Sistemática dos Mysidacea (crustácea) na região de Cananéia

Mysids collected at Cananéia region (Lat. 25º04'S -25º58'S and Long. 047º54'W -047º57'W) during the period Sept. 1969 - Sept. 1970 have been systematically studied. The following species are redescribed and figured: Bowmaniella (Coifmanniella) brasiliensis Mysidopsis tortonesi, M. eoelhoi, Brasilomysis castroi Metamysidopsis elongata atlantica and Promysis atlantica. The diagnoses are based on characters easily observed and useful to their identification. The geographic distribution is given for all species studied in addition to the zoogeographical distribution of mysids from Brazilian shallow waters

Elastase-2, a tissue alternative pathway for angiotensin II generation, plays a role in circulatory sympathovagal balance in mice

In vitro and ex vivo experiments indicate that elastase-2 (ELA-2), a chymotrypsin-serine protease elastase family member 2A, is an alternative pathway for angiotensin II (Ang II) generation. However, the role played by ELA-2 in vivo is unclear. We examined ELA-2 knockout (ELA-2KO) mice compared to wild-type (WT) mice and determined whether ELA-2 played a role in hemodynamics [arterial pressure (AP) and heart rate (HR)], cardiocirculatory sympathovagal balance and baroreflex sensitivity. The variability of systolic arterial pressure (SAP) and pulse interval (PI) for evaluating autonomic modulation was examined for time and frequency domains (spectral analysis), whereas a symbolic analysis was also used to evaluate PI variability. In addition, baroreflex sensitivity was examined using the sequence method. Cardiac function was evaluated echocardiographically under anesthesia. The AP was normal whereas the HR was reduced in ELA-2KO mice (425 ± 17 vs. 512 ± 13 bpm from WT). SAP variability and baroreflex sensitivity were similar in both strains. The LF power from the PI spectrum (33.6 ± 5 vs. 51.8 ± 4.8 nu from WT) and the LF/HF ratio (0.60 ± 0.1 vs. 1.45 ± 0.3 from WT) were reduced, whereas the HF power was increased (66.4 ± 5 vs. 48.2 ± 4.8 nu from WT) in ELA-2KO mice, indicating a shift toward parasympathetic modulation of HR. Echocardiographic examination showed normal fractional shortening and an ejection fraction in ELA-2KO mice; however, the cardiac output, stroke volume, and ventricular size were reduced. These findings provide the first evidence that ELA-2 acts on the sympathovagal balance of the heart, as expressed by the reduced sympathetic modulation of HR in ELA-2KO mice

A SOMATOTROFINA BOVINA (bST) E SUA RELAÇÃO COM O RECRUTAMENTO FOLICULAR OVARIANO DURANTE O CICLO ESTRAL DE VACAS

O objetivo do experimento foi testar os efeitos da somatotrofina bovina (BST) no recrutamento de folículos ovarianos, durante o ciclo estral de vacas. Foram utilizadas seis vacas não lactantes Bostrurus taurus antes do experimento, os animais foram submetidos a exames ginecológicos completos, estando o escore médio da condição corporal dos animais em 3,0. As vacas foram divididas ao acaso em dois grupos: G1 - três animais, tratados com somatotrofina bovina recombinante (BST) 500 mg, de liberação lenta com vitamina E (IM); G2 - três vacas controles, que receberam 10 ml (IM) de solução fisiológica estéril como placebo. Para sincronizar o estro base das vacas foram utilizados implantes de norgestomet de 3 mg, na face externa da orelha (SC). O implante permaneceu por 10 dias seguidos nos animais de ambos os grupos e na sua retirada, utilizou-se uma dose de 500 ì g de cloprostenol (IM). No 3º dia pós estro os animais foram tratados respectivamente com BST (G1) e solução fisiológica para os controles (G2). Diariamente, a partir do dia do estro base até o próximo estro, os ovários das vacas foram monitorados¨ ultrassonograficamente com vistas ao número de folículos recrutados em cada onda folicular, verificação do folículo dominante (FD) e sua evolução, bem como o diâmetro individual dos outros folículos. Para o monitoramento folicular ovariano, foi utilizado aparelho de ultrassonografia e transdutor linear de 5.0 megahertz. Foram detectados durante o ciclo estral em média 8,5 e 8,3 folículos maiores que 4,0 mm de diâmetro nos animais dos G1 e G2 respectivamente; em torno do 10º dia pós tratamento observou-se o maior número de folículos recrutados em ambos os grupos; houve cinco animais com 2 ondas foliculares e um com três, sendo o número de folículos recrutados em cada onda como segue (G1 e G2, respectivamente): 1ª onda 7,6 e 7,0; 2ª onda 8,3 e 8,0; dia da detecção do 1º FD 1,0 e 1,6 dias ; 2º FD 8,6 e 9,0 dias; duração da 1ª onda folicular 11,6 e 9,6 dias; da 2ª onda folicular 8,0 e 7,6 dias; diâmetro máximo do 1º FD 18,2 e 15,8 mm; do 2º FD 16,6 e 15,0 mm; diâmetro do corpo lúteo (CL) do estro base 30,7 e 24,3 mm; dia do diâmetro folicular máximo pós tratamento do FD da 1ª onda: 8,6º e 10,3º; do 2º FD 18,6º e 16,6º dia. Baseados nesses resultados concluiu-se que a aplicação isolada de BST no 3º dia do ciclo estral, não exerceu influência entre os grupos relativamente ao recrutamento folicular ovariano, à exceção da duração da fase luteal, a qual alongou-se significativamente (p0,05) entre os grupos. A administração do BST expressou uma tendência em maior número de folículos recrutados (p>0,05). The bovine somatotrophin in the estrus cycle and its relationships with the ovarian follicular recruitment in cows Abstract The aim of this research was to evaluate the effects of the bovine somatotropin (BST) on the ovarian follicular wave of estrus cycle in cows. Six nonlactating cows Bos taurus taurus, from which four Holstein Friesian, one Jersey and one Holstein-pingzgauer breed, were used. The cows were submitted to a genital examination prior to the experiment, the mean body score condition observed being 3.0. The animals were maintained on oat and azeven pasture, with corn silage and mineral suplementation ad libitum. The cows were ramdomly divided in two groups: G1 three animals treated with 500 mg BST in the third day post estrus; G2 - three control cows (10 ml physiologic solution). Norgestomet implants on the ear internal face and intramuscular PGF2 alpha were used to perform the estrus synchronization. The bovine ovaries were daily scanned by ultrasound, from the estrus day to the following estrus, in order to detect the follicular development in each follicular wave. During the estrus cycle 8.5 and 8.3 follicles bigger than 4.0 mm of diameter were detected in G1 and G2, respectively. The highest number of recruitment follicles occurred in both groups around the 10th day post treatment; five cows had two follicular waves and the other, one. The number of recruitment follicles in each wave for G1 and G2 group was respectively: 1st wave, 7.6 and 7.0; 2nd wave, 8.3 and 8.0; 1st dominant follicle (FD) detection 1.0 and 1.6 days; 2nd FD detection 8.6 and 9.0 days; 1st follicular wave length, 11.6 and 9.6 days; 2nd follicular wave, 8.0 and 7.6 days. The maximum diameter of the 1st FD was 18.2 and 15.8 mm; from the 2nd FD 16.6 and 15.0 mm; CL diameter from the estrus basis, 30.7 and 24.3 mm; at the day of the major follicular diameter post treatment of the 1st FD (1st wave) 8.6 and 10.3; from the 2nd wave, FD 18.6 and 16.6 day, respectively. In conclusion, the isolated administration of BST in the 3rd day of the estrus cycle did not influence the follicular recruitment between groups, except on the length of the luteal phase (p0.05) between groups. The BST effect appointed a tendency on the greater number of recruitment follicles (p>0,05)

Dynamical complexity in the C.elegans neural network

We model the neuronal circuit of the C.elegans soil worm in terms of a Hindmarsh-Rose system of ordinary differential equa- tions, dividing its circuit into six communities which are determined via the Walktrap and Louvain methods. Using the numerical solution of these equations, we analyze important measures of dynamical com- plexity, namely synchronicity, the largest Lyapunov exponent, and the ?AR auto-regressive integrated information theory measure. We show that ?AR provides a useful measure of the information contained in the C.elegans brain dynamic network. Our analysis reveals that the C.elegans brain dynamic network generates more information than the sum of its constituent parts, and that attains higher levels of integrated information for couplings for which either all its communities are highly synchronized, or there is a mixed state of highly synchronized and de- synchronized communities

Inhalation of the prodrug PI3K inhibitor CL27c improves lung function in asthma and fibrosis

PI3K activation plays a central role in the development of pulmonary inflammation and tissue remodeling. PI3K inhibitors may thus offer an improved therapeutic opportunity to treat non-resolving lung inflammation but their action is limited by unwanted on-target systemic toxicity. Here we present CL27c, a prodrug pan-PI3K inhibitor designed for local therapy, and investigate whether inhaled CL27c is effective in asthma and pulmonary fibrosis. Mice inhaling CL27c show reduced insulin-evoked Akt phosphorylation in lungs, but no change in other tissues and no increase in blood glycaemia, in line with a local action. In murine models of acute or glucocorticoid-resistant neutrophilic asthma, inhaled CL27c reduces inflammation and improves lung function. Finally, inhaled CL27c administered in a therapeutic setting protects from bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis, ultimately leading to significantly improved survival. Therefore, local delivery of a pan-PI3K inhibitor prodrug reduces systemic on-target side effects but effectively treats asthma and irreversible pulmonary fibrosis

Design and operation of a fast high-granularity silicon detector system in a high-radiation environment

Abstract We have designed, realized and operated a fast silicon detector system (50 MHz sampling frequency) to measure the angular distribution and the multiplicity of charged secondaries produced in high-energy Pb–Pb interactions, within the NA50 experiment. We present here the detector design, discuss some of the problems faced during the commissioning and report on the first results on the operation of the full system. In particular, the questions related to the operation of an integrated high-speed binary readout in a high-radiation environment (1014 particles/cm2 and about 10 Mrads) and to the radiation effects on the system during the run will be addressed

The Fluorescence Detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory

The Pierre Auger Observatory is a hybrid detector for ultra-high energy cosmic rays. It combines a surface array to measure secondary particles at ground level together with a fluorescence detector to measure the development of air showers in the atmosphere above the array. The fluorescence detector comprises 24 large telescopes specialized for measuring the nitrogen fluorescence caused by charged particles of cosmic ray air showers. In this paper we describe the components of the fluorescence detector including its optical system, the design of the camera, the electronics, and the systems for relative and absolute calibration. We also discuss the operation and the monitoring of the detector. Finally, we evaluate the detector performance and precision of shower reconstructions.Comment: 53 pages. Submitted to Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section

Search for the standard model Higgs boson in tau final states

We present a search for the standard model Higgs boson using hadronically decaying tau leptons, in 1 inverse femtobarn of data collected with the D0 detector at the Fermilab Tevatron ppbar collider. We select two final states: tau plus missing transverse energy and b jets, and tau+ tau- plus jets. These final states are sensitive to a combination of associated W/Z boson plus Higgs boson, vector boson fusion and gluon-gluon fusion production processes. The observed ratio of the combined limit on the Higgs production cross section at the 95% C.L. to the standard model expectation is 29 for a Higgs boson mass of 115 GeV.Comment: publication versio