Membrane Lipid Profile Monitored By Mass Spectrometry Detected Differences Between Fresh And Vitrified In Vitro-produced Bovine Embryos.

Summary This study aimed to evaluate the impact of vitrification on membrane lipid profile obtained by mass spectrometry (MS) of in vitro-produced bovine embryos. Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) has been used to obtain individual embryo membrane lipid profiles. Due to conditions of analysis, mainly membrane lipids, most favorably phosphatidylcholines (PCs) and sphingomyelins (SMs) have been detected. The following ions described by their mass-to-charge ratio (m/z) and respective attribution presented increased relative abundance (1.2-20×) in the vitrified group: 703.5 [SM (16:0) + H]+; 722.5 [PC (40:3) + Na]+; 758.5 [PC (34:2) + H]+; 762.5 [PC (34:0) + H]+; 790.5 [PC (36:0) + H]+ and 810.5 [PC (38:4) + H]+ and/or [PC (36:1) + Na]+. The ion with a m/z 744.5 [PCp (34:1) and/or PCe (34:2)] was 3.4-fold more abundant in the fresh group. Interestingly, ions with m/z 722.5 or 744.5 indicate the presence of lipid species, which are more resistant to enzymatic degradation as they contain fatty acyl residues linked through ether type bonds (alkyl ether or plasmalogens, indicated by the lowercase 'e' and 'p', respectively) to the glycerol structure. The results indicate that cryopreservation impacts the membrane lipid profile, and that these alterations can be properly monitored by MALDI-MS. Membrane lipids can therefore be evaluated by MALDI-MS to monitor the effect of cryopreservation on membrane lipids, and to investigate changes in lipid profile that may reflect the metabolic response to the cryopreservation stress or changes in the environmental conditions.

Interplay Of Weak Interactions In The Atom-by-atom Condensation Of Xenon Within Quantum Boxes.

Condensation processes are of key importance in nature and play a fundamental role in chemistry and physics. Owing to size effects at the nanoscale, it is conceptually desired to experimentally probe the dependence of condensate structure on the number of constituents one by one. Here we present an approach to study a condensation process atom-by-atom with the scanning tunnelling microscope, which provides a direct real-space access with atomic precision to the aggregates formed in atomically defined 'quantum boxes'. Our analysis reveals the subtle interplay of competing directional and nondirectional interactions in the emergence of structure and provides unprecedented input for the structural comparison with quantum mechanical models. This approach focuses on-but is not limited to-the model case of xenon condensation and goes significantly beyond the well-established statistical size analysis of clusters in atomic or molecular beams by mass spectrometry.

Gênero e estresse em trabalhadores de uma universidade pública do estado de São Paulo

The aim of this paper was to identify, according to gender, the indexes of Mental Health and the Psychosocial Risk Factors in workers at a state University. A sample of 400 was randomly selected, 253 female and 147 male. They were assessed by means of The Questionnaire SWS Survey (Self, Work and Social) (Ostermann & Gutiérrez, 1992), validated in Brazil by Guimarães and Macfadden (1999). Univariate, bivariate, multivariate statistics were assessed. Significant associations emerged from Mental Health and Gender, and Psychosocial Risk Factors and Gender. Women showed greater Psychosocial Risk Factors, Work and Social Stress, worst mental health than men (p < 0.05), which place them at greater risk for developing physical and/or mental illness.

Chronic Continuous Exenatide Infusion Does Not Cause Pancreatic Inflammation And Ductal Hyperplasia In Non-human Primates.

In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effects of exenatide (EXE) treatment on exocrine pancreas of nonhuman primates. To this end, 52 baboons (Papio hamadryas) underwent partial pancreatectomy, followed by continuous infusion of EXE or saline (SAL) for 14 weeks. Histological analysis, immunohistochemistry, Computer Assisted Stereology Toolbox morphometry, and immunofluorescence staining were performed at baseline and after treatment. The EXE treatment did not induce pancreatitis, parenchymal or periductal inflammatory cell accumulation, ductal hyperplasia, or dysplastic lesions/pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia. At study end, Ki-67-positive (proliferating) acinar cell number did not change, compared with baseline, in either group. Ki-67-positive ductal cells increased after EXE treatment (P = 0.04). However, the change in Ki-67-positive ductal cell number did not differ significantly between the EXE and SAL groups (P = 0.13). M-30-positive (apoptotic) acinar and ductal cell number did not change after SAL or EXE treatment. No changes in ductal density and volume were observed after EXE or SAL. Interestingly, by triple-immunofluorescence staining, we detected c-kit (a marker of cell transdifferentiation) positive ductal cells co-expressing insulin in ducts only in the EXE group at study end, suggesting that EXE may promote the differentiation of ductal cells toward a β-cell phenotype. In conclusion, 14 weeks of EXE treatment did not exert any negative effect on exocrine pancreas, by inducing either pancreatic inflammation or hyperplasia/dysplasia in nonhuman primates.

Viral hepatitis in patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus

From 1992 to 1995 we studied 232 (69% male, 87% Caucasian) anti-human immunodeficiency virus (anti-HIV) positive Brazilian patients, through a questionnaire; HIV had been acquired sexually by 50%, from blood by 32%, sexually and/or from blood by 16.4% and by an unknown route by 1.7%. Intravenous drug use was reported by 29%; it was the most important risk factor for HIV transmission. The alanine aminotransferase quotient (qALT) was >1 for 40% of the patients, 93.6% had anti-hepatitis A virus antibody, 5.3% presented hepatitis B surface antigen, 44% were anti-hepatitis B core antigen positive and 53.8% were anti-hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV) positive. The anti-HCV test showed a significant association with qALT>1. Patients for whom the probable HIV transmission route was blood had a 10.8 times greater risk of being anti-HCV positive than patients infected by other routes. Among 30 patients submitted to liver biopsy, 18 presented chronic hepatitis.

A influencia dos agentes sociais nos interesses fisico-esportivos do lazer

Universidade Estadual de Campinas. Faculdade de Educação Física

Lazer e participação em um grupo de praticantes de escalada

Universidade Estadual de Campinas . Faculdade de Educação Física