphisms of genes differentially expressed may lead to the identification of pu... more The study of polymorphisms of genes differentially expressed may lead to the identification of putative causal genetic variants in multifactorial diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Based on preceding transcriptomic results, we genotyped 10 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) belonging to six genes (S100A8, RNASE2, PGLYRP1, RUNX3, IL2RB, and LY96) showing the highest fold change (> 1.9) when level of expression was compared between RA patients and controls. These SNPs were then analysed to evaluate their role in RA. The relationship between gene expression and genotypes of SNPs was first investigated by Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests in RA patients and controls. The genetic association of these SNPs with RA were then analysed using family-based association tests in trio families. We found that RNASE2 gene expression was related to rs2013109 genotypes in 14 RA patients (p = 0.030). The association study in a discovery sample of 200 French trio families revealed a significant association with RA for one SNP, PGLYRP1-rs2041992 (p = 0.019); this association was stronger in trios where RA patients carried the HLA-DRB1 shared epitope (SE) (p = 0.003). However, this association was not found in a replication sample of 240 European trio families (p = 0.6). Family-based association tests did not reveal an association between RA and any SNP of the candidate genes tested. However, RNASE2 gene expression was differentially expressed in RA patients considering a sequence polymorphism. This result led us to highlight the potential disease-specific regulation for this candidate gene in RA.
The reactive magnetron sputtering method was used to prepare pure and Fe-doped titanium dioxide t... more The reactive magnetron sputtering method was used to prepare pure and Fe-doped titanium dioxide thin films. The films were deposited onto microscope glass slides and polycarbonate plates at different total pressure and Fe-doping concentrations. The films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and UV-visible spectroscopy (UV). For glass substrates a polycrystalline TiO 2 structure was verified with X-ray diffraction, which showed typical characteristic anatase reflections. An iron phase appeared in the highly Fe-doped samples. The absorption edges of the Fe-doped TiO 2 films shifted to visible region with increasing concentration of iron. For the polycarbonate substrate an amorphous TiO 2 structure was revealed for all deposition conditions. The effects of different Fe-doping and total pressure levels on the photocatalytic activity were obtained by the degradation rates of Rhodamine-B (RoB) dye under UV light irradiation. For the deposition conditions considered in this study the highest photodegradation rates were achieved for films deposited on the polymer substrates. Of these overall highest rates was achieved for deposition at 0.4 Pa and without doping. However, for both substrates, films prepared at the particular total pressure of 0.5 Pa and a low iron concentration showed better photocatalytic activity than the pure TiO 2 films prepared under the same deposition parameters. On the contrary, the photocatalytic degradation rates of RoB on the highly Fe-doped TiO 2 films decreased strongly.
The reactive magnetron sputtering method was used to prepare pure and Fe-doped titanium dioxide t... more The reactive magnetron sputtering method was used to prepare pure and Fe-doped titanium dioxide thin films. The films were deposited onto microscope glass slides and polycarbonate plates at different total pressure and Fe-doping concentrations. The films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and UV-visible spectroscopy (UV). For glass substrates a polycrystalline TiO 2 structure was verified with X-ray diffraction, which showed typical characteristic anatase reflections. An iron phase appeared in the highly Fe-doped samples. The absorption edges of the Fe-doped TiO 2 films shifted to visible region with increasing concentration of iron. For the polycarbonate substrate an amorphous TiO 2 structure was revealed for all deposition conditions. The effects of different Fe-doping and total pressure levels on the photocatalytic activity were obtained by the degradation rates of Rhodamine-B (RoB) dye under UV light irradiation. For the deposition conditions considered in this study the highest photodegradation rates were achieved for films deposited on the polymer substrates. Of these overall highest rates was achieved for deposition at 0.4 Pa and without doping. However, for both substrates, films prepared at the particular total pressure of 0.5 Pa and a low iron concentration showed better photocatalytic activity than the pure TiO 2 films prepared under the same deposition parameters. On the contrary, the photocatalytic degradation rates of RoB on the highly Fe-doped TiO 2 films decreased strongly.
and cellular proliferation decreased below levels seen in unstimulated cells. Deferasirox was als... more and cellular proliferation decreased below levels seen in unstimulated cells. Deferasirox was also seen to effect unstimulated cancer cells, reducing their proliferation by 50% (P = 0.02 and 0.03 respectively). Conclusion Iron exposure was shown to have a significant effect on cellular proliferation within lung cancer cell lines, although the underlying mechanism is not yet fully understood. This iron mediated cellular proliferation could be reversed using the chelator deferasirox. Down-regulated expression of IREB2 may cause the cancer cell lines to exhibit similar behaviour to the PBECs when stimulated with iron. These finding show that iron may provide a potential new target and deferasirox a potential new therapeutic agent for lung cancer. Abstract S131 Figure 1. The dotted line shows that the increasing concentration of FeSO4 has a statistically significant effect at l00mM (M= 1.33, SD = 0.19 P= 0.04), however, l50mM shows an even more significant increase in proliferation (M= 1.59, SD= 0.12, P= 0.002). A dose of 200mM of FeSO4 shows a return to base line and no significant difference in cellular proliferation. The solid line shows that deferasirox causes a decrease in proliferation when applied to cells after incubation with 150 mM of FeSO4. This is statistically significant at 50 (M= 0.86, SD= 0.03, P= 0.04), 150 (M= 0.62, SD= 0.08, P= 0.01) and 200mM (M= 0.60, SD= 0.08, P= 0.0004) of deferasirox and the greater the dose of deferasirox, the greater the decrease in proliferation. The dashed line indicates the effects of FeSO4 incubation on PBECS. There is no statistical significance seen in proliferation rates for any concentration of FeSo4.
ObjectiveTo assess the association between sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption and overwei... more ObjectiveTo assess the association between sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption and overweight in children from a Mediterranean country.DesignThe children’s dietary intake was measured using a semi-quantitative FFQ completed by the parents. Overall, 2512 questionnaires were returned and 837 children were removed, leaving a final sample of 1675 children, aged between 5 and 10 years. Height and weight were measured according to international standards, and BMI was calculated. The definition of overweight and obesity was based on average centiles according to the International Obesity Task Force cut-offs. To determine the magnitude of the association between SSB consumption and overweight, OR estimates, including CI, were computed using unconditional logistic regression, adjusting for confounders.SettingElementary schools throughout the city of Porto, Portugal.SubjectsWe invited 5867 children, randomly selected, and their parents to participate in the study. Of those schools that...
ObjectiveTo assess the association between sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption and overwei... more ObjectiveTo assess the association between sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption and overweight in children from a Mediterranean country.DesignThe children’s dietary intake was measured using a semi-quantitative FFQ completed by the parents. Overall, 2512 questionnaires were returned and 837 children were removed, leaving a final sample of 1675 children, aged between 5 and 10 years. Height and weight were measured according to international standards, and BMI was calculated. The definition of overweight and obesity was based on average centiles according to the International Obesity Task Force cut-offs. To determine the magnitude of the association between SSB consumption and overweight, OR estimates, including CI, were computed using unconditional logistic regression, adjusting for confounders.SettingElementary schools throughout the city of Porto, Portugal.SubjectsWe invited 5867 children, randomly selected, and their parents to participate in the study. Of those schools that...
Objective.Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory joint disease with features of an autoimmu... more Objective.Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory joint disease with features of an autoimmune disease with female predominance. Candidate genes located on the X-chromosome were selected for a family trio-based association study.Methods.A total of 1452 individuals belonging to 3 different sample sets were genotyped for 16 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in 7 genes. The first 2 sets consisted of 100 family trios, each of French Caucasian origin, and the third of 284 additional family trios of European Caucasian origin. Subgroups were analyzed according to sex of patient and presence of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) autoantibodies.Results.Four SNP were associated with RA in the first sample set and were genotyped in the second set. In combined analysis of sets 1 and 2, evidence remained for association of 3 SNP in the genesUBA1, TIMP1,andIL9R.These were again genotyped in the third sample set. Two SNP were associated with RA in the joint analysis of all sampl...
Objective.Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory joint disease with features of an autoimmu... more Objective.Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory joint disease with features of an autoimmune disease with female predominance. Candidate genes located on the X-chromosome were selected for a family trio-based association study.Methods.A total of 1452 individuals belonging to 3 different sample sets were genotyped for 16 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in 7 genes. The first 2 sets consisted of 100 family trios, each of French Caucasian origin, and the third of 284 additional family trios of European Caucasian origin. Subgroups were analyzed according to sex of patient and presence of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) autoantibodies.Results.Four SNP were associated with RA in the first sample set and were genotyped in the second set. In combined analysis of sets 1 and 2, evidence remained for association of 3 SNP in the genesUBA1, TIMP1,andIL9R.These were again genotyped in the third sample set. Two SNP were associated with RA in the joint analysis of all sampl...
Urbanism and communities centralization enlarges atmospheric pollution that affects both human be... more Urbanism and communities centralization enlarges atmospheric pollution that affects both human beings as well as their constructed buildings. Different scientific and technological studies are being conducted, both in academic and construction industry, aiming the development of new construction materials with properties that can decrease visual pollution of cities, reducing also the number of cleanings required. The present research work aims the study and the production of self-cleaning ceramic surfaces in an economical and viable way without changing aesthetical aspect of material substrates used. The use of TiO2 nanoparticles (TiO2-NNPs) represents an attractive way to generate self-cleaning surfaces, therefore promoting the degradation of pollutant agents and reducing cleaning maintenance costs. In order to impart self-cleaning properties to ceramic surfaces, TiO2-NNPs based layers were deposited on different ceramic material substrates using the dip-coating method. The Photoca...
Urbanism and communities centralization enlarges atmospheric pollution that affects both human be... more Urbanism and communities centralization enlarges atmospheric pollution that affects both human beings as well as their constructed buildings. Different scientific and technological studies are being conducted, both in academic and construction industry, aiming the development of new construction materials with properties that can decrease visual pollution of cities, reducing also the number of cleanings required. The present research work aims the study and the production of self-cleaning ceramic surfaces in an economical and viable way without changing aesthetical aspect of material substrates used. The use of TiO2 nanoparticles (TiO2-NNPs) represents an attractive way to generate self-cleaning surfaces, therefore promoting the degradation of pollutant agents and reducing cleaning maintenance costs. In order to impart self-cleaning properties to ceramic surfaces, TiO2-NNPs based layers were deposited on different ceramic material substrates using the dip-coating method. The Photoca...
Protein farnesyltransferase (FTase) is an important target in many research fields, more markedly... more Protein farnesyltransferase (FTase) is an important target in many research fields, more markedly so in cancer investigation since several proteins known to be involved in human cancer development are thought to serve as substrates for FTase and to require farnesylation for proper biological activity. Several FTase inhibitors (FTIs) have advanced into clinical testing. Nevertheless, despite the progress in the field several functional and mechanistic doubts on the FTase catalytic activity have persisted. This work provides some crucial information on this important enzyme by describing the application of molecular dynamics simulations using specifically designed molecular mechanical parameters for a variety of 22 CaaX peptides known to work as natural substrates or inhibitors for this enzyme. The study involves a comparative analysis of several important molecular aspects, at the mechanistic level, of the behavior of substrates and inhibitors at the dynamic level, including the behavior of the enzyme and peptides, as well as their interaction, together with the effect of the solvent. Properties evaluated include the radial distribution function of the water molecules around the catalytically important zinc metal atom and cysteine sulfur of CaaX, the conformations of the substrate and inhibitor and the corresponding RMSF values, critical hydrogen bonds, and several catalytically relevant distances. These results are discussed in light of recent experimental and computational evidence that provides new insights into the activity of this enzyme.
Protein farnesyltransferase (FTase) is an important target in many research fields, more markedly... more Protein farnesyltransferase (FTase) is an important target in many research fields, more markedly so in cancer investigation since several proteins known to be involved in human cancer development are thought to serve as substrates for FTase and to require farnesylation for proper biological activity. Several FTase inhibitors (FTIs) have advanced into clinical testing. Nevertheless, despite the progress in the field several functional and mechanistic doubts on the FTase catalytic activity have persisted. This work provides some crucial information on this important enzyme by describing the application of molecular dynamics simulations using specifically designed molecular mechanical parameters for a variety of 22 CaaX peptides known to work as natural substrates or inhibitors for this enzyme. The study involves a comparative analysis of several important molecular aspects, at the mechanistic level, of the behavior of substrates and inhibitors at the dynamic level, including the behavior of the enzyme and peptides, as well as their interaction, together with the effect of the solvent. Properties evaluated include the radial distribution function of the water molecules around the catalytically important zinc metal atom and cysteine sulfur of CaaX, the conformations of the substrate and inhibitor and the corresponding RMSF values, critical hydrogen bonds, and several catalytically relevant distances. These results are discussed in light of recent experimental and computational evidence that provides new insights into the activity of this enzyme.
During the data transfer between the XPS equipment and subsequent fitting routine an accidental s... more During the data transfer between the XPS equipment and subsequent fitting routine an accidental shift of 13.48 eV to higher energies occurred in the binding energy scale relative to the experimental XPS spectra profile, and respective fit, for the O1s peak that is presented in Fig. 5͑b͒.
Pemphigoid gestationis is a rare, autoimmune blistering dermatosis of pregnancy. No increase in f... more Pemphigoid gestationis is a rare, autoimmune blistering dermatosis of pregnancy. No increase in fetal or maternal mortality has been demonstrated, but a greater prevalence of premature and small-for-gestationalage babies has been reported. Topical and systemic corticosteroids and antihistamines are the manstay of treatment. The authors report a case of a 27-year-old woman at 28-weeks gestation with sudden onset of pruriginous vesicles and blisters in the abdomen and limbs. Systemic corticosteroids were introduced and maintained throughout gestation to prevent flares and tapered after the birth of a healthy child.
The purpose of this work is to obtain photocatalytic fabrics based on reduced graphene oxide (RGO... more The purpose of this work is to obtain photocatalytic fabrics based on reduced graphene oxide (RGO) and TiO 2 coatings on polyester fabrics. The influence of the applied number of RGO coatings on properties such as light absorption, conductivity, electroactivity and photocatalytic properties of the fabrics was established. An improvement of these properties with the number of RGO coatings applied was obtained. FESEM, EDX, XPS and FTIR-ATR showed the incorporation of the TiO 2 nanoparticles on the fabrics. FTIR-ATR showed the formation of a bidentate carboxylic ligand with titanium atoms. The photocatalytic properties of the fabrics were tested with Rhodamine B dye solutions. Photocatalytic efficiency increased with the number of RGO coatings, due to the increased light absorption, and better electrical properties. The charge transfer resistance (R ct) and its time constant () decreased, indicating a better electron transfer which helps to increase the lifetime of the pair electron/hole.
The purpose of this work is to obtain photocatalytic fabrics based on reduced graphene oxide (RGO... more The purpose of this work is to obtain photocatalytic fabrics based on reduced graphene oxide (RGO) and TiO 2 coatings on polyester fabrics. The influence of the applied number of RGO coatings on properties such as light absorption, conductivity, electroactivity and photocatalytic properties of the fabrics was established. An improvement of these properties with the number of RGO coatings applied was obtained. FESEM, EDX, XPS and FTIR-ATR showed the incorporation of the TiO 2 nanoparticles on the fabrics. FTIR-ATR showed the formation of a bidentate carboxylic ligand with titanium atoms. The photocatalytic properties of the fabrics were tested with Rhodamine B dye solutions. Photocatalytic efficiency increased with the number of RGO coatings, due to the increased light absorption, and better electrical properties. The charge transfer resistance (R ct) and its time constant () decreased, indicating a better electron transfer which helps to increase the lifetime of the pair electron/hole.
poumon rhumatoïde (3 cas). La biologie a relèvé un syndrome inflammatoire intense dans tous les c... more poumon rhumatoïde (3 cas). La biologie a relèvé un syndrome inflammatoire intense dans tous les cas. Le facteur rhumatoïde était positif chez tous les patients. Le traitement de fond ne paraissait pas poser de problèmes de tolérance à cet âge : 4 malades ont été traités par méthotrexate, 5 par les anti-paludéens de synthèse et 3 par de la sulfasalazine associé à une corticothérapie à la dose variant de 7,5 mg/j à 15 mg/j. Conclusion.-La PR à début tardif se distingue de la PR à début précoce par certaines particularités : un ratio homme/femme plus équilibré, un mode de début plus aigu accompagné d'une altération de l'état général, une distribution articulaire initiale volontiers rhizomélique, avec en particulier atteinte des épaules. Contrairement à ce qui a été longtemps admis, l'évolution n'est pas moins sévère par rapport aux formes classiques. En fait, la PR à début tardif est un cadre hétérogène dans lequel plusieurs formes cliniques méritent d'être individualisées. Le pronostic fonctionnel et les atteintes radiologiques observés au cours de la PR à début tardif justifient une approche thérapeutique efficace mais qui respecte ce terrain particulier.
poumon rhumatoïde (3 cas). La biologie a relèvé un syndrome inflammatoire intense dans tous les c... more poumon rhumatoïde (3 cas). La biologie a relèvé un syndrome inflammatoire intense dans tous les cas. Le facteur rhumatoïde était positif chez tous les patients. Le traitement de fond ne paraissait pas poser de problèmes de tolérance à cet âge : 4 malades ont été traités par méthotrexate, 5 par les anti-paludéens de synthèse et 3 par de la sulfasalazine associé à une corticothérapie à la dose variant de 7,5 mg/j à 15 mg/j. Conclusion.-La PR à début tardif se distingue de la PR à début précoce par certaines particularités : un ratio homme/femme plus équilibré, un mode de début plus aigu accompagné d'une altération de l'état général, une distribution articulaire initiale volontiers rhizomélique, avec en particulier atteinte des épaules. Contrairement à ce qui a été longtemps admis, l'évolution n'est pas moins sévère par rapport aux formes classiques. En fait, la PR à début tardif est un cadre hétérogène dans lequel plusieurs formes cliniques méritent d'être individualisées. Le pronostic fonctionnel et les atteintes radiologiques observés au cours de la PR à début tardif justifient une approche thérapeutique efficace mais qui respecte ce terrain particulier.
The study of polymorphisms of genes differentially expressed may lead to the identification of pu... more The study of polymorphisms of genes differentially expressed may lead to the identification of putative causal genetic variants in multifactorial diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Based on preceding transcriptomic results, we genotyped 10 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) belonging to six genes (S100A8, RNASE2, PGLYRP1, RUNX3, IL2RB, and LY96) showing the highest fold change (> 1.9) when level of expression was compared between RA patients and controls. These SNPs were then analysed to evaluate their role in RA. The relationship between gene expression and genotypes of SNPs was first investigated by Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests in RA patients and controls. The genetic association of these SNPs with RA were then analysed using family-based association tests in trio families. We found that RNASE2 gene expression was related to rs2013109 genotypes in 14 RA patients (p = 0.030). The association study in a discovery sample of 200 French trio families revealed a significant association with RA for one SNP, PGLYRP1-rs2041992 (p = 0.019); this association was stronger in trios where RA patients carried the HLA-DRB1 shared epitope (SE) (p = 0.003). However, this association was not found in a replication sample of 240 European trio families (p = 0.6). Family-based association tests did not reveal an association between RA and any SNP of the candidate genes tested. However, RNASE2 gene expression was differentially expressed in RA patients considering a sequence polymorphism. This result led us to highlight the potential disease-specific regulation for this candidate gene in RA.
The reactive magnetron sputtering method was used to prepare pure and Fe-doped titanium dioxide t... more The reactive magnetron sputtering method was used to prepare pure and Fe-doped titanium dioxide thin films. The films were deposited onto microscope glass slides and polycarbonate plates at different total pressure and Fe-doping concentrations. The films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and UV-visible spectroscopy (UV). For glass substrates a polycrystalline TiO 2 structure was verified with X-ray diffraction, which showed typical characteristic anatase reflections. An iron phase appeared in the highly Fe-doped samples. The absorption edges of the Fe-doped TiO 2 films shifted to visible region with increasing concentration of iron. For the polycarbonate substrate an amorphous TiO 2 structure was revealed for all deposition conditions. The effects of different Fe-doping and total pressure levels on the photocatalytic activity were obtained by the degradation rates of Rhodamine-B (RoB) dye under UV light irradiation. For the deposition conditions considered in this study the highest photodegradation rates were achieved for films deposited on the polymer substrates. Of these overall highest rates was achieved for deposition at 0.4 Pa and without doping. However, for both substrates, films prepared at the particular total pressure of 0.5 Pa and a low iron concentration showed better photocatalytic activity than the pure TiO 2 films prepared under the same deposition parameters. On the contrary, the photocatalytic degradation rates of RoB on the highly Fe-doped TiO 2 films decreased strongly.
The reactive magnetron sputtering method was used to prepare pure and Fe-doped titanium dioxide t... more The reactive magnetron sputtering method was used to prepare pure and Fe-doped titanium dioxide thin films. The films were deposited onto microscope glass slides and polycarbonate plates at different total pressure and Fe-doping concentrations. The films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and UV-visible spectroscopy (UV). For glass substrates a polycrystalline TiO 2 structure was verified with X-ray diffraction, which showed typical characteristic anatase reflections. An iron phase appeared in the highly Fe-doped samples. The absorption edges of the Fe-doped TiO 2 films shifted to visible region with increasing concentration of iron. For the polycarbonate substrate an amorphous TiO 2 structure was revealed for all deposition conditions. The effects of different Fe-doping and total pressure levels on the photocatalytic activity were obtained by the degradation rates of Rhodamine-B (RoB) dye under UV light irradiation. For the deposition conditions considered in this study the highest photodegradation rates were achieved for films deposited on the polymer substrates. Of these overall highest rates was achieved for deposition at 0.4 Pa and without doping. However, for both substrates, films prepared at the particular total pressure of 0.5 Pa and a low iron concentration showed better photocatalytic activity than the pure TiO 2 films prepared under the same deposition parameters. On the contrary, the photocatalytic degradation rates of RoB on the highly Fe-doped TiO 2 films decreased strongly.
and cellular proliferation decreased below levels seen in unstimulated cells. Deferasirox was als... more and cellular proliferation decreased below levels seen in unstimulated cells. Deferasirox was also seen to effect unstimulated cancer cells, reducing their proliferation by 50% (P = 0.02 and 0.03 respectively). Conclusion Iron exposure was shown to have a significant effect on cellular proliferation within lung cancer cell lines, although the underlying mechanism is not yet fully understood. This iron mediated cellular proliferation could be reversed using the chelator deferasirox. Down-regulated expression of IREB2 may cause the cancer cell lines to exhibit similar behaviour to the PBECs when stimulated with iron. These finding show that iron may provide a potential new target and deferasirox a potential new therapeutic agent for lung cancer. Abstract S131 Figure 1. The dotted line shows that the increasing concentration of FeSO4 has a statistically significant effect at l00mM (M= 1.33, SD = 0.19 P= 0.04), however, l50mM shows an even more significant increase in proliferation (M= 1.59, SD= 0.12, P= 0.002). A dose of 200mM of FeSO4 shows a return to base line and no significant difference in cellular proliferation. The solid line shows that deferasirox causes a decrease in proliferation when applied to cells after incubation with 150 mM of FeSO4. This is statistically significant at 50 (M= 0.86, SD= 0.03, P= 0.04), 150 (M= 0.62, SD= 0.08, P= 0.01) and 200mM (M= 0.60, SD= 0.08, P= 0.0004) of deferasirox and the greater the dose of deferasirox, the greater the decrease in proliferation. The dashed line indicates the effects of FeSO4 incubation on PBECS. There is no statistical significance seen in proliferation rates for any concentration of FeSo4.
ObjectiveTo assess the association between sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption and overwei... more ObjectiveTo assess the association between sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption and overweight in children from a Mediterranean country.DesignThe children’s dietary intake was measured using a semi-quantitative FFQ completed by the parents. Overall, 2512 questionnaires were returned and 837 children were removed, leaving a final sample of 1675 children, aged between 5 and 10 years. Height and weight were measured according to international standards, and BMI was calculated. The definition of overweight and obesity was based on average centiles according to the International Obesity Task Force cut-offs. To determine the magnitude of the association between SSB consumption and overweight, OR estimates, including CI, were computed using unconditional logistic regression, adjusting for confounders.SettingElementary schools throughout the city of Porto, Portugal.SubjectsWe invited 5867 children, randomly selected, and their parents to participate in the study. Of those schools that...
ObjectiveTo assess the association between sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption and overwei... more ObjectiveTo assess the association between sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption and overweight in children from a Mediterranean country.DesignThe children’s dietary intake was measured using a semi-quantitative FFQ completed by the parents. Overall, 2512 questionnaires were returned and 837 children were removed, leaving a final sample of 1675 children, aged between 5 and 10 years. Height and weight were measured according to international standards, and BMI was calculated. The definition of overweight and obesity was based on average centiles according to the International Obesity Task Force cut-offs. To determine the magnitude of the association between SSB consumption and overweight, OR estimates, including CI, were computed using unconditional logistic regression, adjusting for confounders.SettingElementary schools throughout the city of Porto, Portugal.SubjectsWe invited 5867 children, randomly selected, and their parents to participate in the study. Of those schools that...
Objective.Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory joint disease with features of an autoimmu... more Objective.Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory joint disease with features of an autoimmune disease with female predominance. Candidate genes located on the X-chromosome were selected for a family trio-based association study.Methods.A total of 1452 individuals belonging to 3 different sample sets were genotyped for 16 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in 7 genes. The first 2 sets consisted of 100 family trios, each of French Caucasian origin, and the third of 284 additional family trios of European Caucasian origin. Subgroups were analyzed according to sex of patient and presence of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) autoantibodies.Results.Four SNP were associated with RA in the first sample set and were genotyped in the second set. In combined analysis of sets 1 and 2, evidence remained for association of 3 SNP in the genesUBA1, TIMP1,andIL9R.These were again genotyped in the third sample set. Two SNP were associated with RA in the joint analysis of all sampl...
Objective.Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory joint disease with features of an autoimmu... more Objective.Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory joint disease with features of an autoimmune disease with female predominance. Candidate genes located on the X-chromosome were selected for a family trio-based association study.Methods.A total of 1452 individuals belonging to 3 different sample sets were genotyped for 16 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in 7 genes. The first 2 sets consisted of 100 family trios, each of French Caucasian origin, and the third of 284 additional family trios of European Caucasian origin. Subgroups were analyzed according to sex of patient and presence of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) autoantibodies.Results.Four SNP were associated with RA in the first sample set and were genotyped in the second set. In combined analysis of sets 1 and 2, evidence remained for association of 3 SNP in the genesUBA1, TIMP1,andIL9R.These were again genotyped in the third sample set. Two SNP were associated with RA in the joint analysis of all sampl...
Urbanism and communities centralization enlarges atmospheric pollution that affects both human be... more Urbanism and communities centralization enlarges atmospheric pollution that affects both human beings as well as their constructed buildings. Different scientific and technological studies are being conducted, both in academic and construction industry, aiming the development of new construction materials with properties that can decrease visual pollution of cities, reducing also the number of cleanings required. The present research work aims the study and the production of self-cleaning ceramic surfaces in an economical and viable way without changing aesthetical aspect of material substrates used. The use of TiO2 nanoparticles (TiO2-NNPs) represents an attractive way to generate self-cleaning surfaces, therefore promoting the degradation of pollutant agents and reducing cleaning maintenance costs. In order to impart self-cleaning properties to ceramic surfaces, TiO2-NNPs based layers were deposited on different ceramic material substrates using the dip-coating method. The Photoca...
Urbanism and communities centralization enlarges atmospheric pollution that affects both human be... more Urbanism and communities centralization enlarges atmospheric pollution that affects both human beings as well as their constructed buildings. Different scientific and technological studies are being conducted, both in academic and construction industry, aiming the development of new construction materials with properties that can decrease visual pollution of cities, reducing also the number of cleanings required. The present research work aims the study and the production of self-cleaning ceramic surfaces in an economical and viable way without changing aesthetical aspect of material substrates used. The use of TiO2 nanoparticles (TiO2-NNPs) represents an attractive way to generate self-cleaning surfaces, therefore promoting the degradation of pollutant agents and reducing cleaning maintenance costs. In order to impart self-cleaning properties to ceramic surfaces, TiO2-NNPs based layers were deposited on different ceramic material substrates using the dip-coating method. The Photoca...
Protein farnesyltransferase (FTase) is an important target in many research fields, more markedly... more Protein farnesyltransferase (FTase) is an important target in many research fields, more markedly so in cancer investigation since several proteins known to be involved in human cancer development are thought to serve as substrates for FTase and to require farnesylation for proper biological activity. Several FTase inhibitors (FTIs) have advanced into clinical testing. Nevertheless, despite the progress in the field several functional and mechanistic doubts on the FTase catalytic activity have persisted. This work provides some crucial information on this important enzyme by describing the application of molecular dynamics simulations using specifically designed molecular mechanical parameters for a variety of 22 CaaX peptides known to work as natural substrates or inhibitors for this enzyme. The study involves a comparative analysis of several important molecular aspects, at the mechanistic level, of the behavior of substrates and inhibitors at the dynamic level, including the behavior of the enzyme and peptides, as well as their interaction, together with the effect of the solvent. Properties evaluated include the radial distribution function of the water molecules around the catalytically important zinc metal atom and cysteine sulfur of CaaX, the conformations of the substrate and inhibitor and the corresponding RMSF values, critical hydrogen bonds, and several catalytically relevant distances. These results are discussed in light of recent experimental and computational evidence that provides new insights into the activity of this enzyme.
Protein farnesyltransferase (FTase) is an important target in many research fields, more markedly... more Protein farnesyltransferase (FTase) is an important target in many research fields, more markedly so in cancer investigation since several proteins known to be involved in human cancer development are thought to serve as substrates for FTase and to require farnesylation for proper biological activity. Several FTase inhibitors (FTIs) have advanced into clinical testing. Nevertheless, despite the progress in the field several functional and mechanistic doubts on the FTase catalytic activity have persisted. This work provides some crucial information on this important enzyme by describing the application of molecular dynamics simulations using specifically designed molecular mechanical parameters for a variety of 22 CaaX peptides known to work as natural substrates or inhibitors for this enzyme. The study involves a comparative analysis of several important molecular aspects, at the mechanistic level, of the behavior of substrates and inhibitors at the dynamic level, including the behavior of the enzyme and peptides, as well as their interaction, together with the effect of the solvent. Properties evaluated include the radial distribution function of the water molecules around the catalytically important zinc metal atom and cysteine sulfur of CaaX, the conformations of the substrate and inhibitor and the corresponding RMSF values, critical hydrogen bonds, and several catalytically relevant distances. These results are discussed in light of recent experimental and computational evidence that provides new insights into the activity of this enzyme.
During the data transfer between the XPS equipment and subsequent fitting routine an accidental s... more During the data transfer between the XPS equipment and subsequent fitting routine an accidental shift of 13.48 eV to higher energies occurred in the binding energy scale relative to the experimental XPS spectra profile, and respective fit, for the O1s peak that is presented in Fig. 5͑b͒.
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