Temporary use of a coastal ecosystem by the fish, Pomadasys corvinaeformis (Perciformes: Haemulidae), at Guaratuba Bay, Brazil

Pomadasys corvinaeformis is Qne ofthe most abundant species found in Guaratuba Bay, an Atlantic coastal, estuarine ecosystem in Paraná, Brazil. We tested whether this species comprises a resident or migratorial population. Abundance, size distribution, and gonad development of individuaIs captured during the year show that pre-adults enter the system when salinities are greater (autumn and early winter). During this time, they are mostly associated with mangroves and adjacent areas. When salinities begin to fall (late spring and summer) these now maturing individuaIs return to the sea where they spawn. Thus, P. corvinaeformis is migratorial and estuarine-dependent and uses this area prior to sexual maturity. During the period in this bay, P. corvinaeformis presents a great plasticity of feeding habits, that include inainly Crustacea, MoIlusca and Thaliacea.Pomadasys corvinaeformis é uma das espécies de maior representatividade na ictiofauna da Baía de Guaratuba, litoral do Estado do Paraná. Este trabalho investigou se a espécie compõe ali uma população permanente, residente no sistema, ou se é migratória, fteqüentando-o apenas em épocas determinadas. Resultados de 12 meses sobre variações de abundância, distribuição de tamanho e aspectos reprodutivos indicam que indivíduos subadultos ingressam no sistema quando a salinidade é maior (outono, começo de inverno). Nesta época, os indivíduos utilizam a área de manguezal e suas adjacências. Quanto a salinidade começa a cair (final de primavera, verão), estes indivíduos agora em maturação gonadal retomam para o mar, onde desovam. P. corvinaeformis é, portanto, uma espécie migratória e estuarino-dependente que utiliza a Baía em período anterior ao de maturidade gonadal. Ali, apresenta uma dieta muito variada, constituída basicamente de Crustacea, MoIlusca e Thaliacea

Count Data Regression Analysis: Concepts, Overdispersion Detection, Zero-inflation Identification, and Applications with R

In this paper is proposed a straightforward model selection approach that indicates the most suitable count regression model based on relevant data characteristics. The proposed selection approach includes four of the most popular count regression models (i.e. Poisson, negative binomial, and respective zero-inflated frameworks). Moreover, it addresses two of the most relevant problems commonly found in real-world count datasets, namely overdispersion and zero-inflation. The entire selection approach may be performed using the programme language R, being all commands used throughout the paper availabe for practical purposes. It is worth mentioning that counting regression models are still not widespread within the social sciences

Percevejos coletados em copas de diferentes espécies florestais. Pentatomidae-1.

Insects were collected on ten tree species aiming indentify the ones that belonged to the Pentatomidae family and their respectives host plants. The survery was conducted in São Sepá, RS, during December of 1992 and entire 1993. To collect the insects a conical funnel with a bag was used. One sample was taken from shaking tree branches ten times over the funnel. Isect sampling were carried out at 15 days intervals. Pentatomidae were observed on seven tree species and ten Pentatomidae species were collected. The tree camboim (Myrciaria tenella) was the preferential host and Thyanta (Argosoma) patruelis was the species that presented the host diversity.Efetuou-se coletas de pentatomídeos, no município de São Sepé, RS, em dezembro de 1992 e no decorrer do ano de 1993, objetivando o conhecimento das espécies de Pentatomidae e suas respectivas plantas hospedeiras. Os insetos forma extraídos das plantas, usando-se um funil cônico com um saco coletor na extremidade para a retenção do material entomológico. Retirou-se de cada espécie vegetal somente uma amostra, obtida através de dez sacudidas dos ramos sobre o funil. As coletas forma efetuadas quinzenalmente. Obteve-se dez espécies de Pentatomidae distribuídos em sete diferentes plantas hospedadas. Das plantas estudadas, camboim (Myrciaria tenella) destaca-se como hospedeiro perferencial Thyanta (Argosoma) patruelis é a espécie de percevejo que apresenta a maior diversidade hospedeira

O caso do eculizumabe: judicialização e compras pelo Ministério da Saúde

OBJECTIVES: This study examined the purchases of eculizumab, a high-cost monoclonal antibody used in the treatment of rare diseases by Brazilian federal agencies, in terms of purchased quantities, expenditures, and prices. METHODS: Eculizumab purchases made between March 2007 and December 2018 were analyzed, using secondary data extracted from the Federal Government Purchasing System (SIASG in Portuguese). The following aspects were assessed: number of purchases, purchased quantities, number of daily doses defined per 1,000 inhabitants per year, annual expenditures, and prices. The prices were adjusted by the National Broad Consumer Price Index for December 2018. Linear regression was used for trend analysis. RESULTS: All acquisitions by federal agencies were made by the Brazilian Ministry of Health. The purchases began in 2009 with tender waiver to comply with legal demand. There was an increasing trend in the number of purchases and quantities acquired over time. Two hundred and eighty-three purchases were made, totaling 116,792 units purchased, 28.2% of them in 2018. The adjusted total expenses summed more than R$2.44 billion. After market approval by the Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency, the weighted average price fell approximately 35$ 2,44 bilhões. Após a aprovação do registro pela Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária, o preço médio ponderado caiu aproximadamente 35%, para valores abaixo dos preços estabelecidos pela Câmara de Regulação do Mercado de Medicamentos. CONCLUSÃO: O eculizumabe representou gastos extremamente significativos para o Ministério da Saúde no período. Todas as compras foram feitas para atendimento de demandas judiciais, fora do ambiente competitivo. Seu registro promoveu queda importante nos preços praticados. O estudo aponta a relevância do registro sanitário e da necessidade de monitoramento e auditoria permanentes das compras de medicamentos para atendimento de demandas judiciai

(Z)-Ethyl 2-hydroxy­imino-2-(4-nitro­benz­yl)ethanoate

The title mol­ecule, C11H10N2O6, has a Z conformation about the C=N bond of the oxime unit. There are significant twists from planarity throughout the mol­ecule, the most significant being between the hydroxy­imino and ester groups which are effectively orthogonal with an N—C—C—Ocarbon­yl torsion angle of 91.4 (2)°. The crystal packing features oxime–benzoyl O—H⋯O contacts that lead to chains along [010] and C—H⋯O interactions also occur

Physical characteristics of guava (Psidium guajava L.) submitted to hot water treatment

Post harvest losses of fruits and vegetables could be reduced if appropriate practices after the harvest until its commercialization are adopted. For this, not only knowledge of the physiological processes of the product is necessary, but also an adequate infrastructure and distribution logistic. The indiscriminate use of chemical products for eradication of plagues and diseases in the cultivation and also in the post harvest period is being substituted successfully by methods that do not cause harm to human beings or to the environment, reasons for which physical treatments (application of heat, cold or ionized radiation) are being intensively investigated. Some parameters related to physical and physiologic quality of the guava Pedro Sato, were determined in this research, after complete immersion of the fruits in hot water at a temperature of 47 °C during 6 min, and stored at 8 and 22 °C, with medium relative humidity equal to 89%. It was observed that the hot water treatment, in a general way, promoted retardation in the mass loss and the firmness during the storage period, but did not cause a climacteric ascension in the production of CO2 and ethylene.As perdas pós-colheita de frutas e hortaliças podem ser reduzidas se práticas adequadas desde a colheita até a sua comercialização forem adotadas, para tanto é necessário não só o conhecimento dos processos fisiológicos do produto, mas também uma infra-estrutura e logística de distribuição adequada. O uso indiscriminado de produtos químicos para erradicação de pragas e doenças na lavoura e no período pós-colheita está sendo substituído com sucesso por métodos que não causem danos ao homem nem ao meio ambiente, razão por que tratamentos físicos (aplicação de calor, frio ou radiação ionizante) estão sendo amplamente pesquisados. Foram avaliados, neste trabalho, alguns parâmetros relacionados à qualidade física e fisiológica de goiabas Pedro Sato, após a imersão de frutos íntegros em água a temperatura de 47 °C, durante 6 min, e armazenadas a 8 e 22 °C, com umidade relativa média igual a 89%. Observou-se de maneira geral, que o tratamento hidrotérmico proposto, promoveu retardamento na perda de massa e na firmeza da polpa durante o período de armazenamento mas não se constatou ascensão climatérica na produção de CO2 e etileno.40841

The role of interleukin 17-mediated immune response in Chagas disease:High level is correlated with better left ventricular function

Interleukin 17A (IL-17A) has been associated with protective rather than pathogenic response in Chagas disease (ChD). However, it is not established whether or not IL-17A-mediated immune response is correlated with patient's left ventricular (LV) function in ChD. To address this question we have gathered cardiac functional parameters from ChD patients and analysed the possible relationship between their plasma IL-17A levels and LV function. Plasma IL-17A levels were measured by BD Cytometric Bead Array (CBA) in 240 patients with positive specific serology for Trypanosoma cruzi (T. cruzi) grouped as indeterminate (IND) and Chagas cardiomyopathy (CARD) forms. The levels of IL-17A in ChD patients were compared with 32 healthy individuals, mean age of 39 years, 50% male, that were also included as a control group (non-infected [NI]). The overall mean age of ChD patients was 46 years and 52% were male. The IND group included 95 asymptomatic patients, with ages ranging from 27 to 69 years (mean of 43 years), and 42.1% of them were male. The CARD group included 145 patients, which 58.6% were male, with ages ranging from 23 to 67 years (mean of 49). The IND group presented substantially higher levels of IL-17A, median of 26.16 (3.66-48.33) as compared to both the CARD group, median of 13.89 (3.87-34.54) (P <0.0001), and the NI group, median of 10.78 (6.23-22.26) (P <0.0001). The data analysis demonstrated that the IND group comprises a significantly greater proportion (P <0.001) of high IL-17A producers (52.6%, 50 of 95 subjects) than do the other groups. A significant direct correlation was verified between IL-17A levels and cardiac function expressed by LV ejection fraction (LVEF), LV diastolic diameter (LVDd), and body surface area (BSA)-indexed LVDd as well as ratio of the early diastolic transmitral flow velocity to early diastolic mitral annular velocity (E/e') in both groups. We demonstrated that plasma IL-17A levels has an accurate sensitivity and specificity to predict heart failure in serology-positive patients and might be a useful parameter to distinguish patients with or without cardiac impairment. This study indicates a consistent relationship between high expression of IL-17A and better LV in human chronic ChD. Our data raise the possibility that IL-17A plays an important immunomodulatory role in the chronic phase of ChD and might be involved in protection against myocardial damage

Morphological descriptors for the characterization of teak clones (Tectona grandis L.f.) in plantations

Aim of study: The objective of this work was to identify possible morphological descriptors for teak clones, in order to support the cultivars protection process of this species.Area of study: This experiment was carried out in ‘São José dos Quatro Marcos’, Mato Grosso, midwest Brazil.Material and methods: A teak clonal test, assessing 18 clones, was evaluated at the ages of 29 and 41 months by means of 41 morphological characteristics, related mainly to the branches, leaves and trunk. The clonal test was established in a randomized block design composed by three blocks, each block containing 18 plots, one for each clone. Each plot had 36 plants, but only the innermost five individuals were selected and evaluated. The information was organized in a presence and absence matrix. Subsequently, genetic similarity measures were estimated, by means of the Jaccard index, and a clustering was performed by the Unweighted Pair Group Method using the Arithmetic averages (UPGMA) method.Main results: A total of 26 and 28 morphological characteristic that exhibited DHS (distinction, homogeneity and stability) were identified at the ages of 29 and 41 months, respectively. Of these, 17 characteristics showed the same behavior at 29 and 41 months of age. However, it is important to emphasize that the evaluation must be performed under the same planting conditions in which these descriptors were developed.Research highlights: These 17 morphological characteristics can compose the list of potential morphological descriptors to be used in the process of teak clones/cultivars protection.Keywords: cultivars protection; morphological characteristics; distinction, homogeneity; stability