Effect of exogenous galectin-1 on leukocyte migration: modulation of cytokine levels and adhesion molecules

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

Zeros of Jacobi functions of second kind

The number of zeros in (- 1, 1) of the Jacobi function of second kind Q(n)((alpha, beta)) (x), alpha, beta > - 1, i.e. The second solution of the differential equation(1 - x(2))y (x) + (beta - alpha - (alpha + beta + 2)x)y' (x) + n(n + alpha + beta + 1)y(x) = 0,is determined for every n is an element of N and for all values of the parameters alpha > - 1 and beta > - 1. It turns out that this number depends essentially on alpha and beta as well as on the specific normalization of the function Q(n)((alpha, beta)) (x). Interlacing properties of the zeros are also obtained. As a consequence of the main result, we determine the number of zeros of Laguerre's and Hermite's functions of second kind. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

On a symmetry in strong distributions

A strong Stieltjes distribution d psi(t) is called symmetric if it satisfies the propertyt(omega) d psi(beta(2)/t) = -(beta(2)/t)(omega) d psi(t), for t is an element of (a, b) subset of or equal to (0, infinity), 2 omega is an element of Z, and beta > 0.In this article some consequences of symmetry on the moments, the orthogonal L-polynomials and the quadrature formulae associated with the distribution are given. (C) 1999 Elsevier B.V. B.V. All rights reserved.

Monotonicity of zeros of Jacobi-Sobolev type orthogonal polynomials

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of the catalytic subunit of ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase from potato tuber

ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase is the key regulatory enzyme in the biosynthesis of starch in plants and glycogen in bacteria. The enzyme from potato tuber is comprised of a regulatory subunit and a catalytic subunit and is present as a heterotetramer (alpha(2)beta(2)) the catalytic subunit from potato tuber (50 kDa) was crystallized in four different forms, two of which are suitable for structural studies. A tetragonal crystal form obtained in the presence of the substrate analog Cr-ATP diffracted to 2.2 Angstrom and belongs to space group P4(1) (or its enantiomorph), with unit-cell parameters a = b = 110.57, c = 190.14 Angstrom. A second crystal form obtained diffracted to 2.8 Angstrom and belongs to space group PZ, with unit-eel parameters a = 80.06, b = 138.84, c = 92.20 Angstrom, beta = 112.40 degrees. As this protein displays no significant homology to any currently known protein structure, a search for heavy-atom derivatives has been initiated.

ABSOLUTE NEUTRIONO MASS FROM HELICITY MEASUREMENTS

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

Search for Pair Production of First-Generation Scalar Leptoquarks in pp Collisions at root s=7 TeV

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Search for Pair Production of Second-Generation Scalar Leptoquarks in pp Collisions at root s=7 TeV

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Virasoro constraints and flavor-topology duality in QCD

We derive Virasoro constraints for the zero momentum part of the QCD-like partition functions in the sector of topological charge v. The constraints depend on the topological charge only through the combination N-f +betav/2 where the value of the Dyson index beta is determined by the reality type of the fermions. This duality between flavor and topology is inherited by the small-mass expansion of the partition function and all spectral sum rules of inverse powers of the eigenvalues of the Dirac operator. For the special case beta =2 but arbitrary topological charge the Virasoro constraints are solved uniquely by a generalized Kontsevich model with the potential V(X) = 1/X.

Anticardiolipin antibodies from syphilis and systemic lupus erythematosus induce leakage in cardiolipin vesicles

Anticardiolipin antibodies from sera of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus or syphilis induced leakage of entrapped carboxyfluorescein (CF) from cardiolipin (CL)/phosphatidylcholine(PC) vesicles prepared by sonication of equimolar mixtures of CL:PC. The sera dilution used here was 1:7500. IgG (5-20 mu g/ml) from the same sera, not containing beta(2)GPI, also produced a concentration-dependent leak. Vesicle leakage was inhibited by salt and was not detected with vesicles prepared exclusively with phosphatidylcholine. The demonstration of antibody-induced vesicle leakage offers a convenient system to investigate the mechanism of antibody-lipid binding as well as a potential diagnostic tool.

CARDIOVASCULAR EFFECTS OF CENTRAL CLONIDINE IN CONSCIOUS RATS AFTER HYPOTHALAMIC-LESIONS

The central injection of clonidine (an alpha-2-adrenoceptor agonist) in conscious normotensive rats produces hypertensive responses and bradycardia. The present study was performed to investigate the effect of electrolytic lesions in the anteroventral third ventricle (AV3V) region or in the lateral hypothalamus (LH) on the pressor and bradycardic responses induced by central clonidine in rats. Mean arterial pressure and heart rate were recorded in sham or AV3V-lesioned rats with cerebral stainless steel cannulae implanted into the lateral cerebral ventricle (ICV) or LH. and in sham or bilateral LH-lesioned rats with cannulae-implanted ICV. The injection of clonidine (40 nmol) ICV or into the LH of sham rats produced a pressor response (37 +/- 2-48 +/- 3 mmHg) and bradycardia (-45 +/- 10--93 +/- 6 bpm). After AV3V-lesion (3 and 12 days) or LH-lesion (3 days) the pressor response was abolished and a small hypotensive response was induced by the injection of clonidine (-1 +/- 3--16 +/- 3 mmHg). The bradycardia (-27 +/- 6--57 +/- 11 bpm) was reduced, but not abolished by the lesions. These results show that the AV3V region and LH are important cerebral structures that participate in the excitatory pathways involved in the pressor response to central clonidine in rats. They also suggest that, in the absence of these pressor pathways, the hypotensive responses to central clonidine may appear in conscious rats.

LESIONS OF THE LATERAL HYPOTHALAMUS IMPAIR THE PRESSOR-RESPONSE TO CLONIDINE INJECTED INTO THE MEDIAL SEPTAL AREA OF CONSCIOUS RATS

The central injection of clonidine (an alpha-2-adrenoceptor agonist) in conscious normotensive rats produces hypertensive responses and bradycardia. The present study was performed to investigate the effect of electrolytic lesions of the lateral hypothalamus (LH) on the pressor and bradycardic responses induced by clonidine injected into the medial septal area (MSA) in conscious and unrestrained rats. Male Holtzman rats weighing 250-300 g were used. Mean arterial pressure and heart rate were recorded in sham- or bilateral LH-lesioned rats with a cerebral stainless steel cannula implanted into the MSA. The injection of clonidine (40 nmol/mu-l) into the MSA of sham rats (N = 8) produced a pressor response (36 +/- 7 mmHg, P<0.05) and bradycardia (-70 +/- 13 bpm, P<0.05) compared to saline. Fourteen days after LH-lesion (N = 9) the pressor response was reduced (9 +/- 10 mmHg, P<0.05) but no change was observed in the bradycardia (-107 +/- 24 bpm). These results show that LH is an important area involved in the pressor response to clonidine injected into the MSA of rats.

On linear combinations of L-orthogonal polynomials associated with distributions belonging to symmetric classes

This paper deals with the classes S-3(omega, beta, b) of strong distribution functions defined on the interval [beta(2)/b, b], 0 < beta < b <= infinity, where 2 omega epsilon Z. The classification is such that the distribution function psi epsilon S-3(omega, beta, b) has a (reciprocal) symmetry, depending on omega, about the point beta. We consider properties of the L-orthogonal polynomials associated with psi epsilon S-3(omega, beta, b). Through linear combination of these polynomials we relate them to the L-orthogonal polynomials associated with some omega epsilon S-3(1/2, beta, b). (c) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Recent developments for smoking cessation and treatment of nicotine dependence

Nicotine is an addictive drug like heroin, amphetamine or cocaine. Addiction to tobacco leads to significant failure rates in programmes for smoking cessation. The alpha(4)beta(2) and alpha(7) nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) and CB1 cannabinoid receptors play an important role in nicotine addiction.

Inflammatory Process Modulation by Homeopathic Arnica montana 6CH: The Role of Individual Variation

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)