Ferromagnetic Levan Composite: An Affinity Matrix to Purify Lectin

A simple and inexpensive procedure used magnetite and levan to synthesize a composite recovered by a magnetic field. Lectins from Canavalia ensiformis (Con A) and Cratylia mollis (Cramoll 1 and Cramoll 1, 4) did bind specifically to composite. The magnetic property of derivative favored washing out contaminating proteins and recovery of pure lectins with glucose elution. Cramoll 1 was purified by this affinity binding procedure in two steps instead of a previous three-step protocol with ammonium sulfate fractionation, affinity chromatography on Sephadex G-75, and ion exchange chromatography through a CM-cellulose column

The content and form evolution in modern Persian poetry

Práce se zabývá fonnálními a obsahovými proměnami moderní perské poezie na pozadí společenského a literárního vývoje Íránu. Rozebírané období zahrnuje konec 19. století a pokračuje až do počátku islámské revoluce roku 1979. Studie obsahuje ukázky přeložené a přebásněné poezIe.Institute of Near Eastern and African StudiesÚstav Blízkého východu a AfrikyFilozofická fakultaFaculty of Art

The influence of behavioral enrichment on dry food consumption by the black tufted-ear marmoset, Callithrix penicillata (Mammalia: Callithricidae): a pilot study

Stereotyped behaviors in captive primates are often caused by unsuitable conditions. Environmental enrichment has been used to reduce these behaviors, and also to increase the frequency of behaviors appropriate to the species. In this pilot study we evaluated whether behavioral enrichment influences food intake by the black tufted-ear marmoset, Callithrix penicillata (É. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1812), by calculating energy maintenance requirements. We evaluated 16 individually housed, healthy adult black tufted-ear marmosets, randomly divided into two treatment groups, one with behavioral enrichment and one without. The enrichment techniques included structural aspects, such as placing fixed and mobile objects in the cage and supplying dry foods in an enriched form, in order to stimulate cognition. Based on the metabolic weight of the animals, we calculated the energy requirements for their maintenance. The animals that received behavioral enrichment consumed more food than those that did not. We also observed that the animals that did not receive enrichment consumed 9.85% less food than had been calculated for energy maintenance requirements, while the animals that received enrichment consumed 24.97% more food than had been calculated. Results indicate that the use of behavioral enrichment items raised the energy requirements of the black tufted-ear marmoset and, therefore, the consumption of dry food, suggesting that environmental enrichment plays a role in stimulating food consumption. This conclusion should alert scientists, technicians and primatologists to the importance of controlling body weight of marmosets when introducing environmental enrichment to avoid overfeeding and obesity. To verify this conclusion, a study is needed with a longer time frame and more parameters, such as behavior observation and body weight

Myeloid Sirtuin 2 expression does not impact long-term Mycobacterium tuberculosis control

Sirtuins (Sirts) regulate several cellular mechanisms through deacetylation of several transcription factors and enzymes. Recently, Sirt2 was shown to prevent the development of inflammatory processes and its expression favors acute Listeria monocytogenes infection. The impact of this molecule in the context of chronic infections remains unknown. We found that specific Sirt2 deletion in the myeloid lineage transiently increased Mycobacterium tuberculosis load in the lungs and liver of conditional mice. Sirt2 did not affect long-term infection since no significant differences were observed in the bacterial burden at days 60 and 120 post-infection. The initial increase in M. tuberculosis growth was not due to differences in inflammatory cell infiltrates in the lung, myeloid or CD4+ T cells. The transcription levels of IFN-?, IL-17, TNF, IL-6 and NOS2 were also not affected in the lungs by Sirt2-myeloid specific deletion. Overall, our results demonstrate that Sirt2 expression has a transitory effect in M. tuberculosis infection. Thus, modulation of Sirt2 activity in vivo is not expected to affect chronic infection with M. tuberculosis.Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, Portugal and cofunded by Programa Operacional Regional do Norte (ON.2–O Novo Norte), Quadro de Referência Estratégico Nacional (QREN), through the Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional (FEDER). Project grants: PTDC/SAU-MII/101977/2008 (to AGC) and PTDC/BIA-BCM/102776/2008 (to MS). LMT was supported by FCT Grant SFRH/BPD/77399/20

A participação social na perspectiva dos atores de uma rede social comunitária: um estudo de caso

A participação social tem sido um tema bastante explorado na atualidade pelo desafio da sua consolidação. O presente trabalho consiste em um estudo de caso, desenvolvido na Rede Social Comunitária da Regional Norte de Belo Horizonte, com o objetivo de elucidar como ocorre a participação neste espaço segundo a visão de seus integrantes. Como base teórica para seu desenvolvimento, discutiu-se deliberação, participação social, desenho de redes e evolução da participação no âmbito da saúde. Para a compreensão do objeto de estudo, utilizou-se da análise documental, da observação participante e da realização de entrevistas semiestruturadas envolvendo dez membros da Rede Social Comunitária. Para o exame do material obtido, foram construídas quatro categorias de análise acerca dos aspectos que interferem na qualidade da participação, sendo elas: contexto; atores envolvidos; desenho; participação e deliberação. Verifica-se que a Rede Social Comunitária compreende um espaço de deliberação informal da sociedade, construído sob a perspectiva da promoção da saúde e da concretude da intersetorialidade. A Rede possui uma composição híbrida e enfrenta desafios quanto à sua dinâmica interna e de mobilização social. Foram identificados, contudo, diversos fatores que contribuem para uma participação efetiva, além dos avanços promovidos pela experiência em rede com repercussão nos seus membros e em aspectos do território