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Wasps are important parasitoids of stinkbugs and frequently exposed to various types of microorganisms through environmental contact and fecal–oral transmission route. Many parasitize stinkbug eggs and are commercially used in the field to control insect population. The parasitoid T. podisiis known for its high parasitism capacity and ability to target multiple species of stinkbugs. In this study we asked whether T. podisiexposed to eggs infected by a multispecies asymptomatic stinkbug virus, the Halyomorpha halys virus (HhV) would get infected. HhV is a geographically distributed multispecies iflavirus previously found to infect four stinkbug hosts, including three Brazilian species, Chinavia ubica, Euschistus herosand Diceraeus melacanthus, and T. posidican parasitize all of them. As results, RT-PCR screening revealed positive samples for the HhV genome in two out of four tested pools of T. podisi, whereas the antigenome, indicative of replicative activity, was not detected. The wasps were raised in E. heroseggs that presented both the genome and the antigenome forms of the HhV genome. Subsequent RNA-deep sequencing of HhV positive T. podisiRNA pools yielded a complete genome of HhV with high coverage. Phylogenetic analysis positioned the isolate HhV-Tp (isolate Telenomus podisi) alongside with the stinkbug HhV. Analysis of transcriptomes from several hymenopteran species revealed HhV-Tp reads in four species. However, the transmission mechanism and the ecological significance of HhV remain elusive, warranting further studies to illuminate both the transmission process and its capacity for environmental propagation using T. podisias a potential vector.

Bovine alphaherpesvirustype 5 (BoHV-5) is one of the main agents responsible for meningoencephalitis in cattle in Brazil, causing significant economic losses. It is known that other viruses of the Herpesviridaefamily such as Bovine alphaherpesvirustype 1, Swine alphaherpesvirustype 1, and the Human alphaherpesvirustypes 1 and 2 encode genes homologous to BoHV-5, with recognized action in the control of apoptosis. The objective of this work was to express the BoHV-5 US3 gene in a baculovirus-based expression system for the production of the serine/threonine kinase protein and to evaluate its activity in the control of apoptosis in vitro. A recombinant baculovirus derived from the Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus(AcMNPV) containing the US3 gene and a deletion in the baculovirus anti-apoptotic p35gene was constructed using the Bac-to-Bac™ system. This recombinant baculovirus was used to evaluate the anti-apoptotic activity of the recombinant US3 protein in insect cells comparing with two other AcMNPV recombinants, one containing a functional copy of the AcMNPV anti-apoptotic p35gene and an AcMNPV p35knockout virus with the anti-apoptotic iap-3gene from Anticarsia gemmatalis multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AgMNPV). We found that the caspase level was higher in insect cells infected with the US3-contanining recombinant virus than in cells infected with the AcMNPV recombinants containing the p35and iap-3genes. These results indicate that the BoHV-5 US3 protein kinase gene is not able to block apoptosis in insect cells induced by the infection of a p35knockout AcMNPV.

The decline in honey bee colonies in different parts of the world in recent years is due to different reasons, such as agricultural practices, climate changes, the use of chemical insecticides, and pests and diseases. Viral infections are one of the main causes leading to honey bee population declines, which have a major economic impact due to honey production and pollination. To investigate the presence of viruses in bees in southern Brazil, we used a metagenomic approach to sequence adults’ samples of concentrated extracts from Apis melliferacollected in fifteen apiaries of six municipalities in the Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, between 2016 and 2017. High-throughput sequencing (HTS) of these samples resulted in the identification of eight previously known viruses (Apis rhabdovirus 1(ARV-1), Acute bee paralysis virus(ABPV), Aphid lethal paralysis virus(ALPV), Black queen cell virus(BQCV), Bee Macula-like virus(BeeMLV), Deformed wing virus(DWV), Lake Sinai Virus NE(LSV), and Varroa destructor virus3 (VDV-3)) and a thogotovirus isolate.This thogotovirus shares high amino acid identities in five of the six segments with Varroa orthomyxovirus 1, VOV-1 (98.36 to 99.34% identity). In contrast, segment 4, which codes for the main glycoprotein (GP), has no identity with VOV-1, as observed for the other segments, but shares an amino acid identity of 34–38% with other glycoproteins of viruses from the Orthomyxoviridaefamily. In addition, the putative thogotovirus GP also shows amino acid identities ranging from 33 to 41% with the major glycoprotein (GP64) of insect viruses of the Baculoviridaefamily. To our knowledge, this is the second report of a thogotovirus found in bees and given this information, this thogotovirus isolate was tentatively named Apis thogotovirus 1 (ATHOV-1). The detection of multiple viruses in bees is important to better understand the complex interactions between viruses and their hosts. By understanding these interactions, better strategies for managing viral infections in bees and protecting their populations can be developed.

The continuous advances in mass spectrometry techniques have pushed forward the frontiers of all branches of the isotope biogeochemistry field. In environmental studies, different isotope ratios as determined in different reservoirs offer the opportunity, for example, to identify pollution sources and to trace metal fluxes within the trophic web and in dietary studies. Despite its relevance, trace metal isotope biogeochemistry is infrequently taught in undergraduate courses because it demands a rather high level of complexity of teaching strategies and abstraction capacity from students. Additionally, available didactic material for introducing mixing source modeling with stable isotopes relevant to biogeochemistry is scarce. In this context, the present study applies a visually appealing didactic strategy based on the analogy between colors (analog domain) and isotopic compositions (target domain), in order to encourage and assist the teaching–learning processes of this new subject in environmental science and chemistry classes. We demonstrate how familiar and simple concepts can be applied for introducing challenging subjects. In a setting that restricts in-person academic activities such as during a pandemic, the development of appealing visual approaches is imperative to engage students during online classes. The didactic strategy proposed herein was put to the test during remotely taught classes on the topic of “Environmental Impact Assessment Methodology” (winter 2021, 18 students) and “Environmental Contamination” (summer 2020, 18 students, and winter 2021, 20 students) of the Postgraduate Program in Geochemistry at the Fluminense Federal University (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil). Students’ feedback was very positive; they found our approach stimulating, and it helped them to better visualize, understand, and interpret the targeted learning outcomes.

The concrete mixture design and mix proportioning procedure, along with its influence on the compressive strength of concrete, is a well-known problem in civil engineering that requires the execution of numerous tests. With the emergence of modern machine learning techniques, the possibility of automating this process has become a reality. However, a significant volume of data is necessary to take advantage of existing models and algorithms. Recent literature presents different datasets, each with its own unique details, for training their models. In this paper, we integrated some of these existing datasets to improve training and, consequently, the models' results. Therefore, using this new dataset, we tested various models for the prediction task. The resulting dataset comprises 2358 records with seven input variables related to the mixture design, while the output represents the compressive strength of concrete. The dataset was subjected to several pre-processing techniques, and afterward, machine learning models, such as regressions, trees, and ensembles, were used to estimate the compressive strength. Some of these methods proved satisfactory for the prediction problem, with the best models achieving a coefficient of determination (R2) above 80%. Furthermore, a website with the trained model was created, allowing professionals in the field to utilize the AI technique in their everyday problem-solving.

Copper (Cu) isotope compositions in bivalve mollusks used in marine-monitoring networks is a promising tool to monitor anthropogenic Cu contamination in coastal and marine ecosystems. To test this new biomonitoring tool, we investigated Cu isotope variations of two bivalves—the oyster Crassostrea gigasand the mussel Mytilus edulis—over 10 years (2009–2018) in a French coastal site contaminated by diffuse Cu anthropogenic sources. Each species displayed temporal concentration profiles consistent with their bioaccumulation mechanisms, that is, the Cu-regulating mussels with almost constant Cu concentrations and the Cu-hyperaccumulating oysters with variable concentrations that track Cu bioavailability trends at the sampling site. The temporal isotope profiles were analogous for both bivalve species, and an overall shift toward positive δ65Cu values with the increase of Cu bioavailabilities was associated with anthropogenic Cu inputs. Interestingly, mussels showed wider amplitudes in the isotope variations than oysters, suggesting that each species incorporates Cu isotopes in their tissues at different rates, depending on their bioaccumulation mechanisms and physiological features. This study is the first to demonstrate the potential of Cu isotopes in bivalves to infer Cu bioavailability changes related to anthropogenic inputs of this metal into the marine environment.

Background: One of the four most incident plant species in mangrove is the Laguncularia racemosa, widely used in popular medicine against inflammation and fever. Objective: Here, L. racemosa was investigated in relation to their phytochemical profile, antioxidant activity, cytotoxicity, antimicrobial and immunostimulatory effect. Methods: Aqueous extract was obtained from leaves of plant, its phytochemical profile was investigated through UPLC method, the antioxidant assays performed were TAA, DPPH, ABTS, nitrite and lipid peroxidation assay. Antimicrobial assays were made using standard strains. For all biological tests were used mice splenocytes and from these cell cultures were measured cytotoxicity, proliferation index and cytokines production. Results: Laguncularia racemosa leaves showed the presence of ions, proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins and high concentration of phenolic compounds. Antioxidant activities were promoted by aqueous extract, especially in DPPH and NO assays. Extract in 6 μg/mL did not induce significant cell death, stimulated the cell proliferation and the IL-4 production. Moreover, decreases of proinflammatory cytokines IFN-γ, TNF-α and IL-6 were found. Conclusion: The presence of essential nutrients, significant antioxidant activity and immune stimulation confirm the use of this plant in folk medicine against inflammation.

Purpose: Body balance involves the vestibular, visual, and proprioceptive systems. IGF-I is a GH-dependent key factor in the development and postnatal differentiation of the inner ear in mice and men, but its role in the vestibular function in adult humans is unknown. We have previously described a cohort of individuals with severe isolated GH deficiency (IGHD) caused by a mutation in the GHRH receptor (GHRHR) gene. These individuals complain of dizziness, exhibit mild sensorineural loss, but have normal postural balance, without increase in falls risk. The aim of this study was to evaluate their vestibular function. Methods: We performed physical examination (clinical head impulse and Fukuda dynamic stepping test), oculomotor (saccadic eye movements, spontaneous, semi-spontaneous and opotokinetic nystagmus, and pendular tracking) and caloric stimulation (postcaloric reflex and ocular fixation index) tests, in 15 GH-naïve IGHD (seven males) and 15 controls (five males). Results: IGHD subjects showed lower height and weight, with similar BMI to controls, and higher number of individuals with abnormal clinical head impulse test and abnormal oculomotor tests, namely the saccadic movements and the spontaneous nystagmus. There was a nonsignificant trend in abnormalities in the Fukuda stepping test and postcaloric reflex test. Conclusions: Adult untreated IGHD individuals have higher prevalence of moderate peripheral vestibular impairment, and of abnormal vestibular-ocular reflex.

Situations involving crimes against animals are receiving increased social attention, resulting in a high demand for complaints and the initiation of police investigations. Overall, the quality of investigations and the production of material evidence in alleged crimes against fauna is crucial. For this, there is a need for trained professionals to implement protocols and tools based on animal welfare science and Legal Veterinary Medicine (LVM). In the routine and history of Veterinary Medicine, cases of suspected intoxication in companion animals, such as dogs and cats, are common. In Brazil, the act of intoxicating animals is considered a crime of mistreatment under the Environmental Crimes Law (Article 32, n. 9.605 of February 12, 1998). Therefore, it is necessary to examine the cadaver to confirm this suspicion. In this way, Legal Veterinary Medicine is a recent specialty in Brazil, created by the Federal Council of Veterinary Medicine's resolution in 2003. In this area, the evaluation of clinical signs, characteristic anatomopathological lesions, and toxicological analysis for identification of the toxic agents allow confirmation of suspected cases. Thus, the objective of this review is to address the application of scientific knowledge to Forensic Veterinary Medicine in confirming cases of animal poisoning and to list the main toxic substances found in animal poisoning cases identified through forensic examinations in the central region of Brazil. Additionally, it is intended to demonstrate that expertise in this area ensures the production of material evidence used in judicial criminal proceedings to defend animal welfare.

Walking and postural balance are extremely important to obtain food and to work. Both are critical for quality of life and ability to survive. While walking reflects musculoskeletal and cardiopulmonary systems, postural balance depends on body size, muscle tone, visual, vestibular and nervous systems. Since GH and IGF-I act on all these systems, we decided to study those parameters in a cohort of individuals with severe short stature due to untreated isolated GH deficiency (IGHD) caused by a mutation in the GHRH receptor gene. These IGHD subjects, despite reduction in muscle mass, are very active and have normal longevity.In a cross-sectional study, we assessed walking (by a 6-min walk test), postural balance (by force platform) and fall risk (by the 'Timed Up and Go' test) in 31 IGHD and 40 matched health controls.The percentage of the walked distance measured in relation to the predicted one was similar in groups, but higher in IGHD, when corrected by the leg length. Absolute postural balance data showed similar velocity of unipodal support in the two groups, and better values, with open and closed eyes and unipodal support, in IGHD, but these differences became non-significant when corrected for height and lower-limb length. The time in 'Timed Up and Go' test was higher in IGHD cohort, but still below the cut-off value for fall risk.IGHD subjects exhibit satisfactory walking and postural balance, without increase in fall risk.

Comedy has historically assigned a position of Different (to use Susan Wenll’s term, which substitutes for the more stigmatizing term Other) to those it uses as the butt of the joke, or rather it makes jokes at the expense of those deemed different. As a matter of fact, a cursory look at some comedic texts reveals that, quite often, comedy amplifies the social positionality of the excluded. We laugh at specific identities, bodies, tendencies and even traits seen as making the object of the joke inferior. Disabled people consistently find themselves in that position as a particular identity or type of body that serves as the object of jokes. That said, over the last decade, there has been an increase in people with disabilities engaging in and creating their own comedic material, particularly of the stand-up variety. Disabled comedians demand a reassessment of the rules of propriety, tact and respectability in comedic spaces. Thus disabled comedians elicit nervous laughter from their audiences as the audiences grapple with a body and identity they greatly ignore out in the open social landscape and are now invited to laugh with.

The overgrowth of {100}-oriented patterned diamond substrates by microwave plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition was studied by transmission electron microscopy through a stratigraphic approach. A sector-like growth behavior is evidenced, resulting from a competition between slowly growing facets at protruding (top) corners and edges against quickly growing facets at recessing (bottom) corners. Depending on the pattern orientation and height, under some particular experimental conditions, it is possible to predict the sequence of growth sectors, and thus to choose the crystallographic orientation of the overgrown surface, by stopping the growth at the right stage. A simple two-dimensional model is provided, allowing the fabrication of structures adapted to the requirements of specific electronic devices.

We report for the first time the successful heteroepitaxial growth of Si(100) oriented layer on top of a 3C-SiC(001) seed. By using a post-growth modification of the 3C-SiC surface (pulse insertion of precursors during cooling), it led to a change in Si nucleation, favoring squared (100) islands instead of elongated (110) ones. Without this surface modification step, the Si layers grown on 3C-SiC were always polycrystalline with a mixture of (110) and (100) orientations. Using such Si(100) layer grown on top of 3C-SiC(100), a (100) oriented 3C-SiC single crystalline layer was successfully grown on top, fabricating thus for the first time a fully (100) oriented multilayer heterostructure made of Si(substrate)/SiC/Si/SiC.

The Parnaíba Basin is a Paleozoic cratonic basin located in NE Brazil. Despite exploration in the Parnaíba Basin having undergone a long period of stagnation, it is now one of the most prolific natural gas producing basins in Brazil. Production from this basin is c.5.6 million m3day−1from three established gas fields, with another four fields in development and eight ongoing discovery assessment plans (in January 2017). This success is the result of activity on exploration concessions, both the investments of the Brazilian National Petroleum Agency (ANP) and concessionaires operating in the basin. ANP's investments were decisive in the definition of the offered areas in the bid rounds and, more importantly, in our understanding of the structural and stratigraphic framework through systematic data acquisition, which helped to define an exploration model for the basin. The Parnaíba Basin received investments of c.US $100 million from ANP and the preliminary results from projects located in the SE of the basin suggest the need for a new exploration model for this area, which was probably affected by the Trans Brazilian Lineament. In this model, the petroleum system would include Ordovician–Silurian components.

To date, there are no descriptions in the literature on gynecologic and sexual function evaluation in female patients with dermatomyositis (DM) and polymyositis (PM).

Até o presente momento, não há descrições na literatura da avaliação ginecológica e da função sexual em pacientes do sexo feminino com dermatomiosite (DM) e polimiosite (PM).

This paper addresses the mechanical behaviour of beam–column connections in precast concrete structures designed for use in constructions that demand rigid connections. In the proposed connection, steel-fibre reinforced concrete (SFRC), splice bars and shear keys were used to develop a connection that is resistant to positive and negative moments. The mechanical behaviour of the proposed connection was evaluated using dynamic and reversal cyclic tests under two models: a monolithic model and a model composed of precast concrete elements connected using 1% SFRC and splice bars to establish the continuity of the reinforcements. The results of cyclic tests showed that this precast beam–column connection exhibits semi-rigid behaviour and high strength (88% of the strength provided by the monolithic model). The results from dynamic tests showed that the uncracked connection had an average damping ratio of ∼1.0%, decreasing to ∼0.7% after cracking.

AbstractThis paper addresses the mechanical behaviour of beam–column connections in precast concrete structures designed for use in constructions that demand rigid connections. In the proposed connection, steel-fibre reinforced concrete (SFRC), splice bars and shear keys were used to develop a connection that is resistant to positive and negative moments. The mechanical behaviour of the proposed connection was evaluated using dynamic and reversal cyclic tests under two models: a monolithic model and a model composed of precast concrete elements connected using 1% SFRC and splice bars to establish the continuity of the reinforcements. The results of cyclic tests showed that this precast beam–column connection exhibits semi-rigid behaviour and high strength (88% of the strength provided by the monolithic model). The results from dynamic tests showed that the uncracked connection had an average damping ratio of ~1.0%, decreasing to ~0.7% after cracking.

A central issue in the context of smart cities is related to the capability to acquire timely information about city events. This paper describes a platform which focuses on processing messages posted in Twitter social network. Key issues here are the high throughput a large volume of data per second that needs to be processed, and the need to process ill formed natural language texts. With these in mind the platform has pipelined modules for robust, fast, real time tweet acquisition and storage, filtering of several kinds, natural language processing and sentiment analysis, that feed a final analysis and visualization module. A case study of sentiment analysis during the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil is used to validate the effort made so far.

Advances in comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) of lung adenocarcinomas (LUADs) led to personalized treatment for patients. This study evaluated medical oncologists’ attitudes toward CGP in a scenario where sponsored funding for CGP was available.

Polyglandular syndrome is characterized by the association of autoimmune, organ-specific, endocrine and non-endocrine diseases.

Even when polygenic risk scores (PRSs) are trained in African ancestral populations, Kamiza and colleagues showed that genetic and environmental variation within sub-Saharan African populations impacts prediction performance, highlighting the challenges of clinical implementation of PRSs for risk assessment.

This work presents the successful CVD heteroepitaxial growth of 3C-SiC on diamond (100) substrates. When performing a direct SiC growth at 1500°C on such substrate, it leads to polycrystalline deposit. The use of a substrate pretreatment involving silicon deposition allows forming a more continuous and smoother layer. Electron BackScatter Diffraction and Transmission Electron Microscopy all revealed that the 3C-SiC layer grown on the (100) diamond substrate is monocrystalline and well oriented.

This work deals with the localized epitaxial growth of SiC on (100) diamond substrate using the Vapour-Liquid-Solid (VLS) transport. An epitaxial relationship of grown SiC with the seed was succesfully achieved when inserting a silicidation step before the VLS growth. This silicidation consists in the formation of a SiC intermediate layer on the diamond substrate by solid-state reaction with a silicon layer deposited at 1000 or 1350 °C. On the 1350°C formed SiC buffer layer, p-doped 3C-SiC(100) islands elongated in the <110> directions were obtained after VLS growth. For the 1000°C buffer layer, the SiC deposit after VLS growth is much denser but mostly polycrystalline. Interfacial reactivity and diffusion are considered to explain the obtained results.

We introduce a nanomechanical platform for fast and sensitive measurements of the spectrally resolved optical dielectric function of 2D materials. At the heart of our approach is a suspended 2D material integrated into a high Qsilicon nitride nanomechanical resonator illuminated by a wavelength-tunable laser source. From the heating-related frequency shift of the resonator as well as its optical reflection measured as a function of photon energy, we obtain the real and imaginary parts of the dielectric function. Our measurements are unaffected by substrate-related screening and do not require any assumptions on the underling optical constants. This fast (τrise∼ 135 ns), sensitive (noise-equivalent power = 90⁣pW√Hz), and broadband (1.2–3.1 eV, extendable to UV–THz) method provides an attractive alternative to spectroscopic or ellipsometric characterization techniques.

The effect of the temperature at which the carbon source is introduced in the reactor on the early stages of the carbonization process is analyzed here. Three samples heated up to 1150ºC with propane introduction temperatures (Tintro) of 725, 1030 and 1100ºC are analyzed by transmission electron microscopy and attenuated total reflectance. The size of the SiC nuclei increases with Tintro. There is also an effect on the strain of the resulting carbonization layer. The electron diffraction pattern of the sample with the highest Tintro shows a fully relaxed 3C-SiC layer, while no evidence of SiC relaxation is present in low Tintro samples where the SiC islands seems to be pseudomorphic.

One of the problems with Si(001)/3C-SiC templates is that they involve highly defective interfaces due to the presence of misfit dislocations, voids and planar defects that degrade the SiC layer quality. A way to accommodate the high lattice mismatch between these materials and reduce the voids density is to carbonize the Si substrate before the epitaxial growth. In this contribution an alternative way to reduce planar defects density is presented by analyzing the relationship between planar defects and voids. Planar view and cross section transmission electron microscopy micrographs show a diminution of planar defects in the regions surrounding the voids. Due to the lower elastic energy over the voids and/or to a lateral growth in these regions, the generation of planar defects is partially deactivated, improving locally the crystalline quality of the SiC layer. The introduction of such cavities can be thus seen as a new parameter of Si/SiC templates design.

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