Associação entre polimorfismos em enzimas de reparo de DNA e ocorrência de meningite bacteriana.

Despite advances in vaccine development and therapy, bacterial meningitis (BM) remains a major cause of death and long-term neurological disabilities. As part of the host inflammatory response to the invading pathogen, factors such as reactive oxygen species are generated, which may damage DNA and trigger the overactivation of DNA repair mechanisms. It is conceivable that the individual susceptibility and outcome of BM may be in part determined by non synonymous polymorphisms that may alter the function of crucial BER DNA repair enzymes as PARP-1, OGG-1 and APE-1. These enzymes, in addition to their important DNA repair function, also perform role of inflammatory regulators. In this work was investigated the non synonymous SNPs APE-1 Asn148Glu, OGG-1 Ser326Cys,PARP-1 Val762Ala, PARP-1 Pro882Leu and PARP-1 Cys908Tyr in patients with bacterial meningitis (BM), chronic meningitis (CM), aseptic meningitis (AM) and not infected (controls). As results we found increased frequency of variant alleles of PARP-1 Val762Ala (P = 0.005) and APE-1 Asn148Glu (P=0.018) in BM patients, APE-1 Asn148Glu in AM patients (P = 0.012) and decrease in the frequency of the variant allele OGG-1 Ser326Cys in patients with CM (P = 0.013), regarding the allelic frequencies in the controls. A major incidence of individuals heterozygous and/ or polymorphic homozygous in BM for PARP-1 Val762Ala (P= 0.0399, OD 4.2, 95% IC 1.213 -14.545) and PARP-1 Val762Ala/ APE-1 Asn148Glu (P = 0.0238, OD 11.111, 95% IC 1.274 - 96.914) was observed related to what was expected in a not infected population. It was also observed a major incidence of combined SNPs in the BM patients compared with the control group (P=0.0281), giving evidences that SNPs can cause some susceptibility to the disease. This combined effect of SNPs seems to regulate the principal cytokines and other factors related to BM inflammatory response and point the importance of DNA repair not only to repair activity when DNA is damaged, but to others essential functions to human organism balance.

Alterações nos genes da E-caderina e β-catenina em adenoma pleomórfico e carcinoma adenóide cístico: estudo molecular e imuno-histoquímico

Pleomorphic adenoma and adenoid cystic carcinoma represent a benign and malignant salivary gland neoplasm, respectively, that shares the same histological origin, however with distinct biological behavior. The aim of the present study was identify the -160 C/A polymorphism in the gene CDH1, mutational analysis of CTNNB1 gene and evaluation the expression of the E-cadherin and β-catenin in pleomorphic adenomas and adenoid cystic carcinomas. Furthermore, it was proposed correlate the immunochemistry staining patterns with the polymorphism and mutations. Twenty-four pleomorphic adenomas and 24 adenoid cystic carcinomas were retrieved. The polymorphism analysis was performed by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP), using the restriction enzymes HphI or AflIII and the mutational screening was performed by PCR-single strand conformational polymorphism (PCR-SSCP). The immunohistochemical analysis was taken by the counting of cells, recorded as the Hscore index, and considering the presence or absence, intensity, distribution and localization of proteins expression. Comparing the two neoplasms, the results demonstrated statistically significant difference for the E-cadherin and β-catenin expression, with pleomorphic adenoma presenting weaker immunostaining. Was observed statistical correlation between E-cadherin and β-catenin expression. CDH1 heterozigotic polymorphism was seen in two cases and 13 cases displayed abnormal mobility electrophoretic shifts, suggesting CTNNB1 gene mutation. The immunohistochemical expression was not statistically correlated with the polymorphism or suggested mutations. In conclusion this study supports that the E-cadherin/β-catenin complex immunohistochemical expression might be related with the myoepithelial component amount and differentiation neither the tumor biological behavior. The cases that showed E-cadherin gene polymorphism presented reduced protein expression and, moreover, CTNNB1 suggested mutations seem not influence in the β-catenin protein expression

Effects Due to a Scalar Coupling on the Particle-Antiparticle Production in the Duffin-Kemmer-Petiau Theory

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Evaluation of the fretting fatigue behaviour of commercially pure titanium

Fretting fatigue occurs when the contact surfaces of two components undergo small oscillatory movement while they are subjected to a clamping force. A cyclic external load gives rise to the early initiation of fatigue cracks, thus reducing their service life. In this paper, the fretting fatigue behaviour of commercially pure titanium flat samples (1.5 mm thick) is evaluated. A fretting device composed of a frame, load cell, and two screw-mounted cylindrical fretting pads with convex extremities was built and set to a servo-hydraulic testing machine. The fatigue tests were conducted under load control at a frequency of 10 Hz and stress ratio R = 0.1, with various contact load values applied to the fretting pads. Additional tests under inert environment allowed assessing the role of oxidation on the wear debris formation. The fracture surfaces and fretting scars were analysed via scanning electron microscopy in order to evaluate the surface damage evolution and its effect on the fatigue crack features. The effect of the fretting condition on the S-N curve of the material in the range of 10(4)-10(6) cycles is described. Fatigue crack growth calculations allowed estimating the crack initiation and propagation lives under fretting conditions. The effect of the fretting condition in fatigue life is stronger for the lower values of cyclic stress and does not seem to depend on the contact loading value.

In vivo genotoxicity assessment of nerolidol

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Characterization of a Local Renin-Angiotensin System in Rat Gingival Tissue

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

Influence of different doses of retinoic acid on cardiac remodeling

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Proteomic View of the Venom from the Fire Ant Solenopsis invicta Buren

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

Estudo morfológico de tendões flexores de eqüinos

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

Neutrophil interaction with inflamed postcapillary venule endothelium alters annexin 1 expression

Annexin 1 (ANX-A1) exerts antimigratory actions in several models of acute and chronic inflammation, This is related to its ability to mimic the effect of endogenous ANX-A1 that is externalized on neutrophil adhesion to the postcapillary endothelium. In the present study we monitored ANX-A1 expression and localization in intravascular and emigrated neutrophils, using a classical model of rat peritonitis, For this purpose, a pair of antibodies raised against the ANX-A1 N-terminus tie, able to recognize intact ANX-A1) or the whole protein tie, able to interact with all ANX-A1 isoforms) was used by immunofluorescence and immunocytochemistry analyses. The majority (similar to 50%) of ANX-A1 on the plasma membrane of intravascular neutrophils was intact. Extravasation into the subendothelial matrix caused loss of this pool of intact protein (to similar to6%), concomitant with an increase in total amount of the protein; only similar to 25% of the total protein was now recognized by the antibody raised against the N-terminus tie, it was intact). In the cytoplasm of these cells, ANX-A1 was predominantly associated with large vacuoles, possibly endosomes, In situ hybridization confirmed de novo synthesis of ANX-A1 in the extravasated cells. In conclusion, biochemical pathways leading to the externalization, proteolysis, and synthesis of ANX-A1 are activated during the process of neutrophil extravasation.

EFFECTS OF MASSIVE TELENCEPHALIC LESIONS ON THE ORGANIZATION OF BEHAVIOR IN PIGEONS (COLUMBA-LIVIA)

The effects of massive lesions of the telencephalon on the behavioral repertoire of captive pigeons were investigated. The behavior of four birds with an intact telencephalon was compared to that of four birds submitted to ablation of telencephalic structures. Behavioral audio recording was done according to previously defined categories in three daily sessions for fifteen days. Experimental birds were followed up for one month. Immediately after the lesion, operated birds showed decreases in the occurrence of different behaviors such as coordinated movements, feeding, interaction, preening, maintenance, exploration and vocalization and increases in locomotion and discrete movements of the body when compared to the control birds (P < 0.05). Recovery of exploration (P < 0.05), feeding and localization was observed during the follow-up period. These data are interpreted as suggestive of a functional role of the telencephalon in the organization of behavior and a long-term recovery of behavior after detelencephalation.

Vernonia polyanthes as a new source of antiulcer drugs

Methanolic (VPME) and chloroformic (VPCL) extracts, obtained from the aerial parts of Vernonia polyanthes, were investigated for its antiulcerogenic properties. Administration of VPME (250 mg/kg) and VPCL (50 mg/kg) significantly inhibited the gastric mucosa damage (64% and 90%, respectively) caused by absolute ethanol (p.o.). Otherwise, in NSAID-induced gastric damage, their gastroprotective effects have decreased. Since the VPCL extract resulted to be more effective than the VPME we focused our efforts over VPCL action mechanism of action. © 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Perdas qualitativas na colheita mecanizada de sementes de soja

The study aimed to assess the physical and physiological characteristics of soybean seeds collected in grain tank and the outlet of the discharge tube of the harvester, depending on the year and the forward speed of the harvester. The experimental design was completely randomized in a factorial 2 x 2 x 2 tested two harvesters of different years, two displacement's speeds and two locations of sample collection, totaling eight treatments with four replications. The harvest of soybean cv. COODETEC 217, was performed with two tangential harvesters, aged three and four years, with 900 rpm rotation of the cylinder, operating at forward speeds of 4 ± 0.5 km h-1 and 7 ± 0.5 km h-1. Seed samples (approximately 3 kg) were withdrawn at the grain tank and the outlet of the discharge tube of the harvester and subjected to determinations of water content in field and laboratory. Subsequently, we evaluated purity, mechanical damage, germination and seed vigor. The younger harvester had a higher percentage of pure seed and lowest percentage of inert material. The increase in forward speed provides the higher the bands percentage and reduction of percentages of pure seed and inert material. The percentage of inert material was higher for seeds collected in the discharge pipe. The speed increase has positively influenced the emergence in sand for the harvester oldest (4 years) and negatively to the harvester youngest (3 years). At lower speeds the youngest harvester higher percentage of germination in sand.

Lamb mode diversity imaging for non-destructive testing of plate-like structures

Several Lamb wave modes can be coupled to a particular structure, depending on its geometry and transducer used to generate the guided waves. Each Lamb mode interacts in a particular form with different types of defects, like notches, delamination, surface defects, resulting in different information which can be used to improve damage detection and characterization. An image compounding technique that uses the information obtained from different propagation modes of Lamb waves for non-destructive testing of plate-like structures is proposed. A linear array consisting of 16 piezoelectric elements is attached to a 1 mm thickness aluminum plate, coupling the fundamental A0 and S0 modes at the frequencies of 100 kHz and 360 kHz, respectively. For each mode two images are obtained from amplitude and phase information: one image using the Total Focusing Method (TFM) and one phase image obtained from the Sign Coherence Factor (SCF). Each TFM image is multiplied by the SCF image of the respective mode to improve contrast and reduce side and grating lobes effects. The high dispersive characteristic of the A0 mode is compensated for adequate defect detection. The information in the SCF images is used to select one of the TFM mode images, at each pixel, to obtain the compounded image. As a result, dead zone is reduced, resolution and contrast are improved, enhancing damage detection when compared to the use of only one mode. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.

Missing solution in a Cornell potential

Missing bound-state solutions for fermions in the background of a Cornell potential consisting of a mixed scalar-vector-pseudoscalar coupling is examined. Charge-conjugation operation, degeneracy and localization are discussed. © 2013 Elsevier Inc.