Evaluation of the performance of different plastics used to seal nylon cDNA arrays

cDNA arrays are a powerful tool for discovering gene expression patterns. Nylon arrays have the advantage that they can be re-used several times. A key issue in high throughput gene expression analysis is sensitivity. In the case of nylon arrays, signal detection can be affected by the plastic bags used to keep membranes humid. In this study, we evaluated the effect of five types of plastics on the radioactive transmittance, number of genes with a signal above the background, and data variability. A polyethylene plastic bag 69 μm thick had a strong shielding effect that blocked 68.7% of the radioactive signal. The shielding effect on transmittance decreased the number of detected genes and increased the data variability. Other plastics which were thinner gave better results. Although plastics made from polyvinylidene chloride, polyvinyl chloride (both 13 μm thick) and polyethylene (29 and 7 μm thick) showed different levels of transmittance, they all gave similarly good performances. Polyvinylidene chloride and polyethylene 29 mm thick were the plastics of choice because of their easy handling. For other types of plastics, it is advisable to run a simple check on their performance in order to obtain the maximum information from nylon cDNA arrays.

Movimentos sociais na contemporaneidade

The work aims to present an overview of social movements in actuality, in the Latin America, and presents a mapping of their main forms in Brazil. The search ponders the educational character of their actions, both for its participants, as for society in general and public agencies. The basic premise of assertion that social movements are sources of innovation and knowledge-generating arrays. However, because it is not an isolated process but social-political character, the paper search joints in the network of relationships that establish movements in political, economic and socio-cultural country, to understand the factors that generate learning built and values of political culture that are being built. . The text highlights movements that occurs in the areas of education - formal and non-formal education.