Assessment of treatability of the Tietê River through a process of coagulation-flocculation associated with hydrodynamic cavitation and ozonation.

As it flows through the city of São Paulo, the Tietê River receives heavy discharges of industrial effluents and domestic sewage, resulting from the city's continuous urban expansion and the inadequacy of its sanitary sewage system. This study focused on an analysis of the efficiency of PGα21Ca and quaternary ammonium tannate, water purification products, based on coagulation-flocculation and sedimentation tests, followed by treatment with a hydrodynamic cavitation reactor associated with ozonation in the treatment of Tietê River water. The removal of turbidity, apparent color, and chemical oxygen demand (COD) were evaluated. Jar testing assays were conducted, and the best turbidity removal rates were obtained with a concentration of 300 mg L-1 for PGα21Ca and 150 mg L-1 for quaternary ammonium tannate. The coagulation-flocculation treatment removed approximately 93% of turbidity for both coagulants. After combining coagulation-flocculation with hydrodynamic cavitation with ozonation, the final COD removal rate applying PGα21Ca was 47.63% in 1 hour of reaction, while that of quaternary ammonium tannate was 40.13% in 2 hours of reaction. Although the results appear to indicate the superior performance of PGα21Ca, it should be noted that the treatment with quaternary ammonium tannate also provided good results in reducing turbidity, COD, and apparent color, using a smaller dose of this coagulant and that its use may be more advantageous from an environmental point of view, due to its natural composition.

In silico prediction of ADMET parameters and in vitro evaluation of antioxidant and cytotoxic activities promoted by indole-thiosemicarbazone compounds.

Cancer is a complex and multifactorial disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth and is one of the main causes of death in the world. This work aimed to evaluate a small series of 10 different indole-thiosemicarbazone compounds as potential antitumor agents. This is a pioneering study. For this, the antioxidant and cytotoxic capacity against normal and tumor cells was evaluated. The results showed that the compounds were able to promote moderate to low antioxidant activity for the ABTS radical scavenging assay. ADMET in silico assays showed that the compounds exhibited good oral bioavailability. As for toxicity, they were able to promote low cytotoxicity against normal cells, in addition to not being hemolytic. The compounds showed promising in vitro antitumor activity against the T47D, MCF-7, Jurkat and DU-145 strains, not being able to inhibit the growth of the Hepg2 strain. Through this in vitro study, it can be concluded that the compounds are potential candidates for antitumor agents.

Preliminary evaluation of the toxicological, antioxidant and antitumor activities promoted by the compounds 2,4-dihydroxy-benzylidene-thiosemicarbazones an in silico, in vitro and in vivo study.

Thiosemicarbazones are promising classes of compounds with antitumor activity. For this study, six 2,4-dihydroxy-benzylidene-thiosemicarbazones compounds were synthesized. These compounds were submitted to different assays in silico, in vitro and in vivo to evaluate the toxicological, antioxidant and antitumor effects. The in silico results were evaluated by the SwissADME and pkCSM platforms and showed that all compounds had good oral bioavailability profiles. The in vitro and in vivo toxicity assays showed that the compounds showed low cytotoxicity against different normal cells and did not promote hemolytic effects. The single dose acute toxicity test (2000 mg/kg) showed that none of the compounds were toxic to mice. In in vitro antioxidant activity assays, the compounds showed moderate to low activity, with PB17 standing out for the ABTS radical capture assay. The in vivo antioxidant activity highlighted the compounds 1, 6 and 8 that promoted a significant increase in the concentration of liver antioxidant enzymes. Finally, all compounds showed promising antitumor activity against different cell lines, especially MCF-7 and DU145 lines, in addition, they inhibited the growth of sarcoma 180 at concentrations lower than 50 mg/kg. These results showed that the evaluated compounds can be considered as potential antitumor agents.

ß Symmetry of Supergravity.

Continuous O(d,d) global symmetries emerge in Kaluza-Klein reductions of D-dimensional string supergravities to D-d dimensions. We show that the nongeometric elements of this group effectively act in the D-dimensional parent theory as a hidden bosonic symmetry that fixes its couplings: the ß symmetry. We give the explicit ß transformations to first order in α^{'} and verify the invariance of the action as well as the closure of the transformation rules.

Association of apoptosis-related variants to malaria infection and parasite density in individuals from the Brazilian Amazon.

BACKGROUND: In malaria infection, apoptosis acts as an important immunomodulatory mechanism that leads to the elimination of parasitized cells, thus reducing the parasite density and controlling immune cell populations. Here, it was investigated the association of INDEL variants in apoptotic genes-rs10562972 (FAS), rs4197 (FADD), rs3834129 and rs59308963 (CASP8), rs61079693 (CASP9), rs4647655 (CASP3), rs11269260 (BCL-2), and rs17880560 (TP53)-and the influence of genetic ancestry with susceptibility to malaria and parasite density in an admixed population from the Brazilian Amazon. METHODS: Total DNA was extracted from 126 malaria patients and 101 uninfected individuals for investigation of genetic ancestries and genotypic distribution of apoptosis-related variants by Multiplex PCR. Association analyses consisted of multivariate logistic regressions, considering the following comparisons: (i) DEL/DEL genotype vs. INS/DEL + INS/INS; and (ii) INS/INS vs. INS/DEL + DEL/DEL. RESULTS: Individuals infected by Plasmodium falciparum had significantly higher African ancestry proportions in comparison to uninfected controls, Plasmodium vivax, and mixed infections. The INS/INS genotype of rs3834129 (CASP8) seemed to increase the risk for P. falciparum infection (P = 0.038; OR = 1.867; 95% CI 0.736-3.725), while the DEL/DEL genotype presented a significant protective effect against infection by P. falciparum (P = 0.049; OR = 0.446; 95% CI 0.185-0.944) and mixed infection (P = 0.026; OR = 0.545; 95% CI 0.281-0.996), and was associated with lower parasite density in P. falciparum malaria (P = 0.009; OR = 0.383; 95% CI 0.113-1.295). Additionally, the INS/INS genotype of rs10562972 (FAS) was more frequent among individuals infected with P. vivax compared to P. falciparum (P = 0.036; OR = 2.493; 95% CI 1.104-4.551), and the DEL/DEL genotype of rs17880560 (TP53) was significantly more present in patients with mono-infection by P. vivax than in individuals with mixed infection (P = 0.029; OR = 0.667; 95% CI 0.211-1.669). CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, variants in apoptosis genes are associated with malaria susceptibility and parasite density, indicating the role of apoptosis-related genetic profiles in immune responses against malaria infection.

Synthesis, characterization, antioxidant and antiparasitic activities new naphthyl-thiazole derivatives.

In this work, 13 thiosemicarbazones (1a - m) and 16 thiazoles (2a - p) were obtained, which were properly characterized by spectroscopic and spectrometric techniques. The pharmacokinetic properties obtained in silico revealed that the derivatives are in accordance with the parameters established by lipinski and veber, showing that such compounds have good bioavailability or permeability when administered orally. In assays of antioxidant activity, thiosemicarbazones showed moderate to high antioxidant potential when compared to thiazoles. In addition, they were able to interact with albumin and DNA. Screening assays to assess the toxicity of compounds to mammalian cells revealed that thiosemicarbazones were less toxic when compared to thiazoles. In relation to in vitro antiparasitic activity, thiosemicarbazones and thiazoles showed cytotoxic potential against the parasites Leishmania amazonensis and Trypanosoma cruzi. Among the compounds, 1b, 1j and 2l stood out, showing inhibition potential for the amastigote forms of the two parasites. As for the in vitro antimalarial activity, thiosemicarbazones did not inhibit Plasmodium falciparum growth. In contrast, thiazoles promoted growth inhibition. This study shows in a preliminary way that the synthesized compounds have antiparasitic potential in vitro.

Alkaline lignins from Morinda citrifolia leaves are potential immunomodulatory, antitumor, and antimicrobial agents.

Morinda citrifolia, commonly known as noni, is a plant belonging to the Rubiaceae family. This plant has a high biological potential, which has different biological properties, including antioxidant, antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, antitumor and anti-inflammatory. In this work, the immunomodulatory, antitumor and antimicrobial activities of lignin isolated from Morinda citrifolia leaves were investigated. The results showed that this lignin was not cytotoxic and that it was able to promote activation and differentiation of immune cells in addition to inducing the production of anti-inflammatory cytokines. Furthermore, it was able to inhibit the growth of different tumor and microbial cells in vitro. This pioneering study on these different activities shows that the lignin isolated in this study can be used as a raw material to obtain biomedical and pharmaceutical products.

In silico ADMET prediction, evaluation of cytotoxicity in mouse splenocytes and preliminary evaluation of in vitro antimalarial activity of 4-(4-chlorophenyl)thiazole compounds.

In this work, an in silico study and evaluation of the cytotoxicity of 4-(4-chlorophenyl)thiazole compounds against mouse splenocytes and the chloroquine-sensitive Plasmodium falciparum 3D7 strain are reported. The in silico results showed that the compounds have important pharmacokinetic properties for compounds with potential drug candidates. Regarding cytotoxicity assays against splenocytes, the compounds have low cytotoxicity. In addition, they were able to promote activation of these cells by increasing nitric oxide production without promoting cell death. Finally, they were able to promote cell proliferation. Regarding the in vitro anti-P. falciparum activity assays, it was observed that the compounds were able to inhibit the parasite's growth, presenting IC50 values ​​ranging from 0.79 to greater than 10 µM. These results are promising when compared to chloroquine. Therefore, this study showed that 4-(4-chlorophenyl)thiazole compounds are promising candidates for antimalarials.

String Dualities at Order α

We compute the cosmological reduction of the fourth powers of the Riemann tensor claimed to arise in string theory at order α^{'}^{3}, with an overall coefficient proportional to ζ(3), and show that it is compatible with an O(9,9) symmetry. This confirms the general result in string theory, due to Sen [O(d)×O(d) symmetry of the space of cosmological solutions in string theory, scale factor duality and two-dimensional black holes, Phys. Lett. B 271, 295 (1991)PYLBAJ0370-269310.1016/0370-2693(91)90090-D], that classical string theory with d-dimensional translation invariance admits an O(d,d) symmetry to all orders in α^{'}.

New insights on intercontinental origins of paternal lineages in Northeast Brazil.

BACKGROUND: The current Brazilian population is the product of centuries of admixture between intercontinental founding groups. Although previous results have revealed a heterogeneous distribution of mitochondrial lineages in the Northeast region, the most targeted by foreign settlers during the sixteenth century, little is known about the paternal ancestry of this particular population. Considering historical records have documented a series of territorial invasions in the Northeast by various European populations, we aimed to characterize the male lineages found in Brazilian individuals in order to discover to what extent these migrations have influenced the present-day gene pool. Our approach consisted of employing four hierarchical multiplex assays for the investigation of 45 unique event polymorphisms in the non-recombining portion of the Y-chromosome of 280 unrelated men from several Northeast Brazilian states. RESULTS: Primary multiplex results allowed the identification of six major haplogroups, four of which were screened for downstream SNPs and enabled the observation of 19 additional lineages. Results reveal a majority of Western European haplogroups, among which R1b-S116* was the most common (63.9%), corroborating historical records of colonizations by Iberian populations. Nonetheless, FST genetic distances show similarities between Northeast Brazil and several other European populations, indicating multiple origins of settlers. Regarding Native American ancestry, our findings confirm a strong sexual bias against such haplogroups, which represented only 2.5% of individuals, highly contrasting previous results for maternal lineages. Furthermore, we document the presence of several Middle Eastern and African haplogroups, supporting a complex historical formation of this population and highlighting its uniqueness among other Brazilian regions. CONCLUSIONS: We performed a comprehensive analysis of the major Y-chromosome lineages that form the most dynamic migratory region from the Brazilian colonial period. This evidence suggests that the ongoing entry of European, Middle Eastern, and African males in the Brazilian Northeast, since at least 500 years, was significantly responsible for the present-day genetic architecture of this population.

miRNAs as biomarkers of orofacial clefts: A systematic review.

Orofacial clefts are facial malformations caused by the improper development of the lips and palate. Many genetic and epigenetic molecules have been involved in the mechanisms of orofacial clefts, one of which are miRNAs. This systematic review aimed to identify miRNAs associated to non-syndromic orofacial clefts in humans. After applying a series of criteria, four studies were selected for analysis. In total, one hundred miRNAs were observed in the literature, of which 57 were reported as upregulated and 43 as downregulated in all orofacial cleft classifications. Moreover, nine miRNAs were differentially expressed only in cleft palate patients, which might suggest distinct regulatory mechanisms for the etiology of cleft lips and palates. We suggest broader population sampling in order to include diverse ethnic groups in the future, as well as analyses toward identifying miRNA target genes and pathways. We highlight the need for experimental validation and of these results to allow further translational approaches and clinical applications.

Xanthan gum as an alternative to replace the fat for coating and flavoring the extruded snacks.

Food industries adapt their products and processes to the needs and desires of consumers. Extruded snacks include 10-20% fat sprinkled to fix flavors, seasonings, and salt. Considering the need to flavor snacks and simultaneously reduce the intake of calories, a polysaccharide is proposed in this study as a fat replacer. Impact of aqueous xanthan gum (Xg) solutions (0.25, 0.5, 1.0%) under two pH conditions (3.5 and 7.0) on structural and sensory characteristics of extruded snacks was analyzed. Rheological features of the coating solutions, as flow behaviour and viscoelastic profile (storage and loss moduli), were assessed. Texture analysis, to evaluate the snacks firmness and moisture content, water activity, retraction, and agglomeration index of the coated snacks, were also evaluated. Results for the aqueous Xg coatings were very encouraging showing good coating properties, not damaging the texture of the extrudates or causing agglomeration. Sensory analysis reflected a good overall acceptability of these snacks, as compared to oil-coated snacks. Therefore, xanthan gum should be used by the industry, to replace fat, on extruded snacks flavor coating solutions.

The genus Aeromonas: A general approach.

The genus Aeromonas comprises more than thirty Gram-negative bacterial species which mostly act as opportunistic microorganisms. These bacteria are distributed naturally in diverse aquatic ecosystems, where they are easily isolated from animals such as fish and crustaceans. A capacity for adaptation also makes Aeromonas able to colonize terrestrial environments and their inhabitants, so these microorganisms can be identified from different sources, such as soils, plants, fruits, vegetables, birds, reptiles, amphibians, among others. Infectious processes usually develop in immunocompromised humans; in fish and other marine animals this process occurs under conditions of stress. Such events are most often associated with incorrect practices in aquaculture. Aeromonas has element diverse ranges, denominated virulence factors, which promote adhesion, colonization and invasion into host cells. These virulence factors, such as membrane components, enzymes and toxins, for example, are differentially expressed among species, making some strains more virulent than others. Due to their diversity, no single virulence factor was considered determinant in the infectious process generated by these microorganisms. Unlike other genera, Aeromonas species are erroneously differentiated by conventional biochemical tests. Therefore, molecular assays are necessary for this purpose. Nevertheless, new means of identification have been considered in order to generate methods that, like molecular tests, can correctly identify these microorganisms. The main objectives of this review are to explain environmental and structural characteristics of the Aeromonas genus and to discuss virulence mechanisms that these bacteria use to infect aquatic organisms and humans, which are important aspects for aquaculture and public health, respectively. In addition, this review aims to clarify new tests for the precise identification of the species of Aeromonas, contributing to the exact and specific diagnosis of infections by these microorganisms and consequently the treatment.

Modulation of all-trans retinoic acid-induced MiRNA expression in neoplastic cell lines: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Cancer is a genetic and epigenetic disease that involves inactivation of tumor suppressor genes and activation of proto-oncogenes. All-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) is an isomer of retinoic acid involved in the onset of differentiation and apoptosis of a number of normal and cancer cells, functioning as an anti-cancer agent in several neoplasms. Ectopic changes in the expression of certain microRNAs (miRNAs) occur in response to ATRA, leading to phenotypic alterations in neoplastic cell lines. Moreover, the modulation of miRNA patterns upon ATRA-treatment may represent an effective chemopreventive and anti-cancer therapy strategy. The present systematic review was performed to provide an overview of the modulation of ATRA-induced miRNA expression in different types of neoplastic cells and identify the efficacy of intervention factors (i.e., concentration and duration of treatment) and how they influence expression profiles of oncogenesis-targeting miRNAs. METHODS: A systematic search was conducted according to the PRISMA statement via the US National Library of Medicine MEDLINE/PubMed bibliographic search engine. RESULTS: The search identified 31 experimental studies involving human cell lines from nine different cancer types (neuroblastoma, acute myeloid leukemia, breast cancer, lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, glioma, glioblastoma, embryonal carcinoma, and colorectal cancer) treated with ATRA at concentrations ranging from 10- 3 µmol/L to 102 µmol mol/L for 24 h to 21 days. CONCLUSION: The concentrations used and the duration of treatment of cancer cells with ATRA varied widely. The presence of ATRA in the culture medium of cancer cells was able to modulate the expression of more than 300 miRNAs, and inhibit invasive behavior and deregulated growth of cancer cells, resulting in total tumor remission in some cases. ATRA may thus be broadly effective for neoplasm treatment and prevention, although these studies may not accurately represent in vivo conditions. Additional studies are required to elucidate ATRA-induced miRNA modulation during neoplasm treatment.

Haematological and biochemical profiles during the puerperium in dairy cows - Short communication.

The main aim of the current study was to assess the prevalence of anaemia in Holstein dairy cows during the puerperium, and the haematological and biochemical profile of dairy cows with and without anaemia. The study was conducted in seven dairy herds in São Paulo State, Brazil. The evaluated sample comprised a total of 336 Holstein cows. Blood samples were collected at postpartum day 25 ± 3. Haematological analysis included white blood cell, red blood cell and platelet count, haematocrit value, haemoglobin concentration, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular haemoglobin and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration. The biochemical profile encompassed cholesterol, non-esterified fatty acids, ß-hydroxybutyrate, albumin, globulin, fibrinogen, calcium and total bilirubin concentrations. The prevalence of anaemia was 16.3% in all herds, and this was not affected by clinical diseases, milk production, parity and body score condition. Moreover, anaemic cows had lower red blood cell count, haematocrit, haemoglobin, serum cholesterol and calcium concentrations and higher white blood cell and platelet counts, mean corpuscular haemoglobin, red cell distribution width, non-esterified fatty acids, ß-hydroxybutyrate, fibrinogen and globulin concentrations when compared with non-anaemic cows. The results indicate changes in energy balance and an inflammatory process in anaemic cows.

The repetitive DNA element BncDNA, enriched in the B chromosome of the cichlid fish Astatotilapia latifasciata, transcribes a potentially noncoding RNA.

Supernumerary chromosomes have been studied in many species of eukaryotes, including the cichlid fish, Astatotilapia latifasciata. However, there are many unanswered questions about the maintenance, inheritance, and functional aspects of supernumerary chromosomes. The cichlid family has been highlighted as a model for evolutionary studies, including those that focus on mechanisms of chromosome evolution. Individuals of A. latifasciata are known to carry up to two B heterochromatic isochromosomes that are enriched in repetitive DNA and contain few intact gene sequences. We isolated and characterized a transcriptionally active repeated DNA, called B chromosome noncoding DNA (BncDNA), highly represented across all B chromosomes of A. latifasciata. BncDNA transcripts are differentially processed among six different tissues, including the production of smaller transcripts, indicating transcriptional variation may be linked to B chromosome presence and sexual phenotype. The transcript lengths and lack of similarity with known protein/gene sequences indicate BncRNA might represent a novel long noncoding RNA family (lncRNA). The potential for interaction between BncRNA and known miRNAs were computationally predicted, resulting in the identification of possible binding of this sequence in upregulated miRNAs related to the presence of B chromosomes. In conclusion, Bnc is a transcriptionally active repetitive DNA enriched in B chromosomes with potential action over B chromosome maintenance in somatic cells and meiotic drive in gametic cells.

B chromosomes: from cytogenetics to systems biology.

Though hundreds to thousands of reports have described the distribution of B chromosomes among diverse eukaryote groups, a comprehensive theory of their biological role has not yet clearly emerged. B chromosomes are classically understood as a sea of repetitive DNA sequences that are poor in genes and are maintained by a parasitic-drive mechanism during cell division. Recent developments in high-throughput DNA/RNA analyses have increased the resolution of B chromosome biology beyond those of classical and molecular cytogenetic methods; B chromosomes contain many transcriptionally active sequences, including genes, and can modulate the activity of autosomal genes. Furthermore, the most recent knowledge obtained from omics analyses, which is associated with a systemic view, has demonstrated that B chromosomes can influence cell biology in a complex way, possibly favoring their own maintenance and perpetuation.

The hnRNP Q-like gene is retroinserted into the B chromosomes of the cichlid fish Astatotilapia latifasciata.

B chromosomes are dispensable elements observed in many eukaryotic species, including the African cichlid Astatotilapia latifasciata, which might have one or two B chromosomes. Although there have been many studies focused on the biology of these chromosomes, questions about the evolution, maintenance, and potential effects of these chromosomes remain. Here, we identified a variant form of the hnRNP Q-like gene inserted into the B chromosome of A. latifasciata that is characterized by a high copy number and intron-less structure. The absence of introns and presence of transposable elements with a reverse transcriptase domain flanking hnRNP Q-like sequences suggest that this gene was retroinserted into the B chromosome. RNA-Seq analysis did not show that the B variant retroinserted copies are transcriptionally active. However, RT-qPCR results showed variations in the canonical hnRNP Q-like copy expression levels among exons, tissues, sex, and B presence/absence. Although the patterns of transcription are not well understood, the exons of the B retrocopies were overexpressed, and a bias for female B+ expression was also observed. These results suggest that retroinsertion is an additional and important mechanism contributing to B chromosome formation. Furthermore, these findings indicate a bias towards female differential expression of B chromosome sequences, suggesting that B chromosomes and sex determination are somehow associated in cichlids.

A new panel of SNPs to assess thyroid carcinoma risk: a pilot study in a Brazilian admixture population.

BACKGROUND: Thyroid cancer is a common malignant disease of the endocrine system with increasing incidence rates over the last few decades. In this study, we sought to analyze the possible association of 45 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with thyroid cancer in a population from Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. METHODS: Based on histological analysis by a pathologist, 80 normal thyroid specimens of tissue adjacent to thyroid tumors were obtained from the biobank at the Laboratory of Pathology of Liga Norte Riograndense Contra o Câncer, Natal, RN. Patient samples were then genotyped using the MassARRAY platform (Sequenon, Inc) followed by statistical analysis employing the SNPassoc package in R program. The genotypic frequencies of all 45 SNPs obtained from the International HapMap Project database and based on data from the ancestral populations of European and African origin were used to compose the control study group. RESULTS: In our study, the following 9 SNPs showed significant differences in their frequency when comparing the study and control groups: rs3744962, rs258107, rs1461855, rs4075022, rs9943744, rs4075570, rs2356508, rs17485896, and rs2651339. Furthermore, the SNPs rs374492 C/T and rs258107 C/T were associated with a relative risk for thyroid carcinoma of 3.78 (p = 6.27 × 10e-5) and 2.91 (p = 8.27 × 10e-5), respectively, after Bonferroni's correction for multiple comparisons. CONCLUSIONS: These nine polymorphisms could be potential biomarkers of predisposition to thyroid carcinoma in the population from Rio Grande do Norte. However, complementary studies including a control group with samples obtained from healthy subjects in Rio Grande do Norte state, should be conducted to confirm these results.

Cytogenetic variation of repetitive DNA elements in Hoplias malabaricus (Characiformes - Erythrinidae) from white, black and clear water rivers of the Amazon basin.

Hoplias malabaricus is a common fish species occurring in white, black and clear water rivers of the Amazon basin. Its large distribution across distinct aquatic environments can pose stressful conditions for dispersal and creates possibilities for the emergence of local adaptive profiles. We investigated the chromosomal localization of repetitive DNA markers (constitutive heterochromatin, rDNA and the transposable element REX-3) in populations from the Amazonas river (white water), the Negro river (black water) and the Tapajós river (clear water), in order to address the variation/association of cytogenomic features and environmental conditions. We found a conserved karyotypic macrostructure with a diploid number of 40 chromosomes (20 metacentrics + 20 submetacentrics) in all the samples. Heteromorphism in pair 14 was detected as evidence for the initial differentiation of an XX/XY system. Minor differences detected in the amount of repetitive DNA markers are interpreted as possible signatures of local adaptations to distinct aquatic environments.