Response of Benthic Foraminifera to Environmental Variability: Importance of Benthic Foraminifera in Monitoring Studies

Foraminifera are eukaryotic unicellular microorganisms inhabiting all marine environments. The study of these protists has huge potential implications and benefits. They are good indicators of global change and are also promising indicators of the environmental health of marine ecosystems. Nevertheless, much remains to be learned about foraminiferal ecology. The goals of this chapter are (1) to provide a few examples from foraminifera studies, presenting possible use of foraminifera as bioindicators for the monitoring of transitional and marine ecosystems and (2) to highlight the importance of applying these organisms in environmental monitoring studies. A semienclosed coastal lagoon (Aveiro Lagoon; Portugal), an estuarine system (São Sebastião Channel; SE Brazil), a continental shelf sector (Campos Basin; SE Brazil), and a segment of continental slope (Campos Basin; SE Brazil) are used as examples

Whole brain radiotherapy with adjuvant or concomitant boost in brain metastasis: dosimetric comparison between helical and volumetric IMRT technique

To compare and evaluate the possible advantages related to the use of VMAT and helical IMRT and two different modalities of boost delivering, adjuvant stereotactic boost (SRS) or simultaneous integrated boost (SIB), in the treatment of brain metastasis (BM) in RPA classes I-II patients

Transparency and sustainability in global commodity supply chains

Over the last few decades rapid advances in processes to collect, monitor, disclose, and disseminate information have contributed towards the development of entirely new modes of sustainability governance for global commodity supply chains. However, there has been very little critical appraisal of the contribution made by different transparency initiatives to sustainability and the ways in which they can (and cannot) influence new governance arrangements. Here we seek to strengthen the theoretical underpinning of research and action on supply chain transparency by addressing four questions: (1) What is meant by supply chain transparency? (2) What is the relevance of supply chain transparency to supply chain sustainability governance? (3) What is the current status of supply chain transparency, and what are the strengths and weaknesses of existing initiatives? and (4) What propositions can be advanced for how transparency can have a positive transformative effect on the governance interventions that seek to strengthen sustainability outcomes? We use examples from agricultural supply chains and the zero-deforestation agenda as a focus of our analysis but draw insights that are relevant to the transparency and sustainability of supply chains in general. We propose a typology to distinguish among types of supply chain information that are needed to support improvements in sustainability governance, and illustrate a number of major shortfalls and systematic biases in existing information systems. We also propose a set of ten propositions that, taken together, serve to expose some of the potential pitfalls and undesirable outcomes that may result from (inevitably) limited or poorly designed transparency systems, whilst offering guidance on some of the ways in which greater transparency can make a more effective, lasting and positive contribution to sustainability

O Genótipo CCR5?32 em pacientes infectados pelo HIV candidatos à transplante de medula / The CCR5?32 Genotype in HIV-infected patients who are candidates for bone marrow transplantation

Estudos mostram que a interação do HIV com os receptores e correceptores presentes em suas células-alvo pode ser prejudicada devido uma mutação presente em uma pequena parcela da população mundial, na qual o gene que codifica os receptores de quimiocina CCR5 sofrem uma deleção de 32 pares de base. Quando o vírus entra em contato com um indivíduo homozigoto para o gene CCR5?32 (?32/ ?32), a sua integração na célula é impedida. Nesse caso, o sujeito apresenta uma resistência para a infecção. O artigo tem como objetivo apresentar o impacto dessa mutação em candidatos ao transplante de medula óssea que são infectados pelo vírus do HIV. Avaliando dois casos de remissão de carga viral, descritos em literatura, sem uso do tratamento antirretroviral, onde os pacientes, que apresentavam neoplasias malignas para as células hematopoiéticas, foram submetidos a transplantes de medula onde os doadores eram homozigotos para a mutação ?32. Obteve-se como conclusão, que a mutação CCR5D32 implica em novos métodos de possíveis tratamentos para o HIV

Treatment of recurrent malignant gliomas with fotemustine monotherapy: impact of dose and correlation with MGMT promoter methylation

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In recurrent malignant gliomas (MGs), a high rate of haematological toxicity is observed with the use of fotemustine at the conventional schedule (100 mg/m²weekly for 3 consecutive weeks followed by triweekly administration after a 5-week rest period). Also, the impact of O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) promoter methylation status on fotemustine activity has never been explored in the clinical setting.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>40 patients with recurrent pretreated MG were identified as being treated with fotemustine at doses ranging from 65 mg/m²to 100 mg/m². Patients were classified into 3 groups according to the dose of fotemustine received, from the lowest dosage received in group A, to the highest in group C. Analysis of MGMT promoter methylation in tumor tissue was successfully performed in 19 patients.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Overall, 20% of patients responded to treatment, for a disease control rate (DCR, responses plus stabilizations) of 47.5%. Groups A and B experienced a response rate of 40% and 26.5% respectively, while the corresponding value for group C was 10%. Out of 19 patients, MGMT promoter was found methylated in 12 cases among which a DCR of 66.5% was observed. All 7 patients with unmethylated MGMT promoter were progressive to fotemustine.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Low-dose fotemustine at 65–75 mg/m²(induction phase) followed by 75–85 mg/m²(maintenance phase) has an activity comparable to that of the conventional schedule. By determination of the MGMT promoter methylation status patients might be identified who are more likely to benefit from fotemustine chemotherapy.</p