Computational meta-heuristics based on Machine Learning to optimize fuel consumption of vessels using diesel engines

With the expansion of means of river transportation, especially in the case of small and medium-sized vessels that make routes of greater distances, the cost of fuel, if not taken as an analysis criterion for a larger profit margin, is considered to be a primary factor , considering that the value of fuel specifically diesel to power internal combustion machines is high. Therefore, the use of tools that assist in decision-making becomes necessary, as is the case of the present research, which aims to contribute with a computational model of prediction and optimization of the best speed to decrease the fuel cost considering the characteristics of the SCANIA 315 machine. propulsion model, of a vessel from the river port of Manaus that carries out river transportation to several municipalities in Amazonas. According to the results of the simulations, the best training algorithm of the Artificial Neural Network (ANN) was the BFGS Quasi-Newton considering the characteristics of the engine for optimization with Genetic Algorithm (AG)

Uso terapêutico com ácido tranexâmico para o melasma: revisão bibliográfica

Melasma, palavra grega para "melas" que significa negro, é uma condição de hiperpigmentação facilmente diagnosticada causada por fatores como a exposição à luz ultravioleta. Para o tratamento do melasma são utilizadas terapias combinadas, porém, existem opções de tratamento do melasma específicas para cada tipo de pele. AT é um composto inibidor da plasmina hidrofílica usado como agente antifibrinolítico. Objetivo: Descrever a eficácia do ácido tranexâmico no tratamento do melasma segundo o artigo. Métodos: A pesquisa direcionada de bancos de dados em inglês e português e sites de pesquisa como PubMed, BVS, Google Scholar etc., encontrou 6 artigos correspondentes ao nosso tópico, 3 relacionados ao microagulhamento e 1 relacionado ao uso de ácido tranexâmico e esfoliação, 2 com o uso tópico oral. Como critérios de inclusão, foram utilizadas palavras-chave como melasma, ácido tranexâmico, microagulhamento, peeling, tratamento. Os critérios de exclusão utilizados estudos que não estivessem de acordo com tema em discussão, artigos em idiomas que não fossem os que foram listados anteriormente. Resultados: Nos artigos utilizados, pode-se demonstrar que o ácido tranexâmico sozinho ou em combinação com outros tratamentos combinados é seguro e eficaz, com poucos ou leves efeitos colaterais. O uso de vitaminas e cosméticos administrados por via intradérmica produzirá resultados mais eficazes. Conclusões: Resultados gerais desses estudos indicam que o ácido tranexâmico pode ser eficaz no tratamento do melasma, independentemente da via de administração escolhida

Effect of isolates of entomopathogenic fungi in the coconut eye borer

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of entomopathogenic fungi on adults of Rhynchophorus palmarum (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). The experimental design was completely randomized in a factorial design (5x3) + control, composed of five treatments (isolated IBCB 66, CPATC 032, CPATC 057 and T9, and the commercial product Boveril®) and three concentrations of each fungus (107, 108 and 109 conidia.mL-1). The data of confirmed mortality were submitted to analysis of variance (ANOVA) using the Proc ANOVA of SAS, and the means compared by Tukey test at 5% probability. To determine percentage survival, confirmed mortality data were subjected to Log-Rank test using the Kaplan-Meyer method. Subsequently the values of LC50 and LT50 were estimated submitting mortality confirmed the Probit analysis. For the concentration 108 conidia.mL-1, the isolates CPATC 032 and CPATC 057 caused confirmed mortality of 52 and 44% of the adults of R. palmarum, respectively. At the concentration 109 conidia.mL-1, the isolates CPATC 032 and CPATC 057 caused mortality of 64 and 52% of the insects, respectively. For the CPATC 032 isolate, in the three concentrations tested, the insects had an average survival of 11 to 12 days. The TL50 of isolate CPATC 032 at concentrations 108 and 109 conidia.mL-1 was approximately 17 days. All isolates tested and the Boveril® product are pathogenic to R. palmarum.The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of entomopathogenic fungi on adults of Rhynchophorus palmarum (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). The experimental design was completely randomized in a factorial design (5x3) + control, composed of five treatments (isolated IBCB 66, CPATC 032, CPATC 057 and T9, and the commercial product Boveril®) and three concentrations of each fungus (107, 108 and 109 conidia.mL-1). The data of confirmed mortality were submitted to analysis of variance (ANOVA) using the Proc ANOVA of SAS, and the means compared by Tukey test at 5% probability. To determine percentage survival, confirmed mortality data were subjected to Log-Rank test using the Kaplan-Meyer method. Subsequently the values of LC50 and LT50 were estimated submitting mortality confirmed the Probit analysis. For the concentration 108 conidia.mL-1, the isolates CPATC 032 and CPATC 057 caused confirmed mortality of 52 and 44% of the adults of R. palmarum, respectively. At the concentration 109 conidia.mL-1, the isolates CPATC 032 and CPATC 057 caused mortality of 64 and 52% of the insects, respectively. For the CPATC 032 isolate, in the three concentrations tested, the insects had an average survival of 11 to 12 days. The TL50 of isolate CPATC 032 at concentrations 108 and 109 conidia.mL-1 was approximately 17 days. All isolates tested and the Boveril® product are pathogenic to R. palmarum

HEV infection in swine from Eastern Brazilian Amazon: Evidence of co-infection by different subtypes

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a fecal-orally transmitted member of the genus Hepevirus that causes acute hepatitis in humans and is widely distributed throughout the world. Pigs have been reported as the main source of genotypes 3 and 4 infection to humans in non-endemic areas. To investigate HEV infection in pigs from different regions of Para state (Eastern Brazilian Amazon), we performed serological and molecular analyses of serum, fecal and liver samples from 151 adult pigs slaughtered between April and October 2010 in slaughterhouses in the metropolitan region of Belem, Para. Among the animals tested, 8.6% (13/151) were positive for anti-HEV IgG but not for anti-HEV IgM. HEV RNA was detected in 4.8% (22/453) of the samples analyzed and 9.9% (15/151) of the animals had at least one positive sample. Phylogenetic analysis showed that all sequences belonged to genotype 3 that were related to human isolates from other non-endemic regions, suggesting that the isolates had zoonotic potential. Subtypes 3c and 3f were simultaneously detected in some pigs, suggesting co-infection by more than one strain and/or the presence of a recombinant virus. These results constitute the first molecular and serologic evidence of swine HEV circulation in the Eastern Brazilian Amazon. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Instituto Evandro Chagas/Secretaria de Vigilancia em Saude/Ministerio da SaudeInstituto Evandro Chagas/Secretaria de Vigilancia em Saude/Ministerio da SaudeCoordenacao de aperfeicoamento de pessoal de nivel superior - CAPES/Universidade Federal do Para - UFPACoordenacao de aperfeicoamento de pessoal de nivel superior CAPES/Universidade Federal do Para UFPAFundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo (FAPESP)Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo - FAPESP [2010/50081-9, 2009/53946-3

Asymptomatic Leishmania infection in blood donors from a major blood bank in Northeastern Brazil: a cross-sectional study

This study has estimated the risk of Leishmania transmission via blood transfusion in one of the largest blood banks in Northeastern Brazil, where visceral leishmaniasis is endemic. Five hundred blood samples from donors were tested for circulating Leishmania spp. DNA by real-time PCR. Positive samples were tested by a species-specific conventional PCR targeting Leishmania infantum . Overall, 6.2% (95% CI: 4.1–8.3%) of the samples carried Leishmania DNA and in one sample the species was confirmed as L. infantum . No statistically significant differences were found in relation to gender, sex, education level, incomeas well as the place of residence between positive and negative blood donors. Our results confirm the presence of asymptomatic Leishmania carriers among blood donors in a large blood bank in Northeastern Brazil. Considering the studied population, we estimate that for every 1,000 blood donors screened, 41 to 83 will be positive for Leishmania DNA. This finding reinforces the urgent need for elaborating specific Blood bank guidelines to allow the early detection of asymptomatic Leishmania carriers among blood donors before their blood products are transfused to uninfected individuals

Laboratory reevaluation of hepatitis C virus infection in patients undergoing dialysis treatment in the 1990s, in Belém, Pará State, Brazil

Hospital Universitário João de Barros Barreto. Belém PA, Brasil.Ministério da Saúde. Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde. Instituto Evandro Chagas. Ananindeua, PA, Brasil.NefroCentro. Belém, PA, Brasil.Ministério da Saúde. Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde. Instituto Evandro Chagas. Ananindeua, PA, Brasil.Ministério da Saúde. Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde. Instituto Evandro Chagas. Ananindeua, PA, Brasil.Ministério da Saúde. Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde. Instituto Evandro Chagas. Ananindeua, PA, Brasil.Ministério da Saúde. Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde. Instituto Evandro Chagas. Ananindeua, PA, Brasil.OBJETIVO: Descrever aspectos do diagnóstico laboratorial sorológico e molecular da infecção pelo vírus da hepatite C (HCV – do inglês hepatitis C virus), em pacientes submetidos a tratamento em uma clínica de diálise de Belém, estado do Pará, Brasil, no período de 1990 a 1993. MATERIAIS E MÉTODOS: Estudo retrospectivo para reavaliação de amostras de soro de pacientes dialisados, utilizando testes sorológicos para a detecção do HCV (anti-HCV e Ag-Ab HCV) e HCV-RNA, por meio de técnica molecular de RT-PCR. RESULTADOS: Foram incluídos 115 pacientes dialisados com amostras de soro coletadas no período do estudo. A análise dessas amostras mostrou prevalência de 16,5% de anti-HCV reagente, entre as quais 4,3% apresentaram indicador de replicação viral ativa (HCV-RNA reagente). Detectou-se taxa de soroconversão em 55,2% dos pacientes no período analisado. O grupo anti-HCV, Ag-Ab HCV e HCV-RNA reagente foi o mais prevalente (41,7%). Em relação às amostras anti-HCV não reagentes, verificou-se replicação viral com HCV-RNA reagente em 22,7%. Foram detectados os genótipos 1 e 3. O genótipo 1 foi prevalente em 73,0% das amostras. CONCLUSÃO: Quando se introduziu a triagem laboratorial para HCV (anti-HCV) na clínica de diálise, foi possível observar: alta prevalência de infecção pelo HCV entre os pacientes em tratamento; altos índices de soroconversão; equiparação entre resultados sorológicos, utilizando os métodos de ELISA de segunda e de terceira geração; presença de replicação viral entre os pacientes anti-HCV não reagentes; e maior prevalência do genótipo 1 do HCV