Remote sensing applied to grassland ecosystems in regions with climatic vulnerability.

Abstract: The aim of this review is to present the concepts and current research on the use of remote sensing in studies of pastoral ecosystems. The management of pasture plays an important role in the balance between biomass production and its regrowth so that the determination of biomass production is fundamental information to perform the adjustment of the number of animals. There are direct and indirect methods to obtain forage biomass in pastures. Generally the most used are direct methods, where there is the cutting of all forage present in a known area frame, and this requires the help of a variety of tools, requiring infrastructure, labor with long-term fieldwork. Remote sensing is an indirect way to determine biomass in pastures, which has a significant potential to monitor vegetation dynamics, besides predicting events such as the beginning or peak of vegetation growth. One of the ways to monitor the vegetation is through the use of vegetation indexes. There are several vegetation indexes, but soil adjusted vegetation index (SAVI) and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) are the most used in studies on pastoral ecosystems. Remote sensing used for pasture evaluation can contribute with relevant and complementary information on forage production, as well as the growth behavior of the forage plant, allowing to obtain information on large scales

Avaliação da atividade antibacteriana e moduladora de aminoglicosídeos do óleo essencial de Cymbopogon citratus (DC.) Stapf

Vários trabalhos vêm demonstrando a importância do estudo de produtos naturais como fonte alternativa para novos antimicrobianos ou que venham potencializar os já existentes. Neste contexto este trabalho teve como objetivo investigar a atividade antibacteriana e as possíveis interações entre o óleo essencial de Cymbopogon citratus combinados a aminoglicosídeos frente a linhagens padrões e multirresistentes de S. aureus, E. coli e de P. aeruginosa provenientes de isolados clínicos. Um ensaio de microdiluição foi realizado para verificar a atividade antibacteriana e as possíveis interacções entre o produto natural e os antibióticos, utilizando uma concentração sub-inibitória. Através dos resultados foi constatado a interferência sinérgica dos aminoglicosídeos quando associados com o óleo essencial em uma concentração de CIM/8, com redução das CIMs em até quatro pontos frente às linhagens de S. aureus 358, E. coli 27 e P. eruginosa- 143. Mas nenhuma atividade modificadora foi observada frente a P. aeruginosa 78 e P. aeruginosa 91. Através dos resultados pode-se concluir que o óleo essencial de Cymbopogon citratus pode ser uma fonte alternativa de produtos naturais com atividade antibacterianaVarios trabajos están demostrando la importancia del estudio de productos naturales como una fuente alternativa para nuevos antimicrobianos o que puedan mejorar los ya existentes. En este contexto, el objetivo de este trabajo fue investigar la actividad antibacteriana y las posibles interacciones entre el aceite esencial de Cymbopogon citratus aminoglucósido combinado frente de linajes y patrones de S. aureus multirresistente, E. coli y P. aeruginosa provenientes de aislamientos clínicos. Se realizó una prueba de microdilución para verificar la actividad antibacteriana y posibles interacciones entre el producto natural y antibióticos, usando una concentración sub-inibitória. A través de los resultados se observan interferencia sinérgica de los aminoglucósidos cuando se asocian con el aceite esencial en una concentración de CIM/8, con reducción de CIMs de hasta cuatro puntos contra las cepas de S. aureus 358, E. coli 27 y P. aeruginosa 143. Pero no se observó ninguna actividad modificadora contra P. aeruginosa 78 y P. aeruginosa 91. A través de los resultados se puede concluir que el aceite esencial de Cymbopogon citratus puede ser una fuente alternativa de productos naturales con actividad antibacterianaSeveral works demonstrated the importance of the study of natural products as an alternative source for new antimicrobial drugs or for modulators for these ones. In this point, the aim of this was to investigate the antibacterial activity and the possible interactions between the essential oil of Cymbopogon citratus alone and in association with aminoglycosides against standard and clinically isolated strains of multidrug-resistant bacteria such as S. aureus, E. coli and P. aeruginosa by microdilution method. The results indicated a synergism between the antibiotics and the essential oil with a subinhibitory concentration (MIC/8), reducing the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) sixteen times against the multidrug-resistant strains of S. aureus 358, E. coli 27 and P. aeruginosa 143, but none modulatory activity was observed against P. aeruginosa 78 and P. aeruginosa 91 strains. By our results, can be concluded that the essential oil of Cymbopogon citratus can be an interesting source of natural products with antibacterial and/or modulatory antibiotic activities

Seven-coordinate Tb3+ complexes with 90% quantum yields: High-performance examples of combined singlet- and triplet-to-Tb3+ energy-transfer pathways

Seven-coordinate, pentagonal-bipyramidal (PBP) complexes [Ln(bbpen)Cl] and [Ln(bbppn)Cl], in which Ln = Tb3+ (products I and II), Eu3+ (III and IV), and Gd3+ (V and VI), with bbpen2- = N,N′-bis(2-oxidobenzyl)-N,N′-bis(pyridin-2-ylmethyl)ethylenediamine and bbppn2- = N,N′-bis(2-oxidobenzyl)-N,N′-bis(pyridin-2-ylmethyl)-1,2-propanediamine, were synthesized and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis, alternating-current magnetic susceptibility measurements, and photoluminescence (steady-state and time-resolved) spectroscopy. Under a static magnetic field of 0.1 T, the Tb3+ complexes I and II revealed single-ion-magnet behavior. Also, upon excitation at 320 nm at 300 K, I and II presented very high absolute emission quantum yields (0.90 ± 0.09 and 0.92 ± 0.09, respectively), while the corresponding Eu3+ complexes III and IV showed no photoluminescence. Detailed theoretical calculations on the intramolecular energy-transfer rates for the Tb3+ products indicated that both singlet and triplet ligand excited states contribute efficiently to the overall emission performance. The expressive quantum yields, QLnL, measured for I and II in the solid state and a dichloromethane solution depend on the excitation wavelength, being higher at 320 nm. Such a dependence was rationalized by computing the intersystem crossing rates (WISC) and singlet fluorescence lifetimes (τS) related to the population dynamics of the S1 and T1 levels. Thin films of product II showed high air stability and photostability upon continuous UV illumination, which allowed their use as downshifting layers in a green light-emitting device (LED). The prototypes presented a luminous efficacy comparable with those found in commercial LED coatings, without requiring encapsulation or dispersion of II in host matrixes. The results indicate that the PBP environment determined by the ethylenediamine (en)-based ligands investigated in this work favors the outstanding optical properties in Tb3+ complexes. This work presents a comprehensive structural, chemical, and spectroscopic characterization of two Tb3+ complexes of mixed-donor, en-based ligands, focusing on their outstanding optical properties. They constitute good molecular examples in which both triplet and singlet excited states provide energy to the Tb3+ ion and lead to high values of QLnL

Effect of fatty Amazon fish consumption on lipid metabolism

OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of feeding diets enriched with fatty fish from the Amazon basin on lipid metabolism. METHODS: Male Wistar rats were divided into four groups: control group treated with commercial chow; Mapará group was fed diet enriched with Hypophthalmus edentatus; Matrinxã group was fed diet enriched with Brycon spp.; and, Tambaqui group was fed diet enriched with Colossoma macropomum. Rats with approximately 240g±0.60 of body weight were fed ad libitum for 30 days, and then were sacrificed for collection of whole blood and tissues. RESULTS: The groups treated with enriched diets showed a significant reduction in body mass and lipogenesis in the epididymal and retroperitoneal adipose tissues and carcass when compared with the control group. However, lipogenesis in the liver showed an increase in Matrinxã group compared with the others groups. The levels of serum triglycerides in the treated groups with Amazonian fish were significantly lower than those of the control group. Moreover, total cholesterol concentration only decreased in the group Matrinxã. High Density Lipoprotein cholesterol levels increased significantly in the Mapará and Tambaqui compared with control group and Matrinxã group. The insulin and leptin levels increased significantly in all treatment groups. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that diets enriched with fatty fish from the Amazon basin changed the lipid metabolism by reducing serum triglycerides and increasing high density lipoprotein-cholesterol in rats fed with diets enriched with Mapará, Matrinxã, and Tambaqui

Sloan Digital Sky Survey IV: Mapping the Milky Way, Nearby Galaxies, and the Distant Universe

We describe the Sloan Digital Sky Survey IV (SDSS-IV), a project encompassing three major spectroscopic programs. The Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment 2 (APOGEE-2) is observing hundreds of thousands of Milky Way stars at high resolution and high signal-to-noise ratios in the near-infrared. The Mapping Nearby Galaxies at Apache Point Observatory (MaNGA) survey is obtaining spatially resolved spectroscopy for thousands of nearby galaxies (median $z\sim 0.03$). The extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (eBOSS) is mapping the galaxy, quasar, and neutral gas distributions between $z\sim 0.6$ and 3.5 to constrain cosmology using baryon acoustic oscillations, redshift space distortions, and the shape of the power spectrum. Within eBOSS, we are conducting two major subprograms: the SPectroscopic IDentification of eROSITA Sources (SPIDERS), investigating X-ray AGNs and galaxies in X-ray clusters, and the Time Domain Spectroscopic Survey (TDSS), obtaining spectra of variable sources. All programs use the 2.5 m Sloan Foundation Telescope at the Apache Point Observatory; observations there began in Summer 2014. APOGEE-2 also operates a second near-infrared spectrograph at the 2.5 m du Pont Telescope at Las Campanas Observatory, with observations beginning in early 2017. Observations at both facilities are scheduled to continue through 2020. In keeping with previous SDSS policy, SDSS-IV provides regularly scheduled public data releases; the first one, Data Release 13, was made available in 2016 July

Search for W W/W Z resonance production in ℓνqq final states in pp collisions at √s=13 TeV with the ATLAS detector

A search is conducted for new resonances decaying into a W W or W Z boson pair, where one W boson decays leptonically and the other W or Z boson decays hadronically. It is based on proton-proton collision data with an integrated luminosity of 36.1 fb −1 collected with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider at a centre-of-mass energy of s=13 TeV in 2015 and 2016. The search is sensitive to diboson resonance production via vector-boson fusion as well as quark-antiquark annihilation and gluon-gluon fusion mechanisms. No significant excess of events is observed with respect to the Standard Model backgrounds. Several benchmark models are used to interpret the results. Limits on the production cross section are set for a new narrow scalar resonance, a new heavy vector-boson and a spin-2 Kaluza-Klein graviton.[Figure not available: see fulltext.]

Whole-genome sequencing reveals host factors underlying critical COVID-19

Critical COVID-19 is caused by immune-mediated inflammatory lung injury. Host genetic variation influences the development of illness requiring critical care1 or hospitalization2–4 after infection with SARS-CoV-2. The GenOMICC (Genetics of Mortality in Critical Care) study enables the comparison of genomes from individuals who are critically ill with those of population controls to find underlying disease mechanisms. Here we use whole-genome sequencing in 7,491 critically ill individuals compared with 48,400 controls to discover and replicate 23 independent variants that significantly predispose to critical COVID-19. We identify 16 new independent associations, including variants within genes that are involved in interferon signalling (IL10RB and PLSCR1), leucocyte differentiation (BCL11A) and blood-type antigen secretor status (FUT2). Using transcriptome-wide association and colocalization to infer the effect of gene expression on disease severity, we find evidence that implicates multiple genes—including reduced expression of a membrane flippase (ATP11A), and increased expression of a mucin (MUC1)—in critical disease. Mendelian randomization provides evidence in support of causal roles for myeloid cell adhesion molecules (SELE, ICAM5 and CD209) and the coagulation factor F8, all of which are potentially druggable targets. Our results are broadly consistent with a multi-component model of COVID-19 pathophysiology, in which at least two distinct mechanisms can predispose to life-threatening disease: failure to control viral replication; or an enhanced tendency towards pulmonary inflammation and intravascular coagulation. We show that comparison between cases of critical illness and population controls is highly efficient for the detection of therapeutically relevant mechanisms of disease

Global patient outcomes after elective surgery: prospective cohort study in 27 low-, middle- and high-income countries.

BACKGROUND: As global initiatives increase patient access to surgical treatments, there remains a need to understand the adverse effects of surgery and define appropriate levels of perioperative care. METHODS: We designed a prospective international 7-day cohort study of outcomes following elective adult inpatient surgery in 27 countries. The primary outcome was in-hospital complications. Secondary outcomes were death following a complication (failure to rescue) and death in hospital. Process measures were admission to critical care immediately after surgery or to treat a complication and duration of hospital stay. A single definition of critical care was used for all countries. RESULTS: A total of 474 hospitals in 19 high-, 7 middle- and 1 low-income country were included in the primary analysis. Data included 44 814 patients with a median hospital stay of 4 (range 2-7) days. A total of 7508 patients (16.8%) developed one or more postoperative complication and 207 died (0.5%). The overall mortality among patients who developed complications was 2.8%. Mortality following complications ranged from 2.4% for pulmonary embolism to 43.9% for cardiac arrest. A total of 4360 (9.7%) patients were admitted to a critical care unit as routine immediately after surgery, of whom 2198 (50.4%) developed a complication, with 105 (2.4%) deaths. A total of 1233 patients (16.4%) were admitted to a critical care unit to treat complications, with 119 (9.7%) deaths. Despite lower baseline risk, outcomes were similar in low- and middle-income compared with high-income countries. CONCLUSIONS: Poor patient outcomes are common after inpatient surgery. Global initiatives to increase access to surgical treatments should also address the need for safe perioperative care. STUDY REGISTRATION: ISRCTN5181700