Resonant helical deformations in nonhomogeneous Kirchhoff filaments

We study the three-dimensional static configurations of nonhomogeneous Kirchhoff filaments with periodically varying Young's modulus. This type of variation may occur in long tandemly repeated sequences of DNA. We analyse the effects of the Young's modulus frequence and amplitude of oscillation in the stroboscopic maps, and in the regular (non chaotic) spatial configurations of the filaments. Our analysis shows that the tridimensional conformations of long filaments may depend critically on the Young's modulus frequence in case of resonance with other natural frequencies of the filament. As expected, far from resonance the shape of the solutions remain very close to that of the homogeneous case. In the case of biomolecules, it is well known that various other elements, besides sequence-dependent effects, combine to determine their conformation, like self-contact, salt concentration, thermal fluctuations, anisotropy and interaction with proteins. Our results show that sequence-dependent effects alone may have a significant influence on the shape of these molecules, including DNA. This could, therefore, be a possible mechanical function of the ``junk'' sequences.Comment: 18 pages (twocolumn), 5 figures Revised manuscrip

A new heparan sulfate from the mollusk nodipecten nodosus inhibits merozoite invasion and disrupts rosetting and cytoadherence of plasmodium falciparum

Despite treatment with effective antimalarial drugs, the mortality rate is still high in severe cases of the disease, highlighting the need to find adjunct therapies that can inhibit the adhesion of Pf-iEs. In this context, we evaluated a new heparan sulfate (HS) from Nodipecten nodosus for antimalarial activity and inhibition of P. falciparum cytoadhesion and rosetting. Parasite inhibition was measured by SYBR green using a cytometer. HS was assessed in rosetting and cytoadhesion assays under static and flow conditions using CHO and HLEC cells expressing ICAM1 and CSA, respectively. This HS inhibited merozoite invasion similar to heparin. Moreover, mollusk HS decreased cytoadherence of P. falciparum to CSA (chondroitin sulfate A) and ICAM-1 (intercellular adhesion molecule-1) on the surface of endothelial cells under static and flow conditions. In addition, this glycan efficiently disrupted rosettes. These findings support a potential use for mollusk HS as adjunct therapy for severe malaria114CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICO - CNPQFUNDAÇÃO CARLOS CHAGAS FILHO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DO RIO DE JANEIRO - FAPERJFUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO - FAPESPnão temnão tem2012/16525-2; 2017/18611-7; 2010/18571-6; 2015/20774-

RACEWALKING AND NORMAL WALKING ANALYSIS

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of the present study was to observe biomechanical variations in racewalking, starting from normal walking and continuing on up to a maximum racewalking performance supported by the athlete. Tests were carried out on a women’s racewalking team who represents Santa Catarina State at national competitions in Brazil. A GaitwayTM instrumented treadmill system was used to verify the differences between normal walking and racewalking. A few studies have been made of race walkers. Some physiological aspects indicated that the speed at which racewalking and running become equally efficient is similar to the crossover speed for conventional walking and running (Hagberg & Coyle, 1984). Another important study was done by Morgan & Martin (1986), who showed the effects of stride length alterations on racewalking economy. Their results support the hypothesis that trained subjects select locomotion patterns that are nearly optimal in terms of the aerobic demands. Cairns et al. (1986) determined that the racewalking gait exhibits some biomechanical characteristics which are different from the walking gait or running. Recently, Brisswalter et al. (1996) suggested that in well trained walkers the energy cost of walking increases with exercise duration, but walkers are able to maintain the same stride duration after the test when treadmill speed is controlled

New qnr Gene Cassettes Associated with Superintegron Repeats in Vibrio cholerae O1

A novel qnr determinant emerged in ciprofloxacin-resistant Vibrio cholerae O1 from the Amazon region of Brazil. This qnrVC1 was in a typical class 1 integron. Its attC showed 89% identity with V. parahaemolyticus superintegron repeats. Analysis showed V. cholerae O1 carrying qnrVC2 associated with a V. cholerae superintegron repeat

Passatempo Virus, a Vaccinia Virus Strain, Brazil

Passatempo virus was isolated during a zoonotic outbreak. Biologic features and molecular characterization of hemagglutinin, thymidine kinase, and vaccinia growth factor genes suggested a vaccinia virus infection, which strengthens the idea of the reemergence and circulation of vaccinia virus in Brazil. Molecular polymorphisms indicated that Passatempo virus is a different isolate

Estudos sobre a nutrição mineral do arroz: XVII. Exigências nutricionais das variedades IAC-164 e IAC-165

Two upland rice varieties, IAC-164 and IAC-165 were grown in full strenght nº 2 Hoagland's solution untill their life cycle was completed. Dry matter production and both macro and micronutrient contents were then determined. Accumulation of macronutrients obeyed the following decreasing order: IAC-164 - K, N, Ca, Mg, P, and S; IAC-165 - N, K, Ca, P = Mg, and S. Exportation of macronutrients followed the same order for both varieties namely: N, K, P, Mg, Ca, and S. Percentwise P was the element exported in the grains in higher proportion. The requirement for micronutrients showed the following decreasing order: IAC-164 - Cl, Fe, Zn, Mn, Cu, B, and Mo; IAC-165 - Cl, Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, B, and Mo. The extremely high Cl content was tentatively explained by luxury consumption. Both varieties presented the same trend in the exportation of micronutrients: Cl, Zn, Fe, Mn, Cu, B and Mo. Variety IAC-165 showed a higher efficiency of utilization of elements for yield formation, only P and Ca being exceptions.Duas variedades de arroz de sequeiro, IAC-164 e IAC-165, foram cultivadas em solução nutritiva até o fim do ciclo. Foi feita a determinação da matéria seca das raízes, colmos+perfilhos, folhas, casca e grãos. Nas diversas partes foi feita a determinação dos teores de macro e micronutrientes. Os macronutrientes foram exigidos na seguinte ordem decrescente: IAC-164 - K, N, Ca, Mg, P e S; IAC-165 - N, K, Ca, P - Mg, As duas variedades exportaram (grãos + casca) os elementos na ordem decrescente seguinte: N, K, P, Mg, Ca, S. As exigências de micronutrientes por sua vez, guardaram a ordem decrescente: IAC-164 - Cl, Fe, Zn, Mn, Cu, B, Mo; IAC-165 - Cl, Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, B, Mo. A exportação obedeceu a esta ordem para as duas variedades: Cl, Zn, Fe, Mn, Cu, B e Mo. As exigências nutricionais das duas variedades não foram as mesmas

Integração de dados quantitativos e multicategóricos na determinação da divergência genética entre acessos de cafeeiro

Foi realizada estratégia de integração dos dados quantitativos e multicategóricos para avaliação da divergência genética entre 88 acessos de Coffea arabica. Avaliaram-se 12 características quantitativas (nota total da qualidade sensorial da bebida; peso de três litros de "café da roça"; peso de três litros de "café da roça" com 11% de umidade; porcentagem de café beneficiado a partir de três litros de "café da roça" com 11% de umidade; peso de três litros de café beneficiado com 11% de umidade; total de frutos de "café da roça" em um litro; porcentagem de frutos secos, passas, cereja, verde-cana e verdes em um litro de "café da roça"; e porcentagem de frutos com lojas vazias em um litro de "café da roça") e seis características multicategóricas relacionadas à qualidade sensorial da bebida (doçura, acidez, corpo, sabor, retrogosto e aspecto geral). Baixa divergência genética foi encontrada entre os acessos considerando as características quantitativas e multicategóricas isoladamente. No entanto, com a conversão dos dados quantitativos em multicategóricos, a integração de características de diferentes naturezas favoreceu a melhor visualização da divergência genética entre os acessos avaliados, devido ao maior número de grupos formados em comparação ao agrupamento para cada conjunto de características

KCNA5 gene is not confirmed as a systemic sclerosis-related pulmonary arterial hypertension genetic susceptibility factor

<p>Introduction: Potassium voltage-gated channel shaker-related subfamily member 5 (KCNA5) is implicated in vascular tone regulation, and its inhibition during hypoxia produces pulmonary vasoconstriction. Recently, a protective association of the KCNA5 locus with systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) was reported. Hence, the aim of this study was to replicate these findings in an independent multicenter Caucasian SSc cohort.</p> <p>Methods: The 2,343 SSc cases (179 PAH positive, confirmed by right-heart catheterization) and 2,690 matched healthy controls from five European countries were included in this study. Rs10744676 single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) was genotyped by using a TaqMan SNP genotyping assay.</p> <p>Results: Individual population analyses of the selected KCNA5 genetic variant did not show significant association with SSc or any of the defined subsets (for example, limited cutaneous SSc, diffuse cutaneous SSc, anti-centromere autoantibody positive and anti-topoisomerase autoantibody positive). Furthermore, pooled analyses revealed no significant evidence of association with the disease or any of the subsets, not even the PAH-positive group. The comparison of PAH-positive patients with PAH-negative patients showed no significant differences among patients.</p> <p>Conclusions: Our data do not support an important role of KCNA5 as an SSc-susceptibility factor or as a PAH-development genetic marker for SSc patients.</p&gt

Vaccinia Virus Infection in Monkeys, Brazilian Amazon

To detect orthopoxvirus in the Brazilian Amazon, we conducted a serosurvey of 344 wild animals. Neutralizing antibodies against orthopoxvirus were detected by plaque-reduction neutralizing tests in 84 serum samples. Amplicons from 6 monkey samples were sequenced. These amplicons identified vaccinia virus genetically similar to strains from bovine vaccinia outbreaks in Brazil

Mucin 5B promoter polymorphism is associated with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis but not with development of lung fibrosis in systemic sclerosis or sarcoidosis

BACKGROUND: A polymorphism (rs35705950) 3 kb upstream of MUC5B, the gene encoding Mucin 5 subtype B, has been shown to be associated with familial and sporadic idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). We set out to verify whether this variant is also a risk factor for fibrotic lung disease in other settings and to confirm the published findings in a UK Caucasian IPF population. METHODS: Caucasian UK healthy controls (n=416) and patients with IPF (n=110), sarcoidosis (n=180) and systemic sclerosis (SSc) (n=440) were genotyped to test for association. The SSc and sarcoidosis cohorts were subdivided according to the presence or absence of fibrotic lung disease. To assess correlation with disease progression, time to decline in forced vital capacity and/or lung carbon monoxide transfer factor was used in the IPF and SSc groups, while a persistent decline at 4 years since baseline was evaluated in patients with sarcoidosis. RESULTS: A significant association of the MUC5B promoter single nucleotide polymorphism with IPF (p=2.04 x 10(-17); OR 4.90, 95% CI 3.42 to 7.03) was confirmed in this UK population. The MUC5B variant was not a risk factor for lung fibrosis in patients with SSc or sarcoidosis and did not predict more rapidly progressive lung disease in any of the groups. Rather, a trend for a longer time to decline in forced vital capacity was observed in patients with IPF. CONCLUSIONS: We confirm the MUC5B variant association with IPF. We did not observe an association with lung fibrosis in the context of SSc or sarcoidosis, potentially highlighting fundamental differences in genetic susceptibility, although the limited subgroup numbers do not allow a definitive exclusion of an association