The importance of restoration areas to conserve bird species in a highly fragmented Atlantic forest landscape

AbstractIn this study, we tested the potential of restored areas to maintain biodiversity in the scope of a recently proposed category of protected area called “Restoration Reserves”. To accomplish this, we compared bird richness and functional group structure of two small forest fragments (<250ha) with adjacent recently reforested areas (9 and 7 years of reforestation). Reforested areas had equal or higher bird richness and similar functional group structure. These results indicate that reforested areas are capable of maintaining current levels of biodiversity and reducing species extinction debt in small forest fragments, which is the main purpose of “Restoration Reserves”. However, when we compared a large forest fragment with an old adjacent reforested area (20 years of reforestation), we found that it was of limited value for certain functional groups. Therefore, “Restoration Reserves” could provide essential additional habitat in highly fragmented landscapes that consists mainly of small forest fragments

Classification of glomerular hypercellularity using convolutional features and support vector machine

Glomeruli are histological structures of the kidney cortex formed by interwoven blood capillaries, and are responsible for blood filtration. Glomerular lesions impair kidney filtration capability, leading to protein loss and metabolic waste retention. An example of lesion is the glomerular hypercellularity, which is characterized by an increase in the number of cell nuclei in different areas of the glomeruli. Glomerular hypercellularity is a frequent lesion present in different kidney diseases. Automatic detection of glomerular hypercellularity would accelerate the screening of scanned histological slides for the lesion, enhancing clinical diagnosis. Having this in mind, we propose a new approach for classification of hypercellularity in human kidney images. Our proposed method introduces a novel architecture of a convolutional neural network (CNN) along with a support vector machine, achieving near perfect average results with the FIOCRUZ data set in a binary classification (lesion or normal). Our deep-based classifier outperformed the state-of-the-art results on the same data set. Additionally, classification of hypercellularity sub-lesions was also performed, considering mesangial, endocapilar and both lesions; in this multi-classification task, our proposed method just failed in 4\% of the cases. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study on deep learning over a data set of glomerular hypercellularity images of human kidney.Comment: 26 page

A Systematic Approach to the Management of Military Human Resources through the ELECTRE-MOr Multicriteria Method

Personnel selection is increasingly proving to be an essential factor for the success of organizations. These issues almost universally involve multiple conflicting objectives, uncertainties, costs, and benefits in decision-making. In this context, personnel assessment problems, which include several candidates as alternatives, along with several complex evaluation criteria, can be solved by applying Multicriteria Decision Making (MCDM) methods. Uncertainty and subjectivity characterize the choice of personnel for missions or promotions at the military level. In this paper, we evaluated 30 Brazilian Navy officers in the light of four criteria and 34 subcriteria. To support the decision-making process regarding the promotion of officers, we applied the ELECTRE-Mor MCDM method. We categorized the alternatives into three classes in the modeling proposed in this work, namely: Class A (Promotion by deserving), Class B (Promotion by seniority), and Class C (Military not promoted). As a result, the method presented 20% of the officers evaluated with performance corresponding to class A, 53% of the alternatives to class B, and 26.7% with performances attributed to class C. In addition, we presented a sensitivity analysis procedure through variation of the cut-off level λ, allowing decision-making on more flexible or rigorous scenarios at the discretion of the Naval High Administration. This work brings a valuable contribution to academia and society since it represents the application of an MCDM method in state of the art to contribute to solving a real problem.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A combined stochastic model for seasonal prediction of precipitation in Brazil

Este artigo discute um modelo de previsão combinada para a realização de prognósticos climáticos na escala sazonal. Nele, previsões pontuais de modelos estocásticos são agregadas para obter as melhores projeções no tempo. Utilizam-se modelos estocásticos autoregressivos integrados a médias móveis, de suavização exponencial e previsões por análise de correlações canônicas. O controle de qualidade das previsões é feito através da análise dos resíduos e da avaliação do percentual de redução da variância não-explicada da modelagem combinada em relação às previsões dos modelos individuais. Exemplos da aplicação desses conceitos em modelos desenvolvidos no Instituto Nacional de Meteorologia (INMET) mostram bons resultados e ilustram que as previsões do modelo combinado, superam na maior parte dos casos a de cada modelo componente, quando comparadas aos dados observados.This article discusses a combined model to perform climate forecast in a seasonal scale. In it, forecasts of specific stochastic models are aggregated to obtain the best forecasts in time. Stochastic models are used in the auto regressive integrated moving average, exponential smoothing and the analysis of forecasts by canonical correlation. The quality control of the forecast is based on the residual analysis and the evaluation of the percentage of reduction of the unexplained variance of the combined model with respect to the individual ones. Examples of application of those concepts to models developed at the Brazilian National Institute of Meteorology (INMET) show good results and illustrate that the forecast of the combined model exceeds in most cases each component model, when compared to observed data

Rib Fracture in Buffalo with Ruminal Cannula

Background: Buffalos are very rustic animals that are adapted to adverse conditions, but the lack of adequate management can increase the susceptibility of these animals to several diseases. Rib fracture in this species is usually related to mineral deficiency and complications resulting from unappropriated management. Rib fractures in ruminants are rarely diagnosed and usually present conservative treatment; however, cases with presence of contaminated wounds require extra attention. The objective of this work was to report an atypical case of open fracture of the last rib in a buffalo with ruminal cannula, describing the case from diagnosis to surgical treatment.Case: An adult female water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) that was well fed and receiving minerals, with implantation of a ruminal cannula, presented a lesion around the ruminal cannula, with increasing volume, exudation, and myiasis. Thegeneral parameters and behavior of the animal were apparently normal. The animal presented normal appetite and respiration and good physical condition and nutritional state, with pain reaction to the touch in the region of the lesion andtheir adjacencies; it presented no claudication and reluctance to remain in left lateral decubitus, and no discomfort. The clinical inspection of the cutaneous lesion showed an oblique-type fracture in the body of the last left rib, with exposed bone in the lumbar region and extremity exposed to the ruminal cannula, already presenting necrosis. The region was cleaned, removing larvae (myiasis) for better exposition of the fracture; in the following day, an osteotomy was done to remove exposed bone fragments. A trichotomy, cleaning, and debridement of the lesion and their adjacencies were done, with subsequent sedation and locoregional paralumbar anesthesia with lidocaine for resection of necrotic bone fragments. Cutaneous and muscle syntheses were not done because the region presented permanent contact with the rumen content. The post-operatory management was based on daily cleanings and bandages, with administration of antibiotics every 48 h for 20 days. The total recovery of the animal occurred within 45 days after the surgery.Discussion: Despite rib fractures in buffalos are mainly related to mineral deficiency, the case of the present study showed that these fractures are not always related to pre-existent causes. The clinical signs of the lesion were focal, because they refer to an open fracture that did not caused injuries to other structures, thus not determining an associated symptomatology. Opened rib fractures are rare, and most of them are healed by second intention without veterinary intervention. Regarding open fractures, the decontamination and debridement of a lesion and their adjacencies with removal of necrotic tissuesand use of antibiotics are essential for prevention of infections. When the lesion is in a contaminated region by permanent contact with rumen content, as in this case, daily cleaning with bandages is needed for a best healing, but synthesis oftissues is not indicated because there is a possibility of contamination and formation of abscesses. Therefore, procedures that ensure the decontamination of the wound and prevention of infections with prolonged use of antibiotics are essential for a better healing of open rib fractures in regions that are subjected to constant contamination

Novel ultraviolet absorbers derived from cashew nut shell liquid: spectrophotometric, in silico and in vitro assays

The cashew nut shell liquid (CNSL) constituents were isolated by our group leading to four mixtures and seventeen pure compounds, which had chromophoric groups similar to organic ultraviolet (UV) absorbers. In addition, C15 and C8 CNSL-derivatives molecules were rationally planned as UV absorbers. Mixtures and isolated CNSL compounds were demonstrated to be non-phototoxic when evaluated in a phototoxicity assay using the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Considering the absorption values on the UV range, 6 compounds showed appropriate SPF values regarding the spectrophotometric test. Additionally, in silico and in vitro evaluations were performed, showing non-oral bioavailability, as well as non-mutagenic, non-genotoxic and non-phototoxic properties for the tested compounds. These results contribute favorably to the aimed use of the compounds under analysis as novel organic UV absorbers that have as precursor the phenolic lipid component of CNSL, a waste product obtained as the by-product of cashew nut food processing

Judicialização da saúde na Amazônia Ocidental: decisões coletivas do tribunal de justiça do Estado do Acre, Brasil

Introduction: the judicialization of health is an alternative to the health services in Brazil, despite criticism of judicial decisions and control of public health policy. The large number of actions that demand health services is a health problem that characterizes the political, social, ethical, legal, and health systems of the Public Health Policy. Objective: to analyze the judicialization of health care in the Acre State, Brazil, from 2010 to 2016. Methods: it is a documentary and cross-sectional study of collegiate decisions, with final judgments, in the period from 2010 to 2016, issued by the Court of Justice of the State of Acre, Results: all proposed actions were Writ of Mandamus. The use of preliminary injunction was the most common strategy (n = 34; 94.44%). One third of the respondents were not questioned by the State of Acre (n = 9; 25%) as decisions of the Court of Justice on health concern medicines, examinations, and procedures, in these cases, it only manages interests, with no litigation per se. (n = 25, 69.44%). Men and women demanded in the same proportion, all of them characterized by living in poverty (n = 28; 77.78%). Conclusion: the collective health decisions handed down by the State Court of Justice Acre, Brazil, guarantee access to health goods and services to the claimants, with emphasis on preliminary injunctions and grounds based on the principle of human dignity, physical integrity and life, and on medical prescriptions in each specific case and, in a third of the cases, serving as a mere administration of interests.Introdução: a judicialização da saúde é uma alternativa aos serviços de saúde no Brasil, apesar das críticas às decisões judiciais e ao controle das políticas públicas de saúde. O grande número de ações que demandam serviços de saúde é um problema de saúde que caracteriza os sistemas político, social, ético, jurídico e de saúde da Política Pública de Saúde. Objetivo: analisar a judicialização da saúde no Brasil, Amazônia Ocidental, de 2010 a 2016. Método: estudo documental e transversal de decisões colegiadas, com sentenças definitivas, no período de 2010 a 2016, proferidas pelo Tribunal de Justiça do Estado do Acre, cujo foco principal é o contexto, fatores e consequências que os conduzem ao seu direito à saúde no Judiciário. Resultados: todas as ações propostas eram mandatos de segurança. O uso de liminar foi uma estratégia comum entre os autores (n = 34; 94,44%). um terço dos respondentes não foi contestado pelo Estado do Acre (n = 9; 25%). Já as decisões do Tribunal de Justiça em matéria de saúde dizem respeito a medicamentos, exames e procedimentos (n = 25, 69,44%). Homens e mulheres propõem a mesma proporção e uma característica básica dos autores é a pobreza (n = 28; 77,78%). Conclusão: as decisões coletivas de saúde proferidas pelo Tribunal de Justiça do Estado são legais, constitucionais e refletem a alteração entre todos os órgãos que integram a relação em que se estabelece a judicialização, que pode ser alcançada por meio do aprimoramento do processo de incorporação. tecnologias ao SUS, para a boa execução da política pública de saúde, com a manutenção dos princípios da universalidade e integralidade do Sistema Único de Saúde