Universidade Federal de Uberlândia (UFU)

The search for new technologies capable of providing benefits to healthy eating is a global goal. The consumption of foods rich in carotenoids can prevent serious health problems. Thus, the availability of foods high in carotenoids that are accessible to the majority of the population is essential. Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) is a suitable species for biofortification research based on genetic improvements. In this study, we aimed to select and obtain hybrid lettuce populations with high agronomic potential and biofortified carotenoid content. Ten lettuce lines registered in the “BG α Biofort” software were selected for hybridization. The crosses used to obtain the hybrids involved two strains rich in at least one of the pigments (chlorophyll and carotenoids), and 24 experimental hybrids were obtained. A total of 37 genotypes (strains, hybrids, and commercial cultivars) were evaluated using a randomized block design for agronomic variables and chlorophyll and carotenoid content. Hybrids 12 (UFU-189#3#4#1 × UFU MC BIOFORT 2) and 25 (UFU66#4#2 × UFU-189#3#4#1) had the potential to produce dual-purpose populations (yield and carotenoid biofortification). Hybrid 27 (UFU66#4#2 × UFU MC BIOFORT1) exhibited the best pigment balance. Thus, F2 hybrids 12, 25, and 27 should be obtained to produce new cultivars of biofortified red and green lettuce for curly, american, mini, and romaine lettuce segments. Key words: Lactuca sativa L.; crossing; pigments; biological enrichment; food security

Background Lip exposure to carcinogens lead to several disorders, such as actinic cheilitis (AC) and lower lip squamous cell carcinoma (LLSCC). Although several studies have described important pathways in lip carcinogenesis, the comprehension of association of target genes in this process and their association with tumor microenvironment still need to be better understood. Methods Tissue samples of 30 AC and 17 LLSCC cases were included for histopathological analysis, immunohistochemical expression of CD4, CD8, and PD‐L1, and fluorescence in situ hybridization for AURKA , AURKB , TP53 , PTEN , CCND1 , and MYC . Non‐parametrical tests were done and p < 0.05 was considered significant. Results LLSCC patients presented higher amplifications of AURKA and AURKB , deletion of TP53 , and PTEN and rearrangements of MYC than AC. AURKA , AURKB , TP53 , PTEN , and CCND1 changes were correlated with PD‐L1 expression. Conclusions AURKA and AURKB amplifications and other gene changes are pointed by their association of lip disorders.

Although the toxicity of selenium (Se) and carbamazepine (CBZ) has already been demonstrated, the possible effects of freshwater fish co-exposure to these pollutants have not been explored. Thus, we aimed to evaluate the potential impact of Se and CBZ (alone and combined) exposure (both 5 µg/L) in Oreochromis mossambicus after 28 days. Exposure to CBZ, alone or combined with Se, significantly increases the “red blood cells” and “mean corpuscular volume.” In the gills, malondialdehyde levels in the “CBZ” and “Se + CBZ” groups were lower than in the control group. Furthermore, the exposure to treatments induced a significant increase in protein carbonyl formation in gills and DNA damage in gill and liver cells. Still, acetylcholinesterase activity in the brain was not changed. Thus, our study provides insight into the toxicity of metals and pharmaceutical drugs and warns about the ecotoxicological risk posed by such mixtures.

Tuta absoluta is a major tomato pest. An insecticide that acts in several phases of the pest’s life cycle can present greater control efficiency and amplitude of action, possessing greater capacity in reducing the insect population. In this context, the objective of this study was to determine the lethal concentrations for caterpillars and adults of T. absoluta and to evaluate whether the insecticide chlorantraniliprole influences the behavior and oviposition of adults of T. absoluta as well as the mortality of caterpillars. We determined lethal concentrations (LCs) and side effects in laboratory oviposition tests, and on oviposition and mortality of adults in field trials were evaluated. Plants treated with LC50 of chlorantraniliprole showed a low number of eggs per plant. The toxicity was higher in larvae exposed to all concentrations of chlorantraniliprole. In the field, the number of T. absoluta adults and eggs in plants treated with chlorantraniliprole was lower than the control. Our results indicate that chlorantraniliprole has toxicity against T. absoluta adults, eggs, and larvae. Other effects on the oviposition behavior performance of this specie can help implement integrated pest management programs.

Neglected tropical viral diseases are a burden to social and economic welfare being responsible for higher pathogen‐related mortality rates and chronic debilitating patient conditions. Climatic changes have widened up the infectibility ratio of such diseases, with autochthonous transmission in formerly temperate‐to‐cold environments. The slow‐paced development of potential vaccines followed by the inexistence of antiviral drugs for such diseases considerably worsens the situation. Coordination compounds are a class of molecules that have been extensively explored as antiviral drugs for viruses such as poliovirus, HIV and, more recently, SARS‐CoV‐2, figuring as potential molecules to be explored and capitalized as antivirals against neglected viral strains. In this review the current efforts from the inorganic medicinal chemistry to address viral neglected tropical diseases, with emphasis to coordination compounds, is presented. Since many of neglected viruses are also arthropod‐borne viruses, relying on a vector for transmission, coordination entities able to mitigate vectors are also presented as a parallel strategy to prevent and control such diseases.

Objective This study aimed to evaluate the association between ophthalmic artery (OA) Doppler indices and adverse neonatal outcomes in women with pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia (PE). Methods A prospective cross‐sectional study involving 110 pregnant women who were diagnosed with PE in the first 24 h of hospitalization was conducted at three hospitals in southeastern Brazil from April 2020 to December 2022. The ophthalmic parameters analyzed were the resistance index (RI), pulsatility index (PI), first peak systolic velocity (PSV1), second peak systolic velocity (PSV2), ratio of PSV2 to PSV1 (PSV ratio or the peak ratio [PR]), and end‐diastolic velocity (EDV). The outcome measures were neonatal death (during hospitalization), neonatal intensive care unit (ICU) admission, gestational age at delivery < 32 weeks, birth weight < 1500 g, birth weight < 10th percentile, the presence of comorbidities associated with prematurity, the use of invasive mechanical ventilation, an Apgar score at the 5th minute < 7.0, and signs of neurological impairment. Results Pregnant women with severe features of PE showed higher values of systolic (152.8 ± 20.7 vs. 136.3 ± 11.9, p = 0.000) and diastolic (98.1 ± 12.8 vs. 88.1 ± 10.8, p = 0.000) blood pressure values and lower gestational age at admission (31.5 ± 3.8 vs. 33.7 ± 4.3, p = 0.009) than PE without severe features. No significant differences were found between the mean values of the OA Doppler indices when comparing the presence or absence of neonatal outcomes in the women with PE. Conclusions OA Doppler, while valuable for the prediction, diagnosis, and evaluation of adverse maternal outcomes, does not independently predict adverse neonatal outcomes in women with severe features of PE.

Resumo: Buscou-se, com este estudo, verificar a associação entre valores do produto interno bruto em paridade do poder de compra (PIB PPC) e escores da ferramenta World Breastfeeding Trends Initiative (WBTi). Estudo ecológico realizado com 98 países de renda baixa (n = 43), média (n = 27) e alta (n = 28). A avaliação das ações pró-aleitamento materno foram obtidas da WBTi e o PIB PPC do Banco Mundial. Foram estimados média e desvio padrão (DP) das pontuações total e de cada item da WBTi. Foram usados o teste ANOVA e o teste de Tukey para comparar as médias da ferramenta WBTi segundo o PIB PPC dos países. A associação entre PIB PPC e as pontuações total e de cada item da WBTi foi analisada por regressão linear. Maiores pontuações da WBTi foram identificadas para os itens de sistemas de cuidado de saúde e nutrição (item 5: média = 6,4; DP: ±2,0) e suporte de informações válidas (item 7: média = 6,4; DP: ±2,5). As médias da pontuação total e dos itens 3 (implementação do código), 7 (suporte de informações válidas), 9 (aleitamento materno em emergências) e 10 (monitoramento e avaliação) foram superiores nos países de baixa e média renda e do item 4 (licença maternidade) nos países de alta renda (p < 0,05). Observamos associação negativa entre PIB PPC e pontuação total da ferramenta (β = -2,67; IC95%: -5,06; -0,29), item 3 (β = -0,50; IC95%: -0,91; -0,08), item 7 (β = -0,67; IC95%: -1,07; -0,27), item 8 (aleitamento materno e HIV; β = -0,59; IC95%: -1,07; -0,11) e item 9 (β = -0,91; IC95%: -1,34; -0,48). Observamos associação positiva entre PIB PPC e o item 4 (proteção à maternidade; β = 0,63; IC95%: 0,24; 1,02). Países com menor PIB PPC apresentaram maiores pontuações da ferramenta, com exceção da proteção à maternidade que apresentou maior pontuação em países com maior PIB PPC.

The development of high-strength cast iron alloys has become critical for advancing manufacturing processes, particularly in the automotive and heavy machinery sectors. Vermicular cast iron offers significant advantages in terms of mechanical properties and thermal conductivity, making it a valuable alternative to traditional gray cast iron. However, its machinabil- ity remains a major challenge due to increased tool wear. This study investigates the wear mechanisms of uncoated carbide tools during the front milling of four distinct cast iron alloys: FC250 gray cast iron, FC300 gray cast iron with molybdenum addition, gray cast iron with molybdenum addition and graphite refinement, and FV450 vermicular cast iron. The experiments were performed under dry cutting conditions, with varying cutting speeds (230 and 350 m/min) and feed rates (0.10 and 0.20 mm/tooth), to assess the influence of these parameters on tool wear. The results indicated that FV450 vermicular cast iron exhibited the highest wear rate, significantly reducing tool life compared to the other alloys. Scanning Electron Microscope—SEM analysis revealed predominant wear mechanisms such as attrition and abrasion. Also microchipping could be checked. The entire wear were exacerbated at higher cutting speeds and feed rates. Additionally, statistical analysis demonstrated that cutting speed is the most influential factor affecting tool wear, followed closely by feed rate, with the FV450 alloy showing the worst machinability due to its unique microstructure. These findings offer valuable insights for optimizing machining parameters in the processing of high-strength cast irons and contribute to the body of knowledge regarding the machinability challenges posed by vermicular cast iron.

Herbivory plays a central role in the structure of plant communities. However, there is a scarcity of research that simultaneously examines the impact of herbivory on both vegetative and reproductive traits. Using two species of Malpighiaceae as ecological models, Byrsonima intermedia and Peixotoa tomentosa, we hypothesized that plants that are free from herbivory exhibit greater growth and higher performance in vegetative (number of leaves) and reproductive (number of buds, flowers, and fruits) traits compared to plants subjected to natural herbivory. We conducted an experimental field study regarding the presence or absence of insect herbivores on plants and assessed plant traits for a 5-month interval in a Brazilian savanna area, the Cerrado. Our results revealed that B. intermedia individuals free from herbivory produced 4.3 times more young leaves compared to those subjected to herbivory. Regarding reproductive traits, we observed that the percentage of buds that successfully flowered was significantly higher in P. tomentosa individuals without herbivory than in those experiencing herbivory. Therefore, we suggest that the leaf herbivory may affect the plant’s vegetative and reproductive structures differently according to their ontogeny. The production of young leaves and the maturation of flower buds into flowers is lower when leaf herbivory occurs. However, to confirm this pattern, long-term studies should be carried out and consider the chemical compounds of the plants and the nutritional composition of the soil.

The transition from the Andes to the Amazon lowland hosts a high biodiversity and currently is facing several anthropogenic activities, including hydropower infrastructure projects. Little is known about the geomorphology of the Andean gorges, rivers and the interaction with the fish diversity upstream and downstream of gorges. The Marañón River is a major river that connects the Andes to the Amazon lowland and it carries 40% of the sediment load arriving to Brazil. The Santiago River is the last tributary into the Marañón River before the last gorge (Manseriche). Current plans for hydropower reservoirs include the construction of several dams along the Marañón River, being the largest with a 4,500 MW capacity at the Manseriche Gorge (MG). This study seeks to characterize the baseline processes of the hydrogeomorphology and fish diversity. Results show that the Santiago River is under transitional morphodynamic regime while the Marañón River is a fully developed anabranching river. This study reveals a clear difference in fish species richness and abundance between the upstream and downstream regions of the MG, with some species only found in specific regions. The MG acts as a natural boundary condition for the hydrogeomorphology and fish diversity. If the hydropower dam at MG was built, the reservoir in the upstream reach will produce the Santiago River to disappear and sedimentation to occur, consequently modifying sediment transport boundary conditions for the lower Marañón River. Downstream of the potential dam incision will occur, reducing lateral connectivity, particularly at sites where unique species were found.

Background Oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OP‐SCC) represents a public health problem and human papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the risk factors. Neutrophil extracellular traps (NET) are meshes of DNA strands and granule proteins. NET has been identified in diverse cancers, whether associated with viruses or not. However, there is no information on NET in OP‐SCC. We aimed to evaluate the NET release by neutrophils in the OP‐SCC microenvironment, stratified by HPV status. Methods This cross‐sectional study analyzed OP‐SCC biopsy specimens diagnosed from 1997 to 2021. HPV status was determined by p16 immunohistochemistry and “in situ” hybridization. Neutrophils were detected by CD66b immunohistochemistry. Immunofluorescence was used to identify NET by co‐localization of myeloperoxidase (MPO) and citrullinated histone H3 (H3Cit). Bivariate statistics, Kaplan–Meier survival analysis, and the log‐rank test were performed. Results HPV‐positive and HPV‐negative OP‐SCC had similar CD66b + neutrophil infiltration ( p > 0.05), but the release of NET was significantly increased in HPV‐positive compared to HPV‐negative OP‐SCC samples ( p < 0.05). Overall survival was not impacted by NET indexes ( p > 0.05). Conclusion The presence of HPV may stimulate NET release in the OP‐SCC microenvironment.

The Guidelines Project, an initiative by the Brazilian Medical Association, aims to consolidate medical information to standardize practices and assist in the reasoning and decision-making of physicians. The information provided by this project should be critically assessed by the responsible physician, considering the conditions and clinical situation of each patient.

Currently, 56 species of Parapharyngodon are known, with only 12 reported from the Neotropical realm. Parapharyngodon pereiramen-doi sp. n. is described herein from the host anuran Corythomantis greeningi in the Caatinga biome, a Brazilian semiarid region. In Parapharyngodon pereiramendoi sp. n. males present a triangular oral opening with four bilobed lips, each one with a pair of distally located rounded papillae, gubernaculum absent, a short V-shaped support in postanal lips, and three pairs of caudal papillae, while females have three bilobed lips, opening of the postbulbar excretory pore, vulva in equatorial position, and conical tail. Lateral alae are absent in males and females. Here, we describe the 57th species of Parapharyngodon in the world, and the thirteenth from the Neotropical realm, contributing to the taxonomy of the genus Parapharyngodon, as well as increasing the knowledge of helminth-fauna in Neotropical hylids. http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:B064E8A8-170D-4203-9F49-374FC9AF26EE ARTICLE HISTORY

Purpose Compare activity profiles between U15, U17, and U20 from national team Brazilian football players, considering by each position during the South American championships. Methods The activity profiles analyzed were total distance (TD), distance covered in low, moderate, high, and sprinting-speed, and Player Loadâ (PL) were assessed using global positioning systems (GPS). Results PL and distance in some speeds (0–8 km.h⁻¹, 12–16 km.h⁻¹ and 16–20 km.h⁻¹) were significantly higher in the U17 team compared to the U15. Furthermore, the U17 also showed significantly higher activity profiles (TD, PL, and distance covered in: 0–8 km.h⁻¹, 8–12 km.h⁻¹, 12–16 km.h⁻¹, 16–20 km.h⁻¹, and 20–24 km.h⁻¹) than the U20 group, with no significant differences only in the sprint distance. Considering each playing positions, the central defenders (CD) covered the lowest TD when compared to the other positions (p < 0.05) and midfielders (MD) covered a greater TD than forwards (FW). MD players covered significant higher distances at moderated speeds (8–16 km.h⁻¹) compared to all other positions. However, at higher speeds (20–24 km.h⁻¹), the FW covered significant greater distances than MD, while both FW and FB covered significant greater sprint distances than CD and MD. Conclusions These findings suggest that some activities profile increased from U15 to U20, whereas other activities were less influenced by age category. Finally, the physical demand according to playing position is relevant when interpreting the activity profile of youth players.

In this study, we investigate the interface morphology and optical properties of electrochemical poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) films deposited by electrochemical synthesis using the chronocoulometry technique on tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) and fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) and how the substrate used influences in the deposition of the films and their optical and morphological properties, as well as the buffer layer and the interface effect, with and without spin-coating films of poly(3, 4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS). P3HT polymeric films were synthesized and deposited via the oxidation of the 3-hexylthiophene (3-HT) monomer and characterized via Raman spectroscopy. The morphology and thickness of the P3HT layer present in the samples ITO/P3HT, FTO/P3HT, ITO/PEDOT:PSS/P3HT, and FTO/PEDOT:PSS/P3HT were carried out using atomic force microscopy (AFM). The optical and electronic gap energy of P3HT were calculated from UV–vis spectra and cyclic voltammetry curves, respectively. The photoluminescence (PL) spectra showed broad and asymmetrical line shapes fitted by multi-Gaussian functions identifying different emission species. Emission ellipsometry spectroscopy was performed to study the energy transference between adjacent polymer chains. Our results show a higher linear polarized light emitted by ITO/PEDOT:PSS/P3HT film, ∼37%, thus demonstrating a significant decrease in the energy transfer. Based on these results, the efficiency of organic solar cells can be improved via the interaction of the polymer/polymer interface.

A micro-grinding process is usually the last machining operation among the various processes employed in the manufacturing of metallic components. It is generally the first option when the manufactured products require a combination of low surface roughness values and narrow dimensional tolerances. However, one of the main challenges of a micro-grinding process is avoiding high specific energy and the corresponding intense heat generation, as this can damage the workpiece. The energy consumed during micro-grinding is almost entirely converted into heat, making the component susceptible to thermal damage. As the occurrence of this damage compromises the service life of manufactured components, the implementation of monitoring systems is essential to guarantee the quality of the manufactured products improving process efficiency. In this study, a new approach based on convolution neural networks (CNNs) is proposed to predict the occurrence of thermal damage in the micro-grinding process. This approach uses raw acoustic emission (AE) signals as inputs into CNN, which is a more technically feasible approach to performing real-time monitoring. To obtain the AE data, micro-grinding experiments were conducted on N2711 grade steel (which is susceptible to thermal damage) under different cutting conditions (a e = 5–50 µm). The obtained AE signals were labeled based on the offline analyses performed on the workpieces, which identified the occurrence of thermal damage through visual inspections, microhardness, and microstructural analysis. For the conditions employed in this work, thermal damage was obtained after grinding with depth of cut values > 10 µm. Total 3960 AE signals were obtained of which 2200 of them were associated with thermal damage. The results depict that the proposed CNN model was able to successfully classify normal and thermal damage AE signals reaching an accuracy of 98.6% over the dataset (0.4% false positives and 1.0% false negatives).

Toxoplasmosis is a neglected disease that represents a significant public health problem. The antigenic profile of T. gondii is complex, and the immune response can lead to either susceptibility or resistance. Some antigens, such as surface antigen glycoprotein (SAG), are expressed on the surface of tachyzoite stages and interact with the host immune cells. In this study, we investigated the potential of the recombinant SAG2A protein of T. gondii to control parasitism and modulate the immune response in the peritoneal exudate cells (PECs) of both susceptible (C57BL/6) and resistant (BALB/c) mice using an in vitro infection model, gene expression, proteomic analysis, and bioinformatic tools. Our results showed that rSAG2A-treated PECs presented a lower parasitism in C57BL/6 mice but not in the PECs from BALB/c mice, and induced a pro-inflammatory cytokine profile in C57BL/6 mice (iNOS, TNF-α, and IL-6). rSAG2A modulated different exclusive proteins in each mouse lineage, with PECs from the C57BL/6 mice being more sensitive to modulation by rSAG2A. Additionally, biological processes crucial to parasite survival and immune response were modulated by rSAG2A in the C57BL/6 PECs, including fatty acid beta-oxidation, reactive oxygen species metabolism, interferon production, and cytokine-mediated signaling pathways. Together, our study indicates that rSAG2A controls T. gondii parasitism in susceptible C57BL/6 PECs through the modulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines and enhanced expression of proteins involved in the cytotoxic response.

Antimicrobial resistance is the result of mutations suffered by bacteria, fungi, and viruses that render their respective antimicrobials ineffective in combating infections, what contributes to increased morbidity and mortality rates, mainly in hospitalized patients. The lack of therapeutic options makes this scenario alarming and the search for new antimicrobials extremely urgent. In this sense, natural products have been contributing significantly to the discovery of new medicines, particularly against infectious diseases. Among natural products, Brazilian Propolis stands out, especially from mangrove regions in northeastern Brazil, frequently referred to as Brazilian Red Propolis, this product is meticulously harvested by Apismellifera bees from the red resinous exudate found on the trunks of Dalbergia Ecastophyllum trees. Chemical classes present in Brazilian Red Propolis such as flavonoids, esters, quinones, alcohols, ketones, phenolic acids, and aldehydes are identified as those responsible for its antimicrobial activities. Brazilian Red Propolis has already been tested against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, particularly the multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, as well as yeasts such as Candida spp. and Cryptococcus spp., revealing promising Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) values. Its antiviral action, although less explored, has already been demonstrated against Chikungunya virus, Enterovirus surrogates, and human coronavirus. Based on that, one can conclude that Brazilian Red Propolis is a hopeful natural product against a panel of clinically relevant microorganisms. The study of its antimicrobial properties can contribute to the future use of Brazilian Red Propolis as a therapeutic option against various human infections. This chapter will address the antimicrobial properties of Brazilian Red Propolis and its constituents against various bacteria, fungi, and viruses of high clinical relevance, as well as chemical aspects and future perspectives of clinical trials.