Tracking the recruitment and evolution of snake toxins using the evolutionary context provided by the Bothrops jararaca genome.

Venom is a key adaptive innovation in snakes, and how nonvenom genes were co-opted to become part of the toxin arsenal is a significant evolutionary question. While this process has been investigated through the phylogenetic reconstruction of toxin sequences, evidence provided by the genomic context of toxin genes remains less explored. To investigate the process of toxin recruitment, we sequenced the genome of Bothrops jararaca, a clinically relevant pitviper. In addition to producing a road map with canonical structures of genes encoding 12 toxin families, we inferred most of the ancestral genes for their loci. We found evidence that 1) snake venom metalloproteinases (SVMPs) and phospholipases A2 (PLA2) have expanded in genomic proximity to their nonvenomous ancestors; 2) serine proteinases arose by co-opting a local gene that also gave rise to lizard gilatoxins and then expanded; 3) the bradykinin-potentiating peptides originated from a C-type natriuretic peptide gene backbone; and 4) VEGF-F was co-opted from a PGF-like gene and not from VEGF-A. We evaluated two scenarios for the original recruitment of nontoxin genes for snake venom: 1) in locus ancestral gene duplication and 2) in locus ancestral gene direct co-option. The first explains the origins of two important toxins (SVMP and PLA2), while the second explains the emergence of a greater number of venom components. Overall, our results support the idea of a locally assembled venom arsenal in which the most clinically relevant toxin families expanded through posterior gene duplications, regardless of whether they originated by duplication or gene co-option.

AtDTX25, a member of the multidrug and toxic compound extrusion family, is a vacuolar ascorbate transporter that controls intracellular iron cycling in Arabidopsis.

Iron (Fe) is an essential element, its transport is regulated by the cell redox balance. In seeds, Fe enters the embryo as Fe2+ and is stored in vacuoles as Fe3+ . Through its ferric reduction activity, ascorbate plays a major role in Fe redox state and therefore Fe transport within the seed. We searched for ascorbate membrane transporters responsible for controlling Fe reduction by screening the yeast ferric reductase-deficient fre1 strain and isolated AtDTX25, a member of the Multidrug And Toxic compound Extrusion (MATE) family. AtDTX25 was shown to mediate ascorbate efflux when expressed in yeast and Xenopus oocytes, in a pH-dependent manner. In planta, AtDTX25 is highly expressed during germination and encodes a vacuolar membrane protein. Isolated vacuoles from AtDTX25-1 knockout mutant contained less ascorbate and more Fe than wild-type (WT), and mutant seedlings were highly sensitive to Fe deficiency. Iron imaging further showed that the remobilisation of Fe from vacuoles was highly impaired in mutant seedlings. Taken together, our results established AtDTX25 as a vacuolar ascorbate transporter, required during germination to promote the reduction of the pool of stored Fe3+ and its remobilisation to feed the developing seedling.

Rice F-bZIP transcription factors regulate the zinc deficiency response.

The F-bZIP transcription factors bZIP19 and bZIP23 are the central regulators of the zinc deficiency response in Arabidopsis, and phylogenetic analysis of F-bZIP homologs across land plants indicates that the regulatory mechanism of the zinc deficiency response may be conserved. Here, we identified the rice F-bZIP homologs and investigated their function. OsbZIP48 and OsbZIP50, but not OsbZIP49, complement the zinc deficiency-hypersensitive Arabidopsis bzip19bzip23 double mutant. Ectopic expression of OsbZIP50 in Arabidopsis significantly increases plant zinc accumulation under control zinc supply, suggesting an altered Zn sensing in OsbZIP50. In addition, we performed a phylogenetic analysis of F-bZIP homologs from representative monocot species that supports the branching of plant F-bZIPs into Group 1 and Group 2. Our results suggest that regulation of the zinc deficiency response in rice is conserved, with OsbZIP48 being a functional homolog of AtbZIP19 and AtbZIP23. A better understanding of the mechanisms behind the Zn deficiency response in rice and other important crops will contribute to develop plant-based strategies to address the problems of Zn deficiency in soils, crops, and cereal-based human diets.

PERSISTENT LOCULATED SUBRETINAL FLUID AFTER RHEGMATOGENOUS RETINAL DETACHMENT SURGERY.

PURPOSE: To identify factors associated with persistent subretinal fluid (SRF) after small-gauge pars plana vitrectomy for primary rhegmatogenous retinal detachment. METHODS: This retrospective study included patients from 2 tertiary centers who underwent pars plana vitrectomy for repair of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment between 2013 and 2016. Preoperative and intraoperative parameters were examined for association with development of SRF. RESULTS: Overall, 153 eyes of 153 patients, mean age of 55.2 ± 17.9 years were included. Persistent SRF occurred in 15.0% (n = 23) and was associated with high myopia (65.22 vs. 26.15%, P < 0.001), macula-involving retinal detachment (91.30 vs. 66.15%, P = 0.02), phakic lens status (86.96 vs. 66.15%, P = 0.04), and younger age (47.8 ± 18.7 vs. 56.5 ± 17.5, P = 0.04) while drainage retinotomy was protective (13.04 vs. 34.11%, P = 0.04). In multivariate analysis, high myopia (P = 0.009) and macula-involving retinal detachment (P = 0.004) were associated with SRF, while drainage retinotomy was protective (P = 0.03). Persistent SRF was associated with outer retinal band irregularity (30.4 vs. 9.3%, P = 0.005). There were no significant differences in terms of change in best-corrected visual acuity from presentation (P = 0.70), or final best-corrected visual acuity (P = 0.54). CONCLUSION: Eyes with preoperative high myopia and macular involvement, and those in which a drainage retinotomy was not performed, were more likely to develop persistent SRF.

Insights into the transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation of the rice SUMOylation machinery and into the role of two rice SUMO proteases.

BACKGROUND: SUMOylation is an essential eukaryotic post-translation modification that, in plants, regulates numerous cellular processes, ranging from seed development to stress response. Using rice as a model crop plant, we searched for potential regulatory points that may influence the activity of the rice SUMOylation machinery genes. RESULTS: We analyzed the presence of putative cis-acting regulatory elements (CREs) within the promoter regions of the rice SUMOylation machinery genes and found CREs related to different cellular processes, including hormone signaling. We confirmed that the transcript levels of genes involved in target-SUMOylation, containing ABA- and GA-related CREs, are responsive to treatments with these hormones. Transcriptional analysis in Nipponbare (spp. japonica) and LC-93-4 (spp. indica), showed that the transcript levels of all studied genes are maintained in the two subspecies, under normal growth. OsSUMO3 is an exceptional case since it is expressed at low levels or is not detectable at all in LC-93-4 roots and shoots, respectively. We revealed post-transcriptional regulation by alternative splicing (AS) for all genes studied, except for SUMO coding genes, OsSIZ2, OsOTS3, and OsELS2. Some AS forms have the potential to alter protein domains and catalytic centers. We also performed the molecular and phenotypic characterization of T-DNA insertion lines of some of the genes under study. Knockouts of OsFUG1 and OsELS1 showed increased SUMOylation levels and non-overlapping phenotypes. The fug1 line showed a dwarf phenotype, and significant defects in fertility, seed weight, and panicle architecture, while the els1 line showed early flowering and decreased plant height. We suggest that OsELS1 is an ortholog of AtEsd4, which was also supported by our phylogenetic analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, we provide a comprehensive analysis of the rice SUMOylation machinery and discuss possible effects of the regulation of these genes at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional level. We also contribute to the characterization of two rice SUMO proteases, OsELS1 and OsFUG1.

Five novel transcription factors as potential regulators of OsNHX1 gene expression in a salt tolerant rice genotype.

KEY MESSAGE: This manuscript reports the identification and characterization of five transcription factors binding to the promoter of OsNHX1 in a salt stress tolerant rice genotype (Hasawi). Although NHX1 encoding genes are known to be highly regulated at the transcription level by different abiotic stresses, namely salt and drought stress, until now only one transcription factor (TF) binding to its promoter has been reported. In order to unveil the TFs regulating NHX1 gene expression, which is known to be highly induced under salt stress, we have used a Y1H system to screen a salt induced rice cDNA expression library from Hasawi. This approach allowed us to identify five TFs belonging to three distinct TF families: one TCP (OsPCF2), one CPP (OsCPP5) and three NIN-like (OsNIN-like2, OsNIN-like3 and OsNIN-like4) binding to the OsNHX1 gene promoter. We have also shown that these TFs act either as transcriptional activators (OsPCF2, OsNIN-like4) or repressors (OsCPP5, OsNIN-like2) and their encoding genes are differentially regulated by salt and PEG-induced drought stress in two rice genotypes, Nipponbare (salt-sensitive) and Hasawi (salt-tolerant). The transactivation activity of OsNIN-like3 was not possible to determine. Increased soil salinity has a direct impact on the reduction of plant growth and crop yield and it is therefore fundamental to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying gene expression regulation under adverse environmental conditions. OsNHX1 is the most abundant K+-Na+/H+ antiporter localized in the tonoplast and its gene expression is induced by salt, drought and ABA. To investigate how OsNHX1 is transcriptionally regulated in response to salt stress in a salt-tolerant rice genotype (Hasawi), a salt-stress-induced cDNA expression library was constructed and subsequently screened using the yeast one-hybrid system and the OsNHX1 promoter as bait. Five transcription factors (TFs) belonging to three distinct TF families: one TCP (OsPCF2), one CPP (OsCPP5) and three NIN-like (OsNIN-like2, OsNIN-like3 and OsNIN-like4) were identified as binding to OsNHX1 promoter. Transactivation activity assays performed in Arabidopsis and rice protoplasts showed that OsPCF2 and OsNIN-like4 are activators of the OsNHX1 gene expression, while OsCPP5 and OsNIN-like2 act as repressors. The transactivation activity of OsNIN-like3 needs to be further investigated. Gene expression studies showed that OsNHX1 transcript level is highly induced by salt and PEG-induced drought stress in both shoots and roots in both Nipponbare and Hasawi rice genotypes. Nevertheless, OsNHX1 seems to play a particular role in shoots in response to drought. Most of the TFs binding to OsNHX1 promoter showed a modest transcriptional regulation under stress conditions, however, in response to most of the conditions studied, the OsPCF2 was induced earlier than OsNHX1, indicating that OsPCF2 may activate OsNHX1 gene expression. In addition, although the OsNHX1 response to salt and PEG-induced drought stress in either shoots or roots was quite similar in both rice genotypes, the expression of OsPCF2 in roots under salt stress and the OsNIN-like4 in roots subjected to PEG was mainly up-regulated in Hasawi, indicating that these TFs may be associated with the salt and drought stress tolerance observed for this genotype.

Pattern and causes of visual loss in Behçet's uveitis: short-term and long-term outcomes.

BACKGROUND: To analyze the pattern and causes of visual loss in patients with Behçet's uveitis and to report on the short-term outcome at 6 months and at last follow-up visit. Also, to analyze the pattern of visual acuity changes in eyes with and without macular involvement at the specified time points. METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study of a single-center in an academic practice. Fifty-three patients with Behçet's uveitis evaluated between 2004 and 2014 were included. Data on patients diagnosed with Behçet's uveitis were entered retrospectively into a database and analyzed. RESULTS: Included were 93 eyes with Behçet's uveitis involving the posterior segment. Frequencies of ≤20/50 and of ≤20/200 VA at presentation were 23.7% and 37.6%, respectively. Retinitis, macular inflammatory infiltrate, and dense vitritis were significantly associated with worse vision. Eyes with macular atrophy and macular inflammatory infiltrate sustained the worst logMAR VA at presentation (1.87 and 1.73, respectively) compared to eyes with cystoid macular edema and epiretinal membrane (0.76 and 0.63, respectively). Eyes with no macular involvement had the best VA at presentation. Mean difference in logMAR VA between presentation and the specified time points was greatest for eyes with macular inflammatory infiltrate. CONCLUSIONS: Behçet's disease affected mostly young males with a male-to-female ratio of 4.8:1. Panuveitis and posterior uveitis were the predominant forms and they were intrinsically associated with sight-threatening potential and breadth of ocular complications for which aggressive immunosuppressive therapy was essential.

Regulation of Na+ and K+ homeostasis in plants: towards improved salt stress tolerance in crop plants.

Soil salinity is a major abiotic stress that results in considerable crop yield losses worldwide. However, some plant genotypes show a high tolerance to soil salinity, as they manage to maintain a high K+/Na+ ratio in the cytosol, in contrast to salt stress susceptible genotypes. Although, different plant genotypes show different salt tolerance mechanisms, they all rely on the regulation and function of K+ and Na+ transporters and H+ pumps, which generate the driving force for K+ and Na+ transport. In this review we will introduce salt stress responses in plants and summarize the current knowledge about the most important ion transporters that facilitate intra- and intercellular K+ and Na+ homeostasis in these organisms. We will describe and discuss the regulation and function of the H+-ATPases, H+-PPases, SOS1, HKTs, and NHXs, including the specific tissues where they work and their response to salt stress.

OsRMC, a negative regulator of salt stress response in rice, is regulated by two AP2/ERF transcription factors.

High salinity causes remarkable losses in rice productivity worldwide mainly because it inhibits growth and reduces grain yield. To cope with environmental changes, plants evolved several adaptive mechanisms, which involve the regulation of many stress-responsive genes. Among these, we have chosen OsRMC to study its transcriptional regulation in rice seedlings subjected to high salinity. Its transcription was highly induced by salt treatment and showed a stress-dose-dependent pattern. OsRMC encodes a receptor-like kinase described as a negative regulator of salt stress responses in rice. To investigate how OsRMC is regulated in response to high salinity, a salt-induced rice cDNA expression library was constructed and subsequently screened using the yeast one-hybrid system and the OsRMC promoter as bait. Thereby, two transcription factors (TFs), OsEREBP1 and OsEREBP2, belonging to the AP2/ERF family were identified. Both TFs were shown to bind to the same GCC-like DNA motif in OsRMC promoter and to negatively regulate its gene expression. The identified TFs were characterized regarding their gene expression under different abiotic stress conditions. This study revealed that OsEREBP1 transcript level is not significantly affected by salt, ABA or severe cold (5 °C) and is only slightly regulated by drought and moderate cold. On the other hand, the OsEREBP2 transcript level increased after cold, ABA, drought and high salinity treatments, indicating that OsEREBP2 may play a central role mediating the response to different abiotic stresses. Gene expression analysis in rice varieties with contrasting salt tolerance further suggests that OsEREBP2 is involved in salt stress response in rice.

Molecular approaches for structural characterization of a new potassium channel blocker from Tityus stigmurus venom: cDNA cloning, homology modeling, dynamic simulations and docking.

Potassium channels are involved in the maintenance of resting membrane potential, control of cardiac and neuronal excitability, neurotransmitters release, muscle contractility and hormone secretion. The Tityus stigmurus scorpion is widely distributed in Northeastern Brazil and known to cause severe human envenomations, inducing pain, hypoesthesia, edema, erythema, paresthesia, headaches and vomiting. Most potassium channel blocking peptides that have been purified from scorpion venoms contain 30-40 amino acids with three or four disulfide bridges. These peptides belong to α-KTx subfamily. On the other hand, the ß-KTx subfamily is poorly characterized, though it is very representative in some scorpion venoms. A transcriptomic approach of T.stigmurus scorpions developed by our group revealed the repertoire of possible molecules present in the venom, including many toxins of the ß-KTx subfamily. One of the ESTs found, named TSTI0003C has a cDNA sequence of 538 bp codifying a mature protein with 47 amino acid residues, corresponding to 5299 Da. This ß-KTx peptide is a new member of the BmTXKß-related toxins, and was here named TstKMK. The three-dimensional structure of this potassium channel toxin of the T. stigmurus scorpion was obtained by computational modeling and refined by molecular dynamic simulations. Furthermore, we have made docking simulations using a Shaker kV-1.2 potassium channel from rats as receptor model and proposed which amino acid residues and interactions could be involved in its blockade.

Profiling the resting venom gland of the scorpion Tityus stigmurus through a transcriptomic survey.

BACKGROUND: The scorpion Tityus stigmurus is widely distributed in Northeastern Brazil and known to cause severe human envenoming, inducing pain, hyposthesia, edema, erythema, paresthesia, headaches and vomiting. The present study uses a transcriptomic approach to characterize the gene expression profile from the non-stimulated venom gland of Tityus stigmurus scorpion. RESULTS: A cDNA library was constructed and 540 clones were sequenced and grouped into 153 clusters, with one or more ESTs (expressed sequence tags). Forty-one percent of ESTs belong to recognized toxin-coding sequences, with transcripts encoding antimicrobial toxins (AMP-like) being the most abundant, followed by alfa KTx- like, beta KTx-like, beta NaTx-like and alfa NaTx-like. Our analysis indicated that 34% of the transcripts encode "other possible venom molecules", which correspond to anionic peptides, hypothetical secreted peptides, metalloproteinases, cystein-rich peptides and lectins. Fifteen percent of ESTs are similar to cellular transcripts. Sequences without good matches corresponded to 11%. CONCLUSIONS: This investigation provides the first global view of gene expression of the venom gland from Tityus stigmurus under resting conditions. This approach enables characterization of a large number of venom gland component molecules, which belong either to known or non yet described types of venom peptides and proteins from the Buthidae family.

Analysis of the Aqueous Humor Proteome in Patients With Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

Purpose: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is associated with altered gene and protein expression in the retina. We characterize the aqueous humor (AH) proteome in AMD to gain insight into the pathogenesis of the disease and identify potential biomarkers. Methods: AH was collected from age and gender matched neovascular AMD (nvAMD; n = 10) patients and controls (n = 10). AH was pooled to create two samples (nvAMD and control), followed by intensity-based label-free quantification (MS1). Functional and bioinformatic analysis were then performed. A validation set (20 controls, 15 atrophic AMD and 15 nvAMD) was tested via multiplex ELISA for nine differentially expressed proteins according to the MS1 findings. Results: MS1 identified 674 proteins in the AH. 239 proteins were upregulated in nvAMD (nvAMD/control > 2, peptide tags (PT) > 2), and 86 proteins were downregulated (nvAMD/control < 0.5, PT > 2). Functional analysis of proteins upregulated in AMD demonstrated enrichment for platelet degranulation (enrichment score (ES):28.1), negative regulation of endopeptidase activity (ES:18.8), cellular protein metabolic process (ES:11.8), epidermal growth factor-like domain (ES:10.3), sushi/SCR/CCP (ES:10.1), and complement/coagulation cascades (ES:9.2). AMD protein clusters were upregulated for 3/6 (χ2 < 0.05 compared to randomization). Validation via ELISA confirmed MS1 in 2/9 proteins (Clusterin and Serpin A4, P < 0.05), while 3/9 showed differential expression between aAMD and nvAMD (Clusterin, Serpin A4, and TF P < 0.05). Receiver operating characteristic curve calculation identified the area under the curve of 0.82 for clusterin as a biomarker for distinction of AMD. Conclusions: AH proteomics in AMD patients identified several proteins and functional clusters with altered expression. Further research should confirm if these proteins may serve as biomarkers or therapeutic target for the disease.

Socioeconomic status and visual outcome in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration.

PURPOSE: Visual outcome in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration is variable. We aimed to evaluate for association between socioeconomic status visual acuity in neovascular age-related macular degeneration. METHODS: A retrospective single-center study of a consecutive group of neovascular age-related macular degeneration patients was performed. Socioeconomic status was determined for each patient based on the 2008 Israeli census. Medical information was extracted from medical records and included visual acuity and optical coherence tomography parameters. Associations between socioeconomic status and clinical outcomes were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 233 patients were included in the analysis. A correlation was found between low baseline visual acuity of the first eye diagnosed with neovascular age-related macular degeneration and low socioeconomic status (r = -0.13, p = 0.049; n = 233). The difference between the visual acuity of the lowest and the highest socioeconomic status categories at baseline was approximately 3 ETDRS lines (p = 0.048). Socioeconomic status and baseline visual acuity of the second eye of the same individual with neovascular age-related macular degeneration were not correlated (r = -0.05, p = 0.95). Socioeconomic status was not associated with the number of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor injections of the first or second eye, or the visual acuity outcome of the first or second eye after 1 year of therapy (p = 0.421, p = 0.9, respectively). Central subfield thickness of the first eye at presentation as measured by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography was associated with socioeconomic status (r = -0.31 p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: Individuals of lower socioeconomic status presented at more advanced stage of the disease when developing neovascular age-related macular degeneration in the first eye but not in the second eye. The research underscores the importance of improving referral patterns and awareness for the lowest socioeconomic status classes.

Understanding small ORF diversity through a comprehensive transcription feature classification.

Small open reading frames (small ORFs/sORFs/smORFs) are potentially coding sequences smaller than 100 codons that have historically been considered junk DNA by gene prediction software and in annotation screening; however, the advent of next-generation sequencing has contributed to the deeper investigation of junk DNA regions and their transcription products, resulting in the emergence of smORFs as a new focus of interest in systems biology. Several smORF peptides were recently reported in non-canonical mRNAs as new players in numerous biological contexts; however, their relevance is still overlooked in coding potential analysis. Hence, this review proposes a smORF classification based on transcriptional features, discussing the most promising approaches to investigate smORFs based on their different characteristics. First, smORFs were divided into non-expressed (intergenic) and expressed (genic) smORFs. Second, genic smORFs were classified as smORFs located in non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) or canonical mRNAs. Finally, smORFs in ncRNAs were further subdivided into sequences located in small or long RNAs, whereas smORFs located in canonical mRNAs were subdivided into several specific classes depending on their localization along the gene. We hope that this review provides new insights into large-scale annotations and reinforces the role of smORFs as essential components of a hidden coding DNA world.

Staphylococcus epidermidis Endophthalmitis Masquerading as Panuveitis After an Imperceptible Ocular Trauma

Endophthalmitis after a penetrating trauma occurs in 3% to 30% of cases. Prompt recognition and treatment are paramount to avoid irreversible visual loss. We present a case of severe panuveitis following ocular trauma with a tree branch that did not cause any evident ocular wound and discuss the difficulties in achieving a diagnosis that can allow proper treatment. A healthy 21-year-old man presented with acute anterior uveitis. He was managed elsewhere with oral acyclovir and topical steroids for presumed herpetic uveitis. He subsequently developed severe panuveitis with profound decrease in vision. Diagnostic vitrectomy was performed and vitreous samples were positive for Staphylococcus epidermidis. Systemic and intravitreal antibiotic therapy was initiated and after 5 days, the patient recovered with a remarkable improvement in visual acuity to 6/12. Post-traumatic endophthalmitis can result from an imperceptible trauma with no obvious compromise of the globe.

As Escrevivências no ensino de Terapia Ocupacional sobre/com as juventudes / "Escrevivências" in the teaching of Occupational Therapy for/with youth / Las Escrevivências en la enseñanza de la Terapia Ocupacional sobre/con las juventudes

Há um imperativo de se pensar uma formação graduada em Terapia Ocupacional atenta às necessidades juvenis. Nesse sentido, hipotetizamos que as Escrevivências de Conceição Evaristo poderiam mediar a aprendizagem crítica sobre as juventudes. O objetivo deste artigo é investigar o processo de ensino e aprendizagem estético, ético e político de estudantes de Terapia Ocupacional por meio de um projeto de ensino pautado nas Escrevivências. Trata-se de uma pesquisa educacional que se utilizou de informações pedagógicas de uma disciplina ministrada remotamente. Estudantes estabeleceram contato com jovens diversos para pensar aspectos coletivos dentro de narrativas singulares de vida. Os achados provêm da análise do diário de campo da monitora, da transcrição das monitorias virtuais, do trabalho final e de um grupo focal. Identificamos processos cognitivos relevantes ligados à alteridade. Quanto à aprendizagem estética, crítico-social e ético-política, debatemos as limitações.

It is imperative to think about graduate training in occupational therapy that is mindful of the needs of young people. In this regard, we hypothesized that the writings of Conceição Evaristo can help mediate critical learning about youth. The aim of this study was to investigate the aesthetic, ethical and political teaching and learning process of occupational therapy students based on a teaching project grounded in these writings. We conducted an educational study using pedagogical information from a remotely taught subject. Students established contact with various young people to think about collective aspects within singular life narratives. The findings resulted from the analysis of the field diary of the subject monitor, transcriptions of online tutoring, the students' end of course project and a focus group. We identified relevant cognitive processes linked to otherness. We also discuss the limitations of aesthetic, critical-social and ethical-political learning.

Existe el imperativo de pensar en una formación graduada en Terapia Ocupacional que esté atenta a las necesidades juveniles. En ese sentido, lanzamos la hipótesis de que las Escrevivências de Conceição Evaristo podrían mediar el aprendizaje crítico sobre las juventudes. El objetivo de este artículo es investigar el proceso de enseñanza y aprendizaje estético, ético y político de estudiantes de terapia ocupacional a partir de un proyecto de enseñanza con base en las Escrevivências. Se trata de una investigación educativa que utilizó informaciones pedagógicas de una asignatura dictada remotamente. Los estudiantes establecieron contactos con jóvenes diversos para pensar aspectos colectivos dentro de narrativas singulares de vida. Los hallazgos provienen del análisis del diario de campo de la monitora, de la transcripción de los monitoreos virtuales, del trabajo final y de un grupo focal. Identificamos procesos cognitivos relevantes vinculados a la alteridad. Con relación al aprendizaje estético, crítico-social y ético-político, discutimos las limitaciones.

Transcriptome analysis of Loxosceles laeta (Araneae, Sicariidae) spider venomous gland using expressed sequence tags.

BACKGROUND: The bite of spiders belonging to the genus Loxosceles can induce a variety of clinical symptoms, including dermonecrosis, thrombosis, vascular leakage, haemolysis, and persistent inflammation. In order to examine the transcripts expressed in venom gland of Loxosceles laeta spider and to unveil the potential of its products on cellular structure and functional aspects, we generated 3,008 expressed sequence tags (ESTs) from a cDNA library. RESULTS: All ESTs were clustered into 1,357 clusters, of which 16.4% of the total ESTs belong to recognized toxin-coding sequences, being the Sphingomyelinases D the most abundant transcript; 14.5% include "possible toxins", whose transcripts correspond to metalloproteinases, serinoproteinases, hyaluronidases, lipases, C-lectins, cystein peptidases and inhibitors. Thirty three percent of the ESTs are similar to cellular transcripts, being the major part represented by molecules involved in gene and protein expression, reflecting the specialization of this tissue for protein synthesis. In addition, a considerable number of sequences, 25%, has no significant similarity to any known sequence. CONCLUSION: This study provides a first global view of the gene expression scenario of the venom gland of L. laeta described so far, indicating the molecular bases of its venom composition.

Proposta formativa para profissionais da educação infantil: contribuições da terapia ocupacional validadas pela técnica Delphi / Training proposal for professionals of early childhood education: validated contributions of occupational therapy by Delphi technique

Resumo Atualmente, identificam-se importantes lacunas nas pesquisas em terapia ocupacional que enfoquem as diversas concepções e objetivos da educação infantil brasileira. O objetivo desta pesquisa foi apresentar o processo de validação de oficinas formativas voltadas para trabalhadoras da educação infantil, por meio do consenso de especialistas. Sete oficinas elaboradas participativamente deram origem ao quadro formativo e tais informações foram apresentadas detalhadamente aos especialistas em duas rodadas, conforme a técnica Delphi. Foram convidados 29 doutores experts em educação infantil, sendo que seis deles aceitaram participar, com formação em filosofia e letras, pedagogia e terapia ocupacional. Foi feita análise descritiva das respostas, a partir da média dos resultados encontrados. As oficinas alcançaram a 95%-100% de concordância. Foram sugeridos alguns enriquecimentos temáticos, como: o cotidiano escolar e pré-escolar; neoliberalismo e educação infantil; infâncias e suas múltiplas determinações; o espontaneísmo do brincar na educação infantil; cultura infantil e currículo. Os especialistas também sugeriram dinâmicas e bibliografias para as oficinas. O consenso denota consistência teórico-metodológica multidisciplinar, o que aumenta a complexidade da abordagem e as chances de generalização para além dos interesses locais da instituição que sediou esta experiência. O quadro contém temas-chave, focados nas problemáticas atuais da educação infantil, o que o torna passível de utilização por terapeutas ocupacionais em outros contextos.

Abstract Currently, important gaps are identified in occupational therapy research that focus on the different concepts and objectives of Brazilian early childhood education. The objective of this research was to present the validation process of training workshops aimed at workers in early childhood education, through the consensus of specialists. Seven participatively elaborated workshops gave rise to the training framework and such information was presented in detail to the specialists in two rounds, according to the Delphi technique. Twenty-nine doctoral experts in early childhood education were invited, six of whom agreed to participate, with degrees in philosophy and literature, pedagogy and occupational therapy. A descriptive analysis of the responses was performed, based on the average of the results found. The workshops reached 95%-100% agreement. Some thematic enrichments were suggested, such as: school and preschool routine; neoliberalism and early childhood education; childhoods and their multiple determinations; the spontaneity of playing in early childhood education; children's culture and curriculum. The specialists also suggested dynamics and bibliographies for the workshops. Consensus denotes multidisciplinary theoretical-methodological consistency, which increases the complexity of the approach and the chances of generalization beyond the local interests of the institution that hosted this experience. The chart contains key themes, focused on current issues in early childhood education, which makes it possible for occupational therapists to use it in other contexts.

Oxidative stress and aging: Learning from yeast lessons.

The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has played a vital role in the understanding of the molecular basis of aging and the relationship of aging process with oxidative stress (non-homeostatic accumulation of Reactive Oxygen Species, ROS). The mammalian and yeast antioxidant responses are similar and over 25 % of human-degenerative disease related genes have close homologues in yeast. The reduced genetic redundancy of yeast facilitates visualization of the effect of a deleted or mutated gene. By manipulating growth conditions, yeast cells can survive only fermenting (low ROS levels) or respiring (increased ROS levels), which facilitates the elucidation of the mechanisms involved with acquisition of tolerance to oxidative stress. Furthermore, the yeast databases are the most complete of all eukaryotic models. In this work, we highlight the value of S. cerevisiae as a model to investigate the oxidative stress response and its potential impact on aging and age-related diseases.

O lazer pela ótica da cotidianidade em terapia ocupacional / Leisure through the lens of everyday life in occupational therapy

Introdução: Amplo debate multidisciplinar vem problematizando teorias clássicas sobre o lazer, sobretudo a oposição criada entre lazer e trabalho. Objetivo: analisar o modo como o lazer tem sido teorizado em TO e, a partir do diálogo multidisciplinar, propor avanços apoiados na perspectiva da cotidianidade. Resultados e discussão: O lazer como tempo livre automotivado se destaca na TO, denotando estagnação intelectual. Partimos da produção de Christiane Gomes que define o lazer pelo prisma da cultura. Utilizamos também Raymond Williams para redefinir vivência cultural pelo materialismo histórico, e para relacionar cotidianidade e lazer. Conclusão: mais que uma classe de ocupações, pela cotidianidade o lazer é visto a partir de uma totalidade social, entrecruzando as dimensões do tempo, territorialidade e ludicidade.

Introduction: A broad multidisciplinary debate has questioned classic theories about leisure, especially the opposition between leisure and work. Objective: to analyse how leisure has been theorized in OT; and to propose theorist advances based on the perspective of everyday life based on a multidisciplinary dialogue. Results and discussion: Leisure as a self-motivated or free time stands out in OT, denoting intellectual stagnation. We start from the production of Christiane Gomes who defines leisure through the prism of culture. We also based on Raymond Williams and others to redefine cultural experience through historical materialism, and to relate everyday life and leisure. Conclusion: more than a class of occupations, leisure is in everyday life as a social totality, crossing the dimensions of time, territory, and playfulness.