Recent Advances on Optimum-Path Forest for Data Classification: Supervised, Semi-Supervised and Unsupervised Learning

Although one can find several pattern recognition techniques out there, there is still room for improvements and new approaches. In this book chapter, we revisited the Optimum-Path Forest (OPF) classifier, which has been evaluated over the last years in a number of applications that consider supervised, semi-supervised and unsupervised learning problems. We also presented a brief compilation of a number of previous works that employed OPF in different research fields, that range from remote sensing image classification to medical data analysis

Synonymy of Orthomus susanae Serrano & Borges, 2009 with Orthomus annae (Donabauer, 2008) (Coleoptera: Carabidae)

Copyright © 2012 Magnolia Press.[...]. Some time after the publication of their paper in Zootaxa, the authors found out that another Madeiran Orthomus species had been described one month earlier (Donabauer 2008). Taking in consideration the morphological characteristics of the specimens described in both papers and the coincidence of the type localities no doubts remained regarding the synonymy between the two species

Building a Robust, Densely-Sampled Spider Tree of Life for Ecosystem Research

Phylogenetic relatedness is a key diversity measure for the analysis and understanding of how species and communities evolve across time and space. Understanding the nonrandom loss of species with respect to phylogeny is also essential for better-informed conservation decisions. However, several factors are known to influence phylogenetic reconstruction and, ultimately, phylogenetic diversity metrics. In this study, we empirically tested how some of these factors (topological constraint, taxon sampling, genetic markers and calibration) affect phylogenetic resolution and uncertainty. We built a densely sampled, species-level phylogenetic tree for spiders, combining Sanger sequencing of species from local communities of two biogeographical regions (Iberian Peninsula and Macaronesia) with a taxon-rich backbone matrix of Genbank sequences and a topological constraint derived from recent phylogenomic studies. The resulting tree constitutes the most complete spider phylogeny to date, both in terms of terminals and background information, and may serve as a standard reference for the analysis of phylogenetic diversity patterns at the community level. We then used this tree to investigate how partial data affect phylogenetic reconstruction, phylogenetic diversity estimates and their rankings, and, ultimately, the ecological processes inferred for each community. We found that the incorporation of a single slowly evolving marker (28S) to the DNA barcode sequences from local communities, had the highest impact on tree topology, closely followed by the use of a backbone matrix. The increase in missing data resulting from combining partial sequences from local communities only had a moderate impact on the resulting trees, similar to the difference observed when using topological constraints. Our study further revealed substantial differences in both the phylogenetic structure and diversity rankings of the analyzed communities estimated from the different phylogenetic treatments, especially when using non-ultrametric trees (phylograms) instead of time-stamped trees (chronograms). Finally, we provide some recommendations on reconstructing phylogenetic trees to infer phylogenetic diversity within ecological studies

Building a Robust, Densely-Sampled Spider Tree of Life for Ecosystem Research

Phylogenetic relatedness is a key diversity measure for the analysis and understanding of how species and communities evolve across time and space. Understanding the nonrandom loss of species with respect to phylogeny is also essential for better-informed conservation decisions. However, several factors are known to influence phylogenetic reconstruction and, ultimately, phylogenetic diversity metrics. In this study, we empirically tested how some of these factors (topological constraint, taxon sampling, genetic markers and calibration) affect phylogenetic resolution and uncertainty. We built a densely sampled, species-level phylogenetic tree for spiders, combining Sanger sequencing of species from local communities of two biogeographical regions (Iberian Peninsula and Macaronesia) with a taxon-rich backbone matrix of Genbank sequences and a topological constraint derived from recent phylogenomic studies. The resulting tree constitutes the most complete spider phylogeny to date, both in terms of terminals and background information, and may serve as a standard reference for the analysis of phylogenetic diversity patterns at the community level. We then used this tree to investigate how partial data affect phylogenetic reconstruction, phylogenetic diversity estimates and their rankings, and, ultimately, the ecological processes inferred for each community. We found that the incorporation of a single slowly evolving marker (28S) to the DNA barcode sequences from local communities, had the highest impact on tree topology, closely followed by the use of a backbone matrix. The increase in missing data resulting from combining partial sequences from local communities only had a moderate impact on the resulting trees, similar to the difference observed when using topological constraints. Our study further revealed substantial differences in both the phylogenetic structure and diversity rankings of the analyzed communities estimated from the different phylogenetic treatments, especially when using non-ultrametric trees (phylograms) instead of time-stamped trees (chronograms). Finally, we provide some recommendations on reconstructing phylogenetic trees to infer phylogenetic diversity within ecological studies

Determinants of bone mineral density in post-menopause

Pós-menopausa é período de maior perda óssea e faz-se necessário instituir medidas preventivas que amenizem sua progressão. Objetivo: correlacionar o escore da densidade mineral óssea (DMO) e seus fatores de risco, buscando determinar aqueles que mais a influenciam. Método: estudo transversal, descritivo de 62 mulheres na pós-menopausa, saudáveis, idade média de 56,82 ± 4,02 anos, avaliadas quanto aos fatores de risco para osteoporose e nível de atividade física. Absorção de dupla energia de raios-X (DXA) avaliou coluna lombar e fêmur proximal. Os grupos, DMO normal e diminuída, foram analisados pelos testes T de Student, qui-quadrado e correlações. Resultados: Mulheres com menor índice de massa corporal (IMC), maior idade e maior tempo de menopausa apresentaram menor DMO em fêmur. Raça negra e ausência de história familiar correlacionaram-se com maior DMO. Conclusão: IMC, idade, peso, história familiar de osteoporose, raça e tempo de menopausa foram os principais fatores determinantes da DMO em mulheres na pós-menopausaPost-menopause is the period of greatest bone loss and it is necessary to introduce preventative measures to mitigate its progression. Aim: compare the score of bone mineral density (BMD) and their risk factors and to determine those most influencing. Method: Cross-sectional, descriptive study of 62 postmenopausal women, healthy, average age 56.82 ± 4.02 years, evaluated for risk factors for osteoporosis and physical activity level. Absorption dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) evaluated lumbar spine and proximal femur. Groups, normal and reduced BMD were analyzed by Student’s t test, chisquare and correlations. Results: Women with lower body mass index (BMI), older age and longer duration of menopause had lower BMD at the femur. Black race and absence of family history correlated with higher BMD. Conclusion: BMI, age, weight, family history of osteoporosis, race, and time since menopause were the main determinants of BMD in postmenopausal wome

Spatial Factors Play a Major Role as Determinants of Endemic Ground Beetle Beta Diversity of Madeira Island Laurisilva

The development in recent years of new beta diversity analytical approaches highlighted valuable information on the different processes structuring ecological communities. A crucial development for the understanding of beta diversity patterns was also its differentiation in two components: species turnover and richness differences. In this study, we evaluate beta diversity patterns of ground beetles from 26 sites in Madeira Island distributed throughout Laurisilva – a relict forest restricted to the Macaronesian archipelagos. We assess how the two components of ground beetle beta diversity (βrepl – species turnover and βrich - species richness differences) relate with differences in climate, geography, landscape composition matrix, woody plant species richness and soil characteristics and the relative importance of the effects of these variables at different spatial scales. We sampled 1025 specimens from 31 species, most of which are endemic to Madeira Island. A spatially explicit analysis was used to evaluate the contribution of pure environmental, pure spatial and environmental spatially structured effects on variation in ground beetle species richness and composition. Variation partitioning showed that 31.9% of species turnover (βrepl) and 40.7% of species richness variation (βrich) could be explained by the environmental and spatial variables. However, different environmental variables controlled the two types of beta diversity: βrepl was influenced by climate, disturbance and soil organic matter content whilst βrich was controlled by altitude and slope. Furthermore, spatial variables, represented through Moran’s eigenvector maps, played a significant role in explaining both βrepl and βrich, suggesting that both dispersal ability and Madeira Island complex orography are crucial for the understanding of beta diversity patterns in this group of beetles.Peer reviewe

Magnetoliposomes containing calcium ferrite nanoparticles for applications in breast cancer therapy

Magnetoliposomes containing calcium ferrite (CaFe2O4) nanoparticles were developed and characterized for the first time. CaFe2O4 nanoparticles were covered by a lipid bilayer or entrapped in liposomes forming, respectively, solid or aqueous magnetoliposomes as nanocarriers for new antitumor drugs. The magnetic nanoparticles were characterized by UV/Visible absorption, XRD, HR-TEM, and SQUID, exhibiting sizes of 5.2 ± 1.2 nm (from TEM) and a superparamagnetic behavior. The magnetoliposomes were characterized by DLS and TEM. The incorporation of two new potential antitumor drugs (thienopyridine derivatives) specifically active against breast cancer in these nanosystems was investigated by fluorescence emission and anisotropy. Aqueous magnetoliposomes, with hydrodynamic diameters around 130 nm, and solid magnetoliposomes with sizes of ca. 170 nm, interact with biomembranes by fusion and are able to transport the antitumor drugs with generally high encapsulation efficiencies (70%). These fully biocompatible drug-loaded magnetoliposomes can be promising as therapeutic agents in future applications of combined breast cancer therapy.This research was funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) in the framework of the Strategic Funding of CF-UM-UP (UID/FIS/04650/2013; UID/FIS/04650/2019), CQUM (UID/QUI/00686/2016; UID/QUI/00686/2019) and LA-26 (PEst-C/SAU/LA0026/2013), and through the research project PTDC/QUI-QFI/28020/2017 (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-028020), financed by FCT, European Fund of Regional Development (FEDER), COMPETE2020 and Portugal2020. The magnetic measurements were supported by projects UTAP-EXPL/NTec/0046/2017, NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-028538 e PTDC/FIS-MAC/29454/2017. The APC was also funded by FCT. B.D.C. acknowledges FCT for a PhD grant (SFRH/BD/141936/2018)