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ABSTRACT The limited temporal completeness and taxonomic accuracy of species lists, made available in a traditional manner in scientific publications, has always represented a problem. These lists are invariably limited to a few taxonomic groups and do not represent up-to-date knowledge of all species and classifications. In this context, the Brazilian megadiverse fauna is no exception, and the Catálogo Taxonômico da Fauna do Brasil (CTFB) (http://fauna.jbrj.gov.br/), made public in 2015, represents a database on biodiversity anchored on a list of valid and expertly recognized scientific names of animals in Brazil. The CTFB is updated in near real time by a team of more than 800 specialists. By January 1, 2024, the CTFB compiled 133,691 nominal species, with 125,138 that were considered valid. Most of the valid species were arthropods (82.3%, with more than 102,000 species) and chordates (7.69%, with over 11,000 species). These taxa were followed by a cluster composed of Mollusca (3,567 species), Platyhelminthes (2,292 species), Annelida (1,833 species), and Nematoda (1,447 species). All remaining groups had less than 1,000 species reported in Brazil, with Cnidaria (831 species), Porifera (628 species), Rotifera (606 species), and Bryozoa (520 species) representing those with more than 500 species. Analysis of the CTFB database can facilitate and direct efforts towards the discovery of new species in Brazil, but it is also fundamental in providing the best available list of valid nominal species to users, including those in science, health, conservation efforts, and any initiative involving animals. The importance of the CTFB is evidenced by the elevated number of citations in the scientific literature in diverse areas of biology, law, anthropology, education, forensic science, and veterinary science, among others.

Resumo Fundamento Não existem estudos randomizados comparando a manutenção do ritmo sinusal após ablação por cateter (AC) em relação ao tratamento com fármacos antiarrítmicos (AA) em pacientes idosos portadores fibrilação atrial (FA) paroxística. Objetivos Comparar os resultados clínicos do isolamento das veias pulmonares (VPs) com o cateter PVAC Gold de segunda geração com o uso de AA em idosos com FA paroxística sintomática, recorrente, apesar do uso de fármacos AA. Métodos Sessenta pacientes com FA paroxística ≥ 65 anos e sem cardiopatias estruturais foram randomizados para duas formas de tratamento: grupo 1: AC e grupo 2: AA. O desfecho primário foi a taxa livre de recorrência de FA após pelo menos um ano de seguimento. Os desfechos secundários foram: progressão para formas persistentes de FA, impacto na qualidade de vida (QVFA) e complicações. O nível de significância adotado na análise estatística foi de 5% (p

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

Abstract Latin American and the Caribbean regions (LAC) harbor one of the most biodiverse areas of the world, the Neotropics. True bugs (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) are a diverse lineage of insects, with more than 45,000 species, particularly speciose in the Neotropical region. True bugs are fundamental in the dynamics of natural and modified ecosystems, with several species critical to agriculture and public health. We compiled Heteroptera research in LAC from 1998–2022 using bibliographic databases. Productivity, collaborative networks, and the main topics studied were analyzed. A total of 1,651 Heteroptera studies from LAC were found, with continuous growth being 2021 the most prolific. Four categories (Taxonomy of extant species, Faunistic inventories and new records, Pest species biology, and Community ecology) represent most of the published research. About 60 percent of the records evaluated correspond to five families (Pentatomidae, Reduviidae, Coreidae, Miridae, and Rhyparochromidae). We emphasize the need to keep working on Heteroptera taxonomy because it will allow further advances in other areas such as phylogenetic analyses, biogeography, ecology, and natural history, among others. The results of our analyses characterize the current state of heteropterology in the region, establishing a baseline for future studies and efforts to broaden the knowledge of the group.

Abstract The formation of our Solar System and planetary defense strategies are among the priorities to be investigated in the next years by the space science community. As in-situ missions to small bodies (as comets and asteroids) are options to conduct these investigations, this paper proposes a combination of methodologies to produce low-cost transfers to near-earth asteroids (NEAs). Low-cost trajectories derived from retrograde periodic orbits around $${L}_{1}$$ L 1 are taken as a starting point for the escape of the Earth-Moon system and, as the vehicle exits the sphere of influence of Earth, the deployment of an adjustable solar sail guarantees the interception of the target in a predetermined position and time of flight. Different sail loadings (164, 61 and 30 g/m2) are tested and a case study to the NEA 65,803 Didymos is presented. The results show economies in the velocity increments required by the mission up to 8.48%, although a longer time of flight might be needed depending on the sail loading.

We carried out fully atomistic reactive molecular dynamics simulations to study the mechanical behavior of six newly proposed hybrid schwarzite-based structures (interlocked petal-schwarzites). Schwarzites are carbon crystalline nanostructures with negative Gaussian curvature created by mapping a TPMS (Triply Periodic Minimal Surface) with carbon rings containing six to eight atoms. Our simulations have shown that petal-schwarzite structures can withstand uni-axial compressive stress up to the order of GPa and can be compressed past 50 percent strain without structural collapse. Our most resistant hierarchical structure has a calculated compressive strength of 260 GPa and specific energy absorption (SEA) of 45.95 MJ/kg, while possessing a mass density of only 685 kg/m3. These results show that these structures could be excellent lightweight materials for applications that require mechanical energy absorption.

In this study, we evaluated the effectiveness of insecticides sprayed by contact as well as seeds treatment for controlling the burrower bug Cyrtomenus mirabilis (Perti, 1830) (Hemiptera: Cydnidae) under laboratory conditions. In the first experiment, the insecticides were sprayed onto the insects (direct contact). Insect mortality evaluation started 24h after insecticide application and repeated every two days up to 20 days. In the second experiment, peanut seeds were treated with insecticides. The mortality of insects was evaluated at 10, 15, and 20 days after installation. The mixture of fipronil and alpha-cypermethrin in direct contact was the most efficient treatment to control nymphs and adults of C. mirabilis. Regarding the seed treatment, fipronil was the most efficient for controlling adults of C. mirabilis while for nymphs, all insecticides were highly effective.

Abstract Additive manufacturing allows to produce parts with complex geometries is an essential tool in materials science. Schwarzites is a class of carbon allotropes with interesting mechanical properties. However, most of the schwarzite studies are theoretical until now because the synthesis of large schwarzite fragments remains elusive. In this work, we have carried out molecular dynamics simulations, and extensive experimental tests of 3D printed schwarzites to study their mechanical behavior. Our results show that this behavior does not strongly depend on printed used material, model size, or the number of structural unit cells. We also observed a strong correlation between the stress‐strain curves of 3D printed and the ones obtained from fully atomistic molecular dynamics simulations. Both results show the same trends for almost all investigated schwarzites, suggesting that topological features and scale‐size invariant dominate some deformation mechanisms. Our results further validate the use of atomic models of materials with complex geometries that are impractical or very difficult to synthesize, translated into macro models that can be 3D printed, and offer an innovative engineered approach to produce new materials with tunable mechanical behavior.

Non-noble nanomaterial-based quasicrystals (QC) are attractive structures due to their potential surface plasmon resonance (SPR) properties and ability to be easily exfoliated into two-dimensional (2D) sheets. Interaction with and sensing of organic molecules are applications where such 2D materials are a viable option due to their large surface area to volume ratio, providing abundant active sites for molecular interactions. In this work, a titanium-based multicomponent alloy (Ti45Zr38Ni17) was exfoliated into a 2D quasicrystal (2D-Ti QC) from its bulk form via liquid-phase exfoliation. Structural and optical experimental techniques were used to characterize the 2D-Ti QC. Its plasmonic nature was verified and demonstrated via the absorbance spectrum, light localization images, and far-field diffraction patterns. Dopamine sensing was demonstrated using the absorbance spectra of optically active 2D-Ti QC. The linear range of detection was obtained as ∼13–91 nM (200–1400 ppb). Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of Ti QC were conducted to investigate its structural stability. The interaction between 2D-Ti QC and dopamine was investigated by using DFT simulations. In this way, the potential of 2D-Ti QC to be used as an organic molecule sensor has been experimentally and theoretically demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Postoperative pulmonary complications are the main cause of morbidity and mortality after pulmonary resection. This study was undertaken to determine the risk factors associated with postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) and length of hospital stay (LOS) in pulmonary resection patients in a tertiary teaching hospital in Brazil. Methods: A retrospective data gathering from 196 patients who underwent pulmonary resection between 2012 and 2016 was conducted. Demographic and hospital admission data were collected from patients with complete medical records. Univariate analysis was performed, followed by Poisson’s regression for predicting the prevalence of postoperative pulmonary complications and length of hospital stay. Results: Thirty-nine patients (20%) displayed pulmonary complications in the postoperative period. The risk factors associated with an increased prevalence of postoperative pulmonary complications in a multivariate analysis were: American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status (ASA) ≥ 3 (PR 4.77, p = 0.03, 95% CI: 1.17 to 19.46), predicted diffusion capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide – corrected single breath (PR 0.98, p < 0.001, 95% CI: 0.96 to 0.99) and age of the patient (PR 1.04; p = 0.01; 95% CI: 1.01 to 1.06). Those associated with an increased prevalence of prolonged hospital stay were: duration of surgical procedure longer than five hours (PR 6.94, p = 0.01, 95% CI: 1.66 to 12.23), male sex (PR 5.72, p < 0.001, 95% CI: 1.87 to 9.58), and presence of postoperative pulmonary complications (PR 11.92, p < 0.001, 95% CI: 7.42 to 16.42). Conclusions: The rate of postoperative pulmonary complications in the study population is in line with the world average. Recognizing risk factors for the development of PPCs may help optimize allocation resources and preventive efforts.

The green belly stink bug, Diceraeus furcatus (Fabricius, 1775) (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) is an emergent Neotropical crop pest, whose status has progressively changed in the last few years. Diceraeus furcatus is a polyphagous stink bug and its feeding behavior damages corn seedlings, wheat and oat spikes, and soybean pods, causing economic losses. Establishing stock populations of D. furcatus is difficult, and a suitable rearing method is lacking. The establishment of stock colonies is essential to study many aspects of a species, especially economically important ones. In this paper, a method to keep viable stock populations of D. furcatus in the laboratory is described. The periodic asepsis of cages (48 hours), periodical change of diet (48 hours), and mixed diet consisting of bean pods plus peanut and soybean grains, allowed us to obtain adequate biological parameters and population increase of this species. Fertility (251 eggs/female), fecundity (225.91 nymphs/female), and R0 (43 times of increase) show a consistent increase in the population. Additionally, adult survivorship/longevity and weight support the suitability of the method applied. The establishment of stock populations is the first step for a mass-rearing method that is essential to the development of biological control programs and other studies on this emergent pest.

High case counts after the Gamma (P. 1) variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 emerged in Brazil raised concerns that previously infected persons might become reinfected. Investigation of a cluster of coronavirus disease cases in Parintins, in the Brazilian Amazon, suggested household transmission but did not identify high rates of reinfection.

This paper presents a compact solution for impedance calculation obtained from low phase resolution stationary wave measurements, for RF power systems operating in load varying scenarios. The implemented system is based on a bi-directional coupler and makes use of the stationary wave periodicity, which is synthesized and measured via a digital phase shifter, a power combiner, and an envelope detector, in a specific arrangement. Instead of sampling a transmission line at various spatial points (sampled line architectures), both incident and reflected waves are sampled at one specific position, the stationary wave is obtained by sweeping the incident or reflected waves' phase, mimicking the slotted line principle and, from there, the impedance is obtained using a new signal processing algorithm that is now presented. Taking advantage of the developed technique, this can be done for only three phase shifter states, making the measurement fast and accurate. This compact measurement solution can compute the impedance of both real and complex loads inside a 2.1 voltage standing wave ratio circle with high accuracy (-28.8 dB) at a rate of 1 kHz and is appropriate for high power systems due to its simple architecture and very low total losses (0.075 dB).

In Parintins, Brazil, an increased rate of coronavirus disease (COVID-19)-associated hospitalization, from 75.5 cases/100,000 persons in November 2020 to 397 cases/100,000 persons in February 2021, led to an unprecedent health [...]

Lethaeini is a diverse tribe within Rhyparochromidae, with Lethaeus Dallas being the most speciose genus. This study is focused on the poorly documented Lethaeus lepidus White, the only species in the genus recorded from the Neotropics. Through a reexamination, this species is considered a new synonym of Petissius spinipes Stål. The examined material is sourced from recent field expeditions in natural areas in Brazil, as well as from entomological collections. In addition, the types of the described species were studied from high-definition photographs. The distribution of P. spinipes is updated, indicating that the species is widely distributed in the Neotropics, and filling a large geographic gap with many new locality records. Distribution map including the new records and high-definition illustrations of the species and diagnostic characters are provided. As a result of the findings presented, there are currently no documented representatives of the genus Lethaeus in the New World. With the previouly significant geographical gap between Argentina and Guyana, the 12 new Brazilian state records substantially amplify our undertanding into the species’ range. This emphasizes the indispensable role of entomological collections and the need for dedicaded sampling expeditions to enhance our undertanding of overlooked taxa, as is often the case for Rhyparochromidae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Fifth Generation (5G) Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) transceivers, Power Amplifiers (PAs) driving antenna arrays experience varying loading conditions. In fact, the input impedance of each antenna element changes within a Smith chart region, a phenomenon attributed to mutual coupling, which will affect PA behavior. Although PA performance is load dependent, its output power and drain efficiency contours are nearly constant along specific straight lines in the Smith chart, a characteristic that can be exploited to improve PA performance in variable load scenarios. This work presents a compression network, featuring switch-based variable length stubs, capable of transforming any load within a 2.1 Voltage Standing Wave Ratio (VSWR) circle into a purely resistive load. This network was designed, implemented, measured and used in the Output Matching Network (OMN) of two Class E PAs being able to compensate the output power variation of the first PA and the efficiency degradation of the second PA under the defined load variation. The innovation of this network is the capability to reduce output power or efficiency load sensibility, which is very much desired in many applications, by using an easily implementable and low loss (0.3dB-0.5dB) network. By properly adjusting the distance between stubs and switches it is also able to transform slightly different load patterns into other optimal lines or curves.

To present a set of trajectories derived from the retrograde periodic orbits around the Lagrangian equilibrium point L1, this paper considers the Circular Restricted Three-body Problem with Earth-Moon masses (CR3BP), the Restricted Bicircular, and Full Four-Body Sun-Earth-Moon-spacecraft Problems (BCR4BP and FR4BP, respectively). These periodic orbits are predicted by the dynamics of the CR3BP. To generate the trajectories of this set, first, slightly different increments of velocity (∆Vs) from those needed to generate periodic orbits around L1 are applied to a spacecraft in circular low Earth orbits in the same direction of their motion when the Earth, the spacecraft, and the Moon are aligned in this order. Thus, translunar trajectories derived from the periodic orbits are obtained and they will lead the spacecraft to the vicinity of the Moon. Depending on the values of the |∆Vs|, which are also functions of the relative positioning between the Sun, the Earth, and the Moon, three types of trajectories of interest are found: Collision with the Moon, escape, and geocentric orbits with large semi-major axes. For a well-defined interval of the |∆Vs|, the trajectories accomplish swing-bys with the Moon and obtain energy to escape from the Earth–Moon system and reach Near-Earth Asteroids (NEAs) between the orbits of Venus and Mars. This procedure reduces the costs of inserting spacecraft into transfer trajectories to a set of NEAs in terms of the required |∆V| by up to 5% when compared to Lambert’s problem, for example. This work also presents analyses of examples of transfers to the NEAs 3361 Orpheus, 99942 Apophis, and 65803 Didymos, from 2025 on.