Spatial dynamics of synergistic coinfection in rock-paper-scissors models.

We investigate the spatial dynamics of two-disease epidemics reaching a three-species cyclic model. Regardless of their species, all individuals are susceptible to being infected with two different pathogens, which spread through person-to-person contact. We consider that the simultaneous presence of multiple infections leads to a synergistic amplification in the probability of host mortality due to complications arising from any of the co-occurring diseases. Employing stochastic simulations, we explore the ramifications of this synergistic coinfection on spatial configurations that emerge from stochastic initial conditions. Under conditions of pronounced synergistic coinfection, we identify the emergence of zones inhabited solely by hosts affected by a singular pathogen. At the boundaries of spatial domains dominated by a single disease, interfaces of coinfected hosts appear. The dynamics of these interfaces are shaped by curvature-driven processes and display a scaling behavior reflective of the topological attributes of the underlying two-dimensional space. As the lethality linked to coinfection diminishes, the evolution of the interface network's spatial dynamics is influenced by fluctuations stemming from waves of coinfection that infiltrate territories predominantly occupied by a single disease. Our analysis extends to quantifying the implications of synergistic coinfection at both the individual and population levels Our outcomes show that organisms' infection risk is maximized if the coinfection increases the death due to disease by 30% and minimized as the network dynamics reach the scaling regime, with species populations being maximum. Our conclusions may help ecologists understand the dynamics of epidemics and their impact on the stability of ecosystems.

Locally adaptive aggregation of organisms under death risk in rock-paper-scissors models.

We run stochastic simulations of the spatial version of the rock-paper-scissors game, considering that individuals use sensory abilities to scan the environment to detect the presence of enemies. If the local dangerousness level is above a tolerable threshold, individuals aggregate instead of moving randomly on the lattice. We study the impact of the locally adaptive aggregation on the organisms' spatial organisation by measuring the characteristic length scale of the spatial domains occupied by organisms of a single species. Our results reveal that aggregation is beneficial if triggered when the local density of opponents does not exceed 30%; otherwise, the behavioural strategy may harm individuals by increasing the average death risk. We show that if organisms can perceive further distances, they can accurately scan and interpret the signals from the neighbourhood, maximising the effects of the locally adaptive aggregation on the death risk. Finally, we show that the locally adaptive aggregation behaviour promotes biodiversity independently of the organism's mobility. The coexistence probability rises if organisms join conspecifics, even in the presence of a small number of enemies. We verify that our conclusions hold for more complex systems by simulating the generalised rock-paper-scissors models with five and seven species. Our discoveries may be helpful to ecologists in understanding systems where organisms' self-defence behaviour adapts to local environmental cues.

Comparison between selective head cooling and whole-body cooling in neonatal therapeutic hypothermia / Comparação entre resfriamento seletivo da cabeça e resfriamento de corpo inteiro na hipotermia terapêutica neonatal

INTRODUCTION: Experimental evidence, as well as improved clinical studies of the reduction of brain injury and, improves the neurological outcome, in newborns with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) occurring in therapeutic hypothermia (TH). OBJECTIVE: To verify the potential of hypothermic hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) therapy in neonatal asphyxia, based on literature data, comparing the benefits between selective head cooling (SHC) and whole-body cooling (WBC), see that the use of TH as a standard treatment in newborns with moderate or severe HIE has been adopted. METHODS: A search was performed in the PubMed and SciELO databases of human studies, using the keywords "Therapeutic Hypothermia", "Induced Hypothermia", and "Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy", "Selective cooling of the head", "Total body cooling" and its variables. RESULTS: Eleven articles were selected to compose the review, after detailed reading. There is a consensus, that the reduction of the risk of death or disability at 18 months of life in neonates with moderate to severe HIE, occurs to TH through the techniques of WBC or SHC. It was found in the studies that there is no difference in terms of adverse effects between the two methods. As for radiological changes, such as hypoxic-ischemic injuries and the incidence of seizures after cooling, they are more frequent with SHC. CONCLUSION: Both WBC and SHC demonstrated neuroprotective properties, although WBC provides a broader area of brain protection. However, no significant differences were found between the methods in terms of adverse effects and beneficial short or long-term results.

INTRODUÇÃO: Evidências experimentais, assim como estudos clínicos, sugerem a redução da lesão cerebral e melhora do desfecho neurológico, em recém-nascidos com encefalopatia isquêmica hipóxica (EHI) submetidos à hipotermia terapêutica (HT). OBJETIVO: Verificar a potencialidade da terapia hipotérmica de encefalopatia hipóxico-isquêmica (EHI) na asfixia neonatal, com base em dados da literatura, comparando os benefícios entre o resfriamento seletivo da cabeça (RSC) e o resfriamento de corpo inteiro (RCI), visto que o uso de hipotermia terapêutica (HT) como tratamento padrão em recém-nascidos com EHI moderada ou grave tem sido amplamente adotada. MÉTODOS: Foi realizada uma busca nas bases de dados PubMed e SciELO de estudos em humanos, utilizando-se as palavras-chave "Therapeutic Hypothermia", "Induced Hypothermia", "Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy", "selective head cooling", "whole body cooling" e suas respectivas variáveis. RESULTADOS: Foram selecionados 11 artigos para compor a revisão, após leitura detalhada. É consenso, a redução do risco de morte ou incapacidade aos 18 meses de vida nos neonatos com EHI moderado a grave, submetidos à HT através das técnicas de RCI ou RSC. Constatou-se diante dos estudos que não há diferença em termos de efeitos adversos entre os dois métodos. Quanto às alterações radiológicas, as lesões hipóxico-isquêmicas e incidência de convulsões após o resfriamento são mais frequentes com o RSC. CONCLUSÃO: Tanto RCI quanto o RSC demonstraram propriedades neuroprotetoras, embora o RCI proporcione uma área de proteção cerebral mais ampla. No entanto, não foram constatadas diferenças significativas entre os métodos quanto a efeitos adversos e a resultados benéficos em curto e longo prazo.

Impact of plasmapheresis on severe COVID-19.

The clinical course of COVID-19 may show severe presentation, potentially involving dynamic cytokine storms and T cell lymphopenia, which are leading causes of death in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Plasma exchange therapy (PLEX) effectively removes pro-inflammatory factors, modulating and restoring innate and adaptive immune responses. This clinical trial aimed to evaluate the impact of PLEX on the survival of patients with severe SARS-CoV-2 and the effect on the cytokine release syndrome. Hospitalized patients diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection and cytokine storm syndrome were selected to receive 2 sessions of PLEX or standard therapy. Primary outcome was all-cause 60-days mortality; secondary outcome was requirement of mechanical ventilation, SOFA, NEWs-2 scores modification, reduction of pro-inflammatory biomarkers and hospitalization time. Twenty patients received PLEX were compared against 40 patients receiving standard therapy. PLEX reduced 60-days mortality (50% vs 20%; OR 0.25, 95%CI 0.071-0.880; p = 0.029), and this effect was independent from demographic variables and drug therapies used. PLEX significantly decreased SOFA, NEWs-2, pro-inflammatory mediators and increased lymphocyte count, accompanied with a trend to reduce affected lung volume, without effect on SatO2/FiO2 indicator or mechanical ventilation requirement. PLEX therapy provided significant benefits of pro-inflammatory clearance and reduction of 60-days mortality in selected patients with COVID-19, without significant adverse events.

Spatial organisation plasticity reduces disease infection risk in rock-paper-scissors models.

We study a three-species cyclic game system where organisms face a contagious disease whose virulence may change by a pathogen mutation. As a responsive defence strategy, organisms' mobility is restricted to reduce disease dissemination in the system. The impact of the collective self-preservation strategy on the disease infection risk is investigated by performing stochastic simulations of the spatial version of the rock-paper-scissors game. Our outcomes show that the mobility control strategy induces plasticity in the spatial patterns with groups of organisms of the same species inhabiting spatial domains whose characteristic length scales depend on the level of dispersal restrictions. The spatial organisation plasticity allows the ecosystems to adapt to minimise the individuals' disease contamination risk if an eventual pathogen alters the disease virulence. We discover that if a pathogen mutation makes the disease more transmissible or less lethal, the organisms benefit more if the mobility is not strongly restricted, thus forming large spatial domains. Conversely, the benefits of protecting against a pathogen causing a less contagious or deadlier disease are maximised if the average size of groups of individuals of the same species is significantly limited, reducing the dimensions of groups of organisms significantly. Our findings may help biologists understand the effects of dispersal control as a conservation strategy in ecosystems affected by epidemic outbreaks.

Combination of survival movement strategies in cyclic game systems during an epidemic.

Disease outbreaks affect many ecosystems threatening species that also fight against other natural enemies. We investigate a cyclic game system with 5 species, whose organisms outcompete according to the rules of a generalised spatial rock-paper-scissors game, during an epidemic. We study the effects of behavioural movement strategies that allow individuals of one out of the species to move towards areas with a low density of disease vectors and a high concentration of enemies of their enemies. We perform a series of stochastic simulations to discover the impact of self-preservation strategies in pattern formation, calculating the species' spatial autocorrelation functions. Considering organisms with different physical and cognitive abilities, we compute the benefits of each movement tactic to reduce selection and infection risks. Our findings show that the maximum profit in terms of territorial dominance in the cyclic game is achieved if both survival movement strategies are combined, with individuals prioritising social distancing. In the case of an epidemic causing symptomatic illness, the drop in infection risk when organisms identify and avoid disease vectors does not render a rise in the species population because many refuges are disregarded, limiting the benefits of safeguarding against natural enemies. Our results may be helpful to the understanding of the behavioural strategies in ecosystems where organisms adapt to face living conditions changes.

RF generation using a compact bench gyromagnetic line.

The search for new technologies aiming to reach radiofrequency (RF) generation in different manners for diverse ends is a constant demand for several applications. The goal is to develop cost-effective and simpler systems compared to those that already exist. Our motivation is to reach an alternative way of generating RF in pulsed transmission systems employing a gyromagnetic nonlinear transmission line (GNLTL). The GNLTL consists of a ferrite-loaded-coaxial transmission line and can produce a large frequency spectrum with RF conversion efficiency above 10% from about 200 MHz up to the frequency of 2-4 GHz (S-band) for potential space-based applications. In a GNLTL, the signal amplitude is related to its propagation velocity since the peak voltage travels faster than its portion of lower amplitudes since the ferrite permeability decreases with the current amplitude. As the pulse crest travels faster than its valley, a time reduction happens in the output rise time, called pulse sharpening. Besides, the magnetic moments of ferrite dipoles initially aligned with the axial magnetic bias are displaced from their original position by the azimuthal field generated around the inner conductor by the current pulse, resulting in a damped precession movement. This movement happens along the line length as the current pulse propagates, inducing high-frequency oscillations. In short, the paper's goal is to present the experimental results using a 60-cm gyromagnetic line to provide RF in the GHz range using a solenoid for magnetic bias on a testing bench. Finally, the paper discusses the influence of the azimuthal and the axial magnetic fields on the output signal with the ferrite rings operating in a saturation state during the current pulse propagation.

Phylogenetic position of Diplostomum spp. from New World herons based on complete mitogenomes, rDNA operons, and DNA barcodes, including a new species with partially elucidated life cycle.

Diplostomum ardeae Dubois, 1969 has seldom been reported since its description from the great blue heron (Ardea herodias L., 1758) in the USA. Sequences obtained in this study from the barcode region of cytochrome c oxidase 1 (CO1) in diplostomids from black-crowned night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax (L., 1758)) in Puerto Rico matched data from D. ardeae from A. herodias in the type region. We also obtained DNA barcodes from morphologically similar diplostomids from a rufescent tiger heron (Tigrisoma lineatum (Boddaert, 1783)) and from metacercariae from eye lenses of Trachelyopterus galeatus (Linnaeus, 1766) from the Paraná River basin in Argentina and Brazil, respectively. Barcodes matched (97-100% identity) in these South American adult and larval specimens as well as in recently published sequences from metacercariae from 11 other siluriform fishes from the same region. Barcodes from the South American species, which we describe as Diplostomum lunaschiae n. sp., differed from those of D. ardeae by 7.2-9.8%, and the new species differs from D. ardeae in its size, pharynx:oral sucker length ratio, egg:body length ratio, and distribution of vitellaria. As in prior phylogenetic analysis of CO1 sequences, both D. ardeae and D. lunaschiae n. sp. were not associated with Diplostomum. In more character-rich analyses of nuclear rDNA and of mitochondrial genomes, D. ardeae was an early divergent member of clades of species of Diplostomum. Consequently, we continue to consider D. ardeae and D. lunaschiae n. sp. members of Diplostomum, in contrast to recent suggestions that these species may belong to a different genus.

Occurrence of larvae of trypanorhynch cestodes in snappers (Lutjanidae) from northeast Brazil / Ocorrência de larvas de cestodas trypanorhyncha em vermelhas (Lutjanidae) do nordeste do Brasil

Abstract Three species of snappers from artisanal, small-scale fisheries were examined for the presence of parasites. A total of 139 lutjanid fish were collected: 69 specimens of Lutjanus analis, 47 specimens of Lutjanus vivanus, and 23 specimens of Lutjanus synagris. Encysted plerocercoid of trypanorhynch cestodes found at necropsy in the viscera of snappers were sampled for parasitological analysis. These plerocercoid larvae belong to the genera Floriceps, Pseudogrillotia , and Oncomegas. Although these parasites do not have any zoonotic potential, fish with heavy loads of plerocercoids are rejected during inspection as they compromise meat hygiene. Our findings suggest that light larval cestode infections in lutjanids would not lead to consumer rejection of the food product. The occurrence of Floriceps sp. in L. analis and in L. synagris, of Pseudogrillotia sp. in L. vivanus and in L. synagris , and of Oncomegas sp. in L. synagris are new findings in these fish species. These parasites are new to these fish species and have not been reported in snappers from the northeast coast of Brazil. The results contribute to the existing body of knowledge about the parasitic fauna of fish and its distribution along the coastline of Brazil.

Resumo Três espécies de pargos de pescaria artesanal e de pequena escala foram examinadas quanto à presença de parasitas. Um total de 139 peixes lutjanídeos foram coletados: 69 espécimes de Lutjanus analis, 47 de Lutjanus vivanus e 23 de Lutjanus synagris. Cistos de plerocercóides de cestodas Trypanorhyncha encontrados durante a necrópsia nas vísceras de pargos foram amostrados para análise parasitológica. Estas larvas plerocercóides pertencem aos gêneros Floriceps, Pseudogrillotia e Oncomegas. Embora esses parasitas não tenham qualquer potencial zoonótico, peixes com elevadas cargas de plerocercóides são rejeitados durante a inspeção, pois comprometem a higiene da carne. Os achados sugerem que baixas infecções por essas formais larvais de cestodas em lutjanídeos não levariam a rejeição do consumidor quanto ao produto alimentar. A ocorrência de Floriceps sp. em L. analis e em L. synagris, de Pseudogrillotia sp. em L. vivanus e em L. syngaris, e de Oncomegas sp. em L. synagris são novas descobertas nestas espécies de peixes. Estes parasitas são novos para essas espécies de peixes e não foram relatados em pargos da costa nordeste do Brasil. Os resultados contribuem para o conhecimento existente sobre a fauna parasitária do peixe e sua distribuição ao longo do litoral do Brasil.

Occurrence of larvae of trypanorhynch cestodes in snappers (Lutjanidae) from northeast Brazil.

Three species of snappers from artisanal, small-scale fisheries were examined for the presence of parasites. A total of 139 lutjanid fish were collected: 69 specimens of Lutjanus analis, 47 specimens of Lutjanus vivanus, and 23 specimens of Lutjanus synagris. Encysted plerocercoid of trypanorhynch cestodes found at necropsy in the viscera of snappers were sampled for parasitological analysis. These plerocercoid larvae belong to the genera Floriceps, Pseudogrillotia , and Oncomegas. Although these parasites do not have any zoonotic potential, fish with heavy loads of plerocercoids are rejected during inspection as they compromise meat hygiene. Our findings suggest that light larval cestode infections in lutjanids would not lead to consumer rejection of the food product. The occurrence of Floriceps sp. in L. analis and in L. synagris, of Pseudogrillotia sp. in L. vivanus and in L. synagris , and of Oncomegas sp. in L. synagris are new findings in these fish species. These parasites are new to these fish species and have not been reported in snappers from the northeast coast of Brazil. The results contribute to the existing body of knowledge about the parasitic fauna of fish and its distribution along the coastline of Brazil.

Cementum protein 1 transfection does not lead to ultrastructural changes in nucleolar organization of human gingival fibroblasts.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Transfection of cementum protein 1 (CEMP1) into human gingival fibroblasts (HGFs) notably increases cell metabolism and results in overexpression of molecules related to biomineralization at transcriptional and protein levels. Therefore, HGF-CEMP1 cells are considered as putative cementoblasts. This represents a significant advance in periodontal research because cementum neoformation is a key event in periodontal regeneration. In addition, it is well known that important changes in cell metabolism and protein expression are related to nucleolar structure and the function of this organelle, which is implicated in ribosome biogenesis. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of transfecting CEMP1 gene in human HGF on the ultrastructure of the nucleolus. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Cells were processed using the conventional technique for transmission electron microscopy, fixed with glutaraldehyde, postfixed with osmium tetraoxide, and embedded in epoxy resin. Semi-thin sections were stained with Toluidine blue and observed by light microscopy. Thin sections were stained with uranyl acetate and lead citrate. For ribonucleoprotein detection, the staining method based on the regressive effect of EDTA was used. In addition, the osmium ammine technique was used for specific staining of DNA. RESULTS: The results obtained in this study suggest that transfection of CEMP1 into HGFs does not produce changes in the general nucleolar ultrastructure because the different components of the organelle are present as fibrillary centers, and dense fibrillar and granular components compared with the control. CONCLUSION: The transfection of CEMP1 into HGFs allows these cells to perform cementoblast-like functions without alteration of the ultrastructure of the nucleolus, evaluated by the presence of the different compartments of this organelle involved in ribosomal biogenesis.

First molecular detection of Leishmania infantum in Sergentomyia minuta (Diptera, Psychodidae) in Alentejo, southern Portugal.

Protozoan parasites, such as Leishmania spp., are the causative agents of many insect-borne infectious diseases with medical and veterinary importance. Leishmaniasis, caused by Leishmania spp., is transmitted by female phlebotomine sand flies. In the Alentejo region of Portugal, located at the north of Algarve, cases of human and canine leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania infantum have been notified. However, no recent studies regarding the sand fly fauna in the region are available. We therefore aimed to explore the phlebotomine sand fly species found in both, Évora and Beja Districts, to gain an insight about the leishmaniasis epidemiology in these areas. After the identification of the insect species, PCR molecular tests were used to assess L. infantum infection rate in the sand fly captured females, together with the analysis of blood meal sources of the insect vectors. One Sergentomyia minuta female was positive for L. infantum infection and another for human blood as a meal source. The occurrence of this phlebotomine species infected with L. infantum may suggest that, in the Mediterranean basin, leishmaniasis epidemiology is changing. Also, if the importance of S. minuta for the zoonotic and anthroponotic cycle of leishmaniasis is later proven, the strategies to control its vector will inevitably to be rethought.

Evaluation of the impacts of climate change on disease vectors through ecological niche modelling.

Vector-borne diseases are exceptionally sensitive to climate change. Predicting vector occurrence in specific regions is a challenge that disease control programs must meet in order to plan and execute control interventions and climate change adaptation measures. Recently, an increasing number of scientific articles have applied ecological niche modelling (ENM) to study medically important insects and ticks. With a myriad of available methods, it is challenging to interpret their results. Here we review the future projections of disease vectors produced by ENM, and assess their trends and limitations. Tropical regions are currently occupied by many vector species; but future projections indicate poleward expansions of suitable climates for their occurrence and, therefore, entomological surveillance must be continuously done in areas projected to become suitable. The most commonly applied methods were the maximum entropy algorithm, generalized linear models, the genetic algorithm for rule set prediction, and discriminant analysis. Lack of consideration of the full-known current distribution of the target species on models with future projections has led to questionable predictions. We conclude that there is no ideal 'gold standard' method to model vector distributions; researchers are encouraged to test different methods for the same data. Such practice is becoming common in the field of ENM, but still lags behind in studies of disease vectors.

Study of the interplay between N-graphene defects and small Pd clusters for enhanced hydrogen storage via a spill-over mechanism.

The hydrogen spill-over mechanism was studied by applying Density Functional Theory. We used small palladium clusters to act as the catalyst supported on the substrate (comprised of pyridinic and pyrrolic nitrogen doped graphene), in order to study hydrogen dissociation, migration and diffusion. Charge transfer and strong binding between the catalyst and the substrate lead to dissociated states of H2 and prevent clusters from detaching and coalescing. In dissociated cases of H2 on Pd clusters, energy barriers below 0.6 eV were found. Likewise, concerning hydrogen migration from the catalyst to the substrate, energy barrier values of 0.8 eV (pyridinic defect) and 0.5 eV (pyrrolic defect) were apparent in the case of the Pd4 cluster at full hydrogen saturation. This indicates that hydrogen dissociation and migration may occur spontaneously at room temperature. This result shows that the interaction between the defects and the small metal clusters may explain the role that defects play in hydrogen migration from the catalyst to the substrate. Subsequently, it was found that thermal desorption does not limit chemisorbed hydrogen diffusion on the substrate. This work may thus help to determine experimental strategies with the capacity to enhance hydrogen storage.

Spatial temporal study of scorpion envenomation in the state of Sergipe, Brazil / Estudo espacial e temporal dos envenenamentos por escorpiões no estado de Sergipe, Brasil

This is a descriptive, retrospective study using a quantitative approach based on secondary data from records related to scorpion envenomation from the Notifiable Diseases Information System (SINAN ­ Sistema de Informação de Agravos de Notificação) from 2004 to 2014. The goal was to determine the frequency of scorpion envenomation in the eight territories of the state of Sergipe and to examine spatial differences and environmental influences on envenomation. The study was conducted in the state of Sergipe, Brazil and analysed the relationship between locations most affected by scorpion stings and anthropogenic changes. The following variables were analysed: month and year of the envenomation, territory, area of the envenomation and population according to Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE - Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística). Territorial changes were observed in the neighbourhood of Santos Dumont, in the municipality of Aracaju, that were caused by human occupation in the years 2003, 2009 and 2014. To analyse the climatic influences on the frequency of scorpion stings, we used the normal temperature and normal rainfall in the municipalities of Sergipe, especially in Canindé de São Francisco, Nossa Senhora das Dores and Aracaju, provided by the National Institute of Meteorology and Technology (INMET ­ Instituto Nacional de Meteorologia e Tecnologia). A total of 8021 accidents with poisonous animals occurred in Sergipe between 2004 and 2014, of which 5133 (63.99%) involved scorpions; 80% of scorpion envenomation in Sergipe occurred in urban areas, with significant differences in the distribution per zone between the territories (P<0.01). The territory of Grande Aracaju (87.9%) had the highest frequency on scorpion envenomation in urban areas, Alto Sertão (55.9%) had the highest frequency in rural areas, and the municipality of Aracaju had 58.11% of all cases of scorpion stings in Sergipe. The neighbourhood of Santos Dumont was the most affected in the municipality of Aracaju, with 219/2983 cases. Regarding preventive measures aimed at the population, it is recommended that individuals maintain cleanliness in the vicinity of their households, avoid accumulating construction waste, use wall coatings, use protective screens in drains and sewers, and seal septic tanks; individuals may also preserve the scorpions' predators.

Estudo descritivo, retrospectivo de abordagem quantitativa com base em dados secundários, extraídos das notificações de envenenamentos por escorpião no Sistema de Informação de Agravos de Notificação (SINAN) no período de 2004 a 2014. O objetivo foi determinar a frequência de envenenamentos por escorpiões nos oito territórios sergipanos, verificando as diferenças espaciais nas ocorrências e as influências ambientais sobre os envenenamentos. O estudo foi realizado no Estado de Sergipe, Brasil, e analisou a relação entre localidades mais acometidas por acidentes escorpiônicos e modificações antrópicas. As variáveis analisadas foram: ano e mês do envenenamento, território, zona de ocorrência e população segundo Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE). Verificaram-se as modificações territoriais no bairro Santos Dumont, no município de Aracaju, causadas pela ocupação humana nos anos de 2003, 2009 e 2014. Para analisar as influências climáticas nas frequências de envenenamentos por escorpiões, utilizou-se as normais de temperatura e normais de pluviosidade dos municípios de Sergipe, em especial Canindé do São Francisco, Nossa Senhora das Dores e Aracaju, fornecidos pelo Instituto Nacional de Meteorologia e Tecnologia (INMET). Verificou-se a ocorrência de 8021 casos de acidentes com animais peçonhentos em Sergipe no período entre 2004 e 2014, dos quais 5133 (63,99%) envolveram escorpiões; 80% dos casos de acidentes escorpiônicos em Sergipe, ocorreram em zona urbana, com diferenças estatísticas na distribuição por zona entre os territórios (p0,01). O território da Grande Aracaju (87,9%) apresentou a maior frequência de envenenamentos em zona urbana; o Alto Sertão (55,9%) obteve a maior frequência em zona rural; o município de Aracaju concentrou 58,11% de todos os casos de acidentes escorpiônicos de Sergipe. O bairro Santos Dumont foi o mais acometido do município de Aracaju com 219/2983 casos. Em relação às medidas preventivas voltadas à população é recomendável orientar sobre a manutenção da limpeza no entorno dos domicílios; evitar resíduos de construção civil; realizar o acabamento das paredes através de revestimentos; utilizar telas protetoras nos ralos de esgotos e manter fossas sépticas lacradas, além de preservar os predadores dos escorpiões.

Asociación entre consumo de alcohol, tabaco, depresión y ansiedad en estudiantes de enfermería de Sinaloa / Association between alcohol consumption, tobacco, depression and anxiety in nursing students from Sinaloa

El abuso de consumo de alcohol y tabaco, representan un problema de salud pública de alto impacto social y económico, los adolescentes replican los patrones de los adultos con quienes conviven regularmente y que a edades cada vez más tempranas han incrementado el consumo de estas sustancias. La depresión y la ansiedad son también un problema de salud pública que afecta las actividades diarias de la población, manifestándose trastornos emocionales como: tristeza, culpa, inutilidad, inseguridad, miedo, preocupación, pensamientos negativos, entre otros; que pueden desencadenar en el consumo de alcohol y tabaco. Objetivo. Evaluar la asociación del consumo de alcohol, tabaco, depresión y ansiedad. Material y métodos. Se llevó a cabo un estudio epidemiológico en alumnos que cursan la carrera de licenciatura en enfermería en la Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa. El diseño fue de tipo cuantitativo, observacional, transversal, prospectivo, de tipo correlacional causal. Un instrumento auto aplicado con datos sociodemográficos; consumo de alcohol ­instrumento AUDIT-; consumo de tabaco -instrumento FAGESTROM-; depresión -instrumento CES-D- y ansiedad ­instrumento HAMILTON. La descripción de los resultados principales y sociodemográficos fueron analizados usando medidas de tendencia central y dispersión, así como pruebas no paramétricas como el estadístico ji-cuadrado de Pearson, para probar asociación entre las variables de interés. Finalmente, se estimaron los riesgos (razón de momios, OR) de consumo de alcohol o tabaco considerando la depresión y ansiedad como variables independientes para ello se usó un análisis de regresión logística. El valor p < 0.05 fue considerado estadísticamente significativo. Todos los análisis se realizaron con el software estadístico Stata Intercooled versión 13.1 Resultados. La muestra quedó constituida por 277 alumnos de tres unidades académicas de enfermería de la Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa. El 41.9% (n=116) fueron alumnos de enfermería Culiacán, el 32.5% (n=90) de enfermería Los Mochis, y el resto de Mazatlán. El 73 % (n=202, IC95%: 67.3 ­ 78.1) de los participantes correspondió al sexo femenino. El consumo de alcohol estuvo presente en el 55.6% de los participantes, siendo mayor en los hombres. El consumo de tabaco fue referido por el 2.1% de los alumnos. El 26.7% de los alumnos presentaron depresión y las mujeres en un 28.70 % (n=58), en mayor proporción que los hombre 21.30 % (n=16). El 15.2% presentó rasgos de ansiedad. El consumo de alcohol estuvo asociado con el consumo de tabaco (p=0.035) y depresión (p=0.012).El nivel de depresión se asoció con el nivel de consumo de tabaco (p=0.007) y ansiedad (p=0.000). Los alumnos con algún nivel de ansiedad (leve o moderada) tienen más riesgo de padecer efecto deprimido (OR=8.8) o somático (OR=31.6) en comparación con aquellos que no presentan síntomas de ansiedad, p<0.05. La asociación entre grado escolar y consumo de alcohol resultó estadísticamente significativo, p=0.009; el riesgo de consumo de alcohol es mayor en los alumnos de cuarto grado en comparación con los de primero. Conclusión. Los alumnos de enfermería de la Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa presentan rasgos de ansiedad, depresión, consumo de alcohol y tabaco con evidencia significativa de asociación entre las variables principales y algunas variables sociodemográficas. El consumo de alcohol es más frecuente en los alumnos de cuarto grado.

Introduction: Alcohol and tobacco abuses have important negative social and economical impacts on social health. In this sense, many times, teenagers replicate the substance abuse behavior patterns of the adults whom they live with. Depression and anxiety are health problems which affect daily living as well. Some depression and anxiety related conditions include sadness, guilt, uselessness, insecurity, fear, concer, and negative thinking, which, possibly as feedback loops, can further increase the abuse of substances. Objective: To assess the associations among alcohol and tobacco consumption, depresion, and anxiety. Materials and Methods: An epidemiological study was conducted with pregrade nursing students of the Autonomous University of Sinaloa, Mexico. The study design is quantitative, observational, transversal, prospective, and cause-correlational. The instruments used were: a specific one for social-demographic data; AUDIT (alcohol consumption); FAGESTROM (tobacco use); CES-D (depresion); and HAMILTON (anxiety). Central tendencies and dispersions were calculated, as well as non-parametric tests including Pearson´s, in order to explore the associations among the variables of interest. Odds ratios regarding alcohol or tobacco consumption, having depression and anxiety as independent variables, were calculated using logistic regression analysis. A p < 0.05 value was considered statistically significant. All calculations were performed using Stata Intercooled version 13.1. Results: The sample was finally constituted by 277 nursing students from 3 academic nursing units of the Autonomous University of Sinaloa, Mexico. 41.9% (n = 116) were students from the city of Culiacan, 32.5% (n = 90) were students from the city of Los Mochis, and the remaining students were from the city of Mazatlan. 73% of the participating students were female. Alcohol consumption was present in 55.6% of the participants, being this more prevalent among male students. Tobacco consumption was reported by 2.1% of the participants. 26.7% of the total sample showed depresion (58 female, and 16 male). 15.2% showed anxiety traits. Alcohol consumption was associated with tobacco consumption (p = 0.035) and depresion (p = 0.012). The level of depression was associated with the level of tobbaco use (p = 0.007) and the level of anxiety (p = 0.000). Students showing some level of anxiety (mild or moderate) had more risk of developing depressive (OR = 8.8) or somatic (OR = 31.6) problems in comparison with the students who did not show symptoms of anxiety (p < 0.05). The association between school grade and alcohol consumption turned out to be statistically significant (p = 0.009). The risk of falling into alcohol consumption was higher among 4th grade students in comparison with 1st grade students. Conclusion: Nursing students from the Autonomous University of Sinaloa show anxiety and depression traits, as well as alcohol and tobacco consumption patterns, which, possibly, are all interconnected.

Supramolecular polymerization of a prebiotic nucleoside provides insights into the creation of sequence-controlled polymers.

Self-assembly of a nucleoside on Au(111) was studied to ascertain whether polymerization on well-defined substrates constitutes a promising approach for making sequence-controlled polymers. Scanning tunneling microscopy and density functional theory were used to investigate the self-assembly on Au(111) of (RS)-N(9)-(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)adenine (DHPA), a plausibly prebiotic nucleoside analog of adenosine. It is found that DHPA molecules self-assemble into a hydrogen-bonded polymer that grows almost exclusively along the herringbone reconstruction pattern, has a two component sequence that is repeated over hundreds of nanometers, and is erasable with electron-induced excitation. Although the sequence is simple, more complicated ones are envisioned if two or more nucleoside types are combined. Because polymerization occurs on a substrate in a dry environment, the success of each combination can be gauged with high-resolution imaging and accurate modeling techniques. These characteristics make nucleoside self-assembly on a substrate an attractive approach for designing sequence-controlled polymers. Further, by choosing plausibly prebiotic nucleosides, insights may be provided into how nature created the first sequence-controlled polymers capable of storing information. Such insights, in turn, can inspire new ways of synthesizing sequence-controlled polymers.

Integrated approach to the understanding of the degradation of an urban river: local perceptions, environmental parameters and geoprocessing.

BACKGROUND: The use of interdisciplinary approaches such as the proposed report provides a broad understanding of the relationship between people and the environment, revealing reliable aspects not previously considered in the study of this relationship. This study compiled evidence on the environmental degradation of an urbanized river over the past few decades, providing a diagnosis of the consequences of this process for the river, its ichthyofauna, and the local human population. METHODS: The study was focused on the Beira Rio community on the Capibaribe River in the municipality of São Lourenço da Mata, Pernambuco, Brazil. Data were collected using geoprocessing and ethnobiological approaches, as well as environmental parameters. This research was conducted with the most experienced long-term residents in the local community, through interviews and participatory methodologies to recovering information about the river environment, its ichthyofauna and its environmental services for the last decades. RESULTS: According to the GIS analysis, the study area was subject to an accelerated process of urbanization, with the total urban area increasing from 73 565, 98 m(2) in 1974 to 383 363, 6 m(2) in 2005. The informants perceived the urban growth, especially in the late twentieth century, being this period recognized as the phase of greatest negative changes in the river environment. The perceived decline of fish stocks was indicated by the community as one of the effects of river degradation. According to the interviews, the deterioration of the river affected the ecosystem services and the relationship of the adjacent human community with this ecosystem. The environmental data indicated that the river is suffering eutrophization and has fecal coliform concentrations 160 times higher than the maximum level permitted by Brazilian legislation. CONCLUSIONS: The interdisciplinary approach used in this research allowed the understanding of the degradation process of an urban river and some negative effects through the integration of environmental data, GIS and the local knowledge, revealing the complementarity of obtained data and the effectiveness of implementation of this approach.

DIDS (4,4'-Diisothiocyanatostilbene-2,2'-disulfonate) directly inhibits caspase activity in HeLa cell lysates.

Apoptosis is an important mechanism of cell demise in multicellular organisms and Cl(-) transport has an important role in the progression of the apoptotic volume decrease (AVD). DIDS (4,4'-Diisothiocyanatostilbene-2,2'-disulfonate) is one of the most commonly used Cl(-) transport inhibitors that eliminates or reduces different apoptotic hallmarks such as AVD, caspase-3 activity and DNA fragmentation. DIDS is also a protein crosslinker that alkylates either amino or thiol groups. Since caspases are thiol proteases, our aim was to study whether DIDS could directly inhibit the activity of these proteases. Here, we show that caspase activity induced by 4 h incubation with staurosporine was inhibited by DIDS in HeLa cells that were maintained in the absence of serum for 24 h. Interestingly, the caspase-inhibitory effect of DIDS is downstream to the inhibition of cytochrome c release, suggesting that DIDS might be also acting at the apoptosome. Moreover, DIDS was able to inhibit capase-3, -9, and -8 activities in cell lysates, implying that DIDS can react with and directly block caspases. Our data suggest that antiapoptotic activity of DIDS involves not only inhibition of the voltage-dependent anion channel (VDAC) at the mitochondria and Cl(-) channels at the plasma membrane, but also a third mechanism based on the direct inhibition of caspases.