The primary objective of this systematic review was to analyze the main physical agents representing risk factors for commercial aircrew, together with their consequences. The secondary objective was to identify the countries in which studies on the topic were conducted, as well as the quality of the publications available. Thirty-five articles, published between 1996 and 2020, were selected for the review, having met all inclusion criteria. The majority of studies were conducted in the United States, Germany and Finland and had moderate or low methodological quality of evidence. The main risk factors for aircrew identified in publications were exposure to abnormal air pressure, cosmic radiation, noise, and vibrations. Hypobaric pressure was explored in response to demands for studies on this agent, a factor which may lead to otic and ear barotraumas, as well as acceleration of atherosclerosis of the carotid artery. However, there is a dearth of research exploring this phenomenon.

The main objective of this work is to study the effects of carbon nanotubes (CNT) on the strength and electrical properties of cement mortar. Molecular dynamic simulations (MDS) were carried out for the mechanical and electrical properties of the cementitious composite and the associated mechanisms. To model the atomic structure of the Calcium-Silicate-Hydrates (C-S-H) gel, tobermorite 11Å was chosen. Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) embedded in tobermorite structure were tested numerically. In particular, the effect of the concentration of CNT in cement paste was studied. An innovative experiment of electrical characterization of a cementitious composite of carbon nanotubes has been developed.

Product Development Process is widely known among industry and automobile companies. With the advance of technology and the need to improve product efficiency, many companies have been applying Lean Thinking principles. Their benefits lead those companies to implement their concepts and tools, like Value Stream Design in Indirect Areas, Obeya, Just-in-time (JIT) which is based on the production control system developed and implemented by Toyota. This article describes the case study of the implementation of Lean Product & Process Development (LPPD) on the current Product Development Process (PDP) in an automotive company. The PDP was created by the organization and adapted from Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP). The main findings were a Value Stream Design model of an improved PDP as a useful and successfully contribution for the company. These improvements reduced the product development lead time from 700 days to 369 days. The process efficiency increased from 68% to 85%. The communication and transparency between the cross-functional team (CFT) was improved and show promise for achieving a successful launch of new products.

Tributyltin (TBT) is an environmental contaminant present on all continents, including Antarctica, with a potent biocidal action. Its use began to be intensified during the 1970s, being effectively banned in 2003, but remaining in the environment to this day due to several factors that increase its half-life and misuse despite the bans. In addition to the endocrine disrupting effect of TBT, that may lead to imposex induction in some invertebrate species, there are several studies that demonstrated that TBT also has an immunotoxic effect. The immunotoxic effects that have been observed experimentally in vertebrates using in vitro and in vivo models involve different mechanisms, but mainly alterations in the expression and/or secretion of cytokines. In this review, we summarize and update the literature on the impacts of TBT on the immune system, as well as discuss what still needs to be done to fill the knowledge gaps regarding the impact of this endocrine disrupting-chemical on immune system homeostasis.

The increase in fungal infections, accompanied by adverse effects and acquired resistance associated with the use of antifungal agents used for their clinical management, have facilitated the search for new substances with antifungal properties. Naphthoquinones have been investigated due to their multiple biological activities, including their significant antifungal potential. This study aimed at evaluating the antifungal potential of naphthoquinones against opportunistic fungi and dermatophytes and to assess the impact of a selected naphthoquinone on the formation of the cell wall, ergosterol membrane, and cellular membrane of Candida albicans ATCC 60193. Additionally, cytotoxicity in the MRC-(Medical Research Council-)5 cell lineage, Artemia salina, and tomato as well as arugula seeds was evaluated. The antifungal activity of four naphthoquinones was assessed using well-characterized fungal strains, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined applying the microdilution assay technique. Antifungal activity of the assessed naphthoquinones could be confirmed, particularly for 2,3-DBNQ (2,3-dibromo-1,4-naphthoquinone), which showed prominent antifungal activity (MIC of <1.56 - 6.25 µg/mL) in all chosen test settings. However, its toxicity in MRC-5 cells (IC50 = 15.44 µM), a recorded 100% mortality in A. salina at a concentration of 50 µg/mL, as well as inhibition of 94.8% of the tomato seeds at a concentration of 400 µg/mL and inhibition of 64.1% of arugula seeds at a concentration of 200 µg/mL may limit hypothetical therapeutic applications. It was demonstrated that the likely mechanism of action of 2,3-DBNQ involves interfering with fungal membrane permeability, leading to increased leakage of nucleotides. This study adds to available knowledge on antifungal effects of naphthoquinones, especially of 2,3-DBNQ, against opportunistic yeasts and dermatophytes. However, the observed cytotoxicity in the MRC-5 cell lineage, A. salina, as well as tomato and arugula seeds highlights a need for further research to optimize the selectivity and safety profile of naphthoquinones like 2,3-DBNQ before potential clinical use may be assessed.

A realistic implementation of an all-fiber CO₂ sensor, using 74 cm of hollow core PCF fiber as the cavity for light/gas interaction, has been implemented. It is based on CO₂ absorbance in the 2 μm region. The working range is from 2% to 100% CO₂ concentration at 1 atm total pressure. The response time obtained was 10 min. The use of an FBG tuned fiber ring laser, specifically designed for this application, is discussed and preliminary results with this laser are also presented.

This paper introduces an application of R programming language for geostatistical data processing with a case study of the Mariana Trench, Pacific Ocean. The formation of the Mariana Trench, the deepest among all hadal oceanic depth trenches, is caused by complex and diverse geomorphic factors affecting its development. Mariana Trench crosses four tectonic plates: Mariana, Caroline, Pacific and Philippine. The impact of the geographic location and geological factors on its geomorphology has been studied by methods of statistical analysis and data visualization using R libraries. The methodology includes following steps. Firstly, vector thematic data were processed in QGIS: tectonics, bathymetry, geomorphology and geology. Secondly, 25 cross-section profiles were drawn across the trench. The length of each profile is 1000-km. The attribute information has been derived from each profile and stored in a table containing coordinates, depths and thematic information. Finally, this table was processed by methods of the statistical analysis on R. The programming codes and graphical results are presented. The results include geospatial comparative analysis and estimated effects of the data distribution by tectonic plates: slope angle, igneous volcanic areas and depths. The innovativeness of this paper consists in a cross-disciplinary approach combining GIS, statistical analysis and R programming.

The plague caused by the Yersinia pestis bacterium is primarily a flea-transmitted zoonosis of rodents that can also be conveyed to humans and other mammals. In this work, we analyzed the spatial and temporal distribution of rodents’ populations during active and quiescent periods of the plague in the municipality of Exu, northeastern Brazil. The geospatial analyses had shown that all rodent species occurred through the whole territory of the municipality with different hotspots for the risk of occurrence of the different species. Important fluctuation in the rodent populations was observed with a reduction in the wild rodent fauna following the end of a plague epidemic period, mostly represented by Necromys lasiurus and increase of the commensally species Rattus rattus. A higher abundance of rats might lead to an increased exposure of humans populations, favoring spillovers of plague and other rodent-borne diseases. Our analysis contributed to further highlight the role of the wild rodent species as the amplifier hosts and of the commensally rats (Rattus rattus) as the preserver hosts on the quiescent period on that transmission infection area.

Tryptophan, an essential amino acid in mammals obtained from the diet, is influenced by maternal diet, which impacts early life and development of offspring. This is studied under the Developmental Origins of Diseases and Health (DOHaD) concept, so factors from conception to early childhood affect health and disease susceptibility. Tryptophan is metabolized mainly through two pathways: serotonin (5-HT) and kynurenine. The kynurenine pathway, active in the brain, gut, liver, and placenta, breaks down over 95% of tryptophan and plays roles in inflammation, neurotransmission, immune responses, and immune modulation during pregnancy. The serotonin pathway uses up to 5% of Tryptophan, mainly in the gut, adipose tissues, pancreatic cells, and central nervous system, and regulates responses to environmental changes, including sleep, cognition, and feeding behavior. Key enzymes in these pathways include Trp-2,3-dioxygenase (TDO), indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) type1 (IDO1), and type 2 (IDO2) (kynurenine pathway), and tryptophan hydroxylase type 1 (TPH1) and type 2 (TPH2), serotonin pathway. The fetus-placental unit manages tryptophan metabolism. Serotonin and kynurenine are crucial for placental health and fetal development. Serotonin adjusts placental blood volume and aids neurodevelopment. Kynurenine metabolites protect the fetus from maternal immunity and offer initial neuroprotection. At birth, infants switch from placental nutrients to breast milk, rich in tryptophan and protective bioactive molecules. Tryptophan, solely from breast milk, is crucial for infants. Its levels are high in newborns (first three weeks, 2-4 times higher than in adults), gradually declining to adult levels by the fourth week. The highlights the importance of tryptophan for the serotonin and kynurenine pathways in fetuses, newborns and babies applied to the DOHaD concept.

The COVID-19 pandemic has become the largest public health crisis since the 1918 influenza pandemic. Despite the extensive research conducted on the SARS-CoV-2 virus in humans, little is still known about animal-related transmission and its consequences. Therefore, this study contributed to a better understanding of this issue by focusing on the serological survey of SARS-CoV-2 in samples from the serum bank of the Bovine Virology Laboratory at the Biological Institute of São Paulo, as well as horses and dogs from the Military Police of the State of São Paulo, and tapirs and bats from the states of Mato Grosso do Sul and São Paulo. To achieve this, the possible presence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in domestic and wild animal species was evaluated using the ID Screen® "SARS-CoV-2 Double Antigen Multi Species" ELISA test (ID-Vet.®), following the manufacturer's recommendations. The findings of this study demonstrate a higher occurrence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in domestic animals compared to wild animals, as well as different antibody profiles among the species analyzed, with horses showing a wide range of seroconversion comparable to humans.

Microfluidic devices or microdevices refer to systems with a characteristic length in the micrometer range. Systems in this size allow handling small quantities of reagents and samples, with reduced residence time, better control of chemical species concentration, high heat and mass transfers, and high surface/volume ratio. These characteristics led to the application of these microdevices in several areas, such as biological systems, energy, liquid-liquid extraction, food, agricultural sectors, pharmaceuticals, flow chemistry, microreactors, and biodiesel synthesis. Microreactors are devices that have interconnected microchannels, in which small amounts of reagents are manipulated and react for a certain period of time. The traditional characteristics of microreactors are less quantities of reagents and samples, high surface area in relation to volume (10000 m² m^-3), reduction of resistance to heat and mass transfer, reduced reaction times, and narrower residence time distributions. In recent years, several studies have been carried out on biodiesel production in microreactors that explore the influence of operating conditions, mixing and reaction yield, numbering, and especially the microdevices design. Despite all the advantages of microreactors, the literature shows that there are only a few applications on an industrial scale. Two main reasons that hinder the adoption of this technology are the scale-up to a large enough volume to deliver the necessary production capacity and the costs related to industrial manufacturing microreactors. It is often stated that large-scale production of microreactors can be easily achieved by numbering-up. However, researches show that an incredibly high number of microdevices would be needed, which results in a technical unfeasibility and a strong impact on the construction costs of the industrial system. The present review aims to show whether microreactors can replace conventional biodiesel production processes and how this replacement technology could be carried out. The current chapter was divided into the following sections: Introduction, Synthesis and Purification of Biodiesel in Microreactors, Fundamentals of CFD, and Fundamentals of Scale-up. Finally, conclusions and future perspectives are exposed.

Ascidians are marine invertebrates that synthesize sulfated glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) within their viscera. Ascidian GAGs are considered analogues of mammalian GAGs and possess great potential as bioactive compounds, presenting antitumor and anticoagulant activity. Due to its worldwide occurrence, and therefore, being a suitable organism for large-scale mariculture in many marine environments, our main objectives are to study Microcosmus exasperatus GAGs re-garding composition, structure and biological activity. We also aim to develop efficient protocols for sulfated polysaccharides extraction and purification aiming large-scale production and clinical applications. Ascidians were collected by free diving. GAGs were extracted by proteolytic diges-tion, purified by ion-exchange liquid chromatography, characterized by agarose gel electropho-resis and enzymatic treatments. Anticoagulant activity was evaluated by aPTT assays. Cell cyto-toxicity was evaluated by MTT assays using LLC tumor cell line. Clonogenic assay was performed using LLC cells as well. Tumor cell migration activity was evaluated in vitro by wound healing assays. Our results show that M. exasperatus presents three distinct polysaccharides. These pol-ysaccharides were fractionated into two fractions named SP1 and SP2. M. exasperatus produces a low anticoagulant dermatan sulfate (SP2) and a fucosylated dermatan sulfate composed of a hy-brid chain of dermatan sulfate, chondroitin sulfate and fucose residues with sulfations at position 2 and 6 of the N-acetyl-galactosamine (SP1), which, interestingly, is not susceptible to heparinases treatment and does not present significant anticoagulant activity. Glycans were tested as anti-tumoral agents and presented relevant activity as such. Short-term incubation with TP does not affect LLC tumor cells viability at low concentrations, while long-term incubation with TP de-creased LLC tumor cells growth/proliferation at different concentrations. TP affected LLC tumor cells migration at different concentrations. As a conclusion, we state that M. exasperatus presents great potential as an alternative GAG source compared to porcine or bovine heparin, producing suitable compounds that present antitumoral properties at low concentrations, that do not pos-sess anticoagulant activity, and do not enhance other aspects of malignancy, such as tumor cell migration and invasion. Our perspectives are to apply these molecules in future preclinical studies as a soluble formula, as well as in nanoparticles, for cancer treatment.

Oxytocin (OXT), a pro-social peptide, is increasingly recognized as a potential protective substance against drug addiction. In the context of ethanol, previous researches have shown OXT properties to reduce self-administration, alleviate motor impairment in rodents, and reduce craving in humans. However, its role in behavioral sensitization, a neuroadaptive response resulting from repeated drug exposure linked to increased drug incentive, remains unexplored. OXT is also associated with modulating the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis, with corticosterone well-known as a significant factor in behavioral sensitization development. This study aimed to investigate the effects of Carbetocin (CBT), an analogue of OXT, on the expression of behavioral sensitization to ethanol and concurrent alterations in plasma corticosterone levels in male and female Swiss mice. We also aimed to confirm previous studies on OXT impact on ethanol consumption in male mice, but with a focus on CBT, using the two-bottle choice model and drinking in the dark (DID) methodology. For the sensitization study, mice received either ethanol (1.8 g/kg, ip) or saline treatments daily for 15 consecutive days, followed by treatment with carbetocin (0.64 mg/kg, ip) or a vehicle for 6 days. Subsequently, on day 22, all animals underwent an ethanol challenge to assess the expression of behavioral sensitization. Plasma corticosterone levels were measured on days 21 and 22. CBT effectively prevented the expression of ethanol-induced behavioral sensitization in both male and female subjects, with no alterations detected in corticosterone levels. In the ethanol consumption study, following an initial phase of ethanol acquisition, mice underwent a 6-day treatment with CBT i.p or saline before being reexposed to ethanol. We also found a reduction in ethanol consumption due to CBT treatment. In conclusion, carbetocin emerges as a promising and effective intervention in mitigating ethanol-induced behavioral sensitization and reducing ethanol intake, highlighting its potential significance in alcohol addiction treatment.

Gastrointestinal diseases caused by parasites are frequently diagnosed in the clinical routine of domestic animals, especially dogs and cats. In general, they trigger factors that can affect individual health due to zoonoses. Therefore, this study aims to identify the main intestinal parasites obtained from the fecal samples of dogs and cats in the municipality of Jata, Brazil, and their associated risk factors. Between October 2020 and March 2022, fecal samples were collected from 359 dogs and 55 cats through spontaneous defecation and subsequently subjected to coproparasitological analyses using the Willis fluctuation and Hoffman spontaneous sedimentation techniques. The following parasitic species were identified: Ancylostoma, Toxocara, Trichuris vulpis, Dipylidium caninum; Giardia, Entamoeba, Cystoisospora, and Platynosomum fastosum. The risk factors associated with parasitism include age, average income of owners, access to garbage, sewage, waste, outdated deworming, and contact with animals. The results demonstrate the need to establish public policies and implement preventive and control measures to reduce the occurrence of parasites in animals and the exposure of humans to pathogenic agents.

Antisepsis of the hands of medical personnel is one of the most important steps in the process of patient care, since direct contact can cause the cross-transfer of potentially pathogenic microorganisms at surgical sites.This study aimed to analyze the prevalence of microorganisms on the hands of 131 surgeons in a university hospital before the surgical procedure. Swabs were collected from each clinician's hands before and after handwashing. The samples were placed in a transport medium and immediately delivered to a private Clinical Analysis Laboratory from São Luis-Maranhão. The microorganisms were identified by ionization source mass spectrometry and matrix-assisted laser desorption (MALDI-TOF), and antibiotic susceptibility tests (AST) were performed using the Vitek2 automated system. The results showed a high frequency (100%) of microorganisms before handwashing, but after surgical antisepsis, the rate dropped significantly (p<0.05) to 27.5%. Gram-positive cocci and rods were the most common microbes, followed by gram-negative bacilli species. The effectiveness of hand antisepsis was 72.5%. The ideal would be 100% efficacy, that is, 0% microorganisms in all surgeons. It is logical that the presence of any organism, no matter how infrequent it may be, will always represent a great risk of postoperative infection for any patient.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are essential signaling molecules involved in almost all metabolic processes. In the present study, a HepG2 insulin resistant cell model (HepG2/IRM) was chosen to investigate the efficacy of hydroxyhydroquinone (HHQ), quassinoids from Picrasma crenata and flavonoids from Rourea cuspidata as potential glycemic controlling agents for insulin sensitization. HHQ was synthetized and extracts from P. crenata and R. cuspidata were tested in hepatic cell line, which were evaluated through cytotoxic activity, levels of ROS, ATP, mitochondrial membrane potential and expression of FoxO1 protein in a high glucose environment. Our results demonstrate that the HHQ, quassinoids and flavonoids were not toxic to cells at concentrations up to 50mM and 50 mg/mL in HepG2/IRM and HepG2. ROS activity was increased for all groups with insulin induction upon glucose consumption. HHQ and quassinoids downregulate the expression of FoxO1 in comparison to cells exposed to flavonoids. The results here presented suggests that quassinoids may act on nuclear glucocorticoid receptors to inhibit FoxO1 expression by competing with cortisol and HHQ can act as ROS scavenger to ameliorate mitochondria activity and modulate ATP generation. This study provides a pharmacological basis for the application of HHQ, quassinoids from P. crenata and flavonoids from R. cuspidata in the treatment of metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes mellitus.

We use Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN) to probe Beyond Standard Model physics in the neutrino sector. Recently the abundances of primordially produced light elements D and He-4 were determined from observations with better accuracy. The good agreement between the theoretically predicted abundances of primordially produced and derived from observations light elements allows to update the BBN constraints on Beyond Standard Models (BSM) physics. We provide numerical analysis of several BSM models of BBN and obtain precise cosmological constraints and indications for new neutrino physics. Namely, we derive more stringent BBN constraints on electron neutrino-sterile neutrino oscillations corresponding to 1% uncertainty of the observational determination of the primordial He-4. The cosmological constraints are obtained both for the case of zero and non-zero initial population of the sterle neutrino state. Then in a degenerate BBN model with neutrino νe↔νs oscillations we analyze the change of the cosmological constraints in case lepton asymmetry L is big enough to suppress oscillations. We obtain constraints on the lepton asymmetry L . We discuss a possible solution to the dark radiation problem in degenerate BBN models with νe↔νs oscillations in case L is large enough to suppress neutrino oscillations during BBN epoch. Interestingly, the required value of L for solving DR problem is close to L indicated by EMPRESS experiment and close to the value of lepton asymmetry necessary to relax Hubble tension.

Soil contamination with toxic heavy metals, such as lead (Pb), is a critical environmental issue with adverse effects on ecosystems. Cymbopogon citratus, known as lemongrass, is a medicinal plant with phytoremediation potential for Pb-contaminated soils, besides producing essential oil (EO) and bioactive compounds. Azospirillum brasilense is a plant growth promoting bacteria, and its inoculation into the soil can benefit plants in many ways, such as increased root growth and improved nutrient absorption. This study aimed to investigate the phytochemistry of lemongrass inoculated with A. brasilense and grown in Pb-contaminated soil to assess its responses to inoculation under different Pb levels. The experimental design was completely randomized in a 2 x 5 factorial scheme: two levels of A. brasilense (absence or presence) and five Pb levels (0, 50, 100, 300, and 500 mg Pb kg–1 of soil), totaling 60 experimental plots in ten treatments with six replicates. After four months of treatment, was analyzed total and reducing sugars, total phenolic content, flavonoids, antioxidant activity, antioxidant enzymes, proline, and EO content and composition. Soil Pb levels and A. brasilense inoculation affected phytochemical in lemongrass plants. Azospirillum inoculation reduced total sugars in the roots at all soil Pb levels, while increasing Pb levels favored a rise in sugar contents. There was an increase in flavonoid content in treatments associated with Pb and inoculated with A. brasilense. Antioxidant capacity was lower at lower Pb levels, regardless of bacterial inoculation. Enzymatic response was mainly affected by Pb concentrations between 50 and 100 mg kg–1 soil. EO content was influenced by soil Pb levels, with higher EO production at 500 mg Pb kg–1 soil and without A. brasilense inoculation. Overall, lemongrass cultivation in Pb-contaminated areas can be an alternative for phytoremediation and EO production for the industry. Moreover, A. brasilense inoculation proved to be beneficial in mitigating stress caused by high Pb concentrations in contaminated soils.

(1) Background: Obesity and its comorbidities can cause burdens and limitations. Bariatric surgery (BS) is indicated as a safe procedure to reduce body mass and improve present comorbidities. Yet, several complications were reported, like vitamin D [25(OH)D] deficiency. We evaluated if 25(OH)D serum levels relate to clinical characteristics, symptoms, or habits in women after their BS and whether the vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene's TaqI and FokI polymorphisms affected 25(OH)D levels and the total body bone mineral density (TBBMD). (2) Methods: This cohort cross-sectional comparative analytical prospective study consisted of 27 women, 61.6 ± 5.0 years, submitted to BS one year prior at a public reference hospital, DF-Brazil. All participants were asked to follow the physical and dietary activity recommendations and received vitamin D3 supplements. Their anthropometric, biochemical, and immunological measurements and blood samples were obtained. (3) Results: 73.3% of participants had low 25(OH)D levels, and their levels correlated positively with TBBMD and negatively with systolic pressure. VDR TaqI did not affect 25(OH)D levels, whereas VDR FokI's allele f presence correlated to a median rise in 25(OH)D levels. Neither polymorphism correlated to TBBMD. (4) Conclusions: 25(OH)D levels were positively correlated with TBBMD, negatively with systolic blood pressure, and were higher in those with the VDR FokI allele f.

Anthracnose (ANT) and angular leaf spot (ALS) are significant diseases in common bean, leading to considerable yield losses under specific environmental conditions. The California Dark Red Kidney (CDRK) bean cultivar is known for its resistance to multiple races of both pathogens. Previous studies have identified the CoPv01CDRK/PhgPv01CDRK resistance loci on chromosome Pv01. Here, we evaluated the expression levels of ten candidate genes near the CoPv01CDRK/PhgPv01CDRK loci and plant defense genes using quantitative real-time PCR in CDRK cultivar inoculated with races 73 of Colletotrichum lindemuthianum and 63-39 of Pseudocercospora griseola. Gene expression analysis revealed that the Phvul.001G246300 gene exhibited the most elevated levels, showing remarkable 7.8-fold and 8.5-fold increases for ANT and ALS, respectively. The Phvul.001G246300 gene encodes an abscisic acid (ABA) receptor pyrabactin resistance - PYR1-like (PYL) protein, which plays a central role in crosstalk between ABA and jasmonic acid responses. Interestingly, our results also showed that the other defense genes were initially activated. These findings provide critical insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying plant defense against these diseases and could contribute to the development of more effective disease management strategies in the future.

This research presents a comprehensive bibliometric and sentiment analysis of nanocomposite literature from 1990 to 2024. Employing cutting-edge computational methods, the study delves deep into the progression of microstructural characterization, electrical properties, and mechanical behaviors of nanocomposites. The analysis utilizes advanced Boolean search strategies from the Scopus database, ensuring a thorough extraction of thematic content. The results explore various themes and insights, shedding light on trends evident in the Scopus database, particularly the prominence of research on nanocomposite microstructure, electrical attributes, and mechanical performance. The paper also offers textual analytics and bibliometric data, showcasing critical collaborative efforts and influential studies. Significant discoveries encompass the evolution of research language, shifts in thematic focus, and global contributions, providing a comprehensive perspective on the current landscape of nanocomposite research and its dynamic evolution. Moving forward, the "State-of-the-Art and Gaps Extracted from Results and Discussions" section of the paper delves into the most recent advancements in nanocomposite research. It delves into various types of nanocomposites, with a particular emphasis on their microstructural characteristics, electrical properties, mechanical dynamics, and the application of nanocomposite films. This section identifies key research themes, traces historical progress, and highlights emerging trends while underscoring the significance of collaboration and the influence of pivotal studies that have shaped the field. Lastly, in the "Literature Review Guided by Artificial Intelligence" section, the paper introduces a revised approach for researching nanocomposites through AI-guided techniques. This approach prioritizes articles published in 2023 based on citation frequency. Here, the focus is on exploring the relationship between nanocomposites and their electrical properties, emphasizing their fundamental interactions and impact on electrical characteristics. Various nanocomposite systems are covered, highlighting their composition, structure, and functionality. Findings from recent studies are integrated to provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of knowledge in this area. Notably, the sentiment analysis, anchored by an average sentiment score of 0.638771, underscores a positive trajectory in academic discourse, emphasizing the growing recognition of the potential of nanocomposites. The bibliometric exploration maps the intellectual domain, emphasizing pivotal research themes and the influence of crosslinking time on nanocomposite attributes. While this study is thorough, it acknowledges its limitations and advocates for broader database inclusion in future research endeavors. This work elucidates the prevailing trends in nanocomposite research, emphasizing the indispensable role of computational tools in comprehending this vast wealth of information.

Abstract: MicroRNAs can interfere with a protein function by suppressing their messenger RNA translation or the synthesis of its related factors. The function of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is essential to the proper formation and function of the nervous system and is seen to be regulated by many microRNAs. However, understanding how microRNAs influence BDNF actions within cells requires a wider comprehension of their integrative regulatory mechanisms. Aim: In this literature review, we have synthesized the evidence of microRNA regulation on BDNF in cells and tissues, and provided an analytical discussion about direct and indirect mechanisms that appeared involved in BDNF regulation by microRNAs. Methods: Searches were conducted on PubMed.gov using the terms “BDNF” AND “MicroRNA” and “brain-derived neurotrophic factor” AND “MicroRNA”, updated on September 1st, 2023. Papers without open access were requested from the authors. One hundred and seventy-one papers were included for review and discussion. Results and Discussion: The local regulation of BDNF by microRNAs involves a complex interaction between a series of microRNAs with target proteins that can either inhibit or enhance BDNF expression, at the core of cell metabolism. Therefore, understanding this homeostatic balance provides resources for the future development of vector-delivery-based therapies for the neuroprotective effects of BDNF.

Studies have demonstrated the positive effects of acupuncture on athletic performance. The aim of this study was to determine the acute effects of acupuncture on heart rate, the perceived exertion scale and lactate levels in recreational athletes. Fifteen competitive males engaged in HIIT. The characteristic was 29.86±2.51 years old, heart rate reserve 59.00±3.33, lactate 3.17±0.50 mM/DL. The subjects were submitted to two exercise sessions. Both training sessions consisted of 10 burpees, 12 thrusters and 14 box jumps (75 cm high) for 12 minutes. Activity intensity was between 85 and 95% of maximum heart rate. Acupuncture points: ST36, L3, LI11. The student’s t-test was adopted, Shapiro-Wilk test was applied for normality, and Pearson correlation. There was a positive correlation of r = 0.69 between lactate levels and heart rate. Lactate: Lac1 15.00±1.18 – Lac2 19.59± 1.46 p= 0.0001*; Heart 1rate: HRF 163.71±7.27 – HRF2 177.60±6.99 p=0.0001*; Blood pressure: SBP1 174.86±1.57 – SBP2 180.86±1.77 p= 0.0001*; PES1: 19.4±1.14; PES2 16.8±0.84 p= 0.0001*; weight1 – 182,57±12,05; weight 2 206,43±11,39 p=0.0325*. Acupuncture increased lactate accumulation, heart rate and blood pressure, suggesting that the exertion reached after acupuncture is higher than without acupuncture. The acupuncture technics improved the athlete performance.

The consumption of fiber in the human diet is a global recommendation to ensure a healthy diet. Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.), a gluten-free grain, and chia (Salvia hispanica), a seed, contain high fiber content and both have the potential to be explored in the development of nutraceutical and pharmaceutical formulations. An interesting characteristic of chia is its ability to form viscous mucilage when in contact with water, bringing the prospect of a binder in solid formulations. To produce tablets with a high fiber content, it is more appropriate to transform the material into granules using a wet process, with the help of a tool that exploits this possibility. Therefore, the objective of the present work was to study, using the Mixer Torque Rheometer, the feasibility of using chia as a binder to produce granulated quinoa and the development of chewable tablets. To this end, an experimental design was carried out to evaluate the impact of variables on the rheometer results for subsequent granulation. It was possible to obtain the granulation point for the formulations and after producing the granules, physical tests were carried out in which we noticed improvements in the flow. In the end, a formulation was selected for the development of chewable tablets containing quinoa and chia fibers.

This work reports the influence of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) support on the catalytic performance of Cu@PtRu/rGO catalysts towards methanol oxidation in acidic medium. These core-shell catalysts are synthesized by the reduction method in two steps being the first using ethylene glycol to obtain Cu/rGO and the second, the reduction of copper atoms synthesized in the previous step to produce Cu@PtRu/rGO. In order to compare the catalytic performance of the prepared catalysts, Pt/C, PtRu/C, Cu@PtRu/C catalysts are also synthesized on Vulcan XC-72R carbon. The theoretical loading of Pt used in the Vulcan XC-72R carbon supported catalysts is equal to that utilized in Cu@PtRu/rGO, and higher in the other prepared catalysts. The surface composition of the nanoparticles, as well as their sizes, particle size distribution and morphology of the catalyst particles are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and chronoamperometry (CA) are employed to measure the electrochemical performance of the prepared catalysts. The anodic scans show that for the region of technological interest (0.1 to 0.4 V), the Cu@PtRu/rGO-16 electrocatalyst exhibits higher current density value than the others as a result of its lower starting oxidation potential (0.250V against 0.437V for Pt/C) and its higher ratio between forward (iF) and reverse (iR) current densities (iF/iR 1.45 against 0.93 for Pt/C). Chronoamperometric tests depict that the current density value of Cu@PtRu/rGO-16 catalyst is about 4 times higher than that of Cu@PtRu/C-16 and Cu@PtRu/C-18 catalysts, ca. 4.8 times higher than that of PtRu/C-30 catalyst and around 6 times higher than that of Pt/C-30. These results suggest that Cu@PtRu/rGO-16 exhibits high bulk activity for the electrooxidation of methanol, high stability and high tolerance to CO poisoning, making it possible to reduce the platinum loading in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs).

A review of desiccant dehumidification technologies for improving air-quality has been presented, especially focusing on alternatives for air conditioning systems for minimizing the Sick Building Syndrome. The principles and types of desiccant wheels, as well as the existing selection software for these types of equipment, were reviewed and comparatively evaluated. The study focuses on the Brazilian context, therefore, information about air condition systems and laws of this country were evaluated. Possible applications of desiccant wheels are also analyzed, such as their integration into cooling cycles and the sensible heat wheel. Finally, several commercial desiccant wheel selection software were evaluated, which are useful in many situations. Nevertheless, it was evidenced that the available softwares are not capable of performing an operation analysis for only a specific period. Therefore, it is essential to create computational tools to select desiccant wheels, considering the data from the different Brazilian regions for a year.

The use of plant growth-promoting bacteria can be one option for mitigating the impact of abiotic constraints on different cropping systems in the tropical semi-arid region. The aim of this study was to evaluate growth, leaf gas exchange and yield in maize inoculated with Bacillus aryabhattai, and subjected to water and salt stress. The experiment followed a randomised block design, in a split plot arrangement, with six repetitions. The plots comprised two levels of electrical conductivity for the irrigation water (ECw): 0.3 dS m-1 and 3.0 dS m-1; the subplots consisted of three irrigation depths (ID1: 50%, ID2: 75%, and ID3: 100% of the crop evapotranspiration (ETc)); while the sub-subplots included the presence or absence of Bacillus aryabhattai inoculant. A water deficit of 50% of the ETc resulted in the principal negative effects on growth, reducing the leaf area and stem diameter. The use of Bacillus aryabhattai mitigated salt stress and promoted better leaf gas exchange by increasing the CO2 assimilation rate, stomatal conductance, and internal CO2 concentration. However, irrigation with brackish water (3.0 dS m-1) reduced the instantaneous water use efficiency of the maize. Inoculation partially reduced the effects of abiotic stress due to morpho-physiological traits, and increased yield potential under water deficit with no salt stress.

Low-frequency audible noise generated by the magnetostriction effect inherent to the operation of power transformers has become a major drawback, especially in cases where the electrical substation is located in urban areas subject to strict environmental regulations that imposes sound pressure limits, differing for day and night periods. Such regulations apply a +5 dB penalty if a tonal component of noise is present, which is clearly the case of magnetostriction noise, typically concentrated at twice the industrial frequency (50 Hz or 60 Hz, depending on the country). The strategy used to eliminate the tonal characteristics, therefore contributing to establish compliance with the applicable regulation and to alleviate the discomfort it causes to the human ear, consisted in superimposing to the substation noise a masking sound synthesized from “sounds of nature” with suitable intensities, to flatten the noise spectrum while enhancing the soundscape. The masking system (heavy-duty speakers powered by a microprocessor platform) was validated at an already judicialized urban scenario. Measurement results confirmed that the masking solution was capable of flattening the tonal frequencies, whose beneficial effect yielded the cancellation of the public civil action filed by the neighbors. The proposed solution is ready to be replicated to other scenarios.

Many factors drive land desertification, especially in arid and semi-arid regions. However, the numerous driving factors of desertification make analyses computer expensive. Cloud computing comes along to address this problem, especially in developing countries. The objective of this work was to assess the sensitivity of the East Atlantic Basin, Brazil, to desertification using the Mediterranean Desertification and Land Use (MEDALUS) model and Google Earth Engine (GEE). The model is composed of four environmental Quality Indices (QIs) associated with soil (SQI), vegetation (VQI), climate (CQI) and management (MQI), and contains factors influencing the desertification process. Digital databases of the factors were pre-processed and uploaded to GEE for analysis. We report Environmentally Sensitive Areas (ESAs) and Environmentally Critical Factors (ECF) maps of the East Atlantic Basin, which showed that most of the basin is in either critical (49.4%) or fragile (35.7%) state of sensitivity. In contrast, only a smaller portion of the area is unaffected (5%) or potentially affected (10.1%). Sensitivity to desertification was inversely correlated with the presence of vigorous vegetation. A joint analysis of ESAs and ECF shed light on the importance of each factor in the sensitivity to desertification. The East Atlantic Basin shows a high degree of sensitivity to desertification, thereby demanding more attention and establishment of measures to mitigate the negative impacts of the desertification process.

Many factors drive land desertification, especially in arid and semi-arid regions. However, the numerous driving factors of desertification make analyses computer expensive. Cloud computing comes along to address this problem, especially in developing countries. The objective of this work was to assess the sensitivity of the East Atlantic Basin, Brazil, to desertification using the Mediterranean Desertification and Land Use (MEDALUS) model and Google Earth Engine (GEE). The model is composed of four environmental Quality Indices (QIs) associated with soil (SQI), vegetation (VQI), climate (CQI) and management (MQI), and contains factors influencing the desertification process. Digital databases of the factors were pre-processed and uploaded to GEE for analysis. We report Environmentally Sensitive Areas (ESAs) and Environmentally Critical Factors (ECF) maps of the East Atlantic Basin, which showed that most of the basin is in either critical (49.4%) or fragile (35.7%) state of sensitivity. In contrast, only a smaller portion of the area is unaffected (5%) or potentially affected (10.1%). Sensitivity to desertification was inversely correlated with the presence of vigorous vegetation. A joint analysis of ESAs and ECF shed light on the importance of each factor in the sensitivity to desertification. The East Atlantic Basin shows a high degree of sensitivity to desertification, thereby demanding more attention and establishment of measures to mitigate the negative impacts of the desertification process.

Elevated levels of immunoglobulin E (IgE) are associated with allergies and other immunological disorders. Experimentally, sensitization with alum adjuvant favors IgE production while CpG-ODN adjuvant, a synthetic toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) agonist, inhibits it. The cellular mechanisms underlying TLR-regulation of immunoglobulin production are still controversial. Specifically, TLR-mediated IgE regulation in vivo is not yet known. We show that augmented levels of IgE induced by sensitizations to OVA with or without alum adjuvant or with OVA-pulsed dendritic cells (DCs) were inhibited when sensitization to OVA was performed in the presence of CpG. Notably, CpG-mediated suppression of IgE production required MyD88-expression on DCs but not on B-cells. This contrasts with previous reports of in vitro regulation IgE where CpG acted directly on B cells via MyD88 pathway. In addition, CpG also inhibited IgE production in a MyD88-dependent manner when sensitization was performed with OVA-pulsed DCs. Finally, CpG signaling through MyD88 pathway was also necessary and sufficient to prevent anaphylactic antibody production involved in active cutaneous anaphylaxis.

Catalytic studies for hydrogen production via steam reforming of ethanol (SRE) are essential for process optimization. Likewise, selecting the ideal support for the active phase can be critical to achieve high conversion rates during the catalytic steam reforming. In this work, copper-based catalysts were synthesized using two different supports, NaY zeolite and Nb2O5/Al2O3 mixed oxides. The materials were prepared using wet impregnation and characterized for their physicochemical properties using different analytical techniques. Differences in catalyst morphologies were readily attributed to the characteristics of the support. The Cu/NaY catalyst showed better textural properties than Cu/Nb2O5/Al2O3, resulting in a homogeneous metal dispersion over the support surface. Both catalytic systems were active in SRE, but Cu/NaY resulted in higher ethanol conversions compared to Cu/Nb2O5/Al2O3. Hence, the performance of copper-based catalysts was influenced significantly by the textural properties of the support.

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

Brazil became a major player in the global beef market, after the market liberalization in the 1990’s, and experiencing a substantial development. Nonetheless, the environmental impact of beef production associated with land use and greenhouse gas emissions has been under discussion. The necessity of increased adoption of sustainable technologies, however, may preclude some farmers to keep up to date with technological advances. This article describes the major historical changes in beef farming and how they have been shifting production systems toward a sustainable intensification of grass-fed beef, with likely impacts for farmers. We combined an extensive literature review, public data and our own insights, as senior researchers, to achieve that. The trajectory shown here evidenced the substantial technological development underway in Brazilian beef farming, with strong support of public policies for decarbonizing agriculture. Nonetheless, the pace of this sustainable transition may affect small to medium farmers unable to cope. Our recommendations, therefore, involve a broad program of technical assistance and training on sustainable technologies and other supportive practices, including financial and digital literacy. Additionally, we suggest an alternative credit system, with progressive borrowing allowances to ensure financial resources to support a sustainable and inclusive transition of Brazilian beef farming.

Genomic surveillance represents an important strategy for understanding evolutionary mechanisms, transmission profile, and infectivity of different SARS-CoV-2 variants. We assessed the epidemiological profile of 366 individuals who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 from 29 municipalities in Rondônia between December 2021 to March 2022. Samples were collected, RNA was ex-tracted and screened using RT-qPCR for Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta and Omicron VOCs and viral quantification was performed. Sequences were analyzed for phylogeny, mutations and lineages. Of the samples analyzed, 93.71% were positive for the Omicron variant and 6.28% were positive for the Delta variant. The symptoms observed were cough, sore throat, and fever, with a mean duration of 5 days; no hospitalizations or deaths were reported. We noted that among the positive individuals, 51% had been immunized with two doses, 22% received three doses, 13% received one dose, and 13% were not immunized. Just 242 samples were amenable to analysis for alignment and phylogenetic characterization; corresponding to variants BA.1 and BA.1.1; a total of 120 mutations were identified, 36% of which were found in the S gene. In conclusion, there was a high frequency of mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 genome, but no record of clinical severity, demonstrating the positive effect of vaccination.

(1) Background: The severity of malaria is associated with low bioavailability of antioxidants and high concentration of free radicals that induce oxidative damage in cerebral and pulmonary microcirculation. This can be prevented by the action of consumable antioxidants present in foods. Therefore, we investigated the protective role of lycopene (LYC) on the oxidative changes induced by Plasmodium berghei (Pb); (2) Methods: Mice were infected by intraperitoneal injection of 106 parasitized red blood cells and treated via gavage with LYC (3.11 mg/kg bw/day) or NAC (62 mg/kg bw/day). They were then evaluated for 1, 4, 8 or 12 days after infection. Levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), antioxidant capacity by inhibition of ABTS radicals (AC-ABTS) and DPPH (AC-DPPH), uric acid (UA), and nitric oxide (NO) were measured in brain and lung tissues; (3) Results: The infection caused oxidative stress confirmed by increased levels of TBARS, AC-ABTS, AC-DPPH, UA, and NO in the tissues leading to the death of the animals. LYC prevented the increase in TBARS, AU, and NO levels compared to Pb (p< 0.0001) and NAC+Pb groups (p<0.0001), reaching values similar to those of Sham animals; (4) Conclusions: These results are striking evidence of the beneficial effect of lycopene supplementation on oxidative stress in experimental malaria in vivo and emphasize the importance of antioxidant supplementation in the treatment of the disease.

Hypercholesterolemia is a major risk for the development of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), the main cause of mortality worldwide, and it is characterized by high levels of circulating cholesterol. The drugs currently available for hypercholesterolemia control have several side effects, so it is necessary to develop new effective and safer therapies. Seaweeds serve as sources of several bio-active compounds with claimed beneficial effects. Eisenia bicyclis (Aramé) and Porphyra tenera (Nori) are edible seaweeds which were previously recognized as rich in bioactive compounds. In the present study, we aim to evaluate the anti-hypercholesterolemia effect of these two seaweeds ex-tracts and their health potential. Both extracts, but more efficiently Aramé extract demonstrated to have liver 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase (HMGR) inhibitory activity and to reduce approximately 30 % cholesterol permeation through human Caco-2 cells simulating the intestinal lining, targets for hypercholesterolemia treatments. An untargeted metabolomic assay on human intestinal Caco-2 and liver Hep-G2 cells lines exposed to Aramé and Nori extracts revealed changes in the cell’s metabolism as indicators of the extract’s health beneficial effects. The metabolic pathways affected by exposure to both extracts were associated to lipid metabolism, such as phospholipids, and fatty acid metabolism, pathways of amino acid, cofactors and vitamins and cellular respiration metabolism. More profound for Aramé treated cells, but also seen for Nori ex-posed cells, the metabolites modifications were associated with the protection against CVDs and other diseases and, to the improvement of cells oxidative stress tolerance. The results obtained for the anti-hypercholesterolemia properties, in addition to the revelation of the positive impact on cells metabolism, are an important contribution for further evaluation of these seaweeds extracts as functional foods or for CVDs prevention.

This article describes the study and digital implementation of a system onboard a TMS 3208F28335 ® DSP for vector control of the bearing motor speed with 4 poles split winding with 250W of power. Smart techniques: ANFIS and Neural Networks were investigated and computationally implemented to evaluate the bearing motor performance under the following conditions: operating as an estimator of uncertain parameters and as a speed controller. Therefore, the MATLAB program and its toolbox were used for the simulations and the parameter adjustments involving the structure ANFIS (Adaptive-Network-Based Fuzzy Inference System) and simulations with the Neural Network. The simulated results showed a good performance for the two techniques applied differently: the estimator and a speed controller using both a model of the induction motor operating as a bearing motor. The experimental part for velocity vector control uses three control loops: current, radial position, and speed, where the configurations of the peripherals, that is, the interfaces or drivers for driving the bearing motor.

Graphene is a two-dimensional nanostructured material with intrinsic properties that show promising performance in various applications, including electronics, renewable energy, medicine, mechanical enforcement and others. This study reports a bottom-up approach for the conversion of cyclohexane into graphene nanoflakes, which were then deposited onto fiberglass using a non-thermal generator. The composite was characterized using transmission electron microscopy, which revealed the formation of stacked few-layer graphene with a partially disordered structure and a d-spacing of 0.358 nm between the layers. X-ray diffraction confirmed the observations from the TEM images. SEM images showed the agglomeration of carbonaceous material onto the fiberglass, which experienced some delamination due to the synthesis method. Raman spectroscopy indicated that the obtained graphene exhibited a predominance of defects in its structure. Additionally, Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) analyses revealed the formation of graphene layers with varying levels of porosity.

The industry is increasingly relying on fish for toxicity assessment. However, current guidelines for toxicity assessment focus on teratogenicity and mortality. From an ecotoxicological point of view, however, these endpoints may not reflect the “full picture” of possible deleterious effects that can nonetheless result in decreased fitness and/or inability to adapt to a changing environment, affecting whole populations. Therefore, assessing sublethal effects add relevant data covering different aspects of toxicity at different levels of analysis. Impacts of toxicants on neurobehavioral function have the potential to affect many different life-history traits, and are easier to assess in the laboratory than in the wild. We propose that carefully-controlled laboratory experiments on different behavioral domains – including anxiety, aggression, and exploration – can increase our understanding of the ecotoxicological impacts of contaminants, since these domains are related to traits such as defense, sociality, and reproduction, directly impacting life-history traits. The effects of selected contaminants on these tests are reviewed, focusing on larval and adult zebrafish, showing that these behavioral domains are highly sensitive to small concentrations of these substances. These strategies suggest a way forward on ecotoxicological research using fish.

Considering the various problems caused by infiltration in civil construction, this study aimed to identify the most appropriate waterproofing methods for different types of surfaces. A study was conducted on the mechanisms of water infiltration on surfaces and the waterproofing methods available on the market, focusing on asphalt blankets, in addition to a literature review highlighting state-of-the-art on this topic. A case study was also conducted in residence in Nova Lima, Brazil, analyzing different waterproofing techniques, including their characteristics and stages. Among the conclusions, it is highlighted that the implementation of adequate project, installation, inspection, and maintenance techniques can significantly reduce the waterproofing failure rate and repair costs and that the excellent choice of materials, along with the skill of the labor force in the application, is fundamental to guarantee the adequate performance of these materials in buildings.

Introduction: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a demyelinating, chronic, inflammatory and autoimmune disease of the central nervous system (CNS) with axonal degeneration, presenting a progressive and variable course. MS patients usually have complications, such as bladder dysfunction, presence of urinary symptoms and Urinary Tract infection (UTI), which is one of the three most common non-neurological complications in MS patients. Objective: Analyze the most diverse aspects of UTI in MS patients, focusing on risk factors, prevalence, hospitalization and mortality rates of UTIs in this group. Methods: A non-systematic review of articles published on PubMed in the last 10 years with the search terms "Urinary Tract Infection" AND "Multiple Sclerosis". Discussion: MS patients have a high UTI prevalence, mainly due to the occurrence of urinary disorders in these patients. The most common symptoms of UTI in MS patients are urinary urgency, polyuria, nocturia, urinary retention, and incontinence. Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Klebsiella pneumoniae were the most found organisms and treatment is based on antibiotic therapy. Moreover, UTIs can precipitate outbreaks, worsen the disease, causing more damage and a severe neurological condition deterioration. Therefore, UTIs in this group are associated with a high hospitalizations rate and a high mortality rate. Conclusion: UTI represents a great risk and concern in MS patients. The high prevalence, hospitalization rate and mortality rate of UTI in MS is worrying, such as the cause-consequence relationship between UTIs and the use of corticosteroids in outbreaks. Therefore, it is important to be aware of a UTI in this group to make early diagnoses, adequate management, and new infections prevention. Thus, further studies are needed to thoroughly analyze each nuance of this important comorbidity for MS patients.

This study analyzes the eating behavior and factors associated with the presence of disordered eating attitudes in patients undergoing bariatric surgery. It is a cross-sectional, descriptive, and analytical study conducted at a hospital in the Amazon region of Brazil. The Disordered Eating Attitude Scale reduced version (DEAS-s) was used to assess the risk of eating disorders and the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ-R21) to characterize eating behavior. A total of 205 patients participated, with a mean age of 37.5 ± 8.6 years, the majority being female (93.7%; p<0.001), the mean BMI was 45.3±6.7 kg/m2. It was found that cognitive restraint had the highest mean (52.6±19.9; p<0.001). As for the DEAS-s, the question with the highest mean was "spending one or more days without eating or consuming only liquids to lose weight" (2.80±1.99). Female participants had a higher score in the emotional eating (p=0.016). Disordered eating attitudes showed a correlation with emotional eating and uncontrolled eating. These results suggest that candidates for bariatric surgery may have susceptibility to eating disorders. The importance of a multidisciplinary team in monitoring during the preoperative period is highlighted.

The partial information decomposition (PID) framework is concerned with decomposing the information that a set of random variables has with respect to a target variable into three types of components: redundant, synergistic, and unique. Classical information theory alone does not provide a unique way to decompose information in this manner and additional assumptions have to be made. Inspired by Kolchinsky's recent proposal for measures of intersection information, we introduce three new measures based on well-known partial orders between communication channels and study some of their properties.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are single-stranded RNA molecules often circularized by backsplicing. Growing evidence implicates circRNAs in the underlying mechanisms of various diseases, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease (PD) - the first and second most prevalent neurodegenerative disorders. Several circRNAs are associated with brain damage, including circSNCA, circHIPK2, circHIPK3, and circSLC8A1. Gain-of-function and loss-of-function studies on circRNAs have shed light on their roles in the pathobiology of various diseases. Gain-of-function approaches typically employ viral or non-viral vectors that hyperexpress RNA sequences capable of circularizing to form the specific circRNA under investigation. In contrast, loss-of-function studies utilize CRISPR/Cas systems, antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs), or RNAi techniques to knockdown the target circRNA. Given that aberrantly expressed circRNAs have been associated with brain pathologies, a critical question arises: could circRNAs serve as viable targets for neuroprotective treatments? Translating any oligonucleotide-based therapy, including those targeting circRNAs, involves developing adequate brain delivery systems, minimizing off-target effects, and addressing the high costs of treatment. Nonetheless, RNAi-based FDA-approved drugs have entered the market, and circRNAs have attracted significant attention and investment from major pharmaceutical companies. Spanning from bench to bedside, circRNAs present a vast opportunity in biotechnology for oligonucleotide-based therapies designed to slow or even halt the progression of neurodegenerative diseases.

Despite the recommendation to treat depression using the transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), novel findings raised doubts over the tDCS efficacy in managing depressive episodes. Neurophysiologic approaches to understand the specificities of brain responses to tDCS in de-pressed patients remains a feature. Objective: to compare the immediate hemodynamic responses to tDCS on left dorsolateral pre-frontal cortex (DLPFC; F3-Fp2 montage) in patients with depres-sive disorder and healthy controls (no additional stimuli). Methods: Sixteen participants were al-located in depression group and 16 in the control group. Both groups received 2mA tDCS for 20 minutes, using the F3-Fp2 montage. The hemodynamic effect over the DLPFC was assessed using near-infrared intracranial spectroscopy (NIRS) positioned on the left supraorbital region (Fp1). Mean, minimal and maximal values of baseline and post-stimulation rates of oxygen saturation (SatO2) were recorded. The oxygenated hemoglobin rates (HbO) were extracted. Results: Be-tween-group differences were detected for mean and minimal baseline rates of SatO2 and HbO levels. The depression group showed lower results compared to the control group. After the pro-tocol, only the depression group showed increased mean and minimal rates of SatO2 and HbO. The post-tDCS rates were equal for both groups. Conclusion: The findings showed immediate anodal tDCS effects over DLPFC hemodynamics. The effects were exclusive for the lowest base-line rates group, not affecting the normal oxygen rates group. The minimal increase of SatO2 and HbO rates after the protocol in the depression group suggests that those with reduced cerebral perfusion may be more affected by tDCS.

Despite the global richness of food plants, only a small portion is used as food for humans. Although most wild food plants (WFPs) are underutilized as food, they can contribute to food security and biocultural conservation through sustainable management. The goal of this research was to identify the best terminological presentation of a novel food product and to understand the influences of the expectations on products with WFP. This research was conducted using an online questionnaire with a final national sample of 724 people. The participants answered questions about their socioeconomic profile, food neophobia, prior knowledge, and expectations regarding the taste and appropriateness of native fruit juices. The questions were randomized so that a person would not receive the same picture or product name more than once. The results show that taste expectancy decreases in relation to products associated with WFP names and forest environments. Food neophobia is the variable that influences expectations the most. To ensure biocultural conservation and cultural valuation, WFP popularization programs should maintain the original (popular) name of the species. However, to help more distant consumers develop familiarity, the flavor, shape, color, or texture of these products can be associated with those of conventional plants.

A hybrid material, consisting of commercially available nitrocellulose (NC) membrane non-covalently modified with amino-polyethylene glycol functionalized reduced graphene oxide (NH2-PEG-rGO) nanoparticles, was successfully synthesized for oligonucleotide extraction. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) confirmed the modification of the NC membrane, revealing characteristic peaks of both compounds NC and NH2-PEG-rGO. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) exhibited morphological changes in the NC/NH2-PEG-rGO hybrid membrane, marked by the introduction of NH2-PEG-rGO particles, resulting in a distinctly smothered surface compared to the porous surface of the NC control membrane. Wettability assays revealed hydrophobic behavior for the NC/NH2-PEG-rGO hybrid membrane, with a water contact angle exceeding 90°, contrasting with the hydrophilic behavior characterized by a 16.7° contact angle in the NC membrane. The performance of the NC/NH2-PEG-rGO hybrid membrane was evaluated for the extraction of ssDNA with fewer than 50 nucleotides from solutions containing various ionic species (MnCl2, MgCl2, and MnCl2/MgCl2). The NC/NH2-PEG-rGO hybrid membrane exhibited optimal performance when incubated in MgCl2, presenting the highest fluorescence emission at 525 relative fluorescence units (r.f.u.). This corresponds to the extraction of approximately 610 pg (≈13%) of the total oligo-DNA, underscoring the efficacy of the pristine material, which extracts 286 pg (≈6%) of oligo-DNA in complex solutions.

The growing interest related to the proposal of formal definition of a new geological period that has being called “Anthropocene” has introduced a buzzing dynamics in the scientific community, but its conduct is perhaps due to various interests involved in a discussion that has long surpassed the contours of the so-called “Geosciences”. Themes such as “Climate Change or Drift”, “Global Warming”, “Massive Extinction of Species” and “Loss of bio and geodiversity”, among others, are the wheel of a geomorphogenetic dynamics of anthropocentric origin, which leads the debate. But are the conditions for the formal establishment of a new morphosedimentary cycle following the Meghalayanian (Upper Holocene) Age? This work pursues a line of thought that seeks to answer these and other questions, based on the official position of the institutes that have the scientific competence for the formalization under consideration, and the formal criteria that should be considered for this purpose.

The main objective of this study was to study the effect of occupational stress on turnover intentions, as well as whether this relationship is mediated by burnout levels and moderated by motivation. The sample of this study consisted of 603 participants, all employees of the Portuguese Tax and Customs Authority, which is part of the Ministry of Finance and belongs to the Direct State Administration. The results indicate that occupational stress (with managers, with career and remuneration and with work overload) has a positive and significant effect on turnover intentions and that this relationship is mediated by burnout. Motivation (intrinsic and identified) has a negative and significant effect on turnover intentions. Intrinsic motivation moderates the rela-tionship between occupational stress (with managers, with colleagues, with career and pay and with family problems) and turnover intentions. These results indicate that among the dimensions of occupational stress, the most critical are stress with managers, work overload and career and pay. These are factors that the Direct State Administration should be concerned about in trying to minimize their causes.

Skin cancer is a disease that reflects most malignant neoplasms worldwide, whose rate of involvement has increased significantly in recent decades. Treatments that offer efficient results with attenuation of adverse reactions and greater patient compliance have been the subject of many systematic investigations. This review aims to qualitatively present published works that showed new strategies to increase the penetration power of natural substances through the skin in the topical treatment against skin cancer. In this sense, nanoengineering mechanisms, the iontophoresis technique, and photodynamic therapy using natural products (NP) contribute to new knowledge about substance carrier strategies in topical treatments against skin cancer.

Drought events are evident effects of climate change around the globe and yield several socio-economic impacts. Such effects are even more relevant for South America (SA) since different activities essential for the continent, like agriculture and energy generation, depend highly on water resources. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate future changes in precipitation and hydro-logical droughts occurrence in SA through climate projections from eight global climate models (GCMs) of CMIP6. To this end, statistical downscaling was applied to the projections with the Quantile Delta Mapping technique, and the method proved to be efficient in reducing systematic biases and preserving GCMs’ trends. For the following decades, the results show considerable and statistically significant reductions in precipitation over most of SA, especially during the austral spring, with the most intense signal under the SSP5-8.5 forcing scenario. Furthermore, GCMs showed mixed signals about projections of the frequency and intensity of drought events. Still, they indicated agreement regarding the increase in duration and severity of events over all of SA and a substantial proportion of moderate and severe events over most of Brazil during the 21st century. These results can be helpful for better management of water resources by deci-sion-makers and energy planners.

Anxiety is a multifactorial pathology associated with oxidative stress and changes in different neurotransmitters in the central nervous system (CNS). Sarcomphalus joazeiro (Rhamnaceae) has a predicted effect on the CNS, being considered an alternative for pre-clinical investigations of anxiolytic drugs. The objective of this study is to evaluate the chemical composition, analyze the antioxidant capacity and the anxiolytic effect of the ethanolic extract of S. joazeiro leaves (EEFSJ) in zebrafish. The chemical profile was analyzed by liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (UPLC-PDA-ESI-QDA). Antioxidant action by DPPH• elimination and ABTS•⁺ capture assays. The 96 h acute toxicity and open field and light and dark tests, for sedative and anxiolytic evaluation, respectively, were applied in vivo, using zebrafish. It was possible to identify 11 compounds from the flavonoid and saponin class. EEFSJ exhibited a mean inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 185.2 ± 2.2 µg/mL and 74.17 ± 1.5 µg/mL against the DPPH• and ABTS•⁺ radicals, respectively. In vivo, EEFSJ demonstrated reduced locomotor activity and an anxiolytic effect similar to diazepam via GABAergic systems, without presenting toxicity within 96 h. These results suggest the safety of using EEFSJ for the development of clinical trials for the production of new anxiolytic drugs.

The highly adaptable parasite Trypanosoma cruzi undergoes complex developmental stages to exploit host organisms effectively. Each stage involves the expression of specific proteins and precise intracellular structural organization. These morphological changes depend on key structures that control intracellular components’ growth and redistribution. In trypanosomatids, the flagellar attachment zone (FAZ) connects the flagellum to the cell body and plays a pivotal role in cell expansion and structural rearrangement. While FAZ proteins are well-studied in other trypanosomatids, there is limited knowledge about specific components, organization, and function in T. cruzi. This study employed the CRISPR/Cas9 system to label endogenous genes and conduct deletions to characterize FAZ-specific proteins during epimastigote cell division and metacyclogenesis. In T. cruzi, these proteins exhibited distinct organization compared to counterparts in T. brucei. TcGP72 is anchored to the flagellar membrane, while TcFLA-1BP is anchored to the membrane lining the cell body. We identified unique features in the organization and function of the FAZ in T. cruzi compared to other trypanosomatids. Deleting these proteins had varying effects on intracellular structures, cytokinesis, and metacyclogenesis. This study reveals specific variations that directly impact the success of cell division and differentiation of this parasite.

Organophosphate pesticides (OPs) are toxic substances that contaminate aquatic environments, interfere with the development of the nervous system, and induce Neurodevelopmental Toxicity (NDT) in animals and humans. The canonical mechanism of OP neurotoxicity involves the inhibi-tion of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), but other mechanisms non-AChE are also involved and not fully understood. We used network toxicology and molecular docking to identify molecular targets and toxicity mechanisms common to OPs. Targets related to diazinon-oxon, chlorpyrifos oxon, and paraoxon OPs were predicted using the Swiss Target Prediction and PharmMapper databases. Targets related to NDT were compiled from GeneCards and OMIM databases. In order to construct the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, the common targets between OPs and NDT were imported into the STRING. Networks topological analyses identified EGFR, MET, HSP90AA1, and SRC as hub nodes common to the three OPs. Using Reactome pathway and gene ontology we found that signal transduction, axon guidance, cellular responses to stress, and glutamatergic signaling activation play key roles in OP-induced NDT.

The cell’s capacity to integrate and respond to spatial information is a crucial feature of morphogenesis and development. The Planar Cell Polarity (PCP) pathway is a signaling mechanism, widely conserved across metazoans, providing spatial orientation along the plane of an epithelium in morphogenic processes ranging from insect wing patterning to mammalian cochleae. Although the core genes involved in the PCP pathway have been molecularly identified in the 1990s, the PCP signaling mechanism remains controversial. In this article I discuss the main players and previous models of PCP signaling reported in the literature, and propose a new model. According to it PCP is established through an homophobic signal by transmembrane protein Frizzled (Fz): 1) a Fz signal in one cell repeals Fz itself in the adjacent cell, thereby generating symmetry breaking; 2) the instructive PCP signal is conveyed through Fz interaction with atypical cadherin Flamingo (Fmi). More broadly, homophobic signaling may represent a novel mechanism for cell-cell signaling of spatial information through modulation of cell adhesion rather than canonical ligand-receptor binding.

Among all Brazilian economic sectors, the livestock sector stands out due to its large production and high export volume. However, beef production is associated to significant environmental impacts, such as deforestation and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission. The Paris Agreement was settled to avoid that global mean temperature rise up to 1.5 – 2º C by 2100. In 2020, Brazil committed in its nationally determined contribution (NDC) to reduce its GHG emission by 43% until 2030. This study aims to identify the association of beef production and beef cattle emissions, as well as assess predictive GHG emission scenarios for 2030 and value these emissions. To translate the environmental impacts of beef production into economic impacts, and thus amplify the discussion, we valued GHG emissions using the social cost of carbon (SCC). The results showed that the business as usual (BAU) GHG emission derived from beef production would range between 0.423 and 0.634 GtCO₂e in 2030, whereas the maximum emission estimated to meet the NDC should be 0.257 GtCO₂e. The SCC revealed the opportunity to reduce between US $18.8 and $42.6 billion in the cost of BAU emissions from beef production in 2030 if the NDC is met. Lastly, assessing a scenario where climate targets and beef exports are prioritized, between 2-10 kg of beef per capita would be available in the domestic market in 2030. Our results reveal the need and urgency of changes in livestock production to emit less GHG per kg of beef produced, and the avoided monetary cost of reducing emissions.

The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is widely used in food and nonfood industries. During industrial fermentations yeast are exposed to fluctuations in oxygen concentration, osmotic pressure, pH, ethanol concentration, nutrient availability and temperature. Fermentation performance depends on the ability of different yeast strains to adapt to these changes. Suboptimal growth conditions trigger responses to these external stimuli to allow cellular homeostasis to be maintained. Stress-specific signaling pathways are activated to coordinate changes in tran-scription, translation, protein function, and metabolic fluxes while a transient arrest of growth and cell cycle progression occur. cAMP-PKA, HOG-MAPK and CWI signalling pathways are signal transduction pathways turned on during stress re-sponse. Comprehension of the mechanisms involved in the responses and in the adaptation to these stresses during fermentation is key to improving this industrial process. The scope of this review is to outline the advancement of knowledge about the cAMP-PKA signalling and the crosstalk of this pathway with the CWI and HOG-MAPK cascades in response to the environmental challenges heat and hy-perosmotic stress.

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic caused by spreading rapidly a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has imposed a unique situation for the humanity. Sao Paulo has reported 124,105 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 5,623 deaths up to June 14th, being considered the epicenter of the pandemic in Brazil and in South America. Due to the measures for social distancing, there was a drop in the air pollution concentration in Sao Paulo. Starting on March 16th, 2020, we broke 90 days of social distancing into 13 weeks and compared to an equivalent period in 2019. We investigated the air quality improvement during the quarantine period and compared the associated avoided deaths to COVID-19 burden deaths. Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) was the best indicator of air quality in the analyzed weeks, since its reduction reached 58 %. Our study showed that the 5,623 deaths occurred during the analyzed weeks of quarantine represents an economic health loss of US$ 10.5 billion. In opposite, we observed a significant air quality improvement due to pollutants concentrations’ reductions during the analyzed weeks. Considering PM₁₀, PM_2.5 and NO₂, the decrease of concentration levels respectively avoided 78, 337 and 387 premature deaths and prevented up to US$ 1.5 billion on health costs. These results highlight the importance of continuing to enforce existing air pollution regulations and measures to protect human health both during and after COVID-19 pandemic.

In the course of SARS-CoV-2 infection, the 3CL or nsp5 protease plays a pivotal role as the most important viral protease required for the maturation of viral proteins during host infection. Herein, we simulated for 500 ns 3CLproWT, 3CLproH41A, , 3CLproBeta, and 3CLproOmicron, in complex with the substrates nsp 4|5 and nsp 5|6. Our results show that mutations in the 3CLpro present in the SARS-CoV-2 variant of concerns (VOCs) did not lead to significant conformational changes or changes in substrate binding affinities. However, significantly high cleavage rates for the boundary between nsp4 and nsp5 were obtained for 3CLproBeta and 3CLproOmicron and may play a key role in the viral replication and virus fitness gain. Our molecular dynamics data suggest that the cleavage rate of nsp4|5 may be related to the increased amount of viral load observed for these VOCs, releasing more nsp4 than other non-structural proteins. Based on our hydrogen bonding analyses, we also discovered that Gly143 and Glu166 are key residues in substrate recognition, suggesting that these residues may be incorporated as pharmacophoric centers for Beta and Omicron variants in drug design. Our results suggest that Gly143 and Glu166 are essential residues to interact with Gln6 of the different substrates and, therefore, are potential broad-spectrum pharmacophoric centers of SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro.

N-palmitoylethanolamine (PEA) is an endocannabinoid-like compound first encountered within lipid fractions of specific foods and has intrigued researchers since the 1950s due to its therapeutic effects. This study aims to explore the therapeutic promise held by PEA as an anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory agent. Therapeutic impact of PEA reverberates across diverse physiological systems, as the central nervous system, gastrointestinal tract, vascular network, digestive and respiratory system. Additionally, it was effective in pain management, reduction of inflammation and immune responses. These attributes have fostered collaborations targeting conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis, cerebral ischemia, neuroinflammation, general inflammation, pain, coagulopathy, steatohepatitis, and acute lung injury. PEA operates both independently and in synergy with other compounds, like paracetamol, luteolin, and oxymetazoline. This efficacy stems from its interactions with pivotal targets including PPARα, PPAR-δ, PPAR-γ, CB1, CB2, GPR55, and TRPV1. Additionally, PEA exerts a direct influence on the inflammatory cascade, orchestrating precise adjustments in immune responses. Numerous animal studies have elucidated the inherent potential of PEA. Nevertheless, the imperative of reinforcing clinical investigation is evident. This review notably underscores the pivotal necessity for methodologically rigorous clinical trials to definitively establish the translational efficacy of PEA in ameliorating diverse inflammatory pathologies within the human milieu.

Different types of disasters, whether natural or human character, lead to the significant loss of human lives. In the latter case, the quick action of identification of corpses and human remains is mandatory. There are a variety of protocols to identify victims, however, genetics is one of the tools that allow an exact identification of the victim. However, several factors may interfere with this identification, from the biological samples’ degradation not allowing the analysis of nuclear information, to failure to dispose of biological samples from family members. Access to certain family members could be a determinant of the proper choice of genetic markers that allow the identification of the victim, or his/her inclusion in a given genetic maternal or paternal lineage. With the new advances in the genetic field, it is expected to allow soon the identification of victims from disasters only with his/her biological postmortem samples, being possible to draw a robot portrait and its most likely physical characteristics. In all cases, genetics is the only modern tool with universal character and can be used in essentially all biological samples, giving and identification of more or less accurate statistical character, depending on whether nuclear or lineage markers are used.

The relationship between perception of anxiety and quality of life in caregivers of children with autism was verified. To verify quality of life, the Short Form Healthy Survey Item was used; perception of anxiety was assessed using the Beck Anxiety Inventory. 80 caregivers of children with autism participated, with 68.7% of caregivers being mothers. Of the total number of caregivers, 68.8% had a severe level of anxiety. Regarding quality of life, they demonstrated greater impairment in Limitation due to physical aspects, Limitation due to emotional aspects, Vitality and Pain. Caregivers with severe anxiety levels had worse quality of life in the domains of pain (p = 0.012), social aspects (p =< 0.001), limitation due to emotional aspects (p = 0.001) and mental health (p =< 0.001). However, in the functional capacity domain, caregivers with a moderate level of anxiety had a better physical capacity score (p = 0.001). There was a negative correlation between the general anxiety score and the general physical (p = 0.029) and general emotional component of quality of life (p =< 0.001). It was found that caregivers of children with ASD present losses related to psychological factors, quality of life and the lack of social support.

The main objective of this investigation was to study the effect of organizational competencies development practices on turnover intentions and whether affective commitment explains this relationship. Another of the study's objectives was to test whether these relationships vary ac-cording to the generation to which the participant belongs. The study sample consisted of 2123 participants working in Portuguese organizations. The results indicate that organizational com-petencies development practices (training, individualized support, and functional rotation) nega-tively and significantly affect turnover intentions and that affective commitment mediates this re-lationship. However, these relationships vary according to the participant's generation. For Gen-eration Y and Generation X, this mediating effect is found in all dimensions of organizational competencies development practices. For the baby boomer generation, there is only a mediating effect of affective commitment in the relationship between individualized support and turnover intentions. These results indicate that human resources should consider the generation to which the participant belongs when implementing competencies development practices.

Cryptococcus neoformans is a multidrug-resistant human pathogenic yeast responsible for infections in immunocompromised patients. Here, Itraconazole (ITR), a commercial antifungal drug with low effectiveness against C. neoformans, was combined with different synthetic peptides Mo-CBP3-PepII, RcAlb-PepII, RcAlb-PepIII, PepGAT, and PepKAA. The mechanisms of action responsible for the synergistic effect were evaluated for the best combinations by Fluorescence Microscopy (FM). The synthetic peptides enhanced the activity of ITR by 10-fold against C. neoformans. Our results demonstrated that the combinations could induce pore formation in the membrane and overaccumulation of ROS on C. neoformans cells. Our findings indicate that our peptides successfully potentialize the activity of ITR by reducing it by 10-fold to reach antifungal activity against C. neoformans. Therefore, synthetic peptides are potential molecules to act as co-adjuvant agents in treating Cryptococcal infections.

Recent advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI), Deep Learning (DL), and computer vision have revolutionized various industrial processes through image classification and object detection. State-of-the-art Optical Character Recognition (OCR) and Object Detection (OD) technologies, such as YOLO and PaddleOCR, have emerged as powerful solutions for addressing challenges in recognizing textual and non-textual information on printed stickers. However, a well-established framework integrating these cutting-edge technologies for industrial applications still needs to be discovered. In this paper, we propose an innovative framework that combines advanced OCR and OD techniques to automate visual inspection processes in an industrial context. Our primary contribution is a comprehensive framework adept at detecting and recognizing textual and non-textual information on printed stickers within a company, harnessing the latest AI tools and technologies for sticker information recognition. Our experiments reveal an overall macro accuracy of 0.88 for the sticker OCR across three distinct patterns. Furthermore, the proposed system goes beyond traditional Printed Character Recognition (PCR) by extracting supplementary information, such as barcodes and QR codes present in the image, significantly streamlining industrial workflows and minimizing manual labor demands.

The growth of the wind power sector has been marked by environmental, economic, and political drivers. Its starring role is also visible in the emergence of the so-called “green jobs”. Notwithstanding, its evolution ought not to compromise issues related to occupational risks. This exploratory study examines psychosocial risks in the operation and maintenance of onshore wind turbines in a leading Portuguese company. We conducted interviews with main stakeholders (Human Resources, OHS professionals, and team leaders); developed an “activity diary” for the operation and maintenance technicians to describe their activity and perceived impacts on health, complemented with collective interviews; and applied the Work and Health Survey. The results revealed particular risks and health impacts: working under adverse weather conditions; working at heights and in confined spaces; spending long work hours inside of the nacelles to achieve an optimum balance between favorable wind slots to intervene and avoiding additional trips up and down the wind turbines without lifts (70m-120m); and the feeling of early ageing. At a time when these workers are striving for recognition of their profession as a “rapid wear profession”, it is a key moment to discuss these results to guarantee sustainable conditions for future generations of workers.

The relativistic effects of the dynamical properties of light at angular incidence were analyzed from the perspectives of Bohr indeterminacy and Heisenberg uncertainties and statistical dispersion. It was found that these effects report minimal uncertainties that agree with one or the other according to the angular range of incidence and that decrease with increasing refringence of the medium, constituting a specific relativistic uncertainty at angular incidence. An anomaly is indicated for the uncertainty principle in the Quantum Theory (QT) setting for small angles of incidence, where the accuracy of the angular position does not imply an increase in the uncertainty of the linear momentum. The anomalies arise because TQ does not predict the alternation between the classical and relativistic regimes of photon inertia at angular incidence. Specific relativistic uncertainty particularizes the uncertainty principle in the transmission of light between media pairs at angular incidence for the relativistic scenario, considering an observer that registers the relativistic effects of measurements that interfere with the observed system, in another inertial referential.

Abstract: Building Information Modelling (BIM) methodology has been empowering the quality of the construction activity in all sectors: multidisciplinary designs development; construction planning and monitoring; building management and maintenance. A BIM environment aggre-gates several disciplines and different professional skillsets and in order to control and improve the quality of a BIM project, a BIM manager is required. The BIM manager has the responsibility to coordinate all tasks involved in a building design and associated activities usually workout over the project documents. This professional can access to the distinct discipline models, located in a shared platform, and request for amendments if inconsistencies are detected. The topic of the present study is illustrated with three building cases were distinct specific projects, disciplines and tasks were elaborated: collaboration between disciplines (architecture, structures and con-struction); structural analyses and reinforcement details; quantity take-off of materials and cost estimation; construction scheduling and simulation. Although there are still limitations in the implementation of BIM methodology in all sectors and stages, within the construction industry, BIM has been bringing an important improvement in the quality of a building design, reflected in the quality of the final product. The present study put in evidence the BIM manager role in pro-jects that aggregates several disciplines and experts, bringing an important contribution in the quality of a building design. BIM methodology is a current demand in the construction industry supported on advanced technology and in an adequate management of projects.

The popular appreciation of dry white wines is most frequently directed to young wines. However, present consumption trends comprise the valorisation of aged dry white wines. Therefore, the present work was aimed at the sensory analysis of these wines with different ages to define their sensory space and to understand which factors drive their quality evaluation by experienced tasters (critics, oenologists and students). Individuals were asked to evaluate several synthetic and aesthetic attributes and to characterise the analytic sensory profile through a Check-All-That-Apply (CATA) methodology. The quality evaluations were differently correlated with wine synthetic parameters according to the taster group. For both critics and oenologists, overall quality scores were driven by persistence and complexity. Moreover, quality was also highly correlated with power for critics and with balance for oenologists. Quality scores were highly correlated with wine browning (absorbance at 420 nm) for critics. The tasting panel showed a homogeneous analytic description of aroma, taste and mouthfeel consistent with wine age. The different ages could be associated to a continuous sensory space characterised by a decreasing perception of freshness and increase in mature and mellowed descriptors. All wines shared an austere in-mouth perception elicited by their acidity, saltiness, bitterness, smoothness and dryness. The age prediction showed that most tasters failed to guess the age wines with more than roughly 13 years old, indicating that tasters were not familiar with the sensory features of white wines with 17 to 46 years old. In conclusion, experienced tasters consistently described the sensory space and recognised the high quality of aged dry white wines. Education programs may use the defined sensory spaces according to aging and to expand the range of quality perception by consumers.

Although the effect of thermal modification (TM) on teak wood color is well documented, a few studies were carried out in closed system processes, as well as it remains unclear the effect of different processes on the same material. This work aimed to verify the effect of closed and open system processes of TM on the color of fast-growing teak wood. Thermally modified wood was evaluated in a closed system at 160 °C (CS160) and in an open system at 185 °C and 210 °C (OS185 and OS210). We measured the moisture content (initial and final) of wood, and the corrected mass loss (CML). The chemical analyses encompassed the contents of alpha-cellulose, hemicelluloses, lignin, and extractives (total, in acetone and dichloromethane). Wood color was measured before and after TM according to the CIEL*a*b* color space. It was possible to achieve the same color using different processes of thermal modification (CS160 and OS210). TM reduced wood lightness (L*), red-green chromaticity coordinate (a*), and yellow-blue chromaticity coordinate (b*). L* and a* had the bigger and lower variations, respectively. The color of thermally modified wood was significantly changed, even at the mildest condition tested (OS185, 0.33% CML).

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

The transport and entanglement of photons is becoming prominent in optics applied to information and quantum computing, where the angular momentum of light stands out in the exchange and inversion of quantized states, with prospects for several technological applications, such as the transport and storage of quantum information. In order to contribute to the understanding of quantized states in photon-matter interaction, we describe a quantized state equation in multidimensional Hilbert space for the diagnosis of OAM states, where probabilities arise in a relativistic setting. It was found that the classical-relativistic variability of the probabilities constitutes a resultant capable of describing the quantized states of light, where the state variable is the variation of the angular momentum of the photon, capable of estimating the orbital angular momentum inversion points at angular incidence. It was found that the chances of finding the quantized states of light at angular incidence can be treated by purely relativistic probabilities, explaining that when both states have equal chances of being found and the angular momentum variation is zero, the source-observer synchronizations occur at the step of increasing relativistic regime of the photon dynamics. We found that the relativistic effect from the perspective of the source referential is able to alter the chances of an event occurring, dilating and contracting the probabilities of finding a quantized state of light at angular incidence.

The aim of the paper is to analyze the experimental results of the influence of elevated temperatures and strain rate on the mechanical and structural properties of steel 42CrMo4. The experiments were based on uniaxial tension and compression tests at high temperatures between 700 °C and 1000 °C and strain rates range 0.0018 - 0.1 s^-1. The influence of temperature and strain rate on yield stress, strain to fracture, hardness, structural changes, and fracture characteristics were analyzed. Due to the dynamic recrystallization phenomenon present during the hot tensile tests, an increase in the flow stress is observed at the beginning of the deformation, after which it decreases until the fracture. By increasing the deformation temperature from 700 °C to 1000 °C, the tensile stress decreases significantly for all strain rates. The increase in the strain rate leads to the increase in the tensile stress. In compression tests by increasing the strain rate, the true strain is slightly increasing, but this depends on the temperature. The non-uniformity of deformations obtained at different values of the strain rate and temperature were also analyzed. Analysis by scanning electron microscopy showed the ductile behavior of the material. The degree of damage of the material caused by the presence of cavities increases by increasing the deformation temperature. For all the presented deformation conditions, the presence of the fracture through the ductile fracture mechanism was produced by the localized of necking and the coalescence of microvoids. By increasing the deformation temperature and reducing the strain rate, the fracture behavior of 42CrMo4 steel can be improved.

The effects of photon inertia on the determination of its trajectory were verified and the representation of a displacement mass characterized by the flow of the number of wavefronts and the decomposition of photon inertia into parts associated with translation and rotation motions was considered. It was found that with the relativistic increase of the photon's resistance to change its directional properties, it inhibits the relativistic trajectory of the second torque, of Minkowski, in an angular range of incidence. After synchronizations, in the OAM inversions, there are reductions of the inertia associated to the translational part that assumes classical predominance, where the relativistic trajectory is allowed while the photon offers less resistance to changes in its directional properties. The classical-relativistic variability of the photon inertia characterizes the classical or relativistic profile of the energy distribution in forms of motion, where adjustments of the rotational and translational parts can be performed as a function of the refractive index rate, temperature and angle of incidence. It was found that with increasing temperature of the refringent medium, the synchronizations displacement in the sense of the normal incidence. A specific vacuum temperature for the refringent medium was characterized, where the photon exhibits a classical-relativistic synchronization under all angles of incidence, characteristic of its immaterial state in vacuum.

Building Information Modelling (BIM) methodology have been optimizing the construction activity in all sectors: multidisciplinary designs development; construction planning and monitoring; building management and maintenance. A BIM environment aggregates several disciplines and different skillsets and in order to control and improve the quality of a BIM project, a BIM manager is required. The BIM manager has the responsibility to coordinate all tasks involved in a building design and associated activities usually workout over the project documents. The professional can access to various discipline models, located in a shared board, and request for amendments if inconsistencies are detected. The present study issue is illustrated with three building cases were distinct specific projects, disciplines and tasks were elaborated: collaboration between disciplines (architecture, structures and construction); structural analyses and reinforcement details; quantity take-off of materials and cost estimation; construction scheduling and simulation. Although there are limitations in the implementation of BIM methodology in all sectors and stages, within the construction industry, BIM have been bringing an important improvement in the quality of a building design, reflected in the quality of the final product. BIM methodology is a current demand in the construction industry supported on advanced technology and in an adequate management of projects, were the BIM manager has an important role.

In his best-selling book An Introduction to Probability Theory and its Applications, W. Feller established a way of ending the St. Petersburg Paradox by the introduction of an entrance fee, and provided it for the case in which the game is played with a fair coin. A natural generalization of his method is to establish the entrance fee for the case in which the probability of head is θ (0 < θ < 1/2). The deduction of those fees is the main result of Section 2. We then propose a Bayesian approach to the problem. When the probability of head is θ (1/2 < θ < 1) the expected gain of the St. Petersburg Game is finite, therefore there is no paradox. However, if one takes θ as a random variable assuming values in (1/2,1) the paradox may hold, what is counter-intuitive. On Section 3 we determine a necessary and sufficient condition for the absence of paradox on the Bayesian approach and on Section 4 we establish the entrance fee for the case in which θ is uniformly distributed in (1/2,1), for in this case there is paradox.

This study aims to analyze various types of pellet fuels used as energy sources in Bulgaria, focusing on their energy characteristics and the consumer preferences. Both standard and specialized methods such as thermogravimetry (TG) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) are used for the analyses. The results from TG and DSC indicate that during the drying of the samples, moisture is evaporated from their surface, along with the release of volatile substances. The processes during the analysis are accompanied by energy absorption, with the main stage being combustion, where the primary amount of heat is generated. Standard analysis methods show that wood pellets usually contain about 7.31% moisture, 0.72% ash and have a calorific value of 18.33 kJ/kg, while sunflower pellets contain about 7.62% moisture, 2.42% ash and have a calorific value of 19.63 kJ/kg. Mixed pellets contain about 7.07% moisture, up to 0.69% ash and have a calorific value of 18.05 kJ/kg. A specialized marketing research was conducted to investigate consumer attitudes and preferences toward purchasing different types of solid biomass fuels on Bulgarian market. This study provides information on the quality of pellets as fuel by offering a detailed analysis of their fuel properties and ensuring their effective utilization as an energy source.

With the increment of the aging population in recent years, neurodegenerative diseases exert a major global disease burden, essentially as a result of the lack of treatments that can stop the disease progression. Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is an example of a neurodegenerative disease, that affects millions of people globally, with no effective treatment. Natural compounds have emerged as a viable therapy to fill a huge gap in AD management, and in recent years, mostly fuelled by the Covid-19 pandemic, RNA-based therapeutics have become a hot topic in the treatment of several diseases. Treatments of neurodegenerative diseases face significant limitations due to the complex and interconnected pathways that lead to their hallmarks and, also due to the necessity to cross the blood–brain barrier. Nanotechnology has contributed to surpass this bottleneck in the treatment of AD, by promoting safe and enhanced drug delivery to the brain. In particular, exosome-like nanoparticles, a hybrid delivery system combining exosomes and liposomes' advantageous features, are demonstrating great potential in the treatment of central nervous system diseases.

Here we will electrically-quantum model the neutron and proton as a three-phase alternating current electric generator, for this, we will use the theory of three-phase electric generators and vector or phasor diagrams. We will use this model to hypothesize how the quarks that form neutrons and protons with a combined mass of 10 MeV/c², can generate, through quarks-antiquarks-gluon interactions, a mass of 939.56 MeV/c² for the neutron and a mass of 938.27 MeV/c² for the proton. Using quantum mechanics and the theory of the generalization of the Boltzmann constant in curved space-time we will calculate the number of quarks-antiquarks-gluons and gravitons inside a neutron. We will also analyse βˉ decay using vector diagrams, we will calculate the tension of the string T₀ and the length of the string ℓs between quarks-antiquark and finally, we will model a black hole using a neutron equivalent model. In version 2 of this article, we will update the vector diagrams of the βˉ decay and theoretically calculate the energy of the W⁻ boson, the Z⁰ boson, and the Θ angle, Θ = arc cos (W⁻/Z⁰). We will demonstrate, through vector diagrams, that quarks-antiquarks-gluon interactions are the cause of the origin of the W⁻ boson and the Z⁰ boson. We will also demonstrate how the fine structure constant α originates. It is important to make clear, in future updates, we will describe the relationship that exists between the theory described in this paper and the Isospin theory, flavour and colour theory

Maghemite (γ-Fe2O3) is a mineral formed from magnetite oxidation at low temperatures, an intermediate metastable term of the magnetite to hematite oxidation and could be mixed with both. It has magnetic susceptibility similar to magnetite, crystal structure close to magnetite with which it forms a solid solution, while compositionally it equals hematite. Maghemite is thus easily misidentified as magnetite by X-ray diffraction and/or as hematite by spot chemical analysis in iron ore characterization routines. Nonstoichiometric magnetite could be quantified in samples of Brazilian soils and iron ores by the Rietveld method using a constrained refinement of the X-ray patterns. The results were confirmed by reflected light microscopy and Raman spectroscopy, thus qualitatively validating the method. X-ray diffraction with the refinement of the isomorphic substitution of Fe2+ by Fe3+ along the magnetite-maghemite solid solution could help to suitably characterize maghemite in iron ores, allowing for the evaluation of its ultimate influence on mineral processing, by affecting its surface and breakage properties.

Hydrodynamic modeling and hazard mapping are essential tools for urban flood mitigation and spatial planning. Leveraging software like HEC-RAS (Hydrologic Engineering Center - River Analysis System) and ArcGIS, this study aimed to map flood-prone areas along the Jijia River in the Ungheni administrative unit of Iasi County. Human-induced environmental changes and global climate shifts have heightened flood risks worldwide, particularly in urbanized areas. Hydrological and hydraulic modeling anticipate and assess flood events, while hydrodynamic modeling accurately simulates flow propagation, in-forming flood extent, timing, and volume. Flood hazard maps offer essential insights into flooded areas, water depths, and velocities, assisting in risk assessment and mitigation strategies. Through the use of different scenarios, river modeling aims to accurately replicate real-world conditions. This study focuses on Ungheni commune in Iasi County, Romania, situated along the Prut River's eastern bank. Utilizing a combination of fixed-grid and irregular mesh elements in modeling al-lows for fine-tuning of flow details and optimization of simulation times. Model accuracy, particularly regarding peak river levels, hinges on hydrograph duration. While a 30-minute error is typically accepted, greater tolerances may apply to river basins with longer response times. The extraction and processing of model results, including maximum water depths, flood extents, and velocity maps, are facilitated by ArcGIS, providing valuable data for effective flood management strategies.

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

Natural fibers have attracted increasing interest as an alternative to produce environmentally friendly and sustainable materials. Particularly, hemp fibers have revealed to be widely used in various industrial applications due to their extremely unique properties. However, hemp can generate a large amount of agro-waste, and results in an attractive source of biopolymers for the development of low-cost materials in alternative to the raw materials and conventional petroleum-based plastics. In addition, deep eutectic solvents (DESs), a new type of truly green solvents, have been tested to remove gums, lignin, and other non-cellulosic components from hemp fibers. Reusing these components dissolved into the DESs to fabricate new materials directly by electrospinning is a very attractive but still unexplored endeavor. Thus, this innovative research to venture new upcycling pathways is focused on the fabrication of composite nanofibers by electrospinning of a gel-based blend of Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and hemp agro-waste (HW) dissolved into choline chloride (ChCl) : Glycerol (1:2) and ChCl : Urea (1:2) DES mixtures. The results obtained revealed that the produced nanofibers displayed uniform appearance with diameters ranging from 257.72 ± 65.63 nm to 380.78 ± 133.98 nm. In addition, the mechanical properties of the electro-spun composite nanofibers produced from the gel-based blends of HW dissolved in DESs and PVA (HW-DESs_PVA) were found to be superior, resulting in an enhanced tensile strength and Young’s modulus. Furthermore, the incorporation of HW into the nanofibers was able to provide bioactive antioxidant and antibacterial properties. Overall, this study demonstrated a promising, more sustainable, and eco-friendly way to produce electrospun composite nanofibers using HW in a circular economy perspective.

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

Objective: To evaluate which risk factors contribute directly or indirectly to Toxoplasma gondii infection in patients with ocular toxoplasmosis. Methods: Between 2018-2020, a total of 306 patients were selected, and treated at the Retinology Outpatient Clinic of the Specialty Hospital of Sāo José do Rio Preto, in the state of São Paulo. After the fundoscopy test, the Enzyme Linked Fluorescent Assay (ELFA) was used to determine IgG and IgM class anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies. Results: The results showed that individuals aged 60 years or older, and women who had a previous pregnancy, (p=0.000, OR= 8.137 and 95 % CI = 2.562 – 25.844), (p=0.016, OR= 7.395 and CI 95 % = 1,449 – 37,725) respectively, were 48.6 % more likely to develop ocular toxoplasmosis. Conclusion: In this way, previous pregnancy is a risk factor for the reactivation of toxoplasma, as well as for the generation of retinochoroiditis in previously infected women.

The craft beers are outlined as a distinctively flavored, brewed and distributed regionally, using top-fermenting (ale) yeast, bottom-fermenting (lager) yeast or spontaneously fermentation. Craft beers are largely consumed and produced in Brazil and presents great level of polyphenols, which would affect the consumer’s preference. In this way, we analyzed the relation between polyphenols, bitterness and composition of main different styles of craft beers and the consumer´s preference. Six different styles were analyzed according its polyphenol content, bitterness, chemical composition, sensory profile and preference. For preference, a panel with 62 non-trained assessors was used. For sensory profile, the quantitative descriptive analysis was performed, using expert assessors (n = 8). The preferred style was Classic American Pilsner and the style less preferred was Standard American Lager. The craft beer more preferred showed a decreased bitterness (9.52), polyphenol content (0.61 mg EAG/mL), total solids (6.75 ºBrix) and turbidity (7.27 NTU). This beer exhibited reduced sensory notes of malty, fruity, smoked, hoppy and phenolic, but a higher perception of floral, sweet and yeast notes. The bitter attribute has a reduced perception. This study advances understanding the sensory profile and complexity of craft beers styles from Southern Brazilian.

Data creation is often the only way for researchers to produce basic geospatial information for the pursuit of more complex tasks and procedures such as those that lead to the production of new data for studies concerning river basins, slope morphodynamics, applied geomorphology and geology, urban and territorial planning, detailed studies, for example, in architecture and civil engineering, among others. This exercise results from a reflection where specific data processing tasks executed in Google Sketchup (Pro version, 2018) can be used in a context of interoperability with Geographical Information Systems (GIS) software. The focus is based on the production of contour lines and Digital Elevation Models (DEM) using an innovative sequence of tasks and procedures in both environments (GS and GIS). It starts in Google Sketchup (GS) graphic interface, with the selection of a satellite image referring to the study area—which can be anywhere on Earth's surface; subsequent processing steps lead to the production of elevation data at the selected scale and equidistance. This new data must be exported to GIS software in vector formats such as Autodesk Design Web format—DWG or Autodesk Drawing Exchange format—DXF. In this essay the option for the use of GIS Open Source Software (gvSIG and QGIS) was made. Correcting the original SHP by removing “data noise” that resulted from DXF file conversion permits the author to create new clean vector data in SHP format and, at a later stage, generate DEM data. This means that new elevation data becomes available, using simple but intuitive and interoperable procedures and techniques which confgures a costless work flow.

The circular economy (CE) has emerged as a viable alternative for tackling the problems caused by rising consumption, including solid waste (SW). The present study conducted a meta-analysis of research published between 2012 and 2022 on CE and solid waste management (SWM). A bibliometric analysis was used from the Web of Science (WoS) and Scopus databases. By studying the articles, we briefly discussed the connections between them and how one contributes to the evolution of the other. Some findings point to greater collaboration between Italy and Bolivia, followed by China and Malaysia. However, they move away from the traditional axes as the United States and Canada. In addition, it was found that the adoption of reuse and selective collection, in fact, allow the reduction of the volume of discarded materials. In this way, it was possible to conclude that a greater connection between CE and GRS makes it possible to optimize the useful life of landfills through the treatment of organic waste and recycling, to encourage waste picker cooperatives and selective collection programs, and to reduce the financial costs of the system as a whole, making it more durable and sustainable.

In this work, we present some results related with the issue of the Loop Quantum Black Holes (LQBH) thermodynamics by the use of the tunneling radiation formalism. The information loss paradox is also discussed in this context, where we have considered the influence of back reaction effects.

Ethylene is a plant hormone controlling physiological and developmental processes such fruit maturation, hairy root formation and leaf abscission. Its effect on regeneration systems, such as organogenesis and somatic embryogenesis (SE), has been studied and progresses in molecular biology techniques have contributed to unveil mechanisms behind its effects. This compound affects regeneration differently, depending on the species, genotype and explant. In some species, ethylene seems to revert recalcitrance in genotypes with low regeneration capacity. However, its effect is not addictive, since in genotypes with high regeneration capacity this ability decreases in the presence of ethylene precursors, suggesting that regeneration is modulated by ethylene. Several lines of evidence have shown that the role of ethylene on regeneration is markedly connected to biotic and abiotic stresses as well as to hormonal-crosstalk, in particular with key regeneration hormones and growth regulators of the auxin and cytokinin families. Transcriptional factors of the ethylene response factor (ERF) family are regulated by ethylene and strongly connected to SE induction. Thus, an evident connection between ethylene, stress responses and regeneration capacity is markedly established. In this review the effect of ethylene and the way it interacts with other players during organogenesis and somatic embryogenesis is discussed.

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

Putting value to ecosystem services is something that society still refuses or simply ignores because it is not aware of the benefits that ecosystems provide us. In fact, people should be aware that a good understanding of ecosystem services can lead to win-win situations. Being aware of the importance of preserving the ecosystem and attaching value to its services will enable the development of self-sustaining strategies and appropriate policies for better ecological governance. Decades of over exploitation of natural resources, introduction and spread of alien species and, also, climate change, forest fires among other threats, have fostered biodiversity loss. The European Union Biodiversity Strategy has as one of its main goals to stop biodiversity loss and the degradation of ecosystem services; if possible, to recover the most threatened and degraded ecosystems, based on 20 Actions divided into 6 Targets. The present work falls within the scope of Action 5 of Target 2 – Improve knowledge of ecosystems and their services in the EU. The specific focus of this study is the Site of Community importance “Dunas de Mira, Gândara and Gafanhas” (Portugal) and the assessment of its ecosystem services, in accordance with the methodology proposed by the MAES (Mapping and Assessment of Ecosystems and their Services) Working Group. The work currently under way, a small segment of which is presented here, aims to identify, map and, when possible, assign value to the ecosystem services. For this purpose, modern GIS technologies will be used. This approach was implemented using a combination of data and tasks, including the photo-interpretation of Sentinel 2 (COPERNICUS Program) satellite imagery. The data geoprocessing tasks and image segmentation were developed using QGIS software and IMPACT Toolbox software (developed by the Joint Research Center – JRC, of the European Union), respectively. The analysis of Land Use and Burned Areas maps for the SCI "Dunas de Mira, Gândara and Gafanhas" led us to conclude that Forests ecosystems, the most affected by the fire of October 2017, continue to have the greatest expression in the area under study even though they have lost more than 50% of the area, and their services were also the ones most affected by the fire.

Knowing the symbolizations constructed in people's consciousness, based on lived experiences, is crucial to understanding how they structure their lives. Palliative Sedation (PS) integrates treatment in terminal palliative care, with the purpose of offering support and relief of refractory symptoms that may occur at the end of life. This study aimed at interpreting psychic fantasies that permeate thoughts, as reported by a sample of nurses when administering palliative sedation to patients in the final stage of life. This is a clinical-qualitative study conducted in a large hospital in the city of São Paulo (state of São Paulo, Brazil), a national reference in oncology. The study included 11 nurses working in the care of cancer patients. For data collection, we used the technique of SDIOQD – Semi-Directed Interview with Open-ended Questions in-Depth. The treatment by CQCA - Clinical-Qualitative Content Analysis is grounded on psychodynamic concepts. The interpretation of the meaning cores found in the interviews, complemented by observation of the para-verbal and nonverbal manifestations of the interviewees, led to the construction of three categories: (1) to symbolically serve death on a tray; (2) the act of sedation and its unfortunate coincidences; (3) palliative sedation as an agent of mercy death. This study suggests that nurses face dilemmatic situations, going through periods of self-questioning and moments of the ambivalence of feelings of beneficence and maleficence. When sedating a patient, the nurses envision to be offering dignity in death. Euthanasia fantasies in the process of administering sedation are latent in consciousness.

Here we mathematically model black holes following dynamics similar to RC electrical model, focusing on their similarities at the singularity. We use this mathematically modelling to hypothesize the origin and growth of a black Hole. Or model consists of several steps defined by: (1) the formation of a black hole following general relativity equations; (2) growth of the black hole modelled as a resistance-capacitance-like electrical circuit. Based on the mathematical modeling of a black hole following dynamics similar to an RC circuit, for a circular motion with constant acceleration, in which the condition is fulfilled, Vt = ω r, we are going to calculate the amount of dark matter in the Milky Way galaxies and the Andromeda galaxy and subsequently the rotation curve of both galaxies to compare them with observed or measured values.

Here we will model the curvature and contraction of space-time using as a basis the equation of state of an ideal gas and the Hawking´s equation for the temperature of a black hole. We will use this mathematical model to hypothesize that the Boltzmann´s constant depends on the state of matter, that is, there is a known Boltzmann´s constant for flat space-time and an effective Boltzmann´s constant for curved space-time. This model will allow us to quantify the structure of space-time and will serve as a basis to determine the origin of gravity and the origin of elementary particles. Using the Shannon-Boltzmann-Gibbs entropy relation, we will demonstrate that information is not lost and depends on the state of matter, the information is encoded and depends on the effective Boltzmann´s constant.

The leaves and stems of Bauhinia guianensis Aubl. are used in traditional Amazonian phytotherapy for the treatment of pain and inflammation. This study investigates the anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive effects of hydroethanolic extracts from B. guianensis Aubl. leaves and stems (HELBg and HESBg, respectively) in in vivo models of inflammation and hyperalgesia. Danio rerio experimental animals were submitted to the acute inflammation test, induced by intraperitoneal (ip.) administration of carrageenan 20 μg / animal (abdominal edema), the groups were previously treated orally with saline solution 2 μl / animal (SS), Dimethyl sulfoxide 2 μl / animal (DMSO), Indomethacin 10 mg/kg, HELBg 100 mg/kg and HESBg 100 mg/kg, n = 12 per experimental group, to evaluate inhibition of edema and alterations histopathology of the liver, intestine and kidney of these animals. The antinociceptive effect was observed from the body curvature index and the behavioral responses of Danio rerio, after an experimental protocol for the induction of hyperalgesia, by ip. administration of 10 μl / animal of 2.5% acetic acid, the animals were previously orally treated with saline solution 2 μl/animal (SS), dimethyl sulfoxide 2 μl/animal (DMSO), morphine 2.5 mg/kg, HELBg 100 mg/kg and HESBg 100 mg/kg, n = 5 per experimental group. In carrageenan-induced edema, the group treated with HESBg inhibited edema formation over the 3 hours of the experiment. Maximum edema was inhibited by 54% (p &lt; 0.05) when compared to the control group. Both HELBg and HESBg prevented body curvature index changes (t (df = 3 8) =, 6.96 and t (df = 3, 8) = 6.61, respectively, both p &lt; 0.0001). In the behavioral parameters sensitive to antinociceptive pharmacological modulation, due to the abdominal constriction induced by acetic acid, the administration of HELBg and HESBg resulted in an improvement in swimming activity, by increasing the distance covered (F (df = 3, 16) = 6.50 and F (df = 3, 16)  = 7.72, respectively, both p &lt; 0.0001), decrease in freezing time (F (df = 3, 16)  = 2.04 and F (df = 3, 16)  = 1.28, respectively, both p &lt; 0.0059), increase in the number of ascents to the upper area of the tank (F (df = 3, 16)  = 33.02 and F (df = 3, 16)  = 35.62, respectively, both p &lt; 0.0009 ) and decreased time spent in that area (F (df = 3, 16)  = 101.19 and F (df = 3, 16)  = 103.59, respectively, both p &lt; 0.0038). It is reasonable to suppose that both extracts modulated the variations induced by carrageenan and acetic acid through the inhibition of prostaglandin biosynthesis, decreasing the release of inflammatory mediators and the sensitization of peripheral nociceptors and, consequently, the perception of pain. These results suggest that HELBg and HESBg have anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive activities, probably of peripheral origin and linked to the inhibition of prostaglandin biosynthesis.

Solid waste management is challenging in many countries, especially developing economies. The impacts of the pandemic continue to be felt and have indicated secondary impacts on waste management. This work draws on data on household solid waste (HSW), healthcare waste (HCW), and recyclables collected in the Rio de Janeiro municipality, analyzed from January 2018 to December 2022. As expected, the collection of HCW in Rio de Janeiro municipality experienced a noticeable increase in 2020 and 2021, with an average of 46.9 tons and 54.3 tons collected, respectively. Notably, 2021 saw a significant 30% increase compared to 2019 (p-value<0.001). No significant difference was observed in recyclables collected from 2018 to 2021. The average recyclable amount was 3,638 and 3,747 tons per month in 2020 and 2021. In contrast, the monthly amount was equal to 4,819.5 tons in 2022, representing an increase higher than 32% compared to previous years (p-value<0.05). Our findings can be used to adapt and improve waste systems to cope with similar emergency scenarios in the future, serving as a template for municipalities with similar challenges.

Water footprint has been widely used to illustrate the consumption of water in many situations; for instance, in products, processes or regions of interest. In this work, we analyzed – using a sensitivity analysis approach – the effect of some variables in the calculation of the water footprint in the viticulture in Brazilian Serra Gaúcha (the major producing region of Brazilian Wine).The classical Penman-Monteith model for evapotransporation was considered, with uncertainties in some parameters (dead mulch covering fraction in the vineyard, maximum temperatures for some months, altitudes and latitudes of the site). The sensitivity analysis was conducted using the SAFE toolbox under Octave framework. The results indicated that the the portion of the water footprint corresponding to the evapotranspiration is more sensitive to the values of mulch covering fraction and the altitude of the site in comparison with the latitude and the maximum temperatures.

This paper exposes the initial part of a research consisting in a need analysis carried out by the Romanian partner in the Erasmus+ "Media Education for Aware Adults" project, regarding digital competences and media education of adult educators or trainers. After a short introduction on the subject, in the paper are presented the main findings of the desk research, and two focus group sessions, first one for identifying the necessary digital competences of adult educators, and second one for identifying the elements that educators need in order to adequately support adults in their learning process, especially in relation to the digital environment. The results of the initial research will lead to the development of the main intellectual outputs, namely the digital competences framework, handbook, online platform and training material on digital and media education. In their development will be taken into account, on the one hand, the needs identified in the initial research, and, on the other hand, the need for a sustainable approach to all activities, resources and outputs produced, as well as education itself, this goal being assumed through the project.