Diverse functions for different forms of nuclear actin

In addition to its essential roles as part of the cytoskeleton, actin has also been linked to many processes in the nucleus. Recent data has demonstrated the presence of both monomeric and polymeric actin in the nucleus, and implied distinct functional roles for these actin pools. Monomeric actin seems to be involved in regulation of gene expression through transcription factors, chromatin regulating complexes and RNA polymerases. In addition to cytoplasmic actin regulators, nuclear proteins, such as emerin, can regulate actin polymerization properties specifically in this compartment. Besides of structural roles, nuclear actin filaments may be required for organizing the nuclear contents and for the maintenance of genomic integrity.Peer reviewe

Métodos de captura, contenção e fixação de transmissores VHF em caititus (Tayassu tajacu).

O objetivo do trabalho foi descrever metodologias para a captura, contenção e marcação de caititus. A captura foi realizada de duas formas: com laço e com armadilhas; os métodos de contenção considerados foram: físico e químico; transmissores de VHF foram afixados aos animais para monitoramento após captura utilizando colar de couro, colar de aço revestido ou brinco. As armadilhas medindo 1,5m x 0,8m x 0,6m, foram instaladas em locais com indícios da presença da espécie, durante a estação seca no Pantanal da Nhecolândia. Água em reservatórios plásticos nivelados à superfície do solo (25 litros) e pequenas quantidades de mandioca foram utilizadas como atrativo. As armadilhas instaladas nas condições descritas mostraram-se eficientes para atração e captura de animais da espécie. Embora o método do laço tenha se mostrado eficiente, seu uso certamente compromete o bem estar dos animais manejados, devido à presença de cães. Quando houve apenas a contenção física dos animais a mortalidade pós-captura foi menor. Dentre as opções testadas para anexar transmissores aos animais, o colar confeccionado manualmente utilizando sola de couro foi a mais viável

Supporting Multilingual Learners’ Reading Competence: A Multiple Case Study of Teachers’ Instruction and Student Learning and Motivation

Supporting students’ reading competence (i.e., their comprehension and vocabulary) is complex, particularly when working with multilingual learners, and involves implementing instructional practices to support their behavioral engagement in reading as well as their reading motivation. The purpose of this mixed methods case study was to examine changes in multilingual learners’ reading comprehension, academic vocabulary, reading engagement, and reading motivation after participating in a 7-week intervention called United States History for Engaged Reading (USHER) and then examine qualitative data to explain why these changes may have occurred. We found changes in the reading comprehension of MLs across all four teachers’ classes, and variable changes in academic vocabulary, reading engagement, and reading motivation. We highlight specific instructional practices that may have led to these changes, including engaging students in discussions during explicit vocabulary instruction, allowing students choice and the opportunity to collaborate, and making the content relevant by relating it to students’ lives, among others

Carotenoporphyrins as selective photodiagnostic agents for tumours.

The covalent binding of a carotene moiety to one phenyl ring and meso-tetraphenyl-substituted porphyrins (see Figure 1) efficiently quenches the photosensitising activity of the porphyrin while a relatively large yield of fluorescence emission around 650 nm is retained. Pharmacokinetic studies performed with two carotenoporphyrins (CPs) and the corresponding porphyrins (Ps) in Balb/c mice bearing an MS-2 fibrosarcoma show that the two Ps give a high selectivity of tumour localisation (tumour/peritumoral tissue ratios of dye concentration ranging between c. 30 and 90 at 24 h after injection of 4.2-8.4 mumol kg-1 in a Cremophor emulsion) and photosensitive tumour necrosis upon red light irradiation. For the same injected doses, the two CPs show no tumour-photosensitising activity even though they localise in the tumour in concentrations of the order of 10-40 micrograms g-1 at 24 h with tumour/peritumoral ratios larger than 10. Thus, the fluorescence emitted by these CPs in the tumour can be used for photodiagnostic purposes with no risk of skin photosensitisation. However, this approach is presently limited by the large accumulation and prolonged retention of the CPs in the liver and spleen