Do photosynthetic metabolism and habitat influence foliar water uptake in orchids?

Epiphytic and rupicolous plants inhabit environments with limited water resources. Such plants commonly use Crassulacean Acid Metabolism (CAM), a photosynthetic pathway that accumulates organic acids in cell vacuoles at night, so reducing their leaf water potential and favouring water absorption. Foliar water uptake (FWU) aids plant survival during drought events in environments with high water deficits. We hypothesized that FWU represents a strategy employed by epiphytic and rupicolous orchids for water acquisition and that CAM will favour increased water absorption. We examined 6 epiphyte, 4 terrestrial and 6 rupicolous orchids that use C3 (n = 9) or CAM (n = 7) pathways. Five individuals per species were used to evaluate FWU, structural characteristics and leaf water balance. Rupicolous species with C3 metabolism had higher FWU than other species. FWU (Cmax and k) could be related to succulence, SLM and leaf RWC. The results indicated that high orchid leaf densities favoured FWU, as area available for water storage increases with leaf density. Structural characteristics linked to water storage (e.g. high RWC, succulence), on the other hand, could limit leaf water absorption by favouring high internal leaf water potentials. Epiphytic, rupicolous and terrestrial orchids showed FWU. Rupicolous species had high levels of FWU, probably through absorption from mist. However, succulence in plants with CAM appears to mitigate FWU.

Neuropsychological manifestations of long COVID in hospitalized and non-hospitalized Brazilian Patients.

BACKGROUND: There has been a significant increase in number of patients seeking neuropsychological rehabilitation months after the acute phase of COVID-19 infection. OBJECTIVE: Identify the cognitive and psychiatric disorders in patients with long COVID or Post-Acute Sequelae of COVID (PASC) and explore the association between disease severity during the acute phase and persistent neuropsychological manifestations. METHODS: 614 adults were assessed an average of eight months post-infection. Participants were, on average, 47.6 y.o., who sought rehabilitation for neuropsychological problems. Patients were evaluated using the Barrow Neurological Institute Screen for Higher Cerebral Functions (BNIS), Phonemic Verbal Fluency and Clock Drawing tests (NEUPSILIN) for executive functions, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). RESULTS: The BNIS score was significantly below reference values in all subscales, especially affect and memory. Verbal Fluency and Clock Drawing subtest results were also lower. Patients with PASC tested high for anxiety/depression, but there was no statistically significant relationship between HADS and BNIS scores. Neuropsychological evaluations showed no differences in cognitive or psychiatric profiles between hospitalized and non-hospitalized patients. CONCLUSIONS: Neuropsychological results suggest executive function problems and high incidence of anxiety/depression, irrespective of acute-phase severity, underscoring a need for neurorehabilitation programs while providing data for public policy initiatives.

Dietary supplementation with whey protein improves systemic microvascular function in heart failure patients: a pilot study.

Endothelial dysfunction is a well-known component of the pathophysiology of heart failure (HF), with proven prognostic value. Dietary supplementation with whey protein (WP) has been widely used to increase skeletal muscle mass, but it also has vascular effects, which are less understood. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of WP supplementation on the systemic microvascular function of HF patients. This was a blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial that evaluated the effects of 12-week WP dietary supplementation on systemic microvascular function, in patients with HF New York Heart Association (NYHA) classes I/II. Cutaneous microvascular flow and reactivity were assessed using laser speckle contrast imaging, coupled with pharmacological local vasodilator stimuli. Fifteen patients (aged 64.5±6.2 years, 11 males) received WP supplementation and ten patients (aged 68.2±8.8 years, 8 males) received placebo (maltodextrin). The increase in endothelial-dependent microvascular vasodilation, induced by skin iontophoresis of acetylcholine, was improved after WP (P=0.03) but not placebo (P=0.37) supplementation. Moreover, endothelial-independent microvascular vasodilation induced by skin iontophoresis of sodium nitroprusside, was also enhanced after WP (P=0.04) but not placebo (P=0.42) supplementation. The results suggested that dietary supplementation with WP improved systemic microvascular function in patients with HF.

Dietary supplementation with whey protein improves systemic microvascular function in heart failure patients: a pilot study

Endothelial dysfunction is a well-known component of the pathophysiology of heart failure (HF), with proven prognostic value. Dietary supplementation with whey protein (WP) has been widely used to increase skeletal muscle mass, but it also has vascular effects, which are less understood. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of WP supplementation on the systemic microvascular function of HF patients. This was a blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial that evaluated the effects of 12-week WP dietary supplementation on systemic microvascular function, in patients with HF New York Heart Association (NYHA) classes I/II. Cutaneous microvascular flow and reactivity were assessed using laser speckle contrast imaging, coupled with pharmacological local vasodilator stimuli. Fifteen patients (aged 64.5±6.2 years, 11 males) received WP supplementation and ten patients (aged 68.2±8.8 years, 8 males) received placebo (maltodextrin). The increase in endothelial-dependent microvascular vasodilation, induced by skin iontophoresis of acetylcholine, was improved after WP (P=0.03) but not placebo (P=0.37) supplementation. Moreover, endothelial-independent microvascular vasodilation induced by skin iontophoresis of sodium nitroprusside, was also enhanced after WP (P=0.04) but not placebo (P=0.42) supplementation. The results suggested that dietary supplementation with WP improved systemic microvascular function in patients with HF.

Enzyme-mediated metabolism in nutritive tissues of galls induced by Ditylenchus gallaeformans (Nematoda: Anguinidae).

The galls induced by Ditylenchus gallaeformans (Nematoda) on leaves of Miconia albicans have unique features when compared to other galls. The nematode colonies are surrounded by nutritive tissues with promeristematic cells, capable of originating new emergences facing the larval chamber, and providing indeterminate growth to these galls. Considering enzyme activity as essential for the translocation of energetic molecules from the common storage tissue (CST) to the typical nutritive tissue (TNT), and the major occurrence of carbohydrates in nematode galls, it was expected that hormones would mediate sink strength relationships by activating enzymes in indeterminate growth regions of the galls. Histochemical, immunocytochemical and quantitative analyses were made in order to demonstrate sites of enzyme activity and hormones, and comparative levels of total soluble sugars, water soluble polysaccharides and starch. The source-sink status, via carbohydrate metabolism, is controlled by the major accumulation of cytokinins in totipotent nutritive cells and new emergences. Thus, reducing sugars, such as glucose and fructose, accumulate in the TNT, where they supply the energy for successive cycles of cell division and for nematode feeding. The histochemical detection of phosphorylase and invertase activities indicates the occurrence of starch catabolism and sucrose transformation into reducing sugars, respectively, in the establishment of a gradient from the CST towards the TNT. Reducing sugars in the TNT are important for the production of new cell walls during the indeterminate growth of the galls, which have increased levels of water-soluble polysaccharides that corroborate such a hypothesis. Functional relationship between plant hormone accumulation, carbohydrate metabolism and cell differentiation in D. gallaeformans-induced galls is attested, providing new insights on cell development and plant metabolism.

Association Between Citrus Flushing Cycles and Asian Citrus Psyllid Demography in Huanglongbing-Free Area in Brazil.

Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Liviidae), named as Asian citrus psyllid (ACP), is the vector of the bacterium associated with huanglongbing (HLB), the most destructive citrus disease. The use of citrus flushing and ACP monitoring tools is essential for the knowledge of the occurrence pattern of cycles of both and for the improvement of the ACP management. During 3 years, 20 branches from 20 trees were evaluated for vegetative flushing, ACP abundance, and occupation in tree and branches in a Brazilian citrus area free for HLB. The obtained data was investigated through spectral and co-spectral analyses. Four to 12 flush shoot cycles occurred per year, which were similar to abundance and occupation cycles of ACP, with an apparent synchronization between these variables. In general, there was a difference from 14 to 19 days between flushing and ACP peaks, with an occurrence of the flushing peaks before the ACP peaks. Results will provide useful information to citrus growers and agricultural defense agencies to apply a suitable and targeted ACP management, which will avoid or delay the disease entrance into still free HLB areas. In addition, the modeling of occupation and abundance cycles of vectors as applied in this study may be useful for other pathosystems which insect vectors are associated or even in the intrusion monitoring programs.

Common germline haplotypes and genotypes identified in BRCA2 exon 11 of dogs with mammary tumours and histopathological analyses.

The canine BRCA2 is a tumor supressor gene which encodes the BRCA2 protein, involved in DNA repair through interaction with the RAD51 recombinase. This process is mediated by eigth BRC repeats that are encoded by BRCA2 exon 11. Two variants corresponding to human mutations in human BRC3 repeat have been reported in canine BRC3 repeat. In addition, other variants have also been described in canine BRCA2 exon 11. Considering the importance of polymorphisms in human BRCA2 to breast cancer development, this study aimed to investigate the frequency of variants in BRCA2 exon 11 in 48 blood and tissue DNA samples from bitches with canine mammary tumors (CMT), as well as, to analyze tumor stage and histopathological features. Seven Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified, three of which were evaluated as possibily or probably deleterious variant. Interestingly, almost all the 22 mammary tumors (except one) which presented a clinical staging equal to or greater than III carried at least one mutant allele of these three variants. Besides that, no statistically significant correlation was observed between any of the reported SNPs in heterozygosis or homozygosis and either dogs data (such as breed, age or disease stage) or mammary tumors histopathological characteristics. A total of 97.9% of bitches had one to three polymorphisms of the seven identified in this study, which suggests a possibly correlation between the canine BRCA2 exon 11 polymorphisms and mammary carcinogenesis.

Phytosterol-enriched milk lowers LDL-cholesterol levels in Brazilian children and adolescents: Double-blind, cross-over trial.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Despite evidence of the lipid-lowering effect of plant sterols among adults with hypercholesterolemia, data regarding phytosterol use in children are limited. In this paper, we examined the effects of daily consumption of a phytosterol-enriched milk compound on the lipid profiles of Brazilian children and adolescents with dyslipidemia. METHODS AND RESULTS: This was a randomized, double blind, crossover clinical trial. Twenty eight dyslipidemics outpatients (aged 6-9 years) from an University Hospital were randomly allocated to control or intervention group. The intervention group received milk enriched with 1.2 g/day of plant sterol and the control group received the equivalent amount of skim milk during the period of 8 weeks. Changes from baseline in the mean lipid profile, including total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and triglyceride (TG) concentrations. Serum lipid profiles, glucose levels, dietary and anthropometric data were determined at weeks 0, 4, 8, 16, and 20. Details regarding the safety and tolerance of phytosterol were obtained, using an open-ended questionnaire. Intention-to-treat analysis were performed, using the proc mixed procedure in SAS. After 8 weeks, the mean concentrations of TC and LDL-C were significantly reduced in the intervention group as compared to the control group with reductions of 5.9% (p = 0.09) and 10.2% (p = 0.002), respectively. In addition, TG concentrations were reduced by 19.7% (p = 0.09). No serious side effects were reported during the study. CONCLUSION: Our results confirm that plant sterols are an effective and safe treatment of infantile dyslipidemia. TRIAL REGISTRATION: RBR-3h7f9k.

Desempenho de frangos caipiras alimentados com rações contendo diferentes níveis de energia metabolizável / Performance of broiler chickens fed diets containing different levels of metabolizable energy

Analisaram-se os efeitos da energia metabolizável (EM) e da idade de abate sobre o desempenho zootécnico, o rendimento de carcaça e de partes de frangos da linhagem Caipira Francês Exótico. Foram utilizadas 192 aves, distribuídas em delineamento inteiramente ao acaso, com três tratamentos e quatro repetições de 16 aves cada. Os tratamentos (T) foram definidos de acordo com os níveis de energia das dietas inicial (1 a 28 dias) e final (29 a 90 dias), respectivamente, em: T1 - 3.000 e 3.100kcal de EM/kg; T2 - 3.100 e 3.200kcal de EM/kg; T3 - 3.200 e 3.300kcal de EM/kg. Os abates foram realizados aos 77, 84 e 90 dias. Na fase inicial, as aves do T2 e do T3 apresentaram maior peso médio (655,75 e 713,50g), maior ganho de peso (24,28 e 26,42g/ave) e melhor conversão alimentar (1,59 e 1,77), e não diferiram entre si (P>0,05). Quando abatidas aos 77 dias de idade, as aves que consumiram a dieta com 3.100/3.200kcal de EM/kg apresentaram maior rendimento de carcaça (82,20%) e de peito (24,26%), e não diferiram dos frangos alimentados com dietas contendo 3.000/3.200kcal de EM/kg, nos quais se verificaram rendimento de carcaça de 80,72% e 23,20% de rendimento de peito. Os frangos da linhagem Caipira Francês Exótico apresentaram melhores desempenho zootécnico e rendimento de carcaça quando alimentados com dietas contendo 3.100 a 3.200kcal de EM/kg na ração e abatidos aos 77 dias de idade.

This is study aimed to analyze the effects of metabolizable energy (ME) and age at slaughter on growth performance, carcass yield and prime cuts, relative weight of the wings, back, head + neck and feet of broiler chickens from the Caipira Francês Exótico strain. A total of 192 birds were distributed in a completely randomized design with three treatments and four replicates of 16 birds per treatment. The treatments were defined according to levels of dietary energy (1 to 28 days) and late (29-90 days), respectively: T1 - 3000 and 3100kcal/kg ME, T2 - 3100 and 3200kcal/kg ME, T3 - 3200 and 3300kcal/kg ME. The slaughter was carried out at 77, 84 and 90 days. In the initial phase the birds from T2 and T3 had a higher mean weight (655.75 and 713.50g), weight gain (24.28 and 26.42g/bird) and better feed gain (1.59 and 1.77) and did not differ (P>0.05). When slaughtered at 77 days of age, birds fed the diet with 3.100/3.200kcal/kg ME had higher carcass yield (82.20%) and breast (24.26%), and did not differ from chickens fed diets containing 3.000/3.200kcal/kg ME, where a carcass yield of 80.72% and 23.20% of breast yield was found. The Caipira Francês Exótico broilers had better growth performance and carcass yield than when fed diets containing 3100-3200kcal/kg in the diet and slaughtered at 77 days old.

Nutritional assessment associated with length of inpatients' hospital stay.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the nutritional status of patients on hospital admission, identify the length of hospital stay and identify the parameters of nutritional assessment that are most closely related with the length of stay (LOS). METHODS: A cross-sectional study of 278 hospitalized patients evaluated patients' nutritional status in the 48 hours after admission and their LOS after discharge. Anthropometric and biochemical parameters, related to nutrition status were analyzed, such as: weight, height, arm circumference (AC), waist circumference (WC), triceps skinfold thickness (TST), mild arm muscle circumference (MAMC), albumin (Alb) and hemoglobin (HB). Body mass index (BMI) was used to classify the nutritional status. All the nutritional factors except type of disease, gender and age were associated with LOS. The chi-square, Student-t, Mann-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis and binary logistic multivariate tests were used in the statistical analyses. RESULTS: The majority of patients was male (53%), elderly (56%) and had neoplasm (19.4%). Undernutrition was higher in the elderly (p < 0.05) and neoplasm patients (p < 0.05), overweight or obese patients were more likely to suffer from cardiovascular diseases (p = 0.001). Average LOS was 14.7 days (± 12.5), longer in neoplasm patients (p < 0.05) and in elderly ones (p < 0.05), and also was 3 times longer in males (p < 0.0001). Among the nutritional parameters, patients with AC under 25 cm had higher LOS (p < 0.05), but only in women could it be considered a marker, increasing LOS 2.8 times. BMI less than 20 kg/m(2) increased LOS 2.1 times, and biochemical data (Alb and HB) do not contribute. In the multivariate analyses, male gender and TST depletion were the significant factors, which together best explained the lengths of hospital stay. CONCLUSION: LOS was associated with disease, gender, age and nutritional status. We can highlight two anthropometric analyses: first, AC can be used in women as a marker of longer LOS and second TST is the best overall predictor of longer hospital stay.

Desempenho de frangos caipiras alimentados com rações contendo diferentes níveis de energia metabolizável / Performance of broiler chickens fed diets containing different levels of metabolizable energy

Analisaram-se os efeitos da energia metabolizável (EM) e da idade de abate sobre o desempenho zootécnico, o rendimento de carcaça e de partes de frangos da linhagem Caipira Francês Exótico. Foram utilizadas 192 aves, distribuídas em delineamento inteiramente ao acaso, com três tratamentos e quatro repetições de 16 aves cada. Os tratamentos (T) foram definidos de acordo com os níveis de energia das dietas inicial (1 a 28 dias) e final (29 a 90 dias), respectivamente, em: T1 - 3.000 e 3.100kcal de EM/kg; T2 - 3.100 e 3.200kcal de EM/kg; T3 - 3.200 e 3.300kcal de EM/kg. Os abates foram realizados aos 77, 84 e 90 dias. Na fase inicial, as aves do T2 e do T3 apresentaram maior peso médio (655,75 e 713,50g), maior ganho de peso (24,28 e 26,42g/ave) e melhor conversão alimentar (1,59 e 1,77), e não diferiram entre si (P>0,05). Quando abatidas aos 77 dias de idade, as aves que consumiram a dieta com 3.100/3.200kcal de EM/kg apresentaram maior rendimento de carcaça (82,20%) e de peito (24,26%), e não diferiram dos frangos alimentados com dietas contendo 3.000/3.200kcal de EM/kg, nos quais se verificaram rendimento de carcaça de 80,72% e 23,20% de rendimento de peito. Os frangos da linhagem Caipira Francês Exótico apresentaram melhores desempenho zootécnico e rendimento de carcaça quando alimentados com dietas contendo 3.100 a 3.200kcal de EM/kg na ração e abatidos aos 77 dias de idade.(AU)

This is study aimed to analyze the effects of metabolizable energy (ME) and age at slaughter on growth performance, carcass yield and prime cuts, relative weight of the wings, back, head + neck and feet of broiler chickens from the Caipira Francês Exótico strain. A total of 192 birds were distributed in a completely randomized design with three treatments and four replicates of 16 birds per treatment. The treatments were defined according to levels of dietary energy (1 to 28 days) and late (29-90 days), respectively: T1 - 3000 and 3100kcal/kg ME, T2 - 3100 and 3200kcal/kg ME, T3 - 3200 and 3300kcal/kg ME. The slaughter was carried out at 77, 84 and 90 days. In the initial phase the birds from T2 and T3 had a higher mean weight (655.75 and 713.50g), weight gain (24.28 and 26.42g/bird) and better feed gain (1.59 and 1.77) and did not differ (P>0.05). When slaughtered at 77 days of age, birds fed the diet with 3.100/3.200kcal/kg ME had higher carcass yield (82.20%) and breast (24.26%), and did not differ from chickens fed diets containing 3.000/3.200kcal/kg ME, where a carcass yield of 80.72% and 23.20% of breast yield was found. The Caipira Francês Exótico broilers had better growth performance and carcass yield than when fed diets containing 3100-3200kcal/kg in the diet and slaughtered at 77 days old.(AU)

Estudo in vitro da atividade do extrato etanólico de sementes de bacupari (Rheedia gardneriana Planch. & Triana) e das frações no crescimento de Streptococcus mutans / In vitro study of the activity of ethanol extract from bacupari (Rheedia gardneriana Planch. & Triana) seeds and its fractions on Streptococcus mutans growth

Streptococcus mutans, principal microrganismo da cavidade oral, desempenha papel preponderante na formação de placas dentárias, sendo considerado o agente etiológico primário da cárie. Rheedia gardneriana, conhecida popularmente como bacupari, é uma planta utilizada com fins medicinais para o tratamento de diversas patologias, e por apresentar atividade antimicrobiana de compostos das folhas contra bactérias Gram-positivas e Gram-negativas. O objetivo do presente trabalho foi avaliar o efeito de extrato de semente de R. gardneriana sobre a cepa S. mutans UA159. Os testes foram conduzidos com o extrato etanólico bruto e as frações obtidas com os solventes diclorometano, etanol-água, metanol e hexano, em ensaios de inibição in vitro. O extrato bruto (100 por cento) apresentou halos de inibição com diâmetro similar ao obtido com solução de digluconato de clorexidina 0,12 por cento, usada como controle. Os ensaios com a fração diclorometano exibiram atividade inibitória 35 por cento menor comparado com o controle, enquanto nenhum efeito antimicrobiano foi observado com a fração etanol-água. Contrariamente, os resultados obtidos com as frações hexânica e metanólica demonstraram claramente a atividade antimicrobiana por inibição do crescimento bacteriano. Na fração metanólica a formação de halos de inibição foi similar ao do controle. Estes dados apresentam atividade antimicrobiana de R. gardneriana contra S. mutans.

Streptococcus mutans, which is the main microorganism of the oral cavity, plays a preponderant role in dental plaque formation and is considered the primary etiologic agent regarding caries. Commonly known as "bacupari", Rheedia gardneriana is a plant used for medicinal purposes in the treatment of several pathologies; besides, its leaves have compounds that present antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of R. gardneriana seed extract on S. mutans strain UA159. The tests were carried out with crude ethanol extract and the fractions obtained with the solvents dichloromethane, ethanol-water, methanol, and hexane in in vitro inhibition assays. The crude extract (100 percent) presented inhibition halos with diameter similar to that obtained by using 0.12 percent chlorhexidine digluconate solution as control. Assays with the fraction dichloromethane showed an inhibitory activity 35 percent lower than that of the control, whereas no antimicrobial effect was observed with the ethanol-water fraction. Conversely, the results obtained with the fractions hexane and methanol clearly demonstrated antimicrobial activity by inhibiting the bacterial growth. In the methanol fraction, the formation of inhibition halos was similar to that in the control. These data present antimicrobial activity of R. gardneriana against S. mutans.

ChromaPipe: a pipeline for analysis, quality control and management for a DNA sequencing facility.

Optimizing and monitoring the data flow in high-throughput sequencing facilities is important for data input and output, for tracking the status of results for the users of the facility, and to guarantee a good, high-quality service. In a multi-user system environment with different throughputs, each user wants to access his/her data easily, track his/her sequencing history, analyze sequences and their quality, and apply some basic post-sequencing analysis, without the necessity of installing further software. Recently, Fiocruz established such a core facility as a "technological platform". Infrastructure includes a 48-capillary 3730 DNA Sequence Analyzer (Applied Biosystems) and supporting equipment. The service includes running samples for large-scale users, performing DNA sequencing reactions and runs for medium and small users, and participation in partial or full genome projects. We implemented a workflow that fulfills these requirements for small and high throughput users. Our implementation also includes the monitoring of data for continuous quality improvement (reports by plate, month and user) by the sequencing staff. For the user, different analyses of the chromatograms, such as visualization of good quality regions, as well as processing, such as comparisons or assemblies, are available. So far, 180 users have made use of the service, generating 155,000 sequences, 35% of which were produced for the BCG Moreau-RJ genome project. The pipeline (named ChromaPipe for Chromatogram Pipeline) is available for download by the scientific community at the url http://bioinfo.pdtis.fiocruz.br/ChromaPipe/. The support for assembly is also configured as a web service: http://bioinfo.pdtis.fiocruz.br/Assembly/.

Influence of agitation and aeration in xanthan production by Xanthomonas campestris pv pruni strain 101.

Production, viscosity, and chemical composition of xanthan synthesized by bacterium Xanthomonas campestris pv pruni strain 101 were evaluated in bioreactor systems. During the process, the volumetric oxygen mass transfer coefficient (k(L)a) and the biomass were determined and the pH was monitored. The cultures were grown in a 3 I bioreactor, with aeration and agitation varying as follows: conditions (A) 300 rpm, 3 vvm and (B) 200 rpm, 2 vvm, at 28 degrees C. Our results showed that gum production was dependent on k(L)a, with a maximum yield of 8.15 g/l at 300 rpm, 3 vvm, 54 h of fermentation, k(L)a 21.4/h, while biomass was not affected. All aqueous solutions of 3% (w/v) xanthans synthesized showed a pseudoplastic behavior. The highest viscosity was reached under the strongest aeration/agitation conditions. All xanthan samples contained glucose, mannose, rhamnose, and glucuronic acid as their main components. The highest agitation and aeration rates used under condition A (300 rpm and 3 vvm) favorably influenced the yield and viscosity of the xanthan produced by bacterium X. campestris pv pruni 101 at different fermentation times.

Founder effect of the BRCA1 5382insC mutation in Brazilian patients with hereditary breast ovary cancer syndrome.

The 5382insC mutation in BRCA1 is a frequently reported mutation, being very prevalent in Central and Eastern Europe. This mutation was recurrently reported in Brazil and one case was reported Portugal, but not in Spain and other South-American countries,. We analyzed the haplotypic profile of seven Brazilian carriers of 5382insC to characterize a possible founder effect. The analyses indicated that mutation carriers shared an identical haplotype. The absence of this mutation in Spain, other South American countries, and sub-Saharan populations, as well as the patients' own ancestry, point to a significant Central or Eastern European contribution to the present genetic background of Brazilian population, different from the population structuring of remaining South American countries.

Polymorphism of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 in Brazil: genetic characterization of the nef gene and implications for vaccine design.

Most of the Brazilian HIV-1 samples have been characterized based on the structural genes (env, gag and pol) and no data concerning the variability of the accessory genes such as nef have been available so far. Considering the role of the nef on virus biology and the inclusion of this region in some HIV/AIDS vaccine products under testing, the purpose of this study was to document the genetic diversity of the nef gene in third-four HIV-1 Brazilian samples previously subtyped based on the env C2-V3 region. Although only few non-subtype B samples have already been analyzed so far, the cytotoxic Tlymphocyte epitopes encoded in this region were relatively conserved among the subtypes, with some amino acid signatures mainly in the subtype C samples. Considering the increasing of the non-B HIV-1 subtypes worldwide, in special the subtype C, more data should be generated concerning the genetic and antigenic variability of these subtypes, as well as the study of the impact of such polymorphism in HIV/AIDS vaccine design and testing.

Polymorphism of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 in Brazil: genetic characterization of the nef gene and implications for vaccine design

Most of the Brazilian HIV-1 samples have been characterized based on the structural genes (env, gag and pol) and no data concerning the variability of the accessory genes such as nef have been available so far. Considering the role of the nef on virus biology and the inclusion of this region in some HIV/AIDS vaccine products under testing, the purpose of this study was to document the genetic diversity of the nef gene in third-four HIV-1 Brazilian samples previously subtyped based on the env C2-V3 region. Although only few non-subtype B samples have already been analyzed so far, the cytotoxic Tlymphocyte epitopes encoded in this region were relatively conserved among the subtypes, with some amino acid signatures mainly in the subtype C samples. Considering the increasing of the non-B HIV-1 subtypes worldwide, in special the subtype C, more data should be generated concerning the genetic and antigenic variability of these subtypes, as well as the study of the impact of such polymorphism in HIV/AIDS vaccine design and testing

Antiinflammatory activity of extracts and fractions from the leaves of Gochnatia polymorpha.

The aqueous and ethanol extracts from the leaves of Gochnatia polymorpha and further fractions obtained from the latter extract using solvents with increasing polarity, including its aqueous residue and the amino acid, 4-hydroxy-N-methyl-proline were investigated by carrageenin-induced pedal oedema formation. It was shown that the aqueous and ethanol extracts and the ethyl acetate fraction demonstrated significant antiinflammatory activity. The chemical investigation of the latter fraction revealed the presence of caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, 3-0-methylquercetin, hyperosid and rutin. The amino acid 4-hydroxy-N-methyl-proline, a nonprotein amino acid that has not been reported before in the Asteraceae was isolated as a major compound and identified by spectroscopic methods.

A model for analysis of the nurse-patient interactive process (MAIP).

A model for analysis of the nurse-patient interactive process (MAIP), based on the analysis of the content of that interaction, is proposed as a method for determining appropriate psychosocial nursing diagnoses for the patient. The model focuses on the qualitative aspects of the phenomenon of interaction. The MAIP permits a systematic analysis of the nurse-patient interaction, and in turn will provide guidance for the professional in their actions in the interactive process.

[Transition described by an adult woman. Assistance from the Schlossberg Human Adaptation Model]. / Transições relatadas por mulher adulta-subsídios ao modelo de adaptação humana de schlossberg.

The case study of a forty two years old woman expressed the transition and crisis experienced by an adult woman. The speech content is presented in this article according to the human adaptation model of SCHLOSSBERG and attempting to acquire informations about crisis and transitions. The authors assumed a position of non-normative interviewers applying a psychological model in nursing and used the content analysis technic. They verified that the adult woman crises were solved using her own personal resources.