Search

Southeast Brazil has great economic importance for Brazil and is highly vulnerable to extreme events like floods and droughts. Studies have shown an increase of temperature in this region. Using a new detection and attribution framework (Ribes et al., 2017, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-016-3079-6) and Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 models, this change is found to be largely due to greenhouse gases. We estimate that greenhouse gases contribute a warming of 0.95 to 1.5 °C to the observed warming trend of 1.1 °C between 1955 and 2004. Temperature changes from natural and nongreenhouse gas anthropogenic forcing are estimated to be small over this period. Results are robust using different time windows. Using the Community Earth System Model ensembles to evaluate the impacts of internal variability, observational and model error shows that most uncertainty arises from model error. Southeast Brazil has great economic importance for Brazil and is highly vulnerable to extreme events like floods, droughts, and heat waves. Many studies link those kind of events with an increase in temperature due to climate change, largely caused by increasing atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases. This study tested whether or not human‐induced climate change is responsible for the observed increase in temperature in Southeast Brazil. The observed 1.1 °C per 50‐year trend is largely due to increasing greenhouse gases, which means that they have a significant role in observed changes in Southeast Brazilian temperatures. New detection and attribution method is used to attribute temperature trends for Southeast BrazilGreenhouse gases are the dominant driver of observed temperature trendsModel uncertainty plays an important role in this study

Energy management of a household connected to the grid, but with a local PV installation is studied here. For this a new formulation is proposed, that takes into account the PV generation, the grid energy cost, the priority of extensions and the requested level of user comfort. A multi-start random constructive heuristic algorithm is proposed to optimize the scheduling of a smart home supplied by a Photovoltaic- grid connected plant. The proposed approach is tested on a specific case study, in two different scenarios depending on the comfort value of the user. The obtained results show the efficiency of the proposed approach.

The planning of radiotherapy treatments is based on the use of mathematical optimization models and algorithms. A treatment plan will correspond to an admissible solution to a problem that is defined by the medical prescription. The medical prescription defines the constraints that have to be satisfied, and that are patient dependent. To find a treatment plan complying with all the defined constraints, an objective function is built, having a set of parameters that can be tuned. In the clinical practice, the objective function parameters are tuned through a trial-and-error procedure. One common way of defining this objective function is to consider as parameters weights that are related with the importance of the corresponding structures of interest (volumes to treat and organs to spare), as well as upper and lower bounds that are related with the constraints defined by the medical prescription. Some treatment options, like the set of irradiation directions (beam angles), are usually defined beforehand by the planner, considering previous experiences with similar cases. This trial-and-error process is lengthy, since it can take up to several hours to calculate an admissible treatment plan for a single patient. There have been some research efforts to automate the treatment planning procedure, releasing the planner for other important tasks in the radiotherapy treatment workflow and guaranteeing the consistent calculation of high-quality plans. In this work derivative-free optimization algorithms are integrated with fuzzy inference systems that automatically tune the objective function parameters so that an admissible solution is found. This fully automated approach was tested and assessed considering six head-and-neck cancer cases already treated at the Portuguese Institute of Oncology at Coimbra (IPOC). For the clinical cases tested, comparisons between different treatment plans clearly favor the proposed approach. For a similar tumor coverage, it was possible to improve the sparing of the spinal cord, brainstem and parotids. Automating radiotherapy treatment planning can contribute to improved treatment plans in a consistent way.

Tropical forests are recognized for their role in providing diverse ecosystem services (ESs), with carbon uptake the best recognized. The capacity of tropical forests to provide ESs is strongly linked to their enormous biodiversity. However, causal relationships between biodiversity and ESs are poorly understood. This may be because biodiversity is often translated into species richness. Here, we argue that focusing on multiple attributes of biodiversity—structure, composition, and function—will make relationships between biodiversity and ESs clearer. In this review, we discuss the ecological processes behind ESs from tropical humid and subhumid forests of South America. Our main goal is to understand the links between the ESs and those three biodiversity attributes. While supporting and regulating services relate more closely to forest structure and function, provisioning services relate more closely to forest composition and function, and cultural services are more related to structure and composition attributes. In this sense, ESs from subhumid forests (savannas) differ from those provided by the Amazon Forest, although both ecosystems are recognized as harboring tremendous biodiversity. Given this, if anthropogenic drivers of change promote a shift in the Amazon Forest toward savanna—the savannization hypothesis—the types of services provided will change, especially climate regulating services. This review emphasizes the importance of deeply understanding ecosystem structure, composition, and function to better understand the services ecosystems provide. Understanding that anthropogenic impacts on biodiversity occur through these three main attributes, it becomes easier to anticipate how humans will impact ESs. Tropical forests' biodiversity promotes diverse ecosystem services (ESs), but relationships between biodiversity and ESs are not obviousDifferent ES types are related to different attributes of biodiversity: structure, composition, and functionsSavannization of Amazonia could impact the types of ESs provided by rain forests, particularly climate regulating services Tropical forests' biodiversity promotes diverse ecosystem services (ESs), but relationships between biodiversity and ESs are not obvious Different ES types are related to different attributes of biodiversity: structure, composition, and functions Savannization of Amazonia could impact the types of ESs provided by rain forests, particularly climate regulating services

Oxidative stress is caused by an imbalance between the production of reactive species of oxygen and nitrogen (RS) and the ability to either detoxify the reactive intermediates produced or repair the resulting damage. Ultimately, oxidative stress conveys the alteration in cellular function caused by the reaction of RS with cellular constituents. Oxidative stress has been extensively reported to participate in the progression of a variety of human diseases including cancer, neurodegenerative disorders and diabetes. Oxidation of proteins is thought to be one of the major mechanisms by which oxidative stress is integrated into cellular signal transduction pathways. Thus, recent research efforts have been aimed to identify the role of specific oxidative protein modifications in the signal transduction events mediating the etiology of human diseases progression. The identification of these oxidative modifications has also raised the possibility of using this knowledge to develop new methods to diagnose diseases before they are clinically evident. In this work, we summarize the mechanisms by which RS generate distinct oxidative modifications. Furthermore, we also review the potential of these oxidative modifications to be used as early biomarkers of human disease.

Background & Aims: Cystic fibrosis (CF) is caused by over 1000 mutations in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene and presents with a widely variable phenotype. Genotype-phenotype studies identified CFTR mutations that were associated with pancreatic sufficiency (PS). Residual Cl^- channel function was shown for selected PS mutations in heterologous cells. However, the functional consequences of most CFTR mutations in native epithelia are not well established. Methods: To elucidate the relationships between epithelial CFTR function, CFTR genotype, and patient phenotype, we measured cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)-mediated Cl^- secretion in rectal biopsy specimens from 45 CF patients who had at least 1 non-@DF508 mutation carrying a wide spectrum of CFTR mutations. We compared CFTR genotypes and clinical manifestations of CF patients who expressed residual CFTR-mediated Cl^- secretion with patients in whom Cl^- secretion was absent. Results: Residual anion secretion was detected in 40% of CF patients, and was associated with later disease onset (P < 0.0001), higher frequency of PS (P < 0.0001), and less severe lung disease (P < 0.05). Clinical outcomes correlated with the magnitude of residual CFTR activity, which was in the range of ~12%-54% of controls. Conclusions: Specific CFTR mutations confer residual CFTR function to rectal epithelia, which is related closely to a mild disease phenotype. Quantification of rectal CFTR-mediated Cl^- secretion may be a sensitive test to predict the prognosis of CF disease and identify CF patients who would benefit from therapeutic strategies that would increase residual CFTR activity.

The electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra of W⁵⁺ ions in Li2O−WO3−P2O5 glasses with different composition of oxide components have been investigated. The anisotropy of the axially symmetric g factor decreases with an increase of Li content in the glass and with an increase in temperature. Evidence for the formation of W⁵⁺ ion pairs has been obtained by using a dual-mode EPR cavity that allows measuring EPR spectra with polarization of the magnetic vector B1 of the microwave perpendicular or parallel to the static magnetic field B0. Enhancement of the relative intensity of the half-field ΔMS = 2 spin transition was observed at B1||B0. The ratio α of the intensity of the ΔMS = 2 transition to the intensity of the ΔMS = 1 transition was used to describe the effectiveness of pair formation between W⁵⁺ ions in the glass and to determine the mean distances r between W⁵⁺ ions. The parameter α increases with an increase of Li2O content in the glass. This shows that the inclusion of Li⁺ ions favors the formation of tungsten pairs. The mean distance between W⁵⁺ ions decreases from r = 4.53 Å for the glass without Li⁺ ions to r = 3.70 Å for the glass containing 50 mol % Li2O. Disproportionation of W⁵⁺ ions in the pair is thermally reversible in the presence of Li⁺ ions such that temperature decrease shifts the equilibrium toward the formation of W⁴⁺ and W⁶⁺ ions.

The risk assessment of two kinds of wastewaters from a hardboard mill were determined by acute toxicity tests. Three different bioindicators—water fleas from a local stream (Daphnia pulex), local fish hatchery specimens (Salmo gairdneri), and a bacterial test (Vibrio fischeri Microtox test) were considered. The three tests showed a wide range of sensitivities and presented different but compatible LC50/EC50 values, with S. gairdneri being the most sensitive. The obtained toxicity values could serve as a reference to evaluate the toxicity of wastewater from this type of industries. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Environ Toxicol Water Qual 12: 39–42, 1997

Nitrosyl hemoglobin was prepared by bubbling fresh57Fe-enriched rat hemoglobin with NO. S- and X-band EPR spectra at 77 K are typical for anS=1/2 system with an anisotropicg-tensor and exhibit hyperfine interactions of14N with the electronic spin. Mössbauer spectra at 4.2 and 100 K consist of a superposition of spectra from high- and low-spin Fe(III), deoxygenated hemoglobin and a component corresponding toS=1/2,g=2, hyperfine constantsAxx/gnΒn=Ayy/gnΒn=−19.6 T,Azz/gnΒn=6.8 T, quadrupole splitting δEQ=1.5 mm s−1, isomer shiftIs=0.42 mm s−1 and linewidth 0.4 mm s−1. The spin-lattice relaxation rate at 100 K is <2×106 s−1.

The new ligands 2-acetylpyridine-2-methyl-3-thiosemicarbazone (apmt) and di-2-pyridylglyoxal-bis(2-methyl-3-thiosemicarbazone) (pgmt) have been used to prepare metal(II) complexes [M(apmt)Cl2] (M=Mn, Fe, Co), [M(apmt)Cl]Cl (M=Ni, Cu), [M2(pgmt)Cl4] (M=Mn, Co), [M2(pgmt)Cl2]Cl2 (M=Ni, Cu) and the polymeric [Fe(pgmt)]Cl2·H2O. The tentative structures of these complexes involve four-five- and six-coordinate environments for the cations, a tridentate chelation for the apmt ligand and bridging bis(tridentate) behaviour for the pgmt ligand. The novel substances were characterized by IR, 1H NMR, electronic spectroscopy, conductivity and magnetic moment measurements.

Ceftriaxone, a new third-generation cephalosporin, appears to be promising for the therapy of acute bacterial meningitis. The 90% MBCs of ceftriaxone against 54 recent cerebrospinal fluid isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae, Neisseria meningitidis, and Haemophilus influenzae were less than or equal to 0.06 to 0.25 micrograms/ml. We examined the efficacy and safety of ceftriaxone therapy of meningitis in Bahia, Brazil. The study was conducted in two phases; in phase A, ceftriaxone was coadministered with ampicillin. The mean cerebrospinal fluid concentrations of ceftriaxone 24 h after an intravenous dose of 80 mg/kg were 4.2 and 2.3 micrograms/ml on days 4 to 6 and 10 to 12 of therapy, respectively. These concentrations were 8- to more than 100-fold greater than the 90% MBCs against the relevant pathogens. In phase B, ceftriaxone (administered once daily at a dose of 80 mg/kg after an initial dose of 100 mg/kg) was compared with conventional dosages of ampicillin and chloramphenicol in a prospective randomized trial of 36 children and adults with meningitis. The groups were comparable based on clinical, laboratory, and etiological parameters. Ceftriaxone given once daily produced results equivalent to those obtained with ampicillin plus chloramphenicol, as judged by cure rate, case fatality ratio, resolution with sequelae, type and severity of sequelae, time to sterility of cerebrospinal fluid, and potentially drug-related adverse effects. The cerebrospinal fluid bactericidal titers obtained 16 to 24 h after ceftriaxone dosing were usually 1:512 to greater than 1:2,048 even late in the treatment course, compared with values of 1:8 to 1:32 in patients receiving ampicillin plus chloramphenicol. Ceftriaxone clearly deserves further evaluation for the therapy of meningitis; the optimal dose, dosing frequency (every 12 h or every 24 h), and duration of therapy remain to be determined.

This paper presents the progress made in the ultrasonic test equipment which now appears to make automatic testing of small-diameter tubing a distinct possibility. It then presents some cross sections, showing the type and size of discontinuities detected with this equipment in Type 347 stainless-steel tubing. Finally, the summary points out the inherent difficulties in judging the severity of the defect by the amplitude indications alone and the importance of the experience factor which is required to interpret the test results.

Twenty-two adult patients with urinary tract infections caused by penicillin-resistant bacteria completed treatment with amoxicillin alone or amoxicillin plus clavulanic acid in a randomized double-blind clinical trial. Of the 13 patients treated with amoxicillin plus clavulanic acid, the absence of bacteriuria within 7 days of therapy was observed in 85%, as compared with only 25% of the 8 patients receiving amoxicillin only. There were no significant side effects nor any clinical, biochemical, or hematological abnormalities related to either treatment. It was concluded that the combination of clavulanic acid and amoxicillin could be useful in the treatment of uncomplicated urinary tract infection caused by penicillin-resistant bacteria.

Sera from 452 patients and blood donors were tested for antibodies to Tryp-anosoma cruzi. The complement fixation test and a counterelectrophoresis test were used. The results showed that both tests agreed in 92% of the sera. However, the counterelectrophoresis test was not as sensitive as the complement fixation test.

The efficacy of cefamandole in the treatment of 19 patients with salmonella bacteremia was evaluated. Although all of the salmonella strains isolated were highly susceptible to cefamandole in vitro, a therapeutic failure was observed in 7 (36.8%) of the 19 patients.

This article discusses seasonal and interannual variations of the evapotranspiration (ET) rates in Bananal Island floodplain, Brazil. Measurements included ET and sensible heat flux using the eddy covariance method, atmospheric forcings (net radiation, Rn, vapor pressure deficit, VPD, wind speed and air temperature), soil moisture profiles, groundwater level and flood height, taken from November 2003 to December 2006. For the hydrological years (October‐September) of 2003/2004, 2004/2005 and 2005/2006, the accumulated precipitation was 1692, 1471, 1914 mm and the accumulated ET was 1361, 1318 and 1317 mm, respectively. Seasonal analyses indicated that ET decreased in the dry season (average 3.7 mm day−1), despite the simultaneous increase in Rn, air temperature and VPD. The increase of ET in the wet season and particularly in the flood period (average 4.1 mm day−1) showed that the free water surface evaporation strongly influenced the energy exchange. Soil moisture, which was substantially depleted during the dry season, and adaptative vegetation mechanisms such as leaf senescence contributed to limit the dry season ET. Strong drainage within permeable sandy soils helped to explain the soil moisture depletion. These results suggest that the Bananal flooding area shows a different pattern in relation to the upland Amazon forests, being more similar to the savanna strictu senso areas in central Brazil. For example, seasonal ET variation was not in phase with Rn; the wet season ET was higher than the dry season ET; and the system stored only a tiny memory of the flooding period, being sensitive to extended drought periods.

Increasing resistance to antibiotics in meningeal pathogens has stimulated a search for new antimicrobial agents for the treatment of bacterial meningitis. Moxalactam penetrates well into infected cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and is highly active against most gram-negative bacteria. The clinical efficacy and safety of moxalactam in the treatment of childhood meningitis caused by Haemophilus influenzae (25 patients) or Neisseria meningitidis (five patients) was evaluated in a random, uncontrolled study. The penetration of the antibiotic into CSF was also evaluated in these patients and in another five children with bacterial meningitis. The clinical results were excellent, with 29 of 30 cases cured. The single adverse clinical reaction noted was the development of a wound hematoma in a postoperative patient; this problem may have been related to moxalactam therapy. The levels of moxalactam achieved in CSF greatly exceeded the minimal bactericidal concentrations for the infecting organisms. Moxalactam appears to be safe and effective as primary therapy for meningitis caused by H influenzae or N meningitidis.

The epidemiology, clinical patterns, and risk factors for visceral leishmaniasis were prospectively studied in an endemic area of Brazil. The prevalence of disease was 3.1% for children <15 years of age, and the annual incidence was 4.3 cases per 1,000 children. The number of children with disease fluctuated yearly and seasonally, and distribution of the disease varied within the endemic area. Risk factors included young age (median, three years) and malnutrition before the onset of disease. Intestinal parasitism, recent migration into the area, and house location within the area did not influence the progression of infection to disease. Serological testing indicated that 7.5% of children were infected with Leishmania each year and that the ratio of disease to infection was 1:18.5 for the whole area and 1:6.5 for the section with the highest prevalence of disease. Early diagnosis and therapy altered clinical patterns of the disease.

The risk assessment of two kinds of wastewaters from a hardboard mill were determined by acute toxicity tests. Three different bioindicators -- water fleas from a local stream (Daphnia pulex), local fish hatchery specimens (Salmo gairdneri), and a bacterial test (Vibrio fischeri Microtox test) were considered. The three tests showed a wide range of sensitivities and presented different but compatible LC{sub}50{end}/EC{sub}50{end} values, with S. gairdneri being the most sensitive. The obtained toxicity values could serve as a reference to evaluate the toxicity of wastewater from this type of industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]