Cutaneous Melanoma (CM) is the most lethal form of skin cancer if it becomes metastatic, where treatment options and survival chances decrease dramatically. Immunotherapy treatments based on the immunologic checkpoint inhibitors (PD-1 and CTLA4) constituted a main breakthrough in the treatment of metastatic CM, particularly in the long-term benefit. However, several molecular pathways are responsible for the failure of this strategy in about 50-70% of CM patients. Some Long Non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), and circular RNAs (circRNA) are implicated in triggering pro- and antitumorigenic responses to various cancer treatments. The relationship between lncRNA, circRNA and Immune Checkpoint Blockade (ICB) immunotherapy is not extensively explored in cutaneous metastatic melanoma (CMM). The aim of this study is to evaluate the potential role of both circRNA and lncRNA as a predictive immunotherapy biomarker in CMM. RNA-seq from 12 FFPE samples from the metastatic biopsy of metastatic melanoma patients treated with Nivolumab were analyzed. Our findings indicate that specific lncRNA and circRNA are involved in regulatory networks of the immune response against metastatic melanoma under treatment with nivolumab. Moreover, we have established a risk score that allows the prediction of Overall survival (OS) and Progression-free survival (PFS) of CMM patients with high accuracy. This proof of principle work provides a possible insight on the function of ceRNA, contributing to decipher the complex molecular mechanism of ICB cancer treatment response.

In this study, the physical properties of briquettes produced from two different biomass feedstocks (sawdust and date palm trunk) and different plastic wastes were investigated, without using any external binding agent. The biomass feedstocks were blended with different ratios of two WEEE plastics (halogen-free wire and print circuit boards (PCB)) and automotive shredder residues (ASR). The briquettes production is studied at different waste proportions (10-30%), pressures (22-67 MPa) and temperatures (room-130 ˚C). Physical properties as density and durability rating were measured, usually increasing with temperature. Palm trunk gave better results than sawdust in most cases, due to its moisture content and the extremely fine particles that are easily obtained.

Head and neck cancer is the sixth most frequent cancer type. Drug resistance and toxicity are common challenges of the existing therapies, making the development of reliable preclinical models essential for the study of the involved molecular mechanisms as well as for eventual intervention approaches that improve the clinical outcome. Preclinical models of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma have been traditionally based in cell lines and murine models. In this review, we will go over the most frequently used preclinical models, from immortalized-cell and primary tumour cultures in monolayer or 3D, to the currently available animal models. We will scrutinize their efficiency in mimicking the molecular and cellular complexity of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Finally, the challenges and opportunities of other envisaged putative approaches, as well as the potential of the preclinical models to further develop customized therapies will be discussed.

The market of natural and organic cosmetics has been growing in last decades. The increase in interest in this type of product is a consequence of the concern that consumers have been presenting in relation to the environment and health. In addition to the appreciation the use of sustainable ingredients in cosmetic formulations, the consumers are also concerned about pollution caused by the use of plastics, which leads industries to reinvent themselves and rethink about the composition of packaging. The factor that most drives the purchase of natural and organic cosmetics is the fact that the consumer, in addition to contributing to the preservation of the environment, is also using a sustainable product. The growing demand for natural and organic cosmetics results in a concern of the brands with the organic issue, with the decreased use of animal derived ingredients and with the updating the parameters required for certification of a cosmetic as natural or organic. Due to the few studies available in this area, the importance of clarifying the definitions and concepts of natural and organic cosmetics is evident, in order to contribute with accurate information for the cosmetic sector.

This study investigates the spatial signatures of seasonal snow in Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) observations at different spatial scales and for different physiographic regions. Sentinel-1 C-band (SAR) backscattering coefficients (BSC) were analyzed in the Swiss Alps (SA), in high elevation forest and grasslands in Grand Mesa (GM), Colorado, and in North Dakota (ND) croplands. GM BSC exhibit 10dB sensitivity to wetness at small scales (~100 m) over homogeneous grassland. Sensitivity decreases to 5 dB in the presence of trees, and it is demonstrated that VH BSC sensitivity enables wet snow mapping below the tree-line. Area-variance scaling relationships show minima at ~100 m and 150-250 m respectively in barren and grasslands in SA and GM, increasing up to 1 km and longer in GM forests and ND agricultural fields. The spatial organization of BSC (as described by 1D-directional BSC wavelength spectra) exhibits multi-scaling behavior in the 100 -1,000 m range with a break at (180-360 m) that is also present in UAVSAR L-band measurements in GM. Spectral slopes in GM forested areas steepen during accumulation and flatten in the melting season with mirror behavior for grasslands reflecting changes in scattering mechanisms with snow depth and wetness, and vegetation mass and structure. Overall, this study reveals persistent patterns of SAR scattering variability spatially organized by land-cover, topography and regional winds with large inter-annual variability tied to precipitation. This dynamic scaling behavior emerges as an integral physical expression of snowpack variability that can be used to model sub-km scales and for downscaling applications.

We have studied the very large amount of literary works written by the Italian mystic Maria Valtorta to assess similarities and differences in her writings because she claims that most of them are due to mystical visions. We have used mathematical and statistical tools developed for specifically studying deep linguistic aspects of texts. The general trend indicates that the literary works explicitly attributable to Maria Valtorta differ significantly from her other literary works, that she claims are attributable to the alleged characters Jesus and Mary. Mathematically, they seem to have been written by different authors. The comparison with the Italian literature is very striking. A single author, namely Maria Valtorta, seems to be able to write texts so diverse to cover the entire mathematical range (suitable defined) of the Italian literature of seven centuries.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing approaches in plant disease management and phy-topathological research. This review analyzes current applications and future directions of AI in addressing evolving agricultural challenges. Plant diseases annually cause 10-16% yield losses in major crops, prompting urgent innovations. Artificial intelligence (AI) shows aptitude for auto-mated disease detection and diagnosis utilizing image recognition techniques, with reported accuracies exceeding 95% and surpassing human visual assessment. Forecasting models inte-grating weather, soil, and crop data enable preemptive interventions by predicting spa-tial-temporal outbreak risks weeks in advance at 81-95% precision, minimizing pesticide usage. Precision agriculture powered by AI optimizes data-driven, tailored crop protection strategies boosting resilience. Real-time monitoring leveraging AI discerns pre-symptomatic anomalies from plant and environmental data for early alerts. These applications highlight AI's proficiency in il-luminating opaque disease patterns within increasingly complex agricultural data. Machine learning techniques overcome human cognitive constraints by discovering multivariate correla-tions unnoticed before. AI is poised to transform in-field decision making around disease pre-vention and precision management. Overall, AI constitutes a strategic innovation pathway to strengthen ecological plant health management amidst climate change, globalization, and agri-cultural intensification pressures. With prudent and ethical implementation, AI-enabled tools promise to enable next-generation phytopathology, enhancing crop resilience worldwide.Artificial Intelligence, Phytopathology, Emerging Disease, Climate Change, Control diseases.

The study proposes planning independent children's mobility through geoinformation technologies for listening to children. This research assumes that children’s values and expectations must be considered in city planning. A bibliographic review identifies 15 indicators which make spaces safe and attractive for children to circulate and play. Thematic maps of the indicators are prepared, integrated by Multicriteria Analysis by Weights of Evidence, according to the hierarchical importance of each variable. The definition of weights considers the opinion of children and technicians. Consultation with children is carried out by Mapping Volunteers (VGI), Consultation on Hierarchy, Geodesign of Ideas for the area and Artistic Workshop. In the technical study, the query applies the Delphi method. It uses the VGI – Volunteered Geographic Information – web-based platform, where children record places of topophilia and topophobia, while technicians map the presence of 15 indicators. The set of information is made available on a web-based platform of SDI – Spatial Data Infrastructure, in which there are resources for a Geodesign workshop when ideas for the area are elaborated through negotiation and co-creation. The product is a transformation design for the area through urban design and parameterisation of uses.

The violence against women is a theme that extrapolates health issues, since after a victim seek for a health care, there is the notification of the act [1]. In Brazil, many times, these women are first assisted by mobile urgency services (SAMU/SIATE) and, as far as we have concern, there are no other studies with specific data about these assistance. The present paper aimed to analyze SAMU/SIATE assistance to abused women. Qualitative and retrospective epidemiological study of assistance to assaulted women carried out by SIATE and SAMU Maringá/Norte Novo between 2011 and 2020. Women between 20 and 39 years old, non-pregnant, were the main victims, and 19,52% of them have used some kind of drug. The (ex)partner figured as the perpetrator in 17,35%, but there were no information about this variable in 73,75% of the records. The Qui-square test shows a mortality rate superior to 70% among the severe traumatized victims. This is one of the first studies to analyze this kind of care provided by SAMU/SIATE, and reveals some gaps in its “modus-operandi” that can limitate an extrapolation of the results to bigger spheres. More researches in mobile urgency care services, in other provinces also, are needed to propose strategies to fight against this epidemic.

Native strains of Trichoderma, isolated from mangrove sediments of PE, Brazil were determining their morphological and molecular characterization, and were investigated to assess of their biocontrol potential over the phytopathogenic Fusarium strains isolated from Caatinga soil, PE, Brazil. The Trichoderma strains were characterized by polyphasic approach, which combined their morphological characteristics, macro- and microculture results, growth evaluation by Tukey test, with significance of 5%. The DNA was extracted and the product was amplified with primers ITS 1 and 2, and sequenced. Trichoderma strains were compatible morphologically with the description of the genus. The molecular identification of Trichoderma, sequences of 500 bp were amplified, deposited in GenBank and used for phylogenetic analysis. The growth rate analysis showed rate of 0.1207 cm^h-1 to Trichoderma strains and Fusarium spp. lower growth rate (0.031 cm^h-1) was observed. The antibiosis tests showed the best antagonistic level of effectiveness to T. asperellum UCP 0149 against F. solani UCP 1395(82.2%) and F. solani UCP 1075(70.0%), followed of T. asperellum UCP 0319 against F. solani UCP1083 (73.4%), and T. asperellum UCP 0168 against F. solani UCP1098 (71.5%), respectively. The data obtained could serve as the basis for developing several biotechnological processes of safe use.

Introduction: When analyzing the current situation in Spain, derived from our current lifestyles far from following a Mediterranean lifestyle, there is an alarming prevalence of diabesity, which increases the global risk of suffering from cardiovascular disease (CVD) and decreases the quality of life related to health (QLRH). In order to guarantee, beyond glycemic control of patients with type 2 diabetes (DM2), adequate control of cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF) in DM2, it will be necessary to carry out a community intervention focused on the application of education programs focused on promoting the acquisition of healthy eating habits through the Mediterranean diet (DMED). This dietary pattern, together with physical exercise, has been shown to contribute to improving the QLRH of patients. Objective: To analyze the quality of life related to health, present in patients with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes, to determine the possible relationship between this and the degree of adherence to the Mediterranean diet and to examine whether there are differences between the sexes. Material and methods: Observational descriptive study in 93 patients diagnosed with DM2 with poor glycemic control (1Ac ≥ 7%), carried out in various health centers in Albacete and Cuenca, in which the baseline relationship between adherence to DMed and the HRQoL. They were administered a data collection sheet that included a survey of the degree of adherence to the DMed (MEDAS-14) and QLRH (SF-12v2) in the Primary Care (PC) medical and nursing consultations. The variables were analyzed: age groups, sex, years of evolution of DM2, body mass index (BMI), as well as basal glycemia (GB) and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c). The “MEDAS-14” (adherence to DMED) was the main variable and the “SF-12v2” (QLRH) was the secondary variable. Material and methods: Observational descriptive study in 93 patients diagnosed with DM2 with poor glycemic control (1Ac ≥ 7%), carried out in various health centers in Albacete and Cuenca, in which the baseline relationship between adherence to DMed and the HRQoL. They were administered a data collection sheet that included a survey of the degree of adherence to the DMed (MEDAS-14) and QLRH (SF-12v2) in the Primary Care (PC) medical and nursing consultations. The variables were analyzed: age groups, sex, years of evolution of DM2, body mass index (BMI), as well as basal glycemia (GB) and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c). The “MEDAS-14” (adherence to DMED) was the main variable and the “SF-12v2” (QLRH) was the secondary variable. Results: Patients with poorly controlled DM2 and with low adherence to the MedDM show a non-significantly greater affectation in the physical sphere: fair general state of health, physical function I (limitation to make moderate efforts such as moving a table, vacuuming or walk more than an hour), physical function II (limitation to climb several flights of stairs), physical role (problems at work or daily activities doing less than loved ones), physical role II (they had to stop performing some tasks at work or activities of daily living) and regular body pain. Presenting less affectation in the mental field: emotional role I, emotional role II, mental health I, vitality and mental health II. Without affectation in the social function since they consider that rarely the emotional or physical problems have hindered their social activities. Conclusions: Diabetic patients with poor glycemic control have low adherence to the MedMD (<9 points) and have poor QLRH. Low adherence to the DMed and obesity are related to a greater affectation in the physical dimension and less affectation in the mental dimension without affectation in the "social function".

Transportation accidents in Brazil rank as the second leading cause of hospitalizations due to external causes, significantly impacting the organization of the healthcare system.. While all road users are at risk, pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists are particularly vulnerable. Although governments and societies advocate for increased bicycling as a sustainable urban transportation option, the uneven accessibility of cycling infrastructure poses accident risks. Addressing the gap in research on this issue, this study investigates the trends and contributing factors of bicycle traffic accidents in the metropolitan area of Maringá, Paraná, Brazil. This ecological time series study analyzed 848 pre-hospital care records from SAMU and SIATE of Maringá-PR, spanning January 2010 to December 2019. The results reveal a rise in accident frequency over the study period, with the majority of victims being males aged 11 to 20 years. Accidents predominantly occurred between noon and 8:00 p.m., with peak occurrences on Fridays and Saturdays. Serious accidents were most frequent on Tuesdays and Fridays. These findings align with existing literature and underscore the importance of incorporating data from SIATE and SAMU into urban accident prevention strategies. Additionally, the study highlights the need for further research on this topic.

Maria Valtorta (MV) (1897–1961) – an Italian mystic who claimed to have visions of Jesus’s life – describes Jesus’ crucifixion with many details from which significant data can be retrieved. My investigation based on these data and the topography of northwest Jerusalem in the I century AD, shows that Jesus’ crucifixion place, Golgotha (the “skull”), is neither at the Holy Sepulchre nor in the Garden Tomb area. The paved road to Golgotha she accurately describes arrives at its top with the minimum mean route gradient; its half way defines two distinct tracts with same height and same walking time but different mean route gradient; at half way Jesus is allowed to walk to the top in a spiral country road less steep than the second tract. The paved road leads to a place where few years after Jesus’ crucifixion the Psephinus Tower, described by Flavius Josephus, was erected, in the area known today as the Russian Compound. In conclusion, the Golgotha reveiled by MV’s writings was located at the same site of the Psephinus Tower.

In the era of rapid digitalisation, the widespread integration of digital technology into various aspects of daily life has sparked significant interest in understanding its impact on cognitive mental processes. While the emerging data suggests that its influence may be positive or negative, the depth of evidence regarding neurobiological mechanisms remains limited. This review aims to synthesise previously published studies and explore the implications of digital technology components, specifically those resembling mobile technology, internet search engines, and conversational artificial intelligence models, on cognitive functions embedded in the brain’s ability to reorganise itself, known as neuroplasticity. Despite acknowledged limitations, through an exhaustive approach, this paper intends to offer a dynamic perspective on the effects of digital media on the human brain, before the onset of addiction.

This paper questions the potential shift of reproduction towards assisted reproductive technologies due to benefits provided by genetic manipulation of embryos. In order to examine the viability of such a shift and its implications from a regulatory perspective, we relied on two panels of experts from Israel and Spain, using the Delphi method and a series of in-depth interviews. We anticipate, at a first stage, a continuous-steady growth in the use of IVF, supplemented by preimplantation genetic diagnosis and the introduction of CRISPR/Cas. At a second stage, attracting a growing share of fertile people would require developments in genomics. While it is unclear whether these developments will fully materialize, they could be replaced by technoscientific imaginaries generating perceived benefits. We conclude that the regulation of reproductive genetics is becoming more critical and complex. The aim should be to ensure good practices and equity, while providing more information to the public. A broad and inclusive societal debate may overcome the difficulty of drawing a clear line between medical uses and non-medical uses of genetic selection and engineering and may contribute to finding the right balance between allowing autonomous decisions of patients and protecting the public interest.

Cryopreservation is a stressful process for sperm as it is associated with an increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Elevated ROS levels, which create an imbalance with antioxidant capacity, may result in membrane lipid peroxidation (LPO), protein damage and DNA fragmentation. This study aimed to determine whether membrane LPO and DNA fragmentation of frozen-thawed horse sperm relies upon the antioxidant activity, including enzymes (superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), catalase (CAT), and paraoxonase type 1 (PON1)); non-enzymatic antioxidant capacity (Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC), plasma ferric reducing antioxidant capacity (FRAP), and cupric reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC)); and the oxidative stress index (OSI), of their seminal plasma (SP). Based on total motility and plasma membrane integrity (SYBR14+/PI−) after thawing, ejaculates were hierarchically (p &lt; 0.001) clustered into two groups of good (GFE) and poor (PFE) freezability. LPO and DNA fragmentation (global DNA breaks) were higher (p &lt; 0.05) in PFE than in GFE, with LPO and DNA fragmentation (global DNA breaks) after thawing showing a positive relationship (p &lt; 0.05) with SP-OSI levels and ROS production. In addition, sperm motility and membrane integrity after thawing were negatively (p &lt; 0.05) correlated with the activity levels of SP antioxidants (PON1 and TEAC). The present results indicate that LPO and DNA fragmentation in frozen-thawed horse sperm vary between ejaculates. These differences could result from variations in the activity of antioxidants (PON1 and TEAC) and the balance between the oxidant and antioxidant components present in the SP.

The primary sources of particulate matter are linked to human activity. Certain particulate emissions, particularly those of a finer nature, can significantly impact human health, making them one of the most concerning pollutants. Ultrafine particles (UFP), which have a diameter of less than 100 nm, are of particular concern due to their impact on human health and the difficulty in controlling them. The concentration of ultrafine particles (UFP) in the workplace is a growing concern and is classified as an emerging risk. Workers may be exposed to UFP through inhalation, skin absorption, ingestion, or a combination of these routes. This study aims to determine the levels of UFP exposure among workers in environments with varying direct particle emission patterns. Measurements were conducted to compare the results with the levels recommended by the WHO. The study monitored industrial workplaces with direct particulate matter emissions, such as a carpentry and a bakery, as well as social sector sites without or almost without direct particle emissions, such as a school and a health clinic. One conclusion drawn from this study is that all tasks and occupations are susceptible to high levels of UFP, exceeding WHO recommended values in virtually all monitored environments. Therefore, monitoring and controlling UFP is crucial. Further in-depth studies on this subject are also necessary..

Immunotherapy has gained great momentum with chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapy, in which patient’s T lymphocytes are genetically manipulated to recognize tumor-specific antigens increasing tumor elimination efficiency. In the last years, CAR-T cell immunotherapy for hematological malignancies achieved a great response rate on patients and is a very promising therapy for several other malignancies. Each new CAR design requires a preclinical proof-of-concept experiment using immunodeficient mouse models. The absence of a functional immune system in these mice makes them simple and suitable to be mathematically modeled. In this work, we developed a three population mathematical model to describe tumor response to CAR-T cell immunotherapy in immunodeficient mouse models, encompassing interactions between a non-solid tumor and CAR-T cells (effector and long-term memory). We account for several phenomena, such as tumor-induced immunosuppression, memory pool formation, and conversion of memory into effector CAR-T cells in the presence of new tumor cells. Individual donor and tumor specificities were considered as uncertainties in the model parameters. Our model is able to reproduce several CAR-T cell immunotherapy scenarios, with different CAR receptors and tumor targets reported in the literature. We found that therapy effectiveness mostly depends on some specific parameters such as the differentiation of effector to memory CAR-T cells, CAR-T cytotoxic capacity, tumor growth rate, and tumor-induced immunosuppression. In summary, our model can contribute to reduce and optimize the number of in vivo experiments with in silico tests to select specific scenarios that could be tested in experimental research. Such in silico laboratory was made available in a Shiny R-based platform called CARTmath. It is an open-source, easy to run simulator, available at github.com/tmglncc/CARTmath or directly on the webpage cartmath.lncc.br, containing this manuscript results as examples and documentation. The developed model, together with the CARTmath platform, provides potential use for assessing different CAR-T cell immunotherapy protocols and associated efficacy, becoming an accessory towards in silico trials.

The effect of legumes adapted to a temperate climate on gas production kinetics, enteric methane, and rumen fermentation in vitro was evaluated. The species studied were Acacia dealbatha, Acacia melanoxylon, Albizzia lopantha, Lupinus pubescens, Inga insignes, Senna multiglandulosa and Tecoma stans. The effective degradation of the dry matter was estimated, the in vitro gas production was measured up to 120 hours of incubation, and the production of enteric methane, VFAs, and ammonia were measured at 24 hours. Dry matter, organic matter, ash, crude protein, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, and acid detergent lignin were evaluated. The content of total phenols and condensed tannins was quantified. To determine digestibility, the samples were incubated for up to 120 hours. I. insignes presented a higher dry matter content and a high crude protein content. L. pubescens presented low dry matter digestibility. The neutral detergent fiber content was higher in I. insignes and with a higher value in dry matter digestibility and lower content of total phenols and condensed tannins. While S. multiglandulosa showed low detergent acid fiber content. The acid detergent lignin value was higher in I. insignes and lower in L. pubescens. In vitro gas and enteric methane production was higher in L. pubescens. propionic acid and ammonia they were higher in S. multiglandulosa. It is concluded that the amount of secondary compounds affects methane production, compromises digestibility and rumen kinetics of the legumes studied.

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus is a chronic metabolic disease that poses a significant long-term health risk due to its debilitating complications. While the diagnosis and monitoring of diabetes are well-established, the monitoring of its numerous complications presents a challenge, which can compromise patients' prognosis and quality of life. We analyzed the proteome of ten saliva samples, five from healthy individuals and five from patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. The aim was to identify potential biomarkers of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and its complications. We used PANTHER and FUNRICH tools to conduct a functional analysis and enrichment approach. Our findings revealed 622 proteins involved in 16 disrupted biological processes, which are linked to Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Metabolic processes, response to stimuli, processes of the immune system, and signaling are notable due to their known relation with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Enrichment analysis has revealed that there are eleven biological processes that have been deregulated. These processes involve twenty different salivary proteins that are associated with multiple complications in diabetes. Our findings demonstrate that saliva is a dependable source of possible biomarkers that can be used to monitor diabetes and its complications.

This study aimed at evaluating changes in the clinical and echocardiographic parameters of pregnant sheep, as well as the HRV indexes due to the physiological alterations that happen at this stage implicating in high maternal metabolic demands. For this purpose, the study evaluated 10 Dorper sheep through their pregnancy, starting from the second month until the day before birth, conducting clinical, echocardiographic and electrocardiographic examinations focused on the HRV. The echocardiogram was conducted in a doppler ultrasound device with a multifrequency sectorial transducer in bidimensional mode. The HRV indexes were obtained through the Televet 100® system. There were increases in the thickness of the interventricular septum during diastole starting from the third month, and in the internal diameter of the left ventricle during systole and diastole at the second and third months, while the ejection fraction increased as the pregnancy progressed. The size of the left atrium increased starting at the second month. The SDNN, RMSSD and PNN50 HRV indexes were higher at the fifth month of pregnancy and after delivery. There were no significant differences in the frequency-domain HRV indexes during pregnancy. The gestation leads to alterations in the clinical parameters and the activity of the autonomic nervous system.

Nowadays, frameworks and models are critical to enabling organizations to identify their current sustainability integration into business and to follow up on these initiatives over time. In this context, the maturity models offer a structured way of analyzing how a supply chain meets specific sustainability requirements and which areas demand attention to reach maturity levels. This study proposes a five-level maturity model to help supply chains identify their level of engagement with sustainability practices combining three perspectives: intra and inter-organizational sustainability practices, triple-bottom-line approach and critical areas for sustainability. All the steps followed in constructing the maturity model were based on a literature review, and case studies supported its improvement, application, and testing. The proposed model presents many advantages, such as being used as a self-assessment tool, a roadmap for sustainability behaviour improvement, and a benchmarking tool to evaluate and compare standards and best practices among organizations and supply chains.

Non-typhoid salmonellosis is a common and problematic foodborne zoonotic disease in which pork and pork products can be an important potential source of infection. In order to prevent this disease important efforts to monitor the situation in the main source, livestock, are conducted in most developed countries. In the European Union EFSA and ECDC compile information at the member state level, even though important differences in production systems and surveillance systems exist. Here, Salmonella surveillance systems in one of the main sources of foodborne salmonellosis, swine, and humans in Spain were reviewed to identify potential gaps and discuss potential ways of integration under a One Health approach. Despite the extensive information generated through the surveillance activities source attribution can be only routinely performed through ad-hoc outbreak investigations, and national reports on human outbreaks do not provide sufficiently detailed information to gain a better understanding of the epidemiology of the pathogen. Human and animal monitoring of Salmonella would benefit from a better exchange of information and collaboration. Analysis of spatio-temporal trends in livestock and humans could help to identify likely sources of infection and to target surveillance efforts in areas with higher prevalence or where specific strains are found.

Timor-Leste, since its independence in 2002, has faced challenges in managing the growing number of civil servants, currently numbering over 13,000. Civil servants are classified under two regimes: General (GCR) and Special (SCR). This classification leads to disparities in salary, benefits, promotions, and performance evaluations, creating dissatisfaction among employees in both regimes. GCR employees enjoy regular salary increases and promotions based on performance, whereas SCR employees, despite earning higher salaries, do not receive the same opportunities for career advancement. This policy paper analyses these differences and recommends abolishing the dual regime structure. It proposes a unified system where salary progression, benefits, and promotions are based on education level, service length, and performance evaluations. Additional allowances should be provided to those working in rural areas to encourage retention and equitable service delivery. Regular external monitoring and audits are essential for effective performance management. Evidence from Indonesia supports these recommendations, showing that additional allowances and strong leadership improve employee performance and discipline.

(1) Background: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of different types of warm-ups on the strength and skin temperature of Paralympic powerlifting athletes; (2) Methods: The participants were 15 male Paralympic powerlifting athletes. It was analyzed the effects of three different types of warm-up (without warm-up (WW), traditional warm-up (TW), or stretching warm-up (SW)) on static and dynamic strength tests as well as in the skin temperature, which was monitored by thermal imaging; (3) Results: show no differences in the dynamic and static indicators of the force in relation to the different types of warm-up. No significant differences were found in relation to the Peak Torque (p = 0.055, F=4.560, η2p= 0.246 medium effect), and 1-Repetition Maximum (p = 0.139, F=3.191, η2p = 0.186, medium effect) between the different types of warm-up. In the thermographic analysis, there was a significant difference only in the Pectoral muscle clavicular portion between the TW (33.04 ± 0.71ºC) and the WW (32.51 ± 0.74ºC) (p = 0.038). The TW method also presented slightly higher values than the SW and WW in the Pectoral Muscles Sternal portion and in the Deltoid anterior portion, but with p-value &gt; 0.05; (4) Conclusions: that the types of warm-up studied do not seem to interfere with the performance of Paralympic Powerlifting athletes. However, the thermal images showed that traditional warm-up best meets the objectives expected for this preparation phase.

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

Background: The Ibizan Hound is a canine breed native to the Mediterranean region, where leishmaniasis is an endemic zoonosis. Several studies indicate a low prevalence of this disease in dogs, whereas other canine breeds present a high prevalence. However, the molecular underlaying mechanisms yet remains unknown. Methods: In this study, we analyze the haplotypes of genes encode cytokines related to immune response of Leishmania infantum infection in twenty-four Boxer and twenty-four Ibizan hound apparently healthy using CanineHD DNA Analysis BeadChip including 165,480 mapped positions. Results: The results show that several haplotypes of genes encoding Interleukin 6 (IL6) and Interferon gamma (IFNG) are related to Interferon gamma (IFN-γ), and Interleukins (IL) 2 and 18 serum levels. Our results indicate that the regulation of immune response is different in the two canine breeds analyzed and are related to the haplotype compositions of the genes encoding these cytokines. Conclusions: Future studies are needed to elucidate whether these differences and haplotypes are related to different phenotypes in immune response and expression gene regulation to L. infantum infection in dogs.

Circular Economy (CE) is a growing topic among scholars, industry and government aiming at decoupling economic growth and development from the consumption of finite resources. CE incorporates different meanings, from reduce, reuse and recycle activities to environmental degradation or resource scarcity, and supported by specific indicators to attain sustainable development. However, so far, there has been no agreement to measure how effective an industry/product is in making the transition from linear to circular approaches, particularly those affected the society. This research work aims to perform a systematic literature review (n=60) to analyze and discuss how social aspects have been considered and integrated in the CE research so far. Moreover, this review provides and overview of the literature on social impact within CE, that resulted in three main outputs: a knowledge map of the CE, an analysis of social aspects within CE, and the theories/frameworks used to evaluate social impact of CE. Finally, this study brings to light how CE implementation can affect society and highlights the importance of social dimension in the domains of CE and policy-making community, which could help moving CE towards a sustainable development.

The conditions for safe Internet access and the development of skills enabling full participation in online environments are recognized in the Council of Europe’s strategy for child rights, from 2022. The guarantee of this right has implications for experiences inside and outside the school context. Therefore, this article aims to compare the perceptions of students from different educational levels, who participated in a digital storytelling workshop, regarding online safety, searching habits, and digital competences. Data were collected through a questionnaire survey completed by 84 Portuguese students from elementary and secondary schools. A non-parametric multivariate analysis of variance was used to identify differences as children advance across educational stages. The results revealed that secondary students tend to spend more time online, and demonstrated more advanced search skills. Interestingly, the youngest children exhibited higher competences in creating games and practicing safety measures regarding online postings. These findings emphasize the importance of schools, in a joint action with the educational community, including parents, teachers and students, developing a coordinated and vertically integrated approach to digital education that considers the children's current knowledge, attitudes, and skills as a starting point for pedagogical intervention.

The current research investigated the environmental risk of the polycyclic musk compounds, Galaxolide® (HHCB) and Tonalide® (AHTN), in the marine environments. These substances are lipophilic, bioaccumulated and potentially biomagnified in aquatic organisms. To understand the toxicity of HHCB and AHTN, we performed acute toxicity tests by exposing marine microalgae (Phaeodactylum tricornutum, Tretraselmis chuii and Isochrysis galbana), crustaceans (Artemia franciscana), echinoderms (Paracentrotus lividus), bivalves (Mytilus galloprovincialis), fish (Sparus aurata) and a candidate freshwater microalga (Raphidocelis subcapitata) to environmentally relevant concentrations (0.005 - 5 µg/L) following standardized protocols. The effects of both substances on microalgae growth were incipient and only I. galbana was sensitive to HHCB and AHTN, with IC10 values of 5.22 µg/L and 0.328 µg/L, respectively. Significant (p < 0.01) concentration dependent responses were measured in P. lividus and M. galloprovincialis larvae developments as well as S. aurata mortality tested with HHCB. The effect of HHCB on P. lividus larvae development was the most sensitive endpoint recorded, producing an EC50 value of 4.07 µg/L. Our results show that HHCB represents a high risk to P. lividus larvae development for early life stages in marine environments.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought about a significant change in mobility habits within cities, with a significant decrease in the use of collective urban transport that has only been partially and unevenly reversed. To recover the previous rates of use, many cities are analyzing which characteristics of the urban transport network are hindering this recovery process in order to design actions to promote sustainable mobility. This article shows a study carried out in the city of Almería (Spain), where the operation variables of the municipal bus network have been analyzed (frequency, average vehicle occupancy, length of the lines, urban or suburban character, circularity, nodality or intermodality) to detect what aspects are more determinant on the number of users recovered. The results show that the lines that have recovered the most users in average are suburban lines, as well as the nodal lines that serve key centroids such as the university. Thus, the dependence of users on public transport would be the most important determinant in recovery, more than other variables representative of the service´s intrinsic quality. This result shows that, without compromising the necessary quality of the service, the restrictions on less sustainable transportation alternatives will be those that, to a greater extent, allow for the prompt recovery of the space lost by urban public transportation.

Signaling modules that integrate the diverse extra- and intracellular inputs to control cell proliferation are essential during both development and adult stages to guarantee organism homeostasis. Mobs are small adaptor proteins that participate in several of these signalling pathways. Here we review recent advances unraveling Mob4 cellular functions, a highly conserved non-catalytic protein, that plays a diversity of roles in cell proliferation, sperm cell differentiation and simultaneously is involved in synapse formation and neural development. In addition, the gene is often overexpressed in a wide range of tumors and is linked to poor clinical outcomes. Nevertheless, Mob4 molecular functions remain poorly defined, although it integrates the core structure of STRIPAK, a kinase/phosphatase protein complex, that can act upstream of the Hippo pathway. In this review we focus on the recent findings of Mob4 functions, that have begun to clarify its critical role on cell proliferation and development of tissues and individuals.

A method for infrared and cameras sensor fusion, applied to indoor positioning in intelligent spaces, is proposed in this work. The fused position is obtained with a maximum likelihood estimator from infrared and camera independent observations. Specific models are proposed for variance propagation from infrared and camera observations (phase shifts and image respectively) to their respective position estimates and to the final fused estimation. Model simulations are compared with real measurements in a setup designed to validate the system. The difference between theoretical prediction and real measurements is between 0.4 cm (fusion) and 2.5 cm (camera), within a 95% confidence margin. The positioning precision is in the cm level (sub-cm level can be achieved at most tested positions) in a 4x3 m locating cell with 5 infrared detectors on the ceiling and one single camera, at distances from target up to 5 m and 7 m respectively. Due to the low cost system design and the results observed, the system is expected to be feasible and scalable to large real spaces.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by poor social interaction and communication, as well as restricted and stereotyped interests. Due of the high prevalence of gastrointestinal disorders in individuals with ASD, researchers have investigated the gut microbiota as a potential contributor to its aetiology. The relationship between the microbiome, gut, and brain (microbiome-gut-brain axis) has been acknowledged as a key factor in modulating brain function and social behaviour, but its connection to the aetiology of ASD is not well understood. Recently, there has been increasing attention on the relationship between the immune system, gastrointestinal disorders, and neurological issues in ASD, particularly in relation to the loss of specific species or a decrease in microbial diversity. It focuses on how gut microbiota dysbiosis can affect gut permeability, immune function, and microbiota metabolites in ASD. Although a very complete study suggests that dysbiosis is a consequence of the disease and that it has practically no effect on autistic manifestations. This is a review of the relationship between the immune system, microbial diversity, and the microbiome-gut-brain axis in the development of autistic symptoms severity and, a proposal of a novel role of gut microbiome in ASD, where dysbiosis is a consequence of ASD-related behaviour and where dysbiosis in turn accentuates the autistic manifestations of the patients via microbiome-gut-brain axis in a feedback circuit.

RNA pol II assembly occurs in the cytoplasm before the translocation of the enzyme to the nucleus. Affecting assembly influences mRNA transcription in the nucleus and mRNA decay in the cytoplasm. However, very little is known about the consequences on ncRNA synthesis. In this work, we show that impairment of RNA pol II assembly leads to a decrease in cryptic non-coding RNAs (preferentially CUTs and SUTs). This alteration is partially restored upon overcoming the assembly defect. Notably, this drop in ncRNAs is only partially dependent on the nuclear exosome, which suggests a major specific effect of enzyme assembly. Our data also point out a defect in transcription termination and lead as to proposes that CTD phosphatase Rtr1 could be involved in this process.

N-(diisopropylphosphanyl)benzamide, PhC(O)NHPiPr2, has been synthesized in good yield following two alternative procedures that employ benzamide as the starting material. The first one is a two-step preparation, in which N-(trimetilsilyl)benzamide is reacted with PiPr2Cl, to give the title compound in good yield, whereas the second one is a straightforward synthesis which converts benzamide into N-(diisopropylphosphanyl)benzamide by reaction with PiPr2Cl in the presence of N,N-dimethylpyridin-4-amine (DMAP) and triethylamine. NMR spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analyses have been performed to characterize the new compound and elucidate its molecular structure in the solid state. N-(diisopropylphosphanyl)benzamide adds to the limited family of amido-substituted phosphines, RC(O)NHPR’2, which can be classified as bidentate hybrid P,O-ligands, both in their neutral and anionic forms, the latter achievable by deprotonation of the NH group.

This study explores the cocrystallization between the drug praziquantel (PZQ) and the nutraceutical curcumin (CU). The investigation revealed two novel solid forms: a cocrystal solvate with ethyl acetate and a non-solvated cocrystal. This novel drug-nutraceutical cocrystal is identi-fied as “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS) praziquantel-curcumin-ethyl acetate (2:1:1) co-crystal solvate. This latter undergoes desolvation, leading to the formation of the praziquan-tel-curcumin (2:1) cocrystal. The cocrystal solvate has ethyl acetate molecules occupying the voids with minimal interactions within the crystal lattice. The application of heat treatment induces solvent removal and prompts the transition to the non-solvated cocrystal, as highlighted by VT-XRD. Thermal analyses demonstrate the stability of the cocrystal solvate up to approximately 100°C, beyond which it transforms into the non-solvated phase, which eventually melts at 130°C.

As the global population ages, the prevalence of neurodegenerative diseases has become a major public health concern. The adoption of a less sedentary lifestyle has been shown to have a beneficial effect on cognitive decline, but the molecular mechanisms responsible are less clear. Here we provide a detailed analysis of the complex molecular, cellular, and systemic mechanisms underlying age-related cognitive decline and how lifestyle choices influence these processes. A review of the evidence from animal models, human studies, and postmortem analyses emphasizes the importance of integrating physical exercise with cognitive, multisensory, and motor stimulation as part of a multifaceted approach to mitigating cognitive decline. We highlight the potential of these non-pharmacological interventions to address key aging hallmarks—such as genomic instability, telomere attrition, and neuroinflammation—and underscore the need for comprehensive and personalized strategies to promote cognitive resilience and healthy aging.

A novel investigation into the structure-function relationship was undertaken to enhance understanding of the mechanism of action of the vasoactive peptide angiotensin II (AngII) using unconventional substitutions such as AIB (α-aminobutyric acid), CHA (cyclohexylalanine acid), IAP (isonipecotic acid), TOAC (2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl-4-amine-4-carboxylic acid) at position 3, and DMT (2,6-dimethyl-Tyrosine) at position 4. Biological potency assays were conducted on guinea pig ileum, and structural features were analyzed using circular dichroism (CD) and molecular dynamics (MD). CHA3-AngII and AIB3-AngII analogs retained some agonistic activity, whereas IAP3-AngII and TOAC3-AngII derivatives were inactive. CD results indicated low conformational flexibility for AIB3-AngII and CHA3-AngII, and greater conformational restrictions for IAP3-AngII and TOAC3-AngII, consistent with computational modeling analyses. DMT4-AngII exhibited significant agonistic activity compared to the inactive Phe4AngII. Molecular modeling suggested a potential interaction between the hydroxyl group of Tyr4 and the amide bond between positions 7 and 8. AngII showed greater conformational restriction compared to DMT4-AngII and Phe4-AngII, underscoring the importance of tyrosine at position 4.

Three dietary treatments were assayed in 350 milking Murciano-Granadina multiparous goats in full-lactation: a control diet and two experimental diets, one including flaked linseed (FL) and the other salmon oil (SO). Neither dietary treatment affected the daily milk yield, cheese yield or the physicochemical parameters of the milk and cheese. With regard to the fatty acid profile (FA), the milk and cheese from animals whose diet was supplemented with SO had a higher percentage of fatty acids than those obtained with the FL supplemented diet, except for C18:0, C18:1, C18:2 n-6, trans-9, trans-12 C18:2, cis-9, trans-11 C18:2, C18:3 and C19:0, which reached their highest levels in milk obtained with the diet supplemented with FL. The decrease in the percentage of C16:0 was greater in the milk derived from the FL diet than from the SO diet. The FL supplemented diet improved the nutritional value of milk due to a reduction in saturated fatty acids (SFA) and an increase in polyunsaturated acids (PUFA) and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). The decrease in n-6/n-3 in observed milk was more pronounced with the FL diet. No differences in the sensory profile were found for the milk and cheese derived from the different dietary treatments. Keywords: goat, flaked linseed, salmon oil, fatty acid, sensory profile.

Deep neural networks are hegemonic approaches to many machine learning areas, including natural language processing (NLP). Thanks to the availability of large corpora collections and the capability of deep architectures to shape internal language mechanisms in self-supervised learning processes (also known as "pre-training"), versatile and performing models are released continuously for every new network design. But these networks, somehow, learn a probability distribution of words and relations across the training collection used, inheriting the potential flaws, inconsistencies and biases contained in such a collection. As pre-trained models have found to be very useful approaches to transfer learning, dealing with bias has become a relevant issue in this new scenario. We introduce bias in a formal way and explore how it has been treated in several networks, in terms of detection and correction. Also, available resources are identified and a strategy to deal with bias in deep NLP is proposed.

Brazil chicken production is around 13 million tons and about a third is exported to over 150 countries, placing Brazil as the world largest chicken meat producer, and therefore it is crucial to follow the legislation of all importer markets. This study conducted a survey by chance in 45 meat industries able to export. Therefore, 2580 chicken meat samples were collected and submitted to 11 analyte extraction and chromatographic verification of compliance in an accredited laboratory. Ten chemical residues (amoxicillin, bacitracin, colistin, dinitolmide + zoalene, spectinomycin, roxarsone, tiamulin, tylosin, trenbolone acetate and virginiamycin) were investigated in chicken meat and one (halofuginone hydrobromide) in chicken liver. The results showed that no compound exceeded the maximum residue limits established by seven legislations. All residue concentrations found were below the method quantification limit, thereby confirming the capability of Brazilian chicken meat industries in complying to foreign markets.

This research concerns in to understand the link between urban heat and cool island, the Local Climatic Zones (LCZ) and atmospheric systems during the winter season in the city of Balneário Camboriú, Southern Brazil. To collect meteorological data on urban environmental, 11 permanent points in the Balneário Camboriú metropolitan region were installed. To understand the atmos-pheric systems operating in the region, a synoptic analysis of the dates was performed, and then, the LCZs map created for the city in World Urban Database and Acess Portal Tools was used to cor-relate the magnitudes of the heat and cool islands found in Balneário Camboriú in the winter period. The results indicate that the increasing verticalization with the construction of skyscrapers in Balneário Camboriú has a significant influence on local conditions for the occurrence of heat and cold islands. The findings indicate that LCZs with sparsely distributed buildings (LCZs 6, 8 and 9) and LCZs with dense vegetation (LCZ A) have lower intensity magnitudes of heat and cool con-ditions. The biggest magnitudes of heat and cool islands were reported in LCZs 1 and 3 during the timeframe. The synoptic analysis supports earlier researches that points to atmospheric stability (Anticyclonic domain) as a favorable atmospheric setting for the emergence of urban hear and coolness islands.

With the rising trends in elderly populations around the world, there is a growing interest in understanding how climate sensitivity is related to their thermal perception. Therefore, we analyzed the associations between mortality in the elderly due to cardiovascular (CVD) and respiratory diseases (RD) and meteorological variables, for three cities in the State of São Paulo, Brazil: Campos do Jordão, Ribeirão Preto and Santos, from 1996 to 2017. We applied the Autoregressive Model Integrated with Moving Average (ARIMA) and the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) in order to evaluate statistical associations. Results showed CVD as a major cause of mortality, particularly in the cold period, when a high mortality rate is also observed due to RD. The mortality rate was higher in Campos do Jordão and lower in Santos (and intermediate values in Ribeirão Preto). Campos do Jordão results indicate an increased probability of mortality from CVD and RD due to lower temperatures. In Ribeirão Preto, the lower relative humidity may be related to the increase in CVD and RD deaths. This study emphasizes that, even among subtropical climates, there are significant differences. Therefore, this can assist decision makers in the implementation of mitigating and adaptive measures.

(1) Background: Hepatoblastoma is the most common primary liver cancer in children. Nowadays, poor outcome occurs essentially for patients with distant metastases; (2) Methods: Starting from Mammalian Metabolic Enzyme Database over expression of metabolic enzymes was searched in hepatoblastoma tumors as compared to noncancerous liver tissue in transcriptome dataset GSE131329. With overexpressed enzymes, Elasticnet machine learning tuning was performed according to metastasis status outcome. With significant enzymes a metabolic expression score was computed and integrated in multivariate clinical-biological logistic model; (3) Results: Forty-one overexpressed enzymes discriminate hepatoblastoma tumors and noncancerous liver tissues. Eighteen of them predict metastasis status (AUC 0.90) with 85.7% of sensibility and 92.3% of specificity. Elasticnet machine learning model tuning highlighted major importance of DNMT3B and PFKFB4 expression to predict metastasis. Role of these two enzymes was confirmed by univariate analyses with respective p-values: 0.0058 and 0.0091. Metabolic score computed with combined expression of DNMT3B and PFKFB4 discriminates metastasis status and high-risk CHIC score by univariate analysis (p-value=0.005). Meta.score was found more sensitive than C1/C2 classifier to predict metastasis status (accuracy: 0.72 versus 0.55). Integration of meta.score (DNMT3B, PFKFB4) with epidemiological parameters: gender, age at diagnosis, histological types, and clinical PRETEXT stages in a multivariate model confirmed independent adverse role of meta.score to predict metastasis status (multivariate p-value=0.003, odds ratio: 2.12); (4) Conclusions: Based on metabolic enzyme expression program of hepatoblastoma, we characterized a dual overexpression of PFKFB4 and DNMT3B in samples of patients at risk of metastasis (High risk CHIC stratification). With combined tumor expression of DNMT3B and PFKFB4 a meta.score was computed and this parameter was confirmed as an independent adverse score to predict metastatic status during hepatoblastoma.

Introduction Delayed intra-operative neuro-monitoring (IOM) events can be defined as loss of responses, after baseline traces were present upon completion of instrumentation and deformity correction. This study reports this subgroup of events, assesses their incidence and evaluates potential causative factors. Methods We reviewed 1881 consecutive patients who underwent spinal deformity correction between 2011 and 2021. Surgeries were performed using a standardised anaesthetic regimen and multimodal IOM protocol. Results 44 patients (2.4%) had an IOM event. 9 patients (6F:3M) had a true positive delayed event after posterior segmental pedicle screw instrumentation. Mean age was 12.5 (2-17) years with mean thoracic Cobb angle of 78° (51-94°). Mean estimated blood loss was 28%. Titanium beam shaped rods were utilised in 3 patients and 5.5mm titanium rods in 5 patients. Motor evoked potentials were lost on average 18 (10-30) minutes after completion of instrumentation. 7 patients had bilateral loss and 2 patients had unilateral loss of MEP traces. Sensory evoked potential amplitude was preserved in all cases. There was a transient latency shift in one patient. MEPs returned within 20 minutes of rod release. The rod was re-contoured to incorporate more scoliosis in 1 patient. 2 patients had beam rods exchanged to 5.5mm titanium rods. 6 patients had rod removal with retention of pedicle screws and staged completion of instrumentation at mean 5 (1-7) days later. No patients had a postoperative neurological deficit. Conclusion Delayed IOM loss represented 15% of all events. Increased cord tension and hypo-perfusion were considered likely mechanisms. Rod release restored MEPs in all cases. The timing of events emphasises the importance of continued monitoring for minimum 30 minutes after completion of spinal instrumentation or until wound closure.

This work focused on proposing a plan for improvement and control of the customer service process in a customer service center, based on a waiting line analysis where it describes all the elements that interact in the system and a statistical analysis of processes to define the state in which it operates. Subsequently, the simulation of processes is applied to represent the system studied, and with it, to be able to evaluate different strategies for improvement and increase in productivity. The following strategies were evaluated: correction of the instability of customer service processes, establishment of new specification limits according to the promise of value to be fulfilled to customers, human resource management, administrative technical support. Finally, with the results obtained from the simulation of the system, the improvement and productivity increase plan is planned according to the DMAMC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control, or DMAIC) continuous improvement cycle established in six sigma

Business Intelligence, defined by [1] as "the ability to understand the interrelations of the facts that are presented in such a way that it can guide the action towards achieving a desired goal", has been used since 1958 for the transformation of data into information, and of information into knowledge, to be used when making decisions in a business environment. But, what would happen if we took the same principles of business intelligence and applied them to the academic environment? The answer would be the creation of Academic Analytics, a term defined by [2] as the process of evaluating and analyzing organizational information from university systems for reporting and making decisions, whose characteristics allow it to be used more and more in institutions, since the information they accumulate about their students and teachers gathers data such as academic performance, student success, persistence, and retention [5]. Academic Analytics enables an analysis of data that is very important for making decisions in the educational institutional environment, aggregating valuable information in the academic research activity and providing easy to use business intelligence tools. This article shows a proposal for creating an information system based on Academic Analytics, using ASP.Net technology and trusting storage in the database engine Microsoft SQL Server, designing a model that is supported by Academic Analytics for the collection and analysis of data from the information systems of educational institutions. The idea that was conceived proposes a system that is capable of displaying statistics on the historical data of students and teachers taken over academic periods, without having direct access to institutional databases, with the purpose of gathering the information that the director, the teacher, and finally the student need for making decisions. The model was validated with information taken from students and teachers during the last five years, and the export format of the data was pdf, csv, and xls files. The findings allow us to state that it is extremely important to analyze the data that is in the information systems of the educational institutions for making decisions. After the validation of the model, it was established that it is a must for students to know the reports of their academic performance in order to carry out a process of self-evaluation, as well as for teachers to be able to see the results of the data obtained in order to carry out processes of self-evaluation, and adaptation of content and dynamics in the classrooms, and finally for the head of the program to make decisions.

This research focused on the perception of visually impaired individuals regarding tactile image creation using 3D printing. We developed and applied an experiment with 28 participants with visual impairments. They performed tasks based on skills whose foundations are needed and used in their daily lives, such as scanning, tactile discrimination, picture and spatial comprehension. The tactile images used in this study were developed by additive manufacturing and printed over 180 g/m² sulphite paper. The best performances were obtained when (1) the tactile image contour line heights were between 0.2 mm and 0.4 mm; and (2) the texture presented densities between 10% and 50%, when alone, or between 10% and 90%, when combined with another texture. The tested line widths (0.8 mm and 1.2 mm) did not present statistically significant differences in the results. Vision status (low vision or blindness) and moment of vision loss (congenital or late blind) did not influence the results. Schooling affected the activities of identifying objects and locating their copies. In the Conclusion section, there is a detailed recommendation list for the production and application of tactile materials, which range from simplifying forms to encouraging the use of both hands during content assimilation.

This paper aims to analyze the effects of Covid-19 on financial markets from the perspective of Complexity. The Covid-19 pandemic has caused turmoil in financial markets and is already one of the most important financial crises in history, causing a fall in several stock markets as well as great volatility. Unlike past crises, which in most cases were caused either by problems of fiscal deficits or in the financial system, this crisis has its origin in an epidemic disease, which occurred in Wuhan, China, and quickly spread across the globe affecting transport networks, commerce and finance, and will affect the public debt of many countries. This is a systemic situation in which there is a need to consider several interconnected systems, financial instability and high financial risk, something that econophysics and some complexity theorists already do. Therefore, this paper intends to show, theoretically, the systemic and complex character of the recent financial crisis caused by Covid-19.

Introduction: Bacterial resistance is a worldwide public health problem, requiring new therapeutic options. An alternative approach to this problem is the use of animal toxins, such as phospholipases (PLA₂) isolated from snake venom, which have important biological activities. Bothrops erythromelas is one of the snake species in the Northeast of Brazil that attracts great medical-scientific interest. Here we aimed to purify and characterize a PLA₂ from B. erythromelas, searching for heterologous activities against bacterial biofilm. Methods: Venom extraction and quantification were followed by RP-HPLC in C18 column, MALDI-ToF mass spectrometry and sequencing by Edman degradation. All experiments were monitored by specific activity using 4-nitro-3 (octanoyloxy) benzoic acid (4N₃OBA) substrate. In addition, hemolytic tests and anti-bacterial tests including action against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Acinetobacter baumannii, were carried out. Moreover, tests of antibiofilm action against A. baumannii were also performed. Results: PLA₂, after one purification step, presented 31 N-terminal amino acid residues, and molecular weight of 13656.4 Da with enzymatic activity confirmed in 0.06 µM concentration. Antibacterial activity against S. aureus (IC₅₀ = 30.2 µM) and antibiofilm activity against A. baumannii (IC₅₀ = 1.1 µM) were observed. Conclusions: This is the first time that PLA₂ purified from B. erythromelas venom has appeared as an alternative candidate in studies of new antibacterial medicines.

The meridian line is a basic instrument for positional astronomy, it was used to study the motion of Sun, Moon, planets and the position of stars by measuring position and time of their passage through the meridian plane. The accuracy of such positions was dependent on precise theories of the atmospheric refraction (Cassini, 1655 and Laplace, 1825) and by the use of reference marks present originally on the meridian line, and now cancelled by the centuries. From October 27, 2018 the new pinhole of the meridian line in the Basilica of S. Maria degli Angeli in Rome (1702) is a circle 25 mm wide and 6.11 mm thick and its position is fixed, in order to perform a series of observations of astrometric quality, the IGEA campaign. The comparison of the observed positions of the meridian passages of the Sun, Southern and Northern limbs, with the ephemerides of Calsky.org and Stellarium 0.20.2 for the Sun are examined for the dates of the ingresses into the zodiacal signs, when the ecliptic longitude is exactly 0°/180° (Aries and Libra, spring and fall equinox), 30°/150° (Taurus, Virgo), 60°/120° (Gemini, Leo), 90° (Cancer), 330°/210° (Pisces, Scorpio), 300°/240° (Aquarius/Sagittarius), 270° (Capricorn). The former geometrical calibration of the marks present on the line, with a total station, is compared with another calibration done with a metal and laser meter. The first star on the floor of the Basilica representing the position of the Sun on August 20, 1702 when the pope Clement XI visited the meridian line, financed by him, has been calibrated with the solar image. The present pinhole is 4.4±0.1 mm South with respect to the original one of 1702.

Hydrothermal pyrite is an important source of thallium (Tl) but this rare element can be also detected in the secondary iron goethite-lepidocrocite and jarosite ores, associated to hydrothermal kerogen, manganese oxides, accessorial potassium minerals and tiny Tl-bearing clusters shielded in quartz masses. We studied Tl-bearing samples collected from Fe-Mn ores hosted in dolostone rocks sited along ca. 15 km of fossil thermal springs following a geological fault in the Lodares surroundings. Samples were analyzed by environmental scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy (ESEM-EDS), electron probe micro-analysis (EPMA), inductively coupled plasma-mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), Tl LIII-edge X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy, Micro-Raman and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). We found epithermal pyrite, sphalerite, galena and baryte and secondary gypsum, jarosite, scorodite, anglesite, goethite, epsomite and elemental sulfur produced by both hydroxylation and bacterial processes. The highest Tl contents were found in hydrothermal pyrite (200 mg kg-1), kerogen (13 mg kg-1), manganese ores (27 mg kg-1) and iron sulfate-hydroxides (142 mg kg-1). The aquatic kerogen was formed in a marine environment and later heavily carbonized during the hydrothermal processes. The Lodares outcrops exhibit interesting details on the geochemical cycle of Tl in a genetic frame of epithermal formation of pyrite and kerogen.

The p53 tumor suppressor protein shows antiviral activity. The replication of viruses is also antagonized by interferons (IFNs) – cytokines, which control immunity genes by the STAT transcription factors. The best studied interferons belong to type I (e.g. IFNα) and type II (IFNγ) groups. IFNα and IFNγ both induce activating phosphorylation of STAT1 on Tyr701. Previously, we noticed that p53 activates SOCS1, which is a negative regulator of STAT1 phosphorylation. Thus, we hypothesized that p53 by activating SOCS1 expression reduces phosphorylation of STAT1 and attenuates activation of genes stimulated either by IFNα or IFNγ. To test this hypothesis, we exposed p53-proficient and p53-deficient cells to strong p53 activators, and either to IFNα or IFNγ. Subsequently, we estimated the phosphorylation status of STAT1 and the expression of genes regulated by either of these cytokines. Strong activation of p53 reduced the phosphorylation of STAT1 on Tyr701, however surprisingly it did not lead to reduced expression of most tested interferon-stimulated genes. On contrary, p53 and IFNγ synergized in the activation of CASP1, IFIT1 and IFIT3 genes. We conclude that the interactions between p53 and interferon-activated pathways are more complicated than initially expected, but the apparent cooperation between p53 and IFNγ deserves further studies.

The human-centric approach is a leading trend for future production processes, and collaborative roboticists are key to its realization. This article addresses the challenge of designing a new cus-tom-made non-conventional machine or robot involving toolpath control (interpolated axes) with collaborative functionalities but by using “general-purpose standard" safety and motion control technologies. This is done on a non-conventional Cable-Driven Parallel Robot (CDPR). Safety is assured by safe commands to individual axes, known as Safe Motion Monitoring Functionalities, which limits the axes speed in the event of human intrusion. At the same time, the robot's Motion Controller applies an override to the toolpath speed to accommodate the robot's path speed to the axis’s limitations. The implementation of a new Pre-Warning Zone, prevent unnecessary stops due to the approach of the human operator. The article also details a real experiment that validates the effectiveness of the proposed strategy.

Grapevine Trunk Diseases (GTDs) are caused by a wide variety of phytopathogenic fungal species that compromise grapevine productivity and wine quality. Each year they lead to major economic losses. Most GTD treatments currently available on the market are chemical-based and environ-mentally harmful. Given that one of the goals proposed by the European Green Deal is to develop sustainable agriculture which does not harm the environment, reduces pesticide use, and pro-motes rural area economies, an alternative to those treatments may be the use of elicitors such as oligosaccharides from fungal organisms. Indeed, many studies have confirmed that oligosaccha-rides play important roles in activating plants' innate immunity. Mannans are one possible type of such oligosaccharides. The present work analysed Vitis vinifera L. (cv. Tempranillo and cv. Airén) leaves and grapes to evaluate their physiological and molecular response to GTDs and how this response might be conditioned using different concentrations of mannans as elicitors. It was found that mannan addition to diseased vines was more positive for the leaves than for the grapes. In general, mannans increased the expression levels of chalcone synthase (CHS1, CHS3), phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) in healthy leaves of both varieties. In diseased leaves, CHS3 and PAL decreased in both varieties, while CHS1 and PPO increased in Tempranillo but not in Airén. In the grapes, the expression pat-terns of the genes studied varied greatly due to the development of the disease. The mannan treatment seemed to reduce the oxidative stress caused by GTDs, although this response depend-ed on the variety and on the plant's phytosanitary status.

In this study we fabricate gold nanocomposites and model their optical properties. The nanocomposites are either homogeneous films or gratings containing gold nanoparticles embedded in a polymer matrix. The samples are fabricated using a recently developed technique making use of laser interferometry. The gratings present original plasmon-enhanced diffraction properties. In this work, we develop a new approach to model the optical properties of our composites. We combine the extended Maxwell-Garnett model of effective media with the Rigorous Coupled Wave Analysis (RCWA) method and compute both the absorption spectra and the diffraction efficiency spectra of the gratings. We show that such a semi-analytical approach allows us to reproduce the original plasmonic features of the composites and can give us entails about their inner structure. Such approach could be a simple and efficient tool to study complex micro-structured system based on plasmonic components, such as metamaterials.

The bivalve mollusk, Anadara tuberculosa (Black Shell, in Spanish Concha prieta, "CP"), is found on America's Pacific coast, where it is harvested for subsistence and commercial markets. This paper aims to diagnose the performance of the black shell's value chain. We also identify several challenges that must be addressed to improve the sustainability of the black shell fishery in Ecuador. The descriptive methodology was quantitative, with a non-experimental, field, cross-sectional, and ex post facto design. Similar questionnaires were designed, validated, and applied to each link in the production chain to collect information. The performance of the value chain was diagnosed in the dimensions of productivity, competitiveness, and quality of life, reaching a 75.1% index, a result that indicates that the value chain has a moderate to good performance level. However, the value chain can be improved if the following challenges are met: 1) Restoration of the mangrove ecosystem, 2) Promotion of low-intensity shellfish aquaculture, 3) Good sanitary management and purification, 4) Promotion of value-focused ventures, 5) Strengthening of organizations and agreements for the use and custody of mangroves, and 6) Strengthening of institutions that contribute to the advancement of these challenges.

The present research is embedded in the professional development and research line and in the needs of secondary education and first-year university teachers. We focussed on evidencing the importance of teachers’ professional training to include some specific adaptation and skills in intercultural dialogue and understanding -often called Intercultural Competence- because of its direct impact on the sustainable development of human beings, groups, and ecosystems. We investigated the role played by each of the main competencies linked to the following intercultural dimensions: Professional Identity, Ethics and Axiology, Methodology, and Inclusive Education. We used an integrated methodology and a cross-study of data, performed after the obtention of a three-cornered evaluation of results collected in focus groups, interviews, and questionnaires. We were able to show the impact of intercultural dialogue and understanding in the education for a sustainable development pattern. This is fundamental to set up a new ecology of forms, knowledge, attitudes, and educational meanings, further used to update teachers and students’ training in sustainable ecology and cultural diversity. Progress made in these complementary competencies -Professional Identity, Ethics and Axiology, Methodology- were appraised by teachers participating in the present study; the latter showing an increased interest and demand for the intercultural competence, after increasing their proficiency in the other complementary competencies.

During mechanical ventilation, a disparity between flow, pressure or volume demands of the patient and the assistance delivered by the mechanical ventilator often occurs. Asynchrony effect and ventilator performance are frequently studied from ICU datasets or using commercially available lung simulators and test lungs. This paper introduces an alternative approach of simulating and evaluating patient-ventilator interactions with high fidelity using the electro-mechanical lung simulator xPULM™ under selected conditions. The xPULM™ approximates respiratory activities of a patient during alternating phases of spontaneous breathing and apnoea intervals while connected to a mechanical ventilator. Focusing on different triggering events, volume assist-controlled (V/A-C) and pressure support ventilation (PSV) modes were chosen to test patient-ventilator interactions. In V/A-C mode a double-triggering was detected every third breathing cycle leading to an asynchrony index of 16.67%, being classified as severe. This asynchrony causes a major increase of Peak Inspiratory Pressure PIP = 12.80 ± 1.39 cmH2O and Peak Expiratory Flow PEF = -18.33 ± 1.13 L/min when compared to synchronous phases of the breathing simulation. Additionally, events of premature cycling were observed during PSV mode. In this mode, the peak delivered volume during simulated spontaneous breathing phases almost doubles compared to apnoea phases. The presented approach demonstrates the possibility of simulating and evaluating disparities in fundamental ventilation characteristics caused by double-triggering and premature cycling under V/A-C and PSV ventilation modes. Various dynamic clinical situations can be approximated and could help to identify undesired patient-ventilation interactions in the future. Rapidly manufactured ventilator systems could also be tested using this approach.

This study aimed to detect picobirnavirus (PBV) in the fecal samples of wild and domestic animals from 2014 to 2016 in the Amazon biome. Fecal samples from different animals, including birds (n=41) and mammals (n=217) were used. The PAGE test showed negativity for PBV. However, 32 samples (12.4%, 32/258) showed positive results in RT-PCR analyses. Among the positive sam-ples, pigs and cats, both with 28.12% (9/32), registered the highest frequencies. In phylogenetic analysis, eight sequences from positive samples grouped in the Genogroup 1 of PBV (PBV GI). PBV occurrence was significantly related to cats and pigs, but not other mammals or birds, in-dependently of their geographical origin. Nucleotide analysis demonstrated similarity among the feline group, but the absence of a defined structure between the clades. PBVs are highly wide-spread viruses that can affect the most diverse types of hosts in the Amazon biome, including humans.

The mining industry is known for the intense environmental impacts it triggers, especially when it is developed in an open environment. Pit lakes are formed in depleted deposits and may be promising opportunities for use by society as well as troubling environmental liabilities. While these artificial basins are increasing numerically in many parts of the world, they are still little known researchers in the Environmental Sciences, which makes their environmental management challenging. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the environmental quality of sediments from three deactivated open-pit gold mines, located in the Mara Rosa, Brazil, through chemical, ecotoxicological and genotoxicology analyses. For this purpose, we collected samples in the dry season boom, and subsequently, we analysed metals. In sequence, acute ecotoxicological and a genotoxicology test (comet assay) were developed with Danio rerio fishes, in concentrations of 3.12%; 6.25%; 12.5%; 25%; 50% and 100%, in addition to the control group. The results indicated that the three lakes are environmentally compromised, especially Lago Azul, whose waters and sediments are undergoing an intense process of geological conditioning. Our results did not verify the ecotoxicity of the sediments of any of the lakes, only behavioural alterations in the test organisms exposed to the concentrations of 25%, 50% and 100% of the samples obtained in the Lago Azul. About the sediments, DNA damage at Danio rerio was detected in the three investigated environments, although fishes kept in the water sampled at Lago Azul presented the most extension of DNA damages.

Polyalcohol liquefaction can be done by acid or basic catalysis producing polyols with different properties. This study compared the mechanical properties of foams produced using polyols from liquefied Cytisus scoparius obtained by acid and basic catalysis and using two different foam catalysts. The differences were monitored using FTIR analysis. Acid-catalyzed liquefaction yielded 95.1 %, with the resultant polyol having an OH index of 1081 mg KOH/g while basic catalysis yielded 82.5 %, with a similar OH index of 1070 mg KOH/g. Generally, compressive strength with dibutyltin dilaurate (DBTDL) ranged from 16 - 31 kPa (acid-liquefied polyol) and 12 -21 kPa (base-liquefied polyol), while with stannous octoate (TIN), it ranged from 17 - 42 kPa (acid) and 29 - 68 kPa (base). Increasing water content generally decreased the compressive modulus and strength of foams. Higher water content led to a higher absorption at 1670 cm-1 in the FTIR spectrum due to the formation of urea. Higher isocyanate indices generally improved compressive strength, but high amounts led to unreacted isocyanate that could be seen by a higher absorption at 2265 cm-1 and 3290 cm-1. DBTL was shown to be the best foam catalyst due to higher trimer conversion seen in the spectra by a higher absorption at 1410 cm-1. Acid and base-derived polyols lead to different polyurethane foams with different FTIR spectra, particularly with a higher absorption at 1670 cm-1 for foams from acid-derived liquefaction.

Framed in a context with an emerging economy and with a high percentage of school failure, this study aimed to identify the factors that turn students with socioeconomic disadvantages into resilient students. Two questions guided the research: Can resilience be supported in students in adverse socioeconomic situations? What factors influence building resilient students? A cross-sectional study was carried out from 2011 to 2015 in Chile, using a multilevel logistic regression model with three levels, considering the hierarchical data structure. The behavior of 63100 to 76400 sampled students was analyzed. Results show five relevant factors in building resilience: self-efficacy in language, minor aggressions and violence perceived by students, norms and values of the establishment, interest in study, and self-efficacy. Some risk factors identified were an atmosphere of less respect and trust, engagement in physical education activities and good performance in carrying them out. These results could orient educational leaders interested in supporting the educational community in order to improve the academic success of disadvantaged students.

Forensic anthropologists play a key role in skeletal trauma analysis and commonly use macroscopic features to distinguish between trauma types. However, this approach can be challenging, particularly in cases of highly comminuted or incompletely recovered fractures. Histological analysis of microscopic fracture characteristics in fractured bones may thus help provide additional information on trauma type and bone fracture biomechanics in general. This study analysed the extent of microcrack damage to osteons in long bones with blunt force trauma (BFT) and gunshot trauma (GST), from both traumatic death cases and post-mortem experimental fractures. We identified four types of osteonal damage (OD). In traumatic death cases, OD affecting the inside of the osteon and compromising the Haversian canal (type 1) was found to be indicative of BFT. Moreover, OD affecting the cement line (type 3) and interstitial lamellae (type 4) was more common in the GST samples. OD affecting the inside of the osteon without compromising the Haversian canal (type 2) was not found to be indicative of either trauma type. In cases of experimental fractures, our study revealed that post-mortem fractures in dry bone samples featured the highest amount of OD, particularly of type 4. This study also found that the experimentally produced GST featured similar OD pattern to GST death cases. These findings support our hypothesis that there are distinct osteonal damage patterns in human long bones with BFT and GST, which are of relevant value for trauma analysis in forensic anthropology.

Nanomaterials such as pH-responsive polymers are promising for targeted drug delivery systems, due to the difference in pH between tumor and healthy regions. However, there is a significant concern about the application of these materials in this field due to their low mechanical resistance, which can be mitigated by combining these polymers with mechanically resistant inorganic materials such as mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN) and hydroxyapatite (HA). Mesoporous silica has interesting properties such as high surface area and hydroxyapatite has been widely studied to aid in bone regeneration, providing special properties adding multifunctionality to the system. Furthermore, fields of medicine involving luminescent elements such as rare earth are an interesting option in cancer treatment. The present work aims to obtain a pH-sensitive hybrid system based on silica and hydroxyapatite with photoluminescent and magnetic properties. The nanocomposites were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), nitrogen adsorption methods, CHN elemental analysis, Zeta Potential, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), vibrational sample magnetometry (VSM), and photoluminescence analysis. Incorporation and release studies of the antitumor drug doxorubicin were performed to evaluate the potential use of these systems in targeted drug delivery. The results showed the luminescent and magnetic properties of the materials and showed suitable characteristics for application in the release of pH-sensitive drugs.

Recent findings have demonstrated an increase in the prevalence of childhood obesity and overweight in Portugal, urging the need to study modifiable risk factors such as parental feeding practices. The Comprehensive Feeding Practices Questionnaire (CFPQ) is an important self-report measure assessing a broad range of responsive and non-responsive feeding practices. However, the CFPQ has not yet been validated in Portugal. Therefore, the present study aimed to test the validity of this measure with Portuguese parents of 2- to 8-year-old children. A sample of 409 parents completed a Portuguese-adapted version of the CFPQ and the already validated Child Feeding Questionnaire (CFQ). Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), and psychometric analysis were conducted. CFA demonstrated the original 12-factor structure did not fit the sample. EFA identified an 8-factor structure, comprising 29 items: Monitoring, Modeling, Environment, Involvement, Emotion Regulation, Restriction for Weight Control, Restriction for Health, and Pressure. Findings suggest that parental feeding practices are sensitive to parents’ background culture and children’s developmental period.

Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR)-T cell immunotherapy revolutionized cancer treatment and consists of the genetic modification of T lymphocytes with a CAR gene, aiming to increase their ability to recognize and kill antigen-specific tumor cells. The dynamics of CAR-T cell responses in patients presents a multiphasic kinetics with distribution, expansion, contraction, and persistence phases. The characteristics and duration of each phase depend on the tumor type, the infused product, and on patient-specific characteristics. We present a mathematical model which describes the multiphasic CAR-T cell dynamics resulting from the interplay between CAR-T and tumor cells, considering patient and product heterogeneities. The CAR-T cell population is divided into functional (distributed and effector), memory, and exhausted CAR-T cell phenotypes. The model is able to describe the diversity of CAR-T cell dynamic behaviors in different patients and hematological cancers as well as their therapy outcomes. Our results indicate that the joint assessment of the area under the concentration-time curve in the first 28 days and the corresponding fraction of non-exhausted CAR-T cells may be considered as potential markers to classify therapy responses. Overall, the analysis of different CAR-T cell phenotypes can be a key aspect for a better understanding of the whole CAR-T cell dynamics.

This review delves into the critical role of automation and sensor technologies in optimizing parameters for thermal treatments within electricity power generation. The demand for efficient and sustainable power generation has led to a significant reliance on thermal treatments in power plants. However, ensuring precise control over these treatments remains challenging, necessitating the integration of advanced automation and sensor systems. This paper evaluates the pivotal aspects of automation, emphasizing its capacity to streamline operations, enhance safety, and optimize energy efficiency in thermal treatment processes. Additionally, it highlights the indispensable role of sensors in monitoring and regulating crucial parameters such as temperature, pressure, and flow rates. These sensors enable real-time data acquisition, facilitating immediate adjustments to maintain optimal operating conditions and prevent system failures. It explores the recent technological advancements, including machine learning algorithms and IoT integration, which have revolutionized automation and sensor capabilities in thermal treatment control. Incorporating these innovations has significantly improved the precision and adaptability of control systems, resulting in heightened performance and reduced environmental impact. This review underscores the imperative nature of automation and sensor technologies in thermal treatments for electricity power generation, emphasizing their pivotal role in enhancing operational efficiency, ensuring reliability, and advancing sustainability in power generation processes.

In recent years, the advances in sperm morphology and genetic analyses in Perumytilus purpuratus allowed to suggest two evolutionary scenarios for this mussel: 1) the scenario of cryptic species and 2) the scenario of incipient or in progress speciation. To a better understanding of the evolutionary history of P. purpuratus, we performed an extensive sampling effort along a latitudinal gradient of ca. 7,180 km of coastline, from Southern Pacific to Atlantic Oceans and, we have also gone deeper in sperm morphology in P. purpuratus, exploring its association with phylogeny and population genetics to contrast if variability in sperm traits between northern and southern regions are signals of cryptic or incipient species. Overall, our results showed three sperm morphotypes and genetic structure in males of P. purpuratus strongly correlated. Additionally, we found evidence of a genetic admixture between lineages suggesting an introgressive hybridization zone at 38°S. These findings suggest the hypothesis that P. purpuratus is under incomplete reproductive isolation, with the presence of mechanisms of postzygotic isolation between lineages and, therefore, under an incipient or in fraganti speciation process. Finally, we discovered a new long morphotype for this species restricted to southern localities. Overall, our results support the hypothesis of historical events and postglacial recolonization as causal phenomena for the observed divergences.

Salmonella Typhimurium infection in pigs is characterized by an intense inflammatory response in early infection which seems to dysregulate host physiology including the gut microbiota. Both, changes in host physiology and microbiome composition, must entail modifications within the gut environment. This study analyzes the gut metabolome in early infected pigs (48 hours after infection) and non-infected controls by untargeted metabolomics (LC–QTOF MS/MS and GC–TOF MS), supported with microbiome data (16S rRNA abundance and prediction functional analyses). The metabolomic profile in Salmonella-infected pigs differed from healthy controls in 39 of these metabolites, including eight amino acids, four bile acids and carboxylic acids, three carnitines and sugar derivates, eleven fatty acids and six other compounds. Changes in amino acids abundance and the observed decrease of proteolytic bacteria such as Lactobacillus or Bacteroides could favor the niche colonization by Desulfovibrionaceae. In addition, the decrease in short chain fatty acids and tricarboxylic acids cycle was correlated to a decrease in beneficial bacteria in infected pigs. Interestingly, we observed an increase of bile acids concentration and compounds such as succinic acid or pantothenic acid, which may boost the inflammatory response. Altogether, the results reveal how S. Typhimurium infection alters the gut microbiome composition and prompts changes in the metabolism with a potential interaction between intestinal metabolism and microbiota abundance.

The p53 tumor suppressor protein is an activator of transcription. Diverse stress factors lead to various sets of posttranslational modifications of p53 what results in different sets of upregulat-ed genes. We noticed that actinomycin D and nutlin-3a (A+N) synergize in inducing activating phosphorylations of p53 and upregulation of selected p53-target genes. Here we found that one of these genes is DUSP13, which codes for poorly-studied, dual-specificity phosphatase having at least two isoforms, one expressed in testis and the other in skeletal muscles. In cancer cells ex-posed to A+N, DUSP13 is expressed from an alternative promoter in intron, what results in ex-pression of isoform named TMDP-L1. The luciferase reporter tests demonstrated that this pro-moter is activated by both endogenous and ectopically expressed p53. We showed for the first time that mRNA expressed from this promoter actually produces the protein, which can be de-tected by Western blotting in all examined cancer cell lines with wild-type p53 exposed to A+N. In some cell lines it is also induced by clinically relevant camptothecin or by nutlin-3a acting alone. This isoform, fused with green fluorescent protein localizes in perinuclear region of cells. Thus, TMDP-L1 isoform may be an important element of p53-regulated stress response system.

: The objective of this study was to obtain different dry matter contents and proportions of mel-on plant biomass for silage making. A completely randomized design was adopted with a facto-rial scheme (3 x 2) in four replications. The first factor corresponded to three mixtures of melon biomass on as fed basis (AF) of plant (branch + leaf) and fruit (harvested melon) as follows: 100% plant, 90% plant + 10% fruit, and 100% fruit. The other factor corresponded to the ensiled materi-al with fresh and dehydrated melon plant biomass (40% DM) which was dried in the field, after harvest. Silages with partial dehydration of the biomass available after fruit harvest with 0% and 10% fruit showed the greatest DM values: 297 and 293 g/kg DM, respectively. Silages with 0, 100 and 10% fruit showed medium LAB populations: 5.79, 5.14 and 4.58 logs CFU/g, respectively. Higher concentrations of acetic acid contents were observed in silages with 0 and 10% fresh fruit, which were 14.9 and 14.1 g/kg DM, respectively. Silages with 0% and 100% of dehydrated fruit showed better results for the indicators of good-quality silage. Dehydration improves the fer-mentative profile and quality of the melon silage.

Background: Seizures in the early postoperative period may impair patient recovery and increase risk of complication. The aim of this study is to determine whether there is any advantage in postoperative seizure prophylaxis following meningioma resection. Methods: This systematic review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. PUBMED, Web of Science, Embase, Science Direct, and Cochrane were searched for papers until April 2023. Results: Among 9 studies, a total of 3,249 were evaluated patients, of which 984 patients received antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). A comparison between patients who received AEDs and those who did not showed a non-significant differences between both groups (RR 1.22, 95% CI 0.66 to 2.40; I² = 57%). Postoperative seizures occurred in 5% (95% CI: 1% to 9%) within the early time period (<7 days), and 9% (95% CI: 1% to 17%) in the late time period (>7 days), with significant heterogeneity (I² = 91% and 97% respectively). In seizure-naive patients, the rate of postoperative seizures was 2% (95% CI: 0% to 6%) in the early period and increased to 6% (95% CI: 0% to 15%) in the late period. High heterogeneity led to the use of random-effects models in all analyses. Conclusion: The current evidence does not provide sufficient support for the effectiveness of prophylactic AED medications in preventing postoperative seizures in patients undergoing meningioma resection. This underscores the importance of considering diagnostic criteria and conducting individual patient analysis to guide clinical decision-making in this context.

(1) Background: Hepatoblastoma is the most common primary liver malignancy in children. During its development, metabolic reprogramming becomes particularly relevant due to the liver's intrinsic metabolic functions. Enhanced glycolysis, glutaminolysis, and fatty acid synthesis have been implicated in the proliferation and survival of hepatoblastoma cells. In this study we screened altered over expression of metabolic enzymes in hepatoblastoma tumors at tissue and single cell level. A hepatoblastoma tumor expression metabolic score was established and validated by machine learning; (2) Methods: Starting from Mammalian Metabolic Enzyme Database, bulk RNA-sequencing from GSE104766 dataset was investigated by supervised analyses (tumors versus adjacent liver tissue). Overexpressed enzymes in hepatoblastoma tumors were functionally enriched on KEGG metabolic database to draw a metabolic network with Cytoscape. Activated metabolic markers were used to compute a single-cell metabolic score in human and PDX hepatoblastoma samples from GSE180665 dataset (sc-RNAseq). ROC and area under curve (AUC) were computed on metabolic score. Elasticnet model tuning for metabolic marker expression was performed with r-caret on single cell transcriptome and revealed importance of individual marker to predict tumor cell status; (3) Results: Differential expression analysis on bulk transcriptome identified 287 significantly regulated enzymes between tumor and adjacent liver tissues: 59 of them were found overexpressed in tumors. 45 of the 59 over expressed enzymes were recognized in KEGG database which highlighted a main metabolic network enriched in amino acid metabolism but also carbohydrate, steroid, one carbon, purine, and glucoaminoglycan metabolisms. Based on expression of the 59 over expressed enzymes, the single cell metabolism score computed on GSE180665 dataset allowed to predict tumor cell status with and AUC of 0.98 (sensibility 0.93, specificity: 0.94). Elasticnet model tuned at 0.97 of AUC on individual marker single cell expression ranked top tumor predictive markers by decreasing importance: FKBP10, ATP1A2, NT5DC2, UGT3A2, PYCR1, CKB, GPX7, DNMT3B, GSTP1, and OXCT1; (4) Conclusion: An activated metabolic transcriptional program potentially affecting epigenetic functions was observed by bulk RNAseq in tumors of hepatoblastoma and confirmed at single cell levels in tumor cells.

Healthcare professionals constantly face situations that reflect ecosystems’ degradation. These can negatively affect their mental health. Research suggests that hope and resilience can play an important role in this scenario, since they are related to/predict mental health in highly heterogeneous samples (considering geography, age, profession, health, etc.). In this context, the aims of the present study are: to characterize and explore the relationship between hope, resilient coping and mental health of Portuguese healthcare professionals. Using Google Forms, 276 healthcare professionals answered to the GHQ-28, the (adult) Trait Hope Scale, and the Brief Resilient Coping Scale (cross-sectional study). The minimum and maximum possible scores were reached, with the exception of the maximum score of GHQ-28-Total. Regarding Hope, 19.6% scored below the midpoint (M=43.46, SD=11.97); 29.3% revealed low resilience (M=14.93, SD=4.05); and the average of 4 of the 5 Mental Health scores (exception: Severe Depression) indicates the probability of a psychiatric case. Hope correlated with Social Dysfunction and GHQ-28-Total; resilient coping proved to be a (weak) predictor of 4 of the 5 GHQ-28 indicators (exception: Severe depression). The results support the need to promote the sample's mental health, hope and resilient coping. They also suggest that stimulating resilient coping may contribute to improving healthcare professionals’ mental health.

This work reports the role of structure and composition on the determination of the performances of p-type SnOx TFTs deposited by rf magnetron sputtering at room temperature, followed by a post-annealed step up to 200 °C at different oxygen partial pressures (Opp), between 0% and 20%, but where the p-type conduction was only observed between 2.8–3.8%. The role of structure and composition were evaluated by XRD and Mössbauer spectroscopic studies. The study allows to identify the best phases/compositions and thicknesses (around 12 nm) to be used that lead to the production of TFTs with a bottom gate configuration, on glasses coated with conductive Indium Tin Oxide, followed by Aluminium Titanium Oxide dielectric layer with saturation mobility of 4.6 cm²V⁻¹s⁻¹ and on-off ratio above 7 × 10⁴, operating at the enhancement mode with a saturation voltage of −10 V.

In order to monitor the diversity of terrestrial biomes, the Earth Exploration Satellite Services demand a high data rate for downlink transmissions while sharing their frequency spectrum with, and suffering interferences from, cellular Base Stations. Both highlight the dilemmas of spectral efficiency (bps/Hz) and spectral coexistence. Our research aims to mitigate interference on low orbit satellite downlinks using Cognitive Radio (CR) and Adaptive MODulation and CODing (MODCOD) techniques. To fulfill this: 1) we present CR approaches to enhance spectrum exploitation. Next, 2) we detail Adaptive MODCOD (ACM) technique to increase RF power and spectral efficiencies. Then, 3) we suggest the solution by combining 1) and 2). Afterwards, 4) we analyze it by monitoring the signal to interference plus noise ratio and the CR/MODCOD strategy. Finally, 5) we provide case studies to demonstrate the strategy’s effectiveness through the practical operation of satellite services, and 6) we conduct a bench test of the communication system.

Virtual reality experiences are frequently created using game engines, yet they are not simple for novices and unskilled professionals who don’t have programming and 3D modeling skills. Concurrently, there is a knowledge gap in software project design for intuitive virtual reality authoring tools, which were supposed to be easier to use. This work compiles design guidelines derived from a systematic literature review to contribute in the development of more intuitive virtual reality authoring tools. We searched the Scopus and Web of Science databases for works published between 2018 and 2021 and discovered 14 papers. We compiled 14 requirement and feature design guidelines, such as Visual Programming, Immersive Authoring, Reutilization, Sharing and Collaboration, Metaphors, and Movement Freedom, among others. The collected guidelines have the potential to either guide the development of new authoring tools or to evaluate the intuitiveness of existing tools. Furthermore, they can also support the development of the metaverse, since virtual content creation is one of its bases.

How hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell (HSPC) fate decisions are affected by genetic alterations acquired during AML leukemogenesis is poorly understood and mainly explored in animal models. Here, we studied isocitrate dehydrogenases (IDH) genes mutations in the human model of HSPC and provide a review of the literature on this topic. IDH1/2 mutations occur in ~20% of AML, are recognized among the mutations earliest acquired during leukemogenesis, and are target of specific inhibitors (ivosidenib and enasidenib, respectively). In order to investigate the direct effects of these mutations on the HSPC we expressed by lentiviral transduction either IDH1-R132H or IDH2-R140Q mutants into human CD34+ healthy donor cells and analyzed the colony-forming unit (CFU) ability. CFU ability was dramatically compromised with a complete trilineage block of differentiation. Strikingly, the block was reversed by the specific inhibitors, confirming it was a specific effect induced by the mutants. In line with this observation, the CD34+ leukemic precursors isolated from a patient with IDH2-mutated AML at baseline and during enasidenib treatment showed over time a progressive and marked improvement of their fitness in terms of CFU ability and propensity to differentiate, attaining clonal trilinear reconstitution of hematopoiesis and complete hematological remission.

Background: Our study investigates the prevalence and causes of injuries among undergraduate dental students during clinical sessions. Methods: The study was conducted at the Department of Dentistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, focusing on injuries reported from 2021 to 2024. Data were collected through self-reported questionnaires and clinical records. The primary variables assessed included the type of injury, the instrument involved, the clinical procedure being performed, and the immediate actions taken post-injury. Serological testing was conducted on both students and patients to assess the risk of bloodborne pathogen transmission. Results: The findings revealed a high prevalence of injuries, with needles being the most common cause, followed by burs and dental probes. The most frequent injury type was piercing, primarily affecting the fingers. Periodontal treatments, restorative procedures, and endodontic treatments were the main activities leading to injuries. Despite normal medical records for most patients treated by injured students, serological testing showed significant positivity rates for HCV and HBV. It is noteworthy that most injured students demonstrated their commitment to safety by adhering to recommended post-exposure protocols, including wound cleaning, disinfecting, and serological testing. Our study highlights the critical need for enhanced biosafety awareness and training among dental students to reduce injury risks. Conclusions: These findings underline the necessity for integrated safety protocols and continuous education to improve clinical practices and ensure student safety.

This study assesses coastal flooding extension mapping based on two innovative approaches. The first is based on the coupling of two robust numerical models (SWASH and LISFLOOD), in this case, discharges were extracted from the wave overtopping results from SWASH 1D and set as boundary conditions for LISFLOOD on the crest of an existing seawall where overtopping typically occurs. The second, hereby called the ‘Tilted Bathtub Approach’ (TBTA), is based on wave run-up levels and buffering the affected area of a prior flooding event, adjusting it for expected sea-states according to different return periods. The proposed approaches are applied to a case study on the Northern Portuguese coast, at Furadouro beach, in the municipality of Ovar, which has been facing multiple flooding episodes throughout recent years, including a dramatic storm in February 2014. This event was used as validation for the proposed methods. A 30 years long hourly local wave climate time series was used both to perform an extreme value analysis in order to obtain expected sea-states according to different return periods, and also for performing a sensitivity test for established empirical formulas to estimate wave run-up at this particular case. Results indicate both approaches are valuable: they yield coherent flood extension predictions that align well with the real inundated area from the 2014 storm. The convergence of these findings underscores the potential for these methods in future coastal flood risk assessment and planning.

Throughout the Covid19 period, families were forced to stay indoors, adapting to online school-ing, remote work, and virtual social engagements, inevitably altering the dynamics within households. There is a notable increase in mental health challenges in terms of anxiety and de-pression in children and adolescents. This study intends to explore the psychosocial effects of the Covid-19 pandemic in Italian families adopting self- and proxy-report questionnaires on anxiety, anger, and health-related quality of life. The results showed that approximately 20% obtained a clinical anxiety score and only 10% obtained a clinical anger score. There was found a difference in the perception of the quality of life reported by the child and that perceived by the parent. The stepwise regression model showed that total anxiety scores were predicted by sex, quality of life scores from the parents' self-report version and total anger score. Another stepwise regression model identified physiological and social anxiety as the best predictors that impact the quality of life. Parental well-being actively influences the well-being of children, so it is fundamental to implement preventive programmes and promote child well-being providing parents the most adequate support possible.

In this manuscript we use an exactly solvable stochastic binary model for regulation of gene expression to analyse the dynamics of response to a treatment aiming to modulate the number of transcripts of RKIP gene. We demonstrate the usefulness of our method simulating three treatment scenarios aiming to reestablish RKIP gene expression dynamics towards pre-cancerous state: i. to increase the promoter’s ON state duration; ii. to increase the mRNAs’ synthesis rate; iii. to increase both rates. We show that the pre-treatment kinetic rates of ON and OFF promoter switching speeds and mRNA synthesis and degradation will affect the heterogeneity and time for treatment response. Hence, we present a strategy for reducing drug dosage by simultaneously targeting multiple kinetic rates. That enables a reduction of treatment response time and heterogeneity which in principle diminishes the chances of emergence of resistance to treatment. This approach may be useful for inferring kinetic constants related to expression of antimetastatic genes or oncogenes and on the design of multi-drug therapeutic strategies targeting master regulatory genes.

Cervical cancer is associated with persistent infections by high-risk HPV types that may have nucleotide polymorphisms and, consequently, different oncogenic potentials. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the genetic variability and structural effects of E7 oncogene of HPV58 in cervical scraping samples from Brazilian women. The study was carried out with patients from hospitals in metropolitan area of Recife, PE, Brazil. The most frequent HPV type was HPV16, 18 and 58, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the isolates were classified as sublineages A2, C1 and D2. Two positively selected mutations were found in E7: 63G and 64T. The mutations G41R, G63D and T64A in E7 protein were predicted to reduce the stability of the protein structure. Regarding the interaction of the E7 variant of HPV58 with the signaling of the NF-kB pathway, we observed that the variant HPV58/UFPE-54S decreased the activity of the pathway when compared to the prototype and the other variants behaved similarly to the prototype and the prototype increased the activity of the pathway when compared to pcDNA. In this study, it was possible to identify mutations that may interfere in the molecular interaction between the viral oncoproteins and host proteins.

Biphasic oily/water nanoemulsions have been proposed as delivery systems for the intranasal administration of curcumin (CUR) and quercetin (QU), due to their high drug entrapment efficiency, the possibility of simultaneous drug administration and protection of the encapsulated compounds from the degradation. To better understand the physicochemical and biological performance of the selected formulation simultaneously co-encapsulating CUR and QU, a stability test of the compounds mixture was firstly carried out using X-ray powder diffraction and thermal analyses, such as differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analyses (TGA). The determination and quantification of the encapsulated active compounds was then required being an essential tool for the development of innovative nanomedicines. Thus, a new HPLC–UV/Vis method for the simultaneous determination of CUR and QU in the nanoemulsions and their evaluation in stability studies in simulated biological fluids was developed and validated. The X-ray diffraction analyses demonstrated that no interaction between the mixture of active ingredients, if any, is strong enough to take place in the solid state. Moreover, the thermal analysis demonstrated that the CUR and QU are stable in the nanoemulsion production temperature range. The proposed analytical method for the simultaneous quantification of the two actives was selective and linear for both compounds in the range of 0.5 – 12.5 µg/mL (R2 &gt; 0.9997), precise (RSD below 3%), robust and accurate (recovery 100 ± 5 %). The method was validated in accordance with ICH Q2 R1 “Validation of Analytical Procedures” and CDER-FDA 2validation of chromatographic methods” guideline. Furthermore, the low detection (LOD &lt; 0.005 µg/mL for CUR and &lt;0.14 µg/mL for QU) and quantification limits (LOQ &lt; 0.017 µg/mL for CUR and &lt; 0.48 µg/mL for QU) of the method were suitable for the application to drug release and permeation studies planned for the development of the nanoemulsions. The method was then applied for the determination of nanoemulsions CUR and QU encapsulation efficiencies (&gt; 99%), as well as for the stability studies of the two compounds in simulated biological fluids over time. The proposed method represents, to our knowledge, the only method for the simultaneous quantification of CUR, and QU in nanoemulsions.

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

Academics in healthcare grapple with the challenge of efficiently managing time while addressing diverse roles and responsibilities, leading to heightened levels of anxiety and stress within the academic community. The primary objective of this study is to offer a sustainable and systemic solution to the prevalent time-management challenges in healthcare academia, through the development of a predictive model. Employing systemic analysis software and adopting a systemic management approach, we crafted a model to address academic time-management concerns. The dynamics of time allocation for academicians are governed by three fundamental pillars: teaching, research, and administrative tasks. Significantly prioritizing administrative tasks depletes valuable academic time, making time management within academia excessively costly. This occurs as highly skilled individuals find themselves diverted towards administrative duties at the expense of their academic roles diminishing resilience levels. The proposed Timebooster Academic Systemic Model (TASM) advocates for the cultivation of soft skills in academia, en-compassing prioritization, seeking assistance, and addressing tendencies of perfectionism and procrastination. Additionally, TASM recommends the implementation of full automation, delegation of administrative responsibilities, and the mitigation of both overt and covert time-consuming elements. Furthermore, TASM reports on the pivotal role of the academic resilient manager-leaders, who actively contribute to their own satisfaction and academic growth by enhancing collaboration and teamwork. Time-management challenges emerge as a critical determinant of academic well-being and resilience. Systemic models, exemplified by TASM, offer a valuable framework for investigating prioritization concerns, identifying administrative impediments in academic processes, and managing low-value time-consuming elements. The TASM model, along with the systemic philosophy underpinning its design, presents an avenue for advancing the exploration of time-management phenomena within the context of healthcare academia.

Banana bunchy top virus (BBTV) was recently detected in Mozambique and appears to be limited to the provinces of Gaza, Maputo and Zambezia, but it has great potential to spread to other provinces. Despite its importance, nothing is known about the BBTV isolates that occur in Mozambique. In this study, the sequences of the S and R genes of 40 isolates chosen as representatives of samples collected previously from eleven farms of the four administrative posts of the district of Chóckwè, Gaza province, were sequenced and analyzed. The S-DNA nucleotide sequences of the analyzed isolates were highly conserved, with identity ranging from 97% to 100%. The same was observed for the R-DNA sequences, with most identities ranging between 98% and 100% among the isolates from Chókwè and above 90% when compared to the isolates from GenBank. The phylogenetic analysis showed that the Mozambican BBTV isolates belong to the Pacific-Indian Oceans (PIO) group, showing greater proximity to the isolate JQ820453 from Malawi than to the isolates from sub-Saharan countries, which were grouped in a distinct subclade. This is the first study conducted to determine the molecular characteristics of BBTV isolates present in Mozambique.

Background Cervical insufficiency, marked by recurrent painless cervix dilation leading to second-trimester pregnancy losses, is traditionally managed through cerclage placement and vaginal progesterone administration. However, a recent experimental approach targeted intra-amniotic inflammation or infection in a selected group of women with cervical dilation over 1 cm, intact membranes, and no uterine contractions in the second or third trimester. Case presentation We report a case of a 21 year old primigravid woman who experienced resolution of mid-trimester cervical insufficiency after the administration of triple antibiotic therapy, as confirmed by ultrasound monitoring. Remarkably, the patient successfully carried the pregnancy to term and delivered a healthy baby. Conclusions This case highlights the potential effectiveness of a novel combination of antibiotics, even in the presence of several high-risk pregnancy conditions, and underscores the possibility of a favorable outcome.

This paper presents the results of investigations on the kinetic of Brilliant Blue FCF (BB) discoloration reactions in aqueous solutions with different ozone concentrations and pH conditions. Kinetic studies involve knowledge of the structure and properties of the dye and ozone, as well as the experimental conditions. In general, scientists admit that the predominant oxidation pathway is direct (by free oxygen atoms) or indirect (by free hydroxyl radicals), it will depend on influencing factors such as: the physicochemical properties of the dye, the pH of the aqueous solution, ozone concentration, reaction time and the contact mode with/without stirring. In the experimental research, two pathways were chosen following CBB = f(t): 1. constant dye concentration and different ozone concentration on the concentration range (100 - 250 mg/L) at three pH media (acidic, neutral and basic) with and without stirring; 2. Constant concentration of ozone and different dye in the range of concentrations (2.5 - 10 mg/L) under the conditions of point 1. With obtained experimental data the curves CBB = f(t) were drawn and were processed by the integral method of classical kinetic based on first and second order equations. Unfortunately, this simple procedure this not yield any minim full results and any pH level. The rate constants been negative and/or the reaction order been dependent on initial conditions. Due to its structure, the BB dye has several chromophore groups, thus multiple attack centers, resulting in more oxidation by-products, which is why the 1H - NMR spectrum of BB discoloration with ozone was recorded.

Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) is currently the most widely used method for positioning using Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) due to its accuracy, efficiency and ease of use. In forestry, position is a critical factor for numerous applications, with GNSS nowadays the preferred solution for obtaining such data. However, the decreased performance of GNSS observations in challenging environments, such as under the forest canopy, must be considered. This paper analyzes the performance of a survey-grade GNSS receiver under coniferous/deciduous tree cover, with short observation times of 30 seconds and corrections received in the field from a Continuously Operating Reference Station (CORS) of the national RTK network in Romania. 84 test points were determined, randomly distributed under the canopy, with reference data collected by topographical surveys using total station equipment. Relatively good accuracies were obtained, especially for horizontal position (RMSEs of 1.47 – 2.07 meters). The variation of GNSS performance under the different forest compositions was found to be statistically significant, while GNSS-specific factors such as DOP values only influenced the precision and not the accuracy of observations. We established that this methodology offers sufficient accuracy, application-dependent, even if the majority of GNSS solutions were code-based, rather than carrier phase-based, due to strong interference from the vegetation.

Avipoxvirus (APV), a linear dsDNA virus belonging to the subfamily Chordopoxvirinae of the family Poxviridae, infects more than 278 species of domestic and wild birds. It is responsible for causing the avian pox disease, which is characterized by its cutaneous and diphtheric forms. With a high transmission capacity, it can cause high economic losses and damage to the ecosys-tem. Several diagnostic methods are available and vaccination of birds can be an effective pre-ventive measure. To update the molecular characterization and phylogenetic analysis of viruses isolated in Portugal between 2017 and 2023, ten APV-positive samples were analyzed. A P4b gene fragment was amplified by PCR and the nucleotide sequence of the amplicons was deter-mined by Sanger sequencing. The sequences obtained were aligned using ClustalW, and a max-imum likelihood phylogenetic tree was constructed. With this study, it was possible to verify that the analyzed sequences are distributed in subclades A1, A2, B1, and B3. Since some of them are quite similar to others from different countries and obtained in different years, it is possible to conclude that there have been several viral introductions in Portugal. Finally, it was possible to successfully update the data on avipoxviruses in Portugal.

Leishmaniasis remains a significant global health concern, with current treatments relying on outdated drugs associated with high toxicity, lengthy administration, elevated costs, and drug resistance. Consequently, the urgent need for safer and more effective therapeutic options in leishmaniasis treatment persists. Previous research has highlighted selenium compounds as promising candidates for innovative leishmaniasis therapy. In light of this, a library of 10 selenium-containing diverse compounds was designed and evaluated in this study. The compounds were subjected to screening against L. amazonensis promastigotes, and their cytotoxicity was assessed in NIH/3T3 cells. Among the tested compounds, MRK-106 and MRK-108 displayed the highest potency against L. amazonensis promastigotes while demonstrating reduced cytotoxicity. Notably, MRK-106 and MRK-108 exhibited IC50 values of 3.97 µM, 4.23 µM, respectively, and most of the tested compounds showed low cytotoxicity in NIH/3T3 cells (CC50 &gt; 200 µM). Although these results are promising, additional investigations focusing on intracellular amastigotes are required to determine the antileishmanial activity of the compounds. In conclusion, the identified selenium-containing compounds hold considerable potential as antileishmanial drug candidates and warrant further exploration in subsequent studies. These findings represent a significant step towards the development of safer and more effective therapies for leishmaniasis, addressing the pressing need for novel and improved treatments.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death worldwide. Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) has proven to be effective in reducing the rate of recurrence and disease as secondary prevention (evidence-based intervention) in patients who have suffered from myocardial infarction (MI). CR is a multidisciplinary path in which the patient is followed pharmacologically, from a psychological, nutritional, nursing and physiotherapy point of view. Post-MI patients present a reduction in the performance of the diaphragm muscle, the main inspiratory muscle, and this condition can become a risk factor for further relapses or for the onset of heart failure. Despite the solidity of the international guidelines for CR, the latter are lacking in specifically indicating an evaluation and training path regarding the inspiratory muscles in post-MI patients who have not undergone cardiac surgery. The article reviews the information on the adaptation of the diaphragm post-MI and highlights the need for clearer indications for a rehabilitation process that gives importance to the diaphragm.

Hazelnut shells (HS), scientifically known as Corylus avellana L. shells, are a waste produced in companies that process nuts. The main objective of this study was to find an efficient way to maximize the chemical potential of HS by solubilizing the hemicelluloses, which could then be used to recover sugars and at the same time increase the lignin content of this material in order to produce adhesives or high strength foams. In order to optimize the pre-hydrolysis process, two different temperatures (160 and 170 C) and times varying from 15 to 180 min were tested. All the remaining solid materials were then liquefied by polyalcohols with acid catalysis. The chemical composition of hazelnut shells was determined before and after the pre-hydrolysis. All the process was monitored by FTIR-ATR by determining the spectra of solids and liquids after pre-hydrolisis and liquefactions steps. The highest solubilization of hazelnut shells was found for 170 C and 180 min, resulting in a 25.8% solubilization. Chemical analysis after the hydrolysis process showed a gradual increase in the solubilization of hemicelluloses as both the temperature and time of the reactor were increased. Simultaneously, the percentages of α-cellulose and lignin in the material also increased with rises in temperature and duration. FTIR-ATR allowed for the detection of significant spectral changes in the hazelnut shells from their initial state to the solid residue and further into the liquefied phase. This confirmed that pre-hydrolysis was effective in enhancing the chemical composition of the material, making it more suitable for the production of adhesives or polyurethane foams with enhanced mechanical strength.

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a locally aggressive disease related to asbestos exposure with a median survival for untreated patients of 4-8 months. The combination of chemotherapy based in platinum and antifolate is the standard treatment and the addition of bevacizumab adds two months of gain in median survival. Recently in first-line treatment, immunotherapy combining nivolumab with ipilimumab has been shown to be superior to chemotherapy in the CheckMate-743 study in terms of overall survival (18.1 months), leading to its approval by the FDA and EMA. The positive results of this study represent a new standard of treatment for patients with MPM, however, not all patients will benefit from immunotherapy treatment. In an effort to improve the selection of patient candidates for immunotherapy in different tumors, biomarkers that have been associated with a greater possibility of response to treatment have been described. MPM is a type of tumor with low mutational load and neo-antigens, making it a relatively non-immunogenic tumor for T cells and possibly less susceptible to responding to immunotherapy. Different retrospective studies have shown that PD-L1 expression occurs in 20-40% of patients and is associated with a poor prognosis; however, the predictive value of PD-L1 in response to immunotherapy has not been confirmed. The purpose of this work is to review state of art of MPM treatment in the year 2023 focusing in the efficacy results of first-line or subsequent immunotherapy studies in patients with MPM and possible chemo-immunotherapy combination strategies. Additionally, potential biomarkers of response to immunotherapy will be reviewed, such as histology, PD-L1, lymphocyte populations, and TMB.

In the area of dental healthcare services, where patients and professionals deal with multiple auditory stimuli, this cross-sectional study reports on the intricate dynamics of sound preferences, noise obstacles, and the profound impact of music on anxiety reduction within dental office set-tings. The sample comprises of 134 dental patients, primarily females (56.7%), with varying age groups, education levels, and therapy durations in the university clinics of the department of Dentistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and four private dental offices at the metropolitan area of Athens, Greece. Notably, 92.5% of the participants report no hearing loss, and 56.7% exhibit some level of noise sensitivity. The study reveals a moderate to good perceived health status (M=3.84, SD=0.95) among participants, with low perceived noise disturbance in university dental clinics. Preferences for instrumental music, foreign pop, and classical music are prominent during waiting times. Potential irritations include impersonal treatment (44%) and staff behavior (41.8%). Music player usage within the settings of the dental clinic involves radios (49.3%) and headphones (41.0%). Correlations and predictors indicate associations between health status, music preferences, and noise disturbances. More specifically, visiting the university dental clinics (β = .300, p = .005) as well as younger age (β = .300, p = .034) were significant predictors of better perceived health status. Clearer perception of external sounds while using the music player (β = .190, p = .039) was a significant predictor of better perceived health status, while poorer health was predicted by the preference of Greek folk songs (β = -.200, p = .030). Also, the use of smartphones for playing music was related to poorer health (β = -.370, p < .001). Following, younger age (β = -.270, p = .015), lower education (β = -.210, p = .035), higher noise sensitivity (β = .190, p = .027), as well as feelings of anxiety and nervousness due to ambient noise from people and machines (β = .510, p = .027) were significant predictors of noise disturbance from machines. Also, visiting private clinics (β = .240, p = .018), preferences of specific playlist (β = .310, p = .012), no music (β = .280, p = .016) and use of smartphones to play music (β = .230, p = .029) were significant predictors of noise disturbance from patients or staff. Finally, the preference of listening to a specific playlist was related to better health status (r = .190, p < .05). Findings aim to optimize eco-soundscapes in dental offices, con-tributing to enhanced patient well-being. The research underscores the potential of music inter-ventions to alleviate dental anxiety and improve the overall dental experience and quality care.

This study examines the attitudes and practices of dentists and dental students towards envi-ronmental issues within their professional context. Data was selected based on their responses on a Google Forms e-questionnaire, designed specifically for the study. The sample consisted of 78 professional dentists and 75 dental students in Greece and their attitudes towards environmental protection, awareness of the environmental impact of dental practices, and factors influencing the adoption of environmentally friendly practices were assessed. Results reveal generally positive attitudes towards environmental protection, with students demonstrating higher levels of proper waste management practices. Dentists express awareness of their environmental impact but ex-hibit varying levels of engagement in eco-friendly practices. Factors such as moral consciousness and believing in the severity of climate change significantly influence environmental awareness in dental practice. Notably, dental students exhibit greater environmental awareness compared to practicing dentists. These findings emphasize the importance of integrating environmental edu-cation into dental curricula and continuing education programs to foster sustainable practices in dental care. Future research could explore interventions to enhance environmental consciousness among practicing dentists and assess the long-term impact of environmental education initiatives on dental care sustainability.

We used numerical methods to define the normative structure of the different stages of sleep and wake (W) in a pilot study of 19 subjects without pathology (18–64 years old) using a double-banana bipolar montage. Artefact-free 120–240 s epoch lengths were visually identified and divided into 1 s windows with a 10% overlap. Differential channels were grouped into frontal, parieto-occipital, and temporal lobes. For every channel, the power spectrum (PS) was calculated via fast Fourier transform and used to compute the areas for the delta (0–4 Hz), theta (4–8 Hz), alpha (8–13 Hz), and beta (13–30 Hz) bands, which were log-transformed. Furthermore, Pearson’s correlation coefficient and coherence by bands were computed. Differences in logPS and synchronization from the whole scalp were observed between the sexes for specific stages. However, these differences vanished when specific lobes were considered. Considering the location and stages, the logPS and synchronization vary highly and specifically in a complex manner. Furthermore, the average spectra for every channel and stage were very well defined, with phase-specific features (e.g., the sigma band during N2 and N3, or the occipital alpha component during wakefulness), although the slow alpha component (8.0–8.5 Hz) persisted during NREM and REM sleep. The average spectra were symmetric between hemispheres. The properties of K-complexes and the sigma band (mainly due to sleep spindles – SSs) were deeply analysed during the NREM N2 stage. The properties of the sigma band are directly related to the density of SSs. The average frequency of SSs in the frontal lobe was lower than that in the occipital lobe. In approximately 30% of patients, SSs showed bimodal components in anterior regions. qEEG can be easily and reliably used to study sleep in healthy subjects and patients.