441 research outputs found
Exosomes derived from mesenchymal stem cells enhance radiotherapy-induced cell death in tumor and metastatic tumor foci
We have recently shown that radiotherapy may not only be a successful local and regional treatment
but, when combined with MSCs, may also be a novel systemic cancer therapy. This study aimed to investigate the
role of exosomes derived from irradiated MSCs in the delay of tumor growth and metastasis after treatment with
MSC + radiotherapy (RT). The tumor cell loss rates found after treatment with the combination of MSC and RT and for exclusive RT, were:
44.4% % and 12,1%, respectively. Concomitant and adjuvant use of RT and MSC, increased the mice surviving time 22,5%
in this group, with regard to the group of mice treated with exclusive RT and in a 45,3% respect control group. Moreover,
the number of metastatic foci found in the internal organs of the mice treated with MSC + RT was 60% less than the
mice group treated with RT alone. We reasoned that the exosome secreted by the MSC, could be implicated in tumor
growth delay and metastasis control after treatment. Our results show that exosomes derived form MSCs, combined with radiotherapy, are determinant in
the enhancement of radiation effects observed in the control of metastatic spread of melanoma cells and suggest that
exosome-derived factors could be involved in the bystander, and abscopal effects found after treatment of the tumors
with RT plus MSC. Radiotherapy itself may not be systemic, although it might contribute to a systemic effect when used
in combination with mesenchymal stem cells owing the ability of irradiated MSCs-derived exosomes to increase the
control of tumor growth and metastasis.This work was supported by CNPq, Conselho Nacional de
Desenvolvimento CientĂfico e TecnolĂłgico – Brasil, Junta de AndalucĂa,
project of Excellence from Junta de AndalucĂa P12-CTS-383 to FJO, Spanish
Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness SAF2015-70520-R to FJO and
JMRdA, RTICC RD12/0036/0026 and CIBER Cáncer ISCIII CB16/12/00421 to
FJO
Intensidade e duração dos esforços fĂsicos em aulas de Educação FĂsica
OBJETIVO: Avaliar a intensidade e a duração dos esforços fĂsicos em aulas de Educação FĂsica no ensino fundamental e mĂ©dio. MÉTODOS: Estudo transversal de base escolar por meio de observação de 218 aulas de Educação FĂsica, incluindo um total de 272 estudantes (avaliados trĂŞs vezes cada um). O estudo foi realizado em Pelotas, RS, de agosto a setembro de 2009. Para a intensidade dos esforços, foram utilizados acelerĂ´metros e adotados os pontos de corte (em counts por minuto): atividades sedentárias (0 a 100), leves (101 a 2.000), moderadas (2.001 a 4.999), vigorosas (5.000 a 7.999) e muito vigorosas (> 8.000). RESULTADOS: O tempo mĂ©dio de duração das aulas foi de 35,6 minutos (dp 6,0). A proporção mĂ©dia de tempo das aulas em atividades fĂsicas de intensidade moderada a vigorosa foi de 32,7% (dp 25,2). Os meninos (44,1%) envolveram-se significativamente mais em atividades fĂsicas moderadas a vigorosas do que as meninas (21,0%; p < 0,01). Estudantes que se envolvem em atividade fĂsica fora das aulas tiveram maior participação em atividades fĂsicas moderadas a vigorosas nas aulas de Educação FĂsica. CONCLUSĂ•ES: AlĂ©m de o tempo da aula de Educação FĂsica ser reduzido, os estudantes praticam atividades fĂsicas de intensidade moderada a vigorosa um terço da aula, com pouca contribuição significativa para o nĂvel de atividade fĂsica dos estudantes.OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the intensity and duration of physical efforts in Physical Education classes in primary and secondary school. METHODS: School-based cross-sectional study carried out by means of the observation of 218 Physical Education classes, including a total of 272 students (each one of the students was evaluated three times). The study was carried out in the city of Pelotas (Southern Brazil), between August and December 2009. In order to evaluate the intensity of the efforts, accelerometers were used and the following cut-off points were adopted (in counts per minute): sedentary activities (0-100), light activities (101-2,000), moderate (2,001-4,999), vigorous (5,000-7,999), and very vigorous activities (>8000). RESULTS: The mean duration of the classes was 35.6 minutes (SD 6.0). The mean proportion of time spent in moderate to vigorous physical activity was 32.7% (SD 25.2). Boys (44.1%) were involved significantly more in moderate to vigorous physical activity as compared to girls (21.0%; pOBJETIVO: Evaluar la intensidad y la duraciĂłn de los esfuerzos fĂsicos en clases de EducaciĂłn FĂsica en la enseñanza básica y media. MÉTODOS: Estudio transversal de base escolar por medio de observaciĂłn de 218 clases de EducaciĂłn FĂsica, incluyendo un total de 272 estudiantes (evaluados tres veces cada uno). El estudio fue realizado en Pelotas, Sur de Brasil, de agosto a septiembre del año 2009. Para la intensidad de los esfuerzos, se utilizaron acelerĂłmetros y se adoptaron los puntos de corte (en counts por minuto): actividades sedentarias (0 a 100), leves (101 a 2.000), moderadas (2.001 a 4.999), vigorosas (5.000 a 7.999) y muy vigorosas (> 8.000). RESULTADOS: El tiempo promedio de duraciĂłn de las clases fue de 35,6 minutos (de 6,0). La proporciĂłn promedio de tiempo de las clases en actividades fĂsicas de intensidad moderada a vigorosa fue de 32,7% (desviaciĂłn estándar 25,2). Los niños varones (44,1%) se involucraron significativamente en actividades fĂsicas moderadas a vigorosas con relaciĂłn a las niñas (21,0%;
Exposure to Domestic and Community Violence and Subjective Well-Being in Adolescents
Abstract There is major exposure to domestic and community violence during adolescence, which has been negatively related to well-being. This work aimed to identify relationships between domestic and community violence and the levels of subjective well-being perceived by adolescents, considering sex and age. The participants were 426 adolescents from public schools in the south of Brazil; 62% were girls, with a mean age of 14.91 years old ( SD = 1.65), who answered one instrument about exposure to violence and another about well-being. Results indicated greater domestic violence exposure among girls and greater community exposure among boys. The age range from 16 to 18 years old was the most exposed to domestic violence. Boys reported greater well-being and less negative affect. Differences in violence exposure may be related to roles of gender in our society. Well-being promotion is highlighted as a resource for confronting violence among adolescents
Large-Scale Absence of Sharks on Reefs in the Greater-Caribbean: A Footprint of Human Pressures
BACKGROUND: In recent decades, large pelagic and coastal shark populations have declined dramatically with increased fishing; however, the status of sharks in other systems such as coral reefs remains largely unassessed despite a long history of exploitation. Here we explore the contemporary distribution and sighting frequency of sharks on reefs in the greater-Caribbean and assess the possible role of human pressures on observed patterns. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We analyzed 76,340 underwater surveys carried out by trained volunteer divers between 1993 and 2008. Surveys were grouped within one km2 cells, which allowed us to determine the contemporary geographical distribution and sighting frequency of sharks. Sighting frequency was calculated as the ratio of surveys with sharks to the total number of surveys in each cell. We compared sighting frequency to the number of people in the cell vicinity and used population viability analyses to assess the effects of exploitation on population trends. Sharks, with the exception of nurse sharks occurred mainly in areas with very low human population or strong fishing regulations and marine conservation. Population viability analysis suggests that exploitation alone could explain the large-scale absence; however, this pattern is likely to be exacerbated by additional anthropogenic stressors, such as pollution and habitat degradation, that also correlate with human population. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Human pressures in coastal zones have lead to the broad-scale absence of sharks on reefs in the greater-Caribbean. Preventing further loss of sharks requires urgent management measures to curb fishing mortality and to mitigate other anthropogenic stressors to protect sites where sharks still exist. The fact that sharks still occur in some densely populated areas where strong fishing regulations are in place indicates the possibility of success and encourages the implementation of conservation measures
Taqman Real-Time PCR Detects Avipoxvirus DNA in Blood of Hawaìi `Amakihi (Hemignathus virens)
Margaret E. M. Farias et al...Background
Avipoxvirus sp. is a significant threat to endemic bird populations on several groups of islands worldwide, including Hawaìi, the Galapagos Islands, and the Canary Islands. Accurate identification and genotyping of Avipoxvirus is critical to the study of this disease and how it interacts with other pathogens, but currently available methods rely on invasive sampling of pox-like lesions and may be especially harmful in smaller birds.
Methodology/Principal Findings
Here, we present a nested TaqMan Real-Time PCR for the detection of the Avipoxvirus 4b core protein gene in archived blood samples from Hawaiian birds. The method was successful in amplifying Avipoxvirus DNA from packed blood cells of one of seven Hawaiian honeycreepers with confirmed Avipoxvirus infections and 13 of 28 Hawaìi `amakihi (Hemignathus virens) with suspected Avipoxvirus infections based on the presence of pox-like lesions. Mixed genotype infections have not previously been documented in Hawaìi but were observed in two individuals in this study.
Conclusions/Significance
We anticipate that this method will be applicable to other closely related strains of Avipoxvirus and will become an important and useful tool in global studies of the epidemiology of Avipoxvirus.Funding for this study was provided by: U.S. Geological Survey, Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center (biology.usgs.gov/pierc/); U.S. Geological Survey Wildlife (biology.usgs.gov/wter/) and Invasive Species (biology.usgs.gov/invasive/) Programs; National Science Foundation (DEB0083944, www.nsf.gov); NIH/NCRR IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE), P20RR016467 (http://www.ncrr.nih.gov/research_infrast​ructure/institutional_development_award/​idea_networks_of_biomedical_research_exc​ellence/). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.Peer reviewe
How a slow-ovipositing parasitoid can succed as a biological control agent of the invasive mealybug Phenacoccus peruvianus: implications for future classical and conservation biological control programs
[EN] Phenaccocus peruvianus Granara de Willink (Hemiptera: pseudococcidae) is an invasive mealybug that has become a pest of ornamental plants in Europe and has recently been detected in California, USA. In this work, we studied the tritrophic interaction among this mealybug, its main parasitoid Acerophagus n. sp. near coccois (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) and tending ants to disclose the success of this parasitoid controlling P. peruvianus. Acerophagus n. sp. near coccois accepted mealybugs for parasitism regardless of their size but did not hostfeed. We recorded three active defenses of P. peruvianus. Host handling time-consuming process that required more than 30 min. Tending ants, Lasius grandis (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae), reduced the time spent by parasitoids in a patch and disrupted oviposition attempts. The low numbers of ants tending mealybugs colonies in Spain and France could explain why this parasitoid, with a long handling time, is an efficient biological control agent for P. peruvianus.Beltrà Ivars, A.; Soto Sánchez, AI.; Tena Barreda, A. (2015). How a slow-ovipositing parasitoid can succed as a biological control agent of the invasive mealybug Phenacoccus peruvianus: implications for future classical and conservation biological control programs. BioControl. 60(4):473-484. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10526-015-9663-6S473484604Arakelian G (2013) Bougainvillea mealybug (Phenacoccus peruvianus). Factsheet 2013. County of Los Angeles. Department of agricultural commissioner/weights and measures, USABartlett BR (1961) The influence of ants upon parasites, predators, and scale insects. Ann Entomol Soc Am 54:543–551Bartlett BR (1978) Pseudococcidae. In: Clausen CP (ed) Introduced parasites and predators of arthropod pests and weeds: a world review, 1st edn. 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