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Interactions between birds and plastics cause several damages like death due to entanglement and blockage of the digestive tract. However, the impacts of plastics on both marine and terrestrial bird nests require further investigation. Recently, Lopes et al. (2024) published the first report on the presence of plastic debris in bird nests (Psarocolius decumanus) for the Amazon. The polymeric composition of fibers was determined, as well as the presence of six dyes in abandoned, fallen nests, of which five are potentially toxic. A month later, Monteiro et al. (2024) published a short communication, describing "plastic nests" of Cacicus cela and Pitangus sulphuratus for the Amazon. Here, we demonstrate that most of the nests presented in the study are in fact from P. decumanus and were wrongly identified as nests of C. cela, as well as inconsistencies regarding the identification of the birds. Finally, we provide recommendations for future studies., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

The negative effects of land-use changes on biodiversity significantly contribute to climate change. Primates are among the animals most affected by these changes, because of their high dependence on forest cover where a lack of forest connectivity can limit their dispersal and segregate their populations. In this sense, protected areas (PAs) are crucial for conserving endangered primates, especially endemic species. Using species distribution models, we assessed the impact of climate change and deforestation on the geographic distribution of 35 endangered Brazilian primates. We also evaluated the potential of PAs to retain suitable habitats for primate species under current conditions (baseline) and four future climate scenarios (optimistic and pessimistic, both for the periods 2041-2060 and 2061-2080), as well as the capacity of PAs to preserve species' geographic representation both now and in the future. Our findings indicate that most primate taxa would experience a significant loss of suitable area (> 90%) in both pessimistic and optimistic scenarios. For future scenarios, the loss could exceed 98% for 10 taxa, particularly Amazonian species. Regarding PAs potential to retain suitable areas for maintaining the richness of threatened primates, only 8.6% harbor more species than expected by chance (1-6 taxa) in the baseline conditions, with a decrease in future scenarios. Results suggest that taxa already threatened with extinction are inadequately protected by PAs in the baseline conditions and even less so in future scenarios. Given the restricted geographic distribution and current population decline for most taxa, we emphasize the need to increase the number of PAs to ensure population viability and prevent future extinction., Competing Interests: Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Despite the development of adapted popcorn cultivars such as UENF WS01, strategies such as bacterial inoculation are being explored to enhance plant resilience to abiotic stress. This study investigates the impact of drought stress on popcorn cultivation. Specifically, the aim was to identify the benefits of Bacillus cereus interaction with the drought-tolerant hybrid UENF WS01 for its morphophysiology and growth by comparing inoculated and non-inoculated plants under water-stressed (WS) and well-watered (WW) conditions. This evaluation was conducted using a randomized complete block design in a factorial arrangement. For WS with inoculation samples, there were significant increases in relative chlorophyll content, maximum fluorescence intensity, and agronomic water use efficiency. Chlorophyll content increased by an average of 50.39% for WS samples, compared to a modest increase of 2.40% for WW samples. Both leaf and stem biomass also significantly increased for WS relative to WW conditions. Overall, B. cereus inoculation mitigated the impact of water stress, significantly enhancing the expression of physiological and morphological traits, even when paired with a drought-tolerant hybrid.

Terminologia Anatomica (TA) is a unique collection of technical terms that allow communication in anatomy and medicine around the world. Considering this, we reviewed articles published by Latin American authors on Terminologia Anatomica and synthesized the main results found in this article. This study is a systematic review about Terminologia Anatomica that focuses on non-English-speaking countries in Latin America. The database used was Scopus via Elsevier. 207, and candidate articles were identified after applying the search strategy and with no restriction of year of publication. After the exclusion of articles whose authorship was not Latin American, 68 articles were filtered based on their titles and abstracts without the exclusion of any of them. These articles were fully evaluated resulting in 66 articles that met all the inclusion criteria of this review. We collected the following data: title of the article, year of publication, journal of publication, keywords of the study, country of origin, and aim of the article. Among the analyzed articles, 22 proposed changes to terms present in Terminologia Anatomica, 15 of them proposed the inclusion of terms for Terminologia Anatomica, and several articles sought to explain the existence of the existing terms. It is necessary to analyze the terms that are and their origins in the Latin America languages to evaluate their coherence and anatomical correspondence. A standard descriptor for Terminologia Anatomica was not obtained and it is a limitation since eventual articles may not have been obtained. As the study evaluates only articles that were published in journals indexed in Scopus, some articles published in non-indexed journals were not included., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Japanese Association of Anatomists.)

Omega-3 (ω3) fatty acids are widely investigated for their anti-inflammatory potential, however, there is little evidence regarding their action in the lung parenchyma in the context of obesity. The objective is to investigate the effects of flaxseed oil (FS), rich in α-linolenic (C18:3 - ω3), on the lungs of obese mice. Mice were fed a high-fat diet (HF) for 8 weeks to induce obesity. Subsequently, a part of these animals received HF containing FS oil for another 8 weeks. The HF consumption induced weight gain and hyperglycemia. The lung parenchyma shows a complete fatty acids profile, compared to the control group (CT). In the lung parenchyma, FS increases the ω3 content and, notwithstanding a reduction in the interleukins (IL) IL1β and IL18 contents compared to HF. However, FS promoted increased alveolar spaces, followed by MCP1 (Monocytes Chemoattractant Protein-1) positive cell infiltration and a dramatic reduction in the anti-inflammatory cytokine, IL10. Despite reducing the pulmonary inflammatory response, the consumption of a food source of ω3 was associated with alterations in the lipid profile and histoarchitecture of the lung parenchyma, which can lead to the development of pulmonary complications. This study brings an alert against the indiscriminate use of ω3 supplements, warranting caution., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

With the emergence of multidrug-resistant microorganisms, microbial agents have become a serious global threat, affecting human health and various plants. Therefore, new therapeutic alternatives, such as chitin-binding proteins, are necessary. Chitin is an essential component of the fungal cell wall, and chitin-binding proteins exhibit antifungal activity. In the present study, chitin-binding peptides isolated from Capsicum chinense seeds were characterized and evaluated for their in vitro antimicrobial effect against the growth of Candida and Fusarium fungi. Proteins were extracted from the seeds and subsequently the chitin-binding proteins were separated by chitin affinity chromatography. After chromatography, two fractions, Cc-F1 (not retained on the column) and Cc-F2 (retained on the column), were obtained. Electrophoresis revealed major protein bands between 6.5 and 26.6 kDa for Cc-F1 and only a ~ 6.5 kDa protein band for Cc-F2, which was subsequently subjected to mass spectrometry. The protein showed similarity with hevein-like and endochitinase and was then named Cc-Hev. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD054607. Next, we predicted the three-dimensional structure of the peptides and performed a peptide docking with (NAG) 3 . Subsequently, growth inhibition assays were performed to evaluate the ability of the peptides to inhibit microorganism growth. Cc-Hev inhibited the growth of C. albicans (up to 75% inhibition) and C. tropicalis (100% inhibition) and induced a 65% decrease in cell viability for C. albicans and 100% for C. tropicalis. Based on these results, new techniques to combat fungal diseases could be developed through biotechnological applications; therefore, further studies are needed., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Four new copper(II) complexes were synthesized and characterized with the general formula [Cu(N-N)(Th)(NO 3 )], where N-N corresponds to the N-heterocyclic ligands 1,10-phenanthroline (phen), 2,2'-bipyridine (bipy), 4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline (dpp), and 4,4-dimethyl-2,2'-bipyridine (dmbp) and Th represents the N , N -dibenzyl- N '-benzoylthiourea. Cytotoxic activities of the complexes against HCT116 (human colon carcinoma), HepG2 (human hepatocellular carcinoma), and non-tumor MRC-5 (human lung fibroblast) cells were investigated. The copper(II) complexes 1-4 were characterized by spectroscopic techniques while complexes 1 and 2 were studied using single-crystal X-ray diffraction as well. The complexes possessed a five-coordinated structure with one nitrate ligand as a monodentate at the axial position and two bidentate ligands N-heterocyclic and N , N -dibenzyl- N '-benzoylthiourea. The complexes showed promising IC 50 values, ranging from 0.3 to 9.0 μM. Furthermore, interaction studies with biomolecules such as calf thymus DNA (ct-DNA) and Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA), which can act as possible biological targets of the complexes, were carried out. The studies suggested that the compounds interact moderately with ct-DNA and BSA. Complexes 1, 2, and 4 did not lead to cell accumulation at any stage of the cell cycle but caused a significant increase in internucleosomal DNA fragmentation. Whereas, compound 3 caused cell cycle arrest in the S phase while doxorubicin caused cell cycle arrest in the G2/M phase. The effect of structural modifications on the metal compounds was correlated with their biological properties and it was concluded that an increase in biological activity occurred with increasing the extension of the diimine ligands. Thus, complex 3 was the most promising one.

Faced with the emergence of multiresistant microorganisms that affect human health, microbial agents have become a serious global threat, affecting human health and plant crops. Antimicrobial peptides have attracted significant attention in research for the development of new microbial control agents. This work's goal was the structural characterization and analysis of antifungal activity of chitin-binding peptides from Capsicum baccatum and Capsicum frutescens seeds on the growth of Candida and Fusarium species. Proteins were initially submitted to extraction in phosphate buffer pH 5.4 and subjected to chitin column chromatography. Posteriorly, two fractions were obtained for each species, Cb -F1 and Cf -F1 and Cb -F2 and Cf -F2, respectively. The Cb -F1 ( C. baccatum ) and Cf -F1 ( C. frutescens ) fractions did not bind to the chitin column. The electrophoresis results obtained after chromatography showed two major protein bands between 3.4 and 14.2 kDa for Cb -F2. For Cf -F2, three major bands were identified between 6.5 and 14.2 kDa. One band from each species was subjected to mass spectrometry, and both bands showed similarity to nonspecific lipid transfer protein. Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis had their growth inhibited by Cb -F2. Cf -F2 inhibited the development of C. albicans but did not inhibit the growth of C. tropicalis . Both fractions were unable to inhibit the growth of Fusarium species. The toxicity of the fractions was tested in vivo on Galleria mellonella larvae, and both showed a low toxicity rate at high concentrations. As a result, the fractions have enormous promise for the creation of novel antifungal compounds.

Water stress can lead to physiological and morphological damage, affecting the growth and development of popcorn. The objective of this study was to identify the yield potential of 43 popcorn lines derived from a Latin American germplasm collection, based on agronomic and physiological traits, under full irrigation (WW) and water deficit conditions (WS), aiming to select superior germplasm. The evaluated agronomic traits included the ear length and diameter, number of grains per row (NGR) and rows per ear (NRE), grain yield (GY), popping expansion (EC), volume of expanded popcorn per hectare (VP), grain length (GL), width, and thickness. The physiological traits included the chlorophyll, anthocyanin, and flavonoid content in the leaves. The genetic variability and distinct behavior among the lines for all the agronomic traits under WW and WS conditions were observed. When comparing the water conditions, line L292 had the highest mean for the GY, and line L688 had the highest mean for the EC, highlighting them as the most drought-tolerant lines. A water deficit reduced the leaf greenness but increased the anthocyanin content as an adaptive response. The GY trait showed positive correlations with the VP, NGR, and GL under both water conditions, making the latter useful for indirect selection and thus of great interest for plant breeding targeting the simultaneous improvement of these traits., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Investigations into traffic accidents that lead to the determination of their causes and consequences are useful to all interested parties, both in the public and private sectors. One of the phases of investigation is the capture of data enabling the complete reconstruction of the accident scene, which is usually the point at which a conflict arises between the slow process of information gathering and the need to restore normal traffic flow. To reduce to a minimum the time the traffic is halted, this paper follows a methodology to reconstruct traffic accidents and puts forward a series of procedures and tools that are applicable to both large and small scenarios. The methodology uses low-cost UAV-SfM in combination with UAS aerial image capture systems and inexpensive GNSS equipment costing less than €900. This paper describes numerous tests and assessments that were carried out on four potential work scenarios (E-1 and E-2 urban roads with several intersections; E-3, an urban crossing with medium slopes; and E-4, a complex road section with different land morphologies), assessing the impact of using simple or double strip flights and the number of GCPs, their spacing distance and different distribution patterns. From the different configurations tested, the best results were achieved in those offset-type distributions where the GCPs were placed on both sides of the working area and at each end, with a spacing between 100 and 50 m and using double strip flights. Our conclusion is that the application of this protocol would be highly efficient and economical in the reconstruction of traffic accidents, provide simplicity in implementation, speed of capture and data processing, and provide reliable results quite economically and with a high degree of accuracy with RMSE values below 5 cm., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Phosphorus-containing graphene-based hybrids are materials with outstanding properties for diverse applications. In this work, an easy route to produce phosphorus-graphene oxide hybrid materials is described, involving the use of variable amounts of H 3 PO 4 and H 2 SO 4 during the reaction of oxidation of a graphitic precursor. The physical and chemical features of the hybrids change significantly with the variation in the acid amounts used in the syntheses. XPS and solid-state 13 C and 31 P NMR results show that the hybrids contain large amounts of oxygen functional groups, with the phosphorus incorporation proceeding mostly through the formation of phosphate-like linkages and other functions with C-O-P bonds. The experimental findings are supported by DFT calculations, which allow the assessment of the energetics and the geometry of the interaction between phosphate groups and graphene-based models; these calculations are also used to predict the chemical shifts in the 31 P and 13 C NMR spectra of the models, which show good agreement with the experimentally observed solid-state NMR spectra.

Background: The performance of a task depends on ongoing brain activity, which can be influenced by attention, excitement, or motivation. Scientific studies have confirmed that mindfulness leads to better performance, health, and well-being. However, these cognitive efficiency modulating factors are nonspecific, can be difficult to control, and are not suitable to specifically facilitate neural processing., Objective: The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation associated with neurofeedback on declarative memory and cerebral blood flow in university students., Methods: In this study, we will use transcranial direct current stimulation, a low-cost physical resource that is easy to apply, has few adverse effects, and is associated with a neurofeedback resource. This, in turn, has been shown to be a training program capable of improving working memory function., Results: Participants will be recruited between July 2022 and December 2022. This study is expected to conclude in July 2023., Conclusions: This study will provide preliminary results on the benefits of using the direct current neurostimulation and neurofeedback tools on the participants being analyzed., Trial Registration: Brazilian Clinical Trials Registry RBR-7zs8b5; https://ensaiosclinicos.gov.br/rg/RBR-7zs8b5., International Registered Report Identifier (irrid): PRR1-10.2196/36294., (©Leandro H Grecco, Giuliano R Gonçalves, Bárbara Neiva Perri, Breno Alexander Bispo, Isabella Favilla Jorge Grandin, Paula Valentina Nunes Dias Gomes, André Alexandre Bocchi, Kennedy Martinez Oliveira, Diogo Correa Maldonado, Marcelo Cavenaghi Pereira da Silva. Originally published in JMIR Research Protocols (https://www.researchprotocols.org), 26.08.2022.)

An important accessory anatomical variation, exclusively human, and related to the muscular ventres of the flexor pollicis longus and flexor digitorum profundus is frequently denominated Gantzer. These variations have close relations with the anterior interosseous nerve (AIN), which provides, for many authors, by direct compression, one of the rare neuropathic syndromes. In this work, thirty-four forearms were dissected from the collections of the Medical School of the Federal University of Minas Gerais and the Department of Basic Sciences of the Federal University of Juiz de Fora, with a prevalence of 50% of the 34 forearms studied for the Gantzer muscle. The muscle relationship was mainly with the flexor pollicis longus muscle and only one occurrence related to the flexor digitorum profundus muscle, described as a rare occurrence of unilateral double formation of Gantzer muscle. Bilaterality was observed in 88.23% of the findings and the dominant innervation for this muscle variation occurred in 82.35% by the anterior interosseous nerve (AIN). The type morphological in all forms found was the fusiform, with 10.5cm of total length and an average of 0.3cm in diameter and all related, as origin, in the medial aspect of the coronoid process of the ulna, next to the origin of the flexor digitorum superficialis muscle. Our work largely reflected the findings of most publications and, considering the controversy of the occurrence of a compressive neuropathy, the data were not sufficient, from a strictly anatomical point of view, to confirm or refute the hypothesis., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Symbioses are ubiquitous in the animal kingdom. However, in most cases, the role of each member is relatively fixed, and it is rare for the same species to exhibit different symbiotic behaviours throughout its ontogeny. Here, we use stable isotope analyses of food resources to identify the relationships between the spider crab Libinia ferreirae as a symbiont of its jellyfish host during juvenile life stages and as a host for sea anemone epibionts on its carapace as an adult. We ask the following questions: How do the food sources used by the crab change between its juvenile and adult phase? How does the symbiotic relationship change when the crab develops from a juvenile into an adult? We were particularly interested in the extent to which L. ferreirae juveniles feed on jellyfish hosts versus planktonic prey during the juvenile symbiont phase and how adults feed on their epibionts during the free-living phase. δ 13 C of L. ferreirae differed between juvenile (associated with the jellyfish) and adult stages (free-living), unsurprisingly suggesting that there is little isotopic niche overlap between these life phases. SIMMr models using δ 13 C and δ 15 N of the crab and its potential food sources indicated that the juvenile crab symbionts did not derive any significant nutrition from medusae and relied predominantly on zooplankton prey. Since juvenile crabs do not have structures to capture zooplankton for feeding, we suggest that they may be kleptoparasites, stealing zooplankton food from their host, though further work is needed to identify the form that such a symbiosis might take. The nutrition of free-living crabs was predominantly derived from benthic algae and shrimps rather than from epibionts. These epibionts appear to use similar food resources as the host, suggesting a symbiotic relationship more akin to mutualism. Thus, the crabs move from a symbiosis in which they may act as parasites to one where they act as hosts. Such flexible approaches to symbioses may be more common than currently described, particularly in species with different functional roles during individual life stages., (Crown Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The hydrothermal synthesis of nano-faujasite has been successfully performed and the effects of some crystallization parameters were investigated, along with the use of this material as a heavy-metal ion adsorbent. X-ray diffraction patterns have shown that the structure of the nano-faujasite is strongly dependent on both the crystallization time and the alkalinity of the synthesis medium. According to N 2 physisorption, X-ray fluorescence, SEM/EDS, and solid state 29 Si and 27 Al NMR data, the produced nano-faujasite consists of a solid with low molar Si/Al ratio (1.7), with high availability of ion exchange sites and high surface area/small particle size, allowing easy diffusion of metal ions to adsorbent active sites. As a consequence, an excellent performance on removal of Cd 2+ , Zn 2+ and Cu 2+ ions was found for this solid. The adsorption capacity followed the order Cd 2+ (133 mg·g -1 ) > Zn 2+ (115 mg·g -1 ) > Cu 2+ (99 mg·g -1 ), which agrees with the order of increasing absolute values of the hydration energy of the metal ions. Kinetic studies and adsorption isotherms showed that the metal ion removal takes place by ion exchange on the monolayer surface of the nano-faujasite. The electrochemical recovery of copper in metallic form exhibited an efficiency of 80.2% after 120 min, which suggests that this process can be adequately implemented for full-scale metal removal.

Ruthenium(ii) diclofenac-based complexes of the general formula [Ru(dicl)(P-P)(bpy)]PF6 [dicl = diclofenac, bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine, and P-P = 1,4'-bis(diphenylphosphino)butane (dppb) (1), 1,2'-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane (dppe) (2), 1,3'-bis(diphenylphosphino)propane (dppp) (3) and 1,1'-bis(diphenylphosphino)ferrocene (dppf) (4)] are synthesized. The complexes (1-4) are characterized by elemental analyses, infrared, NMR, and UV-vis spectroscopy and (3) and (4) are characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction. The DNA binding of complexes (1-4), studied by circular dichroism (CD) and Hoechst 33 258 staining assay, indicates their binding with the minor grooves. The complexes interact with BSA with binding constants (Kb) in the range of 2.5 × 103-5.5 × 104 M-1. The complexes exhibit high cytotoxicity against the tumor cell lines A549, MDA-MB-231, and MCF-7 with IC50 values ranging from 0.56 to 15.28 μM. The complexes are more selective for the hormone-dependent MCF-7 breast tumor cell line and complex (1) is the most potent one. The study demonstrates the anticancer activity of ruthenium(ii)/diclofenac-based complexes.

Occupational exposure in a copper smelting industry may produce various adverse health effects including cancer. Despite a number of well-documented studies reporting an increased risk of cancer among copper smelter workers, the data on genotoxic effects in this industry are scarce. In view of the above, an assessment of DNA damage in peripheral blood leukocytes by Comet assay from copper smelter workers was undertaken. Additionally, the proton-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) analysis was assessed to determine the metal content of samples. The study was conducted with all workers from a copper smelter (males; n = 11), and a control group (n = 11) was recruited. The results of our study showed a significant increase (p < 0.001; Mann-Whitney test) in DNA damage in peripheral blood lymphocytes of smelter workers, compared to the controls (p < 0.001; Mann-Whitney test). No correlation between DNA damage or metal concentration and age mean or time of exposure was found under study. Our findings indicate that copper smelter workers have increased levels of DNA damage in somatic cells, suggesting a potential health risk for the workers. PIXE results show the presence of copper, iron, and other metals.

The purpose of this study was to develop an educational proposal using virtual multimedia resources, to innovate, stimulate and diversify areas of communication and interaction, facilitating nurses' autonomous and reflexive process of teaching and learning. This is an applied research, following the cyclical and interactive phases of designing, planning, developing and implementing. The educational proposal was developed on the TelEduc platform, using specific tools for content organization and communication between students and administrator. The teaching modules were on the following themes: Module 1--Fundamentals of the heart anatomy and physiology in newborns; Module 2--Risk factors for the occurrence of cardiorespiratory arrest in newborns; Module 3--Planning nursing care; Module 4--Medications used in cardiopulmonary arrests in newborns; and Module 5--Cardiorespiratory arrest care in newborns. This study may contribute to innovating teaching in nursing from a virtual educational proposal on the important issue of newborn cardiopulmonary resuscitation care.

We investigate a magnetic fluid composed of magnetite nanoparticles surfacted with dodecanoic acid molecules and stably dispersed in a hydrocarbon solvent. A comparison between Monte Carlo simulation and different experimental techniques allows us to validate our methodology and investigate the behavior of the surfactant molecules. Our analysis, based on the Langmuir model, suggests that the surfactant grafting number on isolate nanoparticles increases with the nanoparticle concentration, while the grafting on agglomerated nanoparticles presents a more complicated behavior. Our results suggests that, if properly coated and at a certain concentration range, colloids can become stable even in the presence of agglomerates. The role of the Hamaker constant, which controls the van der Waals interaction intensity, was also investigated. We have found that the ratio between grafting and Hamaker constant governs the level of nanoparticle agglomeration.