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Smallholder farmers’ perception on climate change, information needs and adaptation strategies for improved pineapple (Ananas comosus) production in Awaé Cameroon
No full textThis study examined smallholder pineapple farmers’ experiences of climate variability and change in production, as well as ranked adaptation and information source options using data from primary sources. The primary data consisted of a survey on pineapple growing in Awaé. The analysis revealed that pineapple farmers experience climate variability and change evidenced mainly through irregular rainfall patterns (100%), excessive heat (97.14%), drying of streams (85.71%), and rising temperatures (77.14%). These variabilities cause a change in color and taste (40.00 and 45.71% respectively), a reduction in fruit size and yield (68.57 and 100% respectively), and consequently, a reduction in income from pineapple production. Farmers identify deforestation (54.29 ± 0.51%), bush fires (34.29 ± 0.48%) as the major causes of climate change. Although the use of soil conservation practices (e.g. mixed and rotational cropping), bush fallow and crop diversification emerged as the three main adaptation options employed by smallholder pineapple farmers, climate change has the potential to reduce pineapple production in Awaé. Therefore there is a need for future studies to identify adaptation measures that will help improve pineapple production in the area. These farmers are willing to receive information commencement of rain, the prediction of stopping rain, the impact, adaptation strategies, and mitigation strategies to climate change. They can be informed through phone text messages, television, radio, and even demonstration methods for them to effectively follow up on climate change to better improve their pineapple production in Awaé.</p
Neural networks are a methodological basis of materials genome
No full textMaterials Genome is an analytical and calculation tool that: contains all relationships between all variables of the object; allows to calculate of the values of one part of variables through others; allows to solve of direct and inverse problems; allows to predict of the characteristics of objects, which have not been investigated experimentally yet; allows to predict technology parameters to obtain an object with desired characteristics as well as allows to execute virtual experiment for conditions which cannot be organized or difficultly to organize. The paper presents the Neural Networks as a methodological Materials Genome basis. Possible areas of Neural Networks use are the development of new materials and their production.</p
Updates in management of abdominal sepsis
No full textSepsis is an organ dysfunction caused by a disproportionate host response to infection. The condition is responsible for 1 in every 3 admissions to an intensive care unit (ICU) and about 6 million deaths worldwide. As a result of the imbalance in the inflammatory response, immune dysfunction, mitochondrial damage and other pathophysiological processes, sepsis progresses extremely. This research aimed to search the literature for updates inherent to the therapeutic approach of patients with diseases secondary to intra-abdominal sepsis. The present work is a narrative review with a bibliographical survey carried out in the PUBMED and Virtual Health Library (VHL) research bases, through the search strategy using the following descriptors, in both virtual libraries: “sepsis OR surviving sepsis” AND “intra abdominal infection” AND “therapeutic”. At the end of reading the articles in full, ten papers were selected, from which it was observed that new recommendations regarding volume operative source control, and use of additional therapies therapy. The open abdomen technique is being further explored, as well as more in-depth studies on new drugs for this condition, such as acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, and the use of glucocorticoids became contraindicated, due to low scientific evidence. Therefore, it is concluded that, as it is a medical emergency with high mortality, it is relevant to develop scientific research aimed at the effectiveness, feasibility and safety of new forms of management.</p
Bacterial blight of Brachiaria caused by Burkholderia glumae in Colombia
No full textA new disease of Brachiaria was observed in 2009 at the CIAT experiment station in Palmira, Colombia, on plants of B. humidicola (CIAT accession no.16888). In 2016, the disease was observed on multiple genotypes of B. humidicola, Brachiaria hybrid cv. Mulato II, and Brachiaria hybrid Cayman. Symptoms included chlorosis along the midribs and yellowing on flag-leaf margins, followed by wilting and necrosis of foliage. Bacteria isolated from the lesions were cream-colored and produced a yellow, diffusible, non-fluorescent pigment on King´s medium B. Thirty-two bacterial strains fitting this description were pathogenic on Brachiaria spp. and were identified as Burkholderia glumae by PCR and sequence analysis of 16S rDNA. Real-time PCR was the most sensitive and accurate method evaluated for identifying the pathogen. B. glumae 88b, a highly-virulent strain identified in this study, was inoculated to ten Brachiaria genotypes including B. decumbens, B. brizantha ‘Marandú, B. brizantha ‘Toledo’, B. ruziziensis, B. brizantha ‘Piata’ and Brachiaria hybrids CIAT 36061, CIAT 36062, CIAT 36087, BR02/1752, and BR02/1794. B. glumae 88b was pathogenic on nine of the Brachiaria genotypes; interestingly, CIAT 36062 was resistant to strain 88b. This knowledge of B. glumae would help to develop bacterial blight disease management.</p
On the question of the mechanism of the general toxic action of lead nitrate
No full textThe leading unfavorable factor in the working environment that affects the health of miners is polymetallic dust, which contains a large number of toxic chemical elements. The study of the chemical composition of the floating dust in the air environment of the quarries of the East Kazakhstan copper-chemical plant and processing plant (Mamyrbaev, Konakbaev, 1992) showed a high content of lead, selenium, antimony, arsenic, and other trace elements.</p
Informatization process of wind and solar resource power generation: Empirical abstraction and packing algorithm
No full textThe development of software tools is critical to meeting the changing needs of the wind and solar resource generation industries. By identifying some of the limitations of existing systems, such as fragmentation in data query and plant management, as well as a lack of data resource management. In response to these issues, it is proposed to use a hybrid deep network model for simulation data to develop a management platform for wind and solar resource observation data. High-quality real-time measurement data and standardized data processing can be collected stably using these tools, which can significantly improve the development efficiency of landscape resource power generation projects and save development costs.</p
Different roles of sex hormones in inflammation may lead to sex-disaggregation of COVID-19 pathology
No full textSevere acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2), the single strain RNA virus, infection causes the global pandemic coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19), in which the immune escape ability of SARS‐CoV‐2 has an important role by inhibiting antiviral innate immunity. Pattern-Recognition Receptors (PRRs), such as Retinoic acid-Inducible Gene I (RIG-I), induce antiviral innate immune responses by sensing viral nucleotides and producing type I interferons. Epidemiological investigation reveals there is sex disaggregation in that males experience more severe symptoms and suffer higher mortality from COVID‐19 than females. This review discusses the different roles of sex hormones in the immune response to SARS‐CoV‐2 infection to explain the mechanism of sex disaggregation and explore novel preventive strategies.</p
Antidepressants and memory effects of ketamine under the neuromolecular view: A literature review
No full textObjective: Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) has as diagnostics characteristics chronic deep sadness, anhedonia, sleeping disorder, lower energy, and cognition impairment like memory deficits. Among the pharmacological treatments that have been used until the moment, most of them act by monoaminergic pathways. Overall, the antidepressant effects promoted by this kind of medication usually delay starting, resulting in treatment resistance by the patients; moreover, in some cases, this kind of treatment has shown to be inefficient in depression remission. With this, new treatments have been studied for resistant cases and an immediate antidepressant effect, for example, ketamine – whose action occurs in glutamatergic pathways. This study aimed to analyze, from a literature review, the molecular mechanisms involved in the action of ketamine - focusing on the neuroplastic hypothesis of depression. Methods: A literature search was conducted in PubMed, MEDLINE, and SciELO databases using the following terms as descriptors: "ketamine AND depression AND neuroplasticity," with criterion PICO, resulting in 60 bibliographic texts. Results/discussion: The studies analyzed demonstrated that ketamine could exert its antidepressant effects through the inhibition of GABAergic interneurons, activation of TRK-B/AKT/mTORC pathways involved with cell survival/growth through the neurotrophine BDNF and increased activation of AMPAr by glutamate. Furthermore, it is evident that the pharmacodynamics of ketamine involves different molecular cascades present in the impaired neural plasticity pathways in individuals with MDD. Conclusion: Thus, more research on the effectiveness of ketamine is needed to consolidate its use in MDD and to evolve with glutamatergic pharmacological therapy for other mental disorders, such as bipolar and neurodegenerative affective disorders, an example of Alzheimer's disease.</p
Pharmacogenetic application in a patient diagnosed with Schizophrenia and OCD: A case report
No full textIntroduction: The efficiency of psychiatric therapy depends on various factors and drug metabolism is one of them. The liver plays a significant role in drug metabolism through the P450 enzyme systems. However, pharmacogenetics aims to assist clinicians in determining the effectiveness of a particular drug and minimizing potential side effects. Case report: Here, we present a case to demonstrate the potential use of pharmacogenetics in clinical practice. A 33-year-old male patient with a diagnosis of schizophrenia and OCD had symptoms of sexual auditory hallucinations and obsessive images. According to the patient’s pharmacogenetic profile (CYP2D6, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, CYP1A2 and CYP3A4), the medication started by giving Risperidone 8 mg/day and Aripiprazole 5 mg/day. Aripiprazole was continued at 10 mg/day and then 20 mg/day in the presence of clinical findings. Olanzapine 10 mg/day and Sertraline 50 mg/day were given. In addition, 20 sessions of TMS and 20 sessions of tDCS, which are neuromodulation treatments, were applied. Results: The patient in question experienced some improvement and partial remission following a treatment plan based on pharmacogenetic analysis. In summary, pharmacogenetic testing can be a valuable tool in determining an appropriate treatment plan that maximizes clinical improvement while minimizing potential adverse effects associated with medication.</p
Prevalence and predictive factors of depression among medical health care workers and medical residents
No full textMental health is one of the 3 essential health columns which is defined according to WHO as "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity". Depression is one of the most common mental health. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), depression is defined as at least two weeks period with either or both depressed mood most of the time or anhedonia with 3 to 4 of the following (change of appetite, feeling of worthlessness, insomnia, diminished of concentration, psychomotor agitation, fatigue, or thought of death or suicide) and should not be attributed to drugs or another medical condition. </p