Materials Education and Research in Art and Design: A New Role for Libraries - Session 3. RISD Faculty

Faculty from Rhode Island School of Design representing Interior Architecture, Industrial Design, and Textiles detail their thoughtful interactions with materials.

Materials Education and Research in Art and Design: A New Role for Libraries - Session 4. Designers

Designers respond to issues and synthesize ideas from throughout the day as voices from the field who directly encounter the need for recently graduated students to possess the ability to investigate and interrogate materials.

Materials Education and Research in Art and Design: A New Role for Libraries - Session 2. Educators

Educators representing interactions with materials speak to critical approaches, life-cycle concerns, critical thinking of composition/process/properties.

Purification and renal effects of phospholipase A(2) isolated from Bothrops insularis venom

Bothrops insularis venom contains a variety of substances presumably responsible for several pharmacological effects. We investigated the biochemical and biological effects of phospholipase A(2) protein isolated from B. insularis venom and the chromatographic profile showed 7 main fractions and the main phospholipase A(2) (PLA(2)) enzymatic activity was detected in fractions IV and V. Fraction IV was submitted to a new chromatographic procedure on ion exchange chromatography, which allowed the elution of 5 main fractions designated as lV-1 to IV-5, from which lV-4 constituted the main fraction. The molecular homogeneity of this fraction was characterized by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and demonstrated by mass spectrometry (MS), which showed a molecular mass of 13984.20 Da; its N-terminal sequence presented a high amino acid identity (up to 95%) with the PLA(2) of Bothrops jararaca and Bothrops asper. Phospholipase A(2) isolated from B. insularis (Bi PLA(2)) venom (10 mu g/mL) was also studied as to its effect on the renal function of isolated perfused kidneys of Wistar rats (n = 6). Bi PLA(2) increased perfusion pressure (PP), renal vascular resistance (RVR), urinary flow (UF) and glomerular filtration rate (GFR). Sodium (%TNa+) and chloride tubular reabsorption (%TCl-) decreased at 120 min, without alteration in potassium transport. In conclusion, PLA(2) isolated from B. insularis venom promoted renal alterations in the isolated perfused rat kidney. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Clinical evaluation of enalapril maleate and furosemide usage in dogs with degenerative myxomatous mitral valve, CHF functional class Ib

A doença degenerativa mixomatosa da válvula mitral (DDMVM) é uma cardiopatia de alta incidência na clínica médica de pequenos animais, acometendo mormente cães idosos e raças de pequeno porte. Desta forma, foi realizada uma investigação científica objetivando avaliar clinicamente a utilização dos fármacos maleato de enalapril e furosemida em cães com a referida enfermidade na classe funcional Ib da ICC, antes e após a terapêutica implantada. Para isso, utilizaram-se 16 cães portadores da valvulopatia supracitada, distribuídos em dois grupos; com o primeiro recebendo furosemida (n=8) e o segundo maleato de enalapril (n=8), durante 56 dias. Os cães foram avaliados em quatro momentos (T0, T14, T28 e T56 dias) quanto aos sinais clínicos e parâmetros hematológicos e bioquímico-séricos, que incluíram concentrações séricas da enzima conversora da angiotensina (ECA) e aldosterona, como também avaliações radiográficas, eletrocardiográficas, ecodopplercardiográficas e da pressão arterial. Os resultados quanto aos parâmetros clínicos, avaliações hematológicas e bioquímicas séricas não revelaram alterações significativas em ambos os grupos, mas reduções significativas nos valores de ECA e aldosterona no grupo que recebeu o maleato de enalapril foram identificadas. Ao exame radiográfico observou-se reduções nos valores de VHS e na variável onda Pms do eletrocardiograma em ambos os grupos, mas sem alterações nos valores da pressão arterial. Por sua vez, o ecodopplercardiograma evidenciou diminuição significativa das variáveis DIVEd/s nos grupos estudados e na FEC% nos cães que receberam somente enalapril. Portanto, a análise dos resultados encontrados indicou que a monoterapia fundamentada no maleato de enalapril apresentou melhor eficiência no controle do quadro clínico em pacientes da classe funcional Ib da ICC.

Diapocynin versus apocynin as pretranscriptional inhibitors of NADPH oxidase and cytokine production by peripheral blood mononuclear cells

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

eIF5A binds to translational machinery components and affects translation in yeast

The putative translation factor eIF5A is essential for cell viability and is highly conserved from archebacteria to mammals. Although this protein was originally identified as a translation initiation factor, subsequent experiments did not support a role for eIF5A in general translation. In this work, we demonstrate that eIF-5A interacts with structural components of the 80S ribosome, as well as with the translation elongation factor 2 (eEF2). Moreover, eIF5A is further shown to cofractionate with monosomes in a translation-dependent manner. Finally, eIF5A mutants show altered polysome profiles and are sensitive to translation inhibitors. Our results re-establish a function for eIF5A in translation and suggest a role for this factor in translation elongation instead of translation initiation. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effects of pentoxifylline and n-acetylcysteine on injuries caused by ischemia and reperfusion splanchnic organs in rats

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Intraspecific Variation of Biological Activities in Venoms from Wild and Captive Bothrops jararaca

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Crystal structures of BnSP-7 and BnSP-6, two Lys49-phospholipases A(2): quaternary structure and inhibition mechanism insights

Phospholipases A(2) are components of Bothrops venoms responsible for disruption of cell membrane integrity via hydrolysis of its phospholipids. A class of PLA(2)-like proteins has been described which despite PLA(2) activity on artificial substrate, due to a D49K mutation, is still highly myonecrotic. This work reports the X-ray structure determination of two Lys49-PLA(2)s from Bothrops neuwiedi pauloensis (BnSP-7 and BnSP-6) and, for the first time, the comparison of eight dimeric Lys49-PLA2s. This comparison reveals that there are not just two (open and closed) but at least six different conformations. The binding of fatty acid observed in three recent Lys49-PLA(2) structures seems to be independent of their quaternary conformation. Cys29 polarization by Lys122 is not significant for BnSP-7 and BnSP-6 or other structures not bound by fatty acids. These structures may be in an active state when nothing is bound to them and the Lys122/Cys29 interactions are weak or absent. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Crystal structure of an acidic platelet aggregation inhibitor and hypotensive phospholipase A(2) in the monomeric and dimeric states: insights into its oligomeric state

Phospholipases A(2) belong to the superfamily of proteins which hydrolyzes the sn-2 acyl groups of membrane phospholipids to release arachidonic acid and lysophospholipids. An acidic phospholipase A(2) isolated from Bothrops juraracussu snake venom presents a high catalytic, platelet aggregation inhibition and hypotensive activities. This protein was crystallized in two oligomeric states: monomeric and dimeric. The crystal structures were solved at 1.79 and 1.90 Angstrom resolution, respectively, for the two states. It was identified a Na+ ion at the center of Ca2+-binding site of the monomeric form. A novel dimeric conformation with the active sites exposed to the solvent was observed. Conformational states of the molecule may be due to the physicochemical conditions used in the crystallization experiments. We suggest dimeric state is one found in vivo. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.