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Abstract Cardiac rhythms are related to heart electrical activity, being the essential aspect of the cardiovascular physiology. Usually, these rhythms are represented by electrocardiograms (ECGs) that are useful to detect cardiac pathologies. Essentially, the heart activity starts in the sinoatrial node (SA) node, the natural pacemaker, propagating to the atrioventricular node (AV), and finally reaching the His-Purkinje complex (HP). This paper investigates the control of cardiac rhythms in order to induce normal rhythms from pathological responses. A mathematical model that presents close agreement with experimental measurements is employed to represent the heart functioning. The adopted model comprises a network of three nonlinear oscillators that represent each one of the cardiac nodes, connected by delayed couplings. The pathological behavior is induced by an external stimulus in the SA node. An adaptive controller is proposed acting in the SA node considering an strategy based on the signal obtained by the natural pacemaker and its regularization. The incorporation of adaptive compensation in a Lyapunov-based control scheme allows the compensation for the unknown dynamics. The controller ability to deal with interpatient variability is evaluated by assuming that the heart model is not available to the controller design, being used only in the simulator to assess the control performance. Results show that the adaptive term can reduce the control effort by around 3% while reducing the tracking error by 20%, when compared to the conventional feedback approach. Additionally, the controller can avoid abnormal rhythms, turning the ECG closer to the expected normal behavior and preventing critical cardiac responses. Therefore, this work demonstrates that an adaptive controller can be used to regulate the ECG signal without prior information about the system and disregarding inter- and intrapatient variability.

Tahiti lemon juice (Citrus aurantifolia) was evaluated for its antibacterial activity. For this purpose, microbiological parameters were assessed in vitro (measurement of the inhibition potential of bacteria using the disk diffusion method) and in vivo (the number of total aerobic mesophilic bacteria and Enterobacteriaceae on the eggshell). Tahiti lemon juice inhibited Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, with larger halos for pure juice. The values were 14.33 ± 0.58 mm for E. coli and 16.00 ± 1.00 mm for S. aureus. Compared with the load of mesophilic bacteria in the shells of non-sanitized eggs (5.49 ± 0.12 log10 CFU/mL), Tahiti lemon juice significantly reduced this bacterial group on the eggshell (2.07 ± 0.18 log10 CFU/mL). Combining the characteristics inherent to Tahiti lemon juice and the sanitization processes of poultry products proved helpful in guaranteeing the bacterial quality of eggs.

Abstract The Continuous Visual Attention Test (CVAT) is a test that detects visuomotor reaction time (RT, alertness), variability of reaction time (VRT, sustained attention), omission errors (OE, focused attention), and commission errors (CE, response inhibition). The standard test takes 15 min, while the ultrafast version only 90 s. Besides overall task length, the two versions differ by target probability (20% and 80% in the 15-min vs. only 80% in the 90-s test) and stimulus-onset asynchrony (SOA) (1, 2, and 4 s in the 15-min vs. only 1 s in the 90-s test. We aimed to analyze the effect of target probability, SOA, and time length on the CVAT variables across the 15-min task and to verify correlations and agreements between the 15-min and the 90-s CVATs. 205 healthy participants performed the two CVATs on the same day. Considering the 15-min task, RT and CE were strongly affected by target probability. Conversely, VRT was not affected. When the 15-min task was compared to the 90-s task, we found no significant difference in the VRT variable. Additionally, a significant agreement between the two tasks was found for the VRT variable. We concluded that sustained attention can be measured with the 90-s CVAT.

This review aims to highlight the main microbiological challenges faced in poultry transport and show the role of effective bacterial control during this process to ensure poultry health and meat safety and to reduce economic losses. Poultry infections are among the most frequent infections in production systems, manifesting themselves in hatcheries, farms, slaughterhouses, and during transport between these integration centers. Although the clinical symptoms of these infections can range from mild to severe, many of them can lead to irreversible conditions, resulting in death and compromising productive results. Bacteria are the main causative agents of these infections, although fungi, viruses, and protozoa may also be involved. During the transport of poultry from farms to slaughterhouses, poultry are very vulnerable to infectious conditions. Therefore, implementing effective antibacterial management, focused on professionals, transport crates, and transport vehicles, is essential to guarantee the survival and quality of poultry until the moment of slaughter.

As mudanças climáticas têm como consequência a intensificação de eventos extremos. A caracterização da variabilidade espaço-temporal das precipitações permite quantificar estes eventos. A determinação da variabilidade da precipitação é de grande importância ao conhecimento científico, pois permite compreender tendências e alterações climáticas em variadas escalas. Este estudo avalia a irregularidade temporal da precipitação anual, semestral e mensal no território do Brasil com base no índice de irregularidade temporal. A determinação dos valores do índice foi desenvolvida em 1306 estações pluviométricas com séries superiores a 25 anos, considerando o período de 1990 a 2020. Foi aplicado o método geoestatístico de krigagem ordinária para espacialização e interpolação dos valores para locais desprovidos de dados de pluviometria. Os valores do índice na base mensal encontrados ao longo do território brasileiro variam de 0 a 2,755. No intervalo semestral, os valores de variaram de 0,110 a 1,784, enquanto que na base anual variam de 0,088 a 0,666. As regiões Norte, Centro-Oeste e Sul possuem a menor irregularidade temporal, enquanto que a maior irregularidade temporal predomina no Nordeste brasileiro. Os valores encontrados mostram as particularidades de cada região, influenciadas pelos diferentes sistemas atmosféricos atuantes no território.

Summary: The maternal-to-zygotic transition is crucial in embryonic development, marked by the degradation of maternally provided mRNAs and initiation of zygotic gene expression. However, the changes occurring at the protein level during this transition remain unclear. Here, we conducted protein profiling throughout zebrafish embryogenesis using quantitative mass spectrometry, integrating transcriptomics and translatomics datasets. Our data show that, unlike RNA changes, protein changes are less dynamic. Further, increases in protein levels correlate with mRNA translation, whereas declines in protein levels do not, suggesting active protein degradation processes. Interestingly, proteins from pure zygotic genes are present at fertilization, challenging existing mRNA-based gene classifications. As a proof of concept, we utilized CRISPR-Cas13d to target znf281b mRNA, a gene whose protein significantly accumulates within the first 2 h post-fertilization, demonstrating its crucial role in development. Consequently, our protein profiling, coupled with CRISPR-Cas13d, offers a complementary approach to unraveling maternal factor function during embryonic development.

IntroductionPlant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) have been primarily studied for atmospheric nitrogen (N) fixation but they also have the capacity to improve nutrition and yield of crop plants.MethodsTherefore, the objective of this research was to investigate the effects of inoculation with PGPB in association with different N rates on N uptake, grain yield, and oil concentration of dwarf castor beans in succession to legumes and grasses in Ilha Solteira, Brazil. The treatments consisted of N rates (0 to 180 kg ha−1 of N) and inoculation with three plant growth-promoting bacteria (Azospirillum brasiliense, Bacillus subtilis, and Pseudomonas fluorescens, applied by leaf) and a control with no-inoculation.ResultsThe grain and oil yields of castor beans were increased by 20 and 40% at a rate of 103 kg ha−1 of N in succession to grasses as compared to without N application. In addition, the grain yield of castor bean after legumes was increased by 28, 64, and 40% with estimated rates of 97, 113, and 92 kg ha−1 of N in combination with inoculations of A. brasilense, B. subtilis, and P. fluorescens as compared to without N application, respectively. Shoot, grain, and total N uptake were improved with foliar inoculation of A. brasilense, B. subtilis, and P. fluorescens at the N rates of 45, 90, and 135 kg ha−1, respectively.Discussion and conclusionsTopdressing of N at the rate of 103 kg ha−1 and foliar inoculation in succession to grasses and 180 kg ha−1 of N without the effect of foliar inoculation in succession to legumes are recommended for higher grain and oil yield of castor beans. Foliar inoculations with A. brasilense, B. subtilis, and P. fluorescens increased grain yield under reduced use of N fertilizer by 44, 37, and 49% in dwarf castor cultivation in succession to legumes, potentially contributing to sustainable agriculture.

O artigo analisa o comportamento político das elites empresariais da indústria e dos bancos durante a crise brasileira, entre 2011 e 2017. Reconstruindo a conjuntura do período com base na comparação das avaliações, posições e reivindicações contidas no discurso e nas ações das principais entidades associativas de ambos setores, concluimos que, ao longo do primeiro governo de Dilma Rousseff, com a queda do crescimento econômico, o acirramento do conflito distributivo entre capital e trabalho levou industriais e banqueiros a secundarizarem as contradições que os dividiam em coalizões produtivista e rentista e se unificarem em uma coalizão crítica à Dilma e defensora das reformas neoliberais implementadas por Michel Temer após o impeachment.

Redes Elétricas Inteligentes são um novo paradigma para os sistemas elétricos de potência que utilizam tecnologia digital avançada, permitindo maior controle sobre a rede elétrica, transmissão de dados em tempo real e transmissão de energia com mais eficiência. O problema enfrentado é como distribuir informações dos consumidores nessa nova concepção de rede elétrica para que atenda todos os consumidores, com o menor custo para os equipamentos de comunicação. O objetivo deste trabalho é o desenvolvimento de um programa computacional para calcular soluções adequadas para o problema de alocação de agregadores de dados em uma rede elétrica inteligente, usando um Algoritmo Genético. Esse algoritmo se subdivide nas etapas de criação da população inicial, avaliação, seleção, cruzamento e mutação, emulando a evolução biológica. Na literatura, Algoritmos Genéticos são muito utilizado para encontrar soluções em problemas de otimização combinatória. Os resultados computacionais apresentaram alto desempenho com as soluções melhores do que da literatura.

ABSTRACT Objective: To analyze the temporal trend of healthcare services quality indicators to reduce leprosy in Brazil, over a 20-year period. Methods: This is an epidemiological study with a temporal trend, whose data were extracted from the Notifiable Diseases Information System. Indicators were constructed from the Ministry of Health Technical-Operational Manual that presents the Guidelines for Surveillance, Care and Elimination of Leprosy as a Public Health Problem. For trend analysis of the selected indicators, the Prais-Winsten model was used and the Average Annual Growth Rate (AAGR) was also calculated. Results: In the 20-year time series investigated here, 732,959 cases of leprosy were reported in Brazil. The trend was stationary for: new leprosy cases cure rate (β=-0.000; p=0.196; AAGR=-0.2), new leprosy cases drop out rate (β=-0.001; p=0.147; AAGR=-0.4), new leprosy cases contact tracing rate (β=-0.001; p=0.112; AAGR=1.6), new cases of leprosy with degree physical disability assessment rate among new cases (β=-0.000; p=0.196; AAGR=-0.2) and cases cured in the year with the degree of physical disability assessed (β=0.002; p=0.265; AAGR=0.5); while the indicator of recurrence rate among cases reported in the year (β=0.019; p

The increasing global population has heightened the demand for food, making it crucial to optimize agricultural practices. As a versatile crop, corn plays a crucial role in global food security, particularly in countries like the United States, Brazil, China, and Argentina, where corn farming is a major economic driver. To meet the growing demand and ensure sustainable practices, innovative technologies such as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are being increasingly utilized in agriculture. UAVs provide efficient monitoring and sustainable methods, enabling farmers to gather precise data on crop health and yield potential. However, to capture high-resolution images that are essential for accurate analysis, UAVs often need to fly at lower altitudes. This can lead to challenges, such as crop movement caused by the wind generated by the UAV propellers, which can affect the quality of the data collected. On the other hand, images captured at high altitudes present challenges, such as blur and low resolution, which can compromise the extraction of essential characteristics of the crop under analysis. To overcome these limitations, the authors propose the use of some techniques to improve the resolution of the post-flight image of the corn crop. Among them are the classical interpolation techniques such as Nearest Neighbor, Bilinear and Bicubic, as well as Super Resolution (SR) algorithms based on deep learning, such as MuLUT, LeRF and Real-ESRGAN. The metrics used to evaluate the quality of the resulting images were Euclidean, Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio (PSNR), Structural Similarity Index (SSIM), Jaccard and Learned Perceptual Image Patch Similarity (LPIPS). Experimental results demonstrate significant improvements in the resolution in the images using these SR algorithms compared to traditional interpolation methods, with gains of 364.13%. Although SR techniques have been developed for other purposes, such as improving the resolution of images of people and landscapes, their considerable performance can be observed in agricultural images. These techniques can aid in the early detection of pests, diseases, and nutritional deficiencies, facilitating faster and more effective interventions in corn crops. The results obtained from this study are significant for precision agriculture since increasing the resolution of images can improve the monitoring of plant growth and health, providing faster and more effective interventions. One point to be investigated is the adaptation of these techniques to different types of crops and environmental conditions, in order to expand their potential for applica- tion in different agricultural regions. In future investigations, we hope to refine the accuracy of the proposed approaches, as well as expand the comparisons with other super-resolution algorithms. In addition, tests will be carried out with different datasets, including satellite images, to evaluate the specificity in apply these techniques in different scenarios. This will allow a more comprehensive analysis of the impact of these solutions in the agricultural area.

Abstract Although some studies have shown neuroimaging and neuropsychological alterations in post-COVID-19 patients, fewer combined neuroimaging and neuropsychology evaluations of individuals who presented a mild acute infection. Here we investigated cognitive dysfunction and brain changes in a group of mildly infected individuals. We conducted a cross-sectional study of 97 consecutive subjects (median age of 41 years) without current or history of psychiatric symptoms (including anxiety and depression) after a mild infection, with a median of 79 days (and mean of 97 days) after diagnosis of COVID-19. We performed semi-structured interviews, neurological examinations, 3T-MRI scans, and neuropsychological assessments. For MRI analyses, we included a group of non-infected 77 controls. The MRI study included white matter (WM) investigation with diffusion tensor images (DTI) and functional connectivity with resting-state functional MRI (RS-fMRI). The patients reported memory loss (36%), fatigue (31%) and headache (29%). The quantitative analyses confirmed symptoms of fatigue (83% of participants), excessive somnolence (35%), impaired phonemic verbal fluency (21%), impaired verbal categorical fluency (13%) and impaired logical memory immediate recall (16%). The WM analyses with DTI revealed higher axial diffusivity values in post-infected patients compared to controls. Compared to controls, there were no significant differences in the functional connectivity of the posterior cingulum cortex. There were no significant correlations between neuropsychological scores and neuroimaging features (including DTI and RS-fMRI). Our results suggest persistent cognitive impairment and subtle white matter abnormalities in individuals mildly infected without anxiety or depression symptoms. The longitudinal analyses will clarify whether these alterations are temporary or permanent.

Resumo Vários estudos demonstram a existência de desigualdade de gênero no mercado de trabalho. A constatação dessas assimetrias motivou o presente estudo a identificar de que forma vem ocorrendo o processo de inserção profissional de egressos de Ciências Agrárias e Tecnologia em Agronegócio formados em instituições de ensino públicas de Goiás e se, nesse processo, há desigualdades relacionadas a gênero. Para alcançar o objetivo, foi realizado um levantamento que resultou em 593 questionários respondidos por egressos(as) dos cursos mencionados, no período de agosto de 2021 a janeiro de 2022. Os dados obtidos foram analisados por meio de estatística descritiva e regressão logística. Os principais resultados indicam as seguintes desigualdades de gênero na inserção profissional dos egressos: mulheres são maioria entre os desempregados; enfrentam maior dificuldade para encontrar trabalho na área de formação; a ascensão profissional feminina não tem ocorrido na mesma proporção comparativamente à masculina; mulheres recebem salários inferiores, ainda que exerçam as mesmas funções. As conclusões da pesquisa apontam a existência de desigualdade de gênero no contexto do trabalho no agronegócio e evidenciam a precária inserção profissional das mulheres neste setor.

Passados cem anos da publicação de Paulicéia Desvairada (1922), o Prefácio Interessantíssimo que Mário de Andrade escreveu para a obra continua atual e interessantíssimo. Nos poemas que compõem o livro as «palavras em liberdade» captam a simultaneidade do espaço urbano, multicêntrico e pulsante em seu vertiginoso processo de expansão, demarcando os parâmetros de um Brasil novo que se processava nas terras paulistas. O humor e o desvario de traços dadaístas suscitam uma reflexão sobre o próprio fazer da poesia, ridicularizando muitos dos valores formais em que repousava então a nossa literatura. Como herança do expressionismo, a obra demonstra o empenho de um escritor comprometido com os novos rumos da sociedade, que busca inaugurar propostas inéditas para a poesia brasileira, mesmo que para isso tenha que se vestir com um traje de losangos multicoloridos com vistas a aglutinar “a variedade da vida metropolitana no século XX”, conforme observou Telê Porto Ancona Lopez (1979).

ABSTRACT Water erosion is one of the main cause of soil degradation and the pollution of water resources. The aim of the present study is to update and evaluate the seasonal variation of the erosivity index and the Modified Fournier Index as a tool to predict rain erosivity for the state of Rio Grande do Sul. A series of monthly average rainfall data was used from 112 rainfall stations based on the Climatological Norms of the period between 1991 and 2020. Based on 16 regression equations, the values of the Modified Fournier Index (MFI) and the EI30 index were estimated, assessing their spatial and seasonal variation. Results show a strong seasonal variation with greater erosivity in the months of April, October and December. The EI30 varied between 3500 and 12500 MJ, ha-1 h-1 year-1. A significant spatial variation could be observed, with an increase in values in the east-west direction.

Tuberculosis is a severe and contagious lung disease that kills more than one million people annually, representing a real public health problem worldwide. Meanwhile, researchers and industry have highlighted the potential of analyzing and classifying chest radiographs (CXR) with artificial intelligence (AI). However, although high-performance industry solutions to aid in diagnosing have become a reality, vulnerable populations and underdeveloped countries have struggled to access them. In this sense, accessible and low-cost alternatives are essential to reach the needs of those populations that rely on public actions and services. Therefore, we propose a method to assist in the screening, diagnosing, and classifying of tuberculosis cases with a low-cost and high-efficiency computational approach. Our method uses a novel feature extraction approach based on binary patterns of phase congruence (BPPC) to describe CXR images that are represented in a feature vector of 1062 values. The extraction strategy maintains and recovers descriptive textural information of the TB, captured in 6 different directions of the CXR image, being invariant in the illumination and contrast of the CXR. The vector is then used to build a feed-forward neural network (FFNN) model capable of identifying and classifying TB cases. Our model experimented with three classification scenarios with CXR images from the TBX11K public dataset, and our results achieved exceptional performance, with greater than 99% accuracy, outperforming models from related work.

Technology-based innovations in the bio-economy are expected to provide new market opportunities for agro-industrial growth in developing countries. This study explores how domestic entrepreneurs have been benefiting from the growing global demand for sustainable agribusiness by establishing themselves in the agricultural bio-inputs sector. Aiming to explore how developing countries can build agro-industrial capabilities that go beyond farming, a case study was conducted in Argentina giving the country’s large domestic market for agricultural inputs. The assessment was based on official data and a survey conducted with a sample of 14 Argentinean companies. Results revealed a growing number of domestic companies in the bio-inputs market, which accounted for 74% of the total number of companies by 2022. Contextual aspects that favored domestic players include private investments by local entrepreneurs, the use of locally available technologies, support from public innovation centers and assertive market strategies. Principal component analysis revealed different business models, which include companies focusing on the development of new products, companies with professional industrial plants for large-scale production and companies with a strong marketing component reaching out to farmers. The global growth of sustainable bio-based agricultural production offers areas of opportunities for domestic investments in cleaner agro-industrial sectors that go beyond the primary production of commodities and can build industrial capabilities in developing countries.

Background The distinction between sensory neuronopathies (SN), which is by definition purely sensory, and sensory polyneuropathies (SP) and sensory multineuropathies (SM) is important for etiologic investigation and prognosis estimation. However, this task is often challenging in clinical practice. We hypothesize that F-wave assessment might be helpful, since it is able to detect subtle signs of motor involvement, which are found in SP and SM, but not in SN.

Aminoacetaldehyde (glycinal, NH2CH2CHO) is a first-generation oxidation product of monoethanolamine (MEA, NH2CH2CH2OH), a solvent widely used for CO2 gas separation, which is proposed as the basis for a range of carbon capture technologies. A complete oxidation mechanism for MEA is required to understand the atmospheric transformation of carbon capture plant emissions, as well as the degradation of this solvent during its use and the oxidative destruction of waste solvent. In this study, we have investigated the •OH radical-initiated oxidation chemistry of aminoacetaldehyde using quantum chemical calculations and RRKM theory/master equation kinetic modeling. This work predicts that aminoacetaldehyde has a tropospheric lifetime of around 6 h and that the reaction predominantly produces the NH2CH2C•O radical intermediate at room temperature, along with minor contributions from NH2•CHCHO and •NHCH2CHO. The dominant radical intermediate NH2CH2C•O is predicted to promptly dissociate to NH2•CH2 and CO, where NH2•CH2 is known to react with O2 under tropospheric conditions to form the imine NH = CH2 + HO2. The NH2•CHCHO radical experiences captodative stabilization and is found to form a weakly bound peroxyl radical upon reaction with O2. Instead, the major oxidation product of NH2•CHCHO and the aminyl radical •NHCH2CHO is the imine NH = CHCHO (+HO2). In the atmosphere, the dominant fate of imine compounds is thought to be hydrolysis, where NH = CH2 will form ammonia and formaldehyde, and NH = CHCHO will produce ammonia and glyoxal. Efficient conversion of the dominant first-generation oxidation products of MEA to ammonia is consistent with field observations and supports the important role of imine intermediates in MEA oxidation.

RESUMO A política agrícola brasileira, focada em crédito rural utilizado para a compra de insumos agrícolas que são, cada vez mais, controlados por empresas multinacionais estrangeiras, poderia estar indiretamente financiando corporações internacionais com os recursos públicos. Este trabalho analisa a alocação do crédito agrícola no Brasil e a participação dos grupos brasileiros nos segmentos de insumos produtivos para as duas principais cadeias produtivas consolidadas no país: a da soja e da bovinocultura. Os resultados revelam que a maior parte dos recursos de custeio vai para a cadeia produtiva da soja, em detrimento da bovinocultura, que representa grande parcela de estabelecimentos rurais. Os recursos investidos em produtores rurais que participam de cadeias de produção controladas por grupos multinacionais estrangeiros acabam, indiretamente, financiando empresas internacionais em detrimento ao agronegócio doméstico.

Glyphosate is the most widely used herbicide for weed control in citrus orchards in Brazil; therefore, it is likely that several species have gained resistance to this herbicide and that more than one resistant species can be found in the same orchard. The objective was to identify weeds resistant to glyphosate in citrus orchards from different regions of the São Paulo State (SP) and determine how many resistant species are present within the same orchard. Seeds of Amaranthus deflexus, A. hybridus, Bidens pilosa, Chloris elata, Conyza bonariensis, Digitaria insularis, Solanum Americanum, and Tridax procumbens, which, as reported by growers, are suspected to be resistant to glyphosate, were collected from plants that survived the last application of this herbicide (>720 g of acid equivalent [ae] ha–1) in sweet orange and Tahiti acid lime orchards. Based on dose–response and shikimic acid accumulation assays, all populations of A. deflexus, A. hybridus, B. pilosa, and T. procumbens were sensitive to glyphosate. However, populations of B. pilosa from the Olimpia region (R-NS, R-PT and R-OdA) showed signs of resistance based on plant mortality rates by 50% within a population (LD50 = 355–460 g ae ha−1). All populations of C. bonariensis, C. elata, and D. insularis were resistant to glyphosate, presenting resistance ratios from 1.9 to 27.6 and low shikimate accumulation rates. Solanum americanum also showed resistance, with resistance ratios ranging from 4.3 to 25.4. Most of the citrus orchards sampled presented the occurrence of more than one species resistant to glyphosate: Nossa Senhora—one species; Olhos D’agua and Passatempo—two species; Araras—four species; and Cordeiropolis and Mogi-Mirim—up to five species. The results reported in this paper provide evidence of multiple species in citrus orchards from São Paulo that have exhibited resistance to glyphosate. This underscores the difficulties in managing glyphosate-resistant weeds which are prevalent throughout the country, such as C. bonariensis and D. insularis. The presence of these resistant species further complicates the control of susceptible species that may also develop resistance. In addition, the glyphosate resistance of S. americanum was identified for the first time.

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Hematological recurrence is the second most frequent cause of failure in the treatment of gastric cancer. The detection of circulating tumor markers in peripheral blood by quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) method may be a useful tool to predict recurrence and determine the patient’s prognosis. However, no consensus has been reached regarding the association between the tumor markers level in peripheral blood and its impact on patient survival. AIMS: To evaluate the expression of the circulating tumor markers CK20 and MUC1 in peripheral blood samples from patients with gastric cancer by qRT-PCR, and to verify the association of their expression levels with clinicopathological characteristics and survival. METHODS: A total of 31 patients with gastric adenocarcinoma were prospectively included in this study. CK20 and MUC1 expression levels were analyzed from peripheral blood by the qRT-PCR technique. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant (p>0.05) association between CK20 expression levels and clinical, pathological, and surgical features. Higher MUC1 expression levels were associated with female patients (p=0.01). There was a correlation between both gene levels (R=0.81, p

O presente artigo explora como a experiência do 22º Festival Internacional de Cinema Fantástico de Bucheon (BIFAN) de 2018, onde ocorreu a primeira exibição pública de um filme norte-coreano na Coreia do Sul, modificou a dinâmica das trocas entre os dois países no campo cinematográfico. Foram exibidos três longas e seis curtas-metragens produzidos na Coreia do Norte em uma mostra temática. Faz-se um retrospecto histórico, desde a separação da península coreana em 1945 até as primeiras trocas comerciais e de pessoas entre os dois países na década de 1970. Comenta-se a evolução das trocas culturais entre os dois países até o festival e, a partir de artigos de jornais e revistas especializadas do campo cinematográfico, objetivando contextualizar todo o evento e o seu impacto cultural. Discute-se as implicações dessa mostra de cinema no histórico das exibições em solo sul-coreano, bem como o processo pelo qual estas passaram para serem autorizadas pelas autoridades da Coreia do Sul. Algumas outras iniciativas, especificamente as levadas a cabo pelo Korean Film Council, são abordadas para explicar o fenômeno. Finalmente, argumenta-se que a exibição desses filmes no âmbito do 22º BIFAN representa um avanço significativo no âmbito da troca entre Coreia do Norte e Coreia do Sul no campo cinematográfico e na aproximação simbólica entre os dois países.

O objetivo deste trabalho é relatar a experiência vivenciada em ação integrada de ensino, pesquisa, extensão e desenvolvimento de tecnologias educativas para o autocuidado de pessoas com diabetes mellitus tipo 2, realizada por discentes e docentes pesquisadores do Departamento de Saúde Coletiva da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade Federal do Amazonas. Trata-se de um relato de experiência de um projeto de extensão universitária realizado entre os meses de agosto/2022 a janeiro/2023. O projeto foi desenvolvido no âmbito do Programa Institucional de Bolsas de Extensão, vinculado à Pró-Reitoria de Extensão da Universidade Federal do Amazonas. Como resultado, foram desenvolvidos cinco vídeos educativos sobre comportamento de autocuidado para pessoas diagnosticadas com diabetes mellitus tipo 2, e que foram disponibilizados para a comunidade, por meio da mídia social YouTube®, no canal “Comunicação & Saúde UFAM”. A partir da vivência dos discentes e docentes, ficou evidente a importância das ações integradas de ensino, pesquisa, extensão e desenvolvimento de tecnologias educativas, na perspectiva de aproximar a universidade e a comunidade, e que esse tipo de prática contribui para a formação dos acadêmicos e promoção da saúde das pessoas diagnosticadas com diabetes mellitus tipo 2 e que necessitam praticar o autocuidado.

Abstract Pericytes are perivascular cells related to vessel structure and angiogenesis that can interact with neoplastic cells, interfering with cancer progression and outcomes. This study focused on the characterization of pericytes in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) using clinical samples and a transgenic mouse model of oral carcinogenesis. Nestin-/NG2+ (type-1) and nestin+/NG2+ (type-2) pericytes were analyzed by direct fluorescence after induction of oral carcinogenesis (4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide). Gene expression of neuron glial antigen-2 (NG2), platelet-derived growth factor receptor beta (PDGFR-β), and cluster of differentiation 31 (CD31) was examined in human OSCC tissues. The protein expression of von Willebrand factor and NG2 was assessed in oral leukoplakia (i.e., oral potentially malignant disorders) and OSCC samples. Additionally, clinicopathological aspects and survival data were correlated and validated by bioinformatics using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Induction of carcinogenesis in mice produced an increase in both NG2+ pericyte subsets. In human OSCC, advanced-stage tumors showed a significant reduction in CD31 mRNA and von Willebrand factor-positive vessels. Low PDGFR-β expression was related to a shorter disease-free survival time, while NG2 mRNA overexpression was associated with a reduction in overall survival, consistent with the TCGA data. Herein, oral carcinogenesis resulted in an increase in NG2+ pericytes, which negatively affected survival outcomes.

The productive inclusion of local communities is one of the main challenges to sustainable rural development in the Amazon. Existing development initiatives often prioritize projects with exogenous production systems; thus, local systems are overlooked, despite their large coverage. Based on surveys conducted in 107 riparian communities and detailed case studies in eight communities doing ranching, logging, and fishing, this study describes local management systems developed by rural communities in the confluence between the Amazon and Xingu Rivers. The study showed that (1) local management systems for buffalo ranching, logging, and fishing agreements were found in 61%, 60%, and 21% of the 107 riparian communities, respectively; (2) these systems are based on local know-how and on technological solutions that are locally available; and (3) the improvement and consolidation of these local systems require governmental support. The study reveals that local and traditional farming practices may underpin sustainable development in the Amazon.

Agriculture, a vital element of human survival, confronts challenges of meeting rising demand due to population growth and product availability in developing nations. Reliance on pesticides and fertilizers strains natural resources, leading to soil degradation and water scarcity. Addressing these issues necessitates enhancing water efficiency in agriculture. Polymeric hydrogels, with their unique water retention and nutrient-release capabilities, offer promising solutions. These superabsorbent materials form three-dimensional networks retaining substantial amounts of water. Their physicochemical properties suit various applications, including agriculture. Production involves methods like bulk, solution, and suspension polymerization, with cross-linking, essential for hydrogels, achieved through physical or chemical means, each with different advantages. Grafting techniques incorporate functional groups into matrices, while radiation synthesis offers purity and reduced toxicity. Hydrogels provide versatile solutions to tackle water scarcity and soil degradation in agriculture. Recent research explores hydrogel formulations for optimal agricultural performance, enhancing soil water retention and plant growth. This review aims to offer a comprehensive overview of hydrogel technologies as adaptable solutions addressing water scarcity and soil degradation challenges in agriculture, with ongoing research refining hydrogel formulations for optimal agricultural use.

Bacteria continue to disrupt poultry production and can cause resistant and persistent yolk sac infections to prevention efforts, known as omphalitis, resulting in poultry death. This literature review aims to demonstrate how plant extracts can help combat omphalitis in poultry. The Google Scholar database served as a resource for retrieving pertinent literature covering a wide range of search terms relevant to the scope of the research. The search strategy involved a combination of terms such as antimicrobials, chick embryo, omphalitis, plant extracts, poultry nutrition, and sanitization. The potential of plant extracts in preventing or treating infections in poultry, especially omphalitis, is mainly due to their antibacterial and safety properties. Sanitization and direct delivery of plant extracts to the internal contents of eggs, feed, or water are cutting-edge interventions to reduce the bacterial load in eggs and poultry, minimizing infection rates. For example, these interventions may include advanced treatment technologies or precise delivery systems focused on disease prevention in poultry.

Essential oils are liquids containing non-toxic compounds that are unfavorable to the growth of microorganisms. They are sold globally at affordable or very high prices, depending on the availability and type of plant, the scale of production, the extraction method, costs associated with logistics and electricity consumption, among other variables. Each year, the quantity of research dedicated to the antimicrobial potential of essential oils in poultry farming is expanding. Researchers consensually relay that this increase is due to the growing resistance of microorganisms to traditional antimicrobials and concerns about the toxicity of these products. This review proposes an analysis of the antimicrobial feasibility of using essential oils to address microbial challenges in poultry farms, aiming to ensure the production and supply of microbiologically safe hatching eggs. Based on the findings in the literature, in addition to following other necessary precautions in the daily routines of poultry farming practices, developing an antimicrobial control program with essential oils that integrates poultry facilities, poultry and hatching eggs, adapted to the particularities of each context seems to be extremely effective.

O dimensionamento de estruturas de captação e condução de água da chuva deve levar em consideração a intensidade da chuva local. A norma técnica vigente recomenda dimensionar as calhas e condutores baseando-se na intensidade da chuva com duração de 5 minutos e período de retorno de 25 anos. No presente estudo foram utilizadas as equações IDF atualizadas para Santa Catarina, baseadas em 176 estações pluviométricas com séries de dados de chuva maiores que 30 anos de observação. Desta forma foram determinadas as intensidades de chuva com duração de 5 minutos e período de retorno de 25 anos através das equações IDF. As intensidades de chuva variam de 140 a 215mm h-1 com os maiores valores observados na região de Florianópolis, Litoral Norte e Extremo Oeste do Estado. Os menores valores ocorrem na região do Médio Vale do Itajaí. Os dados foram espacializados a fim de se obterem os valores médios representativos de cada município do Estado. Observaram-se diferenças importantes em relação aos valores normalmente usados nas tabelas técnicas de calhas pluviais, evidenciando a necessidade de novos estudos em função da atualização das equações de chuvas intensas.

Pathogens, such as Escherichia coli (E. coli), have been identified as significant causes of poultry mortality. Poultry can serve as potential sources of E. coli transmission, even when asymptomatic, posing a substantial threat to food safety and human health. The in ovo administration of antimicrobials is crucial for preventing and/or effectively combating acute and chronic infections caused by poultry pathogens. To achieve this goal, it is critical that antimicrobials are properly injected into embryonic fluids, such as the amnion, to reach target tissues and trigger robust antimicrobial responses. Several protocols based on antimicrobials were evaluated to meet these requirements. This review analyzed the impacts of antimicrobial substances injected in ovo on the control of E. coli in poultry. The reduction in infection rates, resulting from the implementation of in ovo antimicrobials, combined with efforts aimed at hygienic-sanitary action plans in poultry sheds, reinforces confidence that E. coli can be contained before causing large scale damage. For example, antimicrobial peptides and probiotics have shown potential to provide protection to poultry against infections caused by E. coli. Issues related to the toxicity and bacterial resistance of many synthetic chemical compounds represent challenges that need to be overcome before the commercial application of in ovo injection protocols focused on microbiological control.

Poultry production is accompanied by the use of antimicrobial agents because no production step is free of microorganisms. In the absence of antimicrobial treatments with synthetic drugs, essential oils are among the most cited natural alternatives used to prevent and treat microbial contamination in poultry. Although there are several studies on the antimicrobial properties of essential oils, there is still no review that simultaneously compiles information on the leading antimicrobial role of essential oils from Citrus aurantifolia (CAEO), Ocimum basilicum (OBEO), and Allium sativum (ASEO) in poultry. Awareness of the antimicrobial role of these substances opens the door to encouraging their use in natural antimicrobial protocols and discouraging harmful synthetics in poultry. This review aimed to compile information on applying CAEO, OBEO, and ASEO as antimicrobials in poultry farming. The available literature suggests that these essential oils can proportionately align with the poultry industry’s demands for microbiologically safe food products.

Abstract Messenger RNA (mRNA) stability substantially impacts steady-state gene expression levels in a cell. mRNA stability is strongly affected by codon composition in a translation-dependent manner across species, through a mechanism termed codon optimality. We have developed iCodon ( www.iCodon.org ), an algorithm for customizing mRNA expression through the introduction of synonymous codon substitutions into the coding sequence. iCodon is optimized for four vertebrate transcriptomes: mouse, human, frog, and fish. Users can predict the mRNA stability of any coding sequence based on its codon composition and subsequently generate more stable (optimized) or unstable (deoptimized) variants encoding for the same protein. Further, we show that codon optimality predictions correlate with both mRNA stability using a massive reporter library and expression levels using fluorescent reporters and analysis of endogenous gene expression in zebrafish embryos and/or human cells. Therefore, iCodon will benefit basic biological research, as well as a wide range of applications for biotechnology and biomedicine.

Abstract Background Five hundred 8-d old male broilers Cobb500 were randomly allotted into 10 treatments in factorial arrangement with 5 Cu levels (0, 4, 8, 12, and 16 mg/kg), and 2 sources (Cu proteinate, CuPro and Cu sulphate, CuSO4.5H2O) for a 10-d-experiment. Results Feed conversion ratio (FCR) was better (P

Introduction and aimsThe intensive cropping system and imbalance use of chemical fertilizers to pursue high grain production and feed the fast-growing global population has disturbed agricultural sustainability and nutritional security. Understanding micronutrient fertilizer management especially zinc (Zn) through foliar application is a crucial agronomic approach that could improve agronomic biofortification of staple grain crops. The use of plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPBs) is considered as one of the sustainable and safe strategies that could improve nutrient acquisition and uptake in edible tissues of wheat to combat Zn malnutrition and hidden hunger in humans. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the best-performing PGPB inoculants in combination with nano-Zn foliar application on the growth, grain yield, and concentration of Zn in shoots and grains, Zn use efficiencies, and estimated Zn intake under wheat cultivation in the tropical savannah of Brazil.MethodsThe treatments consisted of four PGPB inoculations (without inoculation, Azospirillum brasilense, Bacillus subtilis, and Pseudomonas fluorescens, applied by seeds) and five Zn doses (0, 0.75, 1.5, 3, and 6 kg ha−1, applied from nano ZnO in two splits by leaf).ResultsInoculation of B. subtilis and P. fluorescens in combination with 1.5 kg ha−1 foliar nano-Zn fertilization increased the concentration of Zn, nitrogen, and phosphorus in the shoot and grain of wheat in the 2019 and 2020 cropping seasons. Shoot dry matter was increased by 5.3% and 5.4% with the inoculation of P. fluorescens, which was statistically not different from the treatments with inoculation of B. subtilis as compared to control. The grain yield of wheat was increased with increasing nano-Zn foliar application up to 5 kg Zn ha−1 with the inoculation of A. brasilense in 2019, and foliar nano-Zn up to a dose of 1.5 kg ha−1 along with the inoculation of P. fluorescens in the 2020 cropping season. The zinc partitioning index was increased with increasing nano Zn application up to 3 kg ha−1 along with the inoculation of P. fluorescens. Zinc use efficiency and applied Zn recovery were improved at low doses of nano-Zn application in combination with the inoculation of A. brasilense, B. subtilis, and P. fluorescens, respectively, as compared to control.DiscussionTherefore, inoculation with B. subtilis and P. fluorescens along with foliar nano-Zn application is considered a sustainable and environmentally safe strategy to increase nutrition, growth, productivity, and Zn biofortification of wheat in tropical savannah.

ABSTRACT Objectives: To evaluate the influence of the degree of severity of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) on the distribution of plantar load on the feet during gait. Material and Methods: 40 patients with AIS were evaluated and divided into severity groups: 13 with mild AIS; 13 with moderate AIS; and 14 with severe AIS. Cobb angles (degrees) were evaluated by radiography. Gait was assessed using the pressure platform at a frequency of 100 Hz. The adolescents walked on a 20-meter track, with their feet resting on the platform, totaling an average of 12 steps. The following were evaluated: contact area, peak pressure, and maximum force on the 4 regions of the feet: hindfoot (medial and lateral), midfoot, and forefoot. Results: Adolescents with moderate and severe AIS showed an increase in peak pressure and maximum force on the medial (p=0.014; p=0.045, respectively) and lateral (p=0.035; p=0.039, respectively) hindfoot and a reduction on the midfoot (p=0.024) when compared to mild AIS. The contact area showed no differences between groups. Conclusion: The moderate and severe degree of AIS severity promoted increased plantar load on the medial and lateral hindfoot (heel) during gait compared to adolescents with a mild degree of scoliotic curvature. In this way, gait training in the milder stages of disease severity can minimize the overload and the increase in force vectors on the spine, preventing the progression of severe scoliotic curvature. Level of Evidence II; Cross-sectional study.

Background: This study aims to explore how domestic entrepreneurs can benefit from the thriving global agribusiness by establishing themselves in agro-industrial segments that can best remunerate capital and labour. The ways in which domestic entrepreneurs in Brazil enter different segments of the agribusiness industry were assessed with specific attention to implications for the development of local agro-industrial capabilities. Methods: We assessed the current market share of domestic companies in relation to foreign multinationals in various segments of the sugar and ethanol supply chain in Brazil. Results: Foreign multinationals are market leaders in the fertilizers, machinery and trading segments (domestic companies market share is 20.3%, 33.3% and 42.9% in those segments respectively). However, Brazilian companies have achieved higher market share in segments such as plant breeding, sugarcane processing and farming (domestic market share is 93.2%, 67.4% and 75.5% respectively). Plant breeding, farming and trading benefit from governmental support in research, subsidized credits and market policies respectively. Conclusions: By investing in agro-industrial sectors developing countries can benefit from agribusiness expansion for their economic growth. Investments in science and technology and domestic regulatory actions can help to build country capabilities, although the impacts are sometimes limited to the agro-industrial sectors where domestic companies are more competitive. These lessons can help other developing countries to assess their opportunities and challenges for agro-industrial development.

Background: Family farmers’ access to markets is key for rural development. This study seeks to assess to what extent short and long marketing channels promote or inhibit the commercial inclusion of family farmers. Methods: The research was conducted in the Brazilian state of Goiás through questionnaires and interviews with rural outreach agents and family farmers’ leaders. Results: The results reveal that 31.28% of sampled farmers are not included in any marketing channel. High inclusion rates in long channels (such as commodity markets) are related to high inclusion rates in short channels (such as farmers’ markets), with some regions having greater availability of marketing channels than other regions. Conclusions: The high participation of family farmers in long channels linked to the cattle supply chain and agricultural commodities is related to the low participation of this category in other channels. Such results provide lessons for public policies by demonstrating the need to encourage a greater diversity of both short and long channels to greater marketing opportunities for family farmers.

Leveraged by the production of grains, oilseeds, and fresh deciduous fruits, food production has reached new heights, exceeding the amount produced in previous years and with an estimate of new records for the coming years. In this sense, technological advances are essential to reduce costs and increase quality and productivity. In this paper, we present a novel method to detect insect predation on plant leaves that uses geometric leaf properties and digital image processing techniques to construct image models. Unlike other approaches, our method detects and highlights the regions of leaves attacked by insects and segments the contours of insect bites. We evaluated our proposal considering 12 crucial crops for the world market, and it demonstrated to be effective, even in the presence of noise, image scale, and rotation. Besides, it identifies insect predation areas regardless of the plant species with precision above 90% in blueberry, corn, potato, and soybean leaves. Thus, this proposal introduces a new approach to automatic leaf analysis and contributes to reducing human effort in identifying the occurrence of pests. The code prepared by the authors is publicly available.

Objective A trial was conducted to investigate the effects of supplemental levels of Mn provided by organic and inorganic trace mineral supplements on growth, tissue mineralization, mineral balance, and antioxidant status of growing broiler chicks. Methods A total of 500 male chicks (8-d-old) were used in 10-day feeding trial, with 10 treatments and 10 replicates of 5 chicks per treatment. A 2×5 factorial design was used where supplemental Mn levels (0, 25, 50, 75, and 100 mg Mn/kg diet) were provided as MnSO4·H2O or MnPro. When Mn was supplied as MnPro, supplements of zinc, copper, iron, and selenium were supplied as organic minerals, whereas in MnSO4·H2O supplemented diets, inorganic salts were used as sources of other trace minerals. Performance data were fitted to a linear-broken line regression model to estimate the optimal supplemental Mn levels. Results Manganese supplementation improved body weight, average daily gain (ADG) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) compared with chicks fed diets not supplemented with Mn. Manganese in liver, breast muscle, and tibia were greatest at 50, 75, and 100 mg supplemental Mn/kg diet, respectively. Higher activities of glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase (total-SOD) were found in both liver and breast muscle of chicks fed diets supplemented with inorganic minerals. In chicks fed MnSO4·H2O, ADG, FCR, Mn balance, and concentration in liver were optimized at 59.8, 74.3, 20.6, and 43.1 mg supplemental Mn/kg diet, respectively. In MnPro fed chicks, ADG, FCR, Mn balance, and concentration in liver and breast were optimized at 20.6, 38.0, 16.6, 33.5, and 62.3 mg supplemental Mn/kg, respectively. Conclusion Lower levels of organic Mn were required by growing chicks for performance optimization compared to inorganic Mn. Based on the FCR, the ideal supplemental levels of organic and inorganic Mn in chick feeds were 38.0 and 74.3 mg Mn/kg diet, respectively.

Abstract This letter presents a new intelligent control scheme for the accurate trajectory tracking of flexible link manipulators. The proposed approach is mainly based on a sliding mode controller for underactuated systems with an embedded artificial neural network to deal with modelling inaccuracies. The adopted neural network only needs a single input and one hidden layer, which drastically reduces the computational complexity of the control law and allows its implementation in low‐power microcontrollers. Online learning, rather than supervised offline training, is chosen to allow the weights of the neural network to be adjusted in real time during the tracking. Therefore, the resulting controller is able to cope with the underactuating issues and to adapt itself by learning from experience, which grants the capacity to deal with plant dynamics properly. The boundedness and convergence properties of the tracking error are proved by evoking Barbalat's lemma in a Lyapunov‐like stability analysis. Experimental results obtained with a small single‐link flexible manipulator show the efficacy of the proposed control scheme, even in the presence of a high level of uncertainty and noisy signals.

O crescente número de furtos e roubos contra propriedades rurais compromete a segurança dos produtores, impondo a necessidade de políticas públicas de segurança no campo. O objetivo deste estudo é analisar a experiência da Patrulha Rural Georreferenciada como política pública piloto de segurança no município de Catalão/GO. Para tanto, buscou-se apresentar a política pública, espacializar as ocorrências dos crimes, definir seus efeitos e avaliar a (in)satisfação dos residentes e trabalhadores rurais com a atuação da Patrulha Rural. O estudo foi realizado a partir de pesquisa documental nos Registros de Atendimento Integrado (RAI) do sistema da Secretaria de Segurança Pública do Estado de Goiás. Foi delimitada uma amostra de 67 propriedades vítimas de crimes patrimoniais, de um total de 2.338 existentes no município. Foram feitas entrevistas com as vítimas e com os policiais da Patrulha Rural da região. Os resultados revelam que os crimes de furtos estão concentrados nas propriedades mais próximas da zona urbana; as pequenas e médias propriedades são as que mais sofrem com os efeitos dos crimes, com redução de renda e dos investimentos; e ainda, que 91% dos produtores rurais estão satisfeitos com as ações da Patrulha Rural no município. Os crimes patrimoniais, em sua maioria o furto, causam prejuízos econômicos aos produtores, comprometendo o desenvolvimento rural. A presença estatal, nas atividades policiais preventivas e repressivas, é fundamental para a permanência do homem no campo, bem como para o desenvolvimento regional.

Increased meat and egg production leads to concomitant changes in poultry practices, including the indiscriminate use of formaldehyde to sanitize hatching eggs. Although this sanitizer aids in the increase in poultry production, its toxic potential for man and for avian embryos represents an obstacle to its long-term use. This review assesses whether essential oils fit into the context of hatching egg contamination, reviewing their antimicrobial efficiency, toxicity to poultry embryos and chicks, and their sanitizing effects on poultry production parameters. Studies have indicated that, because they are safer, most of the essential oils studied can be a potential substitute for formaldehyde for minimizing microbial exposure of hatching eggs and embryos. However, complementary studies on the microbiological profile of embryos and chicks hatched from eggs sanitized with essential oils need to be carried out and the economic feasibility of the candidate products should also be considered.

This study evaluated the microbiological and internal quality of quail eggs stored for 21 days at room temperature (29.53 ± 1.36 °C) after being coated with green banana flour and Tahiti lemon essential oil (GBF/TAH). One hundred and sixty-two quail eggs were equally distributed into three treatments: (1) uncoated eggs, (2) eggs coated with green banana flour (GBF), and (3) eggs coated with GBF/TAH. The Haugh unit (HU) of the eggs was significantly lower in the third week for uncoated eggs (70.94 ± 1.63, grade A) compared to eggs coated with GBF/TAH (81.47 ± 2.38, grade AA). On the 21st day of storage, the eggs coated with GBF/TAH had significantly lower total counts of aerobic mesophilic bacteria in the shell and egg contents compared to the other treatments. GBF/TAH coating is an effective blending approach to reduce the microbial load of the shell and egg contents and preserve the sensory and internal quality of the eggs.

Breast cancer is responsible for 25% of all cancers that affect women. Due to its high heterogeneity pattern in clinical diagnosis and its molecular profile differences, researchers have been seeking new targets and therapies, with more specificity and fewer side effects. Thus, one compound that has garnered our attention is trans-chalcone, which is naturally occurring in various plants and possesses promising biological properties, including antitumor effects. MiRNA is an extensive class of non-coding small, endogenous, and single-stranded RNAs, and it is involved in post-translational gene regulation. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the effects of TChal on miRNAs expression and its relationship with anticancer activity against MCF-7. Initially, the trans-chalcone IC50 value was established by MTT assay for MCF-7and HaCat (non-cancer cell), in which we found out that it was 53.73 and 44.18 μM, respectively. Subsequently, we treated MCF-7 cells with trans-chalcone at its IC50 concentration and performed Mi-seq analysis, which unveiled 23 differentially expressed miRNAs. From this set, we selected five miRNAs (miR-25-5p, miR-27a-3p, miR-891a, miR-449a, and miR-4485) for further validation using qRT-PCR, guided by in silico analysis and their known association with tumorigenesis. In conclusion, our research provides valuable insights into the potential use of TChal to reveal MicroRNAs molecular targets that can be applied in breast cancer therapy.

This work aimed to evaluate the eggshell microbiota and the internal egg quality after coatings with cassava starch biopolymer enriched with different essential oils during 35 days of storage at 20°C. A total of 369 brown table eggs were used and distributed in the following treatments: uncoated eggs, coated with cassava starch + Ginger essential oil (CS+GIN), cassava starch + Lemongrass essential oil (CS+LEM), and cassava starch + Tahiti lemon essential oil (CS+TAH). The count of total aerobic mesophilic bacteria on coated eggshells at 0 and 35 days of storage were similar to each other (mean 0.70 ± 0.37 and 0.91 ± 0.22 log10 CFU/mL) and significantly lower compared to uncoated eggs (2.21 ± 0.17 and 3.17 ± 0.22 log10 CFU/mL), in that order. On the 35th day, coated eggs showed similar Haugh unit (HU) values between them (mean 70.61 ± 5.35; classified as A - high quality) and significantly higher than uncoated eggs (51.60 ± 4.28; classified as B - average quality). Cassava starch coatings added with essential oils preserved the internal quality of the eggs during storage for 5 weeks at 20°C, reducing the eggshell microbiota and effectively keeping it at low levels during storage.

Abstract Background Selenium (Se) has been recognized as an essential micronutrient for nearly all forms of life. In recent decades, broiler responses to dietary Se supplemental levels and sources have received considerable attention. On environmental grounds, organic trace mineral utilization in practical broiler feeds has been defended due to its higher bioavailability. In such feeds, trace minerals are provided simultaneously in the same supplement as inorganic salts or organic chelates, a fact commonly ignored in assays conducted to validate organic trace mineral sources. The current assay aimed to investigate growth and biochemical responses, as well as Se retention of growing chicks fed diets supplemented with organic and inorganic Se levels and where the trace minerals (zinc, copper, manganese, and iron) were provided as organic chelates or inorganic salts according to Se source assessed. In so doing, a 2 × 5 factorial arrangement was used to investigate the effects of sodium selenite (SS) and selenium-yeast (SY) supplemented in feeds to provide the levels of 0, 0.08, 0.16, 0.24, and 0.32 mg Se/kg. Results Chicks fed selenium-yeast diets had body weight (BW), and average daily gain (ADG) maximized at 0.133 and 0.130 mg Se/kg, respectively. Both Se sources linearly increased (P

IBV variants belonging to the GI-23 lineage have circulated since 1998 in the Middle East and have spread to several countries over time. In Brazil, the first report of GI-23 occurred in 2022. The study aimed to evaluate the in vivo pathogenicity of exotic variant GI-23 isolates. Biological samples were screening by real-time RT-PCR and classified in to GI-1 or G1-11 lineages. Interestingly, 47.77% were not classified in these lineages. Nine of the unclassified strains were sequenced and showed a high similarity to the GI-23 strain. All nine were isolated and three, were studied for pathogenicity. At necropsy, the main observations were the presence of mucus in the trachea and congestion in the tracheal mucosa. In addition, lesions on the tracheas showed marked ciliostasis, and the ciliary activity confirmed the high pathogenicity of isolates. This variant is highly pathogenic to the upper respiratory tract and can cause severe kidney lesions. This study confirm a circulation of GI-23 strain in the country and report, to first time, the isolation of an exotic variant of IBV in Brazil.