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Gran parte de la vida de un ser humano está en constante interacción con sistemas que almacenan y transmiten información, con el fin de prestar algún servicio que optimice un proceso. El estudio de las diferentes políticas, herramientas y acciones que garanticen el buen uso de la información en sistemas informáticos —y, con frecuencia, en una organización— es por lo general el objetivo de la ciberseguridad. Las técnicas desarrolladas por la inteligencia artificial han empezado a aplicarse en una gran variedad de campos, en los cuales la identificación de patrones, el aprendizaje del entorno y la toma de decisiones son evidentemente necesarias. En este artículo se presenta una revisión bibliográfica de las diferentes técnicas de inteligencia artificial utilizadas en seguridad informática, con énfasis en sistemas de telecomunicaciones propiamente dichos. Los resultados obtenidos durante el estudio y la aplicabilidad de herramientas de control y prevención de comportamientos anómalos en sistemas de información basados en ciberseguridad han sido acogidos por las sociedades a nivel global, lo cual ha propiciado un crecimiento en la investigación y el desarrollo de inteligencias autónomas para el control y la manipulación de los datos, garantizando protección y almacenamiento. Por esto, ante la necesidad de contar con sistemas de almacenamiento seguros, se demuestra aquí la importancia de implementar técnicas basadas en inteligencia artificial, ya que es un mecanismo efectivo en la prevención y la reacción ante los inminentes riesgos, que permite cumplir con los lineamientos de la ciberseguridad: confidencialidad, integridad y disponibilidad.

In order to better understand the role of the Hg atmospheric samples, in this work we investigated how much Hg there is in a commercially available biodiesel/diesel mix (B7, 7 % v v-¹ biodiesel to ...

Extreme learning machines enable multilayered neural networks to perform activities to facilitate the process and business dynamics. It acts in pattern classification, linear regression problems, and time series prediction. The financial area needs efficient models that can perform businesses in a short time. Credit card fraud and debits occur regularly, and effective decision making can avoid significant obstacles for both clients and financial companies. This paper proposes a training model for multilayer networks where the weights of the training algorithm are defined by the nature and characteristics of the dataset using the concepts of the wavelet transform. The traditional algorithm of weights’ definition of the output layer is changed to a regularized method that acts more quickly in the description of the weights of the output layer. Finally, several activation functions are applied to the model to verify its efficiency in several scenarios. This model was subjected to an extensive dataset and comparing to different machine learning approaches. Its answers were satisfactory in a short-time execution, proving that the Extreme Learning Machine works efficiently to identify possible profiles of defaulters in payments in the financial relationships involving a credit card.

Medical curricula have historically been designed in a top-down approach, usually excluding students. While Delphi panels have been used as a tool for medical education curricula design, none have been conducted in Ecuador. In addition, no such approach has ever included students both as panelists and researchers. Four Delphi panels were developed and conducted using a participatory approach that allowed medical students to take part both as expert panelists and researchers: specifically, students developed the questionnaire and conducted a qualitative synthesis. Questionnaire responses were anonymized and dispatched online to panelists. The information was organized and collected to develop the qualitative syntheses and prepare the final statements. Thirty-two medical students participated between February and May 2018. A total of 32 questions were developed, corresponding to five different categories. For some questions, consensus was reached; for other questions, general statements were obtained. Discussion and conclusion: Developing the questionnaire, responding to it and analyzing the answers allowed students to raise significant concerns regarding medical education topics proposing relevant policy and curricula change. Participatory Delphi panels can be an efficient tool to obtain organized feedback, improve student class involvement, and promote research skills.

Two types of zeolites (type X and type A) were synthesized from fly ash of two Brazilian coal based power plants via hydrothermal treatment after ash fusion with NaOH. The synthesized zeolites were characterized by means of XRF, XRD, SEM and gas adsorption (N2 and CO2 adsorption/desorption at − 196 and 0 °C, respectively). Pure CO2 and N2 adsorption equilibrium isotherms were performed at 50, 70 and 90 °C to measure the CO2 adsorption capacity and selectivity of CO2 over N2. CO2/N2 binary isotherms (15/85% v/v) were also obtained at the same temperatures. Commercial zeolitic materials used for CO2/N2 separation such as zeolite 13X and zeolite 4A underwent the same characterization and adsorption measurements as benchmarks to evaluate the performance of the synthesized zeolites. The synthesized materials from fly ash are promising low cost adsorbents for CO2 separation, reaching ca. 83% of the CO2 adsorption capacity of their commercial counterparts at 0.15 bar and 50 °C.

Resumen Objetivo Describir la utilizacion de la simulacion como herramienta de apoyo a la gestion estrategica del cambio en el Servicio Cantabro de Salud en Espana. Metodos Se creo un grupo de trabajo encargado de: 1) definir las lineas estrategicas de innovacion y cambio asistencial; 2) establecer criterios para la seleccion de propuestas de cambio susceptibles de ser abordadas mediante simulacion clinica; 3) analizar y seleccionar las propuestas; 4) disenar y poner en marcha los programas de simulacion, y 5) evaluar los resultados. Resultados Los requerimientos constantemente cambiantes del sistema sanitario autonomico permitieron identificar 6 lineas estrategicas durante 2017-2018: 1) uso eficiente de los recursos; 2) implementacion de planes de salud de interes comunitario; 3) mejora de la seguridad del paciente; 4) gestion del personal sanitario; 5) desarrollo de nuevas areas competenciales, y 6) seleccion e implementacion de nueva tecnologia. Conclusiones La simulacion clinica es una herramienta util para promover estrategias de innovacion en la organizacion sanitaria, facilitando la adaptacion al cambio de los profesionales y pacientes.

Spinetoram is a new spinosyn recommended against lepidopteran and other defoliating species; while Eriopis connexa (Germar) preys upon aphids. To get additional control for defoliator and aphid species simultaneously it is worth to know the impact of spinetoram on the lady beetles. The impact of spinetoram on different stages of the lady beetle was studied using the field rates 0.08, 0.12, and 2-fold the highest field rate (0.24 g i.a./L). The study used two lady beetle populations: susceptible and resistant to pyrethroids, which is also recommended against defoliating pest species. Spinetoram applied on the egg masses resulted in similar development and hatching for spinetoram rates and lady beetle populations. Egg masses from resistant population treated with higher rates resulted in reduced survival for newly hatched larvae compared to untreated and the lower spinetoram rates. Lady beetle forage on treated surface for prey; but 4th- instar larvae confined on treated leaf exhibited similar developmental duration, pupation, and emergence rates. Larvae of similar age caged on treated leaves with aphids promoting dried residue and contaminated prey ingestion resulted in lower pupation rate at the highest spinetoram field rate for both lady beetle populations. Adult beetles from both populations caged on either spinetoram-dried residues or dried residues plus contaminated aphids exhibited similar egg production and survival. Therefore, responding the question raised with the study, spinetoram caused minor impact on lady beetle larvae and unnoticeable impact on adults; hence, can be another option for insecticide recommendation against lepidopteran larvae and still conserve the lady beetle.

Tenuisvalvae notata preys upon several mealybug species (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), a group of worldwide pests including Planococcus citri and Ferrisia dasyrilii. Although the consequences of variation in temperaturefor the development and reproduction of insects are generally appreciated, the consequences of potential interactions between temperature and prey for predatory insects are not. Thermal requirements and predation rates were determined for T. notata at different constant temperatures with both prey species. T. notata larvae developed to adults in experimental conditions > 18 to

Resumen Ciertas enfermedades prevenibles con vacunas, como la enfermedad neumococica invasiva (ENI), la neumonia y la otitis media (OM) son causadas por Streptococcus pneumoniae. Las vacunas neumococicas conjugadas (VNC) han contribuido de manera considerable a reducir la carga de la enfermedad neumococica. La evidencia bibliografica publicada indica que la VNC con la proteina D de Haemophilus influenzae y la VNC de 13 valencias tienen un impacto comparable sobre la carga de la enfermedad neumococica. Esta opinion ha sido emitida por entidades independientes y reconocidas de salud publica como la Organizacion Mundial de la Salud (OMS) y la Organizacion Panamericana de la Salud (OPS). El efecto neto se ve limitado por el reemplazo continuo de serotipos no incluidos en las formulaciones. Los estudios centrados en serotipos concretos deberian reconocer que el objetivo principal de la vacunacion con las VNC es reducir la carga global de la enfermedad, independientemente de los serotipos contenidos en la formulacion.

Certain vaccine-preventable diseases such as invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD), pneumonia, and otitis media (OM) are caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae. Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) have significantly contributed to reduce the burden of pneumococcal disease. The evidence from published literature indicates that the pneumococcal Haemophilus influenzae protein D conjugate vaccine and the 13-valent PCV have similar impact against pneumococcal disease burden. This opinion has been adopted by independent recognised public health entities such as the World Health Organization and the Pan American Health Organization. The net effect is limited by the continuous replacement of serotypes not contained in the formulations. The studies focusing on specific serotypes should recognise that the main goal of the vaccination with PCVs is to reduce the overall burden of disease regardless the serotypes already contained into formulation.

The brain integrates streams of sensory input and builds accurate predictions, while arriving at stable percepts under disparate time scales. This stochastic process bears different dynamics for different people, yet statistical learning (SL) currently averages out, as noise, individual fluctuations in data streams registered from the brain as the person learns. We here adopt the motor systems perspective to reframe SL. Specifically, we rethink this problem using the demands that the person’s brain faces to predict, and control variations in biorhythmic activity akin to those present in bodily motions. This new approach harnesses gross data as the important signals, to reassess how individuals learn predictive information in stable and unstable environments. We find two types of learners: narrow-variance learners, who retain explicit knowledge of the regularity embedded in the stimuli -the goal. They seem to use an error-correction strategy steadily present in both stable and unstable cases. In contrast, broad-variance learners emerge only in the unstable environment. They undergo an initial period of memoryless learning characterized by a gamma process that starts out exponentially distributed but converges to Gaussian. We coin this mode exploratory, preceding the more general error-correction mode characterized by skewed-to-symmetric distributions and higher signal content from the start. Our work demonstrates that statistical learning is a highly dynamic and stochastic process, unfolding at different time scales, and evolving distinct learning strategies on demand.

Over time, the satisfaction of needs and the ability to meet them have consistently increased. However, the world of the 21st century is one in which the basic needs of millions of human beings are still not satisfied. Why? To an extent, nonprofit organizations such as charities play essential roles in the needed improvement of this situation. In this regard, the human factor within an organization is key influence in organizational performance and societal impact. Human beings within organizations make decisions based on their own motives, so the ethical values of each person are significantly important. Therefore, it is necessary to use analyze the potential of the human factor in the fourth industrial revolution and to analyze its influence in the previous industrial revolutions. This research was aimed to conduct such analyses for a nonprofit charity. Moreover, the authors of this paper also analyzed the industrial revolution potentials of the charity case study using system dynamics. The relevance of the presented paper was ensured by the aforementioned combination of topics. The results showed how greater impacts, higher expenses, and higher stocks were not necessarily able to quantitatively satisfy food needs in a timely manner if the human factor and global effectiveness and efficiency were not optimized. When these aspects were optimized, our hypothesis was proven, as the models set for further industrial revolutions were shown to provide better results in the satisfaction, efficiency, and economic indicators with a lower financial need; therefore, this model can be used to satisfy other needs of Maslow’s pyramid. In conclusion, this proposed approach empowers welfare organizations to increase their CSR consideration, thus enabling them to use internal mechanisms to secure viability in the pursuit of a high-performance CSR approach.

Recent studies have investigated the use of satellite imaging combined with machine learning for modelling the Chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) concentration of bodies of water. However, most of these studies use satellite data that lack the temporal resolution needed to monitor dynamic changes in Chl-a in productive lakes like Laguna Lake. Thus, the aim of this paper is to present the methodology for modelling the Chl-a concentration of Laguna Lake in the Philippines using satellite imaging and machine learning algorithms. The methodology uses images from the Himawari-8 satellite, which have a spatial resolution of 0.5–2 km and are taken every 10 minutes. These are converted into a GeoTIFF format, where differences in spatial resolution are resolved. Additionally, radiometric correction, resampling, and filtering of the Himawari-8 bands to exclude cloud-contaminated pixels are performed. Subsequently, various regression and gradient boosting machine learning algorithms are applied onto the train dataset and evaluated, namely: Simple Linear Regression, Ridge Regression, Lasso Regression, and Light Gradient Boosting Model (LightGBM). The results of this study show that it is indeed possible to integrate algorithms in Machine Learning in modelling the near real-time variations in Chl-a content in a body of water, specifically in the case of Laguna Lake, to an acceptable margin of error. Specifically, the regression models performed similarly with a train RMSE of 1.44 and test RMSE of 2.51 for Simple Linear Regression and 2.48 for Ridge and Lasso Regression. The linear regression models exhibited a larger degree of overfitting than the LightGBM model, which had a 2.18 train RMSE.

Melon production in the Brazilian semi-arid region is subject to the use of marginal waters with high salinity. However, the use of regulators and bioactivators in seed treatment can mitigate the harmful effects of salts in irrigation water. In this context, the objective was to evaluate the effect of pre-germination treatments with plant regulators and bioactivator in melon seeds for the production of seedlings irrigated with biosaline water from fish farming effluent. For this, two trials with the Goldex and Grand Prix hybrids were carried out separately. A completely randomized design was used in a 4 × 3 factorial scheme (pre-germination treatments × water dilutions). In addition to the control, the seeds were treated with salicylic and gibberellic acids and thiamethoxam. The waters used for irrigation were local-supply water, fish farming effluent (biosaline water) and these diluted to 50%. Physiological and biochemical analyses were performed for fourteen days. Biosaline water (5.0 dS m-1) did not affect the emergence of Goldex melon seedlings, but compromised the establishment of the Grand Prix cultivar. Seed pre-treatments with salicylic and gibberellic acids attenuate the effects of water salinity and promote growth modulations, resulting in more vigorous melon seedlings. Resumo A produção de meloeiro no semiárido brasileiro está sujeita a utilização de águas marginais com salinidade elevada. Entretanto, a utilização de reguladores e bioativadores no tratamento de sementes podem mitigar os efeitos nocivos dos sais na água de irrigação. Nesse sentido, objetivou-se avaliar o efeito de tratamentos pré-germinativos com fitorreguladores e bioativador em sementes de melão para a produção de mudas irrigadas com água biossalina de efluente de piscicultura. Para isso, dois ensaios com os híbridos Goldex e Grand Prix foram realizados separadamente. Utilizou-se delineamento inteiramente casualizado em esquema fatorial 4 × 3 (tratamentos pré-germinativos × diluições de água). Além do controle, as sementes foram tratadas com os ácidos salicílico e giberélico, e tiametoxam. As águas utilizadas para irrigação foram a de abastecimento local, efluente de piscicultura (água biossalina) e estas diluídas a 50%. Durante quatorze dias foram realizadas as análises fisiológicas e bioquímicas. A água biossalina (5,0 dS m-1) não afetou a emergência de plântulas de meloeiro Goldex, mas prejudicou o estabelecimento da cultivar Grand Prix. Os pré-tratamentos de sementes com os ácidos salicílico e giberélico atenuam os efeitos da salinidade da água e promovem modulações no crescimento, proporcionando mudas de meloeiro mais vigorosas.

Background Data on pediatric asthma morbidity and effective environmental interventions in U.S. agricultural settings are few. We evaluated the effectiveness of HEPA air cleaners on asthma morbidity among a cohort of rural Latino children. Methods Seventy-five children with poorly controlled asthma and living in non-smoking homes were randomly assigned to asthma education alone or along with HEPA air cleaners placed in their sleeping area and home living room. The Asthma Control Test (ACT) score, asthma symptoms in prior 2 weeks, unplanned clinical utilization, creatinine-adjusted urinary leukotriene E4 (uLTE4 [ng/mg]), and additional secondary outcomes were evaluated at baseline, six, and 12 months. Group differences were assessed using multivariable-adjusted generalized estimating equations. Incident rate ratios of ever experiencing the metrics of poorer asthma health during follow-up (suboptimal asthma management) were estimated using Poisson regression models in secondary analysis. Results Mean child age was 9.2 and 8.6 years in intervention and control groups, respectively, and two-thirds of participants were male. Primary analysis of repeated measures of ACT score did not differ between groups (HEPA group mean change compared to controls 10% [95% CI: − 12-39%]). A suggestion of greater decrease in uLTE4 (ng/mg creatinine) was observed (− 10% [95% CI: − 20 -1%]). Secondary analysis showed children with HEPAs were less likely to have an ACT score meeting a clinically defined cutoff for poorly controlled asthma using repeated measures (IRR: 0.45 [95% CI: 0.21–0.97]). In Poisson models, intervention participants had reduced risk of ever meeting this cutoff (IRR: 0.43 [95% CI: 0.21–0.89]), ever having symptoms in the past 2 weeks (IRR: 0.71 [95% CI: 0.52–0.98]), and lower risk of any unplanned clinical utilization (IRR: 0.35 [95% CI: 0.13–0.94]) compared to control participants. Discussion The HAPI study showed generally improved outcomes among children in the HEPA air cleaner group. However, primary analyses did not meet statistical significance and many outcomes were subjective (self-report) in this unblinded study, so findings must be interpreted cautiously. HEPA air cleaners may provide additional benefit for child asthma health where traditional asthmagens (traffic, tobacco smoke) are not prominent factors, but larger studies with more statistical power and blinded designs are needed. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04919915. Date of retrospective registration: May 19, 2021.

Kernels are often used for modelling non-linear data, developing a main role in models like the SVM. The optimization of its parameters to better fit each dataset is a frequently faced challenge: A bad choice of kernel parameters often implies a poor model. This problem is usually worked out using exhaustive search approaches, such as cross-validation. These methods, however, do not take into account existent information on data arrangement. This paper proposes an alternative approach, based on density estimation. By making use of density estimation methods to analyze the dataset structure, it is proposed a function over the kernel parameters. This function can be used to choose the parameters that best suit the data.

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of atmospheric plasma application on the inactivation of fungi on the surface of Erythrina velutina seeds and on isolated fungal colonies. Two experiments were conducted using a completely randomized design. First, plasma was applied to the surface of the seeds using helium gas and atmospheric plasma for 3, 6, and 9 min in addition to the control (untreated seeds), constituting seven treatments with five repetitions each. In the second experiment, Petri dishes containing the inoculum of different fungi were treated with atmospheric air plasma for 3, 6, and 9 min (Air-3, Air-6, and Air-9) and were compared with untreated fungi in Petri dishes without treatment (control), totaling four treatments and five repetitions each. We found that the application of atmospheric air plasma to E. velutina seeds for 9 min had an antimicrobial effect on the fungi Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Fusarium sp., Brachysporium sp., and Rhizopus sp. The formation of fungal colonies isolated from E. velutina seeds was also inhibited by 3 min of exposure to atmospheric air plasma, except for A. niger, whose inhibition occurred after 6 min of exposure to atmospheric plasma. Resumo Este trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar o efeito da aplicação de plasma atmosférico na inativação de fungos na superfície de sementes de Erythrina velutina e em colônias fúngicas isoladas. Dois experimentos foram realizados em delineamento inteiramente casualizado: no primeiro, o plasma foi aplicado na superfície das sementes usando gás hélio e plasma atmosférico por três, seis e nove minutos, além do controle (sementes sem tratamento), constituindo sete tratamentos com cinco repetições cada; no segundo experimento, placas de Petri contendo o inóculo de diferentes fungos foram tratadas com plasma atmosférico por três, seis e nove minutos (Air-3, Air-6 e Air-9) e comparadas com fungos não tratados em placas de Petri sem tratamento (controle), totalizando quatro tratamentos e cinco repetições cada. Descobrimos que a aplicação de plasma atmosférico nas sementes de E. velutina por nove minutos teve efeito antimicrobiano sobre os fungos Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Fusarium sp., Brachysporium sp. e Rhizopus sp. A formação de colônias fúngicas isoladas de sementes de E. velutina também foi inibida por três minutos de exposição à aplicação de plasma atmosférico, exceto para A. niger, cuja inibição ocorreu a partir de 6 minutos de exposição à aplicação de plasma atmosférico.

In our continuing effort to develop effective anti-heroin vaccines as potential medications for the treatment of opioid use disorder, herein we present the design and synthesis of the haptens: 1-AmidoMorHap (1), 1-AmidoMorHap epimer (2), 1 Amido-DihydroMorHap (3), and 1 Amido-DihydroMorHap epimer (4). This is the first report of hydrolytically stable haptenic surrogates of heroin with the attachment site at the C1 position in the 4,5-epoxymorophinan nucleus. We prepared respective tetanus toxoid (TT)–hapten conjugates as heroin vaccine immunogens and evaluated their efficacy in vivo. We showed that all TT–hapten conjugates induced high antibody endpoint titers against the targets but only haptens 2 and 3 can induce protective effects against heroin in vivo. The epimeric analogues of these haptens, 1 and 4, failed to protect mice from the effects of heroin. We also showed that the in vivo efficacy is consistent with the results of the in vitro drug sequestration assay. Attachment of the linker at the C1 position induced antibodies with weak binding to the target drugs. Only TT-2 and TT-3 yielded antibodies that bound heroin and 6-acetyl morphine. None of the TT–hapten conjugates induced antibodies that cross-reacted with morphine, methadone, naloxone, or naltrexone, and only TT-3 interacted weakly with buprenorphine, and that subtle structural difference, especially at the C6 position, can vastly alter the specificity of the induced antibodies. This study is an important contribution in the field of vaccine development against small-molecule targets, providing proof that the chirality at C6 in these epoxymorphinans is a vital key to their effectiveness.

The bridge over the Quisi Ravine in Alicante Province (Spain), built between 1913 and 1915, consists of six 22-22-42-42-22-22 m long steel Pratt truss spans, the lateral spans being isostatic and the central spans continuous. All the joints between the steel elements are riveted. As the bridge has been carrying railway traffic for more than 100 years, its condition needed to be assessed before carrying out the necessary repairs reinforcement to extend its service life. One of the most interesting tasks on the bridge involved a study of its fatigue behaviour to estimate its remaining useful life. Only a few kilometres away there happened to be another bridge with identical geometry over the Ferrandet Ravine, which had recently been dismantled and taken out of service and had carried the same railway traffic as the one over the Quisi Ravine. Advantage was therefore taken of this unique opportunity to test one of its isostatic spans in order to extrapolate the results to the Quisi Bridge. These tests were carried out at the ICITECH laboratories at the Universitat Politècnica de València in two different scenarios: 1) one test on a 22 m span, and 2) another on one of its girders, in both of which simulated railway traffic cyclical loads were applied. The results allowed us to estimate the number of trains that could pass over the bridge and its remaining service life, and also to define a monitoring method to help in decision making in case of possible failures of its component parts. The study also included an analysis of the bridge’s robustness in local failures of some of its elements, which led to a further bridge cyclical loading test with a deliberately damaged component. Even though other researchers had previously carried out fatigue tests on full-scale riveted bridge elements, the ICITECH study is unique in that it is the first time a full-scale bridge has been subjected to fatigue tests. This work was accompanied by advanced numerical modelling studies considering the fracture mechanics theory.

The current COVID-19 pandemic is causing profound health, economic, and social problems worldwide. The global shortage of medical and personal protective equipment (PPE) in specialized centers during the outbreak demonstrated the need for efficient methods to disinfect and recycle them in times of emergency. We have previously described that high ozone concentrations destroyed viral RNA in an inactivated SARS-CoV-2 strain within a few minutes. However, the efficient ozone dosages for active SARS-CoV-2 are still unknown. The present study aimed to evaluate the systematic effects of ozone exposure on face masks from hospitalized patients infected with SARS-CoV-2. Face masks from COVID-19 patients were collected and treated with a clinical ozone generator at high ozone concentrations in small volumes for short periods. The study focused on SARS-CoV-2 gene detection (assessed by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR)) and on the virus inactivation by in vitro studies. We assessed the effects of different high ozone concentrations and exposure times on decontamination efficiency. We showed that high ozone concentrations (10,000, 2,000, and 4,000 ppm) and short exposure times (10, 10, and 2 minutes, respectively), inactivated both the original strain and the B.1.1.7 strain of SARS-CoV-2 from 24 contaminated face masks from COVID-19 patients. The validation results showed that the best condition for SARS-CoV-2 inactivation was a treatment of 4,000 ppm of ozone for 2 minutes. Further studies are in progress to advance the potential applications of these findings.

Pancreatic cancer is the third leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. Black patients with pancreatic cancer experience higher incidence and increased mortality. Although racial biologic differences exist, socioeconomic status, insurance type, physician bias, and patient beliefs contribute to the disparities in outcomes observed among patients who are Black, indigenous, and people of color.

Strong evidence shows that exposure and engagement with the natural world not only improve human wellbeing but can also help promote environmentally friendly behaviors. Human-nature relationships are at the heart of global agendas promoted by international organizations including the World Health Organization’s (WHO) “One Health” and the United Nations (UN) “Ocean Decade.” These agendas demand collaborative multisector interdisciplinary efforts at local, national, and global levels. However, while global agendas highlight global goals for a sustainable world, developing science that directly addresses these agendas from design through to delivery and outputs does not come without its challenges. In this article, we present the outcomes of international meetings between researchers, stakeholders, and policymakers from the United Kingdom and Brazil. We propose a model for interdisciplinary work under such global agendas, particularly the interface between One Health and the UN Ocean Decade and identify three priority research areas closely linked to each other: human-nature connection, conservation-human behavior, and implementation strategies (bringing stakeholders together). We also discuss a number of recommendations for moving forward.

The combination of tacrolimus (TAC) and mycophenolate is the most widely employed maintenance immunosuppression in renal transplants. Different surrogates of tacrolimus exposure or metabolism such as tacrolimus trough levels (TAC-C0), coefficient of variation of tacrolimus (CV-TAC-C0), time in therapeutic range (TTR), and tacrolimus concentration dose ratio (C/D) have been associated with graft outcomes. We explore in a cohort of low immunological risk renal transplants (n = 85) treated with TAC, mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), and steroids and then monitored by paired surveillance biopsies the association between histological lesions and TAC-C0 at the time of biopsy as well as CV-TAC-C0, TTR, and C/D during follow up. Interstitial inflammation (i-Banff score &ge, 1) in the first surveillance biopsy was associated with TAC-C0 (odds ratio (OR): 0.69, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.50&ndash, 0.96, p = 0.027). In the second surveillance biopsy, inflammation was associated with time below the therapeutic range (OR: 1.05 and 95% CI: 1.01&ndash, 1.10, p = 0.023). Interstitial inflammation in scarred areas (i-IFTA score &ge, 1) was not associated with surrogates of TAC exposure/metabolism. Progression of interstitial fibrosis/tubular atrophy (IF/TA) was observed in 35 cases (41.2%). Multivariate regression logistic analysis showed that mean C/D (OR: 0.48, 95% CI: 0.25&ndash, 0.92, p = 0.026) and IF/TA in the first biopsy (OR: 0.43, 95% CI: 0.24&ndash, 0.77, p = 0.005) were associated with IF/TA progression between biopsies. A low C/D ratio is associated with IF/TA progression, suggesting that TAC nephrotoxicity may contribute to fibrosis progression in well immunosuppressed patients. Our data support that TAC exposure is associated with inflammation in healthy kidney areas but not in scarred tissue.

The Model for End Stage Liver Disease (MELD) predicts mortality for liver disease patients. The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) estimates mortality risk for surgical patients; however, NSQIP does not collect data regarding liver disease. This study's aim was to examine the accuracy of NSQIP mortality estimates for patients with elevated MELD scores.NSQIP participant user files from 2005 to 2016 were queried. MELD scores were calculated and patients with scores ≥10 included. NSQIP-predicted mortality was compared to actual mortality.268,873 patients met inclusion criteria. Predicted and observed number of 30-day postoperative deaths were 20,644 (7.7%) and 21,764 (8.1%). For patients with MELD ≥24, NSQIP-predicted 30-day mortality underestimated actual mortality. For patients with MELD ≤22, predicted and actual risks were similar.NSQIP predicts 30-day mortality risk well for patients with MELD scores from 10 to 22, but underestimates risk for patients with higher MELD scores.

Mortality of agricultural pests caused by arthropod predators is a valuable ecosystem service for crop production. The earwig, Euborellia annulipes (Lucas), attacks different pest species in various crop ecosystems, including larvae and pupae of the boll weevil, Anthonomus grandis grandis (Boh.). Despite such biological control, cotton pest management remains heavily dependent on synthetic insecticides. In this study, multiple factors were assessed to measure the selectivity of insecticides used against sap-sucking and chewing cotton pests for two E. annulipes populations. Nymphs and adults of E. annulipes were exposed to the insecticides in two ways: ingestion of contaminated prey, and contact with dried residues on either inert surfaces or treated plants bearing prey. Pymetrozine, chlorantraniliprole, and spinetoram had little effect on the predator regardless the tested earwig population, life stage, or the route of exposure. Cyantraniliprole affected the predator in some life stages and through some types of contact. Pyriproxyfen was harmless to adult earwigs, but prevented normal development of nymphs to adults. Chlorfenapyr, indoxacarb, lambda-cyhalothrin, chlorpyrifos, dimethoate, and malathion were harmful to the predator regardless earwig life stage or method of exposure. The negative impact was diminished when exposure occurred on plants with predator allowed to shelter in the soil. The results indicate that insecticide selectivity outcome is a multi-factor driven by the insecticide, predator life stage and the redator’s behavior. Therefore, testing different predator life stages via several routes of exposure, without denying the insect the opportunity to engage in its normal behaviors can provide better estimates of insecticide selectivity.

Temperature is one of the abiotic factors that strongly influences the biology and behavior of insects. In this study, we assessed the development of egg parasitoids Ooencyrtus submetallicus and Telenomus podisi parasitizing Euschistus heros eggs at different temperatures, and estimated the average number of generations for seven representative soybean-producing regions in Brazil. A comparative biology study was conducted, where the percentage of parasitism and emergence, life cycle duration (egg–adult), and longevity were found to be similar between O. submetallicus and T. podisi. The sex ratio and the number of individuals emerged from parasitized egg were higher in O. submetallicus in all regions. In the study of thermal requirements, temperatures of 16, 19, 22, 25, 28, 31, and 33 °C were tested. O. submetallicus and T. podisi developed at temperatures between 16 and 31 °C. The base temperature (Tb) for O. submetallicus and T. podisi was 9.3 and 6.7 °C, respectively, the thermal constant (K) was 336.9 and 272.7 degree-days, respectively. The estimated average number of annual generations of both parasitoids was higher than the host. O. submetallicus and T. podisi have the same ability to parasitize and develop in eggs of E. heros under the conditions studied. Both parasitoids exhibited satisfactory development and parasitism at temperatures between 19 and 31 °C. The development of both parasitoids was faster than their host, and the number of generations was higher for the seven studied localities.