Radiometric detection of metabolic activity of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis and its susceptibility to amphotericin B and diethylstilbestrol

Paracoccidioidomycosis (South American blastomycosis) is a systemic disease, strikingly more frequent in males, caused by the dimorphic fungus Paracoccidioides brasiliensis. A radiometric assay system has been applied to study the metabolic activity and the effect of drugs on this fungus "in vitro". The Y form of the yeast, grown in liquid Sabouraud medium was inoculated into sterile reaction vials containing the 6B aerobic medium along with 2.0 μCi of 14C-substrates. Control vials, prepared in the same way, contained autoclaved fungi. To study the effects of amphotericin B (AB) (0.1 and 10 μg/ml) and diethylstilbestrol (DSB) (1.0, 5.0 and 10 μg/ml) extra controls with live fungi and no drug were used. All vials were incubated at 35°C and metabolism measured daily with a Bactec instrument. 14CO2 production by P. brasiliensis was slow and could be followed for as long as 50 days. AB at 10mg/ml and DSB at 5 μg/ml inhibited the metabolism and had a cidal effect on this fungus. The results with DSB might explain the low incidence of the disease in females. This technique shows promise for studying metabolic pathways, investi gating more convenient 14C-substrates to expedite radiometric detection and for monitoring the effects of other drugs and factors on the metabolism of P. brasiliensis "in vitro".

Parasitological and serological studies on Amoebiasis and other intestinal parasitic infections in Recife and its suburban area, northeast Brazil

Parasitological examinations were carried out during April to August, 1987, with 187 out-patients of the IMIP hospital, located in the center of Recife City, and 464 inhabitants of several villages around Cabo City, 50 Km southeast of Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil. Approximately 71% of the IMIP patients and 92% of the Cabo inhabitants were infected with at least one species of intestinal parasite. There was minimum difference in the prevalence rate of Trichuris trichiura between two areas, whereas the prevalence rates of Ascaris lumbricoides, hookworms, Strongyloides stercoralis, Schistosoma mansoni and Entamoeba histolytica were higher in the inhabitants of the Cabo City area. Only Giardia lamblia was more prevalent in the out-patients of IMIP hospital. Test tube cultivation revealed that the prevalence rate of Necator americanus in both areas was much higher than that of Ancylostoma duodenale , and also that the prevalence rate of S. stercoralis of the IMIP patients and Cabo inhabitants were 4.5% and 9.6%, respectively. Six hundred and fifteen sera were serologically examined for amoebiasis by the gel diffusion precipitation test (GDP) and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using the antigen prepared from axenically cultured trophozoite of E. histolytica (strain HM-ITMSS). No positive reaction was observed in all of the sera as examined by GDP, while 32 out of 615 sera were positive on ELISA.

Characterization of the abn2(yxiA) encoding a Bacillus subtilis GH43 arabinanase, Abn2, and its role in arabino-polysaccharides degradation.

Journal of Bacteriology (Junho 2008) 4272-4280

Evolution of Iberia during the Cenozoic with special emphasis on the formation of the Betic Cordillera and its relation with the western Mediterranean

The extensional process affecting Iberia during the Triassic and Jurassic times change from the end of the Cretaceous and, throughout the Palaeocene, the displacement between the African and European plates was clearly convergent and part of the future Internal Zone of the Betic Cordillera was affected. To the west, the Atlantic continued to open as a passive margin and, to the north, no significant deformation occurred. During the Eocene, the entire Iberian plate was subjected to compression. which caused major deformations in the Pyrenees and also in the Alpujarride and Nevado-Filabride, Internal Betic, complexes. In the Oligocene continued this situation, but in addition, the new extensional process ocurring in the western Mediterranean area, together with the constant eastward drift of Iberia due to Atlantic opening, compressed the eastern sector of Iberia, giving rise to the structuring of the Iberian Cordillera. The Neogene was the time when the Betic Cordillera reached its fundamental features with the westward displacement of the Betic-Rif Internal Zone, expelled by the progressive opening of the Algerian Basin, opening prolonged till the Alboran Sea. From the late Miocene onwards, all Iberia was affected by a N-S to NNW-SSE compression, combined in many points by a near perpendicular extension. Specially in eastern and southern Iberia a radial extension superposed these compression and extension.

The last Anthracothere Brachyodus onoideus (Mammalia, Artiodactyla) from westernmost Europe and its extinction

This paper deals with B. onoideus specimens from Portugal. This species occurs in the Lisbon area (in the upper part of the lower Miocene, ca.18 to 17.6 Ma) in a very accurate stratigraphic framing (age, lithostratigraphic, climatic and palaeoecologic control being most complete). Some mandibular dental size variation, sex characters, functional interpretation, ecology and predation, chemical corrosion, and extinction are discussed.

On the hydrogeology of the Lower Tagus Basin and its Cenozoic geologic evolution

The chemical features of the ground water in the Lower Tagus Cenozoic deposits are strongly influenced by lithology, by the velocity and direction of the water movement as well as by the localization of the recharge and discharge zones. The mineralization varies between 80 and 900 mg/l. It is minimal in the recharge zones and in the Pliocene sand and maximum in the Miocene carbonated and along the alluvial valley. Mineralization always reflects the time of permanence, the temperature and the pressure. The natural process of water mineralization is disturbed in agricultural areas because the saline concentration of the infiltration water exceeds that of the infiltrated rainwater. In the discharge zones, the rise of the more mineralized, some times thermal deep waters related to tectonic accidents give rise to anomalies in the distribution of the aquiferous system mineralization model. The diversity of the hydrochemical facies of the ground water may be related to several factors whose identification is some times difficult.

Microencapsulation of herbicide MCPA with native beta-cyclodextrin and its methyl and hydroxypropyl derivatives: An experimental and theoretical investigation

When a pesticide is released into the environment, most of it is lost before it reaches its target. An effective way to reduce environmental losses of pesticides is by using controlled release technology. Microencapsulation becomes a promising technique for the production of controlled release agricultural formulations. In this work, the microencapsulation of chlorophenoxy herbicide MCPA with native b-cyclodextrin and its methyl and hydroxypropyl derivatives was investigated. The phase solubility study showed that both native and b-CD derivatives increased the water solubility of the herbicide and inclusion complexes are formed in a stoichiometric ratio of 1:1. The stability constants describing the extent of formation of the complexes have been determined by phase solubility studies. 1H NMR experiments were also accomplished for the prepared solid systems and the data gathered confirm the formation of the inclusion complexes. 1H NMR data obtained for the MCPA/CDs complexes disclosed noticeable proton shift displacements for OCH2 group and H6 aromatic proton of MCPA provided clear evidence of inclusion complexation process, suggesting that the phenyl moiety of the herbicide was included in the hydrophobic cavity of CDs. Free energy molecular mechanics calculations confirm all these findings. The gathered results can be regarded as an essential step to the development of controlled release agricultural formulations containing herbicide MCPA.

Molecular details of INH-C-10 binding to wt KatG and Its S315T mutant

Isoniazid (INH) is still one of the two most effective antitubercular drugs and is included in all recommended multitherapeutic regimens. Because of the increasing resistance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis to INH, mainly associated with mutations in the katG gene, new INH-based compounds have been proposed to circumvent this problem. In this work, we present a detailed comparative study of the molecular determinants of the interactions between wt KatG or its S315T mutant form and either INH or INH-C10, a new acylated INH derivative. MD simulations were used to explore the conformational space of both proteins, and results indicate that the S315T mutation did not have a significant impact on the average size of the access tunnel in the vicinity of these residues. Our simulations also indicate that the steric hindrance role assigned to Asp137 is transient and that electrostatic changes can be important in understanding the enzyme activity data of mutations in KatG. Additionally, molecular docking studies were used to determine the preferred modes of binding of the two substrates. Upon mutation, the apparently less favored docking solution for reaction became the most abundant, suggesting that S315T mutation favors less optimal binding modes. Moreover, the aliphatic tail in INH-C10 seems to bring the hydrazine group closer to the heme, thus favoring the apparent most reactive binding mode, regardless of the enzyme form. The ITC data is in agreement with our interpretation of the C10 alkyl chain role and helped to rationalize the significantly lower experimental MIC value observed for INH-C10. This compound seems to be able to counterbalance most of the conformational restrictions introduced by the mutation, which are thought to be responsible for the decrease in INH activity in the mutated strain. Therefore, INH-C10 appears to be a very promising lead compound for drug development.

Multilayer Perceptron Neural Networks Training Through Charged System Search and its Application for Non-Technical Losses Detection

The non-technical loss is not a problem with trivial solution or regional character and its minimization represents the guarantee of investments in product quality and maintenance of power systems, introduced by a competitive environment after the period of privatization in the national scene. In this paper, we show how to improve the training phase of a neural network-based classifier using a recently proposed meta-heuristic technique called Charged System Search, which is based on the interactions between electrically charged particles. The experiments were carried out in the context of non-technical loss in power distribution systems in a dataset obtained from a Brazilian electrical power company, and have demonstrated the robustness of the proposed technique against with several others natureinspired optimization techniques for training neural networks. Thus, it is possible to improve some applications on Smart Grids.

Global restructuring and its effects on occupations: towards a new division of labor?

The following contribution considers whether global restructuring creates new forms of the division of labor. On the basis of empirical data from a comparative project in 14 European countries, the author supports the hypothesis that in addition to the ongoing process of the internationalization of work, there are ‘hidden’ effects at the local level. From the perspective of three occupational clusters, dynamics can be observed which have differing impacts on the occupational groups. Thus, there is a simultaneous process of restructuring and redefining skills, labor processes and the working organization which forms the daily reality of working men and women.

ELEVATED ALANINE AMINOTRANSFERASE (ALT) IN BLOOD DONORS: AN ASSESSMENT OF THE MAIN ASSOCIATED CONDITIONS AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF HEPATITIS C

The determination of aminotranferases levels is very useful in the diagnosis of hepatopathies. In recent years, an elevated serum ALT level in blood donors has been associated with an increased risk of post-transfusion hepatitis (PTH). The purpose of the study was to research the factors associated with elevated ALT levels in a cohort of voluntary blood donors and to evaluate the relationship between increased ALT levels and the development of hepatitis C (HCV) infection. 166 volunteer blood donors with elevated ALT at the time of their first donation were studied. All of the donors were questioned about previous hepatopathies, exposure to hepatitis, exposure to chemicals, use of medication or drugs, sexual behaviour, contact with blood or secretions and their intake of alcohol. Every three months, the serum levels of AST, ALT, alkaline phosphatase, gamma glutamyl transpeptidase, cholesterol, triglyceride and glycemia are assessed over a two year follow-up. The serum thyroid hormone levels as well as the presence of auto-antibodies were also measured. Abdominal ultrasound was performed in all patients with persistently elevated ALT or AST levels. A needle biopsy of liver was performed in 9 donors without definite diagnostic after medical investigation. The presence of anti-HCV antibodies in 116 donors were assayed again the first clinical evaluation. At the end of follow-up period (2 years later) 71 donors were tested again for the presence of anti-HCV antibodies. None of donors resulted positive for hepatitis B or hepatitis C markers during the follow-up. Of the 116 donors, 101 (87%) had persistently elevated ALT serum levels during the follow-up. Obesity and alcoholism were the principal conditions related to elevated ALT serum levels in 91/101 (90.1%) donors. Hypertriglyceridemia, hypercholesterolemia, hypothyroidism and diabetes mellitus also were associated with increased ALT levels. Only 1/101 (0.9%) had mild chronic active non A-G viral hepatitis and 3/101 (2.9%) had liver biopsy with non-specific reactive hepatitis. The determination of ALT levels was not useful to detect donors infected with HCV at donation in Brazil, including the initial seronegative anti-HCV phase.

Safety climate and its relationship with furniture companies’ safety performance and workers’ risk acceptance

This study aims to analyse the relationship between safety climate and the level of risk acceptance, as well as its relationship with workplace safety performance. The sample includes 14 companies and 403 workers. The safety climate assessment was performed by the application of a Safety Climate in Wood Industries questionnaire and safety performance was assessed with a checklist. Judgements about risk acceptance were measured through questionnaires together with four other variables: trust, risk perception, benefit perception and emotion. Safety climate was found to be correlated with workgroup safety performance, and it also plays an important role in workers’ risk acceptance levels. Risk acceptance tends to be lower when safety climate scores of workgroups are high, and subsequently, their safety performance is better. These findings seem to be relevant, as they provide Occupational, Safety and Health practitioners with a better understanding of workers’ risk acceptance levels and of the differences among workgroups.

Reliable link quality estimation in low-power wireless networks and its impact on tree-routing

Radio link quality estimation is essential for protocols and mechanisms such as routing, mobility management and localization, particularly for low-power wireless networks such as wireless sensor networks. Commodity Link Quality Estimators (LQEs), e.g. PRR, RNP, ETX, four-bit and RSSI, can only provide a partial characterization of links as they ignore several link properties such as channel quality and stability. In this paper, we propose F-LQE (Fuzzy Link Quality Estimator, a holistic metric that estimates link quality on the basis of four link quality properties—packet delivery, asymmetry, stability, and channel quality—that are expressed and combined using Fuzzy Logic. We demonstrate through an extensive experimental analysis that F-LQE is more reliable than existing estimators (e.g., PRR, WMEWMA, ETX, RNP, and four-bit) as it provides a finer grain link classification. It is also more stable as it has lower coefficient of variation of link estimates. Importantly, we evaluate the impact of F-LQE on the performance of tree routing, specifically the CTP (Collection Tree Protocol). For this purpose, we adapted F-LQE to build a new routing metric for CTP, which we dubbed as F-LQE/RM. Extensive experimental results obtained with state-of-the-art widely used test-beds show that F-LQE/RM improves significantly CTP routing performance over four-bit (the default LQE of CTP) and ETX (another popular LQE). F-LQE/RM improves the end-to-end packet delivery by up to 16%, reduces the number of packet retransmissions by up to 32%, reduces the Hop count by up to 4%, and improves the topology stability by up to 47%.

Depositions of rulers in the later middle ages: on the theory of th "useless ruler" and its practical utilization

pp. 157-168