Predicting Risk of Ammonia Exposure in Broiler Housing: Correlation with Incidence of Health Issues.

The study aimed to forecast ammonia exposure risk in broiler chicken production, correlating it with health injuries using machine learning. Two chicken breeds, fast-growing (Ross®) and slow-growing (Hubbard®), were compared at different densities. Slow-growing birds had a constant density of 32 kg m-2, while fast-growing birds had low (16 kg m-2) and high (32 kg m-2) densities. Initial feeding was uniform, but nutritional demands led to varied diets later. Environmental data underwent selection, pre-processing, transformation, mining, analysis, and interpretation. Classification algorithms (decision tree, SMO, Naive Bayes, and Multilayer Perceptron) were employed for predicting ammonia risk (10-14 pmm, Moderate risk). Cross-validation was used for model parameterization. The Spearman correlation coefficient assessed the link between predicted ammonia risk and health injuries, such as pododermatitis, vision/affected, and mucosal injuries. These injuries encompassed trachea, bronchi, lungs, eyes, paws, and other issues. The Multilayer Perceptron model emerged as the best predictor, exceeding 98% accuracy in forecasting injuries caused by ammonia. The correlation coefficient demonstrated a strong association between elevated ammonia risks and chicken injuries. Birds exposed to higher ammonia concentrations exhibited a more robust correlation. In conclusion, the study effectively used machine learning to predict ammonia exposure risk and correlated it with health injuries in broiler chickens. The Multilayer Perceptron model demonstrated superior accuracy in forecasting injuries related to ammonia (10-14 pmm, Moderate risk). The findings underscored the significant association between increased ammonia exposure risks and the incidence of health injuries in broiler chicken production, shedding light on the importance of managing ammonia levels for bird welfare.

Dopamine and serotonin in human substantia nigra track social context and value signals during economic exchange.

Dopamine and serotonin are hypothesized to guide social behaviours. In humans, however, we have not yet been able to study neuromodulator dynamics as social interaction unfolds. Here, we obtained subsecond estimates of dopamine and serotonin from human substantia nigra pars reticulata during the ultimatum game. Participants, who were patients with Parkinson's disease undergoing awake brain surgery, had to accept or reject monetary offers of varying fairness from human and computer players. They rejected more offers in the human than the computer condition, an effect of social context associated with higher overall levels of dopamine but not serotonin. Regardless of the social context, relative changes in dopamine tracked trial-by-trial changes in offer value-akin to reward prediction errors-whereas serotonin tracked the current offer value. These results show that dopamine and serotonin fluctuations in one of the basal ganglia's main output structures reflect distinct social context and value signals.

Sex modulation of faces prediction error in the autistic brain.

Recent research suggests that autistic females may have superior socio-cognitive abilities compared to autistic males, potentially contributing to underdiagnosis in females. However, it remains unclear whether these differences arise from distinct neurophysiological functioning in autistic males and females. This study addresses this question by presenting 41 autistic and 48 non-autistic adults with a spatially filtered faces oddball paradigm. Analysis of event-related potentials from scalp electroencephalography reveal a neurophysiological profile in autistic females that fell between those of autistic males and non-autistic females, highlighting sex differences in autism from the initial stages of face processing. This finding underscores the urgent need to explore neurophysiological sex differences in autism and encourages efforts toward a better comprehension of compensation mechanism and a clearer definition of what is meant by camouflaging.

Evaluation of cold storage techniques to improve mass rearing of Cleruchoides noackae from Thaumastocoris peregrinus eggs.

The egg parasitoid Cleruchoides noackae Lin & Huber, 2007 (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae) is originated from Australia and the main biological control agent of Thaumastocoris peregrinus Carpenter & Dellapé, 2006 (Hemiptera: Thaumastocoridae) on Eucalyptus L'Hér (Myrtaceae). Companies that grow Eucalyptus are in need of a mass rearing protocol to increase the number of individuals produced and improve the quality of this parasitoid. The aim of this study was to define a protocol for mass rearing C. noackae in T. peregrinus eggs, based in the evaluations of the key biological attributes of this parasitoid in the parental and F1 generations, after the cold storage of the parasitised host eggs. Two methods were tested as C. noackae rearing protocols. In the first, parasitised eggs of T. peregrinus by C. noackae were cold stored for 7 days after being left in a climatic chamber at 24 ± 2°C, 60 ± 10% RH and a photoperiod of 12:12 (light:dark) h (standard environmental conditions) for 3, 6, 9 or 12 days. In the second, T. peregrinus eggs parasitised by C. noackae were maintained in a climatic chamber under standard environmental conditions for 6 days, after which these eggs were cold-stored for 0 (control), 7, 14 or 21 days. Parasitism (%), and the development period (parasitism to adult) and female proportion (%) of C. noackae were evaluated. Based on the results (parental generation: parasitism, around 45%; F1 generation: parasitism, around 55%; development period, around 16 days; female proportion, around 60%), eggs should be stored at 5°C on the sixth day after parasitism by C. noackae and maintained at this temperature for 7 days. The cold storage of T. peregrinus eggs, after parasitism, can be included in the mass rearing protocols of the parasitoid C. noackae.

Noradrenaline tracks emotional modulation of attention in human amygdala.

The noradrenaline (NA) system is one of the brain's major neuromodulatory systems; it originates in a small midbrain nucleus, the locus coeruleus (LC), and projects widely throughout the brain.1,2 The LC-NA system is believed to regulate arousal and attention3,4 and is a pharmacological target in multiple clinical conditions.5,6,7 Yet our understanding of its role in health and disease has been impeded by a lack of direct recordings in humans. Here, we address this problem by showing that electrochemical estimates of sub-second NA dynamics can be obtained using clinical depth electrodes implanted for epilepsy monitoring. We made these recordings in the amygdala, an evolutionarily ancient structure that supports emotional processing8,9 and receives dense LC-NA projections,10 while patients (n = 3) performed a visual affective oddball task. The task was designed to induce different cognitive states, with the oddball stimuli involving emotionally evocative images,11 which varied in terms of arousal (low versus high) and valence (negative versus positive). Consistent with theory, the NA estimates tracked the emotional modulation of attention, with a stronger oddball response in a high-arousal state. Parallel estimates of pupil dilation, a common behavioral proxy for LC-NA activity,12 supported a hypothesis that pupil-NA coupling changes with cognitive state,13,14 with the pupil and NA estimates being positively correlated for oddball stimuli in a high-arousal but not a low-arousal state. Our study provides proof of concept that neuromodulator monitoring is now possible using depth electrodes in standard clinical use.

Integrated information theory (IIT) 4.0: Formulating the properties of phenomenal existence in physical terms.

This paper presents Integrated Information Theory (IIT) 4.0. IIT aims to account for the properties of experience in physical (operational) terms. It identifies the essential properties of experience (axioms), infers the necessary and sufficient properties that its substrate must satisfy (postulates), and expresses them in mathematical terms. In principle, the postulates can be applied to any system of units in a state to determine whether it is conscious, to what degree, and in what way. IIT offers a parsimonious explanation of empirical evidence, makes testable predictions concerning both the presence and the quality of experience, and permits inferences and extrapolations. IIT 4.0 incorporates several developments of the past ten years, including a more accurate formulation of the axioms as postulates and mathematical expressions, the introduction of a unique measure of intrinsic information that is consistent with the postulates, and an explicit assessment of causal relations. By fully unfolding a system's irreducible cause-effect power, the distinctions and relations specified by a substrate can account for the quality of experience.

Thermal requirements, fertility life table and biological parameters of Cleruchoides noackae (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae) at different temperatures.

Cleruchoides noackae Lin & Huber (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae) was imported to Brazil in 2012, to manage the exotic pest Thaumastocoris peregrinus Carpintero & Dellapé (Hemiptera: Thaumastocoridae), which has been damaging eucalyptus plantations. Knowledge of the thermal requirements and the fertility life table of C. noackae is important to improve mass rearing methods for this parasitoid and the effectiveness of its release to manage T. peregrinus. The objective was to evaluate the development period, thermal requirements and the fertility life table of C. noackae at different temperatures. The egg-adult period of this parasitoid varied from 43 to 14 days at 15 °C and 30 °C, respectively. The emergence of C. noackae adults was higher at 15 °C, 18 °C, 21 °C and 24 °C than at 30 °C. Female and male C. noackae need 226.75 and 230.41 degree-days and temperatures higher than 10.06 °C and 9.90 °C, respectively, to complete egg-adult development. The number of parasitized eggs per C. noackae female was higher at 21 °C, 24 °C and 27 °C, with 5.82, 7.73 and 5.50 eggs, respectively, than at 30 °C (0.45). Cleruchoides noackae longevity was greater at 15 °C, 21 °C and 24 °C. The net reproductive rate of the parasitoid was higher at 21 °C and 24 °C than at 30 °C, 3.05, 4.70 and 0.16, respectively. The finite rate of increase of C. noackae was greater at 21 °C, 24 °C and 27 °C, than at 30 °C and the intrinsic rate of increase was negative at 30 °C, -0.100. The temperatures 21 °C and 24 °C and from 18 °C to 27 °C are the most adequate for the reproduction and population increase of C. noackae parasitizing eggs of T. peregrinus, respectively.

System Integrated Information.

Integrated information theory (IIT) starts from consciousness itself and identifies a set of properties (axioms) that are true of every conceivable experience. The axioms are translated into a set of postulates about the substrate of consciousness (called a complex), which are then used to formulate a mathematical framework for assessing both the quality and quantity of experience. The explanatory identity proposed by IIT is that an experience is identical to the cause-effect structure unfolded from a maximally irreducible substrate (a Φ-structure). In this work we introduce a definition for the integrated information of a system (φs) that is based on the existence, intrinsicality, information, and integration postulates of IIT. We explore how notions of determinism, degeneracy, and fault lines in the connectivity impact system-integrated information. We then demonstrate how the proposed measure identifies complexes as systems, the φs of which is greater than the φs of any overlapping candidate systems.

Polymorphisms in TPT1 Pathways in Pediatric Astrocytomas.

Central nervous system tumors, especially astrocytomas, are the solid neoplasms with the highest incidence and mortality rates in childhood. The diagnosis is based on histopathological characteristics, but molecular methods have been increasingly used. Translationally controlled tumor protein (TCTP) protein, encoded by the tumor protein, translationally controlled 1 (TPT1) gene, is a multifunctional protein with an important physiological role in the cell cycle. Expression of this protein has been associated with several neoplasms, including astrocytomas in adults. However, the role of this protein in pediatric astrocytomas is largely unknown. We aim to evaluate in cases of pediatric astrocytomas, the frequency of polymorphisms in the TPT1 gene and other genes associated with its molecular pathways, such as MTOR, MDM2, TP53, and CDKN1A, correlating it with protein expression and clinical variables, in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) samples. These samples were submitted to genotyping and immunohistochemistry analyses. The most revealing results refer to the MDM2 gene, rs117039649 [G/C], in which C polymorphic allele was observed only in the glioblastomas (p = .028). The CDKN1A gene, rs3176334 [T/C] presented a homozygous polymorphic genotype only in high-grade astrocytomas, when infiltrating tumors were compared (p = .039). The immunohistochemical expression of cytoplasmic MDM2 correlated with better survival rates in patients with glioblastoma (p = .018). The presence of polymorphisms in the MDM2 and CDKN1A genes, as well as a specific correlation between MDM2 expression, suggests a likely association with risk in pediatric astrocytomas. This study sought the probable role involved in the TCTP pathway, and associated proteins, in the tumorigenesis of pediatric astrocytomas, and some could have potential impact as prognostic markers in these patients.

Diversity and Efficiency of Rhizobia from a Revegetated Area and Hotspot-Phytophysiognomies Affected by Iron Mining as Indicators of Rehabilitation and Biotechnological Potential.

This study aimed to evaluate the resilience of phytophysiognomies under influence of iron mining by assessing the occurrence, diversity, and symbiotic efficiency of native communities of nitrogen-fixing bacteria that nodulate leguminous plants (rhizobia) in soils of an area revegetated with grass after iron mining activities and in the phytophysiognomies in adjacent areas (Canga, Atlantic Forest, Cerrado, and Eucalyptus-planted forest). Experiments for capturing rhizobia through two species of promiscuous plants, siratro (Macroptilium atropurpureum) and cowpea (Vigna unguiculata), were conducted in a greenhouse. The rhizobial strains isolated were characterized phenotypically, genetically (16S rRNA sequencing and BOX-PCR fingerprinting), and regard symbiotic efficiency of biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) compared to mineral nitrogen and reference strains. Cowpea captured a higher density of rhizobia than siratro did. However, most of the strains captured by siratro had greater symbiotic efficiency. The revegetated area proved to be the community most efficient in N2 fixation and was also the most diverse, whereas Canga was the least diverse. For the two trap species, the predominant genus captured in the revegetated area and in the phytophysiognomies was Bradyrhizobium. The greater symbiotic efficiency and the high genetic diversity of the rhizobial community in the revegetated area indicate the effectiveness of the soil rehabilitation process. The revegetated area and the phytophysiognomies proved to harbor strains with high biotechnological potential. Results indicate that the high functional redundancy of this group of bacteria contributes to the resilience of these phytophysiognomies and the revegetated area.

Brazilian Psychiatric Association Consensus for the Management of Acute Intoxication. General management and specific interventions for drugs of abuse.

OBJECTIVE: To present the Brazilian Psychiatric Association's Consensus for the Management of Acute Intoxication. METHODS: A group of experts selected by the Brazilian Psychiatric Association searched for articles in the MEDLINE (by PubMed) and Cochrane Database, limited to human studies and acute intoxication. Groups reviewed these materials for appropriateness to the topic and the quality of the work. To perform a table of agreed recommendations at the end of the systematic review, a survey using the Delphi method was conducted. Three survey rounds were conducted to develop a consensus. RESULTS: Support for intoxication may start with Initial Management: Resuscitation/Life Support/Differential Diagnosis. For that, the group proposed these orders of assessment: A (airway), B (breathing), C (circulation), D.1. (disability), D.2. (differential diagnosis), D.3. (decontamination), D.4. (drug antidotes), E (enhanced elimination). Then, the group of experts presented specific interventions for the main drugs of abuse. CONCLUSIONS: The approach to intoxication with drugs of abuse is complex and requires systematic protocols. The group of experts suggested the adoption of the classic use in welcoming the patient of the A-B-C-D-E technique with constant investigation of this patient until reaching a specific conduct and with the support to remit the picture. The group of experts believes that this document, at this time, can help psychiatric, general, and emergency doctors deal with psychiatric emergency episodes due to acute intoxication.

Immune Response Gaps Linked to SARS-CoV-2 Infection: Cellular Exhaustion, Senescence, or Both?

The COVID-19 pandemic, promoted by the SARS-CoV-2 respiratory virus, has resulted in widespread global morbidity and mortality. The immune response against this pathogen has shown a thin line between protective effects and pathological reactions resulting from the massive release of cytokines and poor viral clearance. The latter is possibly caused by exhaustion, senescence, or both of TCD8+ cells and reduced activity of natural killer (NK) cells. The imbalance between innate and adaptive responses during the early stages of infection caused by SARS-CoV-2 contributes to the ineffective control of viral spread. The present study evaluated the tissue immunoexpression of the tissue biomarkers (Arginase-1, CCR4, CD3, CD4, CD8, CD20, CD57, CD68, CD138, IL-4, INF-α, INF-γ, iNOS, PD-1, Perforin and Sphingosine-1) to understand the cellular immune response triggered in patients who died of COVID-19. We evaluated twenty-four paraffin-embedded lung tissue samples from patients who died of COVID-19 (COVID-19 group) and compared them with ten lung tissue samples from patients who died of H1N1pdm09 (H1N1 group) with the immunohistochemical markers mentioned above. In addition, polymorphisms in the Perforin gene were genotyped through Real-Time PCR. Significantly increased tissue immunoexpression of Arginase, CD4, CD68, CD138, Perforin, Sphingosine-1, and IL-4 markers were observed in the COVID-19 group. A significantly lower immunoexpression of CD8 and CD57 was also found in this group. It is suggested that patients who died from COVID-19 had a poor cellular response concerning viral clearance and adaptive response going through tissue repair.

Role of Genetic Polymorphism Present in Macrophage Activation Syndrome Pathway in Post Mortem Biopsies of Patients with COVID-19.

COVID-19 is a viral disease associated with an intense inflammatory response. Macrophage Activation Syndrome (MAS), the complication present in secondary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (sHLH), shares many clinical aspects observed in COVID-19 patients, and investigating the cytolytic function of the responsible cells for the first line of the immune response is important. Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded lung tissue samples obtained by post mortem necropsy were accessed for three groups (COVID-19, H1N1, and CONTROL). Polymorphisms in MAS cytolytic pathway (PRF1; STX11; STXBP2; UNC13D and GZMB) were selected and genotyping by TaqMan® assays (Thermo Fisher Scientific, MA, USA) using Real-Time PCR (Applied Biosystems, MA USA). Moreover, immunohistochemistry staining was performed with a monoclonal antibody against perforin, CD8+ and CD57+ proteins. Histopathological analysis showed high perforin tissue expression in the COVID-19 group; CD8+ was high in the H1N1 group and CD57+ in the CONTROL group. An association could be observed in two genes related to the cytolytic pathway (PRF1 rs885822 G/A and STXBP2 rs2303115 G/A). Furthermore, PRF1 rs350947132 was associated with increased immune tissue expression for perforin in the COVID-19 group. The genotype approach could help identify patients that are more susceptible, and for this reason, our results showed that perforin and SNPs in the PRF1 gene can be involved in this critical pathway in the context of COVID-19.

Evaluation of Recombinant Bovine Interleukin-8 (rbIL-8) as a Treatment for Chronic Intramammary Infection in Dairy Cows.

Mastitis is one of the main contributors to antimicrobial resistance in livestock, so alternative therapies are being investigated to address it. The present study assessed the capability of recombinant bovine interleukin-8 (rbIL-8) to improve neutrophil function in the mammary gland and resolve chronic high somatic cell count (SCC) in Holstein cows. Multiparous cows (n = 8) with more than 300,000 SCC per mL were allocated to one of two intramammary infusions: saline (10 mL of saline solution) or rbIL-8 (1.57 mg/mL of recombinant bovine IL-8 diluted in 9 mL of saline). In addition, there was an untreated control group (n = 2, SCC < 300,000 SCC/mL). Milk samples were collected post-treatment at 0, 4, 8, 12, 24, 48, and 144 h to quantify milk SCC, haptoglobin, and IgG concentrations. Neutrophil's phagocytosis in milk and blood was evaluated via flow cytometry at 0, 24, and 48 h. The log of SCC did not differ between the infused groups (p = 0.369). Neutrophils presented a similar log of cells with high fluorescence for propidium-iodide (PI) and dihydrorhodamine (DHR) in milk (p = 0.412) and blood samples (p = 0.766) in both infused groups. Intramammary infusion of 1.57 mg/mL of rbIL-8 did not improve neutrophils response and failed to resolve chronic high SCC.

Case Report: Azathioprine: An Old and Wronged Immunosuppressant.

Mycophenolate rapidly substituted azathioprine (AZA) in transplant immunosuppression regimens since the 1990s, when early clinical trials indicated better outcomes, although opposite results were also observed. However, none of these trials used the well-established optimization methods for AZA dosing, namely, thiopurine methyltransferase pharmacogenetics combined with monitoring of the thiopurine metabolites 6-thioguanine nucleotides (6-TGN) and 6-methylmercaptopurine (6-MMP). Resistance to optimize AZA therapy remains today in transplant therapy, despite the fact that thiopurine metabolite testing is being used by other medical disciplines with evident improvement in clinical results. In a previous analysis, we found that active 6-TGN metabolites were not detectable in about 30% of kidney transplant patients under continuous use of apparently adequate azathioprine dosage, which demonstrates the need to monitor these metabolites for therapeutic optimization. Two of four case studies presented here exemplifies this fact. On the other hand, some patients have toxic 6-TGN levels with a theoretically appropriate dose, as seen in the other two case studies in this presentation, constituting one more important reason to monitor the AZA dose administered by its metabolites. This analysis is not intended to prove the superiority of one immunosuppressant over another, but to draw attention to a fact: there are thousands of patients around the world receiving an inadequate dose of azathioprine and, therefore, with inappropriate immunosuppression. This report is also intended to draw attention, to clinicians using thiopurines, that allopurinol co-therapy with AZA is a useful therapeutic pathway for those patients who do not adequately form active thioguanine metabolites.

Assessment of Husbandry Practices That Can Reduce the Negative Effects of Exposure to Low Ammonia Concentrations in Broiler Houses.

Ammonia is an important pollutant emitted by broiler litter that can accumulate inside farms, impairing animal health and welfare productivity. An experiment was designed to evaluate of precision husbandry practices such as the effect of ventilation, animal density and growth rate as management options to reduce the adverse effects of ammonia exposure on productive parameters in broiler houses. Two identical experimental rooms were used in this study. They were programmed to differ in ammonia concentration from day 32 of the growing period (10 and 20 ppm in Room 1 and Room 2, respectively). Three treatments were tested in each room: slow growth in high stocking density (SHD), fast growth in low density (FLD) and fast growth in high density (FHD). Animal weight, feed intake and feed conversion ratio were determined weekly. In addition, the immune status of animals was assessed by weighing the organs related to immune response as stress indicators. Increasing ventilation was effective to control ammonia concentrations. Exposure to ammonia caused no significant effect on productive parameters. However, lowering stocking density improved response to higher ammonia concentrations by lowering the feed conversion ratio. No other relevant effects of differential exposure to ammonia were found in fast-growing animals, either at high or low stocking density. The use of slow-growing breeds had no effect on production parameters. Despite having a slower growth rate, their feed conversion ratio was not different from that of fast-growing breeds. The productive performance of slow-growing animals was not affected by the differential exposure to ammonia, but the reduced spleen size would suggest an impairment of the immune system.

Effect of homeopathy on soybean germination through soil and seed treatment

Homeopathy is a technique approved by the MAPA for organic production systems. Experiments demonstrating the effectiveness of homeopathy in agriculture are essential. Aims: To evaluate the effects of homeopathic treatment on soybean seed germination. Methodology: The experiment was performed in MS-Brazil. An area of 70 m² was used, divided into two comparison plots of 30 m² each. The soil of plot 1 (treated group) was treated with 5.25 kg of powdered Lithothamniummixed with 250 ml of 30% hydroalcoholic solution (HS) containing homeopathic ingredients. The soil of plot 2 (control group) was treated with thesame preparationbutwithout homeopathic ingredients. Additionally, the 400 seeds assigned toplot 1 were treated with 0,3 ml of a solution made up of 10 ml of 30% HS with homeopathic ingredients dilutedin 300 ml of water. The 400 seeds assigned toplot 2 were treated with 0.3 ml of a solutionmade up of 10 ml of HS without homeopathic ingredients diluted in 300 ml of water. The homeopathic ingredients Sulph 9C, Mag-c12C, and Calc-p 9C were used on soil and seed treatment. The selection and prescription of those ingredients followed Materia Medica instructions. The experiment was conducted using randomized design and 400 seeds per group were sown. Results and discussion: In plot 1, anaverage of 11 seeds per m² germinated, adding up to 330 germinated seeds at a percentage of 82.5%. In plot 2, an average of 7 seeds per m² germinated, adding up to 210 germinated seeds at a percentage of 52.5%. The frequency of seed germinationin both groups was assessed by the Chi-square test to check for significant differences(p<0.05). There was a statistical difference (p<0.05) in the seed germination in the treated group (n=330) compared to the control group (n=210). Conclusion:Homeopathic compounds can be used as a viable treatment for soybean germination.

Effect of homeopathy on quality of corncobs naturally exposed to sugarcane virus

The use of pesticides is damaging to the health of farmers and consumers as their use is associated with numerous diseases. Homeopathy is one of the techniques for organic agriculture currentlyauthorized by the MAPA. Aims: To assess the effect of homeopathic compounds on corncob quality in pesticide-free cultures. Methodology:The experiment was performed in, MS-Brazil. Two culture fields were used, each 30m2in size. The homeopathic group treatment consisted of 1ml of30% hydroalcoholic solution with homeopathic ingredients. This solutionwas diluted into 30ml of water and then sprayed onto 100 seeds. The control group was submitted to the same protocol excluding the homeopathic ingredients. The homeopathic ingredients used were Sulph9C, Mag-c12C, and Calc-p9C, prescribed according to Materia Medica instructions. The evaluationwas performed at harvest by comparing theaverage weight of 1000 kernels pergroup, obtained from a weighingof 3000 kernels per group. In addition, a number of corncobs from both groups werequalitatively evaluated as "good" or "bad." Statistics analysis used the T-test to compare the kernel weight averages and Fisher's exact test to analyze the corncob quality frequency. Both groups were naturally infected by a virus from a neighboring sugarcane field, causing qualitative and quantitative losses on both groups. Results and discussion: The average weight of 1000 kernels from the treated group (329 g) was not significantly greater (p=0.06) than the average weight of 1000 kernels from the non-treated group (308 g). It was observed that 71out of 158 (44.9%) corncobs from the homeopathic treatment group were classified as "good" while zero outof 50 (0%) corncobs from the non-treated group were classified as "good", resulting in a significant difference (p<0.01). Conclusion: Homeopathic compounds can be used as a feasible treatment for health and productivity in the corn crop.

Pediatric Astrocytomas and Their Association With Polymorphisms in Embryonic Stem Cell Marker Genes.

BACKGROUND: Embryonic stem cell markers, such as SOX2, NANOG, and OCT4, are transcription factors expressed in pluripotent stem cells, involved in the mediation of pluripotency and self-renewal. Especially after the discovery of cancer stem cells, these proteins have been associated with several types of neoplasia, including astrocytomas. In the pediatric population, astrocytomas are the most common solid neoplasia and present the highest mortality rates. METHODS: Our study evaluated 5 polymorphisms in SOX2, NANOG, and POU5F1 genes in 101 pediatric astrocytoma samples. RESULTS: We describe the associations between wild and polymorphic alleles in astrocytomas. CONCLUSIONS: In our results, the intronic polymorphic G allele in SOX2 rs77677339 [G/A] had a borderline association with low-grade astrocytomas, and the intronic polymorphic T allele in NANOG rs10845877 [C/T] showed a higher frequency in grade 2, compared to grade 1 astrocytomas, thus showing promising results. IMPACT: Our study is relevant because it shows a potential correlation between polymorphic embryonic stem cell marker genes and pediatric astrocytomas.