Salmon consumption during pregnancy alters fatty acid composition and secretory IgA concentration in human breast milk

Fish oil supplementation during pregnancy alters breast milk composition, but there is little information about the impact of oily fish consumption. We determined whether increased salmon consumption during pregnancy alters breast milk fatty acid composition and immune factors. Women (n = 123) who rarely ate oily fish were randomly assigned to consume their habitual diet or to consume 2 portions of farmed salmon per week from 20 wk of pregnancy until delivery. The salmon provided 3.45 g long-chain (LC) (n-3) PUFA/wk. Breast milk fatty acid composition and immune factors [soluble CD14, transforming growth factor-b (TGFb)1, TGFb2, and secretory IgA] were analyzed at 1, 5, 14, and 28 d postpartum (PP). Breast milk from the salmon group had higher proportions of EPA (80%), docosapentaenoic acid (30%), and DHA (90%) on d 5 PP compared with controls (P < 0.01). The LC (n-6) PUFA:LC (n-3) PUFA ratio was lower for the salmon group on all days of PP sampling (P < 0.004), although individual (n-6) PUFA proportions, including arachidonic acid, did not differ. All breast milk immune factors decreased between d 1 and 28 PP (P < 0.001). Breast milk secretory IgA (sIgA) was lower in the salmon group (d 1���28 PP; P = 0.006). Salmon consumption during pregnancy, at the current recommended intakes, increases the LC (n-3) PUFA concentration of breast milk in early lactation, thus improving the supply of these important fatty acids to the breast-fed neonate. The consequence of the lower breast milk concentration of sIgA in the salmon group is not clear.

Preparation and ring-opening reactions of N-diphenylphosphinyl vinyl aziridines

Predominantly (E)-N-diphenylphosphinyl vinyl aziridines are prepared by a reaction of N-diphenylphosphinyl imines with ��-bromoallyllithium in the presence of freshly fused ZnCl2. These aziridines undergo a ring-opening reaction with a variety of carbon and heteronucleophiles, in good yield, and generally with good regioselectivity.

Convergent evolution of floral signals underlies the success of Neotropical orchids

The great majority of plant species in the tropics require animals to achieve pollination, but the exact role of floral signals in attraction of animal pollinators is often debated. Many plants provide a floral reward to attract a guild of pollinators, and it has been proposed that floral signals of non-rewarding species may converge on those of rewarding species to exploit the relationship of the latter with their pollinators. In the orchid family (Orchidaceae), pollination is almost universally animal-mediated, but a third of species provide no floral reward, which suggests that deceptive pollination mechanisms are prevalent. Here, we examine floral colour and shape convergence in Neotropical plant communities, focusing on certain food-deceptive Oncidiinae orchids (e.g. Trichocentrum ascendens and Oncidium nebulosum) and rewarding species of Malpighiaceae. We show that the species from these two distantly related families are often more similar in floral colour and shape than expected by chance and propose that a system of multifarious floral mimicry���a form of Batesian mimicry that involves multiple models and is more complex than a simple one model���one mimic system���operates in these orchids. The same mimetic pollination system has evolved at least 14 times within the species-rich Oncidiinae throughout the Neotropics. These results help explain the extraordinary diversification of Neotropical orchids and highlight the complexity of plant���animal interactions.

Cytogenetic characterization of Metynnis maculatus (Teleostei; Characiformes): the description in Serrasalminae of a small B chromosome bearing inactive NOR-like sequences

Mitotic chromosomes of Metynnis maculatus (KNER 1860) (Teleostei, Characiformes), a fish species that occurs in the Amazon and Parana-Paraguay river basins, were analyzed for the first time by Giemsa and Ag-NOR staining, C-banding and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with 18S and 5S rDNA sequences. The basic chromosome number of the species is 2n=62 (32M+22SM+4ST+4A) and, in addition to the 62 regular chromosomes, one small acrocentric supernumerary B chromosome was found in part of the specimens analyzed. Four active NORs were present, and constitutive heterochromatin blocks were found in the pericentromeric region of several chromosomes. A heterochromatic block was also present in the interstitial portion of the submetacentric NOR-bearing pair and the B chromosome was entirely heterochromatic. FISH using an 18S rDNA probe confirmed the results obtained with AgNO(3) staining, and an additional signal was also present on the B chromosomes. 5S rDNA sequences mapped only to the largest acrocentric pair. This is the first description of supernumerary B chromosomes in Serrasalminae, and this karyotype characterization may be useful in further studies about chromosome evolution in this fish group.

Five vicarious genera from Gondwana: the Velloziaceae as shown by molecules and morphology

Background and Aims The amount of data collected previously for Velloziaceae neither clarified relationships within the family nor helped determine an appropriate classification, which has led to huge discordance among treatment by different authors. To achieve an acceptable phylogenetic result and understand the evolution and roles of characters in supporting groups, a total evidence analysis was developed which included approx. 20 % of the species and all recognized genera and sections of Velloziaceae, plus outgroups representatives of related families within Pandanales. Methods Analyses were undertaken with 48 species of Velloziaceae, representing all ten genera, with DNA sequences from the atpB-rbcL spacer, trnL-trnF spacer, trnL intron, trnH-psbA spacer, ITS ribosomal DNA spacers and morphology. Key Results Four groups consistently emerge from the analyses. Persistent leaves, two phloem strands, stem cortex divided in three regions and violet tepals support Acanthochlamys as sister to Velloziaceae s. s., which are supported mainly by leaves with marginal bundles, transfusion tracheids and inflorescence without axis. Within Velloziaceae s. s., an African Xerophyta + Talbotia clade is uniquely supported by basal loculicidal capsules; an American clade, Barbacenia s. l. + Barbaceniopsis + Nanuza + Vellozia, is supported by only homoplastic characters. Barbacenia s. l. (Aylthonia + Barbacenia + Burlemarxia + Pleurostima) is supported by a double sheath in leaf vascular bundles and a corona; Barbaceniopsis + Nanuza + Vellozia is not supported by an unambiguous character, but Barbaceniopsis is supported by five characters, including diclinous flowers, Nanuza + Vellozia is supported mainly by horizontal stigma lobes and stem inner cortex cells with secondary walls, and Vellozia alone is supported mainly by pollen in tetrads. Conclusions The results imply recognition of five genera (Acanthochlamys (Xerophyta (Barbacenia (Barbaceniopsis, Vellozia)))), solving the long-standing controversies among recent classifications of the family. They also suggest a Gondwanan origin for Velloziaceae, with a vicariant pattern of distribution.

The magnetized steel and scintillator calorimeters of the MINOS experiment

The Main Injector Neutrino Oscillation Search (MINOS) experiment uses an accelerator-produced neutrino beam to perform precision measurements of the neutrino oscillation parameters in the ""atmospheric neutrino"" sector associated with muon neutrino disappearance. This long-baseline experiment measures neutrino interactions in Fermilab`s NuMI neutrino beam with a near detector at Fermilab and again 735 km downstream with a far detector in the Soudan Underground Laboratory in northern Minnesota. The two detectors are magnetized steel-scintillator tracking calorimeters. They are designed to be as similar as possible in order to ensure that differences in detector response have minimal impact on the comparisons of event rates, energy spectra and topologies that are essential to MINOS measurements of oscillation parameters. The design, construction, calibration and performance of the far and near detectors are described in this paper. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Physical environment modulates the behavioral responses induced by chemical stimulation of dorsal periaqueductal gray in mice

In order to investigate the relationship between behaviors elicited by chemical stimulation of the dorsal periaqueductal gray (dorsal PAG) and spontaneous defensive behaviors to a predator, the excitatory amino acid D,L-homocysteic acid (5 nmol in 0.1 mu l), was infused into the dorsal PAG and behavioral responses of mice were evaluated in two different situations, a rectangular novel chamber or the Mouse Defense Test Battery (MDTB) apparatus. During a 1-min period following drug infusion, more jumps were made in the chamber than in the MDTB runway but running time and distance traveled were significantly higher in the runway. Animals were subsequently tested using the standard MDTB procedure (anti-predator avoidance, chase and defensive threat/attack). No drug effects on these measures were significant. In a further test in the MDTB apparatus, the pathway of the mouse during peak locomotion response was blocked 3 times by the predator stimulus (anesthetized rat) to determine if the mouse would avoid contact. Ninety percent of D,L-homocysteic treated animals made direct contact with the stimulus (rat), indicating that D,L-homocysteic-induced running is not guided by relevant (here, threat) stimuli. These results indicate that running as opposed to jumping is the primary response in mice injected with D,L-homocysteic into the dorsal PAG when the environment enables flight. However, the lack of responsivity to the predator during peak locomotion suggests that D,L-homocysteic-stimulation into the dorsal PAG does not induce normal antipredator flight. (c) 2006 Published by Elsevier B.V.

Regulation of angiotensin type 2 receptor in bovine granulosa cells

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cient��fico e Tecnol��gico (CNPq)

Light intensity can trigger different agonistic responses in juveniles of three cichlid species

Funda����o de Amparo �� Pesquisa do Estado de S��o Paulo (FAPESP)

Avalia����o ultra-sonogr��fica do sistema urin��rio, figado e ��tero do macaco-prego, Cebus apella

O macaco-prego, Cebus apella, �� muito difundido no norte e sul da Amaz��nia Legal Brasileira e no Cerrado. Estes animais encontram-se rotineiramente submetidos �� ca��a predat��ria, aumentando assim a necessidade de preserva����o desta esp��cie silvestre. Realizou-se um estudo ultra-sonogr��fico de 10 macacos-prego como forma de descrever a anatomia ultra-sonogr��fica normal de sua cavidade abdominal. A ves��cula urin��ria apresentou parede com espessura m��dia 0,2cm e em posi����o anat��mica cuja topografia permitiu contato com as paredes do corpo do ��tero e c��lon descendente. �� varredura abdominal caudal foi visualizada a aorta, veia cava caudal e veia il��aca direita. O f��gado foi visto em varredura sagital e transversal, possibilitando a observa����o da ves��cula biliar e vasos hep��ticos. A varredura renal demonstrou com precis��o a pelve, seio renal e rela����o cortico-medular. O comprimento m��dio de ambos os rins foi de 6,24��0,31cm, n��o existindo diferen��a estat��stica entre o rim direito e esquerdo (Teste t de Student e ANOVA). O volume renal foi 2,37��0,18cm��. Os coeficientes de Correla����o de Pearson entre os comprimentos renais direito e esquerdo e entre volumes renais direito e esquerdo foram dispostos como r = 0,74 e 0,51. As espessuras m��dias para a regi��o cortical e medular foram 0,75��0,11cm e 0,39��0,06cm, respectivamente. O coeficiente de correla����o para a rela����o cortico-medular entre os rins direito e esquerdo foi de r = 0,19. O exame ultrasonogr��fico mostrou-se como uma t��cnica eficiente, n��oinvasiva, r��pida e reprodut��vel, que prov�� dados importantes aos profissionais da ��rea de cl��nica e cirurgia de animais silvestres.

Ionotropic Glutamate Receptors in Hypothalamic Paraventricular and Supraoptic Nuclei Mediate Vasopressin and Oxytocin Release in Unanesthetized Rats

Funda����o de Amparo �� Pesquisa do Estado de S��o Paulo (FAPESP)

Caracteriza����o farmacogn��stica, qu��mica, f��sico-qu��mica e estudos preliminares de pr��-formula����o da Arrabidaea chica (Humb. & Bonpl.) B. Verlt.

Realiza estudos de caracteriza����o qu��mica, f��sico-qu��mica e de pr��-formula����o de Arrabidaea chica (Humb. & Bonpl.) B. Vert., pertencente �� fam��lia Bignoniaceae, a qual recebe v��rias denomina����es, sendo que na regi��o amaz��nica ela �� conhecida popularmente como pariri, amplamente utilizada na medicina popular para o tratamento de v��rias doen��as, dentre elas as enfermidades da pele causadas por dermatomicoses. A utiliza����o de produtos naturais de origem vegetal implica no controle de qualidade farmacobot��nico e em ensaios de pureza que comp��em as especifica����es t��cnicas da esp��cie. Para isso, foi realizada a descri����o anat��mica das folhas jovens e maduras da planta a partir de observa����es realizadas ao microsc��pio ��ptico em cortes histol��gicos. Os testes Farmacop��icos inclu��ram a determina����o da distribui����o granulom��trica do p�� da planta, determina����o do teor de umidade e de cinzas totais, e para a tintura foram realizadas determina����es de pH, densidade aparente e teor de s��lidos, sendo realizadas ainda a prospec����o qu��mica, o perfil cromatogr��fico por CCO e CLAE, al��m da avalia����o da sua atividade antimicrobiana. Tanto para o p�� quanto para a tintura de A.chica foram observados os perfis por espectroscopia na regi��o do infravermelho e perfis t��rmicos por TG e OTA. Foram realizados ainda, os estudos de pr��-formula����o atrav��s de espectroscopia na regi��o de infravermelho e an��lise t��rmica (TG e OT A) das misturas f��sicas dos adjuvantes da formula����o proposta para veicular a solu����o extrativa, com a finalidade de avaliar poss��veis incompatibilidades da solu����o extrativa com os mesmos. Os resultados obtidos evidenciaram que a tintura de A. chica se adequa ao fim pretendido, al��m de ter assegurado a compatibilidade com os adjuvantes testados para constitu��rem a formula����o proposta, j�� que n��o foi observado ind��cios de incompatibilidade f��sica ou qu��mica entre os mesmos. Os estudos forneceram dados relevantes para o desenvolvimento da formula����o proposta, visando obter resultados r��pidos e com a precis��o desejada.

"Um passeio nos campos seria uma viagem pelo mundo���: linguagem e experi��ncia em Dalc��dio Durandir

Trabalho pela pluralidade do texto de Dalc��dio Jurandir, Chove nos campos de Cachoeira (1941). O trabalho �� uma pr��tica semiol��gica, principalmente com R. B. par lui-m��me (1975) de Roland Barthes, a sua teoria do texto plural. Assim, persigo a teoria do texto de Dalc��dio Jurandir, a que �� a sua pr��pria, a que nasce da sua pr��pria pr��tica significante, Dalc��dio Jurandir por Dalc��dio Jurandir. Nesse passo, Dalc��dio Jurandir com Augusto e Haroldo de Campos, com Roman Jakobson, Dalc��dio Jurandir um poeta na prosa; com Maurice Blanchot, com a tradi����o de inven����o, Dalc��dio Jurandir produtor de metalinguagem; com a antropologia e a geopo��tica, Dalc��dio Jurandir das paisagens do arquip��lago do Maraj��. Tudo em fun����o da abertura dos sentidos do seu texto. O texto de Dalc��dio Jurandir contradiz todo empreendimento ledor que o submete �� determina����o referencial e ao fechamento dos seus sentidos. O texto de Dalc��dio Jurandir est�� sempre para ganhar novos campos de experi��ncia. O texto de Dalc��dio Jurandir solicita que se continue a escrev��-lo.