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Abstract Background Identifying patients at increased risk of loss to follow-up (LTFU) is key to developing strategies to optimize the clinical management of tuberculosis (TB). The use of national registry data in prediction models may be a useful tool to inform healthcare workers about risk of LTFU. Here we developed a score to predict the risk of LTFU during anti-TB treatment (ATT) in a nationwide cohort of cases using clinical data reported to the Brazilian Notifiable Disease Information System (SINAN). Methods We performed a retrospective study of all TB cases reported to SINAN between 2015 and 2022; excluding children (

BackgroundChildren with congenital Zika syndrome (CZS) have severe damage to the peripheral and central nervous system (CNS), greatly increasing the risk of death. However, there is no information on the sequence of the underlying, intermediate, immediate, and contributing causes of deaths among these children. The aims of this study are describe the sequence of events leading to death of children with CZS up to 36 months of age and their probability of dying from a given cause, 2015 to 2018.Methods and findingsIn a population-based study, we linked administrative data on live births, deaths, and cases of children with CZS from the SINASC (Live Birth Information System), the SIM (Mortality Information System), and the RESP (Public Health Event Records), respectively. Confirmed and probable cases of CZS were those that met the criteria established by the Brazilian Ministry of Health. The information on causes of death was collected from death certificates (DCs) using the World Health Organization (WHO) DC template. We estimated proportional mortality (PM%) among children with CZS and among children with non-Zika CNS congenital anomalies (CA) by 36 months of age and proportional mortality ratio by cause (PMRc). A total of 403 children with confirmed and probable CZS who died up to 36 months of age were included in the study; 81.9% were younger than 12 months of age. Multiple congenital malformations not classified elsewhere, and septicemia unspecified, with 18 (PM = 4.5%) and 17 (PM = 4.2%) deaths, respectively, were the most attested underlying causes of death. Unspecified septicemia (29 deaths and PM = 11.2%) and newborn respiratory failure (40 deaths and PM = 12.1%) were, respectively, the predominant intermediate and immediate causes of death. Fetuses and newborns affected by the mother's infectious and parasitic diseases, unspecified cerebral palsy, and unspecified severe protein-caloric malnutrition were the underlying causes with the greatest probability of death in children with CZS (PMRc from 10.0 to 17.0) when compared to the group born with non-Zika CNS anomalies. Among the intermediate and immediate causes of death, pneumonitis due to food or vomiting and unspecified seizures (PMRc = 9.5, each) and unspecified bronchopneumonia (PMRc = 5.0) were notable. As contributing causes, fetus and newborn affected by the mother's infectious and parasitic diseases (PMRc = 7.3), unspecified cerebral palsy, and newborn seizures (PMRc = 4.5, each) were more likely to lead to death in children with CZS than in the comparison group. The main limitations of this study were the use of a secondary database without additional clinical information and potential misclassification of cases and controls.ConclusionThe sequence of causes and circumstances involved in the deaths of the children with CZS highlights the greater vulnerability of these children to infectious and respiratory conditions compared to children with abnormalities of the CNS not related to Zika.

BackgroundTuberculosis (TB) is a worldwide public health problem, especially in countries that also report high numbers of people living with HIV (PLWH) and/or diabetes mellitus (DM). However, the unique features of persons with TB-HIV-DM are incompletely understood. This study compared anti-TB treatment (ATT) outcomes of diabetic and non-diabetic TB/HIV co-infected patients.MethodsA nationwide retrospective observational investigation was performed with data from the Brazilian Tuberculosis Database System among patients reported to have TB-HIV co-infection between 2014 and 2019. This database includes all reported TB cases in Brazil. Exploratory and association analyses compared TB treatment outcomes in DM and non-DM patients. Unfavorable outcomes were defined as death, treatment failure, loss to follow-up or recurrence. Multivariable stepwise logistic regressions were used to identify the variables associated with unfavorable ATT outcomes in the TB-HIV population.ResultsOf the 31,070 TB-HIV patients analyzed, 999 (3.2%) reported having DM. However, in these TB-HIV patients, DM was not associated with any unfavorable treatment outcome [adjusted Odds Ratio (aOR): 0.97, 95% CI: 0.83–1.12, p = 0.781]. Furthermore, DM was also not associated with any specific type of unfavorable outcome in this study. In both the TB-HIV group and the TB-HIV-DM subpopulation, use of alcohol, illicit drugs and tobacco, as well as non-white ethnicity and prior TB were all characteristics more frequently observed in persons who experienced an unfavorable ATT outcome.ConclusionDM is not associated with unfavorable TB treatment outcomes in persons with TB-HIV, including death, treatment failure, recurrence and loss to follow up. However, consumption habits, non-white ethnicity and prior TB are all more frequently detected in those with unfavorable outcomes in both TB-HIV and TB-HIV-DM patients.

Background Children with congenital Zika syndrome (CZS) have severe damage to the peripheral and central nervous system (CNS), greatly increasing the risk of death. However, there is no information on the sequence of the underlying, intermediate, immediate, and contributing causes of deaths among these children. The aims of this study are describe the sequence of events leading to death of children with CZS up to 36 months of age and their probability of dying from a given cause, 2015 to 2018. Methods and findings In a population-based study, we linked administrative data on live births, deaths, and cases of children with CZS from the SINASC (Live Birth Information System), the SIM (Mortality Information System), and the RESP (Public Health Event Records), respectively. Confirmed and probable cases of CZS were those that met the criteria established by the Brazilian Ministry of Health. The information on causes of death was collected from death certificates (DCs) using the World Health Organization (WHO) DC template. We estimated proportional mortality (PM%) among children with CZS and among children with non-Zika CNS congenital anomalies (CA) by 36 months of age and proportional mortality ratio by cause (PMRc). A total of 403 children with confirmed and probable CZS who died up to 36 months of age were included in the study; 81.9% were younger than 12 months of age. Multiple congenital malformations not classified elsewhere, and septicemia unspecified, with 18 (PM = 4.5%) and 17 (PM = 4.2%) deaths, respectively, were the most attested underlying causes of death. Unspecified septicemia (29 deaths and PM = 11.2%) and newborn respiratory failure (40 deaths and PM = 12.1%) were, respectively, the predominant intermediate and immediate causes of death. Fetuses and newborns affected by the mother's infectious and parasitic diseases, unspecified cerebral palsy, and unspecified severe protein-caloric malnutrition were the underlying causes with the greatest probability of death in children with CZS (PMRc from 10.0 to 17.0) when compared to the group born with non-Zika CNS anomalies. Among the intermediate and immediate causes of death, pneumonitis due to food or vomiting and unspecified seizures (PMRc = 9.5, each) and unspecified bronchopneumonia (PMRc = 5.0) were notable. As contributing causes, fetus and newborn affected by the mother's infectious and parasitic diseases (PMRc = 7.3), unspecified cerebral palsy, and newborn seizures (PMRc = 4.5, each) were more likely to lead to death in children with CZS than in the comparison group. The main limitations of this study were the use of a secondary database without additional clinical information and potential misclassification of cases and controls. Conclusion The sequence of causes and circumstances involved in the deaths of the children with CZS highlights the greater vulnerability of these children to infectious and respiratory conditions compared to children with abnormalities of the CNS not related to Zika., Author(s): Maria da Conceição N. Costa 1,2, Luciana Lobato Cardim 1, Cynthia A. Moore 3, Eliene dos Santos de Jesus 2,4, Rita Carvalho-Sauer 2,5, Mauricio L. Barreto 1,2, Laura C. [...]

BackgroundThere are scarce data on the prevalence and disease presentation of HIV in patients with tuberculosis (TB) and dysglycemia (diabetes [DM] and prediabetes [PDM]), especially in TB-endemic countries.MethodsWe assessed the baseline epidemiological and clinical characteristics of patients with culture-confirmed pulmonary TB, enrolled in a multicenter prospective cohort in Brazil (RePORT-Brazil) during 2015–2019. Dysglycemia was defined by elevated glycated hemoglobin and stratified as PDM or DM. Additionally, we used data from TB cases obtained through the Brazilian National Notifiable Diseases Information System (SINAN), during 2015–2019. In SINAN, diagnosis of diabetes was based on self-report. Logistic regression models were performed to test independent associations between HIV, dysglycemia status, and other baseline characteristics in both cohorts.ResultsIn the RePORT-Brazil cohort, the prevalence of DM and of PDM was 23.7 and 37.8%, respectively. Furthermore, the prevalence of HIV was 21.4% in the group of persons with TB-dysglycemia and 20.5% in that of patients with TBDM. In the SINAN cohort, the prevalence of DM was 9.2%, and among the TBDM group the prevalence of HIV was 4.1%. Logistic regressions demonstrated that aging was independently associated with PDM or DM in both the RePORT-Brazil and SINAN cohorts. In RePORT-Brazil, illicit drug use was associated with PDM, whereas a higher body mass index (BMI) was associated with DM occurrence. Of note, HIV was not associated with an increased risk of PDM or DM in patients with pulmonary TB in both cohorts. Moreover, in both cohorts, the TBDM-HIV group presented with a lower proportion of positive sputum smear and a higher frequency of tobacco and alcohol users.ConclusionThere is a high prevalence of dysglycemia in patients with pulmonary TB in Brazil, regardless of the HIV status. This reinforces the idea that DM should be systematically screened in persons with TB. Presence of HIV does not substantially impact clinical presentation in persons with TBDM, although it is associated with more frequent use of recreational drugs and smear negative sputum samples during TB screening.

Approximately 1.4 million people die annually worldwide from tuberculosis. Large epidemiologic studies can identify determinants of unfavorable clinical outcomes according to age, which can guide public health policy implementation and clinical management to improve outcomes. We obtained data from the national tuberculosis case registry; data were reported to the Brazilian National Program (SINAN) between 2010 and 2019. Clinical and epidemiologic variables were compared between age groups (child:

Background: It is unclear whether diabetes or prediabetes affects unfavorable treatment outcomes and death in people with tuberculosis (PWTB).Methods: Culture-confirmed, drug-susceptible PWTB, enrolled in the Regional Prospective Observational Research in Tuberculosis (RePORT)-Brazil cohort between 2015 and 2019 (N = 643) were stratified based on glycemic status according to baseline glycated hemoglobin. Unfavorable tuberculosis (TB) outcome was defined as treatment failure or modification, recurrence, or death; favorable outcome was cure or treatment completion. We corroborated the findings using data from PWTB reported to the Brazilian National System of Diseases Notification (SINAN) during 2015-2019 (N = 20 989). Logistic regression models evaluated associations between glycemic status and outcomes.Results: In both cohorts, in univariate analysis, unfavorable outcomes were more frequently associated with smoking, illicit drug use, and human immunodeficiency virus infection. Diabetes, but not prediabetes, was associated with unfavorable outcomes in the RePORT-Brazil (adjusted relative risk [aRR], 2.45; P < .001) and SINAN (aRR, 1.76; P < .001) cohorts. Furthermore, diabetes was associated with high risk of death (during TB treatment) in both RePORT-Brazil (aRR, 2.16; P = .040) and SINAN (aRR, 1.93; P = .001).Conclusions: Diabetes was associated with an increased risk of unfavorable outcomes and mortality in Brazilian PWTB. Interventions to improve TB treatment outcomes in persons with diabetes are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The thermal decomposition of organometallic precursors in the presence of surfactants and a long-chain alcohol is a valuable method to synthesize magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) because it provides good control of the final morphology and crystallinity of the magnetic material. These parameters, and consequently the magnetic properties, depend on several details of the experimental procedure of chemical synthesis. We have studied the role of the pre-decomposition step, heating the system to 373–393 K in inert gas flux, on the final composition and morphology of the system. By adding this intermediate step, we were able to produce MNPs with a Fe1-yO/Fe3O4 core–shell structure and sizes of 20–25 nm. When the same synthesis protocol was used skipping the pre-decomposition stage, monophasic MNPs of 11 nm with ferrite structure were obtained. These differences in the composition have a major effect on the resulting magnetic properties of MNPs, and are related to some by-reactions in the synthesis solution during the preparation procedure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we present the preparation of hybrid materials constituted by a Metal Organic Framework (type CPO-27-Mg) and a mesoporous silica (type KIT-6) which were successfully assembled through an in situ hydrothermal method. The composites were characterised by powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), microscopic techniques (SEM and TEM), N2 adsorption–desorption isotherms at 77 K and CO2 adsorption at 273 K; these techniques confirmed the obtaining of hybrid materials and not simple physical mixtures. Finally, the hybrid materials were tested in the CO2 adsorption at different temperatures and from 0–10 bar of pressure, where the exposure to high relative humidity were also monitored. The CPO-27-Mg@KIT-6 (1 : 1) and (2 : 1) composites exhibited interesting values of CO2 adsorption capacity, compared with those reported in the literature. Therefore, this study opens new pathways for designing porous structured MOF-based materials with advanced gas separation performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have investigated the interaction between Pd and Ce in a (0.47 wt %) CeOx–Pd(1 wt %)/α-Al2O3 catalyst that is used in the reforming reaction of CH4 with CO2. The freshly reduced catalyst was characterized by various electron microscopy techniques, such as elemental mapping, Z-contrast imaging, and electron energy-loss spectroscopy to understand the role of Ce on a microscopic scale. The high spatial resolution elemental mapping indicates that CeOx is located in close proximity of the palladium nanoparticles. High-resolution lattice images and energy-loss spectra obtained in the vicinity of the Pd particles show an anisotropic distribution of CeOx crystallites limited to the interface region between Pd and the substrate but not covering the surface of the Pd nanoparticles. Energy-loss near edge fine structure of Pd M edges reveals that the Pd nanoparticles are not oxidized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have investigated the structural changes in HfO2 thin films upon Y and Al incorporation. The crystallinity of the films is examined by transmission electron diffraction. The local coordination symmetries of the Hf atoms in the films are revealed by the profile of the oxygen K-edge measured in the electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS). The EEL spectra are then simulated using real-space multiple-scattering method. We found a good agreement between the simulated and the experimental EELS result of the pure HfO2. The Y incorporation indeed stabilized HfO2 to a cubic structure. Nevertheless, it also contributed to possible lattice distortion and/or creation of complex defect states other than O vacancies, causing discrepancies between the experimental and the simulated results. As a comparison, the local symmetry of Hf is largely degraded upon the incorporation of Al, which not only amorphorized HfO2, but also introduced significantly amount of O vacancies in the film. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CMK-3 carbons were synthesized varying the carbonization conditions and studying the effect of the templates calcined at different temperatures. The textural characterization of different SBA-15 templates calcined at 350, 450, and 550 °C shows a variation of the specific surface area below 10%. Based on the results, the SBA-15 obtained at 350 °C (the more affordable condition) was used as the final template for the CMK-3 synthesis. The results show that varying the time (from 2 to 6 h) and the temperature (from 600 to 900 °C) on the carbonization step, the textural, structural, and morphological properties of the carbons do not vary in a meaningful way. Thus, a CMK-3 carbon synthesized (using as template an SBA-15 calcined at 350 °C) obtained at 600 °C during 2 h was chosen to be used as adsorbent in hydrogen storage in order to stablish the relationship between the textural properties and its performance. Regarding the hydrogen storage, capacities of 15 mg H2 g−1 (1.5% w/w), and up to 28 mg H2 g−1 (2.8% w/w) were obtained at 1 and 10 bar, respectively. At high pressure, an important influence of the large micropores and narrow mesopores on the hydrogen adsorption was found. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anopheles darlingi (Diptera: Culicidae) is the most important vector of malaria in South America and has already been found in peri-urban areas that commonly contain toxic nitrogenous compounds, such as ammonia. The adaptation of mosquitoes to polluted breeding sites can increase their distribution and affect the dynamics of vector-borne diseases such as malaria. Therefore, the present study investigated the tolerance of larval instars of An. darlingi to ammonia under acute and chronic exposure conditions. Anopheles darlingi larval mortality, development time, and pupal and adult production using larvae of the 1st (L1) and 3rd (L3) instar were assessed as both acute and chronic effects of exposure to different concentrations of ammonia. Lethal concentrations (LCs) for L1 larvae were lower than LCs for L3 larvae. In general, higher ammonia concentrations caused an increase in larval mortality, especially in chronically exposed L1 larvae. The larval development time in L1 and L3 was longer with chronic treatment and decreased with increasing concentrations of ammonia. The number of pupae was very low for acutely exposed L1 and L3 larvae. Likewise, the probability of adult production decreased with increasing ammonia concentrations. This is the first report on the tolerance of An. darlingi to pollutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present an atomic resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning TEM (STEM) study of the local structure and composition of graphene oxide modified with Ba2+. In our experiments, which are carried out at 80 kV, the acquisition of contamination-free high-resolution STEM images is only possible while heating the sample above 400 °C using a highly stable heating holder. Ba atoms are identified spectroscopically in electron energy-loss spectrum images taken at 800 °C and are associated with bright contrast in high-angle annular dark-field STEM images. The spectrum images also show that Ca and O occur together and that Ba is not associated with a significant concentration of O. The electron dose used for spectrum imaging results in beam damage to the specimen, even at elevated temperature. It is also possible to identify Ba atoms in high-resolution TEM images acquired using shorter exposure times at room temperature, thereby allowing the structure of graphene oxide to be studied using complementary TEM and STEM techniques over a wide range of temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A general multiperiod linear optimization model is proposed in this study that targets the simultaneous design and operation planning decisions of a multiproduct batch plant for the production of vegetable extracts. A multiperiod environment is considered because of the market andor seasonal fluctuations. Thereby, the model considers changes from period to period of demands, costs, prices and raw materials supplies. The objective function maximizes the net present value of the profit considering incomes, investments and resources costs, and both product and raw material inventory costs. In the plant design problem, the sequence of operations is already defined and the pursued goal is to determine both unit sizes and its configuration in the plant. Besides the usual duplication in parallel option, a novel design alternative is included which allows adding units in series to perform a given operation. The optimal design is determined by taking into account available discrete sizes of units which corresponds to the real procurement of equipments. The model is formulated by using the linear generalized disjunctive programming (LGDP). A particular plant that produces oleoresins (solvent extracts of herbs and spices) is used to illustrate the proposed approach. Nevertheless, the developed model is general and can thus be applied to any vegetable extraction process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have studied the Morin transition in nanostructured pseudocubic α-Fe2O3 particles of about 1.8 μm side. The preparation was carefully chosen to obtain a system with a very narrow crystallite size distribution and particles of homogeneous morphology. Two samples were studied: one without thermal treatment (α-Fe2O3(ap)) and another annealed at 673 K in air for 12 h (α-Fe2O3(an)). Both were characterized by XRD, SEM, TGA and Mössbauer spectroscopy. The results indicate that the Morin transition is suppressed for α-Fe2O3(ap), however, α-Fe2O3(an) has a T M ≈ 230 K and the transition is completed over a very narrow temperature range. These results are discussed in connection with the crystallite size, the cell parameters, and the presence of OH− groups (hydrohematite) or incorporated water (protohematite). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a study of radiation effects in SnO we have found that electron-beam damage is observable from changes in a high-resolution electron microscopy image or electron diffraction pattern. The early stage of the damage is not accompanied by a change in composition or a loss of crystallinity. The dose required for this damage (about 600 C cm[sup-2]) is approximately independent of electron energy (between 100 and 400keV) and specimen temperature (between 100 and 300K). The damage is believed to start with displacement of oxygen atoms from their lattice position through a radiolytic mechanism with an efficiency of approximately 10[sup-4]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanometric inclusions filled with nitrogen, located adjacent to FenN (n = 3 or 4) nanocrystals within (Ga,Fe)N layers, are identified and characterized using scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) and electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS). High-resolution STEM images reveal a truncation of the Fe-N nanocrystals at their boundaries with the nitrogen-containing inclusions. A controlled electron beam hole drilling experiment is used to release nitrogen gas from an inclusion in situ in the electron microscope. The density of nitrogen in an individual inclusion is measured to be 1.4 ± 0.3 g/cm3. These observations provide an explanation for the location of surplus nitrogen in the (Ga,Fe)N layers, which is liberated by the nucleation of FenN (n > 1) nanocrystals during growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) is used to study p-doped layers in n-i-p amorphous thin film Si solar cells grown on steel foil substrates. For a solar cell in which an intrinsic amorphous hydrogenated Si (a-Si-H) layer is sandwiched between 10-nm-thick n-doped and p-doped a-Si:H layers, we assess whether core-loss EELS can be used to quantify the B concentration. We compare the shape of the measured B K edge with real space ab initio multiple scattering calculations and show that it is possible to separate the weak B K edge peak from the much stronger Si L edge fine structure by using log-normal fitting functions. The measured B concentration is compared with values obtained from secondary ion mass spectrometry, as well as with EELS results obtained from test samples that contain ∼200-nm-thick a-Si:H layers co-doped with B and C. We also assess whether changes in volume plasmon energy can be related to the B concentration and/or to the density of the material and whether variations of the volume plasmon line-width can be correlated with differences in the scattering of valence electrons in differently doped a-Si:H layers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have investigated the structural changes in HfO2 thin films upon Y and Al incorporation. The crystallinity of the films is examined by transmission electron diffraction. The local coordination symmetries of the Hf atoms in the films are revealed by the profile of the oxygen K-edge measured in the electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS). The EEL spectra are then simulated using real-space multiple-scattering method. We found a good agreement between the simulated and the experimental EELS result of the pure HfO2. The Y incorporation indeed stabilized HfO2 to a cubic structure. Nevertheless, it also contributed to possible lattice distortion and/or creation of complex defect states other than O vacancies, causing discrepancies between the experimental and the simulated results. As a comparison, the local symmetry of Hf is largely degraded upon the incorporation of Al, which not only amorphorized HfO2, but also introduced significantly amount of O vacancies in the film. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electronic structure of stoichiometric tin dioxide (SnO2) is studied by probing its unoccupied states using the fine structure in the electron energy-loss spectra (EELS) at the oxygen-K (O-K) edge. The spectral measurements were performed both at room and at high temperatures (773 K) and compared to ab initio calculations carried out using the real-space multiple-scattering and linearized augmented-plane-wave methods. Important many-body effects are included via quasiparticle corrections calculated within the many-pole GW self-energy approximation. An additional energy-dependent damping is calculated to account for vibrational effects. Results from this paper demonstrated that quantitative agreement between theoretical and experimental spectra can be obtained when nonspherical potentials and quasiparticle self-energy effects are considered and vibrational broadening is included. Modifications of the electronic structure by single oxygen vacancies, both in the bulk and at the (110) surface, also are predicted. Our predictions support the use of O-K EELS as a probe of the defect structures in SnO2 surfaces and nanoparticles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present work was to investigate Rh nanoparticle catalysts supported on La2O3-SiO2, with different contents of La2O3, in the ethanol steam reforming reaction. The size of Rh particles was determined by both XPS, applying the Davis model, and CO chemisorption measurements. Particle sizes between 1.2 and 3 nm were estimated with these techniques. The catalyst with 15 wt.% of La2O3 was the most stable one under the different reaction conditions under study, i.e. 773 K and water to ethanol molar ratios of 3 and 5. In order to explain the deactivation observed in the other catalysts, the samples used in the reaction were characterized by XPS, TEM and in situ Raman spectroscopy. The TEM results allowed a direct visualization of the carbon deposits that presented different degrees of catalyst coverage. The surface of the most stable catalyst was not fully covered by carbon while the Rh/La2O3(40)-SiO2 sample, which deactivated partially, exhibited a carbon layer uniformly distributed over the surface. The oxidation of the carbon deposits was analyzed using in situ Raman spectroscopy. Results were in agreement with those obtained by TEM microscopy. DRIFTS experiments under reaction conditions suggested that the direct decomposition of ethoxy species would produce hydrogen, CO, and CHx species, which could result in carbon formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) is a worldwide public health problem, especially in countries that also report high numbers of people living with HIV (PLWH) and/or diabetes mellitus (DM). However, the unique features of persons with TB-HIV-DM are incompletely understood. This study compared anti-TB treatment (ATT) outcomes of diabetic and non-diabetic TB/HIV co-infected patients., Methods: A nationwide retrospective observational investigation was performed with data from the Brazilian Tuberculosis Database System among patients reported to have TB-HIV co-infection between 2014 and 2019. This database includes all reported TB cases in Brazil. Exploratory and association analyses compared TB treatment outcomes in DM and non-DM patients. Unfavorable outcomes were defined as death, treatment failure, loss to follow-up or recurrence. Multivariable stepwise logistic regressions were used to identify the variables associated with unfavorable ATT outcomes in the TB-HIV population., Results: Of the 31,070 TB-HIV patients analyzed, 999 (3.2%) reported having DM. However, in these TB-HIV patients, DM was not associated with any unfavorable treatment outcome [adjusted Odds Ratio (aOR): 0.97, 95% CI: 0.83-1.12, p = 0.781]. Furthermore, DM was also not associated with any specific type of unfavorable outcome in this study. In both the TB-HIV group and the TB-HIV-DM subpopulation, use of alcohol, illicit drugs and tobacco, as well as non-white ethnicity and prior TB were all characteristics more frequently observed in persons who experienced an unfavorable ATT outcome., Conclusion: DM is not associated with unfavorable TB treatment outcomes in persons with TB-HIV, including death, treatment failure, recurrence and loss to follow up. However, consumption habits, non-white ethnicity and prior TB are all more frequently detected in those with unfavorable outcomes in both TB-HIV and TB-HIV-DM patients., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Villalva-Serra, Barreto-Duarte, Nunes, Menezes, Rodrigues, Queiroz, Arriaga, Cordeiro-Santos, Kritski, Sterling, Araújo-Pereira and Andrade.)

Background: There are scarce data on the prevalence and disease presentation of HIV in patients with tuberculosis (TB) and dysglycemia (diabetes [DM] and prediabetes [PDM]), especially in TB-endemic countries., Methods: We assessed the baseline epidemiological and clinical characteristics of patients with culture-confirmed pulmonary TB, enrolled in a multicenter prospective cohort in Brazil (RePORT-Brazil) during 2015-2019. Dysglycemia was defined by elevated glycated hemoglobin and stratified as PDM or DM. Additionally, we used data from TB cases obtained through the Brazilian National Notifiable Diseases Information System (SINAN), during 2015-2019. In SINAN, diagnosis of diabetes was based on self-report. Logistic regression models were performed to test independent associations between HIV, dysglycemia status, and other baseline characteristics in both cohorts., Results: In the RePORT-Brazil cohort, the prevalence of DM and of PDM was 23.7 and 37.8%, respectively. Furthermore, the prevalence of HIV was 21.4% in the group of persons with TB-dysglycemia and 20.5% in that of patients with TBDM. In the SINAN cohort, the prevalence of DM was 9.2%, and among the TBDM group the prevalence of HIV was 4.1%. Logistic regressions demonstrated that aging was independently associated with PDM or DM in both the RePORT-Brazil and SINAN cohorts. In RePORT-Brazil, illicit drug use was associated with PDM, whereas a higher body mass index (BMI) was associated with DM occurrence. Of note, HIV was not associated with an increased risk of PDM or DM in patients with pulmonary TB in both cohorts. Moreover, in both cohorts, the TBDM-HIV group presented with a lower proportion of positive sputum smear and a higher frequency of tobacco and alcohol users., Conclusion: There is a high prevalence of dysglycemia in patients with pulmonary TB in Brazil, regardless of the HIV status. This reinforces the idea that DM should be systematically screened in persons with TB. Presence of HIV does not substantially impact clinical presentation in persons with TBDM, although it is associated with more frequent use of recreational drugs and smear negative sputum samples during TB screening., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Arriaga, Araújo-Pereira, Barreto-Duarte, Sales, Miguez-Pinto, Nogueira, Nogueira, Rocha, Souza, Benjamin, de Oliveira, Moreira, Queiroz, Rodrigues, Spener-Gomes, Figueiredo, Durovni, Cavalcante, Lapa-e-Silva, Kristki, Cordeiro-Santos, Sterling, Rolla, Andrade and the RePORT-Brazil consortium.)

Approximately 1.4 million people die annually worldwide from tuberculosis. Large epidemiologic studies can identify determinants of unfavorable clinical outcomes according to age, which can guide public health policy implementation and clinical management to improve outcomes. We obtained data from the national tuberculosis case registry; data were reported to the Brazilian National Program (SINAN) between 2010 and 2019. Clinical and epidemiologic variables were compared between age groups (child: <10 years, young: 10-24years, adult: 25-64years, and elderly: ≥65years). Univariate comparisons were performed together with second-generation p -values. We applied a backward stepwise multivariable logistic regression model to identify characteristics in each age group associated with unfavorable TB treatment outcomes. There were 896,314 tuberculosis cases reported during the period. Tuberculosis incidence was highest among adult males, but the young males presented the highest growth rate during the period. Directly observed therapy (DOT) was associated with protection against unfavorable outcomes in all age groups. The use of alcohol, illicit drugs, and smoking, as well as occurrence of comorbidities, were significantly different between age groups. Lack of DOT, previous tuberculosis, race, location of tuberculosis disease, and HIV infection were independent risk factors for unfavorable outcome depending on the age group. The clinical and epidemiological risk factors for unfavorable tuberculosis treatment outcomes varied according to age in Brazil. DOT was associated with improved outcomes in all age groups. Incidence according to age and sex identified adults and young males as the groups that need prevention efforts. This supports implementation of DOT in all populations to improve tuberculosis outcomes., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Barreto-Duarte, Araújo-Pereira, Nogueira, Sobral, Rodrigues, Queiroz, Rocha, Nascimento, Souza, Cordeiro-Santos, Kritski, Sterling, Arriaga and Andrade.)

Background: A major goal of tuberculosis (TB) epidemiological studies is to obtain results that can be generalized to the larger population with TB. The ability to extrapolate findings on the determinants of TB treatment outcomes is also important., Methods: We compared baseline clinical and demographic characteristics and determinants of anti-TB treatment outcomes between persons enrolled in the Regional Prospective Observational Research in Tuberculosis (RePORT)-Brazil cohort between June 2015 and June 2019, and the registry of TB cases reported to the Brazilian National TB Program (Information System for Notifiable Diseases [SINAN]) during the same time period. Multivariable regression models adjusted for the study site were performed using second-generation p-values, a novel statistical approach. Associations with unfavorable treatment outcomes were tested for both RePORT-Brazil and SINAN cohorts., Findings: A total of 1,060 culture-confirmed TB patients were enrolled in RePORT-Brazil and 455,873 TB cases were reported to SINAN. Second-generation p-value analyses revealed that the cohorts were strikingly similar with regard to sex, age, use of antiretroviral therapy and positive initial smear sputum microscopy. However, diabetes, HIV infection, and smoking were more frequently documented in RePORT-Brazil. Illicit drug use, the presence of diabetes, and history of prior TB were associated with unfavorable TB treatment outcomes; illicit drug use was associated with such outcomes in both cohorts., Conclusions: There were important similarities in demographic characteristics and determinants of clinical outcomes between the RePORT-Brazil cohort and the Brazilian National registry of TB cases., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors report no declarations of interest., (Copyright © 2020 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

The room temperature photoluminescence from ZnO/MgO core/shell nanowires (NWs) grown by a simple two-step vapor transport method was studied for various MgO shell widths (w). Two distinct effects induced by the MgO shell were clearly identified. The first one, related to the ZnO/MgO interface formation, is evidenced by strong enhancements of the zero-phonon and first phonon replica of the excitonic emission, which are accompanied by a total suppression of its second phonon replica. This effect can be explained by the reduction of the band bending within the ZnO NW core that follows the removal of atmospheric adsorbates and associated surface traps during the MgO growth process on one hand, and a reduced exciton-phonon coupling as a result of the mechanical stabilization of the outermost ZnO NW monolayers by the MgO shell on the other hand. The second effect is the gradual increase of the excitonic emission and decrease in the defect related emission by up to two and one orders of magnitude, respectively, when w is increased in the ∼3-17 nm range. Uniaxial strain build-up within the ZnO NW core with increasing w, as detected by x-ray diffraction measurements, and photocarrier tunneling escape from the ZnO core through the MgO shell enabled by defect-states are proposed as possible mechanisms involved in this effect. These findings are expected to be of key significance for the efficient design and fabrication of ZnO/MgO NW heterostructures and devices.

The electronic structure of MgS and MgYb2S4 have been studied using the fine structure of the Mg-K, S-K, Mg-L2,3, S-L2,3 and Yb-N5 edges measured by electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS). Our experimental results are compared with real-space full multiple scattering calculations as incorporated in the FEFF9.6 code. All edges are very well reproduced. Total and partial densities of states have been calculated. The calculated densities of states of Mg and S are similar in both compounds. The energy distribution of these states suggests a covalent nature for both materials. For MgYb2S4 a band gap smaller than for MgS is predicted. In this compound the top of the valence band and the bottom of the conduction band are dominated by Yb states., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Titanium is a corrosion-resistant and biocompatible material widely used in medical and dental implants. Titanium surfaces, however, are prone to bacterial colonization that could lead to infection, inflammation, and finally to implant failure. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have demonstrated an excellent performance as biocides, and thus their integration to titanium surfaces is an attractive strategy to decrease the risk of implant failure. In this work a simple and efficient method is described to modify Ti/TiO(2) surfaces with citrate-capped AgNPs. These nanoparticles spontaneously adsorb on Ti/TiO(2), forming nanometer-sized aggregates consisting of individual AgNPs that homogeneously cover the surface. The modified AgNP-Ti/TiO(2) surface exhibits a good resistance to colonization by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a model system for biofilm formation., (Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

This paper presents the synthesis and characterization of colloidal NaYF4 and NaYF4:20% Gd lanthanide nanocrystals. The nanoparticles were prepared by chemical route using co-thermolysis of Na(CF3COO), Y(CF3COO)3 and Gd(CF3COO)3 precursor in oleylamine surfactant/phenylether at Ts = 250 degrees C. By tuning the precursor/surfactant molar ratio during the process, it was possible to control the crystalline phase, chemical order and size of the nanocrystals. The nanocrystals were characterized by Transmission Electron Microscopy, Small Angle X-ray Scattering, powder X-ray Diffraction, dc-magnetization and Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) techniques. The ESR experiments show the so called U-spectrum for the Gd3+ ions in bulk counterpart materials, where characteristic powder spectra of cubic and lower crystal field symmetries were observed.