Proposal of a virtual collaborative news environment: an interdisciplinary study

The main objective of this work is to demonstrate the advances made by the CATI research group with regard to the proposal to create a virtual collaborative news environment (AVNC) , to be initially implemented at the Northern Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro State University(UENF) through the Postgraduate Program in Cognition and Language. This interdisciplinary environment involves concepts from the area of communication, administration and information technology and seeks to meet the demands of generation, storage, retrieval, processing and transmission of information in this digital age. The AVNC involves three research fronts: rethinking the logic of news production, structuring a platform that is collaborative and defining what a business and management model should be that can give sustainability to this environment. In today\u27s world, it is important to consider the reader\u27s increasingly active participation in journalism, through information and communication technologies, thanks to the social changes that come with them. In times of cyberspace and cyberculture, it is necessary to rethink the dynamics of journalistic production. For this, authors like Pierre Lévy, Lúcia Santaella, Henry Jenkins, Caio Túlio Costa, among others were searched. In an era in which forms of collaborative ownership prevail, the platform being considered in this research follows the 3C collaboration model, according to Michalsky, Mamani, and Gerosa. A global platform where individuals interact, communicate, collaborate and gather information requires a business model and management that assists in managing the collaborative virtual news environment. For this, we used authors such as Alex Osterwalder, Eric Flamholtz, Siqueira and Crispim, Campos, among others. With this, an increasingly intelligent and collaborative environment is expected, with the active participation of all the agents involved. That is, what is proposed is the total interaction of the Internet user-reader

GWAS of human bitter taste perception identifies new loci and reveals additional complexity of bitter taste genetics

Human perception of bitterness displays pronounced interindividual variation. This phenotypic variation is mirrored by equally pronounced genetic variation in the family of bitter taste receptor genes. To better understand the effects of common genetic variations on human bitter taste perception, we conducted a genome-wide association study on a discovery panel of 504 subjects and a validation panel of 104 subjects from the general population of São Paulo in Brazil. Correction for general taste-sensitivity allowed us to identify a SNP in the cluster of bitter taste receptors on chr12 (10.88- 11.24 Mb, build 36.1) significantly associated (best SNP: rs2708377, P = 5.31 × 10−13, r2 = 8.9%, β = −0.12, s.e. = 0.016) with the perceived bitterness of caffeine. This association overlaps with—but is statistically distinct from—the previously identified SNP rs10772420 influencing the perception of quinine bitterness that falls in the same bitter taste cluster. We replicated this association to quinine perception (P = 4.97 × 10−37, r2 = 23.2%, β = 0.25, s.e. = 0.020) and additionally found the effect of this genetic locus to be concentration specific with a strong impact on the perception of low, but no impact on the perception of high concentrations of quinine. Our study, thus, furthers our understanding of the complex genetic architecture of bitter taste perceptio

Sensitivity of Genome-Wide-Association Signals to Phenotyping Strategy: The PROP-TAS2R38 Taste Association as a Benchmark

Natural genetic variation can have a pronounced influence on human taste perception, which in turn may influence food preference and dietary choice. Genome-wide association studies represent a powerful tool to understand this influence. To help optimize the design of future genome-wide-association studies on human taste perception we have used the well-known TAS2R38-PROP association as a tool to determine the relative power and efficiency of different phenotyping and data-analysis strategies. The results show that the choice of both data collection and data processing schemes can have a very substantial impact on the power to detect genotypic variation that affects chemosensory perception. Based on these results we provide practical guidelines for the design of future GWAS studies on chemosensory phenotypes. Moreover, in addition to the TAS2R38 gene past studies have implicated a number of other genetic loci to affect taste sensitivity to PROP and the related bitter compound PTC. None of these other locations showed genome-wide significant associations in our study. To facilitate further, target-gene driven, studies on PROP taste perception we provide the genome-wide list of p-values for all SNPs genotyped in the current study

Fishers and groupers (epinephelus marginatus and E. morio) in the coast of Brazil : integrating information for conservation

Groupers are a vulnerable but economically important group of fish, especially for small-scale fisheries. We investigated catches and local ecological knowledge (LEK) of diet, habitat, and past fishing experiences. Landings, prices, interviews, and restaurants demand for two species, Epinephelus marginatus (dusky grouper) and Epinephelus morio (red grouper), were registered. We visited 74 markets and 79 sites on the coast of Brazil in 2017–2018, and we interviewed 71 fishers: Bahia (NE), Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo (SE), and Santa Catarina (S). The landings sampled of dusky grouper (2016–2017) in Rio de Janeiro were: n = 222, size 38–109 cm, weight 1–24 kg, average 3.84 kg; in São Paulo, São Sebastião were: n = 47, size 39–106 cm, weight 2–8 kg, average of 2.77 kg; and at Santos: n = 80, 26–120 cm, weight 0.36–15 kg, average 2.72 kg. Red grouper was observed in markets in the northeastern Brazil. We did not observe Epinephelus marginatus from Bahia northward; a maximum size of 200 cm was reported south of the Bahia, besides Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo coasts, 20 years ago (or longer) by 12 fishers. Local knowledge of fishers was important for grouper data of habitat and diet; the reproduction period was identified by fishers as September to March. Groupers can be considered as a cultural and ecological keystone species. We suggest protective measures: 1) fishing zoning, 2) islands (MPAs) with the surveillance of fishers, 3) late Spring and early Summer as key periods for management (grouper reproduction), 4) studies on grouper larvae, 5) mapping of fishing spots, 6) studies on local knowledge. Collaboration with small-scale fishers and local knowledge could contribute to low-conflict management measures. In that regard, integrative models of management from Latin America, by using local knowledge and citizen science, could produce successful grouper management for Brazilian data-poor fisheries, a contrasting reality to the Mediterranean areas. Finally, the distribution of E. marginatus in Brazil leave us with questions: a) Have dusky groupers disappeared from Bahia because of a decline in the population? b) Was it uncommon in Northeast Brazil? c) Did changes in water temperatures forced a movement southward?151CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICO - CNPQFUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO - FAPESP307762/2013–0; 301592/2017–914/16939–7In addition to FAPESP and CNPq, we acknowledge Eduardo Camargo and Marco Antonio A. G. Araújo for helping with fieldwork in NE Brazil and Mara Magenta (UNISANTA) for helping us with infrastructure for fish larvae observation in the laboratory. We are grateful to the fisher-buyers Antonio, Elenilson and Valdecir. We are also very grateful to Rodrigo Caires, who supported us with taxonomic matter

The frequency of CD127low expressing CD4+CD25high T regulatory cells is inversely correlated with human T lymphotrophic virus type-1 (HTLV-1) proviral load in HTLV-1-infection and HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>CD4⁺CD25^highregulatory T (T_Reg) cells modulate antigen-specific T cell responses, and can suppress anti-viral immunity. In HTLV-1 infection, a selective decrease in the function of T_Regcell mediated HTLV-1-tax inhibition of FOXP3 expression has been described. The purpose of this study was to assess the frequency and phenotype of T_Regcells in HTLV-1 asymptomatic carriers and in HTLV-1-associated neurological disease (HAM/TSP) patients, and to correlate with measures of T cell activation.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We were able to confirm that HTLV-I drives activation, spontaneous IFNγ production, and proliferation of CD4+ T cells. We also observed a significantly lower proportion of CTLA-4⁺T_Regcells (CD4⁺CD25^highT cells) in subjects with HAM/TSP patients compared to healthy controls. Ki-67 expression was negatively correlated to the frequency of CTLA-4⁺T_Regcells in HAM/TSP only, although Ki-67 expression was inversely correlated with the percentage of CD127^lowT_Regcells in healthy control subjects. Finally, the proportion of CD127^lowT_Regcells correlated inversely with HTLV-1 proviral load.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Taken together, the results suggest that T_Regcells may be subverted in HAM/TSP patients, which could explain the marked cellular activation, spontaneous cytokine production, and proliferation of CD4⁺T cells, in particular those expressing the CD25^highCD127^lowphenotype. T_Regcells represent a potential target for therapeutic intervention for patients with HTLV-1-related neurological diseases.</p

Frequência e perfil de suscetibilidade aos carbapenêmicos de bastonetes Gram-negativos não fermentadores de glicose isolados de amostras clínicas entre 2007 e 2012

Introdução: Um dos grandes problemas nos serviços de saúde é a ocorrência de infecções relacionadas com assistência à saúde (IRAS) por microrganismos resistentes a vários antimicrobianos. Objetivos: Descrever a frequência e o perfil de suscetibilidade de Pseudomonas aeruginosa e Acinetobacter baumannii aos carbapenêmicos no hospital da Fundação Santa Casa de Franca, São Paulo, Brasil. Métodos: Retrospectivamente, a suscetibilidade de P. aeruginosa e A. baumannii aos carbapenêmicos foi analisada em 304 isolados clínicos entre 2007 e 2012, a partir de um banco de dados do setor de microbiologia do laboratório clínico do hospital da Fundação Santa Casa de Franca, São Paulo, Brasil. Resultados: Das cepas isoladas e identificadas, 236 (5,3%) P. aeruginosa eram suscetíveis a imipenem (2007 - 69,6% a 2012 - 41,7%) e meropenem (2007 - 63,3% a 2012 - 25%). Além disso, todos os 68 (1,7%) isolados de A. baumannii eram suscetíveis aos dois antibióticos. Conclusão: Não foi identificada resistência de A. baumannii aos carbapenêmicos, no entanto houve diminuição da suscetibilidade aos carbapenêmicos no decorrer dos anos para P. aeruginosa.Introduction: One of the major problems in health services is the occurrence of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) by microorganisms resistant to various antimicrobials. Objectives: To describe the frequency and susceptibility profile of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii to carbapenems in the hospital from Fundação Santa Casa de Franca, São Paulo, Brazil. Methods: The susceptibility of P. aeruginosa and A. baumannii to carbapenems from 304 clinical isolates between 2007 and 2012 was retrospectively analyzed from a microbiology database at the clinical laboratory of the hospital of Fundação Santa Casa de Franca, São Paulo, Brazil. Results: From isolated and identified strains, 236 (5.3%) P. aeruginosa were susceptible to imipenem (2007 - 69.6% to 2012 - 41.7%) and meropenem (2007 - 63.3% to 2012 - 25%). In addition, all 68 (1.7%) A. baumannii isolates were susceptible to both antibiotics. Conclusion: A. baumannii resistance to carbapenems was not identified; however, there was a decrease in susceptibility to carbapenems over the years for P. aeruginosa

Phytochemical, toxicity and microbiological activity study of tynanthus micranthus corr : (Mello ex Schum: Bignoniaceae)

Tynanthus micranthus, a plant species belonging to family Bignoniaceae, is widely used on the northwest region of Paraná state as stimulant and aphrodisiac. The lack of studies about this specie motivated the research for phytochemical evaluation and some biological activities of the plant. Toxicity studies of the ethanolic extracts and fractions of the species investigated were performed in Artemia salina eggs in addition to antimicrobial activity of the ethanolic extracts against species of some bacteria strains. The results indicated the presence of β-sitosterol steroid in the hexane fraction and apigenin flavone in the chloroform fraction, both isolated from the stalk. Some fractions developed toxicity over Artemia salina and its extracts showed to be lethal causing death of certain bacterial strains.Colegio de Farmacéuticos de la Provincia de Buenos Aire

Granulocyte-Colony Stimulating Factor-Overexpressing Mesenchymal Stem Cells Exhibit Enhanced Immunomodulatory Actions Through the Recruitment of Suppressor Cells in Experimental Chagas Disease Cardiomyopathy

Genetic modification of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is a promising strategy to improve their therapeutic effects. Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) is a growth factor widely used in the clinical practice with known regenerative and immunomodulatory actions, including the mobilization of regulatory T cells (Tregs) and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs). Here we evaluated the therapeutic potential of MSCs overexpressing G-CSF (MSC_G-CSF) in a model of inflammatory cardiomyopathy due to chronic Chagas disease. C57BL/6 mice were treated with wild-type MSCs, MSC_G-CSF, or vehicle (saline) 6 months after infection with Trypanosoma cruzi. Transplantation of MSC_G-CSF caused an increase in the number of circulating leukocytes compared to wild-type MSCs. Moreover, G-CSF overexpression caused an increase in migration capacity of MSCs to the hearts of infected mice. Transplantation of either MSCs or MSC_G-CSF improved exercise capacity, when compared to saline-treated chagasic mice. MSC_G-CSF mice, however, were more potent than MSCs in reducing the number of infiltrating leukocytes and fibrosis in the heart. Similarly, MSC_G-CSF-treated mice presented significantly lower levels of inflammatory mediators, such as IFNγ, TNFα, and Tbet, with increased IL-10 production. A marked increase in the percentage of Tregs and MDSCs in the hearts of infected mice was seen after administration of MSC_G-CSF, but not MSCs. Moreover, Tregs were positive for IL-10 in the hearts of T. cruzi-infected mice. In vitro analysis showed that recombinant hG-CSF and conditioned medium of MSC_G-CSF, but not wild-type MSCs, induce chemoattraction of MDSCs in a transwell assay. Finally, MDSCs purified from hearts of MSC_G-CSF transplanted mice inhibited the proliferation of activated splenocytes in a co-culture assay. Our results demonstrate that G-CSF overexpression by MSCs potentiates their immunomodulatory effects in our model of Chagas disease and suggest that mobilization of suppressor cell populations such as Tregs and MDSCs as a promising strategy for the treatment of chronic Chagas disease. Finally, our results reinforce the therapeutic potential of genetic modification of MSCs, aiming at increasing their paracrine actions

Influence of GB virus C on IFN-γ and IL-2 production and CD38 expression in T lymphocytes from chronically HIV-infected and HIV-HCV-co-infected patients

This study was designed to assess the effect of GB virus (GBV)-C on the immune response to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in chronically HIV-infected and HIV- hepatitis C virus (HCV)-co-infected patients undergoing antiretroviral therapy. A cohort of 159 HIV-seropositive patients, of whom 52 were HCV-co-infected, was included. Epidemiological data were collected and virological and immunological markers, including the production of interferon gamma (IFN-γ) and interleukin (IL)-2 by CD4, CD8 and Tγδ cells and the expression of the activation marker, CD38, were assessed. A total of 65 patients (40.8%) presented markers of GBV-C infection. The presence of GBV-C did not influence HIV and HCV replication or TCD4 and TCD8 cell counts. Immune responses, defined by IFN-γ and IL-2 production and CD38 expression did not differ among the groups. Our results suggest that neither GBV-C viremia nor the presence of E2 antibodies influence HIV and HCV viral replication or CD4 T cell counts in chronically infected patients. Furthermore, GBV-C did not influence cytokine production or CD38-driven immune activation among these patients. Although our results do not exclude a protective effect of GBV-C in early HIV disease, they demonstrate that this effect may not be present in chronically infected patients, who represent the majority of patients in outpatient clinics.Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Laboratório de Virologia e Imunologia Disciplina de InfectologiaFleury Medicina DiagnósticaUNIFESP, Laboratório de Virologia e Imunologia Disciplina de InfectologiaSciEL