Abstract: Mutations in the leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) gene cause late-onset, autosomal dominant familial Parkinson's disease (PD) and also contribute to idiopathic PD. LRRK2 mutations represent the most common cause of PD with clinical and neurochemical features that are largely indistinguishable from idiopathic disease. Currently, transgenic mice expressing wild-type or disease-causing mutants of LRRK2 have failed to produce overt neurodegeneration, although abnormalities in nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurotransmission have been observed. Here, we describe the development and characterization of transgenic mice expressing human LRRK2 bearing the familial PD mutations, R1441C and G2019S. Our study demonstrates that expression of G2019S mutant LRRK2 induces the degeneration of nigrostriatal pathway dopaminergic neurons in an age-dependent manner. In addition, we observe autophagic and mitochondrial abnormalities in the brains of aged G2019S LRRK2 mice and markedly reduced neurite complexity of cultured dopaminergic neurons. These new LRRK2 transgenic mice will provide important tools for understanding the mechanism(s) through which familial mutations precipitate neuronal degeneration and PD.

Abstract: AH Plus appears to bond to the organic phase of dentine. This bond influences its sealing ability.

Abstract: The South American region The marine areas of the South American continent extend for almost 30,000 km of coastline and encompass three different oceanic domains—the Caribbean, the Pacific, and the Atlantic. The latitudinal and longitudinal ranges within this region are similarly wide, from 12°N to 55°S, and from 34° to 81°W. Ten countries border on these coasts, each with different research capabilities and taxonomic traditions; therefore, taxonomic knowledge differs among countries. Coastal biodiversity is strongly influenced by the physical and geological history of these coasts. The eastern tropical Pacific region, which encompasses the continental coasts of southern Central America (Costa Rica and Panama) and of northwestern South America (Colombia and Ecuador) is characterized by cliffs alternating with pocket beaches, alluvial and deltaic plains with extensive sandy beaches, well-developed mangrove forests, estuaries, lagoons, and, reefs. It also includes important offshore island systems such as the Pearl and Galapagos islands [1], [2]. The Peruvian coast also is diverse with bays, cliffs, kelp and macroalgal beds, rocky shores and sandy beaches, islands, and peninsulas, as well as wetlands, which include the southernmost limit to the tropical Pacific mangrove ecosystem [3], [4]. The Chilean coast is 4,500 km of mainly rocky shores, but does include some sandy-beach bays with channels and archipelagos toward the south (Patagonian region) [5], [6]. Some of the most diverse ecosystems in Chile are the beds of kelp (Lessonia and Macrosystis) and macroalgae (Gracillaria and Ulva). The combination of the unique oceanographic conditions and coastal heterogeneity in the Chilean coast has resulted in high levels of endemism (near 40%) in many invertebrate groups [5], and several marine invertebrate taxa show latitudinal biodiversity patterns, some of them explained by the presence of Antarctic fauna [7]–[9]. Ecuador, Peru, and Chile are under the influence of the Humboldt upwelling system and subject to high environmental variability caused by the ENSO (El Nino Southern Oscillation) and LNSO (La Nina Southern Oscillation), which cause important changes in community composition and abundance, particularly of the plankton [1], [10]. The Atlantic coast of the South American continent is distinctly different from the Pacific coast. It includes three major rivers (Orinoco, Amazon, and La Plata), which discharge enormous amounts of freshwater and sediment to the ocean, and the coast has an extensive continental platform. Argentina's coast has mostly sandy beaches [6], [11] and some rocky formations located mainly at Mar del Plata and at Peninsula Valdes. At Mar del Plata, these rocky shores are dominated by two mussel species and by a diverse macroalgal community with a clear tidal zonation [12], [13]. The Uruguayan coast is dominated by sandy beaches with a narrow portion of rocky habitats known to sustain a rich biological diversity [14]. Observed variations in community composition and distribution may be related to the salinity gradient caused by La Plata River discharge [15]. The coast of Brazil, extending almost 7,500 km, is under the influence of the warm Brazil Current, the cold Malvinas/Falklands Current, and many rivers and upwelling regions [16]. The warm northern coast, where the Amazon discharges into the ocean, is characterized by a combination of freshwater, estuarine, and marine ecosystems, with diverse but poorly known habitats [17]. The colder southern coast is characterized by a variety of ecosystems, including mangrove forests, seagrass beds, coral reefs, sandy beaches, rocky shores, lagoons, and estuaries. Because of its vastness, extensive areas of Brazil's coast remain unexplored. North of Brazil are Suriname, French Guiana, Guyana, and the Venezuelan Atlantic Front. This area, including about 1,900 km of coastline, is under the strong influence of the Amazon River. Therefore, the typical ecosystems are estuaries, mudflats, sandy beaches, and mangrove forests, which extend along most of the coastline [18]. The Venezuelan Atlantic coast is also under the influence of the Orinoco River, with coastal mudflats and extensive mangrove forests [19]. In this paper, we analyze the status of knowledge of marine biodiversity in five subregions along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of South America. As most of the information is based in national reports, these subregions were based in the Large Marine Ecosystem boundaries as defined for South America, with a few practical adaptations, based in country political borders. The paper also provides an updated review of ecosystem threats, such as invasive species, and the marine conservation strategies employed by South American countries with access to the coast, excluding the Caribbean coasts of Venezuela and Colombia, as these are included in another paper of this collection [20].

Abstract: [1] We reconstructed a high-resolution, alkenone-based sea surface temperature (SST) record spanning the last ca. 150 years, from a sediment core retrieved within the main upwelling zone off Peru. A conspicuous SST decline is evidenced since the 1950s despite interdecadal SST variability. Instrumental SST data and reanalysis of ECMWF ERA 40 winds suggest that the recent coastal cooling corresponds mainly to an intensification of alongshore winds and associated increase of upwelling in spring. Consistently, both proxy and instrumental data evidence increased productivity in phase with the SST cooling. Our data expand on previous reports on recent SST cooling in other Eastern Boundary upwelling systems and support scenarios that relate coastal upwelling intensification to global warming. Yet, further investigations are needed to assess the role of different mechanisms and forcings (enhanced local winds vs. spin-up of the South Pacific High Pressure cell).

Abstract: Background Even though handgrip strength (HGS) is considered a simple and reliable method to evaluate muscle function and, indirectly, the nutritional status in clinical settings, there is still no consensus concerning its use in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) undergoing dialysis. This study presents a systematic review of the literature on the use of HGS as a parameter for nutritional assessment and a prognostic marker in patients on dialysis. Methods The MEDLINE database (1966 to October 2009) was consulted for this systematic review by using the search terms hand strength or muscle strength dynamometer and dialysis. Eighteen articles were identified and included in the analysis. Results Similar to the general population, HGS values were associated with age and gender. The analysed studies showed correlation between muscle function estimated by HGS and variables used in the assessment of muscle mass and nutritional status, as well as the prediction of clinical complications. Conclusions The analysis indicates that HGS is a useful tool for continuous and systematic assessment of muscle mass related to nutritional status in patients on dialysis. However, it is still necessary to standardize the techniques used for HGS, especially with respect to the position of measurement, the evaluation period, the choice of arm side and the diagnostic criterion.

Abstract: A structural model is developed for describing the solid-state transformation of a vertically oriented carbon multiwall nanotube (MWNT) forest to a horizontally oriented MWNT sheet or yarn. The key element of our model is a network of individual carbon nanotubes or small bundles interconnecting the array of main large-diameter MWNT bundles of the forest. The dry-draw self-assembly mechanism for MWNT sheet formation involves two principal processes that reconfigure the interconnection network: (1) unzipping by preferentially peeling off interconnections between the bundles in the forest and (2) self-strengthening of these interconnections by densification at the top and bottom of the forest during draw-induced reorientation of the bundles. It is shown that interconnection density is a key parameter that determines the ability of a MWNT forest to be dry-drawable into sheets and yarns. This model describes the principal mechanism of solid-state draw (confirmed by dynamic in situ scanning electron microscopy)...

Abstract: OBJECTIVE To analyse changes and predictors of change in self-reported food intake among Brazilian families that benefitted from conditional cash transfer (CCT) implemented in the Programa Bolsa Familia of the Brazilian Federal Government. DESIGN A cross-sectional survey. SETTING The study was conducted from September to October 2007 in a nationwide representative household sample of families included in the CCT. Socio-economic variables, perception of food consumption and food insecurity were evaluated via questionnaire, which was completed during face-to-face interviews. SUBJECTS Five thousand households were selected from the CCT registry. RESULTS Families reported increased consumption of all food groups analysed, mainly cereals, processed foods, meat, milk and dairy, beans and sugar. The degree of dependence on income from the CCT was positively associated with increased self-reported intake of food items such as sugar and soft drinks. A Poisson regression revealed that the fourth quartile of CCT dependence demonstrated a twofold increase in the self-reported intake of soft drinks (relative risk (RR) = 2·3, 95% CI 1·8, 2·9) and sugar (RR = 2·5, 95% CI 2·1, 3·1) compared with the first quartile of CCT dependence. CONCLUSIONS Greater purchasing power of poor families increases unhealthy food choices; thus public policies should emphasise the availability of healthy food.

Abstract: A Reducao de Danos (RD) vem se consolidando como um importante movimento nacional, impulsionando a construcao de uma politica de drogas democratica. Neste artigo destacaremos o modo como a RD se constituiu frente aos embates com as forcas totalitarias da politica global de "guerra as drogas". Enfocaremos tanto aspectos internacionais quanto aspectos nacionais que confluiram para a construcao de uma politica antidrogas. E dentro desse cenario politico que a RD vem se consolidando como uma outra politica de drogas possivel. Analisaremos como a inclusao dos usuarios de drogas em arranjos coletivos de gestao e uma importante direcao clinica e politica do movimento da RD, definindo uma nova proposta de atencao em saude. A partir desses espacos coletivos de cuidado, os usuarios de drogas puderam tecer uma rede nacional de cooperacao e de producao de uma luta comum.

Abstract: PURPOSE To evaluate the relationship between “Look-Locker” (LL) and modified Look-Locker Inversion recovery (MOLLI) approaches for T1 mapping of the myocardium.

Abstract: Barnacles are some of the most conspicuous and well-known ship fouling organisms in the world and thus many species no doubt owe parts of their modern distribution to human-mediated translocations over the past several centuries. Reviewed here, as a window into global patterns, are the introduced, cryptogenic, and range expanding barnacles of the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of North and South America. Five species of thoracic barnacles have invaded the Pacific coasts of the Americas: Amphibalanus improvisus, A. eburneus, and A. subalbidus, all from the Atlantic, and A. amphitrite and A. reticulatus from the Indo-West Pacific. Seven species have invaded the Atlantic coasts of the Americas; six of these are from the Pacific: A. amphitrite and A. reticulatus (shared as invaders with the Pacific coast) , and Balanus trigonus, B. glandula, Striatobalanus amaryllis, and Megabalanus coccopoma. The Western North Atlantic A. subalbidus has invaded the Western South Atlantic. Striking are the few barnacle invasions that have occurred on the Pacific coast of South America and these species (A. improvisus, A. amphitrite and A. reticulatus) are reported only from northernmost locations (Ecuador, Colombia, and Peru) . For the first 100 years (1853–1955) two species, A. amphitrite and A. improvisus, constituted the majority of invasion events in the Americas, the sole exception being the arrival of the Pacific Balanus trigonus in the 1860s and 1870s in the Atlantic. After 1955, the first records of invasions of A. reticulatus, A. eburneus, B. glandula, M. coccopoma, and S. amaryllis appear, an increased diversity of introductions in close concert with general observations of increasing invasions globally of marine organisms after World War II. Known since the 1970s in Brazil, M. coccopoma appears to be responding to warming northern latitudes and has expanded to North Carolina as of 2005. The native Western Atlantic barnacle Chthamalus fragilis arrived in New England in the 1890s, a range expansion perhaps facilitated by an earlier coastal warming period concomitant with the decline in abundance of its colder-water competitor Semibalanus balanoides, although the latter also appears to have expanded south on the North American Atlantic coast in the twentieth century due to increased habitat availability. Chthamalus is predicted to move north, and Semibalanus is predicted to return to its historical range, both due to continued warming. In turn, the native Eastern North Pacific barnacle Tetraclita rubescens is expanding north due to coastal warming as well. Future invasion scenarios include increased introductions facilitated through a newly expanded Panama Canal, the potential arrival of Austrominius modestus on the North American Atlantic coast (despite its failure to do so throughout the last half of the twentieth century) , and the arrival on the warmer North and Central American Pacific coasts of Chthamalus proteus.

Abstract: Recently, IEEE started a task group to investigate adding wireless mesh capabilities to its ubiquitous IEEE 802.11 wireless local area networks standard. The proposal is specified as the IEEE 802.11s amendment. Although the IEEE802.11s amendment is still a draft, some implementations based on it may already be found. The first and most widespread of these implementations is the one developed by One Laptop per Child (OLPC) for its educational laptop - the XO. One notable feature of IEEE 802.11s is the fact that the mesh network is implemented at the link layer, relying on MAC addresses rather than IP addresses for its mechanisms. This feature enables the design and development of new CPU-free network devices that provide layer-2 multihop communication. This tutorial describes the main characteristics of the IEEE 802.11s proposal illustrating the advantages and disadvantages of the MAC layer approach in comparison to the traditional layer three paradigm to multihop wireless networks. To achieve this, this work provides a detailed analysis of 802.11s traffic captured in a real testbed, with special attention to the path discovery mechanism. The step by step explanation of the mesh mechanisms highlights how some of the design choices may impact on the scalability and reliability of such networks.

Abstract: The aim of this study was to analyze maternal mortality in Brazil in the last 30 years, by means of a literature review. The authors performed an electronic search of scientific articles from 1980 to 2010 in LILACS and MEDLINE and found 486 abstracts, of which 50 articles were selected. Studies showed a decrease in the maternal mortality ratio (MMR), although varying across regions of the country. A few articles evaluated maternal mortality factors, identifying social inequalities associated with skin color and schooling. There was persistent underreporting of maternal deaths and inadequate completion of death certificates. Direct obstetric causes were the most frequent, mainly hypertensive diseases of pregnancy. Analysis of avoidability revealed deficiencies in prenatal and childbirth care. Despite the relevance of maternal mortality in Brazil, there are few studies on the subject. Although MMR has decreased, it is still above the desired levels. Improvements are thus needed in the quality of prenatal and perinatal care.

Abstract: Species richness is the most commonly used but controversial biodiversity metric in studies on aspects of community stability such as structural composition or productivity. The apparent ambiguity of theoretical and experimental findings may in part be due to experimental shortcomings and/or heterogeneity of scales and methods in earlier studies. This has led to an urgent call for improved and more realistic experiments. In a series of experiments replicated at a global scale we translocated several hundred marine hard bottom communities to new environments simulating a rapid but moderate environmental change. Subsequently, we measured their rate of compositional change (re-structuring) which in the great majority of cases represented a compositional convergence towards local communities. Re-structuring is driven by mortality of community components (original species) and establishment of new species in the changed environmental context. The rate of this re-structuring was then related to various system properties. We show that availability of free substratum relates negatively while taxon richness relates positively to structural persistence (i.e., no or slow re-structuring). Thus, when faced with environmental change, taxon-rich communities retain their original composition longer than taxon-poor communities. The effect of taxon richness, however, interacts with another aspect of diversity, functional richness. Indeed, taxon richness relates positively to persistence in functionally depauperate communities, but not in functionally diverse communities. The interaction between taxonomic and functional diversity with regard to the behaviour of communities exposed to environmental stress may help understand some of the seemingly contrasting findings of past research.

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To identify factors associated with breastfeeding in the first hour of life (Step 4 of the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative). METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted with a representative sample of mothers who gave birth in maternity wards in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Southeastern Brazil, between 1999 and 2001. Newborns or mothers with restriction to breastfeeding were excluded, resulting in a sample of 8,397 pairs. A random effect - at maternity hospital level - Poisson model was employed in a hierarchical approach with three levels: distal, intermediate and proximal for characteristics of the mother, of the newborn, and of prenatal and hospital assistance. RESULTS: Only 16% of the mothers breastfed in the first hour of life. Breastfeeding in this period was less prevalent among neonates with immediate intercurrences after birth (PR = 0.47; CI99% 0.15;0.80); among mothers who did not have contact with their newborns in the delivery room (PR = 0.62; CI99% 0.29;0.95); among mothers submitted to cesarean section delivery (PR = 0.48; CI99% 0.24;0.72); and among mothers who gave birth at private maternity hospitals (PR = 0.06; CI99% 0.01;0.19) or at maternity hospitals contracted out to National Health System (SUS) (PR = 0.16; CI99% 0.01;0.30). The context effect of maternity wards was statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: At an individual level, breastfeeding within one hour after birth was constrained by inappropriate practices in private or SUS-contracted maternity hospitals. The group effect of maternity hospitals and the absence of individual maternal-related factors that explain the outcome suggest that mothers have little or no autonomy to breastfeed their babies within the first hour of life, and depend on the institutional practices that prevail at the maternity hospitals.

Abstract: We evidence the existence of a universal correlation between the binding energies of successive four-boson bound states (tetramers), for large two-body scattering lengths (a), related to an additional scale not constrained by three-body Efimov physics. Relevant to ultracold atom experiments, the atom-trimer relaxation peaks for |a|→∞ when the ratio between the tetramer and trimer energies is ≃4.6 and a new tetramer is formed. The new scale is also revealed for a < 0 by the prediction of a correlation between the positions of two successive peaks in the four-atom recombination process.

Abstract: This article presents the context of the emergence and implementation of the National Policy of Humanization (NPH), which was devised as a public policy to address and overcome the challenges perceived by Brazilian society regarding the quality and dignity of healthcare. The aims include redesigning and joint initiatives for the humanization of care, and providing solutions for problems in the field of management and organization of the health workforce. Highlighting it as a public policy, the authors analyze the main focus and theoretical and methodological approaches to cope with problems in management and practice of healthcare, signaling the need to combine strategies in both macro and micro policy areas. The analysis focuses on changes in the composition and strategies of action, which include social mobilization, support to management systems, services and health teams and the development of training processes for institutional stakeholders. The article presents results obtained in the first five years, as well as its limitations and prospects, especially the challenge facing NPH to be seen as a public policy, which cannot be achieved without the mobilization of social forces beyond the State.

Abstract: Quantum dots (QDs) are colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals of a few nanometers in diameter, being their size and shape controlled during the synthesis. They are synthesized from atoms of group II-VI or III-V of the periodic table, such as cadmium telluride (CdTe) or cadmium selenium (CdSe) forming nanoparticles with fluorescent characteristics superior to current fluorophores. The excellent optical characteristics of quantum dots make them applied widely in the field of life sciences. Cellular uptake of QDs, location and translocation as well as any biological consequence, such as cytotoxicity, stimulated a lot of scientific research in this area. Several studies pointed to the cytotoxic effect against micoorganisms. In this mini-review, we overviewed the synthesis and optical properties of QDs, and its advantages and bioapplications in the studies about microorganisms such as protozoa, bacteria, fungi and virus.

Abstract: Hydroxyapatite (HA), a stable and biocompatible material for bone tissue therapy, may present a variable stoichiometry and accept a large number of cationic substitutions. Such substitutions may modify the chemical activity of HA surface, with possible impact on biocompatibility. In this work, we assessed the effects of calcium substitution with diverse divalent cations (Pb(2+), Sr(2+), Co(2+), Zn(2+), Fe(2+), Cu(2+), or Mg(2+)) on the biological behavior of HA. Physicochemical analyses revealed that apatite characteristics related to crystallinity and calcium dissolution/uptake rates are very sensitive to the nature of cationic substitution. Cytocompatibility was evaluated by mitochondrial activity, membrane integrity, cell density, proapoptotic potential, and adhesion tests. With the exception of Zn-HA, all the substituted HAs induced some level of apoptosis. The highest apoptosis levels were observed for Mg-HA and Co-HA. Cu-HA was the only material to impair simultaneously mitochondrial activity, membrane integrity, and cell density. The highest relative cell densities after exposure to the modified HAs were observed for Mg-HA and Zn-HA, while Co-HA significantly improved cell adhesion onto HA surface. These results show that changes on surface dissolution caused by cationic substitution, as well as the increase of metal species released to biological media, were the main responsible factors related to alterations on HA biocompatibility.

Abstract: Oral carcinogenesis is a multi-step process. One possible step is the development of potentially malignant disorders known as leukoplakia and erytroplakia. The objective of this study was to use immunohistochemistry to analyze the patterns of expression of the cell-cycle regulatory proteins p53 and p16(INK4a) in potentially malignant disorders (PMD) of the oral mucosa (with varying degrees of dysplasia) and in oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCC) to correlate them with the expression of telomerase (hTERT). Fifteen PMD and 30 OSCC tissue samples were analyzed. Additionally, 5 cases of oral epithelial hyperplasia (OEH) were added to analyze clinically altered mucosa presenting as histological hyperplasia without dysplasia. p53 positivity was observed in 93.3% of PMD, in 63.3% of OSCC and in 80% of OEH. Although there was no correlation between p53 expression and the grade of dysplasia, all cases with severe dysplasia presented p53 suprabasal immunoexpression. p16(INK4a) expression was observed in 26.7% of PMD, in 43.3% of OSCC and in 2 cases of OEH. The p16(INK4a) expression in OEH, PMD and OSCC was unable to differentiate non-dysplastic from dysplastic oral epithelium. hTERT positivity was observed in all samples of OEH and PMD and in 90% of OSCC. The high hTERT immunoexpression in all three lesions indicates that telomerase is present in clinically altered oral mucosa but does not differentiate hyperplastic from dysplastic oral epithelium. In PMD of the oral mucosa, the p53 immunoexpression changes according to the degree of dysplasia by mechanisms independent of p16(INK4a) and hTERT.

Abstract: This work had as its main objective to contribute to the development of a biological detoxification of hemicellulose hydrolysates obtained from different biomass plants using Issatchenkia occidentalis CCTCC M 206097 yeast Tests with hemicellulosic hydrolysate of sugarcane bagasse in different concentrations were carried out to evaluate the influence of the hydrolysate concentration on the inhibitory compounds removal from the sugarcane bagasse hydrolysate, without reduction of sugar concentration The highest reduction values of inhibitors concentration and less sugar losses were observed when the fivefold concentrated hydrolysate was treated by the evaluated yeast In these experiments it was found that the high sugar concentrations favored lower sugar consumption by the yeast The highest concentration reduction of syringaldehyde (6667%), ferulic acid (7333%), furfural (62%), and 5-HMF (85%) was observed when the concentrated hydrolysate was detoxified by using this yeast strain after 24 h of experimentation The results obtained in this work showed the potential of the yeast Issatchenkia occidentalis CCTCC M 206097 as detoxification agent of hemicellulosic hydrolysate of different biomass plants