Objectives: The tau protein is essential for stabilizing microtubules. Changes in its phosphorylation are identified in many neurodegenerative diseases, such as frontotemporal dementia and Alzheimer's disease. The hyperphosphorylation of the tau protein is linked to various factors, including stress, which has a substantial impact on depressive illness. The present study aimed to systematically review studies that describe the association between tau protein and depression.Design: The present study used the PRISMA statement 2020 as the inclusion criterion for articles describing tau protein in individuals with depression. The exclusion criterion was the lack of comparison of tau protein levels with individuals without depression.Results: A total of 138 papers were identified, of which 21 were ultimately included. One out of every three articles included demonstrated the statistical significance of the tau protein values between the depression group and controls. Only one had an adequate sample but demonstrated results without any major significance.Conclusions: The association between tau protein and depression remains unclear. Studies with adequate sampling are necessary to answer this question.

Contrary to what has been happening in most countries in the world, suicide mortality in Brazil has been increasing since 2016. To identify the epidemiological profile that may be associated with this increase in suicidal behavior in the population, we looked for a city with low rates of suicide mortality until 2016 and in which had a detectable growing epidemic wave in recent years to better elucidate the issue. This study aims to identify factors associated with suicidal ideation, suicidal planning, suicide attempts, and suicide.A validated questionnaire was used - Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin index (KMO) = .86 (acceptable greater than .7) and intraclass correlated coefficient (ICC) = .98 (acceptable greater than .9). Data collected was obtained by sampling for the convenience of the online questionnaire with a minimum sample of 400 respondents. The general population of Marília’s city, a medium-sized city in São Paulo state of Brazil, voluntarily responded to the questionnaire. Prevalence data was described in ratios and incidence was described in tables. The association was measured by factor analysis. The state government's data information platform (DataSUS) was consulted to verify the incidence of suicides from 2016 to 2023. The prevalence ratio of suicide attempts in people with mental disorders was 8.09%. There was a 600% increase in the incidence of suicide from 2016 to 2023 among young adults. Interpersonal problems were highly prevalent in people with suicidal ideation, suicidal planning, and suicide attempts. Heroism appears to be a suicidal equivalent and may be associated with most young deaths. Heroic behavior demonstrated a prevalence of 66.1% for committing tragic suicide. We get c² of 31.4 for 18 degrees of freedom (p=0.026) of 10 representative variables in factor analysis with eight of the 10 variables demonstrating an association for one component. The young population has demonstrated epidemically growing suicide rates. Social segregation can affect young people's social lives and increase suicidal behavior.

This paper proposes an upper bound for mine productivity and also a simple truck dispatch rule that demonstrates how tight the upper bound can be using simulation. It also proposes a greedy search to approximate the productivity upper bound, which is faster and often exact. Uncertainty is added to the simulation in order to verify how the productivity responds to it. Typically, the productivity upper bound is less tight close to its saturation point as a function of the number of trucks, where adding more trucks only increases queues. Furthermore, more uncertainty in the model typically leads to a less tight upper bound. The results are conducted using real data from an open pit mine in Brazil.

Citizens face online privacy threats from social media, organisations and governments. Privacy-enhancing tools (PETs) can help people to preserve their privacy, but the uptake of these is limited. We developed a conceptual framework for privacy self-protection, using a classification framework of four distinct privacy threats and our own novel staged model of PET adoption requisites. Through an expert survey (N = 12) and a lay user survey (N = 500), we identified suitable PETs for non-expert users and identified potential barriers to PET adoption. Based on the studies and our theoretical framework, we then developed and implemented a PET decision support tool called PEDRO, and conducted expert evaluations (N = 10).

The energy supply for isolated systems remains a current challenge in Brazil and worldwide, particularly when known solutions are compared regarding cost, the ability to supply energy on demand, and sustainability. In this context, green hydrogen, which has been considered one of the main paths for the decarbonization of the energy chain, is also seen as a potential solution for energy supply in isolated systems. Based on a literature review of articles addressing the topics of green hydrogen and isolated systems, an analysis is conducted on the application of green hydrogen as an energy supply solution for isolated systems. The review identified and collected data on important parameters for comparing solutions, such as CAPEX, OPEX, energy cost, and the price per kilogram of hydrogen. Using these data, analyses were performed to provide an overview of the application of green hydrogen in isolated systems. One of the objectives of this work is to present a comprehensive analysis of the green hydrogen chain and its application in the context of electricity generation, particularly for isolated systems in Brazil.

Background: There have been reports of numerous risk factors for Alzheimer's disease. Although widely investigated, some points during the evolution of the disease have been obscure. One of them is a great frustration with therapeutic expectations. Why has there been an increase in suicidal behavior in treatments with anti-beta-amyloid drugs? Interpersonal stress is one of the factors that may be connecting Alzheimer's disease to suicide. Method: To observe possible associations between Alzheimer's disease and suicide, two validated questionnaires were selected. We recruited 20 elderly patients over 65 years old to observe the feasibility of further research using these instruments. The study was considered viable if all participants showed no difficulty in understanding the questions and completed both questionnaires in less than 30 minutes with a tendency to homogeneity. A description of the statistical data obtained was made. Results: All participants adequately understood the questions and completed the questionnaires in less than 30 minutes. In 10% of the sample, suicide attempts occurred throughout their lives. The average age of respondents was 75 years old. The QoSL Pareto diagram demonstrated a large concentration. The data demonstrated homogeneity. Conclusions: The application of the questionnaires in a sample suitable for carrying out analytical statistics was demonstrated. We have two great tools to try to understand the possible association between Alzheimer's disease and suicide.

Aims of the paper are the results of a research on a wooden box that holds an important historical document, which is a hand Bible handwritten in the thirteenth century. The tradition connect this Bible to the name of Marco Polo (Venice, 1254 - Venice, 1324), who would be the owner and that it would accompany him on his travels (1262 and 1271) in China. The Bible, of fine workmanship, written on thin parchment, and its container, along with a yellow silk cloth, is preserved in the ancient and prestigious Laurentian Library in Florence. The manuscript was in very poor condition and in the course of the study (2011) was being restored. Aims of survey were to determine the place and period of realization of the box, or rather if it be contemporary or later than the manuscript it contains and whether it was made in the East or in Europe.

There is a crucial need for advancement in the online educational system due to the unexpected, forced migration of classroom activities to a fully remote format, due to the coronavirus pandemic. Not only this, but online education is the future, and its infrastructure needs to be improved for an effective teaching-learning process. One of the major concerns with the current video call-based online classroom system is student engagement analysis. Teachers are often concerned about whether the students can perceive the teachings in a novel format. Such analysis was involuntarily done in the offline mode, however, is difficult in an online environment. This research presents an autonomous system for analyzing the students' engagement in the class by detecting the emotions exhibited by the students. This is done by capturing the video feed of the students and passing the detected faces to an emotion detection mode. The emotion detection model in the proposed architecture was designed by finetuning VGG16 pre-trained image classifier model. Lastly, the average student engagement index is calculated. We received considerable performance setting reliability of the use of the proposed system in real-time giving a future scope to this research.

The effects of morphine (MOR) and dexmedetomidine (DEX) on the MAC of isoflurane were measured in rats chronically treated with the synthetic cannabinoid WIN 55,212-2 (WIN55). Methods: The MAC of isoflurane was determined in 32 male rats from expiratory samples at the time of tail clamping. The effects of morphine (MAC(ISO+MOR)) and dexmedetomidine (MAC(ISO+DEX)) on the MAC of isoflurane in untreated rats and rats treated for 21 days with WIN 55,212-2 (MAC(ISO+WIN55+MOR)) and (MAC(ISO+WIN55+DEX)) were measured. Prior to the administration of morphine and dexmedetomidine, the MAC of the isoflurane was measured in both untreated rats (MAC(ISO)) and those treated with WIN 55,212-2 (MAC(ISO+WIN55)). Results: The minimum alveolar concentration was measured as 1.32 ± 0.06 in the MAC(ISO) group and 1.69 ± 0.09 in the MAC(ISO+WIN55) group. The MAC of the MAC(ISO+MOR) group was 0.97 ± 0.02 (26% less than the control group, MAC(ISO)). MAC was measured as 1.55 ± 0.08 in the MAC(ISO+WIN55+MOR) group (8% less than the MAC(ISO+WIN55) group), 0.68 ± 0.10 in the MAC(ISO+DEX) group (48% less than the control group, MAC(ISO)), and 0.67 ± 0.08 in the MAC(ISO+WIN55+DEX) group (60% less than the MAC(ISO+WIN55) group). Conclusions: The administration of WIN 55,212-2 for 21 days increases the MAC of isoflurane in rats. The sparing effect on isoflurane of morphine decreases in rats chronically treated with the synthetic cannabinoid, WIN 55,212-2. Dexmedetomidine increases its sparing effect on the minimum alveolar concentration of isoflurane in rats chronically treated with WIN 55,212-2.

This study analyzes the relevance of governance structure for efficiency in revenue collection by Brazilian Water Utilities (WUs). Data was collected from the National Information System on Sanitation (SNIS) for 127 Brazilian WUs, covering a balanced longitudinal panel from 2018 to 2022. Governance structures evaluated included Ownership (public or private) and Corporatization (publicly traded or not). In scientific databases, we did not find studies on the efficiency of specific WUs in collecting customer bills for services rendered and its relationships with this type of governance; thus, this would be the main innovative contribution of the study to the previous literature. In the first stage, the study utilized the Dynamic Slack Based Model (DSBM) to assess revenue collection efficiency. In the second stage, an econometric model with Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE) to explain the efficiency. The findings revealed a global average inefficiency of 50.47% in revenue collection. Corporatization was linked to higher collection efficiencies, while ownership type was significant, but with lower collection efficiency. Factors such as tariff accessibility, urbanization, and the COVID-19 pandemic also influenced efficiency. The study suggests regulatory bodies should consider these insights to implement policies that prevent inefficiencies from affecting the tariff system for services.

Mortality due to suicide is amongst the largest public health concerns across the world today and in Bharat (India). There have been concerns that the COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to worsening mental health outcomes across the world, and in Bharat. Furthermore, long COVID has been proposed to be a major consequence of COVID-19, which can also worsen mental health outcomes. Therefore, our objective in this study was to analyse trends in suicide mortality across Bharat, and to compare these trends to changes prior to the COVID-19 pandemic; as well, we aimed to analyse if long COVID had any role in these changes. It was found that, at a national level, the average annual increase of the suicide rate between 2019 and 2022 was 0.7 per 100,000 people (6.41% increase)., There was also an average annual rise in suicide rates across 27 states/union territories (out of the 33 that were analysed). States/UTs with the highest annual increases since the start of the COVID-19, despite a decrease from 2018 to 2019, were Tamil Nadu (increase by 2.7; 15.17% increase), and Telangana (increase by 1.9; 9.22% increase), Multi-linear regression had shown that the annual suicide rate changes were not associated with COVID-19 deaths per 10,000 people (standardized beta coefficient = 0.077; p = 0.605) but were associated with COVID cases per 100 people (standardized beta coefficient = 0.578; p

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is an etiologic agent of the respiratory disease in humans that is known as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID19). The first outbreak of the disease was initially documented in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China in late December 2019 where people had experienced SARS pneumonia-like symptoms with unknown etiology. Since then it has been observed that COVID-19 positive patients have been showing mild to severe upper respiratory illness symptoms. The type of virus is known to make its transfer from animals to humans and for the concerned virus; researchers have claimed its origin from bat coronavirus at whole-genome level with a 96 % sequence identity. The COVID-19 virus is very contagious and communicable in nature and has been spread throughout the globe since its first outbreak in China. On March 9, 2020, WHO declared it as a Pandemic, and within a month it was already reported to have shown its presence in 213 countries and territories or areas. As of April 29, 2020, this novel virus infected 3,218,183 people and caused 228,029 mortalities worldwide with a variable mortality rate from 3-13 % across the planet and also varied by age and gender. Diagnosis of the disease is a key component in understanding and controlling the spread of the virus and several techniques have been devised including RT-PCR, ELISA, and sequencing-based approaches. To cure COVID-19 patients as of now we do not have proven to be a safe and effective treatment. Therapeutic options currently under investigation in various parts of the world. However, there are various effective therapeutic targets to repurpose the present antiviral therapy for developing potential interventions against SARS-CoV-2. Boosting the immune system can also help to prevent and spread of COVID-19 using various medication and exercises. In this review, our goal to summarize and discussed the present scientific advancements to fight against this novel pandemic.

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) played an important role in understanding the dynamics of the territorial spread of COVID-19 during the pandemic. Even today, it is important to understand such dynamics in view of the imminent risk of new epidemics and pandemics. This study aimed to identify space-time clusters of incidence and mortality due to COVID-19 during the pandemic, analyzing socioeconomic and demographic characteristics in order to highlight the priority areas for control and surveillance actions. This study was conducted in the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo (MRSP) from March 2020 to February 2022. To detect the clusters, a multidimensional punctual process was created to perform multiple tests for every geographic point using the SaTScan™ software. Socioeconomic and demographic differences were analyzed using nonparametric Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests. High-risk clusters of incidences were observed in May 2020 (RR=2; p-value <0.001) and March to June 2021 (RR=2.6; p-value <0.001) in the capital of São Paulo and neighboring municipalities, with statistically significant differences between the socioeconomic variables analyzed. No low-risk cluster of COVID-19 incidence was found, but low-risk clusters of mortality from COVID-19 were found in the period from July to December 2020 in the central region of the capital (RR=0.33; p-value <0.001), which concentrates the highest incomes and the lowest percentages of Black, Brown (Mixed-race), and Indigenous people in the MRSP.

Soil water infiltration is an important component of the hydrological cycle and it is best evaluated when the raindrop is impacted on the ground surface. For this reason, it is affected by changes in land use and occupation, and by the characteristics and physical-hydric properties of the soil. This study aimed to evaluate soil water infiltration in areas occupied with annual crops (soybean and corn) and pastures, in two watersheds of the Teles Pires River-MT, using simulated rainfall, physical models and principal component analysis. Infiltration rates were evaluated from simulated rainfall with an average intensity of 75 mm h-1, with 4 repetitions per region (upper, middle and lower) of the hydrographic sub-basins of the Caiabi and Renato rivers, and soil use with cover, without cover and disturbed. Soil tillage provided higher water infiltration rates into the soil, especially in pasture areas in the two hydrographic sub-basins. There were significant adjustments of the mathematical models to the infiltration rate data for all land use and land cover conditions. The soil attributes that most interfered with the infiltration rate were microporosity, soil density and total porosity in the crop areas of the middle Caiabi, and microporosity, clay content, total porosity and silt content in the areas farming at the source of the Renato River. The Horton and Philip models presented the best adjustments in the hydrographic sub-basins of the Renato and Caiabi and Renato rivers, being recommended for estimating the rate of water infiltration into the soil in different uses, coverages, and regions.

Forty-five male Dorper crossbred lambs (40.17 ± 0.35 kg BW) were used in order to investigate the effects of the duration of calcium propionate (CaPr) supplementation in lambs finished with zilpaterol hydrochloride (ZH) on the productive performance, carcass characteristics, and meat quality. Lambs were individually housed and fed a finishing-diet for 42 d before being slaughtered. Lambs received the following treatments: 1) No additives (CTL), 2) ZH supplementation for 28 d (with 3 d ZH withdrawal before slaughter) at a dosage of at 7.2 mg/kg diet (ZH), for treatments 3, 4, and 5, lambs received ZH and 10g CaPr/lamb/d throughout the entire phase (42 d), or during the last 28 or 14 d before slaughter. Compared to CTL, ZH lambs exhibited a similar average daily gain (ADG) but had lower dry matter intake (DMI), leading to increased feed efficiency. Supplementing with ZH alone did not affect carcass traits, visceral mass, whole cuts, or meat quality. Lambs that received both CaPr and ZH exhibited quadratic increases (p &lt; 0.05) in final BW (FBW), ADG, and dressing percentage (D%). These increases were optimal at an estimated inclusion durations of 26 d for FBW, 30 for ADG, and 39 d for D%. The ADG:DMI ratio and the longissimus muscle area (LMA) both exhibited quadratic increases (p &lt; 0.05). The optimal duration of CaPr supplementation for ADG:DMI ratio was found to be 28 d, while for LMA, it was 14 d. As the period of CaPr supplementation increased, there was a linear increase (p &lt;0.05) in hot carcass weight, leg circumference, and whole cuts of breast IMPS209 and shoulder IMPS207. Cook loss percent increased quadratically (p &lt; 0.05), being higher when CaPr was included for an estimated duration of 26 d. As the duration of CaPr supplementation increased, the purge loss percentage (PLR) also increased linearly (p &lt; 0.05). In conclusion, including CaPr in the diet for a duration of 28 d in lambs improved the response to ZH supplementation on the productive performance, carcass weight and some whole cuts. However, it can also have a negative effect on PRL%.

Due to the unanticipated, forced migration of classroom activities to a fully remote format because of the coronavirus pandemic, there is a critical need for progress in the online education system. Not only that, but online education is the way of the future, and its infrastructure must be enhanced for teaching and learning to be effective. Engaging the students and enhancing their focus is one of the major concerns in the current video calling-based system. In this research, we propose a VR and AR-based virtual classroom environment system called "Edu VR" which encourages students to learn with a high level of involvement and attentiveness. We have divided the system into 2 distinct categories. one amongst which incorporates the virtual reality classroom, wherever the students can have a similar feel of actual school with peer-to-peer-based interactions and student-to-teacher interactions with Unity3D. We are able to conjointly deploy AR models with Vuforia, which permits the teachers to take classes more efficiently with student’s engagement. The other category involves the AI-based classroom assessment system, which enables teachers to produce assessments, which in turn are proctored by Artificial Intelligence. The results are automatically sent to the student within a short period, with the assistance of text similarity analysis for evaluating the answer scripts with Machine learning. This approach solves the drawbacks of video call-based systems with enhanced focus and engagement.

Integration of battery energy storage in photovoltaic (PV) systems can reduce the electricity costs and provide desirable flexibility and reliability to these systems decreasing renewable energy fluctuations. This paper presents a review of the PV-battery application in Brazil, highlighting the challenges and prospects based on the state-of-art. A PV-battery systems description is presented in this work, as well as the most applied battery technology and its comparison. The paper also describes the set of applications such as voltage and frequency regulation, renewable energy integration, power quality, etc. In the Brazilian scenario, there are applications of PV-battery systems, most of them part of research and development projects (R&amp;D’s), and some real cases are shown, including its goals, applied equipment, operation modes, strategies, and perspectives. Additionally, this work evaluates the Brazilian scenario regarding the energy storage systems implementation challenges, such as regulatory barriers, business models, and opportunities for R&amp;D in the energy market. In conclusion, it is need develop proper regulatory models to expand PV-battery systems and make them visible to the agents in the electricity sector.

Buildings are subject to intrinsic and extrinsic failures at all stages of the construction process, i.e., design to occupancy (i.e., use) as several failure types can affect them. There are three basic steps for researching building failures: listing, cataloging, and solving/deciding whether highlighting the least invasive and lowest cost intervention. Therefore, this research presents some methods used in construction for the intervention prioritization and seeks to illustrate the most suitable methodology for different settings failure x diagnosis x intervention. Therefore, the most traditional tools are shown: BASICO, SWIFT, FEMEA, AAF, and GUT matrix, where a critical assessment of the strengths and weaknesses is carried out. After that, a case study on maintenance services for the moisture on the building facades was performed. Finally, the GUT matrix and the FMEA method are the best results

This communication reports an improvement of the quality of the electrical data obtained from the application of electrical resistivity tomography method on archaeological studies. The electrical contact between ground and electrode enhances significantly by using carbomer-based gel during the electrical resistivity tomography measurements. Not only does the gel promote the conservation of the building surface under investigation, but it also virtually eliminates the necessity of conventional spike electrodes, which in many archaeological studies are inadequate or not permitted. Results evidenced an enhancement in the quality of the electrical data obtained in the order of thousands of units compared with those without using the carbomer-based gel. The potential and capabilities of this affordable gel make it appropriate to be applied to other geoelectrical studies beyond archaeological investigations. Moreover, it might solve corrosion issues on conventional spike electrodes, and electrical multicore cables usually provoked for added saltwater attempting to improve the electrical contact.

The art work of this present paper is to show properly conditions and aspects to reach stability in the process control, as also to avoid instability, by using digital PID controllers, with the intention of help the industrial community. The discussed control strategy used to reach stability is to manipulate variables that are directly proportional to their controlled variables. To validate and to put the exposed principles into practice, it was done two simulations of a continuous fermentation tank process start-up with the yeast strain S. Cerevisiae NRRL-Y-132, in which the substrate feed stream contains different types of sugar derived from cane bagasse hydrolysate. These tests were carried out through the resolution of conservation laws, more specifically mass and energy balances, in which the fluid temperature and level inside the tank were the controlled variables. The results showed the facility in stabilize the system by following the exposed proceedings.

Larus michahellis increased its population throughout the 20th century in its worldwide distribution area. The increase in the Salinas de San Pedro del Pinatar has produced changes in the habitats due to the contribution of guano, predation on birds, incidents with workers, and the production of salt. The objective is to analyze the impacts of L. michahellis on the landscape, habitats, waterfowl, salt production, and workers, as well as to evaluate the effectiveness of control activities. Censuses of wintering L. michahellis have been carried out between 1990-2021, of nesting aquatic birds between 1994-2021, and nests and eggs of L. michahellis have been eliminated between 2000-2021. The result has been a decrease in pairs of L. michahellis, recovery of waterfowl populations, colonization of others, absence of incidents with workers, and reduction of damage to salt production. However, to reach a definitive solution, measures should be adopted to prevent L. michahellis from accessing the main sources of human food: urban solid waste dumps, aquaculture farms, and fish discards.

Many of engineering’s problems are about to optimise equations, functions and process models equations which appear on common or even complex science’s cases. Most applied optimisation methods nowadays can only be used on particular cases, so the main objective of this article is to define a computational method that can optimise or even find target values for specified objective functions and variables, by just using computer effort. Chemical plants involve many differential equations and they can be optimised with more facility now. On this paper, there are shown as example, an optimisation for a chemical reactor, which is found the optimal temperature and volumetric flow rate of feed, for the given objective function being the composition of the desired product. Named Domain’s Sweep, it is an algorithm that evaluate given(s) mathematical function(s) and/or equation(s) by varying your(s) independent variable(s) through loops with a given step size and solving it after closing the degrees of freedom, and finally, with some condition statements, store all the optimum values of given or created objective functions with its respective independent variables. In another words, the user create an objective function and this method find the function’s maximum, minimum or a certain chosen target value, even if it does not have an inflection point in the given search interval of the independent variables.

Red mud (RM) is a residue obtained from the production of alumina. It contains a high concentration of metal oxides and waste concentrated sodium hydroxide solution (pH = 13). To increase the value of RM, an environmentally friendly process of transesterification using waste cooking oil (WCO), MeOH and concentrated sodium hydroxide solution (CSHS) from aluminum production was proposed. Triglycerides of WCO reacted with MeOH at 60 oC to yield mixtures of fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) in the presence of 2.03% (w/w) CSHS/WCO using the CSHS (0.204 mol L-1, predetermined by potentiometric titration) from aluminum production by the Bayer process or with the addition of 0.68% (w/w) fabric softener (3% w/w cetyltrimethylammonium chloride in solution) as a phase transfer (PTA) agent. The addition of PTA to the catalyst resulted in a better yield of the products (greater than 98% yield). A simplified mechanism is presented to account for the experimental results.

The primary objective of this systematic review study was to investigate the effectiveness, durability, and adverse events of PLLA treatment for aesthetic indications. The search strategy was performed in MEDLINE (Ovid). The electronic literature search of five databases was performed, from the inception of the databases until 12th of February 2024. This was to identify randomized clinical trials that assessed PLLA treatment in adult individuals exhibiting facial aging and/or facial lipoatrophy. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk-of-Bias Tool for Randomized Trials (RoB 2). Eleven RCTs out of 1467 identified citations were included. Four studies showed increased dermal thickness, significant improvement in facial lipoatrophy severity and aesthetic clinical scores, after PLLA treatment with its effects sustained for at least 25 months. Two studies demonstrated the superiority of PLLA over injectable human collagen. Also, three studies showed positive results favoring PLLA when compared with PH gel in lipoatrophy severity, trans epidermal water loss, skin quality, elasticity, and patient satisfaction. All adverse events were mild-to-moderate in intensity, and the main ones worth noting were bruising, hematoma, tenderness, nodules, and edema. Five out of 11 studies were considered as high risk of bias. The evidence on the effectiveness and safety of PLLA for facial rejuvenation is of low quality; thus, the reported high effectiveness, safety, and long-lasting effects for this purpose, should be further investigated.

Proprotein convertase subtilisin/Kexin type 9 (PCSK9) is a proteolytic enzyme that indirectly regulates serum LDL cholesterol by destroying LDL receptors. In clinical studies, the main role of the proprotein convertase subtilisin/Kexin type9 (PCSK9) inhibitor in cholesterol regulation was elucidated. It is produced in the liver but is also present in the kidney and intestine. It prevents HMGCo from synthesizing cholesterol. SREBP-2 is a reductase that is induced by statins. In a dose-dependent manner, increasing SREBP-2 levels enhanced LDL-R and PCSK9 gene expression. At the minimum, two procedures have been developed to overcome the plasma level of PCSK9. This is the LDLR test, polyclonal antibodies, and sentience oligonucleotide. Lower dosage statin treatment with a proprotein convertase subtilisin/Kexin type9 inhibitor will be most efficient in lowering LDL and avoiding statin adverse effects. In multiple long-term trials, statins have been found to reduce cardiovascular mortality by 30% and stroke incidence by 20%. In this way, we conclude the role of PCSK9 in hypercholesterolemia.

Background: Tibial shaft fractures are the most common of long bone fractures. The gold standard for management is locked intramedullary nailing. The freehand method under fluoroscopic monitoring is the most often utilized method for distal screw locking. Electromagnetic guidance-based distal screw locking methods have gained popularity recently. The study's objective is to evaluate the system using electromagnetic tracking data against the free-hand technique. Methods: Sixty-three patients who received intramedullary nailing for tibial shaft fractures at our institute between January 2018 and May 2022, were included in this study. Two groups of patients were distinguished: Group FH underwent freehand distal locking and intramedullary nailing, while Group SS underwent electromagnetically guided locking. Radiation exposure period, as well as dose area product, were noted and statistically compared. Results: In terms of dose area product, a mean value of 43.57±31.57 cGy/cm2 in group FH and a mean value of 27.62±11.20 cGy/cm2 in group SS (p &lt; 0.05) was assessed. Concerning the duration of surgery a mean value of 128.83±26.51 minutes was reported in group FH and a mean value of 126.42±48.31 minutes in group SS (p &gt; 0.05). Conclusions: This study confirms the use of electromagnetic-guided locking distal screws reduces the total time of exposure to ionizing radiation, with no difference in operating time.

. (1) Background: The aim of this study was to verify the differences in body composition, power and lower limb muscle strength in futsal players from three competitive levels. (2) Methods: The study involved 68 players (24.26 ± 4.63 years), divided into three competitive levels: elite, sub-elite and amateur. To assess physical condition, we used the Inbody270, the ChronoJump and the Isokinetic Dynamometer and used the non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis test to compare the three independent variables. (3) Results: There were no differences in body composition between the players at the three competitive levels. With regard to lower limb muscle power and strength, the elite group showed, on average, better performance and capabilities, especially when compared to the amateur group, and all groups showed an H/Q ratio &gt; 60%. (4) Conclusions: We conclude that there are not many differences in physical condition between the three competitive levels of futsal, despite the unequal sporting demands between them. However, the elite group has greater power and muscle strength, and both groups showed a high probability of lower limb muscle injury at this stage of the sporting season, alerting sports training professionals to the importance of individualized analysis of physical condition and performance capacity.

The intensification of conflicts associated with the use of water in the transition region of the Cerrado and Amazon biomes caused by population and economic growth, combined with the interest in generating energy from hydroelectric plants, raise the need to quantify the surface water availability of rivers contributing with different drainage areas. The present study estimated and compared loco measurements of liquid flow (QL) and depth of rivers in the Teles Pires river basin by reference methods (MLN-7 hydrometric windlass and metal rod/winch) and by Acoustic Current Profiler by Doppler Effect (ADCP RiverRay), in addition, evaluated the total measurement time underestimation uncertainty by ADCP. Field measurements were carried out at monthly intervals between March 2020 and October 2021, seeking to represent the water seasonality and depth and QL variations in the cross-sections of the Caiabi 1 and 2, Celeste, Preto and Renato rivers. The evaluated rivers had a net flow between 3.48 and 60.78 m3 s-1 by the windlass and between 2.66 and 54.30 m3 s-1 by the ADCP, while the depths obtained were from 0.17 to 6.34 m by the rod/winch and from 0.65 to 6.20 m by the ADCP. The methods resulted in similar measurements of net flow and depth in each of the cross-sections, and the statistical performance of the linear regression model was satisfactory with a Willmott concordance index of 0.9977 and 0.9819 for estimates of QL and of the depth of the cross-sections, respectively. The ADCP accurately measured net discharge and depth in shallow (up to 6.5 m) cross-sections of Teles Pires River in relative to the reference method. Determining the total measurement time and pairs of transects to obtain accurate QL by ADCP depends on the hydraulic characteristics of the watercourses.

Embryo quality evaluation during in vitro development is vital for the success of assisted reproductive technologies (ART). However, the subjective morphological assessment by embryologists may result in inconsistencies that affect the selection of the best embryo for transfer. To provide a more comprehensive evaluation of embryo quality, we performed the integration of embryo metabolomics with standardized morphokinetic classification. The culture medium of 55 embryos (from 21 couples undergoing ICSI) was collected at two timepoints (day 3 and 5). Samples were split into Good (n=29), Lagging (n=19) and Bad (n=10) according to embryo morphokinetic evaluation. Embryo metabolic performance was assessed by 1H-NMR, monitoring the variation of specific metabolites (pyruvate, lactate, alanine, glutamine, acetate, formate). Adjusted metabolite differentials were observed during the first three days of culture and found to be discriminative of embryo quality at the end of day 5. Pyruvate, alanine, glutamine, and acetate were major contributors to this discrimination. Good and Lagging embryos were found to export and accumulate pyruvate and glutamine in the 3 first days of culture, while Bad embryos consumed them. This suggests that Bad embryos have a less active metabolism than Good and Lagging embryos and these two metabolites as putative biomarkers for embryo quality. This study provides a more comprehensive evaluation of embryo quality and can lead to improvements in ART by enabling the selection of the best embryos. By combining morphological assessment and metabolomics, the selection of high-quality embryos with the potential to result in successful pregnancies may become more accurate and consistent.

Background: The isoflurane minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) was measured in rats chronically treated with WIN 55,212-2. Methods: The isoflurane MAC was determined in 24 male rats from the end expiratory samples at time of tail clamping under the following conditions: without treatment (MACISO), in rats treated for 21 days with WIN 55,212-2 (MACISO+WIN55) and other group 8 days after stopping treatment for 21 days with WIN 55,212-2 (MACISO+WIN55+8D). Results: The MACISO was 1.32 ± 0.06. In the MACISO+WIN55 group the MAC increase to 1.69 ± 0.09 (28%). After 8 days stopping treatment, MAC did not decrease significantly 1.67 ± 0.07 (26%). Conclusions: The administration for 21 days of WIN 55,212-2 increases the MAC of isoflurane in rats; this effect does not disappear after 8 days of discontinuing treatment with the synthetic cannabinoid.

This paper introduces a method to achieve optimal Gaussian estimation even when operating with low precision numerical representations of the full covariance matrix, such as 16-bit integer or 32-bit single precision formats, instead of more expensive double precision floating point representations (64 bits). The approximation's numerical error is accurately estimated in a conservative manner, resulting in minimal covariance inflation. When combined with a compressed estimator like the GCKF (Global Compressed Kalman Filter), which performs global updates at low frequency, this approach produces estimates that are nearly identical to the optimal ones. The deviation between the results obtained using this new approach and those obtained with the standard GCKF (which operates in double precision) is negligible. This new method is particularly relevant in high-dimensional estimation problems that require high-frequency operation. By leveraging the compressed operation of the GCKF, the estimation process applies the necessary approximation only during low-frequency global updates, using the single precision format instead of the more expensive double precision representations. The introduced numerical approximation is accurately estimated while maintaining a conservative approach, resulting in minimal covariance inflation. When combined with the GCKF, which performs global updates at low frequency, the estimates produced are almost identical to the optimal ones. This approach is particularly useful in high-dimensional estimation problems that require high-frequency operation. By representing the full covariance matrix in a low precision numerical format and applying appropriate scaling, memory usage is significantly reduced, offering substantial benefits for high-dimensional estimation problems and enabling real-time smoothing processes in such cases. By reducing the memory requirements for storing the full covariance matrix, the CPU avoids encountering a high number of page faults, resulting in improved processing performance. Lastly, the experimental section verifies the performance of the proposed approach in a single precision (32-bit floating point) GCKF SLAM process, assessing expected values and standard deviations of marginal PDFs.

It was for long time believed that lidar systems based on the use of high-repetition micro-pulse lasers could be effectively used to only stimulate atmospheric elastic backscatter echoes, and thus only exploited in elastic backscatter lidar systems. Their application to stimulate rotational and roto-vibrational Raman echoes, and consequently their exploitation in atmospheric thermodynamic profiling, was considered not feasible based on the technical specifications possessed by these laser sources until a few years ago. However, recent technological advances in the design and development of micro-pulse lasers, presently achieving high UV average powers (1-5 W) and small divergences (0.3-0.5 mrad), in combination with the use of large aperture telescopes (0.3-0.4 m diameter primary mirrors), allow to presently develop micro-pulse laser-based Raman lidars capable to measure the vertical profiles of atmospheric thermodynamic parameters, namely water vapour and temperature, both in daytime and nighttime. This paper is aimed at demonstrating the feasibility of these measurements and at illustrating and discussing the high achievable performance level, with a specific focus on water vapour profile measurements. The technical solutions identified in the design of the lidar system and their technological implementation within the experimental setup of the lidar prototype are also carefully illustrated and discussed.

In a 1.5°C warmer world, the Northeastern (NE) South America’s ecosystems will experience more severe droughts, associated with decreasing rainfall. The severity of flash drought events based on vegetation and surface soil moisture has not been identified over the Caatinga ecosys-tem. This study aimed to characterize the impact of flash drought events on vegetation response via soil moisture over NE South America during the first two decades of the 2000s. Three drought indices were used to characterize flash droughts: the Standardized Difference Vegetation Index (SDVI) derived from Meteosat Second Generation (MSG), the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) from ground-data, and the Surface Soil Moisture (SSM) product-based Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS). Results revealed dramatic impacts of flash drought events on vegetation dynamics that caused abrupt changes in the regional vegetation phenology. The regional patterns of flash drought events in 2012 over NE South America were identified and had a severe impact on its Caatinga-like vegetation-dependent moisture response. In 2012, anomalously long dry spells with negative rainfall anomalies in the non-rainy season and persistent on vege-tation greenness and rapidly decreased soil moisture were prominent, thus identifying NE South America to the impacts of flash drought events. Additionally, the results from the trends analysis of radiance fluxes estimated from the MSG satellites over 18 years revealed that an overall drying trend in the NE South America semiarid ecosystem during the last two decades. Here, flash drought events were identified as the conse-quent rainfall deficiency at SPI-3< −1 for a period of five consecutive weeks or more, which the soil moisture content dropping from the 40th percentile to below the 20th percentile, with the NDVI lower than 0.30 unit. These results could be useful to guide flash-droughts early warning systems in NE South America.

The use of Information Communication Technologies (ICT) in education brings up new possibilities of promoting the learning and health experiences. In this sense, education contexts of 21st century must consider these two areas of knowledge, especially their integration. This article presents learning practices developed with mobile devices and games, in order to improve learning and well-being in children and adolescents undergoing cancer treatment in non-formal educational setting. The methodology is based on qualitative case studies with content-based data analysis, involving informal interviews and observation methods. The study considers data from 5 patients who participated in the research between 2015 and 2019. The results demonstrate a positive influence of the practices with mobile technologies and games in terms of learning and in the well-being feeling of patients during the treatment.

The signature of chaotic systems can be characterized either by the sensitivity of the initial conditions or by the change of its parameters. This feature can be used for manufacturing high sensitivity sensors. Sensors based on chaotic circuits have already been used for measuring water salinity, inductive effects, and both noise and weak signals. This article investigates an impedance sensor based on the Van der Pol and Duffing damped oscillators. The calibration process is a key point and therefore the folding behavior of signal periods was also explored. A sensitivity of 0.15 kΩ/Period was estimated over a range from 89.5 to 91.6 kΩ. This range can be adjusted according to the application by varying the gain of the operational amplifier used in this implementation. The development of this type of sensor might be used in medical and biological engineering for skin impedance measurements, for example. This type of chaotic sensor has the advantage of sensing small disturbances and then detect small impedance changes within biological materials which, in turn, may not be possible with other detectors.

The second external cause of death from unintentional injuries is falls in people over 60, a worldwide public health problem. Associated factors are identified early in Primary Health Care. Thus, we analyze professional narratives about older adults/old age and the organization of services in the presence of fall-inducing frailty. A structured narrative was applied under the following stages: understanding the context; setting/plot/character analysis; and interpretive synthesis. Data were collected from August to November 2022, distributing 21 health professionals in three Narrative Focus Groups. In the analyses, the collective conceptions dialogued with Bourdieu’s Epistemology of field, habitus, and capital. Among the results, technical and common sense representations of older adults were simultaneously observed, along with the belief of old age as a problematic life stage. Care is centered on the installed disease/ailment. Encouraging autonomy and self-care emerges in integrative health practices, which older adults underestimate. Professionals access the lives of older adults according to their habitus, which, in turn, is structured (structuring) in the disputes for installed capital. Thus, the care provided disregards subjectivities and symbolic systems associated with falls.

Early disease detection is crucial for maximizingcrop yields and minimizing financial losses in agriculture. Inorder to categorise leaf diseases in pepper, tomato, and potato plants, this study suggests a revolutionary CNN design. The algorithm collects disease-specific features from input photos by using data augmentation techniques to artificially enlarge the training dataset. ReLU-activated convolutional layers gradually capture features at different levels, from low to high, while max pooling layers minimise spatial dimensionality. After thecharacteristics are extracted, a fully-connected layers with a softmax activation function classify them into illness groups. A well chosen dataset containing labelled healthy and sick leaves is used to train and validate the model. Generalizability to untesteddata is ensured via performance evaluation on an independent testing set. The field of deep learning for agricultural applications benefits from this research. This strategy has the ability to rev- olutionise agricultural practices by enabling automated disease identification. This might result in early interventions, better crop health, and eventually sustainable agricultural production.

The extracellular matrix (ECM) is earning an increasingly relevant role in many disease states and the process of aging. Analyzing these disease states is possible with GWAS and PheWAS methodology, and through our analysis, we aimed to explore the relationships between polymorphisms in the compendium of ECM genes (i.e., matrisome genes) in various disease states. A significant contribution on the part of the ECM polymorphisms is evident in many varying types of diseases, particularly those in the core matrisome genes. Our results confirm previous links to connective tissue disorders, but also unearth new and underexplored relationships with neurological, psychiatric, and age-related disease states. Upon analysis of drug indications for gene-disease relationships, we identified numerous targets that may be repurposed for age-related pathology. The identification of ECM polymorphisms and their contribution to disease plays an integral role in future therapeutic developments, drug repurposing, precision medicine, and personalized care.

Zika virus (ZIKV) is a widespread mosquito-borne pathogen. Phylogenetically, two lineages of the ZIKV are distinguished: African and Asian-American. The latter became the cause of the 2015-2016 pandemic with severe defeat to newborns. In West African countries the African lineage has been found, but there is evidence of the emergence of Asian-American lineage in Cape Verde and Angola. This highlights the need not only to monitor the ZIKV, but also to sequence the isolates. In this article, we present a case report of Zika fever in a pregnant woman from Guinea, identified in 2018. Viral RNA was detected by qRT-PCR in serum sample. In addition, seroconversion of anti-Zika IgM and IgG antibodies was detected in repeated blood samples. Subsequently, the virus was isolated in C6/36 cell line. The detected ZIKV belonged to the African lineage, the Nigerian sublineage. The strains with the closest sequences were isolated from mosquitoes in Senegal in 2011 and 2015. In addition, we conducted serological screening of 116 blood samples collected from patients presenting to the hospital of Faranah with fevers during the period 2018-2021. As a result, it was found that IgM-positive patients occurred each year, seroprevalence varied between 5.6% and 17.1%.

Background: There is now evidence that schizophrenia and deficit schizophrenia are neuro-immune conditions and that oxidative stress toxicity (OSTOX) may play a pathophysiological role. Aims of the study: To compare OSTOX biomarkers and antioxidant (ANTIOX) defenses in deficit versus non-deficit schizophrenia. Methods: We examined lipid hydroperoxides (LOOH), malondialdehyde (MDA), advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP), sulfhydryl (-SH) groups, paraoxonase 1 (PON1) activity and PON1 Q192R genotypes, total radical-trapping antioxidant parameter (TRAP) as well as immune biomarkers in patients with deficit (n=40) and non-deficit (n=40) schizophrenia and healthy controls (n=40). Results: Deficit schizophrenia is characterized by significantly increased levels of AOPP and lowered -SH, and PON1 activity, while no changes in the OSTOX/ANTIOX biomarkers were found in non-deficit schizophrenia. An increased OSTOX/ANTIOX ratio was significantly associated with deficit versus non-deficit schizophrenia (Odds ratio=3.15, p<0.001). Partial least squares analysis showed that 47.6% of the variance in a latent vector extracted from psychosis, excitation, hostility, mannerism, negative symptoms, psychomotor retardation, formal thought disorders, and neurocognitive test scores was explained by LOOH+AOPP, PON1 genotype + activity, CCL11, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, IgA responses to neurotoxic tryptophan catabolites (TRYCATs), whereas -SH groups and IgM responses to MDA showed indirect effects mediated by OSTOX and neuro-immune biomarkers. Discussion: Our findings indicate that with increasing overall severity of schizophrenia, neuro-immune and neuro-oxidative (especially protein oxidation indicating chlorinative stress) toxicities become more prominent and together with lowered antioxidant defenses and impairments in innate immunity-associated resilience against neurotoxic processes shape a distinct nosological entity, namely deficit schizophrenia.

Exercises for lower trapezius (LT) often use overhead positions, causing compressive forces to the subacromial space. Scapular retraction would be an alternative to activate LT muscle. Electromyography of infraspinatus (IS), upper (UT) and LT was recorded during scapular retraction under progressive adduction loads of 42 participants, divided in 2 groups: with (SP, n=26) and without shoulder pain (nSP, n=16). The adduction loads of 20, 30, 40 and 50% of the maximal voluntary contraction were applied using a load cell. Normalized electromyography and the ratio between UT and LT (UT:LT) were used for statistical analysis. No differences were observed between groups, but a condition effect occurred for all muscles: UT showed higher values at 50% vs. 20% (p=0.004); LT showed higher values on 40% and 50% (p=0.001; 0.006). Higher values for IS were noted at 40% (vs 20%; p=0.04), and at 50% (vs. 20%; p=0.001, vs. 30%, p=0.001; vs. 40%; p=0.001). UT:LT showed lower values at 50% (vs. 20%; p=0.001, and vs. 30%; p=0.016). Scapular retraction with adduction loads at 40-50% is an alternative to overhead exercises aiming to activate the LT and the IS muscles. The exercise ensures higher levels of LT and IS excitation, without increasing UT excitation.

Studies show that executive functions and motor development are associated among each other and with learning ability. A more technological lifestyle, related with digital culture, should be considered an important component to stimulate children. In addition, digital games constitute an element of the digital culture in which children are inserted. The aim of this study is to present a systematic mapping of the literature involving executive functions, motor development and the use of digital games in intervention programs for elementary school children, from 6 to 11 years old. Four databases were searched: PubMed, Scielo, Science Direct and SCOPUS, including publications between 2012 and March 2021. The initial results indicated 4881 works. After the selection process, 15 investigations that presented the central theme of the study were selected. The main results indicate that intervention strategies are quite heterogeneous. Most of the studies demonstrated significant positive effects after intervention protocols and were conducted in Europe and 46% of the studies were conducted in a school environment. No researches were identified that involved technological solutions involving executive functions, motor development and digital games in an integrated manner, constituting a field of future scientific research.

Contrary to previous belief, mutation frequency also depends on how essential a gene is. Mutation frequency is substantially lower in the coding regions of essential genes and higher in less essential genes. Even though the mutation bias based on gene essentiality is incapable of invalidating Darwinism, this bias certainly added a rather unsubtle obstacle to it by contradicting a paradigm that was widely held: that mutations are random in the sense of being independent of their function for the organism. The reason this bias occurs is currently unknown. Here, I present the theoretical solution of why genetic mutations also depend on whether the gene is more or less essential. My theory is that each gene or epigene has its own level of resistance to entropic elevation, something directly proportional to the frequency of its expression. The more a gene is expressed, the higher is its resistance to entropic elevation and vice versa. For genetic information to be conserved instead of suffering mutation, a relevant factor is also the frequency of its expression. The energy expenditure directed to a gene of current utility engenders resistance to entropic elevation of the information encoded in that gene, as energy enables not only the existence of information but also its conservation. My theory—which is based on fundamental physics and contains predictions that can be empirically tested—solves a crucial problem in evolutionary biology and genetics; if I am right, I will have established a biological law. Finally, my aim here is also to provide a substantial advance in knowledge about the relationship between information, genetics, and thermodynamics.

This study aimed to characterize the risk of falling in low, moderate and high risk participants from two different geographical locations using a portable force-plate. A sample of 390 older adults from South and North America were matched for age, sex, height and weight. All participants performed a standardized balance assessment using a force plate. Participants were classified in low, moderate and high risk of falling. No differences were observed between South and North American men, nor comparing North American men and women. South American women showed the significantly shorter center of pressure path length compared to other groups. The majority of the sample was categorized as having low risk of falling (male: 65.69 % and female: 61.87 %), with no differences between men and women. Also, no differences were found between North vs. South Americans, nor for falls risk levels when male and female groups were compared separately. In conclusion, South American women had better balance compatible with the status of the 50-59 years’ normative age-range. The prevalence of low falls risk was ~ 61-65 % and the prevalence of moderate to high risk was ~ 16-19 %. The frequency of fall risk did not differ significantly between North and South Americans, nor between males and females.

The SARS-CoV-2 infection is a cause of hypoxemic acute respiratory failure, leading to frequent intensive care unit (ICU) admission. Due to invasive organ support and immunosuppressive therapies, these patients are prone to nosocomial infections. Our aim was to assess the value of daily measurements of C-reactive protein (CRP) and Procalcitonin (PCT) in the early identification of ICU-acquired infections in COVID-19 patients Methods: We undertook a prospective observational cohort study (12 months). All adult me-chanically-ventilated patients admitted for ≥ 72 hours to the ICU with COVID-19 pneumonia were divided into an infected group (n=35) and a non-infected group (n=83). Day 0 was considered as the day of the diagnosis of infection (infected group) and day 10 of ICU stay (non-infected group). The kinetics of CRP and PCT were assessed from day -10 to day 10 and evaluated using a general linear model, univariate, repeated-measures analysis. Results: 118 patients (mean age 63 years, 74% males) were eligible for the analysis. The groups did not differ in patients' age, gender, CRP, and PCT serum levels at ICU admission. However, the infected group encompassed patients with a higher severity (SOFA score at ICU admission, p=0.009) and a higher 28-day mortality (p<0.001). Before D0, CRP kinetics showed a significant increase in infected patients, whereas in noninfected it remained almost unchanged (p<0.001), while PCT kinetics did not appear to retain diagnostic value to predict superinfection in COVID-19 patients (p=0.593). Conclusion: COVID-19 patients who develop ICU-acquired infections exhibited different biomarker kinetics before the diagnosis of those infections. Daily CRP monitoring and the recognition of the CRP kinetics could be useful in the prediction of ICU-acquired infections.

The forehead and temporal region are a frequent area of skin cancer development. After tumor removal, reconstruction must be performed maintaining the frontal-temporal line of the scalp and the symmetry of the eyebrows, trying to hide the scars in these marks or in natural folds and wrinkles. Second wound healing and skin grafts generally do not produce an acceptable cosmetic result. When direct closure is not possible, the technique of choice is skin flaps. In the midfrontal line, continuation of the glabella, there is a remnant of skin to be used as a donor area for local flaps; similarly, it occurs in the preauricular cheek, which can move towards the temple. In addition to the classic advancement and rotation flaps, the frontalis myocutaneous transposition flap is an excellent technique for closing defects which are wider than higher on the forehead. Its design is very versatile and can be done between the two pupil lines at different heights depending on the location of the defect. On the other hand, the preauricular skin advancement flap with an infralobular Burow's triangle is also an excellent option for reconstructing tumors in the temporal area.

The existing environmental imbalances and the need to promote actions that minimize the impact and promote awareness and behavior change is now a primary need. This paper aims to show how the activities developed under FISU's Healthy Campus (HC) program can be an asset in promoting the environment, sustainability and social responsibility in Higher Education Institutions. The methodology used includes (1) diagnosis, (2) drawing up the action plan and (3) preparation, development and monitoring of activities. The methodology approach adopted to analyze the activities uses: (1) mentimiter tool; (2) mind map and (3) SWOT analysis. Results show that when activities are designed in a collaborative and participatory way, they end up towards the aspirations of the participants, allowing for greater involvement of people and growth of the institution in the aspects of the environment, sustainability, and social responsibility. The HC program is an asset program to align, HC requirements, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), integrated and transdisciplinary approach, and people's environmental awareness and sustainable mindset.

The emergence of new methodologies and tools for digitizing objects belonging to the Cultural Heritage (CH) changed the paradigms adopted so far. Traditionally, the process to acquire artifacts required specialized and often costly equipment tailored to specific purposes. However, the development of more generalized, adaptable, and affordable tools led to novel approaches. This manuscript provides a glimpse into the evolving landscape of custom-made tools for digital documentation, both hardware and software, and their transformative impact on the digitization techniques, built to meet requirements of specific case studies, including ancient drawings, manuscripts, paintings, and museum objects. The advent of self-built instruments has revolutionized the way professionals work today, by leveraging a new generation of low-cost, adaptable gears, leading to unprecedented flexibility and efficiency, while facilitating the capture of high-quality digital representations of objects with minimal damage and preserving their integrity. The outcomes of instruments and tools specifically produced for the contexts described in this paper highlight their potential for promoting interdisciplinary collaboration, facilitating scholarly research, enhancing conservation efforts, and fostering cultural exchange. Ultimately, this research contributes to illustrate how custom software, in combination with recent devices such as smartphones and 3D printers, underscores the importance of adopting these innovative approaches to generate an ecosystem of tools and methods able to preserve, document, and promote the richness of our collective past for future generations.

Umbria is an Italian region with a highly fragmented water supply, with many small water distribution systems fed by local sources. The chlorination in these small water systems faces many difficulties related to the high demand variation, low economic relevance, and access to infrastructures. As a result, there are many noncompliances with the quality of the supplied water, which causes a decrease in the performance indicators and tariff. This research investigates the possibility of using a low-cost chlorination system to consider different environmental conditions (e.g., temperature variations of water and environment, pH, ...) and discontinuous consumption. A device for this specific use is developed and tested by laboratory tests and is ready for use in the field.

High-throughput screening technologies continues to produce large amounts of multiomics data from different populations and cell types for various diseases, such as cancer. However, analysis of such data encounters difficulties due to cancer heterogeneity, further exacerbated by human biological complexity and genomic variability. There is a need to redefine the drug discovery development pipeline, bringing an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered informational view that integrates relevant biological information and explores new ways to develop effective anticancer approaches. Here, we show SynPred, an interdisciplinary approach that leverages specifically designed ensembles of AI-algorithms, links omics and biophysical traits to predict synergistic anticancer drug synergy. SynPred exhibits state-of-the-art performance metrics: accuracy – 0.85, precision – 0.77, recall – 0.75, AUROC – 0.82, and F1-score - 0.76 in an independent test set. Moreover, data interpretability was achieved by deploying the most current and robust feature importance approaches. A simple web-based application available online at http://www.moreiralab.com/resources/synpred/ was constructed to predict synergistic anticancer drug combinations requiring only the upload of the two drug SMILES to be tested, allowing easy access by non-expert researchers.

This research introduces an Intelligent Robotic Arm with Adaptive Collision Avoidance, employing real-time current fluctuation analysis for human-proximity detection. Precision and versatility in motors and actuators are given top priority in the robotic arm setup. Motor power lines are continually monitored by integrated high-precision current sensors, and a real-time data processing system separates natural fluctuations from those caused by outside influences. When a human comes into contact with the surface of the robotic arm, the system excels at detecting their closeness by identifying unique patternsin the variations of current. This sets off an adaptive collision avoidance system, which quickly flips the main power supply’s kill switch to bring the vehicle to an emergency stop. A crucial component is adaptability, as the system dynamically modifies sensitivity in response to environmental condi- tions. Comparative studies show that this approach performs better than conventional static sensing techniques. Experiments under control confirm the great precision, accuracy, and low false positive rate. The use of a failsafe technique improves system integrity by preventing false alarms and enabling recovery after an emergency

Authentic learning opportunities that simulate full scale design and construction experiences using real materials offer ideal experiential learning environments for construction and civil engineering students by challenging students to apply building concepts in practical settings. However, the excessive cost of real building materials required for this mode of education limits access to the vast majority of students. As a result, educational researchers have explored potential alternatives to provide cost-effective experiential learning through activities using mock-up materials (e.g., plastic straws, popsicle sticks) and simulation of experiences using immersive technologies (e.g., virtual reality or augmented reality). While some of these alternatives approximate the environment and others provide physical interaction with mock-up materials, the lack of authenticity in the building materials used introduces some apparent differences between the “authentic” learning environments and their cost-effective approximations. Therefore, this research aims to identify the learning processes reported by students and faculty who participated in authentic learning experiences to understand the ways in which this mode of education offers unique value to construction education. Their interview responses illustrated characteristics of authentic learning experiences that were believed to be critical to the learning process, some of which included: working in groups; interdisciplinary participants; and use of real construction materials. Although some of these characteristics are intrinsically linked to the use of real materials, others do not explicitly refer to interaction with real materials. This may indicate to aspects of the authentic learning processes that educational researchers can strategically target through more cost-effective learning environments like virtual and augmented reality. The contribution of this paper is in identifying the characteristics of authentic learning experiences that may guide educational investment and research innovations that aim to replicate some of these learning experiences through more accessible learning environments.

This article presents an innovative approach to the design of a safe adaptive backstepping control system. Tailored specifically for underactuated marine robots, the system utilizes simple sensors for enhanced practicality and efficiency. Given their operation in diverse oceanic environments fraught with various sources of uncertainties, ensuring the system's safe and robust behavior holds paramount importance in the control literature. To address this concern, this paper introduces a control strategy designed to ensure robustness at both the kinematic and dynamic levels. By emphasizing the compensation for the system uncertainties, the design integrates a straightforward fuzzy system structure. To further ensure the system's safety, a funnel surface is defined, followed by the design of a suitable nonlinear sliding surface as a function of the funnel and tracking error. Specifically leveraging the Lyapunov function, the study formally establishes the Semi-globally Practically Finite-time Stability of the closed-loop system, validated through simulations conducted on underactuated marine robots.

Multicompartment compliance aids (MCAs) are devices with each discrete section denoting a single dosing occasion. The purpose of an MCA is to maximize patient adherence and thereby optimize the treatment benefits. These devices are widely employed throughout western Europe and UK and use appears to be rapidly increasing (2) although the RPS as moved away from these devices as a means to improve adherence. We analysed MCAs from various pharmacies over a wide geographic area in England and North Wales. We concluded that most MCA users are elderly patients. Also, most of the patients suffer of combined cardiovascular disease. However, a significant proportion of patients falls in the mental/ neurological disease category. Additionally, most of the externals added to MCAs are inhalers and painkillers. Moreover, SDIs are more frequent in female patients and these SDI are mainly related with mental health medication, cardiovascular disease medication and neurological medication. In conclusion, a directive for dispensing of MCAs in pharmacies by pharmacists through an enhanced service should be elaborated having in consideration PIMs, SDIs, drug stability and use of externals and MCA design and brand.

The use of several light-related variables, such as the Secchi disc depth, the euphotic depth, and in particular, the diffuse attenuation coefficient (Kd), is deeply rooted in phytoplankton research, but these are not the most appropriate indicators of the amount of light available for photosynthesis. We argue that the variable of interest for phytoplankton is the mean light intensity in the mixed layer (Im), which represents the mean light to which phytoplankton cells are exposed throughout their life cycle, while being continuously mixed in the mixed layer. We use empirical data collected in different coastal ecosystems in southern Portugal to demonstrate why Im should be the preferred metric instead of the deeply rooted Kd. We show that, although the relationship between Im and Kd is inversely proportional, it is not always strong or even significant. Different Im values can be associated to the same Kd, but distinct Im have different physiological effects of phytoplankton. Therefore, Kd does not capture the amount of light available for photosynthesis, given that, unlike Im, Kd calculation does not consider the depth of the mixed layer. Therefore, we urge phytoplankton researchers to consider the measurement and calculation of Im when evaluating light-related processes in phytoplankton ecology.

Cross-cultural mobility is a phenomenon that is increasingly growing, and the resulting stress has become a severe health issue. Thus, we conducted a systematic review of articles reporting research on stress measures of cross-cultural mobility or acculturative stress, emphasizing its internal structure. We adopted the PRISMA procedures for scoping reviews (e.g., searching articles in databases), resulting in the inclusion 20 articles in the final analysis that present evidence of validity based on the internal structure of 16 measures. The most common factors identified were related to cultural stressors, language stressors, and discrimination stressors. After analyzing a cross-cultural mobility stress concept implicit in the definitions used in the articles, we found that most measures of acculturative stress did not evaluate it according to the Stress and Coping Model of Lazarus and Folkman. Most measures only focused on part of the phenomena (some estimated the stressors, others the coping strategies). Few took into account the physiological and psychological responses to internal or external stressors, and even fewer considered its positive aspects (eustress). Consequently, it is pivotal to develop measures that take into account the multiple dimensions of the cross-cultural mobility stress. Other results (e.g., validity evidence of the measures) and limitations of this systematic scoping review are presented and discussed.

The complete regression of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) obtained pre-clinically with anti-carbonic anhydrase IX (CAIX) G36 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells in doses equivalent to 10e8 CAR T cells/ Kg renewed the potential of this target to treat ccRCC and other tumors in hypoxia. The immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) brought durable clinical responses in advanced ccRCC and other tumors. Here we tested CD8/4-1BB compared to CD28-based anti-CAIX CAR PBMCs cells-releasing anti-programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1) IgG4 for human ccRCC treatment in vitro and in an orthotopic NSG mice model in vivo. Using a 10e7 CAR PBMCs cells/ Kg dose, anti-CAIX CD28 CAR T cells releasing anti-PD-L1 IgG highly decrease both tumor volume and weight in vivo, avoiding the occurrence of metastasis. This antitumoral superiority of CD28-based CAR PBMCs cells compared to 4-1BB occurred under ICB via PD-L1. Furthermore, T cell exhaustion status in peripheral CD4 T cells, additionally to CD8 was critical for CAR T cells efficiency. The lack of hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity upon administration of 10e7 CAR PMBCs cells/Kg dose is the basis for carrying out clinical trials using anti-CAIX CD28 CAR PBMCs cells releasing anti-PD-L1 antibodies or anti-CAIX 4-1BB CAR T cells, offering exciting new prospects for the treatment of refractory ccRCC and hypoxic tumors.

The Atlantic Goliath Grouper Epinephelus itajara (Lichtenstein, 1822) is thought to occur on both sides of the Atlantic, from the Carolinas (USA) to Brazil in the western Atlantic, and from North Senegal to North Angola off West Africa in the eastern Atlantic. While there are fairly good data on their distribution in the western Atlantic, genetic verification of species status, confirmed occurrences, population status, fishing reports, and trade data are almost non-existent off West Africa. Part of the problem is that tropical West African countries lack a network of marine reserves that might protect this species. Add to this destruction of mangrove forests and other coastal habitats on which the species depends when in the post-larval and juvenile stages coupled heavy pollution and intense overfishing and it becomes clear that their survival is deeply threatened. The focus of this paper is to describe all of the known historical data and examine all current data to better evaluate their present status.

With online wildlife trade increasing and viral videos increasing demand, the trade in primates on TikTok is becoming more prevalent. Despite wildlife trade being banned on most social media platforms, the trade in primates persists. TikTok’s policies ban the sale of live animals, and specific terms related to wildlife trade are banned; however, these search term bans are easy to get around, and sellers are still prolific on the site. This study documented primates for sale on TikTok using the search term “for sale monkey” over a four-month period (from mid-July to mid-November 2023) with the aim of determining how widespread primate trade is on TikTok, the legality of advertisements, and which countries advertise the most primates for sale. 42 individual advertisements were identified, spanning 6 different genera of primates and 5 different countries. Spider monkeys, rhesus macaques, and common marmosets were found to be the most commonly advertised species on TikTok. All spider monkeys were advertised from the USA, while the majority of the marmosets were advertised from the UK, and all of the rhesus macaques were advertised from Pakistan. The USA was the only country identified in this study that advertised a range of species, and the only species found in this study that was not advertised in the USA was the mona monkey. 44% of all species recorded were classified as either Endangered or Critically Endangered, and it was found that endangered species were more frequently sold illegally than non-endangered species. The findings of this study underline a need for stricter primate legislation and wildlife law enforcement, especially if the UN’s sustainable development goals are to be achieved by 2030. They also show a need for TikTok to broaden their restrictions on wildlife trade on their app.

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

The objective was to assess the instrumental validity and the test-retest reliability of a low-cost hand-held push dynamometer adapted from a load-cell based hanging scale (tHHD) to collect compressive forces in different ranges of compressive forces. Three independent raters applied 50 pre-established compressions each on the tHHD centered on a force platform in 3 distinct ranges: ~70 N, ~160 N, ~250 N. Knee isometric strength was also assessed on 19 subjects in two sessions (48h apart) using the tHHD anchored by an inelastic adjustable strap. Knee extension and flexion were assessed with the participant seated on a chair with the feet resting on the floor, knees, and hips flexed at 90°. The isometric force peaks were recorded and compared. The ICC and the Cronbach’s α showed excellent consistency and agreement for both instrumental validity and test-retest reliability, as the correlation and determination coefficients. The SEM and the MDC analysis returned adequate low values with a coefficient of variation less than 5%. The Bland-Altman results showed consistency and high levels of agreement. The tHHD is a valid method to assess the knee isometric strength, showing portability, cost-effectiveness, and user-friendly interface to provide an effective form to assess the knee isometric strength.

The efficient and sustainable management of hospitals is an increasingly relevant challenge in the healthcare sector. With limited financial resources, regulatory pressures and increasing demands for quality services, hospitals are faced with the want to approve sound policies to certify financial and operational sustainability. Management accounting is critical in this instance. In Portugal the DL nº 284, of July 26, 1999, allow us to confirm the need to reinforcement of profitability and efficiency in the provision of healthcare. Management accounting is an essential tool for monitoring and controlling costs, making strategic decisions, efficiently allocating resources and evaluating performance in the hospital environment. It allows a comprehensive view of financial and operational aspects, providing valuable information for management and strategic planning. However, the sustainability of hospital management accounting is a critical and complex topic that deserves special attention. Hospitals face several challenges, such as the complexity of hospital costs, the integration of information systems and the measurement of healthcare value. These challenges can compromise the effectiveness of management accounting and its ability to provide relevant and reliable information for decision making. As a result, it is required to address the sustainability of hospital management accounting by identifying the specific challenges faced in this area and exploring opportunities to overcome them. By addressing these challenges and seizing opportunities, hospitals can strengthen their position in the healthcare sector, improve their operational efficiency, optimize resource allocation and ensure the provision of quality services to patients. In this article, the challenges faced by hospital management accounting will be analysed, such as the complexity of costs, the integration of information systems and the measurement of value in healthcare. Additionally, opportunities to improve financial and operational management will be highlighted through the adoption of advanced technologies, an emphasis on value-based management and collaborative partnerships. By exploring these themes, this essay aims to make a contribution. to the advancement of hospital management accounting and the sustainability of hospitals in the current healthcare scenario.

The use of selective pro resolving mediators including the monohydroxylates are promising substances for the management of different acute and chronic diseases.In the field of obstetrics many clinical entities like uterine contractions or the occurrence of pre-eclampsia are still serious complications during pregnancy.The use of enriched marine oil nutritional’s may contribute to an attenuation of these diseases as the containing selective pro resolving mediators exhibit pro resolutive actions that can positively modulate inflammatory diseases and those leading to serious obstetrical complications.

High-flow oscillatory ventilation (HFOV) is a common rescue treatment in infants and children with respiratory failure. This type of ventilation is an effective technique in numerous diseases that affect a child in the postnatal period, such as ARDS, meconium aspiration syndrome (MIS), postnatal pulmonary bleeding and idiopathic pulmonary hypertension (IPH). Although this ventilation technique is commonly recognized as a valuable therapeutic option in the general pediatric population, this is not the same for children with congenital cardiovascular diseases. The key mechanism of oscillatory ventilation is continuous positive pressure administered within the airways via a small tidal volume at high frequency. Tidal volumes are between 1 and 3 ml/kg delivered at 5 – 15 Hz equivalent to 300 – 900 breaths per minute. Few older studies conducted on humans and animals highlight that HFOV may be dangerous for congenital heart patients. According to these evidences, hemodynamic parameters such as blood pressure, wedge pressure, central venous pressure, heart rate and inotrope level can be dangerously changed for patients with congenital heart disease, therefore oscillatory ventilation should be avoided. Numerous retrospective studies have pointed out how oscillatory ventilation constitutes a valid therapeutic option in children with congenital heart disease. Recently, new evidences have highlighted how hemodynamic parameters are modified in a non-significant way by this type of ventilation, remaining beneficial as in the normal pediatric population. This narrative review aims to describe the mechanisms of oscillatory ventilation and collect all the available evidences to support its use in pediatric patients with congenital heart problems.

This enables the chip to regulate the voice recognition function of the gadget, leading to a more natural and human-like process. Integrating this technique into the English language voice recognition system can greatly improve its precision in identifying the speech of a particular person. This research seeks to investigate and create an automatic error detection technique for an embedded speech instruction recognition system for English using artificial intelligence. The study commences with a conventional introduction to artificial intelligence, thereafter delving into a comprehensive investigation of the speech recognition algorithm. The MATLAB programme is used to determine the accurate number of words recognised by the system and its accuracy rate. The embedded teaching recognition system for English is then tested in different contexts to assess its performance. Several tests are performed to compare and analyse the results, which indicate that the integrated English voice recognition system achieves an accuracy rate of over 90% and has a low error rate in a calm environment. In a bustling environment with numerous auditory stimuli, the accurate recognition rate typically exceeds 60%.

Incorporating renewables in the power grid presents challenges for stability, reliability, and operational efficiency. Integrating Energy Storage Systems (ESS) offers a solution by managing unpredictable loads, enhancing reliability, and serving the grid. Hybrid storage solutions have gained attention for specific applications, suggesting higher performance in some respects. This paper compares the performance of hybrid energy storage systems (HESS) to single battery, evaluating their energy supply cost and environmental impact through optimization problems. The model generates an optimized dispatch, minimizing cost or environmental impact of supplying energy to a generic load while considering battery degradation. Seven technologies are assessed, with an example applied to an industrial site contrasting vanadium redox flow (VRFB) and lithium batteries considering the demand of a local load (building). The results also indicates that efficiency and degradation curves have the highest impact in the final costs and environmental functions on the various storage technologies assessed. For the simulations of the example case, a single system only outperforms the hybrid system in cases where lithium efficiency is higher than approximately 87% and vanadium is lower approximately 82%.

Red mud (RM) is composed of a waste alkaline solution (pH = 13.3) obtained from the production of alumina. It contains high concentrations of soluble hematite (Fe2O3), goetite (FeOOH), gibisite [Al(OH)3], a boemite (AlOOH), anatase (Tetragonal - TiO2), rutile (Ditetragonal dipyramidal - TiO2), hydrogarnets [Ca3Al2(SiO4)3−x(OH)4x], and perovskite (CaTiO3). It was shown to be an excellent catalytic mixture for biodiesel production. To demonstrate the value of RM, an environmentally friendly process of transesterification in aqueous medium using waste cooking oil (WCO), MeOH and waste alkaline solution (WAS) obtained from aluminum production was proposed. Triglycerides of WCO reacted with MeOH at 60 oC to yield mixtures of fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) in the presence of 0.019% (w/w) WAS/WCO using the WAS (0.204 mol L-1, predetermined by potentiometric titration) from aluminum production by the Bayer process. The use of the new catalyst (WAS) resulted in a high yield of the products (greater than 99% yield).

The escalating environmental challenges that stem from urban residential waste in densely populated areas have become increasingly prominent in recent times. As a result, the waste management sector has experienced significant growth nationwide. However, due to the predominantly manual nature of these processes, their effectiveness falls short of meeting the current demand. Addressing these issues requires process enhancement. In this context, Industry 4.0, particularly the concept of Digital Twins, emerges as a potential avenue for refining processes. To tackle both current and future industry challenges, it is imperative to create a comprehensive methodology capable of generating effective solutions within the waste management sector. This paper provides an explanation of digital twins, outlines the methodological framework comprising an architectural structure and layered model, and details a series of sequential methodical stages for implementing digital twins based on the specific scope determined by the end-user. A noteworthy aspect is the transformative potential of digital twins in enhancing efficiency and precision within waste management practices. By providing a virtual real-time representation of the waste management system, digital twins empower simulations and experimentation to fine-tune processes. Furthermore, they facilitate informed decision-making by offering a detailed visualization of the complete system, simplifying the identification of challenges and opportunities for improvement. that this article derives from the presentation titled "Digital Twin application methodology for the improvement of production and service systems. Application to waste management processes" at the "Sustainable Smart Cities and Territories International Conference" held in the city of Manizales, Colombia, from 21st to 23rd June 2023.

Coastal environments are complex systems that are influenced by a combination of natural processes and human activities. Scientific interest in the effects of coastal erosion/accretion and climatic change-related processes greatly increased in recent decades due to the growing human development along coastal areas. This paper investigates the state and evolution of beach-dune systems for the 1977-2001 and 2001-2019 periods of the Mediterranean coast of Andalusia (Spain) using two different proxies: the dune toe line, which was used to track foredunes evolution, and the high-water line, which was used to assess shoreline evolution. Results showed a general erosional behavior of the studied beach-dune systems and identified cases where the main trend was altered through human interventions. In the 1977-2001 period, 54% of foredunes showed erosion, 24% accretion and 22% stability while and 34% of shorelines showed erosion, 40% accretion and 34% stability. In the 2001-2019 period, 42% of foredunes showed erosion, 28% accretion and 30% stability, and 40% of shorelines showed erosion, 34% accretion and 26% stability. Combining the evolution classes of each proxy (dune toe/shoreline) allows the behavior of both shoreline proxies to be assed together and provides insights additional to those derive from the use of a single proxy. In this regard, Erosion/Erosion (EE) was the most frequent behavior, with 25% and 27% in the first and second periods respectively, and Accretion/Accretion (AA), with 17% in both periods. Erosion of foredunes combined with stability or accretion of the shoreline (ES and EA) were the most common pairings in the first period, while stability of dunes combined with accretion of the shoreline (SA) and Stability/Stability (SS) dominated in the second period. The results obtained provide additional insights on the nature and drivers of coastal change that aid local coastal managers and administrations in understanding erosion processes. The method can be applied at other areas around the world where a similar data base is available.

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

The study´s goals were to determine the health status of a group of heart transplant recipients (HTR) and their level of physical activity and to compare the health status among them and with a group of healthy sedentary individuals. Fifty-four HTR and eighteen S were assigned to four groups, according to their level of physical activity (determined with The International Physical Activity Questionnaire); patients with a low, a moderate and a high level of physical activity (HTRL, HTRM and HTRH, respectively) and sedentary individuals (S). Participants underwent a basic blood analysis and several tests to assess their cardiovascular, neuromuscular, functional mobility condition and their quality of life. The S and HTRH were very similar in terms of BP, HR and blood analysis while HTRM and HTRL differed from both S and HTRH in these parameters. Regarding the cardiovascular, neuromuscular, functional mobility, and quality of life variables assessed in this study, HTRH showed the best results across all of them, followed by S, HTRM, and HTRL. It is suggested that the weekly level of physical activity of HTR should be high, what might help them to enhance their health and quality of life.

Osteomyelitis is a significant cause of total carcass condemnation in pigs at the slaughterhouse. The decision for total condemnation of a pig carcass for osteomyelitis is often based on traditional perceptions of the risk of pyemia, leading to controversy among Official Veterinarians (OV) in the industry. This review aims to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the etiopatho-genesis of osteomyelitis in pigs, the microorganisms involved, and the risk factors. It also high-lights the urgent need for a more uniform method to evaluate osteomyelitis cases, which could significantly reduce economic losses in the industry. Lesions originating from tail-biting, tail docking, castration, teeth resection, and raw management are described as risk factors for oste-omyelitis. Osteomyelitis is caused by the entry of pathogens into the bloodstream of the animal through an open wound. The most described pathogens are Trueperella monocytogenes, Staphylo-coccus aureus, and Streptococcus spp. At slaughter, OVs condemn carcasses with osteomyelitis due to pyemia. Signs of acute disease are essential to identify pyemia cases. In chronic cases, total carcass condemnation can be avoided depending on the number of lesions and number of vertebrae af-fected. A clear overall image of the problem would help authorities in various countries adopt a more homogenous approach.

Synthesis of nickel oxide nanoparticles (NiO NPs) is a low cost and ecofriendly route that brings great benefits over chemical and physical methods of synthesis. Our approach consisted of using aqueous extracts from treated waste of Manihot Esculenta (Cassava) as reducing, stabilizing and capping agents for the synthesis of NiO NPs. The results proved this approach might be a viable alternative. Extracts were mixed during 30 minutes with Ni(NO3)2.6H2O leading to NPs formation. NiO NPs were characterized through FTIR, XRD, TEM and Raman spectroscopy. NiO NPs showed different shapes and sizes around 5-10 nm in agreement with the particle size calculated by XRD Scherrer equation.

Pain diagnosis remains a challenging task due to its subjective nature, the variability in pain expression among individuals, and the difficult assessment of the underlying biopsychosocial factors. In this complex scenario, artificial intelligence (AI) can offer the potential to enhance diagnostic accuracy, predict treatment outcomes, and personalize pain management strategies. This review aims at dissecting the current literature on computer-aided diagnosis methods. It also discusses how AI-driven diagnostic methods can be integrated into multimodal models that combine various data sources, such as facial expression analysis, neuroimaging, and physiological signals, with advanced AI techniques. Despite the significant advancements in AI technology, its widespread adoption in clinical settings faces crucial challenges. Ethical considerations related to patient privacy, biases, and lack of reliability and generalizability are the main issues. Furthermore, there is a need for high-quality real-word validation as well as the development of standardized protocols and policy rules to guide the implementation of these technologies in diverse clinical settings.

Stress is a natural yet potentially harmful aspect of human life, necessitating effective management, particularly during overwhelming experiences. This paper presents a scoping review of personalized stress detection models using wearable technology. Employing the PRISMA-ScR framework for rigorous methodological structuring, we systematically analyzed literature from key databases including Scopus, IEEE Xplore, and PubMed. Our focus was on biosignals, AI methodologies, datasets, wearable devices, and real-world implementation challenges. The review presents an overview of stress and its biological mechanisms, details the methodology for the literature search, and synthesizes the findings. It shows that biosignals, especially EDA and PPG, are frequently utilized for stress detection and demonstrate potential reliability in multimodal settings. Evidence for a trend towards deep learning models was found, although the limited comparison with traditional methods calls for further research. Concerns arise regarding the representativeness of datasets and practical challenges in deploying wearable technologies, which include issues related to data quality and privacy. Future research should aim to develop comprehensive datasets and explore AI techniques that are not only accurate but also computationally efficient and user-centric, thereby closing the gap between theoretical models and practical applications to improve the effectiveness of stress detection systems in real scenarios.

Pathogens and adulterants in human feeding consumables can be readily identified according to their electrical properties. Electrical bioimpedance analysis (BIA) has been widely used for body contents characterization, such as blood, urine, lactate and sweat. If the blood glucose concentration alters the electrical properties of the blood medium, then the impedance spectrum obtained by BIA can be used to measure glycemia. In some applications, artificial neural networks allows the correlation of these parameters (impedance and glucose concentration) by means of symbolic and statistical rules. According to our literature review, there is any physical model that allows the interpretation of the relationship between blood’s electrical properties, obtained by BIA, and the concentration of glucose in the blood plasma. This article proposes a simplified physical model for blood electrical conductivity as a function of glucose concentration, based on Bruggeman’s effective medium theory. The equations of this model were obtained considering an insulating phase distribution diffused in a conductive matrix, in which red blood cells are represented by macroscopic insulating nuclei and glucose molecules by microscopic insulating particles. The impedance spectrum for different glucose concentrations (4.0 to 6.8 mmol/L) in a blood sample, published by Kamat Bagul (2014), were compared with the proposed model. The results showed a significant correlation with the experimental data, showing a maximum error of 5.2%. The proposed model might be useful in the design of noninvasive blood glucose monitoring systems.

This study describes the design and development of novel compounds aimed at optimizing the function of microtubules and tubulin in the immune system and the brain as they relate to the Orch OR theory of consciousness. These compounds are defined by the following molecular formulas:C65H100CoN15O22P(C6H12O5);C65H100CoN15O22P(C5H10NO4);(C65H100CoN15O22P)(C6H12N2O)n;(C65H100CoN15O22P)(C6H12O5)(C6H12N2O)n;(C6H12N2O)n(C6H12O5)m;Zn(C6H12O5)2;These molecules, formulated under the form of drugs, health functional foods, or food supplements, have the potential to positively affect a number of areas ranging from prevention and therapy of neurological diseases to supporting the immune system.

A Robust Optimization framework with original concepts and fundamentals also admitting a fusion of ideals from relative regret models and static robust optimization, containing conservatism concepts is disclosed. The algorithm uses a fine-tune strategy to tune the model so the robustness and a target ideality can be mutually achieved with a specified risk. The framework comprises original concepts, a mathematical approach and an algorithm. The statistical treatment of the data with the original concepts from the framework make it able to make short, middle or long-term decision-making setting. The framework has high tractability since the algorithm forces the creation of a setting that makes a robust optimization with the specified risk. The framework can be applied in linear and nonlinear mathematical models since that the objective function is monotonic in the domain of the active convex region. Several examples are solved to best understand the framework and all results demonstrated high tractability and performance. There is a wide range of applications. Along all the text, there is a profound discussion about its philosophy, objective, original concepts, fields of application, statistical and probabilistic fundamentals.

We present a numerical illumination model to calculate direct as well as diffuse or Hapke scattered radiation scenarios on arbitrary planetary surfaces. This includes small body surfaces such as main belt asteroids as well as e.g. the lunar surface. The model is based on the raytracing method. This method is not restricted to spherical or ellipsiodal shapes but digital terrain data of arbitrary spatial resolution can be fed into the model. Solar radiation is the source of direct radiation, wavelength-dependent effects (e.g. albedo) can be accounted for. Mutual illumination of individual bodies in implemented (e.g. in binary or multiple systems) as well as self-illumination (e.g. crater floors by crater walls) by diffuse or Hapke radiation. The model is validated by statistical methods. A χ2 test is undertaken to compare simnulated images with DAWN images acquired during the survey phase at small body 4 Vesta.

Fats and oils are the most common contaminants in wastewater and are usually discarded through physical processes. This paper studies its elimination through an environmentally friendly biological treatment, yielding good results on both laboratory scale and in the field. In this study a comparative evaluation of the biodegradation of fats and oils in two scenarios were developed in an activated sludge plant at laboratory scale, and a wastewater treatment plant. The full-scale values for some key parameters are compared, such as the oil concentration in the influent and effluent, mass loading and removal efficiency and biodegradation systems. Activated sludge plant at laboratory scale working on a mass load range from 0.2 to 0.8 (kg COD / day / kg MLSS) initially reaches levels of 75% biodegradation thereafter influent concentration is increased and thereby the mass load is increased in a range of working system under high load and biodegradation rates ranging from 71 to 64% are achieved. The actual system consists of a treatment plant wastewater with an aerobic digester for sludge treatment. Fats and oils are retained in a previous degreaser to biological treatment and subsequently sent to the aerobic sludge digester, constituting of thus on a single substrate, resembling an activated sludge plant with extended aeration mode, and levels of biodegradation in the range of 69 to 92%. From this work, we can say that the choice of biological treatment for fats and oils is feasible and adequate. Furthermore, the biomass presents great adaptability to the oil substrate, favored in this case for being the only source of carbon, therefore fats and oils should be removed using biological treatment, instead of the flotation procedure or at most using it as an intermediate process

Background: RNA helicase DHX15 plays a significant role in vasculature development and lung metastasis in vertebrates. In addition, several studies have demonstrated the overexpression of DHX15 in the context of hepatocellular carcinoma. Therefore, we hypothesized that this helicase may play a significant role in liver regeneration, physiology and pathology. Methods: Dhx15 gene deficiency was generated by CRISPR/Cas9 in zebrafish and by TALEN-RNA in mice. FANA Antisense-Oligonucleotides were used to silence Dhx15 in wild-type mice. The hepatocellular carcinoma tumor induction model was generated by subcutaneous injection of Hepa 1-6 cells. Results: Homozygous Dhx15 gene deficiency was lethal in zebrafish and mouse embryos. Dhx15 gene deficiency impaired liver organogenesis in zebrafish embryos and liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy in mice. Also, heterozygous mice presented decreased number and size of liver metastasis after Hepa 1-6 cells injection compared to wild-type mice. Dhx15 gene silencing with FANA Antisense-Oligonucleotides in wild-type mice resulted in 80% reduced expression in the liver and a significant reduction in other major organs. In addition, Dhx15 gene silencing significantly hindered primary tumor growth in the hepatocellular carcinoma experimental model. Regarding the potential use of DHX15 as a diagnostic marker for liver disease, patients with hepatocellular carcinoma showed increased levels of DHX15 in blood samples compared with subjects without hepatic affectation. Conclusion: Dhx15 is a key regulator of liver physiology and organogenesis, is increased in the blood of cirrhotic and hepatocellular carcinoma patients and has a key role in controlling hepatocellular carcinoma tumor growth and expansion in experimental models.

In this article, we consider the relationship between the brain and the immune system in the context of the Orch OR (Orchestrated Objective Reduction) theory of consciousness. Orch OR is a theory that postulates that consciousness arises from quantum computations occurring inside microtubules. The immune system is capable of acquiring, learning, and remembering information, thus showing all the attributes of natural intelligence. We argue that the immune system also has the attribute of consciousness and can gain access to an amount of information greater than what is accessible to the brain since it is not constrained by brain's reducing valve that is responsible for cognitive bottlenecks. We also describe the role of meditation and religious chanting in affecting the brain and immune system. We speculate that some effects of religious chanting on the immune system may not be mediated by the brain. Finally, we examine the role of the immune system in connecting with the consciousness embedded in the universe.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is now a global pandemic caused by the new severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Unlike other known coronaviruses, such as the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), SARS-CoV-2 reveals new clinical, immunological, and pathologic features. The lymphocyte depletion, macrophage and neutrophil hyperactivation, cytokine dysregulation, thrombophilia, delayed antiviral response, and immune exhaustion are key immunological findings linked to the clinical progression of this disease. Understanding and identifying the underlying immunological basis of COVID-19 is crucial to designing effective therapies. Here, we provide an overview of immunopathogenesis driven by SARS-CoV-2 after its interactions with the immune system.

Recently, a breakdown of paracellular and vascular pathways and activated neuroimmune and oxidative pathways were established in (deficit) schizophrenia. The aim of the current study was to delineate a) the differences in these pathways between stable phase, first (FES) and multiple (MES) episode schizophrenia, and b) the pathways that determine the behavioral-cognitive-physical-psychosocial (BCPS)-worsening in FES/MES. This study included 21 FES and 58 FES patients and 40 healthy controls and measured indicants of serum IgA to C1q, and leaky gut, immune activation, and oxidative stress toxicity (OSTOX) biomarkers. We constructed a BCPS-worsening index by extracting a latent vector from symptomatic, neurocognitive, and quality of life data. FES patients showed significantly higher IgA to C1q, cadherin, catenin, plasmalemma vesicle-associated protein, and IgA/IgM to Gram-negative bacteria than FES patients and controls. In FES patients, the BCPS-worsening score was predicted (48.7%) by IgA to Klebsiella pneumoniae and lowered paraoxonase 1 activity. In MES patients, the BCPS-worsening score was explained (42.7%) by increased tumor necrosis factor-α, OSTOX, and number of episodes. In schizophrenia, 34.0% of the variance in the BCPS-worsening score was explained by IgA to K. pneumoniae, OSTOX, and number of episodes. Increased IgA to K. pneumoniae was the single best predictor of residual psychotic symptoms in FES and MES. This study delineated different mechanistic processes in FES, including breakdown of adherens junctions, bacterial translocation, and C1q circulating immune complexes; and FES, including immune and oxidative stress neurotoxic pathways. FES and MES comprise different staging subtypes, i.e., FES and MES with and without worsening.

Species belonging to the Bauhinia genus, usually known as "pata-de-vaca", are popularly used to treat diabetes. Among them is Bauhinia ungulata var. obtusifolia (Ducke) Vaz, whose leaves are used, as a tea, for medicinal purposes in the Amazon region. The microencapsulation of the aqueous extract of its leaves, containing phenolic compounds, using five different wall materials (maltodextrin: DE11-14, and DE4-7; β-cyclodextrin; pectin, and sodium carboxymethylcellulose) is described in this paper. The microstructure, particle size, thermal behavior, yield, and encapsulation efficiency were investigated and compared using different techniques. Using high-performance liquid chromatography, phenolics, and flavonoids were detected and quantified in the microparticles. Microparticles, obtained with yield and phenolics encapsulation efficiency ranging between 60-83 % and 35-57 %, respectively, showed a particle size distribution between 1.15 and 5.54 µm, spherical morphology, and wrinkled surface. Among them, those prepared with sodium carboxymethylcellulose and pectin proved to be thermally the most stable. They had the highest flavonoid content (23.07 and 21.73 mgRUTE/g Extract) and total antioxidant activity by both the DPPH· (376.55 and 367.86 µmolTrolox/g Extract) and ABTS·+ (1085.72 and 1062.32 µmolTrolox/ g Extract) assays. The chromatographic analyses allowed for quantification, in the microparticles, chlorogenic acid (1.67-1.98 mg/g Extract), p-coumaric acid (0.06-0.08 mg/g Extract), rutin (11.1-12.9 mg/g Extract) and isoquercitrin (0.47-0.53 mg/g Extract), compounds considered responsible for the antidiabetic property attributed to the species.

Dengue is the most prevalent arthropod-borne disease globally and affects approximately 2.5 billion people living in over 100 countries. The increasing geographic expansion of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes which transmit the virus has made dengue fever a global health concern. There are currently no approved antivirals available to treat dengue, and the only approved vaccine used in some countries is limited to seropositive patients. Treatment of dengue therefore remains largely supportive to date; hence research efforts are being intensified for the development of antivirals against dengue. The NS3 and NS5 nonstructural proteins have been the major targets for dengue antiviral development due to their indispensable enzymatic and biological functions in the viral replication process. NS5 is the largest and most conserved nonstructural protein encoded by flaviviruses including dengue. Its multifunctionality makes it an attractive target for antiviral development against dengue, but research efforts are hindered due to its limited structural characterization compared to the NS5 of other flaviviruses like the Zika virus. Increase in structural insights into the dengue NS5 protein will accelerate drug discovery efforts focused on NS5 as an antiviral target. In this review, we will give an overview of the current state of therapeutic development against dengue.

Mitochondria are dynamic organelles that can adjust and respond to different stimuli within a cell. This plastic ability allows them to effectively coordinate several cellular functions in cells and becomes particularly relevant in highly complex cells such as neurons. An imbalance in mitochondrial dynamics can disrupt mitochondrial function, leading to abnormal cellular function and ultimately to a range of diseases, including neurodegenerative disorders. Regulation of mRNA transport and local translation inside neurons is crucial for maintaining the proteome of distal mitochondria, which is vital for energy production and synaptic function. A significant portion of the axonal transcriptome is dedicated to mRNAs for mitochondrial proteins, emphasizing the importance of local translation in sustaining mitochondrial function in areas far from the cell body. In neurons, local translation and the regulation of mRNAs encoding mitochondrial-shaping proteins could be essential for synaptic plasticity and neuronal health. The dynamics of these mRNAs, including their transport and local translation, may influence the morphology and function of mitochondria, thereby affecting the overall energy status and responsiveness of synapses. Comprehending the mitochondria-related mRNAs regulation and local translation, as well as its influence on mitochondrial morphology near the synapses will help to better understand neuronal physiology and neurological diseases where mitochondrial dysfunction and impaired synaptic plasticity play a central role.

The separator membrane is an essential component of lithium-ion batteries, separating the anode and cathode and controlling the number and mobility of the lithium ions. Among the polymer matrices most investigated for battery separators are poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) and its copolymers poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-trifluoroethylene) (PVDF-TrFE), poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP), and poly(vinylidene fluoride-cochlorotrifluoroethylene) (PVDF-CTFE), due to their excellent properties such as high polarity and the possibility of controlling the porosity of the materials through binary and ternary polymer/solvent systems, among others. This review presents the recent advances on battery separators based on poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) and its copolymers for lithium-ion batteries. It is divided in the following sections: single polymer and co-polymers, surface modification, composites and polymer blends. Further, a critical comparison between those membranes and other separator membranes is presented, as well as the future trends on this area.

Background: The surgical approach to treating calcaneal fractures, specifically Sanders types II, III, and IV, is still a subject of controversy. The decision to opt for open reduction and internal fix-ation (ORIF) or minimally invasive osteosynthesis (MIOS) remains uncertain owing to varying complication rates. This study intends to examine each treatment’s pros and cons in relation to the incidence of complications. Methods: In this retrospective study, we examined 70 patients treated between January 2018 and September 2022: 50 received ORIF, and 20 underwent MIOS. We evaluated functional outcomes with the Maryland Foot Score and the Creighton-Nebraska Health Foundation Assessment Scale (CNHFAS). We also assessed the amount of anatomical restoration using Böhler’s and Gissane’s angles, determined by radiographic checks, and the frequency of postoperative complications. Results: A significant reduction in the risk of reinter-vention was observed in patients with high anesthetic risks, polytraumatized individuals, and those with comorbidities who underwent MIOS. The chi-square test analysis of postoperative complications highlighted no substantial differences between the ORIF and MIOS groups in rela-tion to tendinitis, chronic pain and swelling, algodystrophy, and surgical wound infections (p > 0.20 for all). Conclusion: ORIF is more suitable for patients who have high motor function re-quirements, a long-term activity schedule and can endure potential additional procedures. This preference is because ORIF provides better anatomical restoration and features a lower osteoar-thritis occurrence rate.

Tinnitus is a heterogeneous auditory disorder without a pharmacological cure but with several palliative treatments. One of the most applied treatments for tinnitus relief combines counselling with sound therapy. The efficiency of this sound therapy depends on the type of sound stimulus and the exposition time. The fundamentals of a customized sound therapy that stimulates the auditory system with a continuous or sequential sound which compensates for the subject hearing loss are described here. A sample of 137 tinnitus subjects are treated with this sound therapy, named Enriched Acoustic Environment. 90% of these patients achieved a clinically relevant and statistically significant tinnitus-related distress relief quantified as a mean drop of their Tinnitus Handicap Inventory score of 24.3 points. These subjects exposed with sequential stimuli (31%) achieved greater distress relief (5.1 points more in their Tinnitus Handicap Inventory score) than those stimulated with continuous sound (69%). Therefore, this sound constitutes an optimized stimulus for tinnitus treatment.

Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is an important player of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) in regulating the conversion of angiotensin II into angiotensin (1-7). While expressed on the surface of human cells, such as lung, heart, kidney, neurons, and endothelial cells (EC), ACE2 is the entry receptor for SARS-CoV-2. Here, we would like to highlight that ACE2 is predominant on the EC membrane. Many of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) symptoms have been associated with the large recruitment of immune cells, directly affecting EC. Additionally, cytokines, hypoxia, and complement activation can trigger the activation of EC leading to the coagulation cascade. The EC dysfunction plus the inflammation due to SARS-CoV-2 infection may lead to abnormal coagulation, actively participating in thrombo-inflammatory processes resulting in vasculopathy and indicating poor prognosis in patients with COVID-19. Considering the intrinsic relationship between EC and the pathophysiology of SARS-CoV-2, EC-associated therapies such as anticoagulants, fibrinolytic drugs, immunomodulators, and molecular therapies have been proposed. In this review, we will discuss the role of EC in the lung inflammation and edema, in the disseminate coagulation process, ACE2 positive cancer patients, and current and future EC-associated therapies to treat COVID-19.

Development of targeted therapies for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an unmet medical need. Cisplatin has demonstrated its promising potential for the treatment of TNBC in clinical trials; however, cisplatin treatment is associated with hypoxia that in turn promotes cancer stem cell (CSC) enrichment and drug resistance. Therapeutic approaches to attenuate this may lead to increased cisplatin efficacy in the clinic for the treatment of TNBC. In this report, we analyzed clinical dataset of TNBC and found that TNBC patients possessed higher levels of EGFR and hypoxia gene expression. A similar expression pattern was also observed in cisplatin-resistant ovarian cancer cells. We thus developed a new therapeutic approach to inhibit EGFR and hypoxia by combination of metformin and gefitinib that sensitized TNBC cells to cisplatin and led to the inhibition of both CD44+/CD24- and ALDH+ CSCs. We demonstrated a similar inhibition efficacy on organotypic cultures of TNBC patient samples ex vivo. Since these drugs have already been used frequently in the clinic, this study illustrates a novel, clinically translatable therapeutic approach to treat patients with TNBC.

Explaining the emergence of behavior and understanding on the basis of neuronal mechanisms is still elusive. One renowned proposal is the Free Energy Principle (FEP), which uses an information-theoretic framework derived from thermodynamic considerations to describe how behavior and understanding would emerge. FEP starts from a whole organism approach, based on mental states and phenomena, mapping them into the neuronal substrate. An alternative approach, the Energy Homeostasis Principle (EHP), initiates a similar explanatory effort, but starting from single neuron phenomena and building up to the whole organism’s behavior and understanding. In this work, we develop the EHP as an alternative but complementary vision to FEP and try to explain how behavior and understanding would emerge from the local requirements of the neurons. Based on EHP and a strict naturalist approach that sees living beings as physical and deterministic systems, we explain scenarios where learning would emerge without the need for volition or goals. Given these starting points, we state several considerations of how we see the nervous system, particularly the role of function, purpose, and the conception of goal-oriented behaviors. We problematize these conceptions, giving an alternative teleology-free framework in which behavior and, ultimately, understanding would still emerge. We reinterpret neural processing explaining basic learning situations up to simple anticipatory behavior. Finally, we end the work with an evolutionary perspective of how this non-goal-oriented behavior appears. We acknowledge that in the current form of our proposal, we are still far from explaining the emergence of understanding. Still, we set the ground for an alternative neuron-based framework to ultimately explain understanding.

The Dead Sea basin is the lowest terrestrial site on the globe and is internationally recognized as a photoclimatotherapy center. Since the last century, questions raised regarding the possible presence of a unique incident ultraviolet irradiation, allowing successful treatment of psoriasis, atopic dermatitis and other dermatological diseases. Aim: Determine the characteristics of the solar ultraviolet irradiation and understand the mechanism of action of photoclimatotherapy while applying the results to clinical protocols of treatment. Methods: A meteorological station was established at the Dead Sea basin to continuously measure global, UVB and UVA irradiation. The same irradiation parameters are also being monitored continuously by a set of identical ultraviolet irradiation instruments installed on the campus of the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, in Beer Sheva. Results: This study details the results of these long-term measurements, ae well as their correlation with the success obtained by clinicians treating psoriasis patients. Conclusions: A database of more than 25 years has enabled the medical staff to establish tailor-made protocols for sun-exposure time intervals as a function of particular month and hour of day. The availability of such information has significantly improved the results of photoclimatotherapy for psoriasis and at the same time increasing the safety of sun-exposure at the Dead Sea.

Background: The 6-minute walk test (6MWT) is a simple and low-cost method that allows assessment of functional capacity in patients with heart failure (HF). However, the prognostic role of 6MWT in HF remains uncertain. Objectives: We aimed to evaluate the 6MWT as a predictor of mid-term adverse outcomes in patients with HF with mid-range and reduced ejection fraction. Methods: Prospective single-center cohort study that included patients with HF with an ejection fraction under 50% at a specialized outpatient HF service. Patients underwent the 6MWT on admission and were compared according to the distance walked: Group I walked ≥350 meters and group II <350 meters. The primary outcome was a composite of death from any cause or hospitalization for HF decompensation in one-year follow-up. Secondary outcomes were the components of the primary outcome in an isolated analysis. Results: Sixty patients were included, 43.3% male, with a mean age of 61.1 ± 12.9 years and ejection fraction 34.3 ± 10.1%. 52 patients (86.7%) were on guideline-directed triple therapy for HF. The average distance walked in the 6MWT was 395.1 ± 98.8 meters, with 40 patients (66.7%) in group I and 20 (33.3%) in group II. The primary outcome in groups I and II were, respectively, 15,0% and 35,0% (p=0.05). One-year mortality was 5.0% vs 15.0% (p=0.18) and the hospitalization rate was 10.0% vs 20.0% (p=0.28). Conclusions: There was no association of distance <350 meters in the 6MWT with the primary outcome in patients with HF. Despite the higher occurrence of outcomes in group II, the difference was not statistically significant in this analysis. On a selective basis, the 6MWT may be a useful tool for prognostic stratification in HF, if combined with other methods.

Recently, we published that the monoclonal antibody (D12 mAb) recognizes gp63 of L. mexicana, it is responsible for COX activity. This D12 mAb exhibited cross-reactivity with Trypanosoma cruzi, Entamoeba histolytica, Acanthamoeba castellanii, and Naegleria fowleri. COX activity assays performed in these parasites suggested the potential presence of such enzymatic activity. In our investigation, we confirmed that wild-type recombinant gp63 exhibits COX-like activity, in contrast to a mutated recombinant gp63 variant. Consequently, our objective was to identify sequences orthologous to gp63 and subsequently analyze the binding of arachidonic acid (AA) to the putative active sites of these proteins. Given the absence of a crystallized structure for this protein in the Protein Data Bank (PDB), it was imperative to first obtain a three-dimensional structure by homology modeling, using leishmanolysin (PDB ID: LML1) as a template in the Swiss model. Database. The results obtained through molecular docking simulations revealed the primary interactions of AA close to the Zinc atom present in the catalytic site of gp63-like molecules of several parasites, predominantly mediated by hydrogen bonds with HIS264, HIS268 and HIS334. Furthermore, COX activity was evaluated in commensal species such as E. dispar and during the encystment process of E. invadens.

In this paper we investigate the geometric structure and control of exponential families depending on additional parameters, called external parameters. These generalized exponential families emerges naturally when one applies the maximum entropy formalism to derive the equilibrium statistical mechanics framework. We study the associated statistical model, compute the Fisher metric and introduce a natural fibration of the parameter space over the external parameter space. The Fisher Riemannian metric allows to endow this fibration with an Ehresmann connection and to study the geometry and control of these statistical models. As an example, we show that horizontal lift of paths in the external parameter space corresponds to an isentropic evolution of the system. We apply the theory to the example of a ideal gas in a rotating rigid container. Most of the results are expressed in local coordinates; in the appendices we hint at possible global extensions of the theory.

The precise mathematical description of gaze patterns is still an unsettled matter of debate. This can, consequently, affect the analysis of this type of data in its practical applications. In this scope, we show evidence that a Lévy-flight description of eye-gaze trajectories is not only appropriate but its scale invariant properties are remarkably useful to assist in diagnosing children with Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), alongside with the usual cognitive tests. Using this picture, we find that the distribution of the characteristic exponent of Lévy-flights statistically is different in children with ADHD. Furthermore, we observe that these children deviate from a strategy that is considered optimal for searching processes, in contrast to non-ADHD children. We focus on the case where both eye-tracking data and data from a cognitive test are present and show that the study of gaze patterns in children with ADHD can help in identifying this condition. Since eye-tracking data can be gathered during cognitive tests without needing extra time-consuming specific tasks, we argue that it is in prime position to provide assistance in the arduous task of ADHD diagnosing.

The amino acid proline accumulates in plants during abiotic stresses such as drought and salinity and is considered a reliable marker of environmental stress. While its accumulation is well established, its precise role in stress tolerance and its underlying molecular mechanism remain less clear. To address these issues, we performed a meta-analysis - a robust statistical technique that synthesizes results from multiple independent studies while accounting for experimental differences. We focused on 16 physiological and morphological parameters affected by drought and salt stress in transgenic plants expressing proline metabolic genes. For each parameter, we calculated the effect size as the response ratio (RR), which represents the logarithm of the mean value in the transgenic group over the mean value of the control group (lnRR). Under stress, most parameters exhibited significantly higher response ratios in the transgenic group, confirming the beneficial effects of proline during drought and salt stress. Surprisingly, under non-stressed conditions, most stress markers showed no significant differences between transgenic and non-transgenic plants, despite elevated proline levels in the former. These results suggest that the benefits of proline may be related to proline catabolism or may only become apparent during stress, possibly due to interactions with reactive oxygen species (ROS), which accumulate predominantly under stress conditions.

Social networks have become the scenario with the greatest potential for the circulation of disinformation, hence there is a growing interest in understanding how this type of information is spread, especially in relation to the mechanisms used by disinformation agents such as bots, trolls, among others. In this scenario, the potential of bots to facilitate the spread of disinformation is recognised, however, the analysis of how they do this is still in its initial stages. Taking into consideration what was previously stated, this paper aimed to model and simulate scenarios of disinformation propagation in social networks caused by bots based on the dynamics of this mechanism documented in the literature. For achieving the purpose, System dynamics was used as the main modelling technique. The results present a mathematical model, as far as disinformation by this mechanism is concerned, and the simulations carried out against the increase in the rate of activation and deactivation of bots. Thus, the preponderant role of social networks in controlling disinformation through this mechanism, and the potential of bots to affect citizens, is recognised.