Circulation of bee-infecting viruses in Brazil: a call for action.

Bees are fundamental for maintaining pollination-dependent plant populations, both economically and ecologically. In Brazil, they constitute 66.3% of pollinators, contributing to an annual market value estimated at R$ 43 billion for pollination services. Unfortunately, worldwide bee populations are declining due to parasites and pathogens, more specifically viruses, alongside climate change, habitat loss, and pesticides. In this scenario, extensive research concerning bee diversity, virus diversity and surveillance, is necessary to aid the conservation of native managed pollinators and potential wild alternatives besides mitigating the emergence and spread of viral pathogens. A decrease in pollination can be a point of economic vulnerability in a country like Brazil because of its main dependence on food exports. Here we conducted a study aiming to obtain an overview of circulating viruses in bees within Brazilian territory highlighting the need for further studies to have a more realistic view of bee-infecting viruses in Brazil.

Unveiling Dark Forces with Measurements of the Large Scale Structure of the Universe.

Cosmology offers opportunities to test dark matter independently of its interactions with the standard model. We study the imprints of long-range forces acting solely in the dark sector on the distribution of galaxies, the so-called large scale structure (LSS). We derive the strongest constraint on such forces from a combination of Planck and BOSS data. Along the way we consistently develop, for the first time, the effective field theory of LSS in the presence of new dynamics in the dark sector. We forecast that future surveys will improve the current bound by an order of magnitude.

Left atrial appendage occlusion for recurrent stroke while on oral anticoagulation: a case series.

Background: Clinical practice guidelines recommend oral anticoagulation (OAC) for stroke prevention in selected patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). However, some patients still experience thrombo-embolic events despite adequate anticoagulation. The optimal management of these cases remains uncertain, leading to practice pattern variability. We present a series of three cases illustrating the use of left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) as an adjunctive stroke prevention strategy in AF patients with recurrent thrombo-embolic events despite adequate anticoagulation. Case summary: Case one describes an 89-year-old female on apixaban who presented with a thrombus and underwent successful mechanical thrombectomy. Left atrial appendage occlusion was performed, and no subsequent thrombo-embolic events were reported. Case 2 involves a 72-year-old female on full-dose apixaban who experienced recurrent strokes despite adequate anticoagulation. Thrombectomy was performed twice, and complications arose during LAAO. The patient was discharged on warfarin + clopidogrel and remained event-free at the six-month follow-up. Case 3 features an 88-year-old female on rivaroxaban who experienced recurrent cerebral ischaemic events and gastrointestinal bleeding. Left atrial appendage occlusion using an Amplatzer Amulet™ device was successful, and the patient remained event-free at the one-year follow-up. Discussion: This case series emphasizes the complexity of stroke prevention in AF patients and underscores the need for an individualized approach. Incorporating LAAO alongside OAC can provide additional stroke protection for patients with inadequate response to anticoagulation. Further randomized controlled trials are needed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of this approach. In light of the limited evidence available, these cases contribute to the growing body of knowledge on the potential role of LAAO in secondary stroke prevention in AF patients with recurrent thrombo-embolic events despite appropriate anticoagulation.

M2WISH: An easy and efficient protocol for whole-mount mRNA in situ hybridization that allows 3D cell resolution of gene expression in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Gene expression analysis is essential for understanding the mechanisms involved in plant development. Here, we developed M2WISH, a protocol based on MicroWave treatment for Wholemount mRNA In Situ Hybridization in Arabidopsis. By permeabilizing tissues without damaging cellular organization this protocol results in high and homogeneous hybridization yields that enable systematic analysis of gene expression dynamics. Moreover, when combined with cellular histochemical staining, M2WISH successfully provides a cellular resolution of gene expression. Thus, we demonstrate the robustness of M2WISH with 10 genes on roots, aerial meristems, leaves, and embryos in the seed. We applied M2WISH to study the spatial dynamics of WUSCHEL (WUS) and CLAVATA3 (CLV3) expression during in vitro meristematic conversion of roots into shoot apical meristems. Thus, we showed that shoot apical meristems could arise from two different types of root structures that differed by their CLV3 gene expression patterns. We constructed 3D cellular representations of WUS and CLV3 gene co-expression pattern and stressed the variability inherent to meristem conversion. Thus, this protocol generates a large amount of data on the localization of gene expression, which can be used to model complex systems.

Correction: An impedimetric sensor based on molecularly imprinted nanoparticles for the determination of trypsin in artificial matrices - towards point-of-care diagnostics.

Correction for 'An impedimetric sensor based on molecularly imprinted nanoparticles for the determination of trypsin in artificial matrices - towards point-of-care diagnostics' by Sabrina Di Masi et al., Anal. Methods, 2024, 16, 742-750, https://doi.org/10.1039/D3AY01762A.

Pentatonic sequences and monaural beats to facilitate relaxation: an EEG study.

Introduction: In two studies we investigated if specific acoustic stimulations could be more effective to induce a relaxation response in comparison to silence. Acoustic stimulations included monaural beats and musical sequences based on a pentatonic scale. Methods: In the first study, 47 participants evaluated monaural beats and pentatonic sequences presented through loudspeakers and varying along three frequencies (0.2, 2, 4 Hz). In the second study, 31 participants relaxed with their eyes closed for 10 min during a passive listening of monaural beats and a pentatonic sequence presented through loudspeakers. A silence condition was introduced as control. All auditory stimuli were designed with a temporal modulation of 0.2 Hz. Concomitant EEG was recorded with a 64-channel system and spectral analysis was performed on delta, theta, alpha, beta, and gamma oscillations to test if each of the three auditory stimulations had a significant effect on EEG spectral power in comparison to silence. Results: In the first study, pentatonic sequences were evaluated as more pleasant and more relaxing than monaural beats. Pleasantness and relaxation were inversely related to frequency. Visual imagery and emotion induction had higher frequency and were rated with a more positive valence in pentatonic sequences than in monaural beats. In the second study monaural beats in comparison to silence strongly decreased beta and gamma oscillations in the first three minutes and strongly increased theta oscillations in the last three minutes. Pentatonic sequences increased delta, theta, and alpha oscillations in the last three minutes while decreasing beta, and gamma oscillations for the whole auditory stimulation. Discussion: The results show that auditory signals with a very low temporal modulation (0.2 Hz) could be more effective than silence in inducing a relaxation response. Although 0.2 Hz monaural beats were effective in inducing a relaxation response, they tended to be perceived as unpleasant. Pentatonic sequences could be considered as a better alternative to promote relaxation by auditory stimulation.

Rational Design of a Portable Chemometric-Assisted Voltammetric Sensor Based on Ion-Imprinted Polymeric Film for Co(II) Determination in Water.

Herein, chemometric-assisted synthesis of electrochemical sensors based on electropolymerised ion-imprinted polymeric (e-IIP) films was explored. Co(II)-IIPs sensors were prepared by performing electropolymerisation procedures of polymerisation mixtures comprising varying concentrations of an electroactive o-aminophenol (o-AP) monomer and Co(II) ions, respectively, according to the Taguchi L9 experimental design, exploiting the simultaneous evaluation of other controlled parameters during electrosynthesis. Each e-IIP developed from Taguchi runs was compared with the respective non-imprinted polymer (NIP) films and fitted according to Langmuir-Freudlich isotherms. Distinctive patterns of low and high-affinity films were screened based on the qualities and properties of the developed IIPs in terms of binding kinetics (KD), imprinting factor, and the heterogeneity index of produced cavities. These results can provide a generic protocol for chemometric-assisted synthesis of e-IIPs based on poly-o-AP, providing highly stable, reproducible, and high-affinity imprinted polymeric films for monitoring purposes.

An impedimetric sensor based on molecularly imprinted nanoparticles for the determination of trypsin in artificial matrices - towards point-of-care diagnostics.

A high-performance impedimetric sensing platform was designed to detect proteins by employing molecularly imprinted polymeric nanoparticles (nanoMIPs) as selective receptors. This was achieved via the combination of the nanoMIPs with a self-assembled thioctic acid (SAM-TA) monolayer onto screen-printed gold electrodes, providing stable covalent attachment of the selective binder to the transducer. Taguchi design has been modelled to achieve the optimal level of sensor fabrication parameters and to maximise the immobilisation of nanoMIPs and their response (e.g. the response of imprinted polymers compared with the non-imprinted control). The developed sensor was tested towards a range of concentrations of trypsin dissolved in ammonium acetate (pH = 6) and showed promising applicability in artificial saliva, with a recovery percentage between 103 and 107%.

The Viromes of Six Ecosystem Service Provider Parasitoid Wasps.

Parasitoid wasps are fundamental insects for the biological control of agricultural pests. Despite the importance of wasps as natural enemies for more sustainable and healthy agriculture, the factors that could impact their species richness, abundance, and fitness, such as viral diseases, remain almost unexplored. Parasitoid wasps have been studied with regard to the endogenization of viral elements and the transmission of endogenous viral proteins that facilitate parasitism. However, circulating viruses are poorly characterized. Here, RNA viromes of six parasitoid wasp species are studied using public libraries of next-generation sequencing through an integrative bioinformatics pipeline. Our analyses led to the identification of 18 viruses classified into 10 families (Iflaviridae, Endornaviridae, Mitoviridae, Partitiviridae, Virgaviridae, Rhabdoviridae, Chuviridae, Orthomyxoviridae, Xinmoviridae, and Narnaviridae) and into the Bunyavirales order. Of these, 16 elements were described for the first time. We also found a known virus previously identified on a wasp prey which suggests viral transmission between the insects. Altogether, our results highlight the importance of virus surveillance in wasps as its service disruption can affect ecology, agriculture and pest management, impacting the economy and threatening human food security.

Nonneurologic Cavovarus Feet in Skeletally Immature Patients: Main Causes and Principles of Treatment.

The foot resembles a tripod. The 3 legs consist of (1) the tip of the heel, (2) the first metatarsal, and (3) the fifth metatarsal. This concept is useful to explain cavus or flat feet. When the tips of the tripod move closer, the arch becomes higher. The leg of the tripod that moves the most will determine the type of cavus feet, which can be hindfoot cavus, forefoot cavus, or first metatarsal cavus. Cavovarus foot denotes the presence of a three-dimensional deformity of the foot, but it is much more a descriptive feature than a diagnosis.

Artificial Intelligence in Lung Cancer Screening: The Future Is Now.

Lung cancer has one of the worst morbidity and fatality rates of any malignant tumour. Most lung cancers are discovered in the middle and late stages of the disease, when treatment choices are limited, and patients' survival rate is low. The aim of lung cancer screening is the identification of lung malignancies in the early stage of the disease, when more options for effective treatments are available, to improve the patients' outcomes. The desire to improve the efficacy and efficiency of clinical care continues to drive multiple innovations into practice for better patient management, and in this context, artificial intelligence (AI) plays a key role. AI may have a role in each process of the lung cancer screening workflow. First, in the acquisition of low-dose computed tomography for screening programs, AI-based reconstruction allows a further dose reduction, while still maintaining an optimal image quality. AI can help the personalization of screening programs through risk stratification based on the collection and analysis of a huge amount of imaging and clinical data. A computer-aided detection (CAD) system provides automatic detection of potential lung nodules with high sensitivity, working as a concurrent or second reader and reducing the time needed for image interpretation. Once a nodule has been detected, it should be characterized as benign or malignant. Two AI-based approaches are available to perform this task: the first one is represented by automatic segmentation with a consequent assessment of the lesion size, volume, and densitometric features; the second consists of segmentation first, followed by radiomic features extraction to characterize the whole abnormalities providing the so-called "virtual biopsy". This narrative review aims to provide an overview of all possible AI applications in lung cancer screening.

ACUTE CHOLECYSTITIS IN HIGH-RISK PATIENTS. SURGICAL, RADIOLOGICAL, OR ENDOSCOPIC TREATMENT? BRAZILIAN COLLEGE OF DIGESTIVE SURGERY POSITION PAPER.

Acute cholecystitis (AC) is an acute inflammatory process of the gallbladder that may be associated with potentially severe complications, such as empyema, gangrene, perforation of the gallbladder, and sepsis. The gold standard treatment for AC is laparoscopic cholecystectomy. However, for a small group of AC patients, the risk of laparoscopic cholecystectomy can be very high, mainly in the elderly with associated severe diseases. In these critically ill patients, percutaneous cholecystostomy or endoscopic ultrasound gallbladder drainage may be a temporary therapeutic option, a bridge to cholecystectomy. The objective of this Brazilian College of Digestive Surgery Position Paper is to present new advances in AC treatment in high-risk surgical patients to help surgeons, endoscopists, and physicians select the best treatment for their patients. The effectiveness, safety, advantages, disadvantages, and outcomes of each procedure are discussed. The main conclusions are: a) AC patients with elevated surgical risk must be preferably treated in tertiary hospitals where surgical, radiological, and endoscopic expertise and resources are available; b) The optimal treatment modality for high-surgical-risk patients should be individualized based on clinical conditions and available expertise; c) Laparoscopic cholecystectomy remains an excellent option of treatment, mainly in hospitals in which percutaneous or endoscopic gallbladder drainage is not available; d) Percutaneous cholecystostomy and endoscopic gallbladder drainage should be performed only in well-equipped hospitals with experienced interventional radiologist and/or endoscopist; e) Cholecystostomy catheter should be removed after resolution of AC. However, in patients who have no clinical condition to undergo cholecystectomy, the catheter may be maintained for a prolonged period or even definitively; f) If the cholecystostomy catheter is maintained for a long period of time several complications may occur, such as bleeding, bile leakage, obstruction, pain at the insertion site, accidental removal of the catheter, and recurrent AC; g) The ideal waiting time between cholecystostomy and cholecystectomy has not yet been established and ranges from immediately after clinical improvement to months. h) Long waiting periods between cholecystostomy and cholecystectomy may be associated with new episodes of acute cholecystitis, multiple hospital readmissions, and increased costs. Finally, when selecting the best treatment option other aspects should also be considered, such as costs, procedures available at the medical center, and the patient's desire. The patient and his family should be fully informed about all treatment options, so they can help making the final decision.

Mining Public Data to Investigate the Virome of Neglected Pollinators and Other Floral Visitors.

This study reports the virome investigation of pollinator species and other floral visitors associated with plants from the south of Bahia: Aphis aurantii, Atrichopogon sp., Dasyhelea sp., Forcipomyia taiwana, and Trigona ventralis hoozana. Studying viruses in insects associated with economically important crops is vital to understand transmission dynamics and manage viral diseases that pose as threats for global food security. Using literature mining and public RNA next-generation sequencing data deposited in the NCBI SRA database, we identified potential vectors associated with Malvaceae plant species and characterized the microbial communities resident in these insects. Bacteria and Eukarya dominated the metagenomic analyses of all taxon groups. We also found sequences showing similarity to elements from several viral families, including Bunyavirales, Chuviridae, Iflaviridae, Narnaviridae, Orthomyxoviridae, Rhabdoviridae, Totiviridae, and Xinmoviridae. Phylogenetic analyses indicated the existence of at least 16 new viruses distributed among A. aurantii (3), Atrichopogon sp. (4), Dasyhelea sp. (3), and F. taiwana (6). No novel viruses were found for T. ventralis hoozana. For F. taiwana, the available libraries also allowed us to suggest possible vertical transmission, while for A. aurantii we followed the infection profile along the insect development. Our results highlight the importance of studying the virome of insect species associated with crop pollination, as they may play a crucial role in the transmission of viruses to economically important plants, such as those of the genus Theobroma, or they will reduce the pollination process. This information may be valuable in developing strategies to mitigate the spread of viruses and protect the global industry.

Republication of "Minimally Invasive Surgery Using the Circular External Fixator to Correct Neglected Severe Stiff Equinocavus Foot Deformities".

Background: Stiff equinocavus deformities of the foot are challenging to treat, often requiring extensive soft tissue dissection and bone removal. These procedures frequently yield suboptimal results and not infrequently amputation. Minimally invasive surgery using a circular external fixator potentially avoids the trauma to the soft tissue and may lead to improvement in outcomes and a lower amputation rate. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of minimally invasive surgery using a circular external fixator and limited soft tissue release to correct stiff equinocavus deformities. Methods: The treatment outcome of 29 patients (31 feet) with stiff equinocavus deformities of the foot and ankle treated with minimally invasive surgery and circular external fixation were reviewed after a mean follow-up period of 63 months. Patients' demographics and cause of the deformities were recorded. Weight bearing radiographs of the foot were compared pre and postoperatively. Results: Outcome was satisfactory (plantigrade foot with improvement/resolution of pain) in 21 of 31 extremities, fair in 6 of 31 extremities, and poor in 4 of 31 extremities. In the majority of patients, a significant improvement in the equinocavus deformities was achieved with a statistically significant improvement in calcaneus and navicular height. Two patients with Charcot-Marie-Tooth and severely insensate feet had a poor outcome, resulting in transtibial amputation. Conclusion: Minimally invasive surgery with gradual correction of neglected stiff equinocavus deformities using a modular circular external fixator is a reliable initial limb salvage strategy. Minimally invasive surgery and gradual correction of neglected severe stiff equinocavus deformities using the modular circular external fixator to gradually correct neglected severe stiff equinocavus deformities, is a safe initial limb salvage strategy which may simplify secondary procedures such as arthrodesis. Level of evidence: IV.

Encapsulating peritoneal sclerosis post liver transplant and peritoneal dialysis: case report and literature review.

Encapsulating peritoneal sclerosis (EPS) is a rare and debilitating condition. A fibrocollagenous membrane, which promotes encasement of the small intestine leaving a cocoon-like appearance, takes place. It is mainly associated with peritoneal infections, medications, peritoneal dialysis and systemic inflammatory diseases. Diagnosis is based on clinical history, intestinal obstruction and imaging exam. We report a case of EPS in a 68-year-old man with a medical history of liver transplantation and peritoneal dialysis, complaining of obstructive bowel symptoms.

Chronotype and quality of sleep in alpine skiers.

Alpine skiing is among the most demanding sporting activities in terms of physical effort and mental workload. The aim of the study was to compare sleep quality and chronotype distribution between 84 highly trained alpine skiers and a control sample of 84 non-athletes matched by age and sex ratio. Quality of sleep was assessed by the Pittsburgh Quality of Sleep Index (PSQI), and chronotype was assessed by the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ). Additional questions assessed sleep management during training or competitions. The results showed a marked skewed chronotype distribution towards morningness in alpine skiers (52.4% morning type, 42.8% intermediate, and 4.8% evening type) in comparison to the control group. The midpoint of sleep was significantly anticipated among alpine skiers. Differently from the previous literature that showed poor sleep quality and quantity in competitive athletes, the quality and quantity of sleep in alpine skiers was within the normal range in all the PSQI subcomponents.

Randomized comparison of 9-month stent strut coverage of biolimus and everolimus drug-eluting stents assessed by optical coherence tomography in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. Long-term (5-years) clinical follow-up (ROBUST trial).

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to compare healing (assessed by optical coherence tomography [OCT]) of biolimus A9 (BES) and everolimus drug-eluting stents (EES) at 9-month follow-up in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) treated by primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI). Nine-month clinical and angiographic data were also compared in both groups as well as clinical data at 5 years of follow-up. METHODS: A total of 201 patients with STEMI were enrolled in the study and randomized either to pPCI with BES or EES implantation. All patients were scheduled for 9 months of angiographic and OCT follow-up. RESULTS: The rate of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) was comparable at 9 months in both groups (5% in BES vs. 6% in the EES group; p = 0.87). Angiographic data were also comparable between both groups. The main finding at 9-month OCT analysis was the greatly reduced extent of mean neointimal area at the cost of a higher proportion of uncovered struts in the BES group (1.3 mm² vs. 0.9 mm²; p = 0.0001 and 15.9% vs. 7.0%; p = 0.0001, respectively). At 5 years of clinical follow-up the rate of MACE was comparable between both groups (16.8% vs. 14.0%, p = 0.74). CONCLUSIONS: The study demonstrates a very low rate of MACE and good 9-month stent strut coverage of second-generation BES and EES in patients with STEMI. BES showed greatly reduced extent of mean neointimal hyperplasia area at the cost of a higher proportion of uncovered struts when compared to EES. The rate of MACE was low and comparable in both groups at 5 years.

Assessment of distance to primary percutaneous coronary intervention centres in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction: Overcoming inequalities with process mining tools.

Objectives: In ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), time delay between symptom onset and treatment is critical to improve outcome. The expected transport delay between patient location and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) centre is paramount for choosing the adequate reperfusion therapy. The "Centro" region of Portugal has heterogeneity in PCI assess due to geographical reasons. We aimed to explore time delays between regions using process mining tools. Methods: Retrospective observational analysis of patients with STEMI from the Portuguese Registry of Acute Coronary Syndromes. We collected information on geographical area of symptom onset, reperfusion option, and in-hospital mortality. We built a national and a regional patient's flow models by using a process mining methodology based on parallel activity-based log inference algorithm. Results: Totally, 8956 patients (75% male, 48% from 51 to 70 years) were included in the national model. Most patients (73%) had primary PCI, with the median time between admission and treatment <120 minutes in every region; "Centro" had the longest delay. In the regional model corresponding to the "Centro" region of Portugal divided by districts, only 61% had primary PCI, with "Guarda" (05:04) and "Castelo Branco" (06:50) showing longer delays between diagnosis and reperfusion than "Coimbra" (01:19). For both models, in-hospital mortality was higher for those without reperfusion therapy compared to PCI and fibrinolysis. Conclusion: Process mining tools help to understand referencing networks visually, easily highlighting its inefficiencies and potential needs for improvement. A new PCI centre in the "Centro" region is critical to offer timely first-line treatment to their population.