A síndrome de Silver-Russell (SRS) é caracterizada principalmente por grave retardo de crescimento intrauterino e pós-natal e face típica, pequena e triangular, entre outras características variáveis. A SRS é geneticamente heterogênea, ocorrendo em geral de forma esporádica. Mutações genéticas e epigenéticas em regiões sujeitas a imprinting genômico nos cromossomos 7 e 11 são detectadas em cerca de 50% dos pacientes. Mais frequentemente, a SRS é causada pela alteração da expressão gênica na região 11p15 devido à hipometilação do centro de imprinting telomérico (ICR1) que ocorre em pelo menos 40% dos afetados. Duplicações cromossômicas de origem materna incluindo o centro de imprinting centromérico (ICR2) estão presentes em 1-2% dos casos. A dissomia uniparental materna do cromossomo 7 (matUPD7) é responsável por 5-10% dos casos. Mais recentemente microdeleções e microduplicações cromossômicas foram detectadas em um grupo pequeno de pacientes, algumas delas se mostrando com possível efeito patogênico. Com a identificação da hipometilação de ICR1 em 11p15, matUPD(7) e desequilíbrios (sub)microscópicos, a confirmação molecular para o diagnóstico clínico da SRS tornou-se possível em ~50% dos pacientes, o que deixa metade dos casos sem causa genética determinada. A amostra foi constituída por 64 pacientes brasileiros não aparentados, com suspeita clínica da síndrome de Silver-Russell. O número de cópias de DNA e o padrão de metilação do cromossomo 11p15 foram investigados em 49 pacientes utilizando MS-MLPA, e 21 (43%) deles apresentaram hipometilação de ICR1. Em um desses pacientes (2%), ambos os centros, ICR1 e ICR2, estavam hipometilados, alteração complexa que já foi relatada em ~4% dos pacientes com SRS que apresentavam hipometilação de ICR1. Em outro paciente (2%), foi detectada uma microduplicação de origem materna que incluía o domínio ICR2, mas não ICR1. Essa microduplicação segrega em três gerações de uma família e a manifestação da síndrome depende da transmissão via materna: houve quatro casos de transmissões paternas da microduplicação de um único homem uniformemente resultando em prole normal, e cinco transmissões maternas, de duas irmãs clinicamente normais, com todas as crianças apresentando SRS. Outra microduplicação de origem materna restrita ao domínio ICR2 e associada com SRS em um menino foi descrita anteriormente. Entre os genes duplicados nos dois casos, CDKN1C aparece como candidato para o fenótipo da SRS, uma vez que codifica para um inibidor de quinase dependente de ciclina que regula negativamente o crescimento celular e tem papel crucial no desenvolvimento fetal humano. Esse novo caso familial vem confirmar que a duplicação restrita ao domínio ICR2, de herança materna, está causalmente associada com a SRS; mostra também que nenhuma alteração fenotípica aparente está presente, quando a duplicação é herdada via paterna. Entre os 64 pacientes da amostra, três (4,7%) foram identificados apresentando matUPD(7), pela genotipagem de microssatélites do cromossomo 7. As frequências de hipometilação de ICR1 (43%) e matUPD(7) (4,7%) entre os nossos pacientes, concordantes com o de outros estudos semelhantes, apontam para a seleção adequada dos pacientes com SRS, do ponto de vista clínico. A investigação de microrrearranjos cromossômicos por a-CGH foi realizada em 19 pacientes, que previamente tiveram afastadas alterações (epi)genéticas em 11p15 e a matUPD(7). A maioria dos pacientes não apresentou alterações (n=7) ou possuía apenas CNV frequentes em indivíduos normais da população e consideradas polimorfismos (n=8). Quatro microdeleções potencialmente patogênicas foram detectadas, em 2p23.3 (~320 Kb), 13q24 (~94,3 Kb), 15q11.2 (~320 Kb) e 16p13.11 (~95,8 Kb). Em nenhum dos casos foi possível estabelecer relação direta com o fenótipo da SRS, porque não foi possível investigar ambos os genitores ou a alteração estava presente em um genitor clinicamente normal ou já tinha sido relatada em indivíduo normal da população, não havendo, entretanto, indicação de ser polimórfica. A penetrância incompleta ou a manifestação de alelo recessivo patogênico no cromossomo homólogo são duas possíveis explicações para o efeito patogênico das microdeleções herdadas de genitor clinicamente normal. Três estudos recentes que utilizaram microarrays na busca de genes ou regiões cromossômicas associadas com a SRS, em que a causa genética era desconhecida, detectaram microduplicações e microdeleções, algumas potencialmente patogênicas: uma microdeleção em 15q26.3, incluindo o gene IGF1R, foi identificada em dois pacientes; outras microdeleções incluíam os genes IGF2BP3 em 7p15, GPC5 em 13q31.3, o MAPK1 em 22q11.2 e o HMGA2 em 12q14, considerados candidatos, possivelmente influenciando o crescimento. Esse conjunto de resultados indica que a investigação de microrrearranjos deve estender-se a um número maior de pacientes com SRS, na busca regiões cromossômicas e genes que possam estar causalmente associados com a síndrome. Em 30 pacientes com SRS, buscamos mutações no gene CDKAL1, por sequenciamento direto das regiões codificadoras. Esse gene foi considerado candidato para a síndrome, após ter sido interrompido em um dos nossos pacientes com SRS, portador de uma translocação t(5;6). Nenhuma alteração patogênica foi detectada, indicando que mutações de ponto na região codificadora do gene CDKAL1 não é causa comum da SRS. Em 18 dos 30 pacientes, investigamos a presença de microdeleções e microduplicações por a-CGH e não encontramos alteração que incluísse esse gene. Considerando o pequeno tamanho amostral, não podemos excluir definitivamente a possibilidade de que alterações no gene CDKAL1 possam contribuir para a etiologia da SRS. / Silver Russell syndrome (SRS) is characterized by severe intrauterine and postnatal growth retardation in association with a typical small triangular face and other variable features. Most cases are sporadic. Genetic and epigenetic disturbances on imprinted regions at chromosomes 7 and 11 are detected in about 50% of the patients. Most frequently, SRS is caused by altered gene expression on chromosome 11p15 due to hypomethylation of the telomeric imprinting center (ICR1) that is present in at least 40% of the patients. Maternally inherited duplications encompassing the centromic imprinting center (ICR2) domains at 11p15 are present in about 1-2% of cases. Maternal uniparental disomy of chromosome 7 (mUPD7) is identified in 5-10% of patients. More recently, chromosomal microdeletions and microduplications were detected in a small group of SRS patients, some of them with possible pathogenic effect. This leaves approximately half of the SRS cases without a genetic cause determined. Our cohort consisted of 64 unrelated Brazilian patients with clinical diagnosis of SRS. DNA copy number changes and the methylation pattern on chromosome 11p15 were investigated in 49 patients by MS-MLPA, and 21 (43%) presented with hypomethylation of ICR1. In one patient (2%), both centers (ICR1 and ICR2) were hypomethylated, a complex alteration that has been reported in ~4% of SRS patients that shows hypomethylation of ICR1. In a further patient (2%), we detected a ~1.6 Mb microduplication encompassing the whole ICR2 domain, but not the ICR1. This microduplication was shown to segregate in a three-generation family, and was associated with SRS whenever maternally transmitted: there were four instances of paternal transmissions of the microduplication from a single male uniformly resulting in normal offspring, and five maternal transmissions, via two clinically normal sisters, with all the children exhibiting SRS. A maternally inherited microduplication also restricted to the ICR2 domain and associated with SRS in a boy was described previously. Among the duplicated genes in both cases, CDKN1C is a likely candidate for the SRS phenotype, because it encodes a cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor that negatively regulates cell proliferation and growth, and plays a crucial role in human fetal development. This new case brings confirmatory evidence that microduplications restricted to the ICR2 domain result in SRS when maternally transmitted. It also shows that no apparent phenotypic change is present when ICR2 duplication is paternally inherited. By genotyping chromosome 7 microsatellites, we identified three patients (4.7%) with mUPD(7), in the cohort of 64 patients. The frequencies of hypomethylation of ICR1 (43%) and mUPD(7) (4.7%) among our patients are in accordance with the literature, and point to a proper selection of patients with SRS, from the clinical point of view. The investigation of submicroscopic chromosomal imbalances by a-CGH was performed in 19 patients in whom (epi)genetic mutations at 11p15 and mUPD(7) had been excluded. Most patients showed no changes (n = 7) or had only CNV considered to be polymorphic (n = 8). Four potentially pathogenic microdeletions were detected, on chomosomes 2p23.3 (~320 Kb), 13q24 (~94.3 Kb), 15q11.2 (~320 Kb) and 16p13.11 (~95.8 Kb). In neither case we could establish a direct relationship between the imbalance and the phenotype, because it was not possible to investigate both parents or the change was present in a clinically normal parent or it had been reported in normal individuals, without, however, indication of being polymorphic. Incomplete penetrance or unmasking of a pathogenic recessive allele on the homologous chromosome are two possible explanations to the pathogenic effect of a microdeletion inherited from a clinically normal parent. Three recent studies that used microarrays to identify genes or chromosomal regions associated with SRS, wherein the genetic cause was unknown, detected microdeletions and microduplications, some of them potentially pathogenic: a microdeletion at 15q26.3, including the IGF1R gene, was identified in two patients; other microdeletions included the IGF2BP3 gene at 7p15, GPC5 gene at 13q31.3, MAPK1 gene at 22q11.2 and HMGA2 gene at 12q14, which were considered candidates, possibly influencing growth. This set of results, including ours, indicates that the investigation of submicroscopic chromosomal imbalances should be extended to a larger cohort of SRS patients, in the search for chromosomal regions and genes that may be causally associated with the syndrome. In 30 SRS patients, we searched for point mutations in the CDKAL1 gene by direct sequencing of coding regions. This gene was considered a candidate for SRS, after being disrupted in one of our SRS patients with a t(5;6). No pathogenic mutation was detected and, therefore, point mutations in the coding region of CDKAL1 do not appear to be a common cause of SRS. In 18 of the 30 patients, we investigated the presence of microdeletions and microduplications by a-CGH and found no changes encompassing CDKAL1 gene. Considering the small cohort size, we cannot definitely exclude the possibility that changes in CDKAL1 gene may contribute to the etiology of SRS.

Déséquilibres macroéconomiques et leur résolution. / Large imbalances in both the US and within the Eurozone preceded the global financial and economic crisis of 2008-2009 (the Great Recession). Ex-post, it seems surprising that not enough attention was given to the fast rise of these imbalances -especially to the development of housing price bubbles- by economists, and even less by policy makers. A long period of relatively low macroeconomic volatility occurring between the mid-1980s to the late 2000s -the so called “Great Moderation”- along with the underestimation of the existence of bubbles in asset prices gave the impression that the large crises of the past were unlikely to reappear. Many economic commentators even saw this as a sign of the decreased relevance of the International Monetary Fund since the global financial stability seemed warranted. The policy of low inflation was viewed by most in the economics profession as more than sufficient to maintain macro stability, and the efficient market hypothesis, developed first by Eugene Fama in the 1970s, dominated the macro-models used in the academia, international organizations, and in central banks (Shiller’s best seller “Irrational Exuberance”was among one of the courageous exceptions). As a result of this inattention, the fast unwinding of these imbalances plunged in 2008-2009 the global economy in an unprecedented crisis -by many measures- since the Great Depression. The recovery from the Great Recession has been slow, with a “double-dip” recession in the Eurozone, and the prospects for a return to sustained high growth still remain uncertain.

Submitted by Jean Medeiros (jeanletras@uepb.edu.br) on 2016-09-02T11:51:15Z No. of bitstreams: 1 PDF - Alfredo Mali Ati Gama.pdf: 1579358 bytes, checksum: 23dcbaaa6a80be2368e2155abb0063f2 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Secta BC (secta.csu.bc@uepb.edu.br) on 2016-09-05T17:35:12Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 PDF - Alfredo Mali Ati Gama.pdf: 1579358 bytes, checksum: 23dcbaaa6a80be2368e2155abb0063f2 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-09-05T17:35:13Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 PDF - Alfredo Mali Ati Gama.pdf: 1579358 bytes, checksum: 23dcbaaa6a80be2368e2155abb0063f2 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-08-20 / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico - CNPq / On 21st century, East Timor became a newly independent country even amidst many obstacles and challenges in several sectors of development, such as the management, the coping with regional imbalances due to the social and economic fragility, as well as the demand of consolidation of public policies, science and technology to the implementation of Timorese development process.Thus, the general aim of the present study is to analyze the regional imbalances in territorialization process and the challenges for East Timor‟s development. The specific goal is to study the public management model predominantly adopted in Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste (DRTL), focused on the issue of regional development that is laid and how it is articulated in the context of the implemented public policies. The approach prioritizes basic elements of the imbalances in the territorialization process and challenges for the development, defined as: (1) Government Planning, (2) Government structure and strategic management, (3) Dynamics and obstacles in the decision-making process and (4) Challenges for East Timor‟s development.The methodological persective of this work is exploratory with bibliographical and documentary research. The results indicate the need for further discussion and analysis to be executed about the East Timor‟s 2011 strategic planning and its effective implementation with advances in social ambit and its impacts on other segments. / No século XXI o Timor Leste torna-se um país recém-independente mesmo em meio a muitos obstáculos e desafios em vários setores de desenvolvimento, incluindo: a gestão, enfrentamento das assimetrias regionais em função da fragilidade social e econômica, além da demanda de consolidação de políticas públicas, ciência e tecnologia para implementação do processo de desenvolvimento timorense. Assim, o estudo ora apresentado tem como objetivo geral analisar as assimetrias regionais no processo de territorialização e os desafios para desenvolvimento do Timor Leste. Como objetivos específicos estudar o modelo da gestão pública predominantemente adotado na República Democrática de Timor Leste (RDTL), voltada a questão do desenvolvimento regional que está posta e como se articula no contexto das políticas públicas implementadas. Na abordagem são privilegiados aspetos básicos das assimetrias no processo de territorializaçao e desafios para o desenvolvimento, caraterizada como: (1) Planejamento do Governo, (2) Estrutura do governo e gestão estratégica, (3) Dinâmicas e obstáculos no processo decisório e (4) Desafios para o desenvolvimento do Timor Leste. A perspectiva metodológica deste trabalho é do tipo exploratória como pesquisa bibliográfica e documental. Os resultados apontam para a necessidade de maiores discussões e analises a serem tecidas sobre o planejamento Estratégico 2011 do Timor Leste e sua implementação efetiva com avanços na área social e seus desdobramentos para outros segmentos.

Title: Muscle imbalances in pole vault athletes measured by TMG. Goal: The goal of this work was to choose endangered muscle groups and identify possible imbalances by using Tensiomyography machine (TMG 100) and define hypothesis about training pressure of pole vault on growth of muscle imbalances in selected muscle groups. Methods: This work is based on qualitative research. Specifically, six case studies were conducted, during which the importance was placed on discovering characteristic muscle imbalances, which could appear based on training pressure in pole vault. Tensiomyography machine (TMG 100) was used to measure muscle imbalances. Results: Six pole vaulters participated in this study. We found that training and competitive load of pole vault could create muscle asymmetry in muscles deltoideus anterior and trapezius superior. The training may influence also slows down contractions of biceps brachii muscle and another asymmetry on deltoideus anterior between both muscles. We found very low functional symmetry in elbow joint. Key Words: pole vault, athletics, muscle imbalances, TMG

No description available.

This thesis analyses determinants for structural reforms in the euro area. First, it is theoretically scrutinized how the common monetary policy of the European Central Bank causes a reform bias between small and large countries. Second, it is examined how private market adjustment, structural reforms and their interaction affect the intra-euro area current account balances of euro area countries. Third, it is analysed how an asymmetric foreign asset and liability distribution across the euro area affects single countries need for structural reforms of labour markets. Fourth, the impact of fiscal stabilization policy on structural reform activity will be examined.

Experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of formulating rations using different ingredients and of manipulating the cation-anion balance of the rations on production, acid-base status, metabolism of macrominerals and renal function of dairy cows. The effects of dietary cation-anion balance were studied during early, mid and late lactation as well as during the dry period. Feeding an alfalfa-haylage based diet vs a corn silage based diet, both having the same cation-anion balance did not affect the voluntary consumption, milk yield or milk composition of cows in early lactation. The acid-base status of the animals was not affected by dietary treatment. The lower urinary bicarbonate concentration observed with the alfalfa haylage-based diet was not associated with a lower total urinary bicarbonate excretion since urine volume was significantly higher than when cows were fed the corn silage-based diet. Manipulating dietary cation-anion balance, however, resulted in changes in acid-base status at all stages of lactation studied. Urinary bicarbonate concentration and total daily excretion were increased by a higher dietary cation-anion balance at all stages of lactation. Similar effects of dietary cation-anion balance on urinary bicarbonate did not, however, translate into similar changes in production or intake by cows at differing stages of lactation. Cows in early and mid lactation seemed to have benefited more from a highly positive dietary cation-anion balance than cows in late lactation or dry period.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Wyoming, 2008. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on August 9, 2009). Includes bibliographical references (p. 160-199).

The goal of this thesis is to study the international portfolio choices of countries in an asymmetric world. In practice, this corresponds to the salient facts of country portfolios and the underlying structural asymmetries between developing and developed countries in a financially integrated world. In the three main chapters of the thesis, frameworks are developed to advance our understanding of the way various country asymmetries contribute to the emergence of these persistent phenomena in international capital markets. The first essay studies the question of why developing countries experience net equity inflows and bond outflows while developed countries experience net equity outflows and bond inflows, the so-called ‘two-way capital flows'. The analysis is based on an open-economy New Keynesian model of endogenous country portfolios with representative agents in each country. The model is so general that it allows one to perform an assessment of the roles of a long list of country asymmetries in determining the pattern of two-way capital flows. While steady-state net country portfolios are zero in the first essay, the second and third essays consider the situations where this is not true. The second essay presents an OLG model of an endowment economy with a country asymmetry in households' patience. Global imbalances in net positions emerge. Gross portfolio positions are obtained as the sum of standard self-hedging and, moreover, the hedging due to external imbalances. The valuation effects of external adjustments between creditor and debtor countries are rationalized. By introducing non-tradable risks, the third essay models a production OLG economy with a country asymmetry in wealth division. Global imbalances in net positions again arise. Gross portfolio positions are composed of self-hedging, hedging of non-tradable income and hedging of external interest payments, which accounts for the reality of asymmetric asset home bias, i.e. although assets are locally biased everywhere, the pattern is more pronounced in creditor countries.

A síndrome de Silver-Russell (SRS) é caracterizada principalmente por grave retardo de crescimento intrauterino e pós-natal e face típica, pequena e triangular, entre outras características variáveis. A SRS é geneticamente heterogênea, ocorrendo em geral de forma esporádica. Mutações genéticas e epigenéticas em regiões sujeitas a imprinting genômico nos cromossomos 7 e 11 são detectadas em cerca de 50% dos pacientes. Mais frequentemente, a SRS é causada pela alteração da expressão gênica na região 11p15 devido à hipometilação do centro de imprinting telomérico (ICR1) que ocorre em pelo menos 40% dos afetados. Duplicações cromossômicas de origem materna incluindo o centro de imprinting centromérico (ICR2) estão presentes em 1-2% dos casos. A dissomia uniparental materna do cromossomo 7 (matUPD7) é responsável por 5-10% dos casos. Mais recentemente microdeleções e microduplicações cromossômicas foram detectadas em um grupo pequeno de pacientes, algumas delas se mostrando com possível efeito patogênico. Com a identificação da hipometilação de ICR1 em 11p15, matUPD(7) e desequilíbrios (sub)microscópicos, a confirmação molecular para o diagnóstico clínico da SRS tornou-se possível em ~50% dos pacientes, o que deixa metade dos casos sem causa genética determinada. A amostra foi constituída por 64 pacientes brasileiros não aparentados, com suspeita clínica da síndrome de Silver-Russell. O número de cópias de DNA e o padrão de metilação do cromossomo 11p15 foram investigados em 49 pacientes utilizando MS-MLPA, e 21 (43%) deles apresentaram hipometilação de ICR1. Em um desses pacientes (2%), ambos os centros, ICR1 e ICR2, estavam hipometilados, alteração complexa que já foi relatada em ~4% dos pacientes com SRS que apresentavam hipometilação de ICR1. Em outro paciente (2%), foi detectada uma microduplicação de origem materna que incluía o domínio ICR2, mas não ICR1. Essa microduplicação segrega em três gerações de uma família e a manifestação da síndrome depende da transmissão via materna: houve quatro casos de transmissões paternas da microduplicação de um único homem uniformemente resultando em prole normal, e cinco transmissões maternas, de duas irmãs clinicamente normais, com todas as crianças apresentando SRS. Outra microduplicação de origem materna restrita ao domínio ICR2 e associada com SRS em um menino foi descrita anteriormente. Entre os genes duplicados nos dois casos, CDKN1C aparece como candidato para o fenótipo da SRS, uma vez que codifica para um inibidor de quinase dependente de ciclina que regula negativamente o crescimento celular e tem papel crucial no desenvolvimento fetal humano. Esse novo caso familial vem confirmar que a duplicação restrita ao domínio ICR2, de herança materna, está causalmente associada com a SRS; mostra também que nenhuma alteração fenotípica aparente está presente, quando a duplicação é herdada via paterna. Entre os 64 pacientes da amostra, três (4,7%) foram identificados apresentando matUPD(7), pela genotipagem de microssatélites do cromossomo 7. As frequências de hipometilação de ICR1 (43%) e matUPD(7) (4,7%) entre os nossos pacientes, concordantes com o de outros estudos semelhantes, apontam para a seleção adequada dos pacientes com SRS, do ponto de vista clínico. A investigação de microrrearranjos cromossômicos por a-CGH foi realizada em 19 pacientes, que previamente tiveram afastadas alterações (epi)genéticas em 11p15 e a matUPD(7). A maioria dos pacientes não apresentou alterações (n=7) ou possuía apenas CNV frequentes em indivíduos normais da população e consideradas polimorfismos (n=8). Quatro microdeleções potencialmente patogênicas foram detectadas, em 2p23.3 (~320 Kb), 13q24 (~94,3 Kb), 15q11.2 (~320 Kb) e 16p13.11 (~95,8 Kb). Em nenhum dos casos foi possível estabelecer relação direta com o fenótipo da SRS, porque não foi possível investigar ambos os genitores ou a alteração estava presente em um genitor clinicamente normal ou já tinha sido relatada em indivíduo normal da população, não havendo, entretanto, indicação de ser polimórfica. A penetrância incompleta ou a manifestação de alelo recessivo patogênico no cromossomo homólogo são duas possíveis explicações para o efeito patogênico das microdeleções herdadas de genitor clinicamente normal. Três estudos recentes que utilizaram microarrays na busca de genes ou regiões cromossômicas associadas com a SRS, em que a causa genética era desconhecida, detectaram microduplicações e microdeleções, algumas potencialmente patogênicas: uma microdeleção em 15q26.3, incluindo o gene IGF1R, foi identificada em dois pacientes; outras microdeleções incluíam os genes IGF2BP3 em 7p15, GPC5 em 13q31.3, o MAPK1 em 22q11.2 e o HMGA2 em 12q14, considerados candidatos, possivelmente influenciando o crescimento. Esse conjunto de resultados indica que a investigação de microrrearranjos deve estender-se a um número maior de pacientes com SRS, na busca regiões cromossômicas e genes que possam estar causalmente associados com a síndrome. Em 30 pacientes com SRS, buscamos mutações no gene CDKAL1, por sequenciamento direto das regiões codificadoras. Esse gene foi considerado candidato para a síndrome, após ter sido interrompido em um dos nossos pacientes com SRS, portador de uma translocação t(5;6). Nenhuma alteração patogênica foi detectada, indicando que mutações de ponto na região codificadora do gene CDKAL1 não é causa comum da SRS. Em 18 dos 30 pacientes, investigamos a presença de microdeleções e microduplicações por a-CGH e não encontramos alteração que incluísse esse gene. Considerando o pequeno tamanho amostral, não podemos excluir definitivamente a possibilidade de que alterações no gene CDKAL1 possam contribuir para a etiologia da SRS. / Silver Russell syndrome (SRS) is characterized by severe intrauterine and postnatal growth retardation in association with a typical small triangular face and other variable features. Most cases are sporadic. Genetic and epigenetic disturbances on imprinted regions at chromosomes 7 and 11 are detected in about 50% of the patients. Most frequently, SRS is caused by altered gene expression on chromosome 11p15 due to hypomethylation of the telomeric imprinting center (ICR1) that is present in at least 40% of the patients. Maternally inherited duplications encompassing the centromic imprinting center (ICR2) domains at 11p15 are present in about 1-2% of cases. Maternal uniparental disomy of chromosome 7 (mUPD7) is identified in 5-10% of patients. More recently, chromosomal microdeletions and microduplications were detected in a small group of SRS patients, some of them with possible pathogenic effect. This leaves approximately half of the SRS cases without a genetic cause determined. Our cohort consisted of 64 unrelated Brazilian patients with clinical diagnosis of SRS. DNA copy number changes and the methylation pattern on chromosome 11p15 were investigated in 49 patients by MS-MLPA, and 21 (43%) presented with hypomethylation of ICR1. In one patient (2%), both centers (ICR1 and ICR2) were hypomethylated, a complex alteration that has been reported in ~4% of SRS patients that shows hypomethylation of ICR1. In a further patient (2%), we detected a ~1.6 Mb microduplication encompassing the whole ICR2 domain, but not the ICR1. This microduplication was shown to segregate in a three-generation family, and was associated with SRS whenever maternally transmitted: there were four instances of paternal transmissions of the microduplication from a single male uniformly resulting in normal offspring, and five maternal transmissions, via two clinically normal sisters, with all the children exhibiting SRS. A maternally inherited microduplication also restricted to the ICR2 domain and associated with SRS in a boy was described previously. Among the duplicated genes in both cases, CDKN1C is a likely candidate for the SRS phenotype, because it encodes a cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor that negatively regulates cell proliferation and growth, and plays a crucial role in human fetal development. This new case brings confirmatory evidence that microduplications restricted to the ICR2 domain result in SRS when maternally transmitted. It also shows that no apparent phenotypic change is present when ICR2 duplication is paternally inherited. By genotyping chromosome 7 microsatellites, we identified three patients (4.7%) with mUPD(7), in the cohort of 64 patients. The frequencies of hypomethylation of ICR1 (43%) and mUPD(7) (4.7%) among our patients are in accordance with the literature, and point to a proper selection of patients with SRS, from the clinical point of view. The investigation of submicroscopic chromosomal imbalances by a-CGH was performed in 19 patients in whom (epi)genetic mutations at 11p15 and mUPD(7) had been excluded. Most patients showed no changes (n = 7) or had only CNV considered to be polymorphic (n = 8). Four potentially pathogenic microdeletions were detected, on chomosomes 2p23.3 (~320 Kb), 13q24 (~94.3 Kb), 15q11.2 (~320 Kb) and 16p13.11 (~95.8 Kb). In neither case we could establish a direct relationship between the imbalance and the phenotype, because it was not possible to investigate both parents or the change was present in a clinically normal parent or it had been reported in normal individuals, without, however, indication of being polymorphic. Incomplete penetrance or unmasking of a pathogenic recessive allele on the homologous chromosome are two possible explanations to the pathogenic effect of a microdeletion inherited from a clinically normal parent. Three recent studies that used microarrays to identify genes or chromosomal regions associated with SRS, wherein the genetic cause was unknown, detected microdeletions and microduplications, some of them potentially pathogenic: a microdeletion at 15q26.3, including the IGF1R gene, was identified in two patients; other microdeletions included the IGF2BP3 gene at 7p15, GPC5 gene at 13q31.3, MAPK1 gene at 22q11.2 and HMGA2 gene at 12q14, which were considered candidates, possibly influencing growth. This set of results, including ours, indicates that the investigation of submicroscopic chromosomal imbalances should be extended to a larger cohort of SRS patients, in the search for chromosomal regions and genes that may be causally associated with the syndrome. In 30 SRS patients, we searched for point mutations in the CDKAL1 gene by direct sequencing of coding regions. This gene was considered a candidate for SRS, after being disrupted in one of our SRS patients with a t(5;6). No pathogenic mutation was detected and, therefore, point mutations in the coding region of CDKAL1 do not appear to be a common cause of SRS. In 18 of the 30 patients, we investigated the presence of microdeletions and microduplications by a-CGH and found no changes encompassing CDKAL1 gene. Considering the small cohort size, we cannot definitely exclude the possibility that changes in CDKAL1 gene may contribute to the etiology of SRS.