Growth optimization procedures for the phytopathogen Xylella fastidiosa

For the first time, growth curves are shown for the phytopathogen Xylella fastidiosa on traditional growth media such as PW (periwinkle wilt), BCYE (buffered charcoal yeast extract), and on new ones such as GYE (glutamate yeast extract) and PYE (phosphate yeast extract) that were developed in this work. The optimal growth conditions on solid and liquid media as well as their measurements are presented, by using total protein content and turbidity determinations. The results demonstrated that yeast extract provided sufficient nutrients for X. fastidiosa, since the cells grew well on PYE medium.

Gestão de organizações sem fins lucrativos: uma avaliação de desempenho através do balanced scorecard

The methodology Balanced Scorecard (BSC) focuses on the major critical issues of modern organizations, whether with or without profit. The measurement of the effective performance of the latter is by evaluating the successful implementation of organizational strategy. The aim of this paper is to present the development of a system of performance measurement strategy for a nonprofit organization, whose object of study is the Associação de Apoio as Comunidades do Campo - AACC, in the context of the BSC methodology of Kaplan and Norton. The methodology of this case study is an exploratory, descriptive and qualitative, and diagnose the coherence of the Strategy Map in an organization, based strategic planning from 2010 to 2012. Initially conducted a literature review covering the main aspects of strategy maps and performance evaluation involving the translation of the BSC and strategy evaluation. The main results of the proposed approach refers to evaluation of overall scores for each dimension of the BSC methodology, financial, customer, internal processes, learning and growth. These results are able to help the organization evaluate and revise their strategy and, in general, to adopt management methods more accurately. Data collection is centered on interviews with semi-structured questionnaire. The findings highlight on balancing and alignment of strategic objectives, low causality map, strategic communication insufficient and fragmented. For interviewees organizational culture is the biggest impediment to structuring a management model based on indicators and strategic process should be initiated by non-financial indicators gradually. The performance indicators of the AACC/RN portray more meritocracy operational procedures of social projects in the context of the Strategic Map determined in a shortterm over the long term. However, there is evidence of improved performance management and strategic taken as a basis of planning as both the strategic map structured. Therefore, the nonprofits need to adopt a form of management that enables planning, setting objectives and targets that provide the continuity of its activities, and generating instruments that can measure the financial performance and non-financial, in order to develop strategic actions for growth and sustainability

Effect of lactation length adjustment procedures on genetic parameter estimates for buffalo milk yield

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

A interculturalidade no cinema: um estudo da legendagem e da dublagem brasileiras em um filme francês contemporâneo

In this research we present a study of cultural aspects in dubbed and subtitled films. As a case study, we chose to compare the original French version of "Le fabuleux destin d'Amelie Poulain" with both the subtitled and the dubbed versions in Portuguese, with focus on the interaction between the French and the Brazilian cultures. First we considered that (i) the translation process interferes on the perception of cultural relationships; and that (ii) dubbing and subtitling are two methods of translation that result in distinct perceptions from the spectator. Then, we adopted the translation interpretative theory (Seleskovicth; Lederer, 2001; Deslile, 1980) as the general theoretical framework, since it emphasizes the extralinguistic equivalence on the translation process. Furthermore, we based this research on three analytical procedures, which are: the four-step translating operation, the contrastive perception and a translation's typology based on Vinay and Dalbernet's linguistic procedures (Srpová, 1991, 1995, 2004). We extracted forty-six culture-related elements from the film and identified those belonging to the French ethno-universe. Then, the elements were classified with respect to a theoretical typology, based on concepts found in the Ethnography of Communication and a general typology, based on five general thematic groups, defined by the corpus. The results showed that both Brazilian versions tend to preserve those culture-related elements by using lexical loan and literal translation. The visual context, in its association with the linguistic procedures in both Brazilian versions, was also observed as an important element to the comprehension of the culture-related elements as they are considered in the French culture. As a general observation, the perception of culture-related elements in the film seems effectively be oriented by the translation methods

Synthetic lethality between eIF5A and Ypt1 reveals a connection between translation and the secretory pathway in yeast

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

eIF5A has a function in the elongation step of translation in yeast

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Structural modeling and mutational analysis of yeast eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A reveal new critical residues and reinforce its involvement in protein synthesis

Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A (eIF5A) is a protein that is highly conserved and essential for cell viability. This factor is the only protein known to contain the unique and essential amino acid residue hypusine. This work focused on the structural and functional characterization of Saccharomyces cerevisiae eIF5A. The tertiary structure of yeast eIF5A was modeled based on the structure of its Leishmania mexicana homologue and this model was used to predict the structural localization of new site-directed and randomly generated mutations. Most of the 40 new mutants exhibited phenotypes that resulted from eIF-5A protein-folding defects. Our data provided evidence that the C-terminal alpha-helix present in yeast eIF5A is an essential structural element, whereas the eIF5A N-terminal 10 amino acid extension not present in archaeal eIF5A homologs, is not. Moreover, the mutants containing substitutions at or in the vicinity of the hypusine modification site displayed nonviable or temperature-sensitive phenotypes and were defective in hypusine modification. Interestingly, two of the temperature-sensitive strains produced stable mutant eIF5A proteins - eIF5A(K56A) and eIF5A(Q22H,L93F)- and showed defects in protein synthesis at the restrictive temperature. Our data revealed important structural features of eIF5A that are required for its vital role in cell viability and underscored an essential function of eIF5A in the translation step of gene expression.

Is there a role for eIF5A in translation?

The putative translation factor eIF5A is essential for cell viability and is highly conserved from archaebacteria to mammals. This factor is the only cellular protein that undergoes an essential posttranslational modification dependent on the polyamine spermidine, called hypusination. This review focuses on the functional characterization of eIF5A. Although this protein was originally identified as a translation initiation factor, subsequent studies did not support a role for eIF5A in general translation initiation. eIF5A has also been implicated in nuclear export of HIV-1 Rev and mRNA decay, but these findings are controversial in the literature and may reflect secondary effects of eIF-5A function. Next, the involvement of eIF5A and hypusination in the control of the cell cycle and proliferation in various organisms is reviewed. Finally, recent evidence in favor of reconsidering the role of eIF5A as a translation factor is discussed. Future studies may reveal the specific mechanism by which eIF5A affects protein synthesis.

eIF5A binds to translational machinery components and affects translation in yeast

The putative translation factor eIF5A is essential for cell viability and is highly conserved from archebacteria to mammals. Although this protein was originally identified as a translation initiation factor, subsequent experiments did not support a role for eIF5A in general translation. In this work, we demonstrate that eIF-5A interacts with structural components of the 80S ribosome, as well as with the translation elongation factor 2 (eEF2). Moreover, eIF5A is further shown to cofractionate with monosomes in a translation-dependent manner. Finally, eIF5A mutants show altered polysome profiles and are sensitive to translation inhibitors. Our results re-establish a function for eIF5A in translation and suggest a role for this factor in translation elongation instead of translation initiation. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Antipanic procedures reduce the strychnine-facilitated wild running of rats

Wild running (WR) behavior of rats seen in response to intense acoustic stimulation of audiogenic seizure-paradigm is very similar to the panic flight and can be facilitated by subconvulsive doses of strychnine. The present work aimed to test whether antipanic procedures, such as dorsal periaqueductal gray (dPAG) lesion and imipramine treatments, affect the strychnine-facilitated WR. In study 1, six Wistar male adult rats with electrolytic lesion of dPAG had their WR completely blocked, whereas it was facilitated in 50% of sham-lesioned control rats by a dose of 0.5 mg/kg of strychnine administered intraperitoneal. This effect was not reproduced with a higher strychnine dose (1.0 mg/kg). In study 2, the effects of imipramine were investigated by testing 36 rats under a dose of strychnine that induces WR in 50% of subjects. They were assigned into three experimental groups: imipramine treatments of 5.0 and 10.0 mg/kg, and infusions of saline. All these treatments were subchronical with three intraperitoneal injections within 24h. Imipramine (10.0mg/kg) reduced the incidence of WR in comparison to the saline results. It is concluded that strychnine-facilitated WR is reduced by antipanic procedures and, therefore, can be viewed as a manifestation closely related to panic. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. B.V. All rights reserved.

Sensitivity analysis by neural networks applied to power systems transient stability

This work presents a procedure for transient stability analysis and preventive control of electric power systems, which is formulated by a multilayer feedforward neural network. The neural network training is realized by using the back-propagation algorithm with fuzzy controller and adaptation of the inclination and translation parameters of the nonlinear function. These procedures provide a faster convergence and more precise results, if compared to the traditional back-propagation algorithm. The adaptation of the training rate is effectuated by using the information of the global error and global error variation. After finishing the training, the neural network is capable of estimating the security margin and the sensitivity analysis. Considering this information, it is possible to develop a method for the realization of the security correction (preventive control) for levels considered appropriate to the system, based on generation reallocation and load shedding. An application for a multimachine power system is presented to illustrate the proposed methodology. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Patient perceptions about anesthesia and anesthesiologists before and after surgical procedures

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

Surgical procedures used for post-traumatic neurogenic bladder in a cat: report case

Um gato de um ano de idade, macho, castrado, sem raça definida, foi encaminhado ao Hospital Veterinário Escola para avaliação de retenção urinária associada à subluxação nas vértebras T12-T13, que foi causada por um acidente automobilístico. Realizou-se a denervação do esfíncter uretral, por transecção dos nervos pudendo e hipogástrico, para permitir o esvaziamento da bexiga, porém três meses após a cirurgia inicial o animal apresentou recorrência da retenção urinária. Esfincterotomia endoscópica uretral foi então realizada, resultando em incontinência urinária por quatro meses.

Evaluating the knowledge of sports participants regarding dental emergency procedures

Dental trauma is a common consequence of sports practice to which emergency treatment is critical. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the knowledge of sports participants about dental trauma procedures, particularly tooth avulsion. A specific questionnaire concerning concepts, experiences and behaviors after dental trauma and the use of mouthguard was standardized and validated with 80 people. The validated questionnaire was then distributed to 310 sports participants. The results showed that 28.4% had experienced a kind of dental trauma; 42.6% would look for a dentist for treatment; 51.7% reimplanted or would reimplant the avulsed tooth; 6.5% would maintain the avulsed tooth in milk. Although 47.4% of the participants were aware of the possibility of accidents during sports practice, only 13.9% reported to use a mouthguard. This study showed an overall lack of knowledge of sportsmen and sportswomen with regards to tooth avulsion, thus reinforcing the need for educational campaigns to improve the immediate emergency treatment of tooth avulsion.