The purpose of the present study was twofold: (1) to determine if X-irradiation can be considered a direct stress agent, and if so, to what extent it differs from other stressors; and (2) to further elucidate the role of the adrenal cortex in the radiation syndrome by determining the more immediate responses of this system to X-irradiation.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Stockholm : Karolinska institutet, 2009. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Linköping : Univ., 2003. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.

Thematic Paper ((M.C.T.M. Clinical Tropical Medicine))--Mahidol University, 2006. / LICL has E-Thesis 0012 ; please contact computer services. LIRV has E-Thesis 0012 ; please contact circulation services.

Submitted by Marlene Santos (marlene.bc.ufg@gmail.com) on 2016-08-12T19:31:16Z No. of bitstreams: 2 Tese - Renata Carvalho dos Santos - 2016.pdf: 4216067 bytes, checksum: ddcb3d7a0053d67a782d1528c6bcbf7e (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Luciana Ferreira (lucgeral@gmail.com) on 2016-08-15T13:59:50Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 2 Tese - Renata Carvalho dos Santos - 2016.pdf: 4216067 bytes, checksum: ddcb3d7a0053d67a782d1528c6bcbf7e (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-15T13:59:50Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 Tese - Renata Carvalho dos Santos - 2016.pdf: 4216067 bytes, checksum: ddcb3d7a0053d67a782d1528c6bcbf7e (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-05-06 / Conselho Nacional de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico - CNPq / Quilombolas communities are ethnic group defined by self-definition criteria and presumption of black ancestry. There are few studies and data about health of these subjects, and between available study highlight higher prevalence of overweight and related diseases. However, national survey data also show that anemia and malnutrition are prevalent among black women and children. Nevertheless, lacking most comprehensive studies to understand the health profile of quilombo population from Brazil. The objective of this research was to evaluate nutritional status, anemia frequency and cardiometabolic risk factors in adults and elderly from quilombolas communities of Goias state/Brazil. We carried out an analytical cross-sectional study with 287 subjects. Were performed anthropometric measurements (weight, height, waist circumference, and calculated BMI and Waist to height ratio - WHtR) blood tests (complete blood count, serum ferritin, fasting glucose and lipid profile), and socioeconomic and demographic questionnaire. The first article discussed the rate of anemia and iron deficiency and its relationship to overweight. Frequency of anemia and iron deficiency was low (5,9% and 4,7% respectively) and wasn’t association with overweight. Women had higher overweight than men, and men had higher underweight. BMI was higher in urban communities and in adults. Hemoglobin was lower in urban communities (p<0,05). The correlation indicated that increasing BMI is accompanied by decreases in hemoglobin and ferritin. RBC indices indicated 10,9% of microcytosis and 9,4% of anisocytosis. The second article discusses the assessment of nutritional status and association with cardiometabolic risk factors. Participants presented 54,4% of overweight and 67,9% higher waist-to-height ratio. The group with overweight differs from the eutrophic group in relation to HDL, VLDL, TG, leukocytes, lymphocytes, and platelets. And 15.2% of the population had three or more metabolic risk factors, moreover, in this group, leukocytes and lymphocytes were significantly higher. Women had more metabolic abnormalities than men. In conclusion, the main health problem in these communities refers to overweight and related diseases. Metabolic abnormalities increase the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, which are the leading cause of death in Brazil. The low prevalence of anemia and iron deficiency needs to be better investigated together food consumption. It’s must also be investigated genetics anemia, such as thalassemia and sickle cell due the abnormalities found in RBC indices without decreasing hemoglobin and ferritin. / Comunidades quilombolas são grupos étnicos, definidos pelo critério de auto atribuição que possuem presunção da ancestralidade negra. Existem poucos estudos sobre a saúde desses sujeitos e, entre os existentes destacam-se aqueles que indicam maior prevalência de excesso de peso corporal e doenças associadas. Porém, dados de pesquisas nacionais apontam que a anemia e o baixo peso são altamente prevalentes entre mulheres e crianças negras. Apesar disso, faltam estudos mais abrangentes para compreender o perfil de saúde especificamente da população quilombola. Portanto, o objetivo dessa pesquisa foi avaliar o estado nutricional, frequência de anemia e fatores cardiometabólicos de adultos e idosos de comunidades quilombolas de Goiás. Realizou-se uma pesquisa transversal analítica com 287 sujeitos. Foram realizadas avaliações antropométricas (peso, estatura, circunferência da cintura, cálculo do índice de massa corporal - IMC e da relação cintura-estatura - RCE), exames de sangue (hemograma completo, ferritina sérica, glicemia de jejum e lipidograma) e questionário socioeconômico e demográfico. O primeiro artigo abordou o índice de anemia e deficiência de ferro e sua relação com o excesso de peso. A frequência de anemia e deficiência de ferro foi baixa (5,9% e 4,7 respectivamente) e não apresentou associação significativa com o IMC. A frequência de excesso de peso foi elevada (52,0%), e as mulheres apresentaram maior porcentagem de sobrepeso/obesidade do que os homens. Na análise comparativa dos valores médios, observou-se que o IMC foi maior nas comunidades urbanas e entre os adultos, e a hemoglobina foi menor nas comunidades urbana (p<0,05). A correlação indicou que o aumento do IMC esteve acompanhado de diminuição da hemoglobina e ferritina Os índices hematimétricos indicaram 10,9% de microcitose e 9,4% de anisocitose. O segundo artigo abordou a avaliação do estado nutricional e a associação com fatores de risco cardiometabólicos. A frequência do excesso de peso foi de 54,4%, e 67,9% dos sujeitos tinham RCE elevada. As variáveis do perfil lipídico, glicêmico e de células brancas apresentaramse alteradas nos grupos com excesso de peso e RCE aumentada. Porém, os parâmetros metabólicos com diferença estatística entre os grupos foram o CT, HDL, VLDL, Triglicerídeos, Leucócitos, Linfócitos e Basófilos. E 15,2% dos participantes tinham três ou mais fatores de risco metabólico, sendo que as mulheres apresentaram mais alterações metabólicas do que os homens. Conclui-se que o principal agravo à saúde nas comunidades investigadas refere-se ao excesso de peso e doenças associadas. As alterações metabólicas aumentam o risco de desenvolvimento de doenças cardiovasculares, que são a principal causa de óbito no Brasil. A baixa prevalência de anemia e deficiência de ferro precisa ser melhor investigada aliada ao consumo alimentar. Considera-se necessário investigar as anemias de causa genética como as talassemias e a falciforme devido as alterações que ocorreram nos índices hematimétricos sem diminuição da hemoglobina e ferritina.

Chronic stress can result in elevated circulating levels of glucocorticoid hormones in vertebrates, which can affect their stress response, their immune function, and eventually their fitness. I tested the effect of chronic corticosterone (CORT) elevation on the acute stress responsiveness, immune function, and body condition of free-living painted turtles (Chrysemys picta) in Gatineau Park, using slow-release exogenous CORT administration. While Silastic implants did not predictably elevate circulating CORT concentrations in painted turtles, injections of CORT-laden cocoa butter kept circulating levels elevated for up to 3 weeks, to concentrations likely physiologically and ecologically relevant for the species. I measured the acute CORT stress response, parasitaemia, heterophil-to-lymphocyte ratios, and total leukocyte counts after 1 week and 3 weeks, and determined body condition after 1 week, 3 weeks, and 1 year. Compared to sham and control turtles, I observed no effect of treatment on these hormonal, immune, and body condition metrics of stress, possibly because CORT mediates resource allocation only in the presence of additional immune or energy challenges, because of the masking effect of extrinsic factors, or because free, not total, CORT appears to be biologically active.

We studied the effects of 30 minutes of exercise on T lymphocyte counts and proliferative responses of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) in 25 runners. Exercise resulted in a T lymphocytosis in the immediate post-exercise period in all subjects (p < 0.001), and reduced CD4+/CD8+ ratios in 22/25 subjects (p = 0.001). The change was due primarily to a 2.2-fold increase in CD8+ cells (p < 0.001). Exercise also reduced PBMC mitogenic responses to phytohemagglutinin (PHA) in 13/14 subjects (p = 0.049), and to pokeweed mitogen (PWM) in 11/14 subjects (p = 0.022), but not to concanavalin A. Postrun sera from 5 of 6 subjects inhibited PHA but not PWM responses of resting autologous PBMC with normal CD4+/CD8+ ratios (p < or = 0.05): indomethacin and monocyte depletion blocked the serum inhibition (p = 0.003, p = 0.0006, respectively). We conclude that post-exercise suppression of mitogenic responses to PHA is due to the release of a serum factor(s) capable of inducing prostaglandin synthesis by circulating monocytes, whereas exercise-induced suppression of PWM responses depends primarily on the reversal of CD4+/CD8+ ratios.

This master’s thesis is focused on automating the process of differential leukocyte count in peripherial blood using image processing. It deals with the design of the processing of digital images - from scanning and image preprocessing, segmentation nucleus and cytoplasm, feature selection and classifier, including testing on a set of images that were scanned in the context of this work. This work introduces used segmentation methods and classification procedures which separate nucleus and the cytoplasm of leukocytes. A statistical analysis is performed on the basis of these structures. Following adequate statistical parameters, a set of features has been chosen. This data then go through a classification process realized by three artificial neural networks. Overall were classified 5 types of leukocytes: neutropfiles, lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophiles and basophiles. The sensitivity and specificity of the classification made for 4 out of 5 leukocyte types (neutropfiles, lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophiles) is higher than 90 %. Sensitivity of classiffication basophiles was evaluated at 75 % and specificity at 67 %. The total ability of classification has been tested on 111 leukocytes and was approximately 91% successful. All algorithms were created in the MATLAB program.