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This study presents a mathematical model for optimal vaccination strategies in interconnected metropolitan areas, considering commuting patterns. It is a compartmental model with a vaccination rate for each city, acting as a control function. The commuting patterns are incorporated through a weighted adjacency matrix and a parameter that selects day and night periods. The optimal control problem is formulated to minimize a functional cost that balances the number of hospitalizations and vaccines, including restrictions of a weekly availability cap and an application capacity of vaccines per unit of time. The key findings of this work are bounds for the basic reproduction number, particularly in the case of a metropolitan area, and the study of the optimal control problem. Theoretical analysis and numerical simulations provide insights into disease dynamics and the effectiveness of control measures. The research highlights the importance of prioritizing vaccination in the capital to better control the disease spread, as we depicted in our numerical simulations. This model serves as a tool to improve resource allocation in epidemic control across metropolitan regions.

O artigo analisa a concepção de objeto voz, proposta por Jacques Lacan, com o intuito de diferenciá-la do sentido comum de voz e de interrogar sua relação com a angústia. Para isso, dialogamos tanto com Jacques Derrida e sua crítica da voz fenomenológica, entendida como autoafecção, quanto com o trabalho de Theodor Reik em torno do objeto ritual shofar. Mostramos, assim, como o psicanalista francês, ao tematizar a reflexão reikiana, não só desenvolve a relação do objeto parcial voz com a angústia como também aborda a resolução desse afeto por meio da culpa. Este estudo se insere em uma pesquisa mais ampla, que busca fornecer um quadro a respeito da metapsicologia de Lacan sobre os afetos. A reconstrução crítica dos pontos apresentados ao longo do artigo também acaba por levantar o que tal horizonte lacaniano parece intuir, de maneira geral, sobre a ação.

Leaf senescence in plants is the last stage of leaf development and is characterized by a decline in photosynthetic activity, an active degeneration of cellular structures, and the recycling of accumulated nutrients to areas of active growth, such as buds, young leaves, flowers, fruits, and seeds. This process holds economic significance as it can impact yield, influencing the plant’s ability to maintain an active photosynthetic system during prolonged periods, especially during the grain filling stage, which affects plant weight and oil content. It can be associated with different stresses or environmental conditions, manifesting itself widely in the context of climate change and limiting yield, especially in crops of agronomic relevance. In this work, we study the stability of two widely described sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) genotypes belonging to the INTA Breeding Program against differential N conditions, to verify their yield stability in control conditions and under N supply. Two inbred lines were utilized, namely R453 (early senescence) and B481-6 (late senescence), with contrasting nitrogen availability in the soil but sharing the same ontogeny cycle length. It was observed that, starting from R5.5, the B481-6 genotype not only delayed senescence but also exhibited a positive response to increased nitrogen availability in the soil. This response included an increase in intercepted radiation, resulting in a statistically significant enhancement in grain yield. Conversely, the R453 genotype did not show significant differences under varying nitrogen availability and exhibited a tendency to decrease grain yield when nitrogen availability was increased. The response to nitrogen can vary depending on the specific genotype.

Introduction: Anemia is a common issue in surgical patients and has been associated with worse clinical outcomes, such as a higher probability of transfusions and longer hospital stay. Therefore, Patient Blood Management programs are actively aiming to achieve early identification and treatment of anemia, previous to the surgery. Methods and materials: In this study, preoperative hemoglobin within the Blood Order Schedule (BOS) at 16 blood centers in several Brazilian regions were retrospectively evaluated. Data regarding hemoglobin, age, gender and Brazilian regions were further analyzed. Results: From the 20,201 BOSs evaluated, the mean age was 55.65 ± 23.52 years old, with an overall prevalence of preoperative anemia of 60.9%. Women had a lower mean preoperative hemoglobin (11.74 ± 2.84 for women and 12.27 ± 3.06 for men) and higher prevalence of anemia than men (66% of females and 52.2% of males). The individuals over 65 years old and under 18 were the most affected by preoperative anemia. All regions had a high prevalence of preoperative anemia, without any direct association with the Human Development Index. Conclusion: In summary, upon evaluating the BOS, our study showed a high prevalence of preoperative anemia in all Brazilian regions, regardless of the gender and age group, but that women and individuals less than 18 or over 65 years old have an even higher prevalence of preoperative anemia. This information can identify the institutions in which preoperative anemia is a critical issue and in which new strategies, such as preoperative screening clinics, might be helpful.

Introdução/Objetivo: A avaliação em crianças da vacina com plataforma de vírus inativado contra o SARS-Cov2 é de especial interesse, por ser uma plataforma bem conhecida e aceita, além de ser um recurso disponível de produção nacional. Este ensaio clínico avaliou a imunogenicidade da vacinação de crianças e adolescentes, de 3 a 17 anos, com a vacina inativada (Coronavac) contra o SARS-Cov2 comparado a adultos (18-49 anos) que receberam a mesma vacina. Métodos: Ensaio clínico de não inferioridade para avaliar imunogenicidade da vacina inativada (Coronavac/Butantan), com braço aberto em crianças de 3 a 17 anos, comparado a adultos que receberam Coronavac. Todos receberam duas doses de 0,5 mL, com intervalo de 28 dias. Para determinação quantitativa de anticorpos contra a porção Receptor Binding Domain - RBD da proteína Spike do SARS-CoV-2 foi empregado o ensaio de eletroquimioluminescência do tipo sanduíche-duplo denominado Anti-SARS-CoV-2 S da Abbott. Considerou positivo ≥50 AU/mL ou 7,1 BAU/mL. Foram coletadas amostras nos tempos: pré-vacinação, 28 dias, 3, 6 e 12 meses após segunda dose. O tamanho da amostra considerou análise de não inferioridade, taxa de soroconversão, poder de estudo de 80%, erro alfa de 5% e perdas de 30%. Resultados: 958 crianças e adolescentes (3-17 anos) receberam a vacina Coronavac e foram comparados a adultos (18-65 anos) que também receberam Coronavac (n = 266). A soroconversão foi 100% em todos os grupos, com títulos médios geométricos significativamente maiores após a vacinação. Na análise intra-grupo das crianças primovacinadas que receberam Coronavac, os títulos médios geométricos foram maiores nas crianças 3-4 anos e decrescentes com a idade. Nas crianças de 3-4 anos foi 1,3x maior comparado com crianças 5-9 anos, 2,1x com crianças e adolescentes 10-17 anos, 2,9x mais que adultos de 18-49 anos, e 3,6 x mais que participantes mais velhos que 50 anos. Nos indivíduos soropositivos no baseline, ou seja, que já tinham imunidade natural conferida com contato prévio com o vírus SARS-Cov-2, houve aumento dos títulos após vacinação, maiores nas crianças 3-4 anos (4,3x) comparado com as crianças de 5-9 (3x) e 10-17 (2,5x). Conclusão: A vacinação com a vacina inativada (Coronavac) contra SARS- CoV-2 em crianças de 3-4 anos resultou em soroconversão não inferior e com maiores títulos de anticorpos, em comparação a crianças mais velhas, adolescentes e adultos. Estudo registrado no ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05225285.

In this work we fit an epidemiological model SEIAQR (Susceptible - Exposed - Infectious - Asymptomatic - Quarantined - Removed) to the data of the first COVID-19 outbreak in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Particular emphasis is given to the unreported rate, that is, the proportion of infected individuals that is not detected by the health system. The evaluation of the parameters of the model is based on a combination of error-weighted least squares method and appropriate B-splines. The structural and practical identifiability is analyzed to support the feasibility and robustness of the parameters’ estimation. We use the Bootstrap method to quantify the uncertainty of the estimates. For the outbreak of March–July 2020 in Rio de Janeiro, we estimate about 90% of unreported cases, with a 95% confidence interval (85%, 93%).

Leaf senescence in plants is the last stage of leaf development and is characterized by a decline in photosynthetic activity, an active degeneration of cellular structures, and the recycling of accumulated nutrients to areas of active growth, such as buds, young leaves, flowers, fruits, and seeds. This process holds economic significance as it can impact yield, influencing the plant's ability to maintain an active photosynthetic system during prolonged periods, especially during the grain filling stage, which affects plant weight and oil content. It can be associated with different stresses or environmental conditions, manifesting itself widely in the context of climate change and limiting yield, especially in crops of agronomic relevance. In this work, we study the stability of two widely described sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) genotypes belonging to the INTA Breeding Program against differential N conditions, to verify their yield stability in control conditions and under N supply. Two inbred lines were utilized, namely R453 (early senescence) and B481-6 (late senescence), with contrasting nitrogen availability in the soil but sharing the same ontogeny cycle length. It was observed that, starting from R5.5, the B481-6 genotype not only delayed senescence but also exhibited a positive response to increased nitrogen availability in the soil. This response included an increase in intercepted radiation, resulting in a statistically significant enhancement in grain yield. Conversely, the R453 genotype did not show significant differences under varying nitrogen availability and exhibited a tendency to decrease grain yield when nitrogen availability was increased. The response to nitrogen can vary depending on the specific genotype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents a mathematical model for optimal vaccination strategies in interconnected metropolitan areas, considering commuting patterns. It is a compartmental model with a vaccination rate for each city, acting as a control function. The commuting patterns are incorporated through a weighted adjacency matrix and a parameter that selects day and night periods. The optimal control problem is formulated to minimize a functional cost that balances the number of hospitalizations and vaccines, including restrictions of a weekly availability cap and an application capacity of vaccines per unit of time. The key findings of this work are bounds for the basic reproduction number, particularly in the case of a metropolitan area, and the study of the optimal control problem. Theoretical analysis and numerical simulations provide insights into disease dynamics and the effectiveness of control measures. The research highlights the importance of prioritizing vaccination in the capital to better control the disease spread, as we depicted in our numerical simulations. This model serves as a tool to improve resource allocation in epidemic control across metropolitan regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1) Background: Vulnerable populations including transplant recipients are jeopardised by COVID-19. Herein, we report on B and T cell responses among liver and kidney organ recipients at our centre. (2) Methods: 23 liver and 45 kidney (14 thereof combined kidney/pancreas) transplanted patients were vaccinated with two doses of BNT162b2 followed by a booster dose of mRNA-1273 in 28 non-responders 4 months thereafter. Anti-SARS-CoV-2-Ig was measured by specific ELISA and virus neutralisation assay; T cell responses were measured by a spike protein-specific IFN-γ release assay. (3) Results: Compared to controls, B and T cell responses were weak in transplant recipients, particularly in those without prior exposure to SARS-CoV-2. Within this group, only 15% after the first and 58.3% after the second vaccination achieved seroconversion. A total of 14 out of 28 vaccination non-responders achieved a seroconversion after a third dose. Vaccination side effects were more frequent in healthy controls. The use of mycophenolate was associated with reduced anti-SARS-CoV-2-Ig production. (4) Conclusions: Our data confirm that vaccination responses are insufficient after standard vaccination in liver and kidney transplant recipients and are affected to a variable degree by specific immunosuppressants, particularly mycophenolate. Monitoring vaccination success and re-vaccinating those who are unresponsive seems prudent to achieve sufficient titres. Overall, prospective large-scale, multinational, multicentre studies or high-quality meta-analyses will be needed to generate personalised vaccination strategies in order to achieve protective immunity in high-risk, hard-to-immunize populations.

Este artigo se insere em um debate atual acerca das políticas conceituais do campo lacaniano. Ele procura explorar um dos traços distintivos desse debate: a crítica à progressiva tematização da insuficiência da linguagem e à substancialização dos conceitos psicanalíticos no movimento lacaniano, identificada no trabalho de alguns psicanalistas. Este trabalho, por sua vez, apontaria para outra leitura do texto lacaniano, vetorizada por um horizonte ético-epistemológico distinto, marcadamente antisubstancialista. Destacaremos nisso o lugar de uma política dos usos de três conceitos fundamentais a esse campo: real, gozo e corpo. A partir das articulações propostas, procuraremos apresentar o substancialismo como um obstáculo em potencial para a psicanálise lacaniana, além de explorar algumas de suas possíveis implicações éticas, clínicas e epistemológicas.

Abstract Background Leaf senescence delay impacts positively in grain yield by maintaining the photosynthetic area during the reproductive stage and during grain filling. Therefore a comprehensive understanding of the gene families associated with leaf senescence is essential. NAC transcription factors (TF) form a large plant-specific gene family involved in regulating development, senescence, and responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. The main goal of this work was to identify sunflower NAC TF (HaNAC) and their association with senescence, studying their orthologous to understand possible functional relationships between genes of different species. Results To clarify the orthologous relationships, we used an in-depth comparative study of four divergent taxa, in dicots and monocots, with completely sequenced genomes (Arabidopsis thaliana, Vitis vinifera, Musa acuminata and Oryza sativa). These orthologous groups provide a curated resource for large scale protein sequence annotation of NAC TF. From the 151 HaNAC genes detected in the latest version of the sunflower genome, 50 genes were associated with senescence traits. These genes showed significant differential expression in two contrasting lines according to an RNAseq assay. An assessment of overexpressing the Arabidopsis line for HaNAC001 (a gene of the same orthologous group of Arabidopsis thaliana ORE1) revealed that this line displayed a significantly higher number of senescent leaves and a pronounced change in development rate. Conclusions This finding suggests HaNAC001 as an interesting candidate to explore the molecular regulation of senescence in sunflower.

Background: Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection (ESD) has become the standard therapy for early malignant lesions in the gastrointestinal tract and has shown as good oncological surgery results. Approximately 30% of ESDs do not meet the criteria for oncological curability, and upfront surgery is indicated. Hence, about 40% of patients with an indication for surgery are advised against surgery because of comorbidities and an advanced age. Methods: We performed a multicenter retrospective cohort study on the long-term outcomes of non-curative ESDs, performed between 2009 and May 2024, without additional tumor therapy. The primary outcome was the recurrence of malignancy, either local malignancy or lymph node metastasis during follow-up, or death. We compared the outcomes between two cohorts: after non-curative ESD (ncESD) and after curative ESD (cESD). Results: A total of 374 ESDs were analyzed in this study. Overall, the technical success rate was 91%, and the oncological curative resection criteria were met in 70.9% of patients. Severe complications occurred in 5% of cases without procedure-associated mortality. In the ncESD group, 20% (7/35) of patients had a recurrence of malignancy primarily due to positive horizontal margins in the resection specimens, and 3 out of 35 died due to a non-oncological reason during the follow-up (mean length 36.6 months). In the cESD group, 3% (1/33) of patients had tumor recurrence, and 1 patient died because of a non-oncological reason. The tumor recurrence rate between the cohorts was significant (p = 0.017), and overall mortality did not show significance (p = 0.33). Conclusions: Especially in the elderly and multimorbid patients, the recommendation to perform rescue surgery after non-curative ESD remains challenging. Residual malignancy rates in surgical resection specimens are low, recurrence rates of malignancy are low, and mortality rates for non-oncological reasons are high in this population. There is a need for more data for the individualization of patient management after non-curative ESD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Genome editing in mice using either classical approaches like homologous recombination or CRISPR/Cas9 has been reported to harbor off target effects (insertion/deletion, frame shifts or gene segment duplications) that lead to mutations not only in close proximity to the target site but also outside. Only the genomes of few engineered mouse strains have been sequenced. Since the role of the ether-lipid cleaving enzyme alkylglycerol monooxygenase (AGMO) in physiology and pathophysiology remains enigmatic, we created a knockout mouse model for AGMO using EUCOMM stem cells but unforeseen genotyping issues that did not agree with Mendelian distribution and enzyme activity data prompted an in-depth genomic validation of the mouse model. Results We report a gene segment tandem duplication event that occurred during the generation of an Agmo knockout-first allele by homologous recombination. Only low homology was seen between the breakpoints. While a single copy of the recombinant 18 kb cassette was integrated correctly around exon 2 of the Agmo gene, whole genome nanopore sequencing revealed a 94 kb duplication in the Agmo locus that contains Agmo wild-type exons 1–3. The duplication fooled genotyping by routine PCR, but could be resolved using qPCR-based genotyping, targeted locus amplification sequencing and nanopore sequencing. Despite this event, this Agmo knockout mouse model lacks AGMO enzyme activity and can therefore be used to study its physiological role. Conclusions A duplication event occurred at the exact locus of the homologous recombination and was not detected by conventional quality control filters such as FISH or long-range PCR over the recombination sites. Nanopore sequencing provides a cost convenient method to detect such underrated off-target effects, suggesting its use for additional quality assessment of gene editing in mice and also other model organisms.

O objetivo é analisar o percurso e os desafios encontrados no processo internacionalização do Programa de Pós-Graduação em Educação (PPGE) da Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCar), entendendo-o como intrínseco à globalização. Tratou-se de uma análise documental, realizada pela Comissão de Internacionalização do próprio Programa, com base nas propostas do Plano Estratégico de Internacionalização desta Universidade e em documentos produzidos pela Comissão no biênio 2018-2019. Os principais desafios encontrados referem-se à necessidade de fortalecimento de políticas de ensino de línguas estrangeiras e à escassez de recursos financeiros e de pessoal, além da necessidade de se conciliar internacionalização e inclusão social.

RESUMO Este artigo apresenta as narrativas das estratégias metodológicas de uma pesquisa-intervenção, desenvolvidas em três tempos, de 2015 a 2018, desde a chegada da equipe na calçada de um hospital geral de Porto Alegre (RS) até o encontro do Setor de Dor e Cuidados Paliativos como parceiro para desenvolver um dispositivo de trabalho que se intitulou Ateliê Jardim de Histórias. O dispositivo convidou pacientes diagnosticados com dor crônica a contar histórias, suas ou do mundo, verdadeiras ou inventadas, por meio de superfícies de inscrição (caixa, toalha) para essas histórias. A constituição do formato da pesquisa-intervenção aconteceu em um tempo estendido, escutando o contexto hospitalar por pelo menos dois anos, até inaugurar um formato que teve o bordado livre sobre uma maca hospitalar como mediador do diálogo. A aposta/hipótese de pesquisa é que, ao oferecer uma superfície de inscrição como a toalha, ela faça as vias de passagem para que a dor, significada como apenas orgânica, desloque-se para outro registro de significação, mais simbólico. Enquanto bordavam, os pacientes narraram suas histórias e inscreveram na toalha fragmentos de memórias, registro singular pela via da palavra. Os fundamentos da pesquisa-intervenção têm inspiração teórica em Walter Benjamin, na psicanálise de Freud e Lacan, além da Arte Contextual de Paul Ardenne. É um trabalho tecido por muitas mãos e fios teóricos que conduzem para a ideia do “tecer com o outro”, numa aposta de que o estabelecimento de práticas da relação entre sujeitos e diferentes campos do saber pode contribuir para o cuidado humanizado em saúde. Palavras-chave: Narrativas. Saúde. Arte. Psicanálise. Educação. ABSTRACT This article presents the narratives of the methodological strategies of a research-intervention, developed in three stages, from 2015 to 2018, from the arrival of the team on the sidewalk of a general hospital in Porto Alegre (RS) to the meeting with the Sector of Pain and Palliative Care as a partner to develop a working device named Atelier Jardim de Histórias (Garden of Stories Atelier). The device invited patients diagnosed with chronic pain to share stories, their own or the world’s, real or fabricated, through inscription surfaces (boxes, towels) for these stories. The establishing of the intervention-research’s format took place over an extended period of time, listening to the hospital context for at least two years, until the unveiling of a format that had free embroidery on a hospital stretcher as a mediator of dialogue. The research bet/hypothesis is that, by offering an inscription surface like a towel, it produces the passage ways so that the pain, signified as only organic, moves on to another register of meaning, a more symbolic one. While embroidering, patients narrated their stories and inscribed fragments of their memories on the towel, a singular record through the Way of Word. The foundations of the research-intervention have theoretical inspiration in Walter Benjamin, in the psychoanalysis of Freud and Lacan, in addition to the Contextual Art of Paul Ardenne. It is a work woven by many hands and theoretical threads that lead to the idea of “weaving with the other”, in a bet that the establishing of practices in the relationship between subjects and different fields of knowledge can contribute to humanized health care. Keywords: Narratives. Health. Art. Psychoanalysis. Education.

Este trabalho procura colocar em destaque, por meio da narrativa do escritor polonês Bruno Schulz, um operador possível para o enlace entre psicanálise e literatura: o texto (o romance literário ou uma vida narrada em análise) como resultante da impossibilidade de representar o real. A leitura de Schulz, guiada pela bússola da teoria psicanalítica de Freud e Lacan, permite com que se acentue o que chamamos de "mapa de ausências e apagamentos", elemento presente e transversalizador na compilação dos quinze contos que integram A rua dos Crocodilos. Esse mapa traça as linhas de um território no qual é possível realçar as reverberações do conceito de estranho de Freud e, com ele, refletir sobre os efeitos de leitura produzidos pela obra do escritor polonês.