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Edible films elaborated from macromolecules, like carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids, must protect and maintain the integrity of foods during their handling, storage, and transportation. In this work, the effect of the concentration of zein (1–2% w/v), sodium alginate (1.5–2% w/v), and glycerol (2–4% w/v) on edible films physicochemical properties was evaluated. The Zein-Alginate-Glycerol interaction was evidenced by the FTIR analysis, the high permeability to water vapor and contact angles less than 90° of the polymer matrices formed. The film made with 2% zein, 1.5% sodium alginate and 4% glycerol preserved the quality of the chili pepper during 15 days of storage at 20 °C, the edible films allowed 3 more days of shelf life for weight loss and 10 more days for firmness. Edible films could be used in chili peppers that are destined for industrial processing, and before use, remove the film with a simple wash. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction and hypothesis: Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is caused by an imbalance in the stability of the pelvic organs, resulting in loss of support. The most common types of POP, anterior and apical, are associated with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) such as bladder outlet obstruction and detrusor overactivity (DO). Vaginal surgery may improve LUTS and overall urinary symptoms. We assessed urodynamic (UD) parameters and urinary symptoms before and after vaginal surgery for POP correction. Methods: A prospective cohort of 59 women with symptomatic anterior and/or apical POP associated with urinary symptoms and with indications for vaginal surgery were included. POP surgeries included anterior colporrhaphy and vaginal hysterectomy with culdoplasty (VH) and with/without concomitant posterior colporrhaphy and mid-urethral sling (MUS). All participants underwent UD evaluation and answered urinary symptom questionnaires pre- and 3 months post-surgery. Results: Anterior colporrhaphy was performed in all patients: 45.7% with associated VH and 54.2% with concomitant MUS. Preoperative ICIQ-OAB score >8 points was significantly associated with DO (p<0.02) and decreased after surgery (9±4.3 to 3.2±3.0, p<0.001). All other questionnaires demonstrated improvements in urinary symptoms. Stress urinary incontinence rate decreased from 59.6% to 21% (p<0.001). Post-void residual (PVR) volume and Valsalva maneuver also decreased (p<0.001). Conclusions: Pelvic organ prolapse surgery reduced the prevalence of urgency symptoms, and all questionnaires on urinary symptoms showed clinically significant improvement. Vaginal surgery for POP, even combined with MUS, significantly reduced PVR volume and improved urgency symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The large cytosolic GTPase, dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1), mediates both physiological and pathological mitochondrial fission. Cell stress triggers Drp1 binding to mitochondrial Fis1 and subsequently, mitochondrial fragmentation, ROS production, metabolic collapse, and cell death. Because Drp1 also mediates physiological fission by binding to mitochondrial Mff, therapeutics that inhibit pathological fission should spare physiological mitochondrial fission. P110, a peptide inhibitor of Drp1-Fis1 interaction, reduces pathology in numerous models of neurodegeneration, ischemia, and sepsis without blocking the physiological functions of Drp1. Since peptides have pharmacokinetic limitations, we set out to identify small molecules that mimic P110's benefit. We map the P110-binding site to a switch I-adjacent grove (SWAG) on Drp1. Screening for SWAG-binding small molecules identifies SC9, which mimics P110's benefits in cells and a mouse model of endotoxemia. We suggest that the SWAG-binding small molecules discovered in this study may reduce the burden of Drp1-mediated pathologies and potentially pathologies associated with other members of the GTPase family. Dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1) mediates physiological and pathological mitochondrial fission, and the latter can be selectively blocked by a peptide inhibitor. Here, the authors identify a small molecule that mimics the benefits of this peptide inhibitor in cells and a mouse model of endotoxemia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a novel derivative-free global optimization algorithm Branch-and-Model (BAM). The BAM algorithm partitions the search domain dynamically, builds surrogate models around carefully selected evaluated points, and uses these models to exploit local function trends and speed up convergence. For model construction, BAM employs Automated Learning of Algebraic Models (ALAMO). The ALAMO algorithm generates algebraic models of the black-box function using various base functions and selection criteria. BAM's potentially optimal identification scheme saves computational effort and prevents delays in searching for optimal solutions. The BAM algorithm is guaranteed to converge to the globally optimal function value under mild assumptions. Extensive computational experiments over 500 publicly open-source test problems and one industrially-relevant application show that BAM outperforms state-of-the-art DFO algorithms regardless of problem convexity and smoothness, especially for higher-dimensional problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cardiovascular implantable electronic device (CIED) therapy has become a safe and effective strategy for patients with symptomatic bradyarrhythmia and heart failure with reduced ejection fraction worldwide. Patients with CIED pocket infections often present with symptoms related to local inflammation but CIED endocarditis without the presence of a pocket infection can be more indolent and challenging to diagnose. Prior to the implementation of the EMA, physicians in the Cardiovascular Division were notified about hospitalized patients with CIED and bacteremia once device infection was suspected or already confirmed with imaging. There were 15 (6%) CIED extractions that subsequently occurred once device infection was identified, and 5 (2%) EMA were triggered for patients that had their CIED previously removed. [Extracted from the article]

Introduction and hypothesis: Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is a defect of the female pelvic floor. Stress urinary incontinence (SUI), urge urinary incontinence (UUI), and obstructive symptoms may occur in these patients. The objective of surgical treatment is to restore the anatomy and function of the pelvic floor; however, it may prompt urinary symptoms not present previously. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine urodynamic changes in patients undergoing surgical correction for POP. Methods: PubMed and Cochrane databases were searched for studies that contained data from urodynamic evaluation before and after vaginal surgery for POP. The main urodynamic data collected were free uroflowmetry (maximum flow [Qmax], voided volume, and post-void residual volume [PVR]), cystometry (bladder capacity, presence of detrusor overactivity [DO], SUI or UUI, and Valsalva leak point pressure), and pressure × flow study (detrusor pressure at maximum flow [PdetQmax], Qmax, and PVR). Results: A total of 22 studies were included (1,549 women). Patients had a significantly higher prevalence of DO before surgery (OR = 1.56; 95% CI = 1.06–2.29), and surgeries without sling placement demonstrated a tendency to ameliorate DO. Patients who did not receive a sling were more incontinent after surgery. Bladder-emptying parameters improved after surgery, with higher PdetQmax before surgery (IV = 3.23; 95% CI = 0.45–1.18). Patients who did not receive MUS presented a lower Qmax (IV = −3.19; 95%CI = −4.09 to −2.30) and a higher PVR (IV = 27.89; 95%CI = 15.68–40.1) before surgery. Conclusion: Correction surgery for POP yields better urodynamic emptying parameters, with a reduction in the prevalence of DO. In contrast, sling placement enhances obstructive parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The assessment of drug taste is crucial for pediatric treatments so that formulations can be developed to enhance their effectiveness. In this study, in vivo and in vitro methods were applied to evaluate the taste of tablets of three drugs administered to children without taste-masking excipients to treat tropical diseases, namely artesunate-mefloquine (ASMQ), praziquantel (PZQ), and benznidazole (BNZ). In the first method, a model of rat palatability was adapted with recirculation to ensure sample dispersion, and the data were analyzed using ANOVA (single factor, 95%). The taste assessment results (in vivo) indicated an aversion to the three medicines, denoted by the animals retracting themselves to the bottom of the box after the first contact with the drugs. For the placebo samples, the animals behaved normally, indicating that taste perception was acceptable. The second method was based on the in vitro analysis of capacitance data from a homemade impedimetric electronic tongue. Consistent with the in vivo taste assessment results, the data points obtained with PZQ, ASMQ, and BNZ were far away from those of their placebos in a map built with the multidimensional projection technique referred to as Interactive Document Mapping (IDMAP). A combined analysis of the results with the two methods allowed us to confirm the bitterness of the three drugs, also pointing to electronic tongues as a promising tool to replace in vivo palatability tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The thraustochytrid Aurantiochytrium limacinum SR21 is a promising source of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) for human consumption as dietary supplement, replacing traditional fish oil. This work deals with the production of structured triacylglycerols (STAGs) with caprylic acid (CA) located at sn-1,3 positions and DHA at sn-2 position of the glycerol molecule. This process is conducted by acidolysis of CA and A. limacinum SR21 oil catalyzed by Lipozyme TL-IM and Lipozyme RM-IM. A central composite design with response surface was used to optimize the reaction temperature and the intensity of treatment (IOT). Statistical models adequately describe the reaction behavior (R2 > 0.91). The optimal temperature values were 37 °C for both lipases. Additionally, IOTs of 9.02 and 7.87 g lipase h g−1 TAG were stablished for TL-IM and RM-IM, respectively. The reaction was scaled up by multiplying the amounts of A. limacinum oil, CA, lipase, and hexane (used as reaction medium) by a factor of 20 while maintaining the IOTs constant. TL-IM showed a better performance to catalyze the acidolysis reaction than RM-IM, achieving 40.8 mol% of total CA incorporated (91.2% of total incorporated at sn-1,3 positions), while the palmitic acid (PA) content at sn-1,3 positions decreased from 77.3 to 20.4 mol%. DHA represented 45.5 mol% of fatty acids at sn-2 position and 15.7 mol% of fatty acids at sn-1,3 positions. Using RM-IM, STAGs of similar composition were obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of bladder lesions diagnosed during transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP), to identify the associated risk factors, and to correlate the macroscopic descriptions with the pathological findings. Methods: This was a single-center retrospective case series conducted at a hospital in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. We reviewed the medical and surgical records of patients who underwent TURP between January 2012 and December 2017. Results: The final sample comprised 513 patients, with a mean age of 70.8 years. Bladder lesions were identified during TURP in 109 (21.2%) of the patients, and 90 of those lesions were submitted for pathological examination. The most common macroscopic finding was bullous edema, which was seen in 57 (63.3%) of the 90 lesions examined. The pathological analysis revealed chronic cystitis in 61 lesions (67.8%) and malignant lesions in 16 (17.8%). Of the 57 lesions described as bullous edema, 5 (8.8%) were found to be malignant. Conclusions: Alterations in the bladder mucosa appear to be more common among elderly patients who use an indwelling urinary catheter for a prolonged period and among patients with recurrent urinary tract infections. In addition, the risk of a bladder lesion being malignant is apparently higher in current and former smokers than in never smokers. Our findings suggest that at-risk patients should undergo biopsy or resection of incidental bladder lesions even if those lesions seem to be benign, due to the low level of agreement between the visual analysis and the pathological examination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers a one-dimensional generalized Allen–Cahn equation of the form u t = ε 2 (D (u) u x) x - f (u) , where ε > 0 is constant, D = D (u) is a positive, uniformly bounded below, diffusivity coefficient that depends on the phase field u, and f(u) is a reaction function that can be derived from a double-well potential with minima at two pure phases u = α and u = β . It is shown that interface layers (namely, solutions that are equal to α or β except at a finite number of thin transitions of width ε ) persist for an exponentially long time proportional to exp (C / ε) , where C > 0 is a constant. In other words, the emergence and persistence of metastable patterns for this class of equations is established. For that purpose, we prove energy bounds for a renormalized effective energy potential of Ginzburg–Landau type. Numerical simulations, which confirm the analytical results, are also provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy valorization of empty fruit bunches (EFB), via torrefaction, was investigated to stablish the best process conditions and the energy balance of an integrated plant. Differential scanning calorimetry was used, for the first time, as a new and more accurate method to determine the heat involved in the torrefaction process. This technique showed that the torrefaction of EFB is an endothermal process. A new response variable energy gain (EG) was introduced as an alternative to the customarily used variable energy yield (EY). EG was definitely a better response variable because it makes a compromise between a high mass yield and a high heating values of the solid product. On the contrary, EY has a very strong and direct (lineal) correlation with the mass yield that overshadows the effect of the heating value. Results show that torrefaction is a promising technology for the sustainable valorization of EFB because it solves the disposal problem and gives a solid and renewable biofuel that can replace coal. Besides, an important amount of electricity can be co-produced. Energy balances showed that energy self-sufficiency can be achieved by tuning the torrefaction conditions as to obtain a gaseous by-product that is used as fuel to provide the energy required in the drying and torrefaction stages. Processing 100 ton/day of EFB (dry basis), at 300 °C and 60 min, produces 37 ton/day of bio-coal (similar to sub-bituminous coal) and 0.36 MW electricity that can be exported because the process is energy self- sufficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the solution of bound-constrained optimization problems using algorithms that require only the availability of objective function values but no derivative information. We refer to these algorithms as derivative-free algorithms. Fueled by a growing number of applications in science and engineering, the development of derivative-free optimization algorithms has long been studied, and it has found renewed interest in recent time. Along with many derivative-free algorithms, many software implementations have also appeared. The paper presents a review of derivative-free algorithms, followed by a systematic comparison of 22 related implementations using a test set of 502 problems. The test bed includes convex and nonconvex problems, smooth as well as nonsmooth problems. The algorithms were tested under the same conditions and ranked under several criteria, including their ability to find near-global solutions for nonconvex problems, improve a given starting point, and refine a near-optimal solution. A total of 112,448 problem instances were solved. We find that the ability of all these solvers to obtain good solutions diminishes with increasing problem size. For the problems used in this study, TOMLAB/MULTIMIN, TOMLAB/GLCCLUSTER, MCS and TOMLAB/LGO are better, on average, than other derivative-free solvers in terms of solution quality within 2,500 function evaluations. These global solvers outperform local solvers even for convex problems. Finally, TOMLAB/OQNLP, NEWUOA, and TOMLAB/MULTIMIN show superior performance in terms of refining a near-optimal solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ulacoscelinae beetles have an ancient relationship with cycads (Cycadophyta: Zamiaceae), which contain highly toxic azoxyglycoside (AZG) compounds. How these 'primitive' leaf beetles deal with such host-derived compounds remains largely unknown. Collections were made of adult Aulacoscelis appendiculata from Zamia cf. elegantissima in Panama, A. vogti from Dioon edule in Mexico, and Janbechynea paradoxa from Zamia boliviana in Bolivia. Total AZG levels were quantified in both cycad leaves and adult beetles by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). On average, cycad leaves contained between 0.5-0.8% AZG (frozen weight, FW), while adult beetles feeding on the same leaves contained even higher levels of the compounds (average 0.9-1.5% FW). High AZG levels were isolated from reflex bleeding secreted at the leg joints when beetles were disturbed. Nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectroscopy identified two AZGs, cycasin and macrozamin, in the reflex bleeding; this is the first account of potentially plant-derived compounds in secretions of the Aulacoscelinae. These data as well as the basal phylogenetic position of the Aulacoscelinae suggest that sequestration of plant secondary metabolites appeared early in leaf beetle evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Empirical and theoretical studies of preference structures of investors have long shown that personal and corporate utility is typically multimodal, implying that the same investor can be risk-averse at certain levels of wealth while risk-seeking at others. In this paper, we consider the problem of optimizing the portfolio of an investor with an indefinite quadratic utility function. The convex and concave segments of this utility reflect the investor’s attitude towards risk, which changes based on deviations from a fixed goal. Uncertainty is modeled via a finite set of scenarios for the returns of securities. A global optimization approach is developed to solve the proposed nonconvex optimization problem. We present computational results which investigate the effect of short sales and demonstrate that the proposed approach systematically produces portfolios with higher values of skewness than the classical expectation-variance approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The limited international resources for economic aid and conservation can only mitigate poverty and losses of biodiversity. Hence, developing nations must establish the capacity to resolve their problems. Additionally, policy-makers and donors need to obtain scientific input on issues such as global change and ecosystem services. We propose that for nations rich in biodiversity, ecosystem services derived from bioprospecting, or drug discovery, could contribute to economic development. In the case where unstudied samples are shipped abroad for research, the chances of obtaining royalties are infinitesimally small. Therefore developing nations will only realize benefits from bioprospecting through in-country research on their own biodiversity. Policy-makers and donors have failed to appreciate the value of this approach. In order to provide an example of the inherent links between conservation and sustainable economic development, we initiated a drug discovery effort in Panama that emphasizes local benefit. As much of the drug discovery process as possible is conducted in Panamanian laboratories, providing jobs dependent on intact biodiversity and enhancing local research and training. In short, research, plus the spin-offs from research, provide immediate and long-lasting benefits to Panama. The connection between conservation and development has been highlighted in publicity about the project in Panama's urban media. This provides a constructive alternative to the perception the among the urban populace that economic development inevitably competes with conservation. In summary, our program uses biodiversity to promote human health as well as to support research capacity, economic development and conservation within Panama. The program provides an example of the widely recognized but little developed concept of bioprospecting research as an ecosystem service. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many compounds produced by fungi have relevant pharmaceutical applications. The purpose of this study was to collect and isolate endophytic fungi from different regions of Panama and then to test their potential therapeutic activities against Leishmania donovani, Plasmodium falciparum, and Trypanosoma cruzi as well as their anticancer activities in MCF-7 cells. Of the 25 fungal isolates obtained, ten of them had good anti-parasitic potential, showing selective activity against L. donovani; four had significant anti-malarial activity; and three inhibited the growth of T. cruzi. Anticancer activity was demonstrated in four isolates. Of the active isolates, Edenia sp. strain F0755, Xylaria sp. strain F1220, Aspergillus sp. strain F1544, Mycoleptodiscus sp. strain F0194, Phomopsis sp. strain F1566, Pycnoporus sp. strain F0305, and Diaporthe sp. strain F1647 showed the most promise based on their selective bioactivity and lack of toxicity in the assays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]