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Microplastics (MPs) have been detected in various aquatic environments and negatively affect organisms, including marine luminous bacteria. This study investigated the differences in bioluminescence patterns, cell viability, and biofilm formation of Photobacterium leiognathi strains (LB01 and LB09) when exposed to various concentrations of ground microplastics (GMPs; 0.25%, 0.50%, 1%, or 2% [w/v] per mL) at 22°C or 30°C for 3.1 days (75 h) and 7 days. The strains exhibited heterogenous responses, including variable bioluminescence patterns, cell viability, and biofilm formation, due to the GMPs having effects such as hormesis and bioluminescence quenching. Moreover, the bioluminescence and cell viability differed between the two strains, possibly involving distinct cellular mechanisms, suggesting that GMPs affect factors that influence quorum sensing. Furthermore, the biofilm formation of LB01 and LB09 was observed following exposure to GMPs. Both strains showed increased biofilm formation at higher GMP concentrations (1% and 2%) after 3.1 days at 30°C and 22°C. However, in the 7-day experiment, LB01 significantly (p < 0.05) increased biofilms at 22°C, while LB09 significantly (p < 0.05) produced biofilms at 30°C. These findings highlight the strain-specific responses of Phb. leiognathi to MP pollutants. Therefore, this study underscores the importance of evaluating MPs as environmental stressors on marine microorganisms and their role in the ecophysiological repercussions of plastic pollution in aquatic environments.

Izhodišča: Uvedba klinične prakse v začetne letnike študija pomeni uvedba zgodnjega stika z bolnikom in priložnost, da se v učni proces dejavno vključijo klinični mentorji. Namen prispevka je ugotoviti, kako so študenti ocenili izpolnjevanje zastavljenih učnih ciljev, ter predstaviti analizo kvantitativnih in kvalitativnih ocen pouka prve generacije študentov prvega letnika medicine in dentalne medicine o obvezni klinični praksi v študijskem letu 2021/22. Metode: Med študenti 1. letnikov medicine in dentalne medicine smo izvedli za študente obvezno anonimno anketo ob koncu izvajanja klinične prakse v študijskem letu 2021/22. Sestavljena je bila iz vprašanj zaprtega tipa, pri katerih je bila uporabljena Likertova skala z oceno od 1 do 5, in vprašanj odprtega tipa. Kvantitativne podatke smo analizirali z uporabo metod deskriptivne statistike in Mann-Whitneyevega testa za dva neodvisna vzorca, kvalitativno zbrane podatke smo analizirali z deskriptivno analizo prejetih opisnih odgovorov študentov. Rezultati: Anketo so izpolnili 304 študentje (100 % odziv), med katerimi je bilo 245 študentov medicine (80,6 %) in 59 (19,4 %) študentov dentalne medicine. Število študentk je bilo 271, kar je predstavljalo 71,4 % udeležencev. Študenti so poročali, da so bili učni cilji v celoti izpolnjeni. Pretežno so bili zadovoljni z usvojitvijo kliničnih veščin in veščin nudenja nujne medicinske pomoči. Pomembno slabše so usvojitev kliničnih veščin ocenili študentje dentalne medicine (Mann-Whitney 8689,5; p =0,009). Najbolje ocenjeni del celotnega predmeta je bila prav praksa v kliničnem okolju, ki je bila ocenjena z mediano 5 (interkvartilni razmik 0). Vlogo mentorja so študenti ocenili izjemno pozitivno, kar 288 (94,7 %) študentov bi namreč svojega mentorja zanesljivo priporočilo kolegom. Zaključki: Študenti so klinično prakso v prvem letniku ocenili kot izjemno pozitivno izkušnjo. Najvišjo oceno so podelili kliničnim mentorjem. Prepoznani vlogi mentorjev klinične prakse v izobraževanju študentov medicine in dentalne medicine bo zato sledila še formalna ureditev statusa mentorjev klinične prakse.

Introdução: Os estudantes universitários, a maioria jovens ingressantes, passam por adaptações frente à possibilidade de novas vivências relacionadas à sexualidade. A conjuntura pandêmica da COVID-19 trouxe redução ou interrupção nos serviços de saúde quanto à oferta de ações para prevenção, realização de testes diagnósticos, tratamento e distribuição de medicamentos para Infecções Sexualmente Transmissíveis (IST), incluindo o manejo das infecções por sífilis, aumentando a vulnerabilidade as IST do público supracitado. Objetivo: Estimar a prevalência de sífilis entre universitários e fatores associados durante a pandemia da COVID-19. Método: Estudo transversal, com abordagem quantitativa, realizado com estudantes universitários de uma instituição pública de ensino superior do estado da Paraíba, Brasil, no período de março de 2021 a abril de 2022. Os dados foram coletados por meio de entrevista individual, utilizando questionário estruturado contendo dados sociodemográficos e de comportamento sexual. Foi ofertado teste rápido para Treponema pallidum conforme orientações do Ministério da Saúde. A análise dos dados foi realizada no programa estatístico Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), através de estatística descritiva e inferencial. A pesquisa foi aprovada pelo Comitê de Ética em Pesquisa (CEP), sob parecer n° 4.309.767/2020. Resultados: Foram entrevistados 404 universitários, maioria do sexo feminino (57,9%), na faixa etária entre 18 e 24 anos (72,0%), de cor parda (43,1%), estado civil solteiro (87,1%), com religião (54,2%), renda mensal familiar igual ou menor a dois salários mínimos (59,7%), não moram na residência universitária (72,8%) e recebem benefícios de assistência estudantil (67,1%). A prevalência de Sífilis foi de 3,0% (IC 95%: 1,0-5,0). Mulheres tiveram chances reduzidas para testes reagentes (OR = 0,06; IC 95%: 0,08-0,48; p = 0,008). As chances foram aumentadas entre àqueles com início de atividade sexual precoce (OR = 4,09; IC95%:1,28-13,0; p = 0,017) e com multiplicidade de parceiros (OR = 4,00; IC 95%:1,06-15,0; p = 0,040). Conclusão: A prevalência de testes reagentes para sífilis (3,0%) entre estudantes universitários foi semelhante ao encontrado em outros estudos, com menor prevalência entre as mulheres e maiores chances de testes reagentes naqueles que iniciaram a atividade sexual antes dos 15 anos de idade e que relataram mais de dois parceiros sexuais nos últimos 12 meses.

IntroductionSalicylic acid has shown promise in alleviating water stress in cultivated plants. However, there is a lack of studies confirming its effectiveness in cowpea plants grown in field conditions. Therefore, this research aimed to evaluate the use of salicylic acid as a water stress mitigator in cowpea cultivars under different irrigation depths in field conditions.MethodsFour cowpea cultivars (BRS Novaera, BRS Tapaihum, BRS Pujante, and BRS Pajeú) were subjected to different treatments: control (W100: 100% replacement of crop evapotranspiration – ETc), W50 (50% of ETc), W50+SA2 (50% of ETc + 276 mg L-1 of SA), and W50+SA4 (50% of ETc + 552 mg L-1 of SA). The treatments were combined in a 4×4 factorial scheme with three replications, arranged in a randomized block design.ResultsWater restriction had a negative impact on the water status, growth, gas exchange, and production of the cultivars while also leading to changes in the antioxidant metabolism and osmolyte concentration. The application of SA enhanced antioxidant activity and the synthesis of osmotic adjusters under stress conditions. The most effective concentration was 276 mg L-1 in stage R2 and 552 mg L-1 in stage V7, respectively. The BRS Pujante cultivar showed increased productivity under water restriction with SA application, while the BRS Tapaihum was the most tolerant among the cultivars studied.DiscussionIn summary, our findings underscore the importance of using SA to mitigate the effects of water restriction on cowpea cultivation. These discoveries are crucial for the sustainability of cowpea production in regions susceptible to drought, which can contribute to food security. We further add that the adoption of new agricultural practices can enhance the resilience and productivity of cowpea as an essential and sustainable food source for vulnerable populations in various parts of the world.

Prophylactic treatment with emicizumab has become an important and effective bleeding prevention for people with hemophilia A (PwHA). Perioperative management of PwHA using emicizumab prophylaxis is still challenging due to a lack of experience. Medical records of perioperative management and outcomes were reviewed, and data were collected for adult PwHA receiving emicizumab and undergoing surgical procedures between August 2019 and July 2022 at the University Medical Center Ljubljana. Twelve surgical procedures were performed in eight PwHA (one with FVIII inhibitors) while on emicizumab prophylaxis. Three minor procedures included cataract surgery, cystoscopic lithotripsy, and percutaneous coronary intervention. Nine major surgeries included four osteosyntheses, necrectomy of chronic osteomyelitis with new ankle arthrodesis, two below-knee amputations, total knee replacement, and placement of ventriculostomy after a spontaneous intraventricular hemorrhage. No major bleeds, thrombotic events or deaths, or new inhibitors appeared. Our real-world experience demonstrates that minor and major surgeries can be performed safely in PwHA on emicizumab prophylaxis. Additional data are needed to optimize dosing/duration of additional hemostatic agents in diverse invasive procedures and complex clinical situations.

Background and objectivesIn children requiring electroencephalography (EEG), sleep recording can provide crucial information. As EEG recordings during spontaneous sleep are not always possible, pharmacological sleep-inducing agents are sometimes required. The aim of the study was to evaluate safety and efficacy of melatonin (Mel) and dexmedetomidine (Dex; intranasal and sublingual application) for sleep induction prior to EEG.MethodsIn this prospective randomized study, 156 consecutive patients aged 1–19 years were enrolled and randomized by draw into melatonin group (Mel; n = 54; dose: 0.1 mg/kg), dexmedetomidine (Dex) sublingual group (DexL; n = 51; dose: 3 mcg/kg) or dexmedetomidine intranasal group (DexN; n = 51; dose: 3 mcg/kg). We compared the groups in several parameters regarding efficacy and safety and also carried out a separate analysis for a subgroup of patients with complex behavioral problems.ResultsSleep was achieved in 93.6% of participants after the first application of the drug and in 99.4% after the application of another if needed. Mel was effective as the first drug in 83.3% and Dex in 99.0% (p

This research is qualitatively oriented and aims to analyze themes of social justice—according to the methodology proposed by the international project EduHealth—based on critical incidents in physical education classes. The incidents have been identified by six physical education teacher-researchers who produced vignettes from the situations. Three of them are Master’s students from the Postgraduate Program in Physical Education at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (PPGEF-UFRN) and three are from the Professional Postgraduate Program in Physical Education in National Network at the Federal University of Ceará (ProEF-UFC). Both universities are located in the Northeastern region of Brazil. Findings point to themes related to gender inequality, trans invisibility and/or homophobia, socioeconomic inequalities, reflective-critical issues about democracy and social inclusion, the struggle for social rights, bullying, religions and empathy, intellectual and physical disabilities, diversity, identity, and low self-esteem. A critical education based on social justice is essential in facing the analyzed situations. In conclusion, the notion of social justice can help to promote the knowledge that teacher-researchers mobilize to teach physical education’s thematic subjects in a contextualized and engaged way. This perspective helps to understand the privileges and unjust power relations present in Brazilian society, pointing out subsidies for reflection and deepening of the teaching and learning processes.

Objective: To understand how health education on sexual health can contribute to the empowerment of women who have sex with women. Methods: This is a descriptive study with a qualitative approach, mediated by action research. It corresponds to the intervention stage, which was based on the situational diagnosis, the focus of another article. Results: Three educational actions were carried out with the study participants, with the aim of transforming the reality experienced by these women in terms of the obstacles encountered in promoting sexual health. Each intervention focused on problems found in the situational diagnosis, based on semi-structured interviews with seven university students. Conclusion: The promotion of sexual health education expands the role of women who have sex with women through the construction of knowledge, enabling them to be less susceptible to Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs).

Objetivo: identificar a prevalência da Covid-19 e fatores associados entre servidores públicos do município de João Pessoa, Paraíba. Método: estudo transversal, analítico, realizado com 373 servidores de João Pessoa, Paraíba. Utilizou-se informações do portal de Vigilância em Saúde do estado sobre a evolução da Covid-19. A população do estudo foram os servidores públicos que realizaram o teste RT-PCR para a Covid-19 entre abril e junho de 2021. Realizou-se estatística descritiva e inferencial. Resultados: prevalência de Covid-19 foi de 19,8%; sexo feminino tem chances reduzidas para apresentar diagnóstico positivo da doença; anosmia esteve associada com o diagnóstico da referida infecção. Conclusão: disponibilidade de equipamentos de proteção individual, medidas para higienização das mãos, estímulo à vacinação e reorganização do espaço são algumas das estratégias para a garantia da segurança dos trabalhadores no ambiente de trabalho. Descritores: COVID-19. Teste para COVID-19. Saúde Ocupacional. Saúde Pública. Prevenção de Doenças.

Plant endogenous mechanisms are not always sufficient enough to mitigate drought stress, therefore, the exogenous application of elicitors, such as salicylic acid, is necessary. In this study, we assessed the mitigating action of salicylic acid (SA) in cowpea genotypes under drought conditions. An experiment was conducted with two cowpea genotypes and six treatments of drought stress and salicylic acid (T1 = Control, T2 = drought stress (stress), T3 = stress + 0.1 mM of SA, T4 = stress + 0.5 mM of SA, T5 = stress + 1.0 mM of SA, and T6 = stress + 2.0 mM of SA). Plants were evaluated in areas of leaf area, stomatal conductance, photosynthesis, proline content, the activity of antioxidant enzymes, and dry grain production. Drought stress reduces the leaf area, stomatal conductance, photosynthesis, and, consequently, the production of both cowpea genotypes. The growth and production of the BRS Paraguaçu genotype outcompetes the Pingo de Ouro-1-2 genotype, regardless of the stress conditions. The exogenous application of 0.5 mM salicylic acid to cowpea leaves increases SOD activity, decreases CAT activity, and improves the production of both genotypes. The application of 0.5 mM of salicylic acid mitigates drought stress in the cowpea genotype, and the BRS Paraguaçu genotype is more tolerant to drought stress.

Increasing population pressure generates a greater demand for food and consumer products, which forces the agricultural sector to optimize the production systems, as well as to use edible and energetic specie cultivars associated with abiotic stress-reducing substances. This investigation aimed to evaluate whether silicon (Si) promotes physiological adjustments, an increase in production, higher yield, and improved quality of naturally colored cotton fibers. Five doses of silicon (0, 50, 100, 150, and 200 mg L−1) were tested in a completely randomized design. The variables assessed were physiological, production, fibers yield and quality produced by BRS Safira cultivar. Data were submitted to principal component analysis, multivariate and univariate variance, and multiple linear regression. Silicon promotes physiological adjustments, increased production, and cotton fiber quality. Optimum Si dose varies depending on the variable response. Fiber quality from cotton plants treated with Si is within the expected pattern for this cultivar and the international standard D-4605 of the American Society for Testing and Materials for fiber quality measurement. Therefore, planting BRS Safira cultivar under Si foliar applications may be recommended to improve the naturally colored fiber cotton production chain in the Brazilian semiarid region.

IntroductionClassical low-flow, low-gradient aortic stenosis (LFLG-AS) is an advanced stage of aortic stenosis, which has a poor prognosis with medical treatment and a high operative mortality after surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR). There is currently a paucity of information regarding the current prognosis of classical LFLG-AS patients undergoing SAVR and the lack of a reliable risk assessment tool for this particular subset of AS patients. The present study aims to assess mortality predictors in a population of classical LFLG-AS patients undergoing SAVR.MethodsThis is a prospective study including 41 consecutive classical LFLG-AS patients (aortic valve area ≤1.0 cm2, mean transaortic gradient 25 mmHg). All-cause, intraprocedural, 30-day, and 1-year mortality rates were evaluated.ResultsAll of the patients had degenerative aortic stenosis, with a median age of 66 (60–73) years; most of the patients were men (83%). The median EuroSCORE II was 2.19% (1.5%–4.78%), and the median STS was 2.19% (1.6%–3.99%). On DSE, 73.2% had flow reserve (FR), i.e., an increase in stroke volume ≥20% during DSE, with no significant differences between groups. On CMR, late gadolinium enhancement mass was lower in the group with mean transaortic gradient >25 mmHg [2.0 (0.0–8.9) g vs. 8.5 (2.3–15.0) g; p = 0.034), and myocardium extracellular volume (ECV) and indexed ECV were similar between groups. The 30-day and 1-year mortality rates were 14.6% and 43.8%, respectively. The median follow-up was 4.1 (0.3–5.1) years. By multivariate analysis adjusted for FR, only the mean transaortic gradient was an independent predictor of mortality (hazard ratio: 0.923, 95% confidence interval: 0.864–0.986, p = 0.019). A mean transaortic gradient ≤25 mmHg was associated with higher all-cause mortality rates (log-rank p = 0.038), while there was no difference in mortality regarding FR status (log-rank p = 0.114).ConclusionsIn patients with classical LFLG-AS undergoing SAVR, the mean transaortic gradient was the only independent mortality predictor in patients with LFLG-AS, especially if ≤25 mmHg. The absence of left ventricular FR had no prognostic impact on long-term outcomes.

Microplastics (MPs) have been detected in various aquatic environments and negatively affect organisms, including marine luminous bacteria. This study investigated the differences in bioluminescence patterns, cell viability, and biofilm formation of Photobacterium leiognathi strains (LB01 and LB09) when exposed to various concentrations of ground microplastics (GMPs; 0.25%, 0.50%, 1%, or 2% [w/v] per mL) at 22°C or 30°C for 3.1 days (75 h) and 7 days. The strains exhibited heterogenous responses, including variable bioluminescence patterns, cell viability, and biofilm formation, due to the GMPs having effects such as hormesis and bioluminescence quenching. Moreover, the bioluminescence and cell viability differed between the two strains, possibly involving distinct cellular mechanisms, suggesting that GMPs affect factors that influence quorum sensing. Furthermore, the biofilm formation of LB01 and LB09 was observed following exposure to GMPs. Both strains showed increased biofilm formation at higher GMP concentrations (1% and 2%) after 3.1 days at 30°C and 22°C. However, in the 7-day experiment, LB01 significantly (p < 0.05) increased biofilms at 22°C, while LB09 significantly (p < 0.05) produced biofilms at 30°C. These findings highlight the strain-specific responses of Phb. leiognathi to MP pollutants. Therefore, this study underscores the importance of evaluating MPs as environmental stressors on marine microorganisms and their role in the ecophysiological repercussions of plastic pollution in aquatic environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This study aimed to investigate the impact of alcohol (A), secondhand cigarette smoking (ShS), and their combined effect on liver antioxidant activity and hepatic damage in rats with induced apical periodontitis (AP). Thirty-five female Wistar rats were randomly allocated into five groups (n = 7): (1) control (rats without ShS, alcoholic diet, or AP), (2) control-AP (induced AP only), (3) ShS-AP (ShS exposure and induced AP), (4) A-AP (alcoholic diet and induced AP), and (5) A+ShS-AP (alcoholic diet, ShS exposure, and induced AP). Alcohol was administered through semi-voluntary intake, while ShS exposure involved the daily inhalation of cigarette smoke. The experimental period lasted 8 weeks, with AP induction occurring in the 4th week following molar pulp exposure. Liver samples were collected post-euthanasia for histomorphometric and antioxidant marker analyses. All AP-induced groups exhibited increased liver sinusoidal dilation compared to the control group (p < 0.05). AP significantly reduced total antioxidant capacity (FRAP) across all groups (p < 0.05). In AP-induced groups, FRAP levels were further decreased in ShS-AP and A+ShS-AP compared to control-AP (p < 0.05). AP also led to a decrease in the glutathione defense system (p < 0.05). Rats with alcohol exposure (A-AP and A+ShS-AP) showed reduced glutathione peroxidase activity (p < 0.05). Glutathione reductase activity was comparable in the control and control-AP groups (p > 0.05), but significantly decreased in the alcohol and ShS-exposed groups (p < 0.05). Apical periodontitis can relate to morphological changes in the liver's sinusoidal spaces and impairment of liver's antioxidant capacity of rats, particularly when combined with chronic alcohol consumption and exposure to cigarette smoke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rescheduling problems arise when unpredicted events occur, such as the arrival of new orders. These new jobs should be integrated in a proper way in the existing schedule of the so-called old jobs, with the aim of minimizing an objective function for the joint set of jobs. To avoid a major disruption of the original schedule, each old job is not allowed to deviate from its original completion time by more than a certain threshold. Filling a gap in the existing literature, we consider the minimization of the total weighted completion time. The resulting rescheduling problem is shown to be weakly NP-hard and several properties of the structure of an optimal schedule are derived. These can be used for the construction of an exact dynamic programming algorithm with pseudo-polynomial running time. A fully polynomial time approximation scheme is obtained from the dynamic program by three different scaling and reduction steps. Finally, for the minimization of the number of late jobs a strong NP-hardness result is derived. History: Accepted by Erwin Pesch, Area Editor for Heuristic Search & Approximation Algorithms. Funding: This work was partially supported by the Ministero dell'Istruzione, dell'Università e della Ricerca [Award TESUN-83486178370409 finanziamento dipartimenti di eccellenza CAP. 1694 TIT. 232 ART. 6]. U. Pferschy acknowledges support by the Field of Excellence COLIBRI at the University of Graz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil health is directly related to sustainable development goals (SDGs) and can be affected by inadequate management practices. In this work, soil edaphic respiration and changes in microbial biomass promoted by cover crops in an integrated crop–livestock system (ICLS) were evaluated using soil health indicators with the respirometry method. The design was completely randomized in a 3 × 6 factorial arrangement, and multivariate principal components analysis (PCA) was performed according to MANOVA. Edaphic respiration was determined based on the respirometry technique. The results showed that edaphic soil respiration was significant in the nine evaluation periods, demonstrating the importance of grass cover in edaphic respiration arising from the biological activity of microorganisms, which is directly related to the amount of soil organic carbon. The cover crops increased soil organic matter and consequently microbial respiratory activity.

Accumulating plastics in the biosphere implicates adverse effects, raising serious concern among scientists worldwide. Plastic waste in nature disintegrates into microplastics. Because of their minute appearance, at a scale of

Seafood is one of the essential sources of nutrients for the human diet. However, they can be subject to contamination and can cause foodborne illnesses, including scombroid fish poisoning caused by histamine. Many microorganisms can produce enzymes that eventually decompose endogenous histidine to histamine in postmortem fish muscles and tissues. One of these is histamine-forming bacteria (HFB), primarily found in the gills, gut, and skin of fishes. Previous studies linked a plethora of Gram-negative HFB including Morganella spp. and Photobacterium spp. to scombroid fish poisoning from many types of seafood, especially the Scombridae family. These bacteria possess the hdc gene to produce histidine decarboxylase enzyme. It was reported that Gram-negative HFB produced 6345 ppm in tuna and 1223 ppm in Spanish mackerel. Interestingly, Gram-positive HFB have been isolated in the seafood samples with lower histamine levels. It suggests that Gram-negative HFB are the major contributor to the accumulation of histamine in seafood. Several analytical methods are available to detect and identify HFB and their histamine metabolites from seafood substrates. Rapid test kits can be used in food production settings for early detection of histamine to avoid food intoxication. Furthermore, high hydrostatic pressure and irradiation treatment could prevent the proliferation of HFB and inactivate the existing histidine decarboxylase (HDC) activity. As demonstrated in different seafood model systems, the HDC activity was deactivated at a maximum high hydrostatic pressure level of 400 MPa. The complete inactivation of HFB was achieved by gamma irradiation at a dose of 4.0 kGy. Other postharvest treatments, like enzymatic degradation and electrolyzed oxidizing water, were studied as sustainable methods for bacterial growth prevention and enzyme inactivation. However, other HFB react differently to these treatment conditions, and further studies are recommended.