The best defense is a good offense: Anti-predator behavior of the common octopus () against conger eel attacks.

We present the description of defensive behavior in wild against conger eel () attacks based on three video sequences recorded by recreational SCUBA divers in the eastern Atlantic off the coast of Galicia (NW Spain) and in the Cantabrian Sea (NW Spain). These records document common traits in defensive behavior: (1) the octopuses enveloped the conger eel's head to obscure its view; (2) they covered the eel's gills in an attempt to suffocate it; (3) they released ink; (4) the octopuses lost some appendages because of the fight. In the third video, the octopus did not exhibit the defensive behavior described in the first two videos due to an inability to utilize its arms in defense, and the conger eel's success in capturing octopuses is discussed.

Experimental dataset of the impact assessment of vegetable intercropping on agroeconomic performances, pests and beneficials, and soil resources.

The data presented in this article were collected in the field at an experimental station in southern France under a Mediterranean climate. Experiments were conducted under three plastic walk-in tunnels used as blocks with organic farming practices over two successive years in a completely randomized design. The aim was to compare the intercropping of sweet pepper with basil, onion, lettuce, parsley or French bean to a sole crop of sweet pepper used as a control.

NeoCam: An Edge-Cloud Platform for Non-Invasive Real-Time Monitoring in Neonatal Intensive Care Units.

In this work we introduce NeoCam, an open source hardware-software platform for video-based monitoring of preterms infants in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs). NeoCam includes an edge computing device that performs video acquisition and processing in real-time. Compared to other proposed solutions, it has the advantage of handling data more efficiently by performing most of the processing on the device, including proper anonymisation for better compliance with privacy regulations.

induces trained immunity in vitro.

The COVID-19 pandemic posed a global health crisis, with new severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants weakening vaccine-driven protection. Trained immunity could help tackle COVID-19 disease. Our objective was to analyze whether heat-killed (hkMm), an environmental mycobacterium, induces trained immunity and confers protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Adherence to voluntary sodium reduction agreements in Brazil.

The objective was to assess adherence to voluntary agreements for sodium reduction firmed between the food industries and the Ministry of Health in Brazil and to compare their targets with the limit proposed in the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) nutritional profile model. We used data from 1.553 foods from 32 categories included in the agreements and sold in the largest Brazilian supermarket chains in 2017.

Data envelopment analysis efficiency in the public sector using provider and customer opinion: An application to the Spanish health system.

Measuring the relative efficiency of a finite fixed set of service-producing units (hospitals, state services, libraries, banks,...

Cost-Effectiveness of Molecular Method Diagnostic for Rapid Detection of Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria.

Objectives: This study aimed to perform a cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) of the molecular diagnostic method (MM) associated with conventional diagnostic method (CM) compared with the CM alone, for the detection of resistant profile in bacteremia, from the perspective of the Brazilian Public Health System, in intensive care units setting.

Methods: The clinical parameters regarding methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (CRGNB), and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus spp. (VRE) infections were collected from searches on PubMed, Scopus, and SciELO, using specific keywords.

Responses of marine zooplankton indicators after five years of a dam rupture in the Doce River, Southeastern Brazil.

Since November of 2015, when ore tailings from a dam rupture reached the Atlantic Ocean, researchers are trying to assess the degree of impact across the Doce River and adjacent coastal area. This study aims to use the zooplankton dynamics as a tool to evaluate the environmental impact in the coastal region, five years after the rupture, during periods of low and high river flow. Doce River flow varied from 49 to 5179 m/s and structured the zooplankton community between periods of low and high river flow, but salinity and chlorophyll-a had stronger correlation with depth (r = 0.

Incidental idiopathic intracranial hypertension.

Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) is a neuro-ophthalmological syndrome of unknown cause that can be vision-threatening, so an early diagnosis is crucial. We reported a case of a 68-year-old asymptomatic male referred with a cataract in his right eye (OD). Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was 70 letters (20/ 40) in the OD and 85 letters (20/ 20) in the left eye (OS).

The Tentacular Strike Behavior in Squid: Functional Interdependency of Morphology and Predatory Behaviors During Ontogeny.

This study examines the relationship between morphology and predatory behaviors to evaluate the ontogeny of the specialized tentacular strike (TS) in squid reared under laboratory conditions [hatching to 80 day-old; 2-16 mm mantle length (ML)]. Ontogenetic morphological changes in the arm-crown and the role played by the arms and tentacles during predatory behavior was correlated with prey types captured and revealed interconnected morphological and behavior traits that enabled paralarvae to perform the TS. Hatchlings have a poorly developed arm-crown and tentacles that resemble and function as arms, in which tentacular clubs (suckerfull non-contractile portion) and stalks (suckerless contractile portion) have not yet formed.

Trends in Scientific Reports on Cartilage Bioprinting: Scoping Review.

Background: Satisfactory therapeutic strategies for cartilaginous lesion repair do not yet exist. This creates a challenge for surgeons and biomedical engineers and leads them to investigate the role of bioprinting and tissue engineering as viable treatments through orthopedic surgery, plastic surgery, and otorhinolaryngology. Recent increases in related scientific literature suggest that bioprinted cartilage may develop into a viable solution.

Long-term prognostic value of functional status and delirium in emergency patients with decompensated heart failure.

Aims: Heart failure (HF) is prevalent in older adults and is associated with impaired physical and cognitive function. However, these factors are rarely included in studies about long-term prognosis of HF. The aim of the study was to determine whether functional status and delirium at admission (prevalent delirium) would predict 1-year mortality in patients with decompensated HF (DHF).

Role of renal function in cardiovascular risk assessment: A retrospective cohort study in a population with low incidence of coronary heart disease.

Background: Early-stage chronic kidney disease (CKD), a marker of cardiovascular risk, is susceptible to therapeutic intervention but need further study in populations with low incidence of coronary heart disease (CHD). Incorporating glomerular filtration rate (GFR) could improve cardiovascular risk prediction in these patients.

Objective: To determine if decreased GFR is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular morbidity and all-cause mortality and to analyse GFR effect on cardiovascular risk prediction in a population with low CHD incidence.

Discovery of a potentially deleterious variant in TMEM87B in a patient with a hemizygous 2q13 microdeletion suggests a recessive condition characterized by congenital heart disease and restrictive cardiomyopathy.

Restrictive cardiomyopathy (RCM) is a rare cause of heart muscle disease with the highest mortality rate among cardiomyopathy types. The etiology of RCM is poorly understood, although genetic causes have been implicated, and syndromic associations have been described. Here, we describe a patient with an atrial septal defect and restrictive cardiomyopathy along with craniofacial anomalies and intellectual disabilities.

Modulation of endothelial function by Toll like receptors.

Endothelial cells (EC) are able to actively control vascular permeability, coagulation, blood pressure and angiogenesis. Most recently, a role for endothelial cells in the immune response has been described. Therefore, the endothelium has a dual role controlling homeostasis but also being the first line for host defence and tissue damage repair thanks to its ability to mount an inflammatory response.

Hand-held cardiac ultrasound screening performed by family doctors with remote expert support interpretation.

Objective: To assess the usefulness of hand-held cardiac ultrasound (HCU) performed by family doctors (FDs) in primary care, with web-based remote expert support interpretation, in a cohort of patient with symptoms or physical examination signs suggestive of cardiovascular disease.

Methods: This prospective observational study included 1312 consecutive patients, in three remote primary care areas, with symptoms or physical examination signs suggestive of cardiovascular disease. In 859 patients (group A), FDs had indicated conventional echocardiography (CE), and in 453 (Group B) the study was performed to complement the physical examination.

Classification of Samples with Order-Restricted Discriminant Rules.

In recent years, mass spectrometry techniques have helped proteomics to become a powerful tool for the early diagnosis of cancer, as they help to discover protein profiles specific to each pathological state. One of the questions where proteomics is giving useful practical results is that of classifying patients into one of the possible severity levels of an illness, based on some features measured on the patient. This classification is usually made using one of the many discrimination procedures available in statistical literature.

The blood-brain barrier: structure, function and therapeutic approaches to cross it.

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is constituted by a specialized vascular endothelium that interacts directly with astrocytes, neurons and pericytes. It protects the brain from the molecules of the systemic circulation but it has to be overcome for the proper treatment of brain cancer, psychiatric disorders or neurodegenerative diseases, which are dramatically increasing as the population ages. In the present work we have revised the current knowledge on the cellular structure of the BBB and the different procedures utilized currently and those proposed to cross it.

Antitumor effects of a monoclonal antibody to human CCR9 in leukemia cell xenografts.

Tumor expression of certain chemokine receptors is associated with resistance to apoptosis, migration, invasiveness and metastasis. Because CCR9 chemokine receptor expression is very restricted in healthy tissue, whereas it is present in tumors of distinct origins including leukemias, melanomas, prostate and ovary carcinomas, it can be considered a suitable candidate for target-directed therapy. Here, we report the generation and characterization of 91R, a mouse anti-human CCR9 IgG2b monoclonal antibody that recognizes an epitope within the CCR9 N-terminal domain.

A neutralizing monoclonal antibody targeting the acid-sensitive region in chikungunya virus E2 protects from disease.

The mosquito-borne alphavirus, chikungunya virus (CHIKV), has recently reemerged, producing the largest epidemic ever recorded for this virus, with up to 6.5 million cases of acute and chronic rheumatic disease. There are currently no licensed vaccines for CHIKV and current anti-inflammatory drug treatment is often inadequate.

Performance and estimation of the true error rate of classification rules built with additional information. An application to a cancer trial.

Classification rules that incorporate additional information usually present in discrimination problems are receiving certain attention during the last years as they perform better than the usual rules. Fernández, M. A.

Diverse amino acid changes at specific positions in the N-terminal region of the coat protein allow Plum pox virus to adapt to new hosts.

Plum pox virus (PPV)-D and PPV-R are two isolates from strain D of PPV that differ in host specificity. Previous analyses of chimeras originating from PPV-R and PPV-D suggested that the N terminus of the coat protein (CP) includes host-specific pathogenicity determinants. Here, these determinants were mapped precisely by analyzing the infectivity in herbaceous and woody species of chimeras containing a fragment of the 3' region of PPV-D (including the region coding for the CP) in a PPV-R backbone.

Filoviruses utilize glycosaminoglycans for their attachment to target cells.

Filoviruses are the cause of severe hemorrhagic fever in human and nonhuman primates. The envelope glycoprotein (GP), responsible for both receptor binding and fusion of the virus envelope with the host cell membrane, has been demonstrated to interact with multiple molecules in order to enhance entry into host cells. Here we have demonstrated that filoviruses utilize glycosaminoglycans, and more specifically heparan sulfate proteoglycans, for their attachment to host cells.

Classification of samples into two or more ordered populations with application to a cancer trial.

In many applications, especially in cancer treatment and diagnosis, investigators are interested in classifying patients into various diagnosis groups on the basis of molecular data such as gene expression or proteomic data. Often, some of the diagnosis groups are known to be related to higher or lower values of some of the predictors. The standard methods of classifying patients into various groups do not take into account the underlying order.