Análise de 15 STRS autossômicos na população de Araraquara (São Paulo, Brasil)

Os marcadores genéticos mais utilizados para fins de identificação humana são regiões autossômicas de repetições consecutivas curtas (Short Tandem Repeats - STRs) e para interpretar a análise de DNA, os resultados de um caso necessitam ser comparados com os dados de uma pertinente população. O objetivo do trabalho, portanto, foi caracterizar o perfil genético da população de Araraquara, (São Paulo, Brasil) pela análise de 15 STRs autossômicos (D3S1358, TH01, D21S11, D18S51, Penta E, D5S818, D13S317, D7S820, D16S539, CSF1PO, Penta D, VWA, D8S1179, TPOX and FGA) inclusos no kit PowerPlex 16 (Promega) e correlacionar esses dados com a história de formação da população. Não foram observados desvio do equilíbrio de Hardy - Weinberg após correção de Bonferroni. Parâmetros forenses apresentaram valores elevados, sendo os marcadores mais polimórficos o Penta E, D18S51 e FGA. A árvore UPGMA (Unweighted Pair- Group Method with Arithmetic Mean) baseada na medida de distância genética mostrou a população de Araraquara agrupada com as populações da região sudeste do Brasil, próxima do grupo europeu e distante das populações Africana e Ameríndia. Estimativas de mistura revelaram que a contribuição parental para a população de Araraquara foi 76% européia, 18% africana e 6% ameríndia

Susceptibility of Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus to ivermectin (200, 500 and 630 mu g/kg) in field studies in Brazil

The present study aimed to determine the susceptibility of 17 Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus populations, originating in the Southeast and Southern regions of Brazil, to different ivermectin concentrations (200, 500 and 630 mu g/kg), administered through subcutaneous or topical (pour-on) routes. R. (B.) microplus populations from the states of Minas Gerais (seven populations), Sao Paulo (seven populations) and Parana (three populations) were chosen for the tests. The selected cattle were allocated to treatment groups on day 0, and block formation was based on the arithmetic mean of female ticks (4.5-8.0 mm long) counted on three consecutive days (-3, -2 and -1). To evaluate the therapeutic and residual efficacies of these formulations, tick counts (females ranging from 4.5 to 8.0 mm long) were performed on days 3,7 and 14 post-treatment, and continued on a weekly basis thereafter until the end of each experiment. The results obtained throughout this study, utilizing field efficacy studies, allowed us to conclude that the resistance of R. (B.) microplus against 200 and 500 mu g/kg ivermectin is widely disseminated because all tick populations that had contact with these specific concentrations were diagnosed as resistant. However, it is possible to infer that R. (B.) microplus resistance against 630 mu g/kg ivermectin was also widespread, diagnosed at six of ten analyzed properties. Resistance of these ectoparasites to 630 mu g/kg ivermectin is most likely emerging in three other populations of R. (B.) microplus. Strategies of resistance management need to be quickly determined to keep the selection pressure at a minimum level in Brazil. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Diagnosis of anthelmintic resistance in cattle in Brazil: a comparison of different methodologies

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Processamento térmico e estádio fenológico na atividade antioxidante do jambu

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Genetic diversity of Stryphnodendron adstringens (Mart.) Coville determined by AFLP molecular markers

Bark extracts of Stryphnodendron adstringens (Mart) Coville a Leguminosae species, well known in Brazil as barbatimao, are popularly used as healing agent. The objective of this work was to determine the genetic diversity of S. adstringens populations and to correlate genetic distances to the production of tannins. S. adstringens accessions from populations found in Cerrado regions in the states of Goias, Minas Gerais and Sao Paulo were analyzed using the AFLP (Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism) technique. A total of 236 polymorphic bands were scored and higher proportion of genetic diversity was found inter populations (70.9%), rather than intra populations (29.1%). F-ST value was found to be significantly greater than zero (0.2906), demonstrating the complex genetic structure of S. adstringens populations. Accessions collected in Cristalina, GO, showed higher percentage of polymorphic loci (87.3%) and the highest genetic diversity. The lowest genetic variability was detected among accessions from the population growing in Caldas Novas, GO. The genetic distance among populations was estimated using the Unweighted Pair Group Method with Arithmetic Mean (UPGMA), which grouped populations into 3 clusters. Moreover, chemotypes with tannin concentration above 40% showed higher genetic similarity. AFLP analysis proved to be an efficient gene mapping technique to determine the genetic diversity among remaining populations of S. adstringens. Obtained results may be employed to implement further strategies for the conservation of this medicinal plant. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Properties of dental resins submitted to pH catalysed hydrolysis

Objectives: This study evaluated the surface microhardness (SM) and roughness (SR) alterations of dental resins submitted to pH catalysed degradation regimens. Methods: Thirty discs of each TPH Spectrum (Dentsply), Z100 (3M-ESPE), or an unfilled experimental bis-GMA/TEGDMA resin were fabricated, totaling 90 specimens. Each specimen was polymerized for 40 s, finished, polished, and individually stored in deionized water at 37 degrees C for 7 days. Specimens were randomly assigned to the following pH solutions: 1.0, 6.9 or 13, and for SM or SR evaluations (n = 5). Baseline Knoop-hardness of each specimen was obtained by the arithmetic mean of five random micro-indentations. For SR, mean baseline values were obtained by five random surface tracings (R-a). Specimens were then soaked in one of the following storage media at 37 degrees C: (1) 0.1 M, pH 1.0 HCl, (2) 0.1 N, pH 13.0 NaOCl, and (3) deionized water (pH 6.9). Solutions were replaced daily. Repeated SM and SR measurements were performed at the 3-, 7- and 14-day storage time intervals. For each test and resin, data were analysed by two-way ANOVA followed by Tukey's test (alpha = 0.05). Results: There was significant decrease in SM and increase in SR values of composites after storage in alkaline medium. TPH and Z100 presented similar behaviour for SM and SR after immersion in the different media, whereas unfilled resin values showed no significant change. Conclusion: Hydrolytic degradation of resin composites seems to begin with the silanized inorganic particles and therefore depend on their composition. Significance: To accelerate composite hydrolysis and produce quick in vitro microstructural damage, alkaline medium appears to be more suitable than acidic medium. Contemporary resin composite properties seem to withstand neutral and acidic oral environments tolerably well. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

cDNA-AFLP analysis of Psidium guajava L. cultivars under water stress and mechanical injury: methodological implications

Studies involving amplified fragment length polymorphism (cDNA-AFLP) have often used polyacrylamide gels with radiolabeled primers in order to establish best primer combinations, to analyze, and to recover transcript-derived fragments. Use of automatic sequencer to establish best primer combinations is convenient, because it saves time, reduces costs and risks of contamination with radioactive material and acrylamide, and allows objective band-matching and more precise evaluation of transcript-derived fragments intensities. This study aimed at examining the gene expression of commercial cultivars of P. guajava subjected to water and mechanical injury stresses, combining analyses by automatic sequencer and fluorescent kits for polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Firstly, 64 combinations of EcoRI and MseI primers were tested. Ten combinations with higher number of polymorphic fragments were then selected for transcript-derived fragments recovering and cluster analysis, involving 45 saplings of P. guajava. Two groups were obtained, one composed by the control samplings, and another formed by samplings undergoing stress, with no clear distinction between stress treatments. The results revealed the convenience of using a combination of automatic sequencer and fluorescent kits for polyacrylamide gel electrophoreses to examine gene expression profiles. The Unweighted Pair Group Method with Arithmetic Mean analysis using Euclidean distances points out a similar induced response mechanism of P. guajava undergoing water stress and mechanical injury.

Lipid and glucose profiles of dairy buffaloes during lactation and dry period

The purpose of this study was to analyze the influence of lactation and dry period in the constituents of lipid and glucose metabolism of buffaloes. One hundred forty-seven samples of serum and plasma were collected between November 2009 and July 2010, from properties raising Murrah, Mediterranean and crossbred buffaloes, located in the State of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Biochemical analysis was obtained by determining the contents of serum cholesterol, triglycerides, beta-hydroxybutyrate (β-HBO), non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) and plasma glucose. Values for arithmetic mean and standard error mean were calculated using the SAS procedure, version 9.2. Tests for normality of residuals and homogeneity of variances were performed using the SAS Guide Data Analysis. Data were analyzed by ANOVA using the SAS procedure Glimmix. The group information (Lactation), Farm and Age were used in the statistical models. Means of groups were compared using Least Square Means (LSMeans) of SAS, where significant difference was observed at P ≤ 0.05. It was possible to conclude that buffaloes during peak lactation need to metabolize body reserves to supplement the lower amounts of bloodstream lipids, when they remain in negative energy balance. In the dry period, there were significant changes in the lipid profile, characterized by decrease of nutritional requirements, with consequent improvement in the general conditions of the animals.

Intra-subject variability in attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder

BACKGROUND: This study is based on a comprehensive survey of the neuropsychological attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) literature and presents the first psychometric analyses of different parameters of intra-subject variability (ISV) in patients with ADHD compared to healthy controls, using the Continuous Performance Test, a Go-NoGo task, a Stop Signal Task, as well as N-back tasks. METHODS: Data of 57 patients with ADHD and 53 age- and gender-matched controls were available for statistical analysis. Different parameters were used to describe central tendency (arithmetic mean, median), dispersion (standard deviation, coefficient of variation, consecutive variance), and shape (skewness, excess) of reaction time distributions, as well as errors (commissions and omissions). RESULTS: Group comparisons revealed by far the strongest effect sizes for measures of dispersion, followed by measures of central tendency, and by commission errors. Statistical control of ISV reduced group differences in the other measures substantially. One (patients) or two (controls) principal components explained up to 67% of the inter-individual differences in intra-individual variability. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that, across a variety of neuropsychological tests, measures of ISV contribute best to group discrimination, with limited incremental validity of measures of central tendency and errors. Furthermore, increased ISV might be a unitary construct in ADHD.

Statistical analysis of personal radiofrequency electromagnetic field measurements with nondetects

Exposimeters are increasingly applied in bioelectromagnetic research to determine personal radiofrequency electromagnetic field (RF-EMF) exposure. The main advantages of exposimeter measurements are their convenient handling for study participants and the large amount of personal exposure data, which can be obtained for several RF-EMF sources. However, the large proportion of measurements below the detection limit is a challenge for data analysis. With the robust ROS (regression on order statistics) method, summary statistics can be calculated by fitting an assumed distribution to the observed data. We used a preliminary sample of 109 weekly exposimeter measurements from the QUALIFEX study to compare summary statistics computed by robust ROS with a naïve approach, where values below the detection limit were replaced by the value of the detection limit. For the total RF-EMF exposure, differences between the naïve approach and the robust ROS were moderate for the 90th percentile and the arithmetic mean. However, exposure contributions from minor RF-EMF sources were considerably overestimated with the naïve approach. This results in an underestimation of the exposure range in the population, which may bias the evaluation of potential exposure-response associations. We conclude from our analyses that summary statistics of exposimeter data calculated by robust ROS are more reliable and more informative than estimates based on a naïve approach. Nevertheless, estimates of source-specific medians or even lower percentiles depend on the assumed data distribution and should be considered with caution.

Spatial isolation and genetic differentiation in naturally fragmented plant populations of the Swiss Alps

Aims The effect Of anthropogenic landscape fragmentation on the genetic diversity and adaptive potential of plant populations is a major issue in conservation biology. However, little is known about the partitioning of genetic diversity in alpine species, which occur in naturally fragmented habitats. Here, we, investigate molecular patterns of three alpine plants (Epilobium fleischeri, Geum reptans and Campanula thyrsoides) across Switzerland and ask whether Spatial isolation has led to high levels of populations differentiation, increasing over distance, and a decrease of within-population variability. We further hypothesize that file contrasting potential for long-distance dispersal (LDD) of Seed in these Species will considerably influence and explain diversity partitioning. Methods For each study species, we Sampled 20-23 individuals from each of 20-32 populations across entire Switzerland. We applied Random Amplified Polymorphic Dimorphism markers to assess genetic diversity within (Nei's expected heterozygosity, H-e; percentage of polymorphic hands, P-P) and among (analysis of molecular variance, Phi(st)) populations and correlated population size and altitude with within-populalion diversity. Spatial patterns of genetic relatedness were investigated using Mantel tests and standardized major axis regression as well as unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean cluster analyses and Monmonier's algorithm. To avoid known biases, We standardized the numbers of populations, individuals and markers using multiple random reductions. We modelled LDD with a high alpine wind data set using the terminal velocity and height of seed release as key parameters. Additionally, we assessed a number of important life-history traits and factors that potentially influence genetic diversity partitioning (e.g. breeding system, longevity and population size). Important findings For all three species, We found a significant isolation-by-distance relationship but only a moderately high differentiation among populations (Phi(st): 22.7, 48 and 16.8%, for E. fleischeri, G. reptans and C. thyrsoides, respectively). Within-population diversity (H-c: 0.19-0.21, P-p: 62-75%) was not reduced in comparison to known results from lowland species and even small populations with < 50 reproductive individuals contained high levels of genetic diversity. We further found no indication that a high long-distance seed dispersal potential enhances genetic connectivity among populations. Gene flow seems to have a strong stochastic component causing large dissimilarity between population pairs irrespective of the spatial distance. Our results suggest that other life-history traits, especially the breeding System, may play an important role in genetic diversity partitioning. We conclude that spatial isolation in the alpine environment has a strong influence on population relatedness but that a number of factors can considerably influence the strength of this relationship.

Effects of mild vitamin a deficiency on lung maturation in newborn rats: a morphometric and morphologic study

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effects of a 60% vitamin A deficiency (VAD) on the two postnatal stages of lung development: alveolarization and microvascular maturation. Lungs from deficient rats were compared to age-matched controls. STUDY DESIGN Starting at 3 weeks before mating, female rats were maintained under a diet lacking vitamin A. Due to the slow depletion of the vitamin A liver stores the pregnant rats carried to term and delivered pups under mild VAD conditions. Mothers and offspring were then kept under the same diet what resulted in a mean reduction of vitamin A plasma concentration of about 60% vs. controls during the whole experimental period. Pups were sacrificed on days 4, 10 and 21 and their lungs fixed and analyzed by means of a combined morphologic and morphometric investigation at light and electron microscopic levels. RESULTS During the whole experiment, body weights of VAD animals were lower than controls with a significant decrease on day 10. On days 4, 10 and 21 the pulmonary structure was in a comparable gross morphologic state in both groups. Despite this morphologic normality, quantitative alterations in some functional parameters could be detected. On day 4, lung volume and the volume and surface area of air spaces were decreased, while the arithmetic mean barrier thickness and type 2 pneumocyte volume were increased in the VAD group. On day 21, some changes were again manifest mainly consisting in an augmentation of the vascularization and a decrease in interstitial volume in deficient animals. CONCLUSIONS Mild VAD causes no gross disturbances in the postnatal phases of lung development in rats. However, a body weight-related transient retardation of lung maturation was detectable in the first postnatal week. At 3 weeks, the VAD lungs showed a more mature vascular system substantiated by an increase in volume of both capillary volume and the large non-parenchymal vessels. In view of these quantitative alterations, we suspect that mild VAD deregulates the normal phases of body and lung growth, but does not induce serious functional impairments.

Effects of exogenous surfactant on the non-heart-beating donor lung graft in experimental lung transplantation - a stereological study.

The use of non-heart-beating donor (NHBD) lungs may help to overcome the shortage of lung grafts in clinical lung transplantation, but warm ischaemia and ischaemia/reperfusion injury (I/R injury) resulting in primary graft dysfunction represent a considerable threat. Thus, better strategies for optimized preservation of lung grafts are urgently needed. Surfactant dysfunction has been shown to contribute to I/R injury, and surfactant replacement therapy is effective in enhancing lung function and structural integrity in related rat models. In the present study we hypothesize that surfactant replacement therapy reduces oedema formation in a pig model of NHBD lung transplantation. Oedema formation was quantified with (SF) and without (non-SF) surfactant replacement therapy in interstitial and alveolar compartments by means of design-based stereology in NHBD lungs 7 h after cardiac arrest, reperfusion and transplantation. A sham-operated group served as control. In both NHBD groups, nearly all animals died within the first hours after transplantation due to right heart failure. Both SF and non-SF developed an interstitial oedema of similar degree, as shown by an increase in septal wall volume and arithmetic mean thickness as well as an increase in the volume of peribron-chovascular connective tissue. Regarding intra-alveolar oedema, no statistically significant difference could be found between SF and non-SF. In conclusion, surfactant replacement therapy cannot prevent poor outcome after prolonged warm ischaemia of 7 h in this model. While the beneficial effects of surfactant replacement therapy have been observed in several experimental and clinical studies related to heart-beating donor lungs and cold ischaemia, it is unlikely that surfactant replacement therapy will overcome the shortage of organs in the context of prolonged warm ischaemia, for example, 7 h. Moreover, our data demonstrate that right heart function and dysfunctions of the pulmonary vascular bed are limiting factors that need to be addressed in NHBD.

Fission track analyses of ODP Hole 129-800A samples

Four models of fission track annealing in apatite are compared with measured fission track lengths in samples from Site 800 in the East Mariana Basin, Ocean Drilling Program Leg 129, given an independently determined temperature history. The temperature history of Site 800 was calculated using a one-dimensional, compactive, conductive heat flow model assuming two end-member thermal cases: one for cooling of Jurassic ocean crust that has experienced no subsequent heating, and one for cooling of Cretaceous ocean crust. Because the samples analyzed were only shallowly buried and because the tectonic history of the area since sample deposition is simple, resolution of the temperature history is high. The maximum temperature experienced by the sampled bed is between 16°-21°C and occurs at 96 Ma; temperatures since the Cretaceous have dropped in spite of continued pelagic sediment deposition because heat flow has continued to decay exponentially and bottom-water temperatures have dropped. Fission tracks observed within apatite grains from the sampled bed are 14.6 +/- 0.1 µm (1 sigma) long. Given the proposed temperature history of the samples, one unpublished and three published models of fission track annealing predict mean track lengths from 14.8 to 15.9 µm. These models require temperatures as much as 40°C higher than the calculated paleotemperature maximum of the sampled bed to produce the same degree of track annealing. Measured and predicted values are different because annealing models are based on extrapolation of high temperature laboratory data to geologic times. The model that makes the closest prediction is based on the greatest number of experiments performed at low temperature and on an apatite having composition closest to that of the core samples.