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We consider homogeneous coupled cell networks with asymmetric inputs. We obtain general results concerning codimension-one steady-state bifurcations for networks with any number of cells and any number of asymmetric inputs. These results rely solely on the network adjacency matrices eigenvalue structure and the existence, or not, of network synchrony subspaces. For networks with three cells, we describe the possible lattices of synchrony subspaces annotated with the eigenvalues on each synchrony subspace. Applying the previous results, we classify the synchrony-breaking steady-state bifurcations that can occur for three-cell minimal networks with one, two or six asymmetric inputs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: We aim to evaluate the impact of surgical wound complications in the first 30 postoperative days after incisional hernia repair on the long-term quality of life of patients. In addition, the impact of the surgical technique and preoperative comorbidities on the quality of life of patients will also be evaluated. Method: Prospective cohort study, which evaluates 115 patients who underwent incisional hernioplasty between 2019 and 2020, using the onlay and retromuscular techniques. These patients were initially assessed with regard to surgical wound outcomes in the first 30 postoperative days (surgical site infection (SSI) or surgical site occurrence (SSO)), and then, assessed after three years, through a specific quality of life questionnaire, the Hernia Related Quality of Life Survey (HerQLes). Results: After some patients were lost to follow-up during the study period, due to death, difficulty in contact, refusal to respond to the questionnaire, eighty patients were evaluated. Of these, 11 patients (13.8%) had SSI in the first 30 postoperative days and 37 (46.3%) had some type of SSO. The impact of both SSI and SSO on quality of life indices was not identified. When analyzing others variables, we observed that the Body Mass Index (BMI) had a significant impact on the patients' quality of life. Likewise, hernia size and mesh size were identified as variables related to a worse quality of life outcome. No difference was observed regarding the surgical techniques used. Conclusion: In the present study, no relationship was identified between surgical wound outcomes (SSO and SSI) and worse quality of life results using the HerQLes score. We observed that both BMI and the size of meshes and hernias showed an inversely proportional relationship with quality of life indices. However, more studies evaluating preoperative quality of life indices and comparing them with postoperative indices should be carried out to evaluate these correlations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The investigation of demographic bias in facial analysis applications is a topic of growing interest with achievements in face recognition and gender classification. State-of-the-art convolutional neural networks (CNN) and traditional machine learning models for locating facial landmarks have reached overall performance levels close to human annotation. However, recent studies demonstrated that these models presented performance gaps when applied to different populations, characterizing bias led by demographic features. Nevertheless, few studies have addressed this problem in face alignment and facial landmarks localization methods. In this work, we propose a multi-level face alignment approach settled on CNN models to reduce performance gaps among different populations. We created facial subunit CNN models tied to a facial subunit detector at a higher level. The proposal seeks to improve bad results caused by facial impairment, guided by the following assumptions: facial unit landmarks localization does not require global texture, and combining different facial unit models can improve the final model's variability. We applied the models in a balanced dataset mixing healthy controls and individuals with neurological disorders: amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and post-stroke. With fewer samples for training, our approach significantly reduced face alignment performance differences among those groups as compared to a state-of-the-art CNN model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting global warming hinges on forest carbon sequestration as a key in several national strategies. However, Portugal’s rising forest fire occurrences threaten its ability to meet ambitious 2030 and 2050 carbon sequestration targets. Considering fire and forest trends, this study aims to quantify whether Portugal can reach its carbon sequestration ambitions as stated in its 2030 and 2050 targets. We tested three national forest scenario extensions of the global Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) and Shared Policy Assumptions (SPAs) based on a dynamic model, simulating forest area and carbon sequestration related to future fire risk and policies of fire management, forest management, restoration of burnt areas, and climate change adaptation. The model projects a rapidly decreasing forest area under existing Portuguese policies (PT-SSP3), a slow decline under moderate policy improvements (PT-SSP2), and an almost stable forest area under long-term sustainable policy developments (PT-SSP1). In PT-SSP3, carbon sequestration will be reduced to 60% by 2050 compared to 2015, while it declines to about 85% and 90% under PT-SSP2 and PT-SSP1, respectively. It is still plausible to reach Portugal’s 2030 sequestration obligations under the EU’s Paris Agreement target under all three scenarios, while the Portuguese GHG neutrality target is not reached in the presented scenarios. Our four introduced policy areas (increasing focus on fire and forest management, forest restoration, and climate change adaptation of forest stands) must be supplemented by other policy strategies, such as reforestation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extreme precipitation events lead to dramatic impacts on society and the situation will worsen under climate change. Decision-makers need reliable estimates of future changes as a basis for effective adaptation strategies, but projections at local scale from regional climate models (RCMs) are highly uncertain. Here we exploit the km-scale convection-permitting multi-model (CPM) ensemble, generated within the FPS Convection project, to provide new understanding of the changes in local precipitation extremes and related uncertainties over the greater Alpine region. The CPM ensemble shows a stronger increase in the fractional contribution from extreme events than the driving RCM ensemble during the summer, when convection dominates. We find that the CPM ensemble substantially reduces the model uncertainties and their contribution to the total uncertainties by more than 50%. We conclude that the more realistic representation of local dynamical processes in the CPMs provides more reliable local estimates of change, which are essential for policymakers to plan adaptation measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aggression can be seen as a behavior that arranges conditions that functions as aversive for other organisms. The Point Subtraction Aggression Paradigm (PSAP) is a laboratory task designed to measure this phenomenon with human participants. Different versions of the PSAP program contingencies that may differentially interfere in the measurement of aggressive behavior. This article aims to identify the contingencies embedded in these versions and to suggest areas for future investigations. The literature was systematically searched, and six PSAP versions were identified. Three of these versions have added contingencies to the aggression task that may have confounded the measure of aggression with other positive and negative reinforcement processes. The PSAP versions may be organized into one or two aggressive response options, presence or absence of control response for the responding measured as aggressive, and availability of an independent escape response. These settings potentially establish various overlapping behavioral processes. Empirical solutions are suggested to improve the analysis of aggressive and other behaviors in the task. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 Related Long-Term Taste Impairment (CRLTTI) is a condition that can be expressed after COVID-19 contagion, lasting for months or even years, affecting the routine and quality of life of individuals. Participants expressing CRLTTI, with a minimum of 2 months, attested by PCR-RT test were assessed for taste and smell, and underwent experimental treatments in 6 distinct groups: Photobiomodulation (PBM) in tongue dorsum and lateral (660 nm, 808 nm, association of 660 and 808 nm), Transmucosal Laser Irradiation of Blood (TLIB)—ventral surface of tongue (660 nm), B complex supplementation, and Sham laser. No intergroup statistical differences were observed at the final evaluation, despite the tendencies of better results with PBM and TLIB observed. PBM, TLIB, and B complex might be treatment options in the management of CRLTTI, despite the lack of total remission of taste and smell perception after 8 sessions (PBM and TLIB) or 30 days of B complex supplementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The renewable, abundant , and low-cost nature of lignocellulosic biomass can play an important role in the sustainable production of bioenergy and several added-value bioproducts, thus providing alternative solutions to counteract the global energetic and industrial demands. The efficient conversion of lignocellulosic biomass greatly relies on the catalytic activity of carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes). Finding novel and robust biocatalysts, capable of being active under harsh industrial conditions, is thus imperative to achieve an economically feasible process. In this study, thermophilic compost samples from three Portuguese companies were collected, and their metagenomic DNA was extracted and sequenced through shotgun sequencing. A novel multi-step bioinformatic pipeline was developed to find CAZymes and characterize the taxonomic and functional profiles of the microbial communities, using both reads and metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) as input. The samples' microbiome was dominated by bacteria, where the classes Gammaproteobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria, and Balneolia stood out for their higher abundance, indicating that the degradation of compost biomass is mainly driven by bacterial enzymatic activity. Furthermore, the functional studies revealed that our samples are a rich reservoir of glycoside hydrolases (GH), particularly of GH5 and GH9 cellulases, and GH3 oligosaccharide-degrading enzymes. We further constructed metagenomic fosmid libraries with the compost DNA and demonstrated that a great number of clones exhibited β-glucosidase activity. The comparison of our samples with others from the literature showed that, independently of the composition and process conditions, composting is an excellent source of lignocellulose-degrading enzymes. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first comparative study on the CAZyme abundance and taxonomic/functional profiles of Portuguese compost samples. Key points: • Sequence- and function-based metagenomics were used to find CAZymes in compost samples. • Thermophilic composts proved to be rich in bacterial GH3, GH5, and GH9 enzymes. • Compost-derived fosmid libraries are enriched in clones with β-glucosidase activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. is one of the worst agricultural weeds and invasive species in the world, being widely established in many countries. Despite its impact on agriculture and the growing awareness of authorities and consumers about the consequences of synthetic herbicides, alternative control methods for this weed have been poorly reviewed. A systematic review of the literature published over the last 50 years was used to assess the most studied control methods of C. dactylon (excluding synthetic herbicides) and to summarize the trends and knowledge gaps. The major findings are as follows: (1) the number of publications that studied alternative methods to synthetic chemical control in C. dactylon management has been increasing exponentially since 1972; (2) most of the studies were made under controlled conditions (57%) and lack observations under real production conditions; (3) most of the field experiments were carried out in Asia (42%), under temperate subtropical and arid climates; (4) the publication of articles studying allelopathy stands out significantly (50% of the papers found), with two species from the Poaceae family, rice (Oryza sativa L.) and sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench), showing very high allelopathic inhibitory effects (often above 80%), especially under open field conditions; and (5) preventive soil tillage is the most studied treatment among indirect weed control treatments, and although there is a high risk of propagation, the results indicate that tillage can significantly contribute to control C. dactylon, when compared to no-tillage treatments. Further research is needed to optimize treatments and methods so that they can be applied by farmers under real production conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Molecular docking is an important and rapid tool that provides a comprehensive view of different molecular mechanisms. It is often used to verify the binding interactions of many pairs of molecules and is much faster than more rigorous approaches. However, its application requires carefully preprocessing each molecule and selecting a series of simulation parameters, which is not always done correctly. We show how preprocessing and simulation parameters can positively or negatively impact molecular docking performance. For example, the inclusion of hydrogen atoms leads to better redocking scores, but molecular dynamics simulations must be performed under certain constraints; otherwise, it may worsen performance rather than improve it. This study clarifies the importance and influence of these different parameters in the simulation results. Methods: We analyzed the influence of different parameters on the predictive ability of molecular docking techniques using two software packages: AutoDock Vina and AutoDock-GPU. Thus, 90 receptor-ligand complexes were redocked, evaluating the root mean square deviation (RMSD) between the original position of the ligand (receptor-ligand complex obtained experimentally) and that obtained by the software for every analysis. We investigated the influence of hydrogen atoms (on the receptor and on the receptor-ligand complex), partial charges (QEq, QTPIE, EEM, EEM2015ha, MMFF94, Gasteiger-Marsili, and no charge), search boxes (size and exhaustiveness), ligand characteristics (size and number of torsions), and the use of molecular dynamics (of the receptor or the receptor-ligand complex) before docking analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Rebleeding from a ruptured aneurysm increases the risk of unfavorable outcomes after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) and is prevented by early aneurysm occlusion. The role of antifibrinolytics before aneurysm obliteration remains controversial. We investigated the effects of tranexamic acid on long-term functional outcomes of patients with aneurysmal SAH (aSAH). Methods: This was a single-center, prospective, observational study conducted in a high-volume tertiary hospital in a middle-income country from December 2016 to February 2020. We included all consecutive patients with aSAH who either received or did not receive tranexamic acid (TXA) treatment. Multivariate logistic regression analysis using propensity score was used to evaluate the association of TXA use with long-term functional outcomes, measured by the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) at 6 months. Results: A total of 230 patients with aSAH were analyzed. The median (interquartile range) age was 55 (46–63) years, 72% were women, 75% presented with good clinical grade (World Federation of Neurological Surgeons grade 1–3), and 83% had a Fisher scale of 3 or 4. Around 80% of patients were admitted up to 72 h from ictus. The aneurysm occlusion method was surgical clipping in 80% of the patients. A total of 129 patients (56%) received TXA. In multivariable logistic regression using inverse probability treatment weighting, the long-term rate of unfavorable outcomes (modified Rankin scale 4–6) was the same in the TXA and non-TXA groups (61 [48%] in TXA group vs. 33 [33%] in non-TXA group; odds ratio [OR] 1.39, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.67–2.92; p = 0.377). The TXA group had higher in-hospital mortality (33 vs. 11% in non-TXA group; OR 4.13, 95% CI 1.55–12.53, p = 0.007). There were no differences between the groups concerning intensive care unit length of stay (16 ± 11.22 days in TXA group vs. 14 ± 9.24 days in non-TXA group; p = 0.2) or hospital (23 ± 13.35 days in TXA group vs. 22 ± 13.36 days in non-TXA group; p = 0.9). There was no difference in the rates of rebleeding (7.8% in TXA group vs. 8.9% in non-TXA group; p = 0.31) or delayed cerebral ischemia (27% in TXA group vs. 19% in non-TXA group; p = 0.14). For the propensity-matched analysis, 128 individuals were selected (64 in TXA group and 64 in non-TXA group), and the rates of unfavorable outcomes at 6 months were also similar between groups (45% in TXA group and 36% in non-TXA group; OR 1.22, 95% CI 0.51–2.89; p = 0.655). Conclusions: Our findings in a cohort with delayed aneurysm treatment reinforce previous data that TXA use before aneurysm occlusion does not improve functional outcomes in aSAH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a result of warming and precipitation deficits, the increasing shortage of water resources, droughts have become one of the main drivers of desertification, land degradation and food insecurity with direct impacts on ecosystems and society, especially in fragile communities. Over the Iberian Peninsula, a known climate change hotspot, the occurrence of droughts varies in intensity and severity, being its assessment under present and future conditions an important tool for adaptation measures. Here, for the first time, we present a comprehensive analysis of different plausible evolutions of droughts throughout the twenty-first century over Iberia on a monthly basis, featuring three different emission scenarios (RCP2.6, RCP4.5, RCP8.5). A multi-variable, multi-model EURO-CORDEX weighted ensemble is used to assess future drought conditions using the SPI (Standardized Precipitation Index) and SPEI (Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index). All indexes were computed by considering the full period, from 1971 to 2000 merged with 2011–2100 from each RCP scenario. The results clearly show that the Iberian Peninsula is highly vulnerable to climate change, indicating a significant increase in the intensity and severity of drought occurrences, even for the low-end RCP2.6 scenario. For the RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios, the increases are more pronounced and enhanced throughout the twenty-first century, from 3 up to 12 more severe droughts for the shorter timescales with increases in mean duration above 30 months for the longer accumulation periods. The use of all the RCPs data pooled together with a multi-variable weighted ensemble approach allows not only a more accurate and robust projection of future droughts but also ensures comparability among the projections from the three RCP scenarios. The future drought evolution aspires to assist the new Portuguese national roadmap for adaptation for the twenty-first century, bridging the water sector challenges from mitigation to adaptation in a dynamic way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the large volume of sewage generated every day, there is a high demand for its treatment. The by-product (called sludge) generated after the treatment process has caused problems in terms of its final disposal. Since the typical end off for this waste is landfills, it is mandatory reducing the landfill amount and the risk of soil contamination. The present work explored an adequate final disposal of the sludge as a sustainable alternative. For this purpose, briquettes were produced using dry sludge from the Sewage Treatment Plant of the Minas Gerais (Brazil) Sanitation Company and vegetable oil used to thicken the briquettes. These briquettes were compared to eucalyptus charcoal in terms of their calorific potential, through immediate analysis, since Brazil has a high demand for primary energy, especially in the industrial sphere. The calorific potential of charcoal reached 16.66 MJ/kg, while that of briquette reached 12.94 MJ/kg. However, briquettes had a density much higher than charcoal, so it takes a smaller volume of briquettes to achieve the same burning capacity as a large volume of charcoal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polymicrogyria (PMG) is a malformation of cortical development that occurs mostly in the perisylvian region bilaterally (60–70%), most often presenting with epilepsy. Unilateral cases are much rarer with hemiparesis being the predominant symptom. We report a case of a 71-year-old man with right perirolandic PMG with ipsilateral hypoplasia and contralateral hyperplasia of the brainstem, with only non-progressive left-sided mild spastic hemiparesis. This imaging pattern is thought to occur due to the normal process of withdrawal of the axons of the corticospinal tract (CST) connected to aberrant cortex, possibly with compensatory contralateral CST hyperplasia. However, the majority of cases is additionally present with epilepsy. We believe it is worthwhile to investigate imaging patterns of PMG with symptoms' correlation, particularly with the help of techniques such as advanced brain imaging to assist in the study of cortical development along with adaptive somatotopic organization of the cerebral cortex in MCD with possible clinical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lectins isolated from Canavalia ensiformis (ConA) and Canavalia brasiliensis (ConBr) are promising molecules to prevent cell death. Acute pancreatitis, characterized by acinar cell necrosis and inflammation, presents significant morbidity and mortality. This study has investigated the effects of ConA and ConBr in experimental acute pancreatitis and pancreatic acinar cell death induced by bile acid. Pancreatitis was induced by retrograde pancreatic ductal injection of 3% sodium taurocholate (Na-TC) in male Swiss mice. ConA or ConBr (0.1, 1 or 10 mg/kg) were intravenously applied to mice 1 h and 12 h after induction. After 24 h, the severity of pancreatitis was evaluated by serum amylase and lipase, histopathological changes and myeloperoxidase assay. Pancreatic acinar cells were incubated with ConA (200 µg/ml) or ConBr (200 µg/ml) and taurolithocholic acid 3-sulfate (TLCS; 500 µM). Necrosis and changes in mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔѰm) were detected by fluorescence confocal microscopy. Treatment (post-insult) with ConA and ConBr decreased pancreatic damage caused by retrograde injection of Na-TC in mice, reducing pancreatic neutrophil infiltration, edema and necrosis. In addition, ConA and ConBr decreased pancreatic acinar cell necrosis and depolarization of ΔѰm caused by TLCS. The inhibition of necrosis was prevented by the lectin domain blockade. In conclusion, ConA and ConBr markedly inhibited in vitro and in vivo damage, effects partly dependent on the interaction with mannose residues on acinar cells. These data support the potential application of these proteins for treatment of acute pancreatitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rainfall is considered the most important physical process for landslide triggering in Portugal. It is expected that changes in the precipitation regimes in the region, as a direct consequence of climate change, will have influence in the occurrence of extreme rainfall events that will be more frequently, throughout the century. The aim of this study relied on the assessment of the projected future changes in the extreme precipitation over Portugal mainland and quantifying the correlation between extreme rainfall events and landslide events through Rainfall Triggering Thresholds (RTTs). This methodology was applied for two specific locations within two Portuguese areas of great geomorphological interest. To analyze the past frequency of landslide events, we resorted to the DISASTER database. To evaluate the possible projected changes in the extreme precipitation, we used the Iberia02 dataset and the EURO-CORDEX models' runs at a 0.11° spatial resolution. It was analyzed the models' performance to simulate extreme values in the precipitation series. The simulated precipitation relied on RCM-GCM models' runs, from EURO-CORDEX, and a multimodel ensemble mean. The extreme precipitation assessment relied on the values associated to the highest percentiles, and to the values associated to the RTTs' percentiles. To evaluate the possible future changes of the precipitation series, both at the most representative percentiles and RTTs' percentiles, a comparison was made between the simulated values from EURO-CORDEX historical runs (1971–2000) and the simulated values from EURO-CORDEX future runs (2071–2100), considering two concentration scenarios: RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5. In the models' performance, the multimodel ensemble mean appeared to be within the best representing models. As for the projected changes in the extreme precipitation for the end of the century, when following the RCP 4.5 scenario, most models projected an increase in the extreme values, whereas, when following the RCP 8.5 scenario, most models projected a decrease in the extreme values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant molecules are continuously investigated to prevent and treat inflammatory and ulcerative disorders associated with the gastrointestinal tract, such as gastritis, colitis, mucositis, and ulcers. However, most of the published work is devoted to investigating the therapeutic properties of secondary plant metabolites. This work investigated the gastroprotective activity of a lipid transfer protein isolated from Morinda citrifolia L., named McLTP1, when orally administered to mice from the perspective of its use as a novel peptide-based drug for the prevention and treatment of ulcerative gastric lesions. Pretreatment with McLTP1 at different doses (4, 8, or 16 mg/kg) reduced ethanol-induced gastric lesions (p < 0.05) by 40%, 84%, and 88%, respectively. In ethanol-induced gastric lesions, alterations in the levels of glutathione (GSH) (↑100%; p < 0.05) and a reduction of 45% (p < 0.05) in the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) were demonstrated after McLTP1 administration (8 mg/kg). McLTP1 showed an anti-inflammatory effect through modulation of the cytokines IL-10 (↑33%) and TNF-α (↓54%) and was able to reduce myeloperoxidase (MPO) levels (↓95%) in gastric tissue. In addition, the gastroprotective effect of McLTP1 also involves the production of nitric oxide. The present findings reveal that McLTP1 has a gastroprotective effect dependent, at least in part, on its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects.Please confirm if the author names are presented accurately and in the correct sequence (given name, middle name/initial, family name). Also, kindly confirm the details in the metadata are correct.I confirm that the author names are presented accurately and in the correct sequence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite several studies that have been investigated physical inactivity and age-related effects on orthostatic tolerance, impaired hemodynamics and postural balance responses to orthostatic stress are incorrectly attributed to aging or sedentarism alone. The isolated effects from aging and sedentarism should be investigated through comparative studies between senior athletes and age-matched controls, and physical activity assessments on aging follow-up studies. On the other hand, bed rest and space flight studies mimic accelerated physical inactivity or disuse, which is not the same physiological decline provoked by aging alone. Thus, the elementary question is: could orthostatic intolerance be attributed to aging or physical inactivity? The main purpose of this review is to provide an overview of possible mechanisms underlying orthostatic tolerance contrasting the paradigm of aging and/or physical inactivity. The key points of this review are the following: (1) to counterpoint all relevant literature on physiological aspects of orthostatic tolerance; (2) to explore the mechanistic aspects underneath the cerebrovascular, cardiorespiratory, and postural determinants of orthostatic tolerance; and (3) examine non-pharmacological interventions with the potential to counterbalance the physical inactivity and aging effects. To date, the orthostatic intolerance cannot be attributed exclusively with aging since physical inactivity plays an important role in postural balance, neurovascular and cardiorespiratory responses to orthostatic stress. These physiological determinates should be interpreted within an integrative approach of orthostatic tolerance, that considers the interdependence between physiological systems in a closed-loop model. Based on this multisystem approach, acute and chronic countermeasures may combat aging and sedentarism effects on orthostatic tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Ventral hernia surgery (VHS) has the intent to promote a better quality of life (QoL). VHS results were evaluated by recurrence incidence in the past, however the concept of Patient-Reported Outcomes Measures has changed this scenario. SF-36 is a generic questionnaire with some limitations on the hernioplasty postoperative evaluation. Disease-specific surveys such Hernia-Related Quality of Life Survey (HerQLes) and Carolinas Comfort Scale (CCS) were developed to improve specificity. The aim of this study was to validate a Brazilian version of the CCS as a QoL questionnaire for patients undergoing VHS in Brazil.The study consists of a retrospective cohort that reviewed the medical records of patients who underwent ventral hernia surgery for incisional hernias in the Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre between January 2019 to December 2020. Participants answered both the HerQles questionnaire and the CCS, then we compared the patients’ scores between scales. In-personal evaluations or surveys applied by telemedicine were performed. Intraclass correlation coefficient was utilized to assess the consistency of the agreement between the HerQLes and CCS scales.A sample of 80 patients were evaluated. Most were male (70%), mean age 61.11 years and BMI 28.4. The most common comorbidity was systemic arterial hypertension, one third were smokers and 77.5% of cases were ASA 2. The average HerQLes score was 30.40 and the CCS was 15.46 (SD: 21.81), with an intraclass coefficient of 0.68.This study suggests that CCS is a good and robust tool for assessing ventral hernia. Tools to measure QoL are increasingly used in the literature, as QoL seems to be important data to assess surgical success, since it shows the perception of the patient about the results of their surgery. Further studies with larger sample sizes should be performed to confirm our findings.Materials and methods: Ventral hernia surgery (VHS) has the intent to promote a better quality of life (QoL). VHS results were evaluated by recurrence incidence in the past, however the concept of Patient-Reported Outcomes Measures has changed this scenario. SF-36 is a generic questionnaire with some limitations on the hernioplasty postoperative evaluation. Disease-specific surveys such Hernia-Related Quality of Life Survey (HerQLes) and Carolinas Comfort Scale (CCS) were developed to improve specificity. The aim of this study was to validate a Brazilian version of the CCS as a QoL questionnaire for patients undergoing VHS in Brazil.The study consists of a retrospective cohort that reviewed the medical records of patients who underwent ventral hernia surgery for incisional hernias in the Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre between January 2019 to December 2020. Participants answered both the HerQles questionnaire and the CCS, then we compared the patients’ scores between scales. In-personal evaluations or surveys applied by telemedicine were performed. Intraclass correlation coefficient was utilized to assess the consistency of the agreement between the HerQLes and CCS scales.A sample of 80 patients were evaluated. Most were male (70%), mean age 61.11 years and BMI 28.4. The most common comorbidity was systemic arterial hypertension, one third were smokers and 77.5% of cases were ASA 2. The average HerQLes score was 30.40 and the CCS was 15.46 (SD: 21.81), with an intraclass coefficient of 0.68.This study suggests that CCS is a good and robust tool for assessing ventral hernia. Tools to measure QoL are increasingly used in the literature, as QoL seems to be important data to assess surgical success, since it shows the perception of the patient about the results of their surgery. Further studies with larger sample sizes should be performed to confirm our findings.Results: Ventral hernia surgery (VHS) has the intent to promote a better quality of life (QoL). VHS results were evaluated by recurrence incidence in the past, however the concept of Patient-Reported Outcomes Measures has changed this scenario. SF-36 is a generic questionnaire with some limitations on the hernioplasty postoperative evaluation. Disease-specific surveys such Hernia-Related Quality of Life Survey (HerQLes) and Carolinas Comfort Scale (CCS) were developed to improve specificity. The aim of this study was to validate a Brazilian version of the CCS as a QoL questionnaire for patients undergoing VHS in Brazil.The study consists of a retrospective cohort that reviewed the medical records of patients who underwent ventral hernia surgery for incisional hernias in the Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre between January 2019 to December 2020. Participants answered both the HerQles questionnaire and the CCS, then we compared the patients’ scores between scales. In-personal evaluations or surveys applied by telemedicine were performed. Intraclass correlation coefficient was utilized to assess the consistency of the agreement between the HerQLes and CCS scales.A sample of 80 patients were evaluated. Most were male (70%), mean age 61.11 years and BMI 28.4. The most common comorbidity was systemic arterial hypertension, one third were smokers and 77.5% of cases were ASA 2. The average HerQLes score was 30.40 and the CCS was 15.46 (SD: 21.81), with an intraclass coefficient of 0.68.This study suggests that CCS is a good and robust tool for assessing ventral hernia. Tools to measure QoL are increasingly used in the literature, as QoL seems to be important data to assess surgical success, since it shows the perception of the patient about the results of their surgery. Further studies with larger sample sizes should be performed to confirm our findings.Conclusion: Ventral hernia surgery (VHS) has the intent to promote a better quality of life (QoL). VHS results were evaluated by recurrence incidence in the past, however the concept of Patient-Reported Outcomes Measures has changed this scenario. SF-36 is a generic questionnaire with some limitations on the hernioplasty postoperative evaluation. Disease-specific surveys such Hernia-Related Quality of Life Survey (HerQLes) and Carolinas Comfort Scale (CCS) were developed to improve specificity. The aim of this study was to validate a Brazilian version of the CCS as a QoL questionnaire for patients undergoing VHS in Brazil.The study consists of a retrospective cohort that reviewed the medical records of patients who underwent ventral hernia surgery for incisional hernias in the Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre between January 2019 to December 2020. Participants answered both the HerQles questionnaire and the CCS, then we compared the patients’ scores between scales. In-personal evaluations or surveys applied by telemedicine were performed. Intraclass correlation coefficient was utilized to assess the consistency of the agreement between the HerQLes and CCS scales.A sample of 80 patients were evaluated. Most were male (70%), mean age 61.11 years and BMI 28.4. The most common comorbidity was systemic arterial hypertension, one third were smokers and 77.5% of cases were ASA 2. The average HerQLes score was 30.40 and the CCS was 15.46 (SD: 21.81), with an intraclass coefficient of 0.68.This study suggests that CCS is a good and robust tool for assessing ventral hernia. Tools to measure QoL are increasingly used in the literature, as QoL seems to be important data to assess surgical success, since it shows the perception of the patient about the results of their surgery. Further studies with larger sample sizes should be performed to confirm our findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silicon (Si) has a physical barrier effect on plant tissues, decreasing nematode infection in different crops. Notwithstanding, research on lettuce is lacking, especially regarding the chemical mechanisms of action of this beneficial element. This study evaluated the effect of Si supply on lettuce plants infested with 0, 6000, and 12,000 eggs and second stage juveniles of Meloidogyne incognita, both in the absence and in the presence of Si (2 mM) in the nutrient solution. Silicon increased phenolic compounds and ascorbic acid, reducing M. incognita population and decreasing oxidative stress. The element also increased chlorophyll content and the quantum efficiency of photosystem II (FV/FM), favoring lettuce growth and production. The use of Si decreased the number of nematodes and affected their reproduction, decreasing the number of eggs and galls on lettuce roots. This indicates that Si may serve as a sustainable alternative for the control of M. incognita. The benefit of using Si appears to be due to the combined effect chemical action from the increase in phenolic compounds and ascorbic acid in plant tissues, improving plant physiology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The objective was to analyze the suppressive effect of silicon, isolated and associated with cadusafos, on Meloidogyne incognita and the development of cotton. Methods: Experiment was carried out with cotton plants delineated in completely randomized design in a 4 × 2 factorial, with four treatments: water; silicon (2.0 mmol L−1); cadusafos (0.08 mL per pot) and cadusafos (0.04 mL per pot) + silicon (2.0 mmol L−1); combined with nematode's absence and presence. Inoculation were carried out in the pot containing 5000 eggs and second stage juveniles. Si was applied via fertigation in all pots conform water retention capacity of the substrate, maintained at 70%. At 69 and 185 days after plant inoculation, root diameter, height and length were measured and the accumulation of Si in the aerial part was determined and the nematode population in the cotton roots was estimated. Results: The supply of Si via fertigation was efficient increasing Si accumulation in cotton plant. Estimated nematodes population at 69 days after plant inoculation was higher in the absence of control treatment, with a greater effect of the nematicide and a lower population of M. incognita compared to the other treatments, in plants grown in the parasite presence. However, at 180 days after plant inoculation nematode population in nematicide treatment did not differ from halving dose of nematicide plus silicon treatment, as both treatments decreased nematode population. Conclusion: Si supply was efficient as a suppressive agent on M. incognita, increasing plant development infected with nematodes, compared to the control treatment, allowing halving cadusafos dose without jeopardize nematode control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The polysaccharide chitin (CHIT), extracted mainly from exoskeletons of crustaceans, can be obtained from shrimp fishery waste. It is the source of an important biopolymer, chitosan (CHITS) that presents a wide range of applications, such as the treatment of effluents containing heavy metals and dyes, and in several bioremediation processes. In this context, this work evaluated the chitosan production from two shrimp residues, the whole cephalothorax (CPTx) and the carapace (CRP, the exoskeleton from the cephalothorax), of the commercially exploited shrimp Xiphopenaeus kroyeri, to identify which of the two sources is more advantageous. Starting from standard masses of CPTx and CRP residues, the production of 3.12 times more CHITS from CRP, compared to CPTx, is demonstrated. The results are extremely important since both residues were submitted to the same physicochemical processes, requiring the same chemical reagents. Therefore, there is a significant reduction in the quantity of reagents when extracting CHITS from CRP, representing a great economic and environmental advantage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of climate change on wheat and barley yields in two regions of the Iberian Peninsula is here examined. Regression models are developed by using EURO-CORDEX regional climate model (RCM) simulations, forced by ERA-Interim, with monthly maximum and minimum air temperatures and monthly accumulated precipitation as predictors. Additionally, RCM simulations forced by different global climate models for the historical period (1972–2000) and mid-of-century (2042–2070; under the two emission scenarios RCP4.5 and RCP8.5) are analysed. Results point to different regional responses of wheat and barley. In the southernmost regions, results indicate that the main yield driver is spring maximum temperature, while further north a larger dependence on spring precipitation and early winter maximum temperature is observed. Climate change seems to induce severe yield losses in the southern region, mainly due to an increase in spring maximum temperature. On the contrary, a yield increase is projected in the northern regions, with the main driver being early winter warming that stimulates earlier growth. These results warn on the need to implement sustainable agriculture policies, and on the necessity of regional adaptation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine Heatwave (MHW) events have been increasing all around the world, causing severe impacts on marine ecosystems and on the economy of the aquaculture, fishing and tourism industries. In this study, the occurrence and characteristics of MHW events in the North Atlantic are analyzed for a recent period (1971–2000) and the two future periods (2041–2070 and 2071–2100). The analysis is based on Sea Surface Temperature (SST) data obtained from observations and from Global Climate Models (GCM) in the CMIP5 archieve. The results show that the GCMs present significant shortcomings in reproducing the SST and MHWs. The model results regarding the recent trends in MHW are in agreement with the ones observed, although they underestimate the values of MHW intensity and overestimate the values of both frequency and duration of events. The MHWs observed occur at a mean frequency of 1.90 events per year and are characterized by ~ 13 days of mean duration and 0.37 ºC of mean intensity, while the multi-model ensemble mean characterizes the events with 12 additional days and 0.15 ºC less intensity. Under climate change scenarios, when considering a stationary threshold, the models project noticeable increases in MHW event intensity that could reach 2 ºC above the 90th percentile and a quasi-permanent state of MHW by the end of the century. When a non-stationary threshold is considered, the characteristics of the events are similar to those obtained during the historical period. The GCMs significant biases in simulating the SST and leading to extremes like MHWs highlight the importance of improving GCM performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last decades, offshore wind harvesting has increased enormously, and is seen as a renewable energy resource with great potential in many regions of the world. Therefore, it is crucial to understand how this resource will evolve in a warming climate. In the present study, offshore wind resource in the Southwestern African region is analysed for the present and future climates. A ROM (REMO-OASIS-MPIOM) climate simulation in uncoupled and coupled atmosphere–ocean mode, at 25 km horizontal resolution, and a multi-model ensemble built with a set of regional climate models from the CORDEX-Africa experiment at 0.44° resolution were used. The projected changes of the offshore wind energy density throughout the twenty-first century are examined following the RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 greenhouse gas emissions scenarios. Characterised by strong coastal-parallel winds, the Southwestern African offshore region shows high values of wind energy density at 100 m, up to 1500 Wm−2 near the coast, particularly offshore Namibia and west South Africa. Conversely, along Angola's coast the available offshore wind energy density is lower. Throughout the twenty-first century, for the weaker climate mitigation scenario (RCP8.5), an increase of the offshore wind resource is projected to occur along Namibia and South African western coasts, more pronounced at the end of the century (+ 24%), while a decrease is projected along Angola's coasts, reaching a negative anomaly of about − 32%. Smaller changes but with the same pattern are projected for the stronger climate mitigation scenario (RCP4.5). The future deployment of offshore floating hub turbines placed at higher heights may allow higher production of energy in this region. Along offshore Namibia and west South Africa, the wind energy density at 250 m showed differences that range between 30 and 50% relative to wind energy density at 100 m. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to determine whether the factors underlying potential differences between two birth cohorts, born in 1982 and 1993, influence the changes in IQ over time.Data from two Brazilian birth cohorts were used (1993 and 1982 Pelotas Birth Cohorts). The IQ scores were assessed using the WAIS-III test.Results showed that women born in 1993 had a higher average IQ score than those born in 1982, but no difference was found among men. The increase in IQ scores was only limited to participants from families with an income ranging from 1.1 to 3 times the minimum wage at the time of birth. The mean IQ score of participants born to mothers below the age of 20 remained stable over time, but increase for participants whose mothers were 20 years of age or older at the time of birth.This study emphasizes the importance of considering socio-economic and demographic factors when examining differences in IQ scores over time. Further research is needed to understand the underlying mechanisms of these findings.Methods: This study aimed to determine whether the factors underlying potential differences between two birth cohorts, born in 1982 and 1993, influence the changes in IQ over time.Data from two Brazilian birth cohorts were used (1993 and 1982 Pelotas Birth Cohorts). The IQ scores were assessed using the WAIS-III test.Results showed that women born in 1993 had a higher average IQ score than those born in 1982, but no difference was found among men. The increase in IQ scores was only limited to participants from families with an income ranging from 1.1 to 3 times the minimum wage at the time of birth. The mean IQ score of participants born to mothers below the age of 20 remained stable over time, but increase for participants whose mothers were 20 years of age or older at the time of birth.This study emphasizes the importance of considering socio-economic and demographic factors when examining differences in IQ scores over time. Further research is needed to understand the underlying mechanisms of these findings.Results: This study aimed to determine whether the factors underlying potential differences between two birth cohorts, born in 1982 and 1993, influence the changes in IQ over time.Data from two Brazilian birth cohorts were used (1993 and 1982 Pelotas Birth Cohorts). The IQ scores were assessed using the WAIS-III test.Results showed that women born in 1993 had a higher average IQ score than those born in 1982, but no difference was found among men. The increase in IQ scores was only limited to participants from families with an income ranging from 1.1 to 3 times the minimum wage at the time of birth. The mean IQ score of participants born to mothers below the age of 20 remained stable over time, but increase for participants whose mothers were 20 years of age or older at the time of birth.This study emphasizes the importance of considering socio-economic and demographic factors when examining differences in IQ scores over time. Further research is needed to understand the underlying mechanisms of these findings.Conclusions: This study aimed to determine whether the factors underlying potential differences between two birth cohorts, born in 1982 and 1993, influence the changes in IQ over time.Data from two Brazilian birth cohorts were used (1993 and 1982 Pelotas Birth Cohorts). The IQ scores were assessed using the WAIS-III test.Results showed that women born in 1993 had a higher average IQ score than those born in 1982, but no difference was found among men. The increase in IQ scores was only limited to participants from families with an income ranging from 1.1 to 3 times the minimum wage at the time of birth. The mean IQ score of participants born to mothers below the age of 20 remained stable over time, but increase for participants whose mothers were 20 years of age or older at the time of birth.This study emphasizes the importance of considering socio-economic and demographic factors when examining differences in IQ scores over time. Further research is needed to understand the underlying mechanisms of these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a correction notice for an article titled "Effects of Tranexamic Acid in Patients with Subarachnoid Hemorrhage in Brazil: A Prospective Observational Study with Propensity Score Analysis" published in the journal Neurocritical Care. The correction involves updating the name of one of the coauthors from Leticia Peterson to Letícia Petterson. The publisher, Springer Nature, maintains a neutral stance on jurisdictional claims and institutional affiliations. The article was authored by Carla B. Rynkowski, Vanessa Hegele, Pedro Henrique Rigotti Soares, Monica Lopes Tonello, Letícia Petterson, Frederico Klein Gomes, Alejandro A. Rabinstein, Leonardo S. L. Bastos, Ricardo Turon, Bruno Gonçalves, Cassia Righy, Fernando A. Bozza, and Pedro Kurtz. [Extracted from the article]

Euterpe oleracea Mart., commonly known as açaí, has been demonstrated to exhibit significantly antioxidant and inflammatory activities in experimental models. These effects of the hydroalcoholic extract from the açaí seed (ASE) were investigated in TNBS-induced (2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid) acute colitis model in rats. Wistar rats (180–220 g) were orally pretreated with saline (0.3 mL), ASE (10, 30 and 100 mg/kg) and dexamethasone (control group, 1 mg/kg) once daily for 3 days starting before TNBS instillation. On day 3 after TNBS, the animals were euthanized, the portion of distal colon was collected and washed with 0.9% saline for macroscopy and histological evaluation, glutathione (GSH) and malonyldialdehyde (MDA) levels, myeloperoxidase (MPO) and catalase (CAT) activity, nitrate and nitrite (NO3/NO2) concentration, pro-inflammatory cytokines levels and intestinal barrier integrity. We also evaluated Toll-like Receptor 4/cyclooxygenase-2/nuclear factor kappa B expression as a possible mechanism related to the ASE effects. Treatment with ASE 100 mg/kg decreased significantly macroscopic and microscopic damage induced by TNBS. In addition, MPO activity, TNF-α (tumor necrosis factor-alpha) and IL-1β (interleukin 1) levels were reduced in rats with colitis. ASE 100 mg/kg restored GSH and MDA levels, CAT activity, NO3/NO2 concentration and improved the intestinal barrier integrity in the TNBS group. ASE 100 mg/kg significantly reduced TNBS-induced expression of the TLR4, COX-2 and NF-κB p65. ASE 100 mg/kg improved macroscopy and histological parameters, inflammation, intestinal barrier integrity and nitric and oxidative stress through the TLR-4/COX-2/NF-κB pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keywords: Actinomycosis; Bariatric surgery; Gastric bypass; Obesity; Intestinal obstruction EN Actinomycosis Bariatric surgery Gastric bypass Obesity Intestinal obstruction 405 408 4 01/18/21 20210101 NES 210101 Work developed at: Centro Médico de Campinas (CMC), Campinas (SP), Brazil Introduction Actinomycosis is a rare infection caused by gram-positive anaerobic bacteria of the genus I Actinomyces i spp., mostly I Actinomyces israelii i , which accounts for over 90% of all infections. This study presents the second report of actinomycosis in a patient after bariatric surgery; there are reports of the disease after previous abdominal surgeries such as appendectomy or diverticulectomy [[6]]. Actinomycosis, Bariatric surgery, Gastric bypass, Obesity, Intestinal obstruction. [Extracted from the article]

Purpose: We aimed to investigate the effect of inspiratory muscle training (IMT) on, hemodynamic, cerebrovascular and postural balance responses during orthostatic stress, in older women. Methods: Fourteen elderly women were assigned to perform IMT at 50% of maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP) (IMT group, n = 8) or placebo training at 5% MIP (Sham group, n = 6), in a counter-balanced order, using an inspiratory threshold device for 4 weeks. During the protocol, MIP was tested weekly once. In a second visit, blood pressure, heart rate, stroke volume, cardiac output, middle cerebral artery blood flow velocity (MCAv), and ventilation parameters were recorded continuously at rest and during orthostatic stress testing, which was conducted on a force plate to measure center-of-pressure (COP) oscillations (postural balance) and the electromyographic activity of the right medial gastrocnemius and tibialis anterior. Results: IMT increased MIP from second to 4th week. The drops in MCAv, stroke volume, and cardiac output, as well as COP displacements during initial orthostasis decreased post-IMT. Conclusion: IMT improves the interplay of the respiratory pump, hemodynamic, cerebrovascular and postural balance responses during orthostatic stress in older women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The IPCC 1.5 °C report argues for a 50% cut of global greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. Dangerous gaps lie between what is required to reach the 1.5 °C objective, what governments have pledged and what is happening in reality. Here, we develop 'climate policy gap' graphics for Portugal, Spain and Morocco to help reveal this divide and quantify the under-reaction between diagnosis and action, through layers of political intended and unintended miscommunication, insufficient action and the power of the fossil fuels industries. The climate policy gaps for the three nations reveal overshoots on even the most ambitious levels of emissions reductions pledged when compared with trajectories compatible with 1.5 °C or even 2 °C limits. This research suggests that there is a built-in feature of under-reaction in climate policy, which staves off any emission pathways compatible with stopping a temperature rise above 1.5 °C by 2100. It shows that the climate policy gap is a political and methodological tool that reveals systemic shortcomings of government climate action. Its visibility identifies benchmarks and sectors that should be activated to close these gaps in response to the growing popular demands for climate justice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the efforts of the modelling community to improve the representation of the sea surface temperature (SST) over the South Eastern Tropical Atlantic, warm biases still persist. In this work we use four different configurations of the fully-coupled AWI Climate Model (AWI-CM) which allow us to gain physics-based insight into the role of the oceanic and atmospheric resolutions of the model in the regional distribution of the SST. Our results show that a sole refinement of the oceanic resolution reduces warm biases further than a single increase of the atmospheric component. An increased oceanic resolution is required (i) to simulate properly the Agulhas Current and its associated rings; (ii) to reinforce the northward-flowing Benguela Current and (iii) to intensify coastal upwelling. The best results are obtained when both resolutions are refined. However, even in that case, warm biases persist, reflecting that some processes and feedbacks are still not optimally resolved. Our results indicate that overheating is not due to insufficient upwelling, but rather due to upwelling of waters which are warmer than observations as a result of an erroneous representation of the vertical distribution of temperature. Errors in the representation of the vertical temperature profile are the consequence of a warm bias in the simulated climate state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seaweeds are a source of novel bioactive compounds such as sulfated polysaccharides (PLS) that are not found in plants, but that may confer health-promoting properties. Sulfated polysaccharides extracted from seaweeds have several biologically beneficial effects. The PLS extracted from the red alga Gracilaria caudata are known to have anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive, and gastroprotective activities. The present study aimed to evaluate the hepatoprotective effect of PLS obtained from G. caudata on a nimesulide-induced liver damage model. Hepatic lesions were induced in mice by oral doses of nimesulide (200 mg kg−1) administered once daily for 5 days. Once a day, 30 min after administration of nimesulide, PLS was administered intraperitoneally at concentrations of 2.5, 5, and 10 mg kg−1. Subsequently, blood was collected for biochemical tests and the liver was removed to evaluate inflammatory parameters. Administration of PLS at the dose of 10 mg kg−1 led to a significant reduction in hepatic injury, liver weight/animal weight ratio, the levels of a neutrophil migration marker (myeloperoxidase), pro-inflammatory cytokines (interleukin-1β and tumor necrosis factor-α), nitrate and nitrite, oxidative stress markers, and hepatic function markers. As per our results, the PLS extracted from G. caudata was able to modulate the inflammatory response in nimesulide-induced hepatic damage in addition to re-establishing the hepatic homeostatic functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research has shown that both intermittent and continuous presentations of cultural consequences (CCs) select and maintain target culturants. Some relevant cultural phenomena in complex societies may involve concurrency between individual consequences and intermittent CCs, such as high rates of absenteeism among hospital employees, and team coordination of attendants' service for victims of domestic violence. Understanding the underlying processes related to these phenomena can provide knowledge to intervene in social issues. The present study evaluated the effects of continuous and intermittent (Variable-ratio 3-VR3) CCs on culturants in conditions of concurrent and non concurrent operant contingencies and metacontingencies. Ninety-three undergraduate students were distributed into four microcultures. Experimenters planned two microcultures with a condition of CCs in VR3, followed by a condition of suspension of CCs (no CCs), and two microcultures with CCs in Continuous reinforcement (CRF), followed by no CCs. In CCs in VR3, each third occurrence of the target culturant, on average, produced one CC. In CCs in CRF, every occurrence of the target culturant generated one CC. Microcultures without concurrency showed selective effects of CCs on target culturants, whereas microcultures with concurrency did not show occurrences of the target culturants. These data are discussed in terms of the effect of the concurrent variable across microcultures and by contrast with previous literature, particularly regarding important methodological difference between studies, such as verbal feedback from the researcher and/or experimental apparatus and highlighting the importance of verbal variables in complex social contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The objective was to evaluate the effects of nitric oxide (NO) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) donors and possible interactions between these two systems in modulating gastric function.Methods: Mice received saline, sodium nitroprusside (SNP), or sodium hydrosulfite (NaHS), and after 1 h, the animals were killed for immunofluorescence analysis of CSE or eNOS expressions, respectively. Other groups received saline, SNP, NaHS, Lawesson's reagent (H2S donor), PAG + SNP, L-NAME, L-NAME + NaHS, or L-NAME + Lawesson's reagent. Then, the gastric secretions (mucous and acid), gastric blood flow, gastric defense against ethanol, and gastric motility (gastric emptying and gastric contractility) were evaluated.Results: SNP and NaHS increased the expression of CSE or eNOS, respectively. SNP or Lawesson's reagent did not alter gastric acid secretion but increased mucus production, and these effects reverted with PAG and L-NAME treatment, respectively. SNP or NaHS increased gastric blood flow and protected the gastric mucosa against ethanol injury, and these effects reverted with PAG and L-NAME treatments, respectively. SNP delayed gastric emptying when compared with saline, and PAG partially reversed this effect. NaHS accelerate gastric emptying, and L-NAME partially reversed this effect. SNP and NaHS alone induced gastric fundus and pylorus relaxation. However, pretreatment with PAG or L-NAME reversed these relaxant effects only in the pylorus but not in the gastric fundus.Conclusion: NO and H2S interact in gastric physiological functions, and this "cross-talk" is important in the control of mucus secretion, gastric blood flow, gastric mucosal defense, and gastric motility, but not in the control of basal gastric acid secretion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The North African coastal low-level jet (NACLLJ) lies over the cold Canary current and is synoptically linked to the Azores Anticyclone and to the continental thermal low over the Sahara Desert. Although being one of the most persistent and horizontally extended coastal wind jets, this is the first high resolution modelling effort to investigate the NACLLJ climate. The current study uses a ROM atmospheric hindcast simulation with ~ 25 km resolution, for the period 1980–2014. Additionally, the underlying surface wind features are also scrutinized using the CORDEX-Africa runs. These runs allow the building of a multi-model ensemble for the coastal surface flow. The ROM and the CORDEX-Africa simulations are extensively evaluated showing a good ability to represent the surface winds. The NACLLJ shows a strong seasonal cycle, but, unlike most coastal wind jets, e.g. the California one, it is significantly present all year round, with frequencies of occurrence above 20%. In spring and autumn, the maxima frequencies are around 50%, and reach values above 60% in summer. The location of maximum frequency of occurrence migrates meridionally from season to season, being in winter and spring upwind of Cap-Vert, and in summer and autumn offshore the Western Sahara. Analogously, the lowest jet wind speeds occur in winter, when the median is below 15 m/s. In summer, the jet wind speed median values are ~ 20 m/s and the maxima are above 30 m/s. The jet occurs at heights ~ 360 m. A momentum balance is pursued disclosing that the regional flow is almost geostrophic, dominated by the pressure gradient and Coriolis force. Over the jet areas the ageostrophy is responsible for the jet acceleration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The North African Coastal Low-Level Jet (NACLLJ) is a semi-permanent feature offshore the north western African coast, linked to the cold nearshore upwelling of the Canary Eastern Boundary Current system. Its main synoptic drivers are the Azores Anticyclone over the ocean and the inland Sahara thermal low. The coastal jet events occur in one of the world's most productive fisheries region, thus the evaluation of the effects of global warming in its properties is imperative. This study proposes an analysis of the annual and intra-annual attributes of the NACLLJ for two time periods 1976–2005 (historical) and 2070–2199 (future), resorting to coupled and uncoupled atmosphere–ocean simulations with the ROM model, as well as near surface offshore wind speed from the CORDEX-Africa ensemble. The future simulations follow the RCP8.5 greenhouse gas emissions scenario. Overall, the ROM coupled simulation presents the best performance in reproducing the present-climate near surface wind speed, offshore northwest Africa, compared to the remaining RCM simulations. The higher SST resolution in the coupled simulations favours much localised colder upwelling strips near the coast and consequently stronger jets. In future climate, a small increase in the surface wind speed is projected, mainly linked to the regions of coastal jet presence. The NACLLJ is projected to be more frequent and intense, encompassing larger areas. An increase of the jet seasonal frequencies of occurrence is projected for all seasons, which is larger from spring to autumn (up to 15, 16 and 22% more frequent, respectively). However, in some offshore areas the winter NACLLJ persistency is likely to double, relatively to present-climate. Higher inter-annual variability is also projected for the future NACLLJ seasonal frequencies. The strengthening of the coastal jet speeds is also significant, between 5 and 12% in all seasons. Additionally, the jet's diurnal cycle shows an increase in jet occurrence across the day, particularly in the mid and late afternoon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a detailed evaluation of wind energy density (WED) over Portugal, based on the EURO-CORDEX database of high-resolution regional climate model (RCM) simulations. Most RCMs showed reasonable accuracy in reproducing the observed near-surface wind speed. The climatological patterns of WED displayed large sub-regional heterogeneity, with higher values over coastal regions and steep orography. Subsequently, we investigated the future changes of WED throughout the twenty-first century, considering mid- and end-century periods, and two emission scenarios (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5). On the yearly average, the multi-model ensemble WED changes were below 10% (15%) under RCP4.5 (RCP8.5). However, the projected WED anomalies displayed strong seasonality, dominated by low positive values in summer (< 10% for both scenarios), negative values in winter and spring (up to − 10% (− 20%) under RCP4.5 (RCP8.5)), and stronger negative anomalies in autumn (up to − 25% (− 35%) under RCP4.5 (RCP8.5)). These projected WED anomalies displayed large sub-regional variability. The largest reductions (and lowest increases) are linked to the northern and central-eastern elevated terrain, and the southwestern coast. In contrast, the largest increases (and lowest reductions) are linked to the central-western orographic features of moderate elevation. The projections also showed changes in inter-annual variability of WED, with small increases for annual averages, but with distinct behavior when considering year-to-year variability over a specific season: small increases in winter, larger increases in summer, slight decrease in autumn, and no relevant change in spring. The changes in inter-annual variability also displayed strong dependence on the underlying terrain. Finally, we found significant model spread in the magnitude of projected WED anomalies and inter-annual variability, affecting even the signal of the changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large temperature spatio-temporal gradients are a common feature of Mediterranean climates. The Portuguese complex topography and coastlines enhances such features, and in a small region large temperature gradients with high interannual variability is detected. In this study, the EURO-CORDEX high-resolution regional climate simulations (0.11° and 0.44° resolutions) are used to investigate the maximum and minimum temperature projections across the twenty-first century according to RCP4.5 and RCP8.5. An additional WRF simulation with even higher resolution (9 km) for RCP8.5 scenario is also examined. All simulations for the historical period (1971-2000) are evaluated against the available station observations and the EURO-CORDEX model results are ranked in order to build multi-model ensembles. In present climate models are able to reproduce the main topography/coast related temperature gradients. Although there are discernible differences between models, most present a cold bias. The multi-model ensembles improve the overall representation of the temperature. The ensembles project a significant increase of the maximum and minimum temperatures in all seasons and scenarios. Maximum increments of 8 °C in summer and autumn and between 2 and 4 °C in winter and spring are projected in RCP8.5. The temperature distributions for all models show a significant increase in the upper tails of the PDFs. In RCP8.5 more than half of the extended summer (MJJAS) has maximum temperatures exceeding the historical 90th percentile and, on average, 60 tropical nights are projected for the end of the century, whilst there are only 7 tropical nights in the historical period. Conversely, the number of cold days almost disappears. The yearly average number of heat waves increases by seven to ninefold by 2100 and the most frequent length rises from 5 to 22 days throughout the twenty-first century. 5% of the longest events will last for more than one month. The amplitude is overwhelming larger, reaching values which are not observed in the historical period. More than half of the heat waves will be stronger than the extreme heat wave of 2003 by the end of the century. The future heatwaves will also enclose larger areas, approximately 100 events in the 2071-2100 period (more than 3 per year) will cover the whole country. The RCP4.5 scenario has in general smaller magnitudes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: It has been reported that simvastatin, a statin commonly prescribed for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, has gastroprotective effects in indomethacin and ethanol-induced gastric ulcers. However, the effects of simvastatin on alendronate-induced gastric mucosal injury remain unexplored.Aim: This study investigated the use of simvastatin for the treatment of alendronate-induced gastric ulcers in rats.Methods: Female rats were pretreated with vehicle or simvastatin (20 and 60 mg/kg p.o.). After 1 h, the rats received alendronate (50 mg/kg p.o.). Simvastatin was administered once daily for 7 days, and from the fourth day of simvastatin treatment, alendronate was administered once daily for 4 days. On the final day of treatment, 4 h after alendronate administration, animals were euthanized, their stomachs were removed, and gastric damage was measured. Samples of the stomach were fixed in 10 % formalin immediately after their removal for subsequent histopathological assessment. Unfixed samples were weighed, frozen at -80 °C until assayed for glutathione (GSH), malondialdehyde (MDA), and cytokine levels and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity. A third group was used to measure mucus and gastric secretion.Results: Pretreatment with simvastatin prevented alendronate-induced macroscopic gastric damage and reduced the levels of MDA and GSH, TNF-α and IL-1β, MPO activity, and mucus levels, in the stomach.Conclusions: This study demonstrates the protective effects of simvastatin against alendronate-induced gastric ulceration. Maintenance of mucosal integrity, inhibition of neutrophil activity, and reduced oxidative stress associated with decreased gastric acidity may explain the gastroprotective effects of simvastatin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The "Mini Brain" Sign in a Case of Vertebral Hemangioma Mimicking Solitary Plasmacytoma of the Spine: Refutal of a Pathognomonic Sign? This article presents a case of a benign vertebral hemangioma (VH) that featured the classical "mini brain" sign in the preoperative CT and MRI, misleading the initial differential diagnosis and diagnostic investigation in this instance. The estimated sensitivity of the "mini brain" sign among the 28 SPS cases gathered from these studies amounts to 82.1% (23 true positive "mini brain" signs). [Extracted from the article]

A large outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease occurred in November 2014 nearby Lisbon, Portugal. This epidemic infected 377 individuals by the Legionella pneumophila bacteria, resulting in 14 deaths. The primary source of transmission was contaminated aerosolized water which, when inhaled, lead to atypical pneumonia. The unseasonably warm temperatures during October 2014 may have played a role in the proliferation of Legionella species in cooling tower systems. The episode was further exacerbated by high relative humidity and a thermal inversion which limited the bacterial dispersion. Here, we analyze if the Legionella outbreak event occurred during a situation of extreme potential recirculation and/or stagnation characteristics. In order to achieve this goal, the Allwine and Whiteman approach was applied for a hindcast simulation covering the affected area during a near 20-year long period (1989-2007) and then for an independent period covering the 2014 event (15 October to 13 November 2014). The results regarding the average daily critical transport indices for the 1989-2007 period clearly indicate that the airshed is prone to stagnation as these events have a dominant presence through most of the study period (42%), relatively to the occurrence of recirculation (18%) and ventilation (17%) events. However, the year of 2014 represents an exceptional year when compared to the 1989-2007 period, with 53 and 33% of the days being classified as under stagnation and recirculation conditions, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable urban infrastructure transition is perhaps the biggest challenge confronting cities in the global south in a time of climate change. Fast-growing cities are increasingly faced with deficiencies in the provisioning of public infrastructures, such as delivering water and sewage treatment and mitigating the risk of flooding to large segments of the population. Problems such as flooding encapsulate both structural and individual dimensions of adaptation. In this paper, we present a conceptual framework to analyze urban adaptation to increasing flood risk in the capital city of Belem in the Brazilian Amazon. Our analysis focuses on two domains of adaptive capacity to floods: generic capacity (provisioning of basic infrastructure and services) and specific capacity (effective flooding response, proactive strategies for risk reduction). We combined data from census sector and household semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, observational and archival data, and photo documentation to analyze both capacities in the city of Belém. Our findings indicated deficiency and intra-urban variability of both generic (water supply, sanitation, waste management, and adequate storm drainage) and specific capacities (specific individual and community and political actions for flood mitigation). However, significant inequalities exist across sectors of the population. Poorest urban sectors present higher deficits of generic adaptive capacity related to infrastructure. The expansion of vast areas of informal settlements, lack of basic infrastructure, and failed projects to reduce flood risk also challenge the specific adaptive capacity of households. A perception of corruption associated with public projects and high levels of violence also prevent cooperation and collective action among residents affected by flooding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Aging impairs the autonomic balance reducing the vagal and increasing the sympathetic components of heart rate variability (HRV) and this could be associated with a decline in physical capacity. Inspiratory muscle training (IMT) is a possible tool to attenuate this physical capacity decline in older women. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of IMT in the older women on physical capacity and autonomic cardiac modulation at rest and post exercise.Methods: 20 female participants 60-72 years old were randomly allocated in two groups. One group underwent IMT set at 50% of maximum inspiratory pressure (MIP), every day for 4 weeks (IMT-group). The placebo group performed the same training procedure but with a minimal resistance (5% MIP; PLA-group). Every week, the IMT load was readjusted and the HRV evaluated at rest. The six-minute walk test (6MWT) was performed once pre and post IMT-intervention. The IMT-group and PLA-group performed the same test and intervention procedures.Results: After a 5 weeks intervention, the MIP had significantly improved in the IMT-group but not in the PLA-group (p < 0.01; es = 1.17). The high frequency power of the HRV spectrum had already improved by the second week (p < 0.01; es = 1.13) and remained elevated until the last week of intervention (p < 0.01; es = 1.43). The same positive results were described in 6MWT distance (p = 0.04; es = 0.39) and the change (∆) of heart rate recovery (HRR) from 1 min (p = 0.02; es = 0.68).Conclusion: IMT increases HRV, improves 6MWT distance and HRR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Experiments about the effects of cultural consequences (CCs) upon culturants (IBCs+APs) suggest an important role of two specific variables: competition between operant contingencies and metacontingencies, and the antecedent and consequent verbal events to the participants' behavior. The present study manipulated the presentation of verbal (VCCs) and non-verbal (NVCCs) cultural consequences, examining their effects on culturants under conditions of competition and no competition between operant contingencies and metacontingencies. One hundred and twenty-three college students composed four microcultures. We programmed two microcultures with an ABABCD design and two microcultures with a BABACD format. Competition and noncompetition between operant contingencies and metacontingencies were also manipulated. In Condition A verbal and nonverbal cultural consequences were contingent on target culturants; in Condition B there were only nonverbal cultural consequences; in Condition C only verbal cultural consequences were presented; and in Condition D there was no cultural consequence programmed. Microcultures with no competition exhibited more stable rates of target-culturants. Verbal and non-verbal cultural consequences, operating in conjunction, selected and maintained target-culturants whether or not competition was operating. Verbal cultural consequences in isolation also had a selective effect, provided that they were not associated with non-verbal cultural consequences in the previous condition. Non-verbal cultural consequences in isolation selected target culturants only in the absence of competition, but maintained them whether or not competition was operating. In the absence of cultural consequences, the rate of target culturants decreased. Verbal variables defined as verbal cultural consequences showed differential effects that need consideration and additional investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blocking occurrence and its impacts on European temperature have been studied in the last decade. However, most previous studies on blocking impacts have focused on winter only, disregarding its fingerprint in summer and differences with other synoptic patterns that also trigger temperature extremes. In this work, we provide a clear distinction between high-latitude blocking and sub-tropical ridges occurring in three sectors of the Euro-Atlantic region, describing their climatology and consequent impacts on European temperature during both winter and summer. Winter blocks (ridges) are generally associated to colder (warmer) than average conditions over large regions of Europe, in some areas with anomalies larger than 5 °C, particularly for the patterns occurring in the Atlantic and Central European sectors. During summer, there is a more regional response characterized by above average temperature for both blocking and ridge patterns, especially those occurring in continental areas, although negative temperature anomalies persist in southernmost areas during blocking. An objective analysis of the different forcing mechanisms associated to each considered weather regime has been performed, quantifying the importance of the following processes in causing the temperature anomalies: horizontal advection, vertical advection and diabatic heating. While during winter advection processes tend to be more relevant to explain temperature responses, in summer radiative heating under enhanced insolation plays a crucial role for both blocking and ridges. Finally, the changes in the distributions of seasonal temperature and in the frequencies of extreme temperature indices were also examined for specific areas of Europe. Winter blocking and ridge patterns are key drivers in the occurrence of regional cold and warm extreme temperatures, respectively. In summer, they are associated with substantial changes in the frequency of extremely warm days, but with different signatures in southern Europe. We conclude that there has been some misusage of the traditional blocking definition in the attribution of extreme events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Portugal, which is located in the west limit of the Mediterranean subtropics, is a small region with a complex orography with large precipitation gradients and interannual variability. In this study, the newer and higher resolution regional climate simulations, covering Portugal, are evaluated in present climate and used to investigate the rainfall projections for the end of the twenty-first century, following the RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 emission scenarios. The EURO-CORDEX historical simulations, at 0.11° and at 0.44° resolution, are evaluated against gridded observations of precipitation, which allows the assembly of four multi-model ensembles. An extra simulation, at even higher resolution (9 km) with WRF is also analysed. In present climate, the models are able to describe the precipitation temporal and spatial patterns as well its distributions, although there is a large spread and an overestimation of larger rainfall quantiles. The multi-model ensembles show that selecting the best performing models adds quality to the overall representation of rainfall. The high-resolution simulations augment the spatial details of precipitation, but objectively do not seem to add value with respect to the coarse resolution. Regarding the RCP8.5 scenario, WRF and the multi-model ensembles consistently predict important losses of precipitation in Portugal in spring, summer and autumn, ranging from −10% and −50%. For all seasons, the changes are more severe in the southern basins. The precipitation distributions show, for all models, important reductions of the contribution from low to moderate/high precipitation bins and augments of days with strong rainfall. Furthermore, a prominent growth of high-ranking percentiles is predicted reaching values over 70% in some regions. Generally, the changes associated with the RCP4.5 scenario have the same signal and features, but with smaller magnitudes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]