The current article reports the investigation of three new Ni(II) complexes with ONS-donor dithiocarbazate ligands: Ni(L1)PPh3 (1), Ni(L2)PPh3 (2), and Ni(L2)Py (3). Single-crystal X-ray analyses ...revealed mononuclear complexes with a distorted square planar geometry and the metal centers coordinated with a doubly deprotonated dithiocarbazate ligand and coligand pyridine or triphenylphosphine. The non-covalent interactions were investigated by the Hirshfeld surface and the results revealed that the strongest interactions were π⋅⋅⋅π stacking interactions and non-classical hydrogen bonds C–H···H and C–H···N. Physicochemical and spectroscopic methods indicate the same structures in the solid state and solution. The toxicity effects of the free ligands and Ni(II) complexes were tested on the human breast cancer cell line MCF-7 and non-malignant breast epithelial cell line MCF-10A. The half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values, indicating that the compounds were potent in inhibiting cell growth, were obtained for both cell lines at three distinct time points. While inhibitory effects were evident in both malignant and non-malignant cells, all three complexes demonstrated lower IC50 values for malignant breast cell lines than their non-malignant counterparts, suggesting a stronger impact on cancerous cell lines. Furthermore, molecular docking studies were performed showing the complex (2) as a promising candidate for further therapeutic exploration.
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ABSTRACT
The morphological diversity of galaxies is a relevant probe of galaxy evolution and cosmological structure formation. However, in large sky surveys, even the morphological classification of ...galaxies into two classes, like late-type (LT) and early-type (ET), still represents a significant challenge. In this work, we present a Deep Learning (DL) based morphological catalogue built from images obtained by the Southern Photometric Local Universe Survey (S-PLUS) Data Release 3 (DR3). Our DL method achieves a purity rate of 98.5 per cent in accurately distinguishing between spiral, as part of the larger category of LT galaxies, and elliptical, belonging to ET galaxies. Additionally, we have implemented a secondary classifier that evaluates the quality of each galaxy stamp, which allows to select only high-quality images when studying properties of galaxies on the basis of their DL morphology. From our LT/ET catalogue of galaxies, we recover the expected colour–magnitude diagram in which LT galaxies display bluer colours than ET ones. Furthermore, we also investigate the clustering of galaxies based on their morphology, along with their relationship to the surrounding environment. As a result, we deliver a full morphological catalogue with 164 314 objects complete up to rpetro < 18, covering ∼1800 deg2, from which ∼55 000 are classified as high reliability, including a significant area of the Southern hemisphere that was not covered by previous morphology catalogues.
Inbreeding depression in Zebu cattle traits Pereira, R.J.; Santana Jr, M.L.; Ayres, D.R. ...
Journal of animal breeding and genetics (1986),
12/2016, Volume:
133, Issue:
6
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
Summary
The productivity of herds may be negatively affected by inbreeding depression, and it is important to know how intense is this effect on the livestock performance. We performed a ...comprehensive analysis involving five Zebu breeds reared in Brazil to estimate inbreeding depression in productive and reproductive traits. Inbreeding depression was estimated for 13 traits by including the individual inbreeding rate as a linear covariate in the standard genetic evaluation models. For all breeds and for almost all traits (no effect was observed on gestation length), the performance of the animals was compromised by an increase in inbreeding. The average inbreeding depression was −0.222% and −0.859% per 1% of inbreeding for linear regression coefficients scaled on the percentage of mean (βm) and standard deviation (βσ), respectively. The means for βm (and βσ) were −0.269% (−1.202%) for weight/growth traits and −0.174% (−0.546%) for reproductive traits. Hence, inbreeding depression is more pronounced in weight/growth traits than in reproductive traits. These findings highlight the need for the management of inbreeding in the respective breeding programmes of the breeds studied here.
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BFBNIB, DOBA, FZAB, GIS, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Objective
To evaluate whether colchicine treatment was associated with the inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome activation in patients with COVID-19.
Methods
We present a post hoc analysis from a ...double-blinded placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial (RCT) on the effect of colchicine for the treatment of COVID-19. Serum levels of NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome products—active caspase-1 (Casp1p20), IL-1β, and IL-18—were assessed at enrollment and after 48–72 h of treatment in patients receiving standard-of-care (SOC) plus placebo vs. those receiving SOC plus colchicine. The colchicine regimen was 0.5 mg tid for 5 days, followed by 0.5 mg bid for another 5 days.
Results
Thirty-six patients received SOC plus colchicine, and thirty-six received SOC plus placebo. Colchicine reduced the need for supplemental oxygen and the length of hospitalization. On Days 2–3, colchicine lowered the serum levels of Casp1p20 and IL-18, but not IL-1β.
Conclusion
Treatment with colchicine inhibited the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome, an event triggering the ‘cytokine storm’ in COVID-19.
Trial registration numbers
RBR-8jyhxh
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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
ABSTRACT
The monitoring of hydro‐meteorological variables for operational and research purposes requires accurate measurements. The reliability of such measurements varies depending on the need to ...meet different requirements in several sectors, including aviation, agriculture, civil protection, entertainment and weather forecast. In the case of rain gauges, many factors and variables affect the measurement of liquid and solid precipitation in the field. Calibration is a primary tool for quality control and requires suitable infrastructure to perform the tests, and is done by using properly evaluated testing methods and procedures. The current study presents the analysis of a typical calibration system for tipping‐bucket rain gauges, using the gravimetric method, in accordance with the recommendations and requirements of both meteorology and metrology. As a result, the uncertainty contribution of each component of the system and an assessment of the resulting overall uncertainty budget are obtained.
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Longer-lived cows tend to be more profitable and the stayability trait is a selection criterion correlated to longevity. An alternative to the traditional approach to evaluate stayability is its ...definition based on consecutive calvings, whose main advantage is the more accurate evaluation of young bulls. However, no study using this alternative approach has been conducted for Zebu breeds. Therefore, the objective of this study was to compare linear random regression models to fit stayability to consecutive calvings of Guzerá, Nelore and Tabapuã cows and to estimate genetic parameters for this trait in the respective breeds. Data up to the eighth calving were used. The models included the fixed effects of age at first calving and year-season of birth of the cow and the random effects of contemporary group, additive genetic, permanent environmental and residual. Random regressions were modeled by orthogonal Legendre polynomials of order 1 to 4 (2 to 5 coefficients) for contemporary group, additive genetic and permanent environmental effects. Using Deviance Information Criterion as the selection criterion, the model with 4 regression coefficients for each effect was the most adequate for the Nelore and Tabapuã breeds and the model with 5 coefficients is recommended for the Guzerá breed. For Guzerá, heritabilities ranged from 0.05 to 0.08, showing a quadratic trend with a peak between the fourth and sixth calving. For the Nelore and Tabapuã breeds, the estimates ranged from 0.03 to 0.07 and from 0.03 to 0.08, respectively, and increased with increasing calving number. The additive genetic correlations exhibited a similar trend among breeds and were higher for stayability between closer calvings. Even between more distant calvings (second v. eighth), stayability showed a moderate to high genetic correlation, which was 0.77, 0.57 and 0.79 for the Guzerá, Nelore and Tabapuã breeds, respectively. For Guzerá, when the models with 4 or 5 regression coefficients were compared, the rank correlations between predicted breeding values for the intercept were always higher than 0.99, indicating the possibility of practical application of the least parameterized model. In conclusion, the model with 4 random regression coefficients is recommended for the genetic evaluation of stayability to consecutive calvings in Zebu cattle.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
The mechanical assembly of a tipping-bucket rain gauge is often calibrated as a stand-alone instrument. However, the measurement accuracy depends on the associated data-logger as well, especially in ...case the rainfall intensity is derived from the measurement. This paper reports the calibration of a set comprising the tipping-bucket rain gauge assembly and the associated data-logger. The case study of a specific commercial rain gauge is presented. We conclude that the response time of the data-logger directly affects the measurement of rainfall intensity and that the greatest contribution to the uncertainty budget may arise from the accuracy of the clock of the data-logger.
Cigarette smoke is associated with decreased female fertility, causing damage to ovarian function and disturbing follicle development. However, the effects of cigarette toxicants on ovarian function ...depend on duration and intensity of exposure. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of brief, intense exposure to tobacco smoke on granulosa cell number, oocyte growth, and follicle size during puberty in female Swiss mice.
Ten female Swiss mice aged 35 days were exposed to tobacco smoke from 3R4F reference research cigarettes. They were exposed to an automatic smoking machine 8 h/day, 7 days/week for 15 days. Ten age-matched controls were kept in a different room and exposed to ambient air. At the end of 15 days, five mice in each group were euthanized and the ovaries were analyzed for follicular morphometry and granulosa cell count. The remaining animals were kept for an additional 30 days for further analysis as an ex-smoker group and control group. Comparison between the two groups was evaluated by the Student's t-test or a two-way ANOVA followed by Bonferroni post-test was applied for multiple comparisons.
We found that cigarette smoke impaired antral follicular growth even after exposure cessation (p < 0.001). Both smoking and ex-smoking groups exhibited similar follicle diameter. However, at the same follicular stage, the number of granulosa cells was smaller in the ex-smoking group compared to smoking animals (p < 0.001). This was associated with increased oocyte diameter in ex-smoking animals compared to smoking animals (p < 0.01).
The negative effects of cigarette smoking seem to last even after exposure has been interrupted. Moreover, brief exposure during puberty may induce silent oocyte disruption, which could in turn lead to decreased fecundity rates.
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In social insects, task allocation can be more complex than workers merely falling into discrete task groups. Any activity performed by the colony cannot be fully understood in isolation from other ...activities because they may be interrelated. Investigating activities other than foraging is crucial to understanding the global functioning and organization of ant colonies. This study attempts to characterize the nest maintenance activity of the ponerine queenless ant,
Dinoponera quadriceps
, in its natural environment to determine the effects of environmental variables on the variations in both seasonal and daily rhythms and to discuss its differences and possible relationships to foraging. Four colonies of
D. quadriceps
were observed in an area of Atlantic Forest in northeastern Brazil. Data collection was performed over a period of 72 h every three months during an entire annual cycle. Nest maintenance activity in
D. quadriceps
colonies was observed during both the light and dark phases of the day. There was no significant difference between the day phases in the number of workers involved in this task. On the other hand,
D. quadriceps
colonies exhibited seasonal variation in nest maintenance activity, peaking in the early rainy season. The seasonal rhythm of nest maintenance was positively correlated with relative humidity and negatively correlated with prey availability and rainfall. Our results indicate the existence of an annual variation in the nest maintenance activity of
D. quadriceps
associated with environmental variables. However, it occurs equally both at night and day, countering the hypothesis that there is a daily rhythm.
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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
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