Toxicity of copaiba extracts to armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda)

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of methanolic extracts from leaves, peels, seeds and pulps from fruits of Copaifera langsdorffii on Spodoptera frugiperda. Extracts derived from leaves and fruit peels were more toxic to S. frugiperda than the others. Hence, they were added to the artificial diet and used in further experiments with the second instar larvae of the insect, which presented larval growth reduction, prolonged period of development, increased mortality, and lower fertility and fecundity of adults. Lower egg viability was also observed when the insect was treated with extracts of leaves and fruit peels in the larvae stage. Moreover, when subjected to ultrastructural analysis under a scanning electron microscope, such eggs showed abnormalities in the aeropylar and micropylar regions. Both extracts also increased the excretion of protein in the insect feces and inhibited trypsin activity in the in vitro test. Consequently, C. langsdorffii presents potential to be used in the development of new products to control the fall armyworm.Key words: Copaifera langsdorffii, natural products, trypsin inhibitor, botanical insecticide

Personalized modeling for prediction with decision-path models

Deriving predictive models in medicine typically relies on a population approach where a single model is developed from a dataset of individuals. In this paper we describe and evaluate a personalized approach in which we construct a new type of decision tree model called decision-path model that takes advantage of the particular features of a given person of interest. We introduce three personalized methods that derive personalized decision-path models. We compared the performance of these methods to that of Classification And Regression Tree (CART) that is a population decision tree to predict seven different outcomes in five medical datasets. Two of the three personalized methods performed statistically significantly better on area under the ROC curve (AUC) and Brier skill score compared to CART. The personalized approach of learning decision path models is a new approach for predictive modeling that can perform better than a population approach

Experiments on enlarging a lexical ontology

This paper presents two simple experiments performed in order to enlarge the coverage of PULO, a Lexical Ontology, based and aligned with the Princeton WordNet. The first experiment explores the triangulation of the Galician, Catalan and Castillian wordnets, with translation dictionaries from the Apertium project. The second, explores Dicionário-Aberto entries, in order to extract synsets from its definitions. Although similar approaches were already applied for different languages, this document aims at documenting their results for the PULO case

Eficácia dos exercícios para ombro nas complicações loco-regionais em mulheres submetidas a radioterapia para câncer de mama: ensaio clínico

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of shoulder exercises during radiotherapy in relation to prevention of locoregional physical complications: limitation of range of motion (ROM) and functional capacity, arm circumference and scar tissue adhesion. METHODS: Sixty-six women without shoulder ROM impairment following breast cancer surgery that included complete axillary dissection were allocated to one of two groups: 32 in the physical therapy group (PG) (52.7±10.2 years), who underwent an exercise program; and 34 in the control group (CG) (48±10.1 years). Shoulder ROM, upper-limb circumference and functional capacity and scar tissue adhesion were evaluated at the beginning and end of radiotherapy and six months after completing radiotherapy. RESULTS: The PG showed improvements in flexion and abduction ROM between the first and third evaluations (flexion from 164.77°±8.9° to 167.98°±9.5° and abduction from 168.56°±10.0° to 175.62°±10.2°), which was not observed in the CG (flexion from 167.06±06° to 165.16°±9.2° and abduction from 169.71°±10.1° to 169.53°±12.8°). There was a statistically significant increase in ROM in the PG in relation to the CG (flexion, p=0.02; and abduction, p=0.004). The circumference and functional capacity were similar between the groups and the frequency of scar tissue adhesion in the CG was twice that observed in the PG (48% versus 24%, p=0.04). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that shoulder exercises favor maintenance of flexion and abduction ROM of the shoulder and minimize the incidence of scar tissue adhesion in women undergoing radiotherapy for breast cancer treatment.OBJETIVO: Verificar o efeito da realização de exercícios para o ombro durante a radioterapia na prevenção de complicações físicas loco-regionais: limitação da amplitude de movimento (ADM) e da capacidade funcional, circunferência do braço e aderência cicatricial. MÉTODOS: Sessenta e seis mulheres sem comprometimento de ADM de ombro no pós-operatório de cirurgia para câncer de mama com dissecção axilar completa foram alocadas em dois grupos, sendo 32 no grupo de fisioterapia (GF) (52,7±10,2 anos), o qual foi submetido a um programa de exercícios, e 34 no grupo controle (GC) (48±10,1 anos). A ADM do ombro, a circunferência e capacidade funcional dos membros superiores e a aderência cicatricial foram avaliados no início e no final da radioterapia e seis meses após seu término. RESULTADOS: O GF apresentou melhora da ADM de flexão e abdução entre a primeira e terceira avaliação (Flexão: de 164,77°±8,9° para 167,98°±9,5° e Abdução: 168,56°±10° para 175,62°±10,2°), o que não se observou no GC (Flexão: 167,06°±6° para 165,16°±9,2° e Abdução: 169,71°±10,1° para 169,53°±12,8°), demonstrando uma melhora significativa do GF em relação do GC (Flexão: p=0,02 e Abdução: p=0,004). A circunferência e a capacidade funcional foram similares entre os grupos e a frequência de aderência cicatricial no GC foi o dobro daquela observada no GF (48% e 24%, p=0,04). CONCLUSÕES: Esses resultados sugerem que exercícios para o ombro favorecem a manutenção da ADM de flexão e abdução de ombro e minimizam a incidência de aderência cicatricial em mulheres submetidas à radioterapia para tratamento por câncer de mama.13614

Measles-containing vaccines in Brazil: Coverage, homogeneity of coverage and associations with contextual factors at municipal level

We aimed to (i) describe both the coverage and the homogeneity of coverage of the first and second doses of measles-containing vaccines (MCV) in Brazil in 2017, and (ii) to investigate the potential influence of contextual factors at municipal level. All 5570 Brazilian municipalities were included. The North and Center-West regions presented the lowest coverages of the first and second doses of MCV, respectively. We found significant associations of both first and second doses of MCV with population size, coverage of Family Health Strategy (FHS) and other indicators of living conditions and inequalities. Monitoring the homogeneity of MCV coverage at national, regional and state levels is essential, as it allows identifying areas at higher risk of measles spread that should be targeted for vaccination. Targeting large cities i.e. 100,000 or more inhabitants, especially poor neighborhoods and areas with low FHS coverage, could lead to improvements in coverage homogeneity

Visualizing intracardiac atrial fibrillation electrograms using spectral analysis

Atrial fibrillation is the most common cardiac arrhythmia, and it is associated with increased risk of stroke, heart failure, and mortality. This work describes spectral analysis techniques that are being used in conjunction with visualization algorithms to help guide catheter ablation procedures that aim at treating patients with arrhythmia

The course of specialization in public health in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 1926 to 2006: lessons and challenges

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Public health, as a field of knowledge, depends on its professionals. Their education and training, therefore, is considered to be an important factor for the quality of health services. In Brazil, the Course of Specialization in Public Health of the National School of Public Health is one of the oldest in the country. The course has existed for over 80 years, during which it has had an eventful history, with modifications in its organization, interruptions in its delivery, threats to its survival and changes in the institutions hosting it, reflecting the wider transformation in Brazilian society and public life over that period.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In this article we analyse this course via its history, disciplines, organization and characteristics of the student body.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Insights were gained into the advancement of public health in Brazil and the progress of education for professionals in this field was highlighted. The course has formed nearly 2000 specialists in public health.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>An analysis of the course's history provides valuable lessons for other schools of public health trying to train professionals in developing countries.</p

Paving (through) Amazonia: Neoliberal Urbanism and the Reperipheralization of Roraima

This paper examines the neoliberal reshaping of infrastructure provision in Brazil's extreme north since the mid-1990s, when roadway investments resulted in unprecedented regional connectivity. The BR-174 upgrade, the era's most important project, marked a transition from resource-based developmentalism to free-market transnationalism. Primarily concerned with urban competitiveness, the federal government funded the trunk roadway's paving to facilitate manufacturing exports from Manaus. While an effort was made to minimize deforestation, planners sidelined development implications in adjacent Roraima. The state's urban system has thus experienced reperipheralization and intensified primacy. Market-led growth now compounds the inheritance of hierarchical centralism and ongoing governmental neglect. Our study shows a vast territory dependent on primate cities for basic goods and services. Travelling with Roraimans from bypassed towns, we detected long-distance passenger transportation and surface logistics with selective routes. Heterogeneous Roraiman (im)mobilities comprise middle-class tourism and heightened consumerism as well as informal mobility tactics and transnational circulations of precarious labor. The paper exhorts neoliberal urbanism research to look beyond both Euro America's metropoles and their Global South counterparts. Urbanization dynamics in Brazil's extreme north demonstrate that market-disciplined investments to globalize cities produce far-reaching spatial effects. These are felt even by functionally-articulated-yet-marginalized peripheries in ostensibly remote locations