Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation

Using ultraviolet absorption lines, we analyze the systematic properties of the warm ionized phase of starburst-driven winds in a sample of 39 low-redshift objects that spans broad ranges in starburst and galaxy properties. Total column densities for the outflows are ∼10 21 cm −2 . The outflow velocity ( v out ) correlates only weakly with the galaxy stellar mass ( ), or circular velocity ( v cir ), but strongly with both SFR and SFR/area. The normalized outflow velocity ( ) correlates well with both SFR/area and SFR/ . The estimated outflow rates of warm ionized gas ( ) are ∼1–4 times the SFR, and the ratio does not correlate with v out . We show that a model of a population of clouds accelerated by the combined forces of gravity and the momentum flux from the starburst matches the data. We find a threshold value for the ratio of the momentum flux supplied by the starburst to the critical momentum flux needed for the wind to overcome gravity acting on the clouds ( R crit ). For 10 (strong-outflows) the outflow's momentum flux is similar to the total momentum flux from the starburst and the outflow velocity exceeds the galaxy escape velocity. Neither of these is the case for the weak outflows ( 10). For the weak-outflows, the data severely disagree with many prescriptions in numerical simulations or semi-analytic models of galaxy evolution. The agreement is better for the strong outflows, and we advocate the use of R crit to guide future prescriptions.

Microplastics and pharmaceuticals are considered ubiquitous and emergent pollutants of high concern but the knowledge on their effects on primary producers is still limited, especially those caused by mixtures. Thus, the goal of the present study was to investigate if the presence of microplastics (1–5 μm diameter) influences the toxicity of the pharmaceuticals procainamide and doxycycline to the marine microalga Tetraselmis chuii. Bioassays (96 h) to investigate the toxicity of those substances individually and in mixtures (i.e. microplastics-procainamide mixtures and microplastics-doxycycline mixtures) were carried out. Effect criteria were the average specific growth rate (growth rate) and chlorophyll a concentration (chlorophyll). EC10, EC20 and EC50 were determined. Microplastics alone had no significant effects on growth rate up to 41.5 mg/l, whereas chlorophyll was significantly reduced at 0.9 and 2.1 mg/l of microplastics, but not at higher concentrations. The 96 h EC50 (growth rate and chlorophyll, respectively) determined for the other bioassays were: 104 and 143 mg/l for procainamide alone; 125 and 31 mg/l for procainamide in the presence of microplastics; 22 and 14 mg/l for doxycycline alone; 11 and 7 mg/l for doxycycline in the presence of microplastics. Significant differences (p < 0.001) between the toxicity curves of each pharmaceutical alone and in mixture with microplastics were found for procainamide (chlorophyll), and doxycycline (both parameters). Thus, both pharmaceuticals were toxic to T. chuii in the low ppm range, and microplastics-pharmaceutical mixtures were more toxic than the pharmaceuticals alone. Very high decreases of doxycycline concentrations in test media were found, indicating degradation of the antibiotic. Thus, although the biological results are expressed in relation to doxycycline concentration, the effects were likely caused by a mixture of the parental compound and its degradation products. The concentrations of microplastics and pharmaceuticals tested (low ppm range) are higher than those expected to be found in waters of the most part of marine ecosystems (ppt or ppb ranges). However, considering the widespread contamination by microplastics and pharmaceuticals, the concentrations already found in waters, sediments and/or organism of heavily polluted areas, the long-term exposure (over generations) of wild populations to such substances in polluted ecosystems and the possibilities of bioaccumulation and toxicological interactions, these findings are of concern and further research on microplastics-pharmaceuticals toxicological interactions is needed.

1. In December 2019, an outbreak of viral pneumonia caused by a novel coronavirus (since named SARS-CoV-2) was identified in Wuhan, China. Within few months, this disease – now known as coronavirus...

The activities of the oil industry have several impacts on the environment due to the large amounts of oily wastes that are generated. The oily sludges are a semi-solid material composed by a mixture of clay, silica and iron oxides contaminated with oil, produced water and the chemicals used in the production of oil. Nowadays both the treatment and management of these waste materials is essential to promote sustainable management of exploration and exploitation of natural resources. Biological, physical and chemical processes can be used to reduce environmental contamination by petroleum hydrocarbons to acceptable levels. The choice of treatment method depends on the physical and chemical properties of the waste as well as the availability of facilities to process these wastes. Literature provides some operations for treatment of oily sludges, such as landfilling, incineration, co-processing in clinkerization furnaces, microwave liquefaction, centrifugation, destructive distillation, thermal plasma, low-temperature conversion, incorporation in ceramic materials, development of impermeable materials, encapsulation and biodegradation in land farming, biopiles and bioreactors. The management of the technology to be applied for the treatment of oily wastes is essential to promote proper environmental management, and provide alternative methods to reduce, reuse and recycle the wastes.

Context. The CoRoT mission, a pioneer in exoplanet searches from space, has completed its first 150 days of continuous observations of ~12 000 stars in the galactic plane. An analysis of the raw data identifies the most promising candidates and triggers the ground-based follow-up.

Alzheimer's disease is the commonest cause of dementia in the elderly, but its pathological determinants are still debated. Amyloid-β plaques and neurofibrillary tangles have been implicated either directly as disruptors of neural function, or indirectly by precipitating neuronal death and thus causing a reduction in neuronal number. Alternatively, the initial cognitive decline has been attributed to subtle intracellular events caused by amyloid-β oligomers, resulting in dementia after massive synaptic dysfunction followed by neuronal degeneration and death. To investigate whether Alzheimer's disease is associated with changes in the absolute cell numbers of ageing brains, we used the isotropic fractionator, a novel technique designed to determine the absolute cellular composition of brain regions. We investigated whether plaques and tangles are associated with neuronal loss, or whether it is dementia that relates to changes of absolute cell composition, by comparing cell numbers in brains of patients severely demented with those of asymptomatic individuals-both groups histopathologically diagnosed as Alzheimer's-and normal subjects with no pathological signs of the disease. We found a great reduction of neuronal numbers in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex of demented patients with Alzheimer's disease, but not in asymptomatic subjects with Alzheimer's disease. We concluded that neuronal loss is associated with dementia and not the presence of plaques and tangles, which may explain why subjects with histopathological features of Alzheimer's disease can be asymptomatic; and exclude amyloid-β deposits as causes for the reduction of neuronal numbers in the brain. We found an increase of non-neuronal cell numbers in the cerebral cortex and subcortical white matter of demented patients with Alzheimer's disease when compared with asymptomatic subjects with Alzheimer's disease and control subjects, suggesting a reactive glial cell response in the former that may be related to the symptoms they present.

Science has a critical role to play in guiding more sustainable development trajectories. Here, we present the Sustainable Amazon Network (Rede Amazônia Sustentável, RAS): a multidisciplinary research initiative involving more than 30 partner organizations working to assess both social and ecological dimensions of land-use sustainability in eastern Brazilian Amazonia. The research approach adopted by RAS offers three advantages for addressing land-use sustainability problems: (i) the collection of synchronized and co-located ecological and socioeconomic data across broad gradients of past and present human use; (ii) a nested sampling design to aid comparison of ecological and socioeconomic conditions associated with different land uses across local, landscape and regional scales; and (iii) a strong engagement with a wide variety of actors and non-research institutions. Here, we elaborate on these key features, and identify the ways in which RAS can help in highlighting those problems in most urgent need of attention, and in guiding improvements in land-use sustainability in Amazonia and elsewhere in the tropics. We also discuss some of the practical lessons, limitations and realities faced during the development of the RAS initiative so far.

Identifying the population of galaxies that was responsible for the reionization of the universe is a long-standing quest in astronomy. We present a possible local analog that has an escape fraction of ionizing flux of 21%. Our detection confirms the existence of gaps in the neutral gas enveloping the starburst region. The candidate contains a massive yet highly compact star-forming region. The gaps are most likely created by the unusually strong winds and intense ionizing radiation produced by this extreme object. Our study also validates the indirect technique of using the residual flux in saturated low-ionization interstellar absorption lines for identifying such leaky galaxies. Because direct detection of ionizing flux is impossible at the epoch of reionization, this represents a highly valuable technique for future studies.

We present a high-angular resolution survey for the search of binary and multiple stars in the Galactic open cluster Melotte 111. Combining our own speckle-interferometric observations with data taken from the literature, we found a ratio of the number of single to multiple stars to be 29:8:0:0:0:1 for the most probable members, indicating a multiplicity fraction for this cluster of 25.6% ± 2%. We also observed field stars in the vicinity of the cluster and estimated a ratio of multiplicities of 286:17:1:0:0:0:1 (between one and seven companions), equivalent to a multiplicity fraction of 5.9% ± 3%. We showed that the cumulative distribution of separations for our sample stars is in agreement with Öpik's law.

Urban heat islands are characterized by high land surface temperature, low humidity, and poor vegetation, and considered to favor the transmission of the mosquito-borne dengue fever that is transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito. We analyzed the recorded dengue incidence in Sao Paulo city, Brazil, in 2010-2011, in terms of multiple environmental and socioeconomic variables. Geographical information systems, thermal remote sensing images, and census data were used to classify city areas according to land surface temperature, vegetation cover, population density, socioeconomic status, and housing standards. Of the 7415 dengue cases, a majority (93.1%) mapped to areas with land surface temperature >28°C. The dengue incidence rate (cases per 100,000 inhabitants) was low (3.2 cases) in high vegetation cover areas, but high (72.3 cases) in low vegetation cover areas where the land surface temperature was 29±2°C. Interestingly, a multiple cluster analysis phenogram showed more dengue cases clustered in areas of land surface temperature >32°C, than in areas characterized as low socioeconomic zones, high population density areas, or slum-like areas. In laboratory experiments, A. aegypti mosquito larval development, blood feeding, and oviposition associated positively with temperatures of 28-32°C, indicating these temperatures to be favorable for dengue transmission. Thus, among all the variables studied, dengue incidence was most affected by the temperature.

Following an intense occupation process that was initiated in the 1960s, deforestation rates in the Brazilian Amazon have decreased significantly since 2004, stabilizing around 6000 km(2) yr(-1) in the last 5 years. A convergence of conditions contributed to this, including the creation of protected areas, the use of effective monitoring systems, and credit restriction mechanisms. Nevertheless, other threats remain, including the rapidly expanding global markets for agricultural commodities, large-scale transportation and energy infrastructure projects, and weak institutions. We propose three updated qualitative and quantitative land-use scenarios for the Brazilian Amazon, including a normative 'Sustainability' scenario in which we envision major socio-economic, institutional, and environmental achievements in the region. We developed an innovative spatially explicit modelling approach capable of representing alternative pathways of the clear-cut deforestation, secondary vegetation dynamics, and the old-growth forest degradation. We use the computational models to estimate net deforestation-driven carbon emissions for the different scenarios. The region would become a sink of carbon after 2020 in a scenario of residual deforestation (~1000 km(2) yr(-1)) and a change in the current dynamics of the secondary vegetation - in a forest transition scenario. However, our results also show that the continuation of the current situation of relatively low deforestation rates and short life cycle of the secondary vegetation would maintain the region as a source of CO2 - even if a large portion of the deforested area is covered by secondary vegetation. In relation to the old-growth forest degradation process, we estimated average gross emission corresponding to 47% of the clear-cut deforestation from 2007 to 2013 (using the DEGRAD system data), although the aggregate effects of the postdisturbance regeneration can partially offset these emissions. Both processes (secondary vegetation and forest degradation) need to be better understood as they potentially will play a decisive role in the future regional carbon balance.

Severe acute respiratory disease coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2, formerly 2019-nCoV) is a novel coronavirus that has rapidly disseminated worldwide, causing the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. As of January 6th, 2021, there were over 86 million global confirmed cases, and the disease has claimed over 1.87 million lives (a ∼2.2% case fatality rate). SARS-CoV-2 is able to infect human cells by binding its spike (S) protein to angiotensin-conversing enzyme 2 (ACE2), which is expressed abundantly in several cell types and tissues. ACE2 has extensive biological activities as a component of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) and plays a pivotal role as counter-regulator of angiotensin II (Ang II) activity by converting the latter to Ang (1-7). Virion binding to ACE2 for host cell entry leads to internalization of both via endocytosis, as well as activation of ADAM17/TACE, resulting in downregulation of ACE2 and loss of its protective actions in the lungs and other organs. Although COVID-19 was initially described as a purely respiratory disease, it is now known that infected individuals can rapidly progress to a multiple organ dysfunction syndrome. In fact, all human structures that express ACE2 are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection and/or to the downstream effects of reduced ACE2 levels, namely systemic inflammation and injury. In this review, we aim to summarize the major features of SARS-CoV-2 biology and the current understanding of COVID-19 pathogenesis, as well as its clinical repercussions in the lung, heart, kidney, bowel, liver, and brain. We also highlight potential therapeutic targets and current global efforts to identify safe and effective therapies against this life-threatening condition.

Simulation platforms are increasingly becoming complementary tools for cutting-edge cardiovascular research. The interplay among structural properties of the arterial wall, morphometry, anatomy, wave propagation phenomena, and ultimately, cardiovascular diseases continues to be poorly understood. Accurate models are powerful tools to shed light on these open problems. We developed an anatomically detailed computational model of the arterial vasculature to conduct 1-D blood flow simulations to serve as simulation infrastructure to aid cardiovascular research. An average arterial vasculature of a man was outlined in 3-D space to serve as geometrical substrate for the mathematical model. The architecture of this model comprises almost every arterial vessel acknowledged in the medical/anatomical literature, with a resolution down to the luminal area of perforator arteries. Over 2000 arterial vessels compose the model. Anatomical, physiological, and mechanical considerations were employed for the set up of model parameters and to determine criteria for blood flow distribution. Computational fluid dynamics was used to simulate blood flow and wave propagation phenomena in such arterial network. A sensitivity analysis was developed to unveil the contributions of model parameters to the conformation of the pressure waveforms. In addition, parameters were modified to target model to a patient-specific scenario. On the light of the knowledge domain, we conclude that the present model features excellent descriptive and predictive capabilities in both patient-generic and patient-specific cases, presenting a new step toward integrating an unprecedented anatomical description, morphometric, and simulations data to help in understanding complex arterial blood flow phenomena and related cardiovascular diseases.

Despite obstacles in the UN climate talks, modest progress and opportunities for scientific input on agriculture arose.

Abstract The updated H -band spectral-line list (from λ 15000–17000) adopted by the Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOGEE) for the SDSS-IV Data Release 16 (DR16) is presented in this work. The APOGEE line list is a combination of atomic and molecular lines, with data drawn from laboratory, theoretical, and astrophysical sources. Oscillator strengths and damping constants are adjusted using high signal-to-noise, high-resolution spectra of the Sun, and α Boo (Arcturus), as “standard stars.” Updates to the DR16 line list, as compared to the previous DR14 version, include the addition of molecular H 2 O and FeH lines, as well as a much larger (by a factor of ∼4) atomic line list, including a significantly greater number of transitions with hyperfine splitting. More recent references and line lists for the crucial molecules, CO and OH, as well as for C 2 and SiH, are also included. In contrast to DR14, DR16 contains measurable lines from the heavy neutron-capture elements cerium (as Ce ii ), neodymium (as Nd ii ), and ytterbium (as Yb ii ), as well as one line from rubidium (as Rb i ), which may be detectable in a small fraction of APOGEE red giants.

Abstract The Cosmic Gems arc is among the brightest and highly magnified galaxies observed at redshift z ≈ 10.2 (ref. 1 ). However, it is an intrinsically ultraviolet faint galaxy, in the range of those now thought to drive the reionization of the Universe 2–4 . Hitherto the smallest features resolved in a galaxy at a comparable redshift are between a few hundreds and a few tens of parsecs (pc) 5,6 . Here we report JWST observations of the Cosmic Gems. The light of the galaxy is resolved into five star clusters located in a region smaller than 70 pc. They exhibit minimal dust attenuation and low metallicity, ages younger than 50 Myr and intrinsic masses of about 10 6 M ⊙ . Their lensing-corrected sizes are approximately 1 pc, resulting in stellar surface densities near 10 5 M ⊙ pc −2 , three orders of magnitude higher than typical young star clusters in the local Universe 7 . Despite the uncertainties inherent to the lensing model, they are consistent with being gravitationally bound stellar systems, that is, proto-globular clusters. We conclude that star cluster formation and feedback likely contributed to shaping the properties of galaxies during the epoch of reionization.

With the emergence of big data and new data sources, a challenge posed to today's organizations consists of identifying how to align their decision-making and organizational processes to data that could help them make better-informed decisions. This paper presents a study in the context of disaster management in Brazil that applies oDMN +, a framework that connects decision-making with data sources through an extended modeling notation and a modeling process. The study results revealed that the framework is an effective approach for improving the understanding of how to leverage big data in the organization's decision-making. \n \n

The unbridled use of fossil fuels is a serious problem that has become increasingly evident over the years. As such fuels contribute considerably to environmental pollution, there is a need to find new, sustainable sources of energy with low emissions of greenhouse gases. Climate change poses a substantial challenge for the scientific community. Thus, the use of renewable energy through technologies that offer maximum efficiency with minimal pollution and carbon emissions has become a major goal. Technology related to the use of hydrogen as a fuel is one of the most promising solutions for future systems of clean energy. The aim of the present review was to provide an overview of elements related to the potential use of hydrogen as an alternative energy source, considering its specific chemical and physical characteristics as well as prospects for an increase in the participation of hydrogen fuel in the world energy matrix.

Abstract In the updated APOGEE- Kepler catalog, we have asteroseismic and spectroscopic data for over 3000 first ascent red giants. Given the size and accuracy of this sample, these data offer an unprecedented test of the accuracy of stellar models on the post-main-sequence. When we compare these data to theoretical predictions, we find a metallicity dependent temperature offset with a slope of around 100 K per dex in metallicity. We find that this effect is present in all model grids tested, and that theoretical uncertainties in the models, correlated spectroscopic errors, and shifts in the asteroseismic mass scale are insufficient to explain this effect. Stellar models can be brought into agreement with the data if a metallicity-dependent convective mixing length is used, with Δ α ML,YREC ∼ 0.2 per dex in metallicity, a trend inconsistent with the predictions of three-dimensional stellar convection simulations. If this effect is not taken into account, isochrone ages for red giants from the Gaia data will be off by as much as a factor of two even at modest deviations from solar metallicity ([Fe/H] = −0.5).

We report on the spectroscopic transit of the massive hot-Jupiter CoRoT-Exo-2b observed with the high-precision spectrographs SOPHIE and HARPS. By modeling the radial velocity anomaly occurring during the transit due to the Rossiter-McLaughlin (RM) effect, we determine the sky-projected angle between the stellar spin and the planetary orbital axis to be close to zero λ = 7.2 ± 4.5 deg, and we secure the planetary nature of CoRoT-Exo-2b. We discuss the influence of the stellar activity on the RM modeling. Spectral analysis of the parent star from HARPS spectra are presented.