Reconfigurable systems for sequence alignment and for general dynamic programming

Reconfigurable systolic arrays can be adapted to efficiently resolve a wide spectrum of computational problems; parallelism is naturally explored in systolic arrays and reconfigurability allows for redefinition of the interconnections and operations even during run time (dynamically). We present a reconfigurable systolic architecture that can be applied for the efficient treatment of several dynamic programming methods for resolving well-known problems, such as global and local sequence alignment, approximate string matching and longest common subsequence. The dynamicity of the reconfigurability was found to be useful for practical applications in the construction of sequence alignments. A VHDL (VHSIC hardware description language) version of this new architecture was implemented on an APEX FPGA (Field programmable gate array). It would be several magnitudes faster than the software algorithm alternatives.

Histochemical detection of vitamins D, E and cholesterol in the tailfin rays of the teleost Tilapia rendalli

As nadadeiras dos teleósteos säo constituídas por unidades esqueléticas segmentares denominadas lepidotriquiais ou raios. Essas nadadeiras estäo envolvidas em processos regenerativos: assim, o conhecimento de sua estruturaçäo normal é de fundamental importância tanto para a compreensäo do processo de crescimento como de sua regeneraçäo. Com o objetivo de detectar substâncias lipídicas, as nadadeiras caudais foram fixadas pela formalina contendo bicloreto de cálcio a 3 por cento por 24 horas, à temperatura ambiente. Cortes com 10um de espessura, obtidos em micrótomo de congelaçäo foram submetidos às seguintes reaçöes histoquímicas específicas para lipídios: 1) Permanganato de Potássio Alcalino - Azul de Toluidina, para detecçäo de vitamina D; 2) Acido Perfórmico-Azul de Toluidina, para detecçäo de vitamina E e 3) Acido Peracético-Azul de Toluidina, para detecçäo de colesterol. Os controles para os testes histoquímicos 1, 2 e 3 foram feitos omitindo-se o agente oxidante. Reaçöes positivas obtidas para as reaçöes 1, 2 e 3 demonstraram a presença de vitamina D, E e colesterol nos raios das nadadeiras caudais da espécie Tilapia rendalli

A histopathologic study of the mechanism of Evans blue staining of myocardial infarcts in rats

In a study of the mechanism of Evans blue (EB) staining of experimental infarcts in rats, it has been reported that when the dye was injected iv before left coronary occlusion (LCO), it diffused centripetally from the periphery of the excluded vascular bed region (ExVB), i. e., the myocardial area with circulation interrupted by LCO, to its center. In the present study, we have attempted to identify the mechanism of this phenomenon. The animals were sacrificed at different times after EB injection, i.e., 10,20, and 30 min and 1,2,5, 4.5, 6, 16, 24 and 48 h. This phenomenon occurred from 4.5 up to 24 h after LCO and could not be ascribed to either collateral circulation or to venous backflow. We conclude that diffusion from one necrotic cell to another, beginning at the ill-perfused periphery of the ExVB (lateral and endocardial margins of the ExVB), and also at the epicardium (bathed by pericardial effusion rich in EB) is responsible for the production of the so-called "blue infarct"

Estudio comparativo de la prueba de coaglutinacion con la de bacitracina y precipitacion para el diagnostico de los estreptococos beta hemoliticos / Comparative study of the coagglutination, bacitracin and precipitation tests for the diagnosis of the beta hemolytic streptococci

En el presente estudio se comparan los metodos de precipitacion en tubos capilares, la sensibilidad a la bacitracina y la prueba de coaglutinacion Phadebact Estreptococcus test para la identificacion serologica de los estreptococos de los grupos A, B, C y G. De las 90 cepas estudiadas se observa una correlacion de 100% entre el Phadebact y la prueba de precipitacion empleando el metodo de Rantz y Randall, para esta ultima, el 6.6% de las cepas presenta reacciones cruzadas con el grupo G. Con la prueba de sensibilidad a la bacitracina, en el 4.4% de las cepas se observan reacciones falsas. Por los resultados obtenidos, consideramos la prueba de Phadebact Estreptococcus aceptable por su rapidez, confiabilidad y facilidad de ejecucion para se utilizada en los laboratorios de rutina para la determinacion de los grupos serologicos de estreptococos beta hemoliticos grupos A, B, C y G