1,436 research outputs found
Differential stability of 2'F-ANA*RNA and ANA*RNA hybrid duplexes: roles of structure, pseudohydrogen bonding, hydration, ion uptake and flexibility
No full text14 pags., 7 figs., 3 tabs.Hybrids of RNA with arabinonucleic acids 2′F-ANA and ANA have very similar structures but strikingly different thermal stabilities. We now present a thorough study combining NMR and other biophysical methods together with state-of-the-art theoretical calculations on a fully modified 10-mer hybrid duplex. Comparison between the solution structure of 2′F-ANA•RNA and ANA•RNA hybrids indicates that the increased binding affinity of 2′F-ANA is related to several subtle differences, most importantly a favorable pseudohydrogen bond (2′F-purine H8) which contrasts with unfavorable 2′-OH-nucleobase steric interactions in the case of ANA. While both 2′F-ANA and ANA strands maintained conformations in the southern/eastern sugar pucker range, the 2′F-ANA strand's structure was more compatible with the A-like structure of a hybrid duplex. No dramatic differences are found in terms of relative hydration for the two hybrids, but the ANA•RNA duplex showed lower uptake of counterions than its 2′F-ANA•RNA counterpart. Finally, while the two hybrid duplexes are of similar rigidities, 2′F-ANA single strands may be more suitably preorganized for duplex formation. Thus the dramatically increased stability of 2′F-ANA•RNA and ANA•RNA duplexes is caused by differencesin at least four areas, of which structure and pseudohydrogen bonding are the most important. © The Author(s) 2010. Published by Oxford University Press.Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion (grants
CTQ2007-68014-C02-02 to CG and BIO2009-10964 to
MO); Fundacion Marcelino Botin (grant to MO);
Canadian Institutes for Health Research (grant to
M.J.D.); Natural Sciences and Engineering Research
Council of Canada (postgraduate scholarship to
J.K.W.). Funding for open access charge: Canadian
Institutes for Health Research
Doença pulmonar obstrutiva crônica: considerações sobre deglutição e qualidade de vida
No full textDissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Programa de Pós-graduação Multidisciplinar em Saúde, Florianópolis, 2014A doença pulmonar obstrutiva crônica (DPOC) é uma doença respiratória prevenível e tratável, caracterizada pela obstrução ao fluxo aéreo persistente ou, parcialmente reversível. Há a necessidade de se estudar esta população quanto às alterações da deglutição e risco para disfagia orofaríngea para um diagnóstico e tratamento adequados e possível redução do índice de complicações pulmonares. Verificar o padrão de deglutição e aspectos de qualidade de vida em pacientes com DPOC. A pesquisa foi transversal do tipo exploratória, com análise quantitativa dos resultados. Pacientes de ambos os gêneros, idade superior a 40 anos, com diagnóstico de DPOC e não dependentes de oxigênio, que fazem acompanhamento ambulatorial na clínica de pneumologia de um hospital universitário foram convidados a participar da pesquisa. Os pacientes passaram por avaliação funcional da deglutição, responderam a um questionário de qualidade de vida para pacientes com doenças pulmonares e foram avaliadas as imagens das videofluoroscopias da deglutição. A maioria dos pacientes eram do gênero masculino, todos os participantes eram ex-tabagistas. Não foram encontradas alterações relevantes na deglutição dos pacientes com DPOC em fase controlada da doença. Alto índice de pacientes relatam "afogar-se com alimento" durante as crises da doença e há grande comprometimento da qualidade de vida dos pacientes mesmo na fase controlada da doença. A deglutição dos pacientes com DPOC em fase controlada da doença não apresentou alterações relevantes na sua biomecânica nessa população. A alteração encontrada com frequência está relacionada provavelmente ao envelhecimento e a presbifagia. Os pacientes relataram "engasgar-se com alimento" em crises da doença. A qualidade de vida fica limitada e incapacita os pacientes a realizarem suas atividades de vida diária e de lazer.Abstract: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a preventable and treatable respiratory disease characterized by persistent obstruction or partially reversible airflow. There is a need to study this population regarding changes in swallowing and risk for oropharyngeal dysphagia for a diagnosis and appropriate treatment and can reduce the rate of pulmonary complications. To investigate the pattern of swallowing and aspects of quality of life in patients with COPD. The study was cross-sectional exploratory type, with quantitative analysis of the results. Patients of both genders, age over 40 years, diagnosed with COPD and not dependent on oxygen, forming the outpatient pulmonology clinic of a university hospital were invited to participate. Patients underwent functional assessment of swallowing, answered a questionnaire on quality of life for patients with lung disease and were evaluated images of videofluoroscopias swallowing. Most patients were male, all participants were former smokers. No relevant changes were found in the swallowing of COPD patients in controlled phase of the disease. High rate of patients report "drown with food" during the crises of the disease and there are compromising the quality of life of patients even in the controlled phase of the disease. Swallowing of COPD patients in controlled phase of the disease showed no significant changes in its biomechanical this population. The change is often found probably related to aging and presbifagia. Patients reported "choke with food" crises in the disease. The quality of life is limited and incapacitates patients to perform activities of daily living and leisure
() QRT-PCR assay performed on RNA isolated from K562 cells transfected with 2′F-ANA and PS-DNA molecules
No full text<p><b>Copyright information:</b></p><p>Taken from "2′-Deoxy-2′-fluoro-β--arabinonucleic acid (2′F-ANA) modified oligonucleotides (ON) effect highly efficient, and persistent, gene silencing"</p><p>Nucleic Acids Research 2006;34(2):451-461.</p><p>Published online 18 Jan 2006</p><p>PMCID:PMC1342038.</p><p>© The Author 2006. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved</p> Data are presented as a function of mRNA copies relative to RNA. Mock (control) cells were subjected to nucleoporation, but in the absence of ODN. MOH10 antisense is designed to target mRNA region slightly shifted toward the 3′ end compared with the MOH1 and MOH2 sequences. () c-Myb protein western blot analysis performed on cell lysate obtained from K562 cells transfected with 2′F-ANA and PS-DNA molecules. Real-time PCR and western blot were performed 24 h post nucleofection
Viajantes ex-cêntricas nas histórias de Ana Miranda
No full textTese (doutorado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro de Comunicação e Expressão. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Literatura.No conjunto das narrativas ficcionais da escritora brasileira Ana Miranda, a temática da viagem # considerada uma das mais férteis da literatura ocidental de todos os tempos # ocupa um espaço de centralidade, podendo até mesmo ser vista como o mais importante eixo de estruturação de suas obras. O estudo realizado pela presente tese tem por objetivo analisar o tratamento dado ao tema da viagem nos romances Desmundo, O retrato do rei, Dias & Dias e Amrik, evidenciando que por intermédio das narradora-viajantes # Oribela, Mariana, Feliciana e Amina # a autora promove um diálogo entre diferentes culturas, gêneros, etnias e gerações, ao mesmo tempo em que estabelece um profícuo diálogo com o passado em sua invariante problematização concernente aos limites e cruzamentos entre o discurso ficcional e os discursos narrativos extraliterários que o cercam, sobretudo o histórico e o biográfico. In the whole of Brazilian writer Ana Miranda#s fictional narrative, the travel thematic # considered one of the most fertile themes of the western literature of all times # occupies a central space, and can even been seen as the most important structuring axis of Miranda#s works. The aim of the present thesis is to analyze the treatment given to the travel subject in the novels Desmundo, O retrato do rei, Dias & Dias and Amrik, emphasizing that, through the traveling narrators, Oribela, Mariana, Feliciana and Amina, the author promotes a connection between different cultures, genders, ethnics and generations, at the same time that establishes a profitable dialogue with the past in her invariant problematization concerning the limits and crossings between the fictional and the extra-literary narrative discourses that surrounds it, mainly the historical and the biographic ones
Studio sull'induzione di danno al DNA, micronuclei ed alterazioni del ciclo cellulare da condensato di sigaretta
No full textNumerosi studi confermano l’associazione tra fumo di sigaretta e insorgenza di patologie-polmonari, cardiovascolari e tumori. Il fumo, infatti, contiene diversi composti mutageni c cancerogeni. Premesso che non esiste una sigaretta sicura, è comunque possibile attuare strategie per caratterizzare e ridurre il rischio. In questo studio, abbiamo utilizzato test in vitro per investigare i possibili meccanismi d’azione del condensato di sigaretta (CSC), ovvero la frazione particolata del fumo, assorbita nei polmoni del fumatore e successivamente metabolizzata. Analisi precedenti avevano dimostrato che il CSC, dopo 24h di trattamento induce decremento della vitalità delle cellule Swiss3T3 (IC50 = 130 μg/ml), inibizione dell’efficienza di clonaggio (circa il 60% a`50 μg/ml) e attivazione delle caspasi già a partire dalla prima dose testata (25 μg/ml). La natura degli effetti genotossici del CSC è stata analizzata con il Comet assay che ha evidenziato la capacità del CSC di indurre rotture a singolo e doppio filamento del DNA, dopo trattamenti per 90min e 3 h, a partire dalla dose di 100 μg/ml (p<0.001 Kruskall-Wallis). Il significativo aumento (p<0.001 Mann-Whitney U-test`) delle rotture al DNA è stato osservato dopo 90 min di esposizione a 100 e 150 μg/ml di CSC lascia ipotizzare che la componente ossidativa del danno indotto da CSC venga rapidamente riparata. Il saggio del micronucleo è stato effettuato su cellule trattate con 30 μg/ml di CSC e osservate immediatamente dopo il trattamento e fino a 120h di coltura in terreno completo senza condensato. I risultati ottenuti hanno evidenziato un aumento significativo (p<0.005 t-Student) di cellule micronucleate dopo 72h di recupero. Utilizzando anticorpi anti-nucleari (ANA test) contro il cinetocore è stato possibile mettere in evidenza che il trattamento con CSC esplica prevalentemente un effetto clastogeno. La comparsa dei micnonuclei solo dopo 72h dal trattamento sembra essere correlata al ritardo nella progressione del ciclo cellulare come indicano sia il decremento di cellule in mitosi osservato subito dopo il trattamento, sia l’accumulo dose-dipendente di cellule in G2/M
Spin networks and sturmian orbitals: Orthogonal complete polynomial sets in molecular quantum mechanics
No full textAn outline is given of current advances on some basic ingredients of applied quantum mechanics, that were previously developed along different lines and are now being compacted within a unifying framework. Specifically, (i) complete orthogonal expansion basis sets for the atomic and molecular orbitals of quantum chemistry are classified within angular momentum theory, presently incorporated in and generalized as spin network theory; (ii) spin-networks and the underlying theory of hypergeometrical polynomials are presented within a graphical approach; (iii) the combinatorial significance of the graphical approach is given a projective geometry foundation; (iv) emergence and role of hidden (Regge's) symmetries are revealed and discussed in a variety of contexts
Clinico-Genetic Characterization of a Large Italian Cohort with Primary Spastic Paraplegia
No full textM1002. Clinico-Genetic Characterization of a Large Italian Cohort with Primary Spastic Paraplegia
Andrea Martinuzzi, Mariateresa Bassi, Grazia D’Angelo, Sara Bonato, Gabriella Paparella, Olimpia Musumeci, Mariagiovanna Rossetto, Marianna Fantin, Francesca Peruch, Alessia Arnoldi, Claudia Crimella, Erika Tenderini, Paolo Bonanni, Vanessa Casanova, Giovanni Meola, Giacomo Comi, Antonio Toscano and Nereo Bresolin; Conegliano, TV, Italy; Bosisio Parini, LC, Italy; Messina, Italy and Milano, Italy
Background: Diagnostic definition of hereditary spastic paraplegias (HSPs) is complicated by the wide genetic heterogeneity.
Objectives: Establish in a large cohort of Italian HSP
patients the relative frequency of the various forms, provid- ing indications for an efficient diagnostic algorhythm.
Methods: 478 index cases (72 familial, 98 pure, 380
complicated) HSP were clinically and molecularly assessed.
Results: 80 cases were molecularly defined. SPG4 was the most frequent form (55%), followed by SPG11 (16.6%) SPG7 (9%), SPG10 (8,8% ) and 5 (5.1%). SPG3a and
SPG31 were rarer (2.5%). No mutations were identified in SPG6, 8, 13, 20, 21, 35, 48. There was wide inter and intrafamilial variation. Neurophysiology showed invariably increased central conduction time at lower limbs. Axonal polyneuropathy was detected in some SPG3a, 5, 10, 11, 17 and SPG4 (15%). MRI showed abnormalities in SPG 5, 10, 11 and 15.
Conclusion: Frequency of SPG forms within this cohort
of Italian HSPs confirms the prevalence of SPG4, reveals the recurrence of SPG11 and 7 and the low frequency of SPG3a and 31. Once SPG4 and SPG11 are excluded, fam- ily history, neurophysiology and neuroimaging may direct the choice of genetic testing.
Study supported by: Italian Ministry of Healt
q-Differential equations for q-classical polynomials and q-Jacobi-Stirling numbers
No full textWe introduce, characterise and provide a combinatorial interpretation for the so-called q-Jacobi–Stirling numbers.
This study is motivated by their key role in the (reciprocal) expansion of any power of a second order
q-differential operator having the q-classical polynomials as eigenfunctions in terms of other even order operators,
which we explicitly construct in this work. The results here obtained can be viewed as the q-version of
those given by Everitt et al. and by the first author, whilst the combinatorics of this new set of numbers is a
q-version of the Jacobi–Stirling numbers given by Gelineau and the second author
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