A Brazilian glycoprotein E-negative bovine herpesvirus type 1.2a (BHV-1.2a) mutant is attenuated for cattle and induces protection against wild-type virus challenge

The authors previously reported the construction of a glycoprotein E-deleted (gE-) mutant of bovine herpesvirus type 1.2a (BHV-1.2a). This mutant, 265gE-, was designed as a vaccinal strain for differential vaccines, allowing the distinction between vaccinated and naturally infected cattle. In order to determine the safety and efficacy of this candidate vaccine virus, a group of calves was inoculated with 265gE-. The virus was detected in secretions of inoculated calves to lower titres and for a shorter period than the parental virus inoculated in control calves. Twenty one days after inoculation, the calves were challenged with the wild type parental virus. Only mild signs of infection were detected on vaccinated calves, whereas non-vaccinated controls displayed intense rhinotracheitis and shed virus for longer and to higher titres than vaccinated calves. Six months after vaccination, both vaccinated and control groups were subjected to reactivation of potentially latent virus. The mutant 265gE- could not be reactivated from vaccinated calves. The clinical signs observed, following the reactivation of the parental virus, were again much milder on vaccinated than on non-vaccinated calves. Moreover, parental virus shedding was considerably reduced on vaccinated calves at reactivation. In view of its attenuation, immunogenicity and protective effect upon challenge and reactivation with a virulent BHV-1, the mutant 265gE- was shown to be suitable for use as a BHV-1 differential vaccine viru

Optimisation of CHO cell growth and recombinant interferon-γ production

The optimisation of recombinant protein production by animal cell cultures is important for the economic feasibility of these processes. Simultaneously with product yield, product authenticity is a crucial aspect to consider as it may per se affect the therapeutic value of such proteins. More defined culture media are being developed, particularly to ensure batch product consistency. A Chinese Hamster Ovary cell line (CHO 320) producing human interferon-γ (IFN-γ), a glycosylated protein, was chosen to investigate the effects of the culture environment on (I) cell growth, (2) product yield and (3) product authenticity. A statistical approach was used to identify important culture components for cell growth and IFN-γ production. When the concentration of the resulting positive variables was initially increased in culture, improvements of approximately 40% in both of these parameters were achieved; the glycosylation of IFN-γ was not affected. The former analysis also indicated that different stimuli were required for growth and production. Fed-batch feeding of glucose and glutamine, components depleted early from culture, did not prolong cell growth or IFN-γ production but the initial glycosylation pattern of IFN-γ was a function of glutamine concentration. Bovine serum albumin (BSA) was shown to have important role(s) in culture and cell growth was not possible in its absence. Pluronic F68, alone or in combination with a lipid mixture or linoleic acid, was able to restore cell growth in low BSA (1 mg/ml) cultures. However, IFN-γ production was significantly reduced and the extent of IFN-γ glycosylation also changed. These effects were related to: (1) BSA concentration, (2) BSA type, and ultimately, (3) lipid composition of the culture. The results reported in this thesis exhibit the necessity to consider the effects of the culture environment not only on cell growth and product yield but also on product authenticity throughout any optimisation process

Relation between incidence of Fusarium graminearum in seeds, emergence and occurrence of giberela in wheat seedlings

Com o objetivo de verificar o comportamento de 30 genótipos de trigo em relação à emergência e à incidência de giberela em plântulas provenientes de sementes portadoras de Fusarium graminearum, foram instalados experimentos de laboratório e casa-de-vegetação. Em laboratório, as sementes utilizadas para os experimentos de emergência e incidência de giberela foram analisadas para sanidade pelo método do papel de filtro com congelamento. Em casa-de-vegetação, as sementes foram distribuídas em caixas de plástico, contendo areia tratada com brometo de metila. O delineamento utilizado foi o de blocos casualizados, constituído de 30 tratamentos com quatro repetições de 50 sementes, perfazendo um total de 200 sementes/tratamento. As avaliações da emergência de plântulas e da incidência de giberela foram feitas aos sete, 14 e 21 dias após a semeadura (DAS), contando-se o número de plântulas emergidas e retirando-se as plântulas sintomáticas, as quais foram submetidas a câmara úmida, por 24 horas, em laboratório. Não houve diferença significativa da incidência do patógeno na emergência das plântulas. Não foi constatada correlação entre a incidência de giberela nas plântulas e o nível de resistência dos genótipos, bem como entre incidência de giberela nas plântulas e a incidência do patógeno nas sementes.In order to verify the behavior of 30 genotypes of wheat in relation to the emergence and incidence of giberela in wheat seedlings from seeds contaminated with F. graminearum, experiments were carried out under laboratory and greenhouse conditions. In the laboratory, seeds were analyzed for health using freezer blotter test. In the greenhouse, seeds were sowed in plastic boxes filled with sand treated with methyl bromide. Statistical design was randomized blocks with 30 treatments, four replications of 50 seeds (200 seeds/treatment). Emergence of seedlings and giberela incidence were evaluated at seven, 14 and 21 days after sowing. Symptomatic seedlings were removed and submitted to humid chambers for 24 hours under laboratory conditions. There was no significant difference in the incidence of the pathogen in the emergence of seedlings. There was no correlation between the incidence of F. graminearum in the genotypes and incidence of giberela in seedlings, nor between the incidence of giberela in seedlings and the incidence of the pathogen in the seeds

Metal and semimetal loadings in sediments and water from mangrove ecosystems: A preliminary assessment of anthropogenic enrichment in São Tomé island (central Africa)

Mangroves act as buffer areas for marine systems, providing a barrier to contamination from continental sources by retaining metal pollutants. This study evaluates metal and semimetal contamination in the water column and sediments of four mangroves located on the volcanic island of São Tomé. Several metals had a widespread distribution, with occasional high concentrations, linked to potential sources of contamination. However, the two smaller mangroves, located in the northern part of the island, tended to have high metal concentrations. Arsenic and chromium concentrations were notably concerning, particularly if we consider this is an isolated and non-industrialized island. This work highlights the need for further assessments and a better understanding of processes and implications of metal contamination in mangroves. This assumes a particular relevance in areas that have specific geochemical compositions (i.e., volcanic origin) and in developing countries, where people often rely directly and heavily on resources obtained from these ecosystems.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Bulk Viscous LRS Biachi-I Universe with variable GG and decaying Λ\Lambda

The present study deals with spatially homogeneous and totally anisotropic locally rotationally symmetric (LRS) Bianchi type I cosmological model with variable $G$ and $\Lambda$ in presence of imperfect fluid. To get the deterministic model of Universe, we assume that the expansion $(\theta)$ in the model is proportional to shear $(\sigma)$. This condition leads to $A=\ell B^{n}$, where $A$,\;$B$ are metric potential. The cosmological constant $\Lambda$ is found to be decreasing function of time and it approaches a small positive value at late time which is supported by recent Supernovae Ia (SN Ia) observations. Also it is evident that the distance modulus curve of derived model matches with observations perfectly.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figures and 1 table, Accepted for publication in Astrophysics and Space Scienc

Articulation of texts on nanoscience and nanotechnology for the initial training of physics teachers

Evidence that modern physics should be taught in high school and that many teachers do not teach this subject, among other reasons, because these teachers do not feel able to do it, led us to a proposal for a set of texts selected from a preliminary study involving 15 students in a course of teacher training in physics, with texts on nanoscience and nanotechnology. In the selection, which was based on extensive review of the subject, we focused on texts in alternative language that avoids the almost exclusive use of mathematical language and seeks also allow the study for different teaching strategies, especially with the history of science and reading popular science.Evidências de que a física moderna e contemporânea deve ser trabalhada no Ensino Médio, agregadas a indícios de que muitos professores não a ensinam, entre outros motivos, por não se sentirem aptos a fazê-lo, nos levaram a uma proposta de um conjunto de textos selecionados a partir de um trabalho preliminar, envolvendo 15 estudantes de uma disciplina de Licenciatura em Física, com textos sobre nanociência e nanotecnologia. Na seleção, que se baseou em ampla revisão sobre o tema, privilegiamos os textos em linguagens alternativas ao uso quase exclusivo da linguagem matemática e buscamos também possibilitar que o estudo ocorra a partir de diferentes estratégias de ensino, com destaque para a história da ciência e a leitura de divulgação científica.19Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq

Mycotoxin production from fungi isolated from grapes

Aims: In order to assess the potential for producing mycotoxins, fungi were isolated from wine producing grapes. Methods and Results: The isolates were identified and Penicillium expansum, the most well recognized mycotoxin producer, was analysed for mycotoxin production by TLC. Many of the strains produced patulin and/or citrinin, often depending on whether they were grown on a grape or yeast extract sucrose media. Conclusions: Citrinin was produced by all strains grown in the yeast extract sucrose medium, but only one strain (from 51) was able to produce this compound in grape juice medium. Patulin was produced in the yeast extract medium by 20 strains and in grape juice medium by 33 strains. Significance and Impact of the Study: The presence of mycotoxins in wine producing grapes is discussed. Grapes contamination with patulin seems not to contribute to wine contamination, and no ochratoxin producing fungi was identified.The British Council, Conselho de Reitores das Universidades Portuguesas (CRUP) - Windsor Programme - grant no 29/00

Minimal model for aeolian sand dunes

We present a minimal model for the formation and migration of aeolian sand dunes. It combines a perturbative description of the turbulent wind velocity field above the dune with a continuum saltation model that allows for saturation transients in the sand flux. The latter are shown to provide the characteristic length scale. The model can explain the origin of important features of dunes, such as the formation of a slip face, the broken scale invariance, and the existence of a minimum dune size. It also predicts the longitudinal shape and aspect ratio of dunes and heaps, their migration velocity and shape relaxation dynamics. Although the minimal model employs non-local expressions for the wind shear stress as well as for the sand flux, it is simple enough to serve as a very efficient tool for analytical and numerical investigations and to open up the way to simulations of large scale desert topographies.Comment: 19 pages, 22 figure