Recent high-energy marine events in the sediments of the Lagoa de Óbidos and Martinhal (Portugal): Recognition, age and likely causes

© 2012 Author(s) - This work is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.This article has been made available through the Brunel Open Access Publishing Fund.A key issue in coastal hazards research is the need to distinguish sediments deposited by past extreme storms from those of past tsunamis. This study contributes to this aim by investigating patterns of sedimentation associated with extreme coastal flood events, in particular, within the Lagoa de Óbidos (Portugal). The recent stratigraphy of this coastal lagoon was studied using a wide range of techniques including visual description, grain-size analysis, digital and x-ray photography, magnetic susceptibility and geochemical analysis. The sequence was dated by 14C, 210Pb and Optically Stimulated Luminescence. Results disclose a distinctive coarser sedimentary unit, within the top of the sequence studied, and shown in quartz sand by the enrichment of elements with marine affinity (e.g., Ca and Na) and carbonates. The unit fines upwards and inland, thins inland and presents a sharp erosive basal contact. A noticeable post-event change in the sedimentary pattern was observed. The likely agent of sedimentation is discussed here and the conceivable association with the Great Lisbon tsunami of AD 1755 is debated, while a comparison is attempted with a possibly synchronous deposit from a tsunami in Martinhal (Algarve, Portugal). The possibility of a storm origin is also discussed in the context of the storminess of the western Portuguese coast and the North Atlantic Oscillation. This study highlights certain characteristics of the sedimentology of the deposits that may have a value in the recognition of extreme marine inundation signatures elsewhere in the world.This article is made available through the Brunel Open Access Publishing Fund

Alguns aspectos da história da aritmética escolar no Brasil (séc. XIX) no ensino elementar

Disponível em: http://revistas.pucsp.br/index.php/pdemat/article/view/9221Por muito tempo, o ensino primário foi entendido como a base sobre a qual se sustentam os demais alicerces da educação escolarizada. Na história, este ensino já foi chamado de elementar ou de primeiras letras. Este texto estrutura-se em duas partes: apresentação do cenário político no qual ocorria a constituição e elaboração dos conteúdos de aritmética no Brasil imperial e; um inventário dos livros didáticos utilizados naquele período e as análises preliminares do conceito de número presente nestas publicações. Utiliza-se, como fio condutor, leis e decretos, a respeito do ensino primário dos oitocentos. Entende-se que a análise deste particular conteúdo escolar subsidia condições para o entendimento das propostas didático-pedagógicas ampliando o entendimento da História da Educação Matemática no Brasil

Experimental test of nonlocal causality.

Explaining observations in terms of causes and effects is central to empirical science. However, correlations between entangled quantum particles seem to defy such an explanation. This implies that some of the fundamental assumptions of causal explanations have to give way. We consider a relaxation of one of these assumptions, Bell's local causality, by allowing outcome dependence: a direct causal influence between the outcomes of measurements of remote parties. We use interventional data from a photonic experiment to bound the strength of this causal influence in a two-party Bell scenario, and observational data from a Bell-type inequality test for the considered models. Our results demonstrate the incompatibility of quantum mechanics with a broad class of nonlocal causal models, which includes Bell-local models as a special case. Recovering a classical causal picture of quantum correlations thus requires an even more radical modification of our classical notion of cause and effect

Rates of Low-Value Service in Australian Public Hospitals and the Association With Patient Insurance Status.

Importance: Low-value services have limited or no benefit to patients. Rates of low-value service in public hospitals may vary by patient insurance status, given that there may be different financial incentives for treatment of privately insured patients. Objective: To assess the variation in rates of 5 low-value services performed in Australian public hospitals according to patient funding status (ie, private or public). Design, Setting, and Participants: This retrospective cross-sectional study analyzed New South Wales public hospital data from January 2013 to June 2018. Patients included in the sample were over age 18 years and eligible to receive low-value services based on diagnoses and concomitant procedures. Data analysis was conducted from June to December 2020. Main Outcomes and Measures: Hospital-specific rates of low-value knee arthroscopic debridement, vertebroplasty for osteoporotic spinal fractures, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, oophorectomy with hysterectomy, and laparoscopic uterine nerve ablation for chronic pelvic pain were measured. For each measure, rates within each public hospital were compared by patient funding status descriptively and using multilevel models. Results: A total of 219 862 inpatients were included in analysis from 58 public hospitals across the 5 measures. A total of 38 365 (22 904 [59.7%] women; 12 448 [32.4%] aged 71-80 years) were eligible for knee arthroscopic debridement for osteoarthritis; 2520 (1924 [76.3%] women; 662 [26.3%] aged 71-80 years), vertebroplasty for osteoporotic spinal fractures; 162 285 (82 046 [50.6%] women; 28 255 [17.4%] aged 61-70 years), hyperbaric oxygen therapy; 15 916 (7126 [44.8%] aged 41-50 years), oophorectomy with hysterectomy; and 776 (327 [42.1%] aged 18-30 years), uterine nerve ablation for chronic pelvic pain. Overall rates of low-value services varied considerably between measures, with the lowest rate for hyperbaric oxygen therapy (0.3 procedures per 1000 inpatients [47 of 158 220 eligible inpatients]) and the highest for vertebroplasty (30.8 procedures per 1000 eligible patients [77 of 2501 eligible inpatients]). There was significant variation in rates between hospitals, with a few outlying hospitals (ie, <10), particularly for knee arthroscopy (range from 1.8 to 21.0 per 1000 eligible patients) and vertebroplasty (range from 13.1 to 70.4 per 1000 eligible patients), with higher numerical rates of low-value services among patients with private insurance than for those without. However, there was no association overall between patient insurance status and low-value services. Overall differences in rates among those with and without private insurance by individual procedure type were not statistically significant. Conclusions and Relevance: There was significant variation in rates of low-value services in public hospitals. While there was no overall association between private insurance and rate of low-value services, private insurance may be associated with low-value service rates in some hospitals. Further exploration of factors specific to local hospitals and practices are needed to reduce this unnecessary care

Increased sympathetic tone and hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis activation impact in metabolic parameters from hypertensive rats

Increased activity of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) may play an important role in the development of hypertension and in adiposity disorders. We aimed to investigate the influence of increased sympathetic tone and hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis activation in metabolic parameters by evaluating the morphometry of isolated adipocytes from different fat pads and energy consumption. Serum levels of catecholamines, HPA hormones, T3 and adipokines were measured in 15-weeks-old Wistar (WIS), Wistar-Kyoto (WKY), Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats (SHR) and WIS treated with NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME). L-NAME and SHR showed a reduced adiposity when compared to their controls, which may be related to higher concentrations of T3. However, SHR presented the most evident lipodystrophy, presenting significant changes in the morphometry from isolated adipocytes and the production of adipokines. Thus, our study suggests that endocrine changes in hypertension models may highlight possible therapeutic targets in the treatment of metabolic changes associated with hypertension

The protist Trichomonas vaginalis harbors multiple lineages of transcriptionally active Mutator-like elements

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>For three decades the <it>Mutator </it>system was thought to be exclusive of plants, until the first homolog representatives were characterized in fungi and in early-diverging amoebas earlier in this decade.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Here, we describe and characterize four families of <it>Mutator</it>-like elements in a new eukaryotic group, the Parabasalids. These <b><it>T</it></b><it>richomonas </it><b><it>v</it></b><it>aginalis </it><it><b>Mu</b>tator- <b>l</b>ike </it><it><b>e</b>lements</it>, or <it>TvMULEs</it>, are active in <it>T. vaginalis </it>and patchily distributed among 12 trichomonad species and isolates. Despite their relatively distinctive amino acid composition, the inclusion of the repeats <it>TvMULE1</it>, <it>TvMULE2</it>, <it>TvMULE3 </it>and <it>TvMULE4 </it>into the <it>Mutator </it>superfamily is justified by sequence, structural and phylogenetic analyses. In addition, we identified three new <it>TvMULE</it>-related sequences in the genome sequence of <it>Candida albicans</it>. While <it>TvMULE1 </it>is a member of the <it>MuDR </it>clade, predominantly from plants, the other three <it>TvMULEs</it>, together with the <it>C. albicans </it>elements, represent a new and quite distinct <it>Mutator </it>lineage, which we named <it>TvCaMULEs</it>. The finding of <it>TvMULE1 </it>sequence inserted into other putative repeat suggests the occurrence a novel TE family not yet described.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>These findings expand the taxonomic distribution and the range of functional motif of <it>MULEs </it>among eukaryotes. The characterization of the dynamics of <it>TvMULEs </it>and other transposons in this organism is of particular interest because it is atypical for an asexual species to have such an extreme level of TE activity; this genetic landscape makes an interesting case study for causes and consequences of such activity. Finally, the extreme repetitiveness of the <it>T. vaginalis </it>genome and the remarkable degree of sequence identity within its repeat families highlights this species as an ideal system to characterize new transposable elements.</p

Comparative ecology of the European eel, Anguilla anguilla (L.1758), in a large Iberian river

A total of 1,816 eels were sampled in 1988, from seven sampling areas. Four areas were located in brackish water and the remaining three were located in freshwater reaches of the Tagus river basin. Eels were more abundant in the middle estuary and decreased both in the upstream and in the downstream directions, with a predominance of males in higher density areas. Smaller individuals preferred more peripheral areas, such as margins and upper reaches in the brackish water zone, and the tributaries of the freshwater habitats. It was assumed that this distribution pattern resulted from three main factors: (i) the dominance of larger specimens; (ii) the need to avoid predators and; (iii) the search for better trophic conditions. The condition of the individuals generally decreased toward the upper reaches, apparently due to a corresponding decrease in feeding intensity. The presence of the Belver dam in the main river, 158 km upstream from the sea, seemed to impose major alterations to the described patterns. The concentration of specimens below this impassable obstacle yielded a reduction in the proportion of females and a decrease in the condition and survival of the eels, contributing to a reduction in the spawning success of this population. Suggestions to diminish the effects of the dam, and to preserve the fishery are also presente

Benefícios dos Ativadores Seletivos dos Recetores de Vitamina D em Doentes Transplantados Renais

Severe chronic kidney disease may lead to disturbances, such as hyperphosphatemia, increased secretion of fibroblast growth factor -23 (FGF -23) and vitamin D deficiency. These may increase plasmatic levels of parathyroid hormone, and decrease plasmatic levels of calcium. Altogether, these may contribute to the development of secondary hyperparathyroidism, and to abnormalities in mineral metabolism. Kidney transplantation is the best option to improve longevity and quality of life in end -stage chronic kidney disease patients. Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with cardiovascular disease, which is the leading cause of death in chronic kidney disease. Therefore, diagnosing this deficiency may be pivotal for minimizing mortality in chronic kidney disease, because pharmacological treatments for this deficiency may be prescribed. Calcitriol is indicated for the treatment of vitamin D deficiency, both in chronic kidney disease and in kidney transplanted patients. However, calcitriol may increase the plasmatic levels of calcium and phosphorous, which can lead to vascular calcifications, that have been associated with cardiovascular mortality. Selective vitamin D receptor activators are indicated for the treatment of vitamin D deficiency in chronic kidney disease. These have the advantage of being associated with lower increases of plasmatic levels of calcium and phosphorous. These drugs also seem to have additional effects that may minimise patient morbidity and mortality, especially due to potentially reducing cardiovascular events. Unfortunately, there are few studies about the use of these drugs in kidney transplanted patients. Here we present a review about the physiology of vitamin D, the consequences of its deficiency in chronic kidney disease and in kidney transplanted patients, and about the diagnosis and treatment of this deficiency. Finally, we discuss the new line of research about the efficacy and safety of selective vitamin D receptor activators in kidney transplanted patients

Linking forest cover, soil erosion and mire hydrology to late-Holocene human activity and climate in NW Spain

This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 License (http://www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits non-commercial use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed as specified on the SAGE and Open Access page (http://www.uk.sagepub.com/aboutus/openaccess.htm).This article has been made available through the Brunel Open Access Publishing Fund.Forest clearance is one of the main drivers of soil erosion and hydrological changes in mires, although climate may also play a significant role. Because of the wide range of factors involved, understanding these complex links requires long-term multi-proxy approaches and research on the best proxies to focus. A peat core from NW Spain (Cruz do Bocelo mire), spanning the last ~3000 years, has been studied at high resolution by physical (density and loss on ignition (LOI)), geochemical (elemental composition) and palynological (pollen and non-pollen palynomorphs) analyses. Proxies related to mineral matter fluxes from the catchment (lithogenic tracers, Glomus and Entorrhiza), rainfall (Bromine), mire hydrology (HdV-18), human pressure (Cerealia-type, nitrophilous taxa and coprophilous fungi) and forest cover (mesophilous tree taxa) were the most useful to reconstruct the evolution of the mire and its catchment. Forest clearance for farming was one of the main drivers of environmental change from at least the local Iron Age (~2685 cal. yr BP) onwards. The most intense phase of deforestation occurred during Roman and Germanic times and the late Middle Ages. During these phases, the entire catchment was affected, resulting in enhanced soil erosion and severe hydrological modifications of the mire. Climate, especially rainfall, may have also accelerated these processes during wetter periods. However, it is noteworthy that the hydrology of the mire seems to have been insensitive to rainfall variations when mesophilous forest dominated. Abrupt changes were only detected once intense forest clearance commenced during the Iron Age/Roman transition (~2190 cal. yr BP) phase, which represented a tipping point in catchment's ability to buffer impacts. Overall, our findings highlight the importance of studying ecosystems' long-term trajectories and catchment-wide processes when implementing mire habitat protection measures.This work was funded by the projects CGL2010-20672 (Plan Nacional I+D+i, Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation) and 10PXIB200182PR (General Directorate of I+D, Xunta de Galicia). N Silva-Sánchez and L López-Merino are currently supported by a FPU predoctoral scholarship (AP2010-3264) funded by the Spanish Government and a MINT postdoctoral fellowship funded by the Brunel Institute for the Environment, respectively

Trypanosoma rangeli is phylogenetically closer to Old World trypanosomes than to Trypanosoma cruzi.

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Elsevier via the DOI in this record.Trypanosoma rangeli and Trypanosoma cruzi are generalist trypanosomes sharing a wide range of mammalian hosts; they are transmitted by triatomine bugs, and are the only trypanosomes infecting humans in the Neotropics. Their origins, phylogenetic relationships, and emergence as human parasites have long been subjects of interest. In the present study, taxon-rich analyses (20 trypanosome species from bats and terrestrial mammals) using ssrRNA, glycosomal glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (gGAPDH), heat shock protein-70 (HSP70) and Spliced Leader RNA sequences, and multilocus phylogenetic analyses using 11 single copy genes from 15 selected trypanosomes, provide increased resolution of relationships between species and clades, strongly supporting two main sister lineages: lineage Schizotrypanum, comprising T. cruzi and bat-restricted trypanosomes, and Tra[Tve-Tco] formed by T. rangeli, Trypanosoma vespertilionis and Trypanosoma conorhini clades. Tve comprises European T. vespertilionis and African T. vespertilionis-like of bats and bat cimicids characterised in the present study and Trypanosoma sp. Hoch reported in monkeys and herein detected in bats. Tco included the triatomine-transmitted tropicopolitan T. conorhini from rats and the African NanDoum1 trypanosome of civet (carnivore). Consistent with their very close relationships, Tra[Tve-Tco] species shared highly similar Spliced Leader RNA structures that were highly divergent from those of Schizotrypanum. In a plausible evolutionary scenario, a bat trypanosome transmitted by cimicids gave origin to the deeply rooted Tra[Tve-Tco] and Schizotrypanum lineages, and bat trypanosomes of diverse genetic backgrounds jumped to new hosts. A long and independent evolutionary history of T. rangeli more related to Old World trypanosomes from bats, rats, monkeys and civets than to Schizotrypanum spp., and the adaptation of these distantly related trypanosomes to different niches of shared mammals and vectors, is consistent with the marked differences in transmission routes, life-cycles and host-parasite interactions, resulting in T. cruzi (but not T. rangeli) being pathogenic to humans.This study was supported by grants awarded to MMGT and EPC from CNPq (National Council for Scientific and Technological Development) PROAFRICA, PROSUL and UNIVERSAL programs, CAPES (Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel) PNIPB, PNPD and PROTAX programs, and FAPESP (São Paulo Research Foundation; process 2016/07487-0). Genome sequencing was supported by the Assembling the Tree of Life (ATOL) Project of the National Science Foundation, USA (NSF DEB-0830056), and TCC-USP (Trypanosomatid Culture Collection of the University of São Paulo) projects. OEA received PhD fellowships from CNPq (PROTAX) and COLCIENCIAS (Administrative Department of Science, Technology and Innovation, Colombia); PAO is a postdoctoral fellow of CAPES (PNPD); LL and AGCM are supported by a postdoctoral fellowship from CAPES (PROTAX)