Cenários de desenvolvimento sustentável no Pantanal em função de tendências hidroclimáticas.

Nesta feita uma análise prospectiva do futuro hidrológico do Pantanal sob a perspectiva de dados pretéritos, da mudança do clima com base em relações entre o nível máximo do Rio Paraguai, interação oceano-atmosfera e precipitação na América do Sul. A cenarização hidroclimática, incluindo a componente humana, permite ainda identificar adaptações e oportunidades para as próximas décadas, também em função de mudanças e tendências da economia mundial.bitstream/CPAP-2009-09/56873/1/DOC98.pd

Discordant bioinformatic predictions of antimicrobial resistance from whole-genome sequencing data of bacterial isolates: an inter-laboratory study.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a threat to public health. Clinical microbiology laboratories typically rely on culturing bacteria for antimicrobial-susceptibility testing (AST). As the implementation costs and technical barriers fall, whole-genome sequencing (WGS) has emerged as a 'one-stop' test for epidemiological and predictive AST results. Few published comparisons exist for the myriad analytical pipelines used for predicting AMR. To address this, we performed an inter-laboratory study providing sets of participating researchers with identical short-read WGS data from clinical isolates, allowing us to assess the reproducibility of the bioinformatic prediction of AMR between participants, and identify problem cases and factors that lead to discordant results. We produced ten WGS datasets of varying quality from cultured carbapenem-resistant organisms obtained from clinical samples sequenced on either an Illumina NextSeq or HiSeq instrument. Nine participating teams ('participants') were provided these sequence data without any other contextual information. Each participant used their choice of pipeline to determine the species, the presence of resistance-associated genes, and to predict susceptibility or resistance to amikacin, gentamicin, ciprofloxacin and cefotaxime. We found participants predicted different numbers of AMR-associated genes and different gene variants from the same clinical samples. The quality of the sequence data, choice of bioinformatic pipeline and interpretation of the results all contributed to discordance between participants. Although much of the inaccurate gene variant annotation did not affect genotypic resistance predictions, we observed low specificity when compared to phenotypic AST results, but this improved in samples with higher read depths. Had the results been used to predict AST and guide treatment, a different antibiotic would have been recommended for each isolate by at least one participant. These challenges, at the final analytical stage of using WGS to predict AMR, suggest the need for refinements when using this technology in clinical settings. Comprehensive public resistance sequence databases, full recommendations on sequence data quality and standardization in the comparisons between genotype and resistance phenotypes will all play a fundamental role in the successful implementation of AST prediction using WGS in clinical microbiology laboratories

Trophic Niche Breadth of Falconidae Species Predicts Biomic Specialisation but Not Range Size

Trophic niche breadth plays a key role in biogeographic distribution patterns. Theory posits that generalist strategies are favoured in a more heterogeneous set of environments across a spatio-temporal gradient of resources predictability, conferring individuals and species a greater capacity for colonising new habitats and thus expanding their distribution area. Using the family Falconidae (Aves, Falconiformes) as a model study, we tested the prediction that those species with a wider diet spectrum will have larger geographic range sizes and inhabit more biomes. We assessed the relationships between trophic breadth (diet richness and diversity) at different taxonomic resolutions of the prey (class and order), range size and biomic specialisation index (BSI; number of biomes inhabited) for the different species. Despite different diet breadth indexes and taxonomic resolutions defined differently the trophic niche of the clade and species, our findings revealed that trophic breadth was not a good predictor for range size but was for total environmental heterogeneity, with more diet-generalist species occupying a higher number of biomes. Diet breadth at the order taxonomic level showed a higher capacity of predicting BSI than at class level, and can be an important ecological trait explaining biogeographic patterns of the species

The Second Transmembrane Domain of P2X7 Contributes to Dilated Pore Formation

Activation of the purinergic receptor P2X7 leads to the cellular permeability of low molecular weight cations. To determine which domains of P2X7 are necessary for this permeability, we exchanged either the C-terminus or portions of the second transmembrane domain (TM2) with those in P2X1 or P2X4. Replacement of the C-terminus of P2X7 with either P2X1 or P2X4 prevented surface expression of the chimeric receptor. Similarly, chimeric P2X7 containing TM2 from P2X1 or P2X4 had reduced surface expression and no permeability to cationic dyes. Exchanging the N-terminal 10 residues or C-terminal 14 residues of the P2X7 TM2 with the corresponding region of P2X1 TM2 partially restored surface expression and limited pore permeability. To further probe TM2 structure, we replaced single residues in P2X7 TM2 with those in P2X1 or P2X4. We identified multiple substitutions that drastically changed pore permeability without altering surface expression. Three substitutions (Q332P, Y336T, and Y343L) individually reduced pore formation as indicated by decreased dye uptake and also reduced membrane blebbing in response to ATP exposure. Three others substitutions, V335T, S342G, and S342A each enhanced dye uptake, membrane blebbing and cell death. Our results demonstrate a critical role for the TM2 domain of P2X7 in receptor function, and provide a structural basis for differences between purinergic receptors. © 2013 Sun et al

Experiencia de Jornadas Intercátedras: hacia la formacion extensionista para las intervenciones comunitarias.

Es intención de ésta ponencia presentar algunas reflexiones surgidas desde una experiencia extensionista conjunta, de las cátedras Economía Social (Facultad de Ciencias Económicas), Problemáticas de Vivienda Popular (Facultad de Arquitectura, Urbanismo y Diseño) y Estrategias de Intervención Comunitaria (Facultad de Psicología), de la Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. La misma se centró en la realización de “Jornadas Intercátedra”, en las cuales los estudiantes planificaron intervenciones sobre una problemática habitacional en una comunidad. Las cátedras involucradas comparten un posicionamiento ético-político frente a la temática extensionista, y en función de ello sostienen acciones desde sus propios programas curriculares. Las mismas consideran como fundamentales a los procesos de inserción, comunicación y vinculación con comunidades del sector popular, la interdisciplina como modo de abordar cuestiones complejas, y el trabajo en equipo como eje organizador de prácticas y problematizaciones. A partir de esto, se han sentido convocadas a articular intereses y recursos, ya que cuentan con una amplia trayectoria extensionista, lo cual brinda una apertura a la reflexión de diversas situaciones dentro de la realidad concreta. La intervención comunitaria requiere de estrategias que contemplen la diversidad de aportes, saberes e inquietudes. Destacándose no tanto el trabajo sobre los aspectos en común, sino sobre las diferencias. Esto implica una manera diferente de entender el poder que circula; por ello, se cree que necesariamente la instalación del enfoque interdisciplinario en articulación con los saberes comunitarios cuestiona las formaciones académicas y profesionales. Actualmente, la planificación académica no contempla en sus currículas la formación interdisciplinaria práctica. Frente a esto, la convicción de que “solos no es posible”, abre camino al planteo que posibilita esta experiencia de pensar juntos desde miradas diversas dentro de un mismo marco contextual. Habilitando el encuentro de: lenguajes, complejos conceptuales, repertorios de herramientas, experiencias diferentes.La vivencia de la jornada, fue significada por estudiantes y equipos docentes, de diversas maneras:-Rescatando y poniendo en tensión las otras miradas a la dimensión humana, poniendo en juego la reflexión sobre los sujetos con quienes se busca construir la acción y el reconocimiento de la diversidad. -La posibilidad de un espacio para el ejercicio interdisciplinario como construcción conjunta de conocimientos. A partir de la experiencia realizada surgen dilemas. Desde la formación, ¿se generan condiciones para la reflexión sobre las intervenciones comunitarias? La jornada intercátedra, ¿favorece la formación interdisciplinaria de alumnos? Las miradas diversas.encontradas en este espacio, ¿enriquecen prácticas y formas de dar respuestas a las problemáticas de la población

Genomic Organization, Splice Variants and Expression of CGMl, a CD66-related Member of the Carcinoembryonic Antigen Gene Family

The tumor marker carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) belongs to a family of proteins which are composed of one immunogiobulin variable domain and a varying number of immunoglobulin constant-like domains. Most of the membrane-bound members, which are anchored either by a glycosylphosphatidylinositol moiety or a transmembrane domain, have been shown to convey cell adhesion in vitro. Here we describe two splice variants of CGMI. a transmembrane member of the CEA family without immunoglobulin constant.like domains. CGM1a and CGM1c contain cytopiasmic domains of 71 and 31 amino acids, respectively, The cytoplasmic region of CGM1a is encoded by four exons (Cyt1-Cyt4). Differential splicing of the Cyt1 exon (53 bp)..

Differential IL-1β secretion by monocyte subsets is regulated by Hsp27 through modulating mRNA stability.

Monocytes play a central role in regulating inflammation in response to infection or injury, and during auto-inflammatory diseases. Human blood contains classical, intermediate and non-classical monocyte subsets that each express characteristic patterns of cell surface CD16 and CD14; each subset also has specific functional properties, but the mechanisms underlying many of their distinctive features are undefined. Of particular interest is how monocyte subsets regulate secretion of the apical pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-1β, which is central to the initiation of immune responses but is also implicated in the pathology of various auto-immune/auto-inflammatory conditions. Here we show that primary human non-classical monocytes, exposed to LPS or LPS + BzATP (3'-O-(4-benzoyl)benzyl-ATP, a P2X7R agonist), produce approx. 80% less IL-1β than intermediate or classical monocytes. Despite their low CD14 expression, LPS-sensing, caspase-1 activation and P2X7R activity were comparable in non-classical monocytes to other subsets: their diminished ability to produce IL-1β instead arose from 50% increased IL-1β mRNA decay rates, mediated by Hsp27. These findings identify the Hsp27 pathway as a novel therapeutic target for the management of conditions featuring dysregulated IL-1β production, and represent an advancement in understanding of both physiological inflammatory responses and the pathogenesis of inflammatory diseases involving monocyte-derived IL-1β

Probenecid Blocks Human P2X7 Receptor-Induced Dye Uptake via a Pannexin-1 Independent Mechanism

P2X7 is a ligand-gated ion channel which is activated by ATP and displays secondary permeability characteristics. The mechanism of development of the secondary permeability pathway is currently unclear, although a role for the hemichannel protein pannexin-1 has been suggested. In this study we investigated the role of pannexin-1 in P2X7-induced dye uptake and ATP-induced IL-1β secretion from human monocytes. We found no pharmacological evidence for involvement of pannexin-1 in P2X7-mediated dye uptake in transfected HEK-293 cells with no inhibition seen for carbenoxolone and the pannexin-1 mimetic inhibitory peptide, 10Panx1. However, we found that probenecid inhibited P2X7-induced cationic and anionic dye uptake in stably transfected human P2X7 HEK-293 cells. An IC50 value of 203 μM was calculated for blockade of ATP-induced responses at human P2X7. Probenecid also reduced dye uptake and IL-1β secretion from human CD14+ monocytes whereas carbenoxolone and 10Panx1 showed no inhibitory effect. Patch clamp and calcium indicator experiments revealed that probenecid directly blocks the human P2X7 receptor