Abstract. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a long-term condition in which theChronic kidney disease (CKD) represents a serious hazard to human health, and has a high prevalence. In developed countries, it is estimated that more than 10% of adults present some degree of CKD (1). Despite a varied initial evolution, which is related to the diversity of its aetiologies -namely genetics, autoimmune-related infections, environmental factors, diet, and drugs -progressive renal disease frequently results in renal fibrosis and finally in renal failure. The mechanisms implicated in renal fibrosis are still poorly understood, and existing therapies are ineffective or only slightly successful, hence it is essential to understand the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the usual development of CKD, and to discover and better understand new strategies for treating this disease. In order to study the biopathology of this disease and to evaluate new treatments, animal models are required. The perfect animal model for renal disease research should have human-like renal anatomy, haemodynamics and physiology, as well as enabling the determination of relevant renal, biochemical and haemodynamic parameters. In all probability, no species can consistently meet all these requirements, and the experimental plan and other constraints often determine the choice of animal models for particular research applications. With this in mind, this review aims to describe and analyze animal models of renal fibrosis and suggest new areas of research. Renal Fibrosis: Aetiology and PathophysiologyDiabetes and hypertension are currently the two principal causes of CKD (2), among other causes such as infectious glomerulonephritis, renal vasculitis, ureteral obstruction, genetic alterations, autoimmune diseases (1) and drugs (3, 4). In general, diabetes causes glomerular hypertension by reducing the afferent arteriolar resistance while stimulating the efferent arterioles (2). Thus, elevated glomerular capillary pressure is one of the major factors in progressive renal sclerosis (5). Diabetes and hypertension gradually lead to glomerular expansion, which causes endothelial dysfunction and haemodynamic changes: loss of the glomerular basement membrane electric charge and its thickening, a decreased number of podocytes, foot-process effacement and mesangial distension have been shown to 1

A B S T R A C TBackground: Undergraduate students are a target for blood donation, as they constitute a young healthy and well-informed group. Aim: To understand motivations and attitudes underpinning the act of blood donation among undergraduate health science students. Materials and methods: Cross-sectional study enrolling undergraduate students of a College of Health Sciences in the Northeast of Portugal (January/February, 2017). Data collection tool was a self-administered questionnaire covering questions about motivations (n = 8) and attitudes (n = 5) towards the act of blood donation. Participants were classified by donation status into donors (one previous donation) and non-donors (never donated). Multiple logistic regression models were used to assess the association between each attitude and motivation on donation status. Odds-ratio (OR) and respective 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) adjusted for potential confounders, were obtained. Results: Out of 362 participants, 12.7% (n = 46) had ever donated blood and 56.5% (n = 26) of them were regular donors. Out of 316 non-donors, 88.0% (n = 278) will donate blood under request. There were no differences between donors and non-donors regarding the attitudes towards blood donation. From all motivations only "be a civic duty" had a significant impact on donor status, such that participants reporting this motivation are more likely to be blood donors (OR = 2.58; IC95%:1.34-4.99) than their counterparts. Conclusion: This study revealed that 80.0% of undergraduate health science students are non-donors, but they are available to donate blood under request. Campaigns and advertising methods focused on the emergent needs for blood donation could play an important role in the recruitment of new donors among undergraduate students.

Heat (HAE)- and ultrasound (UAE)-assisted extraction methods were implemented to recover anthocyanins from red raspberry. Processing time, ethanol concentration, and temperature or ultrasonic power were the independent variables combined in five-level rotatable central composite designs coupled with response surface methodology (RSM) for processes optimization. The extraction yield and levels of cyanidin-3-O-sophoroside (C3S) and cyanidin-3-O-glucoside (C3G) were monitored by gravimetric and HPLC-DAD-ESI/MSn methods, respectively, and used as response criteria. The constructed theoretical models were successfully fitted to the experimental data and used to determine the optimal extraction conditions. When maximizing all responses simultaneously, HAE originated slightly higher response values (61% extract weight and 8.7 mg anthocyanins/g extract) but needed 76 min processing at 38 °C, with 21% ethanol (v/v), while the UAE process required 16 min sonication at 466 W, using 38% ethanol (v/v). The predictive models were experimentally validated, and the purple-red extracts obtained under optimal condition showed antioxidant activity through lipid peroxidation and oxidative hemolysis inhibition, and antibacterial effects against food-related microorganisms, such as Escherichia coli and Enterococcus faecalis. These results highlight the potential of red raspberry extracts as natural food colorants with bioactive effects and could be exploited by industries interested in the production of anthocyanin-based products.