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This study aims to focus on the preferences of the community regarding the adoption of stray animals in Morong, Rizal. The data collection was conducted with five (5) pet owners in each of the 8 barangays in Morong, Rizal, in 2023. Based on the findings of this study, the researchers found that the pet owner-respondents in Morong, Rizal, are most likely ready to adopt stray animals based on their preferences in terms of type, breed, condition, and color. Their reasons correspond to the subjective theory of value since they talk about how valuable the animal’s life is to them. The pet owners of Morong, Rizal who are ready to adopt mostly prefer dogs and cats, due to that they prefer types that are beneficial to the owners with good physical state and behavior (type), askal/Aspin as their most preferred breed, due to that their most preferred breeds are any breeds and breeds don’t matter to the pet owners/respondents (breed), healthy, as they want animals that ensure better living and a long lifespan (condition), mostly prefer brown color, and have color that is interesting, lovely, and color they like (color). When adopting stray animals, the respondents' choice of preferences is subjective in two (2) ways. These are what seem the basis of individuals when selecting a pet to please their satisfaction on their different judgments. The researchers will propose an advocacy campaign promoting the adoption of stray animals, specifically encouraging the attributes that are not mostly preferred in strays. The key themes from the thematic analyses of the different preferences showed that although they valued animals’ lives regardless of their kind, some tended to select them due to their appearance and benefits.

The aim of the present study was to compare repeated applications of antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) to open flap debridement (OFD) in the treatment of residual periodontal pockets in non-furcation sites.Forty-six subjects with a diagnosis of Stage III or IV Grade C periodontitis, that had been previously treated, participated in the study. Residual pockets were divided between two groups: (1) aPDT group: received ultrasonic periodontal debridement followed by immediate application of aPDT, and repeated on1st, 2nd, 7th, and 14th days; and (2) OFD group: treated by modified papilla preservation technique, where granulation tissue and visible calculus were removed with hand curettes and an ultrasonic device. Clinical, immunological, and microbiological parameters were evaluated before and after treatment.Both treatments were effective reducing clinical parameters of disease. OFD resulted in a greater mean probing pocket depths (PPD) reduction in deep pockets (p = 0.001). However, aPDT resulted in a lower occurrence of gingival recession (GR), dentin hypersensitivity (DH) and analgesic intake. Reduction in Porphyromonas gingivalis was observed in both groups. Only the OFD group had a significant reduction in Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans. aPDT group had greater increase in interleukin 10 (IL-10) levels and a greater reduction of interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β) at 14 days when compared to the OFD group (p 0.05).OFD was superior in reducing PPD in deep pockets compared to the aPDT. However, OFD resulted in greater GR. Both treatments lowered P. gingivalis levels but only OFD reduced levels of A. actinomycemtemcomitans.

Background/objectiveUncontrolled systemic inflammation after non-traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is associated with worse outcomes. Changes in the peripheral eosinophil count have been linked to worse clinical outcomes after ischemic stroke, intracerebral hemorrhage, and traumatic brain injury. We aimed to investigate the association of eosinophil counts with clinical outcomes after SAH.MethodsThis retrospective observational study included patients with SAH admitted from January 2009 to July 2016. Variables included demographics, modified Fisher scale (mFS), Hunt–Hess Scale (HHS), global cerebral edema (GCE), and the presence of any infection. Peripheral eosinophil counts were examined as part of routine clinical care on admission and daily for 10 days after aneurysmal rupture. Outcome measures included dichotomized discharge mortality, modified Ranked Scale (mRS) score, delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI), vasospasm, and need for ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS). Statistical tests included the chi-square test, Student's t-test, and multivariable logistic regression (MLR) model.ResultsA total of 451 patients were included. The median age was 54 (IQR 45, 63) years, and 295 (65.4%) were female patients. On admission, 95 patients (21.1%) had a high HHS (>4), and 54 (12.0%) had GCE. A total of 110 (24.4%) patients had angiographic vasospasm, 88 (19.5%) developed DCI, 126 (27.9%) had an infection during hospitalization, and 56 (12.4%) required VPS. Eosinophil counts increased and peaked on days 8–10. Higher eosinophil counts on days 3–5 and day 8 were seen in patients with GCE (p < 0.05). Higher eosinophil counts on days 7–9 (p < 0.05) occurred in patients with poor discharge functional outcomes. In multivariable logistic regression models, higher day 8 eosinophil count was independently associated with worse discharge mRS (OR 6.72 [95% CI 1.27, 40.4], p = 0.03).ConclusionThis study demonstrated that a delayed increase in eosinophils after SAH occurs and may contribute to functional outcomes. The mechanism of this effect and the relationship with SAH pathophysiology merit further investigation.

Ischemic stroke is a serious cerebrovascular event that results in cell death, blood-brain barrier dysfunction, tissue degradation, and inflammation, often leading to permanent disability or death. As the incidence of ischemic stroke continues to rise globally, it is crucial to examine the mechanisms of the various proteins and molecules contributing to worsened patient outcome and recovery. Cathepsin L, a cysteine protease known for degrading tissues in lysosomes and elsewhere, may play a role in brain tissue loss and inflammation after stroke. Studies have suggested that cathepsin L appears in the ischemic core shortly after stroke is induced. Using immunohistochemical staining, mass spectrometry, and other assays, the increase of cathepsin L in the brain was correlated with extracellular matrix and perlecan degradation after ischemic stroke. Additionally, injection of a cathepsin L inhibitor significantly reduced brain infarct size and improved functional scores. More research is needed to elucidate cathepsin L's role in post-stroke inflammation and brain damage, in order to further explore the factors contributing to worsened patient outcome after ischemic stroke and work toward finding better therapeutic interventions.

Fluorescent and colorimetric sensors are important tools for investigating the chemical compositions of different matrices, including foods, environmental samples, and water. The high sensitivity, low interference, and low detection limits of these sensors have inspired scientists to investigate this class of sensing molecules for ion and molecule detection. Several examples of fluorescent and colorimetric sensors have been described in the literature; this Review focuses particularly on phenanthro[9,10

Franckeite is a natural superlattice composed of two alternating layers of different composition which has shown potential for optoelectronic applications. In part, the interest in franckeite lies in its layered nature which makes it easy to exfoliate into very thin heterostructures. Not surprisingly, its chemical composition and lattice structure are so complex that franckeite has escaped screening protocols and high-throughput searches of materials with nontrivial topological properties. On the basis of density functional theory calculations, we predict a quantum phase transition originating from stoichiometric changes in one of franckeite composing layers (the quasihexagonal one). While for a large concentration of Sb, franckeite is a sequence of type-II semiconductor heterojunctions, for a large concentration of Sn, these turn into type-III, much alike InAs/GaSb artificial heterojunctions, and franckeite becomes a strong topological insulator. Transmission electron microscopy observations confirm that such a phase transition may actually occur in nature.

Grade C, Stage 3-4 Periodontitis (Perio4C) is a rapidly destructive disease caused by an unequilibrated immune response that starts after the primary contact of the periodontopathogens with the gingival tissue. However, it is still unclear how this imbalanced response initiates and what is the role of the connective tissue cells in the progression of this disease. Thus, this study aims to assess the local immune response of Perio4C patients through the exposure of primary gingival fibroblast cells (GFs) with Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans protein extract (AaPE) and the quantification of the inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-4, IL-17, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, IL-1β, interferon (IFN)-γ, and IL-10 super-family members (IL-10, IL-19, and IL-24) secreted by them.Gingival biopsies from nine periodontally health (PH) and eight Perio4C patients were harvested, and the primary culture of GFs was obtained. The cells were exposed to AaPE (5 and 20 μg/ml) and 12-myristate 13-phorbol acetate and ionomycin - calcium salt (PMA). The supernatant was collected after 1.5 and 3 h, and a cytokine panel was evaluated.Clustering analysis indicated dissimilar and stimuli-dependent cytokine production between Perio4C and PH subjects. Perio4C GFs presented lower production of IL-4, TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-17, IL-10, IL-24, and IL-19, while IL-1β levels were similar to the PH group, leading to a disruption in the pro-/anti-inflammatory cytokine ratio (p 0.05). IL-1β and IL-10 super-family were the most discriminative representants for PH and Perio4C, respectively.GFs from individuals with Perio4C tended to hypo-respond to stimulation with AaPE, producing lower concentrations of some pro- and anti-inflammatory molecules, trending to develop a pro-inflammatory extracellular environment.

Imidazoles constitute an important class of heterocyclic compounds with extensive potential use, from pharmaceuticals to optoelectronics. However, synthetic methodologies capable of producing novel nonsymmetric imidazoles are still scarce. In a combined synthesis, photophysical and computational investigation, we show that ruthenium(II) catalysis enables C−H/N−H alkyne annulation of nonsymmetric imidazoles derived from naturally occuring β-lapachone and nor-β-lapachone. This method provides an efficient and versatile tool for synthesizing fluorescent compounds with a broad application range.

Diverse structural frameworks are found in natural compounds and are well known for their chemical and biological properties; such compounds include the imidazoles and oxazoles. Researchers worldwide are continually working on the development of methods for synthesizing new molecules bearing these basic moiety and evaluating their properties and applications. To expand the knowledge related to azoles, this review summarizes important examples of imidazole and oxazole derivatives from 1,2-dicarbonyl compounds, such as lapachones and phenanthrene-9,10-diones, not only regarding their synthesis and biological applications but also their photophysical properties and uses. The data concerning the latter are particularly scarce in the literature, which leads to underestimation of the potential applications that can be envisaged for these compounds.

In this present study, it aimed to characterize biomass and obtain charcoal by means of pyrolysis of Cocos nucifera L. from a fractional planning 24-1 to be used in the removal of methylene blue. The investigated effects were temperature of 500 and 550 °C, heating rate 10 and 20 °C/ min, gas flow 1 and 4 mL/ min, and time of 30 and 60 min. The biomass composition showed values ​​for cellulose 36%, hemicellosis 11.2%, lignin 32.1%, calorific value of 17.5 MJKg-1, density 0.158 g / mL, carbon 45.1%, hydrogen 6.8%, oxygen 0.4%, and nitrogen 47.7%. The results indicate that among the investigated effects, only the temperature influenced the charcoal yield. The best yield was at 500 °C with a specific surface area of ​​30.3801m2/ g, a maximum methylene blue adsorption capacity of 67.7%, and better fit to the Langmuir isotherm model with a correlation coefficient R2 = 0.9804. Regarding thermal analysis, it was observed that above 250 °C lignocellulosic thermal decomposition begins. The charcoal presented uniform size and pores, which influenced the adsorptive process of removing methylene blue.

Study question In recent decades there has been an increase in environmental contaminants than can affect assisted reproduction techniques. We analyze the influence of vanadium (V) and lead (Pb) on these results. Summary answer Higher seminal fluid V levels affect fertilization rate (FR). Higher Pb and V levels decrease embryo cleavage rate (CR). What is known already Some animal studies have shown that V produces toxicity in the male reproductive system through oxidative stress, and this leads to decreases sperm count and motility, as well increased concentration of abnormal sperm. Pb is one of the main pollutants and, it accumulates in the male reproductive organs, deteriorates the quality of semen, increases the frequency of spontaneous abortion and male infertility. And it has also been seen that it inhibits sperm functions in vitro, although its mechanism of action is still unknown. Study design, size, duration A prospective study was conducted in 102 males, with a mean age of 38.0 ± 5.7, attended successively for initial evaluation, in the Human Reproduction Unit of the Hospital Universitario de Canarias, between february and april 2018, who underwent a semen analysis and metal detection and, subsequently, an IVF/ICSI treatment during years 2019 and 2020 (n = 92). The relationship between the presence of metals and the results of ART has been established. Participants/materials, setting, methods We included two groups based on semen parameters: 41 patients with pathological spermiograms (40.2%), while the remaining 61 (59.8%) had a normal semen analysis and constituted the control group.The study of seminal parameters was performed according to the WHO guidelines. The metals analysis was carried out in the Toxicology Area of the Universidad de La Laguna, using the digestion for microwave method. Metal measurement was performed using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). Main results and the role of chance In our study we have observed 79.4% of patients have V in semen. Significant differences have been found in the concentration of V in semen (t100=1.988, p = 0.05), is higher in patients who drink alcohol (0.51± 0.40 mg/Kg) than in abstinent patients (0.35± 0.30 mg/Kg). The group with FR above 75% presented lower V values compared to those with rates below 75% (p = 0.039). Within this last group, 33.3% present V values higher than 0.7 mg / kg compared to 15.8% who present it in the group with FR greater than 75% (OR = 2.67 CI95% 1.01, 7.52; p = 0.048). A statistical relationship was found between CR and Pb and V. Those who did not reach 100% CR presented higher Pb values (p = 0.052). Of them, 63.6% presented Pb compared to 38.5% in the group reaching 100% division. This same relationship was observed for V, with higher values in the group that did not reach 100% (p = 0.032), and V being present in 90.9% of the samples compared to 79.5% in the group reaching 100%. Limitations, reasons for caution The limitation of this study was the volume of semen that could be obtained for the metal detection, only 0.5 ml. This was because the semen sample was used at the same time to make a diagnosis of infertility though a spermiogram Wider implications of the findings The determination of metals in semen opens a new field in the study of infertility, and many cases of unknown infertility could due to metal presence or absence in seminal fluid, with the option of performing several treatments to correct these possible anomalies. Trial registration number not applicable

The U2AF Homology Motif Kinase 1 (UHMK1) is the only kinase that contains the U2AF homology motif (UHM), a common protein interaction domain among splicing factors. Through this motif, UHMK1 interacts with the splicing factors SF1 and SF3B1, known to participate in the 3’ splice site recognition during the early steps of spliceosome assembly. Although UHMK1 phosphorylates these splicing factors in vitro, the involvement of UHMK1 in RNA processing has not previously been demonstrated. Here, we identify novel putative substrates of this kinase and evaluate UHMK1 contribution to overall gene expression and splicing, by integrating global phosphoproteomics, RNA-seq, and bioinformatics approaches. Upon UHMK1 modulation, 163 unique phosphosites were differentially phosphorylated in 117 proteins, of which 106 are novel potential substrates of this kinase. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis showed enrichment of terms previously associated with UHMK1 function, such as mRNA splicing, cell cycle, cell division and microtubule organization. The majority of the annotated RNA-related proteins are components of the spliceosome, but are also involved in several steps of gene expression. Comprehensive analysis of splicing showed that UHMK1 affected over 200 alternative splicing events. Moreover, splicing reporter assay further supported UHMK1 function on splicing. Overall, RNA-seq data demonstrated that UHMK1 knockdown had a minor impact on gene expression and pointed to UHMK1 function in epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Finally, the functional assays demonstrated that UHMK1 modulation affects proliferation, colony formation, and migration of the cells. Taken together, our data implicate UHMK1 as a splicing regulatory kinase, connecting protein regulation through phosphorylation and gene expression in key cellular processes.

This article discusses the play The Taming of the Shrew, renowned comedy by William Shakespeare, starring a couple whose relationship is, at least, problematic, but rather potentially dangerous. Taking into consideration concepts regarding the “romantic ideal” and healthy relationships, we outline the concept of abusive relationship, supported by the studies developed by McCarry (2010), Markey e Markey (2007) e Postmus, Stylianou e McMahon (2015). By recognizing the abusive relationship as different than the unhealthy one, singularly for its increased degree of violence (any type of violence, be it physical, emotional or psychological), we aim to promote a debate about the relationship between Katherina and Petruchio, focusing on the gender roles and power positions of each party of this relationship. We demonstrate the possibility to perceive this relationship as abusive, since Petruchio controls and blackmails his wife in several opportunities, including severe deprivations, in a dynamic that is far from a healthy relationship.

BACKGROUND Aortobronchial fistula (ABF) is a rare complication of a chronic thoracic aneurysm. An ABF secondary to Disseminated Tuberculous (TB) Aortitis and Takayasu Arteritis (TA) may present with extensive combinations of aneurysms and stenoses in different parts of the arterial system with involvement of other organs. CASE PRESENTATION A 29-year-old Filipino female, married, who was admitted to our institution due to sudden massive hemoptysis. A Computed Tomography of the chest showed pulmonary tuberculosis with lymph node involvement and pseudoaneurysm of the descending aorta. The pertinent physical examinations are blood pressure (BP) differential of 20mmhg of upper extremities, painless multiple nodular tongue, multiple cervical, and supraclavicular lymphadenopathies, grade 3/6 holosystolic murmur. On Computed Tomography of the aorta, there are combinations of aneurysms of the mid to distal descending thoracic aorta, distal abdominal aorta, superior mesenteric artery with stenoses of the subclavian and left renal arteries. She was immediately started on anti-TB medications, corticosteroids and was scheduled for aortic aneurysmal repair. However, there was a recurrence of massive hemoptysis leading to her demise. An autopsy of the thorax and abdomen revealed an acute pulmonary hemorrhage, aortobronchial fistula secondary to Disseminated Tuberculous Aortitis and Takayasu Arteritis. CONCLUSION A masked ABF should be suspected in a patient with massive hemoptysis and a pseudoaneurysm of the descending aorta. In a young female with disseminated TB aortitis, a concomitant TA should be investigated. Both can share the same clinical, radiological and pathologic features. It is fatal and needs prompt surgical or endovascular intervention.

Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) leads to a robust systemic inflammatory response. We hypothesized that an early systemic glycolytic shift occurs after aSAH, resulting in a unique metabolic signature and affecting systemic inflammation.Control patients and patients with aSAH were analyzed. Samples from patients with aSAH were collected within 24 h of aneurysmal rupture. Mass spectrometry-based metabolomics was performed to assess relative abundance of 16 metabolites involved in the tricarboxylic acid cycle, glycolysis, and pentose phosphate pathway. Principal component analysis was used to segregate control patients from patients with aSAH. Dendrograms were developed to depict correlations between metabolites and cytokines. Analytic models predicting functional outcomes were developed, and receiver operating curves were compared.A total of 122 patients with aSAH and 38 control patients were included. Patients with aSAH had higher levels of glycolytic metabolites (3-phosphoglycerate/2-phosphoglycerate, lactate) but lower levels of oxidative metabolites (succinate, malate, fumarate, and oxalate). Patients with higher clinical severity (Hunt-Hess Scale score ≥ 4) had higher levels of glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate and citrate but lower levels of α-ketoglutarate and glutamine. Principal component analysis readily segregated control patients from patients with aSAH. Correlation analysis revealed distinct clusters in control patients that were not observed in patients with aSAH. Higher levels of fumarate were associated with good functional outcomes at discharge (odds ratio [OR] 1.76, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.15-2.82) in multivariable models, whereas higher levels of citrate were associated with poor functional outcomes at discharge (OR 0.36, 95% CI 0.16-0.73) and at 3 months (OR 0.35, 95% CI 0.14-0.81). No associations were found with delayed cerebral ischemia. Levels of α-ketoglutarate and glutamine correlated with lower levels of interleukin-8, whereas fumarate was associated with lower levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha.Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage results in a unique pattern of plasma metabolites, indicating a shift toward glycolysis. Higher levels of fumarate and lower levels of citrate were associated with better functional outcomes. These metabolites may represent targets to improve metabolism after aSAH.

Several episodes of market-oriented reforms in developing countries have been accompanied by a significant rise in work outside of the formal economy. This paper investigates whether the impact of trade on formal employment is mediated by the strength of labour regulations. We rely on data from the Brazilian Census that provides information on workers' demographics and employment, including job formality status. Our estimation strategy exploits quasi-exogenous changes in industry-level real exchange rates to explore the likelihood of informality across employers exposed to varying degrees of de facto labour regulations. We further utilize two key features of Brazilian labour institutions – budgetary decisions about the availability of resources occur at the federal level, while decisions about where to inspect occur at the local level – to instrument for labour enforcement. Our results suggest that strict labour regulations may lead to a precarization of employment, rather than offering protection for workers.

The cultivation of super-high-density (SHD) olive orchards in the Mediterranean Basin usually faces drought events due especially to low precipitation, high temperature and solar radiation in summer. Hence regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) strategies can be a useful tool for irrigation management to limit yield loss. Therefore, this work aimed to find the most suitable RDI strategy by placing special emphasis on phase II of fruit growth for SHD olive orchards irrigated below theoretical water requirements. Four irrigation strategies were defined according to different water availability scenarios: fully-irrigated, RDI1, RDI2 and RDI3, scaled to respectively supply 450, 350, 250 and 150 mm year-1. Tree water relations, trunk growth, fruit and oil yields, were evaluated. The study was carried out for 5 years in an ‘Arbequina’ commercial orchard (1667 trees ha-1) in Villena, Alicante (Spain). The main results showed that ‘Arbequina’ tree irrigation water productivity (both olive and oil) gradually increased as irrigation dose lowered. Olive yield depended heavily on the applied irrigation dose, with the highest olive yield for the Control trees. However, the oil yield in the RDI1 trees was similar to that of the Control trees, but strategies RDI2 and RDI3 reduced yield. All the RDI strategies diminished vegetative development, and RDI2 was the most efficient strategy for resource distribution (olive yield vs. vegetative growth). Therefore based on oil production, vegetative growth and irrigation water savings, RDI1 was the most recommendable irrigation strategy for the Arbequina’ olive trees cultivated in SHD under semi-arid Mediterranean conditions.

This study uses the Becker’s (1957) taste-based discrimination model to analyse the effects of import penetration from China and from the Rest of the World (ROW) on the share of female workers and on the male-female wage gap in the manufacturing sector of Brazil. Using 2000-2012 data from the Brazilian Censuses and Pesquisa Nacional por Amostra de Domicílios, this paper finds no effect of the industry-level exports share on these outcomes. The Chinese import penetration increased the female share and narrowed the male-female wage gap except for college educated workers. The ROW import penetration raised the female share among workers with college degrees, but widened the wage gap except for those with college degrees. These effects were modified with the implementation of the Nova Matriz Econômica (NME) policy in 2008. During the post-NME regime, Chinese import penetration reduced the female share across all workers’ groups, while the negative effects of ROW increased on the female share of all groups and on the wage gap in the unskilled-labour intensive industries except for the workers with college degrees. Hence, the effects of the heightened trade-induced competition on workers’ discrimination depends on the type and source of imports, the education of workers, and the domestic policies, specifically on wages and sectoral subsidies.

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and incidence of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) in Tucumán, Argentina. Methods: The study included inpatient and outpatient charts from four public hospitals and private practice rheumatology clinics, all of them members of the Tucumán Rheumatology Society. Patients older than 16 years with diagnosis of SLE between January 2005 and December 2012 were included. Prevalence and annual incidence were calculated as the number of cases per 100.000 inhabitants during the period 2005 to 2012. Results: Three hundred fifty-three patients were identified. The mean age at diagnosis was 30.5 ± 11.7 years, 93.5% women, 83% mestizos. Prevalence was 24.3 cases/100.000 inhabitants (CI 95% 22.6–28.8) and age-adjusted (≥16 years) of 34.9 cases/100.000 inhabitants (CI 95% 32.8–41.1). The annual incidence in 2005 was 1.8 cases/100.000 inhabitants (95% CI 1–2.9) and 2012 of 4.2 cases/100.000 inhabitants (95% CI 2.9–5.8). Mortality was 9.1%, with infections being the most frequent cause (14/32). Conclusion: The prevalence of SLE in the province of Tucumán was 34.9 cases/100.000 inhabitants.

In this work, we have investigated the effects of in-plane mechanical strains on the electronic properties of single-layer α-In2Se3 by means of density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Our findings reveal that this system exhibits a semiconductor character with an indirect band gap in the ground state, with a compressive biaxial strain leading to an indirect to direct band gap transition. Remarkably, along with the band gap transition, the system displays promising capability to produce hydrogen gas from a visible light photocatalytic water splitting process.

COVID-19 is an ongoing pandemic with a devastating impact on public health. Acute neurological symptoms have been reported after a COVID-19 diagnosis, however, the long-term neurological symptoms including pain is not well established. Using a prospective registry of hospitalized COVID-19 patients, we assessed pain and neurological function (including functional, cognitive and psychiatric assessments) of several hospitalized patients at 3 months. Our main finding is that 60% of the patients report pain symptoms. 71% of the patients still experienced neurological symptoms at 3 months and the most common symptoms being fatigue (42%) and PTSD (25%). Cognitive symptoms were found in 12%. Our preliminary findings suggests the importance of investigating long-term outcomes and rationalizes the need for further studies investigating the neurologic outcomes and symptoms of pain after COVID-19.

Objective Although COVID-19 is a respiratory disease, all organs can be affected including the brain. To date, specific investigations of brain injury markers (BIM) and endothelial injury markers (EIM) have been limited. Additionally, a male bias in disease severity and mortality after COVID-19 is evident globally. Sex differences in the immune response to COVID-19 may mediate this disparity. We investigated BIM, EIM and inflammatory cytokine/chemokine (CC) levels after COVID-19 and in across sexes. Methods Plasma samples from 57 subjects at Results Three BIMs: MAP2, NSE and S100B, two EIMs: sICAM1 and sVCAM1 and seven CCs: GRO IL10, sCD40L, IP10, IL1Ra, MCP1 and TNFα were significantly (p p Conclusion The acute elevation of BIMs, CCs, and EIMs and the robust associations among them at COVID-19 hospitalization are suggestive of brain and endothelial injury. Higher BIM and inflammatory markers in men additionally suggest that men are more susceptible to the risk compared to women.

Background In Grade C periodontitis in young patients (PerioC-Y), the functional roles of the subgingival community after years of periodontal treatment are still underexplored. This study evaluated the taxonomic and predicted functional content of the subgingival microbiome of PerioC-Y patients under supportive periodontal therapy (SPT). Methods Clinical and microbiological data from subgingival biofilm were assessed from 10 PerioC-Y patients at two time points: at baseline and after 5.7±1.3 years of SPT. This was compared to 15 patients without a history of periodontitis. The V1-V3 and V4-V5 regions of the 16S rRNA were sequenced using the Illumina Miseq. Microbial composition was evaluated by the core microbiome, and alpha- and beta-diversity. The microbiome functional content was predicted using Picrust2, and the gene differential abundance was analyzed with DESeq2. Results Clinical improvements were seen in PerioC-Y-SPT. Differences in β-diversity between PerioC-Y and Health were observed (Health x PerioC-Y-baseline, p = 0.02; Health x PerioC-Y-SPT, p = 0.05). Moreover, although β-diversity did not statistically change between baseline and SPT in PerioC-Y, the microbial correlation evidenced increased Streptococcus and decreased Treponema network contributions during SPT. Based on predicted functional data, treatment induced a reduction in genes related to flagellar protein and signal transduction in PerioC-Y. However, compared to healthy individuals, some genes remained more highly abundant in PerioC-Y-SPT, such as quorum sensing and efflux pump transporters. Conclusion Despite clinical improvements and a shift in taxonomic composition, the PerioC-Y patients' periodontal treatment was not enough to reach a similar microbiome to patients without disease experience. Some functional content in this biofilm remained altered in PerioC-Y regardless of disease control. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Made available in DSpace on 2022-04-29T08:34:56Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2022-01-01 Background and objective: Previous studies have demonstrated an association between the IL10 promoter rs6667202 (C > A) single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and grade C, stage 3 or 4 periodontitis (Perio4C) in the Brazilian population, where the altered A allele was detected more frequently in these patients. However, no functional analysis of this variation has yet been performed. Thus, the objective of this preliminary study was to evaluate the functionality of rs6667202 in gingival fibroblasts (GFs) of individuals with Perio4C and with periodontal health (PH) stimulated with Aggregatibacter actinomycetencomitans protein extract (AaPE). Methods: Patients with PH and Perio4C were segregated according to their genotype (AA, AC, or CC), and a biopsy was performed to establish the culture of the GFs. After GFs exposure to AaPE at 5 µg/ml for 1.5 h, RNA was extracted to analyze IL10 expression by qPCR. Aliquots of the cell's supernatant were subjected to immunoenzymatic analysis (MAGpix) to detect interleukin-10 (IL-10). Results: In PH, the genotypes AA and AC are related to less expression of IL10 (p = 0.027 and p 0.05), although a lower IL-10 expression and release compared with PH CC was seen (p = 0.033 and p

[EN] Antimonene -a single layer of antimony atoms- and its few layer forms are among the latest additions to the 2D mono-elemental materials family. Numerous predictions and experimental evidence of its remarkable properties including (opto)electronic, energetic or biomedical, among others, together with its robustness under ambient conditions, have attracted the attention of the scientific community. However, experimental evidence of its electrical properties is still lacking. Here, we characterized the electronic properties of mechanically exfoliated flakes of few-layer (FL) antimonene of different thicknesses (∼ 2–40 nm) through photoemission electron microscopy, kelvin probe force microscopy and transport measurements, which allows us to estimate a sheet resistance of ∼ 1200 Ω sq−1 and a mobility of ∼ 150 cm2V−1s−1 in ambient conditions, independent of the flake thickness. Alternatively, our theoretical calculations indicate that topologically protected surface states (TPSS) should play a key role in the electronic properties of FL antimonene, which supports our experimental findings. We anticipate our work will trigger further experimental studies on TPSS in FL antimonene thanks to its simple structure and significant stability in ambient environments., We acknowledge financial support through the “María de Maeztu” Programme for Units of Excellence inR&D(CEX2018- 0 0 0805-M), the Spanish MINECO through projects PCI2018- 093081,FIS2016-80434-P, PID2019-109539GB-C43, PID2019- 106268GB-C31 and -C32,MAT2016-77608-C3-1-P and -3-P, MAT2013-46753-C2-2-P and MAT2017-85089-C2-1R,the EU Graphene Flagship funding (Graphene Flagship Core3 881603 and JTC2017/2D-Sb&Ge), the EU via the ERC-Synergy Program (GrantERC-2013-SYG-610256 NANOCOSMOS), the Comunidad Autónoma de Madrid through MAD2D-CM, S2018/NMT-4321 (NanomagCOST-CM) and the European Structural Funds via FotoArt- CM project (S2018/NMT-4367), and the Fundación Ramón Areces. J.J.P. acknowledges the computer resources and assistance pro- vided by the Centro de Computación Científica of the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid andthe RES. S.P. acknowledges financial support by the VILLUM FONDEN via the Centre of Excellence for Dirac Materials (Grant No. 11744).

Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: Private company. Main funding source(s): Ferrer Internacional Background The cardiovascular (CV) polypill has consistently demonstrated cost-effectives in decreasing the risk of CV disease in patients in secondary prevention. Previous pharmacoeconomic studies addressed improvements in adherence as a driver of health gains. This economic assessment focuses on the implications of improved control of risk factors with the polypill as observed in clinical practice. Purpose To assess the cost-effectiveness of a fixed-dose combination polypill (ASA 100mg, atorvastatin 20/40mg, ramipril 2.5/5/10mg) strategy for the secondary prevention of CV and cerebrovascular events in adults with a history of coronary heart disease (CHD) or stroke compared to usual care with monocomponents. Methods A Markov cost-effectiveness model (1-year cycles; 4 health states: stable disease, subsequent CHD, subsequent stroke, death; payer perspective; direct medical costs; lifetime horizon; 4% discount rate) based on changes in CV risk factors (total cholesterol, 18.3% reduction; high density lipoprotein cholesterol, 2.1% increment; systolic blood pressure, 11.46% reduction) obtained from a real-life effectiveness study was set for Portugal. The probability of transition between health states was based on the SMART risk equation. Cost-effectiveness was calculated for two cohorts (n = 1,000) of secondary prevention patients with previous CHD or stroke. Systematic reviews, Portuguese registries, mortality tables and official reports were searched to identify effectiveness, epidemiological, costs and utility data. Outcomes were costs (€, 2020) per life year (LY) and Quality Adjusted LY (QALY) gained. One-way (OWA) and probabilistic (PSA) sensitivity analyses tested consistency. Assumptions were validated by experts. Results In the CHD cohort, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio for the polypill strategy (ICER) is 2,402 €/LY and the incremental cost-utility ratio (ICUR) is 2,328 €/QALY. Incremental cost reaches 278,927 € (polypill, 13,198,506 €; monocomponents: 12,919,579 €) with less subsequent CV events (552.31 vs 641.88) and CV deaths (102.4 vs 118.68). Assuming a willingness-to-pay (WTP) threshold of 30.000 €/QALY gained, the PSA shows a 81.4% probability for the polypill to be cost-effective and 39.1% chances to be costs saving compared to usual care. In the stroke cohort, the ICER is 386 €/LY and the ICUR is 553 €/QALY. Incremental costs are 34,178 € (polypill, 10,138,807 €; monocomponents: 10,104,629 €) with less subsequent CV events (481.99 vs 564.50) and CV deaths (101.00 vs. 117.23) with the polypill. There is a 75.9% probability for the polypill to be cost-effective and 49.5% chances to be costs saving. Conclusion The CV polypill is a cost-effective secondary prevention strategy compared to usual care with monocomponents. Its ICER is well below acceptable thresholds in both CV and cerebrovascular disease patients. It reduces the number of recurrent events at a moderately higher cost compared to monocomponents.

Objective:Systemic inflammation after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is implicated in delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) and adverse clinical outcomes. We hypothesize that early changes in peripheral leukocytes will be associated with outcomes after SAH.Methods:SAH patients admitted between January 2009 and December 2016 were enrolled into a prospective observational study and were assessed for Hunt Hess Scale (HHS) at admission, DCI, and modified Ranked Scale (mRS) at discharge. Total white blood cell (WBC) counts and each component of the differential cell count were determined on the day of admission (day 0) to 8 days after bleed (day 8). Global cerebral edema (GCE) was assessed on admission CT, and presence of any infection was determined. Statistical tests included student'st-test, Chi-square test, and multivariate logistic regression (MLR) models.Results:A total of 451 subjects were analyzed. Total WBCs and neutrophils decreased initially reaching a minimum at day 4–5 after SAH. Monocyte count increased gradually after SAH and peaked between day 6–8, while basophils and lymphocytes decreased initially from day 0 to 1 and steadily increased thereafter. Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) reached a peak on day 1 and decreased thereafter. WBCs, neutrophils, monocytes, and NLR were higher in patients with DCI and poor functional outcomes. WBCs, neutrophils, and NLR were higher in subjects who developed infections. In MLR models, neutrophils and monocytes were associated with DCI and worse functional outcomes, while NLR was only associated with worse functional outcomes. Occurrence of infection was associated with poor outcome. Neutrophils and NLR were associated with infection, while monocytes were not. Monocytes were higher in males, and ROC curve analysis revealed improved ability of monocytes to predict DCI and poor functional outcomes in male subjects.Conclusions:Monocytosis was associated with DCI and poor functional outcomes after SAH. The association between neutrophils and NLR and infection may impact outcomes. Early elevation in monocytes had an improved ability to predict DCI and poor functional outcomes in males, which was independent of the occurrence of infection.

Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: Private company. Main funding source(s): Ferrer, Barcelona, Spain Background Cangrelor is a novel, intravenous, potent, fast onset, direct-acting, P2Y12 receptor antagonist that blocks adenosine diphosphate-induced platelet activation and aggregation with a half-life of 3-6 min. Co-administered with acetylsalicylic acid, it is indicated for reducing thrombotic cardiovascular events in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) (ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), non-STEMI, stable CAD) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) who have not received an oral P2Y12 inhibitor (clopidogrel, prasugrel or ticagrelor) prior to PCI procedure and in whom oral therapy with P2Y12 inhibitors is not feasible or desirable. Purpose To assess the economic implications of incorporating cangrelor into the hospital formulary for the acute care of CAD patients undergoing PCI in Belgium. Methods A budget impact model (BIM) was developed. The 3-year pharmacological and clinical event costs of two hypothetical scenarios, without and with cangrelor in the formulary for the total PCI population (base case) in Belgium were compared. Also, the primary PCI (STEMI) and a PCI population with special needs (e.g., unable to swallow) were assessed as complementary setups. Epidemiological, efficacy (stent thrombosis, myocardial infarction (MI), ischaemia-driven revascularization, death), safety (Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) bleeding criteria) and costs (€, 2019) data were based on clinical trials, meta-analyses and on Belgian registries. Only the pharmacological costs of pre-treatment (preload) with oral P2Y12 inhibitors and glycoprotein IIb-IIIa inhibitors (GPI) for bail-out were considered. One-way sensitivity analysis established the effect of uncertainty on BIM results. Results The model assumes that the primary PCI population grows from 4,790 to 4,935 adults (age 68 years, mean) over three years in Belgium. Pre-treatment with oral P2Y12 inhibitors increases from 3,544 to 3,652 patients, and uptake of cangrelor rises from 20.60% to 38.30% in the same period. The number of primary PCI patients receiving cangrelor grows from 730 to 1,399. At current usage of antithrombotics and at existing pharmacological and management costs, adding cangrelor into the hospital formulary represents 1.1 million euros over 3 years in Belgium. 6 additional stent thromboses, 3 ischaemia-driven revascularisations and 2 cardiovascular related deaths are avoided while three extra minor bleedings occur over 3 years. Similar pharmacoeconomic findings emerge in the base case and complementary setups. Results are most sensible to the percentage of patients on GPI bail-out. Conclusions Under BIM assumptions, introducing cangrelor for the acute care of CAD patients undergoing primary PCI represents a safe and affordable option in Belgium, particularly when the required control of thrombosis is not certain with oral pre-treatment.

Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: Private company. Main funding source(s): Ferrer, Barcelona, Spain Background Cangrelor is a novel, intravenous, potent, fast onset, direct-acting, P2Y12 receptor antagonist that blocks adenosine diphosphate-induced platelet activation and aggregation with a half-life of 3-6 min. Co-administered with acetylsalicylic acid, it is indicated for reducing thrombotic cardiovascular events in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) (ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), non-STEMI, stable CAD) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) who have not received an oral P2Y12 inhibitor (clopidogrel, prasugrel or ticagrelor) prior to PCI procedure and in whom oral therapy with P2Y12 inhibitors is not feasible or desirable. Purpose To assess the economic implications of incorporating cangrelor into the hospital formulary for the acute care of CAD patients undergoing PCI in Portugal. Methods A budget impact model (BIM) was developed. The 3-year pharmacological and clinical event costs of two hypothetical scenarios, without and with cangrelor in the formulary for the total PCI population (base case) in Portugal were compared. Also, the primary PCI (STEMI) and a PCI population with special needs (ie. unable to swallow) were assessed as complementary setups. Epidemiological, efficacy (stent thrombosis, myocardial infarction (MI), ischaemia-driven revascularization, death), safety (Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) bleeding criteria) and costs (€, 2019) data were based on clinical trials, meta-analyses and on Portuguese registries. Only the costs of pre-treatment with oral P2Y12 inhibitors and glycoprotein IIb-IIIa inhibitors (GPI) for bail-out were considered. One-way sensitivity analysis established the effect of uncertainty on BIM results. Results The model assumes that the total PCI population grows from 13,422 to 14,370 adults (age 65 years, mean) over three years in Portugal. Pre-treatment with oral P2Y12 inhibitors increases from 9,932 to 10,634 patients, and uptake of cangrelor rises from 0.80% to 1.40% in the same period. The number of total PCI patients receiving cangrelor grows from 79 to 149. At current usage of antithrombotics and at existing pharmacological and management costs, adding cangrelor into the hospital formulary represents 115 thousand € over 3 years in Portugal. Results are most sensible to the percentage of patients on GPI bail-out. Conclusions Under BIM assumptions, introducing cangrelor for the acute care of CAD patients undergoing PCI represents a safe and affordable option in Portugal, particularly when the required control of thrombosis is not certain with oral pre-treatment.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of Chinese and non-Chinese import penetration on the inter-industry wage premium, and how such effects vary according to the unskilled-labor intensity of the industry and to the implementation of the Nova Matriz Economica policy in 2008. Design/methodology/approach The paper empirically examines the effects of the Chinese and non-Chinese import penetration on the wage premium using a linear instrumental variables model and data from Brazilian household surveys and censuses. Findings The estimates show the Chinese import penetration positively affecting the wage premium in unskilled-labor intensive. And the implementation of the new macroeconomic policy strengthened this effect. Originality/value To the best of the author’s knowledge, this is the first paper to study the effects of Chinese and non-Chinese import penetration on the inter-industry wage premium.

espanolSe analiza la forma en que la educacion intercultural es asumida por docentes universitarios de la universidad Francisco de Paula Santander de Colombia adscritos a una facultad de ciencias empresariales, frente a una poblacion estudiantil afectada por el conflicto armado. Se consideraron cuatro variables: conocimiento sobre educacion intercultural, politicas institucionales, aspectos de consideracion de los docentes en terminos de multiculturalidad y practicas de educacion intercultural. Se aplico una encuesta a un grupo de 105 docentes y 420 estudiantes apoyada en el paradigma empirico-analitico, el enfoque cuantitativo y un diseno no experimental/descriptivo. Los resultados muestran que los docentes no tienen un conocimiento claro en torno a la educacion intercultural ni de las particularidades socio-culturales de los estudiantes. Se concluye que lo ideal seria reunir esfuerzos para reconocer todas las caracteristicas de la poblacion culturalmente diversa y reconocer las adecuaciones en materia de politicas, curriculo y pedagogia para hacer coherente las acciones dentro del aula, de acuerdo a las necesidades de los estudiantes EnglishThe way in which intercultural education is assumed by university professors from the university Francisco de Paula Santander in Colombia belonging to the faculty of business who deal with a group of the student directly affected by the Colombian armed conflict. Four variables were considered: knowledge about intercultural education, institutional policies, aspects of consideration of teachers in terms of multiculturalism and intercultural education practices. A survey was applied to a group of 105 teachers and 420 students supported by the empirical-analytical paradigm, the quantitative approach and a non-experimental / descriptive design. The results show that teachers do not have a clear knowledge about intercultural education or the socio-cultural particularities of the student. It is concluded that an ideal situation would be to gather efforts to recognize all the characteristics of the culturally diverse population and recognize the adjustments in policy, curriculum and pedagogy to make coherent actions within the classroom, according to the needs of the students.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of the combination of a substrate formulated with decomposed buriti stem (Mauritia vinifera Mart.) and nitrogen doses in the production of Acácia mangium Willd seedlings. A completely randomized design was used in a 3 × 5 factorial scheme, being the factors constituted of substrates formulated from decomposed buriti stem (DBS) mixed with dystrophic yellow oxisol in three proportions (0; 25 and 50%) and nitrogen doses (0; 100; 200; 300 and 400 mg dm-3) applied in cover. After 60 days from the emergency, it was made the following evaluations: Plant Height (PH), stem diameter (SD), internodes number (IN), dry mass of the shoot part (DMA), length and dry mass of the roots, robustness quotient through stem height/diameter relation, roots/dry mass relation and Dickson Quality Index (DQI). The multivariate analysis of variance showed a significant difference (p < 0.01) among averages vectors of treatments. The grouping analysis for the evaluated treatments allowed the division into four distinct groups. In the bi-dimensional plane formed by the first two canonical variables (Can.1 and Can.2) that withheld 99,47% of the total variance contained in the nine original variables, it is observed that the group II of treatments, composed of substrates formulated with 50% of soil + 50% of DBS supplemented with the doses of 200, 300 and 400 mg dm-3 of nitrogen, has provided a greater initial growth of A. mangium plants, as stated by the highest averages in all evaluated variables.

2D materials have opened a new field in materials science with outstanding scientific and technological impact. A largely explored route for the preparation of 2D materials is the exfoliation of layered crystals with weak forces between their layers. However, its application to covalent crystals remains elusive. Herein, a further step is taken by introducing the exfoliation of germanium, a narrow-bandgap semiconductor presenting a 3D diamond-like structure with strong covalent bonds. Pure α-germanium is exfoliated following a simple one-step procedure assisted by wet ball-milling, allowing gram-scale fabrication of high-quality layers with large lateral dimensions and nanometer thicknesses. The generated flakes are thoroughly characterized by different techniques, giving evidence that the new 2D material exhibits bandgaps that depend on both the crystallographic direction and the number of layers. Besides potential technological applications, this work is also of interest for the search of 2D materials with new properties, The authors acknowledge the financial support from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, through the “María de Maeztu” Programme for Units of Excellence in R&D (CEX2018-000805-M and CEX2019-000919-M) and MINECO-FEDER projects PID2019-111742GB-C31, PID2019-111742GB-C32, PCI2018-093081, PID2019-109539GB-C43, MAT2015-666888-C3-3R, MICINN projects FIS2017-82415-R, RTI2018- 097895-B-C43 and PID2019-111742GA-I00, the Comunidad Autónoma de Madrid through S2018/NMT-4321 (NanomagCOST-CM), the Generalitat Valenciana (CIDEGENT/2018/001 grant and iDiFEDER/2018/061 co-financed by FEDER) and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, FLAG-ERA AB694/2-1), the European Union Seventh Framework Programme under Grant agreement No. 604391 Graphene Flagship. The authors thank the European Research Council (ERC Starting Grant 2D-PnictoChem 804110 to G.A.). W.S.P. acknowledges the computer resources and assistance provided by the Centro de Computación Científica of the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid and the computer resources at MareNostrum and technical support provided by Barcelona Supercomputing Center (FI-2019-2-0007)

Several episodes of market-oriented reforms in developing countries have been accompanied by a significant rise in work outside of the formal economy. This paper investigates whether the impact of increased exposure to trade on formal employment is mediated by the strength of labour regulations. We rely on data from the Brazilian Census which provides information on workers’ demographics and employment, including job formality status. Our estimation strategy exploits quasi-exogenous changes in industry-level real exchange rates to explore the likelihood of informality across employers exposed to varying degrees of de facto labour regulations. To instrument for labour enforcement, we utilize two key features of Brazilian labour institutions—budgetary decisions about the availability of resources occur at the federal level, while decisions about where to inspect occur at the local level. Our instrumental variables results suggest that strict labour regulations may lead to a precarization of employment, rather than offering protection for workers.

The objective was to design a didactic experience that would facilitate the processes of teaching and learning of functions in the students of a public university. A quantitative approach is adopted at the descriptive level. The questionnaire is used as an instrument. As a result, it was found that the activities implemented facilitated the learning of mathematics applied to physics. The contributions are concluded as positive since the students were able to focus on specific aspects of the selected lessons applying physical reasoning by means of the Web 2.0 resource. El objetivo era diseñar una experiencia didáctica que facilitara los procesos de enseñanza y aprendizaje de funciones en los estudiantes de una universidad pública. Se adopta un enfoque cuantitativo a nivel descriptivo. Se utiliza el cuestionario como instrumento. Como resultado, se encontró que las actividades implementadas facilitaron el aprendizaje de las matemáticas aplicadas a la física. Se concluye como positivas las contribuciones puesto que los estudiantes pudieron centrarse en aspectos específicos de las lecciones seleccionadas aplicando el razonamiento físico por medio del recurso de la Web 2.0.

Rhodium(III) catalysis enabled C-H/N-H alkyne annulation of nonsymmetric imidazole derivatives. This study encompasses the synthesis of imidazoles from a naturally occurring quinoidal compound and their use for the preparation of rigid π-extended imidazole derivatives with outstanding fluorescence. Our study also brings to light the photophysical aspects and the mechanism of the reaction studied via computational calculations. This method provided an efficient and versatile tool for the synthesis of fluorescent compounds with a wide range of chemical and biological applications.