Search

Background/Objectives: Skin injuries are common in the equine clinical practice, requiring effective treatment to support natural healing. Bacuri butter is gaining attention for its potential in wound healing and its anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antioxidant properties. Natural polymers such as onion (Allium cepa) bioplastics have been investigated for their potential as occlusive dressings and for tissue regeneration. Methods: This study evaluated the healing process of experimentally induced skin wounds on horses treated with bacuri butter, washed onion film, and unwashed onion film. Clinical and histopathological analyses of the wounds were conducted in six clinically healthy horses over 28 days, with a control group receiving Ringer’s lactate solution. The onion films were produced and characterized for their chemical structure and properties, while the bacuri butter was sourced and prepared for application. Results: All treatments, including the control group, promoted wound healing without relevant differences in wound contraction rates, gross aspect, or histopathological parameters. Conclusions: Therefore, despite minor variations observed in the clinical evaluations between the treatment groups, the bacuri butter or onion biopolymer showed no significant healing effect on skin wounds in horses. Additionally, this study showed the potential of equine models in testing novel therapeutic approaches for wound healing, benefiting both veterinary and human medicine.

This paper presents an adsorption cooler (AC) driven by the surplus heat of a solar thermal domestic hot water system to provide cooling to residential buildings. A cylindrical tube adsorber using granular silica gel as adsorbent and water as adsorbate was considered. The AC was modelled using a two-dimensional distributed parameter model implemented in previous adsorption heating and cooling studies. The performance coefficients of the resultant thermally driven cooling system were obtained for a broad range of working conditions. The thermally driven AC was found to have coefficient of performance (COP) of 0.5 and a specific cooling power (SCP) of 44 W·kg−1 when considering condenser, evaporator, and regeneration temperatures of 30 °C, 15 °C, and 70 °C, respectively. Moreover, the results showed that the AC could be used for refrigeration purposes at temperatures as low as 2 °C and that it could also operate during hotter days under temperatures of 42 °C.

In heat pumps and refrigeration systems, copper parts play a crucial role. Since heat pumps for space and water heating work under high pressure and are susceptible to vibrations, it is crucial to perfectly weld the copper pipes and heat exchangers to avoid system failures and prevent the leakage of the circulating refrigerants, which are harmful to the environment. The welding of the copper pipes is usually performed by the brazing process in a furnace. The components are subjected to a period of approximately 50 min inside a continuously open oven, varying the temperature from 710 °C to 830 °C. The oven inlets and outlets are protected by nitrogen curtains to guarantee a suitable internal environment and prevent the contamination of the gas inside the oven. This work analyses which welding methods are most suitable for welding copper, the best joint shape, process time, brazing specimens of a copper alloy, tightness tests, and mechanical properties and composition of the welding samples. From the tests carried out, the appearance of small and large defects is reduced by using a 1 mm thick external ring of filler material and a brazing temperature of 820 °C.

Establishment of interseeded alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) under corn (Zea mays L.) silage is enhanced with foliar applications of prohexadione (PHD) followed by fungicide plus insecticide (FI), but the lowest effective rates must be determined. We evaluated stand characteristics of alfalfa interseeded into corn at Arlington, Wisconsin, USA in response to PHD applied at 0 to 0.423 kg a.e. ha−1 followed two weeks later with FI (none vs. 0.147 kg a.i. ha−1 fluxapyroxad-pyraclostrobin plus 0.018 kg a.i. ha−1 lambda-cyhalothrin). Application of PHD reduced etiolation, while FI treatment increased plant health and vigor. Following corn harvest, non-treated alfalfa stands averaged 4.2 plants m−2 and 1.2% groundcover under wet growing conditions in 2019 compared with 71.3 plants m−2 and 15.9% groundcover under normal growing conditions in 2020. Stand density in 2019 reached 130 plants m−2 but failed to plateau with combined PHD-FI treatments, while in 2020, stand density averaged 177 plants m−2 with FI regardless of the PHD rate. Alfalfa groundcover plateaued at 63% in 2019 and 71% in 2020 when 0.16 to 0.30 kg a.e. PHD ha−1 was applied prior to FI. The results indicate that FI enables excellent alfalfa establishment under normal conditions, but both PHD and FI should be applied during wet growing conditions.

Agro-industrial residues have attracted attention for their applications in the field of biodegradable packaging. Recently, our research group has developed onion-based films with promising properties for this type of application due to their non-toxicity, biocompatibility and biodegradability. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the effect of Laponite clay concentration on the physicochemical and antioxidant properties of the onion-based films, which were prepared by a casting method. The XRD and FTIR data confirm the presence of the mineral clay in the onion-based films. These findings are consistent with those obtained from FE-SEM analysis, which revealed the presence of typical Laponite grains. In terms of wettability, the results show that the clay decreases the hydrophilic character of the material but slightly increases the water vapor permeation. Optical characterization revealed that the materials exhibited zero transmittance in the UV region and increased opacity in the visible region for composites containing 5% and 10% Laponite. Furthermore, the antioxidant test demonstrated higher antioxidant potential in the composites compared to the pure films. Consequently, these results suggest that the formation of Laponite and onion composites could be an essential strategy for developing natural polymers in the field of food contact packaging.

Mycotoxins are toxic secondary metabolites produced by a variety of fungi, which when ingested can cause several deleterious effects to the health of humans and animals. In this work, the detection and quantification of six major mycotoxins (aflatoxins—AFLA, deoxynivalenol—DON, fumonisins—FUMO, ochratoxin A—OTA, T-2 toxin—T-2 and zearalenone—ZON) in 1749 samples of feed and feed ingredients for cattle, collected in Brazil between 2017 and 2021, was carried out using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In total, 97% of samples were contaminated with at least one mycotoxin, yet, very few samples exceeded the lowest European Union guidance values for cattle, and the estimated daily intake also showed a low risk for the animals. However, co-occurrences were widely observed, as 87% of samples contained two or more mycotoxins at the same time, and the presence of more than one mycotoxin at the same time in feed can lead to interactions. In conclusion, the contamination of feed and feed ingredients for cattle with mycotoxins in Brazil is very common. Hence, the monitoring of these mycotoxins is of significant importance for food safety.

The ability of four non-linear mixed models and one linear mixed model to describe phosphorus (P) retention as a function of dietary P intake, expressed on an available P (avP) basis, was assessed in growing and finishing pigs. Of the four non-linear models, the monomolecular and Michaelis-Menten describe diminishing returns behaviour, while the Richards and Morgan describe sigmoidal behaviour with the ability to also describe diminishing returns. Using a meta-analysis approach, models were fitted to avP intake vs. P retention data from P balance studies. Pig bodyweights (BW) ranged from 43.5 to 133 kg, P intake ranged from 0.055 to 0.468 g kg−1 BW0.75 d−1 for avP, and 0.151 to 0.806 g kg−1 BW0.75 d−1 for total P, with P retention ranging from 0.026 to 0.329 g kg−1 BW0.75 d−1. Models were evaluated using statistical measures of goodness-of-fit and inspection of residuals. The monomolecular and Michaelis-Menten best described the relationship between P retention and P intake. Endogenous P losses and P requirement for maintenance were found to be higher in finishing pigs compared to growing pigs as BW increased.

Here, we describe 4-dimethylaminoantipyrine (4-DMAA)-mediated interfacing as a broad biochemical indicator to stabilize and promote the higher response of electrodes for immunological detection. We hypothesized that the improved biological interactions of 4-DMAA with electrodes and biological samples may be due to the interaction properties of the benzene and pyrazole chemical groups with graphite and proteins, respectively. In order to demonstrate that 4-DMAA could be used as a general indicator in electrochemical immunoassays, we used peptides as probes for the diagnosis of four neglected tropical infectious diseases Tegumentary leishmaniasis, Visceral leishmaniasis, Strongyloidiasis, and Leprosy on commercial graphite screen-printed electrodes. 4-DMAA oxidation was used to indicate specific biological recognition between the epitope-based peptide and serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) from infected patients. We demonstrated that 4-DMAA should be incorporated into the electrodes prior to serum application, which avoids interference with its sensitivity and specificity. In addition, 4-DMAA oxidizes at a low anodic potential, and the oxidation peak is useful for detecting proteins in biological fluids. In summary, we have successfully demonstrated the broad application of 4-DMAA as a general indicator for the specific diagnosis of four infectious diseases in electrochemical immunosensors. Such a strategy is quite advantageous for indirect detection of proteins that lack electrochemical activities or are spatially inaccessible on the electrode surface. This new indicator opens a new avenue for monitoring biological recognition, especially for immunosensors.

In this work, fluid flow and heat transfer performance of a radiative coil coating oven is numerically investigated. In the coil coating oven concept under consideration, porous radiant burners provide the required energy to evaporate the volatile species (solvents) from the applied coating and to promote curing reactions. To avoid the mixing between burners flue gas (with a non-negligible oxygen content) and evaporated (combustible) solvents in the oven (which could lead to a catastrophic oven failure), a semi-transparent window in between both atmospheres is applied. To ensure the window thermal stability during the oven operation, window cooling by wall jets is considered. Different turbulence models were compared against available wall jet heat transfer correlations to select the most suitable for three-dimensional (3D) numerical simulations. Convective heat transfer correlations purposefully developed were embedded in a one-dimensional (1D) window energy model for fast performance characterization, analysing the most influencing parameters—window radiative properties, thickness, inlet temperature and velocity of wall jets, and cooling strategy. The 1D window thermal performance is compared with literature and 3D results considering the full coil coating oven, providing satisfactory confidence on the developed strategy. The 1D model is used for an optimisation study to find the minimum energy consumption while ensuring the safety requirements (maximum window temperature and thermal gradient) are met.

This work investigates the effects of several parameters on the coefficient of performance (COP) and the specific heating power (SHP) of a coated-tube adsorber for adsorption heat pumps (AHP) suitable for water heating (space and/or domestic water heating). The COP and SHP are obtained based on physical models that have already been proven to adequately describe this type of adsorber. Several parameters are tested, namely, the regeneration, condenser and evaporator temperatures, the heat transfer fluid velocity, the tube diameter, the adsorbent coating thickness, the metal–adsorbent heat transfer coefficient, and the cycle time. Two different scenarios were tested, corresponding to distinct working conditions. The working conditions for Scenario A are suitable for pre-heating water in mild climates. Scenario B’s working conditions are based on the European standard EN16147. The maximum COP is obtained for regeneration temperatures of 75 °C and 95 °C for Scenarios A and B, respectively. The COP increases for longer cycle times (more complete adsorption and desorption processes) whilst the SHP decreases (less complete cycles by unit time). Hence, the right balance between the COP and the SHP must be found for each particular scenario to have the best whole performance of the AHP. A metal–adsorbent heat transfer coefficient lower than 200 W·m−2·K−1 leads to reduced SHP. Lower adsorbent coating thicknesses lead to higher SHP and can still provide reasonably high COP. However, low coating thicknesses would require a too-high number of tubes to achieve the desired adsorbent mass to deliver the required useful heating power, resulting in too-large systems. Due to this, the best relationship between the SHP and the size of the system must be selected for each specific application.

Dengue is a major arbovirus affecting humans today. With the growing number of cases, it is essential to have large-scale production of antigens for the development of diagnostic kits for the rapid detection of patients infected by the virus and consequent proper medical intervention for them. In this work, we express the prM/M and E proteins of dengue virus-3 in yeast Pichia pastoris KM71H. The proteins were produced in soluble form in the supernatant of the culture and were purified by precipitation with ammonium sulfate. The fraction of 80% of ammonium sulfate was used as an antigen in an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), providing a sensitivity of 82.61% and a specificity of 89.25%. Thus, the methodology proposed here showed promise for obtaining antigens of dengue viruses and creating quick and inexpensive diagnostic tests, which is of great value since large portions of the areas affected by this disease are economically neglected.

Background: Leishmaniases are neglected diseases caused by infection with Leishmania parasites and there are no human vaccines in use routinely. The purpose of this study was to examine the immunogenicity of ChimeraT, a novel synthetic recombinant vaccine against visceral leishmaniasis (VL), incorporated into a human-compatible liposome formulation. Methods: BALB/c mice were immunized subcutaneously with ChimeraT/liposome vaccine, ChimeraT/saponin adjuvant, or ChimeraT/saline and immune responses examined in vitro and in vivo. Results: Immunization with the ChimeraT/liposome formulation induced a polarized Th1-type response and significant protection against L. infantum infection. ChimeraT/liposome vaccine stimulated significantly high levels of interferon (IFN)-γ, interleukin (IL)-12, and granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) cytokines by both CD4 and CD8 T-cells, with correspondingly lower levels of IL-4 and IL-10 cytokines. Induced antibodies were predominantly IgG2a isotype, and homologous antigen-stimulated spleen cells produced significant nitrite as a proxy for nitric oxide (NO). Furthermore, we examined a small number of treated VL patients and found higher levels of circulating anti-ChimeraT protein IgG2 antibodies, compared to IgG1 levels. Conclusions: Overall, the liposomal formulation of ChimeraT induced a protective Th1-type immune response and thus could be considered in future studies as a vaccine candidate against human VL.

Physiological arousal has been increasingly applied to monitor exploration (or navigation) of a virtual environment (VE), especially when the VE is designed to evoke an anxiety-related response. The present work aims to evaluate human physiological reactions to safe and unsafe VEs. We compared the effect of the presence of handrails in the VE in two different samples, young and older adults, through self-reports and physiological data: Electrodermal activation (EDA) and electrocardiogram (ECG) sensors. After navigation, self-report questionnaires were administered. We found that the VEs evoked a clearly differentiated perception of safety and unsafety demonstrated through self-reports, with older adults being more discriminative in their responses and reporting a higher sense of presence. In terms of physiological data, the effect of handrails did not provoke significant differences in arousal. Safety was better operationalized by discriminating neutral/non-neutral spaces, where the reaction of older adults was more pronounced than young adults. Results serve as a basis for orienting future experiments in the line of VE and applied physiology usage in the architectural spaces design process. This specific work also provided a basis for the development of applications that integrate virtual reality and applied biofeedback, tapping into mobility and ageing.

Properly modeling the shadowing effects during wireless transmissions is crucial to perform the network quality assessment. From a mathematical point of view, using composite distributions allows one to combine both fast fading and slow fading stochastic phenomena. Numerous statistical distributions have been used to account for the fast fading effects. On the other hand, even though several studies indicate the adequacy of the Lognormal distributon (LNd) as a shadowing model, they also reveal this distribution renders some analytic tractability issues. Past works include the combination of Rayleigh and Weibull distributions with LNd. Due to the difficulty inherent to obtaining closed form expressions for the probability density functions involved, other authors approximated LNd as a Gamma distribution, creating Nakagami-m/Gamma and Rayleigh/Gamma composite distributions. In order to better mimic the LNd, approximations using the inverse Gamma and the inverse Nakagami-m distributions have also been considered. Although all these alternatives were discussed, it is still an open question how to effectively use the LNd in the compound models and still get closed-form results. We present a novel understanding on how the α-μ distribution can be reduced to a LNd by a limiting procedure, overcoming the analytic intractability inherent to Lognormal fading processes. Interestingly, new closed-form and series representations for the PDF and CDF of the composite distributions are derived. We build computational codes to evaluate all the expression hereby derived as well as model real field trial results by the equations developed. The accuracy of the codes and of the model are remarkable.

Ecological communities change because of both natural and human factors. Distinguishing between the two is critical to ecology and conservation science. One of the most common approaches for modelling species composition changes is calculating beta diversity indices and then relating index changes to environmental changes. The main difficulty with these analyses is that beta diversity indices are paired comparisons, which means indices calculated with the same community are not independent. Mantel tests and generalised dissimilarity modelling (GDM) are two of the most commonly used statistical procedures for analysing such data, employing randomisation tests to consider the data’s dependence. Here, we introduce a Bayesian model-based approach called BetaBayes that explicitly incorporates the data dependence. This approach is based on the Bradley–Terry model, which is a widely used approach for modelling paired comparisons that involves building a standard regression model containing two varying intercepts, one for each community involved in the beta diversity index, that capture their respective contributions. We used BetaBayes to analyse a famous dataset collected in Panama that contains information on multiple 1 ha plots from the rain forests of Panama. We calculated the Bray–Curtis index between all pairs of plots, analysed the relationship between the index and two covariates (geographic distance and elevation), and compared the results of BetaBayes with those from the Mantel test and GDM. BetaBayes has two distinctive features. The first is its flexibility, which allows the user to quickly change it to fit the data structure; namely, by adding varying effects, incorporating spatial autocorrelation, and modelling complex nonlinear relationships. The second is that it provides a clear path for performing model validation and model improvement. BetaBayes avoids hypothesis testing, instead focusing on recreating the data generating process and quantifying all the model configurations that are consistent with the observed data.

It is well-known that bacteria and fungi play important roles in the relationships between mycelium growth and the formation of fruiting bodies. The sun mushroom, Agaricus subrufescens, was discovered in Brazil ca. 1960 and it has become known worldwide due to its medicinal and nutritional properties. This work evaluated the bacterial community present in mushroom-colonized compost extract (MCCE) prepared from cultivation of A. subrufescens, its dynamics with two different soaking times and the influence of the application of those extracts on the casing layer of a new compost block for A. subrufescens cultivation. MCCEs were prepared through initial submersion of the colonized compost for 1 h or 24 h in water followed by application on casing under semi-controlled conditions. Full-length 16S rRNA genes of 1 h and 24 h soaked MCCE were amplified and sequenced using nanopore technology. Proteobacteria, followed by Firmicutes and Planctomycetes, were found to be the most abundant phyla in both the 1 h and 24 h soaked MCCE. A total of 275 different bacterial species were classified from 1 h soaked MCCE samples and 166 species from 24 h soaked MCCE, indicating a decrease in the bacterial diversity with longer soaking time during the preparation of MCCE. The application of 24 h soaked MCCE provided increases of 25% in biological efficiency, 16% in precociousness, 53% in the number of mushrooms and 40% in mushroom weight compared to control. Further investigation is required to determine strategies to enhance the yield and quality of the agronomic traits in commercial mushroom cultivation.

Residual diatomaceous earth (RDE) from winemaking activities is a rich and currently underexploited source of phenolic compounds which ought to be recycled from the perspective of circular bioeconomy. In this work, we demonstrate the feasibility of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) for the enrichment of quercetin, a flavonoid at a fairly high content in residual diatomaceous earth. These MIPs were synthesized through free radical polymerization. FTIR confirmed the integration of the functional monomers into the polymeric chains. Batch adsorption experiments were used to assess the retention and selectivity of those MIPs towards quercetin. Commercial resins were compared with the synthesized materials using the same procedures. These adsorption experiments allowed the selection of the best performing MIP for the valorization of RDE extract. This treatment consisted of saturating the selected MIP with the extract and then desorbing the retained compounds using solvents of selected compositions. The desorbed fractions were analyzed using liquid chromatography, and the results demonstrated an increase in quercetin’s fractional area from 5% in the RDE extract to more than 40% in some fractions, which is roughly an eightfold enrichment of quercetin. Moreover, other flavonoids of close chemical structure to quercetin have been rather retained and enriched by the MIP.

In the search for a better and brighter future, the use of natural luminescent renewable materials as substitutes for synthetic ones in the energy field is of prime importance. The incorporation of natural pigments (e.g., xanthophylls and phycobiliproteins) is a fundamental step in a broad spectrum of applications that are presently marred by their limited stability. The incorporation of bio-based luminescent molecules into solid matrices allows the fabrication of thin films, which may dramatically increase the range of applications, including sustainable photovoltaic systems, such as luminescent solar concentrators or downshifting layers. In this work, we incorporated R-phycoerythrin (R-PE), C-phycocyanin (C-PC), and fucoxanthin (FX) into poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and studied their optical properties. It was found that the emission and excitation spectra of the phycobiliproteins and FX were not modified by incorporation into the PVA matrix. Moreover, in the case of FX, the emission quantum yield (η) values also remained unaltered after incorporation, showing the suitability of the PVA as a host matrix. A preliminary photostability study was performed by exposing the solid samples to continuous AM1.5G solar radiation, which evidenced the potential of these materials for future photovoltaics.

Currently, insurance companies exclude the buildings’ envelope of their policies since they lack reliable information about the risks and degradation models and are unable to estimate the probabilities of intervention and corresponding costs. This study intends to overcome the existing gap, proposing property maintenance insurance policies developed based on condition-based maintenance plans, using stochastic information regarding the degradation process of the buildings’ envelope elements in the definition of insurance policies. To perform this work, external thermal insulation composite systems (ETICS) are used as case study, for the definition of an insurance policy. This approach allows reducing the uncertainty associated with the degradation of ETICS even when subject to scheduled maintenance actions. Several insurance policies are analysed, with different insurance premiums, evaluating different risks accepted by the owners when adopting a certain maintenance plan. For owners, the main advantages of acquiring this insurance product are: (i) changing the nature of the risk, transferring the risk to the insurer; and (ii) increasing the asset’s equity value, reducing the risk associated with the degradation of ETICS and the uncertainty of maintenance costs over time.

Synthesis of N′-acetyl-3-methyl-1,6-diphenyl-1H-pyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridine-4-carbohydrazide from the phenyl acetates of 3-acetyl-5-(3-methyl-1,6-diphenyl-1H-pyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridine-4-yl)-2,3-dihydro-1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-yl in alkaline medium and its characterization by spectroscopic methods.

Accessibility to buildings’ envelope depends on efficient inspection and other maintenance actions of their components. When access to these components is not planned, special means of access are required to carry out the maintenance work. Means of access, besides having a fundamental role on the quality of maintenance works of building envelope components, also represents a considerable part of the maintenance costs. Thus, to optimize costs and resources in maintenance plans, assessment of the impact of the means of access on maintenance costs is crucial. For works in height, there are several alternative means of access. The choice of the most adequate solution is strongly linked to the characteristics (e.g., architecture, height) and constraints (e.g., users, surrounding space) of each building, the maintenance needs of the envelope, and the time and funds available for the intervention. Therefore, in this study, a sensitivity analysis to understand how the cost of means of access can influence the maintenance costs is carried out. Moreover, the optimisation of maintenance activities in façade claddings is also analysed. This study intends to assess whether it is advantageous to consider permanent means of access during the design phase or opt for temporary means of access. In a first stage, the impact of six temporary means of access (supported and suspended scaffolds; articulated booms; telescopic booms; scissor lifts; and rope access) on the maintenance plans developed for the six types of claddings (ceramic tiling systems—CTS, natural stone claddings—NSC, rendered façades—RF, painted surfaces—PS, external thermal insulation composite systems—ETICS, and architectural concrete façades—ACF) is examined. The impact is estimated through a stochastic maintenance model based on Petri nets. After that, a sensitivity analysis and a multi-criteria decision analysis are performed. Based on the results, general recommendations are presented concerning the maintenance strategies to adopt in the cladding solutions analysed. The results reveal that planning the means of access during the design stage can be economically beneficial for all buildings’ envelope components.

Façade claddings, as the outer protection layer of the building’s envelope, are directly exposed to environmental degradation agents. The façades’ orientation and their distance from the sea, among other location and protection-related factors, influence their vulnerability to climate loads, in particular wind and air humidity. These loads, as well as exposure to air pollution, affect the degradation process of claddings and the durability of façades. Therefore, studying the impact of the environmental exposure conditions on the service life of different external claddings provides useful information on their performance over time, which can support (i) decision-makers in the selection of the best façade cladding solutions and (ii) further research on the impact of climate change on building components. This study covers six types of cladding: rendered façades (R), natural stone cladding (NSC), ceramic tiling system (CTS), painted surfaces (PS), external thermal insulation composite systems (ETICS), and architectural concrete façades (ACF). Three hundred façades located in Portugal are analysed according to three main groups of variables, which characterize (i) the façades, (ii) their degradation condition, and (iii) the environmental deterioration loads and context. The statistical analysis results reveal that the environmental variables affect the cladding degradation process. South-oriented façades present lower degradation conditions than façades facing north. The distance from the sea and high exposure to pollutants add to the degradation conditions, reducing the expected service life of façades. The results reveal that claddings can be organized according to two main groups: the most durable (CTS, NSC, and ACF) and the least durable (R, PS, and ETICS) systems. This study enables a comprehensive analysis of the data, useful to draw conclusions about the influence of environmental exposure conditions on the degradation and service life of façade claddings.

Bacuri (Platonia insignis Mart) is a species from the Clusiaceae genus. Its fruit pulp is commonly used in South America in several food products, such as beverages, ice cream and candies. Only the pulp of the fruit is used, and the peels and seeds are considered waste from these industries. As a trioxygenated xanthone source, this species is of high interest for bioproduct development. This work evaluated the mesocarp and epicarp of bacuri fruits through different extraction methods and experimental conditions (pH, temperature and solvent) in order to determine the most effective method for converting this agro-industrial waste in a value-added bioproduct. Open-column procedures and HPLC and NMR experiments were performed to evaluate the chemical composition of the extracts, along with total phenols, total flavonoids and antioxidant activities (sequestration of the DPPH and ABTS radicals). A factorial design and response surface methodology were used. The best extraction conditions of substances with antioxidant properties were maceration at 50 °C with 100% ethanol as solvent for mesocarp extracts, and acidic sonication in 100% ethanol for epicarp extracts, with an excellent phenolic profile and antioxidant capacities. The main compounds isolated were the prenylated benzophenones garcinielliptone FC (epicarp) and 30-epi-cambogin (mesocarp). This is the first study analysing the performance of extraction methods within bacuri agro-industrial waste. Results demonstrated that shells and seeds of bacuri can be used as phenolic-rich bioproducts obtained by a simple extraction method, increasing the value chain of this fruit.

Mayaro virus (MAYV) is a neglected arthropod-borne virus found in the Americas. MAYV infection results in Mayaro fever, a non-lethal debilitating disease characterized by a strong inflammatory response affecting the joints and muscles. MAYV was once considered endemic to forested areas in Brazil but has managed to adapt and spread to urban regions using new vectors, such as Aedes aegypti, and has the potential to cause serious epidemics in the future. Currently, there are no vaccines or specific treatments against MAYV. In this study, the antiviral activity of a series of synthetic cyclic ketones were evaluated for the first time against MAYV. Twenty-four compounds were screened in a cell viability assay, and eight were selected for further evaluation. Effective concentration (EC50) and selectivity index (SI) were calculated and compound 9-(5-(4-chlorophenyl]furan-2-yl)-3,6-dimethyl-3,4,5,6,7,9-hexahydro-1H-xanthene-1,8(2))-dione (9) (EC50 = 21.5 µmol·L−1, SI = 15.8) was selected for mechanism of action assays. The substance was able to reduce viral activity by approximately 70% in both pre-treatment and post-treatment assays.

Neurofeedback training (NFT) is a technique often proposed to train brain activity SR with promising results. However, some criticism has been raised due to the lack of evaluation, reliability, and validation of its learning effects. The current work evaluates the hypothesis that SR learning may be improved by priming the subject before NFT with guided mindfulness meditation (MM). The proposed framework was tested in a two-way parallel-group randomized controlled intervention with a single session alpha NFT, in a simplistic serious game design. Sixty-two healthy naïve subjects, aged between 18 and 43 years, were divided into MM priming and no-priming groups. Although both the EG and CG successfully attained the up-regulation of alpha rhythms (F(1,59) = 20.67, p < 0.001, ηp2 = 0.26), the EG showed a significantly enhanced ability (t(29) = 4.38, p < 0.001) to control brain activity, compared to the CG (t(29) = 1.18, p > 0.1). Furthermore, EG superior performance on NFT seems to be explained by the subject’s lack of awareness at pre-intervention, less vigour at post-intervention, increased task engagement, and a relaxed non-judgemental attitude towards the NFT tasks. This study is a preliminary validation of the proposed assisted priming framework, advancing some implicit and explicit metrics about its efficacy on NFT performance, and a promising tool for improving naïve “users” self-regulation ability.

Humiria balsamifera (Aubl), commonly known as “mirim”, is a plant of the Humiriaceae family, which consists of 39 species divided between eight genera: Duckesia, Endopleura, Humiria, Humiriastrum, Hylocara, Sacoglottis, Schistostemon, and Vantenea. This study aimed to characterize H. balsamifera extracts by LC-MS/MS and evaluate their antimicrobial potential through in vitro and in vivo assays. The leaves and stem bark of H. balsamifera were collected and dried at room temperature and then ground in a knife mill. The extracts were prepared with organic solvents in order to increase the polarity index (hexane, ethyl acetate, and methanol). The antimicrobial effects of these extracts were evaluated against the following bacterial strains: Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Listeria monocytogenes ATCC 15313, Salmonella enterica Typhimurium ATCC 14028, and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538. The best activity was observed in the ethyl acetate (EALE = 780 µg/mL), methanol (MLE = 780 µg/mL), and hexane (HLE = 1560 µg/mL) leaf extracts against S. aureus. Considering the results for both antimicrobial and antibiofilm activities, the EALE extract was chosen to proceed to the infection assays, which used Tenebrio molitor larvae. The EALE treatment was able to extend the average lifespan of the larvae (6.5 days) in comparison to S. aureus-infected larvae (1 day). Next, the samples were characterized by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled to a mass spectrometer, allowing the identification of 11 substances, including seven flavonoids, substances whose antimicrobial activity is already well-reported in the literature. The number of bioactive compounds found in the chemical composition of H. balsamifera emphasizes its significance in both traditional medicine and scientific research that studies new treatments based on substances from the Brazilian flora.

The heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) is thought to be an excellent drug target against parasitic diseases. The leishmanicidal effect of an Hsp90 inhibitor, 17-N-allylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin (17-AAG), was previously demonstrated in both in vitro and in vivo models of cutaneous leishmaniasis. Parasite death was shown to occur in association with severe ultrastructural alterations in Leishmania, suggestive of autophagic activation. We hypothesized that 17-AAG treatment results in the abnormal activation of the autophagic pathway, leading to parasite death. To elucidate this process, experiments were performed using transgenic parasites with GFP-ATG8-labelled autophagosomes. Mutant parasites treated with 17-AAG exhibited autophagosomes that did not entrap cargo, such as glycosomes, or fuse with lysosomes. ATG5-knockout (Δatg5) parasites, which are incapable of forming autophagosomes, demonstrated lower sensitivity to 17-AAG-induced cell death when compared to wild-type (WT) Leishmania, further supporting the role of autophagy in 17-AAG-induced cell death. In addition, Hsp90 inhibition resulted in greater accumulation of ubiquitylated proteins in both WT- and Δatg5-treated parasites compared to controls, in the absence of proteasome overload. In conjunction with previously described ultrastructural alterations, herein we present evidence that treatment with 17-AAG causes abnormal activation of the autophagic pathway, resulting in the formation of immature autophagosomes and, consequently, incidental parasite death.

Over the years, rural areas have faced a number of problems and difficulties, such as an increase in the average age of the population, desertification, loss of employment and the abandonment of rural and agricultural activities, which have led to the emergence of new initiatives aimed at revitalizing these territories from a social, economic and environmental perspective, such as the successful Bio-districts or Eco-regions (e.g., Bio-district of Cilento). Understanding and establishing a proper framework for each territory based on agroecology and participatory methodologies is still a challenge. In this sense, based on the analysis of two European examples—Cilento, Italy and São Pedro do Sul, Portugal—we described each of the building processes and defined a set of drivers that might constitute guiding principles to serve as a basis for the creation of Bio-districts or Eco-regions. The drivers’ matrix identified was discussed in three focus groups carried out in Portugal in 2020. Such drivers included a technical and environmental component (the quality of the environment and landscape, the food system and the implementation of organic farming and agroecological practices), a social and economic component (valorization of the farmers, products and territories and a set of different stakeholders—farmers, consumers, schools, tourism entities and restaurants, local authorities) and a political component (the governance model). Most participants agreed that the recognition of a Bio-district or Eco-region should be informal, bottom-up, with farmers as the main pillar, with a fair and representative participation, namely family farmers.

The diagnosis of the building’s façades pathology is extremely important to support rational and technically informed decisions regarding maintenance and rehabilitation actions. With a reliable diagnosis, the probable causes of the anomalies can be correctly identified, and the correction measures adopted can be more compatible with the existing elements, promoting the durability of the façades. Visual inspection is the most common approach to identify anomalies in a building’s façade and, in many cases, this technique is sufficient to support the decision to intervene. However, the pathological phenomenon is complex, and the anomalies observed may indicate the presence of other defects, or some anomalies may not be visible in a simple visual observation. This study intends to discuss the application of emerging technologies on the diagnosis and anamneses of building’s façade, in order to automatise the collection of reliable on-site data and, thus, reduce the uncertainty of the diagnosis. The use of these techniques can help existing inspection methodologies, already tested, based mainly on the visual assessment of the buildings’ elements degradation condition.

Potential pathogen transmission through hematophagy in Culicidae is a major public-health problem, and several studies have been performed to better understand this phenomenon. Research on these insects often requires the maintenance of colonies in the laboratory. Due to the hematophagic habits of these organisms, blood must be provided in order to guarantee the reproduction of individuals that constitute the colonies. Some species of mammals and birds are used as a direct blood source in many laboratories. Due to current bioethical parameters, the direct use of animals has been replaced by artificial blood feeding by using synthetic membranes to simulate animal skin. In this study, the efficiency of collagen and latex in the artificial feeding of mosquitoes of the Aedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus species was evaluated and compared with Parafilm®, a standard membrane that is frequently used for this purpose. Important aspects of the feeding and reproduction of these insects were considered. For both species, latex showed the poorest performance. Collagen membrane performed well in most parameters, but was not as efficient as Parafilm® for fecundity in Aedes aegypti, and for the percentage of engorged females in Culex quinquefasciatus. We concluded that, although collagen is more resistant and easier to handle, Parafilm® was the most efficient among the three evaluated membranes for the artificial blood feeding of mosquitoes.

In condition-based maintenance plans, the schedule of inspections is an important step. Condition-based actions are performed according to prescribed condition criteria (i.e., condition, cost, availability, among other factors), and the main purpose of inspections is to evaluate the façade’s condition and plan its correction in order to reduce the risk of failure of the cladding. Therefore, the main goal of this study is to implement multi-objective optimization to understand whether there is an optimal time interval for performing the inspections. For that purpose, a Petri-net condition maintenance model is used to assess the influence of different maintenance plans on the overall degradation of natural stone claddings. In this model, the maintenance activities can only be performed after an inspection has been carried out. The definition of the best maintenance policy results in a conflict of objectives. Owners/managers seek to achieve a maintenance strategy that minimizes service life costs and maintain the cladding in a safe and minimal degradation condition. Multi-objective optimization procedures are capable of considering several conflicting objectives. In this paper, the objective functions considered are minimization of the service life costs, maximization of the efficiency index, maximization of the service life, and minimization of the total number of replacements over the time horizon.

Paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) is a granulomatous systemic mycosis caused by the thermo-dimorphic fungi of the genus Paracoccidioides. Melanin production by fungi can affect their pathogenesis and virulence. This study evaluates the production of melanin by different isolates of genus Paracoccidioides and examines how the presence of this polymer affects yeast cell phagocytosis, as well as laccase enzyme production. The results obtained showed that the isolates of genus Paracoccidioides: P. lutzii (Pb01, Pb66, ED01, Pb1578, and Pb8334), P. restrepiensis (PS3-Pb60855), P. brasiliensis (S1-Pb18), and P. americana (PS2-Pbcão) produce melanin in the presence of L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA). Phagocytosis assays were carried out with peritoneal macrophages from C57Bl/6 mice that were challenged with Pb18, Pb60855, and Pb01. We observed that melanin interferes with phagocytosis in the presence or absence of complement or heat-inactivated serum. This article confirms that different species of the genus Paracoccidioides produce melanin in different magnitudes and that the polymer functions as a virulence factor.

Existing maintenance policies have several limitations, mainly due to the lack of knowledge regarding the durability and performance of buildings. Usually, the maintenance policies are insufficiently accurate, neglecting the risk of failure over time and the global costs associated with repairs. In this study, a condition-based maintenance model, based on Petri nets, is proposed to evaluate the impact of three maintenance strategies of ceramic claddings in pitched roofs (CCPR): MS1—only total replacement; MS2—composed of total replacement and minor intervention and MS3—composed of total replacement, minor intervention and cleaning operations. In this study, 146 CCPR were inspected in situ, with a total area of 43,991.6 m2. The remaining service life of the CCPR; the global costs over the claddings’ lifetime (considering inspection, maintenance, replacement and disposal costs); the claddings’ degradation condition and the number of replacements during the time horizon are used to evaluate the performance of the different maintenance strategies through a simplified multi-criteria analysis. The results show that the gains in performance, in terms of expected service life and durability, of the consideration of preventive maintenance actions (minor interventions or cleaning operations) outweigh the increase of the operation costs.

Phytosanitary irradiation (PI) has been successfully used to disinfest fresh commodities and facilitate international agricultural trade. Critical aspects that may reduce PI efficacy must be considered to ensure the consistency and effectiveness of approved treatment schedules. One factor that can potentially reduce PI efficacy is irradiation under low oxygen conditions. This factor is particularly important because storage and packaging of horticultural commodities under low oxygen levels constitute practices widely used to preserve their quality and extend their shelf life. Hence, international organizations and regulatory agencies have considered the uncertainties regarding the efficacy of PI doses for insects infesting fresh commodities stored under low oxygen levels as a rationale for restricting PI application under modified atmosphere. Our research examines the extent to which low oxygen treatments can reduce the efficacy of phytosanitary irradiation for tephritids naturally infesting fruits. The effects of normoxia (21% O2), hypoxia (~5% O2), and severe hypoxia (< 0.5% O2) on radiation sensitivity of third instars of Anastrepha fraterculus (sensu lato), A. ludens (Loew), Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel), and Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) were evaluated and compared at several gamma radiation doses. Our findings suggest that, compared to normoxia, hypoxic and severe-hypoxic conditioning before and during irradiation can increase adult emergence and contribute to advancement of larval development of tephritid fruit flies only at low radiation doses that are not used as phytosanitary treatments. With phytosanitary irradiation doses approved internationally for several tephritids, low oxygen treatments applied before and during irradiation did not increase the emergence rates of any fruit fly species evaluated, and all treated insects died as coarctate larvae. Thus, the findings of our research support a re-evaluation of restrictions related to phytosanitary irradiation application under modified atmospheres targeting tephritid fruit flies.

Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) is a murine autoimmune disease used to study multiple sclerosis. We have investigated the immunomodulatory effects of copaiba oil (100, 50 and 25 µg/mL) on NO, H2O2, TNF-α, IFN-γ and IL-17 production in cultured cells from EAE-mice. Copaiba oil (100 µg/mL) inhibited H2O2, NO, IFN-γ TNF-α and IL-17 production spontaneously or after ConA and MOG35–55 stimulation. It is suggested that copaiba oil acts on the mechanism of development of EAE by IFN-γ, IL-17 and TNF-α inhibition, modulating the immune response on both Th1 and Th17 cells.

Soil seed banks were sampled in undisturbed soil and after soil had been disturbed by tillage (tine, harrow or plough). Seeds were sorted by size and shape, and counted. Size-number distributions were fitted by power law equations that allowed the identification of self-similarity and self-affinity. Self-affinity and thus non-random size-number distribution prevailed in undisturbed soil. Self-similarity and thus randomness of size-number distribution prevailed after tillage regardless of the intensity of disturbance imposed by cultivation. The values of fractal dimensions before and after tillage were low, suggesting that short-term, short-range factors govern size-number distribution of soil seed banks.

Human T-lymphotropic virus type-1 (HTLV-1) infection is associated with adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL). Tropical spastic paraparesis/HTLV-1-associated myelopathy (PET/HAM) is involved in the development of autoimmune diseases including Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), and Sjögren’s Syndrome (SS). The development of HTLV-1-driven autoimmunity is hypothesized to rely on molecular mimicry, because virus-like particles can trigger an inflammatory response. However, HTLV-1 modifies the behavior of CD4+ T cells on infection and alters their cytokine production. A previous study showed that in patients infected with HTLV-1, the activity of regulatory CD4+ T cells and their consequent expression of inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines are altered. In this review, we discuss the mechanisms underlying changes in cytokine release leading to the loss of tolerance and development of autoimmunity.

Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) has been an important tool for the detection of COVID-19 outbreaks. The retrospective analysis of COVID-19 data is vital to understand the spread and impact of the virus as well as to inform future planning and response efforts. In this study, we evaluated the SARS-CoV-2 RNA levels in wastewater from 21 wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in the City of Cape Town (South Africa) over a period of 12 months and compared the (inactive) SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA in wastewater between wave 2 (November 2020 to January 2021) and wave 3 (June 2021 to September 2021). The SARS-CoV-2 RNA expression was quantified in wastewater using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) by targeting the nucleocapsid (N) gene, and the resultant signal was normalized to the WWTP design capacity and catchment size. Our findings show that the maximum SARS-CoV-2 RNA signal was significantly higher in wave 3 than in wave 2 ( p < 0.01). The duration of wave 3 (15 weeks) was longer than that of wave 2 (10 weeks), and the wastewater surveillance data supported the clinical findings, as evidenced by the two distinct waves. Furthermore, the data demonstrated the importance of long-term wastewater surveillance as a key indicator of changing trends.

Brazil reported 18,282 suspected congenital Zika syndrome (CZS) cases up to 2018 and accounts for 61.4% of the total reported Zika cases in the Americas in the period. To detect high-risk areas for children with CZS in the city of Rio de Janeiro, we used cluster detection and thematic maps. We analyzed data using a Poisson model in Satscan 10.1.3 software. We also analyzed the records of children with CZS from 2015 to 2016 to describe the clinical and epidemiological maternal and child profile, as well as live births in 2016 and the social development index (SDI) by neighborhood. In 2015 and 2016, the incidence rates of CZS were 8.84 and 46.96 per 100,000 live births in the city, respectively. Severe congenital findings such as microcephaly and brain damage, osteoarticular impairment, ocular abnormalities, and hearing loss were observed in 47 children. The spatial distribution of CZS was concentrated in the north and west zones in heterogeneous neighborhoods. The neighborhoods with the highest occurrence of CZS cases were found to have the worst SDIs. Stascan detected three spatial clusters in the north zone, where the SDI is lower. The clusters presented high relative risks for CZS (7.86, 1.46, and 2.08), although they were not statistically significant. Our findings highlight a higher occurrence of CZS in areas with less favorable socioeconomic conditions.