STUDY OF PRODUCTION OF REVERSE OSMOSIS DEMINERALIZED WATER FOR BOILERS

A comparison of the presence and absence of a softening system as a pretreatment of the water that is fed into the separation process by reverse osmosis membranes was performed. The following parameters of the reverse osmosis were evaluated: the pH of the feed water; the flow of the permeate; the pressure of the feed water in the membrane in the first and second stages; and the pressure of the reject, both in the absence and the presence of the softening system. The results indicated that the inclusion of a softening system as a pretreatment for feeding the reverse osmosis process prevented the premature deposition of silica, thereby increasing the useful life of the membrane

Imunokromatografski test za dokaz invazije vrstama Babesia caballi i Babesia equi Laveran 1901 (Theileria equi Mehlhorn i Schein, 1998) (Phylum Apicomplexa) u fi lipinskih konja u usporedbi s dokazom parazita u krvnim razmascima

Sera collected from 71 slaughtered and 33 racing horses were assayed for Babesia spp. infection using immunochromatographic (ICT) assay. The ICT strips which were developed at the National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases (NRCPD), Obihiro University, Hokkaido, Japan contained a recombinant B. caballi 48-kDa rhoptry protein (rBc48) and a recombinant truncated B. equi merozoite antigen 2 (rEMA-2t) for the detection of anti-horse Babesia spp. antibodies. The 63 sero-positive blood samples consisted of 41(57.7%) and 22 (66.7%) cases in slaughtered and racing horses, respectively. Twelve sera (19.0%) reacted with both B. caballi and B. equi antigens, 45 sera (71.0%) reacted with rBc48 antigen only, and six sera (10.0%) were positive for B. equi antibodies only. Babesia caballi infection accounted for 90.5% cases. Infection with B. caballi and/or B. equi confirmed in Giemsa-stained blood smears prepared from racing horse samples only revealed 22 (66.7%) seropositive cases. Paired pear or crescent-shaped merozoites (0.5-1.25 μm), characteristic of B. caballi were observed in 20 blood smears, while only two seropositive cases revealed the presence of both B. caballi and the Maltese cross or tetrad-shaped merozoites (0.62-0.95 μm) generally associated with Theileria sp. (B. equi) parasite. To our knowledge, this is the first immunochromatographic assay of equine babesiosis in the Philippines validated by the detection of specific etiologic agent(s) in blood smears.Uzorci seruma 71 zaklanog konja i 33 športska konja bili su pretraženi na prisutnost protutijela za babezije imunokromatografskim testom (ICT). Testovi razvijeni u Nacionalnom istraživačkom centru za protozojske bolesti u sklopu Sveučilišta Obihiro u Hokaidu u Japanu sadržavali su rekombinantni protein od 48-kDa (rBc48) vrste B. caballi i rekombinantni krnji merozoitski antigen 2 (rEMA-2t) vrste B. equi za određivanje protutijela za vrste roda Babesia. Od ukupno 63 serološki pozitivna konja, 41 (57,7%) pripadao je skupini kojoj je krv bila uzeta pri klanju, a 22 (66,7%) bila su iz skupine športskih konja. Dvadeset uzoraka seruma (19,0%) bilo je pozitivno na oba antigena (B. caballi i B. equi), 45 uzoraka (71,0%) samo na antigen rBc48, dok je svega šest uzoraka (10%) bilo pozitivno na protutijela za vrstu B. equi. Protutijela za vrstu B. caballi bila su dokazana u 90,5% pretraženih uzoraka. Pretragom krvnih razmazaka obojenih po Giemzi babezije su bile dokazane u svega 22 (66,7%) športska konja. Kruškaste tvorevine (0,5-1,25 μm), karakteristične za merozoite protozoona B. caballi bile su dokazane u 20 razmazaka krvi. Samo u dva serološki pozitivna uzorka dokazana je vrsta B. caballi i merozoiti razmješteni u obliku malteškoga križa (0,62-0,95 μm) što je i karakteristika protozoa iz roda Theileria (B. equi). Ovim istraživanjem prvi put je dokazana prikladnost imunokromatografskoga testa za određivanje protutijela za babezije konja na Filipinima, a rezultati su uspoređeni s nalazom uzročnika u krvnim razmascima

Detecção molecular de Hepatozoon canis e Babesia canis vogeli em cães domésticos de Cuiabá, Brasil

The objective of this study was to report for the first time infection by Hepatozoon spp. and Babesia spp. in 10 dogs from the city of Cuiabá, State of Mato Grosso, central-western Brazil. A pair of primers that amplifies a 574 bp fragment of the 18S rRNA of Hepatozoon spp., and a pair of primers that amplifies a 551 bp fragment of the gene 18S rRNA for Babesia spp. were used. Six dogs were positive for Babesia spp., and 9 were positive for Hepatozoon spp. Co-infection of Babesia spp. and Hepatozoon spp. was seen in 5 dogs. Sequenced samples revealed 100% identity with B. canis vogeli, and H. canis. This is the first molecular detection of H. canis in domestic dogs from Cuiabá. Additionally, it is described for the first time the presence of B. canis vogeli circulating among dogs in Cuiabá.O objetivo deste estudo foi relatar pela primeira vez a infecção por Hepatozoon spp. e Babesia spp. em cães domésticos provenientes da cidade de Cuiabá, estado de Mato Grosso. Foram utilizados pares de primers que amplificam um fragmento de 574 pb do gene 18S rRNA de Hepatozoon spp., e 551 pb do gene 18S rRNA para Babesia spp. Dos 10 cães amostrados, 6 apresentaram-se positivos para Babesia spp., e 9 foram positivos para Hepatozoon spp. pela PCR. Co-infecção entre Babesia spp. e Hepatozoon spp. ocorreu em 5 cães. As amostras revelaram 100% de identidade com B. canis vogeli, e as amostras que foram positivas para Hepatozoon spp. foram 100% idênticas a H. canis. Esta é a primeira identificação molecular de H. canis em cães domésticos em Cuiabá. Adicionalmente, descrevemos pela primeira vez a presença de B. canis vogeli circulando entre cães em Cuiabá.Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP

A Multidisciplinary Diabetes Collaborative

Holistic and Nursing Scholarship Symposium Event Posters.https://scholarlycommons.libraryinfo.bhs.org/nurs_presentations/1015/thumbnail.jp

BACH2 immunodeficiency illustrates an association between super-enhancers and haploinsufficiency.

The transcriptional programs that guide lymphocyte differentiation depend on the precise expression and timing of transcription factors (TFs). The TF BACH2 is essential for T and B lymphocytes and is associated with an archetypal super-enhancer (SE). Single-nucleotide variants in the BACH2 locus are associated with several autoimmune diseases, but BACH2 mutations that cause Mendelian monogenic primary immunodeficiency have not previously been identified. Here we describe a syndrome of BACH2-related immunodeficiency and autoimmunity (BRIDA) that results from BACH2 haploinsufficiency. Affected subjects had lymphocyte-maturation defects that caused immunoglobulin deficiency and intestinal inflammation. The mutations disrupted protein stability by interfering with homodimerization or by causing aggregation. We observed analogous lymphocyte defects in Bach2-heterozygous mice. More generally, we observed that genes that cause monogenic haploinsufficient diseases were substantially enriched for TFs and SE architecture. These findings reveal a previously unrecognized feature of SE architecture in Mendelian diseases of immunity: heterozygous mutations in SE-regulated genes identified by whole-exome/genome sequencing may have greater significance than previously recognized

Immunochromatographic assay of Babesia caballi and Babesia equi laveran 1901 (Theileria equi Mehlhorn and Schein, 1998) (Phylum aplcomplexa) infection in Philippine horses correlated with parasite detection in blood smears

Sera collected from 71 slaughtered and 33 racing horses were assayed for Babesia spp. infection using immunochromatographic (ICT) assay. The 1CT strips which were developed at the National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases (NRCPD), Obihiro University, Hokkaido, Japan contained a recombinant B. caballi 48-kDa rhoptry protein (rBc48) and a recombinant truncated B. equi merozoite antigen 2 (rEMA-2t) for the detection of anti-horse Babesia spp. antibodies. The 63 seropositive blood samples consisted of 41(57.7%) and 22 (66.7%) cases in slaughtered and racing horses, respectively. Twelve sera (19.0%) reacted with both B. caballi and B. equi antigens, 45 sera (71.0%) reacted with rBc48 antigen only, and six sera (10.0%) were positive for B. equi antibodies only. Babesia caballi infection accounted for 90.5% cases. Infection with B. caballi and/or B. equi confirmed in Giemsa-stained blood smears prepared from racing horse samples only revealed 22 (66.7%) seropositive cases. Paired pear or crescent-shaped merozoites (0.5-1.25 μm), characteristic of B. caballi were observed in 20 blood smears, while only two seropositive cases revealed the presence of both B. caballi and the Maltese cross or tetrad-shaped merozoites (0.62-0.95 μm) generally associated with Theileria sp. (B. equi) parasite. To our knowledge, this is the first immunochromatographic assay of equine babesiosis in the Philippines validated by the detection of specific etiologic agent(s) in blood smears

Dynamic of the natural infection by Anaplasma marginale in Holstein cows and calves in the Londrina region, North of Paraná State, Brazil

A dinâmica da infecção por Anaplasma marginale em vacas e bezerros da raça Holandesa foi estudada em duas propriedades leiteiras (A e B) com manejos distintos da região Norte do Paraná. Na propriedade A as vacas eram mantidas no sistema “tie-stall” e, os bezerros em bezerreiros coletivos; na propriedade B, as vacas em sistema “free-stall” e os bezerros em gaiolas individuais. A cada 15 dias efetuou-se a contagem de carrapatos e coletas de amostras de sangue das vacas e seus respectivos bezerros. As vacas foram monitoradas dos 45 dias antes até 60 dias após o parto, e seus bezerros, do nascimento até 240 dias de idade. A parasitemia foi determinada em esfregaços sangüíneos corados pelo Giemsa. O sangue total e as amostras de soro obtidas foram submetidos, respectivamente, as técnicas da PCR e cELISA. Nas vacas os níveis de imunoglobulinas diminuíram próximo ao parto, além de apresentarem uma dinâmica de anticorpos diferentes entre as duas propriedades. Na propriedade A os níveis de anticorpos aumentou entre 30 e 60 dias após o parto e na B os anticorpos permaneceram em níveis baixos no período de monitoramento das vacas. Os níveis de anticorpos dos bezerros da propriedade A que não eram altos no dia do nascimento, diminuíram ainda mais até 45 dias pós-parto e voltou a crescer a partir de 60 dias, com pico máximo aos 105 dias. Na propriedade B, onde os bezerros apresentavam níveis mais elevados de anticorpos no primeiro dia de vida, houve uma diminuição mais demorada dos níveis, alcançando o ponto mais baixo aos 75 dias pós-parto e voltou a crescer bem mais tardiamente, aos 165 dias de idade. Pela PCR, detectou-se A. marginale no sangue de bezerros das duas propriedades, a partir dos 45 dias de vida, com a maioria das amostras de sangue positivas entre 105 e 180 dias. As vacas e bezerros de ambas as propriedades foram expostos ao carrapato Boophilus microplus durante grande parte do período de monitoramento e mostraram parasitemia variando de 0 a 1%. A infecção natural dos bezerros pelo A. marginale após o nascimento foi mais dependente dos níveis de anticorpos colostrais absorvidos do que da intensidade da infestação pelo B. microplus. As diferenças de manejo existentes nas duas propriedades influenciaram os níveis de anticorpos das vacas e bezerros e o período de infecção natural dos bezerros.The dynamic of the infection by Anaplasma marginale in Holstein cows and calves was studied in two dairy farms (A and B) in the Londrina region, North of Paraná. In the farm A the cows were maintained in the tie-stall system and, the calves in collective stall; in the farm B, the cows stayed in freestall system and the calves in individual cages. Every 15 days, blood samples were collected from the dams 45 days before parturition until 60 days post partum, and from their calves at birth until 240 days of age. Tick burden counting was also performed on dams and calves twice a month. Percentage of infected erythrocytes was established by Giemsa-stained smears. Blood and sera samples were examined by Polimerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and competitive Enzime-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (cELISA), respectively. In the cows, the anti-A. marginale antibody levels decreased close to the parturition, showing an adverse behavior among the farms. In the farm A the levels of antibodies increased between 30 and 60 days after the parturition and, in farm B the antibodies stayed in low levels during the accompaniment period of the cows. The anti-A. marginale antibody levels of the calves of the farm A, that were not high in the day of the birth, decreased more until 45 days post parturition and it increased again starting from 60 days, with maximum pick to the 105 days. In the farm B, where the calves presented higher levels of antibodies at the birth day, there was a slower decrease of the antibody levels, reaching the lowest point to the 75 days post parturition and it increased again more tardily, to the 165 days of age. The dams and calves in both farms were exposure to cattle tick Boophilus microplus during almost all period of accompaniment and they showed rickettsemia ranging from 0 to 1%. In conclusion, A. marginale infection after birth was more influenced by maternal antibody levels than tick burden; the differences between animals handling influenced the antibody levels of the dams and calves, and during the natural infection period of the calves; tick burden did not influence the rickettsemia in the studied farms

Revista Brasileira de Parasitologia Veterinária Toxoplasma gondii: humoral and cellular immune response of BALB/c mice immunized via intranasal route with rTgROP2

Abstract TgROP2 is an intracellular protein associated with rhoptries of Toxoplama gondii and an antigen component of a candidate vaccine for toxoplasmosis. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of rTgROP2 to stimulate humoral and cellular immune responses in BALB/c mice via intranasal injection. TgROP2 partial coding sequence was amplified by PCR from genomic T. gondii RH strain DNA and cloned into the pTrcHis expression vector. Escherichia coli Rosetta 2 cells transformed with pTrcHis-TgROP2 showed high levels (~1 mg.mL -1 ) of recombinant protein after 4 hours of IPTG induction. Recombinant TgROP2 exhibited an apparent Mr equal to 54 kDa. In order to test immunogenicity of the recombinant protein, 10 BALB/c mice received 10 μg of rROP2 protein + 10 μg of Quil-A via intranasal injection. Doses were administered at days 0, 21, and 42. Three animals were euthanized and used to evaluate cell-ular immune response on day 62. Five (50%) and two (20%) out of ten animals produced IgG (DO mean = 0.307; cut-off = 0.240) and IgA (DO mean = 0.133, cut-off = 0.101), respectively, by ELISA on day 62. The proliferation of splenocytes revealed high stimulation index (SI) when co-cultured with 5, 10 and 15 μg.mL -1 of rTgROP2. These results indicate that intranasal immunization with recombinant protein ROP2 plus Quil-A can elicit both cellular and humoral immune responses in BALB/c mice. Keywords: Cloning, expression, recombinant protein, rhoptry, rROP2. Resumo TgROP2 é uma proteína localizada nas roptrias do Toxoplasma gondii, sendo um antígeno candidato a componente de uma vacina contra a toxoplasmose. O objetivo do presente estudo foi avaliar a eficácia da TgROP2 recombinante em estimular a resposta imune celular e humoral de camundongos BALB/c após estímulo intranasal. A sequência da TgROP2 foi amplificada pela PCR a partir da cepa RH e clonada em vetor de expressão pTrc-His. Após a transformação em Escherichia coli-Rosetta 2, a pTrcHis-TgROP2 exibiu alto nível de expressão após 4 horas de indução com IPTG. A proteína recombinante apresentou uma massa molecular aparente de aproximadamente 54 kDa. Para avaliar a imunogenicidade dessa proteína recombinante, 10 camundongos receberam, pela via intranasal, 10 μg da rROP2 associado a 10 μg de Quil-A. Três doses foram realizadas nos dias 0, 21 e 42. No dia 62 do experimento, três animais foram eutanasiados para avaliar as respostas imune celular e humoral. Cinco (50%) e dois (20%) dos 10 animais apresentaram níveis de IgG (DO média = 0,307; ponto de corte = 0,240) e IgA (DO média = 0,133; ponto de corte = 0,101) acima do ponto de corte no ELISA no dia 62. A proliferação de esplenócitos revelou altos Índices de Estimulação (SI), quando as células foram cultivadas com 5, 10 e 15 μg.mL -1 de rTgROP2. Os resultados obtidos indicam que a via nasal pode estimular tanto a resposta imune celular como a humoral. Palavras-chave: Clonagem, expressão, proteína recombinante, roptrias, rROP2

A Phox2b BAC Transgenic Rat Line Useful for Understanding Respiratory Rhythm Generator Neural Circuitry.

The key role of the respiratory neural center is respiratory rhythm generation to maintain homeostasis through the control of arterial blood pCO2/pH and pO2 levels. The neuronal network responsible for respiratory rhythm generation in neonatal rat resides in the ventral side of the medulla and is composed of two groups; the parafacial respiratory group (pFRG) and the pre-Bötzinger complex group (preBötC). The pFRG partially overlaps in the retrotrapezoid nucleus (RTN), which was originally identified in adult cats and rats. Part of the pre-inspiratory (Pre-I) neurons in the RTN/pFRG serves as central chemoreceptor neurons and the CO2 sensitive Pre-I neurons express homeobox gene Phox2b. Phox2b encodes a transcription factor and is essential for the development of the sensory-motor visceral circuits. Mutations in human PHOX2B cause congenital hypoventilation syndrome, which is characterized by blunted ventilatory response to hypercapnia. Here we describe the generation of a novel transgenic (Tg) rat harboring fluorescently labeled Pre-I neurons in the RTN/pFRG. In addition, the Tg rat showed fluorescent signals in autonomic enteric neurons and carotid bodies. Because the Tg rat expresses inducible Cre recombinase in PHOX2B-positive cells during development, it is a potentially powerful tool for dissecting the entire picture of the respiratory neural network during development and for identifying the CO2/O2 sensor molecules in the adult central and peripheral nervous systems