Diversidade de espécies de aves em silvicultura de eucalipto.

Com a rápida e crescente expansão da silvicultura, especialmente no Estado de São Paulo, é comum o debate sobre os impactos e possíveis benefícios de tal prática, principalmente sobre a biodiversidade. Entretanto, levantamentos de indicadores de biodiversidade nessas áreas ainda são escassos e existe uma grande lacuna de conhecimento. Este trabalho apresenta resultados sobre a caracterização da avifauna encontrada em uma propriedade de silvicultura de Eucalyptus no Município de Brotas, SP. A amostragem da avifauna foi realizada usando a metodologia de contagem por pontos. Após seis campanhas de campo foram registradas 53 espécies de aves para a área de estudo, distribuídas em 23 famílias e 11 ordens. A ordem dos Passeriformes foi a que apresentou maior número de espécies (34) e de contatos (132). De acordo com a análise da frequência de ocorrência, poucas espécies mostraram-se frequentes na região e outras apareceram em um único ponto, fato que poderia ser indicativo de grande variedade de nichos ecológicos. Análises futuras avaliarão a diversidade da fauna em relação a indicadores de ecologia da paisagem e em relação à fitossociologia do sub-bosque nas áreas de cultivo de eucalipto.bitstream/item/56791/1/015-11.pd

Integrated receivers with bottom subcooling for automotive air conditioning: detailed experimental study of their filling capacity

The use of the integrated receiver in condensers for common automotive air conditioning - A/C - systems is widespread, because of its thermodynamic and operational advantages. Many studies have been already conducted on estimating the effect of the subcooling value. However, this study aims at determining the most important factors affecting the length of the refrigerant stable operating plateau and how the receiver filling is affected by geometrical and thermodynamic boundary conditions, by means of an experimental campaign built using design of experiments - DOE - techniques. Results demonstrate how the receiver diameter and the axle spacing between its inlet and outlet holes have the highest influence on the receiver operation. Finally, these results have been used to set up a numerical model able to accurately estimate the filling efficiency of the integrated receiver, in terms of volume of the operating plateau compared to the net available receiver volume

A score including ADAM17 substrates correlates to recurring cardiovascular event in subjects with atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis disease is a leading cause for mortality and morbidity. The narrowing/rupture of a vulnerable atherosclerotic plaque is accountable for acute cardiovascular events. However, despite of an intensive research, a reliable clinical method which may disclose a vulnerable patient is still unavailable

MicroRNA-222 Regulates Melanoma Plasticity

Melanoma is one of the most aggressive and highly resistant tumors. Cell plasticity in melanoma is one of the main culprits behind its metastatic capabilities. The detailed molecular mechanisms controlling melanoma plasticity are still not completely understood. Here we combine mathematical models of phenotypic switching with experiments on IgR39 human melanoma cells to identify possible key targets to impair phenotypic switching. Our mathematical model shows that a cancer stem cell subpopulation within the tumor prevents phenotypic switching of the other cancer cells. Experiments reveal that hsa-mir-222 is a key factor enabling this process. Our results shed new light on melanoma plasticity, providing a potential target and guidance for therapeutic studies

BEYOND WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE IN AN ADULT MALE POPULATION OF SOUTHERN ITALY: IS THERE ANY ROLE FOR SUBSCAPULAR SKINFOLD THICKNESS IN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INSULIN-LIKE GROWTH FACTOR-1 SYSTEM AND METABOLIC PARAMETERS ?

ABSTRACT Background: Apart from waist circumference, other adiposity measures, such as subscapular skin fold (SST), arouse growing interest due to their relationship to metabolic complications and cardiovascular risk. The Insulin-like Growth Factor (IGF)-1 system is deregulated in obese subjects in proportion to their degree of visceral adiposity. Aim : To examine the association among IGF-1, IGF-Binding Protein (BP)1 and 3 levels and different measures of adiposity in a sample of adult male population in Southern Italy. Materials and Methods: A complete database for this analysis was available for 229 (age range 50–82 years) participating at 2002-2004 Olivetti Heart Study follow-up. Results: After adjustment for age, IGF-1 was inversely associated with BMI and waist circumference (p<0.05). IGFBP1 was inversely associated with BMI, waist circumference, SST, Homeostasis Model Assessment (HOMA) index, Fat Mass (FM). HOMA index, age and SST significantly predicted the IGFBP1 plasma levels, with 24% of IGFPB-1 variability explained at a linear regression analysis. Conclusions: IGFBP1 inversely correlated to adiposity and HOMA index. Among adiposity indexes, SST was the best predictor of IGFPB-1 levels. The evaluation of some components of the IGFs system, and simple measures of body adiposity, such as SST, may represent a further tool to better evidence phenotype profiles associated to the pathogenetic mechanism of cardiovascular risk factor clustering in male adults

Quantum optics in the phase space - A tutorial on Gaussian states

In this tutorial, we introduce the basic concepts and mathematical tools needed for phase-space description of a very common class of states, whose phase properties are described by Gaussian Wigner functions: the Gaussian states. In particular, we address their manipulation, evolution and characterization in view of their application to quantum information.Comment: Tutorial. 23 pages, 1 figure. Updated version accepted for publication in EPJ - ST devoted to the memory of Federico Casagrand

miR-205-5p-mediated downregulation of ErbB/HER receptors in breast cancer stem cells results in targeted therapy resistance

The ErbB tyrosine kinase receptor family has been shown to have an important role in tumorigenesis, and the expression of its receptor members is frequently deregulated in many types of solid tumors. Various drugs targeting these receptors have been approved for cancer treatment. Particularly, in breast cancer, anti-Her2/EGFR molecules represent the standard therapy for Her2-positive malignancies. However, in a number of cases, the tumor relapses or progresses thus suggesting that not all cancer cells have been targeted. One possibility is that a subset of cells capable of regenerating the tumor, such as cancer stem cells (CSCs), may not respond to these therapeutic agents. Accumulating evidences indicate that miR-205-5p is significantly downregulated in breast tumors compared with normal breast tissue and acts as a tumor suppressor directly targeting oncogenes such as Zeb1 and ErbB3. In this study, we report that miR-205-5p is highly expressed in BCSCs and represses directly ERBB2 and indirectly EGFR leading to resistance to targeted therapy. Furthermore, we show that miR-205-5p directly regulates the expression of p63 which is in turn involved in the EGFR expression suggesting a miR-205/p63/EGFR regulation