Notes on a nest of Megachile (Moureapis) apicipennis Schrottky (Megachilidae) constructed in an abandoned gallery of Xylocopa Frontalis (Olivier) (Apidae)

Notes on a nest of the leafcutting bee Megachile (Moureapis) apicipennis Schrottky (Megachilidae) found in an abandoned gallery excavated by the carpenter bee Xylocopa frontalis (Olivier) (Apidae) are presented. A total of four nests were found at the end of the gallery. Brood cells were lined with imbricate pieces of leaves of Centrosema virginianum (L.) Benth. (Fabaceae). Four males and two females of M. apicipennis emerged as well as individuals of three species of natural enemies: Coelioxys otomita Cresson (Megachilidae), Brachymeria paraguayensis (Brèthes) and Melittobia australica Girault (Eulophidae). Our results were similar to the data obtained from other species of Megachile (Moureapis) Raw

Depth dependent local structures in thin films unraveled by grazing incidence x-ray absorption spectroscopy

A method of using X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) together with resolved grazing incidence geometry for depth profiling atomic, electronic, chemical or magnetic local structures in thin films is presented. The quantitative deconvolution of thickness-dependent spectral features is performed by fully considering both scattering and absorption formalisms. Surface oxidation and local structural depth profiles in nanometric FePt films are determined, exemplifying the application of the method.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure

UV-visible scanning spectrophotometry and chemometric analysis as tools for carotenoids analysis in cassava genotypes (Manihot esculenta Crantz)

In this study, the metabolomics characterization focusing on the carotenoid composition of ten cassava (Manihot esculenta) genotypes cultivated in southern Brazil by UV-visible scanning spectrophotometry and reverse phase-high performance liquid chromatography was performed. Cassava roots rich in -carotene are an important staple food for populations with risk of vitamin A deficiency. Cassava genotypes with high pro-vitamin A activity have been identified as a strategy to reduce the prevalence of deficiency of this vitamin. The data set was used for the construction of a descriptive model by chemometric analysis. The genotypes of yellow-fleshed roots were clustered by the higher concentrations of cis--carotene and lutein. Inversely, cream-fleshed roots genotypes were grouped precisely due to their lower concentrations of these pigments, as samples rich in lycopene (redfleshed) differed among the studied genotypes. The analytical approach (UV-Vis, HPLC, and chemometrics) used showed to be efficient for understanding the chemodiversity of cassava genotypes, allowing to classify them according to important features for human health and nutrition.FAPESC (Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa e Inovação do Estado de Santa Catarina) and CNPq (Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientıfico e Tecnologico) for financial support. The research fellowship from CNPq on behalf of the last author is acknowledged. The work is partially funded by Project PropMine, funded by the agreement between Portuguese FCT and Brazilian CNPq. The authors also thank the FCT Strategic Project of UID/BIO/04469/2013 uni

Kinetic studies of trans-[Co(en)2Cl2]Cl aquation

The trans-dichlorobis(ethylenediamine)cobalt(III) chloride was synthesized in an undergraduate laboratory and its aquation reaction was carried out at different temperatures. This reaction follows pseudo-first-order kinetics and the rate constants, determined at 25, 35, 45, 55 and 70 º C, are 1.44 x 10-3; 5.14 x 10-3; 1.48 x 10-2; 4.21 x 10-2 and 2.21 x 10-1 s-1, respectively. The activation energy is 93.99 ± 2.88 kJ mol-1

Macrocalcitonin Is a Novel Pitfall in the Routine of Serum Calcitonin Immunoassay

Context: Calcitonin (CT) is a sensitive marker of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) and is used for primary diagnosis and follow-up after thyroidectomy. However, persistently elevated CT is observed even after complete surgical removal without evidence of a recurrent or persistent tumor. Objective: To investigate the presence of assay interference in the serum CT of MTC patients who are apparently without a structural disease. Patients and Methods: We studied three index MTC cases for CT assay interference and 14 patients with metastatic MTC. The CT level was measured using an immunofluorometric assay. Screening for assay interference was performed by determination of CT levels before and after serum treatment with polyethylene glycol. Additionally, samples were analyzed by chromatography on ultra-performance liquid chromatography and protein A-Sepharose. Results: Patients with biochemical and structural disease showed CT mean recovery of 84.1% after polyethylene glycol treatment, whereas patients suspected of interference showed recovery from 2-7%. The elution profile on UPLC showed that the immunometric CT from these three patients behaved like a high molecular mass aggregate (>300 kDa). Additionally, when these samples were applied to the protein A-Sepharose, CT immunoreactivity was retained on the column and was only released after lowering the pH. Conclusions: For the first time, our results show the presence of a novel pitfall in the CT immunoassay: "macrocalcitonin." Its etiology, frequency, and meaning remain to be defined, but its recognition is of interest and can help clinicians avoid unnecessary diagnostic investigations and treatment during the follow-up of MTC.Sao Paulo State Research Foundation-FAPESPFAPESPFederal Agency of Support and Evaluation of Postgraduate Education (Coordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior)National Council for Scientific and Technological DevelopmentUniv Fed Sao Paulo, Escola Paulista Med, Div Endocrinol, Dept Med,Thyroid Dis Ctr, BR-04039032 Sao Paulo, SP, BrazilUniv Fed Sao Paulo, Escola Paulista Med, Div Endocrinol, Dept Med,Lab Mol & Translat Endocrinol, BR-04039032 Sao Paulo, SP, BrazilUniv Fed Sao Paulo, Escola Paulista Med, Dept Biochem, Div Mol Biol, BR-04044020 Sao Paulo, SP, BrazilUniv Fed Sao Paulo, Escola Paulista Med, Div Endocrinol, Dept Med,Thyroid Dis Ctr, BR-04039032 Sao Paulo, SP, BrazilUniv Fed Sao Paulo, Escola Paulista Med, Div Endocrinol, Dept Med,Lab Mol & Translat Endocrinol, BR-04039032 Sao Paulo, SP, BrazilUniv Fed Sao Paulo, Escola Paulista Med, Dept Biochem, Div Mol Biol, BR-04044020 Sao Paulo, SP, BrazilFAPESP: 2006/60402-1FAPESP: 2010/51547-1FAPESP: 2010/19478Web of Scienc

Homozygous Inactivating Mutation In Nanos3 In Two Sisters With Primary Ovarian Insufficiency.

Despite the increasing understanding of female reproduction, the molecular diagnosis of primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) is seldom obtained. The RNA-binding protein NANOS3 poses as an interesting candidate gene for POI since members of the Nanos family have an evolutionarily conserved function in germ cell development and maintenance by repressing apoptosis. We performed mutational analysis of NANOS3 in a cohort of 85 Brazilian women with familial or isolated POI, presenting with primary or secondary amenorrhea, and in ethnically-matched control women. A homozygous p.Glu120Lys mutation in NANOS3 was identified in two sisters with primary amenorrhea. The substituted amino acid is located within the second C2HC motif in the conserved zinc finger domain of NANOS3 and in silico molecular modelling suggests destabilization of protein-RNA interaction. In vitro analyses of apoptosis through flow cytometry and confocal microscopy show that NANOS3 capacity to prevent apoptosis was impaired by this mutation. The identification of an inactivating missense mutation in NANOS3 suggests a mechanism for POI involving increased primordial germ cells (PGCs) apoptosis during embryonic cell migration and highlights the importance of NANOS proteins in human ovarian biology.201478746

Cholinergic Signaling Exerts Protective Effects in Models of Sympathetic Hyperactivity-Induced Cardiac Dysfunction

Cholinergic control of the heart is exerted by two distinct branches; the autonomic component represented by the parasympathetic nervous system, and the recently described non-neuronal cardiomyocyte cholinergic machinery. Previous evidence has shown that reduced cholinergic function leads to deleterious effects on the myocardium. Yet, whether conditions of increased cholinergic signaling can offset the pathological remodeling induced by sympathetic hyperactivity, and its consequences for these two cholinergic axes are unknown. Here, we investigated two models of sympathetic hyperactivity: i) the chronic beta-adrenergic receptor stimulation evoked by isoproterenol (ISO), and ii) the alpha(2A)/alpha(2C)-drenergic receptor knockout (KO) mice that lack pre-synaptic adrenergic receptors. In both models, cholinergic signaling was increased by administration of the cholinesterase inhibitor, pyridostigmine. First, we observed that isoproterenol produces an autonomic imbalance characterized by increased sympathetic and reduced parasympathetic tone. Under this condition transcripts for cholinergic proteins were upregulated in ventricular myocytes, indicating that non-neuronal cholinergic machinery is activated during adrenergic overdrive. Pyridostigmine treatment prevented the effects of ISO on autonomic function and on the ventricular cholinergic machinery, and inhibited cardiac remodeling. alpha(2A)/alpha(2C)-KO mice presented reduced ventricular contraction when compared to wild-type mice, and this dysfunction was also reversed by cholinesterase inhibition. Thus, the cardiac parasympathetic system and non-neuronal cardiomyocyte cholinergic machinery are modulated in opposite directions under conditions of increased sympathetic drive or ACh availability. Moreover, our data support the idea that pyridostigmine by restoring ACh availability is beneficial in heart disease