Highin vitroactivity of gold and silver nanoparticles from Solanum mammosum L. against SARS-CoV-2 surrogate Phi6 and viral model PhiX174.

The search for new strategies to curb the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, which causes COVID-19, has become a global priority. Various nanomaterials have been proposed as ideal candidates to inactivate the virus; however, because of the high level of biosecurity required for their use, alternative models should be determined. This study aimed to compare the effects of two types of nanomaterials gold (AuNPs) and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), recognized for their antiviral activity and affinity with the coronavirus spike protein using PhiX174 and enveloped Phi6 bacteriophages as models. To reduce the toxicity of nanoparticles, a species known for its intermediate antiviral activity,Solanum mammosumL. (Sm), was used. NPs prepared with sodium borohydride (NaBH4) functioned as the control. Antiviral activity against PhiX174 and Phi6 was analyzed using its seed, fruit, leaves, and essential oil; the leaves were the most effective on Phi6. Using the aqueous extract of the leaves, AuNPs-Sm of 5.34 ± 2.25 nm and AgNPs-Sm of 15.92 ± 8.03 nm, measured by transmission electron microscopy, were obtained. When comparing NPs with precursors, both gold(III) acetate and silver nitrate were more toxic than their respective NPs (99.99% at 1 mg ml-1). The AuNPs-Sm were less toxic, reaching 99.30% viral inactivation at 1 mg ml-1, unlike the AgNPs-Sm, which reached 99.94% at 0.01 mg ml-1. In addition, cell toxicity was tested in human adenocarcinoma alveolar basal epithelial cells (A549) and human foreskin fibroblasts. Gallic acid was the main component identified in the leaf extract using high performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection (HPLC-DAD). The FT-IR spectra showed the presence of a large proportion of polyphenolic compounds, and the antioxidant analysis confirmed the antiradical activity. The control NPs showed less antiviral activity than the AuNPs-Sm and AgNPs-Sm, which was statistically significant; this demonstrates that both theS. mammosumextract and its corresponding NPs have a greater antiviral effect on the surrogate Phi bacteriophage, which is an appropriate model for studying SARS-CoV-2.

El parto pretérmino desde los registros del nacido vivo en Colombia, período 2008 - 2017 / Preterm birth from live-born registry in the period between 2008 - 2017 in Colombia

Resumen. Introducción: El parto pretérmino es uno de los principales problemas de la salud infantil. Es la principal causa de mortalidad infantil en los países en vía de desarrollo. Los últimos 20 años ha venido en aumento en el mundo por diferentes causas. Conocer su tendencia y características poblacionales es un elemento útil para su atención. Objetivo: Describir las características poblacionales asociados al parto pretérmino en Colombia desde los datos del Registro del Nacido Vivo en la década 2008 - 2017. Métodos: Estudio descriptivo ecológico a partir de fuentes segundarias: microdatos de Estadísticas Vitales del DANE; información almacenada en el programa Excel de Microsoft Office®. Análisis de las variables tiempo/lugar/persona en el programa estadístico SPSS™ mediante estadística descriptiva, análisis de asociación utilizando el estadístico Ji-cuadrado y el coeficiente de correlación Phi para la asociación estadística entre variables. Resultados. Fueron analizados 6.705.385 registros de nacidos vivos, 1.277.839 correspondientes a parto hasta las 37 semanas de gestación. Prevalencia del 19% de todos los años. Departamentos con mayor tasa de prematuros: Atlántico, Bogotá, Antioquía y Santander. No se encontró una asociación fuerte con los datos del registro del nacido vivo. Conclusiones: Existe déficit de información acerca del parto pretérmino en aspectos de datos completos y accesibles a los investigadores. La información no es homogénea ni sigue parámetros específicos. El registro de nacido vivo, sin embargo, es un excelente instrumento de recolección de datos poblacionales y base de aproximación al evento.

Abstract Background: Preterm birth is one of the main problems in infant health and it is the leading cause of infant mortality in developing countries. During the last 20 years this particularity has been increasing in the world for different reasons. Knowing its trend and population characteristics is a useful element for its attention. Objectives: To describe the population characteristics associated with preterm birth in Colombia from the data of the Live Birth Registry in the decade 2008 - 2017. Methods: Descriptive ecological study using secondary sources such us Vital Statistics microdata from DANE; information stored in the Microsoft Office® Excel program. Also, the analysis of the time/place/person variables in the SPSS ™ statistical program through descriptive statistics, and association analysis using the Chi-square statistic and the Phi correlation coefficient for the statistical association between variables was implemented. Results: 6,705,385 records from live-born registry were analyzed. 1,277,839 corresponded to preterm birth up to 37 weeks of gestation with 19% of prevalence all years. The departments with the highest rate of premature infants were Atlántico, Bogotá, Antioquia, and Santander. No strong association was found with live birth registry data. Conclusions: There is lack of complete and accessible information to researchers related to preterm birth. The data is not homogeneous and does not follow specific parameters. However, the live-born registry is an excellent instrument for collecting population data and a useful basis for approaching this event.

Differential expression of the long and truncated Hv1 isoforms in breast-cancer cells.

Metabolic reprogramming of cancer cells results in a high production of acidic substances that must be extruded to maintain tumor-cell viability. The voltage-gated proton channel (Hv1) mediates highly selective effluxes of hydronium-ion (H+ ) that prevent deleterious cytoplasmic acidification. In the work described here, we demonstrated for the first time that the amino-terminal-truncated isoform of Hv1 is more highly expressed in tumorigenic breast-cancer-cell lines than in nontumorigenic breast cells. With respect to Hv1 function, we observed that pharmacologic inhibition of that channel, mediated by the specific blocker 5-chloro-2-guanidinobenzimidazole, produced a drop in intracellular pH and a decrease in cell viability, both in monolayer and in three-dimensional cultures, and adversely affected the cell-cycle in tumorigenic breast cells without altering the cycling of nontumorigenic cells. In conclusion, our results demonstrated that the Hv1 channel could be a potential tool both as a biomarker and as a therapeutic target in breast-cancer disease.

Aquaporin-2 and Na+ /H+ exchanger isoform 1 modulate the efficiency of renal cell migration.

Aquaporin-2 (AQP2) promotes renal cell migration by the modulation of integrin ß1 trafficking and the turnover of focal adhesions. The aim of this study was to investigate whether AQP2 also works in cooperation with Na+ /H+ exchanger isoform 1 (NHE1), another well-known protein involved in the regulation of cell migration. Our results showed that the lamellipodia of AQP2-expressing cells exhibit significantly smaller volumes and areas of focal adhesions and more alkaline intracellular pH due to increased NHE1 activity than AQP2-null cells. The blockage of AQP2, or its physically-associated calcium channel TRPV4, significantly reduced lamellipodia NHE1 activity. NHE1 blockage significantly reduced the rate of cell migration, the number of lamellipodia, and the assembly of F-actin only in AQP2-expressing cells. Our data suggest that AQP2 modulates the activity of NHE1 through its calcium channel partner TRPV4, thereby determining pH-dependent actin polymerization, providing mechanical stability to delineate lamellipodia structure and defining the efficiency of cell migration.

Statistical methods for identification of golden ratio.

Several biological systems such as the biomechanics of human heart, locomotion, and phyllotaxis of plants present a harmonic behavior because their fractal structure are associated to the golden ratio. The golden ratio (Φ = 1.618033988749…), also known as Phi, golden mean, golden section or divine proportion, is an irrational constant found in various forms in nature and recently has been used in many health areas. However, there is no literature on a specific statistical test to identify the golden ratio structures. To validate the results from each survey, it is necessary that statistical techniques be correctly selected and implemented, and the absence of a test to identify the golden ratio may undermines the scientific papers which have this goal. Since the golden number is a ratio, some tests have been wrongly applied in its identification. The objective of this paper is to present and to evaluate methods for identification of golden ratio. Four tests were evaluated: t-Student with ratio statistic (TR), with delta statistic (TΔ), with difference statistic (TED), and Wilcoxon test with statistic difference (WD). Data simulating different samples sizes (n = 2-200) and variability scenarios were used. The tests were assessed regarding type I error rate and power. For TΔ, type I error rate increased along with sample size and variability, achieving 50% in the scenario of relative standard deviation of 12.5% and 20.0% for line segments of lengths a and b, and sample size equal 200. This test also showed lower power when compared to the others in all scenarios. Similarly, for TR, the type I error rate was sensitive to the increasing in sample size, varying from 5 to 60%. On the other hand, WD and TED were associated to low type I error rates (around 5%) and high power (6.1% for sample size equal 2-100% for sample size equal 200). The TΔ and TR were inadequate to identify the golden ratio, since they did not controlled the type I error rate and/or presented low power, leading to possible erroneous conclusions. Therefore WD and TED, both with statistical of difference, appeared as the most appropriate methods to test golden ratio structures.

Taxonomic notes on social wasps of the groups of Mischocyttarus wagneri (Buysson 1908) and M. barbatus Richards 1945 (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Polistinae)

ABSTRACT Taxonomic revisionary notes and identification keys are presented for two species-groups of wasps of the genus Mischocyttarus, subgenus Phi. Material of the M. wagneri and M. barbatus groups, including types, was examined in several collections, resulting in description of one new species for the first mentioned group (M. camanducaia sp. nov.), and several new synonymies for both groups as follows (senior synonym in bold): [Mischocyttarus mourei Zikán 1949 = Mischocyttarus laneiZikán 1949 = Mischocyttarus plaumanniZikán 1949]; [Mischocyttarus declaratusZikán 1935 = Mischocyttarus confirmatusZikán 1935 = Mischocyttarus brackmanniZikán 1949 = Mischocyttarus alternatusZikán 1949 = Mischocyttarus cabaunaZikán 1949]; [Mischocyttarus barbatus Richards 1945 = Mischocyttarus ecuadorensisZikán 1949 = Mischocyttarus pedunculariusZikán 1949]. In addition, several cases are demonstrated of changing in group content, with species being moved into and out of groups as required. Both groups are distributed on the highlands of Central and South America, with the M. wagneri group being endemic to southeastern areas of the continent.

Predictors of hospital discharge in cancer patients with pericardial effusion undergoing surgical pericardial drainage.

INTRODUCTION: Pericardial effusion (PE) is a complication of late-stage cancer and some patients never leave the hospital despite drainage. The main objective of this study was to identify predictors of hospital discharge in cancer patients with (PE) who underwent pericardial drainage. We also report the occurrence of paradoxical hemodynamic instability (PHI). METHODS AND MATERIALS: A retrospective study was carried out in a cancer center. Patients included had malignancy, PE, and underwent surgical drainage. An institutional database was reviewed for preoperative variables, analyzed for hospital discharge. RESULTS: One-hundred and thirteen patients were included, with a mean age of 54 years old (SD 14.3). Sixty-three patients were discharged from hospital (55.7%). Age (odds ratio [OR], 1.04; P = 0.004), higher ECOG status (OR, 0.63; P = 0.019), recent chemotherapy (OR, 3.40; P = 0.007), and renal failure (OR, 0.14; P = 0.002) were associated with hospital discharge. Median survival was 43 days (IQ 25%-75%; 15-162). Patients with pulmonary embolism or neutropenia were at greater risk of developing PHI (OR, 10.11; P = 0.009 and OR, 12.13; P = 0.015, respectively). CONCLUSION: Almost half of the patients never left the hospital. Patients with no chemotherapy within 45 days of procedure, patients with renal failure and higher ECOG status are at greater risk of not getting discharged. PHI remains a serious condition with high mortality.

Una escala corta de bienestar: el Índice de Felicidad de Pemberton aplicado a población adulta de Buenos Aires / A short scale of well-being: the Pemberton Happiness Index applied to adult population or Buenos Aires

La escala Pemberton Hapinness Index (PHI) fue desarrollada por Hervás y Vázquez (2013) como un índice simple e integrador que puede usarse para monitorear los cambios en el bienestar. Se administró el PHI a una muestra de 1198 sujetos residentes en la zona metropolitana de Buenos Aires (edades: 18-60, M=27.82, DE=12.01, 43.2% hombres). En la aplicación al contexto argentino, se propone utilizar únicamente la dimensión recordada del bienestar sin considerar el ítem relativo a emocionalidad negativa. De esta forma se obtiene un alfa de Cronbach =.88 (10 ítems). Se verifican niveles altos de bienestar, sobre todo en lo referido al bienestar psicológico y los subdominios de satisfacción con la vida y afectos positivos. Sin embargo, respecto al bienestar social, los participantes reportan niveles medios. Se discuten los resultados considerando los antecedentes locales sobre la temática

The Pemberton Happiness Index (PHI) scale was developed by Hervás and Vázquez (2013) as a simple and integrative index that can be used to monitor changes in wellbeing. PHI was administered to a sample of 1198 subjects living in the metropolitan area of Buenos Aires (ages: 18-60, M = 27.82, SD = 12.01, 43.2% men). In the application to the Argentine context, it is proposed to specifically use the remembered dimension of well-being without considering the item related to negative emotionality. In this way, a Cronbach's alpha = .88 (10 items) is obtained. We verify high levels of well-being, especially in relation to psychological well-being and subdomains of life satisfaction and positive affections. However, regarding social well-being, participants report mid-levels. Results are discussed taking into account local background

Avaliação da sobrevivência de indicadores bacterianos e vírus durante higienização de lodo de esgoto por secagem térmica em estufa agrícola / Survival evaluation of bacterial indicators and viruses during thermal drying of sewage sludge in a greenhouse

RESUMO O presente trabalho objetivou avaliar o processo de secagem térmica de lodos de esgoto em estufa agrícola com vistas à inativação bacteriana e de vírus, além do comportamento de colifagos somáticos como indicadores desses organismos. Cada volume de lodo de esgoto excedente descartado de reator upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) foi desaguado em leito de secagem por 14 dias e direcionado para secagem em estufa agrícola correspondeu a um lote (L) de lodo. Entre fevereiro e novembro de 2015, foram tratados 9 lotes (L1 a L9) por, em média, 13 semanas. O pH se manteve estável na maioria deles (entre 5,0-6,0). Após, aproximadamente, 60 dias de tratamento, todos os lotes apresentavam umidade abaixo de 10%, exceto L3 e L4 (10-25%). O tempo necessário para atingir 90% de sólidos totais (ST) variou entre 40-50 (L1 e L7), 60 (L5 e L6) e 85-100 (L2, L3 e L4) dias. Os lotes levaram, em média, 50-60 dias para alcançarem níveis de E. coli iguais ou menores a 1x103 número mais provável (NMP)/g de ST. A detecção de colifagos somáticos foi baixa e eventual. O ensaio de inoculação mostrou decaimento rápido de vírus (Poliovírus 1 Sabin), mas colifago somático Phi X174 mostrou-se mais persistente nas três temperaturas avaliadas (estufa agrícola, controladas em laboratório - 30 e 60°C). O tratamento térmico de lodo de esgoto em estufa agrícola se apresentou como simples e eficiente na obtenção de produto granulado, seco e com níveis de redução da contaminação bacteriana atendendo ao parâmetro estabelecido como seguro para uso agrícola conforme a legislação brasileira.

ABSTRACT The aim of the study was to evaluate the thermic drying of sewage sludge in agricultural greenhouse, in order to inactivate bacterial and virus, and to evaluate the behavior of somatic coliphages as indicator of these organisms. Each volume of excess sewage sludge discarded from UASB reactor, drained in a drying bed for 14 days and directed to thermic drying treatment in greenhouse corresponded to a batch (B) of sludge. Between February and November 2015, nine batches (L1 to L9) were treated for an average of 13 weeks. Most batches kept the pH between 5.0-6.0. After about 60 days of treatment, all batches showed humidity below 10%, except B3 and B4 (10-25%). The time required to reach 90% of total solids ranged between 40-50 (B1 to B7), 60 (B5, B6) and 85-100 (B2, B3 and B4) days. On average, levels of E. coli reduced to <1x103 NMP/g TS after 50-60 days of treatment. The detection of somatic coliphages was low and eventual. Tests of inoculation showed rapid decay of virus (Sabin 1 strain poliovirus), but somatic coliphage Phi X174 was more persistent in the three temperatures evaluated (greenhouse, laboratory controlled 30 and 60°C). The thermic drying treatment of sewage sludge in agricultural greenhouse was presented as simple and efficient in obtaining granulated and dried product, and in reducing bacterial contamination levels given the parameter set as safe for agricultural use under the Brazilian law.

Cooperative and out-of-core execution of the irregular wavefront propagation pattern on hybrid machines with IntelⓇ Xeon Phi™.

The Irregular Wavefront Propagation Pattern (IWPP) is a core computing structure in several image analysis operations. Efficient implementation of IWPP on the Intel Xeon Phi is difficult because of the irregular data access and computation characteristics. The traditional IWPP algorithm relies on atomic instructions, which are not available in the SIMD set of the Intel Phi. To overcome this limitation, we have proposed a new IWPP algorithm that can take advantage of non-atomic SIMD instructions supported on the Intel Xeon Phi. We have also developed and evaluated methods to use CPU and Intel Phi cooperatively for parallel execution of the IWPP algorithms. Our new cooperative IWPP version is also able to handle large out-of-core images that would not fit into the memory of the accelerator. The new IWPP algorithm is used to implement the Morphological Reconstruction and Fill Holes operations, which are operations commonly found in image analysis applications. The vectorization implemented with the new IWPP has attained improvements of up to about 5× on top of the original IWPP and significant gains as compared to state-of-the-art the CPU and GPU versions. The new version running on an Intel Phi is 6.21× and 3.14× faster than running on a 16-core CPU and on a GPU, respectively. Finally, the cooperative execution using two Intel Phi devices and a multi-core CPU has reached performance gains of 2.14× as compared to the execution using a single Intel Xeon Phi.

Favorable biodistribution, specific targeting and conditional endosomal escape of RNA nanoparticles in cancer therapy.

The past decades have witnessed the successful transition of several nanotechnology platforms into the clinical trials. However, specific delivery of therapeutics to tumors is hindered by several barriers including cancer recognition and tissue penetration, particle heterogeneity and aggregation, and unfavorable pharmacokinetic profiles such as fast clearance and organ accumulation. With the advent of RNA nanotechnology, a series of RNA nanoparticles have been successfully constructed to overcome many of the aforementioned challenges for in vivo cancer targeting with favorable biodistribution profiles. Compared to other nanodelivery platforms, the physiochemical properties of RNA nanoparticles can be tuned with relative ease for investigating the in vivo behavior of nanoparticles upon systemic injection. The size, shape, and surface chemistry, especially hydrophobic modifications, exert significant impacts on the in vivo fate of RNA nanoparticles. Rationally designed RNA nanoparticles with defined stoichiometry and high homogeneity have been demonstrated to specifically target tumor cells while avoiding accumulation in healthy vital organs after systemic injection. RNA nanoparticles were proven to deliver therapeutics such as siRNA and anti-miRNA to block tumor growth in several animal models. Although the release of anti-miRNA from the RNA nanoparticles has achieved high efficiency of tumor regression in multiple animal models, the efficiency of endosomal escape for siRNA delivery needs further improvement. This review focuses on the advances and perspectives of this promising RNA nanotechnology platform for cancer targeting and therapy.

PHOTOSYSTEM II FLUORESCENCE AND GROWTH IN CABBAGE PLANTS (Brassica oleracea var. capitata) GROWN UNDER WATERLOGGING STRESS / FLUORESCENCIA DEL FOTOSISTEMA II Y CRECIMIENTO EN PLANTAS DE REPOLLO (Brassica oleracea var. capitata) EXPUESTAS A ESTRÉS POR ENCHARCAMIENTO

Waterlogging stress is a limiting factor in the production of crops grown in localities with high rainfall frequency. Waterlogging causes a decrease in the availability of O2 in roots, which substantially affects the anatomy, morphology and metabolism of plants. Oxygen deficiency inhibits mitochondrial respiration, oxidation, and oxygenation processes, causing severe affection of plant metabolism. A test in greenhouse conditions was carried out in Tunja, Colombia, in order to evaluate the effect of waterlogging on the growth of cabbage plants (Brassica oleracea var. capitata). Some plants were waterlogged for 25 days and their physiological response was compared with plants maintained at field capacity. As consequence of waterlogging, leaf area, total dry weight, chlorophyll content, leaf area ratio, absolute growth rate and relative growth rate were reduced. In addition, necrotic plants exhibited a high percentage of necrosis in the leaves. As for the variables related to chlorophyll fluorescence, there was a decrease of 17,9, 50,0 and 36,0% in the Fv/Fm values, ΦPSII and qP, respectively. All of these results indicate low tolerance of cabbage plants to waterlogging.

El estrés por encharcamiento es un factor limitante en la producción de algunos cultivos que se desarrollan en localidades, con alta frecuencia de lluvias. El encharcamiento causa disminución en la disponibilidad de O2 en las raíces, lo cual, afecta sustancialmente la anatomía, la morfología y el metabolismo de las plantas. El déficit de oxígeno inhibe la respiración mitocondrial, la oxidación y los procesos de oxigenación, con lo cual, el metabolismo de la planta resulta severamente afectado. Se desarrolló en Tunja, Colombia, un ensayo en condiciones de invernadero, con el propósito de evaluar el efecto del encharcamiento sobre el crecimiento de plantas de repollo (Brassica oleracea var. capitata). Algunas plantas fueron encharcadas durante 25 días y su respuesta fisiológica se comparó con la de plantas mantenidas a capacidad de campo. Como consecuencia del encharcamiento, se redujo el área foliar, el peso seco total, el contenido de clorofila y los valores de la relación de área foliar, de la tasa absoluta de crecimiento y de la tasa relativa de crecimiento. Adicionalmente, solo en las plantas expuestas al encharcamiento, se presentó necrosis en las hojas, en un alto porcentaje. En cuanto a las variables relacionadas con la fluorescencia de la clorofila, se registró una disminución de 17,9; 50,0 y 36,0%, en los valores de Fv/Fm, ΦPSII and qP, respectivamente. El conjunto de estos resultados indica baja tolerancia de las plantas de repollo al encharcamiento.

Application Performance Analysis and Efficient Execution on Systems with multi-core CPUs, GPUs and MICs: A Case Study with Microscopy Image Analysis.

We carry out a comparative performance study of multi-core CPUs, GPUs and Intel Xeon Phi (Many Integrated Core-MIC) with a microscopy image analysis application. We experimentally evaluate the performance of computing devices on core operations of the application. We correlate the observed performance with the characteristics of computing devices and data access patterns, computation complexities, and parallelization forms of the operations. The results show a significant variability in the performance of operations with respect to the device used. The performances of operations with regular data access are comparable or sometimes better on a MIC than that on a GPU. GPUs are more efficient than MICs for operations that access data irregularly, because of the lower bandwidth of the MIC for random data accesses. We propose new performance-aware scheduling strategies that consider variabilities in operation speedups. Our scheduling strategies significantly improve application performance compared to classic strategies in hybrid configurations.

Improved assembly procedure of viral RNA genomes amplified with Phi29 polymerase from new generation sequencing data.

BACKGROUND: New sequencing technologies have opened the way to the discovery and the characterization of pathogenic viruses in clinical samples. However, the use of these new methods can require an amplification of viral RNA prior to the sequencing. Among all the available methods, the procedure based on the use of Phi29 polymerase produces a huge amount of amplified DNA. However, its major disadvantage is to generate a large number of chimeric sequences which can affect the assembly step. The pre-process method proposed in this study strongly limits the negative impact of chimeric reads in order to obtain the full-length of viral genomes. FINDINGS: Three different assembly softwares (ABySS, Ray and SPAdes) were tested for their ability to correctly assemble the full-length of viral genomes. Although in all cases, our pre-processed method improved genome assembly, only its combination with the use of SPAdes allowed us to obtain the full-length of the viral genomes tested in one contig. CONCLUSIONS: The proposed pipeline is able to overcome drawbacks due to the generation of chimeric reads during the amplification of viral RNA which considerably improves the assembling of full-length viral genomes.

Improved assembly procedure of viral RNA genomes amplified with Phi29 polymerase from new generation sequencing data

BACKGROUND: New sequencing technologies have opened the way to the discovery and the characterization of pathogenic viruses in clinical samples. However, the use of these new methods can require an amplification of viral RNA prior to the sequencing. Among all the available methods, the procedure based on the use of Phi29 polymerase produces a huge amount of amplified DNA. However, its major disadvantage is to generate a large number of chimeric sequences which can affect the assembly step. The pre-process method proposed in this study strongly limits the negative impact of chimeric reads in order to obtain the full-length of viral genomes. FINDINGS: Three different assembly softwares (ABySS, Ray and SPAdes) were tested for their ability to correctly assemble the full-length of viral genomes. Although in all cases, our pre-processed method improved genome assembly, only its combination with the use of SPAdes allowed us to obtain the full-length of the viral genomes tested in one contig. CONCLUSIONS: The proposed pipeline is able to overcome drawbacks due to the generation of chimeric reads during the amplification of viral RNA which considerably improves the assembling of full-length viral genomes.

Activity of NA(+)/H(+) exchangers alters aquaporin-mediated water transport in human placenta.

The intracellular pH (pHi) of syncytiotrophoblasts is regulated, in part, by Na(+)/H(+) exchanger (NHE)-1, NHE-2, and NHE-3. Failures in pHi homeostasis could alter critical cellular functions such as water transport and cell volume. Here, we evaluated whether alterations in syncytiotrophoblast pHi could modify water uptake mediated by aquaporins (AQPs) and the contribution of NHEs to this mechanism. We showed that changes in syncytiotrophoblast pHi did not affect water uptake in the presence of functional NHEs. However, inhibition of NHEs alters transcellular water transport mediated by AQPs in acidosis. These results suggest an interaction between placental AQPs and NHEs in the regulation of water uptake during acidotic states.

A comprehensive patient safety program can significantly reduce preventable harm, associated costs, and hospital mortality.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of a hospital-wide initiative to improve patient safety by implementing high-reliability practices as part of a quality improvement (QI) program aimed at reducing all preventable harm. STUDY DESIGN: A hospital wide quasi-experimental time series QI initiative using high-reliability concepts, microsystem-based multidisciplinary teams, and QI science tools to reduce hospital acquired harm was implemented. Extensive error prevention training was provided for all employees. Change concepts were enacted using the Institute for Healthcare Improvement's Model for Improvement. Compliance with change packages was measured. RESULTS: Between 2010 and 2012, the serious safety event rate decreased from 1.15 events to 0.19 event per 10 000 adjusted hospital-days, an 83.3% reduction (P < .001). Preventable harm events decreased by 53%, from a quarterly peak of 150 in the first quarter of 2010 to 71 in the fourth quarter of 2012 (P < .01). Observed hospital mortality decreased from 1.0% to 0.75% (P < .001), although severity-adjusted expected mortality actually increased slightly, and estimated harm-related hospital costs decreased by 22.0%. Hospital-wide safety climate scores increased significantly. CONCLUSION: Substantial reductions in serious safety event rate, preventable harm, hospital mortality, and cost were seen after implementation of our multifaceted approach. Measurable improvements in the safety culture were noted as well.

Características fisiológicas e anatômicas de plantas de sibipiruna submetidas à hipoxia / Physiological and anatomical characteristics of Sibipiruna plants under hipoxia

Plantas em seu ambiente natural estão sujeitas a condições adversas, passando por períodos de estresse breves ou duradouros. Algumas espécies desenvolvem mecanismos que as fazem suportar as condições adversas, permitindo sua sobrevivência. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar as respostas fisiológicas e anatômicas no desenvolvimento inicial de plantas de sibipiruna submetidas à hipoxia. Plantas com três a quatro folhas completamente expandidas foram submetidas a três tratamentos: plantas sem alagamento, alagadas nas raízes e totalmente alagadas. Foram realizadas avaliações dos teores de amido, açúcares solúveis totais e redutores em folhas e raízes coletadas a cada cinco dias, durante 30 dias. Características anatômicas foram avaliadas 15 dias após o início de cada tratamento. A maior redução nos teores de amido nas folhas e raízes foi observada nas plantas totalmente alagadas. Para açúcares solúveis totais e redutores, foi observado comportamento semelhante ao obtido em amido; porém, as plantas alagadas nas raízes apresentaram, em alguns períodos de avaliação, teores, principalmente nas raízes, superiores aos observados nas plantas sem alagamento. Essas plantas também apresentaram maior densidade estomática em relação aos demais tratamentos. Para a espessura do córtex e do cilindro vascular das raízes, foi observada uma redução para os tratamentos alagados, cujas plantas totalmente alagadas apresentaram uma maior barreira apoplástica imposta pelo espessamento em fi caracterizada pela formação de septos nas células próximas à endoderme.

Plants in their natural environment are subject to adverse conditions, and the stress periods can be short or long. Some species develop mechanisms that make them bear the adverse conditions, allowing their survival. The aim of this study was to evaluate the anatomic and physiological responses in the initial development of Sibipiruna plants submitted to hypoxia. Plants with three to four leaves fully expanded were subjected to three treatments: plants without flooding, flooded on roots and totally flooded. Evaluations were carried out in the starch, total soluble sugars and reducing sugars levels in the leaves and roots collected every five days, for 30 days. Anatomical characteristics were evaluated 15 days after the beginning of each treatment. The largest reduction in starch level in leaves and in roots was observed in plants completely flooded. For total soluble sugars and reducing sugars were observed behavior similar to that achieved in starch However, the plants which had flooded roots, in some periods of assessment, had levels, mainly in the roots, higher than the plants without flooding. These plants also showed higher stomatal density than the other treatments. For the thickness of the cortex and the cylinder vascular roots, a reduction was observed for the flooded treatment, which completely flooded plants had a higher apoplastic barrier imposed by thickening in phi, which is characterized by the formation of septa in cells near the endodermis.

Características fisiológicas e anatômicas de plantas de sibipiruna submetidas à hipoxia

Plants in their natural environment are subject to adverse conditions, and the stress periods can be short or long. Some species develop mechanisms that make them bear the adverse conditions, allowing their survival. The aim of this study was to evaluate the anatomic and physiological responses in the initial development of Sibipiruna plants submitted to hypoxia. Plants with three to four leaves fully expanded were subjected to three treatments: plants without flooding, flooded on roots and totally flooded. Evaluations were carried out in the starch, total soluble sugars and reducing sugars levels in the leaves and roots collected every five days, for 30 days. Anatomical characteristics were evaluated 15 days after the beginning of each treatment. The largest reduction in starch level in leaves and in roots was observed in plants completely flooded. For total soluble sugars and reducing sugars were observed behavior similar to that achieved in starch However, the plants which had flooded roots, in some periods of assessment, had levels, mainly in the roots, higher than the plants without flooding. These plants also showed higher stomatal density than the other treatments. For the thickness of the cortex and the cylinder vascular roots, a reduction was observed for the flooded treatment, which completely flooded plants had a higher apoplastic barrier imposed by thickening in phi, which is characterized by the formation of septa in cells near the endodermis.

Plantas em seu ambiente natural estão sujeitas a condições adversas, passando por períodos de estresse breves ou duradouros. Algumas espécies desenvolvem mecanismos que as fazem suportar as condições adversas, permitindo sua sobrevivência. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar as respostas fisiológicas e anatômicas no desenvolvimento inicial de plantas de sibipiruna submetidas à hipoxia. Plantas com três a quatro folhas completamente expandidas foram submetidas a três tratamentos: plantas sem alagamento, alagadas nas raízes e totalmente alagadas. Foram realizadas avaliações dos teores de amido, açúcares solúveis totais e redutores em folhas e raízes coletadas a cada cinco dias, durante 30 dias. Características anatômicas foram avaliadas 15 dias após o início de cada tratamento. A maior redução nos teores de amido nas folhas e raízes foi observada nas plantas totalmente alagadas. Para açúcares solúveis totais e redutores, foi observado comportamento semelhante ao obtido em amido; porém, as plantas alagadas nas raízes apresentaram, em alguns períodos de avaliação, teores, principalmente nas raízes, superiores aos observados nas plantas sem alagamento. Essas plantas também apresentaram maior densidade estomática em relação aos demais tratamentos. Para a espessura do córtex e do cilindro vascular das raízes, foi observada uma redução para os tratamentos alagados, cujas plantas totalmente alagadas apresentaram uma maior barreira apoplástica imposta pelo espessamento em fi caracterizada pela formação de septos nas células próximas à endoderme.

Características fisiológicas e anatômicas de plantas de sibipiruna submetidas à hipoxia

Plants in their natural environment are subject to adverse conditions, and the stress periods can be short or long. Some species develop mechanisms that make them bear the adverse conditions, allowing their survival. The aim of this study was to evaluate the anatomic and physiological responses in the initial development of Sibipiruna plants submitted to hypoxia. Plants with three to four leaves fully expanded were subjected to three treatments: plants without flooding, flooded on roots and totally flooded. Evaluations were carried out in the starch, total soluble sugars and reducing sugars levels in the leaves and roots collected every five days, for 30 days. Anatomical characteristics were evaluated 15 days after the beginning of each treatment. The largest reduction in starch level in leaves and in roots was observed in plants completely flooded. For total soluble sugars and reducing sugars were observed behavior similar to that achieved in starch However, the plants which had flooded roots, in some periods of assessment, had levels, mainly in the roots, higher than the plants without flooding. These plants also showed higher stomatal density than the other treatments. For the thickness of the cortex and the cylinder vascular roots, a reduction was observed for the flooded treatment, which completely flooded plants had a higher apoplastic barrier imposed by thickening in phi, which is characterized by the formation of septa in cells near the endodermis.

Plantas em seu ambiente natural estão sujeitas a condições adversas, passando por períodos de estresse breves ou duradouros. Algumas espécies desenvolvem mecanismos que as fazem suportar as condições adversas, permitindo sua sobrevivência. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar as respostas fisiológicas e anatômicas no desenvolvimento inicial de plantas de sibipiruna submetidas à hipoxia. Plantas com três a quatro folhas completamente expandidas foram submetidas a três tratamentos: plantas sem alagamento, alagadas nas raízes e totalmente alagadas. Foram realizadas avaliações dos teores de amido, açúcares solúveis totais e redutores em folhas e raízes coletadas a cada cinco dias, durante 30 dias. Características anatômicas foram avaliadas 15 dias após o início de cada tratamento. A maior redução nos teores de amido nas folhas e raízes foi observada nas plantas totalmente alagadas. Para açúcares solúveis totais e redutores, foi observado comportamento semelhante ao obtido em amido; porém, as plantas alagadas nas raízes apresentaram, em alguns períodos de avaliação, teores, principalmente nas raízes, superiores aos observados nas plantas sem alagamento. Essas plantas também apresentaram maior densidade estomática em relação aos demais tratamentos. Para a espessura do córtex e do cilindro vascular das raízes, foi observada uma redução para os tratamentos alagados, cujas plantas totalmente alagadas apresentaram uma maior barreira apoplástica imposta pelo espessamento em fi caracterizada pela formação de septos nas células próximas à endoderme.