Ecologically-Based Production Systems： Production of Banana in the Atlantic Forest in the State of Rio Grande do Sul Brazil

This paper analyzes the performance and operation of ecologically-based production systems in the Atlantic Forest in southern Brazil in an integrated approach to their multifunctional characteristics and rural development. Nowadays the Atlantic Forest is considered the most threatenet biome, because of exploitation of their biological resources and unsuitable agricultural purposes. Banana cultivation is one of biggest commercial productions in atlantic south portion of forest, showing two different cropping systems： one using conventional management tehniques and other antagonistic, ecological based. The ecological system is compatible with the conservation of sustainable use of forests. The article presents a comparative analysis-diagnosis of major production and cultivation systems of banana, using the production systems approach, with evaluation of economic and technical indicators. The database is composed by 17 interviews conducted under field conditions in 2007. As a result, the technical and economic functioning of ecological systems demonstrate achieve economic efficiency, in general, higher than conventional systems. Furthermore, some key characteristics of ecological based systems focus on food production and income generation for farmers without harming areas of the Atlantic Forest, being in equilibrium with tropical dynamic and being an important instrument for the restoration of degraded ecosystems and for local development.

Trends in Extreme Indices and Seasonal Analysis of Precipitation and Temperature in the Northwest Region of Rio Grande do Sul,Brazil

Probably the most important environmental challenge of this century is to adapt to climate change and develop strategies to minimize its effects. This study aims to conduct an investigation to detect changes in temperature and precipitation in the northwest region of Rio Grande do Sul with the use of different general and regional circulation models (GCMs and RCMs, respectively). Seven distinct locations in the region were considered, for which there were ten different climate projections. Additionally, we investigated the frequency and intensity of extreme rainfall events using different extreme precipitation indices. These projections indicate an increase of mean annual temperature of almost 3°C till the end of the century, as well as an increase in annual precipitation. The seasonal analysis has demonstrated that the largest increases of temperature are projected for winter and early spring and do not coincide with the summer months of the main crop cultivation (soybean) in the region. Additionally, it is expected high amounts of rain during these same months. In general, trends in extreme precipitation indices were detected for the RCM projections in most of locations. It can also be concluded that it is possible that the spatial distribution of the impacts of climate change on agriculture will not be uniform.

Shock index and its variants as predictors of mortality in severe traumatic brain injury

BACKGROUND The increase in severe traumatic brain injury(sTBI)incidence is a worldwide phenomenon,resulting in a heavy disease burden in the public health systems,specifically in emerging countries.The shock index(SI)is a physiological parameter that indicates cardiovascular status and has been used as a tool to assess the presence and severity of shock,which is increased in sTBI.Considering the high mortality of sTBI,scrutinizing the predictive potential of SI and its variants is vital.AIM To describe the predictive potential of SI and its variants in sTBI.METHODS This study included 71 patients(61 men and 10 women)divided into two groups:Survival(S;n=49)and Non-survival(NS;n=22).The responses of blood pressure and heart rate(HR)were collected at admission and 48 h after admission.The SI,reverse SI(rSI),rSI multiplied by the Glasgow Coma Score(rSIG),and Age multiplied SI(AgeSI)were calculated.Group comparisons included Shapiro-Wilk tests,and independent samples t-tests.For predictive analysis,logistic regression,receiver operator curves(ROC)curves,and area under the curve(AUC)measurements were performed.RESULTS No significant differences between groups were identified for SI,rSI,or rSIG.The AgeSI was significantly higher in NS patients at 48 h following admission(S:26.32±14.2,and NS:37.27±17.8;P=0.016).Both the logistic regression and the AUC following ROC curve analysis showed that only AgeSI at 48 h was capable of predicting sTBI outcomes.CONCLUSION Although an altered balance between HR and blood pressure can provide insights into the adequacy of oxygen delivery to tissues and the overall cardiac function,only the AgeSI was a viable outcome-predictive tool in sTBI,warranting future research in different cohorts.

Labelling of the Energetic Efficiency on a Case Study in Passo Fundo, RS, Brazil, in Accordance with the Mentioned Methods under the Respective Brazilian Regulation-RTQ-C

Having as a starting point of the problematic energy consumption of buildings, it studied the panorama of energy efficiency, emphasizing the Brazilian program of the INMETRO （Instituto Nacional de Metrologia, Normalizacao e Qualidade Industrial）, PROCEL “Edifica” （national program for energy efficiency in buildings）, contained in the norm RTQ-C （technical requirements of the quality for the level of energetic efficiency of commercial, service, and public buildings）. For a better understanding of the regulation, it elected a building, emblematic in the city of Passo Fundo, RS, Brazil, illustrating the perspective of the program. The building was classified in accordance with the two methodologies presented by the program： prescriptive and simulation, so it was possible to investigate the peculiarities of each methodology and the own regulation. After the application of the methodologies, we came to the conclusion that the prescriptive method is less accurate and requires more dedication by the evaluator to do all the calculations and surveys required, however, it is the fastest tool and accessible to the field professionals. The simulation on the other hand, is a more accurate methodology and reaches levels of analysis that the prescriptive method does not reach, but still is a tool that needs large initial financial contribution and prior knowledge.

Correlation between Intestinal Health and Coccidiosis Prevalence in Broilers during Different Seasons of the Year in Brazil from 2012 to 2018

Coccidiosis is a disease caused by intracellular protozoan parasites, specifically belonging to the genus Eimeria. These parasites target the gastrointestinal tract in different types of hosts, causing sores in the intestinal lining. The presence of these lesions reduces the animal’s ability to digest and absorb nutrients, significantly impacting their overall performance. The current study aimed to explore the potential correlation between seasonal variations and the incidence of Eimeria spp-induced lesions in broiler chickens’ gastrointestinal tracts in Brazil from 2012 to 2018. A total of 8,607 broiler chickens, aged 14 to 42 days, were sampled from 103 poultry integrated companies in Brazil to conduct intestinal health examinations. The sampling process involved selecting 3 to 6 chickens from each poultry house for examination. The assessment included various abnormalities such as shedding of intestinal cells and excessive fluid and mucus presence, thickening and tension of the intestines, food movement, roughened mucosal surface resembling a Turkish towel in the small intestine, tissue death, duodenal inflammation, intestinal inflammation, gizzard erosion, presence of worms and bedding material, and ingestion of mealworms. During the seasons, winter exhibited the highest average occurrence of Eimeria maxima microorganisms at 52.83%, with E. acervulina following closely at 26.42% in second place. In spring, E. maxima had an occurrence of 11.31%, while in fall, E. tenella had the lowest occurrence at 6.74%. When analyzing the seasonal occurrence of Eimeria, it was observed that E. maxima micro was more common during winter compared to summer (P = 0.0491). However, no discernible variation was observed in the occurrence of the remaining species across different seasons. Research findings suggest that subclinical coccidiosis is most prevalent during the winter season in Brazil. Likewise, clinical disease caused by E. acervulina is also prevalent during this time. In contrast, E. maxima is more likely to cause clinical disease in the spring, whereas E. tenella is more commonly associated with clinical disease in the fall. Lesions induced by Eimeria spp. are associated with factors influencing the overall health of broiler intestines. These findings allow for the utilization of seasonal metrics in disease management, thereby reducing economic losses associated with the condition.

Liver preservation prior to transplantation: Past, present, and future

Since Dr. Thomas Starzl performed the first series of successful liver transplants(LTs), important advances have been made in immunosuppression, operative techniques, and postoperative care. In 1988, Belzer's group reported the first successful LT using the University of Wisconsin preservation solution(UW).Since then, UW has replaced EuroCollins solution and allowed prolonged and safer preservation of liver, kidney, and pancreas allografts, thus contributing to the improvement of transplant outcomes. Although UW is still considered the standard of care in the United States and in several countries worldwide, a recent meta-analysis revealed similar LT outcomes among UW, Celsior solution, and the Institut Georges Lopez-1 preservation solution, which were slightly superior to those obtained with histidine-tryptophan-ketoglutarate preservation solution.Dynamic preservation has been recently developed, and liver allografts are preserved mainly through the following methods: hypothermic machine perfusion, normothermic machine perfusion, and subnormothermic machine perfusion. Their use has the potential advantage of improving clinical results in LT involving extended criteria donor allografts. Although associated with increased costs, techniques employing machine perfusion of liver allografts have been considered clinically feasible. This editorial focuses on recent advances and future perspectives in liver allograft preservation.

Potential use of lactate for the treatment of neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy

Function of lactate:Lactate is a three-carbon molecule produced by glycolytic metabolism that is a metabolic waste product with no known use in clinical therapy.Conversely,it is a metabolite that the body should quickly guarantee the clearance.However,lactate is now recognized as a potential energy substrate,as well as an anti-inflammatory signaling molecule.These actions were first reported in adult animal models with a brain injury,including a traumatic brain injury and cerebral ischemia,and have also been observed in human patients(Magistretti and Allaman,2018).Recently,however,two studies by independent research groups described promising n euro p rotective results from the use of lactate in animal models with neonatal hypoxia-ischemia(Roumes et al.,2021;Tassinari et al.,2020).

Recent Changes Occurred in the Terminus of the Debriscovered Bilafond Glacier in the Karakoram Himalayas Using Remotely Sensed Images and Digital Elevation Models(1978-2011)

Recent changes occurred in terminus of the debris-covered Bilafond Glacier in the Karakoram Range in the Himalayas, Northern Pakistan was investigated in this research. Landsat MSS, TM and ETM+ images were used for this study. Digital elevation models derived from ASTER GDEM and SRTM were also utilized. Visible, infrared and thermal infrared channels were utilized in order to get accurate glacier change maps. Three methods were tried to map this debris-covered glacier in this research. The glacier has been mapped successfully and the changes in the glacier terminus from 1978 to 2011 have been calculated. Manual, semi-automatic and thermal methods were found to give similar results. It was found that the glacier has undergone serious ablation during this period despite of the fact that many of the larger glaciers in the Hindu Kush and Karakoram mountain regions in the Upper Indus Basin were reported to be expanding. The terminus has been moved back about 600 meters during this period and there was an abrupt change in the glacier terminus during 1990-2002. We propose that debris thickness is not the only factor that influences the glacier ablation but the altitude of the debris-covered glacier as well. Many glaciers in the Karakoram region reported to be expanding were having higher altitudes compared to the study area.

An overview of geological originated materials as a trend for adsorption in wastewater treatment

Adsorption is a unit operation widely used for the tertiary treatment of the most diverse effluents,whose mechanism is based on removing recalcitrant compounds from the organic and inorganic origin.In this process,choosing a suitable adsorbent is a fundamental point.This review article focuses on the adsorbents with natural geological origin:minerals,clays,geopolymers,and even wastes resulted from mining activity.Therefore,over 450 articles and research papers were explored.These materials’main sources are described,and their characteristics,composition,and intrinsic properties are related to adsorption.Herein,we discuss the effects of several process parameters,such as p H,temperature,pollutant,and adsorbent concentration.Furthermore,equilibrium,kinetics,and thermodynamic aspects are also addressed,and relevant regeneration prospects and final disposal.Finally,some suggestions and perspectives on applying these adsorbents in wastewater treatment are presented as future trends.

Development of Composites Sandwich Structures Using a Core Cork

Sandwich structures are comprised of two external faces/skins(usually made of synthetic fiber/resin)and a core between them,being lightweight and with high stiffness.The employment of composite materials such as engineering materials has achieved more space in various segments of the industry,due to the following properties found:low density,stiffness,resistance to abrasion,impact and corrosion developed along the technological advancement of materials.This study aimed to develop a composite structure sandwich with cork core using in the face resin unsaturated polyester and glass fiber material,in order to obtain a final material with improved mechanical and physical properties compared to a conventional composite,without core.The samples were obtained by pressing process for different volume percentage of glass fiber in order to evaluate the influence of this parameter on the behavior of the material.The different samples were mechanically analyzed using the tests by tensile,bending and hardness,revealing high efficiency,except for the bending test in which the sandwich composite showed lower values compared to the composite standard.It was also performed to test water absorption,thermal and acoustic insulation test achieving satisfactory results and proving the effectiveness of cork in the search for materials with insulating characteristics,thus enabling the use of cork as a raw material for this class of materials contributing to sustainability and helping to generate values and innovation.In addition,it functions as a great thermal and acoustic insulation.

Acute Generalized Exanthematous Pustulosis during Puerperal Period Induced by Azithromycin: Case Report

Background: The use of antibiotics, especially beta-lactams and macrolides, may be associated with dermatopathies, such as Acute Generalized Exanthematous Pustulosis (AGEP), which is an uncommon cutaneous adverse reaction. Case: We report a case of AGEP, in a 36-year-old multiparous (G5P3C1A1) woman, with 38 weeks of gestation, admitted to the hospital to induce labor. Due to cephalopelvic disproportion, the cesarean section was indicated. In the postoperative period, the patient evolved with cutaneous rash, accompanied by productive cough and dyspnea. Because it was a fever of obscure origin, the treatment with antibiotics, including azithromycin, was initiated. On subsequent days, she presented pustules on the back, abdomen and extremities. Such reaction was attributed to the use of azithromycin. When the drug was discontinued, the lesions regressed significantly. Conclusion: The clinical picture of AGEP may occur with persistent high fever and therefore could be confused with systemic infections, consequently, being treated with wrong medications capable of aggravating the adverse cutaneous reaction, worsening the course of the disease that could be easily treated by stopping the use of the causative drug. This case shows the importance of including AGEP as a differential diagnosis of dermatopathies in the pregnancy-puerperal cycle, especially in women who are using various medications, including antibiotics.

Quality of the Built Environment from the Infrastructure of Social Interest Housing Developments

The structures in the built environment, particularly concerning morphology are reflected in different allotments, which rely heavily on a technical insight. They are constantly attributed in Brazil by architects, urban planners and geographers, among others, who plan the space and structure them for providing for the population needs. In this context, this research aims to analyze the morphological structure of two social interest housing developments, considering that the lack of efficiency in construction has generated infrastructure problems. Specifically, we analyzed the layout of the two housing developments of social interest, morphology recurrence, layout style adopted, relating their characteristics. Results have shown that the more regular is the topography, the more is the reduction of deployment costs execution of the infrastructure in the housing development. It is believed that this research can provide discussions on the subject and present subsidies to architectural projects.

A Proposal of Oat Productivity Simulation by Meteorological Elements,Growth Regulator and Nitrogen

The simulation of oat grain productivity does not contemplate the use of efficient models that involve important management with meteorological elements. The objective of the study is to propose a mathematical model capable of simulating the oat grain productivity through the management of nitrogen and growth regulator with variables related to the plant and to meteorological elements. In this study, two experiments were conducted in the years of 2013, 2014 and 2015: one to quantify biomass productivity and another to determine grain productivity and lodging at the management doses of nitrogen and growth regulator. The experimental design was a randomized block with four replications in a 4 × 3 factorial scheme for 0, 200, 400 and 600 mL·ha-1 growth regulator doses and 30, 90 and 150 kg·ha-1 nitrogen doses, respectively. During the crop cycles, the meteorological variables thermal sum, radiation and rainfall were quantified. The mathematical model proposed, which combines polynomial regression of the harvest index with multiple linear regression of the biological productivity, is efficient in the simulation of oat grains productivity with the use of growth regulator, nitrogen and meteorological elements. Thus, it adds to the conventional models of simulation and becomes an aid tool for making decisions regarding the management of oats culture.

Phenolic compounds and contaminants in olive oil and pomace-A narrative review of their biological and toxic effects

Olive oil is considered one of the main ingredients of the Mediterranean diet,with daily consumption of 25-50 mL per capita.The production of olive oil produces a solid residue,olive pomace.Both olive oil and pomace are products rich in phenolic compounds,and these bioactive compounds are most likely involved in their bioactivities.The most representative phenolic compounds in olive oil and olive pomace are oleuropein,tyrosol,and hydroxytyrosol,which may contribute to the prevention and control of several diseases,from cardiovascular diseases to cancer and neurodegenerative diseases.On the other hand,olives and their derivatives are constantly exposed to contaminants such as mycotoxins,pesticide residues,and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.Phenolic compounds from olive oil and olive pomace could reduce the toxicity of contaminants in these products.On the other hand,the pollutants in olive oil and olive pomace may also affect the beneficial properties attributed to these products.This review summarized current knowledge on the content of phenolic compounds in olive pomace and oil and their biological effects.In addition,it also discussed the beneficial effects of phenolic compounds on toxic compounds in olive products.In addition,it highlighted the importance of conducting further studies to understand the interactions between bioactive and toxic compounds in olive oil and olive pomace to determine these products’actual health benefits.

面向肌电信号的虚拟现实提线木偶动画研究

泉州提线木偶属于首批中国非物质文化遗产,是中华传统文化的实现形式之一.然而,由于木偶体积庞大,携带与操作不便,直接限制了其受众群体.为了实现提线木偶的有效传承与保护,设计了基于手势识别的虚拟现实提线木偶动画方案,构建了基于 MYO 臂环肌电信号的人体生理信号控制动画原型系统,应用两个用户实验验证了算法的高精确性与易操控性.首先,通过低通滤波与平滑实现多通道肌电信号数据的信号处理.其次,提取八通道时域特征与时频域特征,并通过线性判别器将其降维为六维特征向量,实现特征间关联性消除与算法鲁棒性增强.最后,构造多分类支撑向量机实现特征向量,确定手势识别结果.实验验证算法离线动作平均识别准确率为 95.59%,实时动作平均识别准确率达到 90.75%,在 1.1s 左右完成手势识别.面向提线木偶任务,构造了两个用户体验任务,普通用户人群中,木偶动作识别率较高,用户使用意愿、易学性等方面,系统性能亦显著高于真实木偶操控;专业用户在承认系统可用性的同时,具有较高的接受度.用户任务表明该设计满足了手势识别实时性和准确性的要求,具有良好的交互性和趣味性.相关研究可以广泛地应用于计算机动画等类似的系统,对于体验和保护提线木偶具有现实意义.

基于组合RNN网络的EMG信号手势识别

肌肉计算机接口(MCI)系统是虚拟现实、人机交互研究的热点之一,其核心问题是EMG肌电信号分类,因而MCI系统可以与深度学习方法有效结合。表面EMG信号分为高密度瞬时信号与稀疏多通道信号,前者类似于图像,可以采用CNN网络处理;本文应用RNN网络对后者进行研究,并利用MYO臂环实现了相应MCI系统。稀疏多通道EMG信号是不定长时间序列信号,前后时间相关性高,采用RNN网络进行分类。通过对原始信号进行时域、时频域、频域特征拓展,获得原始信号的多流特征序列,并提出两类组合RNN网络架构处理相应多流信号。用户依赖时算法准确率达90.78%,非用户依赖的人群测试中手势识别准确率达78.01%,实时动作识别准确率达82.09%,算法能在61.7毫秒内识别手势动作。本文所提出的组合RNN网络方法可以有效区分基于EMG信号的不同动作,且所设计的MCI系统用户泛化性与工作实时性表现好。