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Daily violations of air quality have an impact on urban populations and cause damage to the environment. Thus, the study evaluated the violations of the daily concentrations of SO2, NO2, and PM10, in regions of the State of São Paulo (SSP), based on the National Environment Council (CONAMA) resolution no 491/2018 and the World Health Organization (WHO - World Health Organization. (2016). Ambient air pollution: a global assessment of exposure and burden of disease.) criteria. Daily SO2, NO2, and PM10data from 6 air quality stations operated by Environmental Company of the State of São Paulo CETESB (1996-2011) were organized and submitted to quality control, with data faults (gaps) being identified. The imputation of data via spline proved satisfactory in filling in the gaps (r > 0.7 and low values of Standard Error of the Estimate (SEE) and Root Mean Square Error (RMSE). The cluster analysis (CA) applied to SO2 formed only one homogeneous group (G1). Contrariwise, NO2 and PM10 formed two homogeneous groups (G1 and G2) each. The stations that showed the greatest similarity according to the CA were Cerqueira Cesar and Osasco. The cophenetic matrix generated for SO2 (0.83), NO2 (0.79), and PM10 (0.77) indicate a satisfactory adjustment of the dendrograms. The exploratory statistics applied to groups G1 and G2 point to the high variability of outliers. The WHO criteria are more restrictive than CONAMA regarding daily violations, with a reduction in SO2 and an increase in specific years for NO2 and PM10. Such variability is due to the adoption of public policies by the SSP and the influence of meteorological systems, being confirmed by the Run test that indicated oscillations in the time series, mainly in PM10, and also recognized well-defined biannual cycles.

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Beer is a complex product due to its raw materials (malt, hops, yeast, and water). Beer production can also use other matters as adjuncts. This study investigated the influence of Mandacaru fruit pulp (MFP) as an adjunct on volatile and phenolic compounds, and antioxidant properties of Beer. Worts were produced using four treatments including a control. Fermentations were conducted for 10 days at 18 °C using yeast Lachancea spp, maturated at 3 °C for 15 days, and bottled at 20 °C for 15 days. All compounds were evaluated by HPLC, and GC-MS. Worts' supplementation influenced the volatile and phenolic profile and increased the antioxidant activity of wort and Beer. Beers A (100 g of MFP/L), B (200 g of MFP/L), and C (300 g of MFP/L) presented higher ethanol and glycerol content. Beer C contained the highest antioxidant activity and total phenolic content. Worts' supplemented with MFP increased aroma formation.

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The characterization of microplastics helps to improve sustainable management practices in aquatic ecosystems impacted by plastic litter. Plastic litter and microplastics from four ocean beaches in the Niterói municipality was evaluated in winter and summer. The collection and preparation of microplastic sample procedures followed on the protocol developed by the RLA7025 Project of the International Atomic Energy Agency. Marine debris followed to the United Nations Environment Program protocol. The polymer was characterized by ATR-FTIR technique.The Clean Coast Index was used to determine the degree of dirt on the beaches. Polyethylene (43%) and Polystyrene (52%) were the most abundant microplastics. The plastic is the most abundant category; representing 85% in winter and 73% in summer.The main sources are related to the consumption of drinks and food. These results emphasize the importance of reverse logistics and the value chain for packaging material and the need for effective actions managing solid waste.

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The aim of this study was to evaluate the presence of plastic debris in the stomach contents of two commercially important species Ethmidium maculatum and Mugil cephalus from Peru and relate their characteristics to their diet. The contents of 1820 stomachs were analyzed visually to detect the presence of plastics and prey. Of the analyzed samples, 0.3% contained nine microplastic fragments (0.72-4.54 mm) and one mesoplastic fragment (6.65 mm). Green and blue plastics of polyethylene and polypropylene were the most common. In E. maculatum, copepods were the main prey, followed by diatoms and decapods, and they exhibited the highest amount of plastics. In M. cephalus, the main prey were diatoms, copepods, and dinoflagellates, and they exhibited only one type of microplastic. Although the characteristics of the plastics and the prey of these species may be related (sizes-colors), more research is required to understand this problem in commercially important fishery resources in Peru.

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Microplastic pollution has become a global concern due to its distribution, high abundance, and negative impacts on aquatic ecosystems. These particles enter aquatic systems through the inadequate management of solid waste and wastewater generated from socioeconomic and domestic activities. In Colombia, about 65% of the solid waste generated in coastal populations is improperly managed and discharged into natural water bodies, contributing to microplastic pollution. The present study aimed to determine the abundances, distribution, and physical and chemical characteristics of microplastics in coastal surface waters of the Colombian Caribbean and Pacific. Samplings were carried out at 41 stations distributed across nine study areas during the rainy season of 2017, using a 500-µm mesh plankton net. The microplastic abundances ranged from 0.01 to 8.96 items m-3, with the coastal waters of the Caribbean areas being the most polluted. Microplastics with shapes of fragments, filaments, and foams, composed of polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene, were the most common. A baseline of microplastic pollution in Colombian coastal water was generated, which will serve to evaluate the effectiveness of the environmental measures implemented to significantly reduce this pollution type, within the sustainable development goals.

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Over the last decades, the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon (RFL), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, has been impacted by the release of untreated domestic sewage, causing eutrophication processes with negative effects on its biota. Recently, the RFL underwent urban interventions to fulfill the demands of the 2016 Olympic Games, which included building the waist gallery and monitoring clandestine waste discharges into the underground drainage network. Organic-source tracing methods can be successfully used to characterize the organic matter transported from the urbanized areas to the RLF. The application of the elemental (C, N) and stable isotope (δ15N and δ13C) fingerprint methods in sediments from the RLF indicated a reduction in the domestic sewage inputs from 32 ± 16 to 12 ± 13% between 2015 and 2017. However, the sewage inputs continue being worrying. Our results also suggest that the main source of organic matter pollution in the lagoon comes from indiscriminate domestic sewage release from river channels. Secondary pollution sources are associated with the underground drainage network that still shows punctual and irregular releases of domestic sewage. Petroleum products, mainly from sewers, also show as possible organic pollution sources. Finally, the findings indicate that the interventions carried out in the RFL are promising. However, they were insufficient to cease the pollutant inputs and mitigate the negative impacts of eutrophication.

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Tourism is an important socioeconomic activity in coastal communities, which deteriorates marine-coastal ecosystem quality when poorly managed, increasing litter pollution on beaches during the main tourist seasons. This study aims to assess the tourism impact on litter pollution on eleven Santa Marta beaches, Colombian Caribbean. During high and low tourist seasons, people on the beaches were counted, macrolitter and microplastics were sampled, and perception surveys about litter on beaches were conducted. During the high tourist season, the number of people and macrolitter pollution increased, compared to the low tourist season. Plastics accounted for 30%-77% of macrolitter and microplastics ranged from 1 to 355 items/m2. Respondents identified tourism as a main litter source and plastics as the most common litter type. All assessed beaches are impacted by tourism causing litter pollution, therefore, stronger controls, educational, and awareness strategies are needed to reduce litter pollution and prevent ecological and socioeconomic impacts.

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In this study, we accessed culturable fungal assemblages present in the sediments of three lakes potentially impacted anthropogenically in the Fildes Peninsula, King George Island, Antarctica and identified 63 taxa. Cladosporium sp. 2, Pseudeurotium hygrophilum, and Pseudogymnoascus verrucosus were recovered from the sampled sediments of all lakes. High concentrations of metals and the lowest fungal diversity indices were detected in the sediments of the Central Lake, which can be influenced by human activities due to their proximity to research stations to those of the other two lakes, which were far from the Antarctic stations. At least one type of biological activity was demonstrated by 40 fungal extracts. Among these, P. hygrophilum, P. verrucosus, Penicillium glabrum, and Penicillium solitum demonstrated strong trypanocidal, herbicidal, and antifungal activities. Our results suggest that an increase of the anthropogenic activities in the region might have affected the microbial diversity and composition. In addition, the fungal diversity in these lakes may be a useful model to study the effect of anthropogenic activities in Antarctica. We isolated a diverse group of fungal taxa from Antarctic lake sediments, which have the potential to produce novel compounds for the both the medical and agriculture sectors.

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In Guatemala, assessment of the impacts of microplastic pollution in marine and coastal protected areas has not yet been carried out. Therefore, the main goal of this paper was to evaluate the abundance, composition, physical forms, and the possible sources of plastic debris in the El Quetzalito Beach. The area was intended for biodiversity conservation but has been excessively contaminated by plastic materials from land-based activities. The results state that plastic debris negatively impact the Caribbean coast of Guatemala and are released by storm water and riverine transport from the Motagua River. With a high abundance of 279 items/m2 (30 items/kg d.w.), composed mainly of polystyrene foam beads (66.8%) and polypropylene fragments (25.8%), the microplastic sources are the deterioration of large plastics. As these plastics are commonly used in industrial, commercial, fishing, and household activities, these findings reinforce the need to improve effective sustainable management actions of solid waste treatment and disposal in the Guatemalan cities.

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Land degradation is a problem affecting the sustainability of commercial forest plantations. The identification of critical areas prone to erosion can assist this activity to better target soil conservation efforts. Here we present the first use of the carbon-13 signatures of fatty acids (C14 to C24) in soil samples for spatial and temporal tracing of sediment transport in river bodies of upland commercial forest catchments in Chile. This compound-specific stable isotope (CSSI) technique was tested as a fingerprinting approach to determine the degree of soil erosion in pre-harvested forest catchments with surface areas ranging from 12 to 40ha. For soil apportionment a mixing model based on a Bayesian inference framework was used (CSSIAR v.2.0). Approximately four potential sediment sources were used for the calculations of all of the selected catchments. Unpaved forestry roads were shown to be the main source of sediment deposited at the outlet of the catchments (30-75%). Furthermore, sampling along the stream channel demonstrated that sediments were mainly comprised of sediment coming from the unpaved roads in the upper part of the catchments (74-98%). From this it was possible to identify the location and type of primary land use contributing to the sediment delivered at the outlet of the catchments. The derived information will allow management to focus efforts to control or mitigate soil erosion by improving the runoff features of the forest roads. The use of this CSSI technique has a high potential to help forestry managers and decision makers to evaluate and mitigate sources of soil erosion in upland forest catchments. It is important to highlight that this technique can also be a good complement to other soil erosion assessment and geological fingerprinting techniques, especially when attempting to quantify (sediment loads) and differentiate which type of land use most contributes to sediment accumulation.

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Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder characterized by motor dysfunction, cognitive deficits, and psychiatric symptoms. The primary genetic cause is an expansion of cytosine adenine guanine (CAG) nucleotides of the huntingtin gene, which codes an important protein involved with neuronal signaling. The severity of HD correlates with the number of CAG repeats and individuals with longer expansions have an earlier onset and more severe symptoms. A microarray study conducted by our research group showed alteration in DNAH6 gene (encoding dynein axonemal heavy chain 6). DNAH6 belongs to dynein family, whose members are constituents of the microtubule-associated motor proteins and is downregulated in the striatum of a HD mouse model (knockin HdhQ111/Q111). In this manner, our goal was to confirm these downregulations in the mouse model and verify if the same alteration in the axonemal DNAH6 gene expression is observed in blood samples of HD patients. Blood samples were collected from 17 patients with clinical diagnosis of HD and 12 healthy individuals and RNA extracted for qPCR analysis. Microarray data were confirmed by qPCR in knockin HdhQ111/Q111, and DNAH6 was severely decreased in those mice, as compared to control mice (HdhQ20/Q20). Notably, decreased expression of DNAH6 gene was also observed in HD patients when compared to control group and negatively correlates with the CAG expansion. Although further studies are necessary to underlie the molecular mechanisms of dynein-htt interaction, this data highlights DNAH6 as a potential new blood marker for HD.

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Estudos com a utilização de técnicas de imageamento realizados na última década revelaram modulação da atividade de estruturas mesolímbicas envolvidas em processamento de recompensa, durante a audição passiva de música tonal. O achado trouxe à tona antigas especulações envolvendo, principalmente, formação de expectativas e respostas emocionais à música, permitindo a revisita a importantes trabalhos publicados no campo da musicologia e psicologia da música sob a luz do conhecimento hodierno. O presente trabalho tem por objetivo investigar de forma mais ampla o papel dos mecanismo de recompensa em relação à música, bem como identificar processos cognitivos envolvidos na apreensão de elementos da música tonal e na formação de expectativas e, assim, identificar possíveis influências de tais mecanismos em aspectos específicos da escuta da música tonal, assim como na manutenção da utilização de música tonal em seu caráter funcional e de entretenimento. O vetor principal do trabalho foi estabelecido na interpretação de questões relativas ao campo da musicologia sob a ótica da neurociência. Foram estabelecidas três frentes de pesquisa documental sendo: (1) Musicologia, (2) Estudos de imageamento e neurofisiologia; (3) cognição musical e cognição implícita. O levantamento bibliográfico foi feito via Banco de dados bibliográficos e Biblioteca Digital de Teses e Dissertações da Universidade de São Paulo além da utilização das bases de dados: PsycInfo, PubMed, SCOPUS, SciELO entre outras. A descoberta da participação do sistema de recompensa na escuta musical trouxe sustentação experimental à conceituações, antes somente teóricas, no campo da musicologia.(AU)

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PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to evaluate the tensile bond strength (BS) and microleakage (MI) of bonded amalgam restorations to dentin when an unfilled and a filled system are used under three application modes. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Seventy-two and 96 human molars, respectively, were employed for BS and MI tests. For BS, the occlusal surface of the molars was ground flat until dentin exposure. A 3-mm area was delimited for bonding. For MI, Class V cavities were prepared in the CEJ (4 mm x 4 mm x 2 mm). For each test, the molars were randomly divided into six treatment groups defined by a combination of the levels: Adhesive system (Scotchbond Multi-Purpose Plus [SBMP], Optibond dual cure [OPTB]) and Application mode (light-LC, chemical-C and combination of light and chemical curing-LCC). After adhesive application, the amalgam was condensed into a Teflon mold (BS) and into the cavities (MI). After storage in saline solution for seven days at 37 degrees C, the specimens were subjected to the BS test at 0.5 mm/minute. For microleakage evaluation, the restorations were sealed with nail varnish, except for an area 1 mm around the restoration, immersed in 5% methylene blue solution for 24 hours and sectioned into two halves. Each half was evaluated by two trained examiners at 25x magnification in a 0-3 score system and the highest score was recorded. The BS data was evaluated by two-way ANOVA and Tukey's test (alpha=0.05). The MI data were analyzed by Kruskal Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests (alpha=0.05). RESULTS: The main factors were significant for the BS test: the highest BS mean was obtained using the LCC technique and the OPTB system. Regarding the MI test, only the application mode was significant: lower dye infiltration was observed for LC and LCC.

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