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Since the mid-1980s, both academics and practitioners have proposed and discussed various solutions in fuzzy capital budgeting. Based primarily on traditional capital budgeting methods, these solutions present the same problems as their respective deterministic methods: the implicit assumptions of the reinvestment rates; the possibility of multiple rates of return; and the possibility of anomalous behavior of the net present value method. This paper presents a unified solution in fuzzy capital budgeting based on modified deterministic methods proposed in the financial literature. This unified approach eliminates those problems and has the property of matching decisions on acceptance or rejection of investment projects with same life horizons and same scales and therefore maximize shareholder wealth. An insight is provided into the advantages of these investment project appraisal methods by comparing and contrasting them with traditional fuzzy methods. A comprehensive case study, based on an investment project on exploration of an oil field under both deterministic and fuzzy conditions, is included to illustrate the use of these methods. Due to the complexity of the calculations involved, new MS-Excel financial functions are developed, by using Visual Basic for Applications. The main contribution of this paper is the development of a unifying approach to capital budgeting under uncertainty that emphasizes the strengths of the modified methods, while bypassing the individual conflicts and drawbacks of the conventional capital budgeting methods. Results confirm that the proposed solution has many advantages over other capital budgeting methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the ethnopharmacological evidences about the antileishmanial activity of Copaifera spp. oleoresins, the effects of crude extracts and fractions of oleoresin of two specimens from Copaifera paupera were evaluated on Leishmania amazonensis and Leishmania infantum strains. The oleoresin rich in α-copaene (38.8%) exhibited the best activity against L. amazonensis (IC50 = 62.5 μg/mL) and against L. infantum (IC50 = 65.9 μg/mL). The sesquiterpene α-copaene isolated was tested alone and exhibited high antileishmanial activity in vitro with IC50 values for L. amazonensis and L. infantum of 17.2 and 11.4 μg/mL, respectively. In order to increase antileishmanial activity, nanoemulsions containing copaiba oleoresin and α-copaene were developed and assayed against L. amazonensis and L. infantum promastigotes. The nanoemulsion containing α-copaene (NANOCOPAEN) showed the best activity against both species, with IC50 of 2.5 and 2.2 μg/mL, respectively. This is the first report about the antileishmanial activity of α-copaene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypothesis Multiphase flow through porous media is important in a number of industrial, natural and biological processes. One application is enhanced oil recovery (EOR), where a resident oil phase is displaced by a Newtonian or polymeric fluid. In EOR, the two-phase immiscible displacement through heterogonous porous media is usually governed by competing viscous and capillary forces, expressed through a Capillary number Ca, and viscosity ratio of the displacing and displaced fluid. However, when viscoelastic displacement fluids are used, elastic forces in the displacement fluid also become significant. It is hypothesized that elastic instabilities are responsible for enhanced oil recovery through an elastic microsweep mechanism. Experiments In this work, we use a simplified geometry in the form of a pillared microchannel. We analyze the trapped residual oil size distribution after displacement by a Newtonian fluid, a nearly inelastic shear thinning fluid, and viscoelastic polymers and surfactant solutions. Findings We find that viscoelastic polymers and surfactant solutions can displace more oil compared to Newtonian fluids and nearly inelastic shear thinning polymers at similar Ca numbers. Beyond a critical Ca number, the size of residual oil blobs decreases significantly for viscoelastic fluids. This critical Ca number directly corresponds to flow rates where elastic instabilities occur in single phase flow, suggesting a close link between enhancement of oil recovery and appearance of elastic instabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The crystal structures of 6-methoxy-1,3-benzoxathiol-2-one, C9H8 O3 S, (I), and 2-oxo-1,3-benzoxathiol-6-yl acetate, C9H6 O4 S, (II), are described. Compound (I) is almost planar (r.m.s. deviation for the non-H atoms = 0.011 Å ), whereas (II) shows a substantial twist between the fused-ring system and the acetate substituent [dihedral angle = 74.42 (3)°]. For both structures, the bond distances in the heterocyclic ring suggest that little if any conjugation occurs. In the crystal of (I), C-H…O hydrogen bonds link the molecules into [11¯1] chains incorporating alternating R2 2 (8) and R2 2(12) inversion dimers. The extended structure of (II) features C(7) [201] chains linked by C-H…O hydrogen bonds, with further C-H…O bonds and weak π-π stacking interactions connecting the chains into a three-dimensional network. Hirshfeld fingerprint analyses for (I) and (II) are presented and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to evaluate the agronomic characteristics and chemical composition for different cropping systems of the culture of forage palm (Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) P. Mill). The experimental design was a randomized complete block design with factorial arrangement 2x2x2 with four repetitions. The factors corresponded to plants exposed to the sun or shaded (by Spondias spp.), Cladodes planting position of forage palm (facing wide face east/west or north/south) and with or without organic fertilization with cattle manure cutting. The Forager Palma was planted with a spacing of 1,0m x 0,5m in Quixadá, Ceará, Brazil. The experiment was conducted from November 2003 to November 2007, being held two cutting. green mass production every two years and the dry matter production was evaluated. The chemical composition was evaluated in the final cut. Shading with Caja (Spondias ssp.) With 1,5m tall promoted reduction in green mass production of forage cactus, which was not observed in the second cut to dry mass. In the second cut palm that received organic fertilizer obtained higher green mass production with 60,48t ha-1. Planting position of the spineless cactus cladodes influenced the amount of acid detergent fiber. The spineless cactus must be planted without shading, with direction of the widest part of cladodes in the east/west planting and organic fertilization of manure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tuned vibration absorber (TVA) provides vibration reduction of a primary system subjected to external excitation. The idea is to increase the number of system degrees of freedom connecting a secondary system to the primary system. This procedure promotes vibration reduction at its design forcing frequency but two new resonance peaks appear introducing critical behaviors that must be avoided. The use of shape memory alloys (SMAs) can improve the performance of the classical TVA establishing an adaptive TVA (ATVA). This paper deals with the nonlinear dynamics of a passive pseudoelastic tuned vibration absorber with an SMA element. In this regard, a single degree of freedom elastic oscillator is used to represent the primary system, while an extra oscillator with an SMA element represents the secondary system. Temperature dependent behavior of the system allows one to change the system response avoiding undesirable responses. Nevertheless, hysteretic behavior introduces complex characteristics to the system dynamics. The influence of the hysteretic behavior due to stress-induced phase transformation is investigated. The ATVA performance is evaluated by analyzing primary system maximum vibration amplitudes for different forcing amplitudes and frequencies. Numerical simulations establish comparisons of the ATVA results with those obtained from the classical TVA. A parametric study is developed showing the best performance conditions and this information can be useful for design purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blue gum chalcid, Leptocybe invasa Fisher & La Salle (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), causes galling damage to Eucalyptus species (Myrtaceae) in various regions of the world, but has been controlled effectively by its primary parasitoid, Selitrichodes neseri Kelly & La Salle (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae). The objectives of this study were to evaluate the recovery of S. neseri after its initial release on Eucalyptus plants in Brazil and to provide data on its biology. Selitrichodes neseri was imported from South Africa to Brazil for the biological control of L. invasa, in Mar 2015, and recovered from Aug 2015 to Dec 2016. Successful recovery of this parasitoid shows its potential to become established in the field. Seedlings of 2 hybrids obtained from crosses between rose gum Eucalyptus grandis W. Hill. ex Maiden and flooded gum Eucalyptus urophylla S. T. Blake and between Eucalyptus sp. and (river red gum Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehnh. × E. grandis) showed potential as hosts for culture of S. neseri on L. invasa in the laboratory because up until the adult parasitoid emergence these seedlings did not wilt. When reared at 25.1 to 26.0 °C, the total number of parasitoids and the proportion of male parasitoids were highest, relative to hosts reared at 26.1 to 27.0 °C. Peak emergence of S. neseri occurred 28 d after parasitism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Peccei–Quinn symmetry is an intrinsic global symmetry of the 3-3-1 gauge models. Its spontaneous breaking mechanism engendering an invisible KSVZ-like axion links the 3-3-1 models with new physics at ∼ 10 10 GeV scale. The axion that results from this mechanism is an interesting candidate for the dark matter of the universe, while its real partner may drive inflation if radiative corrections are taken into account. This is obtained by connecting the type I seesaw mechanism with the spontaneous breaking of the Peccei–Quinn symmetry. In the end of the day we have a scenario providing a common answer to the strong-CP problem, inflation, dark matter and neutrino mass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sporothrix brasiliensis is the main agent of zoonotic sporotrichosis transmitted by domestic cats in South America. In humans, sporotrichosis commonly presents with cutaneous or lymphocutaneous lesions, and in cats, with multiple ulcerated skin lesions associated with enlarged lymph nodes and respiratory signs. Fungal virulence factors may affect the clinical presentation of the mycoses. Sporothrix spp. present some virulence factors. This study aims to compare 24 S. brasiliensis strains from 12 familiar outbreaks of cat-to-human transmitted sporotrichosis. Fungal growth in different substrates, thermotolerance, resistance to oxidative stress, and production of enzymes were evaluated. An invertebrate model of experimental infection was used to compare the virulence of the strains. The strains grew well on glucose and N-acetyl-D-glucosamine but poorly on lactate. Their thermotolerance was moderate to high. All strains were susceptible to hydrogen peroxide, and the majority produced hemolysins but not phospholipase and esterase. There was no significant difference in the putative virulence-associated factors studied among the different hosts. Moreover, strains isolated from a human and a cat from four familiar outbreaks presented a very similar profile of expression of these factors, reinforcing the zoonotic transmission of S. brasiliensis in Brazil and demonstrating the plasticity of this species in the production of virulence factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Urea, due to its fungicidal effect, when used as a chemical additive in sorghum ensilage improves the aerobic stability of the silage, minimising material losses after opening and exposure to oxygen. Thus, sorghum silage, as a source of roughage, when treated with up to 2% urea based on natural matter, can be used in the feeding of beef sheep in the growth phase, without harming the productive performance of the animals. We also hypothesised that sorghum silages treated with urea, given the potential of this additive, present greater aerobic stability compared to sorghum silages that were not subjected to chemical treatment during ensiling. In this way, it is possible to maintain them for a longer period exposed to oxygen, so that there is little impairment of ingestion, performance and nutritional value of this silage until consumption. This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of ensiling sorghum silage with urea and amending the aerobic exposure nutrients intake and apparent digestibility, ingestive behaviour and blood serum metabolites of feedlot lambs. Forty uncastrated crossbred Dorper × Santa Inês lambs, aged 150 ± 15 days and with an initial body weight of 21.73 ± 2.40 kg, were used. Animals were assigned in a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement. Thus, six silage diets were produced with various urea addition levels (UA: 0 and 5 g/kg on a natural matter basis) and periods of aerobic exposure of silages (PAE: 0, 24 and 48 h). An effect was observed for nutrient intakes of dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fibre corrected for ash and protein (NDFap) and total digestive nutrients TDN (g/day) and for the total apparent digestibility of DM, OM and CP. There was an interaction effect between urea levels and aerobic exposure for ether extract (EE) and NDFap intakes (g/kg) and nonfibrous carbohydrate (NFC) digestibility (g/kg) (p = 0.012). The addition of 5 g/kg of urea to sorghum ensilage improved the digestibility parameters without changing dry matter intake and ingestive behaviour. The addition or not of urea does not change the blood parameters of the animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the research was to evaluate the productive and reproductive performances of ewes as a function of the supplementation offered to suckling lambs. The lambs were divided into two experimental treatments. Treatment (1) suckling lambs kept in pastures of Brachiaria-grass receiving mineral supplementation; and treatment (2) suckling lambs kept in pastures of Brachiaria-grass receiving concentrate supplementation in creep-feeding. Regardless of the nutritional treatment offered to the lambs, all matrices (female lambs and ewes) received 350 g of supplementation daily. Ewes from treatment-1 presented average 49 days to return to estrus. Ewes from treatment-2 presented, on average, 36 days to return to estrus. The body condition score (BCS) at weaning showed a significant difference between treatments. Ewes from treatment-1 presented a mean BCS of 1.75. Ewes from treatment-2 presented a mean BCS of 2.39. The other productive variables of lambs, such as weaning weight (kg), age at weaning (days), total weight gain (kg), and average daily gain of lambs, presented a significant difference between the nutritional treatments. Variables such as return to estrus and BCS were positively influenced by supplementation offered to lambs, which directly impacts the production efficiency and profitability of the production system. The lamb supplementation promotes indirect gains in the body condition score of ewes at weaning and, consequently, in the time to return of estrus in 13 days. Protein-energy supplementation in creep feeding to suckling lambs is recommended to improve the body condition score at weaning and decrease the return to estrus (days) of ewes. This nutritional tool is recommended to improve the supply of leaves and provide the best conditions for the selection and use of nutrients present in the leaves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Port sites represent one of the most impacted coastal areas; this impact is due to intensive anthropogenic pressures. In addition to the port complex itself, associated activities, such as indiscriminate disposal of pollutants, including trace metals, affect the local ecosystem. Macroinvertebrate benthic communities are one of the most effective bioindicators of environmental health because of their importance as a primary food source for many fish, birds, and mammals, as well as their influence on sediment stability and geochemical composition. This article evaluates the benthic macrofauna in the Santos Estuarine System (SES), the location of the Santos Port Complex (SPC), linking trace metal levels to differences in microbenthic community structure and pollutant bioavailability. The distribution of Cd, Ni, and Pb was directly related to organic matter deposits, while Cu and Zn appeared to result from port activities. The SES contained a poor benthic macroinvertebrate community, resulting from the contaminated muddy sediments. A significant negative correlation was found between the macrobenthic diversity and concentrations of Cu in the soluble phase; this implied the pollution-induced degradation of the macrobenthos in SES. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phylogenetic analysis of 34 monkeypox virus genome sequences isolated from patients in Minas Gerais, Brazil, revealed initial importation events in early June 2022, then community transmission within the state. All generated genomes belonged to the B.1 lineage responsible for a global mpox outbreak. These findings can inform public health measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atherosclerosis is one of the leading non-communicable diseases in Sri Lanka. Analysis of fatty acid composition in blood vessels is important in understanding the development of atherosclerosis. Here, analyses of fatty acid profiles in major arteries which are commonly used in Coronary Artery Bypass Graft surgery (CABG) were subjected to investigation. Patients (n = 27) undergoing elective CABG were enrolled in the study. A small biopsy segment of the saphenous vein (SV), radial artery (RA), and left internal mammary artery (LIMA) of patients was obtained during the surgery. The fatty acid (FA) profile of tissue samples was analyzed using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectroscopy (GCMS). Among the different arteries tested, palmitic acid and stearic acid were the predominant fatty acids. As far as monounsaturated FA (MUFA) are concerned, oleic acid was found to be the most abundant MUFA in vessels. The FA profile of LIMA samples had a higher SFA percentage and lower unsaturated FA percentage compared to other vessels. Furthermore, the vessel samples of RA indicated the highest percentage of pro-inflammatory ω -6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) as well as a higher percentage ratio between ω -6: ω -3 PUFA. The fatty acid composition and ω -6: ω -3 PUFA ratio suggests that LIMA graft is preferred for CABG over RA and SV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Water and tillage are the primary input for crop production and increasingly become scarce due to its high demand in agricultural sector. Pitcher irrigation, a traditional system of irrigation alternative to drip method is the effective innovation of localized methods of irrigation. Methods: In this experiment different quality water through pitcher irrigation and tillage types were taken from coastal saline soil. The effects of yield factor, soil chemical properties of saline soil were studied using pitcher irrigation and tillage types. Result: Results indicate that soil physical and chemical properties were all significantly improved by different pitcher irrigation with tillage practices. Results also showed that present experiment favoring better soil conditions, nutrient availabilities towards better growth and yield of crops. Our study suggests that blending of saline with freshwater in presence of mulch tillage can provide the best estimation in the improving soil properties and tomato production above the coastal saline soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The advent of the LHC, and the proposal of building future colliders as the ILC, both programmed to explore new physics at the TeV scale, justify the recent interest in collider phenomenology of seesaw mechanisms whose signatures lie on TeV scale or less. The most popular TeV scale seesaw mechanisms are the inverse seesaw ones. There are three types of inverse seesaw mechanisms, but only that one implemented in an arrangement involving six non-standard heavy neutrinos has received attention. In this paper we develop an inverse seesaw mechanism based on Higgs triplet model and simulate its collider phenomenology by producing doubly charged Higgses at the LHC and ILC and analyzing their subsequent decays in pair of leptons. We find that although the new scalars decouple from the standard ones, signals of these scalars may be detected in the current run of the LHC or in the future ILC. Our simulations probe the model in the region of parameter space that generates the correct neutrino masses and mixing for both normal and inverted hierarchy cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this research was to evaluate the fractionation of carbohydrates and nitrogenous compounds from Brachiaria híbrida 'Mulato II', managed in cutting regime and exposed to nitrogen doses. A completely randomized split plot design with a 2 x 4 factorial (2 cutting heights x 4 nitrogen doses) with three replicates was used. Treatments consisted in four N levels (0, 50, 100 and 150 kg N/ha), and two entry heights (0.40 and 0.50 m). Significant differences (p<0.05) in total carbohydrates (TC) levels, function to N doses and cutting heights, and significant (p<0.05) interactions among N doses and cutting heights were observed when N dose above 50 kg/ha were used. Regarding to carbohydrate fractions, statistics differences (p<0.05) in fractions A+B1 and B2 were observed; no differences for fraction C was seen. In nitrogenous compounds fractions, no significant differences (p>0.05) among treatments' fraction AP were seen. The fraction BP1 + BP2 presented differences (p<0.05) function to N only at 0.50 m height. Significant difference (p<0.05) was observed among N rates and cutting heights in fractions BP3 and CP. The use of nitrogen fertilization in order to improve the quality of Brachiaria híbrida 'Mulato II' is recommended. Regardless of the doses, the cv. Mulato II features of carbohydrate and protein fractions that characterizes it as a potential forage for its use in ruminant feed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The management of Hylesia nanus Walker (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae), a defoliator of Eucalyptus species (Myrtales: Myrtaceae), was evaluated on the northern coast of Bahia State, Brazil, by performing 3 connected experiments: (1) monitoring of H. nanus moths by using light traps; (2) biological control of H. nanus pupae by releasing the endoparasitoid Palmistichus elaeisis Delvare & La Salle (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae); and (3) chemical control of H. nanus larvae with 1 spraying of bifenthrin + etilenoxi. The light traps effectively assisted the monitoring and control of H. nanus moths, with a mean population peak (± SE) of 801 ± 438 individuals collected per trap in a 23 d nocturnal period. Palmistichus elaeisis was recovered from the H. nanus pupae 96 h post release, with a parasitism rate of 23 ± 3%, indicating an ability to parasitize and contribute to insect suppression. Release of this parasitoid can be integrated with monitoring using light traps. Chemical control was highly effective against the last instar H. nanus larvae, with only 11 ± 3 larval survivors per tree trunk 24 h post spraying. Thus, the monitoring of moths by using light traps, control of pupae by releasing P. elaeisis, and chemical control of last instar larvae are methods that could be integrated into a management plan for H. nanus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leucine supplementation and resistance training positively influence the protein translation process and the cell signaling mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin) pathway that regulates muscle protein balance and muscle remodeling, and thus may be therapeutic to diabetic myopathy. However, the effect of a combined intervention has not been well studied. Forty male Wistar rats were divided into five groups, control (C), diabetic control (D), diabetic + trained ( DT), diabetic + L-leucine ( DL), diabetic + L-leucine + trained ( DLT). The supplementation of 5% leucine in chow, and resistance training were conducted for 8 weeks postweaning of rats. The extensor digitorum longus was used to assess signaling proteins involved in muscle protein synthesis, and the gastrocnemius and soleus were used for determination of muscle weight. Blood samples were collected for biochemical assays. Strength and ambulation tests were employed to evaluate motor performance. Results showed that both leucine supplementation and resistance training elevated the activity of mTOR-p70S6K in diabetic rats ( P < 0.05). Moreover, though leucine supplementation in combination with resistance training demonstrated synergistic effects on p70S6K ( P < 0.05), both treatments were capable of recovering motor performance ( P < 0.05). In conclusion, 5% leucine supplementation combined with resistance training has the potential to attenuate muscle loss and motor performance decrements in diabetic rats, at least in part through increased protein synthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer arises as a result of acquired changes in the DNA sequence of the genome of somatic cells. A subset of the genetic changes, dubbed driver mutations, propels tumor growth, and the remaining changes are passengers, apparently inconsequential for neoplastic transformation. Massive genome sequencing of thousands of tumors from all major cancer types has enabled cataloging of the so-called driver and passenger mutations, and facilitated molecular classification of cancer, guiding precision medicine approach for the patients. Nonetheless, innovative analyses of cancer genomics data has led to novel, sometimes serendipitous findings that have aided to our understanding of other aspects of the biology of the disease and opened up new frontiers. For instance, emerging findings show that mutational patterns in cancer genomes can help detect signatures of known and novel DNA damage and repair processes, provide a likely chronological account of genomic changes in cancer genomes, and allow revisiting the models of cancer evolution. These findings have stimulated original approaches to identify disease etiology, stratify patients, target the disease, and monitor patient responses, complementing driver-mutation centric approaches. In this review, we discuss these emerging approaches and unexpected breakthroughs, and their implications for basic cancer research and clinical practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sensory organs in elasmobranchs (sharks, skates, rays) detect and respond to a different set of biotic and/or abiotic stimuli, through sight, smell, taste, hearing, mechanoreception and electroreception. Although gustation is crucial for survival and essential for growth, mobility, and maintenance of neural activity and the proper functioning of the immune system, comparatively little is known about this sensory system in elasmobranchs. Here we present a preliminary investigation into the structural and dimensional characteristics of the oral papillae and denticles found in the oropharyngeal cavity of the blue shark (Prionace glauca) during embryonic development through adulthood. Samples were obtained from the dorsal and ventral surface of the oropharyngeal cavity collected from embryos at different development stages as well as from adults. Our results suggest that development of papillae occurs early in ontogeny, before the formation of the oral denticles. The diameter of oral papillae gradually increases during development, starting from 25 μm in stage I embryos, to 110 μm in stage IV embryos and 272-300 μm in adults. Embryos exhibit papillae at early developmental stages, suggesting that these structures may be important during early in life. The highest density of papillae was observed in the maxillary and mandibular valve regions, possibly related to the ability to identify, capture and process prey. The oral denticles were observed only in the final embryonic stage as well as in adults. Accordingly, we suggest that oral denticles likely aid in ram ventilation (through reducing the hydrodynamic drag), to protect papillae from injury during prey consumption and assist in the retention and consumption of prey (through adhesion), since these processes are only necessary after birth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the start of the 21st century, there was a reconfiguration of the Brazilian domestic political dynamic, as its actors gradually became more interested in the formulation of foreign policy and tried to safeguard their interests. When analysing the country's foreign policy for the financial sector, it becomes quite clear that to consider foreign policy simply as one type of public policy is insufficient to assess its decision-making process. This paper seeks to contribute to the debate by arguing that the analysis of foreign policy should be carried out by taking into consideration specific issue-areas. This paper explores the movement to rearrange domestic decision power, seeking to gain leverage in international negotiations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ateralphus Restello, Iannuzzi & Marinoni, 2001 is a Neotropical genus of longhorn beetles composed of nine species. This genus was proposed from splitting Alphus White, 1855 into other two genera: Ateralphus and Exalphus Restello, Iannuzzi & Marinoni, 2001. Even though Ateralphus (nine species), Alphus (four) and Exalphus (18) were recently revised, their validity has not been tested using phylogenetic methods. In this study, we carried out a cladistic analysis of Ateralphus and its related genera, Alphus and Exalphus, based on 44 morphological characters of the adults, to test their monophyly and infer the relationships between their species. Our results support the monophyly of the three genera and recovered two clades that corroborate the species-groups previously recognized in Ateralphus. A new genus, Grandateralphus gen. n., is proposed for one of these clades, which is supported by three synapomorphies: width of upper ocular lobes less than width between the lobe and the coronal suture (character state 6: 0), genae parallel in frontal view (8: 1) and scape gradually expanded toward apex, reaching widest diameter just near apex (9: 2). Grandateralphus gen. n. includes three new combinations: G. lacteus (Galileo & Martins, 2006), comb. n.; G. tumidus (Souza & Monné, 2013), comb. n.; and G. variegatus (Mendes, 1938), comb. n. Notes on the distribution of G. variegatus comb. n. and a new record of E. cicatricornis Schmid, 2014 for Bolivia (Santa Cruz) are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The minimal scalar sector of the 3-3-1 model is composed by the SU(3) L triplet scalars η , ρ , χ and its potential allows the trilinear term f 2 χ η ρ. Since f is an energy scale associated to the explicit violation of Peccei-Quinn global symmetry, it is natural to wonder about its value and influence in the spectrum of scalars of the model. Here, we show that f determines the spectrum of scalars of the model. Hence, we develop the scalar sector considering f belonging to four energy regimes, namely f ≪ 〈 η 〉 0 , 〈 ρ 〉 0 ; f = 〈 η 〉 0 , 〈 ρ 〉 0 ; f = 〈 χ 〉 0 and f ≫ 〈 χ 〉 0 and obtain the spectrum of scalars for each case. In the first and second cases the spectrum of scalars presents a set of new scalars belonging to the electroweak scale, while in the third case all new scalars belong to the 3-3-1 scale and the fourth case all the new scalars have masses lying at f scale. All cases have a neutral CP-even scalar mimicking the standard Higgs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research tries to make productions for Brazilian Jazz Band from three perspectives: 1. the aesthetic and theoretical aspect; 2. description of process done; 3. the musical performance. From the observed theoretical foundations, the intention is to describe the production of new arrangements and compositions for such group. The production works with the Brazilian musical genre choro and proposes the approach of it in three stages: the interpretation of a historical arrangement of reference, the realization of an arrangement and the realization of a composition within the same genre. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A taxonomic treatment of the species of Phyllanthaceae from the cangas (areas of iron-rich soils) of Serra dos Carajás, in Pará state, is presented. The study was based on collections deposited in the herbaria BHCB, IAN, INPA, MG and NY, as well as samples observed in the field. Five species of Phyllanthus were recorded (Phyllanthus carolinensis, P. hyssopifoliodes, P. minutulus, P. orbiculatus and Phyllanthus stipulates). Descriptions, a taxonomic key, illustrations and comments about the species are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although tight junctions between human brain microvascular endothelial cells in the blood-brain barrier prevent molecules or cells in the bloodstream from entering the brain, in Alzheimer's disease, peripheral blood monocytes can ''open'' these tight junctions and trigger subsequent transendothelial migration. However, the mechanism underlying this migration is unclear. Here, we found that the CSF2RB, but not CSF2RA, subunit of the granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor receptor was overexpressed on monocytes from Alzheimer's disease patients. CSF2RB contributes to granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor-induced transendothelial monocyte migration. Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor triggers human brain microvascular endothelial cells monolayer tight junction disassembly by downregulating ZO-1 expression via transcription modulation and claudin-5 expression via the ubiquitination pathway. Interestingly, intracerebral granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor blockade abolished the increased monocyte infiltration in the brains of APP/PS1 Alzheimer's disease model mice. Our results suggest that in Alzheimer's disease patients, high granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor levels in the brain parenchyma and cerebrospinal fluid induced blood-brain barrier opening, facilitating the infiltration of CSF2RB-expressing peripheral monocytes across blood-brain barrier and into the brain. CSF2RB might be useful as an Alzheimer's disease biomarker. Thus, our findings will help to understand the mechanism of monocyte infiltration in Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

If, on one hand, the inverse seesaw is the paradigm of TeV scale seesaw mechanism, on the other it is a challenge to find scenarios capable of realizing it. In this work we propose a scenario, based on the framework of R-parity violation, that realizes minimally the supersymmetric inverse seesaw mechanism. In it the energy scale parameters involved in the mechanism are recognized as the vacuum expectation values of the scalars that compose the singlet superfields N ˆ C and S ˆ . We develop also the scalar sector of the model and show that the Higgs mass receives a new tree-level contribution that, when combined with the standard contribution plus loop correction, is capable of attaining 125 GeV without resort to heavy stops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Feature selection is an important research area aimed at eliminating unwanted features from high-dimensional datasets. Feature selection methods are categorized according to the availability of labels. Supervised methods usually select features that have high correlations with the data labels, however, this cannot be done by unsupervised methods, since the labels are not available, making the development of them even more challenging. Some unsupervised methods proposed in the literature get around this problem by generating "pseudo-labels", using clustering techniques, and then making feature selection as in the supervised scenario. There are also methods in which the selection is not guided by a clustering criterion, generally performing some kind of reconstruction of the original dataset in low dimensionality. However, in both approaches a local structure is generated, usually starting from a similarity graph built by using the entire set of features. This may compromise the results of the methods when there are many irrelevant and noisy features, which makes it difficult to reveal patterns or an initial representation of the data. Another drawback of some current methods is the large amount of hyper-parameters, or the computational time required for a single execution, which can render such methods unfeasible for some large datasets. In order to address these problems, it is proposed in this work a new unsupervised feature selection method, called KNMFS, which performs the scoring of the features in low computational time using a three-step procedure: (1) a similarity graph learning step based on non-negative iterative matrix factorization together with a Gaussian filter to mitigate the noise effects caused by irrelevant features; (2) a clustering step from the learned graph using a modularity optimization strategy and (3) a random forest algorithm is applied to compute the scores based on the labels generated by the clustering step. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed method, experiments in real and synthetic datasets were conducted. In both cases, the obtained results showed that the KNMFS method, compared to other state-of-the-art methods, obtained good results according to the metrics of Accuracy, ARI and NMI. Friedman's statistical tests were also performed to give stronger evidence to the reported results. • The paper provides a feature selection method based on improved clustering strategy. • The data partition is generated by iteratively factoring the similarity matrix. • The feature scoring is based on committees of classifiers, instead of single model. • Computation time is feasible for real scenario and parameters are not critical. • Experiments on synthetic and real data sets corroborate the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We discuss a model where a mixed warm and hot keV neutrino dark matter rises naturally. We arrange active and sterile neutrinos in the same SU(3)L multiplet, with the lightest sterile neutrino being dark matter. The other two heavy sterile neutrinos, through their out-of-equilibrium decay, contribute both to the dilution of dark matter density and its population, after freeze-out. We show that this model features all ingredients to overcome the overproduction of keV neutrino dark matter, and explore the phenomenological implications for Big Bang Nucleosynthesis and the number of relativistic degrees of freedom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Origanum vulgare and Thymus vulgaris show significant adulticidal activity. • Important repellent activity of Thymus vulgaris essential oil. • Morphological differences highlighted in the larvae treated with the essential oils. • Essential oil of two spices can be used to control A. aegypti larvae and mosquitoes. The high incidence of dengue, chikungunya, and Zika indicates the importance of controlling the vector of these arboviruses in the tropical and subtropical regions of the world. However, vector control is hindered by pesticide resistance and the limited success of biocontrol programs against Aedes mosquitoes. Despite these difficulties, the study of common plant species, including those with commercial value, can offer effective and ecological tools in the fight against mosquitoes. In the present study, the essential oils obtained from the aerial parts of Origanum vulgare L. and Thymus vulgaris L. were analyzed by GC–MS and evaluated for their larvicidal, adulticidal and repellent activities against Aedes aegypti L. The main constituents of the O. vulgare essential oil were terpinen-4-ol (17.4%), carvacrol (16.0%) and thymol (10.4%), and the main constituents of the T. vulgaris essential oil were thymol (40.0%), p -cymene (19.3%) and γ-terpinene (17.3%). Both essential oils were toxic to Ae. aegypti larvae with LC 50 values of 37.5 μg/mL for O. vulgare and 38.9 μg/mL for T. vulgaris. For adult mosquitoes, the LC 50 values were 14.3 and 11.7 μg/mL, respectively. The essential oils of O. vulgare and T. vulgaris showed a significant repellency effect, with values ranging from 8.9% to 37.8% and 4.4% to 68.9%, respectively. In addition, morphological differences between larvae treated with the EOs and the control group were evidenced by optical microscopy. Thus, the results suggest that the essential oils of O. vulgare and T. vulgaris have potential use as an ecofriendly source to develop new insecticides for the control of Ae. aegypti. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Covid-19 pandemic, a disease transmitted by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, has already caused the infection of more than 120 million people, of which 70 million have been recovered, while 3 million people have died. The high speed of infection has led to the rapid depletion of public health resources in most countries. RT-PCR is Covid-19's reference diagnostic method. In this work we propose a new technique for representing DNA sequences: they are divided into smaller sequences with overlap in a pseudo-convolutional approach and represented by co-occurrence matrices. This technique eliminates multiple sequence alignment. Through the proposed method, it is possible to identify virus sequences from a large database: 347,363 virus DNA sequences from 24 virus families and SARS-CoV-2. When comparing SARS-CoV-2 with virus families with similar symptoms, we obtained 0.97 ± 0.03 for sensitivity and 0.9919 ± 0.0005 for specificity with MLP classifier and 30% overlap. When SARS-CoV-2 is compared to other coronaviruses and healthy human DNA sequences, we obtained 0.99 ± 0.01 for sensitivity and 0.9986 ± 0.0002 for specificity with MLP and 50% overlap. Therefore, the molecular diagnosis of Covid-19 can be optimized by combining RT-PCR and our pseudo-convolutional method to identify DNA sequences for SARS-CoV-2 with greater specificity and sensitivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Small ruminants fed on cactus pear exclusively in the diet may present nutritional disorders, especially diarrhea. This is due to the high moisture requirements present in this food, related to microbiological factors inherent to poor hygienic quality, such as handling and prolonged exposure of crushed palm to the air, which can cause greater ingestion by animals of certain bacterial groups with pathogenic potential. The aim of this research was to investigate the levels of cactus associated with buffel grass hay on the microbiological quality of diets and the influence on physiological parameters in sheep. Thus, this research revealed that the participation of buffel grass hay was able to reduce the contamination of bacteria that cause diarrhea and depress animal performance. This study aimed to evaluate the microbiological composition of cactus pear-based diets with increasing levels of buffel grass hay, and its effect on the blood and physiological parameters and occurrence of diarrhea in feedlot sheep. Four diets containing different percentages of buffel grass hay were tested. Diets were composed of forage cactus, buffel grass hay and concentrate, and the treatments were represented by different levels of hay in the dry matter of the feed: 7.5% buffel grass hay; 15% buffel grass hay; 30% buffel grass hay; and 45% buffel grass hay on a dry matter basis. There was a significant effect (p = 0.0034) of inclusion levels of buffel grass hay on fecal score. Only at the 45% inclusion level diarrhea was not observed, showing that the level of buffel grass affected more the animals than the collection period, although the collection period has affected the microbial counts. Probably there was a physiological adaptation of animals over time. There were significant changes (p < 0.0001) in the blood parameters of sheep. The reduction of the proportion of cactus and the inclusion of greater than 15% buffel grass hay, on a dry matter basis, provides less contamination of the diet and animal feces by enterobacteria, such as E. coli. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Congenital syphilis (CS) is a major and avoidable cause of neonatal death worldwide. In this study, we aimed to estimate excess all-cause mortality in children under 5 years with CS compared to those without CS. Methods and findings: In this population-based cohort study, we used linked, routinely collected data from Brazil from January 2011 to December 2017. Cox survival models were adjusted for maternal region of residence, maternal age, education, material status, self-declared race and newborn sex, and year of birth and stratified according to maternal treatment status, non-treponemal titers and presence of signs and symptoms at birth. Over 7 years, a total of 20 057 013 live-born children followed up (through linkage) to 5 years of age, 93 525 were registered with CS, and 2 476 died. The all-cause mortality rate in the CS group was 7·84/1 000 person-years compared with 2·92/1 000 person-years in children without CS, crude hazard ratio (HR) = 2·41 (95% CI 2·31 to 2·50). In the fully adjusted model, the highest under-five mortality risk was observed among children with CS from untreated mothers HR = 2·82 (95% CI 2·63 to 3·02), infants with non-treponemal titer higher than 1:64 HR = 8·87 (95% CI 7·70 to 10·22), and children with signs and symptoms at birth HR = 7·10 (95% CI 6·60 to 7·63). Among children registered with CS, CS was recorded as the underlying cause of death in 33% (495/1 496) of neonatal, 11% (85/770) of postneonatal, and 2·9% (6/210) of children 1 year of age. The main limitations of this study were the use of a secondary database without additional clinical information and the potential misclassification of exposure status. Conclusions: This study showed an increased mortality risk among children with CS that goes beyond the first year of life. It also reinforces the importance of maternal treatment that infant non-treponemal titers and the presence of signs and symptoms of CS at birth are strongly associated with subsequent mortality. Trial registration: Observational study. Enny S. Paixao and colleagues estimate excess all-cause mortality in children under five years with congenital syphilis compared to those without congenital syphilis in Brazil. Author summary: Why was this study done?: Despite global initiatives to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of syphilis and congenital syphilis, analyses of national data from several countries have shown an alarming rise in the number of congenital syphilis (CS) cases. The number of infants dying annually from congenital syphilis is unclear, but estimates suggest more than 661 000 CS cases would occur worldwide. There is a lack of studies estimating the excess all-cause mortality among live-born children with CS compared with live-born children without CS and with follow-up after the first year of life. What did the researchers do and find?: We analyzed a historical cohort of more than 20 million births in Brazil from 2011 to 2017. Live births with CS were 2 times more likely to die than their counterparts without CS, with the increased risk not totally explained by prematurity and low birth weight. The greatest mortality risks were observed in children with CS born to untreated mothers, with higher antibody titers, and with signs and symptoms of CS at birth. In live-born children registered with CS registry, CS and CS-related causes of death mainly drove the excess mortality, and specific external causes of death among older children with CS were more frequent than among those without CS. What do these findings mean?: The evidence highlights the importance of ensuring public health action for timely detection and maternal treatment to reduce vertical transmission and mitigate adverse pregnancy outcomes and CS-related child mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vaccinia virus (VACV) is the causative agent of an emerging viral zoonosis called bovine vaccinia (BV). Several studies have documented characteristics of VACV infections in Brazil; however, the manner in which this virus is maintained in wildlife remains unknown. This work investigated the presence of viral DNA and anti-orthopoxvirus (OPXV) antibodies in samples collected from small mammals in a VACV-endemic area in Minas Gerais, Brazil, in the absence of current outbreaks. Samples did not show amplification of OPXV DNA in molecular tests. However, 5/142 serum samples demonstrated the presence of anti-OPXV neutralizing antibodies in serological tests. These data reinforce the involvement of small mammals in the natural cycle of VACV, highlighting the need for further ecological studies to better understand how this virus is maintained in nature and to develop measures to prevent BV outbreaks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Infusion Pumps (IP) are medical devices that were developed in the 1960s and generate fluid flow at pressures higher than that of normal blood pressure. Various hospital sectors make use of them, and they have become indispensable in therapies requiring continuity and precision in the administration of medication and/or food. As they are classified Class III (high risk) equipment, their maintenance is crucial for proper performance of the device, as well as patient and operator safety. The principal consideration of the pump is the volume infused, and the device demands great attention to detail when being calibrated. A lack of necessary care with this equipment can lead to uncertainty in volume and precision during the administration of substances. Because of this, it is essential to evaluate its reliability, to prevent possible failures at time of execution. This control aims at the quality of the intended infusion result, becoming an indication of quality. Methods: This systematic review summarizes studies done over the last 10 years (2011 to December 2021) that address the reliability and accuracy of hospital infusion pumps, in order to identify planning of maintenance and/or other techniques used in management of the equipment. The Prisma method was applied and the databases utilized were Embase, MEDLINE/Pubmed, Web of Science, Scopus, IEEE Xplore, and Science Direct. In addition, similar reviews were studied in Prospero and the Cochrane Library. For data analysis, softwares such as Mendeley, Excel, RStudio, and VOSviewer were used, and Robvis helped in plotting risk of bias results for studies performed with Cochrane tools. Results: The six databases selected produced 824 studies. After applying eligibility criteria (inclusion and exclusion), removing duplicates, and applying filters 1 and 2, 15 studies were included in the present review. It was found that the most relevant sources came from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and that the most relevant keywords revolved around the terms ("device failure", "infusion pumps", "adverse effects", "complications", etc.). These results made clear that there remains substantial room for improvement as it relates to the study of accuracy and reliability of infusion. Conclusions: We verified that the reliability and precision analysis of hospital infusion pumps need to be performed in a more detailed and consistent way. New developments, considering the model and IP specification, are intended, clearly explaining the adopted methodology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is scarce evidence on changes at the functional level associated with the respiratory area in women. This study aims to analyse the relationship between inspiratory muscle strength and balance in women. Material and methods: In this cross-sectional observational study, the sample consisted of groups according to the results obtained in the balance test. Inspiratory muscle weakness was defined as maximum inspiratory pressure (MIP) ≤ 80% of the predictive value. MIP was carried out using through a mouthpiece, with an electronic manometer. Logistic regression model was used to examine if MIP predicts balance. Results: 159 women participated in the study. Approximately 20% of them achieved balance ≤ 2 seconds and 18% presented MIP≤80%. MIP was associated with the time achieved in the one-leg support test. Subjects with MIP ≤ 80% of the predictive value show 3 times more risk of having a lower performance in the balance test (OR = 3.26). Conclusions: Inspiratory muscle weakness is associated with deficient balance in this sample. It shows the need for multidimensional assessment and rehabilitation strategies for patients identified as having MIP weakness and/or balance disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Frequent use of pesticides in onion crop management may have impact on the environment and human health. Substances in high dilution have been studied to replace chemicals in ecologically viable onion crop systems. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of high dilutions of tomato, Solanum lycopersicum L., cv. Perinha and green tea, Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze, on the incidence and damage of thrips, Thrips tabaci, severity of downy mildew, Peronospora destructor, and on the onion yield in an organic production system. The study was carried out under field conditions at Epagri/Experimental Station of Ituporanga, Santa Catarina, Brazil, in 2014 and 2015. The experiments were performed separately for high dilutions of tomato and green tea leaves. The treatments consisted in foliar sprays with high dilutions 6, 12 and 30 cH and control without application. The experimental design consisted of randomized blocks with 4 replications. The incidence of onion thrips, downy mildew severity and yield were not affected by treatments. Green tea at 6 and 30cH reduced the damage by thrips. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to evaluate the sensitivity and validity of the Functional Test for Agility Performance (FTAP) in water polo players. Six elite junior (aged 16.33±0.82 years) male players and 65 competitive men (aged 18.1±4.3 years) who were classified in three groups (G1-3), participated in different phases of the test. The scores accomplished in FTAP at two periods (initial and final) were compared. They were correlated with the scores in Sprint/Agility Test and differences between standards of competition (G1-3) were assessed. Performance differences were assessed using the paired t-test and Pearson's correlation was used to determine the association with agility time in the Speed/Agility Test. Differences between standards of competition were assessed using ANOVA. The final Functional Test for Agility Performance was performed in fewer seconds compared to initial (p=.002, r=.94). No significant correlation was found between Functional Test for Agility Performance and Speed/Agility Test (r=.42, p=.40), as expected and evidencing the discriminant validity. Differences were found between G1 and G3 (p<.001) and G2 and G3 (p=.008). The Functional Test for Agility Performance showed adequate sensitivity and validity, and thus is a decision-making test that can be used to assess training and expertise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to examine the ovaries and the oviduct of juvenile females of the broadsnouted caiman, Caiman latirostris (Daudin, 1802), using light microscopy, histochemical and immunocytochemical techniques. The ovarian cortex was observed to contain groups of germinative cells and abundant previtellogenic follicles at different stages of development. In previtellogenic follicles, the oocyte was surrounded by a single cuboidal layer of granulosa cells, supported by the theca layer. The theca was formed by a concentric layer containing collagenous fibers, predominantly type I, and several smooth muscle fibers. The inner perivitelline layer appeared as a narrow basophilic region between the oocyte and the granulosa. The ovarian medullary region of loose connective tissue contained blood and lymphatic vessels, as well as numerous lacunae, being covered by a simple squamous epithelium, supported by a thin layer of connective tissue. The oviduct of C. latirostris showed five histologically distinct regions: infundibulum, magnum, isthmus, uterus and vagina. The infundibulum was composed of an irregularly folded mucosa covered by a simple columnar epithelium with the presence of ciliated cells, weakly reactive to PAS staining. In the magnum, the mucosa was highly folded, and pseudostratified columnar epithelium contains mucous cells, which reacted positively to PAS staining. The isthmus was lining by an epithelium of ciliated and non-ciliated secretory cells, but no gland was visualized in mucosa. In the uterus, the folded mucosa was composed of a simple epithelium of high cylindrical cells and the lamina propria, which was predominantly formed by strongly birefringent fibers, but yellow-green weakly birefringent fibers were also present. The epithelium of the vagina contained intensely ciliated and non-ciliated cells, both of which were positive to PAS staining and no gland was observed in this region. Although the ovary and the oviduct showed some morphological particularities, they are similar to other crocodilians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Spineless cactus (Opuntia fícusindica Mill) is a cactaceous originally from Mexico, but rather grown in semiarid region of the northeast. For human consumption, generally, they are used in culinary preparations the palm shoots, os frutos in natura ou processados. One way to diversify the use of cactus would be drying and processing into meal for incorporation into various products. Thus the aim of this study was to evaluate the physical - chemical and microbiological quality of the flour. The samples were collected in the countryside and transported to the laboratory and Technological Vocational Center / UFCG - Campus Pombal - PB, they have been dewatered to the full withdrawal of moisture in air circulating oven at the following temperatures: 70, 80 and 90°C, subsequently passed through an industrial blender, then by a slicer to obtain the flour. After obtaining it was conducted microbiological analyzes and physicochemical analysis. Employment in food , the cactus is a great productive potential with the Semi-Arid alternatives sustained development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are a plurality of schools and groups, with lights and shadows and notable conflicts in Christianity of the first centuries. Considering that, this paper offers some thoughts and analysis on the existence of religious pluralism in the early Christianity in the city of Ephesus, the capital of the Roman province of Asia Minor, guardian of the imperial cult. The paper highlights the forms of cultural articulation. It highlights forms of cultural articulation, their relationship with the religious power and imperial political and regions in which they developed. It focuses on popular forms of early Christianity, understood as representative of the intermediate strata, that is, literate, but no scholarly strata, but able to express practices and representations of a larger group of people of the lower strata of society. The narratives analyzed give us a privileged access to memories of religious pluralism in the city of Ephesus in the first two centuries of the Christian era. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to assess the ecomorphological patterns and diet of four Characiformes fish species in a poorly physically structured tropical reservoir. We tested the hypothesis that body shape and diet are associated, because environmental pressure acts on the phenotype, selecting traits according to the available resources. Ten ecomorphological attributes of 45 individuals of each species - Astyanax cf. bimaculatus (Linnaeus, 1758), Astyanax parahybae Eigenmann, 1908, Oligosarcus hepsetus (Cuvier, 1829), and Metynnis maculatus (Kner, 1858) -, collected between February and November 2003, were analyzed, and the patterns were assessed using Principal Components Analysis (PCA). Diet similarity among fish species was assessed using cluster analysis on feeding index. The first two axes from PCA explained 61.73% of the total variance, with the first axis being positively correlated with the compression index and relative height, whereas the second axis was positively correlated with the pectoral fin aspect. Two well defined trophic groups, one herbivorous/specialist (M. maculatus) and the other formed by two omnivorous/generalist (A. cf. bimaculatus, A. parahybae) and one insectivorous-piscivorous (O. hepsetus) were revealed by the cluster analysis. Astyanax. cf. bimaculatus and A. parahybae differed. The first has comparatively greater relative height, relative length of the caudal peduncle and lower caudal peduncle compression index. However, we did not detect a close correspondence between diet and body shape in the reservoir, and inferred that the ecomorphological hypothesis of a close relationship between body shape and diet in altered systems could be not effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Particle detectors are an ubiquitous tool for probing quantum fields in the context of relativistic quantum information (RQI). We formulate the Unruh-DeWitt (UDW) particle detector model in terms of the path integral formalism. The formulation is able to recover the results of the model in general globally hyperbolic spacetimes and for arbitrary detector trajectories. Integrating out the detector's degrees of freedom yields a line defect that allows one to express the transition probability in terms of Feynman diagrams. Inspired by the light-matter interaction, we propose a gauge invariant detector model whose associated line defect is related to the derivative of a Wilson line. This is another instance where nonlocal operators in gauge theories can be interpreted as physical probes for quantum fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]