Seasonal cycle of precipitation variability in South America on intraseasonal timescales

The seasonal cycle of the intraseasonal (IS) variability of precipitation in South America is described through the analysis of bandpass filtered outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) anomalies. The analysis is discriminated between short (10--30 days) and long (30--90 days) intraseasonal timescales. The seasonal cycle of the 30--90-day IS variability can be well described by the activity of first leading pattern (EOF1) computed separately for the wet season (October--April) and the dry season (May--September). In agreement with previous works, the EOF1 spatial distribution during the wet season is that of a dipole with centers of actions in the South Atlantic Convergence Zone (SACZ) and southeastern South America (SESA), while during the dry season, only the last center is discernible. In both seasons, the pattern is highly influenced by the activity of the Madden--Julian Oscillation (MJO). Moreover, EOF1 is related with a tropical zonal-wavenumber-1 structure superposed with coherent wave trains extended along the South Pacific during the wet season, while during the dry season the wavenumber-1 structure is not observed. The 10--30-day IS variability of OLR in South America can be well represented by the activity of the EOF1 computed through considering all seasons together, a dipole but with the stronger center located over SESA. While the convection activity at the tropical band does not seem to influence its activity, there are evidences that the atmospheric variability at subtropical-extratropical regions might have a role. Subpolar wavetrains are observed in the Pacific throughout the year and less intense during DJF, while a path of wave energy dispersion along a subtropical wavetrain also characterizes the other seasons. Further work is needed to identify the sources of the 10--30-day-IS variability in South America

Desenvolvimento de geleia light de morango e abacaxi com linchia®.

O aumento do sobrepeso e obesidade associado ao hábito de alimentação inadequado vem produzindo na população brasileira, como consequência, um aumento das doenças crônicas não transmissíveis (DCNT). Contudo, apesar da predominância da oferta de alimentos industrializados, cresce a procura por alimentos saudáveis. Pensando nisso, a pesquisa teve por proposta o desenvolvimento de uma geleia saudável de potencial funcional - light, apresentando redução em açúcar solúvel e em calorias - a partir de uma junção inovadora de ingredientes, o mix de morango e abacaxi com uma farinha de Linchia®. Também, construir um rótulo contendo as informações nutricionais e avaliar a aceitação sensorial da geleia light desenvolvida. O processo recomendado para a fabricação do produto ?geleia light ? mix morango e abacaxi com Linchia®? apresentou: um baixo Brix, igual a 25º (25g de açúcar solúvel estão representados em 100g de geleia); uma alta proporção do mix de polpa igual a 190g em 100g de geleia, sendo 120g de morango e 70g de abacaxi; alto conteúdo do nutriente fibra alimentar, de 3,75g por 100g de geleia; e, a farinha de Linchia® na proporção de 2g em 100g de geleia. Essa geleia light possui, em comparação com uma geleia convencional de 60º Brix: redução de 58,3% de açúcar solúvel e de 54,2% de calorias; maior porcentagem de fruta; e, maior porcentagem do nutriente fibra alimentar. E, obteve dos avaliadores voluntários e não treinados aceitação igual ou acima de 90% para todos os seus atributos sensoriais avaliados, aparência, textura, sabor e percepção da fruta

Desenvolvimento de geleia light de abacaxi com hortelã.

A geleia desenvolvida é um produto com potencial funcional ? contem abacaxi e hortelã ? que tem ação benéfica para a saúde. O objetivo da pesquisa foi sugerir ao consumidor brasileiro uma ?geleia light? ? menos açúcar e calorias ? contendo alta proporção de polpa de abacaxi e a hortelã como ingredientes saudáveis. O Processo4 se caracterizou por ter uma representação, por 100g de geleia, dos ingredientes alimentícios seguintes: 160g de abacaxi Pérola, 4g de hortelã, 2g de pectina cítrica e 30g de açúcar. A geleia do Processo4, por apresentar textura própria de geleia, agradável sabor e aparência de hortelã, bem como sabor característico de polpa de abacaxi, foi avaliada quanto à aceitação sensorial (aparência, textura, sabor, percepção da fruta) e intenção de compra. Um total de 83,7% dos avaliadores declararam que gostaram da geleia light, e, dos 81,9% que consomem geleia, 75,3% comprariam esse produto. A geleia light de abacaxi com hortelã apresentou redução de 50% de açúcar e 50% de calorias atribuídas ao açúcar. Assim, uma porção de 20g dessa geleia light (30ºbrix) possui 6g de carboidrato e 24kcal, enquanto que, da geleia convencional de 60ºbrix, 12g de carboidrato e 48kcal. Também, por ter uma alta representação de polpa de abacaxi Pérola (160g.100g-1) possui um teor mais alto de vitamina C (2,6mg.100g-1). Assim, a pesquisa atual disponibiliza ao mercado uma ?geleia light de abacaxi com hortelã? que tem relevância para a saúde do consumidor, visto que possui reduzido índice de carboidrato e calorias e seus ingredientes apresentam ação positiva para a saúde

Mevalonate kinase deficiencies: from mevalonic aciduria to hyperimmunoglobulinemia D syndrome

Mevalonic aciduria (MVA) and hyperimmunoglobulinemia D syndrome (HIDS) represent the two ends of a clinical spectrum of disease caused by deficiency of mevalonate kinase (MVK), the first committed enzyme of cholesterol biosynthesis. At least 30 patients with MVA and 180 patients with HIDS have been reported worldwide. MVA is characterized by psychomotor retardation, failure to thrive, progressive cerebellar ataxia, dysmorphic features, progressive visual impairment and recurrent febrile crises. The febrile episodes are commonly accompanied by hepatosplenomegaly, lymphadenopathy, abdominal symptoms, arthralgia and skin rashes. Life expectancy is often compromised. In HIDS, only febrile attacks are present, but a subgroup of patients may also develop neurological abnormalities of varying degree such as mental retardation, ataxia, ocular symptoms and epilepsy. A reduced activity of MVK and pathogenic mutations in the MVK gene have been demonstrated as the common genetic basis in both disorders. In MVA, the diagnosis is established by detection of highly elevated levels of mevalonic acid excreted in urine. Increased levels of immunoglobulin D (IgD) and, in most patients of immunoglobulin A (IgA), in combination with enhanced excretion of mevalonic acid provide strong evidence for HIDS. The diagnosis is confirmed by low activity of mevalonate kinase or by demonstration of disease-causing mutations. Genetic counseling should be offered to families at risk. There is no established successful treatment for MVA. Simvastatin, an inhibitor of HMG-CoA reductase, and anakinra have been shown to have beneficial effect in HIDS

Peptide Ligands Incorporated into the Threefold Spike Capsid Domain to Re-Direct Gene Transduction of AAV8 and AAV9 In Vivo

Efficiency and specificity of viral vectors are vital issues in gene therapy. Insertion of peptide ligands into the adeno-associated viral (AAV) capsid at receptor binding sites can re-target AAV2-derived vectors to alternative cell types. Also, the use of serotypes AAV8 and -9 is more efficient than AAV2 for gene transfer to certain tissues in vivo. Consequently, re-targeting of these serotypes by ligand insertion could be a promising approach but has not been explored so far. Here, we generated AAV8 and -9 vectors displaying peptides in the threefold spike capsid domain. These peptides had been selected from peptide libraries displayed on capsids of AAV serotype 2 to optimize systemic gene delivery to murine lung tissue and to breast cancer tissue in PymT transgenic mice (PymT). Such peptide insertions at position 590 of the AAV8 capsid and position 589 of the AAV9 capsid changed the transduction properties of both serotypes. However, both peptides inserted in AAV8 did not result in the same changes of tissue tropism as they did in AAV2. While the AAV2 peptides selected on murine lung tissue did not alter tropism of serotypes 8 and -9, insertion of the AAV2-derived peptide selected on breast cancer tissue augmented tumor gene delivery in both serotypes. Further, this peptide mediated a strong but unspecific in vivo gene transfer for AAV8 and abrogated transduction of various control tissues for AAV9. Our findings indicate that peptide insertion into defined sites of AAV8 and -9 capsids can change and improve their efficiency and specificity compared to their wild type variants and to AAV2, making these insertion sites attractive for the generation of novel targeted vectors in these serotypes