Immature mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) in a public city park]

OBJECTIVE: To identify and compare the immature Culicidae population and their predators in different breeding places in a public city park. METHODS: The study was carried out in an ecological park situated in the outskirts of the city of S?o Paulo, Brazil. Four Culicidae breeding places were selected: one semi-permanent, two permanent and one polluted brook. Throughout a year, at monthly intervals, systematic and standardized collections of Culicidae and their predators were undertaken to assess mosquito frequency, and estimate the index of abundance and predatory potential of the associated fauna. RESULTS: A total of 9,065 Culicidae were collected at the four breeding places studied. Twenty-two species or groups were obtained, generally at low frequencies, except for Culex quinquefasciatus, the only species at the polluted breeding place seen highly frequent. This was the most abundant species in this study, followed by others of the Culex genus. CONCLUSIONS: It was found an imbalance in the polluted breeding place as a result of a high concentration of pollutants and absence of predators, which leads to an intense proliferation of only one species. At the other breeding places, there is evidence that the associated fauna promotes a natural biological balance.     

Partial Restoration of Normal Functional Properties in Carboxypeptidase A-Digested Hemoglobin

In the absence of organic phosphates human hemoglobin A digested with carboxypeptidase A (des His, Tyr beta) has high ligand affinity, a greatly reduced Bohr effect, and no heme-heme interaction. Under these conditions, it shows the simple, homogeneous ligand-binding kinetics characteristic of noncooperative heme proteins in which the high combination velocity for both O(2) and CO accounts, to a larger extent, for the increased affinity for both these ligands.Addition of inositol hexaphosphate dramatically alters the functional properties of this digested hemoglobin. The Bohr effect is greatly increased, and at neutral pH the protein shows significant, though still reduced, heme-heme interaction, together with a 5-fold decrease in affinity. In the presence of saturating amounts of the organic phosphate, the value of n is pH dependent, dropping from 1.9 at pH 5.8 to 1.3 at pH 8.6. After inositol hexaphosphate addition, the combination of the deoxy form of the digested hemoglobin with CO is 10-times slower than that observed in the absence of the inorganic phosphate; also the combination with CO after flash photolysis is biphasic and is similar, in many respects, to that observed for unmodified hemoglobin. Besides these functional changes, addition of inositol hexaphosphate to the modified deoxyhemoglobin results in an increase in the extinction coefficient at 430 nm similar to that observed on mixing the isolated alpha and beta chains of normal hemoglobin. The results are consistent with the idea that inositol hexaphosphate shifts an equilibrium between high- and low-affinity forms of the protein.     

A functional magnetic resonance imaging investigation of motor control in Gilles de la Tourette syndrome during imagined and executed movements

The current study investigated the neural correlates of voluntary motor control in 24 adult Gilles de la Tourette (GTS) patients. We examined whether imagination and the execution of the same voluntary movement – finger oppositions with either hand – were associated with specific patterns of activation. We also explored whether these patterns correlated with the severity of the syndrome, as measured by the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS) for motor tics. The presence of brain morphometric abnormalities was also assessed using voxel‐based morphometry. Crucial to our experiment was the manipulation of the presence of an explicit motor outflow in the tasks. We anticipated a reduction in the ticking manifestation during the explicit motor task and brain activation differences between GTS patients and 24 age/gender‐matched normal controls. The anticipated differences were all evident in the form of hyperactivations in the GTS patients in the premotor and prefrontal areas for both motor tasks for both hands; however, the motor imagery hyperactivations also involved rostral pre‐frontal and temporo‐parietal regions of the right hemisphere. The blood oxygen level‐dependent responses of the premotor cortices during the motor imagery task were significantly correlated with the YGTSS scores. In contrast, no significant brain morphometric differences were found. This study provides evidence of a different neurofunctional organisation of motor control between adult patients with GTS and healthy controls that is independent from the actual execution of motor acts. The presence of an explicit motor outflow in GTS mitigates the manifestation of tics and the need for compensatory brain activity in the brain regions showing task‐dependent hyperactivations.     

Pancreatic Cancer in a Patient with Myasthenia Gravis

Myasthenia gravis has been associated with several diseasessuch as hyperthyroidism and malignancy (thymoma,lung carcinoma) but so far no reports have demonstrated arelationship between this disease and pancreatic disease.We report a 66-year-old man with myasthenia gravis diagnosedon the basis of clinical symptoms (eyelid ptosis),typical abnormalities on repetitive nerve-stimulation tests,and the presence of Ach-R antibodies in the serum. The responseto anticholinesterasic agents (pyridostigmine) wasgood, but after 1 year, he developed pancreatic cancer andmyasthenia gravis symptoms recurred. After surgery andchemotherapy, myasthenia gravis symptoms disappeared.Some months later, the patient had a recurrence of pancreaticcancer after relapse of myasthenia gravis.     

Exotic flora dependence of an unusual Brazilian propolis: the pinocembrin biomarker by capillary techniques

Significant amounts of pinocembrin (>10%), a dihydroxy-flavanone, was found in the composition of an unusual brand of a subtropical Brazilian propolis. Incidentally, this sealing material was obtained from hives surrounding a large forestry site based on a single exotic flora, namely poplar (Populus sp.). Examination of the different botanical parts of poplar revealed the buds as the main source of the flavanone. Techniques used for the establishment of the chemical correlation between the propolis brand and the poplar buds were TLC/densitometry, capillary GC-MS in the e.i. mode, and CZE with DAD monitoring. Since color enhancement after Al3+ complexation applies just for more hydroxylated flavonoids, the alternative techniques herein applied were of value for pinocembrin detection and estimation. Analytical data indicated the dominance of the main phenolic pinocembrin biomarker as well as the presence of other related flavonoids in the botanical source and in the propolis derived thereof.     

Prostasin, A Potential Tumor Marker in Ovarian Cancer- A Pilot Study

INTRODUCTION:

Ovarian cancer is generally diagnosed at advanced stages of the disease; therefore, poor prognoses are typical. The development of tumor markers is thus of utmost importance. Prostasin is a protease that in normal tissues is highly expressed only in the prostate gland and seminal fluid. A previous study showed that prostasin is highly overexpressed in ovarian cancer cell lines. This study sought to evaluate the expression of prostasin in ovarian cancer.

METHODS:

Fresh tumor samples of ovarian epithelial cancer (n: 12) were analyzed for expression of prostasin mRNA (messenger ribonucleic acid) by conventional and real time quantitative PCR (polymerase chain reaction). As a standard control, a normal prostate sample was analyzed.

RESULTS:

Using conventional PCR, prostasin was detected in all but one sample. Using quantitative PCR, prostasin was over-expressed in all but one of the samples as compared to the control (prostate).

CONCLUSIONS:

These findings indicate that prostasin is overexpressed in many epithelial ovarian cancers. Further studies of prostasin as a potential biomarker for this disease are warranted.