The experiment was conducted at Araí & Zumbi farm on sixty healthy Dorper ewes to compare blood glucose, hormonal profile, and insulin resistance evaluation in sheep from conception until 48 h ...postpartum in single and twin pregnancies. All experimental ewes raised under semi-intensive management system. Sixty animals were selected from 150 estrous synchronized and pregnant ewes. The animals were divided into two groups based on single (G1,
n
= 30) and twin pregnancies (G2,
n
= 30). Blood samples were collected at nine time points: immediately after fixed-time artificial insemination (D0); at 30 days (D30), 90 days (D90), 120 days (D120), 130 days (D130), and 140 days (D140) of pregnancy; on the delivery day (DD); and at 24 h (PD1) and 48 h (PD2) postpartum. The results of blood glucose, insulin, glucagon, cortisol, and thyroid hormones (T3 and T4) levels showed significant differences over the analyzed sample times; however, only cortisol showed differences within groups, with the G1 having higher values than the G2 group. The interaction of the groups × nine sample times showed a significant result (
P
= 0.001) only for glucagon. The number of fetuses directly interfered with the glucagon profile throughout gestation. The glucose, cortisol, glucagon, and the homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA IR) concentrations increased at DD and decreased at PD1 and PD2. T3 and T4 showed different behaviors among the sample times. T3 values presented a decrease from D0 to D90, followed by an increase from D90 to DD. Otherwise, for T4 values, a decrease from D90 to D130 was observed, followed by an increase from D130 to D140. Despite the changes found in the endocrine system and metabolism in Dorper ewes throughout pregnancy, the nutritional management ensured a healthy status during pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum in single and twin gestation, whose HOMA IR profiles remained identical.
Reference genes presenting stable expression profiles over a wide variety of conditions are required in relative expression studies of specific bacterial genes by quantitative reverse transcription ...PCR (RT-qPCR). High-throughput sequencing of bacterial transcriptomes using the RNA-seq methodology now provides a wealth of data that may be searched for identification of the most stably expressed genes of a given bacterium. Herein, we searched a RNA-seq dataset from various experiments with the pathogenic bacterium Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis, grown under different stress conditions, in order to select appropriate candidate reference genes for this species. Nineteen genes involved in maintenance of basic cellular functions, so-called housekeeping genes, were chosen for study and their expression profiles in C. pseudotuberculosis were evaluated throughout all growth conditions. Eight of these genes (atpA, dnaG, efp, fusA, gyrA, gyrB, rpoB, and rpoC), mostly participating in DNA replication and transcription, matched the defined criteria to be included as candidate reference genes. Transcriptional levels of these genes were quantified by RT-qPCR assays after growth of C. pseudotuberculosis under two additional conditions. Expression stability analysis by NormFinder indicated the combination of genes encoding DNA gyrase subunit A (gyrA) and elongation factor P (fusA) as the most suitable for normalization of RT-qPCR studies in C. pseudotuberculosis.
To analyze the association between participation in physical education (PE) classes and social isolation among adolescents.
We used data from the Global School-based Health Survey, comprising 266,156 ...adolescents from 69 countries/territories. Participation in PE classes (days/week) was reported by the students. Social isolation was assessed through questions regarding the number of friends and loneliness perception. Poisson regression models were used to identify the association of weekly participation in PE classes with social isolation, and harmonized meta-analyses were used to estimate a summary association. Results were expressed through prevalence ratios (PR) and their respective confidence intervals (95%CI).
Adolescents who participated in PE classes on one PR:0.87 (95%CI:0.83; 0.92), two 0.84 (0.79; 0.89), and three or more days per week 0.77 (0.73; 0.82) had a lower prevalence of having a low number of friends than their peers with no PE classes. The loneliness perception was lower among those who participated in PE classes on one 0.86 (0.81; 0.90), two 0.93 (0.87; 0.98), and three or more days per week 0.94 (0.90; 0.98) than among those who did not participate in PE classes. Participation in PE classes was also associated with lower social isolation (combined indicator: a low number of friends + loneliness perception) 1 PE day/wk: 0.88 (0.85; 0.92); 2PE days/wk: 0.88 (0.84; 0.92); ≥3 PE days/wk: 0.85 (0.82; 0.89).
Participating in at least one PE class per week is associated with a lower perception of social isolation among adolescents. Countries should seek to promote student participation in PE classes as a way of reducing social isolation.
•Participation in Physical Education classes is associated with a lower prevalence of social isolation.•Any participation in Physical Education classes is better than none.•Promoting participation in Physical Education classes could be a strategy of reducing social isolation among adolescents.
Abstract
European Hare (Lepus europaeus), like many invasive species, have declined in much of their native range but flourished in non-native regions (e.g. South America). Previous studies suggested ...that loss of farmland heterogeneity due to agricultural intensification is the main driver of the species decline in its native range in Europe. Yet, little is known about the role of spatial and temporal heterogeneity and land cover types as predictors of European Hare local abundance in Neotropical agricultural landscapes. We hypothesized that spatial and temporal heterogeneity, rather than land cover types, would be the most influential predictors of hare local abundance in intensively managed Neotropical agricultural landscapes. We sampled 55 sites embedded within agricultural-dominated landscapes from southeastern Brazil with camera traps and transect surveys. Sites were selected along an uncorrelated gradient of native vegetation cover and compositional heterogeneity. We estimated the relative abundance of European hares using an occupancy model that accounts for imperfect detection of species induced primarily by variation in local abundance. We found that land cover diversity, sugarcane, and savanna cover were the best predictors of European Hare relative abundance. Hare relative abundance estimates were low and did not vary dramatically among sites, suggesting that this invader has not yet attained high local density in our study region. European Hare attained the highest relative abundance in agricultural landscapes that locally combine higher compositional heterogeneity, including sugarcane crops, and little to no native savanna. Areas with these combined features may represent the most important nascent foci, fostering ongoing northward spread of this invasive species in the Neotropics.
The invasive European Hare is more likely to attain higher local abundance in areas that combine diverse land cover types, including sugarcane but little native savanna. Abundance estimates were low and did not vary dramatically among sites, suggesting European Hare have not yet attained high density in southeastern Brazil. Monitoring hare densities in agricultural landscapes with diverse land covers, containing sugarcane and little native savanna coverage, is advisable.
The binary glassy system Pb2P2O7-WO3 demonstrates promising photonics applications owing to its high polarizability and chemical stability. The domain of glass's chemical state and linear and ...nonlinear optical properties have been investigated using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), UV–visible spectroscopy, and the Z-scan technique, respectively. The optical absorption spectra revealed that the absorption edge was redshifted with increased WO3 content, suggesting a decrease in bandgap energy. Nonlinear refractive index increased with the WO3 content from an average value of 0.70 x 10−19 m2 W−1 to 0.98 x 10−19 m2 W−1. Such an increase is due to the rise of non-bridging oxygens and the polarizability of W6+ and W5+ species. XPS studies found that a high concentration of WO3 leads to the transformation of the oxidation state of W6+ and W5+ related to the presence of oxygen vacancies. Therefore, our high nonlinear refractive index and polarizability results indicate that the glass system studied here is a potential candidate for photonic devices.
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•Binary matrices of Pb2P2O7-WO3 were prepared using the conventional melt-quenching method.•XPS studies indicated that a high concentration of WO3 leads to the transformation of the oxidation state of W6+ and W5+.•The third-order optical nonlinearity was investigated by using the femtosecond Z-scan technique.•The n2 were associated with BO and NBO bonds in the matrix - supported by applying the BGO model and XPS data.
Almost all malwares running on web-server are php codes. Then, the present paper creates a next generation antivirus (NGAV) expert in auditing threats web-based, specifically from php files, in real ...time. In our methodology, the malicious behaviors, of the personal computer, serve as input attributes of the statistical learning machines. In all, our dynamic feature extraction monitors 11,777 behaviors that the web fileless attack can do when launched directly from a malicious web-server to a listening service in a personal computer. Our NGAV achieves an average 99.95% accuracy in the distinction between benign and malware web scripts. Distinct initial conditions and kernels of neural networks classifiers are investigated in order to maximize the accuracy of our NGAV. Our NGAV can supply the limitations of the commercial antiviruses as for the detection of Web fileless attack. In opposition of analysis of individual events, our engine employs authorial Web-server Sandbox, machine learning, and artificial intelligence in order to identify malicious Web-sites.
Every second, on average, 8 (eight) new malware are created. So, our goal is to propose an antivirus, endowed with artificial intelligence, able of identifying malwares through models based on fast ...training and high-performance neural networks.
Our NGAV (Next Generation Antivirus) is equipped with an authorial ELM (Extreme Learning Morphological) machine. Our bmELMs (Bitwise-Morphological ELMs) are inspired by the image processing theory of Mathematical Morphology. We claim that bmELMs are able to adapt in any machine learning dataset. Inspired by Mathematical Morphology, our bmELMs are capable of modeling any form present at the decisions boundaries of neural networks.
Our bmELMs results are compared with classical ELMs and evaluated through widely used classification metrics. Our antivirus, provided with Bitwise-Morphology, achieves an average accuracy of 97.88%, 93.07%, 93.07% and 91.74% in malware detection of PE (Portable Executable), Java, JavaScript and PHP, respectively.
Our NGAV enables high performance, large capacity of parallelism, and simple, low-power architecture with low power consumption. We concluded that our Bitwise-Morphology assists to the main requirements for the proper operation and confection of antivirus in hardware.
ABSTRACT This article explores decision analysis regarding Drop and Hook (D&H) transportation operations at sugarcane mills. By means of a case study, a combination of a discrete event simulation ...model and multi-attribute utility theory was used to evaluate different configurations for sugarcane delivery systems using internal, external, or no D&H systems. A D&H strategy maximises truck utilisation, as semi-trailers can be handled independently of the traction unit of the trucks, which makes the transport system more agile. For internal D&H systems the semi-trailer detaching/attaching point is located inside the mill site while for external D&H systems it is located outside, before the trucks’ weighbridge. Each configuration requires different infrastructure which affects the supply of sugarcane for milling. The case study was applied to a sugarcane mill of a corporation located in São Paulo State. By means of discrete simulation, we determined that eighteen D&H configurations were feasible. By using the swing weighting multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) method, we identified fleet cost as the most important factor, while configurations with external D&H systems showed the best utility values. For this case study, the best configuration is to use the external D&H strategy with 28 road trains (truck and two semi-trailers), 12 additional semi-trailer sets, and 6 tractor units.
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•Since 1990, the intense threat faced by the Atlantic Forest pushed the enactment of dedicated laws safeguarding its native vegetation.•Current successional stages’ parameters are ...subjective and imprecise, hindering environmental permitting and related offset policies.•We highlight the current classification’s main limitations, propose specific improvements, and suggest creating a new inclusive framework.•It is urgent to review, clarify, simplify, and increase the scientific reliability of the classification of successional stages.
The Atlantic Forest is a global biodiversity hotspot and a significant provider of ecosystem services to 65% of the Brazilian population. Due to being highly threatened, it is protected by federal law 11,428/2006, which establishes forest use restrictions based on native vegetation successional stages in the Atlantic Forest, with more advanced stages receiving more protection. The classification parameters are established at the state level. However, the parameters employed to classify forest fragments in different successional stages are subjective and imprecise, negatively impacting environmental permitting and related offset policies. Here, we critically assessed the major limitations in applying the 11,428/2006 law and presented alternatives for establishing a more transparent, applicable, legally safe, and effective protocol for identifying the conservation value of forest fragments. We also highlight problems related to sampling, indicators, and methodologies and present guidelines for revising the parameters for applying the Atlantic Forest law and associated state-level resolutions. We suggest an inclusive two-step analysis based on vegetation structure, forest cover history, biodiversity, ecosystem services (social), and landscape indicators. By employing a more technological approach and transferring part of the assessment responsibility to the state-level environmental agencies instead of allowing self-declared reports by landowners, our proposal focuses on the potential for evaluating ecological integrity among different successional classes by forest types. As nearly 90% of the remaining Brazilian Atlantic Forest is located within private lands, improving this legal instrument is essential for protecting the vulnerable biodiversity of this unique and threatened biome.
Parameters that influence the efficiency of the degradation of glyphosate (addition of Fe2+, simultaneous addition of Fe2+ and Fe3+ at a 1:1 (Fe2+/Fe3+) molar ratio, addition of oxalate and of H2O2) ...were evaluated at lab-scale. Synergic effects on its degradation and release of phosphate were observed using Fe2+/Fe3+, as well as adding oxalate. On the other hand, the concentration increase of Fe2+/Fe3+, oxalate and H2O2 did not promote a linear increase of glyphosate mineralization and release of phosphate. Using high concentrations of these species, the efficiency of glyphosate mineralization and release of phosphate was constant or even decreased. Under optimized conditions (0.27 mmol L-1 of Fe2+/Fe3+; 1.13 mmol L-1 of oxalate and 10.3 mmol L-1 of H2O2), close results for mineralization and release of phosphate were obtained in lab-scale and using a solar pilot plant. A direct ratio between reducing the toxicity and glyphosate concentration was also observed.
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