Abstract The striking and complex phenotype of Cockayne syndrome (CS) patients combines progeria-like features with developmental deficits. Since the establishment of the in vitro culture of skin fibroblasts derived from patients with CS in the 1970s, significant progress has been made in the understanding of the genetic alterations associated with the disease and their impact on molecular, cellular, and organismal functions. In this review, we provide a historic perspective on the research into CS by revisiting seminal papers in this field. We highlighted the great contributions of several researchers in the last decades, ranging from the cloning and characterization of CS genes to the molecular dissection of their roles in DNA repair, transcription, redox processes and metabolism control. We also provide a detailed description of all pathological mutations in genes ERCC6 and ERCC8 reported to date and their impact on CS-related proteins. Finally, we review the contributions (and limitations) of many genetic animal models to the study of CS and how cutting-edge technologies, such as cell reprogramming and state-of-the-art genome editing, are helping us to address unanswered questions.

Este estudo objetivou investigar na perspectiva de cuidadores familiares de idosos com a doença de Alzheimer (n = 25) antes e após a participação em um Programa de Atenção Psicogerontológica, Sociofamiliar e Educativa: as principais atividades realizadas na tarefa de cuidar; os sentimentos vivenciados ao executar essas tarefas; a vivência da sobrecarga de papéis; o suporte familiar; o nível de resiliência pessoal; e o impacto das intervenções desenvolvidas para a vida pessoal e familiar. Os instrumentos utilizados foram: questionário estruturado auto-aplicável; Inventário de Percepção de Suporte Familiar; Inventário de Sobrecarga de Zarit e Escala de Resiliência. Detectou-se que após as intervenções houve uma maior demonstração de carinho através de palavras entre os membros da família (p = 0,020), aceitar as coisas sem muita preocupação (p = 0,018) e um aumento de atividades instrumentais desenvolvidas pelos cuidadores (p = 0,002). Todavia, observou-se que os cuidadores aumentaram o estresse (p = 0,040) e a vergonha (p = 0,018) em relação aos comportamentos dos pacientes.

This study proposed to investigate in the perspective of family caregivers of elderly with Alzheimer's (n = 25) before and after their participation in the Psychogerontology, Social-familiar and Educational Care Program: the principal activities in the care task; the feelings towards these tasks; the experience of the overcharged roles; family support and the level of personal resilience; and the impact on personal and family life of interventions developed during a Program. The following instruments were used: a structured self-administered questionnaire; perception of family support inventory (IPSF); Zarit Burden Interview Scale (ZBI) and Resilience Scale. It was verified that after the intervention there was a greater demonstration of affection through words between family members (p = 0.020), accept things without much concern (p = 0.018) and an increase in instrumental activities related to the care task developed by caregivers (p = 0.002). However, there was observed that caregivers increased stress (p = 0.040) and shame (p = 0.018) with the patient s behavior.

ABSTRACT Aging negatively affects bone/titanium implant interactions. Our hypothesis is that the unbalance between osteogenesis and adipogenesis induced by aging may be involved in this phenomenon. Objective We investigated the osteoblast and adipocyte differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from young and aged rats cultured on Ti. Material and Methods Bone marrow MSCs derived from 1-month and 21-month rats were cultured on Ti discs under osteogenic conditions for periods of up to 21 days and osteoblast and adipocyte markers were evaluated. Results Cell proliferation, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, extracellular matrix mineralization and gene expression of RUNX2, osterix, ALP, bone sialoprotein, osteopontin, and osteocalcin were reduced in cultures of 21-month rats compared with 1-month rats grown on Ti. Gene expression of PPAR-γ , adipocyte protein 2, and resistin and lipid accumulation were increased in cultures of 21-month rats compared with 1-month rats grown on the same conditions. Conclusions These results indicate that the lower osteogenic potential of MSCs derived from aged rats compared with young rats goes along with the higher adipogenic potential in cultures grown on Ti surface. This unbalance between osteoblast and adipocyte differentiation should be considered in dental implant therapy to the elderly population.

Quantificação e identificação de misturas de biodiesel de soja com petrodiesel foram realizadas via espectrometria de massas utilizando duas técnicas de ionização: electrospray (ESI) e Venturi easy ambient sonic-spray em seu modo líquido (V L-EASI). Diferentes misturas de biodiesel/petrodiesel (de B0 até B100) foram diluídas e diretamente injetadas e analisadas por ambas as técnicas. Para investigar a adulteração em blendas Bn, misturas óleo de soja/biodiesel e óleo de soja/petrodiesel foram analisadas. Curvas analíticas foram obtidas em triplicata. As duas técnicas apresentaram quantificação suficientemente precisa na faixa de B1-B20. Estas técnicas foram úteis também na detecção de contaminação ou adulteração das misturas Bn com óleos vegetais. A técnica de ESI é hoje largamente difundida e comercialmente acessível enquanto que uma fonte de V L-EASI pode ser facilmente montada usando peças comuns de laboratório dispensando a aplicação de altas voltagens. As duas técnicas não necessitam de etapas de pré-separação ou derivatização e, portanto, oferecem métodos simples e rápidos para quantificação de misturas Bn. A detecção instantânea e abrangente da composição molecular permite o controle de qualidade e tipificação de biodiesel e, eventualmente, de óleos vegetais em misturas ilegais.

Quantitation and identification of blends of soybean biodiesel with petrodiesel were performed via mass spectrometry using two ionization techniques: electrospray ionization (ESI) and Venturi easy ambient sonic-spray ionization in its liquid mode (V L-EASI). Different soybean biodiesel/petrodiesel blends (from B0 to B100) were diluted and then directly infused and analyzed by both techniques. To investigate adulteration of Bn blends, different soybean oil/biodiesel and soybean oil/petrodiesel blends were analyzed. Analytical curves were obtained in three replicates. The two techniques were shown to provide reasonably accurate quantitation in the B1-B20 range. These techniques were also successfully used to detect contamination or adulteration of Bn blends with vegetable oils. ESI is a widely used and commercially available technique whereas a V L-EASI source can be easily mounted using common laboratory parts requiring no use of high voltages. Both techniques require no pre-separation or derivatization steps and offer, therefore, simple and fast methods for the quantitation of Bn blends. The comprehensive snapshots of the molecular composition also allow quality control and typification of the biodiesel and eventually of the vegetable oils in illegal admixtures.

Four new compounds with the general formula [Fe(phen)3][Zn(RSO2N=CS2)2], where phen = 1,10-phenanthroline, R = 4-FC6H4 (1), 4-ClC6H4 (2), 4-BrC6H4 (3) and 4-IC6H4 (4), respectively, were obtained by the reaction of the appropriate potassium N-R-sulfonyldithiocarbimate (RSO2N=CS2K2) and tris(1,10-phenanthroline)iron(II) sulfate, with zinc(II) acetate dihydrate in dimethylformamide. The elemental analyses and the IR data were consistent with the formation of the expected complexes salts. The ¹H and 13C NMR spectra showed the signals for the cationic iron(II) complex and dithiocarbimate moieties. The molar conductance data were consistent with the 1:1 cation:anion complexes in 1-4. The antifungal activities of the compounds were tested in vitro against Candida albicans, Candida tropicalis and Colletotrichum gloeosporioides.

The contextualized understanding of concepts in Chemistry by students from other areas is a challenging task. In this experiment, the synthesis of biodiesel is done by base catalyzed transesterification of refined soy oil with methanol at room temperature and common glassware found in any chemistry laboratory. The proposal permits introducing several concepts, such as that of emulsion, viscosity and catalysis to illustrate an activity based on an actual problem. In this didactic approach, some common problems of biodiesel production, such as soap formation and phase separation, are introduced into the procedure in order to raise questions and motivate the students to participate in the experimental work and stimulate reflections about critical aspects of biodiesel production. This experiment was carried out in the first semester of 2006, in experimental general chemistry taken by physics and agricultural, civil and chemical engineering students of UNICAMP.