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ABSTRACT Membrane potential is a useful marker for antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) due to its fundamental roles in cell function. However, the difficulties associated with measuring the membrane potential in microbes restrict its broad application. In this study, we present bioelectrical AST (BeAST) using the model fungus Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Using fluorescent indicators [DiBAC4(3), ThT, and TMRM], we measured plasma and mitochondrial membrane-potential dynamics upon electric stimulation. We find that a 2.5 second electric stimulation induces hyperpolarization of plasma membrane lasting 20 minutes in vital S. cerevisiae, but depolarization in inhibited cells. The numerical simulation of FitzHugh-Nagumo model successfully recapitulates vitality-dependent dynamics. The model also suggests that the magnitude of plasma-membrane potential dynamics (PMD) correlates with the degree of inhibition. To test this prediction and to examine if BeAST can be used for assessing novel anti-fungal compounds, we treat cells with biogenic silver nanoparticles (bioAgNPs) synthesized using orange fruit flavonoids and Fusarium oxysporum. Comparing BeAST with optical density assay alongside various stressors, we show that PMD correlates with the magnitude of growth inhibitions. These results suggest that BeAST holds promise for screening anti-fungal compounds, offering a valuable approach to tackling antimicrobial resistance.IMPORTANCERapid assessment of the efficacy of antimicrobials is important for optimizing treatments, avoiding misuse and facilitating the screening of new antimicrobials. The need for rapid antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) is growing with the rise of antimicrobial resistance. Here, we present bioelectrical AST (BeAST). Combining time-lapse microscopy and mathematical modeling, we show that electrically induced membrane potential dynamics of yeast cells correspond to the strength of growth inhibition. Furthermore, we demonstrate the utility of BeAST for assessing antimicrobial activities of novel compounds using biogenic silver nanoparticles.

Nowadays, numerical models are considered powerful design tools, which are largely used in several engineering applications. When applied to heat transfer applications, they have already been shown to be reliable, especially in single phase systems. When considering two-phase heat transfer, and in particular solid-liquid phase change processes, the numerical tools must be carefully handled. Thus, this paper follows the critical literature on the application of numerical methods to simulate and optimize latent thermal energy storages to show how, in most cases, the common geometrical and numerical approximations should not be applied because they might lead to misleading solutions. Starting from reliable experimental results collected during melting process of a paraffin wax inside 3D periodic structures, different simulation approaches are proposed, and their advantages and disadvantages are discussed. The results show that, when dealing with certain complex 3D structures, 2D approximations cannot reliably capture the phase-change phenomenon. The validated tool also allowed to identify the optimum pore size to maximize the solid-liquid phase change. This work can be considered as a reference for future numerical studies on the solid-liquid process inside 3D structures.

Strong-field ionization of nanoscale clusters provides excellent opportunities to study the complex correlated electronic and nuclear dynamics of near-solid density plasmas. Yet, monitoring ultrafast, nanoscopic dynamics in real-time is challenging, which often complicates a direct comparison between theory and experiment. Here, near-infrared laser-induced plasma dynamics in ∼600  nm diameter helium droplets are studied by femtosecond time-resolved x-ray coherent diffractive imaging. An anisotropic, ∼20  nm wide surface region, defined as the range where the density lies between 10% and 90% of the core value, is established within ∼100  fs, in qualitative agreement with theoretical predictions. At longer timescales, however, the width of this region remains largely constant while the radius of the dense plasma core shrinks at average rates of ≈71  nm/ps along and ≈33  nm/ps perpendicular to the laser polarization. These dynamics are not captured by previous plasma expansion models. The observations are phenomenologically described within a numerical simulation; details of the underlying physics, however, remain to be explored.

Abstract Serial crystallography at X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs) permits the determination of radiation-damage free static as well as time-resolved protein structures at room temperature. Efficient sample delivery is a key factor for such experiments. Here, we describe a multi-reservoir, high viscosity extruder as a step towards automation of sample delivery at XFELs. Compared to a standard single extruder, sample exchange time was halved and the workload of users was greatly reduced. In-built temperature control of samples facilitated optimal extrusion and supported sample stability. After commissioning the device with lysozyme crystals, we collected time-resolved data using crystals of a membrane-bound, light-driven sodium pump. Static data were also collected from the soluble protein tubulin that was soaked with a series of small molecule drugs. Using these data, we identify low occupancy (as little as 30%) ligands using a minimal amount of data from a serial crystallography experiment, a result that could be exploited for structure-based drug design.

Advancements in x-ray free-electron lasers on producing ultrashort, ultrabright, and coherent x-ray pulses enable single-shot imaging of fragile nanostructures, such as superfluid helium droplets. This imaging technique gives unique access to the sizes and shapes of individual droplets. In the past, such droplet characteristics have only been indirectly inferred by ensemble averaging techniques. Here, we report on the size distributions of both pure and doped droplets collected from single-shot x-ray imaging and produced from the free-jet expansion of helium through a 5 μm diameter nozzle at 20 bars and nozzle temperatures ranging from 4.2 to 9 K. This work extends the measurement of large helium nanodroplets containing 109-1011 atoms, which are shown to follow an exponential size distribution. Additionally, we demonstrate that the size distributions of the doped droplets follow those of the pure droplets at the same stagnation condition but with smaller average sizes.

Social participation is seen as one of the solutions to democratize decision-making and improve the projects, programs, plans, and policies proposed by governments. It is no different in the environmental field. In Brazilian waste management, social participation is one of the topics established in the Brazilian National Solid Waste Policy. In this sense, this article aims to analyze the quality of the participation of the actors involved, as well as the level, forms, and conditions of their participation, as well as the representation of the private sector, and the ability of the actors to influence decision-making in the process of closing the activities of the Controlled Landfill of Jockey (CLJ). This article is a case study conducted through semi-structured interviews with eight participants, representatives of different sectors, who participated directly or indirectly in the closing activities of the CLJ. Bibliographic and documentary research was also used. Results show that there was a significant role among the government but also among waste pickers, and the forms of participation reported are differentiated. However, there is low participation of the private sector and residents of the Cidade Estrutural. It is also evident the discredit to the closure of the CLJ. A highlight regards participation: it has controversies, such as low power of influence, manipulation, exclusion of crucial actors, and discredit in the participatory process. There is also a worrying lack of participation because dumpsite closures focus mainly on poorer layers of society, and the participation employed was not able to break with social exclusion and unequal relations of power. However, there are important advances because participation was weakened on other occasions.

The increase in donkeys treated by practitioners in recent years has led to an increased interest in finding more information on basic biochemical preliminary reference values. The aims of this study were to measure Se and Vit E levels in plasma from Miranda jennies peripartum and postpartum and in their foals to compare blood profiles of the jenny and foal related to the overall foal's health. Twenty-two healthy peripartum and postpartum Miranda donkeys were sampled (12 jennies and 10 foals) in the northeast of Portugal (Atenor and Paradela) from May to November, 2018. Amounts of selenium in soil were significantly correlated (0.97) to concentrations of selenium in jennies (42.412 μg/L in Atenor and 9.612 μg/L in Paradela) and foals (19.378 μg/L in Atenor and 6.430 μg/L in Paradela). Selenium levels were lower in foals than adults and in males than females. Vitamin E was associated with overall foal health. Foals with a mean vitamin E of 3.585-5.307 mg/L showed signs of weakness, but carpal flexural deformities were observed when the average vitamin E was 11.520 mg/L. Low vitamin E levels (5.307 mg/L) in jennies were related to foal mortality. Diets, location, parity, and age affect blood profiles of jennies and, ultimately, foal health.

Open science provides a compelling framework for accelerating global collaborations and enabling discoveries to understand and treat mental health disorders. Herein, we discuss the advantages and obstacles to adopting open science in mental health research, considering the particularities of sensitive and diverse data types, the potential of co-designing projects with research participants and the opportunity of amplifying open science by integration with mental health care. We present a practical example of how this landscape may be navigated to adopt open science across an entire research centre, in 5 steps, namely leadership committing to open science; finding models, resources and allies; identifying needs; defining open science principles; and putting principles into practice. We derive lessons learned that can be built upon by researchers and research organizations joining the open science movement in mental health., Introduction Mental health disorders present an incredibly complex set of unsolved issues, both in terms of understanding their underlying causes and in developing the appropriate interventions to benefit each health [...]

Background Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a potent risk factor for stroke. The presence of competing etiologies can modify disease outcomes and demand different treatment strategies.

Cancer is a complex disease that can also affect the younger population; however, it is responsible for a relatively high mortality rate of children and youth, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Besides that, lipidomic studies in this age range are scarce. Therefore, we analyzed blood serum samples from young patients (12 to 35 years) with bone sarcoma (osteosarcoma) and compared their lipidomics to the ones from the control group of samples, named healthy control (HC group), using NMR and LC-MS techniques. Furthermore, differences in the lipidomic profiles between OS patients with and without metastasis indicate higher glycerophosphocholine (GPC) and glycerophospholipid (GPL) levels in osteosarcoma and increased cholesterol, choline, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), and glycerols during the metastasis. These differences, detected in the peripheral blood, could be used as biomarkers for liquid biopsy.

Este texto tem como tema a pesquisa em Educação Especial realizada por alunos e seus orientadores no Programa de Pós-Graduação em Educação da Universidade Metodista de Piracicaba desde sua criação, em 1972. Integram as discussões um histórico da construção da Educação Especial como área de investigação no PPGE - UNIMEP e um levantamento de teses e dissertações defendidas entre 2004 e 2021 e disponibilizadas na Biblioteca Digital da UNIMEP. Considera-se a importância de investigar aquilo que foi produzido como forma de contribuir para o (re)conhecimento da história da Educação Especial como campo de pesquisa no Programa e enquanto instrumento e motor para a (re)construção de um futuro plural e possível no tocante à produção científica na área.

Introduction: In Brazil, burns affect around one million people/year, the majority of whom are male. In addition to physical and emotional losses, there is an economic impact, with costs for the health system, compensation, and work disabilities. For these reasons, epidemiological studies are important to outline the profile of the most affected population, guiding the prevention of this condition. Method: Review the medical records of 398 burn victims admitted to Santa Casa de Santos from January 2016 to December 2019. Results: The main victims were young men in a domestic environment, by heated liquids, mostly causing second degree burns, treated within 24 hours, considered major burns, and admitted to the infirmary for up to two weeks. Approximately 90% were discharged with improvement, requiring only debridement and dressings. Conclusion: Our work agrees with most reviews regarding the prevalence of young, economically active males with accidentally heated liquids in their homes. Other studies highlighted children as the most affected, showing the need for policies for both age groups. Regarding hospitalization, the majority remained in the ward, with second-degree burns, with major burns prevailing, which leads to greater severity and costs. This data goes against some studies, which indicate second-degree burns as the main burn, with less than 10% of the body surface burned. In both this and most studies, most patients had a good outcome, without needing an Intensive Care Unit or surgical procedures, showing the importance of early debridement and care with dressings.

A importância da água na gênese e evolução de voçorocas é conhecida, mas ainda há poucos estudos sobre sua interação com o relevo e o voçorocamento. O objetivo deste trabalho é avançar neste tema numa região do embasamento cristalino (Complexo Bação), no Quadrilátero Ferrífero, estado de Minas Gerais, com a revisão de trabalhos científicos desenvolvidos desde 1991. O trabalho envolveu a análise integrada de dados de caracterização geológica, geomorfológica e geotécnica, de monitoramento hídrico e de simulações numéricas de fluxo. Os resultados indicam que a evolução destas voçorocas é consequência do espesso perfil de saprolitos erodíveis e da ação da água subterrânea controlada por fatores geomorfológicos. Com o rebaixamento do aquífero no entorno das voçorocas, a recarga e, consequentemente, a exfiltração da água nos taludes das voçorocas é retardada. Contudo, no interior destas predomina o escoamento superficial, resultando no incremento das vazões e inundações no período chuvoso e de redução do fluxo de base na estiagem. A exfiltração atrasada de água nos taludes induz movimentos de massa e pipings, mesmo no período seco, mobilizando expressivas cargas de sedimentos que serão transportados nas primeiras chuvas do período úmido. Portanto, as voçorocas no Complexo do Bação são condicionadas e modificam a dinâmica hídrica, proporcionando variados danos econômicos e socioambientais.