Allergen sensitization associates with worse lung function parameters

To assess the association between the number of allergen sensitizations and lung function variables in individuals with airway symptoms. Methods. Retrospective study with all individuals who performed lung function and skin-prick tests at CUF-Porto (01/2011-06/2016). Six allergen groups were considered. % predicted Pre-Bronchodilator test (BD) and % change after BD were analysed for spirometry and plethysmography parameters. Results. A total of 1293 individuals were included, 54% (n = 698) adults and 69% (n = 891) with sensitization to ≥ 1 allergen group. % FEV1 was significantly higher and % change in FEV1 significantly lower in non-sensitized individuals. % sRaw was higher in polysensitized (vs non-sensitized). Conclusions. The presence of allergen sensitizations was significantly associated with worse key lung function parameters.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Variabilidade genética para caracteres vegetativos em germoplasma de açaí-do-Amazonas.

O objetivo deste estudo foi estimar parâmetros genéticos e ganhos de seleção para características vegetativas na fase juvenil de progênies de açaí-solteiro

Measurement of single electron emission in two-phase xenon

We present the first measurements of the electroluminescence response to the emission of single electrons in a two-phase noble gas detector. Single ionization electrons generated in liquid xenon are detected in a thin gas layer during the 31-day background run of the ZEPLIN-II experiment, a two-phase xenon detector for WIMP dark matter searches. Both the pressure dependence and magnitude of the single-electron response are in agreement with previous measurements of electroluminescence yield in xenon. We discuss different photoionization processes as possible cause for the sample of single electrons studied in this work. This observation may have implications for the design and operation of future large-scale two-phase systems.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figure

Parceria institucional entre a Embrapa e prefeituras municipais: relato de caso e passo a passo.

bitstream/item/171629/1/Doc-04-versao-final-ainfo.pd

Alometria da área foliar de plantas de açaizeiros da Amazônia em condições de cultivo.

Na produção da polpa ou vinho de açaí são exploradas comercialmente as espécies de açaizeiros Euterpe oleracea e E. precatoria, nativas da Amazônia. Estimativas da área folhar são úteis para descriminar populações naturais e também coleções ex situ dos açaizeiros. Estimativas da área foliar podem ser obtidas por medições realizadas com amostragens de partes das folhas da planta. O objetivo deste estudo foi descrever relações alométricas que são úteis para estimar a área foliar de plantas de açaizeiros

Electoral Competition and Endogenous Political Institutions: Quasi-Experimental Evidence from Germany

Do established parties change political institutions to disadvantage smaller, non-mainstream parties if the latters' electoral prospects improve? We study this question with a natural experiment from the German federal State of Hesse. The experiment is the abolishment of an explicit electoral threshold (the so called "five percent hurdle") for local elections in 2001 by the Hessian state parliament. The abolishment improved the electoral prospects of smaller parties at local elections, but local politicians from mainstream parties had the ability to adjust municipal political institutions in such as way as to counteract the increased competitiveness of smaller parties. One such institutional adjustment is to reduce the size of the local council and thereby raise implicit electoral thresholds. Using a dataset that covers all 426 Hessian municipalities over the period 1989-2011, we document with a difference-in-discontinuity design that municipalities where the electoral competitiveness of smaller parties improved more because of the abolishment of the explicit threshold, reduced their council size more. Hence, established parties appear to erect barriers to entry by adjusting political institutions once new political formations become viable electoral alternatives

Single electron emission in two-phase xenon with application to the detection of coherent neutrino-nucleus scattering

We present an experimental study of single electron emission in ZEPLIN-III, a two-phase xenon experiment built to search for dark matter WIMPs, and discuss applications enabled by the excellent signal-to-noise ratio achieved in detecting this signature. Firstly, we demonstrate a practical method for precise measurement of the free electron lifetime in liquid xenon during normal operation of these detectors. Then, using a realistic detector response model and backgrounds, we assess the feasibility of deploying such an instrument for measuring coherent neutrino-nucleus elastic scattering using the ionisation channel in the few-electron regime. We conclude that it should be possible to measure this elusive neutrino signature above an ionisation threshold of $\sim$3 electrons both at a stopped pion source and at a nuclear reactor. Detectable signal rates are larger in the reactor case, but the triggered measurement and harder recoil energy spectrum afforded by the accelerator source enable lower overall background and fiducialisation of the active volume

Phenotypic variation in milk fatty acid composition and its association with stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1 (SCD1) gene polymorphisms in Gir cows.

Individual variation in milk fatty acid (FA) composition has been partially attrib-uted to stearoyl- CoA desaturase 1 (SCD1) gene polymorphisms in taurine breeds, but much less is known for Zebu breeds. This study investigated the phenotypic variation in milk FA composition, and the influence of SCD1 variants on this trait and on milk fat desaturase indices (DI) in Gir cows. The functional impact of SCD1 variants was predicted using bioinformatics tools. Milk and blood samples were collected from 312 cows distributed in 10 herds from five states of Brazil. SCD1 variants were identified through target sequencing, and milk FA composi-tion was determined by gas chromatography. Phenotypic variation in milk FA composition fell within the range reported for taurine breeds, with SCD18 index showing the lowest variation among the DI. Fourteen SCD1 variants were identi-fied, six of which not previously described. Regarding the A293V polymorphism, all cows were homozygous for the C allele (coding for alanine), whereas all gen-otypes were detected for the second SNP affecting the 293 codon (G > A), with compelling evidence for functional effects. Significant associations (based on raw p- values) were found between this SNP and C12:0, cis- 9, trans- 11 CLA and short- chain FA, and between another SNP (rs523411937) and C15:0 and odd- chain lin-ear FA. A new SNP on Chr26:21277069 was associated with trans- 11 C18:1, cis- 9, trans- 11 CLA, C18:3 n- 3 and n- 3 FA. These findings indicate that SCD1 polymor-phisms also contributes to the phenotypic variation in milk FA composition of Gir cows, with potential use in their breeding programmes

Lying in Wait: The Resurgence of Dengue Virus After the Zika Epidemic in Brazil

After the Zika virus (ZIKV) epidemic in the Americas in 2016, both Zika and dengue incidence declined to record lows in many countries in 2017-2018, but in 2019 dengue resurged in Brazil, causing ~2.1 million cases. In this study we use epidemiological, climatological and genomic data to investigate dengue dynamics in recent years in Brazil. First, we estimate dengue virus force of infection (FOI) and model mosquito-borne transmission suitability since the early 2000s. Our estimates reveal that DENV transmission was low in 2017-2018, despite conditions being suitable for viral spread. Our study also shows a marked decline in dengue susceptibility between 2002 and 2019, which could explain the synchronous decline of dengue in the country, partially as a result of protective immunity from prior ZIKV and/or DENV infections. Furthermore, we performed phylogeographic analyses using 69 newly sequenced genomes of dengue virus serotype 1 and 2 from Brazil, and found that the outbreaks in 2018-2019 were caused by local DENV lineages that persisted for 5-10 years, circulating cryptically before and after the Zika epidemic. We hypothesize that DENV lineages may circulate at low transmission levels for many years, until local conditions are suitable for higher transmission, when they cause major outbreaks