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Orientador: Jaime Olbrich Neto / Resumo: Os cabelos são um importante componente de identidade social e sedução, favorece o mercado de cosméticos, notadamente o capilar, que busca inovações e novidades destinadas a obter um resultado desejado. Mulheres e homens dão importância para a saúde e aparência dos mesmos, empenhando cuidados que vão além dos habituais de higiene. A procura pelo cabelo ideal expõe a riscos de doenças, tanto os profissionais dos salões de beleza e como seus clientes. São doenças ocupacionais, em muitos casos, negligenciadas. Entre estes riscos encontra-se a dermatite de contato. No Brasil, a chamada escova progressiva é a mais conhecida e utilizada para alisamento. Neste processo o uso de formaldeído (FA) em concentrações não permitidas tem sido prática comum, expondo cabeleireiros e clientes a risco de doenças relacionadas ao contato com FA. O FA é permitido na concentração de até 0,2% como conservante de produtos. O presente estudo objetivou avaliar indivíduos expostos ao FA ao realizarem alisamento capilar, se estavam sensibilizados ao FA. Para identificar FA em produtos de alisamento capilar, usado pelos cabeleireiros participantes desta pesquisa, utilizou-se um kit comercialmente disponível. Foram incluídos profissionais expostos ao FA, clientes (esporadicamente expostos) e indivíduos nunca expostos. Foram realizados patch teste com a bateria brasileira para dermatite de contato, e um participante apresentou teste cutâneo positivo para formol, onze para bicromato de potássio e oito para s... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: Hair is an important component of social identity and seduction, it favors the cosmetics market, notably the capillary, which seeks innovations and novelties designed to obtain a desired result. Women and men give importance to their health and appearance, engaging in care that goes beyond the usual hygiene. The search for the ideal hair exposes the risks of diseases, both the professionals of the beauty salons and their clients. Occupational diseases that are, in many cases, neglected. Contact dermatites is one of the risks. In Brazil, the so-called brazilian hair straightening is the preferred for straightening. In this process, the use of formaldehyde (FA) in unallowed concentrations has been common practice, exposing hairdressers and clients to the risk of diseases related to contact with FA. At a concentration of up to 0.2%, as a p preservative, FA is permitted. The present study aimed to evaluate individuals exposed to FA when performing hair straightening, and if they were sensitized to FA. To identify FA in hair straightening products, used by hairdressers participating in this research, a commercially available kit was used. Professionals exposed to the FA, clients (sporadically exposed) and individuals never exposed were included. Patch tests were performed with the Brazilian battery for contact dermatitis, and one participant presented a positive skin test for formaldehyde, eleven for potassium bichromate and eight for nickel sulfate. Clinical symptoms were more se... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre

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Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Age-related hearing loss is an acute health problem affecting people worldwide, often arising due to defects in the proper functioning of sensory hair cells in the inner ear. The apical surface of sensory hair cells contains actin-based protrusions known as stereocilia, which detect sound and head movements. Since hair cells are not regenerated in mammals, it is important to maintain the functioning of stereocilia for the life of an organism to maintain hearing ability. The actin filaments within a stereocilium are extensively crosslinked by various actin crosslinking proteins, which are important for stereocilia development and maintenance. Multiple studies have shown that the stereocilia actin core is exceptionally stable whereas actin is dynamic only at the tips of stereocilia. However, whether the actin crosslinking proteins, which are nearly as abundant as actin itself, are similarly stable or can freely move in and out of the core remains unknown. Loss or mutation of crosslinkers like plastin-1, fascin-2, and XIRP2 causes progressive hearing loss along with stereocilia degeneration while loss of espin prevents stereocilia from even developing properly. Do these phenotypes stem from an unstable stereocilia core? Does crosslinking confer stability to the core? To address these questions, we generated novel transgenic reporter lines to monitor the dynamics of actin in mice carrying fascin-2R109H mutation and espin null mice and also to study the dynamics of actin crosslinkers, in vivo and ex-vivo. We established that actin crosslinkers readily exchange within the highly stable F-actin structure of the stereocilia core. In addition, we determined that stereocilia degeneration in mice carrying fascin-2R109H mutation and espin null mice could possibly occur due to a less stable actin core. These studies suggest that dynamic crosslinks stabilize the core to maintain proper stereocilia functioning. Future work warrants understanding the reason behind the importance of dynamic crosslinks within a stable stereocilia core. Actin stability not only depends on actin crosslinkers, but also on actin filament composition as evident from distinct stereocilia degeneration and progressive hearing loss patterns in hair-cell specific knockout of actin isoforms. Although beta- and gamma- actin polypeptide sequences differ by only 14 four amino acids, whether the latter determine the unique function of each cytoplasmic actin isoform was previously unknown. Here we determined that these four critical amino acids determine the unique functional importance of beta-actin isoform in sensory hair cells. Taken together, our study demonstrates that actin cytoskeletal proteins are important for the morphogenesis and maintenance of stereocilia.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)

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<p>Dairy calves in the preweaning period are exposed to a variety of stressors (e.g. disbudding, castration, etc.) and management practices that have the potential to influence their health and productivity later in life. Proper colostrum management at birth is the first step in ensuring calves can reach their full potential in terms of health, growth, and development, while improper management increases a calf’s risk of failed transfer of passive immunity <strong>(FTPI)</strong> which puts the calf at an increased risk of morbidity and mortality. Previous research has indicated there is a difference in colostrum management practices between dairy bull and heifer calves. Due to the marketing of dairy-beef crossbred calves as surplus animals along with dairy bull calves, there is growing interest in the treatment of these calves on farms. The first study presented here (Chapter 2) investigated the relationship between colostrum management practices on 15 farms and the prevalence of FTPI between purebred dairy and dairy-beef crossbred calves on those farms. The results of this study found no influence of calf breed (purebred dairy or dairy-beef crossbred) on the prevalence of FTPI. However, farm tended to influence FTPI. There was also a significant influence of the reported timing of the first colostrum feeding on FTPI, with calves on farms reporting feeding colostrum within 1 hour of birth having decreased odds of experiencing FTPI. In addition to colostrum management at birth, calves are exposed to several management factors during the preweaning period that can cause stressful experiences and result in negative behavioral and physiological outcomes. Early life stress, especially chronic stress, can negatively impact calves later in life. Short term stress load in calves can be quantified by measuring cortisol in the blood serum or saliva; however, these measures are not reflective of chronic stress load because they only measure circulating cortisol. The second study (Chapter 3) considered the efficacy of utilizing hair cortisol concentration <strong>(HCC)</strong> as a measure of stress load in 27 dairy calves exposed to a weekly saline injection or a weekly or biweekly repeated acute stressor (Cosyntropin injection) during the preweaning period. The results revealed no difference in HCC between the treatment groups, though salivary cortisol was increased in calves injected with Cosyntropin. Additionally, calf behavior and growth were not influenced by the treatments in this study. Overall, these studies provided insights into two areas that have not been extensively researched. First, considering dairy-beef crossbred calf management, and second investigating a method to assess chronic stress that has not been extensively researched in calves.</p>