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The search for time and human subjectivity reduction in the analysis of the physiologic potential of seeds has brought forward the use of computerized systems as an alternative. The goal of this research was to assess the effectiveness of the GroundEye equipment in the characterization of soybean seeds vigor by using the image analysis technique in comparison to the information provided by vigor tests recommended to soybean seeds. Sixteen lots of two soybean varieties were used — variety 98Y12 and P98Y70, characterized by the following tests: germination test, accelerated ageing test, cold test, tetrazolium test, and seedling emergence in the field. The image analysis was performed using the GroundEye software to obtain the vigor index and the average length of seedlings and roots for a later comparison with the results of the accelerated ageing test and the manual measurement of the average length of seedlings and roots. GroundEye has demonstrated efficiency in the determination of vigor of soybean seeds and has reduced the time needed to obtain the results in six days, being indicated in the quality control programs established by soybean seeds production companies.

Soybean cultivation holds national and international significance, necessitating sustainable production practices. This study evaluated the impact of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) and cover crops on soybean yield components and grain yield. The experiment followed a randomized block design in a 5 × 2 factorial scheme with four replications. Treatments included the application of a PGPR combination (Bacillus sp. + Serratia marcescens) and five cover crops grown in the off-season: rice, corn, millet, Urochloa ruziziensis, and a cover crops mix. Over five agricultural seasons (2019/20–2023/24), we assessed the number of pods per plant, grains per pod, 100-grain mass, and grain yield. Cover crops did not influence yield components or grain yield. However, applying the PGPR mixture (Bacillus sp. BRM 63573 + Serratia marcescens BRM 32114) significantly improved 100-grain mass and grain yield. Among climatic factors, solar radiation was the primary determinant of grain yield variation. These findings highlight the potential of PGPR to enhance soybean production sustainably, while cover crops may require further investigation to optimize their role in this system.

The advancement of digital agriculture combined with computational tools and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) has opened the way to large-scale data collection for the calculation of vegetation indices (VIs). These vegetation indexes (VIs) are useful for agricultural monitoring, as they highlight the inherent characteristics of vegetation and optimize the spatial and temporal evaluation of different crops. The experiment tested three coffee genotypes (Catuaí 62, E237 and Iapar 59) under five water regimes: (1) FI 100 (year-round irrigation with 100% replacement of evapotranspiration loss), (2) FI 50 (year-round irrigation with 50% evapotranspiration replacement), (3) WD 100 (no irrigation from June to September (dry season) and, thereafter, 100% evapotranspiration replacement), (4) WD 50 (no irrigation from June to September (water stress) and, thereafter, 50% evapotranspiration replacement) and (5) rainfed (no irrigation during the year). The irrigated treatments were watered with irrigation and precipitation. Most indices were highest in response to full irrigation (FI 100). The values of the NDVI ranged from 0.87 to 0.58 and the SAVI from 0.65 to 0.38, and the values of these indices were lowest for genotype E237 in the rainfed areas. The indices NDVI, OSAVI, MCARI, NDRE and GDVI were positively correlated—very strongly with photosynthesis (A) and strongly with transpiration (E) of the coffee trees. On the other hand, temperature-based indices, such as canopy temperature and the TCARI index correlated negatively with A, E and stomatal conductance (gs). Under full irrigation, the tested genotypes did not differ between the years of evaluation. Overall, the index values of Iapar 59 exceeded those of the other genotypes. The use of VIs to evaluate coffee tree performance under different water managements proved efficient in discriminating the best genotypes and optimal water conditions for each genotype. Given the economic importance of coffee as a crop and its susceptibility to extreme events such as drought, this study provides insights that facilitate the optimization of productivity and resilience of plantations under variable climatic conditions.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar algumas características biométricas e o rendimento de grãos de soja, cultivada em solo com baixo teor de fósforo e submetida a diferentes níveis de adubação fosfatada. Foi instalado um experimento no município de Gilbués-PI, na microrregião do Alto Médio Gurguéia, no Sul do Estado do Piauí, no período de dezembro de 2007 a abril de 2008, em um Latossolo Amarelo. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi o de blocos casualizados, sendo os tratamentos constituídos por seis doses de fósforo (0; 40; 60; 100; 120 e 140 kg ha-1 de P2O5) com quatro repetições. Foram avaliados três caracteres: altura de plantas, altura de inserção da primeira vagem e rendimento de grãos. As doses de fósforo influenciaram de forma quadrática a altura das plantas, sendo que a altura máxima estimada foi de 56,69 cm, obtida com a dose de 95,60 kg ha-1 de P2O5. A altura de inserção da primeira vagem não respondeu à adubação fosfatada e sua média foi estimada em 10,64 cm. Houve resposta quadrática da produtividade de grãos às doses de fósforo, sendo que o rendimento máximo estimado foi de 2.614,7 kg de grãos de soja para a dose de 94,8 kg ha-1 de P2O5.The objective of this work was to evaluate some biometric characteristics and the soybean grain yield, cultivated in a soil with low content of phosphorus and submitted to different rates of phosphorus fertilization. The experiment was located in Gilbués-PI, South of the Piauí state, from December 2007 until April 2008, in an Oxisoil. The experiment followed a randomized blocks design, with the treatments arranged as six doses of phosphorus (0; 40; 60; 100; 120 and 140 kg ha-1 of P2O5) with four replications. It was evaluated the height of plants, height of first pod insertion and the grain yield. The levels of P had influenced as a quadratic response the height of the plants, being the maximum height estimated as 56.69 cm for the quantity of 95.60 kg ha-1 of P2O5. The height of insertion of the first soybean pod was had not influenced by the P fertilization and had a mean estimated as 10.64 cm. A quadratic response of the grains productivity to the rates of P was observed, being the maximum productivity estimated as 2.614.7 kg of grains of soybean for 94.8 kg ha-1 of P2O5.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar algumas características biométricas e o rendimento de grãos de soja, cultivada em solo com baixo teor de fósforo e submetida a diferentes níveis de adubação fosfatada. Foi instalado um experimento no município de Gilbués-PI, na microrregião do Alto Médio Gurguéia, no Sul do Estado do Piauí, no período de dezembro de 2007 a abril de 2008, em um Latossolo Amarelo. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi o de blocos casualizados, sendo os tratamentos constituídos por seis doses de fósforo (0; 40; 60; 100; 120 e 140 kg ha-1 de P2O5) com quatro repetições. Foram avaliados três caracteres: altura de plantas, altura de inserção da primeira vagem e rendimento de grãos. As doses de fósforo influenciaram de forma quadrática a altura das plantas, sendo que a altura máxima estimada foi de 56,69 cm, obtida com a dose de 95,60 kg ha-1 de P2O5. A altura de inserção da primeira vagem não respondeu à adubação fosfatada e sua média foi estimada em 10,64 cm. Houve resposta quadrática da produtividade de grãos às doses de fósforo, sendo que o rendimento máximo estimado foi de 2.614,7 kg de grãos de soja para a dose de 94,8 kg ha-1 de P2O5.

People recovered from COVID-19 may still present complications including respiratory and neurological sequelae. In other viral infections, cognitive impairment occurs due to brain damage or dysfunction caused by vascular lesions and inflammatory processes. Persistent cognitive impairment compromises daily activities and psychosocial adaptation. Some level of neurological and psychiatric consequences were expected and described in severe cases of COVID-19. However, it is debatable whether neuropsychiatric complications are related to COVID-19 or to unfoldings from a severe infection. Nevertheless, the majority of cases recorded worldwide were mild to moderate self-limited illness in non-hospitalized people. Thus, it is important to understand what are the implications of mild COVID-19, which is the largest and understudied pool of COVID-19 cases. We aimed to investigate adults at least four months after recovering from mild COVID-19, which were assessed by neuropsychological, ocular and neurological tests, immune markers assay, and by structural MRI and 18 FDG-PET neuroimaging to shed light on putative brain changes and clinical correlations. In approximately one-quarter of mild-COVID-19 individuals, we detected a specific visuoconstructive deficit, which was associated with changes in molecular and structural brain imaging, and correlated with upregulation of peripheral immune markers. Our findings provide evidence of neuroinflammatory burden causing cognitive deficit, in an already large and growing fraction of the world population. While living with a multitude of mild COVID-19 cases, action is required for a more comprehensive assessment and follow-up of the cognitive impairment, allowing to better understand symptom persistence and the necessity of rehabilitation of the affected individuals.

Antiplatelet therapy is recommended as the standard treatment for patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) who, for several reasons, did not receive thrombolysis or thrombectomy. However, whether tirofiban or aspirin provides greater benefits for these patients remains unclear. Therefore, we aimed to perform a meta-analysis comparing the functional outcomes and hemorrhagic risks associated with tirofiban and aspirin in the management of AIS. We searched PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library for studies comparing tirofiban to aspirin in patients with AIS who did not receive thrombolysis or thrombectomy until September 2024. Outcomes were modified Rankin Scale (mRS) and mortality at 90 days, symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage, and any bleeding events. Statistical analysis was performed using the R Studio (version 2024.04.1+748). We included 3 randomized controlled trials with a total of 1959 patients, of whom 996 (50.8 %) were in the tirofiban group. Excellent (mRS 0–1) functional outcome (RR 1.25, 95 % CI: 1.05–1.49; I2 = 70 %) and favorable (mRS 0–2) functional outcome at 90 days (RR 1.09, 95 % CI: 1.01–1.16; I2 = 35 %) were significantly higher in tirofiban compared to aspirin. Furthermore, tirofiban showed no difference in mortality (RR 0.77, 95 % CI: 0.24–2.53; I2 = 56 %), or symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (RR 3.42, 95 % CI: 0.27–43.30; I2 = 38 %). However, any bleeding event (RR 1.75, 95 % CI: 1.25–2.45; I2 = 0 %) was more common in the tirofiban group. Lastly, the meta-regression analysis showed that the outcomes were not influenced by the initial NIHSS of the included studies (p > 0.05). Tirofiban is associated with better functional outcomes at 90 days, with no difference in mortality. Additionally, despite being associated with higher bleeding events, there is no difference in symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage. Therefore, our results suggest that tirofiban is a promising alternative to aspirin. •This meta-analysis compared the effectiveness and risks of tirofiban and aspirin in AIS management.•Tirofiban significantly improved functional outcomes (mRS 0–1 and mRS 0–2) at 90 days compared to aspirin in AIS patients.•No difference in mortality or symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage was found.•Tirofiban was associated with a higher rate of any bleeding events compared to aspirin.•Tirofiban appears to be a promising alternative to aspirin for AIS patients.

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) and AIDS are the leading causes of infectious diseases death worldwide. Here, we investigated the relationship between from single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the NLRP3, CARD8, AIM2, CASP-1, IFI16, and IL-1β inflammasome genes, as well as the profiles of secreted proinflammatory cytokines (e.g., IL-1β, IL-18, IL-33, and IL-6) with the TB clinical profiles, TB-HIV coinfection, and IRIS onset.Methods: The individuals were divided into four groups: TB-HIV group (n=88; 11 of them with IRIS), HIV-1 group (n=20), TB group (n=24) and healthy volunteers (HC) group (n=10), and were followed up at INI/FIOCRUZ and HGNI (Rio de Janeiro/Brazil) from 2006 to 2016. Real-time PCR was used to determine the genotypes of the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNPs), and ELISA was used to measure the plasma cytokine levels. Unconditional logistic regression models were used to perform risk estimations.Results: A higher risk for extrapulmonary TB was associated with the TT genotype (aOR=6.76; P=0.026) in the NLRP3 rs4612666 Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) and the C-C-T-G-C haplotype (aOR=4.99; P= 0.017) in the NLRP3 variants. This same Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) was associated with lower risk against extrapulmonary TB when the carrier allele C (aOR=0.15; P=0.021) was present. Among those with HIV-1 infections, a higher risk for TB onset was associated with the GA genotype (aOR=5.5; P=0.044) in the IL1-β rs1143634 Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP). In contrast, lower risk against TB onset was associated with the A-G haplotype (aOR=0.17; P= 0.026) in the CARD8 variants. Higher IL-6 and IL-33 levels were observed in individuals with TB. A higher risk for IRIS onset was associated with CD8 counts ≤ 500 cells/mm3 (aOR=12.32; P=0.010), the presence of extrapulmonary TB (aOR=6.6; P=0.038), and the CT genotype (aOR=61.06; P=0.026) or carrier allele T (aOR=61.06; P=0.026) in the AIM2 rs2276405 Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP), whereas lower risk against IRIS onset was associated with the AT genotype (aOR=0.02; P=0.033) or carrier allele T (aOR=0.02; P=0.029) in the CARD8 rs2043211 Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) and the T-G haplotype (aOR=0.07; P= 0.033) in the CARD8 variants. No other significant associations were observed.Conclusions: Our results depict the involvement of genetic polymorphisms of crucial innate immunity genes and proinflammatory cytokines in the clinical outcomes related to TB-HIV coinfection.

The present study investigated the effects of running at 0.8 or 1.2 km/h on inflammatory proteins (i.e., protein levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, and NF-κB) and metabolic proteins (i.e., protein levels of SIRT-1 and PGC-1α, and AMPK phosphorylation) in quadriceps of rats. Male Wistar rats at 3 (young) and 18 months (middle-aged rats) of age were divided into nonexercised (NE) and exercised at 0.8 or 1.2 km/h. The rats were trained on treadmill, 50 min per day, 5 days per week, during 8 weeks. Forty-eight hours after the last training session, muscles were removed, homogenized, and analyzed using biochemical and western blot techniques. Our results showed that: (a) running at 0.8 km/h decreased the inflammatory proteins and increased the metabolic proteins compared with NE rats; (b) these responses were lower for the inflammatory proteins and higher for the metabolic proteins in young rats compared with middle-aged rats; (c) running at 1.2 km/h decreased the inflammatory proteins and increased the metabolic proteins compared with 0.8 km/h; (d) these responses were similar between young and middle-aged rats when trained at 1.2 km. In summary, the age-related increases in inflammatory proteins, and the age-related declines in metabolic proteins can be reversed and largely improved by treadmill training.