Identification of a novel herpesvirus associated with a penile proliferative lesion in a beluga (Delphinapterus leucas).

The carcass of an adult male beluga (Delphinapterus leucas) was found beach cast in 2008 on the shore of the St. Lawrence Estuary at Rivière-Ouelle, Quebec, Canada. The carcass was transported to the Faculté de médecine vétérinaire of the Université de Montréal for postmortem examination. Aspiration pneumonia was the probable cause of death. Necropsy revealed a focal papilloma-like penile lesion, characterized by focal mucosal thickening with disorganization of the epithelial layers and lymphoplasmacytic infiltration. A pan-herpesvirus nested PCR assay on frozen tissue from the penile lesion was positive. The PCR product sequencing revealed a partial herpesvirus DNA polymerase (DPOL) gene sequence of 600 nucleotides. Its nearest nucleotide identity was with the partial DPOL gene of an alphaherpesvirus, bovine herpesvirus 5 (79.5% identity). It also shared high identity with several other marine mammal herpesviruses (50.2 to 77.3% identity). This new herpesvirus was tentatively named beluga whale herpesvirus (BWHV). Virus isolation was unsuccessful. The pathogenic potential of BWHV is unknown, but the evaluation of archived tissues suggests that the virus is endemic in the St. Lawrence Estuary beluga population.

Identification of a novel herpesvirus associated with cutaneous ulcers in a fisher (Martes pennanti).

On December 8, 2008, a male fisher (Martes pennanti) housed in a quarantine enclosure at the St-Félicien Zoo was found dead with multiple skin ulcers on the muzzle and plantar pads. At necropsy, no major findings were found, and a specific cause of death was not determined microscopically. However, at the borders of ulcerated sites, there were increased numbers of koilocytes, with perinuclear vacuolation and nuclear enlargement. A pan-herpesvirus nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was conducted, and an expected PCR product of 230 nucleotides was obtained within tissues collected from around the skin ulcers. Other tissues, including intestines and pool of lung, liver, and kidney, tested negative. The obtained PCR amplicon was sequenced and was highly related to the partial viral DNA polymerase (DPOL) gene of Mustelid herpesvirus 1. Virus isolation was negative, and no virion was detected by electron microscopy. The pathogenic potential of this novel herpesvirus and its role in the death of the fisher are unknown.

Partial disjoint path for multi-layer protection in GMPLS networks

In this paper, different recovery methods applied at different network layers and time scales are used in order to enhance the network reliability. Each layer deploys its own fault management methods. However, current recovery methods are applied to only a specific layer. New protection schemes, based on the proposed partial disjoint path algorithm, are defined in order to avoid protection duplications in a multi-layer scenario. The new protection schemes also encompass shared segment backup computation and shared risk link group identification. A complete set of experiments proves the efficiency of the proposed methods in relation with previous ones, in terms of resources used to protect the network, the failure recovery time and the request rejection ratio

Identification of hepatic molecular mechanisms of action of alpha-tocopherol using global gene expression profile analysis in rats

The recent discovery that vitamin E (VE) regulates gene activity at the transcriptional level indicates that VE may exert part of its biological effects by mechanisms which may be independent of its well-recognised antioxidant function. The objective of this study was the identification of hepatic vitamin E-sensitive genes and examination of the effects of VE on their corresponding biological endpoints. Two groups of male rats were randomly assigned to either a VE-sufficient diet or to a control diet deficient in VE for 290 days. High-density oligonucleotide microarrays comprising over 7000 genes were used to assess the transcriptional response of the liver. Differential gene expression was monitored over a period of 9 months, at four different time-points, and rats were individually profiled. This experimental strategy identified several VE-sensitive genes, which were chronically altered by dietary VE. VE supplementation down-regulated scavenger receptor CD36, coagulation factor IX and 5-alpha-steroid reductase type 1 mRNA levels while hepatic gamma glutamyl-cysteinyl synthetase was significantly up-regulated. Measurement of the corresponding biological endpoints such as activated partial thromboplastin time, plasma dihydrotestosterone and hepatic glutathione substantiated the gene chip data which indicated that dietary VE plays an important role in a range of metabolic processes within the liver. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

System identification using partitioned least squares

A novel partitioned least squares (PLS) algorithm is presented, in which estimates from several simple system models are combined by means of a Bayesian methodology of pooling partial knowledge. The method has the added advantage that, when the simple models are of a similar structure, it lends itself directly to parallel processing procedures, thereby speeding up the entire parameter estimation process by several factors.

Chemical profile of rums as a function of their origin. The use of chemometric techniques for their identification

To identify chemical descriptors to distinguish Cuban from non-Cuban rums, analyses of 44 samples of rum from 15 different countries are described. To provide the chemical descriptors, analyses of the the mineral fraction, phenolic compounds, caramel, alcohols, acetic acid, ethyl acetate, ketones, and aldehydes were carried out. The analytical data were treated through the following chemometric methods: principal component analysis (PCA), partial least square-discriminate analysis (PLS-DA), and linear discriminate analysis (LDA). These analyses indicated 23 analytes as relevant chemical descriptors for the separation of rums into two distinct groups. The possibility of clustering the rum samples investigated through PCA analysis led to an accumulative percentage of 70.4% in the first three principal components, and isoamyl alcohol, n-propyl alcohol, copper, iron, 2-furfuraldehyde (furfuraldehyde), phenylmethanal (benzaldehyde), epicatechin, and vanillin were used as chemical descriptors. By applying the PLS-DA technique to the whole set of analytical data, the following analytes have been selected as descriptors: acetone, sec-butyl alcohol, isobutyl alcohol, ethyl acetate, methanol, isoamyl alcohol, magnesium, sodium, lead, iron, manganese, copper, zinc, 4-hydroxy3,5-dimethoxybenzaldehyde (syringaldehyde), methaldehyde (formaldehyde), 5-hydroxymethyl-2furfuraldehyde (5-HMF), acetalclehyde, 2-furfuraldehyde, 2-butenal (crotonaldehyde), n-pentanal (valeraldehyde), iso-pentanal (isovaleraldehyde), benzaldehyde, 2,3-butanodione monoxime, acetylacetone, epicatechin, and vanillin. By applying the LIDA technique, a model was developed, and the following analytes were selected as descriptors: ethyl acetate, sec-butyl alcohol, n-propyl alcohol, n-butyl alcohol, isoamyl alcohol, isobutyl alcohol, caramel, catechin, vanillin, epicatechin, manganese, acetalclehyde, 4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzoic acid, 2-butenal, 4-hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxybenzoic acid, cyclopentanone, acetone, lead, zinc, calcium, barium, strontium, and sodium. This model allowed the discrimination of Cuban rums from the others with 88.2% accuracy.

Moving from reclusion to partial freedom: the experience of family caregivers for disabled elderly persons assisted in a day care center

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

Identification of human chromosome 22 transcribed sequences with ORF expressed sequence tags

Transcribed sequences in the human genome can be identified with confidence only by alignment with sequences derived from cDNAs synthesized from naturally occurring mRNAs. We constructed a set of 250,000 cDNAs that represent partial expressed gene sequences and that are biased toward the central coding regions of the resulting transcripts. They are termed ORF expressed sequence tags (ORESTES). The 250,000 ORESTEs were assembled into 81,429 contigs. of these, 1,181 (1.45%) were found to match sequences in chromosome 22 with at least one ORESTES contig for 162 (65.6%) of the 247 known genes, for 67 (44.6%) of the 150 related genes, and for 45 of the 148 (30.4%) EST-predicted genes on this chromosome. Using a set of stringent criteria to validate our sequences, we identified a further 219 previously unannotated transcribed sequences on chromosome 22. of these, 171 were in fact also defined by EST or full length cDNA sequences available in GenBank but not utilized in the initial annotation of the first human chromosome sequence. Thus despite representing less than 15% of all expressed human sequences in the public databases at the time of the present analysis, ORESTEs sequences defined 48 transcribed sequences on chromosome 22 not defined by other sequences. All of the transcribed sequences defined by ORESTEs coincided with DNA regions predicted as encoding exons by GENSCAN.

Identification of guitarfish species Rhinobatos percellens, R. horkelli, and Zapteryx brevirostris (Chondrichthyes) using mitochondrial genes and RFLP technique

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

Molecular identification and characterization of canine Hepatozoon species from Brazil

Canine Hepatozoon species from Brazil was molecular identified and characterized for the first time. From 31 dogs, 7 were positive for blood smear examination and 21 positive for PCR. Partial sequences of the 18S rRNA gene from eight naturally infected dogs were analyzed. Sequences revealed that Brazilian Hepatozoon is closely related with the Japanese Hepatozoon, that has 99% nucleotide identity with Hepatozoon canis from Israel, and different from Hepatozoon americanum. These results indicate that the canine Hepatozoon species from Brazil is H. canis.

Analysis of Ca-PZT powder obtained by the Pechini and partial oxalate methods

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Partial genetic characterization of Stearoyl Coa-Desaturase's structural region in Bubalus bubalis

Conjugated Linoleic Acids (CLAs) comprise a family of positional and geometric isomers of linoleic acid. The main form of CLA, cis-9, trans-11-C18:2 show positive effects in cancer prevention and treatment. The major dietary sources of these fatty acids are derived from ruminant animals, in particular dairy products. In these animals, the endogenous synthesis mainly occurs in mammary gland by the action of enzyme Stearoyl CoA Desaturase (SCD). Different levels of expression and activity of SCD in mammary gland can explain partially the variation of CLA levels in fat milk. Considering a great fat concentration in bubaline milk and the benefit of a high and positive correlation between fat milk and CLA production, this study was carried on with the intention of sequencing and characterizing part of the gene that codifies SCD in buffaloes. Genomic DNA was extracted from blood samples of lactating bubaline which begins to the breed Murrah. After the (acho que nao precisa desse the) extractions, PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) reactions were made by using primers Z (sic) (sic) D1 and E1 (sic) (sic) F1. The fragments obtained in PCR were cloned into T vectors and transformed in competent cells DH10B line. After this, three samples of each fragment were sequenced from 5' and 3' extremities using a BigDye kit in an automatic sequencer. Sequences were edited in a consensus of each fragment and were submitted to BLAST-n / NCBI for similarity comparisions among other species. The sequence obtained with Z (sic) (sic) D1 primers shows 938 bp enclosing exons 1 and 2 and intron 1. The primers E1 (sic) (sic) F1 show 70 bp corresponding to exon 3 of bubaline SCD gene. Similarities were obtained between 85% and 97% among bubaline sequences and sequences of SCD gene described in human, mouse, rat, swine, bovine, caprine and ovine species. This study has permitted the identification and partial characterization of SCD codifing region in Bubalus bubalis specie.

Escherichia coli phylogenetic group determination and its application in the identification of the major animal source of fecal contamination

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

Plant species identification using multi-scale fractal dimension applied to images of adaxial surface epidermis

This paper presents the study of computational methods applied to histological texture analysis in order to identify plant species, a very difficult task due to the great similarity among some species and presence of irregularities in a given species. Experiments were performed considering 300 ×300 texture windows extracted from adaxial surface epidermis from eight species. Different texture methods were evaluated using Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA). Results showed that methods based on complexity analysis perform a better texture discrimination, so conducting to a more accurate identification of plant species. © 2009 Springer Berlin Heidelberg.

Molecular identification, phylogeny and geographic distribution of Brazilian mangrove oysters (Crassostrea)

Oysters (Ostreidae) manifest a high degree of phenotypic plasticity, whereby morphology is of limited value for species identification and taxonomy. By using molecular data, the aim was to genetically characterize the species of Crassostrea occurring along the Brazilian coast, and phylogenetically relate these to other Crassostrea from different parts of the world. Sequencing of the partial cytochrome oxidase c subunit I gene (COI), revealed a total of three species of Crassostrea at 16 locations along the Brazilian coast. C. gasar was found from Curuçá (Pará state) to Santos (São Paulo state), and C. rhizophorae from Fortim (Ceará state) to Florianópolis (Santa Catarina state), although small individuals of the latter species were also found at Ajuruteua beach (municipality of Bragança, Pará state). An unidentified Crassostrea species was found only on Canela Island, Bragança. Crassostrea gasar and C. rhizophorae grouped with C. virginica, thereby forming a monophyletic Atlantic group, whereas Crassostrea sp. from Canela Island was shown to be more similar to Indo-Pacific oysters, and either arrived in the Atlantic Ocean before the convergence of the Isthmus of Panama or was accidentally brought to Brazil by ship.