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Introduction Through the production of prostacyclin, cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 protects the cardiorenal system. Asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), is a biomarker of cardiovascular and renal disease. Here we determined the relationship between COX-2/prostacyclin, ADMA, and renal function in mouse and human models. Methods We used plasma from COX-2 or prostacyclin synthase knockout mice and from a unique individual lacking COX-derived prostaglandins (PGs) because of a loss of function mutation in cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2), before and after receiving a cPLA2-replete transplanted donor kidney. ADMA, arginine, and citrulline were measured using UHPLC-MS/MS. ADMA and arginine were also measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Renal function was assessed by measuring cystatin C by immunoassay. ADMA and prostacyclin release from organotypic kidney slices were also measured by ELISA. Results Loss of COX-2 or prostacyclin synthase in mice increased plasma levels of ADMA, citrulline, arginine, and cystatin C. ADMA, citrulline, and arginine positively correlated with cystatin C. Plasma ADMA, citrulline, and cystatin C, but not arginine, were elevated in samples from the patient lacking COX/prostacyclin capacity compared to levels in healthy volunteers. Renal function, ADMA, and citrulline were returned toward normal range when the patient received a genetically normal kidney, capable of COX/prostacyclin activity; and cystatin C positively correlated with ADMA and citrulline. Levels of ADMA and prostacyclin in conditioned media of kidney slices were not altered in tissue from COX-2 knockout mice compared to wildtype controls. Conclusion In human and mouse models, where renal function is compromised because of loss of COX-2/PGI2 signaling, ADMA levels are increased.

Low-coverage whole genome shotgun sequencing (or genome skimming) has emerged as a cost-effective method for acquiring genomic data in nonmodel organisms. This method provides sequence information on chloroplast genome (cpDNA), mitochondrial genome (mtDNA) and nuclear ribosomal regions (rDNA), which are over-represented within cells. However, numerous bioinformatic challenges remain to accurately and rapidly obtain such data in organisms with complex genomic structures and rearrangements, in particular for mtDNA in plants or for cpDNA in some plant families. Here we introduce the pipeline ORTHOSKIM, which performs in silico capture of targeted sequences from genomic and transcriptomic libraries without assembling whole organelle genomes. ORTHOSKIM proceeds in three steps: (i) global sequence assembly, (ii) mapping against reference sequences and (iii) target sequence extraction; importantly it also includes a range of quality control tests. Different modes are implemented to capture both coding and noncoding regions of cpDNA, mtDNA and rDNA sequences, along with predefined nuclear sequences (e.g., ultraconserved elements) or collections of single-copy orthologue genes. Moreover, aligned DNA matrices are produced for phylogenetic reconstructions, by performing multiple alignments of the captured sequences. While ORTHOSKIM is suitable for any eukaryote, a case study is presented here, using 114 genome-skimming libraries and four RNA sequencing libraries obtained for two plant families, Primulaceae and Ericaceae, the latter being a well-known problematic family for cpDNA assemblies. ORTHOSKIM recovered with high success rates cpDNA, mtDNA and rDNA sequences, well suited to accurately infer evolutionary relationships within these families. ORTHOSKIM is released under a GPL-3 licence and is available at: https://github.com/cpouchon/ORTHOSKIM.

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

O presente artigo aborda o tema da mineração em Unidades de Conservação sob a perspectiva do ordenamento jurídico brasileiro. Este está na ordem do dia de tribunais por conta de litígios e decisões judiciais do parlamento, através de debates e proposições legislativas e, por consequência, em noticiários jornalísticos diversos. Isso porque a atividade minerária é responsável por alto grau de degradação ambiental, que, em tese, seria incompatível com as características e objetivos das Unidades de Conservação, na medida em que configuram áreas de especial proteção ao meio ambiente. Ocorre, contudo, que a legislação divide as Unidades de Conservação em tipos diferentes (UCs de Proteção integral e UCs de Usos Sustentável), os quais devem ser analisados em separado para verificar a compatibilização com a mineração. Nessa medida, o trabalho avalia tais questões através de pesquisa bibliográfica e interpretação da legislação brasileira vigente sobre preservação ambiental e observou que as UCs de Proteção Integral e parte das UCs de Uso Sustentável (Reserva de Desenvolvimento Sustentável, Reserva Extrativista, Reserva Particular do Patrimônio Natural e Floresta Nacional) não se coadunam com atividades minerárias.

RESUMO A mastite é considerada uma doença que causa grandes prejuízos econômicos, reduzindo em quantidade e qualidade o leite e os derivados lácteos. As opções de tratamento de vacas com mastite clínica são o uso de antimicrobianos em todas as vacas, o tratamento de nenhuma delas com antimicrobianos, apenas casos específicos com antimicrobianos ou tratamentos com medicamentos homeopáticos. Animais que respondem aos tratamentos sem uso de medicamentos, têm uma predisposição a recuperar-se do quadro clínico de mastite, mesmo na presença de agente infeccioso. Neste trabalho foi feita uma inoculação intramamária experimental com Staphylococcus aureus, e a partir do surgimento dos sinais clínicos instituiu-se o tratamento apenas com ordenhas múltiplas. Os animais foram avaliados através de escores clínicos, contagem de células somáticas (CCS), California Mastitis Test (CMT) e exames microbiológicos. Como alguns animais não responderam a esse tratamento, foram utilizados medicamentos homeopáticos ou antibiótico para os tratamentos e posteriormente comparados com o tratamento feito apenas com ordenhas múltiplas. Para os animais que puderam ser tratados com ordenhas múltiplas, os escores clínicos e de CMT foram estatisticamente menores (p < 0,05) quando comparados com aqueles tratados com antibiótico e medicamentos homeopáticos e estes dois não apresentaram diferença na eficiência, apresentando cura clínica no 9º dia pós-inoculação. ABSTRACT Mastitis is considered an illness that causes great losses in milk production, reducing the quantity and quality of milk and dairy products. The options for treatments in cows with clinical mastitis are the usage of antimicrobials in all the animals, the treatment of none of them with antimicrobials, just some of them, or with homeopathic medicines. Animals that respond to no medical treatments have a predisposition to recover from clinical mastitis, even in the presence of the infectious agent. This began with an experimental intramammary inoculation with Staphylococcus aureus and after the beginning of the clinical signs there was established a treatment only by milking-out the cows. The animals where evaluated by clinical scores, somatic cell counts (SCC), California Mastitis Test (CMT) and microbiological parameters. As some animals did not respond to this treatment, they where treated with homeopathic medicines or antibiotics, afterward the results were compared with the milking-out treatment. For the animals that were possible to be treated by milking-out, the clinic and CMT scores were statistically smaller (p < 0.05) when compared with those treated with antibiotices and homeopathic medicines and for these two treatments there was no difference in the efficiency, exhibiting clinical cure at the 9th daypost-inoculation.