Submitted by PABLO ACERA MATEOS null (pablo.acera@hotmail.com) on 2016-02-26T21:46:04Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação Pablo.pdf: 2305687 bytes, checksum: f2605afbab8d002e94ee276992365da9 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Ana Paula Grisoto (grisotoana@reitoria.unesp.br) on 2016-02-29T14:25:02Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 mateos_pa_me_araiq.pdf: 2305687 bytes, checksum: f2605afbab8d002e94ee276992365da9 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-02-29T14:25:03Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 mateos_pa_me_araiq.pdf: 2305687 bytes, checksum: f2605afbab8d002e94ee276992365da9 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-02-18 / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) / Neste trabalho foi realizado um estudo de caracterização das proteínas RUV-1 e RUV-2 de Neurospora crassa, as quais são proteínas ubiquamente encontradas e descritas estar envolvidas em diferentes processos celulares. Resultados anteriores obtidos pelo nosso grupo identificaram, através de espectrometria de massas, a proteína RUV-1 como uma proteína capaz de se ligar ao promotor do gene da glicogênio sintase (gsn) durante a resposta ao choque térmico. Mais tarde, foi demonstrado que a proteína foi capaz de se ligar in vitro, e de maneira especifica, ao motivo de DNA STRE, também presente no promotor gsn. Considerando que a proteína RUV-1 interage com a proteína parceira RUV-2 e, juntas, participam de grandes complexos proteicos que atuam na regulação de diferentes processos celulares, este trabalho teve como objetivo realizar estudos de caracterização das proteínas RUV-1 e RUV-2. Os resultados de expressão gênica mostraram que o gene ruv-1 foi superexpresso na condição de choque térmico e que o gene ruv-2 não mostrou alteração na expressão na mesma condição. Além disso, foi demonstrado que o transcrito do gene ruv-2 é parcialmente processado na situação de choque térmico, e não em outra condição indutora de estresse, através do processo conhecido como intron retention levando à síntese de uma proteína truncada. No entanto, os resultados mostraram que a proteína RUV-2 foi detectada em extratos celulares do fungo obtidos até 4 h de choque térmico. Os cDNAs (ruv-1 e ruv-2) foram inseridos no vetor pET28a e as proteínas expressas em E. coli. Entretanto, ainda não foi finalizada a expressão de ambas utilizando o plasmídeo bicistrônico pETDUET-1, para a análise de interação de ambas proteínas. Neste trabalho também foi construída uma linhagem do fungo modificada geneticamente, a qual produz a proteína RUV-1 fusionada ao tag V5 (RUV-1-V5) e será posteriormente utilizada em ensaio de imunoprecipitação para identificação de proteínas parceiras. Ensaios de imunoprecipatação de cromatina (ChIP) com esta linhagem foram realizados com o objetivo de analisar se a proteína RUV-1 se liga in vivo ao mesmo fragmento de DNA. Entretanto, os experimentos ainda não permitiram identificar a ligação proteína-DNA. Análises de modelagem e dinâmica molecular das proteínas RUV-1 e RUV-2 de N. crassa sugeriram interação entre elas e homologia estrutural a outras proteínas RUV conhecidas / In this work, we performed characterization studies of Neurospora crassa RUV-1 and RUV-2, which are ubiquitous protein and have been described to be involved in different cellular processes. Previous results obtained by our group identified, by mass spectrometry, RUV-1 as a protein able of binding to the glycogen synthase gene promoter (gsn) during heat shock response. Later, it was demonstrated that the protein was able to bind in vitro, and in a specific manner, to the STRE DNA motif, also present in gsn promoter. Since RUV-1 interacts with RUV- 2 protein, and together participate in large protein complexes that act in the regulation of different cellular processes, this study aimed to conduct characterization studies of RUV-1 and RUV- 2 proteins. Gene expression results showed that ruv-1 gene, but not ruv-2 gene was overexpressed under heat shock. Furthermore, it was shown that ruv-2 transcript was incompletely processed under heat shock through a process known as intron retention that leads to the production of a truncated protein. No other stress inducing conditions led to the same phenomenon. However, RUV-2 protein was detected in cell extracts of the fungus exposed to heat shock up to 4 h. The cDNAc (ruv-1 and ruv-2) were inserted into the pET28a vector and the proteins were expressed in E. coli. However, it has not yet been completed the molecular cloning in the bicistronic plasmid pETDUET-1, which allows the production of both proteins in the same cell, what is required for protein-protein interaction analysis. In this work, was also constructed a genetically modified strain, which produces the V5- tagged RUV-1 protein (V5-RUV-1), which that will be later used in immunoprecipitation assay for the identification of partner proteins. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay using this strain was performed in order to investigate whether RUV-1 protein binds in vivo the DNA fragment from the gsn promoter. Experiments have not allowed the identification of protein-DNA binding yet. Analysis of molecular modelling and dynamics of RUV-1 and RUV-2 proteins suggested the existence of interaction between them and structural homology to other known RUV proteins.

Submitted by TALITA BARBAN BILHASSI null (talitabarban@yahoo.com.br) on 2016-04-26T17:24:25Z No. of bitstreams: 1 TESE TALITA BARBAN BILHASSI.pdf: 3215997 bytes, checksum: 07aede5d76602ed82d16385cc21986cf (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Felipe Augusto Arakaki (arakaki@reitoria.unesp.br) on 2016-04-28T18:47:32Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 bilhassi_tb_dr_jabo.pdf: 3215997 bytes, checksum: 07aede5d76602ed82d16385cc21986cf (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-28T18:47:32Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 bilhassi_tb_dr_jabo.pdf: 3215997 bytes, checksum: 07aede5d76602ed82d16385cc21986cf (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-02-29 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) / Entre as principais causas de perdas produtivas em bovinos criados nos trópicos está a infestação pelo carrapato Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus e, consequentemente, dos hemoparasitas transmitidos por ele. A resistência dos zebuínos e de animais cruzados com raças taurinas à infestação por esse ácaro é amplamente conhecida. Entretanto, no que se refere à suscetibilidade às babesioses bovinas, existem evidências de que o grupo genético também pode interferir na resistência, seguindo o mesmo padrão observado para o carrapato vetor, com os taurinos apresentando maior sensibilidade. Assim, este estudo teve por objetivo avaliar a parasitemia por Babesia bovis e Babesia bigemina em 50 novilhas da raça Canchim ( Charolês + Zebu) naturalmente infestadas pelo R. (B.) microplus nas quatro estações do ano durante 24 meses, além de caracterizar o perfil de citocinas que podem estar associados ao fenótipo de resistência e suscetibilidade aos hemoparasitas do gênero Babesia spp. Foram realizadas contagens de fêmeas adultas de carrapatos com tamanho igual ou superior a 4,5 mm de diâmetro, presentes no lado esquerdo de cada bovino. As amostras de DNA extraídas foram submetidas à amplificação por meio da Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase Quantitativa em Tempo Real (qPCR), utilizando iniciadores que flanqueiam fragmentos dos genes mitocondriais do citocromo b (mt-cyt B), específicos para B. bovis e B. bigemina. O RNA extraído do sangue, foi usado para sintetizar o DNA complementar (cDNA) para análise de expressão dos genes do IFN- , TNF- , IL-10 e IL-12B por meio da quantificação relativa (RTqPCR). Foram observadas diferenças significativas (P<0,05) entre os meses das avaliações para a contagem de carrapatos. Entretanto, não houve efeito significativo (P>0,05) nas colheitas realizadas entre novembro de 2013 a janeiro de 2014 e entre os meses janeiro e fevereiro de 2015. A frequência da parasitemia no rebanho foi de 98%. Dentre as amostras de DNA que puderam ser quantificadas pela qPCR, 98% e 95,4% foram positivas para B. bovis e B. bigemina, respectivamente. Com relação ao número de cópias (NC) dos fragmentos dos genes mt-cyt B específicos para B. bovis e B. bigemina foram observados efeitos significativos (P<0,05) para ambas as espécies e interação das mesmas com as colheitas realizadas nas diferentes estações do ano. A análise do nível de expressão de mRNA do IFN- , TNF- e IL-12B revelou que houve um efeito siginificativo (P<0,05) da interação entre animais dos extremos de resistência/suscetibilidade e estações do ano, exceto para IL-10. Conclui-se que, a qPCR apresenta alta sensibilidade e especificidade para o diagnóstico das babesioses bovinas em amostras de sangue e que a oscilação na carga parasitária nas diferentes estações do ano pode estar associada com o perfil de expressão de citocinas apresentada. / Among the main causes of production losses in cattle is in the tropics infestation by Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus, and consequently the hemoparasites transmitted by it. The resistance of zebu and crossbred with European breeds to infestation by this mite is widely known. However, as regards susceptibility to bovine babesiosis, there is evidence that genetic group can also interfere in resistance following the same pattern observed in the tick vector, with the taurine presenting greater sensitivity. This study aimed to evaluate parasitaemia by Babesia bovis and Babesia bigemina in 50 heifers Canchim (⅝ Charolais + ⅜ Zebu) naturally infested by R. (B.) microplus in four seasons for 24 months, and characterize the profile of cytokines that may be associated with phenotype resistance and susceptibility by gender hemoparasites Babesia spp. Adult female ticks counts with size equal to or greater than 4.5 mm in diameter, present in the left side of each calf were performed. The extracted DNA samples were subjected to amplification by Reaction Polymerase Chain Quantitative Real Time (qPCR), using primers flanking fragments of mitochondrial gene cytochrome B (mt-cyt B) specific for B. bovis and B. bigemina. The RNA extracted from the blood was used to synthesize complementary DNA (cDNA) for expression analysis of genes IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-10 and IL-12B by relative quantification (RT-qPCR). Significant differences were observed (P <0.05) between the months of reviews for the tick count. However, there was no significant effect (P>0.05) in samples taken between november 2013 and january 2014 and between the months january and february 2015. The frequency of parasitaemia in the herd was 98%. Among the samples of DNA that could be quantified by qPCR, 98% and 95.4% were positive for B. bovis and B. bigemina, respectively. Regarding the number of copies (NC) of fragments of genes mt-cyt B, specific to B. bovis and B. bigemina significant effects were observed (P<0.05) for both species and interaction between those harvests in different seasons. Analysis of the mRNA expression level of IFN-γ, TNF-α and IL-12B showed that there was a significant effect (P<0.05) interaction between the animal extreme resistance/susceptibility and seasons, except for IL-10. It is concluded that the qPCR has high sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of bovine babesiosis in blood samples and that the fluctuation in the parasitic load in the different seasons of the year may be associated with the profile of cytokine expression presented by herd animals Canchim during the experimental period. / FAPESP: 2013/16246-9

Background In 2014, 27.0% of births in England and Wales were to mothers born outside of the UK. Compared to their white British peers, minority ethnic and migrant women are at a significantly higher risk of maternal and perinatal mortality, along with lower maternity care satisfaction. Although existing literature highlights the importance of midwife-woman relationships in care satisfaction and pregnancy outcomes health professionals report difficulty in providing services to minority ethnic and migrant women. However little research has explored the factors contributing to the midwife-woman relationship for migrant and minority ethnic women. Research Aims To explore relationships between migrant Pakistani women and midwives in South Wales; focusing on the factors contributing to these relationships, and the ways in which these factors might affect women’s experiences of care. Method A focused ethnography in South Wales; semi-structured interviews with 10 migrant Pakistani participants (eight pregnant women, one husband and one mother) and 11 practising midwives, fieldwork in the local migrant Pakistani community and local maternity services, observations of antenatal booking appointments, and longitudinal reviewing of relevant media outputs, such as UK news reports of issues relating to migrant people. Data were analysed concurrently with collection using thematic analysis. Findings The midwife-woman relationship was important for participants’ experiences of care. A number of social and ecological factors influenced this relationship; including family relationships, culture and religion, differing healthcare systems, authoritative knowledge, and communication of information. However, differences were seen between midwives and women in the perceived importance of these themes. Findings therefore suggest that in order to understand how midwife-woman relationships are created and maintained, more needs to be done to recognise and address these differences. Due to the complexity of the relationships between themes a social ecological model of relationships is forwarded as a means of visually capturing the complexity of the findings, as well as potentially shaping midwifery education and clinical midwifery practices. Conclusions and Implications Findings from this study provide new theoretical insights into the complex social and ecological factors at play during maternity care for migrant Pakistani women. These findings can therefore be used to create meaningful dialogue between women and midwives, encourage collaborative learning and knowledge production, and facilitate future midwifery education and research.

My research explored student experiences of becoming midwives. It focused specifically on understanding their lived world experiences. The research is located in a hermeneutic framework as described by van Manen (1990). I chose to undertake a longitudinal study as the length of the students’ course of study was three years. My study recruited two cohorts of student midwives from two universities in the North West of England (n=90). Each university had a different recruitment target for their midwifery programme of study; University A (n=60), University B (n=30). I prepared a PowerPoint presentation and an information leaflet which supported the recruitment strategy (Appendix B). My approach proved successful as the study originally consisted of a purposive sample of student midwives (n=22); University A (n=10) which equated to 20% of the cohort and University B (n=12) equated to 33% of the cohort. Four students from University B dropped out of the research following the first focus group, thereby reducing the total sample to 18. This reduced the sample size of university B (n=8) which equated to 27% of the cohort. My use of narrative inquiry within focus groups enabled a hermeneutic cyclical process of gathering and interpreting the student holistic experiences in a constructivist paradigm (Clandinin and Connelly, 2000). I also used reflective diaries which enabled the students to reflect on their personal experiences. This added richness to the empirical data (Berg, 2009). The interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis was undertaken using the principles of van Manen (1990). I gained ethical approval from LJMU and the two universities where the students were studying. The aims of my research directed the focus of the study. Discovering their interpretations of their experiences of becoming midwives brought an understanding of the influences the working environment had on the process. The findings of my study brought new knowledge in respect of the education of student midwives. It also highlighted some of the restrictions imposed on their training within a medical model of care in an NHS Trust. The research also highlighted some of the challenges experienced by the students as they progressed through their training. The findings suggested there were many tension experienced by the students. The broad themes were related to: the students’ understandings of their learning and development, the ideology of the role of the midwife and the role of the midwife within the philosophy of the medical model of care in NHS Trusts. This brings new knowledge in respect of the education of student midwives.

Only 20% of patients at diagnosis of gastrointestinal cancer will be suitable for potentially curative surgical resection, and then only 5 -10% of these will survive to 5 years. Most individuals die within twelve months. Whilst the relief of physical symptoms is essential and contributes to improving quality of life, such patients are also likely to have psychosocial needs. Psychological adaptation has been found to be positively influenced by the coping resources available to individuals e.g. physical and emotional well being, their values and beliefs, support from family and their social network. Carers' levels of psychological distress, when cure is no longer an option, can be extremely high. Evaluation and research of the organization of generic palliative care in specialist gastrointestinal cancer is limited. Method An exploratory case study design using contextual triangulation was used. 34 patients receiving generic palliative care for gastrointestinal cancer, 30 main carers and 28 bereaved carers were interviewed and completed measures of psychological wellbeing. Patients also completed the Concerns Checklist. Findings Whilst the main message in the literature had suggested that psychological distress manifested as depression was underestimated in patients with cancer, this study did not support these conclusions. There were however, high levels of anxiety, concerns and adjustment disorder in patients. Fisher's exact test was highly significant (p= 0.002) for anxiety and poor disclosure in patients. Contributing factors to this are explored. Patient anxiety was significantly correlated with total concerns (r =0.419 p= .017) In carers Fisher's exact test was significant for psychological distress and information (p = .029) with a trend for younger female carers and bereaved carers to be more anxious than older carers. There was a clear association between insensitive disclosure, unmet information needs, poor coordination of care and increased psychological distress in carers, with unresolved consequences when bereaved. Implications Results demonstrate the need to proactively manage those affected by these cancers of limited prognosis. Individual assessment of patient and carers at an early stage of their referral to a specialist gastrointestinal cancer centre, with particular attention to psychosocial needs, use of sensitive disclosure, tailored information and coordination of care may promote positive appraisal of coping resources, improve adjustment and increase psychological well-being. Conclusion This study has illustrated the wide diversity amongst those affected by incurable gastrointestinal cancer. The perceptions and concerns of 92 people have been listened to, and their levels of psychological well-being measured. It offers new insight in a number of areas and in particular the association of health service care and how this increases or decreases access to coping! improving levels of psychological well being. The current case study using triangulation was able to reveal individual meaning as well as collaborative interpretation of the con~tituents and processes of living, dying, or caring for someone with incurable gastrointestinal cancer. The breadth of such an approach has not been found previously in a British study in gastrointestinal cancer, and this exploratory and explanatory approach provides evidence and a strong new insight into the effects of incurable gastrointestinal cancer upon those affected. Such results hold potential for practical application and key quality issues which address how a specialist gastrointestinal cancer service should develop its standards of care and audit practice. By entering the participant's world, although very briefly, this study has explored the perceptions and concerns of those affected by incurable gastrointestinal cancer, and links with coping and psychological well-being. There is a need to pursue this work with on going study, whilst publishing and promoting evidence of the positive outcomes for all parties involved.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:27:16Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2009-02-18Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T20:27:44Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 salles_r_me_jabo.pdf: 598083 bytes, checksum: 499f9c1f74412f0e6664ce1077b27a3c (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / O presente estudo teve como objetivo determinar a ocorrência de rotavírus do grupo A e a genotipagem G e P de estirpes detectadas em bezerros de rebanhos leiteiros e gado de corte, durante o período de julho de 2006 a setembro de 2008, em propriedades rurais do Estado de São Paulo, Brasil. Foram amostrados 395 bezerros, na faixa etária entre 1 e 60 dias, independentemente da manifestação clínica de diarréia, de 18 rebanhos bovinos, sendo nove de exploração leiteira e nove de gado de corte. Por meio da técnica de eletroforese em gel de poliacrilamida (EGPA), determinou-se a ocorrência de rotavírus em 33,3% (06/18) entre os rebanhos e de 8,6% (34/395) na população amostrada. A maior freqüência de infecção foi detectada em animais com idade entre 16 e 30 dias (p < 0,01). Foram diagnosticados bezerros infectados por rotavírus tanto em animais com sinais clínicos de diarréia (22%;29/133) quanto naqueles clinicamente normais (1,9%;05/262), existindo, porém, uma correlação entre a presença da infecção e a manifestação clínica da diarréia (p<0,01). Em relação ao tipo de exploração, nos rebanhos leiteiros 0 percentual de ocorrência foi de 5,3% (14/264), enquanto que nos rebanhos de gado de corte o rotavírus teve maior ocorrência (15,3%; 20/131). A análise do perfil do genoma de rotavírus por EGPA identificou dois eletroferótipos distintos, cujas diferenças estavam localizadas na posição de migração dos segmentos 2, 3, 7, 8 e 9. A genotipagem pela reação em cadeia pela polimerase (RT-SNMPCR) das amostras de rotavírus revelou a que as estirpes circulantes nos rebanhos eram G6P[5], G10P[5], não foi possível fazer associação com o genotipo P[1]. / The present study aimed to determine the Group A rotavirus and G/P genotyping in detected virus strains in dairy and beef cattle calves from July 2006 to September 2008 in São Paulo State-Brazil farms. 395 calves in 18 flocks (9 dairy cattle and 9 beef cattle) from 1 to 60-day-old were sampled, independently whether manifesting clinically diarrhea or not. By using Poliacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis Technique (PAGE), the rotavirus occurrence of 33.3% (06/18) among flocks and 8.6% (34/395) among the population sampled were determined. The higher infection frequency was detected in 16-to-30-day-old calves (P<0.01). Rotavirus-infected flocks rotavirus-infected were diagnosticated as much the ones having clinical symptoms of diarrhea (22%, 29/133) as the ones clinically normal (1.9%, 05/262), shawing a correlation between the presence of infection and the diarrhea manifestation (p<0.01). Related to the kind of exploration, the occurrence in dairy cattle was 5.3% (14/264) while in the beef cattle the occurrence was higher (15.3%, 20/131). The rotavirus genome profile analysis by PAGE identified two distinct electroferotypes, in which differences were located in the following segment migration positions: 2, 3, 7, 8 and 9. The genotyping of the Rotavirus sample by polymerase chain reaction (RT-snmPCR) revealed that the circulating strains among the flocks were G6P[5], G10P[5] e G?P[1].

Resumo: O tumor venéreo transmissível canino (TVTC) é uma neoplasia transmitida entre cães saudáveis pelo contato direto de pele e/ou mucosas lesionadas. Face aos escassos estudos relacionados aos eventos celulares envolvidos nas fases de crescimento do TVTC, o presente estudo teve por objetivo identificar a presença do gene TP53 e o RNAm referente a proteína codificada, além de detectar a expressão das proteínas p53, Bcl-2 e p63 em cortes histológicos de 13 amostras de TVTC. Com relação à evolução da neoplasia, 46% das amostras foram consideradas em fase de progressão e 54% no estágio de regressão. Foram utilizadas as técnicas de hibridização in situ (ISH) e RT-PCR in situ, que demonstrou a presença do DNA homólogo ao TP53 e seu respectivo RNAm em 92,30% das amostras. A expressão das proteínas p53, p63 e Bcl-2 foram detectadas em 50%, 70% e 100% das amostras, respectivamente. A p63 foi expressa de forma evidente nas amostras em regressão, porém a p53 e a Bcl-2 não apresentaram relação com o estágio evolutivo do tumor e provavelmente não podem ser analisados como fatores de prognóstico do TVTC. Observou-se, nesse estudo que, através das técnicas de ISH e RT-PCR in situ foi possível detectar o DNA do TP53 e seus transcritos, porém esse fato não significou a transcrição da p53, devido aos baixos níveis de expressão nas análises quantitativa e qualitativa nas amostras de TVTC / Abstract: The canine transmissible venereal tumor (CTVT) is transmitted by direct contact of skin or mucosal presenting lesions. In fact, few reports have been found describing the cellular immune response related to the evolution of the tumor. The objective of this study was to identify the TP53 gen and its transcription in CTVT in different stages of evolution, collected from dogs (N=13) examined at veterinary school, UNESP, Aracatuba, SP, Brasil. In addition, it was also evaluated the expression of p53, p63 and Bcl-2 in histological sections by the use of immunohistochemystry assay. The p53, p63 and Bcl-2 were evident in 50, 70 and 100% of analyzed samples. Regarding to tumor evolution, 6 out of 13 were considered in a progressive stage (46%), was list 7 out of 13 were classified in a regressive stage (54%). The use of in situ hybridization and reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction in situ (RT-PCR), revealed that TP53 was present in all samples and P63 was more expressed than p53. Take all results together, the real role of those marker are extremely important to understand the biological behavior and to improve therapeutic procedures for CTVT / Orientador: Maria Cecília Rui Luvizotto / Coorientador: Tereza Cristina Cardoso / Banca: Alexandre Lima de Andrade / Banca: Paula Rahal / Mestre

Respiratory syncytial virus is well recognized as the most important pathogen accounting for acute respiratory disease in infants and young children, mainly bronchiolitis and pneumonia. Two major antigenic subgroups, A and B, have been identified; however, there is a disagreement between the severity of the disease caused by them. This study investigated a possible association between RSV subgroups and severity of the cases. Reverse transcriptionpolymerase chain reaction was used to characterize 128 RSV nasopharyngeal specimens from children less than five years old experiencing acute respiratory disease. It was possible to subgroup 64.1% samples in RSV A (64) and RSV B (18). Severity was measured by clinical evaluation associated with demographic factors. For RSV A-infected patients, 53.1% were hospitalized, whereas for RSV B it was 27.8%. Around 35.0% of the patients presented risk factors for severity. The hospitalization happened for 47.6% of RSV A patients and for 18.2% of RSV B, for children without risk factors. It was observed a trend for RSV B infection to be milder than RSV A. Even though RSV A infected patients were more likely to require hospitalization than those infected by RSV B, including cases without underlying condition and prematurity, the disease severity could not to be attributed to the RSV subgroups. / O vírus respiratório sincicial (VRS) é referido como o principal agente viral de doença respiratória aguda (DRA) em recém nascidos e lactentes, causando principalmente bronquiolite e pneumonia. Dois subgrupos antigênicos, A e B, são conhecidos, entretanto há divergências a respeito da gravidade da doença causada por esses subgrupos. Para tentar caracterizar 128 amostras de VRS obtidas de crianças menores de cinco anos de idade com DRA, foi utilizada a transcrição reversa da reação em cadeia pela polimerase (RT-PCR). Desta maneira, foram subgrupadas 64,1% (82/128) das amostras, sendo 64 VRS A e 18 VRS B. No período de estudo o VRS A predominou sobre o B e em quatro anos observou-se a cocirculação alternada de ambos, sendo o VRS B mais detectado em dois deles. O critério de gravidade foi definido com base nas informações clínicas e nos dados demográficos obtidos das crianças infectadas. Dentre os pacientes com infecção pelo VRS A, a taxa de hospitalização foi de 53,1% (34/64) e para o VRS B de 27,8% (5/18) (p=0,067; OR=2,947; RR=1,250; IC 95%=0,940-9,235; mediana de idade: 2,1 e 3 meses, respectivamente). Das crianças infectadas pelo VRS A, 59,4% (38/64) eram <6 meses de idade, enquanto que para o VRS B esse percentual foi de 55,6% (10/18). Todavia, dentre os infectados pelo VRS B nenhum era <1 mês. Aproximadamente 35,0% (29/82) das crianças apresentaram doença de base e prematuridade. Quando se excluiu esses fatores de risco e procedeu à uma análise, observou-se uma taxa de hospitalização de 47,6% (20/42) e 18,2% (2/11), respectivamente para os casos de VRS A e B (p=0,097, OR=4,091; RR=1,281; IC 95%=0,788-21,249). Concluindo, não foi observada diferença estatística para gravidade clínica entre os subgrupos do VRS, mas apenas uma tendência de doença mais branda pelo VRS B. Embora pacientes infectados pelo VRS A tenham sido mais hospitalizados do que os infectados pelo VRS B, inclusive os casos sem doença de base e prematuridade, a gravidade da doença não pôde ser atribuída aos subgrupos do VRS. / Mestre em Imunologia e Parasitologia Aplicadas

Campylobacter is considered a fragile microorganism ans sensitive to environmental conditions, but demostrate strategies to survive in unfavorable environmental conditions. This study evaluated the viability and production of transcipts of the genes sodB, p19 ciaB and dnaJ in strains ATCC 33291, NCTC 11351 and IAL 2383 stored in UHT milk and neopeptona + 12% glycerol,whether or not subject to the pre-treatment temperature of 4°C or 10°C for 30 minutes.Analyses were performed immediately after freezing in liquid nitrogen (day 0) and after maintenance for 30, 60 and 90 days at -20°C.The viability was evaluated by traditional method of cultivation and production of transcripts by RT-PCR technique. The quantification was only possible on the first day of analysis (day 0) and had a mean of 3.0x107UFC and in the remaining periods of storage strains showed confluent growth not allowing their enumeration. The set of results has shown that the UHT milk was the most appropriate for cryopreservation than the use of neopeptona +12% glycerol. The pretreatment at 4°C for 30 minutes favored the production of transcripts for ciaB and dnaJ genes. For the strains ATCC 33291 and NCTC 11351 was verified a possible interconnection of sodB genes and p19, however, this link was not observed for the strain IAL 2383, which also showed different behavior from other strains for viability in both cryoprotectants and production of transcripts. The results of this study show that when the maintenance of viability of the strains is essential, it is necessary to use different combinations of cryoprotectants / treatments to increase the chances of recovery and, when the primary purpose is the production of transcripts, the option to maintain the reliability of the results is the immediate extraction of DNA of isolated strains. / Campylobacter é considerado um microrganismo frágil e sensível às condições ambientais, mas que demonstram possuir estratégias para sobreviver em condições ambientais desfavoráveis. Este estudo avaliou a viabilidade e produção de transcritos dos genes sodB, p19, ciaB e dnaJ em cepas ATCC 33291, NCTC 11351 e IAL 2383 armazenadas em leite UHT integral e neopeptona + glicerol 12%, submetidas ou não a pré-tratamentos à temperatura de 4°C ou 10°C por 30 minutos. As análises foram realizadas imediatamente após o congelamento em nitrogênio líquido (dia 0) e após manutenção por 30, 60 e 90 dias a -20ºC. A viabilidade foi avaliada pelo método tradicional de cultivo e a produção de transcritos pela técnica do RTPCR. A quantificação só foi possível no primeiro dia de análise (dia 0) e apresentaram média de 3,0 x 107 UFC, sendo que nos demais períodos de armazenamento as cepas apresentaram crescimento confluente não permitindo sua enumeração. O conjunto de resultados permitiu verificar que o leite UHT integral foi mais adequado para a criopreservação que o uso da neopeptona + glicerol 12%. O pré-tratamento a 4ºC por 30 minutos favoreceu a produção de transcritos para os genes ciaB e dnaJ. Para as cepas ATCC 33291 e NCTC 11351 foi verificada uma possível interligação dos genes sodB e p19, entretanto, esta ligação não foi observada para a cepa IAL 2383, que também mostrou comportamento diferente das outras cepas quanto à viabilidade nos dois crioprotetores e produção de transcritos. Os resultados obtidos neste estudo permitem concluir que quando a manutenção da viabilidade das cepas é essencial, faz-se necessário o uso das diferentes combinações crioprotetor/tratamentos para aumentar as chances de recuperação e, quando o objetivo principal é a produção de transcritos, a opção para manter a fidedignidade dos resultados é a extração imediata do DNA das estirpes isoladas. / Mestre em Ciências Veterinárias

Introdução: A Leucemia Mielóide Aguda (LMA) é uma neoplasia complexa e heterogênea do tecido hematopoético, causada por mutações, desregulação da expressão gênica e modificações epigenéticas. Vários marcadores moleculares têm sido descritos para LMA, auxiliando a estratificação dos pacientes em grupos de risco. Recentemente, mutações em DNMT3A foram identificadas em 22.1% dos pacientes com LMA, estando independentemente associadas com pior prognóstico. Objetivos: Determinar a freqüência de mutações somáticas no gene DNMT3A e principais translocações cromossômicas em uma amostra de pacientes com LMA, correlacionando com dados clínicos Métodos: Foram pesquisadas, em 82 amostras de medula óssea de portadores de LMA atendidos no Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil, para mutações somáticas no gene DNMT3A por seqüenciamento e principais transcritos de fusão por RT-PCR. Resultados: A freqüência de mutações no gene DNMT3A foi de 8%(6) sendo 3 do tipo R882H. A freqüência relativa dos transcritos de fusão oriundos das translocações t(8;21), t(15;17), t(9;11) e inv16, respectivamente foram: 6,1%(5), 14,6% (12), 0%(0) e 2,4%(2). Conclusão: A descoberta de mutações recorrentes no gene DNMT3A e sua possível implicação prognóstica pode ser um instrumento valioso para a tomada de decisões terapêuticas. Que nos conste, este é o primeiro estudo sobre a presença de mutações somáticas do gene DNMT3A em portadores de LMA no Brasil. Embora em uma amostra relativamente pequena, a freqüência encontrada destas mutações foi inferior à relatada para pacientes caucasianos, sugerindo uma possível variação etnico-geográfica. / Introduction: Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) is a complex and heterogeneous neoplasm hematopoietic tissue, caused by mutations, dysregulation of gene expression and epigenetic modifications. Several molecular markers have been described for AML, helping to classify patients into risk groups. Recently, mutations in DNMT3A were identified in 22.1% of patients with AML and these independently associated with poor prognosis. Aims: Determine the frequency of somatic mutations in the gene DNMT3A and major chromosomal translocations in a sample of patients with AML, correlating with clinical data. Methods: We investigated in 82 samples of bone marrow or peripheral blood of patients with AML treated at the Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Brazil, for somatic mutations in DNMT3A gene by sequencing and major fusion transcripts by RT-PCR. Results: The frequency of mutations in the DNMT3A gene was 8%(6) 3 being type R882H. The relative frequency of fusion transcripts arising from translocation t(8;21), t(15;17), t(9;11) and inv16, respectively were: 6,1%(5), 14,6% (12), 0%(0) and 2,4%(2). Conclusion: The discovery of recurrent mutations in the DNMT3A gene and its possible prognostic implications can be a valuable tool for making treatment decisions. From what we have recorded, this is the first study on the presence of somatic mutations of the DNMT3A gene in patients with AML in Brazil. Although in a relatively small sample, the frequency of these mutations was found lower than that reported for Caucasian patients and similar to that observed in Asian patients, suggesting a possible ethno-geographic variation.