230 results on '"Azevedo AM"'
Search Results
2. A randomised, prospective comparison of allogeneic bone marrow and peripheral blood progenitor cell transplantation in the treatment of haematological malignancies
- Author
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Vigorito, AC, Azevedo, WM, Marques, JFC, Azevedo, AM, Eid, KAB, Aranha, FJP, Lorand-Metze, I, Oliveira, GB, Correa, MEP, Reis, ARC, Miranda, ECM, and de Souza, CA
- Published
- 1998
- Full Text
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3. Life-threatening capillary leak syndrome after G-CSF mobilization and collection of peripheral blood progenitor cells for allogeneic transplantation
- Author
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de Azevedo, AM and Goldberg Tabak, D
- Published
- 2001
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4. Skeletal anomalies in reared Senegalese sole Solea senegalensis juveniles: a radiographic approach
- Author
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de Azevedo, AM, primary, Losada, AP, additional, Barreiro, A, additional, Barreiro, JD, additional, Ferreiro, I, additional, Riaza, A, additional, Vázquez, S, additional, and Quiroga, MI, additional
- Published
- 2017
- Full Text
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5. COVID- 19: outcomes for Global Supply Chains
- Author
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Fonseca Luis Miguel and Azevedo Américo Lopes
- Subjects
supply chain management ,lean ,just in time ,performance ,covid-19 ,crisis ,research propositions ,Business ,HF5001-6182 - Abstract
The COVID-19 crisis exposed the vulnerability and poor resilience of the global supply chains. The objective of this research is to reflect on the possible impacts of the Coronavirus crisis in the global supply chains and provide some recommendations to overcome the present situation, offering suggestions for future research: (1) What are the contingency factors affecting Supply Chains in the complex COVID-19 operating environment? (2) How do these factors affect post-COVID-19 operating performance? After a contextualization of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis and its impacts, theoretical background on Supply Chains and Supply Chain Management are presented, and a summary of the main scenarios for the post-COVID-19 crisis are discussed. The propositions regarding the contingency factors and their impact on the Supply Chain operating performance in post-COVID-19 suggest that successful companies will focus on creating a new kind of operational performance and minimize risks. To that end, companies will aim to improve their operations’ resilience (ability to resist, hold on, and recover from shocks) and accelerate the end-to-end digital transformation. Consumers will have to adapt to the contact-free economy, less low-cost supply chains, and put additional emphasis on service levels. Governments will reinforce the focus in the health sector supply chain and increase spending in the health and social care sectors. Furthermore, the longer, the more concentrated, the less transparent, and the more price sensitivity is the supply chain, the more challenging the adaptation to the new pos pandemic realities. Suggestions for future research are also provided.
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- 2020
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6. Effect of methionine supplementation to a low-soybean protein diet on liver lipid metabolism
- Author
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Perry Ml, de Azevedo Am, and Azzolin Ir
- Subjects
medicine.medical_specialty ,Phospholipid ,Palmitates ,Medicine (miscellaneous) ,Biology ,Acetates ,Plant Proteins, Dietary ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Random Allocation ,Methionine ,Internal medicine ,Lactation ,medicine ,Animals ,Carbon Radioisotopes ,Rats, Wistar ,Soy protein ,Beta oxidation ,Phospholipids ,Triglycerides ,Nutrition and Dietetics ,Fatty liver ,Lipid metabolism ,Metabolism ,medicine.disease ,Lipid Metabolism ,Rats ,Endocrinology ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,chemistry ,Liver ,Food, Fortified ,Soybean Proteins ,Female ,Dietary Proteins ,Soybeans - Abstract
Female Wistar rats were fed a low-soybean protein (8%) diet supplemented with different concentrations of DL-methionine (0-1.2%) during the lactation period. Diet supplementation with methionine caused a significant increase in rat body weight. The addition of 0.3% DL-methionine to the diet did not cause an increase in liver triacylglycerol concentration in 21-day-old rats, but an increase did occur after the addition of 0.6% DL-methionine to the diet. Supplementation of the diet with DL-methionine did not change liver phospholipid or protein concentrations, nor plasma triacylglycerol levels. Liver lipid synthesis from [1-14C]acetate in 21-day-old rats whose dams had been fed an 8% soybean protein diet supplemented with 1.2% DL-methionine was significantly higher than in the group receiving no DL-methionine supplementation. Hepatic production of CO2 and of water-soluble acid products from [1-14C]palmitate did not differ between groups. Inositol addition to a low-soybean protein diet supplemented with DL-methionine did not change triacylglycerol nor phospholipid levels in the liver.
- Published
- 1994
7. 198 Outcome of bone marrow transplantation in myelodysplastic syndrome or secondary acute myeloid leukemia
- Author
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Lorand-Metze, I, primary, Azevedo, AM, additional, Vigorito, AC, additional, Aranha, FJP, additional, Eid, KAB, additional, Correa, MEP, additional, and Souza, CA, additional
- Published
- 1997
- Full Text
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8. An alternative method for comparing hemorrhagic activity of snake venoms following one of the 3R's principles.
- Author
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Tasima LJ, Kavazoi VK, Lima EOV, Grego KF, and Tanaka-Azevedo AM
- Abstract
Venom-induced hemorrhage analysis usually is performed by Minimum Hemorrhagic Dose (MHD), however a similar method can be used to compare venoms with fewer laboratory animals. Our work compared the MHD of five different venoms, with the size of hemorrhagic spot, finding good correlations in the results. Considering the 3Rs principle, we propose the use of the hemorrhagic spot method to compare hemorrhagic activity of snake venoms, rather than using the MHD method, since the first one needs 5 times less animals than the other., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2024
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9. Fibrinogenolytic potential of venoms of medically important Brazilian snakes.
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de Lima EOV, Tasima LJ, Grego KF, and Tanaka-Azevedo AM
- Abstract
One of the main clinical manifestations presented by victims of snake bite envenoming are coagulation disorders. Considering that fibrinogen is a key molecule for crosslinked fibrin clot formation, the objective of this work was the quantitative analysis of the fibrinogenolytic activity of snakes of medical importance in Brazil and neutralization by specific antivenom. For this, pools of three genera of medical importance (Bothrops, Crotalus and Lachesis) that are used for the production of antivenom were used, and three pools of species of the genus Bothrops that are not part of the pool for the production of antivenom. The Lachesis pool had the highest fibrinogenolytic activity, even demonstrating partial cleavage (42.9 % consumption) of the fibrinogen gamma chain. The Bothrops genus venom pools have shown subtle variations between them. The Crotalus pool, despite not showing total cleavage of any fibrinogen chain, began cleavage of fibrinogen by the beta chain. The specific antivenoms used were able to delay the cleavage of fibrinogen in all the venoms used, which could be the first step towards implementing previous in vitro tests to analyze the quality of the batches of antivenoms produced, thus potentially reducing the use of animals used in this process., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)
- Published
- 2024
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10. Analysis of the genus B othrops snake venom: An inter and intraspecific comparative study.
- Author
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Godoy TA, Lima EOV, Silveira GPM, Rodrigues FS, Sant'anna SS, Hatakeyama DM, Grego KF, and Tanaka-Azevedo AM
- Abstract
The genus Bothrops are considered Category 1 of medical importance by the World Health Organization, responsible for approximately 85 % of snakebites occurring throughout Brazil. Main factors determining snake venom variations can be genetics, diet, gender, geographic distribution, age, or even seasonality. In this study, we compared the composition of protein profile, biochemical activities, and immunorecognition of toxins present in the venom of eight adults of Bothrops species ( B. alternatus, B. atrox, B. jararaca, B. jararacussu, B. leucurus, B. moojeni, B. neuwiedi and B. pauloensis ). The following methods were used to analyze the venoms: protein dosage; electrophoresis in polyacrylamide gel containing SDS; High Performance Liquid Chromatography - Reverse Phase; enzymatic activities, western blotting and Enzyme Linked Immuno Sorbent Assay. The results show inter and intraspecific differences in the electrophoretic profile. LAAO and PLA
2 activities, in general, were higher in males than females and proteolytic activity was higher in females than males. The bothropic antivenom produced by Instituto Butantan recognized most of the protein bands in all Bothrops species analyzed, with only the regions between 37 and 25 kDa presenting lower intensity. A notable variability in the chromatograms was observed. Bothrops venom demonstrated inter-intraspecific disparities in protein composition and biochemical activity., Competing Interests: The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Thais Almeida de Godoy reports financial support was provided by Sao Paulo State Department for Health Coordination of Science Technology and Strategic Health Supplies. Anita Mitico Tanaka-Azevedo reports was provided by State of Sao Paulo Research Foundation. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors.)- Published
- 2024
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11. Seasonality in Crotalus durissus venom.
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Tasima LJ, Lima EOV, Hatakeyama DM, Vidueiros JP, Stuginski DR, Grego KF, and Tanaka-Azevedo AM
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- Animals, Male, Female, Brazil, Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid, Phospholipases A2, Venomous Snakes, Seasons, Crotalus, Crotalid Venoms toxicity, Crotalid Venoms chemistry
- Abstract
Rattlesnakes belonging to the genus Crotalus are widely distributed throughout the Americas. In Brazil, symptoms commonly associated with envenomation by Crotalus durissus collilineatus include myalgia, rhabdomyolysis, renal failure, neurotoxicity, and progressive paralysis, which are related to the protein composition of this venom. Snake venom composition exhibits compositional variability that may reflect geographic distribution, age, captivity, diet, sex, and even individual genetics. Although seasonality is also considered a possible source of variation, there are few reports of such variability in snake venom. In this work, venoms of the same eight C. durissus collilineatus were extracted every three months for two years, to analyze seasonal changes in composition and activities. To this end, venom composition was analyzed by protein quantification, SDS-PAGE, and HPLC, and the LAAO, PLA
2 and coagulant activities were measured. Venoms of these C. d. collilineatus showed minor seasonal differences in venom activities and no composition differences were found. LAAO and coagulant activities displayed a pattern of seasonal change, while PLA2 activity seemed to have no seasonality tendency. Also, there are sexual differences, in which males seem to be more stable than females in regard to some activities. Individual variability occurs even in seasonal variation of activities, highlighting the importance of controlling circumstances of venom extraction before comparing results between groups of snakes., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests:Anita Mitico Tanaka Azevedo reports financial support was provided by State of Sao Paulo Research Foundation. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)- Published
- 2024
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12. Red-on-Yellow Queen: Bio-Layer Interferometry Reveals Functional Diversity Within Micrurus Venoms and Toxin Resistance in Prey Species.
- Author
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Dashevsky D, Harris RJ, Zdenek CN, Benard-Valle M, Alagón A, Portes-Junior JA, Tanaka-Azevedo AM, Grego KF, Sant'Anna SS, Frank N, and Fry BG
- Subjects
- Animals, Interferometry, Predatory Behavior physiology, Elapidae genetics, Elapidae metabolism, Elapid Venoms genetics, Elapid Venoms metabolism, Elapid Venoms chemistry, Receptors, Nicotinic metabolism, Receptors, Nicotinic genetics, Phylogeny, Coral Snakes metabolism, Coral Snakes genetics
- Abstract
Snakes in the family Elapidae largely produce venoms rich in three-finger toxins (3FTx) that bind to the α 1 subunit of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), impeding ion channel activity. These neurotoxins immobilize the prey by disrupting muscle contraction. Coral snakes of the genus Micrurus are specialist predators who produce many 3FTx, making them an interesting system for examining the coevolution of these toxins and their targets in prey animals. We used a bio-layer interferometry technique to measure the binding interaction between 15 Micrurus venoms and 12 taxon-specific mimotopes designed to resemble the orthosteric binding region of the muscular nAChR subunit. We found that Micrurus venoms vary greatly in their potency on this assay and that this variation follows phylogenetic patterns rather than previously reported patterns of venom composition. The long-tailed Micrurus tend to have greater binding to nAChR orthosteric sites than their short-tailed relatives and we conclude this is the likely ancestral state. The repeated loss of this activity may be due to the evolution of 3FTx that bind to other regions of the nAChR. We also observed variations in the potency of the venoms depending on the taxon of the target mimotope. Rather than a pattern of prey-specificity, we found that mimotopes modeled after snake nAChRs are less susceptible to Micrurus venoms and that this resistance is partly due to a characteristic tryptophan → serine mutation within the orthosteric site in all snake mimotopes. This resistance may be part of a Red Queen arms race between coral snakes and their prey., (© 2024. The Author(s).)
- Published
- 2024
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13. Quantification of ssDNA Scaffold Production by Ion-Pair Reverse Phase Chromatography.
- Author
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Silva-Santos AR, Sousa Rosa S, Marques MPC, Azevedo AM, and Prazeres DMF
- Abstract
DNA origami is an emerging technology that can be used as a nanoscale platform in numerous applications ranging from drug delivery systems to biosensors. The DNA nanostructures are assembled from large single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) scaffolds, ranging from hundreds to thousands of nucleotides and from short staple strands. Scaffolds are usually obtained by asymmetric PCR (aPCR) or Escherichia coli infection/transformation with phages or phagemids. Scaffold quantification is typically based on agarose gel electrophoresis densitometry for molecules obtained by aPCR, or by UV absorbance, in the case of scaffolds obtained by infection or transformation. Although these methods are well-established and easy-to-apply, the results obtained are often inaccurate due to the lack of selectivity and sensitivity in the presence of impurities. Herein, we present an HPLC method based on ion-pair reversed-phase (IP-RP) chromatography to quantify DNA scaffolds. Using IP-RP chromatography, ssDNA products (449 and 1000 nt) prepared by aPCR were separated from impurities and from the double stranded (ds) DNA byproduct. Additionally, both ss and dsDNA were quantified with high accuracy. The method was used to guide the optimization of the production of ssDNA by aPCR, which targeted the maximization of the ratio of ssDNA to dsDNA obtained. Moreover, ssDNA produced from phage infection of E. coli cells was also quantified by IP-RP using commercial ssDNA from the M13mp18 phage as a standard., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2024 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)
- Published
- 2024
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14. Photocatalyzed hydrodecarboxylation of fatty acids: a prospective method to produce drop-in biofuels.
- Author
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de Azevedo AM, de Araujo JGL, da Silva MDSB, Dos Anjos ASD, de Araújo AMM, Dos Santos EV, Martínez-Huitle CA, Gondim AD, and Cavalcanti LN
- Abstract
A direct and practical method for photocatalyzed hydrodecarboxylation of fatty acids is reported herein. The catalytic system consists of a commercially available acridinium salt as the photocatalyst and thiophenol as the Hydrogen Atom Transfer (HAT) co-catalyst. Results evidenced that C
n -1 alkanes were obtained in yields up to 77%. Furthermore, the protocol was employed for a complex mixture of fatty acids bio-derived from a real sample of licuri oil to obtain hydrocarbons in the range of C9 -C17 with high selectivity and excellent conversion (>90%). This work provides a powerful strategy for producing drop-in biofuels under mild conditions. Finally, an energetic assessment of our proposed protocol (∼22.9 kW h) reveals the benefit of a sustainable production of renewable hydrocarbons., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)- Published
- 2024
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15. Biochemical and toxicological profiles of venoms from an adult female South American bushmaster (Lachesis muta rhombeata) and her offspring.
- Author
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Galizio NC, Moraes-Santos LS, Yabunaka AC, Demico PJ, Torres-Bonilla KA, Varón JCG, Silva NJD Jr, Tanaka-Azevedo AM, Rocha MMTD, Hyslop S, Floriano RS, and Morais-Zani K
- Subjects
- Female, Humans, Adult, Thrombin, Hemorrhage, Antivenins pharmacology, Crotalid Venoms toxicity, Crotalid Venoms chemistry, Crotalinae, Venomous Snakes
- Abstract
In this work, we compared the biochemical and toxicological profiles of venoms from an adult female specimen of Lachesis muta rhombeata (South American bushmaster) and her seven offspring born in captivity, based on SDS-PAGE, RP-HPLC, enzymatic, coagulant, and hemorrhagic assays. Although adult and juvenile venoms showed comparable SDS-PAGE profiles, juveniles lacked some chromatographic peaks compared with adult venom. Adult venom had higher proteolytic (caseinolytic) activity than juvenile venoms (p < 0.05), but there were no significant inter-venom variations in the esterase, PLA
2 , phosphodiesterase and L-amino acid oxidase (LAAO) activities, although the latter activity was highly variable among the venoms. Juveniles displayed higher coagulant activity on human plasma, with a minimum coagulant dose ∼42% lower than the adult venom (p < 0.05), but there were no age-related differences in thrombin-like activity. Adult venom was more fibrinogenolytic (based on the rate of fibrinogen chain degradation) and hemorrhagic than juvenile venoms (p < 0.05). The effective dose of Bothrops/Lachesis antivenom (produced by the Instituto Butantan) needed to neutralize the coagulant activity was ∼57% greater for juvenile venoms (p < 0.05), whereas antivenom did not attenuate the thrombin-like activity of juvenile and adult venoms. Antivenom significantly reduced the hemorrhagic activity of adult venom (400 μg/kg, i. d.), but not that of juvenile venoms. Overall, these data indicate a compositional and functional ontogenetic shift in L. m. rhombeata venom., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)- Published
- 2024
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16. A comprehensive coding and microRNA transcriptome of vertebral bone in postlarvae and juveniles of Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis).
- Author
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Bouza C, Losada AP, Fernández C, Álvarez-Dios JA, de Azevedo AM, Barreiro A, Costas D, Quiroga MI, Martínez P, and Vázquez S
- Subjects
- Animals, Transcriptome, Spine abnormalities, Spine pathology, Bone and Bones, MicroRNAs genetics, Flatfishes genetics
- Abstract
Understanding vertebral bone development is essential to prevent skeletal malformations in farmed fish related to genetic and environmental factors. This is an important issue in Solea senegalensis, with special impact of spinal anomalies in postlarval and juvenile stages. Vertebral bone transcriptomics in farmed fish mainly comes from coding genes, and barely on miRNA expression. Here, we used RNA-seq of spinal samples to obtain the first comprehensive coding and miRNA transcriptomic repertoire for postlarval and juvenile vertebral bone, covering different vertebral phenotypes and egg-incubation temperatures related to skeleton health in S. senegalensis. Coding genes, miRNA and pathways regulating bone development and growth were identified. Differential transcriptomic profiles and suggestive mRNA-miRNA interactions were found between postlarvae and juveniles. Bone-related genes and functions were associated with the extracellular matrix, development and regulatory processes, calcium binding, retinol and lipid metabolism or response to stimulus, including those revealed by the miRNA targets related to signaling, cellular and metabolic processes, growth, cell proliferation and biological adhesion. Pathway enrichment associated with fish skeleton were identified when comparing postlarvae and juveniles: growth and bone development functions in postlarvae, while actin cytoskeleton, focal adhesion and proteasome related to bone remodeling in juveniles. The transcriptome data disclosed candidate coding and miRNA gene markers related to bone cell processes, references for functional studies of the anosteocytic bone of S. senegalensis. This study establishes a broad transcriptomic foundation to study healthy and anomalous spines under early thermal conditions across life-stages in S. senegalensis, and for comparative analysis of skeleton homeostasis and pathology in fish and vertebrates., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Inc.)
- Published
- 2024
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17. Proteomics and life-history variability of Endogenous Phospholipases A2 Inhibitors (PLIs) in Bothrops jararaca plasma.
- Author
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Serino-Silva C, Bittencourt Rodrigues CF, Miyamoto JG, Hatakeyama DM, Kavazoi VK, Da Rocha MMT, Tanaka AS, Tashima AK, de Morais-Zani K, Grego KF, and Tanaka-Azevedo AM
- Subjects
- Animals, Male, Female, Bothrops jararaca, Proteomics methods, Phospholipase A2 Inhibitors, Phospholipases A2 metabolism, Bothrops metabolism, Crotalid Venoms chemistry
- Abstract
In Brazil, the genus Bothrops is responsible for most ophidian accidents. Snake venoms have a wide variety of proteins and peptides exhibiting a broad repertoire of pharmacological and toxic effects that elicit systemic injury and characteristic local effects. The snakes' natural resistance to envenomation caused by the presence of inhibitory compounds on their plasma have been extensively studied. However, the presence of these inhibitors in different developmental stages is yet to be further discussed. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ontogeny of Bothrops jararaca plasma inhibitor composition and, to this end, plasma samples of B. jararaca were obtained from different developmental stages (neonates, youngs, and adults) and sexes (female and male). SDS-PAGE, Western blotting, affinity chromatography, and mass spectrometry were performed to analyze the protein profile and interaction between B. jararaca plasma and venom proteins. In addition, the presence of γBjPLI, a PLA2 inhibitor previously identified and characterized in B. jararaca serum, was confirmed by Western blotting. According to our results, 9-17% of plasma proteins were capable of binding to venom proteins in the three developmental stages. The presence of different endogenous inhibitors and, more specifically, different PLA2 inhibitor (PLI) classes and antihemorrhagic factors were confirmed in specimens of B. jararaca from newborn by mass spectrometry. For the first time, the αPLI and βPLI were detected in B. jararaca plasma, although low or no ontogenetic and sexual correlation were found. The γPLI were more abundant in adult female, than in neonate and young female, but similar to neonate, young and adult male according to the results of mass spectrometry analysis. Our results suggest that there are proteins in the plasma of these animals that can help counteract the effects of self-envenomation from birth., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Serino-Silva et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)
- Published
- 2024
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18. Unveiling the peptidome diversity of Lachesismuta snake venom: Discovery of novel fragments of metalloproteinase, l-amino acid oxidase, and bradykinin potentiating peptides.
- Author
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Ito LT, Miyamoto JG, Sant'Anna SS, Grego KF, Tanaka-Azevedo AM, and Tashima AK
- Subjects
- Peptides chemistry, Snake Venoms, Metalloproteases, Bradykinin, L-Amino Acid Oxidase chemistry
- Abstract
Snake venoms are known to be major sources of peptides with different pharmacological properties. In this study, we comprehensively explored the venom peptidomes of three specimens of Lachesismuta, the largest venomous snake in South America, using mass spectrometry techniques. The analysis revealed 19 main chromatographic peaks common to all specimens. A total of 151 peptides were identified, including 69 from a metalloproteinase, 58 from the BPP-CNP precursor, and 24 from a l-amino acid oxidase. To our knowledge, 126 of these peptides were reported for the first time in this work, including a new SVMP-derived peptide fragment, Lm-10a. Our findings highlight the dynamic nature of toxin maturation in snake venoms, driven by proteolytic processing, post-translational modifications, and cryptide formation., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2023
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19. Irish Dancing Injuries and Associated Risk Factors: A Systematic Review.
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Póvoa AR, Costa CM, Simões S, Azevedo AM, and Oliveira R
- Subjects
- Humans, Prospective Studies, Cross-Sectional Studies, Sleep Deprivation, Risk Factors, Dancing injuries, Musculoskeletal Diseases, Athletic Injuries epidemiology
- Abstract
Irish dance is growing in popularity, evolving to a more athletic and demanding dance style. The aim of this study is to conduct a systematic review, previously registered with PROSPERO, to identify the prevalence, incidence, and the injury pattern among Irish dancers and analyse the associated risk factors. Six online databases and two dance-specific science publications were searched systematically. Studies were included if the patterns of injuries among Irish dancers were evaluated or the factors associated with injury were analysed, published in English or Portuguese, in peer-reviewed scientific journals. Four reviewers assessed the quality and level of evidence using the Downs and Black criteria and a modified Oxford Centre of Evidence-Based Medicine 2009 model, respectively. Eleven articles were included, eight of Level 3c (cross-sectional) and three of Level 3b (prospective). Mean DB percentage score was 63% ± 7.2%. Prevalence ranged from 72.2% to 92.6%, affecting mostly the foot/ankle complex. Only two articles reported incidence, which ranged from 3.4 to 10.6 injuries/1000 h danced depending on injury definition. Psychological factors, elite level, and insufficient/poor sleep were associated with musculoskeletal injury. Injury prevalence and incidence is high in Irish dancers, with the foot and ankle being more affected. Due to heterogeneity in injury definitions, methods, and populations, along with the need for improvement in studies quality, recommendations were made for future research.
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
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20. Does macauba cake alter nutrient digestibility and microorganism population in the rumen of sheep?
- Author
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Geraseev LC, Duarte ER, Vieira EA, Ibarra NG, Chaves AS, Santos SS, Azevedo AM, and Passetti RAC
- Subjects
- Animals, Male, Detergents metabolism, Diet veterinary, Dietary Fiber metabolism, Nutrients, Rumen metabolism, Sheep, Animal Feed analysis, Digestion
- Abstract
Twenty Santa Inês male sheep were used in a randomized block design to evaluate the effects of different levels of macauba cake (MC) on nutrient digestibility and the population of microorganism in the rumen. The animals were divided into four groups according to MC levels (0, 10, 20, and 30% of DM) and initial body weight ranging from 32.75 to 52.17 kg. Diets were isonitrogenous and formulated to attend metabolizable energy requirements, and feed intake was regulated with 10% allowance for leftovers. Each experimental period lasted 20 days, with the final 5 days reserved for sample collection. Macauba cake inclusion did not affect the dry matter, organic matter, or crude protein intake but increased the ether extract, neutral detergent fiber, and acid detergent fiber intake, mainly because of changes in the concentrations of these components in diets with a higher level of MC. With MC inclusion, a linear decreasing effect was observed for the dry matter and organic matter digestibility, and a quadratic effect with a maximum point of 21.5% was observed for the acid detergent fiber digestibility. A relative reduction of 73% in anaerobic fungal populations was observed with the lowest level of MC inclusion, and a relative increase of 162% in methanogenic populations was observed with the highest level of MC inclusion. The increasing level of macauba cake up to 30% of the diet of lambs reduced the dry matter digestibility and reduced anaerobic fungi but increased methanogenic population., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)
- Published
- 2023
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21. Phytophagous insects and natural enemies on Sapindus saponaria L. (Sapindales: Sapindaceae) plants fertilized with or without dehydrated sewage sludge.
- Author
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Silva JL, Demolin-Leite GL, Soares MA, Cabral MJS, Faustino-Júnior W, Caldeira ZV, Teixeira DL, Sampaio RA, Azevedo AM, and Zanuncio JC
- Subjects
- Animals, Sewage, Ecosystem, Insecta, Sapindus, Sapindaceae, Saponaria, Spiders
- Abstract
Management programs and efficient techniques are necessary to recover degraded ecosystems. The sewage sludge is rich in nitrogen (N) and with the potential to fertilize Sapindus saponaria L. (Sapinales: Sapindaceae), used in the recovery of degraded areas; this can affect the insect fauna. The study's objective was to evaluate, for 24 months, the abundance of chewing insects, dipterans, pollinators, and predators on S. saponaria plants fertilized with or without dehydrated sewage sludge in a degraded area. The experimental design was completely randomized (with the same characteristics) with two treatments (with or without dehydrated sewage sludge) and 24 replicates, each with one plant. The abundance of Anastrepha sp. (Tephritidae), Cerotoma sp. (Chrysomelidae), Curculionidae, Musca domestica L. (Muscidae), Mantis religiosa L. (Mantodea: Mantidae), Oxyopidae, Salticidae, Tettigoniidae (Orthoptera), and Teudis sp. (Anyphaenidae) was higher on fertilized plants. The abundances of Teudis sp. and Tmarus sp. (Thomisidae) and M. religiosa and Teudis sp. were positively correlated with chewing insects and Diptera, respectively. The population increase of insects and spiders on S. saponaria plants fertilized with dehydrated sewage sludge (bigger crowns) has shown to be suitable for recovering degraded areas with a higher number of niches and better food quality, improving the ecological indices of the area.
- Published
- 2023
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22. II Production Unknown: a R package for application of the percentage of importance indice-production unknown.
- Author
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Demolin-Leite GL and Azevedo AM
- Published
- 2023
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23. Children and Snakebite: Snake Venom Effects on Adult and Paediatric Plasma.
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Zdenek CN, Rodrigues CFB, Bourke LA, Tanaka-Azevedo AM, Monagle P, and Fry BG
- Subjects
- Animals, Humans, Adult, Child, Child, Preschool, Antivenins pharmacology, Blood Coagulation, Snake Venoms pharmacology, Anticoagulants pharmacology, Viper Venoms pharmacology, Snake Bites pathology, Daboia
- Abstract
Snakebite is a globally neglected tropical disease, with coagulation disturbances being the primary pathology of many deadly snake venoms. Age-related differences in human plasma have been abundantly reported, yet the effect that these differences pose regarding snakebite is largely unknown. We tested for differences in coagulotoxic effects (via clotting time) of multiple snake venoms upon healthy human adult (18+) and paediatric (median 3.3 years old) plasma in vivo and compared these effects to the time it takes the plasmas to clot without the addition of venom (the spontaneous clotting time). We tested venoms from 15 medically significant snake species (from 13 genera) from around the world with various mechanisms of coagulotoxic actions, across the three broad categories of procoagulant, pseudo-procoagulant, and anticoagulant, to identify any differences between the two plasmas in their relative pathophysiological vulnerability to snakebite. One procoagulant venom ( Daboia russelii , Russell's Viper) produced significantly greater potency on paediatric plasma compared with adult plasma. In contrast, the two anticoagulant venoms ( Pseudechis australis , Mulga Snake; and Bitis cornuta , Many-horned Adder) were significantly more potent on adult plasma. All other procoagulant venoms and all pseudo-procoagulant venoms displayed similar potency across both plasmas. Our preliminary results may inform future studies on the effect of snake venoms upon plasmas from different age demographics and hope to reduce the burden of snakebite upon society.
- Published
- 2023
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24. The antineoplastic potential of crotoxin isolated from Crotalus durissus terrificus snake venom on oral squamous cell carcinoma.
- Author
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da Rocha RG, Santos EMS, Tanaka-Azevedo AM, Serino-Silva C, Souza MG, Gomes ESB, Guimarães FAD, Silveira LH, Santos SHS, de Paula AMB, Gomez RS, Guimarães ALS, and Farias LC
- Subjects
- Animals, Mice, Crotalus, Matrix Metalloproteinase 2, Matrix Metalloproteinase 9, Antineoplastic Agents pharmacology, Crotalid Venoms chemistry, Crotoxin pharmacology, Mouth Neoplasms chemically induced, Mouth Neoplasms drug therapy, Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck chemically induced, Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck drug therapy
- Abstract
This study investigated the antineoplastic effects of crotoxin isolated from snake venom of the South American Crotalus durissus terrificus in oral cancer cell lines and in an animal model of chemically induced oral cancer. We analyzed cell viability and death, clonogenic formation, DNA fragmentation, migration assay, and gene expression of MMP2, MMP9, COL1A1, and CASP3. In the animal model, after induction of oral cancer by 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide carcinogen, mice were treated with crotoxin to investigate its effects on tumor development in tongue and oral mucosa. Crotoxin inhibited cell proliferation, viability, colony formation, and migration, favoring cell death. Furthermore, crotoxin increased caspase-3 expression, decreased Ki-67 protein and mRNA expression of MMP2, MMP9, and COL1A1. Mice treated with crotoxin at 10 μg/kg did not alter biochemical parameters total cholesterol, very-low-density lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein, liver transaminases, glycemia, creatinine, and urea. Crotoxin treatment significantly reduced the frequency of oral squamous cell carcinoma lesions by 50%. Thus, this study highlights crotoxin as a promising chemotherapeutic substance, considering its effects on controlling the neoplastic cell population, reducing cell migration, and inhibiting tumor development. Clinical studies are necessary to understand better the impact of crotoxin as a potential adjuvant therapeutic agent for oral cancer patients., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2023
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- View/download PDF
25. Maximizing mRNA vaccine production with Bayesian optimization.
- Author
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Rosa SS, Nunes D, Antunes L, Prazeres DMF, Marques MPC, and Azevedo AM
- Subjects
- Bayes Theorem, Humans, RNA, Messenger genetics, mRNA Vaccines, Vaccines, Synthetic
- Abstract
Messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines are a new alternative to conventional vaccines with a prominent role in infectious disease control. These vaccines are produced in in vitro transcription (IVT) reactions, catalyzed by RNA polymerase in cascade reactions. To ensure an efficient and cost-effective manufacturing process, essential for a large-scale production and effective vaccine supply chain, the IVT reaction needs to be optimized. IVT is a complex reaction that contains a large number of variables that can affect its outcome. Traditional optimization methods rely on classic Design of Experiments methods, which are time-consuming and can present human bias or based on simplified assumptions. In this contribution, we propose the use of Machine Learning approaches to perform a data-driven optimization of an mRNA IVT reaction. A Bayesian optimization method and model interpretability techniques were used to automate experiment design, providing a feedback loop. IVT reaction conditions were found under 60 optimization runs that produced 12 g · L
-1 in solely 2 h. The results obtained outperform published industry standards and data reported in literature in terms of both achievable reaction yield and reduction of production time. Furthermore, this shows the potential of Bayesian optimization as a cost-effective optimization tool within (bio)chemical applications., (© 2022 The Authors. Biotechnology and Bioengineering published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)- Published
- 2022
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26. Nickel-catalyzed reductive decarboxylation of fatty acids for drop-in biofuel production.
- Author
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da Silva MDSB, de Araujo JGL, Bento JCCV, de Azevedo AM, Souto CRO, Dos Anjos ASD, de Araújo AMM, da Silva DR, Menezes FG, Gondim AD, and Cavalcanti LN
- Abstract
An operationally simple and highly selective method for the decarboxylation of fatty acids under remarkably mild conditions is described herein. The activation of the aliphatic carboxylic acids by esterification with N -hydroxyphthalimide (NHPI) enabled efficient deoxygenation to synthesize n -alkanes in up to 67% yield, employing inexpensive PMHS as a hydrogen source, NiCl
2 ·6H2 O, bipyridine, and zinc in THF. In contrast to the conventional thermo-catalytic approaches, this protocol does not require high temperature and high pressure of hydrogen gas to deoxygenate biomass-derived carboxylic acids, thus representing an attractive alternative for producing drop-in biofuels., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)- Published
- 2022
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27. ImportanceIndice: an R package for application of the percentage of importance indice.
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Demolin-Leite GL and Azevedo AM
- Published
- 2022
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28. Analyzing the influence of age and sex in Bothrops pauloensis snake venom.
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Tasima LJ, Hatakeyama DM, Aguiar WDS, Lima EOV, Miyamoto JG, Tashima AK, Sant'Anna SS, Grego KF, Morais-Zani K, and Tanaka-Azevedo AM
- Subjects
- Animals, Antivenins, Female, Male, Metalloproteases metabolism, Phospholipases A2 metabolism, Proteins, Snake Venoms chemistry, Snakes, Bothrops metabolism, Crotalid Venoms chemistry, Crotalid Venoms toxicity
- Abstract
Considerable heterogeneity and ontogenetic changes in venom composition have already been observed in different species of snakes within the Viperidae family. Since the venom of young and adult can cause distinct pathological effects and because the antivenom may be less effective in neutralizing envenoming by young snakes compared to adults, it is of paramount importance to understand the ontogenetic variation of snake venom. Thus, the present study aimed to analyze and compare the venom of Bothrops pauloensis snakes, searching for possible influences of ontogeny and sex in their biochemical and biological aspects. The venom of younger individuals was more complex in relation to high molecular mass proteins, with a greater abundance of metalloproteinases, while adults showed a greater abundance of medium and low molecular mass proteins, such as phospholipases A
2 (PLA2 ), C-type lectins and serine proteases. The antivenom showed better immunorecognition towards the venom of adult snakes than younger ones, in addition to a deficiency in the recognition of medium molecular mass proteins, suggesting the need for an improvement in the antivenom. Younger snakes showed higher coagulant, caseinolytic, and hemorrhagic activity, while adult snakes showed higher L-amino acid oxidase (LAAO) activity and acted faster in lethality. Differences between males and females were observed mainly in the rate of loss of coagulant activity, change in PLA2 activity and lethality action time. Furthermore, considering only the adult groups, males showed a higher LAAO and thrombin-like activity, while females showed a higher caseinolytic and hyaluronidase activity. With the results obtained in this work, it was possible to conclude that there is an ontogenetic variation in the composition and some activities of the B. pauloensis snake venom, in addition to differences between the venom of males and females, reinforcing that there is an intraspecific variation that may result in different symptoms in their envenoming and, consequently, differences in the response to treatment with the antivenom., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)- Published
- 2022
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29. A comparative study of endogenous phospholipase A 2 inhibitors in the serum of Brazilian pit vipers.
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Kavazoi VK, Serino-Silva C, Bittencourt Rodrigues CF, Hatakeyama DM, Carvalho de Souza D, Grego KF, de Morais-Zani K, and Tanaka-Azevedo AM
- Subjects
- Animals, Brazil, Phospholipase A2 Inhibitors chemistry, Phospholipases A2, Snakes, Crotalinae
- Abstract
This work compared the presence of phospholipase A
2 inhibitors (PLIs) in the serum of 19 snake species maintained at Instituto Butantan to better understand the mechanisms of venom resistance in snakes and improve the treatment of snakebite. PLI was isolated from blood of 19 snake species by one-step chromatography and identified in all samples, besides its identity was confirmed through the interaction with both phospholipase A2 and anti-γPLI. These findings highlight the diversity of snake serum PLIs and emphasize the importance of structure-function studies., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)- Published
- 2022
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- View/download PDF
30. Can dehydrated sewage sludge, used as fertilizer, affect arthropods on Platycyamus regnellii (Fabaceae)?
- Author
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Sousa BRS, Leite GLD, Guanãbens PFS, Lemes PG, Soares MA, Azevedo AM, Sampaio RA, Zanuncio JC, Zanetti R, and Serrão JE
- Subjects
- Animals, Fertilizers, Sewage, Arthropods, Fabaceae
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
31. Clinical and Evolutionary Implications of Dynamic Coagulotoxicity Divergences in Bothrops (Lancehead Pit Viper) Venoms.
- Author
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Bourke LA, Zdenek CN, Tanaka-Azevedo AM, Silveira GPM, Sant'Anna SS, Grego KF, Rodrigues CFB, and Fry BG
- Subjects
- Animals, Anticoagulants, Antivenins, Fibrinogen, Humans, Bothrops, Crotalid Venoms toxicity
- Abstract
Despite coagulotoxicity being a primary weapon for prey capture by Bothrops species (lancehead pit vipers) and coagulopathy being a major lethal clinical effect, a genus-wide comparison has not been undertaken. To fill this knowledge gap, we used thromboelastography to compare 37 venoms, from across the full range of geography, taxonomy, and ecology, for their action upon whole plasma and isolated fibrinogen. Potent procoagulant toxicity was shown to be the main venom effect of most of the species tested. However, the most basal species ( B. pictus ) was strongly anticoagulant; this is consistent with procoagulant toxicity being a novel trait that evolved within Bothrops subsequent to their split from anticoagulant American pit vipers. Intriguingly, two of the arboreal species studied ( B. bilineatus and B. taeniatus ) lacked procoagulant venom, suggesting differential evolutionary selection pressures. Notably, some terrestrial species have secondarily lost the procoagulant venom trait: the Mogi Mirim, Brazil locality of B. alternatus ; San Andres, Mexico locality of B. asper ; B. diporus ; and the São Roque of B. jararaca . Direct action on fibrinogen was extremely variable; this is consistent with previous hypotheses regarding it being evolutionary decoupled due to procoagulant toxicity being the primary prey-capture weapon. However, human patients live long enough for fibrinogen depletion to be clinically significant. The extreme variability may be reflective of antivenom variability, with these results thereby providing a foundation for such future work of clinical relevance. Similarly, the venom diversification trends relative to ecological niche will also be useful for integration with natural history data, to reconstruct the evolutionary pressures shaping the venoms of these fascinating snakes.
- Published
- 2022
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32. Effects of congested fixture and matches' participation on internal and external workload indices in professional soccer players.
- Author
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Garcia GR, Gonçalves LGC, Clemente FM, Nakamura FY, Nobari H, Bedo BLS, Azevedo AM, Guerra MA Jr, and Aquino R
- Subjects
- Accelerometry, Adult, Brazil, Humans, Male, Physical Exertion, Time Factors, Young Adult, Athletes, Competitive Behavior, Physical Conditioning, Human, Soccer, Workload
- Abstract
This study aimed to verify the effects of congested fixture and matches' participation on internal and external workload indexes in professional Brazilian soccer players. Rate of perceived exertion-based training load (sRPE), distance- and accelerometry-based measures were daily monitored over 119 training sessions and 33 matches performed by 29 male outfield players. Weeks were classified as congested (n = 11, two or more matches within a 7-day period) and regular (n = 10, one match or less within a 7-day period). The players were divided based on the matches' participation: (1) players who played ≥ 60 min (G1); (2) players who played < 60 min (G2); (3) players who did not participate of the match (G3). The findings showed that independent of the levels of participation during the matches, regular weeks presented greater acute, monotony, and strain indices for internal and external workload measures than congested weeks. The G1 presented the highest values for most of the workload indices in both regular and congested weeks, except for monotony indices (internal and external load) that G2 showed greater values than G1 and G3. Coaches and practitioners should plan the training "doses" to reduce disparities of these different match's participation and congested schedule weeks., (© 2022. The Author(s).)
- Published
- 2022
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33. Sucking insects and their predators on tree canopies of a monocultural stand of Caryocar brasiliense.
- Author
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Demolin-Leite GL, Veloso RVS, Azevedo AM, Silva JL, Silva LF, Guanabens PFS, Gomes JB, Pereira WR, Silva RS, and Zanuncio JC
- Subjects
- Animals, Ecosystem, Humans, Insecta, Trees, Aphids, Malpighiales
- Abstract
Caryocar brasiliense Camb. (Malpighiales: Caryocaraceae) trees are widely distributed throughout the Cerrado ecosystem. The fruits of C. brasiliense trees are used by humans for food and as the main income source in many communities. C. brasiliense conservation is seriously threatened due to habitat loss caused by the land-use change. Sucking insects constitute an important ecological driver that potentially impact C. brasiliense survival in degraded environments. In addition, insects sampling methodologies for application in studies related to the conservation of C. brasiliense are poorly developed. In this study, sucking insects (Hemiptera) and their predators were recorded in three vertical strata of Caryocar brasiliense canopies. The distribution of sucking species showed vertical stratification along the canopy structure of C. brasiliense. The basal part of the canopy had the highest numbers of sucking insects Aphis gossypii (Glover 1877) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) and Bemisia tabaci (Genn. 1889) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), and their predators Chrysoperla sp. (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae), spiders (Araneae), and Zelus armillatus (Lep. & Servi., 1825) (Hemiptera: Reduviidae). Predators' distribution follows the resource availability and preferred C. brasiliense tree parts with a higher abundance of prey.
- Published
- 2022
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34. Microchromatography integrated with impedance sensor for bioprocess optimization: Experimental and numerical study of column efficiency for evaluation of scalability.
- Author
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Javidanbardan A, Chu V, Conde JP, and Azevedo AM
- Subjects
- Computer Simulation, Electric Impedance, Hydrodynamics, Microtechnology
- Abstract
In the last decade, there has been a growing interest in developing microfluidic systems as new scale-down models for accelerated and cost-effective biopharmaceutical process development. Nonetheless, the research in this field is still in its infancy and requires further investigation to simplify and accelerate the microfabrication process. In addition, integration of different label-free sensors into the microcolumn systems has utmost importance to minimize result discrepancies during the scale-up process. In this study, we developed a simple, low-cost integrated microcolumn (26 µl). Micromilling technology was employed to define the geometry and shape of microfluidic structures using poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA). The design of PMMA microstructure was transferred to polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), and interdigitated planar microelectrodes (IDE) were integrated into the system. To evaluate the scalability of the developed microcolumn column, column performance was assessed and compared with a conventional 1-ml prepacked column. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) studies were performed for both columns to understand the differences between theoretical and experimental results regarding retention time and peak broadening. Despite obtaining an acceptable asymmetric factor for the microcolumn (1.03 ± 0.02), the reduced plate height value was still higher than the recommended range with the value of 4.14 ± 0.18. Nevertheless, the consistency and significant improvement of microcolumn efficiency compared to previous studies provide the possibility of developing robust simulation tools for transferring acquired experimental data for larger-scale units., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier B.V.)
- Published
- 2022
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35. Retinopathy Hemoglobinopathies
- Author
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Feroze KB and Azevedo AM
- Abstract
Hemoglobinopathy refers to genetic disorders which are characterized by the inheritance of either an abnormal hemoglobin as in sickle cell disease or an insufficient production of hemoglobin chains as in thalassemia. James Herrick first described sickle cell disease from observing the peripheral smear of a West Indian patient. The ocular manifestations of sickle cell disease were described by Cook in 1930 when he noticed retinal hemorrhages in a patient who died of subarachnoid hemorrhage. A Detroit physician who was studying Italian children with severe anemia, poor growth, and early death first discovered thalassemia in 1925. Ocular involvement in beta thalassemia can occur because of the disease itself, because of the iron overload as a result of blood transfusions, or because of desferrioxamine used to treat the iron overload., (Copyright © 2022, StatPearls Publishing LLC.)
- Published
- 2022
36. Alpha Thalassemia
- Author
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Harewood J and Azevedo AM
- Abstract
Hemoglobin is made of iron (heme) and protein (globin). The function of hemoglobin is to carry oxygen from the lung to tissues. There are three main types of normal hemoglobin found in adults: Hemoglobin A, hemoglobin A2, and hemoglobin F are the types of globin molecule combinations, namely alpha, beta, gamma, or delta, determine the type of hemoglobin. All of the normal hemoglobin is a combination of alpha and non-alpha chains. The gene for alpha globin is located on chromosome 16. Hemoglobin A is composed of one pair of alpha-globin chains and one pair of beta-globin chains. It makes 95% to 98% of adult hemoglobin. Hemoglobin A2 is a pair of alpha chains and a pair of delta chains. It makes 1% to 3% of adult hemoglobin. Hemoglobin F is comprised of two alpha and two gamma chains. It makes up for the majority of neonatal hemoglobin, but in normal adults is 2% to 3% of the total hemoglobin. The percentages fluctuate based on age, genetics, medications, and underlying conditions. Thalassemias are a group of disorders caused by abnormal production of globin chains. The production can be diminished or can be absent for one or more of the globin chains. This imbalance of globin chain production impairs the production of normal hemoglobin. This impairment causes ineffective erythropoiesis with intramedullary hemolysis. Alpha thalassemia refers specifically to the abnormal or absent manufacturing of alpha-globin chains. These are associated with more than 15 different genetic mutations. The severity of the clinical condition is based on the mutation type. The severity of mutation is based on which of the two alpha-globin loci is affected. Mutations can also be deletion or non-deletion. In deletion mutation, there is an inheritance of a single alpha-globin gene. With the non-deletion type, a patient has inherited two alpha-globin genes, but one gene carries a non-deletion abnormality, for example, point mutation. In non-deletion, the severity of clinical expression is also affected depending on whether the mutation blocks the production of the remaining normal alpha chains partially or fully. Hemoglobin H disease occurs when only one normal alpha gene has been inherited. One of these most common non-deletion subtypes of Hemoglobin H is called Hemoglobin Constant Spring. HbH disease tends to be more severe in patients with the non-deletion-type likely due to interference with the transcription of the normal alpha chain gene by the abnormal one., (Copyright © 2022, StatPearls Publishing LLC.)
- Published
- 2022
37. Splenomegaly
- Author
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Chapman J, Goyal A, and Azevedo AM
- Abstract
Splenomegaly is defined as enlargement of the spleen measured by weight or size. The spleen plays a significant role in hematopoiesis and immunosurveillance. The major functions of the spleen include clearance of senescent and abnormal erythrocytes and their remnants, opsonized platelets and white blood cells and removal of microorganisms and antigens. The spleen also serves as a secondary lymphoid organ and is the site for maturation and storage of T and B lymphocytes, playing an important role in the synthesis of immunoglobulin G (IgG) by mature B-lymphocytes upon interaction with the T-lymphocytes. The spleen also synthesizes the immune system peptides properdin and tuftsin. Approximately one-third of circulating platelets are stored in the spleen. The normal position of the spleen is within the peritoneal cavity in the left upper quadrant adjacent to ribs 9 through 12. The normal-sized spleen abuts the stomach, colon, and left kidney. The size and weight of spleen may vary and correlates with weight, height, and sex of an individual, with larger spleen size seen in men compared to women, and in heavier or taller individuals. A normally sized spleen measures up to 12 cm in craniocaudal length. A length of 12 cm to 20 cm indicates splenomegaly, and a length greater than 20 cm is definitive of massive splenomegaly. The normal weight of the adult spleen is 70 g to 200 g; a spleen weight of 400 g to 500 g indicates splenomegaly and spleen weight greater than 1000 g is definitive of massive splenomegaly. The normal-sized spleen is usually not palpable in adults. However, it may be palpable due to variations in body habitus and chest wall anatomy. Splenomegaly may be diagnosed clinically or radiographically using ultrasound, CT imaging, or MRI. Splenomegaly may be a transient condition due to acute illness or may be due to serious underlying acute or chronic pathology., (Copyright © 2022, StatPearls Publishing LLC.)
- Published
- 2022
38. A Systematic Approach for Developing 3D High-Quality PDMS Microfluidic Chips Based on Micromilling Technology.
- Author
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Javidanbardan A, Azevedo AM, Chu V, and Conde JP
- Abstract
In recent years, there has been an increased interest in exploring the potential of micro-and mesoscale milling technologies for developing cost-effective microfluidic systems with high design flexibility and a rapid microfabrication process that does not require a cleanroom. Nevertheless, the number of current studies aiming to fully understand and establish the benefits of this technique in developing high-quality microsystems with simple integrability is still limited. In the first part of this study, we define a systematic and adaptable strategy for developing high-quality poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)-based micromilled structures. A case study of the average surface roughness ( Ra ) minimization of a cuboid column is presented to better illustrate some of the developed strategies. In this example, the Ra of a cuboid column was reduced from 1.68 μm to 0.223 μm by implementing milling optimization and postprocessing steps. In the second part of this paper, new strategies for developing a 3D microsystem were introduced by using a specifically designed negative PMMA master mold for polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) double-casting prototyping. The reported results in this study demonstrate the robustness of the proposed approach for developing microfluidic structures with high surface quality and structural integrability in a reasonable amount of time.
- Published
- 2021
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- View/download PDF
39. Microfluidics as a high-throughput solution for chromatographic process development - The complexity of multimodal chromatography used as a proof of concept.
- Author
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Nascimento A, São Pedro MN, Pinto IF, Aires-Barros MR, and Azevedo AM
- Subjects
- High-Throughput Screening Assays, Ligands, Chromatography, Microfluidics
- Abstract
High-throughput technologies are fundamental to expedite the implementation of novel purification platforms. The possibility of performing process development within short periods of time while saving consumables and biological material are prime features for any high-throughput screening device. In this work, a microfluidic device is evaluated as high-throughput solution for a complete study of chromatographic operation conditions on ten different multimodal resins. The potential of this class of purification solutions is generally hindered by its complexity. Taking this into consideration, the microfluidic platform was herein applied and assessed as a tool for high-throughput applications. The commercially available multimodal ligands were studied for the binding of three antibody-based biomolecules (polyclonal mixture of whole antibodies, Fab and Fc fragments) at different pH and salt conditions, in a total of 450 experiments. The results obtained with the microfluidic device were comparable to a standard 96-well filtering microplate high-throughput tool. Additionally, five of the ten multimodal ligands tested were packed into a bench-scale column to perform a final validation of the microfluidic results obtained. All the data acquired in this work using different screening protocols corroborate each other, showing that microfluidic chromatography is a valuable tool for the fast implementation of a new purification step, particularly, if the goal is to narrow the downstream possibilities by being a first point of decision., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier B.V.)
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
40. BoaγPLI from Boa constrictor Blood is a Broad-Spectrum Inhibitor of Venom PLA 2 Pathophysiological Actions.
- Author
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Rodrigues CFB, Zdenek CN, Serino-Silva C, de Morais-Zani K, Grego KF, Bénard-Valle M, Neri-Castro E, Alagón A, Tanaka-Azevedo AM, and Fry BG
- Subjects
- Animals, Phospholipases A2 chemistry, Predatory Behavior, Reptilian Proteins chemistry, Snake Venoms analysis, Snake Venoms enzymology, Venoms analysis, Venoms enzymology, Boidae, Coral Snakes, Phospholipases A2 toxicity, Reptilian Proteins toxicity, Snake Venoms chemistry, Sympatry, Venoms chemistry
- Abstract
The use of venom in predation exerts a corresponding selection pressure for the evolution of venom resistance. One of the mechanisms related to venom resistance in animals (predators or prey of snakes) is the presence of molecules in the blood that can bind venom toxins, and inhibit their pharmacological effects. One such toxin type are venom phospholipase A
2 s (PLA2 s), which have diverse effects including anticoagulant, myotoxic, and neurotoxic activities. BoaγPLI isolated from the blood of Boa constrictor has been previously shown to inhibit venom PLA2 s that induced myotoxic and edematogenic activities. Recently, in addition to its previously described and very potent neurotoxic effect, the venoms of American coral snakes (Micrurus species) have been shown to have anticoagulant activity via PLA2 toxins. As coral snakes eat other snakes as a major part of their diet, neonate Boas could be susceptible to predation by this sympatric species. Thus, this work aimed to ascertain if BoaγPLI provided a protective effect against the anticoagulant toxicity of venom from the model species Micrurus laticollaris in addition to its ability shown previously against other toxin types. Using a STA R Max coagulation analyser robot to measure the effect upon clotting time, and TEG5000 thromboelastographers to measure the effect upon clot strength, we evaluated the ability of BoaγPLI to inhibit M. laticollaris venom. Our results indicate that BoaγPLI is efficient at inhibiting the M. laticollaris anticoagulant effect, reducing the time of coagulation (restoring them closer to non-venom control values) and increasing the clot strength (restoring them closer to non-venom control values). These findings demonstrate that endogenous PLA2 inhibitors in the blood of non-venomous snakes are multi-functional and provide broad resistance against a myriad of venom PLA2 -driven toxic effects including coagulotoxicity, myotoxicity, and neurotoxicity. This novel form of resistance could be evidence of selective pressures caused by predation from venomous snakes and stresses the need for field-based research aimed to expand our understanding of the evolutionary dynamics of such chemical arms race., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)- Published
- 2021
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41. Length, weight, and longevity record for Micrurus frontalis (Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1854).
- Author
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Grego KF, Rocha MMT, Morais-Zani K, Tanaka-Azevedo AM, and Sant'Anna SS
- Subjects
- Animals, Longevity, Coral Snakes
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
42. Clinical implications of ontogenetic differences in the coagulotoxic activity of Bothrops jararacussu venoms.
- Author
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Rodrigues CFB, Zdenek CN, Bourke LA, Seneci L, Chowdhury A, Freitas-de-Sousa LA, de Alcantara Menezes F, Moura-da-Silva AM, Tanaka-Azevedo AM, and Fry BG
- Subjects
- Animals, Bothrops, Factor X metabolism, Female, Humans, Male, Thrombelastography, Antivenins pharmacology, Blood Coagulation drug effects, Crotalid Venoms toxicity, Snake Bites drug therapy
- Abstract
Is snake venom activity influenced by size? This is a long-standing question that can have important consequences for the treatment of snake envenomation. Ontogenetic shifts in venom composition are a well-documented characteristic of numerous snake species. Although snake venoms can cause a range of pathophysiological disturbances, establishing the coagulotoxic profiles related to such shifts is a justified approach because coagulotoxicity can be deadly, and its neutralisation is a challenge for current antivenom therapy. Thus, we aimed to assess the coagulotoxicity patterns on plasma and fibrinogen produced by B othrops jararacussu venoms from individuals of different sizes and sex, and the neutralisation potential of SAB (anti bothropic serum produced by Butantan Institute). The use of a metalloproteinase inhibitor (Prinomastat) and a serine proteinase inhibitor (AEBSF) enabled us to determine the toxin class responsible for the observed coagulopathy: activity on plasma was found to be metalloprotease driven, while the activity on fibrinogen is serine protease driven. To further explore differences in venom activity, the activation of Factor X and prothrombin as a function of snake size was also evaluated. All the venoms exhibited a potent procoagulant effect upon plasma and were less potent in their pseudo-procoagulant clotting effect upon fibrinogen. On human plasma, the venoms from smaller snakes produced more rapid clotting than the larger ones. In contrast, the venom activity on fibrinogen had no relation with size or sex. The difference in procoagulant potency was correlated with the bigger snakes being proportionally better neutralized by antivenom due to the lower levels of procoagulant toxins, than the smaller. Thus, while the antivenom ultimately neutralized the venoms, proportionally more would be needed for an equal mass of venom from a small snake than a large one. Similarly, the neutralisation by SAB of the pseudo-procoagulant clotting effects was also correlated with relative potency, with the smaller and bigger snakes being neutralized proportional to potency, but with no correlation to size. Thromboelastography (TEG) tests on human and toad plasma revealed that small snakes' venoms acted quicker than large snakes' venom on both plasmas, with the action upon amphibian plasma consistent with smaller snakes taking a larger proportion of anuran prey than adults. Altogether, the ontogenetic differences regarding coagulotoxic potency and corresponding impact upon relative antivenom neutralisation of snakes with different sizes were shown, underscoring the medical importance of investigating ontogenetic changes in order to provide data crucial for evidence-based design of clinical management strategies., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors report no declarations of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
43. Manufacturing of bacteriophages for therapeutic applications.
- Author
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João J, Lampreia J, Prazeres DMF, and Azevedo AM
- Subjects
- Anti-Bacterial Agents therapeutic use, Bacteria genetics, Biotechnology, Bacteriophages genetics, Phage Therapy
- Abstract
Bacteriophages, or simply phages, are the most abundant biological entities on Earth. One of the most interesting characteristics of these viruses, which infect and use bacteria as their host organisms, is their high level of specificity. Since their discovery, phages became a tool for the comprehension of basic molecular biology and originated applications in a variety of areas such as agriculture, biotechnology, food safety, veterinary, pollution remediation and wastewater treatment. In particular, phages offer a solution to one of the major problems in public health nowadays, i.e. the emergence of multidrug-resistant bacteria. In these situations, the use of virulent phages as therapeutic agents offers an alternative to the classic, antibiotic-based strategies. The development of phage therapies should be accompanied by the improvement of phage biomanufacturing processes, both at laboratory and industrial scales. In this review, we first present some historical and general aspects related with the discovery, usage and biology of phages and provide a brief overview of the most relevant phage therapy applications. Then, we showcase current processes used for the production and purification of phages and future alternatives in development. On the production side, key factors such as the bacterial physiological state, the conditions of phage infection and the operation parameters are described alongside with the different operation modes, from batch to semi-continuous and continuous. Traditional purification methods used in the initial phage isolation steps are then described followed by the presentation of current state-of-the-art purification approaches. Continuous purification of phages is finally presented as a future biomanufacturing trend., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier Inc.)
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- 2021
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44. From birth to adulthood: An analysis of the Brazilian lancehead (Bothrops moojeni) venom at different life stages.
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Hatakeyama DM, Jorge Tasima L, da Costa Galizio N, Serino-Silva C, Fabri Bittencourt Rodrigues C, Rodrigues Stuginski D, Stefanini Sant'Anna S, Fernandes Grego K, Tashima AK, Nishiduka ES, de Morais-Zani K, and Tanaka-Azevedo AM
- Subjects
- Animals, Bothrops metabolism, Brazil, Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid, Electrophoresis, Female, Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental, Male, Mass Spectrometry, Metalloproteases metabolism, Phospholipases A2 metabolism, Reptilian Proteins metabolism, Bothrops growth & development, Crotalid Venoms analysis, L-Amino Acid Oxidase metabolism
- Abstract
The Brazilian lancehead (Bothrops moojeni) has a wide distribution in Brazil and represents a serious public health hazard. Previous works reported that the symptoms of snakebites caused by B. moojeni juveniles' bites were mainly related to coagulation, while those caused by adults' bites had a more prominent local damage. In this work, we analyzed the venoms of B. moojeni at different life stages to better understand the ontogeny shift in this species. Snakes were grouped by age and sex, and venom pools were formed accordingly. Compositional analyses by one-dimensional electrophoresis (1-DE), chromatography, and mass spectrometry revealed that ontogenetic changes might be mostly related to phospholipase A2 (PLA2) and metalloproteases. Regarding the venoms functional aspect, proteolytic, L-amino acid oxidase, PLA2, and coagulant in vitro activities were assayed, but only the first and the last ones showed age-related changes, with the venom of snakes up to 1 year-old displaying lower proteolytic and higher coagulant activities, while those from 2 years-old onward presented the opposite relation. The venoms of 3 years-old snakes were exceptions to the compositional and functional pattern of adults as both venoms presented profiles similar to neonates. Sex-related differences were observed in specific groups and were not age-related. In vivo experiments (median lethal dose and hemorrhagic activity) were statistically similar between neonates and adults, however we verified that the adult venom killed mice faster comparing to the neonates. All venoms were mostly recognized by the antibothropic serum and displayed similar profiles to 1-DE in western blotting. In conclusion, the Brazilian lancehead venom showed ontogenetic shift in its composition and activities. Furthermore, this change occurred in snakes from 1 to 2 years-old, and interestingly the venom pools from 3 years-old snakes had particular characteristics, which highlights the importance of comprehensive studies to better understand venom variability., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
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- 2021
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45. Distribution of galling insects and their parasitoids on Caryocar brasiliense tree crowns.
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Leite GLD, Veloso RVS, Azevedo AM, Almeida CIME, Soares MA, Pereira AIA, Lemes PG, and Zanuncio JC
- Subjects
- Animals, Brazil, Humans, Insecta, Trees, Hymenoptera, Malpighiales
- Abstract
Caryocar brasiliense Camb. (Malpighiales: Caryocaraceae) is widely distributed in the Brazilian savanna and its fruits are used by humans for food, production of cosmetics, lubricants, and in the pharmaceutical industry. This plant is damaged by galling insects. Number of these galling insects and their parasitoids was recorded, in the field (galls) and in the laboratory (adults emerged from the galls), from three C. brasiliense crown heights, during three years. Numbers of adults of Eurytoma sp. (Hymenoptera: Eurytomidae), galling insect (younger attack) and Sycophila sp. (Hymenoptera: Eurytomidae) (a parasitoid of Eurytoma sp.), were greater on the apical parts of C. brasiliense tree crowns. Numbers and groups of Eurytoma sp. globoid galls (older attack) were higher in the median and basal crown parts. The numbers of Eurytoma sp. galls were higher on apical part of C. brasiliense tree crown and also of their parasitoids.
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- 2021
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46. What's in a mass?
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Calvete JJ, Sanz L, Mora-Obando D, Lomonte B, Tanaka-Azevedo AM, de Morais-Zani K, Sant'Anna SS, and Caldeira CAS
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- Animals, Biological Evolution, Gene Expression Profiling methods, Phylogeography, Proteome genetics, Snake Venoms chemistry, Species Specificity, Viperidae classification, Viperidae genetics, Mass Spectrometry methods, Proteome analysis, Proteomics methods, Snake Venoms analysis, Viperidae metabolism
- Abstract
This short essay pretends to make the reader reflect on the concept of biological mass and on the added value that the determination of this molecular property of a protein brings to the interpretation of evolutionary and translational snake venomics research. Starting from the premise that the amino acid sequence is the most distinctive primary molecular characteristics of any protein, the thesis underlying the first part of this essay is that the isotopic distribution of a protein's molecular mass serves to unambiguously differentiate it from any other of an organism's proteome. In the second part of the essay, we discuss examples of collaborative projects among our laboratories, where mass profiling of snake venom PLA2 across conspecific populations played a key role revealing dispersal routes that determined the current phylogeographic pattern of the species., (© 2021 The Author(s).)
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- 2021
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47. Snake venom color and L-amino acid oxidase: An evidence of long-term captive Crotalus durissus terrificus venom plasticity.
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Lima EOV, Tasima LJ, Hatakeyama DM, Serino-Silva C, Rodrigues CFB, Galizio NDC, Chiarelli T, Nishiduka ES, Rocha MMTD, Sant'Anna SS, Grego KF, Tashima AK, Tanaka-Azevedo AM, and Morais-Zani K
- Subjects
- Animals, Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel, Humans, Snake Venoms, Crotalid Venoms, Crotalus, L-Amino Acid Oxidase metabolism
- Abstract
The venom color variation of Crotalus durissus terrificus (Cdt) is attributed to the presence of the toxin L-amino acid oxidase (LAAO). During the venom milking routine of Instituto Butantan, we have noticed that most venoms of captive Cdt specimens show a yellowish color, while most venoms of wild specimens are white. Here we describe a comparative analysis of long-term captive (LTC) and recently wild-caught (RWC) Cdt, focusing on LAAO variation. For the identification of LAAO in individual venoms, four different approaches were employed: evaluation of the enzymatic activity, SDS-PAGE, Western blotting, and ELISA. In addition, mass spectrometry analysis was performed using pooled samples. Although some variation among these methodologies was observed, it was possible to notice that the presence of LAAO was significantly higher in the venom of LTC individuals. LAAO was identified in 60-80% LTC specimens and in only 10-12% of RWC specimens. Furthermore, this enzyme accounts for 5.6% of total venom proteins of LTC Cdt pooled venom, while it corresponds to only 0.7% of RWC Cdt pooled venom. These findings strongly suggest that captive maintenance increases the expression of LAAO in Cdt venom., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)
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- 2021
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48. mRNA vaccines manufacturing: Challenges and bottlenecks.
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Rosa SS, Prazeres DMF, Azevedo AM, and Marques MPC
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- COVID-19, Humans, Pandemics, mRNA Vaccines, RNA, Messenger administration & dosage, Vaccines, Synthetic
- Abstract
Vaccines are one of the most important tools in public health and play an important role in infectious diseases control. Owing to its precision, safe profile and flexible manufacturing, mRNA vaccines are reaching the stoplight as a new alternative to conventional vaccines. In fact, mRNA vaccines were the technology of choice for many companies to combat the Covid-19 pandemic, and it was the first technology to be approved in both United States and in Europe Union as a prophylactic treatment. Additionally, mRNA vaccines are being studied in the clinic to treat a number of diseases including cancer, HIV, influenza and even genetic disorders. The increased demand for mRNA vaccines requires a technology platform and cost-effective manufacturing process with a well-defined product characterisation. Large scale production of mRNA vaccines consists in a 1 or 2-step in vitro reaction followed by a purification platform with multiple steps that can include Dnase digestion, precipitation, chromatography or tangential flow filtration. In this review we describe the current state-of-art of mRNA vaccines, focusing on the challenges and bottlenecks of manufacturing that need to be addressed to turn this new vaccination technology into an effective, fast and cost-effective response to emerging health crises., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper. All authors attest they meet the ICMJE criteria for authorship., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)
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- 2021
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49. Behavior and development of Tetranychus ludeni Zacher, 1913 (Acari: Tetranychidae) and physiological stress in genetically modified cotton expressing Cry1F and Cry1Ac proteins.
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Valadares NR, Soares MA, Ferreira EA, Mendes-Sá VG, Azevedo AM, Pires EM, and Leite GLD
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- Animals, Bacillus thuringiensis Toxins, Bacterial Proteins genetics, Endotoxins, Female, Gossypium genetics, Hemolysin Proteins genetics, Humans, Larva, Plants, Genetically Modified genetics, Stress, Physiological, Tetranychidae genetics
- Abstract
Genetically modified plants are one of the tactics used in integrated pest management - IPM. There is great concern about the impact of these plants on non-target organisms. On the other hand, there is little information in the literature on the effects of transgenics (Bacillus thuringiensis) Bt on populations of phytophagous mites, and the physiological responses that this attack promotes on plants. The objective of this work was to evaluate the biology of the T. ludeni mite in Bt cotton, expressing the Cry1F and Cry1Ac proteins. To evaluate the behavior of food and oviposition preference of the T. ludeni with Bt cotton and isohybrid. Verify if the physiological stress caused by T. ludeni's attack is differentiated in Bt cotton. The mites were reared in Bt cotton and isohybrid, in a total of 40 replicates in the completely randomized design and the biological cycle was evaluated. The food preference and oviposition analysis were done with 10 replicates, with choice. The physiological stress was evaluated through chlorophyll fluorescence, under greenhouse conditions. The data of the T. ludeni biology were analyzed by Student's t-test, for food and oviposition preference the chi-square test was performed. Regression models were fitted for the fluorescence parameters. The model identity test was used to evaluate the differences between Bt and isohybrid treatments. Cry1F and Cry1Ac proteins have not affected the biology of T. ludeni. The photosynthetic parameters in Bt cotton plants were less influenced by T. ludeni infestation.
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- 2021
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50. Maintenance of venomous snakes in captivity for venom production at Butantan Institute from 1908 to the present: a scoping history.
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Grego KF, Vieira SEM, Vidueiros JP, Serapicos EO, Barbarini CC, da Silveira GPM, Rodrigues FS, Alves LCF, Stuginski DR, Rameh-de-Albuquerque LC, Furtado MFD, Tanaka-Azevedo AM, de Morais-Zani K, da Rocha MMT, Fernandes W, and Sant'Anna SS
- Abstract
Maintenance of snakes at Butantan Institute started in the last century, intending to produce a different antivenom serum to reduce death caused by snakebites. Through a successful campaign coordinated by Vital Brazil, farmers sent venomous snakes to Butantan Institute by the railway lines with no cost. From 1908 to 1962, the snakes were kept in an outdoor serpentarium, where venom extraction was performed every 15 days. During this period, the snake average survival was 15 days. In 1963, the snakes were transferred to an adapted building, currently called Laboratory of Herpetology (LH), to be maintained in an intensive system. Although the periodicity of venom extraction remained the same, animal average survival increased to two months. With the severe serum crisis in 1983, the Ministry of Health financed remodeling for the three public antivenom producers, and with this support, the LH could be improved. Air conditioning and exhausting systems were installed in the rooms, besides the settlement of critical hygienic-sanitary managements to increase the welfare of snakes. In the early 1990s, snake survival was ten months. Over the years to the present day, several improvements have been made in the intensive serpentarium, as the establishment of two quarantines, feeding with thawed rodents, an interval of two months between venom extraction routines, and monitoring of snake health through laboratory tests. With these new protocols, average snake survival increased significantly, being eight years for the genus Bothrops , ten years for genus Crotalus and Lachesis, and four years for the genus Micrurus . Aiming the production of venoms of good quality, respect for good management practices is essential for the maintenance of snakes in captivity. New techniques and efficient management must always be sought to improve animal welfare, the quality of the venom produced, and the safety of those working directly with the venomous snakes., Competing Interests: Competing interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
- Published
- 2021
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