Morphological description of the immature stages of Hermetia illucens (Linnaeus, 1758) (Diptera: Stratiomyidae)

In the dipteran genus Hermetia, only 6 of the 78 valid species have documented immature stages: H. albitarsis Fabricius, 1805, H. aurata Bellardi, 1859, H. concinna Williston, 1900, H. illucens (Linnaeus, 1758), H. panamensis Greene, 1940 and H. pulchra Weidemann, 1830. In particular, H. illucens stands out due to its reported applicability for forensic, medical and economic purposes. Here, we described the morphology of eggs and immature stages of this species, with a view to detecting differences between instars and in the pupal stage, which should eventually help properly identifying larval age. We utilized both optical and scanning electron microscopy tools. The eggs are elliptical and elongated, and color varies from cream white to yellowish. The larvae are apodal, hemichephalic and holopneustic, flattened dorso‐ventrally and may be recognized by the head elongated, dorsal and ventral chaetotaxy of the cephalic capsule, thoracic and abdominal segments, and the morphology of the anterior and posterior spiracles. The pupae are adecticous and coarctate, tegument dark brown and pruinescence varying from brown to golden. The overall morphology across instars is similar, but marked variations were observed in the shape of the antennal articuli and the shape of the setae (first instar compared to the others). Our results supplement the biological information on Hermetia illucens and should aid the proper identification and aging of juveniles in the field, as a way to minimize errors in the calculation of the post‐mortem interval.     

Hereditary Prostate Cancer: Genes Related,Target Therapy and Prevention

Prostate cancer (PCa) is globally the second most diagnosed cancer type and the most common cause of cancer-related deaths in men. Family history of PCa, hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC) and Lynch syndromes (LS), are among the most important risk factors compared to age, race, ethnicity and environmental factors for PCa development. Hereditary prostate cancer (HPCa) has the highest heritability of any major cancer in men. The proportion of PCa attributable to hereditary factors has been estimated in the range of 5–15%. To date, the genes more consistently associated to HPCa susceptibility include mismatch repair (MMR) genes (MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, and PMS2) and homologous recombination genes (BRCA1/2, ATM, PALB2, CHEK2). Additional genes are also recommended to be integrated into specific research, including HOXB13, BRP1 and NSB1. Importantly, BRCA1/BRCA2 and ATM mutated patients potentially benefit from Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase PARP inhibitors, through a mechanism of synthetic lethality, causing selective tumor cell cytotoxicity in cell lines. Moreover, the detection of germline alterations in MMR genes has therapeutic implications, as it may help to predict immunotherapy benefits. Here, we discuss the current knowledge of the genetic basis for inherited predisposition to PCa, the potential target therapy, and the role of active surveillance as a management strategy for patients with low-risk PCa. Finally, the current PCa guideline recommendations are reviewed.     

An Improved NER Methodology to the Portuguese Language

Mobile Networks and Applications - The text mining process typically involves the application of natural language processing (NLP) techniques, in order to obtain important information and extract...     

Clotrimazole-loaded Eudragit® RS100 nanocapsules: Preparation,characterization and in vitro evaluation of antifungal activity against Candida species

Clotrimazole is a common choice for the treatment of vulvovaginal infections, but its low solubility and some side effects pose a challenge to its application. This work evaluated the feasibility to formulate clotrimazole-loaded cationic nanocapsules using Eudragit® RS100 and medium chain triglycerides as polymer and oily core, respectively, by the method of interfacial deposition of a preformed polymer. The physicochemical characteristics of nanocapsule formulations were evaluated at 0 day and 60 days after preparation. Particle size, zeta potential, polydispersity index, pH and drug content were stable during this period. In addition, nanocapsules were able to protect clotrimazole from photodegradation under UV radiation. By the dialysis bag diffusion technique, the nanosized formulations showed prolonged release of clotrimazole by anomalous transport and first order kinetics. A microbiological study was carried out by the microdilution method and showed that nanocapsules (mean size: 144 nm; zeta potential: + 12 mV) maintained the antifungal activity of clotrimazole against Candida albicans and Candida glabrata strains susceptible and resistant to fluconazole.     

Antioxidant packaging development and optimization using agroindustrial wastes

The increasing use of non-biodegradable materials and the difficulty in recycling most of the available packaging have been pushing the development of biodegradable packaging. In this study, the potential uses of agroindustrial wastes to produce biodegradable films with antioxidant capacity were investigated. Starch films were produced by casting method using bran from jaboticaba peel, mango peel, and broccoli stalk. The influence of the concentration or type of bran in the properties of the films was evaluated through a central composite design. The results were analyzed by response surface and desirability function. Except for elongation and water solubility, the fitted equations were predictive in all studied properties. The films prepared from a higher concentration of mango peel exhibited better antioxidant capacity, while the broccoli stalk had no significant effect on antioxidant properties. The optimal formulation of the film (2.8% of jaboticaba peel and 20.0% of mango peel) and their predicted response variables (0.8 MPa for tensile strength, 40.0 MPa for Young's modulus, 4.5 mg/ml for IC₅₀, and 41.6% for inhibition percentage) were defined according to the results. The optimization was satisfactory and the film presented high antioxidant capacity and moderate mechanical properties, proving to be an alternative to replace plastic packaging.     

A Multi-Expert System for chlorine electrolyzer monitoring

The Chlor-Alkali production is one of the largest industrial scale electro-synthesis in the world. Plants with more than 1000 individual reactors are common, where chlorine and hydrogen are only separated by 0.2 mm thin membranes. Wrong operating conditions can cause explosions and highly toxic gas releases, but also irreversible damages of very expensive cell components with dramatic maintenance costs and production loss. In this paper, a Multi-Expert System based on first-order logic rules and Decision Forests is proposed to detect any abnormal operating conditions of membrane cell electrolyzers and to advice the operator accordingly. Robustness to missing data – which represents an important issue in industrial applications in general – is achieved by means of a Dynamic Selection strategy. Experiments performed with real-world electrolyzer data indicate that the proposed system can significantly detect the different operating modes, even in the presence of high levels of missing data – or “wrong” data, as a consequence of maloperation –, which is essential for precise fault detection and advice generation.     

Antioxidant intake among Brazilian adults - The Brazilian Osteoporosis Study (BRAZOS): a cross-sectional study

Background  

Antioxidant nutrient intake and the lesser formation of free radicals seem to contribute to chronic diseases. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the intake profile of the main dietary antioxidants in a representative sample of the adult Brazilian population and discuss the main consequences of a low intake of these micronutrients on overall health.     

Predicting student attitudes about racial diversity and gender equity.

[Correction Notice: An erratum for this article was reported in Vol 4(3) of Journal of Diversity in Higher Education (see record 2011-16523-001). There are two errors in Table 2 under the RWA heading and the Cog-gender heading. The necessary changes are provided in the erratum.] [Correction Notice: An erratum for this article was reported in Journal of Diversity in Higher Education on August 1 2011 (see record 2011-16523-001). There are two errors in Table 2. Under the RWA heading, the SDO row should have indicated a positive correlation of .266**, not -.266**. Under the Cog-gender heading, the SDO row should have indicated a negative correlation of -.438**, not .438**.] Factors related to attitudes about racial diversity and gender equity were examined in an ethnically diverse sample of 432 college students (167 European Americans, 83 African Americans, 81 Asian Americans, and 82 Hispanic Americans). In addition to variables of self-interest (i.e., ethnicity, gender, and political views), social ideology (i.e., social dominance orientation, right-wing authoritarianism) and personality traits (openness to experience) were uniquely predictive of attitudes about racial diversity and gender equity. Hierarchical regressions revealed that social dominance orientation most strongly predicted racial attitudes, while right-wing authoritarianism most strongly predicted gender attitudes. Implications for diversity education efforts related to prejudice reduction are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Somma–Vesuvius complex and the Phlaegrean Fields caldera: New chronological data of several eruptions of the Copper–Middle Bronze Age period

Radiocarbon dating of short-lived sample materials is a useful tool applied to date deposits of volcanic eruptions. Several archaeological sites discovered and excavated in Campania witnessed important volcanic eruptions, which occurred in the Copper and Middle Bronze Ages. These eruptions come from the Somma–Vesuvius complex and the Phlaegrean Fields caldera. At least four Plinian eruptions have been identified in the eruptive history of Somma–Vesuvius, interspersed by interplinian events, called protohistoric, which occurred between Avellino and Pompeii. At S. Paolo Belsito a stratigraphic sequence below Avellino and above the first two protohistoric events after Avellino were highlighted; while Nola (Naples) gives new information on the chronology of Avellino. Sites like Caivano and Gricignano D’Aversa, involved by the Agnano 3, Paleoastroni 2 and Agnano Monte Spina eruptions were highlighted and investigated. In this work, we want to clarify the chronology of some eruptions by comparing our results with previous data. Charcoal, bone and seed samples were collected, treated and measured at the CIRCE laboratory in Caserta.