Search

ABSTRACT: Herein, we combined different bioinformatics tools and databases (BV-BRC, ResFinder, RAST, and KmerResistance) to perform a prediction of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in the genomic sequences of 107 Corynebacterium striatum isolates for which trustable antimicrobial susceptibility (AST) phenotypes could be retrieved. Then, the reliabilities of the AMR predictions were evaluated by different metrics: area under the ROC curve (AUC); Major Error Rates (MERs) and Very Major Error Rates (VMERs); Matthews Correlation Coefficient (MCC); F1-Score; and Accuracy. Out of 15 genes that were reliably detected in the C. striatum isolates, only tetW yielded predictive values for tetracycline resistance that were acceptable considering Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s criteria for quality (MER < 3.0% and VMER with a 95% C.I. ≤1.5–≤7.5); this was accompanied by a MCC score higher than 0.9 for this gene. Noteworthy, our results indicate that other commonly used metrics (AUC, F1-score, and Accuracy) may render overoptimistic evaluations of AMR-prediction reliabilities on imbalanced datasets. Accordingly, out of 10 genes tested by PCR on additional multidrug-resistant Corynebacterium spp. isolates (n = 18), the tetW gene rendered the best agreement values with AST profiles (94.11%). Overall, our results indicate that genome-based AMR prediction can still be challenging for MDR clinical isolates of emerging Corynebacterium spp.

Brazil can provide ecosystem services, food, and combat climate change-related vulnerabilities. However, this possibility is obliterated by the increasing deforestation in the Brazilian Legal Amazon derived from illegalities and political incentives to a business-as-usual economic development model that clears land for real estate speculation or extensive agro-livestock. Recently, the state governments of Amazonas, Acre, and Rondônia, supported by agro-livestock-related institutions, proposed a zone for economic development in a region of confluence accounting for 23.37% of these states’ total area. Formerly “Sustainable Development Zone between the States of Amazonas, Acre, and Rondônia” (AMACRO), it was renamed to “Abunã-Madeira Sustainable Development Zone (SDZ)” to meet sustainability criteria; however, environmental impact studies regarding its implementation still lack. By integrating land tenure and official deforestation datasets from 2012 to 2022, we assess whether this region is becoming a notable deforestation hotspot. Results showed growing deforestation trends for all land tenure classes, alarmingly in protected areas, since 2018, when the project was announced. Unlike possible economic gains, deforestation in this region affects essential edaphoclimatic conditions for Brazil’s agro-livestock, worsening environmental and socioeconomic vulnerabilities. Effective territorial planning, environmental impact studies, and law enforcement are urgently needed before establishing the zone to avoid a regional hecatomb.

Abstract The disease coronavirus COVID-19 has been the cause of millions of deaths worldwide. Among the proteins of SARS-CoV-2, non-structural protein 12 (NSP12) plays a key role during COVID infection and is part of the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase complex. The monitoring of NSP12 polymorphisms is extremely important for the design of new antiviral drugs and monitoring of viral evolution. This study analyzed the NSP12 mutations detected in circulating SARS-CoV-2 during the years 2020 to 2022 in the population of the city of Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil. The most frequent mutations found were P323L and G671S. Reports in the literature indicate that these mutations are related to transmissibility efficiency, which may have contributed to the extremely high numbers of cases in this location. In addition, two mutations described here (E796D and R914K) are close and have RMSD that is similar to the mutations M794V and N911K, which have been described in the literature as influential on the performance of the NSP12 enzyme. These data demonstrate the need to monitor the emergence of new mutations in NSP12 in order to better understand their consequences for the treatments currently used and in the design of new drugs.

The adverse impacts of soil degradation and nutrient loss resulting from water erosion are significant environmental concerns that have profound implications for both water quality and biodiversity. This study aims to evaluate the impact of forest fires on soil loss through water erosion in the Serra da Canastra National Park, in Minas Gerais state, Brazil. Using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE), which considers rainfall erosivity, soil erodibility, slope length and slope and vegetation cover, the C factor (vegetation cover) values were obtained from data from literature and methods based on the Normalized Differential Vegetation Index (NDVI). Validation was carried out using data on total sediment, water flow and daily runoff from the hydrosedimentological station and the InVEST software. The results highlight the significant impact of wildfires on soil loss through water erosion and indicate that areas recently affected by wildfires, especially on steep slopes and with more erodible soils, are subject to the highest rates of soil loss. Soil loss rates varied from 0.75 to 12.55 Mg ha-1 yr-1, in part due to the different ways of obtaining factor C. The research emphasizes the need to conserve vegetation cover to prevent soil erosion, particularly in regions impacted by forest fires. This study offers valuable insights that can contribute to enhancing the sustainable environmental management of the Serra da Canastra National Park.

In recent decades, clinical and experimental studies have revealed that estradiol contributes enormously to glycemic homeostasis. However, the same consensus does not exist in women during menopause who undergo replacement with progesterone or conjugated estradiol and progesterone. Since most hormone replacement treatments in menopausal women are performed with estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4) combined, this work aimed to investigate the effects of progesterone on energy metabolism and insulin resistance in an experimental model of menopause (ovariectomized female mice—OVX mice) fed a high-fat diet (HFD). OVX mice were treated with E2 or P4 (or both combined). OVX mice treated with E2 alone or combined with P4 displayed reduced body weight after six weeks of HFD feeding compared to OVX mice and OVX mice treated with P4 alone. These data were associated with improved glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity in OVX mice treated with E2 (alone or combined with P4) compared to OVX and P4-treated mice. Additionally, E2 treatment (alone or combined with P4) reduced both hepatic and muscle triglyceride content compared with OVX control mice and OVX + P4 mice. There were no differences between groups regarding hepatic enzymes in plasma and inflammatory markers. Therefore, our results revealed that progesterone replacement alone does not seem to influence glucose homeostasis and ectopic lipid accumulation in OVX mice. These results will help expand knowledge about hormone replacement in postmenopausal women associated with metabolic syndrome and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

ABSTRACTResearch on gender differences in adolescents’ life satisfaction has reported inconsistent findings to date. The present study aimed to (a) ascertain whether a gender gap in life satisfaction exists in Luxembourg, (b) estimate the predictive power of gender when controlling for well-identified predictors of life satisfaction, and (c) assess potential gender differences in our predictors’ influence on life satisfaction. We used data from 2006 to 2022 pertaining to nationally representative samples of school attendees in Luxembourg (n = 46,937) to achieve our first research goal. We relied on data collected in 2022 (n = 9,432) to achieve our two other research goals. We found boys to consistently report higher life satisfaction than girls over time. However, gender did not predict life satisfaction when controlling for our other predictors. Moreover, the influence of most of the examined factors on life satisfaction did not vary with gender.

Abstract Aims Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≤ 40% is a well‐established risk factor for mortality after acute coronary syndromes (ACS). However, the long‐term prognostic impact of mildly reduced ejection fraction (EF) (LVEF 41–49%) after ACS remains less clear. Methods and results This was a retrospective study enrolling patients admitted with ACS included in a single‐centre databank. LVEF was assessed by echocardiography during index hospitalization. Patients were divided in the following categories according to LVEF: normal (LVEF ≥ 50%), mildly reduced (LVEF 41–49%), and reduced (LVEF ≤ 40%). The endpoint of interest was all‐cause death after hospital discharge. A multivariable Cox model was used to adjust for confounders. A total of 3200 patients were included (1952 with normal EF, 375 with mildly reduced EF, and 873 with reduced EF). The estimated cumulative incidence rates of mortality at 10 years for patients with normal, mildly reduced, and reduced EF were 24.8%, 33.5%, and 41.3%, respectively. After adjustments, the presence of reduced EF was associated with higher mortality compared with normal EF [adjusted hazard ratio (HR) 1.64; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.36–1.96; P

Snake venoms have evolved in several families of Caenophidae, and their toxins have been assumed to be biochemical weapons with a role as a trophic adaptation. However, it remains unclear how venom contributes to the success of venomous species for adaptation to different environments. Here we compared the venoms from Bothrocophias hyoprora, Bothrops taeniatus, Bothrops bilineatus smaragdinus, Bothrops brazili, and Bothrops atrox collected in the Amazon Rainforest, aiming to understand the ecological and toxinological consequences of venom composition. Transcriptomic and proteomic analyses indicated that the venoms presented the same toxin groups characteristic from bothropoids, but with distinct isoforms with variable qualitative and quantitative abundances, contributing to distinct enzymatic and toxic effects. Despite the particularities of each venom, commercial Bothrops antivenom recognized the venom components and neutralized the lethality of all species. No clear features could be observed between venoms from arboreal and terrestrial habitats, nor in the dispersion of the species throughout the Amazon habitats, supporting the notion that venom composition may not shape the ecological or toxinological characteristics of these snake species and that other factors influence their foraging or dispersal in different ecological niches.

Felipe G. Gil. Davide, ¿cómo te has sentido haciendo este experimento de memes de arquitectura? Davide Tommaso Ferrando. Bien ;). En los últimos meses había recopilado varias críticas sobre la cultura arquitectónica contemporánea que quería compartir. Sin embargo, estas críticas estaban bastante fragmentadas y no gravitaban en torno a un tema central, sino a muchos. Desarrollar estas críticas en escritos adecuados, por ejemplo, en una serie de artículos científicos, habría requerido mucha investigación y tiempo, algo que no tengo en este momento. Una serie de publicaciones en Facebook también me parecía una opción no viable por dos motivos. Por un lado, la cantidad de texto legible en Facebook (en el sentido de que, después de un cierto número de palabras, nadie lee lo que escribes) no es suficiente para articular un pensamiento complejo, pero es demasiado para no intentar articularlo de algún modo. Por otro lado, temía que criticar, por ejemplo, la forma a menudo superficial en que muchos arquitectos han comenzado a utilizar Midjourney desde el verano de 2022, invadiendo el espacio visual de la Web con un diluvio de imágenes arquitectónicas cuyo valor es mucho más que discutible, me llevaría a un camino moralizador que preferiría evitar. La idea de recurrir a los memes surgió de un libro que leí durante las vacaciones de invierno, Interregno, de Mattia Salvia (Nero Editions, 2022), que explica precisamente cómo los memes son capaces de expresar las condiciones contradictorias y fragmentadas de la cultura contemporánea. Usar memes para elaborar mis críticas no solo fue una forma de experimentar con la herramienta, sino también de proporcionar crítica de arquitectura con cierta ligereza e ironía. Mientras los hacía, especialmente algunos de ellos, me divertí mucho :D

Referência do artigo comentado: ABATH, André J. Para velhas perguntas, novas e melhores respostas: da engenharia conceitual ao aprimoramento erotético. Trans/Form/Ação: Revista de filosofia da Unesp, v. 46, Número especial “Filosofia Autoral Brasileira”, p. 103- 134, 2023.

ABSTRACT An often-adopted use of the predicate, “to be colonized”, is one that applies it loosely, not in reference to original Africans or indigenous people enslaved by Europeans or heirs of enslaved persons, but to academics who are citizens of former colonies like Brazil, their ways of thinking, philosophical works, academic communities, etc. But under what conditions one is to do that? And how can one avoid the attribution of such predicate to oneself or one’s works? These issues have not received much attention. While dialoguing with authors associated with decolonial studies, Brazilian, continental and analytic philosophers, this essay aims to contribute to change this situation. It does so by proposing an alternative use of the predicate, “to be ‘subtly’ philosophically colonized”, according to which this predicate is to be applied to philosophical works that have the thirteen features described in the essay or at least most of them. It is argued that this alternative use is to be endorsed because it is: precise; exemplified in a detailed way by at least one philosophical work; and “inexplosive” in not suggesting the “explosive” claim that practically all Western philosophical works are colonized by Western metaphysics.

The ozone layer (O3) is essential to the absorption and blocking of UV-B radiation, preventing a large portion from reaching the Earth’s surface. The degradation of the ozone layer (O3) caused by increased pollution has led to climate change exerting significant influence on natural ecosystems and has resulted in severe stress on the environment, such as an increase in UV-B radiation, which has deleterious effects on plant physiology. UV-B influences the protection pathways that increase compound production, leading to metabolic adjustments and promoting plant acclimatization. This study evaluated whether UV-B application prior to sunlight exposure induces anthocyanin synthesis, photochemical change, and carbohydrate profile modification, contributing to acclimatization in Psidium guajava seedlings. A higher concentration of H2O2 may have stimulated anthocyanin synthesis. Furthermore, greater instantaneous water use efficiency (iWUE), the absence of trehalose—a stress marker, and lower concentrations of glucose, fructose, and sucrose indicate that these plants acclimatize when exposed to full sun (30 days). Seedlings exposed to increased UV-B may be more resistant to the climate. The radiation can aid in water resource management with elevated carbohydrate concentrations. These conditions may enhance the success of P. guajava in the field. Therefore, it is suggested that UV-B application to seedlings of P. guajava promotes effective acclimatization, as it activates anthocyanin synthesis, inhibits trehalose accumulation, and increases iWUE. UV-B radiation, depending on its radiance, can be used as a technique in seedling production that can be implanted in anthropic environments.

Abstract Background Dengue is a common vector-borne disease in tropical countries caused by the Dengue virus. This virus may trigger a disease with several symptoms like fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, and muscle pain. Indeed, dengue illness may also present more severe and life-threatening conditions like hemorrhagic fever and dengue shock syndrome. The causes that lead hosts to develop severe infections are multifactorial and not fully understood. However, it is hypothesized that different viral genome signatures may partially contribute to the disease outcome. Therefore, it is plausible to suggest that deeper DENV genetic information analysis may bring new clues about genetic markers linked to severe illness. Method Pattern recognition in very long protein sequences is a challenge. To overcome this difficulty, we map protein chains onto matrix data structures that reveal patterns and allow us to classify dengue proteins associated with severe illness outcomes in human hosts. Our analysis uses co-occurrence of amino acids to build the matrices and Random Forests to classify them. We then interpret the classification model using SHAP Values to identify which amino acid co-occurrences increase the likelihood of severe outcomes. Results We trained ten binary classifiers, one for each dengue virus protein sequence. We assessed the classifier performance through five metrics: PR-AUC, ROC-AUC, F1-score, Precision and Recall. The highest score on all metrics corresponds to the protein E with a 95% confidence interval. We also compared the means of the classification metrics using the Tukey HSD statistical test. In four of five metrics, protein E was statistically different from proteins M, NS1, NS2A, NS2B, NS3, NS4A, NS4B and NS5, showing that E markers has a greater chance to be associated with severe dengue. Furthermore, the amino acid co-occurrence matrix highlight pairs of amino acids within Domain 1 of E protein that may be associated with the classification result. Conclusion We show the co-occurrence patterns of amino acids present in the protein sequences that most correlate with severe dengue. This evidence, used by the classification model and verified by statistical tests, mainly associates the E protein with the severe outcome of dengue in human hosts. In addition, we present information suggesting that patterns associated with such severe cases can be found mostly in Domain 1, inside protein E. Altogether, our results may aid in developing new treatments and being the target of debate on new theories regarding the infection caused by dengue in human hosts.

Symplectic maps can provide a straightforward and accurate way to visualize and quantify the dynamics of conservative systems with two degrees of freedom. These maps can be easily iterated from the simplest computers to obtain trajectories with great accuracy. Their usage arises in many fields, including celeste mechanics, plasma physics, chemistry, and so on. In this paper we introduce two examples of symplectic maps, the standard map and the standard non-twist map, exploring the phase space transformation as their control parameters are varied. Furthermore, for the non-twist map, we also present, that its chaotic motion is separated in phase space by the non-twist transport barrier.

Genomic surveillance represents a strategy to understanding the evolutionary mechanisms, transmission, and infectivity of different SARS-CoV-2 variants. We evaluated 603 individuals positive for SARS-CoV-2 from 34 municipalities of Rondônia between December 2021 to December 2022. Nasopharyngeal samples were collected, RNA was extracted and screened using RT-qPCR for VOCs. RNA of the samples were sequenced and further analyzed for phylogeny, mutations, and lineages, totaling 96.19% of samples positive for Omicron VOC in this cohort. We observed that most individuals had at least two doses, however 18.97% were not vaccinated with any dose. 554 sequences were amenable to analysis for alignment and phylogenetic characterization; this group corresponded to the 27 subvariants of the Omicron VOC; a total of 100 mutations were identified, 48% of which were found in the S gene. In conclusion, the data demonstrated the rapid spread and persistence of Omicron VOC in Rondônia during the 12-month study period. Although high frequency of mutations was found in the analyzed samples, there were no individuals with a severe clinical profile, demonstrating that vaccination had a positive effect in those cases.

EDTA is an important metal sequestering agent in industrial processes and household products, but also an emerging pollutant and a challenge for wastewater treatment due to its high resistance to biodegradation. Conventional strategies for recovering metals from the metal chelates require a previous oxidation step. Herein, P25 TiO2 photocatalyst was applied to assemble nanoparticulate films on gold (model conducting substrate) with highly reproducible photocatalytic activity toward EDTA and Cu(II)-EDTA (model chelate) UVA-photooxidation. Films were obtained from P25 suspensions in acidic medium by a quick cold drop-casting method without thermal annealing. The involved TiO2 agglomerates were characterized by Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), voltammetric DC techniques and zero-current chronopotentiometry. Photocatalytic treatment of Cu(II)-EDTA solutions and electrochemical essays were accomplished in a thin layer-type cell coupled with a 365 nm UV-LED. Synthetic samples of the chelate at stoichiometric ratio or with EDTA in excess were exposed to the irradiated TiO2 film to promote the photooxidation of the ligand, and recovery of copper mainly by direct (photo)electrodeposition on gold. Three potential programs were tested during UV-irradiation: open circuit potential (OCP), +0.5 V and –0.3 V vs Ag/AgCl. Overall best results were obtained at –0.3 V, showing that it is more effective to favor in-situ metal reduction rather than collecting photogenerated electrons via +0.5 V biasing to diminish electron/hole (exciton) recombination. Nevertheless, operation without external biasing, i.e., at OCP, is nearly as effective since the substrate is spontaneously driven to circa –0.7 V by photogenerated electrons plus electrons injected into photoholes by EDTA, as it oxidizes. The Cu(II)-EDTA treatment can be abbreviated by coupling both redox processes at the same photoelectrode, thus, avoiding the transport of Cu(II) from the photoanode to the cathode, conceivably with risk of rechelation, like in conventional photoelectrochemical cells. Similar results were obtained with the TiO2 drop-casted on other conducting substrates including carbon, a relevant finding for a forthcoming scale-up of the treatment process.

Category: Trauma; Ankle Introduction/Purpose: The association between diaphyseal tibial fractures and posterior malleolus fracture has been reported between 4 to 25% of cases. Early diagnosis requires a high level of suspicion and may change the surgical strategy. To our knowledge, no studies had compared the functional and quality of life results of tibial fractures with and without posterior malleolus extension. Methods: A retrospective comparative study including patients sustaining tibial shaft fractures classified by AO type 42, 43A, and 43B1.1, with a minimum one-year follow-up. Exclusion criteria included open fractures, pathological bone fractures and patients with a previous history of ipsilateral bone injury. Patients were divided into two groups, tibial shaft injuries with posterior malleolus fracture (PM) and fractures without posterior malleolus fracture (WPM) diagnosed using computed tomography (CT) preoperatively. The posterior malleolus fracture was fixed before the tibial fracture, either with 1 or 2 percutaneous anteroposterior or posteroanterior screws. Postoperative CT was used to assess the quality of reduction in all patients. Functional and quality of life results were evaluated using the Lower Extremity Function Score (LEFS), visual pain analog scale (VAS), and Short Form (SF12). We compared times of return to work/sports, complications and additional procedures during follow-up. Shapiro-Wilk test and Student t-test were used for statistical analysis. Results: Twenty patients in the PM group and 22 in the WPM group were included with a mean follow-up of 43 months (R:8-43). Groups were demographically comparable, with an average age of 47.6 and 43.3 years (p:0.34), respectively. All fractures healed, CT showed an anatomical articular reduction in all patients. Tibial shaft fracture was treated with intramedullary nailing in 15 patients of the WPM group and seven patients in the PM group. Percutaneous medial plating was used in the rest of the cases. At final follow-up, LEFS score in the PM group was 73.6 vs. 70.6 in the WPM group, with no significant difference (p:0.23). There were also no significant differences in VAS scale, time of return to work and sports in both groups. The PM group scored better in physical (p:0,02) and mental (p:0,01) SF-12. Conclusion: In this series of closed tibial shaft fractures, the presence of a posterior malleolus fracture did not affect functional results, time to return to work, or return to sports. Moreover, the SF-12 was superior in the PM group. All patients in the PM group had a timely diagnosis and anatomical reduction, which probably influenced the good clinical results. There were no additional procedures or degenerative complications in the PM group.

Although the recent advances on the relationship of its major groups, the systematics of the rich fauna of Neotropical snakes is far from being a consensus. In this sense, derived groups presenting continental distributions have represented a main challenge. The taxonomy of the snake tribe Echinantherini is one of the most contentious among the diverse family known as Dipsadidae. The tribe is poorly sampled in phylogenetic studies, resulting in conflicting hypotheses of relationships among its taxa. Moreover, several rare and micro endemic species of Echinantherini have never been evaluated within a comprehensive phylogenetic framework. Here, we assess for the first time the phylogenetic position of the rare Echinanthera amoena within Echinantherini. We based our analyses on a comprehensive multilocus dataset including 14 of the 16 species described for the tribe. Our results support the monophyly of Echinantherini and strongly indicate E. amoena as a unique lineage, phylogenetically positioned apart from all other congeners. From the three current genera (Echinanthera, Taeniophallus, and Sordellina) our results indicate that Echinanthera and Taeniophallus are paraphyletic, since the T. affinis species group is positioned as sister to Echinanthera (except E. amoena) clustering apart from the clade formed by the T. brevirostris and T. occipitalis groups. We describe new genera for the T. affinis and T. occipitalis species groups and an additional monospecific genus for E. amoena. Although we did not evaluate the phylogenetic position of T. nebularis, we described a new genus and removed it from Echinantherini since its morphology strikingly departs from all species now included in the tribe. Finally, we redefine the genera Echinanthera and Taeniophallus and we provide comments about further directions to study the biogeography and the evolution of morphological traits in Echinantherini.

The latest generation of concentrated solar power (CSP) systems uses supercritical carbon dioxide (s-CO2) as the working fluid in a high-performance recompression Brayton cycle (RcBC), whose off-design performance under different environmental conditions has yet to be fully explored. This study presents a model developed using the Engineering Equation Solver (EES) and System Advisor Model (SAM) to evaluate the operation of two solar-driven s-CO2 RcBCs over a year, considering meteorological conditions in northern Chile. Under design conditions, the power plant outputs a net power of 25 MW with a first-law efficiency of 48.3%. An exergy analysis reveals that the high-temperature recuperator contributes the most to the exergy destruction under nominal conditions. However, the yearly simulation shows that the gas cooler’s exergy destruction increases at high ambient temperatures, as does the turbine’s during off-design operation. The proposed cycle widens the operational range, offering a higher flexibility and synergistic turndown strategy by throttling the mass flow. The proposed cycle’s seasonal first-law efficiency of 39% outweighs the literature cycle’s 29%. When coupled to a thermal energy storage system, the proposed cycle’s capacity factor could reach 93.45%, compared to the value 76.45% reported for the cycle configuration taken from the literature.

Abstract Closed-form expressions for the detection probability, the false alarm probability and the energy detector constant threshold are derived using approximations of the central chi-square and non-central chi-square distributions. The approximations used show closer proximity to the original functions when compared to the expressions used in the literature. The novel expressions allow gains up to 6% and 16% in terms of measured false alarm and miss-detection probability, respectively, if compared to the Central Limit Theorem approach. The throughput of cognitive network is also enhanced when these novel expressions are implemented, providing gains up to 9%. New equations are also presented that minimize the total error rate to obtain the detection threshold and the optimal number of samples. The analytical results match the results of the simulation for a wide range of SNR values.

The aphid Chaetosiphon fragaefolii Cockerell, 1901 is an agricultural pest and known vector of strawberry viruses. To better understand its biology and systematics, we performed a genomic analysis on C. fragaefolii collected from Quinalt strawberry plants from Pacific Grove, Monterey county, California, USA using Oxford Nanopore and Illumina sequencing. The resulting data were used to assemble the aphids complete mitogenome. The mitogenome of C. fragaefolii is 16,108 bp in length and contains 2 rRNA, 13 protein-coding, and 22 tRNA genes (GenBank accession number LC590896). The mitogenome is similar in content and organization to other Aphididae. Phylogenetic analysis of the C. fragaefolii mitogenome resolved it in a fully supported clade in the tribe Macrosiphini. Analysis of the cox1 barcode sequence of C. fragaefolii from California found exact and nearly identical sequences to C. fragaefolii and Chaetosiphon thomasi Hille Ris Lambers, 1953, suggesting the two species are conspecific.

Abstract This paper analyzes multi-step-ahead spectrum prediction for Cognitive Radio (CR) systems using several future states. A slot-based scenario is used, and prediction is based on the Support Vector Machine (SVM) algorithm. The aim is to determine whether multi-step-ahead spectrum prediction has gains in terms of reduced channel-switching and increased network throughput compared with short-term prediction. The system model is simulated in software using an exponential on-off distribution for primary-user traffic. A classical energy detector is used to perform sensing. With the help of simplifications, we present new closed-form expressions for the detection probability under AWGN and Rayleigh fading channels which allows the appropriate number of samples for these scenarios to be found. The performance of the proposed predictor is thoroughly assessed in these scenarios. The SVM algorithm had low prediction error rates, and multi-step-ahead idle-channel scheduling resulted in a reduction in channel switching by the SU of up to 51%. An increase in throughput of approximately 4% was observed for multi-step-ahead prediction with three future states. The results also show channel-switching savings can be achieved in a CR network with the proposed approach.

Abstract Background/aims Prediabetes and diabetes disproportionately impact Latino youth, yet few diabetes prevention programs have prioritized inclusion of this underrepresented population. This report describes the recruitment process, yields, associated costs, and phenotypic characteristics of Latino youth with obesity and prediabetes enrolled in a randomized controlled diabetes prevention study in the USA. Methods Recruitment efforts included referrals from clinics, community outlets, local media, and word of mouth with the goal of enrolling 120 Latino adolescents aged 12–16 with obesity (BMI > 95th percentile) and prediabetes. Prediabetes eligibility was determined by any of the following: HbA1c between 5.7 and 6.5%, fasting glucose between 100 and 125 mg/dL, or a 2-h glucose between 120 and 199 mg/dL following a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), but not meeting any of the diagnostic criteria for diabetes. Eligible participants were randomized 2:1 to either a 6-month community-based lifestyle intervention that included group nutrition and health education classes (1 day/week) and group exercise classes (2 days/week) or usual care control arm. Recruitment yields were determined by review of referral source in the study screening database. Recruitment costs were determined by an after-the-fact financial review of actual and in-kind costs. Participant phenotypic characteristics (i.e., demographics, anthropometrics, and biochemical data) were compared by recruitment strategy using a one-way ANOVA. Results Recruitment efforts covered 160 mile2 (414 km2) across 26 ZIP codes (postcode) in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area and yielded 655 referrals from clinics (n = 344), community (n = 143), media (n = 137), and word-of-mouth (n = 31). From this pool, 26% (n = 167) did not meet general, pre-screening eligibility criteria; 29% (n = 187) declined participation; and 10% (n = 64) were unable to be contacted. A total of 237 youth were invited to the clinical research unit to determine final eligibility. Following the OGTT, 52% (n = 122) met prediabetes criteria and 117 were subsequently randomized. Clinical recruitment yielded the highest number of referrals (53%; n = 344) while word-of-mouth yielded the highest proportion (35%; n = 11) of randomized participants per referred youth. There were no significant differences in anthropometric or biochemical measures among youth by recruitment strategy. Based upon final enrollment numbers, community recruitment was the costliest approach ($486/randomized participant) followed by clinical ($248/randomized participant) and media ($236/randomized participant). Conclusions The ability to meet enrollment goals for a clinical trial of an underrepresented population required multiple recruitment strategies. Although strategies vary in yields and costs, it appears they produce similar phenotypical risk profiles of eligible youth. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02615353 . Registered on 26 November 2015

This Update reports from a webinar on the impacts on the right to housing and linked political struggles of the lockdown measures put in place globally amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Three main threads emerged through the conversation: the impacts of the pandemic are deepening pre-existing housing inequalities, while governments’ responses are largely insufficient; activists and contentious actors worldwide are changing their framings and repertoires to adapt to lockdown measures and attempt to radicalise their action; possibilities, albeit limited, are opening for the construction of global networks of struggle.

The present study investigated a SARS-CoV-2 infection in placenta and fetal samples from an early pregnancy miscarriage in Midwest Brazil. The Gamma variant was isolated and fully sequenced from the placenta sample, but not from fetal samples. Our findings highlight potential adverse perinatal outcomes caused by SARS-CoV-2 Gamma infection during pregnancy.

Racial residential segregation is interconnected with several other phenomena such as income inequalities, property values inequalities, and racial disparities in health and education. Furthermore, recent literature suggests the phenomenon of gentrification as a cause of perpetuation or increase of racial residential segregation in some American cities. In this paper, we analyze the dynamics of racial residential segregation for white, black, Asian, and Hispanic citizens in New York City in 1990, 2000, and 2010. It was possible to observe that segregation between white and Hispanic citizens and between white and Asian ones has grown, while segregation between white and black is relatively stable. Furthermore, we analyzed the per capita income and the Gini coefficient in each segregated zone, showing that the highest inequalities occur in the zones where there is an overlap of high-density zones of pair of races. Focusing on the changing of the density of population across the city during these 20 years, and by analyzing white and black people’s segregation, our analysis reveals that a positive flux of white (black) people is associated with a substantial increase (decrease) of the property values, as compared with the city mean. Furthermore, by clustering the region with the higher density of black citizens, we measured the variation of area and displacement of the four most significant clusters from 1990 to 2010. The large displacements (≈1.6km) observed for two of these clusters, namely, one in the neighborhood of Harlem and the other inside the borough of Brooklyn, led to the emergence of typically gentrified regions.

The fashion industry is the second largest polluter of the environment. The fast fashion segment aims at a fast production and disposal of clothing, slow fashion seeks timeless and durable garments. Both fast and slow fashion stores are using different strategies of communicating their sustainability practices in order to attract consumer attention. The present study aims to compare the customers’ perception regarding sustainability practices of two different stores – one of slow fashion and the other of fast fashion. Both are in Brasilia, the capital of Brazil. The comparative analysis was carried on with a documental analysis of the declared practices and also a survey with customers, in 2018 and 2017, respectively, for slow (118 costumers) and fast fashion stores (400 costumers). Statistical tests were made - Qui-square hypothesis test to identify preferences and proportion test to compare the answers. It was noticed that customers in general do not have knowledge about the sustainability practices adopted by the companies. However, for 78% of the fast fashion and for 91% of the slow fashion customers, the perception of the companies has changed positively after they know about the sustainability practices of the companies. The profile of the respondents was also compared to the general profile of the conscious consumer in Brazil. It was found that regardless the consumer says he/she is conscious, they do not agree to pay more for a greener product, even though they believe that an organization should have sustainable practices. The results suggest that there is still a lot to be done in order to transform sustainability practices into competitive for consumer.

Abstract Atractus badius has a long and controversial nomenclatural history due to both its antiquity and the brevity of its original description. This species was described based on two syntypes from Java. Later, a lectotype was designated and the distribution range restricted to the Guiana Shield. Although this species has been repeatedly recorded throughout Amazonia and the Andes, these records have been erroneously assigned to A. badius because of a considerable level of confusion in the literature. We found 13 additional specimens of this poorly known snake, expanding our knowledge on its morphological variability, phylogenetic relationships and distribution. In this paper, we report new localities and data on meristic, morphometric, coloration, scales micro-ornamentation, osteology and hemipenial morphology to A. badius. We also determine the phylogenetic position of A. badius as nested in a composite Guiana Shield clade. In addition, we discuss recent advances on the systematics of Atractus and comment on some ‘new arrangements’ with respect to previously recognized species groups and available morphological evidence. Finally, we highlight the importance of accurate voucher identification before promoting taxonomic changes or implementing nomenclatural acts derived from new phylogenetic hypotheses, and notably propose the synonymy of the recently described A. pyroni with A. roulei.

Category: Ankle; Trauma Introduction/Purpose: The use of fibular nailing (FN) for fixation of lateral malleolar fractures has been rising in recent years. Currently, it has been validated as an effective minimally invasive approach to ankle fractures specially in patients with high risk of wound dehiscence, diabetics and elderly low-demand patients. While most of the studies comparing the use of a fibula nail versus plating (PL) are carried out in this population at risk, the use of FN in younger patients with higher functional demands has been hardly studied. The aim of this study is to compare the functional and quality of life outcomes of patients treated with FN and PL in an active population. Methods: We performed an IRB-approved retrospective study including ankle fractures treated in our hospital from January 2017 to February 2020, with a minimum followup of one year. We included only patients between 18 and 55 years old treated by five fellowship-trained foot and ankle surgeons and divided into two groups according to the method of fixation of the fibula: intramedullary nailing (FN) or plating (PL). Demographics, medical comorbidities, type of fracture, reoperations and complications were collected. Functional and clinical evaluation included the Lower Extremity Functional Score (LEFS) and Short form 12 (SF 12) were obtained at an average of 28 months follow-up (range 14-50). Results: Eighty-five patients were included in this study with a mean age of 36.9 years old (range 16-55). The FN group was conformed by 31 patients (18 men) while the PL group consisted of 54 patients (32 men). Both groups were comparable in terms of age, sex, type of fracture, open fractures, number of malleoli compromised (P>0.05). Union was achieved in all patients. The complication rate was 3.2% (1 patient) in the FN group versus 5,5% (3 patients) in the PL group (p=0.66). Two patients (6.5%) in the FN group and 7 patients (13%) in the PL group required hardware removal (p=0.36). There were no significant differences in SF-12 physical component (p=0.30), SF-12 Mental component (p=0.52) and LEFS Score (p=0.88). Conclusion: In this comparative study, there were no differences between the FN and PL groups for fixation of the fibula in terms of functional results and quality of life at an average of 28 months follow-up. Complications and hardware removal rates had no statistical differences between both groups. This is the first report on the literature comparing both fixation strategies on an active high-demand population.

Atemoya (Annona × atemoya Mabb.), a climacteric fruit of the Annonaceae family, is becoming increasingly popular due to its organoleptic and nutritional properties. Anthracnose, a fungus of the Colletotrichum genus, is one of the most serious diseases in orchards, causing significant damage if not controlled, so producers use phytosanitary products. The current study sought to investigate the quality of atemoya fruits after harvest in an orchard with anthracnose controlled by Cu(OH)2 application: T1—no Cu(OH)2, T2—7.8 mL Cu(OH)2 L1 divided into two applications, T3—15.6 mL Cu(OH)2 L1 divided into four, T4—8.0 mL Cu(OH)2 L1 divided into eight, and T5—13.0 mL Cu(OH)2 L1 divided into thirteen applications. The sugar profile of fruits was examined, as well as MDA, H2O2, and quality parameters such as pH, mass, soluble solids, titratable acidity, and maturation index. MDA, such as H2O2, can function as a signal molecule. Eight applications of 1.0 mL L-1 Cu(OH)2 resulted in increased concentrations of H2O2 and MDA, signal molecules involved in sugar modification profiles such as glucose, fructose, and trehalose. It also had a high titratable acidity, a lower maturation index, better fruit quality, and a longer shelf life.

We evaluated the performance, milk composition, and milk fatty acid profile of cows fed diets composed of cactus cladodes (Opuntia stricta [Haw.] Haw), sugarcane bagasse and increasing levels of full-fat corn germ (FFCG). We hypothesized that ground corn can be effectively replaced by FFCG when cactus cladodes and sugarcane bagasse are used as forage sources. The cows were randomly distributed into two 5 × 5 Latin Squares and fed five diets in which ground corn was progressively replaced with full-fat corn germ (FFCG; 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, or 100% of substitution). Adding FFCG to the diet increased milk production and milk fat content and reduced milk protein content. Overall, FFCG reduced the proportion of saturated FAs and increased mono- and polyunsaturated FAs in milk, including CLA isomers. In addition, activity indices of stearoyl-CoA desaturase were reduced by increasing levels of FFCG. We conclude that the substitution of corn for FFCG in diets based on cactus cladodes and sugarcane bagasse positively modifies the FA profile of milk and could add commercial value to milk products (e.g., CLA-enriched milk). In addition, the milk fat response indicates that the basal diet was favorable to the rumen environment, preventing the trans-10 shift commonly associated with milk fat depression.

Introduction and Objectives: Stem cell therapy and aerobic exercise are non-pharmacological therapies following myocardial infarction. The aim of this study was to test whether aerobic exercise training enhances the benefits of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy on remodeling of the extracellular matrix and fetal gene expression in the left ventricle of infarcted rats. Methods: Myocardial infarction was surgically induced in six-week old male Wistar rats. Animals were divided into four groups: sedentary control (SC) and sedentary and stem cell treated (SCMSC); exercised (EX) and exercised and stem cell treated (EXMSC). Bone marrow-derived MSCs were immediately transplanted via the tail vein (concentration: 1×106 cells). Exercise training (five days/week, 60 min/day; 60% of maximal running speed) started 24 hours after myocardial infarction and lasted for 12 weeks. Results: Exercise capacity was higher in exercised than in sedentary groups. Animals in the SCMSC, EX and EXMSC groups exhibited better cardiac function than those in SC. Collagen content was lower in the SCMSC, EX and EXMSC groups than in SC and skeletal α-actin expression was lower in EX and EXMSC than in SC. The α/β-MHC ratio was higher in EX and EXMSC than in SC. The combination of therapies further reduced collagen content in the remote region of the infarct (∼24%) and skeletal α-actin expression (∼30%). Conclusion: Aerobic exercise training appears to enhance the beneficial effects of stem cell therapy on remodeling of the extracellular matrix and fetal gene expression in the left ventricle of rats with moderate infarction. Resumo: Introdução e objetivos: Terapia com células estromais e exercício aeróbio são estratégias não farmacológicas no tratamento pós-enfarte do miocárdio. O objetivo foi testar se o treinamento aeróbio amplia os benefícios da terapia com células mesenquimais estromais (CME) na remodelagem da matriz extracelular e na expressão de genes fetais no ventrículo esquerdo de ratos enfartados. Métodos: O enfarte do miocárdio foi induzido cirurgicamente em ratos com seis semanas de idade, divididos em quatro grupos: sedentário controle (SC) e tratado com CME (SCCME); exercício (EX) e exercício tratado com CME (EXCME). CME derivadas da medula óssea foram transplantadas através da veia caudal (concentração: 1 x 106 células). O treinamento aeróbio (5 dias/semana; 60 min/dia; 60% da velocidade máxima de corrida) iniciou 24 h após enfarte do miocárdio e durou 12 semanas. Resultados: A capacidade de exercício foi maior nos grupos exercitados que nos sedentários. Os grupos SCCME, EX e EXCME apresentaram melhor função cardíaca do que o SC. O conteúdo de colagénio foi menor nos grupos SCCME, EX e EXCME que no SC. A expressão da α-actina esquelética foi menor nos grupos EX e EXCME, comparada à do SC. A razão miosina de cadeia pesada α/β foi maior nos grupos EX e EXCME, comparada à do SC. A combinação das terapias reduziu ainda mais o conteúdo de colagénio na região remota (∼24%) e a expressão de α-actina esquelética (∼30%). Conclusão: O treinamento aeróbio parece potencializar os benefícios da terapia com células mesenquimais estromais na remodelagem da matriz extracelular do ventrículo esquerdo e expressão de genes fetais em ratos com enfarte moderado. Keywords: Exercise, Myocardial infarction, Stem cells, Genes, Collagen, Palavras-chave: Exercício, Enfarte do miocárdio, Células estromais, Genes, Colagénio

Abstract Background NUT midline carcinoma is a rare and aggressive subset of squamous cell carcinoma, which is characterized by the translocation of nuclear protein in testis gene that is mostly fused with bromodomain and extraterminal family proteins. We describe here the first Brazilian case of NUT midline carcinoma with BRD4-NUT fusion detected in a next-generation sequencing panel and we present the clinical evolution of this patient. Case presentation A 42-year-old Caucasian man was diagnosed with poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma of the left maxillary sinus, with negative in situ hybridization for Epstein–Barr encoding region and human papillomavirus genotyping. He received induction therapy, chemoradiotherapy with weekly systemic chemotherapy, and, concurrently, weekly intra-arterial chemotherapy. New imaging evaluation, 1 month after the end of the last treatment, revealed a good partial response in the primary lesion. However, positron emission tomography-computed tomography showed multiple suspicious lesions in his bones and lungs, which were histologically confirmed. He died exactly 2 months after metastatic disease was diagnosed. Conclusions NUT midline carcinoma is usually very aggressive. Currently, there is no standard of care for treatment of NUT midline carcinoma. The definitive diagnosis must be by demonstration of NUTM1 rearrangement. Immunohistochemical staining of greater than 50% of tumor nuclei on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue using the monoclonal rabbit antibody to NUT (clone C52B1), has a specificity of 100%, and sensitivity of 87% for the diagnosis of NUT midline carcinoma. Our case is the first Brazilian case of NUT midline carcinoma with BRD4-NUT fusion.

TiO2 has been used as a white pigment and studied since the first decades of the XX century for the undesirable chalking of outdoor paintings exposed to sunlight. Since the first report of Honda and Fujishima (1972) of the water splitting by the harvesting of sunlight on a n-type single crystal TiO2 electrode, the engagement of researchers with the field has grown steadily. TiO2-photocatalysis has joined the group of advanced oxidation processes for potential new water and wastewater treatments but, despite of its high chemical and photochemical stability and the great oxidizing power of its photogenerated holes, photons in UVA spectral region are needed to accomplish the high band gap, limiting the yield of sun-driven environmental applications. Nevertheless, this shortcoming has not restricted benchtop research and small and medium scale applications also relying on artificial UV sources, especially nowadays that highly-efficient UVA-LEDs are available. Herein, we review the fundamental aspects and the practical attributions of the trapping model in the charge transfer kinetics of photogenerated holes in nanoparticulate TiO2. Regarding to new practical uses, we focus our attention on some ingenious applications of this photocatalyst in the field of analytical chemistry, covering also subjects never reviewed before.

Abstract Technical debt (TD) contextualizes problems faced during software evolution considering the tasks that are not carried out adequately during software development. Software TD is a type of debt that brings a short-term benefit, but which may have to be paid with interest later on in the software development life cycle. Its presence brings risks to the project and can reduce its quality. It is worthwhile to have automatic mechanisms to monitor it, as TD monitoring requires the analysis of large amounts of complex data. Therefore, the combination of software metrics and code comment analysis, in the identification, and information visualization techniques, in monitoring, present themselves as a promising strategy to manage TD. This work presents VisminerTD, a tool that allows the automatic identification and interactive monitoring of the evolution of TD items by combining software metrics, code comment analysis, and information visualization. To evaluate its applicability, a feasibility study was carried out considering JUnit 4 and Apache Ant software projects. The results indicated that VisminerTD can support software development teams in monitoring TD items. In addition, a second case study was performed to assess the feasibility of the proposed tool regarding its usefulness, ease of use, and self-predicted future use. The results provided positive evidence on the use of the proposed tool, indicating (i) that it can be useful in supporting TD Identification and TD monitoring activities and (ii) that it can bring gains in terms of comprehensiveness and efficacy when evaluating the desirable time to identify and monitor different types of debt. Given the current scenario characterized by limited options of tools that combine different information to support automatic identification and monitoring of the evolution of TD items in software projects, VisminerTD can approximate the state-of-the-art and the state-of-the-practice in the TD area, contributing to a wider dissemination of the concept.

Brazil has been the benchmark for volleyball performance for at least two decades, providing a unique context to examine expertise development. This study examined the variation in body size, functional capacities, motivation for achievement, competitiveness, and deliberate practice of youth volleyball players associated with differences in biological maturity status, chronological age, and accumulated deliberate volleyball practice, adopting a Bayesian multilevel modeling approach. We considered 68 female and 94 male adolescent players (14.2 years, 90% confidence interval: 12.7 to 16.0). Players were grouped by the onset of deliberate volleyball practice as related to biologic maturation milestones [pre-puberty deliberate practice onset (12% of the sample), mid-puberty deliberate practice onset (51% of the sample), and late-puberty deliberate practice onset (37% of the sample). There was substantial variation in body dimensions and functional performance by gender. There was no variation by gender for motivation for deliberate practice and motivation for achievement and competitiveness. The young volleyball players appeared to be highly motivated and committed to deliberate practice, achievement, and competitiveness. Alignment of chronological age, biological maturation, and accumulated training experience allow more in-depth insights into young volleyball players' development, providing sounder support for coaches´ decisions.

OBJECTIVES: Returning to work after an episode of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is challenging for many patients, and has both personal and social impacts. There are limited data regarding the working status in the very long-term after ACS. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 1,632 patients who were working prior to hospitalization for ACS in a quaternary hospital and were followed-up for up to 17 years. Adjusted models were developed to analyze the variables independently associated with actively working at the last contact, and a prognostic predictive index for not working at follow-up was developed. RESULTS: The following variables were significantly and independently associated with actively working at the last contact: age>median (hazard-ratio [HR], 0.76, p

A zombie world is a possible world in which all the microphysical truths are identical to the truths in our world, but no one is phenomenally conscious. A zombie is an individual in a possible world whose microphysical truths are identical to the microphysical truths of an individual in our world, but who has none of the phenomenal conscious experiences of the individual in our world. An inverted is an individual in a possible world whose microphysical truths are not only identical to the microphysical truths of an individual in our world, but who also has phenomenal conscious experiences. These experiences, however, are qualitatively different from the ones of the individual in our world. The first premise of Chalmers’ conceivability argument against materialism is that a zombie world, a zombie and an inverted are ideally conceivable. This paper rejects this premise in claiming that: given that current physics does not allow philosophers to establish a clear concept of the physical that could be opposed to something else non-physical, a zombie world, a zombie and an inverted are merely prima facie, but not ideally conceivable. This objection is called the Obscurity of the Physical Objection. Key-words: Zombies, qualia, conceivability, possibility, physics.

Abstract South American racers of the tribe Philodryadini are a widespread and diverse group of Neotropical snakes with a complex taxonomic and systematic history. Recent studies failed to present a robust phylogenetic hypothesis for the tribe, mainly due to incomplete taxon sampling. Here we provide the most extensive molecular phylogenetic analysis of Philodryadini available so far, including 20 species (83% of the known diversity) from which six were not sampled previously. Our results reveal that Philodryadini is not monophyletic, but instead includes a central Andean clade formed by Philodryas simonsii, P. tachymenoides, and P. amaru, and a southern and cis-Andean clade including all remaining philodryadines. This discovery requires resurrection of two genera as well as erection of a new tribe of Xenodontinae for the central Andean clade. Within the southern and cis-Andean radiation, our analyses resolve a basal dichotomy separating two main lineages: Clade A, containing the Common Green Racers P. laticeps and P. viridissima and the South American Vine snakes P. georgeboulengeri and P. argentea; and Clade B, including the remaining species of Philodryas sensu stricto. We resurrect the genera Chlorosoma and Xenoxybelis to better represent the monophyly of lineages within the southern and cis-Andean clade.

Silicon (Si) supplementation is well-known for enhancing plant resistance to insect pests, however, only recently studies revealed that Si accumulation in the plant not only confers a mechanical barrier to insect feeding, but also primes jasmonic acid-dependent defenses. Here, we examined whether Si supplementation alters wheat volatile emissions that influence the bird cherry-oat aphid (Rhopalosiphum padi) olfactory preference and the aphid parasitoid Lysiphlebus testaceipes. Even though Si accumulation in wheat did not impact aphid performance, we found that R. padi preferred constitutive volatiles from-Si wheat over those emitted by +Si wheat plants. In Y-tube olfactometer bioassays, the parasitoid was attracted to volatiles from +Si uninfested wheat, but not to those from-Si uninfested wheat. +Si and-Si aphid-infested plants released equally attractive blends to the aphid parasitoid; however, wasps were unable to distinguish +Si uninfested plant odors from those of aphid-infested treatments. GC-MS analyses revealed that +Si uninfested wheat plants emitted increased amounts of a single compound, geranyl acetone, compared to -Si uninfested wheat, but similar to those emitted by aphid-infested treatments. By contrast, Si supplementation in wheat did not alter composition of aphid-induced plant volatiles. Our results show that changes in wheat volatile blend induced by Si accumulation mediate the non-preference behavior of the bird cherry-oat aphid and the attraction of its parasitoid L. testaceipes. Conversely to the literature, Si supplementation by itself seems to work as an elicitor of induced defenses in wheat, and not as a priming agent.

Interspecific differences in snake venom compositions can result from distinct regulatory mechanisms acting in each species. However, comparative analyses focusing on identifying regulatory elements and patterns that led to distinct venom composition are still scarce. Among venomous snakes, Bothrops cotiara and Bothrops fonsecai represent ideal models to complement our understanding of the regulatory mechanisms of venom production. These recently diverged species share a similar specialized diet, habitat, and natural history, but each presents a distinct venom phenotype. Here, we integrated data from the venom gland transcriptome and miRNome and the venom proteome of B. fonsecai and B. cotiara to better understand the regulatory mechanisms that may be acting to produce differing venom compositions. We detected not only the presence of similar toxin isoforms in both species but also distinct expression profiles of phospholipases A2 (PLA2) and some snake venom metalloproteinases (SVMPs) and snake venom serine proteinases (SVSPs) isoforms. We found evidence of modular expression regulation of several toxin isoforms implicated in venom divergence and observed correlated expression of several transcription factors. We did not find strong evidence for miRNAs shaping interspecific divergence of the venom phenotypes, but we identified a subset of toxin isoforms whose final expression may be fine-tuned by specific miRNAs. Sequence analysis on orthologous toxins showed a high rate of substitutions between PLA2s, which indicates that these toxins may be under strong positive selection or represent paralogous toxins in these species. Our results support other recent studies in suggesting that gene regulation is a principal mode of venom evolution across recent timescales, especially among species with conserved ecotypes.

Abstract Currently, there is no established standard of care for patients with metastatic CSCC. Based on the mechanisms of CSCC carcinogenesis has been postulated that these tumors may be amenable to PD-1/PD-L1 blockade. This case illustrates a patient with CSCC with nodal involvement and pulmonary metastases, refractory to two lines of platinum-based regimens and salvage surgery, for whom treatment with nivolumab was recommended. His clinical course was marked by an atypical pattern of response, with initial reduction of soft tissue/visceral lesions, yet development of new bone findings, followed by overall improvement in subsequent scans and sustained disease control upon treatment continuation. The case of patient with metastatic CSCC, refractory, received immunotherapy and evolved with atypical pattern of response.

Abstract Background Invasive micropapillary carcinoma of the breast (IMPC) is a histological tumor variant that occurs with low frequency characterized by an inside-out formation of tumor clusters with a pseudopapillary arrangement. IMPC is an aggressive tumor with poor clinical outcome. In addition, this histological subtype usually expresses human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) which also correlates with a more aggressive tumor. In this work we studied the clinical significance of IMPC in HER2-positive breast cancer patients treated with adjuvant trastuzumab. We also analyzed mucin 4 (MUC4) expression as a novel biomarker to identify IMPC. Methods We retrospectively studied 86 HER2-positive breast cancer patients treated with trastuzumab and chemotherapy in the adjuvant setting. We explored the association of the IMPC component with clinicopathological parameters at diagnosis and its prognostic value. We compared MUC4 expression in IMPC with respect to other histological breast cancer subtypes by immunohistochemistry. Results IMPC, either as a pure entity or associated with invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC), was present in 18.6% of HER2-positive cases. It was positively correlated with estrogen receptor expression and tumor size and inversely correlated with patient’s age. Disease-free survival was significantly lower in patients with IMPC (hazard ratio = 2.6; 95%, confidence interval 1.1–6.1, P = 0.0340). MUC4, a glycoprotein associated with metastasis, was strongly expressed in all IMPC cases tested. IMPC appeared as the histological breast cancer subtype with the highest MUC4 expression compared to IDC, lobular and mucinous carcinoma. Conclusion In HER2-positive breast cancer, the presence of IMPC should be carefully examined. As it is often not informed, because it is relatively difficult to identify or altogether overlooked, we propose MUC4 expression as a useful biomarker to highlight IMPC presence. Patients with MUC4-positive tumors with IMPC component should be more frequently monitored and/or receive additional therapies.

Abstract Photonic crystals use periodic structures to create frequency regions where the optical wave propagation is forbidden, which allows the creation and integration of complex optical functionalities in small footprint devices. Such strategy has also been successfully applied to confine mechanical waves and to explore their interaction with light in the so-called optomechanical cavities. Because of their challenging design, these cavities are traditionally fabricated using dedicated high-resolution electron-beam lithography tools that are inherently slow, limiting this solution to small-scale or research applications. Here we show how to overcome this problem by using a deep-UV photolithography process to fabricate optomechanical crystals in a commercial CMOS foundry. We show that a careful design of the photonic crystals can withstand the limitations of the photolithography process, producing cavities with measured intrinsic optical quality factors as high as Q i = (1.21 ± 0.02) × 106. Optomechanical crystals are also created using phononic crystals to tightly confine the GHz sound waves within the optical cavity, resulting in a measured vacuum optomechanical coupling rate of g 0 = 2π × (91 ± 4) kHz. Efficient sideband cooling and amplification are also demonstrated since these cavities are in the resolved sideband regime. Further improvements in the design and fabrication process suggest that commercial foundry-based optomechanical cavities could be used for quantum ground-state cooling.

Abstract Background Obese Latino adolescents are disproportionately impacted by insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Prediabetes is an intermediate stage in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes and represents a critical opportunity for intervention. However, to date, no diabetes prevention studies have been conducted in obese Latino youth with prediabetes, a highly vulnerable and underserved group. Therefore, we propose a randomized-controlled trial to test the short-term (6-month) and long-term (12-month) efficacy of a culturally-grounded, lifestyle intervention, as compared to usual care, for improving glucose tolerance and reducing diabetes risk in 120 obese Latino adolescents with prediabetes. Methods Participants will be randomized to a lifestyle intervention or usual care group. Participants in the intervention group will attend weekly nutrition and wellness sessions and physical activity sessions twice a week for six months, followed by three months of booster sessions. The overall approach of the intervention is framed within a multilevel Ecodevelopmental model that leverages community, family, peer, and individual factors during the critical transition period of adolescence. The intervention is also guided by Social Cognitive Theory and employs key behavioral modification strategies to enhance self-efficacy and foster social support for making and sustaining healthy behavior changes. We will test intervention effects on quality of life, explore the potential mediating effects of changes in body composition, total, regional, and organ fat on improving glucose tolerance and increasing insulin sensitivity, and estimate the initial incremental cost effectiveness of the intervention as compared with usual care for improving glucose tolerance. Discussion The proposed trial builds upon extant collaborations of a transdisciplinary team of investigators working in concert with local community agencies to address critical gaps in how diabetes prevention interventions for obese Latino youth are developed, implemented and evaluated. This innovative approach is an essential step in the development of scalable, cost-effective, solution oriented programs to prevent type 2 diabetes in this and other populations of high-risk youth. Trial Registration NCT0261535 3, registered on June 8, 2016.

The present study examined the changes in developmental assets among young basketball players during a 4-month competitive period, accounting for variation by age group. Additionally, we examined the age-related variation on developmental assets. Sixty-five adolescent basketball players aged between 9.5 to 17.3 years were considered. We used the Portuguese version of the Developmental Assets Profile Questionnaire. Multilevel modeling was used to estimate the magnitude of changes on developmental assets across the 4-month competitive season, as well as aligning assets scores by chronological age. Positive values and positive identity scores were substantially increased after the 4-month competitive sample. The other assets scores showed no variation across the competitive 4-month competitive season, independent of age group. There was a trend of linear decrease in developmental assets as the adolescent players got older. For positive values, there was a non-linear trend with a higher decrease rate between about 10 to 14 years, levelling off thereafter. Developmental assets did not appear to be influenced by exposure to a period of organized training and competition among adolescent basketball players. Hence, the observed decrease on developmental assets when aligning by age may reflect the influence of contextual and cultural environments of practice. This is of particularly interest for positive values, which refer to school engagement or and social justice, qualities that are not sport-specific but assume a key and importance position in sport participation for a positive role in youth development.

O objetivo deste estudo foi examinar as associações entre os escores de desempenho dos atletas no Pre-Draft Combine da NBA. Foram examinados os desempenhos de 480 atletas nas avaliações do Pre-draft Combine da NBA de 2010 a 2017. Os testes do Draft Combine considerados incluíram o Shuttle Run Test, o Lane Agility Test, o Sprint Test e o Jump Test (salto vertical em pé). Correlações de ordem zero foram calculadas para examinar as associações entre os testes de desempenho através da adequação de modelos de regressão linear Bayesiana. Entre os testes de corrida, tanto o teste Shuttle Run (r = 0,45, intervalo de confiança (IC) de 95% 0,34 a 0,56) e teste de Sprint (r = 0,45, IC 95% 0,37 a 0,54) foram moderadamente associados com o Teste Lane Agility. A associação entre o Sprint Test e o Shuttle Run Test foi de moderada para alta (r = 0,27, IC 95% 0,16 a 0,38). As correlações entre o Teste de Salto e os testes de corrida foram de moderada a grande, variando de -0,51 a -0,19 (Lane Agility Test: r = -0,33, IC 95% -0,42 a -0,24; Teste Shuttle Run: r = -0,19, IC 95% -0,31 a -0,07; Teste de Sprint: r = -0,51, IC 95% -0,59 a -0,43). Assim, foi verificado uma correlação de moderada a grande entre o desempenho dos testes do Draft Combine da NBA, o que indica que os procedimentos gerais podem fornecer, parcialmente, informações sobrepostas sobre o desempenho máximo de curto prazo do basquetebol.