The use of clays in beauty care comes from ancient times, with therapeutic use since prehistory, and it is considerably relevant in the current cosmetic industry worldwide. In our review, we described types of clay and clay minerals used in cosmetics and dermocosmetics, compositions, usages as active compounds and excipients, and observations about formulation techniques. From this research, we could notice that although many scientific and specialized literature reported the characterization of clays, only some involving efficacy tests when incorporated into cosmetic products, mainly concerning haircare applications. By the exposed, our review could be considered and encouraged in the coming years to provide scientific and technical information for the cosmetic industry regarding the multifunctional use of clays and clay minerals.

Mitochondria are involved in many cellular processes and their main role is cellular energy production. They constantly undergo fission and fusion, and these counteracting processes are under strict balance. The cytosolic dynamin-related protein 1, Drp1 or dynamin-1-like protein (DNM1L) mediates mitochondrial and peroxisomal division. Defects in the DNM1L gene results in a complex neurodevelopmental disorder with heterogeneous symptoms affecting multiple organ systems. Currently there is no curative treatment available for this condition. We have previously described a patient with a de novo heterozygous c.1084G>A (p.G362S) DNM1L mutation and studied the effects of a small molecule, Bezafibrate, on mitochondrial functions in this patient’s fibroblasts compared to controls. Bezafibrate normalized growth on glucose-free medium, ATP production, oxygen consumption and s improved mitochondrial morphology in patient’s fibroblasts, albeit concomitantly causing a mild increase ROS production. Further studies would be needed to show the consistency of the response to Bezafibrate, possibly using fibroblasts from patients with different mutations in DNM1L, and this treatment should be confirmed in clinical trials. However, taking into account the favorable effects in our study, we suggest that Bezafibrate could be a possible treatment option for patients with certain DNM1L mutations.

Home-dwelling older people without health services might develop health issues and challenges. To live longer at home and manage well, it is important to promote health-promotion towards this target group. One approach is through health-promotion dialogues conducted by healthcare professionals in the municipality. The aim of this study is to explore healthcare professionals’ experiences who are conducting health-promotion dialogues to older home-dwellers over 75 years without services. Focus-groups were used to collect data, and a total of nine participants formed three focus groups. Thematic analysis was applied to analyse the material, which resulted in one major theme “The challenging dialogues” comprising three sub-themes, “Mobilise coping skills and health awareness”, “Uncover vulnerability”, and “The ambiguity of the dialogues”. The findings were also discussed by using empowerment as a theoretical lens. The health-promotion conversation uses a resource perspective for elderly to remain independent in old age and can reveal vulnerability and underlying needs. The conversation purpose appears ambiguous for the target group, which leads to unclear service expectations and rejections of the offer. Nevertheless, it seems to be important that this health-promotion service to a larger degree addresses a clear purpose in order to meet the needs of the target group in a broader sense in the aging process.

While some researchers have suggested that the self-employment (SE) sector is a haven during a financial Crisis, others believe that SE is not necessarily the desired outcome, but an indicator that the labor market is tightening for some groups. Few researchers have compared the SE sector before and after the occurrence of a significant financial Crisis, especially in developed countries. This paper analyzes the determinants of entry into self-employment during the 2008 Spanish Crisis. Using data from the Encuesta de Presupuesto Familiar (EPF), results show that although the rate of SE did not experience a significant change during this time the Crisis affected people differently based on gender, with being females more affected than males. Results also suggest differences between Comunidades Autonomas in how the self-employment sector behaved during the Crisis.

Aims: This study aimed at examining coach-athlete violence based on the retrospective reports of adults who had been athletes as children and adolescents; predict variables that contribute to the existence of such violence; describe difficulties that the participants encountered as young athletes following such violence; and reveal the outcomes of such violence on their emotions and behaviors, in the past and present. Methodology: The applied mixed-methods comprised quantitative self-reporting questionnaires and qualitative interviews. The former included 440 participants (mean age 27.6) who had trained for at least one year in a sports union youth department; the latter included 14 participants (aged 23-37). These competitive athletes came from eight branches of sports. The interviews were analyzed based on the Narrative Approach. Results: According to the quantitative study, all participants had experienced coach violence at least once during their career, mainly psychological violence and neglect, followed by physical violence. Sexual violence was least reported. The age of their retirement from sports and the number of coaches that they had had were significant predictors of violence. Thematic analysis of the qualitative interviews resulted in six types of coach-athlete violence: (1) psychological violence; (2) verbal violence; (3) starvation and food fattening; (4) non-proportional punishing; (5) physical violence; and (6) sexual violence. Conclusions: It is vital that coach-athlete violence is addressed in public discourse, that the topic of of young athletes’ safety is introduced into coaching education, and that a position holder is nominated to be in charge of such safety in all sports organizations.

Pulse oximetry is the current standard for detecting drops in arterial blood oxygen saturation (SpO₂) associated with obstructive sleep apnea and hypopnea events in polysomnographic (PSG) testing. In cases of hypoxic challenge, such as occurs during apneic events, regulatory mechanisms restrict blood flow to the skin to preferentially maintain SpO₂ for more vital organs. As a result, a measure related to skin tissue oxygenation is likely to be more sensitive to inadequate breathing during sleep than pulse oximetry. Energy Conversion Monitoring (ECM) provides a method for measuring skin tissue oxygen-dependent energy conversion and, as such, is promising for more sensitively detecting sleep disordered breathing (SDB) events compared to pulse oximetry. We hypothesized that ECM would detect hypoxia occurring with SDB events associated with drops in SpO₂ but also would detect hypoxic challenge occurring with SDB events not associated with drops in SpO₂ (hypopneas defined by a drop in nasal pressure occurring in conjunction with an arousal, respiratory-related arousals, and primary snoring). Primary snoring is of particular interest with respect to the potential of ECM because it is statistically associated with co-morbidities of SDB, such as hypertension, but is not considered pathological because of the lack of a proximal measure of pathology occurring with PSG. In this article we review ECM technology and methodology, present preliminary data indicating that it detects hypoxia occurring in the skin during SDB events that is not detected as blood desaturation by pulse oximetry, and make the case that it is a promising tool for identifying pathology occurring at the mild end of the SDB spectrum.

There is evidence of constitutional rank in Chile, and not only a sectoral rank, to estimate that the regulation of digital media is in an initial and insufficient phase to properly protect information pluralism as political pluralism. The study aims to investigate the forms of concentration, such as the communicational flow of digital media, to determine the opportunities and information defects of these media due to regulatory deficiencies in this sector. Data collection will be carried out through a qualitative and quantitative methodology. The prospect of the imminent constituent process in Chile provides the opportunity to the evaluate the possibilities to propose changes not only at the legislative level but also at the constitutional level, which are likely to benefit freedom of expression with greater guarantees to such as the pluralism of digital media. The latter also means assessing the relevance of enshrining the right to communication in the future.

We investigate some of the fundamental features of the interaction of mixed kaleidoscope states, namely, particular statistical mixtures of coherent states, with two-level atoms in the Jaynes-Cummings model framework. We begin our analysis by calculating the von Neumann entropy of the field which is determined with help of the virtual atom method. Oscillations appear in this entropy that indicate a state of purity greater than the initial state, {it i.e.}, a purification of the initial state is achieved. In this oscillatory region, we obtain the field Wigner function that resembles Schrodinger's cats.

Cytochrome-c-oxidase (COX) subunit 4 (COX4) plays important roles in the function, assembly and regulation of COX (mitochondrial respiratory complex 4), the terminal electron acceptor of the oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) system. The principal COX4 isoform, COX4-1, is expressed in all tissues, whereas COX4-2 is mainly expressed in the lungs, or under hypoxia and other stress conditions. We have previously described a patient with a COX4-1 defect with a relatively mild presentation compared to other primary COX deficiencies, and hypothesized that this could be the result of compensatory upregulation of COX4-2. To this end, COX4-1 was downregulated by shRNAs in human foreskin fibroblasts (HFF), and compared to patient's cells. COX4-1, COX4-2 and HIF-1α were detected by immunocytochemistry. The mRNA transcripts of both COX4 isoforms and HIF-1 target genes were carried out by RT-qPCR. COX activity and OXPHOS function were measured by enzymatic and oxygen consumption assays, respectively. Pathways were analyzed by CEL-Seq2 and by RT-qPCR. We demonstrate elevated COX4-2 levels in the COX4-1-deficient cells with a concomitant HIF-1α stabilization, nuclear localization and upregulated hypoxia and glycolysis pathways. We suggest that COX4-2 and HIF-1α has the are upregulated, also in normoxia as a compensatory mechanism in COX4-1 deficiency.

The dynamics of many complex systems can be classified as ordered, chaotic, or critical. Order offers stability and robustness, while chaos allows for change and adaptability. Criticality, then, is often seen as a balance required by living systems at different scales. In classical models, however, criticality is only found near phase transitions, restricting the parameter space (and thus the likelihood) of critical dynamics, as most parameters yield ``undesirable'' solutions. Here we show that this limitation is due to the homogeneity built-in these models, i.e., all elements sharing parameter values. By exploring heterogeneous versions of archetypal models in physics and computer science, we observe critical dynamics in a broader range of parameters, and thus could be more common than previously thought.

Automated Guided Vehicles are self-guided vehicles used in manufacturing and warehouses for material transport. They play a vital role in just-in-time material delivery, ensuring smooth production lines. However, disruptions in their fixed routes can lead to efficiency losses. This paper studies unexpected disruptions in mobile robot routes, assessing the costs of rectification using the E* analysis. The study highlights the significant additional cost of such disruptions, underscoring the importance of their consideration in AGV route planning to enhance system resilience.

Recently, several reports have emerged describing the long-term consequences of COVID-19 that may affect multiple systems, suggesting its chronicity. As further research is needed, we conducted a longitudinal observational study to report the prevalence and associated risk factors of long-term health consequences of COVID-19 by symptom clusters in patients discharged from the Temporary COVID-19 Hospital (TCH) in Mexico City. Self-reported clinical symptom data were collected via telephone calls over 90 days post-discharge. Among 4670 patients discharged from the TCH, we identified 45 symptoms across eight symptom clusters (neurological; mood disorders; systemic; respiratory; musculoskeletal; ear, nose, and throat; dermatological; and gastrointestinal). We observed that the neurological, dermatological, and mood disorder symptom clusters persisted in >30% of patients at 90 days post-discharge. Although most symptoms decreased in frequency between day 30 and 90, alopecia and the dermatological symptom cluster significantly increased (p<0·00001). Women were more prone than men to develop long-term symptoms and invasive mechanical ventilation also increased the frequency of symptoms at 30-days post-discharge. Overall, we observed that symptoms often persisted regardless of disease severity. We hope these findings will help promote public health strategies that ensure equity in the access to solutions focused on the long-term consequences of COVID-19.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen, especially dominant in people with cystic fibrosis; the drug resistance expressed by this pathogen and its capacity for adaptation generate a great challenge for its treatment and control, increasing morbidity and mortality rates globally. In this sense, the search for new treatment alternatives is imminent today, with products of plant origin being an excellent alternative to be used. The objective of this research was to evaluate the antibacterial and antibiofilm potential and to explore the possible effect of ethanolic extracts of wood and bark of Duguetia vallicola on the cell membrane. Microdilution assays showed inhibition of bacterial growth by more than 50%, with the lowest concentration evaluated (62.5μg/mL) of both extracts. Furthermore, we report the ability of both extracts to inhibit mature biofilms, with inhibition percentages between 48.4% and 93.7%. Intracellular material leakage experiments (260/280 nm), extracellular pH measurement, and fluorescence microscopy with acridine orange (AO) and ethidium bromide (EB) showed cell membrane damage. This indicates that the anti-bacterial action of ethanolic extracts of D. vallicola is associated with damage to the integrity of the cell membrane and consequent death of these pathogens. These results serve as a reference for future studies in establishing the mechanisms of action of these extracts.

The signaling complex around voltage-gated sodium (Nav) channels includes accessory proteins and kinases crucial for regulating neuronal firing. Previous studies showed that one such kinase, WEE1—critical to the cell cycle—selectively modulates Nav1.2 channel activity through the accessory protein fibroblast growth factor 14 (FGF14). Here, we tested whether WEE1 exhibits crosstalk with the AKT/GSK3 pathway for coordinated regulation of FGF14/Nav1.2 channel complex assembly and function. Using the in-cell split luciferase complementation assay (LCA), we found that the WEE1 inhibitor II and GSK3 inhibitor XIII reduce FGF14/Nav1.2 complex formation, while the AKT inhibitor triciribine increases it. However, combining WEE1 inhibitor II with either one of the other two inhibitors abolished its effect on FGF14/Nav1.2 complex formation. Whole-cell voltage-clamp recordings of sodium currents (INa) in HEK293 cells co-expressing Nav1.2 channels and FGF14-GFP showed that WEE1 inhibitor II significantly suppresses peak INa density, both alone and in the presence of triciribine or GSK3 inhibitor XIII, despite the latter inhibitors’ opposite effects on INa. Additionally, WEE1 inhibitor II slowed the tau of fast inactivation, and caused depolarizing shifts in the voltage dependence of activation and inactivation. These phenotypes either prevailed or were additive when combined with triciribine but were outcompeted when both WEE1 inhibitor II and GSK3 inhibitor XIII were present. Concerted regulation by WEE1 inhibitor II, triciribine and GSK3 inhibitor XIII were also observed on long-term inactivation and use-dependence of Nav1.2 currents. Overall, these findings suggest a complex role for WEE1 kinase—in concert with the AKT/GSK3 pathway—in regulating the Nav1.2 channelosome.

In response to the COVID-19 crisis, decisionmakers in countries around the world adopted policies such as lockdowns, mask requirements, and once vaccines became available, vaccine mandates and vaccine passports. However, political polarization and differences in risk perceptions in the populous generated strong support for and opposition to such measures. This research identifies the factors with support for and against vaccine mandates and vaccine passports. An online survey of COVID-19 health experiences in the United States population was conducted. The survey collected information regarding potential reasons for why respondents might favor or oppose COVID-19 vaccine mandates and vaccine passports, including experiences with COVID-19 illness and COVID-19 vaccinations by respondents and those in their social circles. Analysis using a Logit regression technique was conducted to identify factors influencing the likelihood of opposing vaccine mandates and vaccine passports. The survey was completed by 2,840 participants between December 18 and 23, 2021. Respondents who knew someone who experienced a health problem following vaccination were more likely to oppose vaccine mandates (OR: 2.040, 95% CI: 1.635-2.254, and vaccine passports (OR: 1.691, 95% CI: 1.361-12.101)) Twenty-two percent (612 of 2,840) of respondents reported that they knew at least one person who had experienced a health problem following COVID-19 inoculation. Perceptions of vaccine safety based on personal experiences appear to be an important determinant of opposition to vaccine mandates and vaccine passports.

An exploratory Life Cycle Assessment was carried out to provide insight into the environmental impacts of using the green seaweed Ulva spp. as a feedstock for production of bioplastic. The study focused on the production of lactic acid as a precursor of polylactic acid. The studied production process consists of (1) the cultivation of Ulva spp. in Integrated Multitrophic Aquaculture, (2) the processing of the biomass for solubilisation of sugars, (3) the fermentation of the sugars to lactic acid and (4) isolation of lactic acid from the fermentation broth. The study identifies environmental hotspots and compares the experimental seaweed production chain with conventional feedstock. The main hotspot identified is electricity consumption during seaweed cultivation. This impact of electricity consumption can be lowered by reducing energy use and sourcing renewable energy, and by improving the material efficiency in the product chain. To improve understanding of the environmental impacts of the production process, future studies can broaden the system boundaries and broaden the scope of sustainability issues included in the environmental assessment.

During the last 100 years the planet has increased its temperature rapidly, this climate change could bring catastrophic effects for organisms and natural systems. One of the most affected groups is the ectotherms, due to their direct dependence on the environmental temperature. In recent years several studies analyse the effects of temperature and the thermal tolerance on several species of ectotherms. However, there are species whose thermal tolerances are still unknown. Such is the case of critically endangered species the Montseny Brook Newt (Calotriton arnoldi), endemic from the Montseny massif in Spain and whose thermal biology is unknown. Its critical situation makes essential to know its tolerance to cooling, warming and thermopreferendum in water environment where the newt lives. Three experimental procedures were conducted from the western and eastern subpopulations of C. arnoldi considering four classes separately (males, females, juveniles and larvae). The results obtained showed that the CTmax of the species exceeded 31°C, with a significant difference between the two populations. We found that the species tolerates well low temperatures (&lt;1°C), because of the genera Calotriton is adapted to lives in cold waters with temperatures below 15º. Although the thermopreference of the species was expected to trend to cold temperatures, some individuals chose relatively high temperatures, obtaining a range of 11.7°C to 21.6°C. The results presented in this study are an advance in the knowledge of the thermal physiology of this species and support the importance of the temperature of the torrent on its survival. Knowing their thermal limits and their preferred temperature range will help to propose management measures that promote the conservation of streams and its riparian forest cover to mitigate the temperature increase due to climate change.

One of the most effective image processing techniques is the use of convolutional neural networks, where we combine intensity values at grid points in the vicinity of each point. To speed up computations, researchers have developed a dilated version of this technique, in which only some points are processed. It turns out that the most efficient case is when we select points from a sub-grid. In this paper, we explain this empirical efficiency proving that the sub-grid is indeed optimal – in some reasonable sense. To be more precise, we prove that all reasonable optimality criteria, the optimal subset of the original grid is either a sub-grid, or a sub-grid-like set.

The Covid-19 crisis has been one of the most relevant economic shocks in the history of the modern economy, mainly due to the restrictions on travel and social interaction taken by the authorities (quarantines, closure of schools, artistic activities, bars, and restaurants, capacity in stores), to reduce the transmission of the virus (Sars-Cov2), having consequences on the national productions of all countries (about 7% for the loss of GDP worldwide). In our study, we analyze, through clustering methods, the effects of the level of contagion, economic projections, and economic mitigation measures taken by governments for managing the pandemic. According to the analyses, it can be concluded that a low infection rate implies a lower loss of product and economic savings when applying economic mitigation measures, taking relevance in the management of sanitary measures to reduce the transmission of the virus (and the temporality of these).

The aim of this study was to describe the trend of traffic accident mortality and social inequalities in Ecuador for the period 2011-2020, distributed by year, gender, age group, geographic location, and type of accident, alongside social disparities. An ecological approach was used to evaluate traffic accident mortality data. The average traffic accident mortality rate in the country during this period was 19.1 per 100,000 inhabitants, with rates being significantly higher in males (31.3) than in females (7.2). The highest mortality rate was recorded in 2011, predominantly impacting the 60 and older age group, the Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas province, and the Amazon region. The study also noted a declining trend in these rates over the years, with an Annual Percentage Variation of -1.2%. A notable finding was the decrease in traffic accident mortality inequality based on per capita income in 2019, compared to 2011, which rose by 247.7%, whereas the inequality based on illiteracy rates decreased by 18.9% from 2014 to 2019. These findings highlight the significant decrease in traffic accident mortality rates across Ecuador, though marked disparities remain evident across different genders, age groups, and provinces.

Treatment of tendinopathies with multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) is a promising option in equine and human medicine. However, conclusive clinical evidence is lacking. The purpose of this study was to gain insight into clinical treatment efficacy and to identify suitable outcome measures for larger clinical studies. Fifteen horses with early naturally occurring tendon disease were assigned to intralesional treatment with allogeneic adipose-derived MSCs suspended in serum or with serum alone by block randomization (dosage adapted to lesion size). Clinicians and horse owners remained blinded to the treatment during 12 months (7 horses per group) and 18 months (7 MSC- and 5 control-group horses) of follow-up including clinical examinations and diagnostic imaging. Clinical inflammation-, lameness- and ultrasonography scores improved more over time in the MSC-group. The lameness score difference significantly improved in the MSC- compared to the control-group after 6 months. In the MSC-group, 5 out of 7 horses were free of re-injuries and back to training until 12 and 18 months. In the control-group, 3 out of 7 horses were free of re-injuries until 12 months. These results suggest that MSCs are effective for treatment of early phase tendon disease and provide a basis for a larger controlled study.

The link between language processing and motor systems has been the focus of increasing interest to Cognitive Neuroscience. Some classical papers studying Event Related Potentials (ERPs) induced by linguistic stimuli have found differences in electrophysiological activity when comparing action and non-action words; more specifically, a bigger p200 for action words. On the other hand, a series of studies have validated the use of a grip force sensor (GFS) to measure language-induced motor activity during both isolated words and sentence listening, finding that action words induce an augmentation in the grip force around 250-300 ms after the onset of the stimulus. The purpose of the present study is to combine both techniques to assess if the p200 is related to the augmentation of the grip force measured by a GFS. We measured ERP and GFS changes elicited by listening to action and non-action words while maintaining an active grasping task in 10 healthy subjects. Our results show that the amplitude of the p200 in central electrodes is correlated to the augmentation in the GFS around 300 ms induced by linguistic stimuli. To our knowledge, this is the first study where the electrophysiological activity and the changes in the grip force induced by auditory language processing are put together, opening new venues of interpretation for the sensorimotor interaction in language processing.

Improving performance and promoting sustainability in women's handball are key objectives to maximize the potential of female players and ensure the long-term viability of the sport. In this context, training with Olympic movements and their derivatives improves the development of strength, power, and speed, which are determinants of performance in team sports. The aim of this study was to determine if training with Olympic movements produces significant improvements in jumping, throwing, sprinting, and change of direction performance in women handball players. Twenty-one female handball players participated in the study (10 for the control group and 11 for the intervention group). Age ranged from 15 to 17 years. All participants performed four assessment tests (Abalakov Test, throw test, 20-meter Sprint and V-Cut Test) to determine jump height, throwing speed, running speed, and change of direction ability. Measurements were carried out before and after the intervention. For six weeks, the control group performed the strength work established by the club twice a week while the intervention group additionally performed training with Olympic movements. Significant differences (p &lt;0.05) were found between the pre and post measurement of the control group and the intervention group in jump height, throwing speed and running speed, being higher in the intervention group. For the change of direction, no significant differences were found. Between groups, significant differences were observed at the end of the intervention for jump height and running speed. The conclusion of this study was that, by training with Olympic movements, in addition to regular training, could produce greater improvements in jumping performance, throwing speed and running speed in female handball players.

Earthquakes are one of the most catastrophic natural phenomena. After an earthquake, earthquake reconnaissance enables effective recovery by collecting building damage data and other impacts. This paper aims to identify state-of-the-art data sources for building damage assessment and provide guidance for more efficient data collection. We have reviewed 38 articles that indicate the sources used by different authors to collect data related to damage and post-disaster recovery progress after earthquakes between 2014 and 2021. The current data collection methods have been grouped into seven categories: fieldwork or ground surveys, omnidirectional imagery (OD), terrestrial laser scanning (TLS), remote sensing (RS), crowdsourcing platforms, social media (SM) and closed-circuit television videos (CCTV). The selection of a particular data source or collection technique for earthquake reconnaissance includes different criteria depending on what questions are to be answered by this data. We conclude that modern reconnaissance missions can not rely on a single data source and that different data sources should complement each other, validate collected data, or systematically quantify the damage. The recent increase in the number of crowdsourcing and SM platforms used to source earthquake reconnaissance data demonstrates that this is likely to become an increasingly important source of data.

Previous studies have reported certain sex differences in motor performance precision. The aim of the present study was to analyse sex differences in fine motor precision performance for both hands in different tests conditions. 220 Spanish participants (ages: 12-95) performed fine motor tasks - tracing over the provided models – lines of 40 mm for both hands, two sensory conditions (PV – proprioceptive-visual; P – proprioceptive only) and three movement types (F – frontal, T – transversal and S - Sagittal). Differences in line length (the task focused on precision) were observed through MANOVA analysis for all test conditions, both sexes and different age groups. Sex differences in precision were observed in F and T movement types (statistically significance level and higher Cohens’ d was observed in condition with vision). No any statistically significant differences were observed in both hands and sensory conditions in sagittal type. Sex differences in fine motor precision were more frequently observed in the PV sensory condition in the frontal movement type and less in the sagittal one.

Recipients of uterus transplantation have unique factors that may increase their risk of cervical insufficiency. This report describes a uterus transplant recipient with cervical insufficiency resulting in two second-trimester miscarriages. After McDonald cerclages (one that failed), she underwent an interval transabdominal cerclage and delivered a healthy term child in her third pregnancy. The longitudinal information of this case provides observations from which we can propose testable hypotheses that address venous outflow and inflammation. This case also suggests that there could be a role for prophylactic cerclage placement at the time of transplantation.

The FOLFOX scheme, based on the association of 5-fluorouracil and oxaliplatin, is the most frequently indicated chemotherapy scheme for patients diagnosed with metastatic colorectal cancer. Nevertheless, development of chemoresistance is one of the major challenges associated with this disease. It has been reported that epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is implicated in microRNA-driven modulation of tumor cells response to 5-fluorouracil and oxaliplatin. Besides, from pharmacogenomic research it is known that overexpression of genes encoding dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPYD), thymidylate synthase (TYMS), methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR), the DNA repair enzymes ERCC1, ERCC2, and XRCC1, and the phase 2 enzyme GSTP1 impair the response to FOLFOX. It has been observed that EMT is associated with overexpression of DPYD, TYMS, ERCC1, and GSTP1. In this review we investigated the role of miRNAs as EMT promotors in tumor cells, and its potential effect on upregulation of DPYD, TYMS, MTHFR, ERCC1, ERCC2, XRCC1 and GSTP1 expression, which would lead to resistance of CRC tumor cells to 5-fluorouracil and oxaliplatin. This constitutes a potential mechanism of epigenetic regulation involved in late-onset of acquired resistance in mCRC patients under FOLFOX chemotherapy. Expression of these biomarkers microRNA could serve as tools for personalized medicine, and as potential therapeutic targets in the future.

DFT-D3 calculations based on structural X-ray diffraction data obtained for 3-oxo-camphorsulfonyl imine (1), camphorsulfonyl chloride (2) and seven camphor sulfonimines (O2SNC10H13NR, L1-L7) from which L2 (R=4-OHC6H4), L4 (R=4-ClC6H4) and L6 (R=3,5-(CH3)2C6H3) are new, provide information into the intra and inter molecular interactions with concomitant elucidation of the supramolecular arrangement of the compounds. The DFT D3 calculations performed in small clusters of 2 or 3 molecular units reproduce the interactions observed by X-ray analyses showing that as a general trend the structural arrangement of the molecules is driven by electronic rather than by packing parameters. In all compounds the self-assembly of 3D structures involves the sulfonyl imine group ( NSO2) either to establish hydrogen bonds, through the oxygen atoms or non-classic oxygen-aliphatic hydrogen or non-bonding interactions (NBI) which also involve the sulfonyl oxygens. Interestingly, the camphor sulfonimine compounds (L2, L3) having protic groups (R=C6H4X: X=OH, L2 or X=NH2, L3) at the aromatic imine substituents (=NR) present an extra π-π stacking which is absent in the other compounds aromatic derivatives. The X-ray analysis shows that all the reported camphor sulfonimine compounds display the E configuration with respect to the imine substituent (R). The study of the redox behavior of the compounds by cyclic voltammetry allows an insight into the solution properties of the compounds and the rationalization of the molecular interactions that stand in the solid and solution states. Camphor sulfonimine compounds (L) display appropriate binding atoms to coordinate transition metals. The herein results show that monodentate coordination through the nitrogen atom of the sulfonimine 5-membered ring to the {Ag(NO3)} metal center is favored. When this imine nitrogen atom is not itself involved in the Organic Framework DFT-D3 calculations shows that the complexation does not affect the non-covalent interactions that are reproduced in the MOF structure.

Caregiver burden, a response to the challenges faced by those caring for sick loved ones, combines objective caregiving aspects with subjective experiences. This study aimed to describe the caregiver burden in guardians of ailing animals with dermatological and oncological pathologies. Additionally, the study aimed to correlate the degree of caregiver burden with the duration of the animal's treatment, disease stability, family income, owner's age, and the number of people living in the same household responsible for the animal's treatment. Using a cross-sectional approach, questionnaires were administered to guardians at a veterinary hospital. Out of 182 valid responses, 50.55% related to oncological patients and 49.45% to dermatological patients. Notably, 36.9% of oncological and 37.8% of dermatological guardians exhibited clinically significant burden, with no statistical differences between the groups. Of the respondents, 84.6% were dog guardians, with 34.4% showing a significant burden. Feline guardians (15.4% of respondents) exhibited a higher burden (53.5%) compared to dog guardians (p = 0.02). Disease stability, time since diagnosis, and guardian age significantly influenced the burden, while household composition, income, and treatment duration showed no substantial impact. These findings underscore the psychosocial impact of caring for animals, emphasizing the need for a comprehensive understanding of the caregiver's perspective.

The purpose of this research has been to provide information about the psychological effects of confinement forced by a prolonged quarantine in a suitable adult sample of 596 Bolivians of both sexes. It was sought to explore the perceptions of the participants about their own emotional state: fears, anxieties, depressions, while they were in isolation to reduce the probability of contagion of COVID 19. Additionally, we were interested in verifying the modulating effects of resilience and self-efficacy on such emotional states. The results indicated, in the same direction of similar studies, significant relationships between high perceived loneliness, high levels of stress and anxiety, with relatively high levels of depression. Likewise, it was clear that stress, perceived loneliness, and anxiety are predictors of depression among those in conditions of forced isolation. Finally, it was found that both resilience and self-efficacy exert a clear moderating effect by attenuating the relationships of perceived loneliness and anxiety, on depression.

Beef meat production in Uruguay is based on pasture or concentrate feeding systems, leading to differences in meat quality. The objective of this study was to compare the oxidative and color stability during refrigerated retail display of beef meat from these two systems. For this, ten Aberdeen Angus steers were reared and fed on pasture and other ten were finished on a concentrate diet. After slaughter, the Semimembranosus muscle was cut into slices and put in a refrigerated showcase for 3, 6, and 9 days simulating commercial conditions. The β-carotene, α-tocopherol, and fatty acid content were determined before the display, and the lipid and protein oxidation, color parameters, and heme iron content were determined before and during the display. Meat from steers fed pasture had a lower content of intramuscular fat, monounsaturated fatty acids, n-6/n-3 ratio, lipid and protein oxidation, L* and a* values, and a higher content of linolenic acid, DHA, total n-3, β-carotene, and α-tocopherol. In conclusion, meat from pasture-fed steers was more stable during the retail display, which can probably be explained by a higher content of antioxidant compounds, such as β-carotene and α-tocopherol, and presented a healthier fatty acid profile.

Iron oxide nanoparticles have been investigated due to their suitable characteristics for diverse applications in the fields of biomedicine, electronics, water/wastewater treatment and sensors. Maghemite, magnetite and hematite are the most widely studied iron oxide particles and have ferrimagnetic characteristics. When very small, however, these particles have superparamagnetic properties and are called superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs). Several methods are used for the production of these particles, such as coprecipitation, thermal decomposition and microemulsion. However, the variables of the different types of synthesis must be assessed to achieve greater control over the particles produced. In some studies, it is possible to compare the influence of variations in the factors for production with each of these methods. Thus, researchers use different adaptations of synthesis based on each objective and type of application. With coprecipitation, it is possible to obtain smaller, more uniform particles with adjustments in temperature, pH and the types of reagents used in the process. With thermal decomposition, greater control is needed over time, temperature as well as the proportion of surfactants and organic and aqueous phases in order to produce smaller particles and a narrower size distribution. With the microemulsion process, the control of the confinement of the micelles formed during synthesis through the proportions of surfactant and oil makes the final particles smaller and less dispersed. These nanoparticles can be used as additives for the creation of new materials, such as magnetic bacterial cellulose, which has different innovative applications. Composites that have SPIONs, which are produced with greater rigour with regards to size and distribution, have superparamagnetic properties and can be used in medical applications, whereas materials containing larger particles have ferromagnetic applications. To arrive at a particular particle with specific characteristics, researchers must be attentive to both the mechanism selected and the production variables to ensure greater quality and control of the materials produced.

This work is based on identifying the analysis techniques used to evaluate the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects using the zebrafish model. In this context, a literature review was performed with the Web of Science database. We used the terms zebra fish, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, model, and Danio rerio. Fifty articles were reviewed, of which thirty-three were chosen to perform this review and were classified according to the source of plant extracts, compounds extracted from plants, chemical compounds, and other sources. This paper is an effort to provide a literature review on zebrafish models and elucidate their pros and cons to evaluate anti-inflamatory and antioxidant activity.

Abrstract: Bacillus spp. it is a genus that is used to biocontrol post-harvest diseases in various vegetables and fruits during transportation and storage. It suppresses the development of pathogens such as gray mold (Botrytis cinerea) in strawberry cultivation. In this work, the molecular characterization of Bacillus spp. species was carried out. in three cities in Peru: Huaura, Chanchamayo and Cañete. The samples were collected from rhizospheric soil from crop areas, subsequently processed for microbiological isolation, molecular analysis using the 16S rRNA gene and bioinformatic analysis. In total, 14 strains were obtained where they were identified with a minimum of 92.05% and a maximum of 100% similarity: 8 strains of Bacillus subtilis, 4 strains of Bacillus licheniformis, 1 strain of Bacillus paralicheniformis and 1 strain of Bacillus cereus, all the strains were related by constructing a phylogenetic tree.

Cyanobacteria, microorganisms performing oxygenic photosynthesis, must adapt their metabolic processes to environmental challenges such as day and night changes. PipX, a unique regulatory protein from cyanobacteria provides a mechanistic link between signalling protein PII, a widely conserved (in bacteria and plants) transducer of carbon/nitrogen/energy richness, and the transcriptional regulator NtcA, which controls a large regulon involved in nitrogen assimilation. PipX is also involved in translational regulation by interaction with the ribosome-assembly GTPase EngA. However, increases of the PipX/PII ratio are toxic, presumably by abnormally increased binding of PipX to other partner(s). Here we present mutational and structural analyses of reported PipX-PII and PipX-NtcA complexes, leading to identification of single amino acid changes that decrease or abolish PipX toxicity. Four out of 11 mutations decreasing toxicity did not decrease PipX levels, suggesting that the targeted residues (F12, D23, L36, R54) provide toxicity determinants. In addition, one of those four mutations (D23A) argued against the over-activation of NtcA as the cause of PipX toxicity. Since most mutations at residues contacting PII decreased PipX levels, PipX stability would depend on its ability to bind to PII, a conclusion supported by the light-induced decrease in PipX levels observed in Synechococcus elongatus PCC7942.

Based on surveys of winter roost sites, the eastern migratory population of the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) in North America appears to have declined in the last 20 years and this has prompted the implementation of numerous conservation strategies. However, there is little information on the survivorship of first-generation monarchs in the core area of occupancy in Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana where overwinter population recovery begins. The purpose of this study was to determine the survivorship of first-generation eggs to third instars at a site in north Texas and to evaluate host plant arthropods for their effect on survivorship. Survivorship to third instar averaged 13.4% and varied from 11.7% to 15.6% over three years. The host plants harbored 77 arthropod taxa, including 27 predatory taxa. Despite their abundance, neither predator abundance nor predator richness predicted monarch survival. However, host plants upon which monarchs survived often harbored higher numbers of non-predatory arthropod taxa and more individuals of non-predatory taxa. These results suggest that ecological processes may have buffered the effects of predators and improved monarch survival in our study. The creation of diverse functional arthropod communities should be considered for effective monarch conservation, particularly in southern latitudes.

As is known, the construction industry has one of the highest occupational accidents incidence rates among all economic sectors. Currently, Building Information Modeling (BIM) appears as a tool that addresses occupational safety issues throughout the construction life cycle projects, avoiding hazards and risks and, consequently, increasing safety. This work investigates BIM methodology and related technologies application for building safety planning in construction and demonstrates the potential of this technology for the integrated implementation of safety measures during the design phase and the construction site management. The first step consisted of a literature review on the application of BIM in safety in the design and planning phases. Following, to show the potentialities of construction simulation, a case study based on BIM 4D to prevent falls from height was developed. With BIM 4D, it is possible to follow the construction process over time, giving the construction safety technicians’, designers, supervisors and managers the capability to analyse, in each phase, the potential risks and which safety measures should be implemented. BIM can effectively integrate safety measures from the design phase to the construction and use phase and do integrated safety planning within construction planning, leading to reliable safety management throughout the construction process.

Ethoxyquin (EQ) is used as a synthetic antioxidant mainly in animal food, but it has also been reported to have neuroprotective properties by diminishing the peripheral neuropa-thy resulting from anti-cancer chemotherapy in animal models. However, EQ has not been thoroughly evaluated in humans and its use is under debate. The objective of this work was to examine the effect of EQ on primary fibroblasts derived from controls and patients with confirmed mitochondrial dysfunction. To this end, we incubated primary fibroblasts from patients with mitochondrial respiratory chain complex 1 (C1) deficiency, cyto-chrome-c-oxidase (COX) deficiency and genetic form of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Alt-hough EQ did not alter ATP production it significantly increased oxygen consumption and improved energy status in C1 and COX cells while decreasing ROS production in COX, PD and control cells and maintaining mitochondrial content. These effects could possibly be attributed to the antioxidant and chaperone-modulating properties of EQ and to induced SOD2 expression in some cells. Our results indicate that EQ has the potential to improve some mitochondrial functions. Still, caution should be exerted since overdose of this com-pound affected cell growth.

Lead, known as a metal with high neurotoxicity to children, cadmium, which is a carcinogenic and bioaccumulative contaminant, and arsenic, a class 1 carcinogenic according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer, are toxic elements (TEs) whose relevant route of exposure may be diet. We determined the bio-accessible fraction of lead, cadmium, and arsenic from the diet of preschool children from two day care centers (DCC). A cross-sectional study was conducted with 64 one–four-year-old children from two DCCs where the 24-h duplicate diet samples were collected. The diet samples were analyzed by ICP-MS for lead, cadmium, and arsenic total concentrations (n = 64) and their bio-accessibility were analyzed for a subsample (n = 10). The dietary intake (DI) mean for lead, cadmium, and arsenic were 0.18 ± 0.11 µg kg⁻¹ bw, 0.08 ± 0.04 µg kg⁻¹ bw, and 0.61 ± 0.41 µg kg⁻¹ bw, respectively. All DI calculated for TEs, considering total intake, were found lower than the tolerable limits (TL) (European Union, or World Health Organization, WHO, when applicable) except for one child’s Pb intake. Bio-accessibilities ranged between 0% to 93%, 0% to 103%, and 0% to 69%, for lead, cadmium, and arsenic, respectively. Although DI for TEs has been found lower than TL, these reference values have been recently decreased or withdrawn since it was for lead and arsenic whose TL were withdrawn by WHO.

This study describes the characteristics of women who contacted an active program performing uterus transplantation (UTx) in the US expressing interest in becoming a uterus transplant recipient or a living donor. Basic demographic and self-reported clinical information was collected from women who contacted any of the three US UTx programs from 2015 to July 2022. The three centers received 5194 inquiries about becoming a UTx recipient during the study timeframe. Among those reporting a cause of infertility, almost all (4066/4331, 94%) were absence of a uterus, either congenitally (794/4066, 20%) or secondary to hysterectomy (3272/4066, 80%). The mean age was 34 years, and 49% (2545/5194) had at least one child at the time of application. The two centers using living donors received 2217 inquiries about becoming living donors. The mean age was 34 years, and 60% (1330/2217) had given birth to ≥1 child. While most of the UTx clinical trial evidence has focused on young women with congenital absence of the uterus, these results show interest from a much broader patient population in terms of age, cause of infertility, and parity. These results raise questions about whether and to what extent the indications and eligibility criteria for UTx should be expanded as the procedure transitions from the experimental phase to being offered as a clinical treatment.

Primary Health Care is crucial in the healthcare system, being the first level of contact with health services for users and patients to take action using the available resources. Patient care units are created to facilitate direct user participation through the circuit of complaints, grievances, and suggestions, allowing the analysis of the population's unmet expectations and needs. To study complaints and grievances regarding the treatment and information received by users in the Santiago and Barbanza healthcare area during the year 2022. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted, in which complaints filed by patients in the year 2022 in the Santiago and Barbanza healthcare area were analyzed. A total of 326 users who filed a total of 512 complaints were studied in the year 2022, with 358 (70.0%) related to treatment/information. The mean age was 33.5±16.2 years. 72.4% were women (n=236). A Pearson correlation was performed to establish whether there was a dependence between the number of healthcare visits in both primary care and hospital settings in 2022 and the number of complaints filed in the same year. Pearson correlation coefficient was 0.14; 95% CI (0.02 - 0.27), p=0.012. There is a correlation between the number of consultations and the number of complaints filed. Frequent users are more likely to file a complaint. However, there is no correlation between the number of consultations and the likelihood of filing a complaint regarding treatment/information. Therefore, there seems to be a good relationship between healthcare personnel and users, which impacts patient satisfaction.

Hazelnut (Corylus avellana L.) is of great agroeconomic importance, prized for its nutritional value and antioxidant properties. Its yield and quality may differ due to factors such as season (S), locality (L) and cultivar (C). Our objective was to determine the dynamics of morphological features and antioxidant properties in nuts of Barcelona and Tonda di Giffoni (TDG) cultivars planted at two localities (Cunco and Perquenco) during three productive seasons (S1, S2 and S3). Barcelona grown in Perquenco in S1 and S3 (less precipitation, more solar radiation), performed better than in Cunco with respect to most morphological nut, kernel and shell features, and the same parameters generally had the same trends for TDG in S2 and S3. Among the seasons at the same localities, the differences between the predominant condition defects for both cultivars were in the decreasing order wrinkled/deformed kernels, double kernels, blank and mold ker-nels, with about 75% of hazelnuts without defect. In both cultivars, the shell had higher antioxi-dant properties that increased in S1 and S3 at both localities, and were consistently higher than in the kernels. Lipid peroxidation was higher in the kernel than shell in both cultivars and local-ities for S1 and S3. The results of this study suggest that the different hazelnut cultivar features including physical and chemical components depend on season and locality, which offers im-portant clues for all those interested in the hazelnut industry.

Mass crises are disruptive to people's mental health. The study aimed to explore mental distress during COVID-19 quarantine in a sample of university workers in Brazil. The survey included sets of questions about demographics, health, and support, an open question about major concerns, and the Clinical Outcome Routine Evaluation (CORE-OM), a measure of mental distress. 407 professionals participated in the study: mean age of 40 years (SD = 11.2), mostly female (67.8%), married (64.8%) and fulfilling social distancing to avoid COVID-19 infection (99%). Using the Consensual Qualitative Research for simple qualitative data (CQR-M) the main areas of concern were grouped into six domains, as follows: Work, Health, Isolation, Personal life and routine, Social environment, and Future. Many responses were multiple. They form categories indicating specific concerns within these domains. Quantitative data were analyzed by identifying the simple effects of potential predictors of mental distress. The results indicated medium effects of help with household chores, psychiatric treatment, age and physical exercise. Having someone available to listen was the only variable with a large effect in reducing mental suffering. The hybrid approach showed that the psychological experience during the pandemic is quite multifaceted and complex pointing new clues for public mental health.

Studies on the prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorders show a gender disproportion. In the last years, there has been an increasing interest in the search for an explanation. There are two main lines of research; the first one looks for sex-related biological reasons that justifies the low prevalence of ASD in women (some protective factor related to hormones or immune system among others), and the second line of studies is related to the possible biases introduced in the diagnostic tools or procedures. In this article, a review of the latter line of research is made. Theoretical analysis following two objectives: a) Analysis of possible biases in diagnostic tools and b) Other non-biological explanations for gender differences in the prevalence of ASD. The literature analyzed provides contradictory results although it evidences the possible bias both in the construction of the diagnostic tools and in the assessment and determination of their standards. It is necessary to develop specific or complementary tools and diagnostic procedures differentiated by gender in order to control for this bias.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) presents distinct challenges during pregnancy due to its influence on maternal health and pregnancy outcomes. This literature review aims to dissect the existing scientific evidence on pregnancy in women with IBD and provide evidence-based recommendations for clinical management. A comprehensive search was conducted across scientific databases, selecting clinical studies, systematic reviews, and other pertinent resources. Numerous studies have underscored an increased risk of complications during pregnancy for women with IBD, including preterm birth, low birth weight, neonates small for gestational age, and congenital malformations. Nevertheless, it's evident that proactive disease management before and throughout pregnancy can mitigate these risks. Continuation of IBD treatment during pregnancy and breastfeeding is deemed safe with agents like thiopurines, anti-TNF, vedolizumab, or ustekinumab. However, there's a call for caution when combining treatments due to the heightened risk of severe infections in the first year of life. For small molecules, their use is advised against in both scenarios. Effective disease management, minimizing disease activity, and interdisciplinary care are pivotal in attending to women with IBD. The emphasis is placed on the continual assessment of maternal and infant outcomes and an expressed need for further research to enhance the understanding of the ties between IBD and adverse pregnancy outcomes.

(1)Aims of the study: calculating the underreporting ratio for two different medications, a fixed combination of 0.5% timolol + 0.2% brimonidine + 2.0% dorzolamide (antiglaucoma) and a fixed combination of sodium hyaluronate 0.1% + chondroitin sulfate 0.18% (artificial tear) and characterizing the features influencing the reporting of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in spontaneous reporting; (2) Methods: the underreporting ratio was calculated by comparing the adverse drug reactions reported in the spontaneous reporting database for every 10,000 defined daily doses marketed and the adverse drug reactions from an active surveillance study for every 10,000 defined daily doses used for different drugs (antiglaucoma and artificial tear). The factors related to the report in spontaneous reporting through statistical tests were also determined; (3) Results: The underreporting ratio of spontaneous reporting was 0.006029% for antiglaucoma and 0.003552% for artificial tear; additionally, statistically significant differences were found for severity, unexpected adverse drug reactions, and incidence of adverse drug reactions in females; (4) Conclusions: The underreporting ratio of ADRs related to ophthalmic medications indicates worry since the cornerstone of pharmacovigilance focuses on spontaneous reporting. Besides, since underreporting seems to be selective, the role of certain aspects like gender, seriousness, severity, and unexpected ADRs, must be considered in future research.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is an irreversible neurodegenerative disease with no known cure. Recent studies suggest a strong metabolic component in ALS pathogenesis and have shown an inverse relationship between leptin levels and ALS progression, although the effects of leptin as a treatment have not yet been studied. Therefore, we aim to examine whether the acute treatment with leptin has beneficial effects on brain pathology and cognitive function in the transgenic TDP43A315T line of ALS. Mice were treated intranasally (IN) with 0.03mg/kg of leptin or vehicle (VH) daily for 7 days. Data showed a progressive decline in body weight and motor coordination in TDP43A315T mice. Moreover, Lep-treated TDP43A315T mice showed an earlier disease onset, along with an improvement in motor performance. Altered levels of some of the adipokines and metabolic proteins studied were found in TDP43A315T mice, which were differently expressed among Lep-treated and VH-treated animals. Furthermore, some correlations were found among the serum levels of this proteins in WT and TDP43A315T mice. As far as we know, this is the first pilot study to provide evidence of the therapeutic effect of leptin treatment in a mice model of ALS, although further studies are needed to expound on the underlying mechanisms.

Background. The treatment for patients with high-grade gliomas includes radiation therapy and temozolomide. However, some patients do not respond to temozolomide because they have a methylation reversal mechanism through the enzyme O6-methylguanine-DNA-methyltransferase. This biomarker has been used as a prognostic factor in patients receiving treatment with temozolomide. However, not all patients respond in the same way, which suggests the existence of other genes involved in resistance to temozolomide. Materials and Methods. A group of 31 patients with high-grade gliomas was recruited and were clinically, image pattern, and pathologically characterized. The sequencing of 324 genes related to different types of cancer was performed to detect mutations. Subsequently, a statistical analysis was conducted to determine the mutated genes that were most related to resistance to treatment. Results. The genes related to the second relapse of patients with high-grade glioma after the use of temozolomide according to Stupp protocol and metronomic dose were PIK3C2B, KIT, ERBB3, and MLH1. Conclusions. Considering the results obtained, we suggest that the mutations in the four genes and the methylation of the gene promoter that codes for MGMT protein could be related to the clinical evolution of patients with high-grade gliomas and its response to treatment with temozolomide.

Zidovudine (AZT) has significantly reduced the mortality and morbidity rates among AIDS patients, but it has been associated with hepatotoxicity. AZT treatment has been linked to disrupted lipid and glucose metabolism, and the enhancement of pro-inflammatory chemokines and other mediators, which can lead to liver steatosis. In contrast, the administration of adenosine (ADO) has proven to be an effective hepatoprotector against both acute and chronic liver damage. Therefore, present study was aimed to investigate the harmful effects of chronic AZT administration and the beneficial effects of the co-administered ADO. Chronic oral AZT administration did not induce hyperglycemia or dyslipidemia, but serum liver marker enzyme activities were increased, as well as evidence of liver steatosis and inflammation. These findings were associated with low insulin and glucagon levels, elevated serum levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and disruptions in cell redox states in these animals. ADO co-administration attenuated the deleterious effects induced by AZT: blocking the production of inflammatory molecules, increasing serum insulin and glucagon levels, and restoring liver cellular redox state. Then, blood insulin levels seemed to be greatly influenced by the cellular redox state, which was altered by AZT administration. This alteration is likely to be connected to mitochondrial integrity and metabolism.

Modeling the reaction time required for the removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD) from wastewater is important because can be an indicator of harmful pollutants that may pose risks to human health.. Here, we evaluate the use of an inverse artificial neural network (ANNi) to optimize the removal of COD from aqueous herbicide solutions using sonophotocatalysis as the treatment process.. This algorithm takes the operating conditions as input and estimates the optimal reaction time to reach the required effluent COD. This model was validated by comparison with both experimental measurements and simulated analysis, resulting in low error (0.5%), high Pearson correlation (R2 = 0.9956), and short computing time (less than one minute). The results for the proposed methodology (ANNi-GAs) were efficient and attractive in a reasonable way providing a satisfactory picture of the relationships between the optimal input parameters. Such parameters control the degradation process of herbicides online and can be used to predict the behavior of COD removal, thus taking actions to reduce the impact of aqueous treatment with alazine and gesaprim herbicides on aquatic, soil biota, and human health. Therefore, this technique constitutes a promising framework for predicting the environmental impact of herbicides within a tolerable degree of error.

The literature has well established prestressing in concrete beams and its calculation procedures. However, its use in composite steel-concrete beams has increased despite main normative codes lacking a specific approach for it. Designers must, in most cases, combine the available criteria to calculate the standards of steel and reinforced concrete structures. This study aimed to formulate this optimization problem and analyze CO2 emissions for the optimal design of composite steel-concrete beams with external prestressing. The design variables for the optimization problem include cross-section of laminated or welded profiles, slab height, characteristic strength of concrete to compression, and number of tendons. We obtained a solution for the optimization problem via a genetic algorithm (GA) and a particle swarm optimization one (PSO). Comparative analysis with experimental example and with optimization problem of prestressed steel beam are performed. An parametric analysis to several spams is performed, which enabled to evaluate the factors that most impact CO2 emissions. According to results, the chosen algorithms effectively obtained solutions for the problem, and PSO usually provided better results than GA. Regarding the final solution composition, steel contributes the most to emissions, welded profiles provided better solutions than laminated ones, and laminated spans of up to 17.5m and welded ones up to 27.5m dispensed with tendons.

The growing increase in infections caused by C. tropicalis, associated with its drug resistance and consequent high mortality, especially in immunosuppressed people, today generates a serious global public health problem. In the search for new potential drug candidates that can be used as treatments or adjuvants in the control of infections by these pathogenic yeasts, the objective of this research was to evaluate the action of isoespintanol (ISO) against the formation of biofilms fungal, the mitochondrial membrane potential (∆Ψm) and its effect on the integrity of the cell wall. We report the ability of ISO to inhibit the formation of biofilms by up to 89.35%, in all cases higher than the values expressed by amphotericin B (AFB). Flow cytometric experiments using rhodamine 123 (Rh123) showed the ability of ISO to cause mitochondrial dysfunction in these cells. Likewise, experiments using calcofluor white (CFW) and analyzed by flow cytometry, showed the ability of ISO to affect the integrity of the cell wall by stimulating chitin synthesis; these changes in the integrity of the wall were also observed through transmission electron microscopy (TEM). These mechanisms are involved in the antifungal action of this monoterpene.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a critical global health threat, leading to approximately 1.27 million deaths annually from infectious diseases resistant to existing antibiotics. Factors such as antibiotic misuse and environmental contamination have accelerated AMR, with the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbating the issue due to increased antibiotic usage. However, the development of new antibiotics has stagnated, with only a few approved in recent years, and many facing resistance. Among the priority pathogens identified by the WHO, Pseudomonas aeruginosa stands out as a significant concern due to its multidrug resistance and virulence. P. aeruginosa infections are challenging to treat due to intrinsic and acquired resistance mechanisms, as well as its ability to form biofilms. Additionally, P. aeruginosa produces a plethora of virulence factors, including proteases, siderophores, and toxins, further complicating treatment. Quorum sensing (QS) systems play a crucial role in regulating bacterial physiology and virulence factor expression. P. aeruginosa employs three QS systems, making it an attractive target for quorum quenching (QQ) strategies. Enzymes such as AHL lactonases, acylases, and oxidoreductases have shown promise in inhibiting QS, thus reducing virulence without impacting bacterial growth. Furthermore, natural QS inhibitors produced by various organisms offer potential therapeutic alternatives. Despite promising results in vitro, translating QQ strategies to clinical settings remains challenging. Nevertheless, QQ represents a novel approach in combating multidrug-resistant infections and warrants further investigation as a complementary therapeutic strategy alongside traditional antibiotics. This review summarizes enzymes with Qurorum Quenching activity evaluated against the pathogen P. aeruginosa and their potential applications in combination therapies.

Considerable amounts of agro-industrial by-products are discarded or burnt as fuel every year. However, they can be utilized as a valuable source of fiber, phenolics and other useful compounds such as antioxidants. The profile of beneficial compounds can be affected by genotype, locality, orchard management and productive season, adding or decreasing the bioactive potential of by-products. In this study, hazelnut (Corylus avellana L.) and walnut (Juglans regia L.) nutshells were investigated for their fiber content and antioxidant capacity as valorized by-products for the industry. Determinations (ORAC, TPC and color asses) were performed in hazelnut and walnut orchards located in Southern Chile during three consecutive seasons (2020/21; 2021/22 and 2022/23). Analyses of oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) in nutshells showed the highest ORAC from both species in the season 2020/21 (3217 µmol TE g1DW for hazelnut shells and 4663 µmol TE g DW1 for walnut shells), while variability in the consecutive seasons was lower for hazelnut than in walnut. Total phenolic content in hazelnut shells was positively correlated with L* (R: 0.883) and E (R: 0.924) during 2020/21 season, also with L* for 2022/23 (R: 0.907). While ORAC was negatively correlated with L* (R: 0.922) in 2021/22. In addition, morphological and structural features of both nutshells examined by Scavenging Electron Microscopy (VP-SEM) and Confocal Scavenging Laser Microscopy (CSLM) revealed differential tissue distribution and accumulation patterns of both cellulose and lignin. On the other hand, photo-colorimetric values were determined for both shells and corresponding seasons, and non-significative differences were found both shells and among seasons Finally, these results provide insight into the physicochemical characteristics of two shell types which should be considered together with antioxidant capacity in their valorization as a residual material.

This study aims to develop a clinical trial to test the efficacy of a Mindfulness Based Stress Re-duction (MBSR) and Self Compassion (SC) Program on self-reported values of anxiety, depres-sion, and stress in parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in primary school, in order to assess their integration into the framework of community intervention programs in Spain. Methods: A brief 8-week training program using Mindfulness based intervention (MBSR) and self-compassion (SC) has been applied to ten parents from the Valencian ASD parents’. Partici-pants were assigned to two groups, both groups received the same treatment but at two different measurement moments. Depression, Anxiety, Stress, Satisfaction with Life and Mindful Atten-tion Awareness measurements were assessed, in all participants, in three testing moments. Results: Analysis of Variance results suggested that MBSR and SC training reduces stress and anxiety and increases Mindful Attention Awareness. No significant changes were found in Life Satisfaction measurements. Conclusions: The small number of participants prevents us from generalising the results found. More MBSR and SC clinical trials are needed in parents of ASD with results on anxiety, depression and stress in order to demonstrate the relevance of the inclusion of these programmes in community-based early intervention services.

The integration of clean energy generation with wastewater treatment holds promise for addressing both environmental and energy concerns. Focusing on photocatalytic hydrogen production and wastewater treatment, the study introduces PdIn/TiO2 catalysts for the simultaneous removal of the pharmaceutical contaminant paracetamol and hydrogen production. Physicochemical characterization showed a high distribution of Pd and In on the support as well as a high interaction with it. The Pd and In deposition enhances the light absorption capability and significantly improved HER in comparison to TiO2 not only in the electrolyte but also in presence of paracetamol. Regarding PTM oxidation, TiO2 and PdIn/TiO2 showed an irreversible behavior toward the PTM oxidation, limited by the adsorption of species on the electrode surface. Thus, PdIn-doped TiO2 stands out as a promising catalyst, showcasing enhanced physicochemical properties and superior catalytic performance. This underscores its potential for both environmental remediation and sustainable hydrogen production.

Overweight and Obesity are global health and economic concerns. According to the World Health Organization, the number of individuals with obesity has nearly tripled since 1975. This health issue is currently considered an epidemic, affecting over 1.9 billion adults and 340 million children and adolescents. It contributes to more than 5 million deaths each year and has a global economic burden that will reach $4.32 trillion annually by 2035, according to the World Obesity Federation. This disease can affect every system of the human body and can lead to complications such as metabolic syndrome, diabetes, cancer, dyslipidemia, cardiovascular diseases, and hypertension, among others. Treatment may sometimes include diet, exercise, drugs, and bariatric surgery. Nonetheless, not all people have access to these treatments, and public health strategies consider prevention the most important factor. In this regard, recent investigations are aiming to find alternatives and adjuvants for the treatment of obesity, its prevention, and the reversion of some of its complications, using natural sources of anti-obesogenic compounds like polyphenols, terpenes, alkaloids, saponins, among others. In this review, we gather the most current information using PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, Cochrane, and Web of Science. We present and discuss the current information about natural products that have shown anti-obesogenic effects at a molecular level. We also consider the impact of dietary habits and lifestyle in preventing overweight and obesity due to the evidence of the benefits of certain foods and compounds consumed regularly. We discuss mechanisms, pathways, and receptors involved in the modulation of obesity, especially those related to inflammation and oxidative stress linked to this disease, due to the relevance of these two aspects in developing complications.

White-rot fungi (WRF) have specific enzymes to degrade lignocellulosic and phenolic compounds. Therefore, their direct application could be an alternative to biodegrade complex lignocellulosic biomass such as olive mill solid waste (OMSW). The aim of this study was to evaluate the capacity of A. discolor and S. hirsutum to grow in OMSW as the sole substrate under static conditions and evaluate the phenolic removal compounds and lignin degradation. The lignolytic enzyme activity was determined, as was the phenolic compound removal. At the same time, lignin degradation and structural changes were evaluated by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM), respectively. Both strains were able to grow using OMSW as the sole substrate without adding other nutrients, oxygen and/or agitation. The higher ligninolytic enzyme activity was found at day 8, and the highest phenolic removal (more than 80% with both strains) was reached after 24 days of incubation. The CLSM analysis confirmed lignin degradation through the drop in lignin fluorescence from 3967 for untreated OMSW to 235 and 221 RFU after 24 days of treatment by A. discolor and S. hirsutum respectively. The results indicate that both WRF could be suitable candidates to design an in-situ pretreatment step of OMSW, as long as in future research the WRFs have the same performance in non-sterile conditions.

The operation feasibility of small hydropower plants in mountainous sites is subjected to the run-of-river flow which is also depending on a high variability in precipitation and snow cover. Moreover, the management of this kind of systems has to be performed with some particular operation conditions of the plant (e.g. turbine minimum and maximum discharge) but also some environmental flow requirements. In this context, a technological climate service is conceived in tight connection with end users, perfectly answering the needs of the management of small hydropower systems in a pilot area, and providing forecast of river streamflow together with other operation data. This paper presents an overview of the service but also a set of lessons learnt related to features, requirements and considerations to bear in mind from the point of view of climate services developers. In addition, the outcomes give insight into how this kind of services could change the traditional management (normally based on the past experience), providing a probability range of future river flow based on future weather scenarios according to the range of future weather possibilities. This highlights the utility of the co-generation process to implement climate services for water and energy fields but also that seasonal climate forecast could improve the business as usual of this kind of facilities.

Due to the progression of antimicrobial resistance, Photodynamic (aPDT) and Sonodynamic (SDT) Therapies arose as promising approaches for microbial control. Recently, the combination of both therapies, called Sonophotodynamic Therapy (SPDT), have shown greater effects than the single treatments. This study evaluated the effects of aPDT, SDT and SPDT mediated by curcumin on the metabolism, adhesion capacity, biofilm formation ability and structural alteration in the Staphylococcus aureus biofilm. Moreover, possible antimicrobial mechanisms involved, such as the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the degradation spectrum of curcumin by light, ultrasound and light+ultrasound, were measured. SPDT was more effective to inactivate the biofilm than aPDT and SDT. All treatments reduced the adhesion ability of the bacteria and it is probably related to the metabolism cell reduction. Regarding to the biofilm formation ability, all treatments reduced the total biomass. One possible mechanism involved in the inactivation is the ROS production observed. Curcumin had a significantly decay in its absorbance with the application of light, and a slighter one caused by the ultrasound. Finally, all treatments impacted the biofilm components and structure, reducing the cells and matrix. In conclusion, SPDT was more effective in the inactivation, and all treatments had the same effect in the virulence factors evaluated.

In the broader landscape of cryptocurrency risk management, this study delves into the nuanced estimation of Value at Risk (VaR) for a uniformly weighted portfolio of cryptocurrencies, employing the bivariate Normal Inverse Gaussian distribution renowned for its semi-heavy tails. Utilizing high-frequency data spanning from January 1st, 2017, to October 25th, 2022, with a primary focus on Bitcoin and Ethereum, our research seeks to accentuate the resilience of VaR methodology as a paramount risk assessment tool. The essence of our investigation lies in advancing the comprehension of VaR accuracy by quantitatively comparing observed returns of both cryptocurrencies with their corresponding estimated values, with a central theme being the endorsement of the Normal Inverse Gaussian distribution as a potent model for risk measurement, particularly in the domain of high-frequency data. To bolster the statistical reliability of our results, we adopt a forward test methodology, showcasing not only a contribution to the evolution of risk assessment techniques in Finance but also underscoring the practicality of sophisticated distributional models in econometrics. Our findings not only contribute to the refinement of risk assessment methods but also highlight the applicability of such models in precisely modeling and forecasting financial risk within the dynamic realm of cryptocurrencies, epitomized by the case study of Bitcoin and Ethereum.

We study the propagation of a particular field that we call Gaussian-top-hat that presents self-focusing and maintains its shape for some propagation distances.

The vegan diet excludes animal-derived products consumption. The objective of the present study is to analyze dietary lipid intake, nine plasmatic fatty acids concentrations (from C14:0 [lauric acid] to C20:4 [arachidonic acid]), and conventional clinical lipid profile among vegan individuals with omnivore controls. A case-control and cross-sectional study was performed between 2016 and 2017. Vegans were paired in a 1:1 ratio with omnivores from Merida, Mexico. A 150-item Semi-Quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire was conducted to evaluate eating patterns. Serum fatty acids were determined from total blood with a gas chromatography assay. Lower cholesterol, stearic, arachidonic and trans fatty acids intake, but higher consumption of lauric acid were observed in the vegan group (p= <0.001, 0.014, <0.001, 0.005, respectively). Decreased plasma concentrations of stearic, arachidonic and linoleic acids were found (p= 0.017, <0.001 and 0.026, respectively). Following a vegan diet for more than three years generate modifications in serum concentrations of saturated and polyunsaturated ω-6 fatty acids, which could lower inflammatory markers’ biosynthesis. Potential benefits regarding cardiovascular risk may be assumed in favor of vegan individuals.

Mexico´s inhabitants have approximately 7 million dogs and cats as pets, of which there is no accurate information about their environmental impacts as a result of their feeding and comfort requirements. The objective of this study is to compare the environmental footprint between a dog and a cat in a family environment. For this purpose, a life cycle analysis was performed including, among other factors, its feeding and waste management in one year of life. Different environmental indicators including the carbon footprint were considered. It was found that the equivalent CO2 emission of a dog is twice that estimated for a domestic cat and that the main contribution is due to the food production. The ecological footprint that is generated when satisfying the requirements for pet´s well-being impacts in the environment contributes primarily to the carbon footprint.

Dyslipidemia presents high levels of serum cholesterol, being characterized as a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, especially for the development of atherosclerosis. E. oleracea (OFEO), A. esculentus (OFAE), B. orellana (OFBO) and granulated (CHR) oils are rich in bioactive compounds with potential to treat changes in lipid metabolism. This study investigated the effects of treatments with oils from A. esculentus, E. oleracea, B. orellana and granules (Chronic SM®) on saturated fat-induced dyslipidemia Cocos nucifera L. The chromatographic profile showed the majority of unsaturated fatty acids in the tested oils. The quantification of tocotrienols and geranylgeraniol was obtained in OFBO and CHR. Treatments with OFEO, OFAE, OFBO and CHR were able to significantly reduce glycemia with p&gt;0.001, as well as hypertriglyceridemia, total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol, in addition to increasing HDL-cholesterol. The treatments inhibited the formation of atheromatous plaques in the vascular endothelium of the treated rats. The obtained results suggest that the OFEO, OFAE, OFBO and CHR groups have antidyslipidemic effects and antiatherogenic activity.

Chemical composition analysis of açaí extracts revealed higher levels of total polyphenol content in purple açaí samples for both commercial (4.3 – 44.7 gallic acid equivalents mg/g) and non-commercial samples (30.2 – 42.0 mg/g) compared to white (8.2 – 11.9 mg/g) and oil samples (0.8 – 4.6 mg/g). The major anthocyanin compounds found in purple açaí samples were cyanidin-3-glucoside and cyanidin-3-rutinoside with total concentrations in the range of 3.6 – 14.3 cyanidin-3-glucoside equivalents mg/g. The oligomeric proanthocyanidins were quantified in the range of 1.5 – 6.1 procyanidin B1 equivalents mg/g. Moreover, açaí presented significant levels of calcium, magnesium, manganese, iron, zinc and copper, essential minor and trace elements, in comparison with other berries. All of the açaí extracts at 50 μg/mL potently inhibited the release of reactive oxygen species in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophage cells, but none inhibited the release of nitric oxide. Furthermore, all the açaí samples demonstrated potential as wound healing agents due to the high levels of migration activity in human fibroblast cells.

Energy conversion and distribution (heat and electricity) is characterized by long planning horizons, investment periods and depreciation times, and it is thus difficult to plan and tell the technology that optimally fits for decades. Uncertainties include future energy prices, applicable subsidies, regulation, and even the evolution of market designs. To achieve higher adaptability to arbitrary transition paths, a technical concept based on integrated energy systems is envisioned and described. The problem of intermediate steps of evolution is tackled by introducing a novel paradigm in urban infrastructure design.It builds on standardization, modularization and economies of scale for underlying conversion units. Building on conceptual arguments for such a platform, it is then argued how actors like (among others) municipalities and district heating system operators can use this as a practical starting point for a manageable and smooth transition towards more environmental friendly supply technologies, and to commit to their own pace of transition (bearable investment/risk). environmental friendly supply technologies. Merits are not only supported by technical arguments but also by strategical and societal prospects like technology neutrality and availability of real options.

The hard-shelled seed industry plays an important role in the global agricultural economy. As a result of nut industrialization, considerable amounts of by-products and residues are produced year by year, burnt as fuel or discarded as non-valued waste, by-passing a potential source of valuable compounds or features. Over the last decade nutshells have received great interest due to their lignin concentration and their antioxidant, physical and mechanical features. It was found that these properties vary among cultivars, latitude and localities of plantation. On the other hand, there is inconsistences regarding to mechanical and some biochemical properties of both nutshells, which aimed to explore the status of potential hazelnut and walnut shells appli-cations into sustainable circular bio-economy chains. Hence, this review deals with the recent scientific literature on their chemical composition as well as their functional applications as an approach to sustain the utilization of the main by-product derived from the nut-industry.

The objective of this work is to compare how the gases emitted during the manufacture of the clinker vary in a cement plant, using two types of fuel: petroleum coke and unusable tires (UTs). The study is based on a case study using real time data on more than 40 process variables. Gases are analysed from two points of the production process: Sintering Kiln, main focus of emission to the atmosphere by chimney, and Preheater. The variation of CO and NOx depending on the oxygen and fuel type is studied. The SO2 levels are also analyzed, observing a decrease when using the UTs. The quality of the Clinker has been compared depending on the fuel type. The results are compared, on the one hand, with the quality of the clinker, determined by the content of the majority (C3S, Alite) and minority (Free CaO) phases, and, on the other hand, with the Kiln sintering temperature, the most influential parameter in the productive process. It is verified that Clinker quality is maintained, regardless of the type of fuel used. Concluding that the use of UTs as fuel can generate an important economic and environmental benefit for cement companies and their environment.

By utilizing the Fourier transform, we present a practical method for evaluating a function of a derivative applied to any other arbitrary function of a single complex variable. As an illustration of this approach, we compute the actions of the displacement and squeeze operators on an arbitrary function, as well as the propagation of paraxial fields, Airy and number states, without the need for algebraic quantum operator techniques or the Fresnel integral.

Long-haul truck drivers are responsible for transporting goods valued at millions of dollars of the world economy and may have their health affected by living and working conditions. This study analyzed and synthesized the scientific findings about risk factors for the development of chronic non-communicable diseases in long-haul truck drivers. An integrative literature review was conducted. We identified 23 studies that met the inclusion criteria and evaluated the health of 7,363 drivers. The biological risks identified were age, gender, race/ethnicity, genetics, comorbidities, and were considered non-modifiable for chronic diseases. The behavioral risks, considered modifiable, were sedentary lifestyle, smoking, alcohol consumption, overweight, diet, stress, anxiety, unfavorable socioeconomic conditions. Environmental risks involved working conditions such as the number of working hours per day, week and month; time away from home, risk of musculoskeletal injury, and opportunities for rest, hours of sleep and access to health services. The results were presented in two categories: 1) biological, behavioral and environmental risks, and 2) general recommendations to promote physical, cognitive and emotional health. Macro-structural changes are needed to reorganize work and rest, improve access to health services to control risk factors, and to support behavioral and environmental changes to reduce chronic non-communicable diseases and deaths.

Aim: To perform a descriptive analysis of eating patterns and biophysical conditions of previously diagnosed and currently under treatment individuals from a semi-urban Mayan community of Yucatan, and to contrast them with T2DM therapeutic guidelines. Methods: The present study is derived from a randomized clinical trial conducted at Komchen, Yucatan. Participants’ diagnosed with T2DM were included. A 24-hour dietary recall, anthropometric parameters (weight, visceral fat, height, and waist circumference), biochemical (HbA1c) and clinical (blood pressure) variables were evaluated and compared via hypothesis test with T2DM treatment cut-off points (based on World Health Organization criteria). Results: Anthropometric characteristics differ significantly from the ideal criteria. Obesity prevalence within women with T2DM was 92.9%. Only 21% of the participants were under T2DM control (≤7%). Energy and carbohydrates consumption, significantly exceed therapeutic guidelines, whereas protein, fat, and fiber intake were lower than the recommendations. Conclusions: Komchen’s diet, concomitantly with food characteristics, could be related to glycemic decontrol. There is a disproportion in macronutrients consumption in favor of carbohydrates, probably associated with socioeconomic limitations, food availability, and price. Developing nutritional assistance programs which contemplate cultural and economic factors in this Mayan population must be taken into consideration.

Machine Learning techniques can be used to identify whether deficits in cognitive functions contribute to antisocial and aggressive behavior. This paper initially presents the results of tests conducted on delinquent and non-delinquent youths to assess their cognitive functions. The dataset extracted from these assessments, consisting of 37 predictor variables and one target. was used to train three algorithms that aim to predict whether the data corresponds to that of a young offender or a non-offending youth. Prior to this, statistical tests were conducted on the data to identify characteristics that exhibited significant differences in order to select the most relevant features and optimize the prediction results. Additionally, other feature selection methods, such as Boruta, RFE, and Filter, were applied, and their effects on the accuracy of each of the three machine learning models used (SVM, RF, and KNN) were compared. 80% of the data were utilized for training, while the remaining 20% were used for validation. The best result was achieved by the K-NN model trained with 19 features selected by the Boruta method, followed by the SVM model trained with 24 features selected by the filter method.

The vegan diet excludes animal-derived product consumption and health advantages had been reported when followed. However, heterogeneous eating habits, food availability, and sociocultural characteristics among regions could lead to different physiological results. The objective of this case-control cross-sectional pilot study was to analyze body composition, daily nutrients consumption, and basic serum biomarkers as a general overview of the health status of Mexican adults with a vegan diet for ≥3 years, randomly paired with omnivores. Body composition was assessed through bioelectric impedance analysis. Eating patterns were evaluated and daily nutrients intake was calculated. A complete blood count, glycated hemoglobin, cobalamin, and creatinine serum concentrations were analyzed. We hypothesized certain nutrient deficits and specific biomarker impairments originated from cultural particularities driving food selection in Mexicans following a plant-based diet. Body composition did not differ among groups. Lower protein, niacin, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, cobalamin, calciferol, fluoride, iodine, and selenium intake yet greater fiber, folic acid, vitamin E, copper, and molybdenum were observed in the plant-based group when compared with controls. Vegans presented lower cobalamin and creatinine serum concentrations. Hematologic abnormalities were prevalent in vegans. Insufficient consumption of several nutriments was identified in both dietary groups, suggesting that the local diet may be unbalanced, affecting both vegans and non-vegan individuals. However, vegans might present additional deficiencies, especially vitamin B₁₂, with potential repercussions. Clinical and nutritional guidance is required in this particular population to avoid possible health adverse events.

Objective. To evaluate serum neuronal and inflammatory biomarkers in asphyctic newborns treated with hypothermia alone or hypothermia plus melatonin, and whether biomarkers correlate with neurodevelopmental outcomes. Design. This is a pilot multicentre, randomised, controlled, double blind clinical trial. Neuronal glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), and inflammatory cytokines (interleukin (IL)-1, IL-2, IL-7 and IL-13) were measured in serum samples at hospital admission (T0), 24 hours (T1), 72 hours (T2) and 7-10 days of age (T3). Neurodevelopmental outcomes (Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development-III scales, Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) and the Tardieu scale) were performed at 6 and 18 months. Setting: Level 3 neonatal intensive care unit. Patients and interventions: 25 newborns were recruited. The treated patients received a daily dose of intravenous melatonin, 5 mg per kg body weight, for 3 days. Results. After adjusting the data for severity, in the group treated with melatonin, there is a decrease in plasma levels of GM-CSF, IL-2 and IL-13 at T1 compared to placebo, as well as, at T2, in GM-CSF concentrations, as well as IL-7 and IL-13 at T3. Evolutionarily, we found a significant decrease in GM-CSF concentrations in the treatment group compared to placebo, with no differences for the rest of the biomarkers. It is noteworthy that the sustained decrease in GM-CSF and inflammatory cytokines IL-2, IL-7 and IL-13 correlated with better neurodevelopmental outcomes at 6 and 18 months. Conclusions. In neonates with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, the addition of iv melatonin to hypothermia therapy affects the plasma concentration of biomarkers in the first week of life, with a high correlation with long-term neurological prognosis.

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) and aluminum oxide (Al2O3) coatings have been investigated in a wide range of bio-applications due to their biodegradation and biocompatibility properties, that are key parameters for their use in the food packaging and biomedical devices fields. The present study evaluates and compares the electrochemical behavior of the non-coated, commercial resin-coated, TiO2-coated and Al2O3-coated aluminum in commercial beer electrolyte. For this, TiO2 and Al2O3 thin films were deposited on aluminum (Al) substrates using atomic layer deposition (ALD). The evaluation of the corrosion barrier layer properties was performed by linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). In addition, profilometry, grazing incidence X-ray diffractometry (GIXRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) analyses were performed to investigate the physical and chemical properties of the pristine and / or corroded samples. TiO2 and Al2O3 films presented an amorphous structure, a morphology that follows Al substrate surface, and a thickness of around 100 nm. Analysis of LSV data showed that ALD coatings promoted a considerable increase in corrosion barrier efficiency being 86.3% for TiO2-coated Al and 80% for Al2O3-coated Al in comparison with 7.1% of commercial resin-coated Al. This is mainly due to the lower electrochemical porosity, 11.4% for TiO2-coated Al and 20.4% for Al2O3-coated Al in comparison with 96% of the resin-coated Al, i.e. an increase of up to twofold in the protection of Al when coated with TiO2 compared to Al2O3 coated. The EIS results allow us to complement the discussions about the reduced corrosion barrier efficiency of the Al2O3 film for beer electrolyte once SEM and FT-IR analyzes did not show drastic changes in both investigated ALD films after the corrosion assays. The above results indicate that ALD TiO2 and Al2O3 films may be a viable alternative to replace the synthetic resin coatings frequently used in aluminum cans of use in the food industry.

The development of biofortified and stress tolerant common bean lines contribute to counteract micronutrient malnutrition in the current condition of climate variability. Our objective was to evaluate the adaptive responses of biofortified common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) lines under acidic soils and high temperature stress conditions in the Amazon region of Colombia. Adaptive responses were evaluated based on phenological, physiological and agronomic differences under combined stress conditions. A total of 247 common bean lines from the Mesoamerican gene pool were evaluated under field conditions at Florencia, Caquetá, Colombia. The common bean lines evaluated included 146 from F4 families with high iron (Fe) content and 99 common bean lines from F5 families that were obtained from simple crosses, double crosses and backcrosses among different bean lines. Lines with tolerance to combined stress conditions of acidic soil and high temperature were found with grain yields greater than 1,400 kg ha-1 from the F5 (lines: 859, 805, 865, 657) and F4 (lines: 2853, 2796) families. This improved agronomic response is likely due to the greater partitioning of photosynthates from canopy biomass (CB) toward pod formation (pod partitioning index, PPI) and grain filling (pod harvest index, PHI; harvest index, HI), which translated into higher grain yields (GY). GY was correlated with CB (r = 0.36), PPI (r = 0.6), PHI (r = 0.68), and HI (r = 0.8, P&lt;0.001). The physiological responses that contributed toward superior agronomic performance of biofortified common bean lines include greater allocation of energy to the photosynthetic machinery (ΦII) and its dissipation in the form of heat (ΦNPQ) as the leaf temperature differential (LTD) increased under combined stress conditions. Six biofortified common bean lines (F5 lines: 859, 805, 865, 657; F4 lines: 2853, 2796) were identified with multiple stress resistance traits and these lines can serve as parents for further genetic improvement of common bean for multiple stress tolerance in the Amazon region of Colombia.

Chenopodium quinoa Willd (quinoa), a member of the Amaranthaceae family, is an allotetraploid annual plant, endemic to South America. The plant of C. quinoa presents significant ecological plasticity with exceptional adaptability to several environmental stresses, including salinity. The resilience of quinoa to several abiotic stresses, as well as its nutritional attributes have led to significant shifts in quinoa cultivation worldwide over the past century. This work first defines germination sensu stricto in quinoa where the breakage of the pericarp and the testa is followed by endosperm rupture (ER). Transcriptomic changes in early seed germination stages lead to unstable expression levels in commonly used reference genes that are typically stable in vegetative tissues. Noteworthy, no suitable reference genes have been previously identified specifically for quinoa seed germination under salt stress conditions. This work aims to identify these genes as a prerequisite step for normalizing qPCR data. To this end, germinating seeds from UDEC2 and UDEC4 accessions, with different tolerance to salt, have been analyzed under conditions of absence (0 mM NaCl) and in the presence (250 mM NaCl) of sodium chloride. Based on relevant literature, six candidate reference genes: Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), Monensin sensitivity1 (MON1), Polypyrimidine tract-binding protein (PTBP), Actin-7 (ACT7), Ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme (UBC), and 18S ribosomal RNA (18S), were selected and assessed for stability using the RefFinder Tool encompassing the statistical algorithms geNorm, NormFinder, BestKeeper, and ΔCt in the evaluation. The data presented supports the suitability of CqACT7 and CqUBC as reference genes for normalizing gene expression during seed germination under salinity stress. These recommended reference genes can be valuable tools for consistent qPCR studies in quinoa seeds.

Industry 4.0 is having a great impact in all smart efforts. This is not a single product, but is composed of several technologies, being one of them Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). Currently, there are very varied implementation options offered by several companies, and this imposes a new challenge to companies that want to implement IoT in their processes. This challenge suggests to use multi-criteria analysis to make a repeatable and justified decision, requiring a set of alternatives and criteria. This paper proposes a new methodology and comprehensive criteria to help organizations to take an educated decision by applying multi-criteria analysis. Here, we suggest a new original use of PROMETHEE-II with full example from weight calculation up to IoT platform selection, showing this methodology as an effective study for other organizations interested to select an IoT platform. The criteria proposed outstands from previous work by including not only technical aspects, but economic and social criteria, providing a full view of the problem analyzed. A case of study was used to prove this proposed methodology.

Soybean, maize and bean are crops of great economic importance, but in the last years suffered with infestations of the caterpillar Helicoverpa armigera, being the main problem the resistance of this pest to most pesticides. Avermectin emamectin benzoate was recently released to control this pest. Other avermectins, like abamectin, doramectin, eprinomectin and ivermectin are used in large scale because they potent acaricidal, anthelmintic, and insecticidal activities. Thus, a simple and fast method for the determination of avermectins in these crops based on a quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged and safe (QuEChERS) extraction procedure and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) analysis was developed and validated. For extraction, water followed by acetonitrile:isopropanol and a partition step with salts was stablished. With the clean-up step using activated EMR-Lipid, limits of detection of 1.2 μg kg-1 for abamectin, doramectin, emamectin benzoate and ivermectin, and of 2.4 μg kg-1 for eprinomectin were achieved. Accuracy and precision evaluated at low levels presented satisfactory results. The method was successfully applied in commercial samples and is a good alternative for routine analysis.

In this work we have investigated the accumulation of ryanoids in different plant parts (leaves, stems roots) of aeroponically grown Persea indica cloned trees (one year old cloned individuals) and a selected mature wild tree. We have tested the insect antifeedant (against Spodoptera littoralis, Myzus persicae and Rhopalosiphum padi) and nematicidal (against Meloidogyne javanica) effects of ethanolic extracts from these different plant parts. The HPLC-MS analysis of P. indica extracts showed that the mature tree (wild) leaves had 2 times more chemical diversity than the stems. The aeroponic plants showed lower differences in chemical diversity between leaves and stems, with the lowest diversity found in the roots. The ryanodane epiryanodol (1) was present in all the plant parts, with the mature stems (wild) having the highest amount. The aeroponic stems also accumulated ryanoids including 1, cinnzeylanol 2 and cinnzeylanone 4. The insect Spodoptera littoralis was strongly affected by the stem extracts while the leaf ones were moderately active. Based on the predicted vs. the real antifeedant values we conclude that the ryanoid content (1 or a combination of 2, 4 and 1) explained the antifeedant effects of the stem extracts while addition-al components contributed to the activity of the leaf ones. Therefore, careful individual selection of P. indica seedlings should be carried out prior to proceed with its aeroponic cultivation in or-der to obtain ryanodane-rich stem or leaf extracts with strong antifeedant effects on S. littoralis.

Capsicum is the genus where a number of species and varieties have pungent features due to the exclusive content of capsaicinoids such as capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin. In this work, the main enzymatic and non-enzymatic systems in pepper fruits from four varieties with different pungent capacity has been investigated at two ripening stages. Thus, a sweet pepper variety (Melchor) from California type fruits, and three autochthonous Spanish varieties were used, including Piquillo, Padrón and Alegría riojana. The capsaicinoids contents were determined in pericarp and placenta from fruits showing that these phenyl-propanoids were mainly localized in placenta. The activity profile of catalase, superoxide dismutase (SOD, total and isoenzymatic), the enzymes of the ascorbate-glutathione cycle (AGC) and four NADP-dehydrogenases indicate that some interaction with the capsaicinoid metabolism seems to occur. Among the results obtained on enzymatic antioxidant, the role of an Fe-SOD and the glutathione reductase from the AGC is highlighted. Additionally, it was found that ascorbate and glutathione content were higher in those pepper fruits which displayed the greater contents of capsacinoids. Taken together, all these data indicate that antioxidants may contribute to preserve capsaicinoids metabolism to maintain their functionality in a framework where NADPH is perhaps playing an essential role.

The goal of this study is to better understand the relation between the practice of Mindfulness and the sexual activity, sexual satisfaction and erotic fantasies of Spanish-speaking participants. This research focuses on the comparison between people who practice Mindfulness versus naïve people, and explores the practice of Mindfulness and its relation with the following variables about sexuality: body awareness and bodily dissociation, personal sexual satisfaction, partner and relationship-related satisfaction, desire, subjective sexual arousal, genital arousal, orgasm, pain, attitudes towards sexual fantasies and types of sexual fantasies. The sample consisted of 106 selected adults, 32 men and 72 women, who completed six measures on an online survey platform: a) Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), b) Scale of Body Connection (SBC), c) New Sexual Satisfaction Scale (NSSS), d) Scale of Sexual Activity in Women (SSA-W) and Men (SSA-M), e) Hurlbert Index of Sexual Fantasy (HISF), f) Wilson's Sex Fantasy Questionnaire. In the MAAS, Body Awareness subscale (SBC), NSSS, SSA-W and SSA-M, HISF and intimate fantasies subscale (Wilson’s questionnaire), people in the Mindfulness condition showed higher scores and these differences were statistically significant. These results may have relevant implications in the sexuality of clinical and non-clinical samples.

The study aimed to evaluate the association between the changes in ventilatory variables (tidal volume (Vt), respiratory rate (RR), and lung ventilation (VE)) and deoxygenation of m.intescostales (∆SmO2-m.intercostales) during a maximal incremental exercise in nineteen male competitive marathon runners. The ventilatory variables and oxygen-consumption (VO2) were recorded breath-by-breath by exhaled gas analysis. A near-infrared spectroscopy device (MOXY) located in the right-hemithorax allowed recording SmO2-m.intercostales. To explore changes in oxygen levels in muscles with high demand during exercise, a second MOXY records SmO2-m.vastus laterallis. The triphasic model of exercise intensity was used for evaluating changes in SmO2 in both muscle groups. We found that ∆SmO2-m.intercostales correlated with VO2-peak (r=0.65; p=0.002) and the increase of VE (r=0.78; p=0.001), RR (r=0.54; p=0.001), but not Vt (p=0.210). The interaction of factors (muscles X exercise-phases) in SmO2 expressed as an arbitrary unit (a.u) was significant (p=0.005). At VT1 were no difference (p=0.177), but SmO2-m.intercostales was higher at VT1 (p&lt;0.001) and VO2-peak (p&lt;0.001). In competitive marathon runners, the m.intercostales deoxygenation during incremental exercise is directly associated with the aerobic capacity and increased lung ventilation and respiratory rate, but not tidal volume. Besides, it shows less deoxygenation than m.vastus laterallis at intensities above the aerobic ventilatory threshold.

Abstract: This work is part of the interest of solving the problems of water contamination with last generation pollutants, for which a novel and in an aqueous medium FeBTC material incorporated with magnetite nanoparticles was proposed. That material was synthesized by in situ solvothermal method, the Fe3O4 nanoparticles were added during the Fe-BTC MOF synthesis and used in the drug’s adsorption. The materials were characterized by XRD, FTIR and Raman spectroscopy, and N2-physisorption at 77 K. Fe3O4-FeBTC material showed a maximum adsorption capacity of 357.1 mg g−1 for diclofenac sodium, 70.9 mg g−1 for naproxen sodium, and 122.9 mg g−1 for Ibuprofen. A pseudo-second-order kinetic model can describe the adsorption process, and the thermodynamic study revealed that the adsorption of the three drugs was a feasible, spontaneous, and exothermic process. The incorporation of magnetite nanoparticles in the FeBTC considerably increased the adsorption capacity of pristine FeBTC. Also, hybridization of the FeBTC with magnetite nanoparticles reinforced the most vulnerable part of the MOF, increasing its thermal and aqueous media stability. The electrostatic interaction, H-bonding, and interactions in the open-metal sites played a vital role in drug adsorption. The competition of sites in the multicomponent mixture's adsorption showed selective adsorption at diclofenac sodium and naproxen sodium.

Protected areas have been used worldwide to conserve natural resources. Nevertheless, economic activities to provide income for communities living inside and surrounding conservation areas remain an issue. This study aimed to assess the sustainability of a Deuterodon iguape hatchery, placed inside an Atlantic Rainforest Park, to leverage this small native fish's grow-out farming, affording income and food security for local families. We have used a set of indicators of economic, social, and environmental sustainability. The initial investment is about US$ 40,000, which returned in ~2 years. The internal rate of return is close to 50%, including the externality costs, which is attractive for public and private investments. The hatchery generated few direct jobs, but the workforce can be recruited in the community, and hatchery can enable the establishment of several small grow-out farms, leveraging the development of indirect jobs and self-employments. The system had a low environmental impact, showing minor release of pollutants, low risk for biodiversity, and absorption of 18 g of CO2 equivalent per thousand post-larvae produced, contributing to the struggle against climate change. Therefore, D. iguape hatchery demonstrates the potential of combining biodiversity conservation and income generation, meeting the Sustainable Development Goals of Agenda 2030.

Viral entry is the first stage in the virus replication cycle and, for enveloped viruses, is mediated by virally encoded glycoproteins. Viral glycoproteins have different receptor affinities and triggering mechanisms. We employed vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), a BSL-2 enveloped virus that can incorporate non-native glycoproteins, to examine the entry efficiencies of diverse viral glycoproteins. To compare glycoprotein-mediated entry efficiencies of: VSV G, SARS-CoV-2 S, EBOV GP, LASV GP, and CHIKV E we produced recombinant VSV (rVSV) viruses that produce the five glycoproteins. The rVSV virions encoded a nano luciferase-PEST (NLucP) reporter gene, which we used in combination with the live-cell substrate Endurazine™ to monitor viral entry kinetics in real time. Our data indicate that rVSV particles with glycoproteins that require more post-internalization priming typically demonstrate delayed entry in comparison to VSV G. In addition to determining the time required for each virus to complete entry, we also used our system to evaluate viral cell surface receptor preferences, monitor fusion, and elucidate endocytosis mechanisms. This system can be rapidly employed to examine diverse viral glycoproteins and their entry requirements.

During embryo development, the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) acts as an important site for protein biosynthesis, however, in vitro culture (IVC) can negatively affect ER homeostasis. Thereby, the aim of our study was to evaluate the effects of supplementation of tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA), an ER stress inhibitor, in the IVC of bovine embryos. Two experiments were carried out: Exp. 1: evaluation of blastocyst rate, hatching kinetics and gene expression of hatched embryos after being treated with different concentrations of TUDCA (50, 200 or 1,000 μM) in the IVC; Exp. 2: evaluation of the re-expansion, hatching, and gene expression of hatched embryos previously treated with 200 µM of TUDCA at IVC and submitted to vitrification. There was no increase in the blastocyst and hatched blastocyst rates treated with TUDCA in the IVC. However, embryos submitted to vitrification after treatment with 200 µM of TUDCA, increased hatching rate post-warming, together with a down-regulation in the expression of ER stress-related genes and the accumulation of lipids. In conclusion, this work showed that the addition of TUDCA during in vitro culture can improve the cryotolerance of the bovine blastocyst through the putative modulation of ER and oxidative stress.

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.

Computer vision is considered as an ally to solve business problems that require human intervention, intelligence and criteria. This topic of research has evolved in XXI century at faster peace, delivering various alternatives from open source until commercial platforms. With so many options and market growing, it result difficult to make a decision on which one to use, or even worse, realize it was not suited for different scenarios. In this paper we analyze five options selected arbitrarily and tested on a dataset of 755 images to detect persons in an image, using object detectors. We analyze elapsed time to process an image, error with observations by humans, number of persons detected, correlation of time and person density, object detected size and F1 Score, considering precision and recall. As we found there are score ties and similar behaviors among options available, we introduce a novel index that takes in consideration the number of persons and their pixel size, to propose the Vision Acuity Index of Computer Vision. The results demonstrate this is a good option to serve as indicator to make decisions. Also, this index proposed have a potential to be expanded for different business use cases, and to measure new proposed algorithms in the future along with the traditional metrics used previously.

Objective. To examine the relationship between experience and knowledge acquired in research methodology (RM) courses and attitudes toward research in a sample of undergraduate psychology students from a public university in Mexico City. Methods. A cross-sectional study was carried out with 261 students. A 10-unit analog scale to assess perceived experience in RM courses and two measures of attitudes toward research were used. Between the two attitude scales, four attitude dimensions were identified: positive appraisal, negative appraisal, meaningless and boring. Four multivariate models were estimated, one for each attitude dimension. Results. A positive correlation was found between learning experiences in RM courses and positive appraisal of research (p < 0.01). Negative associations were also found between RM course experience and two of the three negative research attitudes (p < 0.01). Conclusion. Results highlight the significance of teaching in the knowledge and attitude development of students' research competencies. An approach to teaching RM at the undergraduate level that places more emphasis on encouraging evidence-based practice than on developing and carrying out research projects seems to be a promising subject for study, with implications for changing teaching methods and contents.

Natural products are considered an essential source of chemical compounds with relevant biological activities. Important antibiotics, anti-virals, and anticancer agents within healthcare facilities have been isolated from them. In recent decades, the study of alkaloids and the modulation of the immune response has aroused interest. The survey of SAR alkaloids with immunomodulatory effects is of great importance since structural modifications impact the effectiveness of the immunomodulatory activity, thus promoting the rational design of more effective and specific drugs. This review exhibits the main alkaloids with an immunomodulatory effect and their relationship with SAR studies, particularly in activating leukocytes and secretion of molecules with critical inflammatory activities such as cytokines, chemokines, and nitric oxide. These studies optimize the properties of alkaloids and allow a deeper understanding of the mechanisms of action at a molecular level, which is fundamental for the innovation of immunological therapies.

Clinical evidence has shown that bacterial infections are more difficult to eradicate when form-ing a biofilm aggregate than when are produced by bacteria in planktonic form. Therefore, com-pounds that inhibit biofilm formation could be used against severe infections. It has been re-ported that bromo 2-(5H) furanones inhibited biofilm formation by their anti-quorum sensing properties. To determine if the 2-(5H) furanone moiety is essential to induce inhibition of biofilm formation, we evaluated ten halogen 2-(5H) furanones derivates previously synthesized. Besides evaluating the inhibition of biofilm formation, we assessed pyocyanin production, swarming motility, and transcription of essential QS genes: rsaL, rhlA, pqsA and phz1 genes. Our results showed that although three bromo-furan-2(5H)-one-type derivatives (A1-A3) and two bromo-4-(phenylamino)-furan-2(5H)-one-type compounds (B2 and B6) inhibited the biofilm formation in both P. aeruginosa PA14 (reference) and PA64 (drug-resistant) strains only the furanones A1-A3 were efficient to inhibit QSS.

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), which is characterized by liver steatosis, inflammation and fibrosis, is the most severe variation of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This disease is a consequence of several metabolic alterations such as type 2 diabetes and dyslipidemia that trigger different pathways of cell dysfunction and systemic inflammation which ultimately affect the liver. Furthermore, those mechanisms activate a complex cascade of immune response after repeated cell aggression. In the liver cytokines and interleukins interact with network of innate immune cells, including Kupffer cells (KCs), dendritic cells (DCs), lymphocytes and hepatic stellate cells (HSC). These cells translate those signals into immune responses and pathologic hepatic changes during the development of NASH. In this scenario the development of fibrosis is the most important change since it is an adaptive mechanism that in the short time has the objective of repair the damaged tissue but after prolonged injury it progresses to parenchymal scarring, cellular dysfunction and finally to organ failure. Finally, since NASH is an important cause of liver cirrhosis; this review addresses the cellular pathways of fibrosis in the setting of NASH explained by the interaction between immune and hepatic cells.

The coronavirus of severe acute respiratory syndrome 2 (SARS-CoV-2), known as COVID-19, has spread rapidly around the world, leading to social detachment and the home office replacing face-to-face work. The performance of police officers faces limitations to the new requirements, while recognizing the need to ensure health and quality of life. Thus, the present study aimed to verify the panorama of the spread of COVID-19 among federal police officers by analyzing the presence of symptoms, individual protection measures (IPM), suspect screening measures (SSM) and examination for total antibodies (IgA, IgG and IgM). For this, data were collected through a questionnaire customized for this situation, blood for serological testing and measurements of clinical data from 56 federal police officers in the municipality of Marília (São Paulo, Brazil). There was no positive result in the Anti-SARS-CoV-2 serological test in any sample participant. The mean value of the Body Mass Index (27.2 ± 5.4 kg / m2) suggests overweight and obesity, in addition to the presence of hypertension in 16.1%, diabetes in 3.6%, asthma in 3.6 % and obesity by 25%, which represents an important risk of complications for COVID-19. The use of a mask is the most frequent IPM (96.4%) and most of the sample has used a cloth or home mask (90.9%). However, 47.3% have not performed the correct cleaning of the masks and 5.5% have not taken any care with mask hygiene. It can be concluded that care in relation to the professional activities of federal police to date has prevented the spread of SARS-CoV-2 and that they must be maintained or increased because risk factors, which involve quality of life and worsening of the contamination condition, were detected in the participants.

The development and evaluation of techniques that increase the efficiency of selection for planta plant resistance to pathogens is a challenge in all breeding programmes for disease resistance. Under field and laboratory conditions, hybrid populations (F1) of Coffea arabica derived from sources that carry the rust resistance gene SH1 and the CX.2385 line obtained from the Caturra variety × Timor Hybrid CIFC-1343 were evaluated. By means of survival curves, under controlled conditions, the probable times (P&lt;0.05) for the development of symptoms associated with coffee rust were found to be highly variable. Similarly, phenotypic variation in resistance reactions was detected, and plants with incomplete resistance to rust, late development of the incubation period (PI), and no development of a latency period (PL) were identified. The results suggest the use of the detached leaf method as an alternative for the preselection of genotypes for resistance to coffee rust, which could reduce the number of plants used for field evaluations.

Background: drugs provide a significant benefit; however, their use implies an intrinsic potential danger, with the possibility to cause unwanted effects. These effects are known as adverse drug reactions (ADRs). Post-marketing drug safety surveillance detects unknown risks that have not been identified in clinical trials and it is necessary to monitor marketed medications under real-life practice. Due to the scarce information about fixed combination of ciprofloxacin 0.3% / dexamethasone 0.1% (SDO), we performed a drug safety surveillance study. (2) Methods: A prospective non-controlled drug safety surveillance study was conducted in Peruvian population. A total of 236 patients prescribed SDO were included derivates from 12 sites. Patients' standardized information was collected through two phone calls, including demographics, medical history, prescribing patterns of SDO, concomitant medication, and ADRs in detail. The ADRs were classified by causality and severity, followed by outcome measures to identify new risk. (3) Results: 236 patients prescribed with SDO participated in the study and 220 were included. A total of 82 ADRs/220 patients were reported after the use of SDO, presenting a ratio 0.37 ADR/patient. The most frequent ADR with SDO administration was eye irritation (30%). The totality of the ADR was classified as non-serious, and the 97.5% (n=80) was classified as mild and 2.5% as moderate (n=2). No cases under the severe category were identified. (4) Conclusion: No new risks were found in the population where this study was conducted.

Enzyme immobilization is known to enhance polypeptide resistance towards environmental changes, particularly in terms of their stability. The Y509E mutant of β-xylosidase from Geobacil-lus stearothermophilus (XynB2Y509E) (which also bears xylanase activity) has been immobilized in chitosan spheres through either entrapment or covalent bond formation methods. In the immo-bilization by entrapment, besides observing a total loss of xylanase activity, it was found that chitosan concentration affects the process efficiency. Additionally, the maturation time of the spheres and the alkaline pH used to precipitate the spheres affect the β-xylosidase activity of the enzyme. In covalent bond immobilization, it was found that the pH during the modification with glutaraldehyde, as well as the subsequent protein binding, were key factors in preserving the dual enzymatic activity. The activity expressed after immobilization by covalent bonding was 23% higher compared to the activity expressed following entrapment immobilization, with values of 122.3 and 99.4 U. g-1, respectively. Both biocatalysts showed increased thermal and pH stability, along with an improved storage capacity, as they retained 40% and 88% of their activi-ty after being stored at 4 C for two months. Moreover, XynB2Y509E immobilized by covalent binding also exhibited outstanding reusability, retaining a 92% of activity after ten cycles of re-use.

The acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) continues to be a public health problem. In 2020, 680,000 people died from HIV-related causes, and 1.5 million people were infected. Antiretrovirals are only a way to control HIV infection but not to cure AIDS. As such, effective treatment must be developed to control AIDS. Developing a drug is not an easy task, and there is an enormous amount of work and economic resources invested. For this reason, it is highly convenient to employ computer-aided drug design methods, which can help generate and identify novel molecules. Using the de novo design, new novel molecules can be developed using fragments as building blocks. In this work, we develop a virtual-focused compound library of HIV-1 viral protease inhibitors from natural product fragments. Natural products are characterized by a large diversity of functional groups, many sp3 atoms, and chiral centers. Pseudo-natural products are a combination of natural products fragments that keep the desired structural characteristics from different natural products. An interactive version of chemical space visualization of virtual compounds focused on HIV-1 viral protease inhibitors from natural product fragments is freely available at https://figshare.com/s/ceb58d58e8f5585ce67e.

Compound databases of natural products have a major impact on drug discovery projects and other areas of research. The number of databases in the public domain with compounds from natural origin is increasing. Several countries have initiatives in place to construct and maintain compound databases that are representative of their diversity. Examples are Brazil, France, Panama and recently Vietnam. Herein, we discuss the first version of BIOFACQUIM, a novel compound database with natural products isolated and characterized in Mexico. We discuss its construction, curation, and a complete chemoinformatic characterization of the content and coverage in chemical space. It is reported the profile of physicochemical properties, scaffold content, and diversity, as well as structural diversity based on molecular fingerprints. BIOFACQUIM is freely available.