PROPAGAÇÃO VEGETATIVA DA GUABIROBEIRA (Campomanesia xanthocarpa BERG.) IN VITRO E POR ESTAQUIA

The guabirobeira (Canvpomanesia xanthocarpa Berg.) is a native woody fruitful Myrtacea of the South region of Brazil whose commercial exploration can be fomented by studies about its vegetative propagation. Several techniques of vegetative propagation were used with the objective of studying the behavior of the species. The work is divided in two phases: cutting and micropropagation. For the semi-woody cutting 2 substratum types were tested (100% Plantmax® 2/3 Plantamax® + 1/3 sand) and 7 treatments (water; ethanol 50%; ethanol 20%; ethanol 40%; IBA 500 mg.L-1; IBA 1.000 mgL-1; IBA 2.000 mg.L-1). For herbaceous cutting 6 treatments were tested (control, water; ethanol 50%; IBA, 1.000 mg.L-1; IBA 5.000 mg.L-1; IBA 10.000 mg.L1) and 2 times of immersion (30 s and 2 hs). there was no formation of roots in none of the experiments. In the micropropagation, the explants source were plants in green house and adult plants from, the field. In all the experiments the desinfesting was based on ethanol and commercial NaOCI and the culture medium was the MS. The experiments with field or green house microcuttings didnt pass of desinfesting plisse, due to the bacterial endogenous contamination. The microcuttings of aseptic plantlets used explants of in vitro germinated seeds from mature fruits or fruits beginning the maturation. The desinfestation was accomplished on fruits or on seeds already separated from the puIp and both forms were efficient. The multiplication test showed that the medium without growth regulators presented longer budding, while the medium with 0,5 mg.L-1 of BAP presented larger budding number by cutting. There was root formation in the medium without growth regulators. In the meristems culture, apical and axillary meristems were used. The results demonstrated to be possible the elimination of the bacterial contamination, but there were no development and multiplication of the meristems. The somatic embryogenesis was induced on developed zigotic embryos, removed tom fruits in the initial phase of maturation. Tests were accomplished with several combinations of growth regulators (2,4-D, ANA IRA, BAP and 21-P) in several concentrations, seeking optimizing the phases of the embryogenesis, from induction to the conversion. In the induction phase the formation of somatic embryos occured in flue medium with 0,5 to 1 mg.L-1 2,4-D. The following phases showed that is possible to decrease or retreat the growth regulator, what stimulates the repetitive cycle and allows the development and conversion of the somatic embryos. The formation of somatic embryos in an indirect and direct way was observed. There was conversion of somatic embryos in pIantlets and several passed to the climate adaptation, phase in green house.A guabirobeira (Campomanesia xanthocarpa Berg.) é uma Mirtácea frutífera lenhosa nativa da região Sul do Brasil, cuja exploração comercial pode ser fomentada por estudos sobre sua propagação vegetativa. Foram empregadas diversas técnicas de propagação vegetativa com o objetivo de estudar o comportamento da espécie. O trabalho está dividido em duas fases: estaquia e micropropagação. Para a estaquia semi-lenhosa foram testados 2 tipos de substrato (100% Plantmax; 2/3 Plantmax + 1/3 areia) e 7 tratamentos (água; ETANOL 50%; ETANOL 20%; ETANOL 40%; AIB 500 mg.L-1; AIB 1.000 mg.L-1; AIB 2.000 mg.L-1). Para a estaquia herbácea foram testados 6 tratamentos (testemunha, água; ETANOL 50%; AIB 1.000 mg.L-1; AIB 5.000 mg.L-1; AIB 10.000 mg.L-1) e 2 tempos de imersão (30 s e 2 h). Não houve formação de raízes em nenhum dos experimentos. Na micropropagação a fonte de explantes foram plantas em casa de vegetação e plantas adultas a campo. Em todos os experimentos a desinfestação foi baseada em etanol e NaOCl comercial e o meio de cultura foi o MS. Os experimentos com micro-estacas de campo ou casa de vegetação não passaram da fase de desinfestação, devido à contaminação bacteriana endógena. A micro-estaquia de plântulas assépticas utilizou explantes de sementes germinadas in vitro a partir de sementes retiradas de frutos maduros ou iniciando a maturação. A desinfestação foi realizada sobre os frutos ou sobre as sementes já separadas da polpa e ambas as formas foram eficientes. O teste de multiplicação mostrou que o meio sem reguladores de crescimento apresentou brotações mais longas, enquanto o meio acrescido de 0,5 mg.L-1 de BAP apresentou maior número de brotações por estaca. Houve formação de raiz em meio sem reguladores de crescimento. Na cultura de meristemas foram utilizados meristemas apicais e axilares. Os resultados demonstraram ser possível a eliminação da contaminação bacteriana, mas não houve desenvolvimento e multiplicação dos meristemas. A embriogênese somática foi induzida sobre embriões zigóticos desenvolvidos, retirados de frutos em fase inicial de maturação. Foram realizados testes com diversas combinações de reguladores de crescimento (2,4-D, ANA, AIB, BAP e 2i-P) em várias concentrações, visando otimizar as fases da embriogênese, da indução à conversão. Na fase de indução a formação de embriões somáticos ocorreu nos meios com 0,5 a 1 mg.L-1 2,4-D. As fases seguintes mostraram que é possível a diminuição ou retirada do regulador de crescimento, o que estimula o ciclo repetitivo e permite o desenvolvimento e conversão dos embriões somáticos. Foi observada a formação de embriões somáticos de forma indireta e direta. Houve conversão de embriões somáticos em plântulas e várias passaram para a aclimatização

Immune Checkpoint Blockade and Immune Monitoring

The concept of immunological surveillance, a monitoring process in which the immune system detects and destroys by several effector mechanisms, virally infected and neoplastic transformed cells in the body, was developed more than 50 years ago. Based on current research, it is clear that the immune system can recognize and eliminate transformed cells. An increasing number of studies has investigated the immune system in cancer patients and how it is prone to immunosuppression, due in part to the decrease of lymphocyte proliferation and cytotoxic activity. Such weakened immune system is then unable to fully accomplish its role in immunological surveillance, allowing nascent transformed cells to escape the selective pressure of the immune system. The main goal of cancer immunotherapy has been to reawaken the immune system from a suppressive slumber to enable it to attack cancer cells once again. As the results from the last 10 years attest, cancer immunotherapy is the best strategy to restore the activity of the immune system and unleash its potential to destroy cancer cells in cancer patients. This chapter aims to discuss the recent findings on immune monitoring studies and the use of immune checkpoint inhibition in cancer immunotherapy

3D bioprinting for syntrophic bioremediation of tetrachlorethylene

Perchloroethylene (PCE) is a common and persistent pollutant belonging to the family of dense non- aqueous phase liquids (DNAPL). This chlorinated hydrocarbon has properties that allow it to accumulate into the food chain, thereby harming both humans and the environment. One of the technologies adopted to remove such compound from contaminated sites is bioremediation, namely the exploitation of metabolic processes of plants and microorganisms for the degradation of contaminants to non-toxic by-products. This thesis focuses on the implementation of 3D printed systems with incorporated bacterial strains able to degrade PCE. The complete degradation of this pollutant is made possible by the syntrophic metabolism of two different strains of bacteria, namely the anaerobe Desulfitobacterium hafniense strain PCE-S, and the aerobe Polaromonas sp. strain JS666. Optimisation of the protocols and stabilisation of the synthesis of methacrylated sodium alginate were the main focus of the project. The improved throughput and reliability obtained in the production of materials allowed to study the design of the bioink system, in order to identify appropriate shapes and printing conditions. The creation of a single-print, biocompatible object in which the two strains of bacteria were able to coexist could be achieved. These accomplishments represent the foundation for studies of PCE degradation potential of this system for its possible use in in situ bioremediation employments

Propagação vegetativa da guabirobeira (campomanesia xanthocarpa Berg.) in vitro e por estaquia

Orientador: Flavio ZanetteDissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal do Parana, Setor de Ciencias AgrariasResumo: A guabirobeira (Campomanesia xanthocarpa Berg.) é uma Mirtácea frutífera lenhosa nativa da região Sul do Brasil, cuja exploração comercial pode ser fomentada por estudos sobre sua propagação vegetativa. Foram empregadas diversas técnicas de propagação vegetativa com o objetivo de estudar o comportamento da espécie. O trabalho está dividido em duas fases: estaquia e micropropagação. Para a estaquia semi-lenhosa foram testados 2 tipos de substrato (100% Plantmax®; 2/3 Plantmax® + 1/3 areia) e 7 tratamentos (água; ETANOL 50%; ETANOL 20%; ETANOL 40%; AIB 500 mg.L-1; AIB 1.000 mg.L-1; AIB 2.000 mg.L-1). Para a estaquia herbácea foram testados 6 tratamentos (testemunha, água; ETANOL 50%; AIB 1.000 mg.L1; AIB 5.000 mg.L-1; AIB 10.000 mg.L-1) e 2 tempos de imersão (30 s e 2 h). Não houve formação de raízes em nenhum dos experimentos. Na micropropagação a fonte de explantes foram plantas em casa de vegetação e plantas adultas a campo. Em todos os experimentos a desinfestação foi baseada em etanol e NaOCI comercial e o meio de cultura foi o MS. Os experimentos com micro-estacas de campo ou casa de vegetação não passaram da fase de desinfestação, devido à contaminação bacteriana endógena. A microestaquia de plântulas assépticas utilizou explantes de sementes germinadas in vitro a partir de sementes retiradas de frutos maduros ou iniciando a maturação. A desinfestação foi realizada sobre os frutos ou sobre as sementes já separadas da polpa e ambas as formas foram eficientes. O teste de multiplicação mostrou que o meio sem reguladores de crescimento apresentou brotações mais longas, enquanto o meio acrescido de 0,5 mg.L-1 de BAP apresentou maior número de brotações por estaca. Houve formação de raiz em meio sem reguladores de crescimento. Na cultura de meristemas foram utilizados meristemas apicais e axilares. Os resultados demonstraram ser possível a eliminação da contaminação bacteriana, mas não houve desenvolvimento e multiplicação dos meristemas. A embriogênese somática foi induzida sobre embriões zigóticos desenvolvidos, retirados de frutos em fase inicial de maturação. Foram realizados testes com diversas combinações de reguladores de crescimento (2,4-D, ANA, AIB, BAP e 2i-P) em várias concentrações, visando otimizar as fases da embriogênese, da indução à conversão. Na fase de indução a formação de embriões somáticos ocorreu nos meios com 0,5 a 1 mg.L-1 2,4-D. As fases seguintes mostraram que é possível a diminuição ou retirada do regulador de crescimento, o que estimula o ciclo repetitivo e permite o desenvolvimento e conversão dos embriões somáticos. Foi observada a formação de embriões somáticos de forma indireta e direta. Houve conversão de embriões somáticos em plântulas e várias passaram para a aclimatização.Abstract: The guabirobeira (Campomanesia xanthocarpa Berg.) is a native woody fruitful Myrtacea of the South region of Brazil, whose commercial exploration can be fomented by studies about its vegetative propagation. Several techniques of vegetative propagation were used with the objective of studying the behavior of the species. The work is divided in two phases: cutting and micropropagation. For the semi-woody cutting 2 substratum types were tested (100% Plantmax® ; 2/3 Plantamax® + 1/3 sand) and 7 treatments (water; ethanol 50%; ethanol 20%; ethanol 40%; IBA 500 mg.L-1; IBA 1.000 mg.L-1; IBA 2.000 mg.L-1). For herbaceous cutting 6 treatments were tested (control, water; ethanol 50%; IBA 1.000 mg.L-1; IBA 5.000 mg.L-1; IBA 10.000 mg.L-1) and 2 times of immersion (30 s and 2 hs). there was no formation of roots in none of the experiments. In the micropropagation, the explants source were plants in green house and adult plants from the field. In all the experiments the desinfesting was based on ethanol and commercial NaOCI and the culture medium was the MS. The experiments with field or green house microcuttings didn't pass of desinfesting phase, due to the bacterial endogenous contamination. The microcuttings of aseptic plantlets used explants of in vitro gerrminated seeds from mature fruits or fruits beginning the maturation. The desinfestation was accomplished on fruits or on seeds already separated from the pulp and both forms were efficient. The multiplication test showed that the medium without growth regulators presented longer budding, while the medium with 0,5 mg.L-1 of BAP presented larger budding number by cutting. There was root formation in the medium without growth regulators. In the meristems culture, apical and axillary meristems were used. The results demonstrated to be possible the elimination of the bacterial contamination, but there were no development and multiplication of the meristems. The somatic embryogenesis was induced on developed zigotic embryos, removed from fruits in the initial phase of maturation. Tests were accomplished with several combinations of growth regulators (2,4-D, ANA, IBA, BAP and 2i-P) in several concentrations, seeking optimizing the phases of the embryogenesis, from induction to the conversion. In the induction phase the formation of somatic embryos occured in the medium with 0,5 to 1 mg.L-1 2,4-D. The following phases showed that is possible to decrease or retreat the growth regulator, what stimulates the repetitive cycle and allows the development and conversion of the somatic embryos. The formation of somatic embryos in an indirect and direct way was observed. There was conversion of somatic embryos in plantlets and several passed to the climate adaptation phase in green house

Digital implementation and parameter tuning of adaptive nonlinear differential limiters

Master of ScienceDepartment of Electrical and Computer EngineeringAlexei NikitinBalasubramaniam NatarajanIt has been shown that the performance of communications systems can be severely limited by non-Gaussian and impulsive interference from a variety of sources. The non-Gaussian nature of this interference provides an opportunity for its effective mitigation by nonlinear filtering. In this thesis, we describe blind adaptive analog nonlinear filters, referred to as Adaptive Nonlinear Differential Limiters (ANDLs), that are characterized by several methodological distinctions from the existing digital solutions. When ANDLs are incorporated into a communications receiver, these methodological differences can translate into significant practical advantages, improving the receiver performance in the presence of non-Gaussian interference. A Nonlinear Differential Limiter (NDL) is obtained from a linear analog filter by introducing an appropriately chosen feedback-based nonlinearity into the response of the filter, and the degree of nonlinearity is controlled by a single parameter. ANDLs are similarly controlled by a single parameter, and are suitable for improving quality of non-stationary signals under time-varying noise conditions. ANDLs are designed to be fully compatible with existing linear devices and systems (i.e., ANDLs’ behavior is linear in the absence of impulsive interference), and to be used as an enhancement, or as a simple low-cost alternative, to state-of-the-art interference mitigation methods. We provide an introduction to the NDLs and illustrate their potential use for noise mitigation in communications systems. We also develop a digital implementation of an ANDL. This allows for rapid prototyping and performance analysis of various ANDL configurations and use cases

Role of SOCS-1 Gene on Melanoma Cell Growth and Tumor Development

Melanoma is the most aggressive form of skin cancer, and its incidence has increased dramatically over the years. The murine B16F10 melanoma in syngeneic C57Bl/6 mice has been used as a highly aggressive model to investigate tumor development. Presently, we demonstrate in the B16F10-Nex2 subclone that silencing of SOCS-1, a negative regulator of Jak/Stat pathway, leads to reversal of the tumorigenic phenotype and inhibition of melanoma cell metastasis. SOCS-1 silencing with short hairpin RNA affected tumor growth and cell cycle regulation with arrest at the S phase with large-sized nuclei, reduced cell motility, and decreased melanoma cell invasion through Matrigel. A clonogenic assay showed that SOCS-1 acted as a modulator of resistance to anoikis. In addition, downregulation of SOCS-1 decreased the expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (mainly the phosphorylated-R), Ins-Rα, and fibroblast growth factor receptor. In vivo, silencing of SOCS-1 inhibited subcutaneous tumor growth and metastatic development in the lungs. Because SOCS-1 is expressed in most melanoma cell lines and bears a relation with tumor invasion, thickness, and stage of disease, the present results on the effects of SOCS-1 silencing in melanoma suggest that this regulating protein can be a target of cancer therapy

AS ATITUDES E REPRESENTAÇÕES DO ESPANHOL NO BRASIL E A EXPANSÃO DAS INDÚSTRIAS DA LÍNGUA NO PAÍS

This paper analyzes the context of Spanish language teaching in Brazil. We examine the representations of and attitudes toward Rioplatense/Argentinean Spanish and Peninsular Spanish—and toward the speakers of each of these varieties—held by Brazilian learners of Spanish as a foreign language. To provide the context in which Spanish learning takes place in Brazil, we report on the changes that the teaching of Spanish language has undergone since the 1990s in that country. We used two complementary research methodologies—matched guise and open questionnaires—to measure the representations and attitudes of learners taking Spanish classes in the state of São Paulo. Findings suggest that attitudes were impacted primarily by the sounds characterizing each different language variety. From there the participants moved toward their representations of the people and their nationalities. Based on these findings, we propose changes in the treatment of linguistic varieties in the classroom.Este artigo analisa o contexto do ensino de língua espanhola no Brasil. Examinamos as representações e atitudes em relação ao espanhol rioplatense/argentino e ao espanhol peninsular – e aos falantes de cada uma dessas variedades – de brasileiros aprendizes de espanhol como língua estrangeira. Para contextualizar o aprendizado do espanhol no Brasil, relatamos as mudanças pelas quais passou o ensino da língua espanhola desde a década de 1990 naquele país. Usamos duas metodologias de pesquisa complementares—disfarce combinado e questionários abertos—para medir as representações e atitudes dos alunos que frequentam aulas de espanhol no estado de São Paulo. Os resultados sugerem que as atitudes foram afetadas principalmente pelos sons que caracterizam cada variedade de linguagem diferente. A partir daí os participantes avançaram em direção às suas representações do povo e suas nacionalidades. Com base nessas constatações, propomos mudanças no tratamento das variedades linguísticas em sala de aula