Molecular Distribution, 13C-Isotope, and Enantiomeric Compositions of Carbonaceous Chondrite Monocarboxylic Acids

The watersoluble organic compounds in carbonaceous chondrite meteorites constitute a record of the synthetic reactions occurring at the birth of the solar system and those taking place during parent body alteration and may have been important for the later origins and development of life on Earth. In this present work, we have developed a novel methodology for the simultaneous analysis of the molecular distribution, compoundspecific 13C, and enantiomeric compositions of aliphatic monocarboxylic acids (MCA) extracted from the hotwater extracts of 16 carbonaceous chondrites from CM, CR, CO, CV, and CK groups. We observed high concentrations of meteoritic MCAs, with total carbon weight percentages which in some cases approached those of carbonates and insoluble organic matter. Moreover, we found that the concentration of MCAs in CR chondrites is higher than in the other meteorite groups, with acetic acid exhibiting the highest concentration in all samples. The abundance of MCAs decreased with increasing molecular weight and with increasing aqueous and/or thermal alteration experienced by the meteorite sample. The 13C isotopic values of MCAs ranged from 52 to +27, and aside from an inverse relationship between 13C value and carbon straightchain length for C3C6 MCAs in Murchison, the 13Cisotopic values did not correlate with the number of carbon atoms per molecule. We also observed racemic compositions of 2methylbutanoic acid in CM and CR chondrites. We used this novel analytical protocol and collective data to shed new light on the prebiotic origins of chondritic MCAs

Função executiva e quociente intelectual nos pacientes com diagnóstico de esquizofrenia

A esquizofrenia tem despertado o interesse de muitos profissionais da saúde. É considerada uma síndrome clínica que afeta diversos processos, como o pensamento, a emoção, os movimentos, o comportamento; e processos cognitivos como a atenção, a memória, a linguagem e, especialmente, as funções executivas. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar as funções executivas nos pacientes com diagnóstico de esquizofrenia, para comprovar si há relação com o quociente intelectual. Intervieram 30 pacientes com escolaridade mínima de três anos, que estavam recebendo tratamento farmacológico, e no tinham evidência de atraso mental prévio. Aplicou-se o Wisconsin Card Sorting Tets (WCST) para avaliar as habilidades envolvidas na função executiva e a Escala de Inteligência de Weschler para adultos (WAIS) para determinar o quociente intelectual, o QI verbal, manipulador e global. Foi achado os pacientes apresentarem um deterioro global em cada uma das habilidades envolvidas na função executiva e situarem em um rango de deficiência mental na escala da inteligência. Isto confirma que mesmo se há deterioro das funções executivas e um nível baixo de quociente intelectual nos pacientes, não existe correlação entre estas duas variáveis.La esquizofrenia ha generado el interés de muchos profesionales de la salud, considerada desde un principio como un síndrome clínico que afecta diferentes procesos como el pensamiento, la emoción, los movimientos, el comportamiento, y aspectos cognitivos como la atención, la memoria, el lenguaje y especialmente las funciones ejecutivas. El objetivo del presente estudio fue evaluar las funciones ejecutivas en pacientes con diagnóstico de esquizofrenia para verificar si existe alguna relación con el Cociente Intelectual. Se tomaron 30 pacientes con un mínimo de escolaridad de tres años, que se encontraban recibiendo tratamiento farmacológico y sin evidencia de un retardo mental previo; se les aplicó el Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) para evaluar las habilidades implicadas en la función ejecutiva y la escala de Inteligencia de Weschler para adultos (WAIS) para determinar el Cociente Intelectual, CI verbal, manipulativo y global. En la población estudiada, se encontró que los pacientes presentaron un deterioro global en cada una de las habilidades implicadas en la función ejecutiva, y se ubicaron en un rango de deficiencia mental en la escala de inteligencia, confirmándose que aunque existe deterioro de las funciones ejecutivas y un nivel de cociente intelectual bajo en los pacientes, no existe correlación entre estas dos variables.Schizophrenia, considered from the beginning as a clinical syndrome that affects different processes such as thinking, emotions, movements, and behaviour, as well as cognitive aspects such as attention, memory, language and especially the executive functions, is an entity that has arisen the interest of many health professionals. The objective of the present study was to assess the above mentioned functions in patients who had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and later verify if there was a relation with their intellectual quotient. The sample for this research was composed of 30 patients with no evidence of previous mental retardation, who had studied for at least three years and who were receiving the suitable pharmacological treatment. The Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) was administered to assess the abilities involved in the executive function, and the Weschler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS), to determine the verbal, manipulative and global intellectual quotient (IQ). The research results showed that the patients presented a global deterioration in each one of the abilities involved in the executive function and were located within the rank of mental deficiency in the intelligence scale, thus confirming that although patients showed deterioration of the executive functions and a low level of intellectual quotient, there is no correlation between these two variables

Innovar la enseñanza CTS y la evaluación de la mejora en el aula por una secuencia de enseñanza

Esta comunicación afronta el compromiso de la didáctica de las ciencias con la sociedad del conocimiento para promover la comprensión de la naturaleza de la ciencia y tecnología (NdCyT/CTS), es decir, el funcionamiento de CyTen la sociedad (CTS), mediante la enseñanza de una breve y específica secuencia de enseñanza aprendizaje (SEA) y la evaluación de la mejora lograda. Ambos aspectos, enseñanza y evaluación,forman el núcleo de esta investigación innovadora, cuyo objetivo central es investigar empíricamente la eficacia de la SEA sobre el tema de las implicaciones sociales de las explotaciones mineras. Losaspectos más innovadores de esta nueva metodología se centran en el diseño de la SEA, la estandarizaciónde la evaluación del a mejora del aprendizajede los estudiantes y la implementación en un contexto de estudiantes hispanos que no son profesores en formación (poco habitual en la investigación previa )

Indigenous yeast communities in the environment of ‘Rovello bianco’’ grape variety and their use in commercial white wine fermentation

The indigenous yeast communities associated with several vineyard habitats were analysed. Wild yeasts were isolated, differentiated at strain level and identified. A phylogenetic tree based on partial 26S rRNA genes was constructed. The strains were characterized and the indigenous Saccharomyces cerevisiae GR1 was then used to carry out a vinification process and compared with a commercial yeast. Wines obtained were subjected to chemical and sensory analysis. The comparison between the two products highlighted differences due to the fer- menting strains employed. The vineyard environment was found to strongly influence the composition of yeast communities, thus, confirming the theory of ‘terr- oir’ on the expression of wines. Moreover, vineyard inhabiting birds were in part responsible for the dis- semination of fermentative yeasts during their feedin

Could halophilic archaea improve the traditional salted anchovies (Engraulis encrasicholus L) safety and quality?

Aims: The positive influence of two selected extremely halophilic archaea strains in the production of salted anchovies (Engraulis encrasicolus, L., 1758) was highlighted. Methods and Results: Anchovies produced with salt artificially contaminated with halophiles exhibited lower loads of staphylococci, Enterobacteriaceae and lactic acid bacteria, and a reduced content of histamine as well as an improved organoleptic acceptance. Conclusions: The findings of this survey are expected to enhance the safety of salted anchovies, with regard to the histamine formation during ripening, and to improve the sensory attributes of this product. Significance and Impact of the Study: This study represents the first report on the positive influence of halophilic archaea in traditional salted anchovies production, thus suggesting new perspectives about a conscious employment of properly selected haloarchaea strains in this traditional manufactur

The incidence of clinical malaria detected by active case detection in children in Ifakara, southern Tanzania

Between July 2000 and June 2001, we used weekly active case detection (ACD) of clinical malaria episodes in 618 children aged <5 years to describe the epidemiology of malaria in Ifakara, southern Tanzania. Plasmodium falciparum-positive blood slides prepared from children with axillary temperature ⩾ 37.5°C were used to define clinical malaria and a rolling cross-sectional survey documented the prevalences of parasitaemia and anaemia. A random subsample of children was visited daily for 1 month at the end of the study to assess the effect of more frequent visits on estimated incidence rates. Only 50 (8%) children had 1 or more episodes of clinical malaria during the year, an overall incidence of 0.275 episodes/100 child-weeks-at-risk, with no age dependence. The maximum parasite prevalence of 25% was reached in children aged 4 years. The incidence of illness was significantly lower in children visited daily than in those visited weekly., suggesting a marked effect of frequent visits on estimated incidence rates. We conclude that the age pattern of malaria detected through ACD is a more robust epidemiological indicator than absolute incidence rate estimates and that, in contrast to the surrounding area, Ifakara town is subject to only moderate perennial malaria transmissio

Directional cerebrospinal fluid movement between brain ventricles in larval zebrafish

Background Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) contained within the brain ventricles contacts neuroepithelial progenitor cells during brain development. Dynamic properties of CSF movement may limit locally produced factors to specific regions of the developing brain. However, there is no study of in vivo CSF dynamics between ventricles in the embryonic brain. We address CSF movement using the zebrafish larva, during the major period of developmental neurogenesis. Methods CSF movement was monitored at two stages of zebrafish development: early larva [pharyngula stage; 27–30 h post-fertilization (hpf)] and late larva (hatching period; 51–54 hpf) using photoactivatable Kaede protein to calculate average maximum CSF velocity between ventricles. Potential roles for heartbeat in early CSF movement were investigated using tnnt2a mutant fish (tnnt2a [superscript −/−]) and chemical [2,3 butanedione monoxime (BDM)] treatment. Cilia motility was monitored at these stages using the Tg(βact:Arl13b–GFP) transgenic fish line. Results In wild-type early larva there is net CSF movement from the telencephalon to the combined diencephalic/mesencephalic superventricle. This movement directionality reverses at late larval stage. CSF moves directionally from diencephalic to rhombencephalic ventricles at both stages examined, with minimal movement from rhombencephalon to diencephalon. Directional movement is partially dependent on heartbeat, as indicated in assays of tnnt2a [superscript −/−] fish and after BDM treatment. Brain cilia are immotile at the early larval stage. Conclusion These data demonstrate directional movement of the embryonic CSF in the zebrafish model during the major period of developmental neurogenesis. A key conclusion is that CSF moves preferentially from the diencephalic into the rhombencephalic ventricle. In addition, the direction of CSF movement between telencephalic and diencephalic ventricles reverses between the early and late larval stages. CSF movement is partially dependent on heartbeat. At early larval stage, the absence of motile cilia indicates that cilia likely do not direct CSF movement. These data suggest that CSF components may be compartmentalized and could contribute to specialization of the early brain. In addition, CSF movement may also provide directional mechanical signaling.National Science Foundation (U.S.) (IOS-1258087)Howard Hughes Medical Institute (MIT Biology Summer internship program)Balkin-Markell-Weinberg Postdoctoral Fellowshi

The Changing Epidemiology of Malaria in Ifakara Town, Southern Tanzania.

Between 1995 and 2000 there were marked changes in the epidemiology of malaria in Ifakara, southern Tanzania. We documented these changes using parasitological and clinical data from a series of community- and hospital-based studies involving children up to the age of 5 years. There was a right shift and lowering in the age-specific parasite prevalence in the community-based cohort studies. The incidence of clinical malaria in placebo-receiving infants in additional study cohorts dropped from 0.8 in 1995 to 0.43 episodes per infant per year in 2000, an incidence rate ratio of 0.53 (95% confidence interval: 0.404, 0.70, P<0.0001). At the same time, there was an increase in the total number of malaria admissions and a marked right shift in the age pattern of these admissions (median age in 1995 1.55 years vs. 2.33 in 2000, P<0.0001). However, the burden of malaria deaths remained in infants. We discuss how these dramatic changes in the epidemiology of malaria may have arisen from the use of currently available malaria control tools. Caution is required in the interpretation of hospital-based data as it is likely to underestimate the impact of anaemia on mortality in the community, where most paediatric deaths occur. Even in low/moderate malaria transmission settings, where older children suffer most malaria episodes, targeting effective malaria control at infants may produce important reductions in infant mortality caused by malaria

Optimised method for the analysis of phenolic compounds from caper (Capparis spinosa L.) berries and monitoring of their changes during fermentation

In this work, an ad hoc method to identify and quantify polyphenols from caper berries was developed on high-performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionisation source/mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-MS). The method was applied during fermentation carried out with Lactobacillus pentosus OM13 (Trial S) and without starter (Trial C). A total of five polyphenols were identified. All samples contained high concentrations of rutin. Epicatechin was found in untreated fruits, on the contrary quercetin was detected during fermentation. Trial S was characterised by a more rapid acidification and lower levels of spoilage microorganisms than Trial C. L. pentosus dominated among the microbial community of both trials and the highest biodiversity, in terms of strains, was displayed by Trial C. Aureobasidium pullulans was the only yeast species found. The analytical method proposed allowed a high polyphenolic compound recovery from untreated and processed caper berries in short time. The starter culture reduced the bitter taste of the final product