Here we describe fossil vertebrate remains from a new Solimões Formation (Eocene-Pliocene) locality, near the highway BR 364 at Sena Madureira municipality (Acre, Brazil). The findings comprise more ...than forty-four isolated fragments from which twenty-three specimens could be properly identified anatomically and systematically. The materials include at least three different Caimaninae genera (Caiman, Melanosuchus, and Mourasuchus), two distinct side-necked turtles (Chelus and Podocnemididae) and one mammal (Toxodontidae). The studied fossils could be systematized into two taphonomic classes based on their preservational status, indicating a sinuous fluvial meandering paleoenvironment. This new locality seems to be relevant regarding not only its fossil vertebrate diversity but also because of its geographic position: on a highway side, which allows access at any season of the year, as contrary to most common riverine outcrops from Solimões Formation, which are restricted to collections during the dry seasons.
•New outcrop is described with several fossil vertebrate remains.•Increase of knowledge regarding Solimões Formation in the interfluvial regions.•Rich fossil tetrapod assemblage, presenting turtles, notoungulates, and crocodiles.•Description of the first postcranial Melanosuchus fossil from Solimões Formation.•Fossils systematized in taphonomical classes according to preservational patterns.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Headwater catchments are essential water sources for sustaining low flow in downstream rivers. The montane region of Serra da Mantiqueira in Southeast Brazil is the largest water supplier for the ...densely populated area of São Paulo, where we investigated the hydrological response of a subtropical catchment and four of its sub‐catchments. We discussed the relationships between rainfall, streamflow, baseflow, stormflow, soil moisture, and water table depth using high‐frequency field observations over 4 years. Baseflow accounted for most of the streamflow during the dry season and for half of streamflow in the wet season. In contrast, the variations in soil moisture were dampened, with increases in the early wet season preceding the increase in streamflow and decreases in the late wet season following the decrease in streamflow. The mean runoff coefficient and baseflow index varied from 23% to 37% and from 62% to 75% across the catchments, respectively. At the event scale, all catchments had a pronounced threshold behaviour, where stormflow increased sharply when event precipitation reached ≃10 mm, soil moisture reached ≃51% and water table depth decreased to ≃135 cm. The event stormflow coefficient was highly variable, with a maximum of 25%. The temporally integrated stormflow coefficient was low for conditions below a soil moisture threshold (≃3%–10%) and high above a soil moisture threshold (≃8%–15%). Our estimates of flows and threshold behaviours were consistent across the various study catchments, improving our understanding of runoff generation at a catchment scale. This information should help improve the management of water resources focused on water and food security in a context of climate change.
(a) Monthly temporal evolution of precipitation (mm month−1) in PO, specific discharge (mm month−1) in PO and Q2, baseflow (mm month−1), water table depth (cm) and soil wetness index in PO basin from July 2017 to April 2020; Scatterplot of the event stormflow coefficient (%) with (b) soil wetness index, and (c) water table depth, both in the Q2 basin.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Fr. Allem. (Anacardiaceae) is a tree popularly known as the "aroeira-do-sertão", native to the caatinga and cerrado biomes, with a natural dispersion ranging from the Northeast, Midwest, to Southeast ...Brazil. Its wood is highly valued and overexploited, due to its characteristics such as durability and resistance to decaying. The diversity of chemical constituents in aroeira seed has shown biological properties against microorganisms and helminths. As such, this work aimed to identify the profile of volatile compounds present in aroeira seeds. Headspace solid phase microextraction was employed (HS-SPME) using semi-polar polydimethylsiloxane-divinylbenzene fiber (PDMS/DVB) for the extraction of VOCs. 22 volatile organic compounds were identified: nine monoterpenes and eight sesquiterpenes, in addition to six compounds belonging to different chemical classes such as fatty acids, terpenoids, salicylates and others. Those that stood out were p-mentha-1,4, 4(8)-diene, 3-carene (found in all samples), caryophyllene and cis-geranylacetone. A virtual docking analysis suggested that around 65% of the VOCs molar content from the aroeiras seeds present moderate a strong ability to bind to cyclooxygenase I (COX-I) active site, oxide nitric synthase (iNOS) active site (iNOSas) or to iNOS cofactor site (iNOScs), corroborating an anti-inflamatory potential. A pharmacophoric descriptor analysis allowed to infer the more determinant characteristics of these compounds' conferring affinity to each site. Taken together, our results illustrate the high applicability for the integrated use of SPME, in silico virtual screening and chemoinformatics tools at the profiling of the biotechnological and pharmaceutical potential of natural sources.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) have revolutionized the treatment of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia. Patients who achieve sustained deep molecular response are eligible for treatment ...discontinuation. DES-CML is an ongoing, phase 2 multicentric discontinuation trial. Adult patients with CML in chronic phase with typical
transcripts, stable deep molecular response (MR4.5 IS) for two years, and no previous resistance were eligible. Patients underwent a phase of TKI dose de-escalation for six months before discontinuation. TKI was reintroduced at the previous dose if the patient lost major molecular response (MMR) at any time. This study aimed to assess the impact of BCR-ABL transcript kinetics during TKI de-escalation and discontinuation phases on treatment-free survival. So far, the study recruited 41 patients, and 38 patients discontinued therapy (4 were in the second discontinuation attempt). Eleven patients lost MMR, one during the de-escalation phase and ten after discontinuation. 24-month treatment-free survival was 66% (95% CI: 48-84%) in a median follow-up of 7 (1-30) months. No patient lost hematological response or had disease progression. A higher rate of molecular relapses occurred in patients with fluctuating
levels after the discontinuation phase (with loss of MR4.5, but no loss of MMR) (P=0.04, HR-4.86 (1.03-22.9) but not confirmed in the multivariate analysis. The longer duration of TKI treatment (P=0.03, HR-1.02, 95%CI - 1.00-1.04) and MMR (P=0.004, HR-0.95, 95%CI - 0.92-098) were independent factors of a lower relapse rate.
Herein, we report a case of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) and dengue coinfection, presented as a fatal stroke in our hospital, in São José do Rio Preto, São Paulo ...State, a Brazilian city hyperendemic for dengue viruses and other arthropod‐borne viruses (arboviruses) and currently facing a surge of SARS‐CoV‐2 cases. This case is the first described in the literature and contributes to the better understanding of clinical presentations of two important diseases in a tropical setting.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Industry 4.0 and digital technologies might significantly impact resource optimization in a smart circular economy. However, adopting digital technologies is not easy due to barriers that may arise ...during this process. While prior literature offers initial insights into barriers at the firm level, these studies pay less attention to these barriers' multi-level nature. Focusing only on one particular level while ignoring others may not unleash the full potential of DTs in a circular economy. To overcome barriers, it's necessary to have a systemic understanding of the phenomenon, which is missing in previous literature. By combining a systematic literature review and multiple case studies of nine firms, this study aims to unpack the multi-level nature of barriers to a smart circular economy. The primary contribution of this study is a new theoretical framework composed of eight dimensions of barriers. Each dimension provides unique insights related to the multi-level nature of the smart circular economy transition. In total, 45 barriers were identified and categorized into the following dimensions: 1. Knowledge management (five barriers), 2. Financial (three barriers), 3. Process management & Governance (eight barriers), 4. Technological (ten barriers), 5. Product & Material (three barriers), 6. Reverse logistic infrastructure (four barriers), 7. Social behaviour (seven barriers), and 8. Policy & Regulatory (five barriers). This study examines how each dimension and multi-level barrier affects the transitions toward a smart circular economy. An effective transition copes with complex, multidimensional, multi-level barriers, which might require mobilization beyond a single firm. Government actions need to be more effective and correlated with sustainable initiatives. Policies also should focus on mitigating barriers. Overall, the study contributes to smart circular economy literature by increasing theoretical and empirical understanding of digital transformation barriers towards circularity.
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•Why does the transition to a smart circular economy demand multiple lenses?•We propose a new theoretical framework of barriers to a Smart Circular Economy.•Barriers should be analyzed under micro, meso and macro perspectives.•Forty-five barriers to a Smart Circular Economy were identified.•Practical recommendations for all levels were formulated.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
War game simulations are decision-making tools that may provide quantitative data about the scenario analyzed by stakeholders. They are widely used to develop tactics and doctrines in the military ...context. Recently, unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) have become a relevant element in these simulations because of their prominent role in contemporary conflicts, surveillance missions, and search and rescue missions. For instance, it is possible to admit aircraft losses from a tactical formation in favor of the victory of a squadron in a given combat scenario. The optimization of the position of UAVs in beyond visual range (BVR) combat has attracted attention in the literature, considering that the distribution of UAVs can be a determining factor in this scenario. This work aims to optimize UAV tactical formations considering enemy uncertainties such as firing distance and position using six metaheuristics and a high-fidelity simulator. A tactical formation often employed by air forces called line abreast was chosen for the RED swarm for a case study. The objective of the optimization is to obtain a tactical formation of the BLUE swarm that wins the BVR combat against the RED swarm. A procedure to confirm the robustness of the optimization is employed, varying the position of each UAV of the RED swarm up to 8 km from its initial configuration and using the war game approach. A tactical analysis is performed to confirm whether the formations found in the optimization are applicable.
This study aimed to characterize the aluminum phthalocyanine chloride (AlClPc) encapsulated in chitosan nanoparticles (CN) and apply it in antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) on multispecies ...biofilm composed of
Streptococcus mutans
,
Lactobacillus casei
, and
Candida albicans
to analyze the antimicrobial activity and lactate production after treatment. Biofilms were formed in 24-well polystyrene plates at 37 °C for 48 h under microaerophilia. The following groups were evaluated (
n
= 9): as a positive control, 0.12% chlorhexidine gluconate (CHX); phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) as a negative control; 2.5% CN as release vehicle control; the dark toxicity control of the formulations used (AlClPc and AlClPc + CN) was verified in the absence of light; for aPDT, after 30 min incubation time, the photosensitizers at a final concentration of 5.8 × 10
–3
mg/mL were photoirradiated for 1 min by visible light using a LED device (AlClPc + L and AlClPc + CN + L) with 660 nm at the energy density of 100 J/cm
2
. An in vitro kit was used to measure lactate. The biofilm composition and morphology were observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The antimicrobial activity was analyzed by quantifying colony forming units per mL (CFU/mL) of each microorganism. Bacterial load between groups was analyzed by ANOVA and Tukey HSD tests (α = 0.05). A lower lactate dosage was observed in the aPDT AlClPc + CN + L and CHX groups compared to the CN and AlClPc groups. The aPDT mediated by the nanoconjugate AlClPc + CN + L showed a significant reduction in the viability of
S. mutans
(3.18 log10 CFU/mL),
L. casei
(4.91 log10 CFU/mL), and
C. albicans
(2.09 log10 CFU/mL) compared to the negative control PBS (
p
< 0.05). aPDT using isolated AlClPc was similar to PBS to the three microorganisms (
p
> 0.05). The aPDT mediated by the nanoconjugate AlClPc + CN + L was efficient against the biofilm of
S. mutans
,
L. casei
, and
C. albicans
.
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EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
The purpose of this study was to provide a guideline of normal MRI developmental anatomy of the proximal humerus in a growing child.
Retrospective interpretation of 83 consecutive MRI studies of ...shoulders in children 2 months to 17 years old was performed in consensus by two radiologists. The following variables were documented: presence, number, and fusion of secondary ossification centers; appearance and closure of the growth plate; presence of the metaphyseal stripe; and proximal metaphyseal marrow signal intensity.
Preossification centers were seen in 2- and 4-month-old patients. Secondary ossification centers appeared in the medial humeral head and greater tuberosity at 4 and 10 months, respectively, originally depicting red marrow and later converting to yellow marrow. A separate lesser tuberosity ossification center was not seen. The ossification centers began fusing by 3 years and gradually conformed to the final shape of the proximal humerus. Ossification was completed by 13 years. The multilaminar growth plate initially had a flat and smooth contour that progressively became irregular and pyramidal, closing at 17 years. The metaphyseal stripe was noted at infancy and disappeared by 15.5 years. The metaphyseal marrow signal intensity was diffusely low in infants but, with conversion to yellow marrow, showed proximal metaphyseal bright patchy or linear signal-intensity, eventually disappearing by 17 years.
The postnatal skeletal development of the proximal humerus in the pediatric population follows distinctive sequential patterns of maturation, which can serve as a guideline for interpreting MRI studies in children.
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