Value of SPET/CT image fusion in the assessment of neuroendocrine tumours with 111In-pentetreotide scintigraphy

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact and clinical value of anatomical-functional image fusion in the study interpretation and clinical management of patients with neuroendocrine tumours (NET) using somatostatin receptor scintigraphy (SRS) and combined transmission and emission tomography -- single-photon emission tomography/CT (SPET/CT). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Twelve patients (8 female and 4 male; age range 32-74 y, mean 56 y) with proven or clinically suspected NET were studied with routine planar SRS and SPET/CT at 2 and 24 hours after injection of 111-222 MBq 111In-Pentetreotide. Seven patients came for staging/follow-up and 5 patients for primary tumour localization with staging. Analysis of fused images (SPET/CT) was done on a patient basis, with separated evaluation of SPET, low-dose CT images and fusion images. The gold standard for presence or absence of malignancy was pathology or clinical and imaging follow-up data. RESULTS: SRS was negative in 6 patients and positive in 6. SPET/CT provided no additional information in 6 patients, including all 6 negative studies. SPET/CT improved localization of SPET detected lesions in 6 positive studies. It defined the extent of the disease and showed bone involvement in 3 of the 6 positive studies. SPET/CT affected the diagnostic interpretation in 6 patients (50 %) and induced changes of management in 3 (25 %). CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicate that combined anatomical-functional imaging with SPET/CT significantly improves tumour localization and characterization, contributing to a better therapeutic management of patients with NET

Oncogenic Gain of Function in Glioblastoma Is Linked to Mutant p53 Amyloid Oligomers.

Tumor-associated p53 mutations endow cells with malignant phenotypes, including chemoresistance. Amyloid-like oligomers of mutant p53 transform this tumor suppressor into an oncogene. However, the composition and distribution of mutant p53 oligomers are unknown and the mechanism involved in the conversion is sparse. Here, we report accumulation of a p53 mutant within amyloid-like p53 oligomers in glioblastoma-derived cells presenting a chemoresistant gain-of-function phenotype. Statistical analysis from fluorescence fluctuation spectroscopy, pressure-induced measurements, and thioflavin T kinetics demonstrates the distribution of oligomers larger than the active tetrameric form of p53 in the nuclei of living cells and the destabilization of native-drifted p53 species that become amyloid. Collectively, these results provide insights into the role of amyloid-like mutant p53 oligomers in the chemoresistance phenotype of malignant and invasive brain tumors and shed light on therapeutic options to avert cancer

Os impactos da Covid-19 na educação e trabalho das pessoas público-alvo da Educação Especial: revisão sistemática / The impacts of covid-19 on the education and work of Special Education target public: systematic review

Este artigo teve como objetivo realizar uma revisão sistematizada das produções científicas sobre a Covid-19 e suas implicações para as pessoas público-alvo da Educação Especial na educação e trabalho.  Os levantamentos dos dados foram obtidos em cinco bases de buscas: Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES), Institute of Education Sciences (ERIC), Scientific Electronic Library Online (SCIELO), Fundación Dialnet UniRoja (DIALNET) e Google Scholar, além de sites das Organizações das Nações Unidas (ONU), da Organização Mundial da Saúde (OMS) no período de maio a dezembro de 2020. Como método de pesquisa aplicou-se a Revisão Sistemática da Literatura e análise qualitativa dos dados. Os resultados constataram escassez de estudos sobre a Covid-19 e seu impacto na educação e trabalho das pessoas público-alvo da Educação Especial, sugerindo ser relevante a produção de mais estudos a respeito, que auxiliem a compreender o contexto das pessoas público-alvo da Educação Especial no enfrentamento dessa crise sanitária mundial.  As pesquisas encontradas expuseram dados pertinentes à educação remota, dificuldades de acesso à educação por meio de tecnologias digitais bem como dificuldades de dar continuidade a programas de preparação para inserção no trabalho na forma presencial e sua necessária migração para o modelo remoto. Nota-se o agravamento na área educacional, somada à social, em virtude da inexistência de redes de energia elétrica, desconhecimento e/ou imperícia em lidar com equipamentos de tecnologia para o acesso às aulas remotas. Essas precariedades, aliás, foram percebidas em diversas partes do mundo. A exiguidade de pesquisas na temática abordada neste estudo evidencia a invisibilidade das pessoas público-alvo da Educação Especial na pandemia do coronavírus no Brasil e no mundo, bem como o silêncio e alheamento acerca de suas necessidades. E isso se dá em detrimento da inclusão social, contrariando preconização dos organismos internacionais em todo o mundo.    

Exploring Cluster Analysis in Nelore Cattle Visual Score Attribution

Assessing the biotype of cattle through human visual inspection is a very common and important practice in precision cattle breeding. This paper presents the results of a correlation analysis between scores produced by humans for Nelore cattle and a variety of measurements that can be derived from images or other instruments. It also presents a study using the k-means algorithm to generate new ways of clustering a batch of cattle using the measurements that most correlate with the animal's body weight and visual scores

Peripheral vasoconstriction influences thenar oxygen saturation as measured by near-infrared spectroscopy

Purpose: Near-infrared spectroscopy has been used as a noninvasive monitoring tool for tissue oxygen saturation (StO2) in acutely ill patients. This study aimed to investigate whether local vasoconstriction induced by body surface cooling significantly influences thenar StO2 as measured by InSpectra model 650. Methods: Eight healthy individuals (age 26 ± 6 years) participated in the study. Using a cooling blanket, we aimed to cool the entire body surface to induce vasoconstriction in the skin without any changes in central temperature. Thenar StO2 was noninvasively measured during a 3-min vascular occlusion test using InSpectra model 650 with a 15-mm probe. Measurements were analyzed for resting StO2 values, rate of StO2 desaturation (RdecStO2, %/min), and rate of StO2 recovery (RincStO2, %/s) before, during, and after skin cooling. Measurements also included heart rate (HR), mean arterial pressure (MAP), cardiac output (CO), stroke volume (SV), capillary refill time (CRT), forearm-to-fingertip skintemperature gradient (Tskin-diff), perfusion index (PI), and tissue hemoglobin index (THI). Results: In all subjects MAP, CO, SV, and core temperature did not change during the procedure. Skin cooling resulted in a significant decrease in StO2 from 82% (80-87) to 72% (70-77) (P\0.05) and in RincStO2 from 3.0%/s (2.8-3.3) to 1.7%/s (1.1-2.0) (P\0.05). Similar changes in CRT, Tskin-diff, and PI were also observed: from 2.5 s (2.0-3.0) to 8.5 s (7.2-11.0) (P\0.05), from 1.0 (-1.6-1.8) to 3.1 (P\0.05), and from 10.0% (9.1-11.7) to 2.5

Contribuição do Projeto PIBID na melhora nos índices de aprovação dos alunos na disciplina de Química no Colégio Professor Pedro Carli

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Transcriptome analysis of the oil-rich seed of the bioenergy crop Jatropha curcas L

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>To date, oil-rich plants are the main source of biodiesel products. Because concerns have been voiced about the impact of oil-crop cultivation on the price of food commodities, the interest in oil plants not used for food production and amenable to cultivation on non-agricultural land has soared. As a non-food, drought-resistant and oil-rich crop, <it>Jatropha curcas </it>L. fulfils many of the requirements for biofuel production.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We have generated 13,249 expressed sequence tags (ESTs) from developing and germinating <it>Jatropha </it>seeds. This strategy allowed us to detect most known genes related to lipid synthesis and degradation. We have also identified ESTs coding for proteins that may be involved in the toxicity of <it>Jatropha </it>seeds. Another unexpected finding is the high number of ESTs containing transposable element-related sequences in the developing seed library (800) when contrasted with those found in the germinating seed library (80).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The sequences generated in this work represent a considerable increase in the number of sequences deposited in public databases. These results can be used to produce genetically improved varieties of <it>Jatropha </it>with increased oil yields, different oil compositions and better agronomic characteristics.</p

Perspectives on the Trypanosoma cruzi-host cell receptor interaction

Chagas disease is caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. The critical initial event is the interaction of the trypomastigote form of the parasite with host receptors. This review highlights recent observations concerning these interactions. Some of the key receptors considered are those for thromboxane, bradykinin, and for the nerve growth factor TrKA. Other important receptors such as galectin-3, thrombospondin, and laminin are also discussed. Investigation into the molecular biology and cell biology of host receptors for T. cruzi may provide novel therapeutic targets