Machine learning enhances prediction of plants as potential sources of antimalarials.

Plants are a rich source of bioactive compounds and a number of plant-derived antiplasmodial compounds have been developed into pharmaceutical drugs for the prevention and treatment of malaria, a major public health challenge. However, identifying plants with antiplasmodial potential can be time-consuming and costly. One approach for selecting plants to investigate is based on ethnobotanical knowledge which, though having provided some major successes, is restricted to a relatively small group of plant species. Machine learning, incorporating ethnobotanical and plant trait data, provides a promising approach to improve the identification of antiplasmodial plants and accelerate the search for new plant-derived antiplasmodial compounds. In this paper we present a novel dataset on antiplasmodial activity for three flowering plant families - Apocynaceae, Loganiaceae and Rubiaceae (together comprising c. 21,100 species) - and demonstrate the ability of machine learning algorithms to predict the antiplasmodial potential of plant species. We evaluate the predictive capability of a variety of algorithms - Support Vector Machines, Logistic Regression, Gradient Boosted Trees and Bayesian Neural Networks - and compare these to two ethnobotanical selection approaches - based on usage as an antimalarial and general usage as a medicine. We evaluate the approaches using the given data and when the given samples are reweighted to correct for sampling biases. In both evaluation settings each of the machine learning models have a higher precision than the ethnobotanical approaches. In the bias-corrected scenario, the Support Vector classifier performs best - attaining a mean precision of 0.67 compared to the best performing ethnobotanical approach with a mean precision of 0.46. We also use the bias correction method and the Support Vector classifier to estimate the potential of plants to provide novel antiplasmodial compounds. We estimate that 7677 species in Apocynaceae, Loganiaceae and Rubiaceae warrant further investigation and that at least 1300 active antiplasmodial species are highly unlikely to be investigated by conventional approaches. While traditional and Indigenous knowledge remains vital to our understanding of people-plant relationships and an invaluable source of information, these results indicate a vast and relatively untapped source in the search for new plant-derived antiplasmodial compounds.

Phylogeny of Lantana, Lippia, and related genera (Lantaneae: Verbenaceae).

PREMISE: Lantana and Lippia (Verbenaceae) are two large Linnean genera whose classification has been based on associated fruit traits: fleshy vs. dry fruits and one vs. two seed-bearing units. We reconstruct evolutionary relationships and the evolution of the two fruit traits to test the validity of these traits for classification. METHODS: Previous studies of plastid DNA sequences provided limited resolution for this group. Consequently, seven nuclear loci, including ITS, ETS, and five PPR loci, were sequenced for 88 accessions of the Lantana/Lippia clade and three outgroups. RESULTS: Neither Lantana nor Lippia is monophyletic. Burroughsia, Nashia, Phyla, and several Aloysia species are included within the clade comprising Lantana and Lippia. We provide a hypothesis for fruit evolution and biogeographic history in the group and their relevance for classification. CONCLUSIONS: Fleshy fruits evolved multiple times in the Lantana/Lippia clade and thus are not suitable taxonomic characters. Several sections of Lantana and Lippia and the small genera are monophyletic, but Lippia section Zappania is broadly paraphyletic, making circumscription of genera difficult. Lippia sect. Rhodolippia is a polyphyletic group characterized by convergence in showy bracts. Species of Lantana sect. Sarcolippia, previously transferred to Lippia, are not monophyletic. The clade originated and diversified in South America, with at least four expansions into both Central America and the Caribbean and two to Africa. The types species of Lantana and Lippia occur in small sister clades, rendering any taxonomy that retains either genus similar to its current circumscription impossible.

Percepção discente sobre a influência de estágio extramuro na formação acadêmica odontológica / Student perceptions about the influence of internship extramural in academic dentistry

Introdução: Os estágios extramuros buscam a integração do ensino teórico com a vivência prática como uma forma de aprendizagem, permitindo ao estudante conhecer a organização, o planejamento e a gestão dos serviços de saúde da região. Objetivo: Verificar, sob a ótica dos acadêmicos de Odontologia da Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo (UFES), a influência que as atividades extramuros do Programa de Educação pelo Trabalho para a Saúde (PET-Saúde) exercem em sua formação acadêmica. Metodologia: Estudo exploratório descritivo, com universo amostral de acadêmicos de Odontologia da UFES integrantes e ex-integrantes do PET-Saúde. Os dados foram coletados por meio de questionários semiestruturados e autoaplicados. Na análise quantitativa dos dados, foi utilizado o programa Epinfo 3.5.1. Na análise das respostas abertas, utilizou-se a técnica de análise de categorias, proposta por Bardin. Resultado: Dos 33 estagiários e ex-estagiários, 25 participaram do estudo. Destes, 23 consideraram entre bom e ótimo o grau de contribuição do PET-Saúde em sua formação acadêmica. Dentre as contribuições do estágio, foram relatadas: a vivência no SUS/funcionamento do SUS/ESF; o conhecimento da realidade da comunidade; a integração/vivência multiprofissional; o aprendizado clínico, e a realização de procedimentos não realizados na faculdade. Conclusão: Os acadêmicos compartilham o pensamento de que o estágio contribuiu para que eles tivessem uma formação em saúde mais humanista, integral, crítica e reflexiva, como preconizam as diretrizes curriculares.

Introduction: Internships extramural seek the integration of the theoretical with the practical experience as a way of learning, allowing students to learn about the organization, planning and management of health services in the region. Objective: Investigate, from the perspective of Dental students Federal University of Espírito Santo (UFES), the influence that the extramural activities of the Labor Education Program for Health (Health-PET) had in their academic exercise. Methodology: Descriptive exploratory study. The research subjects were all UFES Dental students members and former members of PET-Health. Data were collected through semi-structured questionnaires and self-applied. In quantitative data analysis, it was used Epi Info 3.5.1 program. In the analysis of open answers, it was used Bardin's technique to analyze the categories. Result: Of the 33 trainees and former trainees, 25 participated in the study. Of these, 23 said between good and excellent degree of contribution of PET-Health in their academic training. Among the contributions, it was reported the chance to learn SUS experience; SUS operation; family health strategy; community reality; integration; multi professional learning and chance to perform dental clinical procedures not performed before in Dental School. Conclusion: Dental students share the thought that the program offered more humanistic health training, including comprehensive, critical and reflective posture, as recommended by the Brazilian Dental curricular guidelines.