Tectonic insights of the southwest Amazon Craton from geophysical, geochemical and mineralogical data of Figueira Branca mafic-ultramafic suite, Brazil

This work was done with the support of the CNPq, National Council for Technological and Scientific Development – Brazil [grant numbers 443355/2014-2, 200473/2015-8, 141587/2013-0]; Peter A. Cawood acknowledges support from the Australian Research Council [grant number FL160100168].The Figueira Branca Suite is a layered mafic-ultramafic complex in the Jauru Terrane, southwest Amazon Craton. New lithological, geochemical, gamma-ray and potential field data, integrated with geological, isotope and paleomagnetic data are used to characterize this pulse of Mesoproterozoic extension-related magmatism. The Figueira Branca Suite formed through juvenile magma emplacement into the crust at 1425 Ma, coeval with the later stages of the Santa Helena Orogen. Gabbros and peridotite-gabbros display increasing enrichment of LREE, interpreted as evidence of progressive fractionation of the magma. Magnetic and gamma-ray data delimit the extent of magmatism within the suite to four bodies to the north of Indiavaí city. Modelling gravity and magnetic field data indicate that the anomalous sources are close to the surface or outcropping. These intrusions trend northwest over 8 km, with significant remanent magnetization that is consistent with published direction obtained through paleomagnetic data. The emplacement, mineralogy and geochemical signature point towards a back-arc extension tectonic framework in the later stages of the Santa Helena Orogen.PostprintPeer reviewe

Electromyographic and magnetic resonance imaging evaluations of individuals with patellofemoral pain syndrome

OBJETIVOS: Analisar a atividade elétrica (EMG) dos músculos vasto medial oblíquo (VMO), vasto lateral longo (VLL) e vasto lateral oblíquo (VLO) de indivíduos com síndrome da dor femoropatelar (SDFP) durante contração isométrica voluntária máxima (CIVM) de extensão da perna com o joelho a 30(0), a dor por meio da Escala Visual Analógica (EVA) e o posicionamento da patela por meio da ressonância magnética nuclear por imagem (RMNI). MÉTODOS: Avaliaram-se 12 mulheres com SDFP e 12 clinicamente normais, que realizaram cinco CIVM de extensão da perna no ângulo de 30(0) para análise da EMG. Avaliou-se o ângulo do sulco (AS), ângulo de congruência (AC), ângulo de inclinação patelar (AIP) e deslocamento patelar (DP) pela RMNI. Utilizaram-se testes estatísticos: ANOVA, análise de variância de medidas repetidas para EMG; o teste Mann-Whitney U para análise da RMNI; o teste de correlação de Pearson (r) entre EMG e RMNI e análise de variância one-way para avaliação da dor (p<0,05). RESULTADOS: Verificou-se maior atividade elétrica do músculo VLL em relação ao VMO no grupo com SDFP. Em ambos os grupos, os músculos VMO e VLL apresentaram maior atividade elétrica que o VLO. Para o grupo SDFP, a RMNI revelou maiores valores do AS e menores do AC, e verificou-se uma correlação negativa entre VMO e AIP. CONCLUSÃO: Os dados sugerem que maior atividade elétrica do VLL, juntamente com o aumento do AS e diminuição do AC, possam ser fatores favorecedores da instabilidade patelar nos indivíduos com SDFP.OBJECTIVES: To analyze the electrical activity of the vastus medialis obliquus (VMO), vastus lateralis longus (VLL) and vastus lateralis obliquus (VLO) muscles of individuals with patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) during maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) of lower leg extension with the knee at 30°; to assess pain using a visual analogue scale (VAS); and to assess patellar positioning using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). METHODS: Twelve women with PFPS and 12 clinically normal women were evaluated. They performed five MVICs of lower leg extension at 30° for electromyographic (EMG) analysis. Using MRI, the sulcus angle (SA), congruence angle (CA), patellar tilt angle (PTA) and patellar displacement (PD) were obtained. The following statistical tests were used: analysis of variance (ANOVA) for repeated measurements to assess EMGs; Mann-Whitney U test to analyze MRIs; Pearson's (r) correlation test between EMGs and MRIs; and one-way ANOVA to evaluate pain (p<0.05). RESULTS: In the PFPS group, there was greater electrical activity in the VLL than in the VMO. In both groups, there was greater electrical activity in the VMO and VLL than in the VLO. In the PFPS group, the MRI showed higher SA and lower CA values, and there was a negative correlation between the VMO and the PTA. CONCLUSION: The data suggest that, in individuals with PFPS, greater electrical activity in the VLL combined with an increased SA and a decreased CA may contribute to patellar instability.Conselho Nacional de Pesquisa (CNPq

Occurrence, nanofiltration treatment and toxicity screening

Funding Information: This work was also funded by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia/Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior ( FCT / MCTES , Portugal) through national funds to iNOVA4Health (UIDB/04462/2020 and UIDP/04462/2020) and the Associate Laboratory LS4FUTURE (LA/P/0087/2020). Teresa I.A. Gouveia and Vanessa Jorge Pereira would like to thank the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology ( FCT ) for Ph.D. ( SFRH / BD /147301/2019) and CEECIND/02919/2018 grants, respectively. Funding Information: This research was financially supported by: (i) Project POCI-01-0145-FEDER-031297 (CytoStraTech)—funded by FEDER funds through COMPETE2020—Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalização (POCI) and by national funds (PIDDAC) through FCT /MCTES; (ii) NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000069 (Healthy Waters) co-funded by European Regional Development Fund ( ERDF ), through North Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE 2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement; (iii) UIDB/04750/2020 (EPIUnit) and LA/P/0064/2020 (ITR), funded by national funds through the FCT - Foundation for Science and Technology, I.P.; (iv) LA/P/0045/2020 (ALiCE), Base Fundings UIDB/00511/2020 and UIDP/00511/2020 (LEPABE) and UIDB/50020/2020 and UIDP/50020/2020 (LSRE- LCM ), funded by national funds through FCT / MCTES (PIDDAC). Publisher Copyright: © 2023 The AuthorsAntineoplastic drugs are pharmaceuticals that have been raising concerns among the scientific community due to: (i) their increasing prescription in the fight against the disease of the twentieth century (cancer); (ii) their recalcitrance to conventional wastewater treatments; (iii) their poor environmental biodegradability; and (iv) their potential risk to any eukaryotic organism. This emerges the urgency in finding solutions to mitigate the entrance and accumulation of these hazardous chemicals in the environment. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) have been taken into consideration to improve the degradation of antineoplastic drugs in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), but the formation of by-products that are more toxic or exhibit a different toxicity profile than the parent drug is frequently reported. This work evaluates the performance of a nanofiltration pilot unit, equipped with a Desal 5DK membrane, in the treatment of real WWTP effluents contaminated (without spiking) with eleven pharmaceuticals, five of which were never studied before. Average removals of 68 ± 23% were achieved for the eleven compounds, with decreasing risks from feed to permeate for aquatic organisms from receiving waterbodies (with the exception of cyclophosphamide, for which a high risk was estimated in the permeate). Aditionally, no significative impact on the growth and germination of three different seeds (Lepidium sativum, Sinapis alba, and Sorghum saccharatum) were determined for permeate matrix in comparison to the control.publishersversionpublishe

Computational and Complex Network Modeling for Analysis of Sprinter Athletes’ Performance in Track Field Tests

The article of record as published may be located at https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2018.00843Sports and exercise today are popular for both amateurs and athletes. However, we continue to seek the best ways to analyze best athlete performances and develop specific tools that may help scientists and people in general to analyze athletic achievement. Standard statistics and cause-and-effect research, when applied in isolation, typically do not answer most scientific questions. The human body is a complex holistic system exchanging data during activities, as has been shown in the emerging field of network physiology. However, the literature lacks studies regarding sports performance, running, exercise, and more specifically, sprinter athletes analyzed mathematically through complex network modeling. Here, we propose complex models to jointly analyze distinct tests and variables from track sprinter athletes in an untargeted manner. Through complex propositions, we have incorporated mathematical and computational modeling to analyze anthropometric, biomechanics, and physiological interactions in running exercise conditions. Exercise testing associated with complex network and mathematical outputs make it possible to identify which responses may be critical during running. The physiological basis, aerobic, and biomechanics variables together may play a crucial role in performance. Coaches, trainers, and runners can focus on improving specific outputs that together help toward individuals’ goals. Moreover, our type of analysis can inspire the study and analysis of other complex sport scenarios

Epidural administration of ropivacaine and its effects on the pharmacodynamics of rocuronium: Randomized controlled trial. Interaction between ropivacaine and rocuronium

Potentiation of neuromuscular blocking agents by local anesthetics has been described in various clinical and experimental studies. This study assessed the influence of epidural ropivacaine on pharmacodynamic characteristics of rocuronium.Design: This was a prospective randomized clinical trial at the women's hospital, an university tertiary hospital in Brazil. Sixty-two patients underwent elective abdominal surgeries requiring general anesthesia.Intervention: Patients were distributed into two groups: Group 1 (general anesthesia and epidural anesthesia) and Group 2 (general anesthesia). In Group 1, 0.2% ropivacaine at a dose of 40 mg (20 ml) was associated with 2 mg (2 ml) of morphine in a single epidural injection. The following parameters were assessed: clinical duration (DC25) and time for recovery of the train-of-four (TOF) 0.9 ratio (T4/T1 = 90%) after an initial 0.6 mg/kg dose of rocuronium. The primary outcomes were DC25and TOF 0.9 ratio (T4/T1 = 90%). Secondary outcomes were total propofol and remifentanil consumption.Results: Values were presented as median and interquartile range. The results for DC25and TOF 0.9 of rocuronium were, respectively, 41.5 35.0-55.0 (25.0-63.0) in Group 1 and 44.0 37.0-51.0 (20.0-67.0) in Group 2 (P = 0.88); 88.0 67.0-99.0 (43.0-137.0) in Group 1; and 80.0 71.0-86.0 (38.0-155.0) in Group 2 (P = 0.83). There was no significant difference between the groups, in terms of pharmacodynamic characteristics of rocuronium. Propofol consumption did not show any difference between the groups. However, remifentanil consumption was significantly lower in Group 1 (P < 0.01).Conclusion: Epidural ropivacaine, in the dose studied, did not prolong the duration of rocuronium-induced neuromuscular blockade.Trial Registry Number: ReBEC (ref: RBR-7cyp6t)141636

Application of Nanofiltration to the Treatment of Acid mine Drainage Waters

This study investigated the separation of uranium and other elements in high concentrations from acid mine waters at Caldas Uranium Mining, in the southeast of Brazil, using nanofiltration membranes. Nanofiltrarion is widely used in water treatment due to the lower energy requirements and higher yields than reverse osmosis. Separation characteristics are dependent on both the molecular size and charge of the dissolved species in the feed solution as well as membrane properties. In this investigation the potential of nanofiltration to removed dissolved species like uranium from acid mine water drainage was measured. Two composite aromatic polyamide commercially membranes of FilmTec/Dow were tested and it found that uranium rejections of greater than 90% and also showed potential for the separation of aluminum and manganese

Assessment of Physical-Chemical Characteristics of Water and Sediments from a Brazilian Tropical Estuary: Status and Environmental Implications

The environmental quality of the Jacuípe River's estuary (very important in northeastern Brazil) was assessed during 2007 and 2008. In water, concentrations (mg L−1) of NO2− (<0.004 to 0.016), NO3− (0.01 to 0.33), soluble PO43− (<0.02 to 0.22), dissolved oxygen (3.9 to 9.6), total contents (mg L−1) of Cd (<0.001), Cu (<0.01), Pb (<0.01), and Zn (<0.1), pH (5.60 to 8.00), and electrical conductivity (0.12 to 48.60 mS cm−1) agreed with environmental standards. In sediments, clay and total organic matter (%, m/m) varied, respectively, from 8.8 to 12.0 and from 1.1 to 8.8, while infrared, thermogravimetric profile, electronic micrograph, as well as X-Ray analyses showed desirable adsorptive characteristics. However, maximum exchangeable levels (mg kg−1) of Cd (1.3), Cu (44.6), Pb (35.7), and Zn (43.7) and their respective maximum pseudototal concentrations (mg kg−1): 19.4, 95.1, 68.2, and 30.3 were below the recommended limits. In this sense, it was possible to demonstrate good environmental preservation even with the growing number of industries and touristic activities in the evaluated estuarine area

Nanofiltration combined with ozone-based processes for the removal of antineoplastic drugs from wastewater effluents

Funding Information: This research was financially supported by: (i) Project POCI-01-0145-FEDER-031297 (CytoStraTech)—funded by FEDER funds through COMPETE2020—Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalização (POCI) and by national funds (PIDDAC) through FCT /MCTES; (ii) NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000069 (Healthy Waters) co-funded by European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), through North Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement; (iii) 2022.08738.PTDC (DRopH2O) funded by national funds through FCT/MCTES (PIDDAC); (iv) UIDB/04750/2020 (EPIUnit) and LA/P/0064/2020 (ITR), funded by national funds through the FCT - Foundation for Science and Technology, I.P.; (v) LA/P/0045/2020 (ALiCE), Base Fundings UIDB/00511/2020 and UIDP/00511/2020 (LEPABE) and UIDB/50020/2020 and UIDP/50020/2020 (LSRE-LCM), funded by national funds through FCT/MCTES (PIDDAC); and (vi) iNOVA4Health (UIDB/04462/2020 and UIDP/04462/2020) and LS4FUTURE Associated Laboratory (LA/P/0087/2020) financially supported by national funds through the FCT/MCTES. Associate Laboratory for Green Chemistry- LAQV which is financed by national funds from FCT/MCTES (UIDB/50006/2020 and UIDP/50006/2020) is gratefully acknowledged. Teresa I.A. Gouveia would like to thank the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) for her Ph.D. grant (SFRH/BD/147301/2019). ARLR acknowledges FCT funding under the Scientific Employment Stimulus - Individual Call (2022.00184.CEECIND). Publisher Copyright: © 2023Over the past years, there has been an increasing concern about the occurrence of antineoplastic drugs in water bodies. The incomplete removal of these pharmaceuticals from wastewaters has been confirmed by several scientists, making it urgent to find a reliable technique or a combination of techniques capable to produce clean and safe water. In this work, the combination of nanofiltration and ozone (O3)-based processes (NF + O3, NF + O3/H2O2 and NF + O3/H2O2/UVA) was studied aiming to produce clean water from wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) secondary effluents to be safely discharged into water bodies, reused in daily practices such as aquaculture activities or for recharging aquifers used as abstraction sources for drinking water production. Nanofiltration was performed in a pilot-scale unit and O3-based processes in a continuous-flow column. The peroxone process (O3/H2O2) was considered the most promising technology to be coupled to nanofiltration, all the target pharmaceuticals being removed at an extent higher than 98% from WWTP secondary effluents, with a DOC reduction up to 92%. The applicability of the clean water stream for recharging aquifers used as abstraction sources for drinking water production was supported by a risk assessment approach, regarding the final concentrations of the target pharmaceuticals. Moreover, the toxicity of the nanofiltration retentate, a polluted stream generated from the nanofiltration system, was greatly decreased after the application of the peroxone process, which evidences the positive impact on the environment of implementing a NF + O3/H2O2 process.publishersversionpublishe

Computational and Complex Network Modeling for Analysis of Sprinter Athletes’ Performance in Track Field Tests

Sports and exercise today are popular for both amateurs and athletes. However, we continue to seek the best ways to analyze best athlete performances and develop specific tools that may help scientists and people in general to analyze athletic achievement. Standard statistics and cause-and-effect research, when applied in isolation, typically do not answer most scientific questions. The human body is a complex holistic system exchanging data during activities, as has been shown in the emerging field of network physiology. However, the literature lacks studies regarding sports performance, running, exercise, and more specifically, sprinter athletes analyzed mathematically through complex network modeling. Here, we propose complex models to jointly analyze distinct tests and variables from track sprinter athletes in an untargeted manner. Through complex propositions, we have incorporated mathematical and computational modeling to analyze anthropometric, biomechanics, and physiological interactions in running exercise conditions. Exercise testing associated with complex network and mathematical outputs make it possible to identify which responses may be critical during running. The physiological basis, aerobic, and biomechanics variables together may play a crucial role in performance. Coaches, trainers, and runners can focus on improving specific outputs that together help toward individuals’ goals. Moreover, our type of analysis can inspire the study and analysis of other complex sport scenarios