Importância dos Saca-Rabos (Herpestes Ichneumon) como Reservatório de Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis. Deteção por Técnicas Tradicionais e Moleculares

Poster apresentado nas IV Jornadas de Genética, realizadas na UTAD, Vila Real, nos dias 1,2 e 3 de Março de 2012.Os saca-rabos (Herpestes ichneumon) também conhecidos por mangustos, são carnívoros diurnos selvagens que juntamente com a geneta (Genetta genetta) representam os exemplares da família Viverridae em Portugal. É uma espécie cinegética de caça menor que se alimenta de coelhos, roedores, aves, cobras, insectos e ovos. Neste estudo colheram-se amostras de 8 animais mortos por atropelamento e em ações de controlo de predadores, durante os anos de 2010 e 2011, nos concelhos de Idanha-a-Nova e Penamacor do distrito de Castelo Branco. As amostras colhidas foram fígado, pulmão, baço, intestino, rim, gânglio mesentérico, retrofaríngeo, mediastínico, amígdalas e fezes. As amostras foram submetidas à técnica de PCR e a cultura microbiológica em meios específicos. Em três saca-rabos (37,5%) detectou-se Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (Map) através da técnica de biologia molecular. Dois eram machos e um era fêmea. Map foi confirmado também em cultura nos dois machos. Sete saca-rabos (87,5%) apresentaram bactérias álcool-ácido resistentes compatíveis com Map em esfregaços de diferentes tecidos, quando corados pelo método de Ziehl-Neelsen. Estes resultados preliminares confirmam os saca-rabos como reservatório de Map no nosso país. Atualmente, estão a ser desenvolvidos mais estudos para a avaliação dos saca-rabos na dinâmica da infeção de Map em mamíferos selvagens

The 750 GeV Diphoton Excess May Not Imply a 750 GeV Resonance

We discuss non-standard interpretations of the 750 GeV diphoton excess recently reported by the ATLAS and CMS Collaborations which do not involve a new, relatively broad, resonance with a mass near 750 GeV. Instead, we consider the sequential cascade decay of a much heavier, possibly quite narrow, resonance into two photons along with one or more invisible particles. The resulting diphoton invariant mass signal is generically rather broad, as suggested by the data. We examine three specific event topologies - the antler, the sandwich, and the 2-step cascade decay, and show that they all can provide a good fit to the observed published data. In each case, we delineate the preferred mass parameter space selected by the best fit. In spite of the presence of invisible particles in the final state, the measured missing transverse energy is moderate, due to its anti- correlation with the diphoton invariant mass. We comment on the future prospects of discriminating with higher statistics between our scenarios, as well as from more conventional interpretations.Comment: Discussion about the ATLAS Moriond EW2016 added. Matched to PRL accepted versio

Higher-dimensional black-hole solution with dilaton field

Using dimensional reduction by isometry from a higher-dimensional Einstein theory, the higher-dimensional black-hole solutions are considered. We obtain the spherically symmetric black-hole solutions in (4+n)-dimensional spacetime with the dilaton field. It is shown that the contribution of the dilaton field affects the gravitational coupling

Point Mutation of Hoxd12 in Mice

Purpose: Genes of the HoxD cluster play a major role in vertebrate limb development, and changes that modify the Hoxd12 locus affect other genes also, suggesting that HoxD function is coordinated by a control mechanism involving multiple genes during limb morphogenesis. In this study, mutant phenotypes were produced by treatment of mice with chemical mutagen, N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU). We analyzed mutant mice exhibiting the specific microdactyly phenotype and examined the genes affected. Materials and Methods: We focused on phenotype characteristics including size, bone formation, and digit morphology of ENU-induced microdactyly mice. The expressions of several molecules were analyzed by genome-wide screening and quantitative real-time PCR to define the affected genes. Results: We report on limb phenotypes of an ENU-induced A-to-C mutation in the Hoxd12 gene, resulting in alanine-to-serine conversion. Microdactyly mice exhibited growth defects in the zeugopod and autopod, shortening of digits, a missing tip of digit I, limb growth affected, and dramatic increases in the expressions of Fgf4 and Lmx1b. However, the expression level of Shh was not changed Hoxd12 point mutated mice. Conclusion: These results suggest that point mutation rather than the entire deletion of Hoxd12, such as in knockout and transgenic mice, causes the abnormal limb phenotype in microdactyly mice. The precise nature of the spectrum of differences requires further investigation.link_to_subscribed_fulltex

Role of G{alpha}12 and G{alpha}13 as Novel Switches for the Activity of Nrf2, a Key Antioxidative Transcription Factor

G{alpha}12 and G{alpha}13 function as molecular regulators responding to extracellular stimuli. NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) is involved in a protective adaptive response to oxidative stress. This study investigated the regulation of Nrf2 by G{alpha}12 and G{alpha}13. A deficiency of G{alpha}12, but not of G{alpha}13, enhanced Nrf2 activity and target gene transactivation in embryo fibroblasts. In mice, G{alpha}12 knockout activated Nrf2 and thereby facilitated heme catabolism to bilirubin and its glucuronosyl conjugations. An oligonucleotide microarray demonstrated the transactivation of Nrf2 target genes by G{alpha}12 gene knockout. G{alpha}12 deficiency reduced Jun N-terminal protein kinase (JNK)-dependent Nrf2 ubiquitination required for proteasomal degradation, and so did G{alpha}13 deficiency. The absence of G{alpha}12, but not of G{alpha}13, increased protein kinase C {delta} (PKC {delta}) activation and the PKC {delta}-mediated serine phosphorylation of Nrf2. G{alpha}13 gene knockout or knockdown abrogated the Nrf2 phosphorylation induced by G{alpha}12 deficiency, suggesting that relief from G{alpha}12 repression leads to the G{alpha}13-mediated activation of Nrf2. Constitutive activation of G{alpha}13 promoted Nrf2 activity and target gene induction via Rho-mediated PKC {delta} activation, corroborating positive regulation by G{alpha}13. In summary, G{alpha}12 and G{alpha}13 transmit a JNK-dependent signal for Nrf2 ubiquitination, whereas G{alpha}13 regulates Rho-PKC {delta}-mediated Nrf2 phosphorylation, which is negatively balanced by G{alpha}12

OPTIMASS: A Package for the Minimization of Kinematic Mass Functions with Constraints

Reconstructed mass variables, such as $M_2$, $M_{2C}$, $M_T^\star$, and $M_{T2}^W$, play an essential role in searches for new physics at hadron colliders. The calculation of these variables generally involves constrained minimization in a large parameter space, which is numerically challenging. We provide a C++ code, OPTIMASS, which interfaces with the MINUIT library to perform this constrained minimization using the Augmented Lagrangian Method. The code can be applied to arbitrarily general event topologies and thus allows the user to significantly extend the existing set of kinematic variables. We describe this code and its physics motivation, and demonstrate its use in the analysis of the fully leptonic decay of pair-produced top quarks using the $M_2$ variables.Comment: 39 pages, 12 figures, (1) minor revision in section 3, (2) figure added in section 4.3, (3) reference added and (4) matched with published versio

Fifteen Years After the Gozan-Dong Glass Fiber Outbreak, Incheon in 1995

Objectives: In 1995, an outbreak survey in Gozan-dong concluded that an association between fiberglass exposure in drinking water and cancer outbreak cannot be established. This study follows the subjects from a study in 1995 using a data linkage method to examine whether an association existed. The authors will address the potential benefits and methodological issues following outbreak surveys using data linkage, particularly when informed consent is absent. Methods: This is a follow-up study of 697 (30 exposed) individuals out of the original 888 (31 exposed) participants (78.5%) from 1995 to 2007 assessing the cancer outcomes and deaths of these individuals. The National Cancer Registry (KNCR) and death certificate data were linked using the ID numbers of the participants. The standardized incidence ratio (SIR) and standardized mortality ratio (SMR) from cancers were calculated by the KNCR. Results: The SIR values for all cancer or gastrointestinal cancer (GI) occurrences were the lowest in the exposed group (SIR, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.10 to 5.21; 0.00 for GI), while the two control groups (control 1: external, control 2: internal) showed slight increases in their SIR values (SIR, 1.18 and 1.27 for all cancers; 1.62 and 1.46 for GI). All lacked statistical significance. All-cause mortality levels for the three groups showed the same pattern (SMR 0.37, 1.29, and 1.11). Conclusions: This study did not refute a finding of non-association with a 13-year follow-up. Considering that many outbreak surveys are associated with a small sample size and a cross-sectional design, follow-up studies that utilize data linkage should become standard procedure.OAIID:oai:osos.snu.ac.kr:snu2011-01/102/0000040632/15SEQ:15PERF_CD:SNU2011-01EVAL_ITEM_CD:102USER_ID:0000040632ADJUST_YN:YEMP_ID:A077602DEPT_CD:902CITE_RATE:0FILENAME:fifteen years after the gozan-dong glass fiber outbreak, incheon in 1995..pdfDEPT_NM:보건학과CONFIRM: