The Mango Sudden Decline (MSD), also referred to as Mango Wilt, is an important disease of mango in Brazil, Oman and Pakistan. This fungus is mainly disseminated by the mango bark beetle, ...Hypocryphalus mangiferae (Stebbing), by infected plant material, and the infested soils where it is able to survive for long periods. The best way to avoid losses due to MSD is to prevent its establishment in mango production areas. Our objectives in this study were to: (1) predict the global potential distribution of MSD, (2) identify the mango growing areas that are under potential risk of MSD establishment, and (3) identify climatic factors associated with MSD distribution. Occurrence records were collected from Brazil, Oman and Pakistan where the disease is currently known to occur in mango. We used the correlative maximum entropy based model (MaxEnt) algorithm to assess the global potential distribution of MSD. The MaxEnt model predicted suitable areas in countries where the disease does not already occur in mango, but where mango is grown. Among these areas are the largest mango producers in the world including India, China, Thailand, Indonesia, and Mexico. The mean annual temperature, precipitation of coldest quarter, precipitation seasonality, and precipitation of driest month variables contributed most to the potential distribution of MSD disease. The mango bark beetle vector is known to occur beyond the locations where MSD currently exists and where the model predicted suitable areas, thus showing a high likelihood for disease establishment in areas predicted by our model. Our study is the first to map the potential risk of MSD establishment on a global scale. This information can be used in designing strategies to prevent introduction and establishment of MSD disease, and in preparation of efficient pest risk assessments and monitoring programs.
Adsorption is an effective technology for wastewater treatment processes. Activated carbons are the adsorbent materials traditionally used in most of the applications but sometimes their use is ...limited due to the high-cost of synthesis/production and for their partial or difficult regenerability. For these reasons, scientists have turned their interest in synthesizing new and cheaper composites materials with efficient adsorptive properties. In this scenario, layered double hydroxides/biochar composites (LDHs-biochar) have attracted a great interest due to their elevated adsorption performances for a wide spectrum of pollutants, deriving from the synergistic effects arising upon the combination of LDHs with biochar. This review article focuses on the application of LDHs-biochar composites for the removal of pollutants of different nature (i.e. heavy metals, dyes, phosphate, etc.) from aqueous matrixes. Specific emphasis is given to the synthesis and characterization of these materials. Equilibrium and kinetic data are presented together with their modeling analysis and further insights about the thermodynamics of the adsorption are also provided. A specific insight into adsorption mechanisms, including the interpretation of the interactions between the solid matrix and the contaminants, was considered in this review. The review indicated that LDHs-biochar composites are promising materials that can be proficiently applied to wastewater treatment in terms of efficiency and costs demands. However, there is still a need of research efforts in order to establish this class of materials as proficient adsorbents to remove critical contaminants.
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•Use of layered double hydroxides/biochar composites adsorbents for aquatic pollutant removal.•Details of synthesis and characterization of layered double hydroxides/biochar composites.•Maximum adsorption capacities per different pollutant classes.•Presentation and summary of best isotherm e kinetic models for data interpretation.
Demand for energy has increased globally due to population growth and socioeconomic development stemming from rapid industrialization and urbanization. This scenario worsens the dependence on energy ...resources and highlights the question regarding their availability, showing the fragility of non-renewable fossil fuels. In order to supply the growing world demand for energy and respond to environmental concerns, biodiesel was adopted as a mitigating solution to the problems arising from the burning of fossil fuels as it has a biodegradable, renewable and non-toxic character. Recently, many studies have given attention to the heterogeneous catalysts for the production of biodiesel, since some economic and technological problems were recognized in the production via homogeneous reaction. Among the studied catalysts, layered double hydroxides (LDH) have stood out for presenting adjustable properties according to the composition and methods of synthesis, which are directly associated with the structural, morphological and catalytic aspects of their oxides. This review article aims to elucidate the relationship between the structure, basicity, composition and catalytic activity of metal mixed oxides (MMOs) from LDHs. In addition, a comprehensive description is made of the advantages of using MMOs/LDH-based catalysts, of the reaction optimization parameters and of the regeneration and reuse processes of these minerals.
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•The use of mixed oxides derived from LDH as heterogeneous catalysts for biodiesel production is presented.•Relationship between yield and structure, basicity and composition of mixed oxides derived from LDH has been deeply explored.•Optimization of reaction, regeneration and reuse and the advantages associated with using mixed oxides/LDHs.
This study presents a comprehensive approach for the distribution system expansion planning (DSEP) that considers investment, operation, carbon dioxide emission and reliability costs, as well as ...uncertainties over load demand and wind-based distributed generation. A restoration strategy is taken into account for obtaining the energy not supplied under the ‘N − 1’ criterion and the corresponding reliability cost over a planning horizon. The problem is modelled as mixed-integer non-linear programming by using the artificial immune system algorithm. Also, two methods to represent uncertainties are applied and compared: an interval technique through an interval power flow and a scenario-based approach. Network constraints are considered, as the limits of current, voltage and power from substations, as well as the obtaining of radial and connected topology. The novelty of the proposed interval DSEP consists of handling the uncertainties over operation in an efficient manner through a single step, instead of the several deterministic evaluations of the scenario-based approach. Numerical results are presented for well known test systems, which show the potentials of the proposed approach.
Abstract
The coastal basins of eastern Brazil are influenced by geomorphologic and climatic changes that caused river captures and temporary paleo‐connections due to sea‐level oscillations. These two ...events can lead to isolation and connection among coastal rivers and have a strong influence on the distribution of freshwater fishes in this region.
Characidium bahiense
is a small fish species with a wide distribution, ranging from the coastal basins of the North Group of the Northeastern Mata Atlântica ecoregion to São Francisco and Parnaíba ecoregions. The allopatric distribution of
C
.
bahiense
associated with the possible morphological and molecular variations among geographically isolated populations stimulated this study.
Here, we use an integrative approach, encompassing morphological and mitonuclear data, and paleodrainage reconstruction to better understand the evolutionary history of
C. bahiense
and to test the putative effects of the current configuration of basins and historical drainage rearrangements on the genetic structuring of the species.
Our mitochondrial data show that
C. bahiense
is not a monophyletic species since the specimens from one locality are more closely related to
Characidium
cf.
lagosantense
than to other populations of
C. bahiense
. Multilocus analyses, however, recovered the monophyly of this species, although the molecular delimitation method considers each mitochondrial DNA lineages as a separated species. Overall, the morphological data revealed some intraspecific overlapping variation, suggesting that all specimens of
C. bahiense
are conspecific.
Molecular analyses combined with geomorphological information suggest that the current distribution of
C. bahiense
is the result of climate change that directly affected river flow dynamics and recent riverine captures during the Pleistocene.
The use of multiple data sources not only provides a more reliable interpretation of the evolutionary history of a species, but can also avoid arbitrary taxonomic decisions. Future phylogeographic studies involving other freshwater fish species with a similar distribution to
C. bahiense
are necessary to assist in understanding the scenarios presented here.
Sub-GHz communication provides long-range coverage with low power consumption and reduced deployment cost. LoRa (Long-Range) has emerged, among existing LPWAN (Low Power Wide Area Networks) ...technologies, as a promising physical layer alternative to provide ubiquitous connectivity to outdoor IoT devices. LoRa modulation technology supports adapting transmissions based on parameters such as carrier frequency, channel bandwidth, spreading factor, and code rate. In this paper, we propose SlidingChange, a novel cognitive mechanism to support the dynamic analysis and adjustment of LoRa network performance parameters. The proposed mechanism uses a sliding window to smooth out short-term variations and reduce unnecessary network re-configurations. To validate our proposal, we conducted an experimental study to evaluate the performance concerning the Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) parameter of our SlidingChange against InstantChange, an intuitive mechanism that considers immediate performance measurements (parameters) for re-configuring the network. The SlidingChange is compared with LR-ADR too, a state-of-the-art-related technique based on simple linear regression. The experimental results obtained from a testbed scenario demonstrated that the InstanChange mechanism improved the SNR by 4.6%. When using the SlidingChange mechanism, the SNR was around 37%, while the network reconfiguration rate was reduced by approximately 16%.
In Brazil, ethnopharmacological studies show that Libidibia ferrea (Mart. ex Tul.) L. P. Queiroz is commonly used in folk medicine as an antifungal, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory. In the Amazon ...region, the dried fruit powder of L. ferrea are widely used empirically by the population in an alcoholic tincture as an antimicrobial mouthwash in oral infections and the infusion is also recommended for healing oral wounds. However, there are few articles that have evaluated the antimicrobial activity against oral pathogens in a biofilm model, identifying active compounds and mechanisms of action.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial and anti-adherence activities of the ethanolic extract, fractions and isolated compounds (gallic acid and ethyl gallate) of the fruit and seed of L. ferrea against Streptococcus mutans. The inhibition of acidicity/acidogenicity and the expression of the S. mutans GTF genes in biofilms were also evaluated.
Minimal Inhibitory Concentration (MIC), Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) and Minimum Inhibitory Concentration of Cell Adhesion (MICA) were evaluated with ethanolic extract (EELF), fractions, gallic acid (GA) and ethyl gallate (EG) against S. mutans. Inhibition of biofilm formation, pH drop and proton permeability tests were conducted with EELF, GA and EG, and also evaluated the expression of the GTF genes in biofilms. The compounds of dichloromethane fraction were identified by GC-MS.
This is the first report of shikimic, pyroglutamic, malic and protocatechuic acids identified in L. ferrea. EELF, GA and EG showed MIC at 250 μg/mL, and MBC at 1000 μg/mL by EELF. EELF biofilms showed reduced dry weight and acidogenicity of S. mutans in biofilms. GA and EG reduced viable cells, glucans soluble in alkali, acidogenicity, aciduricity and downregulated expression of gtfB, gtfC and gtfD genes in biofilms. SEM images of GA and EG biofilms showed a reduction of biomass, exopolysaccharide and microcolonies of S. mutans.
The ethanolic extract of fruit and seed of L. ferrea, gallic acid and ethyl gallate showed great antimicrobial activity and inhibition of adhesion, reduction of acidogenicity and aciduricity in S. mutans biofilms. The results obtained in vitro validate the use of this plant in ethnopharmacology, and open opportunities for the development of new oral anticariogenic agents, originated by plants that can inhibit pathogenic biofilm that leads to the development of caries.
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•First report of some compounds identified on Libidibia ferrea.•Ethanolic extract, gallic acid and ethyl gallate have antimicrobial and antibiofilm activities.•Gallic acid and ethyl gallate reduce acidogenicity and aciduricity of Streptococcus mutans.•Gallic acid and ethyl gallate promoted downregulation of glucosyltransferase genes.
Aim
This study aimed to explore the association of gross motor coordination (GMC) with a matrix of biocultural factors in prepubescent children, taking into account weight status, somatic maturation, ...sociodemographic variables, and type of school.
Methods
One hundred twenty‐nine prepubescent children, of both sexes, aged between 8.00 and 8.99, were assessed for GMC (Körperkoordinationstest Für Kinder ‐ KTK), weight status, biological maturation (predicted mature stature), sex, mother's education level and type of school. Binary logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between higher values of KTK and associated biocultural factors.
Results
Normoponderal children are more likely to attain better total KTK scores than those with overweight or obesity (OR: 2.942; LC 95%: 1.189, 7.280). In addition, children who are more advanced in terms of biological maturation exhibited significantly lower odds of being in the high KTK category than their less advanced peers (OR: 0.670; LC 95%: 0.474,0.946). Sex, mother's education level and the type of school are not associated with higher performance on KTK.
Conclusion
Weight status and biological maturation are associated with motor competence in prepubescent children. Future studies should consider additional correlates to better understand the complex interactions between biological, psychosocial and behavioral factors in the prediction of motor competence.
Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a genetic disorder that has been associated with priapism. The role of hydroxyurea, a common SCD therapy, in influencing the nitric oxide (NO)-cGMP pathway and its effect ...on priapism is unclear. To investigate the effect of hydroxyurea treatment on smooth muscle relaxation of corpus cavernosum induced by stimulation of the NO-cGMP pathway in SCD transgenic mice and endothelial NO synthase gene-deficient (eNOS.sup.-/-) mice, which are used as model of priapism associated with the low bioavailability of endothelial NO. Four-month-old wild-type (WT, C57BL/6), SCD transgenic, and eNOS.sup.-/- male mice were treated with hydroxyurea (100 mg/Kg/day) or its vehicle (saline) daily for three weeks via intraperitoneal injections. Concentration-response curves for acetylcholine (ACh), sodium nitroprusside (SNP), and electrical field stimulation (EFS) were generated using strips of mice corpus cavernosum. The SCD mice demonstrated an amplified CC relaxation response triggered by ACh, EFS, and SNP. The corpus cavernosum relaxation responses to SNP and EFS were found to be heightened in the eNOS.sup.-/- group. However, the hydroxyurea treatment did not alter these escalated relaxation responses to ACh, EFS, and SNP in the corpus cavernosum of the SCD group, nor the relaxation responses to EFS and SNP in the eNOS.sup.-/- group. In conclusion, hydroxyurea is not effective in treating priapism associated with SCD. It is likely that excess plasma hemoglobin and reactive oxygen species, which are reported in SCD, are reacting with NO before it binds to GCs in the smooth muscle of the corpus cavernosum, thus preventing the restoration of baseline NO/cGMP levels. Furthermore, the downregulation of eNOS in the penis may impair the pharmacological action of hydroxyurea at the endothelial level in SCD mice. This study emphasize the urgency for exploring alternative therapeutic avenues for priapism in SCD that are not hindered by high plasma hemoglobin and ROS levels.
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