A new Bat-Voiced species of Dendropsophus Fitzinger, 1843 (Anura, Hylidae) from the Amazon Basin, Brazil

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

The identity of Hyla leucotaenia Burmeister, 1861 (Anura: Hylidae)

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Efeitos da ansiedade em atletas da natação, causados pela interferência da torcida

Não disponível

Physiological and pathophysiological interactions between the respiratory central pattern generator and the sympathetic nervous system

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

Big, bad, and beautiful: phylogenetic relationships of the horned frogs (Anura: Ceratophryidae)

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

Atuação do interferon-tau no reconhecimento materno da gestação

Maternal recognition of pregnancy is a process by which the conceptus signals its presence to the mother in order to prolong the life of the corpus luteum (CL) thus maintaining the pregnancy. This process occurs between days 15 and 19 after fertilization and is the most important biological challenge for obtaining satisfactory reproductive indices in bovine. Interferon-tau (IFN-τ) glycoprotein -secreted in the uterus by the conceptus- has a paracrine action inhibiting the expression of estrogen receptors (ESR1) and oxytocin (OXTR) in the endometrium, thus preventing the release of luteolytic pulses of prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF2α), hormone responsible for the onset of luteolysis. IFN-τ also increases the expression of several interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) in the uterus, CL, and blood cells. Direct endocrine action of IFN-τ on extrauterine tissues stimulates ISGs expression, which in the corpus luteum seems to be involved with luteal resistance to luteolytic action of PGF2α. This review discusses recent findings on the luteolysis mechanism in the bovine and endocrine and paracrine mechanisms such as IFN-τ during the maternal recognition of pregnancy.

Harriet P. Lynch Letters - Accession 16 - M2 (2)

The Harriet P. Lynch Letters consist of correspondence from Harriet P. Lynch to Mrs. Julian B. Salley discussing the equal pay for equal work controversy at Winthrop College (1915-1920) where certain women teachers resigned or were fired. Mrs. Salley and Mrs. Lynch served as president and vice-president respectively of the Equal Suffrage League.

The burden of dengue: Jundiai, Brazil - January 2010

Objective: To study the antibody prevalence against dengue in the municipality of Jundiai, Sao Paulo, Brazil, due to the low number of official confirmed autochthonous cases. Methods: A serological study on dengue infection was conducted during January 2010 and previous reports on dengue and entomological surveillance during that period were reviewed. Results: A prevalence of 7.8% IgG positive (68:876) was found. Furthermore, based on the detection of IgM antibodies in five samples, it was observed that the incidence of dengue in the city at the time of the survey contrasts with the absence of notifications by local health authorities over the same period of time. Conclusion: These results highlight the discrepancies between the actual and the detected number of dengue infections, possibly due to significant numbers of asymptomatic infections aggravated by difficulties with dengue clinical diagnosis.

MRKAd5 HIV-1 Gag/Pol/Nef Vaccine-Induced T-Cell Responses Inadequately Predict Distance of Breakthrough HIV-1 Sequences to the Vaccine or Viral Load

Background: The sieve analysis for the Step trial found evidence that breakthrough HIV-1 sequences for MRKAd5/HIV-1 Gag/Pol/Nef vaccine recipients were more divergent from the vaccine insert than placebo sequences in regions with predicted epitopes. We linked the viral sequence data with immune response and acute viral load data to explore mechanisms for and consequences of the observed sieve effect. Methods: Ninety-one male participants (37 placebo and 54 vaccine recipients) were included; viral sequences were obtained at the time of HIV-1 diagnosis. T-cell responses were measured 4 weeks post-second vaccination and at the first or second week post-diagnosis. Acute viral load was obtained at RNA-positive and antibody-negative visits. Findings: Vaccine recipients had a greater magnitude of post-infection CD8+ T cell response than placebo recipients (median 1.68% vs 1.18%; p = 0.04) and greater breadth of post-infection response (median 4.5 vs 2; p = 0.06). Viral sequences for vaccine recipients were marginally more divergent from the insert than placebo sequences in regions of Nef targeted by pre-infection immune responses (p = 0.04; Pol p = 0.13; Gag p = 0.89). Magnitude and breadth of pre-infection responses did not correlate with distance of the viral sequence to the insert (p. 0.50). Acute log viral load trended lower in vaccine versus placebo recipients (estimated mean 4.7 vs 5.1) but the difference was not significant (p = 0.27). Neither was acute viral load associated with distance of the viral sequence to the insert (p>0.30). Interpretation: Despite evidence of anamnestic responses, the sieve effect was not well explained by available measures of T-cell immunogenicity. Sequence divergence from the vaccine was not significantly associated with acute viral load. While point estimates suggested weak vaccine suppression of viral load, the result was not significant and more viral load data would be needed to detect suppression.

An extraordinary new species of Melanophryniscus (Anura, Bufonidae) from southeastern Brazil

We describe a new species of bufonid from a lowland, sandy soil, restinga habitat in the state of Espirito Santo, southeastern Brazil. Based on the shared occurrence of putative morphological synapomorphies of Melanophryniscus and the results of a phylogenetic analysis of DNA sequences of a broad sample of bufonids, and other anurans, we assign the new species to Melanophryniscus. The new species possesses several peculiar character states that distinguish it from all other Melanophryniscus including, but not limited to: fingers II, III, and V much reduced; nuptial pad with few enlarged, brown-colored spines on medial margin of finger II; seven presacral vertebrae, the last fused with the sacrum; and ventral humeral crest prominent, forming a spinelike projection.

Underlying Event measurements in pp collisions at root s=0.9 and 7 TeV with the ALICE experiment at the LHC

We present measurements of Underlying Event observables in pp collisions at root s = 0 : 9 and 7 TeV. The analysis is performed as a function of the highest charged-particle transverse momentum p(T),L-T in the event. Different regions are defined with respect to the azimuthal direction of the leading (highest transverse momentum) track: Toward, Transverse and Away. The Toward and Away regions collect the fragmentation products of the hardest partonic interaction. The Transverse region is expected to be most sensitive to the Underlying Event activity. The study is performed with charged particles above three different p(T) thresholds: 0.15, 0.5 and 1.0 GeV/c. In the Transverse region we observe an increase in the multiplicity of a factor 2-3 between the lower and higher collision energies, depending on the track p(T) threshold considered. Data are compared to PYTHIA 6.4, PYTHIA 8.1 and PHOJET. On average, all models considered underestimate the multiplicity and summed p(T) in the Transverse region by about 10-30%.

The IgA1 immune complex-mediated activation of the MAPK/ERK kinase pathway in mesangial cells is associated with glomerular damage in IgA nephropathy

IgA nephropathy (IgAN), the most common primary glomerulonephritis worldwide, has significant morbidity and mortality as 20-40% of patients progress to end-stage renal disease within 20 years of onset. In order to gain insight into the molecular mechanisms involved in the progression of IgAN, we systematically evaluated renal biopsies from such patients. This showed that the MAPK/ERK signaling pathway was activated in the mesangium of patients presenting with over 1 g/day proteinuria and elevated blood pressure, but absent in biopsy specimens of patients with IgAN and modest proteinuria (<1 g/day). ERK activation was not associated with elevated galactose-deficient IgA1 or IgG specific for galactose-deficient IgA1 in the serum. In human mesangial cells in vitro, ERK activation through mesangial IgA1 receptor (CD71) controlled pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion and was induced by large-molecular-mass IgA1-containing circulating immune complexes purified from patient sera. Moreover, IgA1-dependent ERK activation required renin-angiotensin system as its blockade was efficient in reducing proteinuria in those patients exhibiting substantial mesangial activation of ERK. Thus, ERK activation alters mesangial cell-podocyte crosstalk, leading to renal dysfunction in IgAN. Assessment of MAPK/ERK activation in diagnostic renal biopsies may predict the therapeutic efficacy of renin-angiotensin system blockers in IgAN. Kidney International (2012) 82, 1284-1296; doi:10.1038/ki.2012.192; published online 5 September 2012

The Li-8(p, alpha)He-5 reaction at low energies, and Be-9 spectroscopy around the proton threshold

We present a direct measurement of the low-energy Li-8(p, alpha)He-5 cross section, using a radioactive Li-8 beam impinging on a thick target. With four beam energies, we cover the energy range between E-c.m. = 0.2 and 2.1 MeV. An R-matrix analysis of the data is performed and suggests the existence of two broad overlapping resonances (5/2(+) at E-c.m. = 1.69 MeV and 7/2(+) at E-c.m. = 1.76 MeV). At low energies our data are sensitive to the properties of a subthreshold state (E-x = 16.67 MeV) and of two resonances above threshold. These resonances were observed in previous experiments. The R-matrix fit confirms spin assignments, and provides partial widths. We propose a new Li-8(p, alpha)He-5 reaction rate and briefly discuss its influence in nuclear astrophysics. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevC.86.064321