State-of-the-art microscopy to understand islets of Langerhans:what to expect next?

The discovery of Langerhans and microscopic description of islets in the pancreas were crucial steps in the discovery of insulin. Over the past 150 years, many discoveries in islet biology and type 1 diabetes have been made using powerful microscopic techniques. In the past decade, combination of new probes, animal and tissue models, application of new biosensors and automation of light and electron microscopic methods and other (sub)cellular imaging modalities have proven their potential in understanding the beta cell under (patho)physiological conditions. The imaging evolution, from fluorescent jellyfish to real-time intravital functional imaging, the revolution in automation and data handling and the increased resolving power of analytical imaging techniques are now converging. Here, we review innovative approaches that address islet biology from new angles by studying cells and molecules at high spatiotemporal resolution and in live models. Broad implementation of these cellular imaging techniques will shed new light on cause/consequence of (mal)function in islets of Langerhans in the years to come

Estudo e desenvolvimento de uma plataforma para a Agricultura de Precisão utilizando o conceito SMART FARM empregando Veículos Aéreos Não Tripulados (VANTs)

Cresce o número de produtores e empresas de alimentos que utilizam sistemas baseados em Agricultura de Precisão (AP), para melhorar sua produtividade, seus produtos e os seus meios de produção. Utilizando componentes como sensores, para aquisição de informações, robôs na automação de tarefas, máquinas inteligentes e Veículos aéreos Não Tripulados (VANTs), também conhecidos como drones, para aquisição de imagens da lavoura. Surge a necessidade de armazenar, processar e gerenciar dados produzidos em uma fazenda, possibilitando a criação de uma plataforma computacional para gerenciamento destas informações, introduzindo ao conceito de uma fazenda digital (Smart Farm). Empresas e agricultores começam a considerar o uso de robôs para a automação de tarefas agrícolas. O uso de VANTs com avançados sensores e captura de imagens, relativamente baratos, estão criando novas formas de aumentar os lucros e reduzir os danos à produção. Drones estão ganhando espaço no mercado civil, empresas como Intel, Qualcomm, Microsoft, Apple já investiram em 2017, mais de US$500 milhões nesta área. Nos últimos anos, está crescendo a procura pela utilização de drones no sensoriamento remoto. O mapeamento aéreo de propriedades agrícolas tem como resultado, um meio de estimar a produção atual, monitorando o progresso ao longo do tempo. Nesse contexto, surge o projeto Smart Farm, com o objetivo de gerenciar e processar informações oriundas de sensores, ou imagens de um drone. Um módulo nesta plataforma consiste na criação de missões para captura de imagens da lavoura, ou em pontos específicos da propriedade. Assim, foi desenvolvido um aplicativo Android, capaz de controlar drones da empresa Dà-Jiāng Innovations (DJI), com base em seu SDK mobile. Utilizando o GPS, Google Maps e o SDK é possível criar uma missão pré-programada, no qual o drone seguirá pontos capturando imagens em diferentes ângulos e direções para pós processamento destas imagens na plataforma.</jats:p

Characterization of Ni-containing goethites by Mossbauer spectroscopy and other techniques

A set of goethite samples from the oxidized level of Vermelho Ni-lateritic deposit was investigated by TEM, XRD, TGA-DTA, FTIR and Mossbauer spectroscopy and compared to a series of synthetic goethite samples, with similar Ni content. Natural Ni-containing goethite presents poor crystallinity and does not incorporate more than about 4 mol% Ni. Natural goethite particles also contain significant amounts of Al and Cr (1.6 and 0.7 mol%, in average, respectively). The wavenumbers of the OH deformation vibration bands delta-OH (in-plane vibration) and lengthening gamma-OH (out of plane vibration) are coarsely negatively correlated with Ni content. The weight loss during the thermal analysis of synthetic samples shows a good linear relationship with Ni content, pointing to a proton uptake in order to compensate a possible charge imbalance due to a Ni2+ for Fe3+ substitution. The Mossbauer spectra of Ni-goethite present one sextet whose parameters are in agreement with those usually reported for goethite. The magnitude of the hyperfine field slightly decreases with increasing Ni, while the other parameters remain unchanged. These variations may be explained by Ni incorporation, but also by differences in the crystallinity. The effect of the low Ni concentration in our samples was a weak to medium correlation of the analytical signals with the Ni content in goethite, but when considered together, the results indicate that isomorphic substitution is occurring.1424173255957

Antimicrobial consumption in pediatric intensive care units during the first year of COVID-19 pandemic

AbstractIntroductionThe absence of standardized treatment for critical children admitted in pediatric intensive care units (PICUs) with COVID could lead to an increase in antimicrobial consumption, as indirect effect.AimTo describe trends of antimicrobial consumption in two PICUs before and during the COVID pandemic year.MethodsWe did a retrospective study in children admitted in two PICUs of Rio de Janeiro city, between March 2019 and March 2021. The first year represented the pre-pandemic period and the last one the pandemic period. Trends of antimicrobial consumption were measured by days of therapy (DOT/1000 patient-days) and analyzed by linear regression for antibiotics, antivirals and antifungalsResultsNumber of patients-days in the PICU 1 was 3495 in the pre-pandemic period and 3600 in the pandemic period. The overall DOT/1000 PD of antibiotics, antivirals and antifungal was 15,308.1, 942.8 and 1,691.1, respectively in the pre-pandemic period and 13,481.5, 1,335.4 and 1,243.7, respectively in pandemic period. It was verified trend of reduction of antibiotic and antifungals and increase in antivirals consumption. Number of patients-days in the PICU 2 was 5029 in the pre-pandemic period and 4557 in the pandemic period and the overall DOT/1000 PD of antibiotics, antivirals and antifungal was 16,668.5, 1,385 and 1,966.7, respectively in the pre-pandemic period and 10,896.5, 830.7 and 677.3 in pandemic period. It was verified trend of reduction of antibiotic, antivirals and antifungals consumption.ConclusionTrends of antimicrobial consumption reduction were verified for antibiotics and antifungals in two PICUs and reduction for antiviral in one of them</jats:sec