Allelic frequencies and statistical data obtained from 12 codis STR loci in an admixed population of the Brazilian Amazon

The allelic frequencies of 12 short tandem repeat loci were obtained from a sample of 307 unrelated individuals living in Macapá, a city in the northern Amazon region, Brazil. These loci are the most commonly used in forensics and paternity testing. Based on the allele frequency obtained for the population of Macapá, we estimated an interethnic admixture for the three parental groups (European, Native American and African) of, respectively, 46%, 35% and 19%. Comparing these allele frequencies with those of other Brazilian populations and of the Iberian Peninsula population, no significant distances were observed. The interpopulation genetic distances (F(ST) coefficients) to the present database ranged from F(ST) = 0.0016 between Macapá and Belém to F(ST) = 0.0036 between Macapá and the Iberian Peninsula.     

Length‐weight relationship of 11 fish species from a tributary of the Amazon River system in northern Brazil

The length–weight relationships (LWRs) of 11 freshwater fish for eight families (Leporinus friderici, Pterophyllum scalare, Geophagus camopiensis, Curimata incompta, Astyanax bimaculatus, Tetragonopterus chalceus, Moenkhausia lepidura, Metynnis lippincottianus, Plagioscion squamosissimus, Hemiodus unimaculatus and Colomesus asellus) captured in tributary of the Amazon River system (Brazil) were investigated. These results represent the first reference on the LWRs for all 11 species in the eastern Amazon.     

Antimicrobial Activity of Two Novel Venoms from Saudi Arabian Scorpions (Leiurus quinquestriatus and Androctonus crassicauda)

International Journal of Peptide Research and Therapeutics - Many recent studies have shown the benefits of scorpion venom, as it components may be used as potential candidates for drug...     

Epidemiological profile of patients hospitalized with candiduria in the Central-Western region of Brazil

BackgroundCandida yeasts are considered the main agents of nosocomial fungal infections.AimsThis study aimed to establish the epidemiological profile of patients with candiduria hospitalized in the capital of the State of Mato Grosso, in the Central-Western region of Brazil.MethodsPatients from three private hospitals and a public hospital participated in the study. This was an observational and cross-sectional study including analysis of patients mortality. It was carried out from March to August 2015.ResultsA total of 93 patients with candiduria were evaluated. Candida tropicalis was found most commonly (37.6%; n = 35), followed by Candida albicans (36.6%; n = 34), Candida glabrata (19.3%; n = 18), psilosis complex (4.3%; n = 4), Candida lusitaniae (1.1%; n = 1) and Candida krusei (1.1%; n = 1). Antibiotic therapy (100%) and the use of an indwelling urinary catheter (89.2%; n = 83) were the most frequent predisposing factors. Antifungal treatment was given to 65.6% of the patients, and anidulafungin was the most used antifungal. Mortality rates were 48% higher among patients with candiduria who had renal failure. Micafungin was the antifungal most prescribed among the patients who died. Candidemia concomitant with candiduria occurred in eight (8.6%; n = 8) cases. Considering the species recovered in the blood and urine, only one patient had genetically distinct clinical isolates.ConclusionsNon-C. albicans Candida species were predominant, with C. tropicalis being the most responsible for most cases of candiduria.     

Haplotype diversity of 17 Y-str loci in an admixed population from the Brazilian Amazon

The allelic and haplotype frequencies of 17 Y-STR loci most commonly used in forensic testing were estimated in a sample of 138 unrelated healthy males from Macapá, in the northern Amazon region of Brazil. The average gene diversity was 0.6554 ± 0.3315. 134 haplotypes of the 17 loci were observed, 130 of them unique and four present in two individuals each. The haplotype diversity index was 0.9996 + 0.0009, with the most frequent haplogroups being R1b (52.2%), E1b1b (11.6%), J2 (10.1%) and Q (7.2%). Most haplogroups of this population belonged to European male lineages (89.2%), followed by Amerindian (7.2%) and African (3.6%) lineages.     

银杏种实发育过程中中种皮的解剖与超微结构观察

观测银杏品种‘佛指’种实中种皮的解剖和超微结构变化的结果表明,银杏种实的单粒重、纵径和横径的增长都呈单S形生长曲线,纵径和横径增长高峰早于单粒重;银杏种实单粒重主要的增长时期与中种皮的木质化进程基本上一致;银杏种实中种皮发育过程中,细胞发生核浓缩、染色质趋边化以及核最终解体等形态学上的变化,呈现细胞编程性死亡特征。     

Ethanol-Induced Gastric Injury: Microscopic Analysis of the Protective Effect of Frutalin

Obtained from breadfruit seeds (Artocarpus incisa), frutalin (FTL) has a range of important pharmacological properties. FTL activates and modulates lymphocytes and neutrophils and possesses gastroprotective effects. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the ability of FTL to protect the gastric mucosa of mice submitted to ethanol-induced gastric injury. The gastroprotective effect of frutalina was evaluated using a murine model of ethanol-induced gastric injury. Damage of the gastric mucosa was assessed morphologically by light, scanning electron and atomic force microscopy. Lymphocyte infiltration, necrosis, disruption of the mucosal structures and epithelial desquamation were observed in the control group. In the group pretreated with frutalina at 0.5 mg/kg, gastroprotection, reduced tissue damage and preserved submucosal and mucosal structures were observed. In conclusion, FTL displayed gastroprotective activity against ethanol-induced gastric injury, preventing the formation of gastric ulcer and reducing epithelial desquamation, glandular damage, mucosal necrosis and infiltration. The observed effects appear to be due to mechanisms previously described for frutalin.     

Antimicrobial resistance and biotechnological potential of plastic-associated bacteria isolated from an urban estuary

Plastics have quickly become one of the major pollutants in aquatic environments worldwide and solving the plastic pollution crisis is considered a central goal of modern society. In this study, 10 different plastic samples, including high- and low-density polyethylene and polypropylene, were collected from a deeply polluted urban estuary in Brazil. By employing different isolation and analysis approaches to investigate plastic-associated bacteria, a predominance of potentially pathogenic bacteria such as Acinetobacter, Aeromonas, and Vibrio was observed throughout all plastic samples. Bacteria typically found in the aquatic environment harboured clinically relevant genes encoding resistance to carbapenems (bla_KPC) and colistin (such as mcr-3 and mcr-4), along with genetic determinants associated with potentially active gene mobilization. Whole genome sequencing and annotation of three plastic-associated Vibrio strains further demonstrated the carriage of mobile genetic elements and antimicrobial resistance and virulence genes. On the other hand, bacteria isolated from the same samples were also able to produce esterases, lipases, and bioemulsifiers, thus highlighting that the plastisphere could also be of special interest from a biotechnological perspective.