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Canis lupus familiaris (domestic dog) represents a reliable sentinel for the occurrence of a well-established transmission cycle of Trypanosoma cruzi among wild mammals in the surroundings and, consequently, where the risk of human infection exists. Serological diagnosis is the chosen method to identify T. cruzi infection in dogs that, in Brazil, rarely present positive parasitological tests. The use of recombinant chimeric parasitic antigens results in a sensitive and specific serological diagnostic test in contrast to the use of crude T. cruzi antigens. Our objective was to evaluate the Chagas/Bio-Manguinhos Lateral Flow Immunochromatographic Rapid Test (Chagas-LFRT) for the diagnosis of T. cruzi infection in domestic dogs and the potential of application of this diagnostic platform to wild canid species. Two recombinant proteins (IBMP-8.1 and IBMP-8.4) that displayed the best performance in the enzyme immunoassay (ELISA) in previous studies were tested in a platform with two diagnostic bands. A panel of 281 dog serum samples was evaluated: 133 positive for T. cruzi by serological diagnosis, including 20 samples with positive blood cultures belonging to different discrete typing units (DTUs); 129 negative samples; and 19 samples from dogs infected by other trypanosomatids: Leishmania infantum, Trypanosoma rangeli, Trypanosoma caninum and Crithidia mellificae, in addition to samples infected by Anaplasma platys, Dirofilaria immitis and Erlichia sp. that were employed to evaluate eventual cross-reactions. We also evaluated the Chagas-LFRT to detect T. cruzi infection in 9 serum samples from six wild canid species. We observed that the intensity pattern of the bands was directly proportional to the serological titer observed in IFAT. The sensitivity was 94%, the specificity was 91% according to the ROC curve, and the defined cutoff was an optical density of 4.8. The agreement obtained was considered substantial by the kappa analysis (84%). From T. cruzi positive hemoculture samples, 88.9% were positive by Chagas-LFRT. The test was efficient in recognizing infections by five of the six T. cruzi DTUs. Cross-reactions were not observed in infections by L. infantum, T. rangeli, T. caninum and D. immitis; however, they were observed in sera of dogs infected by Crithidia mellificae, Anaplasma sp. and Erlichia sp. A strong reaction was observed when serum samples from wild canids were submitted to the Protein A affinity test, confirming its applicability for these species. This test will allow rapid preventive actions in areas with high risk to the emergence of Chagas disease in a safer, reliable, low-cost and immediate manner, without the need for more complex laboratory tests.

The Joint Task Force, Science Monitoring And Reliable Telecommunications (JTF SMART) Subsea Cables, is working to integrate environmental sensors for ocean bottom temperature, pressure, and seismic acceleration into submarine telecommunications cables. The purpose of SMART Cables is to support climate and ocean observation, sea level monitoring, observations of Earth structure, and tsunami and earthquake early warning and disaster risk reduction, including hazard quantification. Recent advances include regional SMART pilot systems that are the first steps to trans-ocean and global implementation. Examples of pilots include: InSEA wet demonstration project off Sicily at the European Multidisciplinary Seafloor and water column Observatory Western Ionian Facility; New Caledonia and Vanuatu; French Polynesia Natitua South system connecting Tahiti to Tubaui to the south; Indonesia starting with short pilot systems working toward systems for the Sumatra-Java megathrust zone; and the CAM-2 ring system connecting Lisbon, Azores, and Madeira. This paper describes observing system simulations for these and other regions. Funding reflects a blend of government, development bank, philanthropic foundation, and commercial contributions. In addition to notable scientific and societal benefits, the telecommunications enterprise’s mission of global connectivity will benefit directly, as environmental awareness improves both the integrity of individual cable systems as well as the resilience of the overall global communications network. SMART cables support the outcomes of a predicted, safe, and transparent ocean as envisioned by the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development and the Blue Economy. As a continuation of the OceanObs’19 conference and community white paper (Howe et al., 2019, doi: 10.3389/fmars.2019.00424), an overview of the SMART programme and a description of the status of ongoing projects are given.

The primary focus of environmental toxicological studies is to address the direct effects of chemicals on exposed organisms (parental generation – F0), mostly overlooking effects on subsequent non-exposed generations (F1 and F2 – intergenerational and F3 transgenerational, respectively). Here, we addressed the effects of simvastatin (SIM), one of the most widely prescribed human pharmaceuticals for the primary treatment of hypercholesterolemia, using the keystone crustacean Gammarus locusta. We demonstrate that SIM, at environmentally relevant concentrations, has significant inter and transgenerational (F1 and F3) effects in key signaling pathways involved in crustaceans’ neuroendocrine regulation (Ecdysteroids, Catecholamines, NO/cGMP/PKG, GABAergic and Cholinergic signaling pathways), concomitantly with changes in apical endpoints, such as depressed reproduction and growth. These findings are an essential step to improve hazard and risk assessment of biological active compounds, such as SIM, and highlight the importance of studying the transgenerational effects of environmental chemicals in animals’ neuroendocrine regulation This work was financially supported by: i) Transobesogen Project – “Trans-phyletic obesogenic responses: from epigenetic modules to transgenerational environmental impacts” reference: PTDC/CTA-AMB/31544/2017 – NORTE-01–0145-FEDER-031544, co-financed by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), North Regional Operational Program (NORTE 2020) and the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER). ii) Nor-Water Project – “Poluentes emergentes nas águas da Galiza-Norte de Portugal: novas ferramentas para gestão de risco” reference: 0725_NOR_WATER_1_P financed by INTERREG VA Spain-Portugal cooperation program, Cross-Border North Portugal/Galizia Spain Cooperation Program (POCTEP) 2014–2020. iii) the National Funds through FCT under the projects (UIDB/04423/2020; UIDP/04423/2020). Nélson Alves acknowledges FCT for his Ph.D. grant DFA/BD/6218/2020. Andre M Machado acknowledges FCT for his Ph.D. grant DFA/BD/8069/2020. Marlene Pinheiro acknowledges FCT for her Ph.D. grant SFRH/BD/147834/2019. Susana Barros acknowledges FCT for her Ph.D. grant PD/BD/143090/2018. Financial support by Xunta de Galicia (ED431C2021/06) and the Spanish Agencia Estatal de Investigación - AEI (PID2020–117686RB-C32) is also gratefully acknowledged. 2024-01-25 SI

Age as a breast cancer (BC) prognostic factor remains debatable. Several studies have investigated clinicopathological features at different ages, but few make an age group direct comparison. The European Society of Breast Cancer Specialists quality indicators (EUSOMA-QIs) allow a standardized quality assurance of BC diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up. Our objective was to compare clinicopathological features, compliance to EUSOMA-QIs and BC outcomes in three age groups (≤45 years, 46–69 years, and ≥70 years). Data from 1580 patients with staged 0–IV BC from 2015 to 2019 were analyzed. The minimum standard and desirable target on 19 mandatory and 7 recommended QIs were studied. The 5-year relapse rate, overall survival (OS), and BC-specific survival (BCSS) were also evaluated. No meaningful differences in TNM staging and molecular subtyping classification between age groups were found. On the contrary, disparities in QIs compliance were observed: 73.1% in ≤45 years and 46–69 years women vs. 54% in older patients. No differences in loco-regional or distant progression were observed between age groups. Nevertheless, lower OS was found in older patients due to concurrent non-oncological causes. After survival curves adjustment, we underscored evidence of undertreatment impacting BCSS in ≥70 years women. Despite a unique exception—more invasive G3 tumors in younger patients—no age-specific differences in BC biology impacting outcome were found. Although increased noncompliance in older women, no outcome correlation was observed with QIs noncompliance in any age group. Clinicopathological features and differences in multimodal treatment (not the chronological age) are predictors of lower BCSS.

Snake bite envenomations in farm animals are generally overestimated as the cause of mortality in rural areas in Latin America. However, most cases are based only on anecdotal information and assumptions, and lack diagnostic evidence. There are few proven reports of envenomation and death in horses caused by snakebites from members of the Bothrops genus (lancehead pit vipers). This study presents epidemiological and clinical-pathological findings of fatal bothropic envenomation in horses from Central Western Brazil in order to contribute to the correct diagnosis of this condition. A survey of the records of equine necropsies from the Veterinary Pathology Laboratories of the University of Brasilia, Federal University of Mato Grosso and Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, from January 2010 to February 2018, was performed. Five fatal cases of bothropic snakebite were identified in 755 necropsies of horses, corresponding to 0.66% of these cases, ranging annually from 0.33% to 0.89%. The main necropsy findings were marked swelling and diffuse subcutaneous hemorrhage, and identification of the fang marks in 2 out of five horses. Hemorrhage in most organs and tissues was the pathological hallmark of systemic envenomation. Myonecrosis, dermonecrosis, and moderate to severe kidney degeneration and necrosis were also observed. Fatal Bothrops snakebites in horses have a low occurrence in Central Western Brazil and most cases occur in the rainy season. The diagnosis of this condition may be substantiated by clinical signs and pathological findings. Local hemorrhage and necrosis, systemic hemorrhagic disorders and injuries related to acute kidney injury are the predominant clinical signs. These findings should be considered in the diagnosis and therapeutic management of these envenomations.

Health professionals working to mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic are one of the main risk groups for the disease, being prioritized for vaccination. Considering this, the aim of this study was to analyze the immune response of these professionals immunized with CoronaVac in the first and second doses. Blood samples were collected after the first and second doses of the vaccine (CoronaVac) and used to investigate hematological and biochemical parameters, analysis of immunoglobulin production, cytokines, and gene expression profile, as well as the identification of subsets of immune cells. Post-first dose immunological phenotypic memory (CD27+) profiles (T CD4+, TCD8+ and CD19+) showed a significant increase, as did Monocyte APCs (CD80+HLA-DR+) in relation to the second dose. The cytokines IL-2, IL-6 and IFN-° showed increased values in relation to the other analyzed cytokines. The Th2/Th17 profile in the second dose was characterized by gene expression analysis. The production of IgM and IgG after vaccination showed statistically significant values in the comparison between doses. CoronaVac showed activation of APCs monocytes, memory response of T and B lymphocytes, with immunoglobulins production. This set of responses is characterized by the Th2/Th17 immunological profile.

The use of drugs of abuse has grown significantly in recent decades. In forensic chemistry, methods of identifying and characterizing illicit drugs contribute to the interests of researchers, experts, and public security authorities. Among existing methods, portable Raman spectroscopy is notable for performing rapid, non-destructive, and highly selective analysis in the laboratory or on-site. When the resulting spectral data are paired with chemometric tools, methods of exploratory analysis and multivariate calibration can be developed. Thus, this work describes the application of Raman spectroscopy associated with principal component analysis (PCA) and interval principal component analysis (iPCA) to assessing trends in samples of cocaine (n = 40), crack (n = 33), and their main adulterants (n = 5) and diluents (n = 5), tablets of ecstasy (n = 14), designer drugs papers (n = 27), and alcoholic solutions adulterated with benzodiazepines (alprazolam and diazepam). In addition, competitive adaptive reweighted sampling (CARS) combined with partial least squares (PLS) regression (CARSPLS) was used to quantify adulterants (benzocaine, lidocaine, and procaine) in binary mixtures with crack (n = 21) and solutions of cachaça adulterated with bromazepam (n = 11).

This study evaluated the effect of the volatile oil of Alpinia zerumbet (VOAz) on caveolin-1 gene expression and muscular fibrosis. The rats were immobilized to induce fibrosis of the gastrocnemius muscle, and they were treated with VOAz. Collagen quality was assessed by histology and the expression of the caveolin-1 (CAV-1) gene was evaluated using qPCR. Histomorphological analysis indicated a significant reduction in the perimeter, width, and intensity of collagen in the treated groups, thus showing that the oil was effective in regulating the quality of collagen at the three concentrations. The results of expression levels suggested a decrease in the lesioned group and in two treatment groups (0.0115 µg/g and 0.009 µg/g). However, with the lowest concentration (0.0065 µg/g), no significant difference was observed, with levels similar to those found in healthy tissue. Therefore, the results showed that VOAz has the potential to be a non-invasive and low-cost alternative to aid in the treatment of muscular fibrosis. Resumo Este estudo avaliou o efeito do óleo volátil de Alpinia zerumbet (OVAz) na expressão do gene da caveolina-1 e na fibrose muscular. Os ratos foram imobilizados para induzir a fibrose do músculo gastrocnêmio, e foram tratados com OVAz. A qualidade do colágeno foi avaliada com histologia e à expressão do gene caveolina-1 (CAV-1) foi avaliada usando qPCR. A análise histomorfológica indicou uma redução significativa no perímetro, largura e intensidade do colágeno nos grupos tratados. Os resultados dos níveis de expressão sugeriram diminuição nos grupos de lesão e em dois grupos de tratamento (0,0115 µg/g e 0,009 µg/g). No entanto, com a menor concentração (0,0065 µg/g), não foi observada diferença significativa, apresentando níveis semelhantes aos encontrados em tecido saudável. O uso do OVAz foi eficaz para reverter as alterações do colágeno causadas pela fibrose, e sua menor concentração apresentou uma possível tendência de aumento na expressão do CAV-1. Portanto, os resultados mostraram que o OVAz tem potencial para ser uma alternativa não invasiva e de baixo custo para auxiliar no tratamento da fibrose muscular.

Here, we describe a protocol to remove single identified cells directly from Drosophila living brains and analyze their transcriptome. We detail the steps to harvest fluorescent cells using a capillary under epifluorescence and transmitted light to avoid contamination. We then outline the procedure to obtain the transcriptome by reverse transcription and amplification. The process from cell harvesting to the initiation of reverse transcription only takes 2 min, thus avoiding transcriptional activation of cell damage response or cell death genes. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Barros and Bossing (2021), Bossing et al. (2012), Gil-Ranedo et al. (2019), and Liu and Bossing (2016).

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is upregulated in response to infectious and inflammatory triggers and independently predicts all-cause mortality in acute heart failure (AHF). However, the association of IL-6 with cardiovascular outcomes and its interplay with C-reactive protein and infection, a major precipitating factor in AHF, remains poorly understood.The association between IL-6 and clinical outcomes (180 days) in AHF was evaluated using a cohort of 164 patients from the EDIFICA registry. Median IL-6 levels at admission were 17.4 pg/mL. Patients in the higher admission IL-6 tertile presented with lower blood pressure and more congestion, were diagnosed more frequently with infection, and had a longer hospital stay. Higher IL-6 levels were associated with increased risk of HF rehospitalization (hazard ratio per logsub2/sub3.69, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.26-10.8, p =.017) and the composite of HF rehospitalization or cardiovascular death (hazard ratio per logsub2/sub3.50; 95% CI 1.28-9.57; p =.014), independently of major AHF prognosticators, including B-type natriuretic peptide and renal function. However, no independent associations were found for all-cause rehospitalization or mortality. Despite a moderate correlation of IL-6 with C-reactive protein (CRP) levels (R = .51), the latter were not associated with clinical outcomes in this population.IL-6 levels associate with higher rate of cardiovascular events in AHF, independently of classical prognosticators and evidence of infection, outperforming CRP as an inflammatory outcome biomarker.

Aim Comparison of short and mid-term outcomes between off-pump CABG (OPCAB) and on-pump CABG (ONCAB) in patients older than 65 throughout a meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials (RCTs). Evidence acquisition A literature search was conducted using 3 databases. RCTs reporting mortality outcomes of OPCAB versus ONCAB among the elderly were included. Data on myocardial infarction, stroke, re-revascularization, renal failure and composite endpoints after CABG were also collected. Random effects models were used to compute statistical combined measures and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Evidence synthesis Five RCTs encompassing 6221 patients were included (3105 OPCAB and 3116 ONCAB). There were no significant differences on mid-term mortality (pooled HR: 1.02, 95%CI: 0.89-1.17, p=0.80) and composite endpoint incidence (pooled HR: 0.98, 95%CI: 0.88-1.09, p=0.72) between OPCAB and ONCAB. At 30-day, there were no differences in mortality, myocardial infarction, stroke and renal complications. The need for early re-revascularization was significantly higher in OPCAB (pooled OR: 3.22, 95%CI: 1.28-8.09, p=0.01), with a higher percentage of incomplete revascularization being reported for OPCAB in trials included in this pooled result (34% in OPCAB vs 29% in ONCAB, p Conclusions Data from RCTs in elderly patients showed that OPCAB and ONCAB provide similar mid-term results. OPCAB was associated with a higher risk of early rerevascularization. As CABG on the elderly is still insufficiently explored, further RCTs, specifically designed targeting this population, are needed to establish a better CABG strategy for these patients.

Bovine papillomavirus (BPV) is associated with bovine papillomatosis, a disease that forms benign warts in epithelial tissues, as well as malignant lesions. Previous studies have detected a co-infection between BPV and other viruses, making it likely that these co-infections could influence disease progression. Therefore, this study aimed to identify and annotate viral genes in cutaneous papillomatous lesions of cattle. Sequences were obtained from the GEO database, and an RNA-seq computational pipeline was used to analyze 3 libraries from bovine papillomatous lesions. In total, 25 viral families were identified, including Poxviridae, Retroviridae, and Herpesviridae. All libraries shared similarities in the viruses and genes found. The viral genes shared similarities with BPV genes, especially for functions as virion entry pathway, malignant progression by apoptosis suppression and immune system control. Therefore, this study presents relevant data extending the current knowledge regarding the viral microbiome in BPV lesions and how other viruses could affect this disease.

Dengue is recognized as a health problem that causes significant socioeconomic impacts throughout the world, affecting millions of people each year. A commonly used method for monitoring the dengue vector is to count the eggs that Aedes aegypti mosquitoes have laid in spatially distributed ovitraps. Given this approach, the present study uses a database collected from 397 ovitraps allocated across the city of Natal, RN—Brazil. The Egg Density Index for each neighborhood was computed weekly, over four complete years (from 2016 to 2019), and simultaneously analyzed with the dengue case incidence. Our results illustrate that the incidence of dengue is related to the socioeconomic level of the neighborhoods in the city of Natal. A deep learning algorithm was used to predict future dengue case incidence, either based on the previous weeks of dengue incidence or the number of eggs present in the ovitraps. The analysis reveals that ovitrap data allows earlier prediction (four to six weeks) compared to dengue incidence itself (one week). Therefore, the results validate that the quantification of Aedes aegypti eggs can be valuable for the early planning of public health interventions.

This work was supported by the Austrian Science Fund FWF (J3503), the Adolf Messer Foundation (Germany), the UK Science and Facilities Council (ST/M006085/1), and the European Research Council ERC-2015-StG No. 677497. We also acknowledge support of Narodowe Centrum Nauki (NCN) under the grant (UMO-2016/22/M/ST2/00183) and University of Lodz under the grant (9/IDUB/MLOD/2021), MEYS of the Czech Republic, the Charles University project UNCE/SCI/013, and the Croatian Science Foundation under the project IP-2018-01-8570.

Aims Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) volume and attenuation on computed tomography (CT) have been associated with atrial fibrillation. Beyond these conventional CT measures, radiomics allows extraction of high-dimensional data and deep quantitative adipose tissue phenotyping, which may capture its underlying biology. We aimed to explore the EAT proteomic and CT-radiomic signatures associated with impaired left atrial (LA) remodelling and post-operative atrial fibrillation (POAF). Methods and results We prospectively included 132 patients with severe aortic stenosis with no prior atrial fibrillation referred for aortic valve replacement. Pre-operative non-contrast CT images were obtained for extraction of EAT volume and other radiomic features describing EAT texture. The LA function was assessed by 2D-speckle-tracking echocardiography peak atrial longitudinal strain and peak atrial contraction strain. The EAT biopsies were performed during surgery for proteomic analysis by sequential windowed acquisition of all theoretical fragment ion mass spectra (SWATH-MS). The POAF incidence was monitored from surgery until discharge. Impaired LA function and incident POAF were associated with EAT up-regulation of inflammatory and thrombotic proteins, and down-regulation of cardioprotective proteins with anti-inflammatory and anti-lipotoxic properties. The EAT volume was independently associated with LA enlargement, impaired function, and POAF risk. On CT images, EAT texture of patients with POAF was heterogeneous and exhibited higher maximum grey-level values than sinus rhythm patients, which correlated with up-regulation of inflammatory and down-regulation of lipid droplet-formation EAT proteins. The CT radiomics of EAT provided an area under the curve of 0.80 (95% confidence interval: 0.68–0.92) for discrimination between patients with POAF and sinus rhythm. Conclusion Pre-operative CT-radiomic profile of EAT detected adverse EAT proteomics and identified patients at risk of developing POAF.

Redes neurais profundas foram aplicadas com sucesso a muitas tarefas diferentes de processamento de linguagem natural. Um modelo de rede neural que alavancou os resultados em uma ampla gama de tarefas de PNL foi o modelo BERT - uma sigla para Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers. Nesta pesquisa, apresentamos como o modelo BERT pode ser utilizado para resumir documentos textuais da Polícia Federal Brasileira. Os documentos visam relatar um resumo das atividades investigativas. Devido ao tamanho e à complexidade dos documentos, é um trabalho exaustivo ler e compreender todo o seu conteúdo. Assim, objetivamos analisar a viabilidade da utilização do modelo BERT para extrair e sintetizar as informações mais importantes de documentos da Polícia Federal.

Introduction Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by Treponema pallidum subspecies pallidum. In 2016, it was declared an epidemic in Brazil due to its high morbidity and mortality rates, mainly in cases of maternal syphilis (MS) and congenital syphilis (CS) with unfavorable outcomes. This paper aimed to mathematically describe the relationship between MS and CS cases reported in Brazil over the interval from 2010 to 2020, considering the likelihood of diagnosis and effective and timely maternal treatment during prenatal care, thus supporting the decision-making and coordination of syphilis response efforts. Methods The model used in this paper was based on stochastic Petri net (SPN) theory. Three different regressions, including linear, polynomial, and logistic regression, were used to obtain the weights of an SPN model. To validate the model, we ran 100 independent simulations for each probability of an untreated MS case leading to CS case (PUMLC) and performed a statistical t-test to reinforce the results reported herein. Results According to our analysis, the model for predicting congenital syphilis cases consistently achieved an average accuracy of 93% or more for all tested probabilities of an untreated MS case leading to CS case. Conclusions The SPN approach proved to be suitable for explaining the Notifiable Diseases Information System (SINAN) dataset using the range of 75–95% for the probability of an untreated MS case leading to a CS case (PUMLC). In addition, the model’s predictive power can help plan actions to fight against the disease.

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is a highly prevalent but still poorly understood clinical entity. Its current pathophysiological understanding supports a critical role of comorbidities and their chronic effect on cardiac function and structure. Importantly, despite the replication of some HFpEF phenotypic features, to this day, experimental models have failed to bring new effective therapies to the clinical setting. Thus, the direct investigation of HFpEF human myocardial samples may unveil key, and possibly human-specific, pathophysiological mechanisms. This study employed quantitative proteomic analysis by advanced mass spectrometry (SWATH–MS) to investigate signaling pathways and pathophysiological mechanisms in HFpEF. Protein-expression profiles were analyzed in human left ventricular myocardial samples of HFpEF patients and compared with a mixed control group. Functional analysis revealed several proteins that correlate with HFpEF, including those associated with mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and inflammation. Despite the known disease heterogeneity, proteomic profiles could indicate a reduced mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation and fatty-acid oxidation capacity in HFpEF patients with diabetes. The proteomic characterization described in this work provides new insights. Furthermore, it fosters further questions related to HFpEF cellular pathophysiology, paving the way for additional studies focused on developing novel therapies and diagnosis strategies for HFpEF patients.

Acidic soils with elevated aluminum (Al) saturations are worldwide distributed and harm the crop production in most of the tropical and subtropical regions. Under these conditions, root elongation may be impaired and thus disturbs water and nutrient uptake. Consequently, physiological responses of plants challenged with excess Al may resemble those of drought stresses. Here, we hypothesized that drought tolerant plants are also Al tolerant due to changes in growth, metabolic and physiological adjustments in leaves. Two maize genotypes, BRS1010 and BRS1055, sensitive and tolerant to drought, respectively, were hydroponically grown under controlled conditions and challenged with two Al concentrations (0 and 100 µM AlCl3) for 5 days. After treatment with Al, BRS1055 plants displayed increased leaf and stem elongation whereas the relative root growth rate remained unchanged. This was accompanied by unaltered root structure, photosynthetic efficiency and leaf primary metabolism. In sharp contrast, the BRS1010 plants were sensitive to Al, exhibiting a reduction in leaf and stem elongation and biomass accumulation in shoot and root, as well as greater structural damages in root tips. Additionally, in response to Al, lipid peroxidation increased in BRS1010 leaves in parallel to inhibition of photosynthetic performance and dark respiration. Moreover, compared to control treatment, the genotype BRS1010 displayed a large accumulation of sugars, amino acid, proteins and organic acids in leaves under Al stress. Therefore, the leaf physiology and metabolism are pivotal players in modulating Al tolerance in maize. © 2020, Brazilian Society of Plant Physiology. Made available in DSpace on 2020-08-07T11:12:32Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Metabolic-physiological.pdf: 1044692 bytes, checksum: feb3f1f0d8a7f83450f712ea4604fde9 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2020

Nierembergia rivularis causes enzootic calcinosis (EC) in sheep. In this work, we describe EC caused by N. rivularis in cattle. For 3 years cattle grazing in 7 paddocks were evaluated. Cows with clinical signs compatible with EC were detected in only one paddock with a morbidity of 9.4%, 24.5%, and 34.5% during the summer of 2019, 2020, and 2021, respectively. Affected cows weighed 55 kg less (p

Objectives: This article aims to describe how the personal values of members of specialized workgroups impact their intra-group relationships based on professional and personal trust. Originality/value: The contributions of this study are threefold: 1. the consolidation that the analysis of trust in work groups has different results in the instrumental (professional or reputation trust) and the experimental (personal or friendship trust) relationship when verifying difference in the predominance of personal values for each type relationship; 2. the use of the functionalist theory of human values and to the use of social network analysis techniques and in conjunction with classical quantitative techniques such as ANOVA and multiple regression; 3. the verification of personal values that contributes to the organization and how trust relationships are structured in the group. Design/methodology/approach: The present study is characterized as descriptive field research with a quantitative approach. A survey was conducted with 171 participants from the two tactical groups of the Brasília police, using the Basic Values Questionnaire (BVQ) questionnaire of functionalist values and a questionnaire with eight questions about the instrumental and expressive relationship. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to evidence the validity of the instrument, analysis of social networks (ASN) for trust relationships and ANOVA, and multiple regression for relationships between values and relationships. Findings: The tactical groups presented characteristics of more pragmatic personal values and with less appreciation of individualism, denoting characteristics of appreciation of execution and intragroup collectivism. The normative and supra-personal values were negatively related, respectively, to friendship and professional relationships, while the achievement value was positively related to both trust relationships. / Objetivo: Este estudo tem como objetivo descrever como os valores pessoais dos membros de grupos de trabalho especializado impactam seus relacionamentos intragrupo baseados na confiança profissional e pessoal. Originalidade/valor: Três pontos norteiam as contribuições do presente estudo: 1. a consolidação de que a análise da confiança em grupos de trabalho tem resultados distintos nas relações instrumental (confiança profissional ou de reputação) e experimental (confiança pessoal ou de amizade) quando se verifica a diferença na predominância de valores pessoais para cada tipo de relacionamento; 2. a utilização da teoria funcionalista dos valores humanos e de técnicas da análise de redes sociais (ARS) em conjunto com técnicas clássicas quantitativas, como a ANOVA e a regressão múltipla; 3. em termos gerenciais, a verificação dos valores pessoais que favorecem a organização e o modo como se estruturam as relações de confiança no grupo. Design/metodologia/abordagem: O presente estudo caracteriza-se como uma pesquisa de campo descritiva com abordagem quantitativa. Foi aplicada uma survey com 171 participantes de dois grupos táticos da polícia de Brasília, utilizando o questionário QVB de valores funcionalistas e um questionário com oito perguntas sobre os relacionamentos instrumental e expressivo. Utilizaram-se a análise fatorial confirmatória para evidenciar a validade do instrumento e a ARS para os relacionamentos de confiança. No caso das relações entre valores e relacionamentos, adotaram-se a ANOVA e a regressão múltipla. Resultados: Os grupos táticos apresentaram características de valores pessoais mais pragmáticos e com menos valorização de individualismo, denotando características de valorização da execução e do coletivismo intragrupo. Os valores normativo e suprapessoal foram negativamente relacionados, respectivamente, às relações de amizade e profissionais, enquanto o valor realização foi positivamente relacionado às duas relações de confiança.

During probing and blood feeding, haematophagous mosquitoes inoculate a mixture of salivary molecules into their vertebrate hosts’ skin. In addition to the anti‐haemostatic and immunomodulatory activities, mosquito saliva also triggers acute inflammatory reactions, especially in sensitized hosts. Here, we characterize the oedema and the cellular infiltrate following Aedes aegypti mosquito bites in the skin of sensitized and non‐sensitized BALB/c mice by flow cytometry. Ae. aegypti bites induced an increased oedema in the ears of both non‐sensitized and salivary gland extract‐ (SGE‐)sensitized mice, peaking at 6 hr and 24 hr after exposure, respectively. The quantification of the total cell number in the ears revealed that the cellular recruitment was more robust in SGE‐sensitized mice than in non‐sensitized mice, and the histological evaluation confirmed these findings. The immunophenotyping performed by flow cytometry revealed that mosquito bites were able to produce complex changes in cell populations present in the ears of non‐sensitized and SGE‐sensitized mice. When compared with steady‐state ears, the leucocyte populations significantly recruited to the skin after mosquito bites in non‐sensitized and sensitized mice were eosinophils, neutrophils, monocytes, inflammatory monocytes, mast cells, B‐cells and CD4(+) T‐cells, each one with its specific kinetics. The changes in the absolute number of cells suggested two cell recruitment profiles: (i) a saliva‐dependent migration; and (ii) a migration dependent on the immune status of the host. These findings suggest that mosquito bites influence the skin microenvironment by inducing differential cell migration, which is dependent on the degree of host sensitization to salivary molecules.

Background During the feeding process, the mouthparts of hematophagous mosquitoes break the skin barrier and probe the host tissue to find the blood. The saliva inoculated in this microenvironment modulates host hemostasis, inflammation and adaptive immune responses. However, the mechanisms involved in these biological activities remain poorly understood and few studies explored the potential roles of mosquito saliva on the individual cellular components of the immune system. Here, we report the immunomodulatory activities of Aedes aegypti salivary cocktail on murine peritoneal macrophages. Results The salivary gland extract (SGE) of Ae. aegypti inhibited the production of nitric oxide and inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-6 (IL-6) and IL-12, as well as the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase and NF-κB by murine macrophages stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) plus interferon-γ (IFN-γ). The spare respiratory capacity, the phagocytic and microbicidal activities of these macrophages were also reduced by Ae. aegypti SGE. These phenotypic changes are consistent with SGE suppressing the proinflammatory program of M1 macrophages. On the other hand, Ae. aegypti SGE did not influence M2-associated markers (urea production, arginase-1 and mannose receptor-1 expression), either in macrophages alternatively activated by IL-4 or in those classically activated by LPS plus IFN-γ. In addition, Ae. aegypti SGE did not display any cytokine-binding activity, nor did it affect macrophage viability, thus excluding supposed experimental artifacts. Conclusions Given the importance of macrophages in a number of biological processes, our findings help to enlighten how vector saliva modulates vertebrate host immunity.