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Chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR T cell) therapy is a revolutionary approach approved by the FDA and EMA to treat B cell malignancies and multiple myeloma. The production of these T cells has been done through viral vectors, which come with safety concerns, high cost and production challenges, and more recently also through electroporation, which can be extremely cytotoxic. In this context, nanosystems can constitute an alternative to overcome the challenges associated with current methods, resulting in a safe and cost-effective platform. However, the barriers associated with T cells transfection show that the design and engineering of novel approaches in this field are highly imperative. Here, we present an overview from CAR constitution to transfection technologies used in T cells, highlighting the lipid- and polymer-based nanoparticles as a potential delivery platform. Specifically, we provide examples, strengths and weaknesses of nanosystem formulations, and advances in nanoparticle design to improve transfection of T cells. This review will guide the researchers in the design and development of novel nanosystems for next-generation CAR T therapeutics.

We describe four male patients with wasted-leg syndrome, with predominant asymmetric thigh atrophy and weakness that stabilized after a period of slow progression (follow-up 7-18 years). Two patients had an Indian ethnic background and two were Portuguese, without known Indian ancestry. Other mimicking disorders were excluded, but one Indian patient was later diagnosed with CADASIL. Electromyography (EMG) revealed severe chronic neurogenic changes in proximal leg muscles, and mild changes in distal leg muscles, but EMG of the upper limbs was normal. Upper motor neuron signs were absent clinically and on transcranial magnetic stimulation. This seems to represent a variant of the common wasted-leg syndrome presentation.

Biologics encompasses a wide variety of therapeutics including monoclonal antibodies, fusion proteins, and enzymes, among others. The biologics market is growing at a rapid pace and different manufacturing processes, including continuous manufacturing processes, are being increasingly adopted. There is a strong drive to assess the sustainability of such processes. Here, we calculated the process mass intensity (PMI) of a continuous manufacturing process and compared it to the PMI of batch processes for monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). Results show that the PMI of continuous manufacturing process is comparable to that of batch processes. Sensitivity analysis was performed to assess the impact of different process strategies on the material usage efficiency of continuous processes. Although PMI is a useful benchmarking metric of sustainability, it does not account for factors such as energy consumption which is a key driver of sustainability for biologics manufacturing. Comparison of a higher PMI continuous process with a lower PMI batch process operating at the same bioreactor scale shows that since the productivity (in g of drug substance, DS) per unit time is multifold higher for the continuous process, the overall energy consumption per unit of DS produced might be lower leading to a more environmentally sustainable process. This study highlights some of these key aspects that would require additional metrics and models to be developed to assess the overall sustainability of biologics processes.

Contemporary practices for hemodynamically supported high-risk percutaneous coronary intervention have evolved over the last decade. This study sought to compare outcomes of the prospective, multicenter, PROTECT III study to historic patients treated with Impella in the PROTECT II randomized controlled trial.Of 1,134 patients enrolled in PROTECT III from March 2017 to March 2020, 504 were "PROTECT II-like" (met eligibility for PROTECT II randomized controlled trial) and are referred to as PROTECT III for comparative analysis. Major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE), comprising all-cause mortality, stroke/transient ischemic attack, myocardial infarction, and repeat revascularization, were compared at hospital discharge and 90 days.Compared with PROTECT II (N = 216), PROTECT III patients were less often Caucasian (77.1% vs 83.8%, P = .045), with less prior CABG (13.7% vs 39.4%; P.001) and prior myocardial infarction (40.7% vs 69.3%; P.001). More PROTECT III patients underwent rotational atherectomy (37.1% vs 14.8%, P.001) and duration of support was longer (median 1.6 vs 1.3 hours; p0.001), with greater improvement achieved in myocardial ischemia jeopardy scores (7.0±2.4 vs 4.4±2.9; P.001) and SYNTAX scores (21.4±10.8 vs 15.7±9.5; P.001). In-hospital bleeding requiring transfusion was significantly lower in PROTECT III (1.8% vs 9.3%; P.001), as was procedural hypotension (2.2% vs 10.1%; P.001) and cardiopulmonary resuscitation or ventricular arrhythmia (1.6% vs 6.9%; P.001). At 90 days, MACCE was 15.1% and 21.9% in PROTECT III and PROTECT II, respectively (p=0.037). Following propensity score matching, Kaplan-Meier analysis showed improved 90-day MACCE rates in PROTECT III (10.4% vs 16.9%, P = .048).The PROTECT III study demonstrates improved completeness of revascularization, less bleeding, and improved 90-day clinical outcomes compared to PROTECT II for Impella-supported high-risk percutaneous coronary intervention among patients with severely depressed LVEF.

Percutaneous ventricular assist devices (pVAD) are frequently utilized in high-risk percutaneous coronary intervention (HR-PCI) to provide hemodynamic support in patients with complex cardiovascular disease and/or multiple comorbidities who are poor candidates for surgical revascularization. Using the National Inpatient Sample we identified pVAD-assisted PCI (excluding intra-aortic balloon pump) in patients without cardiogenic shock from January 2008 to December 2018. We evaluated the trends in patient and procedural characteristics, and complication rates across the 11-year study period. A total of 26,661 pVAD-PCI was performed. From 2008 to 2018 there has was a 27-fold increase in the number of pVAD-PCIs performed annually. There has also been an increase in the proportion of procedures performed in small to medium sized hospitals. The use of atherectomy, image-guided PCI, FFR/iFR, drug-eluting stents, and multi-vessel intervention has significantly increased. Patients undergoing pVAD-PCI had a higher burden of comorbidities, without a significant difference in mortality over time. There were decreased rates of acute stroke and blood transfusions over time, while vascular complications and acute kidney injury (AKI) requiring dialysis remained mostly unchanged. In conclusion, the use of pVAD for HR-PCI has increased significantly, along with adjunctive PCI techniques such as atherectomy, intravascular imaging, and physiologic lesion assessment. With increasing use of this device, there appeared to be lower rates of peri-procedural stroke, and blood transfusions. Despite a higher burden of comorbidities, adjusted mortality remained stable over time.

In the present context of energy transition towards a carbon neutral society, residential sector plays an important role to combat climate change since it represents about 40% of the global final energy consumption and 30% of direct CO2eq emissions in the European Union. Polygeneration systems, facilitating the integration of renewable energies, are a feasible alternative enabling efficient use of natural resources with low environmental impact. This work analyzes the economic viability, in terms of net present value (NPV), and environmental benefit (CO2eq emissions) of an energy supplier company playing the role of an aggregator for both demand and supply. As an owner of a polygeneration system, optimally designed through a MILP approach, it delivers various energy services (electricity, space heating, domestic hot water and cold) to several customers (50 dwellings). The analysis is performed, considering three different business models, in two different locations, Zaragoza (Spain) and Marseille (France), with different energy demands, energy mixes and energy regulations. The optimal configuration obtained, consisting of cogeneration module, PV, reversible heat pump, boiler and thermal energy storage has shown to be very resilient and cost-effective in the scenarios analyzed. Results indicate that the proposed scheme represents an added value for both the supplier company (aggregator), with a positive, and the final customers (owing savings greater than 30%), with significant reduction of CO2eq emissions.

Background Transcatheter mitral valve repair (TMVR) utilization has increased significantly in the United States over the last years. Yet, a risk-prediction tool for adverse events has not been developed. We aimed to generate a machine-learning-based algorithm to predict in-hospital mortality after TMVR. Methods Patients who underwent TMVR from 2012 through 2015 were identified using the National Inpatient Sample database. The study population was randomly divided into a training set (n = 636) and a testing set (n = 213). Prediction models for in-hospital mortality were obtained using five supervised machine-learning classifiers. Results A total of 849 TMVRs were analyzed in our study. The overall in-hospital mortality was 3.1%. A naive Bayes (NB) model had the best discrimination for fifteen variables, with an area under the receiver-operating curve (AUC) of 0.83 (95% CI, 0.80–0.87), compared to 0.77 for logistic regression (95% CI, 0.58–0.95), 0.73 for an artificial neural network (95% CI, 0.55–0.91), and 0.67 for both a random forest and a support-vector machine (95% CI, 0.47–0.87). History of coronary artery disease, of chronic kidney disease, and smoking were the three most significant predictors of in-hospital mortality. Conclusions We developed a robust machine-learning-derived model to predict in-hospital mortality in patients undergoing TMVR. This model is promising for decision-making and deserves further clinical validation.

Background There are increased options to deliver thrombolytic treatment for acute, high-risk pulmonary embolism (PE). The goals of this study were to examine practice patterns of systemic thrombolysis and catheter-directed thrombolysis (CDT) and to compare outcomes following CDT with ultrasound facilitation (CDT-ultrasound) and CDT alone. Methods The study analyzed adults aged > 18 years with hospitalizations associated with acute PE and thrombolysis in the 2016 Nationwide Readmissions Database. The study identified characteristics associated with the use of systemic thrombolysis and CDT. Comparisons of CDT-ultrasound vs CDT alone were then made by evaluating in-hospital events and readmissions. The primary outcomes were in-hospital mortality and 30-day readmission rates. Results Among 5,436 hospitalizations, systemic thrombolysis was used more often (n = 3,376; 62.1%) than CDT (n = 2,060; 37.9%). Compared with CDT, systemic thrombolysis was used more frequently in patients with higher rates of vasopressor use (4.3% vs 1.0%), shock (15.8% vs. 6.9%), cardiac arrest (12.7% vs 3.4%), and mechanical ventilation (19.0% vs 5.9%). Among patients who underwent CDT, 417 (20.2%) received CDT-ultrasound, and 1,643 (79.8%) received CDT alone. Rates of bleeding events, vasopressor use, and mechanical ventilation were similar between therapeutic strategies. Following adjustment, in-hospital mortality (OR, 1.19; 95% CI, 0.63-2.26; P = .59) and 30-day readmission rates (OR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.47-1.22; P = .25) were not significantly different between CDT-ultrasound and CDT alone. Conclusions Systemic thrombolysis is used more often than CDT in patients with acute PE, in particular among those with a greater prevalence of high-risk features. Among patients treated with CDT, there were no differences in events between CDT-ultrasound and CDT alone.

Children and young people that need to be removed from their living environment should be preferably placed in a family care context, rather than in residential care homes. Given the scarcity of foster families in the child protection system, efforts to recruit new families may benefit from evidence about the representations, enablers, and barriers to become a foster family within community samples. The current qualitative study (N = 716, 79 % female, aged between 18 and 76 years old, Portugal) collected data from a set of free word association tasks and open questions about foster families. The results revealed mostly positive representations about foster families and their protective role for children in need (e.g., social appreciation of foster families), although some negative representations were also identified (e.g., ambivalence regarding the role of foster families). The main perceived drivers and enablers to become a foster family included the protective role of foster care (e.g., to promote child development), individual/family resources (e.g., economic resources), and other family factors (e.g., inability to have biological children). The main perceived barriers included the lack of individual and family resources (e.g., economic resources), individual and family constraints (e.g., emotional or health related factors), and constraints related with the foster care system (e.g., bureaucracy, difficulties regarding formal procedures). These findings provide inputs for further research on how to improve the recruitment and retention of new foster families.

This study aimed to investigate the interindividual responses following two different concurrent training (CT) regimens in neuromuscular, cardiorespiratory and functional outcomes of older men. Thirty-five older men (65.8 ± 3.9 years) were randomly allocated into one of two CT groups: power training (PT) + high-intensity interval training (HIIT) (n = 17); or traditional strength training (TST) + HIIT (n = 18). Maximal dynamic strength (one-repetition maximum, 1RM), rate of force development at 100 milliseconds (RDF

Background The role of basal septal hypertrophy (BSH) on preprocedural transthoracic echocardiography in transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is unknown. Methods Medical charts and preprocedural transthoracic echocardiograms of 378 patients who underwent TAVR were examined. The association between BSH and the primary composite outcome of valve pop-out, recapture, embolization, aborted procedure, conversion to open procedure, new conduction disturbance, or need for permanent pacemaker ≤30 days after TAVR was evaluated. Patients with preexisting pacemakers were excluded. Sensitivity analyses were performed varying the definition of BSH. Results Of 296 TAVR patients (78.3%) with interpretable images, 55 (18.6%) had BSH at a median of 40 days (interquartile range, 19–62 days) before TAVR. Age and sex were similar among those with and without BSH. BSH patients received postdilation more frequently (BSH+ vs BSH−: 41.8% vs 29.9%, P = .04). A total of 50 individuals (16.9%) received pacemakers within 30 days, and 128 (43.2%) developed conduction disturbances (with left bundle branch block most common), without differences between groups. BSH was unrelated to the primary outcome on multivariate analysis (adjusted odds ratio BSH+ vs BSH−, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.42−2.11; P = .88). Conclusions In this convenience sample of TAVR recipients at a large academic medical center, patients with BSH were more likely to receive postdilation. BSH was not associated with procedural or conduction outcomes after TAVR in patients without preexisting pacemakers.

The potential of lactose-free Greek-style yoghurt as a new matrix for incorporation of spray-dried microcapsules containing the probiotic Bifidobacterium lactis BB-12 was evaluated. Three different microcapsule formulations were produced using gum arabic, inulin and maltodextrin as wall materials. All formulations showed encapsulation yield above 96% and good probiotic viability (>8 log cfu g−1) throughout 30 days of storage (4 °C). Microcapsules produced with gum arabic and inulin showed the best physical properties (lowest moisture, solubility and hygroscopicity values, and highest bulk and tapped densities), and thus were selected to be added to the yoghurt. Addition of the microcapsules increased the product's pH, firmness and adhesiveness; however, it did not affect the viability of the starter cultures. After 30 days of storage, probiotic viability was above 6.5 log cfu g−1, indicating that lactose-free Greek-style yoghurt may be an appropriate matrix for B. lactis BB-12.

Dosimetry for low-level laser therapy (LLLT) depends on several parameters, such as target tissue type, lesion type and laser equipment used. This study aimed to determine the most used LLLT dosimetry for the treatment and prevention of oral mucositis (OM) resulting from radiation therapy (RT) in head and neck cancer patients (HNCP). This research was conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines using the PICO framework. After extensively searching PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Scopus, BVS and Cochrane Library databases, we found 130 records and selected 7 studies, involving 363 HNCP with an average age of 60.6 years who received RT. Briefly, sites affected by tumors were the following: oral cavity (170), oropharynx (91), throat (42), larynx (32), nasopharynx (11), hypopharynx (9), and in 8 cases, sites were not reported. These studies used several classifications for OM (RTOG/EORTC, WHO, NCI-CTC) and pain (NRS, VAS and modified VAS). These various researchers performed the LLLT punctual application of different forms using several protocols making analysis difficult. However, LLLT was effective regardless of the parameters used (632.8 nm to 685 nm, 1.8 J/cm2 to 3.0 J/cm2, 10 mW to 60 Mw, 0.8 J to 3.0 J). The meta-analysis showed a better results with preventive LLLT 660 nm, 3.8 J/cm2, 15 mW; 0.15 J compared to preventive LLLT 660 nm, 1.3 J/cm2, 5 mW; 0.05 J (OMS: p = 0.03; NCI-CTC: p = 0.027). We conclude that there is, as of yet, no evidence of better laser dosimetry being more effective. Thus, randomized clinical trials to determine which doses of LLLT are most appropriate for treating and preventing OM due to RT are lacking and should be further investigated.

In the present work, hydrophilic carbon dots (CD) prepared by cotton cellulose were used in the building of self-assembled films with hydrolyzed collagen (CL) to verify their properties, especially molecular interactions and morphology. The materials were characterized by several techniques, such as AFM, FTIR and UV–Vis Spectroscopy, Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) and Calorimetric Titration. The interaction energy between the two components measured by isothermal calorimetry is higher at low pH due to higher electrostatic interaction. It was observed, in all experimental conditions for the growth of the films, an increase in the amount of deposited material with the number of immersions performed. However, distinct conditions of the protein solutions produced films with different properties. In the CL/CD films, the amount of deposited nanoparticles, with the collagen solution at pH = 3.2, pH = 5 and pH 3.2/0.1 mol L−1 of NaCl, were 2.3 mg/m2, 5.9 mg/m2 and 4.1 mg/m2, respectively. In addition, the increase of the ionic strength of the collagen solution promoted fibrillogenesis of the biomolecule leading to the formation of self-assembled films with a fibrillated morphology. The presented results suggest that the structures of the films can be controlled by manipulating the conditions of the protein solutions. This study may contribute to the development of a future class of devices, such as sensors and photoactive surfaces.

Public reporting programs for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) outcomes have been implemented in several states as part of a movement to improve transparency among patients, physicians, and institutions. Massachusetts has publicly reported hospital-specific PCI mortality rates since 2003.

ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients with multivessel disease and without shock are a common clinical entity, but the best approach to nonculprit vessel lesions remains controversial. In contrast, STEMI patients with shock do not appear to benefit from primary multivessel percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs) during the index procedure. The optimal treatment strategy in a given STEMI patient involves an individualized approach, incorporating clinical, hemodynamic, and angiographic/imaging parameters. Patients with STEMI and cardiogenic shock may benefit from therapies other than PCI, such as mechanical cardiovascular support.

The aim of this work was to investigate different methods of complexation of extracts of olive leaves (EOL) with β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) and to verify how EOL, in its free form and as inclusion complex, behaves as an antioxidant in olive oil. The extracts were obtained by pressurized liquid extraction at 343 K and ∼1 × 104 kPa with ethanol as solvent. Oleuropein represented approximately 75% of the total phenols whose content determined by Folin-Ciocalteu was ∼0.12 kg GAE kg−1, while the IC50 of the dry EOL was 0.043 kg m−3. The antioxidant capacity of the extract determined by the ABTS method was 0.12 kg TEAC kg-1 dry weight. The dry powder extracts were used as guest to form inclusion compounds with β-CD by involving the methods of physical mixture (PM), kneading (KN), PM and KN assisted by supercritical CO2 as complexation medium. Free EOL, free β-CD and EOL/β-CD complexes were characterized in terms of spectral properties by 1H NMR, FT-IR and XRD, and morphology by SEM. Unambiguous interactions between hydrogen atoms in the free EOL and in the host, reduction of relaxation times in the formed complexes, and area under absorption bands in the EOL/β-CD complexes that were significantly smaller than the ones of pure EOL were the results that more markedly supported effective complexation from these analyses. Recorded data of induction time revealed that free EOL, but mainly the formed EOL/β-CD complexes, when used as additives to an olive oil may increase its oxidative stability.

We sought to identify nontraditional risk factors coded in administrative claims data and evaluate their ability to improve prediction of long-term mortality in patients undergoing percutaneous mitral valve repair.Patients undergoing transcatheter mitral valve repair using MitraClip implantation between September 28, 2010, and September 30, 2015 were identified among Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries. We used nested Cox regression models to identify claims codes predictive of long-term mortality. Four groups of variables were introduced sequentially: cardiac and noncardiac risk factors, presentation characteristics, and nontraditional risk factors.A total of 3782 patients from 280 clinical sites received treatment with MitraClip over the study period. During the follow-up period, 1114 (29.5%) patients died with a median follow-up time period of 13.6 (9.6 to 17.3) months. The discrimination of a model to predict long-term mortality including only cardiac risk factors was 0.58 (0.55 to 0.60). Model discrimination improved with the addition of noncardiac risk factors (c = 0.63, 0.61 to 0.65; integrated discrimination improvement [IDI] = 0.038, P0.001), and with the subsequent addition of presentation characteristics (c = 0.67, 0.65 to 0.69; IDI = 0.033, P0.001 compared with the second model). Finally, the addition of nontraditional risk factors significantly improved model discrimination (c = 0.70, 0.68 to 0.72; IDI = 0.019, P0.001, compared with the third model).Risk-prediction models, which include nontraditional risk factors as identified in claims data, can be used to predict long-term mortality risk more accurately in patients who have undergone MitraClip procedures.

Summary Background The sepsis burden on acute care services in middle-income countries is a cause for concern. We estimated incidence, prevalence, and mortality of sepsis in adult Brazilian intensive care units (ICUs) and association of ICU organisational factors with outcome. Methods We did a 1-day point prevalence study with follow-up of patients in ICU with sepsis in a nationally representative pseudo-random sample. We produced a sampling frame initially stratified by geographical region. Each stratum was then stratified by hospitals' main source of income (serving general public vs privately insured individuals) and ICU size (ten or fewer beds vs more than ten beds), finally generating 40 strata. In each stratum we selected a random sample of ICUs so as to enrol the total required beds in 1690 Brazilian adult ICUs. We followed up patients until hospital discharge censored at 60 days, estimated incidence from prevalence and length of stay, and generated national estimates. We assessed mortality prognostic factors using random-effects logistic regression models. Findings On Feb 27, 2014, 227 (72%) of 317 ICUs that were randomly selected provided data on 2632 patients, of whom 794 had sepsis (30·2 septic patients per 100 ICU beds, 95% CI 28·4–31·9). The ICU sepsis incidence was 36·3 per 1000 patient-days (95% CI 29·8–44·0) and mortality was observed in 439 (55·7%) of 788 patients (95% CI 52·2–59·2). Low availability of resources (odds ratio [OR] 1·67, 95% CI 1·02–2·75, p=0·045) and adequacy of treatment (OR 0·56, 0·37–0·84, p=0·006) were independently associated with mortality. The projected incidence rate is 290 per 100 000 population (95% CI 237·9–351·2) of adult cases of ICU-treated sepsis per year, which yields about 420 000 cases annually, of whom 230 000 die in hospital. Interpretation The incidence, prevalence, and mortality of ICU-treated sepsis is high in Brazil. Outcome varies considerably, and is associated with access to adequate resources and treatment. Our results show the burden of sepsis in resource-limited settings, highlighting the need to establish programmes aiming for sepsis prevention, early diagnosis, and adequate treatment. Funding Fundacao de Apoio a Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo (FAPESP).

We demonstrate here the huge potential of liquid/liquid interfaces to process different kinds of materials as thin films, aiming for the preparation and modification of electrodes, specifically focusing on transparent and flexible ones. As a proof-of-concept, we prepared single-walled carbon nanotubes films at water/chloroform interfaces and deposited over ordinary poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) substrates, yielding stable, robust, transparent, and flexible electrodes. The transmittance and the conductivity of the electrodes were controlled by tuning simple experimental parameters, illustrating the broadness of the method. The electrochemical performance of the electrodes was evaluated towards ferro/ferricyanide redox pair, and their real application in a classical electrochemical deposition of metallic copper. Afterwards, the potentiality of the liquid/liquid interfacial route to modify electrodes was demonstrated by depositing a thin and transparent film of polyaniline, in which the electrochromic properties were displayed. Finally, the construction and performance of symmetric, transparent, and flexible supercapacitor devices based on the polyaniline-modified electrodes were presented.

This paper introduces a methodology for characterizing the runtime resource demands of a computer program from the analysis of its binary executable file. Categorization of applications according to the kind of resources required during execution – such as CPU and memory usage – is a sough-after piece of knowledge for the aims of computer system design and management. Conventional techniques available for this purpose include white-box static source code analysis and profile matching based on historical execution data. The former tends to be challenging in face of complex software architectures and requires access to the source code; the latter is dependent on the availability of reliable past data and on the selection of features yielding effective correlations with resource usage. The alternative data mining approach proposed in this paper avoids those difficulties by manipulating binary executable files. The method combines techniques from information theory, complex networks and phylogenetics to produce a hierarchical clustering of a set of executable files, which can be used to infer potential similarities in terms of runtime resource usage. The paper introduces the method's rationales and presents results of its application to characterize CPU and IO usages of benchmark applications executed on a standard PC platform. Essays carried out over a set of 80 programs from varying sources yielded numerically significant evidences that the prediction of resource usage similarity obtained by the approach is consistent with experimentally measured runtime profile.

The aim of this study was to produce a powdered probiotic passion fruit juice, in order to develop a new non-dairy probiotic beverage. For this purpose, passion fruit juice added with Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis BB-12 was microencapsulated by spray drying using maltodextrin and/or inulin as encapsulating agents. The microcapsules obtained were characterized in relation to their morphological, physical and thermogravimetric properties after spray drying. The viability of probiotic microorganism, as well as the powders’ moisture content, water activity, solubility and color were evaluated throughout 30 days of storage at 25 °C and 4 °C. The storage at 4 °C resulted in a better maintenance of probiotic viability throughout the storage period. During storage at 25 °C, the sample made only with maltodextrin showed loss of viability of the bifidobacteria while the sample made with inulin offered better protection to the encapsulated bacteria. The different carrier agents affected the morphology and the particle size of the microcapsules. All the probiotic juice powders had similar flow characteristics. The use of maltodextrin resulted in higher values for moisture content and water activity. Throughout storage, an increase in moisture content and water activity was noted for all the samples. All the powders showed high solubility indexes. An increase in luminosity and a concurrent reduction in b* values throughout storage was noted for all the juice powder formulations at both temperatures, but more markedly at 25 °C. The results of the thermal analysis showed that both encapsulating agents improved the stability of the passion fruit juice.

Background FFR is useful in defining the physiological significance of intermediate coronary stenosis and requires induction of maximal hyperemia and measurement of pressure proximal and distal to the stenosis. Hyperemia normally is induced by either IV or IC adenosine, a medication associated with short-term side effects. IV regadenoson and IC nitroprusside have been suggested as viable alternatives. This meta-analysis aims to identify all studies comparing use of intravenous (IV) regadenoson or intracoronary (IC) nitroprusside with IV adenosine to determine differences related to the agent utilized for assessment of fractional flow reserve (FFR). Methods We searched PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, SCOPUS, ClinicalTrials.gov and the Cochrane Library databases for studies comparing IV regadenoson or IC nitroprusside to IV adenosine for FFR assessment. The main outcome was difference in mean FFR measurement. The main secondary outcomes were composite side-effect profile and reclassification of lesions. Results Seven studies were included in the analysis, with a total of 375 patients. Compared to IV adenosine, there was no difference in the mean FFR derived from IV regadenoson (p = 1.0) or IC nitroprusside (p = 0.48). IV regadenoson was associated with 53% lower risk of pooled side effects compared to IV adenosine (p = 0.05). IC nitroprusside was associated with 97% lower risk of pooled side effects compared to IV adenosine (p Conclusions IV regadenoson and IC nitroprusside produce similar pressure-derived FFR measurements compared to IV adenosine and have a favorable side effect profile. Both can be considered as alternative agents to IV adenosine for FFR measurement. Further clinical validation is warranted.

Incomplete revascularization is associated with worse outcomes as the number of untreated vessels increases [(1)][1]. Impella (Abiomed, Danvers, Massachusetts) and intra-aortic balloon pumps (IABP) were compared in the PROTECT-II randomized trial (A Prospective, Multi-center, Randomized

Palm oil (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) is an edible vegetable oil widely used in the processing industries and Afro-Brazilian culture. Due to its chemical composition rich in lipids, it is susceptible to hydrolytic and oxidative degradation. In this context, the present study describes an analytical method based on the high resolution nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and the statistical analysis for the qualitative and quantitative monitoring of the thermostability of palm oil, subjected to heat treatment at temperatures 80, 100, 120, 140, 160, 180, and 200 °C. The palm oil profiles were characterized by 1H NMR spectra, which were used as data matrices for the statistical analysis. The NMR-based PCA allowed the identification of lipid descriptors related to the degradation mechanisms that were preponderant during the heating of palm oil. The NMR-based PCA allowed identifying the chemical shifts of lipid descriptors related to the mechanisms of degradation and secondary oxidation products observed in samples heated from 140 °C. The results showed the restrictions on the use of palm oil, commonly classified as a stable edible oil, given that the secondary oxidation products identified may present health risks.

Overhead power distribution lines are usually subject to voltage transients during thunderstorms. Lightning strokes, whether direct or indirect, are among the main causes of such power quality disturbances. In order to assist the analysis of lightning effects on power quality indices, a monitoring network and an integrated database analysis, including voltage waveform recorders, local electric field measurements and information from lightning location systems (LLS) is presented. Based on the results of the monitoring systems, a data series of lightning-correlated network faults collected over a period of 15 months within the area covered by the monitoring system was obtained. In order to identify whether a lightning occurrence could have caused a network fault, two pattern recognition methods based on novelty detection approaches have been implemented and compared using the collected data: Parzen density estimator (PDE) and support vector data description (SVDD). The SVDD method is able to identify the impacts of a given lightning occurrence with a 85% success rate when examples from non-related-fault strokes are included in the training procedure. With the proposed data-based approach, it is possible to correlate faults and lightning events with reduced computational effort, include positive discharges in the correlation process, and comprise general features (e.g. soil, slopes etc.) of the region under analysis. These can be highlighted as the main advantages of the proposed procedure in comparison with typically used Monte Carlo-based methods.

This study investigated the muscle quality of the shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei fed on a diet containing different proportions of mealworm meal (MW) (0, 25, 50, 75 and 100%) as a substitute for fishmeal, which is the normal diet used in shrimp commercial production. The proximate composition, fatty acid profile, colour and texture of the shrimps were evaluated. Moisture, protein, and ash content of shrimp muscle were not significantly altered when fishmeal was replaced by MW (p>0.05). However, the replacement resulted in a linear increase in lipid content (p

The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of multicomponent training with body weight on functional capacity response and power in aging persons. Twenty-seven active older women were assigned for convenience to control (active CG) or multicomponent training groups (MTG). The two groups exercised for 10 weeks, the active CG carried out the usual activities of the community service program, while the MTG followed a multicomponent training program. The countermovement and squat jump height (cm), medicine ball throwing distance (cm), time (s) to complete the tests: chair stand, timed up and go, and stair ascent and descent with 8 steps, and the total number of repetitions during 30 s of the tests: chair stand and arm curl were evaluated before (baseline) and after (post-training) the training period. For all analyses, we used estimation statistics, which focus on the effect size of the experiment/intervention, as opposed to significance testing. Changes over 10 weeks showed a large effect (d, >0.8) favoring the multicomponent training group compared to the active control group for all functional capacity performance and power variables (p ≤ 0.05). In conclusion, body weight multicomponent training is effective for improving basic functional capacity and upper and lower limb power abilities.

The current impact of plastic waste on the environment and nature pushes for coming up with methods for their efficient reuse and recycle. Expanded polystyrene waste, massively produced worldwide, is presented in this work as a novel precursor of magnetic activated carbons (MAC) for the first time. A simple methodology based on the impregnation of EPS samples with Fe3+ in solution, followed by pyrolysis under Ar pressure and chemical activation is proposed. The as-prepared carbonaceous magnetic materials present nanometric phases of Fe0, Fe3C, and Fe3O4, and showed high specific surface area (672 m2 g−1) and total pore volume (0.35 cm3 g−1), one of the highest found in the carbonaceous magnetic materials literature. Their excellent textural, chemical and electrical properties, combined with the possibility of magnetically collection and regeneration after operation guaranteed an excellent performance of MAC in two different applications: as adsorbents of organic contaminants and as electrodes of redox supercapacitors., The authors would like to thank the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) and Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG) for the financial support. P.F.R. Ortega acknowledges the FAPEMIG (DOF nº. 2720262/2018). The authors are also grateful to Rede Mineira de Química. R.L. Lavall is recipient of fellowship from CNPq (grant number 313304/2017-3). N. C. F. Machado, K. H. A. Mendes, and L. A. M. de Jesus would like to thank CEFET-MG and FAPEMIG for scholarships received