The use of genes for performance enhancement: doping or therapy?

Recent biotechnological advances have permitted the manipulation of genetic sequences to treat several diseases in a process called gene therapy. However, the advance of gene therapy has opened the door to the possibility of using genetic manipulation (GM) to enhance athletic performance. In such ‘gene doping’, exogenous genetic sequences are inserted into a specific tissue, altering cellular gene activity or leading to the expression of a protein product. The exogenous genes most likely to be utilized for gene doping include erythropoietin (EPO), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), insulin-like growth factor type 1 (IGF-1), myostatin antagonists, and endorphin. However, many other genes could also be used, such as those involved in glucose metabolic pathways. Because gene doping would be very difficult to detect, it is inherently very attractive for those involved in sports who are prepared to cheat. Moreover, the field of gene therapy is constantly and rapidly progressing, and this is likely to generate many new possibilities for gene doping. Thus, as part of the general fight against all forms of doping, it will be necessary to develop and continually improve means of detecting exogenous gene sequences (or their products) in athletes. Nevertheless, some bioethicists have argued for a liberal approach to gene doping

A Receiver System for the TileCal Muon Signals

During the detector commissioning period, the TileCal muon signals have been used to trigger cosmic rays, as this signal, currently, is not being used by ATLAS level 1 muon trigger. Studies showed that the signal-to-noise ratio at the level 1 muon trigger is increased if both muon signals seeing the same D cell are summed. Thus, a system has been developed to receive TileCal muon signals and to aid ATLAS level 1 muon trigger. This article describes the receiver system and its main features, as well as circuit simulations

Co‐existing monophasic teratoma and uterine adenocarcinoma in a female dog

Ovarian teratomas are occasionally reported in dogs; the rarest type is the monophasic teratoma,composed of tissues originating from only one germ layer. Canine endometrial adenocarcinomas are also rare in dogs and mainly affect geriatric females. This report describes case of co-existing ovarian teratoma and uterine adenocarcinoma in a 10-year old nulliparous female Boxer presented with lethargy, anorexia and purulent vaginal discharge. Abdominal ultrasonography evidenced pyometra and a mass in the left ovary. This was composed of a uniform whitish tissue with multiple cystic structures. The histology revealed an atrophy of the ovarian parenchyma, compressed by a proliferation of well-differentiated nervous tissue staining positively to vimentin, S100 and neuronal specific enolase (NSE), and negatively to keratin and inhibin. The left uterine horn, whose diameter was markedly increased, showed foci of endometrial cellular atypia, evident nucleoli and mitoses, at light microscopy. To our best knowledge, this is the first report of a coexisting ovarian monophasic teratoma and endometrial adenocarcinoma, two rare reproductive neoplasia in dogs

Expansão de busca utilizando vocabulário controlado.

O objetivo dessa proposta é expandir as expressões de busca especificadas pelo usuário, de modo a abrir o leque de resultados, melhorando especialmente a cobertura destes, conferindo uma maior precisão nos resultados das buscas

Uma estratégia interativa para a expansão de expressões de busca utilizando vocabulário controlado.

Neste trabalho apresenta-se a evolução do sistema de busca da Agência de Informação Embrapa, a partir de uma estratégia interativa de expansão de expressões de busca. Embora a Agência prime pela oferta de informação altamente qualificada, seus usuários não utilizam todo esse potencial, por desconhecer seus detalhes. A estratégia proposta permite que o usuário especifique sua expressão de busca e o sistema sugira formas de expandi-la, deixando a escolha final para o usuário. Os experimentos realizados foram baseados em possibilidades automaticamente geradas e medidos de forma objetiva, considerando-se a precisão e a cobertura das buscas realizadas. Como esperado, os experimentos mostram que o uso de uma melhor qualificação das expressões permite obter resultados mais precisos e que a evolução da ferramenta atingiu seu objetivo.bitstream/item/56769/1/BolPesq30.pd

Multiple exophytic osteomas of craniofacial bones not associated with Gardner s Syndrome: a case report

Exophytic osteomas are mature bone protuberances required to be carefully differentiated from other lesions. The authors present a male, 44 year-old patient s report presenting multiple exophytic osteomas located in both sides of the vestibulomaxillary, premolar and molar regions not-associated with Gardner s Syndrome.Osteomas exofíticos são protuberâncias de osso maduro que necessitam ser cuidadosamente diferenciados de outras lesões. Os autores apresentam relato de paciente do sexo masculino, com 44 anos de idade, apresentando osteomas exofíticos múltiplos localizados na região vestíbulo-maxilar em ambos os lados, região de pré-molares e molares não associados à Síndrome de Gardner.UNIFESP-EPMUNIFESP, EPMSciEL

Uso e manejo de leguminosas em agroecossistemas na Amazônia Central.

Este estudo teve como objetivo gerar informações que poderão auxiliar os fruticultores da região na tomada de decisão quanto ao uso e manejo de leguminosas, como tefrósia, para inserção em sistemas de produção de fruteiras, visando à melhoria e manutenção da capacidade produtiva do solo, o controle de invasoras e o desenvolvimento e a produtividade das plantas