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Several technological approaches have been used to develop vaccines against COVID-19, including those based on inactivated viruses, viral vectors, and mRNA. This study aimed to monitor the maintenance of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in individuals from Brazil according to the primary vaccination regimen, as follows: BNT162b2 (group 1; 22) and ChAdOx1 (group 2; 18). Everyone received BNT162b2 in the first booster while in the second booster CoronaVac, Ad26.COV2.S, or BNT162b2. Blood samples were collected from 2021 to 2023 to analyze specific RBD (ELISA) and neutralizing antibodies (PRNT50). We observed a progressive increase in anti-RBD and neutralizing antibodies in each subsequent dose, remaining at high titers until the end of follow-up. Group 1 had higher anti-RBD antibody titers than group 2 after beginning the primary regimen, with significant differences after the 2nd and 3rd doses. Group 2 showed a more expressive increase after the first booster with BNT162B2 (heterologous booster). Group 2 also presented high levels of neutralizing antibodies against the Gamma and Delta variants until five months after the second booster. In conclusion, the circulating levels of anti-RBD and neutralizing antibodies against the two variants of SARS-CoV-2 were durable even five months after the 4th dose, suggesting that periodic booster vaccinations (homologous or heterologous) induced long-lasting immunity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims The present study aimed to use a conventional and metagenomic approach to investigate the microbiological diversity of water bodies in a network of drainage channels and rivers located in the central area of the city of Belém, northern Brazil, which is considered one of the largest cities in the Brazilian Amazon. Methods and results In eight of the analyzed points, both bacterial and viral microbiological indicators of environmental contamination—physical–chemical and metals—were assessed. The bacterial resistance genes, drug resistance mechanisms, and viral viability in the environment were also assessed. A total of 473 families of bacteria and 83 families of viruses were identified. Based on the analysis of metals, the levels of three metals (Cd, Fe, and Mn) were found to be above the recommended acceptable level by local legislation. The levels of the following three physicochemical parameters were also higher than recommended: biochemical oxygen demand, dissolved oxygen, and turbidity. Sixty-three bacterial resistance genes that conferred resistance to 13 different classes of antimicrobials were identified. Further, five mechanisms of antimicrobial resistance were identified and viral viability in the environment was confirmed. Conclusions Intense human actions combined with a lack of public policies and poor environmental education of the population cause environmental degradation, especially in water bodies. Thus, urgent interventions are warranted to restore the quality of this precious and scarce asset worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Innovation has been the transforming tool of precision agriculture as a response to population growth and the demand for more food with quality, less waste, food security, and sustainable management of environmental resources. The challenges are to increase the productivity of cultivated areas, both for current and future areas, to manage the use of potable water, scarce in many regions, to keep the soil fertile, and to reduce waste through reuse, optimization, resource sharing, and operational and strategic management based on accurate information of planting, harvesting, and management of environmental conditions, which are also objectives of the Circular Economy. Therefore, using Industry 4.0 technologies in agriculture becomes fundamental to facing such challenges. This paper presents a systematic literature review on Industry 4.0 technologies adopted in agriculture for sustainable development, considering environmental, economic, and social benefits. The research pointed to the use of IoT in irrigation control systems by sending automatic commands, monitoring soil and weather conditions, in the use of machinery with some automation features and in cloud data storage systems, and with the use of Big Data analytical tools, with access by mobile devices, these uses contribute to operational and strategic decision making in the management of planting and harvesting. However, the literature review did not find a technological architecture for Integrated Services in Agriculture 4.0. Thus, this paper proposes a Service Architecture that enables the promotion of a Circular Economy in Agriculture 4.0. The contribution of this article to the theory is in the expansion of knowledge of the use of technologies in Agriculture 4.0. In terms of practice, this article provides an Integrated Service Architecture so that new products can be developed for Agriculture 4.0 and thus contribute to society in reducing food insecurity, generating environmental, economic, and social benefits, and promoting the Circular Economy in Agriculture 4.0. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To analyze the characteristics of children with central precocious puberty (CPP), identifying both their clinical and epidemiological characteristics, as well as the determinants for receiving timely specialized health care. Methods: Cross-sectional retrospective study with analytical approach of 342 medical records of children aged 1 to 11 years with CPP, from the Endocrinology Outpatient Clinic of a reference hospital. Biological, socio-economic, family and nutritional data of the 1994 to 2010 period was submitted to univariate and bivariate analysis, using the chi-square test for the statistical evaluation of the associations. Results: The main features of children with CPP were: being adopted, 25 (7.3%); being overweight, 92 (27.1%); being obese, 85 (25.1%); initiating puberty before six years of age, 205 (60.3%). Children with PPC who received late specialized care were the ones who most precociously presented signs of puberty (p

Toma-se como referências básicas algumas reflexões do filósofo Martin Heidegger sobre o domínio planetário da técnica para mostrar a penúria de uma época marcada pelo fim da filosofia mediante sua realização como metafísica nas ciências técnicas. Explicita-se ainda como esse fim da filosofia na era do domínio planetário da técnica pode se constituir o ponto de partida para um novo começo do pensar, que pensa para além dos limites impostos pelo pensamento calculador. Na parte conclusiva do artigo procura-se determinar o caráter e a tarefa que caberia a essa nova forma de pensar e conhecer que nos aproxima das coisas tais como são

Copyright of Brazilian Journal of Forest Research / Pesquisa Florestal Brasileira is the property of Brazilian Journal of Forest Research / Pesquisa Florestal Brasileira and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Pasos: Revista de Turismo y Patrimonio Cultural is the property of Universidad de La Laguna, Instituto Universitario de Ciencias Politicas y Sociales and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Canine cementless total hip arthroplasty (THA) is a successful technique for the management of hip arthrosis; however, serious potential complications, such as femoral fractures and subsidence of the femoral stem, can occur. To evaluate the effect of two femoral stem designs in reducing subsidence in dogs, twenty-four hips from twenty-one dogs undergoing THA were assessed. The twenty-four arthroplasties were divided into two experimental groups: G1 with a first generation, and G2, which is the second generation, system were used. All the dogs were clinically and radiographically evaluated immediately post-operatively and at 30 (M1) and 120 days post-operatively (M2). Three of ten arthroplasties in the G1 system had subsidence and six of fourteen had subsidence in the G2 system. Both systems are effective for management of hip arthrosis. The varus positions with the sub-optimal filling were not related to the subsidence. The two stem designs both showed some resistance to subsidence, but clinical problems were not identified in any case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, protected areas around the world have a demand for volunteer work. At the same time, people in several countries that house protected areas seek out these spaces to serve as volunteers. This process occurs in a scenario strongly influenced by the neoliberal economy, which is marked by cuts in environmental management budgets and increased protected areas visitation. Based on this context, the objective was to analyze the role of volunteer work in protected areas in the context of neoliberal paradigm predominance. For this purpose, it was established a current overview of volunteer activity through a case study in Brazil by collecting information from volunteers and managers, heads or managers of protected areas receptive to volunteer work in interviews using structured questionnaires. It was found that Parques Nacionais are the categories with the greatest demand for volunteer work. It was also found the most part of volunteers is between 20 and 30 years old, and their education level is higher education in undergraduate courses related to biological sciences. It was identified significant differences between the perceptions of managers and volunteers about volunteer work objectives. However, both groups indicated that "Environmental education/environmental interaction and interpretation" and "Support for visitation" are the most frequently performed activities, and the main form of support and trade-off for volunteer work is the offering of certificates. Thus, volunteer work seeks to contribute to the protected areas objectives by supporting the management of these areas during public use activities. However, in the current scenario, this work is palliative in the face of the impacts of the dismantling of environmental policy that affects most countries that have Protected areas and have surrendered to neoliberal conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Recorde: Revista de História do Esporte is the property of Recorde: Revista de Historia do Esporte and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of RGO: Revista Gaúcha de Odontologia is the property of RGO: Revista Gaucha de Odontologia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the most diverse areas of society, including sport. During the quarantine period, there were several movements to confront the pandemic, which included advances, setbacks and attempts to resume daily activities and sports. In the sports scene, we observed the suspension, postponement or cancellation of the most important international level competitions; football and those involved in it were aware of this process. Considering this, we seek to present the training and maintenance of the activities of football referees during quarantine, projecting a future scenario by fostering debates about what might be the possible changes in the preparation and performance of these officials in South America and, specifically, in Brazil, after the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of hybridization on impact and residual strength in composites as well as the types of damage caused by the impacts, quantifying the delaminated area of the test specimens. Two 11-layer composite laminates were developed, one with bidirectional glass fiber woven and the other a hybrid with three layers of bidirectional aramid fiber substituting the outer layers and the middle layer of the glass fiber. The materials revealed that the hybrid laminate obtained greater impact strength withstanding one impact of 76 J, albeit with an increase in the damaged area of between 64 and 85 cm2, resulting in a decline in mechanical properties along nearly the entire test specimen. This contrasts with what occurred in the glass fiber laminates, which recovered over 80% of their mechanical properties for a distance of 35 mm from the edge of the impactor. Moreover, it demonstrated that the variation in residual strength can be represented by an equation and that there is a relation between the damage area and the residual properties of the glass fiber material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of RSBO: Revista Sul-Brasileira de Odontologia is the property of UNIVILLE and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study aimed to develop a model to analyze the residual strength of composites after low-velocity impact, using three-point bending and compression after impact tests. Two types of composite laminates with an orthophthalic polymer matrix were used: one reinforced with bidirectional E-glass fabric and the other reinforced with bidirectional Kevlar-49 fabric. To that end, an equation was developed to assess loss of strength and stiffness after impact at different distances from the impact point, and this equation was not found in any previously searched article. The results demonstrate that the laminate based in glass fiber is more appropriate for the repair process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the influence of music therapy on the reduction of fatigue in women with breast or gynecological malignant neoplasia during radiotherapy, since it is one of the most frequent side effects of this type of treatment, and may interfere with self-esteem, social activities, and quality of life. Experimental Design: Randomized controlled trial (control group [CG] and music therapy group [MTG]) to assess fatigue, quality of life, and symptoms of depression in women undergoing radiotherapy using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy: Fatigue (FACT-F) version 4, Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy–General (FACT-G) version 4, and Beck Depression Inventory in 3 separate times, namely, during the first week of radiotherapy, on the week of the intermediary phase, and during the last week of radiotherapy. Individual 30- to 40-minute sessions of music therapy with the presence of a trained music therapist were offered to participants. Results: In this study, 164 women were randomized and 116 (63 CG and 53 MTG) were included in the analyses, with mean age of 52.90 years (CG) and 51.85 years (MTG). Participants in the MTG had an average of 10 music therapy sessions, totaling 509 sessions throughout the study. FACT-F results were significant regarding Trial Outcome Index (P = .011), FACT-G (P = .005), and FACT-F (P = .001) for the MTG compared with the CG. Conclusions: Individual music therapy sessions may be effective to reduce fatigue related to cancer and symptoms of depression, as well as to improve quality of life for women with breast or gynecological cancer undergoing radiotherapy. Further well-designed research studies are needed to adequately determine the effects of music therapy on fatigue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate alterations in condylar positioning through submentovertex projection (Hirtz Radiographic Technique) in patients who underwent orthognathic surgery for maxillary advancement and mandibular setback with stable internal fixation. Methods: A prospective longitudinal clinical study of 40 surgical patients presenting dentofacial deformity admitted in the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Department of Federal University of Paraná (UFPR) in the period between March 2013 and December 2015. We performed two submentovertex digital radiographs, one 7 days before surgery and the other one 30 days after the procedure. Cephalometric tracings were made using Radiocef® Studio 2 Software and measured the intercondylar and condylar angles (right and left). Results: There was a decrease in the intercondylar angle ( p < 0.001) and an increase in condylar angles both the right and the left side ( p < 0.001) when compared with the pre and postoperative period. There was a larger increase in condylar angle on the right side in males ( p = 0.007). Conclusion: There is a tendency of decreasing of the intercondylar angle after orthognathic surgery, regardless of the alteration in the condylar angles, creating a new position of the condyle in the glenoid fossa. Patients with asymmetry may present greater alterations in the positioning of the opposite condylar to the deviation of the mandibular midline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to determine the match locomotor characteristics of a sample of U-20 Brazilian female soccer players. Seven international matches were analyzed during the 2015 U-20 South American Championship, using global positioning technology. During a typical match, fullbacks and forwards covered greater distances in high-intensity running and sprinting than central defenders and midfielders (effect size [ES] = 1.42-3.69). In the final 15 min of a game, total and highintensity running distance and player load were ≈ 20 to 35 % (ES = 0.41-3.86) lower than in the first 15 min period for mid-fielders, fullbacks, forwards, and central defenders. Sprinting, and high-intensity running distances, and the frequency of accelerations > 2 m⋅s-2 immediately after the most intense 5-min period declined in forwards (ES = 1.78-2.67), fullbacks (ES = 1.96-5.25), midfielders (ES = 1.66-3.77), and central defenders (ES = 1.50-4.22). Maintaining 'high' levels of activity in the first half resulted in ≈ 19 % reductions in the second half for sprinting distance and frequency of accelerations > 2 m⋅s-2 (ES = 0.43 and 0.88), while increases in these locomotor activities were observed in situations with 'low' levels of activity (ES = 0.64 and 1.12, for sprinting and accelerations > 2 m⋅s-2, respectively) (within-subject analysis). The data demonstrate that high-intensity efforts are reduced during various phases of international matches and overall activity patterns vary among playing positions. This information could be useful in the development and prescription of sex- and age-specific training regimes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The determination of the levels of solar radiation incident on the terrestrial surface (W·m−2) is essential for several areas such as architecture, agriculture, health, power generation, telecommunications, and climate forecasting models. The high cost of acquiring and maintaining radiometric equipment makes it difficult to create and expand monitoring networks. It contributes to the limited Brazilian radiometric network and affects the understanding and availability of this variable. This paper presents the development of a new surface solar radiation measurement system based on silicon photodiodes (Si) with a spectral range between 300 nm and 1400 nm incorporating Internet of Things (IoT) technology with an estimated cost of USD 200. The proposed system can provide instantaneous surface solar radiation levels, connectivity to wireless networks and an exclusive web system for monitoring data. For the sake of comparison, the results were compared with those provided by a government meteorology station (INMet). The prototype validation resulted in determination coefficients (R2) greater than 0.95 while the statistical analysis referred to the results and uncertainties for the range of ±500 kJ·m−2, less than 4.0% for the developed prototypes. The proposed system operates similarly to pyranometers based on thermopiles providing reliable readings, a low acquisition and maintenance cost, autonomous operation, and applicability in the most varied climatological and energy research types. The developed system is pending a patent at the National Institute of Industrial Property under registration BR1020200199846. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presented an autonomous electronic system for sunshine duration (SD) monitoring based on the contrast method and developed to operate on a horizontal surface. The prototype uses four photoresistors arranged at 90° in a 20 mm diameter circumference separated by a shading structure used to create a shadow pattern on the detection element. Photoresistors are inserted in individual signal conditioning circuits based on the association between Wheatstone bridges and operational amplifiers to provide an analog signal to the microcontroller unit. The determination of SD occurs through the implementation of fuzzy logic with numerical calculation methods to estimate the probability (f) of solar disk obstruction and estimate SD values. The system does not require additional adjustments after installation or use of energy sources for operation due to the use of an internal battery with charge recovery by solar panels. Experimental results of the proposed system were validated with the ones provided by a government meteorology station. Statistical analysis of the results showed a confidence index (c) greater than 90%, with a precision of 94.26%. The proposed system is a feasible low-cost solution to the available commercial systems for the measurement of sunshine duration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate the biomechanical properties of a novel total hip replacement femoral stem., Methods: Eight pairs of femurs from dog cadavers were used. The femurs were separated into different groups. A novel femoral stem with a convex proximal portion (Stem B) was biomechanically evaluated and compared to awell-known veterinary collared stem (Stem A). Femoral stems were inserted into the contralateral femurs from the same dog, forming 16 constructs. A flexo-compression load was applied on the axial axis of each sample. Maximum strength, deflection, stiffness, and energy absorption were analysed., Results: Group B constructs showed significantly higher values (p ? 0.05) for the variables, except stiffness. The mean maximum strength was 1,347 ± 357 N for Group A and 1,805 ± 123 N for Group B (p ? 0.0069). The mean deflection was5.54 ± 2.63 mm for Group A and 10.03 ± 3.99 mm for Group B (p ? 0.0056). For the energy variable, the force was 6,203 ± 3,488 N/mm for Group A and 12,885 ± 5,056 N/mm for Group B (p ? 0.0054). Stem B had greater maximum strength, deflection, and energy., Conclusions: The new stem was effective in neutralizing the impact of axial flexion-compression stresses during biomechanical tests in cadaveric models.