This work describes the synthesis of new 1,3-benzoxathiol-2-one sulfonamides and evaluation of their ability to inhibit some in vitro (coagulant, proteolytic and hemolytic) and in vivo (hemorrhagic, edematogenic and lethality) toxic activities of Bothrops jararaca and Bothrops jararacussu venoms. Compounds have been synthesized from the coupling of intermediate 5-amino-6 methoxybenzo[d][1,3]oxathiol-2-one 4 with benzenesulfonyl chlorides. Characterization of the products was achieved by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and electrospray ionization mass spectra (ESI-MS) techniques. Biological assay results have shown that most of compounds inhibited the main toxic activities of the venom of the two snake species. Compound 5b (N-(6 methoxy-2 oxobenzo[d][1,3]oxathiol-5-yl)-4-nitrobenzenesulfonamide) was the most efficient in inhibiting hemolysis of B. jararaca, and coagulation and proteolysis induced by both venoms. For in vivo activities, all compounds inhibited the edema, from 35 to 72%, and most of them exhibited antihemorrhagic and antilethality activities. Thus, the results pointed to the biological potential of these compounds, being promising molecules to treat envenomation by these snakes as well as to aid the current antivenom serum therapy.

Abstract Mangroves, along with seagrasses and saltmarshes, are among the coastal ecosystems known as blue carbon ecosystems. These ecosystems are natural carbon sinks, relevant to mitigate global warming because they are able to sequester significant amounts of CO2 for biomass production, and to store organic matter in sediments for a very long time. We present the temporal evaluation of fluxes (g m-2 year-1) and inventories (Mg ha-1) of organic carbon (Corg) from sediment cores collected in mangroves areas associated with the coastal lagoon Estero de Urías, in Mazatlán, Sinaloa. The work strategy included the geochemical characterization of sediments by elemental composition analysis through X-ray fluorescence spectrometry to evaluate changes in sediment origin (terrestrial or marine); the determination of the grain size distribution to evaluate changes in the hydrodynamics of the study sites; and the quantification of Corg concentrations with an elemental analyzer. Finally, we estimated the economic cost of the impacts of CO2 emissions caused by the oxidation of Corg due to potential perturbations of the study sites. This information is an additional component of the economic benefits of the preservation of mangrove ecosystems, relevant in coastal wetland management plans, since mangrove conservation contributes to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and could be used as part of an ecosystem-based adaptation to climate change strategy in tropical and subtropical zones around the world.

Resumen Los manglares, junto con los pastizales marinos y las marismas, se encuentran entre los ecosistemas costeros conocidos como ecosistemas de carbono azul. Estos ecosistemas son sumideros naturales de carbono, relevantes para la mitigación del calentamiento global debido a que son capaces de secuestrar importantes cantidades de CO2 para producción de biomasa, así como de almacenar materia orgánica en sus sedimentos durante muy largo plazo. Se presentan los resultados de la evaluación temporal de los flujos (g m-2 año-1) e inventarios (Mg ha-1) de carbono orgánico (Corg) en núcleos sedimentarios recolectados en áreas de manglar asociados a la laguna costera Estero de Urías (Mazatlán, Sinaloa). La estrategia de trabajo incluyó la caracterización geoquímica de los sedimentos mediante el análisis de composición elemental por espectrometría de fluorescencia de rayos-X para evaluar cambios en el origen de los sedimentos (terrígeno o marino); la determinación de la distribución de tamaño de grano para evaluar cambios en la hidrodinámica de los sitios de estudio; y la cuantificación de las concentraciones de Corg mediante un analizador elemental. Por último, se presenta una estimación del costo económico de los impactos de las emisiones potenciales de CO2 como consecuencia de la oxidación del Corg, debido a las potenciales perturbaciones de los sitios de estudio. La información generada representa una componente más de los beneficios económicos de la preservación de los ecosistemas de manglar, relevante en los planes de manejo de humedales costeros, cuya conservación contribuye a la reducción de emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero, y podría ser aprovechada como parte de una estrategia de adaptación al cambio climático basada en ecosistemas, en zonas tropicales y subtropicales alrededor del mundo.

ABSTRACT In this work, we study the effects of solar radiation pressure (SRP) on the problem of changing the orbit of an asteroid to support planetary defense, scientific research, or exploitation of materials. This alternative considers a tethered reflective balloon (or a set of reflective balloons) attached to the asteroid, with a high area-tomass ratio, to use the SRP to deflect a potentially hazardous asteroid (PHA) or to approximate the target asteroid to Earth. The tether is assumed to be inextensible and massless, and the motion is described only in the orbital plane of the asteroid around the Sun. The model is then used to study the effects that the tether length, the reflectivity coefficient, and the area-to-mass ratio have on the deviation of the trajectory of the asteroid.

RESUMEN Estudiamos los efectos de la presión de la radiación solar (SRP) sobre el problema de la modificación de la órbita de un asteroide para propósitos de defensa planetaria, investigación científica o explotación de materiales. Consideramos un globo reflector (o un conjunto de ellos) sujeto con una correa al asteroide, con una relación área-masa grande, para utilizar la SRP para desviar a un asteroide potencialmente dañino (PHA), o para aproximar al asteroide a la Tierra. Suponemos que la correa es inextensible y de masa cero. El movimiento se describe sólo en el plano orbital del asteroide en torno al Sol. El modelo se usa para estudiar los efectos de la longitud de la correa, el coeficiente de reflectividad y el cociente área-masa sobre la desviación de la trayectoria del asteroide.

Abstract Field observation records of Forpus xanthops are documented. Between 2013 and 2018, eight observations show F. xanthops feeding in various places in the seasonally dry tropical forest of the Marañón (BTES-Marañón) in Cajamarca and Amazonas. These records show that some items in their diet are cactus species, such as Espostoa lanata (Kunth) Britton & Rose, Espostoa mirabilis F. Ritte, Armatocereus rauhii Backeb, the latter two species being endemic to Peru. Feeding records include also Parkinsonia praecox (Ruiz & Pav.) Hawkins, Eriotheca discolor (Kunth) A. Robyns, Ochroma pyramidale (Cav. ex Lam.) Urb. and the fruit species Spondias purpurea L. and Citrus sinensis (L .) Osbeck.

Resumen Se documentan los registros de las observaciones de campo de Forpus xanthops. Entre 2013 y 2018, ocho observaciones muestran a F. xanthops alimentándose en diversos lugares del bosque tropical estacionalmente seco del Marañón (BTES-Marañón) en Cajamarca y Amazonas. Estos registros muestran que algunos ítems en su dieta son especies de cactus, como Espostoa lanata (Kunth) Britton & Rose, Espostoa mirabilis F. Ritte, Armatocereus rauhii Backeb siendo estas dos últimas especies endémicas de Perú; también se presentan registros de alimentación en Parkinsonia praecox (Ruiz & Pav.) Hawkins, Eriotheca discolor (Kunth) A. Robyns, Ochroma pyramidale (Cav. ex Lam.) Urb. y las especies frutales Spondias purpurea L. y Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck.

ABSTRACT The orbital dynamics of a spacecraft orbiting around irregular small celestial bodies is a challenging problem. Difficulties to model the gravity field of these bodies arise from the poor knowledge of the exact shape as observed from the Earth. In order to understand the complex dynamical environment in the vicinity of irregular asteroids, several studies have been conducted using simplified models. In this work, we investigate the qualitative dynamics in the vicinity of an asteroid with an arched shape using a tripole model based on the existence of three mass points linked to each other by rods with given lengths and negligible masses. We applied our results to some real systems, namely, asteroids 8567, 243 Ida and 433 Eros and also Phobos, one of the natural satellites of Mars.

RESUMEN La dinámica orbital de un satélite en torno a un cuerpo celeste irregular es un problema abierto. La dificultad de modelar el campo gravitatorio de esos cuerpos surge del pobre conocimiento que tenemos sobre sus formas, al observarlos desde la Tierra. Para entender el complejo entorno dinámico de los asteroides irregulares se han propuesto modelos simplistas. En este trabajo, investigamos cualitativamente la dinámica en el entorno de un asteroide en forma de arco, mediante un modelo de tripolo basado en tres puntos masa unidos por barras de longitudes determinadas y masas despreciables. Aplicamos nuestros resultados a algunos cuerpos reales, como el asteroide 8567, el 243 Ida, y el 433 Eros, así como a Phobos, uno de los satélites naturales de Marte.

ABSTRACT Encapsulation of poly-unsaturated fatty acid (PUFA)is an alternative to increase its stability during processing and storage. Chia (Salvia hispanica L.) oil is a reliable source of both omega-3 and omega-6 and its encapsulation must be better evaluated as an effort to increase the number of foodstuffs containing PUFAs to consumers. In this work chia oil was extracted and encapsulated in stearic acid microparticles by the hot homogenization technique. UV-Vis spectroscopy coupled with Multivariate Curve Resolution with Alternating Least-Squares methodology demonstrated that no oil degradation or tocopherol loss occurred during heating. After lyophilization, the fatty acids profile of the oil-loaded microparticles was determined by gas chromatography and compared to in natura oil. Both omega-3 and omega-6 were effectively encapsulated, keeping the same omega-3:omega-6 ratio presented in the in natura oil. Calorimetric analysis confirmed that encapsulation improved the thermal stability of the chia oil.

Abstract The objective of the present study is to evaluate the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) within the human head model exposed to the radiation of planar monopole antenna with T-shaped coupling feed and an inductive shorting strip. The presented design has a compact structure, a planar configuration and occupying a small size of 36×20mm2. Two wide bands can be generated by the proposed antenna 546 MHz (734-1280 MHz) and 1066 MHz (1934-3000 MHz) for the LTE/WWAN/WLAN internal mobile phone. The antenna performance parameters comprising return loss, radiation patterns, and gain are discussed. In this research work four different human head models have been implemented: homogenous spherical head, spherical seven layer model, Specific Anthropomorphic Mannequin (SAM) phantom and HUGO human head model. On the other hand the effects of operating frequency and gap distance between the mobile phone antenna and the human head model on distributions of the SAR inside the human head are investigated. All the simulations are done for three different distances between the antenna and the head model (5 mm, 10 mm and 20 mm). Moreover, the SAR levels for the head tissues are calculated in accordance to the two currently accepted standards: Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP).

Para entender a carência de pediatras em certas regiões do País, objetivamos identificar fatores associados à escolha da Pediatria e a intenção de retorno à cidade de origem. Aplicamos um questionário em uma universidade privada do Rio de Janeiro que usualmente tem metade dos estudantes de Medicina oriundos de outros Estados. Analisaram-se associações entre escolha da Pediatria e características sociodemográficas, intenção de retorno à cidade de origem, influência de terceiros e motivações para a carreira médica, classificadas como "indispensabilidade", "ajuda às pessoas", "ser respeitado" e "interesse científico". Dos 244 internos respondentes, 99 (41%) optaram pela Pediatria. Dos 110 naturais de outros Estados, 56% dos que escolheram Pediatria não tinham intenção de retornar à cidade natal, comparados aos 35% na Clínica Médica (OR = 2,41, IC 95% = 1,04 - 5,59). As motivações "indispensabilidade" (r s = - 0,23; p < 0,000) e "respeito" (r s = - 0,21; p = 0,001) foram negativamente correlacionadas à escolha da Pediatria. O cenário alerta para a possível manutenção da má distribuição de pediatras no País e sugerimos medidas de incentivo ao retorno à cidade natal, já que motivações autocentradas movem menos os candidatos à especialidade.

In order to understand the lack of pediatricians in some regions of Brazil, we aimed to identify factors associated with student doctors’ choice to specialize in pediatrics and the intention to return to their city of origin. A questionnaire was applied to students of a private university in Rio de Janeiro, around half of whom are usually from other regions of Brazil. Analyses were made of associations between the choice of pediatrics and socio-demographic characteristics, an intention to return to their home town, the influences of third parties and motives for following a medical career, classified as "indispensability", "helping people", "respectability", and "science". Of the 244 interns who answered the questionnaire, 99 (41%) chose pediatrics. Of the 110 students from other states, 56% of those who opted for pediatrics declared no intention to return to their home states, compared to 35% of those choosing Internal Medicine (OR = 2.41, 95% CI = 1.04-5.59). The motives "indispensability" (r s = - 0.23; p < 0,.000) and "respect" (r s = - 0.21; p = 0.001) were negatively correlated to the choice of pediatrics. The scenario alerts to the possible persistence of an uneven distribution of pediatricians in the country and suggests that incentives for returning to their home state may be needed, since self-oriented motives are less important to students who choose pediatrics.

The ability of crude extracts of the brown seaweed Spatoglossum schröederi to counteract some of the biological activities of Lachesis muta snake venom was evaluated. In vitro assays showed that only the extract of S. schröederi prepared in ethyl acetate was able to inhibit the clotting of fibrinogen induced by L. muta venom. On the other hand, all extracts were able to inhibit partially the hemolysis caused by venom and those prepared in dichloromethane or ethyl acetate fully neutralized the proteolysis and hemorrhage produced by the venom. Moreover, the dichloromethane or ethyl acetate extracts inhibited the hemolysis induced by an isolated phospholipase A2 from L. muta venom, called LM-PLA2-I. In contrast, the hexane extract failed to protect mice from hemorrhage or to inhibit proteolysis and clotting. These results show that the polarity of the solvent used to prepare the extracts of S. schröederi algae influenced the potency of the inhibitory effect of the biological activities induced by L. muta venom. Thus, the seaweed S. schröederi may be a promising source of natural inhibitors of the enzymes involved in biological activities of L. muta venom.

Com este trabalho, teve-se o objetivo de pesquisar o desempenho do método de pontos interiores (MPI), tipo trajetória central, na maximização de funções-objetivo associadas à produção e à receita agrícolas, com restrições de água e de nitrogênio. Para isso, foi desenvolvido um procedimento matemático que maximiza a produção e a receita líquida separadamente, em função da água e do nitrogênio aplicados à cultura numa matriz bidimensional de restrições, a partir de funções de produtividade para as culturas da aveia e da laranja-pera. O modelo foi caracterizado e, a partir dele, foram gerados resultados numéricos para diferentes cenários agrícolas. Foi possível concluir que a metodologia utilizada (MPI) foi capaz de maximizar as funções de produtividade e de receita, resultando na obtenção de valores semelhantes aos publicados na literatura, utilizando-se de programação separável.

The objective of this work was to evaluate the interior point method (central path) (IPM) in the maximization of objective functions associated with the agricultural production and income with water and nitrogen constraints. For this purpose, a procedure to maximize the production and income in relation to water and nitrogen applied to the culture was developed in a bi-dimensional matrix of constraints. The model was characterized and the numerical results are presented for different agricultural crops and scenes. It was concluded that the used methodology was capable of maximizing the productivity, obtaining values similar to the ones published in literature by using separable programming.

Combustion of organic sulfur from fossil fuels can produce acid rain that deteriorates the environment and infrastructure. Sulfur removal by microorganism has appeared as an alternative for this challenge. In this work, biodesulfurization of 50:50 water-kerosene emulsions were carried out at 100 mL scale and in a 0.01 m³ airlift reactor with resting cells of the reference strain ATCC 39327 and Pseudomonas native strains Nº 02, 05 and 06. The reactor conditions were 30°C, pH 8.0 and 0.34 m³ h-1 air flow. After 7 culture days, the mean sulfur removal for the strains Nº 06 and ATCC 39327 was 64 and 53%, respectively, with a mean calorific power loss of 4.5% for both strains. The use of the native strain Nº 06 and the designed airlift reactor is shown as an alternative for biodesulfurization process and constitute a first step for its scale-up to pilot plant.

OBJETIVO: Determinar a segurança, imunogenicidade e eficácia de duas doses da vacina contra o rotavírus em lactentes brasileiros saudáveis. MÉTODOS: Foi realizado um estudo randomizado, multicêntrico, duplo-cego e controlado por placebo no Brasil, México e Venezuela. Os lactentes receberam duas doses orais de vacina ou placebo aos 2 e 4 meses de idade, juntamente com as imunizações de rotina, exceto a vacina oral contra poliomielite (VOP). O presente estudo relata apenas os resultados obtidos em Belém, Brasil, onde o número de indivíduos por grupo e os títulos da vacina viral foram os seguintes: 194 (104,7 unidades formadoras de focos - UFF), 196 (10(5,2) UFF), 194 (10(5,8) UFF) e 194 (placebo). A resposta de anticorpos anti-rotavírus (anti-RV) foi avaliada em 307 indivíduos. A gravidade clínica dos episódios de gastroenterite (GE) foi determinada através de um escore com 20 pontos, onde um valor > 11 foi considerado como GE grave. RESULTADOS: As taxas de sintomas gerais solicitados foram semelhantes tanto nos indivíduos que receberam a vacina como naqueles a quem se administrou placebo. Aos 2 meses após a segunda dose, ocorreu resposta em termos de IgA sérica para RV em 54,7 a 74,4% dos vacinados. Não houve interferência na imunogenicidade das vacinas de rotina. A eficácia da vacina contra qualquer gastroenterite por rotavírus (GERV) foi de 63,5% (IC95% 20,8-84,4) para a maior concentração (10(5,8) UFF). A eficácia foi de 81,5% (IC95% 44,5-95,4) contra GERV grave. Em sua maior concentração (10(5,8) UFF), a RIX4414 conferiu uma proteção de 79,8% (IC95% 26,4-96,3) contra GERV grave causada pela amostra G9. CONCLUSÕES: A RIX4414 foi altamente imunogênica com baixa reatogenicidade, e não interferiu na resposta sérica à difteria, tétano, coqueluche, hepatite B e antígenos Hib. Duas doses da RIX4414 conferiram proteção significativa contra a GE grave causada pelo RV.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the safety, immunogenicity and efficacy of two doses of rotavirus vaccine in healthy Brazilian infants. METHODS: A randomized, multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted in Brazil, Mexico and Venezuela. Infants received two oral doses of vaccine or placebo at 2 and 4 months of age, concurrently with routine immunizations, except for oral poliomyelitis vaccine (OPV). This paper reports results from Belém, Brazil, where the number of subjects per group and the viral vaccine titers were: 194 (10(4.7) focus forming units - FFU), 196 (10(5.2) FFU), 194 (10(5.8) FFU) and 194 (placebo). Anti-rotavirus (anti-RV) antibody response was assessed in 307 subjects. Clinical severity of gastroenteritis episodes was measured using a 20-point scoring system with a score of > 11 defined as severe GE. RESULTS: The rates of solicited general symptoms were similar in vaccine and placebo recipients. At 2 months after the second dose, a serum IgA response to RV occurred in 54.7 to 74.4% of vaccinees. No interference was seen in the immunogenicity of routine vaccines. Vaccine efficacy against any rotavirus gastroenteritis (RVGE) was 63.5% (95%CI 20.8-84.4) for the highest concentration (10(5.8) FFU). Efficacy was 81.5% (95%CI 44.5-95.4) against severe RVGE. At its highest concentration (10(5.8) FFU), RIX4414 provided 79.8% (95%CI 26.4-96.3) protection against severe RVGE by G9 strain. CONCLUSIONS: RIX4414 was highly immunogenic with a low reactogenicity profile and did not interfere with seroresponse to diptheria, tetanus, pertussis, hepatitis B and Hib antigens. Two doses of RIX4414 provided significant protection against severe GE caused by RV.