Resumen Introducción: las experiencias anómalas que viven los médiums espirituales son un objeto de interés en la psiquiatría intercultural, debido a la necesidad de diferenciar entre las experiencias religiosas / espirituales y las experiencias patológicas. Objetivo: describir y comprender las experiencias sobre experiencias anómalas narradas por médiums espirituales brasileños desde la perspectiva de la fenomenología y la psiquiatría transcultural. Metodología: Este es un estudio descriptivo con un enfoque cualitativo que utilizó la narrativa como metodología de recolección de datos y fenomenológica según Ricoeur (1978) como referencia teórico-metodológica. Se realizaron entrevistas en profundidad a través de un guión semiestructurado con cuatro medios espiritistas. Resultados: Las experiencias medianas fueron variadas y con características peculiares. Las características generalmente asociadas con los trastornos mentales fueron aclaradas. El comienzo de las experiencias de experiencias anómalas causó miedo, sufrimiento y un sentimiento de insuficiencia social. Conclusiones: Las experiencias de experiencias anómalas fueron similares a las experiencias de trastornos mentales y la práctica religiosa fue positiva y provocó sentimientos de aceptación y resistencia.

Resumo Introdução: As experiências anômalas vivenciadas por médiuns espíritas são objeto de interesse da psiquiatria transcultural, pela necessidade de se diferenciar vivências Religiosas/Espirituais de vivências patológicas. Objetivo: descrever e compreender as vivências sobre experiências anômalas narradas por médiuns espíritas brasileiros pela ótica da fenomenologia e da psiquiatria transcultural. Métodos: Trata-se de um estudo descritivo de abordagem qualitativa que utilizou como metodologia de coleta de dados a narrativa e como referencial teórico-metodológico a fenomenologia segundo Ricoeur (1978). Foram realizadas entrevistas em profundidade por meio de um roteiro semi-estruturado com quatro médiuns espíritas. Resultados: As vivências mediúnicas foram variadas e com características peculiares. Percebeu-se características geralmente associadas a transtornos mentais. O início das vivências das experiências anômalas provocaram medo, sofrimento e sentimento de inadequação social. Conclusões: As vivências das experiências anômalas foram semelhantes às vivências de transtornos mentais e a prática religiosa se mostrou positiva e provocou sentimentos de aceitação e resiliência.

Abstract Background: Anomalous experiences lived by spirit mediums are an object of interest in cross-cultural psychiatry, due to the need to differentiate between Religious / Spiritual experiences and pathological experiences. Aim: to describe and understand the experiences about anomalous experiences narrated by Brazilian spirit mediums from the perspective of phenomenology and transcultural psychiatry. Methods: This is a descriptive study with a qualitative approach that used narrative as the methodology of data collection and phenomenological according to Ricoeur (1978) as a theoretical-methodological reference. In-depth interviews were conducted through a semi-structured script with four spiritist mediums. Results: Mediumistic experiences were varied and with peculiar characteristics. Characteristics generally associated with mental disorders were perceived. The beginning of the experiences of anomalous experiences caused fear, suffering and a feeling of social inadequacy. Conclusions: The experiences of anomalous experiences were similar to the experiences of mental disorders and religious practice was positive and provoked feelings of acceptance and resilience.

RESUMO: Campilobacteriose Genital Bovina (CGB) é uma doença venérea e subclínica que causa problemas reprodutivos em rebanhos, causada por Campylobacter fetus subsp. venerealis. Este trabalho teve como objetivo selecionar peptídeos miméticos ao agente da CGB de uma biblioteca de fagos. Phage display é uma técnica que aplica bibliotecas de bacteriófagos que expõem peptídeos fusionados ao capsídeo viral em seleções biológicas contra proteínas alvo. Biopannings foram realizados para seleção biológica na biblioteca de fagos por meio de soro hiperimune de coelho e extrato proteico de C. fetus subsp. venerealis. Cinco heptapeptídeos selecionados foram considerados miméticos para Cfv-NCTC 10354 a partir de análises de bioinformática e ensaios com soro hiperimune e muco cérvico-vaginal de novilhas. ALASLPL e LSYLFPP foram os peptídeos mais reativos e considerados promissores como possíveis imunógenos miméticos para C. fetus subsp. venerealis.

ABSTRACT: Bovine genital campylobacteriosis (BGC) is a venereal and subclinical disease that affects the fertility of cattle herds, and it is caused by Campylobacter fetus subsp. venerealis . This study selected peptides mimetic to the BGC-causing agent from a phage library. Phage display is a technique that applies bacteriophage libraries that reveal peptides fused to the viral capsid in biological selections against target proteins. Biopannings were performed for biological selection in the phage library using rabbit hyperimmune serum and C. fetus subsp. venerealis protein extract. Five selected heptapeptides were considered mimetic to Cfv-NCTC 10354 based on the results of bioinformatics analysis and assays with hyperimmune serum and cervicovaginal mucus obtained from heifers. ALASLPL and LSYLFPP were the most reactive peptides and considered promising as possible mimetic immunogens for C. fetus subsp. venerealis.

Abstract Background: Animal poisons and venoms are sources of biomolecules naturally selected. Rhinella schneideri toads are widespread in the whole Brazilian territory and they have poison glands and mucous gland. Recently, protein from toads’ secretion has gaining attention. Frog skin is widely known to present great number of host defense peptides and we hypothesize toads present them as well. In this study, we used a RNA-seq analysis from R. schneideri skin and biochemical tests with the gland secretion to unravel its protein molecules. Methods: Total RNA from the toad skin was extracted using TRizol reagent, sequenced in duplicate using Illumina Hiseq2500 in paired end analysis. The raw reads were trimmed and de novo assembled using Trinity. The resulting sequences were submitted to functional annotation against non-redundant NCBI database and Database of Anuran Defense Peptide. Furthermore, we performed caseinolytic activity test to assess the presence of serine and metalloproteases in skin secretion and it was fractionated by fast liquid protein chromatography using a reverse-phase column. The fractions were partially sequenced by Edman's degradation. Results: We were able to identify several classes of antimicrobial peptides, such as buforins, peroniins and brevinins, as well as PLA2, lectins and galectins, combining protein sequencing and RNA-seq analysis for the first time. In addition, we could isolate a PLA2 from the skin secretion and infer the presence of serine proteases in cutaneous secretion. Conclusions: We identified novel toxins and proteins from R. schneideri mucous glands. Besides, this is a pioneer study that presented the in depth characterization of protein molecules richness from this toad secretion. The results obtained herein showed evidence of novel AMP and enzymes that need to be further explored.

Abstract Stingless bees of the genus Melipona, have long been considered an enigmatic case among social insects for their mode of caste determination, where in addition to larval food type and quantity, the genotype also has a saying, as proposed over 50 years ago by Warwick E. Kerr. Several attempts have since tried to test his Mendelian two-loci/two-alleles segregation hypothesis, but only recently a single gene crucial for sex determination in bees was evidenced to be sex-specifically spliced and also caste-specifically expressed in a Melipona species. Since alternative splicing is frequently associated with epigenetic marks, and the epigenetic status plays a major role in setting the caste phenotype in the honey bee, we investigated here epigenetic chromatin modification in the stingless bee Melipona scutellaris. We used an ELISA-based methodology to quantify global methylation status and western blot assays to reveal histone modifications. The results evidenced DNA methylation/demethylation events in larvae and pupae, and significant differences in histone methylation and phosphorylation between newly emerged adult queens and workers. The epigenetic dynamics seen in this stingless bee species represent a new facet in the caste determination process in Melipona bees and suggest a possible mechanism that is likely to link a genotype component to the larval diet and adult social behavior of these bees.

The insect fat body is a multifunctional organ analogous to the vertebrate liver. The fat body is involved in the metabolism of juvenile hormone, regulation of environmental stress, production of immunity regulator-like proteins in cells and protein storage. However, very little is known about the molecular mechanisms involved in fat body physiology in stingless bees. In this study, we analyzed the transcriptome of the fat body from the stingless bee Melipona scutellaris. In silico analysis of a set of cDNA library sequences yielded 1728 expressed sequence tags (ESTs) and 997 high-quality sequences that were assembled into 29 contigs and 117 singlets. The BLAST X tool showed that 86% of the ESTs shared similarity with Apis mellifera (honeybee) genes. The M. scutellaris fat body ESTs encoded proteins with roles in numerous physiological processes, including anti-oxidation, phosphorylation, metabolism, detoxification, transmembrane transport, intracellular transport, cell proliferation, protein hydrolysis and protein synthesis. This is the first report to describe a transcriptomic analysis of specific organs of M. scutellaris. Our findings provide new insights into the physiological role of the fat body in stingless bees.

Pequi, Caryocar brasiliense, é uma das espécies de destaqueno bioma do cerrado brasileiro, devido a sua utilização na medicina, na culinária popular, indústria em geral, e na do ferro e do aço. Na região de São José do Xingu (MT), uma árvore de pequi sem espinho no endocarpo foi encontrado e isso permite melhorar pequi não só para o consumo, aproveitando a alta apreciação que já possui. Para detectar as diferenças existentes entre o genoma de pequi com e sem espinho no endocarpo, marcadores moleculares RAPD foram utilizados. Os polimorfismos gerados foram clonados e sequenciados, a fim de identificar as sequências responsáveis pela alteração fenotípica. Observou-se que o pequi sem espinho é geneticamente isolado de outras populações de pequi com espinho no endocarpo, provando que essa característica está relacionada com a divergência genética da espécie. Análise em Blastn evidenciou a similaridade dos genes Dof1 e com o gene da fosfinotricina-acetiltransferase de Z. mays. Na análise da BLASTx, a similaridade foi verificada com as proteínas responsáveis pela deficiência de ferro 4 redutase e catalase.

Caryocar brasiliense (pequi), is one of the main species at the biome of the Brazilian savannah due to its use in culinary, popular medicine, industry in general, and iron and steel industry. At São José do Xingu (MT), a tree of C. brasiliense without thorn at the endocarp was found, which enables the improvement of C. brasiliense not only for consumption but also to the high appreciation it already has. To detect the existing differences between the pequi with and without the thorn at the endocarp, RADP markers were used. The generated polymorphisms were cloned and sequenced in order to identify the sequences that are responsible for the fenotypical alteration. It was observed that the pequi without thorn is genetically isolated from the other populations of pequi with thorn at the endocarp, proving that this characteristic is related to the genetic divergence of the species. Analysis in BLASTn evidenced the similarity of the Dof1 genes of Zea mays to its gene of phosphinotricin acetyl transferase. In the analysis of BLASTx, the similarity was verified to the proteins responsible for the deficiency in ferric reductase 4, and catalase.

Considerando a restrita diversidade de espécies disponíveis para nutrir a carência de vitaminas no Brasil, Kerr e colaboradores, desde 1981, vêm desenvolvendo pesquisas para melhoramento genético de hortaliças ricas em vitamina A. Dentre elas, obtiveram uma cultivar de alface, denominada Uberlândia 10.000 com 10.200 UI de vitamina A em 100 gramas de folha fresca. Este trabalho objetivou comparar o grau de divergência genética entre a cultivar Uberlândia 10.000 e seus parentais para avaliar a eficiência da seleção utilizada, por meio da técnica AFLP. Foram utilizados os seguintes genótipos de alface: Maioba, Salad Bowl-Mimosa, Moreninha-de-Uberlândia, Vitória de Santo Antão, Uberlândia 10.000 lisa 8.ª e 9.ª geração e Uberlândia 10.000 crespa 8.ª e 9.ª geração. A técnica AFLP foi eficiente para identificar genótipos muito próximos e para estudos de progênies em alface. O primer PR15 permitiu a separação da forma lisa e crespa com 1,8% de divergência genética e a oitava da nona geração com apenas 0,71%. Com o estudo da filogenia da cultivar pode-se observar que o programa de melhoramento foi desenvolvido com sucesso, pois a cultivar obtida Uberlândia 10.000 possui alto teor de vitamina A e 92% de similaridade com o parental Vitória de Santo Antão. O primer PR11 conseguiu identificar polimorfismo entre cultivares de alta e baixa resistência à septoriose, sugerindo a possibilidade destas bandas estarem relacionadas à resistência.

Considering the restricted diversity of species available to counteract vitamin deficiencies in Brazil, Kerr and coworkers have been engaged since 1981, in developing genetic improved garden vegetables rich in vitamin A. One of these vegetables is the lettuce cultivar Uberlândia 10,000, which contains 10,200 UI of vitamin A per 100 grams of fresh leaves. This study compares the genetic diversity between Uberlândia 10,000 and its parental, evaluating selection efficiency through the AFLP technique. The following lettuce genotypes were used for this comparison: Maioba, Salad Bowl-Mimosa, Moreninha-de-Uberlândia, Vitória de Santo Antão, smooth 8th and 9th generation Uberlândia 10,000, and crinkly 8th and 9th generation Uberlândia 10,000 cultivars. The AFLP technique was effective for identifying very close genotypes and for studying lettuce progenies. The primer PR15 enabled the separation of smooth and crinkly types down to 1.8% of genetic diversity and the 8th and 9th generations down to only 0.71% of diversity. Phylogenetic study of the cultivar confirmed the success of the breeding program, with the Uberlândia 10,000 cultivar revealing high vitamin A content and 92% of similarity with the parental Vitória de Santo Antão. The primer PR11 allowed the identification of polymorphism between cultivars with high and low resistance to septoriosis, suggesting that these bands may be resistance-related.