Complexity of the COVID-19 pandemic in Maringa

While extensive literature exists on the COVID-19 pandemic at regional and national levels, understanding its dynamics and consequences at the city level remains limited. This study investigates the pandemic in Maring\'a, a medium-sized city in Brazil's South Region, using data obtained by actively monitoring the disease from March 2020 to June 2022. Despite prompt and robust interventions, COVID-19 cases increased exponentially during the early spread of COVID-19, with a reproduction number lower than that observed during the initial outbreak in Wuhan. Our research demonstrates the remarkable impact of non-pharmaceutical interventions on both mobility and pandemic indicators, particularly during the onset and the most severe phases of the emergency. However, our results suggest that the city's measures were primarily reactive rather than proactive. Maring\'a faced six waves of cases, with the third and fourth waves being the deadliest, responsible for over two-thirds of all deaths and overwhelming the local healthcare system. Excess mortality during this period exceeded deaths attributed to COVID-19, indicating that the burdened healthcare system may have contributed to increased mortality from other causes. By the end of the fourth wave, nearly three-quarters of the city's population had received two vaccine doses, significantly decreasing deaths despite the surge caused by the Omicron variant. Finally, we compare these findings with the national context and other similarly sized cities, highlighting substantial heterogeneities in the spread and impact of the disease.Comment: 20 pages, 5 figures, supplementary information; accepted for publication in Scientific Report

Deep Learning Criminal Networks

Recent advances in deep learning methods have enabled researchers to develop and apply algorithms for the analysis and modeling of complex networks. These advances have sparked a surge of interest at the interface between network science and machine learning. Despite this, the use of machine learning methods to investigate criminal networks remains surprisingly scarce. Here, we explore the potential of graph convolutional networks to learn patterns among networked criminals and to predict various properties of criminal networks. Using empirical data from political corruption, criminal police intelligence, and criminal financial networks, we develop a series of deep learning models based on the GraphSAGE framework that are capable to recover missing criminal partnerships, distinguish among types of associations, predict the amount of money exchanged among criminal agents, and even anticipate partnerships and recidivism of criminals during the growth dynamics of corruption networks, all with impressive accuracy. Our deep learning models significantly outperform previous shallow learning approaches and produce high-quality embeddings for node and edge properties. Moreover, these models inherit all the advantages of the GraphSAGE framework, including the generalization to unseen nodes and scaling up to large graph structures.Comment: 14 two-column pages, 5 figure

Herpetofauna of the Environmental Protection Area Delta do Parnaíba, Northeastern Brazil

Recent studies on Brazilian coastal zones and restinga environments revealed a high richness of amphibian and reptile species. However, there is still a lack of information about herpetofauna diversity in coastal zones of Northeastern Brazil. This study provides a checklist of amphibians and reptiles inhabiting the Environmental Protection Area (EPA) Delta do Parnaíba, Northeastern Brazil, suggesting conservation actions. To elaborate the checklist, we searched in seven electronic databases and check the following scientific collections: Zoological collection of Universidade Federal do Piauí (UFPI) and Herpetological collection of Universidade Regional do Cariri (URCA). In addition, we sampled 16 areas along the EPA Delta do Parnaíba close to the river branches and temporary ponds that compose the Parnaíba River Delta (December 2015 to April 2017) to fill gaps of information about herpetofauna in some regions from the EPA. We recorded 86 species (34 amphibians and 52 reptiles), including four anurans, one crocodilian, 14 snakes, 12 lizards and two amphisbaenians reported for the first time for the EPA Delta do Parnaíba. In addition, we added the first record of the snake Oxybelis fulgidus in Piauí state. The EPA Delta do Parnaíba shows high herpetofaunal richness; thus, we suggest that conservation actions should be taken to preserve the restingas environments in the Parnaíba River Delta and its high diversity of amphibians and reptiles.As áreas costeiras e ambientes de restinga têm sido bastante estudados nos últimos anos. Estes ambientes apresentam uma elevada riqueza de anfíbios e répteis, no entanto ainda existem lacunas de informações sobre a diversidade da herpetofauna nas áreas costeira da região Nordeste do Brasil. O presente estudo fornece uma lista dos anfíbios e répteis que ocorrem na Área de Proteção Ambiental (APA) Delta do Parnaíba, Nordeste do Brasil, e sugestões que auxiliem na conservação destas espécies na região. Para a elaboração da lista da herpetofauna do Delta do Parnaíba nós realizamos uma pesquisa bibliográfica em publicações científicas disponíveis em sete banco de dados eletrônicos, e consultamos os acervos das seguintes coleções científicas: Coleção Zoológica do Delta do Parnaíba, da Universidade Federal do Piauí (UFPI) e Coleção Herpetológica da Universidade Regional do Cariri (URCA). Adicionalmente, para preencher algumas lacunas sobre a herpetofauna da APA Delta do Parnaíba nós amostramos 16 áreas ao longo da APA próximas aos braços dos rios e lagoas temporárias que formam o Delta do Parnaíba (dezembro de 2015 e abril de 2017). Nós registramos 86 espécies (34 anfíbios e 52 répteis), sendo que quatro espécies de anfíbios anuros, um crocodilo, 14 espécies de serpentes, 12 lagartos e duas anfisbenas tiveram seus primeiros registros para a APA Delta do Parnaíba. Além disso, adicionamos o primeiro registro Oxybelis fulgidus para o estado do Piauí. A APA Delta do Parnaíba possui uma rica herpetofauna; portanto, sugerimos que ações de conservação sejam tomadas para preservar a restinga no delta do Rio Parnaíba e sua alta diversidade de anfíbios e répteis.Asociación Herpetológica Argentin

Accelerated partial breast irradiation: the case for current use

The treatment of early stage breast cancer is evolving from traditional breast conservation techniques, employing conventionally fractionated whole breast irradiation, to techniques in which partial breast irradiation is used in an accelerated fractionation scheme. A growing body of evidence exists, including favorable findings. Additional studies are under way that may ultimately prove equivalence. The logic behind this approach is reviewed, and the currently available data are presented to support the current use of carefully applied partial breast irradiation techniques in appropriately selected and informed patients

The use of phylogeny to interpret cross-cultural patterns in plant use and guide medicinal plant discovery: an example from Pterocarpus (Leguminosae)

The study of traditional knowledge of medicinal plants has led to discoveries that have helped combat diseases and improve healthcare. However, the development of quantitative measures that can assist our quest for new medicinal plants has not greatly advanced in recent years. Phylogenetic tools have entered many scientific fields in the last two decades to provide explanatory power, but have been overlooked in ethnomedicinal studies. Several studies show that medicinal properties are not randomly distributed in plant phylogenies, suggesting that phylogeny shapes ethnobotanical use. Nevertheless, empirical studies that explicitly combine ethnobotanical and phylogenetic information are scarce.In this study, we borrowed tools from community ecology phylogenetics to quantify significance of phylogenetic signal in medicinal properties in plants and identify nodes on phylogenies with high bioscreening potential. To do this, we produced an ethnomedicinal review from extensive literature research and a multi-locus phylogenetic hypothesis for the pantropical genus Pterocarpus (Leguminosae: Papilionoideae). We demonstrate that species used to treat a certain conditions, such as malaria, are significantly phylogenetically clumped and we highlight nodes in the phylogeny that are significantly overabundant in species used to treat certain conditions. These cross-cultural patterns in ethnomedicinal usage in Pterocarpus are interpreted in the light of phylogenetic relationships.This study provides techniques that enable the application of phylogenies in bioscreening, but also sheds light on the processes that shape cross-cultural ethnomedicinal patterns. This community phylogenetic approach demonstrates that similar ethnobotanical uses can arise in parallel in different areas where related plants are available. With a vast amount of ethnomedicinal and phylogenetic information available, we predict that this field, after further refinement of the techniques, will expand into similar research areas, such as pest management or the search for bioactive plant-based compounds

Nocturnal blood pressure fall as predictor of diabetic nephropathy in hypertensive patients with type 2 diabetes

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Hypertensive patients with reduced blood pressure fall (BPF) at night are at higher risk of cardiovascular events (CVE).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We evaluated in hypertensive diabetic patients, if a reduced nocturnal BPF can precedes the development of diabetic nephropathy (DN). We followed 70 patients with normal urinary albumin excretion (UAE) for two years. We performed 24-hours ambulatory BP monitoring in baseline and at the end of the study.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Fourteen (20%) patients (GI) developed DN (N = 11) and/or CVE (n = 4). Compared to the remaining 56 patients (GII) in baseline, GI had similar diurnal systolic (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP), but higher nocturnal SBP (138 ± 15 vs 129 ± 16 mmHg; p < 0.05) and DBP (83 ± 12 vs 75 ± 11 mmHg; p < 0,05). Basal nocturnal SBP correlated with occurrence of DN and CVE (R = 0.26; P < 0.05) and with UAE at the end of the study (r = 0.3; p < 0.05). Basal BPF (%) correlated with final UAE (r = -0.31; p < 0.05). In patients who developed DN, reductions occurred in nocturnal systolic BPF (12 ± 5 vs 3 ± 6%, p < 0,01) and diastolic BPF (15 ± 8 vs 4 ± 10%, p < 0,01) while no changes were observed in diurnal SBP (153 ± 17 vs 156 ± 16 mmHg, NS) and DBP (91 ± 9 vs 90 ± 7 mmHg, NS). Patients with final UAE < 20 μg/min, had no changes in nocturnal and diurnal BP.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our results suggests that elevations in nocturnal BP precedes DN and increases the risk to develop CVE in hypertensive patients with T2DM.</p

Total antioxidant activity and trace elements in human milk: the first 4 months of breast-feeding

The content of many nutrients in breast milk are dependent on the nutritional status of the lactating woman. This is particularly true for fat and water-soluble vitamins, some of which have antioxidant properties. The aim of the study entertained herein was to evaluate the changes in total antioxidant status of human milk during the first 4 months of lactation, and to correlate such changes with the contents in specific antioxidant oligoelements (Cu, Zn, Mn and Se). Milk samples were collected from (31) lactating women recruited at the Service of Obstetrics of the Hospital de São João in Porto, after 1, 4, 8, 12 and 16 weeks after birth. The total antioxidant status (TAS) of human milk was measured by the Randox® commercial kit and trace metals by ICP-MS (inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry). The results found for TAS and oligoelements under study show a decrease in the concentration of these parameters from 7 days to 4 months of breast-feeding and significant correlations (p < 0.05) were found between TAS and Cu, Zn and Se (not Mn). The decreases of Cu, Zn and Se were also correlated, but not proportional between them, suggesting diverse excretion mechanisms for all. Between primipara and multipara women, a significant difference was found only for Cu and Zn concentrations at 7 days of lactation, but not for the other metals or TAS. With respect to the mother’s age, no correlation was found, either for trace metal concentrations or TAS