Low-cost precision agriculture for sustainable farming using paper-based analytical devices.

The United Nations estimates that by 2030, agricultural production must increase by 70% to meet food demand. Precision agriculture (PA) optimizes production through efficient resource use, with soil fertility being crucial for nutrient supply. Traditional nutrient quantification methods are costly and time-consuming. This study introduces a rapid (15 min), user-friendly, paper-based platform for determining four essential macronutrients-nitrate, magnesium, calcium, and ammonium-using colorimetric methods and a smartphone for data reading and storage. The sensor effectively detects typical soil nutrient concentrations, showing strong linearity and adequate detection limits. For nitrate, the RGB method resulted in an R 2 of 0.992, a detection range of 0.5 to 10.0 mmol L-1, and an LOD of 0.299 mmol L-1. Calcium quantification using grayscale displayed an R 2 of 0.993, a detection range of 2.0 to 6.0 mmol L-1, and an LOD of 0.595 mmol L-1. Magnesium was best quantified using the hue color space, with an R 2 of 0.999, a detection range of 1.0 to 6.0 mmol L-1, and an LOD of 0.144 mmol L-1. Similarly, ammonium detection using the hue color space had an R 2 of 0.988, a range of 0.5 to 2.5 mmol L-1, and an LOD of 0.170 mmol L-1. This device enhances soil fertility assessment accessibility, supporting PA implementation and higher food production.

An outsider on the Antarctic Peninsula: A new record of the non-native moth Plodia interpunctella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae).

We report the first record of the microlepidopteran Plodia interpunctella beyond the South Shetland Islands at the Chilean Yelcho scientific station (64°52'33.1428″ S; 63°35'1.9572″ W), Doumer Island, close to the west coast of the Antarctic Peninsula. It is notable that P. interpunctella, a globally distributed stored product pest species, exhibits a remarkable capacity for prolonged viability within food storage facilities. The dual challenges of food transportation and storage in the context of Antarctica's challenging operational conditions may have facilitated P. interpunctella's initial arrival to the Antarctic region. Non-perishable food items, such as grains, flour and rice, provide practical options for the bulk food transportation and storage required in the long-term operation of Antarctic research stations. The presence of P. interpunctella in Antarctica, even if restricted to synanthropic environments within buildings, is a clear threat to Antarctic biodiversity, not only through being an invasive species itself but also as a potential vector for other non-native species (bacteria, acari, between others.), which could carry diseases to the native species.

Effectiveness of Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide Monoclonal Antibodies in the Prevention of Migraine: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Cohort Studies.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Migraine is a neurological disorder characterized by episodes of moderate-to-severe headache. The emergence of drugs derived from monoclonal antibodies specific for the calcitonin gene has brought forth a therapeutic option for patients in whom the traditional treatments have failed. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of calcitonin gene-related peptide antibodies in the prevention of migraine through a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational cohort studies. METHODS: A literature search for evidence was performed in electronic databases for observational studies that evaluated adult patients with migraine receiving calcitonin gene-related peptide receptor antagonists (e.g. erenumab, fremanezumab, galcanezumab and eptinezumab) and reported effectiveness outcomes (mean reduction in monthly migraine/headache days, and proportion of patients with 50% or greater reduction in migraine/headache days). RESULTS: During the screening process, 47 records were included for data extraction and qualitative and quantitative analyses. The overall rate of patients with a reduction of at least 50% of mean monthly migraine days was 54% (95% CI 49-59%), and overall mean monthly migraine reduction was about 7.7 days (95% CI 8.4-7.0 days). Regarding the outcome ≥ 50% reduction in mean monthly headache reduction, the overall rate of patients with a reduction of at least 50% was 57% (95% CI 48-64%), and the overall mean monthly headache reduction was approximately 8.8 days (95% CI 10.1-7.5 days). Subgroup analyses considering the drug treatment used and type of migraine were consistent with previous results. CONCLUSIONS: The use of calcitonin gene-related peptide antibodies in real-world studies to prevent migraine demonstrates promising effectiveness outcomes, in agreement with those reported in previously published randomized clinical trial reports.

Mapping the characteristics, concepts and methodologies of matching-adjusted indirect comparison studies assessing pharmacological therapies in oncology: a scoping review protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Matching-adjusted indirect comparison (MAIC) studies are a subtype of indirect comparison, which uses propensity score weighting to enhance comparability. This method adjusts aggregated data based on covariables from individual patient data from studies to produce population-adjusted indirect comparisons. Some national Health Technology Assessment agencies have recently received submissions containing MAIC models. However, there can be a lack of confidence in its estimates when they are poorly reported and inconsistent with other techniques. The objective of this study is to map the characteristics, concepts and methodology of MAIC studies used for pharmacological therapies in the field of oncology. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: A scoping review methodology will be applied following the Joanna Briggs Institute framework and the results will be reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews. Studies that used MAIC to compare treatments in oncology conditions will be considered eligible. A systematic search will be conducted in PubMed, Embase and the Cochrane Library. No restriction of location or language will be applied. Study screening will be documented and presented in a Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses flow diagram. Data will be extracted and recorded on a predefined data form and will be presented in a tabular form accompanied by a descriptive summary. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: No ethical approval is required for this study. The results of this scoping review will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications.

Percepções de pacientes sobre a Terapia Cognitivo Comportamental em Grupo para a obesidade / Patients' perceptions on group cognitive behavioral therapy for obesity

Resumo. Objetivo. Analisar os feedback de indivíduos com diagnóstico de obesidade que realizaram 8 sessões de Terapia Cognitivo Comportamental em Grupo (TCCG). Método. Participaram 13 pacientes com diagnóstico prévio de obesidade. O instrumento foi uma entrevista conduzida no último encontro da TCCG e, posteriormente, foi realizada a análise de conteúdo de Bardin. Resultados. Foram organizadas quatro categorias: benefícios da participação da intervenção, emagrecimento e autoestima, melhora na qualidade da alimentação, melhora na saúde física e qualidade de vida. Além do emagrecimento, houve uma melhora na qualidade da alimentação, perda de peso, bem-estar e autoestima e, consequentemente, na qualidade de vida. Além de sua aplicação no tratamento da obesidade, a TCCG pode ser uma abordagem promissora no tratamento de outros transtornos.

Abstract. Objective. The aim of this study was to analyze the feedback of individuals with obesity diagnosis after 8 Group Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (GCBT) sessions. Method. 13 patients with previous obesity diagnosis participated. The instrument was an interview conducted at the last meeting of the GCBT; subsequently, a Bardin's content analysis was carried out. Results. The obtained data was organized into four categories: benefits of participation in the intervention; weight loss and self-esteem; improvement in nutrition quality; and improvement in physical health and life quality. Beyond weight loss, there was an improvement in the quality of nutrition, weight loss, well-being, self-esteem, and, consequently, in the quality of life. Aside from its application in obesity treatment, GCBT can be a promising approach in the treatment of other disorders.

Nanostructure-Driven Indocyanine Green Dimerization Generates Ultra-Stable Phototheranostics Nanoparticles.

Indocyanine green (ICG) is the only near-infrared (NIR) dye approved for clinical use. Despite its versatility in photonic applications and potential for photothermal therapy, its photobleaching hinders its application. Here we discovered a nanostructure of dimeric ICG (Nano-dICG) generated by using ICG to stabilize nanoemulsions, after which ICG enabled complete dimerization on the nanoemulsion shell, followed by J-aggregation of ICG-dimer, resulting in a narrow, red-shifted (780 nm→894 nm) and intense (≈2-fold) absorbance. Compared to ICG, Nano-dICG demonstrated superior photothermal conversion (2-fold higher), significantly reduced photodegradation (-9.6 % vs. -46.3 %), and undiminished photothermal effect (7 vs. 2 cycles) under repeated irradiations, in addition to excellent colloidal and structural stabilities. Following intravenous injection, Nano-dICG enabled real-time tracking of its delivery to mouse tumors within 24 h by photoacoustic imaging at NIR wavelength (890 nm) distinct from the endogenous signal to guide effective photothermal therapy. The unprecedented finding of nanostructure-driven ICG dimerization leads to an ultra-stable phototheranostic platform.

Photobiomodulation Reduces the Cytokine Storm Syndrome Associated with COVID-19 in the Zebrafish Model.

Although the exact mechanism of the pathogenesis of coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) is not fully understood, oxidative stress and the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines have been highlighted as playing a vital role in the pathogenesis of the disease. In this sense, alternative treatments are needed to reduce the level of inflammation caused by COVID-19. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the potential effect of red photobiomodulation (PBM) as an attractive therapy to downregulate the cytokine storm caused by COVID-19 in a zebrafish model. RT-qPCR analyses and protein-protein interaction prediction among SARS-CoV-2 and Danio rerio proteins showed that recombinant Spike protein (rSpike) was responsible for generating systemic inflammatory processes with significantly increased levels of pro-inflammatory (il1b, il6, tnfa, and nfkbiab), oxidative stress (romo1) and energy metabolism (slc2a1a and coa1) mRNA markers, with a pattern similar to those observed in COVID-19 cases in humans. On the other hand, PBM treatment was able to decrease the mRNA levels of these pro-inflammatory and oxidative stress markers compared with rSpike in various tissues, promoting an anti-inflammatory response. Conversely, PBM promotes cellular and tissue repair of injured tissues and significantly increases the survival rate of rSpike-inoculated individuals. Additionally, metabolomics analysis showed that the most-impacted metabolic pathways between PBM and the rSpike treated groups were related to steroid metabolism, immune system, and lipid metabolism. Together, our findings suggest that the inflammatory process is an incisive feature of COVID-19 and red PBM can be used as a novel therapeutic agent for COVID-19 by regulating the inflammatory response. Nevertheless, the need for more clinical trials remains, and there is a significant gap to overcome before clinical trials can commence.

Organ-on-a-Chip for Drug Screening: A Bright Future for Sustainability? A Critical Review.

Globalization has raised concerns about spreading diseases and emphasized the need for quick and efficient methods for drug screening. Established drug efficacy and toxicity approaches have proven obsolete, with a high failure rate in clinical trials. Organ-on-a-chip has emerged as an essential alternative to outdated techniques, precisely simulating important characteristics of organs and predicting drug pharmacokinetics more ethically and efficiently. Although promising, most organ-on-a-chip devices are still manufactured using principles and materials from the micromachining industry. The abusive use of plastic for traditional drug screening methods and device production should be considered when substituting technologies so that the compensation for the generation of plastic waste can be projected. This critical review outlines recent advances for organ-on-a-chip in the industry and estimates the possibility of scaling up its production. Moreover, it analyzes trends in organ-on-a-chip publications and provides suggestions for a more sustainable future for organ-on-a-chip research and production.

The oldest case of paedomorphosis in rove beetles and description of a new genus of Paederinae from Cretaceous amber (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae).

The ecology of extinct species from the Cretaceous is largely unknown. Morphological features of specimens preserved in amber can help to reveal habitats and evolutionary strategies that occurred in fossil lineages. An unusually small rove beetle (Staphylinidae) from the subfamily Paederinae with a Y-shaped suture on the head and modified tarsi and antennae is newly described here as Midinudon juvenis Tokareva & Zyla gen. et sp. nov. We hypothesise that such a combination of characters represents the earliest example of paedomorphosis in Staphylinidae and discuss other possible reasons that could explain the small size and morphological modifications of the new species. We provide the results of total-evidence phylogenetic analysis and discuss the relationships of Midinudon juvenis Tokareva & Zyla gen. et sp. nov. within Paederinae.

The relationship between tomographic sagittal root position of maxillary anterior teeth and the bone housing.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: In a prosthetically driven treatment plan, the tomographic sagittal root position in relation to the bone housing is an important factor in the decision-making process for immediate implant placement. However, other important parameters must be considered in the bone housing of each tooth, including the alveolar ridge dimensions, the buccal and the palatal bone thickness, and the root dimensions. PURPOSE: The purpose of this clinical study was to evaluate the relationship between the sagittal root position of maxillary anterior teeth and the bone housing. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 420 maxillary anterior teeth were analyzed in 70 participants. The tomographic scans were classified as sagittal root position classes I, II, III, and IV. Measurements included buccal and palatal bone thickness, alveolar ridge height, alveolar ridge width, apical bone height, root length, and root width. The Pearson correlation, ANOVA, and Tukey post hoc tests were used to determine statistically significant differences (α=0.05). RESULTS: The sagittal root position distribution was 65.2%, 9.3%, 0.7%, and 24.8% for classes I, II, III, and IV, respectively. Bone housing measurements were significantly different in relation to the 4 sagittal root position classes (P<.05), except for alveolar ridge height. Post hoc analysis showed that, in class I, buccal bone thickness and alveolar bone height were significantly low, whereas root length and palatal bone thickness were high. The higher buccal bone thickness was found in class II, and lower alveolar ridge width and palatal bone thickness in class IV. These measurements in tooth groups were also significantly different over the sagittal root position classes (P<.05). The buccal bone thickness, palatal bone thickness, and alveolar ridge width presented different levels of correlation with alveolar ridge width over the sagittal root position classes. The buccal bone thickness and palatal bone thickness were weakly correlated in class I (r=0.163) and IV (r=0.222). CONCLUSIONS: Bone housing measurements were significantly different in relation to the sagittal root position of maxillary anterior teeth.

A survey on vital signs monitoring based on Wi-Fi CSI data.

The COVID-19 pandemic further highlighted the need to use low-cost remote monitoring procedures for medical patients. Since the results reported in the literature have shown that the use of Channel State Information (CSI) from Wi-Fi networks to remotely monitor patients can provide means to obtain a powerful medical information package in a non-invasive way and at low cost, a consistent review and analysis of the state of the art on this applied technique is developed in the present work. Initially, a mathematical overview of the CSI technology and its functional model is done. Subsequently, details about the technical approach necessary to use CSI in medical applications and a summary of the studies reported in the literature with such applications are presented. Based on the analyses and discussions carried out throughout this work, a better understanding of the current state of the art is achieved. Challenges and perspectives for future research are also highlighted.

1H qNMR-Based Metabolomics Discrimination of Covid-19 Severity.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), which caused respiratory problems in many patients worldwide, led to more than 5 million deaths by the end of 2021. Experienced symptoms vary from mild to severe illness. Understanding the infection severity to reach a better prognosis could be useful to the clinics, and one study area to fulfill one piece of this biological puzzle is metabolomics. The metabolite profile and/or levels being monitored can help predict phenotype properties. Therefore, this study evaluated plasma metabolomes of 110 individual samples, 57 from control patients and 53 from recent positive cases of Covid-19 (IgM 98% reagent), representing mild to severe symptoms, before any clinical intervention. Polar metabolites from plasma samples were analyzed by quantitative 1H NMR. Glycerol, 3-aminoisobutyrate, formate, and glucuronate levels showed alterations in Covid-19 patients compared to those in the control group (Tukey's HSD p-value cutoff = 0.05), affecting the lactate, phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan biosynthesis and d-glutamine, d-glutamate, and glycerolipid metabolisms. These metabolic alterations show that SARS-CoV-2 infection led to disturbance in the energetic system, supporting the viral replication and corroborating with the severe clinical conditions of patients. Six polar metabolites (glycerol, acetate, 3-aminoisobutyrate, formate, glucuronate, and lactate) were revealed by PLS-DA and predicted by ROC curves and ANOVA to be potential prognostic metabolite panels for Covid-19 and considered clinically relevant for predicting infection severity due to their straight roles in the lipid and energy metabolism. Thus, metabolomics from samples of Covid-19 patients is a powerful tool for a better understanding of the disease mechanism of action and metabolic consequences of the infection in the human body and may corroborate allowing clinicians to intervene quickly according to the needs of Covid-19 patients.

Efficacy of a Fungal Formulation with the Nematophagous Fungus Pochonia chlamydosporia in the Biological Control of Bovine Nematodiosis.

In the control of bovine worms, biological control by nematophagous fungi stands out, especially Pochoniachlamydosporia which causes the destruction of helminth eggs. This study aims to test the effectiveness of a formulation containing the nematophagous fungus Pochonia chlamydosporia isolated for the biological control of bovine nematodiosis. Twelve cattle were divided into two groups: control group (GC) and the group that received the formulation (GT). Feces and pasture samples were collected for the research of gastrointestinal nematodes. Lung worms and trematodes were investigated. The animals were weighed monthly. The averages of temperature and rainfall were recorded. The supply of the fungus Pochonia chlamydosporia was not effective in reducing the eggs per gram of feces of gastrointestinal nematodes (EPG) of the animals, not differing statistically (p > 0.05) between the groups. The mean values of larvae recovered in the pasture did not differ significantly (p > 0.05). The genus Haemonchus sp. was the most prevalent. There was no correlation between the number of larvae with temperature and rainfall (p > 0.05). There was a statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) in the penultimate weighing of the experiment. The formulation containing Pochonia chlamydosporia was not efficient in the biological control of bovine gastrointestinal nematodes.

Cross-Cultural Translation into Brazilian Portuguese and Validation of the Oral Anticoagulation Knowledge Tool (AKT-Br)

ABSTRACT Introduction: Oral anticoagulants are the treatment of choice for diverse types of coagulation disorders. Warfarin is widely used by the Brazilian population, possibly due to its lower cost than other oral anticoagulants. However, it has a high risk of serious adverse effects if used incorrectly. The Anticoagulation Knowledge Tool (AKT) can assess a patient's knowledge about her/his oral anticoagulant therapy and can assist health professionals in identifying patients with difficulties in adherence. This study aimed to translate, culturally adapt, and validate the AKT into Brazilian Portuguese. Methods: After a standard forward-backward procedure to translate the AKT into Brazilian Portuguese (AKT-Br), a version of the instrument was applied in three groups (patients, pharmacists, and the general population). The reliability of the AKT-Br was tested using an internal consistency measure and test-retest. The validity of the instrument was confirmed with data from the contrasted groups. All statistical analyses were performed with RStudio. Results: The median scores obtained with the AKT-Br were 29.0, 17.0, and 7.5 for pharmacists, patients, and the general population, respectively (maximum score of 35 points). There was moderate internal consistency for the instrument and test-retest reliability was satisfactory. Analysis of variance for validity of the groups revealed a significant relationship between the total score and the evaluated groups. Conclusion: The ATK-Br is a reliable and valid tool to assess knowledge about oral anticoagulants. AKT-Br can be used in clinical practice as an auxiliary tool to improve patient care through personalised educational interventions.

Fatores de personalidade e sintomatologia depressiva de pacientes com fibromialgia / Personality factors and depressive symptoms in fibromyalgia patients Abstract

RESUMO A presença de sintomas depressivos em pacientes crônicos é comum e está associada com a redução da qualidade de vida. Esse estudo em questão, objetivou levantar a sintomatologia depressiva em pacientes fibromiálgicos crônicos e identificar sua relação com características de personalidade. Trata-se de um estudo transversal, descritivo e correlacional. A amostra consistiu de 20 indivíduos, homens e mulheres, com idades entre 32 a 62 anos, com diagnóstico de fibromialgia e em processo de tratamento clínico. Para a coleta de dados utilizou-se o Inventário de Depressão Beck (BDI-II) e a Bateria Fatorial de Personalidade (BFP) e as análises foram descritivas e correlacionais. Identificou-se sintomas depressivos moderados a graves na maioria dos pesquisados e houve associação entre Neuroticismo, Extroversão, Realização e Abertura, indicando que pacientes com fibromialgia se mostram em sofrimento psicológico, com possível dificuldades na tomada de iniciativa, na abertura a novas experiências e na automotivação

ABSTRACT Depressive symptoms in chronic patients is common and it is associated with less life quality. This study aimed to list depressive symptoms in chronic fibromyalgia patients and identify their connection with personality characteristics. This is a cross-sectional, descriptive and correlational study. There were 20 people involved, men and women, from 32 to 62 years old, with fibromyalgia diagnosed and undergoing clinical treatment. For data collection, the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) and the Personality Factor Battery (BFP) were used with descriptive and correlational analyzes. Moderate to severe depressive symptoms were identified in the majority of those surveyed and there was an association among Neuroticism, Extroversion, Achievement and Openness indicating that patients with fibromyalgia are in psychological distress with possible difficulties in taking the initiative, being open to new experiences and in self-motivation

Cross-Cultural Translation into Brazilian Portuguese and Validation of the Oral Anticoagulation Knowledge Tool (AKT-Br).

INTRODUCTION: Oral anticoagulants are the treatment of choice for diverse types of coagulation disorders. Warfarin is widely used by the Brazilian population, possibly due to its lower cost than other oral anticoagulants. However, it has a high risk of serious adverse effects if used incorrectly. The Anticoagulation Knowledge Tool (AKT) can assess a patient's knowledge about her/his oral anticoagulant therapy and can assist health professionals in identifying patients with difficulties in adherence. This study aimed to translate, culturally adapt, and validate the AKT into Brazilian Portuguese. METHODS: After a standard forward-backward procedure to translate the AKT into Brazilian Portuguese (AKT-Br), a version of the instrument was applied in three groups (patients, pharmacists, and the general population). The reliability of the AKT-Br was tested using an internal consistency measure and test-retest. The validity of the instrument was confirmed with data from the contrasted groups. All statistical analyses were performed with RStudio. RESULTS: The median scores obtained with the AKT-Br were 29.0, 17.0, and 7.5 for pharmacists, patients, and the general population, respectively (maximum score of 35 points). There was moderate internal consistency for the instrument and test-retest reliability was satisfactory. Analysis of variance for validity of the groups revealed a significant relationship between the total score and the evaluated groups. CONCLUSION: The ATK-Br is a reliable and valid tool to assess knowledge about oral anticoagulants. AKT-Br can be used in clinical practice as an auxiliary tool to improve patient care through personalised educational interventions.

Relationship between smile type and periodontal phenotype: A clinical and tomographic cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the correlation between smile type (ST) and the periodontal phenotype (PP). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Clinical and photographic examinations of 164 participants (48 men and 116 women, mean age 22.9 ± 4.6 years) were performed, including an evaluation of ST (high, average, and low), gingival phenotype (GP) by transparency of the periodontal probe (TRAN), keratinized tissue width (KTW), gingival architecture (GA), tooth shape (TS), and papilla height (PH). A subgroup of 70 participants underwent soft-tissue cone-beam tomographic examinations (ST-CBCT), in which GP, gingival thickness (GT), buccal bone thickness (BBT), and the distances from the gingival margin and cementoenamel junction to the buccal bone crest (GM-BBC and CEJ-BBC) were evaluated. The data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA, Student's t-test, and chi-square tests, with the level of significance set at 0.05. RESULTS: High, average, and low STs were found in 31.7%, 56.7%, and 11.6% of the participants, respectively. Sex (p=0.001), GP evaluated using TRAN (p=0.021) and ST-CBCT scans (p=0.009), GA (p<0.001), and TS (p=0.001), were associated with STs. The prevalence of thin GP was: 63% in low, 50% in average, and 38% in high smile types. KTW (p=0.004), PH (p<0.001), GT at different landmarks (p<0.05), CEJ-BBC (p=0.017), and GM-BBC (p=0.001) were significantly different among STs. The highest GT and KTW were found in the high-smile group, average-smile presented the higher CEJ-BBC while GM-BBC and PH, were higher in low-smile group. CONCLUSION: Periodontal phenotype components presented important difference over the smile types. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: A detailed examination of smile types is an essential part of treatment planning, especially when the patient has high esthetic demands. Clinical and tomographic individual analysis of periodontal phenotypes over the smile types may be helpful for a case-by-case approach, and for the development of well-defined treatment protocols.

Thromboprophylaxis of Patients Submitted to Total Hip and Knee Arthroplasty: A Cost-Effectiveness Assessment From the Perspective of the Brazilian National Health System.

OBJECTIVES: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a serious national and international public health issue. Major orthopedic surgeries, such as a total hip (THA) and knee (TKA) arthroplasties, are associated with an increased risk of VTE, long-term complications, functional disability, and death resulting from hypercoagulability by surgical trauma. This pharmacoeconomic analysis aimed to identify the most cost-effective anticoagulant alternative in preventing VTE in patients undergoing THA and TKA. METHODS: A decision tree model was developed, comparing direct oral anticoagulants (rivaroxaban, apixaban, and dabigatran) with enoxaparin, with separate THA and TKA models a 3-month time horizon from the perspective of the Brazilian National Health System. The results were presented as incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER), and the outcomes analyzed were avoided complications (ACs) after thromboprophylaxis. Comparative effectiveness was obtained from a published meta-analysis. A willingness to pay value of approximately R$ 15 000.00 was used per AC, and a probabilistic sensitivity analysis with the Monte Carlo simulation was conducted. RESULTS: Apixaban was the anticoagulant that presented the best ICER for patients undergoing THA (R$ 207.52/AC) and TKA (R$ 133.59/AC), followed by rivaroxaban (R$ 347.21/AC), dabigatran (R$ 372.56/AC), and enoxaparin (R$ 711.44/AC) for THA and by dabigatran (R$ 194.07/AC), rivaroxaban (R$ 221.12/AC), and enoxaparin (R$ 747.25/AC) for TKA. After ICER analysis, apixaban prevails over the other technologies analyzed for both surgical procedures, confirmed after sensitivity analysis. CONCLUSION: Our model suggests that, in the Brazilian National Health System, apixaban is the most cost-effective alternative in preventing VTE after THA and TKA.

Descriptions of New Species of Chespirito Ferreira, Keller amp; Branham (Coleoptera: Lampyridae: Chespiritoinae) and the First Record for the Subfamily in the United States.

Three new species of Chespirito Ferreira, Keller and Branham 2020 are described from North America, including the first species from the United States: Chespirito milleri new species from Arizona, USA, Chespirito hintoni new species from Mexico state, Mexico and Chespirito costae new species from Morelo state, Mexico. An updated distribution map and key to males of Chespirito is provided along with illustrations of diagnostic characters of the newly described species.

Dominican amber net-winged beetles suggest stable paleoenvironment as a driver for conserved morphology in a paedomorphic lineage.

Paedomorphosis is a heterochronic syndrome in which adult individuals display features of their immature forms. In beetles, this phenomenon occurs widely in the superfamily Elateroidea, including the net-winged beetles (Lycidae), and, due to the usual flightlessness of paedomorphic females, it is hypothesized to cause speciation rates higher than in non-paedomorphic lineages. However, some fossils of paedomorphic lycids do not support this with palaeobiological data. Discovery of new Lycidae fossils attributed to the West Indian extant paedomorphic genus Cessator Kazantsev in the Dominican amber also suggests morphological stasis within this genus in the Greater Antilles. We describe Cessator anachronicus Ferreira and Ivie, sp. nov. based on adult males, as well as the first ever recorded fossil net-winged beetle larva of the same genus. We propose that the relatively young age of the studied fossils combined with the stable conditions in the forest floor of the Greater Antilles through the last tens of million years could explain the exceptionally conserved morphology in the net-winged beetles affected by the paedomorphic syndrome.