Resumen Se sintetizaron una serie de catalizadores de paladio (0.5, 1.5 y 3.0% en peso), mediante impregnación a volumen de poro en un tamiz molecular mesoporoso a base de sílice (SBA-15). Todos los materiales se caracterizaron por Fisisorción de N2, DRX, MEB y HR-TEM. La actividad catalítica se evaluó en la oxidación catalítica vía húmeda (OCVH) del fenol a 160°C, 10 bar, 200 mg de catalizador y 200 mL de fenol de una solución de 500 ppm. Los resultados de la caracterización muestran una gran influencia del contenido metálico de Pd; el área específica disminuye al introducir un mayor porcentaje de paladio. Los materiales presentaron textura, estructura y morfología acorde a lo reportado en la literatura. Se encontró que el tamaño de las especies de óxido de paladio soportadas, formadas durante la etapa de calcinación fue menor en el catalizador con menor contenido metálico (Pd0.5/SBA-15) y este fue el más activo en la degradación de fenol y degradó 64 % de fenol, siendo el más activo de los catalizadores.

Abstract A series of palladium catalysts (0.5, 1.5 and 3.0 wt%) were synthesized by impregnation at pore volume on a silica-based mesoporous molecular sieve (SBA-15). Materials were characterized by N2 physisorption, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM). The catalytic activity was evaluated in catalytic wet air oxidation (CWAO) of phenol at 160oC, 10 bar, 200 mg of catalyst and 200 mL of phenol from a 500 ppm solution. The results of the characterization show a great influence of the metallic content of Pd; the specific area decreases when introducing a higher percentage of palladium. The materials presented texture, structure and morphology according to what has been observed in literature. It was found that the size of the supported palladium oxide species formed during the calcination stage was smaller in the catalyst with lower metal content (Pd0.5/SBA-15) and this was the most active in the degradation of phenol and degraded 64% of phenol, being the most active of the catalysts.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriatic arthritis (PsA), and ankylosing spondylitis (AS) are inflammatory diseases with different bone remodeling patterns. Fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) are cells involved in the transition from an acute and reparable phase to a chronic and persistent stage in these diseases. The distinction of joint phenotypes involves inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-17, and IL-22 directly or through key signaling pathways such as Wnt. To evaluate the role of FLS as the source of Wnt antagonists (sFRP3/FRZB and Dkk1) in the synovia, levels of TNF- α, IL-17, IL-22, Dkk1, and sFRP3 were measured by ELISA directly in the synovial fluid of patients with RA, PsA, or AS. Dkk1 and sFRP3 were also measured in the FLS culture supernatants after different inflammatory stimulus. sFRP3 and Dkk1 are constitutively expressed by FLS. IL-22 and sFRP3 were positively correlated (r=0.76; P<0.01) in synovial fluid. The stimulation of FLS with IL-22, but not TNF-alpha and IL-17, increased the production of sFRP3. No stimulus altered the basal expression of Dkk1. These results showed, for the first time, the ability of IL-22 to increase the expression of sFRP3/FRZB by human FLS in both in vitro and ex vivo models. This finding linked IL-22 to local inhibition of Wnt signaling and possibly to blockade of osteogenesis. Furthermore, FLS presented as a source of this inhibitor in synovial fluid, assigning to this cell a bone injury mechanism.

The aim of this paper was to analyze the myofiber characteristics of four distinct genetic pork groups and correlate them with the meat quality. 46 animals (23 barrows and 23 females) from four genetic lines were used, representing the experimental treatments: high-lean commercial cross-bred line; commercial cross-bred line selected for ends of prolificacy, non selected genetic line and crossbred animals (Landrace x Large White). Were analyzed the sarcomere length, myofiber differentiation, myofiber number and diameter and meat quality (colour, marbling and dripping loss). It was used a complete randomized design with a 4x2 factorial arrangement (4 genetic lines and 2 sexes). The high-lean commercial cross-bred line, commercial cross-bred line selected for ends of prolificacy and Landrace x Large White animals presented greater myofiber number than non selected animals (p<0.05). Landrace x Large White animals presented the greatest cell diameter and non selected animals and commercial cross-bred line selected for ends of prolificacy animals presented the smallest averages for this trait (p<0.05). There were no differences among genetic lines for sarcomere length. The commercial cross-bred line selected for ends of prolificacy animals had less glicolitic fibers percentage and more intermediate fiber percentage (p<0.05) than the other genetic groups. The high-lean commercial cross-bred line and commercial cross-bred line selected for ends of prolificacy had the greatest (p<0.05) and the smallest (p<0.05) dripping loss values, respectively. Non selected animals presented the greatest marbling value and the darkest meat (p<0.05), while they showed more intramuscular-fat than high-lean commercial cross-bred line animals (p<0.05) and showed the darker meat (p<0.05). Barrows presented lighter paler meat than females. The correlation analysis indicates that the myofiber number was positively associated with dripping loss values and lightness. It also indicates that muscle with greater glicolitic fiber present greater marbling value. In this way we conclude that the myofiber number and type are related with meat quality characteristics. Breeds with greater myofiber number have less intramuscular fat, lighter muscles and smaller water holding capacity, but it was not observed correlation among myofiber number and glicolitic fiber percentage.

O objetivo desse trabalho foi analisar as características miofibrilares de suínos de quatro linhagens distintas e correlacioná-las com a qualidade de carne. Foram utilizados 48 animais (24 machos castrados e 24 fêmeas) provenientes de 4 linhagens, representando os tratamentos experimentais: linhagem melhorada comercialmen-te, selecionada para crescimento e produção de carne magra; linhagem melhorada comercialmen-te, selecionada para fins de prolificidade; animais oriundos do cruzamento Landrace x Large White; e linhagem não melhorada geneticamente. Foram avaliados o comprimento do sarcômero, o tipo de fibra muscular, o número e o diâmetro das células musculares e as características de qualidade da carne (cor, marmoreio e perda de água por gotejamento). O delineamento experimental foi inteiramente casualizado em arranjo fatorial 4 x 2 (4 padrões genéticos e 2 sexos), sendo cada animal uma repetição. Os animais selecionados para deposição de carne, os melhorados para prolificidade e os animais cruzados Landrace x Large White apresentaram maior número de células musculares (p<0,05) que os animais sem seleção. Os animais Landrace x Large White apresentaram o maior diâmetro celular (p<0,05); os animais sem seleção e os selecionados para prolificidade apresentaram as menores médias. Não houve diferença entre as linhagens para o comprimento de sarcômero. Os animais sele-cionados para prolificidade tiveram menor porcentagem de fibras glicolíticas (p<0,05) e maior porcentagem de fibras intermediárias que as demais linhagens (p<0,05). Os animais sele-cionados para deposição de carne e os animais selecionados para prolificidade apresentaram os maiores (p<0,05) e os menores (p<0,05) valores para a perda de água por gotejamento, respectivamente. Os animais sem seleção apresentaram a maior taxa de marmoreio (p<0,05) e carne mais escura (p<0,05), enquanto que os animais selecionados para deposição de carne apresen-taram a menor taxa de marmoreio (p<0,05). Os machos castrados apresentaram carne mais clara que as fêmeas (p<0,05). A análise da correlação indicou que o número de células musculares está associado positivamente com a perda de água por gotejamento e a luminosidade da carne. O número e o tipo de fibras do músculo estão relacionados com as características de qualidade da carne. Genéticas com mais fibras musculares têm menor taxa de gordura intramuscular e apresentam carne mais clara e com menor capacidade de retenção de água, mas não foi observado correlação entre número de fibras musculares e freqüência de fibras glicolíticas.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis kills more people than any other single pathogen, with an estimated one-third of the world's population being infected. Among those infected, only 10% will develop the disease. There are several demonstrations that susceptibility to tuberculosis is linked to host genetic factors in twins, family and associated-based case control studies. In the past years, there has been dramatic improvement in our understanding of the role of innate and adaptive immunity in the human host defense to tuberculosis. To date, attention has been paid to the role of genetic host and parasitic factors in tuberculosis pathogenesis mainly regarding innate and adaptive immune responses and their complex interactions. Many studies have focused on the candidate genes for tuberculosis susceptibility ranging from those expressed in several cells from the innate or adaptive immune system such as Toll-like receptors, cytokines (TNF-α, TGF-β, IFN-γ, IL-1b, IL-1RA, IL-12, IL-10), nitric oxide synthase and vitamin D, both nuclear receptors and their carrier, the vitamin D-binding protein (VDBP). The identification of possible genes that can promote resistance or susceptibility to tuberculosis could be the first step to understanding disease pathogenesis and can help to identify new tools for treatment and vaccine development. Thus, in this mini-review, we summarize the current state of investigation on some of the genetic determinants, such as the candidate polymorphisms of vitamin D, VDBP, Toll-like receptor, nitric oxide synthase 2 and interferon-γ genes, to generate resistance or susceptibility to M. tuberculosis infection.

The association between seropositivity for Neospora caninum and pregnancy rate in cows belonging to a surrogate herd submitted to embryo transfer technology was determined. The serological status was evaluated in 275 heifers, aging from 14 to 20-month-old. For N. caninum serology analysis of a monoclonal competitive ELISA test Kit was used, and 81 animals (29.5%) showed seropositive. Thus, two groups were randomly formed selecting 33 seropositive heifers and other 33 seronegative animals out of the remaining 194 animals. Seronegative animals were followed up by serological analysis until the end of the trial in order to identify persistently infected individuals. The pregnancy rate was 72.7% in the group of N. caninum-positive sera, and, 81.8% in the seronegative group.No significant difference was observed between groups according to Chi-square test. No association between N. caninum seropositivity and pregnancy rates in surrogate heifers was found.

Verificou-se a freqüência e a distribuição de eqüídeos soropositivos para arterite viral eqüina (AVE) em 10 Delegacias Regionais do IMA no estado de Minas Gerais, por meio da técnica soroneutralização. A taxa de animais reagentes foi 0,85% (7/826) e em cada Delegacia Regional: Almenara (0,77%), Montes Claros (1,09%), Oliveira (2,12%), São Gonçalo do Sapucaí (2,22%), Teófilo Otoni (1,36%) e Viçosa (1,72%). O presente estudo indica a presença de animais soropositivos para AVE em diferentes regiões do estado de Minas Gerais.

Determinaram-se os valores de referência e estudou-se a influência da idade sobre o eritrograma em fêmeas bovinas da raça Aquitânica. Amostras de sangue de 80 fêmeas bovinas, acima de 12 meses de idade, e não reagentes ao antígeno do vírus da leucose dos bovinos, foram colhidas utilizando-se EDTA como anticoagulante para realização das seguintes provas: contagem global das hemácias, determinação do volume globular, concentração de hemoglobina, cálculo dos índices hematimétricos absolutos - volume corpuscular médio (VCM), hemoglobina corpuscular média (HCM) e concentração de hemoglobina corpuscular média (CHCM). A idade exerceu influência significativa (P<0,05) sobre a maioria dos parâmetros hematológicos estudados, com diminuição da quantidade de hemácias e aumento do volume globular, quantidade de hemoglobina, VCM e HCM. Os valores foram: hemácias 6,68±0,58×10(6)/mm³, volume globular 41,2±4,5%, hemoglobina 12,8±1,31g/dl, VCM 61,83±6,54fl, HCM 19,28±2,25pg, CHCM 31,4±2,3%.

The reference values and the influence of the age factor on the erytrogram in bovine females of the Aquitanian breed were evaluated. Blood samples of 80 healthy females, all tested negative for bovine leucose virus, were utilized for the analysis. Erythrocyte counts, determination of the packed cell volume, concentration of hemoglobin, calculation of hematimetric absolute rates of mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) were evaluated. Significant influence (P<0.05) of age was observed for most of the hematological characteristics, with decreased of the number of erythrocytes and increase of packed cell volume, quantity of hemoglobin, MCV, MCH. The reference values were: erythrocytes counting 6.68±0.58×10(6)/mm³, packed cell volume 41.2±4.5%, hemoglobin 12.8±1.31g/dl, VCM 61.83±6.54fl, HCM 19.28±2.25pg, CHCM 31.4±2.3%.

Utilizou-se uma reação em cadeia de polimerase (PCR) previamente desenvolvida para a amplificação de parte da região única longa 27 (UL27) do genoma de herpesvírus bovino 1.1 (BoHV-1), que codifica a glicoproteína B, buscando a diferenciação entre isolados de BoHV-1.1 e BoHV-5. Os produtos de PCR gerados a partir de isolados de BoHV-1.1 e BoHV-5 mostraram padrão de amplificação diferenciado em seus tamanhos moleculares. Analisando as seqüências de nucleotídeos dos produtos de PCR obtidos de dois isolados de BoHV-5, juntamente com as seqüências dos produtos de PCR obtidos de um isolado de BoHV-1.1 e de três isolados de BoHV-1.2, previamente depositados no GenBank, verificou-se que a diferença observada na amplificação se deve ao número de repetições de G-C presentes no final da região codificadora da gB, particularmente nas seqüências 5'-G(A/T)CC-3'. A análise dessas seqüências-motivo desponta como uma ferramenta auxiliar na diferenciação entre isolados de BoHV-1.1, BoHV-1.2 e BoHV-5.

A previously-developed PCR was used for the amplification of part of the UL27 region of the BoHV-1.1 genome, which codes for glycoprotein B, seeking the differentiation between BoHV-1.1 and BoHV-5 isolates. The PCR products generated from the BoHV-1 and BoHV-5 isolates showed a pattern of differentiated amplification of their molecular size. The PCR of the BoHV-5 products were sequenced and the results compared with the sequence of the BoHV-1.1 and BoHV-1.2 isolates previously deposited in the GenBank. It was verified that the difference between the PCR products is due to greater number of repetitions of G-C present at the end of the gB codifier region. The most common repeat sequences were 5'-G(A/T)CC-3'. The analysis of these repetitions was shown to be an auxiliary tool in the differentiation between BoHV1.1, BoHV-1.2 and BoHV-5 isolates.

Amostras de sangue de 12 animais soropositivos pelo teste de imunodifusão em gel de agarose e que não apresentavam sinais clínicos sugestivos de infecção pelo vírus da artrite-encefalite caprina (CAEV) foram coletadas para isolamento viral. Mácrofagos derivados de monócitos foram co-cultivados com células de membrana sinovial caprina (MSC), resultando em cinco amostras que apresentaram efeito citopático característico do tipo persistente, semelhante ao observado para o CAEV. Uma técnica de reação em cadeia de polimerase (PCR) foi padronizada para amplificar parte do gene gag do genoma pró-viral, codificante para a proteína do capsídeo viral (p25). As cinco amostras foram amplificadas pela PCR e três delas, BR-UFMG/PL1, BR-UFMG/PL2 e BR-UFMG/PL3, foram seqüenciadas diretamente dos seus produtos de PCR. O alinhamento múltiplo das seqüências obtidas com outras de lentivírus de pequenos ruminantes (LVPR), obtidas no GenBank, e o dendrograma revelaram que as novas amostras de CAEV são únicas e distintas das demais amostras de LVPR, possuindo maior identidade de nucleotídeos e aminoácidos entre si e com as amostras de CAEV do que com a do vírus maedi-visna.

Blood samples from 12 seropositive animals by agar gel immunodifusion test (AGID) showing no evident clinical signs of disease were taken to attempt caprine arthritis-encephalitis virus (CAEV) isolation. Monocyte-derived macrophages were co-cultured with goat synovial membrane cells (GSM) resulting in five virus isolations, which presented cytophatic effects of the persistent type, resembling those observed for CAEV. A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was designed to amplify a portion of the gag proviral gene coding for the major core protein (p25). All of the five isolates were amplified by this PCR and three of them named BR-UFMG/PL1, BR-UFMG/PL2 and BR-UFMG/PL3, were sequenced directly from their PCR products. Multiple sequence analysis and a dendrogram including other sequences from the GenBank database showed that these Brazilian isolates are unique and distinct from those of known caprine and ovine lentiviruses, with a higher identity of nucleotide and deduced aminoacids to each other and to CAEV than to maedi-visna virus.

This paper reports the detection of bovine herpesvirus type 5 (BoHV-5) by a specific nested PCR assay. Samples were collected from the central nervous system (CNS) of cattle from Minas Gerais and São Paulo States, Brazil. All animals died presenting neurological symptoms. Nineteen frozen CNS samples analyzed had been previously tested by fluorescence antibody test for rabies virus and showed negative results. Three paraffin-embedded brain tissue samples were examined by histopatology and the observed alterations suggested nonsuppurative meningoencephalitis. BoHV-5 was detected in five (22.7%) among 22 tested samples. The occurrence of BoHV-5 infection is reported in the Southeast region of Brazil, indicating that epidemiological studies should be carried out.

A survey of antibody to IBR was performed by serum neutralization test and ELISA in cattle sera supplied on demand sampling in Minas Gerais State, during the period of 1990 to 1999. Out of 5511 tested samples, 3206 (58.2%) were positive and out of 335 evaluated counties, 313 (93.4%) had at least one positive result. It was noted an increasing interest by farmers and practitioners on IBR serological diagnosis since 1995, when the amount of animals and counties submitted to test greatly increased in comparison with past years. The role of serology in adequate diagnosis of IBR is discussed.