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The ocean is the main heat reservoir in Earth’s climate system, absorbing most of the top-of-the-atmosphere excess radiation. As the climate warms, anomalously warm and fresh ocean waters in the densest layers formed near Antarctica spread northward through the abyssal ocean, while successions of warming and cooling events are seen in the deep-ocean layers formed near Greenland. The abyssal warming and freshening expands the ocean volume and raises sea level. While temperature and salinity characteristics and large-scale circulation of upper 2000 m ocean waters are well monitored, the present ocean observing network is limited by sparse sampling of the deep ocean below 2000 m. Recently developed autonomous robotic platforms, Deep Argo floats, collect profiles from the surface to the seafloor. These instruments supplement satellite, Core Argo float, and ship-based observations to measure heat and freshwater content in the full ocean volume and close the sea level budget. Here, the value of Deep Argo and planned strategy to implement the global array are described. Additional objectives of Deep Argo may include dissolved oxygen measurements, and testing of ocean mixing and optical scattering sensors. The development of an emerging ocean bathymetry dataset using Deep Argo measurements is also described.

The international array of profiling floats known as Argo is a major component of the global ocean- and climate-observing system. In 2010, the NAOS (Novel Argo Observing System) project was selected as part of France’s Equipex “Investissement d’Avenir” program. The objectives of NAOS were to consolidate the French contribution to the Argo core mission (global temperature and salinity measurements down to 2,000 m) as well as to develop the future generation of French Argo profiling floats and prepare the next phase of the Argo program with an extension to the deep ocean (Deep-Argo), biogeochemistry (BGC-Argo) and polar seas. This paper summarizes the main technological advances and at-sea validations carried out as part of NAOS: development of a deep (4,000 m) float, a new BGC float for Research & Development (R&D) applications, and a BGC float for deployments in Arctic areas, assessment of a new density and Absolute Salinity optical sensor, improvement of the reliability of the standard Argo float, and upgraded satellite-transmission performance. French profiling floats developed in this way are now operational and among the most deployed worldwide, and the density sensor is the most promising of its kind for profiling floats applications.

In the past two decades, the Argo Program has collected, processed, and distributed over two million vertical profiles of temperature and salinity from the upper two kilometers of the global ocean. A similar number of subsurface velocity observations near 1,000 dbar have also been collected. This paper recounts the history of the global Argo Program, from its aspiration arising out of the World Ocean Circulation Experiment, to the development and implementation of its instrumentation and telecommunication systems, and the various technical problems encountered. We describe the Argo data system and its quality control procedures, and the gradual changes in the vertical resolution and spatial coverage of Argo data from 1999 to 2019. The accuracies of the float data have been assessed by comparison with high-quality shipboard measurements, and are concluded to be 0.002°C for temperature, 2.4 dbar for pressure, and 0.01 PSS-78 for salinity, after delayed-mode adjustments. Finally, the challenges faced by the vision of an expanding Argo Program beyond 2020 are discussed.

Plant viral diseases constitute a major contributor to agricultural production losses, significantly impacting the economies of exporting countries by more than USD 30 billion annually. Understanding and researching the biology and genomics of viruses is crucial for developing virus-resistant genetically edited or genetically modified plants. Genetic modifications can be targeted to specific regions within genes of target plants which are important or essential for the virus to establish a systemic infection, thus fostering resistance or enabling plants to effectively respond to invading agents while preserving their yield. This review provides an overview of viral incidence and diversity in tropical fruit crops and aims to examine the current state of the knowledge on recent research efforts aimed at reducing or eliminating the damage caused by viral diseases, with emphasis on genetically edited products that have reached the market in recent years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Veredas is the property of Revista Veredas and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper examines how signers make lists. One way is to use the fingers on the signer's nondominant hand to enumerate items on a list. The signer points to these list-fingers with the dominant hand. Previous analyses considered lists to be nondominant, one-handed signs, and thus were called list buoys because the nondominant hand often remains in place during the production of the list. The pointing hand was largely ignored as a nonlinguistic gesture. We take a constructional approach based on Cognitive Grammar. In our approach, we analyze lists as a type of pointing construction consisting of two meaningful components: a pointing device (the pointing hand) used to direct attention; and a Place, also consisting of form and a meaning. Using data from Brazilian Sign Language (Libras) and Finland–Swedish Sign Language (FinSSL), we examine the semantic role of each component, showing how the nondominant list-fingers identify and track discourse referents, and how the pointing hand is used to create higher-order entities by grouping list-fingers. We also examine the integration of list constructions and their components with other conventional constructions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate whether cognitive impairment precedes self-reported poor hearing in adults aged 50 and older over a 14-year period. Biennial longitudinal study. The data came from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing carried out in England between 2002 and 2016, with 11,391 individuals aged 50 years and older. For this study, ELSA participants who had a positive perception of hearing at the beginning of the analysis in 2002 (n = 8,895) were eligible. The dependent variable was self-reported poor hearing, and the exposure measure was cognitive impairment. The analyses were performed using Generalised Estimation Equations and adjusted for gender, age, educational level, household wealth, smoking, alcohol consumption, depressive symptoms, ADL/IADL disability, physical activity level, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. The results showed 33% increased odds of self-reported poor hearing in individuals with cognitive impairment. In the fully adjusted model, individuals who presented cognitive impairment in the previous wave had, over time, 10% increased odds (95% CI: 1.02; 1.19) of presenting self-reported poor hearing. The exposure to cognitive impairment was associated with a subsequent self-reported poor hearing. These data represent important tools for improving cognitive and hearing impairment diagnosis and treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To analyze the effect of a comprehensive program of cognitive stimulation with digital inclusion, physical activity and social interaction, called "Oficina da Lembrança" (OL), on the cognitive status and concentration of biomarkers of neuroplasticity, neurodegeneration in adults aged 50 years and over attending a Memory Clinic. In this pilot randomized controlled study, 64 patients without dementia aged 45 to 79 years, seen at a University Memory Clinic in Southern Brazil, were randomly allocated to the intervention and control groups. The intervention consisted of participation in OL for 12 weeks. Serum biomarkers (brain-derived neurotrophic factor [BDNF], S100β, and neuron-specific enolase [NSE]) and cognitive status were analyzed as primary and secondary outcomes. The Wilcoxon test and Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE) were applied. Of the 64 patients invited to participate in the study, 33 (intervention: 17, control: 16) completed the study with all data. Improvement of cognitive status was significant in the intervention group (22.6 to 24.5) but not in the control group (20.1 to 21.1). There was a significant reduction of BDNF in OL participants, but no significant change was observed in the neurodegenerative biomarkers S100β or NSE. The concentration of BDNF decreased significantly post-OL in the intervention group (-288.1, 95%CI −362.1 to −94.1), even after adjusting for sex, age, and educational level. Cognitive status was significantly improved in OL participants. The OL program improved cognitive status, reduced serum BDNF levels, and empowered digitally excluded older adults. There was no effect of this intervention on S100β or NSE. This study has a Universal Trial Number (UTN) U1111-1195-2642 and was registered in the Brazilian Clinical Trials Registry (ReBEC), number RBR-38X665. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the association between serum vitamin D (25-hydroxy-cholecalciferol) (25(OH)D) concentrations and cognitive impairment in older adults living in Southern Brazil.Design: Cross-sectional analysis using data from the second follow-up wave of the populational-based EpiFloripa Aging Cohort Study was collected in 2013-2014.Setting: Cognitive impairment was evaluated using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Blood samples were collected to measure serum vitamin D concentrations using a chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay. Vitamin D concentrations were distributed in quartiles (Q1: 4·0-20·7 ng/ml; Q2: 20·8-26·6 ng/ml; Q3: 26·7-32·0 ng/ml and Q4: 32·1-60·1 ng/ml), and its association with cognitive impairment was tested by crude and adjusted logistic regression (sociodemographic, behavioural and health aspects) using Q4 as a reference group.Participants: 200 men and 371 women aged 60 years or older participated in this study.Results: The prevalence of probable cognitive impairment was 21·7 %. Those without cognitive impairment had a higher mean of vitamin D serum concentrations (26·8 v. 24·6, P = 0·014). In the crude analysis, only individuals in Q2 of vitamin D presented an increased risk for probable cognitive impairment compared with Q4 (highest quartile) (OR 2·65, 95 % CI 1·46, 4·81), remaining significant in the adjusted analysis (OR 6·04, 95 % CI 2·78, 13·13). While Q1 (lowest quartile) was not associated in the crude analysis, but when adjusted, an increased risk of cognitive impairment was observed.Conclusion: The lowest quartile of vitamin D was directly associated with probable cognitive impairment in older adults in Southern Brazil. More studies are needed to investigate whether maintaining adequate serum levels may represent a significant factor in preventing age-related neurological disorders as well as to verify the need for new cutoff points for this age group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the association between vitamin D and the cognitive decline of older adults and evaluate whether this association is mediated by brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) serum concentration. METHODS: Cross-sectional study nested in a population-based cohort. Of the 604 participants in the complementary examination of the EpiFloripa Study, 576 older adults (60 years or older) were eligible for the study. The outcome is cognitive decline evaluated by the Mini-Mental State Examination, the exposure is vitamin D, and BDNF is the mediator. The control variables are age, sex, per capita family income, and educational level. The direct effect of vitamin D and BDNF on cognitive decline and the indirect effect mediated by BDNF was evaluated using path analysis, with the estimation of standardized coefficients. RESULTS: Among the participants, we observed a direct and positive effect of vitamin D on cognitive function (Coef: 0.06; 95%CI: 0.02 to 0.11; p < 0.001) and serum BDNF concentration (Coef: 21.55; 95%CI: 9.92 to 33.17; p = 0.002), i.e., the higher the vitamin D, the higher the cognitive function and serum level of BDNF. CONCLUSION: There was an association between vitamin D on serum BDNF and on cognitive decline in older adults. Moreover, BDNF did not have an effect on cognitive decline, so BDNF was not a mediator of the vitamin D effect on cognitive decline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The prevalence of dementia has increased in recent years and, along with hearing loss, can negatively impact the health of older adults. The purpose of this retrospective cross-sectional study was to establish self-reported hearing loss and associated factors in older adults at a memory clinic. Method: Researchers conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study on factors associated with self-reported hearing loss (i.e., lifestyle, general health, cognition, functional capacity). Data were taken from medical records of older adults (≥ 60 years old) who received care between 2017 and 2018 at a memory clinic located at the Southern Santa Catarina University in Brazil. Analysis included the Pearson chi-squared test and logistic regression, estimation of the crude and adjusted odds ratios (OR), with respective confidence intervals of 95%. Results: Researchers analyzed the medical records of 257 older adults and verified a prevalence of 13.2% of these adults with self-reported hearing loss. There was a higher prevalence of the outcome (i.e., self-reported hearing loss) in older adults who reported tinnitus (35.2%), those with mild cognitive impairment (14.7%), and those who were sedentary (19.2%). After adjustment for confusion factors, tinnitus (OR = 4.63; p = .019) and sedentarism (OR = 2.89; p = .029) were still associated with the outcome. Conclusions: Tinnitus and sedentarism were associated with hearing loss in older adults receiving care at a memory clinic. As a public health issue, presbycusis needs to be included in the health planning and health promotion agendas, with effective control, prevention, and treatment measures [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

4,4‐difluoro‐5,7‐dimethyl‐4‐bora‐3a,4a‐diaza‐s‐indacene (BODIPY) and derivatives are an outstanding class of fluorescent dyes. Herein, we report on the introduction of a nitrosyl moiety into the BODIPY structure and its dramatic effect on the observed electrochemical reaction mechanism. 6‐Nitrosyl‐8‐phenyl‐BODIPY and its 5‐nitrosyl positional isomer, compounds 2 and 3, respectively, were obtained from the meso precursor, 8‐phenyl‐BODIPY (1), by nitrosation. Electrochemical studies for 1–3 are reported. Cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry in degassed DMF or in MeCN (reduction+oxidation), both with n‐Bu4NPF6 (0.1 mol L−1), were obtained. Compound 1 displays the usual behaviour for 8‐phenyl substituted BODIPYs. The addition of the acceptor nitroso group in compounds 2 (in position β) and 3 (in position α), leads to a different profile. For all the compounds, the nitroso group greatly facilitates the reductions. For compound 3 (EpIc=−0.238 V), the first to be reduced is the nitroso group, due to the stability of the electrogenerated radical anion, along with non‐bonding interactions with the electronegative boron difluoride. This is different from compound 2 (EpIc=−0.351 V) with a β‐nitroso group, where the nitroso‐based facilitated reduction occurs in the substituted BODIPY core. Spectroelectrochemistry coupled with analysis through conceptual density functional theory (CDFT) corroborate the voltammetric results and explain the unexpected reactivity differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Ciência & Saúde Coletiva is the property of Associacao Brasileira de Pos-Graduacao em Saude Coletiva and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris (Xcc) is the causal agent of black rot of crucifers. Here, we report a virus that infects Xcc isolated from brassica fields in Brazil. Morphological, molecular and phylogenetic analysis indicated that the isolated virus is a new member of the genus Pbunavirus, family Myoviridae, and we propose the name "Xanthomonas virus XC 2" for this virus. The isolated virus has a narrow host range, infecting only Xcc isolates, and it did not infect unrelated bacteria. These results indicate that the isolated bacteriophage is highly specific for Xcc and may be a potential agent for biological control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPRs) are composed of an array of short DNA repeat sequences separated by unique spacer sequences that are flanked by associated (Cas) genes. CRISPR‐Cas systems are found in the genomes of several microbes and can act as an adaptive immune mechanism against invading foreign nucleic acids, such as phage genomes. Here, we studied the CRISPR‐Cas systems in plant‐pathogenic bacteria of the Ralstonia solanacearum species complex (RSSC). A CRISPR‐Cas system was found in 31% of RSSC genomes present in public databases. Specifically, CRISPR‐Cas types I‐E and II‐C were found, with I‐E being the most common. The presence of the same CRISPR‐Cas types in distinct Ralstonia phylotypes and species suggests the acquisition of the system by a common ancestor before Ralstonia species segregation. In addition, a Cas1 phylogeny (I‐E type) showed a perfect geographical segregation of phylotypes, supporting an ancient acquisition. Ralstoniasolanacearum strains CFBP2957 and K60T were challenged with a virulent phage, and the CRISPR arrays of bacteriophage‐insensitive mutants (BIMs) were analysed. No new spacer acquisition was detected in the analysed BIMs. The functionality of the CRISPR‐Cas interference step was also tested in R. solanacearum CFBP2957 using a spacer‐protospacer adjacent motif (PAM) delivery system, and no resistance was observed against phage phiAP1. Our results show that the CRISPR‐Cas system in R. solanacearum CFBP2957 is not its primary antiviral strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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