Acenaphthylene-Based Chromophores for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells: Synthesis, Spectroscopic Properties, and Theoretical Calculations.

A set of acenaphthylene dyes with arylethynyl π-bridges was tested for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Crucial steps for the extension of the conjugated system from the acenaphylene core involved Sonogashira coupling reactions. Phenyl, thiophene, benzotriazole, and thieno-[3,2-b]thiophene moieties were employed to extend the conjugation of the π-bridges. The systems were characterized by cyclic voltammetry and by UV-vis absorption and emission. The spectroscopic characterization showed that the last three bridges resulted in red-shifted absorption and emission spectra relative to the parent phenyl-bridged compound, in accordance with TD-DFT calculations. The phenylethynyl derivative 6a achieved a conversion efficiency of 2.51% with Voc, Jsc, and FF values of 0.365 V, 13.32 mA/cm2, and 0.52, respectively. The efficiency of this compound improved to 3.15% with the addition of CDCA (10 mM), representing the best efficiency result in this study. The overall conversion efficiency of the other aryl derivatives 6b-d proved to be significantly inferior (14-40%) to that of 6a due to a significant decrease of Jsc.

Evaluating Word Embedding Feature Extraction Techniques for Host-Based Intrusion Detection Systems.

Research into Intrusion and Anomaly Detectors at the Host level typically pays much attention to extracting attributes from system call traces. These include window-based, Hidden Markov Models, and sequence-model-based attributes. Recently, several works have been focusing on sequence-model-based feature extractors, specifically Word2Vec and GloVe, to extract embeddings from the system call traces due to their ability to capture semantic relationships among system calls. However, due to the nature of the data, these extractors introduce inconsistencies in the extracted features, causing the Machine Learning models built on them to yield inaccurate and potentially misleading results. In this paper, we first highlight the research challenges posed by these extractors. Then, we conduct experiments with new feature sets assessing their suitability to address the detected issues. Our experiments show that Word2Vec is prone to introducing more duplicated samples than GloVe. Regarding the solutions proposed, we found that concatenating the embedding vectors generated by Word2Vec and GloVe yields the overall best balanced accuracy. In addition to resolving the challenge of data leakage, this approach enables an improvement in performance relative to other alternatives.

A systematic literature review of cyber-security data repositories and performance assessment metrics for semi-supervised learning.

In Machine Learning, the datasets used to build models are one of the main factors limiting what these models can achieve and how good their predictive performance is. Machine Learning applications for cyber-security or computer security are numerous including cyber threat mitigation and security infrastructure enhancement through pattern recognition, real-time attack detection, and in-depth penetration testing. Therefore, for these applications in particular, the datasets used to build the models must be carefully thought to be representative of real-world data. However, because of the scarcity of labelled data and the cost of manually labelling positive examples, there is a growing corpus of literature utilizing Semi-Supervised Learning with cyber-security data repositories. In this work, we provide a comprehensive overview of publicly available data repositories and datasets used for building computer security or cyber-security systems based on Semi-Supervised Learning, where only a few labels are necessary or available for building strong models. We highlight the strengths and limitations of the data repositories and sets and provide an analysis of the performance assessment metrics used to evaluate the built models. Finally, we discuss open challenges and provide future research directions for using cyber-security datasets and evaluating models built upon them.

The spatial distribution and biogeochemical drivers of nitrogen cycle genes in an Antarctic desert.

Antarctic deserts, such as the McMurdo Dry Valleys (MDV), represent extremely cold and dry environments. Consequently, MDV are suitable for studying the environment limits on the cycling of key elements that are necessary for life, like nitrogen. The spatial distribution and biogeochemical drivers of nitrogen-cycling pathways remain elusive in the Antarctic deserts because most studies focus on specific nitrogen-cycling genes and/or organisms. In this study, we analyzed metagenome and relevant environmental data of 32 MDV soils to generate a complete picture of the nitrogen-cycling potential in MDV microbial communities and advance our knowledge of the complexity and distribution of nitrogen biogeochemistry in these harsh environments. We found evidence of nitrogen-cycling genes potentially capable of fully oxidizing and reducing molecular nitrogen, despite the inhospitable conditions of MDV. Strong positive correlations were identified between genes involved in nitrogen cycling. Clear relationships between nitrogen-cycling pathways and environmental parameters also indicate abiotic and biotic variables, like pH, water availability, and biological complexity that collectively impose limits on the distribution of nitrogen-cycling genes. Accordingly, the spatial distribution of nitrogen-cycling genes was more concentrated near the lakes and glaciers. Association rules revealed non-linear correlations between complex combinations of environmental variables and nitrogen-cycling genes. Association rules for the presence of denitrification genes presented a distinct combination of environmental variables from the remaining nitrogen-cycling genes. This study contributes to an integrative picture of the nitrogen-cycling potential in MDV.

Ecstasy metabolites and monoamine neurotransmitters upshift the Na+/K+ ATPase activity in mouse brain synaptosomes.

3,4-Methylenedioximethamphetamine (MDMA; "ecstasy") is a psychotropic drug with well-known neurotoxic effects mediated by hitherto not fully understood mechanisms. The Na+- and K+-activated adenosine 5'-triphosphatase (Na+/K+ ATPase), by maintaining the ion gradient across the cell membrane, regulates neuronal excitability. Thus, a perturbation of its function strongly impacts cell homeostasis, ultimately leading to neuronal dysfunction and death. Nevertheless, whether MDMA affects the Na+/K+ ATPase remains unknown. In this study, we used synaptosomes obtained from whole mouse brain to test the effects of MDMA, three of its major metabolites [α-methyldopamine, N-methyl-α-methyldopamine and 5-(glutathion-S-yl)-α-methyldopamine], serotonin (5-HT), dopamine, 3,4-dihydroxy-L-phenylalanine (L-Dopa) and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) on the Na+/K+ ATPase function. A concentration-dependent increase of Na+/K+ ATPase activity was observed in synaptosomes exposed to the tested compounds (concentrations ranging from 0.0625 to 200 µM). These effects were independent of protein kinases A and C activities. Nevertheless, a rescue of the compounds' effects was observed in synaptosomes pre-incubated with the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (1 mM), suggesting a role for reactive species-regulated pathways on the Na+/K+ ATPase effects. In agreement with this hypothesis, a similar increase in the pump activity was found in synaptosomes exposed to the chemical generator of superoxide radicals, phenazine methosulfate (1-250 µM). This study demonstrates the ability of MDMA metabolites, monoamine neurotransmitters, L-Dopa and DOPAC to alter the Na+/K+ ATPase function. This could represent a yet unknown mechanism of action of MDMA and its metabolites in the brain.

Effect of Iodide-Based Organic Salts and Ionic Liquid Additives in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell Performance.

The use of ionic liquid and organic salts as additives for electrolyte systems in dye-sensitized solar cells have been widely described in recent years. The tunability of their physical-chemical properties according to the cation-anion selection contributes toward their high efficiencies. For this purpose, several iodide-based organic salts including imidazolium, picolinium, guanidinium and alkylammonium cations were tested using acetonitrile/valeronitrile electrolytes and their photovoltaic parameters were compared. A best efficiency of 4.48% (4.15% for the reference) was found for 1-ethyl-2,3-dimethylimidazolium iodide ([C2DMIM]I) containing electrolyte, reaffirming the effectiveness of these additives. 4-tertbutylpyridine was included into the formulation to further improve the performance while determining which iodide salts demonstrate the highest synergy with this additive. [C2DMIM]I once again proved to be the superior additive, achieving an efficiency of 6.48% (6% for the reference). Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy was employed to elucidate the effects of the various additives, demonstrating the relevance of the counter electrode resistance on device performance. Finally, several computational descriptors for the cationic structures were calculated and correlated with the photovoltaic and resistance parameters, showing that properties related to polarity, namely relative positive charge, molecular polarizability and partition coefficient are in good agreement with the counter-electrode resistance.

Postoperative mortality risk prediction that incorporates intraoperative vital signs: development and internal validation in a historical cohort.

PURPOSE: Accurate risk reassessment after surgery is crucial for postoperative planning for monitoring and disposition. Existing postoperative mortality risk prediction models using preoperative features do not incorporate intraoperative hemodynamic derangements that may alter risk stratification. Intraoperative vital signs may provide an objective and readily available prognostic resource. Our primary objective was to derive and internally validate a logistic regression (LR) model by adding intraoperative features to established preoperative predictors to predict 30-day postoperative mortality. METHODS: Following Research Ethics Board approval, we analyzed a historical cohort that included patients aged ≥ 45 undergoing noncardiac surgery with an overnight stay at two tertiary hospitals (2013 to 2017). Features included intraoperative vital signs (blood pressure, heart rate, end-tidal carbon dioxide partial pressure, oxygen saturation, and temperature) by threshold and duration of exposure, as well as patient, surgical, and anesthetic factors. The cohort was divided temporally 75:25 into derivation and validation sets. We constructed a multivariable LR model with 30-day all-cause mortality as the outcome and evaluated performance metrics. RESULTS: There were 30,619 patients in the cohort (mean [standard deviation] age, 66 [11] yr; 50.2% female; 2.0% mortality). In the validation set, the primary LR model showed a c-statistic of 0.893 (99% confidence interval [CI], 0.853 to 0.927), a Nagelkerke R-squared of 0.269, a scaled Brier score of 0.082, and an area under precision-recall curve of 0.158 (baseline 0.017 for an uninformative model). The addition of intraoperative vital signs to preoperative factors minimally improved discrimination and calibration. CONCLUSION: We derived and internally validated a model that incorporated vital signs to improve risk stratification after surgery. Preoperative factors were strongly predictive of mortality risk, and intraoperative predictors only minimally improved discrimination. External and prospective validations are needed. STUDY REGISTRATION: www. CLINICALTRIALS: gov (NCT04014010); registered on 10 July 2019.

RéSUMé: OBJECTIF: Une réévaluation précise des risques après la chirurgie est cruciale pour la planification postopératoire du monitorage et du congé. Les modèles existants de prédiction du risque de mortalité postopératoire utilisant des caractéristiques préopératoires n'intègrent pas les perturbations hémodynamiques peropératoires, lesquelles pourraient modifier la stratification du risque. Les signes vitaux peropératoires peuvent fournir une ressource pronostique objective et facilement disponible. Notre objectif principal était de dériver et de valider en interne un modèle de régression logistique (RL) en ajoutant des caractéristiques peropératoires aux prédicteurs préopératoires établis pour prédire la mortalité postopératoire à 30 jours. MéTHODE: À la suite de l'approbation du Comité d'éthique de la recherche, nous avons analysé une cohorte historique qui comprenait des patients âgés de ≥ 45 ans bénéficiant d'une chirurgie non cardiaque avec un séjour d'une nuit dans deux hôpitaux tertiaires (2013 à 2017). Les caractéristiques comprenaient les signes vitaux peropératoires (tension artérielle, fréquence cardiaque, pression télé-expiratoire en CO2, saturation en oxygène et température) par seuil et durée d'exposition, ainsi que des facteurs propres au patient, chirurgicaux et anesthésiques. La cohorte a été divisée temporellement 75:25 en ensembles de dérivation et de validation. Nous avons élaboré un modèle de RL multivariée avec la mortalité toutes causes confondues à 30 jours comme critère, et évalué les mesures de performance. RéSULTATS: Il y avait 30 619 patients dans la cohorte (âge moyen [écart type], 66 [11] ans; 50,2 % de femmes; 2,0 % de mortalité). Dans l'ensemble de validation, le modèle de RL primaire a montré une statistique c de 0,893 (intervalle de confiance [IC] à 99 %, 0,853 à 0,927), un R carré de Nagelkerke de 0,269, un score de Brier mis à l'échelle de 0,082 et une aire sous la courbe de rappel et précision de 0,158 (ligne de base 0,017 pour un modèle non informatif). L'ajout de signes vitaux peropératoires aux facteurs préopératoires a amélioré de façon minimale la discrimination et l'étalonnage. CONCLUSION: Nous avons dérivé et validé en interne un modèle qui incorporait des signes vitaux pour améliorer la stratification des risques après la chirurgie. Les facteurs préopératoires étaient fortement prédictifs du risque de mortalité, et les prédicteurs peropératoires n'ont que que très peu amélioré la discrimination. Une validation externe et prospective est nécessaire. ENREGISTREMENT DE L'éTUDE: www.ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04014010); enregistrée le 10 juillet 2019.

COVID-19 malicious domain names classification.

Due to the rapid technological advances that have been made over the years, more people are changing their way of living from traditional ways of doing business to those featuring greater use of electronic resources. This transition has attracted (and continues to attract) the attention of cybercriminals, referred to in this article as "attackers", who make use of the structure of the Internet to commit cybercrimes, such as phishing, in order to trick users into revealing sensitive data, including personal information, banking and credit card details, IDs, passwords, and more important information via replicas of legitimate websites of trusted organizations. In our digital society, the COVID-19 pandemic represents an unprecedented situation. As a result, many individuals were left vulnerable to cyberattacks while attempting to gather credible information about this alarming situation. Unfortunately, by taking advantage of this situation, specific attacks associated with the pandemic dramatically increased. Regrettably, cyberattacks do not appear to be abating. For this reason, cyber-security corporations and researchers must constantly develop effective and innovative solutions to tackle this growing issue. Although several anti-phishing approaches are already in use, such as the use of blacklists, visuals, heuristics, and other protective solutions, they cannot efficiently prevent imminent phishing attacks. In this paper, we propose machine learning models that use a limited number of features to classify COVID-19-related domain names as either malicious or legitimate. Our primary results show that a small set of carefully extracted lexical features, from domain names, can allow models to yield high scores; additionally, the number of subdomain levels as a feature can have a large influence on the predictions.

New 3-Ethynylaryl Coumarin-Based Dyes for DSSC Applications: Synthesis, Spectroscopic Properties, and Theoretical Calculations.

A set of 3-ethynylaryl coumarin dyes with mono, bithiophenes and the fused variant, thieno [3,2-b] thiophene, as well as an alkylated benzotriazole unit were prepared and tested for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). For comparison purposes, the variation of the substitution pattern at the coumarin unit was analyzed with the natural product 6,7-dihydroxycoumarin (Esculetin) as well as 5,7-dihydroxycomarin in the case of the bithiophene dye. Crucial steps for extension of the conjugated system involved Sonogashira reaction yielding highly fluorescent molecules. Spectroscopic characterization showed that the extension of conjugation via the alkynyl bridge resulted in a strong red-shift of absorption and emission spectra (in solution) of approximately 73-79 nm and 52-89 nm, respectively, relative to 6,7-dimethoxy-4-methylcoumarin (λabs = 341 nm and λem = 410 nm). Theoretical density functional theory (DFT) calculations show that the Lowest Unoccupied Molecular Orbital (LUMO) is mostly centered in the cyanoacrylic anchor unit, corroborating the high intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) character of the electronic transition. Photovoltaic performance evaluation reveals that the thieno [3,2-b] thiophene unit present in dye 8 leads to the best sensitizer of the set, with a conversion efficiency (η = 2.00%), best VOC (367 mV) and second best Jsc (9.28 mA·cm-2), surpassed only by dye 9b (Jsc = 10.19 mA·cm-2). This high photocurrent value can be attributed to increased donor ability of the 5,7-dimethoxy unit when compared to the 6,7 equivalent (9b).

Covid-19, aspectos gerais e a trajetória do vírus no Estado de Santa Catarina / Covid ­ 19, general aspects and virus trajectory in the State of Santa Catarina

Resumo: Por meio de uma pneumonia de origem desconhecida em Wuhan, na China, deu-se a descoberta do novo Coronavírus. A entrada do vírus no Brasil, provavelmente, se deu em São Paulo e, posteriormente, transmitido para outros Estados do país. No dia 28 de fevereiro de 2020, o Estado de Santa Catarina, Região Sul do Brasil, registrou os 3 primeiros casos de COVID-19. Objetiva-se neste estudo, proporcionar uma visão geral sobre a COVID-19 além de relatar sua trajetória no estado de Santa Catarina entre os meses de fevereiro a maio do ano de 2020. A pesquisa deu-se através da interpretação dos dados obtidos pelos painéis de controle da doença no Estado, além dos comunicados, decretos, publicações oficiais e literatura científica disponível nas principais bases de dados online. Mediante a análise de dados, notou-se que até o dia 31 de maio de 2020, o Estado detinha 2,03% do número total de casos de COVID-19 do país, em relação ao número de óbitos, mesmo que as cidades registrassem o maior número de casos, não registraram o maior número de óbitos. Pode-se dizer que o período de quarentena efetiva no Estado foi de 26 dias a contar da data do primeiro decreto até a liberação das atividades e, após a liberação das atividades e flexibilização da quarentena houve um aumento de 8.883 novos casos em 48 dias. Espera-se que relatos como este fomentem estudos sobre a efetividade das medidas de contenção tomadas e contribuam para o controle de novas pandemias.

Abstract: Through pneumonia of unknown origin in Wuhan, China, the new Coronavirus was discovered. The entry of the virus in Brazil, probably, took place in São Paulo and, later, transmitted to other states of the country. On February 28, 2020, the State of Santa Catarina, South Region of Brazil, registered the first 3 cases of COVID-19. The objective of this study is to provide an overview of COVID-19 in addition to reporting its trajectory in the state of Santa Catarina between February and May of 2020. The research took place through the interpretation of the data obtained by the panels control of the disease in the State, in addition to communications, decrees, official publications, and scientific literature available in the main online databases. Through data analysis, it was noted that until May 31, 2020, the State held 1.5% of the total number of COVID-19 cases in the country, about the number of deaths, even if cities registered the greatest number of cases, did not register the greatest number of deaths. It can be said that the effective quarantine period in the State was 26 days from the date of the first decree until the release of activities and, after the release of activities and relaxation of quarantine, there was an increase of 8,883 new cases in 48 days. The outbreak of the new Coronavirus has brought up a major public health problem worldwide, the numbers of patients have been growing since the first records of this virus and the disease is spreading rapidly. Reports like this are expected to encourage studies on the effectiveness of the containment measures taken and contribute to the control of new pandemics.

Invasive Plants: Turning Enemies into Value.

In this review, a brief description of the invasive phenomena associated with plants and its consequences to the ecosystem is presented. Five worldwide invasive plants that are a threat to Portugal were selected as an example, and a brief description of each is presented. A full description of their secondary metabolites and biological activity is given, and a resume of the biological activity of extracts is also included. The chemical and pharmaceutical potential of invasive species sensu lato is thus acknowledged. With this paper, we hope to demonstrate that invasive species have potential positive attributes even though at the same time they might need to be controlled or eradicated. Positive attributes include chemical and pharmaceutical properties and developing these could help mitigate the costs of management and eradication.

Synthesis of new hetero-arylidene-9(10H)-anthrone derivatives and their biological evaluation.

New hetero-arylidene-9(10H)-anthrone derivatives (1) were synthesized from reaction of 1,2-dimethyl-3-alkyl imidazolium salts (2) and 9-anthracenecarboxaldehyde. Ion exchange of the anion with dioctyl sulfosuccinate and lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide led to the preparation of other derivatives. The antiproliferative effect of the compounds was evaluated in human ovarian (A2780) and colorectal (HCT116) carcinoma cell lines and in normal primary human fibroblasts. Compound 1 presented an antiproliferative effect related to the imidazolium pattern of substitution with compounds having a decyl group at the R-position (1c and 3c) showing the highest cytotoxic activities in all cell lines independently of the counter ion. Compounds 1b and 1c internalize A2780 cancer cells via a passive or an active transport, respectively, inducing A2780 cell death via an extrinsic apoptosis (1b) or intrinsic apoptosis and oncosis (1c). The localization of both compounds in the cytoplasm coupled to the absence of reactive oxygen species (ROS) induction suggest that the mechanisms of toxicity might be different than those of other anthracyclines currently used in chemotherapy.

Synthetic Approaches to A Challenging and Unusual Structure-An Amino-Pyrrolidine Guanine Core.

The synthesis of an unreported 2-aminopyrrolidine-1-carboxamidine unit is here described for the first time. This unusual and promising structure was attained through the oxidative decarboxylation of amino acids using the pair of reagents, silver(I)/peroxydisulfate (Ag(I)/S2O82-) followed by intermolecular (in the case of l-proline derivative) and intramolecular trapping (in the case of acyl l-arginine) by N-nucleophiles. The l-proline approach has a broader scope for the synthesis of 2-aminopyrrolidine-1-carboxamidine derivatives, whereas the intramolecular cyclization afforded by the l-acylarginines, when applied, results in higher yields. The former allowed the first synthesis of cernumidine, a natural alkaloid isolated in 2011 from Solanum cernuum Vell, as its racemic form.

N-Heterocyclic Olefin Catalysis for the Ring Opening of Cyclic Amidine Compounds: A Pathway to the Synthesis of ε-Caprolactam- and γ-Lactam-Derived Amines.

For the first time, 1,2-dimethyl-3-ethylimidazolium iodide (1a) catalyzes the ring opening of the bicyclic amidine system of DBU (1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene) or DBN (1,5-diazabicyclo[4.3.0]non-5-ene) on reaction with aldehydes. The mechanism here proposed involves an N-heterocyclic olefin (NHO) catalytic species that acts as a nucleophile to promote the cyclic amidine ring opening. The resulting ε-caprolactam- and γ-lactam-derived imines were obtained in moderate to excellent yields (28-99%) and reduced to the corresponding amines by sodium borohydride. Confirmation of the imine product was achieved via single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies.

Secondary Metabolites and Biological Activity of Invasive Macroalgae of Southern Europe.

In this review a brief description of the invasive phenomena associated with algae and its consequences on the ecosystem are presented. Three examples of invasive algae of Southern Europe, belonging to Rodophyta, Chlorophyta, and Phaeophyta, were selected, and a brief description of each genus is presented. A full description of their secondary metabolites and biological activity is given and a summary of the biological activity of extracts is also included. In Asparagopsis we encounter mainly halogenated compounds. From Caulerpa, several terpenoids and alkaloids were isolated, while in Sargassum, meroterpenoids prevail.

Incorporation of Coumarin-Based Fluorescent Monomers into Co-Oligomeric Molecules.

With the purpose of modifying organic fluorescent dyes based on the coumarin scaffold, and developing and evaluating a route to its incorporation into a polymeric backbone, a study was conducted on the co-polymerization of 3-vinylcoumarins with styrene and methyl acrylate using 2,2-azobis(isobutyronitrile) (AIBN) as the radical initiator. The structural and photophysical characterization proved the incorporation of the coumarin monomers into the polymeric chain and further showed a decrease in the fluorescence quantum yields in the co-oligomers.

Effects of sugarcane juice addition on the population dynamics of Escherichia coli and the presence of Shiga-toxigenic E. coli during the anaerobic codigestion of dairy cattle manure / Efeito da adição de caldo de cana-de-açúcar na dinâmica da população de Escherichia coli e presença de E. coli shigatoxigênicas durante a codigestão anaeróbia de dejetos bovinos leiteiros

ABSTRACT: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of the addition of sugarcane juice on the population dynamics of Escherichia coli and the presence of Shiga-toxigenic E. coli (STEC) during the anaerobic codigestion of dairy cattle manure. For the overall analyses at the end of a hydraulic retention time of 90 days, ten two-liter batch-type biodigesters were divided into two treatment groups: biodigester containing manure and water (MW) and the biodigester containing manure, water and sugarcane juice (MSC). For monitoring the population dynamics and presence of microorganisms, pH, and volatile acidity, tests were carried out every ten days, on 36 smaller-scale batch biodigesters made of one-liter plastic bottles (18 for each treatment). The reductions in E. coli population over time were significant in the MW (60 days) and MSC (20 days) biodigesters. Inactivation of STEC occurred in a shorter period (40 days in MW and <10 days in MSC). Significant differences were obtained between the two treatments, with the pH values being lower, the concentrations of volatile acids (VA) being higher, and the inactivation of E. coli and STEC being faster in the biodigester with sugarcane juice added. The amount of sugarcane juice applied (7%) suggests its suitability for the sanitization of dairy cattle manure for use as a biofertilizer, given the high reduction in the E. coli population and inactivation of STEC.

RESUMO: O estudo teve como objetivo avaliar o efeito da adição de caldo de cana-de-açúcar sobre a dinâmica da população de Escherichia coli e presença de E. coli shigatogixênicas (STEC) no processo de codigestão anaeróbia de dejetos de bovinos leiteiros. Foram utilizados dez biodigestores bateladas divididos em dois tratamentos, dejeto sem caldo de cana-de-açúcar (DSC) e dejeto com caldo (DCC), com tempo de retenção hidráulica (TRH) de 90 dias. Para o monitoramento periódico da dinâmica da população E. coli e presença de E. coli shigatoxigenicas, do pH e da acidez volátil, realizados a cada dez dias, foram abastecidos mais 36 biodigestores bateladas, construídos de garrafas de material plástico de um litro, sendo 18 unidades para cada tratamento. A redução das populações de E. coli no decorrer do tempo foi significativa no DSC (60 dias) e no DCC (20 dias). A inativação de E. coli shigatoxigênicas ocorreu em um período mais curto, 40 dias no DSC e menos de 10 dias no DCC. Foram obtidas diferenças significativas entre os tratamentos para os valores de pH, que foram menores, e as concentrações de ácidos voláteis, que foram maiores, com adição de caldo e contribuíram para a inativação mais rápida da E. coli e STEC. A dose de caldo de cana-de-açúcar utilizada (7%) sugere a adequada sanitização do dejeto bovino leiteiro, tendo em vista a alta redução na população de E. coli e a inativação de STEC.

Developments in the Reactivity of 2-Methylimidazolium Salts.

Unexpected and unusual reactivity of 2-methylimidazolium salts toward aryl-N-sulfonylimines and aryl aldehydes is here reported. Upon reaction with aryl-N-sulfonylimines, the addition product, arylethyl-2-imidazolium-1-tosylamide (3), is formed with moderate to good yields, while upon reaction with aldehydes, the initial addition product (6) observed in NMR and HPLC-MS experimental analysis is postulated by us as an intermediate to the final conversion to carboxylic acids. Studies in the presence and absence of molecular oxygen allow us to conclude that the imidazolium salts is crucial for the oxidation. A detailed mechanistic study was carried out to provide insights regarding this unexpected reactivity.

Endovascular Removal of Foreign Bodies.

INTRODUCTION: Intravascular or catheter embolization of a foreign body, either by fracture or migration, is a rare condition, occurring in approximately 1%. This study is focused on the migration of catheters since they represent the majority of cases of embolization. We present one of the largest published series of removal of foreign bodies with endovascular techniques. The objective of the present study is to demonstrate the different locations where foreign bodies, in most cases catheters, can reach, the technique used to remove them and the affected population. METHODS: This is a 9 years retrospective study in which we report the cases of foreign bodies removal performed by an endovascular approach between 2009 and 2017 in our institution. It includes 53 patients: 28 women and 25 men. The average age was 58 years (ranging from 15 to 87 years). The catheters were implanted by a heterogeneous group of professionals. RESULTS: Thirty three totally implantable catheters (Implantofix ®), sixteen peripheral inserted central catheter, three Guide Wires, one angioplasty balloon and one Amplazer vascular plug were extracted. The most common sites for the lodging of one of the ends of the intravascular foreign bodies were the right atrium (35,8%) the superior vena cava (11,3%) and the right ventricle (11,3%). In 98,1% of the cases, only one venous access was used for extraction of foreign bodies, and in 96,2% of the cases the right femoral access was used. The loop-snare technique was used in 45 cases (84,9%) and in 8 cases a basket was the option. The most common cause of catheter embolization was the disconnection between the catheter and the port during the surgery for its removal, which occurred in 55,1% of the cases. Fracture of totally implantable catheters occurred in 12,2%. The fracture of a peripheral inserted central catheter represents 32,7% of cases of embolization. Atrial fibrillation, occurred in 8 cases. The mortality rate during the procedure was zero. Technical performance was 100% successful. CONCLUSION: Percutaneous intervention for removal of intravascular foreign bodies is currently the best treatment option for patients. It is a minimally invasive, procedure, with low complication rates. Embolised material can be quite safely retrieved, and presents an attractive alternative to surgical removal of these devices. However, this work should serve as a consideration about the safety of the removal of catheters as well as their quality in order to reduce this type of complications.

Efficiency of biological treatment for the removal of total and thermotolerant coliform bacteria from domestic sewage / Eficiência do tratamento biológico na remoção de coliformes totais e termotolerantes em esgoto humano

Researchers around the world have focused their efforts on devising combinations of technologies that are not only economically feasible but also effective in mitigating the impacts caused by wastes containing pathogens that pose potential risks to human and animal health. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the performance of a biological treatment system for removing total and thermotolerant coliform bacteria with a view to the possible organic recycling of domestic sewage. To this end, a tubular continuous flow anaerobic digester, with hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 25 days and an optional stabilization pond, were used to treat the sewage produced by 150 people in the municipality of Sertãozinho, SP, Brazil. The samples were collected weekly, always on the same day, at three different sampling points (inlet of the treatment system, the outlet of tubular digester, and the optional stabilization pond), totaling 108 samples. The MPN method was employed to determine the total coliform and thermotolerant coliform populations, using multiple series of three tubes (APHA, 2005). The system proved efficient in reducing the number of indicator bacteria of fecal contamination, showing a removal efficiency of 98.76% for total coliforms and of 99.29% for thermotolerant coliforms. However, a third treatment step involving polishing should be included to render the effluent suitable for use in fertigation or discharge into water bodies.

Aliar tecnologias que sejam viáveis e ainda eficientes em mitigar o impacto gerado pelos resíduos, que possuem potencial patogênico à saúde humana e animal, tem sido o propósito das ações de pesquisadores em todo o mundo. Dessa forma, objetivou-se avaliar um sistema de tratamento biológico, quanto a redução de coliformes totais e coliformes termotolerantes, visando a possibilidade de reciclagem orgânica do esgoto doméstico. Para tanto foi utilizado um biodigestor tubular de fluxo contínuo com tempo de retenção hidráulica (TRH) de 25 dias e uma lagoa de estabilização facultativa, responsável pelo tratamento de esgoto produzido por 150 pessoas, no município de Sertãozinho/SP. As amostras foram colhidas, semanalmente e sempre no mesmo dia, em três pontos distintos de colheita (entrada do sistema de tratamento, saída do biodigestor tubular e na lagoa de estabilização facultativa), totalizando 108 amostras. Para as determinações das populações de coliformes totais e termotolerantes foi utilizada a técnica do NMP em tubos múltiplos série de três tubos (APHA, 2005). O sistema foi eficiente quanto a redução no número de micro-organismos indicadores de poluição fecal atingindo 98,75% para coliformes totais e 99,26% para os termotolerantes. Entretanto, deve ser prevista mais uma etapa para polimento do efluente dando condições para sua utilização na fertirrigação ou lançamento em corpos de água.