Variabilidade em germoplasma de bucha vegetal por descritores morfológicos e molecular

Luffa cylindrica, known as sponge gourd, stands out for its potential for use in several cosmetic, domestic and aircraft upholstery segments stands out. However, each segment requires specificity, so that genetic variability of the species can become a limiting factor in its exploitation. Thus, this study aimed to morphologically characterize 13 accessions and molecularly characterize 24 accessions of sponge gourd belonging to the Cucurbit Germplasm Collection of the Center for Agricultural Sciences of the Federal Rural University of the Semi-Arid Region. A field experiment was installed.. At ripening,  were evaluated for 15 descriptors. For molecular characterization, ISSR primers were used. The data obtained with the morphological and molecular characterization separated the accessions into different cluster configurations, denoting wide genetic variability. Considering the morphological descriptors, the medial circumference of the fruit (26.7%) had the most significant contribution to the divergence found. Accessions A12, A19, A23 and A24 are indicated for the dermo-cosmetic sector, while accessions A19 and A23 are the most indicated for the vegetable sponge market since light fibers with soft texture are indicated for the cosmetic and cleaning sector. For the molecular data, 103 bands were amplified, 80% polymorphic, and the polymorphic information content showed an average of 0.28, classifying them as moderately informative. The accessions were considered distinct, which indicates that the cucurbit germplasm collection contains loofah genotypes with significant genetic diversity.Luffa cylindrica, conhecida como bucha vegetal,  destaca por seu potencial de utilização em segmentos como: uso cosmético, doméstico e estofados de aeronaves entre outros. Entretanto, cada segmento exige uma especificidade, de forma que a variabilidade genética da espécie pode se tornar fator limitante a sua exploração. Assim, o objetivo do presente trabalho foi caracterizar morfologicamente 13 acessos e molecularmente 24 acessos de bucha vegetal pertencentes a Coleção de Germoplasma de Cucurbitáceas do Centro de Ciências Agrárias da Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido. Para caracterização morfológica foi instalado um experimento em campo Quando da maturação,  os frutos foram avaliados para 15 descritores. Para caracterização molecular, foram utilizados primers ISSR. Os dados obtidos com a caracterização morfológica e molecular conseguiram separar os acessos em diferentes configurações de agrupamento, denotando ampla variabilidade genética. Considerando os descritores morfológicos, a circunferência medial do fruto (26,7%) apresentou maior contribuição na divergência encontrada. Os acessos A12, A19 A23 e A24 são indicados para o setor dermocosmético, já os acessos A19 e A23 são os mais indicados para o mercado de esponja vegetal, visto que fibras claras com textura macia são indicadas ao setor cosmético e de limpeza. Para os dados moleculares, foram amplificadas 103 bandas, 80% polimórficas, e o conteúdo de informação polimórfica apresentou uma média de 0,28, classificando-os como medianamente informativos. Os acessos foram considerados distintos, o que indica que a coleção de germoplasma de cucurbitácea detém genótipos de bucha vegetal com expressiva diversidade genética

The impact of surgical delay on resectability of colorectal cancer: An international prospective cohort study

AIM: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has provided a unique opportunity to explore the impact of surgical delays on cancer resectability. This study aimed to compare resectability for colorectal cancer patients undergoing delayed versus non-delayed surgery. METHODS: This was an international prospective cohort study of consecutive colorectal cancer patients with a decision for curative surgery (January-April 2020). Surgical delay was defined as an operation taking place more than 4 weeks after treatment decision, in a patient who did not receive neoadjuvant therapy. A subgroup analysis explored the effects of delay in elective patients only. The impact of longer delays was explored in a sensitivity analysis. The primary outcome was complete resection, defined as curative resection with an R0 margin. RESULTS: Overall, 5453 patients from 304 hospitals in 47 countries were included, of whom 6.6% (358/5453) did not receive their planned operation. Of the 4304 operated patients without neoadjuvant therapy, 40.5% (1744/4304) were delayed beyond 4 weeks. Delayed patients were more likely to be older, men, more comorbid, have higher body mass index and have rectal cancer and early stage disease. Delayed patients had higher unadjusted rates of complete resection (93.7% vs. 91.9%, P = 0.032) and lower rates of emergency surgery (4.5% vs. 22.5%, P < 0.001). After adjustment, delay was not associated with a lower rate of complete resection (OR 1.18, 95% CI 0.90-1.55, P = 0.224), which was consistent in elective patients only (OR 0.94, 95% CI 0.69-1.27, P = 0.672). Longer delays were not associated with poorer outcomes. CONCLUSION: One in 15 colorectal cancer patients did not receive their planned operation during the first wave of COVID-19. Surgical delay did not appear to compromise resectability, raising the hypothesis that any reduction in long-term survival attributable to delays is likely to be due to micro-metastatic disease

The impact of surgical delay on resectability of colorectal cancer: An international prospective cohort study

Aim The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has provided a unique opportunity to explore the impact of surgical delays on cancer resectability. This study aimed to compare resectability for colorectal cancer patients undergoing delayed versus non-delayed surgery. Methods This was an international prospective cohort study of consecutive colorectal cancer patients with a decision for curative surgery (January-April 2020). Surgical delay was defined as an operation taking place more than 4 weeks after treatment decision, in a patient who did not receive neoadjuvant therapy. A subgroup analysis explored the effects of delay in elective patients only. The impact of longer delays was explored in a sensitivity analysis. The primary outcome was complete resection, defined as curative resection with an R0 margin. Results Overall, 5453 patients from 304 hospitals in 47 countries were included, of whom 6.6% (358/5453) did not receive their planned operation. Of the 4304 operated patients without neoadjuvant therapy, 40.5% (1744/4304) were delayed beyond 4 weeks. Delayed patients were more likely to be older, men, more comorbid, have higher body mass index and have rectal cancer and early stage disease. Delayed patients had higher unadjusted rates of complete resection (93.7% vs. 91.9%, P = 0.032) and lower rates of emergency surgery (4.5% vs. 22.5%, P &lt; 0.001). After adjustment, delay was not associated with a lower rate of complete resection (OR 1.18, 95% CI 0.90-1.55, P = 0.224), which was consistent in elective patients only (OR 0.94, 95% CI 0.69-1.27, P = 0.672). Longer delays were not associated with poorer outcomes. Conclusion One in 15 colorectal cancer patients did not receive their planned operation during the first wave of COVID-19. Surgical delay did not appear to compromise resectability, raising the hypothesis that any reduction in long-term survival attributable to delays is likely to be due to micro-metastatic disease

A social and ecological assessment of tropical land uses at multiple scales: the Sustainable Amazon Network

Science has a critical role to play in guiding more sustainable development trajectories. Here, we present the Sustainable Amazon Network (Rede Amazonia Sustentavel, RAS): a multidisciplinary research initiative involving more than 30 partner organizations working to assess both social and ecological dimensions of land-use sustainability in eastern Brazilian Amazonia. The research approach adopted by RAS offers three advantages for addressing land-use sustainability problems: (i) the collection of synchronized and co-located ecological and socioeconomic data across broad gradients of past and present human use; (ii) a nested sampling design to aid comparison of ecological and socioeconomic conditions associated with different land uses across local, landscape and regional scales; and (iii) a strong engagement with a wide variety of actors and non-research institutions. Here, we elaborate on these key features, and identify the ways in which RAS can help in highlighting those problems in most urgent need of attention, and in guiding improvements in land-use sustainability in Amazonia and elsewhere in the tropics. We also discuss some of the practical lessons, limitations and realities faced during the development of the RAS initiative so far.Keywords: Social–ecological systems, Tropical forests, Land use, Interdisciplinary research, Sustainability, Trade-off

The Japanese Health System and its coping mechanisms against COVID-19

Introdução: apesar de ser o país de maior média de idade no mundo, o Japão tem se destacado no combate à pandemia da COVID-19 (do inglês Coronavirus Disease 2019) ao apresentar reduzidas taxas de contaminação pelo vírus e de mortalidade. Objetivo: discutir acerca das estratégias em saúde adotadas pelo Japão diante da pandemia da doença da COVID-19, bem como avaliar os dados sobre contaminação e mortalidade japoneses em comparação com os outros quatro países com maior média de idade do mundo (Itália, Alemanha, Portugal e Espanha) e o Brasil. Metodologia: para avaliação das estratégias em saúde japonesas foi realizada busca nas bases de dados: PubMed, Cochrane e Scielo, utilizando-se combinação dos termos “Japão”, “covid”, “coronavirus” e “sistemas de saúde”, nos idiomas Inglês, Espanhol e Português. Os dados de infecção da COVID-19 foram extraídos do site Our World in Data, correspondendo ao período de 25 de janeiro de 2020 a 30 de julho de 2020. Resultados: dentre as medidas adotadas pelo país no enfrentamento à pandemia, destacam-se o diagnóstico e resposta precoces à infecção, o rastreamento de contatos, o diagnóstico precoce e disponibilidade de cuidados intensivos para pacientes graves e estímulo a medidas comportamentais de distanciamento. Dentre os países analisados, o Japão apresenta as menores taxas de contaminação e mortalidade em termos absolutos pela COVID-19. Conclusões: medidas de distanciamento social, diagnóstico e tratamento precoces parecem ter contribuído para o sucesso no combate à COVID-19 no Japão. No período estudado, em milhão de habitantes, o Japão teve 6,13 casos de Covid, enquanto o Brasil apresentou 218,26 casos. Já no número de mortes confirmadas pela doença, o primeiro teve uma taxa de 0,23 enquanto o segundo de 5,16 casos por milhão de habitantes. É possível, a partir do conhecimento dessas medidas, buscar mecanismos semelhantes ao traçar políticas de saúde no enfrentamento de pandemias em outros países.Introduction: despite being the country with the highest average age globally, Japan has stood out in the fight against the COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019) pandemic by presenting low contamination rates by the virus and mortality. Objective: we aim to discuss the health strategies adopted by Japan in the face of the COVID-19 disease pandemic, as well as to evaluate data on Japanese contamination and mortality compared to the other four countries with the highest average age in the world (Italy, Germany, Portugal and Spain) and Brazil. Methodology: the search was carried out to evaluate Japanese health strategies by using the following databases: PubMed, Cochrane, and Scielo using a combination of the terms "Japan", "covid", "coronavirus" and "health systems" in English, Spanish and Portuguese. The COVID-19 infection data was extracted from the Our World in Data website, from January 25, 2020, to July 30, 2020. Results: Among the measures adopted by the country to face the pandemic, the early diagnosis and response to infection, contact tracing, early diagnosis and availability of intensive care for critically ill patients, and encouraging behavioral distancing measures stand out. Among the countries analyzed, Japan has the lowest rates of contamination and mortality in absolute terms by COVID-19. Conclusions: social distancing measures, early diagnosis, and treatment seem to have contributed to the success in combating COVID-19 in Japan. In the studied period, in a million inhabitants, Japan had 6.13 cases of covid while Brazil had 218.26 cases. As for the number of deaths confirmed by the disease, the first had a rate of 0.23 while the second had 5.16 cases per million inhabitants. Based on the knowledge of these measures, it is possible to seek similar mechanisms when designing health policies to face pandemics in other countries

O Sistema de Saúde japonês e seus mecanismos de enfrentamento à COVID-19

Introdução: apesar de ser o país de maior média de idade no mundo, o Japão tem se destacado no combate à pandemia da COVID-19 (do inglês Coronavirus Disease 2019) ao apresentar reduzidas taxas de contaminação pelo vírus e de mortalidade. Objetivo: discutir acerca das estratégias em saúde adotadas pelo Japão diante da pandemia da doença da COVID-19, bem como avaliar os dados sobre contaminação e mortalidade japoneses em comparação com os outros quatro países com maior média de idade do mundo (Itália, Alemanha, Portugal e Espanha) e o Brasil. Metodologia: para avaliação das estratégias em saúde japonesas foi realizada busca nas bases de dados: PubMed, Cochrane e Scielo, utilizando-se combinação dos termos “Japão”, “covid”, “coronavirus” e “sistemas de saúde”, nos idiomas Inglês, Espanhol e Português. Os dados de infecção da COVID-19 foram extraídos do site Our World in Data, correspondendo ao período de 25 de janeiro de 2020 a 30 de julho de 2020. Resultados: dentre as medidas adotadas pelo país no enfrentamento à pandemia, destacam-se o diagnóstico e resposta precoces à infecção, o rastreamento de contatos, o diagnóstico precoce e disponibilidade de cuidados intensivos para pacientes graves e estímulo a medidas comportamentais de distanciamento. Dentre os países analisados, o Japão apresenta as menores taxas de contaminação e mortalidade em termos absolutos pela COVID-19. Conclusões: medidas de distanciamento social, diagnóstico e tratamento precoces parecem ter contribuído para o sucesso no combate à COVID-19 no Japão. No período estudado, em milhão de habitantes, o Japão teve 6,13 casos de Covid, enquanto o Brasil apresentou 218,26 casos. Já no número de mortes confirmadas pela doença, o primeiro teve uma taxa de 0,23 enquanto o segundo de 5,16 casos por milhão de habitantes. É possível, a partir do conhecimento dessas medidas, buscar mecanismos semelhantes ao traçar políticas de saúde no enfrentamento de pandemias em outros países.</jats:p

Non-Destructive Methods Based on Machine Learning for the Prediction of Sweet Potato Leaf Area: A Comparative Approach

Leaf area is an essential parameter for studies of plant growth and physiology and is considered one of the main parameters for agricultural production. Leaf area determination methods are fundamental to understanding and predicting crop productivity. They can be classified as destructive or non-destructive. The study evaluated the performance of five methods for predicting the leaf area of sweet potato cultivars, including simple linear regression, artificial neural networks, support vector regression, adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS), and random forest (RF). The coefficient of determination (R2), relative root mean squared error (RRMSE), mean absolute error (MAE), mean absolute percentage error (MAPE), and mean bias error (MBE) were used as criteria for choosing the best methods. The standardized Ranking Performance Index (sRPI) was used to classify the proposed methods. The ANFIS method performed better than the other methods analyzed (R $^{2} =0.8315$ ; RRMSE =0.0593; MAE =6.0789; MAPE =14.5741; MBE =0.000003; sRPI =1.00). Thus, the results indicated that the ANFIS method can be used as a non-destructive alternative for predicting the leaf area of sweet potato cultivars

Human-modified landscapes narrow the isotopic niche of neotropical birds

Deforestation and habitat loss resulting from land use changes are some of the utmost anthropogenic impacts that threaten tropical birds in human-modified landscapes (HMLs). The degree of these impacts on birds' diet, habitat use, and ecological niche can be measured by isotopic analysis. We investigated whether the isotopic niche width, food resources, and habitat use of bird trophic guilds differed between HMLs and natural landscapes (NLs) using stable carbon (delta C-13) and nitrogen isotopes (delta N-15). We analyzed feathers of 851 bird individuals from 28 landscapes in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. We classified landscapes into two groups according to the percentage of forest cover (HMLs = 47%), and compared the isotopic niche width and mean values of delta C-13 and delta N-15 for each guild between landscape types. The niches of frugivores, insectivores, nectarivores, and omnivores were narrower in HMLs, whereas granivores showed the opposite pattern. In HMLs, nectarivores showed a reduction of 44% in niche width, while granivores presented an expansion of 26%. Individuals in HMLs consumed more resources from agricultural areas (C-4 plants), but almost all guilds showed a preference for forest resources (C-3 plants) in both landscape types, except granivores. Degraded and fragmented landscapes typically present a lower availability of habitat and food resources for many species, which was reflected by the reduction in niche width of birds in HMLs. Therefore, to protect the diversity of guilds in HMLs, landscape management strategies that offer birds more diverse habitats must be implemented in tropical regions.Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Univ Sao Paulo, Dept Ciencias Florestais, Lab Ecol Manejo & Conservaeao Fauna Silvestre LEM, Escola Super Agr Luiz de Queiroz, Av Padua Dias 11, BR-13418900 Piracicaba, SP, BrazilUniv Sao Paulo, Ctr Energia Nucl Agr, Lab Ecol Isotop, Av Centenario 303, BR-13416903 Piracicaba, SP, BrazilUniv Sao Paulo, Museu Zool, Secao Aves, Av Nazare 481, BR-04263000 Sao Paulo, SP, BrazilUniv Estadual Paulista, Inst Biociencias, Dept Biodiversidade, Av 24-A 1515, BR-13506900 Rio Claro, SP, BrazilUniv Estadual Campinas, Inst Biol, Dept Biol Anim, Lab Interacoes Vertebrados Plantas, Rua Monteiro Lobato 255, BR-13083862 Campinas, SP, BrazilUniv Estadual Paulista, Fac Ciencias, Dept Ciencias Biol, Av Eng Luiz Edmundo Carrijo Coube 14-01, BR-17033360 Bauru, SP, BrazilUniv Fed Sao Carlos, Ctr Ciencias & Tecnol Sustentabilidade, Dept Ciencias Ambientais, Rodovia Joao Leme dos Santos SP-264 Km 110, BR-18052780 Sorocaba, SP, BrazilInst Chico Mendes Conservacao Biodiversidade, Ctr Nacl Pesquisa & Conservacao Mamiferos Carnivo, Estr Municipal Hisaichi Takebayashi 8600, BR-12952011 Atibaia, SP, BrazilInst Nacl Mata Atlantica, Av Jose Ruschi 4, BR-29650000 Santa Teresa, ES, BrazilInst Procarnivoros, Av Horacio Netto 1030,Parque Edmundo Zanoni, BR-12945010 Atibaia, SP, BrazilUniv Estadual Paulista, Inst Biociencias, Dept Biodiversidade, Av 24-A 1515, BR-13506900 Rio Claro, SP, BrazilUniv Estadual Paulista, Fac Ciencias, Dept Ciencias Biol, Av Eng Luiz Edmundo Carrijo Coube 14-01, BR-17033360 Bauru, SP, BrazilFAPESP: 2010/05343-5FAPESP: 2011/06782-5FAPESP: 2011/04046-0FAPESP: 2018-05970-1FAPESP: 2020/076190CAPES: 88882.328664/2019-01CNPq: 300744/2020-0CAPES: 001-CAPES PNPD 2013/1723CNPq: 308632/2018-4CNPq: 302291/2015-6CNPq: 308337/2019-0CNPq: 304742/2019-