Some aspects of the synchronization in coupled maps

Through numerical simulations we analyze the synchronization time and the Lyapunov dimension of a coupled map lattice consisting of a chain of chaotic logistic maps exhibiting power law interactions. From the observed behaviors we find a lower bound for the size $N$ of the lattice, independent of the range and strength of the interaction, which imposes a practical lower bound in numerical simulations for the system to be considered in the thermodynamic limit. We also observe the existence of a strong correlation between the averaged synchronization time and the Lyapunov dimension. This is an interesting result because it allows an analytical estimation of the synchronization time, which otherwise requires numerical simulations.Comment: 4 pages, 6 figure

Factors associated with severe maternal morbidity and near miss in the São FranciscoValley, Brazil: a retrospective, cohort study

BACKGROUND: Maternal mortality remains a major public health issue worldwide, with persistent high rates prevailing principally in underdeveloped countries. The objective of this study was to determine the risk factors for severe maternal morbidity and near miss (SMM/NM) in pregnant and postpartum women at the maternity ward of the Dom Malan Hospital, Petrolina, in northeastern Brazil. METHODS: A retrospective, cohort study was conducted to evaluate the sociodemographic and obstetric characteristics of the women. Patients who remained hospitalized at the end of the study period were excluded. Risk ratios (RR) and their respective 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated as a measure of relative risk. Hierarchical multiple logistic regression was also performed. Two-tailed p-values were used for all the tests and the significance level adopted was 5%. RESULTS: A total of 2,291 pregnant or postpartum women receiving care between May and August, 2011 were included. The frequencies of severe maternal morbidity and near miss were 17.5% and 1.0%, respectively. Following multivariate analysis, the factors that remained significantly associated with an increased risk of SMM/NM were a Cesarean section in the current pregnancy (OR: 2.6; 95% CI: 2.0 – 3.3), clinical comorbidities (OR: 3.4; 95% CI: 2.5 – 4.4), having attended fewer than six prenatal visits (OR: 1.1; 95% CI: 1.01 – 1.69) and the presence of the third delay (i.e. delay in receiving care at the health facility) (OR: 13.3; 95% CI: 6.7 – 26.4). CONCLUSIONS: The risk of SMM/NM was greater in women who had been submitted to a Cesarean section in the current pregnancy, in the presence of clinical comorbidities, fewer prenatal visits and when the third delay was present. All these factors could be minimized by initiating a broad debate on healthcare policies, introducing preventive measures and improving the training of the professionals and services providing obstetric care

Uso de cianocrilato no fechamento de excisões faciais

Introdução: A face é o centro estético do indivíduo. Por isso, lesões nessa região podem repercutir mais negativamente do que em qualquer outra parte do corpo. Os cianoacrilatos, devido às suas vantagens de uso, incluindo a ausência de marcas de ponto, apresentam-se como um atrativo método de fechamento de feridas faciais em suas mais diversas formas. Objetivo: Avaliação da eficácia do fechamento de excisões cutâneas faciais, usando o 2-etilcianoacrilato. Método: Estudo retrospectivo, no qual 36 feridas foram ocluídas com 2-etilcianoacrilatocomo alternativa à sutura intradérmica. Resultados: Feridas excisionais (100%) foram tratadas com 2-etilcianoacrilato e suturas profundas relaxadoras como método de síntese. Cicatrizes inestéticas (13,9%), deiscência (5,6%) e infecção (2,8%) foram os problemas encontrados. Não houve casos de necrose, reações alérgicas ou de queloide. Todos os resultados foram considerados satisfatórios. Conclusões: O uso do 2-etilcianoacrilato se mostrou seguro e com excelentes resultados cosméticos no grupo de pacientes selecionados

A possible role of exon-shuffling in the evolution of signal peptides of human proteins

AbstractIt was recently shown that there is a predominance of phase 1 introns near the cleavage site of signal peptides encoded by human genes [Tordai, H. and Patthy, L. (2004) Insertion of spliceosomal introns in proto-splice sites: the case of secretory signal peptides. FEBS Lett. 575, 109–111]. It was suggested that this biased distribution was due to intron insertion at AG∣G proto-splice sites. However, we found that there is no disproportional excess of AG∣G that would support insertion at proto-splice sites. In fact, all nG∣G sites are enriched in the vicinity of the cleavage site. Additional analyses support an alternative scenario in which exon-shuffling is largely responsible for such excess of phase 1 introns

Experimental study of the neighborhood effects on the mean wind loading over two equivalent high-rise buildings

This paper presents a series of results with respect to the mean values of shear, base moment and torsion acting in a building obtained through an experimental wind tunnel study using the standard building proposed by the Commonwealth Advisory Aeronautical Research Council (CAARC) as building reference. In the loading determination, the interference of a neighboring building with similar geometric characteristics to the CAARC was simulated, considering variations of positioning and spacing in relation to the reference building. It was concluded that the presence of the neighboring building increased the mean loads in the reference building for a significant number of directions considered. In the case of the considered deviations and the proposed provisions by this study, it was concluded that the vicinity factor that would contemplate the majority of the results obtained in the tests should increase the wind loads by at least 60% in relation to the values obtained for the building reference considered in isolation

Factors associated with stress, anxiety, and depression during social distancing in Brazil

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence of clinical signs and symptoms of severe/extreme stress, anxiety, and depression, as well as their associated factors, among Brazilians during social distancing. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study conducted in April/May 2020 with 3,200 Brazilians over 18 years old. Respondents’ sociodemographic and clinical data were collected using an online questionnaire, which also included the 21-item Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) to assess emotional symptoms. Unadjusted and adjusted prevalence ratios and their respective 95% confidence intervals were estimated using Poisson regression models with robust variance. RESULTS: Our results show the prevalence of severe/extreme stress was 21.5%, anxiety 19.4%, and depression 21.5%. In the final model, sociodemographic, clinical, and Covid-19-related factors were associated with severe/extreme stress, anxiety, and depression in Brazilians during social distancing due to the Covid-19 pandemic. We found the main factors associated with severe/extreme depression to be young women, brown, single, not religious, sedentary, presenting reduced leisure activities, history of anxiety and depression, increased medication use, and Covid-19 symptoms. CONCLUSION: This study may help develop and systematically plan measures aimed to prevent, early identify, and properly manage clinical signs and symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression during the Covid-19 pandemic. DESCRIPTORS: Mental Disorders, epidemiology. Stress, Psychological. Social Isolation. Coronavirus Infections. Health Surveys

SABERES POPULARES ACERCA DE VESPAS SOCIAIS (VESPIDAE) E ABELHAS (APIDAE) NA MATA ATLÂNTICA DO NOROESTE DO PARANÁ, SUL DO

Os artrópodes compõem a maior parte do reino animal, possuindo mais de um milhão de espécies descritas, incluindo os marimbondos e as abelhas, que compõem a ordem Hymenoptera. Embora esses insetos executem importantes funções ecológicas e forneçam produtos de valor econômico, muitas pessoas desconhecem sua importância, sendo prática recorrente a destruição de suas colônias ou a morte desses indivíduos. Dessa forma, o objetivo deste estudo foi verificar o conhecimento popular dos moradores do entorno do Parque Nacional de Ilhas Grande (PNIG) sobre a fauna de himenópteros (vespas sociais e abelhas). Para isso, foi aplicado, em outubro de 2019, um questionário semiestruturado em 50 residências no distrito de Porto Camargo, Icaraíma-PR. Os resultados obtidos indicam que os entrevistados conhecem diversas espécies de marimbondos e abelhas, mas que sabem pouco ou quase nada sobre a sua importância ecológica, o que contribui para a não conservação desses insetos e da área em que vivem

Range Expansion of the Cleptoparasitic Orchid Bee Aglae caerulea in the Pantanal of Mato Grosso, Brazil

In the present study, a new occurrence of Aglae caerulea Lepeletier & Audinet-Serville is reported within a few km of the seasonal flooded plain limits of the Pantanal in the Paraguay basin, reinforcing the idea that this species coexists with its hostess Eulaema nigrita, one of the most common species catalogued in several habitats surveyed in the biome. After 18 months of sampling and no A. caerulea male attracted to the baits, methyl cinnamate was added to the set of fragrances available in the field. During four weeks in May and one week in June 2018, a total of 11 males of A. caerulea were attracted to the new bait in the gallery forest of São Vicente Range. With this most recent record, we expand the ranges of occurrence to the north-eastern border of the Pantanal of Barão de Melgaço, in Mato Grosso, Brazil. Future expeditions in the Pantanal of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul should record this cleptoparasitic species from southern to western Paraguay river basin, to reduce the biogeographical gaps in this peculiar tribe of corbiculate bees. The cleptoparasitic species A. caerulea may be recorded when adequate field studies and collections are made from the seasonal floodplain habitats to karstic habitats (dry forests) along the Pantanal border

Long-term follow-up of patients with chronic hepatitis C with sustained virologic response to interferon

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The durability of the sustained virologic response (SVR) in patients with chronic hepatitis C after treatment and the ideal follow-up time for these patients remains undefined. The objective of the study was to evaluate the durability of the virologic response in patients with chronic hepatitis C followed up for at least 12 months after SVR at HCFMRP-USP. METHODS: The study was conducted on 174 patients with chronic hepatitis C treated with different antiviral regimens who had achieved SVR. Qualitative serum HCV-RNA was determined by the commercial kit (COBAS AMPLICOR HCV, v2.0). RESULTS: There was predominance of male (73%) with a mean age of 45.6 ± 10 years. Liver cirrhosis was present in 16.1% of the study subjects. Mean follow-up time after SVR was 47 months (12-156 months). Twenty-two patients received monotherapy with interferon; 94 received interferon plus ribavirin, and 58 received pegylated interferon plus ribavirin. A total of 134 patients (77.0%) received one treatment course, 29 (16.7%) received two courses, and 11 (6.3%) received three courses. The distribution of HCV genotypes was: genotype 1 (40.2%), genotype 3 (40.8%) and genotype 2 (10.3%). Genotype was undetermined in 8.7% of cases. None of the 174 patients had recurrence of HCV infection. Two cirrhotic patients developed hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) during follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with SVR there was no recurrence of HCV infection or evidence of liver disease progression in any patient followed up for a mean of 47 months after SVR, except for patients with advanced hepatic disease before treatment, who may develop HCC despite SVR. Therefore, one can assume that SVR is associated with long term good prognosis.(FAEPA) Fundação de Apoio ao Ensino Pesquisa e Assistênci

Synthesis and evaluation of corrosion inhibiting activity of new molecular hybrids containing the morpholine, 1,4-naphthoquinone, 7-chloroquinoline and 1,3,5-triazine cores

Three molecules containing morpholine, 1,4-naphthoquinone, 7-chloroquinoline and 1,3,5-triazine cores, scaffolds with recognized anti-corrosive activity, were synthesized and had their anticorrosive activity evaluated through potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance studies. Both studies were conducted in a simulated production water medium containing 150,000 mg·L-1 Cl- and 5 mg·L-1 S2-. Corrosion inhibition efficiency ranged from 67% - 86%, amongst which the naphthoquinone-containing derivative (compound 1) was the most effective. These compounds act through formation of a protective film on the surface of AISI 316 stainless steel. Investigation of the molecular properties of the prepared inhibitors by DFT calculations revealed that the LUMO energy and chemical hardness of the molecules can be directly correlated with their inhibition efficiency