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This article presents a methodology to assess the reliability of dynamic scour protections used to protect offshore wind turbine foundations. The computed probabilities of failure are based on a dataset of 124 months of hindcast data from the Horns Rev 3 offshore wind farm. Copula-based models are used to obtain the joint distribution function of the significant wave height and spectral peak period and to obtain the probability of failure of scour protections. The sensitivity of the probability of failure to each model is addressed. The influence of the duration of the waves’ time series is also studied. A sensitivity analysis of the probability of failure to physical constraints, such as the water depth, current’s velocity or the mean diameter of the armour units, is performed. The results show that probability of failure is dependent on the copula used to model the spectral parameters and the associated value of Kendall’s τ. It is shown that the copula presenting the best values of Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) and Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC) did not lead to the probabilities of failure that are closer to the non-parametric estimation, obtained by means of the bivariate version of the Kernel density estimation method. The application to the case study led to annual probabilities of failure, which are comparable with the values applied for other offshore components, according to the current offshore wind industry standards.

This article presents the analysis of the probability of occurrence of wave overtopping events as well as its consequences at the Port of Las Nieves in Agaete, Gran Canaria Island, with the evaluation of the resulting level of flood risk. The study involves both the existing breakwater and its planned future expansion toward deeper waters and has been conducted using a third-generation spectral wave model, to reproduce wave propagation from deep to shallow water depths considering the associated mean sea level, and a neural network-based model, for estimating mean wave overtopping discharges. Results reveal that, in both cases, the access area to the infrastructure presents a risk level substantially higher than that associated with the cross-sections of the main body of the breakwater. Thus, control actions to reduce overtopping in the initial sections are required for the existing structure, and this fact should be seriously taken into account in the planning and construction phases of its extension, due to the impor- tant socioeconomic implications regarding the infrastructure inoperability.

Abstract Fishing plays a prominent role in the socioeconomic scope of the Negro River basin and is considered one of the main extractive activities in the region. The objective of this study was to describe the socioeconomic aspects of commercial fishers of edible fish who work in the municipality of Barcelos, in the middle Negro River region, as well as to highlight the scenario of the fishing activity from the point of view of the fishers. The information was collected between January and December 2016 in the municipality of Barcelos, state of Amazonas, via semi-structured questionnaires. Most interviewees were male (71.14%), aged between 18 and 82 years and a mean age of 48 years. With a low level of education, 45.0% had only incomplete elementary education and 15% were illiterate. The fishing tackle most used by fishermen was the gillnet, especially by urban fishermen (70%). Among the fishing sites, the main one was the Demeni River (50%). Commercial fishing for edible fish in Barcelos focused on Characiformes, Perciformes and Siluriformes fish. The main difficulties faced by the activity are related to the seasonality of the level of rivers and local tributaries, as well as the lack of buyers and low selling price of fish, in addition to conflicts over the use of fishing resources. Commercial fishing for edible fish is an activity of great socioeconomic importance for riverside families in the Middle River Negro basin, which needs greater attention from the public authorities. Therefore, it is expected that the information contained in this study can help in the decision-making process for the management of local fisheries resources and contribute to the resumption of growth and sustainability of commercial edible fish fisheries. Resumo A pesca desempenha papel de destaque no âmbito socioeconômico da bacia do rio Negro e é considerada uma das principais atividades extrativistas da região. O objetivo deste estudo foi descrever os aspectos socioeconômicos dos pescadores comerciais de peixes comestíveis que atuam no município de Barcelos, região do médio rio Negro, bem como destacar o cenário da atividade pesqueira sob o ponto de vista dos pescadores. As informações foram coletadas entre janeiro e dezembro de 2016 no município de Barcelos, estado do Amazonas, por meio de questionários semiestruturados. A maioria dos entrevistados era do sexo masculino (71,14%), com faixa etária entre 18 a 82 anos e média de idade de 48 anos. Apresentando baixo nível de escolaridade, 45,0% apenas com ensino fundamental incompleto e 15% analfabetos. O apetrecho de pesca mais utilizado pelos pescadores foi a malhadeira, especialmente pelos pescadores urbanos (70%). Entre os locais de pesca, o principal foi rio Demeni (50%). A pesca comercial de peixes comestíveis em Barcelos concentrou-se sobre peixes Characiformes, Perciformes e Siluriformes. A principais dificuldades enfrentadas pela atividade estão relacionadas à sazonalidade do nível dos rios e afluentes locais, assim como a carência de compradores e baixo preço de venda do pescado, além de conflitos pelo uso dos recursos pesqueiros. A pesca comercial de peixes comestíveis é uma atividade de grande importância socioeconômica para as famílias ribeirinhas da bacia do Médio Rio Negro que carece de maior atenção por parte do poder público. Diante disso, espera-se que as informações contidas nesse estudo possam auxiliar no processo de tomada de decisão para a gestão dos recursos pesqueiros locais e contribuir para a retomada do crescimento e sustentabilidade da pesca de peixes comestíveis comerciais.

This paper illustrates the application of the new version of a nonlinear shallow water numerical model, AMAZON, to study the mean wave overtopping discharge at a porous breakwater that protects the Portuguese harbor of Póvoa de Varzim. The results are compared with two-dimensional physical model data collected at the National Civil Engineering Laboratory, Portugal. The implications of using different porous flow parameters in the Forchheimer equation for stationary turbulent flow within the porous layer of the breakwater are discussed. The maximum velocity that the water can reach during the exchange between the free-flow and porous layers has been included as an input to AMAZON and its impact on the overtopping results is analyzed. A suitable choice of the values of the porous flow parameters and of the maximum velocity leads to a good agreement between the AMAZON results and the data. The specified maximum velocity was found to be the parameter which mostly affects the obtained results.

Observations of a gravitationally lensed quasar at redshift 0.658 imply a high spin parameter, which indicates that this supermassive black hole grew by coherent accretion rather than in a chaotic manner. Growth patterns of a supermassive black hole This paper reports the direct measurement of the spin of a supermassive black hole at a cosmologically significant distance. New observations of the reflection-dominated spectrum of quadruply lensed quasar more than 6 billion light years away at z = 0.658, together with an analysis of archival X-ray data, show that it is rotating rapidly. Much of its radiation comes from a compact region within three or fewer gravitational radii from the black hole. The spin of a black hole provides a record of its co-evolution with its host galaxy through cosmic time, and these new data indicate that this black hole — like those observed previously at z > 2 — grew by coherent accretion rather than in a chaotic manner. The co-evolution of a supermassive black hole with its host galaxy 1 through cosmic time is encoded in its spin 2 , 3 , 4 . At z  > 2, supermassive black holes are thought to grow mostly by merger-driven accretion leading to high spin. It is not known, however, whether below z  ≈ 1 these black holes continue to grow by coherent accretion or in a chaotic manner 5 , though clear differences are predicted 3 , 4 in their spin evolution. An established method 6 of measuring the spin of black holes is through the study of relativistic reflection features 7 from the inner accretion disk. Owing to their greater distances from Earth, there has hitherto been no significant detection of relativistic reflection features in a moderate-redshift quasar. Here we report an analysis of archival X-ray data together with a deep observation of a gravitationally lensed quasar at z = 0.658. The emission originates within three or fewer gravitational radii from the black hole, implying a spin parameter (a measure of how fast the black hole is rotating) of a = at the 3 σ confidence level and a  > 0.66 at the 5 σ level. The high spin found here is indicative of growth by coherent accretion for this black hole, and suggests that black-hole growth at 0.5 ≤  z  ≤ 1 occurs principally by coherent rather than chaotic accretion episodes.

Editorial on the research topic Glycans: Masters of immunity, from cancers to inflammatory disease

Sugarcane is one of the main agricultural cultivations of Brazil, and one of the crops in which herbicides are most applied. In the 2017/2018 season, the estimated sugarcane production was 694.54 million tons, with an estimated increase of 0.9% in yield for this season. In order to evaluate the use of herbicides in this crop in the São Paulo State during a five-year period, a survey was carried out with sugarcane farmers. The use of herbicides applied alone and in a formulated mixture, according to their mechanism of action, were evaluated from 2010 to 2014. Photosystem II inhibitor herbicides were the most used in this period and the total amount of herbicides of almost all mechanism of action increased from 2010 to 2014, except for photosystem I inhibitors herbicides. The use of formulated mixtures also increased during this period. The area treated with carotenoid biosynthesis and photosystem II inhibitor herbicides was the largest for the control of monocotyledonous species (Poaceae, Cyperaceae and Commelinaceae). In relation to the dicotyledonous species, the area treated with PROTOX inhibitor herbicides was the largest in all evaluated years.

Background:Phase III clinical trials have shown that COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective in healthy children. There are few studies in children with juvenile autoimmune disease (AID).Objectives:The study aims to evaluate the immunogenicity and safety of the vaccine against COVID-19 in Juvenile JAID in the real life.Methods:These data are from “Safety and efficacy on COVID-19 Vaccine in Rheumatic Disease” - SAFER study, a Brazilian multicentric prospective phase IV study to evaluate COVID-19 vaccine AID. Immunogenicity and adverse events (AE) were assessed, after 3 doses, in children compared to adults with AID. Inclusion criteria were fulfilling criteria according to international classification for AID. Exclusion criteria: pregnancy, previous severe AE to any vaccine and other immunosuppression causes. Stratification of post-vaccination AE was performed using a diary, filled out daily and returned at the end of 28 days of each dose. The IgG antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 spike receptor-binding domain by chemiluminescence were measured at baseline and after first and 2nd dose. The seropositivity was defined for titers ≥ 7 BAU/mL. The Kruskal-Wallis, post-hoc Dwass-Steel-Critchlow-Fligner pairwise comparisons tests, and multiple linear regression analysis were used. The p-value ≤0.05 was considered significant.Results:A total of 123 volunteers with AID, 37 adults and 86 juvenile AID patients were included in the study.The juvenile group was aged < 18 years (adult 32.5 ±6 vs children group 14.5 ±1.7, p<0.01) and had fewer comorbidities (19 vs. 60%, p<0.01). The groups were homogeneous for sex (female 86% vs. 75%, p=0.23), ethnicity (Caucasians 47 vs. 43%, p=0.7) and degree of immunosuppression (high grade 62 vs. 60%, p=0.25). The frequency of diseases in adults was SLE= 56%, SpA= 5.41%, RA= 5.1%, others= 33.2%; and in children it was SLE= 38.4%, JIA= 41.8, others= 19.7%. The frequency of previous natural exposure to COVID-19 was higher in adults (30.6 vs. 8.1%, p<0.001). Both groups received BNT162b2 vaccine in the 1st. and 2nd. doses and in more than 90% in the 3rd. dose. The frequency of joint paint in post-1st dose (41 vs. 15%, p= 0.003) and in 2nd. dose (24 vs. 0%, p=0.003) was higher in adults. There was no difference in adverse events between the groups after the third dose. The groups were homogeneous for IgG-S titers at baseline. Patients with positive or negative IgG-S at baseline were analyzed separately. There was a significant increase (p<0.001) in IgG-S levels after the 1st, 2nd and 3th doses in the juvenile AID (0.71(0.28-35.07) vs. 443.04 (36.92-2155.77) vs. 2232.38 (1207.43-3688.45) vs. 1920.72 (1383.45-5680.00)), and in the adult group ((1.14(0.14-46.86) vs. 280.17 (49.70-4991.06) vs. 3787.14 (964.28-5680) vs. 2445.24 (868.12-4.418.19)). There was no difference between groups in the 4 times of comparison (p<0.05), regardless of the antibody level at baseline and the degree of immunosuppression. The seroconversion rate was 95% and 100% in both groups, after the 2nd and 3th dose.Conclusion:BNT162b2 vaccine is effective, safe and induced high titles and seroconversion rate in juvenile AID, similar to adults, independent of immunosuppression, comorbidities or previous natural infection. Children showed more joint pain as AE than adults.REFERENCES:NIL.Table 1.IgG-S measurement after vaccination against COVID-19 in baseline, 28 days after 1st dose, 2nd and 3th doseTotalAdultsJuvenilePN=123N=37N=86IgG at inclusion, Median (IQR)0.85 (0.14-46.15)0.71 (0.28-35.07)1.14 (0.14-46.86)0.98IgG 28 days after 1st dose Median (IQR)326.96 (45.16-3887.32)443.04 (36.92-2155.77)280.17 (49.70-4991.06)0.33IgG 28 days after 2nd dose, Median (IQR)3189.32 (965.15-5245.62)2232.38 (1207.43-3688.45)3787.14 (964.28-5680.00)0.14IgG after 3th dose, Median (IQR)2287.78 (888.89-5680.00)1920.72 (1383.45-5680.00)2445.24 (868.12-4418.19)0.67Figure 1.IgG-S measurement after vaccination against COVID-19 in T1(baseline, at inclusion), T2 (28 days after 1st dose), T3 (28 days after 2nd dose) and T3 (28 days after 3th dose).Acknowledgements:We thank Safer Study Group, and the Brazilian Society of Rheumatology for supporting this study. This study was funded by Department of Science and Technology of Federal Government of Brazil.Disclosure of Interests:None declared.

In the last years, microneedles (MNs) have been considered a valuable, painless, and minimally invasive approach for controlled transdermal drug delivery (TDD). Rivastigmine (RV), a drug administered to patients suffering from dementia, is currently delivered by oral or transdermal routes; however, both present limitations, mainly gastrointestinal adverse symptoms or local skin irritation and drug losses, respectively, for each route. Given this, the objective of the present work was to develop and evaluate the potential of polymeric MNs for RV transdermal delivery in a controlled manner. Polymeric MNs with two needle heights and different compositions were developed with calcein as a fluorescent model molecule. Morphology and mechanical characterisation were accessed. Skin permeation experiments showed the ability of the devices to deliver calcein and confirmed that the arrays were able to efficiently pierce the skin. To obtain a new TDD anti-dementia therapeutic solution, RV was loaded in 800 µm polymeric MNs of alginate and alginate/k-carrageenan MNs. In the presence of RV, the MN’s morphology was maintained; however, the presence of RV influenced the compression force. Skin permeation studies revealed that RV-loaded MNs allowed a more efficient controlled release of the drug than the commercial patch. In vivo, skin irritation tests in rabbits revealed that the developed MNs were innocuous upon removal, in contrast with the evidence found for Exelon®, the commercial patch, which caused slight mechanical damage to the skin. The herein-produced MNs demonstrated a more controlled release of the drug, being the more suitable option for the transdermal delivery of RV.