Mycobacterium leprae is the etiological agent of leprosy. Macrophages (Mφs) are key players involved in the pathogenesis of leprosy. In this study, immunohistochemical analysis was performed to examine the phenotype of Mφ subpopulations, namely M1, M2, and M4, in the skin lesions of patients diagnosed with Leprosy. Based on the database of treatment-naïve patients treated between 2015 and 2019 at the Department of Dermatology of the University of the State of Pará, Belém, routine clinical screening samples were identified. We performed simultaneous multiple immunostaining using monoclonal antibodies specific for inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), IL-6, IL-10, IL-13, TNF-α, TGF-β, FGFb, CD163, CD68, arginase-1, MRP8, and MMP7. Our results demonstrated a statistically significant difference for the M1 phenotype among the Virchowian (VV) (4.5 ± 1.3, p < 0.0001), Borderline (1.6 ± 0.4, p < 0.0001), and tuberculoid (TT) (12.5 ± 1.8, p < 0.0001) clinical forms of leprosy. Additionally, the M2 phenotype showed a statistically significant difference among the VV (12.5 ± 2.3, p < 0.0001), Borderline (1.3 ± 0.2, p < 0.0001), and TT (3.2 ± 0.7, p < 0.0001) forms. For the M4 phenotype, a statistically significant difference was observed in the VV (9.8 ± 1.7, p < 0.0001), Borderline (1.2 ± 0.2, p < 0.0001), and TT (2.6 ± 0.7, p < 0.0001) forms. A significant correlation was observed between the VV M1 and M4 (r = 0.8712; p = 0.0000) and between the VV M2×TT M1 (r = 0.834; p = 0.0002) phenotypes. The M1 Mφs constituted the predominant Mφ subpopulation in the TT and Borderline forms of leprosy, whereas the M2 Mφs showed increased immunoexpression and M4 was the predominant Mφ phenotype in VV leprosy. These results confirm the relationship of the Mφ profile with chronic pathological processes of the inflammatory response in leprosy.

Oral mucositis is most frequently a toxic effect of chemotherapeutic and/or radiotherapeutic treatment, resulting from complex multifaceted biological events involving DNA damage. The clinical manifestations have a negative impact on the life quality of cancer patients. Preventive measures and curative treatment of mucositis are still not well established. The glycine has anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory and cytoprotective actions, being a potential therapeutic in mucositis. The objective was to evaluate the effects of glycine on the expression of collagen and growth factors, platelet and epidermal in oral mucositis. The mucositis of which was induced by the protocol of Sonis. 40 hamsters were used, divided into two groups: Group I- control; Group II- supplemented with 5% intraperitoneal glycine, 2,0 mg/g diluted in hepes. Histopathological sections were used to perform the immune-histochemical method, the evaluation collagen expression and the growth factors: EGF and PDGF. It was observed that the group supplemented with glycine higher amounts of collagen expression and predominance type of collagen I. The glycine group presented lower immunoexpression of the growth factors, EGF and PDGF. The group supplemented with glycine showed a marked healing process of the oral mucosite, demonstrated by the predominance of collagen type I and reduction of growth factors, EGF and PDGF.

1. Background Septic shock is a rare and serious infectious disease. Patients surviving the early phase are at high risk of multiple amputations of limbs. They are potential sources of serious disability. 2. Methods The objective was to describe the functional prognosis and quality of life of the four-limb amputee patients following septic shock. This is a descriptive, retrospective and mono-centric study. The patients included between 2010 and 2019 had septic shock after 18 years, responsible for amputation of the four limbs. We studied the mean age of septic shock, the causative organisms, the infectious door enter, the different levels of amputation, the fitting process, the resumption of walking, the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) and the SF-12 Quality of Life Questionnaire. 3. Results We suceed to include 15 patients.. 53.3% women and 46.7% men with an average age of 46.1 years. 80% presented bilateral trans-tibial amputations, all were able to return walking even over short distances, within an average of 8.4 months. 40% did not require a technical walking aid, 33.3% had no walking perimeter limitation. 47% had a higher mental and social quality of life score than the general population. The younger the patients, the better their physical quality of life. After two years of follow-up, the younger the patients, the better their functional autonomy. Patients with better functional autonomy had a better physical quality of life. 4. Conclusion The number of amputations due to spetic shock is likely to increase in the years to come throughout the world. Our study prove that quadri-amputee patient can regain a fully acceptable functional and quality of life being monitored in a specialized health center with multidisciplinary health professional to help him.

The efficacy of chemotherapy depends on sensitivity and intrinsic or acquired drug resistance of cancer cells. The n-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 LCPUFAs) are considered chemosensitizing agents and revertants of multidrug resistance by pleiotropic mechanisms. The specific mechanisms are not fully understood, but nowadays, it is widely accepted that there are a complex network of mechanisms, including alteration in gene expression, modulation of cellular proliferation and differentiation, induction of apoptosis, generation of reactive oxygen species and lipid peroxidation. A crucial mechanism in the control of cell drug uptake and efflux is related to n-3 LCPUFA influence on membrane lipid composition. The incorporation of docosahexaenoic acid in the lipid rafts produces significant changes in their physical-chemical properties affecting content and functions of transmembrane proteins, such as growth factors, receptors and ATP-binding cassette transporters. Of note, n-3 LCPUFAs often impact on the lipid compositions more in chemoresistant cells than in chemosensitive cells, suggesting their adjuvant role in cancer treatment.

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.

Arboviruses such as yellow fever virus (YFV), dengue virus (DENV), and chikungunya virus (CHIKV) presenting wide global dissemination and the pathogenic profile developed in infected individuals, which develop from nonspecific clinical conditions to severe forms, characterized by the promotion of significant lesions in different organs of the harborer, culminating in multiple organ dysfunction. To characterize, quantify, and compare the patterns of histopathological alterations in human liver samples from patients with yellow fever (YF), dengue fever (DF), and chikungunya fever (CF). Analytical cross-sectional study by histopathological analysis with 70 samples of liver patients, collected from 2000 to 2017, with confirmed laboratory diagnosis who died due to infection and complications by the YF, DF, and CF. Of the histopathological findings in human liver samples there was a significant difference between the control and infection groups, with a predominance of alterations in the midzonal area of the three cases analyzed, among the arboviruses studied, the hepatic involvement in cases of YF showed greater intensity of histopathological changes. Among the alterations evaluated, cell swelling, microvesicular steatosis and apoptosis were classified as degree of tissue damage from severe to very severe. The pathological abnormalities associated with infection by YFV, DENV, and CHIKV showed predominance of changes in the midzonal area. We also noted that in among of the arboviruses studied, liver involvement in cases of YFV infection was more intense.

Yellow fever (YF) is a pansystemic disease caused by the yellow fever virus (YFV), the prototype species of the family Flaviviridae and genus Flavivirus, and has a highly complex host-pathogen relationship, in which endothelial dysfunction reflects viral disease tropism. In this study, the in situ endothelial response was evaluated. Liver tissue samples were collected from 21 YFV-positive patients who died due to the disease and five flavivirus-negative controls who died of other causes and whose hepatic parenchyma architecture was preserved. Immunohistochemical analysis of tissues in the hepatic parenchyma of YF cases showed significantly higher expression of E-selectin, P-selectin, intercellular adhesion molecule-1, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, and very late antigen-4 in YFV-positive cases than in flavivirus-negative controls. These results indicate that endothelium activation aggravates the inflammatory response by inducing the expression of adhesion molecules that contribute to the rolling, recruitment, migration, and construction of the inflammatory process in the hepatic parenchyma in fatal YF cases.

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine disorder that affects women of reproductive age representing the primary cause of anovulatory infertility. The nonapeptide oxytocin (OT) plays an important role in cognitive, emotional, and reproductive functions in human beings. Oxytocin receptors are expressed in several body parts including the ovaries. Despite this, the possible role played by oxytocin in symptoms of PCOS is not clear. The present systematic review aimed at understanding, the presence of possible oxytocin level alterations in PCOS, the connection between alterations of OT levels and the symptoms of PCOS, and the effect of oxytocin administration in PCOS. After a systematic search in the principal databases, seven studies, five human and two animal, were included. Most of the studies highlighted the role played by oxytocin in fertility issues related to PCOS. Studies that analyzed oxytocin basal levels in PCOS women agreed that PCOS is associated with a reduction in the serum level of oxytocin. Two studies found that in PCOS the serum levels of oxytocin were lower than healthy controls. One human and one animal study agreed about lower levels of PCOS, confirming a possible implication of a dysfunction of OT, in the pathogenesis of PCOS.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is an increasingly recognized comorbidity in patients with can-cer. Indeed, cancer patients have a significantly higher incidence of AF than that ob-served in the general population. A reciprocal relationship between these two diseases has been observed, as much as some assume AF as a marker for occult cancer screen-ing, especially in older adults. The pathophysiological mechanisms are many and var-ied, including the underlying pro-inflammatory state, specific treatments (chemo and radiotherapy) and surgery. The therapeutic management of patients with cancer and AF involves the same rhythm and frequency control strategies as the general popula-tion; however, the numerous interactions with chemotherapeutics, which lead to a sig-nificant increase in side effects, as well as the extreme fragility of the patient should be considered. Anticoagulant therapy is also a complex challenge to address, as bleeding and stroke risk scores have not been fully assessed in this subpopulation. Furthermore, in large studies establishing the efficacy of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs), cancer patients have been underrepresented. In this review, we elaborate on mechanisms linking AF to cancer patients with a particular focus on therapeutic challenges in this population.

The current manuscript presents a review on existing kiln burner technologies for the cement production process, in the context of the current climate of energy transition and environmental remediation. Environmental legislation has become ever stricter in response to global climate change, and cement plants need to adapt to this new reality in order to remain competitive in the market and ensure their longevity. The cement production process is a well-established technology with more than a century of existence. There are several plants in operation whose process is outdated by modern standards, particularly considering the current industry decarbonization needs. The cement process requires tremendous amounts of energy, mainly recovered from the combustion of solid, liquid or gaseous fuels, which yields massive emissions of greenhouse gases. Thus, an important onus is placed upon the minimization of pollutant emission in the combustion system, as well as a substitution of fossil fuels with more sustainable alternatives. One of the sus-tainable alternative fuels comes in the form of refuse derived fuels (RDF). These high caloric frac-tions of municipal solid waste present a double advantage by reducing the amount of fossil fuels used and reducing the landfilling fraction of waste. However, their use in rotary kiln burners comes with important limitations for burner operation, namely that a high degree of control over primary air supply is needed to ensure complete combustion with minimal pollutant emission.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is an increasingly recognized comorbidity in patients with cancer. Indeed, cancer patients have a significantly higher incidence of AF than that observed in the general population. A reciprocal relationship between these two diseases has been observed, as much as some assume AF as a marker for occult cancer screening, especially in older adults. The pathophysiological mechanisms are many and varied, including the underlying pro-inflammatory state, specific treatments (chemo and radiotherapy) and surgery. The therapeutic management of patients with cancer and AF involves the same rhythm and frequency control strategies as the general population; however, the numerous interactions with chemotherapeutics, which lead to a significant increase in side effects, as well as the extreme fragility of the patient should be considered. Anticoagulant therapy is also a complex challenge to address, as bleeding and stroke risk scores have not been fully assessed in this subpopulation. Furthermore, in large studies establishing the efficacy of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs), cancer patients have been underrepresented. In this review, we elaborate on mechanisms linking AF to cancer patients with a particular focus on therapeutic challenges in this population.

This paper presents a study about the integration of Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting Systems (PE-EHS) in building envelopes for powering Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensors, enabling efficient and low-consumption monitoring with the objective to leverage Structural Health Monitoring (SHM). The research includes preliminary tests conducted in a real environment to validate the PE-EHS when fully integrated into the façade, capturing mechanical vibrations generated mainly by wind loads. Based on these activities, the final configuration of PE-EHS is defined to provide a complete system for façade monitoring. This integrated system includes the Piezoelectric Generator (PEG), Supercapacitor (SC), Power Conditioner Circuit (PCC), Fibre Optic Sensing (FOS) Interrogator, and the IoT Gateway trans-mitting measurement data within an Internet of Things (IoT) monitoring platform. This configuration is tailored to address the challenges related to the structural integrity of building envelopes. Results demonstrate a potential for a stand-alone solution in the façade sector, but, raising issues for certain limitations, requiring further investigation. In particular, the study emphasizes constraints related to the energy production of PE-EHS for façade integration. It highlights the necessity to carefully consider these limitations within the broader context of their applicability, providing insights for the informed deployment of Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting technology in building envelope monitoring.

“Minas Frescal” cheese is a high moisture product, subject to the proliferation of several microorganisms. Essential oils are natural antimicrobial alternatives that can increase the quality of dairy products. This study aimed to analyze the antimicrobial action of oregano (Origanum vulgare) and rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) essential oils against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. An antimicrobial test by diffusion and microdilution was performed to calculate the MIC (Minimum Inhibitory Concentration) and MBC (Minimum Bactericidal Concentration). The behavior of E. coli in “Minas Frescal” cheese added with oregano oil was evaluated. The MIC of oregano oil was 0.25% against E. coli and 1% against S. aureus. For rosemary essential oil, the MIC was 8% of against E. coli. There was no activity of rosemary oil against S. aureus. The MBC observed for oregano essential oil was 1% and 0.25% respectively for S. aureus and E. coli. Bacterial analysis during cheese storage with E. coli indicated inhibition of microorganisms by oregano essential oil at a concentration of 0.25%. No alterations were observed regards to physical-chemical attributes. The use of essential oil as an antimicrobial agent has potential for industrial use, and type of microorganism, oil and sensory reflexes in the product must be observed.

Trees in residential landscapes provide many benefits, but can injure persons and damage property when they fail. In hurricane-prone regions like Florida, USA, the regular occurrence of hurricanes has provided an opportunity to assess factors that influence the likelihood of wind-induced tree failure and develop species failure profiles. We assessed open-grown trees in Naples, Florida, following the passage of Hurricane Irma in September 2017 to determine the effect of relevant factors on the degree of damage sustained by individual trees. Of 4,034 assessed individuals (n = 15 species), 74% sustained no damage, 4% sustained only minor damage (i.e., minimal corrective pruning needed), 6% sustained significant damage (i.e., major corrective pruning needed), and 15% were whole tree failures (i.e., overturned trees or trees requiring removal). The proportion of individuals in each damage category varied among species, stem diameter at 1.4 m above ground, and the presence of utility lines, which was a proxy for maintenance. We compared our results with the findings of seven previous hurricanes in the region to explore species’ resilience in hurricanes.

Tumor microenvironment (TME) represents a complex network between tumor cells and a variety of components including immune, stromal and vascular endothelial cells as well as extracellular matrix. A wide panel of signals and interactions here take place, resulting in a bi-directional modulation of cellular functions. Many stimuli, on one hand, induce tumor growth and spread of metastatic cells and, on the other hand, contribute to the establishment of an immunosuppressive environment. The latter feature is achieved by soothing immune effector cells, mainly cytotoxic T lymphocytes, B and NK cells, and/or through expansion of regulatory cell populations, including regulatory T and B cells, tumor-associated macrophages and myeloid-derived suppressor cells. In this context, immune checkpoints (IC) are key players in the control of T cell activation and anti-cancer activities, leading to the inhibition of tumor cell lysis and of pro-inflammatory cytokine production. Thus, these pathways represent promising targets for the development of effective and innovative therapies both in adults and childhood. Here we address the role of different cell populations homing the TME and of well-known and recently characterized IC in the context of pediatric solid tumors. We also discuss preclinical and clinical data available using IC inhibitors alone, in combination each other or administered with standard therapies.

The present work analyzes university students' perceptions on cyberbullying. More specifically, the main objective was to understand the level of concern displayed by young students in teacher training programs regarding cyberbullying; our analysis includes their degree of self-confidence and their commitment when faced with this problem, their self-reported training on the subject, and the measures they consider adequate to approach it in the educational context. Using a survey research design, 408 students from Early Childhood Education, Primary Education Degrees, and the Master’s Degree in Secondary Education, and Vocational Training from national public universities participated. The results shed light upon the coexistence of three differentiated profiles of teachers in training when faced with cyberbullying. However, although there is clear evidence of the high level of concern regarding this problem in every case, they placed more importance on raising awareness of the issue with families, prevention, management and training as basic pillars for re-directing the worrisome reality experienced in educational centers. The need to include these contents in the initial training of future education professionals, for overcoming cyberbullying, and the importance of collaborative work between parents and educators are the conclusions of this research study that are in agreement with other studies.

Patches of Diopatra species from Brazilian sandy beaches were followed for ca. 50 years. Data were accessed from papers, gray literature, images and collections to verify time changes in the South Brazilian Bight (SBB) from 1974-2021. We modeled maximum density over time at 15 beaches, observing very high densities (> 100 ind.m-2) in 1974 followed by a decrease (~ 10 ind.m-2) of three species of Diopatra until 1995 and a strong decline (1996-2002) when populations were almost regionally extinct (0-1 ind. m-2). A slight recovery (3-4 ind.m-2) occurred after 2006 for a single species, D. marinae, associated with warmer northern waters, suggesting a range shift. This pattern was associated with a) heatwaves linked to an El-Niño event (1988) and gradual SST surface warming of ca. 1 oC since 1974. The usage of Diopatra spp. as fishing bait could also be associated with such a reduction. After 2016, D. neapolitana, a likely alien species, was established in the SBB in high densities. Projections based on Species Distribution Modeling (SDM) suggest a potential of invasion in the same range of the known species of D. cuprea complex along the Brazilian coast despite that there are no signs of competition between both species.

This study proposes a methodology for identifying time intervals in which time-of-use (ToU) energy tariffs can be set. This is achieved by analyzing the variability in electric power demand and esti-mating the potential for demand flexibility. The proposed methodology is as follows: first, data preprocessing is performed, focusing on the organization and cleaning of individual consumption records. Subsequently, the data are processed and classified by using consumption variability analysis and clustering techniques. Then, representative clusters are selected and time intervals are analyzed to identify periods of high electric power consumption variability. This methodology was tested with real data from smart meters in the Colombian electrical system, in which time intervals with potential for settinh ToU tariffs were ultimately identified. This work promotes the implementation of demand response strategies that enhance sustainability and facilitate the transition to a more resilient energy landscape both nationally and internationally. The findings are expected to contribute to the formulation of tariff schemes that encourage con-scious changes in electric energy consumption patterns.

This paper aims to explore differences in personality traits, focusing on the levels of primary psychopathy, between formal leaders of family and non-family companies as well as assessing differences in the job satisfaction levels of their employees. Moreover, we assess the relationship between the employees' perception of their formal leader’s primary psychopathy levels and their job satisfaction levels in family firms. The empirical evidence is provided by a sample of 95 Portuguese employees, who responded to a questionnaire that included their perception of their formal leader’s primary psychopathy level and job satisfaction measures. All respondents work in small and medium-sized private companies with no management responsibilities and under formal hieratical supervision. The initial idea that family firms’ employees perceive lower levels of primary psychopathy in their formal leaders than non-family firms’ employees was confirmed. However, employees of family and non-family firms did not differ in their job satisfaction levels. The results also support the notion that perceived levels of primary psychopathy in formal leaders are negatively associated with the employees’ job satisfaction levels. These findings contribute to the research literature by addressing two aspects under-addressed in the comparison between family and non-family firms, while offering insights on the relationship between primary psychopathy in formal leaders and job satisfaction levels of employees working in family firms.

Peri-implant diseases are defined as pathological inflammatory reactions in the tissue surrounding the osseointegrated implants. They are classified into two categories: mucositis - defined as peri-implant soft tissue inflammation and peri-implantitis - bone loss in the peri-implant region. A clinical case of a 61-years-old woman with an implant in the 46 anatomical position and a 5-year follow-up is presented. A probe depth of 5mm and a bone defect length of 35% was observed. The Implacure® Protocol was applied, with the main objective of eliminating the biofilm present on the exposed implant surface. There are multiple approaches to treat peri-implant diseases. While non-surgical treatment is essential for mucositis control, the treatment of peri-implantitis surgical treatment should be considered. Regenerative bone reconstruction promotes bone repair in the defect area and reduces bleeding during probing. To achieve that, autologous fibrin combined with Cerasorb M® was used. The proposed approach in the exposed clinical case involves the application of Implacure® Protocol, whose combination of the physical decontamination technique, together with the use of chlorhexidine and orthophosphoric acid, added with the combination Piperacillin + Tazobactam together with hyaluronic acid, provide a base that allows to regenerate bone using platelet-rich fibrin with Cerasorb M® and increase the survival time of the implant.

This paper reviews the unilateral and bilateral, one- and two-dimensional Laplace transforms. The unilateral and bilateral Laplace transforms are compared in the one-dimensional case, leading to the formulation of the initial-condition theorem. This problem is solved with all generality in the one- and two-dimensional cases with the bilateral Laplace transform. General two-dimensional linear systems are introduced and the corresponding transfer function defined.

Count data analysis presents unique challenges due to its discrete nature, often exhibiting excessive zeros and overdispersion. To address these complexities, count models, such as Poisson regression and Negative Binomial regression, have been developed, enabling modeling and prediction of count-based phenomena. Additionally, it’s important to notice that zero inflation, a phenomenon commonly observed in count data, requires specialized techniques for robust analysis. This article provides an overview of count data and count models, explores zero inflation, introduces Likelihood Ratio Tests, and explains how the Vuong Test can be used as a model selection criteria. Furthermore, we created a Vuong Test implementation from scratch using the Python programming language. This implementation enhances the accessibility and applicability of the Vuong Test in real-world scenarios, providing a valuable contribution to the academic community, since Python didn’t have an implementation of this statistical test.

This study conducted an extensive analysis of campylobacteriosis surveillance in Portugal from 2009 to 2021, aiming to investigate demographic shifts, seasonal variations, and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) within Campylobacter isolates. Surveillance network and sentinel laboratory-based system data revealed a substantial under-notification of campylobacteriosis cases, suggesting an underestimated disease burden. A paradigm shift was observed in notification rates, with a notable prevalence among the pediatric population, particularly in children aged 1-4 years, diverging from European reports. However, the study also highlighted an emerging trend of Campylobacter infections in younger adults (15-44 years). The study unveiled a unique seasonal distribution of cases, defying typical summer peaks seen elsewhere. AMR analysis revealed extremely to very high-level resistance to ciprofloxacin and tetracycline, both in C. jejuni (93.7% and 79.2%, respectively) and in C. coli (96.5% and 93.2%, respectively), stable throughout the studied period (2013-2021). C. coli also exhibited significantly higher resistance to erythromycin, gentamicin, ampicillin, amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (decreased resistance), and ertapenem compared to C. jejuni (P<0.001). In conclusion, the study highlights the need for enhanced surveillance efforts and emphasizes worrying AMR levels. The implementation of WGS-based surveillance is recommended to attain a more profound comprehension of disease patterns and the evolving landscape of AMR.

This study investigates the application of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) equipped with a Micasense RedEdge-MX multispectral camera for the estimation of Secchi Depth (SD) in inland water bodies. The research analyzed and compared five sun-glint correction methodologies — Hedley, Goodman, Lyzenga, Joyce, and threshold removed glint to model the SD values derived from UAV multispectral imagery, highlighting the role of reflectance accuracy and algorithmic precision in SD modeling. While Goodman's method showed a higher correlation (0.92) with in situ SD measurements, Hedley's method exhibited the smallest average deviation (0.65 m), suggesting its potential in water resource management, environmental monitoring, and ecological modeling. The study also underscored the Quasi-Analytical Algorithm (QAA) potential in estimating SD due to its flexibility to process data from various sensors without requiring in situ measurements, offering scalability for large-scale water quality surveys. The accuracy of SD measures, calculated using QAA, was related to variability in water constituents of coloured dissolved organic matter and the solar zenith angle. A practical workflow for SD acquisition using UAVs and multispectral data was proposed for monitoring inland water bodies.

The reagents and raw materials used, as well as the products obtained (bio-oil, reaction condensates, polyols and sugar phases) were characterized by elemental analysis, infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetry and high performance liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry. The heating value of the bio-oils is higher than that of the original biomass (higher heating value of Eucalyptus sawdust bio-oil 29 MJ/kg versus 19.5 MJ/kg of the original Eucalyptus sawdust). The analyses of the bio-oils allowed to identify the presence of high added-value compounds, such as levulinic acid and furfural. Finally, a study of the accelerated aging of the liquefied biomass showed that the biofuel density increases with the storage time due to the occurrence of repolymerization reactions.

This paper sheds light on how crisis management affects post-disaster re-covery. Based on the study of the management of a major environmental disaster, hurricane IRMA, we consider how post-disaster recovery is impacted by crisis management strategies. The perspectives of local stakeholders from the islands of St Martin and St Barthélémy will be shared. We analyze how territories exposed to the same natural phenomena have different outcomes and consider some of the possible reasons. This study reveals underlying risk drivers, to address governance reorganization with a view to better managing socio-economic recovery.

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.

Mineral extraction is one of the most important for the economies of different countries, and Brazil is one of the world's primary iron ore producers. Unfortunately, the dams are still the main problem, mainly in Minas Gerais, especially after the Fundão Dam rupture happened in 2015. Additionally, there is still a massive presence of buildings produced on earth throughout the Minas Gerais mining region, built from the 18th century to today. Investigating the potential of IOT to be incorporated into traditional earthen construction techniques in regions affected by dam ruptures presents a relevant and innovative research approach. In addition, the local reuse of these sediments should be the priority. Thus, the main objective of this work was to collect, characterize, and analyze the possibilities of application of these tailings to produce RE. XRD, XRF, granulometry, porosity, specific density, toxicity, and MEV/EDS were performed on the samples collected at three points. To analyze the soil-IOT compatibility, representative mixtures of RE were produced, and the specific mass, compaction, and compressive strength were performed. It was observed that the IoT samples have a high silica content and that the mixtures of IOT-soil, even without cement, reached compressive strength values above the current international standards.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has become a worldwide health problem. Consequently, there is a global interest in the study of the antimicrobial activity of natural compounds as an alternative to antibiotics. One of the possibilities studied during the last years is the use of bacteriophages and their derived proteins. More specifically, phage lytic proteins or endolysins are specific enzymes that cause cell lysis and can be easily produced and purified after overexpression in bacteria. However, one of the major disadvantages of these proteins is their sensitivity to some environmental conditions that can reduce their efficiency. The use of vesicles for endolysin encapsulation could help overcome this disadvantage, offering an additional protection to the protein and allowing its controlled release and long-term stability.

The growing population in Yucatan has led to the expansion of construction in the Mayan jungle for tourist spaces, residential areas, and agriculture. Recently, rabies cases in cats (Felis catus) have increased. This study aimed to perform the antigenic and genetic characterization of the RABV and to try to identify factors contributing to the increased transmission of rabies virus from wildlife to cats in the State of Yucatan. The ArcGIS software was employed to generate maps depicting the geographic locations of rabies outbreaks in cats. A mixed-effects Poisson regression model was applied to investigate the association between cat rabies cases and sociodemographic and ecological variables. A total of nine feline rabies cases occurred, three antigenic variants were detected: RVV1 (n=1); (RVV3) (n=1), and the canine-originated atypical variant (n=7). Rabies cases were spatially distributed at the urban-jungle interface, which may favor contact between cats and wildlife. No statistically significant associations with sociodemographic/ecological variables were observed. Urban areas with low (0-2%) to moderate (2-4%) changes in land cover showed a substantial increase in the probability of feline rabies cases. This study highlights the concerning resurgence of rabies infections in cats, emphasizing the looming threat of its reintroduction in dogs should vaccination rates diminish. The genetic affinity between the atypical variant and the canine virus underscores the urgent need for vigilance in maintaining high vaccination coverage across all susceptible species.

Umbu is a tropical fruit with high content of bioactive compounds. However, maturation causes significant losses on nutrient density reducing the nutritional value of this highly appreciated fruit. Thus, the objective of the present work was to encapsulate the Umbu fruit bioactive compounds using spray drying and identify the variables affecting the biomolecules preservation. A Box-Behnken experimental design with 3 factors was set varying inlet temperature, atomization flow rate, and maltodextrin concentration for process otimization. Then the powder physicochemical and chemical properties were characterized, and results were modeled using a polynomial equation. Results revealed that the droplet size and maltodextrin concentration had a significant influence on the conservation of the biomolecules. Drying kinetics favoring fast formation of a particle crust increases encapsulation efficiency. Bioactive compounds retention was achieved by increasing maltodextrin even at high temperatures, where a matrix is formed hindering chemical degradation. Process optimization was validated and revealed low inlet temperatures (122ºC), high atomization flow rate (5kg/h) and high maltodextrin concentration (20%) to be the most desirable conditions for bioactive compounds retention.

There are complex ethical dilemmas inherent in medicine teaching, particularly in clinical prac-tice involving actual patients. Questions must be raised on fulfilling medical students' training needs while still respecting patients' fundamental rights to autonomy and privacy. We aimed to assess patients' perspectives regarding medical students' involvement in their medical care. An observational, cross-sectional study was developed, and an interview-like questionnaire was ap-plied randomly to patients waiting for a consult/admitted to three distinct departments: General Surgery, Obstetrics/Gynaecology, and Infectious Diseases. Of the 77% interviewed patients who reported previous experiences with medical students, only 59% stated that they were asked for consent for their participation and 28% that students had adequately introduced themselves. Pa-tients from Gynaecology/Obstetrics were the ones who reported lower rates of these practices and were also the ones who were most bothered by students' presence, stating that they would refuse students' participation in the future. Male patients received more explanations than female pa-tients regarding the same matters. 35% of patients stated they would feel more comfortable without the medical students' presence. The study shows a need to pay closer attention to ful-filling patients' fundamental rights.

Two novel members of the subfamily Betarhabdovirinae, family Rhabdoviridae, were identified in Brazil. Overall, their genomes have the typical organization 3’-N-P-P3-M-G-L-5’ observed in mono-segmented plant-infecting rhabdoviruses. In aristolochia-associated cytorhabdovirus (AaCV), found in the liana aristolochia (Aristolochia gibertii Hook), an additional short orphan ORF encoding a transmembrane helix was detected between P3 and M. AaCV genome and deduced encoded proteins share the highest identity values, consistently < 60%, with their counterparts of yerba mate chlorosis-associated virus (Cytorhabdovirus flaviyerbamate). The second virus, false jalap virus (FaJV), was detected in the herbaceous plant false jalap (Mirabilis jalapa L.) and represents together with tomato betanucleorhabdovirus 2, originally found in tomato plants in Slovenia, a tentative new species of the genus Betanucleorhabdovirus. FaJV particles accumulate in the peri-nuclear space, and electron-lucent viroplasms were observed in the nuclei of the infected cells. Notably, distinct from typical rhabdoviruses, most virions of AaCV were observed to be non-enclosed within membrane-bounded cavities. Instead, they were frequently seen in close association with surfaces of mitochondria or peroxisomes. Unlike FaJV, AaCV was successfully graft-transmitted to healthy plants of three species of the genus Aristolochia, while mechanical and seed transmission proved unsuccessful for both viruses. Data suggest that these viruses belong to two new tentative species within the subfamily Betarhabdovirinae.

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.

The obtention of simple formulae for the Lebesgue constants arising in the the classical Fourier series approximation is presented. Both even and odd cases are treated enlarging Fejér result. Asymptotic formulae are also obtained.

The ZX Spectrum was a popular 8-bit home computer by Sinclair Research in the 80s. Even though some of these computers may still work, the audio tapes, the TV with an analog tuner and the micro-switch joystick, used with the original ZX Spectrum, nowadays are outdated and hard to find in good working order or replicate. Since many other old closed systems are also very difficult to update to support modern peripherals, there is a necessity to provide a methodology to adapt such systems to support new peripherals while being compatible with existing software. The work proposed in this paper is focused on recreating a ZX Spectrum+/48k computer and interface it with modern peripherals on an FPGA. This is accomplished by adding a co-processor to assist with the control of the new peripherals which would either require to complex architectural changes to the original system and in the end it would perform poorly due to the low performance of the Z80 CPU. This work distances from previous ones on emulating a ZX Spectrum since it focuses on the use of different upgraded peripherals and the use of a NIOS II soft-processor as a co-processor to manage the SD Card accesses. A demonstration of the proposed modernized architecture was made by successfully running a diagnostics ROM and playing original ZX Spectrum games from an SD card for game with a PS/2 keyboard and a pair of joysticks.

The duality is one of the most interesting properties of the Laplace and Fourier transforms associated to the integer order derivative. Here, we will generalize it for fractional derivatives and extend the results to the Mellin, Z and discrete-time Fourier transforms. The scale and nabla derivatives are used.

The Hubble parameter H(z), as a function of redshift, is modified by the presence of a new term originated from the extrinsic curvature in an embedded space-time. Assuming an asymptotic expansion factor $a\sim 0$ or, equivalently $z\rightarrow \infty$, it is obtained a nearly resemblance of the present model ($\beta$-model) with quintessence $w$CDM model with $H(z)\sim H_{wCDM}(z)$ at background level. In conjunction with $\Lambda$CDM, we test the models using a pack of recent datasets like that of the ``Gold 2018'' growth data, the best-fit Planck2018/$\Lambda$CDM parameters on the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB), the Baryon Acoustic Oscillations (BAO) measurements, the Pantheon Supernovae type Ia and the Hubble parameter data with redshift ranging from $0.01 < z < 2.3$. Performing the Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) to ascertain the statistical viability of the model from Jeffreys' scale, we apply a joint likelihood analysis to the data with the Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method. We find that the present model is in very good agreement with observations with a close statistical equivalence with the $\Lambda$CDM and $w$CDM cosmologies at 1-$\sigma$ level. We also show that a mild alleviation of the $\sigma$ tension between the growth amplitude factor and the matter content $(\sigma_8$-$\Omega_m)$ of the observations from CMB and Large Scale Structure (LSS) probes. A comparison of the aforementioned full pack of data in MCMC chains is made with the resulting MCMC from Pantheon SNIa+$H(z)$ in order to analyse the sensitivity of the models and how they respond to a cosmography analysis on the evolution of $H(z)$ and the deceleration parameter $q(z)$. In this sense, we find that only the $\beta$-model can be unaffected to the variations of the previous datasets due to its several minima in the likelihood (degeneracies) of the related parameters with an overall percentage relative difference only up to 4$\%$.

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.

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

Background: A personalized approach to occupational medicine allows specialists to 1 prevent professional hazards such as stress-related depression and anxiety in extreme work environments. Objective: we aim to detect genetic markers of low resilience to stress. Methods: The study cohort included 97 elite athletes and 167 special forces personnel. The research team collected buccal mucosa samples and examined psychological status with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). We assessed 35 variants within selected genes that are most often associated with low resilience to stress, anxiety, and depression. Fisher’s Exact test was used to determine nonrandom associations between scores in the HADS scale and the genetic variants. We also trained machine learning models to predict score values from genotyping findings and ranked genetic biomarkers according to their predictive power. Results: High-risk depression profiles included C/T genotype of MTHFR C677T and A/C variant of MTHFR A1298C. Susceptibility to anxiety was associated with several polymorphisms regulating neuroactive substances, immune response, and coagulation. The ML models accurately detect depression or anxiety levels with MAE/ROV of 17.69±1.35 and 17.86±2.09% respectively. Conclusions: The study findings justify a polymorphic nature of anxiety and confirm the immune system's involvement in regulating stress response.

. Background/Objectives: Crohn's disease is a chronic and debilitating intestinal disorder that alternates between remission and active flare-ups, often leading to hospitalization. Social support is known to enhance adaptation to the disease and modulate stress perception in patients, while stress may exacerbate symptoms. The aim of this study was to examine the roles of perceived stress and social support in Crohn's disease and their impact on the frequency of flare-ups. Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted, assessing stress and social support in a cohort of 91 patients with Crohn's disease during flare-up and remission phases. The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-14) and a Social Support Questionnaire were utilized for evaluation. We examined the relationship between stress and social support in Crohn's disease. The interaction between the variables studied was also studied, considering the stage of the disease. Finally, we realized analysis of the influence of these two variables on the development of flares in Crohn's disease. Results: The study revealed that patients experience higher stress levels during flare-ups and that these levels are amplified by a lack of social support. A significant relationship was identified between the levels of social support and the occurrence of flare-ups, indicating that better social support is associated with fewer flare-ups.. Conclusions: Patients with Crohn's disease in the flare-up phase are subject to considerable stress. Deficit in social support is linked to an increase in stress levels. The interplay of social support and stress plays a critical role in the development of flare-ups.

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.

Abstract: Falls are among the top 10 causes of years lived with disability in people aged 75 and over. Preventive programs like case management (CM) are crucial. Objectives: To evaluate the effects of a multifactorial fall prevention program, based on CM, on physical performance, presence of pain and risk of falls and fractures in elderly people who have suffered falls. Methods: This is a randomized, single-blind clinical trial with parallel groups: intervention group (IG) and control group (CG) composed of 55 older people with a history of falls living in the community. All participants underwent an initial assessment via video call (containing anamnesis, Timed Up and Go test, Falls Risk Score, Short Physical Performance Battery and Clinical Frax). The IG underwent CM, the physical exercise protocol and the cognitive stimulation protocol. The CG was monitored through telephone calls and received general health and falls guidance. Results: No significant results were found in physical capacity, presence of pain, risk of falls and fractures between the intervention and control groups and between assessments. Conclusion: This program was not effective in improving functional performance, but it was important for characterizing pain and the probability of fracture in the next 10 years in this population.

Background: Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) believe that diet is a key factor in the pathogenesis of their disease and in worsening their symptoms; they often follow restrictive diets that can lead to malnutrition, anxiety, and stress. Recent studies have found an association between eating disorders and IBD, particularly anorexia nervosa and ARFID (Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder). None of these studies report the association with orthorexia nervosa, that is the obsession with healthy and natural foods. Aim: to assess the risk of orthorexia nervosa in patients with IBD. Methods: 158 consecutive subjects were recruited, including 113 patients diagnosed with IBD and 45 controls. The Donini standardized questionnaire ORTO-15 was administered to assess the risk of orthorexia; clinical and demographic data were also collected. Results: patients with IBD have a prevalence of orthorexia of 77%, significantly higher than the 47% observed in the control group. In patients with IBD, the risk of orthorexia is associated with lower BMI and history of previous surgery. Conclusion: Many patients with IBD develop orthorexia nervosa that impacts the patient's psychological and social sphere, exposes them to a high risk of nutritional deficiencies, and affects quality of life. Further high quality studies are warranted to evaluate the clinical impact of orthorexia and its correlation with clinical features and frank eating disorders.

We present organic, diamagnetic materials based on structurally simple (hetero-) tolane derivatives. They form crystalline thin-film aggregates that are suitable for Faraday rotation (FR) spectroscopy. The resulting new materials are characterized appropriately by common spectroscopic (NMR, UV-Vis), microscopy (POM), and XRD techniques. The spectroscopic studies give extremely high FR activities thus makes these materials promising candidates for future practical applications. Other than a proper explanation, we insist in the complexity of designing efficient FR materials starting off from single molecules.

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.

(1) Background: To investigate the effect of phosphohistone H3 (PHH3) and vitamin D receptor (VDR) in the risk assessment of endometriosis, in two cohorts of women with this pathology, those receiving hormonal treatment, and those without treatment; (2) Methods: In 60 cases of women with endometriosis, the paraffin-embedded endometriosis tissue samples, retrieved after surgery, were immunohistochemically (IHC) analyzed aiming to determine the expression status of PHH3 and VDR; (3) Results: The IHC positive index of PHH3 and VDR of these two groups were compared. PHH3 levels were positively correlated with vitamin D levels, both being increased in patients without treatment. Within the group without treatment, PHH3 and VDR expressions were positively associated; (4) Conclusions: IHC analysis of PHH3 and VDR can be used as an additional tool for risk stratification and prognostic assessment in patients with endometriosis.

BACKGROUND: Is pharmacovigilance at a moment of prominence for science and in relation to government responsibilities towards their nations, as the new coronavirus pandemic has surprised everyone in a negative and lethal way. OBJECTIVE: Evaluate pharmacovigilance as a resource for controlling and understanding the adverse effects caused by vaccines in use. DESIGN AND SETTING: Narrative review developed by a research group at Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto. METHODS: This is a narrative review of the literature available in electronic media, government bulletins and similar bodies. The search was carried out using the descriptors: "Pharmacovigilance AND COVID-19 in Brazil", "Vaccine Development AND COVID-19 in Brazil", "Vaccination Hesitancy AND COVID-19 in Brazil", "Pharmacovigilance AND COVID-19", "Vaccine Development AND COVID-19", "Vaccination Hesitancy AND COVID-19", Pharmacovigilance AND COVID-19, Vaccine Development AND COVID-19, Vaccination Hesitancy AND COVID-19, "Public Health Surveillance AND COVID-19". In the period from May 2021 to June 2022. RESULTS: From the database search, 3 journal articles, 4 government bulletins and 535 scientific articles were identified. Of the total of 542 bibliographic materials, 36 were selected according to the selection criteria and objectives of the study. CONCLUSIONS: The vaccines in use have proven efficacy, despite adverse reactions that cannot be attributed solely and exclusively to their use, since the medical history of each patient should be considered in the investigation of each case, especially when there is death. The Brazilian data for adverse events, although the country is continental in its size, are acceptable given the number of deaths recorded.

Rhizosphere bacteria have a decisive influence on plant ionic adjustment, as well as in ameliorating plant growth under an array of stress situations. Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) colonize the rhizosphere of plants and promote plant growth through mechanisms such as solubilization of mineral phosphates, biological N2 fixation, production of siderophores and phytohormones, and can induce systemic resistance in the plant. This can be of extreme importance when considering the restoration of salinized grounds by halophytic species. This present work aims to evaluate the physiological fitness and phytoprotection improvement by salt marsh PGPR in Halimione portulacoides under mild and severe salt stress. Plants inoculated with PGPR-consortium showed higher photochemical performances, improved antioxidant response, and promotion of osmotic balance traits, that boosted the individual’s ability to cope with mild salt stress. All these changes are also in line with the differential elemental profiles (Na, K, and Ca) observed in the different plant tissues. Even under severe salt stress, some physiological traits were improved when compared to the non-inoculated individuals. The results developed under this work, point out an important role of bioaugmentation in promoting plant fitness and improving salt tolerance, with a great potential for applications in seawater agriculture, restoration, and bio-reclamation of salinized soils.

The ubiquitous deployment of Li-ion batteries (LIBs) in more demanding applications has reinforced the need to understand root-causes of thermal runaway. Herein we perform a forensic simulation of a real-case failure scenario, using localised heating of Li(Ni0.5Mn0.3Co0.2)O2 versus graphite 18650 cylindrical cells. This study determined the localised temperatures that would lead to venting and thermal runaway of these cells, as well as correlating the gases produced as a function of degradation pathway. Catastrophic failure, involving melting (with internal cell temperatures exceeding 1085°C), deformation and ejection of cell componentry, was induced by locally applying 200 °C and 250 °C to a fully charged cell. Conversely, catastrophic failure was not observed when the same temperatures were applied to the cells at lower state of charge (SOC). This work highlights the importance of SOC, chemistry and heat in driving the thermal failure mode of Ni-rich LIB cells, allowing for a better understanding of battery safety and associated design improvements.

Our work is regarding the analysis of land use changes, in the light of “saving soil” against the expansion due to unearned plus value of land: The loss of natural and agricultural surface in front of the expanding urban environment is a critical aspect of unsustainability of urban development, especially in the way it was carried out in the past decades. The measure of the physical transition of land use and characters from a more natural condition of land surface to a new artificial one, joint with a parallel analysis of the increase of land value due to such change is nowadays a major land-policy tool. The interplay of urban economics regulation with planning, reveals new key issues in urban governance and environmental preservation. In this paper it will be shown some experiment about the impact assessment of soil take, related with the seek of valorization of property inside the planning process. Our paper reports as well about the experimental activity carried out inside the MITO Lab of the Polytechnic of Bari, where reports about property values and environmental values have been produced, specially looking at the reality of the Apulia, a southern Italian Region, that is rich of farmlands and coastlines, often invaded by constructions with a severe loss of nature, landscape and ecosystems services.

The molecular evolution of medulloblastoma is more complex than was previously imagined as emerging evidence suggests that multiples interactions between the tumor cells and components of the tumor microenvironment (TME) are important for tumor promotion and progression. The identification of several molecular networks within the TME, which interact with tumoral cells, has provided new clues to understand the tumorigenic roles of many TME components as well as potential therapeutic targets. In this review, we discuss the most recent studies regarding the roles of astrocytes in supporting the sonic hedgehog (SHH)–activated medulloblastoma molecular subgroup, and provide an overview of medulloblastoma progression through SHH expression and signal transduction mechanisms into the complex tumor microenvironment. In addition, we highlight the associations between tumor and stromal cells as possible prognostic markers and new therapeutic strategies.

As the need to minimize environmental impact continues to rise, it is essential to incorporate, advance, and adopt renewable energy sources and materials to attain climate neutrality. It is established that economic growth is built upon infrastructure where cement industry plays a crucial role. However, it is also known that this industry is actively looking for ways to transition towards low-carbon practices to encourage sustainable and environmentally conscious practices. To this end, the use of refused derived fuels to substitute fossil fuels is very appealing, as these present the potential to lower the clinker production costs and CO2 emissions. Bearing this in mind, the primary objective of this work is to gain insights of the combustion behavior in an industrial rotary kiln, studying real-life scenarios and assessing the potential of substituting alternative fuels for fossil fuels to reduce CO2 emissions. A 3D CFD turbulent combustion model was formulated in Ansys® considering a Pillard NOVAFLAM® burner, where refused derived and petcoke fuels were used and different secondary air mass flows were considered. From the obtained results it was possible to conclude that the outcome of the combustion process is greatly influenced by the fuel-to-air ratio. Increasing the secondary air mass flow promotes the occurrence of a complete and efficient combustion process, leading to an enhanced fuel conversion and decreased formation of pollutants as CO, soot, and unburnt hydrocarbons.

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.

Reducing GHG emissions is a crucial challenge in urban areas, characterized by high energy consumption and reduced exposure to nature. In this context, the urban green system could play a pivotal role. In the literature, scholars analyzed both the ability of species-specific and layout-specific green infrastructures to increase carbon sequestration and the best location sites of new green infrastructures, to increase the provision of overall ecosystem services. There is a lack of studies helping green urban planners and designers choose where and which green infrastructure to implement, based on vegetation species-specific performance and local carbon emissions of city components. This paper uses tree inventory data from a medium-sized city in central Italy (Perugia) to develop a spatial analysis of the urban parks' performance in carbon sequestration. Then, the method evaluates the carbon emission of a public city building to generate a spatialized balance between buildings’ demand and trees’ supply, to support local decisions about the best locations for new green infrastructures and the choice between species. The paper contributes to GIS-based tools that vary the recommended location sites and species for new green infrastructures based on the demanded ecosystem service.

The anti-Covid19 vaccination campaign has been fortified on the positive effects that immunization is bringing the nations, since infection rates, hospitalizations, and deaths have been falling according to the data in constant disclosure by official government organs and the channels of communication. In Brazil, the effective and free National Vaccination Program haven’t prioritized patients with rare diseases, who have extreme comorbidities, and who had to follow the calendar prepared by the government. The problematic question is why these “rare people” weren´t considered priorities. The understanding of the reasons and the resumption of the debate about the rights of patients with rare diseases justify this study, which sought to be based on regular descriptors issued by official government agencies and by critics of rare disease issues in debates made in scientific articles. We sought to respond to the following objectives: analyze dispensed care of rare disease patients in the vaccination campaign anti-Covid-19; identify the procedures implemented by the National Vaccination Plan for the Brazilian population over 18 years of age; describe the panorama of the pandemic disease since its discovery to the mutations already disseminated; and evaluate the effectiveness of the plan implemented from the perspective of “rare person”.

The mechanism by which the pigment melanin is transferred from melanocytes to keratinocytes to achieve skin pigmentation remains controversial. Several models emerged in the past decades to explain the transfer process. Here, we review the proposed models for melanin transfer in the skin epidermis, the available evidence supporting each one, and the recent observations made by ours and other groups in favor of the exo/phagocytosis and shed vesicles models. Moreover, we propose that different models could coexist to sustain skin pigmentation under different conditions. Finally, we discuss new questions that ought to be addressed to solve the long-lasting quest for the understanding of how basal skin pigmentation is controlled. This knowledge will allow the emergence of new strategies to treat pigmentary disorders that cause a significant socio-economic burden to patients and healthcare systems worldwide and could also have relevant cosmetic applications.

In healthy adult brain, glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) is exclusively expressed by neurons and in some instances, it has furthermore been shown to derive from a single neuronal subpopulation. Secreted GDNF acts in a paracrine fashion by forming a complex with GDNF family receptor α1 (GFRα1) which is mainly expressed by neurons and can act in cis as a membrane-bound or in trans as a soluble factor. The GDNF/GFRα1 complex signals through interaction with RET (“rearranged during transfection”) or with a lower affinity with neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM). GDNF can also signal independently from GFRα1 via interaction with syndecan-3. RET being expressed by neurons involved in several pathways: nigro-striatal dopaminergic neurons, motor neurons, enteric neurons, sensory neurons, etc. could be the main determinant of the specificity of GDNF pro-survival effect. In injured brain, de novo expression of GDNF occurs in glial cells. Neuroinflammation has been reported to induce GDNF expression in activated astrocytes and microglia, infiltrating macrophages, nestin-positive neural stem cells and neuron/glia (NG2) progenitors. This disease-related GDNF overexpression can be either beneficial or detrimental depending on the localization in the brain and the level and duration of glial cells activation. Some reports also describe upregulation of RET and GFRα1 in glial cells, suggesting that GDNF could modulate neuroinflammation.

Food production is a complex matter, affecting people’s lives, organizations’ profits, and the well-being of the whole planet and has multifaceted ethical considerations surrounding its production, distribution, and consumption. This paper addresses the pressing need to confront ethical challenges within the food system, encompassing issues such as environmental sustainability, food security, and individual food choices for better oral and systemic health of all individuals around the globe. From agricultural practices to global trade and food waste, ethical implications are addressed across various domains, highlighting the interconnectedness of ethical decision-making in the food industry. Central themes explored include the ethical dimensions of food production methods, the impact of global trade on food ethics, and the role of individuals in making ethically informed food choices. Additionally, the paper dives into the spiritual and physical significance of food, particularly through the lens of oral health as a gateway to holistic well-being. Recognizing the complexity of the food ecosystem, the paper calls for serious interventions in legislation and economics to promote ethical protocols and techniques for sustainability reasons. It emphasizes the importance of ethical considerations in food safety management systems, regulatory frameworks, and quality standards. Moreover, the paper underscores the need for a comprehensive approach to address ethical dilemmas and moral values inherent in the food industry and oral health policies, advocating for the adoption of the precautionary principle and ethical decision-making frameworks. The article aims to serve as a call to action for stakeholders across the food industry and the healthcare sector, to prioritize ethical practices, promote transparency, rearrange economic parameters and work towards a more sustainable and equitable food system for inner and outer oral and systemic health and human sustainability for all.

The Neotropical region is one of the most diverse regions of the globe in terms of macro-organismic species. Regarding the microbial world, however, little is known about the diversity and biogeography patterns of micro-organisms in the Neotropics. In this context, the study of several microbial taxonomic groups is still missing and/or incomplete, such as the protists. Our goal here was to summarize the available information of Neotropical protists, focusing on molecular data from environmental continental samples, to explore what these data evidence on their ecology and biogeography. For this, we reviewed the findings from all articles that focused on or included the terrestrial protists using metabarcoding approach and identified the gaps and future perspectives in this research field. We found that Neotropical protists diversity patterns seem to be, at least in part, congruent with that of macro-organisms and, different than plants and bacteria, just weakly explained by environmental variables. We argue that studies with standardized protocols including different biomes are necessary to fully characterize the ecology and biogeography on Neotropical protists. Furthermore, dismember evolutionary lineages and functional guilds of protists are important to better understand the relationship between diversity, dispersal abilities and functionality of particular taxa of protists in their habitats.

Diarrhoea is a serious cause of mortality worldwide that can lead to dehydration, gut barrier function impairment, nutrient malabsorption, and alterations of the gut microbiota (dysbiosis). Current solutions for its management, such as oral rehydration salts (ORS), inhibitors of the gut motility, antibiotics, and living probiotics only partially counteract the mechanisms of the disease and do not provide a full coverage of the problem. Potential risks of the use of living probiotic strains, particularly in immunocompromised patients, can be eliminated with the use of tyndallized (heat-killed) postbiotic bacteria and yeast. ABB C22® is a postbiotic combination of three tyndallized yeasts, namely Saccharomyces boulardii, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Kluyveromyces marxianus. To assess the action of the postbiotic combination on diarrhoea, immune and gut epithelial cell signaling assays, gut barrier formation assay and rotavirus gene expression assay were performed. ABB C22® showed a strong anti-inflammatory effect, an induction of the build-up of the gut epithelium, and a degree of protection against rotavirus infection. These experimental studies support the use of the postbiotic ABB C22® as a solution for the management of diarrhoea and gastrointestinal conditions, alone or in combination with existing but incomplete treatments.

This research presents a novel algorithmic implementation to improve the analysis of visually controlled interception and accompanying motor action through the computational application of harmonic ratios and stimulation invariants. Unlike traditional models that focus mainly on psychological aspects, our approach integrates the relevant constructs into a practical mathematical framework. This allows for dynamic prediction of interception points with improved accuracy and real-time perception-action capabilities, essential for applications in neurorehabilitation and virtual reality. Our methodology uses stimulation invariants as key parameters within a mathematical model to quantitatively predict and improve interception outcomes. The results demonstrate the superior performance of our algorithms over conventional methods, confirming their potential for ad-vancing robotic vision systems and adaptive virtual environments. By translating complex theo-ries of visual perception into algorithmic solutions, this study provides innovative ways to im-prove motion perception and interactive systems. This study aims to articulate the complex inter-play of geometry, perception, and technology in understanding and utilizing cross-ratios at infin-ity, emphasizing their practical applications in virtual and augmented reality settings.

Growing interest surrounds the assessment of perivascular spaces (PVS) on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and their validation as a clinical biomarker of adverse brain health. Nonetheless, the limits of validity of current state-of-the-art segmentation methods are still unclear. Here, we propose an open-source three-dimensional computational framework comprising 3D digital reference objects and evaluate the performance of three PVS filtering methods under various spatiotemporal imaging considerations (including sampling, motion artefacts, and Rician noise). Specifically, we study the performance of the Frangi, Jerman and RORPO filters in enhancing PVS-like structures to facilitate segmentation. Our findings were three-fold. First, as long as voxels are isotropic, RORPO outperforms the other two filters, regardless of imaging quality. Unlike the Frangi and Jerman filters, RORPO’s performance does not deteriorate as PVS volume increases. Second, the performance of all “vesselness” filters is heavily influenced by imaging quality, with sampling and motion artefacts being the most damaging for these types of analyses. Third, none of the filters can distinguish PVS from other hyperintense structures (e.g. white matter hyperintensities, stroke lesions, or lacunes) effectively, the area under precision-recall curve dropped substantially (Frangi: from 94.21 [IQR 91.60, 96.16] to 43.76 [IQR 25.19, 63.38]; Jerman: from 94.51 [IQR 91.90, 95.37] to 58.00 [IQR 35.68, 64.87]; RORPO: from 98.72 [IQR 95.37, 98.96] to 71.87 [IQR 57.21, 76.63] without and with other hyperintense structures, respectively). The use of our computational model enables comparing segmentation methods and identifying their advantages and disadvantages, thereby providing means for testing and optimising pipelines for ongoing and future studies.

It is not established whether SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) patients with movement disorders, are at greater risk for more serious outcomes than the larger COVID-19 population beyond the susceptibility associated with greater age. We reviewed electronic health records and conducted telephone interviews to collect the demographics and clinical outcomes of patients seen at our Movement Disorders Center who tested positive for COVID-19 from 8 March 2020 through 6 June 2020. Thirty-six patients were identified, 23 men and 13 women, median age of 74.5 years. They primarily carried diagnoses of idiopathic Parkinson disease (n=22; 61%) and atypical parkinsonism (n=7; 19%) with the balance having other diagnoses. Twenty-seven patients (75%) exhibited alteration in mental status and fifteen (42%) had abnormalities of movement as common manifestations of COVID-19; in 61% and 31%, these were the presenting symptoms of the disease. 67% of patients in our cohort required hospitalization, and the mortality rate was 39%.. These data demonstrate that in patients with movement disorders, the likelihood of hospitalization and death after contracting COVID-19 was substantially greater than in the general population. Patients with movement disorders frequently presented with altered mental status, generalized weakness, or worsening mobility but not anosmia.

Fires in houses are inevitable and they cause loss of life and major repair costs for the damage structure and contents. There is a clear need to prevent its ignition and spread to adjacent areas. This article presents the steps taken, namely: contacts, data collection, tests, analysis and conclusions regarding the accident resulting from the outbreak and spread of a fire, on December 25, 2020, in a traditional Portuguese house in Arganil, Portugal. The owners and the court requested to carry out an expert opinion by a person with specialized technical-scientific knowledge, which led to this work as an expert. the work consists of carrying out observations and data analysis. Then, the observed and analysed data were laboratory tested in order to consistently identify characteristics that lead to the ignition and propagation of the fire. This work identified construction problems, materials used and heat sources that are responsible for the accident. The conclusions may be used to avoid future incidents or accidents with houses of same construction type.

Lycoriella species (Sciaridae) are responsible for significant economic losses in greenhouse production (e.g. mushrooms, strawberry, and nurseries). Current distributions of species in the genus are restricted to cold-climate countries. Three species of Lycoriella are of particular economic concern in view of their ability to invade across the Northern Hemisphere. We used ecological niche models to determine the potential for range expansion under climate change future scenarios (RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5) in distributions of these species of Lycoriella. Stable suitability under climate change was a dominant theme in these species; however, potential range increases were noted for key countries (e.g. USA, Brazil, and China). Our results illustrate the potential for range expansion in these species in the Southern Hemisphere, including some of the highest greenhouse production areas in the world.

Patients with polycythemia vera (PV) are at increased risk of thrombosis and hemorrhages. Although hydroxyurea (HU) has been the frontline therapy for patients at high-risk of vascular complications, about 25% of patients develop resistance/intolerance to this therapy. The aim of this non-interventional, multicenter cohort study was to understand the clinical characteristics and HU treatment response of Portuguese PV patients. HU resistance/intolerance was defined according to adjusted European LeukemiaNet (ELN) criteria. 134 PV patients with a mean disease duration of 4.8±5.0 years were included and followed up for 2 years. At baseline, most patients were ≥60 years old (83.2%), at high risk for thrombotic events (87.2%), and receiving HU therapy (79.1%). A total of 10 thrombotic events and 8 hemorrhagic events were reported, resulting in a 5-year probability of thrombo-hemorrhagic events of 17.2%. Hematocrit (p=0.007), hemoglobin (p=0.012) and MPN10 symptom score (12.0±11.6 vs 10.3±9.1; p=0.041) decreased significantly at the 24-month visit compared to baseline. Overall, 75.9% of patients met at least one of the adjusted ELN criteria for HU resistance. 14.4% of patients remained on HU throughout the study. The results from this real-world study may help identify the subset of patients at higher risk of disease sequelae who may benefit from earlier second-line treatment.

One way to increase overall natural gas engine efficiency is to transform exhaust waste heat into useful energy by means of a bottoming cycle. Organic Rankine cycle (ORC) is a promising technology to convert medium and low grade waste heat into mechanical power and electricity. This paper presents an energy and exergy analysis of three ORC-Waste heat recovery configurations by using an intermediate thermal oil circuit: Simple ORC (SORC), ORC with Recuperator (RORC) and ORC with Double Pressure (DORC), and Cyclohexane, Toluene and Acetone have been proposed as working fluids. An energy and exergy thermodynamic model is proposed to evaluate each configuration performance, while available exhaust thermal energy variation under different engine loads was determined through an experimentally validated mathematical model. Additionally, the effect of evaportating pressure on net power output , absolute thermal efficiency increase, absolute specific fuel consumption decrease, overall energy conversion efficiency, and component exergy destruction is also investigated. Results evidence an improvement in operational performance for heat recovery through RORC with Toluene at an evaporation pressure of 3.4 MPa, achieving 146.25 kW of net power output, 11.58% of overall conversion efficiency, 28.4% of ORC thermal efficiency, and an specific fuel consumption reduction of 7.67% at a 1482 rpm engine speed, a 120.2 L/min natural gas Flow, 1.784 lambda, and 1758.77 kW mechanical engine power.

Continuous technological progress places significant demands on the materials used in increasingly modern devices. An important parameter is often the long-term thermal resistance of the material. The use of heat-resistant polymer materials worked well in technologically advanced products. An economically justified direction in searching for new materials is the area of polymer nanocomposite materials. It is necessary to appropriately select both the polymer matrix and the nanofillers best able to demonstrate the synergistic effect. A promising area of exploration for such nanocomposites is the use of organosilicon polymers, which results from the unique properties of these polymers related to their structure. This review presents the results of the analysis of the most important literature reports regarding organosilicon polymer nanocomposites with increased thermal resistance. Particular attention was paid to modification methods of silicone nanocomposites focused on the increase of their thermal resistance related to the modification of siloxane molecular structure and by making nanocomposites using inorganic additives, carbon nanomaterials. Attention was also paid to such important issues as the influence of the dispersion of additives in the polymer matrix on the thermal resistance of silicone nanocomposites and the possibility of modifying the polymer matrix and permanently introducing nanofillers thanks to the presence of various reactive groups. The thermal stability mechanism of these nanocomposites was also analysed.

Monitoring of clients living with HIV encompasses a specific array of activities that routinely check on various aspects of ART following its initiation depending on the availability of resources in that particular state, among other factors as per guidelines from the World Health Organisation. This is a significant practice as it promotes positive health outcomes for patients and efficient utilisation of ART regimens to reduce resistance to the medication – hence it is a measure to guard avoidable costs. It also forms a basis on which decisions are made from. It can be done clinically by assessing for signs e.g., skin rash and symptoms e.g., nausea and vomiting, checking vital organ function and measuring weights across all populations, or can be also be done by assessing specimens for their respective viral loads, white blood cell count, pregnancy status or other infections such as hepatitis B. There have not been any special indications required for one to be eligible for monitoring during ART in developing countries; all qualify for routine monitoring even though some may be more frequent than others in cases of comorbidities such as renal failure where medications can be attributed to exacerbating the condition.

Dengue is one of the most important arboviruses worldwide, with currently approximately 2.5 billion people at risk of becoming infected, mainly in tropical countries. The present study evaluated the influence of climatic variables on the incidence of dengue fever in an endemic urban area. A time series study of cases was carried out with all confirmed cases of dengue fever in the municipality of Belo Horizonte from 2001 to 2021. The climatic explanatory variables were obtained from the National Institute of Meteorology. The analysis was performed using a generalized linear regression model with three scenarios: a no-lag model, 1-month lag model (1 month earlier) and 2-month lag model (2 months earlier). In the no-lag model, the maximum temperature was associated with an increase in the monthly incidence of dengue (IRR: 1.5). In the 1- and 2-month lag models, the monthly average temperature was associated with an increase in incidence (IRR: 1.9 in both). Our results suggest that temperature contributed to the increase in the incidence of dengue, and an increase of 1 °C could increase the incidence of the disease by approximately 90%. Thus, temperature monitoring can direct efforts towards prevention and control of the disease.

In late 2018, an epidemic myxomatosis outbreak emerged on the Iberian Peninsula leading to high mortality in Iberian hare populations. Soon, a recombinant virus (MYXV-Tol or ha-MYXV) was identified, harboring a 2.8 kb insertion containing evolved duplicates of M060L, M061L, M064L, and M065L from MYXV. Since 2017, 1616 rabbits and 82 hares were tested by a qPCR directed to M000.5L/R gene, conserved in MYXV and MYXV-Tol/ ha-MYXV strains. A subset (20%) of the positive samples was tested for the insert with MYXV being detected in rabbits and recombinant MYXV in hares. Recently, two wild rabbits found dead in South Portugal, showing skin oedema and pulmonary lesions tested positive for the 2.8 Kb insert. Sequencing showed 100% similarity with the insert sequences described in Iberian hares from Spain. Viral particles were observed in the lungs of both rabbits by electron microscopy, and isolation in RK13 cells showed virus infectivity. Despite the analysis of recombinant MYXV genomes may predict its ability to infect rabbit, routine analyses showed species segregation for the circulation of MYXV and recombinant MYXV in wild rabbit and in Iberian hares, respectively. This study demonstrates, however, that recombinant MYXV can effectively infect and cause myxomatosis in wild rabbits and domestic rabbits, which raises serious concerns for the future of the Iberian wild leporids and emphasizes the need to continue monitoring MYXV and recombinant MYXV in both species.

Aim: To evaluate the panmacular subthreshold micropulse laser treatment results among patients with central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) and their correlation with functional and morphological parameters. Material and methods: The examined group included 10 non-treated and 41 treated patients with acute, recurrent, and chronic CSC (13 F, 38 M, mean age 44.11±6.5) and 14 healthy controls (6 F, 8 M, mean age 45±9.3). The BCVA examination, ophthalmoscopy, microp-erimetry, angio-OCT and OCT were performed. The medical history regarding chronic general disorders and known risk factors were recorded. Results: Complete resorption of SRF was obtained in 100% aCSC, 86.66% cCSC, and 63.63% r CSC. BCVA and RetSens significantly improved most of the patients treated in aCSC. The lowest BCVA and RetSens, but the largest pachyvessel and disease duration, were found in rCSC. A strong negative correlation between final BCVA and disease duration was found. No patient demonstrated laser lesions following treatment. Conclusions: The panmacular MPLT therapy leads to long-term enhancement of functional and morphological parameters in all CSC patients. The acute CSC patients showed the most significant improvement. The procedure is safe and could be considered a preferred treatment option for all active CSC cases. Timely treatment is crucial for beneficial outcomes.

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

Acid stress poses a common challenge for bacteria in diverse environments by the presence of inorganic (e.g., mammals’ stomach) or organic acids (e.g., feed additives; acid-based disinfectants). Limited knowledge exists regarding acid-tolerant strains of specific serotypes, clonal lineages, or sources in human/animal pathogens, namely non-typhoidal Salmonella enterica (NTS) and Enterococcus faecium (Efm). This study evaluated acidic pH and peracetic acid (PAA) susceptibility of Efm (n=72) and NTS (n=60) from diverse epidemiological/genetic backgrounds, and with multiple antibiotic resistance profiles. Efm minimum growth/survival-pH was 4,5-5/3-4 and for NTS 4,0-4,5/3,5-4,0. Among Efm, only those of clade-non-A1 (non-hospital associated) or food chain demonstrated greater tolerance to acidic pH compared to clade-A1 (hospital-associated clones) or clinical isolates (P<0.05). MDR (multidrug-resistant) NTS survived better to acidic pH (P<0.05). The MICPAA/MBCPAA was 70-120/80-150mg/L for Efm and 50-70/60-100mg/L for NTS. Efm-clade-A1 or MDR strains exhibited higher PAA tolerance than clade-non-A1 or non-MDR ones (P<0.05). Higher tolerance was found in non-MDR and clinical NTS than in food chain isolates (P<0.05), but not between different serogroups. This unique study identifies specific NTS or Efm populations more tolerant to acidic pH or PAA, emphasizing the need for further research to tailor control measures of public health and food safety within a One Health framework.

Low back pain is prevalent in equestrian athletes, but prevalence and associated factors are unknown in the Portuguese equestrian population. A questionnaire regarding low back pain and possible associated factors was answered by 347 respondents. Estimated 12-month prevalence was 67.1%. The probability of suffering from low back pain was higher in individuals with higher weekly riding workload, that reported equestrianism as their main occupation and that performed daily stable duties. The Roland Morris disability questionnaire was applied to the respondents that stated having experienced low back pain in the past 12 months, resulting in an average score of 5.39 ± 4.42. 63.1% of respondents stated that low back pain impaired their performance. Individuals that stated equestrianism was their main occupation showed a significant higher risk (OR = 1.759) of exhibiting a score ≥ 4, as measure of dysfunctionality. Age and high body mass index were also associated to a dysfunctional score. Further research is needed to fully understand the impacts of low back pain in Portuguese equestrian athletes.

The genetic development of commercial broiler led to body misconfiguration and consequent walking disabilities, mainly at the slaughter age. The present study aimed to identify broiler locomotion ability using image analysis automatically. A total of 40 broiler 40 d-old were placed to walk on a specially built runway, and their locomotion was recorded. An image segmentation algorithm was developed, and the coordinates of the bird's center of mass were extracted from the segmented images for each frame analyzed, and the Unrest Index (UI) was applied. We calculated the center of mass's movement of the broiler walking's lateral images, therefore, capturing the bird's displacement speed in the onward direction. Results indicated that broiler speed on the runway tends to decrease with the increase of the gait score. The locomotion did not differ between males or females. The proposed algorithm was efficient if predicting the broiler gait score based on their displacement speed.

Diarrhoea is a serious cause of mortality worldwide that can lead to dehydration, gut barrier function impairment, nutrient malabsorption, and alterations of the gut microbiota (dysbiosis). Current solutions for its management, such as oral rehydration salts (ORS), inhibitors of the gut motility, antibiotics, and living probiotics only partially counteract the mechanisms of the disease and do not provide a full coverage of the problem. Potential risks of the use of living probiotic strains, particularly in immunocompromised patients, can be eliminated with the use of tyndallized (heat-killed) postbiotic bacteria and yeast. ABB C22® is a postbiotic combination of three tyndallized yeasts, namely Saccharomyces boulardii, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Kluyveromyces marxianus. To assess the action of the postbiotic combination on diarrhoea, immune and gut epithelial cell signaling assays, gut barrier formation assay and rotavirus gene expression assay were performed. ABB C22® showed a strong anti-inflammatory effect, an induction of the build-up of the gut epithelium, and a degree of protection against rotavirus infection. These experimental studies support the use of the postbiotic ABB C22® as a solution for the management of diarrhoea and gastrointestinal conditions, alone or in combination with existing but incomplete treatments.

Early discharge after childbirth has led to a rise in neonatal readmission, becoming a major concern in recent decades. Our research aimed to identify the risk factors and incidence of neonatal readmission, as well as explore preventive measures. Our study at the Clinical Hospital of Pediatrics in Ploiești, Romania included 108 neonates admitted during the neonatal period. This accounted for 2.06% of all admissions (5226). The most prevalent cases were malnutrition (25%), fever (20.3%) and bronchiolitis (17.5%). Diarrhea and infectious gastroenteritis were also observed (14.8%), along with acute rhinoconjunctivitis (9.2%) and late onset sepsis (3.7%). No deaths were recorded. The most significant characteristics identified were number of children (p&lt;0.001) and age at maternity discharge (p&lt;0.001). By following the prevention rules, malnutrition, feeding errors, and infections can be avoided. This includes practicing proper hand hygiene for both mothers and medical staff, as well as educating and demonstrating to mothers the benefits of breastfeeding. In addition, all newborns discharged from the maternity ward should benefit from follow-up at 7-10 days of life. Our results confirm the effectiveness of a multidisciplinary team and endorse promoting breastfeeding. Implementing quality control measures and regularly evaluating the surveillance program will help improve its effectiveness.

Background: Heart failure is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide; left ventricular diastolic dysfunction plays a leading role in this clinical context. Diastolic dysfunction may be predisposed by increased abdominal fat and, consequently, increased pericardial and epicardial adiposity. This study aimed to determine whether pericardial and epicardial fat are associated with left ventricular diastolic function. Methods: 82 patients had their abdominal circumference measured and underwent transthoracic echocardiography to measure the thickness of pericardial and epicardial fat and assess the left ventricular diastolic function. Two groups were created based on mean pericardial fat thickness (4.644 mm) and were related to abdominal circumference and echocardiographic parameters. Results: Subjects in the PF High group showed a significant decrease in septal e' (p&lt;0.0001), lateral e' (p&lt;0.0001) and E/A ratio (p=0.003) and a significant increase in E/e' ratio (p&lt;0. 0001), E wave deceleration time (p=0. 013), left atrial volume (p&lt;0.0001), LV mass (p=0.003), tricuspid regurgitant jet velocity (p&lt;0.0001) and LV diameter (p=0.014) compared to the PF Low group. Conclusions: Measurement of abdominal circumference, pericardial and epicardial fat is an early indicator of diastolic changes with transthoracic echocardiography being the gold standard exam.

The Paris Agreement aims to limit global warming, and one of the most pollutant sectors is heavy industry, where cement production is a significant contributor. This work briefly explores some alternatives: recycling, reducing clinker content, waste heat recovery, and carbon capture, discussing their advantages and drawbacks. Then, it examines the economic viability and benefits of increasing oxygen concentration in the primary burning air from 21% to 27%, which could improve clinker production by 7%, and the production of hydrogen through PEM electrolysis to make up 5% of the fuel thermal fraction, both on a cement plant producing 3000 tons of clinker per day. It is concluded that oxygen enrichment can provide substantial fuel savings for a relatively low cost despite a possible significant increase in NOx emissions. By opposition, hydrogen production at this scale does not appear economically viable.

This study aimed to conduct a cross-cultural adaptation of the development of the cat-owner/dog-owner relationship scales. The method encompassed several stages: conceptual, item, semantic, operational, measurement, and functional equivalence. Processes included translations, synthesis of translations, back-translations, consensus on the English versions, external evaluation by the original authors, expert committee evaluation, and pre-tests. The study involved surveying 342 pet owners throughout Brazil using a 20-item questionnaire. Data analyses utilized confirmatory factor analysis, covariance-based modeling, and multigroup analysis. The techniques confirmed that the scale preserved its psychometric properties and showed no variance between dog and cat owners, indicating that the measured constructs are universal and unaffected by specific cultural nuances. Hence, the cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the scale facilitate applying and testing concepts and measures in diverse contexts, enriching our understanding of the dynamics between owners and their pets (dogs and cats) in different living situations. In addition, this research holds particular significance in Brazil, given the country’s vast cultural diversity.

The bioactive marine sulfated polysaccharides ulvan and carrageenan, formulated in gels at 1.5, 5.0 and 10% w/w concentrations, were evaluated for their wound healing potential on second-degree burn wounds. The polysaccharide-based gels were administered on the burn-inflamed skin of hairless female SKH-hr2 mice, and the therapeutic effect of the various treatments was assessed based on histopathological analysis, the clinical condition of mice, photo-documentation, evaluation of biophysical skin parameters, and FT-IR spectroscopy.Clinical and histopathological assessment, as well as the reduction rate of the burn wound area, indicated that the 10% w/w carrageenan gel significantly enhanced wound healing, especially at the early stages of the healing process, recovering both the α-helix of collagen and the glycosaminoglycans configuration as evidenced by the FT-IR absorption bandsof skin in vivo and ex vivo. At later stages, the healing effect of the 5% w/w ulvan gel was also notably significant, indicating that carrageenan and ulvan wound dressing gels could potentially contribute to the efficient wound healing of burn wounds.

Recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) affects around 2 % of women of reproductive age. Primary RPL is defined by ≥2 pregnancy losses and no normal birth delivery. In secondary RPL, the losses are after a normal pregnancy and delivery. Most cases have no clear aetiology, although primary cases are the most complex. Several gene polymorphisms have been associated with RPL. Some polymorphisms are increased in women of Asian or Caucasian race. In admixed RPL populations, the information on possible genetic links is scarce and contradictory. The study aimed to assess the frequency of two SNP in different enzymes involved in medical conditions observed during pregnancy. Microsomal epoxy hydrolase (mEPH) is involved in detoxifying xenobiotics. It is present in ovaries, and it is hormonally regulated. The endothelial nitric oxide synthase forms nitric oxide from arginine and is involved in vascular tone. Two SNPs, rs1051740 and rs1799983, were assessed. The study included 26 controls and 63 primary RPL patients. Significant differences were observed in the frequencies of both SNP (p<0.05). The frequency of mutated alleles was higher in patients. Double mutated homozygotes were encountered only in RLP patients (p<0.05). Genetic polymorphisms rs1051740 and rs1799983 may be involved in primary RPL in the Venezuelan admix population. Genetic studies could provide crucial information on the aetiology of primary RPL.

According to a recent study by OpenAI, Open Research, and the University of Pennsylvania, large language models (LLMs) based on artificial intelligence (AI), such as Generative Pretrained Transformers (GPTs), may have potential implications on the job market, specifically regarding job occupations that demand writing or programming skills. The research points out Interpreters and Translators as one of the main job occupations with greater exposure to AI in the US job market (76.5%). This article, following a mixed-methods survey-based research, provides insights into the Portuguese Language Service Providers (LSPs) awareness and knowledge about AI, specifically regarding neural machine translation (NMT) and large language models (LLM), its actual use and usefulness, as well as their potential influence on work performance and labour market. The results show that most professionals are unable to identify if AI and/or automation technologies support the tools that are most used in the profession. The usefulness of AI is essentially low to moderate and the professionals who are less familiar with it and less knowledgeable also demonstrate lack of trust in it. Two thirds of the sample estimate negative or very negative effects of AI in the profession, expressing as main concerns the devaluation and replacement of experts, the reduction of income, and the reconfiguration of the career of translator to mere post-editors.

2019-n-CoV is the seventh coronavirus known to infect humans and cause serious illness, and due to its lethality there was a worldwide mobilization for the development of new drugs and new vaccines for Covid-19. Therefore, the present work aims to carry out a virtual screening of terpenes with potential anti SARS-CoV-2 activity. To perform the ligand-based virtual, a model was constructed regarding the compounds which already showed inhibitory activity of the SARS-CoV-2. The test series corresponded to terpenes isolated in the Fabaceae Family. The compounds that were most likely to activity were subjected to Molecular Docking and the best poses obtained were subjected to Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations carried. The molecules under study were submitted to in vitro evaluation to assess inhibitory activity of compounds against SARS-CoV-2 in a phenotypic screening model of the virus. The compounds selected by in silico screening corresponded to triterpenoids from the lupane series. In the in vitro test, both demonstrated activity against the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The virtual screening performed managed to identify the compounds with the highest probability of activity, as well as the most stable compounds, and the method used was validated by the in vitro study carried out.

Monitoring lakes in high-latitude areas can provide a better understanding of freshwater systems sensitivity and accrete knowledge on climate change impacts. Phytoplankton are sensitive to various conditions: warmer temperatures, earlier ice-melt and changing nutrient sources. Satellite imagery can monitor algae biomass over large areas. The detection of chlorophyll a (chl-a) concentrations in small lakes is hindered by the low spatial resolution of conventional ocean colour satellites. The short time-series of the newest generation of space-borne sensors (e.g. Sentinel-2) is a bottleneck for assessing long-term trends. Although previous studies have evaluated the use of high-resolution sensors for assessing lakes' chl-a, it is still unclear how the spatial and temporal variability of chl-a concentration affect the performance of satellite estimates. We discuss the suitability of Landsat (LT) 30-m resolution imagery to assess lakes' chl-a concentrations under varying trophic conditions, across extensive high-latitude areas in Finland. We use in situ data obtained from field campaigns in 19 lakes and generate remote sensing estimates of chl-a, taking advantage of the long-time span of the LT 5 and 7 archives, from 1984 to 2017. Our results show that linear models based on LT data can explain approximately 50 % of the chl-a interannual variability. However, we demonstrate that the accuracy of the estimates is dependent on the lake's trophic state, with models performing in average twice as better in lakes with higher chl-a concentration (> 20 µg/l) in comparison with less eutrophic lakes. Finally, we demonstrate that linear models based on LT data can achieve high accuracy (R2 = 0.9; p-value < 0.05) in determining lakes' annual mean chl-a concentration, allowing the mapping of the trophic state of lakes across large regions. Given the long time-series and high spatial resolution, LT-based estimates of chl-a provide a tool for assessing the impacts of environmental change.

Long-term safety of a nutraceutical combination based on agnus castus and magnolia extracts combined with soy isoflavones (SI) and lactobacilli, and effectiveness on vasomotor symptoms and sleep disorders in postmenopausal women, were assessed. A controlled study was carried-out in menopausal women comparing this nutraceutical combination (ESP group) with formulation containing isoflavones alone (C group), at the dosage recommended. Kuppermann index, PSQI, and SF-36 were determined at baseline, 3, 6 and 12 months. Endometrial thickness, mammary density and liver function were evaluated at baseline and after 12 months. 180 women (100 in ESP group and 80 in C group, mean age 55.5 years, in menopause for about 36 months) were enrolled in the study. At the treatment end, mammary density, endometrial thickness, and hepatic function did not show substantial differences between groups. Kuppermann index, and particularly hot flushes, were progressively and significantly decreased in frequency and severity during ESP versus C treatment. No adverse events were observed. Agnus castus and magnolia, combined with SI + lactobacilli, can effectively and safely be used in symptomatic postmenopausal women, mainly when quality of sleep is the most disturbing complaint. Endometrium, mammary glands and liver function, were unaffected after 12 months treatment.

Despite notable advancements in immunotherapy in the past decades, allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HCT) remains a promising, potentially curative treatment modality. Only a limited number of studies has performed a direct comparison of two prevalent rabbit anti-thymocyte globulin (r-ATG) formulations — specifically, Thymoglobuline (ATG-T, formerly Genzyme) and Grafalon (ATG-G, formerly Fresenius). The primary objective of our retrospective analysis was to compare the outcomes of adult patients undergoing matched or mismatched unrelated donor (MUD/MMUD) allo-HCT, with a graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) prophylaxis based on either ATG-T or ATG-G. A total of 87 patients undergone allo-HCT between 2012 and 2022 were included. We observed no significant differences between ATG-T and ATG-G concerning the occurrence of acute graft-versus-host disease (aGvHD), regardless of its severity. Conversely, chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGvHD) occurred less frequently in the ATG-T group compared to ATG-G (7.5% vs. 38.3%, p=0.001). Patients treated with ATG-T manifested a higher incidence of cytomegalovirus (CMV) reactivations (70% vs. 31.9%, p&lt;0.001), with a shorter time between transplant and CMV (&lt;61 days, 77.8% vs. 33.3%, p=0.008) and a higher median CMV copy number (1000 vs. 0, p=0.004). Notably, despite a higher occurrence of CMV reactivations in the ATG-T cohort, most patients were asymptomatic compared to ATG-G (85.7% vs. 43.8%, p=0.005). Finally, we observed no significant differences in terms of 5-year overall survival (OS) and 3-year probability of relapse while comparing ATG-T and ATG-G (32.0% vs 40.3%, p=0.423; 63.9% vs 55.7%, p=0.438, respectively).

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

The strong competition in the automotive industry has required manufacturers to implement lean production, both with methods and techniques specific to Industry 4.0. At the same time, universities must provide graduates with specific skills for applying these new production methods and techniques. In this context, a Lean Learning Factory was developed in the Pitesti University Center, which allows students to learn, experiment, and research, in an environment similar to that of enterprises, the new Lean Manufacturing methods and techniques, and Industry 4.0. The research presented in this study had as its objective identifying the minimum number of repetitions necessary to train operators who serve two differently organized workstations, one classic, the other including digital techniques, but on which the same assembly operation is performed. Several indicators were considered in the analysis, such as the number of errors, the number of stops, the effective duration of the work cycle, and the percentage ratio between the standard duration of cyclical activities and the effective duration of the work cycle. The evolution of these indicators was mathematically modelled by regression functions, using the least squares method. The obtained results also highlight the usefulness of applying the DOJO method as a Lean manufacturing-specific learning technique and the efficiency of implementing digital techniques in work organization.

In this follow-up study, we aimed to assess the effectiveness of the “I do not smoke, I exercise”, anti-smoking preventive health education program. The program was based on the Theory of Planned Behavior supplemented with life-skills teaching and targeted at high school students. The intervention comprised ten one-hour online sessions, administered by physical education instructors. The study cohort comprised 222 students (109 boys, 113 girls) from 11 secondary schools, with an average age of 16.42 ± 1.36 years. Data collection involved pre- and post-intervention self-assessment questionnaires. The examined variables included attitudes towards smoking, intention to smoke, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control (PBC), knowledge about smoking, smoking behavior, exercise behavior, attitudes toward the program's implementation, and satisfaction with the program. Separate paired samples t-test revealed a significant improvement in students' knowledge about smoking, perceived behavioral control, and overall program satisfaction following the intervention. However, no significant changes were observed in the remaining variables. These findings suggest that the health education smoking prevention intervention incorporates techniques and strategies that influence the Perceived Behavioral Control variable, emphasizing students' strong interest in educationally theorized programs integrating technology into their design. Future studies should consider further examination of tobacco control strategies within the high school context.

The objective of this work is to evaluate and compare the levels of bioactive compounds in basil leaves (Ocimum basilicum), fresh and after thermal drying processing freeze-dried, using methodological procedures that follow internationally recommended and accepted standards. Fresh basil leaves had 9.50 -63.3 mg/100g (vitamin C), 1.8 -3.9 mg EAG/g (total polyphenols), 0.73-1.78 mg/g (flavonoids), 2287.8-1003,8 μg/100g (chlorophyll a), 2606-2287 μg/100g (chlorophyll b), 16.71-20.6 (total carotenoids).Regarding color, there was variation in the parameters L*, a* and b* of the dry sample, but maintained the tendency towards green e (a+) and yellow (b-). Infrared analysis (FTIR) demonstrated the presence of functional groups related to cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin, confirmed by micrography (SEM) with visualization of plant parenchyma residues and fiber bundles. Thermogravimetry (TG/DTG) shows stability in the range of 234 °C, showing more intense mass loss at 294.6 °C. Given the data, it is possible to infer that basil is little affected by freeze-drying, with few changes in bioactive compounds, chemical groups and with good thermal stability. Thus, the application of the freeze-drying technique is a viable alternative to the commercialization of basil leaves, prolonging their useful life and increasing the forms of food applications.

The Social Economy (SE) emerges as an interesting alternative to deal with social problems that often cannot be met by the services provided by the State. However, one of the concerns relates to the ability of these institutions to meet the demands of stakeholders concerning accountability. In this sense, the present work aimed to determine if the IPSS are prepared to meet the management requirements by increasing their accountability. For that purpose, we conducted qualitative research, with an exploratory focus, with 31 Portuguese Private Social Solidarity Institutions (IPSS). The interviews took place between June and July 2019, with those responsible for managing the entities. The interviews were guided on a semi-structured script based on the literature review. After Content Analysis, it was found that, in most of the institutions interviewed, the board does not use management tools, such as performance analysis, social impact assessment, strategic planning and quality management systems, even recognising the importance of using them. The fact is due to the lack of access or knowledge about its use. In addition, the majority of the IPSS interviewed showed concern about the transparency and ethics of managers. Current strategic management practices are remarkably targeted at companies in the for-profit sector and can compromise the principle of investments in human and social issues. Thus, the introduction of new activities can further reinforce the pressure felt by these institutions in carrying out operational activities.

Given the extreme importance of improving the accountability of Private Social Solidarity Institutions (IPSS), both for reasons of legal compliance (hard law) and for reasons of improving legitimacy and notoriety among their stakeholders (soft law), this paper aims to present a framework designed under a more comprehensive research project, for the assessment of IPSS accountability and, consequently, its improvement. This study also present results of the indicators conceived, identifying the main trends of the framework dimensions and sub-dimensions from a pilot test for the years 2018, 2019 and 2020 in Portugal. Given the results, we believe that the framework designed answers the research question: How to promote accountability (social, financial and economic) in the social economy sector, in particular: the case of the IPSS?, however, as this is an exploratory article, it incorporates the limitation that this is a pilot test with only 7 entities.

Social Economy institutions seek to provide answers to social problems, given that they naturally have a socially responsible mission. This study aims to answer the research question: how sustainable practices, namely environmental behaviour, have been adopted by Portuguese Private Social Solidarity Institutions (IPSS) with the purpose of contributing to Sustainable Development? To achieve this objective, qualitative research was carried out in 31 IPSS, which was framed within the scope of the TFA project (Theoretical framework for promotion of accountability in the social economy sector: the IPSS case). Semi-structured interviews were conducted, with a script based on the literature review, from May to July 2019, with those responsible for the management of these entities. A content analysis was conducted, using the NVivo12 Version 12.6.0 software, which enables data to be coded and categorised, reducing any researcher bias. The results indicate that most entities carry out activities of an environmental nature, related to the reuse of materials, the recycling of waste, the sale of materials for recycling, and user awareness. Several entities expressed financial limitations to the implementation of Environmental Management Systems and their accomplishment. However, the objections presented are not impossible to overcome, according to studies presented in other countries.

Background: The purpuse was to investigate the influence induced by magnesium chloride (MgCl2) and zinc gluconate (ZnG) supplementation on liver and kidney injuries experimentally-induced with acetaminophen (AAPh) and potentiated by ciprofloxacin addition in rats. Material and methods: The experiment was performed on 5 animals groups: group 1 – control, treated for 6 weeks with normal saline, 1mL/kg; group 2 – AAPh, treated for 6 weeks with AAPh, 100 mg/ kg/day; group 3 – AAPh+C, treated AAPh 100 mg/kg/ day for 6 weeks and ciprofloxacin, 50mg /kg/day, only in the last 14 days of the experiment; group 4 – AAPh+C+Mg, with the same treatment as group 3, but, and in the last 14 days, MgCl2 10 mg/ kg/day was added; group 5 – AAPh+C+Zn, with the same treatment as group 3, but, and in the last 14 days, zinc gluconate (ZnG),10 mg/kg/day was added. All administrations were performed by oral gavage. At the end of the experiment, the animals were sacrificed and blood samples were collected for biochemistry examinations. Results: Treatment with AAPh for 6 weeks determined an alteration of the liver function (increases in alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, lactic dehydrogenase and, and gamma-glutamyl transferase) and of renal function (increases in serum urea and creatinine) (P < 0.001 group 2 vs. group 1 for all mentioned parameters). Also, the antioxidant defense capacity was impaired in group 2 vs. group 1 (superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activity decreased in group 2 vs. group 1, 0.001 < P < 0.01, respectively 0.01 < P < 0.05). The addition of ciprofloxacin, 50 mg/kg/day during the last 14 days resulted in further increases in alkaline phosphatase, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, urea and creatinine (0.01 < P < 0.05, group 3 vs. group 2). MgCl2 provided a slight protection against liver enzymes increase and a more pronounced protection against the increase in serum urea and creatinine (0.001 < P < 0.01 group 4 vs. group 3). MgCl2 provided a slight protection against the decrease in superoxide dismutase (0.01 < P < 0.05 group 4 vs. group 3), but not against decrease of glutathione peroxidase. The improvement of mentioned parameters could also be seen in case of ZnG, to a higher extent especially in the case of alanine aminotransferase and lactic dehydrogenase (0.01 < P < 0.05 group 5 vs. group 4). Conclusions: This study represents a furthermore proof for beneficial effect of magnesium and zinc salts against toxicity induced by different agents, including antibacterials added to the analgesic and antipyretic acetaminophen; the protection is proven on the liver and kidney’s function; the antioxidant profile improvement has a key role, especially in case of zinc gluconate.

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.

Due to satisfactory mechanical properties, low specific weight and other advantages, a substantial utilization of laminated structural composites in many components and equipments of several industry sectors, especially in the past two decades, has been made. This class of materials has a good potential to be an important ally to support scientists and engineers with the main current world challenge: an energy transition process that must occur with sustainability, eco-friendly materials and based on an efficient reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. In this context, a microanalysis (scale length: 10μm to 1mm) of mechanical behavior that considers the multiphase characteristics, at leastwise a matrix and a reinforcement phase, of this kind of composites must be explored, i. e., a heterogeneous material is assumed to predict, for example, the effective tensors of stiffness or compliance by a homogenization process, modeling to damage analyses, studies about progressive delamination and other specific aspects of a composite can be previously investigated using micromechanical approaches. Therefore, the understanding of fundamental micromechanics as well as some advanced models are essential to apply these materials in structural industry components. In this sense, this systematic literature review is designed to investigate the main basic and advanced models of laminated composites micromechanics and using this overall study, have been developed, in the end, an analysis of research trends to the topic, in which, lines to future researches are indicated.