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Temperature is an elementary component in mathematical models for predicting the biotic potential of insects. In this study, the objective was to evaluate the impact of different constant temperatures of 8, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, and 32°C on the biological parameters, lower temperature thresholds (TT), and estimating the number of annual generations (NAG) of Rachiplusia nuand Chrysodeixis includens, both pests associated with the soybean crop in Brazil. There was no development of the immature stages of R. nuat 8°C, as was also found for C. includensat 8 and 10°C. However, at 10°C all stages of R. nudeveloped. In general, temperatures of 20 and 25°C were the most suitable for the development of R. nuand C. includens, providing egg to adult viability of over 60% and the highest total fecundities. However, the temperature of 32°C negatively affected the parameters of the fertility life table. Rachiplusia nushowed the lowest TT (eggs: 4.9°C; larvae: 10.8°C; pupa: 14.1°C; and egg to adult: 8.9°C) when compared with C. includens(eggs: 7.5°C; larvae: 15.3°C; pupa: 16.1°C; and egg to adult: 11.3°C). Based on TT values, the NAG varied from 3.9 in cold regions to 7.5 in warm regions. However, for C. includens, we can infer that the species can reach up to 8.8 generations in warm regions. The results of the present study are important for understanding the occurrence of R. nuand C. includensin field conditions and can help with the implications of management strategies.

We investigate the threshold p⃗H= p⃗H(n) for the Ramsey-type property G(n, p) →⃗H, where G(n, p) is the binomial random graph and G→⃗Hindicates that every orientation of the graph Gcontains the oriented graph ⃗ Has a subdigraph. Similarly to the classical Ramsey setting, the upper bound p⃗H⩽ Cn−1/m2(⃗ H)is known to hold for some constant C= C( ⃗ H), where m2(⃗H) denotes the maximum 2-density of the underlying graph Hof ⃗ H. While this upper bound is indeed the threshold for some ⃗H, this is not always the case. We obtain examples arising from rooted products of orientations of sparse graphs (such as forests, cycles and, more generally, subcubic {K3, K3,3}-free graphs) and arbitrarily rooted transitive triangles.

Rachiplusia nuGuenée is a polyphagous species able to develop on several cultivated and non-cultivated host plants. However, basic life history information about this pest on hosts is scarce. In this study, R. nularvae did not survive on leaves of non-Bt corn, wheat, Bt cotton that expresses proteins Cry1Ac+Cry2Ab2 or on Intacta2 Xtend soybean that expresses the Cry1A.105/Cry2Ab2/Cry1Ac proteins. Rachiplusia nushowed a viable egg-to-adult biological cycle (54%–66.3%) on non-Bt soybean, sunflower, canola, vetch, Persian clover, alfalfa, bean, and forage turnip hosts, similar to larvae raised on the artificial diet. In addition, R. nuwas unable to complete larval development on non-Bt cotton, and only 45.2% of R. nularvae reached the pupal stage when fed leaves of intacta RR2 PRO soybean that expresses the Cry1Ac protein. Larval and pupal mass of surviving insects on Cry1Ac soybean leaves were also lower (larval: 0.104 g; pupal: 0.099 g) in relation to other food sources (larval: 0.165–0.189 g; pupal: 0.173–0.192 g). The total fecundity of R. nuon Cry1Ac soybean leaves was ≈65% lower in relation to other food sources. This fact caused ≈60% the net reproductive rate (Ro) and intrinsic rate of increase (rm) when compared to other food sources. Our findings indicate that the Cry1Ac soybean negatively affects the biological parameters of R. nu. Non-Bt soybean, sunflower, canola, vetch, Persian clover, alfalfa, bean, and forage turnip are viable food sources for the survival and development of R. nu.

Background: Impaired glucose and energy metabolism has been suggested as a pathogenic mechanism underlying Parkinson’s disease (PD). In recent cohorts, phosphoglycerate kinase 1 activators (PGK1a) have been associated with a lower incidence of PD when compared with other antiprostatic agents that do not activate PGK1.Objective: We aimed to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis comparing the incidence of PD in patients taking PGK1a versus tamsulosin.Methods: We searched PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library for studies comparing PGK1a vs. tamsulosin in adults and elderly. The primary outcome was the incidence of PD. We computed hazard ratios (HR) for binary endpoints, with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Statistical analysis was performed using Review Manager 5.4 and R (version 4.3.1).Results: A total of 678,433 participants from four cohort studies were included, of whom 287,080 (42.3%) received PGK1a. Mean age ranged from 62 to 74.7 years and nearly all patients were male. Patients taking PGK1a had a lower incidence of PD (PGK1a 1.04% vs. tamsulosin 1.31%; HR 0.80; 95% CI 0.71–0.90; p?

The article outlines the development of a diagnostic system designed to pinpoint the origins of X-ray emissions in high-voltage direct current (HVdc) equipment isolated by large vacuum gaps. Electrons extracted from cathodic surfaces through field emission (FE) processes are accelerated to energies below 1 MeV, generating bremsstrahlung radiation upon impact with anodic surfaces. This radiation constitutes one of the main evidence that high-voltage conditioning is taking place on a long gap isolated system and with voltages above 50–100 kV. The development of MITICA, the prototype for ITER’s neutral beam injector (NBI), necessitates diagnostic systems capable of monitoring the progression of high-voltage conditioning in the electrostatic accelerator. Detectors can be placed in atmospheric air to monitor the evolution of the high-voltage conditioning of the electrostatic accelerator through the metallic vacuum vessel. The adoption of an X-ray collimator embedding a cerium-doped lutetium-based scintillation crystal has been proposed to cope with this target. A prototype of a single-pixel collimator (SPC) with a lead shield and variable geometry has been produced and tested at the high-voltage Padova test facility (HVPTF). High-voltage assessments, reaching up to 780 kVdc, were conducted to refine the collimator design. A multipixel variable-geometry system, utilizing the same technology, is recommended for monitoring the vacuum high-voltage conditioning of the MITICA electrostatic accelerator.

European Hare (Lepus europaeus), like many invasive species, have declined in much of their native range but flourished in non-native regions (e.g. South America). Previous studies suggested that loss of farmland heterogeneity due to agricultural intensification is the main driver of the species decline in its native range in Europe. Yet, little is known about the role of spatial and temporal heterogeneity and land cover types as predictors of European Hare local abundance in Neotropical agricultural landscapes. We hypothesized that spatial and temporal heterogeneity, rather than land cover types, would be the most influential predictors of hare local abundance in intensively managed Neotropical agricultural landscapes. We sampled 55 sites embedded within agricultural-dominated landscapes from southeastern Brazil with camera traps and transect surveys. Sites were selected along an uncorrelated gradient of native vegetation cover and compositional heterogeneity. We estimated the relative abundance of European hares using an occupancy model that accounts for imperfect detection of species induced primarily by variation in local abundance. We found that land cover diversity, sugarcane, and savanna cover were the best predictors of European Hare relative abundance. Hare relative abundance estimates were low and did not vary dramatically among sites, suggesting that this invader has not yet attained high local density in our study region. European Hare attained the highest relative abundance in agricultural landscapes that locally combine higher compositional heterogeneity, including sugarcane crops, and little to no native savanna. Areas with these combined features may represent the most important nascent foci, fostering ongoing northward spread of this invasive species in the Neotropics.The invasive European Hare is more likely to attain higher local abundance in areas that combine diverse land cover types, including sugarcane but little native savanna. Abundance estimates were low and did not vary dramatically among sites, suggesting European Hare have not yet attained high density in southeastern Brazil. Monitoring hare densities in agricultural landscapes with diverse land covers, containing sugarcane and little native savanna coverage, is advisable.

Lactococcus lactis (LL) bacteriophage infections in milk prevent proper lactic fermentation, leading to the production of unsaleable low-quality products and great economic losses in the dairy industry. In this work, we present an innovative biosensing approach for the cost-effective detection of LL phages (PGs) in milk-based samples through electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The detection is based on the evident parametric shifts in the charge transfer resistance and the impedance phase at 100 Hz caused by different bacteria proliferation due to PG activity. The EIS results are compared with optical absorbance measurements at 600 nm, in order to validate the proposed method. Preliminary experimental tests with filtered milk-based samples confirm the sensor capability to detect PGs at different concentrations in milk-based solutions in less than 4 h. In order to reach a higher sensitivity, we propose a new milk pretreatment adding calcium chloride (CaCl2) to the samples. The EIS results with CaCl2-treated milk evidence an enhanced PG activity, which leads to a much larger parametric shift. Lastly, the sensor is tested with CaCl2-treated milk-based samples at different PG concentrations, obtaining an enhanced performance reaching the limit of detection (LOD) of $10^{{3}}$ PFU/mL.

Modern technology progresses at an incredibly fast pace. With personal computers, mobile phones, tablets, and the Internet, technology is used in all spheres, affecting our daily lives greatly. Educational games are also taking advantage of the technological process, for example, many useful apps are available for children. Gaming and educational opportunities have expanded because of the development of tablets and smartphones. Teachers have the opportunity to combine physical and electronic objects when creating education materials, so they are not confined to the use of traditional physical objects. Storytelling remains one of the oldest teaching methods for children: the development of technology has given impetus to the creation of tangible digital storytelling, which combines programs with physical objects, creating a single field for learning. Creating stories in which a child can interact with his/her peers has also provided new opportunities for inclusion and cooperation in young children. Indeed, the increased use of speakers, videos, pictures, and other tools that can help to quickly create and easily adapt objects for children with various backgrounds has fostered inclusive teaching. This paper will consider the evolution of the storytelling practice, focusing specifically on tangible digital storytelling and its benefits in young children.

Mammalian carnivores are often vulnerable to the conversion of natural habitat. Although some species might be frequent in anthropogenic areas, it is not entirely clear how they use modified landscapes, particularly in tropical agroecosystems. Here, we investigated how Puma (Puma concolor) and Maned Wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) used three disturbed areas in southeastern Brazil. We sampled 205 camera stations and estimated species occupancy (Ψ) and detection probabilities (p), interpreted as probability of use and frequency of use, respectively. Our models predicted that both species extensively used the study areas (model-averaged probability of use of 0.65 for pumas and 0.50 for maned wolves). Puma frequency of use was higher in stations further from human structures and areas of savanna. Maned Wolf frequency of use was lower in forest-dominated stations and in a more protected and forested study area. Puma probability of use was high in stations closer to watercourses, while Maned Wolf probability of use was higher in unpaved roads and stations farther from human structures. Our findings suggest that pumas and maned wolves may be able to adapt their use of space in agroecosystems featuring riparian corridors and unpaved roads. Nevertheless, our data also reveal possible impacts to carnivore populations in these systems, such as the degradation of riparian environments, road mortality, and human construction avoidance. Thus, some caution is warranted in considering highly modified environments as safe habitats for large carnivores, until further data on the density and vital rates of these species in agricultural-dominated areas have been quantified.Brazilian carnivores in agricultural areas: pumas display affinity for stations closer to watercourses, while maned wolves avoid human structures and use unpaved roads. Both species demonstrate adaptability to agroecosystems; however, concerns arise from habitat degradation and road risks.

In the dairy industry, the spreading of phages of Lactococcus lactis (LL) prevents the proper lactic fermentation, causing waste of contaminated products and economic losses. This work presents a cheap biosensing method for rapidly detecting the LL phages. The detection is based on live LL bacteria covering the sensor electrodes, whose electrical response is measured by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Solutions contaminated by phages induce bacteria lysis, clearly reducing the bacteria coverage over the electrodes and leading to evident parametrical shifts in the charge transfer resistance and in the impedance phase at 400 Hz. Experimental tests with laboratory contaminated samples confirm the better detection capability of screen-printed gold sensors compared to the interdigitated gold electrodes. Two measurement protocols, called spill-out and drop-in methods, are evaluated to optimize the sensor detection capability and time. The EIS results are compared with optical absorbance measurements at 600 nm, in order to validate the proposed detection method with $10^{{7}}$ -PFU/mL phages and with a detection time of about 5 h. Finally, the proposed method is tested successfully with milk-based solutions. Evident shifts between phage-contaminated and non-contaminated sensors are measured in the charge transfer resistance of more than one order of magnitude with impedance phase differences of 43°.

An overview of the recent operations and the main results of cesium injection in the Source for the Production of Ions of Deuterium Extracted from Rf plasma (SPIDER) negative ion source are described in this contribution. In experiments without cesium injection, all SPIDER plants were tested to verify the basic expectations on the operational parameters (e.g., electron cooling effectiveness of magnetic filter field) and to determine its operational region. For beam properties, it was shown that the current density varies across the beam in the vertical direction. In preliminary cesium experiments, the expected increase of negative ion current and simultaneous decrease of co-extracted electrons were found, along with the influence of the control parameters (polarization of the plasma electrodes, magnetic filter field) on the SPIDER beam uniformity in the horizontal and vertical directions. It was shown that non-Gaussian tails can be identified in the angular distribution on the plane perpendicular to the beam propagation direction. Stray particles, nonhomogeneous beam and large divergence might result in unexpected heat and particle loads over ITER neutral beam injector (NBI) accelerator grids; it is the goal of SPIDER to assess and possibly to identify suitable methods for controlling these beam features. A major shutdown, planned for late 2021, to solve the issues identified during the operation and to carry out scheduled modifications, is outlined. Such improvements are expected to allow SPIDER to pursue the ITER requirements in terms of negative ion current, electron-to-ion ratio, and beam duration.

Cesium evaporation, aimed at enhancing the production of negative ions, has recently started during the last experimental campaigns in Source for the Production of Ions of Deuterium Extracted from a Radio frequency plasma (SPIDER). In view of the full-scale ITER heating neutral beam injector (HNBI) future operations, Megavolt ITER Injector and Concept Advancement (MITICA), understanding the behavior of cesium during plasma operation is necessary to optimize the generation of negative hydrogen ions. Determining the contribution of the different mechanisms affecting the cesium distribution in the source requires a characterization of the desorption energies of the cesium compounds deposited over the source walls. The temperature programed desorption (TPD) diagnostic allows to estimate these energies using a pair of tungsten filaments, and can also be used as a Langmuir–Taylor detector. Two identical versions of the diagnostic have been assembled, giving the possibility to perform tests and characterizations on one of the copies, while having the second copy installed and operational in SPIDER. This work presents the design and development of the device, as well as experimental results in a testing vacuum chamber and in SPIDER. Finally, first estimations of the desorption energies of cesium compounds are carried out to support the plasma-Cs models for SPIDER.

The Source for the Production of Ions of Deuterium Extracted from an RF plasma (SPIDER) experiment is the full-size test-bed of the negative ion sources of ITER neutral beams. It aims to extract and accelerate more than 350 A/ $\text{m}^{2}$ of negative hydrogen ions from 1280 apertures, distributed over a surface of approximately 2 $\text{m}^{2}$ . To assess plasma uniformity, SPIDER is equipped with bi-dimensional arrays of Langmuir probes, covering the plasma grid (PG) and the bias plate (BP) plasma-facing surfaces. These sets of diagnostics are routinely used during the ion source operation and allow to investigate the plasma properties in the so-called source expansion and extraction region. The dependencies of plasma parameters on source operation parameters such as RF power, pressure, magnetic filter field, PG, and BP biases are reported and used to evaluate the uniformity of the plasma, showing the presence of plasma drifts due to the magnetic field. Finally, the correlation between plasma and beam uniformity is assessed.

Among the beam diagnostics routinely employed in source for production of ion of deuterium (SPIDER), beam emission spectroscopy (BES) provides valuable information for beam characterization, thus driving source optimization methods. In particular, this technique is used to measure beam divergence and uniformity, which are crucial parameters to be optimized for application in International Experimental Thermonuclear Reactor (ITER). In this contribution, we focus on the characterization of H−/D− beamlets extracted during the first SPIDER Cs campaigns. In particular, we show parametric scans and preliminary broad component estimates on single beamlets.

The work focuses on a new mathematical formulation for the transfer function (TF) of a pulsating injection-based position observer, as the key point for its correct design. The proposed analysis exploits the modulation/demodulation control theory to derive the TF of the whole estimator in the Laplace domain. Magnetic iron saturation effects and cross saturation between the $dq$ -axes are considered in the observer design. To test the effectiveness of the new TF representation of the observer, it is used to synthesize two different regulators, namely by the direct synthesis and the internal model principle. An extensive experimental stage is included pointing to fully verify the accuracy of the proposed model and the theoretical considerations. A comparison with the existing mathematical model of the observer is also reported to show the improvement achievable in the position estimation by the proposed observer synthesis.

Modern industrial plants are complex and very sensitive to costs to the business of unscheduled downtime when a motor fails. This is the case of broken bars in induction motor (IM) drives, which still represents a large share of the market. In principle, an early defect detection is made possible by advanced artificial intelligence (AI)-based techniques, but their complexity clashes with the essential nature of IMs. This article aims to bridge the gap by using motor current signature already available in standard drives and proposing a mix of simulations and data augmentation to train efficiently the neural network (NN) without the need of many broken prototypes, which is the major flaw for the industrial feasibility.

The drastic reduction of the Brazilian Cerrado has transformed this savanna hotspot into vast swaths of commodity-based agriculture fields, mainly soybean, sugarcane, and beef-production pasturelands. The resulting habitat loss and fragmentation are the principal factors underlying population decline of native species inhabiting the Cerrado, particularly those with a high demand for space, low population density, and specialized diet, such as the endangered giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla). Although the species has been studied in protected areas, we know much less about its ability to endure in disturbed landscapes. Here, we analyzed camera-trapping data to estimate a proxy of habitat use (ψ^; occupancy) and detection probabilities of the giant anteater, identifying environmental covariates influencing these parameters in landscapes with intensive agriculture and commercial forestry. We found this species using about half of the study area (model average ψ^= 0.51, CI = 0.40–0.62), with two predictors strongly influencing habitat use: protected areas and unpaved roads. In turn, detection probability correlates positively with area of open Cerrado and negatively with area of settlements. The species is more likely to use unpaved roads inside protected areas (ψ^= 0.90, CI = 0.47–0.75), compared to off road sites in the surrounding areas (ψ^= 0.19, CI = 0.10–0.34). Our findings indicate that giant anteaters are dependent on nature reserves and native vegetation areas existing on private properties, whose protection is regulated by the Brazilian Native Vegetation Protection Law. Given the relative paucity of state-owned protected areas in the Brazilian Cerrado, increasing the adherence of rural owners to this law is, therefore, key for the conservation of the giant anteater. The intense use of unpaved roads might reflect travelling and/or foraging optimization, a behavioral response that, nevertheless, may compound this species’ susceptibility to suffer mortality from roadkill.

AbstractAimThe aim of this study was to evaluate the hepatic and circulating expression of miR-155, miR-122 and miR-217 in a model of chronic exposure to ethanol in adult zebrafish.MethodsWild-type adult zebrafish were divided into two groups (n = 281): an EG (exposed to 0.5% v/v Ethanol in aquarium water) and a CG (without ethanol). After 28 days the animals were euthanized, followed by histopathological analysis, quantification of lipids, triglycerides and inflammatory cytokines in liver tissue. miR-155, miR-122 and miR-217 gene expression was quantified in liver tissue and serum.ResultsWe observed hepatic lesions and increased accumulation of hepatic lipids in the EG. The expression of il-1βwas higher in the EG, but there were no differences in il-10and tnf-αbetween groups. In the liver, expression of miR-122 and miR-155 was higher in the EG. The circulating expression of miR-155 and miR-217 was significantly higher in the EG.ConclusionChronic exposure to ethanol in zebrafish leads to altered hepatic and circulating expression of miR-155, miR-122 and miR-217. This confirms its potential as a biomarker and therapeutic target.

Dopo un intervento chirurgico, il verificarsi di un accidente cerebrovascolare (AVC) ischemico è un evento raro ma drammatico. Infatti, è responsabile di un aumento significativo della morbimortalità. La comprensione dei meccanismi fisiopatologici all’origine di questi accidenti ha consentito l’identificazione dei fattori di rischio e la descrizione di principi di prevenzione. I fattori di rischio sono molteplici; da considerare in particolare il tipo di intervento chirurgico nonché la sua urgenza, una storia di AVC o di attacco ischemico transitorio, la fibrillazione atriale, la stenosi carotidea sintomatica, il sesso femminile e l’età. L’anestesista ha un ruolo centrale nella gestione; ciò comporta l’identificazione dei pazienti a rischio ottimizzandone la gestione preoperatoria (gestione precisa dei trattamenti anticoagulanti, antiaggreganti piastrinici e betabloccanti), intraoperatoria (limitazione degli episodi di ipotensione arteriosa, ottimizzazione delle strategie di ventilazione) e la diagnosi postoperatoria precoce, per consentire una gestione rapida, multidisciplinare ed efficiente. La trombectomia sembra essere una soluzione particolarmente interessante in questa situazione a rischio emorragico.

En el postoperatorio, la ocurrencia de un accidente cerebrovascular (ACV) isquémico es un hecho poco frecuente pero dramático. Es responsable de un aumento significativo de la morbilidad y la mortalidad. La comprensión de los mecanismos fisiopatológicos que causan estos accidentes ha permitido identificar los factores de riesgo y describir los principios de prevención. Los factores de riesgo son múltiples; en particular, el tipo de cirugía y su urgencia, un antecedente de ACV o de accidente isquémico transitorio, fibrilación auricular, estenosis carotídea sintomática, sexo femenino, edad. El anestesista desempeña un papel central en el tratamiento; ello supone la identificación de los pacientes en situación de riesgo mediante la optimización de la actitud terapéutica preoperatoria (manejo preciso de los tratamientos anticoagulantes, antiplaquetarios y betabloqueantes) y peroperatoria (limitación de los episodios de hipotensión arterial, optimización de las estrategias de ventilación), así como del diagnóstico postoperatorio precoz para permitir un tratamiento rápido, multidisciplinario y eficaz. La trombectomía parece ser una solución particularmente interesante en esta situación de riesgo hemorrágico.

•The most strains of C. difficilefrom this study belong to Clade 1.•The phylogenetic analyses showed high levels of similarity between toxigenic and non-toxigenic strains.•We found high levels of resistance to vancomycin among toxigenic strains.

Prevalence of peri‐implantitis is directly proportional to the time of functional loading. The aim of this retrospective study was to assess the survival and success rates as well as the incidence of peri‐implantitis among patients with a history of periodontitis and among implants with 1 to 10 years of functional loading. We evaluated clinical records of periodontally compromised patients treated between January 1998 and July 2002, with implants enrolled in a supportive periodontal and peri‐implant treatment follow‐up program. The following assessment indexes during follow‐up were recorded: suppuration on probing, modified bleeding on probing, probing depth, implant mobility, bone changes, and criteria of success of Albrektsson. Clinical data of 475 patients with 1,991 implants were analyzed for a period of 10 years of functional loading. The survival and success rates were 91.8% and 75.4%, respectively, and the cumulative incidence of peri‐implantitis among patients was 24.4%. The survival rate was 96.1%, and the success rate was 83.7% among implants. The incidence of peri‐implantitis exhibited a peak rate after the seventh year (2.1%). The prevalence of peri‐implantitis increased from 3.2% to 9.7% between 5 and 10 years of follow‐up, and the peri‐implantitis rate among implants was 12.9% after 10 years of functional loading. Peri‐implantitis begins to appear more frequently after the fifth year of functional loading, especially between the seventh and eighth years of function.

La période périopératoire est une période à risque de complications vasculaires cérébrales et notamment ischémiques. L’inflammation systémique liée au stress chirurgical et anesthésique est responsable d’un état d’hypercoagulabilité, favorisant la complication thromboembolique. L’âge, l’insuffisance rénale et l’antécédent d’AVC ou d’AIT sont des facteurs de risques d’accident vasculaire cérébral postopératoire. Le diagnostic d’AVC est suspecté devant tout retard de réveil ou signe de localisation neurologique. Différentes échelles sont disponibles telles que l’échelle de ROSIER ou le NIHSS pour guider le praticien. Tous les patients suspects d’AVC doivent bénéficier d’une imagerie cérébrale en extrême urgence, afin tout d’abord de préciser la nature ischémique ou hémorragique de l’AVC, et l’imagerie de choix est l’IRM. En l’absence d’accès à l’IRM, un scanner sans injection sera réalisé. En cas de mise en évidence d’AVC ischémique à l’imagerie demandée en urgence, un avis neurovasculaire sera nécessaire. Dans un deuxième temps, une thrombectomie en urgence devra être proposée avec si besoin transfert vers le centre responsable du secteur. Cette prise en charge nécessite une organisation multidisciplinaire et la mise en place en amont d’une filière de soins dédiée. On associe à la thrombectomie des mesures d’optimisation du débit sanguin cérébral. Une stratégie de prévention doit être mise en place dès que possible afin d’identifier les patients à risque dès la consultation d’anesthésie, avec gestion des traitements antiagrégants, anticoagulants et antiarythmiques. En peropératoire, on adoptera des stratégies de neuroprotection afin de favoriser la perfusion cérébrale via la gestion de l’hémodynamique, de la douleur, de la ventilation et de la glycémie.

AbstractObjective:Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is among the leading causes of death from liver disease. Among the factors involved in its pathogenesis are inflammation and increased intestinal permeability. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of Lactobacillus rhamnosusGG (LGG) on hepatic lipid accumulation, activation of inflammasomes, and gut permeability markers in experimental model of ALD with zebrafish.Methods:An experiment was conducted to assess the effective LGG dose capable of promoting intestinal colonization. Animals were divided into three groups (n = 64/group): ethanol group (E), ethanol + probiotic group (EP), and control group (C). Groups E and EP were exposed to 0.5% ethanol concentration for 28 days. At the end of this period, animals were euthanized, and livers were collected for Oil Red staining and assessment of the inflammasome system. Intestines were collected for evaluation of gut permeability markers.Results:The dose of 1.55 × 106UFC LGG/fish/d promoted intestinal colonization. Group EP presented lower hepatic lipid accumulation, lower il-1βexpression, and higher cldn15aexpression when compared to group E.Conclusions:Supplementation with LGG was protective for hepatic steatosis in ALD model. In addition, LGG influenced the modulation of the inflammatory response and markers of gut permeability, improving the gut barrier structure.

Background: Histoplasmosis is the second most frequent granulomatous disease in patients treated with tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α inhibitors, second only to tuberculosis. However, there is limited information about pre-therapy screening procedures and the need for preventive treatments for patients who will start immunobiologicals.Methods: This is a cohort study that evaluated the prevalence of histoplasmosis in asymptomatic HIV-negative patients before initiation of TNF-α inhibitors by testing for Histoplasmaantigen in urine samples. The patients included completed a 180-day follow-up after the initiation of the biologics to assess the onset of symptoms suggestive of histoplasmosis.Results: From January 2021 to December 2022, 54 patients who were prescribed a TNF-α inhibitor agent for treating autoimmune diseases in centers in southern Brazil were included. In the screening before therapy, the prevalence of a positive urinary Histoplasmaantigen test was 14.8%. None of the 54 patients developed histoplasmosis after 6 months of immunobiological therapy, including the eight patients who tested positive.Conclusion: The prevalence of Histoplasma capsulatuminfection in chronic patients may be higher than expected, but the impact of latent infection in asymptomatic patients is still uncertain, including those starting treatment with immunobiological drugs such as TNF-α inhibitors. Our study did not identify risk factors for the diagnosis of disseminated histoplasmosis in this group, including a positive result in an antigen test performed before immunobiological therapy. To date, there is no evidence to recommend routine antigen-based screening or preventive therapy for histoplasmosis before initiating a TNF-α inhibitor.

This research investigates the potential of gamified tools to enhance motivation as well reading and writing skills in pupils, from 8 to 11 years old. The study compares the impact of gamified applications to traditional pen-and-paper activities, utilizing standardized reading and writing tests. The training duration spans 12 h within the school setting, and the sample comprises 113 children with typical development, evenly distributed across two groups. The results indicate significant improvements in reading and writing speed and accuracy for each group, with a slightly higher effect observed in the experimental gamified training group, although this difference was not statistically significant. Although motivation did not directly mediate performance in either group, students in the experimental training groups expressed greater enthusiasm for the activities. These findings emphasize the importance of comprehensive training and pave the way for future investigations into the effects of gamified tools on other real-life skills and motivational aspects. Such studies would prove fundamental to understand the limitations and benefits of gamification, enabling its effective integration into school programs.

Byline: F. Pasqualotto Andrade-Rocha performed a very interesting study showing that varicocele harms equally the sperm characteristics of adolescents, adults and older men.[1] Apparently, it affects sperm quality more adversely [...]

We investigated 113 adult Brazilian patients with glioblastoma (GBM) for comparison with patients from distinct geographical areas and evaluation of suitability for novel targeted therapies. Patients were assessed for clinical features and tumor genomic characteristics such as ROS1 and NTRK1 rearrangements, KIT, PDGFRA, and KDR amplification, and RB1 deletion using multicolor fluorescence in situ hybridization. The majority of patients were male (53%), over 40 years (94%), with tumor located in single site (64%), in the right cerebral hemisphere (60%), and underwent partial resection (71%); 14% presented complications after surgery. The main clinical sign at diagnosis was focal abnormality (57%); frontal (31%); and temporal (20%) regions were most commonly affected. Median hospitalization time was 20 days, median survival was 175 days. One tumor was positive for rearrangement in NTRK1 and another in ROS1 (0.9% each). PDGFRA was amplified in 20% of cases, often co-amplified with KDR (>90%) and KIT (>60%). RB1 was deleted in 16% of patients. There was no association between these molecular abnormalities and patient survival. However, older age, complications after surgery, and right-sided tumors were independent variables associated with patient survival. This study contributes information on the molecular profile of glioblastomas in Latin America possibly supporting new target therapies.

Worldwide, private lands have attracted increased attention from conservationists, not only because most of the globe is privately owned, but also because private lands can be an asset to the protected area conservation strategy. In Brazil, the riverine Areas of Permanent Protection (APPs) are a key instrument of the Forest Code to protect biodiversity on private lands, acting as wildlife corridors. We assessed this putative role of APPs by evaluating how ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) occurrence is influenced by covariates in 3 cerrado landscapes dominated by sugarcane and managed forests of eucalyptus and pine trees. We collected detection–nondetection data by camera trapping during 2 dry seasons (2013 and 2014) at 208 stations (6,606 camera-days). We estimated ocelot detection and mean relative abundance using a single-species, single-season occupancy model that accounts for heterogeneous detection probability induced by variation in abundance. Modeling results showed that percentage of native forest was the most important covariate to explain mean relative abundance of ocelots. This parameter was also affected positively by APPs, with ocelots being more abundant inside than outside APPs and, unexpectedly, by sugarcane. Given our study design, however, the positive effect of this crop likely reflects the contact zone between sugarcane and native forest. Our findings show that landscape composition affects ocelot abundance and highlight the importance of APPs and Legal Reserves in agricultural landscapes. We conclude that, in such landscapes, compliance to the Forest Code by private land owners is key to supporting ocelot occurrence.As terras privadas vem atraindo cada vez mais a atenção dos conservacionistas mundialmente, não apenas porque ocupam a maior parte do globo, mas também como aliadas da estratégia de conservação de áreas protegidas. No Brasil, as Áreas de Preservação Permanente (APPs) ripárias são um instrumento fundamental do Código Florestal para proteger a biodiversidade em áreas privadas, pois agem como corredores biológicos. A fim de avaliar esse papel das APPs, nós analisamos como a ocorrência da jaguatirica (Leopardus pardalis) é influenciada pelas APPs e por outras covariáveis em 3 paisagens de cerrado dominadas por plantações de cana-de-açúcar e silvicultura de eucalipto e Pinusssp.. Nós coletamos dados de detecção/não-detecção por meio de armadilhamento fotográfico durante 2 estações secas (2013 e 2014) em 208 pontos (6606 câmera-dias). Nós estimamos a detecção e a abundância média relativa da jaguatirica com um modelo de ocupação espécie-única/estação-única, o qual considera que a heterogeneidade existente na probabilidade de detecção é gerada por variações na abundância. Os resultados da modelagem mostraram que a porcentagem de vegetação nativa foi a covariável mais importante para explicar a abundância média relativa da jaguatirica. Esse parâmetro também foi positivamente influenciado pelas APPs, sendo que a abundância desse felino foi maior dentro do que fora de APPs, e, inesperadamente, pela cana-de-açúcar. Contudo, em função do nosso delineamento amostral, o efeito positivo dessa cultura agrícola provavelmente reflete a zona de contato entre a cana e a floresta nativa. Nossos resultados mostram que a composição da paisagem é determinante para a abundância desse felino e ressaltam a importância das APPs e Reservas Legais em uma matriz agrosilvicultural. Nós concluímos que, em paisagens como essas, o cumprimento do Código Florestal é fundamental para a ocorrência da jaguatirica.

The medical management of low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSIL) is variable, thus a biomarker could assist with the clinical conduct. Type 2 transglutaminase (TG2) has been proposed as a cellular-interfering factor in HPV infection and carcinogenesis. Therefore, this study has the objective of evaluating TG2 expression in LSIL and high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL) and of relating it to the different HPV viral types. This study included 146 patients with suspected LSIL or HSIL detected in routine conventional Papanicolaou tests. The presence of HPV DNA and viral typing was defined by the polymerase chain reaction method (PCR). TG2 Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was conducted according to the manufacturer's instructions; IHC was carried out in an Autosteiner-Link 48 Dako equipment. IHC quantitation was performed by relative expression and by using the software Image J. Qualitative variables, such as frequencies and proportions, were compared by using the χ2 test for independent samples. For comparison of the qualitative to the quantitative data, nonparametric Mann-Whitney test was used. The association between histopathological examination and TG2 was statistically significant (p<0.05). Results showed that patients with normal cervical histopathology and LSIL are locally associated with TG2 expression levels >50% (p<0.05), and patients with HSIL are associated with no TG2 expression (p<0.05). The analysis of the samples with the Image J software shows a significant (p<0,001) decrease in TG2 immunostaining in HSIL if compared to normal and to LSIL samples. This demonstrates a correlation between the relative quantification and the results provided by Image J. Analysis of HPV types showed a significant association with HPV11 (p= 0.031). This indicates that patients with HPV type 11 had higher TG2 values than patients with different types. Image J analysis showed no significant association between TG2 and HPV viral types. The present data suggest that TG 2 has a high expression in LSIL and normal tissues, and decreased in HSIL. We also observed that its expression is associated with HPV11.

Because of massive conversion of natural habitat into cropland, the future of many tropical mammals depends on understanding how agricultural landscapes influence biodiversity. We assessed the effects of natural and anthropogenic land covers and disturbances on occupancy of gray brocket deer (Mazama gouazoubira) in 3 agricultural landscapes in the Brazilian Cerrado where sugarcane or managed forest cover most (> 50%) of the landscape. We used camera-trap surveys to quantify the relationships between deer occurrence and land cover, unpaved roads, urban areas, waterways, and degrees of legal protection. We found a strong and positive effect of managed forests, indicating that this land cover is good habitat for the brocket deer in our region. Native forests and sugarcane had, surprisingly, weaker effects on deer occupancy. Furthermore, the effect of sugarcane varied according to the amount of remaining natural forest: when the amount of natural forest surrounding the camera point was scarce, sugarcane had a negative effect on deer occupancy, but the effect was positive when natural forest was abundant. Our results confirm the ecological flexibility of gray brocket deer, even in landscapes where sugarcane monocultures or Eucalyptusplantations predominate. We caution however that the responses of deer might be different in landscapes more severely depleted of natural vegetation (< 20% at the landscape level). We therefore suggest that future research assess the population status of this deer in more deforested landscapes, and also consider the temporal dynamics of managed forests and sugarcane, as the vegetation cover can change drastically.Devido à intensa conversão de habitats naturais em grandes extensões de plantios, o futuro de muitos mamíferos tropicais depende do entendimento de como paisagens agrícolas influenciam a biodiversidade. Avaliamos os efeitos de coberturas de terras naturais e antrópicas e distúrbios na ocupação do veado-catingueiro (Mazama gouazoubira) em 3 paisagens agrícolas no Cerrado brasileiro, onde a cana-de-açúcar ou florestas plantadas cobrem a maior parte (> 50%) da paisagem. Utilizamos armadilhas-fotográficas para quantificar as relações entre a ocorrência dos veados e o tipo de cobertura da terra, estradas de terra, áreas urbanas, cursos d’água e grau de proteção legal. Encontramos um efeito forte e positivo de florestas plantadas, indicando que essa cobertura da terra é um bom habitat para o veado-catingueiro na nossa região. Florestas nativas e cana-de-açúcar tiveram, surpreendentemente, efeitos mais fracos na ocupação dessa espécie. Contudo, o efeito da cana-de-açúcar variou de acordo com a quantidade de remanescentes naturais: quando a quantidade de florestas naturais no entorno da armadilha-fotográfica era escassa, a cana-de-açúcar teve um efeito negativo na ocupação dos veados, mas o efeito foi positivo quando as florestas naturais eram abundantes. Nossos resultados confirmam a flexibilidade ecológica do veado-catingueiro, mesmo em paisagens onde predominam monoculturas de cana-de-açúcar ou florestas plantadas de Eucalyptus. Vale ressaltar, porém, que a resposta desta espécie pode ser diferente em paisagens mais severamente esgotadas de vegetação natural (< 20% na escala da paisagem). Portanto, sugerimos que em futuros trabalhos seja avaliado o status populacional dessa espécie em paisagens mais desmatadas considerando, também, a dinâmica temporal das florestas plantadas e da cana-de-açúcar, à medida que a cobertura da vegetação muda drasticamente.

Invasive fungal diseases are associated with a high morbidity and mortality, particularly in the context of immunosuppression. Diagnosis of invasive fungal diseases is usually complicated by factors such as poor clinical suspicion and unspecific clinical findings. Access to modern diagnostic tools is frequently limited in developing countries. Here, we describe five real-life clinical cases from a Brazilian tertiary hospital, in order to illustrate how to best select diagnostic tests in patients with different fungal infections.

Rhizobacteria are valuable sources of compounds that can be used for the integrated management of diseases in rice. Here, we aimed to explore the metabolism and organize and annotate the metabolites of Bacillus sp. and Serratia marcescensisolates using molecular networking and evaluate their fungicidal effects against Magnaporthe oryzaeand Bipolaris oryzae.We obtained bacterial extracts after 6 and 16-h incubation via liquid–liquid extraction using ethyl acetate as solvent. We performed UHPLC-MS analysis and data processing using molecular networking and conducted biological assays in rice plants. Using the Global Natural Product Social spectral libraries, we annotated the following compounds: austinoneol, Phe-Pro, N-acetyl-l-leucine, Leu-Gly, Ile-Leu, Phe-Pro, 2,5-piperazinedione, 3-(1H-indol-3-methyl)-6-methyl-cyclo(d-Trp-l-Pro), and cholic acid. Results of the biological assays showed that the bacterial extracts reduced the mycelial growth of both pathogens in all treatments compared to the control. In the greenhouse setup, 8 days after the challenge for leaf gray spot and leaf blast, all treatments affected up to 4.4% of the leaf area, with an area under disease progress curve of 13.24, showing significant difference compared to the control, which affected 23% of the leaf area, with an AUDPC of 44.65. Our study provides potential new sources of natural products to be applied in the integrated management of rice.

Media exposure regarding male sexual dysfunction and the growing number of viable treatment alternatives for erectile dysfunction has resulted in increasing numbers of men seeking clinical appointments and treatment for the condition, which has previously been considered taboo. Because these problems usually arise within the context of relationships, some investigators have alluded to increased rates of sexual dysfunction among the partners of these men. Also, since general practitioners, gynaecologists, geriatrists, and urologists are also seeing female patients for evaluation of various types of dysfunction, certain groups of these women with underlying chronic conditions have been noted to have high rates of concomitant sexual dysfunction. Physicians who have good rapport with these patients are in a privileged position to help with these intimate problems, which are often difficult for patients to discuss. Therefore, it is of extreme importance that these professionals become knowledgeable about and comfortable with the initial evaluation and possible treatment of female sexual dysfunction.

In this work we propose a method to enhance and control the angular sensitivity of a grating coupled surface plasmon resonance (GCSPR) sensor. We lighted a silver grating, mounted in conical configuration, with a laser source and we measured the transmittance of the grating as a function of the azimuthal angle. To evaluate the sensitivity, grating surface was functionalized with four different alkanethiol self assembled monolayers (SAM) and the correspondent azimuthal transmittance peak shifts were measured. The sensitivity control was performed by simply change the light incident angle. This method offers the possibility to design dynamic GCSPR sensor benches that can be used to amplify the SPR angle shift at any step of a biological detection process.

Identificar preditores clínicos, laboratoriais e radiológicos da infecção por Bordetella pertussis.