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Abstract Fruits and vegetables are a fundamental part of people's diets due to their composition of bioactive phytochemical compounds. These act as antioxidants that neutralize free radicals, which are related to various pathologies causing negative effects on the health of the host. Raw materials subjected to heat treatments at different temperatures allow the production of safe and stable foods. However, through a systematic review, the present research focused on determining whether heat treatments exert variations in the antioxidant capacity of fruits and vegetables. The methodology applied in the collected research studies was used to calculate the total antioxidant capacity. It was observed that FRAP, ABTS, ORAC, and DPPH assays were used. Furthermore, the total phenolic content, which is also related to the antioxidant capacity, was calculated and analyzed using the Folin-Ciocalteu method. The results found by several other authors indicate that the majority refers to the thermal treatment that plays a positive role by increasing the antioxidant capacity of fruits and vegetables. This is due to cell breakdown caused by high temperatures. On the other hand, some results of the authors differed from the above, where, they showed that raw materials, when applied to thermal treatments, reduce the antioxidant capacity due to the inactivation effects of oxidative enzymes.

The Alentejano pig (Sus ibericus) is an autochthonous breed of swine from Portugal phylogenetically close to the Iberian breed that is known to develop melanocytic lesions. In this study, 34 melanocytic skin lesions were identified and collected from Alentejano pigs slaughtered for human consumption for further routine histologic assessment. The samples were classified into 4 age ranges: 1 (1 to 6 months), 2 (7 to 12 months) 3 (13 to 24 months), and 4 (more than 25 months). All the lesions were considered benign after the histopathological assessment, of which 52.9% and 47.1%, were classified as melanosis and melanocytomas, respectively. Regarding the age ranges, a statistical difference between the groups was observed, indicating that the probability of melanosis presentation was higher at the age range 4 and for melanocytomas at the age range 3. While no malignant lesions were observed in this study, it was concluded that benign melanocytic lesions are commonly found in Alentejano pig carcasses. Further research is necessary to accurately distinguish between malignant and benign lesions, which is crucial for official veterinarians to make decisions regarding meat approval or condemnation.

Abstract Most forms of clinical research examine a very minute cross section of the patient journey. Much of the knowledge and evidence base driving current genomic medicine practice entails blind spots arising from underrepresentation and lack of research participation in clinicogenomic databases. The flaws are perpetuated in AI models and clinical practice guidelines that reflect the lack of diversity in data being used. Participation in clinical research and biobanks is impeded in many populations due to a variety of factors that include knowledge, trust, healthcare access, administrative barriers, and technology gaps. A recent symposium brought industry, clinical, and research participants in clinicogenomics to discuss practical challenges and potential for new data sharing models that are patient centric and federated in nature and can address health disparities that might be perpetuated by lack of diversity in clinicogenomic research, biobanks, and datasets. Clinical data governance was recognized as a multiagent problem, and governance practices need to be more patient centric to address most barriers. Digital tools that preserve privacy, document provenance, and enable the management of data as intellectual property have great promise. Policy updates realigning and rationalizing clinical data governance practices are warranted.

Annona muricata is a fruit species belonging to the Annonaceae family, which is native to the warmer tropical areas of North and South America. A large amount of discarded residue from A. muricata is of interest for obtaining new industrial inputs. To propose the applications of the biopolymer from A. muricata residues (Biop_AmRs), this study aimed to characterize this input chemically and functionally, as well as to evaluate its potential for hemocompatibility and cytotoxicity activity in vitro. Biop_AmRs is an anionic heteropolysaccharide composed of glucose, arabinose, xylose, galactose, mannose, uronic acid, and proteins. This biopolymer exhibited a semicrystalline structure and good thermal stability. Biop_AmRs exhibited excellent water holding capacity, emulsifying properties, and mucoadhesiviness and demonstrated hemocompatibility and cytocompatibility on the L929 cell line. These results indicate possible applications for this biopolymer as a potential environmentally friendly raw material in the food, pharmaceutical, biomedical, and cosmetic industries.

This paper proposes a two-stage converter that can black start an isolated AC Microgrid with a Fuel Cell (FC) as the primary energy source. The first stage is connected to the FC and employs a Three-Leg Interleaved Boost DC/DC Converter (IBC), while the second is a Three-Phase Voltage Source Converter (VSC). The DC/DC stage utilizes a Cascade Voltage Control (CVC) to mitigate voltage fluctuations in the DC-link caused by the variability of the FC voltage. For the DC/AC stage, three distinct grid-forming (GFM) strategies are implemented with two of them with multi-loop cascaded structure and one with a single-loop structure. The power circuit of the system is simulated using the Real-Time Simulator (RTS) HIL 602+ from Typhoon-HIL, with the control strategies embedded on the Digital Signal Processor (DSP) TMS320F28379D - F28379D LaunchPad from Texas Instruments (TI). The performance of the cases are verified through CHIL simulations for a balanced and unbalanced inductive load steps. The results demonstrate that for both tests the GFM single loop structure presents smoother transients and shorter recovery times. Additionally, for the unbalanced loads, all the cases present similar results for the DC variables with more pronounced differences at the AC side.

El análisis de regresión múltiple es un método estadístico empleado en muchas áreas del conocimiento. En este estudio, dicho análisis se aplicó a los datos de concentraciones de cuatro contaminantes atmosféricos (SO2, NO2, H2S y PM10), monitoreados en tres estaciones que se ubican en la Zona Norte del estado de Chiapas. El periodo que abarcó el estudio fue de enero 2001 a febrero 2005. El objetivo fue proponer funciones de regresión para describir la concentración en función del tiempo y/o las variables meteorológicas. Se empleó un análisis de regresión lineal múltiple paso a paso en la selección de variables regresoras. Las más importantes fueron la temperatura, la humedad relativa y la dirección del viento. Se obtuvieron funciones de regresión de la concentración anual, mensual y diaria de estos contaminantes. Se obtuvo una regresión lineal simple para explicar la concentración anual de SO2, alcanzando un coefi-ciente de determinación de 0.927. Los modelos de la concentración mensual alcanzaron un coeficiente de determinación entre 0.417 y 0.846; mientras que para los de la concentración diaria, este coeficiente varió de 0.285 a 0.581. De este estudio paramétrico, se concluyó que las variables meteorológicas describieron adecuadamente la concentración anual y mensual, pero no la concentración diaria.

The development of anticancer drugs is costly and time intensive. Computational approaches optimize the process by studying molecules such as naphthoquinones. This research explores the quantitative structure–activity relationship (QSPR) and molecular interactions among 2,2-dimethyl-3-((3-nitrophenyl)amino)-2,3-dihydronaphtho[1,2-b]furan-4,5-dione (QPhNO2), a Nor-β-Lapachone derivative with anticancer properties, and the following polymers for nanoencapsulation: polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polycaprolactone (PCL), and poly-lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA). Spartan 14 optimized the compounds using density functional theory (DFT), while ArgusLab performed docking, and Discovery Studio analyzed post-docking results. Simulations indicated that polymers with larger energy gaps are more stable and less prone to deformation than QPhNO2, facilitating interaction with polymer chains. The binding energies for PMMA/QPhNO2, PCL/QPhNO2, and PLGA/QPhNO2 interactions were −4.607, −4.437, and −1.814 kcal/mol, respectively. Docking analysis revealed non-bonded interactions between polymers and QPhNO2. These findings highlight the role of computational methods in nanoencapsulation and molecular characterization, guiding the development of future analogs and combinations.

The sailfish Istiophorus platypterus is abundant in tropical coastal areas of the Pacific Ocean. It is targeted by both sport-fishing and commercial (artisanal) fleets in Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Panama. The Gulf of Tehuantepec is one of the main areas of abundance of I. platypterus, where it is caught incidentally by artisanal vessels. The objective of this study was to analyze the size structure and the variability in the catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) of sailfish caught in the Gulf of Tehuantepec from 2000 to 2008. The size structure was analyzed using eye-fork length (EFL) and CPUE was estimated as the number of individuals per fishing trip. Individuals ranged in size from 55 to 240 cm EFL and varied in total weight from 1.6 to 69.7 kg. The size structure was unimodal, and the variability over time showed a negative tendency (F(0.05(1),8,4967) = 6.8E + 8; P < 0.05). The CPUE of I. platypterus showed seasonal changes: values were lower from January to April and higher during the summer, and then decreased again in early winter.

In order to correlate gross morphological features with pulmonary and coronary vasculature changes in hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) 15 heart-lung necropsy specimens from neonates were analysed. Histology of left atrium wall, lung vessels with pulmonary arteriolar disease morphometric grading, study of intra and extra pulmonary wall veins and coronary arteries were recorded. Classic HLHS was observed in 11, and DORV with mitral atresia in 4, the foramen ovale (FO) being the only left atrium outflow tract in all. All specimens had increased % of thickness and muscular extension of arterioles and increased wall thickness of pulmonary veins, but severer arteriolar and venous changes with left atrium fibrosis were noticed in 8 specimens with either closed FO (3 cases) or mean FO diameter (d) of 5 mm when compared with specimens with mean FOd of 9 mm. Coronary arteries histology disclosed in 4 of 8 specimens with opened but hypoplastic mitral valve, intima proliferative changes with lumen narrowing, not observed in 7 specimens with mitral valve atresia. We concluded that in HLHS closed or restrictive FO and permeable mitral valve may predispose neonates to respiratory complications, right ventricle abnormal function and arrhythmias, specially after cardiac surgery.

Background: Seasonal influenza continues to present a significant annual burden as the vaccination rate in the United States is 51.8%. Emergency Department (ED) based influenza programs have been successfully implemented and improve vaccine uptake, reduce incidence and costs, and improve outcomes. Objective: To develop a predictive model to assess preventable influenza cases, hospitalizations, fatalities, and incremental cost avoidance based on the unvaccinated population. Methods: A retrospective cohort of ED encounters limited to Medicare and Medicaid populations was performed across 14 tertiary care hospital EDs and six freestanding EDs for 2020. The total number of unvaccinated individuals was identified to determine the potential impact of an ED vaccination campaign. The average cost and loss per inpatient stay was identified from prior industry Medicare benchmark data and was utilized to extrapolate Medicaid losses. Results from published cost-effectiveness studies identified the vaccination thresholds to prevent one additional case of influenza, one additional hospitalization, and one additional fatality. Results: A total of 39,463 unvaccinated individuals were identified, with 14,064 classified as Medicare, and 25,379 classified as Medicaid. Assuming a 95% target outreach, 90% medical eligibility, and 70% acceptance rate, 414 influenza cases would be prevented (266 Medicaid, 148 Medicare), 28 hospitalizations would be prevented (18 Medicaid, 10 Medicare), and eight deaths would be prevented (5 Medicaid, 3 Medicare). Accordingly, a reduction in admissions would prevent $409,360 in total inpatient medical costs and $36,232 in losses to healthcare systems. Conclusion: An ED-based influenza vaccination program would have a measurable impact on patient influenza disease burden and associated medical expenditures.

Abstract This paper discussed the synthesis of LTA zeolite from Pinheiro clay (PIN) aiming for adsorption of CO2. To obtain the LTA-PIN zeolite, the PIN was submitted to acid treatment, followed by calcination and hydrothermal treatment. These treatments promoted the reorganization of the crystalline structure of the PIN, leading to the LTA-PIN zeolite with 95.79% purity confirmed by XRD, SEM, XRF, and FTIR results. The performance of the LTA-PIN zeolite was similar to the one of the standard LTA zeolite. The CO2 adsorption by the zeolites could be properly described by the pseudo-second-order kinetic and Freundlich isotherm models, suggesting that physisorption was the main mechanism responsible for the deposition of CO2 at the surface of the zeolites. According to regeneration results, LTA-PIN zeolite can be reused five times without significant loss of CO2 adsorption capacity, contrary to the 12% reduction in CO2 adsorption capacity presented by the LTA-standard zeolite.

Sr3Ru2O7 exhibits a quantum critical point tunable by magnetic field and has been widely used in the study of criticality. Here, by using inelastic neutron scattering, the authors measure collective magnetic excitations near the quantum critical point and relate them to thermodynamic properties and spin density wave order.

ABSTRACT The growing number of users, about 250 million, in 2016, and the sheer number of health problems, that cause 190,000 deaths per year, are just some of the data that has rekindled the debate and discussion into the efficiency of the prohibitionist drug policies concerning drug consumption throughout the world. As a result, there has been the establishment of a special branch of literature focused on the investigation into this theme. In this regard, the present article conducts an economic analysis of scenarios where there is no decriminalization of drugs and other areas where legalization has been partial (marijuana) or complete, based on Game Theory. Thus, different from other studies, this paper establishes conditions of compatibility of incentives so that the economy could become formal, after decriminalization, to avoid contraband under a legal guise. This paper also manages to show which situation (Nash equilibrium) provides the greatest well-being for society.

Abstract Spatial patterns of species richness have been found to be positively associated, a phenom called cross-taxon congruence. This may be explained by a common response to environment or by ecological interactions between taxa. Spatial changes in species richness are related to energy and environmental heterogeneity but their roles in cross-taxon congruence remain poorly explored. Elevational gradients provide a great opportunity to shed light on the underlying drivers of species richness patterns. We study the joint influence of environment and biotic interactions in shaping the cross-taxon congruence of plants and orthopterans species richness, along three elevational gradients in Sierras Grandes, central Argentina. Elevational patterns of species richness of orthopterans and plants were congruent, being temperature the best single predictor of both patterns supporting the energy-related hypotheses. Using a structural equation model, we found that temperature explained plant richness directly and orthopteran richness indirectly via orthopteran abundance. Cross-taxon congruence is likely due to a common response of both taxa to temperature although via different theoretical mechanisms, possibly, range limitations for plants and foraging activity for orthopterans. We disentangled the role of temperature in determining the cross-taxon congruence of plants and orthopterans by showing that a common response to the environment may mask different mechanisms driving the diversity of different taxonomic groups.

The Last Interglacial period (LIG) is a period with increased summer insolation at high northern latitudes, which results in strong changes in the terrestrial and marine cryosphere. Understanding the mechanisms for this response via climate modelling and comparing the models' representation of climate reconstructions is one of the objectives set up by the Paleoclimate Modelling Intercomparison Project for its contribution to the sixth phase of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project. Here we analyse the results from 16 climate models in terms of Arctic sea ice. The multi-model mean reduction in minimum sea ice area from the pre industrial period (PI) to the LIG reaches 50 % (multi-model mean LIG area is 3.20×106 km2, compared to 6.46×106 km2 for the PI). On the other hand, there is little change for the maximum sea ice area (which is 15–16×106 km2 for both the PI and the LIG. To evaluate the model results we synthesise LIG sea ice data from marine cores collected in the Arctic Ocean, Nordic Seas and northern North Atlantic. The reconstructions for the northern North Atlantic show year-round ice-free conditions, and most models yield results in agreement with these reconstructions. Model–data disagreement appear for the sites in the Nordic Seas close to Greenland and at the edge of the Arctic Ocean. The northernmost site with good chronology, for which a sea ice concentration larger than 75 % is reconstructed even in summer, discriminates those models which simulate too little sea ice. However, the remaining models appear to simulate too much sea ice over the two sites south of the northernmost one, for which the reconstructed sea ice cover is seasonal. Hence models either underestimate or overestimate sea ice cover for the LIG, and their bias does not appear to be related to their bias for the pre-industrial period. Drivers for the inter-model differences are different phasing of the up and down short-wave anomalies over the Arctic Ocean, which are associated with differences in model albedo; possible cloud property differences, in terms of optical depth; and LIG ocean circulation changes which occur for some, but not all, LIG simulations. Finally, we note that inter-comparisons between the LIG simulations and simulations for future climate with moderate (1 % yr−1) CO2 increase show a relationship between LIG sea ice and sea ice simulated under CO2 increase around the years of doubling CO2. The LIG may therefore yield insight into likely 21st century Arctic sea ice changes using these LIG simulations.

The modeling of paleoclimate, using physically based tools, is increasingly seen as a strong out-of-sample test of the models that are used for the projection of future climate changes. New to the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6) is the Tier 1 Last Interglacial experiment for 127 000 years ago (lig127k), designed to address the climate responses to stronger orbital forcing than the midHolocene experiment, using the same state-of-the-art models as for the future and following a common experimental protocol. Here we present a first analysis of a multi-model ensemble of 17 climate models, all of which have completed the CMIP6 DECK (Diagnostic, Evaluation and Characterization of Klima) experiments. The equilibrium climate sensitivity (ECS) of these models varies from 1.8 to 5.6 ∘C. The seasonal character of the insolation anomalies results in strong summer warming over the Northern Hemisphere continents in the lig127k ensemble as compared to the CMIP6 piControl and much-reduced minimum sea ice in the Arctic. The multi-model results indicate enhanced summer monsoonal precipitation in the Northern Hemisphere and reductions in the Southern Hemisphere. These responses are greater in the lig127k than the CMIP6 midHolocene simulations as expected from the larger insolation anomalies at 127 than 6 ka. New synthesis for surface temperature and precipitation, targeted for 127 ka, have been developed for comparison to the multi-model ensemble. The lig127k model ensemble and data reconstructions are in good agreement for summer temperature anomalies over Canada, Scandinavia, and the North Atlantic and for precipitation over the Northern Hemisphere continents. The model–data comparisons and mismatches point to further study of the sensitivity of the simulations to uncertainties in the boundary conditions and of the uncertainties and sparse coverage in current proxy reconstructions. The CMIP6–Paleoclimate Modeling Intercomparison Project (PMIP4) lig127k simulations, in combination with the proxy record, improve our confidence in future projections of monsoons, surface temperature, and Arctic sea ice, thus providing a key target for model evaluation and optimization.

Nearly half of the human genome is occupied by repetitive sequences of ancient virus-like genetic elements. The largest class, comprising 17% of the genome, belong to the type 1 Long INterspersed Elements (LINE-1) and are the only class capable of autonomous propagation in the genome. When epigenetic silencing mechanisms of LINE-1 fail, the proteins encoded by LINE-1 engage in reverse transcription to make new copies of their own or other DNAs that are pasted back into the genome. To elucidate how LINE-1 is dysregulated as a result of carcinogen exposure, we developed a computational model of key elements in the LINE-1 lifecycle, namely, the role of cytosolic ribonuclease (RNase), RNA interference (RNAi) by the antisense ORF0 RNA, and sequestration of LINE-1 products into stress granules and multivesicular structures.The model showed that when carcinogen exposure is represented as either a sudden increase in LINE-1 mRNA count, or as an increase in mRNA transcription rate, the retrotransposon copy number exhibits a distinct threshold behavior above which LINE-1 enters a positive feedback loop that allows the cDNA copy number to grow exponentially. We also found that most of the LINE-1 RNA was degraded via the RNAase pathway and that neither ORF0 RNAi, nor the sequestration of LINE-1 products into granules and multivesicular structures, played a significant role in regulating the retrotransposon’s life cycle. Several aspects of the prediction agree with experimental results and indicate that the model has significant potential to inform future experiments related to LINE-1 activation.

The use of Bandt–Pompe probability distributions and descriptors of information theory has been presenting satisfactory results with low computational cost in the time series analysis literature [1]–[3]. However, these tools have limitations when applied to data without time dependency. Given this context, we present a newly proposed technique for texture analysis and classification based on the Bandt–Pompe symbolization for SAR data. It consists of linearizing a 2-D patch of the image using the Hilbert–Peano curve, build an ordinal pattern transition graph that considers the data amplitude encoded into the weight of the edges, obtain a probability distribution function derived from this graph, and compute information theory descriptors (permutation entropy and statistical complexity) from this distribution and use them as features to feed a classifier. The ordinal pattern graph we propose considers that the edges’ weight is related to the absolute difference of observations, which encodes the information about the data amplitude. This modification considers the unfavorable signal-to-noise ratio of SAR images and leads to the characterization of several types of textures. Experiments with data from Munich urban areas, Guatemala forest regions, and Cape Canaveral ocean samples show the effectiveness of our technique in homogeneous areas, achieving satisfactory separability levels. The two descriptors chosen in this work are easy and quick to calculate and are used as input for a k-nearest neighbor classifier. Experiments show that this technique presents results similar to state-of-the-art techniques that employ a much larger number of features and, consequently, impose a higher computational cost.

Abstract The false setting is when cement stiffens prematurely in a few minutes after adding water. Some variables could cause false setting in CPI-S-32 Portland cement, for example, alkali concentration in the cement, the formation of alite (C3S) with low reactivity, and cement storage temperature and time in silos. Temperature increases cause calcium sulfate dihydrate to dehydrate, forming hemihydrate (CaSO4.0.5H2O) or anhydrite (CaSO4), which causes the false setting. In this study, the influence of cement storage temperature (100, 105, 110, 120, and 130 °C) combined with the cement storage time (30, 60, and 120 min) in a silo was studied regarding the CPI-S-32 false setting behavior. It was verified that temperatures above 110 °C and storage time above 60 min are conditions that favor the false setting of CPI-S-32 cement. Physicochemical analysis, TG/DTG, XRF, and XRD were applied as complementary analyzes for the false setting assays of CPI-S-32.

Abstract The use of more than one control technique can maximize the reduction of the damages caused by the fungus Asperisporium caricae causal agent of the black spot in the papaya crop. The objective of this work was to evaluate the sensitivity of the fungi Hansfordia pulvinata and Acremonium spp. to alternative products with potential for use in the control of the black-spotted ptarmigan. Three isolates of Acremonium spp. (A-598, A-602 and A-617) and an isolate of H. pulvinata (H-611) were grown in BDA medium containing Agro-Mos®, Bion®, Ecolife®, Hortifospk®, Matriz G®, Vitaphol® separately. The Amistar 500WG ® fungicide was used as a positive control and pure BDA as a negative control. The toxicity of the tested products was determined based on the values of the biological index, derived from the means of mycelial growth, sporulation and germination of conidia, in each experimental unit. In this way it was possible to select the products classified as compatible for all isolates, and to test them in vivo. In the greenhouse, only the isolates and isolates with selected products, were applied in papaya plants with foliar symptoms of black-spotted. The incidence of leaves with hyperparasites and the percentage of black-painted lesions colonized by the tested isolates were evaluated. Thus, the H-611 isolate proved to be compatible with most of the alternative products tested, except with Hortifos®. Bion® and Matrix® products were compatible with all tested isolates and could be used in conjunction with Acremonium spp. and H. pulvinata to control the papaya black spot, since these products did not present toxicity on the hyperparasitic fungi.

Summary: Hyperthermia inhibits DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair that utilizes homologous recombination (HR) pathway by a poorly defined mechanism(s); however, the mechanisms for this inhibition remain unclear. Here we report that hyperthermia decreases H4K16 acetylation (H4K16ac), an epigenetic modification essential for genome stability and transcription. Heat-induced reduction in H4K16ac was detected in humans, Drosophila, and yeast, indicating that this is a highly conserved response. The examination of histone deacetylase recruitment to chromatin after heat-shock identified SIRT1 as the major deacetylase subsequently enriched at gene-rich regions. Heat-induced SIRT1 recruitment was antagonized by chromatin remodeler SMARCAD1 depletion and, like hyperthermia, the depletion of the SMARCAD1 or combination of the two impaired DNA end resection and increased replication stress. Altered repair protein recruitment was associated with heat-shock-induced γ-H2AX chromatin changes and DSB repair processing. These results support a novel mechanism whereby hyperthermia impacts chromatin organization owing to H4K16ac deacetylation, negatively affecting the HR-dependent DSB repair.

How does the auditory function of children with congenital Zika syndrome present during the first three years of life? To determine the auditory function of children with congenital Zika syndrome during the first three years of life and estimate the frequency and long-term presentation of hearing loss in this syndrome, an auditory assessment with screening and diagnostic tests was conducted. The screening test consisted of measuring the short latency ABR using click stimuli. If the ABR click indicated hearing loss, confirmation was obtained with a frequency-specific ABR (FS-ABR), in which the stimuli were tone bursts at frequencies of 500 and 2000 Hz by bone and air conduction. This case series included 107 children with confirmed congenital Zika syndrome, and the cumulative incidence of sensorineural hearing loss in the first three years of life was 9.3% (10/107). There were no cases of delayed-onset or progressive deficits in hearing. Early presentation of sensorineural hearing loss seems to occur with a higher frequency in children with congenital Zika syndrome than in the general population. Sensorineural hearing loss resulting from congenital Zika virus infection does not appear to present with delayed onset or with progressive deficits.

ABSTRACT Three new genera of Protandrenini bees from South America are described. Luisanthrena new genus is proposed to include L. ruzae, new species (from Ecuador) and L. vargasllosai (Gonzalez & Alvarado, 2019), new combination (from Peru). The new genus Cisanthrena includes only the unusual species Cisanthrena perforata n. sp. from forested areas of the Andes in Peru. In addition, Austellurgus new genus is proposed to accommodate A. avulsus (Ramos & Melo, 2006), new combination (southeastern Brazil).

Background The combination between antibiotic drugs and extracts derived from medicinal plants is one of the promising strategies against multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial strains to overwhelm the antimicrobial resistance.Hypothesis/Purpose We aimed to evaluate the antibacterial effect of hybrid combinations of ethanolic extract (EREE) or alkaloid-enriched fraction (ERAF) obtained from Erythroxylum revolutum leaves and conventional antibiotic drugs.Methods We tested the antimicrobial activity of EREE and ERAF in vitro against gram-positive (Staphyloccocus aureus) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) standard and MDR strains. Additionally, we performed phytochemical studies using GC/MS, 1H, 13C NMR spectra, and two-dimensional techniques.Results Although the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of EREE or ERAF alone against bacterial growth were ≥ 1024 µg/ml, we denoted a total synergism effect in the hybrid combinations ERAF + gentamicin, ERAF + norfloxacin, and ERAF + erythromycin against MDR S. aureus strain, with a significant MIC reduction of 84.7%, 75.0%, and 89.85%, respectively. Although EREE demonstrated a total synergism effect in the hybrid combination gentamicin + EREE (with a significant decrease of MIC of 68.8%), on the contrary, EREE also elicited a strong antagonist effect in some hybrid combinations against the MDR bacteria strains tested. Phytochemical studies revealed in ERAF the presence of two tropane alkaloids described for the first time in the family Erythroxylaceae: 6-(2’-methylbutyryloxy)-3-hydroxytropane (87.07%) and 6-butyryloxy-3-hydroxytropane (12.93%).Conclusion Together, these data can highlight the first evidence of enriched-alkaloid fractions of E. revolutum in hybrid combinations with antibiotics, and propose tropane alkaloids from E. revolutum as new potential candidates in drug combinations for the treatment of infections caused by MDR S. aureus, which is one of the main agents causing infections with death worldwide.

In this letter we report the first multi-differential measurement of correlated pion-proton pairs from 2 billion Au+Au collisions at sNN=2.42 GeV collected with HADES. In this energy regime the population of Δ(1232) resonances plays an important role in the way energy is distributed between intrinsic excitation energy and kinetic energy of the hadrons in the fireball. The triple differential d3N/dMπ±pdpTdy distributions of correlated π±p pairs have been determined by subtracting the πp combinatorial background using an iterative method. The invariant-mass distributions in the Δ(1232) mass region show strong deviations from a Breit-Wigner function with vacuum width and mass. The yield of correlated pion-proton pairs exhibits a complex isospin, rapidity and transverse-momentum dependence. In the invariant mass range 1.1

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With the advancement of technology, many processes in our world have been reformulated, updated, and digitized. Therefore, interpersonal relationships have also been following this trend so that social networks have become increasingly present in our lives. Given this context, social network users create and share a large amount of data, from content about their daily lives, funny facts, as well as information about traffic, weather, and various subjects. The problem of event detection in social media, such as Twitter, is related to the identification of the first story on a topic of interest. In this work, we propose a novel approach based on the observation that tweets are subjected to a continuous phase transition when an event takes place, i.e., its underlying dynamic changes. Our proposal consists of a formal characterization of the phase transition that occurs when an event takes place, and the use of this characterization to devise a new method to detect events in Twitter, based on calculating the entropy of the keywords extracted from the content of tweets (regardless of the language used). We evaluated the performance of our approach using seven data sets, and we outperformed nine different techniques present in the literature. Unlike the work found in the literature, we present a theoretical rationale about the existence of phase transitions. For this, we characterize a model, already existing in the literature, of phase transitions described by differential equations, where we find correspondence between the model used in the study and the real data. The experimental results show that our proposal significantly improves the learning performance for the metrics used.

This paper presents a fully automatic method for the separation of diffuse and specular reflection components from a single image. Overall, the mechanisms in which the available methods operate on are computationally costly and do not translate well to modern hardware-implemented image processing pipelines, such as the ones present in consumer electronics. Consequently, the objective of this article is to introduce a simple yet effective method for specular highlight removal. It is based on the dichromatic reflection model and operates through histogram matching in the YCbCr color space. The proposed method performs in real-time. It only uses global image statistics and point-wise intensity transformations. Experimental evaluation shows that the proposed approach has competitive results in comparison to state-of-the-art methods. Limitations of the proposed approach are seldom and are common to most methods available. The proposed method, however, achieves better quality results with much less computational cost, thus enabling feasibility in systems with limited processing power.

Abstract Sulfamethoxazole (SMX) is a widely-used antibiotic in human and veterinary medicine for treating diseases and infections and is often detected in the surface water ecosystem. Thus, this study evaluated the capacity of removing SMX from aqueous systems using Pirangi clay (PIR) from the state of Sergipe (Brazil). Pirangi clay samples were treated at 100, 400 and 600 °C and modified with hexadecyltrimethylammonium (HDTMA) cationic surfactant. The modification process used was based on the layered organization of the mineral clay, allowing the intercalation of cationic surfactant, giving a hydrophobic character to the clay. The Pirangi clay treated at 100 °C and modified with HDTMA (org-PIR-100) showed adsorption capacity of 27.3 mg.g-1 with 90% removal of the SMX in 100 min and pH 6, following the pseudo-second-order model and Langmuir isotherm. Different characterization methods were employed to characterize the clays, such as XRF, FTIR, XRD, thermogravimetric analyzes (TG/DTG) and BET method, confirming that the surfactant molecules were incorporated on the clay surface and that org-PIR-100 showed potential for use in water treatment plant filters.

We investigate identical pion HBT intensity interferometry in central Au+Au collisions at 1.23A GeV. High-statistics π−π− and π+π+ data are measured with HADES at SIS18/GSI. The radius parameters, derived from the correlation function depending on relative momenta in the longitudinally comoving system and parametrized as three-dimensional Gaussian distribution, are studied as function of transverse momentum. A substantial charge-sign difference of the source radii is found, particularly pronounced at low transverse momentum. The extracted source parameters agree well with a smooth extrapolation of the center-of-mass energy dependence established at higher energies, extending the corresponding excitation functions down towards a very low energy.

We present first data on sub-threshold production of Ks0 mesons and Λ hyperons in Au+Au collisions at sNN=2.4 GeV. We observe an universal 〈Apart〉 scaling of hadrons containing strangeness, independent of their corresponding production thresholds. Comparing the yields, their 〈Apart〉 scaling, and the shapes of the rapidity and the pt spectra to state-of-the-art transport model (UrQMD, HSD, IQMD) predictions, we find that none of them can simultaneously describe these observables with reasonable χ2 values.

We report on the first measurement of exclusive single-photon muoproduction on the proton by COMPASS using 160GeV/c polarised μ+ and μ− beams of the CERN SPS impinging on a liquid hydrogen target. We determine the dependence of the average of the measured μ+ and μ− cross sections for deeply virtual Compton scattering on the squared four-momentum transfer t from the initial to the final proton. The slope B of the t-dependence is fitted with a single exponential function, which yields B=(4.3±0.6stat|sys−0.3+0.1)(GeV/c)−2. This result can be converted into a transverse extension of partons in the proton, 〈r⊥2〉=(0.58±0.04stat|sys−0.02+0.01±0.04model)fm. For this measurement, the average virtuality of the photon mediating the interaction is 〈Q2〉=1.8(GeV/c)2 and the average value of the Bjorken variable is 〈xBj〉=0.056. Keywords: Quantum chromodynamics, Deep inelastic scattering, Exclusive reactions, Deeply virtual Compton scattering, Generalized Parton Distributions, Proton size, COMPASS

Abstract Helminths are endoparasites that infect a variety of bird species. Endoparasite infections can cause severe diseases, including kill captive avian hosts and represents a problem to maintenance and conservation. The eggs and larval forms of these parasites are usually eliminated in the host feces. The main interest of this study is to report the occurrence of eggs and oocysts in feces from captive wild birds in Goiânia Zoo and free-living birds in its surroundings. The fecal samples were subjected to parasitological examination to identify the presence of helminths and to classify their eggs based on morphological characteristics. Eggs of nematode parasites (Positive/N) were identified as Ascaridia spp. in Brotogeris chiriri (2/2), Dromaius novaehollandiae (1/1) and Rhea americana (2/2); Ascarididae in Pavo cristatus nigripensis (1/1); Capillaria spp. in Ara chloropterus (1/1) and Penelope jacucaca (1/1); Capillaria plagiaticia in Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus (1/2) and Ara spp. (2/2); Capillaria venusta in Rhamphastus tucanus (1/2); and unidentified nematode eggs from Amazona amazonica (2/2). Eimeria spp. oocyst was founded in feces from A. hyacinthinus (1/2). Considering free-living birds, Diphyllobothrium spp. eggs were founded in Ardea alba (2/2) and Nycticorax nycticorax (2/3). Co-infection of Eustrongylides spp. was founded in A. alba (1/2). This is the first occurrence of: Ascaridia spp. parasitizing B. chiriri; and C. venusta parasitizing R. tucanus. In conclusion, the helminth eggs found in the abovementioned host bird species are consistent with those reported in the literature, and treatment and control protocols were based on their identification.

Abstract The work aimed to evaluate the weight-length relationship and the condition factor, characterizing the biometry, anatomy, histology and volumetric density of the liver of Brycon amazonicus, in different stages of body growth. The experiment used twenty specimens in four stages of body growth (PI, PII, PIII and PIV) harvested every 90 days, containing five specimens, each group. The livers were dissected, weighed (g) and processed routinely using the hematoxylin and eosin technique. The data were submitted to analysis of variance, Pearson’s correlation test and linear regression. The equation that represented the weight-length relation was W = 0.05902 x L2.63, with negative allometric growth, but with a relative condition factor equal to 1.0. The liver was divided into three lobes with the gallbladder close to the right lobe and its color varied from light red to dark red, not varying in relation to other fish species. The hepatosomatic relationship followed body growth until the PII group stage and then declined, demonstrating the behavior of its development in Brycon amazonicus. The organ consists predominantly of hepatocytes, followed by sinusoidal vessels and capillaries, with histological morphology similar to that of many species of fish. Melanomacrophage centers were found only in the most developed animals, but in small quantities, prompting the development of new research on this cell, in this species. In this way, research of this nature allows the characterization of fish species, helping to improve breeding methods, understanding pathological processes caused by diseases, and obtaining better productive capacity, serving an increasingly demanding and prosperous market.

Abstract The aim of this study was to report the first record of Trichodina heterodentata in banded knifefish Gymnotus carapo. Banded knifefish cultivated in the municipality of Jataí, state of Goiás, in the central western region of Brazil, experienced fish mortality rates of 3-4% per tank. Macroscopic analysis found that fish had lesions on their skin and gills. Smears of the integument and gills were confectioned and air-dried at room temperature and impregnated with silver nitrate to identify the Trichodinidae species causing the lesions. The trichodinid were identified as T. heterodentata, and their characteristics were compared to those from T. heterodentata recorded from other species of host fish. It was observed that the presence of T. heterodentata was associated with inadequate fish management, low water quality, high rates of stocking density, and inadequate nutritional management.

Dopamine and its 5 receptors, which are grouped into two families (D1-like and D2-like), modulate functions at a systemic level in both the central nervous system and periphery. The central nervous system and the immune system are the main adaptive systems, which participate in a continuous and functional crosstalk to guarantee homeostasis. On binding to its 5 dopamine receptors, dopamine acts as a co-regulator of the immune system, contributing to the interaction of the central nervous system and inflammatory events and as a source of communication between the different immune cells. Dopaminergic perturbations in the central nervous system are observed in several neurological and psychiatric disorders. Schizophrenia is one of the most common mental disorders with a poorly understood pathoaetiology that includes genetic and environmental components that promote alterations in the dopaminergic system. Interestingly, abnormalities in dopamine receptors expression in lymphocytes of schizophrenia patients have been reported, often significantly correlating with the severity of the psychotic illness. Here, we review the current literature regarding the dopaminergic system in human lymphocytes and its alterations in schizophrenia.

This article proposes a study of the SARS-CoV-2 virus spread and the efficacy of public policies in Brazil. Using both aggregated (from large Internet companies) and fine-grained (from Departments of Motor Vehicles) mobility data sources, our work sheds light on the effect of mobility on the pandemic situation in the Brazilian territory. Our main contribution is to show how mobility data, particularly fine-grained ones, can offer valuable insights into virus propagation. For this, we propose a modification in the SENUR model to add mobility information, evaluating different data availability scenarios (different information granularities), and finally, we carry out simulations to evaluate possible public policies. In particular, we conduct a case study that shows, through simulations of hypothetical scenarios, that the contagion curve in several Brazilian cities could have been milder if the government had imposed mobility restrictions soon after reporting the first case. Our results also show that if the government had not taken any action and the only safety measure taken was the population’s voluntary isolation (out of fear), the time until the contagion peak for the first wave would have been postponed, but its value would more than double.

Introducción. En Colombia se han realizado esfuerzos por masificar el uso de semilla certificada, sin embargo, el desconocimiento de los productores en sus ventajas, la inexistencia de una oferta estable y la dependencia al precio de papa comercial, limitan la sostenibilidad de su producción. Objetivo. Evaluar financiera y biofísicamente la producción de semilla de papa en el departamento de Nariño, (Colombia). Materiales y Métodos. Se evaluó el uso, evolución, adopción y costos de semilla, entre mayo de 2016 y abril de 2018, para consolidar bases que permitan crear modelos de producción sostenibles. Dicha información fue recopilada por encuestas a 1018 hogares productores en veintiún municipios de la localidad. Para definir los parámetros biofísicos se utilizó una entrevista semiestructurada para extraer rangos y aptitudes en capas cartográficas, que se enmarcaron en un área con precipitación entre 800 a 1600 mm año-1, suelos francos con pendientes del 15 %, altitud entre 2800 a 3200 msnm y temperatura de 8 a 15 °C. El comportamiento del agronegocio se estableció con proyección de costos de producción a siete años, a partir de revisión de fuentes primarias y cifras de áreas sembradas durante los últimos diez semestres, que fue cotejada con la estimación del porcentaje de uso actual de semilla en la región para establecer la demanda potencial. Resultados. La carga económica no permitió generar rendimientos significativos en una sola hectárea (: 6 %), porque fueron inferiores al de la producción de papa comercial (: 18 %), con un promedio 20 % y una tasa interna de retorno (TIR) del 28 %. Conclusión. El área mínima para superar la rentabilidad de la producción de papa comercial fue de tres hectáreas, logrando suministrar el 3 % de la demanda de semilla. Las zonas con mayor potencial para producción fueron los Municipios de Pasto, Tangua y Sapuyes.

To evaluate the current microplastics (MPs) contamination on the NW coast of Portugal, opportunistic samples from coastal areas with different levels of anthropogenic impacts were analyzed. Water samples were collected from a coastal marine protected area, an urban estuary, a submarine wreck, and a recreational marina. An optimized protocol for the quantification of MPs, followed by visual identification and FTIR spectroscopy analysis was used to characterize MPs (polymer, type, size, color). MPs were found in all the case studies. A total of 2456 ​MPs particles were identified and classified as fibers (39%), film (39%), and fragments (22%). Up to 54% of MPs had a size range between 1 and 3 ​mm. Transparent was the dominant color (56%), followed by white (19%). Polyethylene and polypropylene were the main MPs polymers detected. Higher MPs concentration were found in areas associated with high intense fishing and shipping activities. This study showed that different types of MPs were present in all the aquatic environments surveyed, mainly in areas with more anthropogenic activities, emphasizing the need for measures to properly manage plastic litter and mitigate marine plastic pollution.

A man, 26 years-old, presented fever, mental confusion and a progressively worsening headache 6 days prior to admission. The CSF study was suggestive of meningoencephalitis, the PCR study revealed presence of HSV-1 and ZIKV, while other immunology tests were negative. ZIKV was also identified in serum. The MRI showed temporal lobe hyper-intensity in FLAIR-weight sequence with areas of contrast enhancement and the electroencephalogram showed slow wave activity in such region. Patient was treated with acyclovir and supportive measures and had good clinical outcome at evaluation after 6 months. Neurological spectrum of ZIKV manifestations is wide, but meningoencephalitis is not frequent. Co-infection HSV-1 plus ZIKV was not yet related in humans, but there is increased cellular damage caused by association of ZIKV and herpes virus family infection. ZIKV may facilitate infection or recrudescence by other viruses or cause concurrently neuronal injury by direct or indirect mechanisms. We suggest that clinicians attempt new manifestations related to ZIKV and include this agent in differential diagnosis of neurological diseases even when other agents were identified. Keywords: Zika virus, Human herpesvirus 1, Meningoencephalitis, Case report