Modeling stream fish distributions using interval-censored detection times

Controlling for imperfect detection is important for developing species distribution models (SDMs). Occupancy-detection models based on the time needed to detect a species can be used to address this problem, but this is hindered when times to detection are not known precisely. Here, we extend the time-to-detection model to deal with detections recorded in time intervals and illustrate the method using a case study on stream fish distribution modeling. We collected electrofishing samples of six fish species across a Mediterranean watershed in Northeast Portugal. Based on a Bayesian hierarchical framework, we modeled the probability of water presence in stream channels, and the probability of species occupancy conditional on water presence, in relation to environmental and spatial variables. We also modeled time-to-first detection conditional on occupancy in relation to local factors, using modified interval-censored exponential survival models. Posterior distributions of occupancy probabilities derived from the models were used to produce species distribution maps. Simulations indicated that the modified time-to-detection model provided unbiased parameter estimates despite interval-censoring. There was a tendency for spatial variation in detection rates to be primarily influenced by depth and, to a lesser extent, stream width. Species occupancies were consistently affected by stream order, elevation, and annual precipitation. Bayesian P-values and AUCs indicated that all models had adequate fit and high discrimination ability, respectively. Mapping of predicted occupancy probabilities showed widespread distribution by most species, but uncertainty was generally higher in tributaries and upper reaches. The interval-censored time-to-detection model provides a practical solution to model occupancy-detection when detections are recorded in time intervals. This modeling framework is useful for developing SDMs while controlling for variation in detection rates, as it uses simple data that can be readily collected by field ecologistsinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Brief overview on bio-based adhesives and sealants

Adhesives and sealants (AS) are materials with excellent properties, versatility, and simple curing mechanisms, being widely used in different areas ranging from the construction to the medical sectors. Due to the fast-growing demand for petroleum-based products and the consequent negative environmental impact, there is an increasing need to develop novel and more sustainable sources to obtain raw materials (monomers). This reality is particularly relevant for AS industries, which are generally dependent on non-sustainable fossil raw materials. In this respect, biopolymers, such as cellulose, starch, lignin, or proteins, emerge as important alternatives. Nevertheless, substantial improvements and developments are still required in order to simplify the synthetic routes, as well as to improve the biopolymer stability and performance of these new bio-based AS formulations. This environmentally friendly strategy will hopefully lead to the future partial or even total replacement of non-renewable petroleum-based feedstock. In this brief overview, the general features of typical AS are reviewed and critically discussed regarding their drawbacks and advantages. Moreover, the challenges faced by novel and more ecological alternatives, in particular lignocellulose-based solutions, are highlighted.Funding Agency Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology PTDC/AGR-TEC/4814/2014; PTDC/ASP-SIL/30619/2017; IF/01005/2014.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Flavonoids Of Lonchocarpus Montanus A.m.g. Azevedo And Biological Activity.

The analysis of root extracts from Lonchocarpus montanus A.M.G. Azevedo resulted in the isolation of twenty three compounds chiefly flavonoids of which five (four flavonoids and one benzophenone) are described for the first time. The molecular structures of the new compounds (1-5) were determined through spectral analysis (UV, IR, MS and NMR) as being: 2'-hydroxy-8-(alpha,alpha-dimethylallyl)-2, 2-dimethylpyrano-(5,6:3',4')-dibenzoylmethane (1), 2'-methoxy-8-(alpha,alpha-dimethylallyl)-2, 2-dimethylpyrano-(5,6:3',4')-dibenzoylmethane (2), 4'-methoxy-2,2-dimethylpyrano-(5,6:8,7)-flavone (3), 2-(1-hydroxy-1-methylethyl)-furano-(4,5:8,7)-flavone (4) and [2'-methoxy-furano-(4,5:3',4')-phenyl]-phenylmethanone (5). Additionally, fifteen fatty acids were detected through GC-MS analysis of the corresponding methyl esters [(CH3)2CH(CH2)8COOH and CH3(CH2)nCOOH (n = 6, 12-24)]. Quantitative RP-HPLC showed that the most abundant flavonoids in the petroleum ether and dichloromethane extracts were pongamol (19%) and lanceolatine B (8.0%), respectively. In the bioautography assay, the extracts, pongamol (9), lanceolatine B (10), isolonchocarpin (14), derriobtusone A (17) and medicarpine (18) were active against Staphylococcus aureus whereas 9 also against Bacillus subtilis and Cladosporium cladosporioides. Compound 1, 2,2-dimethylpyrano-(5,6:8,7)-flavone (11) and furano-(1200,1300:7,8)- 4'-methoxy flavone (12) were active against Fusarium oxysporium whereas 11 also against Rhizopus orizae. The extracts, compounds 9, 10, 17 and (E)-7-O-methoxypongamol (23) displayed high toxicity in the brine shrimp lethality assay.79351-6

Green chemistry and biorefineries: common future?

Green Chemistry and Biorefinery concepts are two approaches helping to develop new and more sustainable processes.The implementation of both methodologies impels to fossil-independent future with bioeconomy based on natural feedstock like biowaste and industrial by-products. The development of technologies for valorisation of these resources is a key role of society in the creation of sustainable and more environmentally friendly future. Shortly after the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, Anastas and Warner presented 12 Principles of Green Chemistry but more a decade before Trevor Kletz in his Jubilee lecture entitled “What you don’t have, can’t leak” draw the frames in which scientific and industrial work should be performed. This basis of green chemistry created a fundament for further development and implementation of Anastas and Warner principles of green chemistry. One of these frames is integration of green chemistry principles in the biorefinery concept. The biorefinery is an industrial facility (or network of facilities) that cover an extensive range of combined technologies aiming to full sustainable transformation of biomass into their building blocks with the concomitant production of biofuels, energy, chemicals and materials, preferably of value added products. One of the principles of green chemistry is the use of more sustainable solvents. Some examples of them are ionic liquids (ILs) and supercritical fluids (scF). This work will demonstrate the successful examples of lignocellulosic biomass valorisation using green solvents answering the question regarding the feasibility of future biorefineries made in a greener manner

BioWorkbench: A High-Performance Framework for Managing and Analyzing Bioinformatics Experiments

Advances in sequencing techniques have led to exponential growth in biological data, demanding the development of large-scale bioinformatics experiments. Because these experiments are computation- and data-intensive, they require high-performance computing (HPC) techniques and can benefit from specialized technologies such as Scientific Workflow Management Systems (SWfMS) and databases. In this work, we present BioWorkbench, a framework for managing and analyzing bioinformatics experiments. This framework automatically collects provenance data, including both performance data from workflow execution and data from the scientific domain of the workflow application. Provenance data can be analyzed through a web application that abstracts a set of queries to the provenance database, simplifying access to provenance information. We evaluate BioWorkbench using three case studies: SwiftPhylo, a phylogenetic tree assembly workflow; SwiftGECKO, a comparative genomics workflow; and RASflow, a RASopathy analysis workflow. We analyze each workflow from both computational and scientific domain perspectives, by using queries to a provenance and annotation database. Some of these queries are available as a pre-built feature of the BioWorkbench web application. Through the provenance data, we show that the framework is scalable and achieves high-performance, reducing up to 98% of the case studies execution time. We also show how the application of machine learning techniques can enrich the analysis process

One-pot intercalation strategy for the encapsulation of a CO-releasing organometallic molecule in a layered double hydroxide

The photoactivatable CO‐releasing molecule (photoCORM) [Mo(CO)3(CNCH2COOH)3] (ALF795) has been incorporated into a Zn,Al layered double hydroxide (LDH) host by a coprecipitation synthesis strategy. Powder X‐ray diffraction (PXRD) of the resultant material Zn,Al‐ALF795 showed that the ALF795 guest molecules assembled into a monolayer to give a basal spacing of 16.0 Å. FTIR and 13C{1H} CP MAS NMR spectroscopy confirmed that the molecular structure of the tricarbonyl complex was retained upon intercalation. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDS) and elemental analyses confirmed the phase‐purity of Zn,Al‐ALF795. The myoglobin assay was used to demonstrate that intercalated ALF795 retains the photoactive behavior of the free CORM, with a substantial fraction (42 %) of the high CO payload (2.46 mmol g–1) being released after exposure to UV light for 3 h under simulated physiological conditions. In addition, gas chromatography was used to track sequential light‐ and H2O2‐triggered decarbonylation of free and intercalated ALF795. In biological buffer solution (HEPES), less than 2 % Mo leaching from Zn,Al‐ALF795 took place after 5 h, showing the strong capacity of the LDH host to retain the unaltered complex and decarbonylation fragments.publishe

Tempestade tiroideia – caso clínico

ResumoA tempestade tiroideia (TT) é uma condição clínica grave, resultante da exacerbação abrupta e potencialmente fatal do hipertiroidismo. O principal fator precipitante são as infeções. O diagnóstico é fundamentalmente clínico. Entre as manifestações clínicas destacam‐se a febre, taquicardia, agitação, delírio e coma.Apesar de se tratar de uma situação rara, perante sua suspeita o tratamento deve ser instituído imediatamente, independentemente dos resultados laboratoriais, pois o seu atraso pode ser fatal.Apresenta‐se o caso clínico de uma doente de 53 anos, com fibrilhação auricular paroxística entre outros antecedentes pessoais, medicada com amiodarona há vários anos, que recorreu ao serviço de urgência por quadro clínico de febre e agitação psicomotora, cuja investigação clínica levou ao diagnóstico de TT secundária à amiodarona.Os autores descrevem este caso clínico pela inespecificidade clínica, complexidade diagnóstica e uma vez que se trata de uma entidade clínica rara.AbstractThyroid Storm is a severe clinical condition resulting from a sudden and potentially life‐threatening exacerbation of hyperthyroidism. Underlying infection is the main precipitating factor. Diagnosis is mainly clinically‐based. Among the clinical manifestations, fever, tachycardia, agitation, delirium and coma are of particular emphasis.Although a rare disorder, when suspected, treatment should be instituted immediately, regardless of laboratory results, as delay may be fatal.The authors describe a case study of a 53 year old patient, with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation and other personal antecedents, treated with amiodarone for several years, presented to the emergency service with fever and psychomotor agitation, whose clinical research has led to the diagnosis thyroid storm secondary to amiodarone.The authors describe this clinical case by nonspecific clinical, diagnostic complexity and since it is a rare clinical entity

Diaqua­(6-bromo­picolinato-κ2 N,O)(nitrato-κ2 O,O)copper(II)

In the monomeric title complex, [Cu(C6H3BrNO2)(NO3)(H2O)2], the CuII ion is coordinated by a bidentate 6-bromo­picolinate ion, one nitrate ion and two water mol­ecules in a geometry inter­mediate between five- and six-coordinate. Conventional O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds link the complex mol­ecules, forming layers parallel to the ab plane

Cognition and functioning in bipolar depression

Objectives: Depressive symptoms are associated with worse outcomes in patients with bipolar disorder (BD). However, scarce data are available regarding neurocognitive profiles across different areas of functioning among BD patients with moderate and severe depression. Our objective was to assess cognition and global functioning in a group of patients with bipolar depression. Methods: Data were available for 100 patients with bipolar depression (78% female) and 70 controls (64% female) paired by age and education level. Cognitive function was assessed with a neuropsychological test battery. Functioning was assessed with the Functioning Assessment Short Test. Results: In patients, severe depression was associated with poorer cognitive performance on measures of executive function. Patients with severe depression showed worse global functioning than those with moderate depression (z = 2.54, p = 0.011). In patients with severe depression, lower global functioning was associated with lower scores in working memory (r = -0.200, p = 0.010), and executive function (r = -0.210, p = 0.007; and r = 0.293, p o 0.001). Conclusion: Our findings suggest cognitive impairment and global functioning impairment are associated with the severity of depressive symptoms in bipolar depression. Intensive treatment of depressive symptoms in patients with BD is crucial to improve cognitive functioning and, consequently, functional outcomes