This article presents a new automatic identification technique of structural failures in nuclear green fuel pellet. This technique was developed to identify failures occurred during the fabrication ...process. It is based on a smart image analysis technique for automatic identification of the failures on uranium oxide pellets used as fuel in PWR nuclear power stations. In order to achieve this goal, an artificial neural network (ANN) has been trained and validated from image histograms of pellets containing examples not only from normal pellets (flawless), but from defective pellets as well (with the main flaws normally found during the manufacturing process). Based on this technique, a new automatic identification system of flaws on nuclear fuel element pellets, composed by the association of image pre-processing and intelligent, will be developed and implemented on the Brazilian nuclear fuel production industry. Based on the theoretical performance of the technology proposed and presented in this article, it is believed that this new system, NuFAS (Nuclear Fuel Pellets Failures Automatic Identification Neural System) will be able to identify structural failures in nuclear fuel pellets with virtually zero error margins. After implemented, the NuFAS will add value to control quality process of the national production of the nuclear fuel.
Knowledge regarding the risks associated with Zika virus (ZIKV) infections in pregnancy has relied on individual studies with relatively small sample sizes and variable risk estimates of adverse ...outcomes, or on surveillance or routinely collected data. Using data from the Zika Brazilian Cohorts Consortium, this study aims, to estimate the risk of adverse outcomes among offspring of women with RT-PCR-confirmed ZIKV infection during pregnancy and to explore heterogeneity between studies.
We performed an individual participant data meta-analysis of the offspring of 1548 pregnant women from 13 studies, using one and two-stage meta-analyses to estimate the absolute risks.
Of the 1548 ZIKV-exposed pregnancies, the risk of miscarriage was 0.9%, while the risk of stillbirth was 0.3%. Among the pregnancies with liveborn children, the risk of prematurity was 10,5%, the risk of low birth weight was 7.7, and the risk of small for gestational age (SGA) was 16.2%. For other abnormalities, the absolute risks were: 2.6% for microcephaly at birth or first evaluation, 4.0% for microcephaly at any time during follow-up, 7.9% for neuroimaging abnormalities, 18.7% for functional neurological abnormalities, 4.0% for ophthalmic abnormalities, 6.4% for auditory abnormalities, 0.6% for arthrogryposis, and 1.5% for dysphagia. This risk was similar in all sites studied and in different socioeconomic conditions, indicating that there are not likely to be other factors modifying this association.
This study based on prospectively collected data generates the most robust evidence to date on the risks of congenital ZIKV infections over the early life course. Overall, approximately one-third of liveborn children with prenatal ZIKV exposure presented with at least one abnormality compatible with congenital infection, while the risk to present with at least two abnormalities in combination was less than 1.0%.
National Council for Scientific and Technological Development - Brazil (Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico – CNPq); Wellcome Trust and the United Kingdom's Department for International Development; European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program; Medical Research Council on behalf of the Newton Fund and Wellcome Trust; National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; Foundation Christophe et Rodolphe Mérieux; Coordination for the improvement of Higher Education Personnel (Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - Capes); Ministry of Health of Brazil; Brazilian Department of Science and Technology; Foundation of Research Support of the State of São Paulo (Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo – FAPESP); Foundation of Research Support of the State of Rio de Janeiro (Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro – FAPERJ); Foundation of Support for Research and Scientific and Technological Development of Maranhão; Evandro Chagas Institute/Brazilian Ministry of Health (Instituto Evandro Chagas/Ministério da Saúde); Foundation of Research Support of the State of Goiás (Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Goiás – FAPEG); Foundation of Research Support of the State of Rio Grande do Sul (Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul – FAPERGS); Foundation to Support Teaching, Research and Assistance at Hospital das Clínicas, Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto (Fundação de Apoio ao Ensino, Pesquisa e Assistência do Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto); São Paulo State Department of Health (Secretaria de Saúde do Estado de São Paulo); Support Foundation of Pernambuco Science and Technology (Fundação de Amparo à Ciência e Tecnologia de Pernambuco – FACEPE).
Background and objectives
Because of its beneficial off‐target effects against non‐mycobacterial infectious diseases, bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG) vaccination might be an accessible early ...intervention to boost protection against novel pathogens. Multiple epidemiological studies and randomised controlled trials (RCTs) are investigating the protective effect of BCG against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19). Using samples from participants in a placebo‐controlled RCT aiming to determine whether BCG vaccination reduces the incidence and severity of COVID‐19, we investigated the immunomodulatory effects of BCG on in vitro immune responses to SARS‐CoV‐2.
Methods
This study used peripheral blood taken from participants in the multicentre RCT and BCG vaccination to reduce the impact of COVID‐19 on healthcare workers (BRACE trial). The whole blood taken from BRACE trial participants was stimulated with γ‐irradiated SARS‐CoV‐2‐infected or mock‐infected Vero cell supernatant. Cytokine responses were measured by multiplex cytokine analysis, and single‐cell immunophenotyping was made by flow cytometry.
Results
BCG vaccination, but not placebo vaccination, reduced SARS‐CoV‐2‐induced secretion of cytokines known to be associated with severe COVID‐19, including IL‐6, TNF‐α and IL‐10. In addition, BCG vaccination promoted an effector memory phenotype in both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, and an activation of eosinophils in response to SARS‐CoV‐2.
Conclusions
The immunomodulatory signature of BCG’s off‐target effects on SARS‐CoV‐2 is consistent with a protective immune response against severe COVID‐19.
Using samples from participants in a multisite placebo‐controlled RCT, we found that bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG) vaccination alters immune responses to SARS‐CoV‐2. The immunomodulatory signature of BCG on SARS‐CoV‐2 responses is consistent with a protective immune response against severe COVID‐19.
Resumo Devido ao processamento industrial do mamão, uma grande quantidade de subprodutos dessa fruta é gerada. Dentre esses subprodutos, estão as cascas e sementes, que têm grande valor nutricional, ...pois apresentam valores consideráveis de fibras, proteínas e antioxidantes. O objetivo, neste estudo, foi desenvolver um pão de fôrma integral adicionado de farinha mista, proveniente das cascas e sementes do mamão da cultivar Havaí. Na elaboração do pão de fôrma integral, foi adicionada farinha mista (casca e semente) em diferentes concentrações (0%, 3%, 6% e 9%), na proporção de 70% de farinha da casca e 30% da farinha da semente do mamão. A adição da farinha mista resultou em produtos com elevados teores de fibras (7,96 g 100 g-1) e proteínas (12,71 g 100 g-1), e baixos teores de lipídeos (0,55 g 100 g-1). Os resultados da análise sensorial mostraram que a fabricação do pão com 3% de adição da farinha mista resultou em boa aceitação, quando comparado com o controle. Assim, a adição da farinha dos subprodutos do mamão na fabricação de pães é uma boa alternativa para compor a dieta da população, por ser nutricionalmente rico em fibras e proteínas.
Apreciada há milhares de anos, a pimenta malagueta (Capsicum frutescens) está presente na mesa da população espalhada por todo o mundo, sendo utilizada na maioria das vezes como especiaria. Em ...consequência desta procura, a área de cultivo de pimentas nos vários estados brasileiros expandiu, com o intuito de atender tanto o mercado interno quanto o externo. Elas abastecem a agroindústria, são consumidas in natura e processadas para serem utilizadas em várias linhas de produtos. Este trabalho teve como objetivo a avaliação do processo de desidratação osmótica de pimenta malagueta (Capsicum frutens). Não houve diferenças significativas entre as soluções desidratantes tanto para a perda de água (PA) como para o ganho de sólidos (GS).
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