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Evaluation of low-kV energy X-ray radiation effect on breast cancer cells incubated with gold nanoparticles capped with aminolevulinic acid, methyl aminolevulinate, and gamma-aminobutyric acid
2023 - LOPES, ISABELA S.; SANTOS, NOEMY R.; SILVA, GIOVANA D. da; VIEIRA, DANIEL P.; COURROL, LILIA C.
Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have unique properties, including size-dependent optical and electronic characteristics, biocompatibility, and ease of functionalization, making them attractive for various diagnostic and therapeutic applications. The goal of this work was to verify the potential application of gold nanoparticles capped with aminolevulinic acid (ALA), methyl aminolevulinate (MALA), and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in low-energy X-ray diagnostics and therapy of breast cancer. ALA and MALA induce the accumulation of protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) in cancer cells. PpIX, in turn, can be excited by Cherenkov radiation, producing reactive oxygen species after energy or electron transfer from the triplet excited state of PpIX to molecular oxygen, which induces cell death by apoptosis or necrosis. The results indicated that ALA and MALA nanoparticles promoted reduced cell viability by approximately 20% with X-ray irradiation at an energy level of 35 kV for 5 minutes. Breast cancer cells possess GABA receptors, allowing for targeted effects by GABANPs, which can enhance contrast and improve diagnostic potential. GABAAuNPs also demonstrated decreased cell viability in ~10% following X-ray irradiation, making them a promising material for both breast cancer diagnosis and treatment.
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A new 124Xe irradiation system for 123I production
2023 - COSTA, OSVALDO L. da; BARCELLOS, HENRIQUE; MATSUDA, HYLTON; SUMIYA, LUIZ C. do A.; JUNQUEIRA, FERNANDO de C.; MATSUDA, MARGARETH M. N.; LAPOLLI, ANDRÉ L.
Since 2001, the Nuclear and Energy Research Institute IPEN-CNEN has produced iodine123, weekly, using a manual irradiation system, fully developed in IPEN. Ultrapure 123I has been produced and distributed to hospitals and clinics, where several diagnostic imaging procedures are done for thyroid, brain and cardiovascular functions. Due to the short half-life and emission of low-energy photons, this radioisotope becomes suitable for diagnosis in children. In the present work, will be presented all the technical and constructive aspects of a new fully automated irradiation system, dedicated to 123I routine production, employing enriched xenon-124 gas as the target material. This new system consists of a target, a water and a helium cooling system, a cryogenic system, an electric power system, and a control and process monitoring unit, composed of a supervisory software, connected to a programmable logic controller via personal computer. In this new concept, there is no need for human interference during radioisotope production, reducing the possibility of eventual failures or incidents involving radioactive material. In this way, with this new system, a specific yield, of 2.70 mCi/µAh per irradiation was achieved, in validation essays of the system and, after three years of routine production of iodine-123, the system showed reliability and resilience.
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Blue nests: the use of plastics in the nests of the crested oropendola (Psarocolius decumanus) on the Brazilian Amazon coast
2024 - LOPES, ADRIELLE C.; KUZNETSOVA, MARIA; FERREIRA, ANDERSON S.; WETTER, NIKLAUS U.; GIARRIZZO, TOMMASO; MARTINELLI FILHO, JOSÉ E.
Birds have been impacted by plastic pollution via entanglement, accidental ingestion, and exposure to chemical contaminants. However, plastics were also observed as a nesting material for several species. For the first time, we describe the occurrence and composition of plastics in the nests of the crested oropendola (Psarocolius decumanus) in three sites on the Amazon coast. Plastics were present in 67% of abandoned, fallen nests. At the mangrove site, all nests contained plastics, while at the grassy clearing and the fishermen's village, plastics were present at 35.3 and 90% of the nests, respectively. Blue fibers and ropes were the main plastics observed, probably derived from discarded fishing gear. Of 79 analyzed fibers, 97.5% were composed of Polyethylene, and 83.5% contained Cobalt Phthalocyanine as an additive. Our results showed a widespread use of plastics by P. decumanus, which may increase the exposure of juveniles to potential contaminants.
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Citizen science data on urban forageable plants
2024 - SOARES, FILIPI M.; PIRES, LUÍS F.; GARCIA, MARIA C.; CORADIN, LIDIO; GHILARDI-LOPES, NATALIA P.; SILVA, RUBENS R.; CARVALHO, ALINE M. de; GAVAI, ANAND; BOUZEMBRAK, YAMINE; MACULAN, BENILDES C.M. dos S.; KOFFLER, SHEINA; MONTEDO, UIARA B.; DRUCKER, DEBORA P.; SANTIAGO, RAQUEL; CARVALHO, MARIA C.P. de; LIMA, ANA C. da S.; GABRIEL, HILLARY D.E.; FRANÇA, STEPHANIE G.M. de; ALMEIDA, KAROLINE R. de; SANTOS, BÁRBARA J. dos; SARAIVA, ANTONIO M.
This paper presents two key data sets derived from the Pomar Urbano project. The first data set is a comprehensive catalog of edible fruit-bearing plant species, native or introduced in Brazil. The second data set, sourced from the iNaturalist platform, tracks the distribution and monitoring of these plants within urban landscapes across Brazil. The study encompasses data from all 27 Brazilian state capitals, focusing on the ten cities that contributed the most observations as of August 2023. The research emphasizes the significance of citizen science in urban biodiversity monitoring and its potential to contribute to various fields, including food and nutrition, creative industry, study of plant phenology, and machine learning applications. We expect the data sets to serve as a resource for further studies in urban foraging, food security, cultural ecosystem services, and environmental sustainability.