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The SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant emerged in South Africa in November 2021, and has later been identified worldwide, raising serious concerns. A real-time RT-PCR assay was designed for the rapid screening of the Omicron variant, targeting characteristic mutations of the spike gene. The assay was used to test 737 sewage samples collected throughout Italy (19/21 Regions) between 11 November and 25 December 2021, with the aim of assessing the spread of the Omicron variant in the country. Positive samples were also tested with a real-time RT-PCR developed by the European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC), and through nested RT-PCR followed by Sanger sequencing. Overall, 115 samples tested positive for Omicron SARS-CoV-2 variant. The first occurrence was detected on 7 December, in Veneto, North Italy. Later on, the variant spread extremely fast in three weeks, with prevalence of positive wastewater samples rising from 1.0% (1/104 samples) in the week 5-11 December, to 17.5% (25/143 samples) in the week 12-18, to 65.9% (89/135 samples) in the week 19-25, in line with the increase in cases of infection with the Omicron variant observed during December in Italy. Similarly, the number of Regions/Autonomous Provinces in which the variant was detected increased from one in the first week, to 11 in the second, and to 17 in the last one. The presence of the Omicron variant was confirmed by the JRC real-time RT-PCR in 79.1% (91/115) of the positive samples, and by Sanger sequencing in 66% (64/97) of PCR amplicons. In conclusion, we designed an RT-qPCR assay capable to detect the Omicron variant, which can be successfully used for the purpose of wastewater-based epidemiology. We also described the history of the introduction and diffusion of the Omicron variant in the Italian population and territory, confirming the effectiveness of sewage monitoring as a powerful surveillance tool.

In the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, the rural lords exercised strong control over the economic resources of the Trentino area. The essay illustrates the forms of land rent collection, and dwells in particular on the exploitation of mineral resources

This study adds insight regarding the occurrence and spread of SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Concern (VOCs) and Var-iants of Interest (VOIs) in Italy in October and November 2022, by testing urban wastewater collected through-out the country. A total of 332 wastewater samples were collected from 20 Italian Regions/Autonomous Provinces (APs) within the framework of national SARS-CoV-2 environmental surveillance. Of these, 164 were collected in the first week of October and 168 in the first week of November. A similar to 1600 bp fragment of the spike protein was sequenced by Sanger (for individual samples) and long-read nanopore sequencing (for pooled Region/AP samples).In October, mutations characteristic of Omicron BA.4/BA.5 were detected in the vast majority (91 %) of the samples amplified by Sanger sequencing. A fraction of these sequences (9 %) also displayed the R346T mutation. Despite the low prevalence documented in clinical cases at the time of sampling, amino acid substitutions characteristic of sublineages BQ.1 or BQ.1.1 were detected in 5 % of sequenced samples from four Regions/APs. A significantly higher variability of sequences and variants was documented in November 2022, when the rate of se-quences harbouring mutations of lineages BQ.1 and BQ1.1 increased to 43 %, and the number of Regions/APs positive for the new Omicron subvariant more than tripled (n = 13) compared to October. Moreover, an increase in the number of sequences with the mutation package BA.4/BA.5 + R346T (18 %), as well as the detection of variants never observed before in wastewater in Italy, such as BA.2.75 and XBB.1 (the latter in a Region where no clinical cases asso-ciated with this variant had ever been documented) was recorded.The results suggest that, as predicted by the ECDC, BQ.1/BQ.1.1 is rapidly becoming dominant in late 2022. Environ-mental surveillance proves to be a powerful tool for tracking the spread of SARS-CoV-2 variants/subvariants in the population.

A wearable device and an external alarm circuit were constructed for automatic detection of falls in elderly persons, who could also use an emergency button when necessary. An alarm buzzer and an LED indicator are activated when a fall occurs. Evaluation of the system showed that it functioned successfully in four situations: fall, walking, sitting, and lying down. Whenever the emergency button was pressed, it activated the buzzer and the LED. The results demonstrated that the parameters of the alert system were perfectly calibrated, providing reliable operation under all the conditions tested, with the alarm only being activated when a fall occurred. Therefore, the developed technology is suitable for improving the quality of life of elderly persons. Se construyó un accesorio vestible y un circuito externo con alarma, para detectar de manera automática si una persona mayor se ha caído. Además, permite la utilización de un botón para situaciones de emergencia. Ante la eventualidad de que una persona se caiga, se acciona una alarma a través de un buzzer (zumbador) y se enciende un LED. El dispositivo fue evaluado en cuatro situaciones: en caso de caídas, al deambular, al sentarse y al acostarse, y obtuvo resultados exitosos en todos los casos. El botón de emergencia, todas las veces que se presionó, accionó el buzzer y encendió el LED. Podemos concluir, entonces, que el sistema de alerta implementado tiene todos sus parámetros perfectamente calibrados, es confiable, y funcionó en todas las situaciones analizadas. La alarma fue accionada solamente en casos de caída, lo que corrobora que esta tecnología se debe emplear cada vez más para auxiliar y mejorar la calidad de vida de las personas mayores. Foi construído um acessório vestível e um circuito externo com um alarme, para detectar de forma automática a queda de um idoso, e permitir, também, que ele utilize um botão de emergência em uma situação urgente. Caso uma queda ocorra, um alarme é disparado através de um buzzer e um LED é aceso. O dispositivo foi avaliado em quatro situações: queda, deambular, sentar e deitar, e teve êxito nos resultados em todos os casos avaliados. Já o botão de emergência, sempre que pressionado, acionou o buzzer e acendeu o LED. Conclui-se que o sistema de alerta implementado está com todos os seus parâmetros perfeitamente calibrados, é confiável, e funcionou para todas as situações analisadas, disparando o alarme apenas nas situações de queda, o que corrobora o fato de que essa tecnologia deve ser cada vez mais empregada no auxílio e na melhoria da qualidade de vida dos idosos.

Microcystin, a cyanotoxin produced by Microcystis aeruginosa growing in eutrophic waters, can promote liver tumors in people ingesting contaminated water. To date, water treatment systems have not been effective in removing or degrading these cyanotoxins. In this work, we investigated the inhibitory activity of surfactants on the growth of M. aeruginosa and their application to extract the intracellular produced cyanotoxins. The experiments involving growth inhibition and extraction of cyanotoxins were carried out using the non-biodegradable surfactant cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) in addition to other biodegradable surfactants. These were Tween 80 and surfactants derived from amino acids and peptides, respectively, from arginine, SDA, and hydrolyzed peptone, SDP. We demonstrated that the tested surfactants could be used to inhibit the growth of M. aeruginosa. At this point, CTAB and SDA proved to be the most competent surfactants in reducing cyanobacterial growth. Moreover, microcystins have been successfully removed from the water employing a cloud point extraction protocol based on the use of these surfactants and ammonium sulfate.

PurposeThis paper analyzes managerial practices currently used for outsourced logistics activities in mechanized cutting, loading and transportation (CLT) of sugarcane in a Brazilian company using performance-based logistics contracts (PBL) as reference.Design/methodology/approachThe methodology draws on literature review, design of an analysis model, small group meetings with academics/industry professionals and practical application through a case study. The model is based on PBL and its construction involved choosing the analysis axes, defining evaluation items and respective measurement scale and the means and sources of data collection.FindingsWhen comparing the evaluation results with PBL recommendations, it is possible to see that there are still many improvement opportunities. In contracting axis, decision-making process was poor-rated due to the absence of strategic considerations to support outsourcing decision. Procurement, contract and implementation are in intermediate level. Performance management is the most mature axis. However, quality analysis showed intermediate level. In relationship axis, the most relevant gap is the lack of expectations alignment. Remaining items showed intermediate levels of compliance but still need focusing on communication, establishing a structured relationship management development.Originality/valueThis study contributes first to develop an analysis model based on PBL to evaluate the level of relationship integration between company and logistics service provider, and second, to apply the model to an empirical case in a CLT company operation. As a result, the analysis model presents guidelines for the company, not to just contract/rent equipment and manpower but hire results.

We explore the hypothesis that the unexplained data from LSND and MiniBooNE are evidence for a new, heavy neutrino mass-eigenstate that mixes with the muon-type neutrino and decays into an electron-type neutrino and a new, very light scalar particle. We consider two different decay scenarios, one with Majorana neutrinos, one with Dirac neutrinos; both fit the data equally well. We find a reasonable, albeit not excellent, fit to the data of MiniBooNE and LSND. The decaying-sterile-neutrino hypothesis, however, cleanly evades constraints from disappearance searches and precision measurements of leptonic meson decays, as long as $1~{\rm MeV}\gtrsim m_4\gtrsim 10$~keV. The SBN program at Fermilab should be able to definitively test the decaying-sterile-neutrino hypothesis., This version v2 has been accepted for publication in JHEP. The changes from previous version are: inclusion of the data from KARMEN in the analysis, a new subsection about the sensitivity of SBN to nonzero decay effects, an new appendix describing the details of MiniBooNE analysis, additional references and some other minor changes

A fim de reduzir o tempo de entrega, otimizar o uso da frota, agilizar os fluxos logísticos e oferecer serviços especializados, as empresas atribuem à terceiros o gerenciamento de suas atividades logísticas. No entanto, a experiência da terceirização para algumas empresas parece não ter surtido o efeito desejado. Em algumas situações, tem-se observado uma tendência de reversão na decisão de terceirizar as atividades logísticas, processo esse denominado re-insourcing. Embora o re-insourcing esteja sendo realizado, ainda não são totalmente claras as razões que motivam essa mudança estratégica nas organizações. Este trabalho tem como objetivo identificar as razões que levam as organizações a interromperem a terceirização das atividades logísticas e realizar o re-insourcing. Para tanto, um estudo de casos múltiplos foi conduzido em uma montadora de veículos comerciais e em uma montadora de tratores para agricultura e construção civil. O resultado deste estudo indicou que o principal fator motivador para a realização do re-insourcing foi o baixo desempenho apresentado pelos operadores logísticos, causado pela alta rotatividade da mão de obra terceirizada, baixa produtividade e nível de qualidade dos serviços prestados abaixo do esperado.

With the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for the search for medicines for the treatment and prevention of the disease arose. Consequently, some drugs were reused. Thus, the present study aimed to conduct a review of the drugs chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin, highlighting the mechanisms of action, studies that prove- or not- their efficacy goes to SARS-CoV-2 and the main adverse effects related to irrational use, understanding whether the use of these drugs should be advised or not. The literature review was based on scientific articles indexed in the Pubmed databases and Portal of Capes Journals published in the last 3 years, using the descriptors "Use of medicines"; "COVID-19"; "Self-medication" and "Rational use of". From the analysis of 27 articles, it was found that many in vitro and clinical studies were conducted, however, they are controversial. Thus, the use of these drugs in an irrational way, as has been occurring, brings health risks. It is necessary to have more complex and serious clinical studies in case of a non-conflicting result being taken as a reference. Con la pandemia del COVID-19 surgió la necesidad de buscar medicamentos para el tratamiento y la prevención de la enfermedad. En consecuencia, algunos medicamentos fueron reutilizados. Así, el presente estudio tuvo como objetivo realizar una revisión de los fármacos cloroquina, hidroxicloroquina e ivermectina, destacando los mecanismos de acción, los estudios que demuestran -o no- su eficacia va al SARS-CoV-2 y los principales efectos adversos relacionados con el uso irracional, entendiendo si se debe aconsejar o no el uso de estos fármacos. La revisión de la literatura se basó en artículos científicos indexados en las bases de datos Pubmed y Portal of Capes Journals publicados en los últimos 3 años, utilizando los descriptores "Uso de medicamentos"; "COVID-19"; "Automedicación" y "Uso racional de". A partir del análisis de 27 artículos, se encontró que se realizaron muchos estudios in vitro y clínicos, sin embargo, son controvertidos. Así, el uso de estos fármacos de forma irracional, como ha estado ocurriendo, conlleva riesgos para la salud. Es necesario contar con estudios clínicos más complejos y serios en caso de que se tome como referencia un resultado no conflictivo. Com a pandemia de COVID-19 surgiu a necessidade da busca de medicamentos para o tratamento e prevenção da doença. Consequentemente, houve o reaproveitamento de alguns fármacos. Dessa forma, o presente estudo teve como objetivo realizar uma revisão dos fármacos cloroquina, hidroxicloroquina e ivermectina, ressaltando os mecanismos de ação, os estudos que comprovam- ou não- sua eficácia sob o SARS-CoV-2 e os principais efeitos adversos relacionados ao uso irracional, compreendendo se o uso desses medicamentos deve ser aconselhado ou não. A revisão de literatura foi baseada em artigos científicos indexados nas bases de dados Pubmed e Portal de Periódicos Capes publicados nos últimos 3 anos, usando os descritores “Use of medicines”; “COVID-19”; “Self-medication” e “Rational use of”. A partir da análise de 27 artigos, verificou-se que muitos estudos in vitro e clínicos foram realizados, porém, mostram-se controversos. Dessa forma, o uso desses medicamentos de modo irracional, como vem ocorrendo, traz riscos à saúde. Torna-se necessário a existência de estudos clínicos mais complexos e sérios para que um resultado não conflitante seja levado como referência.

On 6 March 2020, a big fire in a village forced the firefighters to draw water simultaneously from many sources, including the Adige river. From 9 March, an increasing number of inhabitants reported gastrointestinal symptoms. We describe the outbreak and the challenges linked to the concurrent COVID-19 spread.Residents with enteric symptoms and their relatives were interviewed and samples from some of the patients and public water pipelines were tested for enteric pathogens with microbiological and molecular methods.By 20 March, 182 people reported symptoms and 131 met the case definition. Norovirus GI/GII and other pathogens were found in human and water samples.Contamination of the public water network with sewage-contaminated river water through the firefighters pressurized water tank was the suspected source of the outbreak. The investigation was partly hampered due to the SARS-CoV-2 emergency. Control measures included avoiding tap water, alternative water supplies and chlorination of public water.