Phillocaulis variegatus: an intermediate host of Angiostrongylus costaricensis in south Brazil

Molluscs collected in five localities in the State of Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil) were digested and examined. The infected slugs were identified as Phyllocaulis variegatus and the larvae found were inoculated per os into mice. After 50 days, worms with the caracteristics of Angiostrongylus costaricensis were recovered from the mesenteric arterial system. The results establish the role of P. variegatus as intermediate host of A. costaricensis in south Brazil, where many cases of abdominla angiostrongyliasis have been diagnosed.

Roles of aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) isoforms and retinoic acids in the growth and differentiation potential of human adult cardiac progenitor cells

Aim: We have studied human adult cardiac progenitor cells (CPCs) based on high aldehyde dehydrogenase activity (ALDH-hi), a property shared by many stem cells across tissues and organs. However, the role of ALDH in stem cell function is poorly known. In humans, there are 19 ALDH isoforms with different biological activities. The isoforms responsible for the ALDH-hi phenotype of stem cells are not well known but they may include ALDH1A1 and ALDH1A3 isoforms, which function in all-trans retinoic acid (RA) cell signaling. ALDH activity has been shown to regulate hematopoietic stem cell function via RA. We aimed to analyze ALDH isoform expression and the role of RA in human CPC function. Methods: Human adult CPCs were isolated from atrial appendage samples from patients who underwent heart surgery for coronary artery or valve disease. Atrial samples were either cultured as primary explants or enzymatically digested and sorted for ALDH activity by FACS. ALDH isoforms were determined by qRT-PCR. Cells were cultured in the presence or absence of the specific ALDH inhibitor DEAB, with or without RA. Induction of cardiac-specific genes in cells cultured in differentiation medium was measured by qRT-PCR. Results: While ALDH-hi CPCs grew in culture and could be expanded, ALDH-low cells grew poorly. CPC isolated as primary explant outgrowths expressed high levels of ALDH1A3 but not of other isoforms. CPCs isolated from cardiospheres expressed relatively high levels of all the 11 isoforms tested. In contrast, expanded CPCs and cardiosphere-derived cells expressed low levels of all ALDH isoforms. DEAB inhibited CPC growth in a dose-dependent manner, whereas RA rescued CPC growth in the presence of DEAB. In differentiation medium, ALDH-hi CPCs expressed approximately 300-fold higher levels of cardiac troponin T compared with their ALDH-low counterparts. Conclusions: High ALDH activity identifies human adult cardiac cells with high growth and cardiomyogenic potential. ALDH1A3 and, possibly, ALDH1A1 isoforms account for high ALDH activity and RA-mediated regulation of CPC growth.

Financial crisis and quantitative easing: can broad money tell us anything?

When Bank of England (and the Federal Reserve Board) introduced their quantitative easing (QE) operations they emphasised the effects on money and credit, but much of their empirical research on the effects of QE focuses on long-term interest rates. We use a flow of funds matrix with an independent central bank to show the implications of QE and other monetary developments, and argue that the financial crisis, the fiscal expansion and QE are likely to have constituted major exogenous shocks to money and credit in the UK which could not be digested immediately by the usual adjustment mechanisms. We present regressions of a reduced form model which considers the growth of nominal spending as determined by the growth of nominal money and other variables. These results suggest that money was not important during the Great Moderation but has had a much larger role in the period of the crisis and QE. We then use these estimates to illustrate the effects of the financial crisis and QE. We conclude that it would be useful to incorporate money and/or credit in wider macroeconometric models of the UK economy.

Estudi de la degradació anaeròbia de tres contaminants emergents: àcid clofíbric, carbamazepina i ibuprofè

En el present estudi s’ha fet un seguiment baromètric de la producció de biogàs de tres compostos farmacèutics mitjançant tests de degradació anaeròbia. El llot del digestor anaerobi de l’estació depuradora d’aigües residuals (EDAR) de Granollers s’ha emprat com a inòcul. En un primer experiment, s’ha fet l’estudi de l’etapa metanogènica, amb metanol com a substrat i les concentracions de 5, 10 i 20 mg·L-1 d’àcid clofíbric (CLOFI, regulador lípid), ibuprofè (IBU, anti-inflamatori) i carbamazepina (CARBA, antiepilèptic/analgèsic). En un segon experiment, s’ha estudiat l’etapa acetogènica, amb àcid propiònic com a substrat i amb concentracions de 20 i 100 mg·L-1 dels mateixos fàrmacs. Per una banda, en el primer experiment, no s’ha observat degradació dels fàrmacs i cap d’ells presenta toxicitat pel llot anaerobi. CARBA i IBU s’adsorbeixen majoritàriament a la fase sòlida. Per altra banda, en l’etapa acetogènica ni CARBA ni IBU s’han degradat i tampoc presenten toxicitat en cap de les concentracions provades. Com en el cas anterior, la majoria d’aquests fàrmacs queda adsorbit en el llot. En canvi, CLOFI es degrada en 100 mg·L-1 de concentració donant com a producte intermedi un metabòlit.

Survey of the irp2 gene among Yersinia pestis strains isolated during several plague outbreaks in northeast Brazil

The irp2 gene codes for a 190 kDa protein (HMWP2) synthesidez when highly pathogenic Yersinia are grown under conditions of iron starvation. In this work, the presence of irp2 in strains of Y. pestis isolated from different hosts during several plague outbreaks in the foci of Northeast Brazil wasstudied. For this purpose, 53 strains were spotted onto nylon filters and their DNA was hybridized with the A13 probe which is a 1 kb fragment of the irp2 coding sequence. All strains except two hybridized with the probe. However, when the initial stock culture of these two strains were analyzed, they both proved to bepositive with the A13 probe, indicating that the locus was lost after subculturein vitro but was always present in vivo. To examine the degree of conservation of the chromosomal fragment carrying irp2 among Brazilian strains, the hybridization profiles of 15 strains from different outbreaks, different hosts and different foci were compared. The hybridization profiles of these strains were all identical when their DNA was digested with either EcoRI, EcorRV or AvaII, indicatingthat the restriction sites surrounding the irp2 locus are very well conserved among Northeast Brazilian strains of Y. pestis. Altogether, these results suggest that the irp2 chromosomal region should be of prime importance for the bacteria during their multiplication in the host.

Avaluació de la capacitat de segrest de carboni d'un sòl restaurat amb fangs de depuradora: estabilitat de la matèria orgànica

L’avaluació de la capacitat de segrest de carboni d’un sòl denudat per l’extracció de calcàries i la seva posterior restauració amb fangs de depuradora s’ha realitzat mitjançant l’anàlisi de l’estabilitat de la matèria orgànica del sòl (MOS) en funció de la dosi de fangs aplicada. Els resultats d’aquest treball demostren dos fets fonamentals per a l’estudi de la capacitat de segrest de carboni, els qual són: la conservació del contingut total de MOS i l’augment de la seva estabilitat fins a nivells més alts que els de la MOS de les parcel·les de control. Aquests resultats són explicables per (i) la conservació i augment de la MOS recalcitrant, i (ii) la protecció d’una porció més o menys rellevant de la MO làbil continguda amb els fangs gràcies a l’acció simultània dels mecanismes d’estabilització de la MOS, com són: l’estabilització bioquímica (humificació), química, física, a més de la pròpia hidrofobicitat de la MOS, aquests dos últims potenciats per l’addicció del fangs de depuradora.

Avaluació de la capacitat de segrest de carboni d'un sòl restaurat amb fangs de depuradora: paper de les propietats físiques del sòl

S’ha estudiat el grau de protecció física del carboni dins d’agregats de diferents mides en un sòl d’una pedrera restaurada fa 17 anys amb terres adobades amb fangs de depuradora, i s’ha interpretat el seu paper en el context del segrest de carboni en el sòl. La metodologia aplicada es basa en la d’humitejament ràpid dels agregats del sòl per immersió en aigua (Le Bissonnais, 1996), que simula l’estabilitat d'un sòl sec que es veu sotmès a processos tals com la inundació local o saturació ràpida. També s’ha determinat la quantitat de carboni oxidable present en els agregats del sòl amb el mètode de Nelson i Sommers (1982). Els resultats han mostrat que l’adobat amb fangs de depuradora contribueix a augmentar el contingut de carboni orgànic en els agregats del sòl i n’estimula el segrest a mitjà termini (unes 10 tones ha-1 en 17 anys), aportant estabilitat al sòl i protegint físicament el carboni orgànic dins dels agregats de mida major (5-2 mm). A més s’ha constatat que per determinar l’estabilitat del carboni segrestat en el sòl cal conèixer com es distribueix entre les diferents mides d’agregats. Finalment, l’augment del segrest de carboni en el sòl propiciat per l’aplicació dels fangs de depuradora li dóna més capacitat per fixar CO2 atmosfèric.

La depuradora de Begues: reactor biològic o aiguamolls construïts?. Estudi comparatiu dels vectors: paràmetres de l'H2O, fangs produïts, costos capitals i d'explotació, personal

L’objectiu del present estudi és comparar els vectors de paràmetres de l’aigua, producció de fangs, costos i personal entre 2 tipus d’instal·lacions EDAR al municipi de Begues; una ja existent amb tractament secundari i terciari mitjançant un reactor biològic i una potencial amb tractament secundari i terciari mitjançant aiguamolls construïts. La finalitat del projecte és determinar, gràcies a l’estudi dels principals vectors ambientals de la infraestructura i a altres estudiats per na Susana Forero Sánchez, quina de les 2 tipologies d’instal·lació s’ajusta més al territori i a les necessitats de tractament de les aigües del mateix. Els resultats de la investigació indiquen que tant els costos d’explotació com la producció de fangs i el personal donen avantatge als aiguamolls construïts, però els costos capitals i el tractament de nutrients són favorables per a la depuradora actual. Amb el projecte de Susana Forero Sánchez, les conclusions que es poden establir en referència a la decisió d’instal·lar una depuradora o una altra segons els vectors estudiats indiquen que l’EDAR sense aiguamolls té més probabilitat de ser escollida com la més adient per les necessitats del territori d’estudi.

Determinació de compostos orgànics contaminants en aigües residuals industrials

La determinació de compostos orgànics contaminants en aigües residuals d’origen urbà i industrial és un tema que ha suscitat un creixent interès, tant des del punt de vista del problema mediambiental que es deriva de l’abocament d’aquestes aigües al medi aquàtic públic com des de la perspectiva de reutilització de les aigües tractades en processos industrials. La majoria d’aquests contaminants no s’eliminen completament en plantes de tractament d’aigües convencionals, pel que s’han de controlar. Aquest fet implica desenvolupar nous processos de tractament que permetin millorar l'eficiència de l'eliminació de les plantes de tractament convencionals. Per tal d'investigar la presència d'aquests compostos contaminants a baixes concentracions és necessari desenvolupar nous mètodes analítics altament sensibles. En el nostre projecte s'han desenvolupat diferents mètodes analítics per determinar compostos orgànics contaminants en aigües residuals provinents de plantes de tractament d'aigües industrials, urbanes i plantes potabilitzadores, utilizant principalment la microextracció en fase sòlida (SPME) seguida de la cromatografia de gasos acoblada a un espectròmetre de masses (GC-MS). S'ha estudiat la presència de diferents famílies de compostos en aquestes aigües, com són: ftalats, amines alifàtiques primàries i nitrosamines. A més a més, s'han desenvolupat mètodes analítics per determinar amines alifàtiques primàries en llots actius provinents de diferents tipus de plantes de tractament d'aigües i plantes potabilitzadores.

Mechanisms of skin adherence and invasion by dermatophytes.

Dermatophytes are keratinophilic fungi that can be pathogenic for humans and animals by infecting the stratum corneum, nails, claws or hair. The first infection step consists of adherence of arthroconidia to the stratum corneum. The mechanisms and the kinetics of adherence have been investigated using different in vitro and ex vivo experimental models, most notably showing the role of a secreted serine protease from Microsporum canis in fungal adherence to feline corneocytes. After germination of the arthroconidia, dermatophytes invade keratinised structures that have to be digested into short peptides and amino acids to be assimilated. Although many proteases, including keratinolytic ones, have been characterised, the understanding of dermatophyte invasion mechanisms remains speculative. To date, research on mechanisms of dermatophyte infection focused mainly on both secreted endoproteases and exoproteases, but their precise role in both fungal adherence and skin invasion should be further explored.

Analysis of the clonal diversity of Staphylococcus aureus methicillin-resistant strains isolated at João Pessoa, state of Paraíba, Brazil

To investigate the clonal diversity of Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated at João Pessoa, State of Paraíba, Brazil, digested genomic DNA were studied by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) in nine methicillin-resistant strains (MRSA) and three methicillin-sensitive strains (MSSA), selected among 67 isolates based on their antimicrobial susceptibility and epidemiology. The isolates were obtained between April and November 1992 from the Hospital of the Federal University of Paraíba, located in João Pessoa. Two MRSA isolates from the Oswaldo Cruz Hospital, São Paulo, Brazil, including an epidemic strain previously detected from different hospitals at the country were used as control. Five different patterns, were demonstrated by MRSA isolated in João Pessoa and these patterns were described in several epidemiologically unrelated hospitals in São Paulo. Our results suggest the interstate dissemination of a MRSA clone in João Pessoa which is similar to that described in other cities of Brazil.

Abdominal Angiostrongylosis in Southern Brazil - Prevalence and Parasitic Burden in Mollusc Intermediate Hosts from Eighteen Endemic Foci

Angiostrongylus costaricensis is a parasitic nematode of rodents and molluscs are the intermediate hosts. Nocturnal collection of molluscs and search for infective third stage larvae of A. costaricensis was carried out in 18 endemic foci identified by the notification of a confirmed diagnosis in human biopsies or surgical specimens. Molluscs were digested in acidic solution and isolation of larvae eventually present was done in a Baermann funnel. Larvae identified by the presence of a delicate groove in the tail were counted to assess the individual parasitic burden. Four species were found infected, with ranges of prevalence in parenthesis: Phyllocaulis variegatus (7% to 33.3%); Bradybaena similaris (11.7% to 24.1%); Belocaulus angustipes (8.3% ) and Phyllocaulis soleiformis (3.3% to 14.2%). Parasitic burden varied from 1 to 75 with P. variegatus, 1 to 98 with B. similaris, 1 to 13 with B. angustipes and 1 larvae in each of two specimens of P. soleiformis. P. variegatus was present in all sites and was found infected with the highest prevalence figures and the highest individual parasitic burdens. These data stress the importance of veronicellid slugs as intermediate hosts for A. costaricensis in the endemic areas in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

Cloning, Expression and Toxicity of a Mosquitocidal Toxin Gene of Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. medellin

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) subsp. medellin (Btmed) produces parasporal crystalline inclusions which are toxic to mosquito larvae. It has been shown that the inclusions of this bacterium contain mainly proteins of 94, 68 and 28-30 kDa. EcoRI partially digested total DNA of Btmed was cloned by using the Lambda Zap II cloning kit. Recombinant plaques were screened with a mouse policlonal antibody raised against the 94 kDa crystal protein of Btmed. One of the positive plaques was selected, and by in vivo excision, a recombinant pBluescript SK(-) was obtained. The gene encoding the 94 kDa toxin of Btmed DNA was cloned in a 4.4 kb DNA fragment. Btmed DNA was then subcloned as a EcoRI/EcoRI fragment into the shuttle vector pBU4 producing the recombinant plasmid pBTM3 and used to transform by electroporation Bt subsp. israelensis (Bti) crystal negative strain 4Q2-81. Toxicity to mosquito larvae was estimated by using first instar laboratory reared Aedes aegypti, and Culex quinquefasciatus larvae challenged with whole crystals. Toxicity results indicate that the purified inclusions from the recombinant Bti strain were toxic to all mosquito species tested, although the toxicity was not as high as the one produced by the crystal of the Btmed wild type strain. Poliacrylamide gel electrophoresis indicate that the inclusions produced by the recombinant strain Bti (pBTM3) were mainly composed of the 94 kDa protein of Btmed, as it was determined by Western blot

Comparative Analysis by Polymerase Chain Reaction Amplified Minicircles of Kinetoplast DNA of a Stable Strain of Trypanosoma cruzi from São Felipe, Bahia, its Clones and Subclones: Possibility of Predominance of a Principal Clone in this Area

Molecular characterization of one stable strain of Trypanosoma cruzi, the 21 SF, representative of the pattern of strains isolated from the endemic area of São Felipe, State of Bahia, Brazil, maintained for 15 years in laboratory by serial passages in mice and classified as biodeme Type II and zymodeme 2 has been investigated. The kinetoplast DNA (kDNA) of parental strain, 5 clones and 14 subclones were analyzed. Schizodeme was established by comparative study of the fragments obtained from digestion of the 330-bp fragments amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) from the variable regions of the minicicles, and digested by restriction endonucleases Rsa I and Hinf I. Our results show a high percentual of similarity between the restriction fragment lenght polymorphism (RFLP) for the parental strain and its clones and among these individual clones and their subclones at a level of 80 to 100%.This homology indicates a predominance of the same "principal clone" in the 21SF strain and confirms the homogeneity previously observed at biological and isozymic analysis. These results suggest the possibility that the T. cruzi strains with similar biological and isoenzymic patterns, circulating in this endemic area, are representative of one dominant clone. The presence of "principal clones" could be responsible for a predominant tropism of the parasites for specific organs and tissues and this could contribute to the pattern of clinico-pathological manifestations of Chagas's disease in one geographical area.

Diabetes Briefing

Diabetes mellitus is a group of metabolic disorders characterised by too much glucose in the blood. The body breaks down digested food into a sugar called glucose from which it derives energy. The hormone insulin allows the body to use that sugar by helping glucose to enter the cells. When a person has diabetes, either the pancreas fails to produce enough insulin or the body cannot properly use the insulin it has. As a result there is a build-up of glucose in the blood causing the cells to be starved of energy. The Chronic Conditions Hub is a website that brings together information on chronic health conditions. It allows you to easily access, manage and share relevant information resources. The Chronic Conditions Hub includes the Institute of Public Health in Ireland’s (IPH) estimates and forecasts of the number of people living with chronic conditions. On the Chronic Conditions Hub you will find:- A Briefing for each condition - Detailed technical documentation - Detailed national and sub-national data that can be downloaded or explored using online data tools