Composition, abundance and aspects of temporal variation in the distribution of Anopheles species in an area of Eastern Amazonia

Introduction: The diverse and complex environmental conditions of the Amazon Basin favor the breeding and development of Anopheles species. This study aimed to describe the composition, abundance and temporal frequency of Anopheles species and to correlate these factors with precipitation, temperature and relative humidity. Methods: The study was conducted in the District of Coração, State of Amapá, Brazil. Samples were collected monthly during three consecutive nights, from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM, from December 2010 to November 2011. In addition, four 12-hour collections (i.e., 6:00 PM to 6:00 AM) were performed during this period. Results: A total of 1,230 Anopheles specimens were collected. In the monthly collections, Anopheles darlingi was the predominant species, followed by An. braziliensis and An. albitarsis s.l., whereas An. darlingi, An. peryassui and An. braziliensis were the most frequent species collected in the 12-hour collections. The greatest number of anophelines was collected in September (the dry season). The highest frequency of anophelines was observed for An. darlingi during September, when there were the least rainfalls of the year, along with lower relative humidity and higher temperatures. There was little variation in the abundance of this species in other months, with the exception of slight increases in February, July and August. Conclusions: The major malaria vectors, An. darlingi and An. albitarsis s.l. (likely An. marajoara), were the most abundant species collected in the study area. Consequently, prevention and control measures should be taken to prevent malaria outbreaks in the District of Coração

Efficient semi-static secure broadcast encryption scheme

In this paper, we propose a semi-static secure broadcast encryption scheme with constant-sized private keys and ciphertexts. Our result improves the semi-static secure broadcast encryption scheme introduced by Gentry and Waters. Specifically, we reduce the private key and ciphertext size by half. By applying the generic transformation proposed by Gentry and Waters, our scheme also achieves adaptive security. Finally, we present an improved implementation idea which can reduce the ciphertext size in the aforementioned generic transformation

Profile of micronucleus frequencies and DNA damage in different species of fish in a eutrophic tropical lake

Lake Paranoá is a tropical reservoir for the City of Brasilia, which became eutrophic due to inadequate sewage treatment associated with intensive population growth. At present, two wastewater treatment plants are capable of processing up to 95% of the domestic sewage, thereby successfully reducing eutrophization. We evaluated both genotoxic and cytotoxic parameters in several fish species (Geophagus brasiliensis, Cichla temensis, Hoplias malabaricus, Astyanax bimaculatus lacustres, Oreochromis niloticus, Cyprinus carpio and Steindachnerina insculpita) by using the micronucleus (MN) test, the comet assay and nuclear abnormality assessment in peripheral erythrocytes. The highest frequencies of MN were found in Cichla temensis and Hoplias malabaricus, which were statistically significant when compared to the other species. However, Steindachnerina insculpita (a detritivorous and lake-floor feeder species) showed the highest index of DNA damage in the comet assay, followed by C. temensis (piscivorous). Nuclear abnormalities, such as binucleated, blebbed, lobed and notched cells, were used as evidence of cytotoxicity. Oreochromis niloticus followed by Hoplias malaricus, ominivorous/detritivotous and piscivorous species, respectively, presented the highest frequency of nuclear abnormalities, especially notched cells, while the herbivorous Astyanax bimaculatus lacustres showed the lowest frequency compared to the other species studied. Thus, for biomonitoring aquatic genotoxins under field conditions, the food web should also be considered

Chemical changes in an oxisol treated with pyroligneous acid

The use of pyroligneous acid (PA), a by-product of charcoal production, is an ancient practice applied in agriculture to control soil and plant pests and diseases. However, little is known about the chemical alterations that this product may cause on treated soil. Thus, the present work aimed to evaluate the effect of PA concentrations on soil ions movement and to verify possible soil chemical properties changes. Detachable columns were filled with Oxisol, submitted to application of 5 PA concentrations (0, 1, 2, 4, 8% v/v), followed by water infiltration in an amount corresponding to 1.5 times the soil total pore volume, and evaluated the soil of four depths (0-10, 10-20, 20-30, 30-40cm) and the leachate. The use of pyroligneous acid in concentrations up to 2 % (v/v) induces only slight decrease of k, Mg, basis saturation and total cation exchange capacity, in the 0-20 cm soil layer. The application of 4 % (v/v) and 8 % (v/v) pyroligneous acid induces severe increase on the potential acidity, and the decrease on the pH, basis saturation, total cation exchange capacity, and Ca concentration, in the layer of 0-20 cm soil. The P and K concentration reduces in the 0-20 cm soil layer by increasing from 1% to 8% the concentration of pyroligneous acid solution applied on soil surface. By increasing the PA concentration applied on the soil, there is increase of acidity, organic matter, P, K, Ca, and Mg, and decrease of sulfate in the leachate.Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Univ Estadual Paulista, UNESP, Jaboticabal, SP, BrazilUniv Estadual Paulista, UNESP, Dept Technol, BR-14884900 Jaboticabal, SP, BrazilUniv Estadual Paulista, UNESP, Jaboticabal, SP, BrazilUniv Estadual Paulista, UNESP, Dept Technol, BR-14884900 Jaboticabal, SP, BrazilFAPESP: 10/04015-

Lipoprotein Z, a hepatotoxic lipoprotein, predicts outcome in alcohol-associated hepatitis.

Lipoprotein Z (LP-Z) is an abnormal free cholesterol (FC)-enriched LDL-like particle discovered from patients with cholestatic liver disease. This study aims to define the diagnostic value of LP-Z in alcohol-associated hepatitis (AH) and interrogate the biology behind its formation. We measured serum levels of LP-Z using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, a well-established clinical assay. Serum levels of LP-Z were significantly elevated in four AH cohorts compared with control groups, including heavy drinkers and patients with cirrhosis. We defined a Z-index, calculated by the ratio of LP-Z to total apolipoprotein B-containing lipoproteins, representing the degree of deviation from normal VLDL metabolism. A high Z-index was associated with 90-day mortality independent from the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) and provided added prognosticative value. Both a Z-index ≤ 0.6 and a decline of Z-index by ≥0.1 in 2 weeks predicted 90-day survival. RNA-sequencing analyses of liver tissues demonstrated an inverse association in the expression of enzymes responsible for the extrahepatic conversion of VLDL to LDL and AH disease severity, which was further confirmed by the measurement of serum enzyme activity. To evaluate whether the FC in LP-Z could contribute to the pathogenesis of AH, we found significantly altered FC levels in liver explant of patients with AH. Furthermore, FC in reconstituted LP-Z particles caused direct toxicity to human hepatocytes in a concentration-dependent manner, supporting a pathogenic role of FC in LP-Z. Impaired lipoprotein metabolism in AH leads to the accumulation of LP-Z in the circulation, which is hepatotoxic from excessive FC. A Z-index ≤ 0.6 predicts 90-day survival independent from conventional biomarkers for disease prognostication

Measurement Of The Σ̄- Lifetime And Direct Comparison With The Σ+ Lifetime

We have measured the lifetime of the Σ̄- using the Fermilab Proton Center 375 GeV/c charged hyperon beam. We obtained (80.43±0.80±0.14) ps. We also measured the lifetime of the Σ+, obtaining (80.38 ±0.40±0.14) ps, in agreement with the Particle Data Group value. A direct comparison between the two lifetimes from the ratio of the decay curves gives a fractional lifetime difference of Δτ/τ=(-0.06±1.12)%, consistent with equal lifetimes for baryon and antibaryon as required by CPT invariance. ©1999 The American Physical Society.61314Foucher, M., (1992) Phys. Rev. Lett., 68, p. 3004Timm, S., (1995) Phys. Rev. D, 51, p. 4638Dubbs, T., (1994) Phys. Rev. Lett., 72, p. 808Caso, C., (1998) Eur. Phys. J. C, 3, p. 690(1993) GEANT 3.21 CERN Program Library W5103, , CERNKuropatkin, N., private communicationLangland, J.L., (1995) Hyperon and Antihyperon Production in P-Cu Interactions, , Ph.D. thesis, University of IowaMorelos, A., (1993) Phys. Rev. Lett., 71, p. 341