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Abstract Evaluating scientists based on their scientific production is a controversial topic. Nevertheless, bibliometrics and algorithmic approaches can assist traditional peer review in numerous tasks, such as attributing research grants, deciding scientific committees, or choosing faculty promotions. Traditional bibliometrics rank individual entities (e.g., researchers, journals, faculties) without looking at the whole data (i.e., the whole network). Network algorithms, such as PageRank, have been used to measure node importance in a network, and have been applied to author ranking. However, traditional PageRank only uses network topology and ignores relevant features of scientific collaborations. Multiple extensions of PageRank have been proposed, more suited for author ranking. These methods enrich the network with information about the author’s productivity or the venue and year of the publication/citation. Most state-of-the-art (STOA) feature-enriched methods either ignore or do not combine effectively this information. Furthermore, STOA algorithms typically disregard that the full network is not known for most real-world cases.Here we describe OTARIOS, an author ranking method recently developed by us, which combines multiple publication/citation criteria (i.e., features) to evaluate authors. OTARIOS divides the original network into two subnetworks, insiders and outsiders, which is an adequate representation of citation networks with missing information. We evaluate OTARIOS on a set of five real networks, each with publications in distinct areas of Computer Science, and compare it against STOA methods. When matching OTARIOS’ produced ranking with a ground-truth ranking (comprised of best paper award nominations), we observe that OTARIOS is >30% more accurate than traditional PageRank (i.e., topology based method) and >20% more accurate than STOA (i.e., competing feature enriched methods). We obtain the best results when OTARIOS considers (i) the author’s publication volume and publication recency, (ii) how recently the author’s work is being cited by outsiders, and (iii) how recently the author’s work is being cited by insiders and how individual he is. Our results showcase (a) the importance of efficiently combining relevant features and (b) how to adequately perform author ranking in incomplete networks.

Resumen. El cáncer de pulmón es una de las principales causas de mortalidad alrededor del mundo. Su historia natural, con la manifestación de síntomas en etapas avanzadas y el retraso en su diagnóstico hacen que una gran proporción de pacientes se diagnostiquen en estadios tardíos de la enfermedad, lo que hace muy complicado el tratamiento exitoso de la misma. De esto deriva la importancia de dar origen a recomendaciones basadas en evidencia para soportar la toma de decisiones clínicas por parte de los grupos interdisicplinarios que se encargan del manejo de este padecimiento. Objetivos. Esta Guía de Práctica Clínica (GPC) contiene recomendaciones clínicas desarrolladas de forma sistematizada para asistir la toma de decisiones de médicos especialistas, pacientes, cuidadores de pacientes y elaboradores de políticas pú­blicas involucrados en el manejo de pacientes con cáncer de pulmón en estadios tempranos, localmente avanzados y metastásicos. Material y métodos. Este documento se desarrolló por parte de la Sociedad Mexicana de Oncología en colaboración con el Centro Nacional de Excelencia Tec­nológica de México (Cenetec) a través de la dirección de integración de Guías de Práctica Clínica en cumplimiento a estándares internacionales como los descritos por el Ins­tituto de Medicina de EUA (IOM, por sus siglas en inglés), el Instituto de Excelencia Clínica de Gran Bretaña (NICE, por sus siglas en inglés), la Red Colegiada para el Desarrollo de Guías de Escocia (SIGN, por sus siglas en inglés), la Red Internacional de Guías (G-I-N, por sus siglas en inglés); entre otros. Se integró en representación de la Sociedad Mexicana de Oncología un Grupo de Desarrollo de la Guía (GDG) de manera interdisciplinaria, considerando oncólogos médicos, cirujanos oncólogos, cirujanos de tórax, radio-oncólogos, y metodólogos con experiencia en revisiones sistemáticas de la literatura y guías de práctica clínica. Resultados. Se consensuaron 62 preguntas cllínicas que abarcaron lo establecido previamente por el GDG en el documento de alcances de la Guía. Se identificó la evidencia científica que responde a cada una de estas preguntas clínicas y se evaluó críticamente la misma, antes de ser incorporada en el cuerpo de evidencia de la Guía. El GDG acordó mediante la técnica de consenso formal de expertos Panel Delphi la redacción final de las recomendaciones clínicas. Conclusión. Esta Guía de Práctica Clínica pretende proveer recomendaciones clínicas para el manejo de los distintos estadios de la enfermedad y que asistan en el proceso de toma de decisiones compartida. El GDG espera que esta guía contribuya a mejorar la calidad de la atención clínica en las pacientes con cáncer de pulmón de células no pequeñas.

Abstract Background Angiogenesis can occur under pathological conditions when stimuli such as inflammation, vascular obstruction or hypoxia exist. These stimuli are present in cardiopulmonary dirofilariosis (Dirofilaria immitis). The aim of this study was to analyze the capacity of D. immitis antigens to modify the expression of angiogenic factors and trigger the formation of pseudocapillaries (tube-like structures) in an in vitro model of endothelial cells. Methods The expression of VEGF-A, sFlt, mEndoglin and sEndoglin in cultures of canine microvascular endothelial cells stimulated with extract of adult worms of D. immitis obtained from an untreated dog (DiSA) and from a dog treated for 15 days with doxycycline (tDiSA), was determined by using commercial kits. The capacity of pseudocapillary formation was evaluated analyzing cell connections and cell groups in Matrigel cell cultures stimulated with DiSA and tDiSA. In both cases non-stimulated cultures were used as controls. Results First, we demonstrated that worms obtained from the dog treated with doxycycline showed a significantly lower amount of Wolbachia (less than 60%) than worms removed from the untreated dog. Only DiSA was able to significantly increase the expression of the proangiogenic factor VEGF-A in the endotelial cells cultures. None of the D. immitis extracts modified the expression of sFlt. tDiSA extract was able to modify the expression of the endoglins, significantly decreasing the expression of the pro-angiogenic mEndoglin and increasing the anti-angiogenic sEndoglin. The formation of pseudocapillaries was negatively influenced by tDiSA, which reduced the organization and number of cellular connections. Conclusions The ability of antigens from adult D. immitis worms to modify the expression of pro and anti-angiogenic factors in endotelial cell cultures was demonstrated, as well as the trend to form pseudocapillaries in vitro. The capacity of stimulation may be linked to the amount of Wolbachia present in the antigenic extracts.

The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study measures the health of populations worldwide and by country on an annual basis and aims at helping guide public policy on health issues. The GBD estimates for Spain in 2016 and recent trends in mortality and morbidity from 2006 to 2016 were recently published. According to these estimates, chronic kidney disease was the 8th cause of death in Spain in 2016. Among the top ten causes of death, chronic kidney disease was the fastest growing from 2006 to 2016, after Alzheimer disease. At the current pace of growth, chronic kidney disease is set to become the second cause of death in Spain, after Alzheimer disease, by 2100. Additionally, among major causes of death, chronic kidney disease also ranked second only to Alzheimer as the fastest growing cause of Years Lived with Disability (YLDs) and Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs). Public resources devoted to prevention, care and research on kidney disease should be in line with both its current and future burden. Resumen: El estudio Global Burden of Disease (GBD) mide la salud de las poblaciones en todo el mundo y en cada país de forma annual, y tiene como objetivo ayudar a orientar las políticas públicas sobre cuestiones de salud. Recientemente se publicaron las estimaciones GBD 2016 para España y las tendencias recientes en mortalidad y morbilidad de 2006 a 2016. Según estas estimaciones, la enfermedad renal crónica fue la octava causa de muerte en España en 2016. Entre las 10 principales causas de muerte, la enfermedad renal crónica fue la que más creció entre 2006 y 2016, después de la enfermedad de Alzheimer. Al ritmo actual de crecimiento, la enfermedad renal crónica se convertirá en la segunda causa de muerte en España, después del Alzheimer, hacia el 2100. Además, entre las principales causas de muerte, la enfermedad renal crónica también ocupa el segundo lugar después del Alzheimer como la que más creció en años vividos con discapacidad (AVD) y en años de vida ajustados por discapacidad (AVAD). Los recursos públicos dedicados a la prevención, atención e investigación de la enfermedad renal deberían estar en línea con su carga actual y futura. Keywords: Chronic kidney disease, Mortality, Research funding, Ranking, Public health, Palabras clave: Enfermedad renal crónica, Mortalidad, Financiación de la investigación, Clasificación, Salud pública

O sistema agroflorestal com eucalipto e soja é uma opção de uso do solo em regiões com solo arenoso e clima quente. O objetivo desse trabalho foi avaliar o desempenho da cultura da soja associada a renques simples de eucalipto maculata (Corymbia maculata) na região Noroeste do Paraná. O sistema agroflorestal foi implantado em outubro de 2009, usando a sucessão soja/ Urochloa ruziziensis nos entre renques simples de eucalipto. O desempenho da cultura da soja foi avaliado na safra 2015/16, em dois experimentos, um com espaçamento entre renques de 14 m e outro com 28 m. Como testemunha, foi considerada uma área contígua, sem a presença de árvores. O crescimento e o acúmulo de nitrogênio na massa seca da soja, avaliados no pleno florescimento, foram reduzidos em função da interferência do eucalipto, com maior intensidade no menor espaçamento entre os renques. A redução de produtividade de grãos de soja causada pelas árvores foi de 65 e 44% em relação à testemunha, nos espaçamentos de 14 e 28 m entre renques, respectivamente. Os teores de nitrogênio na massa seca e de proteína e óleo nos grãos de soja não foram alterados pela interferência das árvores.

Plasma wakefield acceleration is a promising technology to reduce the size of particle accelerators. The use of high energy protons to drive wakefields in plasma has been demonstrated during Run 1 of the AWAKE programme at CERN. Protons of energy 400 GeV drove wakefields that accelerated electrons to 2 GeV in under 10 m of plasma. The AWAKE collaboration is now embarking on Run 2 with the main aims to demonstrate stable accelerating gradients of 0.5–1 GV/m, preserve emittance of the electron bunches during acceleration and develop plasma sources scalable to 100s of metres and beyond. By the end of Run 2, the AWAKE scheme should be able to provide electron beams for particle physics experiments and several possible experiments have already been evaluated. This article summarises the programme of AWAKE Run 2 and how it will be achieved as well as the possible application of the AWAKE scheme to novel particle physics experiments.

Resumo O artigo apresenta uma síntese do contexto arqueológico do Alto Vale do Itajaí do Sul, área serrana localizada entre o litoral e o planalto de Santa Catarina, a partir de uma revisão na literatura arqueológica e de dados obtidos em atividades de campo. Há mais de uma centena de sítios arqueológicos nesta área, indicando grande diversidade em termos de implantação, de conjunto artefatual, de cronologia e de associação cultural. A partir de uma comparação entre o contexto arqueológico desta área com áreas adjacentes, procuramos inserir a região do Alto Vale do Itajaí nas discussões mais amplas sobre processo de ocupação do Brasil meridional.

The Müller-Lyer Illusion (MLI) has been suggested as a potential marker for the perceptual impairments observed in schizophrenia patients. Along with some positive symptoms, these deficits are not easily modeled in rodent experiments, and novel animal models are warranted. Previously, MK-801 was shown to reduce susceptibility to MLI in monkeys, raising the prospects of an effective perception-based model. Here, we evaluate the translational feasibility of the MLI task under NMDA receptor blockage as a primate model for schizophrenia. In Experiment 1, eight capuchin monkeys (Sapajus spp.) were trained on a touchscreen MLI task. Upon reaching the learning criteria, the monkeys were given ketamine (0.3 mg/kg; i.m.) or saline on four consecutive days and then retested on the MLI task. In Experiment 2, eight chronic schizophrenia patients (and eight matching controls) were tested on the Brentano version of the MLI. Under saline treatment, monkeys were susceptible to MLI, similarly to healthy human participants. Repeated ketamine administrations, however, failed to improve their performance as previous results with MK-801 had shown. Schizophrenic patients, on the other hand, showed a higher susceptibility to MLI when compared to healthy controls. In light of the present and previous studies, the MLI task shows consistent results across monkeys and humans. In spite of potentially being an interesting translational model of schizophrenia, the MLI task warrants further refinement in non-human primates and a broader sample of schizophrenia subtypes.

Abstract Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis poses a diagnostic dilemma due to the absence of specific clinical and laboratory findings, especially in adults. Despite greater recognition of the disease, secondary idiopathic forms are still reported.

Durante o resfriamento de sêmen canino, o contato do plasma seminal por longo período com os espermatozoides pode afetar negativamente a composição da membrana plasmática e reduzir a capacidade de fecundação. A centrifugação para remoção do plasma também pode ter influência negativa sobre célula espermática, devido a danos celulares físicos, remoção de fatores inibidores da capacitação e aumento na produção de radicais livres. Diante disso, o objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a influência da remoção de plasma seminal por centrifugação na qualidade de sêmen canino submetido a resfriamento. Foram coletados 19 ejaculados de caninos hígidos. Cada ejaculado foi avaliado quanto à qualidade espermática e dividido em dois tratamentos: 1) não-centrifugado: diluição e armazenamento sob resfriamento; 2) centrifugado: diluição, centrifugação a 600 × g por 15 minutos, descarte de sobrenadante, ressuspensão do pellet com diluente e armazenamento sob resfriamento a 5ºC por 48h. As amostras foram avaliadas quanto à motilidade, vigor, integridade de membrana e morfologia, às 24h e 48h de resfriamento. Os dados foram avaliados por estatística descritiva, ANOVA e a comparação entre médias pelo teste de Tukey. Foi verificada diferença significativa (p

Os e-Sports são uma vertente competitiva dos jogos digitais de abordagem profissional, com características semelhantes aos esportes tradicionais. Dito isso, temos por objetivo identificar como o processo de construção de um torneio de jogos digitais por estudantes do ensino médio de uma escola privada pode desenvolver uma aprendizagem colaborativa. A referida experiência teve a duração de cinco semanas, culminando com a realização de um torneio de League of Legends. Como metodologia de pesquisa foi adotada uma abordagem qualitativa do tipo descritiva. Para coletar os dados produzidos utilizou-se um diário de campo. Os dados foram sistematizados em mapas conceituais categorizados em: autonomia, interação e colaboração. De um modo geral, podemos concluir que a abordagem adotada para delinear a construção do torneio promoveu um ambiente que propiciou a aprendizagem colaborativa com base na interação, autonomia e colaboração dos estudantes no decorrer da construção do torneio.

Nanoadjuvants that combine immunostimulatory properties and delivery systems reportedly bestow major improvements on the efficacy of recombinant, protein-based vaccines. Among these, self-assembled micellar formulations named ISCOMs (immune stimulating complexes) show a great ability to trigger powerful immunological responses against infectious pathogens. Here, a nanoadjuvant preparation, based on saponins from Quillaja brasiliensis, was evaluated together with an experimental Zika virus (ZIKV) vaccine (IQB80-zEDIII) and compared to an equivalent vaccine with alum as the standard adjuvant. The preparations were administered to mice in two doses (on days zero and 14) and immune responses were evaluated on day 28 post-priming. Serum levels of anti-Zika virus IgG, IgG1, IgG2b, IgG2c, IgG3 were significantly increased by the nanoadjuvant vaccine, compared to the mice that received the alum-adjuvanted vaccine or the unadjuvanted vaccine. In addition, a robust production of neutralizing antibodies and in vitro splenocyte proliferative responses were observed in mice immunized with IQB80-zEDIII nanoformulated vaccine. Therefore, the IQB80-zEDIII recombinant preparation seems to be a suitable candidate vaccine for ZIKV. Overall, this study identified saponin-based delivery systems as an adequate adjuvant for recombinant ZIKV vaccines and has important implications for recombinant protein-based vaccine formulations against other flaviviruses and possibly enveloped viruses.

Objetivo: determinar y comparar las dimensiones oclusales en dentición decidua completa entre niños residentes en el distrito de Yamango en el departamento de Piura con modelos de estudio de niños en dentición decidua completa atendidos en la Clínica Estomatológica Central en la ciudad Lima. Material y métodos: se evaluaron modelos de estudio de 124 niños, 56 hombres y 68 mujeres, de 3 a 5 años de edad con oclusión normal y maloclusión clase I. Se utilizó la prueba de U de Mann- Whitney (p

This study aims to verify the participation of the tax incentive granted to companies in the growth of per capita income in Maranhão. The programs analyzed were: “PróMaralhão and “ Mais Empresas” and the period verified was between 2010 and 2017. The methodology used was the analysis of data on the effects of tax incentives on the generation of employment and income from the Gross Domestic Product (GDP)) production, per capita available on the websites: Instituto Maranhense de Socioeconomic and Cartographic Studies (IMESC), Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) and Institute of Applied Economics Research (IPEA). The main results are a positive relationship between the growth of employment and income in the state of Maranhão, and that the policy adopted by the government in the granting of tax incentives, through the PróMarhões and Mais Empresas programs has contributed to economic growth, consequently, has generated some social and economic development for its citizens.

Abstract Background Skin lesions of patients affected by non-ulcerated cutaneous leishmaniasis (NUCL) caused by L. (L.) infantum chagasi are characterized by lymphohistiocytic inflammatory infiltrate associated with epithelioid granuloma and scarce parasitism. However, the in situ cellular immune response of these patients is unclear. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to characterize the cellular immune response in the skin lesions of patients affected by NUCL. Methods Twenty biopsies were processed by immunohistochemistry using primary antibodies to T lymphocytes (CD4, CD8), NK cells, B lymphocytes, macrophages, nitric oxide synthase and interferon-gamma. Results Immunohistochemistry revealed higher expression of all cellular types and molecules (IFN-γ, iNOS) in the dermis of diseased skin compared to the skin of healthy individuals (p < 0.05). Morphometric analysis performed in the skin lesions sections showed the predominance of CD8+ T lymphocytes in the mononuclear infiltrate, followed by macrophages, mostly iNOS+, a response that could be mediated by IFN-γ. Conclusion Our study improves knowledge of the cellular immune response in non-ulcerated or atypical cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by L. (L.) infantum chagasi in Central America and pointed to the pivotal participation of CD8+ T lymphocytes in the host defense mechanisms against the parasite in patients with NUCL.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) was the pathogen responsible for the highest number of deaths from infectious diseases in the world, before the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) has contributed to the understanding of genetic diversity, the mechanisms involved in drug resistance and the transmission dynamics of this pathogen. The object of this study is to use WGS for the epidemiological and molecular characterization of M. tuberculosis clinical strains from Chinchiná, Caldas, a small town in Colombia with a high incidence of TB. Sputum samples were obtained during the first semester of 2020 from six patients and cultured in solid Löwenstein-Jensen medium. DNA extraction was obtained from positive culture samples and WGS was performed with the Illumina HiSeq 2500 platform for subsequent bioinformatic analysis. M. tuberculosis isolates were typified as Euro-American lineage 4 with a predominance of the Harlem and LAM sublineages. All samples were proven sensitive to antituberculosis drugs by genomic analysis, although no phenotype antimicrobial tests were performed on the samples, unreported mutations were identified that could require further analysis. The present study provides preliminary data for the construction of a genomic database line and the follow-up of lineages in this region.

Introducción: el cáncer colorrectal es un problema de salud pública; sin embargo, la detección temprana reduce su morbimortalidad. La colonoscopia es el procedimiento de elección para detectar lesiones premalignas y el éxito depende de una limpieza adecuada. El objetivo es evaluar el desempeño de dos preparaciones de bajo volumen empleados en un hospital de alto nivel. Materiales y métodos: estudio prospectivo en adultos que asistieran a colonoscopia en la Fundación Santa Fe de Bogotá, Colombia. Las preparaciones se evaluaron con la escala de Boston, con puntaje ≥ 6 puntos para una limpieza adecuada. Se realizó un análisis de regresión logística para establecer la efectividad de los medicamentos con un cálculo de no inferioridad del 3 %-5 %. Resultados: 598 pacientes fueron evaluados. El 49 % (293) fue expuesto al picosulfato de sodio/citrato de magnesio y el 51 % (305) fue expuesto al sulfato de sodio/potasio/magnesio. Con un promedio de Boston de 6,98 ± 1,86 (78 % con puntaje de Boston ≥ 6) y 7,39 ± 1,83 (83 %), respectivamente (p = 0,649). Según el análisis de la presencia y frecuencia de síntomas no deseados, el picosulfato fue mejor tolerado (p < 0,001). Conclusiones: los estudios de preparación intestinal en pacientes de un escenario real son muy escasos. Los medicamentos de bajo volumen obtuvieron una efectividad global y por segmento de colon similar, confirmando la no-inferioridad; el picosulfato de sodio/citrato de magnesio fue mejor tolerado. Un estudio de costo-efectividad podría definir esto según las necesidades de la población de estudio.

The blood–brain barrier (BBB) is a dynamic interface responsible for maintaining the central nervous system homeostasis. Its unique characteristics allow protecting the brain from unwanted compounds, but its impairment is involved in a vast number of pathological conditions. Disruption of the BBB and increase in its permeability are key in the development of several neurological diseases and have been extensively studied in stroke. Ischemic stroke is the most prevalent type of stroke and is characterized by a myriad of pathological events triggered by an arterial occlusion that can eventually lead to fatal outcomes such as hemorrhagic transformation (HT). BBB permeability seems to follow a multiphasic pattern throughout the different stroke stages that have been associated with distinct biological substrates. In the hyperacute stage, sudden hypoxia damages the BBB, leading to cytotoxic edema and increased permeability; in the acute stage, the neuroinflammatory response aggravates the BBB injury, leading to higher permeability and a consequent risk of HT that can be motivated by reperfusion therapy; in the subacute stage (1–3 weeks), repair mechanisms take place, especially neoangiogenesis. Immature vessels show leaky BBB, but this permeability has been associated with improved clinical recovery. In the chronic stage (>6 weeks), an increase of BBB restoration factors leads the barrier to start decreasing its permeability. Nonetheless, permeability will persist to some degree several weeks after injury. Understanding the mechanisms behind BBB dysregulation and HT pathophysiology could potentially help guide acute stroke care decisions and the development of new therapeutic targets; however, effective translation into clinical practice is still lacking. In this review, we will address the different pathological and physiological repair mechanisms involved in BBB permeability through the different stages of ischemic stroke and their role in the development of HT and stroke recovery.

O presente texto pretende apresentar uma resenha crítica da edição brasileira da obra "Diante de Gaia: oito conferências sobre a natureza no Antropoceno", de Bruno Latour. A resenha é acompanhada por uma breve análise do sentido que Gaia assume para o autor, termo que ele recruta na sua batalha de transformação de práticas científicas, sensíveis e política em termos de catástrofe climática.

Bendamustine is a chemotherapeutic drug associated with frequent haematological and gastrointestinal adverse effects and, more rarely, neurological toxicity. We present the case of a 79-year-old man with follicular lymphoma, grade 2, Ann-Arbor stage IV-A, FLIPI 4, high risk, with bulky disease and vital organ compression, treated with R-CHOP and then rituximab-bendamustine, who developed encephalopathy approximately 2 months after the last cycle. After ruling out other possible aetiologies, we assumed the patient’s encephalopathy was due to a delayed bendamustine side effect, possibly aggravated by the concomitant administration of rituximab. The authors hope to alert clinicians to this rare adverse effect, its difficult identification and the need to rule out other aetiologies.

Η ΠΕΡΙΛΗΨΗ ΒΡΙΣΚΕΤΑΙ ΜΕΣΑ ΣΤΟ ΑΡΧΕΙΟ PDF

Después de ya casi 20 años de su redescubrimiento, la aparición de esta bacteria en el escenario clínico ha generado una enorme controversia que ha estimulado el debate científico con argumentaciones muchas veces coherentes y sensatas y otras un poco menos. Al parecer, estas últimas han sido motivadas por la presión cada vez mayor que ejercen los grandes "empresarios de la salud" que han encontrado en nuestro noble oficio la manera de "producir dinero" a costa de "contaminar" la tranquilidad de nuestros pacientes con temores infundados y "fabricar", así, necesidades inapropiadas orientadas a obtener nuevos clientes y evitando que la principal labor médica de consolar o de facilitar el libre ejercicio de la condición humana en todas su facetas, sea impedida o frustrada. El objetivo de este comentario es buscar claridad, "más iluminación, menos calor" en 10 que considero es el papel actual del Helicobacter pylori en el escenario clínico.

Cattle ranching has led to a significant decrease in forest cover in the Neotropic. In this study we evaluate how medium- and large-sized mammals cope in these human-modified landscapes in the Paraguayan Dry Chaco, where by state law at least 25% of forest cover must be preserved. Using a camera-trap approach, we studied how the surrounding vegetation matrix and season (dry or rainy) influence the pattern of occurrence and detectability of species around artificial water reservoirs for cattle supply. We registered 26 mammal species, and the responses of 14 different species were modelled. Five species (Tayassu pecari, Leopardus pardalis, Pecari tajacu, Mazama gouazoubira and Myrmecophaga tridactyla) showed a positive response to forest cover, with T. pecari and L. pardalis being extremely sensitive to deforestation. Also, forest cover showed a positive effect on the detectability of Tapirus terrestris and Puma concolor. By contrast, for two generalist canids, Lycalopex gymnocercus and Cerdocyon thous, and the semiaquatic Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris forest cover negatively influenced species detectability. Cattle ranches have the potential to maintain a substantial part of the original chacoan fauna, with forest cover being a main factor in structuring the mammal assemblages found around water reservoirs. Additionally, in ten species there was a moderate to strong increase in the probability of detection around water reservoirs during the dry season. The conservation of large forest tracts combined with strict compliance with poaching bans are key management strategies for the conservation of mammal diversity in the human-altered landscapes of the Chaco.

The clinical-immunological spectrum of human Leishmania (L.) infantum chagasi-infection in Amazonian Brazil has recently been reviewed based on the combined use of the delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) and indirect fluorescence antibody test (IFAT-IgG/IgM), both with homologous L. (L.) infantum chagasi-antigens, and associated with the clinical evaluation of infected individuals. This diagnostic approach has allowed to identify the broadest clinical-immunological spectrum of human L. (L.) infantum chagasi-infection composed by five clinical-immunological profiles of infection: three asymptomatic, 1) Asymptomatic Infection (AI) [DTH+/++++, IFAT−], 2) Subclinical Resistant Infection (SRI) [DTH+/++++, IFAT+/++], and 3) Indeterminate Initial Infection (III) [DTH−, IFAT+/++], and two symptomatic ones, 4) Symptomatic Infection (SI) [=American visceral leishmaniasis - AVL] and, 5) Subclinical Oligosymptomatic Infection (SOI), both with the same immune profile [DTH−, IFAT+++/++++]. Herein, we confirm for the third time the preclinical diagnosis of AVL through IgM-antibody response in an early asymptomatic case of infection (profile III), a 17-year-old boy who evolved to AVL (=profile SI) six weeks after the initial infection diagnosis, confirming that the combined use of DTH and IFAT-(IgG/IgM) assays associated with the clinical evaluation of infected individuals is potentially useful for monitoring human L. (L.) infantum chagasi-infection in endemic areas as well as optimizing AVL control.

Background: Both supraphysiological and subphysiological testosterone levels are associated with increased cardiovascular risk. Testosterone consumption at supraphysiological doses has been linked to increased blood pressure, left ventricular hypertrophy, vascular dysfunction, and increased levels of inflammatory markers. Activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome contributes to the production of proinflammatory cytokines, leading to cardiovascular dysfunction. We hypothesized that supraphysiological levels of testosterone, via generation of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mROS), activates the NLRP3 inflammasome and promotes vascular dysfunction.Methods: Male, 12 week-old C57Bl/6J (WT) and NLRP3 knockout (NLRP3−/−) mice were used. Mice were treated with testosterone propionate [TP (10 mg/kg) in vivo] or vehicle for 30 days. In addition, vessels were incubated with testosterone [Testo (10−6 M, 2 h) in vitro]. Testosterone levels, blood pressure, vascular function (thoracic aortic rings), pro-caspase-1/caspase-1 and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) expression, and generation of reactive oxygen species were determined.Results: Testosterone increased contractile responses and reduced endothelium-dependent vasodilation, both in vivo and in vitro. These effects were not observed in arteries from NLRP3−/− mice. Aortas of TP-treated WT mice (in vivo), as well as aortas from WT mice incubated with testo (in vitro), exhibited increased mROS levels and increased caspase-1 and IL-1β expression. These effects were not observed in arteries from NLRP3−/− mice. Flutamide [Flu, 10−5 M, androgen receptor (AR) antagonist], carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenyl hydrazone (CCCP, 10−6 M, mitochondrial uncoupler) and MCC950 (MCC950, 10−6 M, a NLRP3 receptor inhibitor) prevented testosterone-induced mROS generation.Conclusion: Supraphysiological levels of testosterone induce vascular dysfunction via mROS generation and NLRP3 inflammasome activation. These events may contribute to increased cardiovascular risk.

The Cemented Crushed Stone (C2, as the South African Classification) was widely used on the main high-traffic Brazilian highways in the 1970s and 1980s. However, it presents several limitations for its use in the road work related to the properties of the material and its almost fragile nature, since as soon as the large variations in the tensile strain take place along the loading cycle, critical and accelerated degradation also occur, leading to material fatigue distress. Several factors stand out as probable causes for the intense and rapid process of fatigue, the main ones being: granulometry, cement content, and moisture content. In this way, a study was carried out to analyze the mechanical properties of C2 based on granulometry variation in relation to the cement and moisture content. It was noted that the mixture with the best joint performance was the one with the highest percentage of the sand fraction, highest cement content, and molded below the optimum moisture. Some recommendations were made for the mix design of C2, such as the definition of a granulometric range that considers the analysis of the aggregate large/small ratio in order to obtain a greater gain of maximum dry specific mass, as well as the use of cement contents above 4%, since below that the cementation will be insufficient. In addition, optimized ratios (aggregate + cement + water) should be defined by performing the mechanical analyzes listed in this paper, in order to select the best performance mixture to be applied in the road works.

Recent improvements in computational tools opened the possibility of patient-specific modeling to aid clinicians during diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring. One example is the modeling of blood flow for surgical planning, where modeling can help predict the prognosis. Computational analysis is used to extract hemodynamic information about the case; however, these methods are sensitive to assumptions on blood properties, boundary conditions, and appropriate geometry accuracy. When available, experimental measurements can be used to validate the results and, among the modalities, ultrasound-based methods are suitable due to their relative low cost and non-invasiveness. This work proposes a procedure to create accurate patient-specific silicone replicas of blood vessels and a power Doppler compatible experimental setup able to simulate and measure realistic flow conditions. The assessment of silicone model geometry shows small discrepancies between these and the target geometries (median of surface error lies within 57 µm and 82 μm). Power Doppler measurements were compared against computational fluid dynamics results, showing discrepancies within 10% near the wall. The experimental approach offers a setup to quantify flow in in vitro systems and provide more accurate results where other techniques (e.g., particle image velocimetry and particle tracking velocimetry) have shown limitations due to the interference of the interface.

Este é o primeiro número (39) do Volume 22 da Revista Brasileira de Literatura Comparada, abrindo o ano de 2020. Neste número, o leitor encontrará artigos selecionados, dois depoimentos (Hans Ulrich Gumbrecht e Ricardo Vírhuez Villafrane) e uma resenha. Embora, como editores/organizadores deste número, não tivéssemos feito uma chamada específica sobre este tema, há um número relevante de ensaios que enfocam os espaços e imaginários da Amazônia, ao lado de ensaios sobre outras temáticas relevantes.

Este texto tem por objetivo relatar e problematizar o processo de tramitação legislativa do Plano Municipal de Educação de Jataí, município do Sudoeste Goiano. Para tanto, ocupa-se de análise documental de atas das sessões da Câmara Municipal nas quais foram apreciadas o projeto de lei do Plano de educação e notícias disponíveis na internet acerca desse processo à luz da análise crítica do discurso. Os documentos revelam pouco das tensões e embates vividos na casa legislativa, mas esse silêncio oculta projetos e processos em disputa. Apesar de caracterizar a realidade local do referido município, a reflexão empreendida aponta para os (des)caminhos da participação e da gestão democrática, os quais são recorrentes na política educacional brasileira em todos os níveis.

In this work, we propose a framework to store and manage spatial data, which includes new efficient algorithms to perform operations accepting as input a raster dataset and a vector dataset. More concretely, we present algorithms for solving a spatial join between a raster and a vector dataset imposing a restriction on the values of the cells of the raster; and an algorithm for retrieving K objects of a vector dataset that overlap cells of a raster dataset, such that the K objects are those overlapping the highest (or lowest) cell values among all objects. The raster data is stored using a compact data structure, which can directly manipulate compressed data without the need for prior decompression. This leads to better running times and lower memory consumption. In our experimental evaluation comparing our solution to other baselines, we obtain the best space/time trade-offs.

Background & aimsHepatorenal syndrome is a rare entity that is part of the complications of liver cirrhosis in its more severe stages. Without treatment, its mortality rate increases significantly. Terlipressin is considered to be the therapy of choice until the need of a liver transplant. The aim is to determine its prevalence, define patients' characteristics, triggers and 90-day survival, according to the type of managements established.MethodThis was a retrospective cohort study conducted in Colombia. It included patients with cirrhosis and acute kidney injury who met hepatorenal syndrome criteria, reaching 28 patients from 2007 to 2015. Groups were categorized according the type of hepatorenal syndrome and treatment. Demographic and trigger factors were evaluated to characterize the population. Treatment outcomes with terlipressin vs norepinephrine were analyzed up to a 90-day survival, using log Rank test. Continuous variables needed Student's T and Mann Whitney's U tests and categorical variables, Chi2 test. A value of p Results117 patients with cirrhosis developed renal injury; of these 23.9% were diagnosed with Hepatorenal Syndrome (67.8% type1; 32.1% type2). The presence of ascites was 100% in HRS2 and 84% in HRS1 (p = 0.296). The main trigger in both types was paracentesis greater than 5 liters in the last 4 weeks (39.3%). In total, 35% of the patients received renal replacement therapy and 14% underwent a hepatic transplant. Type 1 was more frequent (63% received terlipressin; 21% norepinephrine). The total complete response was 36% (Type2 66.6% vs. Type1 18.7%) (p = 0.026). In contrast, the overall mortality was of 67.8% at 90-day of follow-up (89.4% Type1 vs. 22% Type2) (p = ConclusionThere is scarce clinical and epidemiological information about this condition in Colombia. A significant difference between the two drugs cannot be stipulated due to the limitation in the sample size of our study. The general mortality at a 90-day follow-up was high, being higher in patients with HRS1. While the results of this study are suggestive of clinical information for HRS patients in the Colombian population, they should also be interpreted with caution, therefore further multicenter studies should be performed.

Resumo Neste manuscrito apresentamos a noção de objeto-modelo mecânico concreto analógico didático (OMMCAD), um tipo de modelo didático nascido na fusão da epistemologia Bungeana dos modelos (modelos científicos) com a didática das ciências (modelos didáticos), desenvolvido para fins de ensino-aprendizagem da temática astronômica do a) movimento aparente do Sol, b) das diferentes direções do nascimento do Sol ao longo do ano e c) da duração aproximada do “dia claro” para qualquer região da Terra. Alguns resultados do nosso trabalho de modelização realizado com 11 alunos do último ano do Ensino Médio são divulgados. Apresentamos também a visão de alguns educadores em ciências, a nível internacional, que trabalham com modelização na escola, isto é, com ações práticas de elaboração, de confecção e de exploração de modelos para representação da realidade; atividades criativas que são propulsoras de uma educação científica escolar. Os resultados indicam fortes indícios de que o OMMCAD pode ser utilizado como um material suplementar ao livro didático escolar, contribuindo para a superação de um dos desafios para o ensino de ciências na atualidade: as insuficiências do livro didático.

O avanço da internet nos meios sociais e educacionais tem gerado uma gama de estudos e pesquisa sobre as possibilidades e os desafios que o uso das mídias e tecnologias podem promover. No meio educacional um embate é realizado no sentido de liberar ou não a navegação em sites de relacionamento, blogs, microblogs ou em chat. Na maioria das escolas e até mesmo nas universidades o comum é o uso de “filtros” que impedem a navegação, restringindo o uso dos navegantes. Este artigo, apresenta um estudo de caso, enquanto pesquisa qualitativa online, trazendo uma análise de dados coletados na Universidade Federal de Alagoas junto a alunos de vários cursos e também alguns professores, inclusive da área das Tecnologias da Informação e Comunicação. Na visão da maioria dos alunos os sites de relacionamento, a exemplo das redes sociais, podem ser utilizados, ou já foram utilizados, para alguma atividade de estudo. Para a maioria dos professores ainda é cedo para que tudo seja liberado, mas que uma nova educação deve incluir o bom uso das TIC e o uso de filtros ainda é um recurso que precisa ser utilizado enquanto a sociedade se adapta a cultura do online.

Introdução: O objectivo do presente estudo é o relato de um caso de variação anatómica do nervo isquiático, por origem baixa e divisão alta bilateral. Material e Métodos: Foi dissecado um cadáver feminino de 66 anos, conservado pelas técnicas originais desenvolvidas no nosso departamento. Resultados: No trabalho regular de dissecção cadavérica da disciplina de Anatomia Regional II detectou-se nervo isquiático, em ambos os membros, com pequeno trajecto, de aproximadamente, 8 - 10 cm, dividido em nervos fibular comum e tibial, ao nível da margem inferior do músculo glúteo máximo. Discussão: Casos semelhantes aos do presente estudo, foram descritos por alguns autores desde Leonardo da Vinci, Da Cortona, ou Eustachius, demonstrando a importância desse conhecimento, tanto em termos clínicos, como cirúrgicos ou anestesiológicos. Diversas ilações são possíveis, por revisão do presente caso, infrequente. Conclusão: Para além de proporcionar conhecimento prévio da anatomia loco-regional, o estudo das variações do nervo isquiático orienta o melhor seguimento de patologias, bem como acessos cirúrgicos e/ou anestésicos. Por mais meticulosos que sejam os nossos estudos anatómicos, jamais poderemos considerar terminada ou definitiva a investigação em anatomia humana.

Introduction: Viral encephalitis is a well-known inflammatory process associated with neurological dysfunction that might derive into severe brain damage or a fatal outcome. In México there is no epidemiological data that describes the prevalence of viral agents responsible for acute encephalitis. Objective: To identify the main viral agents by real time PCR involved in acute encephalitis in Mexico. Materials and methods: We obtained cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) samples from all patients with suspected viral encephalitis admitted to the emergency service of the Hospital Civil de Guadalajara “Fray Antonio Alcalde”. To identify pathogens, we performed nucleic acid extraction using real-time PCR and RT-PCR. Results: Sixty-six patients were diagnosed with acute encephalitis from 2011 to 2014. A definitive viral etiological diagnosis was established in 16 patients (24%); the main causative agents were enteroviruses in 50% of the 16 positive samples, followed by herpes simplex virus (37%) and cytomegaloviruses (12.5%). Patients with encephalitis were predominantly male (63.3%) and a seasonal predominance was observed during autumn (37.5%). The main clinical characteristics in the acute encephalitis phase were fever (48.45) and cephalea (36.3), followed by seizures, disorientation, and muscular weakness (30.3%). Kerning sign was present in two cases (3%) and other two cases presented Brudzinski’s sign (3%). Conclusions: CSF PCR is a suitable diagnostic technique for the identification of viral encephalitis caused by viral infections that allows an appropriate antiviral therapeutic treatment.

Introduction: Classical aphasia evaluation scales are too long to use in the context of acute stroke or as a monitoring tool. The Aphasia Rapid Test is a 26-point scale developed as a bedside assessment to rate aphasia severity in acute stroke patients in less than 3 minutes. We aimed to adapt and validate this scale for European Portuguese. Material and Methods: We evaluated 56 acute stroke patients in the first and in the seventh days post-stroke. In the seventh day, patients were evaluated by two independent raters, to evaluate inter-rater agreement. To study concurrent validity, the Lisbon Aphasia Examination Battery was applied to a subset of 20 patients. The predictive ability of the Aphasia Rapid Test was assessed at six months, by the aphasia subscale of the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale. Results: Translation to European Portuguese was based in the French and English versions, considering the words’ utilization frequency. The Chronbach’s alpha was 0.796. The concordance coefficient between the two raters was excellent (0.985). Correlation between Aphasia Rapid Test and the Lisbon Aphasia Examination Battery was strong (r = -0.958, p < 0.001). The study through Bland-Altman graphs corroborated the good inter-rater agreement and concurrent validity of the test. The Aphasia Rapid Test score in the first day is an independent predictor of long-term outcome. Discussion: This study provides reliable results for European Portuguese, with adequate internal consistency, inter-rater agreement and concurrent validity. Conclusion: The Aphasia Rapid Test is a good tool for the evaluation and monitoring of aphasia in stroke patients.

Cuando se aborda la cuestión de la formación universitaria de los psicólogos parece evidente que deben analizarse las currículas, los programas de las asignaturas, los perfiles profesionales en relación con las incumbencias de la ley, las adecuaciones respecto de las nuevas demandas sociales que han surgido, la inclusión de las nuevas teorías y la reparación de las fallas existentes en las carreras actuales. Sin embargo, uno de los temas más importantes es el de la gestión política de las universidades nacionales y los sesgos que la misma puede producir respecto de las intenciones propuestas. La formación de grado y postgrado no depende solamente de los planes de estudio establecidos sino también de la estructura políticoadministrativa que los aplica. En este plano se condensan diversos sistemas de gestión cuya dinámica recíproca excede las intenciones y objetivos explicitados en su enunciación formal.

The purpose of this overview is to understand, in a comprehensive way, the problematic of chapter three of Robert Alexy's ‘A Theory of Constitutional Rights’. Thus, it makes a comprehensive approach to the main concepts surrounding the problem of the collision of principles, as well as highlights the main points of the argumentation built in the aforementioned chapter.

O presente estudo pretende estabelecer, de forma transversal e exploratória, interfaces entre alguns fundamentos teóricos da comunicação, da neurociência e da análise de discurso. A intenção é compreender como construtos simbólicos da propaganda de alimentos se utilizam de estratégias discursivas para eliciar emoções e anular processos empáticos de forma a induzir e/ou favorecer o consumo de carne e seus derivados. Tal análise se justifica a partir de estudos recentes que mostram a importância das emoções e da empatia na formação de crenças, comportamentos e hábitos de consumo. A partir da análise de peças publicitárias produzidas pelas marcas Sadia, Seara e Friboi, e com base em descobertas recentes da neurociência, assume-se neste estudo que o processo empático é o primeiro estágio do ato comunicativo, que está ligado à capacidade de reconhecer estados emotivos no outro a partir de referências universais (inatas) e aprendidas (condicionadas). O marco teórico é constituído por pressupostos de Charaudeau (2004, 2016), Damásio (2000/2012), Ekman (2011), Krznaric (2015), Jung (1991/2011), entre outros, que vão ajudar na elaboração de circuitos que explicam a função das emoções na ativação e/ou anulação do processo empático por meio do ato de linguagem e do discurso na comunicação publicitária. Com isto, busca-se demonstrar a capacidade de manifestar e de perceber o sentir através da linguagem, de maneira a interferir na organização da mente, tanto em seus processamentos conscientes quanto inconscientes, afetando a cognição, o aprendizado e os hábitos de consumo. Palavras-chave: Comunicação. Discurso. Emoções. Empatia. Consumo. ABSTRACT The present study aims to establish, in a transversal and exploratory way, interfaces between some theoretical foundations of communication, neuroscience and discourse analysis. The intention is to understand how symbolic constructs of food advertising use discursive strategies to elicit emotions and negate empathic processes in order to induce and / or favor the consumption of meat and its derivatives. This analysis is justified by recent studies that show the importance of emotions and empathy in the formation of beliefs, behaviors and consumption habits. Based on the analysis of advertising pieces produced by the brands Sadia, Seara and Friboi, and based on recent discoveries of neuroscience, it is assumed in this study that the empathic process is the first stage of the communicative act, which is linked to the ability to recognize states Emotional in the other from universal (innate) and learned (conditioned) references. The theoretical framework is constituted by the assumptions of Charaudeau (2004, 2016), Damásio (2000/2012), Ekman (2011), Krznaric (2015), Jung, among others,that will help in the elaboration of circuits that explain the function of the emotions in the activation and / or annulment of the empathic process through the act of language and the discourse in the advertising communication. In this way, the aim is to demonstrate the ability to express and perceive feeling through language, so as to interfere in the organization of the mind, both in its conscious and unconscious processes, affecting cognition, learning and consumption habits. Keywords: Communication. Speech. Emotions. Empathy. Consumption.

The oil palm is an economically important crop cultivated in the North of Brazil. Damage caused by insects is one of the main causes of reduced productivity for the oil palm. Before this research, only the beetles of the family Curculionidae were considered to be oil palm pests in Brazil. However, for the first time, we report on the damage caused by a giant rhinoceros beetle to oil palm plantations in Pará, Brazil. The beetle was identified as Golofa claviger (Linnaeus, 1771), which has a single record in Brazil (Pará) but is widely distributed in South America. The species occurs in an unprecedentedly high abundance of local specimens. The attacks are concentrated on the central cluster of young palms. Feeding behavior is identified as the main cause of the damage as the beetles use their mouthparts to rip the plant tissues, causing wedge-shaped cuts on young fronds that have not yet unfurled. After an attack, the leaflets of the unfurled fronds are partially destroyed. Keywords: Amazonian region, Damage to oil palm plantation, Insect pests

Tree plantations have been proposed as suitable carbon sinks to mitigate climate change. Drought may reduce their carbon uptake, increasing their vulnerability to stress and affecting their growth recovery and resilience. We investigated the recent growth rates and responses to the climate and drought in eight Atlas cedar (Cedrus atlantica) plantations located along a wide climate gradient from wetter sites in south-eastern France and north Spain to dry sites in south-eastern Spain. The cedar growth increased in response to the elevated precipitation from the prior winter to the current summer, but the influence of winter precipitation on growth gained importance in the driest sites. The growth responsiveness to climate and drought peaked in those dry sites, but the growth resilience did not show a similar gradient. The Atlas cedar growth was driven by the total precipitation during the hydrological year and this association strengthened from the 1980s onwards, a pattern related to the winter North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). High winter NAO indices and drier conditions were associated with lower growth. At the individual level, growth resilience was related to tree age, while growth recovery and year-to-year growth variability covaried. Plantations’ resilience to drought depends on both climate and tree-level features.

This paper intends to combine the relationship between photography and art, through the photographic work of American photographer Francesca Woodman (1958-1981). The analysis parameter will focus on Woodman's contribution to the discussions about photography as a medium, in particular, issues concerning the representation, thus, we seek to demonstrate how Woodman questioned photography precepts of her time and presented clues to the construction of a new photographic language more linked to art and its inventive power.

O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a restauração de processos ecológicos em áreas de plantio de mudas no modelo diversidade e preenchimento após 6-7 anos de implantação. Foram analisados indicadores de estabilidade, resiliência e confiabilidade, em relação a um fragmento de referência. Na maioria das áreas, não houve o retorno de processos ecológicos fundamentais para a efetiva restauração. Os indicadores que mais influenciaram a estabilidade e a resiliência foram: diversidade de funções sucessionais, riqueza, presença de epífitas, densidade, número de indivíduos por grupo sucessional e número de bifurcações. Os indicadores com piores resultados foram: cobertura do solo e serapilheira. Em conjunto, esses fatores podem ter resultado na ausência de autonomia do modelo frente às perturbações. Observou-se a necessidade de intervenções como enriquecimento, adensamento e outras ações de manejo. Desse modo, recomenda-se uma reflexão sobre os modelos adotados em outros projetos na região, com a observação mais atenta das particularidades de cada área. The objective of this study was to evaluate the ecological restoration processes in areas of planting of seedlings in the model diversity and filling after 6-7 years of implantation. Stability, resilience and reliability indicators were analyzed in relation to a reference fragment. In most areas, there was no return of ecological processes that are fundamental to effective restoration. The indicators that most influenced stability and resilience were: diversity of successional functions, richness, presence of epiphytes, density, number of individuals per successional group and number of bifurcations. The indicators with the worst results were: soil cover and litter. Together, these factors may have resulted in the absence of autonomy of the model against disturbances. It was observed the need for interventions such as enrichment, densification and other management actions. Thus, is recommended a reflection about the models adopted in other projects in the region, with a closer look at the characteristics of each area.

This article aims to show what is innovative about Ferdinand de Saussure’s linguistic theory, while situating it in the broader intellectual environment of XIXth-century linguistic research. Our intention is to complexify the images associated with this author whose role is oftentimes reduced to epithets such as “father of linguistics”, “founder of structuralism”, or whose contribution to the language studies is considered to be solely the Course in General Linguistics. Through the investigation of the texts about the Lithuanian language which were published in life, as well as a portion of the manuscript called Notes sur l’accentuation lituanienne, we present the theoretical workings of what we consider to be the core of saussurean thought, the difference. In regards to language as the object of saussurean science, the difference unfolds into three aspects: immateriality, virtuality, and relativity. After introducing these three elements of what we call the linguistics of difference in the first section of the article, we dedicate the second section to Saussure’s works on the Lithuanian language, summarizing its importance for his corpus. In the last section, we introduce the reader to the Notes sur l’accentuation lituanienne and analyze some of its theoretical innovative aspects. Thus, we hope to shift the traditional image of Ferdinand de Saussure, allowing this author-function to evoke other ways to produce knowledge in the field of linguistic studies, while bringing to light this linguist’s active participation in the historical and comparative grammar scientific community of the XIX century. --- DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.22409/gragoata.2017n44a1016

The therapeutic use of medicinal plants has traditionally occurred in antiquity. The study of wound healing and the treatment of cutaneous wounds are of great importance in veterinary medicine due to the high frequency of injuries suffered by animals. There are different plant species that have cicatrizing properties, among them the Plantago, whose popular name is Tanchagem, has anti-inflammatory and healing indications. The present study had as objective to evaluate the effect of the ethanol extract of the dry leaves of Plantago tomentosa Lam. in the process of postoperative cicatrization in dogs. Twelve dogs submitted to ovariohysterectomy were randomly divided into two groups of six animals: Control Group (CG) and Group Treatment (GT). The GT showed better effectiveness in relation to the CG during a fourteen-day follow-up.

Physical activity contributes to the maintenance of health conditions and functioning. However, the percentage of older adults who comply with the recommendations for physical activity levels is low when compared to the same percentages on younger groups. The SmartWalk system aims to encourage older adults to perform physical activity (i.e., walking in the city), which is monitored and adjusted by healthcare providers for best results. The study reported in this article focused on the implementation of SmartWalk security services to keep personal data safe during communications and while at rest, which were validated considering a comprehensive use case. The security framework offers various mechanisms, including an authentication system that was designed to complement the pairs of usernames and passwords with trusted execution environments and token-based features, authorization with different access levels, symmetric and asymmetric key cryptography, critical transactions review, and logging supported by blockchain technology. The resulting implementation contributes for a common understanding of the security features of trustful smart cities’ applications, which conforms with existing legislation and regulations.

Vaccination is the most effective public health intervention to prevent influenza infections, which are responsible for an important burden of respiratory illnesses and deaths each year. Currently, licensed influenza vaccines are mostly split inactivated, although in order to achieve higher efficacy rates, some influenza vaccines contain adjuvants. Although split-inactivated vaccines induce mostly humoral responses, tailoring mucosal and cellular immune responses is crucial for preventing influenza infections. Quillaja brasiliensis saponin-based adjuvants, including ISCOM-like nanoparticles formulated with the QB-90 saponin fraction (IQB90), have been studied in preclinical models for more than a decade and have been demonstrated to induce strong humoral and cellular immune responses towards several viral antigens. Herein, we demonstrate that a split-inactivated IQB90 adjuvanted influenza vaccine triggered a protective immune response, stronger than that induced by a commercial unadjuvanted vaccine, when applied either by the subcutaneous or the intranasal route. Moreover, we reveal that this novel adjuvant confers up to a ten-fold dose-sparing effect, which could be crucial for pandemic preparedness. Last but not least, we assessed the role of caspase-1/11 in the generation of the immune response triggered by the IQB90 adjuvanted influenza vaccine in a mouse model and found that the cellular-mediated immune response triggered by the IQB90-Flu relies, at least in part, on a mechanism involving the casp-1/11 pathway but not the humoral response elicited by this formulation.

O presente trabalho buscou avaliar os impactos do plano diretor de um município sob a perspectiva de produção e conservação de serviços ambientais. Localizada em Sorocaba (SP), a microbacia do Pirajibu-Mirim foi delimitada como área de estudo, e mapas de zoneamento, uso do solo, modelo digital de elevação e declividade foram elaborados. Com a análise dos dados, observa‑se que a zona rural (ZR) e a zona de conservação ambiental (ZCA) sofreram reduções, assim como o tamanho mínimo estipulado para lotes em zonas de chácaras urbanas (ZCH). Embora atividades agrícolas sejam escassas no município, essas zonas são imprescindíveis para o aumento da permeabilidade do solo nas cidades e, quando manejadas corretamente, contribuem para a recarga dos lençóis freáticos. Além disso, grande parte da microbacia é ocupada por áreas degradadas e ociosas. Diante desse contexto, são sugeridas alternativas em curto e médio prazo para a melhoria da permeabilidade do solo em uma microbacia produtora de água.

Abstract Background This study evaluated the impact of hormonal modulation at the onset of proestrus on ovarian response and uterine gene expression of beef cows. Methods A total of 172 anestrous beef cows were assigned to one of four groups according to the treatment with estradiol cypionate (ECP) and/or equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG) [CON (n = 43), ECP (n = 43), eCG (n = 44) and ECP + eCG (n = 42)]. Results ECP-treated cows (ECP and ECP + eCG groups) presented greater occurrence of estrus (44.6% vs. 65.4%; P = 0.01) and pregnancy per AI [47.1% vs. 33.3%; P = 0.07], but similar progesterone (P4) concentration at subsequent diestrus than cows not treated with ECP (CON and eCG groups). Nonetheless, eCG-treated cows (eCG and ECP + eCG groups) presented larger follicle at timed AI (12.6 ± 0.3 vs. 13.5 ± 0.3 mm; P = 0.03), greater ovulation rate (96.5% vs. 82.6%; P = 0.008) and greater P4 concentration at d 6 (3.9 ± 0.2 vs. 4.8 ± 0.2 ng/mL; P = 0.001) than cows not treated with eCG (CON and ECP groups). Next, cows with a new corpus luteum 6 d after TAI were submitted to uterine biopsy procedure. Uterine fragments [CON (n = 6), ECP (n = 6)] were analyzed by RNA-Seq and a total of 135 transcripts were differentially expressed between groups (73 genes up-regulated by ECP treatment). Subsequently, uterine samples were analyzed by qPCR (genes associated with cell proliferation). ECP treatment induced greater abundance of PTCH2 (P = 0.07) and COL4A1 (P = 0.02), whereas suppressed EGFR (P = 0.09) expression. Conversely, eCG treatment increased abundance of HB-EGF (P = 0.06), ESR2 (P = 0.09), and ITGB3 (P = 0.05), whereas it reduced transcription of ESR1 (P = 0.05). Collectively, supplementation with ECP or eCG at the onset of proestrous of anestrous beef cows influenced ovarian responses, global and specific endometrial gene expression. Conclusion Proestrus estradiol regulate the endometrial transcriptome, particularly stimulating proliferative activity in the endometrium.

This paper proposes a link between contemporary art and clinical psychology inspired by Ernesto Neto's work. Trough feminist and post-structuralist philosophical perspectives, we raise clinical issues to propose an ethical-aesthetic-political practice aiming to interrupt the modes of production of subjectivity, which normalize the existence, and to substitute them for the production of modes of art that stimulate differences and singularizations. Therefore, we follow four pillars of questioning: a) art and clinical practice; b) art and feminist studies; c) art and philosophy; d) art and corporeality. Contemporary art allows the subjects rethink their relationship with the world, opening up possibilities for a daily escape space, in which the subject stop thinking to feel life itself through sensation but not reasoning. So the subject is asked to think by means of feeling, not of representation.