Review of a Small-scale Pelagic Longline Fishery off Northeastern Brazil

The annual catches of four small longliners operating off northeast Brazil from 1983 to 1997 were examined across different areas and locations. The total catch comprised tunas (30%), sharks (54%), billfishes (12%), and other fish species (4%). Fishing strategy and annual composition of catches showed large spatial and temporal variabilities with the dominant catches alternating among yellowfin tuna, Thunnus albacares; gray sharks, Carcharhinus spp.; and blue shark, Prionace glauca. Catches of blue and gray sharks showed a significant interaction among seamounts, with gray sharks occurring in maximum abundance around those seamounts that had relatively deep summits and low-sloping depth profiles. Results are discussed in terms of the various factors that may have influenced distribution of effort

From yeast killer toxins to antibiobodies and beyond

Antibiobodies are paradigmatic of yeast killer toxin (KT)-like antibodies (KAbs) mimicking the antimicrobial activity of KTs in the frame of the yeast killer phenomenon. Polyclonal, monoclonal and recombinant anti-idiotypic antibiobodies (anti-idiotypic KAbs), internal images of a wide-spectrum KT produced by the yeast Pichia anomala (PaKT), have been produced by immunization with the idiotype of a PaKT-neutralizing monoclonal antibody. Anti-idiotypic KAbs showed microbicidal activity against eukaryotic and prokaryotic pathogenic agents through the interaction with specific KT receptors (KTRs), putatively constituted by beta-glucans. Natural KAbs have been found in animals and humans experimentally or naturally infected by KTR-bearing microorganisms. Recombinant KAb-derived synthetic killer peptides showed further antiviral and immunomodulatory activities. the perspectives of KAbs and killer peptides as potential sources of novel therapeutic agents, and of KTRs and idiotypes as vaccines against infectious diseases are discussed.Istituto Superiore di SanitaUniv Parma, Sez Microbiol, Dipartimento Patol & Med Lab, I-43100 Parma, ItalyUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Microbiol Imunol & Parasitol, Unidade Oncol Expt, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Microbiol Imunol & Parasitol, Unidade Oncol Expt, São Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc

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

LUCIS:a learning experience to improve lifetime and operating strategies in low power PEM fuel cells

LUCIS, a demonstration project co-financed by the Innovation Agency in Portugal (AdI), was carried out in the framework of the DEMTEC Programme (Incentives to Technologically Innovative Pilot Systems). Its main goals were: Validate the reliability of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) when used in practical situations and the competitive advantages that these solutions can represent compared to conventional solutions; Evaluate impacts associated with the use of hydrogen and the benefits to business competitiveness. This project allowed a learning experience in real applications of low power PEMFC. Demonstrations were grouped in two large categories that covered several applications of PEMFC. The prototypes used were produced by SRE (Portugal) and were specifically designed to be used in small power applications, portable, traction or stationary. In this work, the technological validation was carried out for different stacks with power from 10 to 100W. Hydrogen was supplied by compressed gas bottles and metallic hydrides. All the fuel cells were previously characterized in specialized laboratories. Recommendations were drawn for every application in order to improve fuel cell lifetime and operating strategies

Fuel Starvation: irreversible degradation mechanisms in PEM Fuel Cells

PEM fuel cell operates under very aggressive conditions in both anode and cathode. Failure modes and mechanism in PEM fuel cells include those related to thermal, chemical or mechanical issues that may constrain stability, power and lifetime. In this work, the case of fuel starvation is examined. The anode potential may rise to levels compatible with the oxidization of water. If water is not available, oxidation of the carbon support will accelerate catalyst sintering. Diagnostics methods used for in-situ and ex-situ analysis of PEM fuel cells are selected in order to better categorize irreversible changes of the cell. Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) is found instrumental in the identification of fuel cell flooding conditions and membrane dehydration associated to mass transport limitations / reactant starvation and protonic conductivity decrease, respectively. Furthermore, it indicates that water electrolysis might happen at the anode. Cross sections of the membrane catalyst and gas diffusion layers examined by scanning electron microscopy indicate electrode thickness reduction as a result of reactions taking place during hydrogen starvation. Catalyst particles are found to migrate outwards and located on carbon backings. Membrane degradation in fuel cell environment is analyzed in terms of the mechanism for fluoride release which is considered an early predictor of membrane degradation

Mortality due to systemic mycoses as a primary cause of death or in association with AIDS in Brazil: a review from 1996 to 2006

Deaths caused by systemic mycoses such as paracoccidioidomycosis, cryptococcosis, histoplasmosis, candidiasis, aspergillosis, coccidioidomycosis and zygomycosis amounted to 3,583 between 1996-2006 in Brazil. When analysed as the underlying cause of death, paracoccidioidomycosis represented the most important cause of deaths among systemic mycoses (~ 51.2%). When considering AIDS as the underlying cause of death and the systemic mycoses as associated conditions, cryptococcosis (50.9%) appeared at the top of the list, followed by candidiasis (30.2%), histoplasmosis (10.1%) and others. This mortality analysis is useful in understanding the real situation of systemic mycoses in Brazil, since there is no mandatory notification of patients diagnosed with systemic mycoses in the official health system.FAPESPCNP

Cell walls of the dimorphic fungal pathogens Sporothrix schenckii and Sporothrix brasiliensis exhibit bilaminate structures and sloughing of extensive and intact layers

This work was supported by the Fundação Carlos Chagas de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (FAPERJ), grants E-26/202.974/2015 and Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq), grants 229755/2013-5, Brazil. LMLB is a senior research fellow of CNPq and Faperj. NG acknowledged support from the Wellcome Trust (Trust (097377, 101873, 200208) and MRC Centre for Medical Mycology (MR/N006364/1). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.Peer reviewedPublisher PD