In the New World, visceral leishmaniasis (VL), which is a progressive disease and frequently fatal, is caused by
Leishmania (
Leishmania)
infantum/chagasi. It is endemic in many regions of Brazil and ...occasionally occurs in non-endemic regions when dogs from an endemic area are introduced. The aim of the present study is to compare different skin infection patterns of dogs from two leishmaniasis endemic areas. A histological analysis of dogs from Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul state, a region where epidemic episodes are currently taking place, showed dermic inflammatory infiltrates, composed of numerous vacuolated parasitized macrophages, few lymphocytes, plasma cells and many degranulated mast cells. In the other region of the study, São Luís, Maranhão state, the skin of dogs presented a remarkable inflammatory reaction composed mainly of plasma cells, lymphocytes and very few parasites. We concluded that there is a difference in the skin lesion patterns of dogs with leishmaniasis that is directly related to the endemic area where the animals live.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are commonly used worldwide; however, they have several adverse effects, evidencing the need for the development of new, more effective and safe anti-inflammatory ...and analgesic drugs. This research aimed to design, synthesize and carry out a pharmacological/toxicological investigation of LQFM-102, which was designed from celecoxib and paracetamol by molecular hybridization. To evaluate the analgesic effect of this compound, we performed formalin-induced pain, hot plate and tail flick tests. The anti-inflammatory effect of LQFM-102 was evaluated in carrageenan-induced paw oedema and pleurisy tests. The biochemical markers indicative of toxicity—AST, ALT, GSH, urea and creatinine—as well as the index of gastric lesion after prolonged administration of LQFM-102 were also analyzed. In addition, the interaction of LQFM-102 with COX enzymes was evaluated by molecular docking. In all experimental protocols, celecoxib or paracetamol was used as a positive control at equimolar doses to LQFM-102. LQFM-102 reduced the pain induced by formalin in both phases of the test. However, this compound did not increase the latency to thermal stimuli in the hot plate and tail flick tests, suggesting an involvement of peripheral mechanisms in this effect. Furthermore, LQFM-102 reduced paw oedema, the number of polymorphonuclear cells, myeloperoxidase activity and TNF-α and IL-1β levels. Another interesting finding was the absence of alterations in the markers of hepatic and renal toxicity or lesions of gastric mucosa. In molecular docking simulations, LQFM-102 interacted with the key residues for activity and potency of cyclooxygenase enzymes, suggesting an inhibition of the activity of these enzymes.
The low-electron flux variability (increase/decrease) in the Earth’s radiation belts could cause low-energy Electron Precipitation (EP) to the atmosphere over auroral and South American Magnetic ...Anomaly (SAMA) regions. This EP into the atmosphere can cause an extra upper atmosphere’s ionization, forming the auroral-type sporadic E layers (Esa) over these regions. The dynamic mechanisms responsible for developing this Esa layer over the auroral region have been established in the literature since the 1960s. In contrast, there are several open questions over the SAMA region, principally due to the absence (or contamination) of the inner radiation belt and EP parameter measurements over this region. Generally, the Esa layer is detected under the influence of geomagnetic storms during the recovery phase, associated with solar wind structures, in which the time duration over the auroral region is considerably greater than the time duration over the SAMA region. The inner radiation belt’s dynamic is investigated during a High-speed Solar wind Stream (September 24-25, 2017), and the hiss wave-particle interactions are the main dynamic mechanism able to trigger the Esa layer’s generation outside the auroral oval. This result is compared with the dynamic mechanisms that can cause particle precipitation in the auroral region, showing that each region presents different physical mechanisms. Additionally, the difference between the time duration of the hiss wave activities and the Esa layers is discussed, highlighting other ingredients mandatory to generate the Esa layer in the SAMA region.
ABSTRACT Seed drying has many advantages, but it can cause irreversible damages, compromising the physiological quality of seeds, especially when they present high water contents. The objective of ...this work was to evaluate the effect of drying conditions (inside and outside the pod) on the physiological quality of cowpea seeds of the cultivar BRS-Tumucumaque before and after storage. A completely randomized experimental design with four replications was used, in a split-plot arrangement. The plots consisted of combinations of harvest seasons (1, 2, 3, 4, and 5) and artificial seed drying conditions (inside and outside the pod); and the subplots consisted of storage times (0 and 6 months). The seed water contents were determined and the seeds were evaluated for germination, first germination count, emergence, emergence index, accelerated aging, and electrical conductivity. Higher physiological quality was found for dried seeds inside the pods, which was more evident in seasons 1 and 2, in both storage times. In the other seasons, the drying conditions had no effect on seed germination and vigor at the beginning of storage. The dried seeds inside the pods showed greater vigor after six months of storage. Drying seeds inside the pods favors the maintenance of physiological quality and allows artificial drying of cowpea seeds of the cultivar BRS-Tumucumaque with water content of 47%. Artificial drying of seeds with water contents higher than 32.5% is not recommended for the condition outside the pod. The seed physiological potential decreases after six months of storage, regardless of the drying condition.
RESUMO A secagem pode causar prejuízos à qualidade das sementes, principalmente quando apresentam teor de água elevado. Objetivou-se avaliar a influência de condições de secagem na qualidade fisiológica inicial e após armazenamento de sementes de feijão-caupi, cv. BRS Tumucumaque. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi inteiramente casualizado, com quatro repetições, em esquema de parcelas subdivididas. Nas parcelas foram alocadas a combinações dos fatores época de colheita (1, 2, 3, 4 e 5) e condição de secagem artificial das sementes (dentro e fora da vagem); os tempos de armazenamento (0 e 6 meses) foram alocados na subparcela. Determinou-se o teor de água e as sementes foram avaliadas pelos testes de germinação, primeira contagem de germinação, emergência, índice de velocidade de emergência, envelhecimento acelerado e condutividade elétrica. Resultados superiores de qualidade fisiológica foram verificados para as sementes secas dentro da vagem, fato mais evidente nas épocas 1 e 2, em ambos os tempos de armazenamento. Para as demais épocas, no início do armazenamento não houve efeito da condição de secagem na germinação e vigor. As sementes secas dentro da vagem apresentaram maior vigor após seis meses de armazenamento. A secagem dentro da vagem favorece a manutenção da qualidade fisiológica e permite a secagem artificial de sementes de feijão-caupi, cv. BRS Tumucumaque, com teor de água de 47%. Não se recomenda a secagem artificial de sementes com teor de água acima de 32,5% na condição fora da vagem. Após seis meses de armazenamento, independentemente da condição de secagem, há redução no potencial fisiológico das sementes.
We recently described the Mycobacterium tuberculosis RD(Rio) genotype, a clonally derived sublineage within the Latin American-Mediterranean (LAM) family. Genetic diversity of M. tuberculosis likely ...affects the clinical aspects of tuberculosis (TB). Prospective studies that address this issue are scarce and remain controversial.
To determine the association of differential clinical features of pulmonary TB with the RD(Rio) M. tuberculosis etiology.
Culture-proven pulmonary TB patients (n = 272) were clinically evaluated, including history, physical examination, chest X-ray and anti-human immunodeficiency virus serology. Isolates were classified as RD(Rio) or non-RD(Rio) M. tuberculosis by multiplex polymerase chain reaction and further spoligotyped. Clinical and M. tuberculosis genotype data were analyzed.
RD(Rio) M. tuberculosis caused disease in 26.5% (72/270) of all TB cases. The LAM genotype, of which RD(Rio) strains are members, was responsible for 46.0% of the TB cases. Demographic data, major signs and symptoms, radiographic presentation, microbiological features and clinical outcomes were not significantly different among patients with TB caused by RD(Rio) and non-RD(Rio) strains.
Disease caused by M. tuberculosis RD(Rio) strains was not clinically distinctive or more severe than disease caused by non-RD(Rio) strains in this series of TB patients. Larger prospective studies specifically designed to disclose differential clinical characteristics of TB caused by specific M. tuberculosis lineages are needed.
We describe the first postnatal diagnosis of a child from Central Brazil with de novo cytogenetic alterations in 13q showing malformations of the brain, eyes, distal limbs, and genitourinary tract, ...and severe intellectual disability. The karyotype was a constitutive 46,XX,r(13)77/45,XX,-1317/46,XX,idic r(13)6. Interphase and metaphase fluorescence in situ hybridization analyses also showed the absence of 13qter and the presence of 13q14.3 in the cells with r(13), and chromosome microarray analysis detected a 15.39 Mb deletion in chromosome region 13q32.3-q34. This study is intended as the registry of a rare case of chromosomal rearrangement involving chromosome 13 in Central Brazil. Further studies are needed to define whether genetic haploinsufficiency is associated with each major 13q deletion anomaly.
The earthworms (Crassiclitellata) of the Northern Atlantic Forest region are poorly known, and many new species are expected to be found in the region. Hence, quantitative and qualitative samples ...were taken in the Atlantic Forest region of southern Bahia State, Brazil, at eight sites to assess species presence and abundance in different land uses (forests, pastures, plantations). Earthworms were also qualitatively collected at an additional eight sites. Only one to two species per site were found in quantitative samples, while qualitative samples generally resulted in higher species recoveries, with highest richness observed at the native Atlantic Forest of Veracel in Porto Seguro. Pontoscolex corethrurus (Müller, 1857) was the dominant species at all sites and in most land use systems, probably favored by human migration and agricultural activities; it was only absent in one primary forest site where native Ocnerodrilidae species predominated. In total at least 14 species were found of which eight were new, belonging to the genus Rhinodrilus and three new genera in the Ocnerodrilidae family (Pauqueba, Parabauba and Diplomoela). Contrary to sites in Southern and Southeastern Brazil, where many native species belong to the Glossoscolecidae family, in southern Bahia, Ocnerodrilidae species tend to be more prevalent, occupying various habitats. More intensive sampling of these habitats, including surface litter, in and under fallen logs and dead tree trunks, under rocks, in bromeliad leaf tanks and deeper soil layers is essential in order to properly characterize earthworm communities in Brazilian Atlantic Forests.
The present paper reports the advantages, drawbacks and applications of the main techniques of sample preparation employed during the determinations of total mercury and methylmercury in food ...matrices employing analytical methods such as: cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry (CV AAS), cold vapor atomic fluorescence spectrometry (CV AFS), inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), voltammetry, and neutron activation analysis. The use of slurry sampling, solid sampling, microwave assisted extraction, reflux system by cold finger and Vigreux column was discussed. Also a brief text on the use of chromatographic techniques for the speciation analysis of mercury is presented. A list of 134 references is cited and the analytical characteristics of some these procedures proposed are shown as tables.
•Review on sample preparation for the determination of mercury in food matrices•The advantages of slurry and solid sampling for the determination of Hg in food are discussed.•The applications and advantages of the DMA for the determination of Hg in foods are presented.•The use of microwave digestion for the determination of Hg in foods is discussed.•The use of NAA and voltammetry for the quantification of Hg in food matrices is discussed.
This paper presents a new approach to evaluating the health of composite generation and transmission systems. A well-being framework is used to classify the system states into healthy, marginal and ...at risk, according to a pre-defined deterministic criterion. In order to combine deterministic and probabilistic concepts, the proposed methodology uses a nonsequential Monte Carlo simulation, a multilevel nonaggregate Markov load model and new test functions to estimate the well-being indices. These test functions are based on an estimating process, designated as the one-step forward state transition, which is very flexible and efficient. Case studies on the IEEE-RTS (Reliability Test System) and on a modification of this system are presented and discussed.
Lewy bodies (LBs) are synphilin-1 (Sph1)-containing aggregates and histological hallmarks of Parkinson’s disease. Therefore, understanding processes which modulate the aggregation of Sph1, or its ...isoform Sph1A, will contribute to our understanding of LBs formation. Protein phosphorylation promotes aggregation, but protein phosphatases with activity towards Sph1 have not been described. The present study documents the identification of a novel Sph1A/phosphoprotein phosphatase 1 (PPP1) complex and unravels its regulatory effect on Sph1A aggregation. Using yeast co-transformation and overlay blot assay, the interaction between Sph1A and PPP1 was mapped to the Sph1A RVTF motif. Then, Sph1A overexpression in human embryonic kidney 293 cells demonstrated that Sph1A specifically targets endogenous PPP1 isoforms to inclusion bodies and that Sph1A/PPP1 complex disruption enhances inclusion bodies formation. Finally, as Sph1A interacted with PPP1CC2, a PPP1 sperm-specific isoform, Sph1 and Sph1A expression was addressed in male germ cells by qRT-PCR, revealing high expression levels in round spermatids. Together, these observations established Sph1A as a novel PPP1-interacting protein able to affect PPP1 sorting to subcellular compartments and Sph1A/PPP1 complex as a negative modulator of LBs formation. Contrarily, in physiological conditions, Sph1 isoforms are pointed as putative participants in vesicle dynamics with implications in neurotransmission and spermiogenesis.
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