When integrating data from different sources, there are problems of synonymy, different languages, concepts of different granularity. This paper proposes a simple but effective approach to evaluate the semantic similarity of short texts, especially keywords. The method is capable of matching keywords from different sources and languages by exploiting transformers and WordNet-based methods. Key features of the approach include its unsupervised pipeline, mitigation of the lack of context in keywords, scalability for large archives, support for multiple languages and real-world scenarios adaptation capabilities. The work aims to provide a versatile tool for different cultural heritage archives without requiring complex customization. The objectives of the paper are to explore different approaches to identifying similarities in 1- or n-gram tags, to evaluate and compare different pre-trained language models, and to define integrated methods to overcome limitations. Tests to validate the approach have been conducted using the QueryLab portal, a search engine for cultural heritage archives, to evaluate the proposed pipeline.

The concept of innovation ecosystems brings to light a whole set of stakeholders that face the entire set of barriers to making new technologies change people´s lives. This research aimed to understand and analyze the innovation ecosystem in organic and agroecological production in the Federal District, Brazil, and its directly influenced area. A questionnaire was applied to 27 institutions identified as the backbone of the innovation ecosystem. The Gephi 0.10.1 software and the Force Atlas 2 network algorithm set up the relationship network. We verified a certain misalignment between expected roles and functions performed by 66% of the stakeholders. Low integration and dispersed relationships in the network were observed with a misalignment around the innovation concept in organic food production. This arrangement of the ecosystem is compatible with the initial stage, in which stakeholders and resources would be spread out and demobilized. Although shared governance is the most effective for an innovation ecosystem, the analyzed ecosystem demands centralized governance with a leading organization. Strengthening strategies were proposed to (i) define leadership, (ii) define roles or competencies, and (iii) strengthen community attributes.

We examine the mass balance of the glaciers in the Novaya Zemlya Archipelago, located in the Russian High Arctic using time series of time-variable gravity from the NASA/DLR Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) mission, laser altimetry data from the NASA Ice Cloud and land Elevation Satellite (ICESat) mission, and radar altimetry data from the ESA CryoSat-2 mission. We present a new algorithm for detecting changes in glacier elevation from these satellite altimetry data and evaluate its performance in the case Novaya Zemlya by comparing the results with GRACE. We find that the mass loss of Novaya Zemlya increased from 10±5 Gt/yr over 2003-2009 to 14±4 Gt/yr over 2010-2016, with a brief period of near mass balance between 2009 and 2011. The results are consistent across the gravimetric and altimetric methods. Furthermore, the analysis of elevation change from CryoSat-2 indicates that 60\% of the mass loss occurs at low elevation, where thinning rates are highest. We also find that marine-terminating glaciers in Novaya Zemlya are thinning significantly faster than land-terminating glaciers, which indicates an important role of ice dynamics of marine-terminating glaciers. We posit that the glacier changes have been caused by changes in atmospheric and ocean temperatures. We find that the increase in mass loss after 2010 is associated with a warming in air temperatures, which increased the surface melt rates. There is no enough information on the ocean temperature at the front of the glaciers to conclude on the role of the ocean, but we posit that the temperature of subsurface ocean waters must have increased during the observation period.

Tabebuia aurea (Silva Manso) Benth. & Hook. f. The ex S.Moore (yellow ipe), belonging to the Bignoniaceae family, used in the popular for fever, inflammation and healing of skin wounds. The extract was prepared by maceration, using 70% ethanol. Through HPLC analysis, it was possible to identify substances, mainly phenolic, such as lapachol, present in Bignoniaceae. The phenolic content was 21.36 mg / Eag in the antioxidant activity, the effective concentration of 50% was 53.03 ± 1.14 µg / mL. The antimicrobial activity against S.aureus, E. coli and C. albicans was evaluated by microdilution in broth, which verified action against the tested microorganisms. Cell viability has been inhibited for tumor cells, although this has not been observed for normal cells. The LD50 against A.aegypti mosquito larvae was 3504.6 mg / L and there was no mortality in the concentration tested for the snail B.glabrata. Nontoxic or low toxicity for A. salina and T. molitor, respectively, and did not exhibit hemolytic action at concentrations of antibacterial effect. Given the above, it was concluded that the bark extract of the studied species has bioprospecting potential for the future development of antimicrobial products.

The continuous and precise mapping of glacier calving fronts is essential for monitoring and understanding rapid glacier changes in Antarctica and Greenland, which have the potential for significant sea level rise within the current century. This effort has been mostly restricted to the slow and painstaking manual digitalization of the calving front positions in thousands of satellite imagery products. Here, we have developed a machine learning toolkit to robustly and automatically detect glacier calving front margins in satellite imagery. The toolkit is based on semantic image segmentation using Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) with a modified U-Net architecture to isolate the calving fronts from satellite images after having been trained with a dataset of images and their corresponding manually-determined calving fronts. As a case study we train our neural network on a varied set Landsat images with lowered resolutions from Jakobshavn, Sverdrup, and Kangerlussuaq glaciers, Greenland and test the results on novel images from Helheim glacier, Greenland to evaluate the performance of the approach. The neural network is able to identify the calving front in new images with a mean deviation of 96.3 m from the true fronts, equivalent to 1.97 pixels on average, while the corresponding error for manually-determined fronts on the same resolution images is 92.5 m. We find that the trained neural network significantly outperforms common edge detection techniques, and can be used to continuously map out calving-ice fronts with a variety of data products.

Health literacy describes skills and competencies that enable people to gain access to, understand and apply health information to positively influence their own health and the health of those in the social environment. In an increasingly media saturated and digitized world, these skill sets are necessary for accessing and navigating sources of health information and tools, such as television, the Internet, and mobile apps. The concepts of Media Health Literacy (MHL) and eHealth Literacy (eHL) describe the specific competencies such tasks require. This article introduces the two concepts, and then reviews findings on the associations of MHL and eHL with several contextual variables in the social environment such as socio-demographics, social support, and system complexity, as a structural variable. As eHL and MHL are crucial for empowering people to actively engage in their own health, a growing body of literature reports of the potential and the effectiveness of intervention initiatives to positively influence these competencies. From an ethical standpoint, equity is emphasized, stressing the importance of accessible media environments for all - including those at risk of exclusion from (digital) media sources. Alignment of micro and macro contextual spheres will ultimately facilitate both non-digital and digital media to effectively support and promote public health.

Carbonate rocks occupy about 6490 km2 in Albania (23% of the country) and the total exploitable karst water resources are estimated in 2.84*109 m3/year (about 65% of the total exploitable groundwater resources in the country, and about 70% of those used for water supply). In addition, karst massifs are very rich in thermal waters, related to the ascending fluids which are essential for the development of hypogenic karstification in the outer Albanides. This type of karst facilitates the circulation regime of deep fluids, which are revealed at the surface through both numerous phenomena of hypogene karst and hot springs. The relatively small Kruja Tectonic Zone is characterized by the presence of SE-NW oriented carbonate structures, rich in thermal sources, and contains more than the 80% of Albania thermal springs. One of its most interesting carbonate structures, for the presence of both cold and thermal waters, is the small karst structure of Makaresh, with a surface of 22 km2. The purpose of this article is to describe the characteristics and factors that affect the quantitative and qualitative formation of cold and thermal groundwater in this massif. Based on the physico-chemical characteristics, groundwaters of the study area are classified in cold and thermal waters. The former are mainly of HCO3-Ca or HCO3-Ca-Mg type (Electrical Conductivity 580-650 μS/cm, Temperature 13.9-16.6° C). Thermal waters are mainly of the Cl-Na-Ca type (EC 7200-7800 μS/cm, T 18.5-22.5° C); further, they are characterized by high hydrogen sulphide concentration, up to about 350 mg/l. The presence of two groundwater types in the Makaresh massif is connected to the presence of two groundwater circulation systems. The main factors of the groundwater physic-chemical quality are the solution of rocks and minerals therein contained, the presence of hypogenic speleogenesis, and the mixing of the groundwater of the two systems. The hydrogeological studies proved that karst rocks contain considerable fresh water resources; the capacity of water wells used for the drinking water supply reaches up to about 50 l/s. Thermal waters are not currently exploited due to their temperature, but they are potentially suitable for thermal uses, by drilling boreholes at depth of about 1000 m.

Severe cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection are characterized by an immune response that leads to the overproduction of pro-inflammatory cytokines, resulting in damage to the lungs and other organs. This remarkable increase in cytokines and other inflammatory molecules is primary caused by viral proteins, in particular ORF8, a unique accessory protein specific to SARS-CoV-2. In addition to its role in cytokine induction, ORF8 is attributed with various other functions, including its ability to evade type I interferon responses. Despite the evidence, the mechanisms through which ORF8 exerts these functions remains a subject of controversy. In this mini review, we discuss the multifaceted roles of ORF8 as a modulator of cytokine response, focusing on type I interferon and IL-6. We also discuss data from our studies indicating that ORF8 augments production of IL-6 induced by Poly(I:C) in human embryonic kidney (HEK)-293 and monocyte-derived dendritic cells (mono-DCs).

(1) Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) screening mostly uses a one-assay anti-HCV testing approach, which has a higher probability of false-positive results in populations with low HCV prevalence. (2) Methods: In this investigation, 17,926 participants, were screened for HCV, and the reactives were tested using a two-assay anti-HCV approach: Elecsys ElectroChemiLuminescence (ECL) and a ChemiLuminescence ImmunoAssay (CLIA), respectively. A recombinant immunoblot assay (RIBA) was performed to confirm anti-HCV positivity. Statistical analysis was performed. (3) Results: A total of 350 specimens resulted reactive in the ECL screening, of which CLIA retesting showed that 292 (83.4%) were anti-HCV reactive (283 positive, 9 indeterminate, none negative by RIBA), but 58 (16.6%) were not anti-HCV reactive (15 positive, 12 indeterminate, 31 negative by RIBA). The two-assay strategy significantly improved the positive predictive value (PPV: 95.00%) with χ2: 7.59(p<0.01) then the PPV assessed by one assay (PPV: 90.6%) with χ2: 34.51 (p< 0.001). The ROC curve defined a sensibility and specificity for the dual approach of: 99.66% and 100.00%. (4) Conclusions: Compared with a one-assay testing strategy, the two-assay testing strategy may significantly reduce false positives in anti-HCV testing and identify inactive HCV infection in low seroprevalence populations.

Mining is an important industry, accounting for 6.9% of global GDP. However, global development promotes accelerated demand, resulting in the accumulation of hazardous waste in land, sea, and air environments. It reached 7 billion tonnes of mine tailings generated yearly worldwide, and 19 billion solid tailings will be accumulated by 2025. Adding to this, the legacy of environmental damage from abandoned mines is worrying; in Canada there are around 10,000 abandoned mines, 50,000 in Australia, 6,000 in South Africa, and 9,500 coal mines in China, reaching 15,000 by 2050. In this scenario, restoration techniques from mining tailing have become increasingly discussed among scholars due to their potential to offer benefits towards reducing tailings levels, thereby reducing environmental pressure for the correct management and adding value to previously discarded waste. This review paper explores available literature on the main techniques of mining tailing recycling and reuse and discusses leading technologies, including the benefits and limitations, as well as emerging prospects. The findings of this review serve as a supporting reference for decision-makers concerning the related sustainability issues associated with mining, mineral processing, and solid waste management.

Most research on colostrum quality and colostrum management focuses on maternal IgG transfer to the newborn calf. However, in addition to being a source of antibodies, colostrum has other components that influence passive immune transfer, nutrition, gut maturation, and thermoregulation. In this review, the constituents in the bovine colostrum, as well as their variation, are explored and it is discussed the biological role of colostrum on the newborn calf. Protein is the nutrient in higher concentration and fat is the nutrient with the most variation. There is a pronounced amplitude in the total solids content of colostrum, but the average concentration does not vary much between studies (24.7%). Bovine colostrum major components can vary with several factors, such as the region, season, breed, dry period length, and nutritional aspects of the dam. Bioactive components, cells, and microbiome variability are less understood, besides IgG. Regardless, they play crucial distinct roles in the physiological development of the newborn. However, a multi-interactive effect between these components, cells, and microorganisms is more likely to occur. Recently researched components in colostrum like miRNA, nucleo(t)sides, the milk fat globule membrane, oligosaccharides, minor proteins, and the microbiome are examples of promising interest areas of study.

Objective: To evaluate the direct costs of treating patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) in outpatient care, from a hospital and Unified Health System (SUS) perspective. Methods: Observational study with data collection by microfunding, carried out with patients diagnosed with neuromyelitis optics, treated at a university hospital, in the city of Rio de Janeiro. Mann-Whitney tests were performed to measure cost differences between patient groups by disease severity and analysis perspective. Results: Nine individuals with a median age of 48 years (IQR 30 - 59 years) were included. The median total costs for patients with greater severity from the perspective of the SUS and the hospital were R$ 21,638.22 (IIQ: R$ 15,614.63; R$ 25,985.32) and R$ 32,094.11 (IIQ: R$ 25,610 .60; R$ 38,617.25) respectively. For patients with moderate severity the median was R$ 7,339.85 (IIQ: R$ 6,235.45; R$ 11,912.05) from the SUS perspective and R$ 11,505.80 (IIQ: R$ 7,339.85; R$ 22,424.76) from the perspective of the hospital, where the use of medications had a major impact. Conclusion: The main cost drivers were medicines, especially those used off-label, and procedures.

The current management of colorectal cancer liver metastasis (CRCLM) patients involves a multidisciplinary approach with surgical resection remaining the primary curative option. The advances in liver surgery have improved outcomes, enabling more patients to undergo surgery successfully. In addition, the development of imaging software has improved the preoperative planning and patient selection for surgery and other interventions. Systemic therapies, such as targeted therapies and immunotherapies have enhanced the chances of complete resection. Targeted agents in combination with chemotherapy, have shown efficacy in downstaging tumors and increasing resectability.

In this paper we introduce an ODE system to model the interaction between nature resources and human exploitation in a rich consumeristic society. In this model the rate of change of population depends on wealth per capita, and the rate of consumption has a quadratic growth with respect to population and wealth. As in our previous work \cite{BaCra_1}, we distinguish between renewable and non renewable resources, and we introduce a replenishment term for non renewable resources. We first get some information on the asymptotic behaviour of wealth and population, then we compute all the equilibria of the system and we study their stability when the parameter of exploitation of resources is small. Some numerical simulations confirm the theoretical results, and give suggestions for future research.

Nerve agents have recently been used in battlefield operations, espionage wars and terrorist attacks. These compounds, like some pesticides, cause organophosphate poisoning. The rapid, non-contact detection of a sarin simulant has been demonstrated at the Diagnostics and Metrology Laboratory of the Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development using laser photoacoustic spectroscopy, an infrared absorption technology. The first measurements, carried out with an experimental system based on a quantum cascade laser and developed for the assessment of food authenticity in the “fingerprint region”, show that a detection limit of 1 nanolitre is within the reach of the instrument when chemometric analysis is applied.

This study presents results of the sediment yield Watershed of Ribeirão do Pinhal, in the city of Limeira, São Paulo, conducted under three different scenarios of the land use: 1 – land use in 2008, 2 – with reforested protection areas, 3 – the increase sugarcane's areas over grassland and citrus areas. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was used as a hydro-sedimentological modeling tool to simulate these scenarios. This watershed was divided into five sub-watersheds according to the prevalent use, and adjustments were made in soils database parameters and cultures that are in SWAT, to adapt it to the Brazilian reality. Was used climatological data of eight years (2007-2014) for this modeling. Different sediment yield could be noted in the different types of land use, sub-watersheds and scenarios. The uses that presented higher sediment yield, in ascending order, were: natural vegetation, sugarcane, citrus, annual crop e grassland. Sub-watershed number 2 had the highest sediment yield (~10Mg.ha^-1), while the sub-watershed 5, the lowest (5.51Mg.ha^-1). This remained in the three scenarios. Overall, scenario 2 had the lowest sediment yield (7.74Mg.ha^-1). Scenario 1 had 8.37 Mg.ha^-1 and scenario 3, 8.58Mg.ha^-1. SWAT was considered efficient to simulate the sediment yield by scenarios and by use, combining different thematic and tabular data when performing the necessary adjustments on their original database.

Background: This study describes the attitudes and practices of Brazilian adults regarding the mandatory vaccination for COVID-19 and the hesitancy to children´s vaccination. Methods: The participants answered an online questionnaire disseminated on social networks. An adaptation of the SAGE-WG questionnaire was used to measure the children's vaccination hesitancy. Results: Among 1,007 participants, 677 (67.4%) believed that vaccination for COVID-19 among adults should be mandatory. Just over half of the participants (51.5%) believe that parents and guardians should be free to decide whether their children should be vaccinated against COVID-19, and 9.1% were unsure about this. Younger, non-religious people who have higher self-perceptions of risk for COVID-19, and who evaluate the federal government's performance in combating the disease as bad or very bad, have a higher agreement with mandatory vaccination, a lower agreement that parents and guardians should be free to vaccinate their children, and lower child vaccination hesitancy scores. Conclusion: In Brazil, mandatory COVID-19 vaccination for adults is far from a consensus, and an expressive part of the population believes that parents and guardians should be free to choose whether or not to vaccinate their children. These perceptions and vaccine hesitancy for children are associated with religious and political inclinations.

Feline sporotrichosis is an endemic disease with high occurrence in Brazil. Itraconazole (ITZ), remains the drug of choice for treating this disease in cats, despite the increasing reports of therapeutic failure. A controlled, randomized clinical trial was performed on 166 naive cats with sporotrichosis to assess the effectiveness and safety of the combination therapy (ITZ+KI) com-pared with ITZ monotherapy. Cats were randomly allocated in two treatment groups: G1 - ITZ 100 mg/cat/day and G2 - ITZ 100mg/cat/day + KI 2.5-20 mg/kg/day. Cats treated in G2 presented 77% more risk of reaching clinical cure (a positive effect) than those treated in G1, even when controlled by negative predictors. The survival curves of the two treatment protocols indicates that clinical cure was achieved faster in G2. An increase in the KI dose was necessary in 28 cats due to persistence of clinical signs. Adverse reactions were equally frequent in both groups and manageable with a temporary drug suspension and/or a hepatoprotective therapy. The combination therapy was associated with a higher cure rate and a shorter treatment time, suggesting that ITZ+KI arises as a better option for treating feline sporotrichosis and should be considered as the first-line treatment in the presence of negative predictors.

Thimerosal (TmHg) has been used in thimerosal-containing vaccines (TCV) and various med-icines, although to our knowledge, there are no studies evaluating its effects on microglia. Microglia are a crucial glial component that have important functions in inflammatory diseases, particularly in the Central Nervous System (CNS). They are also considered a key player in neurotoxicity. Furthermore, microglia are responsible for the activation of immune responses and plays an essential role for the maintenance of brain homeostasis. Microglial response is important for the maintenance of CNS immune regulation. Moreover, microglia cells partici-pate in the removal of cellular debris and pathogens, playing an important role as neuroprotectants in several CNS diseases, including neurodegeneration. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of TmHg and its metabolite ethylmercury (EtHg) on microglial cells. Our novel findings demonstrated that microglia are more sensitive to TmHg than to EtHg with EC50 1.4 ± 0.4 μM and 2.3± 0.9 μM for 24h, respectively. The mercury compounds also induced the transcription of pro-inflammatory markers s such as IL-1β; iNOS, and to a lesser extent TNF-α expression. Likewise, the increase in Beclin-1 expression - a protein associated to autophagy - and the number of senescent cells indicate that microglia are activated by TmHg and EtHg. The effects of thimerosal may have different consequences depending on the health status and susceptibility of the populations.

Objective: to analyze the relationships between sociodemographic variables, intolerance to uncertainty (INT), social support and psychological distress (i.e., indicators of Common Mental Disorders [CMDs] and perceived stress [PS]) in Brazilian men during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: a cross-sectional study with national coverage, of the web survey type, and conducted with 1,006 Brazilian men during the period of social circulation restriction imposed by the health authorities in Brazil, for suppression of the coronavirus and control of the pandemic. Structural equation modeling analysis was performed. Results: Statistically significant direct effects of race/skin color (λ=0.268; p-value<0.001), socioeconomic status (SES) (λ=0.306; p-value<0.001), household composition (λ=0.281; p-value<0.001), PS (λ=0.513; p-value<0.001) and INT (λ=0.421; p-value<0.001) were evidenced in the occurrence of CMDs. Black-skinned men, with higher SES, living alone and with higher PS and INT levels presented higher prevalence values of CMDs. Conclusions: high levels of PS and INT were the factors that presented the strongest associations with the occurrence of CMDs among the men. It is necessary to implement actions to reduce the stress-generating sources, as well as to promote an increase in resilience and the development of intrinsic reinforcements to deal with uncertain threats.

Collective spread of aggregated viral particles may have beneficial effects on viral capability to survive in the external environment, to counteract immune responses, and to successfully colonize host cells. Here we ask whether SARS-Cov-2 particles, responsible for COVID-19, display collective clustering behavior. Looking at microphotographs and movies of SARS-Cov-2 particles emerging from the surface of cultured cells, we describe single virions that tend to aggregate in progressively larger globular assemblies, until a network-like appearance is achieved. When SARS-Cov-2 particles stick into each other, the squeezing of single virions leads to improved viral package in host’s fluids. We discuss how these findings might explain both the ability to spread of SARS-Cov-2 and the clinical severity of COVID-19 in humans, paving the way to novel therapeutic strategies to mechanically disrupt collective clustering.

Probiotics in cosmetics is a new and burgeoning area of research attracting attention from cosmetic manufacturers and customers looking for natural or additional alternatives in their skincare regimens. Probiotics not only promote beneficial microbiomes to improve skin health but can also modulate the visual, topographical, and mechanical attributes to improve skin quality. This study was conducted in healthy adults to determine the effect of a topical serum formulation containing the live probiotic Micrococcus luteus Q24 on several key cosmetic skin quality parameters and its beneficial impact on the modulation of the skin microbiome. Quantitative changes in various skin parameters were measured using a skin analyzer device and skin swabs were analysed using whole genome sequencing to monitor microbial diversity and levels of probiotic colonisation. Compared to the baseline, a significant reduction in the pore, spots, wrinkles, and impurities scores; and an increase of 101% in the hydration scores were observed. Additionally, 45-80% of participants showed a decrease in pores, spots, wrinkles, and impurities and 90% of participants showed an increase in hydration after 25 days of probiotic serum application. The WGS analysis of the skin swab samples showed a significant increase in the relative abundance of M. luteus Q24. The results from this study indicated that topical application of serum-containing probiotic M. luteus Q24 offers the benefit of improving skin health quality.

Bisphenol A analogs (BPA analogs) are emerging contaminants with a rising production caused by the replacement of BPA with these compounds. The increased production of BPA analogs is leading to an increased release into various ecosystems, including sea. The aim of this study was to evaluate the biological effects of BPA analogs on a primary producer, the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum Bohlin. Three different BPA analogs (BPAF, BPF, and BPS) and their mixture were tested at the environmental relevant concentration of 300 ng/L. Growth curve, cell size and several biomarkers of oxidative stress and oxidative damage were measured. Our results indicated that the tested compounds caused alteration of the growth and induced oxidative stress altering many antioxidant enzymes. However, no oxidative damages were observed.

Dysfunction of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) is associated with several diseases characterized by retinal degeneration, such as diabetic retinopathy (DR). However, it has recently been proposed that outer retinal neurons also participate in the damage triggering. Therefore, we have evaluated possible crosstalk between RPE and photoreceptors in priming and maintaining oxi-dative damage of the RPE. For this purpose, we used ARPE-19 cells as a model of human RPE, grown in normal (NG, 5.6 mM) or high glucose (HG, 25 mM), and unoxidized (UOx) or oxidized (Ox) mammalian retinal rod outer segments (OS). ARPE-19 cells were efficient at phagocytizing rod OS in both NG and HG settings. However, in HG, ARPE-19 cells treated with Ox-rod OS accumulated MDA and lipofuscins and displayed altered LC3, GRP78, and Caspase 8 expression, compared to untreated and UOx-rod OS-treated cells. Data suggest that early oxidative damage may originate from the photoreceptors and subsequently extend to the RPE, providing a new perspective to the idea that retinal degeneration depends solely on a redox alteration of the RPE.

Rationale: The possible effect of Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5 of diameter 10 and 2.5 µm respectively) levels on Covid-19 mortality is now well established. However, time-evolution of Covid-19 mortality according to PM2.5 levels has been scarcely investigated. Aim: To understand this relationship at the European level for the period 2020 (beginning) - 2022 (end). Methods: 16 representative locations in Europe (81 million people) with heterogeneous levels of PM2.5 (µg.m-3), from low to high. PM2.5 levels were assessed by various methods, and Covid-19 mortality was reported by Johns Hopkins University. Results: The trend of Covid-19 mortality vs. PM2.5 levels varied among locations. Overall, the estimated mean value was of a 40±20% mortality increase per 1 µg.m-3 PM2.5 increase. The stronger the positive gradient of the PM peak, the stronger the positive gradient of the Covid-19 mortality. Exposure to several PM peaks during about a 2-month period was the main contributor to Covid-19 mortality increases. Conclusion: Our data confirm a temporal relation between PM2.5 exposure and Covid-19 mortality, considering a 2-month integration-time for pollution events. Number-concentrations of PM should be used in the future rather than the PM2.5 mass-concentrations (µg.m-3) with the consideration of PM composition to better explain this finding.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a cardiac arrhythmia caused by electrophysiological anomalies in the atrial tissue, tissue degradation, structural abnormalities, and comorbidities. A direct relation exists between AF and altered mitochondrial activity resulting from membrane potential loss, contractile dysfunction, or decreased ATP levels. This review aimed to elucidate the role of mitochondrial oxidative mechanisms in AF pathophysiology, the impact of mitochondrial oxidative stress on AF initiation and perpetuation, and current therapies. This review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis Extension for Scoping Reviews. PubMed, Excerpta Medica Database, and Scopus were explored until June 2023 using "MESH terms." Bibliographic references from relevant papers were also included. Oxidative stress is an imbalance that causes cellular damage from excessive oxidation, resulting in conditions such as AF. An imbalance in reactive oxygen species production and elimination can cause mitochondrial damage, cellular apoptosis, and cardiovascular diseases. Oxidative stress and inflammation are intrinsically linked, and inflammatory pathways are highly correlated with the occurrence of AF. AF is an intricate cardiac condition that requires innovative therapeutic approaches. The involvement of mitochondrial oxidative stress in the pathophysiology of AF introduces novel strategies for clinical treatment.

Background: The purpose of this review is to clarify the natural course of Benign Paroxysmal Torticollis (BPT) and to update the relationship of this disorder with migraine. BPT belongs to a group of “episodic syndromes that may be associated with migraine” and is diagnosed when according to diagnostic criteria of the International Classification of Headache Disorders, 3rd edition. It is present in infants and young children and it is an underdiagnosed manifestation, because it is not well recognized and in most cases with a benign evolution, but requires careful differential diagnosis. It was first described by Snyder in 1969 as a movement disorder, a cervical dystonia consequent to labyrinthic disorder.Materials and methods: The PubMed and Web of Science databases were consulted from 1968 to 2024, according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines ,2020.( PRISMA)Results: 113 articles were identified, 86 selected and 20 considered for the purpose of this review. The clinical studies were considered in relation to evolution, cognitive and motor development, to genetic and not genetic etiology, to the relationship with migraine with and without aura, vestibular migraine, hemiplegic migraine, and paroxysmal vertigo.

We present synthetic experiments of lactic acid (LA) polycondensation to produce poly(lactic acid) (PLA), as well as kinetic modeling calculations that capture the polymer molecular weight increase with time, given the initial concentrations. Tin-octoate-catalyzed polycondensation of (D,L)- or L-lactic acid, was carried out in pre-dried toluene after azeotropic dehydration for 48-120 hours at 130-137 °C. The polymerization was optimized by varying lactic acid and catalyst concentrations as well as the temperature. Gel Permeation Chromatography was used to experimentally follow the evolution of molecular weights and the products were characterized by NMR, TGA, DSC and IR. Under optimal conditions, PLLA with weight-average molecular weight (Mw) of 161 kDa could be obtained. The rate equations that describe polycondensation kinetics were recast in a condensed form that allowed very fast numerical solution and calculation of the number-average molecular weight with time. Deviations with respect to the experiment were minimized in a least-squares fashion, to determine rate constants. The optimized kinetics parameters are shown to reproduce the experimental data accurately

In this study we assessed the electrical and optical behavior of semiconductor hybrid films fabricate from octaethyl-21H,23H-porphine copper (CuP), embedded in polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), and polystyrene (PS). The hybrid films were characterized structurally and morphologically by means of Infrared spectroscopy (IR), atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Subsequently, the PMMA:CuP and PS:CuP hybrid films were evaluated optically by UV-vis spectroscopy, as well as electrically, with the four-point collinear method. Hybrid films present a homogeneous and low roughness morphology, besides; the PS matrix allows the crystallization of the porphin, while the PMMA promotes the amorphous structure in CuP. The polymeric matrix also has an effect on the optical behavior of the films, since the smallest optical gap (2.16 eV) and onset gap (1.89 eV) and the highest transparency are obtained in the film with a PMMA matrix. Finally, the electrical behavior in hybrid films is also affected by the matrix: the largest amount of current carried is around 0.01 A for PS:CuP film, while for PMMA:CuP film it is 0.0015 A. Thanks to the above properties, hybrid films are promising candidates for use in optoelectronic devices.

Building on the job demands-resources (JD-R) and the allostatic load (AL) models, in this study we investigated the role of smart working (SW) in the longitudinal association between workload/job autonomy (JA) and a possible biomarker of work-related stress (WRS) in the hair, namely the cortisol to dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEA(S)) ratio, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, 124 workers completed a self-report questionnaire (i.e., psychological data) at Time 1 (T1) and collected a strand of hair (i.e., biological data) three months later (Time 2, T2). Results from moderated multiple regression analysis showed that smart working at T1 was negatively associated with hair cortisol/DHEA(S) ratio at T2. Additionally, the interaction between workload and SW was significant, with workload at T1 being positively associated with hair cortisol/DHEA(S) ratio at T2 among smart workers. Overall, this study indicates that SW can be conceived as a double-edged sword, with both positive and negative consequences on employee well-being. Furthermore, our findings suggest that hair cortisol/DHEA(S) ratio is a promising biomarker of WRS. Practical implications that organizations and practitioners can adopt to promote organizational well-being are discussed.

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) and osteoporosis are two of the most widespread metabolic disease in the world. The aim of this study is to investigate the prevalence of DM among patients affected by osteoporosis and fragility fractures, and to search differences in clinical features. Methods: 713 patients belonging to CTO Bone Unit because of osteoporosis and fragility fractures were divided into two groups, according to the diagnosis of DM. The clinical and bone characteristics of patients were compared. Results: Prevalence of DM was 10.8%. When compared to patients without DM, the median age at the time of first fracture was similar (72 years ± 14 IQR vs 71 years ± 12 IQR); prevalence of combination of vertebral and hip fractures was higher (p=0.039), as well as prevalence of males, although not significantly (p=0.051). Bone mineral density (BMD) at all sites was higher in DM group; Trabecular Bone Score (TBS), instead, was significantly lower (p&lt;0.001). Conclusions: Patients with fragility fractures and DM more frequently show combination of major fractures with higher BMD levels. In these patients, TBS could be a better indicator of bone health than BMD and therefore should be used as a diagnostic tool in clinical practice.

In this study, 737 individual sheep milk samples were collected to evaluate the relationships between Brix refractometer measurements and milk constituents—particularly, protein and fat percentages—with the aim of verifying the ability of the refractometer to predict milk constituents. The Pearson's simple (rSP) and partial (rPP) correlations between milk constituents were calculated, and several first- and second-order regressions were tested to predict the protein and fat percentages. The results of the forecasts can be considered satisfactory only for the simple regression that predicted the percentage of milk protein through the measurements read with the Brix refractometer (PRT = -2.996 + 0.639*Brix), while the regression that predicted the percentage of fat + milk protein presented a weak forecasting capacity, which was probably due to the absence of partial correlations between the Brix refractometer measurements and the fat percentage.

Academic publishing is undergoing a highly transformative process, and many rules and value systems that were in place for years are being challenged in unprecedented forms leading to the evolution of novel ways of dealing with new pressures. One of the most important aspects of an integrated and valid academic literature is the ability to screen publications for errors during peer review to weed out mistakes, fraud and inconsistencies, such that the final published product represents a product that has value, intellectually, and otherwise. It is difficult to claim the existence of perfect manuscripts. The level of errors that exist in a manuscript will depend on the rigor of the research group and of the peer review process that was used to screen that paper. When errors slip into a final published paper, either through honest error or misconduct, and are not detected during peer review and editorial screening, but are spotted during post-publication peer review, an opportunity is created to set the record straight, and to correct it. To date, the most common forms of correcting the literature have been errata, corrigenda, expressions of concern, and retractions. Despite this range of corrective measures, which represent artificially created corrals around pockets of imperfect literature, certain cases do not quite fit this mold, and new suggested measures for correcting the literature have been proposed, including manuscript versioning, amendments, partial retractions and retract and replace. In this commentary, a discussion of the evolving correction of the literature is provided, as are perspectives of the risks and benefits of such new measures to improve it.

This paper investigates the mental health stressors experienced by Central American youth immigrants and asylum seekers, including unaccompanied minors, surveyed in the U.S. in 2017. This population is hard to reach, vulnerable, and disproportionately exposed to trauma from a young age. They face numerous challenges to mental health, and increased psychopathological risk, exacerbated by high levels of violence and low state-capacity in sending countries, restrictive immigration policies, the fear of deportation for themselves and their family members, and the pressure to integrate once in the U.S. Using survey data and the validated PHQ-9 questionnaire and Child PTSD Symptom Scale (CPSS), we find that Central American youth have seen improvements in their self-reported mental health after migrating to the U.S. but remain at risk of further trauma exposure, depression, and PTSD. They exhibit a disproportionate likelihood of having lived through traumatizing experiences that put Central American immigrants at higher risk for psychological distress and disorders and may also create obstacles to integration that in turn create new stressors that compound with PTSD and depression. PTSD, depression, or anxiety can be minimized through programs that aid their integration and mental health.

World health is increasingly threatened by the growing number of spice-related food hazards. Further development of reliable methods for rapid, non-targeted identification of counterfeit ingredients within the supply chain is needed. ENEA has developed a portable, user-friendly photoacoustic laser system for food fraud detection, based on a quantum cascade laser and multivariate calibration. Following a study on the authenticity of saffron, the instrument was challenged with a more elusive adulterant, olive leaves in oregano. The results show that the reported method of laser sensing and chemometric analysis was able to detect adulterants at mass ratios of at least 20% in less than five minutes.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is experiencing advances and integration in all medical specializations, and this creates excitement but also concerns. This narrative review aims at a critical assessment of the state of the art of AI in the field of endometriosis and adenomyosis. By enabling automation, AI may speed up some routine tasks, decreasing gynecologists’ risk of burnout, as well as enabling them to spend more time interacting with their patients, increasing their efficiency and patients’ perception of being taken care of. Surgery may also benefit from AI, especially through its integration with robotic surgery systems. This may improve the detection of anatomical structures and enhance surgical outcomes by combining intra-operative findings with pre-operative imaging. Not only, AI promises to improve the quality of care by facilitating clinical research and through the introduction of decision support tools that can enhance diagnostic assessment and predict treatment effectiveness and side effects, as well as reproductive prognosis and cancer risk. However, concerns exist regarding the fact that good quality data used in tool development and compliance with data sharing guidelines are crucial. Also, professionals are worried AI may render certain specialists obsolete. This said, AI is more likely to become a well-liked team member rather than a usurper.

Background: A growing number of clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) with regards to non-pharmacological interventions for breast cancer survivors are available. However, given the limitations in guideline development methodologies and inconsistency of recommendations, it remains uncertain how best to design and implement such non-pharmacological strategies to tailor interventions for breast cancer survivors with varied health conditions, healthcare needs, and preferences. Aim: To critically appraise and summarise available non-pharmacological interventions for symptom management and health promotion that can be self-managed by breast cancer survivors based on the recommendations of the CPGs. Methods: Clinical practice guidelines which were published between January 2016 and September 2021 and described non-pharmacological interventions for breast cancer survivors were systematically searched in six electronic databases, nine relevant guideline databases, and five cancer care society websites. The quality of the included CPGs was assessed by four evaluators using the Appraisal of Guidelines for REsearch and Evaluation, second edition tool. Content analysis was conducted to synthesise the characteristics of the non-pharmacological interventions that were recommended by the included CPGs, such as the intervention’s form, duration and frequency, level of evidence, grade of recommendation, and source of evidence. Results: Fourteen CPGs were identified and analysed. Of the 14 CPGs appraised, only five were rated as high quality. The domain with the highest standardised percentage was “scope and purpose” (84.61%), while the “applicability” domain had the lowest standardised percentage (51.04%). Five guidelines were assessed as “recommended”, seven were rated as “recommended with modifications”, and the remaining two were considered “not recommended”. Regarding the content analysis, physical activity/exercise, meditation, hypnosis, yoga, music therapy, stress management, relaxation, massage, and acupressure were the common self-managed non-pharmacological interventions recommended by the 14 CPGs. Physical activity/exercise was the only self-managed non-pharmacological intervention that was mostly recommended for psychological and physical symptom management by the included CPGs. However, there were significant disparities in terms of level of evidence and grade of recommendation in the included CPGs. Conclusion: The recommendations for the self-managed non-pharmacological interventions were varied and limited among the 14 CPGs, and some were based on medium- and low-quality evidence. More rigorous methods are required to develop high-quality CPGs in order to guide clinicians in offering high-quality and tailored breast cancer survivorship care.

Surimi consists in a technique for concentrating myofibrillar proteins with gelling ability, which aims to make use of by-products from fish slaughter, such as bullfrog back, which can be basis for the manufacture of emulsified products. Due to the strategic need to develop clean label foods, products such as collagen have been reported as potential natural additives with bioactive properties. The objective was to elaborate a surimi from the mechanically separated bullfrog back and to develop an emulsion, replacing the soy lecithin used by hydrolyzed collagen, evaluating its emulsifying and antioxidant potential during 120 days of storage under freezing. Three meat emulsions were prepared: EC0 (100% soy lecithin), EC50 (50% soy lecithin + 50% collagen), and EC100 (100% collagen), which were subjected to analysis of chemical composition, emulsion stability, water holding capacity, luminosity, whiteness, texture profile, TBARS and antioxidant activity. Insertion of collagen increased whiteness, lightness, hardness, and chewiness values compared to the EC0, but showed greater fluid loss. All treatments showed stable WHC values (88 – 91%) over time. Replacement with collagen was satisfactory as an emulsifier and as an antioxidant, and the EC50 and EC100 treatments were not negatively affected in the investigated parameters.

The World Health Organization (WHO) added Disease X to their shortlist of blueprint priority diseases to represent a hypothetical, unknown pathogen that could cause a future epidemic. During different virus outbreaks of the past, such as COVID-19, Influenza, Lyme Disease, and Zika virus, researchers from various disciplines utilized Google Trends to mine multimodal components of web behavior to study, investigate, and analyze the global awareness, preparedness, and response associated with these respective virus outbreaks. As the world prepares for Disease X, a dataset on web behavior related to Disease X would be crucial to contribute towards the timely advancement of research in this field. Furthermore, none of the prior works in this field have focused on the development of a dataset to compile relevant web behavior data, which would help to prepare for Disease X. To address these research challenges, this work presents a dataset of web behavior related to Disease X, which emerged from different geographic regions of the world, between February 2018 to August 2023. Specifically, this dataset presents the search interests related to Disease X from 94 geographic regions. These regions were chosen for data mining as these regions recorded significant search interests related to Disease X during this timeframe. The dataset was developed by collecting data using Google Trends. The relevant search interests for all these regions for each month in this time range are available in this dataset. This paper also discusses the compliance of this dataset with the FAIR principles of scientific data management. Finally, a brief analysis of specific features of this dataset is presented to uphold the applicability, relevance, and usefulness of this dataset for the investigation of different research questions in the interrelated fields of Big Data, Data Mining, Healthcare, Epidemiology, and Data Analysis.

Recent years have shown that traditional regulatory techniques alone are not effective in achieving behavior change in important fields such as environmental sustainability. Governments all over the world have been progressively including behaviourally informed considerations in policy and law-making with the aim of improving the acceptance and impact of sustainability-oriented measures. This led to the arrival of alternative regulatory tools, such as nudges. The effectiveness of nudges for environmental sustainability (green nudges) has been largely reported but the practical and ethical implications are still largely neglected by academic research. In this contribution, “nudges” are conceptually distinguished from “boosts” and their ethical briefly explained. The analysis is made at the light of the current mostly European and US American academic literature.

Climate change in the coming decades could intensify extreme events such as severe droughts. Combined with the possible increase of water demands, these changes exert a large pressure on the water systems. In order to confirm this assumption, a set of scenarios was proposed in this study to consider the combined impact of climate changes and the increase in water demand on the main multiple-use reservoirs of São Francisco River, Brazil. For this purpose, five CMIP6 climate models were used considering two greenhouse gas emissions scenarios: the SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5. The naturalized and withdraw streamflows were estimated to the adopted reser-voirs considering all existing, new and projected demands. The conjunction of scenarios indicat-ed an increase in Potential Evapotranspiration, a possible significant reduction in water availa-bility, a growth in water demand mainly for irrigation and a substantial reduction in the perfor-mance of the evaluated reservoirs.

Gilbert's syndrome (GS) is a common hereditary condition characterized by mild increases in serum bilirubin levels due to inherited defects in bilirubin metabolism. This review, based on data from peer-reviewed articles and journals spanning from 1977 to January 2024, provides a comprehensive overview of over four decades of research on GS. Early studies primarily focused on defining the clinical and genetic characteristics of the syndrome, laying the foundation for subsequent investigations. More recent research has delved into the genetic mechanisms underlying the reduced expression of bilirubin UDP-glucuronosyltransferase, which has significantly enhanced our understanding of the pathogenesis of GS. Furthermore, recent studies have shed light on the clinical implications of GS, including its association with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and mortality risk, highlighting the complex interplay between genetic factors, bilirubin metabolism, and clinical outcomes. Despite its generally benign nature, thorough research is essential to fully understand the impact of GS on patients' lives. This review emphasizes the importance of ongoing research to deepen our understanding of GS and its broader implications.

The wave energy converter (WEC) technology constantly develops new designs and models. To encourage its development within the energy sector, research is required to improve current designs and create durable and effective devices. However, it is also crucial to investigate the suitability of a WEC to a site-specific sea condition as this can impact its optimal power absorption and constructability. This study evaluates and compares the efficiency of a heaving buoy with varied geometries in one of the most energetic places along the Mexican coast. A statistical analysis of the wave climate on the coast of Ensenada during the last 42 years is performed to define the conditions to which the device is subjected. The location of the WEC in shallow waters is chosen using a computational model which solves the modified mild slope equation in its elliptic shape. The heaving buoy floater is studied using three distinct geometries: a semi-sphere, a cylinder, and a proposed rounded semi-rectangle. The hydrodynamic response of the three geometries is then analysed in the frequency and time domain using ANSYS AQWA. The hydrodynamic study involves the assessment of the floating body dynamics, exerted forces, the power absorbed as well as the suitability of the proposed power take-off (PTO) system. Findings reveal that the proposed geometry absorbs the most energy, with an annual power of 135.11 MW, and that the transmission PTO design is appropriate for this type of technology.

Over the last two decades, a considerable amount of equipment has been acquired (spreaders, seeders, sprayers, among others) to respond to the challenges of Precision Agriculture (PA) concept. Most of this equipment has been purchased at a high cost. However, many of them, despite still being functional and equipped with sensors, actuators, and electronic processing units capable of adjusting to variations in speed, have become obsolete in terms of communication, and incompatible with new monitoring and control systems based on the “Isobus” protocol. This work aims to present a solution for updating the control system (“Ferticontrol”) of a “Vicon RS-EDW” spreader with variable rate application (VRA), making it compatible with the “InCommand” system from “Ag Leader”. The solution includes low-cost “Arduino” and “Raspberry Pi” microcontrollers and open-source software. The development shows that it is possible to implement a solution that is accessible to farmers in general. It also provides a niche business opportunity for young researchers to set up small technology-based enterprises associated with universities and research centers. These partnerships guarantee permanent innovation and represent a decisive step towards modern, technological, competitive, and sustainable agriculture.

In this paper, we investigate the Green measure for a class of non-Gaussian processes in $\mathbb{R}^{d}$. These measures are associated with the family of generalized grey Brownian motions $B_{\beta,\alpha}$, $0

This article develops duality principles and numerical results for a large class of non-convex variational models. The main results are based on fundamental tools of convex analysis, duality theory and calculus of variations. More specifically the approach is established for a class of non-convex functionals similar as those found in some models in phase transition. Finally, in the last section we present a concerning numerical example and the respective software.

The evolution of knowledge in biological and medical areas which made possible scientific and technological advances are attributed to anatomical studies, physiology and immunology in animals, contributing to the discovery of prophylactic measures and treatments of diseases that affect humans and animals. Currently, substitution is suggested by alternative methods that do not use laboratory animals, however in vitro methods may never be able to provide similar results to in vivo methods. Mice and rats are the most used animals in experimental researches, the anatomical, histological and genetic differences between species should be carefully evaluated, to better apply the study model and avoid unnecessary waste avoid. This study, aimed at an anatomical comparative and histological relationship between a rat´s and a mouse´s organs, is of great importance in experimental studies. For such, 30 Mus musculus (Swiss) mice and 15 Rattus norvegicus (Wistar) male and heterogenic rats, were used. All animals were kept free of pathogenic microorganisms, with the absence of surgical interventions that could cause anatomical and physiological changes. It was possible to observe significant anatomical and histological differences between spleens, brains, hearts, stomachs and intestines, livers, eyes, lungs and kidneys among species, which will serve as a basis to assist in choosing the most satisfactory research model. Few studies relate specific characteristics among laboratory animals, being restricted to a few veterinary and zoology books. The greater the organic, physiological and anatomical similarities are with the human being, the greater is the applicability of the animals in studies. However, it is not possible to lay down general rules to validate the extrapolation from one species to another.

Fungal infections caused by Candida spp. are responsible for high hospital morbidity and mortality rates. Therefore, there is a continuous search for new antifungal medicines, particularly ones with anti-Candida activity. This review analyzed articles published between 2002 and 2023 considering the anti-Candida activity of chemical compounds identified or isolated in plants of the Anacardiaceae family. In addition, the in-silico prediction of the isolated compounds described was performed. The analysis of 35 studies showed that extracts, essential oils, and compounds from the anti-Candida activity were frequently determined in vitro using the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). The most commonly tested species were Candida albicans, C. tropicalis, C. parapsilosis, C. glabrata, C. krusei, and C. guilliermondii, respectively. Essential oils were the most used form (37% of the studies). The isolated compounds with antifungal effects include cardanol, estragole, trans-anethole, β-caryophyllene, myrcene, catechin-3-o-rhamnoside, β-sitosterol-3-O-glucoside, 24Z-isomasticadienolic acid, oleanolic acid, and oleanolic aldehyde. The in-silico evaluation of those isolated compounds revealed the compounds' drug-likeness and possible antifungal activity. However, some of them showed high toxicity. In conclusion, compounds from the Anacardiaceae family show promise for developing new therapeutic antifungal drugs, especially in combination with conventional antifungals.

Populational aging is marked by chronic non-communicable diseases, such as metabolic syndrome (MetS). IL-10 and IL-1β are pleiotropic cytokines with multiple biological effects linked to metabolic disorders. This cross-sectional study assessed 193 participants' IL-10 and IL-1β serum levels regarding their role in developing MetS, clinical characteristics, and their IL1B rs1143627 and IL10 rs1800890 variants' genotype frequencies in a population over 60. IL-10 levels correlated weakly with HDL levels and fat mass and inversely with triglycerides, glucose, glycated hemoglobin, and estimated average blood glucose levels. IL-10 levels were also indirectly influenced by the patient's T2DM duration, lean mass amount, and bone mineral content. Participants with altered HDL, elevated serum glucose, raised HbA1c levels, or those over 80 had reduced serum IL-10 levels compared to those with normal levels or other age groups, respectively. Women also had higher serum IL-10 levels than men. Dissimilarity, IL-1β levels correlated directly only with the number of total leukocytes and segmented neutrophils, showing only significant variations with self-reported alcohol consumption. Our study also found that those with the IL10 AA genotype (lower IL-10 levels) had a significantly higher risk of developing MetS. These findings may help direct future research and more targeted therapeutic approaches in older adults.

In the present paper four passive micromixers designs (G1, G2, G3 and G4) inspired on distillation columns trays were proposed. The devices performance was assessed by numerical simulations. The mixing performance was investigated for a Reynolds number range from 0.01 to 100 and channel height of 200 µm, 500 µm and 1000 µm for oil/ethanol flow. G1 and G4 designs provided high mixing index (> 0.975). The G1 device achieved superior mixing performance with a moderate pressure drop (about 0.5 MPa) due to the induced flow recirculation pattern for a relative high flow rate of 0.21 L/min, highlighting the potential use of such microdevice for scale-up and numbering-up of microdevices in modular chemical plant processing.

There has recently been interest in the development of small-molecule inhibitors of the oligomerization of Bacillus anthracis protective antigen for therapeutic use. Some of the proposed lead compounds have, however, unfavorable solubility in aqueous medium, which prevents their clinical use. In this computational work, we have designed several hundreds of derivatives with progressively higher hydrosolubility and tested their ability to dock the relevant binding cavity. The highest-ranking docking hits were then subjected to 125 ns-long simulations to ascertain the stability of the binding modes. Several of the potential candidates performed quite disappointingly , but two molecules showed very stable binding modes throughout the complete simulations. Besides the identification of these two promising leads, these molecular dynamics simulations allowed the discovery of several insights that shall prove useful in the further improvement of these candidate towards higher potency and stability.

The Na+/K+ ATPase is a protein involved in the active transport of ions across the cellular membrane. Ouabain is a cardiotonic glycoside that, by inhibiting the Na+/K+ pump, interferes with cell processes mediated directly by the pump, but also indirectly influences other cellular processes, such as cellular cycle and proliferation, growth, cell differentiation, angiogenesis, migration, adhesion and invasion. We used the SK-BR-3 breast cancer cell line, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), and tumor-associated fibroblasts (TAFs) in vitro for determining the changes induced by Ouabain in concentration of 10-5 M, 10-6 M, 10-8 M, 10-9 M on these cellular types, employing specific methods: SEM for morphological evaluation; immunocytochemistry, flowcytometry to assess immunophenotypical markers expression, cell cycle and Annexin V/PI assay for cellular proliferation and viability testing; flowchamber assay to evaluate functional adhesion behavior; RT-PCR for Na+/K+ ATPase subunits molecular expression. Being indicative of the pro-apoptotic and inhibitory effect of Ouabain on tumor invasion and metastasis, the results support the addition of Ouabain to the oncological therapeutic arsenal, trailing the “repurposing drugs” approach.

In recent decades, the requirements for implantable medical devices increased, but the risks of implant rejection still exist. These issues are primarily associated with poor osseointegration, leading to biofilm formation on the implant surface. This study focuses on addressing these issues by developing a biomaterial for implant coatings. 45S5 Bioglass has been widely used in tissue engineering due to its ability to form a hydroxyapatite layer, ensuring a strong bond between the hard tissue and the bioglass. In this context, 45S5 bioglasses, modified by the incorporation of different amounts of copper oxide, from 0 to 8 mol%, were synthesized by the melt-quenching technique. The incorporation of Cu ions does not show a significant change in the glass structure. Since the bioglass exhibited the capacity of being polarized, and therefore promoting the osseointegration effectiveness, the electrical properties of the prepared samples were studied using the impedance spectroscopy method, in the frequency range of 102-106 Hz and temperature range of 200-400 K. The effects of CuO on charge transport mobility were investigated. Additionally, the bioactivity of the modified bioglasses was evaluated through immersion tests in simulated body fluid. The results revealed the initiation of a Ca-P-rich layer formation on the surface within 24 h, indicating the potential of the bioglasses to enhance the bone regeneration process.

Sleep is of vital necessity for health, it has a restorative and protective function for children and adolescents with chronic conditions and their families. The purpose was to identify the scientific production on sleep patterns in children and adolescents with chronic conditions and their families. This integrative review was developed in March and June 2022, of the MEDLINE, Web of Science, CINAHL and PSYCInfo. The articles included were original papers published be-tween January 2007 and mid-2022. Excluded were review studies that did not evaluate sleep and whose participants did not have chronic conditions or were not children, adolescents and/or their families. The searches returned 814 abstracts. After exclusions, 47 studies were selected to be read in full; of these, 29 were selected and were grouped empirically into four categories: major alterations in sleep patterns of children and adolescents with chronic conditions; the relationship between sleep disorders and symptoms in children and adolescents with chronic conditions; impaired sleep patterns of families of children and adolescents with chronic conditions; sleep alterations and their relationship with other problems in families of children and adolescents with chronic conditions. All studies showed sleep pattern impairment in children and adolescents with chronic conditions and their families.

Recent deep learning frameworks draw a strong research interest in the application of ego-motion estimation as they demonstrate a superior result compared to geometric approaches. However, due to the lack of multimodal datasets, most of these studies primarily focused on a single sensor-based estimation. To overcome this challenge, we collect a unique multimodal dataset named LboroAV2, using multiple sensors including camera, Light Detecting And Ranging (LiDAR), ultrasound, e-compass and rotary encoder. We also propose an end-to-end deep learning architecture for fusion of RGB images and LiDAR laser scan data for odometry application. The proposed method contains a convolutional encoder, a compressed representation and a recurrent neural network. Besides feature extraction and outlier rejection, the convolutional encoder produces a compressed representation which is used to visualise the network's learning process and to pass useful sequential information. The recurrent neural network uses this compressed sequential data to learn the relation between consecutive time steps. We use the LboroAV2 and KITTI VO datasets to experiment and evaluate our results. In addition to visualising the network's learning process, our approach gives superior results compared to other similar methods. The code for the proposed architecture is released in GitHub and accessible publicly.

The hazard and the carcinogenic risks due to the exposure to some potentially toxic elements by the Santiago Island (Cape Verde) population where calculated, considering soil ingestion, inhalation and dermal contact as exposure pathways. The topsoil of Santiago Island is enriched in Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, V, Zn, Mn and Cd to upper crust values. Hazard indices (HI) were calculated for these metals and As exposures, of Santiago Island population and the calculations were performed for children and adults. For children HI are higher than 1 for Co, Cr and Mn. So there is indication of potential non-carcinogenic risk for children, due to the high Co (HI=2.995), Cr (HI=1.329) and Mn (HI=1.126), values in soils. For the other elements and for adults there is no potential non-carcinogenic risk. Cancer risk was calculated for As, Cd, Cr and Ni exposures, for adults and children and the results are always lower than the carcinogenic target risk of 1x10-6, for As, Cd, and Ni. However, cancer risk are higher than the carcinogenic target risk for Cr, for adults. Regarding As, for children the fraction due to Riskingestion represents 51.6%, while Riskinhalation represents 48.0% and Riskdermalcontact represents only 0.4% of total risk. For adults Riskinhalation represents 81.3%, Riskingestion represents 16.6% and Riskdermal contact represents 2.1%. These results reflect the higher daily ingestion dose for children and the higher inhalation rate and higher dermal contact surface for adults. For the other elements and for adults the cancer risk due to Cr, Ni and Cd inhalation is always higher than for children, reflecting the higher inhalation rate for adults.

Phantom Limb Pain (PLP) is a challenging condition affecting a significant proportion of amputees. In this article we describe the case of a 54-year-old Paralympic athlete with Phantom Limb Syndrome following right leg amputation and widespread sports-related enthesitic pain, who underwent a Whole Body Cryostimulation (WBC) cycle, an emerging treatment known for its rapid pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory effects. Assessments were conducted before and after a 10-session WBC cycle, including pain and quality of life assessment, and use of medications. A substantial reduction in enthesitic pain, PLP intensity, paresthesia, tingling related to atmospheric events and an improved function and quality of life were reported after the WBC cycle and lasted for two weeks. One month after WBC, the enthesitic pain following sports activity and PLP gradually returned but with lesser intensity. Similarly, the stump's sensitivity to atmospheric changes returned but with lower frequency. Pain at night remained lower than before WBC with significantly improved quality of sleep. This case study suggests that WBC could be a valuable adjuvant treatment for alleviating PLP. Controlled studies are warranted to validate the findings of this case-report and elucidate the mechanisms underlying the positive effects of WBC in this condition.

Private vehicle travel is the most basic mode of transportation, and the effective control of the real-world fuel consumption rate of light-duty vehicles plays a vital role in promoting sustainable economic development as well as achieving a green low-carbon society. Therefore, the impact factors of individual carbon emission must be elucidated. This study builds five different models to estimate real-world fuel consumption rate of light-duty vehicles in China. The results reveal that the Light Gradient Boosting Machine (LightGBM) model performs better than the linear regression, Naïve Bayes regression, Neural Network regression, and Decision Tree regression models, with mean absolute error of 0.911 L/100 km, mean absolute percentage error of 10.4%, mean square error of 1.536, and R squared (R2) of 0.642. This study also assesses a large number of factors, from which three most important factors are extracted, namely, reference fuel consumption rate value, engine power and light-duty vehicle brand. Furthermore, a comparative analysis reveals that the vehicle factors with greater impact on real-world fuel consumption rate are vehicle brand, engine power, and engine displacement. Average air pressure, average temperature, and sunshine time are the three most important climate factors.

Thermal comfort is extremely important in architecture, especially in environments with more people spending longer on studies or intellectual activities. This research describes a case study to investigate university buildings' energy and thermal performance as a part of the ANEEL program. Due to this importance, and the need to save energy in Brazilian public buildings, the ANEEL-the Brazilian Energy Electricity Regulatory Agency, launched 2016 a national program focusing on energy efficiency in public universities around the country. University offices and classrooms require high intellectual effort; thus, environmental comfort is critical for maintaining its users' physical and mental health. This study included a pre-diagnosis of the performance of the envelope, lighting, and air conditioning systems and a survey about the quality of the environments from the users' point of view. The Prescriptive Method of the Brazilian Labeling Program (PBE) for Commercial, Service, and Public Buildings (RTQ-C) assessed the building performance. Statistical analysis was applied to correlate the quality and thermal preference of the users from the PMV/PPD. The results showed a high rate of thermal discomfort in both environments of the studies, even when using air conditioning.

Invasive macrophytes are considered problematic in natural environments and hydroelectric reservoirs. Climate changes, the occurrence of watercourses, and biotic interactions influence the biological invasion of macrophytes. Native species can correlate with invasives positively or negatively. Urochloa subquadripara is an invasive in natural or disturbed habitats co-occurring with the natives Eichhornia crassipes and Salvinia minima. Aquatic plant communities can be altered by climate change, so species distribution models (SDMs) are important tools for predicting in-vaded areas. This work aimed to make an SDM for U. subquadripara correlating with the poten-tial distribution of native species E. crassipes and S. minima. Occurrence data for U. subquadripara, E. crassipes, and S. minima were collected from databases and in consultation with the published literature. Parameters encompassing biological information of the species were entered into the CLIMEX software and used to generate the Ecoclimatic Index (EI). The species co-occurrence was performed based on multicriteria decision-making (MCDM), and weights were assigned using the analytical hierarchy process (AHP). It was observed that U. subquadripara, E. crassipes, and S. minima have a higher occurrence in tropical and subtropical regions; however, it is predicted that, from climatic changes, these species may move to high latitudes. According to climate change, the risk of invasion by U. subquadripara in the northern hemisphere is mainly in lakes, while in the southern hemisphere, the areas conducive to invasions are rivers and reservoirs. In general, emerging and floating macrophyte species such as U. subquadripara, E. crassipes, and S. minima will be favored, causing suppression of submerged species. Therefore, identifying the potential distribution of these species allows the creation of pre-invasion intervention strategies.

As part of a project ordered by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation of Brazil, an assessment of Brazilian biological collections was conducted by the Brazilian Societies of Botany, Microbiology, Virology and Zoology to obtain data on the current state of these collections. The goal was to provide subsidies for future public policies, including financial support and prioritization policies. Herein, we present the results of the microbiological collections, which play a fundamental role in the ex situ conservation of biodiversity and support research, development and innovation. A survey was sent to public and private institutions in Brazil and answered by 168 microbiological collections from 79 different institutions. Among these, 73 comprise public research institutions and universities, demonstrating the State's importance in preserving and safeguarding Brazilian microbial diversity. The main taxonomic groups are bacteria (present in 70.24% of the collections) and fungi (52.98% of the collections) from different Brazilian ecosystems and biomes, including several type strains. Furthermore, the collections preserve microorganisms with biotechnological potential for application in environmental protection, public health, industry, and agribusiness. However, despite all these economic and biotechnological potentials, the data analysis showed serious limitations and fragilities, especially regarding physical infrastructure and human resources, and raises alerts about the risk that Brazilian collections are subjected to.

Object recognition is an essential element of machine intelligence tasks. However, one model cannot practically be trained to identify all the possible objects it encounters. An ensemble of models may be needed to cater to a broader range of objects. Building a mathematical understanding of the relationship between various objects that share comparable outlined features is envisaged as an effective method of improving the model ensemble through a pre-processing stage, where these objects' features are grouped under a broader classification umbrella. This paper proposes a mechanism to train an ensemble of recognition models coupled with a model selection scheme to scale-up object recognition in a multi-model system. An algorithmic relationship between the learnt parameters of a trained classification model and the features of input images is presented in the paper for the system to learn the model selection scheme. The multiple models are built with a CNN structure, whereas the image features are extracted using a CNN/VGG16 architecture. Based on the models' excitation weights, a neural network model selection algorithm, which links a new object with the models and decides how close the features of the object are to the trained models for selecting a particular model for object recognition is developed and tested on a five-model neural network platform. The experiment results show the proposed model selection scheme is highly effective and accurate in selecting an appropriate model for a network of multiple models.

The N-acylhydrazone function has been reported as a pharmacophore group of molecules with diverse pharmacological activities, including anti-inflammatory effects. Thus, this study evaluated the anti-inflammatory potential of the compound N'-(3-(1H-indol-3-yl)benzylidene)-2-cyanoacetohydrazide (JR19) in vivo. The study started with the carrageenan-induced peritonitis model, followed by an investigation of leukocyte migration using the subcutaneous air pouch test and an assessment of the antinociceptive profile using formalin-induced pain. To find out the likely mechanism of action, a preliminary molecular docking study was performed focusing on the crystallographic structures of NFκB, iNOS, and sGCs. The computational study revealed satisfactory interaction energies with the selected targets, and the same peritonitis model was used to validate the involvement of the nitric oxide pathway and cytokine expression in the peritoneal exudate of mice pretreated with L-NAME or methylene blue. In the peritonitis assay, JR19 (10 and 20 mg/kg) reduced leukocyte migration by 59% and 52%, respectively, compared to the control group, with the 10 mg/kg dose used in subsequent assays. In the subcutaneous air pouch assay, the reduction in cell migration was 66%, and the response to intraplantar formalin was reduced by 39%, particularly during the inflammatory phase, suggesting that the compound lacks central analgesic activity. In addition, a reversal of the anti-inflammatory effect was observed in mice pretreated with L-NAME or methylene blue, indicating the involvement of iNOS and sGC in the anti-inflammatory response of JR19. The compound effectively and significantly decreased the levels of IL-6, TNF-α, IL-17, and IFN-γ, and this effect was reversed in animals pretreated with L-NAME, supporting a NO-dependent anti-inflammatory effect. In contrast, pretreatment with methylene blue only reversed the reduction in TNF-α levels. Therefore, these results demonstrate the pharmacological potential of the novel N-acylhydrazone derivative, which acts through the nitric oxide pathway and cytokine signaling, making it a strong candidate as an anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory agent.

The topography and chemical composition modification of the titanium (Ti) implants play a decisive role in improving biocompatibility and bioactivity, accelerating osseointegration, and, thus, determining clinical success. In spite of the development of surface modification strategies, bacterial contamination is a common cause of failure. The use of systemic antibiotic therapy does not guarantee action at the contaminated site. In this work, we proposed a surface treatment for Ti implant that aim to improve its osseointegration and reduce bacterial colonization in surgery site due to local release of antibiotic. The Ti disks were hydrothermally treated with 3M NaOH solution to form a nanostructured layer of titanate on the Ti surface. Metronidazole was impregnated on these nanostructured surfaces to allow its local release. The samples were coated with poly(vinyl alcohol) - PVA films with different thickness to evaluate a possible control of drug release. Gamma irradiation was used to crosslink the polymer chains leading to a hydrogel layer formation and to sterilize the samples. The samples were characterized by XRD, SEM, FTIR, contact angle measurements, “in vitro” bioactivity, and drug release analysis. The alkaline hydrothermal treatment successfully produced intertwined, web-like nanostructures on the Ti surface, providing wettability and bioactivity to Ti samples (Ti+TTNT samples). Metronidazole was successfully loaded and released from Ti+TTNT samples coated or not with PVA. Although the polymeric film acted as a physical barrier to drug delivery, all groups reached the minimum inhibitory concentration for anaerobic bacteria. Thus, the surface modification method presented is a potential approach to improve the osseointegration of the Ti implant and to associate local drug delivery to dental implants, preventing early infections and bone failure.

The valorization of the large amount of crude glycerol formed from biodiesel industry, is of primordial necessity. One possible direction with high interest to the biorefiniery sector is the production of fuel additives as solketal, though the acetalization of glycerol with acetone. This is a chemical process that conciliates high sustainability and economic interest, since solketal contributes to the fullfilment of a Circular Economy Model through its use in biodiesel blends. The key to guarantee high efficiency and high sustainability for solketal production is the use of a recovery and recyclable heterogeneous catalyst. Some examples are already reported in the literature (first example in 2012), and this review intends to conciliate the information spreaded in this topic and established the most important reacional parameters and the main catalytic characteristics strategies to achieve high solketal production in short reaction time.

Research on mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) interventions with displaced communities has increasingly focused on evaluating implementation, including identifying strategies to promote retention in services. This study examines the relationship between participant characteristics, study setting, and reasons for intervention noncompletion using data from the Entre Nosotras feasibility trial, a community-based MHPSS intervention targeting displaced and host community women in Ecuador and Panama that aimed to promote psychosocial wellbeing. Among 225 enrolled women, approximately half completed the intervention, with varying completion rates and reasons for nonattendance across study sites. Participants who were older, had migrated for family reasons, had spent more time in the study community, and were living in Panamá (vs. Ecuador) were more likely to complete the intervention. The findings suggest the need to adapt MHPSS interventions to consider the duration of access to the target population and explore different delivery modalities including the role of technology and cellular devices as reliable or unreliable source for engaging with participants. Engaging younger, newly arrived women is crucial, as they showed lower completion rates. Strategies such as consulting scheduling preferences, providing on-site childcare, and integrating MHPSS interventions with other programs could enhance intervention attendance.

Sugarcane plays a crucial role in global sugar and ethanol production. Conventionally, sugar-cane propagation involves planting billets. However, Brazilian researchers have introduced the innovative pre-sprouted seedlings (PSS) method, widely used in the MEIOSI (Simultaneously Occurring Interrotational Method) system. Although MPB has several advantages over the con-ventional method, its sensitivity to water scarcity is a challenge. The study aimed to evaluate the survival and growth of PSS inoculated with Bacillus licheniformis and Bacillus subtilis under differ-ent water regimes. The experiment was conducted in the field in a randomized block in strips (split-block) using a 2×4 factorial scheme consisting of two inoculation conditions (with and without bacteria) and four water regimes (0%, 33%, 66%, and 100% of the ideal irrigation). The bacteria increased the PSS's survival and water use efficiency in the field. In addition, inocula-tion increased root and shoot growth, as well as the nutrient uptake such as N, P, Mn, Zn, and Cu, which resulted in a higher number of stalks per meter and, therefore, a higher multiplica-tion rate in the MEIOSI system. Inoculation proved to be a promising alternative for establishing PSS under water restriction.

Background: Hospital accreditation has become ubiquitous in developing countries. Although studies recognize that accreditation can improve healthcare quality, efficiency, and safety, there are doubts about how hospitals deal with conflicts caused by the different institutional logics that inhabit this process. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate how professional and market logics, as well as the conflict between institutional demands, affect compliance with hospital accreditation. Methods: To this end, we developed a multiple case study in four Brazilian hospitals through in-depth interviews with sixteen participants (managers, physicians, nurses, physiotherapist) and on-site observation by the triangulation between the analysis of the narratives and the results of the multiple correspondence analysis. The interpretation and subsequent categorization of the interviews were guided by the study's analytical categories: institutional logics (professional and market); adoption objectives (legitimacy and efficiency); strategic responses to adoption (conformity, non-conformity, and customization); nature of demands (origin in the means and in goal). Results. The data showed that when professional logic is prominent, there is a greater tendency to customize activities, as there are conflicts in the means by which activities can be developed. When market logic stands out, there is a risk of non-conformity, mainly because the focus falls exclusively on goals. Finally, the data point to the absence of conflicts between justifications related to efficiency and legitimacy. Conclusion. We conclude the study by highlighting the theoretical and practical implications of recognizing the conflict between logics, contributing to a deeper understanding of how logic influences the attention given to specific demands and, more significantly, how they affect compliance with hospital accreditation standards, expanding the body of knowledge in the area.

Magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) has revealed sexual dimorphism in brain stiffness in healthy individuals and multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. In the animal model of MS, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), we showed previously that inflammation-induced brain softening was associated with alterations of the extracellular matrix (ECM). However, it remained unclear whether the brain ECM presents sex-specific properties that can be visualized by MRE. Therefore, we aimed here at quantifying sexual dimorphism in brain viscoelasticity in association with ECM changes in healthy and inflamed brains. Multifrequency MRE was applied to the midbrain of healthy and EAE mice of both sexes to quantitatively map regional stiffness. To define differences in brain ECM composition, gene expression of the key basement membrane components laminin (Lama4, Lama5), collagen (Col4a1, Col1a1) and fibronectin (Fn1) was investigated by RT-qPCR. We showed that the healthy male cortex expressed less Lama4, Lama5, Col4a1 but more Fn1 (all p < 0.05) than the healthy female cortex, which was associated with 9% softer properties (p = 0.044) in that region. At peak EAE, cortical softening was similar in both sexes compared to healthy tissue, with an 8% difference remaining between males and females during EAE (p < 0.001). Cortical Lama4, Lama5 and Col4a1 expression increased 2 to 3-fold in EAE in both sexes while Fn1 decreased only in males (all p < 0.05). No significant sex differences in stiffness were detected in other brain regions. In conclusion, sexual dimorphism in the ECM composition of cortical tissue in the mouse brain is reflected by in vivo stiffness measured with MRE and should be considered in future studies by sex-specific reference values.

This work presents the results of three connection types in double-shear with dowel fasteners, using the simplified equations from the Eurocode 5. All design parameters were established and compared using three different wood strength and density properties, which constitute the members connections. Eighty-one connections were obtained, allowing to conclude about the number of fasteners needed to the applied tensile load. An increase in the number of dowels was obtained with the increased applied tensile load, lower dowel diameter, lower wood density, and lower strength material in all connection types in the study. The design characteristic load-carrying capacity per shear plane and fastener also decrease with the previously considered parameters.

Recent studies releaved that the high production of reactive oxidative species due to exposure of fine or ultrafine particles are implicated in many chronical respiratory disorders. However, the poor standard of clinical data in sub-Saharan countries makes very difficult the assessment of knowledge of air pollution health impact in urban cities. Objective: the aim of this study was to evaluate distribution of respiratory disorders associated to exposure of air fine and ultrafine particles through changes of some oxidative stress biomarkers among motorbike drivers from two cities of Cameroon Methods: A cross-sectional survey using a standardized questionnaire was conducted in 2019 on 191 motorcycle drivers (MD) working in Douala and Dschang. Then, the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and the level of malondialdehyde (MDA) were measured by colorimetric methods. The data of participants after clustered in Excel Microsoft were analysed and statistically compared using Spss 2.0 software. Results: The motorbike drivers recruited to both cities were aged from 21 to 40, with mean age of 29.93 (± 0.82). The distribution of respiratory disorders as running nose, cold, dry cough, chest discomfort, and breathlessness, was significantly increased among MD in Douala. According to results of biological assays, SOD and MDA, were significantly more increased among MD recruited in Douala, compared to those of Dschang. The change of these oxidative stress markers was significantly correlated with mobilization of neutrophils and Monocytes showing initiation and evolution of subjacent inflammatory reactions, and seemed to be significantly influenced by place of habitation of MD. Conclusion: Through this study it is confirmed the evidence of initiation and evolution of oxidative stress with long-term exposure to air fine or ultrafine particles among active people in Urban cities. Further studies should be conducted with more analysis to provide evidence cellular damage and dysfunction related to chronically exposure to fine air PM among active people in metropolitan of sub-Saharan Africa context.

Abstract: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is an autosomal recessive monogenic disorder caused by a homozygous mutation in the β-globin gene, which leads to erythrocyte sickling, hemolysis, vaso-occlusion and sterile inflammation. Oral l-glutamine administration has been shown to reduce the frequency of pain crisis in SCD patients, however, the long-term effect of l-glutamine in SCD remains to be determined. To understand the long-term effect of l-glutamine administration in SCD liver we used quantitative liver intravital microscopy and biochemical analysis in humanized SCD mice. We here show that chronic l-glutamine administration reduces hepatic hemoglobin-heme-iron level, but fails to ameliorate ischemic liver injury. Remarkably, we find that this failure in resolution of hepatobiliary injury and persistent liver fibrosis is associated with reduced expression of hepatic Kupffer cells post l-glutamine treatment. These findings establish the importance to investigate the long-term effects of l-glutamine therapy on liver pathophysiology in SCD patients.

The Doig Phosphate Zone (DPZ) is a phosphate-bearing marine unit located at the base of the Doig Formation, in the Triassic section of the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin. The DPZ has a maximum thickness of 90 m and extends across northeastern British Columbia and western central Alberta. In this study we characterize the significance and interpret the origin of apatite in the DPZ, through mineralogical and geochemical analyses, thin section study and field emission-scanning electron microscopy. The occurrence of apatite in the DPZ is not evenly distributed, but restricted to discrete 10 to 20 cm thick beds, located near the base of the DPZ. Phosphorites are of two types: grainstones composed primarily of unconformity-bounded coated grains, and intraclastic phosphorites composed of detrital silt-sized grains and apatite coated grains in a cryptocrystalline phosphatic matrix. The phosphorite beds are records of stratigraphic condensation due to low detrital input during transgression. The erosionally-truncated phosphatic coated grains and intraclasts are interpreted to be a result of various phases of phosphatization, exhumation, erosion reworking, winnowing and redeposition in alternating quiescence and storms or bottom currents. The abundance of pyrite and chalcophile trace elements, as well as the low concentration of proxy elements for organic matter productivity and preservation, are further evidences of stratigraphic condensation, with sulfidic pore water development and extensive organic recycling promoted by biological activity during the long exposure times. The phosphorites were formed under oxygenated water conditions, as suggested by the depletion in Ce and presence of a diverse benthic fauna.

Excessive neutrophil influx and activation in lungs during infections, such as manifest during the ongoing SARS CoV-2 pandemic, have brought neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) and the con-comitant release of granule contents that damage surrounding tissues into sharp focus. Neutro-phil proteases, which are known to participate in NET release, also enable the binding of the viral spike protein to cellular receptors and assist in the spread of infection. Blood and tissue fluids normally also contain liver-derived protease inhibitors that balance the activity of proteases. In-terestingly, neutrophils themselves also express the protease inhibitor alpha-1-antitrypsin (AAT), the product of the SERPINA-1 gene, and store it in neutrophil cytoplasmic granules. The absence of AAT or mutations in the SERPINA-1 gene promote lung remodeling and fibrosis in diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and increase the risk of allergic responses. Recent observations point to the fact that re-duced activity of AAT presents a major susceptibility factor for severe COVID-19. Here, we focus attention on the mechanism of neutrophil elastase (NE) in NET release and its inhibition by AAT as an additional factor that may determine the severity of COVID-19

Medicinal plants for bone grafts are promising because they are free from infecting microorganisms and biocompatible. We report a novel study evaluating osteoregeneration of bone grafts from extracts of Alternanthera brasiliana and Fridericia platyphylla after bone injury induced by radius fracture in rats. Grafts were obtained using 2% chitosan gel and 0.5% hydroalcoholic extract. The rats were randomly divided into four experimental groups (N= 12): Negative control (NC) - Chitosan gel; Positive control (PC) - bovine mineral bone graft (Lumina Bone®, fine powder 0.5); F. platyphylla Graft (FRID) - 0.5% bone graft; A. brasiliana Graft (ABRA) - 0.5% bone graft. The animals were evaluated for three periods, 30, 60, and 90 days after fracture induction. Bone alkaline phosphatase (BSAP) and radiographic and histological evaluations were followed. After 90 days, there was an increase in BSAP for the ABRA group on the newly formed bone matrix but not for FRID, indicating the presence of active osteoblasts. Additionally, mature bone tissue and bone remodeling were observed, and a conspicuous presence of type I collagen for both FRID and ABRA. We demonstrated that FRID and ABRA grafts produced early bone neoformation. New perspectives for these species as a graft are suggested.

The use of nitrogen fertilizers can be a source of environmental pollution; the use of or-ganomineral fertilizers can become a nutritional source for crops, ensuring sustainability in the production system. Another alternative approach is through the inoculation and co-inoculation of microorganisms. The objective was to evaluate the development, nutrition, and agronomic yield of common bean through fertilization with organomineral formula "FMO" derived from sewage sludge biosolids, combined with Rhizobium tropici inoculation and co-inoculation with Azospirillum brasilense techniques. Three bean cultivars from different commercial groups, Pérola, BRS Esteio, and BRS Pitanga, were tested. They were subjected to organomineral fertilizer application, orga-nomineral fertilizer application combined with seed inoculation with R. tropici and re-inoculation; seed co-inoculation with R. tropici + A. brasilense prior to sowing, and foliar re-inoculation with R. tropici + A. brasilense. Seed inoculation, combined with foliar re-inoculation at the V4 stage, resulted in higher productivity of common bean. The combination of R. tropici with co-inoculation with A. brasilense generally led to increased productivity compared to mineral nitrogen fertilization. The use of organomineral fertilizer alone enabled gains in development, as well as productivity. The Pérola bean cultivar showed better adaptation to the applied treatments.

In this study, an extensive data set was based on existing literature records in order to enable the suitability of several predictive models, from Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) to Neural Networks (NN). The main objective was to, through regression analyses, generate model computations to correlate tensile properties (UTS- Ultimate Tensile Strength, YTS – Yield Tensile Strength and EF – Elongation-to-Fracture) to a given alloy composition and microstructural spacing. This investigation led to positive results, as the highest accuracies of the trained modules (in 80% of the database) were found to be above ~82% (UTS and EF) and a maximum of ~98% (YTS), when analyzing the results to a test data set. Later, these models were used to define trends for possible next solder alloy commercial compositions. Overall, using the standard model’s setup, the Random Forest and Decision Tree models showed the highest accuracy results, with 0.958 for YTS as opposed to 0.907 for MLR. Moreover, Multilayer Perceptron (MLP)-optimized models yielded the best results for each variable, with the highest increases in accuracy associated with the YTS and EF. The present contribution might imply an important milestone towards alloy design research based on data science guidelines to unlock the full potential of former experiments and their extensive set of results.

The construction industry, a vital sector of the global economy, is projected to grow significantly over the next 15 years. Despite its importance, this industry struggles with inefficiency, high costs, prolonged timelines, and substantial ecological impacts. These challenges have led governments to advocate for Building Information Modeling (BIM) to enhance Efficiency and sustainability through comprehensive digital representations of physical and functional characteristics. The effective integration of BIM technology hinges on the active participation of industry providers, raising the question of how these providers can positively contribute to improving BIM dimen-sions. This study investigates the potential of coopetition networks within the Portuguese Orna-mental Stone industries (OS-PT) to address this challenge. Coopetition networks, which blend competition and cooperation, foster collaborative networks among companies to enhance their re-sponse to digital supply chains. The research employs an Experimental Pilot Network facilitated by an Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) artefact to assess the benefits of coopetition networks. The findings demonstrate that transitioning from current practices (CB.P) to coopetition network practices (CN.P) significantly improves operational Efficiency, labour productivity, and sustaina-bility. Specifically, the transition resulted in a 15.6% increase in on-time delivery performance, a 27.38% improvement in labour productivity, and a 21.8% reduction in CO₂ emissions per part produced. These improvements align with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 8, 9, 11, and 13, highlighting the strategic value of coopetition in driving innovation and sustainability in the construction industry. Future research should explore the scalability of these findings across different sectors and further refine methodologies to maximize the benefits of coopetition net-works.

The loop and knot securities of 2 braided and 2 monofilament sutures of four diameters (3.0, 2.0, 0, 1) were evaluated with a tensiometer for four 4-throw knots known to be secure with a 2.0 polyfilament suture. Loop security of monocryl 1 is low, being 14.7 + 3.0 Newton (N) for a 3-throw half-knot (H3) and 15.4 + 2.4 N and 28.3+ 10 N for 2 (SSs) and 4-throw (SSsSsSs) symmetrical sliding half-hitches. This is lower than 18, 24, and 46 N for similar knots with vicryl. Polyfilament sutures have excellent knot security for all diameters. Occasionally, some slide to open with slightly lower knot security, especially for larger diameters, although not clinically problematic. Knot se-curity of monofilament sutures was unpredictable for all 4 knots, especially for larger diameters, resulting in many clinically insecure knots. A secure monofilament knot requires a 6-throw knot with 2 symmetrical sliding half-hitches or 2 symmetrical half-knots secured with 4 asymmetric blocking half-hitches. In conclusion, with polyfilament sutures, 4 or 5-throw half-knot or half-hitch sequences result in secure knots. For monofilament sutures, loop and knot security is much less, half-knot combinations should be avoided, and secure knots require 6-throw knots with 4 asym-metric half hitches. This conclusion is valid for gynecologic laparoscopic and open surgery, and for surgery in general.

Traditional population-based metaheuristic algorithms are effective in solving complex real-world problems but require careful strategy selection and parameter tuning. Parameter-less population-based optimization algorithms have gained importance due to their simplicity and efficiency. However, research on their applicability for solving large systems of nonlinear equations is still incipient. In this paper, a systematic review and detailed description of metaphor-less optimization algorithms is made, including the Jaya algorithm, the main Jaya variants for continuous optimization problems, with a focus on the Enhanced Jaya (EJAYA) algorithm, the three Rao algorithms, the best-worst-play (BWP) algorithm, and the very recent max-min-greedy-interaction (MaGI) algorithm. This paper also discusses a few previous parallelizations of the Jaya optimization algorithm, as well as recent GPU-based massively parallel implementations of the Jaya, Enhanced Jaya (EJAYA), Rao, and BWP algorithms developed by the authors. In addition, a novel GPU-accelerated version of the MaGI algorithm is proposed. The GPU-accelerated versions of the metaphor-less algorithms developed by the authors were implemented using the Julia programming language and tested primarily on GeForce RTX 3090 and NVIDIA A100 GPUs, as well as on Tesla V100S and Tesla T4 GPUs, using a set of difficult, large-scale nonlinear equation system problems. The computational experiments carried out produced quite significant speedups, which highlights the efficiency of the GPU-based versions of the metaphor-less algorithms developed for solving large-scale systems of nonlinear equations.

In this review, we highlight new findings that have deepened our understanding of the mechanisms of leukemogenesis, therapy and resistance in APL. PML-RARa sets the cellular landscape of Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) by repressing transcription of RARa target genes and disrupting PML-NBs. RAR receptors control the homeostasis of tissue growth, modeling and regeneration, PML NBs are involved in self-renewal of normal and cancer stem cells, DNA damage response, senescence and stress response. Additional somatic mutations in APL mainly involve FLT3, WT1, NRAS, KRAS, ARID1B and ARID1A genes. Treatment outcomes in patients with newly diagnosed APL improved dramatically since the advent of all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) and arsenic trioxide (ATO). ATRA activates the transcription of blocked genes and degrades PML-RARα, while ATO degrades PML-RARa by promoting apoptosis and has a pro-oxidant effect. Resistance to ATRA and ATO may derive from mutations in the RARa ligand binding domain (LBD) and in the PML-B2 domain of PML-RARa, but such mutations cannot explain the majority of resistances experienced in the clinic, globally accounting for 5-10% of cases. Several studies are ongoing to unravel clonal evolution and resistance, suggesting the therapeutic potential of new retinoid molecules and combinatorial treatments of ATRA or ATO with different drugs acting through alternative mechanisms of action, which may lead to synergistic effects on growth control or induction of apoptosis in APL cells.

Over the last decades, the increased incidence of metabolic disorders such as type 2 diabetes and obesity has motivated researchers to investigate new enzyme inhibitors. In this study, the inhibitory effects of synthetic amino acid derivatives (PPC80, PPC82, PPC84, PPC89, and PPC101) on the activity of digestive enzymes was assessed by in vitro assays. The inhibitory effect was determined by the inhibition percentage and the 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50), and the mechanism of action was investigated by Lineweaver–Burk plots. PPC80, PPC82, and PPC84 inhibited pancreatic lipase (IC50 of 1.67–10.23 x 10-1 mmol/L). The activity of pancreatic α-amylase was suppressed by PPC80, PPC82, PPC84, PPC89, and PPC101 (IC50 of 1.62–5.19 x 10-1 mmol/L). Finally, PPC84, PPC89, and PPC101 also showed a potent inhibitory effect on α-glucosidase (IC50 of 0.51–3.53 x 10-1 mmol/L). PPC80 and PPC82 followed a non-competitive inhibition mechanism against pancreatic lipase, while PPC84 acted through competitive inhibition. The inhibition of pancreatic α-amylase by the derivatives was non-competitive, as well as for PPC84, PPC89 and PPC101 against α-glucosidase. The results suggest that these synthetic amino acid derivatives have inhibitory potential against digestive enzymes and may be used as therapeutic agents to control metabolic disorders.

Circular Economy involves structural changes in traditional business models and consumers’ behaviour toward recycled products. The recycling of PET products has been increasing but there is still a gap between consumption and demand for PET packaging in Brazil. In this research, the waste reduction was examined under a projective scenario to the current ecological purposes in Brazil for reducing environmental pollution. In that manner, this paper aimed to comprehend the intention to purchase recycled PET products of Brazilian consumers. With a non-probabilistic and convenience sample, the study counts 422 participants. The method employed was based on Structural Equation Modelling and Partial Least Squares, used to test the hypotheses of causality among the variables. Results showed the perception of low quality about recycled products reduced consumers’ intention to purchase. Also, the sustainability of recycled products positively influenced the intention to purchase. In addition, recycled products presented a negative impact on the perceived safety, which could influence the purchase of recycled products in Brazil. We conclude that the image that Brazilian consumers have about recycled products positively affects the intention to purchase.

Cryptococcus neoformans is a facultative intracellular fungal pathogen. Ten-generation-old (10GEN) C. neoformans cells are more resistant to phagocytosis and killing by macrophages than younger daughter cells. However, mechanisms that mediate this resistance and intracellular parasitism are poorly understood. Here, we identified factors important for the intracellular survival of 10GEN C. neoformans, such as urease activity, capsule synthesis, and DNA content using flow cytometry and fluorescent microscopy techniques. Real-time visualization of time-lapse imaging was applied to determine the phagosomal acidity, membrane permeability, and vomocytosis (non-lytic exocytosis) rate in J774 macrophages that phagocytosed C. neoformans of different generational ages. Our results showed that old C. neoformans exhibited higher urease activity, and enhanced capsule formation, which was supported by an increased Golgi complex. In addition, old C. neoformans were more likely to be arrested in the G2 phase, resulting in the occasional formation of aberrant trimera-like cells. To finish, the advanced generational age of the yeast cells slightly reduced vomocytosis events within host cells, which might be associated with increased phagolysosomal pH and membrane permeability. Altogether our results contribute to a better understanding of the strategies used by old C. neoformans to resist phagosomal killing and suggest that old generation C. neoformans intracellular behavior may be driving cryptococcosis pathogenesis.

Wireless Mesh Networks (WMN) are a solution with a reasonable cost/benefit ratio when provid-ing broadband internet access. The concept is being used not only in IEEE networks but also in other wireless networks such as cellular networks (4G/5G) and Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN). IEEE 802.11s is the facto standard and is well known for working with WMN. The standard defines Hybrid Wireless Mesh Protocol (HWMP) as a layer 2 routing protocol. The met-ric proposed by the protocol is Air Time Link (ALM), and the IEEE 802.11 standard proposes an equation for its calculation. This work proposes a new methodology for the calculation of ALM which has been developed in the following way: through several scripts, which simulate various WMN scenarios in NS-3, collect information in several databases, and then take the data to RStu-dio, where different statistical tests are developed, such as linear models (LM), generalized linear models (GLM), and other statistical tests for both the original and new model proposals. The result is a new methodology for the calculation of metrics, using statistical techniques in the selection and validation of model regressors, presenting an a priori tool to improve the per-formance of the WMS's.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a multifactorial lung inflammatory disease affecting 174 million people worldwide, with a recently reported increased incidence in female patients. Patients with COPD are especially vulnerable to the detrimental effects of environmental exposures, especially from air particulate and gaseous pollutants. Exposure to air pollution severely influences COPD outcomes, resulting in acute exacerbations, hospitalizations, and death. In the current study, we conducted a review of the literature addressing air pollution induced acute exacerbations of COPD (AECOPD) in order to determine whether air pollution affects COPD patients in a sex-specific manner. We found that while the majority of studies enrolled both male and female patients, only a few reported results disaggregated by sex. Most studies had a higher enrollment of male patients, only four compared AECOPD outcomes between sexes, and only one study identified sex differences in AECOPD, with females displaying higher rates. Overall, our analysis of the literature confirmed that air pollution exposure is a trigger for AECOPD hospitalizations and revealed a significant gap in our knowledge of sex-specific effects of air pollutants on COPD outcomes, highlighting the need for more studies considering sex as a biological variable.

The accumulation of brown algae from the genus Sargassum has been increasing over the years in coastal regions of the Caribbean, Africa, Brazil, and Mexico. This causes harmful effects to the ecosystem, health, economy, and climate due to gas emissions from its decomposition process. There is the possibility of this biomass being reused in civil construction, and few studies have been carried out on its application to common Portland cement mortar. As such, the objective of this study is to evaluate the potential of sargassum ash as a mineral addition to partial replacement of fine aggregates in Portland cement mortar. Characterizations of the raw materials were carried out through X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, loss on ignition, particle size distribution, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), real density, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and dispersion spectroscopy of electrons. The mortars were prepared by partially replacing the fine aggregate (sand) with sargassum ash, at 0%, 5%, 10% and 20%. Mortar performance was evaluated through water absorption, apparent porosity, apparent specific mass, compressive strength after 7, 28, and 63 days after curing. Lastly, a life cycle assessment in accordance with ISO standards 14040:2006 and 14044:2006. The results showed that replacing sand with sargassum ash increases water absorption, apparent porosity, and decreases the apparent specific mass and compressive strength as replacement increases. Nevertheless, the compressive strength results after 63 days, for 5 and 10% replacement did not differ statistically from reference values. The life cycle assessment indicates that mortars with partial replacement of sand by sargassum ash showed positive environmental impacts when compared to reference values for most categories regardless of the scenario analyzed, especially for mortar with 10% replacement. As such, the use of sargassum ash at 10% does not alter compressive strength values after 63 days while reducing its environmental impact. The application of this biomass in civil construction materials provides a destination for this algae that has been causing several social, environmental, and economic problems.

Since its inception in December 2019, Covid-19 has challenged the global scientific community. Some treatments were used in this infection, but doubts still persist regarding the use of medications ¹. More severe cases complicate with endothelial dysfunction, excess thrombin synthesis and decreased fibrinolysis which, associated with hypoxemia, lead to a hypercoagulability state ² and some authors indicate the use of anticoagulants for these ³. For mild cases, doubts remain regarding this indication. We will report the case of a patient with mild symptoms of covid-19, complicated by inferior mesenteric vein thrombosis.

Dengue virus serotype 2 (DENV-2) is responsible for dengue epidemics on a global scale and is recognized for being associated with severe cases of the disease. This study conducted the phylogenetic investigation of DENV-2 in the Northern region of Brazil. DENV-2 isolates from 2017 to 2021, originating from Northern Brazilian states, were selected. Only one lineage (I) of the Asian-American genotype and one lineage (5) of the cosmopolitan genotype were observed. All sequences of the Asian-American genotype used in this study were segregated into a paraphyletic subgroup aligned with sequences from an American clade. These results indicate a probable geographic link starting from Puerto Rico. Additionally, sequences from Acre were identified and grouped into a monophyletic clade of the cosmopolitan genotype. These results indicate the cocirculation of two DENV-2 distinct lineages: Lineage 1, Asian-American genotype (probable origin from Puerto Rico); Lineage 5, cosmopolitan genotype (probable origin from Peru). Our results provide important data regarding the study of DENV genotypes and lineages distribution, as well as opening up possibilities for probable introduction and dissemination routes.

Eryngium foetidum L., a biennial herb with diverse applications in food and traditional medicine, holds economic and pharmacological significance. Given its growing commercial interest, implementing biotechnological approaches like plant tissue culture is vital for sustainable propagation and metabolite production. In this study, we investigated the in vitro photoautotrophic potential of E. foetidum, examining growth, chlorophyll a fluorescence, photosynthetic pigments, and anatomical features under different sucrose concentrations and gas exchange rates. Acclimatization and survival rates of plants after ex vitro transfer were also assessed. E. foetidum exhibited robust growth in both photoautotrophic and photomixotrophic conditions, with natural ventilation significantly enhancing plant development. Chlorophyll a fluorescence and photosynthetic performance were influenced by sucrose and gas exchange, highlighting the importance of these factors in plant micropropagation. Moreover, the species demonstrated remarkable plasticity during acclimatization, with high survival rates and rapid inflorescence emission. The research provides valuable insights into optimizing in vitro cultivation conditions for E. foetidum, emphasizing the potential for large-scale clonal propagation and exploring secondary metabolites. The observed phenotypic plasticity underscores the adaptability of the species to diverse environments. These biotechnological strategies open avenues for future studies, including the application of elicitors for enhanced secondary metabolite production.

The required processes and steps for making bread include technological and innovative concepts. The current trend is the use of less toxic compounds and green processes. Besides lactic acid bacteria and yeast, other microorganisms with special properties, such as enzymes, new aroma and flavor, exopolysaccharides, and vitamins, among other compounds with beneficial properties, could be added to bread manufacture, improving bread quality and health effects for the consumers. Freeze drying, new encapsulation methods, cryoprotectants, spray drying, fluidized bed drying, and vacuum drying are used for probiotics and microorganism cultures that will be used as starters or biological additives in the fermentation. The same development is observed in the preservation methods, and studies with plant extracts and essential oils have been proposed and introduced, replacing chemical agents, such as propionate, within the clean-label bread formulations concept. Baking science is a growing research line incorporating innovative methods and biological additives.

Duplex Stainless Steels (DSS) and Superduplex Stainless Steels (SDSS) are an important class of stainless steels because they combine the benefits of austenite and ferrite phases, resulting in steels with better mechanical properties and higher corrosion resistance. Due to these characteristics are widely employed in various industries. However, the appearance of deleterious phases in their microstructure impairs the properties of DSS and SDSS. Among the deleterious phases, the main one is the sigma phase (σ), which can be nucleated when the steel is exposed to the temperature range between 650 °C and 900 °C, reducing its toughness and resistance to corrosion. In a previous work, Fonseca and collaborators used two descriptors of the microstructural path to analyze the formation of sigma phase (σ), SV, interfacial area per unit volume between sigma phase and austenite, and <λ>, mean chord length of sigma, both in function of the VV, volume fraction of sigma, known in the literature as microstructural partial path (MP). In this work, the contiguity ratio is applied for the first time to describe the microstructural path in the study of sigma phase precipitation in SDSS. The contiguity ratio showed that the distribution of the ferrite/sigma boundaries is homogeneous. Thus, it is reasonable to infer that one has a uniform distribution of sigma phase nuclei within the ferrite. About the kinetics of sigma phase formation, the DSS can be described by the classical JMAK equation, whereas for the SDSS, the kinetics tends to follow the Cahn model for grain edge nucleation. Finally, we present the 3D reconstruction of the sigma phase in SDSS. The results demonstrate that the sigma phase nucleates at the edges of the ferrite/austenite interfaces. Moreover, the sigma phase grows consuming the ferrite, but it is not fully interconnected.

This study evaluated the hip joints of the giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) through imaging and macroscopic analyses and proposed a surgical approach for arthrotomy procedures in this species. The study used four samples fixed in 10% formaldehyde and six thawed carcasses. Radiographic and ultrasound examinations and anatomical dissection allowed the proposal of a surgical approach for the hip joint. The radiographic evaluation occurred with frog-legged ventrodorsal and lateral projections, and the ultrasound enabled joint soft tissue assessment. The articular elements represented similar characteristics to other domestic species. Some anatomical particularities of muscle groups were the intermuscular septum between the tensor fasciae latae and superficial gluteus muscles at the level of the greater trochanter of the femur, which provides lateral access to the femoral head and neck more conservatively. In conclusion, the anatomical particularities of radiographic positioning, the clinical applications of joint ultrasound, and the arrangement of muscle groups must be considered when evaluating and surgically accessing the hip joint of the giant anteater.

This paper discusses the use of networks of Inertial Measurement Units (IMU) for the reconstruction of trajectories from sensor data. Logistics is a natural application domain, to verify the quality of the handling of goods. This is a mass application and the economics of logistics impose that IMUs to be used must be low cost and use basic computational devices. The approach in the paper converts a strategy from the literature, used in the multi-target following problem, to reaching a consensus in a network of IMUs. The paper presents results on how to achieve the consensus in trajectory reconstruction, along with covariance intersection data fusion of the information obtained by all nodes in the network.

Since 1742, the year in which the Prussian Christian Goldbach wrote a letter to Leonhard Euler with his Conjecture in the weak version, mathematicians have been working on the problem. The tools in number theory become the most sophisticated thanks to the resolution solutions. Euler himself said he was unable to prove it. The weak guess in the modern version states the following: any odd number greater than 5 can be written as the sum of 3 primes. In response to Goldbach's letter, Euler reminded him of a conversation in which he proposed what is now known as Goldbach's strong conjecture: any even number greater than 2 can be written as a sum of 2 prime numbers. The most interesting result came in 2013, with proof of weak version by the Peruvian Mathematician Harald Helfgott, however the strong version remained without a definitive proof. The weak version can be demonstrated without major difficulties and will not be described in this article, as it becomes a corollary of the strong version. Despite the enormous intellectual baggage that great mathematicians have had over the centuries, the Conjecture in question has not been validated or refuted until today.

The whitefly leads extensive damage to plants through direct feeding, honeydew secretion, plant physiological disorders, and vectoring plant viruses. This study aimed to evaluate the physiological characteristics of susceptible and resistant soybean cultivars to B. tabaci. The experiments were conducted in a greenhouse. Eleven soybean cultivars were selected and infested with 100 adults of B. tabaci at the V3 stage. The evaluation of photosynthetic parameters, such as photosynthetic rate, leaf transpiration, stomatal conductance, and internal CO2 concentration, revealed that B. tabaci infestation influenced gas exchange in soybean plants. The photosynthetic rate was higher in cultivars AS3810 and M8349 during the V6 stage. Infestations led to alterations in photosynthetic parameters, suggesting increased energy demand to maintain photosynthetic activity. However, the response to infestation varied among different cultivars, indicating varying levels of resistance and tolerance to the whitefly's damage. Additionally, the impact of infestation was more significant during the vegetative phenological. In conclusion, B. tabaci infestation affects soybean plants' physiology, leading to changes in gas exchange parameters and water use efficiency. The response to infestation varied among soybean cultivars, suggesting potential differences in resistance to the pest. The study highlights the importance of evaluating the physiological impact of whitefly infestations on soybean.

Keywords: Wood residuals; Forest biomass; Wood composite; Wood floor; Life Cycle Assessment.

This review focus on a critical analysis of nanocatalysts for Advanced Reductive Processes (ARP) and Oxidation Processes (AOP) designed for the degradation of poly/perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in water. Ozone, ultraviolet and photocatalyzed ARP and/or AOP will be the basic treatment technologies. Besides the review of the nanomaterials with greater potential as catalyst for advanced processes of PFAS in water, the perspectives for its future development considering sustainability considerations will be discussed. Moreover, a brief analysis of the current state of the art of the ARP and AOP for the treatment of PFAS in water will be presented.

In the semi-arid region of Brazil, it is common to use saline or brackish water for crop production. However, this practice can negatively affect the soil, nutrient balance, and fruit quality and production. From this perspective, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of fertilization combinations with nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) on the production and quality of West Indian cherry grown under salt stress in the second year of production. The study was conducted in a protected environment following a randomized block design with treatments distributed in a 2 x 10 factorial arrangement referring to two levels of electrical conductivity of irrigation water (ECw) (0.6 and 4.0 dS m-1) and 10 NPK fertilization combinations (80-100-100; 100-100-100; 120-100-100; 140-100-100; 100-80-100; 100-120-100; 100-140-100; 100-100-80; 100-100-120 e 100-100-140% of the recommendation in the second year of production), with three replicates and one plant per lysimeter. The results indicate that irrigation of West Indian cherry crop irrigation at the water salinity of 4.0 dS m-1 negatively affected all fruit production variables. The interaction between the ECw of 0.6 dS m-1 and the 100-80-120 NPK fertilization combination increased the total number of fruits and the total fruit weight of West Indian cherry.

Background: School meals represent a significant supply of nutrients for children in Brazil, especially those in conditions of social vulnerability. Objectives: This study aimed to assess the levels of arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), and lead (Pb) in meals served in public elementary schools in four municipalities in the state of Bahia, Brazil, and assess the risk posed to children's health. Methods: Ninety-six samples were collected from 16 schools, freeze-dried, and subjected to microwave-assisted digestion. The As, Cd, and Pb levels were determined by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. The risk assessment was based on calculating each element's hazard quotient (HQ). Results: None of the samples reached or exceeded the tolerable levels for the elements analyzed. Pb was the metal that obtained the most significant result, reaching maximum levels of 39-157 µg.kg-¹. Conclusions: No element exceeded the PTWI proposed by JECFA; thus, the toxic metal content in school meals poses a negligible risk to children´s health.