Scanner du rachis cervical : comparaison de protocoles dose-standard/rétroprojection filtrée et basse-dose/reconstruction intéractive.

Objectifs: Comparer la qualité d'image entre des protocoles dose-standard avec rétroprojection filtrée et basse-dose avec reconstruction itérative en scanner du rachis cervical. Matériels et méthodes: 40 patients ont été investigués par scanner du rachis cervical et prospectivement randomisés en 2 groupes: dose-standard (120kV, 275mAs) avec rétroprojection filtrée, basse-dose (120kV, 150mAs) avec reconstruction itérative. Mesure du bruit, signal-sur-bruit et contraste-sur-bruit. Analyse semi-quantitative (4 points) par 2 observateurs indépendants des disques, foramens, cordon médullaire, ligaments, parties molles et vertèbres, en C3-C4 et C6-C7. Evaluation semi-quantitative (10 points) de la qualité d'image globale. Les paramètres de dose ont été mesurés. Résultats: Il n'y avait aucune différence significative de bruit, signal-sur-bruit ou contraste-sur-bruit entre les 2 protocoles (p≥0.39). En basse-dose avec reconstruction itérative, la visibilité était significativement meilleure pour les disques, foramens et ligaments (p≤0.05), égale pour le cordon médullaire et moins bonne pour les parties molles et vertèbres (p≤0.02). La qualité d'image globale était meilleure, avec une réduction de dose de 41%. Conclusion: Le scanner du rachis cervical basse-dose avec reconstruction itérative fournit des images égales ou meilleures pour les disques, foramens et ligaments, tout en réduisant la dose d'environ 40%.

A variational approach for calculating Franck-Condon factors including mode-mode anharmonic coupling

We have implemented our new procedure for computing Franck-Condon factors utilizing vibrational configuration interaction based on a vibrational self-consistent field reference. Both Duschinsky rotations and anharmonic three-mode coupling are taken into account. Simulations of the first ionization band of Cl O2 and C4 H4 O (furan) using up to quadruple excitations in treating anharmonicity are reported and analyzed. A developer version of the MIDASCPP code was employed to obtain the required anharmonic vibrational integrals and transition frequencies

Meningococcal disease in a kidney transplant recipient with mannose-binding lectin (MBL) deficiency

Background: There is an increasing amount of data associating MBL deficiency with a higher susceptibility to meningococca[ disease. In addition, meningococca[ disease has been reported in patients with various immunosuppressive conditions. However, to our knowledge, only three cases of meningococca[ disease have been reported in solid organ recipients (SOT). Methods & Results: A 32 year-old male patient underwent cadaveric kidney transplantation for endstage renal disease of unknown origin. On day 71 post-transplantation he developed fever (39.6°C), shaking chilis, and tachycardia without hypotension. At this time, immunosuppression consisted of tacro[imus, prednisone 10mg daily and mycopheno[ ate mofeti[ 2 g daily. Physical examination on admission was normal, except for two small petechia[ lesions on the forearm. No meningeal signs were present. Three sets of blood cultures grew Neisseria meningitidis group C susceptible to ceftriaxone (MIC=0.003mg/[). Antibiotic therapy consisted in intravenous ceftriaxone 2 g per day for a total duration of 7 days. Serum immunog[obu[in levels, C3, C4 and CHS0 were normal However, using a method to screen for the functional activity of a[[ three pathways of complement (Wies[ab, Lund, Sweden), no activation via the MBL pathway could be detected (0%). A subsequent quantification of MBL pathway components revealed normal levels of MASP 2 but undetectab[e amounts of MBL (below 10 ng/m[, normal range: >500 ng/m[). Conclusion: Since the exact incidence and the possible relationship between meningococca[ disease and organ transplantation is not we[[ understood, we strongly encourage transplantation centers to report additional cases. The potential clinical usefu[ ness of screening SOT candidates for MBL deficiency in relation to infectious complications after transplantation remains to be determined.

Preservación del ambiente marino y producción primaria: trabajos sobre trazas de metales, nutrientes y producción marina en áreas de afloramiento costero frente al Perú

A continuación el artículo muestra un estudio de la distribución de cobre, plomo, zinc en los sedimentos del puerto del Callao, así como los efectos del fenómeno del niño de los años 1982-1983. Experimentos de nutrientes y productividad con agua de mar y de la desembocadura del Río Rimac. Finalmente el carbono orgánico particulado, clorofila y la fotosíntesis en el área de afloramiento entre Pimentel y Chimbote.

Photoinhibition of photosynthesis in natural assemblages of marine phytoplankton

estudia la fotosÍntesis en el fitoplancton, como función unica y continua de luz disponible, desde la respuesta linear inicial hasta la inhibición extrema

pH como un trazador de la variabilidad biogeoquímica en el Sistema de Humboldt

Se analizó información sobre parámetros biogeoquímicos como pH, CO2 parcialmente disuelto, clorofila-a, oxígeno, salinidad y temperatura, obtenidos en el Sistema de Humboldt frente a Perú en los años 2007-2009, a fin de comprender la importancia del pH como una variable clave para trazar la variabilidad biogeoquímica del Sistema de Afloramiento de Humboldt. Las Aguas Costeras Frías (ACF) ricas en nutrientes evidencian una relación inversa con el pH, en ese sentido valores de 7,6 a 8,0 se encontraron asociados a la ocurrencia de eventos de afloramiento; en condiciones frías como La Niña 2007 el pH predominante se encuentra por debajo de 8,0, y en el caso de las Aguas Subtropicales Superficiales presentan un pH entorno a 8,3. La productividad en los veranos se incrementa debido a factores como la intensidad de luz generándose núcleos de clorofila-a superiores a 10,0 μg.L-1; como constituyentes de la reacción bioquímica de fotosíntesis se tiene en cuenta la forma inmediata del compuesto CO2 y el consumo de iones hidronio; en situaciones extremas de fertilización, se tiene elevado pH entre 8,2 e inclusive 9,0, en donde los contenidos de oxígeno disuelto superan los 6,0 mL.L-1.

Stereospecificity of the siderophore pyochelin outer membrane transporters in fluorescent pseudomonads.

Pyochelin (Pch) and enantio-pyochelin (EPch) are enantiomer siderophores that are produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Pseudomonas fluorescens, respectively, under iron limitation. Pch promotes growth of P. aeruginosa when iron is scarce, and EPch carries out the same biological function in P. fluorescens. However, the two siderophores are unable to promote growth in the heterologous species, indicating that siderophore-mediated iron uptake is highly stereospecific. In the present work, using binding and iron uptake assays, we found that FptA, the Fe-Pch outer membrane transporter of P. aeruginosa, recognized (K(d) = 2.5 +/- 1.1 nm) and transported Fe-Pch but did not interact with Fe-EPch. Likewise, FetA, the Fe-EPch receptor of P. fluorescens, was specific for Fe-EPch (K(d) = 3.7 +/- 2.1 nm) but did not bind and transport Fe-Pch. Growth promotion experiments performed under iron-limiting conditions confirmed that FptA and FetA are highly specific for Pch and EPch, respectively. When fptA and fetA along with adjacent transport genes involved in siderophore uptake were swapped between the two bacterial species, P. aeruginosa became able to utilize Fe-EPch as an iron source, and P. fluorescens was able to grow with Fe-Pch. Docking experiments using the FptA structure and binding assays showed that the stereospecificity of Pch recognition by FptA was mostly due to the configuration of the siderophore chiral centers C4'' and C2'' and was only weakly dependent on the configuration of the C4' carbon atom. Together, these findings increase our understanding of the stereospecific interaction between Pch and its outer membrane receptor FptA.

Independent evolution of hypervariable regions of HIV-1 gp120: V4 as a swarm of N-Linked glycosylation variants

In this study we have characterized intra-patient length polymorphism in V4 by cloning and sequencing a C2-C4 fragment from HIV plasma RNA in patients at different stages of HIV disease. Clonal analysis of clade B, G, and CRF02 isolates during early infection shows extensive intra-patient V4 variability, due to the presence of indel-associated polymorphism. Indels, coupled to amino acid substitution events, affect the number and distribution of potential N-glycosylation sites, resulting in the coexistence, within the same patient, of V4 subsets, each characterized by different sizes, amino acid sequences, and potential N-glycosylation patterns. In contrast, V3 appears to be relatively homogeneous, with similar V3 associated to significantly different V4 within the same clinical specimen. Based on these data, we propose that during early chronic infection V4 is present as a highly divergent quasispecies, enabling the virus to adopt different conformational structures according to immune constrains and other selective pressures

Diagnostic INSMED: Cuentagotas S.L.

Modèle de diagnostic C4.1.1 (UPC)

Diagnostic INSMED: COPERSA, S.A.

Modèle de disgnostic C4.1.2 (UPC)

Caracterização de concreções ferro-manganosas de solos de calcário no norte do estado de Minas Gerais

As concreções ferro-manganosas, variáveis quanto ao diâmetro e formato, são comuns em solos desenvolvidos de calcário no norte de Minas Gerais. Normalmente, tendem a aumentar de tamanho com a profundidade nos Cambissolos e Vertissolos e a permanecer pequenas nos Latossolos, onde são mais lisas (menos corroídas) e mais arredondadas (lembrando chumbinho de caça). Com o objetivo de estudá-las, foram coletadas concreções (C) nos horizontes B de Latossolos Vermelhos; B e BC de Cambissolo e C de Vertissolo, agrupadas de acordo com o diâmetro médio (C1-Φ = 0,18 cm; C2-Φ = 0,53 cm; C3-Φ = 0,90 cm; C4-Φ = 1,75 cm), sendo C1 as concreções dos Latossolos e C2, C3 e C4 separações das concreções do Cambissolo e do Vertissolo. Tais concreções, após trituradas, foram caracterizadas química (extração de Fe e Mn com oxalato e DCB; ataque sulfúrico e ataque triácido) e mineralogicamente (difração de raios-X). Também foram coletadas amostras indeformadas dos solos que apresentavam concreções, as quais foram impregnadas para análise micromorfológica. A caracterização química das concreções revelou o ferro, a sílica e o manganês como os principais constituintes. Houve correlação significativa e negativa entre o diâmetro das concreções e o teor de ferro (r = -0,88), o que concorda com a literatura, bem como maior acúmulo de ferro nas concreções de menor diâmetro. Também houve correlação positiva entre o diâmetro e o teor de sílica (r = 0,96), fato explicado pelos teores de sílica encontrados nos solos e horizontes onde as concreções ocorrem. Para o manganês nenhuma correlação foi observada, o que contradiz dados de literatura, que revelam normalmente aumento do teor de manganês com o diâmetro. Observou-se, ainda, nas concreções, alguns elementos traços (Ba, Co, Ni, Pb). A quantificação de elementos traços demonstrou elevadas concentrações de manganês, com valores médios 40 vezes maiores que os encontrados nos solos, valores elevados de bário (em média 20 vezes maiores que nos solos) e que tendem a acompanhar o manganês (r = 0,99), o que também foi verificado para o Co (r = 0,99), Ni (r = 0,94), Pb (r = 0,99). A difração de raios-X revelou a presença de goethita como único óxido de ferro presente. Também foi detectada a presença de quartzo, caulinita, lithiophorita e traços de minerais 2:1 (possivelmente interestratificados ilita/esmectita). A micromorfologia revelou a presença de concreções (com organização interna concêntrica) e de nódulos ferro-manganosos. Observando do centro para a periferia, as camadas concêntricas das concreções variaram do preto ao amarelo-avermelhado, evidenciando a contribuição do manganês e a possível transformação dos óxidos de ferro, talvez de hematita para goethita. Alguns fragmentos de concreções presentes nos solos encontravam-se recapeados por novos aportes de ferro, indicando que o processo de difusão e concentração do ferro continuava ativo.

Crystal structure of yeast peroxisomal multifunctional enzyme: structural basis for substrate specificity of (3R)-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase units.

(3R)-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase is part of multifunctional enzyme type 2 (MFE-2) of peroxisomal fatty acid beta-oxidation. The MFE-2 protein from yeasts contains in the same polypeptide chain two dehydrogenases (A and B), which possess difference in substrate specificity. The crystal structure of Candida tropicalis (3R)-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase AB heterodimer, consisting of dehydrogenase A and B, determined at the resolution of 2.2A, shows overall similarity with the prototypic counterpart from rat, but also important differences that explain the substrate specificity differences observed. Docking studies suggest that dehydrogenase A binds the hydrophobic fatty acyl chain of a medium-chain-length ((3R)-OH-C10) substrate as bent into the binding pocket, whereas the short-chain substrates are dislocated by two mechanisms: (i) a short-chain-length 3-hydroxyacyl group ((3R)-OH-C4) does not reach the hydrophobic contacts needed for anchoring the substrate into the active site; and (ii) Leu44 in the loop above the NAD(+) cofactor attracts short-chain-length substrates away from the active site. Dehydrogenase B, which can use a (3R)-OH-C4 substrate, has a more shallow binding pocket and the substrate is correctly placed for catalysis. Based on the current structure, and together with the structure of the 2-enoyl-CoA hydratase 2 unit of yeast MFE-2 it becomes obvious that in yeast and mammalian MFE-2s, despite basically identical functional domains, the assembly of these domains into a mature, dimeric multifunctional enzyme is very different.

1H-[13C] NMR spectroscopy of the rat brain during infusion of [2-13C] acetate at 14.1 T.

Full signal intensity (1)H-[(13)C] NMR spectroscopy, combining a preceding (13)C-editing block based on an inversion BISEP (B(1)-insensitive spectral editing pulse) with a spin-echo coherence-based localization, was developed and implemented at 14.1 T. (13)C editing of the proposed scheme was achieved by turning on and off the (13)C adiabatic full passage in the (13)C-editing block to prepare inverted and noninverted (13)C-coupled (1)H coherences along the longitudinal axis prior to localization. The novel (1)H-[(13)C] NMR approach was applied in vivo under infusion of the glia-specific substrate [2-(13)C] acetate. Besides a approximately 50% improvement in sensitivity, spectral dispersion was enhanced at 14.1 T, especially for J-coupled metabolites such as glutamate and glutamine. A more distinct spectral structure at 1.9-2.2 ppm(parts per million) was observed, e.g., glutamate C3 showed a doublet pattern in both simulated (1)H spectrum and in vivo (13)C-edited (1)H NMR spectra. Besides (13)C time courses of glutamate C4 and glutamine C4, the time courses of glutamate C3 and glutamine C3 obtained by (1)H-[(13)C] NMR spectroscopy were reported for the first time. Such capability should greatly improve the ability to study neuron-glial metabolism using (1)H-observed (13)C-edited NMR spectroscopy.

Influência do cultivo da cana-de-açúcar e da mineralogia da fração argila nas propriedades físicas de latossolos vermelhos

As atuais técnicas de manejo da cultura da cana-de-açúcar utilizam um vigoroso revolvimento do solo por ocasião do plantio, com o uso de arados, grades pesadas e subsoladores. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o grau de modificação de algumas propriedades físicas de um Latossolo Vermelho caulinítico (LVd) e de um Latossolo Vermelho caulinítico-oxídico (LVdf) cultivados com cana-de-açúcar e sob mata nativa no município de Jaboticabal (SP), além de comparar as propriedades físicas encontradas em ambos os Latossolos. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi o inteiramente casualizado, em esquema de parcelas subdivididas 4 x 3 (manejos e camadas), com quatro repetições. Também foi realizada a análise conjunta entre as propriedades físicas dos Latossolos. Os sistemas de uso foram: cana planta (CP), cana soca de segundo ano (C2), cana soca de quarto ano (C4) e mata nativa (MN). Avaliaram-se a densidade do solo (Ds), a sua porosidade e o diâmetro médio ponderado (DMP) nas camadas de 00,10, 0,10-0,20 e 0,20-0,30 m. Os efeitos dos sistemas de uso e manejo sobre os atributos físicos, nas diferentes camadas, foram verificados a partir da análise de variância; quando significativas, as médias foram comparadas pelo teste de Tukey a 5 %. A MN do LVdf apresentou maior macroporosidade e menor microporosidade em relação à das áreas cultivadas, mas, para porosidade total e Ds, a MN apresentou diferença apenas para C2 e C4. O tempo de cultivo da cana-de-açúcar proporcionou o aumento da Ds e diminuição da macroporosidade em ambos os Latossolos. Entretanto, o maior teor de óxido de Fe no LVdf proporcionou maior porosidade total e menor Ds, e sua macroporosidade permaneceu acima de 0,10 m³ m-3 em todos os manejos e camadas. Os sistemas de uso do solo com cana-de-açúcar reduziram a estabilidade de agregados, em relação à mata nativa.

Ly49D engagement on T lymphocytes induces TCR-independent activation and CD8 effector functions that control tumor growth.

Recent data showing expression of activating NK receptors (NKR) by conventional T lymphocytes raise the question of their role in the triggering of TCR-independent responses that could be damaging for the host. Transgenic mice expressing the activating receptor Ly49D/DAP12 offer the opportunity to better understand the relevance of ITAM signaling in the biology of T cells. In vitro experiments showed that Ly49D engagement on T lymphocytes by a cognate MHC class I ligand expressed by Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells or by specific Ab triggered cellular activation of both CD4 and CD8 populations with modulation of activation markers and cytokine production. The forced expression of the ITAM signaling chain DAP12 is mandatory for Ly49D-transgenic T cell activation. In addition, Ly49D stimulation induced T lymphocyte proliferation, which was much stronger for CD8 T cells. Phenotypic analysis of anti-Ly49D-stimulated CD8 T cells and their ability to produce high levels of IFN-gamma and to kill target cells indicate that Ly49D ligation generates effector cytotoxic CD8 T cells. Ly49D engagement by itself also triggered cytotoxic activity of activated CD8 T cells. Adoptive transfer experiments confirmed that Ly49D-transgenic CD8 T cells are able to control growth of CHO tumor cells or RMA cells transfected with Hm1-C4, the Ly49D ligand normally expressed by CHO. In conclusion, Ly49D engagement on T cells leads to T cell activation and to a full range of TCR-independent effector functions of CD8 T cells.