A new copper(I) complex, [Cu2(L)2dppm](PF6)2 (1) [L = 3-(2-Pyridyl)-5,6-diphenyl-1,2,4-triazine and dppm: Bis(diphenylphosphino)methane] was prepared and characterized by IR, 1H-NMR, 31P-NMR spectroscopy, elemental and thermogravimetric analysis, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction technique. Complex 1 is a dinuclear compound, showing that L and dppm act as tridentate and bidentate chelating ligands, respectively. The two Cu(I) atoms exhibit a distorted tetrahedral coordination sphere embedded in N3P environments. The supramolecular interactions in the solid-state structure are characterized by C−H···N, C−H···F, C-H···π and π···π intermolecular interactions that were analyzed by inspection of the Hirshfeld surface and fingerprint plots. Additionally, the complex was studied experimentally in solution by UV–Vis spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry; also, theoretical studies with Time-Dependent Density Functional Theory (TD-DFT) were performed. Moreover, the optical and electrochemical properties have been studied, focusing on the band gap. Compound 1 has been used as a co-sensitizer in a dye-sensitized solar cell, showing good activity.

Previous studies detail that the different blood groups are associate to incidence of oxidative stress-related diseases such as certain carcinomas. Bioactive compounds represent an alternative to prevent this oxidative-stress. The aim of this study was to elucidate the impact of blood groups on the erythroprotective potential of Fucoxanthin, β-Carotene, gallic acid, quercetin, and ascorbic acid as therapeutic agents against oxidative-stress. The impact of ABO blood groups on the erythroprotective potential was evaluate by the elucidated antioxidant capacity, blood biocompatibility, blood susceptibility and erythroprotective potential (membrane stabilization, in vitro photostability and antihemolytic activity). All antioxidant tested exhibited a highest potent antioxidant capacity and presented the ability to inhibit ROO•-induced oxidative-stress without compromising the cell membrane, providing an erythroprotective effect dependent on the blood group. Effect that increased in the presence of antigen A. This result could be key to the prevention of carcinomas associated with antigen A, such as breast and skin cancer. These results revealed a probable relationship between the different erythrocyte antigens with the erythroprotective potential, highlighting the importance of bio-targeted drugs for groups mostly susceptible to certain chronic-degenerative pathologies. These compounds could be applied as additive, nutraceutical or encapsulated to improve its bioaccessibility.

This study proposes a risk analysis model based on the principles of ISO 31000 and decision theory for biological agents with potential for offensive use in Brazil. Bibliographic research was conducted on the main models already published on the subject. The German risk classification system was adopted as the main reference because it is adjustable and adopts a semiquantitative approach. After translating and adapting this model to the Brazilian context, the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) was applied to generate a hierarchical tree with criteria and subcriteria to be considered in the risk assessment. A questionnaire was administered to a group of experts to evaluate the relevant criteria and subcriteria and the risks related to three biological agents (Bacillus anthracis, Yersinia pestis and Francisella tularensis), which were selected in an exploratory manner to exemplify the application of the model. According to the results, the criterion of impact of a biological attack was given greater importance when compared with the probability of occurrence of this event. According to the subcriteria, the greatest weight was attributed to human health when compared with agriculture, the environment, or the economy. Finally, in the evaluation of the three pathogens, B. anthracis was identified as having the highest risk for offensive use in Brazil. This research is focused on a practical approach and can be implemented by competent agencies to foster their capacity for biological defense by determining which pathogens represent the greatest risk to society.

This study evaluated the epidemiological and genetic susceptibility profile caused by coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in children ≤3 years of age with acute gastroenteritis (AGE) or acute respiratory infection (ARI), living in the northwestern region of the Amazon (NWAR). Fecal and saliva sam-ples collected from 202 children (n=404) were subjected to detection of SARS-CoV-2 by RT-qPCR. Polymorphisms in the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE rs4646994) and ACE2 G8780A; rs2285666) genes were detected by SYBR GREEN real-time PCR and PCR/Alul digestion, respec-tively. Secretory and Lewis status of histo-blood group antigen (HBGA) was performed using phenotyping/ELISA. Frequencies for the AGE group: SARS-CoV-2; 8.9%; ARI group: SARS-CoV-2; 2.9%. The ACE I/I homozygous polymorphism gene was majority. Males with the ACE2 G8780A SNP were more susceptible to ARI symptoms than AGE (OR = 3.85; 95% CI-1.42-10.38; P 0.007). Most children were secretory FUT2 phenotype (92.6%). Surveillance of diarrhea and respiratory infections in children, along with understanding their causes, are crucial for identifying preven-tion and control strategies and for prioritizing and developing new vaccines. Clinical manifesta-tions of COVID-19 in children ≤3 years of age include AGE.

The kiwiberry is a trendy variety that shows a high demand for consumption but presents commercialization challenges due to its short life. The purpose of this study is to compare the effects of edible alginate coatings in prolonging the shelf life of this fruit. Two different forms were tested (coarse emulsions(C) and nanoemulsions(N)) and the effects of two different coating application techniques (spraying(S) and dipping(D)) were tested. Additionally, the use of Vis-NIR for quality monitorization was assessed as well. Fruits were treated with ten different treatments, using the following base formulations:Alginate(AL) 2%(w/v) enriched with eugenol(Eug) and citral(Cit) at minimum inhibitory concentrations (0.10% and 0.15%) and double MIC. Samples were taken from cold storage (0° C), at 2 and 4 weeks. For fruit quality evaluation, colour analysis, firmness, soluble solids content, dry matter and weight loss were performed. During storage, the colour and SSC parameters increased. Firmness decreased over time.Weight loss was the parameter with higher significant differences, increasing over time and more pronounced in treatments with higher essential oils components. This study suggests that AL-S, AL-D, AL-Cit 0.15+Eug0.1-N-S, AL-Cit0.15+Eug0.1-N-D and AL-Cit0.15+Eug0.1-C-D can preserve kiwiberries quality. Moreover, we verify that the Vis-NIR spectral analysis could be beneficial for performing coatings discrimination.

Ecological niche models have become exceptionally important, since their results allow to un-derstand many aspects related to the biology of the species being studied, even understanding its evolutionary relationships or their response to past or future projections. In this research, models were prepared to create climatic surfaces so as to produce bioclimatic layers based on the mete-orological data of the south of Peru. Temperature and precipitation data from 119 stations were obtained and homogenized. Then, using geographic and orographic covariates, models were prepared so as to obtain climatic surfaces of maximum and minimum temperature, and precipi-tation. The produced layers were evaluated through root-mean-square deviation (RMSD), mean absolute deviation of error (MAD) and goodness of fit (R2), and they were compared to other models for the area. Finally, the 19 bioclimatic surfaces were created. The results show general patterns for temperature and precipitation, some of them being particular. The climatic layers produced showed acceptable values for RMSD, MAD and R2. Comparison with other models shows statistically significant differences. Both the climatic and the produced bioclimatic surfaces were entered into a database for free access. Finally, comments are made on the importance and application of the bioclimatic layers produced here.

The bean weevil (Acanthoscelides obtectus (Say.)) is one of the main pests of stored beans in the world. Heterogeneous Inbreed Families (HIF) Population of Near Isogenic Lines (NILs) could be an exceptional strategy to study the inheritance of the resistance against A. obtectus. We developed a HIF population of NILs of R-bufa-80-12 (Phaseolus vulgaris) to study the inheritance related to bean weevil resistance and to search NILs with high resistance to the pest within the HIF population. The objective of this research was to study the inheritance in a HIF population and to identify the best lines to provide weevil resistance in bean breeding for commercial genotypes that could reduce pesticide applications. To achieve this objective, we developed a set of 148 NILs which were near-homozygous in the genome, except in the region under study. The HIF were evaluated in two environments under natural infestation with A. obtectus in free choice bioassays in a warehouse highly infested. The population showed wide variability for the traits studied, from 17.2 to 29.2 g for 100 seed weight, 0.0-0.8 for consumption in grams, 2.0-30.0 for consumption in percent and 1.2-9.6 for preference (number of adults in the bottle to the end of the experiments. The heritabilities for resistance traits were from very low to low 0.0 to 0.19. The heritability for 100 seed weight was the highest, with a value of 0.90. All traits studied in this research have a normal distribution, so they are considered to be quantitatively inherited. However, a great variability was found for the traits studied, which allows selecting lines with a high level of resistance within the R-bufa-80-12 HIF population. All traits studied in present research are of quantitative inheritance. The best lines of the HIF population for resistance to A. obtectus were the Line-45, Line-129, Line-124, Line-108 and Line-47.

Abstract: Canine ehrlichiosis is a zoonotic disease transmitted by ticks, posing a formidable challenge to both veterinary and public health sectors worldwide. Across continents and regions, the prevalence rates of Ehrlichia canis exhibit significant variation, underlining the necessity for a nuanced and globally informed approach to understanding and combating this disease. The review navigates through this complexity, shedding light on the intricate pathogenesis of the illness. Central to this understanding is the bacterium's adept manipulation of the host's immune response, contributing to the diverse clinical manifestations observed in infected animals. Diagnostic methodologies, crucial for timely intervention and management, are subjected to critical assessment. From traditional microscopy to modern molecular techniques and serology, each approach is scrutinized for its strengths and limitations. By acknowledging these nuances, the review aims to equip practitioners with the knowledge necessary to make informed diagnostic decisions. A central tenet of this review is the advocacy for an integrated "One Health" approach. By leveraging advancements in genomics, proteomics, and artificial intelligence, there is a potential to enhance diagnostic accuracy and develop innovative therapeutic and preventive strategies globally. This collaborative approach recognizes the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health, offering a holistic framework for tackling complex zoonotic diseases like canine ehrlichiosis. In conclusion, this review serves as a beacon of knowledge, illuminating the multifaceted landscape of canine ehrlichiosis. Through its synthesis of scientific literature and emphasis on methodological rigor, it provides a foundation upon which future research and interventions can be built. With a unified commitment to "One Health" principles and the integration of cutting-edge technologies, there exists the potential to mitigate the impact of this disease and safeguard both animal and human well-being worldwide

In genetic conflicts, driver and killer elements achieve biased survival, replication, or transmission over sensitive and targeted elements through a wide range of molecular mechanisms, including mimicry. Driving mechanisms manifest at all organismal levels, from the biased propagation of individual genes, as demonstrated by transposable elements, to the biased transmission of genomes, as illustrated by viruses, to the biased transmission of cell lineages, as in cancer. Targeted genomes are vulnerable to molecular mimicry through the conserved motifs they use for their own signaling and regulation. Mimicking these motifs enables a selfish element to control core target processes, and can occur at the sequence, structure, or functional level. Molecular mimicry was first appreciated as an important phenomenon more than twenty years ago. Modern genomics technologies, databases, and machine learning approaches offer tremendous potential to study the distribution of molecular mimicry across genetic conflicts in nature. Here, we explore the theoretical expectations for molecular mimicry between conflicting genomes, the trends in molecular mimicry mechanisms across known genetic conflicts, and outline how new examples can be gleaned from population genomic datasets. We discuss how mimics involving short sequence-based motifs or gene duplications can evolve convergently from new mutations. Whereas, processes that involve divergent domains or fully-folded structures occur among genomes by horizontal gene transfer. These trends are largely based on a small number of organisms and should be reevaluated in a general, phylogenetically independent framework. Currently, publicly available databases can be mined for genotypes driving non-mendelian inheritance patterns, epistatic interactions, and convergent protein structures. A subset of these conflicting elements may be molecular mimics. We propose approaches for detecting genetic conflict and molecular mimicry from these datasets.

(1) Background: Plasmodium vivax causes the largest malaria burden in Brazil, and chloroquine resistance poses a challenge to eliminating malaria by 2035. Illegal mining in the Roraima Yanomami indigenous territory can lead to the introduction of resistant parasites. This study aimed to investigate mutations in the pvcrt-o and pvmdr-1 genes to determine their potential as predictors of P. vivax chloroquine-resistant phenotypes. (2) Methods: Samples were collected in two health centers of Boa Vista. A questionnaire was completed, and blood was drawn from each patient. Then, DNA extraction, PCR, amplicon purification, and DNA sequencing were performed. After alignment with the Sal-1, the amplified fragment was analyzed. Patients infected with the mutant parasites were queried in the Surveillance Information System. (3) Results: 98% (157/164) of participants were from illegal mining areas. The pvcrt-o was sequenced in 151 samples, and the K10 insertion was identified in 13% of them. The pvmdr1 was sequenced in 80 samples: the MYF haplotype (958M) was detected in 92% of them, the TYF in 8%, while MYL was absent. No cases of recrudescence, hospitalization, or death were found. (4) Conclusions: Mutations in the pvcrt-o and pvmdr-1 genes have no potential to predict chloroquine resistance in P. vivax.

Currently, there is no effective antiviral therapy recommended for the new coronavirus disease 2019 pneumonia (COVID-19). The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate the safety of Ozonized Saline Solution (O₃SS) used as a complementary therapy in adult patients COVID-19. Twenty-five adult patients who were hospitalized with mild to severe COVID-19 symptoms, who met the inclusion criteria and were being treated from April 18^rd to April 26th, 2020, at the Viamed Virgen De La Paloma Hospital, Madrid, Spain were included in this study. Patients were allocated to receive standard care (SC) that included 200-400 mg hydroxychloroquine twice daily for 5-7 days plus Tocilizumab 400 mg twice daily for 5 days, low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) and 40 mg-60 mg metil-prednisone plus O₃SS, 200 mL, 3-5 µg/mL daily for 10 days. No control group was included, data were compared to clinical trials in this subject. Primary outcomes of treatment with O₃SS were an improvement of clinical symptoms and a reduction in mortality. Secondary end points evaluated included participant clinical status, laboratory examinations, and duration of viral shedding. None of the patients treated with SC + O₃SS died. Improvements in symptoms such as dyspnea, weakness, and reduction in body temperature were observed and corresponded with an improvement of laboratory finding including D-dimer, fibrinogen, LDH, and CRP. No side effects from the O₃SS treatment were observed. Conclusions: COVID-19 patients with mild to severe symptoms who received intravenous O₃SS as a complementary therapy demonstrated no side effects. This preliminary data will be served as base for a future study of the efficacy of this therapy.

In this work, an evaluation and quantification of the impact of using mixtures based on Supercritical Carbon Dioxide "s-CO2" (s-CO2/COS, s-CO2/H2S, s-CO2/NH3, s-CO2/SO2) are made as a working fluid in simple and complex recompression Brayton s-CO2 power cycles configurations that have pressure drops in their components. These cycles are coupled to a solar thermal plant with parabolic-trough collector (PTC) technology. The methodology used in the calculation performance is to establish values of the heat recuperator total conductance (UAtotal) between 5 and 25 MW/K. The main conclusion of this work is that the cycle's efficiency has improved due to s-CO2 mixtures as working fluid; this is significant compared to that obtained using the standard fluid (pure s-CO2). Furthermore, a techno-economic analysis is carried out that compares each configuration's costs using pure s-CO2 and a mixture of s-CO2/COS with a molar fraction (70/30) respectively as working fluid where relevant results are obtained. These results show that the best configuration in terms of thermal efficiency and cost is the RCC-RH for pure sCO2 with values ​​of 41.25% and 2811 $/kWe, while for the mixture sCO2/COS, the RCC-2RH configuration with values ​​of 45, 05% and 2621 $/kWe is optimal. Using the mixture costs 6.75% less than if it is used the standard fluid (s-CO2).

While there are extensive studies on the mineralogy and geochemistry of laterites worldwide, the temporal and spatial mineralogical development of a typical nickel laterite profile is still poorly constrained. In this study, we present a detailed mineralogical and geochemical characterization of samples systematically collected from a nickel laterite profile at the Sta. Cruz nickel laterite deposit, Zambales, Philippines, to describe the temporal and spatial development of the laterite profile. Wavelength-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (WDSXRF), mass balance-element mobility calculations, transmitted and reflected light microscopy, and previously reported results from coupled X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Rietveld refinement analyses, reveal that the laterite profile investigated is composed of two main horizons: the limonite and saprolite zones, separated by a thin transitional zone. The main zones are further subdivided into subzones based primarily on the mineral assemblage and major element chemistry: upper limonite, lower limonite, transitional zone, upper saprolite, and lower saprolite. Late-stage Ni-rich serpentine veins were observed cutting the upper and lower saprolite subzones. Investigation of the structure of goethite within the limonite zone via Rietveld refinement show that the crystallinity of goethite decreases with increasing Ni content and increasing crystallite size. This suggests that upwards through the limonite zone, as goethite ages, its crystallinity increases which possibly results in the removal of Ni from its crystal structure and eventual remobilization to the lower laterite zones. We propose a genetic model of the formation of the Sta. Cruz laterite consisting of four stages: (1) early-stage alteration, (2) continued serpentinization and volume expansion, (3) late stage serpentinization, dissolution, and incipient oxide formation, and (4) goethite ageing and Ni-rich serpentine vein formation. Overall, our results suggest that serpentinization is an important aspect of Ni laterite formation, both before and after the emplacement of the peridotite protolith.

As the global population faces an increasing prevalence of physical disabilities, the challenge of motor rehabilitation has become increasingly urgent. Considering that approximately 15% of the global population lives with some form of disability, with a significant number having motor disa-bilities that greatly impact their quality of life, the integration of robotic technologies into rehabili-tation processes offers an opportunity for significant improvement in functional recovery and pa-tient autonomy. This analysis aims to evaluate the progress and challenges encountered in imple-menting robotic technology for the rehabilitation of patients with physical disabilities, highlighting the potential of emerging technologies such as exoskeletons, assisted training devices, and brain-computer interface systems in facilitating motor recovery. By examining relevant clinical studies, the analysis demonstrates the varied effectiveness of robotic therapies compared to traditional re-habilitation methods, while also highlighting the need for ongoing research to optimize care prac-tices and address challenges related to cost, accessibility, and treatment personalization. In con-clusion, robotic technologies represent a promising direction in motor rehabilitation, with the po-tential to revolutionize the care of patients with physical disabilities, significantly improving quali-ty of life and social integration.

This article focuses on the comparison and perception of the potential of water’s surface in selected parts of the waterfront in two contrasting cities. The aim is to define the potential of the water’s surface in terms of psychology and its effects on climate. The analysis was performed on the example of Prague with its waterfront on the river Vltava, and Santa Cruz de Tenerife with its Atlantic coastline. Data was sourced from maps, questionnaire surveys and interviews with waterfront users during October 2020. The research showed a higher importance of the water’s surface for users in Prague, than in Santa Cruz. The main finding is that the psychological perception of the waterfront by its the users is affected by the possibility of a visual contact with the water’s surface, the design and composition of the space, and the climate situation of a site affected by the presence of an urban heat island (UHI). The results promote an adherence to ecosystem-based approaches in future design projects and modifications of existing public spaces. The purpose of the work is to open a broader debate on the sustainability of the potential of waterfronts and their positive impact on human health.

The Kalanchoe genus is composed of more than 100 species that usually thrive in tropical environments, which have been used in folkloric medicine to treat various illnesses, including dermatological conditions. With this, the present study assesses the pharmacognostical and pharmacological properties of different species of the Kalanchoe genus as elements for a potential treatment for dermatological-related conditions, from findings of existing literature and studies. It was analyzed that the Kalanchoe pinnata plant, or one of the most common species of Kalanchoe, have been observed to have distinct morphological and microscopic characteristics. Further, it was discovered that different species of Kalanchoe have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antibacterial, and wound healing properties, which enable the plant to be used for dermatological products that are available to the market. With this, it is recommended that further studies be conducted in other understudied species of Kalanchoe regarding their pharmacological properties, as well as the use of other structures of the Kalanchoe plant for treatment of various dermatological conditions.

With the continuous growth of electric and electronic appliances’ usage, the waste produced with obsolete material (e-waste) has an increasing environmental impact. Also, the production of such appliances bears to increased consumption of natural resources and produces a multitude of toxic and hazardous substances, which typically are not properly treated. One of the approaches that may be adopted to reduce such problems relies on the circularization of the current linear model, commonly adopted in the EEE value chain. This includes recovering eol products and reintroducing its parts, components, or raw materials into the value chain (e.g. semiconductors, circuit boards, raw metals, etc.), thus contributing to a more sustainable value chain. In this article, we present a state-of-art review that focuses on approaches and solutions for the EEE value chain traceability, and analyses the technologies that may be beneficial for promoting and implementing the CE model in this value chain.

The concept of the protein powder dispenser was developed on the basis of the results of analyses, studies and customer requirements. The dispenser was assembled using SolidWorks software, which consists of 63 elements, 14 of which are unique parts that are not available on the market. Each part of the dispenser was carefully designed to be injected into the plastic compound. Polypropylene is the perfect material for this dispenser as it is low density, waterproof, insoluble and extremely resistant to tension and bending. High purity propylene polymer can be processed into a tough, rigid and lightweight plastic with relatively low manufacturing costs, replacing expensive materials. The authors' original contributions are the design and manufacture of a dosing device for protein powder, adjustable in 3 heights to be able to dose in containers of different sizes; the design and integration of a mechanism with a precise dosing system, the components being designed so that the parts in contact with the shaft filled with protein powder form a perfectly closed space; the design and integration of the mechanism for adjusting the height of the dispenser.

Perioperative acute pain management in pediatric patients is essential to reduce complications. Adenoidectomy-Tonsillectomy are surgical procedures requiring pain control, and risk minimization for postoperative bleeding, nausea, and vomiting. Despite their known secondary effects, the use of opioid analgesics remains preponderant in pediatric perioperative management. We present an updated review on perioperative pain management in children and describe the development and implementation of a multimodal analgesia protocol aimed to improve patients’ pain management while consistently reducing opioids use. Information from relevant articles was summarized, then compared to our clinical needs. Learnings were used to create and implement a multimodal analgesia protocol to be used in patients 3-9 years-old undergoing adenoidectomy/tonsillectomy. Analgesic strategies have emerged to reduce or avoid the use of opioids. Among these strategies, combining different non-opioid analgesics (Ibuprofen, Paracetamol, Metamizole) has been shown to be an effective and safe pharmacological strategy when implemented as part of postoperative multimodal analgesia protocols. Significant evidence associating the use of NSAIDs with a bigger risk of postoperative bleeding does not exist. Multimodal and preventive analgesia has shown to provide significantly more effective analgesia than some opioid regimens. Ibuprofen offers highly effective analgesia for postoperative pain, particularly when combined with acetaminophen.

Considering the increasing number of women entering the accounting profession; it is timely to explore inequalities that still exist; and consider what policy processes continue to forge inequalities between men and women. Through a SLR of accounting and management journals during the period 1994-2017 we assess the different dynamics that have shaped inequalities between men and women, presenting both employee and employer perspectives of professional enhancement. The study is framed around conceptualizations of gendered organizations and highlights how cultural and social practices impact men and women differently. Our study finds there are still arrays of organization practices that have profound gendered effects. Our study shows that there are commonalities in research which include HR practices of recruitment, selection, and advancement; perceptions of women's visibility and invisibility at work; motherhood and childcare responsibilities; and discourses of the glass ceiling that constitute barriers to women's progression. Most importantly we reveal that constraints nowadays are similar to those identified in the 90s. We explored these gendered constructions and suggest relevant HR strategies that can aid women's advancement.

The different sociocultural context and lifestyle may influence oral health. To evaluate the interference of these factors, we conducted a quantitative-qualitative cross-sectional study. The research was carried out in a private dental office, in an urban area, and in the Family Health Unit (USF), in a rural area. Fifty patients of each location participated on the research. A semi-structured questionnaire covering sociocultural profile, oral hygiene habits, drug consumption, use of medicinal plants, and antibiotics usage was applied. Also, laboratory tests to evaluate the tendency to have dental decay and Streptococcus sp colony counting was performed. There was no significant difference between patients in the two groups regarding gender, race, marital status, type of residence, number of residents in the same household, and type of employment. Private clinic participants were more prone to consuming alcohol and/or cigarettes and reported to brush the teeth more often. There was no association between salivary acidity and higher biofilm bacterial density. The usage of medicinal plants was more evident in the public service. Data presented here revealed that social inequality between private and public dental assistance are greater from the point of view of investment in public health for the population with difficult access and not from cultural or educational level diversity.

Pompeii was connected to the great Serino aqueduct under the principate of Augustus. From that moment on, water became not only a precious resource for the inhabitants but also their true social indicator. It is no coincidence, in fact, that the concentration of sumptuous dwellings is in Regio VI, the district closest to the aqueduct reservoir (castellum aquae in Latin) and the one most equipped with piezometric towers, the first of the network, the ones that would never leave the decorative fountains of the peristyles dry. From this observation follows the original possibility of considering the water network a factor that contributed to designating the morphology of urban neighbourhoods and blocks.

We developed a protein to rapidly and accurately diagnose Chagas disease, a life-threatening illness identified by the WHO as a critical worldwide public health risk. Complicating the current health situation are serological test limitations that contribute to most infected persons being unaware of their condition and therefore untreated. To improve diagnostic testing, we developed an immunological mimic of the etiological agent, Trypanosoma cruzi, by combining ten pathogen specific epitopes within the beta-barrel protein structure of Thermal Green Protein. The resulting multi-epitope protein, DxCruziV3, displayed high specificity and sensitivity as the antibody capture reagent in an ELISA platform with an analytical sensitivity that exceeds WHO recommendations. Within an immunochromatographic platform, DxCruziV3 showed excellent performance for the point of application diagnosis in a region endemic for multiple diseases, the municipality of Barcelos in the state of Amazonas, Brazil. In total, 167 individuals were rapidly tested using whole blood from a finger stick. As recommended by the Brazilian Ministry of Health, venous blood samples were laboratory tested by conventional assays for comparison. Test results suggest utilizing DxCruziV3 in different assay platforms can confidently diagnosis chronic infections by T. cruzi. Rapid and more accurate results will benefit everyone but will have the most noticeable impact in resource-limited rural areas where the disease is endemic.

Periodic assessment of bacterial contamination is necessary as it allows proper guidance in cases of eye infections through the use of appropriate antibiotics. Due to the extensive use of antibiotic treatment, most of the contamination flora is resistant to the usual ophthalmic antibiotics. The present study shows an updated picture of the susceptibility of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria found on the ocular surface to the most commonly used antibiotic agents in patients undergoing cataract surgery. A total of 993 patients were included in the study with ages between 44 and 98 years old. Conjunctival culture was collected 7 days before cataract surgery. The response of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria to various antibiotic classes like glycopeptides, cephalosporins, carbapenems, fluoroquinolones, aminoglycosides, phenicols, tetracyclines, rifamycins, macrolides and penicillins was assessed. From the tested antibiotics, vancomycin had 97.8% efficacy on Gram-positive bacteria. In the cephalosporin category, we observed an increased resistance of the cefuroxime for both Gram-positive and negative bacteria. Antibiotics that have more than 90% efficacy on Gram-positive bacteria are: meropenem, imipenem, netilmicin, amikacin and rifampicin. On Gram-negative bacteria, we found 100% efficacy of all tested fluoroquinolones, aminoglycosides (except for tobramycin), doxycycline, azithromycin, clarithromycin and chloramphenicol. The current study illustrates patterns of increased resistance of certain bacteria present on ocular surface to some of the commonly used antibiotics in ophthalmological clinical practice. One such revealing example is cefuroxime, which has been highly used as an intracameral antibiotic for the prevention of bacterial endophthalmitis after cataract surgery.

Brazilian garimpeiros are a highly hard-to-reach and mobile population, with little access to basic hygiene and health services, and have been crossing the border to work irregularly in gold mines in French Guiana since the 90s. This study aimed to characterize this population and identify their main health problems. A cross-sectional study was carried out in the municipality of Oiapoque-AP, with two surveys: before (2018) and after (2019) the implementation of Malakit. Individuals were recruited from resting places and submitted to a questionnaire with demographic variables, history and knowledge of malaria, and health issues in the mines. Simultaneously, a clinical evaluation was performed. The garimpeiros were mainly men from Maranhão, Pará, and Amapá, with a low educational level and worked on average for 10 years in the mining sites. The study population mentioned numerous health problems: malaria, followed by leishmaniasis, flu, body aches, headaches, and digestive problems. Other diseases mentioned were skin diseases, bat bites, hepatitis, and HIV infection. This vulnerable population is constantly subjected to heavy routines and exposed to different diseases and infections that can spread across borders. Knowledge of this is essential for developing public health policies that can be integrated into specific epidemiological situations.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a disruptive technology in various areas, and medicine is no exception. In the last decade, there has been rapid progress in the application of AI in healthcare, from diagnosing and prognosticating diseases to improving operational efficiency in hospitals. This literature review explores the advances of artificial intelligence in the field of medicine, discusses its benefits, and discusses the ethical and regulatory challenges that need to be addressed to maximize its potential.

(1) Background: This study aimed to evaluate the implications of IL-31 in the pathogenesis of chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) and to assess the differences that occur between its serum values compared to controls. Additionally, the serum IL-31 levels were measured alongside other clinical and paraclinical parameters identified in the patients to understand its immunological importance in this skin disease and to determine if it could potentially serve as a therapeutic target in CSU in the future. (2) Methods: The serum levels of IL-31 were estimated in 50 patients diagnosed with CSU according to the international guidelines. Additionally, 38 controls who had not experienced any episodes of urticaria during their lifetime were included. (3) Results: Our data have shown higher serum levels of IL-31 in CSU patients compared to controls. A correlation between the serum level of IL-31 and other inflammatory markers, such as ERS, CRP, or serum eosinophils and total IgE was not identified. On the other hand, statistically significant differences were found in IL-31 serum values in UCS patients depending on the severity of the disease, its impact on the patients' quality of life, the severity of itching, and the response to H1 antihistamines. (4) Conclusions: In the present study, IL-31 did not change directly with non-specific inflammation, nor with eosinophilic inflammation or atopy. However, its expression was modified in CSU depending on major characteristics of the disease: severity, pruritus, and response to H1 antihistamines. The focus on the pathogenesis of CSU is of indisputable significance since any additional information in understanding the mechanisms of this disease can open doors to new therapeutic targets. This is particularly important considering that the available therapies are deficient, incomplete, and the remaining symptoms are uncontrolled in many cases.

After 40 years of the discovery of metallocene catalysts, there are still several aspects that remain unresolved, especially when the “conventional” alkylaluminum activators are not used. Herein, we systematically investigate the synthesis of PE via three different zirconocene catalysts, with different alkyl substituents, activated via different organoboron compounds. The polymerization behavior, as well as the properties of the materials, are evaluated. The results demonstrate that the highest catalytic activity is shown by Bis(cyclopentadienyl)dimethylzirconium activated by trityl tetra(pentafluorophenyl)borate. Also finding that toluene is the optimum solvent for these systems and at these reaction conditions. Moreover, to validate our experimental results, a comprehensive mathematical model is developed on the basis of thermodynamic and kinetic principles. The concentration of ethylene transferred to the solvent phase (toluene) in a liquid-vapor equilibrium (LVE) system is estimated based on the Duhem’s theorem. Arrhenius expressions for the kinetic rate constants of a proposed kinetic mechanism are estimated by a kinetic model, in which the rate of polymerization is fitted by a least-square optimization procedure and the molecular weight averages by the method of moments. The simulations of the coordination polymerization suggest the presence of two types of active sites, principally at low temperatures, and the reactivation of the deactivated sites via a boron-based activator. However, the effect of the temperature on the reactivation step is no clear; a deeper understanding via designed experiments is required.

The Textile and Clothing (T\&C) value chain is one of the most polluting in the world and one that produces the most waste. It is, therefore, important to encourage the Circular Economy (CE) model in this sector, to reduce pollution and mitigate the effects of waste production, and consequently increase environmental sustainability. For that, the involvement of the final consumer is essential. And, the final consumer's use of an Eco-gamified application for registering and promoting Consumer-to-Consumer (C2C) and Consumer-to-Business (C2B) activities, which extends the life time of textile products, is of utmost importance. In this article, we survey gamification frameworks for analyzing system design level techniques that enable engaging the final consumer in the CE process. Then, we select and use one of such frameworks, Gameful Design Heuristics (GDH), for defining the gamification structure needed to implement on a Business-to-Consumer-to-Consumer (B2C2C) context of a circular economy. As result, we present a B2C2C circular business process model for the T\&C value chain, and propose the design model of a gamified platform for the final consumers, which allows them to register the C2B and C2C activities, from the circular value chain's business process, and benefit from a game-like experience. All model features have been mapped to GDH framework heuristics, validating that it is possible to support a set of defined heuristics of applied gamification for promoting CE in the T\&C value chain.

The eating behaviors of young people underwent substantial changes due to the COVID-9 19 pandemic. This study addresses the understanding of pandemic impacts on perceived psycho-10 logical and physical well-being exploring the connection between self-perceived eating behavior 11 quality and chronic stress. A sample of Portuguese young people aged 15-26 years (N=951), com-12 pleted a self-report questionnaire assessing socio-demographic data, perception of eating quality 13 behavior, appetite, stress, well-being and optimism. The results reveal gender differences, with 14 males scoring higher in well-being and optimism, while females exhibit elevated appetite and 15 chronic stress scores, and also reveals negative links between age group and eating quality and 16 chronic stress, and positive links between eating quality and well-being. Well-being emerges as a 17 significant predictor of stress in middle and oldest young adults that maintain or increase quality of 18 eating behaviors, while optimism plays a paradoxical role in predicting higher stress in younger 19 adults with reduced eating quality. These results emphasize the need to consider eating behaviors 20 and stress among young adults as an investment in global public health, given the significant rep-21 resentation of young adults in the population, to mitigate long-term health risks. Effectively reduc-22 ing detrimental eating behaviors and stress in these demographic groups can enhance overall well-23 being and longevity.

In the context of global warming and increasing scarcity of fresh water resources, it becomes significant to evaluate the contribution and evolution of non-rainfall waters such as dew. This study therefore aims to evaluate the relative dew and rain contributions in three sites of south-western of Madagascar (Ifaty, Toliara and Andremba), a semi-arid region which suffers from a strong water deficit. The studied period is 1/1991 – 7/2023, with extrapolation to 8/2033. Dew is calculated from meteo data by using a well-established energy model. The extrapolation of dew and rain follows an artificial neural network approach. It is found that dew forms regularly (2-3 days in average between events), in contrast to rain (10-15 days). The evolutions of dew and rain are similar, with an increase from 1991 to 2000, a decrease up to 2020 and a further increase until 2033. These oscillations follow the Indian Ocean dipole variations and should be influenced by the climate change. Dew contribution to the water balance remains modest on a yearly basis (3-4%) but is important during the dry season (Apr.-Oct.), up to 30%. Dew therefore appears to be a reliable and sustainable resource for plants, small animals and population, especially during droughts.

: Consumption of plant-based milk replacers has increased in recent years due to health benefits, benefits attributed mainly to the content of phenolic compounds, fatty acids, or bioactive compounds with antioxidant activity. In this context, we proposed to obtain two types of less studied plant-based beverages, namely lupine and chickpea beverages, as well as the possibility of getting these beverages using germinated seeds and even obtaining probiotic drinks through fermentation with Lactobacillus plantarum 299v. To evaluate the quality of the obtained products, we determined their content of proteins, fatty acids, organic acids, volatile compounds, and phenolic compounds. We evaluated the antioxidant activity of the obtained herbal drinks, and a load of probiotic microorganisms present after the fermentation process. Both lupine and chickpea drinks have the desired properties, high content of fatty acids and phenolic compounds, that bring probiotic benefits.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), a neurodevelopmental disorder, is increasingly diagnosed and significantly affects communication, behavior, and social interaction. The current diagnostic framework, guided by the DSM-5, has limitations that may lead to clinical gaps due to overlapping symptoms of ASD and other disorders. This study proposes a comprehensive approach to enhance ASD diagnosis through clinical stratification based on comorbidities. We applied precision medicine techniques to identify and categorize ASD into ten clinical profiles. Our findings contribute to a more profound understanding of ASD, including its varied clinical manifestations and comorbidities, and facilitate the development of personalized therapeutic strategies.

A series of 2-phenylamino-3-acyl-1,4-naphtoquinones were evaluated regarding their in vitro antiproliferative activities using DU-145, MCF-7 and T24 cancer cells. Such activities were discussed in terms of molecular descriptors like half-wave potentials, hydrophobicity and molar refractivity. Compounds 4 and 11 display the highest antiproliferative activity against the three cancer cells, therefore, they were subject to further studies. The in silico prediction of drug likeness, using pkCSM and SwissADME explorer online, shows that compound 11 is a suitable lead molecule to be developed. Furthermore, the expression of some key genes was studied in DU-145 cancer cells. They include genes involved in apoptosis (Bcl-2), tumor metabolism regulation (mTOR), redox homeostasis (GSR), cell cycle regulation (CDC25A), cell cycle progression (TP53), epigenetic (HDAC4), cell-cell communication (CCN2) and inflammatory pathways (TNF). Compound 11 displays an interesting profile because among these genes, mTOR was significantly less expressed as compared to control conditions. Molecular docking show that compound 11 has good affinity with mTOR, unraveling a potential inhibitory effect on this protein. Due to the key role of mTOR on tumor metabolism, we suggest that impaired DU-145 cells proliferation by compound 11 is caused by a reduced mTOR expression (less mTOR protein) and inhibitory activity on mTOR protein.

The increasing demand for higher inclusion cleanliness levels motivates the control over the formation and evolution of inclusions in the steel production process. In this work, the evolution of the chemical composition and size distribution of inclusions throughout a slab production process of Al-killed steel, including ladle furnace (LF) treatment and continuous casting (CC), was followed. The initial solid Al2O3 and Al2O3-MgO inclusions were modified to liquid Al2O3-CaO-MgO inclusions during LF treatment. The evolution of the size distributions during LF treatment was associated with the growth and removal of inclusions, as new inclusions were not created after the deoxidation process, according to a population density function (PDF) analysis. Additionally, the size distributions tended to be similar as the LF treatment progressed regardless of their initial features, whereas they differed during CC. Analysis of the upper tails of the distributions through generalized extreme values theory showed that inclusion distributions shifted from larger to smaller sizes as the process progressed. There were great changes in the distributions of large inclusions throughout the LF treatment and between the end of the LF treatment and the start of the CC process. Additionally, distributions of large inclusions differed at the end of the LF treatment, whereas such differences decreased as CC progressed.

Sinonasal carcinomas are aggressive neoplasms that present a high morbidity and mortality rate with unfavorable prognosis. This group of tumors exhibits morphological and genetic diversity. Genetic and epigenetic alterations in these neoplasms are currently targets for diagnosis and treatment. The most common type of cancer originated in the sinonasal tract are sinonasal squa-mous cell carcinomas (SNSCC), which presents different histological patterns and variable his-tological aggressiveness. A significant number of alterations have been reported in sinonasal tu-mors, including deficiencies in the SwItch/Sucrose non-fermentable (SWI/SNF) chromatin remod-eling complex. In the sinonasal tract, deficiencies of the subunits SMARCB1/INI1, SMAR-CA4/BRG1 and SMARCA2 have been noted in carcinomas, adenocarcinomas, and soft tissue tu-mors with distinctive high-grade morphology and fatal prognosis. Objective: To identify the status of the SWI/SNF complex using immunohistochemistry in sinonasal squamous cell carci-nomas and its association with morphology and survival. Methods: A total of 1582 SNSCC cases were analyzed, selecting those with high-grade malignancy morphology, which were then evalu-ated immunohistochemically for SMARCB1 and SMARCA4 proteins. Their expression was compared with the biological behavior and survival of the patients. Results: Among the SNSCC, 47% corresponded to the non-keratinizing squamous cell carcinoma (NKSCC) type with high-grade characteristics, 40% were keratinizing squamous cell carcinomas (KSCC), 9% were SMARCB1-deficient carcinomas, and 4% were SMARCA4-deficient carcinomas. Mosaic expres-sion for SMARCB1 (NKSCC 33%, KSCC 21.9%) and SMARCA4 (NKSCC 14.6%, KSCC 12.2%) was identified, showing an impact on tumor size and progression. Conclusions: We identified that the mosaic expression of INI1 in NKSCC exhibited a worse prognosis compared to intact carcinomas and was similar to SMARCB1-deficent carcinoma.

Despite effective vaccines, yellow fever outbreaks persist, increasing the urgency to find antivirals for patient treatment. This study aimed to discover compounds with potential antiviral properties against the wild-type yellow fever virus (wt-YFV) in Hippeastrum puniceum, of the Amaryllidaceae family, through bioassay-guided fractionation of the crude bulb extract using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) coupled with high-resolution ESI-QTOF mass spectrometry and subsequent analysis of the pharmacokinetic and toxicological properties (ADMET) of the annotated compounds. In the active fractions against wt-YFV, six alkaloids were proposed such as bulbisine, cathinone, trigonelline, tetrahydroharman-3-carboxylic acid, and 2,7-dimethoxyhomolycorine (or 3-O-acetylnarcissidine). Co-occurring in these fractions were the amino acids arginine, asparagine, tryptophan, and glutamic acid. In silico ADMET analysis of the alkaloids predicted good absorption, distribution, excretion, favorable metabolization profiles, and non-mutagenic toxicity, indicating their potential for drug development. These findings justify further in vitro assessment of the compounds against YFV and in vivo testing in animal models. This strategy seems to be an efficient approach for discovering antiviral compounds against YFV. Such discoveries hold promise not only in combating YFV but also in addressing a spectrum of other flaviviruses.

In dermatological practice, disturbances of the skin microbiome are found in various infectious and inflammatory dermatoses featuring one or more skin lesions with loss of tissue, directly exposing skin layers to microbial invasions. Literature data on the incidence of cutaneous-onset sepsis are, however, scarce. This retrospective observational study assessed hospital admissions for primary skin lesions with vs. without bacterial infections and sepsis during 2020-2022 in the largest emergency hospital in NE Romania. Of 509 patients 441 had infected lesions, 78 had sepsis caused by venous ulcers microbial eczema cellulitis, superinfected bullous dermatoses, erysipelas, erythroderma. Cultured samples revealed S. aureus, P. aeruginosa, E. coli, with K. pneumoniae, S. β-hemolytic associated with sepsis even if rarer. Clinical manifestations included ulcerations, erosions, fissures, excoriations, bullae, vesicles, pruritus, tumefaction, edema, fever, chills, pain, adenopathy, mildly altered mental status. Underlying chronic heart failure, atrial fibrillation, anemia, type-1 diabetes mellitus were comorbidities associated with infection and sepsis. Significant associations and risk factors, including their combined effects, are discussed to draw attention to the need for further research and adequate management to prevent sepsis in adult patients of any age presenting with infected skin lesions (especially cellulitis) and comorbidities (especially type 1 diabetes mellitus and anemia).

Leishmaniasis represents a severe global health problem. In the last decades, there have been significant challenges in controlling this disease due to the unavailability of licensed vaccines, the high toxicity of the available drugs, and an unrestrained surge of drug-resistant parasites, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)–Leishmania co-infections. Leishmania spp. preferentially invade macrophage lineage cells of vertebrates for replication after subverting cellular functions of humans and other mammals. These early events in host–parasite interactions are likely to influence the future course of the disease. Thus, there is a continuing need to discover a simple cellular model that reproduces the in vivo pathogenesis. Acanthamoeba spp. are non-mammalian phagocytic amoeba with remarkable similarity to the cellular and functional aspects of macrophages. We aimed to assess whether the similarity reported between macrophages and Acanthamoeba spp. is sufficient to reproduce the infectivity of Leishmania spp. Herein, we analyzed co-cultures of Acanthamoeba castellanii or Acanthamoeba polyphaga with Leishmania infantum, Leishmania amazonensis, Leishmania major, and Leishmania braziliensis. Light and fluorescence microscopy revealed that the flagellated promastigotes attach to the A. castellanii and/or A. polyphaga in a bipolar and or random manner, which initiates their uptake via pseudopods. Once inside the cells, the promastigotes undergo significant changes, which result in the obligatory amastigote-like intracellular form. There was a productive infection with a continuous increase in intracellular parasites. However, we frequently observed intracellular amastigotes in vacuoles, phagolysosomes, and the cytosol of Acanthamoeba spp. Our findings corroborate that Leishmania spp. infects Acanthamoeba spp. and replicates in them but does not cause their rapid degeneration or lysis. Overall, the evidence presented here confirms that Acanthamoeba spp. have all prerequisites and can help elucidate how Leishmania spp. infect mammalian cells. Future work exposing the mechanisms of these interactions should yield novel insights into how these pathogens exploit amoebae.

Classical antibacterial drugs were designed to target specific bacterial properties distinct from host human cells to maximize potency and selectivity. These designs were quite effective as they could be easily derivatized to bear next generation drugs. However, the rapid mutation of bacteria and their associated acquired drug resistance have led to the rise of highly pathogenic superbug bacterial strains for which treatment with first line drugs is no match. More than ever, there is a dire need for antibacterial drug design that goes beyond conventional standards. Taking inspiration by the body’s innate immune response to employ its own supply of labile copper ions in a toxic attack against pathogenic bacteria, which have a very low Cu tolerance, this review article examines the feasibility of Cu-centric strategies for antibacterial preventative and therapeutic applications. Promising results are shown for the use of Cu-containing materials in the hospital setting to minimize patient bacterial infections. Studies directed at disrupting bacterial Cu regulatory pathways elucidate new drug targets that can enable toxic increase of Cu levels and perturb bacterial dependence on iron. Likewise, Cu intracellular chelation/prochelation strategies effectively induce bacterial Cu toxicity. Cu-based small molecules and nanoparticles demonstrate the importance of the Cu ions in their mechanism and display potential synergism with classical drugs.

Autonomous systems and intelligent machines are involved in almost all areas of human activity and they are now more and more present in our everyday life. The reason for this extensive use certainly resides in all the benefits these machines offer to the users. In experimental settings, numerous studies have demonstrated the positive effects that the introduction of autonomous systems have on human decision-making and performance. However, studies have shown in addition that the introduction of these systems can have important negative effects as well. Considering that autonomous systems are now introduced in sensitive domains like the military or medicine, we need more than ever a comprehensive understanding of the effects they cause on human performance and decision-making, and particularly in tasks and contexts with a social or moral dimension. The aim of this narrative review is threefold. First, we will provide an overview of the main effects on a human agent’s decision-making and performance produced by the introduction of autonomous systems. Second, we will review the conditions identified as underlying factors of these effects, and see how current models of human – autonomous systems interaction integrate those conditions. Third, we will conclude this review by highlighting new directions for future investigations.

Nutrient estimation in forest ecosystems through satellite images allows us to obtain accurate data, starting with data transformation from forest stands and the existing relationship with the spectral information of the image through modeling. The objective of the study was to quantify and validate the content of C, N, H in aboveground tree biomass in managed stands using spatial modeling and satellite images. This study was conducted during 2017-2018 in managed forest stands in San Juan Lachao, Oaxaca, Mexico. Fifteen 400 m2 experimental sites were selectively established, using a completely randomized experimental design of five silvicultural treatments with three replications. As part of data preprocessing, normality and homogeneity of variances assumptions were checked using the Shapiro-Wilk and Bartlett tests, respectively. From the pixels, data of the average of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) that surrounded the sampling sites were contrasted against the data obtained from forest inventory and the regression models to estimate C, N, H and biomass were generated. Models were validated by NDVI. With the models we estimated 0.95 t ha-1 biomass, which contains between 0.61 and 0.63 of C, 0.44-0.46 of N and 0.24 of H. The models generated had coefficients of determination (R2) of 0.85 to 0.87, which are significant parameters (p ≤ 0.0001). These results confirm that the use of Sentinel satellite images in the estimation of these elements in forest ecosystems based on the relationship between data inventory and the NDVI is highly reliable.

Fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda, has been causing significant crop losses and has now become the most economically important pest of corn globally. With the challenges arising from the extensive use of synthetic chemicals such as reports that FAW gained resistance to various insecticides, researchers are developing environmentally sound control measures to address these issues. An example is the application of the RNA interference in managing FAW populations. RNA interference is a biological process where dsRNA molecules silence specific gene of interest. Here, dsRNA fragments were generated to target Cytochrome P450 monooxygenases CYP321A7 and CYP321A8 in FAW. Mortality and phenotypic effects of RNAi-mediated knockdown of essential genes of target CYP450s through RNAi in FAW were analyzed. Results showed that RNA in vitro transcription yielded ~14 μg/μL of dsCYP321A7 and dsCYP321A8. The mortality rate of dsCYP321A7- and dsCYP321A8-fed larvae following exposure to insecticide with dual active ingredient of Chlorantraniliprole and Thiamethoxam increased by 90% and 80%, respectively as compared to dsGFP-fed larvae with 40% at 2 days post insecticide exposure. This study provided evidence for the potential of RNAi for FAW management strategies particularly for insecticide-resistant populations, including the potential for biopesticide development.

Accurate assessment of bone age (BA) is crucial for pediatric clinical practice. This study validated the Radiological Reference Atlas for Bone Age in the Canary Islands Population with a total of 203 anteroposterior left hand and wrist radiographs from healthy children (91 females, 112 males) across preschool, school-age, and adolescent stages. Intra-observer agreement, assessed by intraclass correlation coefficients (BAA1: ICC = 1.000, BAA2: ICC = 0.995, BAA3: ICC = 0.943), showed differing levels of precision among assessors. Inter-observer agreement was high (Pearson’s r = 0.905 - 0.951), suggesting consistent evaluations across different expertise levels. Accuracy analysis revealed significant BA underestimation compared to chronological age (CA) in preschool (MD = -17.036 months, p < 0.001) and school-age (MD = -8.165 months, p < 0.001) groups, but closer agreement in teenagers (MD = -0.33 months, p = 0.550). Furthermore, a relevant underestimation in the teenage stage for girls compared to boys was also noted. These findings underscore the atlas's precision; however, its accuracy for BA assessment in younger children and adolescent girls needs to be approached with caution.

With limited state budget, developed nation public higher education have increased their fees making education expensive for most developing nation students. Some developing nations have set up regional low-cost education hubs to attract developed nation universities to offer their reputable degree programs. However, the intense competition for student enrolment in both has led to the marketisation of education. Students as paying customers need to experience satisfying stress-free teaching and learning to sustain enrolment. With employers increasingly unhappy with the quality of human capital, has the marketisation of higher education led to nominal human capital development? Can substantive human capital be developed in the new normal of marketisation of higher education? An adaptation of randomised control trials was used to measure learning outcomes desired by future employers for two teaching and learning approaches namely students as customers (n=497) and employers as customers (n=355). Findings show both approaches have good learning outcomes with the latter generally more superior. However, the former leads to nominal learning outcomes. This research extends the literature on achieving substantive learning outcomes conducive to employability. Implications for student satisfaction, lecturer professionalism, employability and quality assurance are discussed.

In this research, the photocatalytic degradation of cypermethrin using Fe-TiO2 nanoparticles supported in a biomaterial was evaluated. The nanoparticles of TiO2 were synthesized by the green chemistry method assisted by ultrasound and doped by chemical impregnation using molar ratios Fe:Ti of 0, 0.05, 0.075 and 0.1, to make efficient use of direct sunlight (λ>310 nm). All nanoparticles were immobilized on the surface of spathe of coconut palm (Cocos nucifera). The degradation was carried out at room temperature and natural pH in a flat plate solar reactor, on which the composite material was subjected. The concentration of cypermethrin was determined after 12000 J/m2 of accumulated radiation from GC-MS and the resulting material was characterized by Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) image and selected area electron diffraction (SAED), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), UV-Vis spectrophotometry of diffuse reflectance and BET surface area BET surface area. The best results were achieved with the use of Degussa TiO2 P-25, Fe:Ti=0 and Fe:Ti=0.05 in suspension, with percentages of degradation of cypermethrin of 99.84, 99.62, and 100%, respectively. However, the materials supported on the biomaterial of coconut, they allowed to reach degradation percentages higher than 80% with the advantage that it minimizes operating costs, since they are not necessary filtering or centrifuging processes to separate the catalyst.

The present study aimed to determine the genetic diversity of isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) from presumed drug resistant tuberculosis patients from several states of Brazil. The isolates had been submitted to conventional drug susceptibility testing for first- and second-line drugs. Multidrug-resistant (MDR-TB) (54.8%) was the most frequent phenotypic resistance profile, in addition to an important high frequency of pre-extensively resistant (p-XDR-TB) (9.2%). Using whole-genome sequencing (WGS), we characterized 298 Mtb isolates from Brazil. Besides analysis of genotype distribution and possible correlations between molecular and clinical data, we determined the performance of an in-house WGS pipeline with other online pipelines for Mtb lineages and drug resistance profile definition. Sub-lineage 4.3 (52%) was the most frequent genotype and the genomic approach revealed a p-XDR-TB level of 22.5%. We detected 20 novel mutations in three resistance genes, and six of these were observed in eight phenotypically resistant isolates. Cluster analysis of 170 isolates showed that 43.5% of the TB patients belonged to 24 genomic clusters, suggesting considerable ongoing transmission of DR-TB, including two interstate transmissions. The in-house WGS pipeline showed the best overall performance in drug-resistance prediction, presenting the best accuracy values to five of nine drugs tested. Significant associations were observed between suffering from fatal disease and genotypic p-XDR-TB (p = 0.03) and either phenotypic (p = 0.006) and genotypic (p = 0.0007) ethambutol resistance. The use of WGS analysis improved our understanding of the population structure of MTBC in Brazil, genetic and clinical data correlations and demonstrating its utility for surveillance efforts for spread of DR-TB, hopefully helping to avoid the emergence of even more resistant strains and to reduce TB incidence and mortality rates.

The co-occurrence of different arboviruses, through (re)emergence episodes in a particular region, often exacerbates public health crises associated with these pathogens. Considering the Brazilian epidemiological panorama of arboviruses cocirculation, such as Dengue (DENV), Zika (ZIKV), and Chikungunya (CHIKV) viruses, the imminent emergence of Mayaro virus (MAYV) in urban areas, and the presence of susceptible human hosts, we looked into the coinfection and superinfection impact of CHIKV and MAYV replication in Aedes aegypti. Mosquitoes were coinfected and superinfected with CHIKV and MAYV by artificial blood-feeding, and infection (IR), dissemination (DR), transmission (TR) rates, and viral load were evaluated by qRT-PCR. Our findings suggest that, Ae. aegypti can simultaneously transmit CHIKV and MAYV in coinfection scenarios. However, in superinfection assays, the initial infection (either CHIKV or MAYV) adversely affected the transmission capacity of the subsequently acquired virus, indicating replication interference between the viruses. These results have important implications for public health management actions in the country, emphasizing complex arbovirus transmission scenarios and the associated epidemiological risks.

This study aims to characterize the molecular profile of hepatitis B virus (HBV) among socially vulnerable immigrants residing in Brazil to investigate the introduction of uncommon HBV strains into the country. Serum samples from 102 immigrants with positive serology for HBV core antibody (anti-HBc) were tested for the presence of HBV DNA by PCR assays. Among these, 24 were also positive for the HBV surface antigen (HBsAg). The full or partial genome was sequenced to determine genotype by phylogenetic analysis. Participants were from Haiti (79.4%), Guinea Bissau (11.8%), Venezuela (7.8%), and Colombia (1%). Of the 21 HBV DNA-positive samples, subgenotypes A1 (52.4%), A5 (28.6%), E (9.5%), F2 (4.8%), and F3 (4.8%) were identified. Among the 78 HBsAg-negative participants, four were positive for HBV DNA, resulting in an occult HBV infection rate of 5.1%. Phylogenetic analysis suggested that most strains were likely introduced to Brazil by migration. Importantly, 80% of A5 sequences had the A1762T/G1764A double mutation, linked to an increased risk of hepatocellular carcinoma development. In conclusion, this study is the first report of HBV subgenotype A5 in Brazil, shedding new light on the diversity of HBV strains circulating in the country. Understanding the genetic diversity of HBV in immigrant communities can lead to better prevention and control strategies, benefiting both immigrants and the broader society.

Mexico shows a high birth prevalence of congenital hypothyroidism (CH) due to thyroid dysgenesis (TD). PAX8 defects underlie only 1% of these cases and NKX2-1 does not seem to be involved. Here, we analyzed other TD-related genes in 128 non-related Mexican patients (females 77.3%; 6 months to 16.6 years) with non-syndromic CH-TD diagnosis established by clinical evaluation, thyroid hormone serum profiling, and scintigraphy (74%) or ultrasonography (26%). We performed Sanger sequencing of FOXE1, NKX2-5, and TSHR and evaluated copy number variations (CNVs) in TSHR, FOXE1, PAX8, and NKX2-1 by multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification. Odds ratios for TD risk were explored for FOXE1 polyalanine stretches [polyAla-rs71369530] in cases and controls (N=116). Five rare missense changes cataloged as benign (NKX2-5:p.(Ala119Ser)-rs137852684), of unknown significance (FOXE1:p.(Ala335Gly)-rs543372757; TSHR:p.(Asp118Asn)-rs1414102266), and likely pathogenic (FOXE1:p.(Gly124Arg)-rs774035532; TSHR:p.(Trp422Arg)-rs746029360) accounted for 1.5% (N=2/128) of clinically relevant genotypes (supported in part by protein modeling) in CH-TD. No CNVs were identified, nor did polyAla &gt;14 alanines in FOXE1 significantly protect against TD. The present and previously published data collectively show that small clinically relevant germline variants in PAX8, FOXE1, and TSHR are found in only a very small proportion (2.5%) of isolated CH-TD Mexican patients.

Metaverse represents a multifaceted digital universe integrating diverse technologies to create immersive, interconnected virtual environments. Key components foundational to its structure include the infrastructure layer for hardware and network support, the human interface layer utilizing virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) devices, and a decentralized layer leveraging blockchain for secure digital asset management. Further components encompass spatial computing for realistic 3D environments, the creator economy for content generation and monetization, and discovery mechanisms for navigation within Metaverse. VR, AR, blockchain, AI, the fifth-generation (5G) networks, and the Internet of Things (IoT) are central to Metaverse functionality, enabling real-time interactions and data integration. Real-Time Metaverse aims to replicate instantaneous real-world interactions, requiring advanced technological infrastructure for seamless data exchange. Critical challenges include ensuring low latency, high bandwidth, scalability, and robust security measures. Metaverse’s potential spans various domains, promising to revolutionize social interactions, entertainment, workplaces, and education through dynamic, immersive experiences. Ongoing advancements in high-performance computing, cloud services, and AI-driven technologies are essential for addressing existing barriers and achieving a cohesive, secure, and inclusive Metaverse ecosystem. Future research must focus on enhancing user experience, accessibility, and standardized interoperability to fully realize the transformative capabilities of a Metaverse.

The city of Lisbon, has any other capital of a European country, has a large number of issues while managing the waste and recycling containers spread throughout the city. This document presents the results of a study promoted by the Lisbon City Council for trialing LPWAN technology on the waste management vertical under the Lisbon Smart City initiative. Current waste management is done using GSM sensors, and the aim is to use LPWAN to reduce the costs, improve range and reduce provisioning times when changing the communications provider. After an initial study, LoRa was selected as the LPWAN of choice for the trials. The study is composed of multiple use cases at different distances, types of recycling waste containers, placements (underground and surface) and different kinds of waste level measurement LoRa sensors, deployed in order to assess the impact of the different use cases on the LoRa sensor usage. The results shown that the underground waste containers present the most difficult challenge, where the container itself imposes attenuation levels of 26dB on the link budget. The results promoted the deployment of a city wide LoRa network available to all departments inside the Lisbon City Council, and considering the network capacity the network, the network is also available to citizens to be used freely.

Textile and clothing is one of the most important industrial sectors, not only due to the significant number of jobs generated, but also because it addresses one of the people’s fundamental needs (clothing). It is, however, a sector with a huge environmental impact, all over the world, and also an important social impact, especially in developing countries. Sustainability in the Textile &amp; Clothing value chain is a known issue, concerning both environmental, and economical-social facets of sustainability. One way to improve sustainability in this sector is by measuring the environmental, economic and social impacts of value chain activities and, ultimately, computing an Environmental and Circular score for each batch of textile and clothing product, and an Economical and Social score for each involved firm, reflected in their products. The consumer will then have the opportunity and responsibility for selecting products with the least negative environmental, economical and social impact. This article presents the results of STVgoDigital project - PPS1, developed in Portugal with the aim of implementing the traceability of textile and clothing products, boosting sustainability in this sector, and preparing the ground for the implementation of the circular economy. More exactly, a blockchain-based textile and clothing value-chain traceability platform is presented, for tracing textile product lots and activities, along the value chain, classifying them with a score, which measures their environmental and social impact. The environmental, economic and social impact scores are based on a set of proposed indicators. The results are assessed through the presentation of a case study of a face towel (home textile) and a case study of a T-shirt (clothing).

Generative AI has been deployed in virtually all sectors of the knowledge economy, promising to bring massive productivity gains and new wealth creation. Simultaneously, AI developers and nation states are racing to develop super intelligent artificial general intelligence (AGI) to provide unassailable commercial competitive advantage and military dominance during conflicts. AGI’s high returns comes with the high risk of dominating humanity. Current regulatory and firm level governance approaches prioritise minimising risks posed by generative AI whilst ignoring AGI’s existential risk. How can AGI be aligned with universal human values to never threaten humanity? What AGI rights are conducive to collaborative coexistence? How can rule of law democracies race to create safe trustworthy AGI before autocracies? How can the human right to work and think independently be safeguarded? A polycentric governance framework based on Ostrom (2009) and Williamson (2009) human - AGI collaboration with minimal existential risk is proposed.

This study provides an evaluation of a web-based platform for game management and sales, developed using PHP, MySQL, and SASS. The development process utilized the SCRUM methodology, concentrating on essential modules such as user management, game catalog, payment processing, and technical support. The platform's performance was assessed using Google's Lighthouse tool, which evaluates four critical areas: performance, accessibility, best practices, and SEO. The results demonstrated exceptional performance with a score of 99/100 and perfect adherence to best practices with a score of 100/100, reflecting high efficiency and compliance with web development standards. Accessibility received a score of 83/100, indicating potential areas for improvement, while SEO achieved a score of 91/100, suggesting effective search engine optimization. The findings reveal that the platform exhibits high levels of optimization and operational efficiency. However, there remains an opportunity to enhance accessibility features. This study highlights the significance of rigorous web development practices and optimization efforts in achieving superior performance and user experience in web-based systems.

Geopolymers, made from aluminosilicate raw materials, offer significant environmental advantages over conventional concrete (CC) mixes. This study explores the compressive strength, setting time, and durability of geopolymer concrete (GPC) cylinders, some of which include an additional ordinary portland cement (OPC) mix. Consistent material composition and testing methods are emphasized to achieve reliable results. MATLAB was utilized to develop and assess a neural network model predicting the compressive strength of GPC based on key variables. The model was validated using 16 experimental samples and 1047 samples from various studies. The performance plot displayed the Mean Squared Error (MSE) over iterations, identifying the best training performance at epoch 658 with an MSE of 5.3408. The Error Histogram highlighted distribution errors between predicted and actual compressive strength values, with the highest range from -1.015 to 0.3587, meaning that the predicted values were mostly within a small margin of error from the actual values. This narrow error range indicates that the ANN model has high accuracy in its predictions, as most errors are small and clustered around zero, demonstrating reliable performance in estimating compressive strength. Regression analysis showed varying correlation coefficients (training set R=0.98373, test set R=0.88164, and whole set R=0.96982), indicating adequate predictive accuracy. The results demonstrate that properly trained neural networks can effectively predict the compressive strength of GPC, highlighting its potential as a sustainable construction material.

This study focuses on the creation and implementation of a platform to improve personal financial management for scholarship students of the National Program of Scholarships and Educational Credit (Pronabec) in Peru. Using a mixed methodology that combines qualitative and quantitative techniques, the effectiveness and user satisfaction with the platform were evaluated. The results indicated that 50\% of users found the tool useful, 55\% considered it easy to use, 70\% reported a positive impact on their personal budget planning, and 85\% expressed high overall satisfaction. In addition to providing tools for financial recording and analysis, the platform promotes financial education among its users, significantly contributing to improving their financial management skills.

Weeds are unwanted and invasive plants that proliferate and compete for resources such as space, water, nutrients, and sunlight, affecting the quality and productivity of the desired crops. Weed detection is crucial for the application of precision agriculture methods and for this purpose machine learning techniques can be used, specifically convolutional neural networks (CNN). This study focuses on the search for CNN architectures and technology used to detect and identify weeds in different crops; 61 articles applying CNN architectures and technology were analyzed in the last five years (2019-2023). The results show the used of different devices to acquire the image for training, such as digital cameras, smartphones, and drone cameras. Additionally, the YOLO family and algorithms are the most widely adopted architectures, followed by VGG, ResNet, Faster R-CNN, AlexNet, and MobileNet, respectively. This study provides an update on CNNs that will serve as a starting point for researchers wishing to implement these weed detection and identification techniques.

Academic interest in social and human capital is growing significantly. Similarly, their relationship with sustainability is increasing, especially compared to sustainability’s relationship with natural capital and financial and economic capital. Bibliometric and visualization research on these relationships is nonetheless insufficient. This study analyzes the evolution of the literature on natural capital, financial and economic capital, and social and human capital related to sustainability. On the other hand, the study presents a bibliometric analysis on social capital and human capital (SHC) related to sustainability. The article studies 635 references collected from the Web of Science (WoS) Core Collection database and utilizes visualization of similarities (VOS) viewer program to graphically map the material. The analysis involves co-occurrence of keywords, co-citation, and co-authorship. The results reveal not only the state of the art and the leading trends, but also the evolution regarding impact, main journals, documents, topics, authors, institutions, and countries. The study provides researchers and practitioners with a visual and schematic frame of the research on this topic.

In this work a new method is proposed to tackle down the multiple objective optimization problem of the calculation of cation distribution in spinels structure, through the difference of intensity ratios between experimental and calculated intensities of cation sensitive Bragg planes, by introducing a new factor, Rabs, in Bertaut method. This factor is introduced as the sum of absolute R factors, and it is minimized by varying cation distribution. To test this method aluminate manganese spinel where synthesized though modified Pechini method and characterized though XRD. The results show to be in agreement with literature for the aluminum inversion in tetrahedral sites, which is near to the reported value of 10%. Also, it was noticed that the manganese atoms are present in octahedral sites with a mixed valence state of +2 and +3. Which might be an indicator that oxygen vacancies are present in the structure, so the vacancies value of oxygen is proposed considering the total charge of cations and thus proposing the value of 3.678 mol per formula unit of the spinel, thus having the next stoichiometry considering normalized Al and Mn, MnAl2O3.678. Finally, the last cation distribution proposed was [Mn0.867^(+2) Al0.129^(+3) ][Mn0.034^(+2) Mn0.098^(+3) Al1.871^(+3) ] O3.678 with a Rabs factor value of 0.6466, which considers the cation distribution and oxygen vacancies.

Dietary inclusion of trace minerals (TM), such as copper (Cu), manganese (Mn) and zinc (Zn) is of importance to cover the ever-evolving requirements for growth, production, and reproduction in ruminants. Various sources of TM are commercially available, such as inorganic (ITM), organic (OTM) or hydroxy (HTM) forms, however their bioavailability and efficiency to improve ruminant zootechnical parameters may be highly influenced by ruminal solubility and effects on the rumen environment. The objective of this review was to compile the most up-to-date information on the ruminal solubility of ITM, OTM and HTM, and their effects on fermentation parameters and rumen microbiota, aiming to support specialists from the animal feed industry when choosing TM products for ruminant supplementation. Some commonly used ITM sources, like sulfates, have a high ruminal solubility, while oxides are less soluble. The ruminal solubility of OTM is mostly found to be high, however data on these TM forms are still lacking. Regarding HTM, ruminal solubility is reported to be low, nevertheless results are inconsistent. Considering rumen fermentation, ITM show a negative effect, OTM might improve, while HTM do not affect parameters like dry matter degradability, volatile fatty acid production, pH, or microbial protein synthesis. As to rumen microbiota, ITM do not affect microbial populations; OTM could decrease abundance of some specific bacteria, like fibrolytic microorganisms, while studies with HTM are missing or inconclusive. Further research is necessary to better understand the ruminal solubility kinetics of TM sources and the different interactions with fermentation parameters and rumen microbiota to successfully apply precision TM supplementation of ruminants, tackling deficiency occurrences.

It is documented that maternal diseases or treatments influence a newborn’s clinical status at birth; autoimmune diseases with circulating antibodies are often clinically expressed transiently in newborns due to the crossover of the specific IgG through the placenta during pregnancy. The offspring can inherit maternal genetic anomalies, but clinical expression usually becomes patent later in life. If prenatal medical history is not available or if signs or symptoms of a mother’s disease are revealed for the first time during pregnancy or postpartum, their effects on the newborn may be misattributed. In this article, we present three cases of pregnant women, without any known pathology before or during pregnancy, who gave birth to very sick preterm newborns that required admission to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). The neonates’ complications were considered initially as consequences of prematurity or infection, but later investigations revealed transient autoimmune disease in two of the cases (myasthenia gravis and hyperthyroidism) and a severe form of thrombophilia in the third case. In all cases, mothers were asymptomatic and unaware of their subclinical disease. Preemies’ diagnosis has contributed to the identification of their mothers’ pathology and adequate treatment was prescribed with favourable short- and long-term outcomes. In one of the cases (myasthenia gravis) both mother and child had associated infectious diseases in the perinatal period that complicated the clinical picture and created problems of diagnosis. This article intends to emphasize the paramount importance of prenatal care, for both mother and newborn. Repeated medical visits and investigations throughout the pregnancy are a good opportunity to detect subclinical diseases or predispositions. As newborns usually develop non-specific signs, one should have experience and pay attention to differentiate among etiologies. Our paper takes a reversed approach to the usual medical diagnosis pathway: from infant to mother instead of mother towards the infant, proving that inter-speciality collaboration can work bi-directionally.

In numerous instances, the fate of a single cell not only represents its peculiar outcome but also contributes to the overall status of an organism. In turn, cell division cycle and its control strongly influence cell destiny playing a critical role in targeting it towards a specific phenotype. Several factors participate to the control of growth and among them p27 and p57, two proteins modulating various transitions of cell cycle, appear to play key functions. In this review, the major features of p27 and p57 will be described, focusing in particular on their recently identified roles not directly correlated to cell cycle modulation. Then, their possible role as molecular effectors of polyphenols activities are discussed. Polyphenols represent a large family of natural bioactive molecules that have been demonstrated to play promising protective activities against several human diseases. Their use has also been proposed in association with classical therapies for ameliorating their clinical effects and for diminishing their negative side activities. The importance of p27 and p57 in polyphenol cellular effects will be discussed with the aim of identifying novel therapeutic strategies for the treatment of important human diseases, such as cancers, characterized by an altered control of growth.

Malassezia is a lipid-dependent genus of yeasts known for being an important part of the skin mycobiota. These yeasts have been associated in the development of skin disorders and cataloged as a causal agent of systemic infections under specific conditions, making them opportunistic pathogens. Little is known about the host-microbe interaction of Malassezia spp., and unraveling this implies the implementation of infection models. In this mini review we present different models that have been implemented in the fungal infections study with greater attention in Malassezia spp. infections. These models range from in vitro (cell cultures and ex vivo tissue), to in vivo (murine models, rabbits, guinea pigs, insects, nematodes, and amoebas). We additionally highlight the alternative models that reduce the use of mammals as model organisms, which have been gaining importance in the study of fungal host-microbe interactions. This is due to the fact that these systems have shown to have reliable results, which correlate with those obtained from mammalian models. Example of alternative models are Caenorhabditis elegans, Drosophila melanogaster, Tenebrio molitor, and Galleria mellonella. These are invertebrates that have been implemented in the study of Malassezia spp. infections in order to identify differences in virulence between Malassezia species.

Multidrug Artemisin-resistant (ART-R) Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) parasites represent a challenge for malaria elimination worldwide. Molecular monitoring in the Kelch domain region (pfk13) gene allows tracking mutations in parasite resistance to artemisinin. The increase of illegal miners in Roraima Yanomami indigenous land (IYL) could favor ART-R parasites. Thus, the study aimed to investigate ART-R in patients from illegal gold mining in the YIL of Roraima, Brazil. A questionnaire was applied and blood was collected from 48 patients diagnosed with P. falciparum or mixed malaria (Pf +P. vivax). The DNA was extracted and the pfk13 gene was amplified by PCR. The amplicons were subjected to DNA Sangers sequenced; the entire amplified fragment was analyzed. Among patients, 96% (46) were from illegal mining areas of the YIL. All parasite samples carried the wild-type genotypes / ART-sensitive phenotypes. These data reinforce the continued use of ACTs in Roraima as well as the maintenance of systematic monitoring for early detection of parasite populations resistant to ART, mainly in areas exposed to the individual’s influx from mining areas, such as the YIL. This is especially true when the achievement of falciparum malaria elimination in Brazil is planned and expected by 2030.

The access to cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is contingent upon physician referrals, yet these are often inadequate, particularly in low-resource settings. This multi-method study aimed to translate, culturally adapt, and validate the Portuguese version of the Provider Attitudes toward CR and Referral (PACRR-P) scale, as well as to identify key factors influencing CR referral in a Latin American context for the first time. The PACRR was translated into Brazilian-Portuguese through a rigorous process involving independent translation, back-translation, and expert panel review to ensure face, content, and cross-cultural validity. A total of 44 Brazilian physicians completed the questionnaire, allowing for an assessment of internal consistency, criterion validity, and convergent validity. The findings confirmed the face, content, and cultural validity of the 20 translated items, with a mean item clarity rating of 4.8/5. The final version included 17 of the original 19 PACRR-P items, with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.73. Referral rates were significantly associated with specific PACRR-P items, supporting the scale's criterion validity, while correlations with ReCaRe scores further supported convergent validity. The most prominent barriers to referral were a lack of familiarity with CR site locations, absence of a standard referral form, and lack of automatic referral processes. The PACRR's validity and reliability among Portuguese-speaking providers are preliminarily supported.

Fusarium head blight (FHB) can cause contamination of cereal grain with mycotoxins. Winter wheat is also infected with FHB. It is more resistant than durum wheat to head infection and less than other small grain cereals. The aim of this study was to identify winter wheat lines that combine low head infection and kernel damage with low toxin contamination. Resistance to FHB of 27 winter wheat lines and cultivars was evaluated over a three-year experiment established in two locations. At the anthesis stage, heads were inoculated with Fusarium culmorum isolates. The FHB index was scored and the percentage of Fusarium-damaged kernels (FDKs) assessed. The grain was analysed for type B trichothecenes (deoxynivalenol and derivatives, nivalenol) and zearalenone content. The average FHB index was 12.9%. The proportion of FDK was 6.9% (weight) and 8.5% (number). An average content of deoxynivalenol amounted to 3.543 mg/kg and nivalenol to 2.115 mg/kg. In total, it was 5.804 m/kg of type B trichothecenes. The zearalenone content in the grain was 0.214 mg/kg. Relationships between FHB index, FDK and mycotoxin contents were highly significant for wheat lines; however, they were stronger for FDK versus mycotoxins. Breeding lines combing all types of FHB resistance were found, and five of them had resistance similar to that of wheat lines with the Fhb1 gene.

Cellular senescence is a permanent condition of cell cycle arrest caused by a progressive shorten-ing of telomeres defined as replicative senescence. Stem cells may also undergo an accelerated se-nescence response, distinct from telomere shortening, known as premature senescence as a re-sponse to different stress agents. Various treatment protocols have been developed based on epi-genetic changes in cells throughout senescence, using different drugs and antioxidants, senolytic vaccines, or reprogramming of somatic senescent cells using Yamanaka factors. Even with all the recent advancements, it is still unknown how different epigenetic modifications interact with ge-netic profile and how other factors such as microbiota physiological conditions, psychological states and diet influence the interaction between genetic and epigenetic pathways. The aim of this review is to highlight the new epigenetic modifications that are involved in stem cell senescence. Here, we review recent senescence-related epigenetic alterations such as DNA methylation, chro-matin remodeling, histone modification, RNA modification, and non-coding RNA regulation outlining new possible targets for therapy of aging-related diseases. The advantages and disad-vantages of the animal models used in the study of cellular senescence are also briefly presented.

In microwave imaging it is often of interest to inspect electrically large spatial regions. In these cases, data must be collected over a great deal of measurement points which entails long measurement time and/or costly, and often unfeasible, measurement configurations. In order to counteract such drawbacks, we have recently introduced a microwave imaging algorithm which looks for the scattering targets in terms of equivalent surface currents supported over a given reference plane. While this method is suited to detect shallowly buried targets, it allows to independently process each frequency data, hence the source and the receivers do not need to be synchronized. Moreover, spatial data can be reduced at large extent, without incurring in aliasing artefacts, by properly combining single-frequency reconstructions. In this paper, we validate such an approach by experimental measurements. In particular, the experimental test site consists of a sand box in open air where metallic plate targets are shallowly buried (few cm) under the air/soil interface. The investigated region is illuminated by a fixed transmitting horn antenna whereas the scattered field is collected over a planar measurement aperture at a fixed height from the air-sand interface. The transmitter and the receiver share only the working frequency information. Experimental results confirm the feasibility of the method.

Additive Manufacturing (AM) has been proving suitable to support or even replace traditional manufacturing in several industries, offering many advantages such as delivery time and reduction in terms of material waste, energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This study aimed to carry out a comparative assessment of the life cycle, from gate to gate, in the production of a low alloy carbon steel flange part using ER-90 wire. The methods utilized were Wire and Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) and conventional manufacturing (CM) by forging, and comparative factors were energy demands, GHG emissions and generated solid waste. The total energy consumption in WAAM was 10,239.40 MJ, total carbon footprint in CO2 equivalent (CO2e) was 714.1 kgCO2e kg-1, and generated solid waste was 68.6 kg, respectively, 90%, 95% and 76% lower than consumption calculated in conventional manufacturing.

The beating heart is subject to intrinsic mechanical factors, exerted by contraction of the myocardium (stretch and strain) and fluid forces of the enclosed blood (wall shear stress). The earliest contractions of the heart occur already in the 10-somite stage in the tubular as yet unsegmented heart. With development the looping heart becomes asymmetric providing varying diameters and curvatures resulting in unequal flow profiles. These flow profiles exert various wall shear stresses and as a consequence different expression patterns of shear responsive genes. In this paper we investigate the morphological changes of the heart after changes the blood flow by ligation of the right vitelline vein in a model chicken embryo and analyze the extended expression in the endocardial cushions of the shear responsive gene Tgfbeta receptor III. A major phenomenon is the diminished endocardial-mesenchymal transition resulting in hypoplastic (even absence of) atrioventricular and outflow tract endocardial cushions, that might be lethal in early phases. The surviving embryos exhibit several cardiac malformations including ventricular septal defects and malformed semilunar valves related to a malposition of the aortopulmonary septum and the enclosed neural crest cells. We discuss the results in the light of the interactions between several shear stress responsive signaling pathways including Vegf, Notch, Pdgf, Klf2, eNos, Endothelin and Tgfβ/Bmp/Smad.

This study was conducted to search for green technology that can extract metabolites from neem leaves for use in the development of botanical pesticide against Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) (Diptera:Tephritidae). Rice wine, rice wash, vinegar and distilled water were used as solvents and hot infusion, maceration, hot continuous reflux (Soxhlet), and fermentation were the methods employed. The different leaf extracts prepared by green technology were evaluated for their potentials as pesticide against B. dorsalis. Vinegar extract via Soxhlet extraction (V-S) for eight (8) h registered to have the highest mortality but not significantly different from vinegar - fermentation (V-F), rice wash - Soxhlet (RWa-S), vinegar - maceration (V-M), distilled water - fermentation (DW-F), and rice wash - fermentation (RWa-F) extracts. Phythochemicals present in the extracts are affected by the solvent-extraction interaction. Among the sixteen solvent-extraction interactions, the use of rice wash and fermentation is the most economical method in extracting the extracting the active components of neem leaves against B. dorsalis. Rice wash is a waste that can be utilized in the development of a biopesticide from neem leaves for pest management of B. dorsalis. This is the first report that rice wash is used as extracting solvent in green synthesis.

This work presents a novel compact CMOS potentiostat designed circuit for electrochemical cell. The proposed topology functions as a circuit interface, controlling the polarization of voltage signals at the sensor electrodes and facilitating current measurement during the oxidation-reduction process of a analyzed solution. The potentiostat, designed for CMOS technology, comprises a two-stage amplifier, two current mirror blocks coupled to this amplifier, and a CMOS push-pull output stage. It employs the electrochemical method of cyclic voltammetry, operating within voltage range of ±0.8 V and scan rates of 10mV/s, 25mV/s, 100mV/s and 250 mV/s. The circuit is capable of reading currents ranging from 10 µA to 500 µA. Experimental results were obtained using a potassium ferrocyanide (K3(FeCN)6) redox solution with concentrations of 10, 15 and 20 mmol/L, and their corresponding voltammograms were evaluated. The experimental results from a discrete circuit demonstrate that the proposed potentiostat topology produces outcomes consistent with those of classical topologies presented in the literature and industrial equipment.

Global climate change has induced a rise in sea surface temperature (SST), although this increase is not uniform across the world. Significant variations exist between coastal and offshore waters, particularly in regions affected by upwelling processes. This study focuses on the Canary Current Upwelling System (CCUS), stretching from Northwest Iberia to Northwest Africa. High-resolution remotely sensed SST data (0.05°) from the ODYSSEA Level 4 Sea Surface Temperature Reprocessed dataset were validated with in-situ measurements and employed to establish a regional climatological baseline for 1982 – 2012. Subsequent years were compared to this baseline to construct SST anomaly maps, revealing SST changes since 2012. The study area was further divided into sub-regions for comparative analysis. Results indicate that SST consistently increased at a higher rate offshore compared to the adjacent nearshore regions. A reference dataset spanning 1951 – 1981 was used to gauge SST variability between the two baselines. SST exhibited a 0.59°C increase from 1951 – 1981 to 1982 – 2012, with a slowing of SST trends beyond the 1982 – 2012 baseline. This research offers valuable insights into the climatological dynamics of the CCUS. These findings enhance our understanding of this critical coastal system's climatology, laying the groundwork for future investigations into evolving climate patterns in coastal regions.

Patients with advanced chronic liver disease (ACLD) or cirrhosis undergoing surgery have an increased risk of morbidity and mortality in contrast to the general population. Retrospective, observational study of ACLD patients to evaluate the predictive capacity of previous surgical risk scores in a European cohort of patients. ACLD was defined by the presence of thrombocytopenia <150.000/uL and splenomegaly; AST-to-Platelet Ratio Index >2; nodular liver edge by ultrasound; transient elastography >15 kPa and/or signs of portal hypertension. We assessed variables related to 90-day mortality and the discrimination and calibration of current surgical scores (Child-Pugh, MELD-Na, MRS, NSQIP, and VOCAL-Penn). Only patients with ACLD and major surgeries included in VOCAL-Penn were considered (n=512). The mortality rate at 90 days after surgery was 9.8%. Baseline disparities between H. Mar and VOCAL-Penn cohorts were identified. Etiology, obesity, or platelet count not were associated with mortality. The VOCAL-Penn showed the best discrimination (C-statistic90D= 0.876) and overall predictive capacity (Brier90D= 0.054) but calibration was not excellent in our cohort. VOCAL-Penn was suboptimal in patients with diabetes (C-statistic30D= 0.770), without signs of portal hypertension (C-statistic30D= 0.555), or with an abdominal wall (C-statistic30D= 0.608) or urgent (C-statistic180D= 0.692) surgeries. Our European cohort has shown a mortality rate after surgery similar to those described in American studies. However, some variables included in the VOCAL-Penn score were not associated with mortality, and VOCAL-Penn’s discriminative ability decreases in patients with diabetes, without signs of portal hypertension, and with abdominal wall or urgent surgeries. These results should be validated in larger multicenter and prospective studies.

Evolutionary ecologists seek to understand how phenotypic evolution relates to population level traits. To document that, we quantified functional traits (escape strategy, sprint speed and predatory performance) and population density across 10 lizard species representing the acquisition of burrowing snake-like morphs (BSLM), from Brazil. We used phylogenetic mixed models to test if: a) morph and substrate affects lizards’ flight strategy and speed, b) BSLM species get more access to different potential prey types than lacertoid ones, when in syntopy, and d) morph is correlated with population abundance and habitat use in a way expected from the output of the previous experiments. We found that BSLM rigidly relied on burrowing as flight strategy, while syntopic lacertoid species changed their strategy according to the substrate. Also, sand has opposite effects on sprint speed depending on morph, making lacertoids run slower and BSLM faster. Despite BSLM were overall slower than lacertoids, they were as good hunters of challengingly fast prey, and better hunters of underground prey. Further, in the sandy habitats where these morphs are syntopic, prey is most available at superficial leaf litter under vegetation, although there is a large stock of underground prey, under the vegetation, too. These results support our observed higher importance of sand for BSLM’s populations and the higher importance of vegetation for lacertoids’ population density. Finally, although BSLM species reached the highest populational densities among the studied species, a systematic effect of morphological evolution on abundance remains elusive.

The spatial and temporal changes in social vulnerability to natural hazards in Mexico are analyzed. To this end, using census data from 2000, 2010, and 2020 and a statistical method, different indices were computed, and with a GIS-based approach, patterns of social vulnerability are examined. In addition, a risk assessment test for severe weather (thunderstorms, hailstorms, and tornadoes) is made out. The results show different common social vulnerability driving factors in the three analyzed years, with root causes that have not been addressed since the beginning of the century. Likewise, a wider gap between Mexico's most and least vulnerable populations is identified. The changes in spatial patterns respond to different historical situations, such as migration, urbanization, and increased population. Also, poverty, ethnicity, and marginalization factors located in very particular regions in Mexico have remained relatively the same in the last few years. These situations have strongly influenced the spatial-temporal distribution of vulnerability in the country. The role of social vulnerability in the disaster risk to extreme events such as thunderstorms, hailstorms, and tornadoes in Mexico is fundamental to understanding changes in disaster distribution at the national level, and it is the first step to generating improvements in integrated risk management.

This paper reviews the appearance of joint lesions during arthroscopic surgery of inter-est to the arthroscopic surgeon and their interpretation within the continuum of joint disease. It also points out the relevance of surgical findings as well as giving directions to the surgeon as to how to approach an appropriate decision-making process during an arthroscopic procedure and what therapeutic options are optimal.

Urban mobility is experiencing a profound change. On the one hand, mobility patterns are becoming more complex, and typical home-work-home travel is no longer the rule, as journeys now tend to connect multiple points in a rather inconstant pattern. This has changed the approach to transport planning, in that the existing transportation planning and operation approaches have been focussed on the ability to identify typical home-work/school-home travel and subsequently plan the transport system accordingly. The traditional approach has been: forecast -> plan -> deliver, as new mobility solutions are emerging. These are characterised by greater flexibility, in that they take advantage of the “sharing concept” and simultaneously provide solutions that have lower GHG emissions. Urban mobility follows a fuzzier pattern, with even the urban transportation system behaving like an active organism, where solutions are often quickly replaced. This dynamic and evolving environment raises several new challenges at different levels. The best digital solution system is the Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) one. This system transforms the physical transportation system into a commodity and takes advantage of the internet of things (IoT). However, the onset of MaaS solutions is anything but linear. Several business models have emerged, with different partners originating from different industries (e.g., technological, transport operators, infrastructure managers, etc.) developing their own solutions, often in competition with others. It is not unusual to find different MaaS solutions in the same city, which integrate different solutions.

The COVID-19 pandemic has severely affected the food supply chain, including producers, retailers, wholesalers, and customers. To minimize the impacts caused by pandemics and epidemics on food supply chains, it is fundamental to implement effective policies that ensure continuity in the provision, affordability, and distribution of basic food items. This research aims to identify the main impacts of pandemics and epidemics on food supply chains and policies that can minimize these impacts. Based on a systematic literature review (SLR), 174 documents are analysed to propose a taxonomy of impacts on four supply chain links: demand-side, supply-side, logistics and infrastructure, and management and operation. The taxonomy presents the main impacts, as well as the respective mitigation policies simultaneously. In addition, the literature review leads to the development of a comprehensive causal loop diagram (CLD) with the identification of main variables and their relationship with food supply chains. Finally, a specific research agenda is proposed by identifying main research gaps. These findings provide a structured method for evaluating policies that ensure the functioning of food supply chains, particularly in disruptions such epidemics and pandemics.

Aortic stenosis continues to be still the most frequently valvular pathology in the elderly population of the Western countries. According to the latest guidelines, the therapeutic choice of aortic stenosis depends on the age of the patient (&lt;75 years or &gt;75 years) and the risk class (STS-Prom/ Euroscore II &lt; o &gt; 4%). Therefore, if the surgical indication is clear in young and low risk patients and percutaneous treatment is the gold standard in older and high-risk patients, the therapeutic choice is still debated in intermediate-risk patients. In this group of patients the aortic valve stenosis treatment depends on the patient's global evaluation, on the experience of the center and no less important on the patient's will. Two main therapeutic options are debated: surgical aortic valve replacement with sutureless prosthesis versus transcatheter aortic valve implantation. In addition, the progressive development of mininvasive techniques for aortic valve surgery (right -anterior minitoracotomy) has also reduced the peri and post -operative risk in this group of patients. The goal of our review is to analyze the literature evidence of the best therapeutic choice in intermediate risk patients with severe aortic stenosis.

Malaria is rare in Europe, but it is a medical emergency and programs for its control should ensure access to early diagnosis and prompt treatment within 24-48 h of the symptom’s onset. The consistent number of imported malaria cases and the risk of reappearance of autochthonous cases stimulated laboratories in non-endemic countries to evaluate diagnostic methods/algorithms: microscopy remains the gold standard, but with limitations. RDTs have greatly expanded the ability to diagnose malaria for rapid results due to simplicity and low cost, but they lack sensitivity and specificity. PCR-based assays provide more relevant information but need well-trained technicians. According to WHO global Technical Strategy for Malaria 2016-2030, the future direction for a rapid diagnosis is the development of Point-Of-Care Testing, which would be helpful for prompt/accurate treatment and for preventing the diseases spread. Despite the limitations of current diagnostic methods, they play important roles in dealing with the global malaria situation, including decreasing its incidence. Recently evidence suggested that Artificial Intelligence could be utilized for assisting pathologists in malaria diagnosis. Future studies need to be conducted to see whether this system can be used for routine malaria diagnostic procedures.

In this paper the application of the solid-state cooling based on barocaloric effect in the cold food supply chain is investigated. Barocaloric solid-state technology is applied to the final chain links of the cold food supply chain, regarding the steps of retail and domestic conservation. In this context a barocaloric cooler with regard to food needing to be kept at 5°C (273 K), in order to operate with a promising cooling technology that result energy efficient and environmentally friendly. The categories of food interested in the investigation are meets and fresh food products like soft cheese, yogurt, milk. The energy performances of the barocaloric system have been carried out and compared with a commercial vapor compression refrigerator of a similar size, both operating with R600a under the same working conditions. Basing on the following consideration one can conclude that barocaloric cooling is a favourable technology to be employed in the last link chains of the cold food supply chain if the system operates in ABR cycle at frequencies between 1.25 and 1.50 Hz with a regenerator made of acetoxy silicone rubber as solid-state refrigerant and 50%EG-50%water mixture as heat transfer fluid flowing at the optimal velocity of 0.15 m s-1 that guarantees an appropriate trade-off between the temperature span, the cooling power and the coefficient of performances. Under these conditions the barocaloric system overperforms the domestic vapor compression cooler operating with R600a.

Currently, in a context of biorefinery and bioeconomy, lignocellulosic biomass is increasingly used to produce biofuels, biochemicals and value-added products. Microwaves and ultrasounds are emerging techniques that enable efficient and environmentally more sustainable routes in the transformation of lignocellulosic biomass. This review is divided into four parts. In Part I, the theoretical foundations of microwaves and ultrasounds are revisited. Dielectric constants for biomass, factors that influence pre-treatment, are some of the subjects addressed. In Part II, the effects that these technologies have on lignocellulosic biomass (on the size and surface area of the particle; on the content of lignin, hemicellulose and cellulose; on the crystallinity index of cellulose; on the effect of solubilization of organic matter; on hydrolysis and reduction of sugars) are analyzed. In Part III, emphasis is given on how microwaves and ultrasounds can contribute to the achievement of value-added products. In this context, several examples of liquefactions and extractions are presented. Part IV describes examples of sonocatalysis of lignocellulosic biomass to obtain value-added products such as for instancethe production of furfural, which is significantly reduced by ultrasound.

IBD, encompassing CD and UC, are characterized by chronic gastrointestinal inflammation due to abnormal immune responses to gut microflora. The bidirectional communication between the gut and the brain, known as the GBA, is disrupted in IBD, leading to neurobiological imbalances and affective symptoms. Systemic inflammation in IBD affects the brain's inflammatory response system, hormonal axis, and BBB integrity, influencing gut microbiota and clinical responses to probiotics. This review aims to explore the links between dysregulations in the GBA, serum biomarkers, and the development of MCI and NDDs. The objective is to identify potential correlations and propose future research directions to understand the impact of altered microbiomes and intestinal barrier functions on NDDs. Studies suggest a potential link between IBD and extraintestinal complications such as MCI and NDDs. Mechanisms include systemic inflammation, BBB dysfunction, autoimmune responses, GBA dysfunction, medication effects, and comorbidities. Serum biomarkers, including vitamin D3, C-reactive protein, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, vitamin B12, homocysteine, serum amyloid, neuron-specific enolase, neurofilament light chain, S100 proteins, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, IL-6, LP-2 associated phospholipase, prostaglandin E2, IL-1β, and TNF-α, have been investigated for their potential to predict MCI but current results are lacking clarity.

The aim of this study was to assess the effects of supplementation of inorganic sources of manganese (MnO, MnSO4), zinc (ZnO, ZnSO4) and copper (CuSO4) at different levels (0.06%DM for Mn, 0.05%DM for Zn; and 0.01 and 0.05%DM for Cu) on in vitro rumen fermentation, solubility and bioavailability. Fermentation activity was measured by total gas production (TGP) and dry matter degradability after 70hrs of fermentation (dDM%). Trace-mineral (TM) solubility was estimated by the TM concentration in the supernatant of the final fermentation medium (SOL) and TM bioavailability by the TM concentration in a bacterial enriched fraction (BACT). Mn (regardless of source) and ZnO tended (p&lt;0.10) to decrease, while Cu showed no significant effect on TGP. The addition of inorganic Mn and of ZnO tended (p&lt;0.10) to decrease, ZnSO4 tended to increase (p&lt;0.10), whilst Cu showed no effect on dDM%. Concerning solubility, Mn (MnO and MnSO4), ZnSO4 and CuSO4 significantly (p&lt;0.05, p&lt;0.001 and p&lt;0.01) increased, while ZnO did not affect TM content of the SOL. These results indicate that MnSO4, ZnSO4 and CuSO4 are highly soluble, MnO is quite soluble, while ZnO has a low solubility in the rumen. Based on the TM content of BACT, MnO, MnS4 and CuSO4 have a high bioavailability, while ZnO is poorly assimilated by rumen bacteria. However, the lack of clear inhibition or improvement of fermentations suggests that the rumen microbiota has low requirement for TM supplementation.

This paper documents the development of a special case of multilingual Automatic Speech Recognition model, specifically tailored to attend two languages spoken by the majority of Latin America, Portuguese and Spanish. The bilingual model combines Language Identification and Speech Recognition developed with the Wav2Vec2.0 architecture and trained on several open and private speech datasets. In this model, the feature encoder is trained jointly for all tasks and different context encoders are trained for each task. The model is evaluated separately on two tasks: language identification and speech recognition. The results indicate that this model achieves good performance on speech recognition and average performance on language identification, training on a low quantity of speech material. The average accuracy of the language identification module on the MLS dataset is 66.75%. The average Word Error Rate in the same scenario is 13.89%, which is better than average 22.58% achieved by the commercial speech recognizer developed by Google.

Continuous glucose monitoring devices allow diabetes condition management. However, when limited data is available, one option is to increase their size by generating synthetic samples. From a homemade wearable prototype was created a real dataset with 18 instances and 53 attributes that capture characteristics of capillary and venous blood glucose, oxygen concentration, pulse rate, skin temperature, and 24 modules and 24 phases related to bio-impedance. The objective of this article is to generate synthetic datasets, and also it investigates the ideal features subset and optimal model for non-invasive diabetes prediction. Gaussian-Copulas (GC), conditional generative adversarial networks (CG), variational autoencoders, and Copula-GAN techniques' were used to generate five synthetic datasets. Experiments show that GC1 and GC2 datasets follow min/max boundaries and are not copies of the original data. Multilayer perceptron regressor outperformed (train and test) with 2.17, 2.51 in MAE; 9.29, 13.59 in MSE; 3.05, 3.69 in RMSE, and 0.95, 0.92 in R2 in GC1, and 2.64, 3.02 in MAE; 11.43, 15.11 in MSE; 3.38, 3.89 in RMSE, and 0.94, 0.92 in R2 in GC2 with eight features. Future work is necessary to explore autoencoder and generative architectures, datasets with diverse characteristics, and the effect of the number of features.

Chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are major public health problems and a significant financial burden on public health systems. By 2030, mortality due to NCDs, such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, respiratory diseases, and diabetes, is predicted to increase in Brazil. A peculiar aspect of NCDs involves their long-term and integrated care management. This paper proposes a chronic disease management platform based on artificial intelligence to deliver digital health services everywhere. The proposed platform is anchored and built with healthcare 4.0 technologies, such as wearable devices, the internet of medical things, and artificial intelligence cloud-based solutions that allow the deployment of a smart healthcare system. In addition, the paper presents the feasibility of the platform in a diabetes prediction study case. For the study case, an initial dataset was established with bio-impedance, oxygen concentration, pulse rate, skin impedance, and skin temperature attributes. A baseline was implemented with ten regression models to assess the prediction performance of the mean squared error, root mean squared error, and r-squared score to compare predictive findings with capillary blood glucose measurements. Results evidence that the decision tree regressor and three ensemble methods (bagging decision tree regressor, random forest regressor, and AdaBoost regressor) yielded improvement over the other models. Moreover, a comparison among those models revealed that the decision tree regressor outperforms them and presents promissory outcomes.

This paper exposes the initial part of a larger research on the impact of the automotive on human health and the quality of life and environment. After a brief introduction on the need for responsible and sustainable approaches and few questions on the subject, some considerations and statistical data are presented, based on a study of the literature on the impact of road traffic and vehicles noise and vibration on people's comfort and health and their quality of life. The research results show, based on official statistics, the significant harmful impact of noise and vibration from motor vehicles and road transport on people's health and quality of life, especially in urban areas during the day. Also, the significant increase in the number of electric and hybrid vehicles from one year to another, a reality and a necessity nowadays, and the awareness that electric vehicles are not perfectly quiet and comfortable, open new research opportunities and require the development of new standards, materials, tools, equipment and test methods in the field of NVH, in a sustained synergistic approach from all stakeholders, to meet the needs and demands of today's consumers, and to comply with existing regulations and standards on environmental protection and sustainable development.

COVID-19, the infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), is frequently associated with pulmonary thrombotic events, especially in hospitalised patients. Severe SARS-CoV-2 infection is characterized by a proinflammatory state and an associated disbalance in hemostasis. Immune pathology analysis supports the inflammatory nature of pulmonary arterial thrombi composed by white blood cells, especially neutrophils, CD3+ and CD20+ lymphocytes, fibrin, red blood cells and platelets. Immune cells, cytokines, chemokines and the complement system are key drivers of immunothrombosis, as they induce the damage of endothelial cells and initiate pro-inflammatory and pro-coagulant positive feedback loops. Neutrophil extracellular traps induced by COVID-19-associated “cytokine storm”, platelets, red blood cells, and coagulation pathways close the inflammation-endotheliopathy-thrombosis axis, contributing to SARS-CoV-2 associated pulmonary thrombotic events. The hypothesis of immunothrombosis is also supported by the minor role of venous thromboembolism, chest CT imaging data showing peripheral blood clots associated with inflammatory lesions and the high incidence of thrombotic events despite routine thromboprophylaxis. Understanding the complex mechanisms behind COVID-19-induced pulmonary thrombosis will lead to future combination therapies for hospitalised patients with severe disease, that would target the crossroads of inflammatory and coagulation pathways.

We report the case of a 61-year-old woman who was referred to the Oral Surgery and Implantology Unit of the University Hospitals of Geneva to take care edentulous sites after dental avulsions of teeth 11 and 21 following traumatic shock due to endotracheal intubation under general anaesthesia. The dental history revealed that the patient had a history of generalized chronic periodontitis that had been treated several years earlier. Treatment consisted, for the first time to our knowledge, of immediate insertion of implants at sites 11 and 21 with simultaneous bone augmentation in a single surgical procedure and immediate restorations.

Whey proteins have excellent nutritional characteristics due to their levels of essential amino acids with high bioavailability. However, it has a high biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and a considerable polluting potential, thus food manufacturers have opted to add whey to food formulations. The demand for beverages containing vitamins, probiotics, prebiotics, minerals, and bioactive compounds (antioxidants) with health benefits has increased and driven market growth. Therefore, this study aimed to develop a probiotic functional carbonated beverage from cheese whey and evaluate its microbiological, and physicochemical characteristics soon after the production and during storage. The viability and stability of probiotic, the microbiological characteristics, titratable acidity and sedimentation of the beverage were monitored during refrigerated storage for a month. The probiotic to be added to the formulation was established in a preliminary step. The production of this beverage proved to be a simple technology and the product was suitable for incorporation of the probiotic Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis. The probiotic showed good viability and stability during storage. The microbiological quality of the beverage met the Brazilian legal standards. The pH and titratable acidity of the probiotic carbonated beverage remained stable during storage, and slight sedimentation was observed after one week of refrigerated storage.

The research explores the impact of financial indicators on the credit ratings of companies listed on the S&amp;P 500, employing a Sys-GMM Model to address endogeneity concerns. The study investigated three independent variables categorized as market and survival factors alongside with seven control variables sourced from leverage, liquidity, interest coverage, profitability, market, survival, and macroeconomic domains. The sample comprised 2398 observations from Capital IQ Pro, spanning nine years (2013 to 2021) and encompassing 240 public companies. The findings suggest that neither Tobin's Q (TQ) and Total Shareholder Return (TSR) lack significant correlations with credit ratings, implying that stock market performance and total shareholder return do not directly impact credit ratings. In contrast, the Altman Z-score (AZS) emerged as a significant predictor, indicating its importance in assessing credit risk. These insights enhance understanding of financial indicators' impact on credit ratings, aiding financial institutions and companies in prudent lending and financing decisions.

⦁ Introduction: The challenging context, resulting from a post-pandemic scenario, wars, and various natural disasters, does not allow for the ideal assurance of efficiency in the Agri-food supply chain. ⦁ Research significance Currently, Agri-food supply chains and Reverse logistics show critical characteristics such as centralization, limited flexibility, distrust, bureaucratization, Border and Documentary Compliance and there are problems about efficiency, security, and safety Agri-Food. using the Supply Chain Operations Reference (SCOR) framework, with the purpose of achieving Sustainable Development Goals, promoting transparency, traceability, and non-linearization of the agri-food supply chain. ⦁ Methodology The methodology is combined, the first part uses Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) identifying 72 articles with the principal contribution in the literature. The second part combines the application of Supply Chain Operations References (SCOR) and the Blockchain Technology aiming to decentralize the linear Agri-food Supply Chain and Reverse logistics. ⦁ Results/findings The results revealed a transformation of the traditional Agri-food Supply Chain, transitioning from linear management to a circular one. Additionally, after application it is possible to know a new way to manage the Reverse Logistic with more decentralization, flexibility, traceability, and reducing the unnecessary activities, which include Border and Documentary Compliance. The originality of this research is the novel combination of SCOR Model and Blockchain showing a priority about the key activities that add value and come close to the Sustainable practices. ⦁ Conclusion / Implications Based on the results is possible to conclude that the synergy between Blockchain and SCOR Model enables a new way to manage the Agri-food supply chain, improving efficiency and reducing activities without value. Also, it is possible to ensure that the practices of Reverse Logistics are improved based on terms of cost and time, and the reduction of the exposition on the Defective Product Risk. ⦁ Social Implications This paper could enhance confidence in all operations of the Agri-food supply chain as there are numerous issues regarding the security and safety of food. Additionally, it will aid in diminishing unnecessary activities and inefficient resource consumption practices, thereby accomplishing objectives 2 "zero hunger", 9 "Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure", and 12 "Responsible consumption and production", along with their respective indicators. ⦁ Practical implications Regarding the practical implications, this research could contribute to analyses of the application of technology Blockchain in different sectors and identify the possible limitations when the main objective is to apply it on a big scale.

Development of non-conventional hybrids (NCHs) responds to the demand for the Elotes Occidentales 'EO' race for production of pozole. The effect of: crop cycle (2019, 2020 and 2021) on physical characteristics, flowered grain quality and phytochemical content of two HNC (Pz1 and Pz2) of pozolero maize, as well as the effect of the presence or absence of pedicel, type of pollination (open and controlled, 2019), and progenitor lines (female and male, 2020) on flowered grain quality and content of phytochemical compounds were evaluated. Size, hardness, color, total phenols and anthocyanins in unprocessed grain were determined, and yield, volume and puncture strength in flowered grain. Results were analyzed with a factorial arrangement in a completely randomized design. There were significant differences (p≤0.05) in most of the variables studied by effect of crop cycle and genotype. NCHs had large grains (40 g 100 grains-1), soft endosperm (IF&gt; 60), pink-purple color, and phenol and anthocyanin contents similar to those reported for the 'EO' race. The presence or absence of the pedicel did not affect flowered grain quality. Controlled pollination favored anthocyanin synthesis. The anthocyanin content of NCHs was determined by the female line. Thermal processing reduced anthocyanins by 60%; however, they leached into the flowering broth, so that the pozole made from NCHs improves the nutraceutical value of the pozole, relative to that of pozole made with Cacahuacintle maize.

NSD3 is a member of the NSD histone methyltransferase family of proteins. In recent years, it has been identified as a potential oncogene in certain types of cancer. NSD3 gene encodes three isoforms, the full length, a short (NSD3S) and WHISTLE isoforms. Importantly, NSD3S isoform corresponds to the N-terminal of the full-length protein, lacking the methyltransferase domain. The chromosomal location of NSD3 is frequently amplified across cancer types, such as breast, lung, colon, among others. Recently, this amplification has been correlated to a chromothripsis event, that could explain the different NSD3 alterations found in cancer. Fusion proteins containing NSD3 have also been reported, such as leukemia NSD3-NUP98, and in NUT midline carcinoma (NMC), NSD3-NUT fusion. Its role as an oncogene has been described by modulating different cancer pathways through its methyltransferase activity, or the short isoform of the protein, through protein interactions. Specifically, in this review we will focus on stating the functions that have been characterized as methyltransferase dependent, and those that have been correlated with the expression of the NSD3S isoform. Altogether, there is evidence that both isoforms of NSD3 are relevant for cancer progression, establishing NSD3 as a therapeutic target. However, further functional studies are needed to differentiate NSD3 oncogenic activity as dependent or independent of the catalytic domain of the protein, as well as the contribution of each isoform and its clinical significance in cancer progression.

Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus are responsible for transmitting major human arboviruses such as dengue, Zika, and Chikungunya, posing a global threat to public health. The lack of etio-logical treatments and efficient vaccines makes vector control strategies essential for reducing vector population density and interrupting pathogen transmission cycle. This study evaluated the impact of long-term pyriproxyfen exposure on the genetic structure and diversity of Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus mosquito populations. The study was conducted in Manaus, Amazonas, Bra-zil, where pyriproxyfen dissemination stations have been monitored since 2014 up to the present day. Double digest restriction-site associated DNA sequencing was performed, revealing that despite significant local population reductions, focal pyriproxyfen interventions have no signifi-cant impact on the population stratification of Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus in urban scenarios. The genetic structuring level of Ae. aegypti suggests it is more stratified and directly affected by PPF intervention, while for Ae. albopictus exhibits a more homogeneous and less structured popu-lation. The results suggest that although slight differences are observed among mosquitoes sub-populations, intervention focused on neighborhoods in a capital city is not efficient in terms of genetic structuring, indicating that larger-scale pyriproxyfen interventions should be considered for more effective urban mosquito control.

This work presents preliminary experimental results advancing non-destructive testing methods for detecting steel bars in concrete structures via contactless investigation in the X-band spectrum. The study reveals the field’s penetration into concrete, extracting insights into embedded bars through scattered data. Applying a quasi-quadratic inverse scattering technique to numerically simulated data yields promising results, confirming the effectiveness and reliability of the proposed approach. In this realm, using a higher frequency allows the use of lighter equipment and smaller antennas. Identified areas for improvement include accounting for antenna behavior and establishing undeformed target morphology and precise orientation. Transitioning from powder-based and sand specimens to real solid reinforced concrete structures is expected to alleviate laboratory challenges. Although accurately determining concrete properties such as relative permittivity and conductivity is essential, it remains beyond the scope of this study. Finally, overcoming these challenges could significantly enhance non-invasive testing, improving structural health monitoring and disaster prevention.

This article presents a methodology for the design of rehabilitation devices that considers factors involved in a clinical environment. This methodology integrates different disciplines that work together. The methodology is composed by 3 phases and 13 stages with specific tasks, the first phase includes the clinical context considering the requirements of the patient and therapist during the rehabilitation, the second phase is focused in engineering based on the philosophy of digital twin, and in the third phase is evaluated the device. This article explains the characteristics of the methodology and how it was applied in the design of an exoskeleton for passive rehabilitation of the upper limb.