HIV-1 Derivatives in Rhesus Macaques

A major issue for present HIV-1 research is to establish model systems that reflect or mimic viral replication and pathogenesis actually observed in infected humans. To this end, various strategies using macaques as infection targets have long been pursued. In particular, experimental infections of rhesus macaques by HIV-1 derivatives have been believed to be best suited, if practicable, for studies on interaction of HIV-1 and humans under various circumstances. Recently, through in vitro genetic manipulations and viral cell-adaptations, we have successfully generated a series of HIV-1 derivatives with CXCR4-tropism or CCR5-tropism that grow in macaque cells to various degrees. Of these viruses, those with best replicative potentials can grow comparably with a pathogenic SIVmac in macaque cells by counteracting major restriction factors TRIM5, APOBEC3, and tetherin proteins. In this study, rhesus macaques were challenged with CXCR4-tropic (MN4/LSDQgtu) or CCR5-tropic (gtu + A4CI1) virus. The two viruses were found to productively infect rhesus macaques, being rhesus macaque-tropic HIV-1 (HIV-1rmt). However, plasma viral RNA was reduced to be an undetectable level in infected macaques at 5–6 weeks post-infection and thereafter. While replicated similarly well in rhesus peripheral blood mononuclear cells, MN4/LSDQgtu grew much better than gtu + A4CI1 in the animals. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report demonstrating that HIV-1 derivatives (variants) grow in rhesus macaques. These viruses certainly constitute firm bases for generating HIV-1rmt clones pathogenic for rhesus monkeys, albeit they grow more poorly than pathogenic SIVmac and SHIV clones reported to date

Sustentabilidade da dívida dos estados brasileiros no período de 2005 a 2015 : uma análise de dados em painel

Dissertação (mestrado) — Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Economia, Administração, Contabilidade e Gestão de Políticas Públicas, Departamento de Economia, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Economia, Mestrado em Economia e Gestão do Setor Público, 2016.O objetivo do trabalho é avaliar a sustentabilidade da dívida dos estados brasileiros no período de 2005 a 2015. Para tanto, inicia-se com o relato da evolução da dívida dos estados a partir da renegociação realizada no âmbito da Lei nº 9.946, de 1997, e com a análise descritiva de dados financeiros dos estados brasileiros. Em seguida, com vistas a verificar se os governos estaduais respondem de forma sustentável ao acúmulo de dívida pública, foram realizados dois exercícios empíricos utilizando econometria de dados em painel. O primeiro exercício seguiu a proposta de Hamilton e Flavin (1986) e verificou a estacionariedade de séries econômicas pela realização de testes de raiz unitária. O segundo exercício, que complementou a análise de sustentabilidade da dívida deste estudo, embasado pela proposta apresentada por Bohn (2008), estimou uma função de reação fiscal para averiguar se os governos estaduais respondem, em termos de geração de superávit primário, aos aumentos da dívida pública. Considerando os resultados obtidos, conclui-se que o conjunto dos estados brasileiros apresenta uma dívida solvente, sendo comprovada a sustentabilidade da dívida dos estados brasileiros para o período considerado. Porém, tal conclusão se refere ao conjunto dos estados, ou seja, os resultados obtidos podem não representar a realidade de cada ente federativo e refletir apenas um comportamento global dos estados.The objective of this essay is to evaluate the sustainability of the debt of the Brazilian states during the period of 2005 to 2015. In this sense, the essay starts analysing the evolution of the debt of the states from the renegotiation carried out under Law nº 9.946/1997, taking into account the financial data of the states. In order to verify whether state governments respond sustainedly to public debt accumulation, two empirical econometrics exercises were carried out using panel data. The first followed the proposal of Hamilton and Flavin (1986) to verify the stationarity of economic time series by performing unit root tests. The second exercise, which complemented the analysis of debt sustainability of this study, was based on the proposal presented by Bohn (2008), and estimated a fiscal reaction function to determine whether state governments respond to the increase of public debt in terms of generating a primary surplus. The conclusion is that the Brazilian states have a solvent debt, proving the sustainability of the debt of the Brazilian states for the period considered. However, this conclusion refers to the group of the states and may not represent the reality of each federative state, as it reflects the main behavior of the states

CXCR4- and CCR5-Tropic HIV-1 Clones Are Both Tractable to Grow in Rhesus Macaques

A major issue for present HIV-1 research is to establish model systems that reflect or mimic viral replication and pathogenesis actually observed in infected humans. To this end, various strategies using macaques as infection targets have long been pursued. In particular, experimental infections of rhesus macaques by HIV-1 derivatives have been believed to be best suited, if practicable, for studies on interaction of HIV-1 and humans under various circumstances. Recently, through in vitro genetic manipulations and viral cell-adaptations, we have successfully generated a series of HIV-1 derivatives with CXCR4-tropism or CCR5-tropism that grow in macaque cells to various degrees. Of these viruses, those with best replicative potentials can grow comparably with a pathogenic SIVmac in macaque cells by counteracting major restriction factors TRIM5, APOBEC3, and tetherin proteins. In this study, rhesus macaques were challenged with CXCR4-tropic (MN4/LSDQgtu) or CCR5-tropic (gtu + A4CI1) virus. The two viruses were found to productively infect rhesus macaques, being rhesus macaque-tropic HIV-1 (HIV-1rmt). However, plasma viral RNA was reduced to be an undetectable level in infected macaques at 5–6 weeks post-infection and thereafter. While replicated similarly well in rhesus peripheral blood mononuclear cells, MN4/LSDQgtu grew much better than gtu + A4CI1 in the animals. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report demonstrating that HIV-1 derivatives (variants) grow in rhesus macaques. These viruses certainly constitute firm bases for generating HIV-1rmt clones pathogenic for rhesus monkeys, albeit they grow more poorly than pathogenic SIVmac and SHIV clones reported to date

噛ミング30学習による小学生の咀嚼の習慣と口腔内状態に関する介入研究

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between chewing behavior and oral conditions in elementary school children based on an intervention study. The subjects were allocated into an intervention group (5th grade students, n=81) and a control group (5th grade students, n=39) in 2 elementary schools in Tokushima Prefecture, Japan. Eating habits were self-reported using a questionnaire in both groups. The PMA index (Schour-Massler index) of each subject in the intervention group was assessed. The school lunch program “Chewing 30” was performed 5 times per year using a chewing counter. After the completion of the program, a significant difference in behavior change regarding “sufficient chewing” was observed between the intervention and control groups (p<0.01). The participants in the intervention group were sub-divided into 2 groups based on the change of “sufficient chewing”. The PMA index of the non-improved group significantly increased (p<0.05), while that of the improved group showed no significant difference. These results suggest an association between insufficient chewing behavior and gingival inflammation in elementary school children. The program “Chewing 30” might be effective to prevent gingival inflammation in addition to promoting sufficient chewing.　本研究では，小学生の咀嚼習慣と口腔内状態との関連性を介入研究にて調査することを目的とした． 　徳島県内にある2つの小学校のうち，1校の5年生（81名）を介入群とし，他校の5年生（39名）をコントロール群として，食習慣に関する保健調査を実施した．介入群では，児童それぞれのPMA index（Schour-Massler index）を評価した．さらに，1年間を通して計5回学校給食時に咀嚼計を用いた「噛ミング30学習」を実施した． 　介入終了後，“よく嚙む” 項目においてコントロール群と介入群では有意な差が認められた（p<0.01）．“よく嚙む” 項目の変化の有無により，介入群を2つのグループに分類した．“よく嚙む” 項目の非改善群ではPMA index中央値が有意に増加していた（p<0.05）が，改善群ではPMA index中央値の増加は認められなかった． 　これらの結果は，小学生において，不十分な咀嚼習慣と歯肉の炎症に関連性があることを示している．「噛ミング30学習」は，よく嚙むことを促すだけでなく，歯肉炎の予防にも効果がある可能性が示唆された

Construction of possible integrated predictive index based on EGFR and ANXA3 polymorphisms for chemotherapy response in fluoropyrimidine-treated Japanese gastric cancer patients using a bioinformatic method

Selected genetic and clinical parameters of gastric cancer patients. (XLS 33 kb