Histological evidence for a supraspinous ligament in sauropod dinosaurs

Supraspinous ossified rods have been reported in the sacra of some derived sauropod dinosaurs. Although different hypotheses have been proposed to explain the origin ofthis structure, histological evidence has never been provided to support or reject any of them. In order to establish its origin, we analyse and characterize the microstructure of thesupraspinous rod of two sauropod dinosaurs from the Upper Cretaceous of Argentina. The supraspinous ossified rod is almost entirely formed by dense Haversian bone. Remains ofprimary bone consist entirely of an avascular tissue composed of two types of fibre-like structures, which are coarse and longitudinally (parallel to the main axis of the element) oriented. These structures are differentiated on the basis of their optical properties under polarized light. Very thin fibrous strands are also observed in some regions. These small fibres are all oriented parallel to one another but perpendicular to the element main axis. Histological features of the primary bone tissue indicate that the sacral supraspinous rod corresponds to an ossified supraspinous ligament. The formation of this structure appears to have been a non-pathological metaplastic ossification, possibly induced by the continuous tensile forces applied to the element.Fil: Cerda, Ignacio Alejandro. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigación en Paleobiología y Geología; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Río Negro; ArgentinaFil: Casal, Gabriel. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia; ArgentinaFil: Martínez, Rubén Darío. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia ; ArgentinaFil: Ibiricu, Lucio Manuel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Nacional Patagónico; Argentin

Addressing drinking water salinity due to sea water intrusion in Praia de Leste, Parana, by a brackish water desalination pilot plant

Seawater intrusion into the Pombas River, source of freshwater to Praia de Leste on the coast of Parana in Brazil presents a problem to the water utility as most water treatment plants in Brazil are conventional. To find a solution to this problem, a pilot plant (1 m3 /h) consisting of ultrafiltration (UF) followed by reverse osmosis (RO) was developed and evaluated. For testing, brackish water was produced with a concentration of 1,500 ± 100 mg/L of total dissolved solids (TDS), mixing seawater and fresh water. To evaluate the water quality, TDS, electrical conductivity, pH, temperature, apparent color, turbidity, alkalinity, total hardness, calcium, chloride and sulfate were monitored. For operational performance, flowrates, osmotic pressure, filtration rate, recovery rate and mass balance were analyzed. On average, the UF system removed 96.4% of turbidity and 98.6% of apparent color; whereas the RO system removed 99.4% of TDS. The overall average recovery (UF and RO) was 45.81% with average osmotic pressure of 8.21 bar, filtration rate of 30.7 L/h/m2 in the UF system and 21.7 L/h/m2 in the RO system. From a water quality point of view, the system was effective in processing brackish into fresh water of high quality

Mechanisms and role of microRNA deregulation in cancer onset and progression

MicroRNAs are key regulators of various fundamental biological processes and, although representing only a small portion of the genome, they regulate a much larger population of target genes. Mature microRNAs (miRNAs) are single-stranded RNA molecules of 20–23 nucleotide (nt) length that control gene expression in many cellular processes. These molecules typically reduce the stability of mRNAs, including those of genes that mediate processes in tumorigenesis, such as inflammation, cell cycle regulation, stress response, differentiation, apoptosis and invasion. MicroRNA targeting is mostly achieved through specific base-pairing interactions between the 5′ end (‘seed’ region) of the miRNA and sites within coding and untranslated regions (UTRs) of mRNAs; target sites in the 3′ UTR diminish mRNA stability. Since miRNAs frequently target hundreds of mRNAs, miRNA regulatory pathways are complex. Calin and Croce were the first to demonstrate a connection between microRNAs and increased risk of developing cancer, and meanwhile the role of microRNAs in carcinogenesis has definitively been evidenced. It needs to be considered that the complex mechanism of gene regulation by microRNAs is profoundly influenced by variation in gene sequence (polymorphisms) of the target sites. Thus, individual variability could cause patients to present differential risks regarding several diseases. Aiming to provide a critical overview of miRNA dysregulation in cancer, this article reviews the growing number of studies that have shown the importance of these small molecules and how these microRNAs can affect or be affected by genetic and epigenetic mechanisms

Genetic study of common variants at the Apo E, Apo AI, Apo CIII, Apo B, lipoprotein lipase (LPL) and hepatic lipase (LIPC) genes and coronary artery disease (CAD): variation in LIPC gene associates with clinical outcomes in patients with established CAD

BACKGROUND: Current evidence demonstrates that positive family history and several alterations in lipid metabolism are all important risk factors for coronary artery disease (CAD). All lipid abnormalities themselves have genetic determinants. Thus, objective of this study was to determine whether 6 genetic variants potentially related to altered lipid metabolism were associated with CAD and with lipid abnormalities in an Italian population. These genetic variables were: apolipoprotein E (Apo E), Apo AI, Apo CIII, Apo B, lipoprotein lipase (LPL) and the hepatic lipase (LIPC) genes. Furthermore, an 8 years prospective analysis of clinical cardiovascular events was related to the various genetic markers. METHODS: 102 subjects with established coronary artery disease and 104 unrelated normal subjects were studied. CAD Patients were followed up for 8 years, and clinical CAD outcomes (a second coronary angioplasty (PTCA), myocardial infarction, coronary artery by-pass graft (CABG), cardiovascular deaths), available from 60 subjects, were related to the genetic variants by multiple regression analysis. Results. Of the six lipid loci studied (for a total of 11 polymorphisms) only the apolipoprotein E, Apo B and LIPC polymorphisms distinguished between case and controls. However, multivariate analysis accounting for clinical and metabolic predictors of CAD showed that only the ApoB Xba1 and ApoE4 polymorphism associated with CAD in this Italian population. When lipid parameters were related to genotypes, the ApoE, ApoB, and LIPC gene polymorphisms were associated to various markers of dyslipidaemia in the CAD patients, confirming previous reports. When the occurrence of a second cardiovascular event was related to genotypes, an independent role was observed for the LIPC gene T202T variant. CONCLUSIONS: variation in LIPC (hepatic lipase) gene associates with clinical outcomes in Italian patients with established CAD. Further studies on the LIPC gene in CAD patients are warranted, in particular looking at the possible influences on clinical outcomes

Comparative study on the use of specific and heterologous microsatellite primers in the stingless bees Melipona rufiventris and M. mondury (Hymenoptera, Apidae)

Due to their high degree of polymorphism, microsatellites are considered useful tools for studying population genetics. Nevertheless, studies of genetic diversity in stingless bees by means of these primers have revealed a low level of polymorphism, possibly the consequence of the heterologous primers used, since in most cases these were not specifically designed for the species under consideration. Herein we compared the number of polymorphic loci and alleles per locus, as well as observed heterozygosity in Melipona rufiventris and M. mondury populations, using specific and heterologous primers. The use of specific primers placed in evidence the greater frequency of polymorphic loci and alleles per locus, besides an expressive increase in observed heterozygosity in M. rufiventris and M. mondury, thereby reinforcing the idea that populational studies should be undertaken by preferably using species-specific microsatellite primers

Representações sociais sobre hipertensão arterial e o cuidado: o discurso do sujeito coletivo

OBJETIVO: Analisar as representações sociais da equipe de saúde sobre a hipertensão arterial e a maneira como desenvolvem os cuidados específicos aos hipertensos. MÉTODOS: Utilizou-se a entrevista semiestruturada com 21 profissionais de saúde que atuavam em Unidades Básicas de Saúde, a técnica do discurso do sujeito coletivo para organização dos dados e interpretação pela teoria das representações sociais. RESULTADOS: As representações dos profissionais revelaram um distanciamento entre as ações preconizadas pelo programa de controle e as que se realizam nas unidades de saúde. CONCLUSÕES: Os profissionais reconhecem a hipertensão como uma doença grave, com grandes consequências, porém as dificuldades estruturais por parte dos serviços, aliadas à desmotivação do usuário para participação em ações de promoção em saúde, não favorecem um cuidado em saúde voltado para as necessidades dos portadores de hipertensão. Tais resultados indicam a necessidade de ações interdisciplinares na prática assistencial que impactem positivamente na oferta e qualidade dos cuidados.OBJETIVO: Analizar las representaciones sociales del equipo de salud sobre la hipertensión arterial y la manera cómo desarrollan los cuidados específicos a los hipertensos. MÉTODOS: Se utilizó la entrevista semiestructurada con 21 profesionales de salud que actuaban en Unidades Básicas de Salud, la técnica del discurso del sujeto colectivo para la organización de los datos e interpretación por la teoría de las representaciones sociales. RESULTADOS: Las representaciones de los profesionales revelaron un distanciamiento entre las acciones preconizadas por el programa de control y las que se realizan en las unidades de salud. CONCLUSIONES: Los profesionales reconocen a la hipertensión como una enfermedad grave, con grandes consecuencias, sin embargo las dificultades estructurales por parte de los servicos, aliadas a la desmotivación del usuario para participar en acciones de promoción en salud, no favorecen a un cuidado en salud volcado a las necesidades de los portadores de hipertensión. Tales resultados indican la necesidad de acciones interdisciplinaris en la práctica asistencial que impacten positivamente en el ofrecimiento y calidad de los cuidados.OBJECTIVE: To analyze the social representations of the health team about arterial hypertension and the manner that develops specific care with hypertensive patients. METHODS: We used semi-structured interviews with 21 health professionals who worked in the Basic Health Units. The technique of collective subject discourse was used for organization and interpretation of the data, using the theory of social representation. RESULTS: The representations of health professionals showed a gap between the actions recommended by the control program and those taking place in health facilities. CONCLUSIONS: Professionals recognized hypertension as a serious disease, with great consequences, but the structural difficulties for part of the services, together with the user's motivation to participate in activities to promote health, did not favor health care focused on the needs of those suffering with hypertension. These results indicate the need for interdisciplinary actions in care practice that impact positively on the delivery and quality of care

A rare genomic duplication in 2p14 underlies autosomal dominant hearing loss DFNA58

Here we define a ~ 200Kb genomic duplication in 2p14 as the genetic signature that segregates with post-lingual progressive sensorineural autosomal dominant hearing loss in 20 affected individuals from the DFNA58 family, first reported in 2009. The duplication includes two entire genes, PLEK and CNRIP1, and the first exon of PPP3R1 (protein-coding), in addition to four uncharacterized long noncoding (lnc) RNA genes and part of a novel protein-coding gene. Quantitative analysis of mRNA expression in blood samples revealed selective overexpression of CNRIP1 and of two lncRNA genes (LOC107985892 and LOC102724389) in all affected members tested, but not in unaffected ones. Qualitative analysis of mRNA expression identified also fusion transcripts involving parts of PPP3R1, CNRIP1 and an intergenic region between PLEK and CNRIP1, in the blood of all carriers of the duplication, but were heterogeneous in nature. By in situ hybridization and immunofluorescence, we showed that Cnrip1, Plek and Ppp3r1 genes are all expressed in the adult mouse cochlea including the spiral ganglion neurons, suggesting changes in expression levels of these genes in the hearing organ could underlie the DFNA58 form of deafness. Our study highlights the value of studying rare genomic events leading to hearing loss such as copy number variations. Further studies will be required to determine which of these genes, either coding proteins or non-coding RNAs, is or are responsible for DFNA58 hearing loss

Genetic Diversity in the SIR Model of Pathogen Evolution

We introduce a model for assessing the levels and patterns of genetic diversity in pathogen populations, whose epidemiology follows a susceptible-infected-recovered model (SIR). We model the population of pathogens as a metapopulation composed of subpopulations (infected hosts), where pathogens replicate and mutate. Hosts transmit pathogens to uninfected hosts. We show that the level of pathogen variation is well predicted by analytical expressions, such that pathogen neutral molecular variation is bounded by the level of infection and increases with the duration of infection. We then introduce selection in the model and study the invasion probability of a new pathogenic strain whose fitness (R0(1+s)) is higher than the fitness of the resident strain (R0). We show that this invasion probability is given by the relative increment in R0 of the new pathogen (s). By analyzing the patterns of genetic diversity in this framework, we identify the molecular signatures during the replacement and compare these with those observed in sequences of influenza A