Crotoxin (CTX), the predominant toxin in Crotalus durissus terrificus snake venom (CdtV), has anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects. Despite its inhibitory action on neutrophil migration and phagocytosis, CTX does not directly affect the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by the neutrophils. In contrast, it enhances the generation of reactive oxygen and nitrogen intermediates by macrophages. Given the importance of macrophage-neutrophil interactions in innate antimicrobial defense, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of CTX on neutrophil ROS production and killing activity, either through CTX-treated macrophage co-culture or conditioned medium of CTX-treated macrophages. The results showed an important modulatory action of CTX on the neutrophil function as well as neutrophil-macrophage interactions, as demonstrated by the increased production of hydrogen peroxide, hypochlorous acid, nitric oxide and TNF-α, along with the increased fungicidal activity of neutrophils.

Blood Concentrates (BCs) are autologous non-transfusional therapeutical preparations with biological properties applied in tissue regeneration. These BCs differ in the preparation method, in fibrin network architecture, growth factors release as well as in platelet/cell content. Methodological changes result in distinct matrices that can compromise their clinical effectiveness. The present study evaluated the influence of different g-forces and types of tubes in the release of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) from platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) as a function of time. The PRF-like samples were obtained with three g-forces (200, 400, and 800 x g) for 10 minutes in pure glass tubes or in polystyrene-clot activator tubes. Scanning and Transmission electron microscopy was used to morphometric analyzes of PRF’s specimens and flow cytometry was used to quantify VEGF slow release until 7 days. Our results showed that platelets were intact and adhered to the fibrin network, emitting pseudopods and in degranulation. The fibrin network was rough and twisted with exosomic granulations impregnated on its surface. An increase in the concentration of VEGF in the PRF supernatant was observed until 7 days for all g forces (200, 400 or 800 x g), with the highest concentrations observed with 200 x g, in both tubes, glass or plastic. Morphological analyzes showed a reduction in the diameter of the PRF fibers after 7 days. Our results showed that g-force interferes with the shape of the fibrin network in the PRF, as well as affect the release of VEGF stored into platelets. This finding may be useful in applying PRF to skin lesions, in which the rapid release of growth factors can favor the tissue repair process. Our observations point to a greater clarification on the methodological variations related to obtaining PRF matrices, as they can generate products with different characteristics and degrees of effectiveness in specific applications.

Access to food systems is essential to sustain urban life. In this paper, we discuss the differences concerning accessibility levels to food systems among potential consumers in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. The goal was to characterize spatial mismatches regarding food opportunities and identify suitable areas for sustainable food mile solutions, such as non-motorized home delivery and purchase trips. For this, we have spatially related: (i) the population concentration; (ii) the income of households; and (iii) accessibility measures considering both the spatial structure of food retailers and the distance between households and stores, considering the food mile. We have then used spatial statistics and spatial analysis methods to determine the spatial pattern of variables and the cumulative opportunity measure for households. There is great spatial differentiation regarding the accessibility levels of food retailers and the results can be considered to support the development of policy and land use regulation that can stimulate non-motorized and collaborative delivery as an effective last-mile solution.

O26 enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC), possesses a unique pseudocapsule composed of polysaccharides identical to the O antigen in their lipopolysaccharide (LPS) membrane. Therefore, the impact of O26 polysaccharides on the immune evasion mechanisms of capsulated O26 EPEC was investigated. Our findings reveal that the concentration of GlcNAc, an immunodominant unit of O26 polysaccharides capable of activating the MBL (Mannose Biding Lecting) pathway of the complement system, was found to be lower in capsulated EPEC O26 compared to naked shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) O26 strain. It was noted that, unlike the naked STEC strain, the capsulated EPEC O26 strain was protected against lysis by the alternative pathway of the com-plement system by inhibiting C3b adhesion to its bacterial surface. Capsulated EPEC O26 strains were also able to avoid phagocytosis by macrophages. However, the immune evasion provided by the capsule was overcome in the presence of anti-O26 polysaccharide antibodies. Additionally, these antibodies were able to recognize O26 EPEC in the presence of biofilm and inhibit their adhesion to human epithelial cells. Overall, the results indicate that the O26 polysaccharides can generate an effective humoral immune response, making them promising antigens for the de-velopment of a vaccine against capsulated O26 E. coli

Background: Gait analysis systems offer invaluable insights for rehabilitation, yet their expense limits clinician access. We developed GAITWell®, a low-cost modular system for capturing spatiotemporal gait variables, and evaluated its measurement properties. Methods: The GAITWell® uses discreet binary sensors on interconnected boards to collect gait data, which is then analyzed using the DBSCAN algorithm on the Cartesian points from sensor outputs. Reliability was assessed using ICC2,1, standard error of the mean (SEM) and Bland-Altman plots. Validity was determined by comparing GAITWell® with the Qualisys Pro-Reflex system. Results: Participated 38 healthy adults, with an average age of 33.2 years (SD 13.0). Correlations between GAITWell® and the Qualisys system ranged from moderate to very high for most gait variables, with the exception of stride length, which demonstrated a low but significant correlation (r = .360, p < .05). The ICC2,1 indicated moderate to good agreement for most gait variables. Stance and double support times, cadence, and base of support exhibited poor reliability, characterized by larger SEM and limits of agreement. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that the GAITWell® system is a promising tool for gait analysis. Future research will enhance sensor accuracy and refine algorithms to improve reliability.

Road networks are monitored to evaluate their decay level and the performances regarding ride comfort, vehicle rolling noise, fuel consumption, etc. In this study, an Inertial Measurement Unit is proposed by using a low-cost three-axis Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems accelerometer and a GPS instrument, which are connected to a Raspberry Pi Zero W board and embedded inside a vehicle to monitor indirectly the road condition. To assess the level of pavement decay, the comfort index awz defined by the ISO 2631 standard was considered. Considering 21 km of roads, with different levels of pavement decay, validation measures made using the proposed IMU, another pre-assembled IMU, and a Road Surface Profiler were performed. Therefore, comparisons between awz determined with accelerations measured on the two different IMU are made; in addition, also correlations between awz, International Roughness Index (IRI), and Ride Number (RN) were performed. The results were shown very good correlations between the awz calculated with the proposed IMU and ones in the other IMU. In addition, the correlations between awz and IRI and RN were showed promising results, considering the use and the costs of the proposed IMU as a reliable method to assess the pavements decay in road networks where the use of traditional systems is difficult and/or not cheap.

Many neurodegenerative diseases are directly related to the formation of toxic protein aggregates, such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases, which are associated with the aggregation of alpha-synuclein (α-syn) and beta-amyloid (Aβ ), respectively. In this context, protein fibrils are the hallmark of these neurodegenerative diseases. In this sense, planning or designing compounds that are capable of preventing or reducing the formation of protein aggregation in the brain can be of fundamental importance for the curative treatment of these diseases. This work presents an in silico and experimental study to investigate the inhibitory potential of the ligands Octovespin (bioinspired by the wasp venom Polybia Occidentalis) and Fraternine-10 (bioinspired by the wasp venom Parachartergus fraternus wasp) against the aggregation of fibrils of the peptides Aβ(17-42) and α-syn, respectively. Using molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations with 100 ns, the disaggregation capacity of these ligands was studied. The results obtained indicate that Octovespin and Fraternine-10 interact with the Aβ and α-syn protein fibrils throughout the simulation time. The RMSD values and the interactions with amino acids responsible for fibril aggregation demonstrate that both Octovespin and Fraternine-10 have a significant disaggregation potential, which corroborates the observations in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, experimental results of Fraternine-10 demonstrate an anti-aggregation effect, indicating that it can promote the disaggregation of fibrils and prevent them from aggregating again to form oligomers. These discoveries qualify these molecules as potential candidates to become medicines against Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases.

This study identified and mapped worldwide surveillance actions and initiatives of drinking water quality implemented by government agencies or public health services. The scoping review was conducted between July 2021 and August 2022 based on the Joanna Briggs Institute. The search was performed in relevant databases and grey literature; 49 studies were obtained. Quantitative variables were presented as absolute and relative frequencies, while qualitative variables were analyzed using the IRaMuTeQ software. The actions developed worldwide and their impacts and results provided four thematic classes: (1) assessment of coverage, accessibility, quantity, and drinking water quality in routine and emergency situations; (2) analysis of physical-chemical and microbiological parameters in public supply networks or alternative water supply solutions; (3) identification of household water contamination, communication, and education with the community; (4) and investigation of water-borne disease outbreaks. Preliminary results were shared with stakeholders to favor early knowledge dissemination.

Cross-contamination poses a pervasive challenge within the realm of food production. The propagation of infections is recognized to occur in an uncontrolled manner. Given the essential nature of food for human sustenance, the domain necessitates stringent control over contamination and cross-contamination due to the perilous potential for severe intoxication. In the context of managing biological contamination in fresh food items, commencing from production and extending to the final consumable, the utilization of chemicals must be judiciously limited to avert adverse effects. This biochemical approach, however, engenders environmental and health quandaries attributable to the incessant employment and discharge of such materials. The present research is centered upon demonstrating, at a laboratory scale, a process involving the leaching of plants, accompanied by the application of UVC irradiation during this procedure. This obviates the necessity for chemical solutions. The empirical findings showcased that subjecting the solution utilized for vegetable washing to UV irradiation rendered it 99 % microorganism-free in vegetables and 99.999% in the water component. This attests to efficacious decontamination, resource conservation, and mitigation of discharge-associated predicaments. The mathematical model precisely characterizes the behaviors manifested in the empirical data, thereby establishing a close correspondence with the kinetics law equation. Grasping the fundamental mechanisms and articulating them enables the enhancement of optimization and seamless integration of this approach to combat cross-contamination with heightened efficacy. This approach to addressing cross-contamination holds significant promise, underscoring its pivotal role in elevating food safety measures and ameliorating environmental repercussions. Envisioning the implementation of these practices at an industrial scale carries the potential to yield substantial dividends in terms of public health and sustainable practices

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.

The objective of this work was to evaluate the blending and grinding influence over the nutritional, sensorial and sustainable aspects of coffee. To do so, a systematic review of the literature was accomplished. The database for the selection of relevant papers was the Portal de Periódicos da Capes, with remote access via CAFe. For the elaboration of the research, a chronological criterion with period restriction was used, considering the period between 2008-2022, to access all possible works related to the theme of this work. The following terms were used: blending; grinding; coffee; nutrition-al; sensorial; sustainability. To filter the searches, the association of these terms was also used by means of links and word associations. In the terminology, the Boolean operator AND was used to interconnect the terms used. Roasting degree, grinding, and amount of each coffee species impacts the nutritional and sensorial aspects of coffee. And the determination of each blending influences the sustainability of the environment, economic and social aspects of the coffee chain.

We explicate a traumatized child's narcissistic defense against trauma. Following a review of psychoanalytic understandings of trauma we explore the invocation of narcissistic defenses against trauma. The phenomenon of Nachträglichkeit or après-coup is explored, and the paper concludes with clinical illustration drawn from the experience of a young boy who suffered significant separation trauma during the Holocaust.

Deterministic simulations using the SWAN model were conducted along a stretch of the Tietê-Paraná waterway in the Ilha Solteira dam reservoir, São Paulo, Brazil, to assess the water waves generated by winds. Simultaneously employs a probabilistic metamodeling approach (PCE) and Sobol indices, to quantify uncertainty of the five involved physical parameters (wind velocity and direction, bottom friction (JONSWAP), whitecapping and depth-induced breaking index). In the deterministic part, Janssen’s formulation yielded the most successful and accurate estimations of wave heights. Probabilistic analysis underscored the importance of wind data and the whitecapping parameter in model calibration, with a significant influence of wind speed indicated by Sobol indices. The results not only refined the model calibration process, but also allowed the creation of contour maps for wave height and period that offer practical pre-project applications. This work advances understanding of wind wave hydrodynamics deterministically and probabilistically, with good concordance and performance indices compared to field data, despite being scarce.

“De-[Constructing] Growth” is offered as a deeper and more useful conceptualization that avoids the negative connotations of, and resistance to, “degrowth” by decoupling profit from unsustainable consumption, production, and inequality.

Background: Extremametly lean athletes could have difficulty for adaptive eating (intuitively or consciously) during ad libitum refeed. Aims: we verificate if there is a relation between adaptive eating and coping strategies with energy intake in a model of refeed proposed for bodybuilders. Methods: Fourteen male bodybuilders (29.6±3.1yrs; 85.6±6.8kg, ≥6 competitions) completed the 4-week each consisting of a 5 days of energy restriction following 2 days of refeed. Dietary assessment, body composition (ultrasound), Recovery stress questionnaire (REST-Q) and BRUMS (Brunel mood scale) were accessed pre and post; Coping Function Questionnaire (CFQ), Mindful Eating Scale version 2 (MES 2) and the Intuitive Eating Scale-2 (IES-2) was used at 4th week. Results: The refeed day resulted in a daily caloric increment of ~44% compared to the average energy intake on the energy restriction days, culminating in a weekly calorie deficit of ~27% and a drop in body mass of 3.1±1.4% with relation to initial values. The most reduced body fat and preserved or gained lean mass. The energy consumption during refeed maintained an inverse relationship with the perception of satiety (r=-0.9; p<0.01), total scores of IES 2 (r=-0.82; p<0.01), as well as with the confidence in hunger and satiety cues (r=-0.62; p=0.02) and congruence in food-body choice (r=-0.56; p=0.04) dimensions. Coping based in emotions maintained a relationship with the total scores of IES 2 (r=0.54; p<0.05) and an inverse relationship with energy intake during refeed (r=-0.42; p<0.05). Conclusion: Our results suggest that a higher perception of internal hunger and satiety signals and higher scores in intuitive eating may contribute to energy intake adequate, even when high scores of coping based in emotions are present.

Given any sequence a = (an)n1 of positive real numbers and any set E of complex sequences, we write Ea for the set of all sequences y = (yn)n1 such that y=a = (yn=an)n1 2 E. In this paper, we use the spaces w1, w0 and w of strongly bounded, summable to zero and summable sequences, that are the sets of all sequences y such that ? n?1Pn k=1 jykj
n is bounded, tends to zero and such that y ? le 2 w0, for some scalar l, respectively, (cf. [24, 22]). These sets where used in the statistical convergence, (cf. [17, Chapter 4]). Then we deal with the solvability of each of the (SSIE) F
 E + F0x where E is a linear space of sequences, F = c0, c, `1, w0, w, or w1 and F0 = c0, c, or `1. For instance, the solvability of the (SSIE) w
 w0+s(c) x consists in determining the set of all sequences x = (xn)n1 2 U+ that satisfy the following statement. For every sequence y that satisfy the condition limn!1 n?1Pn k=1 jyk ? yk?1 ? lj = 0, there are two sequences u and v, with y = u+v such that limn!1 n?1Pn k=1 jukj = 0 and limn!1 (vn=xn) = L for some scalars l and L. These results extend those stated in [11, 12, 10].

In this paper, we study the asymptotic behavior of the sequential empirical process and the sequential empirical copula process, both constructed from residuals of multivariate stochastic volatility models. Applications for the detection of structural changes and specification tests of the distribution of innovations are discussed. It is also shown that if the stochastic volatility matrices are diagonal, which is the case if the univariate time series are estimated separately instead of being jointly estimated, then the empirical copula process behaves as if the innovations were observed; a remarkable property. As a by-product, one also obtains the asymptotic behavior of rank-based measures of dependence applied to residuals of these time series models.

This study explores an eco-friendly approach to synthesizing silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using soybean leaf extracts, employing a reaction with silver nitrate at 65°C for 2.5 h. Optimal results were achieved at extract concentrations of 3.12 and 6.25 mg leaf mL-1, termed 3.12AgNP and 6.25AgNP, respectively. UV-Vis spectrophotometric analysis between 350-550 nm exhibited a peak at 410-430 nm, along with a color transition in the suspensions from pale yellow to brown, indicating successful synthesis. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) further delineated favorable properties of these AgNPs, including nanometric dimensions (73–104 nm), negative charge, and moderate polydispersity, portraying stable and reproducible synthesis reactions. The bioreduction mechanism, possibly expedited by leaf extract constituents such as amino acids, phenolic acids, and polysaccharides, remains to be fully elucidated. Notably, the study underscored the potent nematicidal effectiveness of the biosynthesized AgNPs, especially 6.25AgNP, against Pratylenchus brachyurus, a common plant parasitic nematode in tropical soybean cultivation regions. In vitro tests illustrated significant nematicidal activity at concentrations above 25 µmol L-1, while in vivo experiments displayed pronounced nematode population diminishment in plant roots, particularly with a 6.25AgNP rhizosphere application at concentrations of 500 µmol L-1 or twice at 250 µmol L-1, attaining a reproduction factor below 1 without any morphological nematode alterations. The research highlights the potential of 6.25AgNPs derived from soybean leaf extracts in forging sustainable nematicidal solutions, marking a significant stride towards eco-friendly phytonematode management in soybean cultivation. This novel methodology signals a promising avenue in harnessing botanical resources for nematode control, propelling a greener agricultural horizon.

Acanthamoeba genus amoebae can affect humans with diseases such as Granulomatous Amebic Encephalitis (GAE), a highly lethal neuroinfection. Several aspects about the disease still need to be elucidated. Animal models of GAE have allowed advances in these aspects. This work tested Wistar rats (Rattus norvegicus albinus) as an animal model of GAE. For this, 32 animals were infected with 1x10⁶ A. castellanii trophozoites, T4 genotype. Ameba recovery tests were carried out on plates of agar, vascular extravasation assays, behavioral tests and histopathological technique with H/E staining. Data were submitted to linear regression analysis, one-way ANOVA and Tukey's test, performed in the GraphPad Prism® 8.0 program, with a significance level of p<0.05. The results revealed the efficiency of the model. There was recovery of amoebae from the liver, lungs and brain of infected animals, significant encephalic vascular extravasation and behavioral changes in these animals, but not in the control animals. However, not all infected animals showed positive histopathology for the analyzed organs. The nervous tissue was the least affected, demonstrating the role of the BBB in the defense of the CNS. Supported by the demonstrated evidence, we confirm the difficulty, but also the feasibility of using rats as an animal model of GAE.

Titica vine fibers (TVFs) extracted from aerial roots of Heteropsis flexuosa, from the Amazon region, were 10, 20, 30 and 40 vol% incorporated into an epoxy matrix for applications in ballistic multilayered armor systems (MASs) and stand-alone tests for personal protection against high-velocity 7.62 mm ammunition. The back-face signature (BFS) depth measured for composites with 20 and 40 vol% TVFs used as an intermediate layer in MASs was 25.6 and 32.5 mm, respectively, below the maximum limit set by the international standard. Fracture mechanisms found by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) attested the relevance of increasing the fiber fraction for applications in MASs. The results of stand-alone tests showed that the control (0 vol%) and samples with 20 vol% TVFs absorbed the highest impact energy (Eabs) (212 – 176 J), and consequently limit velocity (VL) values (213 – 194 m/s), when compared with 40 vol% fiber fractions. However, the macroscopic evaluation found that the plain epoxy, referring to control samples, shattered completely. In addition, for 10 and 20 vol% TVFs, the composites were fragmented or exhibited delamination fracture, which contributed to their physical integrity. On the other hand, the composite with 30 and 40 vol% TVFs, whose Eabs and VL varied between 166 – 130 J and 189 – 167 m/s, respectively, showed the best dimensional stability. The SEM images indicated that for composites with 10 and 20 vol% TVFs the fracture mode was predominantly brittle, due to the greater performance of the epoxy resin and the discrete action of the fibers. While for composites with 30 and 40 vol% TVFs, there was the activation of more complex mechanisms such as pullout, shearing and fiber rupture.

The data-oriented paradigm has proven to be fundamental for the technological transformation process that characterizes Industry 4.0 (I4.0) so that Big Data & Analytics is considered a technological pillar of this process. The literature reports a series of system architecture proposals that seek to implement the so-called Smart Factory, which is primarily data-driven. Many of these proposals treat data storage solutions as mere entities that support the architecture's functionalities. However, choosing which logical data model to use can significantly affect the performance of the architecture. This work identifies the advantages and disadvantages of relational (SQL) and non-relational (NoSQL) data models for I4.0, taking into account the nature of the data in this process. The characterization of data in the context of I4.0 is based on the five dimensions of Big Data and a standardized format for representing information of assets in the virtual world, the Asset Administration Shell. This work allows identifying appropriate transactional properties and logical data models according to the volume, variety, velocity, veracity, and value of the data. In this way, it is possible to describe the suitability of SQL and NoSQL databases for different scenarios within I4.0.

Background and Objectives: Mechanical and biological complications can lead to system fracture or screw loss on dental implants. Narrow and regular platforms have been used without a consensus about the effect of distance the abutment from the prosthetic platform margin. The aim of this study is to evaluate different insertion torques in the deformation of tri-channel platform connections through two- and three-dimensional measurements with micro-CT. Materials and Methods: 164 implants were divided into groups (platform diameter and type): 3.5, 3.75, and 4.3 mm NP (Narrow Platform), and 4.3 mm RP (Regular Platform). Each implant-platform group was then divided into four subgroups (n = 10) with different torques: T45 (45 Ncm), T80 (80 Ncm), T120 (120 Ncm) and T150 (150 Ncm). The implant-abutment-screw assemblies were scanned and the images obtained were analyzed. Results: A significant difference was observed for the linear and volume measures between the different platforms (p &lt;0.01) and the different implant insertion torques (p &lt;0.01). Qualitative analysis suggested higher deformation resistance for the 3.75 NP compared to the 3.5 NP, and RP was more resistant compared to the NP. Conclusions: The 0.25-mm increment in the implant platform did not increase the resistance to the applied insertion torques; the 4.3-mm implant was significantly stronger compared to the 3.5-mm implant and the proposed micro-CT analysis was considered valid for both 2D and 3D analyses of micro gaps, qualitatively and quantitatively.

Human infection caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, called COVID-19, is a new pandemic with devastating effects worldwide. Science seeks the rational and systematic explanation of phenomena. In pandemics, decisions on prevention and treatment of people should be consistently taken, supported by scientific knowledge and ethical principles to produce more good than harm. At first, prospective observational studies to systematically collect patient data, correlating protective or therapeutic interventions with outcomes to assess effectiveness and safety, should be prioritized as the most appropriate type of study. The proposed protocol in this article aims to provide doctors with information on the reduction of harm in early COVID-19 patients by applying individualized interventionist or expectant therapeutic strategies, respecting the autonomy and preferences of physicians and patients in clinical decision-making. The evaluation of the clinical status, besides laboratory confirmation of COVID-19, comprises an individualized symptom score for each patient, a global self-perception scale of the severity of the disease, a clinical progression scale developed by the WHO for clinical studies in COVID-19 and, at the first consultation, doctors´ overall impression on the clinical prognosis. The analysis of anonymized data should preferably use descriptive and inferential statistical resources. The case report form is available for free use in the protocol, along with examples of patient informed consent forms for the prescription of off-label medications and authorization to use the data. Their results may be useful to indicate interventions that are candidates for efficacy trials, in randomized controlled trials, with a higher chance of success. It respects the autonomy and preferences of doctors and patients to decide the best options for treatment in uncertain situations. It also allows the gathering of useful information for future more rigorous clinical trials, trying to link science, ethics, and personal clinical experience.

Several Lung diseases can result in lung damage structural changes, with lung transplantation as a only therapeutic option when the disease reaches an advanced progression, unfortunately, the success of lung transplantation is limited. In this context, lung bioengineering is considered a potential therapeutic alternative and the current approach is based on the use of the natural extracellular matrix (ECM) of the decellularized lung. The use of undifferentiated cells to seed an ECM can be a more practical strategy for lung bioengineering but the sterilization of the organ for this recellularization process is still a challenge. In this sense, Low-Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) can emerge as a potential treatment alternative. Therefore, the objective of this study was to verify if LLLT, can optimize lung recelularization with mesenchymal stem cells by cytokine modulation. For this, we decellularized lungs from C57BL/6 mice perfusing SDS 1% via pulmonary artery, sterilized with LLL (660nm, 100mW, 30s). Whole lung scaffolds were recellularized: (1) Recellularized Lung (2) Recellularized Lung + LLLT. Mesenchymal stem cells derived from human tooth pulp (DPSc) were seeded into lungs and incubated for 24 hours at 37ºC, 5% CO₂, in a bioreactor-like conditions, maintaining CPAP at 20cmH2O, 90% O2, and LLL at wavelength of 808nm, 100mW, 30s. Culture medium were analyzed at 24 hours. H&amp;E, immunostaining, SEM and ELISA assay were performed. We produced viable biological scaffolds absent of DNA content, preserving glycosaminoglycans and collagen I, III and IV, fibronectin, laminin and elastin and lung structure (SEM). The levels of IL-6 and IL-8 were stable during the 24 hours of culture. IFN-γ levels showed significant difference in the DPSc and DPSc+LLLT group in the 24-hour evaluation. The levels of IL-10 decreased after LLLT. These findings highlight LLLT's role in cytokine regulation and contamination prevention during lung recellularization with mesenchymal stem cells. Overall, these results demonstrated that LLLT's modulated cytokine levels and could prevent contamination during the lung recellularization process with mesenchymal stem cells, offering promise for enhanced therapeutic strategies in lung bioengineering

Introduction: This study aimed to identify factors associated with late diagnosis and clinically monitor newly diagnosed HIV/AIDS patients. Method: Retrospective longitudinal study, based on secondary data from a specialized unit at a tertiary hospital. Data collection included sociodemographic, behavioral, clinical, and laboratory data of newly diagnosed HIV patients between 2015-2019. Data analysis adopted inferential statistical tests using the SPSS program, considering α ≤ 0.05. Results: 314 individuals were newly diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. 70.3% (208) had a late diagnosis, and 57.1% (169) were diagnosed very late. There was an association of the very late diagnosis with the variables sex and education and with origin, entry, occurrence of opportunistic diseases, use of ARV therapy, and death, associated with late and very late diagnosis, respectively. The results of the regression model indicate that males had 2.28 [95% CI 1.11 - 4.46] higher chances of having a late diagnosis compared to females. Conclusions: This study evidenced a high prevalence of late and very late diagnoses in newly diagnosed male HIV patients who presented with opportunistic diseases, requiring hospitalization, and having a significant risk of progressing to death.

A relevant aspect in the epidemiology of Tegumentary Leishmaniasis (TL) is the Leishmania parasites carrying a viral endosymbiont Leishmania RNA Virus 1 (LRV1), a dsRNA virus. Leishmania parasites carrying LRV1 are prone to causing more severe TL symptoms, increasing the likelihood of unfavorable clinical outcomes. LRV1 has been observed in cultured strains of five L. (Viannia) species, and host specificity was suggested when studying LRV1 from L. braziliensis and L. guyanensis strains. The coevolution hypothesis of LRV1 and Leishmania was based on phylogenetic analyses, implying an association between LRV1 genotypes, Leishmania species, and their geographic origins. This study aimed to investigate LRV1 specificity to Leishmania (Viannia) species hosts by analyzing LRV1 from L. (Viannia) species. To this end, LRV1 was screened in L. (Viannia) species other than L. braziliensis or L. guyanensis, and it was detected in 11 out of 15 L. naiffi and in 2 out of 4 L. shawi. Phylogenetic analyses based on partial LRV1 genomic sequencing supported the hypothesis of host specificity, as LRV1 clustered according to their respective Leishmania species hosts. These findings underscore the importance of investigating Leishmania and LRV1 coevolution and its impact on Leishmania (Viannia) species dispersion and pathogenesis in the American Continent.

After the ban on tributyltin-based antifouling paints, DCOIT (4,5-Dichloro-2-octylisothiazol-3(2H)-one) became one of the most used antifouling biocides. DCOIT is a pseudo-persistent contaminant in port areas and is toxic to non-target species, but its ability to bioaccumulate and be transferred along the trophic chain remains unknown. This study aimed to preliminarily investigate the bioaccumulation, trophic transfer, and biomagnification of DCOIT and SiNC-DCOIT (DCOIT immobilized in silica mesoporous nanocapsules) from the microalga Tetraselmis chuii to the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis during exposure experiments considering 24 h of uptake followed by 72 h depuration. Mussels rapidly internalized and metabolized both DCOIT and SiNC-DCOIT. The predator-prey biomagnification factors (BMFTL) suggested that both forms of the biocide can be trophically transferred, with higher concentrations of DCOIT and SiNC-DCOIT in mussels than in microalgae (BMFTL &gt; 1). However, the bioaccumulation and bioconcentration factors indicated a low bioaccumulation capability in the short term, suggesting that the depuration rate overcomes the uptake. Our findings contribute to the development of environmental risk assessments for DCOIT and SiNC-DCOIT, but do not exclude the possibility of DCOIT bioaccumulation in the long-term in areas with constant input of DCOIT. Further studies are needed to understand these processes under continuous exposure scenarios to DCOIT.

Fiber-cement composites were prepared from cellulosic cotton residue (CCR) arise from sanding process (emerizing). The effect of different concentrations: 0.5% and 1%, and granulometry: thick (retained in a14 mesh sieve) and thin (retained in a 48 mesh sieve) of this residue were evaluated on tensile strength of cement slurries with seven (07) curing days. To characterize the CCR, TGA, FT-IR, SEM and XRD analysis were performed and the residue resistance in an alkaline environment was also evaluated. Splitting tensile strength test, known as Brazilian Test, was used to assess effects of the fibers on the mechanical behavior of cement matrix. Analyzing the results, the CCR proved to be resistant in an alkaline environment, meaning that it can withstand the alkaline environment of cement matrix. The results showed an improvement superior to 17% in tensile strength for 1% of CCR. Therefore, the CCR presents a great application potential in cement pastes used for oil well cementing that requires to increase its tensile strength, once a significant improvement was achieved with a low-residue employee.

Despite the advancements in evidence-based medicine, many hospitals still maintain high rates of patients undergoing prolonged preoperative fasting. The goal of this study is to determine the prevalence of prolonged fasting time among patients undergoing elective surgeries at a Brazilian university hospital and its associations with clinical and sociodemographic variables. This cross-sectional study was conducted between May and November 2019 and included patients of all ages undergoing elective surgeries. Out of the 293 patients analyzed, 64.2% were male, with ages ranging from 1 to 85 years, and 93.9% were classified as ASA I or II. The prevalence of preoperative fasting exceeding 8 hours was 89.4%. An average fasting time exceeding 11 hours was observed across all age groups. Patients who underwent procedures in the afternoon had an average fasting time that was 16% longer than those in the morning period (13.84 vs. 11.92, p<0.001). Surgery time (r=0.134, p<0.03) and anesthesia times (r=0.121, p<0.04) demonstrated a weak correlation with fasting time. Despite the international consensus on preoperative fasting time, our study demonstrated low adherence to current recommendations. Therefore, healthcare professionals should ensure the comprehension of fasting guidelines, and further studies should aim to identify effective solutions to mitigate prolonged fasting.

Throughout the world, disabilities people have worse health prospects, lower education levels, lower economic participation, and higher poverty rate in comparative terms to people without disabilities. For disabilities people achieve better, more long-lasting prospects, we must empower these people and remove barriers that restrict them from participating in the community have access to quality education, to find decent work and have their voices heard. In statistical terms, a very useful alternative that can provide support and monitoring of public policies in this area is proposing to be used continuously. A risk index called risk index disabled person who is to assess which factors are associated to this risk, as well as the intensity and direction of each of these factors, yielding a final score that can be sorted or classified according to the probability of people acquire a certain disability. In the Brazilian case, we propose the use of techniques such as binary and ordinal logistic regression to select the most significant factors using criteria such as AIC, BIC and DIC. Calculate the risk probability for different disabilities (see, hear, move and intellectual) and number of disabilities to the dataset Sample of respondents for Full Questionnaire at IBGE 2010 Census. In this work, by using stereotype ordinal logistic model with ordinal response, it was possible to improve the fit quality, to be compared with binary response logistic model. By using ordinal response merged the disability risk for different severity degree and amount of deficiencies. Mains conclusions were: i)the model required a smaller number of explanatory variables was intellectual or mental and greater number was disabilities; ii) the most sensitive adjust was using stereotype ordinal logistic; iii) different disabilities aren´t homogenous as the different predictor variables, and finally; iv) higher incidence of risks were noted visual disability, living in the northeast, female, age 80, yellow race, instruction level until incomplete fundamental, works production form their own consumption and high number of children.

The goal of background reconstruction is to recover the background image of a scene from a sequence of frames showing this scene cluttered by various moving objects. This task is fundamental in image analysis, and is generally the first step before more advanced processing, but difficult because there is no formal definition of what should be considered as background or foreground and the results may be severely impacted by various challenges such as illumination changes, intermittent object motions, highly cluttered scenes, etc. We propose in this paper a new iterative algorithm for background reconstruction, where the current estimate of the background is used to guess which image pixels are background pixels and a new background estimation is performed using those pixels only. We then show that the proposed algorithm, which uses stochastic gradient descent for improved regularization, is more accurate than the state of the art on the challenging SBMnet dataset, especially for short videos with low frame rates, and is also fast, reaching an average of 52 fps on this dataset when parameterized for maximal accuracy using GPU acceleration and a Python implementation.

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

Currently, petroleum-derived plastics are widely used. However, one of its main disadvantages is its low degradation time, which is not beneficial to the environment. Therefore, natural polymers are an alternative to overcome this obstacle. Among the natural polymers, starch can be highlighted. Thus, the objectives of our investigation were to obtain sisal nanofibers using low concentrations of acid solutions to produce and characterize corn starch nanocomposites reinforced with these nanofibers. The films were produced by a casting technique using commercial corn starch and glycerol as plasticizing agents; the nanofibers were obtained using acid hydrolysis. The films were subjected to tensile tests to evaluate their resulting mechanical behaviors. The results of X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy analyses revealed the possibility of obtaining cellulose nanofibers using a sulfuric acid concentration lower than that previously reported in the literature. The nanocomposites reinforced with plant nanofibers showed lower tensile stress and elongation characteristics than the matrices without nanofibers.

In this study, we successfully obtained a 2Mg-Fe mixture through mechanical alloying (MA) and processed it via accumulative roll bonding (ARB) (MA+ARB). Our primary focus was to analyze the impact of ambient air exposure while also evaluating the processing route. Some powder samples were exposed to air for 12 months before undergoing ARB processing. The Mg samples obtained after ARB processing exhibited a (002)-type texture. Our results demonstrate that all samples, including those processed via ARB, could rapidly absorb hydrogen within a matter of minutes, despite considerable differences in surface area between powders and rolled samples. ARB-processed samples reached approximately 60% of their maximum acquired capacity within just 24 minutes, compared to powders stored for a year which took 36 minutes. Also, the desorption temperatures were lower than those of MgH2. The absorption and desorption kinetics remained fast even after prolonged exposure to air. Although there were minor variations in capacities, our overall findings are promising since scalable techniques such as ARB have the potential to produce hydrogen storage materials that are both safe and cost-effective in a highly competitive market.

Background: Interventions with the performance of sessions with sprints in different intensity manipulations, can be a great alternative to improve physical performance. Objective: To verify the influence of different break times between sprints on the performance of amateur futsal athletes Methods: 10 individuals, men, amateur futsal athletes (Age: 21.5 ± 1.6; Weight: 72.4 ± 6.88; Height: 1.72 ± 0.05; BMI: 24.3 ± 1.2; Fat%: 13.7 ± 3.3, VO2peak: 49.1 ± 10.5) participated in the study. For the intervention, individuals were randomly selected to perform sessions with sprints (10 sets 20 meters) with different pause times, being 15 (S15), 30 (S30) and 60 (S60) seconds. For performance analysis, the speed (km / h) applied to each sprint was used, monitored by a device with a photocell (CEFISE Biotecnologia Esportiva®, Nova Odessa, São Paulo) and the statistical treatment of all data was through the software Statistica 7.0 (Statsoft ™, Tulsa, OK, USA) using a significance level of p≤0.05. Results: There was an interaction between speed and interval time (p = 0.000). For condition S15, a greater reduction in performance was observed (p≤0.05), while for S30 and S60, no significant reduction in performance was observed (p> 0.05). The data for the area under the curve showed a significant difference (p = 0.000), where the interval of 60 seconds (S60) was longer compared to the values of 30 (S30) (p = 0.000) and 15 seconds (S15) (p = 0.000). However, there were no significant differences between the 30 and 15 second data (p = 0.248). Conclusion: Shorter time (15 seconds) of interval between repeated sprints can significantly affect performance when compared to longer breaks (30 and 60 seconds). But, all the conditions tested here, can be positive for the improvement of the performance, mainly in sports that demand fast and efficient motor actions, as for example, futsal.

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.

A review of quantitative risk assessment (QRA) models of L. monocytogenes in produce was carried out, with the objective of appraising and contrasting the effectiveness of the control strategies placed along the food chains. Despite nine of the thirteen QRA models recovered focused on fresh or RTE leafy greens, none of them represented important factors or sources of contamination in the primary production, such as type of cultivation, water, fertilisers or irrigation method/practices. Cross-contamination at processing and during consumer’s handling was modelled using transfer rates, which were shown to moderately drive the final risk of listeriosis; highlighting therefore the importance of accurately representing the transfer coefficient parameters. Many QRA models coincided in the fact that temperature fluctuations at retail or temperature abuse at home were key factors contributing to increasing the risk of listeriosis. In addition to a primary module that could help assess current on-farm practices and potential control measures, future QRA models for minimally-processed produce should also contain a refined sanitisation module able to estimate the effectiveness of various sanitisers as a function of type, concentration and exposure time. Finally, L. monocytogenes growth in the products down the supply chain should be estimated by using realistic time-temperature trajectories, and validated microbial kinetic parameters, both of them currently available in the literature.

(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.

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

Angiogenesis is a process whereby new blood vessels are born from preexistent ones, which has a role in transporting oxygen and nutrients. On the other hand, inhibiting this process is a strategy used to treat some diseases, including cancers, diabetic retinopathy, and rheumatoid arthritis. This study investigates the effect of a new nutraceutical (Terasen®) on angiogenesis. Terasen® is made from a standardized extract of Euterpe oleraceae (Açaí), Myrciaria dubia (Camu-Camu), and purified oil of Bixa orellana (Annatto) and Astrocaryum aculeatum (Tucumã). The in vivo angiogenesis model used was the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) from chicken embryos. The embryos were divided into seven groups: a vehicle control treated with ethanol solution (ETH), a naïve control treated only with saline solution (SOR), a positive control treated with dexamethasone (DEX), and four groups treated with Terasen® at different concentrations (0.5, 1, 2, and 3 mg/ml). The parameters assessed were the vessels’ area, length, and amount. The results show a statistically significant and concentration-dependent inhibition of angiogenesis caused by Terasen®. Our results suggest the nutraceutical has a high antiangiogenesis potential, possibly due to its bioactive compounds, including anthocyanins, quercetin, and tocotrienols.

This paper describes different variants of broadband and simple attenuator modules for beamforming applications, based on Radio Frequency Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems (RF-MEMS), framed within Coplanar Waveguide (CPW) structures. The modules proposed in the first part of this work differ in their actuation voltage, topology, and desired attenuation level. Fabricated samples of basic 1-bit attenuation modules, characterized by a moderate footprint of 690 x 1960 µm2 and aiming at attenuation levels of -2, -3 and -5 dB in the 24.25-27.5 GHz range, are presented in their variants featuring both low actuation voltages (5-7 V) as well as higher values (~ 45V), the latter ones ensuring larger mechanical restoring force (and robustness against stiction). Beyond the fabrication non-idealities that affected the described samples, the substantial agreement between simulations and measurement outcomes proved that the proposed designs could provide precise attenuation levels up to 40 GHz, ranging up to nearly -3 dB and -5 dB for the series and shunt variants, respectively. Moreover, they could be effective building blocks for future wideband and reconfigurable RF-MEMS attenuators. In fact, in the second part of this work, combinations of the discussed cells and other configurations meant for larger attenuation levels will be investigated.

Background: Current drug for the treatment of endometriosis is not able of completely cure and significant side effects hinder the continuation of treatment. So, the search for new drug candidates is necessary, and the use of plants extracts is highlighted. Babassu oil and copaiba oilresin have several therapeutic properties. We investigated the in vitro effects of two nanoemulsions containing babassu oil (Orbignya speciosa) (SNEDDS-18) and/or copaiba oilresin (Copaifera langsdorffii) (SNEDDS-18/COPA) on cultured human eutopic endometrium stromal cells from endometrial biopsies of patients without (CESC) and with (EuESC) endometriosis, and human stromal cells from biopsies of endometriotic lesions (EctESC). Methods: CESC, EuESC and EctESC were established and treated with SNEDDS-18 and SNEDDS-18/COPA to evaluate its effects on cytotoxicity, cell morphology, proliferation, and signaling pathways. Results: After 48 hours incubation with SNEDDS-18 and SNEDDS-18/COPA, cell viability and proliferation were inhibited, especially in EctESC. The lowest concentration of both nanoemulsions reduced cell viability and proliferation and breakdown the cytoskeleton in EctESCs. After 24h treatment it was observed a decrease in IL-1, TNF-α, and MCP-1, and an increase in IL-10 production. Conclusions: Both nanoemulsions can affect the endometriotic stromal cell behaviors, thus revealing two potential candidates for new phytotherapeutic agents on the management of endometriosis.

Cities are complex systems requiring urban design models that balance order and disorder. Collective creativity initiatives engage citizens in these processes, empowering bottom-up approaches that prioritize people and social well-being within urban development. This paper investigates an 'Urban Laboratory' as a case study, examining the potential of collective creativity to address urban complexity. The successful and ongoing project 'El Campo de Cebada' in Madrid, Spain, demonstrates how a community transformed a vacant lot into a vibrant social hub. The phases of this study include case selection, data collection, data analysis, and presentation of the results. This study identifies key enabling factors, including agents, management, social dynamics, infrastructure, and actions. These insights offer a methodological framework for designing future collaborative, resilient, and inclusive urban spaces, addressing the complex needs of communities within our cities.

Euschistus heros (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) is one of the main pests of soybean. Egg parasitoids such as Telenomus podisi (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) can be highly effective in attacking E. heros eggs, preventing the establishment at levels of economic damage. This study evaluated two re-lease methods of T. podisi in soybean. The treatments compared results from release of T. podisi adults fed with honey in cardboard capsules and the release of pupae in bulk. Four aerial releas-es per area were carried out via drone (7,500 females/ha) distributed at 10 points. The population density of E. heros, productivity and reproductive aspects of soybean were evaluated. Total pop-ulation of E. heros was lower in adult release treatment and male population was lower with pupae release. Thousand grain weight had higher values in fed adults treatments compared to release of pupae and control. Number of damage grains was lower in both release treatments compared with the control area. Therefore, the use of biological control with inundative release of T. podisi, regardless of the release method, is recommended within IPM programs, supporting production parameters and benefiting the sustainability of the agroecosystem.

Keywords: environmental impacts of hotels; environmental management in lodging facilities; corporate sustainability.

The use of recombinant bovine somatotropin (rbST) leads to an increase, in variable amounts, of milk production in buffalo, but there is a lack of information on the influence of rbST on their metabolism. This study looked at the effects of a single 500 mg dose of rbST on lipid profile, liver and kidney function and physical, chemical and cellular constitution of milk in 14 buffalo over 14 days, from the 100th day of lactation, and compared them with 14 animals in a control group. From the 1st day after rbST, there was a rise in beta hydroxybutyrate (β-HBO), possibly due to the higher dry matter intake or by biotransformation of NEFA into β-HBO. Treatment did not influence blood glucose, non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), triglycerides, cholesterol, total protein, albumin, AST, GGT, bilirubin, urea or creatinine. In 71.3% of the buffalo there was a gradual increase in milk production with maximal response in the first week that was then followed by a gradual decrease, whilst in 21.4%, the increase in production occurred between 7 and 10 days, and only 7.1% of animals did not respond. On the 3rd, 5th, 7th and 10th days after treatment, an increase was found in milk production between the two groups equal to 1.04, 1.52, 1.42 and 1.06 liters, respectively. In relative terms this means an increase in milk production, respectively, of 15.1%; 21.0%; 19.8 % and 15.1 %. The constitution of the milk showed no difference in the amounts of fat, lactose, total solids or somatic cell count; however, on the 3rd day after rbST, there was a decrease in protein; notably, from the 5th day, protein values show no statistical difference. It can be concluded that the application of rbST in buffalo from the 100th day of lactation is metabolically safe, since the treatment neither caused imbalances in fat metabolism nor overloaded the liver or renal function, and the changes in milk composition were transient and limited to a decrease in milk protein.

The circular economy is one of the main strategies for mitigating the environmental impacts of civil construction, due to the generation of construction and demolition waste (CDW). In this transition, evaluating alternatives for using buildings as material banks is a way to make the process of reusing construction components more efficient. Thus, the article aimed to evaluate the state of the art of publications on the relationship between the circular economy in civil construction and the conceptual model of buildings as material banks, to mitigate the environmental impacts of CDW. The authors chose the methodological design of Systematic Literature Review, using the Scopus and Web of Science databases for research, with the following search strings: ("construction" or "civil construction" or "built environment" or "construction industry" ) and ("circular economy" or "circular construction") and ("material banks" or "BAMB" or "buildings as material banks" or "building stocks" or "building materials") and ("construction waste" or "demolition waste" or "CDW" or "construction and demolition waste" or "environmental impacts"). After a screening in which only articles published in journals were selected, from 2013 to 2023, inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied, to evaluate only those that had a direct relationship with CDW management through circular economy strategies and buildings such as banks of material. As a result, 93 articles remained, which were analyzed using quantitative and qualitative approach. The quantitative results showed an increase in publications since 2020, which are concentrated in European countries and China. The predominance of applied studies was also noted, through case studies that evaluate the management of materials and waste in the urban environment. The qualitative analysis, carried out using a SWOT Matrix, highlighted the strengths of the buildings, such as material banks, the potential reduction of resource extraction and urban mining, promoting the circulation of construction products. However, the recycling of waste, such as aggregates, still stands out as the main end-of-life strategy adopted, even without occupying the top of the waste hierarchy.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the agent of tuberculosis, one of the most important infectious diseases in the world. This microorganism stands out from other bacteria, not only for its extremely high infection capacity, but also for its cellular characteristics that include an extremely resistant and hydrophobic cellular parade the passage of antibiotics. An incredible ability to adapt to adverse conditions inside the host as well as its vast arsenal of virulence factors that allow its survival within the inhospitable environment within the macrophage can be highlighted. This review aims to discuss several aspects of MTB microbiology, genetics, and physiology. We will address in this review details of the metabolism of MTB that allows it to replicate in the active phase and remain viable during latency, as well as the characteristics of its cell wall that contribute to the blockade of the immune response and its resistance to antibiotics.

The emergence of the Internet of Things (IoT) has led to the deployment of various types of sensors in many application fields, including environment monitoring, smart cities, health, industries, and others. The increasing number of connected devices has led to the creation of massive quantities of data that need to be analyzed. Typically, this data is ordered by time, as a time series. In this context, this paper presents a time series prediction model based on Recurrent Neural Networks in order to predict one step ahead. Result obtained through five Internet of Things monitoring datasets, showed that the Recurrent Neural Network obtained better performance that the prediction methods, ARIMA and SVM.

We evaluated the macroscopic and histopathological aspects of skin healing by secondary intention in equine wounds, surgically induced and topically treated with bacterial cellulose hydrogel with alginate (BCAG) or frog skin (FSG), compared with ringer lactate (CG). Three wounds were created on each side of the lumbar region, one side for gross evaluation with photos and measurement of the area and contraction rate and the other for histopathological evaluation, with the sides selected randomly, in 5 horses. All wounds received daily treatment, and clinical and histopathological evaluations were conducted on postoperative days 0, 3, 7, 14, 21, and 28. Although no statistical differences were observed, the BCAG presented a reduced wound area and a high wound contraction percentage on days 14 and 21. At 28 days, the average contraction rates were 96.08%, 92.87%, and 88.6% for the CG, BCAG, and FSG, respectively. Although there was no statistical difference between the groups in wound healing in this study in horses, in clinical evaluations an early start of filling the area of the wounds treated with frog skin was observed, and on D14 and D21, a smaller area and higher contraction rate were observed in BCAG, which can be attributed to more efficient re-epithelialization and fibroblast proliferation.

This paper aims to analyze the intellectual structure and research fronts in application information security in smart cities to identify research boundaries, trends, and new opportunities in the area. It applies bibliometric analyses to identify the main authors and their influences on the information security and smart city area. Moreover, this analysis focuses on journals indexed in Scopus databases. The results indicate that there is an opportunity for further advances in the adoption of information security policies in government institutions. Moreover, the production indicators presented herein are useful for the planning and implementation of information security policies, and the knowledge of the scientific community about smart cities. The bibliometric analysis provides support for the visualization of the leading research technical collaboration networks among authors, co-authors, countries, and research areas. The methodology offers a broader view of the application information security in smarty city areas and makes it possible to assist new research that may contribute to further advances. The smart city topic has been receiving much attention in recent years, but to the best of our knowledge, there is no research on reporting new possibilities for advances. Therefore, this article may contribute to an emerging body of literature that explores the nature of application information security and smart city research productivity to assist researchers in better understanding the current emerging of the area.

Microalgae biomass is considered a promising alternative feedstock for biodiesel production due to its high productivity of neutral lipids, specially under abiotic stress conditions. Among the unicellular microalgae that show this characteristic, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii appears as one of the most important model species that have increased lipids production under abiotic stress conditions. In this study, we show that cells cultivated under mixotrophic condition supplemented with 0.1 M of NaCl rapidly raises their amount of neutral lipids in C. reinhardtii without reduction of their cellular growth rate, being therefore a promising condition for biomass towards bioenergy production. The nuclear proteome of these cells was investigated where we identified 323 proteins with an enrichment of almost 60% of nuclear proteins in the total dataset. We found 61 proteins differentially regulated upon salt treatment, including proteins annotated in functional categories related to translation and nucleosome assembly functions, among others. Additionally, we identified Transcription factor proteins (TFs) and analyzed their likely Transcription factors-binding regulatory elements identifying target genes related to lipids metabolism and kinase functions, indicating possible regulatory pathways of lipids biosynthesis. Together these data can help understand regulatory nuclear mechanisms leading to an increase of lipids in the first 24h of salt stress 0.1M NaCl.

Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) are the most common type of genetic variation found in individual’s DNA sequences. SNPs can occur in both coding and non-coding regions of the genome and can affect gene expression, protein function, and disease susceptibility. In this systematic review we evaluate the influence of SNPs as a biomarker in the assessment of oral mucositis (OM) in head and neck cancer (HNC) patients. The study selection process involved screening 66 articles from different platforms, and after removing duplicates and excluding irrelevant articles, 23 articles were included for full-text evaluation. The main characteristics and findings of the selected articles are presented and discussed. We conclude that SNPs can be used as a reliable biomarker for the assessment of OM in HNC patients, and further research is needed to explore the potential of SNPs in personalized medicine for HNC treatment.

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

Since people spend most of their time in indoor environments, the objective of this work was to study indoor air quality perception and its effects on users’ thermal comfort. Based on previous data from a building with a central air-conditioning system and two mixed-mode buildings located in the humid subtropical climate of Florianópolis, southern Brazil, statistical analyses were performed. Each user subjective answer obtained through a questionnaire was combined with the corresponding environmental conditions – measured using microclimate stations, a portable thermo-anemometer and a CO2 analyser. Results showed that improvement in air quality was associated with the reduction of air temperature and humidity ratio. Also, there was a significant influence of thermal, air movement and humidity sensation and acceptability of air quality perception. Users felt more satisfied or neutral with air quality for being in thermal comfort, and not because of the CO2 level – which means that air quality perception is influenced by factors other than CO2. This study recommends the implementation of an air exchange device in split air-conditioners with air recirculation used in mixed-mode buildings in Brazil. It is important to provide suitable indoor ventilation to reduce pollutants concentration, ensure good air quality and prevent respiratory diseases.

Leishmaniasis is a group of neglected infectious, non-contagious diseases caused by parasites of the Leishmania genus which affects millions of people worldwide. The drugs available for its treatment, especially in cases of visceral leishmaniasis, are old, outdated, have serious side effects and in many cases are ineffective due to the emergence of resistant strains. In this context, the search for new candidates for more effective and safer drugs which can become new therapeutic alternatives is a constant need. In this work, 10 new chalcones were synthesized in high yields through Claisen-Schmidt condensation and were evaluated in vitro against Leishmania infantum promastigotes and amastigotes. CP04 and CP06 compounds were the most promising, respectively showing IC50 values = 13.64 ± 0.25 and 11.19 ± 0.22 against promastigotes, and IC50 = 18.92 ± 0.05 and 22.42 ± 0.05 against amastigotes. The compounds did not show cytotoxicity in erythrocytes, showing selectivity indexes greater than 74 and 90. Molecular docking studies carried out under the sterol 14-alpha demethylase (CYP-51) (PDB: 3L4D) and trypanothione reductase (PDB: 5EBK) enzymes from L. infantum evidenced the great affinity of the CP04 molecule for these targets, showing Moldock score values of -94.0758 and -50.5692 KJ/mol-1, with these values being much lower than the co-crystallized ligand energies. Molecular dynamics simulations demonstrated great stability of CP04 in its targets, thus indicating a real interaction possibility. Our findings confirm the potential that chalcones have as candidates for anti-leishmania drugs, and suggest that the CP04 compound may become a promising drug candidate to design and develop novel chalcone-based analogs for leishmaniosis therapy.

Objective: To investigate the correlation between engagement and quality of life at work in nursing professionals, from a public hospital in the interior of the state of São Paulo, Brazil, at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. Methods: Cross-sectional, descriptive, and correlational study, with nursing professionals, conducted between December 2020 and January 2021. We used the Brazilian versions of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale and the Walton Model scale. Results: The nursing professionals obtained a strong and positive correlation (r≥0.70) between the social integration domain of QWL and vigor dimension of work engagement (r=0.88; p=<0.001); moderate positive correlation (r≥0.40≤0.69) between QWL working conditions and vigor (r=0.40; p=<0.001), dedication (r=0.40; p=<0.001) and overall score (r=0.41; p=<0.001) of the work engagement. The correlations were positive and weak (r≤0.39) for the other domains of QWL and dimensions of work engagement. Conclusion: Professionals with satisfactory levels of quality of life tended to have higher levels of engagement at work. Professionals were strongly engaged and satisfied with their quality of life at work at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Aging is a complex process associated with tissue degeneration and an increased risk of age-related diseases. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of Terasen®, a nutraceutical containing standardized extracts of Euterpe oleracea, Myrciaria dubia, and purified oil of Bixa orellana and Astrocaryum aculeatum on the lifespan of Caenorhabditis elegans, a widely used model organism for aging research. The findings demonstrated that Terasen® exhibited significant antioxidant activity and influenced the feeding behavior of C. elegans, leading to a reduced pharyngeal pumping rate and a decreased number of offspring produced by treated individuals. Notably, Terasen® also displayed a remarkable ability to extend the lifespan of C. elegans. These findings suggest that Terasen® may possess promising anti-aging effects in vivo, warranting further investigation.

Dengue virus (DENV) and chikungunya virus (CHIKV) are reemergent arboviruses that are transmitted by mosquitoes of the Aedes genus. During the last several decades, these viruses have been responsible for millions of cases of infection and thousands of deaths worldwide. Therefore, several investigations were conducted over the past few years to find antiviral compounds for the treatment of DENV and CHIKV infections. One attractive strategy is the screening of compounds that target enzymes involved in the replication of both DENV and CHIKV. In this review, we describe advances in the evaluation of natural products targeting the enzymes involved in the replication of these viruses.

Acrylates and methacrylates are widely used, especially in the dental industry, but can cause adverse skin reactions. These compounds, including 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate, triethylene glycol dimethacrylate, and bisphenol A-glycidyl methacrylate, are strong contact irritants or allergens. Found in dental prostheses, composite resins, dentin bonding materials, and glass ionomers, they pose a higher risk of exposure for dental personnel. Clinically, acrylate allergies manifest as facial rashes, eczema with cracked skin on fingers (pulpitis), nail dystrophy, and periungual dermatitis. Recently, the highest frequency of allergic reactions to acrylates has shifted from dentistry to the beauty industry due to increased use in artificial nails, eyelashes, and hair extensions. This has led to greater sensitization. Acrylates are also used in medical applications, such as bone cement for orthopedic endoprostheses, soft contact lenses, hearing aids, histological preparations, and wound dressings, which can also cause allergic reactions. Severe dermatitis from surgical glue containing acrylates has been documented, and diabetic medical devices are potential sources of allergic contact dermatitis. Given the extensive use and prolonged skin contact of products containing acrylates and methacrylates, this review aims to present current knowledge and literature on reactions to these compounds across different industries.

Preliminaries Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) applications have recently emerged in Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) systems focusing mostly on vibration analysis. However, the SHM literature shows clearly that there is a lack of application regarding the combination of PZT (Lead Zirconate Titanate) based method and CNN. Likewise, applications using CNN along with the Electromechanical Impedance (EMI) technique applied to SHM systems are rare. To encourage this combination, an innovative SHM solution through the combination of the EMI-PZT and CNN is presented here. To accomplish this, the EMI signature is split into several parts followed by computing the Euclidean distances among them to form a RGB (red, green and blue) frame. As a result, we introduce a dataset formed from the EMI-PZT signals of 720 frames, encompassing a total of 4 types of structural conditions for each PZT. In a case study, the CNN-based method was experimentally evaluated using three PZTs glued onto an aluminum plate. The results reveal an effective pattern classification; yielding a 100% hit rate which outperforms other SHM approaches. Furthermore, the method needs only a small dataset for training the CNN, providing several advantages for industrial applications.

Dyslipidemia presents high levels of serum cholesterol, being characterized as a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, especially for the development of atherosclerosis. E. oleracea (OFEO), A. esculentus (OFAE), B. orellana (OFBO) and granulated (CHR) oils are rich in bioactive compounds with potential to treat changes in lipid metabolism. This study investigated the effects of treatments with oils from A. esculentus, E. oleracea, B. orellana and granules (Chronic SM®) on saturated fat-induced dyslipidemia Cocos nucifera L. The chromatographic profile showed the majority of unsaturated fatty acids in the tested oils. The quantification of tocotrienols and geranylgeraniol was obtained in OFBO and CHR. Treatments with OFEO, OFAE, OFBO and CHR were able to significantly reduce glycemia with p&gt;0.001, as well as hypertriglyceridemia, total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol, in addition to increasing HDL-cholesterol. The treatments inhibited the formation of atheromatous plaques in the vascular endothelium of the treated rats. The obtained results suggest that the OFEO, OFAE, OFBO and CHR groups have antidyslipidemic effects and antiatherogenic activity.

In the present study, we aimed to determine the antimicrobial resistance and genetic structure of a population of S. aureus recovered from transient and persistent intramammary infections and nares/muzzles. We investigated the antimicrobial resistance of 189 S. aureus strains using a broad antimicrobial susceptibility profile. Furthermore, 107 S. aureus isolates were strain-typed using staphylococcal protein-A (spa) typing. Here, a great proportion of strains exhibited multidrug resistance to antimicrobials, including resistance to critically important antimicrobials, although no methicillin-resistant S. aureus strains were found. Our study did not strengthen the idea that extramammary niches (i.e., nares/muzzles) are an important source for S. aureus. A discrepancy in the antimicrobial resistance between S. aureus strains isolated from nasal/muzzles and milk samples was observed. Furthermore, S. aureus isolates from transient and persistent IMIs did not differ by spa typing, suggesting that the persistence of bovine IMIs was determined by cow factors. Thus, the high level of multidrug-resistant S. aureus found in the two herds studied together with the predominance of a well udder-adapted S. aureus strain may contribute to the history of the high prevalence of mastitis caused by S. aureus, leading to great animal and public health concerns.

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

Marmosets from the Callithrix genus (six species) are anthropoids distributed in many Brazilian biomes, but anthropogenic pressure is a risk for hybridization and virtually the extinction of some species. Despite this, only a few data are available on reproductive ecology, which is a gap in understanding the physiological modulation of the socio-sexual behavior of free-ranging marmosets. In this study, we characterized fecal concentrations of progesterone, estrogens, and glucocorticoids of six breeding and non-breeding females from two groups of free-ranging C. penicillata, which is the species with the largest geographical distribution and most important in hybridization studies. The fecal progesterone was significantly higher in females who gave birth than non-breeding females, which was linked to reproductive status. The levels of fecal estrogens and glucocorticoids did not differ between breeding and non-breeding females. The data are according to the few studies on steroid values of free-ranging and captive marmosets. This study shows the concentrations of progesterone and glucocorticoids in free-ranging C. penicillata for the first time. Overall, the high levels of progesterone associated with pregnancy in free-ranging C. penicillata as well as levels of estrogens and glucocorticoids close to those reported for other species, suggest a conserved pattern of hormonal secretion between Callithrix species that have been studied in captivity.

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.

Cemeteries can be compared to landfills since their leachate, also known as necroleachate, can be transported and pollute groundwater, surface waters, and soils. In Brazil, the cemeteries management is the responsibility of states and municipalities, to ensure that they do not generate negative environmental impacts and risks to public health. This article aims to discuss Brazilian sanitary-environmental legislation relating to cemetery waste management. Among the Brazilian states, half have sanitary-environmental legislation for cemeteries, and between the municipalities, only 19 have specific legislation. The legislation is broad and has many gaps, leading to environmental vulnerability and risk of contamination for the people who live in the surrounding area.

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.

Most Neotropical Psittacidae have a diploid number of 2n=70, and a dichotomy in chromosome patterns. Long-tailed species have biarmed macrochromosomes, while short - tailed ones have telo/acrocentric macrochromosomes. However, the use of chromosome painting with chicken and white hawk probes has demonstrated that karyotype evolution in Psittacidae includes a high number of inter/intrachromosomal rearrangements. Hence, to determine the phylogeny of Long and Short-Tailed species, and to propose a putative ancestral karyotype for this group, we constructed homology maps of Pyrrhura frontalis (PFR) and Amazona aestiva (AAE) and compared them to other previously analyzed long-tailed species. Chromosomes were analyzed by conventional staining and fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) using whole chromosome paints of G. gallus (GGA) and L. albicollis (LAL). Conventional staining showed a karyotype with 2n=70 in both species, with biarmed macrochromosomes in Pyrrhura frontalis and telo/acrocentric chromosomes in Amazona aestiva. Comparison of the results with the putative avian ancestral karyotype (PAK) showed fusions in P. frontalis of PAK1p/PAK4q (PFR1) and PAK6/PAK7 (PFR6) with a paracentric inversion in PFR6. However, in A. aestiva there was only the fusion between PAK6/7 (AAE7) with a paracentric inversion. Hybridizations with LAL probes confirmed these results. The results indicate that PFR retained a more basal karyotype than Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus (AHY), Ara macao (AMA) and Ara chloropterus (ACH), because these three species show the fusion PAK8/PAK9 that is not seen in PFR. Hence, we suggest that the ancestral karyotype of species with biarmed chromosomes have the fusions PAK1p/PAK4 and PAK6/PAK7 and, additionally, a pericentric inversion of PAK6/PAK7, while the fusion PAK8/PAK9 would have appeared in the common ancestor of Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus, Ara macao and Ara chloropterus. However, the species A. aestiva shows a characteristic plesiomorphic trait, since PAK1p/PAK4q and PAK8/9 fusions are absent. Our results base on chromosome rearrangements suggest the classification following the criterium of tail length may no reflect the real phylogenetic history of Neotropical Psittacidae.

Considering the health benefits of the kombucha, already widely studied, the objective of the study was to development of the beverage with the addition of infusion of special arabica coffee from the first fermentation varying the proportion of special coffee (2% a 13%) and evaluate the pH, volatile acidity, degree of alcohol, centesimal composition, sodium contents, colour parameters as like acceptability of the beverages. With respect to the pH, all the formulations conformed with the kombucha identity standard, but K3 and K4 were below the established minimum for volatile acidity. Except for K4, all the other formulations were classified as alcoholic kombuchas, although the values were very close to the limit for non-alcoholic. The formulations presented low sugar and sodium content, which corroborated the low caloric value. Therefore, coffee-flavored kombucha fermented for 18 days becomes an option for consumers looking for low-calorie, refreshing and healthy drinks. The luminosity of the beverages decreased as the proportion of coffee increased, and consequently the values for a* and b* increased, indicating a strong tendency for a yellowish red colour. Sensorially, the formulations K4 and K3 were the most well accepted in all respects and can therefore be considered formulations with high commercialization potential.

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

The implementation of management systems has become a strategic advantage in achieving business goals, especially in industrial organizations, but the implementation of social responsibility requirements is especially ethical. Large multinational companies have long been developing and, in particular, implementing their own codes of conduct, which include their suppliers, to demonstrate their commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). The compliance with CSR requirements from stakeholders is thus extended or intertwined with requirements in established management systems (MSs). The objectives of the study were to (1) analyze the different approaches to CSR in internationally recognized cross-industry and industry-specific standards and codes in different industries; (2) select the most appropriate framework for assessing the degree of applicability of CSR in the selected management systems and develop a methodology for its assessment; (3) apply the proposed methodology (referred to as SRIMS) in the selected areas: automotive industry, research organization, and metallurgical industry; (4) through ANOVA, validate its use for assessing the overall level of CSR applicability in an organization's established management systems. The application of the Bonferroni method confirmed the hypotheses that the developed SRIMS model is a sufficiently appropriate tool for assessing the overall level of applicability of CSR requirements to established MSs.

The objective of this work was to evaluate the roast time, weight loss and quality of coffee grain at four different roasting degrees, aiming to recognize and develop sustainable patterns to industrialize specialty coffees. Coffee (Coffea arabica L.), from eight producers, with scores between 80 and 83 from SCA classification, were used. Samples of 300 g were roasted in a cylindric rotative roaster, until the grains reached four different roasting profiles (Agtron scale 22.36, #33.64, #40.05, #59.92). Afterwards, analysis of roasting time, gas pressure, weight loss, and sensorial grades were accomplished. It was observed that samples roasted at #22.36 led to significant differences, regarding roasting time and weight loss. Furthermore, there is a significant difference at the sensorial grades of the coffee beverage. Comparing the roast degree #40.05 (standard used for specialty coffee) with the roast degree #22.36 (most used for commodities coffee), the first one has a gas consumption of 0.34 kg per coffee kg, whilst the second presented a gas consumption of 0.41 kg per coffee kg. Thus, from gas consumption, roast degree # 40.05 is the more sustainable option, along with the remaining parameters analyzed.

The physiological mechanisms that underlie the generation and maintenance of pain are diverse. There are afferent fibers that receive sensory information and transfer the information to the central nervous system. However, when trying to classify and determine their molecular characteristics, it becomes a difficult task due to the variety of markers that they share. With current technological advances, it is possible to specifically modulate the fibers that process pain signaling through optogenetics and chemogenetics. Nonetheless, to accomplish this aim it is necessary a specific identification of each neuron subtypes involved. This review addresses the molecular markers present in the nociceptive fibers responsible for sensory signals and the use of these molecular markers as optogenetics targets to modulate nociceptive behavior.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a cardiac arrhythmia caused by electrophysiological anomalies in the atrial tissue, tissue degradation, structural abnormalities, and comorbidities. A direct relation exists between AF and altered mitochondrial activity resulting from membrane potential loss, contractile dysfunction, or decreased ATP levels. This review aimed to elucidate the role of mitochondrial oxidative mechanisms in AF pathophysiology, the impact of mitochondrial oxidative stress on AF initiation and perpetuation, and current therapies. This review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis Extension for Scoping Reviews. PubMed, Excerpta Medica Database, and Scopus were explored until June 2023 using "MESH terms." Bibliographic references from relevant papers were also included. Oxidative stress is an imbalance that causes cellular damage from excessive oxidation, resulting in conditions such as AF. An imbalance in reactive oxygen species production and elimination can cause mitochondrial damage, cellular apoptosis, and cardiovascular diseases. Oxidative stress and inflammation are intrinsically linked, and inflammatory pathways are highly correlated with the occurrence of AF. AF is an intricate cardiac condition that requires innovative therapeutic approaches. The involvement of mitochondrial oxidative stress in the pathophysiology of AF introduces novel strategies for clinical treatment.

One of the operational challenges for the use of bentonite pellets as a sealing material in the abandonment of offshore fields consists in their disposition inside the well. This study aims to analyze the interaction of fluid media, consisting of saline solutions (NaCl, CaCl2 and KCl) and organic compounds (diesel, glycerin and olefin), with bentonite pellets, aiming its application as displacement fluid in offshore oil well abandonment operations. The physical integrity of the bentonite pellets in contact with the fluids was verified through visual inspections and dispersibility tests. Linear swelling tests were also performed to evaluate the potential for swelling of pellets in deionized water after contact with the fluid media. The results indicated that NaCl, CaCl2 and KCl solutions completely compromise the physical integrity of the pellets, while diesel and olefin showed the best responses regarding the structural preservation. Futhermore, the linear swelling tests showed that, even after the contact with diesel and olefin for 1 hour, bentonite pellets have reached a total swelling in water of 78%, after 24 hours. In this way, diesel and olefin proved to be highly promising alternatives to be used as displacement fluids for bentonite pellets in wells to be abandoned in a submarine environment.

This work aimed to carry out a bioremediation study to evaluate the resistance of Penicillium sp. isolated from kefir grains for the treatment of copper. The fungal culture medium was prepared using a 2% malt-agar medium at pH 7.0 in which Penicillium sp. was inoculated. Penicillium sp. growing in a liquid medium showed a decrease in biomass in presence of Cu(NO3)2 (800 mg.L-1), suggesting that the metal impacts the growth rate of the fungus. Moreover, the combined factors of pH and the presence of the inorganic contaminant impacted the radial growth of the fungus, causing inhibition of 73% at pH 4.0, 75% at pH 7.0, and 77% at pH 9.0 in liquid medium compared to control. However, images obtained with scanning electron microscopy showed the integrity of the fungus cell, even at high doses of copper in the medium. Therefore, it can be concluded that Penicillium sp. isolated from kefir grain can bioremediate the environment and that the harmful effects of heavy metals can be minimized as a result biosorption. Although the growth of Penicillium sp. is inhibited, such retardation requires high doses of copper nitrate, thus ensuring the use of this microorganism for protection against the harmful effects of non-essential copper in the environment.

Background: COVID-19 infection has received the attention of the scientific community due its respiratory manifestations and association with evolution to severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV-2). There are few studies characterizing SARS-CoV-2 in pediatric immunocompromised patients, such as liver transplanted (LT) patients.The aim of this study was to analyze the outcomes of the larger cohort of pediatric liver transplant recipients (PLTR) from a single center in Brazil who where contaminated with COVID-19 during the pandemic. Methods: Cross-sectional study. Primary outcomes: COVID-19 severity. The Cox regression method was used to determine independent predictors associated with the outcomes. Results: 74 PLTR were included. Patients were divided into two groups according to the severity of COVID-19 disease: moderate-severe COVID and asymptomatic-mild COVID. Patients categorized as moderate-severe COVID were younger (12.6 months vs. 82.1 months, p 0.03), higher prevalence of transplantation with deceased donor (50% vs. 4.3%, p 0.02) and with a higher prevalence of COVID-infected patients before 6 months after LT (75% vs. 5.7%, p 0.002). The independent predictor of COVID-19 severity identified in the multivariate analysis was COVID-19 infection < 6 months after LT (HR=0.001, 95% CI=0.001-0.67, p 0.03). Conclusion: The time interval of less than 6 months between COVID-19 infection and LT was the only predictor of disease severity in pediatric patients.

Background: To describe epidemiological characteristics and perform a SARS-CoV-2 genomic surveillance in the southeastern region of São Paulo state. Methods: During the first months of 2022, we compared weekly SARS-CoV-2 infection prevalence considering age, Ct value and variants lineages. Results: An increase in the number of SARS-CoV-2 positive cases until the fourth epidemiological week were observed. From the 4th epidemiological week onwards, the number of tests for SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis began to decrease, but the number of positive samples for SARS-CoV-2 remained high, reaching its most expressive level with a rate of 60% of infected individual cases. In this period, we observed a growing increase in SARS-CoV-2 infection within the age group 0-10 throughout the epidemiological weeks, from 2.8% in the 1st epidemiological week to 9.2% in the 8th epidemiological week. We further observed significantly higher Ct values within younger patients samples compared to other older age groups. According to lineage assignment, SARS-CoV-2 (BA.1) was the most prevalent (74.5%) in the younger group, followed by BA.1.1 (23%), BA.2 (1.7%) and Delta (1%). Phylogenetic analysis showed that BA.2 sequences clustered together, indicating sustained transmission of this Omicron VOC sublineage by that time. Our results suggest the initial dissemination steps of the Omicron’s sublinage BA.2 into the younger group, due specific genomic features of the detected sequences. Conclusion: These data provide interesting results related to the spread, emerging and evolution of the Omicron variant in the Southeast Brazilian population.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the drying kinetics of the mass of jambu leaves and mass of jambu leaves in foam mat at different temperatures (50, 60 and 70 °C and thickness of 1.0 cm). The physicochemical characterization of the materials was performed before and after drying. Twelve different drying models were fitted to the drying kinetics data and the thermodynamic properties were calculated. The physicochemical parameters for the mass of leaves and foam after drying were moisture content from 2 to 7%, ash from 13 to 17%, protein content from 22 to 30%, lipids from 0.6 to 4% and total titratable acidity from 0.20 to 0.28% of tartaric acid. Wang & Singh and Midilli models were recommended for describing the drying kinetics. The use of foam mat promoted higher values of effective diffusion coefficient and activation energy and lower values of enthalpy and entropy, thus enhancing the reduction of drying time.

The structure of wound dressing materials presents one of the most relevant characteristics for effective skin tissue repair. Electrospinning is a common technique used to produce polymeric fibres that can mimic fibrillar disposition of skin extracellular matrix, favouring cell migration, and thus regeneration of the damaged tissue. Moreover, beads, also known as by-products of electrospinning, have potential as reservoirs for sustained drug release. Processing parameters, such as molecular weight and viscosity of the polymer solution, can affect the desirable morphologies of electrospun films. Thereby, this work had the purpose of producing and characterized electrospun polycaprolactone (PCL) mats loaded with propolis, a popular extract in traditional medicine with potential for skin repair aid. Films with different morphologies were obtained depending on the storage period of the solution prior to the lectrospinning, probably due to the PCL hydrolysis. FTIR analyses of the extract confirmed propolis composition. GPC and viscosity analyses demonstrated that the decrease in molar mass over the storage period was responsible for nanostructure diversity. Propolis acts as a lubricant agent, affecting the spun solutions' viscosity and the thermal properties and hydrophilicity of the films. All films are within the value range of the water vapour transpiration rate of the commercial products. The presence of beads did not affect the propolis release pattern. However, "in vitro" wound healing assay showed that propolis-loaded films composed by beaded fibres increased the cell migration process. Thus, it can be inferred that these films presented the potential for wound dressing application.

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

Breast cancer represents the most common neoplasm worldwide. Viral infections are involved with carcinogenesis, especially those caused by oncogenic Human Papillomavirus (HPV) genotypes. The relationship between HPV and various types of cancer, such as breast and lung, still requires further studies. After infection with HPV, there is a remodeling of the tumor microenvironment, providing a post-infection alteration with immunosuppressive characteristics. This study evaluated the role of HPV in breast adenocarcinoma cell lineage (MDA-MB-231), transfected with the HPV16 E5, E6, and E7 oncogenes and co-cultured with PBMCs. Immunophenotyping was performed. There was an increase in CD4+ T cells number when compared with non-transfected and transfected MDA-MB-231, especially the Treg profile. Moreover, proinflammatory intracellular cytokines, such as IFN-γ, TNF-α, and IL-17 were impaired by transfected cells and a decrease in the cytolytic ac-tivity of the CD8+ and CD56+ lymphocytes was also observed in the presence of HPV oncogenes, mainly with E6 and E7 in NK and TCD8+ cells. In conclusion, MDA-MB-231 breast cell lineage transfected with HPV oncogenes can downregulate the number and function of lymphocytes and monocytes.

The use of privileged scaffolds as starting point for the construction of libraries of bioactive compounds is a widely used strategy in drug discovery and development. Scaffold decoration, morphing and hopping are additional techniques that allow to modify the privileged framework chosen and better explore the chemical space around it. In this study, two series of highly functionalized pyrimidine and pyridine derivatives were synthesized by scaffold morphing approach of triazine compounds obtained previously as antiviral agents. Newly synthesized azines were evaluated against lymphoma, hepatocarcinoma, and colon epithelial carcinoma cells showing in five cases acceptable to good anticancer activity associated to low cytotoxicity on healthy fibroblasts. Finally, ADME in vitro studies were conducted on the best derivatives of the two series showing good passive permeability and resistance to metabolic degradation.

Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and antioxidants are important mediators in the central nervous system (CNS). Lipid derivatives may be used to generate endocannabinoids or prostanoids derived from arachidonic acid, which attenuates excitotoxicity in quadripartite synapses with a focus in astrocytes and microglia; on the other hand, antioxidants, such as glutathione (GSH) and ascorbate, have been shown to signal through transmitter receptors and protect against acute and chronic oxidative stress, modulating the activity of different signaling pathways. Several authors have investigated the role of these nutrients in young and senescent brain, as well as in degenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson's diseases. Through literature review, we aimed to highlight recent data on the role of fatty acids, antioxidants and physical activity in physiology and in molecular mechanisms of brain senescence. Data indicate the complexity and essentiality of endogenous/dietary antioxidants for maintenance of the redox status and control of neuroglial signaling under stress. Recent studies also indicate that omega-3 and -6 fatty acids act in a competitive manner to generate mediators for energy metabolism, feeding behavior, plasticity and memory mechanisms throughout aging. Finding pharmacological or dietary resources that mitigate or prevent neurodegenerative affections continues to be a great challenge and require additional efforts from researchers, clinicians and nutritionists in the field.

Supply Chain Management (SCM) encompasses a wide variety of decision-making problems that affect business and supply chain performance as a whole. Since most of these problems involve uncertainty and hesitation on the part of Decision Makers (DMs), various studies have emerged recently that present SCM applications of techniques based on Hesitant Fuzzy Linguistic Term Sets (HFLTSs) and HFLTS extensions. Given the relevance of this subject and the lack of literature review studies, this study presents a systematic review of HFLTS and HFLTS extension applications to SCM decision-making problems. In order to answer a set of research questions, the selected papers have been classified in accordance with a group of factors that are pertinent to the origins of these studies, SCM, HFLTSs, and decision-making. The results demonstrate that the Source and Enable processes have been studied with greater frequency, while the most common problems have to do with supplier selection, failure evaluation, and performance evaluation. The companies of the automotive sector and Sustainable SCM and Green SCM strategies predominate in the analyzed studies. Even though most of the studies use techniques based on HFLTSs, we have identified applications of seven distinct HFLTS extensions, with Double Hierarchy Hesitant Fuzzy Linguistic Term Sets and Probabilistic Linguistic Term Sets being the most utilized. The identification of gaps in the literature presents avenues for future studies focused on innovative applications, integrations of techniques, comparisons of techniques, group decision-making, and validation procedures for new models. The results of this study offer a panorama of the state of the art in regard to this subject and can help researchers and practitioners develop new studies which involve the use of methods that employ HFLTSs and HFLTS extensions in SCM decision-making problems.

There is a growing trend among consumers to seek out natural foods and products with natural ingredients. This shift in consumer preferences had a direct impact on both food and pharmaceutical industries, leading to a focus of scientific research and commercial efforts to meet these new demands. The aim of this work is to review recent available scientific data on foods of interest, such as artichoke, gooseberry, and polygonoideae plants, as well as olive oil and red raspberries. Interestingly, the urgency of solutions to the climate change emergency has brought new attention to by-products of grapevine bunch stem and cane, which have been found to contain bioactive compounds with potential health benefits. There is a pressing need for a faster process of translating scientific knowledge from the laboratory to real-world applications, especially in the face of the increasing societal burden associated to non-communicable diseases (NCDs), environmental crises, the post-pandemic world, and ongoing violent conflicts around the world.

Despite the efforts made to stop the tuberculosis (TB) epidemic, it still remains one of the leading causes of death from an infectious disease. Previous work in the group uncovered a new family of amides which showed promising activities against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. A closer look at the literature showed that these compounds are structurally related to the DNB family of DprE1 inhibitors, so, we decided to study a wide range of substituted amides and determine their activity, focusing on unexplored structures related to the dinitrobenzamides (DNB) found in the literature. To synthesize our library of compounds we started from 3,5-dinitrobenzoic acid to form the nitroaromatic core that is characteristic of the DNB’s, to which we then added linear or cyclic amine moieties. Additionally, the impact of terminal aromatic moieties was also assessed for some derivatives, via an ether, ester, or amide bond. In order to obtain the desired derivatives, multiple synthetic approaches were used, mainly focused on nucleophilic addition/elimination reactions, SN2 reactions and Mitsunobu reactions. The activity was impacted mainly by two structural features, the addition of an aromatic moiety as a terminal group and the type of the linker. The most interesting compounds exhibited activities comparable to isoniazid and DNB1. Computational studies were also performed aimed at understanding their possible interactions with DprE1. The most active compounds are a good starting point for further development, and we plan to study an extended family of compounds based in those structures.

The high protein content of several microalgal species makes them attractive and unconventional for applications in the food and pharmaceutical industries. Due to microalgae's robust cell wall, cell rupture is necessary to improve the extraction of their intracellular proteins. Thus, choosing a suitable cell-breaking treatment before protein extraction is a vital downstream processing step. Additionally, it is necessary to use an effective technique for monitoring and measuring the impact of rupture treatments on microalgal cell walls. In our study, Tetradesmus obliquus cells were disrupted by three different mechanical rupture methods: high-pressure homogenization (HPH), ultrasound (US), and ball milling (BM). The ruptured biomass cells were counted, and soluble proteins were extracted and quantified. The cell counting technique did not detect differences between intact and damaged cells after BM treatment because the dye (erythrosine B) did not permeate the microalgae biomass accurately. The US treatment promoted the highest yield of total protein extraction (19.95%). The yields of protein extraction of T. obliquus with HPH (15.68%) and BM (14.11%) were significantly (p value ≤ 0.05) lower than that achieved in the US treatment. The increase in the number of extraction steps increased the protein recovery. Thus, the content of extracted soluble protein was a reliable indirect index for a quantitative comparison of the cell disruption level.

CETP activity reduces plasma HDL-cholesterol concentrations, a correlate of increased risk of atherosclerotic events. However, our recent findings suggest that CETP expression in macrophages promotes an intracellular antioxidant state, reduces free cholesterol accumulation and phagocytosis, and attenuates pro-inflammatory gene expression. To determine whether CETP expression in macrophages affects atherosclerosis development, we transplanted bone marrow from transgenic mice expressing simian CETP or non-expressing littermates into hypercholesterolemic LDL receptor deficient mice. CETP expression did not change lipid-stained lesion areas but decreased macrophage content (CD68), neutrophil accumulation (LY6G) and aorta content of young male transplanted mice and decreased LY6G, TNF-α, iNOS and nitrotyrosine (3-NT) in aged female transplanted mice. These findings suggest that CETP expression in bone marrow-derived cells reduces inflammatory features of atherosclerosis. These novel mechanistic observations may help explain the failure of CETP inhibitors to reduce atherosclerotic events in humans.

Fusarium wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (Foc) is one of the most destructive diseases in banana farming worldwide. Knowledge of the factors of genetic diversity and virulence of the pathogen contributes to the development of resistant cultivars and in management strategies based on exclusion. In this study, phenotypic traits such as virulence and aggressiveness in a sample of 52 Foc isolates, were analyzed and their relationship to the presence of putative effectors of gene SIX (Secreted in Xylem) pathogenicity homologues, verified. According to the dissimilarity matrix, there were three isolates closest to the standard Foc race 1 strain. Isolates 229A and 218A, were selected according to their aggressiveness profile in 'Grand Naine' and 'Prata-Anã', respectively, I order to replace the standard isolate of race 1 in the resistance screening process carried out by the breeding program. Two homologues of the SIX8 gene, SIX8a and SIX8b, are present in isolates of Foc from Brazil and the SIX8b gene correlates with avirulence in the cultivar ‘Grand Naine’ (Cavendish). These results are important to support the banana genetic breeding program by identification of sources of resistance to Foc and contribute in the establishment of the function of SIX effector proteins.

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.

Cigarette smoke (CS) is a major driver of many respiratory diseases including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Tobacco causes oxidative stress, impaired phagocytosis of alveolar macrophages (AMs), and alterations in gene expression in the lungs of smokers. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that influence several bi-ological processes and interfere with several regulatory pathways. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of active CS on miRNAs expression in AMs obtained from bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) of ever- or never-smoker subjects and patients with COPD or NSCLC. BAL specimens were collected from 43 sex-matched subjects to determine the expression of has-miR-34a-5p, 17-5p, 16-5p, 106a-5p, 223-5p, and 20a-5p before and after in vitro CS exposure by RT-PCR. In addition, bioin-formatic analysis of miRNAs target genes linked to inflammation was performed. Distinct and common miRNA expression profiles were identified in response to CS, suggesting their possible role in smoking-related diseases. It is noteworthy that, following exposure to CS, the expression levels of hsa-miR-34a-5p and 17-5p in both ever- or never-smokers, 106a-5p in never-smokers and 20a-5p in ever-smokers, shifted towards those found in individuals with COPD, suggesting them like a risk factor in developing this lung condition. Moreover, we identified miRNA targets involved in the immune system or AMs property regulation using in silico analysis. In conclusion, our study iden-tified miRNA signatures in AMs exposed to CS, indicating that CS is an important driver of epige-netic changes that contribute to the onset of various lung diseases.

Abstract: The objective of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the factors associated with mortality of elderly Italians diagnosed with the new coronavirus who resided in institutions or who were hospitalized as a result of the disease. Methods: A systematic review following the recommenda-tions of The Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI), where the PEO strategy was utilized - Population, Exposure and Outcome. P, being the elderly over 65 years old. E, the SARS-CoV_2 pandemic. O, mortality. The NCBI / PubMed, LILACS, EMBASE and CINAHL databases were used until July 31, 2020.; Results: Five Italian studies were included in the meta-analysis, with the number of elderly people varying between 18 and 1591 patients. The main morbidities presented by the elderly in the studies were: dementia, diabetes, chronic kidney disease and hypertension. Conclusions: The factors as-sociated with the mortality of elderly Italian people diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 who lived in in-stitutions or who were hospitalized because of the disease were evaluated. It was found that de-mentia, diabetes, chronic kidney disease and hypertension are the main the main diagnosed dis-eases for mortality in elderly people with Covid-19.

Knowing the spatial variability of factors that influence crop yield is essential to carry out a localized treatment. The present study aimed to map the spatial variability of apparent soil electrical conductivity (ECa) in two cultivation areas, delimit management zones (MZ), characterize the soil density (Sd) at two depths, in each MZ, and assess whether the delimitation of MZ, based on the spatial variability of ECa, was able to identify regions of the productive field with different Sd. Spatial variability of ECa was detected. MZ with the highest mean value of ECa also presented the highest mean values of Sd. The highest Sd values were observed for the 0.1 – 0.2 m layer, regardless of the studied area. Regardless of granulometry, the proposed method was able to detect density differences from ECa. The delimitation of MZ, based on the spatial variability of ECa mapping, was able to differentiate the mean values of Sd between MZ 1 (1.53 g cm-3) and MZ 2 (1.67 g cm-3) in the Area A, in the 0.1 – 0.2 m layer. A statistical difference was observed for the mean values of Sd, in MZ 1, layer 0.1 - 0.2 m, when comparing the two study areas: A (1.53 g cm-3) and B (1.64 g cm-3). We suggest that further studies should be carried out, as the mapping of the spatial variability of the apparent soil electrical conductivity showed potential in the differentiation of soil bulk density at different depths.

Free-range sloths living in an urban environment is rare. In this study, human opinions, attitudes and interactions with a population of Bradypus variegatus in a public square were investigated. A questionnaire was applied to people in the square where the sloths reside, and informal, opportunistic observations of human-sloth interactions were made. 95% of respondents knew of the sloths’ existence in the square and 87.8% likes their presence. Opinions about population size differed greatly and younger people were concerned if the square was appropriate place for them. Some human-sloth interactions showed the consequence of lack of biological knowledge. People initiated all sloth-human interactions. The fact that sloths are strictly folivorous has limited their interactions with humans and consequently minimised negative impact of the human-animal interaction on their wellbeing. These results demonstrate that while there is a harmonious relationship between people and sloths, actions in environmental education of the square’s public could be beneficial for the sloths.

Introduction: activation of soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC) in smooth muscle vascular is able to induces vasodilation. The chronic activation of sGC was able to improves vascular function in congestive heart failure animal model. Thus, activation of sGC can be a way to vasodilation and improvement in endothelial function. Objective: Investigate whether the selective activator of sGC can revert the endothelial dysfunction, and investigate the mechanism of action. Methods: Normotensive (2K) and hypertensive (2K-1C) wistar rats were used. Intact aortic rings were placed in a myograph and incubated with atacicguat 0.1 µM during 30 min. Cumulative concentration-effect curves to acetylcholine (Ach) were performed to measure the endothelial function. The pD2 and maximum relaxant effect (Emax) was measured to Ach. In endothelial cell culture, the detection of superoxide anion (O2•-) was made by using fluorescent probes, including DHE and lucigenin. Results: Ataciguat improved the relaxation induced by acetylcholine in 2K-1C(pD2: 6.99 ±0.08, n=6) compared to control(pD2: 6.43±0.07, n=6, p<0.05), also improved in aortic rings from 2K(pD2: 7.04±0.13, n=6), compared to control(pD2: 6.59±0.07, n=6, p<0.05). Also, Emax was improved by ataciguat treatment in the 2K-1C aorta (Emax: 81.0±1.0; n=6), and 2K aorta (Emax: 92.98±1.83; n=6), compared to control (Emax 2K-1C: 52.14 ±2.16, n=6; and Emax 2K: 76.07±4.35, n=6, p<0.05). In endothelial cell culture, treatment with ataciguat (0.1, 1 and 10 µM) decreased the superoxide anion formation induced by angiotensin II. Conclusions: our results suggest that ataciguat were able to improve endothelial function by superoxide anion inactivation.

The objective of this study was to apply simulation and computational intelligence techniques using artificial intelligence and genetic algorithm for economic and environmental optimization of the reverse network (manufacturers, waste managers and recyclers in São Paulo, Brazil) of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) to promote circular economy. For the economic evaluation, the reduction of: fuel, drivers, insurance, depreciation, maintenance and charges was considered and for the environmental evaluation, the environmental impact was measured in the abiotic, biotic, water, land, air and greenhouse gases compartments. It is concluded that the optimized structure of the WEEE reverse chain for São Paulo, Brazil reduced the number of collections, making the most of the cubage. It also generated economic and environmental gains, contributing to the strategic actions of the circular economy. Thus, the proposed simulation allows replication in organizational practice, mainly to meet the 2030 agenda on reducing the carbon footprint generated in transport in large cities. Thus, this study can guide companies on structuring the reverse WEEE chain in São Paulo, Brazil for economic and environmental optimization, a relevant aspect considering the exponential generation of WEEE, requiring the implementation of the national solid waste policy, and subsequently the signature of the electronics sector agreement in São Paulo.

An explanation of the origin of dark matter is suggested in this work. The argument is based on symmetry considerations about the concept of mass. In the Wigner's view, the rest mass and the spin of a free elementary particle in flat space-time are the two invariants that characterize the associated unitary irreducible representation of the Poincar\'e group. The Poincar\'e group has two and only two deformations with maximal symmetry. They describe respectively the de Sitter (dS) and Anti de Sitter (AdS) kinematic symmetries. Analogously to their shared flat space-time limit, two invariants, spin and energy scale for de Sitter and rest energy for Anti de Sitter, characterize the unitary irreducible representation associated with dS and AdS elementary systems. While the dS energy scale is a simple deformation of the Poincaré rest energy and so has a purely mass nature, AdS rest energy is the sum of a purely mass component and a kind of zero-point energy derived from the curvature. An analysis based on recent estimates on the chemical freeze-out temperature marking in Early Universe the phase transition quark-gluon plasma epoch to the hadron epoch supports the guess that dark matter energy might originate from an effective AdS curvature energy.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) following surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB-AKI) is common in pediatrics. Urinary liver-type fatty acid binding protein (uL-FABP) increases in some kidney diseases and may indicate CPB-AKI earlier than current methods. The aim of this systematic review with meta-analysis was to evaluate the potential role of uL-FABP in early predicting CPB-AKI. Databases Pubmed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched on November 12th, 2023, using the MeSH terms “Children”, “CPB”, “L-FABP”, and “Acute Kidney Injury”. Included papers were revised. AUC values from similar studies were pooled by meta-analysis, performed using random- and fixed-effect models, with p