Pollen-pistil interaction in Mauritia flexuosa: structural and cytological aspects provide insight into the reproductive success of a dioecious palm with supra-annual flowering in a semiarid environment.

The success of pollen-pistil interaction in Mauritia flexuosa (buriti), a palm adapted to the humid ecosystems, 'veredas', within the Cerrado, is influenced by intrinsic and environmental factors. Its supra-annual flowering, dioecy, and adverse climate conditions pose challenges for fertilization, therefore information on floral biology is essential. This study aimed to ascertain stigma receptivity, and elucidate structural, cytochemical, and ultrastructural aspects of the pollen-pistil relationship.

Synchrotron X-ray micro-computed tomography enhances our knowledge of the skull anatomy of a Late Triassic ecteniniid cynodont with hypercanines.

Hypercanines, or hypertrophied canines, are observed in a wide range of both extinct and extant synapsids. In non-mammaliaform cynodonts, the Permo-Triassic forerunners of mammals, long canines are not uncommon, appearing in several unrelated taxa within the clade. Among them is Trucidocynodon riograndensis, a carnivorous ecteniniid cynodont from the Late Triassic of Brazil, which exhibits a specialized dentition, including spear-shaped incisors, very long and narrow canines, and sectorial postcanines with distally oriented cusps, all of which have finely serrated margins.

Native and Non-Native Soil and Endophytic spp. from Semi-Arid Sisal Fields of Brazil Are Potential Biocontrol Agents for Sisal Bole Rot Disease.

Sisal () bole rot caused by is the main phytosanitary problem affecting sisal in the Brazilian semi-arid region. The aim of this study was to evaluate spp. as biocontrol agents for sisal bole rot.

Multi-Night Home Assessment of Total Sleep Time Misperception in Obstructive Sleep Apnea with and Without Insomnia Symptoms.

Total sleep time (TST) misperception has been reported in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). However, previous findings on predictors were inconsistent and predominantly relied on single-night polysomnography, which may alter patients' sleep perception. We leveraged advances in wearable sleep staging to investigate predictors of TST misperception in OSA over multiple nights in the home environment.

25(OH)D concentrations are not associated with adiposity indicators, but with the stage of immunodeficiency in people with HIV/AIDS.

Objective: this study assessed the association between serum 25(OH)D concentrations and anthropometric indicators of adiposity in people living with HIV/AIDS taking highly active antiretroviral therapy.

Methods: the study included 244 people living with HIV/AIDS who received outpatient care at the Institute of Tropical Diseases in the city of Teresina, Brazil. Sociodemographic, clinical, anthropometric and laboratory characteristics were examined.

Higher frequency of interstate over international transmission chains of SARS-CoV-2 virus at the Rio Grande do Sul - Brazil state borders.

Brazil's COVID-19 response has faced challenges due to the continuous emergence of variants of concern (VOCs), emphasizing the need for ongoing genomic surveillance and retrospective analyses of past epidemic waves to reassess and fine tune containment protocols. Rio Grande do Sul (RS), Brazil's southernmost state, has international borders and trades with Argentina and Uruguay, along with significant domestic connections within Brazil. The identification of source and sink transmission chains at national and international scales can identify main hubs and pathways to target future interventions.

Neuroacanthocytosis: Case report and neuroimaging findings.

Neuroacanthocytosis syndromes are rare inherited neurodegenerative disorders, characterized by the presence of acanthocytes. Among them, Choreoacanthocytosis and McLeod syndrome stand out, sharing similarities with Huntington's disease, including choreic movement disorders, psychiatric symptoms, and cognitive decline. The case described involves a 36-year-old patient with cognitive deficits, involuntary movements, and ataxic gait.

Retrospective epidemiologic and genomic surveillance of arboviruses in 2023 in Brazil reveals high co-circulation of chikungunya and dengue viruses.

Background: The rapid spread and increase of chikungunya (CHIKV) and dengue (DENV) cases in Brazilian regions in 2023 has raised concerns about the impact of arboviruses on public health. Epidemiological and genomic surveillance was performed to estimate the introduction and spread of CHIKV and DENV in Brazil.

Methods: This study obtained results from the Hermes Pardini (HP), a private medical laboratory, and the Health Department of Minas Gerais state (SES-MG).

SARS-CoV-2 surveillance in captive animals at the belo horizonte zoo, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Background: The pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 has not only affected humans but also raised concerns about its transmission to wild animals, potentially creating natural reservoirs. Understanding these dynamics is critical for preventing future pandemics and developing control strategies. This study aims to investigate the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in wild mammals at the Belo Horizonte Zoo in Brazil, analyzing the virus's evolution and zoonotic potential.

Increased accessibility of computer-based testing for residency application to a hospital in Brazil with item characteristics comparable to paper-based testing: a psychometric study.

Purpose: With the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, online high-stakes exams have become a viable alternative. This study evaluated the feasibility of computer-based testing (CBT) for medical residency applications in Brazil and its impacts on item quality and applicants’ access compared to paper-based testing.

Methods: In 2020, an online CBT was conducted in a Ribeirao Preto Clinical Hospital in Brazil.

The Influence of Kinematics on Tennis Serve Speed: An In-Depth Analysis Using Xsens MVN Biomech Link Technology.

An inertial measurement system, using a combination of accelerometers, gyroscopes and magnetometers, is of great interest to capture tennis movements. We have assessed the key biomechanical moments of the serve phases and events, as well as the kinematic metrics during the serve, to analyze their influence on serve speed. Eighteen male competitive tennis players, equipped with the inertial measurement units, performed a prolonged serve game consisting of 12 simulated points.

Divergent gene expression patterns in alcohol and opioid use disorders lead to consistent alterations in functional networks within the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.

Substance Use Disorders (SUDs) manifest as persistent drug-seeking behavior despite adverse consequences, with Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) and Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) representing prevalent forms associated with significant mortality rates and economic burdens. The co-occurrence of AUD and OUD is common, necessitating a deeper comprehension of their intricate interactions. While the causal link between these disorders remains elusive, shared genetic factors are hypothesized.

Optimizing wearable single-channel EEG sleep staging in a heterogeneous sleep-disordered population using transfer learning.

Study Objectives: While various wearable EEG devices have been developed, performance evaluation of the devices and their associated automated sleep stage classification models is mostly limited to healthy subjects. A major barrier for applying automated wearable EEG sleep staging in clinical populations is the need for large-scale data for model training. We therefore investigated transfer learning as strategy to overcome limited data availability and optimize automated single-channel EEG sleep staging in people with sleep disorders.

Unraveling dynamic transcriptomic changes in sheep's lactating mammary gland following Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide exposure.

Mammary gland infections constitute a significant challenge in dairy sheep, affecting productivity and welfare. Temporal RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) provide a valuable approach to evaluate the evolution of the host defensive molecular mechanisms triggered by mastitis caused by external agents or events. This study aimed to characterize the transcriptomic response of sheep mammary glands to an intramammary inflammation induced with an Escherichia coli LPS inoculation based on RNA-Seq samples generated from milk somatic cells collected at 3 time points: pre-inoculation (0 h), and 6 h and 24 h post-LPS inoculation.

Patient-derived organoids in precision cancer medicine.

Organoids are three-dimensional (3D) cultures, normally derived from stem cells, that replicate the complex structure and function of human tissues. They offer a physiologically relevant model to address important questions in cancer research. The generation of patient-derived organoids (PDOs) from various human cancers allows for deeper insights into tumor heterogeneity and spatial organization.

Changing the Mandibular Position in Rowing: A Brief Report of a World-Class Rower.

We investigated the acute biophysical responses of changing the mandibular position during a rowing incremental protocol. A World-class 37-year-old male rower performed two 7 × 3 min ergometer rowing trials, once with no intraoral splint (control) and the other with a mandibular forward repositioning splint (splint condition). Ventilatory, kinematics and body electromyography were evaluated and compared between trials (paired samples -test, ≤ 0.

Overnight Sleep Staging Using Chest-Worn Accelerometry.

Overnight sleep staging is an important part of the diagnosis of various sleep disorders. Polysomnography is the gold standard for sleep staging, but less-obtrusive sensing modalities are of emerging interest. Here, we developed and validated an algorithm to perform "proxy" sleep staging using cardiac and respiratory signals derived from a chest-worn accelerometer.

Assessment of Angular and Straight Linear Rowing Ergometers at Different Intensities of Exercise.

We aimed to conduct a biophysical comparison of angular (Biorower) and linear (Concept2) rowing ergometers across a wide spectrum of exercise intensities. Sixteen (eleven male) skilled rowers, aged 29.8 ± 8.

"Association between caries in anterior teeth and bullying victimization in Brazilian schoolchildren aged 6 to 10 years.: a cross sectional study".

Aim: To investigate the association between presence of caries in anterior teeth and bullying victimization in schoolchildren.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Brazil with a sample of 387 schoolchildren aged 6 to 10 years. The presence of moderate/extensive dental caries was assessed using the International System for the Evaluation and Detection of Dental Caries (ICDAS-II).

Taxonomic and functional characterization of biofilms from a photovoltaic panel reveals high genetic and metabolic complexity of the communities.

Aims: Biofilms are complex microbial cell aggregates that attach to different surfaces in nature, industrial environments, or hospital settings. In photovoltaic panels (PVs), biofilms are related to significant energy conversion losses. In this study, our aim was to characterize the communities of microorganisms and the genes involved in biofilm formation.

Turning up the heat: Effects of temperature on agonistic acoustic communication in the two-spotted goby (Pomatoschistus flavescens).

Acoustic communication is linked to fitness traits in many animals, but under the current scenario of global warming, sound signals can be affected by rising temperatures, particularly in ectothermic organisms such as fishes. This study examines the effect of water temperature in acoustic communication in the two-spotted goby, Pomatoschistus flavescens. To address this, we looked at the effect of different temperatures on the acoustic features of drums produced by males during territorial defence and related it with their auditory sensitivity.