Monitoring environmental catastrophe area through change detection techniques

The use of satellite images has been very effective for monitoring the dynamics of the land use and occupation over time. For this purpose , the change detection techniques have been strong allies. These techniques have multiple complexities depending on the objective to be achieved. This study aims to evaluate the technique for land use and land cover changing detection in areas affected by the environmental disaster of November 2008 in the region of Morro do Baú, Santa Catarina, Brazil. A total of 04 (four) images from different dates between 1992 and 2009 (post-disaster) were used. The images were processed in vegetation index using bands 7 and 4 in order to minimize atmospheric and radiometric distortions. Shadow mask, construted from the digital terrain model, was developed to avoid false changes caused by shade. It was concluded that the georeferencing must be very accurate in applying these techniques. The vegetation index by using bands 7 and 4and the shadow mask, were effective in minimizing false changes. It showed that the techniques applied are effective to detect changes in areas affected by the disaster

Aplicação de índices espectrais na avaliação do aumento da concentração de dióxido de carbono atmosférico em cafeeiro.

Abstract: Human influence on the climate system is clear, and recent anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases are the highest in history. In addition, recent climate change have had widespread impacts on human and natural system. The morphology and the physiological processes of plants can be altered by increasing the atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration. The objective of this study was to evaluate the spectral indexes of individual leaves of coffee cv. Obatã IAC 1669-20 under the effect of increased atmospheric CO2 concentration. Samples of coffee leaves were collected in August and in December 2013, from plants cultivated in the FACE experiment (Free Air CO2 Enrichment), located at Embrapa Environment, Jaguariúna - SP. Seven spectral index were evaluated. The spectral propriety of leaves collected in August detected the effect of CO2 enriched environment by adopting the PSSRa and PSSRb (Pigment Specific Simple Ratio, chlorophyll a and b, respectively) and NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index), at 1 % of significance. However, the same was not observed in leaves collected in December and the effect of CO2 enriched environment was not significant. Additional studies are been conducted in order to better understanding of the interaction process between the spectral properties of individual leaves and the enriched CO2 concentration environment

miRNA-126 Orchestrates an Oncogenic Program in B Cell Precursor Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

MicroRNA (miRNA)-126 is a known regulator of hematopoietic stem cell quiescence. We engineered murine hematopoiesis to express miRNA-126 across all differentiation stages. Thirty percent of mice developed monoclonal B cell leukemia, which was prevented or regressed when a tetracycline-repressible miRNA-126 cassette was switched off. Regression was accompanied by upregulation of cell-cycle regulators and B cell differentiation genes, and downregulation of oncogenic signaling pathways. Expression of dominant-negative p53 delayed blast clearance upon miRNA-126 switch-off, highlighting the relevance of p53 inhibition in miRNA-126 addiction. Forced miRNA-126 expression in mouse and human progenitors reduced p53 transcriptional activity through regulation of multiple p53-related targets. miRNA-126 is highly expressed in a subset of human B-ALL, and antagonizing miRNA-126 in ALL xenograft models triggered apoptosis and reduced disease burden

Intravascular lymphoma: Clinical presentation, natural history, management and prognostic factors in a series of 38 cases, with special emphasis on the 'cutaneous variant'

Despite its recognition as a distinct, extremely rare entity, no large studies of intravascular lymphoma (IVL) have been reported. The clinico-pathological characteristics of 38 human immunodeficiency virus-negative patients with IVL diagnosed in Western countries were reviewed to better delineate clinical presentation, clinical variants, natural history and optimal therapy. The IVL is an aggressive and usually disseminated disease (Ann Arbor stage IV in 68% of cases) that predominantly affects elderly patients (median age 70 years, range: 34-90; male:female ratio 0.9), resulting in poor Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status (ECOG-PS >1 in 61%), B symptoms (55%), anaemia (63%) and high serum lactate dehydrogenase level (86%). The brain and skin are the most common sites of disease. In contrast to previous reports, hepatosplenic involvement (26%) and bone marrow infiltration (32%) were found to be common features in IVL, while nodal disease was confirmed as rare (11% of cases). Patients with disease limited to the skin ('cutaneous variant'; 26% of cases) were invariably females with a normal platelet count, and exhibited a significantly better outcome than the remaining patients, which deserves further investigation. Overall survival was usually poor; however, the early use of intensive therapies could improve outcome in young patients with unfavourable features. ECOG-PS >1, 'cutaneous variant', stage I and chemotherapy use were independently associated with improved survival

autologous pancreatic islet transplantation in human bone marrow diabetes 2013 62 3523 3531

In the article listed above, there is an error in Fig. 3. In panel B , the immunohistochemical staining of insulin ( top middle panel

Clinical and molecular characterization of diffuse large B-cell lymphomas with 13q14.3 deletion

Background: Deletions at 13q14.3 are common in chronic lymphocytic leukemia and are also present in diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (DLBCL) but never in immunodeficiency-related DLBCL. To characterize DLBCL with 13q14.3 deletions, we combined genome-wide DNA profiling, gene expression and clinical data in a large DLBCL series treated with rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicine, vincristine and prednisone repeated every 21 days (R-CHOP21). Patients and methods: Affymetrix GeneChip Human Mapping 250K NspI and U133 plus 2.0 gene were used. MicroRNA (miRNA) expression was studied were by real-time PCR. Median follow-up of patients was 4.9 years. Results: Deletions at 13q14.3, comprising DLEU2/MIR15A/MIR16, occurred in 22/166 (13%) cases. The deletion was wider, including also RB1, in 19/22 cases. Samples with del(13q14.3) had concomitant specific aberrations. No reduced MIR15A/MIR16 expression was observed, but 172 transcripts were significantly differential expressed. Among the deregulated genes, there were RB1 and FAS, both commonly deleted at genomic level. No differences in outcome were observed in patients treated with R-CHOP21. Conclusions: Cases with 13q14.3 deletions appear as group of DLBCL characterized by common genetic and biologic features. Deletions at 13q14.3 might contribute to DLBCL pathogenesis by two mechanisms: deregulating the cell cycle control mainly due RB1 loss and contributing to immune escape, due to FAS down-regulatio