Neste trabalho define-se o que e qualidade para os distintos segmentos da cadeia produtiva e come... more Neste trabalho define-se o que e qualidade para os distintos segmentos da cadeia produtiva e comercial da carne ovina, seu significado nos diferentes niveis da cadeia, do produtor ao consumidor, assim como os fatores que influem na referida qualidade. Apresentam-se as fundamentacoes biologicas da qualidade da carne para a cadeia produtiva e a sua relacao com as caracteristicas in vivo , da carcaca e da carne. A literatura mostra que no mercado da carne e na pratica de comercializacao, a carcaca apresenta caracteristicas quantitativas e qualitativas relacionadas com as exigencias da demanda e com os caracteres no animal. Consequentemente, a avaliacao da carcaca deve ser em funcao dos caracteres de satisfacao do consumidor que recompensem ao criador que produz o animal com a referida carcaca e carne. Conclui-se que, e necessaria uma compreensao, clara sobre qualidade de carne, entre os segmentos da cadeia produtiva, para que seja possivel oferecer o produto que atinja o grau de satis...
Here we present the karyotype analysis and genome sizing ofParacoccidioides brasiliensis, a patho... more Here we present the karyotype analysis and genome sizing ofParacoccidioides brasiliensis, a pathogen refractory to conventional genetic analysis. We have established pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) conditions to resolve the high-molecular-weight chromosomal bands of two clinical isolates ofP. brasiliensis. Both isolates showed four megabase-sized bands, ranging from 2.0 to 10.0 Mbp. Significant differences in chromosome sizes and in the chromosomal location of genes for the gp43 antigen and chitin synthase were found. Different technical approaches were employed to estimate the DNA content and to define the ploidy ofP. brasiliensis. An estimated genome size in the range of 45.7 to 60.9 Mbp was provided by the analysis of data generated by measuring the amplitude of fluorescence intensity of DAPI (4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole)-stained nuclei (by confocal microscopy). The nuclear genome size estimated by confocal microscopy is twice that estimated by the average sum of the mo...
Peptides derived from the surface glycoprotein gp82 ofTrypanosoma cruzi, previously implicated in... more Peptides derived from the surface glycoprotein gp82 ofTrypanosoma cruzi, previously implicated in the parasite’s invasion of host cells, were expressed as fusions to the protein LamB of Escherichia coli in a region known to be exposed on the cell surface. Bacteria expressing these proteins adhered to HeLa cells in a manner that mimics the pattern of parasite invasion of mammalian cells. Purified LamB fusion proteins were shown to bind to HeLa cells and to inhibit infection by T. cruzi, supporting the notion that these gp82-derived peptides can mediate interaction of the parasite with its host.
We designed a PCR assay targeted on repeated elements of the ribosomal intergenic spacer which pr... more We designed a PCR assay targeted on repeated elements of the ribosomal intergenic spacer which produces highly polymorphic DNA band patterns for different strains of Trypanosoma cruzi. By labeling the PCR products with digoxigenin and by chemiluminescence detection, we improved the assay sensitivity by three orders of magnitude to get T. cruzi strain fingerprints in feces of the trypanosome-infected triatomine bug vector. We also developed a capture assay for the digoxigenin-labeled PCR products that allowed us to detect T. cruzi in triatomine bug vector feces and in human serum samples with a solid support.
We studied 81 children, mostly boys, who experienced language acquisition delay but whose audiome... more We studied 81 children, mostly boys, who experienced language acquisition delay but whose audiometric thresh olds were normal. We assessed the evolution of children with delayed maturation of auditory pathways by brainstem evoked response audiometry (BERA). We also used a questionnaire administered during diagnostic procedures to determine if there was a probable etiology in each patient. In addition, we further studied language evolution in 29 patients by means of a second questionnaire that was administered approximately 2 years later. Finally, we studied the evolution of the I–V interwave interval and the I/V amplitude ratio in 16 patients by performing a second BERA after a mean interval of 3 years. We ob served improvement in both brainstem transmission time and language acquisition in all 81 patients. However, only a few patients achieved normal range results. Morphologic alterations, which were most common in patients who had had perinatal jaundice, remained un changed. The m...
Genetic stability is extremely important for the survival of every living organism and a very com... more Genetic stability is extremely important for the survival of every living organism and a very complex set of genes have evolved to cope with DNA repair upon DNA damage. Here, we investigated the Aspergillus fumigatus AtmA (Ataxia-telangiectasia mutated) and AtrA kinases and how they impact virulence and the evolution of azole resistance. We demonstrated that A. fumigatus atmA and atrA null mutants are haploid and have a discrete chromosomal polymorphism. The ΔatmA and ΔatrA strains are sensitive to several DNA damaging agents but surprisingly both strains were more resistant than the wild-type strain to paraquat, menadione, and hydrogen peroxide. The atmA and atrA genes showed synthetic lethality emphasizing the cooperation between both enzymes and their consequent redundancy. The lack of atmA and atrA does not cause any significant virulence reduction in A. fumigatus in a neutropenic murine model of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis and in the invertebrate alternative model Galleria...
A população idosa brasileira cresce e representa 8,6% do total populacional. Fatores ambientais, ... more A população idosa brasileira cresce e representa 8,6% do total populacional. Fatores ambientais, hábitos de vida, sexo e fatores genéticos interferem na evolução da presbiacusia que reduz a qualidade de vida. OBJETIVO: Investigar queixas audiológicas e vestibulares em idosos, executar audiometria tonal, verificar se há diferenças entre os sexos. FORMA DE ESTUDO: Clínico prospectivo de corte transversal. MATERIAL E MÉTODO: 320 pacientes idosos (160 homens e 160 mulheres) foram submetidos a anamnese audiológica e audiometria tonal. Análise estatística dos resultados pelos testes ANOVA, Mann-Whitney e Qui-Quadrado. RESULTADO: As queixas audiológicas e vestibulares (perda auditiva, tinnitus, plenitude auricular, tontura) foram similares entre os sexos (exceção, a tontura: p<0,05); audiometria tonal apresentou diferença significante, com perda auditiva nas altas freqüências entre os homens, e entre as mulheres, curvas descendentes e planas. Esses resultados foram estaticamente signifi...
O texto mostra a evolução recente da biotecnologia agrícola, sua situação no Brasil atual, e faz ... more O texto mostra a evolução recente da biotecnologia agrícola, sua situação no Brasil atual, e faz um balanço de seus impactos econômicos e sociais. Chama atenção para o fato de esta tecnologia ter passado rapidamente do estágio de ciência para o de inovação, com impactos significativos na economia nacional.
Objetivou-se com este trabalho estudar a etiologia da mastite em ovelhas na região nordeste do Pa... more Objetivou-se com este trabalho estudar a etiologia da mastite em ovelhas na região nordeste do Pará, além de estabelecer o perfil de sensibilidade das bactérias isoladas frente a antimicrobianos. Foram examinadas 176 ovelhas da raça Santa Inês, em lactação, mantidas em sistema semi-intensivo, pertencentes a sete propriedades especializadas na criação de ovinos. Foi realizado o exame clínico da glândula mamária, o exame macroscópico da secreção láctea por meio do Teste da Caneca Telada, o California Mastitis Test (CMT), o exame microbiológico do leite e o antibiograma. Das 352 metades mamárias estudadas (176 ovelhas), 21 (5,97%) apresentaram mastite clínica, 26 (7,39%) apresentaram mastite subclínica e 305 (86,64%) metades mamárias foram negativas. A maioria dos animais acometidos pela mastite estava no terço médio da lactação, com menor número de crias e maior número de lactações. Na mastite clínica (MC) as bactérias isoladas foram Staphylococcus spp. coagulase negativo (42,9%); Sta...
Foram estudados dois surtos e realizado um experimento de fotossensibilização associada à ingestã... more Foram estudados dois surtos e realizado um experimento de fotossensibilização associada à ingestão por Brachiaria brizantha em ovinos mestiços de Santa Inês e Dorper, com idade variando de dois a três meses, em uma fazenda no município de Santa Luzia do Pará. Esses animais foram mantidos desde o nascimento até aproximadamente dois meses de idade, em apriscos suspensos do chão, recebendo capim-elefante roxo (Pennisetum purpureum cv. roxo), concentrado, sal mineral e água ad libitum. Após esse período foram introduzidos em um piquete de B. brizantha. Na ocasião dos surtos e do experimento a fazenda foi visitada para observação dos dados epidemiológicos, avaliação clínica dos animais, colheita de amostras de sangue para dosagem de GGT, AST, BD, BI, BT, ureia e creatinina e colheita de pastagem para pesquisa de Pithomyces chartarum e saponinas. Também foi realizada necropsia com colheita de material para estudo histológico. O surto 01 ocorreu na época de escassez de chuva, com taxa de m...
In this study we compared the performance of the Chagas Stat-Pak rapid immunochromatographic test... more In this study we compared the performance of the Chagas Stat-Pak rapid immunochromatographic test with a standard enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in the serodiagnosis of Chagas' disease in Central America. Out of 3,400 blood donor samples, 156 (4.6%) were positive in both assays. Three sera out of 2,084 samples from reference laboratories were negative with the rapid test but positive with the ELISA (99.8% agreement). Agreement of 100% between the two tests was observed with 339 additional sera from patients with cardiopathies and 175 sera from potential blood donors in emergency surgical cases occurring on weekends or at night. In conclusion, Chagas Stat-Pak showed 99.6% and 99.9% sensitivity and specificity, respectively, when assayed with 5,998 serum samples. It is a sensitive and specific alternative to the ELISA, as required in medical emergencies and blood screenings in Central America.
An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to diagnose Chagas' disease by a serological test was pe... more An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to diagnose Chagas' disease by a serological test was performed with Trypanosoma cruzi recombinant antigens (JL8, MAP, and TcPo). High sensitivity (99.4%) and specificity (99.3%) were obtained when JL8 was combined with MAP (JM) and tested with 150 serum samples from chagasic and 142 nonchagasic individuals. Moreover, JM also diagnosed 84.2% of patients in the acute phase of T. cruzi infection.
Earlier studies showed that mice primed for a few hours with the trans -sialidase (TS) of Trypano... more Earlier studies showed that mice primed for a few hours with the trans -sialidase (TS) of Trypanosoma cruzi , the agent of Chagas' disease, become highly susceptible to trypanosomal infection. These studies suggest that TS affects parasite virulence independent of antigenic stimulation. Potentially, TS could enhance or reduce the virulence of heterologous microbes depending on the mechanism of TS action and on the type of immune response elicited by the particular parasite. We tested this hypothesis by expressing heterologous TS in Leishmania major , a protozoan parasite that causes cutaneous leishmaniasis and lacks TS and the TS product α2-3-linked sialic acid. Leishmania cells transfected with a T. cruzi TS expression construct made high levels of active enzyme, which was present in the promastigotes and shed into the extracellular milieu. TS expression did not affect L. major binding to and entry into cultured macrophages or its tropism for macrophage infection in vivo. Howev...
Neste trabalho define-se o que e qualidade para os distintos segmentos da cadeia produtiva e come... more Neste trabalho define-se o que e qualidade para os distintos segmentos da cadeia produtiva e comercial da carne ovina, seu significado nos diferentes niveis da cadeia, do produtor ao consumidor, assim como os fatores que influem na referida qualidade. Apresentam-se as fundamentacoes biologicas da qualidade da carne para a cadeia produtiva e a sua relacao com as caracteristicas in vivo , da carcaca e da carne. A literatura mostra que no mercado da carne e na pratica de comercializacao, a carcaca apresenta caracteristicas quantitativas e qualitativas relacionadas com as exigencias da demanda e com os caracteres no animal. Consequentemente, a avaliacao da carcaca deve ser em funcao dos caracteres de satisfacao do consumidor que recompensem ao criador que produz o animal com a referida carcaca e carne. Conclui-se que, e necessaria uma compreensao, clara sobre qualidade de carne, entre os segmentos da cadeia produtiva, para que seja possivel oferecer o produto que atinja o grau de satis...
Here we present the karyotype analysis and genome sizing ofParacoccidioides brasiliensis, a patho... more Here we present the karyotype analysis and genome sizing ofParacoccidioides brasiliensis, a pathogen refractory to conventional genetic analysis. We have established pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) conditions to resolve the high-molecular-weight chromosomal bands of two clinical isolates ofP. brasiliensis. Both isolates showed four megabase-sized bands, ranging from 2.0 to 10.0 Mbp. Significant differences in chromosome sizes and in the chromosomal location of genes for the gp43 antigen and chitin synthase were found. Different technical approaches were employed to estimate the DNA content and to define the ploidy ofP. brasiliensis. An estimated genome size in the range of 45.7 to 60.9 Mbp was provided by the analysis of data generated by measuring the amplitude of fluorescence intensity of DAPI (4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole)-stained nuclei (by confocal microscopy). The nuclear genome size estimated by confocal microscopy is twice that estimated by the average sum of the mo...
Peptides derived from the surface glycoprotein gp82 ofTrypanosoma cruzi, previously implicated in... more Peptides derived from the surface glycoprotein gp82 ofTrypanosoma cruzi, previously implicated in the parasite’s invasion of host cells, were expressed as fusions to the protein LamB of Escherichia coli in a region known to be exposed on the cell surface. Bacteria expressing these proteins adhered to HeLa cells in a manner that mimics the pattern of parasite invasion of mammalian cells. Purified LamB fusion proteins were shown to bind to HeLa cells and to inhibit infection by T. cruzi, supporting the notion that these gp82-derived peptides can mediate interaction of the parasite with its host.
We designed a PCR assay targeted on repeated elements of the ribosomal intergenic spacer which pr... more We designed a PCR assay targeted on repeated elements of the ribosomal intergenic spacer which produces highly polymorphic DNA band patterns for different strains of Trypanosoma cruzi. By labeling the PCR products with digoxigenin and by chemiluminescence detection, we improved the assay sensitivity by three orders of magnitude to get T. cruzi strain fingerprints in feces of the trypanosome-infected triatomine bug vector. We also developed a capture assay for the digoxigenin-labeled PCR products that allowed us to detect T. cruzi in triatomine bug vector feces and in human serum samples with a solid support.
We studied 81 children, mostly boys, who experienced language acquisition delay but whose audiome... more We studied 81 children, mostly boys, who experienced language acquisition delay but whose audiometric thresh olds were normal. We assessed the evolution of children with delayed maturation of auditory pathways by brainstem evoked response audiometry (BERA). We also used a questionnaire administered during diagnostic procedures to determine if there was a probable etiology in each patient. In addition, we further studied language evolution in 29 patients by means of a second questionnaire that was administered approximately 2 years later. Finally, we studied the evolution of the I–V interwave interval and the I/V amplitude ratio in 16 patients by performing a second BERA after a mean interval of 3 years. We ob served improvement in both brainstem transmission time and language acquisition in all 81 patients. However, only a few patients achieved normal range results. Morphologic alterations, which were most common in patients who had had perinatal jaundice, remained un changed. The m...
Genetic stability is extremely important for the survival of every living organism and a very com... more Genetic stability is extremely important for the survival of every living organism and a very complex set of genes have evolved to cope with DNA repair upon DNA damage. Here, we investigated the Aspergillus fumigatus AtmA (Ataxia-telangiectasia mutated) and AtrA kinases and how they impact virulence and the evolution of azole resistance. We demonstrated that A. fumigatus atmA and atrA null mutants are haploid and have a discrete chromosomal polymorphism. The ΔatmA and ΔatrA strains are sensitive to several DNA damaging agents but surprisingly both strains were more resistant than the wild-type strain to paraquat, menadione, and hydrogen peroxide. The atmA and atrA genes showed synthetic lethality emphasizing the cooperation between both enzymes and their consequent redundancy. The lack of atmA and atrA does not cause any significant virulence reduction in A. fumigatus in a neutropenic murine model of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis and in the invertebrate alternative model Galleria...
A população idosa brasileira cresce e representa 8,6% do total populacional. Fatores ambientais, ... more A população idosa brasileira cresce e representa 8,6% do total populacional. Fatores ambientais, hábitos de vida, sexo e fatores genéticos interferem na evolução da presbiacusia que reduz a qualidade de vida. OBJETIVO: Investigar queixas audiológicas e vestibulares em idosos, executar audiometria tonal, verificar se há diferenças entre os sexos. FORMA DE ESTUDO: Clínico prospectivo de corte transversal. MATERIAL E MÉTODO: 320 pacientes idosos (160 homens e 160 mulheres) foram submetidos a anamnese audiológica e audiometria tonal. Análise estatística dos resultados pelos testes ANOVA, Mann-Whitney e Qui-Quadrado. RESULTADO: As queixas audiológicas e vestibulares (perda auditiva, tinnitus, plenitude auricular, tontura) foram similares entre os sexos (exceção, a tontura: p<0,05); audiometria tonal apresentou diferença significante, com perda auditiva nas altas freqüências entre os homens, e entre as mulheres, curvas descendentes e planas. Esses resultados foram estaticamente signifi...
O texto mostra a evolução recente da biotecnologia agrícola, sua situação no Brasil atual, e faz ... more O texto mostra a evolução recente da biotecnologia agrícola, sua situação no Brasil atual, e faz um balanço de seus impactos econômicos e sociais. Chama atenção para o fato de esta tecnologia ter passado rapidamente do estágio de ciência para o de inovação, com impactos significativos na economia nacional.
Objetivou-se com este trabalho estudar a etiologia da mastite em ovelhas na região nordeste do Pa... more Objetivou-se com este trabalho estudar a etiologia da mastite em ovelhas na região nordeste do Pará, além de estabelecer o perfil de sensibilidade das bactérias isoladas frente a antimicrobianos. Foram examinadas 176 ovelhas da raça Santa Inês, em lactação, mantidas em sistema semi-intensivo, pertencentes a sete propriedades especializadas na criação de ovinos. Foi realizado o exame clínico da glândula mamária, o exame macroscópico da secreção láctea por meio do Teste da Caneca Telada, o California Mastitis Test (CMT), o exame microbiológico do leite e o antibiograma. Das 352 metades mamárias estudadas (176 ovelhas), 21 (5,97%) apresentaram mastite clínica, 26 (7,39%) apresentaram mastite subclínica e 305 (86,64%) metades mamárias foram negativas. A maioria dos animais acometidos pela mastite estava no terço médio da lactação, com menor número de crias e maior número de lactações. Na mastite clínica (MC) as bactérias isoladas foram Staphylococcus spp. coagulase negativo (42,9%); Sta...
Foram estudados dois surtos e realizado um experimento de fotossensibilização associada à ingestã... more Foram estudados dois surtos e realizado um experimento de fotossensibilização associada à ingestão por Brachiaria brizantha em ovinos mestiços de Santa Inês e Dorper, com idade variando de dois a três meses, em uma fazenda no município de Santa Luzia do Pará. Esses animais foram mantidos desde o nascimento até aproximadamente dois meses de idade, em apriscos suspensos do chão, recebendo capim-elefante roxo (Pennisetum purpureum cv. roxo), concentrado, sal mineral e água ad libitum. Após esse período foram introduzidos em um piquete de B. brizantha. Na ocasião dos surtos e do experimento a fazenda foi visitada para observação dos dados epidemiológicos, avaliação clínica dos animais, colheita de amostras de sangue para dosagem de GGT, AST, BD, BI, BT, ureia e creatinina e colheita de pastagem para pesquisa de Pithomyces chartarum e saponinas. Também foi realizada necropsia com colheita de material para estudo histológico. O surto 01 ocorreu na época de escassez de chuva, com taxa de m...
In this study we compared the performance of the Chagas Stat-Pak rapid immunochromatographic test... more In this study we compared the performance of the Chagas Stat-Pak rapid immunochromatographic test with a standard enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in the serodiagnosis of Chagas' disease in Central America. Out of 3,400 blood donor samples, 156 (4.6%) were positive in both assays. Three sera out of 2,084 samples from reference laboratories were negative with the rapid test but positive with the ELISA (99.8% agreement). Agreement of 100% between the two tests was observed with 339 additional sera from patients with cardiopathies and 175 sera from potential blood donors in emergency surgical cases occurring on weekends or at night. In conclusion, Chagas Stat-Pak showed 99.6% and 99.9% sensitivity and specificity, respectively, when assayed with 5,998 serum samples. It is a sensitive and specific alternative to the ELISA, as required in medical emergencies and blood screenings in Central America.
An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to diagnose Chagas' disease by a serological test was pe... more An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to diagnose Chagas' disease by a serological test was performed with Trypanosoma cruzi recombinant antigens (JL8, MAP, and TcPo). High sensitivity (99.4%) and specificity (99.3%) were obtained when JL8 was combined with MAP (JM) and tested with 150 serum samples from chagasic and 142 nonchagasic individuals. Moreover, JM also diagnosed 84.2% of patients in the acute phase of T. cruzi infection.
Earlier studies showed that mice primed for a few hours with the trans -sialidase (TS) of Trypano... more Earlier studies showed that mice primed for a few hours with the trans -sialidase (TS) of Trypanosoma cruzi , the agent of Chagas' disease, become highly susceptible to trypanosomal infection. These studies suggest that TS affects parasite virulence independent of antigenic stimulation. Potentially, TS could enhance or reduce the virulence of heterologous microbes depending on the mechanism of TS action and on the type of immune response elicited by the particular parasite. We tested this hypothesis by expressing heterologous TS in Leishmania major , a protozoan parasite that causes cutaneous leishmaniasis and lacks TS and the TS product α2-3-linked sialic acid. Leishmania cells transfected with a T. cruzi TS expression construct made high levels of active enzyme, which was present in the promastigotes and shed into the extracellular milieu. TS expression did not affect L. major binding to and entry into cultured macrophages or its tropism for macrophage infection in vivo. Howev...
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