Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a complex illness with both hereditary and environmental compo-nents. Globally, in 2019, 18 million people had RA. RA is characterised by persistent inflammation of the synovial membrane that lines the joints, cartilage loss, and bone erosion. Phenolic molecules are the most prevalent secondary metabolites in plants, with a diverse spectrum of biological ac-tions that benefit functional meals and nutraceuticals. These compounds have received a lot of at-tention recently because they have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, and anti-rheumatoid activity by modulating tumour necrosis factor, mitogen-activated protein kinase, nu-clear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells, and c-Jun N-terminal kinases, as well as other preventative properties. This article discusses dietary polyphenols, their pharmacological properties, and innovative delivery technologies for the treatment of RA, with a focus on their possible biological activities. Nonetheless, commercialization of polyphenols may be achievable only after confirming their safety profile and completing successful clinical trials.

Metabolic dysfunction associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) has gained worldwide attention as a public health problem. Nonetheless, lack of enough mechanistic knowledge restrains effective treatments. It is known that T3 regulate hepatic lipid metabolism, and mitochondrial function. Liver dysfunction of T3 contributes to MAFLD, but its role is not fully understood. Objective: To evaluate the role of T3 dysfunction in the progression of MAFLD in an animal model. Method-ology: Male/adult Sprague Dawley rats (n=20) were allocated to a control group (standard di-et–2.93kcal/g) and diet group (CDHF–4.3kcal/g). Euthanasia took place in the 28th week. D3 ac-tivity and expression, UCP2 and D1 expression, REDOX status, mitochondrial, Krebs cycle and endoplasmic reticulum homeostasis in liver tissue were measured. Results: We observed an in-crease in D3 activity/expression (P<0.001) related to increased TBARS and carbonyls and GSH reduction in the MAFLD group (P<0.05). There was a T3-dependent decrease in UCP2 expression (P=0.01), mitochondrial capacity, respiratory activity with increased endoplasmic reticulum stress in the MAFLD group (P < 0.001). Surprisingly, in and environment with lower T3 levels we observed an augmented alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase (KGDH) and glutamate dehydro-genase (GDH) enzymes activity (P<0.05). Conclusion: Induced D3, triggered by changes in the REDOX state, decreases T3 availability, and hepatic mitochondrial capacity. The Krebs cycle en-zymes were altered as well as reticulum stress. Taken together, these results shed new light on the role of T3 metabolism in MAFLD and new treatment opportunities.

The use of wind energy has been developing fast over the last years. The global cumulative wind power capacity increased by 10.5% in 2019, most of which comes from onshore wind farms. One of the consequences of this continuous increase is the use of land for onshore wind farms. There are already cases worldwide where lack of well-established plans and strategies have caused delays in projects. The need for efficiently using land for wind farms will be mandatory in the short term. In this work, we present a numerical analysis to evaluate wind farm land-use. By defining the ratio between mechanical output power over an area as a parameter called land-use ratio, this work focused on comparing several cases of aligned and staggered layouts. Mechanical output power was estimated using a validated code based on Blade Element Momentum code, and the wake velocities and wake interaction effects were estimated using a validated wind turbine CFD model. In terms of output power, staggered designs are more efficient than aligned designs. However, the results showed that even though staggered designs produced higher output power, aligned farms with tight lateral spacing could be as efficient as staggered ones in terms of land-use but using fewer turbines. In summary, tightly aligned designs should be a tendency in the future towards efficient use of land in wind farms.

The whitefly leads extensive damage to plants through direct feeding, honeydew secretion, plant physiological disorders, and vectoring plant viruses. This study aimed to evaluate the physiological characteristics of susceptible and resistant soybean cultivars to B. tabaci. The experiments were conducted in a greenhouse. Eleven soybean cultivars were selected and infested with 100 adults of B. tabaci at the V3 stage. The evaluation of photosynthetic parameters, such as photosynthetic rate, leaf transpiration, stomatal conductance, and internal CO2 concentration, revealed that B. tabaci infestation influenced gas exchange in soybean plants. The photosynthetic rate was higher in cultivars AS3810 and M8349 during the V6 stage. Infestations led to alterations in photosynthetic parameters, suggesting increased energy demand to maintain photosynthetic activity. However, the response to infestation varied among different cultivars, indicating varying levels of resistance and tolerance to the whitefly's damage. Additionally, the impact of infestation was more significant during the vegetative phenological. In conclusion, B. tabaci infestation affects soybean plants' physiology, leading to changes in gas exchange parameters and water use efficiency. The response to infestation varied among soybean cultivars, suggesting potential differences in resistance to the pest. The study highlights the importance of evaluating the physiological impact of whitefly infestations on soybean.

This study evaluated the hip joints of the giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) through imaging and macroscopic analyses and proposed a surgical approach for arthrotomy procedures in this species. The study used four samples fixed in 10% formaldehyde and six thawed carcasses. Radiographic and ultrasound examinations and anatomical dissection allowed the proposal of a surgical approach for the hip joint. The radiographic evaluation occurred with frog-legged ventrodorsal and lateral projections, and the ultrasound enabled joint soft tissue assessment. The articular elements represented similar characteristics to other domestic species. Some anatomical particularities of muscle groups were the intermuscular septum between the tensor fasciae latae and superficial gluteus muscles at the level of the greater trochanter of the femur, which provides lateral access to the femoral head and neck more conservatively. In conclusion, the anatomical particularities of radiographic positioning, the clinical applications of joint ultrasound, and the arrangement of muscle groups must be considered when evaluating and surgically accessing the hip joint of the giant anteater.

Objective: The aim of this study was to identify and characterize the 100 most cited articles on Parkinson's disease (PD) and phenolic compounds (PCs). Methods: Articles were selected in the Web of Science Core Collection up to January 2022 based on predetermined inclusion criteria, and the following bibliometric parameters were extracted: the number of citations, title, keywords, authors, year, study design, tested PC and therapeutic target. MapChart was used to create worldwide networks, and VOSviewer software was used to create bibliometric networks. Descriptive statistical analysis was used to identify the most researched PCs and therapeutic targets in PD. Results: The most cited article was also the oldest. The most recent article was published in 2020. Asia and China were the continent and the country with the most articles in the list (55% and 29%, respectively). In vitro studies were the most common experimental designs among the 100 most cited articles (46%). The most evaluated PC was epigallocatechin. Oxidative stress was the most studied therapeutic target. Conclusion: Despite the demonstrations in laboratorial studies, the results obtained point to the need for clinical studies to better elucidate this association.

Therapeutic proteins are used to successfully treat hemophilia, Crohn’s Disease, diabetes, and cancer. Recent product recalls have occurred because of sub-visible particle formation resulting from the inherent instability of proteins. It has been suggested that particle formation is associated with late stage processing steps of filling, shipping, and delivery. Previous works demonstrated that cavitation might occur in therapeutic vials subjected to agitation or accidentally dropped, but that mitigation can be achieved with fluid property manipulation. The goal of this research was to (1) assess the risk of cavitation under common pharmaceutical manufacturing conditions (i.e., pipe contraction and pumps), (2) establish a simple threshold criterion for when particulate will form, and (3) suggest a series of mitigation techniques based on these thresholds. To accomplish these tasks, computational fluid dynamic simulations for a variety of pipe contraction and fluid properties were performed. The results of this research show that reducing the turbulence in a fluid system will reduce the likelihood of cavitation. Additionally, threshold bounds were created that establish a definitive transition at which cavitation will occur.

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.

Sleep is of vital necessity for health, it has a restorative and protective function for children and adolescents with chronic conditions and their families. The purpose was to identify the scientific production on sleep patterns in children and adolescents with chronic conditions and their families. This integrative review was developed in March and June 2022, of the MEDLINE, Web of Science, CINAHL and PSYCInfo. The articles included were original papers published be-tween January 2007 and mid-2022. Excluded were review studies that did not evaluate sleep and whose participants did not have chronic conditions or were not children, adolescents and/or their families. The searches returned 814 abstracts. After exclusions, 47 studies were selected to be read in full; of these, 29 were selected and were grouped empirically into four categories: major alterations in sleep patterns of children and adolescents with chronic conditions; the relationship between sleep disorders and symptoms in children and adolescents with chronic conditions; impaired sleep patterns of families of children and adolescents with chronic conditions; sleep alterations and their relationship with other problems in families of children and adolescents with chronic conditions. All studies showed sleep pattern impairment in children and adolescents with chronic conditions and their families.

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

Recent deep learning frameworks draw a strong research interest in the application of ego-motion estimation as they demonstrate a superior result compared to geometric approaches. However, due to the lack of multimodal datasets, most of these studies primarily focused on a single sensor-based estimation. To overcome this challenge, we collect a unique multimodal dataset named LboroAV2, using multiple sensors including camera, Light Detecting And Ranging (LiDAR), ultrasound, e-compass and rotary encoder. We also propose an end-to-end deep learning architecture for fusion of RGB images and LiDAR laser scan data for odometry application. The proposed method contains a convolutional encoder, a compressed representation and a recurrent neural network. Besides feature extraction and outlier rejection, the convolutional encoder produces a compressed representation which is used to visualise the network's learning process and to pass useful sequential information. The recurrent neural network uses this compressed sequential data to learn the relation between consecutive time steps. We use the LboroAV2 and KITTI VO datasets to experiment and evaluate our results. In addition to visualising the network's learning process, our approach gives superior results compared to other similar methods. The code for the proposed architecture is released in GitHub and accessible publicly.

Microfluidic technology has become a powerful tool for several applications in chemistry, physics, biology, and engineering. Benefiting from the advantages of flowing fluids in the laminar regime, droplet-based microfluidics enable the development of various delivery systems based on food-grade emulsions, such as multiple emulsions, microgels, microcapsules, solid lipid micro-particles, and giant liposomes. Besides, by manipulating fluids on a micrometer scale with low-energy demand, it is possible to control the size, shape, and dispersity of droplets generated, which makes microfluidic emulsification an excellent strategy to modulate delivery system properties depending on the entrapped compound type. Thus, this review points out the most current advances in droplet-based microfluidic processes, in which food-grade materials were successfully utilized to develop simple and complex delivery systems. In that context, we sum-marized the principles of droplet-based microfluidics, introducing the most common microde-vices geometries, manufacturing materials, and forces involved in the different droplet generation processes within the microchannels. Subsequently, the encapsulated compound type, classified as lipophilic or hydrophilic functional compounds, was used as a starting point to present current advances in delivery systems based on food-grade emulsions and assembly using microfluidic technologies. Finally, we discuss the limitations and perspectives of scale-up in droplet-based microfluidic approaches, including the challenges that have limited the transition of microfluidic processes from lab-scale to industrial-scale.

Green carbon-based materials (GCM), i.e. carbon materials produced using renewable biomass or recycled wastes, ought to be used in order to processes become sustainable and carbon neutral. Carbon nanomaterials, like for example carbon dots and nanobichar families, and carbon materials, like for example activated carbon and biochar substances, are sustainable materials with great potential to be used in different technology applications. In this review, the following four applications were selected, and the works published in the last two years (since 2022) critically reviewed: agriculture; water treatment; energy management; and, carbon dioxide reduction and sequestration. GCM improved the performance of the technological applications under revision and play an important role in the sustainability of the processes, contributing to the mitigation of the climate change, namely by reducing emission and increase sequestration of CO2eq..

Here we investigated the acute effects of an exhaustive intermittent exercise session on immunological parameters of the elderly and the subsequent incidence of upper respiratory tract infections and compare with the moderate-intensity. To do so, ixty-three old subjects were divided into three groups HIIT (n=21) submitted at one High-intensity interval training, SCG (n=21) kept in a sedentary state, and MICT (n=21) submitted at moderate intensity walking. Blood were collected at 5 time points, before, immediately after, 2h, 24h, and 48h after the intervention. In result the IL-6 and TNF-α were overexpressed immediately after the IL-10 stood overexpressed and correlated with IL-17, denoting an inflammatory process, and evidencing an immunologic competence without enhancement of the prevalence of upper respiratory infection tract (URTIs). So a modulation in the balance of Th1/Th2/Th17 cytokines and leukocytes, these modifications did not cause the effect characterized as an immunological window. Perhaps, the typical inflammation process, with IL-10 and IL-17 participation could also produce benefits to combat infections, a pertinent discussion during a post-pandemic time; we consider it a safe exercise program for older adults.

This study analyzes the evolution of Corporate and Social Responsibility (CSR) and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) concepts in social media, specifically on Twitter, from 2007 to 2022. The research aims to understand how society perceives organizational practices related to these aspects. Twitter provides an authentic environment for capturing user perceptions. The methodology involved collecting Tweets using Python and analyzing them in English, Spanish, and Portuguese with RStudio. The study's main findings highlight significant contributions and concerns within the CSR and ESG debates. While CSR's popularity showed a downward trend from 2010 to 2019, ESG grew exponentially during the pandemic and post-pandemic periods. Word analysis revealed the impact of specific hashtags: RSC in Spanish, #CSR in English, and #ESG in Portuguese. Society's increasing concerns concern environmental issues for combating global warming and ensuring a better quality of life, alongside financial transparency and ethical practices in companies. However, the social aspect of ESG, represented by the letter "S," didn't garner the same attention as environmental and governance matters. This discrepancy might stem from a lack of awareness or lower priority in public discussions on social media, overshadowing the social dimension in the ESG framework.

Long Covid is a term used for patients who have recovered from COVID-19 but exhibit persistent cognitive dysfunction, including mental confusion, difficulties in attention, impairment in executive functions and slow movements, among other common symptoms. A study was conducted with 65 patients who had a positive RT-PCR diagnosis and reported symptoms of cognitive impairment, such as memory loss and attention difficulties after recovery. The patients underwent neuropsychological evaluation and completed questionnaires on cognition, mood, and quality of life. During the cognitive screening, 71% of the patients showed alterations, with deficits in visual memory (69%), language (54%), visuospatial construction (49%), verbal episodic memory (37%), executive functions (36%), attentional abilities (34%), and premorbid intelligence (12%). It is important to highlight the need for treatments and further studies to understand the long-term side effects of this disease.

Introduction: In recent decades, health literacy, in connection with a broad range of public 1 health terms, has become a burgeoning field. This study aims to explore trends and biases in this 2 area through a bibliometric analysis. Methods: A Random Forest Model was utilized to identify 3 keywords and other metadata that predict annual citations in the field. In order to supplement 4 this machine learning analysis, we have also implemented a bibliometric review of the corpus. 5 Results: Findings indicate a high positive coefficient for the keyword ’Covid-19’ and ’Male’, whereas a 6 negative coefficient was observed for ’Female’, suggesting potential biases. Evolving themes such as 7 Covid-19, Mental Health, and Social Media were discovered. A significant shift was noted in the main 8 publishing journals, while the major contributing authors remained the same. Discussion: The results 9 hint at the influence of the Covid-19 pandemic and potential gender biases on citation likelihood, as 10 well as changing publication strategies despite the fact that the main researchers remain as the ones 11 that have been studying health literacy since its creation.

Sugarcane plays a crucial role in global sugar and ethanol production. Conventionally, sugar-cane propagation involves planting billets. However, Brazilian researchers have introduced the innovative pre-sprouted seedlings (PSS) method, widely used in the MEIOSI (Simultaneously Occurring Interrotational Method) system. Although MPB has several advantages over the con-ventional method, its sensitivity to water scarcity is a challenge. The study aimed to evaluate the survival and growth of PSS inoculated with Bacillus licheniformis and Bacillus subtilis under differ-ent water regimes. The experiment was conducted in the field in a randomized block in strips (split-block) using a 2×4 factorial scheme consisting of two inoculation conditions (with and without bacteria) and four water regimes (0%, 33%, 66%, and 100% of the ideal irrigation). The bacteria increased the PSS's survival and water use efficiency in the field. In addition, inocula-tion increased root and shoot growth, as well as the nutrient uptake such as N, P, Mn, Zn, and Cu, which resulted in a higher number of stalks per meter and, therefore, a higher multiplica-tion rate in the MEIOSI system. Inoculation proved to be a promising alternative for establishing PSS under water restriction.

The purpose of this article is to analyze urban form through the mapping of morphological indices, namely impervious surface fraction, building density, verticality, height/width ratio, roughness length, and porosity, to support urban planning in the city of João Pessoa, PB, in northeastern Brazil. The application of this study identifies and calculates such significant indices for the city's urban space from a Geographic Information System (GIS) model. The spatial indices play notable roles in climate at different scales, developing guidelines to maximize environmental quality, promote improvements to thermal comfort, minimize the urban heat island in the city of João Pessoa, and provide relevant data (considering microclimate aspects), guiding decisions related to the planning process.

This study aimed to compare three different extracts of Saco sweet cherry, namely non-coloured fraction, coloured fraction and total extract concerning phenolic composition, antioxidant and antidiabetic potential, erythrocytes’ protection and effects on Caco-2 cells. A total of 22 phenolic compounds were identified by LC-DAD. Hydroxycinnamic acids were the most predominant in both non-coloured fraction and total extract, while cyanidin-3-O-rutinoside was the main anthocyanin found in the coloured fraction. The total extract was the most effective against DPPH, nitric oxide and superoxide radicals, and in the inhibition of α-glucosidase enzyme. Finally, the protective effect of the extracts to prevent oxidative damage in human erythrocytes was assessed. The coloured fraction revealed the best activity against hemoglobin oxidation and hemolysis. Regarding to Caco-2 cells, the coloured extract exhibited the most cytotoxic effects, while the total extract was the most efficient in protecting these cells against oxidative damage induced by t-BHP.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) a leading cause of mortality worldwide. Therefore, there is in-creasing interest in dietary interventions to reduce risk factors associated with these conditions. Cherries and berries are rich sources of bioactive compounds and have attracted attention for their potential cardiovascular benefits. This review summarizes the current research on the effects of cherries and berries consumption on cardiovascular health, including in vivo studies and clinical trials. These red fruits are rich in phenolic compounds, such as anthocyanins and flavonoids, which have multiple bioactive properties. These properties include antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and vasodilatory effects. Studies suggest that regular consumption of these fruits may reducing in-flammation and oxidative stress, leading to lower blood pressure, improved lipid profiles, and enhanced endothelial function. However, interpreting findings and establishing optimal dosages is challenge due to the variability in fruit composition, processing methods, and study design. Despite these limitations, the evidence highlights the potential of cherries and berries as components of preventive strategies against CVD. Further research is needed to maximize their health benefits and improve clinical practice.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) caused by ischemia followed by reperfusion (I/R) is characterized by intense anion superoxide (O2•-) production and oxidative damage. We investigated whether extracellular vesicles secreted by adipose tissue mesenchymal cells (EVs) administrated during reperfusion can suppress the exacerbated mitochondrial O2•- formation after I/R. We used Wistar rats submitted to bilateral renal arterial clamping (30 min) followed by 24 h of reperfusion. The animals received EVs (I/R+EVs group) or saline, I/R group) in the kidney subcapsular space. The 3rd group was of the false-operated rats (SHAM). Mitochondria were isolated from proximal tubule cells and immediately used. Amplex Red™ was used to measure mitochondrial O2•- formation and MitoTracker® Orange to evaluate Δψ. In vitro studies were carried out by using human renal proximal tubular cells (HK-2) co-cultured or not with EVs under hypoxia conditions. Administration of EVs restored O2•- formation to SHAM levels in all mitochondrial functional conditions. The expression of catalase and superoxide dismutase remained unmodified; transcription of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) was upregulated. The co-cultures of HK-2 cells with EVs revealed an intense decrease in apoptosis. We conclude that the mechanisms by which EVs recover the renal structure and function after I/R are related to the normalization of the mitochondrial redox environment. The intravesicular catalase is central in the preservation mechanisms that, with the aid of the upregulated antioxidant HO-1/Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 system, depress early processes of cell death after I/R and open new vistas for the treatment of AKI.

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

This work aimed at producing lactic acid (LA) from sugarcane bagasse after steam explosion at 195 ºC for 7.5 and 15 min. Enzymatic hydrolysis was carried out with Novozymes’ Cellic CTec3 and/or Cellic HTec3, whereas fermentation was performed with Bacillus coagulans DSM2314. Water-washing of pretreated solids before enzymatic hydrolysis improved both hydrolysis and fermentation yields. The presence of xylo-oligosaccharides (XOS) in substrate hydrolysates reduced hydrolysis efficiency, but their effect on fermentation was negligible. The presence of fermentation inhibitors in C5 streams was circumvented by adsorption on activated carbon powder with no detectable sugar losses. High carbohydrates-to-LA conversions (Yp/s) of 0.88 g·g-1 were obtained from enzymatic hydrolysates of water-washed steam-exploded materials that were produced at 195°C, 7.5 min and the use of centrifuged-but-never-washed pretreated solids decreased Yp/s by 16%. However, when the detoxified C5 stream was added at a 10% ratio, Yp/s was raised to 0.93 g·g-1 for an LA productivity of 2.55 g·L-1·h-1. Doubling the pretreatment time caused a decrease in Yp/s to 0.78 g·g-1, but LA productivity was the highest (3.20 g·L-1·h-1). For pretreatment at 195°C for 7.5 min, elimination of water washing seemed feasible, but the use of longer pretreatment times made it mandatory to eliminate fermentation inhibitors.

Groundwater vulnerability assessment has become a useful tool for groundwater pollution pre-vention. Groundwater vulnerability maps provide useful data to protect groundwater resources. The identification of agricultural patterns is an important issue for optimized land management. The Tagus river watershed is the backbone of this survey. Naturtejo UNESCO Global Geopark, in central inland Portugal, corresponds to a rural territory. Intensive agricultural practices showed a rising tendency in the last decades. The most internationally used method for vulnerability evaluation is the DRASTIC index. In this survey, the DRASTICAI index is introduced. A new at-tribute - Anthropogenic Influence - is here added. Five levels of growing vulnerability, from low to high, can be here acknowledged. Idanha-a-Nova municipality is the most affected by intensive farming activities. A robust assessment of groundwater quality has a key role. Climate change scenarios and water scarcity are important issues in years to come. Therefore, optimized groundwater management is essential to consider in policy-making strategies.

Micro-nano-plastics (MNPs) are an important constituent of atmospheric aerosol. However, there is still no standard procedure for their sampling and size fractionation, which is an obstacle to the aggregation and critical analysis of results obtained by different research groups. This review focuses on the sampling and fractionation methodologies used for MNPs. Moreover, a straightforward optimized methodology for the sampling and fractionation is proposed.

Despite the technological advancements of 3-D city models, the 3-D shape abstraction methods for urban vegetation are recent and still limited to support spatial analysis of individual or groups of trees and forest patches. In this paper, a scheme for individual urban tree abstraction, which retains the semantic complexity of the object, is proposed. Our contribution is three-fold. First, an initial tree structure based on a new 3-D aggregation operator is proposed. Second, we developed Gestalt rules for 3-D urban vegetation mapping. Third, current state-of-the-art deep learning is adapted for the abstraction of individual urban trees. Quantitative and qualitative results show the effectiveness of our proposed approach in accurately reducing the spatial density of trees and the degree of fragmentation of the total green area, which can access information about the location, size, and spatial distribution of mapped urban trees.

Tabebuia aurea (Silva Manso) Benth. & Hook. f. The ex S.Moore (yellow ipe), belonging to the Bignoniaceae family, used in the popular for fever, inflammation and healing of skin wounds. The extract was prepared by maceration, using 70% ethanol. Through HPLC analysis, it was possible to identify substances, mainly phenolic, such as lapachol, present in Bignoniaceae. The phenolic content was 21.36 mg / Eag in the antioxidant activity, the effective concentration of 50% was 53.03 ± 1.14 µg / mL. The antimicrobial activity against S.aureus, E. coli and C. albicans was evaluated by microdilution in broth, which verified action against the tested microorganisms. Cell viability has been inhibited for tumor cells, although this has not been observed for normal cells. The LD50 against A.aegypti mosquito larvae was 3504.6 mg / L and there was no mortality in the concentration tested for the snail B.glabrata. Nontoxic or low toxicity for A. salina and T. molitor, respectively, and did not exhibit hemolytic action at concentrations of antibacterial effect. Given the above, it was concluded that the bark extract of the studied species has bioprospecting potential for the future development of antimicrobial products.

The goal of this study was to analyze the forest degradation in the Reserve for San Rafael National Park, Paraguay, during the period 2005-2019. This Reserve is one of the most important forest remnants of the Upper Paraná Atlantic Forest Ecoregion. A multitemporal analysis of degradation was carried out due to the occurrence of three disturbances: forest fires, a twister and illicit crops, using the Continuous Degradation Detection (CODED) algorithm, for which 3 factors were considered: variations due to pixel in the NDFI index values before, during and after every disturbance registered. In this context, the phenomenon with the greatest impact in terms of magnitude of degradation were the forest fires of 2005, being that year at the same time, the one that reported the highest degradation values. Secondly, there are the illicit crops established until the first semester of 2019, and lastly, the twister that occurred in 2017. Our findings demonstrate that CODED algorithm can detect multi-temporal degradation events in a Subtropical Broadleaf Forest, and the post-disturbance regeneration process after every disturbance tends to occur immediately. The response in terms of degradation-regeneration is highly variable, depending of the nature and severity of each disturbance and the vegetation recovery dynamics.

Background: The skin prick test (SPT) is used to diagnose sensitization to antigens. This study proposes a deep learning approach to infer wheal dimensions, aiming to reduce dependence on human interpretation. Methods: A dataset of SPT images (n=5844) was used to infer a convolutional neural network for wheal segmentation (ML model). Three methods for inferring wheal dimensions were evaluated: the ML model; the standard protocol (MA1); and approximation of the area as an ellipse using diameters measured by an allergist (MA2). The results were compared with assisted image segmentation (AIS), the most accurate method. Bland-Altman, distribution analyses, and correlation tests were applied to compare the methods. The study also compared the percentage deviation among these methods in determining the area of wheals with regular geometric shapes (n = 150) and with irregular shapes (n=150). Results: The Bland-Altman analysis showed that the difference between methods was not correlated with the absolute area. The ML model achieved a segmentation accuracy of 85.88% and a strong correlation with the AIS method (ρ=0.88), outperforming all other methods. Additionally, MA1 showed significant error (13.44±13.95%) for pseudopods. Conclusions: The ML protocol can potentially automate the reading of SPT, offering greater accuracy than the standard protocol.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the acute effect of caffeine supplementation on performance in official soccer matches. In double-blind, randomized crossover design, 13 professional soccer players performed two complete matches, with Caffeine (CAF) (6 mg/kg) and placebo (PLA) supplementation. Two-way repeated measures ANOVA showed that there was no effect of supplementation on the total distance covered (p = 0.536; ŋp² =0.033) or the total distance covered at different speeds (p = 0.453; ŋp² = 0.048), acceleration or deceleration (p = 0.387; ŋp² = 0.063) number of sprints (p = 0.521; µ² = 0.035) Heart Rate mean (p = 0.484; ŋp² = 0.042) Heart Rate maximum (p = 0.110; ŋp² = 0.199), Rate Perceived Effort (p = 0.151) or efficiency index (p = 0.480). Therefore, acute caffeine supplementation not effective to increase the performance of soccer players in official matches.

In the semi-arid region of Brazil, it is common to use saline or brackish water for crop production. However, this practice can negatively affect the soil, nutrient balance, and fruit quality and production. From this perspective, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of fertilization combinations with nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) on the production and quality of West Indian cherry grown under salt stress in the second year of production. The study was conducted in a protected environment following a randomized block design with treatments distributed in a 2 x 10 factorial arrangement referring to two levels of electrical conductivity of irrigation water (ECw) (0.6 and 4.0 dS m-1) and 10 NPK fertilization combinations (80-100-100; 100-100-100; 120-100-100; 140-100-100; 100-80-100; 100-120-100; 100-140-100; 100-100-80; 100-100-120 e 100-100-140% of the recommendation in the second year of production), with three replicates and one plant per lysimeter. The results indicate that irrigation of West Indian cherry crop irrigation at the water salinity of 4.0 dS m-1 negatively affected all fruit production variables. The interaction between the ECw of 0.6 dS m-1 and the 100-80-120 NPK fertilization combination increased the total number of fruits and the total fruit weight of West Indian cherry.

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

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

C-reactive protein (CRP) and leukocytes are blood biomarkers involved in "Inflamm-Aging", which is a risk factor for the onset and progression of age-related diseases. Studies show that higher serum concentrations of these biomarkers are associated with functional disability, increased risk of low muscle strength, decreased muscle mass and mortality in the elderly. The objective was to estimate the predictive power and discriminating criteria of C-reactive protein and leukocyte concentrations for the risk of adverse health factors in the elderly within 30 days after hospital discharge (HD). Prospective cohort study using exploratory methods and blood biomarkers with 135 older adults admitted to medical and surgical clinics at a government hospital. The elderly were monitored at home after 30 days of HD for adverse health factors (rehospitalization, falls, amount of medication consumed, disability in basic and instrumental activities of daily living and mortality). CRP> 2.4; ≥ 0.7 and> 24.7 mg / dL and leukocytes ≥ 6.410; ≥ 8.690 and> 8.310 mm³ were discriminant for rehospitalization, falls and mortality within 30 days after HD, respectively. The cut-off points described may be used as a reference in the screening of hospitalized elderly vulnerable to adverse health events after hospital discharge.

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.

The Eucalyptus genus is the most planted forest crop in the world, with Brazil being one of the countries with the greatest productive potential. However, the occurrence of weeds can cause losses in productivity. Chemical control is widely used, but the efficiency of herbicides depends on factors such as the presence of straw in the soil and the occurrence of rainfall. Due to the scarcity of results regarding the interaction between herbicide, straw, and water depth in the forest sector, the objective of this study is to evaluate the efficiency of S-metolachlor + glyphosate in the control of grasses in different densities of eucalyptus straw and with simulated rain after the application of the product. The experiment was conducted in DBC, factorial 3×3×2, with four replications. The first factor represented 0, 50 and 100% of the commercial dose of S-metolachlor + glyphosate, the second 0, 5, and 10 ton ha-2 of straw, and the third 25 and 50mm of water depth applied in soil with a mix of grasses previously sowed. The rainfall simulation was performed 24 hours after herbicide application on each straw volume. The fresh mass of the aerial part of the grasses was collected 43 days after sowing and dried in an oven to determine the dry mass. Visual analyzes of the percentage of control were performed with scales ranging from 0 to 100, where 0 represents no control and 100 efficient control. The fresh and dry mass and the grasses' dry mass/water ratio decreased with increasing herbicide dosage and straw density. The dosage of 2.12 + 1.59 kg i.a. ha-1 of S-metolachlor + glyphosate resulted in greater control of grasses, and the treatments without straw and with the application of the herbicide had the highest percentages of control. Applying different water depths (25 mm or 50 mm) did not influence the control. Despite the control of grasses, the efficiency of the herbicide mixture was affected by the presence of vegetation cover.

Cherries have been largely investigated due to their high content in phenolics in order to fully ex-plore their health-promoting properties. Therefore, this work aimed to assess, for the first time, the anti-inflammatory potential of phenolic-targeted fractions of Saco cherry, using RAW 264.7 mac-rophages stimulated with lipopolysaccharide. Additionally, the cytotoxic effects on gastric ade-nocarcinoma (AGS), neuroblastoma (SH-SY5Y) and normal human dermal fibroblast (NHDF) cells were evaluated, as well as the ability to protect these cellular models against induced oxidative stress. The obtained data revealed that cherry fractions can interfere with cellular nitric oxide (NO) levels by capturing NO radicals and decreasing inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygen-ase-2 expression. Furthermore, it was observed that all cherry fractions exhibited dose-dependent cytotoxicity against AGS cells, presenting cytotoxic selectivity for these cancer cells when compared to SH-SY5Y and NHDF cells. Regarding their capacity to protect cancer cells against oxidative injury, in most assays, the total cherry extract was the most effective. Overall, this study reinforces the sweet cherries incorporation in new pharmaceutical products, smart foods and nutraceuticals.

(1) Background: The diphtheria toxoid antigen is a major component in pediatric and booster combination vaccines and is known to raise a protective humoral immune response upon vaccination. Although antibodies are considered critical for diphtheria protection, little is known about the antigenic determinants that maintain humoral immunity. (2) Methods: One hundred twelve 15-mer peptides covering the entire sequence of DTx protein were prepared by Spot-synthesis. Membrane-bound peptides immunoreactivity with sera from mice immunized with triple DTP vaccine allowed mapping of continuous B-cell epitopes, topological studies, MAPs synthesis, and ELISA development. (3) Results: Twenty epitopes were identified, being 2 in the signal peptide, 5 in the CD, 7 in the HBFT domain, and 5 in the RBD. Two 17-mer (CB/Tx-2/12 and CB/DTx-4-13) derived bi-epitope peptides linked by a Gly-Gly spacer were chemically synthesized. The peptides were used as antigens to coat ELISA plates and assayed with human (huVS) and mice vaccined sera (miVS) for in vitro diagnosis of diphtheria. The assay proved to be highly sensitive (99.96%) and specific (100%) either for huVS and miVS and when compared with a commercial ELISA test, demonstrate high performance. (4) Conclusions: Our work displayed the complete picture of the linear B cell IgG response epitope of the DTx responsible for the protective effect and demonstrated the specificity and eligibility to enter phase IIB studies of some epitopes to develop new and fast diagnostic assays.

The antioxidant activity of molecules constitutes an important factor for the regulation of redox homeostasis and reduction of oxidative stress. Cells affected by oxidative stress can undergo genetic alteration, causing structural changes and promoting the onset of chronic diseases, such as cancer. The in silico study performed here was developed to evaluate the antioxidant potential of two molecules, ZINC08706191 (Z91) and ZINC08992920 (Z20), with recognized epithelial anticancer potential. Molecular docking, chemical-quantum calculations and Pearson's correlation were performed. The Z91 and Z20 molecules showed lower binding free energy (ΔG) values for the receptor-ligand interaction than the reference molecules (caffeine – CAF and ascorbic acid – AA), and better results for values of molecular descriptors correlated with ΔG, resulting in a decrease of ΔG. Strong correlations were observed between ΔG values for the five receptors evaluated and ΔG values of the potential epithelial anticancer activity available in literature. These results attest to the significant antioxidant potential of the Z91 and Z20 molecules and their strong relation with the potential epithelial anticancer activity and may be indicated for further analysis in relation to the control of oxidative stress and epithelial anticancer activity.

The classification of goods involved in international trade in Brazil is based on the Mercosur Common Nomenclature (NCM). The classification of these goods represents a real challenge due to the complexity involved in assigning the correct category codes especially considering the legal and fiscal implications of misclassification. This work focuses on the training of a classifier based on Bidirectional En-coder Representations from Transformers (BERT) for the tax classification of goods with NCM codes. In particular, this article presents results from using a specific Portuguese Language tuned BERT model as well results from using a Multilingual BERT. Experimental results justify the use of these models in the classification process and also that the language specific model has a slightly better performance.

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

The coffee industry loses millions of dollars annually worldwide due to the Coffee Berry Borer (CBB); these losses imply a decrease in quality and production. Traps are used to monitor their flight and for pest control. The main objective was to determine the flight pattern and trap capture percentages of the CBB population over time using column traps (CTs) in two independent field experiments. CTs were composed of four traps installed at four different heights 0.5, 1.5, 2.5, and 3.5m above ground. Our results demonstrated a significant difference in CBB capture by traps placed at different heights above the ground. The CT capture maintained a pattern throughout this study's lag; the lower the height, the greater the percentage of CBBs captured. In Experiments A and B, the traps placed at 0.5m caught 67% and 85% of the CBBs captured, respectively. Furthermore, the trap set at 1.5m above the ground in the multi-level CT showed a higher capture percentage than the individually placed trap (also at 1.5m). The pattern of the capture and proportion of the CBB in the CTs were maintained throughout the study despite the season, changes in temperature, and relative air humidity. We suggested that CTs could be explored as a useful tool for capturing the CBB, considering its monitoring and management.

Cratylia argentea is a leguminous shrub with a great potential for livestock feeding in tropical areas. However, time consuming and labor-intensive methods of chemical analysis limits the understanding of its nutritive value. Near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is a low-cost technology that has been widely used in forage crops to fasten the assessment of its chemical composition. The objective of this study was to develop prediction models to assess crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF) and dry matter (DM) of Cratylia based on NIRS and partial least square analysis. A total of 155 samples were harvested at different maturity levels and used for model development, whereas 107 were used for calibration and 48 for external validation. The cross-validation presented Root Mean Square Error of Prediction of 0.77, 2.56, 3.43, and 0.42; a Ratio of Performance to Deviation of 4.8, 4.0, 3.8, and 3.4; an R2 of 0.92, 0.92, 0.87, and 0.84 for CP, NDF, ADF, and DM, respectively. Based on the obtained results, we conclude the ability to predict chemical parameters of Cratylia with the current model was accurate. This way, livestock producers and researchers may use it to fasten the assessment of Cratylia’s nutritive value.

Autonomous driving navigation relies on diverse approaches, each with advantages and limitations depending on various factors. For HD maps, modular systems excel, while end-to-end methods dominate mapless scenarios. However, few leverage the strengths of both. This paper innovates by proposing a hybrid architecture that seamlessly integrates modular perception and control modules with data-driven path planning. This innovative design leverages the strengths of both approaches, enabling a clear understanding and debugging of individual components while simultaneously harnessing the learning power of end-to-end approaches. Our proposed architecture achieved 1st and 2nd place in the 2023 CARLA Autonomous Driving Challenge’s SENSORS and MAP tracks, respectively. These results demonstrate the architecture’s effectiveness in both map-based and mapless navigation.

This review paper highlights feasible and practicable approaches for managing end-of-life rolling stocks. It aims to promote and enable sustainable procurement policy for rolling stocks. Firstly, it demonstrates that modern rolling stocks can potentially gain the environmental benefits since almost all of their materials used in the rolling stock manufacturing can be recycled and reused. In this study, brief definition and concept of various train types are introduced and discussed, accompanied by some demonstrative illustrations. Then, component analyses, recovery rates and percent proportion of each material in various rolling stock assemblies have been evaluated. The estimation of material quantities that can potentially be recycled has been carried out using industry data sources. The suitable management procedures for end-of-life rail vehicles are then discussed, together with the life cycle of the key materials in which the recyclability criteria take into account the environmental risks and the best and safest approaches to deal with them. The aim of this study is to increase the awareness of the public, train manufacturers and rail industries on the benefits to the environments from rolling stock recycling, which could result in sustainable society and urban livings.

This study focuses on the Cereja River, a Permanent Preservation Area located in Amazon coast. The hypothesis tested was that the water quality of the Cereja River has worsened over recent years due to unplanned urban growth. To assess changes in the water quality, seven campaigns were undertaken with data being collected at six fixed points, during two distinct periods (2013–2014 and 2018–2019). High-resolution satellite images from GoogleEarth (2012 and 2019) were used to register unplanned occupation. The DPSWR (Driver-Pressure-State-Welfare-Response) socioecological framework was used to identify potential measures for the management of environmental and anthropogenic problems. The increase in the number of households found on the Cereja margins between 2012-2019 has contributed to the river’s intense trophic condition, low concentrations of dissolved oxygen, high concentrations of pathogenic bacteria, and loss of vegetation cover. The water of the Cereja River is inadequate for any human use, and its contamination is one of the principal factors determining the reduction of the water quality of the Caeté estuary. According to the obtained results, the DPSWR model proved to be an excellent analytical tool for the evaluation of specific local scenarios, through the integrated analysis of socio-environmental issues. The scenario observed can be extrapolated to other rivers located within urban areas in the Amazon region that have relatively unplanned growth.

Hydrogels are water-absorbing polymers that can hydrate forage plants in the soil. The objec-tive was to evaluate the replacement of synthetic hydrogels derived from petroleum by biode-gradable hydrogels in Mombaça grass pastures (Megathyrsus maximum). The experimental treat-ments consisted of: No hydrogel (NH); Synthetic commercial hydrogel (CH), made from a syn-thetic polyacrylamide product; and Biodegradable test hydrogel (TH), obtained from cashew gum (Anacardium occidentale). The experimental design was randomized blocks with five replica-tions and three treatments. Morphogenesis, production, chemical and mineral composition of the Mombaça grass pasture were assessed. The data was subjected to analysis of variance and mean comparison by the Snott-Knott test at 5% probability. Leaf elongation rate was 42.3 mm day-1 in the TH treatment, which was higher (P<0.05) than NH (35.0 mm day-1). Green leaf mass yield was higher in TH in comparison to NH and CH. On the other hand, there was no effect of hydration on chemical composition. The mineral composition of Mombaça grass showed more Zn when TH was used. It can be concluded that biodegradable hydrogels can replace synthetic commercial hydrogels in pastures.

This article explores the profound implications of Dr. Anthony Fauci's testimony before the U.S. House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, where he admitted that key COVID-19 policies lacked scientific backing. By analyzing the foundation of these decisions, the piece delves into the broader issues of scientific evidence, hypothesis validation, and the societal consequences of implementing unverified measures. It raises critical questions about the role of scientific rigor and accountability in policy-making, urging a reflection on our approach to scientific inquiry and decision-making in public health.

The crystal structure of a polymorph of Glycyl-L-alanine HI.H2O was synthesized from chiral cyclic Glycyl-L-alanine dipeptide, known to show molecular flexibility in different environments. The space group is polar (P21) and therefore pyroelectricity and optical second harmonic generation properties are allowed by symmetry. We report a pyroelectric coefficient as high as 45 µC/m2K occurring at 345 K, one order of magnitude smaller than the semi-organic ferroelectric Triglycine Sulphate (TGS) crystal. Furthermore, the polymorph displays a nonlinear optical effective coefficient of 0.14 pm/V, around 14 times smaller than the value from a phase-matched inorganic Barium Borate (BBO) single crystal.

Plantago major L. is a worldwide available plant that has been used traditionally for several medical application due to its properties such as wound healing, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial etc. This work aimed to develop and evaluate nanostructured PCL electrospun dressing with P. major extract encapsulated in nanofibers for application in wound healing. The extract from leaves was obtained by extraction in a mixture of water:ethanol= 1:1 of the freeze-dried extract presented a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for Staphylococcus Aureus susceptible and resistant to methicillin of 5.3 mg/mL, a high antioxidant capacity, but a low content of total flavonoids. Electrospun mats without defects were successfully produced using two P. major extract concentrations based on MIC value. The extract incorporation in PCL nanofibers was confirmed by FTIR and contact angle measurements. The PCL/P. major extract was evaluated by DSC and TGA demonstrating that incorporation of the extract decreases the thermal stability of the mats as well as the degree of crystallinity of PCL-based fibers. The P. major extract incorporation on electrospun mats produced a significant swelling degree (more than 400%) and increased the capacity of adsorbing wound exudates and moisture, important characteristics for skin healing. The extract-controlled release evaluated by in vitro study in PBS (pH, 7.4) shows that P. major extract delivery from the mats occurs in the first 24 h, demonstrating their potential capacity to be used in wound healing.

Rocky Mountain or Brazilian spotted fever, caused by Ricketsia ricketssi, is a fulminant, seasonal, and neglected disease that occurs in focal points of North America and South America. Rapid detection are essential for a better prognosis and survival rate of the infected individual. However, disease diagnosis still faces challenges as the accuracy of many of the available laboratory tests fluctuates. Therefore, this review aimed to identify methods for antibody or antigen detection, its gaps, and evolution over time. A search was conducted to find all studies in the Pubmed database that described antibody or antigen detection for Ricketsia ricketsii infection. Initially, a total of 403 articles were screened. Of these articles, only 19 fulfilled the pre-established inclusion criteria and were selected. Among the different methods applied, the IFA technique was the one most frequently found in the studies. However, it presented varied results such as low specificity using the indirect method. Other techniques, such as ELISA and immunohistochemistry, were also found, although in smaller numbers and with their own limitations. Although some studies showed promising results, there is a pressing need to find new techniques to develop a rapid and effective Ricketsia ricketssi infection diagnosis.

In this paper is described the obtention of fourteen derivatives from four natural labdane diterpenes isolated from Copaifera oleoresin, named ent-copalic acid (1), ¬ent-3beta-acetoxy copalic acid (2), ent-3beta-hydroxy copalic acid (3) and ent-agathic acid (4). All eighteen compounds were assayed against promastigote form of Leishmania amazonensis and trypomastigote forms of Trypanosoma cruzi, revealing two promising compounds related to leishmanicidal activity (IC50 = 5.94 micromolar and 5.31 micromolar) and three promising compounds with trypanocidal activity, two of them (IC50 = 13.31micromolar and IC50 = 15.05micromolar) displaying similar activity as the reference drug (IC50 = 13.12micromolar) and one of them even more potent with IC50 = 0.425micromolar.

The production of fuels and other industrial products from renewable sources has intensified the search for new substrates or for the expansion of the use of substrates already in use, as well as the search for microorganisms with different metabolic capacities. In the present work, we isolated and tested a yeast from the soil of sugarcane irrigated with vinasse, that is, with high mineral content and acidic pH. The strain of Meyerozyma caribbica URM 8365 was able to ferment glucose, but the use of xylose occurred when some oxygenation was provided. However, some fermentation of xylose to ethanol in oxygen limitation also occurs if glucose is present. This strain was able to produce ethanol from molasses substrate with 76% efficiency, showing its tolerance to possible inhibitors. High ethanol production efficiencies were also observed in acidic hydrolysates of each bagasse, sorghum, and cactus pear biomass. Mixtures of these substrates were tested and the best composition was found for the use of excess plant biomass in supplementation of primary substrates. It was also possible to verify the production of xylitol from xylose when the acetic acid concentration is reduced. Finally, the proposed metabolic model allowed calculating how much of the xylose carbon can be directed to the production of ethanol and/or xylitol in the presence of glucose. With this, it is possible to design an industrial plant that combines the production of ethanol and/or xylitol using combinations of primary substrates with hydrolysates of their biomass.

Primary stability is an important factor for dental implant success. In the past years, a new method for bone site preparation was introduced, named osseodensification (OD). OD produces a condensation of the trabecular portion of the bone, increasing bone-to-implant contact and primary stability. This study aims to compare the effect of OD in cylindrical and conical implants to conventional instrumentation. A total of 40 implants, divided in 4 groups, were placed in porcine tibia: cylindrical conventional (1a); cylindrical OD (1b); conical conventional (2a); and conical OD (2b). Each implant was measured for implant stability quotient (ISQ), insertion torque (IT) and removal torque (RT). Group 2b showed the higher values for each of the evaluated parameters; groups 1b and 2b showed better results than 1a and 2a, respectively. Regarding IT and RT, group 1b achieved higher values than group 2a, but not for ISQ. The inter-groups comparison showed significant difference between groups 1a vs 2a, 1a vs 2b and 1b vs 2b for ISQ, and 1a vs 1b and 1a vs 2b for RT analysis. OD resulted in improved ISQ, IT and RT of both cylindrical and conical implants. Conical implants groups showed higher ISQ, but cylindrical OD resulted in higher IT and RT, compared to conical conventional ones.

The red seaweed Asparagopsis armata exhibits a strong invasive behaviour and is included in the list of the “Worst invasive alien species threatening biodiversity in Europe”. This seaweed has been shown to produce a large diversity of halogenated compounds with effective biological effects, deeply affecting rockpool species. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the biochemical responses to sublethal concentrations of Asparagopsis armata exudate on two coastal organisms, the marine snail Gibbula umbilicalis and the rockpool shrimp Palaemon elegans. Antioxidant defences superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST), oxidative damage endpoints lipid peroxidation (LPO) and DNA damage, the neuronal parameter acetylcholinesterase (AChE), as well as the fatty acid profile were evaluated. Results revealed different metabolic responses between species, indicating that A. armata exudate affected the organisms through different pathways. Despite previous studies indicating that the exudate effected G. umbilicalis’ survival and behaviour, this does not seem to result from oxidative stress or addressed neurotoxicity. On the other hand, for P. elegans, an inhibition of AChE and the decrease of antioxidant capacity concomitant with the increase of LPO, suggests neurotoxicity and oxidative stress as mechanisms of exudate toxicity for this species. For fatty acids, there were different profile changes between species, also more pronounced for P. elegans with a general increase in PUFA with exudate exposure, which commonly means a defence mechanism protecting from membrane disruption. Nonetheless, the omega-3 PUFAs ARA and DPA were increased in both invertebrates, indicating a common mechanism regulation of inflammation and immunity responses to this stress. This work provides further insight on the mechanisms of invertebrate response and tolerance to an expanding coastal environmental stress as is the marine invader A. armata.

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.

As modern systems are becoming more complex their control strategy cannot longer relay only on measurement information that usually comes from probes but also from mathematical models. Those systems models can lead to unbearable computation times due to their own complexity, turning the control process non-viable, which leads to the implementation of surrogate models that enable to achieve estimates within acceptable time to take decisions. A control trained with Deep Reinforcement Learning algorithm, using a Physics-Informed Neural Network to obtain the temperature map on the following time step, replaces the need of running Direct Numerical Simulations. On this work we considered an 1D heat conduction problem, which temperature distribution feeds a control system to activate a heat source aiming to obtain a constant, previously defined, temperature value. With this approach, control training becomes much faster without the need of performing numerical simulations or laboratory measurements, as well the control is taken based on Neural Network enabling its implementation on simple processors to edge computing.

Endophytic fungi are those that present part of their life cycle in healthy tissues of different plant hosts in symbiosis without causing harm. At the same time, fungus-plant symbiosis makes it possible for microorganisms to synthesize their own bioactive secondary metabolites while in stationary stage. Such microorganism-derived secondary metabolites contribute. Therefore, this work aimed to. To accomplish this, the endophytic fungus Trichoderma asperellum was isolated from Bertholletia excelsa (Brazil nut) almonds. The fungus was cultivated and extracted with ethyl acetate, obtaining AM07Ac. Then, using HPTLC (High-performance thin-layer chromatography) and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (1H NMR), β-amyrin, kaempferol, and brucine were identified as major compounds. Further in vivo assays in Zebrafish demonstrated the activity of AM07Ac on melanogenesis by producing a concentration-response inhibitory effect, which, through an in silico study, proved to be related to the noted major compounds known to inhibit tyrosinase activity. The inhibition of tyrosinase prevents melanin accumulation in skin. Therefore, these results imply the importance of investigating microorganisms and their pharmacological activities, in particular the endophytic fungus Trichoderma asperellum as a generator of active metabolites for melanogenesis modulation.

Current interventions are not effectives in preventing sepsis-induced acute kidney injury and its long-term outcomes or even after second renal insult. Therapeutic strategies using lipid mediators, as aspirin-triggered resolvin D1 (ATRvD1), can contribute for resolution of acute and chronic inflammation. In this study, we examined the potential effect of ATRvD1 on long-term kidney dysfunction after severe sepsis. Fifteen days after cecal ligation and puncture (CLP), sepsis-surviving BALB/c mice were subjected to a tubulointerstitial injury through intraperitoneal injections of bovine serum albumin (BSA) for 7 days, called subclinical acute kidney injury (subAKI) animal model. ATRvD1 treatment was performed right before BSA injections. On day 22 after CLP, urinary protein/creatinine ratio (UPC), histologic parameters, fibrosis, cellular infiltration, apoptosis, inflammatory markers levels, and mRNA expression were determined. ATRvD1 treatment mitigated tubulointerstitial injury by reducing the proteinuria excretion, UPC ratio, glomerular cell number and extracellular matrix deposition. Pro-fibrotic markers, as transforming growth factor β (TGFb), type 3 collagen and metalloproteinase (MMP)-3 and -9 were reduced after ATRvD1 administration. Post-septic mice treated with ATRvD1 were protected from renal apoptosis and recruitment of F4/80+ cells. Interleukin-1b (IL-1b) levels were increased in subAKI animal model, being attenuated by ATRvD1. Tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-a), IL-10 and IL-4 mRNA expression was increased in the kidney of BSA-challenged post-septic mice and it was also reduced after ATRvD1. These results suggest that ATRvD1 protects the kidney against a second insult as BSA-induced tubulointerstitial injury and fibrosis by suppressing inflammatory and pro-fibrotic mediators in renal dysfunction after sepsis.

Glaucoma is a multifactorial neurodegenerative disease, characterized by degeneration of the retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). There has been little progress in developing efficient strategies for neuroprotection in glaucoma. We profiled the retina transcriptome of Lister Hooded rats at 2 weeks after optic nerve crush (ONC) and analyzed the data from the Genomic Fabric Paradigm (GFP) to bring additional insights into the molecular mechanisms of the retinal remodeling after induction of RGC degeneration. GFP considers for the expression of each gene 3 independent characteristics: level, variability and correlation with each other gene. Thus, the 17,657 quantified genes our study generated a total of 155,911,310 values to analyze. This represents 8,830x more data per condition than a traditional transcriptomic analysis. ONC led to a 57% reduction in RGC numbers as detected by retrograde labeling with DiI. We observed a higher Relative Expression Variability after ONC. Gene expression stability was used as a measure of transcription control and disclosed a robust reduction in the number of very stably expressed genes. Predicted Protein-Protein interaction (PPI) analysis with STRING revealed axon and neuron projection as mostly decreased processes, consistent with RGC degeneration. Conversely, immune response PPIs were found among up-regulated genes. Enrichment analysis showed that Complement Cascade and Notch Signaling Pathway, as well as Oxidative Stress and Kit Receptor Pathway were affected after ONC. To expand our studies of altered molecular pathways, we examined the pair-wise coordination of gene expressions within each pathway and within the entire transcriptome using Pearson correlations. ONC increased the number of synergistically coordinated pairs of genes and the number of similar profiles mainly in Complement Cascade and Notch Signaling Pathway. This deep bioinformatic study provides novel insights beyond the regulation of individual gene expression and discloses changes in the control of expression of Complement Cascade and Notch Signaling functional pathways that may be relevant for both RGC degeneration and remodeling of the retinal tissue after ONC.

Degenerative disc disease (DDD) is a pervasive condition that limits quality of life and burdens economies. Traditional pharmacological treatments aimed at slowing degeneration are ineffective in the long-term. Orthobiologics, regenerative agents derived from the patient’s own tissue, are a promising emerging therapy for degenerative disc disease. This review first outlines the pathophysiology of degenerative disc disease, highlighting the limitations of existing treatments and explores the orthobiologic tools for treating degenerative disc disease (platelet-rich plasma, mesenchymal stem cells). Their history in regenerative medicine is outlined, demonstrating how in vitro evidence informed preclinical animal studies on their efficacy in treating degenerative disc disease. Finally, clinical trials utilizing these treatment options are reviewed and directions for future research are outlined. Although the current clinical evidence available is limited to propagate their routine clinical usage the field holds immense potential in the management of DDD. There is room for these treatments to be optimized for effective consistent clinical outcomes in DDD.

In precision agriculture in fertigated crops it is necessary to optimize the use of water and chemicals, and enable efficient application of fertilizers in order to ensure the best yield and avoid risks of soil salinization and contamination. In this study, an intelligent system was developed with the objective of monitoring, in real-time, moisture and solute concentrations in soil cultivated with lisianthus (Eustoma grandiflorum, var. Casablanca) fertigated under a protected environment. During one crop cycle, moisture was monitored in soil solution using TDR100 reflectometer and solute concentrations were monitored with ceramic cup extractors. Plants were fertigated with a solution containing five potassium concentrations (50, 100, 150, 200, and 250 mg dm-3) applied when the soil reached moisture limits of 0.20, 0.15, 0.13, 0.11, and 0.09 cm3 cm-3. Experimental plots were arranged in a randomized block design in a 5 x 5 factorial scheme (moisture limits x potassium concentrations in soil solution), with four replicates. The proposed intelligent system enabled precise monitoring of moisture and electrical conductivity by TDR, and potassium, and other solute concentrations with extractors, being indicated for the management of lisianthus fertigation under greenhouse conditions with greater environmental safety and reduction of water consumption and risk of salinization.

Risk management of electric power transmission lines requires knowledge from different areas such as environment, land, investors, regulations, and engineering. Despite the widespread availability of databases for most of those areas, integrating them into a single database or model is a challenging problem. Instead, in this paper, we use a single source, the Brazilian National Electric Energy Agency’s (ANEEL) weekly reports, which contains decisions about the electrical grid, comprising most of the areas. Since the data is unstructured (text), we employed NLP techniques such as stemming and tokenization to identify keywords related to common causes of risks provided by an expert group on energy transmission. Then, we used models to estimate the probability of each risk. Our results show that we were able to estimate the probability of 97 risks out of 233.

This paper has the objective of implementing the radial rotor position control of a three-phase bearingless induction machine with split winding and optimized drive structure, using the ADRC technique. Because it is a multivariable, nonlinear, time-varying system with coupled variables, it is necessary to use advanced control strategies in order for the system to operate efficiently and with good dynamic performance. The ADRC controller considers the total disturbance composed of unmodeled dynamics, nonlinearities, uncertainties, and load variations, as a new system state, to be estimated in real-time through an extended state observer. In this mode, disturbances are compensated in real-time, eliminating regime errors and with good response to disturbances in general.

This study describes the synthesis, and characterization of lead-free organic ferroelectric perovskite N-methyl-N’-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octonium)-ammonium trichloride (MDABCO-NH4Cl3). The electrospinning technique was employed to obtain nanofibers embedded with this perovskite into PVC polymer for hybrid fiber production. The dielectric, piezoelectric and pyroelectric properties of these fibers were carefully examined. From measurements of the dielectric permittivity temperature and frequency dependence, together with the pyroelectric results, a transition from a high temperature paraelectric to a ferroelectric phase that remained down to room temperature, was found to occur at 438 K. A pyroelectric coefficient as high as 290 C K-1 m-2value obtained is within the same order of magnitude as that reported for MDABCO-NH4I3 and the semiorganic ferroelectric triglycine sulfate (TGS). The hybrid nanofibers exhibited good morphological characteristics and demonstrated very good piezoelectric properties. Specifically, a piezoelectric coefficient of 42 pC/N was obtained when a periodical force of 3 N was applied. The performance of these fibers is on par with materials discussed in the existing literature for fabrication of nano energy harvesting generators. Importantly, the perovskite nanocrystals within the fibers not harmed by oxidation, making them a promising environmentally friendly platform for flexible energy harvesting.

Dengue is a pan-tropical arthropod-borne disease, endemic in over 100 countries. The dengue virus comprises four antigenic serotypes (DENV 1-4). The envelope (E) and non-structural 1 (NS1) proteins are highly immunogenic, and the E protein carries epitopes eliciting neutralizing antibodies. In previous studies, mice immunizations with two DNA vaccines encoding the E ectodomain (pE1D2) and NS1 proteins (pcTPANS1) from DENV2 induced high protection. Based on these findings, we constructed new plasmids containing the codon-optimized genes from these proteins for expression in mouse and human cells, named pEotmD2 and pNS1otmD2. Compared to the pE1D2, the pEotmD2 mediated lower expression of the recombinant protein in human and mouse cell lines, while the pNS1otmD2 plasmid was slightly more efficient than the pcTPANS1 in these cells. Immunogenicity and protection were evaluated in BALB/c mice immunized with the original and codon-optimized plasmids followed by challenged with DENV2. In accordance with the in vitro experiments, the antibody response and protection elicited by the pE1otmD2 plasmid was lower than those observed with the pE1D2. In contrast, the pNS1otmD2 vaccine enabled slightly higher levels of the humoral and protective responses than the pcTPANS1. Overall, our study revealed different effects of codon optimization on these two dengue DNA vaccines.

Flood events are becoming more severe, causing significant problems to human communities, including physical, psychological, and material damage. For both flood forecasting in emergency response situations and flood mapping, georeferencing and data curation are paramount in the context of prevention or preparedness. Hence, data display, data management, and articulation with numerical simulation results must occur on GIS platforms. Our research is motivated by recent advances in Web and GIS technologies, social sensing and high-performance computing, and an envisaged wider availability of remote sensing data. This paper presents and discusses an innovative Web GIS platform named "RiverCure Portal" or "RCP" for short. This platform combines observations and hydrodynamic modelling tools to support various stages of the flood risk management cycle, including operational response, emergency preparedness, and risk assessment. RCP is a multi-organisation, multi-context digital platform with flexible configuration features to define and support multiple sensor types and modelling options, satisfying the various needs of different organisations and stakeholders. In addition, this paper discusses the RiverCure Approach, which encompasses the following tasks directly supported by the RCP platform: defining the context and involved geometries, associating sensors to the context, pre-processing and generating the context mesh, defining the simulation event, running the simulation event, and analysing the results from the simulation event. Thus, the RCP streamlines and simplifies data analysis and simulation procedures to meet decision-makers' needs. The novelties discussed in this paper include the design and discussion of a Web GIS platform that allows (i) to manage flood data and results of simulations at several contextual levels by different stakeholders such as domain experts, decision-makers, researchers, or students; (ii) to process and curate sensed data obtained from physical and social sensors; and (iii) update the state and values of the parameters of simulation tools through continuous data assimilation techniques for forecasting purposes. Finally, this paper supports the explanation and discussion with a running example, "Águeda 2016 flood" event, which dataset is publicly available for further study and experimentation.

Upland lakes (ULs) of the Carajás, southeastern Amazonia, have been intensively studied to their evolution during the Quaternary, as well as the development of the associated biota. In this review, several classical and modern approaches from structural geology to the pollen rain and sedimentary data which cover an area of around 41,300 km² were compiled. Multi-elemental geochemistry indicates that the detrital sediments derived from weathered crusts and soils, while the sedimentary organic matter represent autochthonous (siliceous sponge spicules, algae, macrophytes) and allochthonous (C3 plants and freshwater DOC) sources. Modern pollen rain suggests that even small lakes and canga areas can reflect forest signal, which depends on the topographic control and prevailing wind direction on pollen deposition. Integrated data of the sedimentary cores indicate that the active lakes never dried up during the last 50 ka cal BP. However, subaerial exposure occurs on filled lakes such as ST02 Lake during the LGM, LB3 and R2 lakes at the mid-Holocene due to drier paleoclimate conditions. Considering the organic proxies, only LB3 Lake presents expansion of C4 canga (montane savanna) plants since ULs of the Serra da Bocaína does not present siderites. Siderite formation on ULs deposits also points to drier paleoenviromental conditions, interrupting predominantly wet conditions. However, there is no evidence for widespread expansion of savanna into Southeastern Amazonia during the late Pleistocene and Holocene.

Plant viral diseases constitute a major contributor to agricultural production losses, significantly impacting the economies of exporting countries by more than $30 billion annually. Understanding and researching the biology and genomics of viruses is crucial for developing virus-resistant, genetically edited or genetically modified plants. Genetic modifications can be targeted to specific regions within genes of target plants which are important or essential for the virus to establish a systemic infection, thus fostering resistance or enabling plants to effectively respond to invading agents while preserving their yield. This review provides an overview of viral incidence and diversity in tropical fruit crops and aims to examine the current state of the knowledge on recent research efforts aimed at reducing or eliminating the damage caused by viral diseases, with emphasis on genetically edited products that have reached the market in recent years.

Health differences across socioeconomic strata have always pointed out that poorer and minorities have higher mortality and morbidity than richer and majorities. This difference is exacerbated for particular populations such as the victims of ongoing armed conflicts, who are also much harder to quantify due to the conflict itself. This study applies network analysis to a combination of three large administrative records for the health system and mortality records in the province of Risaralda (Colombia) between 2011 and 2016. It produces the most common causes of morbi-mortality for both victims of violence and the poorest inhabitants of Risaralda, defined as those who qualify as recipients of subsidies from the Colombian welfare program called SISBEN in the categories of highest need. Both populations show high morbidity frequencies for non-communicable diseases such as Type II diabetes, hypertension, and hyperglyceridaemia, mostly associated with exposure to unhealthy lifestyles. Additionally, the mortality outcomes reflect the different lifestyles and medical treatments of both subpopulations. While the poorest replicate the same causes identified for morbidity, the victims of armed conflict die of additional causes including Type II diabetes, which reflects the even worse conditions they face.

We sought to evaluate the effects of non-surgical periodontal treatment (NSPT) on periodontal clinical parameters, systemic blood pressure (BP) and plasma levels of systemic inflammation markers in patients with combined refractory arterial hypertension (RAH) and stage III grade B periodontitis. Twenty-seven participants with RAH and periodontitis received NSPT. The analyzed clinical parameters were probing depth (PD), clinical attachment level (CAL), bleeding on probing (BOP), and plaque index (PI). An assessment was performed for systemic BP, complete blood count, coagulogram, creatinine measurement, C-reactive protein (CRP), glycated hemoglobin, cholesterol, glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, glutamate pyruvic transaminase, waist-hip ratio, and body mass index. In the follow-up period, twenty-two patients were evaluated at baseline and after 90 and 180 days. The data were submitted to statistical analysis (α=0.05%). As expected, the clinical results showed a significant improvement in the percentages of PI, BOP, PD and CAL, which were statistically significant at 90 and 180 days (p&lt;0.0001). Importantly, NSPT significantly reduced the blood level of CRP (p&lt;0.02). However, no significant reduction in BP parameters was noted in the evaluated follow-up periods. NSPT, despite the benefits in periodontal clinical parameters, reduced the plasma level of CRP but not the BP in patients with combined RAH and periodontitis.

Cancer is a multifactorial disease that continues to increase. Lignans are known to be important anticancer agents. However, due to the structural diversity of lignans, it is difficult to associate anticancer activity with a particular subclass. Therefore, the present study sought to evaluate the association of lignan subclasses with antitumor activity, considering the genetic profile of the variants of the selected targets. For this, predictive models were built against the targets tyrosine-protein kinase ABL (ABL), epider-mal growth factor receptor erbB1 (EGFR), histone deacetylase (HDAC), Serine/threonine-protein kinase mTOR (mTOR) and Poly [ADP-ribose] polymerase-1 (PARP1). Then, mapped single nucleotide polymorphisms and designed target mutations, and performed molecular docking with the lignans with the best predicted biological activity. The results showed more anticancer activity in the dibenzocyclooctadiene, furofuran and aryltetralin subclasses. The lignans with the best predictive values of biological activity showed varying binding energy results in the presence of certain genetic variants.

Dioclea apurensis Kunth is native to ferruginous rocky outcrops (known as canga) in the eastern Amazon. Native cangas are considered hotspots of biological diversity and have one of the largest iron ore deposits in the world. There, D. apurensis can grow in post-mining areas where molecular mechanisms and rhizospheric interactions with soil microorganisms are expected to contribute to their establishment in rehabilitating minelands. In this study, we compare the root proteomic profile and rhizosphere-associated bacterial and fungal communities of D. apurensis growing in canga and a rehabilitating mineland to characterize the main mechanisms that allow the growth and establishment in post-mining areas. The results showed that proteins involved in response to oxidative stress, drought, excess of iron, and phosphorus deficiency were more accumulated in canga and, therefore, helped explain its high establishment rates in rehabilitating minelands. Rhizospheric selectivity of microorganisms was more evident in canga. The microbial community structure was mostly different between the two habitats, denoting that despite having its preferences, D. apurensis can associate with beneficial soil microorganisms without specificity. Therefore, its good performance in rehabilitating minelands can also be improved or attributed to its ability to cope with beneficial soil-borne microorganisms. Native plants with such adaptations must be used to enhance the rehabilitation process.

The viewpoint and reaction of a country towards climate change are shaped by its political, cultural, and scientific backgrounds, in addition to the distinct characteristics of its evolving climate and the anticipated and actual consequences of the phenomenon in the times ahead. A region's climate has a significant impact on how water is managed and used, mostly in the primary sector (agroforestry systems, livestock, and agriculture), and both the distribution of ecosystem types and the amount and spreading of species on Earth. As a result, the environment and agricultural practices are affected by climate, so evaluating both distribution and evolution is extremely pertinent. Towards this aim, the climate distribution and evolution in the S. Francisco River basin (SFRB) is assessed in three periods (1970−2000, 1981−2022) in the past and 20412060 in the future from an ensemble of GCMs under two SSPs (Shared Socioeconomic Pathways), SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5. The Köppen-Geiger (KG) climate classification system is analyzed, and climate change impacts are inferred for this watershed located in central-eastern Brazil, covering an area equivalent to 8% of the country. Results predict the disappearance of the hot-summer (Csa) and warm-summer (Csb) Mediterranean climates, and a reduction/increase in the tropical savanna with dry winter (Aw)/dry summer (As). A striking increase in the semi-arid hot (BSh-steppe) climate is predicted with a higher percentage (10%) under SSP5-8.5. The Source and the mouth of SFRB are projected to endure the major impacts of climate change that is followed by a predicted increase/decrease in temperature/precipitation. Future freshwater resource availability, and quality for human use will all be impacted. Consequences on ecosystems, agricultural and for the socioeconomic sectors within the SFRB might deepen the current contrasts between regions, urban and rural areas, and even between population groups, thus translating to a larger extent, the inequality that still characterizes Brazilian society. Maps depicting land use and cover changes in the São Francisco River basin from 1985 to 2022 highlight tendencies such as urbanization, agricultural expansion, deforestation, and changes in shrubland and water bodies. Urban areas fluctuated slightly, while cropland significantly increased from 33.57% to 45.45%, and forest areas decreased from 3.88% to 3.50%. Socioeconomic data reveals disparities among municipalities: 74.46% with medium Human Development Index (HDI), 0.59% with very high HDI, and 9.11% with low HDI. Most municipalities have a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita below US$ 6,000. Population distribution maps show a predominance of small to medium-sized urban and rural communities, reflecting the basin's dispersed demographic and economic profile. To build routes towards a shared sustainable goal—namely, to adapt and reduce the expected climate change impacts in SFRB—it is imperative that integrated measures be conducted with the cooperation of stakeholders, local population, and decision-makers.

The rapid development of Deep Learning brought novel methodologies for 3D Object Detection using LiDAR sensing technology. These improvements in precision and inference speed performances lead to notable high performance and real-time inference, which is especially important for self-driving purposes. However, the developments carried by these approaches overwhelm the research process in this area since new methods, new technologies, and software versions lead to different project necessities, specifications and requirements. Moreover, the improvements brought by the new methods may be due to improvements in newer versions of deep learning frameworks and not just the novelty and innovation of the model architecture. Thus, it became crucial to create a framework with the same software versions, specifications and requirements that accommodate all these methodologies and allow the easy introduction of new methods and models. A framework is proposed that abstracts the implementation, reusing and building of novel methods and models. The main idea is to facilitate the representation of state-of-the-art (SoA) approaches and simultaneously encourage the implementation of new approaches by reusing, improving and innovating modules in the proposed framework, which has the same software specifications to allow a fair comparison. This makes it possible to determine if the key innovation approach outperforms the current SoA by comparing models in a framework with the same software specifications and requirements.

(1) Background: This study evaluated the spatial position and anatomical characteristics related to impacted third molars by map-reading strategy using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT). (2) Methods: To determine the positioning of impacted third molars on CBCT it was used Winter's and Pell &amp; Gregory's classifications, and the presence of external root resorption in mandibular second molars were based on Herman´s classification. The relationship between the mandibular third molar root apex and the mandibular canal was also analyzed. Fisher’s exact test was used to comparative statistical analysis. The significance level considered was 5%. (3) Results: The results showed that according to Winter's classification, 48.06 % of impacted teeth were in the mesioangular position. Using Pell &amp; Gregory's classification, 43.22% of the impacted molars were in the position B and C, and 54.2% of the teeth were class II. 69.7% of teeth showed an absence of contact between the root apex and the mandibular canal and there was no occurrence of external root resorption in the distal of second molar in 88.7%. (4) Conclusions: The map-reading strategy using CBCT scans for anatomical positions and characteristics of impacted third molars increases professional confidence and establishes a parameter of quality and safety in the surgical procedure for the patient.

Despite recent efforts by the government to combat Food Insecurity (FI), this issue remains a significant problem in Brazil, particularly among populations experiencing social vulnerability, such as Indigenous peoples. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and factors associated with FI in Indigenous families in the state of Alagoas. It was a population-based cross-sectional survey using a probabilistic sample (n=1270 families) representing the 11 ethnic groups present in the state. FI was defined according to the Brazilian Food Insecurity Scale. Factors associated with moderate and severe FI were determined through multivariable analysis using Poisson regression with robust variance adjustment (prevalence ratio – PR and 95% CI). The prevalence of FI was 69.1%, with 29.5% in moderate (23.2%) and severe (6.3%) forms. Factors associated (p<0.05) with moderate and severe FI included: female-headed households; houses made of mud or wood; with ≤4 rooms; head of the household with ≤8 years of schooling; retired or unemployed household head; and total family income <2 National Minimum Wages. The prevalence of FI among Alagoas Indigenous peoples is considerably high and associated with poorer demographic, socioeconomic, and environmental conditions, highlighting the social inequities they face and emphasizing the need for intersectoral public policies to address this scenario.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a disease characterized by local and systemic inflammation independently of the risk factor; during the exacerbations, such inflammation is accentuated and amplified. A practical inflammatory marker and one with an applicable predictive value in the follow-up has been sought. FeNO has shown an excellent performance in that respect within the context of asthma and has also been studied in tobacco-smoke COPD (COPD-TS). In Biomass-smoke COPD (COPD-BS), this, to our knowledge, has not been evaluated. Objective: To measure FeNO levels in patients with COPD-BS and to compare these with those of patients with stable COPD-TS and in healthy controls. Methods: Transversal, observational, descriptive, comparative, and analytical study. A total of 57 patients, including 23 with COPD-BS, 17 with COPD-TS, and 17 healthy control subjects. The measurement of FeNO was carried out on all of these by means of the on-line chemiluminescence technique; the values were expressed in parts per billion (ppb) for their analysis. Results: It was observed that the FeNO values were similar between COPD-BS and COPD-TS and were significantly different between the healthy and stable COPD (both groups). No correlation was found between pulmonary function and symptoms with FeNO in any of the groups. Conclusions: The level of FeNO in stable COPD is found to be increased in a similar manner in COPD-BS and COPD-TS, with a significant difference on comparing it with that of the healthy subjects.

Hybrid biomaterials were engineered using the electrospinning technique, incorporating the dipeptide Boc-L-phenylalanyl-L-Isoleucine into microfibers composed of biocompatible polymers. The examination by scanning electron microscopy affirmed the morphology of the microfibers, exhibiting diameters ranging between 0.9 to 1.8 µm. The dipeptide self-assemblies into spheres with a hydrodynamic size between 0.18 to 1.26 µm. The dielectric properties of these microfibers were characterized through impedance spectroscopy, where variations in both temperature and frequency were systematically studied. The investigation revealed a noteworthy rise in the dielectric constant and AC electric conductivity with increasing temperature, attributable to augmented charge mobility within the material. The successful integration of the dipeptide was substantiated through the observation of Maxwell-Wagner interfacial polarization, affirming the uniform dispersion within the microfibers. In-depth insights into electric permittivity and activation energies were garnered using the Havriliak-Negami model and the AC conductivity behavior. Very importantly, these engineered fibers exhibited pronounced pyroelectric and piezoelectric responses, with Boc-Phe-Ile@PLLA microfibers standing out with the highest piezoelectric coefficient, calculated to be 56 pC/N. These discoveries help us understand how dipeptide nanostructures embedded into electrospun nano/microfibers can greatly affect their pyroelectric and piezoelectric properties. They also point out that polymer fibers could be used as highly efficient piezoelectric energy harvesters, with promising applications in portable and wearable devices.

Oleylamine capped WS2 nanostructures were successfully formed at 320 °C via a relatively simple colloidal route. SEM and TEM analyses showed that the 3D nanoflowers that were initially formed disintegrated into 2D nanosheets after prolonged incubation. XPS and XRD analyses confirmed oxidation of WS2 into WO3. Sensors based on these oleylamine capped WS2 nanoflowers and nanosheets still showed a change in electrical response towards various concentrations of NH3 vapour at room temperature in a 25% relative humidity background despite the oxidation. The nanoflowers exhibited n-type response while the nanosheets displayed a p-type response towards NH3 exposure. The nanoflower based sensors showed better response to NH3 vapour exposure than the nanosheets. The sensors showed a good selectivity towards NH3 relative to acetone, ethanol, chloroform and toluene. Meanwhile, a strong interference of humidity to the NH3 response was displayed at high relative humidity levels. The results demonstrated that oleylamine limited the extent of oxidation of WS2 nanostructures. The superior sensing performance of the nanoflowers can be attributed to their hierarchical morphology which enhances the surface area and diffusion of the analyte.

In this work, Gd-filled skutterudite GdxCo4Sb12 has been prepared in one-step method under high-pressure conditions in a piston-cylinder press at 3.5 GPa and moderate temperature of 800 °C. A detailed structural characterization was performed using synchrotron X-ray diffraction (SXRD), revealing a filling fraction of x = 0.066(4) and an average &lt;Gd–Sb&gt; bond length of 3.3499(3) Å. The lattice thermal expansion accessed via temperature-dependent SXRD led to a precise determination of a Debye temperature of 322(3) K, from the fitting of the unit-cell volume expansion using the second order Grüneisen approximation. Such parameter, when evaluated from the mean square displacements of Co and Sb, displayed a value of 265(2) K, meaning that the application of the harmonic Debye theory underestimates the Debye temperature in skutterudites. Regarding the Gd atom, its intrinsic disorder value is ~5× and ~25× higher than those of Co and Sb, respectively, denoting that Gd has a strong rattling behavior with an Einstein temperature of θE = 67(2) K. As a result, an ultra-low thermal conductivity of ~0.89 W/m·K at 773 K was obtained, leading to a thermoelectric efficiency zT of ~0.5 at 673 K.

Some of the European countries affected by COVID-19 have not learned from previous experience in China. Italy did not learn from China and Spain did neither learn from China nor from Italy. Confinement in Spain was postponed due to pressure from economic interests and traveling of infected people, especially from Madrid to the beaches in South-East Spain, was allowed. Strict confinement and border closure came late, when the curve of infected people and the death toll already had the worse trend worldwide. Tests to SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection by PCR, were first unavailable and, later, faulty and/or detecting antibodies and not the virus itself. Instead of mobilizing research laboratories for making tests, and instead of making masks and ventilators, mediatic scientists asked for money for controversial clinical trials and for obtaining a vaccine. In this scenario, common sense indicates that ad hoc measures should be taken at the end of confinement in order to minimize pain. The chain of errors should be avoided in the management of next pandemics by designing Good Practice Rules (GPRs). In addition, post-confinement measures should be implemented as soon as possible to be ready for SARS-CoV-2 return next season. In this sense a longitudinal study in the most affected cities (Madrid, Barcelona, Vitoria and Pamplona) should be performed with the primary objective of detecting carriers with no symptoms, to stratify patients according to symptoms, and to early detection of virus reappearance. Also relevant is to sequence as many viruses as possible to detect possible variants; there are still patients that are PCR positive.

Despite the impact that climate change is having on our planet and considering its consequences for future generations, much of the academic literature focuses on adolescent and adult percep-tions, giving little relevance to children's perceptions. Children's voices have the potential to in-fluence public opinion, which may in turn determine the direction of a new policy on the cli-mate crisis. In this context, it is urgent that we understand how children perceive this problem. This quantitative study was based on the application of 245 questionnaires to children aged be-tween 9 and 13 years old from five schools in north-eastern Portugal, more specifically in the region of Trás-os-Montes. To collect the data, we used a questionnaire with 26 questions, being 24 of closed response, Likert type, one of them open response, and one multiple choices. The da-ta were statistically treated using SPSS software. The results show that most of the children ex-press concern about the study's potential problem. However, they show some doubts and a lack of knowledge about some of the themes. We found differences between the two study cycles, with children in the 6th grade having a higher average in the understanding of the phenomenon, as well as the level of education of the parents being positively correlated with a more ecocen-tric posture. The female students also showed a slightly more ecological posture, i.e., an eco-friendlier posture. From the results obtained, we can open new paths for future research and contribute to the definition of policies and educational practices since the school has the respon-sibility to cooperate in the production of values, attitudes, and pro-environmental behaviours.

Many ecosystems are being severely degraded, leading the United Nations to deem 2021-2030 as the Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. To be successful, this effort requires robust monitoring tools to assess land reclamation practices. Our study aimed to evaluate the quality of recovery efforts in mined areas by developing a Recovery Quality Index (RQI) based on soil and vegetation indicators. Using the heavily mined Iron Quadrangle region of Brazil as an example, we selected four local, undisturbed reference areas as restoration goals: Atlantic Forest (AF); ferruginous rupestrian grassland with dense vegetation (FRGD); ferruginous rupestrian grassland with sparse vegetation (FRGS); and quartzite rupestrian grassland (QRG). We also selected four areas that were directly or indirectly affected by mining, including an environmental compensation area set aside 5 years prior to the study (COMP-5), two sterile piles that had undergone recovery for 15 and 20 years (SP-20 and SP-15), and a cave area with 15 years of recovery (CAVE-15). The four recovery areas were grouped together with each individual reference area (making four combinations of sites), and measurements of 2 vegetation parameters and 34 soil attributes were used in a Principal Component Analysis (PCA) for each grouping. We determined the RQI for each group by summing weighted PCA scores for responsive indicators. Vegetative parameters had the lowest RQI weights in all four groups. Soil physical indicators tended to be the most important, except in AF, where chemical indicators were most relevant. RQI values were also lowest when AF was used as the reference, showing that the forest was a unique ecosystem, and the CAVE-15 site had lower RQI scores than the other restored sites, indicating the high degree of disturbance that occurred in that low-lying area. The SP-20 site tended to have higher RQI values than the SP-15, and similar values to the less disturbed COMP-5 areas, potentially indicating greater recovery of native soil properties during the longer recovery period. This RQI-based approach has excellent potential for robust assessment of the recovery of areas degraded by mining and can support decision-making during monitoring.

Background: Evidences on the effects of chemotherapy treatment cycles on measures of muscle, mental state, social and cognitive performance are scarce. Objective: To analyze the effects of chemotherapy cycles on muscle strength and activation, functional capacity, quality of life, fatigue and anxiety of women with breast cancer. Methods: Twenty-two women divided into a treatment group (n = 10; 46.6 ± 9.6 years) and control group (n = 12; 51.6 ± 7.0 years) participated in the study. Analysis of muscle performance, quality of life, fatigue and anxiety after the 2nd and 4th cycle of chemotherapy with anthracyclines and cyclophosphamide were performed in women with breast cancer (TRA) and compared to healthy women (CTR). Two-way ANOVA was used to compare the variance of the means and the significance level was set as p≤0.05. Results: Differences were found in the muscular activation of the vastus medialis between the groups at post time (p = 0.038), as well as in the sit and stand test in the baseline (p<0.001) and post moment (p<0.001). Functional capacity performance was different between baseline (p<0.001) and post-time (p<0.001) groups. Additionally, the TRA group worsened the quality of life in the domains of functional capacity (p<0.001) and limitation of physical aspects (p=0.002), besides presenting negative changes in fatigue. Conclusion: Anthracycline and cyclophosphamide chemotherapy cycles reduce muscular performance and affect biopsychosocial variables in women with breast cancer.

Coagulant lectin from Moringa oleifera seeds (cMoL) was characterized by potentiometry and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) using MOF, Metal-Organic Frameworks of [Cu3(BTC)2.H2O)3]n, to immobilize cMoL and construct biosensors. Developed aluminum-air batteries degraded indigo carmine dye formulated similar to a textile effluent; biosensors investigated cMoL interaction with specific galactose and monitored residual dye. SEM revealed components of electrode assembly steps. Oxide reduction reactions of batteries generated Al(OH)3 promoting dye electrocoagulation. Cyclic voltammetry showed differentiated redox peaks related to dye residue quantification by cMoL. Electrochemical systems evaluated cMoL interaction with ligand and efficiently degraded dye; biosensors could be used for lectin characterization and monitoring dye residues in environmental textile effluents.

Recent discoveries have shown that enteric glial cells play an important role in different neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's disease (PD), which is characterized by motor dysfunctions caused by progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substance nigra pars compacta and non-motor symptoms including gastrointestinal dysfunction. In this study we observed the modulatory effects of the flavonoid rutin on enteric glia in a PD animal model. Adult male Wistar rats were submitted to stereotaxic injection with 6-hydroxydopamine or saline, treated or not with rutin (10 mg/Kg) for 14 days. Intestinal segments (ileum and colon) were collected to analyze tissue reactivity and immunohistochemistry for neurons (HUc/d) and enteric glial cells (S100b) in the myoenteric plexuses. Behavioral tests demonstrated that treatment with rutin im-proved the motor capacity of parkinsonian animals, and also improved intestinal transit without interfering with the cell population; rutin treatment modulated reactivity of the ileal musculature by muscarinic activation, reducing relaxation through the signaling pathway of nitric oxide donors, and increasing the longitudinal contractility of the colon musculature in parkinsonian animals. Rutin demonstrated modulatory activities on the enteric nervous system, bringing relevant answers about the effect of the flavonoid in this system and po-tential application for PD adjuvant treatment.

Background: Tetanus is an acute, fatal disease caused by exotoxins released from Clostridium tetani during infections. A protective humoral immune response can be induced by vaccinations with pediatric and booster combinatorial vaccines that contain inactivated tetanus neurotoxin (TeNT) as a major antigen. Although some epitopes in NeNT have been described using various ap-proaches, a comprehensive list of its antigenic determinants that are involved with immunity have not been elucidated. To that end, a high resolution analysis of the linear B-cell epitopes in NeNT was performed using antibodies generated in vaccinated children. Methods: Two hundred sixty-four peptides that cover the entire coding sequence of TeNT protein were prepared in situ on a cellulose membrane by SPOT synthesis and probed with sera from children vaccinated (ChVS) with a triple DTP-vaccine to map continuous B-cell epitopes that were further characterized and validated by immunoassays. Results: Forty-three IgG epitopes were identified. Four (TT-215-218) were chemically synthesized as Multiple Antigen Peptides (MAPs) and used in peptide ELISAs to screen post-pandemic DTP vaccinations. The assay displayed a high performance with high sensitivity (99.99%) and specificity (100%). Conclusions: The complete map of linear IgG epitopes induced by vaccination with inactivated TeNT highlights three key epitopes involved in the ef-ficacy of the vaccine. Antibodies against epitope TT-8/G can block enzymatic activity, and those against epitopes TT-40/G and TT-42/G can interfere with TeNT binding to neuronal cell receptors. We further show that four of the epitopes identified can be employed in peptide ELISAs to assess vaccine coverage. Overall, the data suggest a set of select epitopes to engineer new, directed vaccines

This article presents and discusses analytical data on the scientific publication record from 1910 to 2020 on two topics: "climate" and "climate change/global warming/climate emergency". The goal is to visualize how the publication record on these two topics has evolved over time, from different classification perspectives (year, country, source and organization). Three hypotheses are tested using data collected from Web of Science and various graphical representations of the data. It is found that research output related to the Earth’s contemporary changing climate overtook that of general climate research in 2011, and the publication ratio has been expanding in the last decade. There are significant differences in the publication countries and sources between the two topics, and conversely less significant differences in terms of organizations publishing these works. Differentiation factors that affect the level of research output and engagement on the climate challenge include: island versus landlocked nations, specialized versus general scientific journals, academic versus institutional organizations. The future of the publication records is discussed, such as the emergence of new terms to refer to the climate challenge, such as “climate emergency”.

Lead-free ferroelectric perovskite N-methyl-N'-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octonium)–ammonium triio-dide, MDABCO-NH₄I₃, nanocrystals are embedded in three different polymer fibers fabricated by the electrospinning technique. The nanofibers, which are very flexible and have a high Young modulus, behave as active piezoelectric energy harvesting sources that produce a piezoelectric voltage coefficient up to geff = 3.6 VmN-1 and show a blue intense luminescence band at 325 nm. In this work, the pyroelectric coefficient is reported for the MDABCO-NH₄I₃ perovskite inserted in electrospun fibers. At the ferroelectric-paraelectric phase transition, the embedded nanocrystals display a pyroelectric coefficient as high as 194×10-6 Cm-2k-1, within the same order of magnitude as that reported for the state-of-the-art bulk ferroelectric triglycine sulfate (TGS). The perovskite nanocrystals embedded into the polymer fibers remain stable, and no degradation is caused by oxidation.

The objective was to estimate the correlation between VIs and grain yield and identify the optimal timing and VIs for precise corn grain yield estimation. Furthermore, the study aims to employ photographic quantification to measure corn ear traits and establish their correlation with corn grain yield. Ten corn hybrids were evaluated in CRB with three rep-lications at three locations. Vegetation indices and green leaf area were estimated throughout the cycle using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and subsequently corre-lated with grain productivity. In addition, photographs were taken of the corn ear to esti-mate their length, width and total number of kernels and compare these values with manual measurements. The experiments consistently demonstrated significant experi-mental quality across sites, with accuracy ranging from 79.07% to 95.94%. UAV flights carried out at the beginning of the crop cycle revealed a positive correlation between grain productivity and the evaluated indices (NGRDI, VARI, GLI). Regarding the phenotyping of corn ears, the regression coefficients for width, length and TNG were 0.92, 0.88 and 0.62, respectively, indicating an association with manual measurements. However, stage V5 in the localities of Lavras and Ijaci and stage V8 in the locality of Nazareno showed a posi-tive correlation with productivity. The use of images for ear phenotyping is promising as a method for measuring corn components.

The study of phytotherapy in dentistry is relevant due to the low occurrence of research in the treatment of oral pathologies, such as caries and periodontal disease. Thus, the aim of this research was to characterize the chemical composition of extracts from the leaves of Couroupita guianensis Aubl, including toxicological evaluation and the antioxidant and antimicrobial potential against Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus mutans and Candida albicans. Three extracts were prepared using assisted ultrasound, originating the Crude Ultrasound Extract (CUE) and Soxhlet apparatus, originating the Crude Soxhlet Extract (CSE) and the Ethanol Soxhlet Extract (ESE). In the analysis of the chemical composition, the presence of flavonoids, tannins and saponins were detected. LC-DAD analysis revealed the presence of caffeic acid, sinapic acid, rutin, quercetin, luteolin, kaempferol and apigenin in all extracts. In the GC-MS analysis, stigmasterol and β-sitosterol were identified in CUE and CSE. The antioxidant potentials, determined by the DPPH• and ABTS•+ methods, the ESE showed higher antioxidant activity (2.98 ± 0.96 and 4.93 ± 0.90, respectively). In the evaluation of toxicity, the CUE 50µg/mL and the ESE 50 µg/mL presented growth stimulation of Allium cepa roots. At a concentration of 750µg/mL, all extracts inhibited root growth. None of the extracts showed toxicity against Artemia salina. Antibacterial action was detected in all extracts, mainly against the microorganisms S. aureus and S. mutans; however, the antifungal action against C. albicans was not detected. From the results, the extracts of C. guianensis have therapeutic potential for use in the control of microorganisms in the oral microbiota.

To demonstrate if botulinum toxin type A (BoNT-A) improves mandibular range of motion and muscle sensibility to palpation in refractory myofascial pain (MFP) patients. METHODS: Eighty consecutive female subjects with refractory MFP, were randomly divided into four equal groups (n=20): BoNT-A low (BoNTA-L/10 U in each temporalis and 30 U in each masseter), BoNT-A medium (BoNTA-M/20 U in each temporalis and 50 U in each masseter), BoNT-A high (BoNTA-H/25 U in each temporalis and 75 U in each masseter) and saline solution 0.9% (SS, placebo control group/0.4 mL in each temporalis and 0.6 mL in each masseter). Clinical measurements of the mandibular movements included: pain-free opening, maximum unassisted and assisted opening, and right and left lateral movements. Palpation tests were performed bilaterally in masseter and temporalis muscle. Results were expressed as median, minimum, maximum, and means ± standard deviation (SD). Chi-Square Test was used to compare differences among groups. A 5% probability level was considered significant in all tests RESULTS: Regardless of dose, all parameters of mandibular range of motion significantly improve after 180 days in BoNT- A groups, when compared to the control group. Pain to palpation on muscles, significantly reduced in all BoNT- A groups regardless of dose, when compared to the control group, after 28 and 180 days of treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Independent of doses, BoNT-A improved mandibular range of motion and muscle sensibility to palpation in refractory MFP patients when compared to SS injections.

The population growth and its needs, has increasingly demanded water resources, requiring managers to adopt mechanisms to guarantee the availability and quality of water from springs. Among the instruments defined by law n. 9433/1997, water charges stand out. In this sense, the objective was to evaluate the evolution of charging for the use of water resources in Brazil, with emphasis on the channel of the Hydrographic Basin of the Paranaíba River. The methodology used was based on two phases, one of reviewing the articles available in Capes journals and the other, consulting the spreadsheets of the Araguari River Basin Agency with information on charges for the use of water within the competence of the Union in the Hydrographic Basin of the Paranaiba River. The results showed that charging for the use of water resources establish a relevant instrument for disciplining and raising financial resources that will enable improvements in the planning and management of water use. It should be noted that irrigation emerges as the main user of the flow captured from the Paranaíba River. However, the main source of funds for charging comes from the public supply. Among the Federation Units, the Federal District proved to be the largest source of contributions for charging the use of the Union's water resources in the Paranaíba River Basin.

Zebrafish is a popular vertebrate model with limited knowledge of nutritional requirements and no established standard diets for scientific purposes. The aim of this study was to determine the inclusion range of lipids in semi-purified diets for zebrafish. Five isonitrogenous casein-gelatin based diets were formulated to contain 0.55%, 4.87%, 7.65%, 10.65%, and 13.94% of crude lipid (CL). Zebrafish (initial weight ± 232 mg) were distributed in 3 L aquaria in a recirculating water system in a completely randomized design (n=3). Fish were hand-fed twice daily to apparent satiety for 40 days. Weight gain, feed efficiency, and protein productive value of zebrafish increased signifi-cantly (P < 0.05) as CL increased up to 6.5, 8.3, and 8.6%, respectively, and decreased after this point. Survival of fish fed diets containing 0.55% CL was lower (P<0.05) than that of fish fed diets con-taining 4.87% to 13.94% CL. Body fat and adipocytes diameter of fish increased (P<0.05) increasing dietary CL levels. In conclusion, the ideal lipid level in semi-purified diets for zebrafish is between 6.5% and 8.6% of the diet.

Techniques and tools meant to aid fire management activities in the Cerrado, such as accurately determining fuel load and composition spatially and temporally, are pretty scarce. The need to have fuel information for more efficient management in a considerably heterogeneous, biodiverse, and fire-dependent environment makes a constant search for the improvement of the use of remote sensing techniques in determining fuel characteristics. This study presents the following objectives: (1) to assess the use of data from Landsat 8 OLI images to estimate the fine surface fuel load of the Cerrado during the dry season by adjusting multiple linear regression equations; (2) to estimate fuel load through Random Forest and k-Nearest Neighbor (k-NN) algorithms in comparison with re-gression analyses; and (3) to evaluate the importance of predictor variables from satellite images. Therefore, 64 sampling units were collected, and the pixel values associated with the field plots were extracted in a 3 x 3 pixel window surrounding the reference pixel. For the multiple linear regression analyses, the R² values ranged from 0.63 to 0.78, and the models fitted by the Random Forest al-gorithm ranged from 0.52 to 0.83, while those fitted by k-NN ranged from 0.30 to 0.68. Adopting the Random Forest algorithm resulted in improvements in the statistical metrics of evaluation of the fuel load estimates for Cerrado grassland relative to the multiple linear regression analyses.

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.

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

Background: Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is a progressive and incurable condition that prompts the exploration of interventions to slow its advancement and enhance the quality of life. The cortical brain waves could have a role in the process of executive function deterioration, increasing dementia symptoms. Objective: To interrogate the effects of physical exercise, and non-invasive brain stimulation, both in electrophysiological behavior of the brain, the executive functions, and dementia symptoms in older adults with AD. Methods: One hundred and sixteen older adults were grouped (n=22 each): GAE (AD, PMED+NIBS), GCP (AD, PMED), GCN (AD, NIBS), GCS (control, no intervention). Binaural beats were used as a non-invasive brain stimulation, physical exercise, or both, were applied during 16 weeks. Pre/post measurements included Alpha Band, and SMR Rhythms, executive functions, and dementia symptoms. Results: GCS showed no significant changes (p>0.05). GCN and GCS slightly enhanced inhibitory control (p>0.05) and working memory (p>0.05). In contrast, GCP and GAE improved executive function (p