Stemness of the CT-2A Immunocompetent Mouse Brain Tumor Model: Characterization In Vitro

Evidence has pointed to brain tumor stem cells (BTSC) as culprits behind human high-grade glioma (hHGG) resistance to standard therapy. Pre-clinical rodent models are the mainstay for testing of new therapeutic strategies. The typical model involves the intracranial injection of human glioma cells into immunocompromised hosts, hindering the evaluation of tumor-host responses and resulting in non-infiltrative tumors. The CT-2A model is an immunocompetent mouse model with potential to overcome these disadvantages. In this study, we confirmed the highly infiltrative nature of intracranial CT-2A tumors and optimized reproducible injection parameters. We then generated neurospheres and established, for the first time, the stemness of this model. CT-2A expression of the BTSC marker, CD133, increased from 2% in monolayer cells to 31% in fully-formed neurospheres. Investigation of three stem cell markers (Oct4, Nanog and Nestin) revealed a distinct stemness signature with monolayer cells expressing Oct4 and Nestin (no Nanog), and neurospheres expressing all three. Additionally, CT-2A cells were more proliferative and invasive than U87 cells, while CT-2A neurospheres were significantly more proliferative and invasive than either monolayer cells in vitro. Taken together, our results show that this model is a valuable tool for pre-clinical testing of novel therapeutics against hHGG and also affords the opportunity for investigation of BTSC in an immunocompetent setting

Optimising tree plantation land use in Brazil by analysing trade-offs between economic and environmental factors using multi-objective programming

In order to meet the growing global demand for bioproducts, areas of forests planted for productive purposes tend to increase worldwide. However, there are several controversies about the possible negative impacts of such forests, such as invasive potential, influence on water balance and biodiversity, and competition with other types of land use. As a result, there is a need to optimize land use, in order to achieve improvements in terms of sustainability in the broadest sense. In this study, the environmental and economic performances of pine and eucalyptus forest production systems for multiple purposes are compared aiming an optimized allocation of land use in the Center-West Region of Brazil. Life cycle assessment, life cycle cost and analysis of financial and economic indicators were used to assess potential environmental and economic impacts, covering the agricultural and industrial phases of pine and eucalyptus forest systems managed for the production of cellulose and sawn wood and, for pine, the production of rosin and turpentine from the extraction of gumresin and by applying the kraft process. Subsequently, the TOPSIS multicriteria decision-making method was applied to rank production systems in different combinations of phases and criteria, and multi-objective optimization was used to allocate land use according to different restrictions of areas and efficiency. The adoption of cleaner energy sources and the use of more efficient machines, equipment and vehicles are the main solutions to improve the environmental and economic performance of the forestry sector. The production systems of pine for cellulose and pine for sawn wood, rosin and turpentine were identified as the best solutions to optimize land use. For this reason, they must be considered as alternatives for the expansion and diversification of the Brazilian forest productive chain

Efecto de diferentes niveles de consumo de pasto elefante (Pennisetum purpureum, Schum var. Cameroon) durante la recría de caprinos

The intake of the ration (CR), dry matter (CMS), metabolizable energy (CEM), ether extract (CEE), crude protein (CPB), neutral detergent fibre (CFDN), acid detergent fibre (CFDA), organic matter (CMO), and also total weight gain (GPT), diary weight gain (GPD), feed conversion (CA) and feed efficiency (EA), were determinates to evaluate the effect of the inclusion of elephant-grass hay (FCE) in complete rations. Twenty-seven goats of breed Saanen were used (15 males no castrated and 12 females) in the phase of growing phase, with 118 days of age and medium alive weight of 15.35 kg, fed with diets containing 30, 45 and 60 % of inclusion of elephant-grass hay, distributed in entirely randomized design in factorial scheme 3×2 (three treatments and two sexes), being five males and four females for treatment. For CEM and CEE, there was a decreasing lineal effect with the increase in the levels of inclusion of FCE. Though, for CFDN and CFDA the behaviour was increase linearly. GPT presented significant effect for the effect sex (P<.01). It was verified that as the fibre levels went increasing, GPT went decreasing. The inclusion of hay of Grass-elephant in diets for goats in the growing phase, it didn't influence the intake of dry matter for the males. The level of inclusion of hay of Grass-elephant of 60 % provided a better relationship cost/benefice for the males in growing phase, while for the females the level of 45 % would be the most suitable

Análise do uso de medicamentos anti-hipertensivos e antidiabéticos pelas idosas do conviver em Rio Verde-Goiás / Analysis of the use of anti-hypertensive medicines and antidiabetics for the elderly of living in Rio Verde-Goiás

As doenças cardio e cerebrovasculares, atualmente, são as maiores causas de morbi-mortalidade no mundo, significativamente em idosos. Estas patologias têm como base principal as duas comorbidades mais prevalentes: hipertensão arterial e diabetes mellitus.  Sabe-se que o tratamento farmacológico com anti-hipertensivos e antidiabéticos é essencial para a prevenção da mortalidade por essas doenças. Diante disso, este trabalho tem por objetivo apresentar os medicamentos utilizados pelas idosas do Centro de Convivência e Assistência ao Idoso (Conviver) no controle de diabetes e hipertensão arterial, assim como enfatizar a importância da adesão ao tratamento. A amostra foi constituída por 46 idosas, sendo que a mais nova possui 61 anos e a mais velha 87 anos. Quanto à presença de hipertensão arterial sistêmica, 34 pacientes (73,9%) são portadoras. Destas, 24 idosas relataram uso farmacológico de anti-hipertensivos. Em relação à comorbidade diabetes mellitus, 11 idosas, ou seja, (23,91%) a possuíam. Destas, apenas 3 idosas afirmaram o uso contínuo e regular de antidiabéticos. No decorrer do presente trabalho foi assinalada a importância do uso das medicações antihipertensivas e antidiabéticas para a prevenção de doenças cardio e cerebrovascular e renal, na busca do aumento da expectativa de vida e redução da morbimortalidade da população.  

Measurement of the cosmic ray spectrum above 4×10184{\times}10^{18} eV using inclined events detected with the Pierre Auger Observatory

A measurement of the cosmic-ray spectrum for energies exceeding $4{\times}10^{18}$ eV is presented, which is based on the analysis of showers with zenith angles greater than $60^{\circ}$ detected with the Pierre Auger Observatory between 1 January 2004 and 31 December 2013. The measured spectrum confirms a flux suppression at the highest energies. Above $5.3{\times}10^{18}$ eV, the "ankle", the flux can be described by a power law $E^{-\gamma}$ with index $\gamma=2.70 \pm 0.02 \,\text{(stat)} \pm 0.1\,\text{(sys)}$ followed by a smooth suppression region. For the energy ($E_\text{s}$) at which the spectral flux has fallen to one-half of its extrapolated value in the absence of suppression, we find $E_\text{s}=(5.12\pm0.25\,\text{(stat)}^{+1.0}_{-1.2}\,\text{(sys)}){\times}10^{19}$ eV.Comment: Replaced with published version. Added journal reference and DO

Energy Estimation of Cosmic Rays with the Engineering Radio Array of the Pierre Auger Observatory

The Auger Engineering Radio Array (AERA) is part of the Pierre Auger Observatory and is used to detect the radio emission of cosmic-ray air showers. These observations are compared to the data of the surface detector stations of the Observatory, which provide well-calibrated information on the cosmic-ray energies and arrival directions. The response of the radio stations in the 30 to 80 MHz regime has been thoroughly calibrated to enable the reconstruction of the incoming electric field. For the latter, the energy deposit per area is determined from the radio pulses at each observer position and is interpolated using a two-dimensional function that takes into account signal asymmetries due to interference between the geomagnetic and charge-excess emission components. The spatial integral over the signal distribution gives a direct measurement of the energy transferred from the primary cosmic ray into radio emission in the AERA frequency range. We measure 15.8 MeV of radiation energy for a 1 EeV air shower arriving perpendicularly to the geomagnetic field. This radiation energy -- corrected for geometrical effects -- is used as a cosmic-ray energy estimator. Performing an absolute energy calibration against the surface-detector information, we observe that this radio-energy estimator scales quadratically with the cosmic-ray energy as expected for coherent emission. We find an energy resolution of the radio reconstruction of 22% for the data set and 17% for a high-quality subset containing only events with at least five radio stations with signal.Comment: Replaced with published version. Added journal reference and DO

Measurement of the Radiation Energy in the Radio Signal of Extensive Air Showers as a Universal Estimator of Cosmic-Ray Energy

We measure the energy emitted by extensive air showers in the form of radio emission in the frequency range from 30 to 80 MHz. Exploiting the accurate energy scale of the Pierre Auger Observatory, we obtain a radiation energy of 15.8 \pm 0.7 (stat) \pm 6.7 (sys) MeV for cosmic rays with an energy of 1 EeV arriving perpendicularly to a geomagnetic field of 0.24 G, scaling quadratically with the cosmic-ray energy. A comparison with predictions from state-of-the-art first-principle calculations shows agreement with our measurement. The radiation energy provides direct access to the calorimetric energy in the electromagnetic cascade of extensive air showers. Comparison with our result thus allows the direct calibration of any cosmic-ray radio detector against the well-established energy scale of the Pierre Auger Observatory.Comment: Replaced with published version. Added journal reference and DOI. Supplemental material in the ancillary file