RFID in Space: Exploring the Feasibility and Performance of Gen 2 Tags as a Means of Tracking Equipment, Supplies, and Consumable Products in Cargo Transport Bags onboard a Space Vehicle or Habitat

Current inventory management techniques for consumables and supplies aboard space vehicles are burdensome and time consuming. Inventory of food, clothing, and supplies are taken periodically by manually scanning the barcodes on each item. The inaccuracy of reading barcodes and the excessive amount of time it takes for the astronauts to perform this function would be better spent doing scientific experiments. Therefore, there is a need for an alternative method of inventory control by NASA astronauts. Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is an automatic data capture technology that has potential to create a more effective and user-friendly inventory management system (IMS). In this paper we introduce a Design for Six Sigma Research (DFSS-R) methodology that allows for reliability testing of RFID systems. The research methodology uses a modified sequential design of experiments process to test and evaluate the quality of commercially available RFID technology. The results from the experimentation are compared to the requirements provided by NASA to evaluate the feasibility of using passive Generation 2 RFID technology to improve inventory control aboard crew exploration vehicles

Eficiência agronômica da soja inoculada com Trichoderma e Purpureocillium em condições de cerrado, Tocantins, Brasil

O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a ação de Trichoderma e Purpureocillium sobre a produtividade da soja. Foram realizados três experimentos independentes na região do Porto Nacional, no Brasil, utilizando três variedades de soja: precoce (Soytec 820 RR), intermediário (Syn13840 IPRO) e tardio (Sambaiba RR). Os tratamentos utilizados foram testemunhas sem inoculação, inoculação de TrichoPlus (Trichoderma) em uma dose de 2 kg ha-1 e uma dose de 4 kg ha-1, inoculação de TrichoMix (Trichoderma e Purpureocillium) em uma dose de 2 kg ha-1 e uma dose de 4 kg ha-1. Os resultados da produtividade, para o primeiro experimento com soja precoce, foram superiores (p <0,01) com a inoculação de TrichoPlus em uma dose de 4 kg ha-1, seguidos pelos tratamentos com TrichoMix a uma dose de 4 kg ha-1 e TrichoPlus com uma dose de 2 kg ha-1. Para os experimentos com soja intermediária e tardia, as produtividades foram superiores (p <0,01) para todos os tratamentos com inoculação em relação à testemunha.O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a ação de Trichoderma e Purpureocillium sobre a produtividade da soja. Foram realizados três experimentos independentes na região do Porto Nacional, no Brasil, utilizando três variedades de soja: precoce (Soytec 820 RR), intermediário (Syn13840 IPRO) e tardio (Sambaiba RR). Os tratamentos utilizados foram testemunhas sem inoculação, inoculação de TrichoPlus (Trichoderma) em uma dose de 2 kg ha-1 e uma dose de 4 kg ha-1, inoculação de TrichoMix (Trichoderma e Purpureocillium) em uma dose de 2 kg ha-1 e uma dose de 4 kg ha-1. Os resultados da produtividade, para o primeiro experimento com soja precoce, foram superiores (p <0,01) com a inoculação de TrichoPlus em uma dose de 4 kg ha-1, seguidos pelos tratamentos com TrichoMix a uma dose de 4 kg ha-1 e TrichoPlus com uma dose de 2 kg ha-1. Para os experimentos com soja intermediária e tardia, as produtividades foram superiores (p <0,01) para todos os tratamentos com inoculação em relação à testemunha

Delayed Fluorescence by Triplet–Triplet Annihilation from Columnar Liquid Crystal Films

Delayed fluorescence (DF) by triplet–triplet annihilation (TTA) is observed in solutions of a benzoperylene-imidoester mesogen that shows a hexagonal columnar mesophase at room temperature in the neat state. A similar benzoperylene-imide with a slightly smaller HOMO–LUMO gap, that also is hexagonal columnar liquid crystalline at room temperature, does not show DF in solution, and mixtures of the two mesogens show no DF in solution either, because of collisional quenching of the excited triplet states on the imidoester by the imide. In contrast, DF by TTA from the imide but not from the imidoester is observed in condensed films of such mixtures, even though neat films of either single material are not displaying DF. In contrast to the DF from the monomeric imidoester in solution, DF of the imide occurs from dimeric aggregates in the blend films, assisted by the imidoester. Thus, the close contact of intimately stacked molecules of the two different species in the columnar mesophase leads to a unique mesophase-assisted aggregate DF. This constitutes the first observation of DF by TTA from the columnar liquid crystalline state. If the imide is dispersed in films of polybromostyrene, which provides an external heavy-atom effect facilitating triplet formation, DF is also observed. Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) devices incorporating these liquid crystal molecules demonstrated high external quantum efficiency (EQE). On the basis of the literature and to the best of our knowledge, the EQE reported is the highest among nondoped solution-processed OLED devices using a columnar liquid crystal molecule as the emitting layer

Impacto económico y calidad percibida en la Copa de España de fútbol sala 2017 en Ciudad real: informe ejecutivo

El presente trabajo responde a la necesidad de alcanzar un doble objetivo. Por un lado, se pretende analizar el impacto económico que tuvo la celebración de la Copa de España de Fútbol Sala 2017 en la provincia de Ciudad Real (9-12 de marzo de 2017). Por otro lado, se persigue conocer la percepción de los asistentes sobre la ciudad y el evento. Para ello, se diseñó una encuesta con varios ítems económicos y de calidad percibida, que pudiera estimar el gasto de los asistentes en la provincia y su satisfacción

Detection of protease inhibitors in seeds of Punica granatum

The use of plants as a way to prevent and treat disease comes from ancient times. With the increasing return on consumption of plants for medicinal purposes, the plant-based medicines have gained greater appreciation. Protease inhibitors are compounds that can decrease activity of an enzyme. They are found in plants, especially in Fabaceae, Poaceae, and Solanaceae families, and show satisfactory use to treat diseases due to their regulatory activities and selective proteolytic degradation of target substrates. This study aimed to obtain protease inhibitors in the seeds of Punica granatum, due its use in traditional medicine. The alcohol-acid solution was used to extract and isolate the protease inhibitors in P. granatum seeds and Glycine max grains. The extract of P. granatum seeds showed similar concentration of protease inhibitors when compared to G. max. A 14 kDa band was detected by electrophoresis on polyacrylamide gel, which was characterized by high-performance liquid chromatography as protease inhibitors. The extract of P. granatum seeds showed a potent trypsin inhibitor activity (EC50 18.2 ng mL-1). This study showed for the first time the extraction, purification, and identification of protease inhibitors in Punica granatum seeds.

Special precautions in oral and maxillofacial surgeries regarding COVID-19 transmission / Precauções especiais nas cirurgias orais e maxilo-faciais relativamente à transmissão COVID-19

The World Health Organization has defined the outbreak of the new coronavirus as a public health emergency of international concern. The average age of patients affected by the disease caused by the virus ranges from 49 to 59 years. The symptoms of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection include fever, cough, acute respiratory disease, and, in severe cases, the disease may progress to pneumonia and renal failure that may lead to death. Many oral and maxillofacial hospital procedures produce aerosol and droplets contaminated by blood, bacteria, and viruses. The purpose of this study is to gather recommendations from health authorities and scientific articles in order to educate surgeons regarding the procedures to assist and treat in oral and maxillofacial surgeries. The objective is to prevent the transmission of COVID-19 during the treatment of patients in urgent and emergency situations. The study’s methodology used the guidelines provided by the Brazilian College of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, in addition to the recommendations and epidemiologic data from national and international health authorities. The implementation of special precautions in oral and maxillofacial surgeries may elucidate questions related to the transmission of the disease by asymptomatic carriers and help control the spread of the virus

Dopaminergic inhibition of human neutrophils is exerted through D1-like receptors and affected by bacterial infection

Dopamine (DA) affects immune functions in healthy subjects (HS) and during disease by acting on D1-like (D1 and D5) and D2-like (D2, D3 and D4) dopaminergic receptors (DR); however, its effects on human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) are still poorly defined. We investigated DR expression in human PMN and the ability of DA to affect cell migration and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Experiments were performed on cells from HS and from patients (Pts) with bacterial infections as well, during the acute phase and after recovery. Some experiments were also performed in mice knockout (KO) for the DRD5 gene. PMN from HS express both D1-like and D2-like DR, and exposure to DA results in inhibition of activation-induced morphological changes, migration and ROS production which depend on the activation of D1-like DR. In agreement with these findings, DA inhibited migration of PMN obtained from wild-type mice, but not from DRD5KO mice. In Pts with bacterial infections, during the febrile phase D1-like DRD5 on PMN were downregulated and DA failed to affect PMN migration. Both D1-like DRD5 expression and DA-induced inhibition of PMN migration were however restored after recovery. Dopaminergic inhibition of human PMN is a novel mechanism which is likely to play a key role in the regulation of innate immunity. Evidence obtained in Pts with bacterial infections provides novel clues for the therapeutic modulation of PMN during infectious disease

Clinical Usefulness of Coronary Angiography in Patients with Left Ventricular Dysfunction

Background: Performing a coronary angiography in patients with heart failure of unknown etiology is often justified by the diagnostic assessment of ischemic heart disease. However, the clinical benefit of this strategy is not known. Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of ischemic heart disease by angiographic criteria in patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction of unknown etiology, as well as its impact on therapy decisions. Methods: Consecutive outpatients with heart failure and systolic dysfunction, who had an indication for coronary angiography to clarify the etiology of heart disease were assessed from 1 January 2009 to December 31, 2010. Patients diagnosed with coronary artery disease, positive serology for Chagas disease, congenital heart disease, valve disease or patients undergoing cardiac transplantation were excluded from the analysis. The sample was divided into two groups according to the indication for catheterization. Group-1: Symptomatic due to angina or heart failure. Group-2: Presence of >= 2 risk factors for coronary artery disease Results: One hundred and seven patients were included in the analysis, with 51 (47.7%) patients in Group 1 and 56 (52.3%) in Group 2. The prevalence of ischemic heart disease was 9.3% (10 patients), and all belonged to Group 1 (p = 0.0001). During follow-up, only 4 (3.7%) were referred for CABG; 3 (2.8%) patients had procedure-related complications. Conclusion: In our study, coronary angiography in patients with heart failure and systolic dysfunction of unknown etiology, although supported by current guidelines, did not show benefits when performed only due to the presence of risk factors for coronary artery disease. (Arq Bras Cardiol 2012;98(5):437-441

Novas tecnologias e sensoriamento remoto: aplicação de uma oficina didática para a disseminação das potencialidades dos produtos e ferramentas do mapbiomas

Em função da constatação da crise ambiental vivenciada nas escalas globais, regionais e locais, decorrentes da exploração intensa do patrimônio ambiental, torna-se relevante detectar as mudanças de uso da terra e da cobertura vegetal, a fim de identificar os níveis de degradação ambiental ao longo do tempo. Nesse contexto, surge o projeto Mapbiomas Brasil que propõe metodologias inovadoras para o monitoramento de séries temporais do uso e cobertura das terras dos biomas brasileiros. Nessa perspectiva, foi levantada a seguinte questão: as técnicas e os produtos do Mapbiomas podem ser utilizados como suporte em outros projetos voltados para o campo do sensoriamento remoto?   Assim, este trabalho objetivou relatar as experiências da aplicação de uma oficina didática que tratou sobre as potencialidades dos produtos e das ferramentas do Projeto Mapbiomas em uma turma do Programa de Pós-graduação em Modelagem em Ciências da Terra e do Ambiente, da Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana. Para que os resultados fossem alcançados, foram propostas atividades a serem desenvolvidas por uma turma de pós-graduação composta por 15 alunos. Os procedimentos metodológicos consistiram em três etapas: o diagnóstico dos conhecimentos prévios, a aplicação da oficina e, por fim a avaliação de seus resultados. Com o levantamento dos conhecimentos prévios, percebeu-se que todos os discentes possuíam noções teóricas a respeito do Sensoriamento Remoto. Entretanto, uma pequena parte, 18% apresentou dificuldades ao relatar o conceito e a importância do monitoramento do uso e cobertura da terra. Cerca de 54% dos entrevistados já trabalharam com imagens de satélite, utilizando softwares popularmente conhecidos no campo do Sensoriamento Remoto e das Geotecnologias. Quando questionados sobre o método Mapbiomas, 54% dos discentes relataram que conheciam o projeto, mas poucos realmente sabiam os seus objetivos.  Já quando questionados sobre o Google Earth Engine, 72% dos entrevistados afirmaram não conhecer a plataforma ou nunca ter trabalhado com ela. A oficina foi aplicada logo depois, relatando os objetivos, metodologias e aplicações dos produtos do Mapbiomas e do Google Earth Engine para o monitoramento do uso e cobertura da terra na escala nacional, estadual e municipal do Brasil.  Por fim, foi realizada a avaliação dos resultados, os relatos demonstraram todos os discentes avaliaram de forma positiva a oficina e, que 80% da turma, identificou potencialidades nas ferramentas e nos produtos para a utilização em suas pesquisas voltadas ao Sensoriamento Remoto e suas aplicações. Também se verificou uma necessidade de uma maior difusão e ensino sobre essas novas ferramentas no meio acadêmico, que podem colaborar em projetos de pesquisa do campo do Sensoriamento Remoto e ajudar a compreender a dinâmica espaço-temporal. Palavras-Chave: uso e cobertura da Terra, geotecnologias, processamento em nuvem, biomas;

Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Regulates Cell Proliferation and Migration

Background The angiotensin-I converting enzyme (ACE) plays a central role in the renin-angiotensin system, acting by converting the hormone angiotensin-I to the active peptide angiotensin-II (Ang-II). More recently, ACE was shown to act as a receptor for Ang-II, and its expression level was demonstrated to be higher in melanoma cells compared to their normal counterparts. However, the function that ACE plays as an Ang-II receptor in melanoma cells has not been defined yet. Aim Therefore, our aim was to examine the role of ACE in tumor cell proliferation and migration. Results We found that upon binding to ACE, Ang-II internalizes with a faster onset compared to the binding of Ang-II to its classical AT1 receptor. We also found that the complex Ang-II/ACE translocates to the nucleus, through a clathrin-mediated process, triggering a transient nuclear Ca2+ signal. In silico studies revealed a possible interaction site between ACE and phospholipase C (PLC), and experimental results in CHO cells, demonstrated that the beta 3 isoform of PLC is the one involved in the Ca2+ signals induced by Ang-II/ACE interaction. Further studies in melanoma cells (TM-5) showed that Ang-II induced cell proliferation through ACE activation, an event that could be inhibited either by ACE inhibitor (Lisinopril) or by the silencing of ACE. In addition, we found that stimulation of ACE by Ang-II caused the melanoma cells to migrate, at least in part due to decreased vinculin expression, a focal adhesion structural protein. Conclusion ACE activation regulates melanoma cell proliferation and migration.Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)INCT Nanocarbono - UFMG (Brazil)Univ Fed Minas Gerais, Dept Physiol & Biophys, Belo Horizonte, MG, BrazilUniv Fed Sao Joao del Rei, Dept Nat Sci, Sao Joao Del Rei, MG, BrazilUniv Fed Ceara, Dept Phys, Fortaleza, CE, BrazilUniv Fed Sao Paulo, Dept Biophys, Sao Paulo, SP, BrazilUniv Fed Minas Gerais, Dept Phys, Belo Horizonte, MG, BrazilUniv Fed Minas Gerais, Dept Morphol, Belo Horizonte, MG, BrazilDepartment of Biophysics, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, SP, BrazilWeb of Scienc