Side-lobe level reduction in bio-inspired optical phased-array antennas

COORDENAÇÃO DE APERFEIÇOAMENTO DE PESSOAL DE NÍVEL SUPERIOR - CAPESFUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO - FAPESPCONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICO - CNPQPhased arrays are expected to play a critical role in visible and infrared wireless systems. Their improved performance compared to single element antennas finds uses in communications, imaging, and sensing. However, fabrication of photonic antennas and their feeding network require long element separation, leading to the appearance of secondary radiation lobes and, consequently, crosstalk and interference. In this work, we experimentally show that by arranging the elements according to the Fermat's spiral, the side lobe level (SLL) can be reduced. This reduction is proved in a CMOS-compatible 8-element array, revealing a SLL decrement of 0.9 dB. Arrays with larger numbers of elements and inter-element spacing are demonstrated through a spatial light modulator (SLM) and an SLL drop of 6.9 dB is measured for a 64-element array. The reduced SLL, consequently, makes the proposed approach a promising candidate for applications in which antenna gain, power loss, or information security are key requirements.25243010530114COORDENAÇÃO DE APERFEIÇOAMENTO DE PESSOAL DE NÍVEL SUPERIOR - CAPESFUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO - FAPESPCONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICO - CNPQCOORDENAÇÃO DE APERFEIÇOAMENTO DE PESSOAL DE NÍVEL SUPERIOR - CAPESFUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO - FAPESPCONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICO - CNPQSem informação08/57857-22013/20180-32015/04113-0574017/2008-9446746/2014-

Depressão em pacientes com doença pulmonar obstrutiva crônica: uma breve revisão integrativa da literatura

Introduction: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a disease characterized by persistent or partially reversible air level obstruction associated with comorbidities. It is a preventable disease and little associated with genetic deficiency. A number of factors increase COPD incidence, such as environmental and occupational pollution, smoking and the delay in implementing public policies aimed at prevention. Objective: The propose of this work was to perform a comprehensive study about recurrent lung disease and understand the impacts on the life quality of people with COPD through an integrative literature review. Methods: The following data sources were searched between 2011 to 2021: Scielo, PubMed, Medline, UpToDate and Google Scholar and the health descriptors (DECS) were anxiety, depression. quality of life and Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Results: After careful review of the research, the number of article selected in this review was five and the process used to narrow down the study relevance to COPD in the life quality. Conclusion: Upon concluding the literature review, we found that COPD is a disabling lung disease that affects the patient's daily life and the majority of the patients showed severe levels of anxiety with a predominance of moderate levels of depression. Therefore, the research conducted aimed to contribute to the medical community in the diagnosis, clinical and laboratory characteristics of COPD. In addition to elucidating treatments and the best practices to be followed by health professionals. Future studies may relate the involvement family caregivers on the improving outcomes of the patients with COPD.Introdução: A Doença Pulmonar Obstrutiva Crônica (DPOC) é uma enfermidade caracterizada pela obstrução do nível aéreo persistente ou parcialmente reversível associados a comorbidades. É uma doença evitável e pouco associada à deficiência genética. Diversos fatores aumentam a sua incidência, como poluição ambiental e ocupacional, tabagismo e a demora de implementação das políticas públicas visando a prevenção. Objetivo: Compreender os impactos na qualidade de vida dos portadores de DPOC, analisar e compilar conteúdos de conhecimentos científicos que discorram sobre a temática investigada. Métodos: Este artigo é uma revisão integrativa sobre DPOC e foi realizada por meio de consulta das publicações indexadas no banco de dados eletrônicos: Scielo, PubMed, Medline, UpToDate e o Google Acadêmico no período de 2011 a 2021 com os descritores em saúde: Ansiedade; Depressão; Qualidade de vida, DPOC. Resultados: Após análise minuciosa, cinco artigos foram selecionados, o processo utilizado para a selecionar os artigos foi a relevância da COPD na qualidade de vida do paciente. Conclusão: A DPOC é uma pneumopatia incapacitante que repercute no cotidiano, a maioria dos pacientes foi classificada com nível grave de ansiedade e níveis moderados de depressão. Esse trabalho visa despertar a atenção e contribuir com a comunidade médica no diagnóstico, na descrição das características clínicas e laboratoriais da DPOC, além de elucidar sobre tratamentos e melhores condutas a serem seguidas pelos profissionais da saúde. Pesquisas futuras poderão ser propostas a fim de investigar os efeitos do envolvimento de cuidadores familiares na melhor recuperação dos pacientes com DPOC

The “Hypertension Approaches in the Elderly: a Lifestyle study” multicenter, randomized trial (HAEL Study): rationale and methodological protocol

Background: Hypertension is a clinical condition highly prevalent in the elderly, imposing great risks to cardiovascular diseases and loss of quality of life. Current guidelines emphasize the importance of nonpharmacological strategies as a first-line approach to lower blood pressure. Exercise is an efficient lifestyle tool that can benefit a myriad of health-related outcomes, including blood pressure control, in older adults. We herein report the protocol of the HAEL Study, which aims to evaluate the efficacy of a pragmatic combined exercise training compared with a health education program on ambulatory blood pressure and other health-related outcomes in older individuals. Methods: Randomized, single-blinded, multicenter, two-arm, parallel, superiority trial. A total of 184 subjects (92/center), ≥60 years of age, with no recent history of cardiovascular events, will be randomized on a 1:1 ratio to 12-week interventions consisting either of a combined exercise (aerobic and strength) training, three times per week, or an active-control group receiving health education intervention, once a week. Ambulatory (primary outcome) and office blood pressures, cardiorespiratory fitness and endothelial function, together with quality of life, functional fitness and autonomic control will be measured in before and after intervention. Discussion: Our conceptual hypothesis is that combined training intervention will reduce ambulatory blood pressure in comparison with health education group. Using a superiority framework, analysis plan prespecifies an intention-to-treat approach, per protocol criteria, subgroups analysis, and handling of missing data. The trial is recruiting since September 2017. Finally, this study was designed to adhere to data sharing practices. Trial registration: NCT03264443. Registered on 29 August, 2017

Evaluation of SHOX defects in the era of next‐generation sequencing

Short stature homeobox (SHOX) haploinsufficiency is a frequent cause of short stature. Despite advances in sequencing technologies, the identification of SHOX mutations continues to be performed using standard methods, including multiplex ligation‐dependent probe amplification (MLPA) followed by Sanger sequencing. We designed a targeted panel of genes associated with growth impairment, including SHOX genomic and enhancer regions, to improve the resolution of next‐generation sequencing for SHOX analysis. We used two software packages, CONTRA and Nexus Copy Number, in addition to visual analysis to investigate the presence of copy number variants (CNVs). We evaluated 15 patients with previously known SHOX defects, including point mutations, deletions and a duplication, and 77 patients with idiopathic short stature (ISS). The panel was able to confirm all known defects in the validation analysis. During the prospective evaluation, we identified two new partial SHOX deletions (one detected only by visual analysis), including an intragenic deletion not detected by MLPA. Additionally, we were able to determine the breakpoints in four cases. Our results show that the designed panel can be used for the molecular investigation of patients with ISS, and it may even detect CNVs in SHOX and its enhancers, which may be present in a significant fraction of patients.Copy number variants analyses and Sanger sequencing of breakpoint regions in Case 11, which has a heterozygous deletions involving exons 4, 5, and 6a of short stature homeobox (SHOX).Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/151254/1/cge13587.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/151254/2/CGE_13587-sup-0001-Supinfo.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/151254/3/cge13587_am.pd

Efeitos não-alvo de inseticidas utilizados para controle de Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius, 1889) biótipo B (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) sobre a mortalidade e biologia de Spodoptera frugiperda (Smith, 1797) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) em soja [Glycine max (l.) Merrill]

Spodoptera frugiperda Smith (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is a polyphagous pest that has gained importance in soybean cultivation in recent years, due to the damage it causes to leaves and pods. The objective of this work was to evaluate the non-target effect of insecticides recommended and used to control Bemisia tabaci (Genn.) biotype B on S. frugiperda. The experimental design was entirely randomized with five treatments and fifty replications. The treatments were: 1. negative control (distilled water), 2. positive control (lufenuron), 3. buprofezin, 4. pyriproxyfen, and 5. diafenthiuron. In each replicate, one caterpillar was placed in a plastic cup, where sprayed soybean leaves with the maximum dosage of insecticides recommended for B. tabaci were placed.The treatments were evaluated daily during all stages: larval, pupal, and adult emergence and fecundity. The results obtained for larval mortality showed that diafenthiuron aimed 100% control, followed by pyriproxyfen with 28% and buprofezin with 12%. The duration of the larval period of the insects exposed to pyriproxyfen and buprofezin were longer compared to the control. While the biological parameters of pupae were found that pyriproxyfen caused lower pupal formation rate and higher pupal mortality, followed by buprofezin. In adult emergence, pyriproxyfen showed the lowest rate with 13.8% and the highest percentage of deformed adults with 60%. Thus, it was possible to conclude that the insecticides under study cause S. frugiperda mortality or effects on its biological patterns

The Echinococcus canadensis (G7) genome: A key knowledge of parasitic platyhelminth human diseases

Background: The parasite Echinococcus canadensis (G7) (phylum Platyhelminthes, class Cestoda) is one of the causative agents of echinococcosis. Echinococcosis is a worldwide chronic zoonosis affecting humans as well as domestic and wild mammals, which has been reported as a prioritized neglected disease by the World Health Organisation. No genomic data, comparative genomic analyses or efficient therapeutic and diagnostic tools are available for this severe disease. The information presented in this study will help to understand the peculiar biological characters and to design species-specific control tools. Results: We sequenced, assembled and annotated the 115-Mb genome of E. canadensis (G7). Comparative genomic analyses using whole genome data of three Echinococcus species not only confirmed the status of E. canadensis (G7) as a separate species but also demonstrated a high nucleotide sequences divergence in relation to E. granulosus (G1). The E. canadensis (G7) genome contains 11,449 genes with a core set of 881 orthologs shared among five cestode species. Comparative genomics revealed that there are more single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) between E. canadensis (G7) and E. granulosus (G1) than between E. canadensis (G7) and E. multilocularis. This result was unexpected since E. canadensis (G7) and E. granulosus (G1) were considered to belong to the species complex E. granulosus sensu lato. We described SNPs in known drug targets and metabolism genes in the E. canadensis (G7) genome. Regarding gene regulation, we analysed three particular features: CpG island distribution along the three Echinococcus genomes, DNA methylation system and small RNA pathway. The results suggest the occurrence of yet unknown gene regulation mechanisms in Echinococcus. Conclusions: This is the first work that addresses Echinococcus comparative genomics. The resources presented here will promote the study of mechanisms of parasite development as well as new tools for drug discovery. The availability of a high-quality genome assembly is critical for fully exploring the biology of a pathogenic organism. The E. canadensis (G7) genome presented in this study provides a unique opportunity to address the genetic diversity among the genus Echinococcus and its particular developmental features. At present, there is no unequivocal taxonomic classification of Echinococcus species; however, the genome-wide SNPs analysis performed here revealed the phylogenetic distance among these three Echinococcus species. Additional cestode genomes need to be sequenced to be able to resolve their phylogeny.Fil: Maldonado, Lucas Luciano. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Parasitología Médica. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Parasitología Médica; ArgentinaFil: Assis, Juliana. Fundación Oswaldo Cruz; BrasilFil: Gomes Araújo, Flávio M.. Fundación Oswaldo Cruz; BrasilFil: Salim, Anna C. M.. Fundación Oswaldo Cruz; BrasilFil: Macchiaroli, Natalia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Parasitología Médica. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Parasitología Médica; ArgentinaFil: Cucher, Marcela Alejandra. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Parasitología Médica. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Parasitología Médica; ArgentinaFil: Camicia, Federico. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Parasitología Médica. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Parasitología Médica; ArgentinaFil: Fox, Adolfo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Parasitología Médica. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Parasitología Médica; ArgentinaFil: Rosenzvit, Mara Cecilia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Parasitología Médica. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Parasitología Médica; ArgentinaFil: Oliveira, Guilherme. Instituto Tecnológico Vale; Brasil. Fundación Oswaldo Cruz; BrasilFil: Kamenetzky, Laura. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Parasitología Médica. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Parasitología Médica; Argentin

An oxalate-bridged oxidovanadium(iv) binuclear complex that improves the in vitro cell uptake of a fluorescent glucose analog

The centrosymmetric oxidovanadium(IV) complex (Et 3NH) 2[{VO(OH 2)(ox)} 2(μ–ox)] (I), where ox 2− = oxalate, was synthesized and characterized by X-ray diffraction (single-crystal and powder, PXRD), thermogravimetric (TGA), magnetic susceptibility (at room temperature) and spectroscopic analyses (infrared, Raman and electron paramagnetic resonance, EPR, spectroscopies). In the solid state, each vanadium center is coordinated by the oxygen atoms of a bis-bidentate oxalate bridging ligand, a terminal oxalate, an oxo group and one water molecule. The electronic structure of the binuclear complex was investigated by density functional theory (DFT) calculations, both in vacuum and in a simulated aqueous environment, employing the ωB97XD functional and the def2TZVP basis set. The cytotoxicity of I was evaluated in vitro in the human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line HepG2, giving an IC 50 value of 15.67 µmol L −1 after incubation for 24 h. The EPR analysis of I in aqueous solution suggested the maintenance of the binuclear structure, while in the hyperglycemic medium DMEM the complex suffers dissociation to give a mononuclear oxidovanadium(IV) species. HepG2 cell treatment with 0.10 and 0.50 µmol L −1 of I in DMEM increased 2-NBDG (2-[N-(7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazol-4-yl)amino]-2-deoxy-D-glucose) uptake significantly (up to 91% as compared to HepG2 in hyperglycemic condition, 59%). These results indicate a promising activity of I to be investigated further in additional antidiabetic studies