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The commercial importance of cephalopods has increased considerably, being an important fishing resource. However, during the preparation for commercialization of those species, they suffer the process known as "finning" which includes removing and separating the head, arm, skin or even having the body structure cut into rings, which ends up making it difficult or often prevents the identification of the species, which can lead to replacements. In this sense, the present study aimed to use the large ribosomal region, rrnL (16S rDNA) to genetically identify cephalopod species sold in markets and fairs in Latin America. Whole and processed samples were collected from supermarkets and directly from local fishers the approximate collection location. Each generated sequence was submitted to the blastn portal for molecular comparison and included in the database for subsequent genetic identification. Our results indicate labeling errors in samples from the State of Pará that contained the species Dosidicus gigas found only in the Pacific Ocean and were generically labeled as "National Lula". No type of substitution was found among the samples that were being sold at fairs and markets, only labeling errors. Thus, our results demonstrate the effectiveness of the rrnL for identifying species and evaluating labeling errors., Competing Interests: Declarations. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests. Ethical approval: Ethical review and approval were not required for this study, because this work does not contain any experimental studies with live animals. Consent to participate: Authors declare consent to participate. Consent for publication: Authors declare consent for publication if the manuscript is accepted., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Aiming to verify whether the diversity of secretory structures with their respective exudates are or not responsible for the attendance of floral visitors in Miconia species, the floral secretory structures of two Amazonian species of Miconia were described and interpreted from the functional perspectives and observations of floral visitors. Flowers and floral visitors were collected in the field for 16 months. The flowers were subjected to standard anatomical analyzes using light and scanning electron microscopy, and the secretory structures were evaluated using histochemical tests. The insects were photographed, collected and identified by a specialist. Floral secretory structures (stigmatic papillae and trichomes at the apex of the ovary) were found in M. alata and M. ciliata. Trichomes were found at the hypanthium of M. alata, and of the sepals and receptacles in M. ciliata. In both species, different hydrophilic compounds were detected in the exudates. Only phenolic compounds were found in the trichomes of the M. ciliata receptacle. This study provides information that confirms the hypothesis that other secretory structures and exudates are related to floral visitors, and adds new informations about the features of the secretory structures in Miconia.

This work applied the forensic environmental geochemistry assessment to evaluate the tarballs that contaminated the coast of Brazil in late 2022. Accordingly, saturated and aromatic biomarkers were analyzed by gas chromatography and acidic polar compounds by Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS) of 16 tarball samples from beaches of five Brazilian states. All samples presented waxy characteristics and are from the same source, highlighting the large coast extension affected by this event (∼3,000 km). However, they have distinct sources from the spilled oils stranded on the Brazilian coast in 2019 and early 2022, as they present distinct fingerprints related to the distribution of resistant biomarkers, including the triaromatic steroids, tricyclic and pentacyclic terpanes, and steranes, which mirrors in significantly different diagnostic ratios. Biomarkers indicate their characteristics of mature and marine crude oils (not fuel). Furthermore, all samples presented low weathering levels, indicating their fate as a high-persistence contaminant in the environment. These tarballs likely originated from the washing processes of ship tanks and persisted drifting on the sea until they arrived on the Brazilian coast., 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 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Alzheimer's disease (AD)-focused recruitment research registries can help identify eligible participants for AD studies, but registry participation is limited among racial and ethnic groups most at risk for AD. Using the Reasoned Action Approach (RAA), this study is part of a larger project to design theory-based persuasive recruitment messages that would encourage registry enrollment among underrepresented racial and ethnic groups. National survey data were collected in May/June 2021 from adults aged 50-80 years old living in the United States ( n = 1,501) with oversamples of non-Hispanic Black ( n = 334) and Hispanic ( n = 309) adults for group comparisons. Regression analysis was used to estimate the relationship of the attitudes, norms, and perceived behavioral control on intention to sign up for an AD-focused research registry for each racial/ethnic and sex group (i.e., Black women, Black men, Hispanic female, Hispanic men, non-Hispanic White women, and non-Hispanic White men), followed by an audience segmentation analysis based on intender status. Across almost all target groups, attitudes were an important determinant of intention, and norms and capacity were secondary determinants for Black and Hispanic adults, respectively. There was considerable overlap in attitudinal beliefs most salient to the behavior which focused on benefits to society in some way, either generally (i.e., "helping others in the future"; "advancing science") or more specifically (i.e., "helping others like you"). Differences between groups were more apparent regarding norms and capacity. Targeted recruitment messages based on beliefs that were common across the groups could be an efficient way of recruiting people of color into AD research registries., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Introduction: Wolfram syndrome due to bi-allelic variants in WFS1 and mono-allelic Wolfram-like syndrome have variable ocular and syndromic associations. In this report, eight patients are described., Methods: A retrospective observational case series with detailed ophthalmic and systemic phenotyping, optical coherence tomography (OCT), and neuroimaging. Molecular investigations included gene panel and targeted Sanger sequencing., Results: Eight patients (six female, two male) from six families were diagnosed with optic atrophy at a mean age of 15.5 ± 6.2 years (range 8-23) with mean follow-up of 3.2 ± 3.4 years (range 1.5-12.1). Three were asymptomatic. Mean presenting visual acuity was 0.31 ± 0.26 logMAR (Snellen equivalent 20/40). Diabetes mellitus was present in five patients (detected after screening in one), sensorineural hearing loss in five and diabetes insipidus in one. Other systemic features included psychiatric disorders in four patients and bladder dysfunction in three patients. OCT demonstrated marked nerve fiber layer loss in all patients. In dominant disease, macular OCT demonstrated a linear splitting abnormality of the outer plexiform layer (OPL) not found in recessive disease. Three novel variants in WFS1 were identified. After identification of the p.Val606Gly variant in three Māori patients including one with cone-rod retinal dystrophy, a reference database of 80 Māori/Pasifika patients with retinal dystrophy/optic atrophy was interrogated. This identified the variant in 10 patients with disease attributed to other genes., Conclusions: In Wolfram syndrome, systemic features are variable. Pathognomonic OPL lamination is associated with dominant disease. Early recognition of potentially syndromic optic atrophy allows prompt diagnosis of unrecognized diabetes mellitus.

The economic development of human activities contributes to the discharge of many anthropogenic pollutants. To assess the environmental risks in the Jaguaribe River, the most important river in the hydrographic region of the Eastern Northeast Atlantic, a bibliographic review of scientific articles and a series of ecotoxicological bioassays were conducted. The bioassays were conducted using sediment samples at six collection sites along the river, while the bibliographic review was used to identify the presence of anthropogenic contaminants in sediment and tissue samples of aquatic organisms within two km of each of the sediment collection sites. The bibliographic review showed the presence of thirty-eight anthropogenic pollutants in sediment samples and seven in tissue samples of aquatic organisms. The ecotoxicological bioassays showed that the sediment samples produced lethal and sublethal effects in the four tested representatives of the different trophic levels: Daphnia magna, Artemia salina, Allium cepa and Cucumis sativus. The presence of multiple anthropogenic pollutants in the Jaguaribe River and the observed lethal and sublethal effects in ecotoxicological bioassays suggest potential risks not only to the aquatic ecosystem but also to human health. Humans may be exposed to these contaminants through the consumption of water and aquatic organisms, leading to potential health issues such as increased cancer risk. The findings underscore the urgent need for regular monitoring and effective pollution control measures to mitigate these health risks and protect the well-being of local communities.

Background: The constant rise in the prevalence of major depressive disorder calls for new, effective, and accessible interventions that can rapidly and effectively reach a wide range of audiences. Recent developments in the digital health domain suggest that dedicated online platforms may potentially address this gap. Focusing on targeting ruminative thought, a major symptomatic hallmark of depression, in this study we hypothesized that delivering a digital health-based intervention designed to systematically facilitate thought progression would substantially alleviate depression., Objective: The study aims to investigate the efficacy of a novel digital intervention on the reduction of depressive symptoms. This intervention was designed as an easy-to-use gamified app specifically aimed to facilitate thought progression through intense practicing of associative, semantically broad, fast, and creative thought patterns., Methods: A randomized clinical trial was conducted, comparing changes in depression symptoms between participants who used the app in the intervention group (n=74) and waitlist control group (n=27) over the course of 8 weeks. All participants filled out a battery of clinical questionnaires to assess the severity of depression at baseline and 4 and 8 weeks after starting the study. These primarily included the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 as well as the Positive Affect Negative Affect Scale-Negative Affect Score, Ruminative Response Scale, and Symptoms of Depression Questionnaire. Additional questionnaires were implemented to assess anxiety, positive affect, anhedonia, and quality of life., Results: The results indicate that across multiple clinical measurements, participants in the intervention group who played the gamified app showed greater and faster improvement in depressive symptoms compared with their waitlist control counterparts. The difference between the groups in MADRS improvement was -7.01 points (95% CI -10.72 to -3.29; P<.001; Cohen d=0.67). Furthermore, the difference in improvement between groups persisted up to 4 weeks posttrial (MADRS differences at week 12: F 49,2 =6.62; P=.003; ηp 2 =0.21). At the end of the trial, participants who played the app showed high interest in continuing using the app., Conclusions: The results demonstrate that a gamified app designed to facilitate thought progression is associated with improvement in depressive symptoms. Given its innovative and accessibility features, this gamified method aiming to facilitate thought progression may successfully complement traditional treatments for depression in the future, providing a safe and impactful way to enhance the lives of individuals experiencing depression and anxiety., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05685758; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05685758., (©Shai-Lee Yatziv, Paola Pedrelli, Shira Baror, Sydney Ann DeCaro, Noam Shachar, Bar Sofer, Sunday Hull, Joshua Curtiss, Moshe Bar. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (https://www.jmir.org), 07.11.2024.)

Aim: Hypovitaminosis A is a leading cause of preventable childhood blindness, especially in developing nations. Vitamin A is a fat-soluble essential micronutrient that serves vital functions in the visual system and in regulating bone resorption. We report on a series of four children with mixed nutritional and compressive optic neuropathy and provide a review of the literature., Methods: A retrospective observational study of four males (ages 9-12), three with autism spectrum disorder who presented with loss of vision and multiple vitamin deficiencies including hypovitaminosis A., Results: Patients presented with unexplained visual loss or a change in visual behaviour. All patients had severely restricted diet comprising of predominantly carbohydrates. Two of the four cases demonstrated optic nerve pallor at initial presentation with marked optic atrophy developing in all patients over time. Electrophysiology available in two patients demonstrated optic nerve dysfunction with preserved retinal function. Extensive investigations revealed profound deficiency in multiple vitamins including vitamin A (<0.1-0.2 μmol/L, normal = 0.9-1.7 μmol/L). Three patients also had low vitamin B12 (90-111 pmol/L, normal = 170-800 pmol/L) with normal folate. All four cases had radiological evidence of skull base thickening indicative of low vitamin A. Genetic testing did not find any relevant pathogenic variants., Conclusions: Hypovitaminosis A is a crucial form of nutritional deprivation that results in significant visual loss with potential hyperostosis and optic nerve compression exacerbating nutritional optic neuropathy. Additional micronutrient deficiencies usually co-exist and may contribute. Extra vigilance in vitamin replacement is required of clinicians with patients with autism who have restricted diets., (© 2024 The Author(s). Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Paediatrics and Child Health Division (The Royal Australasian College of Physicians).)

Objectives: Gender diverse youth face higher risk of engaging in self-injurious thoughts and behaviors (SITBs) compared to cisgender youth. Limitations in past research include a focus on older adolescents, an emphasis on specific gender identity labels that may not be inclusive of the range of youth gender experiences, and reliance on cross-sectional data. Thus, the current study prospectively evaluated dimensions of experienced gender in relation to first-onset SITBs among preadolescents., Methods: Data were drawn from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study, a longitudinal study of youth across the United States. Youth (n = 7909) were aged 10-11 during initial assessment, and follow-up was conducted one year later. Two dimensions of experienced gender, felt-gender incongruence (not feeling aligned with the gender associated with one's sex assigned at birth) and gender non-contentedness (feeling dissatisfaction with the gender associated with one's sex assigned at birth), were assessed. Primary outcomes included non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), suicidal ideation (SI), and suicide attempts (SA)., Results: Logistic regressions were conducted stratified by sex assigned at birth. For youth assigned female at birth, felt-gender incongruence was prospectively associated with first-onset NSSI and SI and gender non-contentedness was prospectively associated with first-onset of NSSI. For youth assigned male at birth, gender non-contentedness was prospectively associated with first-onset SI. Diverse experienced gender did not prospectively predict SA., Conclusions: Dimensions of experienced gender may be associated with subsequent first-onset SITBs among preadolescents. These findings support the need for future research on risk and protective factors that may mediate or moderate this relationship., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Richard T. Liu reports a relationship with National Institute of Mental Health that includes: funding grants. Richard T. Liu reports a relationship with Relmada Therapeutics Inc. that includes: consulting or advisory. If there are other authors, they 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 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The cultivation of marine shrimp is one of the fastest growing activities in the world. However, the emergence of diseases has resulted in a decrease in production and losses for the sector. Probiotics emerged as an option to the use of antibiotics to control these pathogens. The efficiency of applying this technology depends on the characteristics of the bacterial agents and their bioavailability in the shrimp intestine. The objective is to evaluate the viability and efficiency of bacteria isolated from the digestive tract of healthy crustaceans as probiotic agents in the cultivation of shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei. Eighteen strains of the genus Bacillus belonging to the following species were tested: Bacillus sp., B. cereus, B. thuringiensis, B. circulans, B. megaterium, B. subtilis and B. agaridevorans. Bacterial isolates were subjected to characterization as potential probiotics. The test results were considered satisfactory; thus, the tested strains have potential for use as probiotics in shrimp culture. Treatments that used of the genus Bacillus had reduced growth of the genus Vibrio after infection, both in the intestinal contents and in the intestine. With the results obtained, it can be suggested that further research be carried out on the probiotic potential of Bacillus sp.

This study addresses the prediction of fatigue life in SAE AMS 7475-T7351 aluminum alloys under variable loads, commonly used in the construction of aircraft fuselages. The main objective of the research was to develop a numerical-experimental procedure to analyze crack growth, using the Walker's approach which considers the effects of the stress ratio R on the fatigue crack growth rate d a / d N , combined with the Finite Element Method and Linear Regression of the Stress Intensity Factor. Observations showed that Walker's model effectively consolidated fatigue crack propagation data for various stress ratios when applied longitudinally to L-T rolling orientation, due to low dependence of exponent m on R -value in d a / d N equation. Simple averaging of m values effectively calculated Walker's exponent. The methodology employed experimental tests following ASTM standards for tension, fracture toughness, and fatigue, complemented by Finite Element Method (FEM) simulations. The Walker's model proved more effective, while the Paris-Erdogan model, which ignores the R effect, resulted in overly conservative service life estimates. The principle of similitude suggests that this methodology could be effective in predicting fatigue life in cases with complex geometries, where calculating the Stress Intensity Factor Fracture parameter is challenging and the Finite Element Method shows efficiency.

Background: The patterns of optic atrophy due to retrograde transsynaptic degeneration (RTSD) have not been well characterized in children. This study aimed to characterize optic atrophy in pediatric patients with focal intracerebral lesions., Methods: A retrospective review of children with optic atrophy and focal intracerebral lesions was conducted. Ophthalmic data were recorded, including visual acuity, color vision, formal automated visual fields and optical coherence tomography (OCT) of the peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL) and ganglion cell layer., Results: Six patients (83.33% male) were included. The mean visual acuity (VA) of all eyes was 0.30 logMAR (20/40 Snellen), with no significant difference in the mean logMAR VA in the ipsilateral eye to the location of the lesion compared with the contralateral eye (0.30 vs 0.30, P = 1.000). Color vision (available in 5 patients) was normal in 2, mildly reduced in one and markedly reduced in 2. Bitemporal optic disc pallor was observed in 5 out of 6 patients. OCT data revealed that pRNFL thickness was most significantly diminished in the temporal (95% CI: -44.71 to -14.18 µm, P = 0.0021), inferotemporal (95% CI: -75.06 to -5.17 µm, P = 0.0294), and superotemporal (95% CI: -76.82 to -18.51 µm, P = 0.0055) sectors. Average pRNFL thickness was significantly reduced compared with normative data in both the ipsilateral (95% CI: -40.76 to -11.69 µm, P = 0.0003) and the contralateral eye (95% CI: -38.46 to -5.83 µm, P = 0.0063). When only nasal and temporal data were analyzed, mean pRNFL thickness was still diminished compared with normative data (95% CI: -33.01 to -9.77 µm, P = 0.0012)., Conclusions: Children presenting with optic atrophy, particularly with bitemporal optic atrophy, should have neuroimaging to exclude any underlying serious intracranial pathology., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 by North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society.)

Biallelic pathogenic variants in the PNPLA6 gene cause a broad spectrum of disorders leading to gait disturbance, visual impairment, anterior hypopituitarism and hair anomalies. PNPLA6 encodes neuropathy target esterase (NTE), yet the role of NTE dysfunction on affected tissues in the large spectrum of associated disease remains unclear. We present a systematic evidence-based review of a novel cohort of 23 new patients along with 95 reported individuals with PNPLA6 variants that implicate missense variants as a driver of disease pathogenesis. Measuring esterase activity of 46 disease-associated and 20 common variants observed across PNPLA6-associated clinical diagnoses unambiguously reclassified 36 variants as pathogenic and 10 variants as likely pathogenic, establishing a robust functional assay for classifying PNPLA6 variants of unknown significance. Estimating the overall NTE activity of affected individuals revealed a striking inverse relationship between NTE activity and the presence of retinopathy and endocrinopathy. This phenomenon was recaptured in vivo in an allelic mouse series, where a similar NTE threshold for retinopathy exists. Thus, PNPLA6 disorders, previously considered allelic, are a continuous spectrum of pleiotropic phenotypes defined by an NTE genotype:activity:phenotype relationship. This relationship, and the generation of a preclinical animal model, pave the way for therapeutic trials, using NTE as a biomarker., (Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Guarantors of Brain 2024.)

Here we studied the entire Atlantic Forest hotspot to investigate whether the effect of different environmental predictors depends on the phylogenetic extension and the biogeographical history of different Atlantic Forest sectors. We used occurrence data of 3,183 plant species with arboreal or arborescent habits. We reconstructed climatic stability across 120,000 years using the Random Forest method. Then, we compared the effect of biogeographical history, topographic, and climatic variables on species richness and phylogenetic diversity using Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) models. Niche conservatism drives the strength and direction of environmental correlates with tree diversity, interacting with the biogeographical and phylogenetic extension considered. Low current climate seasonalities were the main drivers of species richness and phylogenetic diversity variation across the Atlantic Forest. Whereas in higher phylogenetic extension, topographic heterogeneity increased the number of tree species independent of the sector, deep-past climate stability favored phylogenetic diversity by increasing relict lineages of distant clades in all forests, but with anomalies in the southern sector. This investigation yields substantial evidence that the response of the northern and southern sectors of the Atlantic Forest to identical environmental conditions diverges significantly, providing compelling support for the imprint of phylogenetic heritage in generating non-linear diversity patterns.

Background: Intravenous immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) has shown poor response rates in recurrent gynecologic malignancies. Intraperitoneal (i.p.) ICB may result in enhanced T cell activation and anti-tumor immunity., Methods: In this phase 1b study, registered at Clinical., Trials: gov (NCT03508570), initial cohorts received i.p. nivolumab monotherapy, and subsequent cohorts received combination i.p. nivolumab every 2 weeks and i.p. ipilimumab every 6 weeks, guided by a Bayesian design. The primary objective was determination of the recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D) of the combination. Secondary outcomes included toxicity, objective response rate (ORR), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS)., Findings: The trial enrolled 23 patients: 18 with ovarian cancer, 2 with uterine cancer, and 3 with cervical cancer. Study evaluable patients (n = 16) received a median of 2 prior lines of therapy (range: 1-8). Partial response was observed in 2 patients (12.5%; 1 ovarian, 1 uterine), and complete response was observed in 1 patient (6.3%) with cervical cancer, for an ORR of 18.8% (95% confidence interval: 4.0%-45.6%). The median duration of response was 14.8 months (range: 4.1-20.8), with one complete response ongoing. Median PFS and OS were 2.7 months and not reached, respectively. Grade 3 or higher immune-related adverse events occurred in 2 (8.7%) patients., Conclusions: i.p. administration of dual ICB is safe and demonstrated durable responses in a subset of patients with advanced gynecologic malignancy. The RP2D is 3 mg/kg i.p. nivolumab every 2 weeks plus 1 mg/kg ipilimumab every 6 weeks., Funding: This work was funded by Bristol Myers Squibb (CA209-9C7), an MD Anderson Cancer Center Support Grant (CA016672), the Ovarian Cancer Moon Shots Program, the Emerson Collective Fund, and a T32 training grant (CA101642)., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests S.N.W. reports grants/contracts to the institution from AstraZeneca, Avenge Bio, Bayer, Bio-Path, Clovis Oncology, GSK, Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Mereo, Novartis, Nuvectis, Roche/Genentech, and Zentalis; she also reports consulting with AstraZeneca, Caris, Clovis Oncology, Eisai, EQRX, Gilead, GSK, Immunocore, ImmunoGen, Lilly, Merck, Mereo, Mersana, NGM Bio, Nuvectis, Roche/Genentech, Seagen, Verastem, Vincerx, Zentalis, and ZielBio. A.K.S. reports consulting for Kiyatec, Merck & Co., GSK, Valerio Therapeutics (formerly Onxeo), ImmunoGen, Iylon, and AstraZeneca; being a stockholder in BioPath Holdings; and a licensed patent (EGFL6 antibody). A.A.J. received institutional research funding from Bristol Myers Squibb, Iovance, Merck, Pfizer, Imunon, Aravive, MacroGenics, AstraZeneca, Avenge Bio, Greenfire Bio, and Break Through Cancer and consulting fees from Guidepoint, Alkermes, Gerson Lehrman Group, Adicet Bio, Theolytics, Avenge Bio, NuProbe, and Greenfire Bio., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The study of the emergence and stability of bimanual and interlimb coordination patterns in children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) has shown that they encounter greater difficulties in coupling their limbs compared to typically developing (TD) children. Verbal cues have been identified as strategies to direct children's attention to more relevant task information, thus potentially improving motor performance. Consequently, this study investigated the effect of providing verbal cues on the execution of bimanual tasks in children with and without probable DCD. Twenty-eight children aged 9-10, matched by age and gender, were divided into two groups: pDCD [n = 14] and TD. The children performed bilateral trajectory movements with both hands (horizontal back-and-forth), holding a pen on a tablet, in anti-phase (180°) coordination pattern, in two conditions: No cues and Verbal cues. In the last condition, children received verbal cues to maintain the anti-phase pattern even with an increase in hand oscillation frequency. Relative phase and variability of relative phase between the hands were calculated for analysis of pattern coupling and stability. Hand cycles, movement amplitude, and tablet pressure force were calculated to analyze pattern control parameters. All these variables were compared between groups and conditions. The results indicated that despite the pDCD group showing greater variability in the anti-phase coordination pattern compared to the TD group, both groups performed better in the Verbal cues than the No cues condition. Furthermore, the pDCD group exhibited more hand movement cycles and applied greater pressure force compared to the TD group, suggesting different motor control strategies during the bimanual task. It is suggested that the use of verbal cues during bimanual task execution improves children's performance, potentially by promoting interaction between attention, as a cognitive function, and intrinsic coordination dynamics, thereby reducing variability in the perceptual-motor system., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Sea turtle mortality is often related to materials that reach the coast from different anthropic activities worldwide. This study aimed to investigate whether sea turtle mortality was related to older marine problems, such as solid waste, or one of the largest oil spill accidents on the Brazilian coast, that occurred in 2019. We posed three questions: 1) Are there solid residues in the digestive tract samples, and which typology is the most abundant? 2) Can meso‑ and macro-waste marine pollutants cause mortality? 3) Is the dark material found really oil? A total of 25 gastrointestinal content (GC) samples were obtained, of which 22 ingested waste of anthropogenic origin and 18 were necropsied. These 22 samples were obtained during or after the 2019 oil spill, of which 17 specimens were affected, making it possible to suggest oil ingestion with the cause of death in the animals that could be necropsied. Macroscopic data showed that the most abundant solid waste was plastic (76.05 %), followed by fabrics (12.18 %) and oil-like materials. However, chemical data confirmed only three specimens with oil levels ranging from remnants to high. It was possible to infer possible causes of death in 16 of the total 18 necropsied cases: Most deaths were due to respiratory arrest (62.5 %), followed by pulmonary edema (12.5 %), cachexia syndrome (12.5 %), circulatory shock (6.25 %), and head trauma (6.25 %), which may have been caused by contact with solid waste, oil, or both. The study showed that not all dark material found in the GCs of turtles killed in oiled areas is truly oil, and in this sense, a chemical analysis step to prove the evidence of oil must be added to international protocols., 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 B.V.)

Optic atrophy is an important cause of visual impairment in children, and the aetiological profile has changed over time. Technological advancements led by neuroimaging of the visual pathway and imaging of the optic nerve with optical coherence tomography have accelerated the understanding of this condition. In the new millennium, an increasing prevalence of prematurity as a cause of optic atrophy in children has been highlighted. This new shift has been linked with increasing rates of premature births and improved neonatal survival of preterm infants. The available literature is limited to hospital and registry-based cohorts with modest sample sizes, methodological heterogeneity and selection bias limitations. Larger studies that are better designed are required to better understand the contribution of prematurity to the disease burden. In addition to considering other life-threatening aetiologies, screening for premature birth should be covered as part of a comprehensive history when evaluating a child with paediatric optic atrophy.

During an ecological study with a near-endangered anuran in Brazil, the Schmidt's Spinythumb frog, Crossodactylus schmidti Gallardo, 1961, we were given a chance to analyze the gastrointestinal tract of a few individuals for parasites. In this paper, we describe a new species of an allocreadiid trematode of the genus Creptotrema Travassos, Artigas & Pereira, 1928, which possesses a unique trait among allocreadiids (i.e., a bivalve shell-like muscular structure at the opening of the ventral sucker); the new species represents the fourth species of allocreadiid trematode parasitizing amphibians. Besides, the new species is distinguished from other congeners by the combination of characters such as the body size, ventral sucker size, cirrus-sac size, and by having small eggs. DNA sequences through the 28S rDNA and COI mtDNA further corroborated the distinction of the new species. Phylogenetic analyses placed the newly generated sequences in a monophyletic clade together with all other sequenced species of Creptotrema. Genetic divergences between the new species and other Creptotrema spp. varied from 2.0 to 4.2% for 28S rDNA, and 15.1 to 16.8% for COI mtDNA, providing robust validation for the recognition of the new species. Even though allocreadiids are mainly parasites of freshwater fishes, our results confirm anurans as hosts of trematodes of this family. Additionally, we propose the reallocation of Auriculostoma ocloya Liquin, Gilardoni, Cremonte, Saravia, Cristóbal & Davies, 2022 to the genus Creptotrema. This study increases the known diversity of allocreadiids and contributes to our understanding of their evolutionary relationships, host-parasite relationships, and biogeographic history.

Secretory trichomes and colleters are two of the secretory structures whose exudates may cover the body of the plant. Such secretions comprise resins or mucilages which are associated with an array of ecological roles. In Rosaceae, secretory trichomes have been reported for the leaves while colleters associated with leaf teeth. Our study aimed to identify the secretory structures of Rosa lucieae and understand the ecological role played by these glands as interpreted by morphoanatomical and histochemical studies. Samples from developing and fully mature leaves were collected, fixed, and processed according to usual techniques for light and scanning electron microscopy. In R. lucieae, colleters are restricted to the leaf and stipular margins and are associated with the teeth. They present a parenchymatous axis surrounded by a secretory palisade epidermis and usually fall off after the secretory activity is finished. Different from colleters, secretory trichomes are persistent. They present a multicellular secretory head and stalk. They are found at the base of the leaflet, petiolule, rachis, and petiole and occasionally on the stipular and leaf margins. The colleters predominantly secrete mucilages while the secretory trichomes secrete lipids and terpenes, both via cuticle rupture. The secretory activity of colleters is predominant in the leaf primordia, holding leaflets together and protecting meristems and leaves from desiccation, while the secretory trichomes maintain their secretory activity at different stages of leaf development, protecting different regions of the leaf against pathogens and herbivores., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Austria, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Rapid antiretroviral therapy initiation (R-ART) for treatment of HIV has been recommended since 2017, however it has not been adopted widely across the US., Purpose: The study purpose was to understand facilitators and barriers to R-ART implementation in the U.S., Research Design: This was a qualitative design involving semi-structured interviews., Study Sample: The study sample was comprised of the medical leadership of nine US HIV clinics that were early implementers of R-ART., Data Collection and Analysis: In-depth, semi-structured interviews were performed. The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) was used to guide thematic analysis., Results: We identified three main content areas: strong scientific rationale for R-ART, buy-in from multiple key stakeholders, and the condensed timeline of R-ART. The CFIR construct of Evidence Strength and Quality was cited as an important factor in R-ART implementation. Buy-in from key stakeholders and immediate access to medications ensured the success of R-ART implementation. Patient acceptance of the condensed timeline for ART initiation was facilitated when presented in a patient-centered manner, including empathetic communication and addressing other patient needs concurrently. The condensed timeline of R-ART presented logistical challenges and opportunities for the development of intense patient-provider relationships., Conclusions: Results from the analysis showed that R-ART implementation should address the following: 1) logistical planning to implement HIV treatment with a condensed timeline 2) patients' mixed reactions to a new HIV diagnosis and 3) the high cost of HIV medications., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Background: The population prevalence of multimorbidity (the existence of at least 2 or more long-term conditions [LTCs] in an individual) is increasing among young adults, particularly in minority ethnic groups and individuals living in socioeconomically deprived areas. In this study, we applied a data-driven approach to identify clusters of individuals who had an early onset multimorbidity in an ethnically and socioeconomically diverse population. We identified associations between clusters and a range of health outcomes., Methods and Findings: Using linked primary and secondary care data from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink GOLD (CPRD GOLD), we conducted a cross-sectional study of 837,869 individuals with early onset multimorbidity (aged between 16 and 39 years old when the second LTC was recorded) registered with an English general practice between 2010 and 2020. The study population included 777,906 people of White ethnicity (93%), 33,915 people of South Asian ethnicity (4%), and 26,048 people of Black African/Caribbean ethnicity (3%). A total of 204 LTCs were considered. Latent class analysis stratified by ethnicity identified 4 clusters of multimorbidity in White groups and 3 clusters in South Asian and Black groups. We found that early onset multimorbidity was more common among South Asian (59%, 33,915) and Black (56% 26,048) groups compared to the White population (42%, 777,906). Latent class analysis revealed physical and mental health conditions that were common across all ethnic groups (i.e., hypertension, depression, and painful conditions). However, each ethnic group also presented exclusive LTCs and different sociodemographic profiles: In White groups, the cluster with the highest rates/odds of the outcomes was predominantly male (54%, 44,150) and more socioeconomically deprived than the cluster with the lowest rates/odds of the outcomes. On the other hand, South Asian and Black groups were more socioeconomically deprived than White groups, with a consistent deprivation gradient across all multimorbidity clusters. At the end of the study, 4% (34,922) of the White early onset multimorbidity population had died compared to 2% of the South Asian and Black early onset multimorbidity populations (535 and 570, respectively); however, the latter groups died younger and lost more years of life. The 3 ethnic groups each displayed a cluster of individuals with increased rates of primary care consultations, hospitalisations, long-term prescribing, and odds of mortality. Study limitations include the exclusion of individuals with missing ethnicity information, the age of diagnosis not reflecting the actual age of onset, and the exclusion of people from Mixed, Chinese, and other ethnic groups due to insufficient power to investigate associations between multimorbidity and health-related outcomes in these groups., Conclusions: These findings emphasise the need to identify, prevent, and manage multimorbidity early in the life course. Our work provides additional insights into the excess burden of early onset multimorbidity in those from socioeconomically deprived and diverse groups who are disproportionately and more severely affected by multimorbidity and highlights the need to ensure healthcare improvements are equitable., Competing Interests: FE receive salary for this work by MRC (MR/S027297/1). SF and RM receive salary contributions for their work on the Genes & Health programme, by a Life Sciences Consortium that includes Astra Zeneca PLC, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, GlaxoSmithKline Research and Development Limited, Maze Therapeutics Inc, Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, Novo Nordisk A/S, Pfizer Inc, Takeda Development Centre Americas Inc. RM is supported by Barts Charity (MGU0504). RM has received consulting fees from AMGEN unrelated to this work. RHM has received fees from American Center for Psychiatry & Neurology United Arab Emirates, British Association for Psychopharmacology, European College of Neuropsychopharmacology, International Society for Affective Disorders, Janssen, LivaNova, Lundbeck, My Tomorrows, OCM Comunicaziona s.n.c., Pfizer, Qatar International Mental Health Conference, Sunovion, Syntropharma, UK Medical Research Council and Wiley; grant support from National Institute for Health Research Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation Panel and Health Technology Assessment Panel; and non-financial support from COMPASS Pathways and Magstim. PM is funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Newcastle Biomedical Research Centre, by NIHR AIM AI-MULTIPLY, and by NIHR ADMISSION (MR/V033654/1). NJR is funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Newcastle Biomedical Research Centre, by the NIHR Newcastle In Vitro Diagnostics Co-operative and NIHR AIM AI-MULTIPLY. N.J.R. is also a NIHR Senior Investigator, (Senior Investigator Award) NIHR200168. NJR reports grants from PSORT industrial partners as listed (http://www.psort.org.uk/); other research grants from GSK Stiefel and Novartis. MRB is funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) AIM AI-MULTIPLY Consortium (NIHR203982). MRB reports research grants from Benevolent AI, Janssen and Novartis. TA is funded by the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration North Thames Award (NIHR 200163). AA is funded by the NIHR (31672 AI-MULTIPLY, 2022-2025). RH is funded by the Health Data Research UK (grant ref: LOND1)., (Copyright: © 2023 Eto et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Dermatitis is defined as a set of inflammatory diseases that affect the skin, with varied causes. Among the different types of dermatitis, contact dermatitis is the most prevalent. Although the current therapy is often effective, it is associated with adverse effects and the possibility of drug tolerance. N-Methyl-(2S, 4R)-trans-4-hydroxy-L-proline is a L-proline amino acid derivative found in the leaves of Sideroxylon obtusifolium, a species traditionally used to treat inflammatory diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the topical anti-inflammatory effect of N-methyl-(2S, 4R)-trans-4-hydroxy-L-proline (NMP) in 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced irritant contact dermatitis in mice. Topically administered NMP, at doses of 0.03 - 0.50 mg/ear, reduced TPA-induced ear edema and neutrophil migration, as evidenced by low tissue myeloperoxidase activity and verified by histological examination. In addition, NMP (0.06 mg/ear) reduced tissue levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, INF-γ and MCP-1) and of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10, and reduced gene expression of TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β increased by TPA. The data suggest that N-methyl-(2S, 4R)-trans-4-hydroxy-L-proline acts as a topical anti-inflammatory agent that decreases the expression of inflammatory cytokines, making it useful for the treatment of skin inflammation. Further investigations are necessary for its development as a therapeutic agent.

In November 2021, stem gray blight symptoms were seen on two dragon fruit (pitaya) species ( Hylocereus megalanthus and H. polyrhizus ) in an orchard with 100% disease incidence in Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil (3°44'24.5"S 38°34'30.8"W). The symptoms were initially yellowish to dark brown lesions, and as the symptoms progressed, the lesions turned grayish with small black pycnidia in the center. Isolation was carried out by disinfecting small pieces of the symptomatic stems in 70% ethanol for 1 min, followed by 1% NaOCl for 1 min, and then rinsed three times with sterile distilled water. Excess water was removed using sterile filter paper. Then the stem fragments were placed on PDA media. Colonies produced small black pycnidia with conidia and some were sterile after 68 days of incubation. Two monosporic isolates were obtained from the colonies: UFCM 0708 from H. megalanthus and the UFCM 0710 from H. polyrhizus , which were used for pathogenicity test, morphological and molecular identification. The colony on PDA was smoke gray with aerial mycelium and the reverse was smoke grey to dark grey. The α-conidia from UFCM 0708 and UFCM 0710 were hyaline, aseptate and fusiform and measured 6.4 to 9.7 (8.0) x 1.2 to 2.4 (1.7) µm and 6 to 13.1 (8.2) x 1.7 to 2.4 (2.0) µm, respectively. The β-conidia from UFCM 0708 and UFCM 0710 were hyaline, aseptate and filiform and measured 15 to 22.5 (18.8) x 0.6 to 1.7 (1.0) µm, and 17.2 to 27.5 (22.3) x 0.5 to 1.0 (0.8) µm (n=30), respectively. This morphology placed the isolates as Diaporthe sp. (Udayanga et al. 2012). For further confirmation, genomic DNA was extracted from the isolates (UFCM 0708 and UFCM 0710), and beta-tubulin ( TUB2 ) and translation elongation factor 1-alpha ( TEF1 ) gene fragments were amplified. BLASTn search results with isolates TEF1 and TUB2 sequences varied from 98.58% to 99.52% identity to the ex-type sequence of Diaporthe arecae (CBS 161.64). Phylogenetic analysis of concatenated sequences alignment carried out using the Maxinum-likelihood and Bayesian Inference analysis placed the isolates within D. arecae clade with 86% bootstrap and 0.99 posterior probabilities support. The sequences obtained in this study were deposited in GenBank ( TEF1 : OP534720 and OP534722; TUB2 : OP534717 and OP534719). The isolates were confirmed as D. arecae based on molecular analysis and morphological characteristics (Gomes et al. 2013). Koch's postulates were completed as described by Karim et al. (2019) through the inoculation of six stems of each dragon fruit (pitaya) species. The stems were wounded by removing a 5 mm diameter disc and after that they were inoculated with a 5 mm diameter mycelial plug from 5 days old PDA plates. PDA plugs were used as control. Each stem was covered with a plastic bag and sterilized water was added into the sterilized filter paper to maintain humidity. The bags were kept in a room at day and night temperature of 25 ± 2 °C. The same symptoms seen in the field appeared on the stems 21 days after inoculation. The control stems remained symptomless. Diaporthe arecae have been reported on H. polyrhizus in Malaysia (Huda-Shakirah et al. 2021). To our knowledge, this is the first report of D. arecae on H. megalanthus and H. polyrhizus in Brazil.

Aims: To describe the aetiology, complications, treatment and outcomes of paediatric uveitis., Methods: This was a retrospective chart review including all paediatric participants presenting with uveitis to a tertiary referral hospital in Auckland, New Zealand between January 1997 and March 2020., Results: Two hundred and twenty-four eyes of 143 participants were included. One hundred and three (46.0%) eyes were found to have uveitis without the child reporting any symptoms. Non-infectious uveitis occurred in 97 (67.8%) participants and infectious aetiology occurred in 46 (32.2%) participants. One hundred and twenty-six (56.3%) eyes developed complications by final follow-up, including ocular hypertension (60 eyes, 26.8%), cataract (55 eyes, 24.6%) and glaucoma (21 eyes, 9.4%). Conventional disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) were required in 58 (59.8%) participants, and biologic disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs in 31 (32.0%) participants with non-infectious uveitis. Participants who were younger at presentation were more likely to require a DMARD (OR 0.896 p=0.032). Vision loss of 6/15 or worse occurred in 38 (17.0%) eyes., Conclusions: Infections are an important cause of uveitis in this age group. Asymptomatic presentation and complications commonly occur. A large proportion of children with non-infectious uveitis will require steroid sparing immunosuppression., Competing Interests: No conflicts of interest to declare., (© PMA.)

New solid electrolytes are crucial for the development of all-solid-state lithium batteries with advantages in safety and energy densities over current liquid electrolyte systems. While some of the best solid-state Li + -ion conductors are based on sulfides, their air sensitivity makes them less commercially attractive, and attention is refocusing on air-stable oxide-based systems. Among these, the LISICON-structured systems, such as Li 2+2 x Zn 1- x GeO 4 and Li 3+ x V 1- x Ge x O 4 , have been relatively well studied. However, other systems such as the Li 4 GeO 4 -Li 2 MoO 4 system, which also show LISICON-type structures, have been relatively little explored. In this work, the Li 4-2 x Ge 1- x Mo x O 4 solid solution is investigated systematically, including the solid solution limit, structural stability, local structure, and the corresponding electrical behavior. It is found that a γ-LISICON structured solution is formed in the range of 0.1 ≤ x < 0.4, differing in structure from the two end members, Li 4 GeO 4 and Li 2 MoO 4 . With increasing Mo content, the β-phase becomes increasingly more stable than the γ-phase, and at x = 0.5, a pure β-phase (β-Li 3 Ge 0.5 Mo 0.5 O 4 ) is readily isolated. The structure of this previously unknown compound is presented, along with details of the defect structure of Li 3.6 Ge 0.8 Mo 0.2 O 4 ( x = 0.2) based on neutron diffraction data. Two basic types of defects are identified in Li 3.6 Ge 0.8 Mo 0.2 O 4 involving interstitial Li + -ions in octahedral sites, with evidence for these coming together to form larger defect clusters. The x = 0.2 composition shows the highest conductivity of the series, with values of 1.11 × 10 -7 S cm -1 at room temperature rising to 5.02 × 10 -3 S cm -1 at 250 °C.

Banana is a fruit of great importance in Brazil and crown rot cause considerable damage and losses (Ploetz et al. 2003). The disease is associated with fungal complexes, especially the Lasiodiplodia theobromae sensu lato (Kamel et al. 2016; Renganathan et al. 2020; Waliullah et al. 2022). Three asymptomatic bunches of banana cv. 'Prata Catarina' were collected in Russas, Brazil (04°58'11.6"S, 38°01'44.5"W), in 2017. The samples were disinfected (NaClO, 200 ppm), and incubated in a moist chamber at 28 °C, with 12 h light/12 h dark for 3 days. With the appearance of the symptoms (32% of severity), the isolation was conducted in potato dextrose agar (PDA). A monosporic culture (BAN14) was obtained from a typical crown rot lesion, which was subjected to morphological characterization, showing abundant aerial mycelium of olivaceous grey color on the surface and greenish grey on the back (Rayner 1970) in PDA after 15 days at 28 °C. The growth rate was 28.2 mm. day-1. The fungus produced pycnidia and conidia on water agar medium containing pine needles, with 3-4 weeks at 28 °C, presenting conidia initially aseptate, subglobose to subcylindrical, becoming pigmented with 1-central transverse septum and longitudinal striations 23.5 (18.7) 26.0 x 12.7 (9.7) 14.8 µm (n=50). Paraphyses, hyaline, cylindrical, thin-walled, apparently coenocytic with rounded apex, with length and width dimensions of 34 (43.8) 53.2 x 2.1 (2.5) 3.2 µm (n=30). Conidiophore absent, conidiogenous cells hyaline, smooth and with thin walls. The genomic DNA was extracted and amplified by PCR with primers TEF1-688F/TEF1-1251R, ITS1/ITS4, and Bt2a/Bt2b, and sequenced in both directions (O'Donnell et al. 1998; O'Donnell et al. 2010) (GenBank accession ON975017 [TEF1], ON986403 [TUB2], and ON921398 [ITS]). BLASTn analysis of TEF1, TUB2 and ITS sequences in NCBI database showed 99 to 100% nucleotide identity to a representative isolate of Lasiodiplodia iraniensis (IRAN921). Phylogenetic analysis using maximum parsimony based on the combined TEF1, TUB2 and ITS sequences indicated that the BAN14 formed a supported clade (82% bootstrap value) to L. iraniensis . The pathogenicity was evaluated in 20 banana fruit cv. 'Prata Catarina', at the point of harvest. For inoculation, the bananas were washed with water and soap, and disinfected with NaClO (200 ppm). Posteriorly, two wounds were made on the extremities of the fruits, in which were deposited mycelial discs of 5 mm in diameter, with 7 days of the growth on PDA. After inoculation, the fruits were incubated in plastic boxes in a wet chamber at 25 °C, with 12 h light/12 h dark for 5 days. The control fruits were not inoculated with the pathogen, only with PDA discs. The experiments were repeat twice. The BAN14 isolate was pathogenic to the banana cv. 'Prata Catarina'. The BAN14 was grouped with the species L. iraniensis described by Abdollahzadeh et al. (2010) in Iran. This species is distributed in Asia, South and North America, Australia, and Africa. In Brazil it was reported in association to Anacardium occidentale , Annona muricata , A. squamosa , Annona ×cherimola-squamosa , Citrus sp., Eucalyptus sp., Jatropha curcas , Mangifera indica , Manihot esculenta , Nopalea cochenillifera , Vitis sp. and V. vinifera . Until the moment, there is not description of the relation between banana crown rot and L. iraniensis (Farr and Rossman 2022). Our work is the first report on the pathogenicity of this species on banana fruit cv. 'Prata Catarina' worldwide.

Background: Overprescription of short-acting beta-agonist (SABA) inhalers and blood eosinophil count have strong associations with exacerbation risk in asthma. However, in the authors' recent publication only a minority of patients overprescribed SABA (≥6 inhalers in 12 months) were eosinophilic (≥0.3 x 10 9 cells/l)., Aim: To compare the characteristics of eosinophilic and non-eosinophilic patients with asthma overprescribed SABA inhalers, and identify latent classes using clinical variables available in primary care., Design & Setting: Cross-sectional analysis of patients with asthma in North East London, England, using primary care electronic health record data., Method: Unadjusted and adjusted multi-variate regression models and latent class analysis., Results: Eosinophilia was significantly less likely in female patients ( P = 0.004), those with multiple mental health comorbidities ( P <0.001), and those with SABA on repeat prescription ( P <0.001). Latent class analysis identified the following three classes of patients overprescribed SABA: class 1, which represents classical uncontrolled asthma (oral steroids required for exacerbations, step 2-3 asthma medications, high probability of being eosinophilic); class 2, which represents mild asthma (low exacerbation frequency, low asthma medication step, low probability of being eosinophilic); and class 3, which represents difficult asthma (high exacerbation frequency despite high-strength preventer inhalers, low probability of being eosinophilic). The mild asthma class was the largest., Conclusion: Many patients being overprescribed SABA were non-eosinophilic with a low exacerbation frequency, suggesting disproportionately high SABA prescription compared with other asthma control markers. Potential reasons for high SABA prescription in these patients included repeat prescription (being dispensed but not taken) and use of SABA for non-asthma breathlessness (for example, breathing pattern disorders with anxiety). Further research is needed into management of SABA overuse in patients without other markers of uncontrolled asthma., (Copyright © 2023, The Authors.)

Background: Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) global longitudinal strain and circumferential strain abnormalities have been associated with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) reduction and cardiotoxicity from oncologic therapy. However, few studies have evaluated the associations of strain and cardiovascular outcomes., Objectives: To assess CMR circumferential and global longitudinal strain (GLS) correlations with cardiovascular outcomes including myocardial infarction, systolic dysfunction, diastolic dysfunction, arrhythmias and valvular disease in breast cancer patients treated with and without anthracyclines and/or trastuzumab therapy., Methods: Breast cancer patients with a CMR from 2013-2017 at Yale New Haven Hospital were included. Patient co-morbidities, medications, and cardiovascular outcomes were obtained from chart review. Biostatistical analyses, including Pearson correlations, competing risk regression model, and competing risk survival curves comparing the two groups were analyzed., Results: 116 breast cancer with CMRs were included in our analysis to assess differences between Anthracycline/Trastuzumab (AT) (62) treated versus non anthracycline/trastuzumab (NAT) (54) treated patients in terms of imaging characteristics and outcomes. More AT patients 17 (27.4%) developed systolic heart failure compared to the NAT group 6 (10.9%), p = 0.025. Statin use was associated with a significant reduction in future arrhythmias (HR 0.416; 95% CI 0.229-0.755, p = 0.004). In a sub-group of 13 patients that underwent stress CMR, we did not find evidence of microvascular dysfunction by sub-endocardial/sub-epicardial myocardial perfusion index ratio after adjusting for ischemic heart disease., Conclusions: In our study, CMR detected signs of subclinical cardiotoxicity such as strain abnormalities despite normal LV function and abnormal circumferential strain was associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes such as valvular disease and systolic heart failure. Thus, CMR is an important tool during and after cancer treatment to identity and prognosticate cancer treatment-related cardiotoxicity., Competing Interests: Enter: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2023 Kwan et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

The Ocean decade (2021-2030) for sustainable development proclaimed in 2017 by the UN, seeks to promote and conserve the sustainable use of oceans, seas, and marine resources. For this, the distribution of n-alkanes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and biomarkers, in sediments from the Fortaleza coastal zone (Mucuripe harbor (MH) and Inner Continental shelf (ICS)) were used to assess the impacts of anthropogenic activities in the area. The concentrations of total n-alkanes (Σ16 n-alkanes) in MH and ICS sediments varied from 35.9 to 94.9 and 17.9 to 197.3 μg g -1 , respectively, while the isoprenoids phytane and pristane in MH and ICS sediments ranged from 0.1 to 1.69 ug g -1 and from 0.14 and 1.20 μg g -1 , respectively. Most of the sediment samples presented carbon preference index (CPI) values close to unity, indicating that the area is submitted to petroleum-related sources. The concentrations of Σ16 PAHs in MH and ICS sediments varied from 87.0 to 562.0 and 98 to 288.0 ng g -1 . This work presents the first investigation of the petroleum biomarkers hopanes and steranes in the Fortaleza coastal zone, in which ΣBiomarkers varied from 0.10 to 1.79 and 0.02 to 0.24 ug g -1 in MH and ICS sediments, respectively. The presence at stations of biomarkers also indicates petrogenic input. The diagnosis of the distribution of pollutants in the investigated zones of the Fortaleza coast suggests contamination from urban areas and oil spills and vessel traffic., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Much is reported in the literature about the transmission and presentation of Chlamydia trachomatis conjunctival infection in the neonate; however, there is a paucity of information available on infection in the older pre-pubertal child (>3 years of age). We present the case of a 7-year-old girl, referred for assessment at the sexual assault referral centre following the diagnosis of unilateral C. trachomatis conjunctivitis. This child underwent a rigorous multiagency child protection process, with input from medical professionals, social services and the police to investigate the possibility of child sexual abuse (CSA). However, a group consensus was reached that non-sexual close contact transfer of C. trachomatis from the mother was the most likely mode of transmission and cause of infection. We aim to take the reader through the complex path to this conclusion, the approach to sexually transmitted infections and potential CSA and what is currently known about chlamydial conjunctivitis in children beyond the neonatal period., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2023. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

The design and development of efficient and electrocatalytic sensitive nickel oxide nanomaterials have attracted attention as they are considered cost-effective, stable, and abundant electrocatalytic sensors. However, although innumerable electrocatalysts have been reported, their large-scale production with the same activity and sensitivity remains challenging. In this study, we report a simple protocol for the gram-scale synthesis of uniform NiO nanoflowers (approximately 1.75 g) via a hydrothermal method for highly selective and sensitive electrocatalytic detection of hydrazine. The resultant material was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. For the production of the modified electrode, NiO nanoflowers were dispersed in Nafion and drop-cast onto the surface of a glassy carbon electrode (NiO NF/GCE). By cyclic voltammetry, it was possible to observe the excellent performance of the modified electrode toward hydrazine oxidation in alkaline media, providing an oxidation overpotential of only +0.08 V vs Ag/AgCl. In these conditions, the peak current response increased linearly with hydrazine concentration ranging from 0.99 to 98.13 μmol L -1 . The electrocatalytic sensor showed a high sensitivity value of 0.10866 μA L μmol -1 . The limits of detection and quantification were 0.026 and 0.0898 μmol L -1 , respectively. Considering these results, NiO nanoflowers can be regarded as promising surfaces for the electrochemical determination of hydrazine, providing interesting features to explore in the electrocatalytic sensor field., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2023 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)

Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest.

Postharvest diseases compromise banana quality and cause high economic losses in Brazil. Among them, the crown rot prevails and its causal agents belong to distinct fungal species such as Colletotrichum musae (Berk. & Curt.) von Arx, Fusarium spp., and Lasiodiplodia theobromae (Pat.) Griff. & Maubl. (Griffee and Burden 1976; Ploetz et al. 2003). Symptoms of crown rot were observed on banana fruits of cv. Williams in a commercial area in Assu, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil (04°54'0.06"S, 37°22'6.02"W) in 2017. The samples were collected, superficially disinfected with NaClO (2%), and incubated in a wet chamber at 25 °C, with a 12 h photoperiod, for approximately 3 days. After the appearance of disease symptoms and pathogen signs, mycelia were transferred from the lesions to obtain pure cultures on a potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium. Thus, a monosporic culture was obtained (isolate BAN82). The fungus produced pycnidia with conidia on potato carrot agar (PCA) culture medium containing pine needles, after four weeks of incubation at 28 °C. The conidia were hyaline when immature and brown with central transverse septum when mature. The presence of conidiogenous cells, paraphyses, and conidiophores also were observed. The conidia present ovoid format measuring 20-28 x 11-14 µm (n=50). The fungal colony produced abundant aerial mycelia of mouse grey coloration, progressing to dark mouse grey (Rayner 1970), on PDA for 15 days to 28 °C. The growth rate was 29.3 mm/day on PDA. The genomic DNA was extracted and amplified PCR with primers TEF1-688F/TEF1-1251R, ITS1/ITS4, and Bt2a/Bt2b and sequenced in both directions. The TEF1 and TUB2 sequences showed 100%, and the ITS showed 93.06% identity with the sequences of Lasiodiplodia brasiliensis (GenBank accession numbers: ON623895, TEF1, ON623896, TUB2, and ON599012, ITS. Multiple alignments of the combined dataset of the isolate and representative sequences obtained from GenBank were submitted phylogenetic analyses to bayesian inference (IB) with posterior probabilities of 10,000,000 generations. The morphological characteristics together with multigenic analysis of the three genomic regions made it possible to identify the BAN82 isolate as Lasiodiplodia brasiliensis , showing bootstrap support of posterior probabilities of 0,98 in the IB analysis. The pathogenicity was evaluated on 16 banana fruits from cv. Prata Catarina, at the point of harvest. For inoculation, the bananas were disinfected with water, soap, and, NaClO (2%). Posteriorly, the fruits were wounded on both ends, followed by the deposition of 5mm diameter mycelial plugs from the fungal culture, within 7 days of the growth. After the inoculation, the fruits were incubated in plastic boxes in a wet chamber at 25 °C, with 12 h photoperiod, for 3 days. To complete Koch's postulates, the isolate was inoculated again into 16 other banana fruits from cv. Prata Catarina. The negative control fruits were not inoculated with the pathogen, only with PDA discs. The BAN82 isolate was pathogenic to the banana cv. Prata Catarina. In the Brazilian Northeast, L. brasiliensis was described in 2014 as being associated with papaya stem rot. Up to the moment, there are no reports of L. brasiliensis as the causal agent of crown rot on bananas from Brazil (Netto et al. 2014; Farr and Rossman 2022). Thus, our work is the first to report L. brasiliensis causing crown rot on banana fruits cv. Prata Catarina in Brazil.

Breastfeeding is a health promoting social behavior but statistics suggest a persistent disparity of lower rates among African American mothers. The Theory of Normative Social Behavior (TNSB) explains when and how norms influence behaviors, but has produced inconsistent results with respect to proposed moderators group identity and injunctive norms (IN), limiting its predictive value in diverse cultural groups. Cultural norms are one of many influences on breastfeeding behaviors, yet little is known about their mechanisms of influence. The TNSB has not been tested in the breastfeeding context or within an exclusively African American cultural group. Given this knowledge gap, a survey of 528 African American mothers in the Washington, D.C. area was conducted to test the moderating effects of IN and subjective norms (SN) and social identity on the descriptive norms (DN) to intentions relationship as predicted by the TNSB. Structural equation modeling was used to show that when controlling for education and breastfeeding history, norms significantly predicted 26.4% of the variance in breastfeeding intentions. SN and DN interacted negatively to enhance breastfeeding intentions. Latent profile analysis using ethnic pride, collectivism, and religiosity scales detected four profiles of African American social identity. Social identity profile membership was a significant moderator on the DN to intentions pathway in the structural equation model. Profiles with the highest ethnic pride were significantly influenced by DN to intend to breastfeed. Implications from this study for public health intervention and communication messaging are discussed.

The BIMEVOXes are among the best oxide ion conductors at low and intermediate temperatures. Their high conductivity is associated with local defect structure. In this work, the local structures of two BIMEVOX compositions, Bi 2 V 0.9 Ge 0.1 O 5.45 and Bi 2 V 0.95 Sn 0.05 O 5.475 , are examined using total neutron and X-ray scattering methods, with both compositions exhibiting the ordered α-phase at 25 °C and the disordered γ-phase at 700 °C. While the diffraction data for the α-phase do not allow for the polar ( C 2) and nonpolar ( C 2/ m ) structures to be readily distinguished, measurements of dielectric permittivity suggest the α-phase is weakly ferroelectric in character, consistent with calculations of spontaneous polarization based on a combination of density functional calculations and machine learning methodology. Reverse Monte Carlo (RMC) analysis of total scattering data reveals Ge preferentially adopts tetrahedral geometry at both temperatures, while Sn is found to predominantly adopt octahedral coordination in the α-phase and tetrahedral coordination in the γ-phase. In all cases, V polyhedra are found to consist of tetrahedral, pentacoordinate, and octahedral geometries, as also predicted by the crystallographic analysis and confirmed by 51 V solid state NMR spectroscopy. Although similar long-range structures are observed at room temperature, the oxide ion vacancy distributions were found to be quite different between the two studied compositions, with a nonrandom deficiency in vacancy pairs in the second-nearest shell along the ⟨100⟩ tetragonal direction for BIGEVOX10, compared with a long-distance (>8.0 Å) ordering of equatorial vacancies for BISNVOX05. This is attributed to the differences in the preferred coordination geometries of the substituent cations in the two systems. Impedance spectroscopy measurements reveal both compositions show high conductivity in the order of 10 -1 S cm -1 at 600 °C., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2022 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)

Despite being bio-epidemiological phenomena, the causes and effects of pandemics are culturally influenced in ways that go beyond national boundaries. However, they are often studied in isolated pockets, and this fact makes it difficult to parse the unique influence of specific cultural psychologies. To help fill in this gap, the present study applies existing cultural theories via linear mixed modeling to test the influence of unique cultural factors in a multi-national sample (that moves beyond Western nations) on the effects of age, biological sex, and political beliefs on pandemic outcomes that include adverse financial impacts, adverse resource impacts, adverse psychological impacts, and the health impacts of COVID. Our study spanned 19 nations (participant N = 14,133) and involved translations into 9 languages. Linear mixed models revealed similarities across cultures, with both young persons and women reporting worse outcomes from COVID across the multi-national sample. However, these effects were generally qualified by culture-specific variance, and overall more evidence emerged for effects unique to each culture than effects similar across cultures. Follow-up analyses suggested this cultural variability was consistent with models of pre-existing inequalities and socioecological stressors exacerbating the effects of the pandemic. Collectively, this evidence highlights the importance of developing culturally flexible models for understanding the cross-cultural nature of pandemic psychology beyond typical WEIRD approaches., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Conway, Woodard, Zubrod, Tiburcio, Martínez-Vélez, Sorgente, Lanz, Serido, Vosylis, Fonseca, Lep, Li, Zupančič, Crespo, Relvas, Papageorgiou, Gianniou, Truhan, Mojtahedi, Hull, Lilley, Canning, Ulukök, Akın, Massaccesi, Chiappini, Paracampo, Korb, Szaflarski, Touré, Camara, Magassouba, Doumbouya, Mutlu, Bozkurt, Grotkowski, Przepiórka, Corral-Frías, Watson, Corona Espinosa, Lucas, Paleari, Tchalova, Gregory, Azrieli, Bartz, Farmer, Goldberg, Rosenkranz, Pickett, Mackelprang, Graves, Orr and Balmores-Paulino.)

The main objective of this study was to investigate the 2019 and 2022 oil spill events that occurred off the coast of the State of Ceará, Northeastern Brazil. To further assess these mysterious oil spills, we investigated whether the oils stranded on the beaches of Ceará in 2019 and 2022 had the same origin, whether their compositional differences were due to weathering processes, and whether the materials from both were natural or industrially processed. We collected oil samples in October 2019 and January 2022, soon after their appearance on the beaches. We applied a forensic environmental geochemistry approach using both one-dimensional and two-dimensional gas chromatography to assess chemical composition. The collected material had characteristics of crude oil and not refined oils. In addition, the 2022 oil samples collected over 130 km of the east coast of Ceará had a similar chemical profile and were thus considered to originate from the same source. However, these oils had distinct biomarker profiles compared to those of the 2019 oils, including resistant terpanes and triaromatic steranes, thus excluding the hypothesis that the oil that reached the coast of Ceará in January 2022 is related to the tragedy that occurred in 2019. From a geochemical perspective, the oil released in 2019 is more thermally mature than that released in 2022, with both having source rocks with distinct types of organic matter and depositional environments. As the coast of Ceará has vast ecological diversity and Marine Protected Areas, the possibility of occasional oil spills in the area causing severe environmental pollution should be investigated from multiple perspectives, including forensic environmental geochemistry., 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 © 2022. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

We investigate the use of the Probabilistic Incremental Programming Evolution (PIPE) algorithm as a tool to construct continuous cumulative distribution functions to model given data sets. The PIPE algorithm can generate several candidate functions to fit the empirical distribution of data. These candidates are generated by following a set of probability rules. The set of rules is then evolved over a number of iterations to generate better candidates regarding some optimality criteria. This approach rivals that of generated distribution, obtained by adding parameters to existing probability distributions. There are two main advantages for this method. The first is that it is possible to explicitly control the complexity of the candidate functions, by specifying which mathematical functions and operators can be used and how lengthy the mathematical expression of the candidate can be. The second advantage is that this approach deals with model selection and estimation at the same time. The overall performance in both simulated and real data was very satisfying. For the real data applications, the PIPE algorithm obtained better likelihoods for the data when compared to existing models, but with remarkably simpler mathematical expressions.

Objective: Cardiovascular disease is of paramount importance, yet there are few relevant rat models to investigate its pathology and explore potential therapeutics. Housing at thermoneutral temperature (30 °C) is being employed to humanize metabolic derangements in rodents. We hypothesized that housing rats in thermoneutral conditions would potentiate a high-fat diet, resulting in diabetes and dysmetabolism, and deleteriously impact vascular function, in comparison to traditional room temperature housing (22 °C)., Methods: Male Wistar rats were housed at either room temperature or thermoneutral temperatures for 16 weeks on either a low or high-fat diet. Glucose and insulin tolerance tests were conducted at the beginning and end of the study. At the study's conclusion, vasoreactivity and mitochondrial respiration of aorta and carotid were conducted., Results: We observed diminished vasodilation in vessels from thermoneutral rats ( P  < 0.05), whereas high-fat diet had no effect. This effect was also observed in endothelium-denuded aorta in thermoneutral rats ( P  < 0.05). Vasoconstriction was significantly elevated in aorta of thermoneutral rats ( P  < 0.05). Diminished nitric oxide synthase activity and nitrotyrosine, and elevated glutathione activity were observed in aorta from rats housed under thermoneutral conditions, indicating a climate of lower nitric oxide and excess reactive oxygen species in aorta. Thermoneutral rat aorta also demonstrated less mitochondrial respiration with lipid substrates compared with the controls ( P  < 0.05)., Conclusion: Our data support that thermoneutrality causes dysfunctional vasoreactivity, decreased lipid mitochondrial metabolism, and modified cellular signaling. These are critical observations as thermoneutrality is becoming prevalent for translational research models. This new model of vascular dysfunction may be useful for dissection of targetable aspects of cardiovascular disease and is a novel and necessary model of disease., (Copyright © 2022 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

This study aimed to select endophytic fungi to produce L-asparaginase and partially optimising the production of the enzyme using cacti as substrate. Seventeen endophytes were assessed for intracellular enzymatic potential in modified Czapek Dox's medium using L-proline as an inducer. The best producer was evaluated for intracellular and extracellular enzymatic activity in modified Czapek Dox's medium using flours of Opuntia ficus-indica and Nopalea cochenillifera as substrate. The biomass and L-asparaginase production profile was analysed and the best conditions for enzyme production were verified using factorial design. Penicillium decaturense URM 7966, Diaporthe ueckerae URM 8321, and Colletotrichum annellatum URM 8538 produced 0.76 U g - 1 , 0.87 U g - 1 , and 0.74 U g - 1  L-asparaginase, respectively. Diaporthe ueckerae URM 8321 produced only intracellular L-asparaginase, using flours of N. cochenillifera (0.72 U g - 1 ) and O. ficus-indica (0.90 U g - 1 ) and the last was selected for the next steps. The ideal time for biomass and L-asparaginase production was 120 h. The best conditions for enzyme production (1.67 U g - 1 ) were initial pH 4.0, inoculum concentration 1% and cacti flour concentration 0.2%; where was observed an increase of 46.11% in compared to the initial production. Opuntia ficus-indica flour is indicated as an alternative low-cost substrate for the production of L-asparaginase by the endophytic fungus D. ueckerae URM 8321., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Large gaps in reef distribution may hinder the dispersal of marine organisms, interrupting processes vital to the maintenance of biodiversity. Here we show the presence and location of extensive reef habitats on the continental shelf between the Amazon Reef System (ARS) and the Eastern Brazilian Reef System (ERS), two reef complexes off eastern South America. Formations located 20-50 m deep include both biogenic and geogenic structures. The presence of diverse reef assemblages suggests the widespread occurrence of rocky substrates below 50 m. These habitats represent an expansion of both the ARS and ERS and the closure of the only remaining large-scale gap (~ 1000 km) among West Atlantic reef environments. This indicates that the SW Atlantic harbors a single, yet heterogeneous, reef system that stretches for about 4000 km, and thus, represents one of the largest semi-continuous tropical marine ecosystems in the world., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Objective: To examine the association between practice percentage coding of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in primary care with risk of subsequent hospitalisations and death., Design: Retrospective cohort study using linked electronic healthcare records., Setting: 637 general practitioner (GP) practices in England., Participants: 167 208 patients with CKD stages 3-5 identified by 2 measures of estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 mL/min/1.73 m 2 , separated by at least 90 days, excluding those with coded initiation of renal replacement therapy., Main Outcome Measures: Hospitalisations with cardiovascular (CV) events, heart failure (HF), acute kidney injury (AKI) and all-cause mortality RESULTS: Participants were followed for (median) 3.8 years for hospital outcomes and 4.3 years for deaths. Rates of hospitalisations with CV events and HF were lower in practices with higher percentage CKD coding. Trends of a small reduction in AKI but no substantial change in rate of deaths were also observed as CKD coding increased. Compared with patients in the median performing practice (74% coded), patients in practices coding 55% of CKD cases had a higher rate of CV hospitalisations (HR 1.061 (95% CI 1.015 to 1.109)) and HF hospitalisations (HR 1.097 (95% CI 1.013 to 1.187)) and patients in practices coding 88% of CKD cases had a reduced rate of CV hospitalisations (HR 0.957 (95% CI 0.920 to 0.996)) and HF hospitalisations (HR 0.918 (95% CI 0.855 to 0.985)). We estimate that 9.0% of CV hospitalisations and 16.0% of HF hospitalisations could be prevented by improving practice CKD coding from 55% to 88%. Prescription of antihypertensives was the most dominant predictor of a reduction in hospitalisation rates for patients with CKD, followed by albuminuria testing and use of statins., Conclusions: Higher levels of CKD coding by GP practices were associated with lower rates of CV and HF events, which may be driven by increased use of antihypertensives and regular albuminuria testing, although residual confounding cannot be ruled out., Competing Interests: Competing interests: David C Wheeler has an ongoing consultancy contract with AstraZeneca and has received honoraria, consultancy fees or speaker fees from Amgen, Astellas, Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, GlaxoSmithKline, Gilead, Janssen, Napp/Mundipharma, Merck Sharp and Dohme, Tricida, Vifor and Zydus. David Adlam has received research funding from Abbott vascular to support a clinical research fellow; he has also received funding from AstraZeneca inc. for unrelated research and has undertaken consultancy for General Electric inc. to support research funds. Dorothea Nitsch reports grants unrelated to this work from the National Institute for Health Research, Medical Research Council (MRC), the Health Foundation and GlaxoSmithKline., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2022. Re-use permitted under CC BY. Published by BMJ.)

This article describes the process educators at Cornell Botanic Gardens undertook to interpret the Ecological Calendar research project for public audiences. An ecological calendar is a way of keeping track of seasonal changes in a habitat. Many communities use and have used such calendars to coordinate their subsistence activities based on these seasonal events. Using interpretive and design planning processes, educators developed an exhibition in the Gardens' welcome center to help the visiting public understand what ecological calendars are, how they are used by communities most impacted by climate change, and their great potential for use by people around the world to adapt to increasing uncertainty associated with changes such as the increase in extreme weather events. To further help the public understand ecological calendars, two artists were invited to create art installations as part of the whole exhibition based on the research and knowledge from participating communities. Finally, project team members worked with educators to develop an environmental education activity that could be used at the Gardens and in primary and secondary schools to educate students about the value of ecological calendars and how to create them. The team was invited to submit a summary of their exhibition development process to this journal, as part of this special issue and to describe the process they took to communicate the ecological calendar research to a public audience. The process, which included an interdisciplinary team of scientists, Indigenous community members, artists, and educators' emphasized co-creation and the benefits of including multiple voices and viewpoints. It also describes interpretation-a purposeful approach to communication that facilitates meaning and understanding-and offers an example of how this discipline can be used by the scientific community to help convey their work to public audiences., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest relevant to this study., (© 2022 The Authors. GeoHealth published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Geophysical Union.)

Harboyan syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterised by congenital hereditary endothelial dystrophy (CHED), with a later onset of sensorineural hearing loss, due to pathogenic variants in the SLC4A11 gene. Congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) may also manifest with sensorineural hearing loss and visual impairment. We present a case of a 4-year-old girl, diagnosed at birth with a congenital CMV infection, but careful phenotyping and genetic testing permitted a more likely diagnosis of Harboyan syndrome.

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system., Objective: To investigate plasma and erythrocyte zinc status and its relationship to MS., Methods: Cross-sectional study, including 98 participants, distributed in groups: case (MS, n = 49), diagnosed with MS and control (n = 49), matched by age and sex with the case group. Zinc was analyzed by flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity by spectrophotometry., Results: Mean plasma zinc was 94.6 (22.1) μg/dL for MS patients and 81.5 (31.3) μg/dL for control group, with statistical difference (p = 0.023). The mean erythrocyte zinc was 83.6 (41.6) µg/gHb for case group and 72.6 (31.5) µg/gHb for control. Erythrocyte SOD activity was above reference values, significantly different for MS patients (p = 0.003). There was a significant direct correlation between erythrocyte zinc and SOD (r = 0.835; p < 0.001). SOD showed inverse correlation with MS outbreaks (r = -0.317; p = 0.027)., Conclusion: Patients with MS have normal plasma and elevated erythrocyte zinc. Erythrocyte zinc showed positive correlation with SOD, which correlated inversely to outbreaks., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. 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. The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests. Maria Luisa Pereira de Melo reports financial support was provided by National Council for Scientific and Technological Development., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Terminalia L. has a pantropical distribution, almost exclusively constituting tropical Combretaceae. In this work, a comprehensive synopsis of all the native species of Terminalia s.s. in the Brazilian Amazon is presented, including diagnostic characters, identification key, illustrations, geographic distribution maps, diversity and richness patterns with a new occurrence in Brazil, and a table with conservation status and number of records/ protected areas and their protected areas for all species. This information seeks to support the identification of these tree species, in addition to actions to conserve trees in the Brazilian Amazon.

Objective: To investigate the effect and mechanisms of Andira anthelmia lectin in rat models of acute inflammation., Material: AAL anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated in Wistar rat models of paw edema and peritonitis., Methods: AAL (0.01-1 mg/kg i.v.) was injected 30 min before stimulation with carrageenan and with initial and late phase inflammatory mediators into the animals paw or peritoneum for evaluation of cell migration (optical and intravital microscopy), paw edema (plethysmometry and histopathology); hyperalgesia (analgesimetry)., Results: AAL inhibited leukocyte migration induced by carrageenan, mainly neutrophils to the peritoneal fluid, decreasing leukocyte adhesion. In the peritoneal fluid, AAL reduced the gene expression of TNF-α and cyclooxygenase, as well the levels of PGE 2 . AAL inhibited the paw edema induced by carrageenan, serotonin, histamine, TNF-α, PLA 2 and PGE 2 , but not by L-arginine. In this model, AAL also inhibited mechanical hypernociception induced by TNF-α, PGE 2 , db-cAMP and capsaicin, and the activity of myeloperoxidase in the paw tissues., Conclusion: AAL presents anti-inflammatory effect in acute models of rat inflammation involving the participation of prostaglandins, TNF-α and lectin domain., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

We examined the effects of including sunflower cake (SC) associated with an enzyme complex (EC) in the diet of meat quails on nutrient metabolism, performance, carcass characteristics, bone parameters and economic viability. In total, 432 meat quails (7 to 42 days old) were assigned to six treatments in a completely randomised design with 6 replicates with 12 birds each. A 2 × 3 factorial arrangement was adopted (two levels of SC: 10 and 20%; three diet formulation strategies: normal, reduction in the nutrient and energy matrix considering the enzymatic contribution and reduced diet with EC). No interaction effect was observed. The increased levels of SC from 10% to 20% promoted in decrease in the metabolisability coefficients of dry matter and gross energy and in the value of AMEn and increased relative weight of gizzard. The addition of EC in diets containing SC allows a better metabolization of nitrogen and energy, equalize to the normal diet. The best breast yield was obtained in the birds fed the reduced diet with EC, in relation to normal diet. The reduced diet and the reduced diet with EC provided the lowest cost of food and the best economic efficiency index. Up to 20% of the sunflower cake can be included in the diet of cut quail, with or without enzyme supplementation. However, the use of the enzyme complex composed of carbohydrases, proteases and phytase can favor the metabolization of nitrogen and energy from the diet containing sunflower cake.