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Owning shares of company profits is one of the most common ways to invest and generate wealth. A large number of people who have made a fortune have achieved it by creating or buying an equity stake in a successful corporation. This is the reason the equity market is so popular among all kinds of investors. Moreover, the stock market is so vast that it provides opportunities for everyone willing to participate: from small investors to large hedge funds, you will find an investment style for each kind of participant.

Splenosis is a benign condition which results from the self-implantation of splenic tissue on intra or extraperitoneal surfaces, after splenic trauma or splenectomy. Patients are usually asymptomatic but may present with varied symptoms related to the implantation site. The diagnosis is a challenge because abdominal splenosis can mimic several diseases, including neoplasm. The gold standard examination for its diagnosis is scintigraphy with 99mTc-labelled heat-denatured erythrocyte. When splenosis is found in an asymptomatic patient, surgical removal is not indicated. A 57-year-old male patient presented with sporadic epigastric pain and a suspected mass in the recto-sigmoid transition. Abdominal ultrasound, CT and MRI identified this mass, its characteristics and location, but failed to distinguish its nature. However, given the patient’s past history of splenectomy and because the mass showed a similar sign to that of the splenic parenchyma, a hypothesis of abdominal splenosis was raised, which was confirmed by scintigraphy with 99mTc-labelled heat-denatured erythrocyte. In this case, the diagnosis was obtained before the patient was subjected to more invasive procedures, which are associated with high morbidity, and, as in most cases, no targeted intervention was necessary. LEARNING POINTS: Increasing numbers of cases of abdominal trauma will result in more frequent splenosis. Diagnosis is sometimes complex as splenosis mimics several diseases. The usual complementary imaging studies often fail to diagnose this entity so clinical suspicion is fundamental for correct diagnosis and treatment.

The widely known CR-39 nuclear track detectors (NTDs) have been used to investigate the etch pits formed by alpha particles from a 241Am source moderated to 1–2 MeV. The efficiencies of two available CR-39 plastic detectors, Lantrak and Baryotrak, have been studied as a function of the chemical etching time. The chemical etching solutions of the NaOH, KOH and NaOH+ethyl alcohol at 70 and 80°C have been applied to build etch pit diameter growths as well as density curves. The obtained growth curves of etch pit diameters have been compared under these different etching conditions, showing similar general trends for Baryotrak and Lantrak detectors for etching at 70°C. A slight divergence of the curves have been observed at 80°C for etching times above 400 min, revealing a small variation in the bulk etch rates between the two detector types. The etch pit density curves for both detectors have also been studied, showing a plateau for all etching conditions except for NaOH+ethyl alcohol at 80°C, in which there is a significant decrease in density after ≈ 600 min of etching. The results obtained with the protocols described in detail in this work show the pertinent precautions to be adopted in the chemical treatment of NTDs for the detection of alpha particle at low energies. In particular, the quantitative results highlight the limits of linear growth of pits and induction etching time for etch pits with diameters D=0 μ m (EIT 0 ) and D=1 μ m (EIT 1 ).

A very common activity in financial programming is the generation of price-related data that needs to be visualized by traders or other business stakeholders. Most of the time, the data is expected to be plotted in the form of a chart for easy visualization. Visualization strategies for financial data range from simple line charts for daily prices to complex graphical output using candles, superposed studies, and other less conventional notation.

One of the advantages of code implemented in C++ is that it can be used as part of native libraries or stand-alone applications and also integrated as a component of other development and modeling environments. In the financial industry, for instance, it is common to have lower-level modules implemented in C++, with high-level analysis being performed in more user-oriented environments such as Excel, Mathematica, Matlab, Maxima, R, and Octave.

O uso inadequado da tecnologia de aplicacao de produtos fitossanitarios pode causarserios riscos de contaminacao ambiental, alem de prejudicar o manejo fitossanitario. Autilizacao de adjuvantes e pontas de pulverizacao adequadas pode ser uma alternativaeficiente para contornar essa situacao. Diante disso, o objetivo do trabalho foi estudar adeposicao de calda em folhas do dossel do feijoeiro (P. vulgaris L.) e as perdas para osolo proporcionada pela aplicacao terrestre em diferentes condicoes operacionais.Objetivou-se tambem avaliar o espectro de gotas gerado no momento da pulverizacao.O ensaio de deposicao foi realizado na Fazenda Experimental Sobradinho, com acultivar BRS-FC402, em marco de 2019. O experimento foi conduzido em delineamentode blocos casualizados, com cinco repeticoes; em modelo fatorial 2x2 (duas pontas depulverizacao, sendo jato plano e jato conico cheio, e solucao de pulverizacao com esem um adjuvante multifuncional). Adicionou-se a calda o marcador Azul Brilhante paraser detectado por espectrofotometria. Adicionalmente, avaliou-se o espectro de gotas,atraves de papeis hidrossensiveis. Concluiu-se que o uso da ponta de jato plano, naausencia de adjuvante, resultou em maior deposicao de calda, nas folhas da metadesuperior das plantas de feijao. A adicao do adjuvante a calda de pulverizacao, de formageral, melhorou a deposicao do tracador na metade superior da cultura, alem deaumentar o diâmetro da mediana volumetrica das gotas. As gotas formadas nasaplicacoes com a ponta de jato conico mostraram-se mais sujeitas a deriva,especialmente quando nao ocorreu a adicao do adjuvante a calda de pulverizacao.

Dinoflagellates are photosynthetic protists commonly distributed in marine and freshwater environments and can be found in symbiotic associations. They are a significant primary producer and play a fundamental role in the functioning of aquatic ecosystems – especially for coral reefs. Dinoflagellates can produce a wide variety of secondary metabolites, and their toxins can affect fish, birds and mammals. In recent years these toxins have been found to have potential cytotoxic, anticancer, antibiotics, antifungals activities. This mini review covers the main genera of dinoflagellates, and challenges and advances in their cultivation in addition to prospects for development of dinoflagellates-based products., This study was financed in part by Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - Brasil - Finance Code 001 and AOG is thankful to Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) (PQ 308063/2019-8)., {"references":["Anderson, D.M., Alpermann, T.J., Cembella, A.D., Collos, Y., Masseret, E. & Montresor, M. (2012). The globally distributed genus Alexandrium: multifaceted roles in marine ecosystems and impacts on human health. Harmful Algae 14: 10-35.","Bachvaroff, T.R., Adolf, J.E., Place & A.R. (2009). Strain variation in Karlodinium veneficum (Dinophyceae): toxin profiles, pigments, and growth characteristics. Journal of Phycology 45: 137-153.","Balech, E. (1989). Redescription of Alexandrium minutum Halim (Dinophyceae) type species of the genus Alexandrium. 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Singapore isolates of the dinoflagellate Gymnodinium catenatum (Dinophyceae) produce a unique profile of paralytic shellfish poisoning toxins 1. Journal of Phycology 38(1), 96-106","Huang, S.J., Kuo, C.M., Lin, Y.C., Chen, Y.M. & Lu, C.K. (2009). Carteraol E, a potent polyhydroxyl ichthyotoxin from the dinoflagellate Amphidinium carterae. Tetrahedron Letters 50(21), 2512-2515.","Iwamoto, M., Sumino, A., Shimada, E., Kinoshita, M., Matsumori, N. & Oiki, S. (2017). Channel formation and membrane deformation via sterolaided polymorphism of amphidinol 3. Scientific Reports 7(1), 1-10.","Jeong, H.J., Du Yoo, Y., Kim, J.S., Seong, K.A., Kang, N.S. & Kim, T.H. (2010). Growth, feeding and ecological roles of the mixotrophic and heterotrophic dinoflagellates in marine planktonic food webs. Ocean Science Journal 45(2), 65-91.","Jephcott, T.G., Sime-Ngando, T., Gleason, F.H. & Macarthur, D.J. (2016). Host–parasite interactions in food webs: diversity, stability, and coevolution. 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MANIFEST is a multi-object fibre positioner for the Giant Magellan Telescope that uses ‘Starbug’ robots to accurately position fibre units across the telescope’s focal plane. MANIFEST, when coupled to the telescope’s planned seeing-limited instruments, GMACS and GCLEF, offers access to: larger fields of view; higher multiplex gains; versatile focal plane reformatting of the focal plane via multiple integral-field-units; increased spectral resolution using image-slicers; the capability for simultaneous observations with multiple instruments; the possibility of a gravity-invariant spectrograph mounting; the potential for OH suppression via fiber systems in the near-infrared; and the versatility of adding new instruments in the future. We have now completed the pre-concept phase for MANIFEST. This phase has focused on developing the science case and requirements, further developing high risk aspects of the instrument design, designing the opto-mechanical interfaces to the GMACS and GCLEF instruments, and detailing the interfaces to the GMT.

Consumption of foods containing mycotoxins, as crucial groups of naturally occurring toxic agents, could pose significant health risks. While the extensive scientific literature indicates that prevention of contamination by toxigenic fungi is one of the best ways to reduce mycotoxins, detoxifying strategies are useful for improving the safety of food products. Nowadays, the food and pharmaceutical industries are using the concept of combined technologies to enhance the product yield by implementing emerging techniques, such as ultrasound, ohmic heating, moderate electric field (MEF), pulsed electric field (PEF) and high-pressure processing, during the fermentation process. While the application of emerging technologies in improving the fermentation process is well explained in this literature, there is a lack of scientific texts discussing the possibility of mycotoxin degradation through the interaction effects of emerging technologies and fermentation. Therefore, this study was undertaken to provide deep insight into applying emerging processing technologies in fermentation, mechanisms and the prospects of innovative combinations of physical and biological techniques for mycotoxins' detoxification. Among various emerging technologies, ultrasound, ohmic heating, MEF, PEF, and cold plasma have shown significant positive effects on fermentation and mycotoxins detoxification, highlighting the possibility of interactions from such combinations to degrade mycotoxins in foods.

Emerging decontamination technologies have been attracted considerable attention to address the consumers' demand for high quality and safe food products. As one of the important foods in the human diet, cereals are usually stored for long periods, resulting in an increased risk of contamination by different hazards. Mycotoxins comprise one of the significant contaminants of cereals that lead to enormous economic losses to the industry and threats to human health. While prevention is the primary approach towards reducing human exposure to mycotoxins, decontamination methods have also been developed as complementary measures. However, some conventional methods (chemical treatments) do not fulfill industries' expectations due to limitations like safety, efficiency, and the destruction of food quality attributes. In this regard, novel techniques have been proposed to food to comply with the industry's demand and overcome conventional methods' limitations. Novel techniques have different efficiencies for removing or reducing mycotoxins depending on processing conditions, type of mycotoxin, and the food matrix. Therefore, this review provides an overview of novel mycotoxin decontamination technologies such as cold plasma, irradiation, and pulse light, which can be efficient for reducing mycotoxins with minimum adverse effects on the quality and nutritional properties of produce.

Understanding damage to non-structural elements, identifying sources of critical issues, and how damage affects the functionality of facilities are all critical aspects for developing general recommendations concerning disaster risk management. In the present paper a review of non-structural damage caused by recent earthquakes was performed in several localities exposed to seismic hazard such as Mt. Etna in Italy, Lisbon and Azores islands in Portugal and southern Lowland in Iceland. This was needed in order to derive the most common non-structural damage framed into the local situation, which in turn is a basic requirement for a well tailored communication campaign. The observed damage to non-structural elements as derived in this study led to the conclusion that the most commonly damaged elements are partition walls, ceiling systems, non-structural vaults, chimneys, building contents and storage racks. Analyses proved that substantive efforts are needed worldwide to improve techniques for reducing damage to non-structural elements. Non-structural mitigation represents a major opportunity for immediate low-cost action to reduce the impacts of earthquakes at home, school and workplaces. Research results within the KnowRISK EU project was the reference ground upon which a wide range of tools for multi-stakeholders (students, business and citizens) to improve seismic performance of non-structural elements and reducing the associated economic losses, loss of functionality, and potential threats to life safety was designed.

“Move, protect, secure” were the three key points that the KnowRISK project posed at the core of its communication and dissemination strategy. This three key points enable each person, professional or not, to reduce non-structural damage caused by earthquakes. Dissemination is usually the last but never least step of a communication plan, and indeed it played a crucial role in KnowRISK for conveying the three key-point message to the widest audience. Standard dissemination activities, such as open-door events, and internet allowed us to achieve a wide spreading of ideas and best practices, reaching more than 4000 non-professionals and almost 50000 page views of the KnowRISK website (in three years), respectively. As communication was recipient-targeted, the dissemination task of the project was similarly addressed to professionals, layman, and schools. In particular, schools were chosen in order to profit from the chain-reaction action that is capable to spread a message from students to the surrounding environment.

The present paper describes the process of moving from a research study of most common vulnerable non-structural elements, to deliver solutions, tools and guidelines to improve understanding of and responsiveness to community concerns about seismic risk and non-structural elements. The observed damage to non-structural elements following recent earthquakes in Italy, Portugal and Iceland, were used for designing communication tools under the KnowRISK EU project for multi-stakeholders (students, business and citizens): the Practical Guide, the Students Short Guide, the KnowRISK Portfolio of Solutions, the Move, Protect and Secure video, the augmented reality apps, the maquettes, the students notebooks, videos, board games and hands-on tools. The philosophy behind these deliverables is that some risks, once identified, can be eliminated or reduced by informing people and suggesting preventive or emergency measures. These tools are devoted to improving the seismic performance of non-structural elements and to reduce the associated economic losses, loss of functionality, and potential threats to life safety. The rationale behind the selection of the information that people need to know for converting knowledge to more safety is discussed and a description of the transference of the findings of research to communication solutions is presented. The tools were planned following the engagement-model in risk communication to ensure that needs of communities and selected stakeholders were acknowledged, and that recipients are addressed in a way that appeals to them. Different media and communication channels such as print, television, online, face-to face communication and interviews were used for risk communication.

For this research communication, 90 samples of a Brazilian dairy were combined into four groups (raw material, final product, food-contact and non-food contact surfaces) and analyzed by metataxonomics based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The results showed high alpha-diversity indexes for final product and non-food contact surfaces but, overall, beta-diversity indexes were low. The samples were separated in two main clusters, and the core microbiota was composed by Macrococcus, Alkaliphilus, Vagococcus, Lactobacillus, Marinilactibacillus, Streptococcus, Lysinibacillus, Staphylococcus, Clostridium, Halomonas, Lactococcus, Enterococcus, Bacillus and Psychrobacter. These results highlight that rare taxa occur in dairies, and this may aid the development of strategies for food protection.

In the search for microalgae species with potential for biodiesel production, Choricystis minor var. minor has been seen as a promising source of biomass due to its high lipid content and the satisfactory characteristics of its fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs). For this reason, the objective of this study was to investigate the synergistic effect of growth conditions and organic carbon sources on cultivation of this microalga. To do so, experimental cultivations were conducted in photoautotrophic, heterotrophic and mixotrophic metabolisms using glucose, fructose, glycerol or sucrose – in growth conditions that use organic carbon. Thus, growth parameters of the cultures were evaluated and at the end of the cultivations, FAMEs yield and profile were determined by gas chromatography, the efficiency of carbon conversion into biomass was evaluated and a microbial analysis was conducted. Regarding growth conditions, the findings have confirmed that, regardless of the organic carbon source used, the heterotrophic and mixotrophic metabolisms can present advantages over the photoautotrophic one. In addition, biomass production was higher with the use of glucose than with other organic carbon sources, regardless of growth condition (heterotrophic or mixotrophic). Moreover, cultivations with the addition of CO2 have converted carbon into biomass less efficiently. On the other hand, photoautotrophic cultures presented the lowest bacterial load. In comparison to photoautotrophic and mixotrophic, heterotrophic cultures have led to lower FAMEs content and higher yields of unsaturated fatty acids. The most satisfactory FAMEs profile for biodiesel production was obtained with mixotrophic growth using fructose.

This study aims to include the “epicentre migration” effect over time in the seismic occurrence process and subsequently in the assessment of seismic hazard and risk within a region. This epicentre migration phenomenon reflects the transfer of stress among different seismic zones. This study statistically quantifies how epicentres migrate among seismic zones, and a statistical measure was proposed to evaluate this influence. Traditionally, the location of the next earthquake is considered independent of the locations of previous events. However, seismic records reveal the existence of “spatial memory”. Our objective is to statistically quantify this memory. We used data from the Azores region to investigate this phenomenon because seismic zones have already been defined for this region. These zones are the “units” to and from which successive events migrate. Markov chains were used to model the sequence of seismic events over time. A one-step transition of the spatial variable (the seismic zone of an earthquake) was studied, revealing an evident spatial dependence between consecutive occurrences. For the case of a stationary Markovian process, two-step, …, N-step transitions were also considered, but a clear attenuation of spatial memory over time was observed as we moved to higher-order step transitions. This reveals that the methodology presented herein is especially useful in the assessment of seismic risk in the short or medium term. Only epicentral migration was analysed in this study, irrespective of the magnitudes and times between events. Time and magnitude variables will be incorporated into future studies given that the time, location and magnitude of an event are not independent and need to be studied together.

In the present trial, the levels of serum aflatoxin B1 (AFB1)-lysine and their relationship with biochemical parameters in broiler chicks fed an AFB1-contaminated diet were determined. The experime...

The contamination of food commodities in various conditions along the production chain is the point of concern, especially among recent years. While different conventional methods for microbial and mycotoxin decontamination of cereal and cereal-based products were introduced, approaching of newly introduced techniques such as Electron Beam Irradiation (EBI) attracted notable attention. EBI is classified as a non-thermal method for decontamination with several advantages over conventional thermal treatments, including environmental friendly, time effective, and lower detrimental effects on the nutritional value of food products. By contrast, the high needed investment for providing accelerators and low penetration power of the electron beam are among the limitations for the use of EBI in food industries. Importantly, the effectiveness of this method increased when applied in combination with other traditional approaches. In this paper, a review of available data regarding the application of EBI in reducing of the mycotoxin and microbial contaminations of cereal-based products is presented, indicating potential applications of this technique to significantly reduce the microbial load and main mycotoxins, especially when combined with fermentation methods. This promising technology can be considered as one of available alternatives in microbial and mycotoxin decontamination of cereal and cereal-based products.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial effects of crude and lyophilized extracts of leaves from sweet passion fruit (Passiflora alata), araçá (Psidium cattleianum), rosemary (Rosamrinus officinalis) and oregano (Origanum vulgare) on planktonic cells of Staphylococcus aureus and Aspergillus parasiticus. Sweet passion fruit showed no inhibitory effect against the micro-organisms tested. However, crude and lyophilized extracts from Araçá had the highest (P < 0.05) antimicrobial activity against S. aureus, with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of 0.39 and 0.35 mg/ml, respectively. MIC values against S. aureus for lyophilized extracts from rosemary and crude extracts from oregano were 0.57 and 0.65 mg/ml, respectively. None of the extracts demonstrated effective results against A. parasiticus, although araçá and oregano extracts had the lowest (P < 0.05) MIC values when compared with the other extracts. This preliminary screening study indicated that araçá, rosemary and oregano are interesting alternatives as antimicrobial agents in food substrates, although further studies are needed to develop commercial formulations based on field trials.

The results of radiographic and visual examinations of four mummies originating from Deir el-Bahari, now kept in different museums throughout Egypt, are presented here. One individual dates to the Twenty-second Dynasty, and the remaining three date to the Twenty-fifth Dynasty, and were possibly related. Some of the mummies possessed amulets, with one individual having unusual accouterments in addition to the amulets.

This study aimed to characterize endometrial cancer regarding cancer stem cells (CSC) markers, regulatory and differentiation pathways, tumorigenicity and glucose metabolism. Endometrial cancer cell line ECC1 was submitted to sphere forming protocols. The first spheres generation (ES1) was cultured in adherent conditions (G1). This procedure was repeated and was obtained generations of spheres (ES1, ES2 and ES3) and spheres-derived cells in adherent conditions (G1, G2 and G3). Populations were characterized regarding CD133, CD24, CD44, aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH), hormonal receptors, HER2, P53 and β-catenin, fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose ([18F]FDG) uptake and metabolism by NMR spectroscopy. An heterotopic model evaluated differential tumor growth. The spheres self-renewal was higher in ES3. The putative CSC markers CD133, CD44 and ALDH expression were higher in spheres. The expression of estrogen receptor (ER)α and P53 decreased in spheres, ERβ and progesterone receptor had no significant changes and β-catenin showed a tendency to increase. There was a higher 18F-FDG uptake in spheres, which also showed a lower lactate production and an oxidative cytosol status. The tumorigenesis in vivo showed an earlier growth of tumours derived from ES3. Endometrial spheres presented self-renewal and differentiation capacity, expressed CSC markers and an undifferentiated phenotype, showing preference for oxidative metabolism. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Aflatoxins are secondary metabolites produced by fungi of the genusAspergillus, which occur naturally in cereals like corn, beans and rice. Aflatoxin B1causes an extensive number of toxic effects in animals and humans. This mycotoxin is a stable term and can act in low concentrations due to their higher toxicity. Management to prevent commodities aflatoxin contamination is essential during the production, mainly in pre- and post-harvest steps. A number of essential oils and aqueous plant extracts have been reported to be fungal growth inhibitors and may provide an attractive alternative to prevent aflatoxin contamination in foods. Thus, the aim of this review is to highlight recent data on thein vitroantifungal activity of essential oils and aqueous extracts from plants and discuss the perspectives of their use in food products.

Tsunami damage on buildings in regions subjected to shaking is commonly modeled disregarding the occurrence of a previous earthquake and damages that have already occurred at those buildings. In Portugal, there are studies for the regions of Lisboa, Setubal and Algarve that access damages or vulnerability of buildings due to the action of tsunami waves. Even so, they never took into account that, if near to the epicenter, usually prior to the tsunami, there was an earthquake shaking capable of provoking some level of damages to the building stock in the affected area. In this paper, we propose a way of combining earthquake shaking damages with tsunami damages – the aggregated damage. This is defined as an additive function. The aggregated damage of a building is the sum of damages caused by the earthquake plus those caused by the tsunami. As for earthquake shaking damage assessment, we use a home-developed software model based on standard vulnerability indexes conveying fragility curves for 5 different damage states (DSi), for reinforced concrete and other building typologies (only masonry is considered in the present case). The tsunami fragility curves corresponding to similar DSi, were obtained from recent published literature where the main variable was the water maximum height reaching each building which was estimated using a Geographic Information System (GIS) approach.

A limited survey was conducted to assess the co-occurrence of aflatoxins (AF) B1, B2, G1, and G2; fumonisins (FB) B1 and B2; ochratoxin A (OTA); zearalenone (ZEN); and deoxynivalenol (DON) in maize food (N = 26) and animal feed (N = 45) collected from 21 small-scale farms from the states of Sao Paulo (SP) and Santa Catarina (SC), Brazil. Samples evaluated were maize meal and maize flour for human consumption available in the farm households, and maize-based feed intended for broiler chicks, laying hens, and dairy cows. Analyses of mycotoxins were performed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. The median levels of mycotoxins found in maize food were 2.5 μg/kg (total AF), 120 μg/kg (total FB), 13 μg/kg (ZEN), and 57 μg/kg (DON). All values were below the Brazilian tolerance limits, except for total FB in one sample of maize flour. In feed samples, median levels of total AF, total FB, ZEN, and DON were 100 μg/kg, 680 μg/kg, 160 μg/kg, and 200 μg/kg, respectively. The co-occurrence of two or more mycotoxins was confirmed in 35% and 51% of maize food and feed, respectively. Results indicate a low human exposure to mycotoxins in the small-scale farms evaluated and a higher exposure of farm animals to mycotoxins in the feed.

Introdução: A caracterização de massas renais através da realização de biópsia antes do tratamento cirúrgico é atualmente uma opção. Sem esta caracterização prévia doentes com massas renais benignas podem ser submetidos a cirurgias desnecessárias. O objetivo foi determinar a acuidade diagnóstica e a segurança da biópsia de massas renais. Material e Métodos: Estudo prospetivo uni-institucional de 38 doentes submetidos a biópsia de massa renal no período compreendido entre julho de 2014 e maio de 2016. Resultados: A biópsia foi diagnóstica em 76,3% (n = 29) dos casos. Em 21,7% (n = 6) das biópsias diagnósticas, a análise histológica demonstrou lesões benignas. Nos doentes submetidos a cirurgia verificou-se uma concordância global de 100% entre o resultado da biópsia e o resultado patológico da peça cirúrgica. A taxa de complicações foi de 5,3% (n = 2), ambas classificadas como grau I na escala Clavien-Dindo. Conclusão: A biópsia de massas renais mostrou elevada acuidade diagnóstica e segurança, podendo evitar a realização de cirurgias desnecessárias. Este procedimento poderá vir a fazer parte da avaliação prévia à decisão de tratamento em doentes com massas renais.

Objectives This study aimed to characterize mammospheres from hormonal receptor (HR) positive and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), hypothesizing a differential profile of CSC and differentiation markers, and a stemness enrichment when successive sphere forming-protocols are performed. Methods Breast cancer cells MCF-7 and HCC1806 were submitted to sphere-forming protocols. The first sphere generation (MS1) was cultured in adherent conditions (G1). This procedure was repeated and generations of mammospheres (MS1, MS2, and MS3) and sphere-derived cells in adherent conditions (G1, G2, and G3) were obtained. The mammosphere forming capacity, self-renewal, area and doubling time were evaluated. Flow cytometry regarding CD133, CD24, and CD44 and western-blot regarding aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH), hormonal receptors and P53 expression was performed. Results Breast cancer cell lines harboured the capacity to form spheres, which originated derived adherent populations. The sphere-forming capacity was enhanced in HCC1806-MS3 compared to MS1. Self-renewal was higher in MCF-7 mammospheres, which also had an increased area. The putative CSC markers CD133 showed tendency to be enhanced in mammospheres but the CD44+/CD24-/low phenotype was not identified. The expression of ALDH was greater in mammospheres from MCF-7 and HCC1806 than in the respectively derived adherent cells. The expression of oestrogen receptor (ER)-α, progesterone receptor (PR) and P53 decreased in MCF-7 spheres. ER-β expression was lower in mammospheres from both cell lines compared with parental and derived adherent populations. Conclusions Loss of HR and P53 expression in HR-positive mammospheres evidences the minor population of CSC which shares characteristics with the TNBC phenotype.

Graphical abstract, Highlights • The first study of hepatic aflatoxin residues in the Brazilian population. • AFB1 levels ranged from 10 to 418 pg/g in 27.1% of diseased liver samples (N = 48). • Residual AFB1 in liver negatively affected the p53 and protein Rb pathways in HCC. • AFB1 exposure can contribute for the progression of cirrhotic liver diseases., In this study, hepatic biopsies from autopsy cases in São Paulo, Brazil, showing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC, n = 8), cirrhosis associated with viral hepatitis (VC, n = 20), cirrhosis associated with alcoholism (AC, n = 20), and normal livers (NL or controls, n = 10) were subjected to determination of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and its main metabolites, and of markers of hepatic carcinogenesis Only non-metabolized AFB1 was detected in 13 samples (27.1%, N = 48) of liver disorders (HCC, VC and AC), at levels between 10.0 and 418.0 pg/g (mean: 76.6 ± 107.7 pg/g). Immuno-labeling of p53, cyclin D1, p21, β-catenin, and Prohibitin (PB) increased mainly in HCC patients, in relation to the controls. AFB1+ samples of HCC presented higher expressions of p53, cyclin D1, p21, and β-catenin compared with AFB1-livers. In contrast, p27, p16, and Rb immuno-labeling decreased in HCC, VC, and AC samples, compared with NL, with lowest values in AFB1+ samples for all liver disorders. Compared with NL, gene expression of cyclin D1 and PB in AFB1+ samples of HCC and AC were also higher, along with higher gene expression of p21 in VC and AC AFB1+ livers. Results indicated that patients with liver disorders were exposed to dietary aflatoxins, and that residual AFB1 in liver negatively affected the p53 and protein Rb pathways in HCC. Moreover, the presence of AFB1 in cirrhotic livers warrants concern about the potential contribution of dietary aflatoxin to disease progression during VC and AC.

Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites of fungi that cause toxic and carcinogenic effects. Human exposure to multiple mycotoxins constitutes an increasing health concern due to potential mycotoxins combined effects. The presence of mycotoxins mixtures in foodstuffs as cereals has been reported over the last years, but few studies are available concerning its occurrence in cereals primarily marketed for children, a particular vulnerable population group. The present study aims to assess the co-occurrence of twenty-one mycotoxins and metabolites present in breakfast cereals primarily marketed for children in Portugal. Results showed that 96% of the analysed breakfast cereal samples were contaminated with several mycotoxins. Twenty-two combinations were identified including two to seven different mycotoxins. Conclusions pointed out an urgent need to review legislative limits in food matrices consumed by children and to perform a more accurate risk assessment of children’s exposure to mycotoxins mixtures in food. This research was performed under the MycoMix project ‘‘Exploring the toxic effects of mixtures of mycotoxins in infant food and potential health impact” (PTDC/DTP-FTO/0417/2012) and CESAM: UID/AMB/50017/2013 both funded by the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT), Portugal, and project UID/ QUI/50006/2013 – POCI/01/0145/FEDER/007265 funded by FCT/ MEC through national funds and co-financed by FEDER, under the Partnership Agreement PT2020. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

This article introduces an algorithm to automatically translate a user-specified keyword-based query K to a SPARQL query Q so that the answers Q returns are also answers for K. The algorithm does not rely on an RDF schema, but it synthesizes SPARQL queries by exploring the similarity between the property domains and ranges, and the class instance sets observed in the RDF dataset. It estimates set similarity based on set synopses, which can be efficiently pre-computed in a single pass over the RDF dataset. The article includes two sets of experiments with an implementation of the algorithm. The first set of experiments shows that the implementation outperforms a baseline RDF keyword search tool that explores the RDF schema, while the second set of experiments indicate that the implementation performs better than the state-of-the-art TSA+BM25 and TSA+VDP keyword search systems over RDF datasets based on the “virtual documents” approach.

Video cameras are becoming essential tools for obtaining real-time information on the mechanical performance of structures and their contents during seismic events as well as information on the moving properties of propagating media, such as tsunamis, landslides, and water sloshing. Their recorded images also provide important clues on human behavior during shaking. In this paper a large set of situations obtained from published YouTube videos, involving structures, natural outfits, human behavior are presented. Video cameras cannot replace laboratory static tests or tests on shaking tables, pseudo-dynamic sub-structure testing, wind tunnels or the channel propagation of waves. However, information that is collected over time and well used is of great value, as it shows the real world without any shortcomings provoked by “similarity laws”, “boundary conditions”, or a “friction and nonlinear hypothesis”. This information should be collected even if it only serves as an “inspiration” to researchers by supporting new ideas that only visualization can provide. This type of information can be considered a random visual health monitoring system. The present paper pretends to show the added value brought by video and personal cameras to the health monitoring of the wave field. We supplement the presented observations with practical recommendations supported in a simple analysis. Once treated, the images can be used in presentations to illustrate different phenomena related to the wave propagation and effects on the built environment and can also serve as an inspiration for mathematical modeling and/or can supply information that otherwise would be lost.

In this work we developed improved bioactive glasses and glass-ceramics for biomedical applications, investigating their in vitro bioactivity, biocompatibility and antibacterial properties against E-Coli . A melt-quenched bioactive glass of the SiO 2 -CaO-P 2 O 5 -MgO system was modified with the addition of 1 and 2 mol% Ag 2 O and the 1 mol% Ag 2 O-containing glasses were then heat treated to produce glass-ceramics. Surface modifications after soaking in SBF and ionic concentration changes showed that addition of silver and crystallization did not affect bioactivity although crystalline phases promoted a decrease in the degradation rate. Biocompatibility of all Ag-containing glasses and glass-ceramics was confirmed for certain samples concentrations. The antibacterial activity of the glasses against E-Coli was generally improved with decreasing particle size or increasing Ag 2 O. The Ag-containing glass-ceramics with higher content of crystalline phase appears as a promising biocompatible biocidal material with potential applications in bone-related diseases.

Summary In this study, raw cow milk containing somatic cells counts (SCC) at mean levels of 39 000 cells mL−1 (low), 349 000 cells mL−1 (intermediate) and 1 297 000 cells mL−1 (high) was used for the production of pasteurised cream. Physicochemical (pH, fat and fatty acid profile) and microbiological analyses (mesophilic and psychrotrophs) were performed in the obtained creams during 30 days of refrigerated storage at 5 °C ± 2. No interactions (P > 0.05) were found between SCC, storage time and the physicochemical and microbiological variables studied. Fatty acid profile was similar among the SCC creams, except for oleic acid (C18:1), which decreased (P

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of different sources of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (SC) biomass (20.0 g/d) obtained from sugarcane (cell wall, CW; dried yeast, DY; autolyzed yeast, AY) and the beer industry (partially dehydrated brewery yeast, BY) on milk production, fat and protein percentages, and aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) excretion in milk from dairy cows receiving 480 µg aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) per day. A completely randomized design was used with 2 lactating cows assigned to each of 10 dietary treatments, as follows: negative controls (no AFB1 or SC-based biomass), positive controls (AFB1 alone), DY alone, DY + AFB1, BY alone, BY + AFB1, CW alone, CW + AFB1, AY alone, and AY + AFB1. The cows in the aflatoxin treatment group received AFB1 from d 1 to 6, while the SC biomass was administered with the AFB1 bolus from d 4 to 6. Aflatoxin B1 or SC-based products did not affect milk production or milk composition during the experimental period. Aflatoxin M1 was detected in the milk from all aflatoxin treatment group cows, reaching maximum levels at d 3 and varying from 0.52 ± 0.03 to 1.00 ± 0.04 µg/L. At end of the treatment period, CW, AY, DY, and BY removed 78%, 89%, 45%, and 50% of AFM1 from the milk, respectively, based on the highest level found on d 3. Results indicate a potential application of industrial fermentation by-products, especially CW and AY, as a feed additive in the diets of dairy cows to reduce the excretion of AFM1 in milk.

Background Ohmic Heating (OH) technology is a heating process wherein electric current is passed through the food acting as an electrical resistor, converting the electrical energy into thermal energy. This fact results in shorter heating times compared to the conventional process, which promotes some advantages, such as, the maintenance highest levels of nutritional compounds, the uniformness in heating system and the reduction in fouling formation. The success of the process depends on the parameters related to the food and process itself, such as, frequency, electrical field strength, residence time and electrical conductivity. Scope and approach This review aims to describe the main factors and parameters involved in this technology, highlighting its effects on quality, microbial inactivation, and fouling during processing of dairy products. Key findings and conclusions Due to the more rapid and uniform heating, the OH technology has advantages over the conventional processes, such as maintenance of nutritional compounds and reduction of fouling, which are important factors in the dairy products processing. In addition, there are additional effects of electroporation on microbial cells, which promotes further microorganisms inactivation which are problematic for safety of dairy foods.

Hypersensitivity pneumonitis is understood to be a delayed allergic reaction to the repeated exposure of a usually innocent inhaled agent, causing inflammatory damage to the pulmonary parenchyma, alveoli and terminal bronchioles. With ongoing exposure, it can cause respiratory compromise and pulmonary fibrosis. Recognizing the heterogeneity of the causative agents and the low incidence of the disease, we considered it important to report the case of a greenhouse worker who developed a Cladosporium sp. related hot-tub lung hypersensitivity pneumonitis. We believe it to be the first reported case of a greenhouse occupational hypersensitivity pneumonitis due to Cladosporium sp. LEARNING POINTS Enquiring about environmental and occupational exposure during anamnesis is fundamental, particularly when addressing respiratory tract symptoms. The mainstay management of hypersensitivity pneumonitis is based on eviction of the offending agent and control of inflammation, currently with corticosteroids. Antigen source removal may entail important psychological, social and economic consequences for the patient and will need a multidisciplinary approach.

This study aimed to summarize the occurrence of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) in the various cultivars of the Persian pistachio nut and the decontamination techniques, with the aid of a systematic review and meta-analysis. In this regard, all published studies up to November 2019 among international and national databases were screened, resulting in 23 articles. According to the findings, the main aflatoxin identified in the pistachio nut was AFB1, with AFB1 concentrations in ~28% of the studies being ? 5 µg/kg, in ~35% of the studies being ? 10 µg/kg, and in ~37% of the studies being ? 10 µg/kg. Generally, in most studies (~72%), AFB1 content in pistachio cultivars was higher than the acceptable level proposed by the Iranian National Standard. Although several physical and chemical techniques for AFB1 reduction have been introduced, most of them are not safe and/or suitable for human consumption.

Seismic intensity for the February 28, 1969 (Mw = 7.8) earthquake have been re-evaluated using original documents in local archives, such as, contemporary newspapers, council minutes, monographic studies, among other sources for Spain, Portugal and Morocco and answers to macroseismic questionnaires for Morocco. This information is used to plot a new intensity map for the whole region affected by the earthquake: Portugal, Spain and Morocco. The intensity values vary from VIII to IX in the E-W coast of Algarve, southern Portugal, to II–III. Furthermore, we have relocated the hypocentres for main shock and 24 aftershocks using a new 3D crustal velocity model for the Gulf of Cadiz region and a non-linear probabilistic location methodology, most of them previously lacking a depth estimate. The new locations show an E-W distribution of epicenters, with focus located in the uppermost mantle, most of them with depths between 30 and 50 km. No earthquakes have been located at depths shallower than 30 km. A comparison between peak ground accelerations (PGAs) estimated from the observed intensities for the 1969 and the Lisbon 1755 earthquakes, and synthetic PGA values, generated assuming two different scenarios (using the 1969 and 2009 earthquakes) for the 1755 Lisbon event, shows that the observed damage produced by the 1755 earthquake may be better explained assuming a reverse dip-slip mechanism oriented in NE-SW direction, similar to that of the 2009 earthquake, rather than assuming focal mechanism similar to that of the 1969 earthquake.

The present study aimed to analyze the growth of Chlorella vulgaris in the effluent of a Biofloc Technology (BFT) system used in the Nile tilapia fingerlings farming. The conditions were cultivated by 10 days at 25 ± 2ºC, 90 μmol photons m−2 s−1 irradiance, under constant aeration (without addition of CO2), and with different BFT effluent proportions (0, 50, and 100%). After 24 hours of the inoculation that marked the beginning of the experiment, the development and multiplication of the cells were verified, demonstrating that the BFT effluent used in the Nile tilapia farming was favorable for the cultivation of the microalga Chlorella vulgaris. As expected, the Provasoli culture medium presented the best performance (1,520 ± 75 104 cells mL-1) in relation to the growth of the microalga. However, during the first four days of cultivation, C. vulgaris showed higher growth in treatments containing BFT effluent. C. vulgaris removed 93.6% of the nitrate contained in the BFT effluent. The results of the present study showed the potential use of C. vulgaris on Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture with Nile tilapia fingerlings. In addition to removing nitrate and other nitrogen compounds, C. vulgaris biomass could be used to feed zooplankton or Nile tilapia larvae.

Anomalocardia brasiliana post-larvae were cultured for 28 days to evaluate the effect of stocking density on their growth and survival rate. Three stocking densities were tested 40, 80 and 160 post-larvae cm-2, in experimental units (2-L) with static cultivation system and total water renewal at each 48 hours. The experimental design was completely randomized with three treatments and three repetitions each. Stocking density of 40 post-larvae cm-2 reached 1 mm length within 24 days, while only 18% of the post-larvae at density of 80 post-larvae cm-2 reached 1 mm length in the same time. The density of 40 post-larvae cm-2 had the highest specific growth rate, 4.98±0.08% day-1. The survival rates of post-larvae at lower densities were significantly higher (53.24±4.60% and 52.95±3.32%, on 40 and 80 post-larvae cm-2, respectively) compared to higher stocking density (31.54±0.70%). In the cultivation of A. brasiliana post-larvae, stocking density must be managed during growth. The density of 160 post-larvae cm-2 can only be used until the post-larvae reach 600μm in length, then they should be at 40 post-larvae cm-2 density to keep the maximum daily growth rate. RESUMO: Pós-larvas de Anomalocardia brasiliana foram cultivadas por 28 dias para avaliar o efeito da densidade de estocagem no crescimento e taxa de sobrevivência. Três densidades de estocagem foram testadas: 40, 80 e 160 pós-larvas cm-2, em unidades experimentais (2 L) com sistema de cultivo estatístico e renovação total de água a cada 48 h. O delineamento experimental foi inteiramente casualizado com três tratamentos em triplicata. A densidade de estocagem com 40 pós-larvas cm-2 alcançou 1 mm de comprimento após 24 dias, enquanto apenas 18% das pós-larvas estocadas a 80 pós-larvas cm-2 atingiram 1 mm de comprimento no mesmo período. A densidade de 40 pós-larvas cm-2 apresentou a maior taxa de crescimento específico 4,98±0,08% dia-1. As taxas de sobrevivência de pós-larvas em baixas densidades foram significativamente maiores (53,24 ± 4,60% e 52,95 ± 3,32%, em 40 e 80 pós-larvas cm-2, respectivamente) em comparação com a maior densidade de estocagem (31,54 ± 0,70%). Os resultados sugerem que na criação de pós-larvas de A. brasiliana, a densidade populacional deve ser ajustada durante o crescimento. A densidade de 160 pós-larvas cm-2 só pode ser usada até que as pós-larvas atinjam o comprimento de 600µm; em seguida deve ser alterada para a densidade de 40 pós-larvas cm-2 para manter a taxa máxima de crescimento diário.

Objective This case-study provides a summary of skeletal lesions seen in a case of diagnosed juvenile pulmonary tuberculosis with extensive multifocal bony lesions. Materials Skeleton of a 9-year-old girl who died in the 1940s in Lisbon, Portugal. The remains of this individual are part of the Lisbon skeletal reference collection curated at the National Museum of Natural History and Science. Methods Lesions and paleopathological conditions were identified and documented through macroscopic, radiographic, computed tomographic, and mammographic analysis. Results The skeleton shows a variety of lytic lesions on the ribs and thoracic vertebrae including complete destruction of the bodies and fusion of the vertebral arches of four vertebrae, kyphosis, and scoliosis. Further pathological conditions were identified, including bone erosion, premature fusion of the left femoral head and greater trochanter, and abnormal size and shape changes to the lower limbs including loss of bone mass and stunting of the long bones. Conclusions Skeletal lesions are indicative of spondylitis, Pott’s disease, and prolonged bedrest. Significance This case is one of the few examples of confirmed juvenile pulmonary tuberculosis with skeletal lesions prior to the antibiotic era. As such, it provides a reference for the skeletal abnormalities which may be observed in archaeological tuberculosis cases. Limitations Pulmonary tuberculosis was recorded as cause of death, however there is no documentation to know the length of illness period or the existence of any comorbidities. Suggestions for further research Consideration of multi-focal lesions is recommended when analyzing individuals with suspected tuberculosis.

Background: Breast milk is considered an essential food segment for children up to 6 months; however, it can be contaminated with some mycotoxins, such as aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) and ochratoxin A (OTA) as a consequence of ingestion of dietary mycotoxins by lactating mothers. Moreover, the health of infants can be threatened due to simultaneous exposure to a mixture of mycotoxins mainly due to their potential synergistic effects. Scope and approach: An overview of the prevalence of mycotoxins in breast milk and infant formula, fruit- and cereal-based products as routine diets of infants during the last 10 years, besides the associated health risks, were presented. In this regard, the relevant citations published in international databases such as PubMed, Science direct from 2008 to 2019 were screened by the aid of a systematic review approach. Key findings and conclusions: The high prevalence of AFM1 and OTA in breast milk reported in several countries highlighted the extent of mycotoxin occurrence in the diet of lactating mothers. Furthermore, the exposure rates of infants to mycotoxins in breast milk and infant formula while generated a margin of exposure values lower than 10,000, indicating a huge public health concern. Thus, reducing the dietary exposure of mycotoxins for lactating mothers and approaching the required controlling steps during the processing and distribution of infant formulas are crucial. Further studies are recommended to evaluate the health risks to infants due to dietary exposure to multiple mycotoxins in infant foods. Highlights: Assessment of 73 studies on mycotoxin occurrence in breast milk and infant foods during 2008–2019; AFM1 and OTA were the main occurring mycotoxins in breast milk and infant foods; High health risks associated with the exposure of children to dietary aflatoxins; Co-occurrence of mycotoxins in fruit products and cereal-based infant formula should be a concern. The authors would like to thank Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) for the fellowship (Grant #2017/12956-2). A.S. Sant'Ana acknowledges the financial support from CNPq (Grant #302763/2014-7, #305804/2017-0) and CAPES (Financial code 01). This work was also supported by the National Institute of Health Dr. Ricardo Jorge, Projeto Incentivo de Estudos de Biomonitorização Humana de Âmbito Nacional | BioMAN [BioMAN/DAN/01] and CESAM, through the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia [UID/AMB/50017/2013], national funds, and the co-funding by the FEDER [POCI-01-0145-FEDER-00763], within the PT2020 Partnership. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES:The advent of minimally invasive surgical techniques has enabled the reduction of morbidity associated with surgical treatment of renal lithiasis. However, there is not ...