Vertical transmission of hepatitis C virus: A tale of multiple outcomes

Globally, hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection affects approximately 130 million people and 3 million new infections occur annually. HCV is also recognized as an important cause of chronic liver disease in children. The absence of proofreading properties of the HCV RNA polymerase leads to a highly error prone replication process, allowing HCV to escape host immune response. The adaptive nature of HCV evolution dictates the outcome of the disease in many ways. Here, we investigated the molecular evolution of HCV in three unrelated children who acquired chronic HCV infection as a result of mother-to-child transmission, two of whom were also coinfected with HIV-1. The persistence of discrete HCV variants and their population structure were assessed using median joining network and Bayesian approaches. While patterns of viral evolution clearly differed between subjects, immune system dysfunction related to HIV coinfection or persistent HCV seronegativity stand as potential mechanisms to explain the lack of molecular evolution observed in these three cases. In contrast, treatment of HCV infection with PegIFN, which did not lead to sustained virologic responses in all 3 cases, was not associated with commensurate variations in the complexity of the variant spectrum. Finally, the differences in the degree of divergence suggest that the mode of transmission of the virus was not the main factor driving viral evolution. (C) 2013 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.

Índice SPAD e trocas gasosas ao longo do dia para diferenciação de cana-de-açúcar sob deficiência hídrica

Pós-graduação em Agronomia (Agricultura) - FCA

Caracterização, criopreservação e diferenciação in vitro de células tronco, derivadas de amniótica e gelatina de Wharton canina, visando a formação de um banco de células tronco

Pós-graduação em Biotecnologia Animal - FMVZ

Diferenciação do leite convencional e orgânico, por análises de isótopos estáveis e de compostos antioxidantes

Pós-graduação em Zootecnia - FMVZ

Atuação da ocitocina no processo de diferenciação osteoblástica de ratas senis

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Estudo dos mecanismos envolvidos no processo de diferenciação em linhagem osteogênica de células-tronco mesenquimais da medula óssea de ratos Wistar e ratos espontaneamente hipertensos (SHR)

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Three-point functions and su(1 vertical bar 1) spin chains

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Investigation of chemical changes in sealers during application of the warm vertical compaction technique

Aim To assess (i) heat generated by pluggers during warm vertical compaction of gutta-percha and investigation of temperature changes on the external root surface during canal filling, and (ii) the chemical changes of root canal sealers induced by heat.Methodology Four sealers, namely AH Plus, MTA Plus and two other experimental sealers based on tricalcium silicate, were characterised. External temperatures generated on the root surface during warm vertical compaction of gutta-percha with different sealers inside the root canal were monitored using an infrared thermography camera. Chemical changes induced by heating the sealers were assessed by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy.Results MTA Plus and the experimental sealers were composed of a cement and radiopacifier, with epoxy resin or a water-soluble polymer as dispersant, whilst AH Plus was epoxy resin-based. The heat generated at the tips of the continuous wave pluggers was found to be lower than the temperature set and indicated on the device LCD display. The sealers reduced the heat generated on the external root surfaces during the heating phase. AH Plus sustained changes to its chemical structure after exposure to heat, whilst the other sealers were unaffected.Conclusions The temperatures recorded at the tips of continuous wave pluggers varied with their taper and were lower than the temperature set on the System B LCD display. Root canal sealers reduced the dissipation of heat generated during warm vertical compaction, with the temperature at the external root surface maintained at 37-41 degrees C, a temperature below that is necessary to cause irreversible damage to bone and periodontium. The use of AH Plus sealer during warm vertical compaction techniques results in chemical changes in the sealer. The effect on sealer properties needs to be further investigated.

Vertical distribution by demographic groups of ghost crab Ocypode quadrata (Crustacea: Brachyura)

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Complex modal analysis of a slender vertical rotor by finite elements method

In this paper, natural frequencies were analyzed (axial, torsional and flexural) and frequency response of a vertical rotor with a hard disk at the edge through the classical modal and complex analysis. The equation that rules the movement was obtained through the Lagrangian formulation. The model considered the effects of bending, torsion and axial deformation of the shaft, besides the gravitational and gyroscopic effects. The finite element method was used to discretize the structure into hollow cylindrical elements with 12 degrees of freedom. Mass, stiffness and gyroscopic matrices were explained consistently. The classical modal analysis, usually applied to stationary structures, does not consider an important characteristic of rotating machinery which are the methods of forward and backward whirl. Initially, through the traditional modal analysis, axial and torsional natural frequencies were obtained in a static shaft, since they do not suffer the influence of gyroscopic effects. Later research was performed by complex modal analysis. This type of tool, based on the use of complex coordinates to describe the dynamic behavior of rotating shaft, allows the decomposition of the system in two submodes, backward and forward. Thus, it is possible to clearly visualize that the orbit and direction of the precessional motion around the line of the rotating shaft is not deformed. A finite element program was developed using MATLAB (TM) and numerical simulations were performed to validate this model. Natural frequencies and directional frequency forced response (dFRF) were obtained using the complex modal analysis for a simple vertical rotor and also for a typical drill string used in the construction of oil wells.

Influência da atividade de forragem, números de adultos e de larvas, na diferenciação de castas de Mischocyttarus cerberus styx Richards, 1940 (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Mischocyttarini)

Não disponível

Diferenciação hemogasimétrica, hemoconcentradora e da glicemia em testes de exaustão muscular usando cinco, quatro ou três exercícios

Em trabalho anterior, observou-se que diferentes grupamentos musculares submetidos ao teste de exaustão (TE) com pesos respondem semelhantemente com hemoconcentração, acidose e aumento da glicemia, entretanto, com variações grupomuscular dependentes. Nesse estudo, é comparado o efeito do impacto provocado pelo TE envolvendo, conjuntamente, 5, 4 ou 3 exercícios por meio da análise desses marcadores bioquímicos. Foram estudados 21 indivíduos do sexo masculino (20-32 anos) voluntários, familiarizados com treinamento em musculação, estratificados em três grupos de acordo com o número de exercícios: grupo 5 ( n= 6) 5 exercícios (Extensão do cotovelo, desenvolvimento pela frente, supino reto, levantamento terra e agachamento), grupo 4 (n= 7) 4 exercícios (Supino reto, rosca direta com barra, agachamento hack, tríceps no pulley), grupo 3 (n= 8) 3 exercícios (Agachamento hack, supino reto, rosca direta ) . Todos foram submetidos à sobrecarga inicial de 80% de uma repetição máxima (1RM), até a exaustão, em seguida, com auxílio externo e sem interrupção do exercício, a carga foi reduzida em 20% do peso, até a impossibilidade de continuidade de realização do exercício com a carga mínima (20% de 1RM). O sangue coletado em veia cubital antes (At) e imediatamente após (Ap) o TE foi analisado para indicadores hemogasimétricos (pH, pO2, pCO2, HCO- 3), hemoconcentração (Ht) e glicemia. O efeito do TE sobre cada variável (At/Ap) foi avaliado comparando-se os grupos por meio de ANOVA-medidas repetidas para significância de p=0,05. Houve significância (p<0,05) na elevação do Ht, glicose e pO2 e redução do pH, PCO2 e HCO- 3, Entretanto houve diferença significativa entre os grupos apenas em relação ao HCO- 3, no qual este apresentou maior variação no G4 em relação ao demais. Assim, esses marcadores sistêmicos respondem a exaustão muscular de modo semelhante ao envolvimento de 3,4 ou 5 grupamentos musculares

Caracterização litogeoquímica dos basaltos do município de Monções -SP

The paper deals with the petrographic and geochemical investigation of basalt flows present in a gravel quarry in the town of Monções in northwestern São Paulo State, members of the Serra Geral Formation of the Paraná Basin. Were collected 11 samples from different horizons within a topographic vertical profile with an average of 18 meters in height. The samples were subjected to macroscopic and microscopic petrographic and chemical major, minor and trace. The results indicated that it is tholeiitic basalts with dense fine grained average. Petrographic analyzes show that basalts studied are basically constituted by plagioclase (between 33 and 49%), labradorite and clinopyroxenes (between 29 and 46%) represented by the subordinate pigeonite and augite, having as accessories opaque (between 3 and 15% ), olivine (<2%), apatite and zircon as dashes. The secondary minerals correspond to cloropheite, chlorite, serpentine, epidote, albite and iron oxides and hydroxy as well as bowlingit of clay, nontronite, and celadonite. The basalts are kind of high-titanium (Hti)> 1.8% TiO2, and apparently belong to the Pitanga magma-type. The geochemical analyzes proved unsatisfactory for the determination of a probable lithogeochemistry differentiation within the vertical stroke for generating multiple data correlation or no immediately discernible trends

Diferentes métodos de diagnóstico molecular na diferenciação das espécies de Sarcocystis spp

The Sarcocystis genus includes obligatory two-host life cycle protozoan parasites. It is the most numerous of the six genera of the Sarcocystidae family. The infection caused by parasites of this genus is a zoonotic and cosmopolitan disease known as sarcosistosis or sarcosporidiosis. The sarcositosis though frequently asymptomatic in its definitive hosts can be fatal in its intermediate hosts. The usual diagnoses of sarcosistosis takes place through a histological demonstration of schizonts in blood vessels and organs, and the presence of cysts in muscle tissue by necropsy or biopsy, this second method still more common and based on morphological features of the sarcocyst. However, these methods can be inadequate to a precise identification of the infector species once that, besides the genus being of numerous species, these often present similar morphological features. Another factor that makes the diagnostic more difficult is the non specificity of some Sacocystis species to their hosts. Consequently, molecular diagnostic methods have been used in order to identify the infector species and the parasite specific biological cycles, demonstrating also new species and coevolutive aspects between parasite and host. Among the most employed molecular techniques the Polimerase Chain Reaction (PCR), the nested-PCR and the Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP) stands out

A indução da potencialização pós-ativação através dos saltos: pliométrico e vertical

The Post-Activation Potentiation (PAP) offers a proposal to optimize the production of strength and muscular power when performing exercises near maximum to actions previously assessed . The present study aims to show the activation process of postactivation potentiation (PAP) through vertical and plyometric jumps, and explain the user function of these movements. The ratio of post-activation potentiation resulting from plyometric and vertical jumps and explosive strength in the lower limbs aims to improve the potency and maximal strength, proven through studies and protocols detailed here. The results of this research come can be applied both for athletes and for individuals with experience in strength training and jumps (sports like volleyball, basketball and handball). The study was conducted through a literature review, conducted in scientific journals indexed in major databases (PubMed, ISI-Web of Science, SCIELO), books and academic papers (theses and dissertations)