Selection of ligand peptides with the ability to detect antibodies in enzootic bovine leukosis

Peptides present in phages were selected using phage display technology and immunoassays to find out the antigenic mimetics of immunodominant epitopes of bovine leukosis virus (BLV). The use of antigenic mimetics may result in the enhancement of the sensitivity and specificity of the serologic diagnosis of enzootic bovine leukosis (EBL), contributing directly to disease control. The selections enabled the choice of clones which can be used as potential antigens in the diagnoses of diseases. The synthetic peptide produced from the selected sequences may be considered as an alternative for antigens in the serologic diagnosis of enzootic bovine leukosis.Key words: Diagnostic, antigens, enzootic bovine leukosis (EBL), phage display

Spatial patterns of Qualea grandiflora in cerrado fragments in Sao Paulo state

(Spatial patterns of Qualea grandiflora in cerrado fragments in Sao Paulo state). The study of spatial patterns is a helpful approach to formulating hypotheses about plant population dynamics. Our aim was to search for variation in spatial patterns of Q. grandiflora height classes at different scales within and among fragments of different cerrado physiognomies. Spatial patterns of the number of plants in subplots (5 x 5 m) were described and compared among six 0.5-ha plots placed in four fragments. We performed Moran's I correlogram analysis to describe spatial patterns and tested spatial correlations of height classes by partial Mantel tests. We found 18 to 319 plants 0.5 ha(-1). Larger plants (height >1.5 m) had a clumped pattern in all plots, varying in numbers and magnitudes of scales independently of the physiognomy. Correlogram analysis for smaller plants was possible in only three plots, where patterns were random. In two of these cases there was significant positive correlation of size classes but in the third it was not significant. Abundance and spatial patterns were as different within the same fragment as in different ones. These results show that Q. grandiflora spatial patterns cannot be predicted based on overall characteristics of cerrado physiognomy. The random-to-clumped transition with size and the spatial association of classes suggest that density dependent mortality does not seem to be an important driver of Q. grandiflora dynamics, and that spatial structure of suitable sites for recruitment to maturity may be more important.25121522

Fatty Acid Profile and Bioactivity from Annona hypoglauca Seeds Oil

Plants from Annona (Annonaceae) genus are present in tropical regions, where they have economic and medicinal potential. Information on the fatty acids profile and bioactivity from seed oil of Annona species are incipient. The objective of this work was to investigate Annona hypoglauca seeds oil in terms of its yield, composition and biological activity (acetylcholinesterase enzyme inhibition, bactericidal and fungicidal activity). Fatty acids profiles were determined by Gas Chromatography equipped with Flame Ionization Detector. Oil yield reached about 15% and the major constituents detected were ω-9 oleic acid (42.65%) and ω-6 linoleic acid (29.63%). A. hypoglauca oil was potent for acetylcholinesterase inhibition (79.55%), and presented high and selective bioactivity against Candida albicans.Keywords: Annona hypoglauca, ω-9 Oleic Acid, ω-6 Linoleic Acid, Acetylcholinesterase, Candida albican

Imaging Electronic Correlations in Twisted Bilayer Graphene near the Magic Angle

Twisted bilayer graphene with a twist angle of around 1.1{\deg} features a pair of isolated flat electronic bands and forms a strongly correlated electronic platform. Here, we use scanning tunneling microscopy to probe local properties of highly tunable twisted bilayer graphene devices and show that the flat bands strongly deform when aligned with the Fermi level. At half filling of the bands, we observe the development of gaps originating from correlated insulating states. Near charge neutrality, we find a previously unidentified correlated regime featuring a substantially enhanced flat band splitting that we describe within a microscopic model predicting a strong tendency towards nematic ordering. Our results provide insights into symmetry breaking correlation effects and highlight the importance of electronic interactions for all filling factors in twisted bilayer graphene.Comment: Main text 9 pages, 4 figures; Supplementary Information 25 page

Understanding and controlling asthma in Latin America: A review of recent research informed by the SCAALA programme.

Asthma is an important health concern in Latin America (LA) where it is associated with variable prevalence and disease burden between countries. High prevalence and morbidity have been observed in some regions, particularly marginalized urban populations. Research over the past 10 years from LA has shown that childhood disease is primarily non-atopic. The attenuation of atopy may be explained by enhanced immune regulation induced by intense exposures to environmental factors such as childhood infections and poor environmental conditions of the urban poor. Non-atopic symptoms are associated with environmental and lifestyle factors including poor living conditions, respiratory infections, psychosocial stress, obesity, and a diet of highly processed foods. Ancestry (particularly African) and genetic factors increase asthma risk, and some of these factors may be specific to LA settings. Asthma in LA tends to be poorly controlled and depends on access to health care and medications. There is a need to improve management and access to medication through primary health care. Future research should consider the heterogeneity of asthma to identify relevant endotypes and underlying causes. The outcome of such research will need to focus on implementable strategies relevant to populations living in resource-poor settings where the disease burden is greatest

Prospective study of patients with persistent symptoms of dengue in Brazil

Dengue is an arboviral infection clinically recognized as an acute and self-limited disease. Persistence of dengue symptoms is known, but it has been little studied. The aim of this study was to characterize persistent symptoms in 113 patients with dengue followed up clinically and by laboratory testing at a tertiary hospital. Symptoms that persisted for more than 14 days were observed in 61 (54.0%) patients, and six (6.2%) of them had symptoms for 6 months or more. The persistent symptoms identified were myalgia, weakness, hair loss, memory loss, reduced resistance to physical effort, headache, reasoning problems, arthralgia, sleepiness- and emotional lability. The progression to persistent symptoms was significantly associated with hospitalization, older age, more severe disease, the presence of bleeding and comorbidities upon univariate analysis. Upon multivariate analysis, the presence of persistent symptoms continued to be significantly associated only with increased age and dengue with warning signs. The platelet count during the acute phase of the disease was significantly lower in the group with persistent symptoms. In conclusion, the frequency of progression to persistent symptoms in dengue is relevant in patients seen at a tertiary hospital and the persistence of symptoms is more common in patients with dengue with warning signs

The yeast P5 type ATPase, Spf1, regulates manganese transport into the endoplasmic reticulum

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is a large, multifunctional and essential organelle. Despite intense research, the function of more than a third of ER proteins remains unknown even in the well-studied model organism Saccharomyces cerevisiae. One such protein is Spf1, which is a highly conserved, ER localized, putative P-type ATPase. Deletion of SPF1 causes a wide variety of phenotypes including severe ER stress suggesting that this protein is essential for the normal function of the ER. The closest homologue of Spf1 is the vacuolar P-type ATPase Ypk9 that influences Mn2+ homeostasis. However in vitro reconstitution assays with Spf1 have not yielded insight into its transport specificity. Here we took an in vivo approach to detect the direct and indirect effects of deleting SPF1. We found a specific reduction in the luminal concentration of Mn2+ in ∆spf1 cells and an increase following it’s overexpression. In agreement with the observed loss of luminal Mn2+ we could observe concurrent reduction in many Mn2+-related process in the ER lumen. Conversely, cytosolic Mn2+-dependent processes were increased. Together, these data support a role for Spf1p in Mn2+ transport in the cell. We also demonstrate that the human sequence homologue, ATP13A1, is a functionally conserved orthologue. Since ATP13A1 is highly expressed in developing neuronal tissues and in the brain, this should help in the study of Mn2+-dependent neurological disorders