On the occurrence of Mesophyllum expansum (Philippi) Cabioch et Mendoza (Melobesioideae, Corallinales, Rhodophyta) in the Mediterranean, the Canary Isles and the Azores.

Copyright © 2010 by Walter de Gruyter.We reviewed literature records, examined herbarium specimens and studied new collections referred to as Mesophyllum lichenoides from the Mediterranean and the North Atlantic, and report for the first time the presence of Mesophyllum expansum in the Canaries and the Azores. Both gametophytes and tetrasporophytes of M. expansum occur in the Canaries, while we found only tetrasporophytes (and sterile thalli) of the species in all other regions. We further consider the presence of M. lichenoides further south than Atlantic France in need of confirmation. A comparative study between these two species points to the number of rosette cells as the most reliable and easily diagnosed character, M. expansum most often having 911 and M. lichenoides 68 cells

Heavy metal/toxins detection using electronic tongues

FAPESP - FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULOCNPQ - CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICOThe growing concern for sustainability and environmental preservation has increased the demand for reliable, fast response, and low-cost devices to monitor the existence of heavy metals and toxins in water resources. An electronic tongue (e-tongue) is a multisensory array mostly based on electroanalytical methods and multivariate statistical techniques to facilitate information visualization in a qualitative and/or quantitative way. E-tongues are promising analytical devices having simple operation, fast response, low cost, easy integration with other systems (microfluidic, optical, etc) to enable miniaturization and provide a high sensitivity for measurements in complex liquid media, providing an interesting alternative to address many of the existing environmental monitoring challenges, specifically relevant emerging pollutants such as heavy metals and toxins.73119FAPESP - FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULOCNPQ - CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICOFAPESP - FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULOCNPQ - CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICOSem informaçã

Cross-cultural adaptation of the dysfunctional voiding score symptom (DVSS) questionnaire for Brazilian children

PURPOSE: To translate and culturally adapt the Dysfunctional Voiding Symptom Score (DVSS), questionnaire into Brazilian Portuguese. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The 10-item Dysfunctional Voiding Symptom Score (DVSS) was translated into Brazilian Portuguese according to a standard methodology: translation, synthesis, back-translation, Expert Committee, and pre-testing. After the translation process the final version was pre-tested and patient responses were analyzed to identify necessary modifications. Reliability was evaluated using the test-retest method, and internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha. RESULTS: The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was calculated in the test and retest phases. Internal consistency was found to be satisfactory, as confirmed by a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.76 for the test and 0.77 for the retest. A high degree of stability was found in the test/retest, with an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of 0.960 (p < 0.001; 95% CI: 0.943-0.972). CONCLUSION: The cross-cultural adaptation process of the Dysfunctional Voiding Symptom Score questionnaire to be used on Brazilian children was successfully completed following internationally accepted methodologies.Pernambuco State University Division of Pediatric UrologyFederal University of Bahia Division of Pediatric UrologyFederal University of Juiz de Fora Division of Pediatric UrologyUrology and Nephrology Institute Division of Pediatric UrologyFederal University of São Paulo Division of Pediatric UrologyHospital for Sick Children Division of Pediatric UrologyUNIFESP, Division of Pediatric UrologySciEL

Valoração ecológica aplicada a áreas de preservação permanente.

Este trabalho aplica os conceitos da Avaliação Emergética e da Avaliação Funcional dos Ecossistemas para estimar os valores associados à manutenção de Áreas de Preservação Permanente diante de uma perspectiva ecológica; as áreas de estudo estão conservadas em pequenas propriedades rurais no interior do Estado de São Paulo, Brasil. Foram valorados seis Serviços Ambientais: (1) o Serviço de fornecimento de água e nutrientes para os riachos; (2) o Serviço de recarga de aqüíferos; (3) o Serviço de regulação do clima; (4) o Serviço de fornecimento de alimento para a fauna e flora silvestre dos ecossistemas vizinhos; (5) o Serviço de polinização, controle biológico, aumento da fertilidade e da produtividade do sistema; (6) o Serviço fixação de carbono e regulação da composição química da atmosfera. Os valores totais dos serviços anuais, para os fragmentos de 7, 25, 75 e 200 anos respectivamente, somam R$3.376,13, R$ 3.534,86, R$4.015,95 e R$ 4.712,06. As Áreas de Preservação Permanente são importantes para sustentabilidade de processos produtivos que usufruem, diretamente, dos diferentes Serviços Ambientais prestados por estas áreas e para a manutenção do bem estar das populações humanas

Poredbene hematološke i biokemijske analize divovske amazonske kornjače uzgajane pod lošim i normalnim hranidbenim uvjetima

Besides indicating the baseline values of the species, blood parameter assessments of chelonian may also be used as quick tools for diagnosing health status. An investigation was carried out to assess and compare red blood cells parameters, white blood cell (WBC) and total thrombocyte counts and certain blood biochemical parameters for freshwater turtles, Podocnemis expansa Schweigger, 1812 (Pelomedusidae) reared on normal (control group) and poor nutrition (malnourished group). For the malnourished turtles, a signififi cant decrease (P<0.05) in red blood cell counts was found, including hematocrit, plasma glucose, plasma total protein, cholesterol and urea levels, as well as WBC counts, azurophils and heterophils. Malnutrition did not alter the hemostasis, but caused severe normocytic-hypocromic anemia and marked immune depression, which were diagnosed here. This study was the fifi rst to characterize the physiological and immune status of giant turtles from the Amazon under adverse nutritional conditions.Osim za utvrđivanje osnovnih vrijednosti osebujnih za vrstu, pretraživanje krvnih pokazatelja može u kornjača biti rabljeno za brzo određivanje njihova zdravstvenoga stanja. Istraživanje je poduzeto da se odrede i usporede pokazatelji crvenih krvnih stanica, bijelih krvnih stanica, ukupnog broja trombocita i neki biokemijski pokazatelji za slatkovodne kornjače Podocnemis expansa Schweigger, 1812 (Pelomedusidae) uzgajane u normalnim (kontrolna skupina) i lošim hranidbenim uvjetima (pokusna skupina). U kornjača uzgajanih u lošim uvjetima ustanovljen je značajno smanjen (P<0,05) broj crvenih krvnih stanica kao i smanjene vrijednosti hematokrita, razine glukoze u plazmi, razine ukupnih proteina plazme, kolesterola i mokraćevine te broj bijelih krvnih stanica, azurofila i heterofila. Loša hranidba nije utjecala na hemostazu, ali je prouzročila tešku normocitnu hipokromnu anemiju i znatnu imunodepresiju. Ovo je prvo istraživanje u kojem je prikazan fiziološki i imunološki status divovske kornjače iz Amazone, držane u nepovoljnim hranidbenim uvjetima

The trauma and acute care surgeon in the COVID-19 pandemic era

The World Health Organization recognized in March 2020 the existence of a pandemic for the new coronavirus that appeared in China, in late 2019, and whose disease was named COVID-19. In this context, the SBAIT (Brazilian Society of Integrated Care for Traumatized Patients) conducted a survey with 219 trauma and emergency surgeons regarding the availability of personal protective equipment (PPE) and the role of the surgeon in this pandemic by means of an electronic survey. It was observed that surgeons have been acting under inadequate conditions, with a lack of basic supplies as well as more specific equipment such as N95 masks and facial shields for the care of potential victims who may be contaminated. The latter increases the risk of contamination of professionals, resulting in potential losses in the working teams. Immediate measures must be taken to guarantee access to safety equipment throughout the country, since all trauma victims and/or patients with emergency surgical conditions must be treated as potential carriers of COVID-19

Diagenesis of Holocene Beachrock in Northeastern Brazil: Petrology, Isotopic Evidence and Age

This work aims to understand beachrock formation during Holocene through petrology, geochemistry and dating of a core located 5,43m deep in relation to present-day sea-level in the Piedade Beach in Jaboatao dos Guararapes- PE. The core is located 143 meters distant from the coast line towards mainland. Four lithofacies have been identified, taking into account differences in texture and sedimentary structures. The framework grain size ranges from medium to very coarse sand, indicating variations in depositional energy. Petrographic data indicate that the beachrocks have values of 64.23% to 70.69% of framework composed of quartz grains. Carbonate cement (represents 13.5%) consisting of high magnesium calcite surrounding grains as isopachous fringe (4.15% to 11.95%), micritic cement (0.60% to 6.42%) and equant cement (0.26% to 7.01%), indicates marine environment precipitation. The results of the isotopic composition of carbon and oxygen present valuesof 3.09‰ to 3.89‰, with an average of 3.63‰ to δ13CPDB and of -0.91‰ to 0.96‰, with an average of 0.54‰ to δ18OPDB, suggesting that the cement is formed in a shallow marine environment with freshwater influence. The values obtained in paleotemperature vary from 21ºC to 30ºC, with an average of 23ºC, with little variation indicating precipitation in a shallow water environment. In the study area, the beachrocks are indicators of sea level and the results suggest that between 7.509 years B.P. and 5982 years B.P. there was a marine transgression process, with sea level 9.18 m lower than the current sea level

South American Expert Roundtable : increasing adaptive governance capacity for coping with unintended side effects of digital transformation

This paper presents the main messages of a South American expert roundtable (ERT) on the unintended side effects (unseens) of digital transformation. The input of the ERT comprised 39 propositions from 20 experts representing 11 different perspectives. The two-day ERT discussed the main drivers and challenges as well as vulnerabilities or unseens and provided suggestions for: (i) the mechanisms underlying major unseens; (ii) understanding possible ways in which rebound effects of digital transformation may become the subject of overarching research in three main categories of impact: development factors, society, and individuals; and (iii) a set of potential action domains for transdisciplinary follow-up processes, including a case study in Brazil. A content analysis of the propositions and related mechanisms provided insights in the genesis of unseens by identifying 15 interrelated causal mechanisms related to critical issues/concerns. Additionally, a cluster analysis (CLA) was applied to structure the challenges and critical developments in South America. The discussion elaborated the genesis, dynamics, and impacts of (groups of) unseens such as the digital divide (that affects most countries that are not included in the development of digital business, management, production, etc. tools) or the challenge of restructuring small- and medium-sized enterprises (whose service is digitally substituted by digital devices). We identify specific issues and effects (for most South American countries) such as lack of governmental structure, challenging geographical structures (e.g., inclusion in high-performance transmission power), or the digital readiness of (wide parts) of society. One scientific contribution of the paper is related to the presented methodology that provides insights into the phenomena, the causal chains underlying “wanted/positive” and “unwanted/negative” effects, and the processes and mechanisms of societal changes caused by digitalization