Effect of Initial Inoculum on the Temporal and Spatial Dynamics of Wheat Blast Under Field Conditions in Bolivia.

Epidemiological studies to better understand wheat blast (WB) spatial and temporal patterns were conducted in three field environments in Bolivia between 2019 and 2020. The temporal dynamics of wheat leaf blast (WLB) and spike blast (WSB) were best described by the logistic model compared with the Gompertz and exponential models. The nonlinear logistic infection rates were higher under defined inoculation in experiments two and three than under undefined inoculation in experiment one, and they were also higher for WSB than for WLB. The onset of WLB began with a spatial clustering pattern according to autocorrelation analysis and Moran's index values, with higher severity and earlier onset for defined than for undefined inoculation until the last sampling time. The WSB onset did not start with a spatial clustering pattern; instead, it was detected later until the last sampling date across experiments, with higher severity and earlier onset for defined than for undefined inoculation. Maximum severity (Kmax) was 1.0 for WSB and less than 1.0 for WLB. Aggregation of WLB and WSB was higher for defined than for undefined inoculation. The directionality of hotspot development was similar for both WLB and WSB, mainly occurring concentrically for defined inoculation. Our results show no evidence of synchronized development but suggest a temporal and spatial progression of disease symptoms on wheat leaves and spikes. Thus, we recommend that monitoring and management of WB should be considered during early growth stages of wheat planted in areas of high risk.

Phenolic Monoterpenes Conversion of Conobea scoparioides Essential Oil by Hydrotalcite Synthesized from Blast-Furnace Slag.

Conobea scoparioides (Plantaginaceae) is an herbaceous plant known as "pataqueira" that grows wild in seasonally wet areas of the Amazon region. It is used for aromatic baths and anti-protozoan remedies by the Brazilian Amazon native people. The main volatile compounds identified in the essential oil of "Pataqueira" were the phenolic monoterpenes thymol and thymol methyl ether and their precursors, the monoterpene hydrocarbons α-phellandrene and p-cymene. A hydrotalcite synthesized from blast-furnace slag exhibited a 3:2 (Mg/Al) molar ratio, and this layered double hydroxide (LDH) was evaluated as a catalyst in converting the main monoterpenes of the "Pataqueira" oil. This action significantly increased the thymol content, from 41% to 95%, associated with the percentual reduction in other main components, such as thymol methyl ether, α-phellandrene, and p-cymene. The LDH reaction showed a strong tendency towards producing hydroxylated derivatives, and its behavior was similar to the hypothetical plant biosynthetic pathway, which leads to the production of the monoterpenes of "Pataqueira" oil. Thymol and its derivatives are potent antiseptics applied in pharmaceutical and hygienic products as antibacterial, antifungal, and antioxidant properties, among others. The present work reports a natural source with a high thymol content in aromatic plants from the Amazon, with evident economic value.

Bioinformatic Approaches for Comparative Analysis of Viruses.

The field of viral genomic studies has experienced an unprecedented increase in data volume. New strains of known viruses are constantly being added to the GenBank database and so are completely new species with little or no resemblance to our databases of sequences. In addition to this, metagenomic techniques have the potential to further increase the number and rate of sequenced genomes. Besides, it is important to consider that viruses have a set of unique features that often break down molecular biology dogmas, e.g., the flux of information from RNA to DNA in retroviruses and the use of RNA molecules as genomes. As a result, extracting meaningful information from viral genomes remains a challenge and standard methods for comparing the unknown and our databases of characterized sequences may need adaptations. Thus, several bioinformatic approaches and tools have been created to address the challenge of analyzing viral data. This chapter offers descriptions and protocols of some of the most important bioinformatic techniques for comparative analysis of viruses. The authors also provide comments and discussion on how viruses' unique features can affect standard analyses and how to overcome some of the major sources of problems. Protocols and topics emphasize online tools (which are more accessible to users) and give the real experience of what most bioinformaticians do in day-by-day work with command-line pipelines. The topics discussed include (1) clustering related genomes, (2) whole genome multiple sequence alignments for small RNA viruses, (3) protein alignment for marker genes and species affiliation, (4) variant calling and annotation, and (5) virome analyses and pathogen identification.

Alkaline Activation of Binders: A Comparative Study.

Binders formulated with activated alkali materials to replace Portland cement, which has high polluting potential due to CO2 emissions in its manufacture, have increasingly been developed. The objective of this study is to evaluate the main properties of activated alkali materials (AAM) produced by blast furnace slag, fly ash, and metakaolin. Initially, binders were characterized by their chemical, mineralogical and granulometric composition. Later, specimens were produced, with molarity variation between 4.00 and 5.50, using the binders involved in the research. In preparing the activating solution, sodium hydroxide and silicate were used. The evaluated properties of AAM were consistency, viscosity, water absorption, density, compressive strength (7 days of cure), calorimetry, mineralogical analysis by X-ray diffraction, and morphological analysis by scanning electron microscopy. The results of evaluation in the fresh state demonstrate that metakaolin has the lowest workability indices of the studied AAM. The results observed in the hardened state indicate that the metakaolin activation process is optimized with normal cure and molarity of 4.0 and 4.5 mol/L, obtaining compressive strength results after 7 days of curing of approximately 30 MPa. The fly ash activation process is the least intense among the evaluated binders. This can be seen from the absence of phases formed in the XRD in the compositions containing fly ash as binder. Unlike blast furnace slag and metakaolin, the formation of sodalite, faujasite or tobermorite is not observed. Finally, the blast furnace slag displays more intense reactivity during thermal curing, obtaining compressive strength results after 7 days of curing of around 25 MPa. This is because the material's reaction kinetics are low but can be increased in an alkaline environment, and by the effect of temperature. From these results, it is concluded that each precursor has its own activation mechanism, observed by the techniques used in this research. From the results obtained in this study, it is expected that the alkaline activation process of the types of binders evaluated herein will become a viable alternative for replacing Portland cement, thus contributing to cement technology and other cementitious materials.

Dropping a bombshell: Acoustic characterization of blast fishing in Todos os Santos Bay, Brazil, and its implication for marine conservation.

Blast fishing is an illegal fishing method that not only affects fish populations and the marine ecosystem, but also local food security and local economy. Despite its effects, blast fishing continues to persist in many coastal regions around the world, including Todos os Santos Bay (BTS - Baia de Todos os Santos) in Northeastern Brazil. This study provides the first acoustic record of underwater explosions along this region. The acoustic data were collected between 2016 and 2018, from a boat-survey platform, using a portable system consisting of an HTI-90 min hydrophone (sensitivity of about -165 dB re 1 V/µPa) connected to a TASCAM DR-40 digital recorder (combined frequency response up to 30 kHz), recording at 7 m depth. The acoustic analysis was performed using both RAVEN 1.6 and MATLAB 2021a softwares. The results revealed a distinctive underwater explosion signal detected in the BTS, indicating evidence of blast fishing activities. The acoustic characterization of blast fishing in BTS provides crucial information on its occurrence and extent of this destructive practice worldwide.

Associating Physical and Photocatalytic Properties of Recyclable and Reusable Blast Furnace Dust Waste.

Blast furnace dust waste (BFDW) proved efficient as a photocatalyst for the decolorization of methylene blue (MB) dye in water. Structural analysis unequivocally identified α-Fe2O3 as the predominant phase, constituting approximately 92%, with a porous surface showcasing unique 10-30 nm agglomerated nanoparticles. Chemical and thermal analyses indicated surface-bound water and carbonate molecules, with the main phase's thermal stability up to 900 °C. Electrical conductivity analysis revealed charge transfer resistance values of 616.4 Ω and electrode resistance of 47.8 Ω. The Mott-Schottky analysis identified α-Fe2O3 as an n-type semiconductor with a flat band potential of 0.181 V vs. Ag/AgCl and a donor density of 1.45 × 1015 cm-3. The 2.2 eV optical bandgap and luminescence stem from α-Fe2O3 and weak ferromagnetism arises from structural defects and surface effects. With a 74% photocatalytic efficiency, stable through three photodegradation cycles, BFDW outperforms comparable waste materials in MB degradation mediated by visible light. The elemental trapping experiment exposed hydroxyl radicals (OH•) and superoxide anions (O2-•) as the primary species in the photodegradation process. Consequently, iron oxide-based BFDW emerges as an environmentally friendly alternative for wastewater treatment, underscoring the pivotal role of its unique physical properties in the photocatalytic process.

Alteraciones de la salud humana por artefactos explosivos improvisados. Revisión sistemática exploratoria / Alterations of human health due to improvised explosive devices. Exploratory systematic review / Mudanças na saúde humana devido a dispositivos explosivos improvisados. Revisão sistemática exploratória

Objetivo: revisar la literatura existente indagando por los tipos de lesión o enfermedad que se han identificado en supervivientes de artefactos explosivos improvisados (AEI), así como aspectos individuales y colectivos relacionados con la protección o destrucción de la salud humana enfrentada a los AEI. Metodología: revisión sistemática exploratoria de literatura publicada en bases de datos, como PubMed, SciELO, LILACS, JSTOR, OpenGrey y Google Scholar, entre 2001 a 2021 en cualquier localización geográfica. Se incluyeron artículos de investigación, de revisión o reflexión, libros o capítulos de libro de investigación e informes técnicos, en inglés, español, francés y portugués. Resultados: cumplieron con los criterios de inclusión y fueron revisados 76 documentos. Se han reportado múltiples lesiones asociadas al uso de los AEI, sin que exista un patrón característico de lesión o enfermedad; no obstante, la lesión más común es la amputación bilateral de miembros inferiores. En supervivientes se ha encontrado que el personal militar afectado suele mostrar una mayor capacidad de resiliencia, calidad de vida, tratamiento oportuno y capacidad física funcional más alta, comparado con civiles. El apoyo social genera efectos positivos en la salud y bienestar de los afectados. Conclusiones: los AEI generan múltiples afectaciones a la salud humana, físicas y psicosociales, los cuales requieren una atención integral y multidisciplinaria para el tratamiento, rehabilitación y reintegración de los supervivientes. Los aspectos protectores y destructivos identificados se encuentran asociados a mejores o peores resultados en la salud, existe una representación desigual entre civiles y militares.

Objective: to review the existing literature where we inquired for injury types or illness identified in victims of improvised explosive devices (IED), and also to look for individual and collective processes described in literature in relation with the protection or destruction of human's health and IEDs. Methodology: exploratory systematic review of the literature published on PubMed, SciELO, LILACS, JSTOR, OpenGrey and Google Scholar databases between 2001 and 2022, in any geographic location. We included research, review and opinion articles, books and book chapters reporting research results, and final technical reports in English, Spanish, French and Portuguese. Results: 76 documents met the inclusion criteria and were reviewed. Multiple types of injuries have been reported in relation with the use of IEDs, without a characteristic pattern of injury or disease reported; however, the most common injury is bilateral lower limb amputation. In survivors it has been found that affected military personnel tend to show greater resilience capacity, better quality of life, timely treatment, and higher functional physical capacity, compared to civilians. Social support generates positive health effects and wellness of people affected by IED. Conclusion: IEDs generate multiple effects on human health, both physical and psychosocial, which is why comprehensive and multidisciplinary care is required for the treatment, rehabilitation, and reintegration of their victims. The protective and destructive processes identified are associated with better or worse health outcomes, with unequal representation between civilians and military personnel.

Objetivo: Revisar a literatura existente investigando os tipos de lesão ou doença que foram identificados em sobreviventes de artefatos explosivos improvisados ​​(IED), bem como aspectos individuais e coletivos relacionados à proteção ou destruição da saúde humana diante de IEDs. Metodologia: Revisão sistemática exploratória da literatura publicada nas bases de dados Pubmed, Scielo, Lilacs, JSTORE, Open Gray e Google Acadêmico, entre 2001 e 2021 em qualquer localidade geográfica. Foram incluídos artigos de pesquisa, revisão ou reflexão, livros ou capítulos de livros de pesquisa, relatórios técnicos, em inglês, espanhol, francês e português. Resultados: Atenderam aos critérios de inclusão e foram revisados ​​76 documentos. Múltiplas lesões associadas ao uso de IEDs foram relatadas, sem um padrão característico de lesão ou doença; entretanto, a lesão mais comum é a amputação bilateral de membros inferiores. Nos sobreviventes, verificou-se que os militares acometidos tendem a apresentar maior resiliência, qualidade de vida, tratamento oportuno e maior capacidade física funcional, em comparação aos civis. O apoio social gera efeitos positivos na saúde e bem-estar das pessoas afetadas. Conclusões: Os IEDs geram múltiplos efeitos na saúde humana, física e psicossocial, que requerem atenção integral e multidisciplinar para o tratamento, reabilitação e reintegração dos sobreviventes. Os aspectos protetores e destrutivos identificados estão associados a melhores ou piores resultados de saúde, com representação desigual entre civis e militares.

Pyricularia Are Mostly Host-Specialized with Limited Reciprocal Cross-Infection Between Wheat and Endemic Grasses in Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Wheat blast, caused by Pyricularia oryzae Triticum (PoT), is an emerging threat to global wheat production. The current understanding of the population biology of the pathogen and epidemiology of the disease has been based on phylogenomic studies that compared the wheat blast pathogen with isolates collected from grasses that were invasive to Brazilian wheat fields. In this study, we performed a comprehensive sampling of blast lesions in wheat crops and endemic grasses found in and away from wheat fields in Minas Gerais. A total of 1,368 diseased samples were collected (976 leaves of wheat and grasses and 392 wheat heads), which yielded a working collection of 564 Pyricularia isolates. We show that, contrary to earlier implications, PoT was rarely found on endemic grasses, and, conversely, members of grass-adapted lineages were rarely found on wheat. Instead, most lineages were host-specialized, with constituent isolates usually grouping according to their host of origin. With regard to the dominant role proposed for signalgrass in wheat blast epidemiology, we found only one PoT member in 67 isolates collected from signalgrass grown away from wheat fields and only three members of Urochloa-adapted lineages among hundreds of isolates from wheat. Cross-inoculation assays on wheat and a signalgrass used in pastures (U. brizantha) suggested that the limited cross-infection observed in the field may be due to innate compatibility differences. Whether or not the observed level of cross-infection would be sufficient to provide an inoculum reservoir, or serve as a bridge between wheat growing regions, is questionable and, therefore, deserves further investigation.

Firework-related ocular trauma in Pernambuco, Brazil / Trauma ocular por fogos de artifício em Pernambuco, Brasil

ABSTRACT Purpose: This study aimed to describe the demographic and clinical characteristics of victims of fireworkrelated ocular trauma treated at the ophthalmologic emergency de partments of two reference centers in Pernambuco, Brazil, and to identify risk factors related to poor visual prognosis. Methods: We retrospectively evaluated the medical records of patients admitted in emergency departments with a report of firework-related trauma between January 2012 and December 2018. Data collected included patient's age, sex, place of origin, month and year of the accident, ocular structures affected, characteristics of the injuries, and type of treatment that patients received. For patients who were followed for >30 days, the final visual acuity and patient's origin were analyzed. Results: Three hundred and seventy eyes from 314 patients were included, of which 248 (79.0%) were male and 160 (51.0%) were from the metropolitan region of Recife. The mean patient age was 25.6 ± 18.8 years. In 56 (17.8%) patients, the ocular trauma was bilateral. A total of 152 (48.4%) cases occurred in June. The most affected sites were the eyelids in 91 (24.6%) eyes and ocular surface in 252 (68.1%). Surgical treatment was required in 87 (23.5%) eyes. After clinical and surgical management, 37 (10.0%) eyes presented final visual acuity of <20/400. Of these, 34 (91.9%) eyes were from patients from the countryside or from another state. Patients from the countryside presented higher risk of developing blindness after a firework trauma than those from the metropolitan area (odds ratio of 5.46). Conclusions: Victims of firework-related ocular trauma were mostly male, from the metropolitan region of Pernambuco state and mainly pediatric patients or economically active. Those coming from the countryside and other states had higher risk of developing blindness

RESUMO Objetivos: Descrever as características demográficas e clínicas das vítimas de trauma ocular por fogos de artifício atendidas nas emergências oftalmológicas de dois centros de referência em Pernambuco e identificar fatores relacionados a mau prognóstico visual. Métodos: Avaliação retrospectiva dos prontuários de pacientes admitidos na emergência oftalmológica com história de trauma por fogos de artifício entre janeiro de 2012 e dezembro de 2018. A coleta de dados incluiu idade, gênero, procedência, mês e ano do acidente, estruturas oculares acometidas e características das lesões, além do tipo de tratamento a que os pacientes foram submetidos. Naqueles pacientes acompanhados por mais de 30 dias, analisou-se a acuidade visual final e a associação com sua procedência. Resultados: Foram incluídos 370 olhos de 314 pacientes. Destes, 248 (79,0%) vítimas eram do sexo masculino e 160 (51,0%) da região metropolitana do Recife, com uma média de idade de 25.6 ± 18.8 anos. Em 56 (17,8%) dos casos o trauma foi bilateral. No mês de junho ocorreu um total de 152 (48,4%) casos. Os sítios mais acometidos foram pálpebras em 91 (24,6%) olhos e superfície ocular em 252 (68,1%). O tratamento cirúrgico foi necessário em 87 (23,5%) olhos. Após manejo clínico-cirúrgico, 37 (10.0%) olhos desenvolveram visão pior do que 20/400. Destes, 34 (91,9%) olhos eram de pacientes do interior do estado de Pernambuco ou de outro estado. Os pacientes provenientes do interior do estado apresentaram maior chance de desenvolver cegueira quando comparados aos que eram provenientes da região metropolitana (Odds Ratio de 5,46). Conclusões: As vítimas de trauma ocular por fogos de artificio foram em sua maioria do sexo masculino, procedentes da região metropolitana do estado e das faixas etárias pediátrica e economicamente ativa. Aqueles provenientes do interior ou de outros estados apresentaram maior chance de desenvolver cegueira.

Characterization of Artificial Stone Produced with Blast Furnace Dust Waste Incorporated into a Mixture of Epoxy Resin and Cashew Nut Shell Oil.

The demand for materials with improved properties and less negative impact on the environment is growing. Artificial stones are examples of these materials produced with up to 90% of particulate material joined by a binder. This article evaluates the physical and mechanical properties of two artificial stones produced with processing steel residue (blast furnace dust waste) and quartz powder. Two binders were used: pure epoxy resin, denoted as ASPB100, or a mixture of 70 wt% epoxy resin with 30 wt% cashew nut shell oil, denoted as ASPB7030. The process took place under vibration, compression (3 MPa/20 min and 90 °C) and vacuum (80 Pa). ASPB100 showed water absorption of 0.07%, while for ASPB7030, it was 0.54%. They were classified as having high mechanical strength associated with bending stress values equal to 32 and 25 MPa, respectively. Stain resistance indicated that both artificial stones had their stains removed with the tested cleaning agents. In this way, the novel artificial stones produced are sustainable alternatives for the application of blast furnace waste and cashew nut shell oil, reducing their negative impacts on the environment.

Intra-nucleus mosaic pattern (InMop) and whole-cell Haralick combined-descriptor for identifying and characterizing acute leukemia blasts on single cell peripheral blood images.

Acute leukemia is usually diagnosed when a test of peripheral blood shows at least 20% of abnormal immature cells (blasts), a figure even lower in case of recurrent cytogenetic abnormalities. Blast identification is crucial for white blood cell (WBC) counting, which depends on both identifying the cell type and characterizing the cellular morphology, processes susceptible of inter- and intraobserver variability. The present work introduces an image combined-descriptor to detect blasts and determine their probable lineage. This strategy uses an intra-nucleus mosaic pattern (InMop) descriptor that captures subtle nuclei differences within WBCs, and Haralick's statistics which quantify the local structure of both nucleus and cytoplasm. The InMop captures WBC inner-nucleus structure by applying a multiscale Shearlet decomposition over a repetitive pattern (mosaic) of automatically-segmented nuclei. As a complement, Haralick's statistics characterize the local structure of the whole cell from an intensity co-occurrence matrix representation. Both InMoP and Haralick-based descriptors are calculated using the b-channel from Lab color-space. The combined-descriptor is assessed by differentiating blasts from nonleukemic cells with support vector machine (SVM) classifiers and different transformation kernels, in two public and independent databases. The first database-D1 (n = 260) is composed of healthy and acute lymphoid leukemia (ALL) single cell images, and second database-D2 contains acute myeloid leukemia (AML) blasts (n = 3294) and nonblast (n = 15,071) cell images. In a first experiment, blasts versus nonblast differentiation is performed by training with a subset of D2 (n = 6588) and testing in D1 (n = 260), obtaining a training AUC of 0.991 ± 0.002 and AUC = 0.782 for the independent validation. A second experiment automatically differentiates AML blasts (260 images from D2) from ALL blasts (260 images from D1), with an AUC of 0.93. In a third experiment, state-of-the-art strategies, VGG16 and RESNEXT convolutional neural networks (CNN), separate blast from nonblast cells in both databases. The VGG16 showed an AUC of 0.673 and the RESNEXT of 0.75. Reported metrics for all the experiments are area under the ROC curve (AUC), accuracy and F1-score.

Pediatric chronic myeloid leukemia in myeloid blast crisis.

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) accounts for 2-3% of childhood leukemias. About 5% of cases present in a blastic phase of CML which clinically and morphologically mimics more common acute leukemias of childhood. We report a case of a 3-year-old male who presented with gradual onset swelling of the abdomen and extremities along with generalized weakness. Examination revealed massive splenomegaly, pallor, and pedal edema. Initial workup showed anemia, thrombocytopenia, and leukocytosis (120,000/uL) with a blast percentage of 35%. Blasts were positive for CD13, CD33, CD117, CD34 and HLA-DR, and stained negative for Myeloperoxidase and Periodic Acid Schiff. Fluorescence in situ hybridization was positive for b3a2/e14a2 junction BCR-ABL1 transcript and negative for RUNX1-RUNX1T1/t(8;21), clinching the diagnosis of CML in myeloid blast crisis. The patient expired within 17 days of diagnosis and initiation of therapy.

Occurrence of Pyricularia oryzae Triticum in plants of the genus Urochloa in Brazil / Ocorrência de Pyricularia oryzae Triticum em plantas do gênero Urochloa no Brasil

ABSTRACT: In this study Pyricularia spp., P. oryzae and the P. oryzae pathotype Triticum (PoT) were detected and identified in leaf segments of forage and invasive grasses located in or next to wheat fields. In 2018 and 2019, 66 samples of lesion leaf segments of Urochloa and other grasses were collected in Londrina (PR), Patos de Minas (MG), and Uberaba (MG). The detection and/or identification of the pathogens on the samples was conducted using moist chamber procedures and with the primers MoT3 and Pot2 by PCR. There were DNA amplification with the primer MoT3 (specific for PoT) for 13 (19.69%) of the samples, all of them from Urochloa. The finding that Urochloa hosts PoT at a relatively high rate raises concerns about the importance which these plants may have on the wheat blast cycle as an alternative host for the pathogen and/or source of inoculum for the disease.

RESUMO: Neste estudo Pyricularia spp., P. oryzae e o patótipo Triticum (PoT) de P. oryzae foram detectados e identificados em segmentos foliares de forrageiras e gramíneas invasoras de lavouras de trigo. Em 2018 e 2019, foram coletadas 66 amostras de segmentos foliares lesionados de Urochloa e outras gramíneas em Londrina (PR), Patos de Minas (MG) e Uberaba (MG). A detecção e/ou identificação dos patógenos nas amostras foi realizada por meio de procedimentos de câmara úmida e com os iniciadores MoT3 e Pot2 por PCR. Houve amplificações de DNA com o primer MoT3 (específico para PoT) em 13 (19,69%) das amostras, todas provenientes da Urochloa. O resultado de que Urochloa hospeda PoT em uma taxa relativamente alta levanta preocupações sobre a importância que essas plantas podem ter no ciclo de brusone do trigo como hospedeiro intermediário para o patógeno e / ou fonte de inóculo para a doença.

Occurrence of Pyricularia oryzae Triticum in plants of the genus Urochloa in Brazil / Ocorrência de Pyricularia oryzae Triticum em plantas do gênero Urochloa no Brasil

In this study Pyricularia spp., P. oryzae and the P. oryzae pathotype Triticum (PoT) were detected and identified in leaf segments of forage and invasive grasses located in or next to wheat fields. In 2018 and 2019, 66 samples of lesion leaf segments of Urochloa and other grasses were collected in Londrina (PR), Patos de Minas (MG), and Uberaba (MG). The detection and/or identification of the pathogens on the samples was conducted using moist chamber procedures and with the primers MoT3 and Pot2 by PCR. There were DNA amplification with the primer MoT3 (specific for PoT) for 13 (19.69%) of the samples, all of them from Urochloa. The finding that Urochloa hosts PoT at a relatively high rate raises concerns about the importance which these plants may have on the wheat blast cycle as an alternative host for the pathogen and/or source of inoculum for the disease.

Neste estudo Pyricularia spp., P. oryzae e o patótipo Triticum (PoT) de P. oryzae foram detectados e identificados em segmentos foliares de forrageiras e gramíneas invasoras de lavouras de trigo. Em 2018 e 2019, foram coletadas 66 amostras de segmentos foliares lesionados de Urochloa e outras gramíneas em Londrina (PR), Patos de Minas (MG) e Uberaba (MG). A detecção e/ou identificação dos patógenos nas amostras foi realizada por meio de procedimentos de câmara úmida e com os iniciadores MoT3 e Pot2 por PCR. Houve amplificações de DNA com o primer MoT3 (específico para PoT) em 13 (19,69%) das amostras, todas provenientes da Urochloa. O resultado de que Urochloa hospeda PoT em uma taxa relativamente alta levanta preocupações sobre a importância que essas plantas podem ter no ciclo de brusone do trigo como hospedeiro intermediário para o patógeno e / ou fonte de inóculo para a doença.

Pediatric chronic myeloid leukemia in myeloid blast crisis

ABSTRACT Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) accounts for 2-3% of childhood leukemias. About 5% of cases present in a blastic phase of CML which clinically and morphologically mimics more common acute leukemias of childhood. We report a case of a 3-year-old male who presented with gradual onset swelling of the abdomen and extremities along with generalized weakness. Examination revealed massive splenomegaly, pallor, and pedal edema. Initial workup showed anemia, thrombocytopenia, and leukocytosis (120,000/uL) with a blast percentage of 35%. Blasts were positive for CD13, CD33, CD117, CD34 and HLA-DR, and stained negative for Myeloperoxidase and Periodic Acid Schiff. Fluorescence in situ hybridization was positive for b3a2/e14a2 junction BCR-ABL1 transcript and negative for RUNX1-RUNX1T1/t(8;21), clinching the diagnosis of CML in myeloid blast crisis. The patient expired within 17 days of diagnosis and initiation of therapy.

Higher fitness and competitive advantage of Pyricularia oryzae Triticum lineage resistant to QoI fungicides.

BACKGROUND: Quinone outside inhibitor (QoI) fungicides have not been effective in controlling the wheat blast disease [Pyricularia oryzae Triticum lineage (PoTl)] in Brazil. The first report of resistance of PoTl to QoIs in this country occurred in 2015. This study aimed to test hypotheses about the changes in fitness parameters and competitive advantage of the QoI-resistant (R) PoTl isolate group compared to the sensitive (S) isolate group. Mycelial growth on PDA medium and in vivo conidial production, incubation period and disease severity were analyzed as fitness parameters. The competitive ability was measured on wheat leaves and heads inoculated with mixtures of R:S isolates at the following proportions: 0S:100R, 20S:80R, 50S:50R, 80S:20R, 100S:0R, and 0S:0R. RESULTS: The QoI-R isolate group had significantly higher fitness than the sensitive isolate group, considering both in vitro and in vivo parameters. The highest in vivo conidial production on wheat leaves and the highest leaf and head disease severity were detected when resistant strains were predominant in the isolate's mixtures (20S:80R or 0S:100R proportions), in the absence of fungicide pressure. Conidia harvested from wheat blast lesions on leaves inoculated with 20S:80R and 0S:100R mixtures were resistant to QoIs in vitro assays based on discriminatory doses of the fungicide. CONCLUSION: Therefore, QoI resistance facilitated a higher fitness and a competitive advantage in PoTl, which contrasts with the evolutionary theory that associates a fitness cost to fungicide resistance. We discuss the evolutionary and ecological implications of the higher fitness as found in the fungicide-resistant adapted populations of the wheat blast pathogen. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Assessment of the Corrosion of Steel Embedded in an Alkali-Activated Hybrid Concrete Exposed to Chlorides.

Hybrid alkali-activated cements (HAACs), also known as cements with high percentages of alkali-activated supplementary materials, are alternative cements that combine the advantages of ordinary Portland cement (OPC) and alkali-activated systems. These cements are composed of a minimum of 70% precursor material and a maximum of 30% OPC mixed with an alkaline activator. This article evaluates the corrosion performance of reinforced HAAC concrete based on fly ash (FA) under exposure to chlorides (FA/OPC, 80/20). Its performance is compared with that of a binary alkali-activated cement (AAC) based on FA and granulated blast furnace slag (GBFS) (FA/GBFS, 80/20). The tests performed on the concrete matrix correspond to the compressive strength and permeability to chloride ions. Using accelerated corrosion techniques (impressed voltage) and electrochemical tests after immersion in 3.5% NaCl, the progress of the corrosive process in the reinforcing steel is evaluated. The FA/OPC exhibit a better corrosion performance than the FA/GBFS concrete. At the end of the exposure to chlorides, the FA/OPC hybrid concrete presents the best performance, with a 49% lower corrosion rate than that of the FA/GBFS. Note that according to the polarization curves, the values of the proportionality constant B in the alkaline-activated concretes differ from the values recommended for concrete based on OPC.

Intoxicación cronica por metales tóxicos en supervivientes de artefactos explosivos improvisados con fragmentos incorporados y su potencial neoplásico. Revisión sistemática exploratoria / Chronic heavy metal intoxication in survivors of improvised explosive devices with embedded fragments and its neoplastic potential. Exploratory systematic review

Resumen Introducción: Los artefactos explosivos improvisados son armas no convencionales que pueden provocar múltiples lesiones y dejar esquirlas a modo de cuerpos extraños que pueden contener metales tóxicos, con potencial afectación a la salud de las víctimas según reportes datados desde 1977, los cuales mencionan alta mortalidad por cáncer y otros síntomas compatibles con toxicidad crónica Objetivo: Describir los resultados de investigación que informen sobre la toxicidad crónica producida por metales en personas víctimas de artefactos explosivos improvisados con esquirlas internalizadas, y sus posibles relaciones con cáncer. Metodología: Revisión sistemática exploratoria de literatura publicada y gris que se realizó entre los meses de marzo a mayo de 2021 en diferentes repositorios de tesis y bases de datos (Scielo, Pubmed, Academic Search Complete, JSTOR, Biblioteca Virtual en Salud, Freepdf, Google Académico, Open Grey); sin límite temporal o geográfico. Se incluyeron artículos originales de revistas indexadas o informes finales no publicados, correspondientes a investigaciones científicas con texto completo, en inglés, español y portugués. Resultados: De 56 documentos evaluados, solamente tres cumplieron criterios de inclusión. Todos estaban escritos en idioma inglés. Solo un estudio iraquí abordó población civil y los otros trabajos aludían a veteranos norteamericanos. Los niveles elevados de metales tóxicos, asociados con alteraciones tisulares circunscritas, fueron hallazgos recurrentes. No hubo reportes de patologías instauradas o manejos clínicos. Conclusión: Fue escasa la evidencia científica recabada; sin embargo, sí se han reportado cambios tisulares circundantes a esas esquirlas. Se considera necesario realizar más estudios relacionados con el tema, incluyendo seguimientos a largo plazo de las afectaciones tisulares detectadas.

Abstract Introduction: Improvised explosive devices are unconventionalweapons that can cause multiple injuries and splinters internalized containing heavy metals, potentially affecting the victim's health, according to reports dating from 1977, which mention high mortality from cancer and other symptoms suggestive of chronic metal toxicity. Objective: To describe the research results that report on the chronic toxicity produced by heavy metals in people who are victims of improvised explosive devices with internalized splinters, and its possible links with cancer. Methodology: Systematic exploratory review of published and grey literature which was carried out between march and may of 2021, in thesis repositories and different databases (Scielo, Pubmed, Academic Search Complete, JSTOR, Biblioteca Virtual en Salud, Freepdf, Google Académico, Open Grey); without time or geographical limit. Original articles from indexed scientific research journals or unpublished final reports were included, corresponding to scientific research with full text, in english, spanish and portuguese. Results: 56 documents were evaluated, three were selected fulfilling the inclusion criteria. They were all written in the english language. Only one Iraqi study addressed the civilian population and the other studies referred to North American veterans. Elevated heavy metal levels, associated with circumscribed tissue abnormalities, were recurrent findings. There were no reports of established pathologies or clinical management. Conclusion: The scientific evidence was scarce; as well as its relationship with established cancer, however, tissue changing surrounding these splinters have been reported. It is considered necessary to carry out more studies related to the subject, including long-term follow-up of detected tissue damage.

Tucuxi-BLAST: Enabling fast and accurate record linkage of large-scale health-related administrative databases through a DNA-encoded approach.

Background: Public health research frequently requires the integration of information from different data sources. However, errors in the records and the high computational costs involved make linking large administrative databases using record linkage (RL) methodologies a major challenge. Methods: We present Tucuxi-BLAST, a versatile tool for probabilistic RL that utilizes a DNA-encoded approach to encrypt, analyze and link massive administrative databases. Tucuxi-BLAST encodes the identification records into DNA. BLASTn algorithm is then used to align the sequences between databases. We tested and benchmarked on a simulated database containing records for 300 million individuals and also on four large administrative databases containing real data on Brazilian patients. Results: Our method was able to overcome misspellings and typographical errors in administrative databases. In processing the RL of the largest simulated dataset (200k records), the state-of-the-art method took 5 days and 7 h to perform the RL, while Tucuxi-BLAST only took 23 h. When compared with five existing RL tools applied to a gold-standard dataset from real health-related databases, Tucuxi-BLAST had the highest accuracy and speed. By repurposing genomic tools, Tucuxi-BLAST can improve data-driven medical research and provide a fast and accurate way to link individual information across several administrative databases.

Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia with Double Philadelphia Chromosome and Coexpression of p210 and p190 Fusion Transcripts.

The Philadelphia (Ph+) chromosome, t(9;22)(q34;q11.2), originates from a chimeric gene called BCR-ABL and is present in more than 90% of CML patients. Most patients with CML express the protein p210 BCR-ABL and, with a frequency lower than 5%, express rare isoforms, the main one being p190. In the transition from the chronic phase to the blast phase (BP), additional chromosomal abnormalities, such as the presence of the double Ph+ chromosome, are revealed. Of the 1132 patients analyzed via molecular biology in this study, two patients (0.17%) showed the co-expression of the p210 and p190 isoforms for the BCR-ABL transcript, with the concomitant presence of a double Ph+ chromosome, which was observed via conventional cytogenetics and confirmed by fluorescent in situ hybridization. The BCR-ABL/ABL% p210 and p190 ratio increased in these two patients from diagnosis to progression to blast crisis. To our knowledge, this is the first report in the literature of patients who co-expressed the two main BCR-ABL transcript isoforms and concomitantly presented Ph+ chromosome duplication. The evolution from the chronic phase to BP often occurs within 5 to 7 years, and, in this study, the evolution to BP was earlier, since disease-free survival was on average 4.5 months and overall survival was on average 9.5 months. The presence of the p190 transcript and the double Ph+ chromosome in CML may be related to the vertiginous progression of the disease.