Corrosion Grade on Anchor Rods of Guyed Transmission Towers Applying Machine Committee / Grau de Corrosão em Hastes de Âncora de Torres de Transmissão Guiadas Comitê de Aplicação de Máquinas

The use of guyed structures in electric power transmission lines is a growing practice because of their cost efficiency. However, the anchor systems are subject to corrosion, which can lead to their rupture and loss of tower support. Monitoring the evolution of the corrosion of the anchor rods by visual inspection is a destructive and costly method; therefore, there is considerable interest in developing methods and tools that are capable of generating a maintenance diagnosis of the system. This work aimed to propose a classification tool for guyed towers in terms of the corrosion degree by a machine committee with neural networks and applied it to the Paraiso-Açu line located in Rio Grande do Norte in Brazil. Thirty-eight samples were collected and 33 variables related to the soil corrosion along the line were analyzed. The targets for training the networks were obtained from the inspection of anchor rods taken from the field. A simplification of the problem's dimension was proposed by principal component analysis, describing the phenomenon with 6 variables instead of 33, simplifying the practical application by massively reducing the requirements for data sampling in the field. Several network typologies were trained and the best ones in terms of their generalist and specialist capacities were combined in a machine committee for the final proposal of this work. The classification obtained by the application of the committee for 10 towers was compared with the classification from non-destructive impulse reflectometry tests and showed an 80% correlation

Microglial Sirtuin 2 shapes long-term potentiation in hippocampal slices

Copyright © 2020 Sa de Almeida, Vargas, Fonseca-Gomes, Tanqueiro, Belo, Miranda-Lourenço, Sebastião, Diógenes and Pais. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.Microglial cells have emerged as crucial players in synaptic plasticity during development and adulthood, and also in neurodegenerative and neuroinflammatory conditions. Here we found that decreased levels of Sirtuin 2 (Sirt2) deacetylase in microglia affects hippocampal synaptic plasticity under inflammatory conditions. The results show that long-term potentiation (LTP) magnitude recorded from hippocampal slices of wild type mice does not differ between those exposed to lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a pro-inflammatory stimulus, or BSA. However, LTP recorded from hippocampal slices of microglial-specific Sirt2 deficient (Sirt2-) mice was significantly impaired by LPS. Importantly, LTP values were restored by memantine, an antagonist of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors. These results indicate that microglial Sirt2 prevents NMDA-mediated excitotoxicity in hippocampal slices in response to an inflammatory signal such as LPS. Overall, our data suggest a key-protective role for microglial Sirt2 in mnesic deficits associated with neuroinflammation.This study was supported by Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa (MB37-2017), GAPIC Research Program of the University of Lisbon Medical School (n° 2014002 and n° 2015028) and the following doctoral grants: PD/BD/128091/2016, SFRH/BD/118238/2016, PD/BD/114337/2016, and PD/BD/1144- 41/2016.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Efficacy, Stability, and Safety Evaluation of New Polyphenolic Xanthones Towards Identification of Bioactive Compounds to Fight Skin Photoaging

Antioxidants have long been used in the cosmetic industry to prevent skin photoaging, which is mediated by oxidative stress, making the search for new antioxidant compounds highly desirable in this field. Naturally occurring xanthones are polyphenolic compounds that can be found in microorganisms, fungi, lichens, and some higher plants. This class of polyphenols has a privileged scaffold that grants them several biological activities. We have previously identified simple oxygenated xanthones as promising antioxidants and disclosed as hit, 1,2-dihydroxyxanthone (1). Herein, we synthesized and studied the potential of xanthones with different polyoxygenated patterns as skin antiphotoaging ingredients. In the DPPH antioxidant assay, two newly synthesized derivatives showed IC₅₀ values in the same range as ascorbic acid. The synthesized xanthones were discovered to be excellent tyrosinase inhibitors and weak to moderate collagenase and elastase inhibitors but no activity was revealed against hyaluronidase. Their metal-chelating effect (FeCl₃ and CuCl₂) as well as their stability at different pH values were characterized to understand their potential to be used as future cosmetic active agents. Among the synthesized polyoxygenated xanthones, 1,2-dihydroxyxanthone (1) was reinforced as the most promising, exhibiting a dual ability to protect the skin against UV damage by combining antioxidant/metal-chelating properties with UV-filter capacity and revealed to be more stable in the pH range that is close to the pH of the skin. Lastly, the phototoxicity of 1,2-dihydroxyxanthone (1) was evaluated in a human keratinocyte cell line and no phototoxicity was observed in the concentration range tested.This research was supported by national funds through FCT, Foundation for Science and Technology, within the scope of UIDB/04423/2020 and UIDP/04423/2020 under the project PTDC/SAU-PUB/28736/2017 (reference POCI-01-0145-FEDER-028736), cofinanced by COMPETE 2020, Portugal 2020 and the European Union through the ERDF and by FCT through national funds, as well as CHIRALBIOACTIVE-PI-3RL-IINFACTS-2019, and supported by the Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit-UCIBIO which is financed by national funds from FCT/MCTES (UID/Multi/04378/2019). Thanks are also due to FCT, the European Union, QREN, FEDER, COMPETE, by funding cE3c center (Ref. UID/BIA/00329/2019) and Direcao Regional da Ciencia e Tecnologia (Azores Government) by funding Azorean Biodiversity Group.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Phytochemical screening, cytotoxicity and acute toxicity of Annona vepretorum Mart (Annonaceae) leaf extracts

Purpose: To investigate the phytochemistry, cytotoxicity and acute toxicity of leaf extracts from Annona vepretorum.Methods: The crude extracts were obtained by maceration with hexane and  methanol. The crude methanol extract was suspended in a 3:7 (v/v) mixture of methanol (MeOH) and water (H2O) and partitioned with hexane, chloroform (CHCl3) and ethyl acetate (AcOEt) in ascending order of polarity to obtain the respective  extracts. In the investigation of phytochemical profile, the extracts were evaluated on thin layer chromatography (TLC) plates of silica gel. Cytotoxicity was tested using 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) and (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium) (MTS) assays against tumor cell lines, viz,HCT-116 (colon), SF-295 (brain), HL-60 (leukemic) and Sarcoma-180. Acute toxicity study was performed by administration of a single oral dose of 2 g/kg body weight of the extracts to mice and the animals were observed for 14 days.Results: Phytochemical screening results showed that A. vepretorum extracts contain alkaloids, flavonoids and terpenes. Methanol and chloroform extracts exhibited high cytotoxic activity against HCT-116, HL-60 and Sarcoma-180. Moreover, the extracts displayed low toxicity in mice, as no deaths and pronounced toxic effects were observed.Conclusion: A. vepretorum contains a variety of secondary metabolites which may confer on this species high cytotoxic activity. In addition, the oral administration of the extracts produced low toxicity in mice.Keywords: Annonaceae, Annona vepretorum, Phytochemistry, Tumor cell lines, Acute toxicit

HIV-1 heterosexual transmission and association with sexually transmitted infections in the era of treatment as prevention

Objectives: HIV-1 heterosexual transmission among individuals on antiretroviral treatment (ART) with undetectable viremia is extremely rare. The aim of this study was to evaluate the risk of sexual HIV-1 transmission and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in HIV-1 serodifferent couples while the index partner is on ART. Methods: HIV transmission was evaluated in 200 HIV-1 heterosexual serodifferent couples in a stable relationship (≥3 months). All HIV-positive individuals had been on ART for ≥3 months and had been followed up for a median preceding time of 4.5 years (range 0.3–16 years) at the HIV couples clinic at Hospital Nossa Senhora da Conceição in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Following written informed consent, participants responded to demographic/behavioral questionnaires. Quantitative PCR for HIV RNA, T-cell subsets, and STI testing (syphilis, herpes, human papillomavirus, gonorrhea, and bacterial vaginosis) were performed. Self-collected vaginal swabs were obtained for quantitative HIV genital viral load testing. Results: Among 200 couples, 70% of index partners were female. Five seroconversions were observed; the HIV infection incidence was 2.5% (95% confidence interval 0.8% to 5.7%). Mean plasma viral load results were higher in HIV transmitters compared to non-transmitters (p = 0.02). The presence of STIs was significantly greater in couples who seroconverted (60.0% vs. 13.3%; odds ratio 9.75, 95% confidence interval 1.55–61.2; p = 0.023). The duration of undetectable HIV viremia and presence of STIs were associated with HIV transmission. Conclusions: Undetectable viremia was the main factor associated with non-transmissibility of HIV in this setting

A practical clinical score

Copyright © 2022 Sociedade Portuguesa de Cardiologia. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) remains the most common etiology of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). However, there is controversy whether invasive coronary angiography (ICA) should be used initially to exclude CAD in patients presenting with new-onset HFrEF of unknown etiology. Our study aimed to develop a clinical score to quantify the risk of obstructive CAD in these patients. METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional observational study of 452 consecutive patients presenting with new-onset HFrEF of unknown etiology undergoing elective ICA in one academic center, between January 2005 and December 2019. Independent predictors for obstructive CAD were identified. A risk score was developed using multivariate logistic regression of designated variables. The accuracy and discriminative power of the predictive model were assessed. RESULTS: A total of 109 patients (24.1%) presented obstructive CAD. Six independent predictors were identified and included in the score: male gender (2 points), diabetes (1 point), dyslipidemia (1 point), smoking (1 point), peripheral arterial disease (1 point), and regional wall motion abnormalities (3 points). Patients with a score ≤3 had less than 15% predicted probability of obstructive CAD. Our score showed good discriminative power (C-statistic 0.872; 95% CI 0.834-0.909: p<0.001) and calibration (p=0.333 from the goodness-of-fit test). CONCLUSIONS: A simple clinical score showed the ability to predict the risk of obstructive CAD in patients presenting with new-onset HFrEF of unknown etiology and may guide the clinician in selecting the most appropriate diagnostic modality for the assessment of obstructive CAD.proofepub_ahead_of_prin

Antiretroviral adherence and virologic suppression in partnered and unpartnered HIV-positive individuals in southern Brazil

Background: An undetectable serum HIV-1 load is key to effectiveness of antiretroviral (ARV) therapy, which depends on adherence to treatment. We evaluated factors possibly associated with ARV adherence and virologic response in HIV-infected heterosexual individuals. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 200 HIV-1 serodiscordant couples and 100 unpartnered individuals receiving ARV treatment at a tertiary hospital in southern Brazil. All subjects provided written informed consent, answered demographic/behavioral questionnaires through audio computer-assisted self-interviews (ACASI), and collected blood and vaginal samples for biological markers and assessment of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). HIV-negative partners were counseled and tested for HIV-1. Results: The study population mean age was 39.9 years, 53.6% were female, 62.5% were Caucasian, 52.6% had incomplete or complete elementary education, 63.1% resided in Porto Alegre. Demographic, behavioral and biological marker characteristics were similar between couples and single individuals. There was an association between adherence reported on ACASI and an undetectable serum viral load (P<0.0001). Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that single-tablet ARV-regimens were independently associated with adherence (OR = 2.3; 95CI%: 1.2–4.4; P = 0.011) after controlling for age, gender, education, marital status, personal income, ARV regimen, and median time of ARV use. A positive correlation between genital secretion PCR results and serum viral load was significant in the presence of STIs (r = 0.359; P = 0.017). Although HIV PCR detection in vaginal secretions was more frequent in women with detectable viremia (9/51, 17.6%), it was also present in 7 of 157 women with undetectable serum viral loads (4.5%), p = 0.005. Conclusions: ARV single tablet regimens are associated with adherence. Detectable HIV-1 may be present in the genital secretions of women with undetectable viremia which means there is potential for HIV transmission in adherent individuals with serologic suppression

Extensive Sheep and Goat Production: The Role of Novel Technologies towards Sustainability and Animal Welfare

[EN] Sheep and goat extensive production systems are very important in the context of global food security and the use of rangelands that have no alternative agricultural use. In such systems, there are enormous challenges to address. These include, for instance, classical production issues, such as nutrition or reproduction, as well as carbon-efficient systems within the climate-change context. An adequate response to these issues is determinant to economic and environmental sustainability. The answers to such problems need to combine efficiently not only the classical production aspects, but also the increasingly important health, welfare, and environmental aspects in an integrated fashion. The purpose of the study was to review the application of technological developments, in addition to remote-sensing in tandem with other state-of-the-art techniques that could be used within the framework of extensive production systems of sheep and goats and their impact on nutrition, production, and ultimately, the welfare of these species. In addition to precision livestock farming (PLF), these include other relevant technologies, namely omics and other areas of relevance in small-ruminant extensive production: heat stress, colostrum intake, passive immunity, newborn survival, biomarkers of metabolic disease diagnosis, and parasite resistance breeding. This work shows the substantial, dynamic nature of the scientific community to contribute to solutions that make extensive production systems of sheep and goats more sustainable, efficient, and aligned with current concerns with the environment and welfareSIThe CECAV authors acknowledge financial support of the research unit, which was financed by the National Funds from FCT, the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), project number UIDB/CVT/00772/2020. Financial support from FCT (Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, Lisboa, Portugal) in the form of infrastructural funding to LEAF (UID/AGR/04129) and PhD grants SFRH/BD/143992/2019 (DM Ribeiro) and 2021.07638.BD (L Sacarrão-Birrento). Author L.E.H.C. acknowledges funding from the Agencia Estatal de Investigación (Spain) (RYC2019- 027064-I/AEI/10.13039/501100011033

The Effects of Resistance Training Volume on Skeletal Muscle Proteome

International Journal of Exercise Science 10(7): 1051-1066, 2017. Studies are conflicting to whether low volume resistance training (RT) is as effective as high-volume RT protocols with respect to promoting morphological and molecular adaptations. Thus, the aim of the present study was to compare, using a climbing a vertical ladder, the effects of 8 weeks, 3 times per week, resistance training with 4 sets (RT4), resistance training with 8 sets (RT8) and without resistance training control (CON) on gastrocnemius muscle proteome using liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and cross sectional area (CSA) of rats. Fifty-two proteins were identified by LC-MS/MS, with 39 in common between the three groups, two in common between RT8 and CON, one in common between RT8 and RT4, four exclusive in the CON, one in the RT8, and four in the RT4. The RT8 group had a reduced abundance of 12 proteins, mostly involved in muscle protein synthesis, carbohydrate metabolism, tricarboxylic acid cycle, anti-oxidant defense, and oxygen transport. Otherwise one protein involved with energy transduction as compared with CON group showed high abundance. There was no qualitative protein abundance difference between RT4 and CON groups. These results revealed that high volume RT induced undesirable disturbances on skeletal muscle proteins, while lower volume RT resulted in similar gains in skeletal muscle hypertrophy without impairment of proteome. The CSA was significantly higher in RT8 group when compared to RT4 group, which was significantly higher than CON group. However, no differences were found between trained groups when the gastrocnemius CSA were normalized by the total body weight

Dammarane Triterpenoids from Carnauba, Copernicia prunifera (Miller) H. E. Moore (Arecaceae), Wax

Phytochemical investigation from carnauba (Copernicia prunifera) wax led to the identification of sixteen dammarane-type triterpenes, including thirteen new characterized as: (24R*)-methyldammara-20,25-dien-3 alpha-ol and a mixture of alkyl (24R*)-methyldammar-25-en- 20-ol-3 beta-carboxylates, together with three previously described triterpenes: carnaubadiol, (24R*)-methyldammara-20,25-dien-3 beta-ol and (24R*)-24-methyldammara-20,25-dien-3-one. Moreover, four fatty alcohols (eicosanol, docosanol, tetracosanol and hexacosanol) as well as four sterols (cholesterol, campesterol, stigmasterol, and sitosterol) were also obtained. These compounds were isolated using classical chromatographic methods and their structures were determined by spectroscopic and chemical methods.Univ Fed Piaui, Dept Quim, BR-64049550 Teresina, PI, BrazilUniv Fed Sao Paulo, Inst Ciencias Ambientais Quim & Farmaceut, BR-09972270 Diadema, SP, BrazilUniv Fed ABC, Ctr Ciencias Nat & Humanas, BR-09210180 Santo Andre, SP, BrazilUniv Fed Sao Paulo, Inst Ciencias Ambientais Quim & Farmaceut, BR-09972270 Diadema, SP, BrazilWeb of Scienc