2,287 research outputs found

    Plantio direto de milho consorciado com a gliricídia, na região agreste, com o uso de microtrator ou tração animal.

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    Allergens of the urushiol family promote mitochondrial dysfunction by inhibiting the electron transport at the level of cytochromes b and chemically modify cytochrome c1

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    BACKGROUND: Urushiols are pro-electrophilic haptens that cause severe contact dermatitis mediated by CD8+ effector T-cells and downregulated by CD4+ T-cells. However, the molecular mechanism by which urushiols stimulate innate immunity in the initial stages of this allergic reaction is poorly understood. Here we explore the sub-cellular mechanisms by which urushiols initiate the allergic response. RESULTS: Electron microscopy observations of mouse ears exposed to litreol (3-n-pentadecyl-10-enyl-catechol]) showed keratinocytes containing swollen mitochondria with round electron-dense inclusion bodies in the matrix. Biochemical analyses of sub-mitochondrial fractions revealed an inhibitory effect of urushiols on electron flow through the mitochondrial respiratory chain, which requires both the aliphatic and catecholic moieties of these allergens. Moreover, urushiols extracted from poison ivy/oak (mixtures of 3-n-pentadecyl-8,11,13 enyl/3-n-heptadecyl-8,11 enyl catechol) exerted a higher inhibitory effect on mitochondrial respiration than did pentadecyl catechol or litreol, indicating that the higher number of unsaturations in the aliphatic chain, stronger the allergenicity of urushiols. Furthermore, the analysis of radioactive proteins isolated from mitochondria incubated with 3H-litreol, indicated that this urushiol was bound to cytochrome c1. According to the proximity of cytochromes c1 and b, functional evidence indicated the site of electron flow inhibition was within complex III, in between cytochromes bL (cyt b566) and bH (cyt b562). CONCLUSION: Our data provide functional and molecular evidence indicating that the interruption of the mitochondrial electron transport chain constitutes an important mechanism by which urushiols initiates the allergic response. Thus, mitochondria may constitute a source of cellular targets for generating neoantigens involved in the T-cell mediated allergy induced by urushiols

    Ferromagnetic Quantum Critical Point in CePd2_2P2_2 with Pd \rightarrow Ni Substitution

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    An investigation of the structural, thermodynamic, and electronic transport properties of the isoelectronic chemical substitution series Ce(Pd1x_{1-x}Nix_x)2_2P2_2 is reported, where a possible ferromagnetic quantum critical point is uncovered in the temperature - concentration (TxT-x) phase diagram. This behavior results from the simultaneous contraction of the unit cell volume, which tunes the relative strengths of the Kondo and RKKY interactions, and the introduction of disorder through alloying. Near the critical region at xcrx_{\rm{cr}} \approx 0.7, the rate of contraction of the unit cell volume strengthens, indicating that the cerium ff-valence crosses over from trivalent to a non-integer value. Consistent with this picture, x-ray absorption spectroscopy measurements reveal that while CePd2_2P2_2 has a purely trivalent cerium ff-state, CeNi2_2P2_2 has a small (<< 10 \%) tetravalent contribution. In a broad region around xcrx_{\rm{cr}}, there is a breakdown of Fermi liquid temperature dependences, signaling the influence of quantum critical fluctuations and disorder effects. Measurements of clean CePd2_2P2_2 furthermore show that applied pressure has a similar initial effect to alloying on the ferromagnetic order. From these results, CePd2_2P2_2 emerges as a keystone system to test theories such as the Belitz-Kirkpatrick-Vojta model for ferromagnetic quantum criticality, where distinct behaviors are expected in the dirty and clean limits.Comment: 9 pages, 8 figure

    Cytochrome P450 from Plants: Platforms for Valuable Phytopharmaceuticals

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    Cytochrome P450 enzymes are important for biotechnology due to their capacity to modify diverse secondary metabolites that may produce chemicals with pharmacological properties. Most terpenes, flavonoids and alkaloids require P450 catalytic functions to reach their biological activity. In the last ten years, several efforts have focused on the expression and production of these three main types of secondary metabolites in engineered microorganisms and plants using P450 of ethnobotanical origin. Despite this, several P450 coding sequences from plant sources are discovered yearly but only a few have been screened by functional genomics. Amongst them, only a few have shown potentials for use in sustainable production of novel drugs and highly valuable products. Cytochrome P450 involvement in the biosynthesis of these products is discussed in this work.Keywords: Biotechnological platforms, Cytochrome P450, Phytopharmaceuticals, Yield improvement, Terpenes, Flavonoids, Alkaloids, Microbial expressio

    UMA REFLEXÃO NECESSÁRIA PARA A UNIVERSIDADE DO SÉCULO XXI

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    Por meio de uma discussão teórica com um estudo bibliográfico, aborda-se os conceitos de Universidade, do agir educacional proposto por Paulo Freire, do agir comunicativo de Habermas entre outros conceitos pertinentes à reflexão de como está a Universidade na atualidade e como ela pode sair desta inércia e alcançar novos rumos e conquistas no século XXI. Alguns afirmam que a Universidade vai acabar, será substituída, mas é necessário pensar não do papel somente de ensino. A universidade tem que ser o núcleo transformador da sociedade, baseada em conhecimento e cooperação, sendo aberta e lidando com a complexidade inerente a sua natureza. Não se deve tentar simplificá-la, sua alma é complexa e é isso que a difere, que a torna importante e admirável. Assim, a Universidade no século XXI precisa mudar. É necessário uma busca da integração entre o agir educacional e o agir comunicativo. Preparar as pessoas para essa dinâmica, com práticas para desenvolver a autoridade do argumento. E enfim, contribuir para uma sociedade mais cooperativa e voltada ao entendimento

    Evaluation of infectivity and transmission of different Asian foot-and-mouth disease viruses in swine

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    Most isolates of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) display a broad host range. Since the late 1990s, the genetic lineage of PanAsia topotype FMDV serotype O has caused epidemics in the Far East, Africa, the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands, and numerous other countries throughout Europe and Asia. In contrast, there are several FMDV isolates that exhibit a more restricted host range. A Cathay topotype isolate of FMDV serotype O from the 1997 epizootic in Taiwan (O/TAW/97) demonstrated restricted host specificity, only infecting swine. Methods used to evaluate infectivity and pathogenicity of FMDV isolates in cattle are well-documented, but there has been less progress studying transmission and pathogenicity of FMDV isolates in pigs. In previous studies designed to examine pathogenicity, various chimeric viruses derived from O/TAW/97 were intradermally inoculated in the heel bulb of pigs. Subsequent quantitative scoring of disease and evaluation of virus released into nasal secretions and blood was assessed. Here we prove the usefulness of this method in direct and contact inoculated pigs to evaluate infectivity, pathogenicity and transmission of different Asian FMDV isolates. Virus strains within the Cathay topotype were highly virulent in swine producing a synchronous disease in inoculated animals and were efficiently spread to in-contact naive pigs, while virus strains from the PanAsia topotype displayed more heterogeneous properties

    Fast flowing populations are not well mixed

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    In evolutionary dynamics, well-mixed populations are almost always associated with all-to-all interactions; mathematical models are based on complete graphs. In most cases, these models do not predict fixation probabilities in groups of individuals mixed by flows. We propose an analytical description in the fast-flow limit. This approach is valid for processes with global and local selection, and accurately predicts the suppression of selection as competition becomes more local. It provides a modelling tool for biological or social systems with individuals in motion.Comment: 19 pages, 8 figure
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