DETERMINAÇÃO DO PONTO DE COLHEITA DE FLORES DE Tropaeolum majus L.

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Eliane Nunes da Silva

2018-06-01

trabalho foi determinar o ponto de colheita de flores de T. majus. Os estádios fenológicos das flores foram determinados visualmente. A antocianina, comprimento das flores, carotenoides, flavonoides, massa fresca e teor de sólidos solúveis aumentaram durante o desenvolvimento das flores seguido de uma redução nos estádios correspondentes a senescência. O teor de ácido ascórbico decresceu durante o desenvolvimento. O estádio XII corresponde ao ponto ideal de colheita para as flores de T. majus.

COMT Val(158)Met genotype determines the direction of cognitive effects produced by catechol-O-methyltransferase inhibition.

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Farrell, Sarah M; Tunbridge, Elizabeth M; Braeutigam, Sven; Harrison, Paul J

2012-03-15

Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) metabolizes dopamine. The COMT Val(158)Met polymorphism influences its activity, and multiple neural correlates of this genotype on dopaminergic phenotypes, especially working memory, have been reported. COMT activity can also be regulated pharmacologically by COMT inhibitors. The inverted-U relationship between cortical dopamine signaling and working memory predicts that the effects of COMT inhibition will differ according to COMT genotype. Thirty-four COMT Met(158)Met (Met-COMT) and 33 COMT Val(158)Val (Val-COMT) men were given a single 200-mg dose of the brain-penetrant COMT inhibitor tolcapone or placebo in a randomized, double-blind, between-subjects design. They completed the N-back task of working memory and a gambling task. In the placebo group, Met-COMT subjects outperformed Val-COMT subjects on the 2- back, and they were more risk averse. Tolcapone had opposite effects in the two genotype groups: it worsened N-back performance in Met-COMT subjects but enhanced it in Val-COMT subjects. Tolcapone made Met-COMT subjects less risk averse but Val-COMT subjects more so. In both tasks, tolcapone reversed the baseline genotype differences. Depending on genotype, COMT inhibition can enhance or impair working memory and increase or decrease risky decision making. To our knowledge, the data are the clearest demonstration to date that the direction of effect of a drug can be influenced by a polymorphism in its target gene. The results support the inverted-U model of dopamine function. The findings are of translational relevance, because COMT inhibitors are used in the adjunctive treatment of Parkinson's disease and are under evaluation in schizophrenia and other disorders. Copyright © 2012 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Modification of COMT-dependent pain sensitivity by psychological stress and sex.

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Meloto, Carolina B; Bortsov, Andrey V; Bair, Eric; Helgeson, Erika; Ostrom, Cara; Smith, Shad B; Dubner, Ronald; Slade, Gary D; Fillingim, Roger B; Greenspan, Joel D; Ohrbach, Richard; Maixner, William; McLean, Samuel A; Diatchenko, Luda

2016-04-01

Catecholamine-O-methyltransferase (COMT) is a polymorphic gene whose variants affect enzymatic activity and pain sensitivity via adrenergic pathways. Although COMT represents one of the most studied genes in human pain genetics, findings regarding its association with pain phenotypes are not always replicated. Here, we investigated if interactions among functional COMT haplotypes, stress, and sex can modify the effect of COMT genetic variants on pain sensitivity. We tested these interactions in a cross-sectional study, including 2 cohorts, one of 2972 subjects tested for thermal pain sensitivity (Orofacial Pain: Prospective Evaluation and Risk Assessment) and one of 948 subjects with clinical acute pain after motor vehicle collision (post-motor vehicle collision). In both cohorts, the COMT high-pain sensitivity (HPS) haplotype showed robust interaction with stress and number of copies of the HPS haplotype was positively associated with pain sensitivity in nonstressed individuals, but not in stressed individuals. In the post-motor vehicle collision cohort, there was additional modification by sex: the HPS-stress interaction was apparent in males, but not in females. In summary, our findings indicate that stress and sex should be evaluated in association studies aiming to investigate the effect of COMT genetic variants on pain sensitivity.

Projecto - IV Expedição Científica do Departamento de Biologia - Flores 1989.

OpenAIRE

Martins, António M. de Frias; Furtado, Duarte; Brum, João M. M.; Almeida, Luís Mexia de

1989-01-01

IV Expedição Científica do Departamento de Biologia - Flores 1989 (Projecto). A zona costeira açoreana é sem dúvida uma verdadeira fronteira entre o mundo terrestre e marinho, representando um dos ecossistemas mais ricos do arquipélago. Mal descrita e pouco conhecida, esta pequena parcela com cerca de cinco a sete milhões de anos de idade é o meio mais transformado por numerosos factores inerentes a presença do homem. São numerosos os pontos do Arquipélago em que o meio marinho é praticame...

COMT and MTHFR polymorphisms interaction on cognition in schizophrenia: an exploratory study.

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Kontis, Dimitrios; Theochari, Eirini; Fryssira, Helen; Kleisas, Spyridon; Sofocleous, Christalena; Andreopoulou, Angeliki; Kalogerakou, Stamatina; Gazi, Anthia; Boniatsi, Lucia; Chaidemenos, Alexandros; Tsaltas, Eleftheria

2013-03-14

The investigation of the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT-[rs4680]) and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR-[rs1801133]) polymorphisms' interaction might shed light into the pathogenetic mechanisms of the cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia. In an exploratory study, we hypothesized that the MTHFR 677T allele which has been related to a hypoactive MTHFR enzyme would augment the unfavorable effects of COMT Val158 homozygosity which has been associated with COMT enzyme hyperfunction. 90 schizophrenia patients and 55 healthy volunteers were assessed on psychomotor speed, pattern and spatial recognition memory (SRM), spatial working memory (SWM), attentional flexibility and planning (Stockings of Cambridge-SOC). IQ scores in a random subgroup of patients were also measured. A significant COMT×MTHFR interaction on SWM (p=0.048) and planning (p=0.026) was revealed in both groups. Among COMT-Val/Val participants, MTHFR-C/C made more SWM errors (p=0.033) and solved fewer SOC problems (p=0.025) than MTHFR-T carriers. In patients, there was a significant COMT×MTHFR interaction on full scale IQ (p=0.035): among COMT-Met carriers, MTHFR-T carriers performed significantly worse than MTHFR-C/C (p=0.021), which was driven by a COMT×MTHFR interaction involving performance IQ (p=0.047). In conclusion, COMT and MTHFR polymorphisms interacted on cognition, suggesting that the MTHFR enzyme activity might moderate the effects of the COMT enzyme. In contrast to our initial hypothesis, the MTHFR T-allele attenuated the cognitive effects of COMT Val homozygosity. In this preliminary study, we propose that dopaminergic and intracellular methylation mechanisms could interact on cognitive deficits in schizophrenia. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Count on dopamine: influences of COMT polymorphisms on numerical cognition

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Annelise eJúlio-Costa

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT is an enzyme that is particularly important for the metabolism of dopamine. Functional polymorphisms of COMT have been implicated in working memory and numerical cognition. This is an exploratory study that aims at investigating associations between COMT polymorphisms, working memory and numerical cognition. Elementary school children from 2th to 6th grades were divided into two groups according to their COMT val158met polymorphism (homozygous for valine allele [n= 61] versus heterozygous plus methionine homozygous children or met+ group [n=94]. Both groups were matched for age and intelligence. Working memory was assessed through digit span and Corsi blocks. Symbolic numerical processing was assessed through transcoding and single-digit word problem tasks. Non-symbolic magnitude comparison and estimation tasks were used to assess number sense. Between-group differences were found in symbolic and non-symbolic numerical tasks, but not in working memory tasks. Children in the met+ group showed better performance in all numerical tasks while val homozygous children presented slower development of non-symbolic magnitude representations. These results suggest COMT-related dopaminergic modulation may be related not only to working memory, as found in previous studies, but also to the development of magnitude processing and magnitude representations.

a Revision to the Tectonics of the Flores Back-Arc Thrust Zone, Indonesia?

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Tikku, A. A.

2011-12-01

The Flores and Bali Basins are continental basins in the Flores back-arc thrust zone associated with Eocene subduction of the Indo-Australian plate beneath the Sunda plate followed by Miocene to present-day inversion/thrusting. The basins are east of Java and north of the islands of Bali, Lombok, Sumbawa and Flores in the East Java Sea area of Indonesia. The tectonic interpretation of these basins is based on seismic, bathymetry and gravity data and is also supported by present-day GPS measurements that demonstrate subduction is no longer active across the Flores thrust zone. Current thinking about the area is that the Flores Basin (on the east end of the thrust zone) had the most extension in the back-arc thrust and may be a proto-oceanic basin, though the option of a purely continental extensional basin can not be ruled out. The Bali Basin (on the west end of the thrust zone) is thought to be shallower and have experienced less continental thinning and extension than the Flores Basin. Depth to basement estimates from recently collected marine magnetic data indicate the depth of the Bali Basin may be comparable to the depth of the Flores Basin. Analysis of the marine magnetic data and potential implications of relative plate motions will be presented.

Original Paper Flore et végétation de la Réserve Spéciale de Faune ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

babacar

L'étude a été réalisée entre 2010 et 2014 dans la Réserve Spéciale de Faune de Gueumbeul (RSFG) qui est une zone humide ... tuna tandis que les espèces fréquentes ne représentent que 3% de la flore globale. ... combinée aux aléas climatiques entraîne une régression ... pour le redéploiement de la faune sahélienne.

Dinâmica floral e abortamento de flores em híbridos de canola e mostarda castanha Floral dynamics and flower abortion in hybrids of canola and Indian mustard

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Rafael Battisti

2013-02-01

Full Text Available O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a dinâmica floral e determinar o índice de abortamento de flores de híbridos de canola (Brassica napus e de mostarda castanha (Brassica juncea, bem como determinar suas relações com as condições meteorológicas do Sul do Brasil. Durante a floração, dez híbridos de canola e dois de mostarda foram avaliados a cada três dias quanto ao número de flores abertas, de síliquas e de flores abortadas. O número acumulado e relativo de flores foi usado para avaliação da dinâmica floral. A relação desses números com a soma térmica acumulada durante a floração foi determinada por meio de modelo logístico. A partir dos coeficientes desse modelo, identificaram-se grupos de genótipos com diferentes taxas de emissão de flores. O abortamento de flores entre híbridos variou de 10,53 a 45,96% e correlacionou-se com a temperatura e a demanda evaporativa da atmosfera. Genótipos com maiores tempos térmicos entre o período de máxima emissão de flores e o final da floração geralmente apresentam maiores percentagens de abortamento de flores. O ajuste dos dados de emissão de flores aos de soma térmica do período da floração, por meio de modelo logístico, permite simular a dinâmica floral de híbridos de canola e mostarda castanha.The objective of this work was to evaluate the floral dynamics and to determine the index of flower abortion in canola (Brassica napus and Indian mustard (Brassica juncea hybrids, as well as to determine their relation with meteorological conditions of southern Brazil. During flowering, ten hybrids of canola and two of Indian mustard were evaluated every three days as to the number of open flowers, pods, and aborted flowers. The cumulative and the relative number of flowers were used to evaluate floral dynamics. The relation of these numbers with the accumulated thermal sum during flowering was determined with a logistic model. Groups of genotypes with different

Physical and verbal aggressive behavior and COMT genotype: Sensitivity to the environment.

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Tuvblad, Catherine; Narusyte, Jurgita; Comasco, Erika; Andershed, Henrik; Andershed, Anna-Karin; Colins, Olivier F; Fanti, Kostas A; Nilsson, Kent W

2016-07-01

Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) genotype has been implicated as a vulnerability factor for several psychiatric diseases as well as aggressive behavior, either directly, or in interaction with an adverse environment. The present study aimed at investigating the susceptibility properties of COMT genotype to adverse and favorable environment in relation to physical and verbal aggressive behavior. The COMT Val158Met polymorphism was genotyped in a Swedish population-based cohort including 1,783 individuals, ages 20-24 years (47% males). A significant three-way interaction was found, after correction for multiple testing, between COMT genotype, exposure to violence, and parent-child relationship in association with physical but not verbal aggressive behavior. Homozygous for the Val allele reported lower levels of physical aggressive behavior when they were exposed to violence and at the same time experienced a positive parent-child relationship compared to Met carriers. Thus, susceptibility properties of COMT genotype were observed in relation to physical aggressive behavior supporting the hypothesis that COMT genotypes are modifying the sensitivity to environment that confers either risk or protection for aggressive behavior. As these are novel findings, they warrant further investigation and replication in independent samples. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Melhoramento genético da mamona visando incremento de flores femininas

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Fernanda Bertozzo

2011-01-01

Full Text Available O objetivo deste trabalho foi testar métodos de seleção visando ao aumento de flores femininas na população FCA-UNESP-PB de mamona (Ricinus communis L.. A seleção foi realizada no município de Botucatu (SP, na safrinha de 2007. Por meio de seleção massal, foram selecionadas plantas com racemo primário estritamente feminino. Destas plantas, as que tinham reversão sexual foram autofecundadas. As avaliações foram realizadas na safrinha de 2008 em Botucatu e São Manuel (SP, onde foram comparados os tratamentos: método de seleção massal; método de seleção massal com autofecundação e testemunha (racemos de plantas colhidos ao acaso, sem seleção. Foram avaliados: porcentagem de flores femininas do racemo primário (%, produtividade de grãos (kg ha-1 e teor de óleo das sementes (%. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi o de blocos casualizados com 30 repetições. Os dados foram submetidos à análise de variância individual para cada local e conjuntamente para os dois locais, pelo teste F a 1% de probabilidade. Mediante os resultados conclui- se que o método de seleção massal com autofecundação foi aquele que proporcionou maiores valores de porcentagem de flores femininas no racemo primário, com ganho fenotípico realizado de 18% em Botucatu e 29% em São Manuel (SP. Por meio dos métodos de seleção, notou-se comportamento diferencial em relação aos locais para a característica produtividade de grãos, e o método seleção massal com autofecundação proporcionou a menor produtividade. No teor de óleo não houve diferenças significativas entre os métodos e os locais avaliados.

Nonlinear modulation of interacting between COMT and depression on brain function.

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Gong, L; He, C; Yin, Y; Ye, Q; Bai, F; Yuan, Y; Zhang, H; Lv, L; Zhang, H; Zhang, Z; Xie, C

2017-09-01

The catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene is related to dopamine degradation and has been suggested to be involved in the pathogenesis of major depressive disorder (MDD). However, how this gene affects brain function properties in MDD is still unclear. Fifty patients with MDD and 35 cognitively normal participants underwent a resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scan. A voxelwise and data-drive global functional connectivity density (gFCD) analysis was used to investigate the main effects and the interactions of disease states and COMT rs4680 gene polymorphism on brain function. We found significant group differences of the gFCD in bilateral fusiform area (FFA), post-central and pre-central cortex, left superior temporal gyrus (STG), rectal and superior temporal gyrus and right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (vlPFC); abnormal gFCDs in left STG were positively correlated with severity of depression in MDD group. Significant disease×COMT interaction effects were found in the bilateral calcarine gyrus, right vlPFC, hippocampus and thalamus, and left SFG and FFA. Further post-hoc tests showed a nonlinear modulation effect of COMT on gFCD in the development of MDD. Interestingly, an inverted U-shaped modulation was found in the prefrontal cortex (control system) but U-shaped modulations were found in the hippocampus, thalamus and occipital cortex (processing system). Our study demonstrated nonlinear modulation of the interaction between COMT and depression on brain function. These findings expand our understanding of the COMT effect underlying the pathophysiology of MDD. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Influence of COMT genotype and affective distractors on the processing of self-generated thought.

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Kilford, Emma J; Dumontheil, Iroise; Wood, Nicholas W; Blakemore, Sarah-Jayne

2015-06-01

The catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) enzyme is a major determinant of prefrontal dopamine levels. The Val(158)Met polymorphism affects COMT enzymatic activity and has been associated with variation in executive function and affective processing. This study investigated the effect of COMT genotype on the flexible modulation of the balance between processing self-generated and processing stimulus-oriented information, in the presence or absence of affective distractors. Analyses included 124 healthy adult participants, who were also assessed on standard working memory (WM) tasks. Relative to Val carriers, Met homozygotes made fewer errors when selecting and manipulating self-generated thoughts. This effect was partly accounted for by an association between COMT genotype and visuospatial WM performance. We also observed a complex interaction between the influence of affective distractors, COMT genotype and sex on task accuracy: male, but not female, participants showed a sensitivity to the affective distractors that was dependent on COMT genotype. This was not accounted for by WM performance. This study provides novel evidence of the role of dopaminergic genetic variation on the ability to select and manipulate self-generated thoughts. The results also suggest sexually dimorphic effects of COMT genotype on the influence of affective distractors on executive function. © The Author (2014). Published by Oxford University Press.

First fossil insectivores from Flores

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hoek Ostende, van den L.W.; Berch, van der G.; Awe Due, R.

2006-01-01

The hominid bearing strata from the Liang Bua cave on Flores have yielded a large amount of microvertebrate remains. Among these are three mandibles of shrews, the first record of fossil insectivores from the island. The fossils, representing two different species, are not referable to any of the

Gender effects of the COMT Val 158 Met genotype on verbal fluency in healthy adults.

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Soeiro-De-Souza, Marcio Gerhardt; Bio, Danielle Soares; David, Denise Petresco; Missio, Giovani; Lima, Bruno; Fernandes, Fernando; Machado-Vieira, Rodrigo; Moreno, Ricardo Alberto

2013-09-01

Cognitive performance in healthy individuals is associated with gender differences in specific tests; a female advantage has been demonstrated in language tests, whereas a male advantage has been demonstrated in spatial relation examinations. The prefrontal cortex (PFC) mediates important cognitive domains and is influenced by dopamine (DA) activity. The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs4680 in the catechol‑O‑methyltransferase (COMT) gene results in an amino acid substitution from valine (Val) to methionine (Met). The Met allele has been demonstrated to decrease COMT enzyme activity and improve PFC cognitive function. COMT regulates DA activity in the PFC and exhibits gender effects. The aim of the present study was to investigate the gender‑specific effects of the COMT genotype on cognition in healthy young adults. Seventy‑six healthy subjects were genotyped for COMT rs4680 and submitted to an extensive range of neuropsychological tests assessing aspects of PFC function. The COMT Met allele influenced the performance of executive function. The results revealed gender effects of the COMT rs4680 Met allele on verbal fluency, with positive effects in males and negative effects in females. This suggested that DA activity affects cognitive function in different ways, according to gender.

COMT Diplotype Amplifies Effect of Stress on Risk of Temporomandibular Pain.

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Slade, G D; Sanders, A E; Ohrbach, R; Bair, E; Maixner, W; Greenspan, J D; Fillingim, R B; Smith, S; Diatchenko, L

2015-09-01

When measured once, psychological stress predicts development of painful temporomandibular disorder (TMD). However, a single measurement fails to characterize the dynamic nature of stress over time. Moreover, effects of stress on pain likely vary according to biological susceptibility. We hypothesized that temporal escalation in stress exacerbates risk for TMD, and the effect is amplified by allelic variants in a gene, catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT), regulating catechol neurotransmitter catabolism. We used data from the Orofacial Pain: Prospective Evaluation and Risk Assessment prospective cohort study of 2,707 community-dwelling adults with no lifetime history of TMD on enrollment. At baseline and quarterly periods thereafter, the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) measured psychological stress. Genotyped DNA from blood samples determined COMT diplotypes. During follow-up of 0.25 to 5.2 y, 248 adults developed examiner-verified incident TMD. PSS scores at baseline were 20% greater (P stress escalation was limited to incident cases with COMT diplotypes coding for low-activity COMT, signifying impaired catabolism of catecholamines. Cox regression models confirmed significant effects on TMD hazard of both baseline PSS (P stress showed that a postbaseline increase of 1.0 standard deviation in PSS more than doubled risk of TMD incidence in subjects with low-activity COMT diplotypes (hazard ratio = 2.35; 95% confidence limits: 1.66, 3.32), an effect not found in subjects with high-activity COMT diplotypes (hazard ratio = 1.42; 95% confidence limits: 0.96, 2.09). Findings provide novel insights into dynamic effects of psychological stress on TMD pain, highlighting that effects are most pronounced in individuals whose genetic susceptibility increases responsiveness to catecholamine neurotransmitters. © International & American Associations for Dental Research 2015.

Delayed O-methylation of l-DOPA in MB-COMT-deficient mice after oral administration of l-DOPA and carbidopa.

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Tammimäki, Anne; Aonurm-Helm, Anu; Männistö, Pekka T

2018-04-01

1. Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) is involved in the O-methylation of l-DOPA, dopamine, and other catechols. The enzyme is expressed in two isoforms: soluble (S-COMT), which resides in the cytoplasm, and membrane-bound (MB-COMT), which is anchored to intracellular membranes. 2. To obtain specific information on the functions of COMT isoforms, we studied how a complete MB-COMT deficiency affects the total COMT activity in the body, peripheral l-DOPA levels, and metabolism after l-DOPA (10 mg kg -1 ) plus carbidopa (30 mg kg -1 ) administration by gastric tube in wild-type (WT) and MB-COMT-deficient mice. l-DOPA and 3-O-methyl-l-DOPA (3-OMD) levels were assayed in plasma, duodenum, and liver. 3. We showed that the selective lack of MB-COMT did not alter the total COMT activity, COMT enzyme kinetics, l-DOPA levels, or the total O-methylation of l-DOPA but delayed production of 3-OMD in plasma and peripheral tissues.

COMT val108/158 met genotype affects neural but not cognitive processing in healthy individuals.

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Dennis, Nancy A; Need, Anna C; LaBar, Kevin S; Waters-Metenier, Sheena; Cirulli, Elizabeth T; Kragel, James; Goldstein, David B; Cabeza, Roberto

2010-03-01

The relationship between cognition and a functional polymorphism in the catechol-O-methlytransferase (COMT) gene, val108/158met, is one of debate in the literature. Furthermore, based on the dopaminergic differences associated with the COMT val108/158met genotype, neural differences during cognition may be present, regardless of genotypic differences in cognitive performance. To investigate these issues the current study aimed to 1) examine the effects of COMT genotype using a large sample of healthy individuals (n = 496-1218) and multiple cognitive measures, and using a subset of the sample (n = 22), 2) examine whether COMT genotype effects medial temporal lobe (MTL) and frontal activity during successful relational memory processing, and 3) investigate group differences in functional connectivity associated with successful relational memory processing. Results revealed no significant group difference in cognitive performance between COMT genotypes in any of the 19 cognitive measures. However, in the subset sample, COMT val homozygotes exhibited significantly decreased MTL and increased prefrontal activity during both successful relational encoding and retrieval, and reduced connectivity between these regions compared with met homozygotes. Taken together, the results suggest that although the COMT val108/158met genotype has no effect on cognitive behavioral measures in healthy individuals, it is associated with differences in neural process underlying cognitive output.

Flore vasculaire rare et endemique de la peninsule de l'Edough ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

sous le nom de« biodiversity hotspots» [2]. La flore du bassin mediterraneen est aujourd'hui tres serieusement menacee, en raison de la forte regression des milieux naturels sous l' action de l 'homme, mais aussi parce que cette region serait l'une des plus exposees aux changements climatiques globaux [3-5]. Cette flore ...

The quantification of COMT mRNA in post mortem cerebellum tissue: diagnosis, genotype, methylation and expression

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Craig Ian W

2006-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The COMT gene is located on chromosome 22q11, a region strongly implicated in the aetiology of several psychiatric disorders, in particular schizophrenia. Previous research has suggested that activity and expression of COMT is altered in schizophrenia, and is mediated by one or more polymorphisms within the gene, including the functional Val158Met polymorphism. Method In this study we examined the expression levels of COMT mRNA using quantitative RT-PCR in 60 post mortem cerebellum samples derived from individuals with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, and no history of psychopathology. Furthermore, we have examined the methylation status of two CpG sites in the promoter region of the gene. Results We found no evidence of altered COMT expression or methylation in any of the psychiatric diagnoses examined. We did, however, find evidence to suggest that genotype is related to COMT gene expression, replicating the findings of two previous studies. Specifically, val158met (rs165688; Val allele rs737865 (G allele and rs165599 (G allele all showed reduced expression (P COMT expression, with females exhibiting significantly greater levels of COMT mRNA. Conclusion The expression of COMT does not appear to be altered in the cerebellum of individuals suffering from schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or depression, but does appear to be influenced by single nucleotide polymorphisms within the gene.

Influence of BDNF and COMT polymorphisms on emotional decision making.

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Kang, Jee In; Namkoong, Kee; Ha, Ra Yeon; Jhung, Kyungun; Kim, Yang Tae; Kim, Se Joo

2010-06-01

Decision making is an important brain function. Although little is known about the genetic basis of decision making, it has been suggested that it is mediated by the modulation of neurotransmitter systems. We investigated how the BDNF Val66Met and COMT Val158Met polymorphisms affect emotional decision making using the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT). One hundred sixty-eight healthy Korean college students (93 males, 75 females) with a complete dataset were included in the data analysis. The IGT and genotyping for the polymorphisms of BDNF Val66Met and COMT Val158Met were performed. Both Met/Met and Val/Met of the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism were significantly associated with a lower mean score of blocks 3-5 of the IGT and with less improvement from block 1 to block 3-5 than the Val/Val. However, the BDNF was not significantly associated with the score of block 1, and the COMT Val158Met polymorphism produced no significant effect on IGT performance. No interaction effect was observed between the BDNF and the COMT for the IGT. These findings suggest the BDNF Val66Met may affect the emotional decision making performance. (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Epistatic Interaction of CYP1A1 and COMT Polymorphisms in Cervical Cancer

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Andreia Matos

2016-01-01

Full Text Available There is a clear association between the excessive and cumulative exposure to estrogens and the development of cancer in hormone-sensitive tissues, such as the cervix. We studied the association of CYP1A1 M1 (rs4646903 and COMT (rs4680 polymorphisms in 130 cervical cancer cases (c-cancer and 179 controls. The CYP1A1 TT genotype was associated with a lower risk for c-cancer (OR = 0.39, p=0.002. The allele C of CYP1A1 was a risk for c-cancer (OR = 2.29, p=0.002. Women with COMT LL genotype had a higher risk of developing c-cancer (OR = 4.83, p<0.001. For the interaction of the CYP1A1&COMT, we observed that TC&HL genotypes had a greater risk for c-cancer (OR = 6.07, p=0.006 and TT&HL genotypes had a protection effect (OR = 0.24, p<0.001. The CYP1A1 TT and COMT LL genotypes had higher estradiol levels in c-cancer (p<0.001 and p=0.037, resp.. C-cancer is associated with less production of 2-methoxy-estradiol resultant of functional polymorphisms of CYP1A1 and COMT, separately. CYP1A1 and COMT work in a metabolic sequence and their interaction could lead to an alternative pathway of estrogen metabolism with production of 16-OH-estrone that is more proliferative.

Simultaneous Downregulation of MTHFR and COMT in Switchgrass Affects Plant Performance and Induces Lesion-Mimic Cell Death

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Sijia Liu

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum has been developed into a model lignocellulosic bioenergy crop. Downregulation of caffeic acid O-methyltransferase (COMT, a key enzyme in lignin biosynthesis, has been shown to alter lignification and increase biofuel yield in switchgrass. Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR mediates C1 metabolism and provides methyl units consumed by COMT. It was predicted that co-silencing of MTHFR and COMT would impact lignification even more than either of the single genes. However, our results showed that strong downregulation of MTHFR in a COMT-deficient background led to altered plant growth and development, but no significant change in lignin content or composition was found when compared with COMT plants. Another unexpected finding was that the double MTHFR/COMT downregulated plants showed a novel lesion-mimic leaf phenotype. Molecular analyses revealed that the lesion-mimic phenotype was caused by the synergistic effect of MTHFR and COMT genes, with MTHFR playing a predominant role. Microarray analysis showed significant induction of genes related to oxidative and defense responses. The results demonstrated the lack of additive effects of MTHFR and COMT on lignification. Furthermore, this research revealed an unexpected role of the two genes in the modulation of lesion-mimic cell death as well as their synergistic effects on agronomic performance.

Simultaneous Downregulation of MTHFR and COMT in Switchgrass Affects Plant Performance and Induces Lesion-Mimic Cell Death.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Sijia; Fu, Chunxiang; Gou, Jiqing; Sun, Liang; Huhman, David; Zhang, Yunwei; Wang, Zeng-Yu

2017-01-01

Switchgrass ( Panicum virgatum ) has been developed into a model lignocellulosic bioenergy crop. Downregulation of caffeic acid O -methyltransferase (COMT), a key enzyme in lignin biosynthesis, has been shown to alter lignification and increase biofuel yield in switchgrass. Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) mediates C1 metabolism and provides methyl units consumed by COMT. It was predicted that co-silencing of MTHFR and COMT would impact lignification even more than either of the single genes. However, our results showed that strong downregulation of MTHFR in a COMT -deficient background led to altered plant growth and development, but no significant change in lignin content or composition was found when compared with COMT plants. Another unexpected finding was that the double MTHFR/COMT downregulated plants showed a novel lesion-mimic leaf phenotype. Molecular analyses revealed that the lesion-mimic phenotype was caused by the synergistic effect of MTHFR and COMT genes, with MTHFR playing a predominant role. Microarray analysis showed significant induction of genes related to oxidative and defense responses. The results demonstrated the lack of additive effects of MTHFR and COMT on lignification. Furthermore, this research revealed an unexpected role of the two genes in the modulation of lesion-mimic cell death as well as their synergistic effects on agronomic performance.

Beija-flores (Aves, Trochilidae e seus recursos florais em uma área urbana do Sul do Brasil Hummingbirds (Aves, Trochilidae and their flowers in an urban area of southern Brazil

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Luciana Baza Mendonça

2005-03-01

Full Text Available A assembléia de flores visitadas por beija-flores e a partilha de recursos entre estas aves foram estudadas em uma área urbana do sul do Brasil. Vinte e duas espécies de plantas, em sua maioria exóticas e/ou não-ornitófilas, receberam visitas dos beija-flores. As espécies de beija-flores registradas apresentaram diferentes combinações de características morfológicas (massa, comprimento do bico, comprimento da asa e relação bico/asa, que refletiram no conjunto de flores exploradas e no papel comunitário desempenhado por cada espécie. De um modo geral, beija-flores com nichos tróficos mais amplos foram também os mais freqüentes na área de estudo, indicando que o ambiente urbano pode ser mais favorável às espécies generalistas.The main purpose of this study was to identify the assemblage of flowers used by hummingbirds in an urban area of southern Brazil, as well as describe the patterns of resource partitioning among the hummingbird species. Twenty two plant species were recorded, which flowers are visited by ten hummingbird species. Most of these plants are exotics and regarded as non-ornithophilous. The hummingbirds displayed different combinations of morphological features (mass, bill length, wing length and relation bill/wing, which were reflected in the sets of flowers visited and the community role played by each species. In general, hummingbirds with largest niche breadths were also the most frequent ones, indicating that urban areas could be more suitable for generalist species.

Remote memories are enhanced by COMT activity through dysregulation of the endocannabinoid system in the prefrontal cortex.

Science.gov (United States)

Scheggia, D; Zamberletti, E; Realini, N; Mereu, M; Contarini, G; Ferretti, V; Managò, F; Margiani, G; Brunoro, R; Rubino, T; De Luca, M A; Piomelli, D; Parolaro, D; Papaleo, F

2018-04-01

The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is a crucial hub for the flexible modulation of recent memories (executive functions) as well as for the stable organization of remote memories. Dopamine in the PFC is implicated in both these processes and genetic variants affecting its neurotransmission might control the unique balance between cognitive stability and flexibility present in each individual. Functional genetic variants in the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene result in a different catabolism of dopamine in the PFC. However, despite the established role played by COMT genetic variation in executive functions, its impact on remote memory formation and recall is still poorly explored. Here we report that transgenic mice overexpressing the human COMT-Val gene (COMT-Val-tg) present exaggerated remote memories (>50 days) while having unaltered recent memories (remote memories as silencing COMT Val overexpression starting from 30 days after the initial aversive conditioning normalized remote memories. COMT genetic overactivity produced a selective overdrive of the endocannabinoid system within the PFC, but not in the striatum and hippocampus, which was associated with enhanced remote memories. Indeed, acute pharmacological blockade of CB1 receptors was sufficient to rescue the altered remote memory recall in COMT-Val-tg mice and increased PFC dopamine levels. These results demonstrate that COMT genetic variations modulate the retrieval of remote memories through the dysregulation of the endocannabinoid system in the PFC.

December 1992 Flores Region, Maumere, Indonesia Images

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — On December 12, 1992, a magnitude 7.5 Ms (USGS) earthquake at 05:29 UT occurred in the Flores, Indonesia, region producing a tsunami that reached shore in five...

Importancia de los estudios fisiológicos en los cultivos de flores de exportación

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Orozco de Amézquita Martha

1992-12-01

Full Text Available La Fisiologla Vegetal estudia el funcionamiento de las plantas y los procesos vitales que regulan su crecimiento, desarrollo y producción. En últimas, las respuestas de los vegetales dependen de lo que ocurre a nivel molecular, de organelos subcelulares, de células, de tejidos y órganos y de las
interrelaciones entre ellos, todo ésto modulado por
las condiciones ambientales. De la anterior definición, se deduce la importancia que tiene la investigación de los procesos fisiológicos en el desarrollo de la floricultura. En la actualidad, el manejo de plantas productoras de flores bajo
invernadero en la Sabana de Bogotá está basado en el interés de los floricultores por mejorar y aumentar
la calidad de la producción, lo cual ha originado un importante conocimiento emplrico, acompañado del empleo de técnicas recomendadas por expertos internacionales, que han suplido
los requerimientos necesarios para la producción. Por lo anterior, Arbeláez (1985 opina que un aspecto de vital importancia en el desarrollo futuro de la industria de flores será el poder contar con investigación suficiente que genere la tecnologla adecuada a las necesidades y condiciones colombianas.

No association between catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) genotype and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in Japanese children.

Science.gov (United States)

Yatsuga, Chiho; Toyohisa, Daiki; Fujisawa, Takashi X; Nishitani, Shota; Shinohara, Kazuyuki; Matsuura, Naomi; Ikeda, Shinobu; Muramatsu, Masaaki; Hamada, Akinobu; Tomoda, Akemi

2014-08-01

This study ascertained the association between attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in Japanese children and a polymorphism of catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT), a dopamine-control gene. The secondary aim of the study was the evaluation of a putative association between methylphenidate (MPH) effect/adverse effects and the COMT genotype. To ascertain the distribution of the Val158Met variant of COMT, 50 children meeting ADHD inclusion criteria were compared with 32 healthy children. Clinical improvement and the occurrence of adverse effects were measured before and 3 months after MPH administration in children with ADHD, and analyzed for genotype association. Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Third Edition (WISC-III), age, MPH dose were included as co-variables. The occurrence of the COMT Val/Val genotype was significantly higher in children with ADHD (χ(2)(1)=7.13, pADHD rating scale scores, after correcting for the interaction between disorder and COMT genotype. Furthermore, no significant difference in MPH effect/adverse effects was observed in association with the COMT genotype in the ADHD group. These results showed a lack of association between the COMT Val/Val genotype and ADHD in Japan. Copyright © 2013 The Japanese Society of Child Neurology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Entomofauna asociada a flores de berenjena y su papel en la producción de los frutos Insects associated with eggplant flowers and their role in fruit production

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Julianne Milléo

2011-06-01

Full Text Available El papel de los insectos polinizadores despierta interés, principalmente, en la reproducción de plantas tales como la berenjena. Este trabajo de recolección de la entomofauna asociada a las flores de Solanum melongena tuvo como objetivos identificar posibles agentes polinizadores locales y analizar el beneficio de los insectos antófilos a esta planta. Las observaciones y la colecta de los insectos visitantes de las flores fueron realizadas en febrero de 2008, entre las 7:00 y 17:15 horas, cada 45 minutos y en un área de 27 m². El experimento para el análisis y la comparación entre autofecundación espontánea y polinización por medio de agentes bióticos fue realizado en el mismo sitio, de febrero a marzo de 2009. Fueron colectados 631 insectos que visitaban las flores de berenjena, se destacaron los coleópteros de los géneros Colaspis Fabricius, Astylus Laporte, Harmonia Mulsant, Epitrix Foudras y Diabrotica Chevrolat; y los himenópteros del género Bombus Latreille. El pico de visitación en Solanum melongena ocurrió entre las 9:00 y 11:00 horas y corresponde al 36% del muestreo. De las flores sometidas al test de autofecundación espontánea, el 39% formaron frutos, mientras que apenas el 11% de las flores emasculadas y expuestas al proceso de acción por medio de agentes bióticos fructificaron.The interest in the role of insect pollination is growing, mainly in the reproduction of plants of economic interest, such as the eggplant. This study about the entomofauna associated with flowers of Solanum melongena has as objectives to identify possible pollinators' agents and to analyze the benefit of the anthophile insects to this plant. The observations and the survey of the flower visitors' insects were made in February 2008, between 7:00 am and 5:15 pm, every 45 minutes, in an area of 27 m². The experiment for analysis and comparison between spontaneous self pollination and by biological agents was made at the same place, from

On a collection of Birds from the islands of Flores, Sumba and Rotti

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Büttikofer, J.

1892-01-01

Dr. H. ten Kate, to whom we are already indepted for previous zoological collections made on his recent travels through the Flores- and Timor-group of Islands ¹), sent, in September and November last, a number of birds from Flores, Sumba (Sandelwood) and Rotti, the latter being a small island near

The effect of COMT gene on the target precision of the athlete movement

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E. V. Mikhailova

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of the study was to find correlation between COMT gene alleles and the target precision of the athlete movement. 68 Russian competing athletes involved in boxing and volleyball, participated in the study. We found interrelation between COMT Met allele and a tall stature in the volleyball players.

The effect of the COMT val(158)met polymorphism on neural correlates of semantic verbal fluency.

Science.gov (United States)

Krug, Axel; Markov, Valentin; Sheldrick, Abigail; Krach, Sören; Jansen, Andreas; Zerres, Klaus; Eggermann, Thomas; Stöcker, Tony; Shah, N Jon; Kircher, Tilo

2009-12-01

Variation in the val(158)met polymorphism of the COMT gene has been found to be associated with cognitive performance. In functional neuroimaging studies, this dysfunction has been linked to signal changes in prefrontal areas. Given the complex modulation and functional heterogeneity of frontal lobe systems, further specification of COMT gene-related phenotypes differing in prefrontally mediated cognitive performance are of major interest. Eighty healthy individuals (54 men, 26 women; mean age 23.3 years) performed an overt semantic verbal fluency task while brain activation was measured with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). COMT val(158)met genotype was determined and correlated with brain activation measured with fMRI during the task. Although there were no differences in performance, brain activation in the left inferior frontal gyrus [Brodmann area 10] was positively correlated with the number of val alleles in the COMT gene. COMT val(158)met status modulates brain activation during the language production on a semantic level in an area related to executive functions.

Tropical Volcanic Soils From Flores Island, Indonesia

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Hikmatullah

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Soils that are developed intropical region with volcanic parent materials have many unique properties, and high potential for agricultural use.The purpose of this study is to characterize the soils developed on volcanic materials from Flores Island, Indonesia,and to examine if the soils meet the requirements for andic soil properties. Selected five soils profiles developed fromandesitic volcanic materials from Flores Island were studied to determine their properties. They were compared intheir physical, chemical and mineralogical characteristics according to their parent material, and climatic characteristicdifferent. The soils were developed under humid tropical climate with ustic to udic soil moisture regimes withdifferent annual rainfall. The soils developed from volcanic ash parent materials in Flores Island showed differentproperties compared to the soils derived from volcanic tuff, even though they were developed from the sameintermediary volcanic materials. The silica contents, clay mineralogy and sand fractions, were shown as the differences.The different in climatic conditions developed similar properties such as deep solum, dark color, medium texture, andvery friable soil consistency. The soils have high organic materials, slightly acid to acid, low to medium cationexchange capacity (CEC. The soils in western region have higher clay content and showing more developed than ofthe eastern region. All the profiles meet the requirements for andic soil properties, and classified as Andisols order.The composition of sand mineral was dominated by hornblende, augite, and hypersthenes with high weatherablemineral reserves, while the clay fraction was dominated by disordered kaolinite, and hydrated halloysite. The soilswere classified into subgroup as Thaptic Hapludands, Typic Hapludands, and Dystric Haplustands

The Role of Catechol-O-Methyltransferase (COMT Gene in the Etiopathogenesis of Schizophrenia

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Ceren Acar

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Genetic factors in the risk of developing schizophrenia is of great importance. With the help of the advances in the field of genetics in recent years by using linkage analysis several genes have been identified that may be a risk factor in schizophrenia. Several association studies have been performed in many different populations on the candidate susceptibility genes that were defined in previous studies. However, these studies give controversial results in different countries with different populations, and there are problems in obtaining replicable results. In this review we aimed to focus on the genetic basis of schizophrenia and the relationship between schizophrenia and catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT gene. COMT encodes an enzyme molecule which has an important function in dopamine pathways. It has great importance in catecholamine metabolism and pharmacology and genetic mechanism of catechol metabolism variations and their clinical consequences. COMT transfers the methyl group from S-adenosyl-methionine to the hydroxyl group of catechol nucleus (such as dopamine, norepinephrine or catechol estrogen. Genetic variations found in COMT gene are associated with a broad spectrum of clinical phenotype including psychiatric disorders or estrogen related cancers. Several groups have performed studies on the relationship between schizophrenia and COMT. The most commonly studied polymorphism in COMT gene is rs4680 and it causes a valine methionine conversion at codon 158. The association studies on this polymorphism in different populations gave both positive and negative results. Schizoprenia is a complex disease caused by the interaction of environmental and genetic factors, while interpreting the genetic data, this fact and the possibility of the presence of different gene products should be taken into account. [Psikiyatride Guncel Yaklasimlar - Current Approaches in Psychiatry 2014; 6(3.000: 217-226

The origins and persistence of Homo floresiensis on Flores: biogeographical and ecological perspectives

Science.gov (United States)

Dennell, Robin W.; Louys, Julien; O'Regan, Hannah J.; Wilkinson, David M.

2014-07-01

The finding of archaeological evidence predating 1 Ma and a small hominin species (Homo floresiensis) on Flores, Indonesia, has stimulated much research on its origins and ancestry. Here we take a different approach and examine two key questions - 1) how did the ancestors of H. floresiensis reach Flores and 2) what are the possibilities for estimating the likelihood of hominin persistence for over 1 million years on a small island? With regard to the first question, on the basis of the biogeography we conclude that the mammalian, avian, and reptilian fauna on Flores arrived from a number of sources including Java, Sulawesi and Sahul. Many of the terrestrial taxa were able to float or swim (e.g. stegodons, giant tortoises and the Komodo dragon), while the rodents and hominins probably accidentally rafted from Sulawesi, following the prevailing currents. The precise route by which hominins arrived on Flores cannot at present be determined, although a route from South Asia through Indochina, Sulawesi and hence Flores is tentatively supported on the basis of zoogeography. With regards to the second question, we find the archaeological record equivocal. A basic energetics model shows that a greater number of small-bodied hominins could persist on Flores than larger-bodied hominins (whether H. floresiensis is a dwarfed species or a descendent of an early small-bodied ancestor is immaterial here), which may in part explain their apparent long-term success. Yet the frequent tsunamis and volcanic eruptions in the region would certainly have affected all the taxa on the island, and at least one turnover event is recorded, when Stegodon sondaari became extinct. The question of the likelihood of persistence may be unanswerable until we know much more about the biology of H. floresiensis.

Structural Characterization of Lignin in Wild-Type versus COMT Down-Regulated Switchgrass

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Samuel, Reichel [School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA (United States); BioEnergy Science Center, Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Pu, Yunqiao, E-mail: yunqiao.pu@ipst.gatech.edu [BioEnergy Science Center, Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Institute of Paper Science and Technology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA (United States); Jiang, Nan [School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA (United States); BioEnergy Science Center, Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Fu, Chunxiang [Forage Improvement Division, The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, Ardmore, OK (United States); Wang, Zeng-Yu [BioEnergy Science Center, Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Forage Improvement Division, The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, Ardmore, OK (United States); Ragauskas, Arthur, E-mail: yunqiao.pu@ipst.gatech.edu [School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA (United States); BioEnergy Science Center, Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

2014-01-20

This study examined the chemical structural characteristics of cellulolytic enzyme lignin isolated from switchgrass focusing on comparisons between wild-type control and caffeic acid 3-O-methyltransferase (COMT) down-regulated transgenic line. Nuclear magnetic resonance techniques including {sup 13}C, {sup 31}P, and two-dimensional {sup 13}C-{sup 1}H heteronuclear single quantum coherence as well as gel permeation chromatography were employed. Compared to the wild-type, the COMT down-regulated transgenic switchgrass lignin demonstrated a decrease in syringyl (S):guaiacyl (G) ratio and p-coumarate:ferulate ratio, an increase in relative abundance of phenylcoumaran unit, and a comparable content of total free phenolic OH groups along with formation of benzodioxane unit. In addition, COMT down-regulation had no significant effects on the lignin molecular weights during its biosynthesis process.

Influence of COMT Val158Met polymorphism on emotional decision-making: A sex-dependent relationship?

Science.gov (United States)

Costa, Danielle de Souza; Bechara, Antoine; de Paula, Jonas Jardim; Romano-Silva, Marco Aurélio; Correa, Humberto; Lage, Guilherme Menezes; Miranda, Débora Marques de; Malloy-Diniz, Leandro Fernandes

2016-12-30

The biological underpinnings of sex-related differences in decision-making are still under-explored. The COMT gene is related to sexual dimorphism and with different choices made under uncertainty, albeit no study has specifically investigated a moderation effect of sex on the association between the COMT gene and the performance on decision-making paradigms. In this study, we investigated the influence of the COMT Val 158 Met polymorphism on Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) performance depending on sex in a healthy adult sample. Participants were 192 healthy adults (84 men and 108 women). The first 40 choices in the IGT were considered decisions under ambiguity and the last 60 choices decisions under risk. To test our moderation hypothesis we used a separate regressions approach. The results revealed a sex-dependent effect of COMT Va l 158 Met polymorphism on decision-making as measured by the IGT. Val/Val women showed the best performance in the last trials of the IGT. Therefore, the COMT Val 158 Met polymorphism may be considered a genetic marker underlying sex differences in decision-making. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evidence that COMT genotype and proline interact on negative-symptom outcomes in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Clelland, C L; Drouet, V; Rilett, K C; Smeed, J A; Nadrich, R H; Rajparia, A; Read, L L; Clelland, J D

2016-09-13

Elevated peripheral proline is associated with psychiatric disorders, and there is evidence that proline is a neuromodulator. The proline dehydrogenase (PRODH) gene, which encodes the enzyme that catalyzes proline catabolism, maps to human chromosome 22q11.2, a region conferring risk of schizophrenia. In the Prodh-null mouse, an interaction between elevated peripheral proline and another 22q11.2 gene, catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT), on neurotransmission and behavior has been reported. We explored the relationship between fasting plasma proline levels and COMT Val(158)Met genotype on symptoms (positive, negative and total) in schizophrenia patients. In an exploratory study we also examined symptom change in patients with bipolar disorder. There was a significant interaction between peripheral proline and COMT on negative symptoms in schizophrenia (PScale for the Assessment of Negative Symptom (SANS) scores. In contrast, high proline was associated with high SANS scores in patients carrying a Met allele. The relationship between proline and COMT also appears to modify negative symptoms across psychiatric illness. In bipolar disorder, a significant interaction was also observed on negative-symptom change (P=0.007, n=43). Negative symptoms are intractable and largely unaddressed by current medications. These data indicate a significant interaction between peripheral proline and COMT genotype, influencing negative symptoms in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. That high proline has converse effects on symptoms by COMT genotype, may have implications for therapeutic decisions.

Genetic variation in COMT and PRODH is associated with brain anatomy in patients with schizophrenia

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zinkstok, J.; Schmitz, N.; van Amelsvoort, T.; Moeton, M.; Baas, F.; Linszen, D.

2008-01-01

Haploinsufficiency of 22q11 genes including catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) and proline dehydrogenase (PRODH) may result in structural and functional brain abnormalities and increased vulnerability to schizophrenia as observed in patients with microdeletions of 22q11. Thus, COMT and PRODH could

Genetic influences on insight problem solving: the role of catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene polymorphisms.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Weili; Shang, Siyuan; Su, Yanjie

2015-01-01

People may experience an "aha" moment, when suddenly realizing a solution of a puzzling problem. This experience is called insight problem solving. Several findings suggest that catecholamine-related genes may contribute to insight problem solving, among which the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene is the most promising candidate. The current study examined 753 healthy individuals to determine the associations between 7 candidate single nucleotide polymorphisms on the COMT gene and insight problem-solving performance, while considering gender differences. The results showed that individuals carrying A allele of rs4680 or T allele of rs4633 scored significantly higher on insight problem-solving tasks, and the COMT gene rs5993883 combined with gender interacted with correct solutions of insight problems, specifically showing that this gene only influenced insight problem-solving performance in males. This study presents the first investigation of the genetic impact on insight problem solving and provides evidence that highlights the role that the COMT gene plays in insight problem solving.

The effects of gender and COMT Val158Met polymorphism on fearful facial affect recognition: a fMRI study.

Science.gov (United States)

Kempton, Matthew J; Haldane, Morgan; Jogia, Jigar; Christodoulou, Tessa; Powell, John; Collier, David; Williams, Steven C R; Frangou, Sophia

2009-04-01

The functional catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT Val108/158Met) polymorphism has been shown to have an impact on tasks of executive function, memory and attention and recently, tasks with an affective component. As oestrogen reduces COMT activity, we focused on the interaction between gender and COMT genotype on brain activations during an affective processing task. We used functional MRI (fMRI) to record brain activations from 74 healthy subjects who engaged in a facial affect recognition task; subjects viewed and identified fearful compared to neutral faces. There was no main effect of the COMT polymorphism, gender or genotypexgender interaction on task performance. We found a significant effect of gender on brain activations in the left amygdala and right temporal pole, where females demonstrated increased activations over males. Within these regions, Val/Val carriers showed greater signal magnitude compared to Met/Met carriers, particularly in females. The COMT Val108/158Met polymorphism impacts on gender-related patterns of activation in limbic and paralimbic regions but the functional significance of any oestrogen-related COMT inhibition appears modest.

Association of functional variations in COMT and GCH1 genes with postherniotomy pain and related impairment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Belfer, Inna; Dai, Feng; Kehlet, Henrik

2015-01-01

Persistent postoperative pain is a well-established clinical problem with potential severe personal and socioeconomic implications. The prevalence of persistent pain varies across surgery types. Severe persistent pain and related impairment occur in 5% to 10% of patients after groin hernia repair....... The substantial interindividual variability in pain-related phenotypes within each surgery type cannot be explained by environmental factors alone, suggesting that genetic variation may play a role. We investigated the contribution of COMT and GCH1 to persistent postherniotomy pain (PPP)-related functional...... moderate-to-severe pain-related activity impairment 6 months postoperatively as measured by Activity Assessment Scale (≥8.3). Patients with the G allele of COMT SNP rs6269 and C allele of COMT SNP rs4633 had less impairment (P = 0.03 and 0.01, respectively); in addition, the COMT haplotype GCG...

estimation of the sanitary impact associated to the domestic exposure to radon in Franche-Comte

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Catelinois, O.; Pirard, P.; Clinard, F.; Aury, K.; Tillier, C.; Aury, K.; Noury, L.; Hochard, A.

2008-01-01

The importance of the impact of public health associate to domestic radon exposure in Franche-Comte is clearly formulated. The radon concentrations are higher in the granite areas. However, the impact is essentially concentrated in the Franche-Comte sedimentary areas where the essential of the population lives. (N.C.)

ANALISIS PERIKANAN HUHATE DI PERAIRAN LARANTUKA, FLORES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohamad Adha Akbar

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Informasi mengenai beberapa aspek perikanan huhate sangat diperlukan sebagai bahan untuk perencanaan pengelolaan perikanan yang berkelanjutan. Penelitian ini dilakukan di Larantuka, Flores Timur pada tahun 2014 dengan tujuan untuk menganalisis perikanan huhate sebagai salah satu tulang punggung perikanan TCT. Kegiatan penelitian diprioritaskan pada analisis unit alat tangkap, daerah penangkapan, komposisi hasil tangkapan dan estimasi Total Faktor Produktivitas (TFP perikanan huhate. Basis data pengukuran adalah himpunan  data pendaratan dan observasi lapang. Hasil penelitian menunjukan bahwa karakteristik armada terdiri dari kapal yang terbuat dari fibreglass dengan kisaran bobot kapal 6 - 30 GT. Daerah penangkapan di sekitar perairan Laut Sawu dan Laut Flores. Hasil tangkapan utama didominansi oleh cakalang (Katsuwonus pelamis sebanyak 82%, juwana tuna (Thunnus spp. 17% dan tongkol (Auxis spp. 1% serta hasil tangkapan ikutan lemadang (Coryphaena hippurus dan marlin (Makaira spp. < 1%. Hasil analisis tangkapan per unit upaya (CPUE memberikan nilai rata-rata sebesar 1,1 ton/trip (0,4-1,7 ton/trip dengan nilai tertinggi terjadi pada Februari, sedangkan terendah terjadi pada Januari. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan terdapat hubungan yang signifikan antara tren bulanan CPUE dan nilai TFP.

Lettres à Auguste Comte

OpenAIRE

Mill, John Stuart

2016-01-01

Ces lettres sont écrites en français et sont reproduites sans correction.   India Housele 13 juillet 1843Mon cher Monsieur Comte J’espère que cette lettre vous atteindra avant le commencement de votre tournée officielle, qui du reste ne suspendra pas sans doute notre correspondance, et je ne doute pas qu’à quelque temps d’ici je serai plus en état de vous écrire convenablement. Le dérangement passager que je vous ai annoncé dans ma dernière lettre, de ma santé morale et physique, ne s’est pas...

A small skull from Flores dated to the 20th century

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Villa, Chiara; Persson, Liselott; Alexandersen, Verner

2012-01-01

A human skull with mandible from the Ngada District on the island of Flores, Indonesia, is described in order to contribute to the knowledge of variation in cranial architecture, which is important in interpretations of evolutionary cerebralisation. The skull was excavated in 1924 and sent...... to the National Museum in Copenhagen. The "Copenhagen Flores" (CF) male skull is radiocarbon-dated and of modern age. The cranium is small, but larger than e.g. Liang Bua skull (LB1) in every measurement. The (CT-scan based) cranial capacity of 1258 ml is normal for modern humans, but somewhat lower than values...

Interaction Effects of BDNF and COMT Genes on Resting-State Brain Activity and Working Memory

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Wen; Chen, Chunhui; Xia, Mingrui; Wu, Karen; Chen, Chuansheng; He, Qinghua; Xue, Gui; Wang, Wenjing; He, Yong; Dong, Qi

2016-01-01

Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) genes have been found to interactively influence working memory (WM) as well as brain activation during WM tasks. However, whether the two genes have interactive effects on resting-state activities of the brain and whether these spontaneous activations correlate with WM are still unknown. This study included behavioral data from WM tasks and genetic data (COMT rs4680 and BDNF Val66Met) from 417 healthy Chinese adults and resting-state fMRI data from 298 of them. Significant interactive effects of BDNF and COMT were found for WM performance as well as for resting-state regional homogeneity (ReHo) in WM-related brain areas, including the left medial frontal gyrus (lMeFG), left superior frontal gyrus (lSFG), right superior and medial frontal gyrus (rSMFG), right medial orbitofrontal gyrus (rMOFG), right middle frontal gyrus (rMFG), precuneus, bilateral superior temporal gyrus, left superior occipital gyrus, right middle occipital gyrus, and right inferior parietal lobule. Simple effects analyses showed that compared to other genotypes, subjects with COMT-VV/BDNF-VV had higher WM and lower ReHo in all five frontal brain areas. The results supported the hypothesis that COMT and BDNF polymorphisms influence WM performance and spontaneous brain activity (i.e., ReHo). PMID:27853425

JORGE RAMÍREZ ESPINO, PRODUCTOR DE FLORES ARTIFICIALES [Material gráfico

OpenAIRE

Suárez García, Carlos Félix

1980-01-01

JORGE RAMÍREZ ESPINO, ARTESANO TRADICIONAL DE LAS PALMAS DE GRAN CANARIA DEDICADO A LA PRODUCCIÓN DE FLORES ARTIFICIALES CON TIRAS DE PLATANERA, HOJAS DE DRAGO, CAMISA DE MILLO Y LA PIÑA DE LA FLOR DE LA PLATANERA NACIÓ EN LAS PALMAS DE GRAN CANARIA EN EL AÑO 1942. COMIENZA SU ANDADURA DE MANERA AUTODIDACTA, CONFECCIONANDO FLORES, EN EL AÑO 1992, AL TIEMPO QUE REALIZA COLLARES PARA CABRAS CON ANTONIO PERERA HASTA EL AÑO 1995, EN QUE COMIENZA A VENDER SUS PRIMEROS PRODUCTOS DEL CARA AL PÚBL...

Association of the 3′ Region of COMT with Schizophrenia in Taiwan

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Yi-Ling Chien

2009-04-01

Conclusion: The SNP rs165599, which has been mapped to the 3′-UTR region of the COMT gene, was significantly associated with schizophrenia in our family study, and possibly associated with the age of onset, delusion/hallucination symptom dimension, and CPT performance. Therefore, COMT may contribute to the genetic risk for schizophrenia not through the Val108/158 Met polymorphism, but through other variants that are situated 3′ to this region, in the Taiwanese population. Nevertheless, the true associated functional variants in our subjects remain to be elucidated.

Association between the COMT Val158Met polymorphism and fibromyalgia susceptibility and fibromyalgia impact questionnaire score: a meta-analysis.

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Lee, Young Ho; Kim, Jae-Hoon; Song, Gwan Gyu

2015-01-01

The aim of this study was to explore whether the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) Val158Met polymorphism is associated with susceptibility to fibromyalgia and fibromyalgia impact questionnaire (FIQ) score in fibromyalgia patients. We conducted a meta-analysis of the associations of the COMT Val158Met polymorphism with fibromyalgia risk as well as FIQ score in fibromyalgia patients. A total of 993 fibromyalgia patients and 778 controls from 10 studies on the COMT Val158Met polymorphism and 538 fibromyalgia patients from 5 studies on the COMT Val158Met polymorphism and FIQ score were included in this meta-analysis. The meta-analysis revealed an association between fibromyalgia and the COMT Met/Met + Val/Met genotype in all study subjects (odds ratio (OR) 1.635, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.029-2.597, p = 0.037). However, stratification by ethnicity indicated no association between the Met/Met + Val/Met genotype and fibromyalgia in the European and Turkish populations (OR 1.202, 95 % CI 0.876-1.649, p = 0.255; OR 2.132, 95 % CI 0.764-5.949, p = 0.148, respectively). Analysis using other genetic models showed no association between the COMT Val158Met polymorphism and fibromyalgia. The meta-analysis also revealed that the FIQ score was significantly higher in individuals with the COMT Met/Met genotype than in those with the Val/Val genotype [weighted mean difference (WMD) = 14.39, 95 % CI 3.316-25.48, p = 0.011] and the Val/Met genotype (WMD = 5.108, 95 % CI 2.212-4.891, p = 0.021). This meta-analysis identified an association between fibromyalgia risk and the COMT Val158Met polymorphism as well as the FIQ score in fibromyalgia patients.

COMT Val158Met polymorphism, cognitive stability and cognitive flexibility: an experimental examination

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Rosa Elise C

2010-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Dopamine in prefrontal cortex (PFC modulates core cognitive processes, notably working memory and executive control. Dopamine regulating genes and polymorphisms affecting PFC - including Catechol-O-Methyltransferase (COMT Val158Met - are crucial to understanding the molecular genetics of cognitive function and dysfunction. A mechanistic account of the COMT Val158Met effect associates the Met allele with increased tonic dopamine transmission underlying maintenance of relevant information, and the Val allele with increased phasic dopamine transmission underlying the flexibility of updating new information. Thus, consistent with some earlier work, we predicted that Val carriers would display poorer performance when the maintenance component was taxed, while Met carriers would be less efficient when rapid updating was required. Methods Using a Stroop task that manipulated level of required cognitive stability and flexibility, we examined reaction time performance of patients with schizophrenia (n = 67 and healthy controls (n = 186 genotyped for the Val/Met variation. Results In both groups we found a Met advantage for tasks requiring cognitive stability, but no COMT effect when a moderate level of cognitive flexibility was required, or when a conflict cost measure was calculated. Conclusions Our results do not support a simple stability/flexibility model of dopamine COMT Val/Met effects and suggest a somewhat different conceptualization and experimental operationalization of these cognitive components.

MB-COMT promoter DNA methylation is associated with working-memory processing in schizophrenia patients and healthy controls

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E. Walton (Esther); J. Liu (Jingyu); J. Hass (Johanna); T.J.H. White (Tonya); M. Scholz (Markus); V. Rœssner (Veit); R.L. Gollub (Randy); V.D. Calhoun (Vince); S.M. Ehrlich (Stefan)

2014-01-01

textabstractMany genetic studies report mixed results both for the associations between COMT polymorphisms and schizophrenia and for the effects of COMT variants on common intermediate phenotypes of the disorder. Reasons for this may include small genetic effect sizes and the modulation of

CARACTERISATION DE LA FLORE ADVENTICE HYPOGEE DANS ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

AISA

2Laboratoire de Botanique et de Biologie Végétale, UFR Biosciences, Université d'Abidjan-Cocody,. 22 BP 582 Abidjan 22. 3SUCAF-CI, Ferkessédougou. 4Laboratoire de Physiologie Végétale, UFR Biosciences, Université de Cocody. RESUME. Un inventaire de la flore hypogée potentielle a été réalisé en basse Côte ...

COMT Val158 Met moderates the link between rank and aggression in a non-human primate.

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Gutleb, D R; Roos, C; Noll, A; Ostner, J; Schülke, O

2018-04-01

The COMT Val 158 Met polymorphism is one of the most widely studied genetic polymorphisms in humans implicated in aggression and the moderation of stressful life event effects. We screened a wild primate population for polymorphisms at the COMT Val 158 Met site and phenotyped them for aggression to test whether the human polymorphism exists and is associated with variation in aggressive behavior. Subjects were all adults from 4 study groups (37 males, 40 females) of Assamese macaques (Macaca assamensis) in their natural habitat (Phu Khieo Wildlife Sanctuary, Thailand). We collected focal animal behavioral data (27 males, 36 females, 5964 focal hours) and fecal samples for non-invasive DNA analysis. We identified the human COMT Val 158 Met polymorphism (14 Met/Met, 41 Val/Met and 22 Val/Val). Preliminary results suggest that COMT genotype and dominance rank interact to influence aggression rates. Aggression rates increased with rank in Val/Val, but decreased in Met/Met and Val/Met individuals, with no significant main effect of COMT genotype on aggression. Further support for the interaction effect comes from time series analyses revealing that when changing from lower to higher rank position Val/Val individuals decreased, whereas Met/Met individuals increased their aggression rate. Contradicting the interpretation of earlier studies, we show that the widely studied Val 158 Met polymorphism in COMT is not unique to humans and yields similar behavioral phenotypes in a non-human primate. This study represents an important step towards understanding individual variation in aggression in a wild primate population and may inform human behavioral geneticists about the evolutionary roots of inter-individual variation in aggression. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd and International Behavioural and Neural Genetics Society.

Cognitive manic symptoms in bipolar disorder associated with polymorphisms in the DAOA and COMT genes.

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Dzana Sudic Hukic

Full Text Available INTRODUCTION: Bipolar disorder is characterized by severe mood symptoms including major depressive and manic episodes. During manic episodes, many patients show cognitive dysfunction. Dopamine and glutamate are important for cognitive processing, thus the COMT and DAOA genes that modulate the expression of these neurotransmitters are of interest for studies of cognitive function. METHODOLOGY: Focusing on the most severe episode of mania, a factor was found with the combined symptoms of talkativeness, distractibility, and thought disorder, considered a cognitive manic symptoms (CMS factor. 488 patients were genotyped, out of which 373 (76% had talkativeness, 269 (55% distractibility, and 372 (76% thought disorder. 215 (44% patients were positive for all three symptoms, thus showing CMS (Table 1. As population controls, 1,044 anonymous blood donors (ABD were used. Case-case and case-control design models were used to investigate genetic associations between cognitive manic symptoms in bipolar 1 disorder and SNPs in the COMT and DAOA genes. [Table: see text]. RESULTS: The finding of this study was that cognitive manic symptoms in patients with bipolar 1 disorder was associated with genetic variants in the DAOA and COMT genes. Nominal association for DAOA SNPs and COMT SNPs to cognitive symptoms factor in bipolar 1 disorder was found in both allelic (Table 2 and haplotypic (Table 3 analyses. Genotypic association analyses also supported our findings. However, only one association, when CMS patients were compared to ABD controls, survived correction for multiple testing by max (T permutation. Data also suggested interaction between SNPs rs2391191 in DAOA and rs5993883 in COMT in the case-control model. [Table: see text] [Table: see text]. CONCLUSION: Identifying genes associated with cognitive functioning has clinical implications for assessment of prognosis and progression. Our finding are consistent with other studies showing genetic associations

LA RIQUEZA DE LAS PLANTAS CON FLORES DE COLOMBIA

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J. ORLANDO RANGEL-CH.

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Con base en los inventarios florísticos a nivel regional que se adelantan desde 1991 se documentaron los patrones de riqueza (distribución, concentración a nivel de familia de las plantas con flores en Colombia y en sus regiones naturales extra-andinas. En Colombia están representadas 238 de las 414 familias de plantas con flores reconocidas a nivel global, lo cual significa el 57.7% de esta riqueza. De las regiones naturales incluidas en este estudio, la Amazonia es la más rica en número de especies y la de mayor superficie y en el Caribe se alcanzó el mayor número de familias (201. El índice de riqueza a nivel de familia fue mayor en el Caribe (15.6 x 10-4 y el de especies fue mayor en el Chocó (3.4x10-2 y menor en la Orinoquia (1.7x 10-2.. En la Orinoquia están ausentes 65 familias, en la Amazonia 49, en el Chocó 59 y en el Caribe 35 respectivamente. En cuanto a distintividad taxonómica a nivel de familias, en el Caribe se encuentran 19 familias con distribución restringida, en Amazonia cinco, en el Chocó y en la Orinoquia una en cada caso. No se comprobó una relación directa entre superficie del área de la región natural y las expresiones de la riqueza y de la distintividad taxonómica. Se confirma el patrón alto de riqueza en un número reducido de familias, en las 50 familias más ricas en todas las regiones naturales se concentran los valores de riqueza específica por encima del 82%. Entre las familias con mayor concentración de especies en Colombia, en comparación con la situación a nivel del mundo cabe destacar a Metteniusaceae, grupo que presenta siete de las nueve especies registradas en el mundo e igualmente a Brunelliaceae, Siparunaceae, Cyclanthaceae, Heliconiaceae, Myristicaceae, Marcgraviaceae, Gunneraceae, Humiriaceae, Rapateaceae y Tropaeolaceae. Una comparación de los patrones de riqueza a nivel de familia en los países megadiversos de Suramérica, muestra que en Brasil 41 familias tienen mayor n

COMT genetic variation confers risk for psychotic and affective disorders: a case control study

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Lencz Todd

2005-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Variation in the COMT gene has been implicated in a number of psychiatric disorders, including psychotic, affective and anxiety disorders. The majority of these studies have focused on the functional Val108/158Met polymorphism and yielded conflicting results, with limited studies examining the relationship between other polymorphisms, or haplotypes, and psychiatric illness. We hypothesized that COMT variation may confer a general risk for psychiatric disorders and have genotyped four COMT variants (Val158Met, rs737865, rs165599, and a SNP in the P2 promoter [-278A/G; rs2097603] in 394 Caucasian cases and 467 controls. Cases included patients with schizophrenia (n = 196, schizoaffective disorder (n = 62, bipolar disorder (n = 82, major depression (n = 30, and patients diagnosed with either psychotic disorder NOS or depressive disorder NOS (n = 24. Results SNP rs2097603, the Val/Met variant and SNP rs165599 were significantly associated (p = 0.004; p = 0.05; p = 0.035 with a broad "all affected" diagnosis. Haplotype analysis revealed a potentially protective G-A-A-A haplotype haplotype (-278A/G; rs737865; Val108/158Met; rs165599, which was significantly underrepresented in this group (p = 0.0033 and contained the opposite alleles of the risk haplotype previously described by Shifman et al. Analysis of diagnostic subgroups within the "all affecteds group" showed an association of COMT in patients with psychotic disorders as well as in cases with affective illness although the associated variants differed. The protective haplotype remained significantly underrepresented in most of these subgroups. Conclusion Our results support the view that COMT variation provides a weak general predisposition to neuropsychiatric disease including psychotic and affective disorders.

Influence of COMT val158met genotype on the depressed brain during emotional processing and working memory.

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Esther M Opmeer

Full Text Available Major depressive disorder (MDD has been associated with abnormal prefrontal-limbic interactions and altered catecholaminergic neurotransmission. The val158met polymorphism on the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT gene has been shown to influence prefrontal cortex (PFC activation during both emotional processing and working memory (WM. Although COMT-genotype is not directly associated with MDD, it may affect MDD pathology by altering PFC activation, an endophenotype associated with both COMT and MDD. 125 participants, including healthy controls (HC, n=28 and MDD patients were genotyped for the COMT val158met polymorphism and underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI-neuroimaging during emotion processing (viewing of emotional facial expressions and a WM task (visuospatial planning. Within HC, we observed a positive correlation between the number of met-alleles and right inferior frontal gyrus activation during emotional processing, whereas within patients the number of met-alleles was not correlated with PFC activation. During WM a negative correlation between the number of met-alleles and middle frontal gyrus activation was present in the total sample. In addition, during emotional processing there was an effect of genotype in a cluster including the amygdala and hippocampus. These results demonstrate that COMT genotype is associated with relevant endophenotypes for MDD. In addition, presence of MDD only interacts with genotype during emotional processing and not working memory.

Interações entre Protodiscelis (Colletidae, Neopasiphaeinae) e plantas aquáticas e a importância de odores florais na atração de polinizadores.

OpenAIRE

Carvalho, Airton Torres

2012-01-01

Abelhas são os principais polinizadores das plantas com flores. Plantas são sésseis e a reprodução sexuada cruzada somente ocorre através de vetores de pólen. Sendo assim, flores zoofílicas provêm pistas para o encontro interespecífico, são polinizadas e fornecem recursos florais aos polinizadores. O principal recurso coletado por abelhas herbívoros Apiformes é pólen, o principal alimento larval. Para as plantas, entretanto, existe um balanço entre recurso fornecido e quantidade de grão...

Association study between COMT 158Met and creativity scores in bipolar disorder and healthy controls

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Márcio Gerhardt Soeiro-de-Souza

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Background Bipolar disorder (BD patients have been reported to be associated higher creativity abilities, and recent data tend to support the hypothesis that dopaminergic system that could be associated with creativity. Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT is one of the major enzymes involved in the metabolic degradation of dopamine. The COMT gene polymorphism (rs4680 or Val158Met Met allele is reported to cause decreased activity of this enzyme in prefrontal cortex and improve performance in several cognitive domains. Objective The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of Val158Met on creativity in BD type I and healthy controls. Methods Ninety-seven healthy volunteers and 120 BD type I were genotyped for COMT rs4680 and tested for creativity (Barrow Welsh Art Scale – BWAS and intelligence Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence (WASI. Results COMT Met allele positively influenced creativity scores in healthy controls but not in BD subjects during mood episodes and euthymia. The presence of allele Met did not influence IQ scores. No influence of IQ total score on creativity was observed. Limitations control group presented higher IQ scores and euthymic group was under medication use. Discussion Our research suggests positive effect of COMT rs4680 (allele Met on creativity scores in healthy controls. One possible interpretation is that creativity is more likely to be associated with lesser degrees of bipolarity. The fact that the same results were not observed in BD may be associated to dysfunctions in the dopaminergic system that characterizes this disorder. Further studies with larger samples and other types of BD should explore the role of the dopaminergic system in creativity.

COMT Val(158) met genotype and striatal D(2/3) receptor binding in adults with 22q11 deletion syndrome.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Boot, Erik

2011-09-01

Although catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) activity evidently affects dopamine function in prefrontal cortex, the contribution is assumed less significant in striatum. We studied whether a functional polymorphism in the COMT gene (Val(158) Met) influences striatal D(2\\/3) R binding ratios (D(2\\/3) R BP(ND) ) in 15 adults with 22q11 deletion syndrome and hemizygous for this gene, using single photon emission computed tomography and the selective D(2\\/3) radioligand [(123) I]IBZM. Met hemizygotes had significantly lower mean D(2\\/3) R BPND than Val hemizygotes. These preliminary data suggest that low COMT activity may affect dopamine levels in striatum in humans and this may have implications for understanding the contribution of COMT activity to psychiatric disorders.

Measurements of radon concentrations in a sample representative of housing in Franche-Comte

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aury, K.; Clinard, F.; Tillier, C.; Catelinois, O.; Pirard, P.; Aury, K.; Nourry, L.; Hochart, A.

2008-01-01

Three departments on four ones in Franche-Comte are classified at risk for radon: measurements are so compulsory in establishments receiving public. For the residential sector, no obligation of measurement are compulsory when french people spend 70% of their time in it. The data concerning homes are fragmentary and deserve to be completed. This campaign of measurements has confirmed the existence of radon in relatively high concentrations in Franche-Comte, including the sedimentary areas, justifying the necessity to realize a precise evaluation of the sanitary impact. The model will allow to study different strategies to reduce radon in houses. (N.C.)

The modulatory influence of the functional COMT Val158Met polymorphism on lexical decisions and semantic priming.

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Reuter, Martin; Montag, Christian; Peters, Kristina; Kocher, Anne; Kiefer, Markus

2009-01-01

The role of the prefrontal Cortex (PFC) in higher cognitive functions - including working memory, conflict resolution, set shifting and semantic processing - has been demonstrated unequivocally. Despite the great heterogeneity among tasks measuring these phenotypes, due in part to the different cognitive sub-processes implied and the specificity of the stimulus material used, there is agreement that all of these tasks recruit an executive control system located in the PFC. On a biochemical level it is known that the dopaminergic system plays an important role in executive control functions. Evidence comes from molecular genetics relating the functional COMT Val158Met polymorphism to working memory and set shifting. In order determine whether this pattern of findings generalises to linguistic and semantic processing, we investigated the effects of the COMT Val158Met polymorphism in lexical decision making using masked and unmasked versions of the semantic priming paradigm on N = 104 healthy subjects. Although we observed strong priming effects in all conditions (masked priming, unmasked priming with short/long stimulus asynchronies (SOAs), direct and indirect priming), COMT was not significantly related to priming, suggesting no reliable influence on semantic processing. However, COMT Val158Met was strongly associated with lexical decision latencies in all priming conditions if considered separately, explaining between 9 and 14.5% of the variance. Therefore, the findings indicate that COMT mainly influences more general executive control functions in the PFC supporting the speed of lexical decisions.

The modulatory influence of the functional COMT Val158Met polymorphism on lexical decisions and semantic priming

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Martin Reuter

2009-08-01

Full Text Available The role of the prefrontal Cortex (PFC in higher cognitive functions - including working memory, conflict resolution, set shifting and semantic processing - has been demonstrated unequivocally. Despite the great heterogeneity among tasks measuring these phenotypes, due in part to the different cognitive sub-processes implied and the specificity of the stimulus material used, there is agreement that all of these tasks recruit an executive control system located in the PFC. On a biochemical level it is known that the dopaminergic system plays an important role in executive control functions. Evidence comes from molecular genetics relating the functional COMT Val158Met polymorphism to working memory and set shifting. In order determine whether this pattern of findings generalises to linguistic and semantic processing, we investigated the effects of the COMT Val158Met polymorphism in lexical decision making using masked and unmasked versions of the semantic priming paradigm on N=104 healthy subjects. Although we observed strong priming effects in all conditions (masked priming, unmasked priming with short/long stimulus asynchronies (SOAs, direct and indirect priming, COMT was not significantly related to masked priming, suggesting no reliable influence on semantic processing. However, COMT Val158Met was strongly associated with lexical decision latencies in all priming conditions if considered separately, explaining between 9 to 14.5 % of the variance. Therefore, the findings indicate that COMT mainly influences more general executive control functions in the PFC supporting the speed of lexical decisions.

COMT Val(108/158)Met polymorphism effects on emotional brain function and negativity bias.

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Williams, Leanne M; Gatt, Justine M; Grieve, Stuart M; Dobson-Stone, Carol; Paul, Robert H; Gordon, Evian; Schofield, Peter R

2010-11-15

Biases toward processing negative versus positive information vary as a function of level of awareness, and are modulated by monoamines. Excessive biases are associated with individual differences in mood and emotional stability, and emotional disorder. Here, we examined the impact of the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) Val(108/158)Met polymorphism, involved in dopamine and norepinephrine catabolism, on both emotional brain function and self-reported negativity bias. COMT genotyping and self-reported level of negativity bias were completed for 46 healthy participants taking part in the Brain Resource International Database. Functional MRI was undertaken during perception of facial expressions of fear and happiness presented under unmasked (consciously identified) and masked (to prevent conscious detection) conditions. Structural MR images were also acquired. A greater number of COMT Met alleles predicted increased activation in brainstem, amygdala, basal ganglia and medial prefrontal regions for conscious fear, but decreased activation for conscious happiness. This pattern was also apparent for brainstem activation for the masked condition. Effects were most apparent for females. These differences could not be explained by gray matter variations. The Met-related profile of activation, particularly prefrontally, predicted greater negativity bias associated with risk for emotional disorder. The findings suggest that the COMT Met allele modulates neural substrates of negative versus positive emotion processing. This effect may contribute to negativity biases, which confer susceptibility for emotional disorders. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

ANTRACNOSE DO CAQUIZEIRO CAUSADA POR Colletotrichum horii: INCIDÊNCIA EM RAMOS, FOLHAS, FLORES E FRUTOS EM CAMPO

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RENATO REZENDE YOUNG BLOOD

2015-06-01

Full Text Available O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a incidência em várias partes da planta e o desenvolvimento da antracnose do caquizeiro causada por Colletotrichum horiinas cultivares Fuyu e Kakimel produzidas sob os sistemas orgânico e convencional, respectivamente, nas safras de 2010/2011 e 2011/2012, em Campina Grande do Sul, Paraná, Brasil. Em cada pomar, 10 plantas foram selecionadas aleatoriamente, e 10 ramos do ano por planta, distribuídos ao redor dacopa, foram marcados para as avaliações de incidência de antracnose em ramos e folhas, a cada 15 dias. A quantificação de frutos caídos com ou sem sintomas da doença foi a cada 15 dias, durante o período de crescimento de frutos até a colheita, relacionada com a produção total. C. horii em flores foi avaliada em campo e também após incubação no laboratório. Infecção latente foi observada em frutos verdes coletados aos 90; 120 e 150 dias após a floração. Em ambas as safras, observou-se a queda de frutos com sintomas de antracnose entre os meses de janeiro e abril. C. horii é capaz de infectar flores, permanecer latente e provocar sintomas de antracnose em frutos imaturos. Frutos colhidos sadios apresentaram sintomas em pós-colheita após a incubação.

Socio-economic modelling of rabies control in Flores Island, Indonesia

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Wera, Ewaldus

2017-01-01

Rabies is a zoonotic viral disease that can cause encephalomyelitis both in animals and humans. Since its introduction in Flores Island, Indonesia in 1997, it has been a serious public health threat with significant economic consequences. To control the disease, annual dog vaccination campaigns

Incidencia de infecciones quiescentes de Botrytis cinerea en flores y

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MolinaG. Gilma Sandra

2004-12-01

la inoculación y la formación de micelio se inició a los cinco días después de la inoculación. El análisis de regresión de los datos semanales de incidencia de infecciones quiescentes de B. cinerea acumulada en flores y frutos de mora sobre las variables temperatura máxima media y precipitación acumulada indicó que temperaturas entre 16,5º C y 22,0º C y precipitación entre 13,4 mm y 36,0 mm con rezago de una semana influyen significativamente en la incidencia de infecciones quiescentes. Todos estos resultados sugieren que los periodos prolongados de humedad favorecen el establecimiento de infecciones tan pronto abren los botones, y que el micelio que coloniza las estructuras florales permanece quiescente hasta la maduración del fruto.

Association analysis of COMT/MTHFR polymorphisms and major depressive disorder in Chinese Han population.

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Xinhua; Wu, Yanfeng; Guan, Tiefeng; Wang, Xiaoquan; Qian, Mincai; Lin, Min; Shen, Zhongxia; Sun, Jushui; Zhong, Hua; Yang, Jianhong; Li, Liang; Yuan, Yonggui

2014-06-01

In several previous biochemical and genetic studies, the Val158Met polymorphism of the gene encoding catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) and the C677T polymorphism of Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) have been suggested to be involved in the pathogenesis as well as the treatment response of major depressive disorder (MDD), but the results have been inconsistent. In this study, we investigate the association of COMT/MTHFR and their interactions with MDD and antidepressant response in Chinese Han population. Three hundred and sixty eight depressed patients who met DSM-IV criteria for MDD were recruited for the study. Two hundred and nineteen normal controls were recruited from the local community. Patients and normal controls were genotyped for the functional COMT val158met and MTHFR C677T polymorphisms. Patients were characterized for clinical response to antidepressant treatment as measured by intra-individual changes of Hamilton Depression (HAMD-17) scores over 6 weeks. The T allele (OR=1.81; CI95%=1.40-2.34, Pdepressed individuals than among controls (OR=1.52, CI95%=1.04-2.21, P=0.02). There is disequilibrium in age and sex between case and control groups. Though we control the two variables in the statistic analysis, to be more accurate, we need to increase sample size in further study. Individuals with the genotype COMT Met/Val and MTHFR C/T have more probability of suffering from MDD. However, there is no association between gene polymorphism and treatment response. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Perda de massa de flores de capuchinha após armazenamento Loss of nasturtium flower mass after storage

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Andréia Sangalli

2007-09-01

Full Text Available Avaliou-se a perda de massa pós-colheita de flores de capuchinha, em experimento conduzido no Laboratório de Bioquímica da UFMS, em setembro de 2004. Flores das cores vermelha e amarela foram imersas durante trinta minutos em água, ácido ascórbico a 2% e 4%, cloreto de cálcio a 2% e 5% e sacarose a 5% e 10%, e armazenadas com e sem o uso de filme de PVC em câmara fria a 5ºC±2ºC. Foi analisada a perda de massa fresca, utilizando-se o delineamento inteiramente casualizado em fatorial 2 x 2 x 7, com três repetições (8 flores por bandeja e as médias comparadas pelo teste de Tukey, a 5% de significância. A longevidade média das flores de capuchinha foi de oito dias para as flores acondicionadas na embalagem de PVC e armazenadas em câmara fria, enquanto as flores não acondicionadas apresentaram-se murchas a partir do segundo dia. Os tratamentos químicos, nas concentrações estudadas, não beneficiaram a conservação pós-colheita das flores da capuchinha.The post-harvest behavior of nasturtium flowers was evaluated using sucrose, ascorbic acid and calcium chloride which were associated or not with polyethylene pack and stored under refrigeration. This work was carried out in a biochemical laboratory, in Dourados, Mato Grosso do Sul State, Brazil. Red and yellow flowers were immersed during thirty minutes in water, ascorbic acid at 2% and 4%, calcium chloride at 2% and 5% and sucrose at 5% and 10%, and then stored with and without package in a refrigerated chamber at 5°C ±2°C. The trial was carried out in a complete randomized experimental design in a 2 x 2 x 7 factorial scheme with three replications (8 flowers/tray. Nasturtium flowers stored with package in refrigerated chamber last for eight days, while flowers kept at environmental conditions withered after the second day. Treatments with ascorbic acid, calcium chloride and sucrose did not benefit post-harvest conservation of nasturtium flowers.

Age-Dependent Effects of Catechol-O-Methyltransferase (COMT) Gene Val158Met Polymorphism on Language Function in Developing Children.

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Sugiura, Lisa; Toyota, Tomoko; Matsuba-Kurita, Hiroko; Iwayama, Yoshimi; Mazuka, Reiko; Yoshikawa, Takeo; Hagiwara, Hiroko

2017-01-01

The genetic basis controlling language development remains elusive. Previous studies of the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) Val158Met genotype and cognition have focused on prefrontally guided executive functions involving dopamine. However, COMT may further influence posterior cortical regions implicated in language perception. We investigated whether COMT influences language ability and cortical language processing involving the posterior language regions in 246 children aged 6-10 years. We assessed language ability using a language test and cortical responses recorded during language processing using a word repetition task and functional near-infrared spectroscopy. The COMT genotype had significant effects on language performance and processing. Importantly, Met carriers outperformed Val homozygotes in language ability during the early elementary school years (6-8 years), whereas Val homozygotes exhibited significant language development during the later elementary school years. Both genotype groups exhibited equal language performance at approximately 10 years of age. Val homozygotes exhibited significantly less cortical activation compared with Met carriers during word processing, particularly at older ages. These findings regarding dopamine transmission efficacy may be explained by a hypothetical inverted U-shaped curve. Our findings indicate that the effects of the COMT genotype on language ability and cortical language processing may change in a narrow age window of 6-10 years. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press.

The relation of serotonin-related gene and COMT gene polymorphisms with criminal behavior in schizophrenic disorder.

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Koh, Kyung Bong; Choi, Eun Hee; Lee, Young-joon; Han, Mooyoung; Choi, Sang-Sup; Kim, So Won; Lee, Min Goo

2012-02-01

It has been suggested that patients with schizophrenia might be involved in criminal behavior, such as homicidal and violent behavior. However, the relationship between criminal behavior and genes in patients with schizophrenia has not been clearly elucidated. The objective of this study was to examine the relation between criminal behavior and serotonin-related gene or catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene polymorphisms in patients with schizophrenia. Serotonin-related and COMT polymorphic markers were assessed by using single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping. Ninety-nine crime-related inpatients with schizophrenia (57 homicidal and 42 nonhomicidal violent) and 133 healthy subjects were enrolled between October 2005 and May 2008. Diagnoses were made according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) criteria. The genotype frequencies of tryptophan hydroxylase-1 (TPH1) A218C and COMT V158M were compared between groups. The TPH1 CC genotype had 2.7-fold higher odds of crime-related schizophrenia compared with A-carrier genotype after the analysis was controlled for sex and age (OR, 2.69; 95% CI, 1.22 - 5.91; P = .01). In addition, the TPH1 CC genotype had 3.4-fold higher odds of homicidal schizophrenia compared with A-carrier genotype after the analysis was controlled for sex and age (OR, 3.38; 95% CI, 1.40 - 8.18; P = .007). However, no significant differences were found in the frequencies of genotype of COMT polymorphism between criminal schizophrenics and healthy subjects, nor were any significant differences found between nonhomicidal schizophrenics and healthy subjects. These results indicate that the TPH1 CC recessive genotype is likely to be a genetic risk factor for criminal behavior, especially homicidal behavior in patients with schizophrenia. However, COMT gene polymorphisms were not associated with criminal behavior in schizophrenic patients. © Copyright 2012 Physicians Postgraduate Press, Inc.

Costs of Rabies Control: An Economic Calculation Method Applied to Flores Island

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Wera, Ewaldus; Velthuis, Annet G. J.; Geong, Maria; Hogeveen, Henk

2013-01-01

Background Rabies is a zoonotic disease that, in most human cases, is fatal once clinical signs appear. The disease transmits to humans through an animal bite. Dogs are the main vector of rabies in humans on Flores Island, Indonesia, resulting in about 19 human deaths each year. Currently, rabies control measures on Flores Island include mass vaccination and culling of dogs, laboratory diagnostics of suspected rabid dogs, putting imported dogs in quarantine, and pre- and post-exposure treatment (PET) of humans. The objective of this study was to estimate the costs of the applied rabies control measures on Flores Island. Methodology/principal findings A deterministic economic model was developed to calculate the costs of the rabies control measures and their individual cost components from 2000 to 2011. The inputs for the economic model were obtained from (i) relevant literature, (ii) available data on Flores Island, and (iii) experts such as responsible policy makers and veterinarians involved in rabies control measures in the past. As a result, the total costs of rabies control measures were estimated to be US$1.12 million (range: US$0.60–1.47 million) per year. The costs of culling roaming dogs were the highest portion, about 39 percent of the total costs, followed by PET (35 percent), mass vaccination (24 percent), pre-exposure treatment (1.4 percent), and others (1.3 percent) (dog-bite investigation, diagnostic of suspected rabid dogs, trace-back investigation of human contact with rabid dogs, and quarantine of imported dogs). Conclusions/significance This study demonstrates that rabies has a large economic impact on the government and dog owners. Control of rabies by culling dogs is relatively costly for the dog owners in comparison with other measures. Providing PET for humans is an effective way to prevent rabies, but is costly for government and does not provide a permanent solution to rabies in the future. PMID:24386244

Executive control in schizophrenia: a preliminary study on the moderating role of COMT Val158Met for comorbid alcohol and substance use disorders.

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Carrà, Giuseppe; Nicolini, Gabriella; Crocamo, Cristina; Lax, Annamaria; Amidani, Francesca; Bartoli, Francesco; Castellano, Filippo; Chiorazzi, Alessia; Gamba, Giulia; Papagno, Costanza; Clerici, Massimo

2017-07-01

A functional polymorphism in the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene (Val158Met) appears to influence cognition in people with alcohol/substance use disorders (AUD/SUD) and in those with psychosis. To explore the potential moderating effect of these factors, a cross-sectional study was conducted, randomly recruiting subjects with DSM-IV diagnosis of schizophrenia. AUD/SUD was rigorously assessed, as well as COMT Val158Met polymorphism. Executive control functioning was measured using the Intra-Extra Dimensional Set Shift (IED). The effect of a possible interaction between comorbid AUD/SUD and COMT Val158Met polymorphism on IED scores was explored. Subjects with schizophrenia, comorbid AUD/SUD, and MetMet carriers for SNP rs4680 of the COMT gene showed worse performance on IED completed stages scores, as compared with individuals with ValVal genotype. However, among subjects without AUD/SUD, those with the MetMet variant performed better than people carrying ValVal genotype. This study is the first to date examining the impact of COMT on cognition in a highly representative sample of people with schizophrenia and comorbid AUD/SUD. Differential moderating effects of COMT Val/Met genotype variations may similarly influence executive functions in people with schizophrenia and comorbid AUD/SUD.

Genetic Correlates of Maladaptive Beliefs: COMT VAL(158)MET and Irrational Cognitions Linked Depending on Distress.

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Podina, Ioana; Popp, Radu; Pop, Ioan; David, Daniel

2015-11-01

Maladaptive/irrational beliefs are significant cognitive vulnerability mechanisms in psychopathology. They are more likely to be associated with a genetic vulnerability marker under conditions of emotional distress when irrational beliefs are more salient. Therefore, in the current study we investigated the COMT Val(158)Met gene variation in relation to irrational beliefs, assuming this relationship depended on the level of emotional distress. Two hundred and sixty-seven genotyped volunteers were assessed for core/general maladaptive beliefs, as well as trait emotional distress. We focused on context-independent measures of irrational beliefs and emotional distress in the absence of a stressor. As expected, the relationship between COMT Val(158)Met and irrational beliefs depended on the level of emotional distress (f(2)=.314). The COMT Val(158)Met-irrationality association was significant only when individuals fell in the average to above average range of emotional distress. Furthermore, within this range the Met allele seemed to relate to higher irrational beliefs. These results were significant for overall irrational beliefs and its subtypes, but not for rational beliefs, the functional counterpart of irrationality. In light of the study's limitations, the results should be considered as preliminary. If replicable, these findings have potential implications for therapygenetics, changing the view that COMT Val(158)Met might be of greater relevance when treatment modality does not rely on cognitive variables. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Feeding behavior of hummingbirds and perching birds on Erythrina speciosa Andrews (Fabaceae flowers in an urban area, Londrina, Paraná, Brazil Comportamento alimentar de beija-flores e Passeriformes nas flores de Erytrhina speciosa Andrews (Fabaceae em uma área urbana de Londrina, Paraná, Brasil

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Luciana Baza Mendonça

2006-03-01

Full Text Available Nine species of birds - seven hummingbirds (Trochilidae and two Passeriformes - were observed visiting the flowers of Erythrina speciosa Andrews (Fabaceae, a hummingbird-pollinated species present on the campus of Londrina State University, Paraná State, Brazil. Nectar in bagged flowers bore little relationship with nectar in flowers opened to foragers either regarding quantity or diurnal pattern of availability. Birds were more frequent early in the morning and their activity on flowers further declined, apparently following the pattern of nectar availability. The manner to which birds probed the flowers and, in consequence, their role on pollination were greatly determined by morphological traits and approaching behavior of birds. E. speciosa seemed best suited for pollination by long-billed hummingbirds but some short to medium-billed species may play some role on its pollination.Nove espécies de aves - sete beija-flores (Trochilidae e duas aves Passeriformes - foram observados visitando as flores de Erythrina speciosa Andrews (Fabaceae, uma espécie polinizada por beija-flores presente no campus da Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Paraná, Brasil. O néctar em flores ensacadas apresentou pouca relação com aquele em flores expostas aos visitantes, tanto em termos de quantidade como em temos de padrão diurno de disponibilidade. As aves foram mais freqüentes de manhã e sua atividade nas flores diminuiu no transcorrer do dia, coincidindo com o padrão de disponibilidade de néctar. O comportamento de visita das aves e, em conseqüência, sua atuação na polinização da espécie foram em grande parte determinadas por características morfológicas e comportamentais destas. E. speciosa parece ser adaptada para polinização por beija-flores de bicos longos, embora espécies com bicos de comprimento curto a médio possam ter algum papel em sua polinização.

COMT Val158Met Polymorphism, Executive Dysfunction, and Sexual Risk Behavior in the Context of HIV Infection and Methamphetamine Dependence

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C. A. Bousman

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Catechol-O-methyltransferease (COMT metabolizes prefrontal cortex dopamine (DA, a neurotransmitter involved in executive behavior; the Val158Met genotype has been linked to executive dysfunction, which might increase sexual risk behaviors favoring HIV transmission. Main and interaction effects of COMT genotype and executive functioning on sexual risk behavior were examined. 192 sexually active nonmonogamous men completed a sexual behavior questionnaire, executive functioning tests, and were genotyped using blood-derived DNA. Main effects for executive dysfunction but not COMT on number of sexual partners were observed. A COMT x executive dysfunction interaction was found for number of sexual partners and insertive anal sex, significant for carriers of the Met/Met and to a lesser extent Val/Met genotypes but not Val/Val carriers. In the context of HIV and methamphetamine dependence, dopaminergic overactivity in prefrontal cortex conferred by the Met/Met genotype appears to result in a liability for executive dysfunction and potentially associated risky sexual behavior.

Three new giant prehistoric rats from Flores, Lesser Sunda Islands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hooijer, D.A.

1957-01-01

The specimens described in the present paper have been collected by Dr. Th. L. Verhoeven at Liang Toge, a cave near Warukia, 1 km south of a hamlet called Lepa, in Manggarai, western Flores. This cave, as well as many others explored in the island by Verhoeven (1952, 1953), contains a Mesolithic

Modelling of historical tsunami in Eastern Indonesia: 1674 Ambon and 1992 Flores case studies

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Pranantyo, Ignatius Ryan; Cummins, Phil; Griffin, Jonathan; Davies, Gareth; Latief, Hamzah

2017-07-01

In order to reliably assess tsunami hazard in eastern Indonesia, we need to understand how historical events were generated. Here we consider two such events: the 1674 Ambon and the 1992 Flores tsunamis. Firstly, Ambon Island suffered a devastating earthquake that generated a tsunami with 100 m run-up height on the north coast of the island in 1674. However, there is no known active fault around the island capable of generating such a gigantic wave. Rumphius' report describes that the initial wave was coming from three villages that collapsed immediately after the earthquake with width as far as a musket shot. Moreover, a very high tsunami was only observed locally. We suspect that a submarine landslide was the main cause of the gigantic tsunami on the north side of Ambon Island. Unfortunately, there is no data available to confirm if landslide have occurred in this region. Secondly, several tsunami source models for the 1992 Flores event have been suggested. However, the fault strike is quite different compare to the existing Flores back-arc thrust and has not been well validated against a tide gauge waveform at Palopo, Sulawesi. We considered a tsunami model based on Griffin, et al., 2015, extended with high resolution bathymetry laround Palopo, in order to validate the latest tsunami source model available. In general, the model produces a good agreement with tsunami waveforms, but arrives 10 minutes late compared to observed data. In addition, the source overestimates the tsunami inundation west of Maumere, and does not account for the presumed landslide tsunami on the east side of Flores Island.

O Uso de Imagens Digitais na Classificação de Flores de Corte

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GLÁUCIA MORAES DIAS

2010-12-01

Full Text Available O uso de técnicas de imagem em processo de produção agrícola está se tornando uma ferramenta muito promissora em apoio ao desenvolvimento da padronização, que levam em consideração a forma e o tamanho do produto. A análise dos elementos individuais no processo de classificação ou reconhecimento inicial da espécie, atende aos requisitos de tempo e precisão. O Brasil apresenta um enorme potencial para desenvolver a produção de flores e plantas ornamentais para o mercado interno, bem como para os mercados internacionais. Atualmente a produção de flores proporciona uma renda próxima a EUA $ 1,3 bilhões / ano, reunindo mais de 500 produtores concentrados em uma área de 8500 hectares, gerando uma receita de U $ 35 milhões no ano de 2007. As flores do Brasil e estratégia de exportação de plantas ornamentais tem o objetivo de orientar e dirigir as potencialidades específicas de produção de flores para aproveitar as oportunidades comerciais oferecidas pelo mercado internacional, enfatizando a tecnologia pós-colheita. É possível expressar um produto de qualidade por meio de imagens digitais. Programas de computador geram satisfatoriamente as análises necessárias para os padrões desejados, produzindo um processo rápido e eficiente. É esperado, que no futuro, o mercado brasileiro venha a adotar a classificação automática, reduzindo custos, melhorando a eficiência e a qualidade do produto oferecido ao consumidor.

The COMT Val158Met Polymorphism Is Associated With Response to Add-on Dextromethorphan Treatment in Bipolar Disorder.

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Lee, Sheng-Yu; Chen, Shiou-Lan; Wang, Tzu-Yun; Chang, Yun-Hsuan; Chen, Po See; Huang, San-Yuan; Tzeng, Nian-Sheng; Wang, Liang-Jen; Lee, I Hui; Chen, Kao Ching; Yang, Yen Kuang; Lu, Ru-Band

2017-02-01

We previously conducted a randomized, double-blind, controlled, 12-week study evaluating the effect of add-on dextromethorphan (DM), a noncompetitive N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist, on patients with bipolar disorder (BD) treated using valproate (VPA), which showed negative clinical differences. The genetic variation between each individual may be responsible for interindividual differences. The catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene has been a candidate gene for BD. In the current study, we investigated whether the COMT Val158Met polymorphism predicts treatment response to VPA + add-on DM and to VPA + placebo. Patients with BD (n = 309) undergoing regular VPA treatments were randomly assigned to groups given either add-on DM (30 mg/d) (n = 102), DM (60 mg/d) (n = 101), or placebo (n = 106) for 12 weeks. The Hamilton Depression Rating Scale and Young Mania Rating Scale were used to evaluate clinical response during weeks 0, 1, 2, 4, 8, and 12. The genotypes of the COMT Val158Met polymorphism were determined using polymerase chain reaction plus restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. To adjust for within-subject dependence over repeated assessments, multiple linear regression with generalized estimating equation methods was used. When stratified by the COMT Val158Met genotypes, significantly greater decreases in Hamilton Depression Rating Scale scores were found in the VPA + DM (30 mg/d) group in patients with the Val/Met genotype (P = 0.008). We conclude that the COMT Val158Met polymorphism may influence responses to DM (30 mg/d) by decreasing depressive symptoms in BD patients.

Association between COMT Polymorphism Val158Met and Opioid Consumption in Patients with Postoperative Pain: A Meta-Analysis

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Bo Hu

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Background/Aims: Several factors influencing postoperative pain and the effect of opioid analgesics have been investigated on an individual level. The aim of this study was to clarify the impact of catecholamine-O-methyltransferase (COMT gene Val158Met on opioid consumption in postoperative patients. Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature up to September 30, 2017, were performed by using PubMed, Cochrane Library, ISI Web of Science, and Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI database. The meta-analysis examined all studies involving the association between genetic polymorphisms of COMT Val158Met and opioid consumption during the acute postoperative period. Results: Of the 153 identified studies, 23 studies were retrieved for systematic review and 10 studies were retrieved for meta-analysis. However, it was impossible to conduct meta-analysis on the association between COMT Val158Met polymorphism and postoperative pain because of heterogeneity of the data. Overall, meta-analysis showed that COMT Val/Met carriers consumed less opioid for analgesia within the first 24 hours after surgery (SMD = 0.14, 95% CI = [0.03, 0.25], P = 0.01 but not within 48 hours (SMD = 0.14, 95% CI = [0.08, 0.36], P = 0.21. There was no significant difference in opioid consumption between Val/ Val and Met/Met patients. Conclusion: Patients with Val/Met but not Met/Met allele variant consumed less opioid, though larger and better-designed studies are required to obtain an exclusive conclusion about the correlation between postoperative pain and COMT Val158Met polymorphism.

Why some people discount more than others: Baseline activation in the dorsal PFC mediates the link between COMT genotype and impatient choice

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Lorena R. R. Gianotti

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Individuals differ widely in how steeply they discount future rewards. The sources of these stable individual differences in delay discounting (DD are largely unknown. One candidate is the COMT Val158Met polymorphism, known to modulate prefrontal dopamine levels and affect DD. To identify possible neural mechanisms by which this polymorphism may contribute to stable individual DD differences, we measured 73 participants’ neural baseline activation using resting electroencephalogram (EEG. Such neural baseline activation measures are highly heritable and stable over time, thus an ideal endophenotype candidate to explain how genes may influence behavior via individual differences in neural function. After EEG-recording, participants made a series of incentive-compatible intertemporal choices to determine the steepness of their DD. We found that COMT significantly affected DD and that this effect was mediated by baseline activation level in the left dorsal prefrontal cortex (DPFC: (i COMT had a significant effect on DD such that the number of Val alleles was positively correlated with steeper DD (higher numbers of Val alleles means greater COMT activity and thus lower dopamine levels. (ii A whole-brain search identified a cluster in left DPFC where baseline activation was correlated with DD; lower activation was associated with steeper DD. (iii COMT had a significant effect on the baseline activation level in this left DPFC cluster such that a higher number of Val alleles was associated with lower baseline activation. (iv The effect of COMT on DD was explained by the mediating effect of neural baseline activation in the left DPFC cluster. Our study thus establishes baseline activation level in left DPFC as salient neural signature in the form of an endophenotype that mediates the link between COMT and DD.

Effect of nectar pillaging by native stingless bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae in the abscission of flowers of Bougainvillea spectabilis Willd. (Nyctaginaceae =Efeito da pilhagem de néctar por abelhas nativas sem ferrão (Hymenoptera: Apidae na abscisão floral de Bougainvillea spectabilis Willd. (Nyctaginaceae

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Rodrigo Arand

2011-09-01

Full Text Available This study had as objective to evaluate whether the pillaging activity by native bees influences floral abscission. Samples were collected in ten individuals of Bougainvillea spectabilis. In the period between May 4 and June 1st, 2009, 2,874 flowers were collected on the ground and 2,895 from the plants, with three-day intervals between each collection and a total of 10 repetitions in each plant. We measured the total of closed flowers, open flowers, robbed flowers, normal flowers, open robbed flowers and nonrobber open flowers, in both soil and plant. For the statistical analysis, the T-test was used to see whether there was a difference between the averages obtained from the evaluated characteristics between the soil flowers and plant flowers. Simple linear regression was used to see whether there was a relationship between the closed flowers and robbed closed flowers found on the ground and open flowers and non-robbed open flowers in the plant. There were significant differences regarding all variables measured between soil and plant.A correlation was found at both closed flowers and robbed closed flowers found on the ground and open flowers and non-robbed open flowers in the plant.O presente trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar a atividade de pilhagemde abelhas nativas influenciando a abscisão floral de Bougainvillea spectabilis. As coletas foram realizadas em dez indivíduos de B. spectabilis. Foram coletadas 2.874 flores no solo e 2.895 na planta no período de 4/5/2009 a 1/6/2009 com intervalo de três dias entre cada coleta, totalizando 10 repetições em cada indivíduo. Foram mensuradas as flores fechadas, flores abertas, flores fechadas pilhadas, flores fechadas não pilhadas, flores abertas pilhadas e flores abertas não pilhadas tanto no solo como na planta. Para as análises estatísticas foi utilizado o Teste-T para verificar se houve diferença entre as médias obtidas das características avaliadas entre as flores do solo e as

The antiphasic regulatory module comprising CDF5 and its antisense RNA FLORE links the circadian clock to photoperiodic flowering.

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Henriques, Rossana; Wang, Huan; Liu, Jun; Boix, Marc; Huang, Li-Fang; Chua, Nam-Hai

2017-11-01

Circadian rhythms of gene expression are generated by the combinatorial action of transcriptional and translational feedback loops as well as chromatin remodelling events. Recently, long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) that are natural antisense transcripts (NATs) to transcripts encoding central oscillator components were proposed as modulators of core clock function in mammals (Per) and fungi (frq/qrf). Although oscillating lncRNAs exist in plants, their functional characterization is at an initial stage. By screening an Arabidopsis thaliana lncRNA custom-made array we identified CDF5 LONG NONCODING RNA (FLORE), a circadian-regulated lncRNA that is a NAT of CDF5. Quantitative real-time RT-PCR confirmed the circadian regulation of FLORE, whereas GUS-staining and flowering time evaluation were used to determine its biological function. FLORE and CDF5 antiphasic expression reflects mutual inhibition in a similar way to frq/qrf. Moreover, whereas the CDF5 protein delays flowering by directly repressing FT transcription, FLORE promotes it by repressing several CDFs (CDF1, CDF3, CDF5) and increasing FT transcript levels, indicating both cis and trans function. We propose that the CDF5/FLORE NAT pair constitutes an additional circadian regulatory module with conserved (mutual inhibition) and unique (function in trans) features, able to fine-tune its own circadian oscillation, and consequently, adjust the onset of flowering to favourable environmental conditions. © 2017 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2017 New Phytologist Trust.

Age and context of the oldest known hominin fossils from Flores

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brumm, Adam; van den Bergh, Gerrit D.; Storey, Michael

2016-01-01

Recent excavations at the early Middle Pleistocene site of Mata Menge in the So'a Basin of central Flores, Indonesia, have yielded hominin fossils attributed to a population ancestral to Late Pleistocene Homo floresiensis. Here we describe the age and context of the Mata Menge hominin specimens...

[The polymorphism of catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) and hemochromatosis (HFE) genes in the radiocontaminated regions residents with different chromosome aberration frequency].

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Ivanova, T I; Kondrashova, T V; Krikunova, L I; Smirnova, I A; Shentereva, N I; Sychenkova, N I; Rykova, E V; Zharikova, I A; Khorokhorina, V A; Riabchenko, N I; Zamulaeva, I A

2010-01-01

The association between polymorphisms in genes COMT, HFE that takes part in oxidative stress regulation, and chromosome aberration frequency in lymphocytes was assessed in 278 female residents of radiation polluted regions of Central Russia: Bryansk (322 kBk/m2) and Tula Districts (137Cs - 171 kBk/m2). The C187G, G845A genotyping of HFE and G1947A (H/L) of COMT was done by means of polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. Studied population was divided into 3 subgroups by level of chromosome aberrations per cell (0-2, 3-4, >5). There was shown statistically significant difference in distribution of COMTand HFE genotypes between the groups. The high frequency of chromosome aberrations (> or = 5%) was associated with homozygotes of the high activity COMT G/G and HFE CC. Heterozygotes for G1947A COMT and C187G HFE reveal negative association with the high frequency of chromosome aberrations and correspond to "resistance factors".

COMT Val158Met polymorphism is associated with post-traumatic stress disorder and functional outcome following mild traumatic brain injury.

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Winkler, Ethan A; Yue, John K; Ferguson, Adam R; Temkin, Nancy R; Stein, Murray B; Barber, Jason; Yuh, Esther L; Sharma, Sourabh; Satris, Gabriela G; McAllister, Thomas W; Rosand, Jonathan; Sorani, Marco D; Lingsma, Hester F; Tarapore, Phiroz E; Burchard, Esteban G; Hu, Donglei; Eng, Celeste; Wang, Kevin K W; Mukherjee, Pratik; Okonkwo, David O; Diaz-Arrastia, Ramon; Manley, Geoffrey T

2017-01-01

Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) results in variable clinical trajectories and outcomes. The source of variability remains unclear, but may involve genetic variations, such as single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). A SNP in catechol-o-methyltransferase (COMT) is suggested to influence development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but its role in TBI remains unclear. Here, we utilize the Transforming Research and Clinical Knowledge in Traumatic Brain Injury Pilot (TRACK-TBI Pilot) study to investigate whether the COMT Val 158 Met polymorphism is associated with PTSD and global functional outcome as measured by the PTSD Checklist - Civilian Version and Glasgow Outcome Scale Extended (GOSE), respectively. Results in 93 predominately Caucasian subjects with mTBI show that the COMT Met 158 allele is associated with lower incidence of PTSD (univariate odds ratio (OR) of 0.25, 95% CI [0.09-0.69]) and higher GOSE scores (univariate OR 2.87, 95% CI [1.20-6.86]) 6-months following injury. The COMT Val 158 Met genotype and PTSD association persists after controlling for race (multivariable OR of 0.29, 95% CI [0.10-0.83]) and pre-existing psychiatric disorders/substance abuse (multivariable OR of 0.32, 95% CI [0.11-0.97]). PTSD emerged as a strong predictor of poorer outcome on GOSE (multivariable OR 0.09, 95% CI [0.03-0.26]), which persists after controlling for age, GCS, and race. When accounting for PTSD in multivariable analysis, the association of COMT genotype and GOSE did not remain significant (multivariable OR 1.73, 95% CI [0.69-4.35]). Whether COMT genotype indirectly influences global functional outcome through PTSD remains to be determined and larger studies in more diverse populations are needed to confirm these findings. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Age and context of the oldest known hominin fossils from Flores

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Brumm, A.; van den Bergh, G.D.; Storey, M.; Kurniawan, I.; Alloway, B.V.; Setiawan, R.; Setiyabudi, E.; Grün, R.; Moore, M.; Yurnaldi, D.; Puspaningrum, M.R.; Wibowo, U.P.; Insani, H.; Sutisna, I.; Westgate, J.A.; Pearce, N.J.G.; Duval, M.; Meijer, H. J. M.; Aziz, F.; Sutikna, T.; van der Kaars, S.; Flude, S.; Morwood, M.J.

2016-01-01

Recent excavations at the early Middle Pleistocene site of Mata Menge in the So'a Basin of central Flores, Indonesia, have yielded hominin fossils attributed to a population ancestral to Late Pleistocene Homo floresiensis. Here we describe the age and context of the Mata Menge hominin specimens and

The Role of the Catechol-o-methyltransferase (COMT) Gene Val158Met in Aggressive Behavior, A Review of Genetic Studies

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Qayyum, Arqam; Zai, Clement C.; Hirata, Yuko; Tiwari, Arun K.; Cheema, Sheraz; Nowrouzi, Behdin; Beitchman, Joseph H.; Kennedy, James L.

2015-01-01

Aggressive behaviors have become a major public health problem, and early-onset aggression can lead to outcomes such as substance abuse, antisocial personality disorder among other issues. In recent years, there has been an increase in research in the molecular and genetic underpinnings of aggressive behavior, and one of the candidate genes codes for the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT). COMT is involved in catabolizing catecholamines such as dopamine. These neurotransmitters appear to be involved in regulating mood which can contribute to aggression. The most common gene variant studied in the COMT gene is the Valine (Val) to Methionine (Met) substitution at codon 158. We will be reviewing the current literature on this gene variant in aggressive behavior. PMID:26630958

Allelic variation of the COMT gene in a despotic primate society: A haplotype is related to cortisol excretion in Macaca fuscata.

Science.gov (United States)

Pflüger, Lena S; Gutleb, Daria R; Hofer, Martin; Fieder, Martin; Wallner, Bernard; Steinborn, Ralf

2016-02-01

Sequence variations in genes of the monoamine neurotransmitter system and their common function in human and non-human primate species are an ongoing issue of investigation. However, the COMT gene, coding for the catechol-O-methyltransferase, has not yet attracted much scientific attention regarding its functional role in non-human primates. Considering that a polymorphism of the human COMT gene affects the enzyme activity and cortisol level in response to a social stressor, this study investigated the impact of COMT on endocrine stress and behavioural parameters in Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata). The species exemplifies a despotic hierarchy in which males' social rank positions require an adaptation of behaviour strategies. During the mating period steroid secretion and the frequency of aggressive encounters between males increase. We addressed i) whether this species exhibits potential functional COMT variants, ii) whether these variants are associated with faecal cortisol excretion of males, iii) how they are distributed among different social rank positions and iv) whether they are associated with behavioural strategies during times of mate competition. By genotyping 26 males we identified three COMT haplotypes (HT), including a putative splice mutant (HT3). This variant was associated with increased cortisol excretion. Given the observed inverse correlation between cortisol and physical aggression, we assume that different COMT haplotypes may predispose individuals to pursue more or less aggressive strategies. How these gene-stress effects might favour a specific social role is discussed. Our study of non-invasive genotyping in combination with behavioural and endocrine parameters represents an important step towards the understanding of gene-stress effects in a hierarchically organised primate society. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Different Roles of COMT and HTR2A Genotypes in Working Memory Subprocesses.

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Hirohito M Kondo

Full Text Available Working memory is linked to the functions of the frontal areas, in which neural activity is mediated by dopaminergic and serotonergic tones. However, there is no consensus regarding how the dopaminergic and serotonergic systems influence working memory subprocesses. The present study used an imaging genetics approach to examine the interaction between neurochemical functions and working memory performance. We focused on functional polymorphisms of the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT Val(158Met and serotonin 2A receptor (HTR2A -1438G/A genes, and devised a delayed recognition task to isolate the encoding, retention, and retrieval processes for visual information. The COMT genotypes affected recognition accuracy, whereas the HTR2A genotypes were associated with recognition response times. Activations specifically related to working memory were found in the right frontal and parietal areas, such as the middle frontal gyrus (MFG, inferior frontal gyrus (IFG, anterior cingulate cortex (ACC, and inferior parietal lobule (IPL. MFG and ACC/IPL activations were sensitive to differences between the COMT genotypes and between the HTR2A genotypes, respectively. Structural equation modeling demonstrated that stronger connectivity in the ACC-MFG and ACC-IFG networks is related to better task performance. The behavioral and fMRI results suggest that the dopaminergic and serotonergic systems play different roles in the working memory subprocesses and modulate closer cooperation between lateral and medial frontal activations.

ESTUDIO DE LAS VISITAS DE LAS MOSCAS DE LAS FLORES (DIPTERA: SYRPHIDAE EN Salvia bogotensis (LAMIACEAE EN EL JARDÍN BOTÁNICO JOSÉ CELESTINO MUTIS (BOGOTÁ D.C., COLOMBIA

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Zamora Monica

2011-12-01

Full Text Available El objetivo de esta investigación fue describir la interacción entre Salvia bogotensis (Lamiaceae y las moscas de las flores (Diptera: Syrphidae en un ambiente urbano, el jardín botánico "José Celestino Mutis" (Bogotá D.C.. Una vez comprobada la existencia del síndrome de entomofilia, se caracterizó la morfología floral, la composición taxonómica, la riqueza y la abundancia de las especies de sírfidos identificadas como visitantes florales, así como la morfometría cefálica y bucal. S. bogotensis presenta el síndrome de la entomofilia con ausencia de autofecundación. La comunidad de sírfidos asociada con esta comprende nueve especies, agrupadas en cinco géneros. Las especies son Allograpta neotropica Curran, 1936, Allograpta exotica Wiedermann, 1830, Allograpta annulipes Macquart, 1850, Allograpta aenea Hull, 1937, Lejops mexicana Macquart, 1842, Platycheirus ecuadoriensis Fluke, 1945, Platycheirus fenestrata Macquart, 1842, Syrphus shoree Fluke, 1950 y Toxomerus sp. 1. Las especies de moscas identificadas presentan en su conjunto características conductuales y morfológicas asociadas a polinizadores de baja eficiencia, con una baja tasa de visitas, incapacidad de activación de los balancines y un mínimo contacto corporal del insecto con las anteras y el estigma de la flor. Adicionalmente, las moscas presentan una carga muy baja de granos de polen de S. bogotensis sobre el cuerpo y alta inversión de tiempo en la limpieza de su cuerpo (acicalamiento. Las flores visitadas por estos insectos no dieron origen a frutos. Todo lo anterior permite concluir que dichas moscas no son polinizadores efectivos de S. bogotensis. Además de dípteros, se observaron varias especies de insectos visitantes florales de S. bogotensis pertenecientes a las familias Apidae, Halictidae y Megachilidae. Los sírfidos se benefician por el consumo de polen de S. bogotensis, pero no interfieren en el crecimiento y el desarrollo de la planta, por lo cual

[Effects of anxiety and the COMT gene on cortical evoked potentials and performance effectiveness of selective attention].

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Alfimova, M V; Golimbet, V E; Lebedeva, I S; Korovaĭtseva, G I; Lezheĭko, T V

2014-01-01

We studied influence of the anxiety-related trait Harm Avoidance and the COMT gene, which is an important modulator of prefrontal functioning, on event-related potentials in oddball paradigm and performance effectiveness of selective attention. For 50 individuals accuracy and time of searching words among letters at any desired rate and then under an instruction to perform the task as quickly and accurate as possible were measured. Scores on the Harm Avoidance scale from Cloninger's Temperament and Character Inventory, N100 and P300 parameters, and COMTVa1158Met genotypes were obtained for them as well. Searching accuracy and time were mainly related to N100 amplitude. The COMT genotype and Harm Avoidance did not affect N100 amplitude; however, the N100 amplitude modulated their effects on accuracy and time dynamics. Harm Avoidance was positively correlated with P300 latency. The results suggest that anxiety and the COMT gene effects on performance effectiveness of selective attention depend on cognitive processes reflected in N100 parameters.

Overstated Optimism: Arizona's Structured English Immersion Program under "Horne v. Flores"

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Mora, Jill Kerper

2010-01-01

This article is an analysis of the educational implications of the Supreme Court (USSC) decision in "Horne v. Flores" (2009). The USSC remanded the Arizona case to the lower court, requiring a rehearing of petitioners' request for relief from the court's oversight of AZ's "structured English immersion" (SEI) program mandated…

Flores de corte y follaje en florerías y mercados de Puebla, México

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C. Tlahuextl-Tlaxcalteca

2005-01-01

Full Text Available Puebla, México, la capital del estado, es un consumidor importante de especies de flor de corte y follaje. Se elaboró un cuestionario el cual se aplicó a través de entrevistas con los dueños de florerías o encargados de ventas en seis mercados y 40 florerías. Las florerías de Puebla ofrecen más especies de flores de corte que los mercados. Los precios de flores en los mercados son más bajos, pero la calidad también es menor que en las florerías. Los mercados ofrecen varias especies de flores de corte provenientes de la producción a la intemperie (Celosia cristata, Centaurea cyanus, Gladiolus sp., Matthiola incana, Tagetes erecta. Lo interesante es que tanto las florerías como los mercados tienen amplio surtido de follaje cortado de buena calidad. El objetivo de esta investigación fue obtener información sobre la oferta y demanda de especies de flor de corte y follaje en Puebla. Asimismo, las preferencias de los hombres y las mujeres hacia estos productos

Polimorfismo en el gen COMT en una muestra de gestantes normales y con restricción del crecimiento intrauterino en un hospital de Lima

OpenAIRE

José Pacheco-Romero; Doris Huerta; Oscar Acosta; Santiago Cabrera

2013-01-01

Antecedentes: Los procesos fisiopatológicos que ocurren a nivel celular y molecular en la restricción de crecimiento intrauterino (RCIU) son aún desconocidos. La catecol-O-metiltransferasa (COMT) es una enzima de fase II que inactiva los catecol estrógenos al transferir un grupo metílico. Se conoce un polimorfismo funcional Val158 Met en el gen COMT como un marcador susceptible para diversas enfermedades maternoperinatales, existiendo estudios que sugieren que el alelo que codifica una COMT d...

COMT Val158Met genotype is associated with reward learning: A replication study and meta-analysis

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Corral-Frías, Nadia S.; Pizzagalli, Diego A.; Carré, Justin; Michalski, Lindsay J; Nikolova, Yuliya S.; Perlis, Roy H.; Fagerness, Jesen; Lee, Mary R.; Conley, Emily Drabant; Lancaster, Thomas M.; Haddad, Stephen; Wolf, Aaron; Smoller, Jordan W.; Hariri, Ahmad R.; Bogdan, Ryan

2016-01-01

Identifying mechanisms through which individual differences in reward learning emerge offers an opportunity to understand both a fundamental form of adaptive responding as well as etiological pathways through which aberrant reward learning may contribute to maladaptive behaviors and psychopathology. One candidate mechanism through which individual differences in reward learning may emerge is variability in dopaminergic reinforcement signaling. A common functional polymorphism within the catechol-O-methyl transferase gene (COMT; rs4680, Val158Met) has been linked to reward learning where homozygosity for the Met allele (associated with heightened prefrontal dopamine function and decreased dopamine synthesis in the midbrain) has been associated with relatively increased reward learning. Here, we used a probabilistic reward learning task to asses response bias, a behavioral form of reward learning, across 3 separate samples that were combined for analyses (age: 21.80 ± 3.95; n=392; 268 female; European-American, n=208). We replicate prior reports that COMT rs4680 Met allele homozygosity is associated with increased reward learning in European-American participants (β=0.20, t= 2.75, p< 0.01; ΔR2= 0.04). Moreover, a meta-analysis of 4 studies, including the current one, confirmed the association between COMT rs4680 genotype and reward learning (95% CI −0.11 to −0.03; z=3.2; p<0.01). These results suggest that variability in dopamine signaling associated with COMT rs4680 influences individual differences in reward which may potentially contribute to psychopathology characterized by reward dysfunction. PMID:27138112

Schooling and variation in the COMT gene: the devil is in the details.

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Campbell, Daniel; Bick, Johanna; Yrigollen, Carolyn M; Lee, Maria; Joseph, Antony; Chang, Joseph T; Grigorenko, Elena L

2013-10-01

Schooling is considered one of the major contributors to the development of intelligence within societies and individuals. Genetic variation might modulate the impact of schooling and explain, at least partially, the presence of individual differences in classrooms. We studied a sample of 1,502 children (mean age = 11.7 years) from Zambia. Approximately 57% of these children were enrolled in school, and the rest were not. To quantify genetic variation, we investigated a number of common polymorphisms in the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene that controls the production of the protein thought to account for >60% of the dopamine degradation in the prefrontal cortex. Haplotype analyses generated results ranging from the presence to absence of significant interactions between a number of COMT haplotypes and indicators of schooling (i.e., in- vs. out-of-school and grade completed) in the prediction of nonverbal intelligence, depending on the parameter specification. However, an investigation of the distribution of corresponding p-values suggested that these positive results were false. Convincing evidence that the variation in the COMT gene is associated with individual differences in nonverbal intelligence either directly or through interactions with schooling was not found. p-values produced by the method of testing for haplotype effects employed here may be sensitive to parameter settings, invalid under default settings, and should be checked for validity through simulation. © 2013 The Authors. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry © 2013 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

Facial emotion recognition in schizophrenia: An exploratory study on the role of comorbid alcohol and substance use disorders and COMT Val158Met.

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Carrà, Giuseppe; Nicolini, Gabriella; Lax, Annamaria; Bartoli, Francesco; Castellano, Filippo; Chiorazzi, Alessia; Gamba, Giulia; Bava, Mattia; Crocamo, Cristina; Papagno, Costanza

2017-11-01

To explore whether facial emotion recognition (FER), impaired in both schizophrenia and alcohol and substance use disorders (AUDs/SUDs), is additionally compromised among comorbid subjects, also considering the role of catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) Val158Met. We conducted a cross-sectional study, randomly recruiting 67 subjects with a DSM-IV-TR diagnosis of schizophrenia, and rigorously assessing AUDs/SUDs and COMT Val158Met polymorphism. FER was assessed using the Ekman 60 Faces Test- EK-60F. As a whole, the sample scored significantly lower than normative data on EK-60F. However, subjects with comorbid AUDs/SUDs did not perform worse on EK-60F than those without, who had a better performance on EK-60F if they carried the COMT Val/Met variant. This study is the first to date examining the impact of AUDs/SUDs and COMT variants on FER in an epidemiologically representative sample of subjects with schizophrenia. Our findings do not suggest an additional impairment from comorbid AUDs/SUDs on FER among subjects with schizophrenia, whilst COMT Val158Met, though based on a limited sample, might have a role just among those without AUDs/SUDs. Based on our results, additional research is needed also exploring differential roles of various substances. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Costs of Rabies Control: An Economic Calculation Method Applied to Flores Island

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Wera, E.; Velthuis, A.G.J.; Geong, M.; Hogeveen, H.

2013-01-01

Background: Rabies is a zoonotic disease that, in most human cases, is fatal once clinical signs appear. The disease transmits to humans through an animal bite. Dogs are the main vector of rabies in humans on Flores Island, Indonesia, resulting in about 19 human deaths each year. Currently, rabies

La pintura de flores de Miguel Parra (1780-1846

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López Terrada, María José

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Although Miguel Parra Abril (Valencia, 1780-Madrid, 1846 is one of the most important Valencian School painters of floral still lifes, this aspect of his work remains little known. The present article addresses this oversight in two ways. First, by offering an overview of his oeuvre as a painter of floral subjects from his student days at the Fine Arts Academy of Valencia through his mature works. Second, by analyzing two heretofore-unpublished floral compositions in relation to his more familiar works, particularly those located in private collections until recent years.Aunque Miguel Parra Abril (Valencia, 1780-Madrid, 1846 es uno de los pintores de flores más importantes de la Escuela valenciana, esta faceta pictórica de su producción es todavía poco conocida. El presente artículo trata de paliar esta situación ofreciendo, en primer lugar, una visión general de su obra como pintor de flores desde su proceso de aprendizaje en la Academia de Bellas Artes valenciana hasta sus composiciones de madurez. En segundo lugar, se presenta el análisis de dos composiciones florales inéditas y su relación con las obras conocidas hasta el momento, especialmente con aquellas que hasta hace pocos años se encontraban en colecciones particulares.

Abundancia de colibríes y uso de flores en un bosque templado del sureste de México

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Ruth Partida Lara

2012-12-01

Full Text Available La abundancia de los colibríes puede variar por la fenología de floración de las plantas de las que se alimentan. Sin embargo, la información sobre la interacción colibrí-flor es limitada en ambientes tropicales de montaña. En este estudio se evaluó la abundancia de colibríes con redes de niebla y se registró la fenología de floración mensual de las flores visitadas por los colibríes en tres ambientes (bosque de encino, de neblina y matorral en la Reserva Ecológica Huitepec, Chiapas, México de enero a agosto 2010. Cuatro especies de colibríes (Hylocharis leucotis, Lampornis amethystinus, Lamprolaima rhami y Eugenes fulgens se registraron y sus abundancias variaron entre ambientes (H3.8=14.8, p=0.001. Siete especies de plantas fueron visitadas por los colibríes, y presentaron una mayor floración formando parches durante la temporada de secas. En el matorral se concentró el mayor número de especies de plantas con flores. Fuchsia paniculata presentó el mayor periodo de floración aunque solo fue visitada por H. leucotis. Passiflora membranacea fue la única especie visitada por las cuatro especies de colibríes. La única asociación positiva fue la abundancia de E. fulgens con la floración de P. membranacea (rS=0.93, p=0.02. Las fluctuaciones de las abundancias de colibríes en este estudio están en cierta forma determinadas por las interacciones del recurso floral y su distribución en el ambiente

Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) genotype affects cognitive control during total sleep deprivation.

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Satterfield, Brieann C; Hinson, John M; Whitney, Paul; Schmidt, Michelle A; Wisor, Jonathan P; Van Dongen, Hans P A

2018-02-01

Adaptive decision making is profoundly impaired by total sleep deprivation (TSD). This suggests that TSD impacts fronto-striatal pathways involved in cognitive control, where dopamine is a key neuromodulator. In the prefrontal cortex (PFC), dopamine is catabolized by the enzyme catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT). A functional polymorphism (Val158Met) influences COMT's enzymatic activity, resulting in markedly different levels of prefrontal dopamine. We investigated the effect of this polymorphism on adaptive decision making during TSD. Sixty-six healthy young adults participated in one of two in-laboratory studies. After a baseline day, subjects were randomized to either a TSD group (n = 32) with 38 h or 62 h of extended wakefulness or a well-rested control group (n = 34) with 10 h nighttime sleep opportunities. Subjects performed a go/no-go reversal learning (GNGr) task at well-rested baseline and again during TSD or equivalent control. During the task, subjects were required to learn stimulus-response relationships from accuracy feedback. The stimulus-response relationships were reversed halfway through the task, which required subjects to learn the new stimulus-response relationships from accuracy feedback. Performance on the GNGr task was quantified by discriminability (d') between go and no-go stimuli before and after the stimulus-response reversal. GNGr performance did not differ between COMT genotypes when subjects were well-rested. However, TSD exposed a significant vulnerability to adaptive decision making impairment in subjects with the Val allele. Our results indicate that sleep deprivation degrades cognitive control through a fronto-striatal, dopaminergic mechanism. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Common Variants in LRP2 and COMT Genes Affect the Susceptibility of Gout in a Chinese Population.

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Zheng Dong

Full Text Available Gout is a common inflammation disease resulting from an increase in serum uric acid. Nearly 70% of uric acid is excreted via the kidneys. To date, evidence for an association between genetic loci and gout is absent, equivocal or not replicated. Our study aims to test variants in two genes abundantly expressed in the kidney, LRP2 and COMT, for their association with uric acid and gout. In total, 1318 Chinese individuals were genotyped for rs2544390 in LRP2 and rs4680 in COMT. These LRP2 and COMT gene polymorphisms showed no significant effect on uric acid (P = 0.204 and 0.188, separately; however, rs2544390 in LRP2 did influence uric acid levels in individuals with BMI ≥ 25 (P = 0.009. In addition, the allele frequency distributions of the two loci showed a significant difference between gout patients and healthy controls. A missense variation in rs4680 (G > A decreased the risk of gout (OR = 0.77, P = 0.015, whereas the T allele of rs2544390 was associated with gout pathogenesis risk (OR = 1.26, P = 0.020. The present study provides the first evidence for an association between COMT and gout. Rs2544390 in LRP2 only influenced uric acid levels in individuals with BMI ≥ 25, which might explain the discrepant results among previous studies. In addition, we are the first to identify the association between LRP2 and gout in a Chinese population and to confirm this association in Asians.

Common Variants in LRP2 and COMT Genes Affect the Susceptibility of Gout in a Chinese Population.

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, Zheng; Zhao, Dongbao; Yang, Chengde; Zhou, Jingru; Qian, Qiaoxia; Ma, Yanyun; He, Hongjun; Ji, Hengdong; Yang, Yajun; Wang, Xiaofeng; Xu, Xia; Pang, Yafei; Zou, Hejian; Jin, Li; Wang, Jiucun

2015-01-01

Gout is a common inflammation disease resulting from an increase in serum uric acid. Nearly 70% of uric acid is excreted via the kidneys. To date, evidence for an association between genetic loci and gout is absent, equivocal or not replicated. Our study aims to test variants in two genes abundantly expressed in the kidney, LRP2 and COMT, for their association with uric acid and gout. In total, 1318 Chinese individuals were genotyped for rs2544390 in LRP2 and rs4680 in COMT. These LRP2 and COMT gene polymorphisms showed no significant effect on uric acid (P = 0.204 and 0.188, separately); however, rs2544390 in LRP2 did influence uric acid levels in individuals with BMI ≥ 25 (P = 0.009). In addition, the allele frequency distributions of the two loci showed a significant difference between gout patients and healthy controls. A missense variation in rs4680 (G > A) decreased the risk of gout (OR = 0.77, P = 0.015), whereas the T allele of rs2544390 was associated with gout pathogenesis risk (OR = 1.26, P = 0.020). The present study provides the first evidence for an association between COMT and gout. Rs2544390 in LRP2 only influenced uric acid levels in individuals with BMI ≥ 25, which might explain the discrepant results among previous studies. In addition, we are the first to identify the association between LRP2 and gout in a Chinese population and to confirm this association in Asians.

De culpable a perseguido: Baudelaire y el proceso de Las Flores del Mal

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Juan Zapata

2018-01-01

Full Text Available ¿Cómo el poeta de Las Flores del Mal pasó de ser un escritor proscrito, y en consecuencia sospechoso, al autor perseguido e incomprendido que ha inmortalizado la historia literaria? ¿Cómo Baudelaire pudo desviar a su favor una circunstancia que, a primera  vista, era desafortunada? Baudelaire supo utilizar el escándalo que provocó la publicación de Las Flores del Mal para promover su figura pública. Un análisis de las posturas discursivas desplegadas por Baudelaire antes, durante y después del proceso nos permitirá comprender mejor la inversión que el poeta hace de su condenación, al transformar la sanción penal y moral, así como la exclusión a la que esta conduce, en un signo de su grandeza y de su gloria póstuma.

The COMT val158met polymorphism and brain morphometry in healthy young adults

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Zinkstok, Janneke; Schmitz, Nicole; van Amelsvoort, Therese; de Win, Maartje; van den Brink, Wim; Baas, Frank; Linszen, Don

2006-01-01

Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) is the most important mechanism for dopamine degradation in the prefrontal cortex and contains a functional polymorphism (val(158)met) influencing enzyme activity. The low-activity met allele has been associated with better performance on cognitive tasks relying

Polymorphisms of serotonin receptor 2A and 2C genes and COMT in relation to obesity and type 2 diabetes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kring, Sofia I I; Werge, Thomas; Holst, Claus

2009-01-01

BACKGROUND: Candidate genes of psychological importance include 5HT2A, 5HT2C, and COMT, implicated in the serotonin, noradrenaline and dopamine pathways, which also may be involved in regulation of energy balance. We investigated the associations of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of these......BACKGROUND: Candidate genes of psychological importance include 5HT2A, 5HT2C, and COMT, implicated in the serotonin, noradrenaline and dopamine pathways, which also may be involved in regulation of energy balance. We investigated the associations of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs......) of these genes with obesity and metabolic traits. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In a population of 166 200 young men examined at the draft boards, obese men (n = 726, BMI> or =31.0 kg/m(2)) and a randomly selected group (n = 831) were re-examined at two surveys at mean ages 46 and 49 years (S-46, S-49......). Anthropometric, physiological and biochemical measures were available. Logistic regression analyses were used to assess age-adjusted odds ratios. No significant associations were observed of 5HT2A rs6311, 5HT2C rs3813929 and COMT rs4680 with obesity, except that COMT rs4680 GG-genotype was associated with fat...

Investigating the genetic basis of theory of mind (ToM): the role of catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene polymorphisms.

Science.gov (United States)

Xia, Haiwei; Wu, Nan; Su, Yanjie

2012-01-01

The ability to deduce other persons' mental states and emotions which has been termed 'theory of mind (ToM)' is highly heritable. First molecular genetic studies focused on some dopamine-related genes, while the genetic basis underlying different components of ToM (affective ToM and cognitive ToM) remain unknown. The current study tested 7 candidate polymorphisms (rs4680, rs4633, rs2020917, rs2239393, rs737865, rs174699 and rs59938883) on the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene. We investigated how these polymorphisms relate to different components of ToM. 101 adults participated in our study; all were genetically unrelated, non-clinical and healthy Chinese subjects. Different ToM tasks were applied to detect their theory of mind ability. The results showed that the COMT gene rs2020917 and rs737865 SNPs were associated with cognitive ToM performance, while the COMT gene rs5993883 SNP was related to affective ToM, in which a significant gender-genotype interaction was found (p = 0.039). Our results highlighted the contribution of DA-related COMT gene on ToM performance. Moreover, we found out that the different SNP at the same gene relates to the discriminative aspect of ToM. Our research provides some preliminary evidence to the genetic basis of theory of mind which still awaits further studies.

The role of COMT and plasma proline in the variable penetrance of autistic spectrum symptoms in 22q11.2 deletion syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Hidding, E; Swaab, H; de Sonneville, L M J; van Engeland, H; Vorstman, J A S

2016-11-01

This paper examines how COMT 158 genotypes and plasma proline levels are associated with variable penetrance of social behavioural and social cognitive problems in 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS). Severity of autistic spectrum symptoms of 45 participants with 22q11DS was assessed using the Autism Diagnostic Interview Revised. Face and facial emotion recognition was evaluated using standardized computer-based test-paradigms. Associations with COMT 158 genotypes and proline levels were examined. High proline levels and poor face recognition in individuals with the COMT MET allele, and poor facial emotion recognition, explained almost 50% of the variance in severity of autism symptomatology in individuals with 22q11DS. High proline levels and a decreased capacity to break down dopamine as a result of the COMT MET variant are both relevant in the expression of the social phenotype in patients. This epistatic interaction effect between the COMT 158 genotype and proline on the expression of social deficits in 22q11DS shows how factors other than the direct effects of the deletion itself can modulate the penetrance of associated cognitive and behavioural outcomes. These findings are not only relevant to our insight into 22q11DS, but also provide a model to better understand the phenomenon of variable penetrance in other pathogenic genetic variants. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Helminth infections on Flores Island, Indonesia : associations with communicable and non-communicable diseases

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wiria, Aprilianto Eddy

2013-01-01

In this thesis we reported our investigations of the relationship between soil-transmitted helminths (STH) and a number of outcomes, in particular malaria, insulin resistance (a marker for type-2 diabetes (T2D)) and atherosclerosis (a marker for cardiovascular diseases (CVD)) on Flores island,

Caracterización morfológica de Gliricidia sepium, composición bromatológica y proporción de azúcares en sus flores

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Leydi Fonte

Full Text Available La investigación se realizó en la Estación Experimental de Pastos y Forrajes Indio Hatuey, con el fin de determinar las características morfológicas de Gliricidia sepium, así como la composición bromatológica y la proporción de azúcares en sus flores. Se midieron las siguientes variables: altura total, diámetro del tronco a la altura del pecho (DAP y ancho de la copa. Además, se estimó la cantidad de flores por árbol y por hectárea. En las flores colectadas se determinó la composición bromatológica: MS, PB, FB y Ca, la humedad y la lignina de Klason. El tamaño de muestra utilizado fue el 12 % del total (20 árboles y cada árbol constituyó una réplica. Los valores medios fueron: DAP de 44,7 cm; altura de 4,85 m; 295 racimos por árbol, con 34 flores como promedio cada uno; el total estimado fue de 10 030 flores por árbol y de 8 986 880 flores por hectárea. La MS fue de 8,69 %; FB, 32,57 %; lignina de Klason, 28,8 %; PB, 7,04 %; y Ca, 0,99 %. Como azúcares simples se detectaron la glucosa (4,82 % y la fructosa (10,36 %, mientras que la sacarosa mostró valores de 1,73 %. Se concluye que todos los árboles de G. sepium muestreados son típicos de la especie. Además, el porcentaje de MS de sus flores fue bajo, pero estas tuvieron un alto contenido de FB, PB, lignina de Klason y calcio. La fructosa fue el azúcar más abundante en el extracto y la sacarosa el más escaso.

Assessment of cellular estrogenic activity based on estrogen receptor-mediated reduction of soluble-form catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT expression in an ELISA-based system.

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Philip Wing-Lok Ho

Full Text Available Xenoestrogens are either natural or synthetic compounds that mimic the effects of endogenous estrogen. These compounds, such as bisphenol-A (BPA, and phthalates, are commonly found in plastic wares. Exposure to these compounds poses major risk to human health because of the potential to cause endocrine disruption. There is huge demand for a wide range of chemicals to be assessed for such potential for the sake of public health. Classical in vivo assays for endocrine disruption are comprehensive but time-consuming and require sacrifice of experimental animals. Simple preliminary in vitro screening assays can reduce the time and expense involved. We previously demonstrated that catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT is transcriptionally regulated by estrogen via estrogen receptor (ER. Therefore, detecting corresponding changes of COMT expression in estrogen-responsive cells may be a useful method to estimate estrogenic effects of various compounds. We developed a novel cell-based ELISA to evaluate cellular response to estrogenicity by reduction of soluble-COMT expression in ER-positive MCF-7 cells exposed to estrogenic compounds. In contrast to various existing methods that only detect bioactivity, this method elucidates direct physiological effect in a living cell in response to a compound. We validated our assay using three well-characterized estrogenic plasticizers - BPA, benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP, and di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP. Cells were exposed to either these plasticizers or 17β-estradiol (E2 in estrogen-depleted medium with or without an ER-antagonist, ICI 182,780, and COMT expression assayed. Exposure to each of these plasticizers (10(-9-10(-7M dose-dependently reduced COMT expression (p<0.05, which was blocked by ICI 182,780. Reduction of COMT expression was readily detectable in cells exposed to picomolar level of E2, comparable to other in vitro assays of similar sensitivity. To satisfy the demand for in vitro assays targeting different

Modulating effect of COMT Val(158)Met polymorphism on interference resolution during a working memory task.

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Jaspar, Mathieu; Dideberg, Vinciane; Bours, Vincent; Maquet, Pierre; Collette, Fabienne

2015-04-01

Genetic variability related to the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene has received increasing attention in the last 15years, in particular as a potential modulator of the neural substrates underlying inhibitory processes and updating in working memory (WM). In an event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study, we administered a modified version of the Sternberg probe recency task (Sternberg, 1966) to 43 young healthy volunteers, varying the level of interference across successive items. The task was divided into two parts (high vs. low interference) to induce either proactive or reactive control processes. The participants were separated into three groups according to their COMT Val(158)Met genotype [Val/Val (VV); Val/Met (VM); Met/Met (MM)]. The general aim of the study was to determine whether COMT polymorphism has a modulating effect on the neural substrates of interference resolution during WM processing. Results indicate that interfering trials were associated with greater involvement of frontal cortices (bilateral medial frontal gyrus, left precentral and superior frontal gyri, right inferior frontal gyrus) in VV homozygous subjects (by comparison to Met allele carriers) only in the proactive condition of the task. In addition, analysis of peristimulus haemodynamic responses (PSTH) revealed that the genotype-related difference observed in the left SFG was specifically driven by a larger increase in activity from the storage to the recognition phase of the interfering trials in VV homozygous subjects. These results confirm the impact of COMT genotype on inhibitory processes during a WM task, with an advantage for Met allele carriers. Interestingly, this impact on frontal areas is present only when the level of interference is high, and especially during the transition from storage to recognition in the left superior frontal gyrus. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Uptake of Rabies Control Measures by Dog Owners in Flores Island, Indonesia

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Wera, Ewaldus; Mourits, Monique C. M.; Hogeveen, Henk

2015-01-01

Background Rabies has been a serious public health threat in Flores Island, Indonesia since it was introduced in 1997. To control the disease, annual dog vaccination campaigns have been implemented to vaccinate all dogs free of charge. Nevertheless, the uptake rate of the vaccination campaigns has been low. The objective of this paper is to identify risk factors associated with the uptake of rabies control measures by individual dog owners in Flores Island. Methodology/principal findings A total of 450 dog owners from 44 randomly selected villages in the Sikka and Manggarai regencies were interviewed regarding their socio-demographic factors, knowledge of rabies, and their uptake of rabies control measures. The majority of dog owners surveyed (>90%) knew that rabies is a fatal disease and that it can be prevented. Moreover, 68% of the dog owners had a high level of knowledge about available rabies control measures. Fifty-two percent of the dog owners had had at least one of their dogs vaccinated during the 2012 vaccination campaign. Vaccination uptake was significantly higher for dog owners who resided in Sikka, kept female dogs for breeding, had an income of more than one million Rupiah, and had easy access to their village. The most important reasons not to join the vaccination campaign were lack of information about the vaccination campaign schedule (40%) and difficulty to catch the dog during the vaccination campaign (37%). Conclusions/significance Dog owners in Flores Island had a high level of knowledge of rabies and its control, but this was not associated with uptake of the 2012 vaccination campaign. Geographical accessibility was one of the important factors influencing the vaccination uptake among dog owners. Targeted distribution of information on vaccination schedules and methods to catch and restrain dogs in those villages with poor accessibility may increase vaccination uptake in the future. PMID:25782019

Archaeology and age of a new hominin from Flores in eastern Indonesia.

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Morwood, M J; Soejono, R P; Roberts, R G; Sutikna, T; Turney, C S M; Westaway, K E; Rink, W J; Zhao, J-X; van den Bergh, G D; Due, Rokus Awe; Hobbs, D R; Moore, M W; Bird, M I; Fifield, L K

2004-10-28

Excavations at Liang Bua, a large limestone cave on the island of Flores in eastern Indonesia, have yielded evidence for a population of tiny hominins, sufficiently distinct anatomically to be assigned to a new species, Homo floresiensis. The finds comprise the cranial and some post-cranial remains of one individual, as well as a premolar from another individual in older deposits. Here we describe their context, implications and the remaining archaeological uncertainties. Dating by radiocarbon (14C), luminescence, uranium-series and electron spin resonance (ESR) methods indicates that H. floresiensis existed from before 38,000 years ago (kyr) until at least 18 kyr. Associated deposits contain stone artefacts and animal remains, including Komodo dragon and an endemic, dwarfed species of Stegodon. H. floresiensis originated from an early dispersal of Homo erectus (including specimens referred to as Homo ergaster and Homo georgicus) that reached Flores, and then survived on this island refuge until relatively recently. It overlapped significantly in time with Homo sapiens in the region, but we do not know if or how the two species interacted.

O Ateísmo Francês Contemporâneo: uma comparação crítica entre Michel Onfray e André Compte-Sponville (Contemporary French Atheism: a Critical Comparison between Michel Onfray and André Comte-Sponville - DOI: 10.5752/P.2175-5841.2010v8n18p127

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Agnaldo Cuoco Portugal

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Michel Onfray e André Comte-Sponville são os dois mais famosos representantes do ateísmo filosófico francês contemporâneo, que continua uma tradição iniciada no século XVIII de negação irreligiosa da noção monoteísta de Deus. Embora compartilhando várias ideias, como o naturalismo e, obviamente, a rejeição do monoteísmo, suas propostas têm diferenças importantes. Onfray imputa à religião a maioria dos males enfrentados pela humanidade, recusando-se a fazer qualquer concessão à tradição religiosa monoteísta, e propondo uma filosofia libertária de tipo hedonista e materialista. Comte-Sponville vê aspectos positivos na religião no tocante à manutenção da unidade social e propõe uma espiritualidade mística ateia. O artigo faz uma breve apresentação de suas teses e formula críticas a ambas as propostas. Onfray está muito mais preocupado em convencer de uma proposta política do que em argumentar filosoficamente em favor de uma tese e Comte-Sponville não parece perceber as consequências auto-refutadoras do naturalismo, que também torna muito problemática a própria noção de moralidade. Palavras-chave: Michel Onfray; Comte-Sponville; ateísmo; neoateísmo; naturalismo.  Abstract Michel Onfray and André Comte-Sponville are the most famous representatives of philosophical contemporary French atheism, which is a continuation of a tradition begun in the 18th Century of irreligious denying of the monotheistic notion of God. Although sharing many ideas, like naturalism and, obviously, the rejection of the monotheistic conception of God, their proposals show important distinctions. Onfray blames on religion most of evils faced by humanity, refusing to make any concession to monotheism, and proposing a libertarian, hedonistic, materialistic philosophy. Comte-Sponville sees positive aspects in religion regarding the keeping of social unity, and puts forward an atheistic spirituality. The article makes a brief

Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) genotype biases neural correlates of empathy and perceived personal distress in schizophrenia.

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Poletti, Sara; Radaelli, Daniele; Cavallaro, Roberto; Bosia, Marta; Lorenzi, Cristina; Pirovano, Adele; Smeraldi, Enrico; Benedetti, Francesco

2013-02-01

The catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) Val(108/158)Met polymorphism (rs4680) influences enzyme activity with valine (Val) allele associated with higher enzymatic activity. Several studies suggest that factors influencing dopaminergic transmission could control response to stressful situations. Empathy is an essential element of human behavior, requires the ability to adopt another person's perspective, and has been found to be dysfunctional in schizophrenia. Twenty-eight schizophrenic patients underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging performing an empathy task. Perceived empathy has been evaluated with the Interpersonal Reactivity Index. An effect of COMT on perceived distress subscale has been shown, with methionine (Met)/Met subjects reporting lower rates of stress compared with Val/Val. Moreover, imaging results showed an effect of genotype on empathy processing in the anterior cingulate with Val/Val subjects showing the lowest activation. This is the first study of the effect of rs4680 on interpersonal distress and neural correlates of empathy in schizophrenia. We found a decrease in neural responses in areas that ensure a cognitive control of emotion that is paralleled by perceived distress in interpersonal situation; this functional pattern seems to be influenced by rs4680 COMT polymorphism. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

COMT Val158Met and 5-HT1A-R -1019 C/G polymorphisms: effects on the negative symptom response to clozapine.

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Bosia, Marta; Lorenzi, Cristina; Pirovano, Adele; Guglielmino, Carmelo; Cocchi, Federica; Spangaro, Marco; Bramanti, Placido; Smeraldi, Enrico; Cavallaro, Roberto

2015-01-01

Clozapine is still considered the gold standard for treatment-resistant schizophrenia patients; however, up to 40% of patients do not respond adequately. Identifying potential predictors of clinical response to this last-line antipsychotic could represent an important goal for treatment. Among these, functional polymorphisms involved in dopamine system modulation, known to be disrupted in schizophrenia, may play a role. We examined the COMT Val158Met polymorphism, which plays a key role in dopamine regulation at the prefrontal level, and the 5-HT1A-R -1019 C/G polymorphism, a target of clozapine activity involved in the interaction between the serotonin and dopamine systems. 107 neuroleptic-refractory, biologically unrelated Italian patients (70 males and 37 females) with a DSM-IV diagnosis of schizophrenia who were being treated with clozapine were recruited. Psychopathology was assessed by the Positive and Negative Symptoms Scale (PANSS) at the beginning of treatment, and at weeks 8 and 12. Genomic DNA was extracted from venous blood samples. COMT rs4680 (Val158Met) and 5-HT1A-R rs6295 (-1019 C/G) polymorphisms were analyzed by PCR-based restriction fragment length and direct sequencing, respectively. We found a significant effect of COMT and 5-HT1A-R on the PANSS Negative Subscale variation, with greater improvement among COMT Val/Val and 5-HT1A-R G/G subjects. The findings support the hypothesis that COMT rs4680 and 5-HT1A-R rs6295 polymorphisms could influence the negative symptom response to clozapine, probably through modulation of the dopaminergic system.

Interaction between catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) Val158Met genotype and genetic vulnerability to schizophrenia during explicit processing of aversive facial stimuli.

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Lo Bianco, L; Blasi, G; Taurisano, P; Di Giorgio, A; Ferrante, F; Ursini, G; Fazio, L; Gelao, B; Romano, R; Papazacharias, A; Caforio, G; Sinibaldi, L; Popolizio, T; Bellantuono, C; Bertolino, A

2013-02-01

Emotion dysregulation is a key feature of schizophrenia, a brain disorder strongly associated with genetic risk and aberrant dopamine signalling. Dopamine is inactivated by catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT), whose gene contains a functional polymorphism (COMT Val158Met) associated with differential activity of the enzyme and with brain physiology of emotion processing. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether genetic risk for schizophrenia and COMT Val158Met genotype interact on brain activity during implicit and explicit emotion processing. A total of 25 patients with schizophrenia, 23 healthy siblings of patients and 24 comparison subjects genotyped for COMT Val158Met underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging during implicit and explicit processing of facial stimuli with negative emotional valence. We found a main effect of diagnosis in the right amygdala, with decreased activity in patients and siblings compared with control subjects. Furthermore, a genotype × diagnosis interaction was found in the left middle frontal gyrus, such that the effect of genetic risk for schizophrenia was evident in the context of the Val/Val genotype only, i.e. the phenotype of reduced activity was present especially in Val/Val patients and siblings. Finally, a complete inversion of the COMT effect between patients and healthy subjects was found in the left striatum during explicit processing. Overall, these results suggest complex interactions between genetically determined dopamine signalling and risk for schizophrenia on brain activity in the prefrontal cortex during emotion processing. On the other hand, the effects in the striatum may represent state-related epiphenomena of the disorder itself.

"Keeping up the Good Fight": The Said and Unsaid in "Flores v. Arizona"

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Thomas, Melinda Hollis; Aletheiani, Dinny Risri; Carlson, David Lee; Ewbank, Ann Dutton

2014-01-01

The authors' purpose in this article is to interrogate the mediated and political discourses that emerged alongside the "Flores v. Arizona" case. The authors endeavor to offer another voice, framework and approach that may help sustain a continuous, paramount conversation concerning the educational rights of English language learners and…

Genetic contributions to age-related decline in executive function: a 10-year longitudinal study of COMT and BDNF polymorphisms

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Kirk I Erickson

2008-09-01

Full Text Available Genetic variability in the dopaminergic and neurotrophic systems could contribute to age-related impairments in executive control and memory function. In this study we examined whether genetic polymorphisms for catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF were related to the trajectory of cognitive decline occurring over a 10-year period in older adults. A single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP in the COMT (Val158/108Met gene affects the concentration of dopamine in the prefrontal cortex. In addition, a Val/Met substitution in the pro-domain for BDNF (Val66Met affects the regulated secretion and trafficking of BDNF with Met carriers showing reduced secretion and poorer cognitive function. We found that impairments over the 10-year span on a task-switching paradigm did not vary as a function of the COMT polymorphism. However, for the BDNF polymorphism the Met carriers performed worse than Val homozygotes at the first testing session but only the Val homozygotes demonstrated a significant reduction in performance over the 10-year span. Our results argue that the COMT polymorphism does not affect the trajectory of age-related executive control decline, whereas the Val/Val polymorphism for BDNF may promote faster rates of cognitive decay in old age. These results are discussed in relation to the role of BDNF in senescence and the transforming impact of the Met allele on cognitive function in old age.

Genetic moderation of the effects of cannabis: catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) affects the impact of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) on working memory performance but not on the occurrence of psychotic experiences.

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Tunbridge, Elizabeth M; Dunn, Graham; Murray, Robin M; Evans, Nicole; Lister, Rachel; Stumpenhorst, Katharina; Harrison, Paul J; Morrison, Paul D; Freeman, Daniel

2015-11-01

Cannabis use can induce cognitive impairments and psychotic experiences. A functional polymorphism in the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene (Val(158)Met) appears to influence the immediate cognitive and psychotic effects of cannabis, or ∆(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), its primary psychoactive ingredient. This study investigated the moderation of the impact of experimentally administered THC by COMT. Cognitive performance and psychotic experiences were studied in participants without a psychiatric diagnosis, using a between-subjects design (THC vs. placebo). The effect of COMT Val(158)Met genotype on the cognitive and psychotic effects of THC, administered intravenously in a double-blind, placebo-controlled manner to 78 participants who were vulnerable to paranoia, was examined. The results showed interactive effects of genotype and drug group (THC or placebo) on working memory, assayed using the Digit Span Backwards task. Specifically, THC impaired performance in COMT Val/Val, but not Met, carriers. In contrast, the effect of THC on psychotic experiences, measured using the Community Assessment of Psychic Experiences (CAPE) positive dimension, was unaffected by COMT genotype. This study is the largest to date examining the impact of COMT genotype on response to experimentally administered THC, and the first using a purely non-clinical cohort. The data suggest that COMT genotype moderates the cognitive, but not the psychotic, effects of acutely administered THC. © The Author(s) 2015.

Etude comparative de la flore aux abords des cours d'eau dans les ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Etude comparative de la flore aux abords des cours d'eau dans les zones hypo et hyper endémiques d'ulcère de Buruli en Côte d'Ivoire. C. Cisse Boni, E. Ehouman, D. Soro, M.W. Kone, A. Bakayoko, F. Dembele, K. Bauthire, M Dosso ...

COMT Val158Met genotype as a risk factor for problem behaviors in youth

NARCIS (Netherlands)

M.D. Albaugh (Matthew); V.S. Harder (Valerie); R.R. Althoff (Robert); D.C. Rettew (David); E.A. Ehli (Erik); T. Lengyel-Nelson (Timea); G.E. Davies (Gareth); L. Ayer (Lynsay); J. Sulman (Julie); C. Stanger (Catherine); J.J. Hudziak (James)

2010-01-01

textabstractObjective: To test the association between the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) Val158Met polymorphism and both aggressive behavior and attention problems in youth. We hypothesized that youth carrying a Met allele would have greater average aggressive behavior scores, and that youth

COMT Val 158 Met polymorphism is associated with nonverbal cognition following mild traumatic brain injury

NARCIS (Netherlands)

E.A. Winkler (Ethan A.); J.K. Yue (John); T.W. McAllister (Thomas W.); N.R. Temkin (Nancy); S.S. Oh (Sam S.); E.G. Burchard (Esteban); D. Hu (Donglei); A.R. Ferguson (Adam); H.F. Lingsma (Hester); J.F. Burke (John F.); M.D. Sorani (Marco); J. Rosand (Jonathan); E.L. Yuh (Esther); J. Barber (Jason); P.E. Tarapore (Phiroz E.); R.C. Gardner (Raquel C.); S. Sharma (Sourabh); G.G. Satris (Gabriela G.); C. Eng (Celeste); A.M. Puccio (Ava); K.K.W. Wang (Kevin K. W.); P. Mukherjee (Pratik); A.B. Valadka (Alex); D. Okonkwo (David); R. Diaz-Arrastia (Ramon); G. Manley (Geoffrey)

2016-01-01

textabstractMild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) results in variable clinical outcomes, which may be influenced by genetic variation. A single-nucleotide polymorphism in catechol-o-methyltransferase (COMT), an enzyme which degrades catecholamine neurotransmitters, may influence cognitive deficits

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder comorbid oppositional defiant disorder and its predominately inattentive type: evidence for an association with COMT but not MAOA in a Chinese sample

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Wang Yu-Feng

2009-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background There are three childhood disruptive behavior disorders (DBDs, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD, oppositional defiant disorder (ODD, and conduct disorder (CD. The most common comorbid disorder in ADHD is ODD. DSM-IV describes three ADHD subtypes: predominantly inattentive type (ADHD-IA, predominantly hyperactive-impulsive type (ADHD-HI, and combined type (ADHD-C. Prior work suggests that specific candidate genes are associated with specific subtypes of ADHD in China. Our previous association studies between ADHD and functional polymorphisms of COMT and MAOA, consistently showed the low transcriptional activity alleles were preferentially transmitted to ADHD-IA boys. Thus, the goal of the present study is to test the hypothesis that COMT Val158Met and MAOA-uVNTR jointly contribute to the ODD phenotype among Chinese ADHD boys. Methods 171 Chinese boys between 6 and 17.5 years old (mean = 10.3, SD = 2.6 with complete COMT val158met and MAOA-uVNTR genotyping information were studied. We used logistic regression with genotypes as independent variables and the binary phenotype as the dependent variable. We used p Results Our results highlight the potential etiologic role of COMT in the ADHD with comorbid ODD and its predominately inattentive type in male Chinese subjects. ADHD with comorbid ODD was associated with homozygosity of the high-activity Val allele, while the predominantly inattentive ADHD subtype was associated with the low-activity Met allele. We found no evidence of association between the MAOA-uVNTR variant and ADHD with comorbid ODD or the ADHD-IA subtype. Conclusion Our study of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder comorbid oppositional defiant disorder and its predominately inattentive type highlights the potential etiologic role of COMT for ADHD children in China. But we failed to observe an interaction between COMT and MAOA, which suggests that epistasis between COMT and MAOA genes does not

Landscape Characteristics of Oriental Honey Buzzards Wintering in Western Part of Flores Island Based on Satellite-Tracking Data

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Syartinilia; Farisi, G. H. Al; Higuchi, H.

2017-10-01

Oriental Honey Buzzards (OHBs, Pernis ptilorhynchus) are migratory raptor that has been satellite-tracked since 2003. Some islands in Indonesia which are used for wintering habitat are Flores and Borneo. However, both islands have different characteristics of climate and land cover. The objectives of this research were to analyze the landscape characteristic of the OHBs wintering habitat in western Flores, and to subsequently compare landscape characteristic of the OHBs wintering habitat in Borneo. Landscape habitat characteristics were analyzed using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) combined with GIS and then compared to the previous study in Borneo Island. The result showed that the first of six principal components explained 79.14% and 77.59% of the observed variation in landscape characteristics of both core and edge habitats, subsequently. Habitat selection by OHBs at wintering site was influenced by the availability of thermal wind and food. Savannah was identified as the main landscape characteristic that was different between wintering habitat in Flores and Borneo. Savannah is well-known as a habitat for many species of amphibians, reptiles, and small mammals so that it can be a hunting area that provide alternative feed for OHBs.

Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT Genotype Affects Age-Related Changes in Plasticity in Working Memory: A Pilot Study

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Stephan Heinzel

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Objectives. Recent work suggests that a genetic variation associated with increased dopamine metabolism in the prefrontal cortex (catechol-O-methyltransferase Val158Met; COMT amplifies age-related changes in working memory performance. Research on younger adults indicates that the influence of dopamine-related genetic polymorphisms on working memory performance increases when testing the cognitive limits through training. To date, this has not been studied in older adults. Method. Here we investigate the effect of COMT genotype on plasticity in working memory in a sample of 14 younger (aged 24–30 years and 25 older (aged 60–75 years healthy adults. Participants underwent adaptive training in the n-back working memory task over 12 sessions under increasing difficulty conditions. Results. Both younger and older adults exhibited sizeable behavioral plasticity through training (P<.001, which was larger in younger as compared to older adults (P<.001. Age-related differences were qualified by an interaction with COMT genotype (P<.001, and this interaction was due to decreased behavioral plasticity in older adults carrying the Val/Val genotype, while there was no effect of genotype in younger adults. Discussion. Our findings indicate that age-related changes in plasticity in working memory are critically affected by genetic variation in prefrontal dopamine metabolism.

COMT (Val158Met and BDNF (Val66Met Genes Polymorphism in Schizophrenia: A Case-Control Report

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ramin saravani

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Objective: The effects of human brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF Val66Met (G>A and the human Catechol-O-methylTransferase (COMT Val158Met (G>A polymorphisms on Schizophrenia (SCZ risk were evaluated.Methods: This case control study included 92 SCZ patients and 92 healthy controls (HCs. Genotyping of both variants were conducted using Amplification Refractory Mutation System-Polymerase Chain Reaction (ARMS-PCR.Results: The findings showed that BDNF Val66Met (G>A variant increased the risk of SCZ (OR=2.008 95%CI=1.008-4.00, P=0.047, GA vs. GG, OR=3.876 95%CI=1.001-14.925, P=0.049. AA vs. GG, OR=2.272. 95%CI=1.204-4.347, P=0.011, GA+AA vs. GG, OR=2.22 95%CI=1.29-3.82. P=0.005, A vs. G. COMT Val158Met (G>A polymorphism was not associated with the risk/protective of SCZ.Conclusion: The results proposed that BDNF Val66Met (G>A polymorphism may increase the risk of SCZ development and did not support an association between COMT Val158Met (G>A variant and risk/protective of SCZ. Further studies and different ethnicities are recommended to confirm the findings.

Association of COMT (Val158Met) and BDNF (Val66Met) Gene Polymorphisms with Anxiety, ADHD and Tics in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

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Gadow, Kenneth D.; Roohi, Jasmin; Devincent, Carla J.; Kirsch, Sarah; Hatchwell, Eli

2009-01-01

The aim of the study is to examine rs4680 ("COMT") and rs6265 ("BDNF") as genetic markers of anxiety, ADHD, and tics. Parents and teachers completed a DSM-IV-referenced rating scale for a total sample of 67 children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Both "COMT" (p = 0.06) and "BDNF" (p = 0.07) genotypes were marginally significant for teacher…

Radioenzymatic assay of plasma adrenaline and noradrenaline: evidence for a catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) inhibiting factor associated with essential hypertension

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoffmann, J.J.M.L.; Willemsen, J.J.; Thien, Th.; Benraad, Th.J.

1982-01-01

During the evaluation of a modified radioenzymatic determination of plasma adrenaline and noradrenaline, it has been found that there exists a highly significant (p 0 C, but only in plasma from patients with essential hypertension. Plasma from normotensive persons exhibits a complete lack of correlation between these factors. The consequences of the hypertension-associated COMT-inhibiting factor for the assays' specifications are discussed and data are presented for comparison with a recently-described uremia-associated COMT-inhibitor (Demassieux et al, Clin Chim Acta 115, 377-391; 1981). (Auth.)

Flowers, fruits, and the abundance of the yellow-chevroned parakeet (Brotogeris chiriri at a gallery forest in the South Pantanal (Brazil Flores, frutos e abundância do periquito-de-asa-amarela (Brotogeris chiriri em uma mata ciliar do Pantanal Sul (Brasil

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J. Ragusa-Netto

2004-11-01

Full Text Available Parakeets usually forage for massive and ephemeral plant resources at forest canopies. Fruit pulp is widely cited as a major food resource for these birds, which often eat seeds and nectar. In this study, I assessed flower and fruit production at a gallery forest in the Pantanal flood plain (Brazil in order to evaluate the relationship between food resource production and abundance of a common parakeet, Brotogeris chiriri. Also, I evaluated the relationship between food resource production and foraging activity. Parakeet abundance varied markedly along the year, coinciding with massive episodes of flower and fleshy fruit availability. Inga vera nectar, intensely used during the latter part of dry season, was by far the most exploited food item by parakeets when they were very abundant. The nectar comprised 34% of the parakeets' diet (N = 131 feeding records at the gallery forest, while fleshy fruits made up the rest. Parakeets principally exploited fruits of Cecropia pachystachya and Ficus luschnathiana, besides palm fruits and Inga vera arils. The consistent relationship between foraging activity and parakeet abundance, as well as the coincidence between fluctuations of these parameters and availability of major food resources, suggests that food availability mostly influenced B. chiriri occurrence in the gallery forest. Furthermore, I found no evidence for gallery forest use for roosting and/or breeding, in spite of the fact that such factors usually influence local parakeet abundance.Periquitos normalmente exploram recursos massivos e efêmeros no dossel das florestas tropicais. Dentre os itens alimentares mais utilizados está a polpa de frutos, embora sementes e néctar também sejam consumidos. Neste estudo, foi avaliada a produção de flores e frutos em uma mata ciliar do Pantanal (Brasil e sua relação com a abundância do periquito Brotogeris chiriri. Além disso, avaliaram-se as relações entre a produção de flores e frutos e o

The role of maternal stress during pregnancy, maternal discipline, and child COMT Val158Met genotype in the development of compliance.

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Kok, Rianne; Bakermans-Kranenburg, Marian J; van Ijzendoorn, Marinus H; Velders, Fleur P; Linting, Mariëlle; Jaddoe, Vincent W V; Hofman, Albert; Verhulst, Frank C; Tiemeier, Henning

2013-07-01

Maternal discipline is an important predictor of child committed compliance. Maternal stress can affect both parenting and child development. In a large population-based cohort study (N = 613) we examined whether maternal discipline mediated the association between maternal stress during pregnancy and child compliance, and whether COMT or DRD4 polymorphisms moderated the association between maternal discipline and child compliance. Family-related and general stress were measured through maternal self-report and genetic material was collected through cord blood sampling at birth. Mother-child dyads were observed at 36 months in disciplinary tasks in which the child was not allowed to touch attractive toys. Maternal discipline and child compliance were observed in two different tasks and independently coded. The association between family stress during pregnancy and child committed compliance was mediated by maternal positive discipline. Children with more COMT Met alleles seemed more susceptible to maternal positive discipline than children with more COMT Val alleles. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The Many Faces of Compliance: The Supreme Court's Decision in "Horne v. Flores"

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Thro, William E.

2009-01-01

At first blush, the Supreme Court's recent decision in "Horne v. Flores" (2009) appears to be about the proper standard for determining when to modify a previous judgment, a topic that would interest only civil procedure geeks. Yet, on closer examination, "Horne" is about giving local and state officials discretion to solve education problems and,…

Lo andino en los murales de Jesús Flores Walpaq

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Mario Leandro Arce De Piero

2018-04-01

Full Text Available En este trabajo exploramos los modos en que lo andino se construye en la producción muralística del artista plástico Jesús Flores Walpq. Nos enfocamos en la definición de rasgos que configuran el centro representacional de lo andino y el proceso de deslizamientos semánticos y retóricos en la enunciación. A medida que el artista fue construyéndose como enunciador autorizado, la construcción del relato en el mural fue variando considerablemente. Si bien no se registran diferencias radicales en el empleo del color, la forma, la línea, etc. sí es significativa la variación en cuanto a la retórica que incorpora al indio en el discurso pictórico. El recorrido parte de la observación de los cambios en la construcción del yo-artista, que parte de la problematización del rol de productor de arte académico hasta plantear rol de “obrero del arte” comprometido con su contexto político, ideológico y artístico. Esto significó para Flores Walpaq adherir a las luchas reivindicatorias por los derechos indígenas. En conjunto, este texto nos lleva a problematizar sobre las condiciones de producción de la pregunta por la identidad en este contexto y las respuestas que los sujetos ensayan y modifican.

A new subspecies of Accipiter virgatus (Temminck) from Flores, Lesser Sunda Islands, Indonesia (Aves: Accipitridae)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mees, G.F.

1984-01-01

A new subspecies of Accipiter virgatus (Temminck) is described from Flores (Lesser Sunda Islands). In addition some notes are given on the distribution of A. virgatus in south-eastern Burma and adjacent parts of Thailand, supplementary to an earlier paper (Mees, 1981).

COMT ValMet moderation of cannabis-induced psychosis: a momentary assessment study of 'switching on' hallucinations in the flow of daily life.

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Henquet, C; Rosa, A; Delespaul, P; Papiol, S; Fananás, L; van Os, J; Myin-Germeys, I

2009-02-01

A functional polymorphism in the catechol-o-methyltransferase gene (COMT Val(158)Met) may moderate the psychosis-inducing effects of cannabis. In order to extend this finding to dynamic effects in the flow of daily life, a momentary assessment study of psychotic symptoms in response to cannabis use was conducted. The experience sampling technique was used to collect data on cannabis use and occurrence of symptoms in daily life in patients with a psychotic disorder (n = 31) and healthy controls (n = 25). Carriers of the COMT Val(158)Met Val allele, but not subjects with the Met/Met genotype, showed an increase in hallucinations after cannabis exposure, conditional on prior evidence of psychometric psychosis liability. The findings confirm that in people with psychometric evidence of psychosis liability, COMT Val(158)Met genotype moderates the association between cannabis and psychotic phenomena in the flow of daily life.

Hybridization of downregulated-COMT transgenic switchgrass lines with field selected switchgrass for improved biomass traits

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Transgenic switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) has been produced for improved cell walls for biofuels. Downregulated caffeic acid 3-O-methyltransferase (COMT) switchgrass produced significantly more biomass and biofuel than the non-transgenic progenitor line. In the present study we sought to further...

Pathways to age of onset of heroin use: a structural model approach exploring the relationship of the COMT gene, impulsivity and childhood trauma.

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Li, Ting; Du, Jiang; Yu, Shunying; Jiang, Haifeng; Fu, Yingmei; Wang, Dongxiang; Sun, Haiming; Chen, Hanhui; Zhao, Min

2012-01-01

The interaction of the association of dopamine genes, impulsivity and childhood trauma with substance abuse remains unclear. To clarify the impacts and the interactions of the Catechol -O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene, impulsivity and childhood trauma on the age of onset of heroin use among heroin dependent patients in China. 202 male and 248 female inpatients who meet DSM-IV criteria of heroin dependence were enrolled. Impulsivity and childhood trauma were measured using BIS-11 (Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11) and ETISR-SF (Early Trauma Inventory Self Report-Short Form). The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs737866 on the COMT gene-which has previously been associated with heroin abuse, was genotyped using a DNA sequence detection system. Structural equations model was used to assess the interaction paths between these factors and the age of onset of heroin use. Chi-square test indicated the individuals with TT allele have earlier age of onset of heroin use than those with CT or CC allele. In the correlation analysis, the severity of childhood trauma was positively correlated to impulsive score, but both of them were negatively related to the age of onset of heroin use. In structure equation model, both the COMT gene and childhood trauma had impacts on the age of onset of heroin use directly or via impulsive personality. Our findings indicated that the COMT gene, impulsive personality traits and childhood trauma experience were interacted to impact the age of onset of heroin use, which play a critical role in the development of heroin dependence. The impact of environmental factor was greater than the COMT gene in the development of heroin dependence.

Modifying effect of COMT gene polymorphism and a predictive role for proteomics analysis in children's intelligence in endemic fluorosis area in Tianjin, China.

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Zhang, Shun; Zhang, Xiaofei; Liu, Hongliang; Qu, Weidong; Guan, Zhizhong; Zeng, Qiang; Jiang, Chunyang; Gao, Hui; Zhang, Cheng; Lei, Rongrong; Xia, Tao; Wang, Zhenglun; Yang, Lu; Chen, Yihu; Wu, Xue; Cui, Yushan; Yu, Linyu; Wang, Aiguo

2015-04-01

Cumulative fluoride exposure has adverse influences on children's intelligence quotient (IQ). In addition, catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene Val158Met polymorphism (rs4680) is associated with cognitive performance. This study aimed to evaluate the associations of COMT polymorphism and alterations of protein profiles with children's intelligence in endemic fluorosis area. We recruited 180 schoolchildren (10-12 years old) from high fluoride exposure (1.40 mg/l) and control areas (0.63 mg/l) in Tianjin City, China. The children's IQ, fluoride contents in drinking water (W-F), serum (S-F), and urine (U-F); serum thyroid hormone levels, COMT Val158Met polymorphism, and plasma proteomic profiling were determined. Significant high levels of W-F, S-F, U-F, along with poor IQ scores were observed in the high fluoride exposure group compared with those in control (all P intelligence, whereas the COMT polymorphism may increase the susceptibility to the deficits in IQ due to fluoride exposure. Moreover, the proteomic analysis can provide certain basis for identifying the early biological markers of fluorosis among children. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Toxicology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Aspectos de la relación entre Thalurania Furcata Colombica (Aves Trochilidae y las flores en que liba, en un bosque subandino Aspectos de la relación entre Thalurania Furcata Colombica (Aves Trochilidae y las flores en que liba, en un bosque subandino

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Ayala R. Ana Victoria

1986-06-01

Full Text Available El mayor nivel de coadaptación ave nectarívora-flor conocido hasta el momento, se ha logrado en los Trochilidae (VAN DER PIJL & DODSON,1969; FEINSINGER et al., 1979 ; tanto, que se ha hablado de flores adaptadas a la polinización por una especie particular de colibrí, y de colibríes que dependen para su alimentación de una sola clase de flor (SNOW & SNOW, 1980.Los factores principales que afectan la selección de alimento por parte de los colibríes están relacionados con: hábitat y estratificación de la vegetación (STILES & VVOLF,1970; FEINSINGER & CoLWELL, 1978, distribución espacial y características de las flores (FEINSINGER & COLYVELL,1978; FEINSINGER et al., 1979, distribución temporal del alimento (WOLF et al., 1976, morfología del pico del ave (FEINSINGER & COLWELL, 1978; STILES, 1978 a; FEINSINGER et al., 1979, tamaño del cuerpo (VVOLF et al., 1976, "disco de sustentación del ala" (wing disc loading y, finalmente, la energía que el colibrí requiere para sustentarse en el aire (EPTING & CASEY, 1973; WOLF et al., 1976. Colombia está incluida en el área central de evolución de los Trochilidae (SNOW & SNOW,- 1980 y posee numerosas especies así como riqueza de hábitats ocupados por ellos. Al igual que trabajos anteriores (SNOW & SNOW, 1980; MURCIA, 1983, el presente aporta al conocimiento de la ecología de los colibríes en este país; especificamente, trata algunos aspectos de la interacción Thalurania furcata colombica-flor proveedora de alimento en un Bosque Subandino. Between April and September 1983 observations were made on the relations between Thalurcnia furcata colombica and flowers in the laguna de Pedro Palo area (Cundinamarca, Colombia. The hummingbird was seen visiting 15 species of plants (beloging to 13 families situated mainly on the edge of forest, among which the following species showed a high degree of ornithophily: Besleria solanoides (Gesneriaceae, Bomarea racemose (Amaryllidaceae

Brain white matter structure and COMT gene are linked to second-language learning in adults.

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Mamiya, Ping C; Richards, Todd L; Coe, Bradley P; Eichler, Evan E; Kuhl, Patricia K

2016-06-28

Adult human brains retain the capacity to undergo tissue reorganization during second-language learning. Brain-imaging studies show a relationship between neuroanatomical properties and learning for adults exposed to a second language. However, the role of genetic factors in this relationship has not been investigated. The goal of the current study was twofold: (i) to characterize the relationship between brain white matter fiber-tract properties and second-language immersion using diffusion tensor imaging, and (ii) to determine whether polymorphisms in the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene affect the relationship. We recruited incoming Chinese students enrolled in the University of Washington and scanned their brains one time. We measured the diffusion properties of the white matter fiber tracts and correlated them with the number of days each student had been in the immersion program at the time of the brain scan. We found that higher numbers of days in the English immersion program correlated with higher fractional anisotropy and lower radial diffusivity in the right superior longitudinal fasciculus. We show that fractional anisotropy declined once the subjects finished the immersion program. The relationship between brain white matter fiber-tract properties and immersion varied in subjects with different COMT genotypes. Subjects with the Methionine (Met)/Valine (Val) and Val/Val genotypes showed higher fractional anisotropy and lower radial diffusivity during immersion, which reversed immediately after immersion ended, whereas those with the Met/Met genotype did not show these relationships. Statistical modeling revealed that subjects' grades in the language immersion program were best predicted by fractional anisotropy and COMT genotype.

Time-resolved influences of functional DAT1 and COMT variants on visual perception and post-processing.

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Stephan Bender

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Dopamine plays an important role in orienting and the regulation of selective attention to relevant stimulus characteristics. Thus, we examined the influences of functional variants related to dopamine inactivation in the dopamine transporter (DAT1 and catechol-O-methyltransferase genes (COMT on the time-course of visual processing in a contingent negative variation (CNV task. METHODS: 64-channel EEG recordings were obtained from 195 healthy adolescents of a community-based sample during a continuous performance task (A-X version. Early and late CNV as well as preceding visual evoked potential components were assessed. RESULTS: Significant additive main effects of DAT1 and COMT on the occipito-temporal early CNV were observed. In addition, there was a trend towards an interaction between the two polymorphisms. Source analysis showed early CNV generators in the ventral visual stream and in frontal regions. There was a strong negative correlation between occipito-temporal visual post-processing and the frontal early CNV component. The early CNV time interval 500-1000 ms after the visual cue was specifically affected while the preceding visual perception stages were not influenced. CONCLUSIONS: Late visual potentials allow the genomic imaging of dopamine inactivation effects on visual post-processing. The same specific time-interval has been found to be affected by DAT1 and COMT during motor post-processing but not motor preparation. We propose the hypothesis that similar dopaminergic mechanisms modulate working memory encoding in both the visual and motor and perhaps other systems.

Fenologia do florescimento e características do perfume das flores de Passiflora quadrangularis l. (maracujá-melão

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Daniel Antonio Villamil Montero

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Passiflora quadrangularis L. é uma espécie originária do neotrópico, conhecida no Brasil como maracujá-melão devido ao tamanho e formato dos seus frutos. Tem sido amplamente disseminada nas regiões tropicais do mundo onde é produzida em pequena escala para comercialização dos frutos, o que ocorre bem próximo às regiões de cultivo, em função da dificuldade de conservação pós-colheita. As plantas são trepadeiras bastante vigorosas, com flores abundantes, grandes e perfumadas, o que amplia o seu valor e a torna particularmente interessante para caramanchões e cercas-vivas. O uso efetivo de passifloras no mercado de plantas ornamentais depende de estudos da fenologia floral. Neste trabalho foram estudadas algumas características da fenologia floral e o perfume das flores de P. quadrangularis, sob cultivo protegido. São apresentados os dados relativos ao período de floração, picos de florescimento e intensidade relativa das flores, bem como algumas características do perfume floral. Conclui-se que a espécie representa uma nova alternativa de cultivo para fins ornamentais, por apresentar múltiplas flores em antese simultânea, abundantes, grandes, fragrantes e coloridas, com longo período de floração no ano, além de frutos comestíveis, folhas exuberantes e medicinais que oferecem amplo sombreamento para áreas externas de lazer e/ou outras plantas cultivadas.

Perception of emotion in facial stimuli: The interaction of ADRA2A and COMT genotypes, and sex.

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Tamm, Gerly; Kreegipuu, Kairi; Harro, Jaanus

2016-01-04

Emotional facial stimuli are important social signals that are essential to be perceived and recognized in order to make appropriate decisions and responses in everyday communication. The ability to voluntarily guide attention to perceive and recognize emotions, and react to them varies largely across individuals, and has a strong genetic component (Friedman et al., 2008). Two key genetic variants of the catecholamine system that have been related to emotion perception and attention are the catechol-O-methyl transferase genetic variant (COMT Val158Met) and the α2A-receptor gene promoter polymorphism (ADRA2A C-1291G) accordingly. So far, the interaction of the two with sex in emotion perception has not been studied. Multilevel modeling method was applied to study how COMT Val158Met, ADRA2A C-1291G and sex are associated with measures of emotion perception in a large sample of young adults. Participants (n=506) completed emotion recognition and behavioral emotion detection tasks. It was found that COMT Val158Met genotype in combination with the ADRA2A C-1291G and sex predicts emotion detection, and perception of valence and arousal. In simple visual detection, the ADRA2A C-1291G G-allele leads to slower detection of a highly arousing face (scheming), which is modulated by each additional COMT Val158Met Met-allele and male sex predicting faster responses. The combination of G-allele, Met-allele and male sex also predicts higher perceived negativity in sad faces. No effects of C-1291G, Val158Met, and sex were found on verbal emotion recognition. Applying the findings to study the interplay between catecholamine-O-methyl transferase activity and α2A-receptors in emotion perception disorders (such as ADHD, autism and schizophrenia) in men and women would be the next step towards understanding individual differences in emotion perception. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Pouzolzia floresiana (Urticaceae), a new species from Flores, Nusa Tenggara Timur (Lesser Sunda Islands), Indonesia

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wilmot-Dear, Christine Melanie; Friis, Ib

2012-01-01

Pouzolzia floresiana Friis & Wilmot-Dear (Urticaceae) is described and illustrated on the basis of a single collection from the western part of the Indonesian island of Flores. The species is a thick-stemmed herb, similar in habit to Pouzolzia thailandica, but differs in having axillary flower...

Influence of storage temperature on Epidendrum ibaguense flowers = Influência da temperatura de armazenamento em flores de Epidendrum ibaguense.

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Ana Maria Mapeli

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The present work was carried out to evaluate the influence oftemperature and wet-versus-dry storage on longevity, respiration and ethylene production during storage of E. ibaguense flowers. The inflorescences were harvested and stored at 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, and 40oC, in water or dry, until complete senescence. Respiration increased when inflorescences were treated with wet or dry storage. The Q10 factor for this flower, at temperatures ranging from 5 to 40°C, was similar to most fresh horticultural products, varying between 1.2 and 3.31 depending on storage temperature. Production of ethylene by the inflorescence was maximal at 20ºC for flowers maintained in water, and at 35°C for those flowers kept dry, followedby a sharp drop in both treatments. A maximal shelf life for cut flowers was obtained when the inflorescences were stored wet at 10°C. Symptoms of chilling were observed in flowers stored in water after six to seven days at 5°C, showing petal wilting and necrosis of the labellum. At 40°C, flowers stored dry showed severe petal wilting anddarkening of bud petals less than one day after harvest.O presente trabalho avaliou a influência da temperatura e armazenamento úmido e seco sobre a longevidade, respiração e produção de etileno de flores de Epidendrum ibaguense. As hastes foram colhidas, colocadas em vaso e armazenadas em temperatura de 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 e 40oC, em água ou a seco, até completa senescência das flores. A respiração aumentou quando as inflorescências foram tratadas com armazenamento úmido ou seco. O fator Q10 para estas flores, na faixa de temperatura de 5 a 40ºC, foi similar a da maioria dos produtos hortícolas, variando de 1,2 a 3,3, dependendo da temperatura de armazenamento. A produção de etileno foi máxima a 20ºC, para as flores mantidas em água, e a 35ºC para aquelasmantidas a seco, e a partir destas temperaturas houve redução em ambos os tratamentos. A longevidade foi m

Genetic Predisposition to Poor Opioid Response in Preterm Infants: Impact of KCNJ6 and COMT Polymorphisms on Pain Relief After Endotracheal Intubation.

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Elens, Laure; Norman, Elisabeth; Matic, Maja; Rane, Anders; Fellman, Vineta; van Schaik, Ron H N

2016-08-01

Single-nucleotide polymorphisms in genes involved in pain control might predispose to exaggerated sensitivity or difference in opioid analgesic effect. The relevance of the KCNJ6 -1250G>A (rs6517442, c.-1787G>A) and the catecholamine-O-methyltransferase (COMT) c.472G>A (rs4680, ValMet) single-nucleotide polymorphisms were studied in preterm infants needing intubation and randomized to a premedication strategy including remifentanil (n = 17) or morphine (n = 17). Pain was scored with Astrid Lindgren and Lund Children's Hospital Pain Assessment Scale every 30 minutes for 6 hours. The pain relief provided by the opioids was compared between the different KCNJ6 and COMT genotypes. Infants homozygous for the KCNJ6 -1250A allele had an increased duration after intubation to achieve a score indicating no pain compared with infants with the A/G or G/G genotypes (182 ± 30, 109 ± 29, and 60 ± 21 minutes, respectively; Logrank = 7.5, P = 0.006). Similarly, the duration was increased in individuals with the COMT Val/Val alleles compared with Val/Met and Met/Met (285 ± 37, 137 ± 25, and 63 ± 15 minutes, respectively; Logrank = 14.4, P = 0.0021). Cox proportional hazards analysis confirmed that the variation in both genes was independently associated with susceptibility to respond to therapy. We conclude that the KCNJ6 -1250A and COMT Val alleles are predisposing preterm newborns to diminished opioid-induced pain relief.

Association of COMT and PRODH gene variants with intelligence quotient (IQ) and executive functions in 22q11.2DS subjects.

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Carmel, Miri; Zarchi, Omer; Michaelovsky, Elena; Frisch, Amos; Patya, Miriam; Green, Tamar; Gothelf, Doron; Weizman, Abraham

2014-09-01

The 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS) carries the highest genetic risk factor for the development of schizophrenia. We investigated the association of genetic variants in two schizophrenia candidate genes with executive function (EF) and IQ in 22q11.2DS individuals. Ninety two individuals with 22q11.2 deletion were studied for the genetic association between COMT and PRODH variants and EF and IQ. Subjects were divided into children (under 12 years old), adolescents (between 12 and 18 years old) and adults (older than 18 years), and genotyped for the COMT Val158Met (rs4680) and PRODH Arg185Trp (rs4819756) polymorphisms. The participants underwent psychiatric evaluation and EF assessment. Our main finding is a significant influence of the COMT Val158Met polymorphism on both IQ and EF performance. Specifically, 22q11.2DS subjects with Met allele displayed higher IQ scores in all age groups compared to Val carriers, reaching significance in both adolescents and adults. The Met allele carriers performed better than Val carriers in EF tasks, being statistically significant in the adult group. PRODH Arg185Trp variant did not affect IQ or EF in our 22q11.2DS cohort. In conclusion, functional COMT variant, but not PRODH, affects IQ and EF in 22q11.2DS subjects during neurodevelopment with a maximal effect at adulthood. Future studies should monitor the cognitive performance of the same individuals from childhood to old age. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Family-based association study of the BDNF, COMT and serotonin transporter genes and DSM-IV bipolar-I disorder in children

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Biederman Joseph

2009-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Over the past decade pediatric bipolar disorder has gained recognition as a potentially more severe and heritable form of the disorder. In this report we test for association with genes coding brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF, the serotonin transporter (SLC6A4, and catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT. Methods Bipolar-I affected offspring triads (N = 173 were drawn from 522 individuals with 2 parents in 332 nuclear families recruited for genetic studies of pediatric psychopathology at the Clinical and Research Program in Pediatric Psychopharmacology and Adult ADHD at Massachusetts General Hospital. Results We failed to identify an association with the val66 allele in BDNF (OR = 1.23, p = 0.36, the COMT-l allele (OR = 1.27, p = 0.1, or the HTTLPR short allele (OR = 0.87, p = 0.38. Conclusion Our study suggests that the markers examined thus far in COMT and SLC6A4 are not associated with pediatric bipolar disorder and that if the val66met marker in BDNF is associated with pediatric bipolar disorder the magnitude of the association is much smaller than first reported.

Childhood Abuse Experiences and the COMT and MTHFR Genetic Variants Associated With Male Sexual Orientation in the Han Chinese Populations: A Case-Control Study.

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Qin, Jia-Bi; Zhao, Guang-Lu; Wang, Feng; Cai, Yu-Mao; Lan, Li-Na; Yang, Lin; Feng, Tie-Jian

2018-01-01

Although it is widely acknowledged that genetic and environmental factors are involved in the development of male homosexuality, the causes are not fully understood. To explore the association and interaction of childhood abuse experiences and genetic variants of the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) genes with the development of male homosexuality. A case-control study of 537 exclusively homosexual men and 583 exclusively heterosexual men was conducted, with data collected from March 2013 to August 2015. Data were analyzed using χ 2 tests and logistic regression models. Sociodemographic characteristics, childhood abuse experiences, and polymorphisms of COMT at rs4680, rs4818, and rs6267 and MTHFR at rs1801133. More frequent occurrence of physical (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.78), emotional (aOR = 2.07), and sexual (aOR = 2.53) abuse during childhood was significantly associated with the development of male homosexuality. The polymorphisms of MTHFR at rs1801133 and COMT at rs4818 also were significantly associated with the development of male homosexuality in the homozygote comparisons (T/T vs C/C at rs1801133, aOR = 1.68; G/G vs C/C at rs4818, aOR = 1.75). In addition, significant interaction effects between childhood abuse experiences and the COMT and MTHFR genetic variants on the development of male homosexuality were found. This is the first time that an association of childhood abuse, COMT and MTHFR genetic variants, and their interactions with development of male homosexuality was exhaustively explored, which could help provide new insight into the etiology of male homosexuality. Because homosexual men are a relatively obscure population, it was impossible to select the study participants by random sampling, which could lead to selection bias. In addition, because this was a case-control study, recall bias was inevitable, and we could not verify causality. Childhood abuse and the COMT and MTHFR genetic

Environmental And Area Support Capability Analysis For Seaweed Mariculture Development In Hading Bay Of East Flores Regency

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Dominikus K. Da Costa

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract East Flores regency has adequate marine resources potentials to develop seaweed aquaculture area. Animportant aspect of seaweed aquaculture is the site selection. Site selection is based on the marine area extent and its ecological quality. The objectives of the study were to analyze the water ecology and its support capability and to determine the best site for continuous seaweed mariculture in Hading Bay of East Flores Regency. The study used descriptive method. It was conducted in Hading Bay Lewolema District East Flores Regency in March 2015. Data analysis was done using GIS based on area suitability value and the method applied in the mariculture was long line method. Total Hading Bay water territory was864676 ha. Site Awas135345 ha site B was 474222 ha and site C was 255108 ha. Area with S1 category was 729331 ha extended in Site B and C. Area with S2 category was 135345 ha as extended in Site A. Water territory support capability was 778208 ha. The number of seaweed mariculture units was 194552 units and seaweed territory capacity was 99. Hading Bay waster has the capacity and area support capability for K. alvareziiseaweed mariculture site. Site A was categorized S2 on suitability class and site B and C were categorized S1 on suitability class. The results showed different quality of water territory in those three sites was not significant and still in normal range of K. alvarezii seaweed mariculture development.

Uruguay mining inventory. Geochemical prospecting results of the Las Flores aerial map

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zeegers, H.; Bonnefoy, D.; Garau, M.; Spangenberg, J.

1981-01-01

In the context of the Uruguay mining inventory, the aerial photography map Las Flores had been covered by a specific strategic which included geochemical prospecting elements. The surface covered has the 550 km2, and 1042 samples which they have been analized in Orleans France. 22 elements by plasma spectroscopy and gold by atomic absorption and for uranium laser spectroscopy . They have been evidenced the following anomalies: gold, Pb, Pb-Ba-Cu, Ba and Ni-Cr

Association of COMT (Val158Met) and BDNF (Val66Met) gene polymorphisms with anxiety, ADHD and tics in children with autism spectrum disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Gadow, Kenneth D; Roohi, Jasmin; DeVincent, Carla J; Kirsch, Sarah; Hatchwell, Eli

2009-11-01

The aim of the study is to examine rs4680 (COMT) and rs6265 (BDNF) as genetic markers of anxiety, ADHD, and tics. Parents and teachers completed a DSM-IV-referenced rating scale for a total sample of 67 children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Both COMT (p = 0.06) and BDNF (p = 0.07) genotypes were marginally significant for teacher ratings of social phobia (etap (2) = 0.06). Analyses also indicated associations of BDNF genotype with parent-rated ADHD (p = 0.01, etap (2) = 0.10) and teacher-rated tics (p = 0.04; etap (2) = 0.07). There was also evidence of a possible interaction (p = 0.02, etap (2) = 0.09) of BDNF genotype with DAT1 3' VNTR with tic severity. BDNF and COMT may be biomarkers for phenotypic variation in ASD, but these preliminary findings remain tentative pending replication with larger, independent samples.

The divergent impact of catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) Val158Met genetic polymorphisms on executive function in adolescents with discrete patterns of childhood adversity.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Huihui; Li, Jie; Yang, Bei; Ji, Tao; Long, Zhouting; Xing, Qiquan; Shao, Di; Bai, Huayu; Sun, Jiwei; Cao, Fenglin

2018-02-01

Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) Val 158 Met functional polymorphisms play a crucial role in the development of executive function (EF), but their effect may be moderated by environmental factors such as childhood adversity. The present study aimed at testing the divergent impact of the COMT Val 158 Met genotype on EF in non-clinical adolescents with discrete patterns of childhood adversity. A total of 341 participants completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, the self-reported version of the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function, and self-administered questionnaires on familial function. The participants' COMT Val 158 Met genotype was determined. Associations among the variables were explored using latent class analysis and general linear models. We found that Val/Val homozygotes showed significantly worse performance on behavioral shift, relative to Met allele carriers (F=5.921, p=0.015, Partial η 2 =0.018). Moreover, three typical patterns of childhood adversity, namely, low childhood adversity (23.5%), childhood neglect (59.8%), and high childhood adversity (16.7%), were found. Both childhood neglect and high childhood adversity had a negative impact on each aspect of EF and on global EF performance. Importantly, these results provided evidence for significant interaction effects, as adolescents with the Val/Val genotype showed inferior behavioral shift performance than Met carriers (F=6.647, p=0.010, Partial η 2 =0.020) in the presence of high childhood adversity. Furthermore, there were no differences between the genotypes for childhood neglect and low childhood adversity. Overall, this is the first study to show that an interaction between the COMT genotype and childhood adversity affects EF in non-clinical adolescents. These results suggest that the COMT genotype may operate as a susceptibility gene vulnerable to an adverse environment. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Interações entre Platonia insignis (Clusiaceae) e a avifauna visitante floral no cerrado do Maranhão

OpenAIRE

Adriano Kid Azambuja

2008-01-01

Resumo: O bacurizeiro, Platonia insignis Mart. (Clusiaceae), é uma espécie arbórea amazônica que se dispersou nos cerrados marginais da região Nordeste do Brasil, localizados nos estados do Maranhão e do Piauí. Foram estudadas a biologia e morfologia floral, o sistema reprodutivo, a relação entre densidade de flores e exposição solar, a sobreposição da floração e a atividade dos visitantes florais. A presença das aves visitantes foi constatada através de observação direta de um ponto fixo, to...

Val158Met polymorphism in the COMT gene is associated with hypersomnia and mental health-related quality of life in a Colombian sample.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiménez, Karen M; Pereira-Morales, Angela J; Forero, Diego A

2017-03-22

The identification of genes that are risk factors for major depressive disorder remains a main task for global psychiatric research. The Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene has been an important candidate risk factor for several psychiatric disorders. Previous studies have shown that a functional polymorphism (Val158Met) in this gene has an effect on several brain circuits and endophenotypes of psychiatric relevance. The aim of this study was to explore the association of a functional polymorphism in the COMT gene with psychological distress, sleep problems and health-related quality of life. Two hundred seventy young Colombian subjects (mean age: 21.3 years; range: 18-57 years) completed the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, the Perceived Stress Scale, the Oviedo Sleep Questionnaire and the 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey and were genotyped for the Val158Met polymorphism (rs4680) in the COMT gene. A linear regression analysis, adjusting for potential confounding factors, was carried out. Subjects that were Met carriers (Val/Met and Met/Met genotypes) showed higher scores for hypersomnia (p=0.001) and lower scores for mental health-related quality of life (p=0.007), these associations remained significant after correcting for multiple testing. These findings support the hypothesis of a broad effect of the Val158Met polymorphism in the COMT gene on several dimensions of behavior and neuropsychiatric symptoms. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The COMT Val158 Met polymorphism as an associated risk factor for Alzheimer disease and mild cognitive impairment in APOE 4 carriers

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Borda Sandra

2009-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The aim of this study is to examine the influence of the catechol-O-methyltranferase (COMT gene (polymorphism Val158 Met as a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD and mild cognitive impairment of amnesic type (MCI, and its synergistic effect with the apolipoprotein E gene (APOE. A total of 223 MCI patients, 345 AD and 253 healthy controls were analyzed. Clinical criteria and neuropsychological tests were used to establish diagnostic groups. The DNA Bank of the University of the Basque Country (UPV-EHU (Spain determined COMT Val158 Met and APOE genotypes using real time polymerase chain reaction (rtPCR and polymerase chain reaction (PCR, and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLPs, respectively. Multinomial logistic regression models were used to determine the risk of AD and MCI. Results Neither COMT alleles nor genotypes were independent risk factors for AD or MCI. The high activity genotypes (GG and AG showed a synergistic effect with APOE ε4 allele, increasing the risk of AD (OR = 5.96, 95%CI 2.74-12.94, p In MCI patients such as synergistic effect was only found between AG and APOE ε4 allele (OR = 3.21 95%CI 1.56-6.63, p = 0.02 and was greater in men (OR = 5.88 95%CI 1.69-20.42, p Conclusion COMT (Val158 Met polymorphism is not an independent risk factor for AD or MCI, but shows a synergistic effect with APOE ε4 allele that proves greater in women with AD.

Consideraciones sobre Botrytis cinerea pers., agente causal de la pudrición de las flores

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Garcés de Granada Emira

1992-12-01

Full Text Available El "moho gris" de las flores, ocasionado por el hongo
Botrytis cinerea Pers., es una enfermedad de la cual
se desconocen muchos aspectos fundamentales. Sin embargo y a pesar de esta carencia de conocimientos, frecuentemente se aplican fungicidas que, muchas veces, no resultan efectivos para el control adecuado de la enfermedad e, incluso, se exagera en uso, lo cual significa un aumento de costos y un efecto en el ambiente. Esta enfermedad es muy común en muchas flores de exportación, como rosa, clavel, crisantemo, estatice y gypsophila. Staby y Naegele (1985 opinan que las plantas pueden ser atacadas en el campo, en el transporte o en el almacenamiento. La penetración del patógeno se realiza directamente a través de heridas causadas por insectos o por medios mecánicos. En condiciones muy favorables, el hongo puede penetrar
directamente en sus hospedantes a través de la cutícula, mediante la producción de enzimas que degradan los componentes de ésta.

Adipose tissue PCB levels and CYP1B1 and COMT genotypes in relation to breast cancer risk in postmenopausal Danish women

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bräuner, Elvira V; Loft, Steffen; Wellejus, Anja

2014-01-01

these enzymes control efficiency. Our objective was to assess whether CYP1B1 and COMT gene polymorphisms modulate the effect of PCBs in breast cancer risk, among postmenopausal Danish women. Neither CYP1B1 Leu432Val polymorphisms nor adipose tissue PCBs were independently associated with breast cancer risk....... When assessing the independent effect of the COMT Val158Met polymorphism, we observed reduced risk for breast cancer amongst hormone replacement therapy using women who were homozygous carriers of the variant allele compared with those carrying the wild-type variant (RR = 0.41; 95% CI: 0.29-0.89). We...

Auguste Comte and Consensus Formation in American Religious Thought—Part 1: The Creation of Consensus

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Kenneth S. Sacks

2017-08-01

Full Text Available French intellectual Auguste Comte was the most influential sociologist and philosopher of science in the Nineteenth Century. This first of two articles summarizes his complex life’s works and details reactions to them by Transcendentalists and Unitarians, from its American introduction in 1837 until just after the Civil War. Using public speeches and published essays, the article analyzes the ways in which intellectuals supported and criticized Comte’s theories. Because he wrote in such abstract and difficult French, criticisms centered not on the nuances of his work, but more superficially on his alleged atheism. These attacks occur because of a variety of consequences of the Civil War that had little to do directly with Comte’s philosophy. Instead, Comte was a convenient vehicle for expressing anxiety over a modernism that included an accelerated threat against religion posed by technology and science and the emerging dominance of that secular knowledge in universities. The second article will analyze Comte’s influence on later Transcendentalists and other post-Unitarian thinkers.

Genómica Funcional de Plantas: Estudio del Desarrollo de Flores y Frutos Genómica Funcional de Plantas: Estudio del Desarrollo de Flores y Frutos

OpenAIRE

Octavio Rubén Salazar Moya; José Irepan Reyes Olalde; Víctor Manuel Zúñiga Mayo; Stefan de Folter; Nayelli Marsch Martínez

2012-01-01

La última fase del desarrollo floral es la fertilización de los óvulos y la formación de los frutos,que son muy importantes tanto biológica como económicamente. Notoriamente, más del 80% de los alimentos que son consumidos por el ser humano proviene de flores y frutos.La obtención de conocimientos acerca de las bases moleculares del desarrollo de frutos en especies modelo es de gran interés científico, y un paso indispensable para poder facilitar investigaciones y de ser factible, aplicacione...

Exploration of Ulumbu geothermal field, Flores-east nusa tenggara, Indonesia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sulasdi, Didi

1996-01-26

This paper describes the progress made in developing geothermal resources at Ulumbu Flores, Indonesia for utilization mini geothermal power generation. Two deep exploratory wells drilling drilled by PLN confirmed the existence of the resources. The well measurement carried out during drilling and after completion of the well indicated that the major permeable zone at around 680 m depth and that this zone is a steam cap zone, which is likely to produce high enthalpy steam. The above information indicates that well ULB-01 will produce a mass flow at least 40 tonnes per hour, which will ensure a 3 MW (E) Ulumbu mini geothermal power plant.

Análise espectral de flores utilizadas por aves nectarívoras em uma área urbana no Sudeste do Brasil

OpenAIRE

Toledo, MCB.; Donatelli, RJ.

2010-01-01

Análise espectral de flores utilizada por aves nectarívoras em áreas urbanas. O objetivo deste trabalho foi estabelecer a característica espectral das flores produtoras de néctar visitadas por nectarívoros em áreas urbanas. Este estudo foi desenvolvido na região central do município de Taubaté, no nordeste do Estado de São Paulo. As áreas amostradas incluíram espaços verdes, tais como praças e parques e a vegetação das ruas e avenidas. Foram registradas 12 espécies de plantas utilizadas por c...

The COMT Val158 allele is associated with impaired delayed-match-to-sample performance in ADHD

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Matthews Natasha

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background This study explored the association between three measures of working memory ability and genetic variation in a range of catecholamine genes in a sample of children with ADHD. Methods One hundred and eighteen children with ADHD performed three working memory measures taken from the CANTAB battery (Spatial Span, Delayed-match-to-sample, and Spatial Working Memory. Associations between performance on working memory measures and allelic variation in catecholamine genes (including those for the noradrenaline transporter [NET1], the dopamine D4 and D2 receptor genes [DRD4; DRD2], the gene encoding dopamine beta hydroxylase [DBH] and catechol-O-methyl transferase [COMT] were investigated using regression models that controlled for age, IQ, gender and medication status on the day of test. Results Significant associations were found between performance on the delayed-match-to-sample task and COMT genotype. More specifically, val/val homozygotes produced significantly more errors than did children who carried a least one met allele. There were no further associations between allelic variants and performance across the other working memory tasks. Conclusions The working memory measures employed in the present study differed in the degree to which accurate task performance depended upon either the dynamic updating and/or manipulation of items in working memory, as in the spatial span and spatial working memory tasks, or upon the stable maintenance of representations, as in the delay-match–to-sample task. The results are interpreted as evidence of a relationship between tonic dopamine levels associated with the met COMT allele and the maintenance of stable working memory representations required to perform the delayed-match-to-sample-task.

Flamenco en la Universidad. Rese??a cr??tica a: Delgado Calvo-Flores, Rafael. Poemas Gitanos. Gipsy Poems

OpenAIRE

Berlanga, Miguel A.

2007-01-01

Descripci??n de las convenciones po??ticas de la l??rica flamenca, su relaci??n y diferencias con las convenciones de la l??rica tradicional. Rese??a cr??tica del libro Poemas Gitanos / Gipsy Poems, de Rafael Delgado Calvo-Flores (Universidad de Granada, 2005)

Molecular cloning, characterization and expression of the caffeic acid O-methyltransferase (COMT) ortholog from kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus)

Science.gov (United States)

We cloned the full-length of the gene putatively encoding caffeic acid O-methyltransferase (COMT) from kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.) using degenerate primers and the RACE (rapid amplification of cDNA ends) method. Kenaf is an herbaceous and rapidly growing dicotyledonous plant with great potential ...

The effect of COMT Val158 Met genotype on decision-making and preliminary findings on its interaction with the 5-HTTLPR in healthy females.

Science.gov (United States)

van den Bos, Ruud; Homberg, Judith; Gijsbers, Ellen; den Heijer, Esther; Cuppen, Edwin

2009-02-01

Poor decision-making is inherent to several psychiatric conditions for which a genetic basis may exist. We previously showed that healthy female volunteers homozygous for the short allele (s/s) of the serotonin transporter length polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR) chose more often cards from disadvantageous decks in the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT), which measures decision-making, than long (l) allele carriers. The 5-HTTLPR and catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) Val(158) Met polymorphism affect the same set of neuronal structures. Therefore, we explored the effect of the (COMT) Val(158) Met polymorphism on IGT performance and its interaction with the 5-HTTLPR in the same subjects in this study. We observed that subjects homozygous for methionine (Met/Met) chose more disadvantageously than subjects homozygous for valine (Val/Val). s/s-Met/Met-subjects appeared to show the poorest IGT performance of all possible combinations of 5-HTTLPR and COMT allelic variants. Using the Expectancy-Valence model, no differences were found for the three different 5-HTTLPR or COMT genotypes regarding (i) attention to wins versus losses, (ii) updating rate, or (iii) response consistency. However, subjects with at least one Met-allele were paying more attention to wins than subjects with no Met-alleles. We discuss whether a common neuronal mechanism relates to s- and Met-allele-related deficits in updating and/or processing of choice outcome to guide subsequent choices in this gamble-based test.

Catechol-O-Methyltransferase (COMT) Gene (Val158Met) and Brain-Derived Neurotropic Factor (BDNF) (Val66Met) Genes Polymorphism in Schizophrenia: A Case-Control Study

OpenAIRE

Saravani, Ramin; Galavi, Hamid Reza; Lotfian Sargazi, Marzieh

2017-01-01

Objective: Several studies have shown that some polymorphisms of genes encoding catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT), the key enzyme in degrading dopamine, and norepinephrine and the human brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF), a nerve growth factor, are strong candidates for risk of schizophrenia (SCZ). In the present study, we aimed at examining the effects of COMT Val158Met (G>A) and BDNF Val66Met (G>A) polymorphisms on SCZ risk in a sample of Iranian population. Method: This case- contro...

Cost-Effectiveness of Mass Dog Vaccination Campaigns against Rabies in Flores Island, Indonesia.

Science.gov (United States)

Wera, E; Mourits, M C M; Siko, M M; Hogeveen, H

2017-12-01

A dynamic deterministic simulation model was developed to determine the cost-effectiveness of different mass dog vaccination strategies against rabies in a dog population representative of a typical village on Flores Island. Cost-effectiveness was measured as public cost per averted dog-rabies case. Simulations started with the introduction of one infectious dog into a susceptible dog population of 399 dogs and subsequently ran for a period of 10 years. The base scenario represented a situation without any control intervention. Evaluated vaccination strategies were as follows: annual vaccination campaigns with short-acting vaccine (immunity duration of 52 weeks) (AV_52), annual campaigns with long-acting vaccine (immunity duration of 156 weeks) (AV_156), biannual campaigns with short-acting vaccine (BV_52) and once-in-2-years campaigns with long-acting vaccine (O2V_156). The effectiveness of the vaccination strategies was simulated for vaccination coverages of 50% and 70%. Cumulative results were reported for the 10-year simulation period. The base scenario resulted in three epidemic waves, with a total of 1274 dog-rabies cases. The public cost of applying AV_52 at a coverage of 50% was US$5342 for a village. This strategy was unfavourable compared to other strategies, as it was costly and ineffective in controlling the epidemic. The costs of AV_52 at a coverage of 70% and AV_156 at a coverage of 70% were, respectively, US$3646 and US$3716, equivalent to US$3.00 and US$3.17 per averted dog-rabies case. Increasing the coverage of AV_156 from 50% to 70% reduced the number of cases by 7% and reduced the cost by US$1452, resulting in a cost-effectiveness ratio of US$1.81 per averted dog-rabies case. This simulation model provides an effective tool to explore the public cost-effectiveness of mass dog vaccination strategies in Flores Island. Insights obtained from the simulation results are useful for animal health authorities to support decision-making in rabies

Patrimony and production in the rural environments of Buenos Aires. San José de Flores, 1800-1875 Patrimonio y producción en los entornos rurales de Buenos Aires. San José de Flores, 1800-1875

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Valeria Ciliberto

2007-01-01

Full Text Available In the present article, I aim to reconstruct the productive characteristics of the crop and grain farms in San Jose de Flores district through the analysis of the information provided by wills and testaments and postmortem inventories. In addition, I approach the study of the investment schemes of the proprietors and/or tenants of these farms in order to outline a socioeconomic and political profile, focusing on those tenants that have obtained the legal property of the lands.En el presente artículo reconstruimos a partir de la información proporcionada por testamentos e inventarios post mortem las características productivas de los establecimientos frutihortícolas y cerealeros del partido de San José de Flores. Abordamos, además, el estudio de los esquemas de inversión de los propietarios y/o arrendatarios de estas unidades esbozando su perfil socioeconómico y político, deteniéndonos especialmente en aquellos que han accedido a la propiedad legal de los terrenos.

Association of COMT (Val158Met) and BDNF (Val66Met) Gene Polymorphisms with Anxiety, ADHD and Tics in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

OpenAIRE

Gadow, Kenneth D.; Roohi, Jasmin; DeVincent, Carla J.; Kirsch, Sarah; Hatchwell, Eli

2009-01-01

The aim of the study is to examine rs4680 (COMT) and rs6265 (BDNF) as genetic markers of anxiety, ADHD, and tics. Parents and teachers completed a DSM-IV-referenced rating scale for a total sample of 67 children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Both COMT (p = 0.06) and BDNF (p = 0.07) genotypes were marginally significant for teacher ratings of social phobia (ηp2 = 0.06). Analyses also indicated associations of BDNF genotype with parent-rated ADHD (p = 0.01, ηp2 = 0.10) and teacher-rated ...

The Court versus Consent Decrees? Schools, "Horne v. Flores" and Judicial Strategies of Institutional Reform Litigation

Science.gov (United States)

Chilton, Bradley; Chwialkowski, Paul

2014-01-01

Is the U.S. Supreme Court inviting litigants to take aim at unraveling injunctions in institutional reform litigation--especially consent decrees in the schools? In "Horne v. Flores" (2009), the court remanded a 17-year-old school reform case to a federal judge with orders to look beyond consent decrees on financing, reducing class…

Polimorfismo Val108/158Met en el gen dopaminérgico catecol-o-metil transferasa (COMT en una población mixta peruana y su importancia para los estudios neuropsiquiátricos

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Doris Huerta

2007-12-01

Full Text Available Introducción: El gen dopaminérgico catecol-o-metil transferasa (COMT, tiene un polimorfismo funcional Val108/158Met que da lugar a variantes de la enzima que cataliza la o-metilación de las catecolaminas activas, participando en el metabolismo de las drogas y neurotransmisores, como la L-dopa, norepinefrina, epinefrina y dopamina y, por consiguiente, puede asociarse a condiciones neuropsiquiátricas. Objetivos: Determinar las frecuencias genotípicas y alélicas del polimorfismo Val108/158Met del gen COMT en sujetos saludables de una población mixta peruana y establecer las implicancias para el estudio genético de enfermedades y otras condiciones neuropsiquiátricas. Diseño: Estudio descriptivo, observacional, transversal. Lugar: Centro de Investigación de Bioquímica y Nutrición ‘Alberto Guzmán Barrón’. Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos. Participantes: Ciento seis personas, hombres y mujeres, clínicamente saludables, sin enfermedades neurológicas ni mentales u otra patología similar, voluntarios con consentimiento informado, sin relación de parentesco, todos residentes en Lima, cuyas edades fluctuaban entre los 18 y 50 años. Intervenciones: Extracción del ADN genómico a partir de células de epitelio bucal, según metodología estándar. Amplificación mediante la PCR con primers específicos y digestión con la enzima de restricción NlaIII. Detección de fragmentos de restricción de longitud polimórfica (RFLP por electroforesis en gel de poliacrilamida al 6%, teñido con nitrato de plata. Principales medidas de resultados: Frecuencias genotípicas y alélicas del gen COMT en población mixta peruana. Resultados: Se encontró las frecuencias genotípicas Met/Met=0,0661, Val/Met=0,5094 y Val/Val=0,4245, siendo la distribución consistente con el equilibrio de Hardy-Weinberg (X² =3,0317, g.l.=1, p >0,05. Las frecuencias alélicas encontradas fueron alelo Val=0,68 y el alelo Met=0

The association between well-being and the COMT gene: Dispositional gratitude and forgiveness as mediators.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Jinting; Gong, Pingyuan; Gao, Xiaoxue; Zhou, Xiaolin

2017-05-01

Previous studies have demonstrated the contributions of genetic variants and positive psychological traits (e.g. gratitude and forgiveness) to well-being. However, little is known about how genes interact with positive traits to affect well-being. To investigate to what extent the COMT Val158Met polymorphism modulates well-being and to what extent dispositional gratitude and forgiveness mediate the individual differences in well-being, 445 participants were recruited and required to complete a battery of questionnaires. We found that individuals with a smaller number of the Met alleles reported greater well-being, less depressive symptoms, and greater tendencies for gratitude and forgiveness. Moreover, dispositional gratitude and forgiveness mediated the genotype effects on well-being and depressive symptoms. These results remained significant after controlling for non-genetic factors (socioeconomic status, religious beliefs, romantic relationship status, parenting style). The sample size limits the generalizability of results. This study demonstrates the contribution of the COMT Val158Met polymorphism to individual differences in well-being and suggests a potential psychobiological pathway from dopaminergic and noradrenergic systems to happiness. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

COMT Val[superscript 108/158] Met Gene Variant, Birth Weight, and Conduct Disorder in Children with ADHD

Science.gov (United States)

Sengupta, Sarojini M.; Grizenko, Natalie; Schmitz, Norbert; Schwartz, George; Amor, Leila Ben; Bellingham, Johanne; de Guzman, Rosherrie; Polotskaia, Anna; Stepanian, Marina Ter; Thakur, Geeta; Joober, Ridha

2006-01-01

Objective: In a recent study, Thapar and colleagues reported that COMT "gene variant and birth weight predict early-onset antisocial behavior in children" with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. We have attempted to replicate these findings in a group of ADHD children using a similar research design. Method: Children (n = 191)…

Uruguay mining inventory. Geochemical prospecting results of the Las Flores aerial map[Study of Uranium geochemical prospection in Uruguay]; Inventario minero del Uruguay. Resultados de la prospeccion geoquimica del fotoplano Las Flores

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zeegers, H; Bonnefoy, D; Garau, M; Spangenberg, J

1981-07-01

In the context of the Uruguay mining inventory, the aerial photography map Las Flores had been covered by a specific strategic which included geochemical prospecting elements. The surface covered has the 550 km2, and 1042 samples which they have been analized in Orleans France. 22 elements by plasma spectroscopy and gold by atomic absorption and for uranium laser spectroscopy . They have been evidenced the following anomalies: gold, Pb, Pb-Ba-Cu, Ba and Ni-Cr.

Brugia timori INFECTION IN LEKEBAI, FLORES: clinical aspects

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Arbain Joesoef

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Pengamatan filariasis pada penduduk Nualolo-Lekebai, Pulau Flores telah dilakukan pada bulan Februari 1975. Kampung Nualolo-Lekebai berpenduduk 680 jiwa, pekerjaan bertani dan menganut agama Nasrani. Kebiasaan hidup di antara penduduk di daerah ini adalah menyerahkan pelaksanaan pekerjaan berat pada kaum wanita, baik di rumah ataupun di kebun. Dalam perjalanan jauh baik ke kebun atau ke pasar, kaum wanitanya selalu berjalan kaki sedangkan kaum prianya menunggang kuda. Sejumlah 80% dari penduduk kampung ini telah diperiksa terhadap infeksi parasit filaria dan terhadap gejala filariasis. Dari hasil yang ditemukan ternyata penduduk kampung ini menderita infeksi Brugia timori dengan angka derajat infeksi sebesar 7.0% dan angka derajat elephantiasis sebesar 10.3%. Hal yang menarik yang ditemukan dalam pengamatan ini adalah tingginya angka derajat elephantiasis pada kaum wanita dibandingkan dengan pada kaum pria. Fenomena ini mungkin disebabkan oleh kebiasaan hidup kaum wanita di daerah ini sehari-hari yang bekerja lebih berat dan berjalan kaki lebih sering dan lebih jauh dibandingkan kaum prianya.

Modification of depression by COMT val158met polymorphism in children exposed to early severe psychosocial deprivation

Science.gov (United States)

Drury, Stacy S; Theall, Katherine P; Smyke, Anna T; Keats, Bronya JB; Egger, Helen L; Nelson, Charles A; Fox, Nathan A; Marshall, Peter J; Zeanah, Charles H

2014-01-01

Objective To examine the impact of the Catechol-O-Methyltransferase (COMT) val158met allele on depressive symptoms in young children exposed to early severe social deprivation as a result of being raised in institutions. Methods 136 children from the Bucharest Early Intervention Project (BEIP) were randomized before 31 months of age to either care as usual (CAU) in institutions or placement in newly created foster care (FCG). At 54 months of age, a psychiatric assessment using the Preschool Age Psychiatric Assessment (PAPA) was completed. DNA was collected and genotyped for the COMT val158met polymorphism. Multivariate analysis examined the relationship between COMT alleles and depressive symptoms. Results Mean level of depressive symptoms was lower among participants with the met allele compared to those with two copies of the val allele (p <0.05). Controlling for group and gender, the rate of depressive symptoms was significantly lower among participants with the met/met or the met/val genotype (adjusted relative risk (aRR) = 0.67, 95% CI = 0.45, 0.99) compared to participants with the val/val genotype, indicating an intermediate impact for heterozygotes consistent with the biological impact of this polymorphism. The impact of genotype within groups differed significantly. There was a significant protective effect of the met allele on depressive symptoms within the CAU group, however there was no relationship seen within the FCG group. Conclusions This is the first study, to our knowledge, to find evidence of a gene × environment interaction in the setting of early social deprivation. These results support the hypothesis that individual genetic differences may explain some of the variability in recovery amongst children exposed to early severe social deprivation. PMID:20403637

DIVERSIDAD DE LEVADURAS ASOCIADAS A INFLORESCENCIAS DE MANGO Y FLORES DE 'LULO ARBÓREO' DIVERSIDADE DE LEVEDURAS ASSOCIADAS A INFLORESCÊNCIAS DE MANGA E FLORES DE 'LULO ARBÓREO' YEAST DIVERSITY ASSOCIATED TO INFLORESCENCES OF MANGO AND FLOWERS OF 'LULO ARBOREO'

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JACKELINE GAVIRIA V.

2012-12-01

Full Text Available En Colombia, el conocimiento de levaduras ha sido limitado a especies de interés clínico. El micro-hábitat aéreo de las flores, presenta un área de gran interés para el aislamiento de levaduras con importancia en el campo industrial, por su potencial uso como controlador biológico. El objetivo de este trabajo es analizar la diversidad de levaduras asociadas a inflorescencia de Mango (Mangífera índica y flores de Lulo arbóreo (Solanum wrightii. Para dicha finalidad se trabajó con 96 aislados, a los cuales se les realizó caracterización fenotípica y posteriores pruebas de MSP-PCR Fingerprinting. Estas pruebas fueron complementadas con amplificación parcial y secuenciación del segmento 26S del ADNr para identificación a nivel de especie. El patrón de diversidad encontrado refleja una dominancia de la especie Candida leandrae en flores de lulo arbóreo, también se presentaron especies como Cryptococcus laurentii, Candida parazyma, Aeurobasidium pullulans y Pseudozyma tsukubaensis. Las inflorescencias de mango presentaron especies como Sydowia eucalypti, Cryptococcus flavescens, C. laurentii, C. nemorosus, C. heveanensis, Pichia kluyveri, Pseudozyma tsukubaensis y Candida asparagi. Se logró identificar hasta el nivel taxonómico de especie el total de los aislados encontrados, además se hallaron especies con potencial uso biotecnológico.Na Colômbia, o conhecimento das leveduras é limitado a espécies de interesse clinico. O micro-habitat aéreo das flores apresenta um interessante campo para o isolamento de leveduras com importância na indústria pelo seu potencial uso em controle biológico. O objetivo deste trabalho foi analisar a diversidade de leveduras associadas a inflorescências de Manga (Mangifera indica e flores de 'lulo' (Solanum wrightii. Para isso, foram analisados 96 isolados, que foram caracterizados com testes fenotípicos e MSP-PCR Fingerprinting complementadas com sequenciamento parcial da região 26S do r

Abelhas (Hymenoptera: Apoidea visitantes das flores do feijão guandu no Recôncavo Baiano, Brasil Bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea on pigeonpea flowers in 'Recôncavo Baiano' region, Brazil

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Ruberval Leone Azevedo

2007-10-01

Full Text Available O feijão guandu Cajanus cajan L. é uma cultura comum, encontrada com freqüência em todo o Brasil, principalmente em pequenas propriedades rurais. Este trabalho teve por objetivo obter informações sobre a diversidade de abelhas visitantes das flores do feijão guandu, gerando informações sobre a estrutura da comunidade de abelhas e a importância desta leguminosa como fonte de recursos tróficos. As coletas foram feitas semanalmente, entre maio e outubro de 2005, na área experimental de Entomologia do Centro de Ciências Agrárias da UFBA, localizada no município de Cruz das Almas, Bahia, no intervalo entre as 6:00 e as 18:00 horas. Um total de 4.676 indivíduos foi coletado visitando as flores do feijão guandu. A família Apidae foi representada por 99,3% dos indivíduos e 76,2% das espécies amostradas. Os gêneros Xylocopa e Trigona foram os que apresentaram maior riqueza, com quatro e três espécies, respectivamente. Trigona spinipes foi a espécie mais abundante, com freqüência relativa igual a 83,1%, seguida de Nannotrigona testaceicornis (5,1%.Pigeonpea, Cajanus cajan L. is a common crop, frequently found throughout Brazil, mainly in small rural properties. This research was aimed at geting information on the diversity of visiting bees to flowers of pigeonpea, generating information on the structure of the bee community and the importance of this Leguminosae as source of food resources. Collections had been made weekly, between May and October 2005 in the Experimental area of the Center of Agrarian Sciences and Environmental of the UFBA, located in the Cruz das Almas, Bahia, in the interval between 6:00 AM and 06:00 PM. A total of 4.676 individuals was collected visiting the pigeonpea flowers. The Apidae family was represented by 99.25% of individuals and 76.19% of total species. The genera Xylocopa and Trigona were the ones that showed greater richness, with four and three species, respectively. Trigona spinipes was the most

Uso de grãos de pólen na identificação de plantas e para examinar a participação de nicho alimentar entre beija-flores no Sul do Brasil

OpenAIRE

Chupil, Henrique

2013-01-01

Resumo: A teoria sugere que espécies que ocupam o mesmo nicho não devem ser simpátricas devido a exclusão competitiva. Como consequência disso, para que espécies potencialmente competidoras coexistam e partilhem o recurso disponível, é necessário que separem-se temporalmente ou espacialmente. Este processo propõe explicar vários componentes da estrutura das assembleias de beija-flores, devido à importância e à especialização em um recurso (néctar). Para testarmos se a sobreposição de nicho al...

Modification of Depression by COMT val[superscript 158]Met Polymorphism in Children Exposed to Early Severe Psychosocial Deprivation

Science.gov (United States)

Drury, Stacy S.; Theall, Katherine P.; Smyke, Anna T.; Keats, Bronya J. B.; Egger, Helen L.; Nelson, Charles A.; Fox, Nathan A.; Marshall, Peter J.; Zeanah, Charles H.

2010-01-01

Objective: To examine the impact of the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) val[superscript 158]met allele on depressive symptoms in young children exposed to early severe social deprivation as a result of being raised in institutions. Methods: One hundred thirty six children from the Bucharest Early Intervention Project (BEIP) were randomized…

Influência dos Fatores Ambientais e da Quantidade de Néctar na Atividade de Forrageio de Abelhas em Flores de Adenocalymma bracteatum (Cham.) DC. (Bignoniaceae)

OpenAIRE

Keila Silva; João Cloves Dutra; Mateus Nucci; Leandro Polatto

2013-01-01

Resumo. Este trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar a influência diária dos fatores ambientais e da quantidade de néctar na frequência de forrageio de abelhas em flores de Adenocalymma bracteatum (Cham.) DC. Para isso, foi demarcada uma área focal e registrada a atividade de forrageio das abelhas em um intervalo de 30 minutos para cada hora, das 6:00 às 17:30 h, nas flores da referida espécie vegetal durante quatro dias não consecutivos. Também foi avaliada a produção acumulativa de néctar e o s...

Mary as Mother in the Flores de Mayo in Poblacion, Oslob

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Patricia Marion Y. Lopez

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The paper reflects on the meanings of the Flores de Mayo ritual as performed in a town on the southeastern coast of Cebu through the examination of Mary as a “semantically open” symbol. The essay illustrates how ideas about Mary are constructed through the discourse of the Church and are in turn, reinforced through a Church-instituted and regulated ritual. An analysis of selected elements of the ritual however, reveals that the symbol of Mary has the potential to hold “other” kinds of meanings that slip in between “official” and “unofficial” discourses, highlighting how Mary continues to be a negotiated field between church authorities and the popular faithful.

CHAQUIÑÁN DE LLUGSHIRUM (FLORES: REGISTRO DE CAMINOS PEDESTRES EN TERRITORIO PURUHÁ (Chaquiñan de Llugshirum, Flores: A Record of Pedestrian Paths in Puruha Territory

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Pedro A. Carretero Poblete

2018-03-01

Full Text Available En el año 2016 realizamos el registro de los chaquiñanes o caminos secundarios prehispánicos de la comunidad de Llugshirum en Flores (Riobamba, Ecuador, así como la prospección arqueológica visual superficial del área aledaña a los mismos. El objetivo del trabajo era registrar los citados chaquiñanes antes de que fueran destruidos por las comunidades en busca de la explotación antrópica intensiva de las tierras de cultivo y determinar si existían materiales arqueológicos asociados en superficie que pudieran señalarnos la presencia puruhá antes de la llegada de los colonizadores. Se recuperaron fragmentos de cerámica puruhá, panzaleo, republicana y contemporánea, que mostraban el uso de los citados caminos al menos durante los últimos mil años. Hoy, una gran parte de los tramos registrados ha sido destruida o modificada de manera irreversible. ENGLISH: In 2016 we registered the chaquiñanes, or secondary pre-Hispanic roads from the community of Llugshirum, in Flores (Riobamba, Ecuador. We also conducted superficial visual archaeological prospecting of the surrounding area. The objective of the work was to record the chaquiñanes before they were destroyed by communities in search of intensive exploitation of farmlands, and to determine if there were associated archaeological materials on the surface that could indicate the Puruha presence before the arrival of colonizers. Fragments of Puruha, Panzaleo, Republican, and Contemporary pottery were recovered, which showed the use of the pre-Hispanic roads over the course of the last thousand years (at minimum. Today, a large part of the registered sections has been irreversibly destroyed or modified.

Cognitive control and the COMT Val158Met polymorphism: genetic modulation of videogame training and transfer to task-switching efficiency

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Colzato, L.S.; van den Wildenberg, W.P.M.; Hommel, B.

2014-01-01

The study investigated whether successful transfer of game-based cognitive improvements to untrained tasks might be modulated by preexisting neuro-developmental factors, such as genetic variability related to the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT)—an enzyme responsible for the degradation of

Variação no número de glândulas e produção de óleo em flores de Stigmaphyllon paralias A. Juss. (Malpighiaceae Variation in the number of glands and oil production in flowers of Stigmaphyllon paralias A. Juss. (Malpighiaceae

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Paula Dib de Carvalho

2005-06-01

Full Text Available Foi estudada uma população de Stigmaphyllon paralias (Malpighiaceae em Feira de Santana, Bahia, Brasil, visando analisar a variação do número de glândulas e sua produção de óleo nas flores. Dos indivíduos analisados, 76% não variaram o número de glândulas entre suas flores, ocorrendo 41% de indivíduos com flores que possuem 10 glândulas, 31% com oito glândulas e 4% com nove glândulas. Nas flores dos morfos que apresentam oito e nove glândulas, as glândulas ausentes são sempre as da sépala inferior. Centris leprieuri e Epicharis sp. (Apidae: Centridini foram as únicas espécies que visitaram S. paralias, coletando óleo como recompensa. A sépala inferior localiza-se sob o abdome do polinizador quando pousado na flor, tornando-se inacessível à coleta de óleo. Sugerimos que a incapacidade de utilização de algumas glândulas pelos polinizadores possa ter possibilitado o aparecimento de morfos nas populações que não apresentam estas glândulas como caráter adaptativo por gerar economia de recursos na produção de recompensa não utilizada pelo polinizador. Todas as glândulas de todos os morfos são funcionais. As flores dos dois morfos principais com oito e 10 glândulas, produzem a mesma quantidade total de óleo. As glândulas das flores com oito glândulas aumentam a produção em cerca de 20%, compensando a produção total de óleo por flor.A population of Stigmaphyllon paralias (Malpighiaceae was studied in Feira de Santana, Bahia, Brazil. Variation of the number of oil glands and oil production in the flowers were analized. 76% of the individuals did not present variation on the number of glands among their flowers, 41% presented flowers with 10 glands, 31% with eight glands and 4% with nine glands. In the flowers of the morphs with eight or nine glands, the absent glands were always associated to the inferior sepal. Only Centris leprieuri and Epicharis sp. (Apidae: Centridini visited flowers of S. paralias

Cuphea melvilla Lindlay (Lythraceae: uma espécie do Cerrado polinizada por beija-flores Cuphea melvilla Lindlay (Lythraceae: a Cerrado species pollinated by hummingbirds

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Ana Flávia de Oliveira Melazzo

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Cuphea melvilla é uma espécie peculiar dentro de um gênero majoritariamente melitófilo. Dois agrupamentos de indivíduos, em bordas das matas de galeria do Córrego do Panga, Uberlândia, MG, foram estudados com o objetivo de investigar o sistema de polinização e sistema de reprodução da espécie na região. O estudo foi realizado de janeiro a junho de 1999. Cuphea melvilla é uma espécie arbustiva com características morfológicas e eventos florais que confirmam sua adaptação à polinização por beija-flores. A floração foi longa, com início em Janeiro, em plena estação chuvosa, e término em Julho, no início da seca. O tubo floral formado pelo hipanto é calcarado na base, onde se acumula o néctar produzido por nectário localizado na base do ovário. As flores são marcadamente protândricas, mas flores em diferentes fases podem ser encontradas nos racemos. Os dados mostraram que a espécie é autocompatível e não apomítica, mas devido à dicogamia marcada, necessita polinização ativa para formar frutos. Phaethornis pretrei, Amazilia fimbriata, Thalurania furcata, Eupetomena macroura e Chlorostilbon lucidus (fêmea foram as espécies de beija-flores observadas visitando e polinizando as flores de C. melvilla. Amazilia fimbriata e C. lucidus apresentaram ocasionalmente comportamento territorial, P. pretrei apresentou forrageamento em linhas de captura, e T. furcata e E. macroura apresentaram forrageamento do tipo oportunístico, visitando as populações estudadas esporadicamente. Amazilia fimbriata, C. lucidus e P. pretrei foram considerados os polinizadores mais importantes, dada a sua constância. As características morfológicas das flores de Cuphea melvilla relacionadas a adaptações aos beija-flores parecem ser derivadas no gênero, sendo que a polinização por beija-flores nas distintas seções indica adaptação convergente a este modo de polinização.Cuphea melvilla is a peculiar species of a mostly

Catechol-O-Methyltransferase (COMT) Gene (Val158Met) and Brain-Derived Neurotropic Factor (BDNF) (Val66Met) Genes Polymorphism in Schizophrenia: A Case-Control Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Saravani, Ramin; Galavi, Hamid Reza; Lotfian Sargazi, Marzieh

2017-10-01

Objective: Several studies have shown that some polymorphisms of genes encoding catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT), the key enzyme in degrading dopamine, and norepinephrine and the human brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF), a nerve growth factor, are strong candidates for risk of schizophrenia (SCZ). In the present study, we aimed at examining the effects of COMT Val158Met (G>A) and BDNF Val66Met (G>A) polymorphisms on SCZ risk in a sample of Iranian population. Method: This case- control study included 92 SCZ patients and 92 healthy controls (HCs). Genotyping of both variants (COMT Val158Met (G>A) and BDNF Val66Met (G>A)) were conducted using Amplification Refractory Mutation System-Polymerase Chain Reaction (ARMS-PCR). Results: The findings revealed that the COMT Val158Met (G>A) polymorphism was not associated with the risk/protective of SCZ in all models (OR=0.630, 95%CI=0.299-1.326, P=0.224, GA vs. GG, OR=1.416, 95%CI=0.719-2.793, P=0.314, AA vs. GG, OR=1.00, 95%CI=0.56-1.79, P=1.00 GA+AA vs. GG, OR=1.667, 95%CI=0.885-3.125, P=0.11, AA vs. GG+GA, OR=1.247, 95%CI=0.825-1.885, P=0.343, A vs. G,). However, BDNF Val66Met (G>A) variant increased the risk of SCZ (OR = 2.008 95%CI = 1.008-4.00, P = 0.047, GA vs. GG, OR = 3.876 95%CI = 1.001-14.925, P = 0.049. AA vs. GG, OR = 2.272. 95%CI = 1.204-4.347, P = 0.011, GA+AA vs. GG, OR = 2.22 95%CI = 1.29-3.82. P = 0.005, A vs. G). Conclusion: The results did not support an association between COMT Val158Met (G>A) variant and risk/protective of SCZ. Moreover, it was found that BDNF Val66Met (G>A) polymorphism may increase the risk of SCZ development. Further studies and different ethnicities are recommended to confirm the findings.

Implicações do agrupamento de inflorescências para a taxa de visitação por beija-flores e a produção de frutos de Heliconia bihai (L. L. (Heliconiaceae

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Caio César Corrêa Missagia

2015-03-01

Full Text Available http://dx.doi.org/10.5007/2175-7925.2015v28n3p181 A distribuição espacial de plantas pode influenciar a atividade de visitantes florais. O agrupamento de flores em manchas pode ser mais atrativo aos visitantes e supostamente influenciar a produção de frutos. Este estudo teve por objetivo testar a hipótese de que em Heliconia bihai (L. L. (Heliconiaceae o tamanho do agrupamento de inflorescências influencia positivamente a taxa de visitação e a produção de frutos da espécie. O estudo foi realizado em trecho de Mata Atlântica, no município do Rio de Janeiro. Foram registradas cinco espécies de beija-flores visitantes florais. A taxa de visitação média (± desvio padrão dos beija-flores foi de 2 (± 0,56 visitas por hora por agrupamento. A quantidade de inflorescências por agrupamento influenciou positivamente a taxa de visitação dos beija-flores, mas influenciou negativamente a quantidade de frutos produzidos por inflorescência. De acordo com os resultados obtidos, sugerimos que a densidade de inflorescências em um agrupamento possa influenciar negativamente a quantidade de flores visitadas por cada inflorescência, em função de um aumento na quantidade de inflorescências incluídas nas rotas de forrageamento.

The catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) Val158Met genotype modulates working memory-related dorsolateral prefrontal response and performance in bipolar disorder

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Miskowiak, K. W.; Kjærstad, H. L.; Støttrup, M. M.

2017-01-01

prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) (P=.016). Exploratory whole-brain analysis revealed a bilateral decrease in working memory-related dlPFC activity in the ValVal group vs the ValMet group which was not associated with differences in working memory performance during fMRI. Outside the MRI scanner, Val carriers...... performed worse in the CANTAB Spatial Working Memory task than Met homozygotes (P≤.006), with deficits being most pronounced in Val homozygotes. CONCLUSIONS: The association between Val allelic load, dlPFC activity and WM impairment points to a putative role of aberrant PFC dopamine tonus in the cognitive......-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene is associated with reduced prefrontal cortex dopamine and exaggerated working memory-related prefrontal activity. This functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study investigated for the first time whether the COMT Val158Met genotype modulates prefrontal activity during spatial working...

Barreiras ao desempenho das propriedades produtoras de flores de corte: uma análise nos municípios e Barbacena e Alfredo Vasconcelos – Minas Gerais

OpenAIRE

Castro, Francylara Miranda

2014-01-01

Barbacena e Alfredo Vasconcelos são dois municípios da região Central de Minas Gerais tradicionais na produção de flores no estado. Apesar da tradição em mais de meio século, nos últimos anos, nota-se a presença de barreiras ao desempenho das propriedades produtoras. Considerando-se o crescimento da demanda interna e a possibilidade dos municípios voltarem a exportar flores e corte, na presente pesquisa buscou-se identificar quais são essas barreiras. Norteados pela Visão Baseada em Recursos,...

SUPPRESSING DIFFRACTION EFFECT USING KIRCHHOFF PRE-STACK TIME MIGRATION ON 2D SEISMIC MULTICHANNEL DATA AT FLORES SEA

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Tumpal Benhard Nainggolan

2017-07-01

Full Text Available 2D seismic multichannel survey has been carried out by Marine Geological Institute of Indonesia to interpret imaging and sub-surface geological information in the Flores Sea. Seismic data processing starts from pre-processing until migration stage. Migration is an important stage in the seismic processing, because at this stage the effects of diffraction and oblique reflectors caused by fault, salt domes, wedging, etc. will be repositioned to the actual points. One example of diffraction effects can be seen on the seismic section of a conventional stacking that have not migrated, i.e. resulting in an apparent bowtie reflector. Geologists find difficulties in interpreting geological information from diffracted seismic section, so it needs further processing to overcome the effects. By using Kirchhoff method and carried out during the Pre-Stack Time Migration (PSTM, this method turns out to produce migrated seismic section which is much better than conventional stacked one. This is due to the Kirchhoff method suppressed the identified diffraction effects, so that the geologist can interpret geological structure of the resulting migrated seismic section of the Flores Sea.

The COMT Val/Met polymorphism is associated with reading related skills and consistent patterns of functional neural activation

Science.gov (United States)

Landi, Nicole; Frost, Stephen J.; Mencl, W. Einar; Preston, Jonathan L.; Jacobsen, Leslie K.; Lee, Maria; Yrigollen, Carolyn; Pugh, Kenneth R.; Grigorenko, Elena L.

2013-01-01

In both children and adults there is large variability in reading skill, with approximately 5–10% of individuals characterized as having reading disability; these individuals struggle to learn to read despite adequate intelligence and opportunity. Although it is well established that a substantial portion of this variability is attributed to the genetic differences between individuals, specifics of the connections between reading and the genome are not understood. This article presents data that suggest that variation in the COMT gene, which has previously been associated with variation in higher-order cognition, is associated with reading and reading-related skills, both at the level of brain and behavior. In particular, we found that the COMT Val/Met polymorphism at rs4680, which results in the substitution of the ancestral Valine (Val) by Methionine (Met), was associated with better performance on a number of critical reading measures and with patterns of functional neural activation that have been linked to better readers. We argue that this polymorphism, known for its broad effects on cognition, may modulate (likely through frontal lobe function) reading skill. PMID:23278923

Effets de certaines pratiques oenologiques telles que : pied de cuve, sulfitage et régulation du pH sur la flore de fermentation dans les moûts de Xérès

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Manuel José Valcárcel Muñoz

1990-06-01

Les résultats mettent en évidence l'efficacité de l'usage correct du pied de cuve contenant des levures sélectionnées, l'influence relativement faible de la régulation du pH sur la flore blastomicète, et enfin la sélection correcte de la flore par un sulfitage adéquat.

Condiciones de trabajo y actividades extraocupacionales de población trabajadora diagnosticada con síndrome del túnel del carpo en empresas de cultivo de flores, Cundinamarca, 2011-2012

OpenAIRE

Hernández Duarte, Wilder Alfonso

2012-01-01

El estudio, de tipo descriptivo y de corte transversal, analiza condiciones de trabajo y actividades extraocupacionales de población laboral de cultivos de flores del departamento de Cundinamarca, Colombia con un diagnóstico de Síndrome del Túnel del Carpo. Se diseñó una encuesta que fue aplicada directamente por el investigador a una población muestral por conveniencia y a disponibilidad de 3 empresas de cultivo de flores de Cundinamarca, afiliadas a ASOCOLFLORES, durante los periodos 2011-I...

White matter alterations related to attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and COMT val158met polymorphism: children with valine homozygote attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder have altered white matter connectivity in the right cingulum (cingulate gyrus

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Kabukcu Basay B

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Burge Kabukcu Basay,1 Ahmet Buber,1 Omer Basay,1 Huseyin Alacam,2 Onder Ozturk,1 Serkan Suren,3 Ozlem Izci Ay,4 Cengizhan Acikel,5 Kadir Agladioglu,6 Mehmet Emin Erdal,4 Eyup Sabri Ercan,7 Hasan Herken21Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, Pamukkale University Medical Faculty, Denizli, 2Psychiatry Department, Pamukkale University Medical Faculty, Denizli, 3Medical Park Samsun Hospital, Samsun, 4Medical Biology and Genetics Department, Mersin University Medical Faculty, Mersin, 5Biostatistics Department, GATA (GMMA, Ankara, 6Radiology Department, Pamukkale University Medical Faculty, Denizli, 7Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, Ege University Medical Faculty, Izmir, TurkeyIntroduction: In this article, the COMT gene val158met polymorphism and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD-related differences in diffusion-tensor-imaging-measured white matter (WM structure in children with ADHD and controls were investigated.Patients and methods: A total of 71 children diagnosed with ADHD and 24 controls aged 8–15 years were recruited. Using diffusion tensor imaging, COMT polymorphism and ADHD-related WM alterations were investigated, and any interaction effect between the COMT polymorphism and ADHD was also examined. The effects of age, sex, and estimated total IQ were controlled by multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA.Results: First, an interaction between the COMT val158met polymorphism and ADHD in the right (R cingulum (cingulate gyrus (CGC was found. According to this, valine (val homozygote ADHD-diagnosed children had significantly lower fractional anisotropy (FA and higher radial diffusivity (RD in the R-CGC than ADHD-diagnosed methionine (met carriers, and val homozygote controls had higher FA and lower RD in the R-CGC than val homozygote ADHD patients. Second, met carriers had higher FA and axial diffusivity in the left (L-uncinate fasciculus and lower RD in the L-posterior corona radiata and L

ZNF804a regulates expression of the schizophrenia-associated genes PRSS16, COMT, PDE4B, and DRD2.

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Matthew J Girgenti

Full Text Available ZNF804a was identified by a genome-wide association study (GWAS in which a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP rs1344706 in ZNF804a reached genome-wide statistical significance for association with a combined diagnosis of schizophrenia (SZ and bipolar disorder. Although the molecular function of ZNF804a is unknown, the amino acid sequence is predicted to contain a C2H2-type zinc-finger domain and suggests ZNF804a plays a role in DNA binding and transcription. Here, we confirm that ZNF804a directly contributes to transcriptional control by regulating the expression of several SZ associated genes and directly interacts with chromatin proximal to the promoter regions of PRSS16 and COMT, the two genes we find upregulated by ZNF804a. Using immunochemistry we establish that ZNF804a is localized to the nucleus of rat neural progenitor cells in culture and in vivo. We demonstrate that expression of ZNF804a results in a significant increase in transcript levels of PRSS16 and COMT, relative to GFP transfected controls, and a statistically significant decrease in transcript levels of PDE4B and DRD2. Furthermore, we show using chromatin immunoprecipitation assays (ChIP that both epitope-tagged and endogenous ZNF804a directly interacts with the promoter regions of PRSS16 and COMT, suggesting a direct upregulation of transcription by ZNF804a on the expression of these genes. These results are the first to confirm that ZNF804a regulates transcription levels of four SZ associated genes, and binds to chromatin proximal to promoters of two SZ genes. These results suggest a model where ZNF804a may modulate a transcriptional network of SZ associated genes.

The Hundred-Year Emotion War: Are Emotions Natural Kinds or Psychological Constructions? Comment on Lench, Flores, and Bench (2011)

Science.gov (United States)

Lindquist, Kristen A.; Siegel, Erika H.; Quigley, Karen S.; Barrett, Lisa Feldman

2013-01-01

For the last century, there has been a continuing debate about the nature of emotion. In the most recent offering in this scientific dialogue, Lench, Flores, and Bench (2011) reported a meta-analysis of emotion induction research and claimed support for the natural kind hypothesis that discrete emotions (e.g., happiness, sadness, anger, and…

Danko Brncic and the flower-flies Danko Brncic y las moscas de las flores

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HAMPTON L. CARSON

2001-03-01

Full Text Available This is a personal essay commemorating Brncic as a keen naturalist/evolutionist in the best Darwinian sense. His innate curiosity, so important in a scientist, led him to the discovery of cenain unique drosophilid flies in Chile. The life cycle of one species of flower-fly (Drosophila flavopilosa is of special interest. Females oviposit in fresh flowers of a solanaceous plant that is widespread in Chilean valleys. Twenty years of combined ecological and genetic work, carried out on this species, pioneers the use of a highly specialized Drosophila species in the study of population genetics and evolution. Many eco-genetic features are revealed that are important supplements to observations made on the widely-studied generalist species of the genusEs este un ensayo de naturaleza personal, celebrando a Danko Brncic como un natualista y evolucionista de la mejor calidad en la verdadera tradición darwiniana. Su curiosidad inata tan importante para el científico, lo Ilevó a descubrir algunos drosofilideos chilenos con propiedades únicas. Especial interés tiene el ciclo vital de Drosophila flavopilosa, especie adaptada a flores: la hembra deposita sus huevos en las flores de una solanacea ampliamente distribuida en los valles de Chile. Veinte años de investigación geno-ecológica sobre esta especie resultaron en datos pioneros, con el uso de especies altamente especializadas para aclarar cuestiones generales de genética y evolución de poblaciones. Muchos hechos importantes fueron revelados, distintos de aquellos observados en las especies generalistas y ampliamente distribuidas

Comparative evaluation of two radioenzymatic procedures designed to determine noradrenaline in the plasma (COMT assay and PNMT assay)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barth, A.

1984-01-01

A comparative evaluation of two radioenzymatic procedures to determine the concentration of noradrenaline in the plasma - with linearity, sensitivity, specifity and accuracy serving as test criteria - led to the following results: In view of a probability of error in the order of 2% both methods were judged to show a satisfactory sensitivity. The specific of the COMT assay, by contrast with that of the PNMT assay, was found to be wanting, as the noradrenaline measurements in the presence of other biogenic amines were biassed in such a way that the values determined were higher than the actual concentrations. During antihypertensive treatment even minimal changes in the noradrenaline concentration can be ascertained on a quantitative basis. If suitable hardware is available, the COMT assay permits up to 25 single determinations to be carried out per day, while the number of double determinations is restricted to 7 per day. One advantage, however, lies in the fact that several catecholamines in the plasma can be detected simultaneously, if required. In cases where the noradrenaline concentration alone is to be determined for clinical purposes, preference should be given to the PNMT assay, as both tests showed equal linearity and sensitivity. (TRV) [de

The COMT Val/Met polymorphism is associated with reading-related skills and consistent patterns of functional neural activation.

Science.gov (United States)

Landi, Nicole; Frost, Stephen J; Mencl, W Einar; Preston, Jonathan L; Jacobsen, Leslie K; Lee, Maria; Yrigollen, Carolyn; Pugh, Kenneth R; Grigorenko, Elena L

2013-01-01

In both children and adults there is large variability in reading skill, with approximately 5-10% of individuals characterized as having reading disability; these individuals struggle to learn to read despite adequate intelligence and opportunity. Although it is well established that a substantial portion of this variability is attributed to the genetic differences between individuals, specifics of the connections between reading and the genome are not understood. This article presents data that suggest that variation in the COMT gene, which has previously been associated with variation in higher-order cognition, is associated with reading and reading-related skills, at the level of both brain and behavior. In particular, we found that the COMT Val/Met polymorphism at rs4680, which results in the substitution of the ancestral Valine (Val) by Methionine (Met), was associated with better performance on a number of critical reading measures and with patterns of functional neural activation that have been linked to better readers. We argue that this polymorphism, known for its broad effects on cognition, may modulate (likely through frontal lobe function) reading skill. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Genetic and vascular modifiers of age-sensitive cognitive skills: effects of COMT, BDNF, ApoE, and hypertension.

Science.gov (United States)

Raz, Naftali; Rodrigue, Karen M; Kennedy, Kristen M; Land, Susan

2009-01-01

Several single nucleotide polymorphisms have been linked to neural and cognitive variation in healthy adults. We examined contribution of three polymorphisms frequently associated with individual differences in cognition (Catechol-O-Methyl-Transferase Val158Met, Brain-Derived-Neurotrophic-Factor Val66Met, and Apolipoprotein E epsilon4) and a vascular risk factor (hypertension) in a sample of 189 volunteers (age 18-82). Genotypes were determined from buccal culture samples, and cognitive performance was assessed in 4 age-sensitive domains?fluid intelligence, executive function (inhibition), associative memory, and processing speed. We found that younger age and COMT Met/Met genotype, associated with low COMT activity and higher prefrontal dopamine content, were independently linked to better performance in most of the tested domains. Homozygotes for Val allele of BDNF polymorphism exhibited better associative memory and faster speed of processing than the Met allele carriers, with greater effect for women and persons with hypertension. Carriers of ApoE epsilon4 allele evidenced steeper age-related increase in costs of Stroop color interference, but showed no negative effects on memory. The findings indicate that age-related cognitive performance is differentially affected by distinct genetic factors and their interactions with vascular health status. (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved.

Diversidade de abelhas visitantes das flores de Citrus em pomares de laranjeira e tangerineira Diversity of flowers visiting bees of Citrus in salinas, state of minas gerais

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Eduardo Tigre do Nascimento

2011-03-01

Full Text Available A presença de abelhas em culturas de valor comercial, no período de florescimento, é importante não apenas para garantir a polinização cruzada, quando indispensável, mas também para incrementar a produção de frutos e sementes. Nessa perspectiva, o presente trabalho teve a finalidade de identificar as abelhas visitantes das flores em pomar de laranjeira (Citrus sinensis e tangerineira (Citrus reticulata em Salinas - MG. O trabalho foi conduzido na fazenda experimental Santa Isabel, da Escola Agrotécnica Federal de Salinas - MG, em pomares de laranjeira com as variedades, pera, baía e baianinha, e de tangerineira, variedade poncã. As coletas das abelhas visitantes das culturas da laranjeira e tangerineira foram feitas nas floradas principais, entre os meses de agosto e outubro. Foram coletadas as abelhas que visitaram as flores nos horários entre 06 h e 18 h, totalizando 52 horas na laranjeira e 50 horas na tangerineira. No pomar de laranjeira, foram coletados 5.045 espécimes com riqueza de 12 espécies, e na tangerineira, 1.428 espécimes com 20 espécies. As espécies de abelhas de maior predominância e dominância em todos os horários amostrados foram Apis mellifera e Trigona spinipes na cultura da laranjeira e A. mellifera, T. spinipes e Tetragonisca angustula na cultura da tangerineira.The presence of bees on cultures with commercial value during flowering is important to ensure the cross-pollination, when necessary, but also to increase the production of fruits and seeds. This work aimed to identify flowers' visiting bees on orange and tangerine orchards in Salinas - MG. The work was leaded on Santa Isabel experimental farm of the Federal Agro-technical School of Salinas - MG, on orange orchards (Citrus sinensis with pear, bahia and baianinha varieties in the spacing of 5,0 x 6,0, and on tangerine orchards (C. reticulate using poncã variety in the spacing of 5,0 x 5,0. The sampling of visiting bees from orange and tangerine

Genetic Influences of OPRM1, OPRD1 and COMT on Morphine Analgesia in a Multi-Modal, Multi-Tissue Human Experimental Pain Model

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Lecia Møller; Christrup, Lona Louring; Sato, Hiroe

2017-01-01

(mechanical, electrical and thermal) and cold pressor test (immersion of the hand into ice water). Sixteen genetic polymorphisms of four candidate genes were explored. Variability in morphine analgesia to contact heat stimulation was associated with COMT rs4680 (P=0.04), and rectal thermal stimulation...

The Liang Bua faunal remains: a 95k.yr. sequence from Flores, East Indonesia.

Science.gov (United States)

van den Bergh, G D; Meijer, H J M; Due Awe, Rokhus; Morwood, M J; Szabó, K; van den Hoek Ostende, L W; Sutikna, T; Saptomo, E W; Piper, P J; Dobney, K M

2009-11-01

Excavations at Liang Bua, a limestone cave on the island of Flores, East Indonesia, have yielded a well-dated archaeological and faunal sequence spanning the last 95k.yr., major climatic fluctuations, and two human species -H. floresiensis from 95 to 17k.yr.(1), and modern humans from 11k.yr. to the present. The faunal assemblage comprises well-preserved mammal, bird, reptile and mollusc remains, including examples of island gigantism in small mammals and the dwarfing of large taxa. Together with evidence from Early-Middle Pleistocene sites in the Soa Basin, it confirms the long-term isolation, impoverishment, and phylogenetic continuity of the Flores faunal community. The accumulation of Stegodon and Komodo dragon remains at the site in the Pleistocene is attributed to Homo floresiensis, while predatory birds, including an extinct species of owl, were largely responsible for the accumulation of the small vertebrates. The disappearance from the sequence of the two large-bodied, endemic mammals, Stegodon florensis insularis and Homo floresiensis, was associated with a volcanic eruption at 17 ka and precedes the earliest evidence for modern humans, who initiated use of mollusc and shell working, and began to introduce a range of exotic animals to the island. Faunal introductions during the Holocene included the Sulawesi warty pig (Sus celebensis) at about 7ka, followed by the Eurasian pig (Sus scrofa), Long-tailed macaque, Javanese porcupine, and Masked palm civet at about 4ka, and cattle, deer, and horse - possibly by the Portuguese within historic times. The Holocene sequence at the site also documents local faunal extinctions - a result of accelerating human population growth, habitat loss, and over-exploitation.

Effect of silicon on the quality of flowers of Dendrobium nobile (OrchidaceaeEfeito do silício na qualidade de flores de Dendrobium nobile (Orchidaceae

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Patricia Reiners Carvalho

2013-09-01

Full Text Available The orchid Dendrobium nobile Lindl is widely cultivated throughout the world as cut and potted flowers. Silicon (Si has demonstrated beneficial effects on various crops, increasing cell stiffness, giving protection to pathogens, increasing photosynthetic capacity and drought tolerance, promoting higher growth and longevity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of different concentrations of silicon on Dendrobium nobile orchid flowers. Treatments were performed with magnesium silicate (SiMg at the following concentrations: 0.0, 0.16; 0.32; 0.48 and 0.64 g L-1. The foliar applications were carried out fortnightly totaling four applications two months before flowering. The variables evaluated were: longevity of flowers, number of flowers per pot and number of shoots per plant. The experimental design was completely randomized with five treatments and ten replications. The foliar applications of SiMg increased 59% flower production and shoots up to 66%, being more efficient with the increasing of concentrations. The increasing of longevity of the flowers in the dose 0.45 g L-1 was up to four days. A orquídea Dendrobium nobile Lindl é amplamente cultivada pelo mundo como flor de corte e em vasos. O silício (Si tem demonstrado efeito benéfico em diversas culturas, como por exemplo: aumentando a rigidez celular, conferindo proteção à fitopatógenos, aumento da capacidade fotossintética, tolerância à seca, promoção de maior crescimento e conservação pós-colheita. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito do silício em diferentes concentrações na qualidade de flores da orquídea Dendrobium nobile. Os tratamentos foram realizados com silicato de magnésio (SiMg nas seguintes concentrações: 0,0; 0,16; 0,32; 0,48 e 0,64g L-1. As aplicações foram realizadas quinzenalmente via foliar, totalizando quatro aplicações dois meses antes do florescimento. As variáveis avaliadas foram: longevidade das flores, número de

Entre as pedras e as flores da terra Between the stones and the flowers of the earth

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Henrique José A. de Carvalho

2004-01-01

Full Text Available Este artigo trata da tensão gerada entre os movimentos de luta pela terra e os ambientalistas com a divulgação do Relatório Gilney Viana, em 1997, depois de longo período de convergência de propósitos daqueles interesses. A partir de depoimentos de atores importantes do processo, buscou-se identificar pontos de fricção ou de aproximação desses movimentos, assim como antecipar possíveis tendências para esse estranhamento em futuro previsível.This article deals with the tensions emerged among the landless social moviments and environmentalists in 1997, after the publication of Gilney Viana Report. In previous years, those movements had experienced a long period of political convergence. Supported by interviews with important actors of that process, it intends to identify elements of friction and/or agreements between those interests as well as to anticipate possible trends of such strain.

Late Pleistocene songbirds of Liang Bua (Flores, Indonesia); the first fossil passerine fauna described from Wallacea

Science.gov (United States)

Sutikna, Thomas; Saptomo, Wahyu; Jatmiko; Wasisto, Sri; Tocheri, Matthew W.; Mayr, Gerald

2017-01-01

Background Passerines (Aves: Passeriformes) dominate modern terrestrial bird communities yet their fossil record is limited. Liang Bua is a large cave on the Indonesian island of Flores that preserves Late Pleistocene–Holocene deposits (∼190 ka to present day). Birds are the most diverse faunal group at Liang Bua and are present throughout the stratigraphic sequence. Methods We examined avian remains from the Late Pleistocene deposits of Sector XII, a 2 × 2 m area excavated to about 8.5 m depth. Although postcranial passerine remains are typically challenging to identify, we found several humeral characters particularly useful in discriminating between groups, and identified 89 skeletal elements of passerines. Results At least eight species from eight families are represented, including the Large-billed Crow (Corvus cf. macrorhynchos), the Australasian Bushlark (Mirafra javanica), a friarbird (Philemon sp.), and the Pechora Pipit (Anthus cf. gustavi). Discussion These remains constitute the first sample of fossil passerines described in Wallacea. Two of the taxa no longer occur on Flores today; a large sturnid (cf. Acridotheres) and a grassbird (Megalurus sp.). Palaeoecologically, the songbird assemblage suggests open grassland and tall forests, which is consistent with conditions inferred from the non-passerine fauna at the site. Corvus cf. macrorhynchos, found in the Homo floresiensis-bearing layers, was likely part of a scavenging guild that fed on carcasses of Stegodon florensis insularis alongside vultures (Trigonoceps sp.), giant storks (Leptoptilos robustus), komodo dragons (Varanus komodoensis), and probably H. floresiensis as well. PMID:28828271

Late Pleistocene songbirds of Liang Bua (Flores, Indonesia; the first fossil passerine fauna described from Wallacea

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hanneke J.M. Meijer

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Background Passerines (Aves: Passeriformes dominate modern terrestrial bird communities yet their fossil record is limited. Liang Bua is a large cave on the Indonesian island of Flores that preserves Late Pleistocene–Holocene deposits (∼190 ka to present day. Birds are the most diverse faunal group at Liang Bua and are present throughout the stratigraphic sequence. Methods We examined avian remains from the Late Pleistocene deposits of Sector XII, a 2 × 2 m area excavated to about 8.5 m depth. Although postcranial passerine remains are typically challenging to identify, we found several humeral characters particularly useful in discriminating between groups, and identified 89 skeletal elements of passerines. Results At least eight species from eight families are represented, including the Large-billed Crow (Corvus cf. macrorhynchos, the Australasian Bushlark (Mirafra javanica, a friarbird (Philemon sp., and the Pechora Pipit (Anthus cf. gustavi. Discussion These remains constitute the first sample of fossil passerines described in Wallacea. Two of the taxa no longer occur on Flores today; a large sturnid (cf. Acridotheres and a grassbird (Megalurus sp.. Palaeoecologically, the songbird assemblage suggests open grassland and tall forests, which is consistent with conditions inferred from the non-passerine fauna at the site. Corvus cf. macrorhynchos, found in the Homo floresiensis-bearing layers, was likely part of a scavenging guild that fed on carcasses of Stegodon florensis insularis alongside vultures (Trigonoceps sp., giant storks (Leptoptilos robustus, komodo dragons (Varanus komodoensis, and probably H. floresiensis as well.

Biologia floral e sistema reprodutivo da erva-baleeira (Varronia curassavica Jacq.

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D. S. BRANDÃO

2015-12-01

Full Text Available RESUMOO conhecimento do sistema reprodutivo é fundamental para a conservação e manejo de uma espécie. O objetivo deste trabalho foi descrever a fenologia da floração, a antese, registrar os insetos visitantes no período de floração, determinar as características morfométricas das flores e o sistema reprodutivo da erva-baleeira, em um ambiente de Cerrado do Norte de Minas Gerais. Entre maio a dezembro de 2012 foi caracterizado o comportamento fenológico da floração. Na análise da fenologia floral foi determinado: o crescimento da inflorescência, o número de flores e frutos por inflorescências. Utilizou-se seis acessos que tiveram dez inflorescências marcadas em cada acesso, totalizando 60 inflorescências. A antese foi determinada utilizando quatro inflorescências em duas plantas. Os visitantes florais foram observados in loco e capturados em três dias consecutivos de coleta. As características morfométricas foram determinadas com paquímetro utilizando 20 flores, sendo cinco flores de quatro acessos. Para determinar o sistema reprodutivo utilizou-se a razão pólen:óvulo (P:O, utilizando 50 flores, sendo 10 flores de cinco acessos em pré-antese. Nas condições de Montes Claros, o crescimento das inflorescências de erva-baleeira ocorreu entre meados de agosto e início de outubro, totalizando 45 dias. O florescimento foi observado entre meados de setembro e final de outubro, enquanto a frutificação ocorreu de meados de outubro a início de dezembro, sendo que ambos ocorreram de forma irregular. A antese floral de erva-baleeira, neste estudo, ocorre entre 7:00 e 11:00 horas. Os insetos visitantes pertencem as ordens Coleoptera, Hemiptera, Diptera e Hymenoptera. As flores apresentaram o diâmetro de 2,13 ± 0,05 (mm, o comprimento de 3,29 ± 0,08 (mm, diâmetro do ovário de 0,70 ± 0,02 (mm, o comprimento do ovário de 2,48 ± 0,12 (mm, o diâmetro da antera de 0,67 ± 0,01(mm e o comprimento da antera de 0,93 ±0

[Logic model of the Franche-Comté Regional Health Project: advantages and limitations for the evaluation process].

Science.gov (United States)

Michaud, Claude; Sannino, Nadine; Duboudin, Cédric; Baudier, François; Guillin, Caroline; Billondeau, Christine; Mansion, Sylvie

2014-01-01

The French "Hospitals, patients, health and territories" law of July 2009 created the Regional Health Project (PRS) to support regional health policy, and requires evaluation of these projects. The construction of these projects, which includes prevention planning, care planning, and medical and social welfare planning, presents an unprecedented complexity in France, where evaluation programmes are still in their infancy. To support future evaluations, the Franche-Comté Regional Health Agency (ARS FC), assisted by the expertise of EFECT Consultants, decided to reconstruct the PRS logic model. This article analyzes the advantages and limitations of this approach. The resulting logic model allows visualization of the strategy adopted to achieve the Franche-Comté PRS ambitions and expected results. The model highlights four main aspects of structural change to the health system, often poorly visible in PRS presentation documents. This model also establishes links with the usual public policy evaluation issues and facilitates their prioritization. This approach also provides a better understanding of the importance of analysis of the programme construction in order to be effective rather than direct analysis of the effects, which constitutes the natural tendency of current practice. The main controversial limit concerns the retrospective design of the PRS framework, both in terms of the reliability of interpretation and adoption by actors not directly involved in this initiative.

The role of COMT and plasma proline in the variable penetrance of autistic spectrum symptoms in 22q11.2 deletion syndrome

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hidding, E.; Swaab, H.; de Sonneville, L. M J; van Engeland, H.; Vorstman, J. A S

2016-01-01

This paper examines how COMT158 genotypes and plasma proline levels are associated with variable penetrance of social behavioural and social cognitive problems in 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS). Severity of autistic spectrum symptoms of 45 participants with 22q11DS was assessed using the Autism

[Study of genetic variants in the BDNF, COMT, DAT1 and SERT genes in Colombian children with attention deficit disorder].

Science.gov (United States)

Ortega-Rojas, Jenny; Arboleda-Bustos, Carlos E; Morales, Luis; Benítez, Bruno A; Beltrán, Diana; Izquierdo, Álvaro; Arboleda, Humberto; Vásquez, Rafael

Attention deficit and hyperactive disorder (ADHD) is highly prevalent among children in Bogota City. Both genetic and environmental factors play a very important role in the etiology of ADHD. However, to date few studies have addressed the association of genetic variants and ADHD in the Colombian population. To test the genetic association between polymorphisms in the DAT1, HTTLPR, COMT and BDNF genes and ADHD in a sample from Bogota City. We genotyped the most common polymorphisms in DAT1, SERT, COMT and BDNF genes associated with ADHD using conventional PCR followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) in 97 trios recruited in a medical center in Bogota. The transmission disequilibrium test (TDT) was used to determine the association between such genetic variants and ADHD. The TDT analysis showed that no individual allele of any variant studied has a preferential transmission. Our results suggest that the etiology of the ADHD may be complex and involves several genetic factors. Further studies in other candidate polymorphisms in a larger sample size will improve our knowledge of the ADHD in Colombian population. Copyright © 2016 Asociación Colombiana de Psiquiatría. Publicado por Elsevier España. All rights reserved.

[Assessment of 10 years of memory consultations in the Franche-Comté: Description and analysis of the RAPID regional database].

Science.gov (United States)

Bereau, M; Sylvestre, G; Mauny, F; Puyraveau, M; Baudier, F; Magnin, E; Berger, E; Vandel, P; Galmiche, J; Chopard, G

2015-09-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact, on a regional scale (Franche-Comté), of 3 National Alzheimer care plans, particularly concerning the development of the offer of care management by clinicians as well as the panel of diagnoses concerned. Data on sociodemographic, neuropsychological and diagnostic characteristics were retrieved from the RAPID regional database between 1st January 2003 and 31st December 2012. These analyses focused exclusively on patients who had an initial consultation (n=12,017) during the same period. The existence of a previously established health network capable of carrying out governmental health plans has produced an effective interface between regional administrative structures responsible for the implementation of these plans and health professionals responsible for carrying out them out. This network study, the use of a battery of tests and a common software database have enabled the development of patient care management throughout the Franche-Comté region. It also showed the diversification of diagnoses mentioned over the past years as well as changes in clinical practices on how to address the issue of cognitive impairment. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Species composition, distribution and abundance of chaetodontidae along reef transects in the Flores Sea

Science.gov (United States)

Adrim, Mohammad; Hutomo, Malikusworo

Observations on chaetodontid fishes were made by applying a visual census technique at 13 coral reef locations in the Flores Sea region in October and November 1984. These observations were made along 50 m transect lines, parallel to the shore or the reef edge at depths between 3 to 12 m. Twenty-three species of Chaetodontidae were observed, representing three genera: Chaetodon (20 species), Heniochus (2 species) and Forcipiger (1 species). Chaetodon kleini, C. trifasciatus, C. melannotus and C. baronessa proved to be the most abundant species, and among them C. kleini and C. trifasciatus were the most widely distributed ones. Chaetodon semeion and C. mertensi were the rarest species. The greatest number of individuals (77) was counted at station 4.268 near Tanjung Burung, Sumbawa, while the greatest number of species (14) was observed at station 4.257, north of Komodo. The lowest number of individuals (17) was counted at station 4.175 near P. Bahuluang, Salayer, while station 4.251 near Teluk Slawi, Komodo, was inhabited by the smallest numbver of species (2). Numerical classification by using the Bray Curtis dissimilarity index resulted in three groups of entities. The first group was characterized by predomination of C. kleini and the second by predomination of C. melannotus. The third one was a loose group not characterized by any predominant species. The analyses indicated that the similarities of the chaetodontid communities between locations are not related to the distance between them, but rather to habitat conditions. For example predomination of C. melannotus is strongly related to the predomination of soft coral. Compared to other areas of Indonesia, e.g. Bali, Seribu Islands, Batam, Sunda Strait, and Ambon Bay, the Flores Sea reefs have a more abundant and more diverse chaetodontid fauna.

Abelhas visitantes nas flores da jabuticabeira (Myrciaria cauliflora Berg. e produção de frutos - DOI: 10.4025/actascianimsci.v26i1.1890 Bees visits associated to Brazilian grape tree flowers (Myrciaria cauliflora Berg. and fruit production - DOI: 10.4025/actascianimsci.v26i1.1890

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Regina Helena Nogueira-Couto

2004-04-01

Full Text Available O objetivo deste trabalho foi verificar a atratividade das flores da jabuticabeira (Myrciaria cauliflora Berg. para os insetos, o comportamento, o tipo de coleta e o efeito dessas visitas na produção de frutos. Foram observados o tempo de desenvolvimento e a quantidade de açúcar solúvel do néctar de flores; os insetos e o tipo de coleta desses insetos. Foram marcados 400 botões florais (200 descobertos e 200 cobertos, para impedir a visita dos insetos. A duração da flor foi de 48 ± 4,6 horas. A quantidade de açúcar solúvel foi baixa (7.14 ± 0.70µg glicose/flor e semelhante entre os horários. As abelhas Apis mellifera, Tetragonisca angustula, Chloralictus sp e Trigona spinipes foram os únicos insetos nas flores (98,0%, 0,88%, 0,57% e 0,55%, respectivamente e coletaram exclusivamente pólen. A porcentagem de frutificação não foi diferente nos tratamentos coberto (19,80% e descoberto (18,62%, mostrando que a presença das abelhas não afetou a produção.This research aimed to verify the Brazilian grape tree flowers’ Myrciaria cauliflora attraction to insects, including their behaviour, sample kind and effect of insect visits on fruit production. The development time and the amount of flower’s nectar soluble sugar, the insects and sample kind were observed. Four hundred flower buds were tagged (200 covered and 200 uncovered, with 5 replications to determine fruiting percentage. Only the bees Apis mellifera, Tetragonisca angustula, Chloralictus sp and Trigona spinipes visited the flowers (98.0, 0.88, 0.57 and 0.55%, respectively, collecting exclusively pollen. Percentage of fruiting did not differ between covered (19.80% and uncovered (18.62% treatments, showing that the bees visits did not affect fruit production.

Both COMT Val158Met single nucleotide polymorphism and sex-dependent differences influence response inhibition

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Valentina eMione

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Reactive and proactive control of actions are cognitive abilities that allow to deal with a continuously changing environment by adjusting already programmed actions. They also set forthcoming acts by evaluating the outcome of the previous ones. Earlier studies highlighted sex related differences in the strategies and in the pattern of brain activation during cognitive tasks involving reactive and proactive control. To further identify sex-dependent characteristics in the cognitive control of actions, in this study we have assessed whether/how differences in reactive and proactive control were modulated by the COMT Val158Met single nucleotide polymorphism, a genetic factor known to influence the functionality of the dopaminergic system, in particular at the level of prefrontal cortex. Two groups of male and female participants were further sorted according to their genotype (Val/Met, Val/Val and Met/Met and tested in a stop signal task, a consolidated tool to measure reactive and proactive control in experimental and clinical settings. In each group of participants we estimated both a measure of the capacity to react to unexpected events and the ability of monitoring their performance. The between groups comparison of these measures indicated a poorer ability of male individuals carrying the Val/Val genotype in error-monitoring, suggesting that differences between sexes could be influenced by the efficiency of COMT and that other sex-specific factors have to be considered. The comprehension of inter-groups behavioral and physiological correlates of cognitive control will provide more accurate diagnostic tools for predicting the incidence and the development of pathologies like ADHD or deviant behaviors as drug or alcohol abuse.

COMT Val158Met polymorphism moderates the association between PTSD symptom severity and hippocampal volume.

Science.gov (United States)

Hayes, Jasmeet P; Logue, Mark W; Reagan, Andrew; Salat, David; Wolf, Erika J; Sadeh, Naomi; Spielberg, Jeffrey M; Sperbeck, Emily; Hayes, Scott M; McGlinchey, Regina E; Milberg, William P; Verfaellie, Mieke; Stone, Annjanette; Schichman, Steven A; Miller, Mark W

2017-03-01

Memory-based alterations are among the hallmark symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and may be associated with the integrity of the hippocampus. However, neuroimaging studies of hippocampal volume in individuals with PTSD have yielded inconsistent results, raising the possibility that various moderators, such as genetic factors, may influence this association. We examined whether the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) Val158Met polymorphism, which has previously been shown to be associated with hippocampal volume in healthy individuals, moderates the association between PTSD and hippocampal volume. Recent war veterans underwent structural MRI on a 3 T scanner. We extracted volumes of the right and left hippocampus using FreeSurfer and adjusted them for individual differences in intracranial volume. We assessed PTSD severity using the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale. Hierarchical linear regression was used to model the genotype (Val158Met polymorphism) × PTSD severity interaction and its association with hippocampal volume. We included 146 white, non-Hispanic recent war veterans (90% male, 53% with diagnosed PTSD) in our analyses. A significant genotype × PTSD symptom severity interaction emerged such that individuals with greater current PTSD symptom severity who were homozygous for the Val allele showed significant reductions in left hippocampal volume. The direction of proposed effects is unknown, thus precluding definitive assessment of whether differences in hippocampal volume reflect a consequence of PTSD, a pre-existing characteristic, or both. Our findings suggest that the COMT polymorphism moderates the association between PTSD and hippocampal volume. These results highlight the role that the dopaminergic system has in brain structure and suggest a possible mechanism for memory disturbance in individuals with PTSD.

When hummingbirds are the thieves: visitation effect on the reproduction of Neotropical snowbell Styrax ferrugineus Nees & Mart (Styracaceae Quando os beija-flores são os ladrões: efeito da visitação na reprodução de uma planta Neotropical Styrax ferrugineus Nees & Mart (Styracaceae

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Pietro Kiyoshi Maruyama

2012-03-01

Full Text Available The spectrum of floral visitors associated with a particular plant is frequently larger than predicted by the traditional concept of floral syndromes and the role that unpredicted visitors play in plant reproduction deserves attention. Hummingbirds are frequently recorded visiting flowers with distinct floral syndromes, especially in some hummingbird flower poor ecosystem such as the Cerrado. In this study we investigated the effect of frequent hummingbird visits on the reproduction of melittophilous Styrax ferrugineus. The flowers were visited by many different insect groups and visits by hummingbirds were frequent, especially early in the morning when nectar availability was higher. Nectar parameters varied considerably during the flower life span, and was probably affected by the temperature variation during the day. Hummingbird exclusion experiments showed no effect in the fruit-set of the plant. The inability of hummingbirds to deplete all of the nectar produced in this mass-flowering plant, and the existence of another resource (pollen for the primary pollinator (large bees, are possible reasons why there was no perceptible hindrance of plant reproduction by the hummingbirds. Although no effect in the fruit-set was observed, the use of non-ornithophilous flowers must be important for hummingbirds, which are specialized nectar consumers.O espectro de visitantes florais associados a uma planta é frequentemente maior que o esperado pelo conceito tradicional de síndromes florais e o papel desses visitantes inesperados tem recebido mais atenção. Os beija-flores freqüentemente visitam flores com síndromes florais distintas, especialmente em alguns ecossistemas pobre em flores ornitófilas como o Cerrado. Investigamos aqui o efeito das visitas de beija-flores na reprodução de Styrax ferrugineus, uma espécie melitófila. As flores foram visitadas por diferentes grupos de insetos e as visitas por beija-flores foram frequentes

Avaliação da atividade antibacteriana e triagem fitoquímica das flores de Acacia podalyriifolia A. Cunn. ex G. Don Leguminosae-Mimosoideae

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C.A. Andrade

Full Text Available A atividade antibacteriana das flores da Acacia podalyriifolia A. Cunn. (Leguminosae foi avaliada pelo método de difusão em disco. As bactérias testadas foram: Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 6538, Staphylococcus epidermidis (ATCC 1228, Escherichia coli (ATCC 11229 e Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 27853. O meio de cultura utilizado foi ágar Müeller-Hinton. Foram utilizados discos de papel (6 mm de diâmetro impregnados com 1000, 500, 250 e 125 mg dos extratos: Etanol Bruto, fração Acetato de Etila e fração Diclorometano obtidas a partir do extrato etanólico bruto. Os resultados indicam que as amostras avaliadas exercem ação contra as cepas gram positivo testadas, em graus variáveis sendo que a fração Acetato de Etila apresentou maior atividade. A triagem fitoquímica indicou a presença de fenóis e flavonoides nas flores de A. podalyriifolia.

Comentario sobre el libro de Enric Saguer Hom, Gabriel Jover Avellà y Helena Benito Mundet (eds.: Comtes de senyor, comtes de pagès. Les comptabilitats agràries en la historia rural. Associació d'Història Rural de les Comarques Gironines. Centre de Recerca Històrica Rural (Institut de Recerca Històrica de la Universitat de Girona i Documenta Universitaria (Biblioteca d'Història Rural, col·lecció Fonts, 7, Girona, 2013

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Gaspar Feliu

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Comentario sobre el libro de Enric Saguer Hom, Gabriel Jover Avellà y Helena Benito Mundet (eds.: Comtes de senyor, comtes de pagès. Les comptabilitats agràries en la historia rural. Associació d'Història Rural de les Comarques Gironines. Centre de Recerca Històrica Rural (Institut de Recerca Històrica de la Universitat de Girona i Documenta Universitaria (Biblioteca d'Història Rural, col·lecció Fonts, 7, Girona, 2013

Evaluación del uso de señales visuales y de localización por el colibrí cola-ancha (Selasphorus platycercus al visitar flores de Penstemon roseus Evaluation of the use of visual and location cues by the Broad-tailed hummingbird (Selasphorus platycercusforaging in flowers of Penstemon roseus

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Guillermo Pérez

2012-03-01

Full Text Available En los colibríes la memoria espacial desempeña un papel importante durante el forrajeo. Éste se basa en el uso de señales específicas (visuales o en señales espaciales (localización de flores y plantas con néctar. Sin embargo, el uso de estas señales por los colibríes puede variar de acuerdo con la escala espacial que enfrentan cuando visitan flores de una o más plantas durante el forrajeo; ésto se puso a prueba con individuos del colibrí cola-ancha Selasphorus platycercus. Por otro lado, para evaluar la posible variación en el uso de las señales, se llevaron a cabo experimentos en condiciones semi-naturales utilizando flores de la planta Penstemon roseus, nativa del sitio de estudio. A través de la manipulación de la presencia/ausencia de una recompensa (néctar y señales visuales, evaluamos el uso de la memoria espacial durante el forrajeo entre 2 plantas (experimento 1 y dentro de una sola planta (experimento 2. Los resultados demostraron que los colibríes utilizaron la memoria de localización de la planta de cuyas flores obtuvieron recompensa, independientemente de la presencia de señales visuales. Por el contrario, en flores individuales de una sola planta, después de un corto periodo de aprendizaje los colibríes pueden utilizar las señales visuales para guiar su forrajeo y discriminar las flores sin recompensa. Asimismo, en ausencia de señales visuales los individuos basaron su forrajeo en la memoria de localización de la flor con recompensa visitada previamente. Estos resultados sugieren plasticidad en el comportamiento de forrajeo de los colibríes influenciada por la escala espacial y por la información adquirida en visitas previas.In hummingbirds spatial memory plays an important role during foraging. It is based in use of specific cues (visual or spatial cues (location of flowers and plants with nectar. However, use of these cues by hummingbirds may change according to the spatial scale they face when visit

Abelhas (Hymenoptera: apoidea visitantes das flores de goiaba em pomar comercial in Salinas, MG Bee diversity in a commercial guava orchard in Salinas, Minas Gerais State, Brazil

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Rosemeire Alves Guimarães

2009-01-01

Full Text Available As abelhas são responsáveis por cerca de 80% a 100% da polinização de culturas agrícolas, especialmente aquelas relacionadas com a produção de sementes e frutos. A investigação da diversidade de abelhas em pomares de goiaba pode ser subsídio para estratégias de incremento da produtividade. Nesta perspectiva, o objetivo deste estudo foi identificar a diversidade de abelhas visitantes das flores de goiaba (Psidium guajava, em pomar comercial em Salinas (MG. O trabalho foi desenvolvido em maio de 2005 e foram coletadas as abelhas visitantes das flores nos horários entre 6h e 18h, totalizando-se 44 horas de coleta. Coletaram-se 705 abelhas de 17 espécies, sendo Trigona spinipes a mais freqüente e dominante na cultura da goiaba. Apis mellifera, Melipona quadrifasciata e Tetragonisca angustula foram consideradas acessórias. Aproximadamente 84% dos indivíduos foram coletados da manhã, de 6h às 10h.Pollination is an important factor in agricultural systems, especially in growing fruits and seed production, which depend greatly on bee visiting during blossom season; highly successful gains within these activities varies between 80 and nearly 100 per cent, owing to the bees. The assessment of bee diversity in commercial orchards of guava may contribute to a more desirable strategic design and consequent improvement of production. The aim of the study was identify the diversity of visiting bees to guava flowers (Psidium guajava in a commercial orchard in Salinas, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. The work was carried during blossom season of May - 2005. Field works occurred between 6:00 am to 6:00 pm, counting with 44 hours of collection, when 705 bees were collected. The richness observed was of 17 species, the most frequent and dominant being Trigona spinipes. Among the collection there were some considered accessory species: Apis mellifera, Melipona quadrifasciata and Tetragonisca angustula. Most of individual bees have been captured

Characterization of stormwater discharges from Las Flores Industrial Park, Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, 1998-99

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Rodriguez, Jose M.

2000-01-01

Stormwater discharges from Las Flores Industrial Park, Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, were characterized from June 1998 to July 1999 by measuring the flow rate at two outfalls, delineating the drainage areas for each outfall, and calculating the volume of the stormwater discharges. Stormwater-discharge samples were collected and analyzed to determine the quality of the discharges. Constituent loads and loads per area were estimated for each drainage area. The studied drainage subareas covered approximately 46 percent of the total area of the Las Flores Industrial Park. Industrial groups represented in the study areas include manufacturers of textile, electronics, paper, fabricated metal, plastic, and chemical products. The concentrations of oil and grease (1 to 6 milligrams per liter), biochemical oxygen demand (4.7 to 16 milligrams per liter), total organic carbon (5.8 to 36 milligrams per liter), total suspended solids (28 to 100 milligrams per liter), and total phosphorous (0.11 to 0.78 milligrams per liter) from all the samples collected were less than the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency stormwater benchmark concentrations. Concentrations of chemical oxygen demand (15.8 to 157 milligrams per liter) and nitrate and nitrite (0.06 to 1.75 milligrams per liter) exceeded benchmark concentrations at one of the studied drainage areas. Total Kjeldahl nitrogen concentrations (1.00 to 3.20 milligrams per liter) exceeded the benchmark concentrations at the two studied drainage areas. Maximum concentrations for oil and grease, biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, total organic carbon, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, nitrate plus nitrite, and total phosphorous were detected in an area where electronics, plastics, and chemical products are currently manufactured. The maximum concentration of total suspended solids was detected at an area where textile, paper, plastic, chemical, and fabricated metal products are manufactured.

A potyvirus-based gene vector allows producing active human S-COMT and animal GFP, but not human sorcin, in vector-infected plants.

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Kelloniemi, Jani; Mäkinen, Kristiina; Valkonen, Jari P T

2006-05-01

Potato virus A (PVA), a potyvirus with a (+)ssRNA genome translated to a large polyprotein, was engineered and used as a gene vector for expression of heterologous proteins in plants. Foreign genes including jellyfish GFP (Aequorea victoria) encoding the green fluorescent protein (GFP, 27 kDa) and the genes of human origin (Homo sapiens) encoding a soluble resistance-related calcium-binding protein (sorcin, 22 kDa) and the catechol-O-methyltransferase (S-COMT; 25 kDa) were cloned between the cistrons for the viral replicase and coat protein (CP). The inserts caused no adverse effects on viral infectivity and virulence, and the inserted sequences remained intact in progeny viruses in the systemically infected leaves. The heterologous proteins were released from the viral polyprotein following cleavage by the main viral proteinase, NIa, at engineered proteolytic processing sites flanking the insert. Active GFP, as indicated by green fluorescence, and S-COMT with high levels of enzymatic activity were produced. In contrast, no sorcin was detected despite the expected equimolar amounts of the foreign and viral proteins being expressed as a polyprotein. These data reveal inherent differences between heterologous proteins in their suitability for production in plants.

The effect of COMT Val158Met and DRD2 C957T polymorphisms on executive function and the impact of early life stress.

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Klaus, Kristel; Butler, Kevin; Durrant, Simon J; Ali, Manir; Inglehearn, Chris F; Hodgson, Timothy L; Gutierrez, Humberto; Pennington, Kyla

2017-05-01

Previous research has indicated that variation in genes encoding catechol-O-methyltransferase ( COMT ) and dopamine receptor D2 ( DRD2 ) may influence cognitive function and that this may confer vulnerability to the development of mental health disorders such as schizophrenia. However, increasing evidence suggests environmental factors such as early life stress may interact with genetic variants in affecting these cognitive outcomes. This study investigated the effect of COMT Val158Met and DRD2 C957T polymorphisms on executive function and the impact of early life stress in healthy adults. One hundred and twenty-two healthy adult males (mean age 35.2 years, range 21-63) were enrolled in the study. Cognitive function was assessed using Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery and early life stress was assessed using the Childhood Traumatic Events Scale (Pennebaker & Susman, 1988). DRD2 C957T was significantly associated with executive function, with CC homozygotes having significantly reduced performance in spatial working memory and spatial planning. A significant genotype-trauma interaction was found in Rapid Visual Information Processing test, a measure of sustained attention, with CC carriers who had experienced early life stress exhibiting impaired performance compared to the CC carriers without early life stressful experiences. There were no significant findings for COMT Val158Met . This study supports previous findings that DRD2 C957T significantly affects performance on executive function related tasks in healthy individuals and shows for the first time that some of these effects may be mediated through the impact of childhood traumatic events. Future work should aim to clarify further the effect of stress on neuronal systems that are known to be vulnerable in mental health disorders and more specifically what the impact of this might be on cognitive function.

La posteridad sociológica de Auguste Comte: Lo normal y lo patológico en Durkheim

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MICHEL BOURDEAU

2008-01-01

Este artículo completa un texto que, bajo el título «Ciencia, religión y sociedad en Auguste Comte», fue publicado en el año 2003 en las páginas de esta revista. Después de un breve repaso de los conceptos sociológicos fundamentales del Cours de philosophie positive, se muestra como el pensamiento de Durkheim se constituyó a través de una discusión crítica con el positivismo. Concretamente, se examinan dos momentos fundamentales de dicha confrontación. En primer lugar, se analiza como la dist...

COMT Val158Met polymorphism influences the susceptibility to framing in decision-making: OFC-amygdala functional connectivity as a mediator.

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Gao, Xiaoxue; Gong, Pingyuan; Liu, Jinting; Hu, Jie; Li, Yue; Yu, Hongbo; Gong, Xiaoliang; Xiang, Yang; Jiang, Changjun; Zhou, Xiaolin

2016-05-01

Individuals tend to avoid risk in a gain frame, in which options are presented in a positive way, but seek risk in a loss frame, in which the same options are presented negatively. Previous studies suggest that emotional responses play a critical role in this "framing effect." Given that the Met allele of COMT Val158Met polymorphism (rs4680) is associated with the negativity bias during emotional processing, this study investigated whether this polymorphism is associated with individual susceptibility to framing and which brain areas mediate this gene-behavior association. Participants were genotyped, scanned in resting state, and completed a monetary gambling task with options (sure vs risky) presented as potential gains or losses. The Met allele carriers showed a greater framing effect than the Val/Val homozygotes as the former gambled more than the latter in the loss frame. Moreover, the gene-behavior association was mediated by resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) between orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and bilateral amygdala. Met allele carriers showed decreased RSFC, thereby demonstrating higher susceptibility to framing than Val allele carriers. These findings demonstrate the involvement of COMT Val158Met polymorphism in the framing effect in decision-making and suggest RSFC between OFC and amygdala as a neural mediator underlying this gene-behavior association. Hum Brain Mapp 37:1880-1892, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Triterpenoid Saponins from Anemone rivularis var. Flore-Minore and Their Anti-Proliferative Activity on HSC-T6 Cells.

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Wang, Xiao-Yang; Gao, Hui; Xie, Xiao-Jie; Jurhiin, Jirimubatu; Zhang, Mu-Zi-He; Zhou, Yan-Ping; Liu, Rui; Ning, Meng; Han, Jin; Tang, Hai-Feng

2018-02-23

Five previously undescribed triterpenoid saponins ( 1 - 5 ), along with eight known ones ( 6 - 13 ), were isolated from the whole plants of Anemone rivularis var. flore-minore . Their structures were clarified by extensive spectroscopic data and chemical evidence. For the first time, the lupane-type saponins ( 3 and 12 ) were reported from the Anemone genus. The anti-proliferative activity of all isolated saponins was evaluated on hepatic stellate cells (HSC-T6). Saponins 12 and 13 , which possess more monosaccharides than the others, displayed potent anti-proliferative activity, with IC 50 values of 18.21 and 15.56 μM, respectively.

Piscadelas de caveiras: a escatologia do Jardim das Flores Skull winks: the eschatology of the Garden of Flowers

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John C. Dawsey

2007-11-01

Full Text Available No Jardim das Flores, na periferia de uma cidade do interior paulista, moradores interpretam o seu mundo por meio de histórias sobre o céu e o inferno, e a destruição e recriação do mundo. Como interpretar essas interpretações? A partir dessa questão a antropologia de Geertz propõe-se a fazer uma "descrição densa" em que seja possível distinguir um piscar de olhos de uma piscadela marota. As histórias que se contam no Jardim das Flores, porém, não são meras interpretações. Nelas se alojam vontades de interromper o próprio curso do mundo. Ao dizerem algo sobre o mundo, elas irrompem como provocações capazes de suscitar um abrir e fechar dos olhos, com efeitos de despertar. Por meio de imagens carregadas de tensões, uma descrição densa também adquire as qualidades de uma descrição tensa, um assombro. Não seriam as elipses, incoerências e emendas suspeitas - onde um texto parece desmanchar - os sinais do "baixo corporal" do texto que chamamos cultura? Talvez nesses lugares, como as histórias do Jardim das Flores revelam, encontrem-se os subsolos mais férteis de um texto, ou, ainda, o seu fundo escatológico.In the Garden of Flowers, a peripheral district of a city of the interior of São Paulo, people interpret their world, among other ways, by telling stories about heaven and earth, and the destruction and recreation of the world. How should one interpret these interpretations? As a way for dealing with this question, Geertz developed the notion of 'thick description,' by which one may distinguish a twitch from a wink. The stories told in the Garden of Flowers are not mere interpretations, however. They emerge from the will to interrupt the very course of the world. As they say something about the world, they also erupt as provocations, with awakening effects, causing one's eyes to close and reopen. By means of tension-filled images, 'thick description' may also acquire the qualities of tense description, provoking

Cytotoxic oleanane-type triterpenoid saponins from the Rhizomes of Anemone rivularis var. flore-minore.

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Wang, Xiaoyang; Wang, Minchang; Xu, Min; Wang, Yi; Tang, Haifeng; Sun, Xiaoli

2014-02-18

Phytochemical investigation of the n-BuOH extract of the rhizomes of Anemone rivularis var. flore-minore led to the isolation of five new oleanane-type triterpenoid saponins 1-5, together with five known saponins 6-10. Their structures were determined by the extensive use of 1D and 2D NMR experiments, along with ESIMS analyses and acid hydrolysis. The aglycone of 4 and 5 was determined as 21α-hydroxyoleanolic acid, which was reported in this genus for the first time. The cytotoxicity of these compounds was evaluated against four human cancer cell line, including HL-60 (promyelocytic leukemia), HepG2 (hepatocellular carcinoma), A549 (lung carcinoma) and HeLa (cervical carcinoma). The monodesmosidic saponins 6-8 exhibited cytotoxic activity toward all tested cancer cell lines, with IC50 values in the 7.25-22.38 μM range.

Raja Servus of Larantuka, Flores, Eastern Indonesia Le raja Servus de Larantuka, à Flores, en Indonésie orientale

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Robert H. Barnes

2012-07-01

Full Text Available The Dutch deposed Raja Lorenzo II of Larantuka, Flores, in 1904 and exiled him to Java. After his son Servus reached maturity, they appointed him Raja. By then the office had largely been reduced to a principally administrative function at the bottom of the colonial bureaucracy, although the Dutch called the rajas in the Dutch East Indies “self-governors”.Servus seems to have been demoralized by an attack on his life which he survived only after six hours of swimming in the sea. Eventually both the Dutch officials and the local Catholic missionaries became dissatisfied with him and he was forced to resign. Later the Dutch were forced to leave and the Indonesian state completed the job of bureaucratizing local administration by abolishing the office of raja.Les Hollandais ont déposé le raja Lorenzo II de Larantuka en 1904 et l’ont exilé à Java. Lorsque son fils Servus a atteint sa maturité, ils l’ont nommé raja. Alors, le poste avait été largement réduit à une fonction surtout administrative au bas de la bureaucratie coloniale, même si les Hollandais appelaient les rajas des Indes orientales Hollandaises « gouverneurs autonomes ». Servus semble avoir perdu le moral après une agression à laquelle il ne survécut qu’après une nage de six heures dans la mer. Au final, il déçut à la fois les fonctionnaires hollandais et les missionnaires catholiques locaux qui l’obligèrent à démissionner. Par la suite, les Hollandais furent contraints au départ et l’état indonésien termina le travail de bureaucratisation de l’administration locale en mettant fin à la fonction de raja.

Early stone technology on Flores and its implications for Homo floresiensis.

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Brumm, Adam; Aziz, Fachroel; van den Bergh, Gert D; Morwood, Michael J; Moore, Mark W; Kurniawan, Iwan; Hobbs, Douglas R; Fullagar, Richard

2006-06-01

In the Soa Basin of central Flores, eastern Indonesia, stratified archaeological sites, including Mata Menge, Boa Lesa and Kobatuwa (Fig. 1), contain stone artefacts associated with the fossilized remains of Stegodon florensis, Komodo dragon, rat and various other taxa. These sites have been dated to 840-700 kyr bp (thousand years before present). The authenticity of the Soa Basin artefacts and their provenance have been demonstrated by previous work, but to quell lingering doubts, here we describe the context, attributes and production modes of 507 artefacts excavated at Mata Menge. We also note specific similarities, and apparent technological continuity, between the Mata Menge stone artefacts and those excavated from Late Pleistocene levels at Liang Bua cave, 50 km to the west. The latter artefacts, dated to between 95-74 and 12 kyr ago, are associated with the remains of a dwarfed descendent of S. florensis, Komodo dragon, rat and a small-bodied hominin species, Homo floresiensis, which had a brain size of about 400 cubic centimetres. The Mata Menge evidence negates claims that stone artefacts associated with H. floresiensis are so complex that they must have been made by modern humans (Homo sapiens).

Lower baseline performance but greater plasticity of working memory for carriers of the val allele of the COMT Val¹⁵⁸Met polymorphism.

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Bellander, Martin; Bäckman, Lars; Liu, Tian; Schjeide, Brit-Maren M; Bertram, Lars; Schmiedek, Florian; Lindenberger, Ulman; Lövdén, Martin

2015-03-01

Little is known about genetic contributions to individual differences in cognitive plasticity. Given that the neurotransmitter dopamine is critical for cognition and associated with cognitive plasticity, we investigated the effects of 3 polymorphisms of dopamine-related genes (LMX1A, DRD2, COMT) on baseline performance and plasticity of working memory (WM), perceptual speed, and reasoning. One hundred one younger and 103 older adults underwent approximately 100 days of cognitive training, and extensive testing before and after training. We analyzed the baseline and posttest data using latent change score models. For working memory, carriers of the val allele of the COMT polymorphism had lower baseline performance and larger performance gains from training than carriers of the met allele. There was no significant effect of the other genes or on other cognitive domains. We relate this result to available evidence indicating that met carriers perform better than val carriers in WM tasks taxing maintenance, whereas val carriers perform better at updating tasks. We suggest that val carriers may show larger training gains because updating operations carry greater potential for plasticity than maintenance operations. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved.

Gyriosomus granulipennis Pizarro-Araya & Flores 2004 (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae: An extreme case to preserve Gyriosomus granulipennis Pizarro-Araya & Flores 2004 (Coleóptera: Tenebrionidae: Un caso extremo a conservar

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JAIME PIZARRO-ARAYA

2012-09-01

Full Text Available The Choros Archipelago includes three islands: Choros, Damas and Gaviota and it is part of The Pingüino de Humboldt National Reserve. These insular ecosystems are within the Chilean transitional coastal (25°-32° S. Prior researches in the archipelago reported a species of Tenebrionidae (Coleoptera endemic to Choros island (29°15' S, 71°32' W described as Gyriosomus granulipennis Pizarro-Araya & Flores. The objective of this paper is to evaluate the vulnerability of this species in the archipelago through Conservation Priority Index (CPI, Environmental Ministery of Chile (MMA and Red List of IUCN. We concluded that G. granulipennis is Endangered by CPI index, and Vulnerable by MMA of Chile. Additionally, this species can be classiffied with Deficient Data (DD by IUCN because many of data are impossible or difficult to obtain for insects and can overestimate or underestimate the risk of extinction of this species. We consider important to monitoring the continuity of this species and the protection of habitat, for which we propose not allow access the tourists and eradication of European rabbit.El archipiélago de Los Choros, conformado por las islas Choros, Damas y Gaviota forma parte de la Reserva Nacional Pingüino de Humboldt y está situado dentro del desierto costero transicional de Chile (25°-32° S. Estudios recientes realizados en el archipiélago dan cuenta de una especie endémica de Tenebrionidae (Coleoptera de la isla Choros (29°15' S, 71°32' O descripta como Gyriosomus granulipennis Pizarro-Araya & Flores. El objetivo del presente trabajo es evaluar la prioridad de conservación de esta especie en el archipiélago mediante el análisis del Índice de Prioridad de Conservación (CPI, clasificación del Ministerio de Medio Ambiente (MMA de Chile y lista roja de la IUCN. Nuestros resultados sostienen que esta especie puede ser catalogada en categoría En peligro por el índice CPI y Vulnerable según el MMA. Según criterios

Biologia floral e visitantes de Gaylussacia brasiliensis (Spr. Meissner (Ericaceae - uma espécie com anteras poricidas polinizada por beija-flores Floral biology and visitors of Gaylussacia brasiliensis (Spr. Meissner (Ericaceae - a poricidal anther species pollinated by hummingbirds

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Francielle Paulina de Araújo

2011-06-01

Full Text Available A biologia floral de Gaylussacia brasiliensis (Spr. Meissner (Ericaceae foi estudada na borda de uma mata de galeria na reserva ecológica do Clube de Caça e Pesca Itororó de Uberlândia, Minas Gerais. G. brasiliensis é um arbusto que pode alcançar de 0,3 a 3,0 m de altura e ocorre de forma isolada ou agregada. Apresenta floração contínua e possui inflorescências racemosas, axilares com flores pendentes. As flores são hermafroditas, vermelhas, de corola urceolada, apresentam antese diurna e ausência odor. O néctar apresentou volume de cerca de 3,0 μL e concentração de açúcares por volta de 13%. G. brasiliensis é autocompatível, não apresenta autopolinização espontânea e nem apomixia. Os polinizadores foram os beijaflores: Chlorostlibon lucidus (Shaw, Amazilia fimbirata (Gmelin, Hylocharis chrysura (Shaw (Throchilinae e Phaethornis pretrei (Lesson & DeLattre (Phaethornithinae. G. brasiliensis apresenta anteras poricidas com poros amplos e os beija-flores, quando adejam com o bico inserido nas flores em busca de néctar, fornecem a vibração necessária para a liberação dos grãos de pólen. Apesar de apresentar volume e concentração de açúcar no néctar relativamente pequenos, os agrupamentos de indivíduos com muitas flores parecem atrair beija-flores com comportamento territorial.The floral biology of Gaylussacia brasiliensis (Spr. Meissner (Ericaceae was studied on swampy edges of a gallery forest in Uberlandia, Minas Gerais. Gaylussacia brasiliensis is a shrub 0.3 to 3.0 m tall that occurs isolated or aggregated and has continuous flowering. The axillary racemose inflorescences produce four to dozens of pendulous flowers. The flowers are hermaphroditic, red, urceolate, odorless and have diurnal anthesis. Concentration of sugars in nectar was c. 13% and volume c. 3.0 μL. G. brasiliensis is a self-compatible, non apomictic species, which does not present spontaneous self-pollination. The pollinators of G

KEJADIAN PNEUMONIA BALITA DI MAUMERE FLORES NUSA TENGGARA TIMUR

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Vivian Nanny Lia Dewi

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Background: Pneumonia is the most significant disease to cause death in children compared to any other respiratoy infections, particularly in babies and children under five years old. Objective: This study aimed to investigate several risk factors for pneumonia in children under five years old in Maumere, Flores, NTT. Methods: This sudy employed collaborative qualitative-quantitative design. Data on the occurrence of pneumonia were drawn from the medical record of TC Hillers Maumere hospital, gathering information from January to July 2015. Research also involved direct observation to residents housing and interviews with health care providers and locals. Research population was children under five with a history of pneumonia, consisted of 152 children. Data were alayzed with a univariate method. Results: The majority of respondents with pneumonia were male (53.3%, co-morbid with iron deficiency anemia (20.4%, aged under 12 months (69.1%, well-nourished (56.6%, and waiting for 1-3 days at home before going to the hospital (47.5%. Direct observation suggested that Maumere was a dry and dusty area. The majority of housing roof was zinc, with topsoil floor, house ventilation were not properly adjusted, houses were over-populated, and residents still used wood and gasoline to cook. Residents had strong belief on supernatural powers. Conclusion: Risk factors that increased the occurrence of pneumonia in children under five in Maumere were age, sex, nutritional status, and environment characteristics.

Perceived Stress in Adults Aged 65 to 90: Relations to Facets of Time Perspective and COMT Val158Met Polymorphism.

Science.gov (United States)

Rönnlund, Michael; Åström, Elisabeth; Adolfsson, Rolf; Carelli, Maria G

2018-01-01

This study examined the relation between perceived stress and time perspective (views of past, present, future) in a population-based sample of older adults (65-90 years, N = 340). The Perceived Questionnaire (PSQ index) was used to measure stress and the Swedish version of the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory (S-ZTPI) was used to operationalize time perspective. Unlike the original inventory, S-ZTPI separates positive and negative aspects of a future time perspective and we hypothesized that the Future Negative (FN) scale would be important to account for variations in stress. Additionally, associations with Catechol-O-methyltransferase ( COMT ) Val 158 Met polymorphism were examined, motivated by prior associations of this single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) with stress (or "anxiety") related personality traits. In line with the hypotheses, FN was the strongest predictor of PSQ index scores in multiple regression analyses. In a related vein, the dichotomization of the unitary Future scale increased the association between PSQ scores and a measure of deviations from a balanced time perspective, i.e., the difference between a proposed optimal and observed ZTPI profile. Finally, higher levels of stress as well as higher scores on FN were observed in COMT Val/Val carriers, at least among men. This suggests a shared dopaminergic genetic influence on these variables. Collectively, the results demonstrate that perceived stress is closely linked to time perspective and highlight the need to take negative aspects of a future temporal orientation into account to understand this relation.

Leptospirosis in Franche-Comté (FRANCE): clinical, biological, and therapeutic data.

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Estavoyer, J M; Chirouze, C; Faucher, J F; Floret, N; Couetdic, G; Leroy, J; Hoen, B

2013-09-01

We report the patient data in 77 cases of leptospirosis confirmed by PCR and/or serology (micro-agglutination), observed between 1994 and 2008 at the Besançon teaching hospital. Our aim was to compare the epidemiological, clinical, biological, and therapeutic characteristics of leptospirosis in the Franche-Comté region, to those reported in other regions. The median age was 42years and 95% were male patients. Leptospirosis acquisition was likely related to aquatic leisure activities (50.6%), professional exposure (28.6%), building maintenance works (11.7%), or unknown (9.1%). Forty-eight cases were uncomplicated and 29 were severe presentations of leptospirosis. Among severe cases, eight patients had to be managed in an intensive care unit, and one patient died. L. grippotyphosa and L. icterohaemorrhagiae were the main serogroups involved. Age above 50years and serogroup L. icterohaemorrhagiae were positively associated with clinical severity. The outcome was favorable for 15 patients treated with ceftriaxone for less than 7days. We recommended conducting clinical trials aiming at validating short courses of ceftriaxone to treat leptospirosis. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier SAS.

The association between COMT rs4680 and 5-HTTLPR genotypes and concussion history in South African rugby union players.

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Mc Fie, Sarah; Abrahams, Shameemah; Patricios, Jon; Suter, Jason; Posthumus, Michael; September, Alison V

2018-04-01

The objective was to investigate the relationship between Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) rs4680 and serotonin-transporter-linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR) genotypes with concussion history and personality traits. Rugby players ("all levels": n = 303), from high schools ("junior", n = 137), senior amateur, and professional teams ("senior", n = 166), completed a self-reported concussion history questionnaire, Cloninger's Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire, and donated a DNA sample. Participants were allocated into control (non-concussed, n = 140), case (all) (previous suspected or diagnosed concussions, n = 163), or case (diagnosed only) (previous diagnosed concussion, n = 140) groups. COMT rs4680 Val/Val genotypes were over-represented in controls in all levels (P = 0.013, OR:2.00, 95% CI:1.15-3.57) and in juniors (P = 0.003, OR:3.57, 95% CI:1.45-9.09). Junior Val/Val participants displayed increased "anticipatory worry" (P = 0.023). The 5-HTTLPR low expressing group was under-represented in controls when all levels were considered (P = 0.032; OR:2.02, 95% CI:1.05-3.90) and in juniors (P = 0.021; OR:3.36, 95% CI:1.16-9.72). Junior 5-HTTLPR low and intermediate expressing groups displayed decreased "harm avoidance" (P = 0.009), "anticipatory worry" (P = 0.041), and "fear of uncertainty" (P < 0.001). This study provides preliminary indications that personality associated genetic variants can influence concussion in rugby.

Genetic polymorphisms in CYP1A1, CYP1B1 and COMT genes in Greenlandic Inuit and Europeans.

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Ghisari, Mandana; Long, Manhai; Bonefeld-Jørgensen, Eva C

2013-01-01

The Indigenous Arctic population is of Asian descent, and their genetic background is different from the Caucasian populations. Relatively little is known about the specific genetic polymorphisms in genes involved in the activation and detoxification mechanisms of environmental contaminants in Inuit and its relation to health risk. The Greenlandic Inuit are highly exposed to legacy persistent organic pollutants (POPs) such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), and an elucidation of gene-environment interactions in relation to health risks is needed. The aim of this study was to determine and compare the genotype and allele frequencies of the cytochrome P450 CYP1A1 Ile462Val (rs1048943), CYP1B1 Leu432Val (rs1056836) and catechol-O-methyltransferase COMT Val158Met (rs4680) in Greenlandic Inuit (n=254) and Europeans (n=262) and explore the possible relation between the genotypes and serum levels of POPs. The genotype and allele frequency distributions of the three genetic polymorphisms differed significantly between the Inuit and Europeans. For Inuit, the genotype distribution was more similar to those reported for Asian populations. We observed a significant difference in serum polychlorinated biphenyl (CB-153) and the pesticide 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)-ethylene (p,p'-DDE) levels between Inuit and Europeans, and for Inuit also associations between the POP levels and genotypes for CYP1A1, CYP1B1 and COMT. Our data provide new information on gene polymorphisms in Greenlandic Inuit that might support evaluation of susceptibility to environmental contaminants and warrant further studies.

Ordem e Progresso: Augusto Comte e as influências do Positivismo na educação das mulheres na Primeira República brasileira

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Loraine Lopes de Oliveira

2018-04-01

Full Text Available O presente artigo tem como objetivo apresentar uma reflexão acerca da influência do Positivismo na educação das mulheres no contexto da Primeira República brasileira (1889-1930, também chamada de República Velha. Faz-se uma breve abordagem inicial a respeito de Augusto Comte e o surgimento da filosofia positivista e posteriormente se discorre sobre a influência do Positivismo na educação das mulheres, a qual era vista como um elemento chave para a concretização da nova sociedade que se projetava, para o progresso e a modernização. A pesquisa tem caráter bibliográfico e fundamenta-se nos pressupostos teóricos do materialismo histórico-dialético, que busca compreender os fenômenos sociais e históricos a partir da existência material dos homens. A discussão prioriza a relação da educação com os fatores econômicos, políticos e sociais, já que se compreende que o objeto de pesquisa não pode ser entendido como uma situação isolada de seu contexto histórico. Palavras-chave: Positivismo. Primeira República Brasileira. Educação das mulheres.   Order and Progress: Augusto Comte and the influences of Positivism in the education of women in the First Brazilian Republic ABSTRACT The present article aims to present a reflection on the influence of positivism in the education of women in the context of the First Brazilian Republic (1889-1930, also called the Old Republic. A brief initial approach is given to Augusto Comte and the emergence of the positivist philosophy and later it talks about the influence of positivism in the education of women, a qualitative perspective as a key element for a concretization of the new society which was projected, for progress and modernization. The research has a bibliographic character and is based on the theoretical assumptions of historical-dialectical materialism, which seeks social and historical phenomena from the material reality of men. The discussion prioritizes the relationship

Model of sustainability of vernacular kampongs within Ngadha culture, Flores

Science.gov (United States)

Susetyarto, M. B.

2018-01-01

In the indigenous people of Ngadha, Flores (8°52’40.45”South, 120°59’8.18”East), the phenomenon of sustainability could be seen in its very interesting architectural traces in the setting of local factors. The sustainability phenomenon had a high value in their life and it was clearly indicated in daily activities as well as farmers, weavers, or carpenters. The phenomenon was unique and has been successfully created as a model. The research has been done by qualitative method in inductive paradigm. The data collection and comprehensive analysis have done in the field by occasional discussions with some sources of Ngadha traditional experts, vernacular architecture researchers, sociologists, anthropologists, and others. The result was a model of sustainability of vernacular kampongs within Ngadha culture, namely Tuku nunga lo’a ghera adha Ngadha. The concept of sustainability was a cultural event that synergizes the five factors supporting continuously sustainability until the optimum momentum of sustainability occurred in those synergistic conditions. The five factors were natural environment (one nua), indigenous community (mesu mora), vernacular architecture (sa’o bhaga ngadhu ture), economy (ngo ngani), and Ngadha culture (adha Ngadha). The significance and impact of the research were to provide input for the completeness of sustainability knowledge, especially the vernacular kampongs sustainability model.

Ritual and reflexes of lost sovereignty in Sikka, a regency of Flores in eastern Indonesia

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E.D. Lewis

2008-12-01

Full Text Available In 1993 some among the Sikkanese population of the town of Maumere on the north coast of Flores in eastern Indonesia attended a ritual to reconcile the members of two branches of the family of the rajas of Sikka, a dynasty that had once ruled the district. The two branches had fallen out over differences in opinion about the last succession to the office of raja a few years before the end of the rajadom in the late 1950s. A description of the ritual, which was conducted in an urban rather than a village setting, and an analysis of the performance demonstrate much about the persistence of elements of the old Sikkanese religion in modern Sikkanese society. The contemporary Sikkanese are Christians and the regency of Sikka is part of the modern Indonesian nation-state.

Una alianza en temas seguridad entre México y Estados Unidos

OpenAIRE

Lina María Mejía; Estefanía Aristizabal

2013-01-01

Reseña del siguiente libro:VELÁZQUEZ FLORES, Rafael y Juan Pablo Prado Lallande (coords.) (2009). La Iniciativa Mérida: ¿nuevo paradigma de cooperaciónentre México y Estados Unidos en seguridad?. México: Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla/Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. 441 pp.

Una alianza en temas seguridad entre México y Estados Unidos

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Lina María Mejía

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Reseña del siguiente libro:VELÁZQUEZ FLORES, Rafael y Juan Pablo Prado Lallande (coords. (2009. La Iniciativa Mérida: ¿nuevo paradigma de cooperaciónentre México y Estados Unidos en seguridad?. México: Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla/Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. 441 pp.

Perceived Stress in Adults Aged 65 to 90: Relations to Facets of Time Perspective and COMT Val158Met Polymorphism

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Michael Rönnlund

2018-03-01

Full Text Available This study examined the relation between perceived stress and time perspective (views of past, present, future in a population-based sample of older adults (65–90 years, N = 340. The Perceived Questionnaire (PSQ index was used to measure stress and the Swedish version of the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory (S-ZTPI was used to operationalize time perspective. Unlike the original inventory, S-ZTPI separates positive and negative aspects of a future time perspective and we hypothesized that the Future Negative (FN scale would be important to account for variations in stress. Additionally, associations with Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT Val158Met polymorphism were examined, motivated by prior associations of this single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP with stress (or “anxiety” related personality traits. In line with the hypotheses, FN was the strongest predictor of PSQ index scores in multiple regression analyses. In a related vein, the dichotomization of the unitary Future scale increased the association between PSQ scores and a measure of deviations from a balanced time perspective, i.e., the difference between a proposed optimal and observed ZTPI profile. Finally, higher levels of stress as well as higher scores on FN were observed in COMT Val/Val carriers, at least among men. This suggests a shared dopaminergic genetic influence on these variables. Collectively, the results demonstrate that perceived stress is closely linked to time perspective and highlight the need to take negative aspects of a future temporal orientation into account to understand this relation.

Estradiol replacement enhances fear memory formation, impairs extinction and reduces COMT expression levels in the hippocampus of ovariectomized female mice.

Science.gov (United States)

McDermott, Carmel M; Liu, Dan; Ade, Catherine; Schrader, Laura A

2015-02-01

Females experience depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and anxiety disorders at approximately twice the rate of males, but the mechanisms underlying this difference remain undefined. The effect of sex hormones on neural substrates presents a possible mechanism. We investigated the effect of ovariectomy at two ages, before puberty and in adulthood, and 17β-estradiol (E2) replacement administered chronically in drinking water on anxiety level, fear memory formation, and extinction. Based on previous studies, we hypothesized that estradiol replacement would impair fear memory formation and enhance extinction rate. Females, age 4 weeks and 10 weeks, were divided randomly into 4 groups; sham surgery, OVX, OVX+low E2 (200nM), and OVX+high E2 (1000nM). Chronic treatment with high levels of E2 significantly increased anxiety levels measured in the elevated plus maze. In both age groups, high levels of E2 significantly increased contextual fear memory but had no effect on cued fear memory. In addition, high E2 decreased the rate of extinction in both ages. Finally, catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) is important for regulation of catecholamine levels, which play a role in fear memory formation and extinction. COMT expression in the hippocampus was significantly reduced by high E2 replacement, implying increased catecholamine levels in the hippocampus of high E2 mice. These results suggest that estradiol enhanced fear memory formation, and inhibited fear memory extinction, possibly stabilizing the fear memory in female mice. This study has implications for a neurobiological mechanism for PTSD and anxiety disorders. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Upwelling Dynamic Based on Satellite and INDESO Data in the Flores Sea

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Kurniawan, Reski; Suriamihardja, D. A.; Hamzah Assegaf, Alimuddin

2018-03-01

Upwelling phenomenon is crucial to be forecasted, mainly concerning the information of potential fishery areas. Utilization of calibrated model for recorded upwelling such as INDESO gives benefit for historical result up to the present time. The aim of this study is to estimate areas and seasons of upwelling occurrences in the Flores Sea using data assimilation of satellite and modeling result. This study uses sea surface temperature, chlorophyll-a data from level 3 of MODIS image and sea surface height from satellite Jason-2 monthly for three years (2014-2016) and INDESO model data for sea surface temperature, sea surface height, and chlorophyll-a daily for three years (2014-2016). The upwelling is indicated by declining of sea surface temperature, sea surface height and increasing of chlorophyll-a. Verification is conducted by comparing the model result with recorded MODIS satellite image. The result shows that the area of southern Makassar Strait having occurrences of upwelling phenomenon every year starting in June, extended to July and August. The strongest upwelling occurred in 2015 covering more or less the area of 23,000 km2. The relation of monthly data of satellite has significantly correlated with daily data of INDESO model

Isolation and identification of flavonoids, including flavone rotamers, from the herbal drug 'Crataegi folium cum flore' (hawthorn).

Science.gov (United States)

Rayyan, S; Fossen, T; Solheim Nateland, H; Andersen, O M

2005-01-01

Twelve flavonoids, including seven flavones, four flavonols and one flavanone, were isolated from methanolic extract of the herbal drug 'Crataegi folium cum flore' (hawthorn leaves and flowers) by a combination of CC (over Amberlite XAD-7 and Sephadex LH-20) and preparative HPLC. Their structures, including that of the novel flavonol 8-methoxykaempferol 3-O-(6"-malonyl-beta-glucopyranoside), were elucidated by homo- and heteronuclear NMR and electrospray/MS. The 1H- and 13C-NMR of all compounds, including rotameric pairs of five flavone C-glycosides, were assigned. The presence and relative proportion of each rotamer was shown by various NMR experiments, including two-dimensional nuclear Overhauser and exchange spectroscopy, to depend on solvent, linkage position and structure of the C-glycosyl substituent.

Comercialização de flores e plantas ornamentais no segmento varejista no município de Lavras/MG Flowes and ornamentals plantas commercialization in retailer segment at Lavras/MG

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Marina Ceratti

2007-08-01

Full Text Available O mercado brasileiro de flores e plantas ornamentais apresenta-se com perspectivas de crescimento e conseqüente incremento para os principais segmentos da cadeia produtiva: produção, distribuição e comercialização. Esta previsão, bastante otimista, vem atraindo para o setor novos empreendedores, com conseqüente aumento da concorrência e a constante necessidade da busca por novos produtos e serviços. Com o objetivo de compreender a nova tendência da cadeia de flores e plantas ornamentais e de avaliar a estrutura do segmento varejista no município de Lavras (MG, realizou-se um levantamento de informações junto aos estabelecimentos que comercializam flores e plantas ornamentais, no primeiro semestre de 2003. Para tanto, utilizou-se de uma pesquisa de caráter exploratório, com perguntas voltadas à estrutura operacional da empresa, além de questões sociais sobre o florista, podendo-se citar o nível de conhecimento na área e preocupação com atualização. No município não há estabelecimentos com auto-serviço de flores e plantas ornamentais, apenas floriculturas comerciais, que totalizam 11 estabelecimentos, dentre os quais, 64% realizam projetos paisagísticos, 73% oferecem trabalhos de jardinagem, e 45% possuem produção própria, sendo que esta se caracteriza, de modo geral, por plantios protegidos em pequenas áreas, voltados para o próprio abastecimento, apenas com cultivos orgânicos, simplificados, de mudas para jardim. Assim, todos dependem do fornecimento regular de plantas, em sua maioria realizado diretamente por grandes atacadistas, ponto a ponto. De maneira geral, observou-se que os varejistas limitam-se à participação na disputa de preços, mostrando-se preocupados com os altos níveis de competitividade em que o mercado encontra-se e menos interessados na diversificação dos produtos e serviços e estratégias de marketing. Por outro lado, há poucos comerciantes voltados para a oferta de produtos com

Estudo comparativo de flores casmógamas, cleistógamas e de frutos de Camarea affinis St.-Hil. (Malpighiaceae Comparative study of casmogamous and cleistogamous flowers and Camarea affinis St.-Hil. fruits (Malpighiaceae

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Maria Candida Henrique Mamede

1993-07-01

Full Text Available O gênero Camarea pertence a tribo Gaudichaudieae caracterizada pela redução no número de elementos do androceu, gineceu parcialmente sincárpico, estilete único e ginobásico e pela ocorrência de flores cleistógamas. Neste trabalho é feito o estudo de Camarea affinis St-Hil. no que se refere à morfologia e á anatomia de flores casmógamas e cleistógamas, assim como de seus respectivos frutos.The genus Camarea belongs to the tribe Gaudichaudieae, which is traditionally characterized by a solitaiy gynobasic style, presence of veiy reduced cleistogamous flowers, an androecium of 6 staminal elements and carpels only partially united. This paper presents information about the morphology and the anatomy of chamosgamous and cleistogamous flowers and fruits of Camarea affinis St HiL

Imaging oxytocin x dopamine interactions: An epistasis effect of CD38 and COMT gene variants influences the impact of oxytocin on amygdala activation to social stimuli

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Carina eSauer

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Although oxytocin (OT has become a major target for the investigation of positive social processes, it can be assumed that it exerts its effects in concert with other neurotransmitters. One candidate for such an interaction is dopamine (DA. For both systems, genetic variants have been identified that influence the availability of the particular substance. A variant of the gene coding for the transmembrane protein CD38 (rs3796863, which is engaged in OT secretion, has been associated with OT plasma level. The common catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT val158met polymorphism is known to influence COMT activity and therefore the degradation of DA. The present study aimed to investigate OTxDA interactions in the context of an OT challenge study. Hence, we tested the influence of the above mentioned genetic variants and their interaction on the activation of different brain regions (amygdala, VTA, ventral striatum and fusiform gyrus during the presentation of social stimuli. In a pharmacological cross-over design 55 participants were investigated under OT and placebo (PLA by means of fMRI.Brain imaging results revealed no significant effects for VTA or ventral striatum. Regarding the fusiform gyrus, we could not find any effects apart from those already described in (Sauer et al., 2012. Analyses of amygdala activation resulted in no gene main effect, no gene x substance interaction but a significant gene x gene x substance interaction. While under PLA the effect of CD38 on bilateral amygdala activation to social stimuli was modulated by the COMT genotype, no such epistasis effect was found under OT. Our results provide evidence for an OTxDA interaction during responses to social stimuli. We postulate that the effect of central OT secretion on amygdala response is modulated by the availability of DA. Therefore, for an understanding of the effect of social hormones on social behavior, interactions of OT with other transmitter systems have to be taken

Decree 343/012. Is regulated the servitude established by Decree-Law 10,383, on several lines of electricity conduction -150 KV to be built in the departments of Florida, Cerro Largo, Maldonado, Flores, San Jose and Tacuarembo

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2012-01-01

This decree regulates the establishment of electricity conduction in Florida, Cerro Largo, Maldonado, Flores, San Jose and Tacuarembo towns. These electrical lines are necessary to provide the public service by UTE

Identifikasi longsoran bawah laut berdasarkan penafsiran seismik pantul di perairan Flores

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Kris Budiono

2014-06-01

Full Text Available http://dx.doi.org/10.17014/ijog.vol4no1.20092Submarine sliding frequently cause tsunami or a high velocity big wave around the submarine slid- ing area which enable to reach a long distance. This sliding is not always as a causal factor for hazard and even associate with storm and earthquake. Some of them occur in a narrow area and it’s just formed due to gravitational movement. Different with mechanism of landslide, which is commonly due to water saturated soil, the submarine sliding is a more complex event. The submarine sliding is an important natural process which causes a big volume of sediment mass moves from a shallow area to a much deeper area of seafloor. There are many types and causal factors of seafloor instability, but the sliding terminology is predominantly used for the phenomena. A variety of seafloor materials, environments and sediment masses are some extreme influential factors in creat- ing the types of submarine sliding. The reflector of seismics is usefull to interpret the indications of the occurrence of geological structure and sub-marine slumping In case of the Flores Sea, earthquake is a major causal factor for creating submarine sliding. The bigger magnitude of earthquake, the greater the dimension of submarine sliding. Eventually, it may affect to the more possible occurrence of a potential hazardous tsunami.  

Effects of COMT, DRD2, BDNF, and APOE Genotypic Variation on Treatment Efficacy and Cognitive Side Effects of Electroconvulsive Therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Bousman, Chad A; Katalinic, Natalie; Martin, Donel M; Smith, Deidre J; Ingram, Anna; Dowling, Nathan; Ng, Chee; Loo, Colleen K

2015-06-01

The aim of this study was to explore the main and interaction effects of the COMT Val158Met, DRD2 C957T, BDNF Val66Met, and APOE polymorphisms on treatment efficacy and cognitive side effects of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). A total of 117 adult inpatients with a diagnosis of major depressive disorder recruited from 3 hospitals were administered the Montgomery-Äsberg Depression Rating Scale and a cognitive battery assessing global cognition, anterograde memory, executive function, speed and concentration, as well as retrograde memory at baseline and after ECT treatment. DRD2 C957T heterozygotes had 3.7 (95% confidence interval, 1.13-12.25; P = 0.032) greater odds of remission compared with CC homozygotes. Among the men, COMT Val/Val carriers had greater depressive symptom reduction compared with Met/Met carriers (Montgomery-Äsberg Depression Rating Scale percentage of reduction, 76% vs 35%; P = 0.020) but not among the women (P = 0.903) after ECT. For cognitive outcomes, an interaction effect on anterograde memory was observed between the DRD2 and BDNF polymorphisms (P = 0.016), in which carriers of the DRD2 TT and BDNF Val/Val genotypes had significantly less decline in anterograde performance than those that carried the TC and Met-allele (P = 0.001) or CC and Met-allele (P = 0.003) genotypes. However, no results withstood correction for multiple comparisons. These observations provide preliminary evidence supporting an association between common functional genotypic variation and ECT efficacy as well as anterograde memory side effects after ECT. Validation of these findings is required before firm conclusions can be made and clinical utility can be assessed.

Biologia reprodutiva de Psychotria poeppigiana Mull. Arg. (Rubiaceae em mata de galeria Reproductive biology of Psychotria poeppigiana Mull. Arg. (Rubiaceae in gallery forest

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Christiano Peres Coelho

2004-09-01

Full Text Available Psychotria L. (Rubiaceae é o gênero com mais espécies heterostílicas dentre as Angiospermas. O objetivo deste trabalho é descrever a biologia floral, fenologia, o sistema reprodutivo e os polinizadores de Psychotria poeppigiana Müll. Arg. As inflorescências são capitadas terminais, com brácteas vermelhas e flores amarelas apresentando dois morfos distintos: brevistiladas e longistiladas, caracterizadas por flores hermafroditas com diferentes comprimentos de estiletes e posicionamento oposto das anteras (hercogamia recíproca. Encontrou-se diferenças no tamanho das anteras, dos grãos de pólen e da superfície estigmática entre os morfotipos. Polinizações controladas mostraram que os morfotipos apresentam auto-incompatibilidade e intramorfo-incompatibilidade ao nível do estigma e do estilete. Os visitantes são pequenas vespas, abelhas, borboletas e beija-flores, que visitam as flores com maior freqüência no início da manhã. De acordo com a freqüência e eficiência no comportamento de transportar os grãos de pólen entre os morfos florais, o principal polinizador foi o beija-flor Thalurania furcata. O néctar é produzido em pequena quantidade (máximo de 8µl e durante a abertura das flores, que ocorre entre 5 e 7h. A espécie forma agrupamentos devido à existência de reprodução vegetativa.Psychotria L. (Rubiaceae is the genus with the most heterostylous species in the angiosperms. The objective of this study is to describe floral biology, phenology, reproductive system, and pollinators of Psychotria poeppigiana Müll. Arg. The terminal inflorescences are capitate with red bracts and yellow flowers, and presented two different morphs: pin and thrum, characterized by hermaphroditic flowers with different lengths of styles and opposed position of the anthers (reciprocal herkogamy. Dimorphism was also observed in the size of anthers, pollen grains and stigmatic surfaces. Controlled pollination revealed self

Bees visitors of three species of Clusia (Clusiaceae flowers in Central Amazonia Abelhas visitantes de flores de três espécies de Clusia (Clusiacea na Amazônia Central

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Ana Claudia Kaminski

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Observations on bees visitors to three species of Clusia (Clusiaceae flowers in the Reserva Adolpho Ducke, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil were made during three two-week periods. The three species of Clusia, namely C. grandiflora, C. panapanari and C. insignis, presented variations regarding the species of bee visitors. A total of 23 bee species visited the three species of Clusia. The Euglossini and Meliponinae bees were the most frequent visitors of the Clusia flowers. Bee collecting behavior of floral resources is described.Durante seis semanas foram realizadas observações das abelhas visitantes de flores de três espécies de Clusia (Clusiaceae, na Reserva Florestal Adolpho Ducke, em Manaus. As três espécies de Clusia: C. grandiflora Splitg., C. panapanari (Aubl. e C. insignis Mart. apresentaram diferenças com relação às visitas de espécies de abelhas, tendo sido visitadas por 23 espécies. Abelhas Euglossini e Meliponinae foram os visitantes mais freqüentes em flores de Clusia. O comportamento de coleta de recursos florais é descrito.

Estudio químico de los compuestos lipídicos de las hojas, tallos y flores de Vernonanthura patens (Kunth) H. Rob. (Asteraceae)

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Manzano Santana, Patricia; Miranda Martínez, Migdalia; Montes de Oca Porto, Rodney; Orellana León, Tulio; Abreu Payrol, Juan; Peralta García, Esther L

2013-01-01

Introducción: Vernonanthura patens (Kunth) H. Rob. es una especie que crece silvestre en el Ecuador, para la cual existen escasos antecedentes de estudios químicos y biológicos, y en ninguno de estos se aborda el estudio de fracciones lipídicas. Objetivos: estudiar las fracciones de compuestos lipídicos presentes en las hojas, tallos y flores de la especie. Métodos: la planta se recolectó en estado adulto, en época de floración, los órganos vegetales fueron secados en estufa por separado, se ...

Entre/Plantas

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Montoro Coso, Ricardo; Sonntag, Franca Alexandra

2014-01-01

La palabra Inter-és proviene etimológicamente de las palabras latinas inter y esse; y significa “lo que está-entre dos o más personas, o sea lo que las une pero también las separa”. Los prefijos inter- y entre-, en la mayor parte de los casos, describen estados o acciones ambiguas de los términos que preceden. De esta operación aditiva surgen maclas de vocablos; el inter-sticio como la “hendidura o espacio que media entre dos cuerpos o entre dos partes de un mismo cuerpo”; y así sucesivamente...

Resúmenes de las tesis de grado en floricultura realizadas en la Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad Nacional de Colombia. Bogotá D.C., entre 1981 y 1993

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Casas Eduardo; Arbeláez Germán; Saavedra Alejandro; Chaves José Fransico; Molina Juan Carlos; Rodríguez Arias Pedro

1992-01-01

Reconocimiento e identificación de Phialophora cinerescens y Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. dianthi en el cultivo del clavel en la sabana de Bogotá. / Estudio del poder patogénico de Botrytis cinerea pers. Sobre cinco especies de flores de exportación. / Botrytis cinerea Pers. / Agente causal de la pudrición de las flores y de la corona del estatice (Limonium sinuatum