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Abstract Background Application of data-driven strategies may support veterinarians’ decision-making, benefitting pig disease prevention and control. However, little is known about veterinarians’ need for data utilisation to support their decision-making process. The current study used qualitative methods, specifically focus group discussions, to explore veterinarians’ views on data utilisation and their need for data tools in relation to pig health and welfare management in Spain, the Netherlands, and Ireland. Results Generally, veterinarians pointed out the potential benefits of using technology for pig health and welfare management, but data is not yet structurally available to support their decision-making. Veterinarians pointed out the challenge of collecting, recording, and accessing data in a consistent and timely manner. Besides, the reliability, standardisation, and the context of data were identified as important factors affecting the efficiency and effectiveness of data utilisation by veterinarians. A user-friendly, adaptable, and integrated data tool was regarded as potentially helpful for veterinarians’ daily work and supporting their decision-making. Specifically, veterinarians, particularly independent veterinary practitioners, noted a need for easy access to pig information. Veterinarians such as those working for integrated companies, corporate veterinarians, and independent veterinary practitioners expressed their need for data tools that provide useful information to monitor pig health and welfare in real-time, to visualise the prevalence of endemic disease based on a shared report between farmers, veterinarians, and other professional parties, to support decision-making, and to receive early warnings for disease prevention and control. Conclusions It is concluded that the management of pig health and welfare may benefit from data utilisation if the quality of data can be assured, the data tools can meet veterinarians’ needs for decision-making, and the collaboration of sharing data and using data between farmers, veterinarians, and other professional parties can be enhanced. Nevertheless, several notable technical and institutional barriers still exist, which need to be overcome.

O texto tem por objetivo apresentar uma formação desenvolvida em uma escola estadual na cidade de Natal/RN. Trata-se de uma formação colaborativa, fundamentada na Teoria Histórico-Cultural da Atividade, que teve como objetivo criar espaços de compartilhamento e construção de aprendizagens para a organização de um trabalho colaborativo e inclusivo na Escola. Ela ocorreu em duas partes, sendo a primeira entre os meses de outubro e dezembro de 2021, e a segunda entre maio e junho de 2022. Foram 10 encontros realizados de modo online; participaram professores dos anos iniciais e dos anos finais do Ensino Fundamental, professores de Educação Especial, professores intérpretes de Libras, professores que estão na gestão escolar, além das pesquisadoras e estudantes de Pedagogia. No total, foram 25 participantes. Cada encontro da formação era planejado com artefatos mediadores para desencadear a reflexão coletiva sobre o trabalho pedagógico na escola; a continuidade das discussões era definida a partir daquilo que emergisse nos encontros e do interesse das pessoas. Ao longo dos encontros, os participantes foram articulando possibilidades para promover a colaboração que desse suporte à inclusão dos estudantes com NEE, tanto desenvolvendo novas ferramentas, quanto buscando retomar outras já existentes na escola. Destaca-se que foi muito importante ter uma equipe na condução da formação. Fazer formação continuada de professores, tendo como base a colaboração, foi um grande desafio, mas os resultados alcançados demonstram que é possível os professores se engajarem e assumirem protagonismo, refletindo sobre as próprias práticas e propondo coletivamente as mudanças que percebem necessárias.

This paper explores the theoretical economic outcome of management changes that result in different levels of antimicrobial use (AMU) in two types of UK pig farm. A static farm economic pig production model (FEPM) was used on a representative ‘Top-third’ most profitable farm and a representative ‘Mid-range’ profitable farm. Three AMU theoretical management scenarios were investigated; (a) management changes leading to a reduction of AMU by 35% (AMU35); (b) more extensive management changes leading to a reduction of AMU by 95% (AMU95); and (c) implementing depopulation of the herd (AMU Depop). A sensitivity analysis was conducted to determine the effect of increases or decreases in pig revenue and feed price on farm gross margin under these scenarios. Over a single year, the AMU35 scenario was estimated to have a small positive impact (+3%) on both farm types. The other two AMU reduction scenarios had higher AMU reduction on farms but required higher variable cost and hence they resulted in lower farm profitability. There was a substantial reduction (up to −50%) in farm gross margin under these two AMU reduction scenarios in the modeled short-term time-period. The impact of the alternative AMU scenarios was slightly higher on a farm representing the ‘Top-third’ farm type, reducing farm gross margin further by 7% compared to the ‘Mid-range’ farm. Nevertheless, both farm types stay profitable under all three AMU scenarios. The results showed that in the modeled short-term implementing management changes that result in a reduction of on-farm AMU by 35% had a good economic outcome. In practice, the other two scenarios would be considered as longer-term strategies. Although both require higher initial costs to implement, the improved biosecurity and hygiene will benefit from lower disease occurrence for a longer term. Farm gross margins were, however, found to be highly sensitive to changes on market prices especially increasing feed prices. An increase of more than 15% in feed price moved a profitable farm into a loss-making farm. It will be economically challenging for uptakes of these, or similar, AMU reduction scenarios on farms if the market prices become un-favorable to pig farmers.

IntroductionThe use of existing data to provide surveillance intelligence is widely advocated but often presents considerable challenges. Two data sources could be used as proxies for the mortality experienced by the Scottish cattle population: deaths recorded in the mandatory register [Cattle Tracing System (CTS)] and fallen stock collections by the National Fallen Stock Company (NSFCo) with a nationwide voluntary membership.MethodsData for the period 2011–2016 were described and compared to establish their strengths and limitations. Similarities and differences in their temporal, seasonal and spatial patterns were examined overall, at postcode area level and for different age groups. Temporal aberration detection algorithms (TADA) were fitted.ResultsBroadly, similar patterns were observed in the two datasets; however, there were some notable differences. The observed seasonal, annual and spatial patterns match expectations, given knowledge of Scottish cattle production systems. The registry data provide more comprehensive coverage of all areas of Scotland, while collections data provide a more comprehensive measure of the mortality experienced in 0–1-month-old calves.DiscussionConsequently, estimates of early calf mortality and their impact on the livestock sector made using CTS, or successor registers, will be under-estimates. This may apply to other registry-based systems. Fitted TADA detected points of deviations from expected norms some of which coincided in the two datasets; one with a known external event that caused increased mortality. We have demonstrated that both data sources do have the potential to be utilized to provide measures of mortality in the Scottish cattle population that could inform surveillance activities. While neither is perfect, they are complementary. Each has strengths and weaknesses, so ideally, a system where they are analyzed and interpreted in parallel would optimize the information obtained for surveillance purposes for epidemiologists, risk managers, animal health policy-makers and the wider livestock industry sector. This study provides a foundation on which to build an operational system. Further development will require improvements in the timeliness of data availability and further investment of resources.

The recently discovered human lncRNA NORAD is induced after DNA damage in a p53-dependent manner. It plays a critical role in the maintenance of genomic stability through interaction with Pumilio proteins, limiting the repression of their target mRNAs. Therefore, NORAD inactivation causes chromosomal instability and aneuploidy, which contributes to the accumulation of genetic abnormalities and tumorigenesis. NORAD has been detected in several types of cancer, including breast cancer, which is the most frequently diagnosed and the second-leading cause of cancer death in women. In the present study, we confirmed upregulated NORAD expression levels in a set of human epithelial breast cancer cell lines (MDA-MB-231, MDA-MB-436, and MDA-MB-468), which belong to the most aggressive subtypes (triple-negative breast cancer). These results are in line with previous data showing that high NORAD expression levels in basal-like tumors were associated with poor prognosis. Here, we demonstrate that NORAD downregulation sensitizes triple-negative breast cancer cells to chemotherapy, through a potential accumulation of genomic aberrations and an impaired capacity to signal DNA damage. These results show that NORAD may represent an unexploited neoadjuvant therapeutic target for chemotherapy-unresponsive breast cancer.

Neste trabalho objetivamos abordar o tema população e fome, os indicadores da insegurança alimentar no Brasil e no mundo e como os Objetivos de Desenvolvimento Sustentável (ODS) da Organização das Nações Unidas (ONU) podem ser um caminho a seguir para auxiliar na erradicação da fome. Para construir este artigo, utilizamos abordagens do tipo qualitativa e quantitativa. A princípio, realizamos um estudo bibliográfico, um levantamento teórico-metodológico e também foram coletados e analisados dados secundários a partir de relatórios e sites como o do Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE), ONU e Organização das Nações Unidas para Alimentação e Agricultura (FAO). Concluímos que algumas variações populacionais mudaram nas últimas décadas: a fecundidade diminuiu e a população aumentou; e que, com esse aumento populacional, também aumentou a oferta de alimentos. No entanto, há ainda em muitas partes do globo pessoas que sofrem com a insegurança alimentar grave, isto é, a própria fome; e no Brasil os dados mostram que esse índice continua a crescer.

The study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a tail-biting risk assessment scheme. The scheme consisted of trained private veterinary practitioners (assessors) applying a risk assessment tool on commercial pig farms to six pens per farm. The assessment tool included animal and non-animal-based observations which were used to determine the perceived risk of tail biting for each pen. For this study 27 farms were assessed, and a subsequent batch of pigs from each farm underwent post-mortem tail lesion scoring at the abattoir. The assessments revealed that a high percentage of pens had fully slatted flooring (92%) and mixed-sex populations (84%), with a significant proportion of pens containing pigs which were all tail docked (92%). Most pens (86%) did not allow all pigs simultaneous access to feeders. Enrichment was present in 88% of the pens, but most (46%) were supplied with only one item, and only 15% offering multiple enrichment types. The study found no significant associations between the risk of tail biting and visible injuries, dirty flanks, or tucked tails, as assessed by the assessors (P > 0.05). Similarly, the risk of tail biting reported per pen was not associated with aggressive, damaging, or exploratory behaviours (P > 0.05). At the abattoir, 96% of pigs' tails exhibited minor skin damage, with only 4% showing moderate to severe damage. Furthermore, no links were found between the scores obtained during slaughter and the risk of tail biting, as reported by the assessors (P < 0.05). Although the tool was useful in identifying several improvements that could be made at farm level in areas such as stocking density, enrichment provision and reducing tail docking, overall the results underscored the need for improved training of assessors, and the challenge of associating management practices and animal based measures with tail-biting risk.

Following the successful eradication of Wuchereria bancrofti, there are now just three species of conventional microfilaremic human filarial parasites endemic to the Brazilian Amazon region: Mansonella ozzardi, Mansonella perstans and Onchocerca volvulus. The zoonotic filarial parasite Dirofilaria immitis is also found in the Amazon region as are several sylvatic filarial parasites, some of which have been recorded causing zoonoses and some of which have never been recorded outside the region. Onchocerca volvulus is only found in the Amazonia onchocerciasis focus in the Brazilian state of Roraima where it affects the people of the Yanomami tribe living around the densely forested Venezuela border region. Mansonella ozzardi is by far the most common filarial parasite in Brazil and has a broad but patchy distribution throughout the western Amazon region. Recorded in the Brazilian states of Acre, Roraima, Matto Grosso, and within almost every municipality of Amazonas state, it is believed that pollution of the urban stream and river systems prevents the development of the simuliid vectors of M. ozzardi and explains the parasiteʼs reduced distribution within urban areas and an absence of recent reports from the state capital Manaus. Decades of WHO-led periodic ivermectin treatment of Yanomami tribeʼs people have resulted in the partial suppression of O. volvulus transmission in this focus and has also probably affected the transmission of M. ozzardi in the region. Mansonella perstans, O. volvulus and very probably M. ozzardi infections can all be treated and most likely cured with a 4–6-week treatment course of doxycycline. The Brazilian Ministry of Health does not, however, presently recommend any treatment for mansonellosis infections and thus parasitic infections outside the Amazonia focus are typically left untreated. While the long treatment courses required for doxycycline-based mansonellosis therapies preclude their use in control programmes, new fast-acting filarial drug treatments are likely to soon become available for the treatment of both onchocerciasis and mansonellosis in the Amazon region. Filarial disease management in the Brazilian Amazon is thus likely to become dramatically more viable at a time when the public health importance of these diseases is increasingly being recognized.

Por tratar-se de uma doença com variabilidade celular que acomete tanto cães como gatos de várias raças, tamanhos e idade, apesar de ser considerada uma enfermidade rara, a leucemia pode estar oculta e não apresentar-se em análises clínicas ou hematológicas de rotina, sendo imprescindível à realização de exames complementares repetitivos para a identificação das alterações neoplásicas em células hematopoiéticas, visto que o exame físico e a anamnese do caso relatado de Leucemia Linfocítica Crônica (LLC) apontou para outra suspeita, comprovando que metade de todos os casos de LLC podem ser assintomáticos e ser identificado acidentalmente após avaliação de quadro hematológico. Assim, o diagnóstico foi dado através das informações obtidas por meio de revisão do prontuário, entrevista com o proprietário do animal e reiteração dos métodos de análise aos quais o paciente foi submetido, salientando a relevância da associação da anamnese, exame físico, hipótese diagnóstica e exames auxiliares para a identificação da anormalidade e a definição do tratamento certo, dado que, muitas vezes as leucemias são interpretadas de maneira errônea e confundidas com outras doenças, até mesmo com outros tipos de neoplasia, desta forma, sendo suscetíveis a recursos terapêuticos inadequados.

The importance of non-conventional food plants has been evidenced due to their great potential for phenotypic plasticity, resilience and resistance to permanence in inhospitable places. This study aimed to evaluate the natural distribution of two of these species (Eryngium foetidum and Fridericia chica) in the present period (2009-2019) and the projection for two future climate scenarios (RCP 4.5 - “less pessimistic” and RCP 8.5 - “more pessimistic”) in two-time intervals (2020-2050 and 2051-2070), in the six Brazilian phytogeographic domains. Nineteen bioclimatic variables obtained from the WorldClim database and four algorithm models were tested: Climate Space Model, Envelope Score, Niche Mosaic and Environmental Distance. The Environmental Distance algorithm presented the best discrimination of the models adjusted for the two species. From the projections, it is possible to perceive that the species are severely affected in the phytogeographic domains of the Amazon, Pantanal and Pampa, becoming practically extinct in the RCP 8.5 scenario, for the period of 2051-2070.

Clinical laboratories worldwide are implementing next-generation sequencing (NGS) to identify cancer genomic variants and ultimately improve patient outcomes. The ability to massively sequence the entire genome or exome of tumour cells has been critical to elucidating many complex biological questions. However, the depth of information obtained by these methods is strenuous to process in the clinical setting, making them currently unfeasible for broader adoption. Instead, targeted sequencing, usually on a selection of clinically relevant genes, represents the predominant approach that best balances accurate identification of genomic variants with high sensitivity and a good cost-effectiveness ratio. The information obtained from targeted sequencing can support diagnostic classification, guide therapeutic decisions, and provide prognostic insights. The use of targeted gene panels expedites sample processing, including data analysis, results interpretation, and medical reports generation, directly affecting patient management. The key decision factors for selecting sequencing methods and panel size in routine testing should include diagnostic yield and clinical utility, sample availability, and processing turnaround time. Profiling by default all patients with late-stage cancer with large panels is not affordable for most healthcare systems and does not provide substantial clinical benefit at present. Balancing between understanding cancer biology, including patients in clinical trials, maximising testing, and ensuring a sustainable financial burden for society requires thorough consideration. This review provides an overview of the advantages and drawbacks of different sizes NGS panels for tumour molecular profiling and their clinical applicability.

Abstract This work aimed to evaluate the energy quality of wood and charcoal obtained from the stem and root of the genus Eucalyptus spp. From the wood, the physical, chemical and energetic properties were evaluated. For the charcoal produced in ovens of the carbonization furnaces model in the industry and produced in a muffle furnace, the physical, chemical and energetic properties were evaluated. Based on the analysis of technological properties, wood from the root has higher basic density (731.45 kg m-3) and lignin content (26.44%), however, the fixed carbon content and higher calorific value of the root (17.54% and 4547.75 kcal kg-1) were lower than for the stem wood (21.36% and 4730.82 kcal kg-1). It is recommended to use the wood from the root, both for direct burning and for the production of charcoal. The charcoal obtained in the industry, compared to that produced in muffle, presented higher energy quality.

Introdução: Apreensão de medicamentos vem aumentando no Brasil nos últimos anos, esses produtos muitas vezes são contrabandeados, podendo ser ainda, adulterados ou falsificados. Segundo a OMS um medicamento falsificado é um produto embalado e etiquetado de forma incorreta, deliberadamente ou fraudulenta, que não respeita identidade da formulação original. Medicamentos para disfunção erétil, esteróides anabolizantes, emagrecedores e antineoplásicos são os de maior comercialização. Os estados do Sul e Sudeste apresentam o maior número de apreensões de medicamentos, que não cumprem a legislação sanitária quanto a exigência de registro na Agência Nacional Vigilância Sanitária. Os motivos para esse fenômeno são a localização geográfica, poder aquisitivo e a busca por um padrão de beleza. Objetivos: Calcular o valor movimentado de medicamentos em correspondências apreendidas pela Secretaria da Receita Federal do Rio Grande do Sul nos anos de 2016 à 2017 e as classes farmacológicas mais presentes. Método: A partir de valores praticados no mercado e pela Empresa Brasileira de Correios e Telégrafos, 117 caixas de correspondências padrão PAC/Sedex apreendidas com produtos farmacêuticos foram previamente catalogadas, descritas e tabuladas em planilhas Excel. Os produtos foram classificados por classe farmacológica, quando possível e as correspondências correlacionados a partir da sua origem até seu destino. A análise dos dados foi realizada através do banco de dados criados no Excel. Resultados: O valor calculado inicialmente para as caixas padronizadas pela Empresa Brasileira de Correios e Telegrafos e o transporte das 117 caixas tipo PAC/Sedex foi de R$ 3.800,00 a partir de pesquisa no site dos correios em junho de 2019. Os produtos mais encontrados nas encomendas foram anabolizantes 82%; medicamentos para disfunção erétil 2,6%; antineoplásicos 1,7%; abortivos 0,9%; emagrecedores 0,9%; 1,7% classificados como outros produtos e 10,3% não possuíam identificação, apenas letras ou sinais representativos escritos à mão. Os anabolizantes foram remetidos de 9 estados: RS, SP, PR, ES, BA, DF, MG, TO e PB, tendo como destino 7 estados: RS, MG, SP, RJ, BA, DF e MT. Os antineoplásicos apresentavam remetentes de SC e RS, no entanto, eram destinados apenas ao RS. Os medicamentos de combate à disfunção erétil, possuíam remetentes do RS e eram destinados aos estados do RS e BA. Os medicamentos abortivos foram remetidos de SC para o RS, já os emagrecedores do RS para SP. Conclusão:Os esteróides anabolizantes foram os produtos mais presentes nas caixas apreendidas. O valor calculado para embalagem e transporte pelos correios é considerado baixo, o que colabora muito para esse comércio ilegal. O alto valor desses medicamentos e a necessidade de prescrição médica levam ao seu consumo. Esses medicamentos podem apresentar risco à saúde, pois não se sabe sua condição de produção, armazenamento, dose e princípio ativo. Logo, podem não causar os efeitos terapêuticos esperados.

Abstract Declines in eelgrass, an important and widespread coastal habitat, are associated with wasting disease in recent outbreaks on the Pacific coast of North America. This study presents a novel method for mapping and predicting wasting disease using Unoccupied Aerial Vehicle (UAV) with low‐altitude autonomous imaging of visible bands. We conducted UAV mapping and sampling in intertidal eelgrass beds across multiple sites in Alaska, British Columbia, and California. We designed and implemented a UAV low‐altitude mapping protocol to detect disease prevalence and validated against in situ results. Our analysis revealed that green leaf area index derived from UAV imagery was a strong and significant (inverse) predictor of spatial distribution and severity of wasting disease measured on the ground, especially for regions with extensive disease infection. This study highlights a novel, efficient, and portable method to investigate seagrass disease at landscape scales across geographic regions and conditions.

Abstract Properties can be tailored by tuning composition in high-order composition spaces. For spaces with complex phase behavior, modeling the properties as a function of composition and phase distribution remains a formidable challenge. We present materials structure–property factorization (MSPF) as an approach to automate modeling of such data and identify synergistic phase interactions. MSPF is an interpretable machine learning algorithm that couples phase mapping via Deep Reasoning Networks (DRNets) to matrix factorization-based modeling of the representative properties of each phase in a dataset. MSPF is demonstrated for Bi–Cu–V oxide photoanodes for solar fuel generation, which contains 25 different phase combinations and correspondingly exhibits complex composition-structure-photoactivity relationships. Comparing the measured photoactivity to a learned model for non-interacting phases, synergistic phase interactions are identified to guide further photoactivity optimization and understanding. MSPF identifies synergistic interactions of a BiVO4-like phase with both Cu2V2O7-like and CuV2O6-like phases, creating avenues for understanding complex photoelectrocatalysts.

Electrons and phonons give rise to important properties of materials. The machine learning framework Mat2Spec vastly accelerates their computational characterization, enabling discovery of materials for thermoelectrics and solar energy technologies.

Cytospins are important for evaluating fluids with very low cellularity such as cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). The aim of this study was to compare the CSF cytospin preparations obtained from automated and manual cytocentrifugation methods. A prospective case series was performed to analyze canine CSF samples using both centrifugation methods. The cytospins were processed within 30–60 min and prepared simultaneously in a conventional automated cytocentrifuge and in an in-house manual cytocentrifuge, using a fixed volume of CSF fluid. The cellularity, differential cell count and the proportion of cell artifacts (pseudopods and vacuolization) were blindly assessed in the cytospin preparations obtained using the two methods. The agreement and correlation between both methods were analyzed. There were 55 dogs enrolled (48 prospectively and 7 retrospectively) in the study. 38 dogs had normal total nucleated cell counts, while 17 had pleocytosis. Automated and manual cytocentrifugation had similar cell yields, and no significant differences in differential cell counts or the presence of artifacts existed between both methods. In cases with pleocytosis, the cytologic diagnosis obtained using each method was similar. Manual cytocentrifugation of CSF is a reliable and economic method designed for routine clinical practice. Its use reduces the specimen deterioration related to processing and analysis delays when samples are transported to external laboratories for evaluation.