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The power transformer is one of the key components of any electrical grid, and, as such, modern day industrialization activities require constant usage of the asset. This increases the possibility of failures and can potentially diminish the lifespan of a power transformer. Dissolved gas analysis (DGA) is a technique developed to quantify the existence of hydrocarbon gases in the content of the power transformer oil, which in turn can indicate the presence of faults. Since this process requires different chemical analysis for each type of gas, the overall cost of the operation increases with number of gases. Thus said, a machine learning methodology was defined to meet two simultaneous objectives, identify gas subsets, and predict the remaining gases, thus restoring them. Two subsets of equal or smaller size to those used by traditional methods (Duval’s triangle, Roger’s ratio, IEC table) were identified, while showing potentially superior performance. The models restored the discarded gases, and the restored set was compared with the original set in a variety of validation tasks.

Leveraging human cells as materials precursors is a promising approach for fabricating living materials with tissue-like functionalities and cellular programmability. Here we describe a set of cellular units with metabolically engineered glycoproteins that allow cells to tether together to function as macrotissue building blocks and bioeffectors. The generated human living materials, termed as Cellgels, can be rapidly assembled in a wide variety of programmable three-dimensional configurations with physiologically relevant cell densities (up to 108cells per cm3), tunable mechanical properties and handleability. Cellgels inherit the ability of living cells to sense and respond to their environment, showing autonomous tissue-integrative behaviour, mechanical maturation, biological self-healing, biospecific adhesion and capacity to promote wound healing. These living features also enable the modular bottom-up assembly of multiscale constructs, which are reminiscent of human tissue interfaces with heterogeneous composition. This technology can potentially be extended to any human cell type, unlocking the possibility for fabricating living materials that harness the intrinsic biofunctionalities of biological systems.

High-speed railway bridges are subjected to normative limitations concerning maximum permissible deck accelerations. For the design of these structures, the European norm EN 1991-2 introduces the high-speed load model (HSLM)—a set of point loads intended to include the effects of existing high-speed trains. Yet, the evolution of current trains and the recent development of new load models motivate a discussion regarding the limits of validity of the HSLM. For this study, a large number of randomly generated load models of articulated, conventional, and regular trains are tested and compared with the envelope of HSLM effects. For each type of train, two sets of 100,000 load models are considered: one abiding by the limits of the EN 1991-2 and another considering wider limits. This comparison is achieved using both a bridge-independent metric (train signatures) and dynamic analyses on a case study bridge (the Canelas bridge of the Portuguese Railway Network). For the latter, a methodology to decrease the computational cost of moving loads analysis is introduced. Results show that some theoretical load models constructed within the stipulated limits of the norm can lead to effects not covered by the HSLM. This is especially noted in conventional trains, where there is a relation with larger distances between centres of adjacent vehicle bogies.

A novel methodology for visual process data analytics based on distance matrices is proposed. A distance matrix is a two-dimensional representation that reflects intrinsic data patterns and is not constrained by a specific model structure. It is shown for the first time that fundamental patterns of process data, such as steps, drifts, and oscillations, can be clearly identified in distance matrices, allowing their use in process monitoring pipelines and as tools to aid process understanding and interpretation. The proposed approach has been applied to the context of visual exploratory data analysis and the formulation of an adaptive fault detection algorithm based on matrix dissimilarity. The effectiveness of the proposed methodology is illustrated through simulation cases, which involve a CSTR reactor and the Tennessee Eastman Process benchmark.

Millisecond-scale electric fields and minute-to-hour sedimentation times complicate the direct simulation of electrocoalescence. A scale analysis of the electrocoalescence process was performed, leading to the conclusion that the dielectrophoretic (DEP) force is the primary force involved. Since the dielectrophoretic force does not change direction during electrocoalescence and the electric field timescale is much smaller than droplet sedimentation, an average DEP force is proposed for analyzing the electrocoalescence process. This uncouples the dynamics of the electric field and sedimentation, simplifying the understanding of the process.As the DEP force drives droplets toward the electrodes, droplet-to-electrode coalescence becomes an important mechanism. The frequency effect on electrocoalescence was examined in light of droplet oscillation. A non-dimensional number, similar to the Deborah number, was defined for the electrocoalescence process. It was demonstrated that high frequencies enhance electrocoalescence by protecting large droplets from breaking. The theoretical derivations were successfully applied to interpret batch electrocoalescence data under various waveforms, voltages, and frequencies.

Cannabidiol (CBD), a major constituent of Cannabis sativa, has demonstrated a broad range of therapeutic properties in human studies. Notably, CBD has shown anticancer activity in preclinical cancer models. However, its low water solubility poses challenges for bioavailability, necessitating the development of drug delivery systems to enhance its efficacy. This study aimed to create CBD-loaded Poly (butylene succinate) (PBS) nanoparticles and evaluate their effectiveness in in vitro cancer models. The nanoparticles, with an average size of 175 nm, were produced using a modified double emulsion/solvent evaporation technique. The release profile of CBD from the nanoparticles exhibited an initial rapid release followed by a slower sustained release. Cytotoxicity assays demonstrated that the CBD-PBS nanoparticles retained the anticancer effects of free CBD, selectively reducing the viability of cancer cell lines without affecting non-transformed fibroblasts. Additionally, the nanoformulation modulated key cellular pathways, as indicated by decreased AKT phosphorylation and increased LC3-II levels, suggesting that the encapsulated CBD preserved its ability to induce autophagy-mediated cell death in cancer cells. The nanoformulation also effectively inhibited cell migration in highly invasive prostate cancer cells, mirroring the effects of free CBD, while not impacting the migration of non-tumoral fibroblasts. These results underscore the therapeutic potential of this CBD nanoformulation, setting the stage for further in vivo investigations.

We present a fast spectral Galerkin scheme for the discretization of boundary integral equations arising from two-dimensional Helmholtz transmission problems in multi-layered periodic structures or gratings. Employing suitably parametrized Fourier basis and excluding cut-off frequencies (also known as Rayleigh-Wood frequencies), we rigorously establish the well-posedness of both continuous and discrete problems, and prove super-algebraic error convergence rates for the proposed scheme. Through several numerical examples, we confirm our findings and show performances competitive to those attained viaNyström methods.

The response surface methodology (RSM) can constitute a useful tool for the optimization of biodiesel production when applied to establish the relationship between biodiesel yields and the remaining process operation variables. For this reason, in the present study, several kinetic models were fitted to three sets of experimental data available in the literature and compared to second-order empirical models traditionally used in RSM studies. The obtained results show the asymptotic increase of oil or free fatty acid (FFA) conversion (XA) with the increase of the reaction time, alcohol to oil/FFA molar ratio, and catalyst concentration, differently from the behavior predicted by most empirical models described in the literature and used to perform RSM studies. Particularly, when the reaction temperature is also varied, it is possible to observe experimental conditions where XAattains a maximum value as the result of the nonlinear structure of the kinetic models proposed in the present work. Therefore, these results clearly show that phenomenological models should be preferred during the optimization of biodiesel production and also used to perform RSM studies.

ABSTRACTLippia dulcisTrevir. (Verbenaceae) is an aromatic plant occurring in the Amazon that has leaves and flowers with a sweet taste. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of seasonal variation during two consecutive years on the content and chemical composition of the essential oil (EO) of L. dulcisleaves. The EO content and chemical composition were influenced by precipitation, temperature, and plant age. The EO content ranged from .1 to .5%. The chemical profile of the EO did not vary significantly among seasons. The main constituents identified were the oxygenated bisabolane-type sesquiterpenes epi-α-bisabolol and hernandulcin. The highest concentration of hernandulcin was observed in the dry period, characterized by mild temperatures and the juvenile stage of plant growth. The highest concentrations of epi-α-bisabolol were observed in the hottest and wettest season of each year.

We present a spectral Galerkin numerical scheme for solving Helmholtz and Laplace problems with Dirichlet boundary conditions on a finite collection of open arcs in two-dimensional space. A boundary integral method is employed, giving rise to a first kind Fredholm equation whose variational form is discretized using weighted Chebyshev polynomials. Well-posedness of the discrete problems is established as well as algebraic or even exponential convergence rates depending on the regularities of both arcs and excitations. Our numerical experiments show the robustness of the method with respect to number of arcs and large wavenumber range. Moreover, we present a suitable compression algorithm that further accelerates computational times.

Clubfoot is one of the most common congenital musculoskeletal conditions, and radiography, US, and MRI are crucial for effective treatment monitoring, follow-up, and prevention of recurrence and complications.

Technological advances in recent years have facilitated data accessibility and increased computational resources; consequently, more remarkable numerical performances in data analysis and computational tests have become possible. In this context, parallel computing techniques are considered relevant tools in applications necessitating reduced computational time, such as online and real-time monitoring of industrial processes. For these reasons, the present work develops and implements online and real-time monitoring of offshore oil and gas production, using parallel computing to improve the performance of the data reconciliation methodology implemented, which will estimate the virtual flow metering with more reliability and in real time. To achieve this, three optimization methods (DA, L-BFGS-B, and SLSQP) and two approaches of parallelization schemes were considered: (1) parallelization of the simulations of each production well; (2) parallelization of the numerical gradient, performed by the deterministic optimization method. Parallel implementations allowed the reduction of up to 80% (type 1) and up to 89% (type 2) of the simulation time compared to their serial counterparts. Hence, the parallel execution of type 2 exhibited more promising results, while type 1 demonstrated greater adaptability to optimization methods. Finally, the results indicate that parallel computing techniques facilitate data reconciliation in real-time, enabling online monitoring in a much shorter time and more accurately than achieved with similar sequential procedures. Moreover, the implemented methodology has proven effective for virtual flow metering of each well’s flow rates of oil, water, and gas. In this context, parallelism techniques present the potential for developing the global monitoring of the virtual flow meters for real-time oil, water, and gas flow rates in each well.

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Water resources in historically water scarce regions such as Arequipa, Peru are vulnerable to changing conditions. Population growth and climate change are projected to be major threats to water availability in the region, while urban growth, informal mining, and agriculture threaten water quality. To address these concerns and others, the Arequipa Nexus Institute for Food, Energy, Water, and the Environment (the Arequipa Nexus Institute) was formed as a collaboration between Purdue University and the Universidad Nacional de San Agustín to address key challenges to a sustainable future for Arequipa through research. In this work, a vision for water‐related extension programming in Arequipa was developed through three phases of data collection. Phases 1 and 2 involved semi‐structured interviews and focus groups with agency personnel, community leaders, and farmers in Arequipa. The water education needs of stakeholders that could be addressed by water and environmental extension programming were identified. In Phase 3, a workshop of researchers from the Arequipa Nexus Institute used the data and their knowledge of institutional capacity to identify opportunities for the Institute to serve as a boundary organization facilitating communication and collaboration between scientists and stakeholders to support water extension and engagement in Arequipa. Water resources extension services provided by this boundary organization would include education about water quality, water allocation, and water use, as well as providing resources to improve public participation in water management. Water extension services could be part of a cross‐cutting extension initiative within the Arequipa Nexus Institute, which would be responsible for accumulating research data and connecting them to both formal and informal stakeholders. The dual training nature of the boundary organization will serve to both increase public understanding of water concerns and the capacity of information generators in the university and agencies to engage with the public. This study is unique in combining both sides of the boundary (community needs and scientists’ perspectives) in developing the vision for this extension programming.

Multilayered diffraction gratings are an essential component in many optical devices due to their ability to engineer light. We propose a first-order optimization strategy to maximize diffraction efficiencies of such structures by a fast approximation of the underlying boundary integral equations for polarized electromagnetic fields. A parametric representation of the structure interfaces via trigonometric functions enables the problem to be set as a parametric optimization one while efficiently representing complex structures. Derivatives of the efficiencies with respect to geometrical parameters are computed using shape calculus, allowing a straightforward implementation of gradient descent methods. Examples of the proposed strategy in chirped pulse amplification show its efficacy in designing multilayered gratings to maximize their diffraction efficiency.

Sustainable alternatives based on biodegradable polymers, such as poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV), can potentially reduce the environmental impact generated by the massive disposal of face masks. However, the destination of this biodegradable material in post-consumer landfills or composting consumes energy and does not necessarily reduce environmental damage. Therefore, it is necessary to find ways to return this material to the chemical chain, such as chemical recycling through hydrolysis. In this context, the present work aimed to produce face masks by solution blow spinning (SBS) from solutions containing 4, 6, and 8 m/v% of PHBV and assess the polymer recyclability through hydrolysis. The filters were subjected to hydrolytic reactions in aqueous solutions with pH values of 4, 7, and 10 at 40, 60, and 80 °C for three weeks based on a standard statistical design of experiments (DoE). The fibers produced with solutions containing 4 m/v% of polymer provided the highest weight loss of 68 wt% after three weeks immersed in an aqueous solution (pH = 4 at 80 °C), exhibiting the lowest environmental impact during the chemical recycling process. The ANOVA analyses showed that the fiber diameter was the most significant factor during the recycling reactions, evidencing that materials should be designed to promote the principles of the circular economy. Based on the obtained results, it can be concluded that PHBV-based face mask filters can promote the principles of the circular economy if polymer fibers are correctly designed. Finally, they can also potentially reduce the environmental damage of face mask disposal as long as the recycling process is in place with a proper collection and sorting system.

This study aims to assess the efficacy and complications associated with upper limb catheterization during complex aneurysm endovascular surgery repair.

Post-operative anastomotic pseudo-aneurysms are rare but potentially lethal complications after the Bentall procedure. When symptomatic or ruptured, expedited repair is warranted, and open surgery may carry significant bleeding risk, particularly when these lesions project anteriorly. As totally endovascular techniques are frequently limited owing to hostile anatomies, complex hybrid interventions are an alternative option in such scenarios.

This work presents a new decision making criterion for analysis of multiobjective optimization problems, based on the evaluation of the optimum solutions in the Pareto set. This new technique allows for discrimination among the solutions that constitute the Pareto set, so that a single alternative (the least sensitive one) is selected for real implementation. In order to do that, the effects of process uncertainties on the variable responses are analyzed individually, with the help of the process model, and used to compute a sensitivity index. The proposed technique was applied to three distinct problems, and the obtained results showed that the method is able to discriminate the solutions successfully, allowing for appropriate selection of the best candidates for real implementation among the many candidates in the Pareto set.

Purpose To compare changes in abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) sac volume between endovascular aneurysm repairs (EVAR) performed for ruptured (rEVAR) vs intact (iEVAR) AAAs and to determine the impact of early volume shrinkage on future complications.Materials and Methods A retrospective analysis was performed of all patients undergoing standard infrarenal EVAR from 2002 to 2016 at a tertiary referral institution. Only patients with degenerative AAAs and with 30-day and 1-year computed tomography angiography (CTA) imaging were included. Early sac shrinkage was defined as a volume sac reduction >10% between the first (<30-day) and the 1-year CTA. The primary endpoint was to compare AAA sac volume changes between patients undergoing rEVAR (n=51; mean age 71.0±8.5 years; 46 men) vs iEVAR (n=393; mean age 72.3±7.5 years; 350 men). Results are reported as the mean difference with the interquartile range (IQR Q1, Q3). The secondary endpoint was freedom from aneurysm-related complications after 1 year as determined by regression analysis; the results are presented as the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI).Results At baseline, the rEVAR group had larger aneurysms (p<0.001) and shorter (p<0.001) and more angulated (p=0.028) necks. Aneurysm sac volume decreased more in the rEVAR group during the first year [−26.3% (IQR −38.8%, −12.5%)] vs the iEVAR group [−11.9% (IQR −27.5%, 0); p<0.001]. However, after the first year, the change in sac volume was similar between the groups [−3.8% (IQR −32.9%, 31.9%) for rEVAR and −1.5% (IQR −20.9%, 13.6%) for iEVAR, p=0.74]. Endoleak occurrence during follow-up was similar between the groups. In the overall population, patients with early sac shrinkage had a lower incidence of complications after the 1-year examination (adjusted HR 0.59, 95% CI 0.39 to 0.89, p=0.01).Conclusion EVAR patients treated for rupture have more pronounced aneurysm sac shrinkage compared with iEVAR patients during the first year after EVAR. Patients presenting with early shrinkage are less likely to encounter late complications. These parameters may be considered when tailoring surveillance protocols.

Hydrometeorological monitoring of weather, streamflow, and water quality is essential for understanding available water resources, protecting populations from hazard, and identifying changes in environmental conditions over time. To meet such competing goals, monitoring networks require representative parameters, uniform sampling protocols, and stable locations, selected to reliably measure the phenomenon of interest. However, budgets are always limited, and immediate operational needs and short‐term decisions often influence monitoring decisions. Here, the hydrometeorological monitoring systems in Arequipa, Peru, are examined with respect to established criteria for their ability to support these competing goals. The Arequipa Department in Peru has a well‐established, stable, weather monitoring program, although reliance on manual observers results in variable data quality. The lack of observations in high altitude areas limits estimation of water availability, and high temporal resolution, automatic stations are needed to improve flash flood warnings. The streamflow monitoring system is designed to quantify water transfers throughout this heavily managed system. Twenty‐one discharge monitoring stations were identified to serve as Historic Hydrologic Reference Stations, but many were only operational in the 1960s and 1970s and cannot be used to evaluate environmental trends. Twelve stations are identified that should be maintained for establishment of a future reference network. State sponsored water quality monitoring in the Department is fairly new, and a stratified sampling method has been used to maximize sample locations. Uniform sampling in fewer locations along intermediate sized tributaries, at least two times per year, would improve the reliability of the system and allow better detection of change over time.

Orb-weaving spiders use a highly strong, sticky and elastic web to catch their prey. These web properties alone would be enough for the entrapment of prey; however, these spiders may be hiding venomous secrets in the web, which current research is revealing. Here, we provide strong proteotranscriptomic evidence for the presence of toxin/neurotoxin-like proteins, defensins, and proteolytic enzymes on the web silk from Nephila clavipesspider. The results from quantitative-based transcriptomic and proteomic approaches showed that silk-producing glands produce an extensive repertoire of toxin/neurotoxin-like proteins, similar to those already reported in spider venoms. Meanwhile, the insect toxicity results demonstrated that these toxic components can be lethal and/or paralytic chemical weapons used for prey capture on the web, and the presence of fatty acids in the web may be a responsible mechanism opening the way to the web toxins for accessing the interior of prey’s body, as shown here. Comparative phylogenomic-level evolutionary analyses revealed orthologous genes among two spider groups, Araneomorphae and Mygalomorphae, and the findings showed protein sequences similar to toxins found in the taxa Scorpiones and Hymenoptera in addition to Araneae. Overall, these data represent a valuable resource to further investigate other spider web toxin systems and also suggest that N. clavipesweb is not a passive mechanical trap for prey capture, but it exerts an active role in prey paralysis/killing using a series of neurotoxins.

In Africa, few studies of sensitisation profiles have been performed in children or adolescents and, in Angola, there are none. The objectives of the present study were to assess the sensitisation profile of Angolan schoolchildren and to determine the relationship between that pattern, sociodemographic factors, asthma and other allergic diseases.

Celiac disease (CD) is a chronic illness characterized by an inflammatory process triggered by gluten protein intake. Recent evidence has suggested that the lower relative abundance of bifidobacteria in the intestinal lumen may be associated with CD. Herein, we assessed the effect of the Bifidobacteriumspecies Bifidobacterium bifidum, Bifidobacterium longum, Bembidion breve, Bifidobacterium animalisalone, and also a Bifidobacteriumconsortium on the digestion of intact gluten proteins (gliadins and glutenins) and the associated immunomodulatory responses elicited by the resulting peptides. The cytotoxicity and proinflammatory responses were evaluated through the activation of NF-kB p65 and the expression of cytokines TNF-α and IL-1β in Caco-2 cell cultures exposed to gluten-derived peptides. The peptides induced a clear reduction in cytotoxic responses and proinflammatory marker levels compared to the gluten fragments generated during noninoculated gastrointestinal digestion. These results highlight the possible use of probiotics based on bifidobacteria as a prospective treatment for CD.

The application of electrical fields in emulsion separation in the biodiesel production process was investigated. Two sets of experiments were performed; first, electrostatic demulsification on water-in-biodiesel model emulsions was carried out. These emulsions were prepared using biodiesel derived from soybean oil and castor oil and with a water content of 10% w/w. The electrostatic separation of model emulsions showed an acceptable efficiency with the final water contents of less than 1% w/w in most cases. The second phase of the study was carried out by producing castor oil biodiesel via transesterification in the laboratory. The separation process, after reaction and product (biodiesel) washing, was performed by electrostatic destabilization at various electrical fields. The results of the electrostatic demulsification were compared with centrifugation and decanting as conventional separation techniques. Promising results were obtained in the separation of biodiesel from water and glycerol by the application of electrostatic treatment.

An experimental and theoretical study was performed to analyze the evolution of droplet size distribution and phase separation in water-in-oil emulsions under the effect of the electric field in a batch vessel. The effects of electrostatic time, initial water content, and electric potential on the efficiency of separation were studied in the experiments. Moreover, a mathematical model based on population, mass, and momentum balance equations for dispersed, oil, and free phases was developed to interpret the experimental data. A coalescence kernel was proposed to predict the aggregation of droplets. Furthermore, a capture term was added to the balance equations to address the creation of free water. The parameters of the coalescence and capture models were estimated using the experimental data. The estimation of the parameters was done using parallel execution of the particle swarm optimization algorithm. The results of the simulation showed a decent performance of the model in predicting the profiles of water content inside the vessel.

This work presents a dynamic model describing the catalytic steam prereforming of hydrocarbons (natural gas and naphtha) in adiabatic packed-bed tubular reactors. Pre-reforming is an additional step typically used in hydrogen industrial sites before steam reforming to reduce the catalyst deactivation. The proposed model comprises a set of differential equations, based on the momentum, energy, and mass balances, describing the reactions performed in a fixed catalyst-bed reactor, where hydrocarbons and water are mainly converted into a mixture of hydrogen and carbon oxides. The effect of operating conditions such as the steam/carbon and hydrogen/hydrocarbon ratios on the conversion, temperature, and composition stationary profiles was analyzed for both natural gas and naphtha catalytic prereforming. Besides, the consistency of temperature and composition axial profiles were analyzed via comparison with the adiabatic temperature and composition computed from thermodynamic equilibrium. Simulated results indicated that the proposed model can accurately describe the steam prereforming process operating with both natural gas and naphtha. The main results showed that proper modeling of the effectiveness factor for natural gas and naphtha prereforming is an important task in the industrial operation of these reactors. Additionally, the simulated results showed that these reactors operate close to thermodynamic equilibrium at the beginning of the campaign, as seen at industrial sites. Besides, only methanation and water–gas-shift reactions seem to be controlled by the diffusive effects.

AbstractThis article seeks to analyze the cocoa circuits during the final years of the Viceroyalty of New Granada, the transition towards independence and the beginning of the world cocoa crisis in 1820. Added to the traditional circuits of Guayaquil and Maracaibo linked with Pamplona, the article identifies circuits that were speculated to exist in the southwest of New Granada, but because they did not move large volumes, they were not considered for production statistics. These small productions supplied the domestic market, also exported or integrated into circuits from other places that had better interactions in international markets. It is not a microhistory of cocoa in remote regions, it is the history of a cocoa overshadowed by the visibility of others.

The incidence of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repairs in Portugal is one of the lowest mentioned in the literature. This phenomenon can be justified either by a low prevalence of the disease or by its low detection rate. To date, the prevalence of the pathology is unknown. The objective of the study was to estimate the prevalence of AAA and its associated risk factors, in men aged ≥65 years and to evaluate the population's disease awareness.

Academic education has as one of the main objectives to provide tools that allow students to integrate the labor market. However, the labor market, mostly made up of companies, claims that students are not equipped with the tools necessary to the specifics of each type of industry. Footwear design is one of the areas where industry demands a closer approximation of theory and practice, taught in an academic environment, with business reality. In this context, a learning process was applied close to the business reality of the footwear industry and with the particularity of being focused not only on the know how to apply the process, but also on how to apply it so that results in academic environment are at the levels of the industry needs. In this context two questions were placed: How can we approach new graduates in footwear design to real needs of industry? And, how can we teach the design process based on practical exercises focused on the outcome? To find answers, a method was settled with seven operational phases where several knowledge of different areas work in a coordinated way in order to reach practical results in the different areas of intervention.

In the present work, we have considered the vulnerability of some rare tree species to human disturbances in a high biodiversity tropical region. In this context, we aimed to evaluate the combined effect of deforestation and artificial flooding of the large Jirau hydroelectric reservoir on potential distribution areas of 13 locally rare tree species in the southwestern Brazilian Amazon. We performed species distribution modeling (SDM) by using the environmental distance algorithm. Based on these models, we found new sites and subsequently applied rapid ecological assessment to collect further species occurrence data. Additional SDMs were carried out using MaxEnt to determine the potential distribution areas of these rare species. We found that artificial flooding and deforestation caused combined losses of potential distribution areas of rare tree species between 8 and 39% of the total area. The most vulnerable species were Semaphyllanthe megistocaula(K. Krause) L. Andersson (Rubiaceae) (39%), Chrysophyllum colombianum(Aubrév.) T.D. Penn. (Sapotaceae) (34%), Lacunaria jenmanii(Oliv.) Ducke (Quiinaceae) (32%), Brosimum parinarioidesDucke (Moraceae) (32%) and Xylopia benthamiiR.E. Fr. (Annonaceae) (30%). These results indicate an additive effect of human disturbances such that artificial flooding, when combined with deforestation, has an overall effect by orders of magnitude. SDMs can be effectively used as a predictive tool in the assessment of human impacts on rare tree species in tropical forests. The results also showed different vulnerability among the rare species, and these results may indicate that some species are more seriously threatened by the extreme loss of potential distribution areas.

What do we mean when we say populism? Is populism a threat for democracy or a contribution to improve a system whose performance falls below our expectations? This essay seeks to find an answer to these questions. Keeping the available literature in mind, it shall reflect on populism myths before presenting a new concept of populism. A concept based on fight for hegemony. The essay argues that, on one hand, there is no democracy without populism, and on the other hand, populism can represent both a threat and a chance for democracy. Moreover, it shall analyze the reality of populism and democracy in the European Union by cross-checking the data of the Authoritarian Populism Index and the Democracy Index, without forgetting the last reports on the citizens’ satisfaction degree with the functioning of democracy and per capitaincome. This is a relevant theme at a time when the populist parties have popped up in some democracies, share, or occupy the power in some EU countries, and in one case both the ruling party and the one leading the opposition are of populist nature. A populist democracy.

Several theories have been proposed to explain the raised richness and diversity of species in native tropical forests, with an emphasis on those that invoke the niche characteristics. In the present study, we sample the woody vegetation in four enclaves of Deciduous Forests and investigate whether environmental variables can explain the floristic and structural differences among the sampled fragments. The studied areas are located the “Cerrado” biome core zone and in “Cerrado”–Atlantic Forest and “Cerrado–Caatinga” transition zones. The woody vegetation (diameter at breast height—DBH ≥ 5 cm) was sampled in 100 plots of 20 × 20 m, 25 plots in each enclaves. The investigated environmental variables were chemical and textural properties of the soil, rockiness, declivity and altitude. We found significant differences for the floristic variables (richness, diversity), among all the environmental variables, as well as for the density, height and for the DBH first class. We noticed strong influence of the environmental variables, and the nutrients availability, texture, soil acidity and the land relief are the most responsible for the floristic-cultural difference. We propose that the gradient existence of rainfall has influenced the edaphic characteristics, creating variations in the habitats, which may have favored the arrival and establishment of different species in each study area and the distinctive development of the woody vegetation at the enclaves to the Deciduous Forest.

Peperomia obtusifolia, an ornamental plant from the Piperaceae family, accumulates a series of secondary metabolites with interesting biological properties. From a biosynthesis standpoint, this species produces several benzopyrans derived from orsellinic acid, which is a polyketide typically found in fungi. Additionally, the chiral benzopyrans were reported as racemic and/or as diastereomeric mixtures, which raises questions about the level of enzymatic control in the cyclization step for the formation of the 3,4-dihydro-2H-pyran moiety. Therefore, this article describes the use of shotgun proteomic and transcriptome studies as well as phytochemical profiling for the characterization of the main biosynthesis pathways active in P. obtusifolia. This combined approach resulted in the identification of a series of proteins involved in its secondary metabolism, including tocopherol cyclase and prenyltransferases. The activity of these enzymes was supported by the phytochemical profiling performed in different organs of P. obtusifolia. However, the polyketide synthases possibly involved in the production of orsellinic acid could not be identified, suggesting that orsellinic acid may be produced by endophytes intimately associated with the plant.

We conducted a floristic survey of “Cerrado” sensu stricto on Quartzipsamment soils in the northeastern state of Goiás, Brazil, in Terra Ronca State Park (PETeR). In addition, we analysed phytogeographical aspects to investigate the floristic relationships between “Cerrado” and the Amazon, Atlantic Forest and “Caatinga” biomes. Furthermore, we assessed the shrub–tree flora similarity with other sites having the same type of physiognomy and soil class. We collected species along three 5 km × 60 m (90 ha) transects and recorded 278 species. Erythroxylum loefgreniiDiogo, Eugenia blanchetianaO.Berg and Martianthus stachydifolius(Epling) Harley & J.F.B.Pastore were listed as new records for the “Cerrado” (Brazilian savanna), and thirteen species were newly recorded for the state of Goiás. Approximately, 28% of the species are endemic to the “Cerrado”, and 72% are shared with other Brazilian biomes. The shrub–tree layer of the “Cerrado” shares more species with the “Caatinga”, which shows the transitional aspects and affinities of the local flora with this biome. The high similarity between the woody flora of PETeR and “Cerrado” sensu stricto on Quartzipsamment soil sites in Bahia and northern Minas Gerais state associated with the occurrence of floristic elements that considered typical of the north–northeast portion of the “Cerrado” phytogeographical province reinforces the inclusion of the northeast region of Goiás in this floristic province. The protected area in the Vão do Paranã region represents only 3.3% of the total area of the region and 6% of the remaining natural vegetation in the area. Considering that the studied region holds an important flora and at the same time presents strong anthropogenic pressure from the occupation of agribusiness, it would be extremely important to prioritize conservation strategies to maintain the remaining natural vegetation in the northeastern portion of the “Cerrado”.

Crystallization is a widely employed separation technique that has received significant attention due to its industrial relevance, notably in the pharmaceutical industry. While numerous studies have described the underlying kinetic crystallization phenomena using population balance models, simplifying assumptions are usually considered, such as disregarding variable correlations without accounting for the statistical and numerical consequences. Therefore, this lack of detailed statistical analyses can compromise the reliability of at least some of these results. In this regard, the present work performs the statistical characterization of a potassium sulfate crystallization process with the help of population balance models. In order to do that, the model parameters were determined using reparameterization procedures and experimental data collected from multiple batches to mitigate the undesired effects of high correlation in measured variables, which characterize these experimental systems and respective model parameters. It is shown that the proposed approach can successfully represent the solute concentration, the zeroth-order moment, and the ratios between higher-order and zeroth-order moments, considering the available experimental data set. Particularly, the particle swarm optimization (PSO) method was applied for the characterization of the confidence regions of the parameter values. The obtained results indicate that the model-based quantitative analysis of crystallization models can significantly benefit from more statistical interpretation of parameter estimates and variable correlation effects.

Em Portugal, a relação entre o número de aneurismas da aorta abdominal (AAA) tratados e a população total é das mais baixas descritas na literatura. Este fenómeno poderá ser justificado pelo défice de diagnóstico ou pela reduzida prevalência da doença na nossa população. Até à data, nenhum rastreio populacional sistemático foi realizado em Portugal. O rastreio oportunístico «A aorta não avisa» descreveu uma prevalência de 2,4% na população avaliada. Vários estudos demonstram o benefício do rastreio populacional de AAA, tendo‐se verificado diminuição da mortalidade específica e por todas as causas, pelo que este já é recomendado pelas principais sociedades internacionais de cirurgia vascular – European Society for Vascular Surgery(nível 1 recomendação) e Society for Vascular Surgery(nível 2 de recomendação) em homens com mais de 65 anos. Para além da sua justificação académica e científica, as vantagens de um programa de rastreio em termos de saúde pública são inegáveis e irrefutáveis com base na evidência atual.

The proteins from the silk-producing glands were identified using both a bottom-up gel-based proteomic approach as well as from a shotgun proteomic approach. Additionally, the relationship between the functions of identified proteins and the spinning process was studied. A total of 125 proteins were identified in the major ampullate, 101 in the flagelliform, 77 in the aggregate, 75 in the tubuliform, 68 in the minor ampullate, and 23 in aciniform glands. On the basis of the functional classification using Gene Ontology, these proteins were organized into seven different groups according to their general function: (i) web silk proteinsspidroins, (ii) proteins related to the folding/conformation of spidroins, (iii) proteins that protect silk proteins from oxidative stress, (iv) proteins involved in fibrillar preservation of silks in the web, (v) proteins related to ion transport into and out of the glands during silk fiber spinning, (vi) proteins involved in prey capture and pre-digestion, and (vii) housekeeping proteins from all of the glands. Thus, a general mechanism of action for the identified proteins in the silk-producing glands from the Nephila clavipesspider was proposed; the current results also indicate that the webs play an active role in prey capture.

The aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence of multidrug-resistant, extended spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) producing Salmonellaspp. isolated from conveyor belts of broiler cutting rooms in Brazilian broiler processing plants. Ninety-eight strains of Salmonellaspp. were analyzed. Multidrug resistance was determined by the disk diffusion test and the susceptibility of the isolated bacteria was evaluated against 18 antimicrobials from seven different classes. The double disk diffusion test was used to evaluate ESBL production. Of the 98 strains tested, 84 were multidrug resistant. The highest rates of resistance were against nalidixic acid (95%), tetracycline (91%), and the beta-lactams: ampicillin and cefachlor (45%), followed by streptomycin and gentamicin with 19% and 15% of strain resistance, respectively. By contrast, 97% of the strains were sensitive to chloramphenicol. 45% of the strains were positive for the presence of ESBL activity. In this study, high rates of multidrug resistance and ESBL production were observed in Salmonellaspp.

A doença venosa crónica (DVC) é a patologia vascular mais frequente, com uma prevalência estimada nos países ocidentais de 40% nas mulheres e 17% nos homens. Os recursos humanos, técnicos e orçamentais necessários para permitir o tratamento de uma patologia tão prevalente são enormes. Torna‐se, assim, imperativo conhecer as consequências da DVC e realçar os benefícios do seu tratamento cirúrgico. Os outcomesa avaliar na cirurgia de varizes são menos claros que nas restantes cirurgias vasculares, tornando‐se por isso imperativo definir um conjunto claro e validado de resultados para confrontar os resultados nacionais com a literatura internacional. Em Portugal a cirurgia de varizes tem a particularidade de ser praticada em grande escala por cirurgiões gerais. Os outcomesdefinidos também serão importantes para comparar os resultados deste procedimento quando praticado por cirurgiões vasculares ou gerais.

Most reports about the 3-D structure of spidroin-1 have been proposed for the protein in solid state or for individual domains of these proteins. A gel-based mass spectrometry strategy using collision-induced dissociation (CID) and electron-transfer dissociation (ETD) fragmentation methods was used to completely sequence spidroins-1A and -1B and to assign a series of post-translational modifications (PTMs) on to the spidroin sequences. A total of 15 and 16 phosphorylation sites were detected on spidroin-1A and -1B, respectively. In this work, we present the nearly complete amino acid sequence of spidroin-1A and -1B, including the nonrepetitive N- and C-terminal domains and a highly repetitive central core. We also described a fatty acid layer surrounding the protein fibers and PTMs in the sequences of spidroin-1A and -1B, including phosphorylation. Thus, molecular models for phosphorylated spidroins were proposed in the presence of a mixture fatty acids/water (1:1) and submitted to molecular dynamics simulation. The resulting models presented high content of coils, a higher percentage of α-helix, and an almost neglected content of 310-helix than the previous models. Knowledge of the complete structure of spidroins-1A and -1B would help to explain the mechanical features of silk fibers. The results of the current investigation provide a foundation for biophysical studies of the mechanoelastic properties of web-silk proteins.

The use of handheld devices that assess peripheral arterial tonometry has emerged as an auxiliary method for assessment and diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.

Os aneurismas da aorta abdominal (AAA) são atualmente corrigidos por método endovascular (EVAR) em cerca de 75% dos casos nos EUA. A diminuição diâmetro máximo do saco aneurismático representa o principal marcador de ausência de rotura ou mortalidade relacionada com o aneurisma. Porém, em cerca de 40% dos casos não se verifica diminuição, podendo inclusivamente ocorrer aumento do mesmo.

The use of unmanned vehicle networks for diverse applications is becoming widespread. It is generally hard to program unmanned vehicle networks as a “whole”, however. The coordination of multiple vehicles requires careful planning through intricate human intervention, and a high degree of informality is implied in what concerns the specification of a “network program” for an application scenario. In this context, we have been developing a programming language for expressing global specifications of coordinated behavior in unmanned vehicle networks, the Networked Vehicles' Language (NVL). In this paper we illustrate the use of the language for a thermal pollution plume tracking scenario employing unmanned underwater vehicles.