On the efficiency of Gini's mean difference

18 pages, 3 figures, 8 tables Acknowledgments We are indebted to Herold Dehling for introducing us to the theory of U-statistics, to Roland Fried for introducing us to robust statistics, and to Alexander Dürre, who has demonstrated the benefit of complex analysis for solving statistical problems. Both authors were supported in part by the Collaborative Research Centre 823 Statistical modelling of nonlinear dynamic processes.Peer reviewedPreprin

Tests for Scale Changes Based on Pairwise Differences

Acknowledgement The researcher were supported by the Collaborative Research Centre 823 Statistical modelling of nonlinear dynamic processes and the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung. The authors thank Svenja Fischer for providing the river Rhine discharge data set and Marco Thiel for the stock exchange data set.Peer reviewedPostprin

Behavioral consequences of exposure to a high fat diet during the post-weaning period in rats

AbstractWe explored the impact of exposure to an obesogenic diet (High Fat–High Sucrose; HFS) during the post-weaning period on sweet preference and behaviors linked to reward and anxiety. All rats were fed chow. In addition a HFS-transient group had access to this diet for 10days from post-natal (PN) day 22 and a HFS-continuous group continued access until adult. Behavioral tests were conducted immediately after PN 32 (adolescence) or after PN 60 (adult) and included: the condition place preference (CPP) test for chocolate, sugar and saccharin preference (anhedonia), the elevated plus maze (anxiety-like behavior) and the locomotor response to quinpirole in the open field. Behavior was unaltered in adult rats in the HFS-transient group, suggesting that a short exposure to this obesogenic food does not induce long-term effects in food preferences, reward perception and value of palatable food, anxiety or locomotor activity. Nevertheless, rats that continued to have access to HFS ate less chocolate during CPP training and consumed less saccharin and sucrose when tested in adolescence, effects that were attenuated when these rats became adult. Moreover, behavioral effects linked to transient HFS exposure in adolescence were not sustained if the rats did not remain on that diet until adult. Collectively our data demonstrate that exposure to fat and sucrose in adolescence can induce immediate reward hypofunction after only 10days on the diet. Moreover, this effect is attenuated when the diet is extended until the adult period, and completely reversed when the HFS diet is removed

Polyoxazoline-Based Nanovaccine Synergizes with Tumor-Associated Macrophage Targeting and Anti-PD-1 Immunotherapy against Solid Tumors

Nanovaccines; Tumor immune microenvironment; Tumor-associated macrophagesNanovacunes; Microambient immune tumoral; Macròfags associats al tumorNanovacunas; Microambiente inmune tumoral; Macrófagos asociados al tumorImmune checkpoint blockade reaches remarkable clinical responses. However, even in the most favorable cases, half of these patients do not benefit from these therapies in the long term. It is hypothesized that the activation of host immunity by co-delivering peptide antigens, adjuvants, and regulators of the transforming growth factor (TGF)-β expression using a polyoxazoline (POx)-poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid (PLGA) nanovaccine, while modulating the tumor-associated macrophages (TAM) function within the tumor microenvironment (TME) and blocking the anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) can constitute an alternative approach for cancer immunotherapy. POx-Mannose (Man) nanovaccines generate antigen-specific T-cell responses that control tumor growth to a higher extent than poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-Man nanovaccines. This anti-tumor effect induced by the POx-Man nanovaccines is mediated by a CD8+-T cell-dependent mechanism, in contrast to the PEG-Man nanovaccines. POx-Man nanovaccine combines with pexidartinib, a modulator of the TAM function, restricts the MC38 tumor growth, and synergizes with PD-1 blockade, controlling MC38 and CT26 tumor growth and survival. This data is further validated in the highly aggressive and poorly immunogenic B16F10 melanoma mouse model. Therefore, the synergistic anti-tumor effect induced by the combination of nanovaccines with the inhibition of both TAM- and PD-1-inducing immunosuppression, holds great potential for improving immunotherapy outcomes in solid cancer patients.Funding: R.S.-F. and H.F.F. thank the following funding agencies for their generous support: The project that gave rise to these results has received funding from the “la Caixa” Foundation under the grant agreements LCF/PR/HR22/52420016, LCF/PR/HR19/52160021, and LCF/TR/CD20/52700005 (R.S.-F. and H.F.F). H.F.F thanks the generous financial support from The Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia-Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior (FCT-MCTES) (EXPL/MED-QUI/1316/2021, PTDC/BTM-SAL/4350/2021, UTAP-EXPL/NPN/0041/2021, UIDB/04138/2020, UIDP/04138/2020). R.S.-F. thanks to the European Research Council (ERC) PoC Grant Agreement no. 101113390 and ERC Advanced Grant Agreement no. 835227, the Israel Science Foundation (1969/18), the Melanoma Research Alliance (Established Investigator Award no. 615808 to R.S.-F.), the Israel Cancer Research Fund (ICRF) Professorship award (no. PROF-18-682), the Morris Kahn Foundation. B.C. is supported by the FCT-MCTES (Ph.D. Fellowship SFRH/BD/131969/2017). The authors also acknowledge the NIH Tetramer Core Facility for the provision of Adpgk tetramers, in addition to the Comparative Pathology Unit of IMM and the Histopathology Facility of IGC for supporting the histopathological study

EFFECT OF DRYING AND PRIMING ON GERMINATION AND VIGOR OS CUCUMBER SEEDS

O condicionamento osmótico é uma técnica que busca aumentar a velocidade de germinação, uniformidade das plântulas no campo e até aumentar a porcentagem de germinação, o que é de grande interesse ao produtor. Assim, no presente trabalho foram utilizadas três doses de polietileno glicol (-0,4; -0,8 e -1,2MPa) seguidas ou não de secagem em ambiente de laboratório por 48 horas. Foram avaliados testes de germinação e vigor (primeira contagem, índice de velocidade de germinação, emergência, comprimento do hipocótilo e raiz e massa de matéria seca da parte aérea e raiz). A secagem das sementes de pepino não foi eficiente para manter os efeitos benéficos obtidos no condicionamento osmótico. O condicionamento osmótico utilizando polietileno glicol seguido da semeadura aumenta a velocidade de germinação de sementes de pepino, sendo que o potencial osmótico indicado situa-se entre -0,8 e -1,2MPa

ANÁLISE DA ARBORIZAÇÃO URBANA EM CINCO PRAÇAS DO MUNICÍPIO DE CACHOEIRA DO SUL, RS.

Através do presente estudo objetivou-se realizar uma avaliação da arborização existente em cinco praças de Cachoeira do Sul, onde foram observadas variáveis relativas às espécies arbóreas, tais como: diagnóstico da fitossanidade, riqueza de espécies, análise do CAP (circunferência à altura do peito) e altura, e quanto a presença ou ausência de áreas livres adequadas. Os dados foram coletados em planilha específica, transferidos e analisados no software Excel. O total de indivíduos encontrados foi de 832, distribuídos em 36 famílias botânicas. As cinco espécies de maior ocorrência foram Jacaranda mimosifolia, Ligustrum lucidum, Tipuana tipu, Lagerstroemia indica e Parapiptadenia rigida, representando 35,94% do total. A análise da fitossanidade mostrou que 62,59% das árvores encontram-se saudáveis, 26% estão sendo atacadas por pragas e 11% sofreram injúria mecânica. Na avaliação da altura dos indivíduos, 53% apresentaram alturas maiores que 9 m, observou-se também que 65,75% dessas árvores apresentaram CAP maiores que 55 cm. É possível observar, nas cinco praças, a existência de um mesmo número de espécies exóticas e nativas. Os resultados encontrados para a análise de área livre mostram que 451 indivíduos não possuem espaço adequado para seu bom desenvolvimento, enquanto que 381 possuem esses espaços

Cardiovascular health effects following exposure of human volunteers during fire extinction exercises

Abstract Background Firefighters have increased risk of cardiovascular disease and of sudden death from coronary heart disease on duty while suppressing fires. This study investigated the effect of firefighting activities, using appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), on biomarkers of cardiovascular effects in young conscripts training to become firefighters. Methods Healthy conscripts (n = 43) who participated in a rescue educational course for firefighting were enrolled in the study. The exposure period consisted of a three-day training course where the conscripts participated in various firefighting exercises in a constructed firehouse and flashover container. The subjects were instructed to extinguish fires of either wood or wood with electrical cords and mattresses. The exposure to particulate matter (PM) was assessed at various locations and personal exposure was assessed by portable PM samplers and urinary excretion of 1-hydroxypyrene. Cardiovascular measurements included microvascular function and heart rate variability (HRV). Results The subjects were primarily exposed to PM in bystander positions, whereas self-contained breathing apparatus effectively abolished pulmonary exposure. Firefighting training was associated with elevated urinary excretion of 1-hydroxypyrene (105%, 95% CI: 52; 157%), increased body temperature, decreased microvascular function (−18%, 95% CI: -26; −9%) and altered HRV. There was no difference in cardiovascular measurements for the two types of fires. Conclusion Observations from this fire extinction training show that PM exposure mainly occurs in situations where firefighters removed the self-contained breathing apparatus. Altered cardiovascular disease endpoints after the firefighting exercise period were most likely due to complex effects from PM exposure, physical exhaustion and increased core body temperature

PARASITOS GASTROINTESTINAIS E SANGUÍNEOS EM CÃES. RISCO PARA ADOÇÃO?

Procurou-se verificar a prevalência de parasitos intestinais e teciduais e estabelecer relação com zoonoses parasitárias por ocasião da adoção de cães errantes. Assim, coletou-se amostras de fezes e soro de 20 cães errantes sem prévio tratamento anti-parasitário, provenientes de cidades da região da Campanha do Rio Grande do Sul entre novembro a dezembro de 2007. Nas fezes foram encontrados ovos deAncylostoma sp. em todas as amostras (20/20) e 15% (3/20) de Trichuris sp. Coproantígenos de Echinococcus granulosus foram observados em 25% (5/20) das fezes e a imunofluorescência revelou 55% (11/20) de prevalência paraT. gondii e 30% (6/20) de N. caninum. Não foram encontrados cistos de Giardiasp. Concluiu-se que o ambiente endêmico permite a fácil contaminação com nematódeos e a ingestão de carne crua seria um importante agente de infecção com E. granulosus, T. gondii e N. caninume sugere-se que as pessoas encarregadas da adoção estabeleçam tratamentos eficazes contra todos os parasitos que possam infringir danos a saúde human

Varicella zoster virus glycoprotein C increases chemokine-mediated leukocyte migration

Varicella zoster virus (VZV) is a highly prevalent human pathogen that establishes latency in neurons of the peripheral nervous system. Primary infection causes varicella whereas reactivation results in zoster, which is often followed by chronic pain in adults. Following infection of epithelial cells in the respiratory tract, VZV spreads within the host by hijacking leukocytes, including T cells, in the tonsils and other regional lymph nodes, and modifying their activity. In spite of its importance in pathogenesis, the mechanism of dissemination remains poorly understood. Here we addressed the influence of VZV on leukocyte migration and found that the purified recombinant soluble ectodomain of VZV glycoprotein C (rSgC) binds chemokines with high affinity. Functional experiments show that VZV rSgC potentiates chemokine activity, enhancing the migration of monocyte and T cell lines and, most importantly, human tonsillar leukocytes at low chemokine concentrations. Binding and potentiation of chemokine activity occurs through the C-terminal part of gC ectodomain, containing predicted immunoglobulin-like domains. The mechanism of action of VZV rSgC requires interaction with the chemokine and signalling through the chemokine receptor. Finally, we show that VZV viral particles enhance chemokine-dependent T cell migration and that gC is partially required for this activity. We propose that VZV gC activity facilitates the recruitment and subsequent infection of leukocytes and thereby enhances VZV systemic dissemination in humans