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Tetra-Penta-Deca-Hexa graphene (TPDH) is a new two-dimensional (2D) carbon allotrope with attractive electronic and mechanical properties. It is composed of tetragonal, pentagonal, decagonal and hexagonal carbon rings. When TPDH graphene is sliced into quasi-one-dimensional (1D) structures such as nanoribbons, it exhibits a range of behaviors, from semimetallic to semiconducting. An alternative approach to achieving these desirable electronic properties (electronic confinement and nonzero electronic band gap) is the creation of nanotubes (TPDH-NTs). In the present work, we carried out a comprehensive study of TPDH-NTs combining Density Functional Theory (DFT) and classical reactive Molecular Dynamics (MD). Our results show structural stability and a chiral dependence on the mechanical properties. Similarly to standard carbon nanotubes, TPDH-NT can be metallic or semiconductor. MD results show Young's modulus values exceeding 700 GPa, except for nanotubes with very small radii. However, certain chiral TPDH-NTs ( n , m ) display values both below and above 700 GPa, particularly for those with small radii. Analysis of the evolution of von Mises stress and the distribution of C-C bond angles and lengths throughout the stress-strain process indicates the important role of tetragonal, pentagonal, and hexagonal rings for the mechanical response of TPDH-NTs. Tetragonal and pentagonal rings provide a rigid mechanical framework for TPDH-NTs ( n , 0), whereas pentagonal and hexagonal rings provide TPDH-NTs (0, n ) with greater flexibility., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2024 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)

The rapid diagnosis of opportunistic infections (OIs) is critical for improving the health outcomes of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). This study aimed to describe the feasibility of implementing a package for the rapid diagnosis of tuberculosis, histoplasmosis, and cryptococcosis in patients with advanced HIV/AIDS disease in Porto Alegre, Brazil. The research involved two focus groups with health professionals, four in-depth interviews with healthcare managers, and twelve interviews with PLWHA. The corpus was analyzed using Descending Hierarchical Classification (DHC). The study found that the rapid test diagnosis intervention was generally well-received by patients and health professionals, improving diagnosis and treatment outcomes. However, it also identified several areas for improvement, including the need for expanded psychosocial support and enhanced coordination between health services. The findings have important implications for the development and implementation of policies and programs aimed at enhancing the diagnosis and treatment of OIs among PLWHA with advanced diseases. Further research should explore social determinants of HIV/AIDS mortality to offer valuable insights into improving prevention and treatment strategies. By prioritizing patient-centered care and improving coordination between health services, policymakers and health professionals can improve the health outcomes of PLWHA with advanced disease in Porto Alegre and other similar settings., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Brandelli Costa et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Forest restoration, combined with the mitigation of climate change, has attracted significant interest from several stakeholders. This can aid in restoring degraded areas and enhancing carbon storage. Brazil's global environmental commitments, particularly in the state of Minas Gerais (MG), require substantial financial investments to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement and the Convention on Biological Diversity. Minas Gerais has extensive areas protected by the Legislation for the Protection of Native Vegetation (LPVN) that are not compliant and must be restored in the next 20 years. Geographic data was collected from the government SICAR database. Land use in MG was analyzed using geoprocessing techniques using data from the MapBiomas platform to estimate the area in conflict with LPVN regulations. Minas Gerais has an environmental liability of 3.7 million hectares (Mha) that need restoration in the next 20 years. The Legal Reserve (RL) (2.2 Mha) and Permanent Preservation Areas of watercourses (1.3 Mha) are the most non-compliant protected areas. The "Triângulo Mineiro" and "Norte de Minas" mesoregions have the largest areas in conflict with the LPVN. The Cerrado faces a more critical situation, with approximately 56% of the conflicting areas located there. This study outlines the extent of restoration needed with native vegetation to comply with LPVN requirements in MG., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Background: Nuts consumption is related to cardioprotective effects on primary cardiovascular prevention, but studies conducted in secondary prevention are small, scarce and controversial. The objective of this trial was to evaluate the effects of a regional and sustainable cardioprotective diet added or not with an affordable mixed nuts on cardiometabolic features in patients with previous myocardial infarction., Methods: DICA-NUTS study is a national, multi-center, and superiority-parallel randomized clinical trial. Males and females over 40 years old diagnosed with previous myocardial infarction in the last 2 to 6 months were included. Patients were allocated into two groups: the Brazilian Cardioprotective diet (DICA Br) supplemented with 30 g/day of mixed nuts (10 g of peanuts; 10 g of cashew; 10 g of Brazil nuts) (intervention group, n = 193); or only DICA Br prescription (control group, n = 195). The primary outcome was low-density lipoprotein cholesterol means (in mg/dL) after 16 weeks. Secondary outcomes were other lipid biomarkers, glycemic and anthropometric data and diet quality., Results: After adjustment for baseline values, participating study site, time since myocardial infarction and statin treatment regimen (high potency, moderate and low potency/no statins), no significant difference was found between the groups in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations (intervention-control difference: 3.48 mg/dL [-3.45 to 10.41], P = 0.32). Both groups improved their overall diet quality at the end of the study without differences between them after 16 weeks (intervention-control difference: 1.05 (-0.9 to 2.99); P = 0.29). Other lipids, glycemic profile and anthropometrics were also not different between study groups at the end of the study., Conclusion: Adding 30 g/day of mixed nuts to the DICA Br for 16 weeks did not change lipid, glycemic and anthropometric features in the post-myocardial infarction setting., Trial Registration: This study is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov website under number NCT03728127 and its World Health Organization Universal Trial Number (WHO-UTN) is U1111-1259-8105., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Reflecting on the complexity and impacts of determination of the causal relationship between health problems of workers and the exercise of their work activities, there is a need to learn about scientific articles that expose techniques to determine this type of causal relationship. There is also a need to reveal whether any article exposes multicriteria decision analysis technique. The aim is to quantify the techniques used to determine the causal relationship between health problems of workers and the exercise of their work activities. Bibliometric analysis was performed, searching for articles in Portuguese, Spanish and English. An advanced search was performed on the website of the ministerial journals portal and then on the Gale Academic OneFile, SciVerse Scopus, Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO) and PubMed Central collections. In summary, 38 articles were selected from portal, 50 from Gale Academic OneFile, 20 from SciVerse Scopus, 37 from SciELO and 5 from PubMed Central, totaling 150 articles of interest for analysis of their contents. Among these 150 articles, 33.33% addressed the causal relationship between illness and work, 3.33% described some process related to occupational diagnostic investigation and 0.66%, which represents only one article, exhibited a technique to determine this type of causal relationship: the probability of causality in neoplastic diseases. No article described multicriteria decision analysis method as a technique for determine this type of causal relationship. Therefore, there is a need to carry out and disseminate scientific research on methods to help determine a causal relationship between illness and work., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest: None

The potential of tetra-penta-deca-hexagonal graphene (TPDH-gr), a recently proposed 2D carbon allotrope as an anodic material in lithium ion batteries (LIBs), was investigated through density functional theory calculations. The results indicate that Li-atom adsorption is moderate (around 0.70 eV), allowing for easy desorption. Moreover, energy barriers (0.08-0.20 eV), diffusion coefficient (>6 × 10 -6 cm 2 /s), and open circuit voltage (0.29 V) calculations show rapid Li atom diffusion on the TPDH-gr surface, stable intercalation of lithium atoms, and good performance during the charge and discharge cycles of the LIB. These findings, combined with the intrinsic metallic nature of TPDH-gr, indicate that this new 2D carbon allotrope is a promising candidate for use as an anodic LIB material., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2024 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)

Stingless bees (Hymenoptera: Meliponini) are pollinators of both cultivated and wild crop plants in the Neotropical region. However, they are susceptible to pesticide exposure during foraging activities. The fungicide fluazinam is commonly applied in bean and sunflower cultivation during the flowering period, posing a potential risk to the stingless bee Partamona helleri, which serves as a pollinator for these crops. In this study, we investigated the impact of acute oral exposure (24 h) fluazinam on the survival, morphology and cell death signaling pathways in the midgut, oxidative stress and behavior of P. helleri worker bees. Worker bees were exposed for 24 h to fluazinam (field concentrations 0.5, 1.5 and 2.5 mg a.i. mL -1 ), diluted in 50 % honey aqueous solution. After oral exposure, fluazinam did not harm the survival of worker bees. However, sublethal effects were revealed using the highest concentration of fluazinam (2.5 mg a.i. mL -1 ), particularly a reduction in food consumption, damage in the midgut epithelium, characterized by degeneration of the brush border, an increase in the number and size of cytoplasm vacuoles, condensation of nuclear chromatin, and an increase in the release of cell fragments into the gut lumen. Bees exposed to fluazinam exhibited an increase in cells undergoing autophagy and apoptosis, indicating cell death in the midgut epithelium. Furthermore, the fungicide induced oxidative stress as evidenced by an increase in total antioxidant and catalase enzyme activities, along with a decrease in glutathione S-transferase activity. And finally, fluazinam altered the walking behavior of bees, which could potentially impede their foraging activities. In conclusion, our findings indicate that fluazinam at field concentrations is not lethal for workers P. helleri. Nevertheless, it has side effects on midgut integrity, oxidative stress and worker bee behavior, pointing to potential risks for this pollinator., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors confirm that they have no conflicts of interest with respect to the work described in this manuscript., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Partamona helleri is an important pollinator in the Neotropics. However, this bee faces an increased risk of pesticide exposure, potentially affecting both individual bees and entire colonies. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of the herbicide tebuthiuron on behavior, antioxidant activity, midgut morphology, and signaling pathways related to cell death, cell proliferation and differentiation in P. helleri workers. tebuthiuron significantly reduced locomotor activity and induced morphological changes in the midgut. The activity of the detoxification enzymes superoxide dismutase and glutathione S-transferase increased after exposure, indicating a detoxification mechanism. Furthermore, the herbicide led to alterations in the number of positive cells for signaling-pathway proteins in the midgut of bees, suggesting induction of apoptotic cell death and disruption of midgut epithelial regeneration. Therefore, tebuthiuron may negatively impact the behavior, antioxidant activity, morphology, and physiology of P. helleri workers, potentially posing a threat to the survival of this non-target organism., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Breast cancer ranks among the most commonly diagnosed cancers worldwide and bears the highest mortality rate. As an integral component of cancer treatment, mastectomy entails the complete removal of the affected breast. Typically, breast reconstruction, involving the use of silicone implants (augmentation mammaplasty), is employed to address the aftermath of mastectomy. To mitigate postoperative risks associated with mammaplasty, such as capsular contracture or bacterial infections, the functionalization of breast implants with coatings of cyclodextrin polymers as drug delivery systems represents an excellent alternative. In this context, our work focuses on the application of a mathematical model for simulating drug release from breast implants coated with cyclodextrin polymers. The proposed model considers a unidirectional diffusion process following Fick's second law, which was solved using the orthogonal collocation method, a numerical technique employed to approximate solutions for ordinary and partial differential equations. We conducted simulations to obtain release profiles for three therapeutic molecules: pirfenidone, used for preventing capsular contracture; rose Bengal, an anticancer agent; and the antimicrobial peptide KR-12. Furthermore, we calculated the diffusion profiles of these drugs through the cyclodextrin polymers, determining parameters related to diffusivity, solute solid-liquid partition coefficients, and the Sherwood number. Finally, integrating these parameters in COMSOL multiphysics simulations, the unidirectional diffusion mathematical model was validated.

Background: The RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) complex, essential in viral transcription and replication, is a key target for antiviral therapeutics. The core unit of RdRp comprises the nonstructural protein NSP12, with NSP7 and two copies of NSP8 (NSP81 and NSP82) binding to NSP12 to enhance its affinity for viral RNA and polymerase activity. Notably, the interfaces between these subunits are highly conserved, simplifying the design of molecules that can disrupt their interaction. Methods: We conducted a detailed quantum biochemical analysis to characterize the interactions within the NSP12-NSP7, NSP12-NSP81, and NSP12-NSP82 dimers. Our objective was to ascertain the contribution of individual amino acids to these protein-protein interactions, pinpointing hotspot regions crucial for complex stability. Results: The analysis revealed that the NSP12-NSP81 complex possessed the highest total interaction energy (TIE), with 14 pairs of residues demonstrating significant energetic contributions. In contrast, the NSP12-NSP7 complex exhibited substantial interactions in 8 residue pairs, while the NSP12-NSP82 complex had only one pair showing notable interaction. The study highlighted the importance of hydrogen bonds and π-alkyl interactions in maintaining these complexes. Intriguingly, introducing the RNA sequence with Remdesivir into the complex resulted in negligible alterations in both interaction energy and geometric configuration. Conclusion: Our comprehensive analysis of the RdRp complex at the protein-protein interface provides invaluable insights into interaction dynamics and energetics. These findings can guide the design of small molecules or peptide/peptidomimetic ligands to disrupt these critical interactions, offering a strategic pathway for developing effective antiviral drugs., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Lima Neto, Bezerra, Barbosa, Araujo, Galvão, Lyra, Oliveira, Akash, Jardan, Nafidi, Bourhia and Fulco.)

Background: The non-invasive assessment of maximal respiratory pressures (MRP) reflects the strength of the respiratory muscles., Objective: To evaluate the studies which have established normative values for MRP in healthy children and adolescents and to synthesize these values through a meta-analysis., Methods: The searches were conducted until October 2023 in the following databases: ScienceDirect, MEDLINE, CINAHL, SciELO, and Web of Science. Articles that determined normative values and/or reference equations for maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP) and maximal expiratory pressure (MEP) in children and adolescents published in English, Portuguese, or Spanish regardless of the year of publication were included. Two reviewers selected titles and abstracts, in case of conflict, a third reviewer was consulted. Articles that presented sufficient data were included to conduct the meta-analysis., Results: Initially, 252 studies were identified, 28 studies were included in the systematic review and 19 in the meta-analysis. The sample consisted of 5798 individuals, and the MIP and MEP values were stratified by sex and age groups of 4-11 and 12-19 years. Values from females 4-11 years were: 65.8 cmH 2 O for MIP and 72.8 cmH 2 O for MEP, and for males, 75.4 cmH 2 O for MIP and 84.0 cmH 2 O for MEP. In the 12-19 age group, values for females were 82.1 cmH 2 O for MIP and 90.0 cmH 2 O for MEP, and for males, they were 95.0 cmH 2 O for MIP and 105.7 cmH 2 O for MEP., Conclusions: This meta-analysis suggests normative values for MIP and MEP in children and adolescents based on 19 studies., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest The authors have no relevant conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2023. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U.)

Malaria is a parasitic disease that, in its most severe form, can even lead to death. Insect-resistant vectors, insufficiently effective vaccines, and drugs that cannot stop parasitic infestations are making the fight against the disease increasingly difficult. It is known that the enzyme dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH) is of paramount importance for the synthesis of pyrimidine from the Plasmodium precursor, that is, for its growth and reproduction. Therefore, its blockade can lead to disruption of the parasite's life cycle in the vertebrate host. In this scenario, Pf DHODH inhibitors have been considered candidates for a new therapy to stop the parasitic energy source. Given what is known, in this work, we applied molecular fractionation with conjugated caps (MFCC) in the framework of the quantum formalism of density functional theory (DFT) to evaluate the energies of the interactions between the enzyme and the different triazolopyrimidines (DSM483, DMS557, and DSM1), including a complex carrying the mutation C276F. From these results, it was possible to identify the main features of each system, focusing on the wild-type and mutant Pf DHODH and examining the major amino acid residues that are part of the four complexes. Our analysis provides new information that can be used to develop new drugs that could prove to be more effective alternatives to present antimalarial drugs.

Objective: To assess the association of obesogenic environmental characteristics around schools with body adiposity and adipokine concentrations in Brazilian children., Design: Cross-sectional study. Body adiposity was assessed using the dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Concentrations of leptin, adiponectin, retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4) and chemerin were measured. Predominantly ultra-processed food (UPF) stores, public physical activity (PA) facilities, green spaces, walkability, traffic accidents and crime were evaluated. The neighbourhood unit was the 400 m (0·25 miles) road network buffer around schools. The association of environmental characteristics with body adiposity and adipokine concentrations was assessed by linear regression models using generalised estimating equations., Setting: Urban schools ( n 24), Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil., Participants: Children aged 8 and 9 years ( n 378)., Results: A higher density of predominantly UPF stores and a lower percentage of green space were associated with higher total ( β : 0·12; 95 % CI 0·06, 0·18 and β : -0·10; 95 % CI -0·16, -0·04, respectively) and android body fat ( β : 0·28; 95 % CI 0·13, 0·43 and β : -0·18; 95 % CI -0·32, -0·04, respectively). In addition, the densities of PA facilities and crime were inversely associated with leptin concentrations. Traffic accidents density and percentage of green spaces around schools had, respectively, a positive and an inverse association with concentrations of adiponectin and RBP4., Conclusions: Obesogenic environmental characteristics around schools were associated with total and android body fat, as well as with pro-inflammatory adipokine concentrations in Brazilian children from a medium-sized city.

Anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) are substances with androgenic and anabolic characteristics. Among the many side effects of hormone therapy with AAS, the following stand out: heart problems, adrenal gland disorders, aggressive behavior, increased risk of prostate cancer, problems related to lack of libido and impotence. Such substances vary in the relationship between androgenic activity, and the activation of the androgen receptor (AR) is of fundamental importance for the singularity of the action of each AAS. In this sense, our study evaluates the aspects that comprise the interactions of testosterone agonists (TES), dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and tetrahydrogestrinone (THG) in complex with the AR. In addition, we also evaluated the impact of ligand-receptor affinity differences in a mutation model. We apply computational techniques based on density functional theory (DFT) and use, as methodology, Molecular Fractionation with Conjugate Caps (MFCC). The energetic specificities present in the interaction between the analyzed complexes attest that the highest affinity with the AR receptor is found for AR-THG, followed by AR-DHT, AR-TES and AR-T877A-DHT, respectively. Our results also show the differences and equivalences between the different agonists, in addition to evaluating the difference between the DHT ligand in complex with the wild-type and mutant receptor, presenting the main amino acid residues that involve the interaction with the ligands. The computational methodology used proves to be an operative and sophisticated choice to help in the search for pharmacological agents for various therapies that have androgen as a target.

Introduction: The search for a cortical signature of intelligent behavior has been a longtime motivation in Neuroscience. One noticeable characteristic of intelligence is its association with visuospatial skills. This has led to a steady focus on the functional and structural characteristics of the frontoparietal network (FPN) of areas involved with higher cognition and spatial behavior in humans, including the question of whether intelligence is correlated with larger or smaller activity in this important cortical circuit. This question has broad significance, including speculations about the evolution of human cognition. One way to indirectly measure cortical activity with millisecond precision is to evaluate the event-related spectral perturbation (ERSP) of alpha power (alpha ERSP) during cognitive tasks. Mental rotation, or the ability to transform a mental representation of an object to accurately predict how the object would look from a different angle, is an important feature of everyday activities and has been shown in previous work by our group to be positively correlated with intelligence. In the present work, we evaluate whether alpha ERSP recorded over the parietal, frontal, temporal, and occipital regions of adolescents performing easy and difficult trials of the Shepard-Metzler's mental rotation task, correlates or are predicted by intelligence measures of the Weschler's intelligence scale., Methods: We used a database obtained from a previous study of intellectually gifted ( N = 15) and average intelligence ( N = 15) adolescents., Results: Our findings suggest that in challenging task conditions, there is a notable difference in the prominence of alpha event-related spectral perturbation (ERSP) activity between various cortical regions. Specifically, we found that alpha ERSP in the parietal region was less prominent relative to those in the frontal, temporal and occipital regions. Working memory scores predict alpha ERSP values in the frontal and parietal regions. In the frontal cortex, alpha ERSP of difficult trials was negatively correlated with working memory scores., Discussion: Thus, our results suggest that even though the FPN is task-relevant during mental rotation tasks, only the frontal alpha ERSP is correlated with working memory score in mental rotation tasks., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Anomal, Brandão, Souza, Oliveira, Porto, Hazin Pires and Pereira.)

Objective: To identify priority areas for schistosomiasis control, we analysed the epidemiological characteristics, temporal trends and spatial patterns of schistosomiasis-related mortality in the state of Minas Gerais from 2000 to 2019., Methods: Ecological and time-series study with spatial analysis techniques on deaths from Schistosomiasis mansoni. A log-linear regression model was used to identify changes in mortality rates. Moran's global index, local indicators of spatial association and a retrospective spatio-temporal permutation model were applied to identify the spatial and temporal distribution of mortality rates and assist in identifying priority areas for interventions., Results: A total of 1290 deaths from schistosomiasis were recorded between 2000 and 2019, with an average mortality rate of 0.33 deaths/100,000. Although the overall mortality rate in the state of Minas Gerais decreased significantly over time (average annual percentage change = -9.6; 95% confidence interval = -14.4 to -4.6; p < 0.001), it increased in the mesoregions of Jequitinhonha, Mucuri Valley, and Rio Doce Valley. Spatial analysis identified the displacement and emergence of high-risk clusters from the central region of the state to the mesoregion of Rio Doce Valley., Conclusion: Temporal changes and shifting of high-risk areas from the central region to the mesoregion of Rio Doce Valley may indicate possible failures in early diagnosis and treatment of the schistosomiasis control program in these areas. Our research contributes to a better understanding of the spatio-temporal dynamics of death rates due to schistosomiasis infections and might help health authorities to direct resources most efficiently to avoid serious clinical outcomes in Minas Gerais., (© 2023 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Using Kraft lignin, bio-based adhesives have been increasingly studied to replace those petrochemical-based solutions, due to low cost, easy availability and the potential for biodegradability of this biomaterial. In this study, lignin-based phenol-formaldehyde (LPF) resins were synthesized using commercial Eucalypt Kraft Lignin (EKL), purified at 95%, as a phenol substitute in different proportions of 10%, 20%, 30% and 50%. The properties of bio-based phenol formaldehyde (BPF) synthesized resin were compared with phenol-formaldehyde resin (PF) used for control sampling. The results indicated that viscosity, gel time and solid contents increased with the addition of pure EKL. The shear strength test of glue line was studied according to American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), and BPF-based results were superior to samples bonded with the PF as a control sample, being suitable for structural purposes. Changes in the curing behavior of different resins were analyzed by Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), and sample comparison indicated that the curing of the LPF resin occurred at lower temperatures than the PF. The addition of EKL in PF reduced its thermal stability compared to traditional resin formulation, resulting in a lower decomposition temperature and a smaller amount of carbonaceous residues.

Bone healing after a tumor removal can be promoted by biomaterials that enhance the bone regeneration and prevent the tumor relapse. Herein, we obtained several nanopatterns by self-assembly of polystyrene-block-poly-(2-vinylpyridine) (PS-b-P2VP) with different molecular weights and investigated the adhesion and morphology of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSC) and osteosarcoma cell line (SaOS-2) on these patterns aiming to identify topography and chemistry that promote bone healing. We analyzed > 2000 cells per experimental condition using imaging software and different morphometric descriptors, namely area, perimeter, aspect ratio, circularity, surface/area, and fractal dimension of cellular contour (FDC). The obtained data were used as inputs for principal component analysis, which showed distinct response of BMMSC and SaOS-2 to the surface topography and chemistry. Among the studied substrates, micellar nanopatterns assembled from the copolymer with high molecular weight promote the adhesion and spreading of BMMSC and have an opposite effect on SaOS-2. This nanopattern is thus beneficial for bone regeneration after injury or pathology, e.g. bone fracture or tumor removal., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Competing Interests: NLRN, the corresponding author of this manuscript, certify that the contributors' and conflicts of interest statements included in this paper are correct and have been approved by all co-authors. The authors declare no conflict of interests

Competing Interests: MLRN, the corresponding author of this manuscript, certify that the contributors' and conflicts of interest statements included in this paper are correct and have been approved by all co-authors.

Technological advances have highly facilitated the accession of health-related information. As the public search on hospital websites for information and services is increasing, hospitals need to upgrade their websites to meet the high standards and demands of health-care consumers. Today, many hospital websites use a patient-centric approach to promote engagement and encourage interaction for better health-related decision making. However, little is known about the current state of hospital websites in Portugal. This study aims to assess hospital websites in Portugal and offer improvement insights. In this paper, the websites of 132 selected hospitals were thoroughly examined and assessed according to a predefined list of indicators and sub indicators, based on four criteria: technology, content, services and community interaction, defined in the Health Sector Website Assessment Index (HSWAI) instrument. Most of the websites scored satisfactorily in the technology criterion, performed fairly well in providing fundamental content, but showed shortcomings in quality metrics data and online patient services, and most of them fell short in community interaction elements. Overall, the results show that each hospital website must be improved in specific features in order to become effective and efficient. Several of the identified assessment elements (indicators/sub indicators) fall under Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3, United Nations health-focused goal, and could be used by governments to assess their progress toward achieving that specific goal. Therefore, this study not only provides a comprehensive and systematic approach that quantitatively measures hospital websites' overall performance, but also contributes to practical applications in terms of worthwhile recommendations for a website that meets patient's demands and hospital's operational needs., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Sarantis, Soares and Carvalho.)

Competing Interests: The authors have no conflict of interests to declare.

Background and Aims: Changes in eating patterns have been leading to an increase in the consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPF), negatively impacting the quality of the diet and generating risk of harm to the health of the adult population, however, there is no systematized evidence of the impact of UPF in maternal-child health. Thus, in this study we aimed to evaluated the association between UPF consumption and health outcomes in the maternal-child population., Methods: Systematic review registered on the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) (CRD42021236633), conducted according to the PRISMA diagram in the following databases: PubMed, Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, Scielo, and CAPES thesis and dissertation directory. We included original cross-sectional, case-control and cohort studies in any language. Eligibility criteria were (a) food consumption assessment by the NOVA classification, (b) health outcome (nutritional or diseases), and (c) maternal-child population (pregnant, lactating women and infants/children). All data were analyzed and extracted to a spreadsheet structured by two independent reviewers. We evaluated the methodological quality of the studies included using the Newcastle-Otawa Scale and RoB 2., Results: Searches retrieved 7,801 studies and 15 contemplated the eligibility criteria. Most studies included were cohort studies ( n = 8, 53%), had children as their population ( n = 9, 60%) and only one study evaluated UPF consumption in infants and lactating women. Panoramically, we observed that a higher participation of UPF in children's diet has been associated with different maternal-child outcomes, such as increase of weight gain, adiposity measures, overweight, early weaning, lower diet quality, metabolic alterations, diseases, and consumption of plastic originated from packaging. Only one of the studies included did not present high methodological quality., Conclusion: Despite the limited literature on UPF consumption and health outcomes in the maternal-child population, the highest UPF consumption negatively impacted nutrition and disease development indicators in pregnant, lactating women and children. Considering the expressive participation of these foods in the diet, other studies should be conducted to further investigate the impact of UPF consumption on different health indicators, especially in the lactation phase for this was the one to present the most important knowledge gap., Systematic Review Registration: [https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display&#95;record.php?ID=CRD42021236633], identifier [CRD42021236633]., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Oliveira, Sousa, Assunção, Araujo, Bezerra, Dametto and Ribeiro.)

Female sex steroids (FSS) can affect the motor system, modulating motor cortex excitability as well as performance in dexterity and coordination tasks. However, it has not yet been explored whether FSS affects the cognitive components of motor behavior. Mu is a sensorimotor rhythm observed by electroencephalography (EEG) in alpha (8-12 Hz) and beta (15-30 Hz) frequency bands in practices such as motor imagery (MI) and action observation (AO). This rhythm represents a window for studying the activity of neural circuits involved in motor cognition. Herein we investigated whether the alpha-mu and beta-mu power in the sensorimotor region (C3 and C4, hypothesis-driven approach) and the alpha and beta power over frontal, parietal, and occipital regions (data-driven approach) are modulated differently in the menstrual, follicular, and luteal phases of menstrual cycles in right-handed dominant women. To do so, these women underwent MI and AO in the three menstrual cycle phases. The spectral activity of the cortical regions for the alpha and beta bands were compared between phases of the menstrual cycle and a correlation analysis was also performed in relation to estrogen and progesterone levels. For the hypothesis-based approach, beta-mu event-related desynchronization (ERD) was significantly stronger in the C3 channel in the follicular phase than in the menstrual and luteal phases. For the data-driven approach, beta ERD during MI was higher in the follicular phase than in the menstrual and luteal phases in the frontal region. These findings suggest the effect of FSS on executive movement control. No effect of menstrual cycle phases was observed in cortical areas investigated during OA, but alpha and beta bands correlated positively with the follicular phase plasma estradiol level. Thus, the attenuation of alpha and beta bands referring to mirror neuron activities appears to be associated with inhibition of cortical activity when estradiol levels are lower, improving cognitive processing of motor action., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Souza, Mendes, Lima, Brandão, Laplagne and Sousa.)

Proneural genes were initially identified in Drosophila , where pioneer work on these important regulators of neural development was performed, and from which the term proneural function was coined. Subsequently, their counterparts in vertebrates were identified, and their function in neural development extensively characterized. The function of proneural transcription factors in flies and vertebrates is, however, very distinct. In flies, proneural genes play an early role in neural induction, by endowing neural competence to ectodermal cells. In contrast, vertebrate proneural genes are expressed only after neural specification, in neural stem and progenitor cells, where they play key regulatory functions in quiescence, proliferation, and neuronal differentiation. An exception to this scenario is the Drosophila proneural gene asense , which has a late onset of expression in neural stem cells of the developing embryo and larvae, similar to its vertebrate counterparts. Although the role of Asense remains poorly investigated, its expression pattern is suggestive of functions more in line with those of vertebrate proneural genes. Here, we revise our current understanding of the multiple activities of Asense and of its closest vertebrate homologue Ascl1 in neural stem/progenitor cell biology, and discuss possible parallels between the two transcription factors in neurogenesis regulation., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Soares, Homem and Castro.)

Multi-input multi-output (MIMO) transmission schemes have become the techniques of choice for increasing spectral efficiency in bandwidth-congested areas. However, the design of cost-effective receivers for MIMO channels remains a challenging task. The maximum likelihood detector can achieve excellent performance-usually, the best performance-but its computational complexity is a limiting factor in practical implementation. In the present work, a novel MIMO scheme using a practically feasible decoding algorithm based on the phase transmittance radial basis function (PTRBF) neural network is proposed. For some practical scenarios, the proposed scheme achieves improved receiver performance with lower computational complexity relative to the maximum likelihood decoding, thus substantially increasing the applicability of the algorithm. Simulation results are presented for MIMO-OFDM under 5G wireless Rayleigh channels so that a fair performance comparison with other reference techniques can be established.

Allopolyploidy is widely present across plant lineages. Though estimating the correct phylogenetic relationships and origin of allopolyploids may sometimes become a hard task. In the genus Stylosanthes Sw. (Leguminosae), an important legume crop, allopolyploidy is a key speciation force. This makes difficult adequate species recognition and breeding efforts on the genus. Based on comparative analysis of nine high-throughput sequencing (HTS) samples, including three allopolyploids ( S . capitata Vogel cv. "Campo Grande," S . capitata "RS024" and S . scabra Vogel) and six diploids ( S . hamata Taub, S . viscosa (L.) Sw., S . macrocephala M. B. Ferreira and Sousa Costa, S . guianensis (Aubl.) Sw., S . pilosa M. B. Ferreira and Sousa Costa and S . seabrana B. L. Maass & 't Mannetje) we provide a working pipeline to identify organelle and nuclear genome signatures that allowed us to trace the origin and parental genome recognition of allopolyploids. First, organelle genomes were de novo assembled and used to identify maternal genome donors by alignment-based phylogenies and synteny analysis. Second, nuclear-derived reads were subjected to repetitive DNA identification with RepeatExplorer2. Identified repeats were compared based on abundance and presence on diploids in relation to allopolyploids by comparative repeat analysis. Third, reads were extracted and grouped based on the following groups: chloroplast, mitochondrial, satellite DNA, ribosomal DNA, repeat clustered- and total genomic reads. These sets of reads were then subjected to alignment and assembly free phylogenetic analyses and were compared to classical alignment-based phylogenetic methods. Comparative analysis of shared and unique satellite repeats also allowed the tracing of allopolyploid origin in Stylosanthes , especially those with high abundance such as the StyloSat1 in the Scabra complex. This satellite was in situ mapped in the proximal region of the chromosomes and made it possible to identify its previously proposed parents. Hence, with simple genome skimming data we were able to provide evidence for the recognition of parental genomes and understand genome evolution of two Stylosanthes allopolyploids., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Oliveira, Nunes, Dos Santos, Ferreira Gomes, Costa, Van-Lume, Marques Da Silva, Oliveira, Simon, Lima, Gissi, Almeida, Souza and Marques.)

Background: Nut consumption has been related to improvements on cardiometabolic parameters and reduction in the severity of atherosclerosis mainly in primary cardiovascular prevention. The objective of this trial is to evaluate the effects of the Brazilian Cardioprotective Diet (DIeta CArdioprotetora Brasileira, DICA Br) based on consumption of inexpensive locally accessible foods supplemented or not with mixed nuts on cardiometabolic features in patients with previous myocardial infarction (MI)., Methods: DICA-NUTS study is a national, multicenter, randomized 16-week follow-up clinical trial. Patients over 40 years old with diagnosis of previous MI in the last 2 to 6 months will be recruited (n = 388). A standardized questionnaire will be applied to data collection and blood samples will be obtained. Patients will be allocated in two groups: Group 1: DICA Br supplemented with 30 g/day of mixed nuts (10 g of peanuts, 10 g of cashew, 10 g of Brazil nuts); and Group 2: only DICA Br. The primary outcome will consist of LDL cholesterol means (in mg/dL) after 16 weeks of intervention. Secondary outcomes will consist of other markers of lipid profile, glycemic profile, and anthropometric data., Discussion: It is expected that DICA Br supplemented with mixed nuts have superior beneficial effects on cardiometabolic parameters in patients after a MI, when compared to DICA Br., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT03728127 . First register: November 1, 2018; Last update: June 16, 2021. World Health Organization Universal Trial Number (WHO-UTN): U1111-1259-8105., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

During mitosis, chromatin condensation is accompanied by a global arrest of transcription. Recent studies suggest transcriptional reactivation upon mitotic exit occurs in temporally coordinated waves, but the underlying regulatory principles have yet to be elucidated. In particular, the contribution of sequence-specific transcription factors (TFs) remains poorly understood. Here we report that Brn2, an important regulator of neural stem cell identity, associates with condensed chromatin throughout cell division, as assessed by live-cell imaging of proliferating neural stem cells. In contrast, the neuronal fate determinant Ascl1 dissociates from mitotic chromosomes. ChIP-seq analysis reveals that Brn2 mitotic chromosome binding does not result in sequence-specific interactions prior to mitotic exit, relying mostly on electrostatic forces. Nevertheless, surveying active transcription using single-molecule RNA-FISH against immature transcripts reveals differential reactivation kinetics for key targets of Brn2 and Ascl1, with transcription onset detected in early (anaphase) versus late (early G1) phases, respectively. Moreover, by using a mitotic-specific dominant-negative approach, we show that competing with Brn2 binding during mitotic exit reduces the transcription of its target gene Nestin Our study shows an important role for differential binding of TFs to mitotic chromosomes, governed by their electrostatic properties, in defining the temporal order of transcriptional reactivation during mitosis-to-G1 transition., (© 2021 Soares et al.; Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.)

Background: GPs play an important role in the diagnosis and management of patients with faecal incontinence (FI). However, their confidence and ability in this role are unknown., Aim: This study aimed to investigate the knowledge, skills, and confidence of GPs to manage FI in primary care, and identify barriers to optimal management., Design & Setting: A cross-sectional study using self-administered questionnaires of GPs attending health education seminars, which took place across Australian capital cities., Method: Main outcome measures included: (i) clinical exposure to and previous training in FI; (ii) knowledge and skills in screening, diagnosing, and managing FI; and (iii) barriers and facilitators to optimising care. Associations between demographics, training and knowledge and skills were assessed., Results: Some 1285 of 1469 GPs (87.5%) participated (mean 47.7 years [standard deviation {SD} 11.3]). The vast majority reported poor clinical exposure to (88.5%) and training in FI management (91.3%). Subjectively, 69.7% rated their knowledge and skills in screening, assessing, and treating FI as suboptimal. The most commonly reported barrier to FI care was 'insufficient skills' (56.1%); facilitators were improved referral pathways (84.6%) and increased training (67.9%). GPs with more training had better knowledge (odds ratio [OR] = 24.62, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 13.32 to 45.51) and skills (OR = 13.87, 95% CI = 7.94 to 24.24) in managing FI., Conclusion: Clinical exposure to and training in FI among GPs was poor. Accordingly, knowledge, skills, and confidence to manage FI was suboptimal. GPs recognise the importance of FI and that increased training and/or education and formalisation of referral pathways may improve the care of patients with FI in primary care., (Copyright © 2021, The Authors.)

Objective: To investigate epidemiological factors related to treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS) in Northeast Brazil, a region where data about mental health are still scarce., Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study included all patients with schizophrenia currently receiving treatment at the outpatient psychiatric clinic of a tertiary hospital in Northeast Brazil. They were divided into TRS and treatment-responsive groups, and epidemiological characteristics of both groups were compared. A logistic regression model investigated factors related to treatment resistance., Results: Two hundred and five patients were included, 155 treatment-resistant and 50 treatment-responsive. The TRS group had higher use of benzodiazepines (36.1 vs. 18%, p = 0.017) and antiepileptics (36.8 vs. 8.0%, p < 0.001), antipsychotic polypharmacy (28.6 vs. 8%, p = 0.003) and suicide attempts (35.6 vs. 20%, p = 0.04). Age at onset was younger (19.7±7.3 vs. 24.6±8.6 years, p = 0.001) and CGI was higher in TRS (3.72±1.00 vs. 3.16±1.00, p = 0.001). In logistic regression, being married was a protector (odds ratio [OR] = 0.248, 95% confidence interval [95%CI] 0.091-0.679, p = 0.007) and younger age at onset was a predictor (OR = 1.076, 95%CI 1.034-1.120, p < 0.001) of treatment resistance., Conclusion: Early onset of disease was associated with more treatment resistance, while being married with less resistance. Clinicians should identify early predictors of resistance in order to reduce unfavorable outcomes., Competing Interests: Alcides Ferreira Rêgo Neto has received fees from Servier, Lundbeck, Pfizer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Eli Lilly, Janssen. No other conflicts of interest declared concerning the publication of this article.

The study aimed to assess the community food environment and the existence of food swamps around schools in a Brazilian metropolis. This was an ecological study in public and private schools in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais State, Brazil, with a 250-meter buffer as the analytical unit. The study included all preschool, elementary, and middle schools. In relation to the schools, the study evaluated administrative regimen (public versus private), type of teaching, and per capita income in the schools' census tracts. Information was also compiled on the retail food establishments inside the buffer zone around the schools. The food environment was characterized only according to the establishments around the schools that sold food for immediate consumption. Analysis of the buffers revealed that 97.4% of the schools had at least one establishment in the vicinity that sold food for immediate consumption. The most available establishments around schools were snack bars, restaurants, and bars. Schools located in higher-income census tracts showed higher mean numbers of all establishments in their vicinity, except for grocery stores and supermarkets. In addition, 54.6% of the schools were in neighborhoods classified as food swamps. The results that the among the target categories, there was a predominance of establishments that mainly sell ultra-processed foods such as bars and snack bars in the vicinity of schools in Belo Horizonte, which exposes children and adolescents to an unhealthy food environment.

Objective: To analyze aspects related to schistosomiasis positivity in an area of low prevalence in Brazil., Methods: This was a cross-sectional study, carried out in the first half of 2020, where we analyzed the proportion of positivity, according to the number of Kato-Katz slides, the diagnostic performance of the test and positivity estimates based on data from the Schistosomiasis Surveillance and Control Program Information System (SISPCE)., Results: 2,088 slides from 348 individuals were analyzed, with proportion of positivity of 11.8%, 26.7% and 31.0% for 1, 4 and 6 slides analyzed, respectively. There was excellent agreement (Kappa = 0.91) between the readings of 4 and 6 slides. The SISPCE data was estimated to be underreported by up to 2.1 times., Conclusion: Increasing the number of slides increased Kato-Katz positivity, which can contribute to maximizing the control of the disease as a Public Health problem.

Background: The high prevalence of ankle sprains in the population produces a significant number of patients with lateral instability. Persistence of this condition may lead to the progressive involvement of medial structures, causing a multidirectional rotational instability., Methods: This is a retrospective study with patients diagnosed with multidirectional instability who underwent ankle arthroscopy with medial (arthroscopic tensioning) and lateral repair (arthroscopic Bröstrom) between January 2018 and January 2020. All patients were evaluated for pain and function according to the visual analog scale (VAS) score and the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS) Hindfoot Score at a mean of 14.8 months (5-27 months) in follow-up. A total of 30 ankles (29 patients) were included in the study., Results: The AOFAS score increase from a 49.7 (CI 5.8) to a 91.9 (CI 2.4) mean ( P = .001) and was followed by significant improvement in the mean VAS score (6.8, CI 0.37-0.95, CI 0.31). The majority of patients had associated procedures (53.3%), and a low complication rate was found (16.6%)., Conclusion: Combined medial and lateral arthroscopic repair might be an effective and safe alternative in the treatment of multidirectional instability. Inclusion of the deltoid ligament complex and the low invasiveness of the arthroscopic technique may improve the clinical outcomes of these patients., Level of Evidence: Level IV, retrospective case series., Competing Interests: Ethics Approval: University Ethics Committee approved this research under the number 32854720.8.0000.5505 in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. Protocol registration was executed at the Clinical Trials database under the protocol number NCT04459910. Declaration of Conflicting Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. ICMJE forms for all authors are available online., (© The Author(s) 2021.)

Altered immune and/or inflammatory response plays an important role in cases of recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) and repeated implantation failure (RIF). Exacerbation of the maternal immune response through increased NK cell activity and inflammatory cytokines can cause embryo rejection leading to abortion or embryo implantation failure. Immunosuppressors or immunomodulators can help or prevent this condition. Currently, lipid emulsion therapy (LET) has emerged as a treatment for RPL and RIF in women with abnormal NK cell activity, by decreasing the exacerbated immune response of the maternal uterus and providing a more receptive environment for the embryo. However, the mechanisms by which the intralipid acts to reduce NK cell activity are still unclear. In this review, we focus on the studies that conducted LET to treat patients with RPL and RIF with abnormal NK cell activity. We find that although some authors recommend LET as an effective intervention, more studies are necessary to confirm its effectiveness in restoring NK cell activity to normal levels and to comprehend the underlying mechanisms of the lipids action in ameliorating the maternal environment and improving the pregnancy rate., (© 2021 The Authors. Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine published by Foundation for Cellular and Molecular Medicine and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

The digital video coding process imposes severe pressure on memory traffic, leading to considerable power consumption related to frequent DRAM accesses. External off-chip memory demand needs to be minimized by clever architecture/algorithm co-design, thus saving energy and extending battery lifetime during video encoding. To exploit temporal redundancies among neighboring frames, the motion estimation (ME) algorithm searches for good matching between the current block and blocks within reference frames stored in external memory. To save energy during ME, this work performs memory accesses distribution analysis of the test zone search (TZS) ME algorithm and, based on this analysis, proposes both a multi-sector scratchpad memory design and dynamic management for the TZS memory access. Our dynamic memory management, called neighbor management, reduces both static consumption-by employing sector-level power gating-and dynamic consumption-by reducing the number of accesses for ME execution. Additionally, our dynamic management was integrated with two previously proposed solutions: a hardware reference frame compressor and the Level C data reuse scheme (using a scratchpad memory). This system achieves a memory energy consumption savings of 99.8 % and, when compared to the baseline solution composed of a reference frame compressor and data reuse scheme, the memory energy consumption was reduced by 44.1 % at a cost of just 0.35 % loss in coding efficiency, on average. When compared with related works, our system presents better memory bandwidth/energy savings and coding efficiency results., (© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2021.)

Calcaneal tendon injuries are extremely common in the general population and in orthopedics routine care. Its increasing incidence, which is motivated by an aging population, improved access to the health care system, increased prescription of continuous-use medication, erratic participation in sports and other factors, has had a direct impact on society. Consolidated treatment options for tendinopathies lack quality scientific support for many modalities. New therapies have emerged to enhance nonsurgical approach outcomes and to reduce the number of patients requiring surgery. Although these operative procedures provide good pain relief and functional outcomes, they are costly and may lead to complications., Competing Interests: Conflito de Interesses Os autores declaram não haver conflito de interesses., (Sociedade Brasileira de Ortopedia e Traumatologia. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ ).)

The increasing incidence of calcaneal tendon ruptures has substantially impacted orthopedic care and costs related to its treatment and prevention. Primarily motivated by the increasing of life expectancy, the growing use of tenotoxic drugs and erratic access to physical activity, this injury accounts for considerable morbidity regardless of its outcome. In recent years, the evolution of surgical and rehabilitation techniques gave orthopedists better conditions to decide the most appropriate conduct in acute tendon rupture. Although still frequent due to their high neglect rate, Achilles chronic ruptures currently find simpler and more biological surgical options, being supported by a new specialty-focused paradigm., Competing Interests: Conflito de Interesses Os autores declaram não haver conflito de interesses., (Sociedade Brasileira de Ortopedia e Traumatologia. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ ).)

Introduction: Schistosomiasis, caused by infection from Schistosoma mansoni, is a disease that represents an important public health problem for Brazil, especially for states in the Northeast region. Thus, the aim of this study is to present a new epidemiological profile for the disease in a municipality with low prevalence in the state of Alagoas, Brazil., Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted through a coproparasitological and malacological survey. A structured questionnaire was applied to the study participants to survey possible risk factors and a spatial analysis (kernel density) was used to measure the risk of infection., Results: Of the 347 participants, 106 (30.5%) were infected by Schistosoma mansoni, most of them from the urban area of the municipality (68.9%; 73/106). A 3-fold risk of infection was found for individuals living in the urban area and a risk of 2.15 times for self-declared farmers. Biomphalaria glabrata and B. straminea were the species found in the municipality, but no animals were diagnosed as infected by the parasite. Spatial analysis showed a random distribution of vectors and human cases of the disease, and the formation of two clusters of human cases in the urban area was seen., Conclusions: A new epidemiological profile for schistosomiasis from S. mansoni infection was presented in a municipality of low endemicity: a high proportion of positive individuals in the urban area; presence of snails without positive diagnosis for S. mansoni infection; random distribution of vectors and human cases; and absence of association between classical risk factors and human infection.

Objective: To develop and validate a Nursing History instrument for a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, based on the Theory of Basic Human Needs., Methods: Methodological study, developed between October 2018 and April 2019, based on the establishment of a theoretical-conceptual structure; construction of items and of the response scale; selection and organization of items; structuring the instrument; expert opinion; and content and appearance validation., Results: The instrument was organized in three sequential and complementary stages. The first stage considered data collection; the second, the collection of additional information, like Psychobiological, Psychosocial and Psychospiritual Needs; and the third collected data related to a physical examination. The instrument had good internal consistency (0,75) and an agreement percentage equal to or greater than 0,83., Conclusion: The Nursing History instrument developed and validated here can be considered relevant and pertinent in terms of content, clarity, scope, and appearance.

Objective: To identify the costs of treating leg ulcers due to sickle cell disease from the perspective of the Unified Health System., Method: An observational, descriptive, cost-effective economic assessment study conducted in a single center with ulcer patients. The data collected were extracted from the participant's medical records and recorded in a form prepared for this purpose. The cost of the products used in ulcer treatment was provided by the Solicitation/Purchasing Section and Pharmacy Sector of the study institution. The variables studied were ulcer area, number and interval between visits, patient's length of stay in the service, materials used in each visit, and the number of nurse appointments., Results: The sample consisted of 29 patients. The average initial area of ulcers was 14.47 cm2, 79% of the cases had complete epithelialization in an average time of 8.02 months, with an average cost of R$ 1,288.06. The average cost to reduce 1 cm2 of the lesion area was R$ 102.20. Silver activated carbon coating was the most cost-effective treatment., Conclusion: The average cost for complete healing of a sickle cell ulcer with an average area of 14.95 cm2 was R$ 1,288.06.

Porcine circovirus 2 (PCV2) infections are related to a number of syndromes and clinical manifestations, generally known as Porcine circovirus-associated diseases, which are related to losses in the swine industry. There are commercially available vaccines and new vaccines being tested, however, persistency of the PCV2 as an important pig pathogen, and the growing number of affected farms in different countries have suggested that there is room for vaccine improvement. In this study, we describe the construction and testing of a recombinant live vaccine based on a modified Vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) vector expressing the PCV2b capsid protein (CAP). Using a two-dose homologous vaccination regimen, in mice, we demonstrated that the vaccine induced high titers of anti-PCV2 antibodies. The vaccine is stable upon lyophilization, and, together with the good immunogenicity potential observed, the results support further evaluation of the MVA-CAP vaccine in the target species.

Background: The relation between mechanical ventilation (MV) and bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) - a common disease in extremely premature newborn (PTNB) - is well stabilished, but is unknown, however, how much time under MV influences the severity of the disease., Aim: To define the duration under MV with greater chance to develop moderate to severe BPD in extremely PTNB and to compare clinical outcomes before and during hospitalization among patients with mild and moderate to severe BPD., Methods: Fifty-three PTNB were separated into mild and moderate to severe BPD groups and their data were analyzed. Time under MV with a greater chance of developing moderate to severe BPD was estimated by the ROC curve. Perinatal and hospitalization outcomes were compared between groups. A logistic regression was performed to verify the influence of variables associated to moderate to severe BPD development, such as pulmonary hypertension (PH), gender, gestational age (GA) and weight at birth, as well the time under MV found with ROC curve. The result of ROC curve was validated using an independent sample (n = 16) by Chi-square test., Results: Time under MV related to a greater chance of developing moderate to severe BPD was 36 days. Moderate to severe BPD group had more males (14 vs 5, p = 0,047), longer time under MV (43 vs 19 days, p < 0,001), more individuals with PH (12 vs 3, p = 0,016), worse retinopathy of prematurity (grade 3, 2 vs 11, p = 0,003), longer hospital length of stay (109 vs 81,5 days, p < 0,001), greater PMA (41 vs 38 weeks, p < 0,001) and weight (2620 vs 2031 g, p < 0,001) at discharge and the mild BPD group had more CPAP use prior to MV (12 vs 7, p = 0,043). Among all variables included in logistic regression, only PH and MV < 36 days were significant in the model, explaining 72% of variation in moderate to severe BPD development. In the validation sample, prevalence of preterm infants who needed MV for more than 36 days in the moderate to severe BPD group was 100% (n = 6) and 0% in mild BPD group (p = 0,0001)., Conclusion: Time under MV related to moderate to severe BPD development is 36 days, and worst outcomes are related to disease severity. PH and time under MV for more than 36 days are related to development of moderate to severe BPD.

Penta-graphene is a quasi-two-dimensional carbon allotrope consisting of a pentagonal lattice in which both sp 2 and sp 3 -like carbons are present. Unlike graphene, penta-graphene exhibits a non-zero bandgap, which opens the possibility of its use in optoelectronic applications. However, as the observed bandgap is large, gap tuning strategies such as doping are required. In this work, density functional theory calculations are used to determine the effects of the different number of line defects of substitutional nitrogen or silicon atoms on the penta-graphene electronic behavior. Our results show that this doping can induce semiconductor, semimetallic, or metallic behavior depending on the doping atom and targeted hybridization (sp 2 or sp 3 -like carbons). In particular, we observed that nitrogen doping of sp 2 -like carbons atoms can produce a bandgap modulation between semimetallic and semiconductor behavior. These results show that engineering line defects can be an effective way to tune penta-graphene electronic behavior.

Visual-spatial abilities are usually neglected in academic settings, even though several studies have shown that their predictive power in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics domains exceeds that of math and verbal ability. This neglect means that many spatially talented youths are not identified and nurtured, at a great cost to society. In the present work, we aim to identify behavioral and electrophysiological markers associated with visual spatial-ability in intellectually gifted adolescents (N = 15) compared to age-matched controls (N = 15). The participants performed a classic three-dimensional mental rotation task developed by Shepard and Metzler (1971) [33] while event-related potentials were measured in both frontal and parietal regions of interest. While response time was similar in the two groups, gifted subjects performed the test with greater accuracy. There was no indication of interhemispheric asymmetry of ERPs over parietal regions in both groups, although interhemispheric differences were observed in the frontal lobes. Moreover, intelligence quotient and working memory measures predicted variance in ERP's amplitude in the right parietal and frontal hemispheres. We conclude that while gifted adolescents do not display a different pattern of electroencephalographic activity over the parietal cortex while performing the mental rotation task, their performance is correlated with the amplitude of ERPs in the frontal cortex during the execution of this task., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Malignant brain tumors are among the most aggressive cancers with poor prognosis and no effective treatment. Recently, we reported the oncolytic potential of Zika virus infecting and destroying the human central nervous system (CNS) tumors in vitro and in immunodeficient mice model. However, translating this approach to humans requires pre-clinical trials in another immunocompetent animal model. Here, we analyzed the safety of Brazilian Zika virus (ZIKV BR ) intrathecal injections in three dogs bearing spontaneous CNS tumors aiming an anti-tumoral therapy. We further assessed some aspects of the innate immune and inflammatory response that triggers the anti-tumoral response observed during the ZIKV BR administration in vivo and in vitro. For the first time, we showed that there were no negative clinical side effects following ZIKV BR CNS injections in dogs, confirming the safety of the procedure. Furthermore, the intrathecal ZIKV BR injections reduced tumor size in immunocompetent dogs bearing spontaneous intracranial tumors, improved their neurological clinical symptoms significantly, and extended their survival by inducing the destruction specifically of tumor cells, sparing normal neurons, and activating an immune response. These results open new perspectives for upcoming virotherapy using ZIKV to destroy and induce an anti-tumoral immune response in CNS tumors for which there are currently no effective treatments., (Copyright © 2020 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)