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The petrochemical industry heavily relies on steam reforming furnaces for large-scale hydrogen production. Centrifugally cast HP stainless-steel tubes constitute the majority of components in these furnaces, enduring temperatures ranging from 600 to 1000 ºC for extended periods. These tubes manifest distinct aging states, characterized by specific microstructural markers linked to the exposed wall temperature. Given their significant cost and importance, monitoring the service life of these tubes is crucial. The current aging state is particularly relevant due to the correlation between creep damage and advanced aging stages. Hence, this study aims to assist in assessing the remaining life of HP stainless-steel tubes by employing a portable Eddy Current Testing (ECT) inspection system, coupled with real-time Support Vector Machine (SVM) classification of aging states. Two 12.6-meter-long tubes, aged for 160,000 hours, underwent inspection using the portable ECT inspection system to evaluate the progression of aging states along their height, considering the expected vertical temperature gradient. Results underscore the efficacy of the SVM classification in identifying the various aging states present along the studied tubes, highlighting promising in situ applications.

Due to the increasing consumer demand for healthy, beneficial foods, natural fruit juices have gained popularity for their rich nutritional value and appealing flavor. However, traditional thermal processing can compromise these quality attributes. This study investigates using pulsed thermosonication, a novel mild thermal processing method, on Listeria innocua inactivation in blueberry juice, chosen for its high phenolic and anthocyanin content. Ultrasonication was applied at 60% and 100% amplitudes combined with heat treatments at 45 °C and 55 °C and compared to control heat treatments. The Weibull model effectively described the inactivation kinetics, showing that the thermosonicated samples required significantly shorter times (1 and 25 min) for a 5-log reduction compared to the heated samples (10 and 60 min). While pH, total soluble solids, and water activity remained unaffected, color parameters improved, and the best retention of phenolics and anthocyanins was observed at 100% amplitude and 45 °C. Rheological properties were unchanged. The findings demonstrate that thermosonication at milder temperatures is more effective than conventional heat treatment for microbial inactivation and quality retention in blueberry juice, suggesting it is a superior processing method for preserving fruit juices’ nutritional and sensory attributes.

Introduction The sensitive delusion of reference represents a clinical entity described by Kretschmer in 1918, arising in people with sensitive personality. This personality type is mainly characterized by a tendency towards social isolation, introversion, low self-esteem and by a greater sensibility to interpersonal judgement. In this personality type, the presence of specific environmental triggers may provoke a reference delusion of persecutory content, feelings of guilty and injustice. Although eliminated from the current diagnostic classifications, the sensitive delusion of reference represents a key milestone in the history of psychopathology. Objectives The goal of this report is to report on a clinical case of a patient diagnosed with Kretschmer´s sensitive delusion of reference. Methods The present work consists on a descriptive report of a clinical case through consultation of the patient´s clinical file as well as a survey of relevant articles on Pubmed. Results This is a 38 year old, married man with no children. He describes himself as a private, introverted individual, who has little interaction with his peers, and has been very sensitive to criticism ever since his adolescence. His first psychiatry appointment took place in April 2021, following the medical referral of his general practitioner as, according to the patient´s mother and wife, he had been, for quite some time, implying that his mobile phone had been under wire and that someone had been monitoring him. As stated by these relatives, these ideas surfaced after a workplace conflict. At the time, the patient was medicated with olanzapine 10mg and lorazepam 2.5mg before bedtime, exhibiting significant improvements with full remission of psychotic symptomatology. Succeeding the antipsychotic tapering attempt, the patient had begun to suffer from insomnia and recrudescence of psycotic symptomatology, namely, the delusion ideation of persecutory content and auditory hallucinations, as a result, the previous treatment regimen was resumed, which resulted in significant improvements of the clinical picture. Following new observation, in 2023, the patient mentions weight gain and drowsiness during the day, leading to the switch of olanzapine 10mg for aripiprazole 15mg. The current treatment plan consists of aripiprazole 15mg once a day and lorazepam 1mg 1/2 before bedtime, resulting in an improvement of the previous complaints and maintenance of the psychosocial functioning, unaccompanied by psychotic symptomatology. Conclusions In conclusion, and relatively to the condition´s prognosis, Kretschmer observed that, although in some situations the episodes were brief and self-limiting, in others, the patients maintained psycothic symptomatology, during the following years. In the present clinical case we recognised the need to sustain the antipsycothic treatment regimen, as the respective dosage reduction lead to an aggravation in symptomatology. Disclosure of Interest None Declared

This work focuses on the use of load sensors to help with spraying tasks using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The study details the construction of a prototype for load measurement to validate the proof of concept. To simulate the application of agricultural pesticides, the UAV follows a predefined route and an image processing system detects the presence of diseased plants. After detection, the UAV pauses its route momentarily and activates the spraying device. The payload sensor monitors the fertilizer application process, which determines whether the amount of pesticide has been fully applied. If the storage tank is empty or the remaining quantity is insufficient for another operation, the system will command the UAV to return to the base station for refueling. Experimental validations were carried out in an indoor controlled environment to verify the proposal and the functionality of the in-flight payload monitoring system. Additionally, the UAV’s flight controller demonstrated robust performance, maintaining stability despite the challenges posed by liquid-load oscillations and varying payloads during the spraying process. In summary, our main contribution is a real-time payload monitoring system that monitors weight during flight to avoid over- or under-spraying. In addition, this system supports automatic refueling, detecting low levels of pesticides and directing the UAV to return to base when necessary.

In mobile robotics, LASER scanners have a wide spectrum of indoor and outdoor applications, both in structured and unstructured environments, due to their accuracy and precision. Most works that use this sensor have their own data representation and their own case-specific modeling strategies, and no common formalism is adopted. To address this issue, this manuscript presents an analytical approach for the identification and localization of objects using 2D LiDARs. Our main contribution lies in formally defining LASER sensor measurements and their representation, the identification of objects, their main properties, and their location in a scene. We validate our proposal with experiments in generic semi-structured environments common in autonomous navigation, and we demonstrate its feasibility in multiple object detection and identification, strictly following its analytical representation. Finally, our proposal further encourages and facilitates the design, modeling, and implementation of other applications that use LASER scanners as a distance sensor.

Highlights ∙ CTX related to chemotherapy is an important cause of heart failure in surviving cancer patients; ∙ Cardiomyocytes may increase their glycolytic metabolism under significant stress. This phenomenon has been observed in both experimental and clinical studies; ∙ PET/CT is a powerful noninvasive diagnostic technique that provides both anatomical and metabolic information; ∙ 18F-FDG is a glucose analog that is the most commonly used radiopharmaceutical in oncological PET/CT exams; ∙ The degree of myocardial 18F-FDG uptake may be a promising marker of the cardiomyocyte changes that precede cardiac dysfunction in the CTX cascade.

Abstract We revisit the thermal production and annihilation of magnetic monopoles and their relic abundance in order to gain a deeper physical interpretation on the monopole phenomenology predicted from the Baines et al.’s effective field theory, recently proposed in the description of monopole pair production via Drell–Yan and photon fusion processes. In this sense, we use of the vacuum cross sections for the Drell–Yan reactions derived within the mentioned framework to evaluate the cross section averaged over the thermal distribution associated to other particles that constitute the hot medium where the monopoles propagate. In the considered range of monopole mass with spin-zero and spin-half, our findings suggest that the thermally averaged cross sections for the pair production are highly suppressed, while at higher temperatures those for the annihilation of lighter pairs reach larger magnitudes. Besides, we observe that smaller temperature leads to a rate of annihilation for scalar monopoles smaller than the one for fermionic monopoles, which might be interpreted as a theoretical evidence of a more pronounced stability for spin-zero and heavier monopoles. Then we input these thermally averaged cross sections into the kinetic equation that describes the evolution of the monopole abundance via an extension of a freeze-out theory. Our results infer that heavier monopoles achieve the equilibrium at earlier stages of the expansion, and consequently at higher temperatures. In addition, larger monopole masses produce higher values of the relic abundance. Besides, the results indicate that the abundance does not behave differently for spin-zero and spin-half relic monopoles.

This study explores the potential of thermosonication as an alternative to traditional heat treatments, such as pasteurization, in the processing of fruit juices. Conventional methods often lead to undesirable quality changes in fruit juices, whereas thermosonication offers promising results regarding microbial inactivation and quality preservation. This work focused on the inactivation kinetics of Listeria innocua 2030c, a surrogate for pathogenic L. monocytogenes, in kiwifruit juice using thermosonication at 45 °C, 50 °C, and 55 °C. These treatments were compared with equivalent heat treatments. Quality attributes of the juice were also evaluated to assess process efficiency. Survival data of L. innocua were fitted with the Weibull model, estimating first decimal reduction times (δ) and shape parameters (n). The results reveal temperature and process dependencies on δ, while n remains mostly temperature and treatment independent. Thermosonication outperforms heat treatment, achieving higher L. innocua reductions while retaining quality attributes like pH, soluble solid content, and total phenolics and chlorophylls. Thermosonication at 55 °C stands out, providing a 6.2-log-cycle reduction in just 3 min with superior quality retention. These findings highlight the synergistic effect of temperature and ultrasound, making mild heat processes feasible while enhancing product quality. Thermosonication, particularly at 55 °C, emerges as an effective alternative to traditional thermal treatments for fruit juices, offering improved microbial safety without compromising product quality.

ABSTRACT Objective: Obesity is characterized by a state of chronic, low-intensity systemic inflammation frequently associated with insulin resistance and dyslipidemia. Materials and methods: Given that chronic inflammation has been implicated in the pathogenesis of mood disorders, we investigated if chronic obesity that was initiated early in life – lasting through adulthood – could be more harmful to memory impairment and mood fluctuations such as depression. Results: Here we show that pre-pubertal male rats (30 days old) treated with a high-fat diet (40%) for 8-months gained ~50% more weight when compared to controls, exhibited depression and anxiety-like behaviors but no memory impairment. The prefrontal cortex of the obese rats exhibited an increase in the expression of genes related to inflammatory response, such as NFKb, MMP9, CCl2, PPARb, and PPARg. There were no alterations in genes known to be related to depression. Conclusion: Long-lasting obesity with onset in prepuberal age led to depression and neuroinflammation but not to memory impairment.

ABSTRACT Cryptococcus neoformans is an opportunistic fungal pathogen known for its remarkable ability to infect and subvert phagocytes. This ability provides survival and persistence within the host and relies on phenotypic plasticity. The viable but nonculturable (VBNC) phenotype was recently described in C. neoformans, whose study is promising in understanding the pathophysiology of cryptococcosis. The use of fluorescent strains is improving host interaction research, but it is still underexploited. Here, we fused histone H3 or the poly(A) binding protein (Pab) to enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) or mCherry, obtaining a set of C. neoformans transformants with different colors, patterns of fluorescence, and selective markers (hygromycin B resistance [Hygr] or neomycin resistance [Neor]). We validated their similarity to the parental strain in the stress response, the expression of virulence-related phenotypes, mating, virulence in Galleria mellonella, and survival within murine macrophages. PAB-GFP, the brightest transformant, was successfully applied for the analysis of phagocytosis by flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy. Moreover, we demonstrated that an engineered fluorescent strain of C. neoformans was able to generate VBNC cells. GFP-tagged Pab1, a key regulator of the stress response, evidenced nuclear retention of Pab1 and the assembly of cytoplasmic stress granules, unveiling posttranscriptional mechanisms associated with dormant C. neoformans cells. Our results support that the PAB-GFP strain is a useful tool for research on C. neoformans. IMPORTANCE Cryptococcus neoformans is a human-pathogenic yeast that can undergo a dormant state and is responsible for over 180,000 deaths annually worldwide. We engineered a set of fluorescent transformants to aid in research on C. neoformans. A mutant with GFP-tagged Pab1 improved fluorescence-based techniques used in host interaction studies. Moreover, this mutant induced a viable but nonculturable phenotype and uncovered posttranscriptional mechanisms associated with dormant C. neoformans. The experimental use of fluorescent mutants may shed light on C. neoformans-host interactions and fungal biology, including dormant phenotypes.

Regeneration depends on the ability of mature cells at the injury site to respond to injury, generating tissue-specific progenitors that incorporate the blastema and proliferate to reconstitute the original organ architecture. The metabolic microenvironment has been tightly connected to cell function and identity during development and tumorigenesis. Yet, the link between metabolism and cell identity at the mechanistic level in a regenerative context remains unclear. The adult zebrafish caudal fin, and bone cells specifically, have been crucial for the understanding of mature cell contribution to tissue regeneration. Here, we use this model to explore the relevance of glucose metabolism for the cell fate transitions preceding new osteoblast formation and blastema assembly. We show that injury triggers a modulation in the metabolic profile at early stages of regeneration to enhance glycolysis at the expense of mitochondrial oxidation. This metabolic adaptation mediates transcriptional changes that make mature osteoblast amenable to be reprogramed into pre-osteoblasts and induces cell cycle re-entry and progression. Manipulation of the metabolic profile led to severe reduction of the pre-osteoblast pool, diminishing their capacity to generate new osteoblasts, and to a complete abrogation of blastema formation. Overall, our data indicate that metabolic alterations have a powerful instructive role in regulating genetic programs that dictate fate decisions and stimulate proliferation, thereby providing a deeper understanding on the mechanisms regulating blastema formation and bone regeneration.

Resumo Fundamento Ainda não está estabelecido se a captação de fluorodesoxiglicose no miocárdio ocorre exclusivamente por características fisiológicas ou se representa um desarranjo metabólico causado pela quimioterapia. Objetivo Investigar os efeitos da quimioterapia no coração dos pacientes com linfoma por tomografia por emissão de pósitrons associada a tomografia computadorizada (PET/CT) com 2-[18F]-fluoro-2-desoxi-D-glicose (18F-FDG PET/CT) antes, durante e/ou após a quimioterapia. Métodos Setenta pacientes com linfoma submetidos a 18F-FDG PET/CT foram retrospectivamente analisados. O nível de significância foi de 5%. A captação de 18F-FDG foi avaliada por três medidas: captação máxima no ventrículo esquerdo ( standardized uptake value , SUV max), razão SUV cardíaco / aorta e SUV cardíaco / SUV no fígado. Também foram comparados peso corporal, glicemia de jejum, tempo pós-injeção e dose administrada de 18F-FDG entre os exames. Resultados A idade média foi de 50,4 ± 20,1 anos e 50% dos pacientes eram mulheres. A análise foi realizada em dois grupos – PET/CT basal vs. intermediário e PET/CT basal vs pós-terapia. Não houve diferença significativa entre as variáveis clínicas e do protocolo dos exames entre os diferentes momentos avaliados. Nós observamos um aumento na SUV máxima no ventrículo esquerdo de 3,5±1,9 (basal) para 5,6±4,0 (intermediário), p=0,01, e de 4,0±2,2 (basal) para 6,1±4,2 (pós-terapia), p

The characteristic method of lines is the most used numerical method applied to the water hammer problem. It transforms a system of partial differential equations involving the independent variables time and space in two ordinary differential equations along the characteristics curves and then solve it numerically. This approach, although showing great stability and quick execution time, creates ∆x-∆t dependency to properly model the phenomenon. In this article we test a different approach, using the method of lines in the usual form, without the characteristics curves and then applying strong stability preserving Runge-Kutta Methods aiming to get stability with greater ∆t.

The 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda calls for all social actors to contribute to significant societal and environmental issues [...]

The peels of many fruits are rich sources of nutrients, although they are not commonly consumed. If they are properly decontaminated, they can be used as healthy food ingredients reducing food waste. The objective was to apply thermosonication processes to kiwi peel and evaluate the impact on Listeria innocua survival (a non-pathogenic surrogate of L. monocytogenes) and key nutrients and quality indicators: proteins, fibers, minerals (Ca, K, Mg, Na, and P), chlorophylls, and phenolic contents. Kiwi peels were artificially inoculated with L. innocua and thermal and thermosonication treatments were performed at 55 °C and 60 °C for 30 and 15 min maximum, respectively. Bacteria were enumerated through treatment time, and quality indicators were assessed before and at the end of treatments. A Weibull model with a decimal reduction time (D-value) was successfully used in L. innocua survival data fits. Results showed that coupling temperature to ultrasound had a synergistic effect on bacteria inactivation with significant decreases in D-values. Thermosonication at 60 °C was the most effective in terms of protein, fiber, chlorophylls, and phenolics retention. Minerals were not significantly affected by all treatments. Applying thermosonication to kiwi peel was more effective for decontamination than thermal treatments at the same temperature while allowing the retention of healthy compounds.

Vertebrates such as zebrafish have the outstanding ability to fully regenerate their retina upon injury, while mammals, including humans, do not. In zebrafish, upon light-induced injury, photoreceptor regeneration is achieved through reprogramming of Müller glia cells, which proliferate and give rise to a self-renewing population of progenitors that migrate to the lesion site to differentiate into the new photoreceptors. The Hippo pathway effector YAP was recently implicated in the response to damage in the retina, but how this transcription coactivator is integrated into the signaling network regulating Müller glia reprogramming has not yet been explored. Here, we show that Yap is required in Müller glia to engage their response to a lesion by regulating their cell cycle reentry and progenitor cell formation, contributing to the differentiation of new photoreceptors. We propose that this regulation is accomplished through a lin28a–ascl1a-dependent mechanism, bona fide Müller glia-reprogramming factors. Overall, this study presents Yap as a key regulator of zebrafish Müller glia reprogramming and consequently retina regeneration upon injury.

Familial hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (FHL) is a rare, potentially fatal autosomal-recessive immunodeficiency, and STXBP2 mutations have been associated with FHL type 5 (FHL-5). Here, we report a case of a 2-year-old boy who presented with recurrent fever, hepatosplenomegaly, pancytopenia, hyperferritinemia, and hypofibrinogenemia since 4 months of age. His genetic analysis revealed a compound heterozygosity of the STXBP2 gene with a described pathogenic mutation, c.1247-1G>C (splicing acceptor site), harbored by his father and a likely pathogenic variant of uncertain significance (VUS), c.704G>A (p.Arg235Gln), harbored by his mother. He was diagnosed as compound heterozygous for FHL-5 and was treated with the HLH-2004 protocol. Since treatment, this patient has been in remission, and he is being evaluated for a hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT).

Melon peel is recognized as a source of healthy nutrients and oxidant compounds. Being considered a non-edible part with no profit value, large amounts of melon rinds are discharged by fruit industries. Innovative food ingredients with potential health benefits may arise if these parts were conveniently transformed. The objective was to freeze-dry small melon peel cubes to attain a potential edible matrix. An ozone pre-treatment was applied seeking decontamination purposes and quality retention. The effect of these processes was assessed in terms of physicochemical parameters (moisture content, water activity and color), bioactive compounds (total phenolics, vitamin C and chlorophylls) and antioxidant capacity, during 7 weeks of storage at room temperature. Intrinsic microflora (mesophylls, yeasts and molds) were also monitored. Results showed that the freeze-drying process allowed retention of the most bioactive compounds analyzed, except for total phenolic content. In this case, the ozone pre-treatment was important for phenolics preservation. During the storage period, ozonated samples presented a higher content of bioactive compounds. In terms of microflora, the ozone and freeze-drying effects were not significant. Freeze-drying proved to be a suitable preservation method for melon peel. The ozone impact was not relevant in terms of decontamination.

Carob fruit is native to the Mediterranean region and produced mainly in Portugal, Italy, Morocco and Turkey. The production of the carob fruit in Portugal is highly extensive and sustainable. Currently, carob flour (CF) production is mainly achieved after pulp separation, despite it having been demonstrated that the seeds improve the extraction efficiency of bioactive compounds such as polyphenols, promoting human health. This study aimed to produce an integral CF through an innovative process and assess its physicochemical and bioactive properties at different particle sizes throughout simulated gastrointestinal tract (GIT) digestion. The sugar content profile obtained throughout GIT digestion indicated that sucrose, the sugar present at the highest concentration in undigested CF, was digested and broken down into simple sugars, namely glucose and fructose. The total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activity obtained for the ≤100 µm fraction were in accordance and gastric digestion promoted an increase in the TPC value compared to the undigested sample. The >100 µm fractions displayed a distinct profile from the ≤100 µm fraction. This study showed that the particle size affects the sugar, antioxidant and total phenolic content of CFs and also their gastrointestinal tract digestion. The ≤100 µm fraction demonstrated the most suitable profile as a functional food ingredient.

Heterotopic and orthotopic ovarian tissue autotransplantation techniques, currently used in humans, will become promising alternative methods for fertility preservation in domestic and wild animals. Thus, this study describes for the first time the efficiency of a heterotopic ovarian tissue autotransplantation technique in a large livestock species (i.e., horses) after ovarian fragments were exposed or not to a cooling process (4°C/24 h) and/or VEGF before grafting. Ovarian fragments were collected in vivo via an ultrasound-guided biopsy pick-up method and surgically autografted in a subcutaneous site in both sides of the neck in each mare. The blood flow perfusion at the transplantation site was monitored at days 2, 4, 6, and 7 post-grafting using color-Doppler ultrasonography. Ovarian grafts were recovered 7 days post-transplantation and subjected to histological analyses. The exposure of the ovarian fragments to VEGF before grafting was not beneficial to the quality of the tissue; however, the cooling process of the fragments reduced the acute hyperemia post-grafting. Cooled grafts compared with non-cooled grafts contained similar values for normal and developing preantral follicles, vessel density, and stromal cell apoptosis; lower collagen type III fibers and follicular density; and higher stromal cell density, AgNOR, and collagen type I fibers. In conclusion, VEGF exposure before autotransplantation did not improve the quality of grafted tissues. However, cooling ovarian tissue for at least 24 h before grafting can be beneficial because satisfactory rates of follicle survival and development, stromal cell survival and proliferation, as well as vessel density, were obtained.

World population is expected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050, which makes a great challenge the achievement of food security. The use of urease inhibitors in agricultural practices has long been explored as one of the strategies to guarantee food supply in enough amounts. This is due to the fact that urea, one of the most used nitrogen (N) fertilizers worldwide, rapidly undergoes urease-driven hydrolysis on soil surface yielding up to 70% N losses to environment. This review provides with a compilation of what has been done since 2005 with respect to the search for good urease inhibitors of agricultural interests. The potential of synthetic organic molecules, such as phosphoramidates, hydroquinone, quinones, (di)substituted thioureas, benzothiazoles, coumarin and phenolic aldehyde derivatives, and vanadium-hydrazine complexes, together with B, Cu, S, Zn, ammonium thiosulfate, silver nanoparticles, and oxidized charcoal as urease inhibitors was presented from experiments with purified jack bean urease, different soils and/or plant-soil systems. The ability of some urease inhibitors to mitigate formation of greenhouse gases is also discussed. Keywords: Urease inhibitors, Crop production, Pollution mitigation, Urea, Nitrogen fertilizer

Introducción: Los alimentos modificados genéticamente (AGM) han sido aprobados en la Unión Europea. Estos alimentos, han sido cuestionados en cuanto a sus beneficios y riesgos reales. Esto es especialmente relevante en el caso de la dimensión nutricional, donde los consumidores se enfrentan a decisiones diarias sobre cómo alimentar mejor a sus familias. En este marco complejo, los profesionales de la salud deben intervenir y responder a las preguntas sobre opinión, actitud y ciencia que tienen sus clientes. El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar el conocimiento y la opinión de los nutricionistas sobre el tema de los alimentos transgénicos y su percepción de las necesidades de capacitación. Materiales y métodos: Investigación cuantitava. Se aplicó un cuestionario entre marzo y julio de 2016, y participaron 248 personas. Las variables estudiadas fueron opinión, conocimiento y formación. Se realizaron cálculos descriptivos y análisis de correspondencia múltiple para obtener los perfiles de los encuestados. Resultados: Con respecto a la opinión y el conocimiento, los resultados muestran que los nutricionistas son en su mayoría desfavorables a los alimentos modificados genéticamente, incluso sin conocer la tecnología en detalle. Son conscientes de este desconocimiento, que fue confirmado por sus respuestas a una serie de preguntas objetivas sobre la realidad nacional. El análisis de correspondencia múltiple mostró que cuatro diferentes perfiles de los nutricionistas son suficientes para agrupar a todos los participantes. Estos tipos de perfil difieren en niveles de interés y niveles y confianza en relación con la tecnología de AGM. Los nutricionistas portugueses no tienen una posición unánime con respecto a los alimentos transgénicos pero en su mayoría están de acuerdo en que la capacitación específica en esta área debería realizarse a nivel universitario. Conclusión: Este artículo destaca los diferentes perfiles de opinión, conocimiento y formación de profesionales, nutricionistas, en relación con los alimentos modificados genéticamente. El aprendizaje permanente y la formación interdisciplinaria apoyada por investigaciones específicas, asociaciones de profesionales de la salud e interferencia en las políticas públicas pueden fortalecer las actitudes hacia la temática.

Background: A wide variety of social, cultural and economic factors may influence dietary patterns. This work aims to identify the main determinants of food consumption and barriers for healthy eating at the workplace, in a university setting. Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted with 533 participants. Data were obtained through the application of a self-administered questionnaire that included socio-demographic information, food consumption determinants and the main perceived barriers for healthy eating at the workplace. Results: The respondents identified “price” (22.5%), “meal quality” (20.7%), and “location/distance” (16.5%). For women, the determinant “availability of healthy food options” was more important than for men (p < 0.001). The food consumption determinants at the workplace most referred to by respondents were related to the nutritional value. Smell, taste, appearance and texture, and good value for money, were also considered important for choosing food at the workplace. Respondents referred to work commitments and lack of time as the main barriers for healthy eating at the workplace. Conclusions: Identification of determinants involved in food consumption, and the barriers for healthy eating, may contribute to a better definition of health promotion initiatives at the workplace aiming to improve nutritional intake.

Fruit waste parts, particularly peel, are abundant sources of bioactive compounds. To be included in the formulation of value-added foods, peel needs to be transformed and subjected to a preservation process. Therefore, this study seeks to assess the effect of ozone on the quality and antilisterial indicators of cantaloupe melon peel paste, aiming at obtaining a product with the potential to be used as a food additive. Ozone was bubbled during 30 and 60 min, and some physicochemical characteristics (soluble solids content, pH and colour), bioactive compounds (total phenolics, chlorophylls and vitamin C) and antioxidant activity were analysed. Peel was also inoculated with Listeria innocua, used as a treatment efficiency indicator. The results indicated that, although ozone negatively affected antioxidant activity, it positively influenced all bioactive compounds analysed. An L. innocua reduction of 1.2 log cycle was achieved after ozone exposure. Ozone should be exploited as a promising technology to assure the quality/safety of cantaloupe melon peel. Indeed, if melon peel is conveniently converted into a suitable form that can be used as a food ingredient, this will promote the valorisation of waste materials with the consequent reduction of industrial by-products and new perspectives for market opportunities.

Natural fruit juices are difficult to transform into powder because they are rich in sugars and acids with low glass transition temperatures, resulting in a sticky behaviour during spray drying. The present research work aimed to test the prebiotics maltodextrin and arabic gum as drying agents in order to be able to produce dehydrated powder from pineapple, strawberry and apple juices. 2 % of maltodextrin and an inlet air temperature of 130 °C are recommended to spray dry apple juice, reaching 60 % yield of powder with a water activity below 0.40. For strawberry juice, 2 % of this carrier is recommended and the inlet air temperature, 120 °C or 130 °C, did not seem relevant. For pineapple, neither the concentration of the carrier nor the inlet air temperature seemed to be relevant.

Resumo: O plasma rico em plaquetas (PRP) é conhecido por apresentar propriedades anabólicas, anti-inflamatórias e capacidade de gelificação. Atualmente o PRP é considerado eficaz na reparação da cartilagem, sendo sua capacidade de formação de gel indicada para o preenchimento de defeitos condrais. O objetivo desse estudo foi analisar o uso do PRP ativado, no formato de arcabouço, como suporte para o implante de células tronco mesenquimais (CTM), no preenchimento e tratamento de lesões condrais induzidas em equinos. Doze equinos foram submetidos a uma cirurgia artroscópica no tempo zero do experimento (T0), onde foi induzida uma lesão condral de 15 mm de diâmetro na tróclea medial femoral dos membros pélvicos direito. As 12 articulações foram divididas em dois grupos distintos com seis articulações cada (GA e GB). As articulações do GA foram submetidas ao tratamento com o implante de CTM em gel de PRP. As articulações de GB foram o grupo controle do experimento. As CTMs foram extraídas do tecido adiposo e o PRP em gel foi obtido por protocolo de dupla centrifugação seguido da adição de trombina liofilizada. Após cinco meses (T150) foi realizada nova artroscopia para avaliação macroscópica do local, coleta de amostras do tecido de reparação para análises de microscopia eletrônica, sendo realizadas imagens ressonância magnética e tomografia computadorizada no local do implante no GA. Observamos que o gel de PRP associado às CTM demonstrou ser adequado no tratamento de defeitos condrais experimentais dos equinos. GA evidenciou um melhor aspecto macroscópico e microscópico do tecido de reparação, sendo que GB mostrou maior desorganização das fibras colágenas. Nas imagens de ressonância magnética e tomografia computadorizada apenas foi relevante o local da lesão condral. O arcabouço de gel de PRP demonstrou ser apropriado no suporte do tratamento com as CTMs, sendo de fácil aplicação e efetivo, demonstrando resultados promissores na reparação de lesões condrais induzidas.

Robot navigation is still an open research topic, mainly regarding applications that require online planning. In this context, this manuscript presents an implementation of the Lifelong Planning A* (LPA*) search algorithm to guide a mobile robot in an environment that changes along time, by detecting obstacles and updating the current mapping information. Firstly, simulations validate the strategy, and later experiments confirm these results considering a real application. The result is that the LPA* algorithm is able to guide the mobile robot to its target in a changing environment. Obstacles are interactively included in the scene to force the route redesign and the seeking for a new optimal solution connecting the current robot position and its target position.

Os Cateteres Venosos Centrais (CVC’s) são os dispositivos hospitalares que podem desenvolver biofilme bacteriano em sua superfície e na região intraluminal, horas após a sua instalação, devido às infecções que podem ser acometidas pelo cateter, sendo necessário o tratamento endoluminal do dispositivo por meio de métodos antimicrobianos eficazes. O estudo teve como objetivo induzir, “in vitro”, a formação de biofilme de Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25922) utilizando um sistema que simulasse a circulação sanguínea e avaliar o efeito do plasma no tratamento do biofilme. Na metodologia foi utilizado um inóculo bacteriano, em caldo TSB, que permaneceu circulando em cateteres de poliuretano, ligados a uma bomba peristáltica durante 24 h. O material de poliuretano é retirado do sistema, fragmentado e tratado com plasma de 6 L/min de argônio e 4 L/min de ar nos tempos: 150, 300 e 600 segundos. Após tratamento, realizou-se a contagem das Unidades Formadoras de Colônias e análise morfológica da superfície do biofilme por Microscopia Eletrônica de Varredura. Após a incubação e leitura, observou-se redução de UFC/mL, de 99%, 99% e 100% nos tempos de 150, 300 e 600 segundos, respectivamente. Conclui-se, portanto, que o tratamento a plasma provocou efeitos bacteriostático e bactericida sob o micro-organismo estudado.

Purpose: To identify the influence of physical and psychosocial stress and health-related factors on the occurrence of work-related accidents, based on the National Health Survey (NHS) conducted in Brazil in 2013, through the execution of a retest in the Brazilian context, according to the model elaborated by Rommel, Varnaccia, Lahmann, Kottner, and Kroll (2016). Originality/value: Brazil has a high rate of workplace accidents. This retest, applied to the Brazilian context based on the German model of Rommel et al. (2016), allows obtaining information concerning the factors that may increase the chances of workplace accidents. Design/methodology/approach: Study with secondary data collected from the National Health Survey (Fiocruz, 2013). The model of Rommel et al. (2016)was used with the set of four blocks of variable factors. Logistic regression explored the physical, psychosocial, and health-related stress factors that may be more likely to occur in the workplace. Findings: 2.8% of the individuals have been involved in some work accident. Model 5 is the most explanatory of occupational accidents and factors such as high school level of education (OR = 2.082), full-time work (OR = 4.814), having three or more jobs (OR = 2.593), exposure to radiation, asthma (OR = 4.880), and alcohol consumption (OR = 4.620), according to each block typified, which most significantly increase the chances for the occurrence of work accidents. Managers and legislators should observe the factors that increase the chances of an accident occurring in order to develop prevention policies or actions. Proposta: Identificar a influência do estresse físico, psicossocial e fatores relacionados à saúde para a ocorrência de acidentes de trabalho, tendo como base a Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde (PNS) realizada em 2013 no Brasil, como reteste no contexto brasileiro, conforme o modelo de Rommel et al., (2016). Originalidade/valor: No Brasil há um elevado índice de acidentes de tra balho. Este reteste aplicado ao contexto brasileiro a partir do modelo alemão de Rommel et al. (2016) possibilita apresentar informações em relação aos fatores com maior chance de ocorrência dos acidentes de trabalho. Design/methodologia/abordagem: Estudo com dados secundários cole tados da Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde (Fiocruz, 2013). Foi utilizado o modelo de Rommel et al. (2016) com o conjunto de quatro blocos de fatores de variáveis. A regressão logística explorou os fatores de estresse físico, psicossocial e relacionados à saúde que podem possuir mais chan ces para a ocorrência do acidente de trabalho. Descobertas: 2,8% dos indivíduos se envolveram em algum acidente de trabalho. O modelo 5 é o mais explicativo para os acidentes de trabalho e fatores como ensino médio (OR: 2,082), trabalho em período integral (OR: 4,814), três ou mais trabalhos (OR: 2,593), exposição radioativa (OR: 4,244), asma (OR: 4,880) e, consumo de álcool (OR:4,620) foram identificados como aqueles com maior chance, conforme cada bloco tipi ficado, para a ocorrência do acidente de trabalho. Os gestores e legislado res devem observar os fatores que atribuem mais chances para a ocorrên cia de acidentes para a elaboração de políticas ou ações de prevenção.