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Renan Rodrigues,1 Myrna Serapião Dos Santos,1,2 Rachel E Silver,3 Mauro Campos,1,2 Rachel LR Gomes1,2 1Department of Ophthalmology, Federal University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil; 2Cataract Department, Hospital de Olhos Paulista, Sao Paulo, Brazil; 3Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA Purpose: To evaluate anatomical differences between laser (VICTUS) and manual constructed phacoemulsification incisions.Setting: Study was conducted at the Hospital de Olhos Paulista, Sao Paulo, Brazil.Design: This is a prospective, observational, consecutive nonrandomized cohort.Patients and methods: Sixteen patients (18 eyes) had phacoemulsification surgery, nine eyes had manual incisions and nine eyes had femtosecond incisions. All incisions were performed by the same surgeon. All incisions were evaluated at the 1st and 30th postoperative day with anterior segment optical coherence tomography to evaluate anatomical features. Inclusion criterion was presence of low visual acuity due to cataract. Exclusion criteria were other ocular pathologies, previous trauma, or corneal wound healing disease, as any intra or postoperative complication. Three different corneal specialists analyzed wound architecture features (epithelial or endothelial gap, incision edema, number of planes, Descemet’s detachment, and loss of wound sealing) at both visits. ImageJ (National Institutes of Health) software was also used to analyze anatomical features of incisions.Results: Almost all incisions had edema at the first postoperative day. All femto incisions were triplanar, as intended, unlike manual incisions, which showed two uniplanar incisions (P=0.009). All laser incisions presented partial loss of wound sealing, while five keratome incisions had no loss of wound sealing at the first postoperative day (P=0.03).Conclusion: These findings support the hypothesis that laser constructed incisions are more precisely constructed than manual, although corneal wound healing was similar between the two groups at the 30th postoperative day, with a tendency to a faster anatomical improvement in the keratome group. Keywords: phacoemulsification, cataract, femtosecond laser, optical coherence tomography, cornea

Sorption by layered double hydroxides (LDH) is gaining substantial interest for remediating emerging contaminants, including pharmaceuticals from wastewaters. Findings from a sorbent material performing successfully in lab-based studies using non-environmental (laboratory-sourced) water cannot be assumed to translate to equal performance under environmental downstream applications. However, studies evaluating sorbent material performance for removal of pollutants and understanding material interactions with environmental waters are limited. This study evaluates the removal of the antibiotic amoxicillin (AMX) using a Mg 2 Al-NO 3 -LDH sorbent material from laboratory-grade water and wastewater effluent (WWE). AMX is successfully removed (94.53 ± 4.30 % within 24 h) in laboratory-grade water (under batch sorption conditions: 100 μg/L AMX, 0.2 g/L LDH, 20 °C). The comparison of LDH removal performance in laboratory grade and WWE shows a decreased maximum removal of AMX in WWE (13.39 ± 5.53 %). A lower final AMX concentration is observed in the WWE without the presence of LDH, compared to the 'removal' experiments in WWE with the presence of LDH, indicating a contribution of non-sorption removal pathways of AMX. This is proposed to be due to the difference in metal concentrations in the WWE with and without LDH present. The presence of LDH is found to decrease concentrations of metal pollutants in WWE, such as Zn concentration decreasing by 85 % over 24 h, changing water characteristics. Overall, this paper reports that an LDH performs differently in laboratory-sourced water and a wastewater effluent. This provides evidence that sorbent material performance needs to be evaluated in complex water matrices to ensure that it is representative of how a sorbent material will perform in an environmental application, which is the end goal of developing such technologies. Finally, good practice recommendations are provided for future lab-scale sorption experiments evaluating the performance of any new sorbent materials for water treatment applications., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

The presence of pharmaceutical pollutants in water sources has become a growing concern due to its potential impacts on human health and other organisms. The physicochemical properties of pharmaceuticals based on their intended therapeutical application, which include antibiotics, hormones, analgesics, and antidepressants, is quite diverse. Their presence in wastewater, sewerage water, surface water, ground water and even in drinking water is reported by many researchers throughout the world. Human exposure to these pollutants through drinking water or consumption of aquatic and terrestrial organisms has raised concerns about potential adverse effects, such as endocrine disruption, antibiotic resistance, and developmental abnormalities. Once in the environment, they can persist, undergo transformation, or degrade, leading to a complex mixture of contaminants. Application of treated wastewater, compost, manures or biosolids in agricultural fields introduce pharmaceutical pollutants in the environment. As pharmaceuticals are diverse in nature, significant differences are observed during their uptake and accumulation in plants. While there have been extensive studies on aquatic ecosystems, the effect on agricultural land is more disparate. As of now, there are few reports available on the potential of plant uptake and transportation of pharmaceuticals within and between plant organs. This review summarizes the occurrence of pharmaceuticals in aquatic water bodies at a range of concentrations and their uptake, accumulation, and transport within plant tissues. Research gaps on pharmaceutical pollutants' specific effect on plant growth and future research scopes are highlighted. The factors affecting uptake of pharmaceuticals including hydrophobicity, ionization, physicochemical properties (pKa, logK ow , pH, Henry's law constant) are discussed. Finally, metabolism of pharmaceuticals within plant cells through metabolism phase enzymes and plant responses to pharmaceuticals are reviewed., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests:Md Khaled Mosharaf reports financial support was provided by Commonwealth Scholarship Commission. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Crown Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Selenium (Se(VI)) is environmentally toxic. One of the most popular reducing agents for Se(VI) remediation is zero-valent iron (ZVI). However, most ZVI studies were carried out in water matrices, and the recovery of reduced Se has not been investigated. A water-sediment system constructed using natural sediment was employed here to study in-situ Se remediation and recovery. A combined effect of ZVI and unacclimated microorganisms from natural sediment was found in Se(VI) removal in the water phase with a removal efficiency of 92.7 ± 1.1% within 7 d when 10 mg L -1 Se(VI) was present. Soluble Se(VI) was removed from the water and precipitated to the sediment phase (74.8 ± 0.1%), which was enhanced by the addition of ZVI (83.3 ± 0.3%). The recovery proportion of the immobilized Se was 34.2 ± 0.1% and 92.5 ± 0.2% through wet and dry magnetic separation with 1 g L -1 ZVI added, respectively. The 16 s rRNA sequencing revealed the variations in the microbial communities in response to ZVI and Se, which the magnetic separation could potentially mitigate in the long term. This study provides a novel technique to achieve in-situ Se remediation and recovery by combining ZVI reduction and magnetic separation., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) has emerged as an effective environmental surveillance tool for predicting severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) disease outbreaks in high-income countries (HICs) with centralized sewage infrastructure. However, few studies have applied WBE alongside epidemic disease modelling to estimate the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in low-resource settings. This study aimed to explore the feasibility of collecting untreated wastewater samples from rural and urban catchment areas of Nagpur district, to detect and quantify SARS-CoV-2 using real-time qPCR, to compare geographic differences in viral loads, and to integrate the wastewater data into a modified Susceptible-Exposed-Infectious-Confirmed Positives-Recovered (SEIPR) model. Of the 983 wastewater samples analyzed for SARS-CoV-2 RNA, we detected significantly higher sample positivity rates, 43.7% (95% confidence interval (CI) 40.1, 47.4) and 30.4% (95% CI 24.66, 36.66), and higher viral loads for the urban compared with rural samples, respectively. The Basic reproductive number, R0, positively correlated with population density and negatively correlated with humidity, a proxy for rainfall and dilution of waste in the sewers. The SEIPR model estimated the rate of unreported coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases at the start of the wave as 13.97 [95% CI (10.17, 17.0)] times that of confirmed cases, representing a material difference in cases and healthcare resource burden. Wastewater surveillance might prove to be a more reliable way to prepare for surges in COVID-19 cases during future waves for authorities., Competing Interests: NO authors have competing interests, (Copyright: © 2024 Acheampong et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

A systematic review was undertaken to investigate the involvement of hydration in heart rate (HR), HR variability (HRV) and diastolic (DBP) and systolic (SBP) blood pressure in response to exercise. Data synthesis: The EMBASE, MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, LILACS and Web of Science databases were searched. In total, 977 studies were recognized, but only 36 were included after final screening (33 studies in meta-analysis). This study includes randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and non-RCTs with subjects > 18 years old. The hydration group consumed water or isotonic drinks, while the control group did not ingest liquids. For the hydration protocol (before, during and after exercise), the HR values during the exercise were lower compared to the controls (-6.20 bpm, 95%CI: -8.69; -3.71). In the subgroup analysis, "water ingested before and during exercise" showed lower increases in HR during exercise (-6.20, 95%CI: 11.70 to -0.71), as did "water was ingested only during exercise" (-6.12, 95%CI: -9.35 to -2.89). Water intake during exercise only revealed a trend of avoiding greater increases in HR during exercise (-4,60, 95%CI: -9.41 to 0.22), although these values were not significantly different ( p = 0.06) from those of the control. "Isotonic intake during exercise" showed lower HRs than the control (-7.23 bpm, 95% CI: -11.68 to -2.79). The HRV values following the exercise were higher in the hydration protocol (SMD = 0.48, 95%CI: 0.30 to 0.67). The values of the SBP were higher than those of the controls (2.25 mmHg, 95%CI: 0.08 to 4.42). Conclusions: Hydration-attenuated exercise-induced increases in HR during exercise, improved autonomic recovery via the acceleration of cardiac vagal modulation in response to exercise and caused a modest increase in SBP values, but did not exert effects on DBP following exercise.

Wastewater reuse for agricultural irrigation is a widespread beneficial practice, in line with the sustainable development goals. However, contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) present in wastewater, such as pharmaceuticals, pose an environmental risk. The Tula Valley in Mexico is one of the world's largest agricultural areas reusing wastewater for agriculture. However, no untargeted CEC monitoring has been undertaken there, limiting the information available to prioritise local environmental risk assessment. Furthermore, CEC environmental presence in the Global South remains understudied, compared to the Global North. There is a risk that current research efforts focus on CECs predominantly found in the Global North, leading to strategies that may not be appropriate for the Global South where the pollution profile may be different. To address these knowledge gaps, a sampling campaign at five key sites in the Tula Valley was undertaken and samples analysed using multi-residue targeted and untargeted liquid chromatography mass spectrometry methods. Using the targeted data, ten CECs were found to be of environmental risk for at least one sampling site: 4‑tert-octylphenol, acetaminophen, bezafibrate, diclofenac, erythromycin, levonorgestrel, simvastatin, sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim and tramadol as well as total estrogenicity (combination of three steroid hormones). Six of these have not been previously quantified in the Tula Valley. Over one hundred pollutants never previously measured in the area were identified through untargeted analysis supported by library spectrum match. Examples include diclofenac and carbamazepine metabolites and area-specific pollutants such as the herbicide fomesafen. This research contributes to characterising the presence of CECs in the Global South, as well as providing site-specific data for the Tula Valley., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic showcased the power of genomic sequencing to tackle the emergence and spread of infectious diseases. However, metagenomic sequencing of total microbial RNAs in wastewater has the potential to assess multiple infectious diseases simultaneously and has yet to be explored., Methods: A retrospective RNA-Seq epidemiological survey of 140 untreated composite wastewater samples was performed across urban (n = 112) and rural (n = 28) areas of Nagpur, Central India. Composite wastewater samples were prepared by pooling 422 individual grab samples collected prospectively from sewer lines of urban municipality zones and open drains of rural areas from 3rd February to 3rd April 2021, during the second COVID-19 wave in India. Samples were pre-processed and total RNA was extracted prior to genomic sequencing., Findings: This is the first study that has utilised culture and/or probe-independent unbiased RNA-Seq to examine Indian wastewater samples. Our findings reveal the detection of zoonotic viruses including chikungunya, Jingmen tick and rabies viruses, which have not previously been reported in wastewater. SARS-CoV-2 was detectable in 83 locations (59%), with stark abundance variations observed between sampling sites. Hepatitis C virus was the most frequently detected infectious virus, identified in 113 locations and co-occurring 77 times with SARS-CoV-2; and both were more abundantly detected in rural areas than urban zones. Concurrent identification of segmented virus genomic fragments of influenza A virus, norovirus, and rotavirus was observed. Geographical differences were also observed for astrovirus, saffold virus, husavirus, and aichi virus that were more prevalent in urban samples, while the zoonotic viruses chikungunya and rabies, were more abundant in rural environments., Interpretation: RNA-Seq can effectively detect multiple infectious diseases simultaneously, facilitating geographical and epidemiological surveys of endemic viruses that could help direct healthcare interventions against emergent and pre-existent infectious diseases as well as cost-effectively and qualitatively characterising the health status of the population over time., Funding: UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) grant number H54810, as supported by Research England., Competing Interests: This study was principally funded by the 10.13039/100016270Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) awarded to chief investigator TM and GCRF grant co-investigators RSK, SA, PM, AT, AS, RG, EA, TB, UV, AA, AH as supported by Research England under UKRI. SS and CH received financial support from the 10.13039/501100001602Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) under Grant Number SFI/12/RC/2273, a Science Foundation Ireland's Spokes Programme which is co-funded under the 10.13039/501100008530European Regional Development Fund under Grant Number SFI/14/SP APC/B3032, and a research grant from 10.13039/100005565Janssen Biotech, Inc. The authors declare no conflict of interest, financial or otherwise., (© 2023 The Author(s).)

Waste from dairy production is one of the largest sources of contamination from antimicrobial resistant bacteria (ARB) and genes (ARGs) in many parts of the world. However, studies to date do not provide necessary evidence to inform antimicrobial resistance (AMR) countermeasures. We undertook a detailed, interdisciplinary, longitudinal analysis of dairy slurry waste. The slurry contained a population of ARB and ARGs, with resistances to current, historical and never-used on-farm antibiotics; resistances were associated with Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria and mobile elements (ISEcp1, Tn916, Tn21-family transposons). Modelling and experimental work suggested that these populations are in dynamic equilibrium, with microbial death balanced by fresh input. Consequently, storing slurry without further waste input for at least 60 days was predicted to reduce ARB spread onto land, with > 99 % reduction in cephalosporin resistant Escherichia coli. The model also indicated that for farms with low antibiotic use, further reductions are unlikely to reduce AMR further. We conclude that the slurry tank is a critical point for measurement and control of AMR, and that actions to limit the spread of AMR from dairy waste should combine responsible antibiotic use, including low total quantity, avoidance of human critical antibiotics, and choosing antibiotics with shorter half-lives, coupled with appropriate slurry storage., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Treated and untreated wastewater is often used for agricultural irrigation and, despite the many benefits of this practice, it poses the risk of biologically active chemical pollutants (such as pharmaceuticals, like tramadol) entering the environment. The partitioning of tramadol between soil/water at environmentally relevant concentrations is important to understand its environmental toxicity. Kinetics and isotherm sorption studies based on the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) 106 Guideline were undertaken, ensuring comparability to previous studies. Studies were undertaken in three soils of different characteristics using aqueous concentrations of tramadol from 500 ng L -1 (environmentally relevant) to 100 μg L -1 (comparable to previous studies). Two of the soils presented a significantly (p < 0.05) higher sorption at a lower initial tramadol concentration (5000 ng L -1 ), compared to 20,000 ng L -1 . Hysteresis was observed in all studied soils, indicating the accumulation of tramadol. Higher sorption to soils correlated with higher clay content, with soil/water partitioning coefficients (K d ) of 5.5 ± 13.3, 2.5 ± 3.8 and 0.9 ± 3.0 L kg 1 for soils with clay contents of 41.9%, 24.5% and 7.4%, respectively. Cation exchange was proposed as the main sorption mechanism for tramadol to soils when the pH was below tramadol's pK a values (9.41 and 13.08). A comparative kinetics study between tramadol in soil/calcium chloride buffer and soil/wastewater effluent demonstrated significantly higher (p < 0.05) tramadol sorption to soil from wastewater effluent. This has the environmental implication that clay soils will be able to retain tramadol from irrigation water, despite the organic content of the irrigation water. Therefore, our studies show that tramadol soil sorption is likely to be higher in agricultural environments reusing wastewater than that predicted from experiments using the OECD 106 Guideline calcium chloride buffer., (Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

The first meta-analysis and modelling from batch-sorption literature studies of the soil/water partitioning of pharmaceuticals is presented. Analysis of the experimental conditions reported in the literature demonstrated that though batch-sorption studies have value, they are limited in evaluating partitioning under environmentally-relevant conditions. Recommendations are made to utilise environmental relevant pharmaceutical concentrations, perform batch-sorption studies at temperatures other than 4, 20 and 25 °C to better reflect climate diversity, and utilise the Guideline 106 methodology as a benchmark to enable comparison between future studies (and support modelling and prediction). The meta-dataset comprised 82 data points, which were modelled using multivariate analysis; where K d (soil/water partitioning coefficient) was the independent variable. The dependent variables fit into three categories: 1) pharmaceutical studied (including physical-chemical properties), 2) soil characteristics and 3) experimental conditions. The pharmaceutical solubility, the soil/liquid equilibration time (prior to adding the pharmaceutical), the soil organic carbon, the soil sterilisation method and the liquid phase were found to be significantly important variables for predicting K d ., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Selenium (Se) is an essential element with application in manufacturing from food to medical industries. Water contamination by Se is of concern due to anthropogenic activities. Recently, Se remediation has received increasing attention. Hence, different types of remediation techniques are listed in this work, and their potential for Se recovery is evaluated. Sorption, co-precipitation, coagulation and precipitation are effective for low-cost Se removal. In photocatalytic, zero-valent iron and electrochemical systems, the above mechanisms occur with reduction as an immobilization and detoxification process. In combination with magnetic separation, the above techniques are promising for Se recovery. Biological Se oxyanions reduction has been widely recognized as a cost-effective method for Se remediation, simultaneously generating biosynthetic Se nanoparticles (BioSeNPs). Increasing the extracellular production of BioSeNPs and controlling their morphology will benefit its recovery. However, the mechanism of the microbial production of BioSeNPs is not well understood. Se containing products from both microbial reduction and abiotic methods need to be refined to obtain pure Se. Eco-friendly and cost-effective Se refinery methods need to be developed. Overall, this review offers insight into the necessity of shifting attention from Se remediation to Se recovery., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Abstract: Gomes, RL, Lixandrão, ME, Ugrinowitsch, C, Moreira, A, Tricoli, V, and Roschel, H. Session rating of perceived exertion as an efficient tool for individualized resistance training progression. J Strength Cond Res 36(4): 971-976, 2022-The present study aimed to investigate the effects of an individualized resistance training (RT) progression model based on the session rating of perceived exertion (RPE) on gains in muscle mass and strength when compared with a conventional predetermined progression method (PP). Twenty previously trained young male subjects were randomly allocated to 1 of the 2 groups: RPE (n = 10) or PP (n = 10). Muscle cross-sectional area (CSA) and maximum dynamic strength were assessed at baseline and after 6 weeks. The RPE-based progression model resulted in a lower number of high-intensity sessions compared with the PP-based model. Despite this, both groups showed significant and similar increases in CSA (p < 0.0001; RPE = 6.55 ± 5.27% and PP = 9.65 ± 3.63%) and strength (p < 0.0001; RPE = 9.68 ± 4.57% and PP = 9.28 ± 4.01%) after the intervention period. No significant between-group difference was observed for total training volume (RPE = 45,366.00 ± 10,190.00 kg and PP = 47,779.00 ± 5,685.00 kg; p = 0.52). Our results showed that an RT progression model based on session-to-session physiological response assessments resulted in fewer high-intensity training sessions while allowing for similar gains in muscle strength and mass. Thus, trainees are encouraged to adopt session RPE as a potential tool to control workload progression throughout a training period and allowing the optimization of training stimulus on an individual basis., (Copyright © 2020 National Strength and Conditioning Association.)

Recent research on the magnetisation of biochar, a carbon-based material that can be used as a sorbent, has opened novel opportunities in the field of environmental remediation, as incorporating magnetic particles into biochar can simplify subsequent separation. This could offer a sustainable circular economy-based solution in two areas of waste management; firstly, pyrolysis of agricultural waste for magnetic biochar synthesis could reduce greenhouse gas emissions derived from traditional agricultural waste processing, such as landfill and incineration, while secondly, application of magnetic biochar to remove excess nitrogen from soils (made possible through magnetic separation) could provide opportunities for this pollutant to be used as a recycled fertiliser. While sorption of pollutants by magnetic biochar has been researched in wastewater, few studies have investigated magnetic biochar use in polluted soils. Nitrogen pollution (e.g. NH 4 + ), stemming from agricultural fertiliser management, is a major environmental and economic issue that could be significantly reduced before losses from soils occur. This review demonstrates that the use of magnetic biochar tailored to NH 4 + adsorption has potential to remove (and recycle for reuse) excess nitrogen from soils. Analysis of research into recovery of NH 4 + by sorption/desorption, biochar magnetisation and biochar-soil interactions, suggests that this is a promising application, but a more cohesive, interdisciplinary approach is called for to elucidate its feasibility. Furthermore, research shows variable impacts of biochar upon soil chemistry and biology, such as pH and microbial diversity. Considering wide concerns surrounding global biodiversity depletion, a more comprehensive understanding of biochar-soil dynamics is required to protect and support soil ecosystems. Finally, addressing research gaps, such as optimisation and scaling-up of magnetic biochar synthesis, would benefit from systems thinking approaches, ensuring the many complex considerations across science, industry, policy and economics are connected by circular-economy principles., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Crown Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In late 2019, a novel coronavirus, the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak was identified in Wuhan, China and later spread to every corner of the globe. Whilst the number of infection-induced deaths in Ghana, West Africa are minimal when compared with the rest of the world, the impact on the local health service is still significant. Compartmental models are a useful framework for investigating transmission of diseases in societies. To understand how the infection will spread and how to limit the outbreak. We have developed a modified SEIR compartmental model with nine compartments (CoVCom9) to describe the dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 transmission in Ghana. We have carried out a detailed mathematical analysis of the CoVCom9, including the derivation of the basic reproduction number, R 0 . In particular, we have shown that the disease-free equilibrium is globally asymptotically stable when R 0 < 1 via a candidate Lyapunov function. Using the SARS-CoV-2 reported data for confirmed-positive cases and deaths from March 13 to August 10, 2020, we have parametrised the CoVCom9 model. The results of this fit show good agreement with data. We used Latin hypercube sampling-rank correlation coefficient (LHS-PRCC) to investigate the uncertainty and sensitivity of R 0 since the results derived are significant in controlling the spread of SARS-CoV-2. We estimate that over this five month period, the basic reproduction number is given by R 0 = 3 . 110 , with the 95% confidence interval being 2 . 042 ≤ R 0 ≤ 3 . 240 , and the mean value being R 0 = 2 . 623 . Of the 32 parameters in the model, we find that just six have a significant influence on R 0 , these include the rate of testing, where an increasing testing rate contributes to the reduction of R 0 ., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Crown Copyright © 2022 Published by Elsevier B.V.)

This study aimed to model mycelial growth in a factorial experiment with two species of white rot fungi growing at five temperatures. The nonlinear models evaluated were logistic, Gompertz, Weibull and von Bertalanffy. The adjustments were performed first by evaluating the fixed and mixed-effects models with random effects, added to the fixed parameters. Then, the best adjusted model was improved by an adequated covariance structure, and dummy variables were added to the parameters asymptote (α) and abscissa of the inflection point (β) in the model in order to verify the effect of the experiment factors, species and temperatures on the regression parameters. The criteria used to compare models were residual variance and Akaike information criterion. Gompertz and von Bertalanffy mixed-effects models were better adjusted. The parameters differed between species. Moreover, the linear and quadratic effects of temperature evaluated in each species were significant. The models were reparametrized in order to consider two parameters of interest: velocity (μ) at the inflection point and lag time (λ). The maximum growth velocity was obtained at 25.4 °C by S. ostrea, while T. villosa was achieved at 30.5 °C; both fungi suffered less lag time by increasing the temperature., (Copyright © 2021 British Mycological Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The high-fat diet (HFD) stimulates an increase in lipids and can be prejudicial for harmful to prostatic morphogenesis. Polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFAs) have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant action in some types of cancer. The combination of aerobic physical exercise and PUFA can be more effective and reduce the risk of death. The study evaluates the effects of aerobic physical exercise associated with omega-3 (fish and chia oils), on the ventral prostate of Wistar rats those fed with HFD. Here, we report that HFD modified the final body weight and the weight gain, decreased the expression of the androgen receptor and increased prostatic inflammation via TNF-α produced damage prostatic like intraepithelial neoplasia. The supplementation with fish oil decreases final body weight, reduced BCL-2 and inflammation compared to chia oil; aerobic physical exercise associated with fish oil reduced lipids circulant and prostatic, increased proteins pro-apoptotic expression and reduced IL-6 (p < 0.0001) and TNF-α potentiating the CAT (p = 0.03) and SOD-1 (p = 0.001) expression. Additionally, the chia oil increased the NRF-2 (p < 0.0001) and GSS (p = 0.4) genes. PUFAs reduced the damage caused by excessive high-fat diet in the prostate so that there is greater effectiveness in omega-3 intake, it is necessary to associate with aerobic physical exercise.

The ecological and human health impact of antibiotic use and the related antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in animal husbandry is poorly understood. In many countries, there has been considerable pressure to reduce overall antibiotic use in agriculture or to cease or minimise use of human critical antibiotics. However, a more nuanced approach would consider the differential impact of use of different antibiotic classes; for example, it is not known whether reduced use of bacteriostatic or bacteriolytic classes of antibiotics would be of greater value. We have developed an ordinary differential equation model to investigate the effects of farm practice on the spread and persistence of AMR in the dairy slurry tank environment. We model the chemical fate of bacteriolytic and bacteriostatic antibiotics within the slurry and their effect on a population of bacteria, which are capable of resistance to both types of antibiotic. Through our analysis, we find that changing the rate at which a slurry tank is emptied may delay the proliferation of multidrug-resistant bacteria by up to five years depending on conditions. This finding has implications for farming practice and the policies that influence waste management practices. We also find that, within our model, the development of multidrug resistance is particularly sensitive to the use of bacteriolytic antibiotics, rather than bacteriostatic antibiotics, and this may be cause for controlling the usage of bacteriolytic antibiotics in agriculture.

Core-shell Zinc Oxide/Layered Double Hydroxide (ZnO@LDH) composite nanomaterials have been produced by a one-step continuous hydrothermal synthesis process, in an attempt to further enhance the application potential of layered double hydroxide (LDH) nanomaterials. The synthesis involves two hydrothermal reactors in series with the first producing a ZnO core and the second producing the Mg 2 Al-CO 3 shell. Crystal domain length of single phase ZnO and composite ZnO was 25 nm and 42 nm, respectively. The ZnO@LDH composite had a specific surface area of 76 m 2 g -1 , which was larger than ZnO or Mg 2 Al-CO 3 when produced separately (53 m 2 g -1 and 58 m 2 g -1 , respectively). The increased specific surface area is attributed to the structural arrangement of the Mg 2 Al-CO 3 in the composite. Platelets are envisaged to nucleate on the core and grow outwards, thus reducing the face-face stacking that occurs in conventional Mg 2 Al-CO 3 synthesis. The Mg/Al ratio in the single phase LDH was close to the theoretical ratio of 2, but the Mg/Al ratio in the composite was 1.27 due to the formation of Zn 2 Al-CO 3 LDH from residual Zn 2+ ions. NaOH concentration was also found to influence Mg/Al ratio, with lower NaOH resulting in a lower Mg/Al ratio. NaOH concentration also affected morphology and specific surface area, with reduced NaOH content in the second reaction stage causing a dramatic increase in specific surface area (> 250 m 2 g -1 ). The formation of a core-shell composite material was achieved through continuous synthesis; however, the final product was not entirely ZnO@Mg 2 Al-CO 3 . The product contained a mixture of ZnO, Mg 2 Al-CO 3 , Zn 2 Al-CO 3 , and the composite material. Whilst further optimisation is required in order to remove other crystalline impurities from the synthesis, this research acts as a stepping stone towards the formation of composite materials via a one-step continuous synthesis.

We developed a top-down strategy to characterize an antimicrobial, oxidizing sanitizer, which has diverse proposed applications including surface-sanitization of fresh foods, and with benefits for water resilience. The strategy involved finding quenchers of antimicrobial activity then antimicrobial mode of action, by identifying key chemical reaction partners starting from complex matrices, narrowing down reactivity to specific organic molecules within cells. The sanitizer electrolyzed-water (EW) retained partial fungicidal activity against the food-spoilage fungus Aspergillus niger at high levels of added soils (30-750 mg mL -1 ), commonly associated with harvested produce. Soil with high organic load (98 mg g -1 ) gave stronger EW inactivation. Marked inactivation by a complex organics mix (YEPD medium) was linked to its protein-rich components. Addition of pure proteins or amino acids (≤1 mg mL -1 ) fully suppressed EW activity. Mechanism was interrogated further with the yeast model, corroborating marked suppression of EW action by the amino acid methionine. Pre-culture with methionine increased resistance to EW, sodium hypochlorite, or chlorine-free ozonated water. Overexpression of methionine sulfoxide reductases (which reduce oxidized methionine) protected against EW. Fluoroprobe-based analyses indicated that methionine and cysteine inactivate free chlorine species in EW. Intracellular methionine oxidation can disturb cellular FeS-clusters and we showed that EW treatment impairs FeS-enzyme activity. The study establishes the value of a top-down approach for multi-level characterization of sanitizer efficacy and action. The results reveal proteins and amino acids as key quenchers of EW activity and, among the amino acids, the importance of methionine oxidation and FeS-cluster damage for antimicrobial mode-of-action., (Copyright © 2020 Wohlgemuth, Gomes, Singleton, Rawson and Avery.)

Introduction: Several acute studies have suggested that leucine is a key amino acid to drive muscle protein synthesis. However, there are very few studies on the long-term effects of leucine supplementation on resistance training (RT)-induced gains in muscle mass and strength. We sought to determine the impact of 10 g of leucine on muscle mass and strength in response to RT in healthy young men., Methods: Twenty-five, resistance-trained men (27 ± 5 yr; 78.4 ± 11.6 kg; 24.8 ± 3.0 kg·m) consuming 1.8 ± 0.4 g protein·kg·d, were randomly assigned to receive 2 × 5 g·d supplementation of either free leucine (LEU n = 12) or alanine (PLA n = 13) while undergoing a supervised 12-wk, twice-weekly lower-limb RT program. One-repetition maximum (leg-press 1RM) and muscle cross-sectional area (mCSA) of the vastus lateralis were determined before (PRE) and after (POST) the intervention. Additionally, three 24-h dietary recalls were also performed at PRE and POST., Results: Protein intake was roughly double that of the RDA in both groups and remained unchanged across time with no differences detected between groups. Similar increases were observed between groups in leg-press 1RM (LEU, 19.0% ± 9.4% and PLA, 21.0% ± 10.4%, P = 0.31) and mCSA (LEU, 8.0% ± 5.6% and PLA, 8.4% ± 5.1%, P = 0.77)., Conclusions: High-dose leucine supplementation did not enhance gains in muscle strength and mass after a 12-wk RT program in young resistance-trained males consuming adequate amounts of dietary protein.

Plastic pollution represents one of the most salient indicators of society's impact on the environment. The microplastic component of this is ubiquitous, however, microplastic studies are seldom representative of the locations they sample. Over 12 months we explored spatiotemporal variation in microplastic prevalence across a freshwater system and in atmospheric deposition within its catchment, in one of the most temporally comprehensive studies of microplastic pollution. Microplastics were quantified in low concentrations (max 0.4 particles L -1 ) at all freshwater sites, including upstream of urban areas, and on rivers that do not receive wastewater treatment plant effluent. Extrapolated microplastic abundances at each site varied by up to 8 orders of magnitude over the course of the sampling campaign, suggesting that microplastic surveys that do not account for temporal variability misrepresent microplastic prevalence. Whilst we do not wish to underplay the potential impacts of microplastic particles in the environment, we argue that microplastic pollution needs to be placed in a more critical context, including assessment of temporal variability, to appropriately inform legislators and consumers., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In light of the consequences of global warming and population growth, access to safe drinking water becomes an ever greater challenge, in particular in low to middle income countries in arid regions. Moreover, mining which may cause acid mine drainage and heavy metal contamination puts further pressure on management of limited water resources. Hence, the development of cost effective water treatment methods is critical. Here, using batch reactor experiments we investigate the kinetics and mechanisms behind divalent Mn and trivalent Cr removal from sulfate fluids using natural fluorapatite at 35 °C. The results show that the fluorapatite dissolution rate depends on fluid pH, and that dissolution is the dominant mechanism in fluids with pH below 4. Apatite can thus serve as remediation to neutralize acidic fluids. Fluid pH of 4-6 triggers a dissolution-precipitation mechanism, in some cases following upon a dissolution-only period, with the formation of a metal phosphate. In these experiments, Cr removal is two to ten times faster than Mn removal given similar solution pH. The results demonstrate that natural apatite represents a promising, cost effective material for use in passive remediation of mining-induced contamination of soils and groundwater in arid regions., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Changes to land use generate imbalances in the natural dynamics of aquatic ecosystems. These changes can vary according to the specific characteristics of each environment and due to seasonal factors, reinforcing the importance of studies in this area in different regions of the globe. Thus, the aim of this study was to analyze the effects of land use change on the rivers and streams of the Cachoeira River Basin in the Northeast of Brazil. Samples were collected bi-monthly at 16 points along the basin over 1 year and analyzed for physical and chemical parameters (temperature, pH, conductivity, and percentage saturation of dissolved oxygen), inorganic nutrients (NO 3 - , NO 2 - , NH 4 + /NH 3 , PO 4 3- , SiO 4 ) and dissolved major ions (Ca 2+ , K + , Mg 2+ , Na + , HCO 3 - ). The highest concentrations of NO 3 - , NO 2 - , NH 4 + /NH 3 , and PO 4 3- occurred at the points with the highest percentage of urban areas and population density. The major ions Ca 2+ , K + , Mg 2+ , Na + , and HCO 3 - were positively correlated with the percentage of pasture coverage; however, the high concentrations of these ions and the strong correlation between them revealed that other factors besides land use, such as soil cover, geological formation, and water deficit, may be jointly contributing to increases in their concentrations. Thus, the results show that urbanization represents the type of land use with the greatest negative effect on water quality since it alters the concentrations of inorganic nutrients dissolved in the Cachoeira River Basin.

Background: Occupational health is increasing in visibility within the scientific community and has become a field of international research and discussions in which occupational stress is described as a possible stressor., Objective: To analyze the relationship between anxiety and depression symptoms and socioeconomic level among technical-administrative employees of a public university in the state of São Paulo, Brazil., Methods: The sample comprised 89 participants. Data were obtained through Lipp's Inventory of Stress Symptoms for adults to identify levels of stress and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale. An additional questionnaire was administered to gather information on educational and socioeconomic levels., Results: About 45% of the participants exhibited symptoms of anxiety and 39% of depression, however, without direct relationship with their socioeconomic level. Among the participants with depression 50% were professors, and among those with depression 38.4% were administrative employees. Stress was more frequent among the participants who had attended higher education (29.6%) and graduate studies (33.3%)., Conclusion: The study results indicate a high prevalence of anxiety and depression regardless of the socioeconomic level of the participants. Stress was more frequent among the participants with higher educational level.

Background and objectives : As a result of ergogenic properties, caffeine has been increasingly taken prior to physical exercise, yet its effects on post-exercise recovery, considering the differences in the cardiorespiratory capacity of the individuals, has not yet been studied or fully elucidated. Optimizing the post-exercise recovery can convey advantages to physical activity practitioners. We evaluated the acute effects of caffeine on heart rate (HR) autonomic control recovery following moderate aerobic exercise in males with different cardiorespiratory capacities. Materials and Methods : We split young adult men into two groups based on their various oxygen consumption peaks (VO 2 peak): (1) Higher VO 2 (HO): Sixteen volunteers, peak VO 2 > 42.46 mL/kg/min and (2) Low VO 2 (LO): Sixteen individuals, VO 2 < 42.46 mL/kg/min). The volunteers were submitted to placebo and caffeine protocols, which entailed 300 mg of caffeine or placebo (starch) in capsules, followed by 15 min of rest, 30 min of moderate exercise on a treadmill at 60% of the VO 2 peak, followed by 60 min of supine recovery. Heart rate variability (HRV) indexes in the time and frequency domains were examined. Results : Effect of time for RMSSD (square root of the average of the square of the differences between normal adjacent RR intervals) and SDNN (standard deviation of all normal RR intervals recorded in a time interval) was achieved ( p < 0.001). Significant adjustments were observed (rest versus recovery) at the 0 to 5th min of recovery from exercise for the LO during the placebo protocol and at the 5th at 10th min of recovery for the caffeine protocol. For the HO in both procedures we found significant alterations only at the 0 to 5th min of recovery. Conclusion: Caffeine delayed parasympathetic recovery from exercise in individuals with lower cardiorespiratory capacity.

The potential role of natural textile fibres as environmental pollutants has been speculated upon by some environmental scientists, however, there is a general consensus that their biodegradability reduces their environmental threat. Whilst the risks that they pose remain poorly understood, their environmental prevalence has been noted in several recent microplastic pollution manuscripts. Here we highlight the extent to which natural textile fibres dominate fibre populations of upstream reaches of the River Trent, UK, as well as the atmospheric deposition within its catchment, over a twelve month microplastic sampling campaign. Across 223 samples, natural textile fibres represented 93.8% of the textile fibre population quantified. Moreover, though microplastic particles including synthetic fibres are known to be pervasive environmental pollutants, extruded textile fibres were absent from 82.8% of samples. Natural textile fibres were absent from just 9.7% of samples., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Copper and zinc are routinely used in livestock antimicrobial footbaths in commercial farming. The footbath mix is a cost to farmers, and the disposal of spent footbath into slurry tanks leads to soil contamination, as well as the potential for antimicrobial metal resistance and co-selection. This study assesses the potential to mitigate a source of antimicrobial metal resistance in slurry tanks while recovering copper and zinc from spent cattle footbaths. This is the first study in literature to investigate the potential of recovering copper from cattle footbath solutions via any method. The sorbent, Ca 2 Al-EDTA Layered Double Hydroxides (LDH), were used to remove Cu 2+ from a Cu 2 SO 4 ·5H 2 0 solution at different temperatures. The maximum Cu 2+ uptake from the Cu 2 SO 4 ·5H 2 0 solution was 568 ± 88 mg g -1 . Faster and higher equilibrium uptake was achieved by increasing the temperature of the solution. The sorbent was found to be effective in removing copper and zinc from a commercially available cattle footbath solution (filtered footbath solution Cu 2+ uptake 283 ± 11.05 mg g -1 , Zn 2+ uptake 60 ± 0.05 mg g -1 ). Thus, this study demonstrates the opportunity for a completely novel and potentially economically beneficial method of mitigating antimicrobial resistance in agriculture and the environment, while also providing a new valuable copper and zinc waste stream for secondary metal production., (Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The isolation of antimicrobial resistant bacteria (ARB) from wildlife living adjacent to humans has led to the suggestion that such antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is anthropogenically driven by exposure to antimicrobials and ARB. However, ARB have also been detected in wildlife living in areas without interaction with humans. Here, we investigated patterns of resistance in Escherichia coli isolated from 408 wild bird and mammal faecal samples. AMR and multi-drug resistance (MDR) prevalence in wildlife samples differed significantly between a Sewage Treatment Plant (STP; wastes of antibiotic-treated humans) and a Farm site (antibiotic-treated livestock wastes) and Central site (no sources of wastes containing anthropogenic AMR or antimicrobials), but patterns of resistance also varied significantly over time and between mammals and birds. Over 30% of AMR isolates were resistant to colistin, a last-resort antibiotic, but resistance was not due to the mcr-1 gene. ESBL and AmpC activity were common in isolates from mammals. Wildlife were, therefore, harbouring resistance of clinical relevance. AMR E. coli, including MDR, were found in diverse wildlife species, and the patterns and prevalence of resistance were not consistently associated with site and therefore different exposure risks. We conclude that AMR in commensal bacteria of wildlife is not driven simply by anthropogenic factors, and, in practical terms, this may limit the utility of wildlife as sentinels of spatial variation in the transmission of environmental AMR., (Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Eutrophication is a natural process within the ecological succession of aquatic ecosystems that results from nutrient inputs to water bodies, especially limiting elements such as phosphorus and nitrogen. However, the anthropogenic activities in river basin influence areas accelerate the eutrophication process of water bodies. Eutrophication is a global problem and considered one of the most relevant reasons of aquatic environments' degradation. In this context, watercourses that make up the Eastern Water Planning and Management Region (RPGA) receive high pollutant contributions due to release of wastewater and agriculture diffuse sources from cities located in influence area. The present study aims to evaluate the land use effect in trophic state of the water bodies in Eastern RPGA basins. The Carlson Trophic State Index in 1977, adjusted by Lamparelli 2004, was used to determine the eutrophication degree of the three river basins (Almada, Cachoeira, and Una) located in the Eastern RPGA. The nutrient and chlorophyll a data were obtained from the Monitoring Program (Monitora) of Environment and Water Resources Institute of Bahia (INEMA), covering the period from 2008 to 2015, at thirteen (13) sampling sites, with quarterly collections. The results showed that, among three basins analyzed, Cachoeira River basin presented the worst values for trophic state index (TSI) due to the high level of anthropization, while best results were found in Una basin. It was verified that land use exerted a significant influence on the water quality of bodies of water evaluated.

Purpose: The aim of the study was to evaluate the cardiac autonomic modulation after 9 months of martial arts practice in healthy children and adolescents., Method: The study included 59 children and adolescents who were divided into 3 groups: judo, Muay Thai, and control. Heart rate variability was measured by a heart rate monitor, model Polar RS800CX. The intervention occurred twice a week on nonconsecutive days, lasting 60 minutes each session. A 1-way analysis of variance was used to compare participants at baseline. The comparisons between groups at baseline and after the intervention were carried out by a 2-way analysis of variance for repeated measures., Results: After 9 months of intervention, significant increases were observed for root mean square successive differences, with higher values post compared with baseline (19.5%; P = .04). For SD1, an interaction effect was observed, with increased posttraining values compared with baseline (24.1%; P = .04) for the judo group. Qualitative analysis of the Poincaré plot showed greater dispersion of RR intervals, mainly beat to beat, after the judo intervention compared with the baseline. The Muay Thai and control groups presented no improvement., Conclusion: After 9 months of intervention, there were increases in cardiac autonomic modulation of children and adolescents participating in judo training. The practice of martial arts, such as judo, can be encouraged from an early age to improve cardiovascular system functioning, possibly providing protection against cardiovascular problems.

The stability of enzymes is critical for their application in industrial processes, which generally require different conditions from the natural enzyme environment. Both rational and random protein engineering approaches have been used to increase stability, with the latter requiring extensive experimental effort for the screening of variants. Moreover, some general rules addressing the molecular origin of protein thermostability have been established. Herein, we demonstrate the use of molecular dynamics simulations to gain molecular level understanding of protein thermostability and to engineer stabilizing mutations. Carbonic anhydrase (CA) is an enzyme with a high potential for biotechnological carbon capture applications, provided it can be engineered to withstand the high temperature process environments, inevitable in most gas treatment units. In this study, we used molecular dynamics simulations at 343, 353, and 363 K to study the relationship between structure flexibility and thermostability in bacterial α-CAs and applied this knowledge to the design of mutants with increased stability. The most thermostable α-CA known, TaCA from Thermovibrio ammonificans, had the most rigid structure during molecular dynamics simulations, but also showed regions with high flexibility. The most flexible amino acids in these regions were identified from root mean square fluctuation (RMSF) studies, and stabilizing point mutations were predicted based on their capacity to improve the calculated free energy of unfolding. Disulfide bonds were also designed at sites with suitable geometries and selected based on their location at flexible sites, assessed by B-factor calculation. Molecular dynamics simulations allowed the identification of five mutants with lower RMSF of the overall structure at 400 K, compared to wild-type TaCA. Comparison of free-energy landscapes between wild-type TaCA and the most promising mutants, Pro165Cys-Gln170Cys and Asn140Gly, showed an increased conformational stability of the mutants at 400 K.

Background: Type 1 diabetes mellitus can cause autonomic changes, which can be assessed by heart rate variability. Among the heart rate variability assessment methods, the symbolic analysis and Shannon entropy, based on the Chaotic dynamics, have gained prominence., Objective: To compare heart rate variability indexes, obtained through symbolic analysis and Shannon entropy, in young adults with type 1 diabetes mellitus and healthy young individuals, associated with the analysis of linear indexes; and to verify if there are associations between the indexes obtained by the symbolic analysis and by Shannon entropy and linear indexes in diabetic individuals., Methods: Heart rate variability data from 39 young adults with type 1 diabetes mellitus and 43 healthy young individuals were analyzed, using a cardio-frequency meter. Linear indexes (standard deviation of all normal RR intervals recorded in a time interval expressed in milliseconds; square root of the mean of the squared differences between adjacent normal RR intervals in a time interval expressed in milliseconds; low and high frequency components in millisecond squared; and normalized units and ratio between low and high frequency components) and nonlinear ones (Shannon entropy and symbolic analysis - standard without variation; with one or two variations; and with two different variations) of the heart rate variability were calculated. The statistical significance was set at 5%, and the confidence interval was 95%., Results: Significantly lower values were observed in the DM1 group compared to healthy young adults for the standard deviation indexes of all normal RR intervals recorded in a time interval [37.30 (29.90) vs. 64.50 (36.20); p = 0.0001], square root of the mean of the squared differences between adjacent normal RR intervals in a time interval [32.73 (17.43) vs. 55.59 (21.60); p = 0.0001], low frequency component [402.00 (531.00) vs. 1,203.00 (1,148.00); p = 0.0001], high frequency component [386.00 (583.00) vs. 963.00 (866.00); p = 0.0001] and the pattern with two different variations [15,33 (9,22) vs. 20.24 (12.73); p = 0.0114], with the effect of this difference being considered large (standard deviation of all normal RR intervals recorded in a time interval, square root of the mean of the squared differences between adjacent normal RR intervals in a time interval and low frequency component), medium (high frequency component) and small (standard with two different variations). The agreement of the associations between the linear and non-linear indexes was considered elevated for the high frequency component index - normalized units (r = -0.776), with the standard index without variation, and moderate for the indexes square root of the mean of the squared differences between adjacent normal RR intervals in a time interval (r = 0.550), standard deviation of all normal RR intervals recorded in a time interval (r = 0.522), high frequency component - normalized units (r = 0.638) with the index standard with two similar variations, as well as for the indexes square root of the mean of the squared differences between adjacent normal RR intervals in a time interval (r = 0.627) and high frequency component - normalized units (r = 0.601) with the index standard with two different variations., Conclusion: Type 1 diabetes mellitus influenced linear indexes and symbolic analysis, but not yet in the complexity of heart rate variability. Additionally, heart rate variability indexes correlated with the symbolic dynamics.

Background: Recently there has been increasing interest in the study of ultra-short-term heart rate variability (HRV) in sports performance and exercise physiology. In order to improve standardization of this specific analysis, we evaluated the ultra-short-term HRV analysis through SD1Poincaré Index to identify exercise induced responses., Methods: We investigated 35 physically active men aged between 18 and 35 years old. Volunteers performed physical exercise on treadmill with intensity of 6.0 km/hour + 1% slope in the first five minutes for physical "warming up." This was followed by 25 minutes with intensity equivalent to 60% of maximal oxygen consumption, with the same slope according to the Conconi threshold. HRV was analyzed in the following periods: the five-minute period before the exercise and the five-minute period immediately after the exercise, the five minutes were divided into five segments of 60 RR intervals. Ultra-short-term RMSSD and SD1 analysis were performed., Results: Ultra-short-term RMSSD and SD1 were significantly (P<0.0001) reduced during the initial five minutes divided into five segments of 60 RR intervals compared to (at rest) control. Heart rate was significantly (P<0.0001) increased 1 min and 3 min immediately after exercise compared to (at rest) control. At rest ultra-short-term SD1 presented significant correlation with short-term (256 RR intervals) RMSSD (r=0.78; P<0.0001), HF (r=0.574; P=0.0007) and SD1 (r=0.78; P<0.0001). Additionally, visual analysis with the Poincaré plot detected changes in HRV after exercise., Conclusions: Ultra-short-term HRV analysis through Poincaré plot identified heart rate autonomic responses induced by aerobic exercise.

Background: Dental pain is one of the most common symptoms of untreated oral problems and exerts a strong impact on the well-being of children., Aims: The aim of this study was to evaluate the associated factors with dental pain in children aged 1-3 years using the Brazilian version of the Dental Discomfort Questionnaire (DDQ-B)., Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the city of Diamantina, Brazil. A total of 318 randomly selected children were submitted to an oral clinical examination for the evaluation of tooth injuries and dental caries (International Caries Detection and Assessment System, [ICDAS]). The caregivers of the children were asked to answer the DDQ-B as well as a questionnaire addressing demographic and socioeconomic aspects of the family. Statistical analysis was performed and involved the description of frequencies as well as Poisson hierarchical regression analysis., Results: Dental pain was associated with a household income less than the Brazilian minimum monthly wage (Prevalence ratios [PRs] = 1.33, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.07-1.66, P = 0.011) and dental caries in dentin - ICDAS codes 5 and 6 (PR = 1.48, 95% CI: 1.13-1.94, P = 0.004)., Conclusions: Greater frequencies of dental pain were found in 1-3-year-old children from families with a low monthly income and dental caries with visible dentin with or without pulp involvement., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest

The post-exercise recovery period is associated with changes in autonomic modulation, which can promote an intercurrent-favorable environment. Caffeine has the ability to release catecholamines, but its effects after exercises is little explored. The present study aims to evaluate the acute effects of caffeine on the autonomic control and cardiorespiratory parameters after moderate intensity aerobic exercise. 32 young males (23,59 ± 3,45 years) were submitted to two protocols: Placebo and Caffeine, consisting of 15 minutes of rest, 30 minutes of exercise on a treadmill to 60% on VO2peak, followed by 60 minutes of recovery. Heart rate variability indices and cardiorespiratory parameters were determined at different times during the protocols. The RMSSD and SD1 indices recovered faster in placebo (p < 0.05). The systolic blood pressure differences were found from the 1st to the 5th minute of recovery with the caffeine protocol and from the 1st and 3rd minute with the placebo, whereas, for diastolic blood pressure, significant differences (p < 0.0001) were observed only for the caffeine protocol at the 1st and 3rd minutes of recovery. Caffeine was shown to be capable of delaying parasympathetic recovery but did not influence the behavior of the respiratory rate, oxygen saturation or frequency-domain HRV indices.

Continuous hydrothermal synthesis (CHS) of nanoparticles is most commonly associated with the production of metal oxides and ceramics. However, recent work has demonstrated that layered double hydroxides (LDH) can also be synthesised via this method. This research investigates how altering temperature, pressure and precursor base concentration affects growth and nucleation rates which impact on LDH characteristics. Experiments examined the separate effects of increased temperature, pressure and NaOH concentration on crystal domain length (CDL) and surface area. Adjustments to temperature and pressure in the reactor system resulted in variations in CDL. High temperature (200°C) with increasing pressure resulted in an increase in CDL between 50bar and 100bar, then a decrease up to 200bar. Crystal domain length of samples synthesised at 75°C and 150°C showed increases between 50bar and 150bar but a decrease at higher pressure. Variation in CDL showed little impact on specific surface area (4-7m 2 g -1 ). Increasing NaOH decreased CDL. High precursor NaOH causes rapid nucleation to occur to the detriment of crystal growth. Samples with 1M and 0.5M NaOH exhibit Ca(OH) 2 impurities as the increased NaOH causes precipitation of Ca 2+ ., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To compare aqueous humor concentrations of topically applied moxifloxacin 0.5% ophthalmic solution alone or in combination with dexamethasone 0.1% and to correlate these concentrations with the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) for common endophthalmitis-causing organisms., Methods: Sixty-eight patients undergoing routine phacoemulsification with intraocular lens implantation received either moxifloxacin 0.5% alone or moxifloxacin 0.5% combined with dexamethasone. For both groups, 1 drop of the test solution was instilled 4 times daily 1 day preoperatively and 1 drop 1 h preoperatively. An aqueous humor sample obtained immediately before paracentesis was submitted to high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry to determine the moxifloxacin concentration., Results: The mean concentrations of moxifloxacin were 986.6 ng/mL in the moxifloxacin with dexamethasone group and 741.3 ng/mL in the moxifloxacin group (P = 0.13). Moxifloxacin concentrations of all samples exceeded the MICs for Staphylococcus epidermidis, S. aureus, and Streptococcus pneumoniae. All samples in the moxifloxacin with dexamethasone group and 94% in the moxifloxacin group achieved the MIC for Enterococcus species. For quinolone-resistant S. aureus, the MIC was achieved in 29% in the moxifloxacin with dexamethasone group and 9% in the moxifloxacin group (P = 0.06)., Conclusion: Aqueous humor moxifloxacin concentrations were higher when topically administrated in combination with dexamethasone compared to the moxifloxacin alone. However, this difference was not statistically significant. Nevertheless, the MICs of the most common pathogens associated with endophthalmitis were exceeded in both study groups.

Casearia grandiflora (Salicaceae) is a typical Cerrado species adapted to disturbed environments, making it useful for restoration projects. Knowledge of genetic diversity is important for establishing conservation strategies for this species. This study aimed to compare chloroplast haplotype diversity and structure of C. grandiflora, under the assumption that protected areas hold greater genetic diversity than disturbed areas. The populations studied are from Parque Nacional de Sete Cidades Conservation Unit and from the surroundings of the city of Cocal de Telha, both located in the State of Piauí. Molecular analyses were performed with seven chloroplast microsatellite loci. The number of private haplotypes and haplotype diversity were higher in the conservation unit, which reinforces the importance of these areas in maintaining biodiversity. Analysis of molecular variance showed that most of the genetic variation is found within populations, with a moderate divergence between them (F ST = 0.14). The Bayesian analysis and discriminant analysis of principal components suggested that populations are not structured, revealing that a set of individuals from Parque Nacional de Sete Cidades were more divergent within populations than between them. Since literature has little information on C. grandiflora, the results of this study provide important contribution to a better understanding of the specie's genetic diversity.

Purpose. To compare ab interno and ab externo scleral fixation of posterior chamber intraocular lenses (PCIOL) using ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM). Methods. Randomized patients underwent ab externo or ab interno scleral fixation of a PCIOL. Ultrasound biomicroscopy was performed 3 to 6 months postoperatively, to determine PCIOL centration, IOL distance to the iris at 12, 3, 6, and 9 hours, and haptics placement in relation to the ciliary sulcus. Results. Fifteen patients were enrolled in the study. The ab externo technique was used in 7 eyes (46.6%) and the ab interno in 8 eyes (53.3%). In the ab externo technique, 14 haptics were located: 4 (28.57%) in the ciliary sulcus; 2 (14.28%) anterior to the sulcus; and 8 (57.14%) posterior to the sulcus, 6 in the ciliary body and 2 posterior to the ciliary body. In the ab interno group, 4 haptics (25.0%) were in the ciliary sulcus, 2 (12.50%) anterior to the sulcus, and 10 (75.0%) posterior to the sulcus, 4 in the ciliary body and 6 posterior to the ciliary body. Conclusions. Ab externo and ab interno scleral fixation techniques presented similar results in haptic placement. Ab externo technique presented higher vertical tilt when compared to the ab interno.

Babassu (Orbignya phalerata Martius) is one of the most important palms in Brazil because of the largest morphological variation, wide geographic distribution, and high socio-economic importance. The diversity present in babassu germplasm should be protected against loss to ensure their use with high productivity. Study of the available variability in populations of babassu is necessary to develop conservation strategies. The study of genetic variability can be conducted using molecular markers and many of these studies require significant quantity of high-quality DNA. The present study aimed to effect comparison among eight DNA extraction methods in case of O. phalerata. The quality and concentration of nucleic acids were analyzed by spectrophotometry and integrity of DNA was ascertained by agarose gel electrophoresis. The spectrophotometry revealed that some methods resulted in high levels of concentration of nucleic acids, in which values of the ratio A260/280 and A260/230 were outside the range of purity. The agarose gel electrophoresis established the concentration and integrity of DNA. The methods of Murray and Thompson (1980) and Ferreira and Grattapaglia (1998) did not result in satisfactory quantities of DNA. Conversely, the method proposed by Khanuja et al. (1999) resulted in DNA of adequate quality and quantity that could be satisfactorily used for amplification reactions performed with two ISSR primers.

Purpose: To quantitatively analyze corneal esthesia in patients undergoing photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) surgery., Methods: Forty-five patients selected for PRK in one eye underwent corneal esthesia using a Cochet-Bonnet esthesiometer preoperatively and 30 and 90 days postoperatively. Patients with a refractive diopter error of 4 or greater received intraoperative 0.02% mitomycin C for 20 s., Results: Twenty-four (53.3%) of the 45 eyes received intraoperative 0.02% mitomycin. Decreased sensitivity was observed on postoperative day 30. By postoperative day 90, corneal esthesia had normalized but remained 14.9% lower than preoperative levels. In the mitomycin group, no recovery of corneal esthesia to normal sensitivity levels was observed. The mean esthesiometer level was 39.2 mm on postoperative day 90 (P<0.001)., Conclusions: The results of the present study demonstrate recovery of corneal esthesia to normal levels at 90 days postoperatively in patients who did not receive mitomycin C. In patients administered mitomycin C, a 23.59% reduction in the corneal touch threshold was observed compared with preoperative levels indicating a failure of recovery to normal levels.

Context: The literature presents contradictory results regarding the effects of contraceptives on cardiac autonomic regulation., Objective: The research team aimed to evaluate the effects of musical auditory stimulation on cardiac autonomic regulation in women who use oral contraceptives., Design: The research team designed a transversal observational pilot study., Setting: The setting was the Centro de Estudos do Sistema Nervoso Autônomo (CESNA) in the Departamento de Fonoaudiologia at the Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) in Marília, SP, Brazil., Participants: Participants were 22 healthy nonathletic and nonsedentary females, all nonsmokers and aged between 18 and 27 y., Interventions: Participants were divided into 2 groups: (1) 12 women who were not taking oral contraceptives, the control group; and (2) 10 women who were taking oral contraceptives, the oral contraceptive group. In the first stage, a rest control, the women sat with their earphones turned off for 20 min. After that period, the participants were exposed to 20 min of classical baroque music (ie, "Canon in D Major," Johann Pachelbel), at 63-84 dB., Outcome Measures: Measurements of the equivalent sound levels were conducted in a soundproof room, and the intervals between consecutive heartbeats (R-R intervals) were recorded, with a sampling rate of 1000 Hz. For calculation of the linear indices, the research team used software to perform an analysis of heart rate variability (HRV). Linear indices of HRV were analyzed in the time domain: (1) the standard deviation of normal-to-normal R-R intervals (SDNN), (2) the root-mean square of differences between adjacent normal R-R intervals in a time interval (RMSSD), and (3) the percentage of adjacent R-R intervals with a difference of duration greater than 50 ms (pNN50). The study also analyzed the frequency domain-low frequency (LF), high frequency (HF), and LF/HF ratio., Results: For the control group, the musical auditory stimulation reduced (1) the SDNN from 52.2 ± 10 ms to 48.4 ± 16 ms (P = .0034); (2) the RMSSD from 45.8 ± 22 ms to 41.2 ± 19 ms (P = .0128); (3) the pNN50 from 25.5 ± 19 to 22.0 ± 18 (P = .0211); and (4) the LF (ms2) from 954.8 ± 457 ms2 to 686.2 ± 491 ms2 (P = .0024). In the oral contraceptive group, no significant changes occurred for the HRV indices during exposure to music., Conclusions: Musical auditory stimulation had a greater influence on cardiac autonomic regulation in women who did not use oral contraceptives.

Palm oil mill effluent (POME) is a highly contaminating wastewater due to its high chemical oxygen demand (COD) and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD). Conventional treatment methods require longer residence time (10-15 days) and higher operating cost. Owing to this, finding a suitable and efficient method for the treatment of POME is crucial. In this investigation, ultrasound cavitation technology has been used as an alternative technique to treat POME. Cavitation is the phenomenon of formation, growth and collapse of bubbles in a liquid. The end process of collapse leads to intense conditions of temperature and pressure and shock waves which assist various physical and chemical transformations. Two different ultrasound systems i.e. ultrasonic bath (37 kHz) and a hexagonal triple frequency ultrasonic reactor (28, 40 and 70 kHz) of 15 L have been used. The results showed a fluctuating COD pattern (in between 45,000 and 60,000 mg/L) while using ultrasound bath alone, whereas a non-fluctuating COD pattern with a final COD of 27,000 mg/L was achieved when hydrogen peroxide was introduced. Similarly for the triple frequency ultrasound reactor, coupling all the three frequencies resulted into a final COD of 41,300 mg/L compared to any other individual or combination of two frequencies. With the possibility of larger and continuous ultrasonic cavitational reactors, it is believed that this could be a promising and a fruitful green process engineering technique for the treatment of POME., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Molecular markers are important for characterizing the genetic diversity of plants and can provide the basis for strategies to protect and conserve endangered populations. However, numerous molecular techniques are used, requiring an evaluation of fast and efficient methods to extract DNA. Since molecular studies of Caesalpinia ferrea are rare, it is important to develop and/or adapt a DNA extraction protocol that produces quality DNA samples to enable the design of strategies for the conservation of this threatened species. This study aimed to compare five methods for DNA extraction and to determine the most efficient protocol for C. ferrea. Sufficient genomic DNA was obtained from the leaves of C. ferrea using all the tested protocols to perform techniques involving molecular markers. Two protocols based on the detergent cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide, as well as a commercial kit, yielded high concentrations of pure DNA. However, when polymerase chain reaction amplifications were performed, DNA was only successfully amplified from extractions performed with the commercial kit, which produced sufficient genomic DNA of good quality from the leaves of C. ferrea to perform techniques involving molecular markers.