Papers by Ana Alice Coelho de Araujo
Revista Brasileira de Engenharia Agrícola e Ambiental, 2011
A pesquisa teve como objetivo analisar, com base nos indicadores de rentabilidade da análise de i... more A pesquisa teve como objetivo analisar, com base nos indicadores de rentabilidade da análise de investimento, a viabilidade econômica do processo de recuperação de um solo sódico no Perímetro Irrigado Curu-Pentecoste-CE. O delineamento experimental foi em blocos inteiramente casualizados com cinco tratamentos e cinco repetições. Os tratamentos de recuperação foram: T0: testemunha; T1: 40 t ha-1 de matéria orgânica (M.O); T2: 20 t ha-1 de gesso; T3: 20 t ha-1 gesso + 40 t ha-1 M.O.; T4: 10 t ha-1 gesso + 20 t ha-1 M.O. A análise dos indicadores de rentabilidade foi realizada de forma…
Revista de Salud Pública, 2009
Objetivo Compreender como gestantes e puérperas com pré-eclâmpsia, percebiam e vivenciavam a pré-... more Objetivo Compreender como gestantes e puérperas com pré-eclâmpsia, percebiam e vivenciavam a pré-eclâmpsia. Material e métodos Entrevistas e observação foram realizadas entre fevereiro e junho de 2007, no ambulatório e internamento de uma maternidade pública no Nordeste do Brasil, com 20 mulheres que apresentaram pré-eclâmpsia. A análise foi baseada na hermenêutica de Gadamer, com a construção de categorias temáticas. Resultados As mulheres percebiam a gravidade e alguns riscos aos quais estavam expostas, porém conheciam pouco acerca da pré-eclâmpsia e suas conseqüências e pouca informação foi repassada pelos profissionais de saúde que as acompanhavam. O sentimento mais presente entre elas foi o medo de morrer, de perder o bebê e o medo por não conhecer a doença. Conclusões A percepção da gravidade desta doença somada a pouca informação recebida durante o tratamento intensificou o medo destas mulheres. A adoção, por parte dos profissionais de saúde, de uma maior humanização do pré-natal de alto risco, em especial em relação à pré-eclâmpsia possibilitaria uma abordagem que considerasse a dimensão emocional das gestantes e puérperas durante as consultas.
Open Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2014
Background: Contraceptive methods (CM) are important resources in the prevention of adolescent pr... more Background: Contraceptive methods (CM) are important resources in the prevention of adolescent pregnancy. This study aimed to investigate adolescent knowledge, attitudes and practices related to contraception. Study Design: A cross-sectional and exploratory study was conducted with 7th to 9th grade adolescents in northeastern Brazil. Their knowledge, attitudes, and contraceptive method use were analysed by gender, age and sexual initiation groups. Results: A sexual debut had been experienced by 21% (n = 120) of all respondents (n = 570). The majority of the respondents who had experienced a sexual debut were male (73.3%, n = 88), their mean age was 15 years (SD = 1.46), and 49.3% (n = 59) never used any CM. The participants displayed low knowledge and unfavourable and ambivalent attitudes concerning contraception. Conclusion: Adolescents initiate sexual intercourse with knowledge and attitudes that limit the use of CM, which makes them more at risk of pregnancy. Further research that will be representative of the specific population in need of interventions is necessary.
Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, 2009
1Department of Biochemistry, UNIFESP, São Paulo, SP; 2Institute of Physics, USP-São Carlos, São C... more 1Department of Biochemistry, UNIFESP, São Paulo, SP; 2Institute of Physics, USP-São Carlos, São Carlos, SP; 3Department of Natural Science, UFMS, Três Lagoas, MS; 4Department of Biophysics, UNIFESP, São Paulo, SP, Brazil ... Introduction Insect pests are a major ...
Jornal Brasileiro de Pneumologia, 2010
OBJETIVO: Verificar a ocorrência da síndrome hepatopulmonar (SHP) em pacientes cirróticos candida... more OBJETIVO: Verificar a ocorrência da síndrome hepatopulmonar (SHP) em pacientes cirróticos candidatos a transplante de fígado; comparar as características demográficas, clínicas, laboratoriais e espirométricas, resultados de ecocardiografia, análise de gases arteriais e da gravidade da doença hepática nos pacientes com e sem SHP; e descrever a ocorrência de SHP no subgrupo de pacientes com cirrose associada à esquistossomose mansônica (doença hepática mista). MÉTODOS: Entre janeiro e novembro de 2007, foram avaliados 44 pacientes inscritos no Ambulatório de Transplante Hepático do Hospital das Clínicas da Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, em Recife (PE). Os critérios diagnósticos para SHP foram a presença de dilatações vasculares intrapulmonares, identificadas por ecocardiografia transtorácica, assim como diferença alveoloarterial de oxigênio > 15 mmHg ou PaO2 < 80 mmHg. RESULTADOS: A idade média foi 52 anos, e 31 pacientes (70%) eram do sexo masculino. A causa mais frequente...
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia, 2014
Yasha eMeRenciano baRRos 2 ana cRi stina Pi nheiRo FeRnanDes De aRaújo 1,2 stênia lins leão liMa ... more Yasha eMeRenciano baRRos 2 ana cRi stina Pi nheiRo FeRnanDes De aRaújo 1,2 stênia lins leão liMa 3 Resumo OBJETIVO: Avaliar o impacto da inserção da temática saúde sexual e reprodutiva na graduação de Medicina em uma universidade pública do Brasil. MÉTODOS: Foi desenvolvido instrumento de avaliação cognitiva em saúde sexual e reprodutiva com base nos temas abordados no componente curricular optativo Saúde Reprodutiva, resultando em prova objetiva de múltipla escolha contendo 27 itens. Os temas selecionados foram: direitos humanos, sexuais e reprodutivos (DHSR), sexualidade, violência institucional, gênero, violência sexual, concepção, contracepção, aborto/interrupção legal da gestação, mortalidade materna e doenças sexualmente transmissíveis (DSTs)-HIV/AIDS. Os temas foram agrupados em três dimensões do conhecimento: DHSR, legal/institucional e biomédica. Na análise de covariância, dois modelos multivariados foram ajustados. RESULTADOS: Participaram do estudo 183 alunos, 127 do grupo que cursou o componente curricular eletivo saúde reprodutiva (Grupo SR) e 56 do grupo que não cursou (Grupo Não SR). Noventa e seis alunos (52,5%) eram do sexo masculino e 87 (47,5%) do sexo feminino. A média de idade foi de 24,7±1,9 anos no Grupo SR e de 24,4±2,6 no Não SR. O desempenho médio do Grupo SR foi superior ao Não SR nos temas DHSR, sexualidade, violência institucional, violência sexual, aborto/interrupção legal e DSTs-HIV/AIDS. Não houve diferença no desempenho dos sexos masculino e feminino, com a exceção do tema mortalidade materna, no qual o grupo masculino foi inferior (6,9±0,2 e 7,8±0,2, respectivamente; p<0,05). CONCLUSÕES: A participação dos estudantes no componente curricular eletivo Saúde Reprodutiva mostrou-se associada com melhor desempenho em algumas dimensões da avaliação cognitiva, o que sugere um impacto positivo dessa iniciativa na formação médica generalista.
Interface - Comunicação, Saúde, Educação, 2012
FEBS Journal, 2008
Abrus pulchellus seeds contain at least seven closely related and highly toxic type 2 ribosome-in... more Abrus pulchellus seeds contain at least seven closely related and highly toxic type 2 ribosome-inactivating pulchellins, each consisting of a toxic A-chain linked to a sugar binding B-chain. In the present study, four pulchellin isoforms (termed P I, P II, P III and P IV) were isolated by affinity, ion exchange and chromatofocusing chromatographies, and investigated with respect to toxicity and sugar binding specificity. Half maximal inhibitory concentration and median lethal dose values indicate that P I and P II have similar toxicities and that both are more toxic to cultured HeLa cells and mice than P III and P IV. Interestingly, the secondary structural characteristics and sugar binding properties of the respective pairs of isoforms correlate well with the two toxicity levels, in that P I ⁄ P II and P III ⁄ P IV form two specific subgroups. From the deduced amino acids sequences of the four isoforms, it is clear that the highest similarity within each subgroup is found to occur within domain 2 of the B-chains, suggesting that the disparity in toxicity levels might be attributed to subtle differences in B-chain-mediated cell surface interactions that precede and determine toxin uptake pathways.
Revista Latino-Americana de Enfermagem, 2013
OBJECTIVE: To identify the meanings attributed by mothers to hypertensive disorders of pregnancy ... more OBJECTIVE: To identify the meanings attributed by mothers to hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDPs) and their consequences, such as premature birth and hospitalization of the infant in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). METHOD: A qualitative study, based on the Central Nucleus Theory, with 70 women who had hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and preterm delivery. We used the technique of free word association (FWAT) with three stimuli: high blood pressure during pregnancy, prematurity and NICU. RESULTS: We obtained 1007 evocations, distributed as follows: high blood pressure during pregnancy (335) prematurity (333) and NICU (339). These constituted three thematic units: representation of HDPs, prematurity and the NICU. The categories death and negative aspects were inherent to the three units analyzed, followed by coping strategies and needs for care present in HDPs and prematurity. CONCLUSION: The study had death as its central nucleus, and highlighted the subjective aspe...
Protein Expression and Purification, 2003
Abrus pulchellus type-2 RIP, or pulchellin, is a heterodimeric glycoprotein found in A. pulchellu... more Abrus pulchellus type-2 RIP, or pulchellin, is a heterodimeric glycoprotein found in A. pulchellus seeds. These chimerolectins, like all type-2 RIPs, are characterized as highly toxic proteins with enzymatic and lectin properties performed by two separate polypeptide subunits. Intending to obtain pure and homogeneous protein for structural and biological studies, the A. pulchellus type-2 RIP lectin subunit or pulchellin binding chain encoding gene fragment (PBC) was cloned. Oligonucleotides based on the sequence homologies between other RIPs like abrin and ricin were synthesized and used to amplify the complete PBC from A. pulchellus genomic DNA. The amplification product was inserted into plasmid pET28a to express the recombinant PBC (rPBC) in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3). The rPBC was expressed as inclusion bodies that were recovered and denatured in a buffer containing urea. Repeated dialysis rounds against the oxidation buffer, which presented the redox pair cysteine-cystine, D-galactose, and decreasing urea concentrations, conducted the protein refolding. The refolding process of rPBC was successfully confirmed by biological assays and circular dichroism.
PLoS ONE, 2010
Background: Septins belong to the GTPase superclass of proteins and have been functionally implic... more Background: Septins belong to the GTPase superclass of proteins and have been functionally implicated in cytokinesis and the maintenance of cellular morphology. They are found in all eukaryotes, except in plants. In mammals, 14 septins have been described that can be divided into four groups. It has been shown that mammalian septins can engage in homo-and heterooligomeric assemblies, in the form of filaments, which have as a basic unit a hetero-trimeric core. In addition, it has been speculated that the septin filaments may serve as scaffolds for the recruitment of additional proteins. Methodology/Principal Findings: Here, we performed yeast two-hybrid screens with human septins 1-10, which include representatives of all four septin groups. Among the interactors detected, we found predominantly other septins, confirming the tendency of septins to engage in the formation of homo-and heteropolymeric filaments. Conclusions/Significance: If we take as reference the reported arrangement of the septins 2, 6 and 7 within the heterofilament, (7-6-2-2-6-7), we note that the majority of the observed interactions respect the ''group rule'', i.e. members of the same group (e.g. 6, 8, 10 and 11) can replace each other in the specific position along the heterofilament. Septins of the SEPT6 group preferentially interacted with septins of the SEPT2 group (p,0.001), SEPT3 group (p,0.001) and SEPT7 group (p,0.001). SEPT2 type septins preferentially interacted with septins of the SEPT6 group (p,0.001) aside from being the only septin group which interacted with members of its own group. Finally, septins of the SEPT3 group interacted preferentially with septins of the SEPT7 group (p,0.001). Furthermore, we found non-septin interactors which can be functionally attributed to a variety of different cellular activities, including: ubiquitin/sumoylation cycles, microtubular transport and motor activities, cell division and the cell cycle, cell motility, protein phosphorylation/signaling, endocytosis, and apoptosis.
Microbial Pathogenesis, 2009
Xylella fastidiosa is a xylem-restricted plant pathogen that causes a range of diseases in severa... more Xylella fastidiosa is a xylem-restricted plant pathogen that causes a range of diseases in several and important crops. Through comparative genomic sequence analysis many genes were identified and, among them, several potentially involved in plant-pathogen interaction. The experimental determination of the primary sequence of some markedly expressed proteins for X. fastidiosa and the comparison with the nucleic acids sequence of genome identified one of them as being SCJ21.16 (XFa0032) gene product. The comparative analysis of this protein against SWISSPROT database, in special, resulted in similarity with a-hydroxynitrile lyase enzyme (HNL) from Arabidopsis thaliana, causing interest for being one of the most abundant proteins both in the whole cell extract as well as in the extracellular protein fraction. It is known that HNL enzyme are involved in a process termed ''cyanogenesis'', which catalyzes the dissociation of a-hydroxinitrile into carbonyle and HCN when plant tissue is damaged. Although the complete genome sequences of X. fastidiosa are available and the cyanogenesis process is well known, the biological role of this protein in this organism is not yet functionally characterized. In this study we presented the cloning, expression, characterization of recombinant HNL from X. fastidiosa, and its probable function in the cellular metabolism. The successful cloning and heterologous expression in Escherichia coli resulted in a satisfactory amount of the recombinant HNL expressed in a soluble, and active form giving convenient access to pure enzyme for biochemical and structural studies. Finally, our results confirmed that the product of the gene XFa0032 can be positively assigned as FAD-independent HNLs.
Journal of Biological Chemistry, 1996
A CHO cell-derived 80-kDa recombinant polypeptide (GenBank number I15470) putatively encoding a c... more A CHO cell-derived 80-kDa recombinant polypeptide (GenBank number I15470) putatively encoding a calcium-independent phospholipase A 2 was expressed in S. frugiperda cells resulting in over a 15-fold increase in a calcium-independent phospholipase A 1 /A 2 activity which was entirely inhibitable by (E)-6-(bromomethylene)-3-(1-naphthalenyl)-2H-tetrahydropyran-2-one. The recombinant polypeptide was purified from cytosol by sequential tandem affinity chromatographies employing ATP-agarose and calmodulin-Sepharose stationary phases. This strategy resulted in the rapid purification (36 h) of recombinant phospholipase A 2 activity in 56% overall yield to a single intense 80-kDa protein band on SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis after silver staining. The purified protein possessed phospholipase A 1 , phospholipase A 2 , and lysophospholipase activities. Microbore anion exchange chromatography demonstrated that the 80-kDa protein band was comprised of multiple distinct isoforms including an anionic isoform which possessed over a 5-fold higher specific activity (5 mol/mg⅐min) than earlier eluting isoforms. Collectively, these results unambiguously demonstrate that: 1) the 80-kDa polypeptide catalyzes phospholipase A 1 /A 2 and lysophospholipase activities with distinct kinetic parameters; 2) calmodulin and ATP both interact with the catalytic polypeptide independent of regulatory proteins; and 3) distinct isoforms of this polypeptide exist which possess markedly different specific activities.
International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 2010
Chlorocatechol 1,2-dioxygenase (1,2-CCD) is a non-heme iron protein involved in the intradiol cle... more Chlorocatechol 1,2-dioxygenase (1,2-CCD) is a non-heme iron protein involved in the intradiol cleavage of aromatic compounds that are recalcitrant to biodegradation. In particular, 1,2-CCD catalyzes the conversion of catechol and its halogenated derivatives to cis-cis muconic acid. In this study we describe a series of experiments concerning the interaction of chlorocatechol 1,2-dioxygenase from Pseudomonas putida (Pp1,2-CCD) with cis-cis muconic acid. We used single-injection ITC to show that the reaction product inhibits enzyme kinetics. DSC and EPR measurements probed whether this was accomplished by a direct binding of the product to the enzyme active site. DSC shows that cis-cis muconic acid affects the thermal unfolding of the protein and allowed us to estimate a binding constant. Furthermore, EPR spectra of the Fe(III) center demonstrate that, upon product binding, a significant decrease in resonance intensity is observed, indicating that cis-cis muconic acid binds directly to the active site. Based on the increasing interest for understanding dioxygenases mechanism of action and, moreover, how to control such process, our data indicate that the product of the reaction does play a relevant role in the catalysis and should therefore be taken into account when one thinks about ways of regulating enzyme activity.
Revista de Salud …, 2009
Page 1. Llanos - Utilizaci??n servicios de salud 347 Percep????es e Sentimentos de Gestantes e Pu... more Page 1. Llanos - Utilizaci??n servicios de salud 347 Percep????es e Sentimentos de Gestantes e Pu??rperas sobre a Pr??-Ecl??mpsia Perceptions of pregnant and postpartum women&#x27;s feelings about preeclampsia Daniela Vasconcelos ...
European Biophysics Journal, 2010
Lectins have been classified into a structurally diverse group of proteins that bind carbohydrate... more Lectins have been classified into a structurally diverse group of proteins that bind carbohydrates and glycoconjugates with high specificity. They are extremely useful molecules in the characterization of saccharides, as drug delivery mediators, and even as cellular surface makers. In this study, we present camptosemin, a new lectin from Camptosema ellipticum. It was characterized as an N-acetyl-D-galactosamine-binding homo-tetrameric lectin, with a molecular weight around 26 kDa/monomers. The monomers were stable over a wide range of pH values and exhibited pH-dependent oligomerization. Camptosemin promoted adhesion of breast cancer cells and hemagglutination, and both activities were inhibited by its binding of sugar. The stability and unfolding/folding behavior of this lectin was characterized using fluorescence and far-UV circular dichroism spectroscopies. The results indicate that chemical unfolding of camptosemin proceeds as a two-state monomer-tetramer process. In addition, small-angle X-ray scattering shows that camptosemin behaves as a soluble and stable homo-tetramer molecule in solution.
Cell Biochemistry and Biophysics, 2011
Septins form a conserved family of filament forming GTP binding proteins found in a wide range of... more Septins form a conserved family of filament forming GTP binding proteins found in a wide range of eukaryotic cells. They share a common structural architecture consisting of an N-terminal domain, a central GTP binding domain and a C-terminal domain, which is often predicted to adopt a coiled-coil conformation, at least in part. The crystal structure of the human SEPT2/SEPT6/ SEPT7 heterocomplex has revealed the importance of the GTP binding domain in filament formation, but surprisingly no electron density was observed for the C-terminal domains and their function remains obscure. The dearth of structural information concerning the C-terminal region has motivated the present study in which the putative C-terminal domains of human SEPT2, SEPT6 and SEPT7 were expressed in E. coli and purified to homogeneity. The thermal stability and secondary structure content of the domains were studied by circular dichroism spectroscopy, and homo-and hetero-interactions were investigated by size exclusion chromatography, chemical cross-linking, analytical ultracentrifugation and surface plasmon resonance. Our results show that SEPT6-C and SEPT7-C are able to form both homo-and heterodimers with a high a-helical content in solution. The heterodimer is elongated and considerably more stable than the homodimers, with a K D of 15.8 nM. On the other hand, the homodimer SEPT2-C has a much lower affinity, with a K D of 4 lM, and a moderate a-helical content. Our findings present the first direct experimental evidence toward better understanding the biophysical properties and coiled-coil pairings of such domains and their potential role in filament assembly and stability.
Reprod. clim, 2003
Resumo: O uso da metformina, um agente hipoglicemiante oral que aumenta a sensibilidade à insulin... more Resumo: O uso da metformina, um agente hipoglicemiante oral que aumenta a sensibilidade à insulina, tem sido amplamente difundido entre os ginecologistas na abordagem da síndrome dos ovários policísticos (SOP). Enquanto muitos benefícios ...
Biophysical Journal, 2011
Biophysical Chemistry, 2008
Porcine S100A12 is a member of the S100 proteins, family of small acidic calcium-binding proteins... more Porcine S100A12 is a member of the S100 proteins, family of small acidic calcium-binding proteins characterized by the presence of two EF-hand motifs. These proteins are involved in many cellular events such as the regulation of protein phosphorylation, enzymatic activity, protein-protein interaction, Ca 2+ homeostasis, inflammatory processes and intermediate filament polymerization. In addition, members of this family bind Zn 2+ or Ca 2+ with cooperative effect on binding. In this study, the gene sequence encoding porcine S100A12 was obtained by the synthetic gene approach using E. coli codon bias. Additionally, we report a thermodynamic study of the recombinant S100A12 using circular dichroism, fluorescence and isothermal titration calorimetry. The results of urea and temperature induced unfolding and refolding processes indicated a reversible two-state process. Also, the ANS fluorescence studies showed that in presence of divalent ions the protein exposes hydrophobic sites which could facilitate the interaction with other proteins and trigger the physiological responses.
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Papers by Ana Alice Coelho de Araujo