Multiscale model for the effects of adaptive immunity suppression on the viral therapy of cancer

Oncolytic virotherapy - the use of viruses that specifically kill tumor cells - is an innovative and highly promising route for treating cancer. However, its therapeutic outcomes are mainly impaired by the host immune response to the viral infection. In the present work, we propose a multiscale mathematical model to study how the immune response interferes with the viral oncolytic activity. The model assumes that cytotoxic T cells can induce apoptosis in infected cancer cells and that free viruses can be inactivated by neutralizing antibodies or cleared at a constant rate by the innate immune response. Our simulations suggest that reprogramming the immune microenvironment in tumors could substantially enhance the oncolytic virotherapy in immune-competent hosts. Viable routes to such reprogramming are either in situ virus-mediated impairing of CD$8^+$ T cells motility or blockade of B and T lymphocytes recruitment. Our theoretical results can shed light on the design of viral vectors or new protocols with neat potential impacts on the clinical practice.Comment: 14 pages, 4 figure

The negative influences of the new brazilian forest code on the conservation of riparian forests

More than one million hectares of riparian forests were degraded or altered in Mato Grosso State (Brazil) up to 2009. The aim of the research is to set a comparative scenario to show differences in the quantification of environmental liabilities in riparian forest areas resulting from the change in native vegetation protection rules due to the transition between Laws 4771/65 and 12651/2012. Data collection took place in a marginal stretch of Vermelho River in Rondonópolis County, Mato Grosso State. The following data set was taken into consideration: aerial images derived from unmanned aerial vehicle, Rapid Eye satellite images and orbital images hosted at Google Earth. The spatial resolution of those images was compared. The aerial photos composed a mosaic that was photo-interpreted to generate land use and occupation classes. The riparian forest areas of a rural property were used as parameter, and their environmental situation was compared in 05 meter and 100 meter strips. Thus, by taking into consideration the current rules, 23,501 m2 of area ceased to be an environmental liability within the riparian forest and became a consolidated rural area. According to the previous Forest Code, in a different scenario, that is, in a set of rural properties, the public authority would receive USD 68,600.00 in fines. The new Brazilian Forestry Code of 2012, which replaces the previous one made in 1965, exempts those responsible for rural property from regenerating previously deforested native vegetation — an obligation established by older Forest Code. We have shown that the new Forest Code has diminished the legal responsibility of the rural owners in relation to the maintenance of forest fragments in their properties

Ruta para establecer un procedimiento de registro de las instancias de gestión educativa descentralizada

Plantea contar con un instrumento procedimental que permita a la Unidad de Estadística, el registro oportuno de los actos administrativos que realizan las Instancias de Gestión Educativa Descentralizadas, tales como: creación, fusión, cierre. Definiéndose el espacio jurisdiccional de administración de cada una de ellas a partir del conjunto de Instituciones y Programas Educativos que las conforman

Understanding the implementation of retail self-service check-out technologies using necessary condition analysis

Purpose Self-service check-out technologies (SSTs) are becoming a trend across different retail settings, allowing companies to gain efficiency and reduce costs. Nevertheless, the success of SSTs implementation is still subject to challenges and uncertainties. This study aims to provide insights for theory and managers on the necessary conditions for the successful implementation of retail SSTs. Design/methodology/approach Based on an online survey, data from 251 participants were collected to understand the factors predicting SSTs adoption and realise what conditions are mandatory for the adoption. partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) and necessary condition analysis (NCA) were used to analyse the data. Findings According to the NCA analysis results, 12 latent variables were relevant for predicting SSTs adoption, but only seven were necessary conditions for user adoption. Originality/value The complementarity of perspectives for understanding the adoption of SSTs based on the two data analysis techniques provides novel insights into theory and support for retailers' decision-making on self-service technologies (STTs) implementation.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

AtPIN: Arabidopsis thaliana Protein Interaction Network

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) constitute one of the most crucial conditions to sustain life in living organisms. To study PPI in Arabidopsis thaliana we have developed AtPIN, a database and web interface for searching and building interaction networks based on publicly available protein-protein interaction datasets.</p> <p>Description</p> <p>All interactions were divided into experimentally demonstrated or predicted. The PPIs in the AtPIN database present a cellular compartment classification (C³) which divides the PPI into 4 classes according to its interaction evidence and subcellular localization. It has been shown in the literature that a pair of genuine interacting proteins are generally expected to have a common cellular role and proteins that have common interaction partners have a high chance of sharing a common function. In AtPIN, due to its integrative profile, the reliability index for a reported PPI can be postulated in terms of the proportion of interaction partners that two proteins have in common. For this, we implement the Functional Similarity Weight (FSW) calculation for all first level interactions present in AtPIN database. In order to identify target proteins of cytosolic glutamyl-tRNA synthetase (Cyt-gluRS) (AT5G26710) we combined two approaches, AtPIN search and yeast two-hybrid screening. Interestingly, the proteins glutamine synthetase (AT5G35630), a disease resistance protein (AT3G50950) and a zinc finger protein (AT5G24930), which has been predicted as target proteins for Cyt-gluRS by AtPIN, were also detected in the experimental screening.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>AtPIN is a friendly and easy-to-use tool that aggregates information on <it>Arabidopsis thaliana </it>PPIs, ontology, and sub-cellular localization, and might be a useful and reliable strategy to map protein-protein interactions in Arabidopsis. AtPIN can be accessed at <url>http://bioinfo.esalq.usp.br/atpin</url>.</p

Prediction techniques on FPGA for latency reduction on tactile internet

Tactile Internet (TI) is a new internet paradigm that enables sending touch interaction information and other stimuli, which will lead to new human-to-machine applications. However, TI applications require very low latency between devices, as the system’s latency can result from the communication channel, processing power of local devices, and the complexity of the data processing techniques, among others. Therefore, this work proposes using dedicated hardware-based reconfigurable computing to reduce the latency of prediction techniques applied to TI. Finally, we demonstrate that prediction techniques developed on field-programmable gate array (FPGA) can minimize the impacts caused by delays and loss of information. To validate our proposal, we present a comparison between software and hardware implementations and analyze synthesis results regarding hardware area occupation, throughput, and power consumption. Furthermore, comparisons with state-of-the-art works are presented, showing a significant reduction in power consumption of ≈1300× and reaching speedup rates of up to ≈52×

SPATIAL AND TEMPORALVARIATION OF DISSOLVED INORGANIC NUTRIENTS, AND CHLOROPHYLL-α IN A TROPICAL ESTUARY IN NORTHEASTERN BRAZIL: DYNAMICS OF NUTRIENT REMOVAL

Monthly sampling campaigns were carried out between February 2010 and January 2011 to evaluate the spatial and temporal distribution of nutrients (ammonium, nitrite, nitrate, dissolved organic nitrogen, phosphate, dissolved organic phosphorus and silicate) and chlorophyll-α along a salinity gradient in the tropical Cachoeira River estuary, subject to the untreated effluents of a sewage treatment plant (STP). During the study period the lowest and highest river discharge occurred in February and April 2010, respectively. High river outflow promoted increased concentrations of inorganic nitrogen and silicate but did not affect the concentration of phosphate. Based on the chlorophyll-α concentration the estuary may be classified as eutrophic / hypereutrophic in its inner portion and mesotrophic in the lower region. The inner portion is more affected by the nutrient load carried out by the river and STP, while dilution by seawater contributed to the reduction of the nutrient concentrations in the lower reaches of the estuary. The results indicate that nutrient uptake by the phytoplankton is the most effective dissolved inorganic nutrient removal processes, especially for phosphate. Mixing diagrams suggest that the coupling of nitrification and denitrification processes is also responsible for the elimination of nitrogen from this ecosystem.Campanhas de amostragens mensais foram realizadas entre fevereiro de 2010 e janeiro de 2011 para avaliar a distribuição espacial e temporal de nutrientes (amônia, nitrito, nitrato, nitrogênio orgânico dissolvido, fosfato, fósforo orgânico dissolvido e silicato) e clorofila-α, ao longo do gradiente de salinidade no estuário tropical do Rio Cachoeira. Este estuário é sujeito aos efluentes de esgotos não tratados de uma estação de tratamento de esgoto (ETE). No período estudado a maior e menor vazão do rio ocorreram em fevereiro e abril de 2010, respectivamente. A alta vazão do rio promoveu aumento das concentrações de nitrogênio inorgânico e silicato, mas não afetou as concentrações de fosfato. Baseado nas concentrações de clorofila-α, o estuário pode ser classificado como eutrófico/hipereutrófico na porção interna e mesotrófico na região externa. A porção interna é mais afetada pela carga de nutrientes do rio e da ETE, enquanto a diluição pela água marinha contribuiu para diminuir as concentrações de nutrientes na porção externa. Os resultados indicam que a absorção de nutrientes pelo fitoplâncton é o processo mais eficiente na remoção desses nutrientes, especialmente do fosfato. No entanto, os diagramas de mistura sugerem que a nitrificação e denitrificação acopladas no rio também são responsáveis pela eliminação do nitrogênio do ecossistema