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Atividades extensionistas representam um dos pilares da formação universitária, compondo conjuntamente a pesquisa e o ensino as bases da almejada formação acadêmica cidadã e socialmente comprometida . O Curso de Bacharelado em Biotecnologia da Universidade Federal de Pelotas integra o Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico (CDTEC), e promove diversas atividades de extensão desde 2010. Esta pesquisa teve como propósito compilar as ações de extensão registradas no período de 2010 à 2019, registrando de forma organizada programas e projetos e quantificando os esforços extensionistas da comunidade acadêmica. Foram reunidos os dados compreendendo o período 2010-2019 disponibilizados nos sistemas Cobalto e SIEX. Ao todo, o curso de biotecnologia desenvolveu no período mais de 17 projetos de extensão, contando com significativa participação e envolvimento da comunidade acadêmica reforçando a vocação do curso e o compromisso em prol da popularização da ciência e da biotecnologia.

Tumor markers alpha-fetoprotein, human chorionic gonadotropin, and lactate dehydrogenase assume a key role in the management of testicular germ cell tumors. While alpha-fetoprotein and human chorionic gonadotropin have modest sensitivity and specificity for germ cell tumors, lactate dehydrogenase has weak sensitivity and specificity. We explored the utility of lactate dehydrogenase in identifying relapse among stage I seminomatous and nonseminomatous germ cell tumors on surveillance.Patients with a history of stage I testicular germ cell tumors were identified from a prospectively maintained database at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre from December 1980 to May 2021 and surveyed according to established institutional algorithm guidelines. The utility of lactate dehydrogenase elevation to independently detect germ cell tumor relapse was examined.Among 1,014 seminoma and 676 nonseminomatous germ cell tumor patients, 176 and 176 patients relapsed with a median time to relapse of 13.6 and 8.9 months, respectively. Imaging alone was the most common mode of relapse detection in 144 and 74 of seminoma and nonseminomatous germ cell tumor patients, respectively. Lactate dehydrogenase was elevated in 49 cases of seminoma and 38 cases of nonseminomatous germ cell tumors at relapse, but was never the sole relapse indicator. Among 350 seminoma and 311 nonseminomatous germ cell tumor patients who never relapsed, 210 and 233, respectively, had at least 1 elevated lactate dehydrogenase value.Lactate dehydrogenase alone did not independently contribute to early relapse detection in stage I seminoma or nonseminomatous germ cell tumor. Elevated lactate dehydrogenase values were documented in a high proportion of nonrelapsing seminoma and nonseminomatous germ cell tumor cases.

Remote sensing (RS) of volcanic gases has become a central tool for studying volcanic activity. For instance, ultraviolet (UV) skylight spectroscopy with grating spectrographs (GS) enables SO2 (and, under favourable conditions, BrO) quantification in volcanic plumes from autonomous platforms at safe distances. These measurements can serve volcanic monitoring and they cover all stages of volcanic activity in long measurement time series, which substantially contributes to the refinement of theories on volcanic degassing. Infrared (IR) remote sensing techniques are able to measure further volcanic gases (e.g., HF, HCl, CO2, CO). However, the employed Fourier transform spectrometers (FTSs) are intrinsically intricate and, due to limited resolving power or light throughput, mostly rely on either lamps, direct sun, or hot lava as light source, usually limiting measurements to individual field campaigns. We show that many limitations of grating spectrographs and Fourier transform spectrometer measurements can be overcome by Fabry-Perot interferometer (FPI) based spectrograph implementations. Compared to grating spectrographs and Fourier transform spectrometers, Fabry-Perot interferometer spectrographs reach a 1-3 orders of magnitude higher spectral resolution and superior light throughput with compact and stable set-ups. This leads to 1) enhanced sensitivity and selectivity of the spectral trace gas detection, 2) enables the measurement of so far undetected volcanic plume constituents [e.g., hydroxyl (OH) or sulfanyl (SH)], and 3) extends the range of gases that can be measured continuously using the sky as light source. Here, we present measurements with a shoe-box-size Fabry-Perot interferometer spectrograph (resolving power of ca. 150000), performed in the crater of Nyiragongo volcano. By analysing the light of a ultraviolet light emitting diode that is sent through the hot gas emission of an active lava flow, we reach an OH detection limit of about 20 ppb, which is orders of magnitude lower than the mixing ratios predicted by high-temperature chemical models. Furthermore, we introduce example calculations that demonstrate the feasibility of skylight-based remote sensing of HF and HCl in the short-wave infrared with Fabry-Perot interferometer spectrographs, which opens the path to continuous monitoring and data acquisition during all stages of volcanic activity. This is only one among many further potential applications of remote sensing of volcanic gases with high spectral resolution.

To compare and assess the clinical outcomes between thulium fibre laser (TFL) and holmium: yttrium-aluminium-garnet (Ho:YAG) laser endoscopic lithotripsy of urolithiasis through a meta-analysis of comparative clinical studies.A systematic literature search was performed in May 2022, grey literature search in July 2022. Comparative clinical studies were evaluated according to Cochrane recommendations. Assessed outcomes include the stone-free rate (SFR), complication rate, operative time (OT), laser utilisation time (LUT), ablation rate (stone volume/laser time), ablation efficiency (energy use/stone volume), total energy usage, degree of retropulsion, and hospital stay. Risk ratios (RRs) and standardised mean differences (SMDs) were extrapolated. Subgroup analyses, heterogeneity, publication bias, and Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) assessment were performed. International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) registration: CRD42022300788.A total of 15 studies with 1698 cases were included in this review. The outcome of SFR showed no significant between-group difference (RR 1.09, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.99-1.20). However, subgroup analysis of TFL vs Ho:YAG with no pulse modulation showed a SFR favouring TFL (RR 1.11, 95% CI 1.01-1.23). The composite postoperative complication rate was comparable between the two intervention groups (RR 0.97, 95% CI 0.66-1.43). OT, LUT and ablation rate were significantly better for TFL than Ho:YAG (SMD -1.19, 95% CI -1.85 to -0.52; SMD -1.67, 95% CI -2.62 to -0.72; SMD 0.59, 95% CI 0.15-1.03; respectively). The degree of retropulsion was significantly lower for TFL than Ho:YAG without pulse modulation (SMD -1.23, 95% CI -1.74 to -0.71). Ablation efficiency, total energy usage, and hospital stay were all comparable. Based on GRADE criteria, the evidence certainty was determined to be very low.Overall, there was no between-group difference for the SFR. However, compared to Ho:YAG with no pulse modulation, TFL rendered a better SFR. Shorter OT and LUT, a lesser degree of retropulsion, and a better ablation rate were noted in favour of the TFL. There was no overall between-group difference for composite postoperative complication rate, ablation efficiency, total energy usage, and hospital stay. Currently, the available clinical evidence was assessed to be of very low certainty.

Resumo O planejamento e manejo da arborização viária são indispensáveis para o desenvolvimento urbano sustentável e requerem o conhecimento da situação existente. A identificação e a distribuição das espécies florestais presentes nas vias públicas são fundamentais para subsidiar o planejamento adequado da arborização viária. A partir dessas informações, pode-se realizar a caracterização geral do local de interesse e identificar áreas prioritárias para ações de manejo. Dessa maneira, o presente estudo teve como objetivo identificar áreas prioritárias para intervenções na arborização viária de São Pedro do Sul e verificar a influência das espécies vegetais exóticas no índice de diversidade. Realizou-se um censo quantitativo coletando-se informações sobre a posição geográfica das árvores e arbustos e identificação das espécies vegetais. Determinaram-se as frequências para famílias e espécies e calculou-se o índice de Shannon-Wiener (H’) para diversidade de espécies. A espacialização das árvores dentro dos limites dos bairros e vias foi realizada por meio de um mapa de Kernel. Por fim, obteve-se a densidade de indivíduos por quilômetro de via em cada bairro. Foram catalogados 3365 indivíduos, dos quais 98 não foram passíveis de identificação. Registrou-se a presença de 91 espécies, distribuídas em 34 famílias. A família Fabaceae obteve a maior densidade de indivíduos (19,55%). As espécies exóticas concentraram 63,98% da população, sendo a espécie Ligustrum lucidum a mais frequente (15,66%). O município obteve valores médios de 41,18 árvores por quilômetro de via e índice de diversidade de 3,22. O índice de atenção possibilitou identificar os bairros com maiores necessidades de adequação quanto à densidade da arborização viária. O mapa de Kernel possibilitou a visualização da distribuição da arborização viária. Observou-se também que a diversidade de espécies vegetais mensurada em cada bairro está representada essencialmente por espécies vegetais exóticas invasoras e que, à medida que os valores de diversidade aumentam, a composição da arborização com árvores de espécies invasoras se destaca. Abstract The planning and management of street trees are indispensable for sustainable urban development and requires knowledge of the existing situation. The identification of forest species which are present on streets and their distributions is essential to support the adequate planning of street afforestation. This information enables to carry out the general characterization of the place of interest and identify priority areas for management actions. Thus, the present study aimed to identify priority areas for interventions in urban street trees of São Pedro do Sul and to verify the influence of exotic species on the diversity index. A census was carried out collecting information about the tree species and their geographic positions, checking it with the specialized literature. The frequencies for families and species were obtained, the Shannon-Wiener index (H ') was calculated for species diversity. The spatialization of trees within the limits of neighborhoods and roads was carried out using a Kernel map. Finally, the density of individuals per kilometer of road in each neighborhood was obtained. 3365 trees were cataloged, of which 98 were not possible to be identifiable. The presence of 91 species was registered, distributed in 34 families. The Fabaceae family obtained the highest density of individuals (19.55%). Exotic species concentrated 63.98 % of the population, with Ligustrum lucidum being the most frequent species (15.66%). The municipality obtained average values of 41.18 trees per kilometer of road and a diversity index of 3.22. The attention index made it possible to identify the neighborhoods with the greatest need for adaptation in terms of the density of road afforestation. The Kernel map made it possible to visualize the distribution of the road afforestation. It was also observed that the diversity of tree species measured in each neighborhood is represented essentially by invasive alien species and that as the diversity values increase, the composition of afforestation with invasive species trees stands out.

Cel pracyCelem badań była identyfikacja czynników (ryzyka i chroniących) związanych z występowaniem problemów zdrowia psychicznego młodzieży.MetodaBadaną grupę stanowili uczniowie szkół podstawowych i gimnazjalnych z Iławy w wieku 13-15 lat (N=574). Dane zbierano za pomocą audytoryjnych anonimowych badań ankietowych. W badaniach uwzględniono dwie grupy problemów zdrowia psychicznego: internalizacyjne (przejawy depresji i problemy emocjonalne) oraz eksternalizacyjne, (używanie substancji psychoaktywnych, zachowania agresywne, wykroczenia), a także szereg czynników psychospołecznych (wparcie i kontrolę rodziców, więź ze szkołą, wpływy rówieśnicze, wiktymizację, sposoby spędzania czasu wolnego). Do identyfikacji czynników ryzyka i czynników chroniących wykorzystano modele hierarchicznej regresji logistycznej ze statystyką Walda.WynikiWsparcie i kontrola rodzicielska okazały się być uniwersalnymi czynnikami chroniącymi, które zmniejszają ryzyko zarówno problemów internalizacyjnych jak i eksternalizacyjnych. Z drugiej strony, bycie ofiarą przemocy rówieśniczej oraz poświęcanie dużej ilości czasu na e-kontakty okazały się czynnikami ryzyka dla obu grup problemów zdrowia psychicznego młodzieży. Ponadto istotnymi czynnikami w modelach regresji były: płeć, negatywne wpływy rówieśnicze, więź ze szkołą oraz korzystanie z gier komputerowych / wideo.WnioskiProfilaktykę problemów zdrowia psychicznego młodzieży należy ukierunkować na edukację rodziców w zakresie wsparcia i kontroli nastolatków, wzmacnianie więzi uczniów ze szkołą oraz odporności na negatywne wpływy towarzystwa rówieśniczego.

Bromine monoxide (BrO) is a key radical in the atmosphere, influencing the chemical state of the atmosphere, most notably the abundance of ozone. The main effect of BrO onto tropospheric ozone concentrations occurs in bromine release events in polar regions, salt pans and volcanic plumes. Ozone depletion caused by halogen release has been observed and modeled for such conditions, in particular inside volcanic plumes. Furthermore, the molar bromine to sulphur ratio in volcanic plumes is a proxy for the magmatic composition of a volcano and potentially an eruption forecast parameter. The integrated column of BrO in the atmosphere, which in turn serves as an estimate for the bromine content, can be detected simultaneously with SO2 via spectroscopic measurements using the Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (DOAS). Thus, a direct derivation of the BrO/SO2 ratio can be performed from a single measurement. Satellite spectroscopic observations offer the potential to observe and monitor volcanic bromine release globally. The detection of BrO in volcanic plumes is limited by the precision and sensitivity of the retrieval, which so far only allowed for the detection of BrO during major eruptions, leading to a potential sampling bias when looking at the BrO/SO2 ratio. The The TROPospheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) onboard Sentinel-5 Precursor (S-5P) however, with its unprecedented spatial resolution of up to 3.5 × 5.5 km2 and high signal-to-noise ratio, enables the detection of BrO in minor eruptions or even quiescent degassing. In this study, we investigate, how far the BrO retrieval can be improved using TROPOMI data and how well BrO can be detected, even in small eruptions and during quiescent volcanic degassing. There are two steps, for which improvements in accuracy are investigated and applied: the improvement and quantitative determination of (1) the detection limit of the DOAS BrO column retrieval and (2) the correction of non-volcanic background BrO signal. First, the DOAS retrieval settings are varied and their influence on accuracy and precision is investigated with respect to the detection limit and potential systematic influences. Based on these results, we propose a dedicated DOAS evaluation scheme optimized for the detection of BrO in volcanic plumes. For the DOAS retrieval, we propose the use of a large fit window from 323–360 nm, yielding a factor of 1.8 lower statistical uncertainty compared to previous BrO DOAS algorithms, while not enhancing systematic influences. Second, the effect of the background BrO is reduced by a latitude dependent empirical correction scheme correlated to cloud information as well as information on the ozone column. Via these improvements, the combined statistical and systematic uncertainties of the resulting BrO vertical column density is in the order of 7 × 1012 molecules cm−2, which allows for the detection of even slightly enhanced BrO amounts inside minor eruptive plumes of bromine-rich volcanoes.

Halogens in volcanic plumes are important for both volcanic and environmental research. For example, changes in the composition of the volcanic plume can be an indication of changes in the activity of the volcano. Volcanic emissions consist mainly of emitted H2O, CO2 and SO2 and are rapidly mixed with surrounding background atmosphere. Additionally, HF, HCl and HBr are also significant constituents of volcanic emissions.A particularly interesting element in this context is bromine because of its atmospheric relevance. Among others BrO forms in the volcanic plume and, like SO2, can be determined spectroscopically using remote sensing techniques, making it ideal for monitoring and surveillance of volcanoes. However, to interpret and use BrO concentrations, we need to fully understand the formation and evolution of BrO in volcanic plumes. Measuring all relevant halogen species can take us one step further in our understanding of the interaction between atmosphere and volcanic gas and particle emissions.Currently, several methods are used to detect the various halogen compounds. Remote sensing methods exist for only a few (in general BrO, OClO, HCl, HF). We use in-situ sampling methods such as diffusion separators, filter packs or aqueous alkaline traps to collect reactive and total halogen species, respectively.In this study, we will present results for Cl2, Br2 and BrCl in volcanic plumes using AV based in situ measurement with cis-Stilbene coated syringe filters for halogens and interhalogens (i.e., Cl2 ,Br2 and BrCl). The results are discussed considering the different degassing activities and halogen chemistry in volcanic plumes.

Besides H2O, CO2 and sulphur, halogens (F, Cl, Br, I) are important volatile components in magmas. The extremely high chemical activity of halogens in melts and liquids leads to a significant influence on (a) magmatic properties, (b) the degassing of magma, (c) the extraction, transport and deposition of metals, (d) the chemistry of volcanic emissions and (e) the composition of the atmosphere. Indeed, their geochemical behaviour can be used as a key indicator of the genetic conditions and evolution of magma.In July 2021 a joint interdisciplinary campaign of petrologists, chemists and atmospheric physicists took place at Mt Etna volcano, Italy. Due to the favourable volcanic activity at Mt Etna (frequent paroxystic activity characterized by lava fountaining) we were able to collect a unique dataset of simultaneously sampled fresh tephra fallout, in-situ gas samples (multiGAS, alkaline traps, 1,3,5-Trimethoxybenzene impregnated denuders) and spectral data with remote sensing techniques (DOAS, FTS, IFPICS) of the volcanic plume. The halogen and sulphur content was analysed in the volcanic plume as well as in the melt inclusion and glasses of the deposits. Results of the various applied techniques are presented. They allow us a direct comparison of degassing signatures (e.g., Cl/F, Br/Cl, and S/Cl) from the pre-eruptive melt to the volcanic plume.

To protect people and infrastructures in the immediate vicinity of active volcanoes, monitoring the gas composition of the emitted plume is crucial. In order to react quickly to sudden changes in this composition, frequent measurements are key, as different ratios like the halogen/sulfur or the CO2/SO2 ratio can give hints on changing volcanic activity due to their different solubility in magma. However, monitoring the chemical composition of the volcanic plume is not an easy task, especially since stationary ground-based gas monitoring stations do not always measure the concentration in the plume, only under certain meteorological conditions, and remote sensing methods are not available for all gases of interest. In this case, human interaction is required to move the measurement equipment to the location of interest, which is close to the active vent. Not only does this pose a serious health risk, it is also burdensome, as the researcher must climb the volcano, take the measurements, climb back down, and analyze the results. This lengthy procedure can be sped up and facilitated by using lightweight drones to take the measurements. Sensors and various other instruments, such as miniaturized alkaline traps or impregnated syringe filters that employ an electrophilic addition to a double bond to selectively absorb halogen species in the oxidation states -1, ±0 and +1, can be mounted on the drone and controlled via a radio link to a ground station. The online results can then be used during the flight to locate the plume to ensure efficient sampling with the absorbers. The landing site of the drone is usually located far away from active vents, which significantly reduces health hazards and speeds up the process.This poster presents such a drone with its advanced sensor system and absorbers for the determination and quantification of CO2, SO2, acidic gases and halogen species and its deployment during a measurement campaign on Etna in July 2022.

Bromine monoxide (BrO) is a halogen radical influencing atmospheric chemical processes, in particular the abundance of ozone, e. g. in the polar boundary layer and above salt lakes, in the stratosphere as well as in volcanic plumes. Furthermore, the molar bromine to sulphur ratio in volcanic gas emissions is a proxy for the magmatic composition of a volcano and potentially an eruption forecast parameter.The high spatial resolution combined with the better signal-to-noise ratio of the S-5P/TROPOMI instrument (up to 3.5x5.5km2) and its daily global coverage offer the potential to detect BrO and its corresponding ratio with sulphur dioxide (BrO/SO2) even during minor eruptions and for continuous passive degassing volcanoes.Here, we present a global overview of BrO/SO2 molar ratios in volcanic dispersion gas plumes derived from a systematic long-term investigation covering four years (January 2018 to December 2021) of TROPOMI data.We retrieved column densities of BrO and SO2 using Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (DOAS) and calculated mean BrO/SO2 molar ratios for various volcanoes. The calculated BrO/SO2 molar ratios differ strongly ranging from several 10-5 up to several 10-4 both between different volcanoes, but also between measurements at one volcano at different points in time. In our four-year study of S-5P/TROPOMI data we successfully recorded 4232 volcanic plumes, 3063 of which can be clearly assigned to 43 volcanoes. Subsequently, the mean BrO/SO2 ratio is calculated for these plumes - increasing the global data-base of reported BrO/SO2 ratios from 28 to 60 volcanoes. For the first time, BrO/SO2 ratios were successfully determined for six hot spot volcanoes - all of which yield low BrO/SO2 ratios between 2-5x10-5, in contrast to 2-16x10-5 for subduction zone volcanoes, suggesting a depletion of bromine in the Earth’s mantle.In addition, time-series of the BrO/SO2 ratio were derived for 19 volcanoes, with more than 200 daily measurements of the BrO/SO2 ratio at the five volcanoes Mt. Etna, Italy, Dukono, Indonesia, Popocatepetl, Mexico, Nevado del Ruiz, Colombia, and Sangay, Ecuador.

Following our previous work on complementary boundary conditions, we write Cartesian product of two copies of a space of continuous functions on the real line as the direct sum of two subspaces that are invariant under a cosine family of operators underlying Brownian motion. Both these subspaces are formed by pairs of extensions of continuous functions: in the first subspace the form of these extensions is shaped unequivocally by the transmission conditions describing snapping out Brownian motion, in the second, it is shaped by the transmission conditions of skew Brownian motion with certain degree of stickiness. In this sense, the above transmission conditions are complementary to each other.

Bromine monoxide (BrO) and sulphur dioxide (SO2) are two gases frequently observed in volcanic plumes by spectroscopic techniques capable of continuous gas monitoring like, e.g., Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (DOAS). The spatio-temporal resolution of DOAS measurements, however, only allows to determine average gas fluxes (minutes to hours resolution). In particular, it is insufficient to record two-dimensional images of SO2 and BrO in real-time (seconds time resolution). Thus, it is impossible to resolve details of chemical conversions of reactive plume constituents. However, these details are vital for further understanding reactive halogen chemistry in volcanic plumes. Therefore, instruments that combine high spatio-temporal resolution and high gas sensitivity and selectivity are required. In addition, these instruments must be robust and compact to be suitable for measurements in harsh and remote volcanic environments. Imaging Fabry-Pérot interferometer (FPI) correlation spectroscopy (IFPICS) is a novel technique for atmospheric trace gas imaging. It allows measuring atmospheric gas column density (CD) distributions with a high spatial and temporal resolution, while at the same time providing selectivity and sensitivity comparable to DOAS measurements. IFPICS uses the periodic transmission spectrum of an FPI, that is matched to the periodic narrowband (vibrational) absorption features of the target trace gas. Recently, IFPICS has been successfully applied to volcanic SO2. Here we demonstrate the applicability of IFPICS to much weaker (about two orders of magnitude) trace gas optical densities, such as that of BrO in volcanic plumes. Due to its high reactivity, BrO is extremely difficult to handle in the laboratory. Thus, based on the similarity of the UV absorption cross sections, we used formaldehyde (HCHO) as a spectral proxy for BrO in instrument characterization measurements. Furthermore, we present recent advances in SO2 IFPICS measurements and simultaneous measurements of SO2 and BrO from a field campaign at Mt Etna in July 2021. We find photon shot-noise limited detection limits of 4.7 × 1017 molec s0.5 cm−2 for SO2 and of 8.9 × 1014 molec s0.5 cm−2 for BrO at a spatial resolution of 512 × 512 pixels and 200 × 200 pixels, respectively. Furthermore, an estimate for the BrO to SO2 ratio (around 10–4) in the volcanic plume is given. The prototype instrument presented here provides spatially resolved measurements of the reactive volcanic plume component BrO. The temporal resolution of our approach allows studies of chemical conversions inside volcanic plumes on their intrinsic timescale.

Introduction: Debates remain on the ideal congenital ventral curvature correction among patients with and without severe hypospadias. Herein, we aimed to assess the comparative surgical outcome of dorsal shortening (DS) vs. ventral lengthening (VL) procedures for correcting congenital ventral curvatures. Method: A systematic literature search was performed in September 2021 using the PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, CENTRAL, ProQuest, and Clinicaltrials.gov databases. Comparative studies were identified and evaluated according to Cochrane Collaboration recommendations. Assessed outcomes included success and complication rates, which were extrapolated for the respective odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Subgroup analyses were performed according to congenital curvature, with or without severe hypospadias or recurrent curvatures (International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO): CRD42021276193). Results: Based on pooled effect estimates from 12 studies with 430 (DS 253, VL 177) cases of ventral curvature repair, VL was able to render a better success rate for curvature correction (OR 4.20, 95% CI 2.11, 8.33) than DS repair, with comparable composite surgical complication rates (OR 0.77, 95% CI 0.27, 2.18). Furthermore, subgroup analysis showed that the success rate remained significantly better for the VL approach among patients with associated severe hypospadias (OR 3.59, 95% CI 1.25, 10.26) and recurrent penile curvatures (OR 5.70, 95% CI 1.69, 19.21), but not among those with congenital curvature without hypospadias or those with mild hypospadias (OR 2.99, 95% CI 0.32, 27.57). Conclusions: In correcting congenital curvature associated with severe hypospadias and recurrent curvatures, VL procedures might render a modestly better success rate; however, careful selection of appropriate patients seems to be the crucial key to the best outcome. The surgical complication rate seems to be comparable between the two approaches.

Glioblastoma (GBM) carries a dismal prognosis and inevitably relapses despite aggressive therapy. Many members of the Eph receptor tyrosine kinase (EphR) family are expressed by GBM stem cells (GSC), which have been implicated in resistance to GBM therapy. In this study, we identify several EphRs that mark a therapeutically targetable GSC population in treatment-refractory, recurrent GBM (rGBM). Using a highly specific EphR antibody panel and CyTOF (cytometry by time-of-flight), we characterized the expression of all 14 EphR in primary and recurrent patient-derived GSCs to identify putative rGBM-specific EphR. EPHA2 and EPHA3 coexpression marked a highly tumorigenic cell population in rGBM that was enriched in GSC marker expression. Knockdown of EPHA2 and EPHA3 together led to increased expression of differentiation marker GFAP and blocked clonogenic and tumorigenic potential, promoting significantly higher survival in vivo. Treatment of rGBM with a bispecific antibody against EPHA2/A3 reduced clonogenicity in vitro and tumorigenic potential of xenografted recurrent GBM in vivo via downregulation of AKT and ERK and increased cellular differentiation. In conclusion, we show that EPHA2 and EPHA3 together mark a GSC population in rGBM and that strategic cotargeting of EPHA2 and EPHA3 presents a novel and rational therapeutic approach for rGBM.Significance: Treatment of rGBM with a novel bispecific antibody against EPHA2 and EPHA3 reduces tumor burden, paving the way for the development of therapeutic approaches against biologically relevant targets in rGBM. Cancer Res; 78(17); 5023–37. ©2018 AACR.

Protein expression of EphA2, EphA3, CD133, CD15, Bmi1, Sox2, FoxG1 and ITGA6 in GBM.

High affinity EphA2/A3 BsAb is internalized, leading to decreased expression of EphA2 and EphA3.

Patient demographics.

Characterization of EphA2+/EphA3+ sorted cell population overtime for changes in EphA2 and EphA3 surface expression.

Recurrent GBMs express low levels of ephrinA1/A5 ligands, and treatment with EphA2.A3 BsAb leads to EphA2 phosphorylation but does not alter other EphR expression.

EphA2/A3 BsAb also targets EphA2+/EphA3- and EphA2-/EphA3+ cell populations, does not affect cell cycle or apoptosis, and leads to increased expression of GFAP and MAP2.

Knockdown of EphA2 and EphA3 alters cell cycle and increases apoptosis in recurrent GBM.

Data mining methods often include matrix inversion tasks. Big data mining requires fast and accurate inversion of high-dimensional arrays. The presented work describes the concept of stepwise matrix inversion using the basis exchange algorithm based on the Gauss-Jordan vector transformation. The article also includes a demonstrative numerical example.

Studying the composition of a certain food is not enough to predict its health benefits. Research over the past decades has decisively strengthened the notion that any putative health benefit is best related to the fraction of compounds transferred from ingested foods into the body since the absorption may be incomplete after oral consumption. In other words, the bioavailability of food components is crucial information. Therefore, a variety of in vitro models have been developed to predict their bioaccessibility and bioavailability in the most diverse food matrices and food products. These models can also be applied to study the impact of several endogenous or exogenous factors on the bioaccessibility and bioavailability of nutrients and bioactive compounds, guiding nutrition and food scientists, technologists, and engineers towards the development of strategies to optimize the positive impact of the diet on well-being and quality of life. While bioavailability is ideally examined in human volunteers, in vitro digestion methods, as well as intestinal absorption and microphysiological models, simulate human physiological conditions. Additionally, in vitro methods are alternatives to offset ethical, economical, and experimental limitations associated with in vivo studies conducted either with individuals or animals. This graphical review draws parallels between in vitro models mimicking digestion processes, uptake, absorption, metabolism, and distribution of dietary compounds and human physiology., Highlights • Bioavailability determination in humans is considered the “gold standard”. • Static, semi-dynamic, and dynamic in vitro digestion simulate physiological conditions. • Bioaccessibility is the fraction of compounds that become accessible for absorption. • Changes in the gastrointestinal tract occur since the gestational period. • Multi-organs-on-a-chip can simulate the systemic distribution and organ interactions.

The archaeological and archaeobotanical research conducted in southern part in the Western Desert in Egypt included efforts at identifying the plant material preserved in daub. The samples selected for this type of analysis were taken from site E-05-1 in Bargat El-Shab. This site were occupied seasonally by nomadic people from the beginning of the Holocene. The study provide very little data on plant remains preserved in daub and confirms application of grass, as a temper added to clay before firing or drying.

A tanulmány Julian Antonisz Antoniszczak, az extravagáns művész, képzett feltaláló és a krakkói Animációs Filmstúdióhoz kötődő kísérleti filmes életművére fókuszál. Bár Antonisz műveit ritkán vetítik nemzetközi fesztiválokon, a lengyel animációs film rajongói körében nagy elismerést váltott ki, főleg a 35 mm-es filmszalagra rajzolt, festett, karcolt, égetett vagy fametszetként készült, furcsa, „kamera nélküli filmjeinek” alkotójaként. Erőteljes vizuális kísérletezései olyan nemzetközileg elismert avantgárd filmesekkel állítják rokonságba, mint Norman McLaren, Stan Brakhage vagy Len Lye, ám ezekhez a művészekhez képest Antonisz munkája sokkal kevésbé tűnik hermetikusnak és exkluzívnak. A rendező nagy népszerűségre tett szert a lengyel nézők körében, mivel képes volt összeegyeztetni a film médiumának experimentális megközelítését a szocialista valóság abszurd kigúnyolásával, a vonzó primitivizmussal és az őrült burleszkkel. Jellemző, hogy Antonisz radikális, a „barkácsolás” filozófiája iránti elkötelezettségén nyugvó művészi módszere, anarchista humorérzéke, valamint a tekintélyekkel és a hivatalos doktrínákkal szembeni természetes bizalmatlansága a 80-as években a lengyel punk mozgalom kultikus alakjává tette őt. Filmtörténeti nézőpontból az ideológiai uralom idején Antonisznak a művészi függetlenségre való törekvése a lengyel disszidens művészet tágabb kontextusában olyan példának tekinthető, amely a kommunista rezsim elmúlt két évtizedében a gerillamódszereket kombinálta felforgató üzenetekkel.

This thesis offers a sociological explanation for the electoral appeal of Pauline Hanson's One Nation (PHON) by performing a discourse analysis of the parties manifesto. This manifesto is comprised of the public speeches, parliamentary speeches and media releases of PHON delivered during the period of Hanson's term in the Australian Federal Parliament 1996-1998. The analysis is a synthesis of methodological approaches originated by Theodor Adorn and Erving Goffrnan. These approaches are rhetorical analysis and frame analysis. The combination of these approaches augmented by the simultaneous identification of key thematic domains allows the discourse analysis to be linked to issues canvassed by the Australian Election Study 1998 (AES 1998). It is proposed in the thesis that Hanson's political style is of the populist type that is demonstrated to be increasingly prevalent in Western politics. It is the paucity of sociological explanation that focuses on the manifestos of contemporary populist politics in order to understand the mechanism of appeal of such political movements that warrants this in-depth analysis of an Australian example of the phenomena. Firstly, the work of Adorno is revisited by considering the historical climate in which he was working in the 1930s including the development of The Frankfurt School. During this time, Adorn developed a 'Gallery of Tricks and Devices' for analysing the radio programs of the fascist Presbyterian preacher, Martin Luther Thomas. The Gallery is actually a typology of rhetorical devices that Adorn identified in the speech of Thomas. Thomas employed a populist style and is known for his emotional appeals to his audience. This typology was then applied to the manifesto of 116 documents comprised of public and parliamentary speeches and media releases produced in Hanson's name from her election to Federal Parliament in 1996 until her defeat in 1998. The objective of this step of the discourse analysis was to assess the utility of Adorno's typology. A content analysis was also performed to ascertain the weighted means of the prevalence of the devices within each of the document categories. The results suggested that the typology required some revision to enhance its suitability for the efficient analysis of contemporary populist discourse. A Revised Typology was formulated and applied. This new typology has the potential to be useful in the analysis of the manifestos of a variety of political movements. This rhetorical analysis gives insight into the potential impact on listeners of particular excerpts of speech. The impact is the transference of messages about particular issues and is frequently emotive in tone. The incidence of each rhetorical device is composed of one or more sentences. The key issues identified were grouped according to theme. Three key thematic domains are identified and are labelled Cultural, Social and Economic Sovereignty. A contemporary form of Goffman's (1974) frame analysis developed by Snow and Benford (1986) informs the scrutiny of the discourse. The purpose of this step of the analysis is to ascertain what the overall potential impact of the collective effect of the rhetorical devices is on audiences. The term applied by Snow and Benford to describe the collective impact of the meaning of a particular discourse is Master Frame. It is asserted that the Master Frame of the PHON discourse is an Identity Frame. It has been suggested that a factor lacking in frame analysis generally, is the absence of the acknowledgement of the role of emotion in attracting people to political or social movements. The incorporation into the analysis of the application of a rhetorical typology addresses this shortcoming. It also serves to identify the emotional component of the discourse that is associated with the populist political style. The thesis claims that PHON's appeal is founded on successfully communicating its master frame to the constituency via its populist style. Furthermore that that this populist style relies heavily on emotionally charged presentations by the leader. The identification of the key thematic domains of the discourse is necessary in order to establish if there is indeed a link between the master frame of the discourse and PHON's appeal to the constituency. This is achieved by the statistical analysis of the AES 1998 data set. The first step of this analysis was to create a reliable scale to measure respondents 'feelings' towards PHON's leader, Pauline Hanson. Ten items were selected from the data sets that address aspects of respondent's feelings towards Hanson. This scale was labelled the Emotional Energy Scale following Randall Collins' (1988b) definition of this concept. The data set was then searched for items that addressed issues encapsulated by the thematic domains. Section D. Election Issues, E. Social Policy and G. Constitution, Rights and Minorities were found to contain items that corresponded to the thematic domains. Section D. related to Economic Sovereignty; Section E. related to Social Sovereignty and Section G. related to Cultural Sovereignty. Factor analysis was used to create scales from items within each of these sections that addressed issues that dominated the PHON manifesto. Regression analysis was then employed. The results indicate that high levels of positive Emotional Energy for Hanson is predictive of shared attitudes towards issues by respondents with Hanson. This suggests that there is a strong correlation between the feelings held for people towards PHON and the level of support for PHON's position on issues. These findings indicate that Hanson successfully employed populist rhetoric to achieve a remarkable level of support for her new political party. However it must be acknowledged that an audience already existed for whom the PHON message could resonate. The demographic characteristics of PHON this audience of voters has been described at length elsewhere and this work is acknowledged. It must however be appreciated that though Pauline Hanson has experienced the inevitable decline of the charismatic leader, those who demonstrated support for her still reside in the electorate. These people may still be waiting for the right 'style' of voice to emerge on the political scene to represent them. This thesis provides an innovative approach for understanding the mechanism of populist appeal in contemporary politics. It proposes a revised typology for assessing populist rhetoric and it is the first thorough, systematic analysis of PHON's manifesto.

No contexto da pandemia da COVID-19 a internet se tornou uma ferramenta indispensável para o ensino, uma vez que as informações apresentam uma taxa de atualização mais rápida e também porque possibilitou a conexão entre pessoas e o conhecimento (NITAHARA, 2021). Não obstante, a relação biunívoca entre alunos e professores dentro do ensino também foi drasticamente afetada, uma vez que o contato físico não era cabível neste cenário e tensionava à implementação de uma forma diferente de ensino dentro das escolas públicas brasileiras, promovendo diversas modificações e adaptações referentes às estratégias didáticas necessárias em cada aula.

Grating spectrographs (GS) are presently widely in use for atmospheric trace gas remote sensing in the ultraviolet (UV) and visible spectral range (e.g. differential optical absorption spectroscopy, DOAS). For typical DOAS applications, GSs have a spectral resolution of about 0.5 nm, corresponding to a resolving power R (ratio of operating wavelength to spectral resolution) of approximately 1000. This is sufficient to quantify the vibro-electronic spectral structure of the absorption of many trace gases with good accuracy and further allows for mobile (i.e. compact and stable) instrumentation. However, a much higher resolving power (R≈105, i.e. a spectral resolution of about the width of an individual rotational absorption line) would facilitate the measurement of further trace gases (e.g. OH radicals), significantly reduce cross interferences due to other absorption and scattering processes, and provide enhanced sensitivity. Despite these major advantages, only very few atmospheric studies with high-resolution GSs are reported, mostly because increasing the resolving power of a GS leads to largely reduced light throughput and mobility. However, for many environmental studies, light throughput and mobility of measurement equipment are central limiting factors, for instance when absorption spectroscopy is applied to quantify reactive trace gases in remote areas (e.g. volcanoes) or from airborne or space-borne platforms. For more than a century, Fabry–Pérot interferometers (FPIs) have been successfully used for high-resolution spectroscopy in many scientific fields where they are known for their superior light throughput. However, except for a few studies, FPIs have hardly received any attention in atmospheric trace gas remote sensing, despite their advantages. We propose different high-resolution FPI spectrograph implementations and compare their light throughput and mobility to GSs with the same resolving power. We find that nowadays mobile high-resolution FPI spectrographs can have a more than 2 orders of magnitude higher light throughput than their immobile high-resolution GS counterparts. Compared with moderate-resolution GSs (as routinely used for DOAS), an FPI spectrograph reaches a 250 times higher spectral resolution while the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is reduced by only a factor of 10. Using a first compact prototype of a high-resolution FPI spectrograph (R≈148 000, L, kg), we demonstrate that these expectations are realistic. Using mobile and high-resolution FPI spectrographs could have a large impact on atmospheric near-UV to near-infrared (NIR) remote sensing. Applications include the enhancement of the sensitivity and selectivity of absorption measurements of many atmospheric trace gases and their isotopologues, the direct quantification of OH radicals in the troposphere, high-resolution O2 measurements for radiative transfer and aerosol studies, and solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence quantification using Fraunhofer lines.

The Caco-2 human intestinal cell line has been widely adopted to mimic the in vivo small intestinal epithelium for screening the characteristics and mechanisms of the uptake, metabolism and absorption of dietary compounds and drugs. Marked advances in stem cell biology and tissue engineering have led to the development of novel organoid and microfluidic models that better replicate key aspects of the physiology of the human gut and are expected to generate more biologically relevant information with improved predictive reliability. Parallel developments in analytical chemistry provide investigators with the necessary sensitivity to monitor the transport, metabolism and efficacy of dietary compounds in such intestinal cell models. These in vitro cell systems are facilitating the investigation of questions that address the health promoting benefits of diverse compounds in foods and meals towards novel discoveries.