Growth cone Tctp is dynamically regulated by guidance cues

Tctp contributes to retinal circuitry formation by promoting axon growth and guidance, but it remains unknown to what extent axonal Tctp specifically influences axon development programs. Various genome-wide profiling studies have ranked tctp transcripts among the most enriched in the axonal compartment of distinct neuronal populations, including embryonic retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), suggesting its expression can be regulated locally and that this may be important during development. Here, we report that growth cone Tctp levels change rapidly in response to Netrin-1 and Ephrin-A1, two guidance cues encountered by navigating RGC growth cones. This regulation is opposite in effect, as we observed protein synthesis- and mTORC1-dependent increases in growth cone Tctp levels after acute treatment with Netrin-1, but a decline upon exposure to Ephrin-A1, an inhibitor of mTORC1. Live imaging with translation reporters further showed that Netrin-1-induced synthesis of Tctp in growth cones is driven by a short 3’ untranslated region (3’UTR) tctp mRNA isoform. However, acute inhibition of de novo Tctp synthesis in axons did not perturb the advance of retinal projections through the optic tract in vivo, indicating that locally produced Tctp is not necessary for normal axon growth and guidance.This work was supported by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (CR; fellowship SFRH/BD/33891/2009), a Wellcome Trust Programme Grant (085314/Z/08/Z) and a ERC Advanced Grant (322817; CH)

Eye drop Self-medication: Comparative Questionnaire-based study of two Latin American cities.

A broad spectrum of ocular symptoms are treated by self-medication with commercial eye-drops.  This behavior threatens individuals' visual health. In Latin America, evidence is poor. Objective:  To  detect,  characterize  and  compare  patterns  of  ophthalmic  self-medication  between  Córdoba (Argentina) and Barranquilla (Colombia).Design:  Analytic, cross-sectional and comparative population-based study. Setting: Two private tertiary care ophthalmology centers from Córdoba, Argentina, and Barranquilla, Colombia.Participants:  Patients 18 years of age or older who consulted for the first time in this two institutions duringAugust-November 2009, were included. A number of 570 patients were enrrolled.Methods:  Data collected through a semi-structured questionnaire. Main outcome measure: To determine thefrequency of self-medication with eyedrops on a specific population of two cities in Latin America.Results:  Comparable  rates  of  ocular  self-medication  were  found  (25.6%  and  25.7%  for  Cordoba  and Barranquilla, respectively). The percentage of men and women who self-medicated was not significantly different between both samples. The major source of eye drops recommendation in the Argentineans patients was the pharmacist (31%); while the social source was predominant in Colombian individuals (53%). In Cordoba, the most frequently used product was a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drop in combination with a vasoconstrictive agent (32%); while in Barranquilla, antibiotic eye drops were preferred (33%). Self-medication was higher between the ages of 31 and 50 years old in Argentinean citizens (28%) and between 18 to 31 years old in the Colombiancommunity (39%). This habit was found mostly in patients who completed university studies in Cordoba (33%); in Barranquilla, individuals with lower educational level practice more this behavior (36%).Conclusion:  In both populations, patients commonly treat ocular conditions by self-medicating. Currently, anincreasing number of eye drops are obtainable without prescription and a high percentage of self-medicated patients in both samples ignore the possible side effects of the used medication.Fil: Marquez, Gabriel. Fundación VER; ArgentinaFil: Hildegard Piñeros-Heilbron. Fundación Oftalmológica del Caribe; ColombiaFil: Sanchez, Victoria M.. Fundación VER; ArgentinaFil: Torres, Victor Eduardo Roque. Fundación VER; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Centro de Investigaciones y Estudios sobre Cultura y Sociedad. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Centro de Investigaciones y Estudios sobre Cultura y Sociedad; ArgentinaFil: Gramajo, Ana L.. Fundación VER; ArgentinaFil: Juarez, Claudio P.. Fundación VER; Argentina. Fundación Oftalmológica del Caribe; ColombiaFil: Peña, Fernando. Fundación Oftalmológica del Caribe; ColombiaFil: Luna, José D.. Fundación VER; Argentin

Purification and characterization of a novel alkaline α-L-rhamnosidase produced by Acrostalagmus luteo albus

Rhamnosidases are enzymes that catalyze the hydrolysis of terminal non reducing L-rhamnose for the bioconversion of natural or synthetic rhamnosides. They are of great significance in the current biotechnological area with applications in food and pharmaceutical industrial processes. In this study we isolated and characterized a novel alkaline rhamnosidase from Acrostalagmus luteo albus, an alkali tolerant soil fungus from Argentina. We also present here an efficient, simple, and inexpensive method for purifying the A. luteo albus rhamnosidase and describe the characteristics of the purified enzyme. In presence of rhamnose as sole carbon source, this fungus produces a rhamnosidase of 109 kDa molecular weight and a pI value of 4.6 determined by SDS-PAGE and analytical isoelectric focusing, respectively. This enzyme was purified to homogeneity by chromatographic and electroforetic techniques. Using p-nitrofenil--L rhamnopiranoside as substrate, the enzyme activity shows pH and temperature optima of 8.0 and 55 ºC, respectively. The enzyme exhibited Michaelis-Menten kinetics with KM and Vmax values of 3.38 mmol.l-1 and 68.5 mmol.l-1.min-1. Divalent cations such as Ca+2, Mg+2, Mn+2, and Co+2 or reducing agents such as -mercaptoethanol and dithiothreitol showed no effect over enzyme activity, whereas this was completely inhibited by Zn+2 at a concentration of 0.2 mM. This enzyme showed the capability to hydrolyze some natural rhamnoglucosides such as hesperidin, naringin and quercitrin under alkaline conditions. On the basis of these results, and mainly due to the high activity of the A. luteo albus rhamnosidase under alkaline conditions, this enzyme should be considered as a potential new biocatalyst for industrial applications.Fil: Rojas, Natalia Lorena. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Fermentaciones Industriales. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Fermentaciones Industriales; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Quilmes; ArgentinaFil: Voget, Claudio Enrique. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Fermentaciones Industriales. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Fermentaciones Industriales; ArgentinaFil: Hours, Roque Alberto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Fermentaciones Industriales. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Fermentaciones Industriales; ArgentinaFil: Cavalitto, Sebastian Fernando. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Fermentaciones Industriales. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Fermentaciones Industriales; Argentin

Free vibration analysis of a robotic fish based on a continuous and non-uniform flexible backbone with distributed masses

This paper presents a differential quadrature element method for free transverse vibration of a robotic-fish based on a continuous and non-uniform flexible backbone with distributed masses (represented by ribs) based in the theory of a Timoshenko cantilever beam. The effects of the masses (Number, Magnitud and position) on the value of natural frequencies are investigated. Governing equations, compatibility and boundary conditions are formulated according to the Differential Quadrature rules. The compatibility conditions at the position of each distributed mass are assumed as the continuity in the vertical displacement, rotation and bending moment and discontinuity in the transverse force due to acceleration of the distributed mass. The convergence, efficiency and accuracy are compared to other analytical solutions proposed in the literature. Moreover, the proposed method has been validate against the physical prototype of a flexible fish backbone. The main advantages of this method, compared to the exact solutions available in the literature are twofold: first, smaller time-cost and second, it allows analysing the free vibration in beams whose section is an arbitrary function, which is normally difficult or even impossible with analytical other methods

Good outcome after neoadjuvant chemotherapy and extended surgical resection for a large radiation-induced high-grade breast sarcoma

This article is a case report of a high grade, radio-induced, breast malignant fibrous histiocytoma (undifferentiated high grade pleomorphic sarcoma), which developed in a 44-year old female, seven years after breast conservative surgery and radiotherapy for a T1N0M0 invasive left breast ductal carcinoma. The sarcoma presented as a fast growing tumour, 9.5 cm in the largest diameter, with skin, left breast, chest wall muscle and rib invasion. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy was performed with epirubicin and ifosfamide. Extended radical surgery according to oncological standards and soft tissue reconstruction were carried out. Despite bad prognostic features of high grade and large invasive sarcoma, the patient is currently, after 44 months of follow up, without local recurrence, or metastases, exceeding the 12.8-month mean recurrence period and mortality rate for these tumours larger than 8.1 cm (± 1.2 cm) as described in the literature

Análise do trabalho prisional : um estudo exploratório

O estudo, baseado em pesquisa de natureza exploratório-descritiva, busca identificar fatores do atual modelo de trabalho prisional do Rio Grande do Sul que dificultam a promoção da ressocialização de apenados. Concomitantemente, propõe mudanças na sua concepção como estratégia, para o atingimento de índices mais expressivos de ressocialização. Os dados foram coletados por meio de consultas aos prontuários penais e de entrevistas semi-estruturadas com vinte apenados do sistema penitenciário gaúcho. Para a análise dos dados coletados, utilizou-se a metodologia da análise de conteúdo, na modalidade de análise temática. Os resultados são apresentados em cinco categorias finais: o trabalho prisional, a identidade no sistema prisional, a ressocialização idealizada, o trabalho prisional no desenvolvimento pessoal e as condições do trabalho prisional. Detectou-se o desconhecimento por parte da Administração Penitenciária da importância da relação entre prazer, sofrimento e motivação mais ampla no trabalho, para uma construção positiva da identidade dos apenados.In this exploratory-descriptive research, the author looks into the identification of the factors concerning the present work model in Rio Grande do Sul State prisions, Brazil. This criticized model is responsible for the difficulties in promoting a reasonable resocialization of the prisoners. Simultaneously the author suggests important changes in the conquest of a more expressive achievement toward the expected resocialization. Data were collected in examining penal hanbook and references and chiefly by means of semi-structured interviews with twenty prisioners. Collected data were analyzed according to content methodology; results are presented in five final categories: (1) prisonal work; (2) prison system identity; (3) ideological resocialization; (4) prisional work influence on personal growth; (5) prisional work conditions. It was noticed that Penitentiary Administration ignores the importance of a better relation among psychological motivation, suffering and a legitimate pleasure in accomplishing prisonal imposed work, in overcoming huge problems and challenges and in reaching the intended prisioners' resocialization

Mother's and newborn's plasmatic concentration of micronutrients at the moment of childbirth

Trata-se de estudo transversal com uma amostra sequencial de conveniência de 73 gestantes, não fumantes, sem intercorrências durante a gravidez e seus recém-nascidos normais, objetivando comparar concentrações plasmáticas de retinol, β caroteno, licopeno, α tocoferol e cobre entre mães e recém-nascidos. Colheu-se sangue da parturiente e do cordão umbilical (após dequitação) para dosagem dos micronutrientes. Retinol, β caroteno, licopeno e α tocoferol foram dosados por HPLC e o cobre por espectrofotometria de absorção atômica. Para análise foram separados 2 grupos:- grupo 1, 38 gestantes com suplementação vitaminico-mineral pelo menos no último trimestre da gravidez e grupo 2, 35 gestantes que não haviam recebido suplementação. As comparações estatísticas foram pelo teste t de Student ou pelo teste de Wilcoxon, com um α crítico de 0,05. Os dois grupos de mães eram símiles quanto a idade, paridade, IMC e a baixa ingestão de calorias e de micronutrientes. Os grupos de recém-nascidos não evidenciaram diferença quanto a sexo, peso, comprimento e perímetro cefálico. As concentrações plasmáticas maternas do grupo 1 foram maiores para o retinol(p = 0,0034) e a tocoferol(p = 0,0279). β caroteno, licopeno e cobre não evidenciaram diferenças entre os dois grupos de mães. Nos dois grupos de recém-nascidos as concentrações de retinol, tocoferol e cobre foram semelhantes e praticamente não houve concentrações detectáveis de licopeno e α caroteno. Em ambos os grupos retinol, a tocoferol e cobre apresentaram maiores concentrações nas mães do que nos recém-nascidos, p = 0,0003, p = 0,0001, p = 0,0001, respectivamente. Conclui-se que as concentrações nos recém-nascidos foram sempre menores do que as maternas, independentemente da ingestão e da suplementação durante a gravidez.Cross sectional study of a sequential convenience sample of 73 non smokers' pregnant women with uncomplicated pregnancies and their normal newborns. The aim of the study was to compare plasmatic concentrations of retinol, β-carotene, licopen and α-tocopherol between mothers and their infants. Blood was obtained from parturient and umbilical cord for micronutrient analysis. HPLC was used for retinol, α-carotene, licopen and α-tocopherol analysis. Atomic absorption spectrophotometry was used for copper measurements. The sample was divided into 2 groups: group 1, with 38 women that had received vitamin and mineral supplementation during the last gestational trimester and group 2, with 35 women who have had no supplementation. Statistic comparison used Student t test or Wilcoxon test (alpha = 0.05). The groups of mothers were similar regarding age, parity, BMI and ingestion (low) of calories and micronutrients. The newborn groups had no differences according to sex, head circumference, weight and length. Plasmatic concentrations in group 1 of mothers were greater for retinol (p = 0.0034) and α-tocopherol (p = 0.0279). β-carotene, licopen and cupper showed no differences between the groups at mothers. In both newborn groups concentration of retinol, α-tocopherol and copper were quite similar and there was no clearly detectable licopen and ² carotene. In both, retinol, α-tocopherol and cupper showed larger concentration in mothers than in newborns (respectively p = 0.0003 and p = 0.0001). The conclusion is that newborn concentrations were systematically smaller than their mothers', independently of ingestion or supple-mentation during pregnancy

Evaluating the impact of the biocontrol agent Trichoderma harzianum ITEM 3636 on indigenous microbial communities from field soils

To investigate the impact of inoculating peanut seeds with the biocontrol agent Trichoderma harzianum ITEM 3636 on the structure of bacterial and fungal communities from agricultural soils. Methods and Results: Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) and next-generation sequencing (NGS) of amplicons (or marker gene amplification metagenomics) were performed to investigate potential changes in the structure of microbial communities from fields located in a peanut-producing area in the province of Córdoba, Argentina. Fields had history of peanut smut (caused by Thecaphora frezii) incidence. The Shannon indexes (H′), which estimate diversity, obtained from the PCR-DGGE assays did not show significant differences neither for bacterial nor for fungal communities between control and inoculation treatments. On the other hand, the number of operational taxonomic units obtained after NGS was similar between all the analysed samples. Moreover, results of alpha and beta diversity showed that there were no significant variations between the relative abundances of the most representative bacterial and fungal phyla and genera, in both fields. Conclusions: Trichoderma harzianum ITEM 3636 decreases the incidence and severity of agriculturally relevant diseases without causing significant changes in the microbial communities of agricultural soils. Significance and Impact of the Study: Our investigations provide information on the structure of bacterial and fungal communities in peanut-producing fields after inoculation of seeds with a biocontrol agent.Fil: Ganuza, Mauricio Roque. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Fisicoquímicas y Naturales. Departamento de Microbiología e Inmunología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Pastor, Nicolás Alejandro. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Fisicoquímicas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigación en Micología y Micotoxicología. - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación en Micología y Micotoxicología; ArgentinaFil: Boccolini, Maricel Fatima. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Fisicoquímicas y Naturales. Departamento de Microbiología e Inmunología; Argentina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro Regional Buenos Aires; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Erazo, Jessica Gabriela. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Fisicoquímicas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigación en Micología y Micotoxicología. - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación en Micología y Micotoxicología; ArgentinaFil: Palacios, Sofia Alejendra. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Fisicoquímicas y Naturales. Departamento de Microbiología e Inmunología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Oddino, Claudio Marcelo. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Agronomía y Veterinaria; ArgentinaFil: Reynoso, Maria Marta. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Fisicoquímicas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigación en Micología y Micotoxicología. - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación en Micología y Micotoxicología; ArgentinaFil: Rovera, Marisa. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Fisicoquímicas y Naturales. Departamento de Microbiología e Inmunología; ArgentinaFil: Torres, Adriana Monica. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Fisicoquímicas y Naturales. Departamento de Microbiología e Inmunología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

Avaliação e classificação das patentes com uso de nanopartículas aplicadas a fertilizantes

O presente trabalho teve como objetivo identificar o número de propriedades industriais existentes mundialmente utilizando nanopartículas em fertilizantes e suas respectivas classificações. Para atingir os objetivos desta pesquisa foram consultadas as bases de propriedade intelectual via internet, no Instituto Nacional da Propriedade Industrial (INPI), no escritório europeu European Patent Office (EPO) – Espacenet, no United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), no World Intelletual Property Organization (WIPO) e Lens.org, base de patentes da China, Espanha, França e Inglaterra. A busca nos bancos de dados de patentes mundiais permitiu inferir que há 11 documentos distribuídos de acordo com os termos pesquisados, nanoparticles fertilizer. Entre elas são patentes ativas apenas cinco do total de patentes encontradas, as outras seis encontradas são patentes provisórias das ativas. Essas publicações são de três áreas distintas: área de física e materiais bioespecíficos; área de produtos que atendem às necessidades humanas, da agricultura, florestais e da pecuária, observando a preservação; e área destinada a produtos químicos e fertilizantes inorgânicos de liberação lenta.Palavras-chave: Nanopartículas. Fertilizantes. Propriedade industrial