Fungal diversity and metabolomic profiles in GM and isogenic non-GM maize cultivars from Brazil.

There is little knowledge of the microbial diversity, mycotoxins and associated secondary metabolites in GM maize and isogenic non-GM cultivars (cvs). This study has quantified the microbial populations and dominant fungal genera in 6 cvs of each type representative of herbicide, pesticide or stacked resistance to both. The predominant mycotoxins and targeted metabolomics profiles were also compared between the two sets of cvs. This showed that the overall fungal populations were 8.8 CFUs g-1 maize. The dominant genera, isolated from maize samples, whether surface-sterilised or not, in all maize cvs were Fusarium, followed by Penicillium, Aspergillus and occasionally Cladosporium and Alternaria. The analysis of the targeted metabolomics showed that approx. 29 different metabolites were detected. These were dominated by fumonisins and minor Penicillium spp. metabolites (questiomycin A and rugulovasine A). Interestingly, the range and number of mycotoxins present in the GM cvs were significantly lower than in the non-GM maize samples. This suggests that while the fungal diversity of the two types of maize appeared to be very similar, the major contaminant mycotoxins and range of toxic secondary metabolites were much lower in the GM cvs.

Activity modulation of microbial enzymes by llama (Lama glama) heavy-chain polyclonal antibodies during in vivo immune responses.

Since they were first described in 1993, it was found that recombinant variable fragments (rVHHs) of heavy-chain antibodies (HCAbs) from Camelidae have unusual biophysical properties, as well as a special ability to interact with epitopes that are cryptic for conventional Abs. It has been assumed that in vivo raised polyclonal HCAbs (pHCAbs) should behave in a similar manner than rVHHs; however, this assumption has not been tested sufficiently. Furthermore, our own preliminary work on a single serum sample from a llama immunized with a ß-lactamase, has suggested that pHCAbs have no special ability to down-modulate catalytic activity. In this work, we further explored the interaction of pHCAbs from four llamas raised against two microbial enzymes and analyzed it within a short and a long immunization plan. The relative contribution of pHCAbs to serum titer was found to be low compared with that of the most abundant conventional subisotype (IgG(1)), during the whole immunization schedule. Furthermore, pHCAbs not only failed to inhibit the enzymes, but also activated one of them. Altogether, these results suggest that raising high titer inhibitory HCAbs is not a straightforward strategy - neither as a biotechnological strategy nor in the biological context of an immune response against infection - as raising inhibitory rVHHs.

Evaluación de una cuarta división de futebol / Evaluation of fourth division of football

Se presentan los resultados del examen físico, antropométrico y evaluación funcional de 29 deportistas integrantes de un equipo de cuarta división de fútbol, de sexo masculino, cuyas edades estuvieron comprendidas entre 18 y 21 años. Se relevaron sus hábitos alimentarios, se obtuvo su somatotipo y somatocarta y se midieron en forma indirecta su capacidad aeróbica, consumo máximo de oxígeno y pulso de oxígeno a partir de una prueba máxima en banda ergométrica. Se observó comportamiento normal de la frecuencia cardíaca y presión arterial durante la prueba de esfuerzo. La capacidad aeróbica promedio estuvo en los 17,5 Mets. El consumo máximo de O2 calculado y el pulso de oxígeno estuvieron dentro de valores esperados para un programa de entrenamiento correcto. La encuesta alimentaria reveló alto consumo de carnes rojas y bajo de verduras y frutas. El porcentaje graso está en niveles ideales mientras que el muscular es ligeramente bajo. El somatotipo promedio es mesomórfico.(AU)

Evaluación de una cuarta división de futebol / Evaluation of fourth division of football

Se presentan los resultados del examen físico, antropométrico y evaluación funcional de 29 deportistas integrantes de un equipo de cuarta división de fútbol, de sexo masculino, cuyas edades estuvieron comprendidas entre 18 y 21 años. Se relevaron sus hábitos alimentarios, se obtuvo su somatotipo y somatocarta y se midieron en forma indirecta su capacidad aeróbica, consumo máximo de oxígeno y pulso de oxígeno a partir de una prueba máxima en banda ergométrica. Se observó comportamiento normal de la frecuencia cardíaca y presión arterial durante la prueba de esfuerzo. La capacidad aeróbica promedio estuvo en los 17,5 Mets. El consumo máximo de O2 calculado y el pulso de oxígeno estuvieron dentro de valores esperados para un programa de entrenamiento correcto. La encuesta alimentaria reveló alto consumo de carnes rojas y bajo de verduras y frutas. El porcentaje graso está en niveles ideales mientras que el muscular es ligeramente bajo. El somatotipo promedio es mesomórfico.