Cytogenetic analyses of eight species in the genus Leptodactylus Fitzinger, 1843 (Amphibia, Anura, Leptodactylidae), including a new diploid number and a karyotype with multiple translocations

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

A radiation hybrid map of river buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) chromosome 7 and comparative mapping to the cattle and human genomes

A preliminary radiation hybrid (RH) map containing 50 loci on chromosome 7 of the domestic river buffalo Bubalus bubalis (BBU; 2n = 50) was constructed based on a comparative mapping approach. The RH map of BBU7 includes thirty-seven gene markers and thirteen microsatellites. All loci have been previously assigned to Bos taurus (BTA) chromosome BTA6, which is known for its association with several economically important milk production traits in cattle. The map consists of two linkage groups spanning a total length of 627.9 cR(5,000). Comparative analysis of the BBU7 RH 5,000 map with BTA6 in cattle gave new evidence for strong similarity between the two chromosomes over their entire length and exposed minor differences in locus order. Comparison of the BBU7 RH 5,000 map with the Homo sapiens (HSA) genome revealed similarity with a large chromosome segment of HSA4. Comparative analysis of loci in both species revealed more variability than previously known in gene order and several chromosome rearrangements including centromere relocation. The data obtained in our study define the evolutionarily conserved segment on BBU7 and HSA4 to be between 3.5 megabases (Mb) and 115.8 Mb in the HSA4 (genome build 36) DNA sequence. Copyright (c) 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Human respiratory syncytial virus in children hospitalized for acute lower respiratory infection

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

Fresh-frozen human bone allograft in vertical ridge augmentation: clinical and tomographic evaluation of bone formation and resorption

The aim of the current study is to evaluate fresh-frozen human bone allografts (FHBAs) used in vertical ridge augmentation clinically and by computed tomography, and to analyze the resulting bone formation and graft resorption. Sixteen FHBAs were grafted in the maxillae and mandibles of 9 patients. The FHBAs, which were provided by the Musculoskeletal Tissue Bank of Marilia Hospital (Unioss), were frozen at -80A degrees C. After 7 months, dental implants were placed and bone parameters were evaluated. Vertical bone formation was measured by computerized tomography before (T0) and at 7 months (T1) after the surgical procedure. Bone graft resorption was measured clinically from a landmark screw head using a periodontal probe. The results were analyzed by Student's t-test. Significant differences existed in the bone formation values at T0 and T1, with an average change of 4.03 +/- A 1.69 mm. Bone graft resorption values were 1.0 +/- A 0.82 mm (20%). Implants were placed with varying insertion torque values (35-45 Ncm), and achieved primary stability. This study demonstrates that FHBAs promote satisfactory vertical bone formation with a low resorption rates, good density, and primary implant stability.

Cooper pair dispersion relation for weak to strong coupling

Cooper pairing in two dimensions is analyzed with a set of renormalized equations to determine its binding energy for any fermion number density and all coupling assuming a,generic pairwise residual interfermion interaction. Also considered are Cooper pairs (CP's) with nonzero center-of-mass momentum (CMM) and their binding energy is expanded analytically in powers of the CMM up to quadratic terms. A Fermi-sea-dependent linear term in the CMM dominates the pair excitation energy in weak coupling (also called the BCS regime) while the more familiar quadratic term prevails in strong coupling (the Bose regime). The crossover, though strictly unrelated to BCS theory per se, is studied numerically as it is expected to play a central role in a model of superconductivity as a Bose-Einstein condensation of CPs where the transition temperature vanishes for all dimensionality d less than or equal to 2 for quadratic dispersion, but is nonzero for all d greater than or equal to 1 for linear dispersion.

Measurement of the charge asymmetry in top-quark pair production in proton-proton collisions at root s=7 TeV

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Search for Doubly Charged Higgs Boson Pair Production in p(p)over-bar Collisions at root s=1.96 TeV

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

Search for pair production of first- and second-generation scalar leptoquarks in pp collisions at root s=7 TeV

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Lipid peroxidation, antioxidant enzymes and glutathione levels in human erythrocytes exposed to colloidal iron hydroxide in vitro

The free form of the iron ion is one of the strongest oxidizing agents in the cellular environment. The effect of iron at different concentrations (0, 1, 5, 10, 50, and 100 µM Fe3+) on the normal human red blood cell (RBC) antioxidant system was evaluated in vitro by measuring total (GSH) and oxidized (GSSG) glutathione levels, and superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and reductase (GSH-Rd) activities. Membrane lipid peroxidation was assessed by measuring thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS). The RBC were incubated with colloidal iron hydroxide and phosphate-buffered saline, pH 7.45, at 37oC, for 60 min. For each assay, the results for the control group were: a) GSH = 3.52 ± 0.27 µM/g Hb; b) GSSG = 0.17 ± 0.03 µM/g Hb; c) GSH-Px = 19.60 ± 1.96 IU/g Hb; d) GSH-Rd = 3.13 ± 0.17 IU/g Hb; e) catalase = 394.9 ± 22.8 IU/g Hb; f) SOD = 5981 ± 375 IU/g Hb. The addition of 1 to 100 µM Fe3+ had no effect on the parameters analyzed. No change in TBARS levels was detected at any of the iron concentrations studied. Oxidative stress, measured by GSH kinetics over time, occurs when the RBC are incubated with colloidal iron hydroxide at concentrations higher than 10 µM of Fe3+. Overall, these results show that the intact human RBC is prone to oxidative stress when exposed to Fe3+ and that the RBC has a potent antioxidant system that can minimize the potential damage caused by acute exposure to a colloidal iron hydroxide in vitro.

A framework to understand human action

O trabalho consiste numa análise de dois modelos explicativos do comportamento humano considerados fundamentais na literatura contemporânea sobre teoria da ação. O primeiro modelo, o causalista, tenta explicar as ações em termos de causas e leis gerais. O segundo explica a ação em termos de intenções e silogismos práticos. As dificuldades e problemas de ambos modelos são apresentadas e na última parte do ensaio propomos um modelo alternativo baseado na noção de retrodução.

Evidence of an XX/XY sex chromosome system in the fish Dormitator maculatus (Teleostei, Eleotrididae)

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

CHROMOSOME-STUDIES IN HYPOPTOPOMATINAE (PISCES, SILURIFORMES, LORICARIIDAE) .2. ZZ ZW SEX-CHROMOSOME SYSTEM, B-CHROMOSOMES, AND CONSTITUTIVE HETEROCHROMATIN DIFFERENTIATION IN MICROLEPIDOGASTER-LEUCOFRENATUS

Cytogenetic analysis of two local populations of microlepidogaster leucofrenatus showed a basic diploid chromosome number (2N) of 54 in both populations. Some fishes were found to have a 2N = 55 or 56 chromosomes due to the presence of one or two large heterochromatic B chromosomes. Specimens of M. leucofrenatus from the Poco Grande stream had 24 metacentrics, 24 submetacentrics, four subtelocentrics, and one submetacentric homomorphic pair in males and one submetacentric/subtelocentric heteromorphic pair in females, whereas individuals of this species from the Marumbi River had 22 metacentrics, 24 submetacentrics, four subtelocentrics, two acrocentrics, and one submetacentric/subtelocentric heteromorphic pair in females. The occurrence of the heteromorphic pair in the females was due to the presence of an extra C-banded segment on the W chromosome. Ag-NORs in both populations were located interstitially on the short arm of the largest metacentric pair. The Poco Grande population had less constitutive heterochromatin than did the Marumbi River population. The speciation process in this fish species is discussed on the basis of heterochromatin distribution.

Radiopacity of esthetic restorative materials compared with human tooth structure

Purpose : To compare the radiopacity of 13 restorative materials, (a conventional glass-ionomer cement, three resin-modified glass-ionomer cements, six polyacid-modified resin-based composites, and three resin-based composites) to sound tooth structure. Materials and Methods: 315 specimens were made of the restorative materials (n= 21), of 2 min height and 4.1 mm diameter. Radiographs were taken of the specimens, together with the tooth structure sample and an aluminum step wedge. The radiopacity values of each specimen were taken using a transmission densitometer. Results: ANOVA and Tukey's test (95% level of confidence) revealed that, except for a resin-based composite, a polyacid-modified resin-based composite, a resin-modified glass-ionomer cement and the conventional glass-ionomer cement, all the evaluated restorative materials were more radiopaque than the tooth structure.

OCCURRENCE OF MACRO-B CHROMOSOMES IN ASTYANAX-SCABRIPINNIS PARANAE (PISCES, CHARACIFORMES, CHARACIDAE)

B chromosomes occur in several Neotropical fish species. Cytogenetic analysis of 27 specimens (15 females and 12 males) of Astyanax scabripinnis paranae from the Araqua river (a small headwater tributary of the Tiete river) shows that this population has 2n = 50 chromosomes (4M + 30 SM + 4ST + 12A), two chromosome pairs with NORs and conspicuous C-band positive blocks in the terminal position of the long arm of four chromosome pairs. In this population, eight females presented 2n = 51 chromosomes and the extra chromosome was a large metacentric similar in size and morphology to the first chromosome pair in the karotype. This accessory chromosome is entirely heterochromatic in C-banded metaphases and shows a late replication pattern evidenced by BrdU incorporation. There was no significant correlation between the presence of B chromosomes and increased NOR activity at the P >0.05 level. Some aspects related to these B chromosomes are discussed.