Characterization of thrombin inhibitory mechanism of rAaTI, a Kazal-type inhibitor from Aedes aegypti with anticoagulant activity

Saliva of blood-sucking arthropods contains a complex mixture of anti-haemostatic, anti-inflammatory and immune-modulator compounds. Among anti-haemostatic factors, there are anticoagulants, vasodilators and platelet aggregation inhibitors. Previous analyses of the sialotranscriptome of Aedes aegypti showed the potential presence of a Kazal-type serine protease inhibitor in the female salivary glands, carcass and also in the whole male, which inhibitor we named AaTI (A. aegypti thrombin inhibitor). Recently, we expressed and characterized rAaTI as a trypsin inhibitor, and its anticoagulant activity [1]. in this work we characterized the thrombin inhibition mechanism of rAaTI. Recombinant AaTI was able to prolong prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time and thrombin time. in contrast, AaTI Delta (rAaTI truncated form) and C-terminal AaTI acidic tail prolong only thrombin time. in the competition assay, rAaTI, AaTI Delta or C-terminal AaTI acidic tail thrombin interactions seem to be affected by heparin but not by hirudin, suggesting that rAaTI binds to thrombin exosite 2. Finally, the thrombin inhibition assay of rAaTI showed an uncompetitive inhibition mechanism. in conclusion, rAaTI can probably inhibit thrombin by interacting with thrombin exosite 2, and the interaction is not mediated by the AaTI C-terminal region, since the truncated AaTI Delta form also prolongs thrombin time. (C) 2010 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Bioquim, BR-04044020 São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Biofis, BR-04044020 São Paulo, BrazilInst Butantan, Lab Fisiopatol, BR-05503900 São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Bioquim, BR-04044020 São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Biofis, BR-04044020 São Paulo, BrazilFAPESP: 05/03514-9FAPESP: 07/56614-6CNPq: 470070/2004-8CNPq: 575829/2008-7Web of Scienc

Prospecção Tecnológica: Levantamento de Patentes, Atuação da Academia e Potenciais Inovações em Ambientes de Aprendizagem no Brasil de 2000 a 2015

Prospecção tecnológica é um processo formal para identificar, avaliar e interpretar uma inovação (ou uma proposta) disponı́vel sobre um determinado tema. Este trabalho mostra um estudo baseado em prospecção tecnológica para verificar as propostas de inovações de ambientes virtuais e tecnologias utilizadas para apoiar a educação. Como resultado, foi constatado que o principal assunto discutido na comunidade acadêmica de informática na educação é alvo de poucas, mas existentes, tentativas de inovação por pessoas não necessariamente ligadas às universidades

Auditoria interna - o contributo do controlo interno na gestão de risco das organizações

Esta versão contém as correcções às críticas e sugestões dos elementos do júriAs empresas para atingirem a estratégia delineada devem estabelecer um modelo de governance que vise efectuar a gestão do risco, conduzindo á implementação de processos e controlos, para reduzir as ameaças e o risco de incerteza subjacentes às principais actividades ou negócios desenvolvidos. A gestão do risco passa pela análise detalhada dos riscos subjacentes ao negócio. Parte da gestão do risco é realizada pela implementação de um sistema de controlo interno, conducente a mitigar os riscos negativos e a potenciar os riscos positivos para a empresa. O controlo interno é fundamental na gestão do risco, pois trata-se do conjunto de mecanismos e práticas utilizadas para evitar ou detectar actividade não autorizada, com o intuito da realização dos objectivos estratégicos da empresa. Neste sentido, o objectivo deste trabalho passou por evidenciar a importância do processo de gestão do risco no delinear da estratégia de negócio e na condução dos trabalhos para a concretização dos objectivos da empresa, e demonstrar a importância do sistema de controlo interno neste processo e como parte fundamental na mitigação do risco. Inicialmente realizou-se uma pesquisa literária para aprofundar os principais conceitos sobre controlo interno e gestão do risco. Seguidamente, procedeu-se à elaboração de um questionário destinado a profissionais de Auditoria e a outros relacionados com a área em análise, de modo a encontrar consensos entre opiniões. Os resultados obtidos conduziram-nos á validação do modelo de análise, proposto no capítulo metodologia de investigação deste trabalho.Companies to achieve the strategy outlined, must establish a governance model that aims to manage risk, leading to the implementation of processes and controls, to reduce the threats and the risk of uncertainty underlying the main activities or businesses developed. Risk management involves a detailed analysis of the risks underlying the business. Part of risk management is carried out by implementing an internal control system, leading to mitigating negative risks and enhancing positive risks for the company. Internal control is fundamental in risk management, as it is the set of mechanisms and practices used to prevent or detect unauthorized activity, with a view to achieving the company's strategic objectives. In this sense, the objective of this work was to highlight the importance of the risk management process in outlining the business strategy and in conducting the work to achieve the company's objectives, and to demonstrate the importance of the internal control system in this process and how fundamental part in risk mitigation. Initially, a literary research was carried out to deepen the main concepts on internal control and risk management. Then, a questionnaire was created for Audit professionals and other parts related to the area under analysis, in order to find consensus between opinions. The results obtained led us to validate the analysis model proposed, in the research methodology chapter of this work

Avian influenza virus (H11N9) in migratory shorebirds wintering in the Amazon region, Brazil

Aquatic birds are the natural reservoir for avian influenza viruses (AIV). Habitats in Brazil provide stopover and wintering sites for water birds that migrate between North and South America. The current study was conducted to elucidate the possibility of the transport of influenza A viruses by birds that migrate annually between the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. In total, 556 orotracheal/cloacal swab samples were collected for influenza A virus screening using real-time RT-PCR (rRT-PCR). The influenza A virus-positive samples were subjected to viral isolation. Four samples were positive for the influenza A matrix gene by rRT-PCR. From these samples, three viruses were isolated, sequenced and characterized. All positive samples originated from a single bird species, the ruddy turnstone (Arenaria interpres), that was caught in the Amazon region at Caeté Bay, Northeast Pará, at Ilha de Canelas. To our knowledge, this is the first isolation of H11N9 in the ruddy turnstone in South America. (Résumé d'auteur

Hydatidiform mole resulting from sexual violence

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Hydatidiform mole (HM) is characterized by abnormal proliferation of human trophoblast with producers functioning tissues of human chorionic gonadotropin. It can evolve with ovarian cysts tecaluteínicos, hypertension of pregnancy or hyperthyroidism. The incidence of HM is variable and its etiology poorly known, associated with nutritional factors, environmental, age, parity, history of HM, oral contraceptives, smoking, consanguinity or defects in germ cells. There is no reference in literature on HM resulting from sexual violence, objective of this report.</p> <p>Method</p> <p>Description of two cases of HM among 1146 patients with pregnancy resulting from sexual violence treated at Hospital Pérola Byington, São Paulo, from July 1994 to August 2011.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The cases affected young, white, unmarried, low educated and low parity women. Sexual violence was perpetrated by known offenders unrelated to the victims, under death threat. Ultrasound and CT of the pelvis showed bulky uterus compatible with HM without myometrial invasion. One case was associated with theca lutein cysts. The two cases were diagnosed in the second trimester of pregnancy and evolved with hyperthyroidism. There was no hypertension, disease recurrence, metastasis or sexually transmitted infection.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The incidence of HM was 1:573 pregnancies resulting from rape, within the range estimated for Latin American countries. Trophoblastic material can be preserved to identify the violence perpetrator, considering only the paternal HM chromosomes. History of sexual violence should be investigated in cases of HM in the first half of adolescence and women in a vulnerable condition.</p

Visão óptica do ensino de química sob análise das metodologias utilizadas a partir da formação contínua de professores

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