130 research outputs found
Influence of the sterol aliphatic side chain on membrane properties: a molecular dynamics study
Following a recent experimental investigation of the effect of the length of the alkyl side chain in a series
of cholesterol analogues (Angew. Chem., Int. Ed., 2013, 52, 12848â12851), we report here an atomistic
molecular dynamics characterization of the behaviour of methyl-branched side chain sterols (iso series) in
POPC bilayers. The studied sterols included androstenol (i-C0-sterol) and cholesterol (i-C8-sterol), as well
as four other derivatives (i-C5, i-C10, i-C12 and i-C14-sterol). For each sterol, both subtle local effects and
more substantial differential alterations of membrane properties along the iso series were investigated. The
location and orientation of the tetracyclic ring system is almost identical in all compounds. Among all the
studied sterols, cholesterol is the sterol that presents the best matching with the hydrophobic length of
POPC acyl chains, whereas longer-chained sterols interdigitate into the opposing membrane leaflet. In
accordance with the experimental observations, a maximal ordering effect is observed for intermediate
sterol chain length (i-C5, cholesterol, i-C10). Only for these sterols a preferential interaction with the
saturated sn-1 chain of POPC (compared to the unsaturated sn-2 chain) was observed, but not for either
shorter or longer-chained derivatives. This work highlights the importance of the sterol alkyl chain in the
modulation of membrane properties and lateral organization in biological membranes
Treatment interaction in moments of ambivalence: an exploratory study a case of failure
No processo psicoterapĂȘutico a mudança constrĂłi-se atravĂ©s da emergĂȘncia e expansĂŁo de excepçÔes
ao funcionamento problemåtico do cliente. Contudo, o potencial de mudança destas excepçÔes ou
inovaçÔes pode ser abortado através da atenuação do seu significado quando o cliente as desvaloriza,
trivializa ou nega. Quando este processo se repete ao longo da terapia estamos na presença de
ambivalĂȘncia, na medida em que ocorre uma oscilação recorrente entre duas posiçÔes opostas
(inovação-retorno ao funcionamento problemåtico). O presente estudo exploratório tem como principal
objectivo descrever a interacção terapĂȘutica nestes momentos de ambivalĂȘncia, num caso de insucesso
psicoterapĂȘutico, recorrendo ao Sistema de Codificação da Colaboração TerapĂȘutica. Os resultados
sugerem que a ambivalĂȘncia emerge maioritariamente no seguimento de intervençÔes em que a
terapeuta desafia a perspectiva habitual da cliente. Os resultados mostram ainda que a terapeuta tende
a responder Ă ambivalĂȘncia da cliente com um novo desafio, sendo que a cliente tende a expressar
novamente ambivalĂȘncia ou a discordar da terapeuta. Deste modo, quando a terapeuta persiste no
desafio verifica-se frequentemente uma escalada no desconforto da cliente, que se manifesta na
evolução de uma resposta de ambivalĂȘncia para uma resposta de invalidação por parte da cliente.Change in psychotherapy occurs through the emergence and expansion of exceptions to the clientâs
problematic functioning. However, these exceptionsâ potential to promote change may be aborted by
the attenuation of their meaning, when the client devaluates, trivializes or denies them. When this
process repeats itself throughout the therapeutic process, clients are facing ambivalence, since there is
a recurrent oscillation between two opposite positions (innovation â return to the problematic
functioning). The present exploratory study aims at describing the therapeutic interaction within
moments in which ambivalence occurs in an unsuccessful case using the Therapeutic Collaboration
Coding System. Results suggest that ambivalence emerges mainly as a response to an intervention in
which the therapist challenges clients usual (i.e., problematic) perspective. Moreover, results suggest
that the therapist tends to respond to clientâs ambivalence with a new challenge intervention which is
generally followed by ambivalence or even invalidation from the client. Hence, when the therapist
persists in challenging the client there is usually an escalation in clientsâ discomfort, expressed in the
evolution of a ambivalence response towards an invalidation response.(undefined
Molecular Dynamics Simulation of HIV Fusion Inhibitor T-1249: Insights on Peptide-Lipid Interaction
T-1249 is a peptide that inhibits the fusion of HIV envelope with the target cell membrane. Recent results indicate that T-1249, as in the case of related inhibitor peptide T-20 (enfuvirtide), interacts with membranes, more extensively in the bilayer liquid disordered phase than in the liquid ordered state, which could be linked to its effectiveness. Extensive molecular dynamics simulations (100 ns) were carried out to investigate the interaction between T-1249 and bilayers of 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-phosphatidylcholine (POPC) and POPC/cholesterol (1â:â1). It was observed that T-1249 interacts to different extents with both membrane systems and that peptide interaction with the bilayer surface has a local effect on membrane structure. Formation of hydrogen bonding between certain peptide residues and several acceptor and donor groups in the bilayer molecules was observed. T-1249 showed higher extent of interaction with bilayers when compared to T-20. This is most notable in POPC/Chol membranes, owing to more peptide residues acting as H bond donors and acceptors between the peptide and the bilayer lipids, including H-bonds formed with cholesterol. This behavior is at variance with that of T-20, which forms no H bonds with cholesterol. This higher ability to interact with membranes is probably correlated with its higher inhibitory efficiency
Therapeutic collaboration and resistance: describing the nature and quality of the therapeutic relationship within ambivalence events using the therapeutic collaboration coding system
We understand ambivalence as a cyclical movement between two opposing parts of the self. The emergence of
a novel part produces an innovative moment, challenging the current maladaptive self-narrative. However, the novel part is
subsequently attenuated by a return to the maladaptive self-narrative. This study focused on the analysis of the therapeutic
collaboration in episodes in which a relatively poor-outcome client in narrative therapy expressed ambivalence. Method:
For our analysis we used the Therapeutic Collaboration Coding System, developed to assess whether and how the
therapeutic dyad is working within the therapeutic zone of proximal development (TZPD). Results: Results showed that
when the therapist challenged the client after the emergence of ambivalence, the client tended to invalidate (reject or ignore)
the therapistâs intervention. Conclusions: This suggests that in such ambivalence episodes the therapist did not match the
clientâs developmental level, and by working outside the TZPD unintentionally contributed to the maintaining the clientâs
ambivalence
Behaviour of NBD-head group labelled phosphatidylethanolamines in POPC bilayers: a molecular dynamics study
A complete homologous series of fluorescent phosphatidylethanolamines (diCnPE), labelled at the head
group with a 7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazo-4-yl(NBD) fluorophore and inserted in 1-palmitoyl, 2-oleoyl-snglycero-
3-phosphocholine (POPC) bilayers, was studied using atomistic molecular dynamics simulations.
The longer-chained derivatives of NBD-diCnPE, with n = 14, 16, and 18, are commercially available, and
widely used as fluorescent membrane probes. Properties such as location of atomic groups and acyl chain
order parameters of both POPC and NBD-diCnPE, fluorophore orientation and hydrogen bonding,
membrane electrostatic potential and lateral diffusion were calculated for all derivatives in the series. Most
of these probes induce local disordering of POPC acyl chains, which is on the whole counterbalanced by
ordering resulting from binding of sodium ions to lipid carbonyl/glycerol oxygen atoms. An exception is
found for NBD-diC16PE, which displays optimal matching with POPC acyl chain length and induces
a slight local ordering of phospholipid acyl chains. Compared to previously studied fatty amines, acyl
chain-labelled phosphatidylcholines, and sterols bearing the same fluorescent tag, the chromophore in
NBD-diCnPE locates in a similar region of the membrane (near the glycerol backbone/carbonyl region) but
adopts a different orientation (with the NO2 group facing the interior of the bilayer). This modification
leads to an inverted orientation of the PâN axis in the labelled lipid, which affects the interface properties,
such as the membrane electrostatic potential and hydrogen bonding to lipid head group atoms. The
implications of this study for the interpretation of the photophysical properties of NBD-diCnPE (complex
fluorescence emission kinetics, differences with other NBD lipid probes) are discussed
Avaliação de propriedades estruturais de membranas lipĂdicas apĂłs substituição do colesterol por anĂĄlogos fluorescentes
A espectroscopia e a microscopia de fluorescĂȘncia tĂȘm sido usadas em biofĂsica de membranas hĂĄ dĂ©cadas. Como a unidade estrutural
bĂĄsica das membranas biolĂłgicas Ă© a bicamada de lĂpidos e estes nĂŁo fluorescem, o uso de sondas extrĂnsecas de membrana Ă© uma
necessidade. Contudo, duas questĂ”es preocupantes se levantam quanto ao uso de sondas extrĂnsecas de fluorescĂȘncia em estudos de
membranas. Em primeiro lugar, o comportamento das moléculas de sonda na bicamada (que região da bicamada elas reportam, as suas
dinĂąmicas translacional e rotacional) Ă© frequentemente mal conhecido. Em segundo lugar, na interpretação de resultados de experiĂȘncias
de fluorescĂȘncia, pode ser difĂcil distinguir entre propriedades legĂtimas da membrana e efeitos de perturbação resultantes da
incorporação da sonda. Para este efeito, as simulaçÔes por dinùmica molecular (MD), ao providenciarem informação detalhada à escala
atómica, representam um meio valioso para caracterizar a localização e dinùmica de sondas na bicamada, assim como a magnitude de
perturbação que elas induzem na estrutura lipĂdica [1]. Neste contexto, optimizaram-se, com recurso ao programa Firefly, as estruturas do
colesterol e de dois anĂĄlogos fluorescentes (desidroergoesterol e colestatrienol) ao nĂvel de teoria DFT/R-B3LYP/6-31G(d) e
submeteram-se em seguida ao servidor de topologias ATB, inscrevendo simultaneamente as cargas parciais calculadas na topologia
molecular. Estas topologias foram utilizadas na construção de modelos de membranas lipĂdicas constituĂdas por POPC, colesterol e uma
das sondas fluorescentes acima identificadas. Os modelos assim obtidos foram hidratados e sujeitos a simulaçÔes de MD, donde se
calculou a ĂĄrea por lĂpido, a espessura e densidade da bicamada, os coeficientes de difusĂŁo lateral para as espĂ©cies presentes e os
parùmetros de ordem das cadeias acilo. As simulaçÔes foram efectuadas em ensemble NPT através do pacote de software GROMACS.
Anålises preliminares permitiram a comparação dos comportamentos na bicamada dos esteróis fluorescentes com o do colesterol,
informação vital para validar o uso dos primeiros como anålogos fluorescentes do segundo.
REFERĂNCIAS
[1] Loura, L.M.S.; Prates Ramalho, J.P. Biophys. Rev. 1 (2009), 141
AnĂĄlise sensorial de cocada saborizada com polpa de maracujĂĄ do mato.
A produção de maracujå é de grande importùncia para a economia brasileira devido ao emprego intensivo de mão-de-obra, geração de renda e, principalmente, pela colheita continuada da safra ao longo do ano
DiagnĂłstico da ocorrĂȘncia de abĂłbora e jerimum nos municĂpios de Juazeiro-BA e Petrolina-PE.
Resumo tambĂ©m em inglĂȘs
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