Metodologia do isolamento de embrião zigótico de cajueiro-anão precoce in vitro.

bitstream/item/55341/1/COT11016.pd

Predictive model of response to tafamidis in hereditary ATTR polyneuropathy

BACKGROUNDThe hereditary transthyretin (TTR) amyloidoses are a group of diseases for which several disease-modifying treatments are now available. Long-term effectiveness of these therapies is not yet fully known. Moreover, the existence of alternative therapies has resulted in an urgent need to identify patient characteristics that predict response to each therapy.METHODSWe carried out a retrospective cohort study of 210 patients with hereditary TTR amyloidosis treated with the kinetic stabilizer tafamidis (20 mg qd). These patients were followed for a period of 18-66 months, after which they were classified by an expert as responders, partial responders, or nonresponders. Correlations between baseline demographic and clinical characteristics, as well as plasma biomarkers and response to therapy, were investigated.RESULTS34% of patients exhibited an almost complete arrest of disease progression (classified by an expert as responders); 36% had a partial to complete arrest in progression of some but not all disease components (partial responders); whereas the remaining 30% continued progressing despite therapy (nonresponders). We determined that disease severity, sex, and native TTR concentration at the outset of treatment were the most relevant predictors of response to tafamidis. Plasma tafamidis concentration after 12 months of therapy was also a predictor of response for male patients. Using these variables, we built a model to predict responsiveness to tafamidis.CONCLUSIONOur study indicates long-term effectiveness for tafamidis, a kinetic stabilizer approved for the treatment of hereditary TTR amyloidosis. Moreover, we created a predictive model that can be potentially used in the clinical setting to inform patients and clinicians in their therapeutic decisions.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Germinação de sementes de cactáceas in vitro.

bitstream/item/55343/1/COT11017.pd

Planck Scale Physics and the Testability of SU(5) Supergravity GUT

GUT scale threshold corrections in minimal SU(5) supergravity grand unification are discussed. It is shown that predictions may be made despite uncertainties associated with the high energy scale. A bound relating the strong coupling constant to the mass scales associated with proton decay and supersymmetry is derived, and a sensitive probe of the underlying theory is outlined. In particular, low energy measurements can in principle determine the presence of Planck scale ($1 / {{\rm M}_{\rm Pl}}$) terms.Comment: 12 pages, REVTeX, 2 figures included in an uuencoded Z-compressed PostScript file. Ready to print PostScript version (with figures) may be picked up at ftp://phys.tamu.edu/urano/planck/paper_prep.p

The RNA Helicase DDX6 Controls Cellular Plasticity by Modulating P-Body Homeostasis

Post-transcriptional mechanisms have the potential to influence complex changes in gene expression, yet their role in cell fate transitions remains largely unexplored. Here, we show that suppression of the RNA helicase DDX6 endows human and mouse primed embryonic stem cells (ESCs) with a differentiation-resistant, “hyper-pluripotent” state, which readily reprograms to a naive state resembling the preimplantation embryo. We further demonstrate that DDX6 plays a key role in adult progenitors where it controls the balance between self-renewal and differentiation in a context-dependent manner. Mechanistically, DDX6 mediates the translational suppression of target mRNAs in P-bodies. Upon loss of DDX6 activity, P-bodies dissolve and release mRNAs encoding fate-instructive transcription and chromatin factors that re-enter the ribosome pool. Increased translation of these targets impacts cell fate by rewiring the enhancer, heterochromatin, and DNA methylation landscapes of undifferentiated cell types. Collectively, our data establish a link between P-body homeostasis, chromatin organization, and stem cell potency

Método de aclimatização de mudas de orquídeas em garrafas PET.

bitstream/item/55348/1/CIT11003.pd

Sao Paulo Lightning Mapping Array (SP-LMA): Network Assessment and Analyses for Intercomparison Studies and GOES-R Proxy Activities

A 12 station Lightning Mapping Array (LMA) network was deployed during October 2011in the vicinity of So Paulo, Brazil (SP-LMA) to contribute total lightning measurements to an international field campaign [CHUVA - Cloud processes of tHe main precipitation systems in Brazil: A contribUtion to cloud resolVing modeling and to the GPM (GlobAl Precipitation Measurement)]. The SP-LMA was operational from November 2011 through March 2012. Sensor spacing was on the order of 15-30 km, with a network diameter on the order of 40-50km. The SP-LMA provides good 3-D lightning mapping out to150 km from the network center, with 2-D coverage considerably farther. In addition to supporting CHUVA science/mission objectives, the SP-LMA is supporting the generation of unique proxy data for the Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) and Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI), on NOAA's Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-R (GOES-R: scheduled for a 2015 launch). These proxy data will be used to develop and validate operational algorithms so that they will be ready to use on "day1" following the GOES-R launch. The SP-LMA data also will be intercompared with lightning observations from other deployed lightning networks to advance our understanding of the capabilities/contributions of each of these networks toward GLM proxy and validation activities. This paper addresses the network assessment and analyses for intercomparison studies and GOES-R proxy activitie

Precision Electroweak Tests of the Minimal and Flipped SU(5) Supergravity Models

We explore the one-loop electroweak radiative corrections in the minimal $SU(5)$ and the no-scale flipped $SU(5)$ supergravity models via explicit calculation of vacuum polarization contributions to the $\epsilon_{1,2,3}$ parameters. Experimentally, $\epsilon_{1,2,3}$ are obtained from a global fit to the LEP observables, and $M_W/M_Z$ measurements. We include $q^2$-dependent effects which have been neglected in most previous ``model-independent" analyses of this type. These effects induce a large systematic negative shift on $\epsilon_{1,2,3}$ for light chargino masses (m_{\chi^\pm_1}\lsim70\GeV). In agreement with previous general arguments, we find that for increasingly large sparticle masses, the heavy sector of both models rapidly decouples, \ie, the values for $\epsilon_{1,2,3}$ quickly asymptote to the Standard Model values with a {\it light} Higgs (m_{H_{SM}}\sim100\GeV). Specifically, at present the $90\%$ CL upper limit on the top-quark mass is m_t\lsim175\GeV in the no-scale flipped $SU(5)$ supergravity model. These bounds can be strengthened for increasing chargino masses in the 50-100\GeV interval. In particular, for m_t\gsim160\GeV, the Tevatron may be able to probe through gluino($\tilde g$) and squark($\tilde q$) production up to m_{\tilde g}\approx m_{\tilde q}\approx250\GeV, exploring at least half of the parameter space in this model.Comment: 15 pages,(6 ps figures available upon request), TeX(harvmac), CTP-TAMU-19/93, ACT-07/9

Electroweak Supersymmetry around the Electroweak Scale

Inspired by the phenomenological constraints, LHC supersymmetry and Higgs searches, dark matter search as well as string model building, we propose the electroweak supersymmetry around the electroweak scale: the squarks and/or gluinos are around a few TeV while the sleptons, sneutrinos, bino and winos are within one TeV. The Higgsinos can be either heavy or light. We consider bino as the dominant component of dark matter candidate, and the observed dark matter relic density is achieved via the neutralino-stau coannihilations. Considering the Generalized Minimal Supergravity (GmSUGRA), we show explicitly that the electroweak supersymmetry can be realized, and the gauge coupling unification can be preserved. With two Scenarios, we study the viable parameter spaces that satisfy all the current phenomenological constraints, and we present the concrete benchmark points. Furthermore, we comment on the fine-tuning problem and LHC searches.Comment: RevTex4, 28 pages, 8 figures, 8 tables, version to appear in EPJ