The Influence of oral environment on diet choices in goats: a focus on saliva protein composition

There is ample evidence that ruminants are capable of making choices between different foods that provide a more balanced diet that would be obtained by eating at random. In the particular case of goats, they occupy a diversity of habitats and different breeds present variability of feeding behaviors resultant from adaptations to the existent plant species. In their food search activity, individuals are faced with variable amounts of plant secondary metabolites (PSMs), which may present some toxic and anti-nutritional effects depending on the individual’s ability to deal with it. The oral cavity has a key role in the recognition and decision processes of ingestion or rejection. In this chapter we will first consider how goats identify foods and behave according to the food items available. Focus will be done on the importance of taste sense in this process and the information available on the main structures involved in taste detection and perception in goats will be reviewed. In a second section we will focus on the characteristics of goat’s saliva, particularly in terms of their protein composition, presenting results obtained by our research team

Estratégias de coping utilizadas por familiares de indivíduos em tratamento hemodialítico

This descriptive, qualitative study aims to identify the coping strategies used most by the family members of patients with chronic kidney disease receiving hemodialysis. The data were collected through interviews, with the Coping Strategies Inventory questionnaire administered to ten family members, and were submitted to descriptive statistics and to thematic content analysis. The strategy used most was escape-avoidance, demonstrating that the family members prefer not to face the situation. The second most-used strategy was social support, ratified by the fact that they stated that they talk with other persons and professionals, seeking information about the problem, and because they accept the support received positively. The third was problem resolution, represented by the attitude of accepting responsibility for the care, either through strong affective bonds or through a feeling of responsibility established prior to the disease. The families use coping strategies of different intensities, while, nevertheless, indicating involvement and major participation in the care for the patient.Estudio cualitativo, que trató de identificar las estrategias de afrontamiento empleadas por las familias de los pacientes con insuficiencia renal crónica en hemodiálisis. Se aplicó el Inventario de Estrategias de Afrontamiento y una questión abierta con diez familiares. Los datos cuantitativos fueron sometidos a procedimientos estatísticos y análisis de contenido cualitativo. La estrategia de mayor utilización fue el escape y evitación (oito), lo que demuestra que los miembros de las familisa preferían no tener que enfrentar esta situación. La siguiente estrategia fue utilizada más apoyo social, ya hablé con otras personas y profesionales que buscan información sobre el problema, y aceptar el apoyo positivo recibido. A terceira foi resolução de problemas, representada pela atitude em assumir o cuidado, seja pelo forte vínculo afetivo ou pelo sentimento de responsabilidade já estabelecido antes da doença. Familias de las estrategias de afrontamiento empleadas con diferentes intensidades, pero mostrando una gran implicación y la participación en el cuidado del paciente crónico.Estudo descritivo, de natureza quali-quantitativa, que objetivou identificar as estratégias de enfrentamento mais utilizadas por familiares de pacientes com doença renal crônica em hemodiálise. Os dados foram coletados por meio de entrevista, com aplicação do Inventário de Estratégias de Coping a dez familiares, e submetidos à estatística descritiva e à análise de conteúdo temática. A estratégia mais utilizada foi fuga e esquiva, demonstrando que os familiares preferiam não enfrentar a situação. A segunda estratégia mais usada foi suporte social, ratificada ao afirmarem que conversaram com outras pessoas e profissionais buscando informações sobre o problema, e por aceitarem positivamente o apoio recebido. A terceira foi resolução de problemas, representada pela atitude em assumir o cuidado, seja pelo forte vínculo afetivo ou pelo sentimento de responsabilidade já estabelecido antes da doença. As famílias empregaram estratégias de enfrentamento com intensidades diferentes, porém indicando envolvimento e grande participação no cuidado ao doente.Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP)aff2Universidade Estadual de MaringáUEMUNIFESPSciEL

The Trypanosoma cruzi Sylvio X10 strain maxicircle sequence: the third musketeer

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Chagas disease has a diverse pathology caused by the parasite <it>Trypanosoma cruzi</it>, and is indigenous to Central and South America. A pronounced feature of the trypanosomes is the kinetoplast, which is comprised of catenated maxicircles and minicircles that provide the transcripts involved in uridine insertion/deletion RNA editing. <it>T. cruzi </it>exchange genetic material through a hybridization event. Extant strains are grouped into six discrete typing units by nuclear markers, and three clades, A, B, and C, based on maxicircle gene analysis. Clades A and B are the more closely related. Representative clade B and C maxicircles are known in their entirety, and portions of A, B, and C clades from multiple strains show intra-strain heterogeneity with the potential for maxicircle taxonomic markers that may correlate with clinical presentation.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>To perform a genome-wide analysis of the three maxicircle clades, the coding region of clade A representative strain Sylvio X10 (a.k.a. Silvio X10) was sequenced by PCR amplification of specific fragments followed by assembly and comparison with the known CL Brener and Esmeraldo maxicircle sequences. The clade A rRNA and protein coding region maintained synteny with clades B and C. Amino acid analysis of non-edited and 5'-edited genes for Sylvio X10 showed the anticipated gene sequences, with notable frameshifts in the non-edited regions of Cyb and ND4. Comparisons of genes that undergo extensive uridine insertion and deletion display a high number of insertion/deletion mutations that are likely permissible due to the post-transcriptional activity of RNA editing.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Phylogenetic analysis of the entire maxicircle coding region supports the closer evolutionary relationship of clade B to A, consistent with uniparental mitochondrial inheritance from a discrete typing unit TcI parental strain and studies on smaller fragments of the mitochondrial genome. Gene variance that can be corrected by RNA editing hints at an unusual depth for maxicircle taxonomic markers, which will aid in the ability to distinguish strains, their corresponding symptoms, and further our understanding of the <it>T. cruzi </it>population structure. The prevalence of apparently compromised coding regions outside of normally edited regions hints at undescribed but active mechanisms of genetic exchange.</p

Voltage-gated Na⁺ channel activity increases colon cancertranscriptional activity and invasion via persistent MAPK signaling

© 2015 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved. Functional expression of voltage-gated Na+ channels (VGSCs) has been demonstrated in multiple cancer cell types where channel activity induces invasive activity. The signaling mechanisms by which VGSCs promote oncogenesis remain poorly understood. We explored the signal transduction process critical to VGSC-mediated invasion on the basis of reports linking channel activity to gene expression changes in excitable cells. Coincidentally, many genes transcriptionally regulated by the SCN5A isoform in colon cancer have an over-representation of cis-acting sites for transcription factors phosphorylated by ERK1/2 MAPK. We hypothesized that VGSC activity promotes MAPK activation to induce transcriptional changes in invasion-related genes. Using pharmacological inhibitors/activators and siRNA-mediated gene knockdowns, we correlated channel activity with Rap1-dependent persistent MAPK activation in the SW620 human colon cancer cell line. We further demonstrated that VGSC activity induces downstream changes in invasion-related gene expression via a PKA/ERK/c-JUN/ELK-1/ETS-1 transcriptional pathway. This is the first study illustrating a molecular mechanism linking functional activity of VGSCs to transcriptional activation of invasion-related genes

New endoperoxides highly active in vivo and in vitro against artemisinin-resistant Plasmodium falciparum

Background: The emergence and spread of Plasmodium falciparum resistance to artemisinin-based combination therapy in Southeast Asia prompted the need to develop new endoperoxide-type drugs. Methods: A chemically diverse library of endoperoxides was designed and synthesized. The compounds were screened for in vitro and in vivo anti-malarial activity using, respectively, the SYBR Green I assay and a mouse model. Ring survival and mature stage survival assays were performed against artemisinin-resistant and artemisinin-sensitive P. falciparum strains. Cytotoxicity was evaluated against mammalian cell lines V79 and HepG2, using the MTT assay. Results: The synthesis and anti-malarial activity of 21 new endoperoxide-derived compounds is reported, where the peroxide pharmacophore is part of a trioxolane (ozonide) or a tetraoxane moiety, flanked by adamantane and a substituted cyclohexyl ring. Eight compounds exhibited sub-micromolar anti-malarial activity (IC50 0.3–71.1 nM), no cross-resistance with artemisinin or quinolone derivatives and negligible cytotoxicity towards mammalian cells. From these, six produced ring stage survival < 1% against the resistant strain IPC5202 and three of them totally suppressed Plasmodium berghei parasitaemia in mice after oral administration. Conclusion: The investigated, trioxolane–tetrazole conjugates LC131 and LC136 emerged as potential anti-malarial candidates; they show negligible toxicity towards mammalian cells, ability to kill intra-erythrocytic asexual stages of artemisinin-resistant P. falciparum and capacity to totally suppress P. berghei parasitaemia in mice.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio