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Many records from citizen science (CS) are used in scientific research related to biodiversity. Photographs of living species are valuable data from CS that are applicable to a range of ecological studies. The geographical ranges of threatened Brazilian butterflies were estimated based exclusively on data from photographs from CS sources, and these results were compared with estimates obtained without CS data. A total of 37 butterfly taxa (58.7% of all threatened butterflies from the Brazilian Red List) were identified from 335 photographic records taken by 187 citizen scientists from various CS surveyed sources. Comparing the estimates of geographical range with and without CS data, changes (all increases) were obtained for 26 taxa (70.3% of the taxa in this study). The presented results demonstrate the importance of CS to increase knowledge on threatened Brazilian butterflies, especially in data related to their conservation status. The involvement of general public in scientific research should be constantly encouraged, as the simple act of sharing photographs on the internet of a living organism in nature has the potential to contribute accurately and valuably to conservation science. Implications for insect conservation: The use of citizen science data is opportune and useful for many porpouses, as in the case of this study in improving the estimates of the geographical range of threatened species. Such data may lead to a new perspective in the conservation assessments of these taxa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work aims to provide a more complete understanding of the resonance mechanisms that occur in turbulent jets at high subsonic Mach number, as shown by Towne et al. (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 825, 2017, pp. 1113-1152). Resonance was suggested by that study to exist between upstream- and downstream-travelling guided waves. Five possible resonance mechanisms were postulated, each involving different families of guided waves that reflect in the nozzle exit plane and at a number of downstream turning points. However, that study did not identify which of the five resonance mechanisms underpin the observed spectral peaks. In this work, the waves underpinning resonance are identified via a biorthogonal projection of Large Eddy Simulation data on eigenbases provided by a locally parallel linear stability analysis. Two of the five scenarios postulated by Towne et al. are thus confirmed to exist in the turbulent jet. The reflection-coefficients in the nozzle exit and turning-point planes are, furthermore, identified. Such information is required as input for simplified resonance-modelling strategies such as developed in Jordan et al. (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 853, 2018, pp. 333-358) for jet-edge resonance, and in Mancinelli et al. (Exp. Fluids, vol. 60, 2019, pp. 1-9) for supersonic screech. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comparative study of the acoustic far-field radiation of a subsonic jet near a folded plate with an opening, intended to represent a flapped wing with thrust gate, is presented in this work. Three openings with different widths were used to evaluate experimentally the influence of the gaps in the far-field noise radiation, for two folding angles. Boundary Element Method simulations with a wavepacket model which represents the jet acoustic source are used to calculate the far-field noise. Numerical simulation results are compared with experimental measurements and show similar trends in terms of acoustic radiation. Through parametric simulations, it was also possible to estimate that opening widths greater than one jet diameter do not contribute significantly to reducing the far-field noise. The results show that even the smallest tested openings were able to reduce the far-field noise for the tested positions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study generalised quasilinear (GQL) approximations applied to turbulent plane Couette flow. The GQL framework is explored in conjunction with a Galerkin reduced-order model (ROM) recently developed by Cavalieri and Nogueira (Phys Rev Fluids 7:102601, 2022), which considers controllability modes of the linearised Navier–Stokes system as basis functions, representing coherent structures in the flow. The velocity field is decomposed into two groups: one composed by high-controllability modes and the other by low-controllability modes. The former group is solved with the full nonlinear equations, whereas the equations for the latter are linearised. We also consider a new GQL framework wherein the linearised equations for the low-controllability modes are driven by nonlinear interactions of modes in the first group, which are characterised by large-scale coherent structures. It is shown that GQL-ROMs successfully recover the statistics of the full model with relatively high controllability thresholds and sparser nonlinear operators. Driven GQL-ROMs were found to converge more rapidly than standard GQL approximations, providing accurate description of the statistics with a larger number of linearised modes. This indicates that the forcing of linearised flow structures by large-scale coherent structures is an important feature of turbulence dynamics that should be considered in GQL models. The results presented here reveal that further model reductions are attainable with GQL-ROMs, which can be valuable to extend these models to larger Reynolds numbers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protected areas (PA) are being stifled by human land uses, jeopardizing their integrity and ecosystem services. Therefore, we searched for human land use within 19 PAs of the Pantanal ecoregion. We assessed changes in land cover from protected areas' creation year up to 2021. In addition, we established a 10 km buffer from each PA limit to compare trends in the landscape inside and outside PAs. Our results indicated the presence of pasture fields in eight PAs analyzed. We also detected a decrease in open water areas and a slight variation in native vegetation over the years. There was an increase in grassland and savanna areas, while forest, wetland, and pasture fields did not change over the years. Of all 19 buffer zones, 15 had human land uses. In addition to an increase in the human land use area, buffer zones showed an increase in grassland cover and a decrease in the open water cover. Terrestrial environments within most Pantanal PAs still stand to human interventions. Still, the human land use in reserves where it is not allowed indicates management issues and low law enforcement. Unfortunately, aquatic environments' protection is more challenging, depending on actions at lowlands and surrounding plateaus that harbor the headwaters. There is a clear need to integrate warming and drying impacts in the protected areas management plans. Since we have no control over large-scale climate, we must focus more on mitigating regional climate from a land use perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gracilaria is a genus of major economic interest along the Brazilian coast. Gracilaria caudata is an agarophyte present in different ecoregions of the country. Based on its wide distribution, the intraspecific thermal physiological differentiation across this coast remains uncertain. Thus, we aimed to assess the thermal tolerance of this species and the putative occurrence of ecotypes. To accomplish this, we evaluated the effect of different temperatures (15–35 °C) on growth rates (GRs) and photosynthesis of female gametophytes from four populations along 6,024 km of the Brazilian coast and in three ecoregions: Northeastern (Ceará, CE, 3.23°S), Eastern (Bahia, BA, 12.44°S and Espírito Santo, ES, 20.48°S), as well as Rio Grande (Santa Catarina, SC, 27.11°S). A temperature of 35 ºC was lethal for all populations. BA showed the highest temperature range for survival (15–33 °C) when compared to the others (CE, 18–33 °C; ES, 15–30 °C; SC, 18–30 °C). Temperatures that promoted the highest GRs varied among almost all populations (CE and BA, 23–30 °C; ES, 25–28 °C; SC, 23–28 °C). However, the CE samples had the highest maximal values (12.6 ± 1.4% day−1) and thermal optimum (26.1 ± 0.4 °C) on the thermal performance curve, showing, among all populations, a higher potential for future mariculture tests on the Brazilian coast. Our results show that these populations are ecotypic and that populations from ES and SC may not withstand the predicted increases in seawater temperature, unlike the CE and BA populations, which could withstand temperatures up to 33 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The production of isolated photons in high multiplicity events is investigated considering the Color Glass Condensate (CGC) formalism. The associated cross section for proton–proton collisions is estimated considering three distinct solutions of the Balitsky–Kovchegov (BK) equation and predictions for the normalized photon yield as a function of the multiplicities of co-produced charged particles are presented. We predict the increasing of the yield with the multiplicity, with the slope being smaller for larger rapidities. As the isolated photon production is not affected by the fragmentation process, a future experimental investigation of this process in current high energy hadronic colliders is ideal to test the treatment of high multiplicity events using the CGC formalism, previously applied only for the production of hadronic final states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Tuberculosis has a major global impact. Immunocompetent hosts usually control this disease, resulting in an asymptomatic latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI). Because TNF inhibitors increase the risk of tuberculosis reactivation, current guidelines recommend tuberculosis screening before starting any biologic drug, and chemoprophylaxis if LTBI is diagnosed. Available evidence from clinical trials and real-world studies suggests that IL-17 and IL-23 inhibitors do not increase the risk of tuberculosis reactivation. Objective: To evaluate psoriasis patients with treated or untreated newly diagnosed LTBI who received IL-17 and IL-23 inhibitors and the tolerability/safety of tuberculosis chemoprophylaxis. Methods: This is a retrospective, observational, multinational study from a series of 14 dermatology centres based in Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece and Brazil, which included adult patients with moderate-to-severe chronic plaque psoriasis and newly diagnosed LTBI who were treated with IL-23 or IL-17 inhibitors between January 2015 and March 2022. LTBI was diagnosed in the case of tuberculin skin test and/or interferon gamma release assay positivity, according to local guideline, prior to initiating IL-23 or IL-17 inhibitor. Patients with prior diagnosis of LTBI (treated or untreated) or treated active infection were excluded. Results: A total of 405 patients were included; complete/incomplete/no chemoprophylaxis was administered in 62.2, 10.1 and 27.7% of patients, respectively. The main reason for not receiving or interrupting chemoprophylaxis was perceived heightened risk of liver toxicity and hepatotoxicity, respectively. The mean duration of biological treatment was 32.87 ± 20.95 months, and only one case of active tuberculosis infection (ATBI) was observed, after 14 months of treatment with ixekizumab. The proportion of ATBI associated with ixekizumab was 1.64% [95% confidence interval (CI): 0–5.43%] and 0% for all other agents and 0.46% (95% CI 0–1.06%) and 0% for IL-17 and IL-23 inhibitors, respectively (not statistically significant). Conclusions: The risk of tuberculosis reactivation in patients with psoriasis and LTBI does not seem to increase with IL-17 or IL-23 inhibitors. IL-17 or IL-23 inhibitors should be preferred over TNF antagonists when concerns regarding tuberculosis reactivation exists. In patients with LTBI considered at high risk for developing complications related to chemoprophylaxis, this preventive strategy may be waived before initiating treatment with IL-17 inhibitors and especially IL-23 inhibitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: 3D computed tomography (CT) has been seldom used for the evaluation of hiatal hernias (HH) in surgical patients. This study aims to describe the 3D CT findings in candidates for laparoscopic or robotic antireflux surgery or HH repair and compare them with other tests. Methods: Thirty patients with HH and/or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) who were candidates for surgical treatment and underwent high-resolution CT were recruited. The variables studied were distance from the esophagogastric junction (EGJ) to the hiatus; total gastric volume and herniated gastric volume, percentage of herniated volume in relation to the total gastric volume; diameters and area of the esophageal hiatus. Results: HH was diagnosed with CT in 21 (70%) patients. There was no correlation between the distance EGJ-hiatus and the herniated gastric volume. There was a statistically significant correlation between the distance from the EGJ to the hiatus and the area of the esophageal hiatus of the diaphragm. There was correlation between tomographic and endoscopic findings for the presence and size of HH. HH was diagnosed with manometry in 9 (50%) patients. There was no correlation between tomographic and manometric findings for the diagnosis of HH and between hiatal area and lower esophageal sphincter basal pressure. There was no correlation between any parameter and DeMeester score. Conclusions: The anatomy of HH and the hiatus can be well defined by 3D CT. The EGJ-hiatus distance may be equally measured by 3D CT or upper digestive endoscopy. DeMeester score did not correlate with any anatomical parameter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An adjoint-based method is presented for determining manufacturing tolerances for aerodynamic surfaces with natural laminar flow subjected to wavy excrescences. The growth of convective unstable disturbances is computed by solving Euler, boundary layer, and parabolized stability equations. The gradient of the kinetic energy of disturbances in the boundary layer (E) with respect to surface grid points is calculated by solving adjoints of the governing equations. The accuracy of approximations of Δ E , using gradients obtained from adjoint, is investigated for several waviness heights. It is also shown how second-order derivatives increase the accuracy of approximations of Δ E when surface deformations are large. Then, for specific flight conditions, using the steepest ascent and the sequential least squares programming methodologies, the waviness profile with minimum L 2 - norm that causes a specific increase in the maximum value of N- factor, Δ N , is found. Finally, numerical tests are performed using the NLF(2)-0415 airfoil to specify tolerance levels for Δ N up to 2.0 for different flight conditions. Most simulations are carried out for a Mach number and angle of attack equal to 0.5 and 1. 25 ∘ , respectively, and with Reynolds numbers between 9 × 10 6 and 15 × 10 6 and for waviness profiles with different ranges of wavelengths. Finally, some additional studies are presented for different angles of attack and Mach numbers to show their effects on the computed tolerances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interest in forest regeneration has increased as secondary forests in regeneration process are cited as the forests of the future. However, remaining forests are subjected to chronic anthropogenic disturbances, which may reorganize tropical biodiversity. This paper investigates the recovery of fruit-feeding butterfly assemblages following slash-and-burn agriculture in the Caatinga dry forest, assessing the roles that chronic disturbances, tree species richness and biomass play in their taxonomic and functional recovery during secondary succession. Butterflies were recorded monthly across old-growth forest stands and areas previously subjected to slash-and-burn agriculture, and with differing times since abandonment. While there was a high degree of similarity in community-level attributes among regenerating forests of different ages, secondary and old-growth forests supported relatively distinct assemblages, both taxonomically and functionally. As expected, chronic disturbance, forest biomass and trees species richness were excellent predictors of taxonomic and functional changes. Specifically, large-bodied and canopy-inhabiting butterflies reached higher abundances in more disturbed habitats, while those ocellus-bearing species that fly in the understory and feed on monocot as larvae responded negatively to disturbance, but benefited from increased forest biomass and tree species richness. Our findings suggest that although regenerating secondary forests can recover values of community-level attributes of fruit-feeding butterflies similar to those of old-growth forests, chronic anthropogenic disturbances across the landscape may be selecting only specific ecological groups that are tolerant to adverse conditions. Implications for insect conservation: Chronic disturbance can taxonomically and functionally alter butterfly assemblages across forest regeneration and consequently impact their ecological functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primary data, such as geographical records of species, are base-line for conservation status assessments. For many years, data on Brazil's threatened butterflies (58 taxa (based on Brazilian Red List Fauna of 2014)) have been in need of improvement and the present paper provides a careful curation of their geographical distribution data as well as an update of extent of occurrence (EOO) and area of occupancy (AOO). EOO and AOO were estimated using two scenarios, one named "previous estimate" using all only published geographical records, and other named "current estimate" using both, published records (from literature) plus all newly obtained "unpublished records" (not published in literature). In total, ~ 6,700 records were compiled from several sources; 1,053 records are non duplicated geographical data. Of these 1,053 records, 566 (69%) come from surveyed literature (published records), 258 (31%) are unpublished records, and 229 (22%) were found to contain errors after data curation. Comparing "previous" to "current" estimates of both, EOO and AOO, changes in geographical range were reported for 48 taxa (83%). Based on current data (applying the thresholds of IUCN criterion B (geographic range data)), there is a potential for changes in conservation status categories for 51 taxa (88%). Importantly, approximately half of unpublished records are from scientific collections and the remainder were provided by citizen scientists (via personal communication), showing the importance of both data sources. The present updates of geographical records based on new records and curated data (and consequently, EOO and AOO) of threatened Brazilian butterflies may aid future conservation status assessments and also reinforce the importance of data curation. Implications for insect conservation: The present study represents the most up-to-date effort to estimate EOO and AOO of threatened Brazilian butterflies. The new data presented here can be used for a more acurate conservation status assessments for these taxa, revealing a more realistic scenario for several species included in the national and global Red lists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After traumatic brain injury (TBI) cerebral inflammation with invasion of neutrophils and lymphocytes is a crucial factor in the process of secondary brain damage. In TBI the intrinsic renin-angiotensin system is an important mediator of cerebral inflammation, as inhibition of the angiotensin II receptor type 1 (AT1) reduces secondary brain damage and the invasion of neutrophil granulocytes into injured cerebral tissue. The current study explored the involvement of immune cells in neuroprotection mediated by AT1 inhibition following experimental TBI. Four different cohorts of male mice were examined, investigating the effects of neutropenia (anti-Ly6G antibody mediated neutrophil depletion; C57BL/6), lymphopenia (RAG1 deficiency, RAG1−/−), and their combination with candesartan-mediated AT1 inhibition. The present results showed that reduction of neutrophils and lymphocytes, as well as AT1 inhibition in wild type and RAG1−/− mice, reduced brain damage and neuroinflammation after TBI. However, in neutropenic mice, candesartan did not have an effect. Interestingly, AT1 inhibition was found to be neuroprotective in RAG1−/− mice but not in neutropenic mice. The findings suggest that AT1 inhibition may exert neuroprotection by reducing the inflammation caused by neutrophils, ultimately leading to a decrease in their invasion into cerebral tissue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colistin remains one of the few available options for the treatment of infections caused by resistant bacteria. Pharmacokinetic (PK) studies have been successful in estimating the appropriate colistin methanesulfonate (CMS) dose to achieve a target colistin concentration. Currently, there is a consensus that the dose of CMS should vary according to the patient renal function since CMS is mainly eliminated by renal route. For this same reason, the loading dose should vary according to the patient's renal capacity; however, this is not the current clinical practice. In this study we develop a framework to determine two key parameters for the loading dose regimen: (1) the optimal dose according to the characteristics (renal function and weight) of the patient; (2) the waiting time before the maintenance dose. Based on a previous PK model, our framework allows a fast parameter sweep so as to select optimal loading dose and waiting time minimizing the deviation between the plasma concentration and a target value. The results showed that patients presenting low creatinine clearance (CrCL) should receive a lower CMS loading dose with longer interval to start maintenance treatment to avoid nephrotoxic colistin concentrations. In cases of high CrCL, the dose should be higher and the interval to the next dose shorter to avoid subtherapeutic concentrations. Optimization of the loading dose should considerably improve colistin therapy, as the target concentration is reached more quickly, without reaching toxic values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The riodinid Eucorna sanarita (Schaus) is an "Endangered" (EN) butterfly with a confusing taxonomic history, restricted to a few sites of montane forest in the Atlantic Forest biodiversity hotspot, Southeastern Brazil. This study aims to collate all previous and novel available information for this species, such as systematic position, taxonomic placement, and geographic distribution, and to identify potential areas of occurrence using niche-based models. Ecological niche modeling (ENM) and geographical range (area of occupancy (AOO) and extent of occurrence (EOO)) were estimated using a total of 14 known geographic sites for this taxon. Until recently, this species was included in the genus Voltinia Stichel, 1910, and based on molecular data, we find that it is sister to the recently reassigned Napaea Hübner, [1819]. Predictive maps generated from niche models extend the possible sites of occurrence and aid in EOO and AOO estimation, both of which are important in the application of IUCN assessments. Our findings can be applied to the identification of additional sites for populations of E. sanarita and possibly resolve its conservation status (based on geographical range). Implications for insect conservation Our study contributes to the filling of knowledge gaps in the ecology, systematics, and taxonomy of E. sanarita, an endemic butterfly to the Atlantic Forest biodiversity hotspot, and brings a new perspective on the use of ENM to AOO and EOO estimates that can directly inform the conservation status of the species following IUCN guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Brazilian coast presents diverse abiotic characteristics, such as temperature, and we know that surface seawater temperatures are rising as a result of climate change. Therefore, to better interpret the effects of such changes, we chose to investigate Gracilariopsis tenuifrons, a species of red algae widely occurring on the Brazilian coast. We specifically evaluated the effect of different temperatures (18–35 °C) on growth rates (GRs), photosynthetic parameters, and pigment contents of female gametophytes from five different populations distributed along 7450 km of coastline, including Maranhão State (MA, 2.4°S), Rio Grande do Norte State (RN, 5.4°S), Bahia State (BA, 14.48°S), and São Paulo State (SP1, 23.5°S and SP2, 24.2°S). All samples tolerated temperatures between 18 and 33 °C, but none of them could tolerate temperatures of 35 °C, irrespective of the populations. However, the highest GRs varied among populations (MA, 23–30 °C; RN, 28–33 °C; BA, 23–28 °C; SP1, 25–28 °C; SP2, 28 °C). MA and BA populations showed the highest maximal measurement (µmax) of the thermal performance curve when compared to SP1 and SP2 populations. The RN population showed the worst µmax values, 5.6% day−1; however, it was more resilient to stressful temperatures (33 °C) than the others. The BA population presented some physiological characteristics similar to populations from the northeastern and southeastern regions. Our data showed that Gp. tenuifrons presents latitudinal ecotypes associated with temperature. Northeastern populations could be more vulnerable in a drastic scenario of climate change (up to 4 °C); otherwise, this species could occupy regions further to the south of its current distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optimization of antibiotic administration helps minimizing cases of bacterial resistance. Dosages are often selected by trial and error using a pharmacokinetic (PK) model. However, this is limited to the range of tested dosages, restraining possible treatment choices, especially for the loading doses. Colistin is a last-resort antibiotic with a narrow therapeutic window; therefore, its administration should avoid subtherapeutic or toxic concentrations. This study formulates an optimal control problem for dosage selection of colistin based on a PK model, minimizing deviations of colistin concentration to a target value and allowing a specific dosage optimization for a given individual. An adjoint model was used to provide the sensitivity of concentration deviations to dose changes. A three-compartment PK model was adopted. The standard deviation between colistin plasma concentrations and a target set at 2 mg/L was minimized for some chosen treatments and sample patients. Significantly lower deviations from the target concentration are obtained for shorter administration intervals (e.g. every 8 h) compared to longer ones (e.g. every 24 h). For patients with normal or altered renal function, the optimal loading dose regimen should be divided into two or more administrations to attain the target concentration quickly, with a high first loading dose followed by much lower ones. This regimen is not easily obtained by trial and error, highlighting advantages of the method. The present method is a refined optimization of antibiotic dosage for the treatment of infections. Results for colistin suggest significant improvement in treatment avoiding subtherapeutic or toxic concentrations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adoptive T-cell transfer (ACT) offers a curative therapeutic option for subsets of melanoma and hematological cancer patients. To increase response rates and broaden the applicability of ACT, it is necessary to improve the post-infusion performance of the transferred T cells. The design of improved treatment strategies includes transfer of cells with a less differentiated phenotype. Such T cell subsets have high proliferative potential but require stimulatory signals in vivo to differentiate into tumor-reactive effector T cells. Thus, combination strategies are needed to support the therapeutic implementation of less differentiated T cells. Here we show that systemic delivery of tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) facilitates in vivo priming and expansion of previously non-activated T cells and enhance the cytotoxicity of activated T cells. To achieve this in vivo priming, we use flexible delivery vehicles of TAAs and a TLR7/8 agonist. Contrasting subcutaneous delivery systems, these vehicles accumulate TAAs in the spleen, thereby achieving close proximity to both cross-presenting dendritic cells and transferred T cells, resulting in robust T-cell expansion and anti-tumor reactivity. This TAA delivery platform offers a strategy to safely potentiate the post-infusion performance of T cells using low doses of antigen and TLR7/8 agonist, and thereby enhance the effect of ACT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Better understanding how audience size influences emotions and behaviours during public performances is of particular importance since it may both impact the level of anxiety and quality of achievement of the performer and alter the degree of appreciation of the observer. We tested this question in a naturalistic setting by analyzing self-assessment questionnaires, Galvanic skin responses and behaviours of actors and spectators during theatrical representations with small, medium and large audiences. We found that: actors and spectators differed in their perception of the effects of audience size; the different components of emotions (cognitive, physiological, behavioural) were affected differently by audience size, which was also modulated by the individual's status; actors and spectators differed in their representation of the others' emotional state. Although our study remains exploratory, our findings highlight the complexity of the audience effect when comparing observers' and performers' emotions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How evolution creates and maintains trait patterns in species-rich communities is still an unsolved topic in evolutionary ecology. One classical example of community-level pattern is the unexpected coexistence of different mimicry rings, each of which is a group of mimetic species with the same warning signal. The coexistence of different mimicry rings in a community seems paradoxical because selection among unpalatable species should favor convergence to a single warning pattern. We combined mathematical modeling based on network theory and numerical simulations to explore how different types of selection, such as mimetic and environmental selections, and habitat use by mimetic species influence the formation of coexisting rings. We show that when habitat and mimicry are strong sources of selection, the formation of multiple rings takes longer due to conflicting selective pressures. Moreover, habitat generalist species decrease the distinctiveness of different mimicry rings' patterns and a few habitat generalist species can generate a "small-world effect", preventing the formation of multiple mimicry rings. These results may explain why the coexistence of mimicry rings is more common in groups of animals that tend towards habitat specialism, such as butterflies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This manuscript presents a successful application of the inverse feed-forward control (IFFC) technique for control of the Tollmien–Schlichting (TS) waves over a wing profile placed in an open-circuit wind tunnel. Active cancellation of two-dimensional broadband TS disturbances is performed using a single dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma actuator. The measurements required for the IFFC are performed with microphones, instead of hot wires often used for this purpose, in order to reduce the space occupied by the sensors and assess the suitability of simpler and cheaper devices. An attenuation of the TS-wave amplitude of one order of magnitude is achieved. Direct numerical simulations (DNS) are also performed and compared to the outcome of the experiments. The plasma-actuator model used in DNS is a mapping of the force field used by Fabbiane et al. (In: Proceedings of TSFP-9, Melbourne, 2015a) to the actual geometry, whereas the sensors (microphones) are modeled as pressure probes. Despite these modelling choices, a good agreement between the results of DNS and the experiments is achieved. However, the control performance is better in the DNS, with attenuation of three orders of magnitude of TS-wave amplitude. Further analysis of experiments and simulations shows that the limiting factor in the experiments is the ambient low-frequency acoustic waves in the wind tunnel. These waves are sensed by the microphones and act as noise in the analysis of TS-wave evolution and thus leading to lower coherence between sensors and actuators. This in turn leads to a suboptimal control kernel in the experiment.Please confirm if the inserted city and country are correct in Affiliations [Aff1, Aff2]. Amend if necessary.Confirmed. It is correct.Please confirm if the corresponding author is correctly identified. Amend if necessary.Confirmed. The corresponding author is Pedro P. C. Brito. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work deals with the characterization of the closed-loop control performance aiming at the delay of transition. We focus on convective wavepackets, typical of the initial stages of transition to turbulence, starting with the linearized Kuramoto–Sivashinsky equation as a model problem representative of the transitional 2D boundary layer; its simplified structure and reduced order provide a manageable framework for the study of fundamental concepts involving the control of linear wavepackets. The characterization is then extended to the 2D Blasius boundary layer. The objective of this study is to explore how the sensor–actuator placement affects the optimal control problem, formulated using linear quadratic Gaussian (LQG) regulators. This is carried out by evaluating errors of the optimal estimator at positions where control gains are significant, through a proposed metric, labelled as γ . Results show, in quantitative manner, why some choices of sensor–actuator placement are more effective than others for flow control: good (respectively, bad) closed-loop performance is obtained when estimation errors are low (respectively, high) in the regions with significant gains in the full-state-feedback problem. Unsatisfactory performance is further understood as dominant estimation error modes that overlap spatially with control gains, which shows directions for improvement of a given set-up by moving sensors or actuators. The proposed metric and analysis explain most trends in closed-loop performance as a function of sensor and actuator position, obtained for the model problem and for the 2D Blasius boundary layer. The spatial characterization of the γ -metric provides thus a valuable and intuitive tool for the problem of sensor–actuator placement, targeting here transition delay but possibly extending to other amplifier-type flows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Nicotinamide riboside (NR) acts as a potent NAD+ precursor and improves mitochondrial oxidative capacity and mitochondrial biogenesis in several organisms. However, the effects of NR supplementation on aerobic performance remain unclear. Here, we evaluated the effects of NR supplementation on the muscle metabolism and aerobic capacity of sedentary and trained mice. Methods: Male C57BL/6 J mice were supplemented with NR (400 mg/Kg/day) over 5 and 10 weeks. The training protocol consisted of 5 weeks of treadmill aerobic exercise, for 60 min a day, 5 days a week. Bioinformatic and physiological assays were combined with biochemical and molecular assays to evaluate the experimental groups. Results: NR supplementation by itself did not change the aerobic performance, even though 5 weeks of NR supplementation increased NAD+ levels in the skeletal muscle. However, combining NR supplementation and aerobic training increased the aerobic performance compared to the trained group. This was accompanied by an increased protein content of NMNAT3, the rate-limiting enzyme for NAD + biosynthesis and mitochondrial proteins, including MTCO1 and ATP5a. Interestingly, the transcriptomic analysis using a large panel of isogenic strains of BXD mice confirmed that the Nmnat3 gene in the skeletal muscle is correlated with several mitochondrial markers and with different phenotypes related to physical exercise. Finally, NR supplementation during aerobic training markedly increased the amount of type I fibers in the skeletal muscle. Conclusion: Taken together, our results indicate that NR may be an interesting strategy to improve mitochondrial metabolism and aerobic capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies suggest that fear-related responses might be acquired through the facial expressions of other individuals. The present study aimed to investigate the derived transfer of aversive functions in equivalence classes comprised of facial expressions of fear and happiness. A delayed matching-to-sample task established two equivalence classes between facial expressions of emotions and nonsense abstract stimuli: B1-A1(Fear)-C1-D1; B2-A2(Happiness)-C2-D2. After relational training (AB, AC, CD) and equivalence tests (BD, DB), the transfer of function from the faces to the D stimuli was evaluated by means of (1) a semantic differential, (2) an avoidance task, (3) US expectancy scale, and (4) valence scale. Results from the semantic differential indicated that D1 and D2 had negative and positive evaluations, respectively. Fear related measures indicated that D1 (equivalent to fear) evoked avoidance responses, was highly rated on US expectancy and was negatively valenced; in comparison, D2 (equivalent to happy) did not evoke either avoidance or US expectancy and was positively valenced. These findings indicate that the participation of fearful faces in equivalence classes leads to derived fear, including derived avoidance responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The southeastern Brazilian highlands harbor a high number of endemic and threatened species of animals and plants, including two species of Pampasatyrus butterflies (Satyrinae: Pronophilina). As for many other threatened Brazilian butterflies, there is virtually no biological information available for these butterflies. A mark-recapture study was carried out for two consecutive years (2017 and 2018) to study population parameters, movement, natural history and threats for the two Pampasatyrus species. The results showed that population parameters of both species are similar to those of satyrine butterfly species from temperate regions, including a single flight season, short adult lifespan and a typical pattern of protandry (adult males flying before females). Moreover, adults were shown to have high habitat fidelity, being restricted to natural grassland, and are mostly sedentary. Both studied species are seriously threatened by human-caused impacts, including urban expansion, presence of non-native large grazing animals, uncontrolled tourism and natural and man-made fires. Although none of these impacts have been directly measured, a fire that consumed more than 70% of the study area in the winter of 2017 did not cause the extinction of the populations of both species, as evidenced by population numbers in 2018. The present study contributes important data on the population biology and ecology of these two threatened butterflies, providing information that can be used for future management plans of these species and their habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the contemporary architecture trends is the design of structural elements that cover longer clearances to provide flexibility in the architecture of buildings. The technological and constructive evolutions in civil engineering assure the feasibility of such trends due to the use of structural elements with increased slenderness and reduced weight, such as steel structures that utilize dry slabs. However, structures of this type present greater susceptibility to the vibrations related to human activities. Hence, this study aims to evaluate, from the human comfort point of view, the dynamic behavior of an existing steel floor system with composite structural panels, subjected to vibrations due to human walking. To obtain the dynamic responses, the present study employs: (1) simplified procedures of the AISC and SCI design guidelines and (2) modal and transient analyses performed to a numerical model developed using the ANSYS software. The dynamic responses were compared with human comfort criteria prescribed by design guides, ISO 10137:2007 and the Brazilian standards. The influence of the value taken for structural damping and effect of more than one walking individual simultaneously on the structure may be evaluated through numerical results. It was concluded that the simplified procedures underestimate the dynamic responses of the floor system under study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problem of finding optimal forcing and response for unbounded base flows, exemplified by the Blasius boundary layer, is assessed by means of a locally parallel resolvent analysis. A new analysis of previous results in the literature, which stated that a maximum resolvent gain occurs for spanwise wavenumber k z ≈ 0.2 , revealed that this result was not domain converged, and larger domains lead to peak amplification for k z → 0 ; this result is seen to depend strongly on domain size. It is seen that forcing and response modes for low frequency and wavenumber tend to be extended throughout the computational domain, with substantial support in the free stream. Free-stream modes and their gains are found analytically by considering the resolvent operator for uniform flow, and it is seen that low frequencies and wavenumbers lead to a dominance of such free-stream modes in the resolvent analysis of boundary layers. The lack of domain convergence is explained by the analysis, as gains scale with the square of the domain height. We then propose a new approach to evaluate the resolvent gains for this kind of unbounded flows, by means of a weighting function for the chosen norm that neglects response modes above a cut-off height y p , typically placed outside the boundary layer thickness; this ensures that relevant responses will only be sought in a region of interest, which here corresponds to the boundary layer. The method proved to solve the problem raised by the presence of free-stream modes, resulting in domain-converged forcing and response modes with the shape of streamwise vortices and streaks, respectively. The results were also shown to be independent of the choice of the filter parameters, leading to converged gains for the whole spectrum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the ecological impacts of human disturbances is essential for the formulation of conservation strategies. This study aimed to investigate if unpaved trails (with about 5 to 6 m wide) inside forests can cause ecological changes in their surroundings. The studied group was the fruit-feeding butterflies, since they usually respond to habitat disturbances through changes in species composition. This group is also known to present a distinct distribution along a vertical gradient in tropical forests. However, in open areas, some canopy species are observed reaching the ground. Based on that, we address the following hypotheses: (1) trails inside the forest cause a disruption in the vertical stratification pattern of fruit-feeding butterfly assemblages, and (2) trails modify their community parameters. The study was carried out in a protected area in the Atlantic Forest. Butterflies were sampled monthly through 2 years with bait traps distributed in the canopy and the understory in two habitat types: (1) forest interior, and (2) edges parallel to a trail opening. Our results showed that the understory edge had a greater abundance of individuals and lower species richness when compared to the forest interior. However, the trails did not disrupt the vertical stratification pattern or modify the species composition of fruit-feeding butterflies. Therefore, their effect was not as strong as other types of human disturbances. The present results suggest trails inside forests presented a relatively low impact in the adjacent biological communities, preserving the habitat for several forest organisms and maintaining the vertical structure of biological communities along them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land-use change can raise the risk of human exposure to zoonotic diseases by increasing abundance of reservoir hosts. In this study, we conducted a meta-analysis on the associations between land-use change and the abundance of rodent species in relation to their reservoir status for rodent-borne diseases. Using the PREDICT database, we analyzed 58 case studies comprising 54 species from eight countries. In general, rodent reservoirs were significantly more abundant in modified habitats (anthropogenically altered sites), whereas non-reservoir species were more abundant in non-modified habitats. To our knowledge, this is the first meta-analysis that evaluates the response of rodents to land-use change with a focus on the potential implications for epidemiological risks. Our findings give further evidence that land-use change generally impacts biodiversity in ways that might imply higher risk of zoonotic pathogen transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer driver gene alterations influence cancer development, occurring in oncogenes, tumor suppressors, and dual role genes. Discovering dual role cancer genes is difficult because of their elusive context-dependent behavior. We define oncogenic mediators as genes controlling biological processes. With them, we classify cancer driver genes, unveiling their roles in cancer mechanisms. To this end, we present Moonlight, a tool that incorporates multiple -omics data to identify critical cancer driver genes. With Moonlight, we analyze 8000+ tumor samples from 18 cancer types, discovering 3310 oncogenic mediators, 151 having dual roles. By incorporating additional data (amplification, mutation, DNA methylation, chromatin accessibility), we reveal 1000+ cancer driver genes, corroborating known molecular mechanisms. Additionally, we confirm critical cancer driver genes by analysing cell-line datasets. We discover inactivation of tumor suppressors in intron regions and that tissue type and subtype indicate dual role status. These findings help explain tumor heterogeneity and could guide therapeutic decisions. Identification of cancer driver genes, especially those that can act as tumour suppressors or oncogenes depending on context, remains a challenge. Here, the authors introduce Moonlight, a tool that integrates multi-omic data to address this challenge and identify numerous dual-role cancer genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Andes south virus (ANDV) is the etiologic agent of hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS) in Chile and southern Argentina. Farm and forestry workers have been identified as a group at high risk of acquiring HCPS caused by ANDV due to their close exposure to rodents or their secretions in rural areas. Therefore, investigation on the effect of landscape composition on ANDV in wild rodents becomes relevant for disease prevention and control. In this study, we analyzed the influence of Monterey pine (Pinus radiata) plantations, an important monoculture in the global forest industry, on small mammal assemblage and on ANDV seroprevalence and abundance of seropositive rodents from central Chile. Small mammals were sampled seasonally during 2 years in native forests, adult pine plantations and young pine plantations. A total of 1630 samples from seven rodent species were analyzed for antibody detection. ANDV seroprevalence and abundance of seropositive rodents were significantly higher in the native forest compared to pine plantations. Furthermore, Monterey pine plantations decrease the abundance and relative abundance of Oligoryzomys longicaudatus (the principal reservoir of ANDV) and do not change sex ratio and distribution of age classes of this rodent species, which are variables that are important for ANDV transmission. Our findings indicate that Monterey pine plantations would not pose a higher risk of human exposure to ANDV compared to the temperate native forest. Our results can be useful for hantavirus risks assessment in human-dominated areas where ANDV is endemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although ICZN Declaration 45 already shed some light to the issue regarding "typeless species descriptions," we here explore the assignment of new species-group taxa in the absence of a physical type-specimen in more detail. The focus is on taxonomical studies of so-called soft-bodied meiofaunal organisms, in which a deposition of physical type specimens is frequently either not possible or even not advisable at all, because they are often lost before their formal designation as a name-bearing type. We emphasize some arguments and recommendations concerning photomicrography-based taxonomy on these delicate organisms. Furthermore, we discuss the designation of illustrations as nomenclatural types in the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants, a practice that is applied for some time now and without any noticeable drawbacks regarding the quality of taxonomic acts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Insect seasonality is a known pattern that has intrigued ecologists for over 30 years. However, despite being well understood in general, for several taxa such as Lepidopteran caterpillars its underlying causes and mechanisms are still not fully understood. This is especially critical for Brazilian tropical forests where caterpillars have previously been shown to have a puzzling pattern of peaking in abundance only in the first months of the dry season; however, this pattern still lacks an explanation. Here, to advance our understanding of the factors underlying seasonal changes in caterpillar abundance in tropical forests, we addressed how the lepidopteran caterpillar community that feeds on Piper amalago L. plants, their host plants leaf numbers, the herbivory levels, and the parasitoid pressure all change throughout the dry and wet seasons in a Brazilian tropical semideciduous forest. We found that immature abundance and herbivory peak in the first 2 months of the dry season and then rapidly decrease and remain low throughout the remaining of the dry season and the entire wet season at the study site. However, although the proportion of parasitized immatures increased alongside caterpillar abundance, it peaked in the month that followed a drastic decrease in caterpillar abundance. These results suggest that parasitoids play a major role in the observed caterpillar abundance pattern and thus, we propose the hypothesis that high parasitoid predation pressure causes early eclosion and emergence of caterpillars and primarily drives caterpillar abundance seasonality in Brazilian tropical forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Audience effect" is the influence of an audience size or composition on the emotional state of a public speaker. One characteristic of the audience which has received little attention is the spatial position of observers. We tested the influence of three positions (frontal, bi-frontal, and quadri-frontal) on actors and spectators' emotions in real theatrical representations. Measurements consisted in self-report questionnaires and galvanic skin responses. The layout of the theatre hall influenced both cognitive and physiological components of emotions. Actors were more influenced than spectators and showed an overall accuracy in self-perception. The quadri-frontal audience received the highest scores in actors' feeling assessments and galvanic skin responses. In addition, we found a discrepancy between self-assessment of emotional states by spectators and how actors perceive them. Attention should thus be paid in the layout of performance places with obviously more attention from the public and better feelings for actors in more dispersed settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study the parabolized stability equations (PSE) are used to build reduced-order-models (ROMs) given in terms of frequency and time-domain transfer functions (TFs) for application in closed-loop control. The control law is defined in two steps; first it is necessary to estimate the open-loop behaviour of the system from measurements, and subsequently the response of the flow to an actuation signal is determined. The theoretically derived PSE TFs are used to account for both of these effects. Besides its capability to derive simplified models of the flow dynamics, we explore the use of the TFs to provide an a priori determination of adequate positions for efficiently forcing along the direction transverse to the mean flow. The PSE TFs are also used to account for the relative position between sensors and actuators which defines two schemes, feedback and feedforward, the former presenting a lower effectiveness. Differences are understood in terms of the evaluation of the causality of the resulting gain, which is made without the need to perform computationally demanding simulations for each configuration. The ROMs are applied to a direct numerical simulation of a convectively unstable 2D mixing layer. The derived feedforward control law is shown to lead to a reduction in the mean square values of the objective fluctuation of more than one order of magnitude, at the output position, in the nonlinear simulation, which is accompanied by a significant delay in the vortex pairing and roll-up. A study of the robustness of the control law demonstrates that it is fairly insensitive to the amplitude of inflow perturbations and model uncertainties given in terms of Reynolds number variations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work deals with the feedforward active control of Tollmien-Schlichting instability waves over incompressible 2D and 3D boundary layers. Through an extensive numerical study, two strategies are evaluated; the optimal linear-quadratic-Gaussian (LQG) controller, designed using the Eigensystem realization algorithm, is compared to a wave-cancellation scheme, which is obtained using the direct inversion of frequency-domain transfer functions of the system. For the evaluated cases, it is shown that LQG leads to a similar control law and presents a comparable performance to the simpler, wave-cancellation scheme, indicating that the former acts via a destructive interference of the incoming wavepacket downstream of actuation. The results allow further insight into the physics behind flow control of convectively unstable flows permitting, for instance, the optimization of the transverse position for actuation. Using concepts of linear stability theory and the derived transfer function, a more efficient actuation for flow control is chosen, leading to similar attenuation of Tollmien-Schlichting waves with only about 10% of the actuation power in the baseline case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery improper technique can cause complications such as Roux-en-O, which is caused by an inadvertent anastomosis of the biliopancreatic limb to the gastric pouch, creating an "O" form to the bypass. We present intraoperative images of a mistaken Roux-en-Y's technique that caused the "O" anatomy and its successful reconstruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to assess the influence of habitat type on the abundance and distribution of hantavirus reservoir hosts and on the prevalence of hantavirus antibodies, we compared communities of small mammals among three dominant habitats in northwestern Mexico (grassland with prairie dogs colonies, grassland without prairie dogs colonies and mesquite shrubland). Grassland habitats had a very low abundance of hantavirus reservoir hosts ( Peromyscus leucopus and P. maniculatus ), whereas mesquite shrubland harbored a significantly higher abundance of reservoir hosts. Seropositive hosts were found in mesquite and grassland without prairie dogs (32% overall seroprevalence), but due to the small sample size of hantavirus hosts in grasslands, we could not compare seroprevalence among habitats. Areas with higher abundance of hantavirus hosts can increase the risk of human infections in other systems; therefore, mesquite shrubland may be the habitat that represents the highest risks for human exposure to hantavirus in this area. Given that the black-tailed prairie dog prevents the expansion of mesquite shrubland into grassland habitats, their colonies may indirectly prevent hantavirus host dispersion and expansion throughout this landscape. Future investigations are needed to further understand potential effects of prairie dog colonies on hantavirus epidemiology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]