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Abstract The share of solar power in Brazil’s electrical grid has rapidly increased, relieving GHG emissions and diversifying energy sources for greater energy security. Besides that, solar resource is susceptible to climate change, adding uncertainty to electrical grid resilience. This study uses satellite and reanalysis data to evaluate the performance of CMIP6 models in replicating and predicting surface solar irradiance (SSR) in Brazil. The results from the most reliable models indicate an increase in SSR by 2% to 8% in most regions, with a decrease of around 3% in the South. These findings highlight the potential for increased photovoltaic (PV) yield if backed by supportive public policies while underlining the importance of uncertainty assessment of climate models.

Objetivou-se abordar o caso de um bezerro apresentando Perosomus acaudatus associado à atresia anal. Segundo o proprietário, no primeiro manejo do bezerro foi verificada ausência da cauda e ânus, sendo realizada uma perfuração na região perineal. Ao ser atendido pela Clínica de Ruminantes do Hospital Veterinário Universitário da Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (HVU-UFSM) foi confirmada ausência de cauda e ânus, com presença de uma ferida em cicatrização na região perineal e depressão longitudinal na região dorsal da pelve. Foi realizado exame radiográfico que revelou três vértebras sacrais não fusionadas e ausência de vértebras coccígeas, além de cólon e reto preenchidos por gás. Foi proposto ao proprietário a realização do tratamento cirúrgico para correção da atresia anal. Devido a aderências do reto na região pélvica, não foi possível realizar a anoplastia, mas sim a colostomia na parede abdominal, na região inguinal esquerda. Após o procedimento o paciente conseguiu defecar, porém, na semana seguinte este apresentou apatia e prostração. Uma amostra de líquido peritoneal foi coletada, sendo verificada alteração de coloração e turbidez e aumento de células nucleadas. Diante dos achados foi realizada eutanásia e necropsia do animal, sendo observada a ausência de vértebras coccígeas, presença de apenas três vértebras sacrais, peritonite fibrinonecrossupurativa difusa, colite necrosante difusa transmural e dermatite necrosante multifocal. A ocorrência de Perosomus acaudatus, apesar de rara, deve sempre ser examinada de perto, a fim de identificar possíveis outras alterações associadas. O desfecho deste paciente não muda a indicação de correção cirúrgica para os casos de atresia anal.

Ion channels are integral membrane proteins mediating ion flow in response to changes in their environment. Among the different types of ion channels reported to date, the super-family of TRP channels stands out since its members have been linked to many pathophysiological processes. The family comprises 6 subfamilies and 28 members in mammals, which are widely distributed throughout most tissues and organs and have an important role in several aspects of cellular physiology. It has been evidenced that abnormal expression, post-translational modifications, and channel trafficking are associated with several pathologies, such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and brain disorders, among others. In this review, we present an updated summary of the mechanisms involved in the subcellular trafficking of TRP channels, with a special emphasis on whether different post-translational modifications and naturally occurring mutagenesis affect both expression and trafficking. Additionally, we describe how such changes have been associated with the development and progress of diverse pathologies associated with the gain or loss of functional phenotypes. The study of these processes will not only contribute to a better understanding the role of TRP channels in the different tissues but will also present novel possible therapeutic targets in diseases where their activity is dysregulated.

In this article, we examine how sensitive the methodology for calculating a “Typical Meteorological Year” (TMY) is to changes in the source of the meteorological data series and the weighting factors used. Three different sources of meteorological data – ground-based observations, modeled satellite-derived data, and ERA5 reanalysis data – were used to determine the sensitivity of the TMY to the data source. The TMY was created for five different climatic regions in Brazil using 13 years of hourly data for meteorological indices consisting of maximum, minimum, and average air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, global total horizontal radiation, and normal direct solar radiation. The study shows that the source of the meteorological data plays little role in determining the “most typical” months. The typicality of the months was consistent even when data sources as diverse as in situ and modeled data were used. The study also shows that the exact choice of weighting scheme for the meteorological data source is relatively arbitrary, if not irrelevant. This is because meteorological parameters are not independent variables and therefore often represent redundant information. A few independent parameters are sufficient to produce a good TMY and adding several interdependent parameters does not improve the quality of the TMY produced.

Ungulani Ba Ka Khosa is one of the most prestigious Mozambican writers, and his first book Ualalapi(1987) is considered one of the one hundred best African books. The writer revisits the documented past of Mozambique, based on memories and traditional stories. His texts can be understood as retellings of these historical facts, mostly against the official versions. The present article intends to highlight the discussions on racism and the demonization of Africans present in the short story, besides bringing up situations experienced by these people during the Portuguese colonization. The study will be carried out through a critical and comparative analysis of the literary text. We see that Khosa represents through the analyzed text the destructive power of violence suffered by Africans, not only during colonization but also in the first attempts to establish a certain diplomacy. The contributions of Cabaço (2009), Fanon (2008) and Mbembe (2018) will serve as the theoretical-critical scope of the analysis.

Suporte social está relacionado ao auxílio que uma pessoa recebe de sua rede social, incluindo familiares, amigos, colegas de trabalho ou membros da comunidade. Podendo envolver apoio emocional, prático ou informativo, como aconselhamento, encorajamento, orientação, companhia ou até mesmo ajuda financeira, ocasionado benefícios à saúde mental e física, manejo do estresse, superação de obstáculos e proporcionando sentimentos que podem ser considerados positivos. Este estudo objetiva avaliar o nível de percepção de suporte social e levantar o perfil de indivíduos que buscam atendimento psicológico em um Serviço-Escola de Psicologia no interior do Estado do Maranhão. A pesquisa tem caráter transversal, quantitativo descritivo e exploratório. Aplicou-se uma entrevista semiestruturada contendo itens referentes a dados sociodemográficos e perguntas referentes à demanda e o EPSUS-A (Escala de Percepção do Suporte Social – versão adulta) para avaliação do nível de percepção de suporte social dos participantes. Observou-se que grande parte dos participantes têm baixa percepção de suporte social em todas as quatro dimensões do EPSUS-A. Também foi possível constatar que variáveis como faixa etária (RP: 5,61; IC95%: 1,01-31,2), profissão (RP: 8,49; IC95%: 2,72 – 26,5) e religião (RP:2,95; IC95%:1,06-8,21) obtiveram associação estatística com o nível de suporte social percebido. A partir da pesquisa foi possível compreender a percepção acerca da rede de suporte social de indivíduos com demandas de sofrimento psíquico e vislumbrar possibilidades interventivas que favoreçam o fortalecimento e a percepção individuais em relação a essa rede, favorecendo a aproximação entre o sujeito em sofrimento e o cuidado a este disponibilizado

Osteosarcoma is a rare condition with a complex treatment. Most protocols include neoadjuvant chemotherapy, surgery, and consolidation chemotherapy as the standard of treatment. However, the use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy lacks scientific evidence proving superiority in opposition to the use of isolated chemotherapy in an adjuvant regimen after surgery. We conducted a review for studies published in English between 1980 and 2020, using the MEDLINE/PubMed and Scopus electronic databases, to evaluate the outcomes when using neoadjuvant chemotherapy or adjuvant chemotherapy strategies in the treatment of non-metastatic appendicular osteosarcoma, as well as the toxicity associated with different chemotherapeutic regimens. Patients were divided into a neoadjuvant chemotherapy group (NAC) and adjuvant chemotherapy group (ACT), depending on the chemotherapy regimen used in association with surgery. A total of 1254 articles in English were screened by title and abstract, and 146 were pre-selected for full reading and analysis. A total of 24 assays matching the inclusion criteria were selected: 10 prospective and 14 retrospective studies. This review points to an absence of significative differences in outcomes, namely overall survival, disease-free survival/event-free survival rates, or toxicity, regarding neoadjuvant or single adjuvant chemotherapy strategies used in the treatment of appendicular non-metastatic osteosarcomas. However, there is a significative difference in population dimensions between the NAC and the ACT groups. Additionally, clinical presentation, tumor localization, tumor volume, or histological type were not considered, with these variables presenting the potential to influence these results. Despite these limitations, our findings should allow a re-thinking of our current practice and promote new opportunities to optimize treatment, always looking towards better survival and lower complications rates.

The relationship established between popular media and elasmobranchs, especially sharks, is barely sympathetic and generally includes a common-sense idea of terrible ocean creatures that are a threat to human life. Elasmobranchs are threatened, and the preservation of these animals has been a matter of concern to conservationists worldwide. This study was dedicated to developing, applying, and testing a teaching activity using Trading Card Game cards (Magic: The Gathering, Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!) in school and university students, aiming to investigate how pop culture can promote students’ affection and awareness about sharks and rays and their conservation. The results suggest that using popular culture to develop teaching practices is an effective strategy for raising awareness about elasmobranchs and conservation issues.

ABSTRACT Quorum sensing (QS) is a complex cell-cell communication mechanism that coordinates population-level behaviors in microbes. In eukaryotes, this phenomenon has been extensively described in the dimorphic yeast Candida albicans as its main QS molecule, the sesquiterpene alcohol farnesol, is responsible for various phenotypic (i.e., inhibition of yeast-to-hyphae transition, biofilm formation, and, hence, pathogenesis) and metabolic (i.e., induction of oxidative stress and apoptosis) changes. Ophiostoma piceae CECT 20416 is a dimorphic saprotrophic ascomycete with biotechnological interest that also produces farnesol as QS molecule, but in this case, the alcohol promotes the morphological transition to the mycelial form, biofilm formation, enzyme secretion, and melanin production. Here, we characterized the physiological response of Ophiostoma piceae to farnesol, the molecular components of the QS system of this fungus have been investigated using a “multiomics” approach that involved genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic analyses. Some genes identified in this work are proposed as key factors in farnesol transport and signaling. We have also cataloged the genes undergoing major transcriptional changes triggered by the presence of the autoinducer, such as cell-wall remodeling, reactive oxygen species (ROS) protection, and melanin biosynthesis, using self-organizing maps. This analysis could be useful for applications in the forestry industry, for enzymes production, and for the valorization of residues. Furthermore, it might as well help to investigate the QS mechanisms of clinically relevant fungi phylogenetically related to Ophiostoma. IMPORTANCE This manuscript presents a comprehensive study on the molecular mechanisms triggered by the quorum sensing (QS) molecule farnesol in the biotechnologically relevant fungus Ophiostoma piceae. We present for the first time, using a multiomics approach, an in-depth analysis of the QS response in a saprotroph fungus, detailing the molecular components involved in the response and their possible mechanisms of action. We think that these results are particularly relevant in the knowledge of the functioning of the QS in eukaryotes, as well as for the exploitation of these mechanisms.

RESUMO Objetivo: O ensaio TELE-critical Care verSus usual Care On ICU PErformance (TELESCOPE) visa avaliar se uma intervenção complexa por telemedicina em unidades de terapia intensiva, que se concentra em rondas multidisciplinares diárias realizadas por intensivistas a distância, reduzirá o tempo de permanência na unidade de terapia intensiva em comparação com os cuidados habituais. Métodos: O TELESCOPE é um ensaio nacional, multicêntrico, controlado, aberto, randomizado em cluster. O estudo testa a eficácia de rondas multidisciplinares diárias realizadas por um intensivista por meio de telemedicina em unidades de terapia intensiva brasileiras. O protocolo foi aprovado pelo Comitê de Ética em Pesquisa local do centro coordenador do estudo e pelo Comitê de Ética em Pesquisa local de cada uma das 30 unidades de terapia intensiva, de acordo com a legislação brasileira. O ensaio está registado no ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03920501). O desfecho primário é o tempo de internação na unidade de terapia intensiva, que será analisado considerando o período basal e a estrutura dos dados em cluster, sendo ajustado por covariáveis predefinidas. Os desfechos exploratórios secundários incluem a classificação de desempenho da unidade de terapia intensiva, a mortalidade hospitalar, a incidência de infecções nosocomiais, o número de dias sem ventilação mecânica aos 28 dias, a taxa de pacientes que recebem alimentação oral ou enteral, a taxa de pacientes sob sedação leve ou em alerta e calmos e a taxa de pacientes sob normoxemia. Conclusão: De acordo com as melhores práticas do ensaio, divulgamos nossa análise estatística antes de bloquear a base de dados e iniciar as análises. Esperamos que essa prática de notificação evite o viés das análises e aprimore a interpretação dos resultados apresentados. Registro no ClinicalTrials.gov:NCT03920501

This study aims to assess the nature and the magnitude of the productive links of consumer operations made possible by the revenue generated by ride-hailing. We seek to map the interdependencies established between the consumption decisions of drivers that use the 99 app, a leading e-hailing provider, with other sectors and segments of the Brazilian economy. The dataset comprises operational information from 99 and an interregional input-output table for the Brazilian economy. In 2019, the intermediated trips only for 99 unfolded in more than 12 billion (BRL) added to the Brazilian GDP (equivalent to 0.18% of the total), each sector of the Brazilian economy being affected in different magnitudes. This study shows the degree of interdependence between these sectors and 99's business. In addition to the value added, indirect taxes were collected in the order of 1 billion (BRL), and 267.9 thousand jobs were generated.

ABSTRACT Introduction: Combined solid organ transplantation is infrequently performed in Brazil. The objective of this article is to present our initial experience with combined heart and kidney transplantation. Methods: From January 2007 to December 2019, four patients were submitted to combined heart and kidney transplantation. Their mean age was 55.7±4.4 years, and three (75%) patients were males. All patients had Chagas cardiomyopathy, two were hospitalized and inotrope dependent, and all patients were on preoperative dialysis (median of 12 months prior to transplant). Results: All patients survived and were in New York Heart Association functional class I at the latest follow-up (mean 34.7±17.5 months). Mean retarded kidney graft function was 22.9±9.7 days. One patient lost the kidney graft two years after the transplant due to Polyomavirus infection. Conclusion: Our initial experience of combined heart and kidney transplantation was favorable in selected patients with advanced heart failure and end-stage kidney disease. It requires involvement of a dedicated multispecialty team throughout all the diagnostics and treatment steps.

El objetivo de este estudio fue identificar las variables de interacción, de comportamiento y estructurales más frecuentes que inducían tres tipos de pases en profundidad que generaban opciones de marcar goles en fútbol de élite. Siguiendo criterios de inclusión estrictos (todos y cada uno de los tipos de pases que alteran la última línea defensiva del contrario), se seleccionaron 134 secuencias de ataque de la UEFA Euro 2016, la FIFA Copa Confederaciones 2017 y la FIFA Copa Mundial 2018. Se utilizó el instrumento observacional PePas, que integra criterios previos validados, para analizar los pases en profundidad. Además, se realizó el test z de proporciones para comprobar si las proporciones de comportamientos tácticos y técnicos diferían de los demás (α⊇=⊇.05). Los resultados mostraron que controlar el balón y correr con el balón fueron los comportamientos más frecuentes antes del pase en profundidad corto precedido por una acción individual y que el pase corto fue el comportamiento más frecuente que precedió al pase en profundidad corto precedido por una acción colectiva. Todos los comportamientos técnico-tácticos se produjeron en un contexto de interacción sin presión y principalmente en las zonas centrales del campo. Además, el control del balón fue significativamente diferente de otras categorías en el pase en profundidad largo precedido por una acción individual. Sugerimos que los entrenadores consideren replicar escenarios sin presión en la defensa e incluir actividades que potencien comportamientos técnico-tácticos como correr con el balón y un rápido intercambio de pases con uno y dos toques.

Enantiomers share the same chemical formula but have different chemical structures, i.e., type of isomers. Enantiomers are present in several drugs, perfumes, food, and are a fundamental part of biomolecules. This subject is highly important for pharmaceutical companies. Enantiomeric drugs present different actuation in the human body; depending on the compound, one might combat the symptom, whereas its pair might cause damage. The separation of pairs of enantiomers requires a chiral environment that provokes a structural imbalance that conventional methods cannot provide. Enantioresolution is one of the most promissory studies that benefit several areas, such as pharmaceutical, biotechnology, food industry, and fine chemistry. Its resolution is of great importance, therefore, its main mechanisms of resolution will be explained herein.

This paper reports on the results of a descriptive analysis of 675 publications included in the proceedings of five editions of the International Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics in Education Conferences held in Australia, Canada, and China over 9 years between 2012 and 2021. Peer-reviewed academic journals are traditional sources of high quality and established research. Yet these papers might take months and sometimes years to get published. On the other hand, an analysis of research foci represented at international STEM conferences can be used as a source of the most recent trends in the field, and the developments of STEM education research across time and by national origins. In this analysis, 675 abstracts from five editions of the International STEM in Education Conference were coded into eight topics, followed by a descriptive analysis of the results. Four countries were consistently the top four contributors: Australia, Canada, China, and the United States. Thus, the study conducted a descriptive analysis and discussion of the trends among these countries. The results revealed trends in STEM education research, among which policy, curriculum, assessment; K-12 teaching and learning, are dominant topics of research investigation, while postsecondary STEM teaching and learning are less investigated. The results also demonstrated the dominance of some topics over others among the countries that most contributed to the conferences. For instance, Canada dominated in the studies of culture, gender, and social issues and in postsecondary STEM education. China paid much less attention to these topics, while putting more emphasis on historical and epistemological perspectives on STEM, policy and curriculum, and K-12 teaching and learning. Australian research focused on policy and curriculum; K-12 teaching and learning; and industry. Meanwhile, the United States showed the least difference in percentages between topics. Overall the analysis indicates a relatively low interest in postsecondary STEM education research, despite the growing demand for STEM professionals. This highlights the need for STEM education research focused on institutions of higher education. This analysis interprets the trend results in light of the issues in STEM education confronting various national jurisdictions.

Em todo movimento fascista o culto ao líder é um dos elementos centrais do discurso ideológico, pois neste indivíduo são congregados os valores sociais, políticos e culturais do movimento. Plínio Salgado foi o líder da Ação Integralista Brasileira – movimento de orientação fascista que surgiu no Brasil na década de 1930. E para se apresentar como líder inconteste dos integralistas, valeu-se de todo o imaginário messiânico, que tinha grande impacto na mentalidade social brasileira da época, surgindo quase como um novo Tiradentes, numa espécie de cristianização do herói. No presente texto, discutiremos a utilização do imaginário messiânico, a partir de simbolismos cristãos e da figura de Tiradentes na construção da imagem idealizada de Plínio Salgado como “Chefe Nacional” da Ação Integralista Brasileira.

O objetivo deste estudo foi determinar o nível de disclosure dos procedimentos contábeis patrimoniais no setor público de municípios do Estado do Espírito Santo sob a perspectiva de analisar as variáveis controle interno, desenvolvimento municipal, população e receitas orçamentárias. Métodos de análise quantitativa são usados nesta pesquisa, como estatística descritiva e regressão linear múltipla. Constatou-se que a média do Índice de Disclosure dos Procedimentos Contábeis Patrimoniais alcançada pelos municípios analisados foi de 55,19%. Este índice sugere que os esforços desprendidos pelos municípios em prol do atendimento às exigências dos órgãos normatizadores ainda é limitado. Os resultados mostraram que: i) em relação às variáveis controle interno e população, não foram estatisticamente significativas para o modelo; ii) quanto às variáveis educação e receitas orçamentárias, apresentaram relação positiva com o índice de disclosure, sendo um indicativo de que municípios com melhores índices educacionais e com maior arrecadação têm a tendência de apresentar nível de disclosure mais elevado. Por fim, as evidências desta pesquisa contribuem na análise do índice de disclosure e seus determinantes, bem como para o entendimento do processo de harmonização da contabilidade do setor público às normas internacionais nos municípios capixabas.

Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) technology is positioning itself as one of the most effective non-destructive methods to collect accurate information on ground crop fields, as the analysis of the three-dimensional models that can be generated with it allows for quickly measuring several key parameters (such as yield estimations, aboveground biomass, vegetation indexes estimation, perform plant phenotyping, and automatic control of agriculture robots or machinery, among others). In this survey, we systematically analyze 53 research papers published between 2005 and 2022 that involve significant use of the LiDAR technology applied to the three-dimensional analysis of ground crops. Different dimensions are identified for classifying the surveyed papers (including application areas, crop species under study, LiDAR scanner technologies, mounting platform technologies, and the use of additional instrumentation and software tools). From our survey, we draw relevant conclusions about the use of LiDAR technologies, such as identifying a hierarchy of different scanning platforms and their frequency of use as well as establishing the trade-off between the economic costs of deploying LiDAR and the agronomically relevant information that effectively can be acquired. We also conclude that none of the approaches under analysis tackles the problem associated with working with multiple species with the same setup and configuration, which shows the need for instrument calibration and algorithmic fine tuning for an effective application of this technology.

LoRaWAN is a long range and low power protocol devised for connecting devices under the Internet of Things (IoT) paradigm. This protocol was not conceived to support real-time message delivery; therefore, it is not always feasible using it to support IoT solutions involving large wireless sensors networks and time constraint messaging, e.g., in early warning systems for natural hazards, remote monitoring of industrial machinery or autonomous control of transportation systems. This paper presents a model that provides certainty, at the design time of IoT systems, about the real-time communication capability of their supporting network. It allows solution designers: (1) to decide if developing or not a real-time IoT solution based on the feasibility of its communication infrastructure, and (2) to improve the communication infrastructure to try making real-time communication feasible using LoRaWAN.

Cancer represents the main cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, constituting a serious health problem. In this context, melanoma represents the most aggressive and fatal type of skin cancer, with death rates increasing every year. Scientific efforts have been addressed to the development of inhibitors targeting the tyrosinase enzyme as potential anti-melanoma agents due to the importance of this enzyme in melanogenesis biosynthesis. Coumarin-based compounds have shown potential activity as anti-melanoma agents and tyrosinase inhibitors. In this study, coumarin-based derivatives were designed, synthesized, and experimentally evaluated upon tyrosinase. Compound FN-19, a coumarin–thiosemicarbazone analog, exhibited potent anti-tyrosinase activity, with an IC50 value of 42.16 ± 5.16 µM, being more active than ascorbic acid and kojic acid, both reference inhibitors. The kinetic study showed that FN-19 acts as a mixed inhibitor. Still, for this compound, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were performed to determine the stability of the complex with tyrosinase, generating RMSD, RMSF, and interaction plots. Additionally, docking studies were performed to elucidate the binding pose at the tyrosinase, suggesting that the hydroxyl group of coumarin derivative performs coordinate bonds (bidentate) with the copper(II) ions at distances ranging from 2.09 to 2.61 Å. Then, MM/PBSA calculations revealed that van der Waals interactions are the most relevant intermolecular forces for complex stabilization. Furthermore, it was observed that FN-19 has a binding energy (ΔEMM) value similar to tropolone, a tyrosinase inhibitor. Therefore, the data obtained in this study will be useful for designing and developing novel coumarin-based analogs targeting the tyrosinase enzyme.

RESUMO Objetivo: identificar os principais desafios da família de uma criança com Mielomeningocele (MMC) e correlacionar a escala de Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI) com o WHOQOL-BREF. Métodos: Foram enviados questionários via plataforma on-line para grupos de pais e cuidadores de crianças com MMC. Quatro dimensões foram avaliadas: física; psicológica; relações sociais; e meio ambiente do WHOQOL-BREF. Resultados: Todas as correlações entre os domínios do questionário WHOQOL-BREF com a escala de Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI) foram negativas e significativas com maior magnitude de valor para ZBI × domínio psicológico com − 57,4% de correlação (p < 0,001). Conclusão: Os resultados desse estudo sugerem que a qualidade de vida das mães e cuidadores de crianças com MMC é afetada em relação a capacidade funcional, aspecto emocional e saúde mental. Apesar disso, apresentam uma visão positiva de sua vida. As dificuldades mais encontradas pelos cuidadores foram: realizar o cateterismo vesical; prestar cuidados gerais; financeira; sobrecarga de trabalho; e acessibilidade. Nível de Evidência V, Opinião do especialista.

In this paper the design and implementation of an embedded system based on Flow-Batch methodology with a Quartz Crystal Microbalance (QCM) sensor technology and a commercial FPGA admittance meter is presented to detect the presence of arsenic in water. The system’s performance was evaluated with lab made samples and it is foresee that this open source automated flow instrument could help develop analytical methodologies for the future quantification of this analyte. A description of the components is presented and assembling and operation instructions are provided together with the dynamic range and linear regression coefficients for the line and R.

Conto

Water erosion is the principal degradation process of tropical soils, and its effects can be measured by modeling techniques. Erosion models provide a diagnosis of the soil loss intensity and can support the planning of soil conservation practices. Models with low data requirements, such as the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) and, more recently, the Erosion Potential Method (EPM), are mainly applied in Brazil. Thus, the objective of this work was to estimate water erosion soil-loss rates using the EPM and RUSLE models on a tropical subbasin, followed by a comparison of their outcomes. The models’ application considered soil physical parameters, edaphoclimatic conditions of the area, land use, and subbasin management practices. The accuracy of the methods was verified using total transported sediment and water discharge data. We compared the models using Pearson's correlation analyses, considering a 5% of significance. We found a predominance of moderate-intensity erosion with average soil loss of 1.17 and 1.46 Mg ha-1 year-1, measured by EPM and RUSLE, respectively. The EPM model underestimated soil losses by 15.27%, and RUSLE overestimated by 19.08%, indicating a higher percentage of areas with high erosion rates (4.60%). The models presented results with a different order of magnitude, but with significant correlations, indicating that both methods pointed out similar zones of intense and light-erosion rates.

This article measures the distribution of green areas within the subdivisions of the municipality of Goiânia. It aims to verify if the regulation presented in Federal Law 6.766/1979, which regulates the Parcelamento do solo urbano, is being fulfilled regarding the reservation of at least 10% of the total subdivision for green and leisure areas. This is mainly an observation for a future scenario, there is an expectation of reducing the metric to 7.5%, to be provided in the draft law of the New Master Plan. To obtain the data, techniques of Digital Image Processing and information analyzis, with Geographic Information System, were applied. The results were surprising, because of the 1.089 subdivisions analyzed, 512 allotments, equivalent to 47.02% of the area, have coverage of green and leisure areas, less than 10%, thus, not complying with the current regulations provided in the legislation. For the new the 7.5% metric, this number reduces to 458, which may compromise the losses of 2.1 km² of these spaces.

Chiggers are ectoparasites and can cause severe dermatitis in their hosts, known as trombiculiasis. Besides that, these mites can be vectors of bacteria of the genus Orientia, in various regions of the world. The genera Eutrombicula Ewing, 1938 is currently represented by more than 80 species worldwide. Species of this genus are recorded parasitizing reptiles, birds, and mammals. One of this species, Eutrombicula daemoni Bassini-Silva & Jacinavicius, 2018 was recently described causing trombiculiasis in a dog. Our goal is to report a new case of a dog’s trombiculiasis, including a new locality record for E. daemoni in Brazil. In May 2021, a female Shih-Tzu dog with three years old and with access to the forest of the Santa Tereza municipality, southeastern Brazil, sought veterinary medical attention for intense itching and erythema in the facial region. Mites were collected directly from the face of the dog. These materials were slide-mounted and deposited in the Acarological Collection of the Butantan Institute (IBSP). The material extracted from the dog was examined and identified as E. daemoni. Part of the fixation site tissue of the dog was collected, showing the feeding tube produced by the enzymatic reaction of saliva by the mite, known as a stylostome. In this report, we emphasize the occurrence of trombiculiasis in domestic animals that have access to forest regions, places that unfed chigger larvae live. Additionally, this record represents a new locality record for E. daemoni to the Espírito Santo State, Brazil.

LoRaWAN has become the most widely used low-power wide-area network technology to implement monitoring solutions based on the Internet of remote things (IoRT) paradigm. Typically, these solutions interconnect remote sensing areas and data processing infrastructure located in urban centers. The operation expenses of these solutions depend mainly on the traffic sent through the network backhaul, i.e., the link that connects the remote sensing area and the urban area where the data are usually processed and stored. This service is provided by telecommunication companies and represents the main operation cost of IoRT solutions. These expenses usually limit the affordability of IoRT-based systems in developing countries, and also in scenarios where the operational cost is an issue to address. This paper presents an extension to the LoRaWAN protocol, named Node-Aware-LoRaWAN (NA-LoRaWAN), that reduces the traffic in the backhaul, thus decreasing the operational expenses of IoRT-based systems. In order to evaluate the performance of NA-LoRaWAN, it was compared to a regular LoRaWAN implementation. Depending on the network scenario, the proposed extension reduced the traffic through the backhaul in the range of 12–34%. This extension opens several opportunities to use IoRT solutions in application domains with a low operational budget, e.g., precision agriculture, environmental monitoring and natural hazards’ early detection.

Introduction Daily multidisciplinary rounds (DMRs) consist of systematic patient-centred discussions aiming to establish joint therapeutic goals for the next 24 hours of intensive care unit (ICU) care. The aim of the present study protocol is to evaluate whether an intervention consisting of guided DMRs, supported by a remote specialist and audit/feedback on care performance will reduce ICU length of stay compared with a control group.Methods and analysis A multicentre, controlled, cluster-randomised superiority trial including 30 ICUs in Brazil (15 intervention and 15 control), from August 2019 to June 2021. In a parallel assignment, ICUs are randomised to a complex-intervention composed by daily rounds carried out through Tele-ICU by a remote ICU physician; development of local quality indicators dashboards coupled with monthly meetings with local leadership; and dissemination of evidence-based clinical protocols versus usual care. Primary outcome is ICU length of stay. Secondary outcomes include classification of the unit according to the profiles defined by the standardised resource use and the standardised mortality rate, hospital mortality, incidence of healthcare-associated infections, ventilator-free days at 28 days, patient-days receiving oral or enteral feeding, patient-days under light sedation or alert and calm, rate of patients under normoxaemia. All adult patients admitted after the beginning of the study in each participant ICU will be enrolled. Inclusion criteria (clusters): public Brazilian ICUs with a minimum of 8 ICU beds interested/committed to participating in the study. Exclusion criteria (clusters): units with fully established DMRs by an intensivist, specialised or step-down units.Ethics and dissemination The study protocol was approved by the institutional review board (IRB) of the coordinator centre, and by IRBs of each enrolled hospital/ICU. Statistical analysis protocol is being prepared for submission before the end of patient’s enrolment. Results will be disseminated through conferences, peer-reviewed journals and to each participating unit.Trial registration number NCT03920501; Pre-results.

ABSTRACT Water erosion under tropical climate conditions is one of the main processes that change the balance between the inputs and outputs of soil organic carbon (SOC). Water erosion modeling using the Erosion Potential Method (EPM) can be used as an alternative to assist in understand soil carbon dynamics and its interaction with the erosive process. In this context, the objective of the study was to estimate carbon losses by water erosion in a watershed with a wide land-use diversity. The modelling was performed based on the soil organic matter content (SOM) of the area, and the estimated soil losses, according EPM. To the SOM determination, soil samples were collected 50 points (0-0.2 m) distributed in the watershed. The data analysis was performed using remote sensing techniques and a Geographic Information System, which was also used to interpolate the SOM content, through the use of the ordinary kriging. The results showed that from 126.53 Mg year-1 of the total eroded organic carbon estimated, 111.60 Mg year-1 were deposited in relief depressions, while 14.93 Mg year-1 reached the water body system. The applied methodology represents a cost-effective and relatively fast method to estimate the soil organic carbon loss by water erosion and allows the determination of the areas that most need intervention, aiming to decrease the impact of agriculture on greenhouse gas emissions. The main advantage of this method is the little input data requirement, which increases the possibility of application in poorly studied regions.

RESUMO Ainda há poucos marcadores de desempenho funcional com capacidade de predizer óbito em unidades de terapia intensiva (UTI). O objetivo do presente estudo foi identificar a associação entre a não adoção de postura antigravitacional e óbito em pacientes internados em uma UTI adulto. Trata-se de um estudo retrospectivo e analítico, realizado através da análise de prontuários. A associação entre a não adoção de postura antigravitacional e óbito foi testada por regressão logística múltipla ajustada por sexo, idade, gravidade da doença (mensurada pelo Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Classification System II [Apache II]), tempo de ventilação mecânica invasiva (VMI) e tempo de sedação. A odds ratio (OR) foi estimada com intervalo de confiança de 95%. Foram incluídos no estudo 92 pacientes sequenciais. Houve forte associação entre a não adoção de postura antigravitacional em UTI e óbito (ORajustada=37,7; IC=4,76-293; p=0,001). Conclui-se que pacientes que não adotaram postura antigravitacional durante o internamento em UTI apresentaram chances muito mais elevadas de mortalidade. Essa simples estratégia de classificação da capacidade funcional de pacientes críticos pode ser utilizada rotineiramente por equipes de saúde como uma variável simples e dicotômica de prognóstico de mortalidade em UTI.

Resumo Objetivo: Identificar a prevalência de alterações visuais em crianças de cinco anos em escolas públicas de Curitiba-PR. Métodos: As escolas foram selecionadas aleatoriamente dentro do município de Curitiba. As crianças com cinco anos completos em 2017 foram avaliadas com a tabela de Snellen, através de distância mínima correta para nitidez de imagem e teste de Hirschberg. Os pais responderam um questionário sobre uso de telas, sintomas oculares e histórico familiar da criança. Os resultados das avaliações foram analisados estatisticamente considerando nível de significância p≤0,05. Resultados: Em uma população de 459 crianças triadas, 219 (47,7%) pertenciam ao sexo feminino e 240 (52,3%) masculino, sendo que do total, 100 foram encaminhadas para avaliação oftalmológica especializada. A partir da triagem observou-se a prevalência de miopia de 10,7%, hipermetropia de 17,6% e estrabismo de 0,9%. Houve relação entre genitores com miopia e filhos míopes (p

In this paper we present meta-heuristics to solve the energy aware reward based scheduling of real-time tasks with mandatory and optional parts in homogeneous multi-core processors. The problem is NP-Hard. An objective function to maximize the performance of the system considering the execution of optional parts, the benefits of slowing down the processor and a penalty for changing the operation power-mode is introduced together with a set of constraints that guarantee the real-time performance of the system. The meta-heuristics are the bio-inspired methods Particle Swarm Optimization and Genetic Algorithm. Experiments are made to evaluate the proposed algorithms using a set of synthetic systems of tasks. As these have been used previously with an Integer Lineal Programming approach, the results are compared and show that the solutions obtained with bio-inspired methods are within the Pareto frontier and obtained in less time. Finally, precedence related tasks systems are analyzed and the meta-heuristics proposed are extended to solve also this kind of systems. The evaluation is made by solving a traditional example of the real-time precedence related tasks systems on multiprocessors. The solutions obtained through the methods proposed in this paper are good and show that the methods are competitive. In all cases, the solutions are similar to the ones provided by other methods but obtained in less time and with fewer iterations.

Water erosion modeling is a fast and accurate way to estimate erosion potential in watersheds. Among the models, we have the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) which has a simple structure, low implementation cost and can be used with readily available information, contributing to the planning of soil conservation practices. In this context, the objective of the work was to apply RUSLE to estimate water erosion in the Córrego da Laje watershed affluent directly from the reservoir of the Furnas Hydroelectric Plant, located in the south of Minas Gerais, a region of southeastern Brazil. In this region, water erosion is a serious problem that has caused the silting up of the hydroelectric reservoir and the depreciation of water quality. Soil losses were calculated in Geographic Information System based on topographic, edaphoclimatic characteristics, soil cover, and management practices. The average soil loss of the watershed was 26.80 Mg ha-1 year-1 with the predominance of highintensity erosive rates (> 15 Mg ha-1 year-1). Considering the basin use classes, sediment generation was higher in pasture areas (35.87 Mg ha-1 year-1), and in areas under maize cultivation (32.05 Mg ha-1 year-1). As areas with severe erosion are distributed throughout the watershed, a comprehensive water erosion mitigation plan should be adopted to reduce the environmental damage of the process.

Abstract: The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of the germination conditions of 'BRS 216' soybean (Glycine max) on the length, yield, and isoflavone contents of sprouts. A 23 factorial arrangement was used to evaluate the variables soaking time, irrigation frequency, and germination time. Sprouts that showed better length and yield and higher isoflavone contents were evaluated for their chemical composition and vitamin C content. Soaking and germination time of soybean showed a positive and significant linear effect on sprout length. However, only germination time showed a significant positive linear effect on yield, and a significant negative linear effect on the content of malonylglycosides, aglycones, and total isoflavones. Soybean germination conditions were established at 6 hours of soaking, three days of germination, and 8 hours of irrigation frequency. Under these conditions, the obtained sprouts show a more preserved chemical composition, besides higher contents of β-glycosides, malonylglycosides, aglycones, total isoflavones, and vitamin C than the nongerminated soybean. Under suitable germination conditions, it is possible to produce soybean sprouts with better physical characteristics, higher yield, and higher contents of isoflavones, aglycones, and vitamin C.

INTRODUÇÃO: O pé diabético é uma complicação frequente da diabetes mellitus com importante repercussão a nível clínico, psicossocial e económico, exigindo dos prestadores de cuidados de saúde uma abordagem terapêutica multimodal. Definiu-se como objetivo principal a revisão da literatura sobre o tratamento complementar do pé diabético com oxigenoterapia hiperbárica e as suas perspetivas futuras no tratamento desta complicação. MATERIAL E MÉTODOS: Pesquisa bibliográfica através da PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane e Google Académico desde 2014, utilizando os seguintes descritores: pé diabético, úlcera diabética e oxigenoterapia hiperbárica. Foram analisadas trinta e duas publicações, tendo sido selecionados seis artigos de revisão. RESULTADOS: A oxigenoterapia hiperbárica parece eficaz na cicatrização aos seis meses, promissora na cicatrização de lesões com mais de doze meses de evolução e associada a uma baixa incidência de efeitos adversos. A saturação de oxigénio transcutânea foi maior e houve menor incidência de amputação major dos membros inferiores no subgrupo de doentes tratados com esta terapia. DISCUSSÃO: A evidência atual aponta para um benefício clínico da oxigenoterapia hiperbárica enquanto modalidade terapêutica complementar do pé diabético. Ainda não é totalmente conhecido o perfil clínico ideal do doente que beneficiará deste tipo de tratamento pelas heterogeneidades e limitações metodológicas dos estudos considerados. É importante a realização de mais ensaios clínicos prospetivos, aleatorizados e controlados que consubstanciem a sua eficácia.

The dose of progressive active mobilization is still uncertain. The purpose of this study is to identify if the addition of a protocol of progressive active mobilization with dose and training load control to usual care is effective in reducing the length of stay in intensive care unit (ICU) and the improvement of the functioning, incidence of ICU-acquired weakness (ICUAW), mechanical ventilation duration and mortality rate in patients hospitalized in ICU. It is Double-blind randomised clinical trial. The setting for this trial will be medical and surgical ICU of a university hospital. The study participants will be 118 patients aged> 18 years admitted to ICU for less than 72 hours. Participants will be randomized to either an experimental or control group. The experimental group will undertake addition of a protocol of progressive active mobilization with dose and training load control to usual care, while the control group will undertake only usual care. The primary outcome will be length of ICU stay. The secondary outcomes will be Cross-sectional area and muscle thickness of the rectus femoris and biceps brachii, Change in muscle strength from the baseline, Functional Status, incidence of ICUAW, Days with mechanical ventilation and Mortality. All statistical analyses will be conducted following intention-to-treat principles. It has a detailed description of the dose of exercise, was designed with the strictest methodological criteria. These characteristics allow to investigate with greater certainty the results progressive active mobilization in critical patients, allowing replication and future combinations in meta-analyzes.

The American continent was the last to be occupied by modern humans, and native populations bear the marks of recent expansions, bottlenecks, natural selection, and population substructure. Here we investigate how this demographic history has shaped genetic variation at the strongly selected HLA loci. In order to disentangle the relative contributions of selection and demography process, we assembled a dataset with genome-wide microsatellites and HLA-A, -B, -C, and -DRB1 typing data for a set of 424 Native American individuals. We find that demographic history explains a sizeable fraction of HLA variation, both within and among populations. A striking feature of HLA variation in the Americas is the existence of alleles which are present in the continent but either absent or very rare elsewhere in the world. We show that this feature is consistent with demographic history (i.e., the combination of changes in population size associated with bottlenecks and subsequent population expansions). However, signatures of selection at HLA loci are still visible, with significant evidence selection at deeper timescales for most loci and populations, as well as population differentiation at HLA loci exceeding that seen at neutral markers.

Flow scheduling in Data Center Networks (DCN) is a hot topic as cloud computing and virtualization are becoming the dominant paradigm in the increasing demand of digital services. Within the cost of the DCN, the energy demands associated with the network infrastructure represent an important portion. When flows have temporal restrictions, the scheduling with path selection to reduce the number of active switching devices is a NP-hard problem as proven in the literature. In this paper, an heuristic approach to schedule real-time flows in data-centers is proposed, optimizing the temporal requirements while reducing the energy consumption in the network infrastructure via a proper selection of the paths. The experiments show good performance of the solutions found in relation to exact solution approximations based on an integer linear programming model. The possibility of programming the network switches allows the dynamic schedule of paths of flows under the software-defined network management.

n-Propyl Propionate (ProPro) is a harmless biodegradable product employed in several fields for the production of drugs, inks, coating, food, and perfume. ProPro is synthesized in an equilibrium reaction for which its yield can be enhanced by constant withdraw of the products as the reaction takes place. Simulated Moving Bed Reactor (SMBR) is a candidate for the production of ProPro with high efficiency as it is a multifunction unit able to simultaneously run reaction and separation, hence shifting the equilibrium reaction toward products. This paper proposes a complete phenomenological model for the ProPro synthesis in a Simulated Moving Bed Reactor (SMBR) packed with the heterogeneous catalyst Amberlyst 46 resin. The operating conditions are defined by the Triangle Theory to design an SMBR unit to produce ProPro efficiently and a comprehensive parameter estimation procedure is employed to obtain more representative parameters. The validated phenomenological model was applied to design an SMBR unit to produce high purity (99.28%) ProPro.

A series of coumarin derivatives and isosteres were synthesized from the reaction of triflic intermediates with phenylboronic acids, terminal alkynes, and organozinc compounds through palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions. The in vitro cytotoxic effect of the compounds was evaluated against two non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) cell lines (A-549 and H2170) and a normal cell line (NIH-3T3) using cisplatin as a reference drug. Additionally, the effects of the most promising coumarin derivative (9f) in reversing the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in IL-1β-stimulated A549 cells and in inhibiting the EMT-associated migratory ability in A549 cells were also evaluated. 9f had the greatest cytotoxic effect (CC50 = 7.1 ± 0.8 and 3.3 ± 0.5 μM, respectively against A549 and H2170 cells) and CC50 value of 25.8 µM for NIH-3T3 cells. 9f inhibited the IL-1β-induced EMT in epithelial cells by inhibiting the F-actin reorganization, attenuating changes in the actin cytoskeleton reorganization, and downregulating vimentin in A549 cells stimulated by IL-1β. Treatment of A549 cells with 9f at 7 µM for 24 h significantly reduced the migration of IL-1β-stimulated cells, which is a phenomenon confirmed by qualitative assessment of the wound closure. Taken together, our findings suggest that coumarin derivatives, especially compound 9f, may become a promising candidate for lung cancer therapy, especially in lung cancer promoted by NSCLC cell lines.

Abstract INTRODUCTION: Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is an important parasitic disease. We evaluated the epidemiological aspects and spatial distribution of visceral leishmaniasis in Governador Valadares, Brazil. METHODS: All cases of VL, registered by the municipal health department, were analyzed and georeferenced. RESULTS: The human mortality rate was 15% and canine seroprevalence rate was 29.0%. Higher numbers of canine VL cases correlated with higher incidence of human cases. CONCLUSIONS: The high rate of canine seroprevalence, resurgence of the human disease, and correlation between canine and human VL reinforces the role of the dog in disease transmission within the municipality.

Abstract: The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of zinc concentration in acidified brine and of pasteurization time on the zinc content, color, and physicochemical and microbiological characteristics of canned vegetable-type soybean (Glycine max). The 22 central composite rotational design (CCRD) was used, with zinc concentration in the acidified brine and duration of pasteurization as variables, resulting in 12 assays. A canning formulation was developed and compared with canned-vegetable type soybean without zinc and with fresh-vegetable type soybean, with microbiological evaluation. Zinc addition within the limits defined by Food and Drug Administration (≤75 ppm) does not affect the physicochemical and microbiological characteristics of canned grains, subjected to 10 min pasteurization. Acidified brine containing zinc increases the content of isoflavone glycosides, decreases the content of malonyl glycosides, and has lower-sucrose and stachyose contents than fresh grains. Zinc addition does not significantly influence the color of grains.

A literatura ocidental há muito se ocupa da escrita de si. Tal interesse, intensificado a partir da segunda metade do século XX, vem proporcionando novos estudos de gêneros como diários e cartas. Presentes no cotidiano ocidental desde a era vitoriana, as cartas proporcionaram desde a socialização, comunicação e contabilidade dos sujeitos ao relacionamento amoroso. Foi através das cartas que muitos casais tiveram contato pela primeira vez, e muitos se mantiveram assim até o casamento. As cartas de amor exerceram papel importante na vida dos casais burgueses, eram o refúgio do eu, o local de segredo, das confissões e testemunho. Tomando como fundamento a correspondência como este espaço tanto testemunhal quanto poético, ou seja, literário, pretende-se examinar como Florbela Espanca em sua correspondência amorosa (1920-1925) não apenas “deita as cartas de sua vida”, mas “amplia a ficção amorosa” em torno do romance com António Guimarães.

This paper introduces the mobile battery network for electronic devices through powerbanks in a city, and proposes an optimization model to find the optimum site and set-up of the network considering costumers demand, logistics components, the batteries degradation, and terminal’s charger regime. To this end, a series of degradation tests were carried out on lithium-ion batteries, in four different charger regimes, in which the battery voltage amplitude and the charging electric current were varied. The results of these tests were incorporated into the optimization model as the depreciation rate and charge time over battery life. The mathematical modeling innovates by including new components designed specifically for this new problem: battery availability according to charging time; different types of customer service; objective function modeling that includes the logistical costs of battery relocation, terminal maintenance, and battery depreciation. The results indicate that the network performance using batteries in the fastest charging configuration tends to have a positive impact on their efficiency and profitability. The model can be used as a reference for other applications that require recharge points that enable the use of mobile batteries, such as electric scooters, electric bicycles, and drones, among others.

Rheumatoid arthritis, arthrosis and gout, among other chronic inflammatory diseases are public health problems and represent major therapeutic challenges. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are the most prescribed clinical treatments, despite their severe side effects and their exclusive action in improving symptoms, without effectively promoting the cure. However, recent advances in the fields of pharmacology, medicinal chemistry, and chemoinformatics have provided valuable information and opportunities for development of new anti-inflammatory drug candidates. For drug design and discovery, thiophene derivatives are privileged structures. Thiophene-based compounds, like the commercial drugs Tinoridine and Tiaprofenic acid, are known for their anti-inflammatory properties. The present review provides an update on the role of thiophene-based derivatives in inflammation. Studies on mechanisms of action, interactions with receptors (especially against cyclooxygenase (COX) and lipoxygenase (LOX)), and structure-activity relationships are also presented and discussed. The results demonstrate the importance of thiophene-based compounds as privileged structures for the design and discovery of novel anti-inflammatory agents. The studies reveal important structural characteristics. The presence of carboxylic acids, esters, amines, and amides, as well as methyl and methoxy groups, has been frequently described, and highlights the importance of these groups for anti-inflammatory activity and biological target recognition, especially for inhibition of COX and LOX enzymes.