Concentração de metais em águas superficiais do estuário do rio São Paulo, Baía de Todos os Santos

Cadernos de Geociências, v. 13, n. 1 - Especial UFBA 70 anos, Jul. 2016.Original publicado em Cadernos de Geociências, v. 8, n. 1, Maio 2011

CONCENTRAÇÃO DE METAIS EM ÁGUAS SUPERFICIAIS DO ESTUÁRIO DO RIO SÃO PAULO, BAÍA DE TODOS OS SANTOS.

As atividades antrópicas vêm cada vez mais a causar danos aos ambientes naturais. Um importante ambiente que tem sofrido com essas agressões são os estuários ao longo do litoral brasileiro. Por conta disso o estudo da qualidade dessas áreas se faz necessário para que se possa tentar algumas medidas de recuperação. O presente trabalho estudou as concentrações totais e parciais de metais (Fe, Zn, Mn e Cu) e também variáveis físico-químicas pH, Eh, temperatura, salinidade e oxigênio dissolvido nas águas superficiais do estuário do rio São Paulo, localizado na Baia de Todos os Santos. Alguns resultados encontrados, 0,25 mg L-1 para Mn na fração total e 0,12 mg L-1 para Cu na fração dissolvida, mostraram que o estuário se encontra num estado que requer a atenção e o monitoramento da área para que as concentrações encontradas não venham a aumentar e causar sérios danos a este ecossistema

The Italian young medical physicist scenario: Results from the young AIFM group survey

International audiencePurposeThe young working group of the Italian Association of Medical and Health Physics (AIFM) designed a survey to assess the current situation of the under 35 AIFM members.MethodsAn online survey including 65 questions was designed to gather personal information, educational issues, working and research experience, and to evaluate the AIFM activities. The survey was distributed to the under 35 members between November 2022 and February 2023, through the young AIFM mailing list and social media.Results160 answers from 230 affiliates (70%, 31 years median age) were obtained. The results highlighted that 87% of the respondents had a fixed term/permanent employment, mainly in public hospitals (58%).Regarding Medical Physicists (MPs) training, 54% of the students left their region of origin due to the training plan (40%) and the availability of scholarships (25%) in the chosen university. Most of the respondents have no Radiation Protection Expert title, while the remaining 20%, 6%, and 3% are qualified to the first, second, and third level, respectively.Several young MPs (62.2%) were involved in research activities; however, only 28% had teaching experience, mainly within their workplace (20%, safety courses), during AIFM courses (4%), or university lectures (3%).ConclusionsThis survey reported the current situation of the under 35 AIFM members, highlighting the “brain drain” phenomenon from the south to the north of Italy, mainly due to the lack of post-graduate schools, scholarships, and job opportunities. The obtained results will help the future working program of the AIFM

Human inhalable antibody fragments neutralizing SARS-CoV-2 variants for COVID-19 therapy

As of December 2021, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), remains global emergency and novel therapeutics are urgently needed. Here we describe human single chain variable fragment (scFv) antibodies (76clAbs) that block an epitope of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein essential for ACE2-mediated entry into cells. 76clAbs neutralize the delta variant and other variants being monitored (VBMs) and inhibit spike-mediated pulmonary cell-cell fusion, a critical feature of COVID-19 pathology. In two independent animal models, intranasal administration counteracted the infection. Due to high efficiency, remarkable stability, resilience to nebulization and low cost of production, 76clAbs may become a relevant tool for rapid, self-administrable early intervention in SARS-CoV-2-infected subjects independently of their immune status

Intradermal Vaccinations With RNA Coding for TAA Generate CD8+ and CD4+ Immune Responses and Induce Clinical Benefit in Vaccinated Patients

The aim of this phase I/II nonrandomized trial was to assess feasibility, safety as well as immunological and clinical responses of a mRNA-based vaccination in patients with stage IV renal cell cancer using granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) as adjuvant. Intradermal injections of in vitro transcribed naked mRNA, which was generated using plasmids coding for the tumor-associated antigens mucin 1(MUC1), carcinoembryonic (CEA), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (Her-2/neu), telomerase, survivin, and melanoma-associated antigen 1 (MAGE-A1) were performed in 30 enrolled patients. In the first 14 patients (cohort A) vaccinations were administered on days 0, 14, 28, and 42 (20 µg/antigen) while in the consecutive 16 patients (cohort B) an intensified protocol consisting of injections at days 0–3, 7–10, 28, and 42 (50 µg/antigen) was used. In both cohorts, after this induction period, vaccinations were repeated monthly until tumor progression analyzed by Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors criteria (RECIST). Vaccinations were well tolerated with no severe side effects and induced clinical responses [six stable diseases (SD) and one partial response in cohort A and nine SD in cohort B]. In cohort A, 35.7% survived 4 years (median survival 24 months) compared to 31.25% in cohort B (median survival 29 months). Induction of CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses was shown for several tumor-associated antigens (TAA) using interferon-γ (IFN-γ) enzyme-linked immunosorbent spot (ELISpot) and Cr-release assays