Isolation of Microsporum gypseum in soil samples from different geographical regions of Brazil, evaluation of the extracellular proteolytic enzymes activities (keratinase and elastase) and molecular sequencing of selected strains

A survey of Microsporum gypseum was conducted in soil samples in different geographical regions of Brazil. The isolation of dermatophyte from soil samples was performed by hair baiting technique and the species were identified by morphology studies. We analyzed 692 soil samples and the recuperating rate was 19.2%. The activities of keratinase and elastase were quantitatively performed in 138 samples. The sequencing of the ITS region of rDNA was performed in representatives samples. M. gypseum isolates showed significant quantitative differences in the expression of both keratinase and elastase, but no significant correlation was observed between these enzymes. The sequencing of the representative samples revealed the presence of two teleomorphic species of M. gypseum (Arthroderma gypseum and A. incurvatum). The enzymatic activities may play an important role in the pathogenicity and a probable adaptation of this fungus to the animal parasitism. Using the phenotypical and molecular analysis, the Microsporum identification and their teleomorphic states will provide a useful and reliable identification system.

Contribution to assessing the stiffness reduction of structural elements in the global stability analysis of precast concrete multi-storey buildings

This study deals with the reduction of the stiffness in precast concrete structural elements of multi-storey buildings to analyze global stability. Having reviewed the technical literature, this paper present indications of stiffness reduction in different codes, standards, and recommendations and compare these to the values found in the present study. The structural model analyzed in this study was constructed with finite elements using ANSYS® software. Physical Non-Linearity (PNL) was considered in relation to the diagrams M x N x 1/r, and Geometric Non-Linearity (GNL) was calculated following the Newton-Raphson method. Using a typical precast concrete structure with multiple floors and a semi-rigid beam-to-column connection, expressions for a stiffness reduction coefficient are presented. The main conclusions of the study are as follows: the reduction coefficients obtained from the diagram M x N x 1/r differ from standards that use a simplified consideration of PNL; the stiffness reduction coefficient for columns in the arrangements analyzed were approximately 0.5 to 0.6; and the variation of values found for stiffness reduction coefficient in concrete beams, which were subjected to the effects of creep with linear coefficients from 0 to 3, ranged from 0.45 to 0.2 for positive bending moments and 0.3 to 0.2 for negative bending moments.

Liver accumulation of Plasmodium chabaudi-infected red blood cells and modulation of regulatory T Cell and dendritic cell responses

It is postulated that accumulation of malaria-infected Red Blood Cells (iRBCs) in the liver could be a parasitic escape mechanism against full destruction by the host immune system. Therefore, we evaluated the in vivo mechanism of this accumulation and its potential immunological consequences. A massive liver accumulation of P. c. chabaudi AS-iRBCs (PciRBCs) was observed by intravital microscopy along with an over expression of ICAM-1 on day 7 of the infection, as measured by qRT-PCR. Phenotypic changes were also observed in regulatory T cells (Tregs) and dendritic cells (DCs) that were isolated from infected livers, which indicate a functional role for Tregs in the regulation of the liver inflammatory immune response. In fact, the suppressive function of liver-Tregs was in vitro tested, which demonstrated the capacity of these cells to suppress naive T cell activation to the same extent as that observed for spleen-Tregs. On the other hand, it is already known that CD4+ T cells isolated from spleens of protozoan parasite-infected mice are refractory to proliferate in vivo. In our experiments, we observed a similar lack of in vitro proliferative capacity in liver CD4+ T cells that were isolated on day 7 of infection. It is also known that nitric oxide and IL-10 are partially involved in acute phase immunosuppression; we found high expression levels of IL-10 and iNOS mRNA in day 7-infected livers, which indicates a possible role for these molecules in the observed immune suppression. Taken together, these results indicate that malaria parasite accumulation within the liver could be an escape mechanism to avoid sterile immunity sponsored by a tolerogenic environment.

Isolation of Sporothrix schenckii from the claws of domestic cats (indoor and outdoor) and in captivity in São Paulo (Brazil)

Sporotrichosis is a subcutaneous mycosis and is also a zoonosis (sapro- and anthropozoonosis). The objective of the present study was to determine the occurrence of sporotrichosis in domestic cats and in wild or exotic felines in captivity through the isolation of Sporothrix spp. from claw impressions in a culture medium. The samples included 132 felines, of which 120 (91.0 %) were domestic cats, 11 (8.3 %) were wild felines, and one (0.7 %) was an exotic felid. Twenty-one (17.5 %) were outdoor cats. Of the total, 89 (67.4 %) had contact with other animals of the same species. It was possible to isolate Sporothrix schenckii from the claws of one (0.7 %) of the felids probed; this animal exhibited generalised sporotrichosis and had infected a female veterinarian. The potential pathogenic agents Microsporum canis and Malassezia pachydermatis were isolated in 12.1 and 5.3 % of the animals, respectively. The following anemophilous fungi, which were considered to be contaminants, were also isolated: Penicillium sp. (28 or 21.2 %), Aspergillus sp. (13 or 9.8 %), Rhodotorula sp. (5 or 3.8 %), Candida sp. (5 or 3.8 %), Trichoderma sp. (1 or 0.7 %), and Acremonium sp. (1 or 0.7 %). Due to the low magnitude of occurrence (0.7 %) of Sporothrix in feline claws, the potential of the cats evaluated in this study to be sources of infection in the city of São Paulo is considerably low.

The complement system of the goat: haemolytic assays and isolation of major proteins

[EN] Background: The aim of the present study was to develop a haemolytic assay for the study of the complement system in dairy goats (Capra aegagrus hircus) and to characterize the major goat complement system proteins. Results: The commonly used sheep erythrocyte sensitized with rabbit antibodies were not sensitive to lysis by goat serum, but the combination of human red blood cells (RBC) plus rabbit antibodies was the best option found for goat complement assay. A buffer based on HEPES instead of the classical veronal (barbitone) was developed. Three proteins were isolated: factor H, C1q and C3 and these were compared with the corresponding human proteins. A novel affinity chromatography technique was developed for isolation of factor H. Conclusions: Human RBC plus rabbit antibodies were a suitable option for haemolytic assays. The isolated proteins are similar to the human counterparts.

Template-assisted patterning of functional polymers

In this thesis, anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membranes, which provide well-aligned uniform mesoscopic pores with adjustable pore parameters, were fabricated and successfully utilized as templates for the fabrication of functional organic nanowires, nanorods and the respective well-ordered arrays. The template-assisted patterning technique was successfully applied for the realization of different objectives:rnHigh-density and well-ordered arrays of hole-conducting nanorods composed of cross-linked triphenylamine (TPA) and tetraphenylbenzidine (TPD) derivatives on conductive substrates like ITO/glass have been successfully fabricated. By applying a freeze-drying technique to remove the aqueous medium after the wet-chemical etching of the template, aggregation and collapsing of the rods was prevented and macroscopic areas of perfectly freestanding nanorods were feasible. Based on the hole-conducting nanorod arrays and their subsequent embedding into an electron-conducting polymer matrix via spin-coating, a novel routine concept for the fabrication of well-ordered all-organic bulk heterojunction for organic photovoltaic applications was successfully demonstrated. The increased donor/acceptor interface of the fabricated devices resulted in a remarkable increase of the photoluminescence quenching compared to a planar bilayer morphology. Further, the fundamental working principle of the templating approach for the solution-based all-organic photovoltaic device was demonstrated for the first time.rnFurthermore, in order to broaden the applicability of patterned surfaces, which are feasible via the template-based patterning of functional materials, AAO with hierarchically branched pores were fabricated and utilized as templates. By pursuing the common templating process hierarchically polymeric replicas, which show remarkable similarities with interesting biostructures, like the surface of the lotus leaf and the feet of a gecko, were successfully prepared.rnIn contrast to the direct infiltration of organic functional materials, a novel route for the fabrication of functional nanowires via post-modification of reactive nanowires was established. Therefore, reactive nanowires based on cross-linked pentafluorophenylesters were fabricated by utilizing AAO templates. The post-modification with fluorescent dyes was demonstrated. Furthermore, reactive wires were converted into well-dispersed poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) hydrogels, which exhibit a thermal-responsive reversible phase transition. The reversible thermal-responsible swelling of the PNIPAM nanowires exhibited a more than 50 % extended length than in the collapsed PNIPAM state. rnLast but not least, the shape-anisotropic pores of AAO were utilized to uniformly align the mesogens of a nematic liquid crystalline elastomer. Liquid crystalline nanowires with a narrow size distribution and uniform orientation of the liquid crystalline material were fabricated. It was shown that during the transition from the nematic to the isotropic phase the rod’s length shortened by roughly 40 percent. As such these liquid crystalline elastomeric nanowires may find application, as wire-shaped nanoactuators in various fields of research, like lab-on-chip systems, micro fluidics and biomimetics.rn

Linguistic gender identity construction in political discourse : a corpus-assisted analysis of the primary speeches of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton

The present study is concerned with exploring the linguistic identity construction of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton in the context of USA 2008 Democratic Party primaries. Thus, their speeches are examined in order to detect the aspects of identity that each politician resorted to in the process of projecting a political identity. The study, however, takes a special interest in the ways in which gender identity is projected by Obama and Clinton. Moreover, the notions of gender bias as well as gender representations are also investigated.

Critical role of regulatory T cells in Th17-mediated minor antigen-disparate rejection

Th17-mediated immune responses have been recently identified as novel pathogenic mechanisms in a variety of conditions; however, their importance in allograft rejection processes is still debated. In this paper, we searched for MHC or minor Ag disparate models of skin graft rejection in which Th17 immune responses might be involved. We found that T cell-derived IL-17 is critical for spontaneous rejection of minor but not major Ag-mismatched skin grafts. IL-17 neutralization was associated with a lack of neutrophil infiltration and neutrophil depletion delayed rejection, suggesting neutrophils as an effector mechanism downstream of Th17 cells. Regulatory T cells (Tregs) appeared to be involved in Th17 reactivity. We found that in vivo Treg depletion prevented IL-17 production by recipient T cells. An adoptive cotransfer of Tregs with naive monospecific antidonor T cells in lymphopenic hosts biased the immune response toward Th17. Finally, we observed that IL-6 was central for balancing Tregs and Th17 cells as demonstrated by the prevention of Th17 differentiation, the enhanced Treg/Th17 ratio, and a net impact of rejection blockade in the absence of IL-6. In conclusion, the ability of Tregs to promote the Th17/neutrophil-mediated pathway of rejection that we have described should be considered as a potential drawback of Treg-based cell therapy.