Sex ratio, growth and recruitment of the pelagic shrimp Acetes americanus on the southeastern coast of Brazil

We evaluated the population dynamics of Acetes americanus Ortmann, 1893 focusing on sex ratio, individual growth, longevity, and the juvenile recruitment period. Samples were collected monthly from January 2006 to June 2007 in the bay of Ubatuba, Brazil. Specimen growth was identified for each gender, and the chosen cohorts were fitted in a von Bertalanffy Growth Model (VBGM); longevity was estimated by the von Bertalanffy inverse equation, considering 99% of the asymptotic length. A total of 6881 individuals (2343 males and 4538 females) were captured. On average the body size (total length) was greater in females (14.64 ± 3.34 mm) than in males (12.27 ± 1.86 mm). The mean growth curves (obtained by grouping the cohorts for each sex), provided estimates of TL∞ = 19.33 mm, k = 0.02 and t0 = -0.12 days for females and TL∞ = 15.13 mm, k = 0.03 and to = -0.07 days for males, where TL∞ is the asymptotic length, k is coefficient of growth and to is the theorical age when the size is equal to 0. Longevity was estimated at 0.61 years for females and 0.50 years for males. The sex ratio tended to favor females, which corroborates with others studies of sergestids. Our finding that males of A. americanus have higher values of k and therefore achieve a smaller size relative to females has been observed in other penaeids. We concluded that this differential growth pattern between the sexes is found across Dendrobranchiata. The life cycles of penaeids have an average duration of approximately 1-2 years, but our results corroborate other studies that estimate a shorter longevity for Acetes, as species of this genus are typically smaller in size. We found continuous recruitment with two main peaks observed during the study period, corroborating previous studies of Acetes. © The Crustacean Society, 2013. Published by Brill NV, Leiden.

Pathological and behavioral risk factors for higher serum c-reactive protein concentrations in free-living adults - A Brazilian community-based study

Low-grade chronic systemic inflammation is often associated with chronic non-communicable diseases, and its most frequently used marker, the C-reactive protein (CRP), has become an identifier of such diseases as well as an independent predictor for cardiovascular disorders and mortality. CRP is produced in response to pro-inflammatory signaling and to individual and behavioral factors, leading to pathological states. The aim of this study was to rank the predicting factors of high CRP concentrations in free-living adults from a community-based sample. We evaluated 522 adults (40-84 years old; 381 women) for anthropometric characteristics, dietary intake, clinical and physical tests, and blood analysis. Subjects were assigned to groups, according to CRP concentrations, as normal CRP (G1;<3.0 mg/L; n = 269), high CRP (G2; 3.0-6.0 mg/L; n = 139), and very high CRP (G3; >6.0 mg/dL; n = 116). Statistical comparison between groups used one-way ANOVA or Kruskal-Wallis tests, and prediction of altered values in increasing CRP was evaluated by proportional hazard models (odds ratio). CRP distribution was influenced by gender, body mass index, body and abdominal fatness, blood leukocytes, and neutrophil counts. The higher CRP group was discriminated by the above variables in addition to lower VO2max, serum metabolic syndrome components (triglycerides, glucose, and HDL cholesterol), higher insulin, homeostasis assessment of insulin resistance, uric acid, gamma-GT, and homocysteine. After adjustments, only fatness, blood leukocytes, and hyperglycemia remained as independent predictors for increased serum CRP concentrations. Intervention procedures to treat low-grade chronic inflammation in overweight women would mainly focus on restoring muscle mass and functions in addition to an antioxidant-rich diet. © 2012 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.

Three-year follow-up of Interleukin 6 and C-reactive protein in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Background: Past studies have shown that mean values of Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP) do not change significantly in COPD patients over a one-year period. However, longer period follow-up studies are still lacking. Thus, the aim of this study is to evaluate plasma CRP and IL-6 concentration over three years in COPD patients and to test the association between these inflammatory mediators and disease outcome markers. Methods: A cohort of 77 outpatients with stable COPD was evaluated at baseline, and 53 (mean FEV1, 56% predicted) were included in the prospective study. We evaluated Interleukin-6 (IL-6), C-reactive protein (CRP), six-minute walking distance (6MWD), and body mass index (BMI) at baseline and after three years. Plasma concentration of IL-6 was measured by high sensitivity ELISA, and CRP was obtained by high sensitivity particle-enhanced immunonephelometry. Results: IL-6 increased significantly after 3 years compared to baseline measurements [0.8 (0.5-1.3) vs 2.4 (1.3-4.4) pg/ml; p < 0.001] and was associated with worse 6MWD performance. In the Cox regression, increased IL-6 at baseline was associated with mortality [Hazard Ratio (95% CI) = 2.68 (0.13, 1.84); p = 0.02]. CRP mean values did not change [5 (1.6-7.9) vs 4.7 (1.7-10) pg/L; p = 0.84], although eleven patients (21%) presented with changes >3 mg/L in CRP after 3 years. Conclusions: The systemic inflammatory process, evaluated by IL-6, seems to be persistent, progressive and associated with mortality and worse physical performance in COPD patients. Trial registration: No.:NCT00605540. © 2013 Ferrari et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

Alkali activated materials based on fluid catalytic cracking catalyst residue (FCC): Influence of SiO2/Na2O and H 2O/FCC ratio on mechanical strength and microstructure

Reuse of industrial and agricultural wastes as supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) in concrete and mortar productions contribute to sustainable development. In this context, fluid catalytic cracking catalyst residue (spent FCC), a byproduct from the petroleum industry and petrol refineries, have been studied as SCM in blended Portland cement in the last years. Nevertheless, another environmental friendly alternative has been conducted in order to produce alternative binders with low CO2 emissions. The use of aluminosilicate materials in the production of alkali-activated materials (AAMs) is an ongoing research topic which can present low CO2 emissions associated. Hence, this paper studies some variables that can influence the production of AAM based on spent FCC. Specifically, the influence of SiO 2/Na2O molar ratio and the H2O/spent FCC mass ratio on the mechanical strength and microstructure are assessed. Some instrumental techniques, such as SEM, XRD, pH and electrical conductivity measurements, and MIP are performed in order to assess the microstructure of formed alkali-activated binder. Alkali activated mortars with compressive strength up to 80 MPa can be formed after curing for 3 days at 65°C. The research demonstrates the potential of spent FCC to produce alkali-activated cements and the importance of SiO2/Na2O molar ratio and the H2O/spent FCC mass ratio in optimising properties and microstructure. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Morphology, sex ratio and gene expression of Day 14 in vivo and in vitro bovine embryos

The present study was designed to compare Day 14 bovine embryos that were produced entirely in vitro using the post-hatching development (PHD) system with in vivo-derived embryos without or with transient PHD culture from Day 7 to Day 14. Embryos on Day 14 were used for sex determination and gene expression analysis of PLAC8, KRT8, CD9, SLC2A1, SLC2A3, PGK1, HSF1, MNSOD, HSP70 and IFNT using real-time quantitative (q) polymerase chain reaction (PCR). First, Day 7 in vivo-and in vitro-produced embryos were subjected to the PHD system. A higher rate of survival was observed for in vitro embryos on Day 14. Comparing Day 14 embryos produced completely in vivo or completely in vitro revealed that the mean size of the former group was greater than that of the latter (10.29±1.83 vs 2.68±0.33mm, respectively). Expression of the HSP70 and SLC2A1 genes was down-and upregulated, respectively, in the in vitro embryos. The present study shows that in vitro embryos cultured in the PHD system are smaller than in vivo embryos and that of the 10 genes analysed, only two were differentially expressed between the two groups. These findings indicate that, owing to the poor survival rate, the PHD system is not reliable for evaluation of in vitro embryo quality. © 2013 CSIRO.

Digit ratio (2D:4D) is associated with gastric cancer

Background: Sex steroid exposure during early human development may influence disease susceptibility. Digit ratio (2D:4D) is a putative marker for prenatal hormone exposure and sensitivity, as well as the action of genes closely related to carcinogenesis. Digit ratio could act as a possible marker for cancer predisposition. Aims: The aim of this study is to investigate the possible correlations between right hand, left hand and right minus left (R. - L) 2D:4D and gastric cancer (GCA) in men and women and assess the correlations with tumor staging and histological diagnosis. Methods: Digital images of the right and left hand palms of patients diagnosed with GCA (n = 57, 42 males, 15 females) and age and sex-matched controls (n = 59, 41 males, 18 females) were obtained. Means for 2D:4D were compared. Data were analyzed by repeated-measures one-way ANOVA and Student's t-test for finger measurements and group comparisons and Pearson's and Spearman's tests for correlations with tumor staging (α = 0.05). Results: GCA group presented significantly higher left 2D:4D, but significantly lower R. - L in comparison to healthy controls, particularly so for males. Digit ratio did not correlate to clinical staging or TNM staging. However, low R. - L was significantly related to adenocarcinomas. Conclusions: Early developmental conditions, including prenatal testosterone seem to play a role on the malignant transformation of gastric lesions. The 2D:4D pattern found for gastric cancer parallels that earlier described for breast cancer. The findings suggest that 2D:4D could add to the list of etiological factors and be a putative marker for the screening of patients' susceptibility to develop gastric cancer. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd.

SFlt-1/PlGF ratio as a prognostic marker of adverse outcomes in women with early-onset preeclampsia

Soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 (sFlt-1) is an anti-angiogenic factor released in higher amounts by preeclamptic placentas and it has been implicated in the endothelial dysfunction observed in the disease. In this study we evaluated if circulating sFlt-1/PlGF ratio is useful to predict adverse outcomes in women with early-onset preeclampsia. This is a cohort study of 88 preeclamptic women with singleton pregnancies at ≤35 weeks of gestation. According to definitions used, adverse outcomes occurred in 46.5% (N = 43) of the patients. The median sFlt1/PlGF ratio (25th-75th centile) for all patients evaluated was of 42.26 (13.1-226.1). The median sFlt-1/PlGF ratio among women who had any adverse outcome (N = 43) versus no adverse outcomes (N = 45) was of 227.6 (80.3-346.1) versus 14.4 (3.35-30.0), (P < 0.0001). According to our analyses a sFlt-1/PlGF ratio cut-point of ≥85 gave a sensitivity of 74.0% and specificity of 97.0%. The positive predictive value and the negative predictive value were 96.0% and 80.0%, respectively. The median sFlt-1/PlGF ratio (25th-75th centile) for patients who delivered within <7 days was 260.0 (127.7-404.7) as compared to 14.4 (3.35-34.97) for those patients who delivered within two weeks or more (P < 0.0001). Our results suggest that sFlt-1/PlGF ratio is a promising marker for adverse outcomes in women with early-onset preeclampsia. © 2013 International Society for the Study of Hypertension in Pregnancy. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Bovine herpesvirus type 5 infection regulates Bax/BCL-2 ratio

Bovine herpesvirus 5 (BoHV-5) is an α-herpesvirus that causes neurological disease in young cattle and is also occasionally involved in reproductive disorders. Although there have been many studies of the apoptotic pathways induced by viruses belonging to the family Herpesviridae, there is little information about the intrinsic programmed cell death pathway in host-BoHV-5 interactions. We found that BoHV-5 is able to replicate in both mesenchymal and epithelial cell lines, provoking cytopathology that is characterized by cellular swelling and cell fusion. Viral antigens were detected in infected cells by immunofluorescence assay at 48 to 96 h post-infection (p.i.). At 48 to 72 h p.i., anti-apoptotic BCL-2 antigens were found at higher levels than Bax antigens; the latter is considered a pro-apoptotic protein. Infected cells had increased BCL-2 phenotype cells from 48 to 96 h p.i., based on flow cytometric analysis. At 48 to 96 h p.i., Bax mRNA was not expressed in any of the infected cell monolayers. In contrast, BCL-2 mRNA was found at high levels at all p.i. in both types of cells. BoHV-5 replication apparently modulates BCL-2 expression and gene transcription, enhancing production of virus progeny. © FUNPEC-RP.

Measurement of the ratio of the inclusive 3-jet cross section to the inclusive 2-jet cross section in pp collisions at root s=7 TeV and first determination of the strong coupling constant in the TeV range

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Effect of s/g ratio on kraft pulping and ecf bleaching of some poplars and eucalyptus

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Digit Ratio (2D:4D), Aggression, and Testosterone in Men Exposed to an Aggressive Video Stimulus

The relative lengths of the 2nd and 4th digits (2D:4D) is a negative biomarker for prenatal testosterone, and low 2D:4D may be associated with aggression. However, the evidence for a 2D:4D-aggression association is mixed. Here we test the hypothesis that 2D:4D is robustly linked to aggression in challenge situations in which testosterone is increased. Participants were exposed to an aggressive video and a control video. Aggression was measured after each video and salivary free testosterone levels before and after each video. Compared to the control video, the aggressive video was associated with raised aggression responses and a marginally significant increase in testosterone. Left 2D:4D was negatively correlated with aggression after the aggressive video and the strength of the correlation was higher in those participants who showed the greatest increases in testosterone. Left 2D:4D was also negatively correlated to the difference between aggression scores in the aggressive and control conditions. The control video did not influence testosterone concentrations and there were no associations between 2D:4D and aggression. We conclude that 2D:4D moderates the impact of an aggressive stimulus on aggression, such that an increase in testosterone resulting from a challenge is associated with a negative correlation between 2D:4D and aggression.

RAMSY: Ratio Analysis of Mass Spectrometry to Improve Compound Identification

The complexity of biological samples poses a major challenge for reliable compound identification in mass spectrometry (MS). The presence of interfering compounds that cause additional peaks in the spectrum can make interpretation and assignment difficult. To overcome this issue, new approaches are needed to reduce complexity and simplify spectral interpretation. Recently, focused on unknown metabolite identification, we presented a new approach, RANSY (ratio analysis of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy; Anal. Chem. 2011, 83, 7616-7623), which extracts the signals related to the same metabolite based on peak intensity ratios. On the basis of this concept, we present the ratio analysis of mass spectrometry (RAMSY) method, which facilitates improved compound identification in complex MS spectra. RAMSY works on the principle that, under a given set of experimental conditions, the abundance/intensity ratios between the mass fragments from the same metabolite are relatively constant. Therefore, the quotients of average peak ratios and their standard deviations, generated using a small set of MS spectra from the same ion chromatogram, efficiently allow the statistical recovery of the metabolite peaks and facilitate reliable identification. RAMSY was applied to both gas chromatography/MS and liquid chromatography tandem MS (LC-MS/MS) data to demonstrate its utility. The performance of RAMSY is typically better than the results from correlation methods. RAMSY promises to improve unknown metabolite identification for MS users in metabolomics or other fields.

As-synthesized TEA-BEA zeolite: Effect of Si/Al ratio on the Knoevenagel condensation

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)