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Abstract Resource allocation for invasive species management requires information about the size of the invasive population, which may be expensive and time‐consuming to obtain. The trade‐off between investment in monitoring and control efforts is a challenging decision problem, and existing mathematical tools are often difficult to interpret, and/or limited to a specific case study. We propose a partially observable Markov decision process (POMDP) framework to help decision‐makers understand effective monitoring and control policymaking. POMDPs can deal with uncertainty in both the model and state of the system but are more challenging to solve due to the continuous and high‐dimensional state space. Rather than limiting the possible states of the system, as do most previously proposed methods, we work through the development of a density projection approach, which reduces the dimensionality of the space of beliefs by restricting them to a parametrised family of probability distributions. This serves to align the mathematical representation of the problem with the real‐world quantities relevant to human decision‐making. The result of our model is a sequence of actions, which minimises the expected cost incurred in managing the invasive species, where the recommendation depends on an estimate of the species' abundance, and the uncertainty in this estimate. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed framework with a case study on tropical fire ant (Solenopsis geminata) control and two generic case studies of varying complexity. Furthermore, we investigate sensitivity of the results to the choices of control cost and efficacy, and monitoring cost and error. The framework proposed by this paper makes the powerful machinery of POMDPs available to environmental managers. It computes the optimal course of action to manage a growing population of an invasive species, incorporating a varying time horizon and multiple control interventions. We sidestep the computational difficulties of general POMDPs to provide a clear, visual overview of decision‐making recommendations, and how these decisions change in new situations. Initial results and scenario‐based analysis show promising results, and the framework could be extended to the related field of disease management.

Objective: To compare the phase angle (PhA) through bioelectrical impedance (BIA) of children with intestinal failure (IF) using prolonged parenteral nutrition (PN) followed by an Intestinal Rehabilitation Program, with a control group. Methods: Children under 10 years of age with IF using prolonged PN for >60 days (study group) were included. The control group consisted of healthy children without chronic pathologies, matched by sex and age. Anthropometric parameters evaluated were: weight, height, weight/age z-score (W/A), height/age z-score (H/A), BMI, BMI/A z-score, arm circumference, triceps skinfold, subscapular skinfold, mid-arm muscle circumference. BIA parameters were resistance (R), reactance (Xc), and phase angle (PhA). Results: Twenty-eight children were included in the study group, median (IQR) age was 11 (8–27) months, 53.6 % were male. In the control group, 28 children were included, median (IQR) age was 12.5 (8–24.7) months, 50 % were male. Children from the study group had W/A z-scores and H/A z-scores significantly lower than controls. There was no significant difference between PhA in the study group and controls, [median (IQR) 4.3° (3.8;4.6) vs 4.0° (3.8;5.4) respectively, p = 0.980]. Prematurity was significantly higher in the study group than in the controls, but there was no significant correlation between gestational age at birth and PhA of the children from the study group. Conclusion: Children with IF using prolonged PN showed lower W/A and H/A compared to the control group, but without significant difference between the PhA of children with IF compared to controls.

This paper aimed to analyze how agents – managers and employees – experienced change in an educational institution, due to the Covid-19 pandemic. We developed a framework that considers the junction between Badham's 5M Framework (mindful, mobilising, mapping, mask, and mirror) and Pettigrew's processual approach to strategic change (why change - context, what to change – content, and how to change - process). We carried out a qualitative, descriptive, and explanatory case study in an educational institution, here called Beta. Data were collected through 12 narrative interviews with Beta’s managers and employees. And they were analyzed by means of categorial content analysis technique, using the NVivo Software. The results revealed that the change occurred in three phases – the closure and online teaching; the hybrid teaching model; and the return to the ‘new normal’. To face the challenges, complexity and chaos, the unity and cohesion of the group to overcome a 'common enemy' - the pandemic - was preponderant. The sharing of solutions as well as the pain and suffering was built in a creative and flexible way, tuning the difficulties faced with support, counseling, and leadership strategies. This study allowed the elaboration of a theoretical framework that join the two approaches, called Processual Analysis of Management to Change.

Abstract Human activities and climate change are transforming fire regimes globally. The interaction between these two drivers is poorly understood, yet critical if we aim at predicting how biomes will respond to novel fire regimes. In the Brazilian Cerrado, altered fire regimes are threatening its unique biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Here, using geospatial data for the period 1985-2020 and a causal inference framework to design Bayesian statistical models, we demonstrate that a larger human presence in the landscape (≥40% land-use area) reduces the Cerrado’s burned area and hinders its responsiveness to climate; while climatic effects only become apparent in landscapes with little human presence, where hotter and drier conditions increase burned area. Finally, we find spatially heterogeneous burned area trends over time, with increases associated to climate change in landscapes that have remained mostly intact, and decreases caused by anthropic expansion. Both diverging trends have important implications for the conservation of the Cerrado as land-use expansion and climate change continue to unfold.

Background. Despite the depth of theoretical analysis of play activity there is a lack of empirical data on the choice of toys by modern children. A toy is a means of constructing play and, therefore, can largely influence its key characteristics. Objectives. The study is a continuation of an earlier series of works aimed at experimentally clarifying children's toy preferences and the relationship of these preferences to individual developmental performance. Study Participants. 202 children aged 4-5 years were participants in the study. Previously published data obtained on a sample of 3–4-year-old children were used to analyze the age dynamics in toy preference. Methods. The study used an experimental design with a multiple-choice forced-choice method. Diagnostics of children's mental development included assessment of the main components of regulatory functions and the ability to understand emotions and was performed using instruments standardised on a Russian sample. Results. It was shown that children prefer highly realistic and detailed toys. In particular, such factors as the toy being detailed, the possibility of its use in playing through familiar plots, the adequacy of role-playing actions with it and the possibility to endow it with human features proved to be fundamentally important for children. Conclusions. From the distribution of choices in experimental trials and children's verbal explanations, it can be confidently concluded that play activity is based on the laws described in the works of Vygotsky, Elkonin, and Smirnova. It is also shown that children who choose the most realistic toys have better verbal working memory, but have a weaker ability in cognitive flexibility. According to the obtained data, as children grow older, they tend to choose less anthropomorphic toys.

ABSTRACT Gammaherpesviruses are species-specific, ubiquitous pathogens that establish lifelong infection in their hosts and are associated with cancers, including B cell lymphomas. Type I and II interferons (IFNs) are critical for the control of acute and chronic gammaherpesvirus infection. However, the cell type-specific role of IFN signaling during natural infection is poorly defined and is masked by the altered viral pathogenesis observed in hosts with global IFN deficiencies. STAT1 is a constitutively expressed transcription factor that is critical for the effector function of type I and II IFNs. In this study, we defined the impact of B cell-specific STAT1 expression on gammaherpesvirus infection using murine gammaherpesvirus 68 (MHV68). While the acute stage of MHV68 infection was not affected, we found opposite, anatomic site-dependent effects of B cell-intrinsic STAT1 expression during chronic infection. Consistent with the antiviral role of STAT1, B cell-specific STAT1 expression attenuated the latent viral reservoir in peritoneal B cells of chronically infected mice. In contrast, STAT1 expression in splenic B cells supported the establishment of the latent MHV68 reservoir in germinal center B cells, revealing an unexpected proviral role of B cell-intrinsic STAT1 expression during chronic gammaherpesvirus infection. These STAT1-dependent MHV68 chronic infection phenotypes were fully recapitulated in the peritoneal cavity but not the spleen of mice with B cell-specific deficiency of type I IFN receptor. In summary, our study uncovers the intriguing combination of proviral and antiviral roles of B cell-intrinsic STAT1 expression during chronic gammaherpesvirus infection.IMPORTANCEInterferons (IFNs) execute broadly antiviral roles during acute and chronic viral infections. The constitutively expressed transcription factor STAT1 is a critical downstream effector of IFN signaling. Our studies demonstrate that B cell-intrinsic STAT1 expression has opposing and anatomic site-dependent roles during chronic gammaherpesvirus infection. Specifically, B cell-intrinsic STAT1 expression restricted gammaherpesvirus latent reservoir in the peritoneal cavity, consistent with the classical antiviral role of STAT1. In contrast, decreased STAT1 expression in splenic B cells led to the attenuated establishment of gammaherpesvirus latency and decreased latent infection of germinal center B cells, highlighting a novel proviral role of B cell-intrinsic STAT1 expression during chronic infection with a B cell-tropic gammaherpesvirus. Interestingly, B cell-specific type I IFN receptor deficiency primarily recapitulated the antiviral role of B cell-intrinsic STAT1 expression, suggesting the compensatory function of B cell-intrinsic type II IFN signaling or an IFN-independent proviral role of B cell-intrinsic STAT1 expression during chronic gammaherpesvirus infection.

Abstract For restoring soil health and mitigating climate change, information of soil organic matter is needed across space, depth and time. Here we developed a statistical modelling platform in three-dimensional space and time as a new paradigm for soil organic matter monitoring. Based on 869 094 soil organic matter observations from 339,231 point locations and the novel use of environmental covariates variable in three-dimensional space and time, we predicted soil organic matter and its uncertainty annually at 25 m resolution between 0–2 m depth from 1953–2022 in the Netherlands. We predicted soil organic matter decreases of more than 25% in peatlands and 0.1–0.3% in cropland mineral soils, but increases between 10–25% on reclaimed land due to land subsidence. Our analysis quantifies the substantial variations of soil organic matter in space, depth, and time, highlighting the inadequacy of evaluating soil organic matter dynamics at point scale or static mapping at a single depth for policymaking.

Cocoa (Theobroma cacao) is a multi-billion-dollar business. This tropical crop strongly depends on animal pollination for fruit development and seed production. The lack or inefficiency of natural pollinators in cocoa plantations has driven farmers to search for alternatives, such as laborious pollination by hand. A so far untested alternative, which has received increasing attention during the past couple of years, is targeted crop pollination through managed social bees. However, owing to the smallness of the flowers of T. cacao as well as structural barriers that impede large insects to access the stigma, only tiny bees may be a viable option for targeted cocoa pollination. In the present study, we asked whether small stingless bees (Apidae, Meliponini) could come into consideration as managed cocoa crop-pollinators, especially in shadowy agroforests. Among the 188 meliponine species native to the Brazilian Amazon region, which comprises an important portion of the center of origin of T. cacao, we selected 52 species based on morphological criteria (intertegular distance ≤ 1.4 mm; body length: 2.2–6.0 mm). Important for cocoa production, some of these Meliponini have an ample geographic distribution, occurring both in the center of origin of T. cacao and beyond (centers of cocoa production in Brazil: Pará: 35 spp., Bahia: 10 spp.). Presumably all species may be active at illuminance levels below those found in heavily shaded cocoa plantations, at least at times when anthers show full dehiscence and during maximum receptivity of the stigma. The bees’ potential to forage under reduced light regimes is corroborated by the finding that between 20 and 60% of the naturally exploited food sources are understory vegetation, including herbs, subshrubs, shrubs, and lianas. Many of the selected Meliponini build their nests, at least facultatively, in tree cavities, which facilitates their transfer to rational hives and, hence, the use of managed colonies in directed crop pollination. Important next steps for validating the potential of these small stingless bees in targeted cocoa pollination should comprise detailed studies on their foraging behavior and olfactory learning capacities.

The intrinsic challenges of contemporary marketing encourage discovering new approaches to engage and retain customers effectively. As the main channels of interactions between customers and brands pivot between the physical and the digital world, analyzing the outcome behavioral patterns must be achieved dynamically with the stimulus performed in both poles. This systematic review investigates the collaborative impact of adopting multidisciplinary fields of Affective Computing to evaluate current marketing strategies, upholding the process of using multimodal information from consumers to perform and integrate Sentiment Analysis tasks. The adjusted representation of modalities such as textual, visual, audio, or even psychological indicators enables prospecting a more precise assessment of the advantages and disadvantages of the proposed technique, glimpsing future applications of Multimodal Artificial Intelligence in Marketing. Embracing the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis as the research method to be applied, this article warrants a rigorous and sequential identification and interpretation of the synergies between the latest studies about affective computing and marketing. Furthermore, the robustness of the procedure is deepened in knowledge-gathering concerning the current state of Affective Computing in the Marketing area, their technical practices, ethical and legal considerations, and the potential upcoming applications, anticipating insights for the ongoing work of marketers and researchers.

The precision agriculture scientific field employs increasingly innovative techniques to optimize inputs, maximize profitability, and reduce environmental impacts. Therefore, obtaining a high number of soil samples to make precision agriculture feasible is challenging. This data bottleneck has been overcome by identifying sub-regions based on data obtained through proximal soil sensing equipment. These data can be combined with freely available remote sensing data to create more accurate maps of soil properties. Furthermore, these maps can be optimally aggregated and interpreted for soil heterogeneity through management zones. Thus, this work aimed to create and combine soil management zones from proximal soil sensing and remote sensing data. To this end, data on electrical conductivity and magnetic susceptibility, both apparent, were measured using the EM38-MK2 proximal soil sensor and the contents of the thorium and uranium elements, both equivalent, via the Medusa MS1200 proximal soil sensor for a 72-ha grain-producing area in São Paulo, Brazil. The proximal soil sensing attributes were mapped using ordinary kriging (OK). Maps were also made using kriging with external drift (KED), and the proximal soil sensor attributes data, combined with remote sensing data, such as Landsat-8, Aster, and Sentinel-2 images, in addition to 10 terrain covariables derived from the digital elevation model Alos Palsar. As a result, three management zone maps were produced via the k-means clustering algorithm: using data from proximal sensors (OK), proximal sensors combined with remote sensors (KED), and remote sensors. Seventy-two samples (0–10 cm in depth) were collected and analyzed in a laboratory (1 sample per hectare) for concentrations of clay, calcium, organic carbon, and magnesium to assess the capacity of the management zone maps created using analysis of variance. All zones created using the three data groups could distinguish the different treatment areas. The three data sources used to map management zones produced similar map zones, but the zone map using a combination of proximal and remote data did not show an improvement in defining the management zones, and using only remote sensing data lowered the significance levels of differentiating each zone compared to the OK and KED maps. In summary, this study not only underscores the global applicability of proximal and remote sensing techniques in precision agriculture but also sheds light on the nuances of their integration. The study’s findings affirm the efficacy of these advanced technologies in addressing the challenges posed by soil heterogeneity, paving the way for more nuanced and site-specific agricultural practices worldwide.

Abstract Background We aimed to evaluate the pulmonary and cerebral effects of low-tidal volume ventilation in pressure-support (PSV) and pressure-controlled (PCV) modes at two PEEP levels in acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Methods In this randomized experimental study, AIS was induced by thermocoagulation in 30 healthy male Wistar rats. After 24 h, AIS animals were randomly assigned to PSV or PCV with VT = 6 mL/kg and PEEP = 2 cmH2O (PSV-PEEP2 and PCV-PEEP2) or PEEP = 5 cmH2O (PSV-PEEP5 and PCV-PEEP5) for 2 h. Lung mechanics, arterial blood gases, and echocardiography were evaluated before and after the experiment. Lungs and brain tissue were removed for histologic and molecular biology analysis. The primary endpoint was diffuse alveolar damage (DAD) score; secondary endpoints included brain histology and brain and lung molecular biology markers. Results In lungs, DAD was lower with PSV-PEEP5 than PCV-PEEP5 (p

The age of 3-4 years is the initial stage in the development of pretend play, or play involving an imaginary situation. In this process, the leading role belongs to dramatic play with toys, the importance of which for children’s development cannot be underestimated. The qualitative analysis of children’s play presented in this research forms part of a large study aimed at identifying the features of children’s play and the toy preferences throughout the entire preschool age. Ten 3-4-year-old children during five play sessions were asked to play a story with a doll family. Before and after the play sessions, all children were tested to assess the level of development of executive functions, imagination, and the type of attachment was determined for each child using a survey of teachers and mothers. The video recordings of the play sessions were then analyzed. The purpose of the analysis was to identify the characteristics of 3-4-year-old children’s play behavior and to explore the relationship of the play features with the indicators of individual development. The experimental setting with a series of play sessions also made it possible to assess the dynamics in play development for each child. To evaluate the play, the following indicators were used: the theme and content of play, spatial substitution, the extent of elaborateness and stability of the play idea, the level of play actions with a toy, and the elaborateness of role-play interactions. The results showed that the level of development of free play involving an imaginary situation for 3-4-year-old children could be defined as generally low, regardless of the level of individual development indicators. A comparison of the first and the fifth play sessions did not reveal any positive dynamics in the level of play development. These results indicate the important role of adult participation in the support and development of children’s play. They can form the basis for the practical recommendations for teachers and parents how to scaffold the playing process of 3-4 years old children.

Coherent monologue speech is one of the main factors determining both school performance and social success of children. Therefore, problems related to methods and techniques for developing coherent monologue speech in children still remain relevant. It is often recommended to use various types of play activities (i.e., games) for this purpose. However, the question remains whether all of them have an equally positive impact on the development of coherent speech in such an aspect as its macrostructure (coherence, cohesion, semantic completeness, narrative structure). For this reason, the purpose of this study is to find out how different types of play affect the speech development in children of senior preschool age. According to our preliminary hypothesis, the development of semantic elements of a story is most influenced by role-playing games. Our study involved 220 preschoolers ( M = 60.84 months; SD = 4.14 months) who were randomly assigned to seven groups in which they either participated in a series of games of a certain type, or listened to additional stories, or were not exposed to experimental treatment at all. Before and after the exposure, the children made up stories based on a series of pictures. The resulting stories were evaluated in terms of their macrostructure. The groups were then compared in terms of the impact that different types of play interaction had on the development of the macrostructure of coherent speech. It was found that the best effect was shown by the role-playing games, and, first of all, ‘directed’ ones. These results allow a more reasonable approach to the use of games for the development of coherent monologue speech in children aged 5-6 years.

Introduction: Refractive error is a public health concern and even with relatively simple and cost-effective interventions it remains usually outside national health services (NHSs) not ensuring universal health coverage. This study aimed to generate evidence about the availability and accessibility of refractive services in Portugal and to present a plan for more efficient services. Methods: A situation analysis of the Portuguese existing refractive services within the NHS was conducted based on three health systems building blocks: service delivery access, service coverage, and workforce. A strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats analysis was performed based on existent evidence to identify internal and external factors that can facilitate or hinder the integration of refractive services within the NHS. The number of eye care personnel to be integrated in the NHS was calculated considering the minimum ratios recommended by national and international technical reports. Results: Portugal has no specific services to address refractive errors within the NHS. Treatment of refractive error occurs at the level of eye care general services. There are 39 NHS eye care services, all hospital-centred and divided into three large groups, according to technical differentiation, the technology required, and workforce capacity. The workforce available is composed of ophthalmologists and orthoptists, together with nurses and other general paramedical assistants. 3 Portuguese municipalities have more than 1 NHS eye care service, 35 have 1 NHS eye care service, and 240 municipalities (in the mainland) have none. In 2021, 52% of the hospitals providing eye care services did not meet the recommended response times. Centralization of eye care services in urban areas, undifferentiated referral systems, and a shortage in the workforce per inhabitant was observed. Conclusions: Portuguese NHS has all the requirements to reorientate refractive care from the current hospital-based model to primary care. The country also has a trained and qualified workforce to address this condition. Evidence demonstrates that the provision of refractive services at primary care is efficient and effective and translates into an opportunity to identify other visual conditions.

Background:Bougainvillea x buttiana is an ornamental plant with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and cytotoxic activities, which has been traditionally used to treat respiratory diseases. This study aimed to investigate whether the acetonic extract of Bougainvillea x buttiana var. Rose (BxbRAE-100%) has analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties and its potential action mechanisms. Methods: Analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities were evaluated using three murine pain models and two acute inflammation models. In vitro, the ability of the extract to inhibit proteolytic activity and the activities of the enzymes phospholipase A2 (PLA2) and cyclooxygenase (COX) were evaluated. In silico analysis was performed to predict the physicochemical and Absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) profiles of the compounds previously identified in BxbRAE-100%. Results: In vivo BxbRAE-100% decreased the nociceptive behaviors in the writhing model, the tail immersion, and the formalin test, suggesting that the extract has the potential to relieve pain at peripheral and central levels. Additionally, topical or oral BxbRAE-100% treatment reduced dose-dependent 12-O-Tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced ear inflammation and carrageenan-induced paw edema, respectively. In vitro, BxbRAE-100% significantly inhibited proteolytic activity and PLA2, COX-1 and COX-2 activities. In silico, the compounds previously identified in BxbRAE-100% met Lipinski’s rule of five and showed adequate ADME properties. Conclusions: These results support the use of B. x buttiana in Traditional Mexican Medicine and highlight its potential for the development of new treatments for pain and inflammation.

Background. Today’s common typologies and categories of children’s toys are mainly decided by the manufacturers and retailers of children's products. Such categorizations are not based on a theoretical understanding of child development and therefore cannot provide information about the opportunities that toys provide for the young. Objective. This study proposed three criteria for categorizing toys based on the cultural-historical approach: their degree of realism; their degree of anthropomorphism; and their degree of detail. These criteria were chosen as a result of an analysis of theoretical works carried out in the framework of cultural-historical approach. Design. The proposed criteria were tested through an experiment measuring children's toy preferences. The participants were 129 children of ages 3-4 years. Experimental data confirmed that most children do prefer realistic and detailed toys rather than those with fewer of these properties. The contribution of socio-demographic factors and the children’s individual developmental indicators to their toy preference was also analyzed. Results. The study revealed that among various socio-demographic factors, only the child’s gender and the number of siblings in the family acted as significant predictors for the toy preferences. None of child's developmental characteristics (non-verbal intelligence, executive functions, and emotional understanding) were found to be significant predictors of preference for particular toys. Conclusions. The assumption that toys can be assessed in terms of their realism and degree of detail found empirical support. The results of this study may be useful in designing further research and in the practical issue of toy selection for children age 3-4 years.

Soil properties that are considered difficult to measure are frequently determined through pedotransfer functions (PTFs). Calibration and validation datasets, containing measurements of the target soil property as well as widely available basic soil attributes, are needed to construct and validate PTFs. However, the target soil property data are prone to measurement errors, which are typically ignored when deriving new PTFs. In this contribution, we considered a PTF that predicts the soil cation exchange capacity (CEC) and aimed to study the effect of additive and multiplicative measurement error in the CEC calibration data on multiple linear regression (MLR) and random forest (RF) PTF predictions and associated prediction uncertainty. We used data from the National Cooperative Soil Survey Soil Characterization (NCSS-SC) Database, which unfortunately did not contain repeated measurements. Therefore, data from the Wageningen Evaluating Programmes for Analytical Laboratories (WEPAL) were used to quantify measurement error variance in CEC data. We assumed that the obtained measurement error variance was representative for the NCSS-SC Database CEC data, and used it to generate a probability distribution of the CEC measurement error. We used Monte Carlo simulations to add measurement errors to the original CEC values and fitted MLR- and RF-PTFs to ‘error-free’ and ‘error-contaminated’ datasets to study the effect of measurement error. For the MLR-PTFs, measurement error did not lead to large differences in the mean estimated model coefficients when compared to the estimates based on the ‘true’ CEC. Similarly, the variable importance scores of the RF-PTFs were comparable. However, a relationship between dataset size and the standard deviations of the model coefficient estimates and variable importance scores was present. Furthermore, the model performance reduced slightly (MEC decreased between 0.09 and 2.53%) compared to the MLR-PTFs fitted on the ‘true’ CEC. A larger effect of measurement error on model performance was found for the RF-PTFs, where the MEC decreased between 1.52 and 31.59%. The study showed that measurement error in the calibration data can impact the calibration and statistical validation of PTFs, especially when using small datasets or when measurement error variance is large.

The paper presents studies of the color separation system based on the developed color triangle for conducting scientific research in microscopy which will allow identifying genetic or chemical deviations of the samples under study by an accurate change in color. The color triangle covers the entire visible range and is focused on the physiological RGB and XYZ colorimetric systems. Based on the method of converting color spaces, the addition curves of the developed systems were found. Based on the curves, sets of color separating light filters were selected to fit the shapes of these curves based on the selected monochrome camera. Three sets are presented. An analytical study of these sets was carried out and one optimal set was selected. An analytical study of this system is presented in the form of mathematical modeling with 14 control colors from the Munsell atlas. The selected set of the system was experimentally studied on the developed optoelectronic setup placed in a black box to exclude light and color flare. One important part of the setup is the reflective screen: the location follows the lighting/observation recommendations of the International Commission on Illumination for colorimetric measurement of samples. For an objective analysis of measurements, reference test objects were selected — standardized colored optical glasses. The study was based on the evaluation of glass groups: yellow, yellow-green, green, blue-green, since the work has expanded the color space in the direction of the selected colors to obtain color accuracy. Previously, the author, in an analytical study of modern color separation systems, obtained results where the best value was found with a wide color triangle of 0.009, the worst 0.04 — with a small one. Thus, it has been proven: the larger the coverage of the color triangle, the smaller the change in color. The obtained values of the developed KZS system are better than modern ones –0.0088 on average. During the mathematical modeling of the experiment, the change in color was obtained 0.016 on average, the practical result — 0.027 on average. The obtained parameters and characteristics will be taken into account when introducing the developed color separation system into a monochrome digital microscope to improve color rendering in microscopy.

Background. The early onset of nephropathies creates certain risk of early chronic kidney disease development with loss of function (especially in children with unfavorable intrauterine period), renal tissue dysplasia, congenital malformations and/or urodynamic disorders.Objective. The aim of the study is to evaluate the role of ontogenesis factors in nephropathies development in tender-age infants with specification of the course features and kidneys morphometric parameters.Methods. Cohort study was conducted. The study group included 69 children aged from 0 to 36 months with changes in the kidneys (compared to age-specific ones) according to ultrasound and/or urinary syndrome (leukocyturia, bacteriuria, proteinuria, etc.). The control group included 35 relatively healthy children of the same age. Comparative analysis of antenatal and postnatal medical history was carried out in both groups, as well as comparison of morphometric indicators of the urinary system organs at neonatal ultrasound screening. Pathological process onset was also considered in the group of children with nephropathies. The study was conducted during 2018–2021.Results. Possible predictors of pathology process in children with early onset of nephropathies are: 1) maternal diseases: urinary system disorders (OR = 4.99), blood pathology, mainly anemia of the 2nd–3rd grade (OR = 6.94), cardiovascular system diseases (OR = 10.26), inflammatory diseases of genital tract (OR = 10.61); 2) pregnancy failures: gestational diabetes mellitus (OR = 7.24), preeclampsia and eclampsia (OR = 4.40); placental pathology (OR = 17.0), and fetoplacental insufficiency (OR = 7.61); 3) feeding features: early conversion to breast-milk substitutes (OR = 2.81). 50.7% of children of this group has shown persistent urodynamic disorders already at first months of life according to ultrasound data, as well as signs of bloated kidneys. It was shown that the inflammatory process manifestation associated with aggravated perinatal history and congenital defects occurs significantly earlier — 2 months, and without any defects — 4 months (p = 0.004).Conclusion. Burdened antenatal and neonatal medical history has negative effect on the morphogenesis of the urinary system organs and creates conditions for early nephropathies development during the first months of life.

Abstract Background Sea-lavenders (Limonium Mill., Plumbaginaceae) are a cosmopolitan group of diploid and polyploid plants often adapted to extreme saline environments, with a mostly Tethyan distribution, occurring in the Mediterranean, Irano-Turanian, Euro-Siberian and in the New World. The halophylic Limonium vulgare polyploid complex in particular, presents a large distribution throughout extreme salt-marsh habitats and shows little morphological but high taximetric variation, frequently blurring species delimitation. In this work we pursue three main goals: assert whether SNP data from polyploid individuals has the resolution to distinguish the seven sampled species, to better understand how genetically structured Limonium vulgare is, and attempt to identify specific molecular mechanisms for the differentiation between L. maritimum and L. vulgare. For this purpose, 95 individuals were genotyped using Genotyping by Sequencing (GBS), which were assembled as two independent datasets using ipyrad. All analyses performed downstream of assembly were fully automated. Phylogenetic inference, PCA, and admixture plots were used to infer answers to the study’s main goals. Results Close to 10,000 SNPs were obtained for each dataset. Phylogenetic analyses reveal that polyploid data can be used to infer species relationships. Population structure analyses suggest a genetically structured L. vulgare. A set of 34 SNPs were found to be fully segregated between L. vulgare and L. maritimum, two of which are potentially linked to proteins that might be involved in the speciation process. Conclusion Despite polyploid data analyses shortcomings, GBS generated SNPs have the resolution to discern all seven included species. Limonium vulgare revealed pronounced genetic structure along a geographical north-south cline. L. maritimum always appears as a distinct genetic entity. Segregated SNPs between L. vulgare and L. maritimum indicate salinity response and morphological trait control genes as potentially interesting to follow up for studying these species’ divergence process.

Abstract Dicoumarol, a coumarin-like compound, is known for its anticoagulant properties associated with the ability to inhibit vitamin K, being prescribed as a drug for several decades. The pharmaceutical value of dicoumarol turned it into a focus of chemists’ attention, aiming its synthesis and of dicoumarol derivatives, bringing to light new methodologies. In recent years, several other bioactive effects have been claimed for dicoumarol and its derivatives, including anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antifungal, and anticancer, although the mechanisms of action underlying them are mostly not disclosed and additional research is needed to unravel them. This review presents a state of the art on the chemistry of dicoumarols, and their potential anticancer characteristics, highlighting the mechanisms of action elucidated so far. In parallel, we draw attention to the lack of in vivo studies and clinical trials to assess the safety and efficacy as drugs for later application.

A study is presented in the field of development and creation of modernized multi-layer color separation multispectral systems with increased color resolution. The types of structures of the developed patterns of matrix photodetectors based on multilayer silicon with working layers for use in the blue, green, red and infrared spectral ranges are considered. A method for calculating silicon layers in the form of optical films with specified characteristics is proposed. The silicon layers act as both a sensing element and a specific wavelength filter to highlight the blue, green, red and infrared ranges of the spectrum. The reflection and transmission coefficients were calculated for the selected wavelengths at various angles of incidence on the sensor. The Brewster angle for these wavelengths is also calculated. The possible presence of a microlens sensor surface is taken into account. Calculations are presented for cells with four-layer and two-layer structures for various combinations of layers. The dependences of the reflection and transmission coefficients for two-layer and four-layer structures of semiconductor sensors for p- and s-polarization, also for unpolarized light, are obtained. It is shown that the combination of layers in the red and infrared ranges of the spectra has the minimum reflection coefficient and the maximum transmission coefficient. The results obtained can be used in the development of multilayer multispectral systems with registration of infrared radiation. As a result, it is possible to use a pair of red and infrared spectra as the basis of a matrix photodetector pattern, and layers of blue and green spectra as auxiliary ones for building a full-color image.

The literature on the use of medicinal plants in wound healing was comprehensively searched to obtain and assess the data. The data were procured via clinical studies that utilized medicinal plants and their compounds in vitro and in vivo for wound healing. This review collected data from electronic databases, including Google Scholar, PubMed, Science Direct, Web of Science, SciFinder, Thesis, and Scopus, using the search terms “natural products”, “wound healing”, and “natural compounds”, along with the keywords “plants”, “extracts”, and “phytochemicals”. Results from the last decade reveal a total of 62 families and 109 genera of medicinal plants, and their compounds have been studied experimentally both in vivo and in vitro and clinically found to effectively promote healing. This activity is related to the presence of secondary metabolites such as flavonoids, alkaloids, saponins, tannins, terpenoids, and phenolic compounds, which act at different stages through different mechanisms to exert anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antioxidant effects, confirming that the use of medicinal plants could be an adequate alternative to current conventional practices for treating wounds.

In the fast-evolving landscape of nanotechnology, the widespread applications of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) have undoubtedly revolutionized various industries, ranging from healthcare and electronics to agriculture and environmental remediation [...]

In the search for new chemotherapeutic alternatives for cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL), essential oils are promising due to their diverse biological potential. In this study, we aimed to investigate the chemical composition and leishmanicidal and anti-inflammatory potential of the essential oil isolated from the leaves of Plinia cauliflora (PCEO). The chemical composition of PCEO showed β-cis-Caryophyllene (24.4%), epi-γ-Eudesmol (8%), 2-Naphthalenemethanol[decahydro-alpha] (8%), and trans-Calamenene (6.6%) as its major constituents. Our results showed that the PCEO has moderate cytotoxicity (CC50) of 137.4 and 143.7 μg/mL on mice peritoneal exudate cells (mPEC) and Vero cells, respectively. The PCEO was able to significantly decrease mPEC infection by Leishmania amazonensis and Leishmania braziliensis. The value of the inhibitory concentration (IC50) on amastigote forms was about 7.3 µg/mL (L. amazonensis) and 7.2 µg/mL (L. braziliensis). We showed that PCEO induced drastic ultrastructural changes in both species of Leishmania and had a high selectivity index (SI) > 18. The in silico ADMET analysis pointed out that PCEO can be used for the development of oral and/or topical formulation in the treatment of CL. In addition, we also demonstrated the in vivo anti-inflammatory effect, with a 95% reduction in paw edema and a decrease by at least 21.4% in migration immune cells in animals treated with 50 mg/kg of PCEO. Taken together, our results demonstrate that PCEO is a promising topical therapeutic agent against CL.

The increasing use of molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) nanoparticles (NPs) raises concerns regarding their accumulation in soil ecosystems, with limited studies on their impact on soil organisms. Study aim: To unravel the effects of MoS2 nanosheets (two-dimensional (2D) MoS2 NPs) and bulk MoS2 (156, 313, 625, 1250, 2500 mg/kg) on Enchytraeus crypticus and Folsomia candida. The organisms’ survival and avoidance behavior remained unaffected by both forms, while reproduction and DNA integrity were impacted. For E. crypticus, the individual endpoint reproduction was more sensitive, increasing at lower concentrations of bulk MoS2 and decreasing at higher ones and at 625 mg/kg of 2D MoS2 NPs. For F. candida, the molecular endpoint DNA integrity was more impacted: 2500 mg/kg of bulk MoS2 induced DNA damage after 2 days, with all concentrations inducing damage by day 7. 2D MoS2 NPs induced DNA damage at 156 and 2500 mg/kg after 2 days, and at 1250 and 2500 mg/kg after 7 days. Despite affecting the same endpoints, bulk MoS2 induced more effects than 2D MoS2 NPs. Indeed, 2D MoS2 NPs only inhibited E. crypticus reproduction at 625 mg/kg and induced fewer (F. candida) or no effects (E. crypticus) on DNA integrity. This study highlights the different responses of terrestrial organisms to 2D MoS2 NPs versus bulk MoS2, reinforcing the importance of risk assessment when considering both forms.

Granular sludge is a promising biotechnology to treat sewage contaminated with pharmaceuticals due to its increased toxicity resistance. In this context, this study evaluated the potential of Ca2+ as a granulation precursor and how pharmaceutical compounds (loratadine, prednisone, fluconazole, fenofibrate, betamethasone, 17α-ethinyl estradiol, and ketoprofen) affect granulation. Continuous and intermittent dosages of Ca2+ in the presence and absence of pharmaceuticals were evaluated. The results showed that intermittent addition of Ca2+ reduces the time for anaerobic sludge granulation, and pharmaceuticals presence did not impair granulation. 10% of the granules presented mean diameters greater than 2.11 mm within 93 days with intermittent Ca2+ dosage in the pharmaceuticals’ presence. In contrast, no granules higher than 2.0 mm were observed with no precursor addition. The pharmaceuticals' toxicity may have created a stress condition for the microbial community, contributing to more EPS production and a greater potential for granulation. It was also verified that pharmaceuticals’ presence did not decrease organic matter, total alkalinity, and volatile fatty acids removals. The 16S rRNA gene analysis revealed taxa resistance to recalcitrant compounds when pharmaceuticals were added. Besides, the efficiency of a granular sludge bioreactor (EGSB) was evaluated for pharmaceuticals removal, and betamethasone, fenofibrate, and prednisone were effectively removed. HIGHLIGHTS Ca2+ addition can reduce the time required for sludge granulation.; Pharmaceuticals compounds did not impair granulation.; Presence of compounds with toxicity contributed to increased EPS production.; The granular sludge bioreactor removed betamethasone, fenofibrate, and prednisone.;

IntroductionOphthalmic imaging instruments, including the confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscope and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography system, originally intended for revealing ocular microstructures in the human eye, have been deployed by vision researchers to evaluate the eyes of numerous small and large animal species for more than two decades. In this study, we have used these two instruments to obtain imaging data sequentially from the retinas of three prominent, widely used experimental mouse models to document changes induced by two contrasting vivarium lighting conditions. Mice studied include albino BALB/cJ and B6(Cg)-Tyrc-2J/J and pigmented C57Bl/6J.MethodsMice were reared under dim light conditions until ~8 weeks of age where they underwent baseline imaging. Following, mice were returned to the dim vivarium or relocated to the top rack cage position in a standard vivarium. Mice were then followed for several months by ocular imaging to catalog the retinal dynamics as a function of long-term dim vs. elevated, standard vivarium lighting exposure levels.ResultsUpon exposure to elevated light levels, B6(Cg)-Tyrc-2J/J underwent similar changes as BALB/cJ in regard to photoreceptor outer segment shortening, photoreceptor layer proximal aspect hyperreflective changes, and the development of retinal infoldings and autofluorescent sub-retinal inflammatory monocyte infiltrate. Noteworthy, however, is that infoldings and infiltrate occurred at a slower rate of progression in B6(Cg)-Tyrc-2J/J vs. BALB/cJ. The photoreceptor outer nuclear layer thickness of BALB/cJ degenerated steadily following elevated light onset. In contrast, B6(Cg)-Tyrc-2J/J degeneration was unremarkable for many weeks before experiencing a noticeable change in the rate of degeneration that was concomitant with a plateau and decreasing trend in number of retinal infoldings and monocyte infiltrate. Pathological changes in C57Bl/6J mice were unremarkable for all imaging biomarkers assessed with exception to autofluorescent sub-retinal inflammatory monocyte infiltrate, which showed significant accumulation in dim vs. elevated light exposed mice following ~1 year of observation. These data were evaluated using Spearman’s correlation and Predictive Power Score matrices to determine the best imaging optophysiological biomarkers for indicating vivarium light stress and light-induced photoreceptor degeneration.DiscussionThis study suggests that changes in proximal aspect hyperreflectivity, outer segment shortening, retinal infoldings and autofluorescent sub-retinal inflammatory monocyte infiltrate are excellent indicators of light stress and light-induced degeneration in albino B6(Cg)-Tyrc-2J/J and BALB/cJ mouse strains.

Abstract This study aimed to assess the ultrapure cannabidiol (CBD) antibacterial activity and to investigate the antibacterial activity of the combination CBD + polymyxin B (PB) against Gram-negative (GN) bacteria, including PB-resistant Gram-negative bacilli (GNB). We used the standard broth microdilution method, checkerboard assay, and time-kill assay. CBD exhibited antibacterial activity against Gram-positive bacteria, lipooligosaccharide (LOS)-expressing GN diplococcus (GND) (Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Neisseria meningitidis, Moraxella catarrhalis), and Mycobacterium tuberculosis, but not against GNB. For most of the GNB studied, our results showed that low concentrations of PB (≤ 2 µg/mL) allow CBD (≤ 4 µg/mL) to exert antibacterial activity against GNB (e.g., Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Acinetobacter baumannii), including PB-resistant GNB. CBD + PB also showed additive and/or synergistic effect against LOS-expressing GND. Time-kill assays results showed that the combination CBD + PB leads to a greater reduction in the number of colony forming units per milliliter compared to CBD and PB alone, at the same concentration used in combination, and the combination CBD + PB was synergistic for all four PB-resistant K. pneumoniae isolates evaluated. Our results show that CBD has translational potential and should be further explored as a repurposed antibacterial agent in clinical trials. The antibacterial efficacy of the combination CBD + PB against multidrug-resistant and extensively drug-resistant GNB, especially PB-resistant K. pneumoniae, is particularly promising.

Piper amalago L. is used in Brazilian traditional medicine to treat inflammation, chest pain, and anxiety. This study aimed to investigate the safety and the renal and cardiovascular effects of the volatile oil (VO) and the aqueous (AE) and hydroalcoholic (HE) extracts from P. amalago. The gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analyses identified 47 compounds in the VO, with β-cyclogermacrene, spathulenol, β-phellandrene, and α-pinene standing out. Among the 47 compounds also found in AE and HE by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, glycosylated flavones, organic acids, amino acids, and amides were highlighted. Some examples of these compounds are methoxy-methylenedioxy cis-cinnamoyl pyrrolidine, methoxy-methylenedioxy trans-cinnamoyl pyrrolidine, and cyclobutene-2,4-bis-(1,3-benzodioxol-5-methoxy-6-yl)-1,3-dicarboxapyrrolidide. The acute toxicity experiments were conducted on female rats (n = 5). The cardiorenal assays (n = 8) and evaluations of vasodilatory effects on the mesenteric vascular bed (n = 5) were conducted on male rats. In either extract or VO, there were no mortality or changes in relative weights or histopathological analysis of the organs. Urinary volume and renal electrolyte excretion were elevated significantly during repeated dose 7-day treatment with different preparations from P. amalago. None of the preparations induced hypotension or changes in cardiac electrical activity. Only HE promoted significant vasodilatory effects in rats’ isolated mesenteric vascular beds. These effects were completely abolished in the presence of L-NAME plus 4-aminopyridine. Therefore, P. amalago leaves are safe and present diuretic activity after acute and repeated dose administration over 7 days. Moreover, the HE induced significant vasodilator response in rats’ mesenteric vascular beds by NO/cGMP pathway and voltage-dependent K+ channels activation.

Mental and neurological disorders are conditions that affect thoughts, emotions, behavior, and relationships. Malpighia mexicana A. Juss. is a plant used in Mexican traditional medicine for the treatment of such disorders. This work aimed to investigate the antidepressant, anxiolytic, sedative, hypnotic, and anticonvulsant effects of the acetonic extract (MmAE) of M. mexicana and its fractions (F3, F4-10, F14) using the forced swimming test (FST), elevated plus maze (EPM), open field test (OFT), pentobarbital-induced sleep test (PBTt), and pentylenetetrazol-induced seizure test (PTZt). MmAE, F3, F4-10, F14, and vehicle were administrated orally 24, 18, and 1 h prior to the evaluations. Imipramine (15 mg/kg, p.o.) was administrated 1 h prior to the evaluations as a positive control for the FST, while diazepam (1 mg/kg, p.o.) was administrated 1 h prior to the evaluations as a positive control for the EPM, OFT, PBTt, and PTZt. MmAE had an anxiolytic effect; MmAE and F3, F4-10, and F14 showed an antidepressant effect, sedative effect, hypnotic effect, and anticonvulsant effect. Using HPLC, we identified the compounds quercetin 3-O-rutinoside (1), kaempferol 3-O-glucoside (2), luteolin 7-O-glucoside (3), quercetin (4), and kaempferol (5) in MmAE and compounds (1), (2), and (3) in F14. Using GC-MS, we identified α-tocopherol, phytol, and β-amyrin in F3; β-tocopherol, phytol, β-sitosterol, and β-amyrin in F4-10; and α- tocopherol, phytol, β-sitosterol, and β-amyrin in F4-10. The neuropharmacological effects found in this work may be due to the presence of vitamins, phytosterols, terpenes, and flavonoids. This research requires further study to clarify the mechanisms of action of the identified compounds.

Despite the growing concern over nanoplastics’ (NPls) environmental impacts, their long-term effects on terrestrial organisms remain poorly understood. The main aim of this study was to assess how NPls exposure impacts both the parental (F1) and subsequent generations (F2 and F3) of the soil-dwelling species Folsomia candida. After a standard exposure (28 days), we conducted a multigenerational study along three generations (84 days), applying polystyrene nanoparticles (PS NPs; diameter of 44 nm) as representatives of NPls. Endpoints from biochemical to individual levels were assessed. The standard test: PS NPs (0.015 to 900 mg/kg) had no effect in F. candida survival or reproduction. The multigenerational test: PS NPs (1.5 and 300 mg/kg) induced no effects on F. candida survival and reproduction along the three generations (F1 to F3). PS NPs induced no effects in catalase, glutathione reductase, glutathione S-transferases, and acetylcholinesterase activities for the juveniles of the F1 to F3. Oxidative damage through lipid peroxidation was detected in the offspring of F1 but not in the juveniles of F2 and F3. Our findings underscore the importance of evaluating multigenerational effects to gain comprehensive insights into the contaminants long-term impact, particularly when organisms are continuously exposed, as is the case with NPls.

The enthalpies of formation in the gaseous phase of methyl 3-methylanthranilate and methyl 5-methylanthranilate were determined from experimental measurements of the corresponding standard energies of combustion, obtained from combustion calorimetry, and the standard enthalpies of vaporization and sublimation, obtained from Calvet microcalorimetry and Knudsen mass-loss effusion. A computational study, using the G3(MP2)//B3LYP composite method, has also been performed for the calculation of the gas-phase standard enthalpies of formation of those two molecules at T = 298.15 K, as well as for the remaining isomers, methyl 4-methylanthranilate and methyl 6-methylanthranilate. The results have been used to evaluate and analyze the energetic effect of the methyl substituent in different positions of the ring.

Overlap has been identified in previous works as a significant obstacle to automated diagnosis using data mining algorithms, since it makes it impossible to discern how each machine influences product quality. Several solutions that handle overlap have been proposed, but the final result is a list of potential overlapped root causes. The goal of this paper is to develop a solution resilient to overlap that can determine the true root cause from a list of possible root causes, when possible, and determine the conditions in which it is possible to identify the root causes. This allows for a better understanding of overlap, and enables the development of a fully automatic root cause analysis for manufacturing. To do so, we propose an automatic root cause analysis approach that uses causal inference and do calculus to determine the true root cause. The proposed approach was validated on simulated and real case-study data, and allowed for an estimation of the effect of a product passing through a certain machine while disregarding the effect of overlap, in certain conditions. The results were on par with the state-of-the-art solutions capable of handling overlap. The contributions of this paper are a graphical definition of overlap, the identification of the conditions in which is possible to overcome the effect of overlap, and a solution that can present a single true root cause when such conditions are met.

Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic has brought unprecedented changes to medical education. However, no data are available regarding the impact the pandemic may have on medical training in Mexico. The aim of our study was to evaluate and identify the medical school students’ perceptions of the changes in their clinical training due to the pandemic in Mexico. Methods This was a cross-sectional study where a previous validated online survey was translated and adapted by medical education experts and applied to senior medical students from March to April of 2021. The 16-item questionnaire was distributed online combining dichotomous, multiple-choice, and 5-point Likert response scale questions. Descriptive and multivariate analyses were performed to compare the student’s perceptions between public and private schools. Results A total of 671 responses were included in the study period. Most participants were from public schools (81%) and female (61%). Almost every respondent (94%) indicated it was necessary to obtain COVID-19 education, yet only half (54%) received such training. Students in private schools were less likely to have their clinical instruction canceled (53% vs. 77%, p = 0.001) and more likely to have access to virtual instruction (46% vs. 22%, p = 0.001) when compared to students from public schools. Four out of every five students considered their training inferior to that of previous generations, and most students (82%) would consider repeating their final year of clinical training. Conclusions The impact of the COVID-19 on medical education in Mexico has been significant. Most final-year medical students have been affected by the cancellation of their in-person clinical instruction, for which the majority would consider repeating their final year of training. Efforts to counterbalance this lack of clinical experience with virtual or simulation instruction are needed.

Body pigmentation is a limitation for in vivo imaging and thus for the performance of longitudinal studies in biomedicine. A possibility to circumvent this obstacle is the employment of pigmentation mutants, which are used in fish species like zebrafish and medaka. To address the basis of aging, the short-lived African killifish Nothobranchius furzeri has recently been established as a model organism. Despite its short lifespan, N. furzeri shows typical signs of mammalian aging including telomere shortening, accumulation of senescent cells, and loss of regenerative capacity. Here, we report the generation of a transparent N. furzeri line by the simultaneous inactivation of three key loci responsible for pigmentation. We demonstrate that this stable line, named klara, can serve as a tool for different applications including behavioral experiments and the establishment of a senescence reporter by integration of a fluorophore into the cdkn1a (p21) locus and in vivo microscopy of the resulting line.

Very low birth weight (VLBW) infants, mostly preterm, have many barriers to feeding directly from the mother's breast, and need to be fed alternatively. Feeding is a major influencer in oral microbial colonization, and this colonization in early life is crucial for the promotion of human health. Therefore, this research aimed to observe the establishment of oral microbiome in VLBW infants during their first month of life through hospitalization, and to verify the impact caused by the implementation of oral diet on the colonization of these newborns. We included 23 newborns followed during hospitalization and analyzed saliva samples collected weekly, using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. We observed a significant decrease in richness and diversity and an increase in dominance over time (q-value < 0.05). The oral microbiome is highly dynamic during the first weeks of life, and beta diversity suggests a microbial succession in early life. The introduction of oral diet does not change the community structure, but affects the abundance, especially of Streptococcus. Our results indicate that although time is related to significant changes in the oral microbial profile, oral feeding benefits genera that will remain colonizers throughout the host's life.

PurposeTo investigate the prevalence, distribution and trends of refractive error from ophthalmic lens manufacturing data over a ten-year period.MethodsFully anonymized data from ophthalmic lenses, for the years between 2010 and 2020, provided by the leading ophthalmic lens manufacturer operating in Portugal were analysed (no human participants were involved in the research). Prescriptions delivered were divided in single vision prescriptions and progressive/multifocal prescriptions and categorized into 14 spherical equivalent ranges. Given the lack of absolute values, indirect estimates and a qualitative analysis of the current situation and trends on refractive error epidemiology was carried out.ResultsDataset from manufacturer comprises percentage values of ophthalmic lenses dispensed in Portugal. The distribution of ophthalmic prescriptions for single vision prescriptions presents most of the observations in the range [-1.49, -0.50] diopters, in every year from 2010 to 2020. For the progressive prescription's lenses, most of the observations is in an interval of two ranges, [0.50, 1.49] and [1.50, 2.99] diopters. From 2010 to 2020 the proportion of single vision ophthalmic lens prescriptions for myopia increased from 38.13% to 46.21%; the proportion for high myopia increased from 2.76% to 4.45%; and the proportion for hyperopia decreased from 40.85% to 31.36%.ConclusionsOphthalmic lens manufacturing data can be a valuable source for long-term analysis of refractive error prescription and trends over time. It was possible to observe a trend of increasing prevalence of myopia and high myopia from 40.89% in 2010 to 50.66% in 2020. That increase trend has important implications for public health and in the planning of services.

The paper investigates the frequency characteristics of the spectra of a human eye and a faceted diamond (brilliant). The nrelevance of the research deals with a large number of modern studies on the use of diamond as a lens of the eye. The results obtained were compared with the averaged data (described in the literature) on the visibility curve of day, evening and night vision of the human eye. The research method is based on the representation of the optical environment of the human eye and diamond in the form of a dynamic link with an input and output. The Gaussian function is used to approximate the spectral curves. The study of the inertial properties of such a link in the time domain is performed by feeding signals to its input in the form of a δ-function or a unit function. The steady-state forced oscillations at the output of the investigated dynamic link are found when a harmonic action is applied to the input. Frequency characteristics discover a relationship between the spectra of the input and output signals, representing the direct Fourier transform of the function of time. It was found that the spectra of the visibility of the human eye and the luminescent radiation of diamond have the properties of ultra-wideband signals. It is shown that the amplification of light takes place in the time domain when the width of the spectrum at its half-maximum does not exceed a certain critical value. This phenomenon also manifests itself in the frequency domain. It was revealed that the dynamic links of diamond and human eyes for day and night vision exhibit amplifying properties. Their comparison in terms of the light amplification factor showed their insignificant difference. The results obtained can find application in the creation of matrix photodetectors and as a standard in identifying a faceted diamond (brilliant) of unknown origin and producing a lens from a diamond.

Cub domain-containing protein 1 (CDCP1) is a protein that is highly expressed on the surface of many cancer cells. However, its distribution in normal tissues and its potential roles in nontumor cells are poorly understood. We found that CDCP1 is present on both human and mouse retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells. CDCP1-KO mice developed attenuated retinal inflammation in a passive model of autoimmune uveitis, with disrupted tight junctions and infiltrating T cells detected in RPE flat mounts from WT but not CDCP1-KO mice during EAU development. Mechanistically, we discovered that CDCP1 on RPE cells was upregulated by IFN-γ in vitro and after EAU induction in vivo. CD6 stimulation induced increased RPE barrier permeability of WT but not CDCP1-knockdown (CDCP1-KD) RPE cells, and activated T cells migrated through WT RPE monolayers more efficiently than the CDCP1-KD RPE monolayers. In addition, CD6 stimulation of WT but not the CDCP1-KD RPE cells induced massive stress fiber formation and focal adhesion disruption to reduce cell barrier tight junctions. These data suggest that CDCP1 on RPE cells interacts with CD6 on T cells to induce RPE cytoskeleton remodeling and focal adhesion disruption, which open up the tight junctions to facilitate T cell infiltration for the development of uveitis.

Objetivos: Estimar a prevalência de transtorno do jogo pela Internet (IGD) e fatores de risco associados em uma amostra de estudantes do ensino médio e superior de uma instituição pública federal de ensino superior (Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia) no sul do Brasil. Métodos: O estudo incluiu um questionário sociodemográfico, o Inventário de Depressão de Beck (BDI), Self-Report Questionnaire (SRQ-20), Índice de Qualidade do Sono de Pittsburgh (PSQI-BR), Mini-Social Phobia Inventory (Mini-SPIN), e a Escala de Adição a Jogos (GAS). Finalmente, o IGD foi mensurado com a versão brasileira da Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-Short-Form (IGDS9-SF), que foi validada psicometricamente nesta população. Resultados: No geral, 38,2% (n=212) da amostra apresentou sintomas de IGD, com 18,2% (n=101) sendo classificados como jogadores de risco. A análise de regressão constatou que o IGD estava associado ao sexo masculino, sintomas depressivos graves, má qualidade do sono, aumento do tempo gasto em jogos e tempo livre total gasto em jogos (p < 0,001). Conclusões: A prevalência de IGD nesta amostra foi relativamente alta, e os fatores de risco associados encontrados foram similares aos relatados anteriormente na literatura. Estudos futuros investigando a epidemiologia da IGD em amostras brasileiras são necessários para entender melhor as necessidades de tratamento e informar as medidas preventivas nesta população.

Abstract The canga of the Serra dos Carajás, in Eastern Amazon, is home to a unique open plant community, harboring several endemic and rare species. Although a complete flora survey has been recently published, scarce to no genetic information is available for most plant species of the ironstone outcrops of the Serra dos Carajás. In this scenario, DNA barcoding appears as a fast and effective approach to assess the genetic diversity of the Serra dos Carajás flora, considering the growing need for robust biodiversity conservation planning in such an area with industrial mining activities. Thus, after testing eight different DNA barcode markers (matK, rbcL, rpoB, rpoC1, atpF‐atpH, psbK‐psbI, trnH‐psbA, and ITS2), we chose rbcL and ITS2 as the most suitable markers for a broad application in the regional flora. Here we describe DNA barcodes for 1,130 specimens of 538 species, 323 genera, and 115 families of vascular plants from a highly diverse flora in the Amazon basin, with a total of 344 species being barcoded for the first time. In addition, we assessed the potential of using DNA metabarcoding of bulk samples for surveying plant diversity in the canga. Upon achieving the first comprehensive DNA barcoding effort directed to a complete flora in the Brazilian Amazon, we discuss the relevance of our results to guide future conservation measures in the Serra dos Carajás.

Role-play in early childhood is associated with development of executive functions (EFs), although study results remain inconsistent. Due to the complex nature of the role-play, the underlying mechanisms of these associations are not obvious. In this article, play is viewed in the framework of the cultural-historical approach as a special social situation that can become the social situation of development if it results in dramatic perezhivanie of a child. In this study, we compared the level of EFs and play behavior between two play contexts: play guided by an adult and one with less adult involvement. Play behavior was analyzed based on five behavioral measures suggested to be the markers of dramatic perezhivanie. Measures of EFs were taken before and after the experimental procedure. Results show that dramatic perezhivanie might be considered a driver of EFs development through role-play in early childhood. As well as this, the involvement of an adult into play was associated with different patterns of EFs dynamics before and after the intervention. Future work can investigate if the construct of dramatic perezhivanie, microsocial situation of development, and micro-crisis might explain variability of the study results on the association between the role-play and child development.

Background: Fluid regimens in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) are conflicting. The amount of fluid and positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) level may interact leading to ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI). We therefore evaluated restrictive and liberal fluid strategies associated with low and high PEEP levels with regard to lung and kidney damage, as well as cardiorespiratory function in endotoxin-induced ARDS.Methods: Thirty male Wistar rats received an intratracheal instillation of Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide. After 24 h, the animals were anesthetized, protectively ventilated (VT = 6 ml/kg), and randomized to restrictive (5 ml/kg/h) or liberal (40 ml/kg/h) fluid strategies (Ringer lactate). Both groups were then ventilated with PEEP = 3 cmH2O (PEEP3) and PEEP = 9 cmH2O (PEEP9) for 1 h (n = 6/group). Echocardiography, arterial blood gases, and lung mechanics were evaluated throughout the experiments. Histologic analyses were done on the lungs, and molecular biology was assessed in lungs and kidneys using six non-ventilated animals with no fluid therapy.Results: In lungs, the liberal group showed increased transpulmonary plateau pressure compared with the restrictive group (liberal, 23.5 ± 2.9 cmH2O; restrictive, 18.8 ± 2.3 cmH2O, p = 0.046) under PEEP = 9 cmH2O. Gene expression associated with inflammation (interleukin [IL]-6) was higher in the liberal-PEEP9 group than the liberal-PEEP3 group (p = 0.006) and restrictive-PEEP9 (p = 0.012), Regardless of the fluid strategy, lung mechanical power and the heterogeneity index were higher, whereas birefringence for claudin-4 and zonula-ocludens-1 gene expression were lower in the PEEP9 groups. Perivascular edema was higher in liberal groups, regardless of PEEP levels. Markers related to damage to epithelial cells [club cell secreted protein (CC16)] and the extracellular matrix (syndecan) were higher in the liberal-PEEP9 group than the liberal-PEEP3 group (p = 0.010 and p = 0.024, respectively). In kidneys, the expression of IL-6 and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin was higher in PEEP9 groups, regardless of the fluid strategy. For the liberal strategy, PEEP = 9 cmH2O compared with PEEP = 3 cmH2O reduced the right ventricle systolic volume (37%) and inferior vena cava collapsibility index (45%).Conclusion: The combination of a liberal fluid strategy and high PEEP led to more lung damage. The application of high PEEP, regardless of the fluid strategy, may also be deleterious to kidneys.

Abstract Functional enzyme assays to detect sublethal poisoning of Neotropical fish are paramount. Accordingly, we assayed a glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity in liver and kidney cytosols from Piaractus mesopotamicus injected with methyl parathion or benzo[a]pyrene using the substrate 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (CDNB), which is the usual substrate for assaying a known general activity of GST. Since the most reactive substrate is required to reveal specific changes in enzyme activity, we also used two alternative substrates, 1,2-dichloro-4-nitrobenzene (DCNB) and ethacrynic acid (ETHA). Activities with CDNB or ETHA did not change. However, assays with DCNB showed that methyl parathion caused a decrease in GST activity in the liver on the 24th, 48th and 96th hour after the injection. DCNB also revealed that GST activity in the liver increased seven days after benzo[a]pyrene injection, coming down to normal after fourteen days. Benzo[a]pyrene, but not methyl parathion, increased the activities with DCNB in cytosol from the kidney seven and fourteen days after the injection. Thus, a decreased liver GST activity assayed with DCNB corresponded to contamination of P. mesopotamicus with methyl parathion. The increase of this GST activity in the liver and the kidney correlates to pacu contamination with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

Multicomponent reactions are valuable synthetic tools to deliver highly functionalized motifs starting from simple building blocks in only one step and in an atom-economical way. Herein we disclose the structure of a new and unexpected compound, the methyl 5-imino-2-methyl-1,10a-dihydro-5H-chromeno[2,3-b]pyridine-3-carboxylate, which was formed in the ohmic-heating-assisted multicomponent Hantzsch reaction of 3-formylchromone with methyl acetoacetate and ammonium acetate, in aqueous medium, in the presence of tetrabutylammonium bromide as phase transfer catalyst. The title compound was isolated with no need of chromatographic separation and was analyzed by nuclear magnetic resonance (1H and 13C-NMR, HSQC and HMBC) spectroscopy, mass spectrometry (MS) and high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS). Its formation as the main reaction product was observed when the reaction was performed using ohmic heating, which may lead to some speculations about the possible existence of specific effects of ohmic heating in the reactivity pathway because of the passage of an alternating electric current of high frequency within the reaction media, opening new opportunities for further investigations of the potential of this thermal processing method in organic synthesis and reactivity optimization.

Background: The chromosome 1q12 region harbors the genome’s largest pericentromeric heterochromatin domain that includes tandemly repeated satellite III DNA [SatIII (1)]. Increased SatIII (1) copy numbers have been found in cultured human skin fibroblasts (HSFs) during replicative senescence. The aim of this study was to analyze the variation in SatIII (1) abundance in cultured HSFs at early passages depending on the levels of endogenous and exogenous stress. Methods: We studied 10 HSF cell lines with either high (HSFs from schizophrenic cases, n = 5) or low (HSFs from healthy controls, n = 5) levels of oxidative stress. The levels of endogenous stress were estimated by the amounts of reactive oxygen species, DNA damage markers (8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine, gamma-H2A histone family member X), pro- and antioxidant proteins (NADPH oxidase 4, superoxide dismutase 1, nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2), and proteins that regulate apoptosis and autophagy (B-cell lymphoma 2 [Bcl-2], Bcl-2-associated X protein, light chain 3). SatIII (1) copy numbers were measured using the nonradioactive quantitative hybridization technique. For comparison, the contents of telomeric and ribosomal RNA gene repeats were determined. RNASATIII (1 and 9) were quantified using quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). Results: Increased SatIII (1) contents in DNA from confluent HSFs were positively correlated with increased oxidative stress. Confluent cell cultivation without medium replacement and heat shock induced a decrease of SatIII (1) in DNA in parallel with a decrease in RNASATIII (1) and an increase in RNASATIII (9). Conclusions: During HSF cultivation, cells with increased SatIII (1) content accumulated in the cell pool under conditions of exaggerated oxidative stress. This fraction of cells decreased after the additional impact of exogenous stress. The process seems to be oscillatory.

Photothermal therapy is one of the most promising and rapidly developing fields in modern oncology due to its high efficiency, localized action, and minimal invasiveness. Polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) incorporating low molecular-weight photothermal dyes are capable of delivering therapeutic agents to the tumor site, releasing them in a controlled manner, and providing tumor treatment under external light irradiation. The nanoparticle synthesis components are critically important factors that influence the therapeutically significant characteristics of polymeric NPs. Here, we show the impact of stabilizers and solvents used for synthesis on the properties of PLGA NPs for photothermal therapy. We synthesized PLGA nanocarriers using the microemulsion method and varied the nature of the solvent and the concentration of the stabilizer—namely, chitosan oligosaccharide lactate. A phthalocyanine-based photosensitizer, which absorbs light in the NIR window, was encapsulated in the PLGA NPs. When mQ water was used as a solvent and chitosan oligosaccharide lactate was used at a concentration of 1 g/L, the PLGA NPs exhibited highly promising photothermal properties. The final composite of the nanocarriers demonstrated photoinduced cytotoxicity against EMT6/P cells under NIR laser irradiation in vitro and was suitable for bioimaging.

Pyrazole and its derivatives are considered privileged N-heterocycles with immense therapeutic potential [...]