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A relevant solution for the high demand for new multimedia applications and services is millimeter wave (mmWave) frequency band in 5G. However, in order to face the technological challenges of the present and those that will appear in the short-term future, it is necessary to improve the spectral efficiency of 5G systems. In particular, the Radio Resource Management (RRM) module is considered an essential component. Nevertheless, resource allocation techniques that combine orthogonal multiplexing (OMA) schemes, such as Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), with Non-Orthogonal Multiple Access (NOMA) techniques have not been studied in-depth. Therefore, this article designs and evaluates different RRM models that combine TDMA with NOMA for innovative applications in the 5G mmWave frequency bands. To this end, the advantages and challenges associated with mmWave frequency bands and potential future applications are introduced. An innovative use case has been designed to test the RRM models. The use case is based on the on-demand distribution of multimedia content in high-density environments, such as museum halls. The on-demand content aims at offering Augmented Reality (AR) services to unicast users in order to provide personalized services. The models have been evaluated in terms of throughput, capacity, and availability. According to the results, the combined RRM techniques offer up to 50% more capacity than the single multiplexing technology models and can provide video-on-demand service to practically the entire cell.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to explore the associations between nailfold videocapillaroscopy (NVC) and pulmonary function tests (PFTs) in systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients. METHODS This was a longitudinal study with follow-up of unselected Brazilian SSc patients. Baseline clinical examination, serological workup, high-resolution chest tomography, and NVC were performed. Pulmonary function test was performed at baseline and after 24 months. Pulmonary function test worsening over time was defined as either a ΔFVC decline ≥10% or a ΔFVC decline ≥5% and

Malignant hyperthermia (MH) is a life-threatening clinical syndrome of hypermetabolism involving the skeletal muscle. It is triggered in susceptible individuals primarily by volatile inhalational anesthetic agents and the muscle relaxant succinylcholine. MH affects humans, certain pig breeds, dogs, horses, and probably other animals. The classic signs of MH include A dramatic rise in body temperature, rigid or painful muscles, especially in the jaw, flushed skin, sweating, an abnormally rapid or irregular heartbeat, rapid breathing or uncomfortable breathing, brown or cola-colored urine, very low blood pressure (shock), confusion and muscle weakness or swelling after the event. The syndrome is likely to be fatal if untreated. This study therefore assessed the effects of sevoflurane gas on the vital signs of Cavia porcellus with malignant hyperthermia. For the determination of malignant hyperthermia, 50, 15 day-old weaned kits of Peru breed were placed in an anesthesia chamber for 5 minutes and subjected to a mixture of air with 3% sevoflurane gas. Only 6% of them reacted positively, while most of them, 94%, were negative. The average body temperature of the positive kits was 38.9ºC, oscillating between 38.7 and 39.1 ° C, while the negative ones averaged 37.9 ° C. The positive kits had an average of 142.3 breaths per minute compared to the negative ones, which was determined to be 83.7. The number of heart beats per minute in the kits with a positive reaction to sevoflurane averaged 205 and the negative ones 119.5. Muscle tremors were observed throughout the body during exposure of the positive kits to sevoflurane gas. It is concluded that for every 16 guinea pigs, 1 will react to the sevoflurane gas exposure positive due to the result obtained from the vital sign. Only the positive ones presented muscle tremors. L'hyperthermie maligne (HM) est un syndrome clinique d'hypermétabolisme mettant en jeu le pronostic vital impliquant le muscle squelettique. Elle est déclenchée chez les individus sensibles principalement par des agents anesthésiques volatils par inhalation et le relaxant musculaire succinylcholine. MH affecte les humains, certaines races de porcs, les chiens, les chevaux et probablement d'autres animaux. Les signes classiques de MH comprennent une augmentation spectaculaire de la température corporelle, des muscles rigides ou douloureux, en particulier dans la mâchoire, une peau rougeoyante, une transpiration, un rythme cardiaque anormalement rapide ou irrégulier, une respiration rapide ou une respiration inconfortable, une urine brune ou de couleur cola, très faible tension artérielle (choc), confusion et faiblesse ou gonflement musculaire après l'événement. Le syndrome estsusceptible d'être fatal s'il n'est pas traité. Cette étude a donc évalué les effets du gaz sévoflurane sur les signes vitaux de Cavia porcellus avec hyperthermie maligne. Pour la détermination de l'hyperthermie maligne, 50 chatons sevrés de 15 jours de race Pérou ont été placés dans une chambre d'anesthésie pendant 5 minutes et soumis à un mélange d'air avec 3% de sévoflurane. Seuls 6 % d'entre eux ont réagi positivement, alors que la plupart d'entre eux, 94 %, ont été négatifs. La température corporelle moyenne des kits positifs était de 38,9 ° C, oscillant entre 38,7 et 39,1 ° C, tandis que les kits négatifs étaient en moyenne de 37,9 ° C. Les kits positifs avaient une moyenne de 142,3 respirations par minute par rapport aux négatifs, ce qui a été déterminé à être 83,7. Le nombre de battements cardiaques par minute dans les kits avec une réaction positive au sévoflurane était en moyenne de 205 et ceux négatifs de 119,5. Des tremblements musculaires ont été observés dans tout le corps pendant l'exposition des kits positifs au sévoflurane. Il est conclu que pour 16 cobayes, 1 réagira positivement à l'exposition au gaz sévoflurane en raison du résultat obtenu à partir du signe vital. Seuls les positifs présentaient des tremblements musculaires.

The quality of higher education has always been a complex issue in Latin America, but although there has been progress, it seems isolated and distant from other regions. Situation deepened with COVID-19, because between improvisation and reactive actions, it is questioned that it has maintained the parameters of demand, and therefore of quality. This motivated the objective of the work, to know the state of the art of quality in higher education in Latin America. The method used was the systematic review of primary studies between the years 2020-2021. The search was carried out in multiple databases: Scielo, Redalyc, Education Resouces Information Center, ScienceDirect and Google Scholar, using inclusion and exclusion criteria. Starting from 10,755 articles, a systematic filtering was carried out, resulting in the analysis of 22 scientific articles. It is obtained as a result that, the research works presented in the various groups and those independent, show a process of construction and / or configuration of the quality assurance system for the region, still in process and with great expectations towards the region. future. The conclusions reveal the interest on the subject in the region, with a series of subtopics that focus on tools, models, methodologies and indicators, evaluation, standards, accreditation and external mechanisms, among others. And although it is not a new topic, the one referring to the virtual environment is being promoted. © 2021, Universidad del Zulia. All rights reserved.

Purpose To develop a genotype assay to assess associations with common and rare age-related macular degeneration (AMD) risk variants, to calculate an overall genetic risk score (GRS), and to identify potential misdiagnoses with inherited macular dystrophies that mimic AMD. Design Case-control study. Participants Individuals (n = 4740) from 5 European cohorts. Methods We designed single-molecule molecular inversion probes for target selection and used next generation sequencing to sequence 87 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), coding and splice-site regions of 10 AMD-(related) genes (ARMS2, C3, C9, CD46, CFB, CFH, CFI, HTRA1, TIMP3, and SLC16A8), and 3 genes that cause inherited macular dystrophies (ABCA4, CTNNA1, and PRPH2). Genetic risk scores for common AMD risk variants were calculated based on effect size and genotype of 52 AMD-associated variants. Frequency of rare variants was compared between late AMD patients and control individuals with logistic regression analysis. Main Outcome Measures Genetic risk score, association of genetic variants with AMD, and genotype–phenotype correlations. Results We observed high concordance rates between our platform and other genotyping platforms for the 69 successfully genotyped SNPs (>96%) and for the rare variants (>99%). We observed a higher GRS for patients with late AMD compared with patients with early/intermediate AMD (P Conclusions This study reports a genotype assay for common and rare AMD genetic variants, which can identify individuals at intermediate to high genetic risk of late AMD and enables differential diagnosis of AMD-mimicking dystrophies. Our study supports sequencing of CFH, CFI, and C3 genes because they harbor rare high-risk variants. Carriers of these variants could be amendable for new treatments for AMD that currently are under development.

Cervical glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is rare, and its early diagnosis and management is crucial to patient survival. In the young population, it’s even more difficult to diagnose. The main challenges in GBM therapy are associated with the location of the disease and its complex and heterogeneous biology. Here, we present a case of a 35-year-old female patient admitted due to complain of pain in her right lower limb. She reported the evolution of the condition for dysesthesia in upper limbs and lower limbs 4 weeks ago. MRI showed an intramedullary lesion extending from C2 to C5. The patient was managed surgically. The purpose of this report is to document this rare condition, especially in the young age group, and reveal the current knowledge regarding intramedullary GBM.

El objetivo del trabajo fue explorar los factores que inciden en la puesta en práctica de la educación a distancia en el contexto pandémico, a nivel global. Metodológicamente, se hizo una revisión sistemática sobre la productividad científica en torno a la variable de estudio, en las bases de datos Education Resouces Information Center, ScienceDirect, Scopus y Web of Science. Siendo criterios de inclusión artículos de investigación publicados en revistas científicas en el período 2020-2021, escritos en español e inglés en el área de educación. Los principales hallazgos mostraron datos empíricos y teóricos referentes a: Dificultad para: la conectividad a internet, acceder a equipos e infraestructura tecnológica y digital y relacionarse estudiantes-docentes; también se encontró débiles competencias digitales; amplitud de la brecha digital y en las desigualdades educativas y socioeconómicas. Se concluye, que la tendencia ha sido el incremento en el uso de la tecnología de información y comunicación para sostener las actividades educativas, pero paralelamente el acceso a estos medios es limitado, conllevando a complejos procesos educativos bajo la modalidad a distancia, que exigen ampliar la búsqueda de estrategias que minimicen las dificultades impuestas por la realidad, siendo la alternativa la modalidad hibrida.

SUMMARY OBJECTIVE: This study aims to analyze the risk factors for in-hospital mortality in a cohort of patients admitted to a newly adapted intensive care unit in a public hospital in Rio de Janeiro. METHODS: This was an observational, retrospective, and descriptive study. Data were obtained from electronic medical records. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was diagnosed by detecting viral ribonucleic acid using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Factors associated with the risk/protection from death were determined using the odds ratio and adjusted odds ratio. RESULTS: Fifty-one patients were admitted to the hospital. The median age of the patients was 63 years, 60% were male patients, and 54% were white patients. Sixty-seven percent of the patients were diagnosed with COVID-19. Sepsis at admission increased the chance of in-hospital death by 21 times (adjusted odds ratio=21.06 [0.79–555.2]; p=0.06). The strongest risk factor for death was the development of septic shock during hospitalization (adjusted odds ratio=98.56 [2.75–352.5]; p=0.01), and one in four patients had multidrug-resistant bacteria. Mechanical ventilation, vasopressors, neuromuscular blockers, and sedatives were also the risk factors for in-hospital mortality. The in-hospital mortality rate was 41%, and the mortality rate of patients on mechanical ventilation was 60%. The diagnosis of COVID-19 was not statistically related to the adverse outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: In this cohort, the strongest risk factor for in-hospital death was the development of nosocomial septic shock. Healthcare-associated infections have a significant impact on mortality rates. Therefore, to have a better outcome, it is important to consider not only the availability of beds but also the way healthcare is delivered.

Digital media, opens a vast array of avenues for lay people to effectively engage with news, information and debates about important science and health issues. However, they have also become a fertile ground for various stakeholders to spread misinformation and disinformation, stimulate uncivil discussions and engender ill-informed, dangerous public decisions. During the COVID-19 pandemic, antivaccination social media accounts are proliferating online, threatening to further escalate vaccine hesitancy. The pandemic signifies not only a global health crisis, it has also proven to be an infodemic characterised by many conspiracy theories. Prior research indicates that belief in health-related conspiracies can harm efforts to curtail the spread of a virus. This article presents and examines preliminary research findings on COVID-19 vaccine related misinformation being circulated on Fijian Facebook Forums.

This study explored the extent to which emotion regulation dimensions statistically mediate the association between sleep disturbance and suicide risk among firefighters.Participants were 865 firefighters working for a fire department in an urban area in the southern U.S. Bootstrapping was used to test the indirect effects of sleep disturbance on suicide risk through emotion regulation dimensions, after controlling for depression and trauma exposure.The effect of sleep disturbance on suicide risk was significantly statistically mediated by emotion regulation difficulties (Results suggest that suicide interventions for firefighters who suffer from sleep disturbance should focus on the development of emotion regulation strategies.

Suicide is a leading cause of death among children and adolescents, and research has shown a significant increase in the rates of emergency department (ED) visits because of suicide ideation and attempts for children younger than 18 years. OBJECTIVE This study examined the feasibility of screening all patients entering the ED using the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale as well as examining the rates of suicide ideation and attempts endorsed by adolescents who present at the ED. METHODS This study used a sample of 12,113 patients between the ages of 11 and 19 years. RESULTS Results revealed that 13.5% of the participants endorsed passive suicide ideation in the month leading up to their ED visit and 11.3% of the participants reported active ideation in the prior month. Results also revealed that patients whose chief complaints were coded as psychiatric or medical trauma were more likely to endorse either active or passive suicidal ideation than other presenting problems. Patients with a psychiatric or medical trauma chief complaint were also more likely to report lifetime suicidal behavior and suicidal behavior 3 months before the ED visit. CONCLUSIONS In addition to findings, implications, feasibility, and lessons learned are discussed for other institutions or departments considering implementation of a widespread screening.Highlights:• Suicide screenings were implemented in a large pediatric emergency department.• One in 5 endorsed suicidal ideation or behavior regardless of presenting problem.• Feasibility and lessons learned are discussed for others hoping to implement a widespread screening.

La actividad física realizada de manera sistemática es la piedra angular frente a las enfermedades. Los docentes universitarios por las múltiples responsabilidades, y viviendo en confinamiento son propensos a desarrollar el estrés y el sobrepeso. El objetivo de la investigación es determinar la relación de la actividad física, el estrés con el Índice de Masa Corporal en docentes universitarios en pandemia. El tipo de investigación es básica, con diseño descriptivo correlacional múltiple con una población de 1150 docentes y con una muestra de tipo probabilística de 234 docentes (150 varones y 84 mujeres) con promedio de edad 49.70 ± 10.01, los instrumentos utilizados son los cuestionarios de actividad física, estrés y el reporte de sus medidas antropométricas (estatura y peso). Resultados el 58.86% de varones presentan actividad física baja, en comparación con las mujeres 41.14%, el 91.95% muestran estrés por presión laboral, los varones presentan mayor tendencia al sobrepeso 67.59%, en comparación con las mujeres 32.41% y obesidad grado II 33.96%. Se determina la relación entre las variables actividad física, estrés y el Índice de Masa Corporal con un Rho de Spearman inversamente proporcional de -0,183 y -0,204. En conclusión, los docentes varones muestran porcentajes más altos de inactividad física y sobrepeso.

BACKGROUND: Because impulse oscillometry (IOS) can detect changes in the small airways and is safer to perform during the COVID-19 pandemic than other pulmonary function tests, it may have value in investigating pulmonary sequelae in COVID-19 survivors. This study evaluated the performance of IOS in detecting lung abnormalities in COVID-19 survivors and investigated the associations of the findings with those of lung ultrasound (LUS) and spirometry. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 117 subjects underwent IOS at a frequency range of 4–20 Hz 2 months after COVID-19 diagnosis. They also underwent spirometry and LUS, and their aeration scores were calculated. RESULTS: On IOS, the resonance frequency was > 12 Hz, and the area under the reactance curve was > 3.60 cm H(2)O/L/s in 70 (59.8%) and 55 (47.0%) subjects, respectively. A heterogeneity of resistance between R4 and R20 (R4-R20) > 20% was observed in 60 (51.3%) participants. Based on their abnormalities in resistive and reactive parameters, 76 (65.0%) participants had abnormal IOS. Spirometry abnormalities were detected in 40 (34.2%) cases. LUS was abnormal in 51 (43.6%) participants, and the median aeration score was 0 (0–8) points. Abnormal IOS was associated with abnormal LUS (P < .001) and abnormal spirometry (P = .002). Abnormal spirometry had a significant but weaker association with abnormal LUS (P = .031). In participants who reported hospitalization, abnormal IOS was associated with both abnormal LUS (P = .001) and abnormal spirometry (P = .006). In participants who did not report hospitalization, abnormal IOS was associated with abnormal LUS (P < .001) but not abnormal spirometry (P = .063). CONCLUSIONS: In COVID-19 survivors, IOS detected changes even when spirometry was normal. In these individuals, IOS parameters were more strongly associated with abnormalities on LUS than with abnormalities on spirometry.

Made available in DSpace on 2022-04-29T08:31:56Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2021-09-01 Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) Objectives: The majority of available scores to assess mortality risk of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients in the emergency department have high risk of bias. Therefore, this cohort aimed to develop and validate a score at hospital admission for predicting in-hospital mortality in COVID-19 patients and to compare this score with other existing ones. Methods: Consecutive patients (≥ 18 years) with confirmed COVID-19 admitted to the participating hospitals were included. Logistic regression analysis was performed to develop a prediction model for in-hospital mortality, based on the 3978 patients admitted between March–July, 2020. The model was validated in the 1054 patients admitted during August–September, as well as in an external cohort of 474 Spanish patients. Results: Median (25–75th percentile) age of the model-derivation cohort was 60 (48–72) years, and in-hospital mortality was 20.3%. The validation cohorts had similar age distribution and in-hospital mortality. Seven significant variables were included in the risk score: age, blood urea nitrogen, number of comorbidities, C-reactive protein, SpO2/FiO2 ratio, platelet count, and heart rate. The model had high discriminatory value (AUROC 0.844, 95% CI 0.829–0.859), which was confirmed in the Brazilian (0.859 [95% CI 0.833–0.885]) and Spanish (0.894 [95% CI 0.870–0.919]) validation cohorts, and displayed better discrimination ability than other existing scores. It is implemented in a freely available online risk calculator (https://abc2sph.com/). Conclusions: An easy-to-use rapid scoring system based on characteristics of COVID-19 patients commonly available at hospital presentation was designed and validated for early stratification of in-hospital mortality risk of patients with COVID-19. Department of Internal Medicine Medical School Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais Telehealth Center University Hospital Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais Institute for Health Technology Assessment IATS/ CNPq)., Rua Ramiro Barcelos, 2359. Prédio 21 | Sala 507 Department of Statistics Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais Center for Research and Graduate Studies in Business Administration Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais Universidade Federal de São João del-Rei Infectious Diseases Department Vall d'Hebron University Hospita Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Hospital Nossa Senhora da Conceição and Hospital Cristo Redentor Grupo Hospitalar Conceição Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul RGS) Hospital São Lucas PUCRS Rede Mater Dei de Saúde Hospital Márcio Cunha Universidade do Sul de Santa Catarina UNISUL Dissertare Scientific Advice SOS Cardio Hospital Internal Medicine Department University Hospital Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais Faculdade de Medicina de Botucatu Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina de Botucatu Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul Hospital Bruno Born Research Center of Vale do Taquari. Hospital Mãe de Deus Hospital Universitário de Canoas Mucuri Medical School FAMMUC Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri – UFVJM Hospital Santa Rosalia Hospital Metropolitano Doutor Célio de Castro Hospital Moinhos de Vento Hospital Unimed BH Hospital Risoleta Tolentino Neves Post-graduation Center Medical School Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais Hospital Metropolitano Odilon Behrens Hospital Eduardo de Menezes Universidade FUMEC Hospital Julia Kubitschek Hospital Universitário de Santa Maria Departamento de Medicina Interna Universidade Federal de Santa Maria Hospital São João de Deus Hospital Regional Antônio Dias Faculdade Ciências Médicas de Minas Gerais Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul Faculdade de Ciências Humanas de Curvelo Hospital João XXIII Av. Professor Alfredo Balena Hospital Santo Antônio Hospital Universitário Ciências Médicas Vall d'Hebron University Hospital PROSICS Barcelona Instituto René Rachou-FIOCRUZ Minas. Universidade Federal da Fronteira Sul Hospital Regional do Oeste Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais Hospital Tacchini Centro Universitário de Patos de Minas. RPatos de Minas Hospital Semper Hospital Santa Cruz Universidade de Santa Cruz Fundação Hospitalar do Estado de Minas Gerais – FHEMIG. Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto Hospital das Clínicas da Universidade Federal de Pernambuco Universidade Federal de Pernambuco Centro de Ciências Médicas Centro Universitário de Belo Horizonte UniBH) Erasmus MC University Medical Center Rotterdam Department of Cardiology Faculdade de Medicina de Botucatu Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina de Botucatu

The new ways to consume and deliver media content in a wireless environment have led to a significant increase in the demand for spectrum resources. In addition, the arrival of next-generation wireless communication technologies has encouraged the creating of new verticals targeting novel applications, such as industry IoT, e-health, distance learning, smart city, smart-metering. All these new use cases are centred on an IP-based infrastructure. A promising alternative to satisfy the demand for resources is to incorporate a new delivery mechanism that can alleviate the congestion of classical cell-based point-to-point broadband wireless infrastructures. The best-positioned candidate is the next-generation Digital Terrestrial Television system, which offers a very spectrum efficient one-to-many PHY, and for the first time, native IP support. In ATSC 3.0, the whole system was designed with an IP-centric view, whereas DVB has created standards to deliver services to generic IP devices (DVB-I). Nevertheless, there is still a last missing piece to bring the broadcast infrastructure to the IP-connected world: a Broadcast Core Network (BCN). In this paper, the basics of a BCN are presented with new use cases that are attractive to Broadcast Network Operator (BNO). A possible roadmap towards implementation is described, and a service-based architecture for a BCN is presented and discussed.

The potential of tree component neutralization was studied to understand the relationship between livestock, forest production and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The objective of this work was to ...

Purpose Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a common multifactorial disease in the elderly with a prominent genetic basis. Many risk variants have been identified, but the interpretation remains challenging. We investigated the genetic distribution of AMD-associated risk variants in a large European consortium, calculated attributable and pathway-specific genetic risks, and assessed the influence of lifestyle on genetic outcomes. Design Pooled analysis of cross-sectional data from the European Eye Epidemiology Consortium. Participants Seventeen thousand one hundred seventy-four individuals 45 years of age or older participating in 6 population-based cohort studies, 2 clinic-based studies, and 1 case-control study. Methods Age-related macular degeneration was diagnosed and graded based on fundus photographs. Data on genetics, lifestyle, and diet were harmonized. Minor allele frequencies and population-attributable fraction (PAF) were calculated. A total genetic risk score (GRS) and pathway-specific risk scores (complement, lipid, extra-cellular matrix, other) were constructed based on the dosage of SNPs and conditional β values; a lifestyle score was constructed based on smoking and diet. Main Outcome Measures Intermediate and late AMD. Results The risk variants with the largest difference between late AMD patients and control participants and the highest PAFs were located in ARMS2 (rs3750846) and CHF (rs570618 and rs10922109). Combining all genetic variants, the total genetic risk score ranged from –3.50 to 4.63 and increased with AMD severity. Of the late AMD patients, 1581 of 1777 (89%) showed a positive total GRS. The complement pathway and ARMS2 were by far the most prominent genetic pathways contributing to late AMD (positive GRS, 90% of patients with late disease), but risk in 3 pathways was most frequent (35% of patients with late disease). Lifestyle was a strong determinant of the outcome in each genetic risk category; unfavorable lifestyle increased the risk of late AMD at least 2-fold. Conclusions Genetic risk variants contribute to late AMD in most patients. However, lifestyle factors have a strong influence on the outcome of genetic risk and should be a strong focus in patient management. Genetic risks in ARMS2 and the complement pathway are present in most late AMD patients but are mostly combined with risks in other pathways.

Heart allotransplantation has become one of the methods of choice in the treatment of severe heart failure. In the face of its difficulties, such as the unmet balance between organ supply and demand, the use of xenotransplantation (XTx) might be an attractive option shortly, even more with the ongoing progress achieved regarding the avoidance of hyperacute rejection and primary organ disfunction, maintenance of xenograft function and control of xenograft growth. To make possible this translational challenge, some points must be taken into account indeed, and they are the equipoise of human benefit and animal suffering, the risk of unknown infections, a well prepared informed consent, ethical and religious beliefs, and the role of cardiac XTx in a ventricular assistance device era.

Context Inflammatory bowel diseases are chronic, relapsing diseases that compromise life quality and expectancy. The increased incidence and prevalence of these diseases reinforce the need for research on prevention, therapy, and management innovations. Synbiotics (ie, probiotic plus prebiotic combinations) are suggested as an alternative or complementary therapy to conventional treatments for inflammatory bowel disease. Objective The aim for this systematic review was to gather and analyze data from randomized controlled trials to provide more information to increase the current evidence level about the safety and efficacy of synbiotic use as a supplemental treatment for ulcerative colitis. Data Sources Searches were performed in the Medline, Science Direct, Scielo, Scopus, and Embase databases between January 2017 and March 2019, using the keywords “colitis” and ”synbiotics”. Data Extraction The data extraction method performed for each trial was based on the recommendations of the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials for randomized clinical trials. The trials included in this meta-analysis presented low risk of bias, based on the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions guidelines. Data Analysis The results demonstrated that synbiotics significantly improved colonic endoscopic and histologic scores, the Clinical Activity Index, serum C-reactive protein levels, intestinal microbiota, Bowel Habits Index, and levels of messenger RNAs, tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1α, interleukin-10, and myeloperoxidase in the patients. In addition, the use of synbiotics increased probiotic microorganisms, reduced proinflammatory colonic cytokines, and elevated anti-inflammatory cytokines. Conclusions Therefore, the results of this meta-analysis reinforce the evidence that synbiotics provide benefits to patients when used as an alternative or complementary therapy for those with ulcerative colitis.

RESUMO A realidade aumentada é uma tecnologia digital que complementa o mundo real através da inserção de elementos digitais, melhorando assim a experiência do usuário. Essas informações adicionaispodem ser imagens em 3 dimensões, vídeos, sons ou animações. Essa tecnologia necessita de umdispositivo eletrônico para capturar o mundo real e misturá-lo as informações digitais, sendo muitofavorecida pelo desenvolvimento de smartphones e tablets. Várias áreas do conhecimento vemestudando a realidade aumentada para compreenderem como podem se beneficiar de suascaracterísticas e entre elas se destaca a educação. Esse estudo buscou através de uma revisãobibliográfica compreender as iniciativas nessa área com foco em seus benefícios e desafios. Dentreas diversas disciplinas, esta revisão focou em trabalhos voltados a de História, que por trabalhar comobjetos históricos por vezes distantes pode ser favorecida pela realidade aumentada. Por meio dostrabalhos analisados nessa área em todo o mundo, constatamos que o emprego da realidadeaumentada melhora a aprendizagem e contribui para um aumento da motivação intrínseca do aluno. Palavras-chave: Tecnologia digital. Educação. Virtualização.

Los casos de la enfermedad de Chagas aguda (ECA) se reportan en forma esporádica en el Perú. En este artículo se describe las características clínicas y epidemiológicas de ocho nuevos casos de ECA detectados por el sistema de vigilancia en la cuenca amazónica, entre 2009 y 2016. La media de la edad fue 12,7 ± 13,7 años, rango de 1 a 44 años y 4/8 casos fueron varones. Un caso se asoció a enfermedad diarreica aguda, otro a leptospirosis y dos a infección del tracto urinario. La tasa de letalidad global fue 12,5% (1/8). La detección tardía es una característica frecuente relacionada a una escasa sospecha diagnóstica en pacientes con historial de fiebre. Se identificó el linaje TcI y TcIV del agente etiológico de la enfermedad de Chagas. Se reporta ocho nuevos casos de ECA, de los cuales siete fueron menores de edad.

OBJECTIVE: To identify risk factors to pre-surgical complications in patients with cystic echinococcosis (CE) in endemic areas of Peru. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Study of cases (n=43) and controls (n=127) not paired was designed, with a case-control ratio of 1:3 based on a secondary source. The case was defined as the patient with CE who presented with pre-surgical complications related or not with the disease and the control without pre-surgical complication. The response variable was preoperative complication and the exposition ones were age, gender, degree of instruction, occupation, number, size (diameter in centimeters) and location of the cyst. To identify the risk factors, a bivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to obtain the crude odds ratios (cOR) and then the variables with significant association were adjusted by a multivariate logistic regression analysis using the Stata® version 14 software, obtaining theadjusted odds ratios (aOR). RESULTS: Fifty eight point eight percent (24/43) of the cases were women and the median age was 35 years and 59.1% (75/127) of the controls correspond to the female gender and the median age was 27 years. The multivariate logistic regression analysis found that being over 56 years old has an aOR 2.91 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.007-8.433) and having ≥3 cysts has an aOR 4.26 (95% CI: 1.62-11.22) for present pre-surgical complications in patients with CE. CONCLUSION: It was identified that being over 56 years old and having ≥3 cysts are risk factors for presenting pre-surgical complications in CE Objetivo: Identificar los factores asociados a complicaciones prequirúrgicas en pacientes con equinococosis quística (EC) en áreas endémicas del Perú. Materiales y métodos: Se diseñó un estudio de casos (n = 43) y controles (n = 127), sin emparejamiento, de fuente secundaria con una relación de caso-control de 1:3. Se definió como «caso» al paciente con EC que presentó complicaciones prequirúrgicas relacionadas o no con la enfermedad y el control sin complicación prequirúrgica. La variable respuesta fue complicación prequirúrgica y las de exposición fueron edad, género, grado de instrucción, ocupación, número de quistes, tamaño (diámetro en centímetros) y localización del quiste. Para identificar los factores de riesgo, primero se calcularon los odds ratio crudos (ORc) mediante regresión logística; luego las variables que mostraron asociación significativa se ajustaron mediante análisis multivariado de regresión logística utilizando Stata® versión 14, y se obtuvieron los odds ratio ajustados (ORa). Resultados: El 55,8% (24/43) de los casos fueron mujeres y la mediana de edad fue 35 años. Entre los controles, el 59,1% (75/127) fueron mujeres y la mediana de edad fue 27 años. En el análisis de regresión logística multivariado, se encontró que tener más de 56 años tiene un ORa de 2,91 (intervalo de confianza [IC] 95%: 1,01-8,43) y tener ≥3 quistes tiene un ORa de 4,26 (IC 95%: 1,62-11,22) para presentar complicaciones prequirúrgicas en pacientes con EQ. Conclusión: Los factores asociados para presentar complicaciones prequirúrgicas en EQ fueron el tener más de 56 años y el tener ≥3 quistes

This study aims to analyze the retinal layers and choroidal thickness in a large set of eyes with early age-related macular degeneration (AMD), in order to detect differences by stage suggestive of early neurodegeneration, and to explore biomarkers of different phenotypes. This study is a population-based, cross-sectional study. Patients from the incidence AMD study (NCT02748824) with early AMD (Rotterdam 2a, 2b, 3) were included. All performed spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) (Spectralis, Heidelberg Engineering, Germany) and automatic segmentation of all retinal layers was obtained with built-in software. Manual correction was performed whenever necessary. The mean thicknesses (ETDRS grid) and volume of each layer were recorded. Subfoveal choroidal thickness was manually measured. Estimates for each layer thickness were calculated with linear mixed models and tested for pairwise differences between stages. Associations between layer thickness and microstructural findings were assessed by multivariate regression analysis. The final cohort comprised 346 eyes (233 patients): 82.66% (n = 286) in stage 2a, 5.49% (n = 19) in stage 2b, and 11.85% (n = 41) in stage 3. A global tendency for lower/inferior thickness of the neuroretinal layers was found comparing stage 3 to 2a: retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL), ganglion cell layer (GCL), and inner plexiform layer (IPL) were inferior in the inner/outer ETDRS circles and the outer nuclear layer (ONL) and photoreceptors’ segments layer in the central circle (p ≤ 0.002). The retinal pigment epithelium–Bruch’s membrane (RPE/BrM) layer was thicker in stage 3 (p ≤ 0.001). Subretinal drusenoid deposits (SDD) were associated with thinner neuroretinal layers and choroid (p < 0.05). Our results showed in a large population-based dataset that several inner and outer neuroretinal layers were thinner with a higher stage in early AMD. These findings support the existence of early and progressive neurodegeneration. Neuronal retinal layer thicknesses might thus be used as quantitative biomarkers of disease progression in AMD. The presence of SDD is possibly associated to more prominent and faster neurodegeneration.

Among the fruits, the apple stands out among the most used for elaboration of processed foods. However, the importance of prebiotics in apple products has never been widely analyzed. Prebiotic is a food component resistant to gastric acidity, digestion by mammalian enzymes and gastrointestinal absorption. But following fermentation in the colon, prebiotics result in specific changes in the composition and / or metabolism of the gastrointestinal microbiota, conferring benefits to the health of the host. Therefore, fortifying apple-based products with additional prebiotics is an important strategy for improving consumer health benefits. In this review, after compiling and analyzing scientific and technological studies focusing on prebiotics in apple products, the following benefits of these prebiotics became evident: (1) reduction of water loss in the food matrix; (2) preservation of bioactive and volatile compounds; (3) texture improvement (thickening) in the food industry; (4) increased shelf-live and (5) increased survival of probiotic bacteria, promoting positive effects on microbiota. In addition, this review shows the benefits of different prebiotics for stability and sensory acceptance of apple processed foods.

Com base na Teoria da Graxa sobre as Rodas, o estudo defende a possibilidade de a corrupção favorecer o desempenho econômico das empresas à medida que desate as amarras da burocracia e reduza os custos transacionais das empresas. Assim, a pesquisa teve como escopo investigar o reflexo da percepção da sociedade acerca da corrupção do setor público no desempenho econômico das empresas nos países do Mercosul. A amostra da pesquisa foi composta por 8 países integrantes do Mercosul, entre os anos de 2010 a 2017, com um total de 667 empresas e 4.812 observações. Os dados foram estimados usando modelo de regressão em painel de efeitos fixos. A variável dependente foi à percepção de corrupção no setor público (IPC) e as variáveis independentes foram as medidas de desempenho ROE, ROA e EBIT. Os resultados encontrados conduzem ao entendimento que uma maior percepção da corrupção nos países do Mercosul aumenta o desempenho econômico das empresas naqueles países. As evidências empíricas encontradas acrescentam novas centelhas para o constructo argumentativo no qual se pauta a Teoria da Graxa sobre Rodas, com isto, fomenta-se fortes embates éticos, impondo uma ampla discussão sobre as políticas públicas de combate à corrupção no mundo e o prejuízo da corrupção para a sociedade, de forma sistêmica, sendo possível que estas consequências atinjam outros países ou blocos econômicos além do Mercosul.

espanolLa hemofilia A adquirida es una entidad grave y poco frecuente que el medico de atencion primaria debe conocer, ya que su derivacion precoz y el correcto abordaje son fundamentales para mejorar el pronostico. Se suele presentar con hematomas de rapido crecimiento ante pequenos traumatismos y esta causada por la presencia de anticuerpos contra el factor VIII de la coagulacion. El tratamiento incluye medidas para detener el sangrado e inmunomoduladores EnglishAcquired A hemophilia is a rare and serious entity that primary care doctors should be aware of, since its early referral and correct management are essential to improve the prognosis. It usually shows up with rapidly growing bruises in the face of minor traumas and it is caused by the presence of antibodies against coagulation factor VIII. Treatment includes measures to stop bleeding and immunomodulators.

AimsThis study aimed to identify the symptoms associated with early stage SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) infections in healthcare professionals (HCPs) using both clinical and laboratory data.MethodsA total of 1297 patients, admitted between 18 March and 8 April 2020, were stratified according to their risk of developing COVID-19 using their responses to a questionnaire designed to evaluate symptoms and risk conditions.ResultsAnosmia/hyposmia (pConclusionsThe significant clinical features for COVID-19 were identified as anosmia, fever, chills and body pain. Elevated CRP, leucocytes under 5400×109/L and relative monocytosis (>9%) were common among patients with a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis. These variables may help, in the absence of reverse transcriptase PCR tests, to identify possible COVID-19 infections during pandemic outbreaks.SummaryFrom 19 March to 8 April 2020, 1297 patients attended the Polyclinic Piquet Carneiro for COVID-19 detection. HCP data were analysed, and significant clinical features were anosmia, fever, chills and body pain. Elevated CRP, leucopenia and monocytosis were common in COVID-19.

The results of the study show that the updated ATN grading system is an accurate and reliable tool to classify patients with pathologic myopia. These findings show that best-corrected visual acuity is more compromised in eyes with severe pathologic myopia, particularly those graded ≥A3 or T3, Purpose: To assess the reliability of the atrophy-traction-neovascularization (ATN) classification in patients with pathologic myopia (PM) and its correlation with best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA). Methods: Cross-sectional study. Hundred highly myopic eyes with a spherical equivalent of >−6.0 diopters or axial length of >26 mm and a total ATN score of ≥3 underwent a complete ophthalmological examination, including fundus photography and swept-source optical coherence tomography. Five observers graded each eye using the ATN system. Mean A, T, and N scores were calculated and correlated with age, BCVA (in logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution), and axial length. Patients were considered to present severe PM if either A or T components were ≥3 and/or N was ≥2. Results: Hundred eyes (53 left) from 91 patients (78 women) were classified. Mean age, BCVA, and axial length values were, respectively, 65.1 ± 11.7 years (range, 36–97 years), −0.63 ± 0.62 (−3.00 to 0.00), and 29.26 ± 2.7 mm (26.01–37.66 mm). Mean ATN grades for each component were as follows: A = 2.51 ± 0.78 (0.6–4.0), T = 0.88 ± 1.14 (0.0–5.0), and N = 1.31 ± 1.40 (0.0–3.0). Weighted interobserver agreement was 98.1%, 98.7%, and 94.6%, for A, T and N, respectively. In eyes with severe PM, BCVA was significantly lower and axial length was significantly longer. Conclusion: The excellent interobserver rate in this study demonstrates that the updated ATN grading system is an accurate and reliable tool to classify patients with PM. These findings show that BCVA is more compromised in eyes with severe PM, particularly those graded ≥A3 and/or T3.

Family accommodation is a common, treatment-relevant construct related to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) severity and treatment outcome. This initial study examined the nature, incidence, and clinical correlates of family accommodation in Chinese adults with OCD and their relative or person in a close relationship. One hundred four outpatients diagnosed with OCD completed self-report measures of obsessive-compulsive, anxiety, and depression symptoms. Additionally, the individuals with OCD and a relative completed a measure of family accommodation and impairment. Patient-reports of family accommodation were significantly correlated with OCD symptomology and severity. A multiple linear regression indicated that OCD symptomology was a significant predictor of family accommodation, but anxiety, stress, and depression were not. In addition, the current Chinese sample demonstrated greater levels of family accommodation than previous English-speaking samples. Potential explanations and implications of the high levels of reported family accommodation are discussed. Family accommodation could play a significant role in OCD development and/or maintenance in China. Future research considerations are discussed.

This work aimed to evaluate the effects of ultrasound pretreatment on the microstructure, antioxidant activity, and carotenoid retention of biofortified Beauregard sweet potato (BBSP). The pretreatment was carried out in an ultrasonic bath at 30 °C for 10 min, and it was evaluated in terms of water loss and solid gain. The drying process was performed at two different temperatures (50 and 70 °C). Six different semi-theoretical mathematical models were examined to characterize the drying curves, and quality analyses were executed. The two-terms exponential model provided the best simulation of the drying curves. Drying time was reduced by performing ultrasound pretreatment and by increasing drying temperature. The ultrasound treatment caused greater agglomeration, breakage, or strangulation of the BBSP structure, increasing porosity, and thus increasing drying rates. Drying caused a diminution of total carotenoids content and influenced antioxidant activity. However, the samples pretreated with ultrasound and dried produced lower total carotenoids loss.

O artigo tem por objetivo o levantamento e a apresentação dos programas, relatórios e soluções referentes à gestão ambiental dos Portos de São Francisco do Sul e Itapoá. Foi contemplada uma análise da ocupacional e ambiental da baía da Babitonga, estuário onde estão localizadas as áreas portuárias. As licenças ambientais foram citadas como uma referência da legislação brasileira para o meio ambiente. O referencial base para os estudos foram artigos publicados nos últimos 10 anos, as páginas da web dos portos de São Francisco do Sul e de Itapoá e a legislação ambiental brasileira vigente. Estão apresentados aspectos sócio-econômicos e ambientais dos empreendimentos portuários e da região estuarina da baía da Babitonga. Os programas ambientais, seus relatórios e ações. Uma avaliação comparativa entre programas e resultados são contemplados. Conclui-se com uma análise quali-quantitativa dos resultados apresentados pelos relatórios dos programas ambientais e seu impacto na biota regional .

Solar thermal energy can be captured on absorbent surfaces, but coatings tend to deteriorate, due to changes in hue, thermal shocks, or detachment of all layers. There is a great challenge in reducing the deterioration because of environmental factors such as corrosion, impact, and dust control, among others. The absorbent coatings interact with the incident solar radiation transforming it as heat energy, and selectivity allows a low emissivity. In this work, a three-layer system on copper is proposed. An anodized CuO or black copper layer as an absorbent with high absorptance is proposed. A protective layer was added to extend the lifetime of use while preserving the functional characteristics of the absorbent black layer by using SiO2 deposited by atmospheric pressure plasma jet (APPJ) using hexamethyldisiloxane. A selective layer of aluminum was deposited by physical vapor deposition (PVD). Thermal shocks were applied by concentrated solar power with a Fresnel lens to represent sudden temperature changes in the radiation absorbent when the weather changes.

This paper describes an urban analysis method for the evaluation of the diversity of open spaces. Diversity is understood as the variety of options that a public space offers to the users, giving them the opportunity to choose the area which best suits their needs, activities, and personal preferences. The method facilitates an environmental quality assessment and comparative evaluation between spaces. Decision support tools based on data analysis are developed to facilitate technical urban design decisions. The methodology is based on a multi-criteria analysis of a public square in Madrid, Spain. Field measurements of climatic data and thermal properties of materials, the activities carried out by people and their location, as well as factors related to urban design are collated in the analysis. Data are complimented with bioclimatic and simulation tools. The analysis identifies differentiated thermal profiles, as well as patterns of use of the space. This enables the identification of specific locations currently favored by citizens and the microclimatic and spatial variety of the square.

Introducao: A hipertensao arterial (HA) e uma doenca cronica nao transmissivel (DCNT) definida por niveis pressoricos elevados, em que os beneficios do tratamento superam os riscos. A mesma se apresenta como o mais importante contribuinte para a carga global de doencas e mortalidade mundial, liderando ate 9.4 milhoes de mortes por ano. Objetivo: investigar as evidencias cientificas acerca do uso de medidas nao farmacologicas associadas a terapia medicamentosa comparando a utilizacao isolada da terapia medicamentosa para o controle da pressao de pacientes com HA. Metodos: revisao integrativa realizada em fevereiro de 2021, com as publicacoes dos ultimos 5 anos, nas bases de dados MEDLINE/PubMed e EMBASE. Resultados: As pesquisas demonstraram que para alcancar uma alteracao significativa na prevencao e controle da hipertensao arterial, e necessario haver uma associacao de diversos fatores do estilo de vida, sendo os mais importantes a pratica de exercicios regulares, dieta apropriada e educacao em saude cardiovascular. Consideracoes finais: O tratamento e profilaxia nao medicamentosa da HA mostrou ter valor para controlar e prevenir casos. Esse tema ainda merece ser mais explorado, ha poucos trabalhos que exploram a profundidade desse tratamento que poderia ser eficaz se fossem criadas diretrizes sistematizadas para tratamento nao farmacologico.

A common reason for admission to inpatient psychiatric units is suicidal ideation. Growing evidence of the link between sleep disturbance and suicidal ideation brings an interest in greater clarity of the pathways; this paper focused on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which carries increased risk for both sleep disturbance and suicidal ideation, as well as sex differences in those pathways. Patients were 2822 inpatients studied at admission to an inpatient psychiatric hospital and mediation analyses were used to examine pathways of interest. There was an indirect effect of PTSD on suicidal ideation through sleep disturbances for the entire sample and for men and women separately. The effect for men was larger than that for women, suggesting a stronger effect for sleep disturbance in the relationship for men. For women only, the direct effect between PTSD and suicidal ideation remained significant after mediation. Sleep disturbance plays an important role in the relationship between PTSD and suicidal ideation. Early identification of sleep disturbance in inpatients and targeted focus of sleep in conjunction with resolving trauma-related symptoms may help reduce suicidal ideation. This may be especially true of men; the indirect effect was smaller for women, suggesting that sleep disturbance should be addressed in conjunction with other PTSD symptoms likely leading to suicidal ideation.

Background Less than 19% of those needing tuberculosis (TB) preventive treatment complete it, due to losses in several steps of the cascade of care for latent TB infection. A cluster randomized trial of a programmatic public health intervention to improve management of latent TB infection in household contacts was conducted in Rio de Janeiro. Interventions included contact registry, initial and in-service training, and a TB booklet. We conducted a follow-up study starting one month after the conclusion of this trial, to measure the effect of interventions implemented, and to identify remaining barriers and facilitators to latent TB infection treatment, from different perspectives. Methods In two health clinics in Rio de Janeiro that received the interventions in the trial, data for the latent TB infection cascade of care for household contacts was collected over a five-month period. The number of household contacts initiating treatment per 100 index-TB patients was compared with the cascade of care data obtained before and during the intervention trial. Semi-structured open-ended questionnaires were administered to healthcare workers, household contacts and index-TB patients regarding knowledge and perceptions about TB and study interventions. Results In this follow-up study, 184 household contacts per 100 index-TB patients were identified. When compared to the intervention period, there were 65 fewer household contacts per 100 index-TB patients, (95% CI -115, − 15) but the number starting latent TB infection treatment was sustained (difference -2, 95% CI -8,5). A total of 31 index-TB patients, 22 household contacts and 19 health care workers were interviewed. Among index-TB patients, 61% said all their household contacts had been tested for latent TB infection. All health care workers said it was very important to test household contacts, and 95% mentioned that possessing correct knowledge on the benefits of latent TB infection treatment was the main facilitator to enable them to recommend this treatment. Conclusion In this follow-up study, we observed a sustained effect of interventions to strengthen the latent TB infection cascade of care on increasing the number of household contacts starting latent TB infection treatment.

International audience; Objective: To review the literature regarding adolescent suicide risk and explore the associations between treatment compliance (expressed as a concept including measured adherence to treatment and/or mental health service utilization) and risk and protective factors for suicidal behavior (SB), as well as the association between treatment compliance and reattempts.Methods: PubMed, LILACS, and Google Scholar were searched using the following terms: (adolescent*) AND (suicide*) AND (risk factor OR protective factors) AND (treatment compliance OR treatment attrition OR treatment adherence OR treatment drop out OR treatment retention OR mental health utilization). We retrieved studies that focused on the relation of treatment compliance to risk and protective factors for SB and that had only adolescent samples.Results:: Of 4,841 articles, 30 original articles were selected for review. Most studies indicated high mental health service (MHS) utilization and poor treatment adherence by SB patients. Social minority status and conduct disorder were associated with less treatment adherence, while female sex, parental perceived need for treatment, and major depression were associated with greater treatment adherence. Inpatient and intensive emergency care after SA and family interventions improved MHS utilization and treatment compliance. However, we found no substantial protective effect of treatment compliance against reattempts.Conclusion: Effective treatment planning for compliance requires considering psychopathology, treatment planning, and social, familial, and individual factors.

It is well known that the initial field of use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS, commonly known as drones) was the military one, but nowadays they are used in a huge number of civilian tasks such as agriculture, cinematography, and on demand transport of goods and services and many other applications are in development. Particularly, the healthcare area is a prime concern, and during the Covid-19 pandemic the considerable potential of drones was highlighted both in terms of contrasting and overcoming the emergency. Indeed, their applications included monitoring for prevention, sanitization, and transfer (deliveries / collections) of material without approaching between operators and users of the service. This paper presents the service for equipment delivery by drone remotely operated, performed using drones for the delivery or picking up of small and medium-sized objects to/from the home of people subjected to quarantine. The users of these services can include all those who are affected by pathologies similar to the pandemic disease Covid-19 and who are forced into quarantine situations, finding themselves in an asymptomatic or symptomatic state.

This paper lies in the framework of mission scenarios, such as Active Debris Removal and On-Orbit Servicing, which require an active spacecraft (chaser) to orbit in close-proximity with respect to a space target. Specifically, these activities involve relative orbital maneuvers, such as monitoring, rendezvous and docking, in which the target-chaser distance ranges from a few tens of meters (depending on the target size) up to contact (in the case of docking). A critical challenge related to the realization of these maneuvers is the need to minimize the risk of collision, considering that the target is a non-cooperative object which may be characterized by uncontrolled rotational dynamics. This goal can be achieved by designing relative trajectories which satisfy specific constraints in terms of safety and stability, on one side, as well as by exploiting relative navigation technologies and algorithms which provide highly accurate estimates of the target-chaser relative motion parameters thus allowing to relax the control requirements. Both these aspects are addressed by this paper with focus on Geostationary Earth Orbits since they represent a particularly crowded orbital region in which the possibility to remove large debris and to extend the operative life of spacecraft, such as telecommunication ones, may have a significant scientific and economic benefit. Hence, an original method is presented to design safety ellipses for target monitoring around GEO targets, which, simultaneously, can provide optimal relative observation geometry for relative navigation (pose determination) using Electro-Optical sensors. The design approach is formulated in mean orbit parameters and it is based on a relative motion model relevant to two-satellite formations which includes the non-Keplerian perturbations due to secular Earth oblateness, as well as the possibility of considering targets moving along a small-eccentricity orbit. An example of trajectory design is shown considering a GEO target as test case. Given this trajectory, pose determination performance is also evaluated within a numerical simulation environment capable of realistically reproducing target-chaser relative dynamics, the operation of a scanning LIDAR selected on board the chaser as relative navigation sensor, and pose estimation algorithms based on the processing of 3D point clouds.

Este trabalho apresenta reflexões sobre a ação pedagógica na educação superior com vistas ao processo de socialização e desenvolvimento profissional, inserindo-se na ideia de desprivatização da prática docente, no sentido de quebrar o modelo historicamente construído do ato privado e isolado de ensinar restrito ao âmbito da sala de aula (COCHRAN-SMITH, 2012). Assim, este estudo tem como objetivo analisar e refletir sobre a prática profissional docente na educação superior, na formação do professor de Educação Física, em uma Instituição de Educação Superior (IES) na Amazônia. Trata-se de um estudo autoetnográfico, descritivo, de abordagem qualitativa, delineado por quatro etapas e de acordo com os seguintes processos de reflexão crítica: descrever, informar, confrontar e reconstruir (SMYTH, 1992). Com base nos resultados apresentados, evidenciou-se que a análise das práticas nos cursos de formação de professores é uma estratégia formativa e reflexiva importante tendo-se em vista a constituição da identidade docente na educação superior e pautando-se nos saberes da ação pedagógica e das práticas que devem fundamentar e sustentar o processo formativo. Concluímos que essa perspectiva apresenta como implicação a necessidade de uma mudança paradigmática nos processos formativos, os quais devem ser pautados na ação-reflexão-ação (SCHÖN, 2000) nos diferentes campos da formação profissional de professores.

Lid-sharing approaches are often advocated for repair of large full thickness lower eyelid defects, however result in temporary visual obstruction and the need for a second-stage procedure. The authors describe and report outcomes using a one-stage technique utilizing a free tarsoconjunctival graft (TCG) and musculocutaneous transposition flap (MCT) to repair defects up to 90% of the lower eyelid.A retrospective chart review on patients that had undergone full thickness lower eyelid reconstruction using a TCG and MCT between the dates of 1/1/2015 to 3/1/2020 was performed. Demographic and clinical information including indication for repair, size of defect, post-operative complications, and outcomes were recorded and analyzed.Six cases of lower eyelid reconstruction using this technique were identified. Fifty percent were male, average age was 61.3 years (range 36-91, SD = 18.9), and follow up was 36.7 weeks (range 3-129, SD = 48.1). All defects were due to malignancy (4/6 for basal cell carcinoma, 1/6 each for sebaceous cell carcinoma and merkel cell carcinoma). Average horizontal defect size was 80% of lower eyelid width (range 57%-90%, SD = 12.3), while average vertical defect size was 8 mm (range 5-10 mm, SD = 1.7). There were no instances of post-operative infection, lid malposition, or dehiscence. A pyogenic granuloma was noted in one case and was managed with excision.A single-stage procedure using a TCG and MCT can be used to repair laterally based full-thickness lower eyelid defects up to 90% with satisfactory outcomes and few complications.

The food industry should have methods that allow identifying bioactive compounds quickly, efficiently and at low cost. The objective of this research was to obtain mathematical models for predicting the amount of total phenolics, anthocyanins and antioxidant capacity of blackberry, blueberry and jaboticaba skin, based on colorimetric parameters (L*, a*, b*, C* and h*). All analyses were done in the phenolic extracts obtained from these fruits. The mathematical models were obtained through multiple linear regression using the stepwise method. The significant correlation between the colorimetric parameters and chemical analyses resulted in models with a high predictive ability (high r2), such as in the determination of the contents of anthocyanins (r2 = 0.99), total phenolics (r2 = 0.86) and for the antioxidant capacity (r2 = 0.99). Thus, the prediction of levels of these bioactives compound, using colorimetric parameters, is very promising for cost and time savings.

As shown in the literature, preserving ecological balance in the Spanish dehesa has traditionally depended on the exploitation of its potential for multifunctionality. Given the increasing number of ecological, climatic, economic and cultural change processes threatening its integrity, new public goods valued by society or the reinvention and revalorisation of existing public goods is, once again, required to contribute to dehesa management in this dynamic context. Historically, humans and ‘wild asparagus’ (Asparagus acutifolius L.), have cohabited within this agro-silvo-pastoral system, establishing a mutually beneficial relationship, since wild asparagus proliferates in the mosaic of forest, shrubs, crops and fields that characterize the dehesa. In addition, this species shows a positive response to collection, which has increased in the last four decades. In the past, food and nutritional values were the most important factors accounting for human interest in wild asparagus. Currently these reasons have been superseded by social and symbolic motives. Today, wild asparagus is the most relevant wild edible plant for various types of users in the dehesa, while gathering events have become a remarkable social phenomenon. In this paper, we describe how wild asparagus is exploited by different users and offer an explanation for its continuing relevance in the dehesa agro-ecosystem, and its revalued importance for rural communities in southern Extremadura (Spain).

Nonionic (NS), cationic (CS), and anionic (ASs and AShc) starch-based films were developed using the casting method, activated with the cationic surfactant LAE, aiming to provide an alternative to extend the shelf life of food products. Among the characterization results of the films, the addition of LAE made the packaging active, inhibiting the development of the gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus (more sensitive), the gram-negative Escherichia coli, and the fungus Penicillium sp. In most films, the addition promoted an increase in thickness and, in all films, an increase in flexibility and a decrease in stiffness, acting as a plasticizer or in synergy with glycerol. However, the addition decreased (p < 0.05) the clarity and increased the opacity of the films based on NS and CS. The results demonstrated that the four starches generated films with different characteristics that can be applied in different food products and that the incorporation of LAE tends to prolong the shelf life of the packaged products.

Objective To identify the occurrence of accidents involving children and adolescents in Mato Grosso do Sul State, reported in the digital media during the period of social isolation imposed by the pandemic of COVID-19. Methods A documentary and retrospective study on childhood accidents published in information vehicles was carried out. Results 12 reports pointed out the accidents occurred at the Family home during the period of social isolation – the main events were drowning, falls, burns, suffocation, being run [...]

Obesity is a global health problem that affects all age groups in both developing and developed countries. In recent years, the prevalence of overweight and obesity has reached pandemic levels, resulting in a dramatic increase in the incidence of various comorbidities, such as cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, and cancer, consequently leading to massive health and socioeconomic burdens. Together with lifestyle changes, antiobesity pharmacotherapy is gaining momentum as an adjunctive treatment. However, the available pharmacological approaches have limited use owing to either significant adverse effects or low efficacy. Over the years, natural products have been an important source of lead compounds for drug discovery. Among these, flavonoids are associated with important biological effects and health-promoting activities. In this review, we discuss the modulatory effects of flavonoids on obesity and their potential mechanisms of action. The literature strongly suggests that most common flavonoids demonstrate a pronounced effect on obesity as shown by their ability to lower body weight, fat mass, and plasma triglycerides/cholesterol, both in in vitro and in vivo models. The impact of flavonoids on obesity can be observed through different mechanisms: reducing food intake and fat absorption, increasing energy expenditure, modulating lipid metabolism, or regulating gut microbiota profile. A better understanding of the known antiobesity mechanisms of flavonoids will enable their potential use to treat this medical condition. Therefore, this review focuses on the putative biological mechanisms through which flavonoids may prevent or treat obesity and highlights new perspectives on future pharmacological use.

To characterize morphological changes in the retina and to report the frequency and natural history of non-exudative macular neovascularization (MNV) in a cohort of pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE). A single-center, retrospective study was complemented by a cross-sectional examination. Consecutive patients with a definitive genetic and/or clinical diagnosis of PXE, visiting our department between January 2019 and December 2019, and with a minimum follow-up of 6 months were recruited. Baseline data were retrieved from each patient file. Additionally, a cross-sectional examination comprising color fundus photography, spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT), OCT-Angiography (OCT-A), and fundus autofluorescence was performed. The presence of typical PXE-related findings, as well as related complications, was multimodally evaluated. The prevalence and natural history of non-exudative MNV were assessed. All images were graded by two independent graders. Forty-eight eyes from 24 patients (mean age 59.11 ± 18.14) with a median follow-up of 53.00 months were included. Angioid streaks and peau d’orange were observed in 46/48 and 42/48 eyes, while MNV was present in 75.00% of the cohort. The prevalence of non-exudative MNV was 33.33% (6/18). In the 2 eyes that developed exudation, time to conversion was 9.50 ± 4.95 months. No significant difference in visual acuity was found between eyes with non-exudative MNV and those with no signs of MNV. We have shown that non-exudative MNV is a frequent finding in PXE but the majority of eyes did not develop exudation during follow-up. Our results are a clear evidence of the utility of OCT-A in the management of PXE.