Spatial Variability Of Soil Properties In Archeological Dark Earth Sites Under Cacao Cultivation

Soils with an A horizon formed by human activity, an anthropogenic A horizon, are found in the Amazon Region. Few studies have examined the spatial distribution of the properties of these soils. We mapped the spatial variability of some soil properties in an area of Archaeological Dark Earth (ADE) in the Brazilian Amazon. A sampling grid was defined over an area of 42 x 88 m under cacao cultivation in which sampling points were established at a spacing of 6 x 8 m, for a total of 88 points. Samples were collected from the 0.00-0.05, 0.05-0.10, 0.10-0.20, and 0.20-0.30 m depth layers. Soil texture, aggregate stability, and organic carbon (OC) analyses were performed on disturbed soil samples. Undisturbed samples were used to determine soil macroporosity (Macro), microporosity (Micro), total porosity (TP), and soil resistance to penetration (RP). The results were analyzed by descriptive statistic, Pearson correlation (p<0.01), and geostatistics. Soil bulk density, total pore volume, and geometric mean diameter are dependent on the total amount of OC in the ADE area. Increased soil bulk density and RP are proportional to a decrease in OC content and lower Micro and TP. Moreover, soil resistance to penetration is influenced by soil water and clay content with depth.4

Seismic characterization of fluid migration and Pockmarks in the Estremadura Spur, West Iberian Margin, Portugal

Recently a field with more than 70 pockmarks was discovered in the NW region of the Estremadura Spur outer shelf (West Iberian margin), a trapezoidal promontory elongated in an east-west direction, between Cabo Carvoeiro and Cabo da Roca, extending until the Tore seamount. Pockmarks are the seabed culminations of fluid migration through the sedimentary column and their characteristic seabed morphologies correspond to cone-shaped circular or elliptical depressions. These features and the associated fluid escape process are the main objectives of this work. Here we characterize these structures to understand their structural and stratigraphic control based on: 1) Seismic processing and interpretation of the high resolution 2D single-channel sparker seismic dataset, 2) Bathymetric and Backscatter interpretation and 3) ROV direct observation of the seafloor. The analysis of the seismic profiles allowed the identification of six seismic units, disturbed by the migration and accumulation of fluids. The Estremadura Spur outer shelf has been affected by several episodes of fluid migration and fluid escape during the Pliocene-Quaternary that are expressed by a vast number of seabed and buried pockmarks. At present, the pockmarks are mainly inactive, as the seabed pockmarks are covered by recent sediments. The stacking of various pockmarks suggests a cyclical fluid flow activity that can possibly be the result of the eustatic sea level variations and the subsequent changes of the hydrostatic pressure. The origin of the seep fluids is still under debate but considering the low-sedimentation rate of the area and the low productivity a deep source for the fluids is most probable, possibly related with the Jurassic hydrocarbon system. It was concluded that the migration of fluids to the seabed occurred over the Pliocene-Quaternary in several episodes, as indicated by the buried pockmarks at different depths. Acknowledgements: This work was carried out in the framework of the PES project - Pockmarks and fluid seepage in the Estremadura Spur: implications for regional geology, biology, and petroleum systems (PTDC/GEOFIQ/5162/2014) financed by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT). The seismic dataset was acquired within the PACEMAKER project funded by the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Seventh Framework Program (FP7/2007-2013) ERC agreement (226600). The Instituto Portugues do Mar e da Atmosfera acknowledges support by Landmark Graphics (SeisWorks) via the Landmark University Grant Program. We thank the Estrutura de Missão para a Extensão da Plataforma Continental (EMEPC) for allowing me to have access and use the data collected in the Estremadura Spur during the EMEPC/PEPC/LUSO/2015 cruise and the ROV Luso team. We also thank Prof. Dr. Luis Matias (FCUL & IDL) for the help with SPW and processing steps

Ion torrent-based nasopharyngeal swab metatranscriptomics in COVID-19

Herein, we describe the detection of a SARS-CoV-2 genome through metatranscriptome next-generation sequencing directly from the nasopharyngeal swab of a suspected case of local transmission of Covid-19, in Brazil. Depletion of human ribosomal RNA and use of an optimized in-house developed bioinformatics strategy contributed to successful detection of the virus

VIGIPÉ®: FOOT RISK STRATIFICATION TECHNOLOGY FOR PATIENTS WITH DIABETES MELLITUS

Objective: to create and validate an app that establishes the diabetic foot risk degree by associating the patients' health conditions.Methodology: a methodological study conducted between March 2019 and December 2021 in Crato – CE – Brazil, and divided into three phases: 1) Review of the national and international guidelines; 2) Creation of the educational technology; and 3) Face and content validation of the technology. This study followed the guidelines set forth in the Revised Standards for Quality Improvement Reporting Excellence guide.Results: in the review phase, similar content was identified between the guidelines for designing and organizing the content. The technology that was created enabled data collection, as well as diabetic foot risk assessment and classification. A total of 18 judges evaluated the instrument in the validation stage, obtaining a CVI value of 0.96.Conclusion: the study may contribute to improving the indicators referring to hospitalizations, amputations, reduced mobility, dependence, frailty and mortality resulting from diabetic foot

Soil preparation and NPK fertilization in the planting of five Atlantic Rainforest species in a clay extraction area

The occurrence of degraded areas worldwide grows each year and measures must be taken to mitigate degradation and to recover these areas. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of soil preparation and NPK levels on the growth of five native species of the Atlantic Rainforest in clay extraction area. The experimental design was randomized block in a split-split plot arrangement with four replications. Subsoiling and scarification soil preparation represented main plots.  Doses of NPK 04-14-08: 0; 40; 80;160; and 320 g pit-1 represented subplots and Atlantic Rainforest native species represented sub-subplots. Absolute growth rate, stem diameter and number of leaves were evaluated, 210 days after planting. The type of soil preparation did not influence the development of the species. The best dose for Dalbergia ecastaphyllum, Inga laurina, Protium heptaphyllum and Psidium cattleyanum were 176.49, 150.18, 199.25 and 166.48 g pit-1 of NPK, respectively. Schinus terebinthifolius was highly responsive to planting fertilization, being recommended 320 g pit-1 of NPK. All species are indicated for area recovery.The occurrence of degraded areas worldwide grows each year and measures must be taken to mitigate degradation and to recover these areas. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of soil preparation and NPK levels on the growth of five native species of the Atlantic Rainforest in clay extraction area. The experimental design was randomized block in a split-split plot arrangement with four replications. Subsoiling and scarification soil preparation represented main plots.  Doses of NPK 04-14-08: 0; 40; 80;160; and 320 g pit-1 represented subplots and Atlantic Rainforest native species represented sub-subplots. Absolute growth rate, stem diameter and number of leaves were evaluated, 210 days after planting. The type of soil preparation did not influence the development of the species. The best dose for Dalbergia ecastaphyllum, Inga laurina, Protium heptaphyllum and Psidium cattleyanum were 176.49, 150.18, 199.25 and 166.48 g pit-1 of NPK, respectively. Schinus terebinthifolius was highly responsive to planting fertilization, being recommended 320 g pit-1 of NPK. All species are indicated for area recovery

Femoral Orthopedic Implants in Dogs with Titanium - Mechanical Evaluation

ABSTRACTBackground: Orthopedic implants are commonly used for different types of surgical procedures to gain optimal function and to provide stability to both bones and tendon structures. When inserting these implants, the characteristics of the material are important for surgical success, and the ideal implant must be biocompatible and nonallergenic. However, when molding an implant to the bone structure, its resistance can change significantly. Implants can be temporary or permanent in the body, and metal possesses properties that make it acceptable for bone repair. In biomedical implants, 2 types are most common, commercially pure (CP)-Ti and Ti-6A1-4V. They both provide stable fixation and low risk of loosening. Implants made with the same material and composition can perform differently if the material has been altered by processing techniques for different scenarios. Stress, strain and elastic modulus are the primary metrics used in the description of implant materials. They can be calculated based on mechanical tests of specimens with defined geometry, most commonly tensile, bending and torsional tests. In order to better evaluate those changes, we compared the mechanical characteristics of titanium bone plates, before and after they were molded to the bone, to verify and quantify the loss of stiffness and resistance after molding the plate.Materials, Methods &amp; Results: The study was prospective. Orthopedic implant made of commercially pure titanium (CP-Ti) were divided into 2 groups, one group without plate molding and the other with plate molding to a dog femora bone. Thirty-six plates of different sizes (5.0, 6.5, 8.0, 9.0, 10.0 and 11.0-mm diameter) were divided into 6 groups containing 6 plates of each size and submitted to the 4-point flexion test of resistance, using a piece of dog femur (weights of 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 kg) as the bone in which the molding was performed. The evaluations were tabulated and analyzed using the program GraphPad Prism version 5.0. Corrections of the normal distribution curve were made using the Bartlett test. After the corrections, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed with P &lt; 0.05. Assessments were made within the group and between groups. Subsequently, the Newman-Keuls test was performed, adopting P &lt; 0.05. For analyses in 2 groups, Student's t-test was performed as a post-test, also with P &lt; 0.05. When the plates were compared between equal sizes of groups 1 and 2, the non-molded plate group (G1) obtained the best results in the flexural stiffness and structural flexion tests. However, in the flexural resistance test, most plates obtained similar results and the plates with diameters of 8 mm, 9 mm and 10 mm of the molded plate group (G2) obtained the best results.Discussion: Our results show that the implants had adequate mechanical characteristics, but the unmolded plates had greater flexural and structural stiffness than the molded plates. This difference was significant, thus demonstrating a large loss of stiffness in relation to the original conformation. However, when we tested the flexural resistance, no significant differences were observed, and although without significant statistical changes, there was an increase in the resistance of the plate with the new conformation obtained by molding. In the results of the mechanical tests, we observed that after the molding, the implants gained greater resistance, although the difference was not statistically significant. This suggests that the architecture of the implants should have slight curvature in the medial direction of the bone, since this would lead to a better adaptation to the anatomy of the bone, and possibly greater resistance, as indicated by the new configuration after molding.Keywords: bone implants, titanium, orthopedic implants, femur, dogs

Deregulated expression of selected histone methylases and demethylases in prostate carcinoma

Prostate cancer (PCa), a leading cause of cancer-related morbidity and mortality, arises through the acquisition of genetic and epigenetic alterations. Deregulation of histone methyltransferases (HMTs) or demethylases (HDMs) has been associated with PCa development and progression. However, the precise influence of altered HMTs or HDMs expression and respective histone marks in PCa onset and progression remains largely unknown. To clarify the role of HMTs and HDMs in prostate carcinogenesis, expression levels of 37 HMTs and 20 HDMs were assessed in normal prostate and PCa tissue samples by RT-qPCR. SMYD3, SUV39H2, PRMT6, KDM5A, and KDM6A were upregulated, whereas KMT2A-E (MLL1-5) and KDM4B were downregulated in PCa, compared with normal prostate tissues. Remarkably, PRMT6 was the histone modifier that best discriminated normal from tumorous tissue samples. Interestingly, EZH2 and SMYD3 expression levels significantly correlated with less differentiated and more aggressive tumors. Remarkably, SMYD3 expression levels were of independent prognostic value for the prediction of disease-specific survival of PCa patients with clinically localized disease submitted to radical prostatectomy. We concluded that expression profiling of HMTs and HDMs, especially SMYD3, might be of clinical usefulness for the assessment of PCa patients and assist in pre-therapeutic decision-making

VIGIPÉ®: TECNOLOGIA DE ESTRATIFICAÇÃO DE RISCO DOS PÉS DE PACIENTES COM DIABETES MELLITUS

Objetivo: construir e validar um aplicativo que estabeleça o grau de risco do pé diabético  associando suas condições de saúde.Metodologia: estudo metodológico realizado entre março de 2019 a dezembro de 2021, em Crato – CE – Brasil,  dividido em três fases: 1) Revisão das diretrizes nacionais e internacionais; 2) Construção da tecnologia educativa e 3) Validação do conteúdo e aparência da tecnologia. Este estudo seguiu as diretrizes do guia Revised Standards for Quality Improvement Reporting Excellence.Resultados: na fase de revisão, identificou-se conteúdo semelhante entre as diretrizes para o delineamento e a organização do constructo. A tecnologia construída possibilitou a coleta de dados, avaliação e classificação de risco do pé diabético. Na etapa de validação, 18 juízes avaliaram o instrumento, que teve o IVC 0,96.Conclusão: o estudo poderá contribuir para melhorar os indicadores referente as hospitalizações, amputações, mobilidade diminuída, dependência, fragilidade e mortalidade advindos do pé diabético

VIGIPÉ®: TECNOLOGÍA DE ESTRATIFICACIÓN DE RIESGO PARA PIES DE PACIENTES CON DIABETES MELLITUS

Objetivo: crear y validar una aplicación que establezca el grado de riesgo del pie diabético asociándolo a sus condiciones de salud.Metodología: estudio metodológico realizado entre marzo de 2019 y diciembre de 2021, en Crato, CE, Brasil, dividido en tres fases: 1) Revisión de directrices nacionales e internacionales; 2) Creación de la tecnología educativa y 3) Validación del contenido y la apariencia de la tecnología. Este estudio siguió los lineamientos de la guía Revised Standards for Quality Improvement Reporting Excellence.Resultados: en la fase de revisión, se identificaron contenidos similares entre las directrices para el diseño y la organización del constructo. La tecnología creada permitió recolectar datos, evaluar y clasificar el riesgo del pie diabético. En la etapa de validación, 18 jueces evaluaron el instrumento, que contó con un IVC de 0,96.Conclusión: el estudio puede contribuir a mejorar los indicadores de hospitalización, amputación, movilidad reducida, dependencia, fragilidad y mortalidad derivados del pie diabético

Navigating the Future V: Marine Science for a Sustainable Future

Navigating the Future is a publication series produced by the European Marine Board providing future perspectives on marine science and technology in Europe. Navigating the Future V (NFV) highlights new knowledge obtained since Navigating the Future IV1 (2013). It is set within the framework of the 2015 Paris Agreement2 and builds on the scientific basis and recommendations of the IPCC reports3. NFV gives recommendations on the science required during the next decade to deliver the ocean we need to support a sustainable future. This will be important for the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development4 (2021 – 2030), the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals5 and the European Commission’s next framework programme, Horizon Europe6 (2021 - 2027). There is a growing need to strengthen the links between marine science, society and policy since we cannot properly manage what we do not know. In recent years, the ocean and seas have received new prominence in international agendas. To secure a safe planet a priority is the management of the ocean as a “common good for humanity”, which requires smarter observations to assess of the state of the ocean and predictions about how it may change in the future. The ocean is a three-dimensional space that needs to be managed over time (thus four-dimensional), and there is a need for management and conservation practices that integrate the structure and function of marine ecosystems into these four dimensions (Chapter 2). This includes understanding the dynamic spatial and temporal interplay between ocean physics, chemistry and biology. Multiple stressors including climate change, pollution and over-fishing affect the ocean and we need to better understand and predict their interactions and identify tipping points to decide on management priorities (Chapter 3). This should integrate our understanding of land-ocean-atmosphere processes and approaches to reducing impacts. An improved science base is also needed to help predict and minimize the impact of extreme events such as storm surges, heat waves, dynamic sea-floor processes and tsunamis (Chapter 4). New technologies, data handling and modelling approaches will help us to observe, understand and manage our use of the fourdimensional ocean and the effect of multiple stressors (Chapter 5). Addressing these issues requires a strategic, collective and holistic approach and we need to build a community of sustainability scientists that are able to provide evidence-based support to policy makers within the context of major societal challenges (Chapter 6). We outline new frontiers, knowledge gaps and recommendations needed to manage the ocean as a common good and to develop solutions for a sustainable future (Chapter 7). The governance of sustainability should be at the core of the marine research agenda through co-production and collaboration with stakeholders to identify priorities. There is need for a fully integrated scientific assessment of resilience strategies, associated trade-offs and underlying ethical concepts for the ocean, which should be incorporated into decision support frameworks that involve stakeholders from the outset. To allow the collection, processing and access to all data, a key priority is the development of a business model that ensures the long-term economic sustainability of ocean observations