Hemoglobin polymorphism and hematological profile of Geoffroy's side-necked turtle (Phrynops geoffroanus, Testudines) in the northwestern region of São Paulo State, Brazil

Complete blood counts and hemoglobin isoform data were gathered from 36 specimens of the turtle species Phrynops geoffroanus from the northwestern region of São Paulo State, Brazil. They were collected in an urban area. The hemoglobin profiles were obtained after red blood cell lysis and by electrophoretic migration in alkaline pH, acid pH, and neutral pH buffer. The hemoglobin components were confirmed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Erythrogram analysis included hematocrit, total hemoglobin concentration, total red blood cell count, and red blood cell indices. The leukogram included a total white blood cell count and a calculation of the percent values of neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, basophils, eosinophils, heterophils, and azurophils. HPLC analysis revealed three hemoglobin components; the first with a concentration of 5.5%, the second was a major component with an average concentration of 67.1%, and the third with a concentration of 28.5%. The hematological profile obtained for these specimens allowed us to establish a pattern for P. geoffroanus in São Paulo State Northwestern region. The average hematocrit values were 22.5% for females and 24.0% for males. For total hemoglobin, we found average values of 6.66 g/dL in females and 7.22 g/dL in males. The number of white blood cells was 2725 x 103/μL for females and 2775 x 103/μL for males. There was a predominance of heterophils, eosinophils, and monocytes in both sexes. No significant differences were found between males and females for hematological profile. The hematological results were compared to literature data for other Chelonia. They were similar to what is known for fresh water turtles. © FUNPEC-RP.

Sensory profile and preference mapping of orange cakes with addition of prebiotics inulin and oligofructose

Orange cakes with addition of inulin and oligofructose to justify a prebiotic claim (minimum of 3 g of fructans in a 60 g serving of cake) were investigated regarding sensory aspects. The sensory profile of cakes with inulin, with inulin/oligofructose and without prebiotics (standard cake) was evaluated using descriptive quantitative analysis. Preference mapping was assessed using multidimensional scaling on data obtained through an acceptability test with a nine-point hedonic scale. The cakes with prebiotics presented greater crust brownness, dough beigeness, hardness and stickiness than the standard cake and lower crumbliness. Principal Component Analysis (69.5 and 10.7% of explanation to the first and second principal components, respectively) showed that crust brownness, dough beigeness, hardness and stickiness contributed to distinguish the cakes with prebiotics from standard cakes. The sensory acceptability was similar for the three cakes and higher when compared to three commercial cakes, but the preference mapping showed that cakes with prebiotics were preferred to commercial cakes. Addition of prebiotics in orange cakes is feasible, based on the sensory results, which may facilitate marketing of this functional food with sensorial qualities equivalent to conventional products. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd.

The validity of family size preference measurements in rural Latin America

Includes bibliography

Purification, characterization, and specificity determination of a new serine protease secreted by penicillium waksmanii

The purpose of this work was to purify a protease from Penicillium waksmanii and to determine its biochemical characteristics and specificity. The extracellular protease isolated that was produced by P. waksmanii is a serine protease that is essential for the reproduction and growth of the fungus. The protease isolated showed 32 kDa, and has optimal activity at pH 8.0 and 35 C towards the substrate Abz-KLRSSKQ-EDDnp. The protease is active in the presence of CaCl2, KCl, and BaCl, and partially inhibited by CuCl2, CoCl2 and totally inhibited by AlCl3 and LiCl. In the presence of 1 M urea, the protease remains 50 % active. The activity of the protease increases 60 % when it is exposed to 0.4 % nonionic surfactant-Triton X-100 and loses 10 % activity in the presence of 0.4 % Tween-80. Using fluorescence resonance energy transfer analysis, the protease showed the most specificity for the peptide Abz-KIRSSKQ-EDDnp with k cat/K m of 10,666 mM-1 s-1, followed by the peptide Abz-GLRSSKQ-EDDnp with a k cat/K m of 7,500 mM -1 s-1. Basic and acidic side chain-containing amino acids performed best at subsite S1. Subsites S2, S3, S′ 2, and S′ 1, S ′ 3 showed a preference for binding for amino acids with hydrophobic and basic amino acid side chain, respectively. High values of k cat/K m were observed for the subsites S2, S3, and S′ 2. The sequence of the N-terminus (ANVVQSNVPSWGLARLSSKKTGTTDYTYD) showed high similarity to the fungi Penicillium citrinum and Penicillium chrysogenum, with 89 % of identity at the amino acid level. © 2012 Springer Science+Business Media New York.

Attractiveness and oviposition preference of Glycaspis brimblecombei Moore in Eucalyptus spp.

The red gum lerp psyllid Glycaspis brimblecombei Moore (Hemiptera: Psyllidae) was first recorded in Brazil in 2003 and since then has caused serious damage in Eucalyptus forests. The damage is mainly due to defoliation, sooty mold and dieback, thus requiring the development of efficient management strategies. The settling and ovipositional preference of G. brimblecombei by species and clones of Eucalyptus were evaluated in free- and no-choice tests. Preliminary tests were done to determine the density of psyllid couples that produced the greatest densities of eggs, leaf position selection for oviposition, and whether oviposition was affected by preimaginal conditioning. Apical leaves were used more frequently for oviposition by the psyllid, and the number of eggs decreased from the apex to the base. The densities of 10 and 15 psyllid couples per seedling produced the highest oviposition. There was no evidence of preimaginal conditioning. In the free-choice test, E. grandis, E. urophylla, VM-1, I-144, C-219 and H-13 were less attractive to G. brimblecombei adults, with H-13, E. grandis and E. urophylla having the least oviposition. In the no-choice test, E. urophylla, GG-100 and E. grandis also demonstrated a lower oviposition, but E. camaldulensis and 3025 were highly susceptible. The low preference for the genotypes E. grandis and E. urophylla suggests the occurrence of a non-preference type resistance against the red gum lerp psyllid. Our results can be utilized for the development of management programs for G. brimblecombei in Eucalyptus forests. © 2012 Springer Science + Business Media B.V.

Observation of long-range, near-side angular correlations in pPb collisions at the LHC

Results on two-particle angular correlations for charged particles emitted in pPb collisions at a nucleon-nucleon center-of-mass energy of 5.02 TeV are presented. The analysis uses two million collisions collected with the CMS detector at the LHC. The correlations are studied over a broad range of pseudorapidity, η, and full azimuth, φ, as a function of charged particle multiplicity and particle transverse momentum, pT. In high-multiplicity events, a long-range (2<|δη|<4), near-side (δφ≈0) structure emerges in the two-particle δη-δφ correlation functions. This is the first observation of such correlations in proton-nucleus collisions, resembling the ridge-like correlations seen in high-multiplicity pp collisions at s=7 TeV and in AA collisions over a broad range of center-of-mass energies. The correlation strength exhibits a pronounced maximum in the range of pT=1-1.5 GeV/c and an approximately linear increase with charged particle multiplicity for high-multiplicity events. These observations are qualitatively similar to those in pp collisions when selecting the same observed particle multiplicity, while the overall strength of the correlations is significantly larger in pPb collisions. © 2012 CERN.

Side-effects of thiamethoxam on the brain andmidgut of the africanized honeybee Apis mellifera (Hymenopptera: Apidae)

The development of agricultural activities coincides with the increased use of pesticides to control pests, which can also be harmful to nontarget insects such as bees. Thus, the goal of this work was assess the toxic effects of thiamethoxam on newly emerged worker bees of Apis mellifera (africanized honeybee-AHB). Initially, we determined that the lethal concentration 50 (LC50) of thiamethoxam was 4.28 ng a.i./μL of diet. To determine the lethal time 50 (LT50), a survival assay was conducted using diets containing sublethal doses of thiamethoxam equal to 1/10 and 1/100 of the LC50. The group of bees exposed to 1/10 of the LC50 had a 41.2% reduction of lifespan. When AHB samples were analyzed by morphological technique we found the presence of condensed cells in the mushroom bodies and optical lobes in exposed honeybees. Through Xylidine Ponceau technique, we found cells which stained more intensely in groups exposed to thiamethoxam. The digestive and regenerative cells of the midgut from exposed bees also showed morphological and histochemical alterations, like cytoplasm vacuolization, increased apocrine secretion and increased cell elimination. Thus, intoxication with a sublethal doses of thiamethoxam can cause impairment in the brain and midgut of AHB and contribute to the honeybee lifespan reduction. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Modelling polymers with side chains: MEH-PPV and P3HT

Modelling polymers with side chains is always a challenge once the degrees of freedom are very high. In this study, we present a successful methodology to model poly[2-methoxy-5-(2′-ethyl-hexyloxy)-p-phenylenevinylene] (MEH-PPV) and poly[3-hexylthiophene] (P3HT) in solutions, taking into account the influence of side chains on the polymer conformation. Molecular dynamics and semi-empirical quantum mechanical methods were used for structure optimisation and evaluation of optical properties. The methodology allows to describe structural and optical characteristics of the polymers in a satisfactory way, as well as to evaluate some usual simplifications adopted for modelling these systems. Effective conjugation lengths of 8-14.6 and 21 monomers were obtained for MEH-PPV and P3HT, respectively, in accordance with experimental findings. In addition, anti/syn conformations of these polymers could be predicted based on intrinsic interactions of the lateral branches. © 2013 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.

Percepção da imagem corporal de adultos após acidente vascular encefálico: uma abordagem psicofísica

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Intertextualidade e reescrita: uma análise descritiva

Pós-graduação em Estudos Linguísticos - IBILCE

Os efeitos da idade sobre o padrão de assimetrias táteis, visuais e hemiespaciais em destros e canhotos

Em testes de bisecção de linhas horizontais, os indivíduos normais tendem a partilhá-las à esquerda do verdadeiro ponto zero, fenômeno este denominado de pseudonegligência. As investigações clínicas revelaram que os mecanismos de controle sobre a alocação de atenção ao lado esquerdo do corpo foram profundamente afetados quando houve lesão localizada na parte inferior do lóbulo parietal no hemisfério direito do cérebro; e mais, a omissão de atenção à esquerda da linha média do corpo foi igualmente observada em certas modalidades motoras e táteis, não se limitando apenas ao sistema visual. Neste contexto, estudos evidenciam, ainda, que mudanças na preferência e proficiência manual ocorreram durante o processo de envelhecimento. Por exemplo, diversos estudos mostraram que, com o avanço da idade, a prevalência de canhotismo tende a diminuir; além do mais, em alguns estudos, a partir da idade de 55 anos, a direção de pseudonegligência foi distribuída à direita do ponto zero. Surgem, então, três hipóteses que buscam explicar a fonte das variações através das faixas etárias: A hipótese da degradação diferencial dos hemisférios cerebrais; a hipótese de perda bilateral; e a hipótese de assimetria invariante. Neste estudo, uma amostra de 61 indivíduos foi selecionada, sendo composta de destros e canhotos, de ambos os sexos, em três faixas etárias: de 18 a 30 anos, de 35 a 55 anos e 60 anos e acima. Os indivíduos foram submetidos ao Inventário de Preferência Manual, ao Teste Tátil de Biseccionar Linhas (TTBL) e ao Teste Visual de Biseccionar Linhas (TVBL), com o objetivo de averiguar os efeitos da idade sobre a assimetria manual e hemiespacial através do desempenho dos mesmos. Os resultados, no TTBL, mostram que houve poucas diferenças significativas no desvio e as tendências que emergiram foram ou inconsistentes ou orientadas em direções contrárias às predições de Bowers & Heilman. Não foi identificada nenhuma divergência no grau e na direção do desempenho entre destros e canhotos. O modelo interdependente de ativação, não foi sustentado por estes achados, concluindo-se que a presente versão do TTBL não constitui uma medida válida da lateralidade desta função. Em contraste, no TVBL a pseudonegligência evidenciou-se consistentemente, sob condições específicas em todos os grupos. O modelo interdependente foi apoiado pela interação significativa existente entre as mãos e os hemicampos, em particular quando a mão esquerda partilhou as linhas no campo esquerdo e central. Não foi encontrada nenhuma divergência entre os canhotos e os destros (nas três faixas etárias), no nível e direção de desempenho no TVBL. Contudo, não existiu evidência empírica indicando que a degeneração precoce do hemisfério direito afetou a atenção visuoespacial no grupo de idosos. Por conseguinte, o modelo de assimetria invariante parece mais plausível.

Verificação da proporção áurea de indivíduos com alteração de perfil facial antes e depois do tratamento ortodôntico em radiografias cefalométricas laterais

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Oviposition preference assessment of Diabrotica speciosa (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) for different soybean genotypes

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Feeding preference of Nezara viridula (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) and attractiveness of soybean genotypes

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Stress Abolishes the Effect of Previous Chronic Ethanol Consumption on Drug Place Preference and on the Mesocorticolimbic Brain Pathway

BackgroundConditioned place preference (CPP) to ethanol (EtOH) is an important addiction-related alteration thought to be mediated by changed neurotransmission in the mesocorticolimbic brain pathway. Stress is a factor of major importance for the initiation, maintenance, and reinstatement of drug abuse and modulates the neurochemical outcomes of drugs. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of concomitant exposure to chronic EtOH and stress on CPP to this drug and alterations of dopaminergic and serotonergic neurotransmission in mice.MethodsMale Swiss mice were chronically treated with EtOH via a liquid diet and were exposed to forced swimming stress. After treatment, animals were evaluated for conditioning, extinction, and reinstatement of CPP to EtOH. Also, mice exposed to the same treatment protocol had their prefrontal cortex (PFC), nucleus accumbens (NAc), and amygdala dissected for the quantitation of dopamine, serotonin, and their metabolites content.ResultsData showed that previous chronic exposure to EtOH potentiated EtOH conditioning and increased dopaminergic turnover in PFC. Exposure to stress potentiated EtOH conditioning and decreased dopaminergic turnover in the NAc. However, animals exposed to both chronic EtOH and stress did not display alterations of CPP and showed an elevated content of dopamine in amygdala. No treatment yielded serotonergic changes.ConclusionsThe present study indicates that previous EtOH consumption as well as stress exposure induces increased EtOH conditioning, which can be related to dopaminergic alterations in the PFC or NAc. Interestingly, concomitant exposure to both stimuli abolished each other's effect on conditioning and PFC or NAc alterations. This protective outcome can be related to the dopaminergic increase in the amygdala.