This paper aims to propose a new approach of territorial competitiveness assessment revisited from the resource-based view, as the combination of location-specific resources and capabilities can improve the territorial socio-economic development. A territorial competitiveness index is calculated in order to assess the potential of renewable energy sources to improve the sustainable development in islands. Different sources of information and methodologies have been employed to measure the variables included in the model, thus ensuring a rigorous process in the index calculation. In order to quantify the basic resources, for example, a methodology based on a multicriteria analysis (MCA) with geographic information system (GIS) is suggested, with the objective of obtaining an indicator called index of available territorial resources. This index synthesizes the map information through a numerical value that allows integrating the territorial resource with other indicators of the model. The results of the study show that capability development is a key factor to better exploit the territorial resource endowment in order to achieve a competitive advantage.

A method based on ultra performance liquid chromatography with diode array detector (UPLC-DAD) was developed for quantitative analysis of five active compounds and chemical fingerprint analysis of Rosa rugosa. Ten batches of Rosa rugosa collected from different plantations in the Xinjiang region of China were used to establish the fingerprint. The feasibility and advantages of the used UPLC fingerprint were verified for its similarity evaluation by systematically comparing chromatograms with professional analytical software recommended by State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) of China. In quantitative analysis, the five compounds showed good regression (R²=0.999 5) within the test ranges and the recovery of the method was in the range of 94.2–103.8%. The similarities of the fingerprints of 10 batches of the samples were more than 0.981. The developed UPLC fingerprint method is simple, reliable and validated for the quality control and identification of Rosa rugosa. Additionally, simultaneous quantification of five major bioactive ingredients in the Rosa rugosa samples was conducted to interpret the consistency of the quality test. The results indicated that the UPLC fingerprint as a characteristic distinguishing method combining similarity evaluation and quantification analysis, can be successfully used to assess the quality and to identify the authenticity of Rosa rugosa.

The understanding of the issues that affect the training of information professionals requires reflection on the impact of Digital Information and Communication Technologies in the current working world, characterized by the rupture of the notion of space / time and the crossing of jurisdictions and professional boundaries, where dilemmas pedagogies to qualify these professionals considering future perspectives. It was based on the assumption that "studies of graduates" are subsidies for the evaluation of the educational system in face of the demands of in the labor market, helping in the progression of the researches in information, education and work. The objective was to map the results obtained in the studies of graduates promoted in the postgraduate and undergraduate courses in Information Science and Librarianship to verify if the demands pointed out in the surveys with graduates are in line with the studies of Education and Training, the orientations of the National Curricular Guidelines (DCN) and the regulatory actions of the Federal Library Board (CFB). The sample consisted of 45 studies published in CI journals on their associated areas, in the Brazilian context, from 2000 to 2018, of which only 10 articles related to the Library Sciences were considered for the qualitative analysis of this initial phase. to enable a comparative analysis between the proposals of the DCN, the critical analysis of the academic area of ​​CI in the studies on education and professional formation (pedagogical projects and curricula) and the orientations of the class councils. The results were categorized according to the reflection of the graduates about their education, the experience of education, vision about professional practice and the labor market; and followed the structure of the DCN axes: profile; skills and abilities; curricular contents, internships and complementary activities; course structure and institutional evaluation. Prevalence of studies on the identification of graduates (gender, age group, employment and work place) was predominant; few focused on salary aspects; and there were no questions about cultural habits or perceptions about changes in the world of work. Results on issues related to job placement and employability have indicated the need to expand the range of possibilities that go beyond traditional information units and the importance of internships for understanding new virtual work spaces. The dimension of the academic formation was evaluated questioning the compatibility of the disciplines with the demands of the labor market and the satisfaction of the graduates with the course and profession, being indicated as more important contents for the professional life the more technical disciplines and that characterize the course of Librarianship, complemented by those related to management; and with less relevance to the language subjects; marketing; statistic; information and information technology, as opposed to the flexibility proposed by the DCN, adopted after 2002. It is concluded that the process has been guided by isolated initiatives, and that the collective debate involving university and the professional world lacks actions for the construction of dialogue, which may result in the definition of pedagogical and curricular projects suited to the demands of graduates in their regions of origin and demands of the world of work.

The use of nitrogen fertilizers can be a source of environmental pollution; the use of or-ganomineral fertilizers can become a nutritional source for crops, ensuring sustainability in the production system. Another alternative approach is through the inoculation and co-inoculation of microorganisms. The objective was to evaluate the development, nutrition, and agronomic yield of common bean through fertilization with organomineral formula "FMO" derived from sewage sludge biosolids, combined with Rhizobium tropici inoculation and co-inoculation with Azospirillum brasilense techniques. Three bean cultivars from different commercial groups, Pérola, BRS Esteio, and BRS Pitanga, were tested. They were subjected to organomineral fertilizer application, orga-nomineral fertilizer application combined with seed inoculation with R. tropici and re-inoculation; seed co-inoculation with R. tropici + A. brasilense prior to sowing, and foliar re-inoculation with R. tropici + A. brasilense. Seed inoculation, combined with foliar re-inoculation at the V4 stage, resulted in higher productivity of common bean. The combination of R. tropici with co-inoculation with A. brasilense generally led to increased productivity compared to mineral nitrogen fertilization. The use of organomineral fertilizer alone enabled gains in development, as well as productivity. The Pérola bean cultivar showed better adaptation to the applied treatments.

The adoption of harmful postures due to a sedentary lifestyle, which involves long periods at work in offices, is a factor that exacerbates musculoskeletal risks. To examine these risks, there are numerous postures analysis methods, such as Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA) and Rapid Office Strain Assessment (ROSA). RULA is a consolidated method to evaluate the exposure of individual workers to ergonomic risk factors associated with upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders. In turn, ROSA is a more recent method that quantifies exposure to risk factors in an office work environment. This research aims to identify whether there is harmony between these two methods, ROSA and RULA. Through applied research, from a qualitative perspective, the scientific procedures adopted were direct observation and ROSA and RULA postural assessment instruments. The study was conducted in the radiology service and focused on the outpatient reception workstation. Results indicated that further investigation must occur to make working conditions changes as soon as possible and that both methods are harmonic. As contributions of the analysis, we have discussed the working conditions and suggested improvements to reduce the risks of musculoskeletal morbidity symptoms. We recommend future studies aimed at measuring the levels of complementarity between these methods by quantitative approaches.

Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma (ARMS), an invasive subtype of Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), is associated with chromosomal translocation events resulting in one of two oncogenic fusion genes PAX3-FOXO1 or PAX7-FOXO1. ARMS patients exhibit an overexpression of the pleiotropic cytokine Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β). This overexpression of TGF-β1 causes an increased expression of a downstream transcription factor called SNAIL, which promotes Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition (EMT). Overexpression of TGF-β also inhibits myogenic differentiation, making ARMS patients highly resistant to chemotherapy. In this review, we first describe different types of RMS and then focus on ARMS and the impact of TGF-β in this tumor type. We next highlight current chemotherapy strategies including a combination of FDA approved drugs vincristine, actinomycin D, and cyclophosphamide (VAC), Cabozantinib, Bortezomib, Vinorelbine, AZD 1775 and cisplatin. Lastly, we discuss chemotherapy agents that target the differentiation of tumor cells in ARMS which include all trans retinoic acid (ATRA) and 5-Azacytidine. Improving our understanding of the role of signaling pathways, such as TGF-β1, in the development of ARMS tumor cells differentiation will help inform more tailored drug administration in the future.

Immunohistochemistry is a powerful technique, widely used in biomedical research and clinics, that allows to determine the expression levels of some proteins of interest in tissue samples by means of the intensity of color due to the expression of biomarkers using specific antibodies. As such, immunohistochemical images are complex and problematic to be quantified. Recently we proposed a novel method including a first separation stage based on nonnegative matrix factorization (NMF) that achieved good results. However, that method was highly dependent on sparseness and non-negativity parameter choice and on algorithm initialization. Furthermore, the previously proposed method needed a reference image as starting point for the NMF algorithm. In the present work, we propose a new, simpler and robust method for the automated unsupervised scoring of immunohistochemical images based on bright field. Our work is focused on images from tumor tissues marked with blue (nuclei) and brown (protein of interest). The new proposed method represents a simpler approach that, in one side, avoids the use of NMF for the separation stage, and in the other side, circumvents the need for a control image. This new approach determines the subspace spanned by the two colors of interest by means of principal component analysis (PCA) with dimension reduction. This subspace is a two-dimensional space, allowing the finding of color vectors by considering the peaks of density of points. The method also develops a new scoring stage by avoiding, again, reference images, making the procedure more robust and less dependent on the parameters. Experiments for the semi-quantitative scoring of images in five categories exhibit promising and consistent results when compared to manual scoring carried out by experts.

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

Terpenoids, including monoterpenoids (C₁₀), norisoprenoids (C₁₃) and sesquiterpenoids (C₁₅), constitute a large group of plant-derived naturally occurring secondary metabolites which chemical structure is highly diverse. A quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) model to predict the terpenoids toxicity and to evaluate the influences of their chemical structure, was developed in this study, by assessing the toxicity of 27 terpenoid standards using Gram-negative bioluminescent Vibrio fischeri, in real time. Under the test conditions, at concentration of 1 µM, the terpenoids showed a toxicity level lower than five %, with exception of geraniol, citral, (S)-citronellal, geranic acid, (±)-α-terpinyl acetate and geranyl acetone. Moreover, the standards tested displayed a toxicity level higher than 30 % at concentration of 50 to 100 µM, with the exception of (+)-valencene, eucalyptol, (+)-borneol, guaiazulene, β-caryophellene and linalool oxide. Regarding the functional group, the terpenoids toxicity was observed in the following order: alcohol > aldehyde ~ ketone > ester > hydrocarbons. CODESSA software was employed to develop the QSAR models based on the correlation of terpenoids toxicity and a pool of descriptors related to each chemical structure. The QSAR models, based on t-test values, showed that terpenoids toxicity was mainly attributed to geometric (e.g., asphericity) and electronic (e.g., max partial charge for a C atom [Zefirov's PC]) descriptors. Statistically, the most significant overall correlation was the four-parameter equation with training and test coefficient correlation higher than 0.810 and 0.535, respectively, and square coefficient of cross-validation (Q²) higher than 0.689. According to the obtained data, the QSAR models are a suitable and a rapid tool to predict the terpenoids toxicity in a diversity of food products.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the incidence of breast (females), prostate, testicular and thyroid cancer in the Italian National Priority Contaminated Sites (NPCSs), served by cancer registries, where the presence of endocrine disruptors (EDs), reported to be linked to these tumors, was documented. Evidence of carcinogenicity of EDs present in NPCs was assessed based on evaluation by international scientific institutions/committees. Standardized Incidence Ratios (SIRs) were computed for each NPCS and cancer site with reference to the time window 1996-2005. Excess incidence of one or more cancer site at study was found in twelve out of fourteen NPCSs. Significantly increased SIRs were found for breast cancer in eight NPCSs, for prostate cancer in six, for thyroid cancer (both gender) in four and for testicular cancer in two. Non significantly increased SIRs were found in five NPCSs for testicular cancer and in two for thyroid cancer (males). Even if increased incidence of one or more cancer sites at study were found in several NPCSs, the ecological study design and the multifactorial etiology of the considered tumors do not allow reaching conclusions in terms of causal links with environmental contamination. In light of the observation of some excesses in SIRs, continuing epidemiological surveillance is warranted.

Nowadays, we can observe a worldwide trend towards the development of synthetic biomaterials. Numerous researches have been carried out in order to better understand the cellular behavior involved in the inflammation and bone healing processes related to living tissues. The aim of this study is to evaluate the tissue behavior of two different types of biomaterials: synthetic nano-hydroxyapatite / beta-tricalcium phosphate and hydroxyapatite in non-critical bone defects in rat calvaria. Twenty four rats underwent surgery in which two 3 mm defects in each cavity were performed. The rats were divided into 2 groups: Group 1, using xenogen hydroxyapatite (Bio oss ™); Group 2, using synthetic nano-hydroxyapatite / beta-tricalcium phosphate (Blue Bone ™). Sixty days after the surgery, the calvaria bone defect was filled with biomaterial, the animals were sacrificed and marked with Masson's trichrome and PAS staining, and immunohistochemistry (TNF-α, MMP-9) and electron microscopy analyzes were performed. Histomorphometric analysis indicates a greater presence in the protein matrix in Group 2, in addition to higher levels of TNF-α, MMP-9. The ultrastructural analysis shows an association of material with fibroblasts in the tissue regeneration stage. Paired statistical data indicates that Blue Bone ™ can improve bone formation / remodeling when compared to biomaterials of xenogenous origin.

The cryopreservation of gametes and embryos is an important element of biodiversity conservation. One species in need of conservation is the honey bee Apis mellifera L. Changing environmental factors, especially the anthropogenic factor, have led to a reduction in the numbers of this insect species. In this study, we provide an example of the creation of a biobank of honey bee drone sperm. For sperm cryopreservation, drones of the most common subspecies of honey bees common in Russia were selected. These were the dark forest bee, Apis mellifera mellifera from the Republic of Bashkortostan, with three subspecies (A. m. carnica, A. m. carpatica, and A. m. caucasica) from the southern regions of Russia, as well as two breeding stocks, the Far Eastern bee and Prioksky bee. For subspecies identification, morphometric and genetic methods were used. The subspecies of the studied samples were confirmed by the analysis of the tRNAleu-COII locus of mitochondrial DNA and nine microsatellite markers of nuclear DNA. It was shown that bees of the Prioksky breeding stock belong to the subspecies A. m. caucasica based on phylogenetic analysis, and the Far Eastern breeding stock is a stable hybrid, descending on the maternal line from the evolutionary lineage C or O. The results of the morphometric analysis are consistent with the results of the genetic analysis. For the cryopreservation of sperm, we used a honey diluent. As a result, the viability of frozen–thawed sperm decreased by 20.3% compared to fresh sperm, and overall motility decreased by 25-fold. The measurement of the sperm concentration in the spermatheca of artificially inseminated queens showed that it varied from 0.22 to 4.4 million/μL. Therefore, the use of honey in sperm cryopreservation has great potential.

Abstract: This study aimed to evaluate the application of chemical defensives and long-life inoculant, in mixtures or not, under the nodulation process of plants and the quality of soy seeds during storage. The first was carried out in a greenhouse and completely randomized design was used, in an 8 x 2 factorial scheme, with three replications, and the treatments consisted of applications of seed treatments via industrial: (T1 - control; T2 - MaximAdvanced; T3 - Fortenza; T4 - long-life inoculant; T5 - MaximAdvanced + Fortenza); T6 - MaximAdvanced + long-life inoculant; T7 - Fortenza + long-life inoculant; T8 - MaximAdvanced + Fortenza + long-life inoculant), which were sown in pots containing soils from two cultivation areas; the second in the laboratory, using a completely randomized design, in a factorial scheme 8 x 7, with four replications, with treatments consisting of eight combinations of industrial seed treatment in the greenhouse, stored for two months. That seed treatment industrial with fungicide/insecticide/inoculant, applied in isolation or not, does not influence the soy nodulation process. Soy seeds, regardless of the type of treatment received with fungicide/insecticide/long-life inoculant products, in mixtures or in isolation, may be stored for a period of 40 days for commercial purposes.

Geotechnology techniques were used to specialize the occurrences of the species, based on forest inventories and information available in open-access databases, as well as data from herbaria with catalogs available online, and bibliographical references indicating places of occurrence in the Amazon. GIS-integrated Weighted Mean Ordination (WMO) was chosen as the technique for evaluating the topoclimatic index. Thirteen topoclimatic variables were used, applying principal component analysis techniques such as multidimensional preference to compare the participation of each variable in the two components; Biplot to identify the relationships between the variables and cluster to identify the average distance between proximal classes. The interpolated surfaces of the specialized climatic variables were separated into frequency bands that helped calculate the probability of occurrence, from which a scale of 0 to 10 was established, indicating lower and higher probabilities. Three potential zones were identified, classified as high, medium and low, where areas with high potential occupied 32% of the territory of Pará, medium areas 36% and 32% with low potential for cultivation and presence. The intermediate class had the highest percentage, totaling 36% of the state, explained by the average ratio between the weights adopted.

Fault detection in transmission lines plays a role in maintaining the dependability and steadiness of power networks. Traditional methods for identifying faults often struggle to handle the diverse nature of real world fault situations. Machine learning (ML) algorithms offer a data centered approach that can adjust and learn from datasets potentially overcoming the limitations of traditional approaches. This document presents a review of progress in using ML for detecting faults in transmission lines. By drawing insights from a variety of studies we explore how ML algorithms have evolved in fault detection, including techniques like networks, recurrent neural networks featuring Long Short Term Memory and convolutional neural networks. We delve into the spectrum of applications where ML is used for fault detection across fault scenarios and operational settings. Additionally we discuss the obstacles and prospects linked to putting ML based fault detection systems into practice such as challenges with data quality, model interpretability and integration with existing grid monitoring systems. Lastly we outline future research paths focused on pushing forward the boundaries of fault detection, in power transmission systems through approaches and collaborative endeavors involving academia, industry players and policymakers. In general, this review highlights how machine learning has the power to revolutionize fault detection methods enhancing the resilience and dependability of power systems.

Thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH; pGlu-His-Pro-NH2) is an intercellular signal produced mainly by neurons. Among the multiple pharmacological effects of TRH, that on food-intake is not well understood. We review data that show that peripheral injection of TRH generally produces a transient anorexic effect, discuss the pathways that might initiate this effect, and explain its short half-life. In addition, central administration of TRH can produce anorexic or orexigenic effects, depending on the site of injection, that are likely due to interaction with TRH receptor 1. Anorexic effects are most notable when TRH is injected into the hypothalamus and the nucleus accumbens, while the orexigenic effect has only been detected by injection into the brain stem. Functional evidence suggests that TRH neurons that are prime candidate vectors for TRH action on food-intake include the caudal raphe nuclei projecting to the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus, and possibly TRH neurons from the tuberal lateral hypothalamus projecting to the tuberomammillary nuclei. For other TRH neurons, the anatomical or physiological context and impact of TRH in each synaptic domain are still poorly understood. The manipulation of TRH expression in well-defined neuron types will facilitate the discovery of its role in food-intake control in each anatomical scene.

Roses are one of the most important floricultural crops, and their essential oils have long been used for cosmetics and aromatherapy. We investigated the volatile compound compositions of 12 flower-color mutant variants and their original cultivars. Twelve rose mutant genotypes were developed by treatment with 70 Gy of 60Co gamma irradiation of six commercial rose cultivars. Essential oils from the flowers of the 18 genotypes were analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Seventy-seven volatile compounds were detected, which were categorized into five classes: hydrocarbons, terpenoids, alcohols, esters, and others. Hydrocarbons, alcohols, and esters were major components in all rose flowers. The mutant genotypes CR-S8 and CR-S9 showed higher contents of hydrocarbons than the original cultivar. In addition, CR-S1, CR-S3, and CR-S4 mutant genotypes showed higher ester contents than their original cultivar. Nonacosane, 2-methylhexacosane, and 2-methyltricosane were major volatile compounds among all genotypes. Hierarchical cluster analysis of the rose genotypes gave four groups according to grouping among the 77 volatile compounds. These findings will be useful for the selection of rose genotypes with improved volatile compounds.

Coconut is an important multipurpose crop wherein different stages of its maturity are used for different products. Traditional approach of its classification use sound formed by tapping the fruit, and the tapper will base its judgment through the sound he heard. The procedure was highly subjective and attempts had been made by other researchers to automate and classify the adulthood of the coconut objectively. Nowadays, deep learning techniques are being utilized to solve classification problems. One such method is Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) that takes raw pixel data, learns to extract features, and ultimately classifies the input. In this study, a portable device was developed that takes audio signals generated from tapping the fruit mechanically. This audio clip was converted to spectrogram and was used as input to a LeNet CNN architecture. We argue that CNN classifier has improved accuracy compared to the non-deep learning system. Our evaluation confirmed that the use of CNN had improved the accuracy of classifying coconut by about 15%.

Improving antigen presentation is crucial for the success of immunization strategies. Yeasts are classically used as biofactories to produce recombinant proteins and are efficient vehicles for the delivery of vaccine antigens, besides present adjuvants properties. Despite the absence of epidemic outbreaks, several vaccine approaches continue to be developed for Zika virus infection. These prophylactic strategies are fundamental given the severity of clinical manifestations, mainly due to viral neurotropism. The present study aimed to evaluate in vivo the immune response induced by P. pastoris recombinant strains displaying epitopes of the Envelope (ENV) and NS1 ZIKV proteins. Intramuscular immunization with heat-attenuated yeast enhanced the secretion of IL-6, TNF-α, and IFN-γ, besides activation of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, in BALB/c mice. P. pastoris displaying ENV epitopes induced a more robust immune response, increasing immunoglobulin production, especially IgG isotypes. Both proposed vaccines showed the potential to induce immune responses without adverse effects, confirming the safety of administering P. pastoris as a vaccine vehicle. Here we demonstrated, for the first time, the evaluation of a vaccine against ZIKV based on a multiepitope construct, using yeast as a vehicle, reinforcing the applicability of P. pastoris as a whole yeast cell vaccine.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential benefits of feeding spray-dried porcine plasma (SDPP) to pigs infected with African swine fever virus (ASFV). Two groups of twelve weaned pigs each were fed with CONVENTIONAL or 8% SDPP enriched diets. Two pigs (trojans)/group) were injected intramuscularly with the pandemic ASFV (Georgia 2007/01) and comingled with the rest of the pigs (1:5 trojan:naïve ratio) to simulate a natural route of transmission. Trojans developed ASF and died within the first week after inoculation but contact pigs did not develop ASF, viremia or seroconversion. Therefore, three more trojans per group were introduced to optimize the ASFV transmission (1:2 trojan:naïve ratio). Blood, nasal and rectal swabs were weekly harvested and at end of the study, ASFV-target organs collected. After the second exposure, rectal temperature of conventionally fed contact pigs increased >40.5˚C while fever was delayed in the SDPP contact pigs. Additionally, PCR Ct values in blood, secretions and tissue samples were significantly lower (P<0.05) for CONVENTIONAL compared to SDPP contact pigs. Under these study conditions, contact exposed pigs fed SDPP had delayed ASFV transmission and reduced virus load, likely by enhanced specific T-cell priming after the first ASFV-exposure.

This manuscript employs a surface stress-driven nonlocal model to explore the combined effects of long-range interaction and surface energy on higher vibration modes of functionally graded nanobeams. The nanobeam theory, based on Bernoulli-Euler kinematics, incorporates surface effects such as surface elasticity, surface residual stresses, surface density, and rotary inertia. Hamilton's principle is applied to derive the governing equation with size-dependent considerations. The main outcomes of a parametric investigation, considering four different kinematic boundary conditions (Cantilever, Simply-Supported, Clamped-Pinned, and Doubly-Clamped) while varying the nonlocal parameter and material gradient index, are presented and discussed. Additionally, the normalized natural frequencies for the second, third, fourth and fifth modes of vibrations are provided and analyzed for each case under study. The results underscore the model's effectiveness in capturing surface energy effects on the overall dynamic behavior of functionally graded Bernoulli-Euler nanobeams, offering a cost-effective approach for designing and optimizing nano-scaled structures.

Eating disorders (ED) are characterized by alterations in eating behavior. The genetic factors shared between ED diagnoses have been underexplored. The present study aimed to perform a genome-wide association study on individuals with disordered eating behaviors in the Mexican population, blood methylation quantitative trait loci (blood-meQTL) analysis, and in silico function prediction by different algorithms. The analysis included a total of 1803 individuals. Genome-wide association study and blood-meQTL analysis were performed by logistic and linear regression. In silico functional variant prediction, phenome-wide, and transcriptome-wide association studies by different algorithms were analyzed. In the genome-wide association study, we identified 44 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) associated at a nominal value and 7 blood-meQTL at a genome-wide umbral. The SNPs were enriched in genome-wide associations of the metabolic and immunologic domains. In the in silico analysis, the SNP rs10419198 located on an enhancer mark could change the expression of PRR12 on blood, adipocytes, and brain areas that regulate food intake. The present study supports the previous associations of genetic variation in the metabolic domain with ED.

(1) Background: The prevalence of comorbid psychiatric disorders among the patients with mental disorders is higher than general population. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of comorbid psychiatric disorders among a Mexican adolescent sample diagnosed with eating disorders; (2) Methods: Only Mexican adolescents diagnosed with eating disorders were included in the study. The diagnoses were using the DSM-5 criteria. Adolescents with ages between 12 to 17 years were included. The psychiatric comorbidities were evaluated using MINI-kid and QEWP-R. In addition, the z-score values calculated from BMI; (3) Results: The mean age was 14.08±1.7 years old. In our Mexican sample the diagnoses more frequently were bulimia nervosa (55.61%). We found that 89% of the Mexican adolescents with eating disorders had another psychiatric comorbidity. Major depressive disorder (52.40%) and suicide risk (40%) were the most prevalent comorbidity; (4) Conclusions: Our results showed that bulimia nervosa is the most frequently diagnoses in Mexican adolescent and the suicide and major depressive disorder are the principal comorbidities. This emphasizes the importance that clinicians take in-to consideration the presence of psychiatric comorbidities to achieve an integrative treatment for patients with ED.

This study aimed to verify the responsiveness of common bean plants subjected to re-inoculation of Rhizobium in topdressing applied at different stages in edaphoclimatic conditions of the Cerrado. A randomized block design was used, with four replications: T1=uninoculated control; T2=inoculation via seed (VS); T3=VS + reinoculation at the V4 stage; T4=VS + reinoculation at the R5 stage; T5=VS + reinoculation at the R6 stage; T6=VS + reinoculation in at V4 and R5 stages; T7=VS + re-inoculation at V4 and R6 stage; T8=VS + reinoculation at R5 and R6 stages; T9=VS + reinoculation at V4, R5, and R6 stages, and T10=mineral nitrogen fertilization. Nodulation and morphological variables were evaluated at the R7 stage and agronomic variables at R9 at harvest. The use of reinoculation, in addition to inoculation, positively influenced the bean nodulation process. The morphological characteristics of the plants showed good development with the supply of N performed by inoculation and reinoculation, equivalent to the addition of mineral nitrogen fer-tilizer. Reinoculation from R5 to R7 stagesproved ineffective in supplying N to the common bean crop. Inoculation associated with reinoculation at the V4 stage provided higher yields and could replace mineral nitrogen fertilizer.

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

Fire blight, caused by the plant-pathogenic bacterium Erwinia amylovora, is a highly contagious and difficult-to-control disease due to the efficient dissemination, survival, and scarcity of effective control methods. Copper and antibiotics are the most used treatments but pose environmental and human health risks. Bacteriophages (phages) constitute an ecological, safe, and sustainable fire blight control alternative. The goal of this study was to search for specific E. amylovora phages from plant material, soil, and water samples in Mediterranean environments. A collection of phages able to specifically infect and lyse E. amylovora strains was generated from former fire blight-affected orchards in Eastern Spain. Following in vitro characterization, assays on immature fruit revealed that preventively applying some of the phages or their combinations delayed the onset of fire blight symptoms and reduced the disease severity, suggesting their biocontrol potential in Spain and other countries. Morphological and molecular characterization of the selected E. amylovora phages classified them as members of the class Caudoviricetes (former Myoviridae family) and genus Kolesnikvirus. This study reveals Mediterranean settings as plausible sources of E. amylovora-specific bacteriophages, and provides the first effective European phage cocktails in plant material for the development of sustainable fire blight management measures.

In this study, different configurations based on linear fiber lasers were proposed and experimentally demonstrated to measure the concentration of paracetamol liquid solutions in a range of 52.61 to 201.33 g/kg. The optical gain was provided by a commercial bidirectional Erbium-Doped Fiber Amplifier (EDFA) and the linear cavity was obtained using two commercial Fiber Bragg Gratings (FBGs). The main difference of each configuration was the coupling ratio of the optical coupler used to extract the system signal. The sensing head corresponded to a Single-Mode Fiber (SMF) tip that worked as an intensity sensor. The results reveal that, despite the optical coupler used (50:50, 60:40, 70:30 or 80:20), all the configurations reached the laser condition, however, the concentration sensing was only possible using a laser drive current near to the threshold value. The configurations using a 70:30 and an 80:20 optical coupler allowed to perform paracetamol concentration measurements with a higher sensitivity of (-3.00±0.24) pW/(g/kg). In terms of resolution, the highest value obtained was 1.75 g/kg, when it was extracted 20% of the output power to the linear cavity fiber laser configuration.

Plants are continually exposed to multiple stresses, which co-occur in nature and the net effects are frequently more non-additive (i.e., synergistic or antagonistic) suggesting ‘unique’ responses respect to that of the individual stress. Further, plant stress responses are not uniforms showing a high spatial and temporal variability among and along the different organs. In this respect, the present work investigated the morphological responses of different root types (seminal, seminal lateral, primary, primary lateral) of maize plants exposed to single (drought and heat) and combined stress (drought + heat). Data were evaluated by a specific root image analysis system (WinRHIZO) and analyzed by uni- and multi-variate statistical analysis. The results indicated that primary root and their laterals were the types more sensitive to the single and combined stresses while the seminal laterals specifically responded to the combined only. Further, antagonistic and synergistic effects were observed for the specific traits in the primary and their laterals and in the seminal lateral roots in response to the combined stress. These results suggested that maize root system modified specific root types and traits to face with different stressful environmental conditions highlighting that the adaptation strategy to the combined stress may be different from that of the individual ones. The knowledge of “unique or shared” responses of plant to multiple stress can be utilized to develop varieties with broad spectrum stress tolerance.

We performed the accuracy assessment of three different Normalized Difference Water Indices (NDWIs) in water bodies during April 2019, a period in which floods occurred in a large proportion of the Southwest of the Buenos Aires Province (Argentina). The accuracy of the estimations using spaceborne medium-resolution multi-spectral imaging, and the reliability of three NDWIs to highlight shallow water features in satellite images, was evaluated using a high resolution airbone imagery as ground-truth. It is shown that these indices computed using Landsat 8 and Sentinel-2 imagery are only loosely correlated to the actual flooded area in shallow waters. Indeed, NDWI values vary significantly depending on the satellite mission used and the type of index computed.

The ability of S. aureus to infect humans and cause a wide range of infections so efficiently is a consequence of the many variant virulence factors that it can produce. Superantigens (SAgs) make up a group of them and include staphylococcal enterotoxins (SE). The main objective of this study was to detect enterotoxin gene cluster (EGC) in S. aureus isolates that caused infections in Paraguayan children in the year 2017, through an observational and cross-sectional study. The detection of the EGC including the seg, sei, sem, sen, seo, and seu genes, was carried out by end-point PCR. 181 S. aureus isolates were collected, most of them caused skin and soft tissue infections (SSTI, n=140, 77%) and came from children under 6 years 50% (n=90). At least one SE gene was detected in 96% (174/181) of isolates and 24% (44/181) carried the entire EGC. An association between methicillin resistance and seg, sei, seo, and seu gene carriage (p ≤0.05) was observed. A high prevalence of EGC was detected in S. aureus isolates collected from infected children attending the main health care centers in Paraguay, its importance is due to the potential of these toxins to aggravate staphylococcal infections.

The use of mathematical models of physiological systems in medicine has allowed the development of diagnostic, treatment, and medical educational tools, but their application for predictive, preventive, and personalized purposes is restricted by their complexity. Although there are strategies that reduce the complexity of applying models by fitting techniques, they focus on a single instant of time, neglecting the effect of the system's temporal evolution. The aim of this work is to propose a dynamic fitting strategy of physiological models with large number of parameters and a constrained amount of experimental data, focused on obtaining better predictions based on the system's temporal trend and useful to predict future states. It was applied in a cardiorespiratory model as a case study. Experimental data from a longitudinal study of healthy adult subjects under aerobic exercise were used for fitting and validation. The model predictions obtained at steady-state using the proposed strategy and the nominal values of the parameters were compared. The best results corresponded mostly to the proposed strategy, mainly regarding the overall prediction error. The results evidenced the usefulness of the dynamic fitting strategy, highlighting its use for predictive, preventive, and personalized applications.

Some p53 mutants lose their tumor suppressor activity and acquire new oncogenic functions, known as a gain of function. Recent studies have shown that p53 mutants can exert oncogenic effects through specific miRNAs. We identified the differentially expressed miRNA profiles of the three most frequent p53 mutants (p53R273C, p53R248Q, and p53R175H) in the Saos-2 cell line (null p53) transfected as compared with p53WT transfected cells. The association between these miRNAs and the signaling pathways in which they might participate was performed through the miRPath Software. QRT-PCR was employed to validate the miRNAs profiles. In addition, we explored if the induction of cell migration and invasion by the p53R48Q mutant was dependent on the miR-182-5p. We observed that p53 mutants have an overall negative effect on miRNA expression. Likewise, we found miRNAs differentially expressed associated with regulating Oncogenic signaling pathways. We found overexpression of miR-182-5p, which is associated with processes such as cell migration and invasion. Inhibition of mutant p53R248Q and miR-182-5p increased FOXF2-MTSS1 levels and decreased cell migration and invasion. Our results suggest that p53 mutants increase the expression of miR-182-5p, and this miRNA is also necessary to induce cell migration and invasion by the p53R248Q mutant in a cancer cell model.

The aim of this review was to provide an update on the potential of cell therapies to restore or replace damaged and/or lost cells in retinal degenerative and optic nerve diseases, describing the available cell sources and the challenges involved in such treatments when these techniques are applied in real clinical practice. Sources include human fetal retinal stem cells, allogenic cadaveric human cells, adult hippocampal neural stem cells, human CNS stem cells, ciliary pigmented epithelial cells, limbal stem cells, retinal progenitor cells (RPCs), human pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) (including both human embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs)) and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Of these, RPCs, PSCs and MSCs have already entered early-stage clinical trials since they can all differentiate into RPE, photoreceptors or ganglion cells, and have demonstrated safety, while showing some indicators of efficacy. Stem/progenitor cell therapies for retinal diseases still have some drawbacks, such as the inhibition of proliferation and/or differentiation in vitro (with the exception of RPE) and the limited long-term survival and functioning of grafts in vivo. Some other issues remain to be solved concerning the clinical translation of cell-based therapy, including (1) the ability to enrich for specific retinal subtypes; (2) cell survival; (3) cell delivery, which may need to incorporate a scaffold to induce correct cell polarization, which increases the size of the retinotomy in surgery and, therefore, the chance of severe complications; (4) the need to induce retinal detachment to perform the subretinal placement of the transplanted cell; and (5) the evaluation of the risk of tumor formation caused by the undifferentiated stem cells and prolific progenitor cells. Despite these challenges, stem/progenitor cells represent the most promising strategy for retinal and optic nerve disease treatment in the near future, and therapeutics assisted by gene techniques, neuroprotective compounds and artificial devices can be applied to fulfil clinical needs.

Kisspeptin, a key neuropeptide derived from the KISS1 gene, is renowned for its critical role in regulating the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis and reproductive hormone secretion. Beyond its primary function in reproductive biology, emerging research has illuminated its influence in various cancers, mediating significant effects through its interaction with the G-protein coupled receptor, Kisspeptin receptor. This interaction has been implicated in modulating cellular pro-cesses such as proliferation and metastasis, making it a potential target for therapeutic interven-tion. Our study initially screened ten kisspeptin-10 analogs through cytotoxic effects of kisspep-tin-10 (KP10) and its analogs in several cancer types, including cervical, prostate, breast, and gastric cancers, with a particular focus on cervical cancer where the most profound effects were observed. Further exploration using kinase array assays revealed that these analogs specifically alter key kinases involved in cancer progression. Migration assays demonstrated a substantial decrease in cell motility, and Bioluminiscence Resonance Energy Transfer assays confirmed these analogs strong interactions with the kisspeptin receptor. Overall, our results indicate that these KP10 analogs not only hinder cervical cancer cell proliferation but also curtail migration through targeted modulation of kinase signaling, suggesting their potential as therapeutic ayfgents in managing cervical cancer progression. This comprehensive approach underscores the therapeutic promise of exploiting kisspeptin signaling in cancer treatment strategies.

Uterine Tumor Resembling Ovarian Sex Cord Stromal Tumor (UTROSCT) is a rare uterine mesenchymal neoplasm, which resembles ovarian sex cord tumors of the ovary. Although, in general, UTROSCT exhibits benign behavior with a favorable prognosis, this neoplasm is nonetheless classified as being of an uncertain ma-lignant potential, given its low rate of recurrence and the fact that it rarely pro-duces metastases (lymph nodes, epiploic appendix, omentum, small bowel, subcutaneous, lungs). Its histogenesis too is uncertain. Typically, UTROSCT oc-curs in peri-menopausal or menopausal women but can sometimes be observed in young women. Usually, this neoplasm can be found in the uterine corpus as a nodular intramural lesion, less frequently submucosal, subserosal or poly-poid/intracavitary. UTROSCT can cause abnormal bleeding, pelvic pain, enlarged uterus, mass sensation, but sometimes it is found purely by chance. This neo-plasm can be considered polyphenotypic on morphological, immunohistochem-ical, and genetic analyses. Generally, on microscopic examination, UTROSCT shows a predominant pattern of the cords, nests, and trabeculae typical of sex cord tumors of the ovary while, immunohistochemically, it is characterized by a co-expression of epithelial, smooth muscle, and sex cord markers. The aim of this review is to report clinical and pathological data and genetic alterations to estab-lish its impact on the prognosis and management of patients affected by this rare entity.

Autosselecionar a intensidade do treinamento aeróbico é uma perspectiva que permite aos praticantes desenvolver autonomia (escolha do ritmo), melhorar a aptidão física e alcançar a perda de peso. Comparar o efeito de quatro protocolos de treinamento aeróbico nas respostas cardiometabólicas e psicofisiológicas em homens e mulheres adultos fisicamente inativos. A amostra foi composta por 11 indivíduos com idade entre 56 ± 10 anos e IMC 29,2 ± 2,4 kg/m2 que realizaram quatro diferentes protocolos de treinamento aeróbio em esteira, sendo: 1-indivíduo com intensidade autosselecionada (ISS), 2-indivíduo com intensidade prescrita (IPI) (64-76% da FC máx), grupo 3 pequeno com autosseleção. intensidade selecionada (SGS) e intensidade prescrita em 4 pequenos grupos (SGP) (64-76% da FC máx). Foram analisados ​​frequência cardíaca, lactato, percepção subjetiva de esforço, resposta afetiva, escala de ativação, prazer, intenção de repetir a sessão, velocidade da esteira e distância total do protocolo. A análise estatística utilizou ANOVA com teste post hoc de Tukey (p<0,05). As análises de frequência cardíaca, lactato, percepção subjetiva de esforço, escala de ativação, prazer, velocidade média e distância total não apresentaram diferenças significativas entre os protocolos. A resposta afetiva apresentou menor declínio no protocolo ISS (p<0,05), e a intenção de repetir a sessão de treinamento foi maior no protocolo ISS (p<0,05). Conclusão: Os dados permitem concluir que o protocolo de treino ISS produziu resultados superiores na resposta afetiva e na intenção de repetir a sessão.

Psoriasis is a chronic recurrent inflammatory autoimmune pathology, with a major genetic component and several interferences of immunological cells and their cytokines. The complex orchestration of psoriasis pathogenesis is related to the synergic effect of immune cells, polygenic alterations, the presence of autoantigens and several external factors. The major act of IL-23/IL-17 axis, strongly influencing the inflammatory pattern established during the disease activity, is visible as a continuous perpetuation of the pro-inflammatory response and keratinocyte activation and proliferation leading to the development of psoriatic lesions. Genome wide association studies (GWAS) along offered a better view of psoriasis pathogenic pathways, with approximately one third of psoriasis genetic impact on psoriasis development is associated to MHC region, with genetic loci located on chromosome 6. The most eloquent genetic factor of psoriasis, PSORS1, was identified in the MHC I site. Between the several factors involved in its complex etiology, dysbiosis, due to genetic or external stimulus, exhibiting less variety and the involvement of pathogenic bacteria, cand induce a burst of proinflammatory consequences, both cutaneous and gut microbiome being involved in psoriasis pathogenic process. A complex understanding of the major pathways that interplay in order to initiate and perpetuate psoriatic diseases and its associated comorbidities can help the current clinical practice by properly evaluating completely and individualized each patient and establish the proper therapeutic management.

To describe the main health surveillance strategies for the control of COVID-19 in Brazil, with emphasis on decisions and actions taken at the federal level to prevent the infection caused by the new SARS-CoV-2. This is a scoping review study carried out from November 2019 to January 2021 using the DECS and MeSH health descriptors in Portuguese and English in four databases, in addition to the legislation found on the Brazilian Government's legislation portal. Based on the analysis of the documents, the actions describe non-pharmacological and pharmacological measures, measures related to decisions on closing and opening international borders, the acquisition of supplies and essential services. Although some strategies for containing the pandemic were identified, discrete and unnoticed surveillance measures are observed in view of the number of cases and number of deaths during the period of research analysis. The results show the absence of the federal level as support for the states and municipalities and imply decision-making and planning of actions by the Unified Health System to control the pandemic.

The present investigation has been conducted on one hundred tissue fragments of breast cancer, collected and immediately cryopreserved following the surgical resection. The fragments were selected from patients with invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast, the most common and potentially aggressive type of mammary cancer, with the objective to increase the knowledge of breast cancer molecular markers, useful for diagnostic and prognostic categorization of patients, in assessing post-surgical therapeutic regimes. The proteomic screening, by 2D-IPG and mass spectrometry, allowed us to identify two main classes of protein clusters: proteins expressed ubiquitously at high levels in all patients, and proteins expressed sporadically among the same patients. Within the group of ubiquitous proteins, glycolytic enzymes and proteins with anti-apoptotic activity were predominant. Among the sporadic ones, proteins involved in cell motility, molecular chaperones and proteins involved in the detoxification appeared prevalent. The data of the present study indicates that the primary tumor growth is generally supported by two concurrent pathways: the inhibition of apoptosis and the stimulation of cellular proliferation. The second phase of the evolution of the tumor can be prematurely scheduled by the occasional presence of proteins involved in cell motility and in the defenses of the oxidative stress. To our knowledge this report on large-scales proteomics of breast cancer is currently a unique approach in the literature that offers the opportunity to evaluate the presence and recurrence of proteins to be used as prognostic indicators and susceptibility to metastasis in patients operated on for invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast.

Different studies corroborate a role for ceramide synthases and their downstream products, ceramides, in modulation of apoptosis and autophagy in the context of cancer. These mechanisms of regulation, however, appear to be context dependent in terms of ceramides’ fatty acid chain length, subcellular localization, and the presence or absence of their downstream targets. Our current understanding of the role of ceramide synthases and ceramides in regulation of apoptosis and autophagy could be harnessed to pioneer the development of new treatments to activate or inhibit a single type of ceramide synthase, thereby regulating the apoptosis induction or cross talk of apoptosis and autophagy in cancer cells. Moreover, the apoptotic function of ceramide suggests that ceramide analogues can pave the way for the development of novel cancer treatments. Therefore, in the current review paper we discuss the impact of ceramide synthases and ceramides in regulation of apoptosis and autophagy in context of different types of cancers. We also briefly introduce the latest methods to analyze the lipids in biological samples. Finally, we discuss the drug development strategies focusing on the ceramide synthases and ceramides as future therapeutic approaches in cancer therapy.

This study aimed to know the conditioning factors of the transition process to the self-care of women diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. This qualitative study was carried out from June to September 2015 with seven seropositive women, users of a specialized service in sexually transmitted diseases in the municipality of Imperatriz, Maranhão State, Brazil. For the data collection, an individual interview was used, and data analysis was performed by content analysis delineated by Hsieh and Shannon (2005). The resources that influence the self-care in the transition process of women with HIV/AIDS are represented by personal conditioning factors, such as the meaning they attribute to the living with the disease, personal attitudes and cultural beliefs, socioeconomic status, preparation and knowledge about the disease, and by conditioning factors found in the community and society. The transition theory can provide important insights about the resources present in the adaptation process of women diagnosed with HIV so that they can perform their self-care satisfactorily.

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

This paper describes a research project carried out in an Italian public school to assess whether parents were willing to take part in food procurement decisions, as well as their ability to accurately predict what foods children would pick at school lunch and their propensity to support sustainable food choices made by the school. The methodology included a questionnaire to 500 parents and an in-depth study of 138 child/parent pairs. The study comprised: (i) presentation of an innovative recipe in the weekly menu of the school canteen; (ii) meal observations of children’s intake at school lunch during the week of the menu modification; (iii) collection of both parents’ and children’s reports on their choices of recipes from the modified weekly menu. The results are commented in light of two important changes that have recently affected Italian public school food procurement: the opening of school canteens to lunches brought from home and the measures adopted since 2020 to contain the Covid-19 pandemic. Both events go in the direction of delegating to parents the multifaceted role of the school in the food arena. The article concludes that the results of the study should discourage this approach.

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

This study delves into the realm of heuristic evaluation within usability testing, focusing on refining and applying a tailored algorithm that simplifies the implementation of the Analytic Hierarchy Process for heuristic prioritization. Addressing the prevalent challenge of disparate evaluation methodologies and the absence of a standardized process in usability testing, our research introduces a novel method that leverages the Analytic Hierarchy Process alongside a bespoke algorithm. This algorithm utilizes transitive properties for pairwise comparisons, significantly reducing the evaluative workload. This innovative approach facilitates the estimation of heuristic relevance irrespective of the number of items per heuristic or the item scale and streamlines the overall evaluation process. In addition to rigorous simulation testing of the tailored algorithm, we applied our method in a practical scenario, engaging seven usability experts in evaluating a web interface. This empirical application underscored our method’s capacity to diminish the requisite comparison count and spotlight areas of improvement for critically weighted yet underperforming heuristics. The outcomes of this study underscore the efficacy of our approach in enhancing the efficiency and organization of heuristic evaluations, paving the way for more structured and effective usability testing methodologies in future research endeavors.

The most aggressive primary malignant brain tumor in adults is glioblastoma (GBM), which has poor overall survival (OS). There is a high relapse rate among patients with GBM despite maxi-mally safe surgery, radiation therapy, temozolomide (TMZ), and aggressive treatment. Hence, there is an urgent and unmet clinical need for new approaches to managing GBM. The current study identified modules (MYC, EGFR, PIK3CA, SUZ12, and SPRK2) involved in GBM disease through the NeDRex plugin. Furthermore, hub genes were identified in a comprehensive interaction network containing 7,560 proteins related to GBM disease and 3,860 proteins associated with signaling pathways involved in GBM. By integrating the results of the aforementioned analyses and performing centrality analysis again, eleven key genes involved in GBM disease were identi-fied. ProteomicsDB or Gliovis databases were used for determining the gene expression in normal or tumor brain tissue. The NetworkAnalyst and the mGWAS-Explorer tools identified miRNAs, SNPs, and metabolites associated with these 11 genes. Moreover, a literature review of recent studies revealed other lists of metabolites related to GBM disease. The enrichment analysis of iden-tified genes, miRNAs, and metabolites associated with GBM disease was done using ExpressAna-lyst, miEAA, and MetaboAnalyst tools. Further investigation of metabolite roles in GBM was done through the pathway, joint pathway, and network analyses. The results of this study identified 11 genes (UBC, HDAC1, CTNNB1, TRIM28, CSNK2A1, RBBP4, TP53, APP, DAB1, PINK1, and RELN), five miRNAs (hsa-mir-221-3p, hsa-mir-30a-5p, hsa-mir-15a-5p, hsa-mir-130a-3p, hsa-let-7b-5p), six metabolites (HDL, N6-acetyl-L-lysine, cholesterol, formate, N, N-dimethylglycine/xylose and X2. piperidinone) and 15 distinct signaling pathways that play an indispensable role in the GBM disease development. To establish early diagnostic methods and plan personalized GBM treatment strategies, the identified top genes-miRNAs and metabolite signatures can be targeted.

Self-selecting the intensity of aerobic training is a perspective that allows practitioners to develop autonomy (choice of pace), improve physical fitness and achieve weight loss. To compare the effect of four aerobic training protocols on cardiometabolic and psychophysiological responses in physically inactive adult men and women. The sample consisted of 11 individuals aged 56 ± 10 years and BMI 29.2 ± 2.4 kg/m2 performed four different treadmill aerobic training protocols, including: 1-individual with self-selected intensity (ISS), 2-individual with prescribed intensity (IPI) (64-76% of HR max), 3-small group with self-select. selected intensity (SGS) and 4-small group prescribed intensity (SGP) (64-76% of HR max). Heart rate, lactate, perceived exertion, affective response, activation scale, enjoyment, intention to repeat the session, treadmill speed and total distance from the protocol were analyzed. Statistical analysis used ANOVA with Tukey's post hoc test (p<0.05). Heart rate, lactate, perceived exertion, activation scale, enjoyment, average speed and total distance analyzes did not show significant differences between protocols. The response affective showed a smaller decline in the ISS protocol (p<0.05), and the intention to repeat the training session was greater in the ISS protocol (p<0.05). Conclusion: The data allow us to conclude that the ISS training protocol produced superior results in affective response and intention to repeat the session.

At present, the applications and efficacy of non-ionizing radiations (NIR) in oncotherapy are limited. In terms of potential combinations, the use of biocompatible magnetic nanoparticles as heat mediators has been extensively investigated. Nevertheless, the development of more efficient heat nanomediators that may exhibit high specific absorption rates still is an unsolved problem. Our aim was to investigate if externally applied magnetic fields and a heat-inducing NIR affect tumor cell viability. To this end, under in vitro conditions, different human cancer cells (A2058 melanoma, AsPC1 pancreas carcinoma, MDA-MB-231 breast carcinoma) were treated with the combination of electromagnetic fields (EMFs, using solenoids) and hyperthermia (HT, using a thermostated bath). The effect of NIR was also studied in combination with standard chemotherapy and targeted therapy. An experimental device combining EMFs and high intensity focused ultrasounds (HIFU)-induced HT was tested in vivo. EMFs (25 T, 4h) or HT (52C, 40 min) showed a limited effect on cancer cell viability in vitro. However, their combination decreased viability to approx. 16%, 50%, and 21% of controls values in A2058, AsPC1, and MDA-MB-231 cells, respectively. Increased lysosomal permeability, release of cathepsins into the cytosol and mitochondria-dependent activation of cell death are the underlying mechanisms. Cancer cells could be completely eliminated combining EMFs, HT and standard chemotherapy or EMFs, HT and anti-Hsp70-targeted therapy. As a proof of concept, in vivo experiments performed in AsPC1 xenografts showed that combination of EMFs, HIFU-induced HT, standard chemotherapy and a lysosomal permeabilizer induces a complete cancer regression.

Dyes, as indigo carmine have become indispensable to modern life being widely used in food, textile, pharmaceutical, medicine and cosmetic industries. Although indigo carmine is considered toxic and presents many adverse effects, it is heavily used in the food industry because the blue pigment is difficult to obtain from natural sources and is one of the most used dyes in the textile industry, especially for dyeing denim. Also, indigo carmine is one of the dyes used in medicine as diagnostic agent because it has impressive applicability in terms of diagnostic methods and surgical procedures. In the literature it is reported that indigo carmine is toxic for humans and can cause various pathologies, such as hypertension, hypotension, skin irritations, corneal and conjunctival disorders or gastrointestinal disorders. In this review, we discuss the structure and properties of indigo carmine, its use in various industries and medicine, the adverse effects of its ingestion, injection or skin contact, the effects on environmental pollution and its toxicity testing.

In the last two centuries, land use change (LUC) has been the most important direct changes driver for terrestrial ecosystems. To contrast the consequent ecosystems degradation, forward-looking spatial policies and target landscape and land-use planning processes, promoting a sustainable land use change, are needed. The present paper proposes a framework of action including different landscape planning and ecological approaches: from the spatial modelling to recognize the LUC and build different scenarios, to the ecosystem services (ESs) assessment to evaluate the possible environmental impacts. Three different scenarios were built: Trend, No-Tillage and Energy crops. The Sediment Delivery Ratio and Carbon Storage and Sequestration ESs were assessed and compared for each scenario. The aim of the paper is to support decision-makers and local communities into the landscape planning process. Results show that a regional development in line with past trend could lead to further land degradation. Instead, the two scenarios proposed in compliance with EU policies, could bring benefits only if related to moderate LUCs and respecting the naturally grass-vegetated land. From the local to global scale, a guided and shared LUC management allows implementing sustainable development, basing on a deep knowledge of physical-environmental but also social and economic issues.

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are highly prevalent in long-term care facilities, constituting the most common infection in this setting. Our research focuses on analyzing clinical characteristics and antimicrobial prescriptions for UTIs in residents across nursing homes (NH) in Spain. This cross-sectional report is part of a before/after intervention study using a multifaceted approach based on the normalization process theory to improve healthcare quality provided by nursing staff in 34 NHs in Spain. In this study we present the results of the first audit including 719 UTI cases, with an average age of 85.5 years and 74.5% being women. Cystitis and pyelonephritis presented distinct symptom patterns. Notably, 6% of asymptomatic bacteriuria cases were treated. The prevalence of dipstick usage was 83%, raising concerns about overreliance, including in the 46 asymptomatic cases, leading to potential overdiagnosis and antibiotic overtreatment. Improved diagnostic criteria and personalized strategies are crucial for UTI management in NHs, emphasizing the need for personalized guidelines on management of UTIs, to mitigate indiscriminate antibiotic use in asymptomatic cases.

(1) Background: Thrombophilia is a tendency towards hypercoagulability, and it is increased by pregnancy, peaking around delivery. Research question: does thrombophilia stimulate the in-flammatory state of the patient, already suppressed by pregnancy? (2) Methods: Eighty thrombo-philia patients admitted for delivery between 1/10/2017 and 1/12/2021 were prospectively stud-ied, together with eighty age- and para-matched control patients. Patients were admitted for de-livery at term by means of cesarean section. The inflammation indexes from the complete blood count values analysis during both the 24 hours before and after labor—extracted from the hospi-tal’s medical records—were calculated and then correlated with uterine involution. (3) Results: Except for the PLR, most of the numerous inflammation indexes studied were not significantly different in treated thrombophilia patients, before and after delivery, compared to non-thrombophilia patients. Only when we split the patients, based on the uterine haematometra in the first 24-48 hours postpartum, we found out that the few treated thrombophilia patients with haematometra (14 with haematometra out of 79 with treated thrombophilia) had elevated SII and AISI antepartum. In pregnant patients treated for thrombophilia, MLR is higher in pa-tients without the Rh factor than in those with the Rh factor. In non-thrombophilia patients, MCVL and NLPR increased with age and before labor, while SII and AISI increased with age postpartum. (4) Conclusions: Thrombophilia did not stimulate the inflammatory state of the pa-tient, already suppressed by pregnancy.

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

We consider a new model of a branching random walk on a multidimensional lattice with continuous time and one source of particle reproduction and death, as well as an infinite number of sources in which, in addition to the walk, only absorption of particles can occur. The asymptotic behavior of the integer moments of both the total number of particles and the number of particles at a lattice point is studied depending on the relationship between the model parameters. In the case of the existence of an isolated positive eigenvalue of the evolution operator of the average number of particles, a limit theorem is obtained on the exponential growth of both the total number of particles and the number of particles at a lattice point.

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

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

Objective: To evaluate the direct costs of treating patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) in outpatient care, from a hospital and Unified Health System (SUS) perspective. Methods: Observational study with data collection by microfunding, carried out with patients diagnosed with neuromyelitis optics, treated at a university hospital, in the city of Rio de Janeiro. Mann-Whitney tests were performed to measure cost differences between patient groups by disease severity and analysis perspective. Results: Nine individuals with a median age of 48 years (IQR 30 - 59 years) were included. The median total costs for patients with greater severity from the perspective of the SUS and the hospital were R$ 21,638.22 (IIQ: R$ 15,614.63; R$ 25,985.32) and R$ 32,094.11 (IIQ: R$ 25,610 .60; R$ 38,617.25) respectively. For patients with moderate severity the median was R$ 7,339.85 (IIQ: R$ 6,235.45; R$ 11,912.05) from the SUS perspective and R$ 11,505.80 (IIQ: R$ 7,339.85; R$ 22,424.76) from the perspective of the hospital, where the use of medications had a major impact. Conclusion: The main cost drivers were medicines, especially those used off-label, and procedures.

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

Some biostimulants, including plant origin preparations, act similarly to plant hormones. Moreover, the supplementation of known and unknown rooting cofactors can stimulate rhizogenesis in cuttings. The aim of this research was to assess the response of difficult-to-root and long-rooting stem cuttings of the once-blooming old variety Rosa ‘Hurdal’ to preparations of plant origin. The hypothesis was that plant origin preparations could enhance rooting processes by inhibiting chlorophyll a/b degradation in leaves and postponing leaf senescence, simultaneously increasing the quality of cuttings. The one-bud stem cuttings were made in four phenological stages: (H1) flower buds closed, (H2) open flowers, (H3) just after petal fall, (H4) 7-14 days after petal shedding. They were treated with either standard commercial powder preparations containing 0.4% indolebutyric acid (IBA) or 0.2% naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) as well as with commercial plant origin preparations that this work will henceforth refer to as: Algae Extract, Organic Preparation, and Plant Extract. The cuttings were evaluated after 12 weeks of rooting them in two substrates: peat-perlite and peat-sand (v:v; 1:1). Mean root percentages for both substrates were noted after preparation from stage H1 (74.5 %), H2 (59.5 %), H3 (50.8 %) shoots. The H4 cuttings didn’t root at all and were not considered further. The means for all phenology stages together were the highest by the use of 0.6 % Algae Extract, 0.012 % and 0.02 % Organic Preparation, 0.2 % and 0.4 % Plant Extract. The lowest means were reported for the control cuttings as well as NAA and IBA treatment. Plant origin preparations encouraged growth parameters but did not unequivocally inhibit the decrease of chlorophyll content in the cuttings’ leaves. Rooting percentage depended on the quality of cuttings as well as chlorophyll a/b and soluble protein content in leaves in both rooting substrates.

Genetic diversity is inevitable in making any crop improvement program successful. DNA fingerprinting technology to assess the genetic relationship among the selected genotypes for identification and cataloging of different species and cultivars of roses is a promising tool for Rosa genomes. The inter-simple sequence repeats markers (ISSRs) were used to investigate the genetic diversity among twenty-one diverse Rosa genotypes belonging to two different species, Rosa hybrida and R. damascena, and three distinct groups of rose varieties, namely Hybrid Tea, Floribunda, and Damask roses. Twenty-four ISSR primers yielded a total of 280 scorable amplified fragments from 250-1800 bp in length, from which 244 were polymorphic, resulting in an average of 86.4% polymorphism. UPGMA cluster analysis based on Jaccard’s pairwise similarity coefficient values ranged from 0.264 to 0.818, clearly distinguished different species and genotypes, grouping them into three distinct clusters. The results confirmed a high degree of variation in the rose germplasm studied highlighting the potential of improvement in roses for the ornamental and perfume industry.

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

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.

Sugarcane is an important sugar-source crop. As any other plant, it can be exposed to several abiotic stress conditions. Though some metals contribute to critical physiological processes in plants, the presence of aluminum ions (Al3+) can be very toxic. In order to develop plants that flourish in acidic soils, it is critical to gain insights into the molecular mechanisms of sugarcane response to aluminum stress. To determine the genes involved in sugarcane response to aluminum stress we generated 372 million paired-end RNA sequencing reads, from roots of CTC-2 and RB855453 two contrasting cultivars. Data normalization resulted in 162,161 contigs and 97,335 trinity genes. After the read cutoff, the differentially expressed genes were 4,858 in CTC-2 and 1,307 in the RB855453, Treatment Vs Control, respectively. The differentially expressed genes were annotated into 34 functional categories. The majority of the genes were upregulated in the CTC-2 (tolerant cultivar) and down regulated in RB855453 (sensitive cultivar). Here, we present the first root-transcriptome of sugarcane under aluminum stress. The results and conclusions of this study provide a valuable resource for future genetic and genomic studies in sugarcane. This transcriptome analysis points out that sugarcane tolerance to aluminum may be explained by an efficient detoxification mechanism combined with the lateral root formation and activation of redox enzymes. Following our results, we present here, a hypothetical model for the aluminum tolerance in CTC-2 cultivar.

COVID-19, the infectious disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, has spread on a pandemic scale. The virus infection can evolve asymptomatically or generate severe symptoms, influenced by the presence of comorbidities. Lymphopenia in patients affected with COVID-19 according to the severity of symptoms is frequent. However, the profile of CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells regarding cytotoxicity and antiviral factor expression has not yet been completely elucidated in acute SARS-CoV-2 infections. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the phenotypic and functional profile of T-lymphocytes in patients with moderate and severe/critical COVID-19. During this pandemic period, we analyzed a cohort of 62 confirmed patients with SARS-CoV-2 (22 moderate cases and 40 severe/critical cases). Albeit lymphopenia, we observed an increase in the expression of CD28, co-stimulator molecule, and activation markers (CD38 and HLA-DR) in T-lymphocytes as well as an increase in the frequency of CD4+ T-cells, CD8+ T-cells, and NK cells that express the immunological checkpoint protein, PD-1, in patients with severe/critical condition compared to healthy controls. Regarding the cytotoxic profile of peripheral blood mononuclear cells, an increase in the response of CD4+ T-cells already at baseline level was observed, scarcely changed upon PMA and Ionomycin stimulation. Meanwhile, CD8+ T-lymphocytes decreased cytotoxic response, evidencing a profile of exhaustion in patients with severe COVID-19. As observed in the t-SNE technique CD4+ T-cytotoxic and CD8+ T with low granzyme production evidencing their dysfunctionality in severe/critical conditions. In addition, purified CD8+ T-lymphocytes from patients with severe COVID-19 showed an increased constitutive expression of differentially expressed genes associated with the caspase pathway, inflammasome, and antiviral factors, and curiously, reduced expression of TNF-α. The cytotoxic profile, by CD4+ T-cells, may compensate for the dysfunction/exhaustion of TCD8+ in acute SARS-CoV-2 infection. These findings may provide an understanding of the interplay of cytotoxicity between CD4+ T-cells and CD8+ T-cells in the severity of acute COVID-19 infection.

Peptidyl-prolyl cis/trans isomerases (PPIases) are present in a wide variety of microorganisms, including protozoan parasites such as Trypanosoma cruzi, Trypanosoma brucei, Trichomonas vaginalis, Leishmania major, Leishmania donovani, Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium vivax, Entamoeba histolytica, and Giardia intestinalis, all of which cause important neglected diseases. PPIases are classified as cyclophilins, FKBPs, or parvulins and play crucial roles in catalyzing the cis-trans isomerization of the peptide bond preceding a proline residue. This activity assists in correct protein folding. However, the biological structure‒function characterization of PPIases from these protozoan parasites is still incomplete. The recombinant production of these enzymes is highly relevant for this ongoing research. In this review, we explore the structural diversity, functions, recombinant production, and activity and inhibition of protozoan PPIases. We also highlight their potential as biotechnological tools for the in vitro refolding of other recombinant proteins from these parasites. These applications are invaluable for the development of diagnostic and therapeutic tools.

Objective: To quantitatively analyze the production of Doctoral Theses on health issues related to gender in Spain. Method: Quantitative synthesis of the productivity indicators of the Doctoral Theses de-fended in Spanish Universities between 1976 and 2022, obtained from the Spanish TESEO data-base. Descriptive analysis, materialized in tables and graphs, and time series model, based on the Holt-Winters model methodology. Results: 18.75% of the defended Doctoral Theses represents the scientific production of the Universities. Madrid is where the greatest number defend themselves with 37.5%. One in three authors are graduates in medicine. The theme of the Theses is gender violence in 25.0%, the authors are women in 87.5%, 44.0% of women direct theses. The scientific production of directors according to the H Index is very uneven, since one person has an index of 76 and another of 1. The temporal sequence of production is erratic, since in some years no Doctoral Theses are defended, but in 2017 were three. Conclusions: Spanish research in clinical Doctoral Theses on gender is scarce. It would be desirable to develop doctoral programs that promote the generation of theses in health that have gender differences in health care as their central point.

The present study provides molecular insight into the mechanisms underlying energy dissipation and lubrication of a smooth contact lubricated by an ionic liquid. We have performed normal and lateral force measurements with a surface forces apparatus and by colloidal probe atomic force microscopy on following model systems: 1-ethyl-3-methyl imidazolium bis-(trifluoro-methylsulfonyl)imide, in dry state and in equilibrium with ambient (humid) air; the surface was either bare mica or functionalized with a polymer brush. The velocity-dependence of the friction force reveals two different regimes of lubrication, boundary-film lubrication, with distinct characteristics for each model system, and fluid-film lubrication above a transition velocity V*. The underlying mechanisms of energy dissipation are evaluated with molecular models for stress-activated slip and flow, respectively. The stress-activated slip assumes that two boundary layers (composed of ions/water strongly adsorbed to the surface) slide pass each; the bond dynamics and the strength of the interaction at the slip plane dictate the change in friction -decreasing, increasing or remaining constant- with velocity in the boundary-film lubrication regime. Above a transition velocity V*, friction monotonically increases with velocity in the three model systems. Here, layers of ions slide past each (“flow”) under a shear stress and friction depends on a shear-activation volume that is significantly affected by confinement. The proposed friction model provides a molecular perspective of the lubrication of smooth contacts by ionic liquids and allows identifying the physical parameters that control friction.

Salvia ceratophylloides (Ard.) is an endemic, rare, threatened plant species recently rediscovered in very few individuals in two different sites of South Italy. The study of within-plant variation more than among-plant one is fundamental to understand the plant adaptation to the local conditions, especially in rare species, and consequently to preserve plant biodiversity. Here, we reported the variation of the morpho-ecophysiological and metabolic traits between the sessile and petiolate leaf of S. ceratophylloides plants in two different sites for understanding the adaptation strategies for surviving in these habitats. The S. ceratophylloides individuals exhibited different net photosynthetic rate, maximum quantum yield, light intensity for the saturation of the photosynthetic machinery, stomatal conductance, transpiration rate, leaf area, fractal dimension and some VOCs between the different leaf types. This within-plant morpho-physiological and metabolic variation was depended on the site. These results provide empirical evidence of sharply within-plant variation of the morpho-physiological traits and VOCs profiles in S. ceratophylloides which could be because of adaptation to the local conditions.

Camelina (Camelina sativa L.) is an oilseed with potential for use as a raw material in second-generation biofuels. Camelina has a seed yield of up to 2380 kg ha^-1 and contains around 45% fatty acids. Selection of a suitable site is critical for production optimization. The objective of this study was to determine Chilean agro-climatic suitability for establishing camelina as a productive alternative. Climate and soil requirements and geographical restraints were evaluated for the species, considering the climatological characteristics of its regions of origin, as well as regions where camelina is successfully grown in the rest of the world. The variables considered include factors (maximum temperatures of the warmest month, water deficits, and degree days) and limitations (altitude, geomorphology, and current land use), which permitted the evaluation of the national territory for a certain level of suitability. It was determined that 1.3% of the national territory (960,664 ha) has some degree of suitability for camelina adoption. Between the Biobío and Los Lagos regions, 49.0% of land (471,203 ha) is in the category of without thermic restrictions, with mild water restrictions, and mild soil restrictions or without information, which can be used for camelina production. The Los Ríos region had 21.4% surface area (321,176 ha) with some level of suitability for camelina, the most suitable region to establish this crop in Chile.

Background: The validation of measuring instruments in health is a requirement to be able to use them safely and reliably. The Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) tool is an instrument widely used in the clinic and validated in numerous countries and languages and for different populations. The objective of this research was to determine the psychometric properties of SPPB for a sample composed of institutionalized Spanish older adults. Methods: Multicenter study of the psychometric properties of the Short Physical Performance Battery tool with a convenience sample of 194 institutionalized older adults. Reliability (internal consistency), validity (construct validity and convergent validity) tests were performed. Results: The results show a very good internal consistency, construct validity and convergent validity. In addition, the factorial structure of the SPPB is provided, which reflects that it is a unidimensional scale. Conclusions: In conclusion, the Short Physical Performance Battery is a valid and reliable tool for use with institutionalized older adults. Its use is recommended as part of the Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment for the evaluation of the physical or functional sphere. Authors should include one of the following statements about the registration status of the manuscript here: This study was prospectively registered and approved by the Ethics Committee of the University of Burgos (IR 11/2018).

In this study the formation of thin-film barrier coatings based on a highly-conducting Bi1.60Er0.4O3 (EDB) solid electrolyte on supporting Ce0.8Sm0.2O1.9 (SDC) electrolyte substrates is implemented for the first time using electrophoretic deposition (EPD). Electrokinetic properties of EDB-based suspensions in a non-aqueous dispersion medium of isopropanol modified with small additions of polyethyleneimine (PEI, 0.26 g/L) and acetylacetone (0.15 g/L), as well as in a mixed isopropanol/acetylacetone (70/30 vol.%) medium are studied. The dependences of the thickness of EDB coatings on voltage and deposition time are obtained using deposition on a model Ni-foil electrode. Preliminary synthesis of a conductive polypyrrole (PPy) polymer film is used to create surface conductivity of non-conductive SDC substrates. The efficiency of using a modified dispersion medium based on isopropanol to obtain a continuous EDB coating 12 μm thick, sintered at a temperature of 850 °C for 5 h, is shown. The microstructure and morphology of the surface of the EDB coating are studied. Pt/SDC/EDB/Pt cell is used to characterize the coating conductivity. The EPD method is shown to be promising for the formation of barrier coatings based on doped bismuth oxide. The developed method can be used for creating cathode barrier layers in SOFC technology.

The paper explores different models of innovation management at the regional level and reasons for the best model considering the specific features of St. Petersburg as the innovative region of Russia. The authors, on the base of their long-time experience in studies of innovative enterprises and elaborating the regional innovation policy in St. Petersburg, propose the tool of creation and measuring the results of the regional innovation policy that promotes the life quality improvement and regional sustainable development. The balanced scorecard is used as a method, based on the methodology of knowledge economy development and adjusted to the specific needs of St. Petersburg innovation eco-system. The authors pay special attention to the implementation of principles of green economy into the realization of the regional innovation policy and the proposed balanced scorecard.

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

After eight decades, the largest outbreak of sylvatic yellow fever virus (YFV) was recorded in Brazil between 2016-2018. Besides human and NHP surveillance, the entomo-virological approach is considered as a complementary tool. For this study, a total of 2904 mosquitoes of Aedes, Haemagogus and Sabethes genera from six Brazilian states (Bahia, Goiás, Mato Grosso, Minas Gerais, Pará, and Tocantins), were collected and grouped in 246 pools, which were tested for YFV using RT-qPCR. We detected 20 positive pools from Minas Gerais, 5 from Goiás, and 1 from Bahia, including 12 of Hg. janthinomys and 5 of Ae. albopictus. This is the first description of natural YFV infection in this species and warns of the likelihood of urban YFV re-emergence with the Ae. albopictus as a potential bridge vector. Three YFV sequences from Hg. janthinomys from Goiás and one from Minas Gerais, as well as one from Ae. albopictus from Minas Gerais clustered within the 2016-2018 outbreak clade, indicating YFV spread from Midwest and its infection in a main and in a likely-novel bridging vector species. Entomo-virological surveillance is critical in the YFV monitoring in Brazil, which could highlight the need to strengthen YFV surveillance, vaccination coverage, and vector control measures.

The quality of yarn is essential in the control of the fabrics processes. There is some commercial equipment that measures the quality of yarn based on sensors, of different types, used for collecting data about some yarn characteristic parameters. The existing equipment, for the above-mentioned purpose, is characterized by its high size and cost, and for allowing the analysis of only few yarn quality parameters. Thus, this paper presents the development and results obtained with the design of a mechatronic prototype integrating a computer vision system that allows, among other parameters, the analysis and classification, in real time, of the hairs of the yarn using artificial intelligence techniques. The system also determines other characteristics inherent to the yarn quality analysis, such as: linear mass, diameter, volume, twist orientation, twist step, average mass deviation, coefficient of variation, hairiness coefficient, average hairiness deviation and standard hairiness deviation, as well as performs spectral analysis. A comparison of the obtained results with the designed system and a commercial equipment was performed validating the undertaken methodology.

Frontal incomes play an important role in human behavioral regulation and can be a determinant of eating behavior. The aim of this study was to analyse the frontal incomes in obese patients with and without Binge Eating Disorder (BED), compared to normoweight (NW) subjects and to analyse the effect of sex and binge disorder on quality of life, with age and BMI as covariates. A total of 114 participants comprised three different groups (obese with BED, obese without BED and NW) completed the Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB) and Impact of Weight on Quality of Life (IWQOL-lite). The results showed that obese patients, with and without BED, have poorer frontal functioning than NW persons. Obese patients with BED have lower performance in frontal income than obese patients without BED. Male participants have a higher perception of quality of life in all dimensions, with women showing lower values in self-esteem and sex life. Obese with BED show greater weaknesses in physical function. These results suggest that low frontal incomes and worse quality of life characterize obese patients, more evident in obese patients with BED.

Hydroalcoholic extracts from Malbec and Torrontés wine pomace (Vitis vinifera L.) originating from the high-altitude vineyards of Argentina's Calchaquí Valleys were characterized. Total phenolics, hydroxycinnamic acids, orthodiphenols, anthocyanins, non-flavonoid phenolics, total flavonoids, flavones/flavonols, flavanones/dihydroflavonols, and tannins were quanti-fied through spectrophotometric methods, with Malbec extract exhibiting higher concentra-tions in most of phytochemical groups when compared to Torrontés. HPLC-DAD identified more than 30 phenolic compounds in both extracts. Malbec displayed superior antiradical ac-tivity (ABTS cation, nitric oxide, and superoxide anion radicals), reduction power (iron, copper and phosphomolybdenum), hypochlorite scavenging, and iron chelating ability, compara-tively to Torrontés. The cytotoxicity assessments revealed that Torrontés affected the viability of HT29-MTX and Caco-2 colon cancer cells by 70% and 50%, respectively, at the highest tested concentration (1 mg/mL). At the same time, both extracts did not demonstrate acute toxicity in Artemia salina or in red blood cell assays at 500 µg/mL. Both extracts inhibited the lipoxygen-ase enzyme, with Malbec also reducing the tyrosinase activity and neither inhibited the xan-thine oxidase. The substantial phenolic content and diverse biological activities in Calchaquí Valleys' pomaces underline their potentialities to be valorized for pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food industries.

Food allergies have increased significantly in recent decades, with shellfish being a leading cause of food allergy and anaphylaxis worldwide, affecting both children and adults. The prevalence of shellfish allergies is estimated to be approximately 0.5-2.5% of the general population, varying significantly by geographical location, age, and consumption habits. Although mollusk consumption has risen, the prevalence of mollusk allergies remains unknown. While extensive research has focused on crustacean allergies, mollusk allergies, particularly those related to gastropods, have received comparatively less attention. Clinical manifestations of shellfish allergy range from localized symptoms to life-threatening systemic reactions, such as anaphylaxis. Notably, severe bronchospasm is a predominant clinical feature in cases involving gastropods. Several allergens have been identified in mollusks, including paramyosin, tropomyosin, and sarcoplasmic calcium-binding protein. In gastropods, documented allergens include tropomyosin, paramyosin, the heavy chain of myosin, and Der p 4 amylase. Diagnosis typically involves a thorough clinical history, skin testing, in vitro quantification of immunoglobulin (Ig) E, and confirmation through oral challenge, although the latter is reserved for selected cases. This review highlights the limited research on gastropod allergy, the identified allergens to date, and the necessity for further investigations to better understand the implications of shellfish allergy within this class.

Mindfulness interventions have been implemented in many countries. This study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of English and Thai-version of the 15-item mindfulness attention awareness scale (MAAS) across five samples. A descriptive correlation research was conducted in the Philippines and Thailand, and five data sets were generated using self-reported and online questionnaires. Exploratory factor analyses were used to explore the factorial structure of the MAAS. Confirmatory factor analyses were performed to test measurement invariance across samples. Concurrent validity was tested by examining relationships between the MAAS and psychological well-being (PWB). A unidimensional structure of the MAAS was documented across the five samples. The MAAS demonstrated measurement invariance across samples for both English and Thai versions. Concurrent validity was displayed through significant correlations with PWB. This study produced evidence to support the construct validity, concurrent validity, and reliability of the English and Thai versions of MAAS. This study was not registered.

Human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1)–associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP) is a slowly progressive spinal cord disorder with no effective treatment. There is much of interest in developing potential biomarkers for predicting the pathogenesis of HAM/TSP disorder. This study used Illumina massive parallel sequencing (MPS) technology to assess the cellular global noncoding RNAome expression profile in HAM/TSP patients (n = 10), asymptomatic HTLV-1 infected carriers (ASP, n = 8), and a second group of healthy controls (n = 5). Using various bioinformatics tools, the sRNA MPS reads were aligned, annotated, and profiled. There were 251 known and 50 potential novel sRNAs among the 402 detected sRNAs in the HAM and ASP groups versus the HC group. Sixty-eight known sRNAs were found to be significantly different between the ASP and HAM groups. In HAM vs ASP subjects, 88 mature miRNAs were downregulated. Three of these miRs (hsa-miR-185-5p, 32-5p, and 192-5p) have the potential to be used as biomarkers for predicting the pathogenesis of HAM/TSP. The top seven deregulated miRS target genes were linked to a variety of biological processes and molecular functions. Relevant reactome pathways to our findings provide a rich source of data and an opportunity to further understand sRNA regulation and function in HTLV-1 pathophysiology.

Diabetes is a prevalent global health issue associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a well-known inflammatory, neurovascular complication of diabetes and a leading cause of preventable blindness in developed countries among working-age adults. However, the ocular surface components of diabetic eyes are also at risk of damage due to uncontrolled diabetes, which is often overlooked. Inflammatory changes in the corneas of diabetic patients indicate that inflammation plays a significant role in diabetic complications, much like in DR. The eye´s immune privilege restricts immune and inflammatory responses, and the cornea and retina have a complex network of innate immune cells that maintain immune homeostasis. Nevertheless, low-grade inflammation in diabetes contributes to immune dysregulation. This article aims to provide an overview and discussion of how diabetes affects the ocular immune system’s main components, immune-competent cells, and inflammatory mediators. By understanding these effects, potential interventions and treatments may be developed to improve the ocular health of diabetic patients.

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.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common primitive tumor in adult central nervous system (CNS), classified as grade IV according to WHO 2016 classification. GBM shows a poor prognosis with an average survival of approximately 15 months, representing an extreme therapeutic challenge. One of its distinctive and aggressive features is aberrant angiogenesis, which drives tumor neovascularization, representing a promising candidate for molecular target therapy. Although several pre-clinical studies and clinical trials have shown promising results, anti-angiogenic drugs have not led to a significant improvement in overall survival (OS), suggesting the necessity of identifying novel therapeutic strategies. Metformin, an anti-hyperglycemic drug of the Biguanides family, used as first line treatment in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM), demonstrated in vitro and in vivo antitumoral efficacy in many different tumors, including GBM. From this evidence, a process of repurposing of the drug has begun, leading to the demonstration of the inhibition of various oncopromoter mechanisms and, consequently, to the identification of the molecular pathways involved. Here, we review and discuss the potential metformin’s antitumoral effects on GBM, inspecting if it could properly act as an anti-angiogenic compound to be considered as a safely add-on therapy in the treatment and management of GBM patients.

In light of the worldwide spreading requirements related to the disclosure of non-financial information, which are aligning to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) developed by the United Nations (UN) in 2015, the study aims to analyse the influence of sustainability and other non-financial reporting on companies’ engagement in earnings management practices, through a pre-post adoption of European Directive 2014/95/EU comparative analysis for firms listed on the Bucharest Stock Exchange (BSE) in the period 2015-2019. To conduct the investigation, the research involves the assessment and analysis of three earnings management metrics resulted by running multiple linear regression models on a sample of 31 companies listed on BSE. Research findings emphasise a decrease in the use of income smoothing practices by sampled companies in the post-adoption period 2017-2019, compared to the period preceding the implementation of the EU directive related to mandatory disclosure of non-financial information, 2015-2016. Thus, firms characterised by a higher transparency in terms of sustainability reporting are less inclined to engage in earnings management practices. This research complements the literature in the field of sustainability reporting and earnings management, providing empirical evidence on the significance and impact of publishing non-financial information.

In recent years, tremendous progress has been made in the development of rare-earth ion doped tellurite glass laser sources, ranging from watt and multiwatt level fiber lasers to nanowatt level microsphere lasers. Significant success has been achieved in extending the spectral range of tellurite fiber lasers generating at wavelengths beyond 2 μm as well as in theoretical understanding. This review is aimed at discussing the state of the art of neodymium-, erbium-, thulium-, and holmium-doped tellurite glass fiber and microsphere lasers.

Background: The purpose of this review is to clarify the natural course of Benign Paroxysmal Torticollis (BPT) and to update the relationship of this disorder with migraine. BPT belongs to a group of “episodic syndromes that may be associated with migraine” and is diagnosed when according to diagnostic criteria of the International Classification of Headache Disorders, 3rd edition. It is present in infants and young children and it is an underdiagnosed manifestation, because it is not well recognized and in most cases with a benign evolution, but requires careful differential diagnosis. It was first described by Snyder in 1969 as a movement disorder, a cervical dystonia consequent to labyrinthic disorder.Materials and methods: The PubMed and Web of Science databases were consulted from 1968 to 2024, according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines ,2020.( PRISMA)Results: 113 articles were identified, 86 selected and 20 considered for the purpose of this review. The clinical studies were considered in relation to evolution, cognitive and motor development, to genetic and not genetic etiology, to the relationship with migraine with and without aura, vestibular migraine, hemiplegic migraine, and paroxysmal vertigo.

The present paper deals with an improvement of the strengthening technique consisting in the combined use of straps—made of stainless steel ribbons—and CFRP strips, to increase the out-of-plane strength of masonry walls. The straps of both the previous and the new combined technique pass from one face to the opposite face of the masonry wall through some holes made along the thickness, giving rise to a three-dimensional net of loop-shaped straps, closed on themselves. The new technique replaces the stainless steel ribbons with steel wire ropes, which form closed loops around the masonry units and the CFRP strips as in the previous technique. A turnbuckle for each steel wire rope allows the closure of the loops and provides the desired pre-tension to the straps. The mechanical coupling—given by the frictional forces—between the straps and the CFRP strips placed on the two faces of the masonry wall gives rise to an I-beam behavior of the facing CFRP strips, which begin to resist the load as if they were the two flanges of the same I-beam. Even the previous combined technique exploits the ideal I-beam mechanism, but the greater stiffness of the steel wire ropes compared to the stiffness of the steel ribbons makes the constraint between the facing CFRP strips stiffer. This gives the reinforced structural element greater stiffness and delamination load. In particular, the experimental results show that the maximum load achievable with the second combined technique is much greater than the maximum load provided by the CFRP strips. Even the ultimate displacement turns out to be increased, allowing us to state that the second combined technique improves both strength and ductility. Since the CFRP strips of the combined technique run along the vertical direction of the wall, the ideal I-beam mechanism is particularly useful to counteract the hammering actions provided by the floors on the perimeter walls, during an earthquake. Lastly, after the building went out of service, the box-type behavior offered by the three-dimensional net of straps prevents the building from collapsing, acting as a device for safeguarding life.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) fatal outcomes have been associated with multiple cardiovascular risk factors. In new epidemic areas, such as Latin America, there is a lack of studies about this. Here, we evaluated those factors in a retrospective cohort of patients in a national reference hospital of Lima, Peru. Design. A retrospective cohort observational study was done. For this study, information was obtained from clinical records of the hospital for the cases that were laboratory-diagnosed and related, during March 6^th and April 30^th, 2020. rRT-PCR was used for the detection of the RNA of SARS-CoV-2 following the protocol Charité, Berlin, Germany, from nasopharyngeal swabs at the National Institute of Health. Calculation of the odds ratio (OR) with the respective 95% confidence interval (95% CI) was done, also logistic regression for adjusted OR (multivariate) was done. Values of p < 0.05 were considered significant for all analyses. Results. One hundred six hospitalized patients were evaluated. The mean age of patients was 61.58 years (SD 16.81). Cardiovascular risk factors among them were hypertension (46.2%), diabetes (28.3%), and obesity (28.3%), among others. Fifty-six patients died (52.8%). Mortality associated factors at the multivariate analysis were arterial hypertension (OR=1.343, 95% 1.089-1.667), myocardial injury (OR=1.303, 95% 1.031-1.642), and mechanical ventilation (OR 1.262, 95% 1.034-1.665), as associated factors. Conclusion. As observed in other regions of the world, cardiovascular risk factors represent a significant and independent threat to be considered in patients with COVID-19. Further studies and interventions in Peru and Latin America are expected.

This paper evaluates the potential of solar concentration technologies—compound parabolic collector (CPC), linear Fresnel collector (LFC) and parabolic trough collector (PTC)—as an alternative to conventional sources of energy for industrial processes in Latin America, where high levels of solar radiation and isolated areas without energy supply exist. The analysis is addressed from energy, economic and environmental perspective. A specific application for Argentina in which fourteen locations are analyzed is considered. Results show that solar concentration technologies can be an economically and environmentally viable alternative. Levelized cost of energy (LCOE) ranges between 2.5 and 16.9 c€/kWh/m² and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions avoided range between 33 and 348 kgCO₂/(m²·year). CPC technology stands out as the most recommendable technology when the working fluid temperature ranges from 373K to 423K. As the working fluid temperature increases the differences between the LCOE values of the CPC and LFC technologies decrease. When 523K is reached LFC technology is the one which presents the lowest LCOE values for all analyzed sites, while the LCOE values of PTC technology are close to CPC technology values. Results show that solar concentration technologies have reached economic and environmental competitiveness levels under certain scenarios, mainly linked to solar resource available, thermal level requirements and solar technology cost.

Previous research has already examined the relationship between Future Anxiety, a construct recently introduced in Italy, and mental health in young adults, although possible mediating variables in this relationship have so far never been investigated. The present study attempts to fill this gap by exploring the incidence of Future Anxiety on psychological distress in a group of 302 young Italian adults (18 - 30 years; M = 21.9; SD = 2.6), presenting and evaluating the simultaneous mediating effect of Intolerance of Uncertainty and Non-Pathological Worry.Findings highlighted how Future Anxiety had a positive and significant direct effect on Stress and Depression, but not on Anxiety. In the three serial mediation models proposed, Intolerance of Uncertainty and Non-Pathological Worry mediated the relationship between Future Anxiety and mental health outcomes. The results also confirmed the hypothesized serial mediation effect by highlighting how young adults with greater Future Anxiety experienced more Intolerance of Uncertainty, which positively affected Non-Pathological Worry levels and, in turn, exacerbated psychological distress. Finally, results indicated that female participants experienced more Stress, Anxiety, and Depression in relation to Future Anxiety compared to males. Starting from the review of main references on this subject, the results discussed provide new insights for understanding youth psychological distress. Finally, practical implications for the design of supportive interventions for this study’s target group are proposed.

In this article, we investigate two types of double dispersion equations in two dierent dimensions. Double dispersion equation were derived to describe long nonlinear wave evolution in a thin hyperelastic rod. Conservation laws are obtained for these equations by the application of the multiplier method. Finally, travelling waves and line travelling waves are respectively considered for these two equations.

Academic publishing is undergoing a highly transformative process, and many rules and value systems that were in place for years are being challenged in unprecedented forms leading to the evolution of novel ways of dealing with new pressures. One of the most important aspects of an integrated and valid academic literature is the ability to screen publications for errors during peer review to weed out mistakes, fraud and inconsistencies, such that the final published product represents a product that has value, intellectually, and otherwise. It is difficult to claim the existence of perfect manuscripts. The level of errors that exist in a manuscript will depend on the rigor of the research group and of the peer review process that was used to screen that paper. When errors slip into a final published paper, either through honest error or misconduct, and are not detected during peer review and editorial screening, but are spotted during post-publication peer review, an opportunity is created to set the record straight, and to correct it. To date, the most common forms of correcting the literature have been errata, corrigenda, expressions of concern, and retractions. Despite this range of corrective measures, which represent artificially created corrals around pockets of imperfect literature, certain cases do not quite fit this mold, and new suggested measures for correcting the literature have been proposed, including manuscript versioning, amendments, partial retractions and retract and replace. In this commentary, a discussion of the evolving correction of the literature is provided, as are perspectives of the risks and benefits of such new measures to improve it.

Background/Objectives: Vitamin B12 deficiency can cause variable symptoms, which may be irreversible if not diagnosed and treated in a timely manner. We aimed to develop a widely accepted expert consensus to guide the practice of diagnosing and treating B12 deficiency. Methods: We conducted a scoping review of the literature published in PubMed since January 2003. Data were used to design a two-round Delphi survey to study the level of consensus among 42 experts. Results: The panelists agreed on the need for educational and organizational changes in the current medical practices for diagnosing and treating B12 deficiency. Recognition of clinical symptoms should receive the highest priority in establishing the diagnosis. There is agreement that the serum B12 concentration is useful as a screening marker, whereas methylmalonic acid or homocysteine can support the diagnosis. Patient lifestyle, disease history and medications can provide clues to the cause of B12 deficiency. Regardless of the cause of the deficiency, initial treatment with parenteral B12 was regarded as the first choice for patients with acute and severe manifestations of B12 deficiency. The use of high-dose oral B12 at different frequencies may be considered for long-term treatment. Prophylactic B12 supplementation should be considered for specific high-risk groups. Conclusions: There is a consensus that clinical symptoms need to receive more attention in establishing a diagnosis. B12 laboratory markers can support the diagnosis. The severity of clinical symptoms, the causes of B12 deficiency and the treatment goals govern decisions regarding the route and dose of B12 therapy.

Grapefruit and lemon pectin obtained from the respective waste citrus peels via hydrodynamic cavitation in water only are powerful, broad-scope antimicrobial alternatives to antibiotics against Gram-negative and -positive pathogens. Dubbed IntegroPectin, these pectic polymers functionalized with citrus flavonoids and terpenes show superior antimicrobial activity when compared to commercial citrus pectin. Similarly to commercial pectin, lemon IntegroPectin determined ca. 3 log reduction of Staphylococcus aureus cells, while an enhanced activity of commercial citrus pectin was detected in the case of Pseudomonas aeruginosa cells with a minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) of 15 mg mL-1. Although grapefruit and lemon IntegroPectin share equal MBC in the case of P. aeruginosa cells, grapefruit IntegroPectin shows boosted activity upon exposure of S. aureus cells with a 40 mg mL-1 biopolymer concentration being sufficient to achieve complete killing of the bacterial cells. Insight on the mechanism of action of these biocompatible antimicrobials and their effect on bacterial cells, at the morphological level, were obtained indirectly through Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy and directly through scanning electron microscopy. In the era of antimicrobial resistance, these results are of great societal and sanitary relevance as they open new avenues to develop innovative antimicrobials for the treatment of polymicrobial infections unlikely to develop drug resistance.

In addition to their importance in statistical thermodynamics, probabilistic entropy measurements are crucial for understanding and analyzing complex systems, with diverse applications in time series and one-dimensional profiles. However, extending these methods to two- and three-dimensional data still requires further development. In this study, we present a new method to classify spatiotemporal processes based on entropy measurements. To test and validate the method, we selected four classes of similar processes related to the evolution of random patterns: dynamic colored noises ((i)~white and (ii)~red); (iii)~weak turbulence from reaction-diffusion; (iv)~hydrodynamic fully developed turbulence, and (v)~plasma turbulence from MHD. Considering seven possible ways to measure entropy from a matrix, we present the method as a parameter space composed of the two best separating measures of the five selected classes. The results highlight better combined performance of Shannon Permutation Entropy ($S^p_H$) and a new approach based on Tsallis Spectral Permutation Entropy ($S^s_q$). Notably, our observations reveal the segregation of reaction terms in this $S^p_H \times S^s_q$ space, a result that identifies specific sectors for each class of dynamic process, and can be used to train machine learning models for automatic classification of complex spatiotemporal patterns.

This paper is the continuation of a previous study, which highlighted some inconsistencies in the RILEM guidelines for the interpretation of the diagonal compression test. Although improved compared to the ASTM guidelines, in fact, the RILEM guidelines underestimate the state of hydrostatic stress induced by the diagonal compression test at the center of the wallette. The new interpretation of the diagonal compression test proposed in this article shows that the RILEM guidelines actually underestimate both the hydrostatic and the deviatoric stress states at the center of the wallette. The new formulation complies with the linear elastic theory and allows us to use the the diagonal compression test to identify the three elastic coefficients of masonry. In particular, it allows the identification of the Poisson ratio, which instead takes on a conventional value in the RILEM and ASTM guidelines. The difference of one order of magnitude between the conventional and proposed Poisson’s ratio is in agreement with the experimental results on another brittle material, namely concrete. Finally, the new proposal fills the gap between the results provided by the two tests usually performed to identify the shear behavior of masonry: the diagonal compression test and the shear-compression test.

Among all the active confinement techniques, the use of pre-tensioned stainless steel straps has recently gained much attention. The flexibility of the stainless steel straps allows us to bend and pass them through the thickness of the masonry, thus creating a three-dimensional strengthening system between the two opposite facings. The use of the same perforation for the passage of several straps closed in a loop generates a continuous strengthening system that prevents parts of the structure from falling and injuring the occupants during seismic events. However, the perforations can nullify the in-plane strengthening, as they act as cylindrical hinges and make the reinforcement system labile for certain strap arrangements. Diagonal compression tests on square masonry panels performed in the present study show that the straps improve neither strength nor ductility when running along the mortar head and bed joints, arranged in square meshes. Conversely, they improve both strength and ductility when the straps make angles of 45° with the mortar joints. Furthermore, the experimental results show that the straps exert an anisotropic effect that decreases the apparent in-plane Poisson ratio. They also provide new insights into the diagonal compression test and allow formulating a new proposal for the pseudo-ductility factor.

This paper questions the potential shift of reproduction towards assisted reproductive technologies due to benefits provided by genetic manipulation of embryos. In order to examine the viability of such a shift and its implications from a regulatory perspective, we relied on two panels of experts from Israel and Spain, using the Delphi method and a series of in-depth interviews. We anticipate, at a first stage, a continuous-steady growth in the use of IVF, supplemented by preimplantation genetic diagnosis and the introduction of CRISPR/Cas. At a second stage, attracting a growing share of fertile people would require developments in genomics. While it is unclear whether these developments will fully materialize, they could be replaced by technoscientific imaginaries generating perceived benefits. We conclude that the regulation of reproductive genetics is becoming more critical and complex. The aim should be to ensure good practices and equity, while providing more information to the public. A broad and inclusive societal debate may overcome the difficulty of drawing a clear line between medical uses and non-medical uses of genetic selection and engineering and may contribute to finding the right balance between allowing autonomous decisions of patients and protecting the public interest.

Surimi consists in a technique for concentrating myofibrillar proteins with gelling ability, which aims to make use of by-products from fish slaughter, such as bullfrog back, which can be basis for the manufacture of emulsified products. Due to the strategic need to develop clean label foods, products such as collagen have been reported as potential natural additives with bioactive properties. The objective was to elaborate a surimi from the mechanically separated bullfrog back and to develop an emulsion, replacing the soy lecithin used by hydrolyzed collagen, evaluating its emulsifying and antioxidant potential during 120 days of storage under freezing. Three meat emulsions were prepared: EC0 (100% soy lecithin), EC50 (50% soy lecithin + 50% collagen), and EC100 (100% collagen), which were subjected to analysis of chemical composition, emulsion stability, water holding capacity, luminosity, whiteness, texture profile, TBARS and antioxidant activity. Insertion of collagen increased whiteness, lightness, hardness, and chewiness values compared to the EC0, but showed greater fluid loss. All treatments showed stable WHC values (88 – 91%) over time. Replacement with collagen was satisfactory as an emulsifier and as an antioxidant, and the EC50 and EC100 treatments were not negatively affected in the investigated parameters.

Catheter-associated bloodstream infection (CVC-BSI) is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality among hemodialysis patients. In our center was a notable increase in CVC associated with patient age and morbidity. This 10-year retrospective study investigated catheter-associated bloodstream infections (CVC-BSI) in hemodialysis patients. We recorded a total of 67 bacteremia episodes in 52 patients, predominantly linked to Gram-positive microorganisms, particularly Staphylococcus aureus, the study found a mean age of 68 years, 74.6% males, and 88% with tun-neled jugular catheters. Notably, catheter removal occurred in 65.7% of cases, more frequently in Gram-positive instances. Two episodes of endocarditis and five ICU admissions were reported. The study identified a higher incidence in the summer and a significant decrease in bacteremia from 2017, coinciding with the introduction of Tauro-LockTM. Despite enhanced preventive measures during the COVID-19 pandemic, there was no significant impact on catheter infection rates. This research emphasizes the importance of early catheter removal, highlights seasonal variations in incidence, and suggests a potential positive influence of Tauro-LockTM on de-creasing CVC-BSI rates in hemodialysis units.