A computational method for the identification of dengue, zika and chikungunya virus species and genotypes

In recent years, an increasing number of outbreaks of Dengue, Chikungunya and Zika viruses have been reported in Asia and the Americas. Monitoring virus genotype diversity is crucial to understand the emergence and spread of outbreaks, both aspects that are vital to develop effective prevention and treatment strategies. Hence, we developed an efficient method to classify virus sequences with respect to their species and sub-species (i.e. serotype and/or genotype). This tool provides an easy-to-use software implementation of this new method and was validated on a large dataset assessing the classification performance with respect to whole-genome sequences and partial-genome sequences.publishersversionpublishe

Natural Polymorphism in BUL2 Links Cellular Amino Acid Availability with Chronological Aging and Telomere Maintenance in Yeast

Aging and longevity are considered to be highly complex genetic traits. In order to gain insight into aging as a polygenic trait, we employed an outbred Saccharomyces cerevisiae model, generated by crossing a vineyard strain RM11 and a laboratory strain S288c, to identify quantitative trait loci that control chronological lifespan. Among the major loci that regulate chronological lifespan in this cross, one genetic linkage was found to be congruent with a previously mapped locus that controls telomere length variation. We found that a single nucleotide polymorphism in BUL2, encoding a component of an ubiquitin ligase complex involved in trafficking of amino acid permeases, controls chronological lifespan and telomere length as well as amino acid uptake. Cellular amino acid availability changes conferred by the BUL2 polymorphism alter telomere length by modulating activity of a transcription factor Gln3. Among the GLN3 transcriptional targets relevant to this phenotype, we identified Wtm1, whose upregulation promotes nuclear retention of ribonucleotide reductase (RNR) components and inhibits the assembly of the RNR enzyme complex during S-phase. Inhibition of RNR is one of the mechanisms by which Gln3 modulates telomere length. Identification of a polymorphism in BUL2 in this outbred yeast population revealed a link among cellular amino acid availability, chronological lifespan, and telomere length control

Análise das políticas públicas: uma proposta metodológica para o estudo no campo da prevenção em Aids Public policies assessment: a methodological proposal for the study in the field of Aids prevention

As políticas públicas são respostas do poder público para problemáticas sociais. Elas são estratégias de grande relevância para o enfrentamento da Aids e desenvolvimento de ações de prevenção da infecção do HIV, pois institucionalizam no setor público de saúde ações sistemáticas para esse fim. Elas se estruturam numa rede de determinantes que delineiam os caminhos a serem trilhados pelo gestor público. Nesse contexto, entram em jogo diversos atores, com diferentes interesses e poder de barganha político-econômica, negociação de concepções de mundo, estratégias de ação e campos de luta por direitos e deveres sociais. É uma disputa de saberes e interesses travada no campo político, permeada por aspectos sócio-culturais e econômicos. Neste sentido, o presente trabalho objetiva uma discussão conceitual sobre esse tema, desenvolvendo a concepção teórica sobre a análise de políticas, enquanto uma metodologia de estudo, compreendendo as categorias: atores, conteúdo, contexto e processo, onde, nessa última, se delimitam especificamente os processos de construção de agenda, formulação e implementação de uma política. Esse quadro teórico é desenvolvido centrando a temática da prevenção da Aids, contextualizada no cenário brasileiro, a partir da qual são elencados alguns entraves das políticas propostas, articulando-as às considerações de especialistas que buscam reorientar as intervenções públicas de prevenção à Aids.<br>Public policies are the response of public power to social issues. They are very relevant strategies to face AIDS and the development of prevention measures concerning HIV infection, for they institutionalize systematic actions in the public health sector with this purpose. They are structured in a network of directives that establish the routes to be followed by public officials. Within this context, different actors are part of the game, with different interests and social and political bargaining powers, world concepts negotiation, actions strategies within the field of social rights and duties. It's a struggle of knowledge and interests in the political ground permeated by social, cultural and economic aspects. Therefore, this paper engages in a concept discussion of the theme, developing a theoretical concept of policies assessment from the viewpoint of a methodological study comprising the following: actors, content, context and process, process circumscribing specific agenda designing processes, policy formulation and implementation. This theoretical scenario is developed focusing on the theme of AIDS prevention, the context being the Brazilian environment from which some of the constraints of policies proposals are listed and linked to specialists'considerations pursuing a reorientation of public interventions concerning AIDS prevention