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Plants with the crassulacean acid metabolism commonly present good adaptation to arid and semi-arid environments, but it highly depends on the type of species. In this study, chlorophyll fluorescence, the concentration of inorganic and organic solutes and the productive performance were evaluated along with their relationships in different clones of the genera Opuntia and Nopalea. The experiment was conducted from 2016 to 2018. Four clones of genus Opuntia were evaluated: ‘Orelha de Elefante Mexicana’ (OEM), ‘Orelha de Elefante Africana’ (OEA), V19 and F8; and two clones of genus Nopalea: ‘IPA Sertânia’ and ‘Miuda’. The experiment was arranged in a randomised block design, with six treatments and three replications. The following parameters were measured when harvesting: initial, maximum and variable fluorescence; the quantum yield of PSII (Fv/Fm); light-induction curves of the photochemical parameters (ΔF/Fm’, qP, NPQ and ETR); the chlorophyll and carotenoid content; carbohydrates; the sodium (Na+) and potassium (K+) content; morphometry; and dry matter accumulation. The values for the effective quantum yield of PSII (ΔF/Fm’) and the alterations in photochemical quenching were higher in the OEM clone (P

Rainfall redistribution by forest cover has potential hydrological impacts in semi-arid regions due to continuous human intervention. Studying the process of interception loss by Caatinga vegetation and its changes due to deforestation is extremely important for local hydrology. However, such information is scarce in the literature. This study examined the partitioning of rainfall into throughfall (TF), stemflow (SF) and interception loss (I) in the Caatinga vegetation (CAA) and evaluated the influence of rainfall characteristics on this partitioning. The components of rainfall partitioning were measured from 2016 to 2017 to determine the TF and SF respectively, and their relationships with rainfall characteristics were evaluated based on linear regression models. For the Caatinga vegetation, TF and SF represent 89.2% and 0.5% of the gross rainfall, while interception loss was 10.3%, an expressive value that should be included in regional water balance models. The rainfall characteristics were able to explain the variations in water partitioning, showing that TF and SF increase for events of higher intensity and volume, whereas interception loss is mainly associated with events of longer duration. For the Caatinga, stemflow and throughfall usually occur for events of greater than 1.65 mm and 0.98 mm, while values for canopy water storage ranged from 0.88 mm to 1.16 mm. It is concluded that for semi-arid environments, these values are significant and cannot be ignored when managing local water resources.

Comprehending the relation between climatic variables and the productive and morphological characteristics of the forage cactus is essential to the adjustment of the management of its production in different agro-climatic areas. The aim of this study was to evaluate the interrelationship between the meteorological variables and the water regime with the growth dynamics and accumulation of forage mass of three different forage cactus clones. We submitted the clones Miuda–MIU; Orelha de Elefante Mexicana–OEM and IPA Sertânia–IPA to three water regimes (40 %ETc, 80 %ETc and 120 %ETc), plus the non-irrigated condition (0 %ETc), during 18 months, in the municipality of Serra Talhada, Pernambuco, Brazil. Morphological, structural, and productive characteristics of the plants, and environmental variables were supervised throughout the experimental period. Pearson’s correlation, multicollinearity test, canonical correlation and path analysis were applied to these data. It was observed that the minimum air temperature, the relative air humidity, and the irrigation were the variables that affected the growth dynamics and the accumulation of fodder mass of the forage cactus clones the most. The clone OEM presented more sensitivity to the environmental conditions (climate and irrigation) in comparison to the other clones MIU and IPA. The environmental conditions affected the growth dynamics more than the productivity of the clone from the genus Nopalea. It was determined that the species of forage cactus presented differentiated morphological and productive responses among themselves, under semiarid conditions in Brazil.

The main factors responsible for the greatest natural disasters are related to extreme weather events for which no country is really well-prepared, particularly in Latin America, and specifically in Brazil. This research was developed to determine the spatiotemporal climatic similarities of municipalities along a longitudinal gradient from the east to north-east of Pernambuco State, in northeastern Brazil, from 1993 to 2018, based on applied statistics. The daily meteorological database (rainfall, air temperature, humidity, pressure, wind and evaporation) registered at eight manual meteorological stations of the National Institute of Meteorology, with a historical period of 26 years. The meteorological data were subjected to descriptive statistics, the cluster analysis (CA), and the principal components analysis (PCA), to identify which components are most affected in the climatic patterns. This study also carried out investigations into the influence of the possible dynamic causes of the El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phases on the rainfall patterns of the municipalities. The eigenvalues of the three PCAs >1. PC 1 and PC 2 showed a total variance of 59.50 %. The variables rainfall and relative humidity presented a higher correlation with the municipalities of Recife and Triunfo (group G1). The municipalities of Petrolândia, Cabrobo and Ouricuri were grouped according to the variables evaporation, air temperature and atmospheric pressure (group G2). The CA was able to indicate the cluster of municipalities with similar climatic characteristics. The ENSO phases directly influence the variability of rainfall in both homogeneous groups identified in the study. Based on multivariate statistical analysis, it is possible to determine the meteorological seasonality between the different regions of the State of Pernambuco - northeastern Brazil. Such an analysis is important for the population in the eight municipalities, since it makes it possible to improve the productivity of economic activities, especially crop cultivation and livestock rearing.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of different controlled water regimes on the morphophysiological indicators, phenophases, and ideal cutting time of forage cacti clones grown in a semiarid environment. From 2016 to 2018, in the semi-arid region of Brazil, the Miuda (MIU), Orelha de Elefante Mexicana (OEM) and IPA Sertânia (IPA) clones were submitted to three regimes (40%, 80% and 120% ETc, where ETc is crop evapotranspiration) and to rainfed conditions (0% ETc). Cladode area index and the dry matter yield (DM) were used for calculating the morphophysiological indices. The cladode emission aided in delimiting the phenophases and, based on the DM accumulation, defined the ideal time for cutting the crop. The OEM clone excelled in terms of dry matter accumulation with a maximum value of 0.0441 Mg ha−1 °Cday−1. The water regimes above 80% ETc rise the number of phenophases in MIU and IPA clones. Cultivating forage cactus under water regime up to 40% ETc for OEM (895 °Cday) and 80% ETc for MIU and IPA (737 °Cday and 708 °Cday, respectively) anticipates the harvest time. Thus, a controlled reduction in the amount of water no negatively impact the growth dynamics, phenology, or cutting time.

The intercropping systems of species adapted to conditions of water deficit, such as sorghum (Sorghum spp.) and forage cacti (Nopalea spp. and Opuntia spp.), can contribute to an improvement in the biomass yield of semi-arid agricultural areas. This study aimed to evaluate the performance of intercropping cactus and sorghum as well as the biological efficiency and competitive ability of forage cactus clones and sorghum cultivars. The experiment was carried out in the Brazilian semi-arid region, in a randomised block design with 15 treatments and four replications. The treatments consisted of three forage cactus clones (‘IPA Sertânia’—IPA, ‘Miuda’—Miu and ‘Orelha de Elefante Mexicana’—OEM) and three sorghum cultivars (‘467’, ‘SF11’ and ‘2502’) under single configuration and the maximum number of combinations to comprise the intercropping systems. In terms of fresh and dry matter (221.73 and 47.04 Mg ha−1, respectively), the cactus-sorghum intercropping was 47% and 3.5 times more productive in terms of fresh and dry matter than the cactus single systems, with no effect on the quality of the forage. The forage cactus clones were dominant over the sorghum cultivars. The OEM-‘467’ configuration offered better stability (lower mortality), biological efficiency and crop competitiveness when compared to the single systems.

The relationship between cytomegalovirus (CMV), a severe complication in immunocompromised patients, and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) has already been reported but remains without complete elucidation, especially concerning oral lesions. Considering that antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) has an antimicrobial effect and photobiomodulation therapy (PBM) provides analgesia and modulation of inflammatory processes, the present study aimed to report a clinical case in which oral CMV reactivation following acute GVHD was treated by a combination of aPDT and PBMT concomitantly with conventional drug treatment. Intense and uninterrupted oral pain and consequent impairment of the patient's oral functions were present due to ulcerated lesions in the tongue, soft palate, and labial mucosa. After 72 hours from the first laser session, a marked decrease in the severity of the lesions and pain relief was observed. All oral lesions were repaired within 30 days. Based on this case report, when used concomitantly with conventional drug treatment, the combination of aPDT and PBMT seems to play a crucial role in treating CMV associated with GVHD.

Rainfall interception represents a significant component of the water balance and its modelling and simulation are essential to understanding the hydrologic cycles in different ecosystems. Caatinga is a seasonal dry tropical forest, characterized by a deciduous and xerophilous vegetation that covers large areas in Brazil. This domain appears as a highly vulnerable natural water resource system, and is important for studies about droughts, impacts on soil erosion, as well as the adaptation to altered rainfall patterns and intensities. Specifically, knowledge about rainfall partitioning in such ecosystem can improve hydrologic modelling and efficiency. This work was carried out for parametrizing and validating the sparse Gash model, simulating the rainfall interception from five Caatinga species individually as well as aggregated together as a mixed-species forest. Proportions of gross rainfall into throughfall varied from 59.8 to 78.9%, and into interception were between 20.4 and 39.5%. Results also showed low scattering of predictions, as well as absence of constant and systematic errors during simulations. Rainfall interceptions predicted by the sparse Gash model resulted in mean absolute errors (MAE) ranging from 0.23 to 0.41 mm, while agreement indices (d) varied between 0.94 and 0.97 for the studied Caatinga species and the mixed vegetation. The sparse Gash model was reliable enough to apply to Caatinga ecosystem, appearing as a valuable tool for studying rainfall interception in this domain.

The semiarid region of Brazil undergoes constant changes in land use due to the process of deforestation and high water seasonality, represented among other variables by a decline in the soil moisture content. In this study, the influence of land use on the soil moisture dynamics is analysed. For this purpose, three experimental sites were evaluated, characterised by different types of land use: an agroecosystem of forage cactus, a deforested environment and an area of Caatinga vegetation, located in the semiarid central hinterlands of Brazil. Calibration of the Diviner2000® capacitive probes was carried out using the relationship between the soil volumetric moisture content (θv), obtained by the gravimetric method, and the relative frequency readings of the probes. Weekly measurements of the moisture content were taken at 22 points at depths of 0.00–0.60 m from November 2014 to October 2017, providing 157 sampled days. The mean values and standard deviations of the θv variable for the three surfaces were analysed over twelve periods, and grouped according to the local water regime into rainy, dry and transitional. To analyse the temporal stability of θv, the relative difference and the Spearman correlation matrix were calculated. Finally, multivariate principal component analysis (PCA) was used to identify associations between the mean values of θv and physical properties in the different soil layers. Based on the results, the local calibration curves presented significant coefficients of determination, showing that the equations can be used for reliable estimates of θv. The θv was higher in the Caatinga (0.086 m3 m−3), intermediate in the forage cactus (0.064 m3 m−3) and lower in the deforested area (0.045 m3 m−3). Changes in land use influence the spatial variability of θv in the soil layers, which responded to the local rainfall regime, especially in the upper layers (0.05–0.25 m). Significant differences in θv between soil surface coverage occurred during the dry sub-periods and the transition periods, when the Caatinga was superior to the other areas. The temporal stability analysis identified the forage cactus area as the most representative location for θv estimates, while the Spearman correlation matrix detected the more-unstable areas of moisture, with persistent moisture patterns between the dry sub-periods and transition periods only. Associations between moisture and different soil properties were affected by soil surface coverage and soil layer depth. All the proprieties explained moisture distribution along the profile. It can be concluded that converting the Caatinga vegetation into other soil surface coverages changes soil-moisture distribution patterns, resulting in a reduction in θv of 26% and 47% for forage cactus and deforested areas, respectively. Therefore, the establishment of forage cactus in current deforested areas of the Brazilian semiarid may attenuate the temporal variability and reduction of soil moisture compared to bare soil surfaces.

Asperger's syndrome is a subgroup of autism characterized by social deficits without language delay, and high cognitive performance. The biological nature of autism is still unknown but there are controversial evidence associating an immune imbalance and autism. Clinical findings, including atopic family history, serum IgE levels as well as cutaneous tests showed that incidence of atopy was higher in the Asperger group compared to the healthy controls. These findings suggest that atopy is frequent in this subgroup of autism implying that allergic inflammation might be an important feature in Asperger syndrome.

Background Low intensity laser therapy has been recommended to support the cutaneous repair; however, so far studies do not have evaluated the tissue response following a single laser treatment. This study investigated the effect of a single laser irradiation on the healing of full-thickness skin lesions in rats. Methods Forty-eight male rats were randomly divided into three groups. One surgical lesion was created on the back of rats using a punch of 8 mm in diameter. One group was not submitted to any treatment after surgery and it was used as control. Two energy doses from an 830-nm near-infrared diode laser were used immediately post-wounding: 1.3 J cm−2 and 3 J cm−2. The laser intensity 53 mW cm−2 was kept for both groups. Biometrical and histological analyses were accomplished at days 3, 7 and 14 post-wounding. Results Irradiated lesions presented a more advanced healing process than control group. The dose of 1.3 J cm−2 leaded to better results. Lesions of the group irradiated with 1.3 J cm−2 presented faster lesion contraction showing quicker re-epithelization and reformed connective tissue with more organized collagen fibers. Conclusions Low-intensity laser therapy may accelerate cutaneous wound healing in a rat model even if a single laser treatment is performed. This finding might broaden current treatment regimens.

Methods Case report of a 2 years old male patient with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID), diagnosed at 9 months after hospitalization due to failure to thrive, chronic diarrhea and pneumonia. Evolved with recurrent respiratory and gastrointestinal infections although using prophylaxis and immunoglobulin infusion. Alogenic, haploidentical transplantation was carried out with positive selection of CD34+, at 18 months of age due no compatible donor been found.