Determinação do ângulo 2V de plagioclásios pelo método analítico com valores de φ múltiplos de 90º

O método analítico de Chomard é aplicado a plagioclásios através de programa para computador eletronico. Determina-se o valor de 2V de 28 indivíduos, 7 dos quais com duas repetições, mediante o emprego de 12 operações de extinção, obtidas pela associação de φ = 0º, (φ = 90º, φ - 180º e φ = 270º com Θ = 15º, Θ = 30º eΘ = 45º. Conclui-se que, para esse grupo de minerais, operações de extinção envolvendo valores de φ múltiplos de 90º devem ser evitadas.

Efeito da uréia associada com nitrapirina na relação N-NH+4/N-NO-3 do solo, e na cultura do milho

Foi conduzido um ensaio de campo, em um Latossolo Vermelho Amarelo (LVA), textura média, para avaliar o efeito de doses de nitrapirina (N-Serve 24E) e uréia na relação N-NH+4/N-NO-3 do solo, nos teores de N nas folhas, nos grãos de milho e na produção da cultura. Agradecemos aos Engºs Agrºs Miguel Manieiro e Hélio Prado, pela colaboração no estabelecimento do balanço hídrico e na classificação do solo, respectivamente. As doses utilizadas de nitrapirina foram 1, 2 e 3 kg/ha e as doses de nitrogênio foram 40 e 80 kg de N/ha. Verificou-se que: a associação de 3 kg de nitrapirina/ha com uréia aumentou a relação N-NH+4/N-NO-3 do solo e a produção de milho em grãos. Porém não houve variação nos teores de Ntotal nem nas folhas nem nos grãos.

Efeito da nitrapirina associada ou não com uréla na relação N-NH+4/N-NO-3 do solo e na cultura trigo (Triticum aestivum L.)

Realizou-se um ensaio de campo em TRE (terra roxa estruturada), para avaliar o efeito da uréia associada com um inibidor da niitrificação, na relação N-NH4/N-NO3, do solo e na cultura do trigo. A uréia foi aplicada nas doses correspondentes a 0, 30 e 60 kg de N/ha e o inibidor nas doses correspondentes a 0; 0,75 e 1,50 kg de nitrapirina/ha. Aos 30 e 60 dias após a semeadura foram determinados os teores de N-NH4 e N-NO3 do solo. No final do ciclo da cultura foram obtidos os dados de produção e os teores de N-total nos grãos de trigo. Verificou-se que: a utilização da uréia, sem inibidor da nitrificação, diminuiu a relação N-NH4/N-NO3 do solo. A associação da uréia com nitrapirina elevou a relação N-NH4/N-NO3, até 30 dias após a adubação. A cultura do trigo não respondeu à associação da uréia com nitrapirina. Não houve efeito dos tratamentos nos teores de N-total nos grãos de trigo.

Y-90-Ibritumomab Tiuxetan (Zevalin (R)) Consolidation of First Remission In Advanced-Stage Follicular Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma: Updated Results After a Median Follow-up of 66.2 Months From the International, Randomized, Phase III First-Line Indolent Trial (FIT) In 414 Patients

The FIT trial was conducted to evaluate the safety and efficacy of 90Y-ibritumomab tiuxetan (0.4 mCi/kg; maximum dose 32 mCi) when used as consolidation of first complete or partial remission in patients with previously untreated, advanced-stage follicular lymphoma (FL). Patients were randomly assigned to either 90Y-ibritumomab treatment (n = 207) or observation (n = 202) within 3 months (mo) of completing initial induction therapy (chemotherapy only: 86%; rituximab in combination with chemotherapy: 14%). Response status prior to randomization did not differ between the groups: 52% complete response (CR)/CR unconfirmed (CRu) to induction therapy and 48% partial response (PR) in the 90Y-ibritumomab arm vs 53% CR/CRu and 44% PR in the control arm. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS) of the intent-to-treat (ITT) population. Results from the first extended follow-up after a median of 3.5 years revealed a significant improvement in PFS from the time of randomization with 90Y-ibritumomab consolidation compared with control (36.5 vs 13.3 mo, respectively; P < 0.0001; Morschhauser et al. JCO. 2008; 26:5156-5164). Here we report a median follow-up of 66.2 mo (5.5 years). Five-year PFS was 47% in the 90Y-ibritumomab group and 29% in the control group (hazard ratio (HR) = 0.51, 95% CI 0.39-0.65; P < 0.0001). Median PFS in the 90Y-ibritumomab group was 49 mo vs 14 mo in the control group. In patients achieving a CR/CRu after induction, 5-year PFS was 57% in the 90Y-ibritumomab group, and the median had not yet been reached at 92 months, compared with a 43% 5-year PFS in the control group and a median of 31 mo (HR = 0.61, 95% CI 0.42-0.89). For patients in PR after induction, the 5-year PFS was 38% in the 90Y-ibritumomab group with a median PFS of 30 mo vs 14% in the control group with a median PFS of 6 mo (HR = 0.38, 95% CI 0.27-0.53). Patients who had received rituximab as part of induction treatment had a 5-year PFS of 64% in the 90Y-ibritumomab group and 48% in the control group (HR = 0.66, 95% CI 0.30-1.47). For all patients, time to next treatment (as calculated from the date of randomization) differed significantly between both groups; median not reached at 99 mo in the 90Y-ibritumomab group vs 35 mo in the control group (P < 0.0001). The majority of patients received rituximab-containing regimens when treated after progression (63/82 [77%] in the 90Y-ibritumomab group and 102/122 [84%] in the control group). Overall response rate to second-line treatment was 79% in the 90Y-ibritumomab group (57% CR/CRu and 22% PR) vs 78% in the control arm (59% CR/CRu, 19% PR). Five-year overall survival was not significantly different between the groups; 93% and 89% in the 90Y-ibritumomab and control groups, respectively (P = 0.561). To date, 40 patients have died; 18 in the 90Y-ibritumomab group and 22 in the control group. Secondary malignancies were diagnosed in 16 patients in the 90Y-ibritumomab arm vs 9 patients in the control arm (P = 0.19). There were 6 (3%) cases of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS)/acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) in the 90Y-ibritumomab arm vs 1 MDS in the control arm (P = 0.063). In conclusion, this extended follow-up of the FIT trial confirms the benefit of 90Y-ibritumomab consolidation with a nearly 3 year advantage in median PFS. A significant 5-year PFS improvement was confirmed for patients with a CR/CRu or a PR after induction. Effective rescue treatment with rituximab-containing regimens may explain the observed no difference in overall survival between both patient groups who were - for the greater part - rituximab-naïve.

Diseño de filtros transversales mediante el híbrido de 90º

Los filtros de microondas son uno de los elementos clave en el diseño de la mayoría de sistemas de RF que soportan servicios de telecomunicaciones modernos. Algunas de las aplicaciones actuales son, por ejemplo, los nuevos sistemas radar de banda ultra ancha (UWB – Ultra Wide Band) y sistemas de transmisión de servicios multimedia, donde se requieren dimensiones pequeñas del circuito, bajas pérdidas de inserción y una alta selectividad. Una de las tendencias que ha surgido como alternativa a las teorías clásicas de diseño de filtros, es el diseño de filtros basados en técnicas de señales interferentes, conocidos como filtros transversales. En esta memoria es muestra como diseñar un filtro transversal mediante el Híbrido de 90º y mediante el Híbrido de 90º con líneas acopladas, planteando 3 posibles soluciones de la ubicación de las líneas acopladas.

Dating human skeletal remains using 90Sr and 210Pb: case studies. [Dating human skeletal remains using Sr-90 and Pb-210: Case studies]

In legal medicine, the post mortem interval (PMI) of interest covers the last 50 years. When only human skeletal remains are found, determining the PMI currently relies mostly on the experience of the forensic anthropologist, with few techniques available to help. Recently, several radiometric methods have been proposed to reveal PMI. For instance, (14)C and (90)Sr bomb pulse dating covers the last 60 years and give reliable PMI when teeth or bones are available. (232)Th series dating has also been proposed but requires a large amount of bones. In addition, (210)Pb dating is promising but is submitted to diagenesis and individual habits like smoking that must be handled carefully. Here we determine PMI on 29 cases of forensic interest using (90)Sr bomb pulse. In 12 cases, (210)Pb dating was added to narrow the PMI interval. In addition, anthropological investigations were carried out on 15 cases to confront anthropological expertise to the radiometric method. Results show that 10 of the 29 cases can be discarded as having no forensic interest (PMI>50 years) based only on the (90)Sr bomb pulse dating. For 10 other cases, the additional (210)Pb dating restricts the PMI uncertainty to a few years. In 15 cases, anthropological investigations corroborate the radiometric PMI. This study also shows that diagenesis and inter-individual difference in radionuclide uptake represent the main sources of uncertainty in the PMI determination using radiometric methods.

Evolution of the clinical and epidemiological knowledge about Chagas disease 90 years after its discovery

Three different periods may be considered in the evolution of knowledge about the clinical and epidemiological aspects of Chagas disease since its discovery: (a) early period concerning the studies carried out by Carlos Chagas in Lassance with the collaboration of other investigators of the Manguinhos School. At that time the disease was described and the parasite, transmitters and reservoirs were studied. The coexistence of endemic goiter in the same region generated some confusion about the clinical forms of the disease; (b) second period involving uncertainty and the description of isolated cases, which lasted until the 1940 decade. Many acute cases were described during this period and the disease was recognized in many Latin American countries. Particularly important were the studies of the Argentine Mission of Regional Pathology Studies, which culminated with the description of the Romaña sign in the 1930 decade, facilitating the diagnosis of the early phase of the disease. However, the chronic phase, which was the most important, continued to be difficult to recognize; (c) period of consolidation of knowledge and recognition of the importance of Chagas disease. Studies conducted by Laranja, Dias and Nóbrega in Bambuí updated the description of Chagas heart disease made by Carlos Chagas and Eurico Villela. From then on, the disease was more easily recognized, especially with the emphasis on the use of a serologic diagnosis; (d) period of enlargement of knowledges on the disease. The studies on denervation conducted in Ribeirão Preto by Fritz Köberle starting in the 1950 decade led to a better understanding of the relations between Chagas disease and megaesophagus and other visceral megas detected in endemic areas.

A recyclable assay to analyze the NH(2)-terminal trimming of antigenic peptide precursors.

The proteasome plays an essential role in the production of MHC class I-restricted antigenic peptides. Recent results have indicated that several peptidases, including tripeptidyl peptidase II and puromycin-sensitive aminopeptidase, could act downstream of the proteasome by trimming NH(2)-terminal extensions of antigenic peptide precursors liberated by the proteasome. In this study, we have developed a solid-phase peptidase assay that allowed us to efficiently purify and immobilize proteasome, tripeptidyl peptidase II, and puromycin-sensitive aminopeptidase. Whereas the first peptidase was active against small fluorogenic peptides, the latter two could also digest antigenic peptide precursors and could be used repeatedly with different precursors. Using three distinct antigenic peptide precursors, we found that tripeptidyl peptidase II never cleaved within the antigenic peptide sequence, suggesting that, aside from its proteolytic activities, it may also play a role in protecting antigenic peptides from complete hydrolysis in the cytosol. This method should be valuable for high throughput screenings of substrate specificity and potential inhibitors.