352 research outputs found
PK-PD correlation of anti-infective agents for dose adjustment in one severe burn child with sepsis
Transcriptome analysis of the oil-rich seed of the bioenergy crop Jatropha curcas L
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>To date, oil-rich plants are the main source of biodiesel products. Because concerns have been voiced about the impact of oil-crop cultivation on the price of food commodities, the interest in oil plants not used for food production and amenable to cultivation on non-agricultural land has soared. As a non-food, drought-resistant and oil-rich crop, <it>Jatropha curcas </it>L. fulfils many of the requirements for biofuel production.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We have generated 13,249 expressed sequence tags (ESTs) from developing and germinating <it>Jatropha </it>seeds. This strategy allowed us to detect most known genes related to lipid synthesis and degradation. We have also identified ESTs coding for proteins that may be involved in the toxicity of <it>Jatropha </it>seeds. Another unexpected finding is the high number of ESTs containing transposable element-related sequences in the developing seed library (800) when contrasted with those found in the germinating seed library (80).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The sequences generated in this work represent a considerable increase in the number of sequences deposited in public databases. These results can be used to produce genetically improved varieties of <it>Jatropha </it>with increased oil yields, different oil compositions and better agronomic characteristics.</p
Scaling properties of protein family phylogenies
One of the classical questions in evolutionary biology is how evolutionary
processes are coupled at the gene and species level. With this motivation, we
compare the topological properties (mainly the depth scaling, as a
characterization of balance) of a large set of protein phylogenies with a set
of species phylogenies. The comparative analysis shows that both sets of
phylogenies share remarkably similar scaling behavior, suggesting the
universality of branching rules and of the evolutionary processes that drive
biological diversification from gene to species level. In order to explain such
generality, we propose a simple model which allows us to estimate the
proportion of evolvability/robustness needed to approximate the scaling
behavior observed in the phylogenies, highlighting the relevance of the
robustness of a biological system (species or protein) in the scaling
properties of the phylogenetic trees. Thus, the rules that govern the
incapability of a biological system to diversify are equally relevant both at
the gene and at the species level.Comment: Replaced with final published versio
Asymptotic analysis of an elastic rod with rounded ends
We derive a one-dimensional model for an elastic shuttle, that is, a thin rod with rounded ends and small fixed terminals, by means of an asymptotic procedure of dimension reduction. In the model, deformation of the shuttle is described by a system of ordinary differential equations with variable degenerating coefficients, and the number of the required boundary conditions at the end points of the one-dimensional image of the rod depends on the roundness exponent m is an element of(0,1). Error estimates are obtained in the case m is an element of(0,1/4) by using an anisotropic weighted Korn inequality, which was derived in an earlier paper by the authors. We also briefly discuss boundary layer effects, which can be neglected in the case m is an element of(0,1/4) but play a crucial role in the formulation of the limit problem for m >= 1/4.Peer reviewe
Social determinants of hospitalizations for ambulatory care sensitive conditions in Guarulhos, SĂŁo Paulo
Activators of processes of change: a proposal oriented to the transformation of educational practices and the training of health professionals
Brane-World Gravity
The observable universe could be a 1+3-surface (the "brane") embedded in a
1+3+\textit{d}-dimensional spacetime (the "bulk"), with Standard Model
particles and fields trapped on the brane while gravity is free to access the
bulk. At least one of the \textit{d} extra spatial dimensions could be very
large relative to the Planck scale, which lowers the fundamental gravity scale,
possibly even down to the electroweak ( TeV) level. This revolutionary
picture arises in the framework of recent developments in M theory. The
1+10-dimensional M theory encompasses the known 1+9-dimensional superstring
theories, and is widely considered to be a promising potential route to quantum
gravity. At low energies, gravity is localized at the brane and general
relativity is recovered, but at high energies gravity "leaks" into the bulk,
behaving in a truly higher-dimensional way. This introduces significant changes
to gravitational dynamics and perturbations, with interesting and potentially
testable implications for high-energy astrophysics, black holes, and cosmology.
Brane-world models offer a phenomenological way to test some of the novel
predictions and corrections to general relativity that are implied by M theory.
This review analyzes the geometry, dynamics and perturbations of simple
brane-world models for cosmology and astrophysics, mainly focusing on warped
5-dimensional brane-worlds based on the Randall--Sundrum models. We also cover
the simplest brane-world models in which 4-dimensional gravity on the brane is
modified at \emph{low} energies -- the 5-dimensional Dvali--Gabadadze--Porrati
models. Then we discuss co-dimension two branes in 6-dimensional models.Comment: A major update of Living Reviews in Relativity 7:7 (2004)
"Brane-World Gravity", 119 pages, 28 figures, the update contains new
material on RS perturbations, including full numerical solutions of
gravitational waves and scalar perturbations, on DGP models, and also on 6D
models. A published version in Living Reviews in Relativit
Mechanism of Dinitrochlorobenzene-Induced Dermatitis in Mice: Role of Specific Antibodies in Pathogenesis
Dinitrochlorobenzene-induced contact hypersensitivity is widely considered as a cell-mediated rather than antibody-mediated immune response. At present, very little is known about the role of antigen-specific antibodies and B cells in the development of dinitrochlorobenzene-induced hypersensitivity reactions, and this is the subject of the present investigation.Data obtained from multiple lines of experiments unequivocally showed that the formation of dinitrochlorobenzene-specific Abs played an important role in the development of dinitrochlorobenzene-induced contact hypersensitivity. The appearance of dinitrochlorobenzene-induced skin dermatitis matched in timing the appearance of the circulating dinitrochlorobenzene-specific antibodies. Adoptive transfer of sera containing dinitrochlorobenzene-specific antibodies from dinitrochlorobenzene-treated mice elicited a much stronger hypersensitivity reaction than the adoptive transfer of lymphocytes from the same donors. Moreover, dinitrochlorobenzene-induced contact hypersensitivity was strongly suppressed in B cell-deficient mice with no DNCB-specific antibodies. It was also observed that treatment of animals with dinitrochlorobenzene polarized Th cells into Th2 differentiation by increasing the production of Th2 cytokines while decreasing the production of Th1 cytokines.In striking contrast to the long-held belief that dinitrochlorobenzene-induced contact hypersensitivity is a cell-mediated immune response, the results of our present study demonstrated that the production of dinitrochlorobenzene-specific antibodies by activated B cells played an indispensible role in the pathogenesis of dinitrochlorobenzene-induced CHS. These findings may provide new possibilities in the treatment of human contact hypersensitivity conditions
- âŚ