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This review explores recent technological advances in intraoperative imaging during retinal disease surgeries, focusing on their applicability in clinical practice and impact on surgical outcomes. A literature search identified studies discussing new imaging technologies, their advantages over conventional methods, relevant case studies, and literature reviews. Exclusion criteria included studies unrelated to retinal diseases, imaging technologies not suitable for intraoperative use, outdated articles, and nonscientific reports. Significant advancements, particularly with optical coherence tomography (OCT), have transformed retinal surgery by providing high-resolution images and real-time feedback, enhancing surgical precision and patient safety. However, the high costs of these technologies remain a barrier to widespread adoption, despite their potential to set new standards in ophthalmic surgery.

Abstract Cement production contributes to approximately 7% of global CO2 emissions, prompting the cement industry to adopt various mitigation actions. Consequently, the onus falls on concrete producers to employ more efficient mix design methods that reduce the carbon footprint. Utilizing particle packing models and cement substitute materials holds promise for producing more eco-efficient concretes. In this context, this study compared limestone powder and diabase powder application as partial substitutes for cement, assessing the technical feasibility of using diabase powder. In addition to concretes incorporating these powders, a reference concrete without any substitution was prepared. Mix design methods were determined using Alfred's particle packing model. Analyses were performed by compressive strength, electrical resistivity, modulus of elasticity, as well as environmental parameters such as binder consumption (bi) and CO2 intensity (ci). Results indicated that the limestone powder concrete exhibited higher resistivity, suggesting a more compact cementitious matrix. Compressive strength data revealed statistically equal values across all concrete types. However, the modulus of elasticity for the powders-based concretes was slightly reduced compared to the reference concrete. Regarding the environmental indicators, concrete with limestone powder showed better performances in both binder consumption (bi) at 3.9 kg/m3/MPa, and CO2 intensity (ci) at 3.28 kgCO2e/MPa. These values were below literature benchmarks (10 to 15 kg/m3/MPa for bi and 7.9 to 9.1 kgCO2e/MPa for ci), indicating the achieved eco-efficiency. The parameters evaluation indicates that Alfred's model and the incorporation of stone powders contribute to the mechanical and environmental efficiency of the studied mixtures.

Resumo Fundamento A consolidação de novos paradigmas educacionais exige a implantação de estratégias inovadoras com potencial de transformar estudantes em profissionais competentes. Objetivos Analisar o conhecimento e a satisfação de estudantes antes e após a utilização de uma nova metodologia ativa de ensino médico de modelo digital humanizado chamada Virtual Case-Based Learning (VCBL). Métodos Estudo descritivo com análise documental sobre o processo de ensino-aprendizagem de estudantes de medicina. Dados obtidos da avaliação de conhecimento teórico e do instrumento de satisfação dos alunos nos anos de 2018 e 2019 foram analisados, e a nova metodologia proposta VCBL foi comparada com a metodologia ativa de ensino tradicional, o Problem-Based Learning (PBL). As análises descritivas e de associação foram realizadas utilizando o programa Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. Resultados Foram analisados 167 documentos aplicados a estudantes de medicina. Em relação à avaliação do conhecimento teórico, os alunos avaliados em 2018 obtiveram média 41,7%, comparados aos alunos de 2019 que alcançaram 73,3% (p

Rivers serve many societal functions and are one of the most intensively human influenced ecosystems worldwide, and, due to their importance, are included under the monitoring programs of the Water Framework Directive across Europe. Macroinvertebrates play an important role when monitoring running waters for the assessment of their environmental quality due to their reliability as bioindicators and utility in long-term studies. Macroinvertebrates do not constitute a systematic unit but they are formed by a set of different taxa, grouped according to taxonomic ranks, size and habitat preferences. They represent the base of the aquatic food chain, serving as a food source for amphibians, birds, reptiles, fish and humans, and contributing in the organic matter processing. Despite the large amount of data collected on Italian river macroinvertebrates and the increased interest in the study of this group, only few data are available for research scientist and managers. In this paper, we collected and homogenized knowledge on the presence, distribution and abundances of macroinvertebrates taxa inhabiting the River Po catchment (Northern Italy) in the last decade. The data set includes 130,727 records collected between 2007 and 2018 including 143 taxa of macroinvertebrates, mostly identified at family rank level. Moreover, the data set provides information on the geographic distribution of these families and their abundance by sub-catchment, altitude, meso- and micro-habitat.

A construção civil no Brasil, de maneira geral, segue a premissa de que é necessário lucro imediato, preterindo aspectos ligados à sustentabilidade. As construções mais utilizadas no país utilizam matérias-primas limitadas e ainda possuem elevado impacto negativo ao meio ambiente. O Brasil é um país extenso e com muitas possibilidades de silvicultura, que pode ser utilizada em novos sistemas construtivos em substituição dos atuais. Nesse contexto, este trabalho tem o objetivo de expor o sistema de construção Light Wood Frame a uma análise comparativa com o sistema construtivo mais utilizado no Brasil, concreto armado com vedação em blocos cerâmicos, e com o sistema de alvenaria estrutural com blocos de concreto. A análise de cada sistema é pautada nos quesitos de desempenho térmico, acústico e de segurança contra incêndio das vedações verticais, baseados na NBR 15575. Tendo uma edificação térrea como base, foram colhidos dados para a análise de todos os quesitos. Os resultados analisados indicam maior conforto acústico e superior segurança contra incêndio das paredes do sistema Light Wood Frame. Sendo assim, este trabalho demonstra que o sistema em questão deveria ser mais utilizado no Brasil, pois o desempenho superior aliado a um custo equivalente justifica o seu uso.

Objetivo: desenvolver um protocolo de prevenção e tratamento da hipotermia perioperatória. Método: pesquisa do tipo desenvolvimento tecnológico em saúde, desenvolvida em três etapas: Revisão de diretrizes clínicas sobre fatores de risco para desenvolvimento de hipotermia perioperatória; Identificação da ocorrência de hipotermia perioperatória e dos fatores de risco associados ao seu desenvolvimento em um centro cirúrgico e Elaboração do protocolo de prevenção de hipotermia perioperatória. Resultados: os fatores de risco identificados nas diretrizes foram categorizados em características clínicas (idade, Índice de Massa Corporal, comorbidades, temperatura corporal) e anestésico-cirúrgicas (tipo e duração da anestesia e cirurgia, temperatura da sala cirúrgica). Na segunda etapa, 90 pacientes cirúrgicos foram avaliados. A ocorrência de hipotermia foi de 28,9% na admissão cirúrgica, 77,8% na admissão da Sala de Recuperação Pós-Anestésica e 45,6% alta do centro cirúrgico. Houve associação estatisticamente significativa entre ocorrência de hipotermia e índice ASA (p=0,049), idade (p=0,037), comorbidades (p=0,031), hipotermia pré-operatória (p=0,015). Conclusão: para elaboração do protocolo foram considerados os fatores de risco descritos na literatura, os resultados de estudo local e acesso às tecnologias disponíveis na instituição. As ações incluíram avaliação de fatores de risco e de situações desencadeantes, monitorização e registro da temperatura e outros parâmetros, aquecimento passivo para pacientes normotérmicos, aquecimento ativo para pacientes hipotérmicos, infusão de soluções endovenosas aquecidas e suporte de oxigênio para pacientes hipotérmicos.

Soybean is a rich source of vegetal protein for both animal and human consumption. Despite the high levels of protein in soybean seeds, industrial processing to obtain soybean bran significantly decreases the final protein content of the byproducts. To overcome this problem, cultivars with higher protein contents must be developed. However, selecting the target proteins is difficult because of the lack of information on the proteome profile of soybean bran. Therefore, this study obtained the comparative proteomic profiles of both natural coatless seeds and defatted bran from an elite tropical-soybean cultivar. Thus, their extracts were characterized using LC–MS/MS and a total of 550 proteins were identified. Among these, 526 proteins were detected in coatless seeds and 319 proteins in defatted bran. Moreover, a total of 139 proteins were identified as presenting different levels of content in coatless seeds and defatted bran. Among them, only 46 were retained after the seed processing. These proteins were clustered in several important metabolic pathways, such as amino-acid biosynthesis, sugar biosynthesis, and antioxidant activity, meaning that they could act as targets for bioactive products or genome editing to improve protein quality and quantity in soybean grains. These findings can enhance our understanding regarding protein robustness for both soybean crops and the commercial bran improvement because target proteins must remain intact after processing and must be bioactive when overexpressed. Overall, the soybean bran proteomic profile was explored for the first time, providing a valuable catalogue of target proteins that can tolerate the industrial process.

This review explores recent technological advances in intraoperative imaging during retinal disease surgeries, focusing on their applicability in clinical practice and impact on surgical outcomes. A literature search identified studies discussing new imaging technologies, their advantages over conventional methods, relevant case studies, and literature reviews. Exclusion criteria included studies unrelated to retinal diseases, imaging technologies not suitable for intraoperative use, outdated articles, and nonscientific reports. Significant advancements, particularly with optical coherence tomography (OCT), have transformed retinal surgery by providing high-resolution images and real-time feedback, enhancing surgical precision and patient safety. However, the high costs of these technologies remain a barrier to widespread adoption, despite their potential to set new standards in ophthalmic surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This nutrition consensus document is the first to coordinate the efforts of three professional organizations - the Brazilian Association of Nutrition (Asbran), the Brazilian Society of Nephrology (SBN), and the Brazilian Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (Braspen/SBNPE) - to select terminology and international standardized tools used in nutrition care. Its purpose is to improve the training delivered to nutritionists working with adult patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Eleven questions were developed concerning patient screening, care, and nutrition outcome management. The recommendations set out in this document were developed based on international guidelines and papers published in electronic databases such as PubMed, EMBASE(tm), CINHAL, Web of Science, and Cochrane. From a list of internationally standardized terms, twenty nutritionists selected the ones they deemed relevant in clinical practice involving outpatients with CKD. The content validity index (CVI) was calculated with 80% agreement in the answers. The Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) framework was used to assess the strength of evidence and recommendations. A total of 107 terms related to Nutrition Assessment and Reassessment, 28 to Diagnosis, nine to Intervention, and 94 to Monitoring and Evaluation were selected. The list of selected terms and identified tools will be used in the development of training programs and the implementation of standardized nutrition terminology for nutritionists working with patients with chronic kidney disease in Brazil.

In soybean, studies on drought-responses are conducted during vegetative season. Information related to genes triggered in response to water-deficit (WD) in flower and pod is lacking. We performed an RNASeq and an agro-physiological characterization at stages R2 and R4 of soybean cultivar BR16, under WD. Physiological results showed a decrease in gas exchange parameters. Agronomical results showed WD impaired yield. Global Gene Ontology analyses indicated that most of the Differential Expressed Genes (DEGs) were down-regulated in flowers but up-regulated in pods. qRT-PCR revealed that WD triggered hormone biosynthesis changes. Mechanisms such as a decrease in glyceollin levels and cell wall instability were observed. This data showed tissue-specific mechanisms correlated with phenotypic responses such as drought escape, early flowering hormone-induced, and loss in grain weight. We presented here a comprehensive expression profile of flowers and pods soybean genes, which could guide researchers in the development of plants more tolerant to drought.

Globally, the area of land cultivated with genetically modified (GM) crops has increased a thousand-fold over the last two decades. Although this technology has become important for food production, the regulatory frameworks that underpin these outcomes are based on a list of requirements for a risk assessment that differ from country to country. In recent years, policymakers have had the opportunity to learn from the controversies over transgenics to create effective regulatory milestones for emerging technologies, allowing them to reach their potential for a more sustainable agriculture, ensuring food security. In Brazil, Law No. 11.105 of 24 March 2005 established a framework with four main organizations responsible for risk assessment and management. However, most of new breeding technologies did not exist at that time and were not considered in this law. In 2016, Normative Resolution No. 16 of the National Biosafety Technical Commission (CTNBio) was established to address this gap based on the evaluation of the products obtained through these techniques (termed Innovative Precision Improvement Techniques in the resolution), in a case-by-case consultation system. Briefly, if the product is designated to be a GM, the developer will have to go through the biosafety requirements and will be approved only after CTNBio risk assessment. If the product is designated not to be GM (for the purposes of the legislation), then it can be registered using the existing procedures. Currently, 152 GM products are commercially approved in Brazil. In 2018, CTNBio assessed the first consultation on commercial release of plants generated using the new breeding technologies and has subsequently approved six products. It is expected that many institutions would be able to participate in Brazilian and world markets, developing and introducing new biotechnological solutions and products through a more sustainable approach and without facing public disapproval, a common issue for GM crops.

Abstract Soybean is a key crop in many countries, being used from human food to the animal industry due to its nutritional properties. Financially, the grain chain moves large sums of money into the economy of producing countries. However, like other agricultural commodities around the world, it can have its final yield seriously compromised by abiotic environmental stressors, like drought. As flowers imply in pods and in grains inside it to minimize damages caused by water restriction, researchers have focused on understanding flowering-process related genes and their interactions. Here a review dedicated to the soybean flowering process and gene network involved in it is presented, describing gene interactions and how genes act in this complex mechanism, also ruled by environmental triggers such as day-light and circadian cycle. The objective was to gather information and insights on the soybean flowering process, aiming to provide knowledge useful to assist in the development of drought-tolerant soybean lines, minimizing losses due to delays or anticipation of flowering and, consequently, restraining financial and productivity losses.

Abstract The partial replacement of clinker by complementary cementitious materials can significantly contribute to the reduction of carbon emissions in the production of concrete. Another alternative to reduce these emissions is to increase the efficiency of the concrete, achieving higher compressive strength with lower consumption of cement. Particle packing models are efficient tools to optimize the composition of the matrix and contribute to the production of more eco-efficient concretes. In this context, the objective of the present study is evaluating the production of concretes with partial replacement of cement by stone powder, optimized by Alfred’s particle packing model, seeking to reduce cement consumption and CO2 emissions per MPa of compressive strength. The replacement content of cement by stone powder was 20% by mass (equivalent to 22.4% by volume). Concretes were produced with different distribution factor (q) - 0.37; 0.21; 0.45 - to verify the influence of fines on the flow between particles and on the efficiency of the produced concrete. The analyses were carried out in terms of properties in the fresh state, hardened state, and sustainability parameters (cement consumptions and CO2 emissions). The application of the proposed method resulted in a higher compressive strength than the expected for the water/cement ratio used (0.5). The most efficient concrete reached the compressive strength of 68 MPa with 240 kg/m3 of cement, which represents 3.5 kg of cement/m3/MPa and 3.1 kg of CO2/m3/MPa, a value below the references found in the literature for conventional concretes. Therefore, the proposed method allows to produce more eco-efficient concrete, contributing to the use of waste and reducing CO2 emissions.

The discovery of nucleic acids opened new frontiers of knowledge, enabling researchers to access an enormous amount of data, through large-scale sequencing methodologies and bioinformatics tools. Amongst these new possibilities, RNA-Seq has been used to identify and quantify RNA molecules. To obtain more accurate biological responses from RNA-Seq data some questions should be considered such as experimental design, type of synthesized library, size of the fragments generated, number of biological replicates, depth, and coverage of the sequencing, species genome availability and, the choice of software to properly perform the computational analyzes. Accurate bioinformatics analyzes allow the selection of genes with a lower error rate, increasing the validation assertiveness via RT-qPCR and thus, reducing costs. The objective of this review was to present the analysis stages of RNA-Seq data, from experimental design to systems biology, considering relevant points, as well as to pointed out some software currently available to carry these analyzes out. Besides, with this review, we aimed to help the academic community to understand all steps and biases involved in RNA-Seq data analysis, from experiments with or without biological replicates.

ABSTRACT Background: Chronic wounds in patients with Diabetes Mellitus often become incurable due to prolonged and excessive production of inflammatory cytokines. The use of probiotics modifies the intestinal microbiota and modulates inflammatory reactions. Aim: To evaluate the influence of perioperative supplementation with probiotics in the cutaneous healing process in diabetic rats. Methods: Forty-six rats were divided into four groups (C3, P3, C10, P10) according to the treatment (P=probiotic or C=control, both orally administered) and day of euthanasia, 3rd or 10th postoperative days. All rats were induced to Diabetes Mellitus 72 h before starting the experiment with alloxan. Supplementation was initiated five days before the incision and maintained until euthanasia. Scalpel incision was guided by a 2x2 cm mold and the wounds were left to heal per second-intention. The wounds were digitally measured. Collagen densitometry was done with Picrosirius Red staining. Histological parameters were analyzed by staining by H&E. Results: The contraction of the wound was faster in the P10 group which resulted in a smaller scar area (p=0.011). There was an increase in type I collagen deposition from the 3rd to the 10th postoperative day in the probiotic groups (p=0.016), which did not occur in the control group (p=0.487). The histological analysis showed a better degree of healing in the P10 group (p=0.005), with fewer polymorphonuclear (p