Protein families, natural history and biotechnological aspects of spider silk.

Spiders are exceptionally diverse and abundant organisms in terrestrial ecosystems and their evolutionary success is certainly related to their capacity to produce different types of silks during their life cycle, making a specialized use on each of them. Presenting particularly tandemly arranged amino acid repeats, silk proteins (spidroins) have mechanical properties superior to most synthetic or natural high-performance fibers, which makes them very promising for biotechnology industry, with putative applications in the production of new biomaterials. During the evolution of spider species, complex behaviors of web production and usage have been coupled with anatomical specialization of spinning glands. Spiders retaining ancestral characters, such as the ones belonging to the Mygalomorph group, present simpler sorts of webs used mainly to build burrows and egg sacs, and their silks are produced by globular undifferentiated spinning glands. In contrast, Araneomorphae spiders have a complex spinning apparatus, presenting up to seven morphologically distinct glands, capable to of rigidness and elasticity associated with distinct behaviors. Aiming to provide a discussion involving a number of spider silks? biological aspects, in this review we present descriptions of members from each family of spidroin identified from five spider species of the Brazilian biodiversity, and an evolutionary study of them in correlation with the anatomical specialization of glands and spider?s spinning behaviors. Due to the biotechnological importance of spider silks for the production of new biomaterials, we also discuss about the new possible technical and biomedical applications of spider silks and the current status of it

Determinación de compuestos funcionales en aceite de hígado de tiburón azul (Prionace glauca) obtenido mediante tecnología verde

The objectives of this research were to obtain blue shark liver oil using supercritical CO2 and to characterize the physicochemical parameters of the oil, and the contents of squalene and vitamin A. Supercritical extractions were performed at 50 and 60 °C and pressures from 100 to 300 bar. The oil yield obtained was up to 60% and presented a profile equivalent to that of refined oils for density (0.920 – 0.922 g/mL); viscosity (52.55 – 56.47 Pas.s); refractive index (1.4760 – 1.4785); acid value (1.13 – 2.22% oleic acid); peroxides (10.47 – 24.04 meq of active O2 /kg of oil); saponification value (171.37 – 556.03 mg KOH/g oil), and iodine value (120.05 – 149.21g I2 /100g oil). The fatty acid profile indicated a majority of unsaturated fatty acids. High levels of squalene and vitamin A corroborate the high nutritional quality of this oil from an underexploited by-product with great processing potential.Los objetivos de esta investigación fueron obtener aceite de hígado de tibu­rón azul utilizando CO2 supercrítico y determinar los parámetros fisicoquímicos del aceite, el contenido de escualeno y vitamina A. Las extracciones supercríticas se realizaron a 50 °C y 60 °C y presiones de 100 a 300 bar. Los aceites obtenidos con hasta 60% de rendimiento presentaron un perfil equivalente al de los aceites refina­dos para los parámetros: densidad (0,920 – 0,922 g/mL); viscosidad (52,55 – 56,47 Pas.s); índice de refracción (1.4760 - 1.4785); acidez (1.13 - 2.22% de ácido oleico); peróxidos (10,47 - 24,04 meq de O2 activo / kg de aceite); índice de saponificación (171.37 - 556.03 mg KOH/g de aceite) e índice de yodo (120,05 – 149,21g I2 / 100g de aceite). El perfil de ácidos grasos indica una mayoría de ácidos grasos insaturados. Los altos niveles de escualeno y vitamina A corroboran la alta calidad nutricional de este aceite obtenido de un subproducto subexplotado con un gran potencial de procesamiento

Individuals with prediabetes identified by HbA1c undergoing coronary angiography have worse cardiometabolic profile than those identified by fasting glucose

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus has well known deleterious effects on coronary artery disease (CAD). the role of milder hyperglycemic states such as prediabetes (PD) on CAD is debatable. Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) has recently been advocated as a diagnostic tool for diabetes mellitus (DM) and PD. This study aims to assess the cardiometabolic risk profile and coronary lesions of patients with PD undergoing coronary angiography identified either by fasting plasma glucose (FPG) or HbA1c levels.Methods: We studied 514 individuals without previously known glucose disturbances. Their glycemic status was assessed by FPG and HbA1c (HPLC) and classified according to ADA guidelines, using each parameter independently, as having normal glucose tolerance (N), PD, or DM. CAD was defined as stenosis greater than 50% in one major coronary vessel or branch. Framingham score was calculated.Results: Subjects with PD had a similar frequency of CAD compared do N individuals by both FPG (61 vs. 59.3%) and HbA1c (55.4 vs 61.2%) (p non-significant for linear-by-linear association). PD individuals identified by FPG had worse HOMA2B (mean [95% CI] 65.4 [60.9-69.9] vs. 76.6 [71.4-81.9]) and HOMA2-IR (1.10 [0.98-1.22] vs. 0.80 [0.72-0.89]) when compared to N controls. PD individuals identified by HbA1c had higher frequency of Framingham risk above 20% (25.4 vs 11.8%), arterial hypertension (87.8 vs 72.6%), and dyslipidemia (83.8 vs 72%) compared to N individuals. PD associated with an increased number of coronary lesions only when diagnosed by HbA1c (median [interquartile interval] 2 [0-4] PD versus 1 [0-3.75] N, p = 0.03 for trend).Conclusions: HbA1c was more effective than FPG in identifying individuals with PD associated with high cardiovascular risk profile in a sample of individuals undergoing coronary angiography.Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Endocrinol Unit, Diabet Ctr, São Paulo, BrazilUniv Estado Bahia, Dept Ciencias Vida, Colegiado Med, BR-41150000 Salvador, BA, BrazilCtr Endocrinol Estado Bahia CEDEBA, Salvador, BA, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Endocrinol Unit, Diabet Ctr, São Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc

Planning gamification strategies based on user characteristics and DM : a gender-based case study.

Gamification frameworks can aid in gamification planning for education. Most frameworks, however, do not provide ways to select, relate or recommend how to use game elements, to gamify a certain educational task. Instead, most provide a "one-size-fits-all" approach covering all learners, without considering different user characteristics, such as gender. Therefore, this work aims to adopt a data-driven approach to provide a set of game element recommendations, based on user preferences, that could be used by teachers and instructors to gamify learning activities. We analysed data from a novel survey of 733 people (male=569 and female=164), collecting information about user preferences regarding game elements. Our results suggest that the most important rules were based on four (out of nineteen) types of game elements: Objectives, Levels, Progress and Choice. From the perspective of user gender, for the female sample, the most interesting rule associated Objectives with Progress, Badges and Information (confidence=0.97), whilst the most interesting rule for the male sample associated also Objectives with Progress, Renovation and Choice (confidence=0.94). These rules and our descriptive analysis provides recommendations on how game elements can be used in educational scenarios.Comment: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UI28N2UtrOfL06k2mzHIUdPcgQtdfmy9/view?usp=sharin

Association of classical risk factors and coronary artery disease in type 2 diabetic patients submitted to coronary angiography

Background: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the leading cause of death among individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). T2DM accelerates atherosclerosis alongside classical risk factors such as dyslipidemia and hypertension. This study aims to investigate the association of hyperglycemia and associated risk factors with CAD in outpatients with T2DM undergoing coronary angiography.Methods: 818 individuals referred to coronary angiography were evaluated for glucose disturbances. After exclusion of those with prediabetes, 347 individuals with T2DM and 94 normoglycemic controls were studied for BMI, blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose, HbA1c, lipids, HOMA, adiponectin, Framingham risk score, number of clinically significant coronary lesions (stenosis > 50%).Results: Among T2DM subjects, those with CAD (n = 237) had worse glycemic control (fasting glucose 162.3 + 69.8 vs. 143.4 + 48.9 mg/dL, p = 0.004; HbA1c 8.03 + 1.91 vs. 7.59 + 1.55%, p = 0.03), lower HDL (39.2 + 13.2 vs. 44.4 + 15.9 mg/dL, p = 0.003), and higher triglycerides (140 [106-204] vs. 121 [78.5-184.25] mg/dL, p = 0.002), reached more often therapeutic goals for LDL (63.4% vs. 51.4%, p = 0.037) and less often goals for HDL (26.6% vs. 37.3%, p = 0.04), when compared to CAD-free individuals (n = 110). the same differences were not seen in normoglycemic controls. in T2DM subjects HbA1c tertiles were associated with progressively higher number of significant coronary lesions (median number of lesions 2 [A1c 8.2%]; p = 0.01 for trend).Conclusions: Classic risk factors such as glycemic control and lipid profile were associated with presence of CAD in T2DM subjects undergoing coronary angiography. Glycemic control is progressively associated with number and extent of coronary lesions in patients with T2DM.Universidade Federal de São Paulo UNIFESP, Escola Paulista Med, Ctr Diabet, BR-04039002 São Paulo, BrazilCEDEBA, BR-41820000 Salvador, BA, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo UNIFESP, Escola Paulista Med, Ctr Diabet, BR-04039002 São Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc

Adubação de soqueira de cana-de-açúcar com soluções de carbonato/bicarbonato de amônio em mistura com sais de potássio e de fósforo

Comparam-se as eficiências de soluções de aquamônia e de carbonato/bicarbonato de amônio contendo sais de K e de P quanto à produção de material seco da parte aérea e ao aproveitamento do N aplicado como fertilizante por cana-de-açúcar. Soqueiras de cana-de-açúcar da variedade "RB72454" foram transplantadas para vasos de 100 dm³ de terra e cultivadas por noventa dias. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi em esquema fatorial 2 x 3 inteiramente casualizado, com 4 repetições. Os tratamentos consistiram no fornecimento de fontes de N em combinações ou não com KCl e NH4H2PO4. Os nutrientes P e K não incluídos em cada tratamento foram aplicados em outro ponto, à mesma distância e profundidade das soqueiras que as soluções de tratamento, para assegurar a igualdade das quantidades de N, P e K aplicadas a todas as parcelas. Avaliaram-se a produção de material seco da parte aérea, a extração total de N e a recuperação do N do fertilizante. Considerou-se, para este último parâmetro, a extração do N do solo pelas soqueiras de unidades que receberam somente sais de K e de P. As soluções com carbonato/bicarbonato de amônio resultaram em maiores produções de material seco da parte aérea que as de aquamônia, porém, não diferiram quanto à extração total de N e ao N recuperado do fertilizante. A adição de KCl e NH4H2PO4 às soluções de N não interferiram na extração e na eficiência de recuperação do N aplicado, para as relações N:K e N:P:K avaliadas