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Abstract This study delves into the pivotal role that indicators play in designing, assessing, and guiding policies for sustainable urban development. Indicators, encompassing both quantitative and qualitative measures, serve as essential tools in evaluating efforts toward sustainable development, providing a practical and objective means of understanding the complex urban environment. The lack of a robust database is identified as a hindrance to monitoring sustainable development progress, underscoring the importance of comprehensive indicators. The study employs a bibliometric literature review methodology, focusing on smart city and sustainability indicators (SSCI) from 2015 to 2022. A total of 818 articles were narrowed down to 191 through rigorous criteria. The study showcases a growing interest in this field, with the number of articles published experiencing a remarkable 288% increase from 2015 to 2022. China emerges as a focal point, leading in both article production and citations, emphasizing its commitment to sustainable development and smart city initiatives. The keywords "sustainable development", "sustainability" and “urban development” had the most occurrences in text analysis. We found three different clusters with k-means analysis, and the circular economy indicators were the most representative category. In conclusion, the study underscores the holistic vision of SSCI in the current scenario, balancing technology and sustainability to improve urban quality of life while safeguarding the planet. Encouraging further research into integrating resilience-focused indicators and innovative solutions is crucial for enhancing sustainable urban development and informing policy decisions.

Partindo das preocupações de como um professor sem formação musical pode apropriar-se e trabalhar da linguagem musical na escola básica, o presente texto propõe rever as ideias de paisagem sonora, apoiado nas leituras e reflexões de Schafer (2001; 2009; 2011), que foi pioneiro nos estudos sobre a paisagem sonora voltada para o campo musical, e demais autores. O artigo, de caráter ensaístico e teórico, aborda sua conceituação, contextualização histórica e uso na educação musical. Através do entendimento sobre as mudanças que as paisagens (sonoras ou não) tiveram ao longo dos anos, assim como o conceito do que é música, concretiza-se a ampliação das possibilidades do uso do som na prática educativa, ao refletir e adotar estratégias acordes à formação e ao contexto sonoro do professor e dos alunos. Desta forma, conclui-se que o trabalho com as paisagens sonoras na escola básica parece ser uma alternativa didática viável para trabalhar a linguagem musical, em consonância com a BNCC, por professores sem (e com) formação específica em música.

O assoreamento em reservatórios deve ser considerado como um processo estocástico, devido às inúmeras incertezas envolvidas em seus parâmetros, além de sua variabilidade espaço-temporal. Entretanto, o Hydrologic Engineering Center's River Analysis System (HEC-RAS), o qual é um software amplamente utilizado na área de recursos hídricos, estima a sedimentação de forma determinística. Nesse sentido, o objetivo deste trabalho foi desenvolver códigos computacionais que permitam controlar o HEC-RAS para que se estime estocasticamente a sedimentação em reservatórios. Para isso, foi realizado um estudo de caso utilizando os dados do modelo reduzido de uma Pequena Central Hidrelétrica (PCH). Após o desenvolvimento dos códigos foi possível preencher automaticamente o HEC-RAS com milhares de séries sintéticas de dados hidrossedimentológicos. Por fim, também automaticamente, foram obtidos milhares de resultados do assoreamento que ocorreu no perfil longitudinal do reservatório e os quartis de probabilidade do assoreamento para cada seção transversal simulada.

Introdução: O uso prolongado e excessivo de álcool pode acarretar danos cerebrais estruturais e funcionais, ocasionando déficits cognitivos. As repercussões cognitivas mais conhecidas do alcoolismo foram descritas por psiquiatras: a síndrome de Wernicke (SW), a amnésia de Korsakoff (AK), e a Demência Associada ao Alcoolismo (DAA). Métodos: Trata-se de uma revisão narrativa acerca dos aspectos cognitivos relacionados ao alcoolismo, com ênfase na DAA. Resultados: A SW é composta por uma tríade de oftalmoplegia, marcha atáxica e alterações no estado mental. A AK é uma síndrome residual após a SW, caracterizada por amnésia global, confabulações e alterações de comportamento. A DAA é uma síndrome orgânica com quadro de grave disfunção cognitiva, disfunção executiva, dificuldade no controle emocional e comprometimento da memória. Ainda atualmente há dúvidas quanto à etiopatogenia, status nosológico, prevalência e critérios diagnósticos para a DAA, devido à dificuldade de avaliação e a diversos fatores de confusão, portanto a compreensão atual dessa forma de demência permanece limitada. Conclusões: A DAA é uma forma de demência geralmente pré-senil e até certo ponto reversível, podendo ser classificada do ponto de vista neuroanatômico como córtico-subcortical e se manifestando clinicamente com sintomas amnésticos, frontais-disexecutivos, cerebelares e subcorticais. Até que tenhamos uma maior compreensão dos mecanismos fisiopatológicos da DAA, é altamente improvável que seja desenvolvido um conjunto único e reprodutível de critérios diagnósticos.

O eleitorado brasileiro constitui-se, no ano de 2020, por 52,5% de mulheres de acordo com o Tribunal Superior Eleitoral, contudo o Brasil encontra-se entre os países com piores indicadores na América Latina em relação à participação feminina na política. Segundo dados coletados pelo projeto Atenea, criado pelo Programa das Nações Unidas para o Desenvolvimento (Pnud) e pela ONU Mulheres, com o apoio da Idea International (International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance), o Brasil encontra-se em 9º lugar de uma lista de 11 países da América Latina analisados em relação aos direitos políticos das mulheres e à igualdade política entre homens e mulheres. Nesse contexto, busca-se compreender a importância da participação feminina na política brasileira, como forma de efetivação da igualdade entre homens e mulheres e fator de concretização da democracia participativa. Para tanto, por meio de levantamento teórico-bibliográfico e abordagem epistemológica hermenêutico-dialética, será estudada a igualdade de gênero entre homens e mulheres no Brasil em relação a direitos políticos, especificamente no que diz respeito à possibilidade de ser eleita, bem como em que contexto são necessárias, eficazes e qual a importância das ações afirmativas, para que se possa ao fim ser analisado se, quando do julgamento da ADI 5671, o STF agiu dentro de seu limite de competência.

The high frequency of infectious diseases has spurred research into effective tactics to combat microorganisms that are resistant to several drugs. The overproduction of the transmembrane efflux pump protein NorA, which may export hydrophilic fluoroquinolones, is a common mechanism of resistance in S. aureus strains. This work evaluated the antimicrobial activity of the ethanolic extract from the leaves of Croton heliotropiifolius (EECH) against different bacterial and fungal strains, as well as investigating its modulating effect on the resistance to norfloxacin in a Staphylococcus aureus SA1199B overproducing the NorA efflux pump. Microdilution assays were used to assess the EECH’s antibacterial efficacy. The MIC of norfloxacin or ethidium bromide (EtBr) against the SA1199B strain was determined in the presence or absence of the EECH in order to assess the modifying influence on drug resistance. The EECH showed no activity against the Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains tested. The EECH also showed no antifungal activity against Candida albicans ATCC 10231. On the other hand, the extract reduced the MIC values for norfloxacin against SA1199B at subinhibitory concentrations. In addition, the EECH also reduced the MIC values of EtBr at subinhibitory concentrations, suggesting the occurrence of phytochemicals that inhibit efflux pumps. Molecular docking showed that retusin, a flavonoid found in the extract, could compete with norfloxacin at the orthosteric site of the NorA, indicating that it could be a potential efflux pump inhibitor. However, isolated retusin did not enhance the activity of norfloxacin or EtBr and it did not inhibit the EtBr efflux, showing that it is not a NorA inhibitor. Even though C. heliotropiifolius is a source of phytochemicals that function as adjuvants for norfloxacin, isolated retusin cannot be used in conjunction with norfloxacin to treat infections brought on by S. aureus that overproduces NorA.

Environmental pollution management combined with food safety represents two of the main challenges of the last decades. Soil and water contamination has historically threatened food safety. As ubiquitous pollutants, microplastics (MPs) have attracted increasing attention over the last few years. These particles can affect the balance of terrestrial, aquatic, and aerial ecosystems. Their negative impacts are intensified when they adsorb and carry toxic chemicals. They can circulate through organisms and accumulate in human beings via food and water. Physiological dysfunctions in all species continue to be reported, both in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. This article considers how this might be affecting the global production of food. It reports the adverse effects induced by MPs in soils, their properties and organisms growing within and upon them, including livestock and the pollinating agents necessary for plant growth. A separate section discusses the effects of MPs on aquaculture, mentioning effects on wild species, as well as farmed fish. The growing concern of the food production sector with MPs mimics that of the world with global warming; the danger is real and requires urgent attention.

Groundwater pollution is a current issue that may result in considerable negative effects on human health and the ecological balance. In the present study, the authors evaluated pollutants in groundwater in Maricá Municipality, located on the east side of Rio de Janeiro state in Brazil. The evaluated parameters were temperature, pH, electrical conductivity, Eh, dissolved oxygen, chlorides, nitrates, dissolved organic carbon, total inorganic carbon, phosphates, and total and thermotolerant coliforms. Due to the large number of evaluated points, they were divided into zones according to the respective hydrographic basin. The local accelerated urbanization accompanying income from oil production has led to uncontrolled population growth and associated groundwater pollution. The results of the present study suggest that sewage pollution of Maricá groundwater is already a significant issue. The lack of investment in basic sanitation has led to an imbalance in the local groundwater reservoir. In certain locations of the municipality, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), nutrient, and bacteria concentrations increase and spread in the aquifers because of domestic waste disposal. As aquifers are the main source of freshwater for the residents, contamination of them represents a potential threat to local public health.

RESUMO A mostras de madeira de Eucalyptus grandis com dimensões de 2,5 x 14,0 x 65 cm foram submetidas previamente ao aquecimento em água e ao congelamento, com o objetivo de avaliar o efeito desses pré-tratamentos na taxa de secagem. O pré-aquecimento em água foi conduzido em um tanque térmico, em que as amostras permaneceram submersas durante 24 horas a temperaturas entre 85 e 90°C. O pré-congelamento foi executado em um freezer a temperaturas entre -10 e -15ºC pelo período de 24 horas. A operação de secagem foi realizada em estufa elétrica com convecção forçada de ar e controle termostático, utilizando temperaturas de 45, 60 e 75oC. Os resultados mostraram que, a taxa de secagem aumentou significativamente quando a madeira foi pré-aquecida em água, mas não foi afetada pelo précongelamento.

Dryland regions around the world are facing intricate challenges due to climate change and human activities. The Caatinga biome in Brazil, an exceptional dryland ecosystem covering approximately 86.3 million hectares, is particularly impacted by human influence. We conducted an extensive study analyzing changes in land use and land cover within the Caatinga region over a span of 35 years, from 1985 to 2019. This study leverages collective knowledge and collaborative effort with the MapBiomas project to provide valuable insights into the biome’s landscape. It maps eight principal land cover classes using Landsat Collection 1 Tier 1 data normalized to top-of-atmosphere reflectance. All data processing was carried out within the Google Earth Engine platform, and the graphics were generate using R version 3.6.2. This study achieved an impressive 80% global accuracy in the time series of Caatinga land use and land cover (LULC) changes, with allocation and area discrepancies of 11.6% and 8.5%, respectively. The extensive 35-year LULC dataset reveals a substantial 11% reduction in natural vegetation in the Caatinga biome, translating to a loss of 6.57 million hectares. This decline is primarily attributed to the expansion of cattle ranching and agriculture; all types of natural vegetation have experienced decreases, with Savanna Formation (SF) areas declining by 11% and Forest Formation (FF) areas declining by 8%. In contrast, pasturelands expanded by 62% and agricultural land expanded by 284% during this period. With their urgent and significant real-world for informing social, economic, and environmental policy decisions within the Caatinga and other dryland regions globally, these findings underscore the importance and immediacy of our research.

Pseudomonas are known as higher producers of secondary metabolites with antimicrobial properties and plant growth promoters, including resistance induction. These mechanisms should be an alternative to pesticide use in crop production. Phakopsora pachyrhizi causes Asian soybean rust, representing a high loss of yield around the world. The objective of this paper was to evaluate the application of secondary metabolites produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa LV strain from the semi-purified fraction F4A in soybean plants to induce plant resistance against P. pachyrhizi in field conditions. The experimental design was performed in randomized blocks with three replicates using two F4A doses (1 and 10 μg mL−1) combined or not with fungicides (Unizeb Gold® or Sphere Max®). The control treatment, with Uni + Sph, saponins, flavonoids, and sphingolipids, showed higher intensities in the plants. In contrast, plants treated with the F4A fraction mainly exhibited fatty acid derivatives and some non-identified compounds with nitrogen. Plants treated with Sphere Max®, with or without F4A10, showed higher intensities of glycosylated flavonoids, such as kaempferol, luteolin, narigenin, and apigenin. Plants treated with F4A showed higher intensities of genistein and fatty acid derivatives. These increases in flavonoid compound biosynthesis and antioxidant properties probably contribute to the protection against reactive oxygen species (ROS).

Chagas disease, a silent but widespread disease that mainly affects a socioeconomically vulnerable population, lacks innovative safe drug therapy. The available drugs, benznidazole and nifurtimox, are more than fifty years old, have limited efficacy, and carry harmful side effects, highlighting the need for new therapeutics. This study presents two new series of pyrazole-thiadiazole compounds evaluated for trypanocidal activity using cellular models predictive of efficacy. Derivatives 1c (2,4-diCl) and 2k (4-NO2) were the most active against intracellular amastigotes. Derivative 1c also showed activity against trypomastigotes, with the detachment of the flagellum from the parasite body being a predominant effect at the ultrastructural level. Analogs have favorable physicochemical parameters and are predicted to be orally available. Drug efficacy was also evaluated in 3D cardiac microtissue, an important target tissue of Trypanosoma cruzi, with derivative 2k showing potent antiparasitic activity and a significant reduction in parasite load. Although 2k potentially reduced parasite load in the washout assay, it did not prevent parasite recrudescence. Drug combination analysis revealed an additive profile, which may lead to favorable clinical outcomes. Our data demonstrate the antiparasitic activity of pyrazole-thiadiazole derivatives and support the development of these compounds using new optimization strategies.

Nutrition in rabbit farming accounts for about 70% of all costs; in this sense, C. argentea is an excellent alternative as a feed, due to its bromatological composition. Our goal is to evaluate the nutritional value of diets formulated with the dried leaves of C. argentea to feed growing rabbits. Twenty-eight white rabbits of the New Zealand breed, 55 days old, of both sexes, were used. Two treatments (n = 14, 7 males, and 7 females) were evaluated in a randomized block experimental design in a 2 x 2 factorial scheme. The control diet (CTRL) was formulated to meet the nutritional requirements of growing rabbits, and the test diet (DRY) was obtained by replacing 20% of the CTRL diet with dried leaves of C. argentea. The experimental period was comprised of 11 days, with seven days of adaptation and four days of total feces collection. The average daily gain, dry matter intake, feed conversion, and final body weight were not affected by replacing the CTRL diet with the dried leaves of C. argentea. The coefficient of dry matter digestibility showed better results in CTRL rabbits (female: 72.19%, male: 72.48%). Rabbits fed with the CTRL diet exhibited a higher consumption of crude protein compared to those fed with the DRY diet, however, these rabbits showed higher elimination and lower retention of crude protein. It is concluded that C. argentea presents values of 1,400.67 kcal per kg of dry matter, digestible energy, and 3.34% digestible protein per kg of dry matter.

O presente trabalho utilizou as empresas listadas na Bolsa, Brasil, Balcão (B3), integrantes do IBRX 100 e que publicam relatório de sustentabilidade nos padrões estabelecidos pela GRI, no intuito de analisar a existência de relação entre as práticas de governança corporativa e o nível de divulgação de práticas sustentáveis por parte das empresas, sob a ótica do Triple Bottom Line. Desta forma, a partir de dados coletados manualmente nos formulários de referências e relatórios anuais de sustentabilidade, bem como de dados contidos na base online Economática®, realizou-se uma análise por meio de regressão Tobit para os anos de 2018 e 2019, a qual permitiu verificar que características como tamanho e independência do conselho de administração, bem como o percentual de mulheres que integram os mesmos e a ocupação por um mesmo indivíduo dos cargos de CEO e presidente do conselho são capazes de influenciar as divulgações de práticas sustentáveis pelas empresas. Tal Informação é de grande importância para auxiliar pesquisadores e investidores a melhor entender o mercado e também a formarem opinião e estratégias de investimentos, metas e objetivos.

Abstract Food biodiversity is essential for improving nutrition and reducing hunger in populations worldwide. However, in middle and low-income countries, the biodiversity of food production does not necessarily represent food consumption patterns by population. We used Brazil, one of the world's megabiodiverse countries, as a case study to investigate the following questions: what is the prevalence of consumption of biodiverse foods in Brazil, and what are the socioeconomic factors that influence their consumption throughout the country? We used data from a Brazilian representative national dietary survey to estimate the frequency of food consumption of unconventional food plants, edible mushrooms, and wild meat, in according to socioeconomic variables. Thus, we investigated the socioeconomic predictors of Unconventional Food Plants consumption using methods of Machine Learning (ML) and multiple zero-inflated Poisson (ZIP) regression. We showed that biodiverse food consumption in Brazil is low, just related by 1.3% of the population, varying in according to area, ethnicity, age, food insecurity, sex, and educational level. Our findings of low utilization of biodiversity suggest an important mismatch between the rich biodiversity of the country and its representation in the human diet.

Port sites represent one of the most impacted coastal areas; this impact is due to intensive anthropogenic pressures. In addition to the port complex itself, associated activities, such as indiscriminate disposal of pollutants, including trace metals, affect the local ecosystem. Macroinvertebrate benthic communities are one of the most effective bioindicators of environmental health because of their importance as a primary food source for many fish, birds, and mammals, as well as their influence on sediment stability and geochemical composition. This article evaluates the benthic macrofauna in the Santos Estuarine System (SES), the location of the Santos Port Complex (SPC), linking trace metal levels to differences in microbenthic community structure and pollutant bioavailability. The distribution of Cd, Ni, and Pb was directly related to organic matter deposits, while Cu and Zn appeared to result from port activities. The SES contained a poor benthic macroinvertebrate community, resulting from the contaminated muddy sediments. A significant negative correlation was found between the macrobenthic diversity and concentrations of Cu in the soluble phase; this implied the pollution-induced degradation of the macrobenthos in SES.

Background and Aim: Flemish cattle in Brazil are on the brink of extinction and are found only in one herd in Lages, Santa Catarina State. This study aimed to uncover the reasons for the recurring abortions in the Flemish cattle herd. Materials and Methods: Seventeen Flemish fetuses underwent postmortem examinations, with samples collected for histopathology and microbiology culture tests, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test for Neospora caninum, and reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) test for bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) from 2015 to 2020. Results: Of the 17 fetuses, N. caninum was the most common diagnosis and was found in 88% (15/17). One fetus (5.8%) had a coinfection with N. caninum and Citrobacter amalonaticus, leading to fibrinonecrotic pericarditis. All fetuses tested negative for BVDV by RT-PCR. Of the 107 dams tested by indirect immunofluorescence assay, 26 (25.2%) were anti-N. caninum seropositive, with 17 (65.4%) aborting and 5 (19.2%) having estrus repetition. Reverse transcription-PCR results showed that 9 (8.4%) of the serum samples collected from dams tested positive, which tested follow-up test 3 months later, indicating a BVDV transient infection. The factors that contributed to neosporosis included dogs’ access to pastures and improper disposal of fetal remains, which made it easier for dogs to consume them. Conclusion: This study warns the occurrence of N. caninum as a cause of reproductive disorders that can lead to abortion in the studied Flemish cattle herd.

Esse estudo objetivou analisar a evasão no curso técnico em agropecuária integrado ao ensino médio do IF Sudeste MG - campus Rio Pomba, com enfoque no Programa de Atendimento aos Estudantes em Baixa Condição Socioeconômica ofertado por esta instituição. A opção teórico-metodológica do estudo se deu pela abordagem qualitativa, fazendo uso de análise bibliográfica e documental. As informações foram recolhidas nos arquivos da secretaria do ensino técnico, no setor de orientação pedagógica e no setor de serviço social do campus Rio Pomba. Como resultados desta pesquisa, tem-se um percentual (19,75%) pequeno de estudantes que evadiram e foram atendidos pelo programa de assistência estudantil, se comparado ao total de evadidos no período estudado (2013-2019). Os dados ainda mostram outras causas elencadas pelos estudantes, para sua saída da instituição (desinteresse pelo curso, jubilamento e a saudade da família). Como resultados desta pesquisa, perceberam-se os atendimentos na assistência estudantil como fortes aliados para a permanência escolar e a evasão no referido curso não tendo uma ligação direta com o não atendimento da assistência estudantil. Em contrapartida, estes resultados podem nos mostrar que a política de assistência estudantil do referido campus vem cumprindo seu papel, que é minimizar os índices de evasão e contribuir com melhores condições de permanência escolar.

Abstract Background There is no evidence of the use of beetroot juice with a previously recommended dose of nitrate (NO3) (> 300 mg) on the cardiovascular performance during and recovery following exercise in postmenopausal women with systemic arterial hypertension (SAH). Methods We will investigate the effects of beetroot juice rich in NO3 acutely (800 mg) and during a week with daily doses (400 mg) on blood pressure, heart rate (HR), cardiac autonomic control, endothelial function, inflammatory, hormonal, and stress biomarkers oxidative stress and enzymes involved in nitric oxide synthesis and mitochondrial regulation, under resting conditions, as well as mediated by submaximal aerobic exercise sessions. Through a randomized, crossover, triple-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, 25 physically inactive women with SAH will undergo an acute and 1-week trial, each with two intervention protocols: (1) placebo and (2) beetroot, in which will ingest beet juice with or without NO3 in its composition with a 7-day washout interval. On collection days, exercise will be performed on a treadmill for 40 min at a speed corresponding to 65–70% of VO2peak. The collection of variables (cardiovascular, autonomic, and blood samples for molecular analyses) of the study will take place at rest (135 min after ingestion of the intervention), during exercise (40 min), and in the effort recovery stage (during 60 min) based on previously validated protocols. The collections were arranged so that the measurement of one variable does not interfere with the other and that they have adequate intervals between them. Discussion The results of this research may help in the real understanding of the nutritional compounds capable of generating safety to the cardiovascular system during physical exercise, especially for women who are aging and who have cardiovascular limitations (e.g., arterial hypertension) to perform physical exercise. Therefore, our results will be able to help specific nutritional recommendations to optimize cardiovascular health. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05384340. Registered on May 20, 2022.

Android has been a constant target of cybercriminals that try to attack one of the most used operating systems, commonly using malicious applications (denominated malware) that, once installed on a device, can harm users in several ways. Existing malware detection solutions are usually invasive as they obtain classification features by performing reserve engineering, decompilation, or disassembly of the analyzed application, which infringes licenses and terms of use of applications. In addition, these solutions often employ a single machine learning (ML) model to detect various types of malware, resulting in several false alarms. In this context, we propose an approach to detect Android malware consisting of a set of specific-type detectors in which each one performs a multi-stage analysis, based on rules and ML techniques, in different phases of the application cycle (before and after its installation). Our approach also differs from state-of-the-art solutions by being non-invasive, since it leverages a process to obtain application’s features that does not infringe licenses and terms of use of applications. In addition, according to experiments performed on a real Android smartphone, our proposal presents the following additional advantages over state-of-the-art solutions: a more efficient process to classify applications that is three times faster and requires ten times less CPU usage in some cases (saving device energy); and a better detection performance, with higher balanced accuracy, nine times less false positive cases, and ten times less false negative cases.

Microplastic pollution in aquatic ecosystems has drawn attention not only because microplastics are likely to accumulate anywhere but also because they cause negative impacts both to aquatic biota and, indirectly, to public health, as a result of their presence. The understanding of the distribution and accumulation patterns of this “new contaminant” is fundamental for the calibration of environmental risk studies. However, research on its migration pattern and consequent distribution is still limited. The present study has focused on the peculiar physical characteristics of plastic microparticles and the response to environmental factors such as hydrodynamics and physical chemistry of water on the diffusion dynamics of these pollutant agents. Therefore, we examined information about the vertical abundance distribution, the composition, and the sizes of microplastics, along with the varied aquatic environments existing on Earth. This study provides valuable evidence for the accumulation trend of microplastics across the environment and the peculiar particle characteristics that dictate their distribution patterns. The present study concluded that detailed studies should be carried out in order to add information about the behavior of plastic microparticles in aquatic environments and thus subsidize the calibration of existing information, thus increasing its accuracy in understanding the diffusion patterns of these polluting agents.

Storing and sharing health records through electronic systems pose security risks. To address them, several countries’ regulations have established that healthcare information systems must fulfill security properties (confidentiality, access control, integrity, revocation and anonymity) and complementary ones (emergency access and interoperability). Upon tackling these issues, several proposals present security limitations and/or address specific properties only. We propose Sec-Health, a blockchain-based protocol that secures health records, addressing all of the main security and complementary properties defined in current regulations. We show that Sec-Health is a suitable solution by analyzing it under several attack scenarios and describing how it overcomes the problems of existing solutions. Furthermore, we evaluate a Sec-Health Proof of Concept, showing that it can reduce from 26% up to 90% the time to access health records, and reduce up to 50% client-side memory overhead, compared to related work.

Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease caused by parasitic worms of the genus Schistosoma. In Brazil, there are reports of infection by the Schistosoma mansoni species, which has the Biomphalaria glabrata snail as one of its intermediate hosts. The present work aimed to test the effects of different Abelmoschus esculentus seed extracts and fractions on adults and embryos of B. glabrata and S. mansoni cercariae. A total of four crude extracts and thirteen fractions with different organic solvents were used for the bioassays. The extracts were analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. Molluscicidal activity was assessed in 24-well plates, after which the LC50 and LC90 were calculated. Assays with B. glabrata embryos and S. mansoni cercariae were also performed. These findings indicate the presence of flavanoids in the hexane, ethyl acetate, and ethanol crude extracts. For the molluscicidal activity assays, eight fractions had an LC90 value less than that recommended by the WHO. The methanol fraction of the dichloromethane extract (FrMeOH EDM) had the most promising results, with an LC90 of 37.15 mg/L and 100% mortality in embryos of B. glabrata and cercariae. FrMeOH, EDM, and other fractions are possible candidates for new drugs for the combat of schistosomiasis.

The present study aimed to assess the potential impact of total species richness on the functional redundancy, utility, and versatility of plant species. For this purpose, two study areas were delineated, a wet forest and a dry forest, where phytosociological surveys were conducted. The results indicate parity in terms of the proportion of useful species between the areas. In line with our initial expectations, our findings revealed greater versatility among species in the less rich area; thus, more uses were attributed to a single species. We found no significant relationship between utilitarian redundancy and the analyzed environments in any of the plant use categories. Based on the evidence gathered, we believe that resource selection by human communities might ultimately be conditioned by local species availability rather than by underlying utilitarian potential.

As formas de relevo estão diretamente relacionadas com a deflagração de processos erosivos, os quais fazem parte da dinâmica da natureza. Com avanço da ação humana sobre os diversos ambientes do Planeta Terra, foi proposta a criação de uma nova idade do Holoceno, designada de Antropoceno. Neste sentido, destaca-se a antropomorfogênese e a formação de novas paisagens; ocasionando o surgimento e expansão dos Antropossolos. Esta classe de solo apresenta características físicas, químicas e morfológicas muito distintas das originais e maior vulnerabilidade ambiental aos processos erosivos. O presente artigo tem por objetivo apresentar o trabalho de estabilização de processos erosivos lineares em duas propriedades rurais com áreas de ravinas e voçorocas, em Antropossolos, na Área de Proteção Ambiental de Uso Sustentável do Timburi, município de Presidente Prudente, SP, Brasil. Para tanto, implantou-se técnicas de bioengenharia na forma de estruturas de paliçadas em processos erosivos lineares do tipo ravina e voçorocas. Os Antropossolos foram classificados até o terceiro nível categórico a partir da descrição morfológica, análises físicas e químicas. Nas duas propriedades rurais onde foram instaladas as estruturas de bioengenharia, mesmo nos meses de maior pluviosidade, novembro a fevereiro, em setores classificados como de alta a muito alta vulnerabilidade ambiental não ocorreu expansão dos focos erosivos, mostrando a eficácia das técnicas. Em relação aos Antropossolos, predominantemente Sômicos, os resultados de campo e laboratório revelaram um elevado grau de degradação principalmente dos indicadores químicos de qualidade do solo.

Apresentação dos artigos do dossiê Um Olhar Crítico Para a Educação de Línguas Adicionais: Possibilidades Pedagógicas e Formativas, publicado no Volume 41, número 1, jan./mar., 2023, da revista Perspectiva.

SummaryPeople with cirrhosis of the liver are at risk for complications that can worsen their quality of life and increase morbidity and mortality. Contrary to previous beliefs, cirrhosis does not protect against the development of thromboembolic events, and cirrhotic patients may have higher rates of deep vein thrombosis (DVT).Background and aimsThe study of chronic venous disease and its impact on patients with cirrhosis is unknown in the literature and may be an important fact since this condition also had impact on quality of life and morbidity. The aim of this study is to evaluate the prevalence of DVT (Deep Venous thrombosis) in outpatients with cirrhosis and the degree of chronic venous insufficiency, evaluating possible correlations between clinical and laboratory aspects of cirrhotic patients with these pathologies.MethodsPatients with cirrhosis were evaluated in the outpatient clinic of the Liver Transplantation and Hepatology Service of HC-FMUSP from November 2018 to November 2022, with clinical evaluation, venous disease questionnaires, data collection of imaging and laboratory tests, and venous color Doppler ultrasound. The information was analyzed by the University of São Paulo (USP) Statistics Department.ResultsThere was a prevalence of 7.6% of DVT in studied patients, VCSS score 6.73 and severe CEAP classification (C4-6) 32.1%. There was no association of DVT with qualitative variables by the Fisher test such as Child Turcotte Pugh Scale (CTP) (p = 0.890), dichotomized INR values (p = 0.804), etiology of cirrhosis (p = 0.650) and chronic kidney disease (p > 0.999), nor with quantitative variables by t-student’s such as age (p = 0.974), Body Mass Index (BMI) (p = 0.997), MELD score (p = 0.555), Albumin (p = 0.150) and Platelets (p = 0.403). We found that as the severity of ascites increases, there is an increase in the proportion of patients classified in the category indicating more severe clinical manifestations of chronic venous disease (C4 to C6). The mean age (54 years) was higher in patients with DVT than in those without. The mean BMI of patients without DVT (25.7 kg/m2) is lower than that of patients with DVT (27.0 kg/m2). The prevalence of DVT is higher in patients with thrombophilia (20.0%) than in those without (7.0%). This suggests an association between the two variables. The descriptive measures of the MELD score, the cirrhosis scale used for liver transplant waiting lists, did not indicate an association of this scale with the occurrence of DVT.ConclusionThe incidence of VTE (Venous Thromboembolic Events) and CVD (Chronic Venous Disease) within the sample surpassed that of the general population; nevertheless, more studies are required to validate these results. Concerning venous thromboembolism, no correlation was observed between the variables within the sample and the augmented risk of VTE. Regarding chronic venous disease, studies have shown that edema and orthostatism are correlated with increased severity of CVD on the VCSS scales. Statistical dispersion methods suggest that patients with higher BMI and more severe liver disease (according to the Child-Pugh score) are more likely to experience worsening of CVD. About chronic venous disease, studies have shown that edema and orthostatism are correlated with increased severity of CVD on the VCSS scales.

Informações referentes ao uso e cobertura da terra são essenciais para a realização de um planejamento ambiental eficaz. O uso de imagens de sensoriamento remoto facilita a elaboração desses mapeamentos, pela grande disponibilidade de imagens e avanços computacionais no processamento dos dados. Portanto, o objetivo deste trabalho é comparar e avaliar a potencialidade da técnica de Análise de Componentes Principais para o aprimoramento da acurácia da classificação do uso e cobertura da terra da bacia hidrográfica Lajeado São José. Para isso, a técnica de Análise de Componentes Principais foi aplicada na imagem Sentinel-2 no Google Earth Engine. E após, na mesma plataforma, foi realizada a classificação de imagens utilizando as bandas espectrais originais e as componentes principais geradas, a partir de dois classificadores distintos: CART e Random Forest. A fim de comparar se há algum incremento na qualidade da classificação ao usar as componentes principais em relação às bandas espectrais. A avaliação de acurácia foi produzida por meio da análise de pontos de controle distribuídos de forma estratificada. Os resultados indicaram que a melhor classificação de uso e cobertura da terra foi produzida com as componentes principais combinada ao classificador Random Forest, pois apresentou 87,7% de acurácia global, e menor discordância de quantidade (5,2%) e alocação (7,1%) na avaliação da acurácia. Portanto, pode-se concluir a partir da análise de acurácia que o uso de componentes principais pode gerar melhores resultados na classificação de uso e cobertura da terra quando comparados ao uso das bandas espectrais.

Estima-se que, nos últimos 10 anos, houve um aumento de 24,4% no número anual de imigrantes registrados em território brasileiro (SANIELE, 2021). Independente das razões econômicas, políticas e sociais que levam à migração, pode-se afirmar que o ensino da língua portuguesa surge como uma importante ferramenta para que imigrantes e refugiados possam buscar novas oportunidades de emprego, de estudo, e de socialização como um todo. Tendo em vista este contexto, o presente artigo tem por objetivo discutir a importância de uma perspectiva crítica para o ensino de português para imigrantes e refugiados no Brasil. Mais especificamente, partimos da discussão do conceito de português como língua de acolhimento (LOPEZ; DINIZ, 2018) para defender a importância de uma educação linguística pautada na justiça social. Apresentamos, portanto, os preceitos e fundamentos da pedagogia crítica (FREIRE, 2005) e da pedagogia crítica para ensino de línguas (CROOKES, 2013) como possibilidades para um fazer pedagógico que ressignifique o ensino de língua portuguesa de forma a evitar a reprodução de práticas colonialistas e impositivas de ensino. Por meio de uma análise crítica das necessidades de imigrantes e refugiados no sul do Brasil (MARCELINO, 2020), destacamos que o ensino de português deve partir da realidade e das necessidades dos estudantes e também promover encontros interculturais que valorizem suas identidades, histórias e conhecimentos.

Studies that explore the use of lipids and their effects on animal nutrition have become increasingly abundant, producing a mass of information. The review was carried out on a parity basis through a survey of articles in the bibliographic databases: Web of Science and Periodicals Capes, using search terms associated or not, in the plural or singular, in English and Portuguese, such as: “lipids” AND “rabbits" AND "nutrition". After analyzing the files in the two scientific databases, certain files were excluded because they did not fit the theme or because they did not meet the inclusion criteria and repeated articles. A relevance test was carried out for the use of the articles, where they should deal with the subject: articles that report the use of lipids in the nutrition of non-ruminant animals; articles made available in complete form; articles that had at least one of the keywords; articles where the main subject is related to lipids. The articles were selected and tabulated in an Excel® spreadsheet with relevant information for exploration in the review. The use of oils and fats is a favorable point in the nutrition of non-ruminant animals, presenting benefits in the enrichment of final products such as: providing higher levels of omega-3 and omega-6, and thus obtaining meat products with lower levels of saturated fat and higher unsaturated fat contents promoting benefits to human health through its consumption, reduction of food costs, improvement in palatability and appearance of foods. These are nutritional strategies used in hot seasons of the year due to the low calorific increment produced. Keywords: alternative sources; enrichment; nutrition; production

Abstract Solanaceae comprises many species complexes, taxonomically challenging lineages that require specialized effort to be reliably delimited, and thus develop a reasoned hypothesis at the species level. To obtain an overview of aspects that permeate species complexes studies in Solanaceae, we collected and summarized details of selected works, resulting in 83 published articles comprising nine genera. Solanum, the most studied genus, spans all explored biogeographic realms, characterized by taxonomic complexity related to its long history of domestication. Capsicum is a unique case due to the adoption of complexes as an indicator of gene pool, while Petunia can potentially serve as a model for the use of species complexes to improve evolutionary knowledge given their phylogeographic studies. The Neotropical region concentrates the majority of research and presents the highest number of genera studied. Morphometrics is the main applied approach probably due to its low cost, followed by population genetics, reproductive biology, phylogeny, and others. Most studies do not present taxonomic decisions or apply integrated methods. We encourage studies with some neglected genera that may have hidden species complexes; a major effort to resolve the Solanum nigrum complex; and the use of effective, less applied fields of study such as ecology and palynology.

BackgroundSarcopenic obesity (SO) is a clinical and functional disease characterized by the coexistence of obesity and sarcopenia. Resistance training (RT) characteristics for older adults with sarcopenia or obesity are already well established in the scientific literature. Nonetheless, we still do not know how detailed the RT protocols are described for older adults with SO. Therefore, we aimed to analyze the characteristics of RT programs, including each of their variables, recommended for older adults with SO.MethodsThis is a scoping review study that was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis for Scoping Reviews. The search was carried out until November 2022 in PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Scopus, LILACS, Google Scholar, and medRxiv databases. The studies included SO diagnosis and RT as an intervention strategy. The RT variables analyzed were as follows: exercise selection, the volume of sets, the intensity of load, repetition cadence, rest interval between sets, and weekly frequency.ResultsA total of 1,693 studies were identified. After applying the exclusion criteria, 15 studies were included in the final analysis. The duration of the RT intervention ranged from 8 to 24 weeks. All studies included full-body routines, with single/multi-joint exercises. Regarding the volume of sets, some studies fixed it in three sets, whereas others varied between one and three sets. The load was reported by repetition range and the weight lifted, elastic-band color/resistance, percentage of one repetition maximum, or perceived exertion scale. Repetition cadence was fixed in some studies, while it was self-selected between concentric and eccentric phases in others. The interval between sets of rest varied from 30 to 180 s. All studies reported progression overload during the interventions. Not all studies reported how the exercise selection, repetition cadence, and rest interval were made.ConclusionThe characteristics of RT protocols and their variables prescribed in the literature for older adults with SO were mapped. The lack of detail on some training variables (i.e., exercise selection, repetition cadence, and rest interval) was identified. RT protocols are heterogeneous and described only partially among studies. The recommendations for RT prescription details in older adults with SO are provided for future studies.Systematic review registrationhttps://osf.io/wzk3d/.

Anti-cocaine vaccines are a promising therapeutic strategy for treating cocaine use disorders. Here we hypothesize that nanoemulsions (NE) or suspensions (SS) loaded with the calix [4]arene-based immunogen UFMG-V4N2 can induce the production of anti-cocaine antibodies and decrease the passage of radiolabeled cocaine analog [99mTc]Trodat-1 through of the brain barrier. UFMG-V4N2 was characterized (solubility, morphology, DSC, XRD) and loaded into NEs and SSs using excipients approved for human use. Immunogenic efficacy was assessed by quantifying the titers and determining the specificity of anti-cocaine IgG antibodies, and by assessing the inhibition of [99mTc]Trodat-1 trafficking across the mice brain-barrier. UFMG-V4N2 is an amorphous, thermally stable molecule with very low hydrophilicity. The immunogenicity of NE or SS was similar, but aluminum phosphate and the lower dose of UFMG-V4N2 induced higher anti-cocaine IgG antibody titers, minimizing [99mTc]Trodat-1 uptake in the brain. Therefore, the UFMG-V4N2 may represent an alternative for the treatment of cocaine use disorder.

Introduction: Cocaine use disorder is a significant public health issue without a current specific approved treatment. Among different approaches to this disorder, it is possible to highlight a promising immunologic strategy in which an immunogenic agent may reduce the reinforcing effects of the drug if they are able to yield sufficient specific antibodies capable to bind cocaine and/or its psychoactive metabolites before entering into the brain. Several carriers have been investigated in the anti-cocaine vaccine development; however, they generally present a very complex chemical structure, which potentially hampers the proper assessment of the coupling efficiency between the hapten units and the protein structure. Objectives: The present study reports the design, synthesis and preclinical evaluation of two novel calix[n]arene-based anti-cocaine immunogens (herein named as V4N2 and V8N2) by the tethering of the hydrolysis-tolerant hapten GNE (15) on calix[4]arene and calix[8]arene moieties. Methods: The preclinical assessment corresponded to the immunogenicity and dose–response evaluation of V4N2 and V8N2. The potential of the produced antibodies to reduce the passage of cocaine analogue through the blood–brain-barrier (BBB), modifying its biodistribution was also investigated. Results: Both calix[n]arene-based immunogens elicited high titers of cocaine antibodies that modified the biodistribution of a cocaine radiolabeled analogue (99mTc-TRODAT-1) and decreased cocaine-induced behavior, according to an animal model. Conclusion: The present results demonstrate the potential of V4N2 and V8N2 as immunogens for the treatment of cocaine use disorder.

The Federal Supreme Court (which has the function of carrying out constitutional jurisdiction in Brazil) has been undergoing changes related to the application and interpretation of the Federal Constitution. This expansion of the role of the Federal Supreme Court is anchored in two basic points: first, the Judiciary is considered one of the safest means of guaranteeing legal certainty; and secondly, the Legislative Power has moved away from its role of representing the interests of the population and has become incapable of fulfilling obligations of justice and equality. Given this, this article, through a bibliographic and jurisprudential survey and a hermeneutic-dialectical epistemological approach, seeks to understand the Supremocracy, analyzing both the excess of action of the Federal Supreme Court, and its important role in guaranteeing fundamental rights.

O presente artigo tem como objetivo fazer uma análise do fenômeno das migrações entre Cuba e Estados Unidos até a metade do século XX. Aqui se pretende problematizar a tese difundida principalmente pela extrema-direita cubano-americana de que, antes de 1959, Cuba nunca foi um país de emigração. Procura-se a partir de uma análise preliminar das relações entre Cuba e Estados Unidos anteriores a Revolução de 1959, bem como, a situação da ilha caribenha nos períodos anteriores a este fato, demonstrar a falácia que corresponde esta tese.

Schistosomiasis is caused by the parasite Schistosoma mansoni, which uses mollusks of the Biomphalaria genus as intermediate hosts. In 2020, approximately 241 million people worldwide underwent treatment for schistosomiasis. For this reason, the World Health Organization encourages research on alternative molluskicides based on plant species. The objective of this work was to investigate Neomitranthes obscura essential oil from leaf chemical composition and its essential oil nanoemulsion activity on intermediate hosts of schistosomiasis Biomphalaria glabrata control. The major chemical components of the Neomitranthes obscura essential oil were zonarene, seline-3,7(11)-diene, β-selinene, and α-selinene. The nanoemulsion tested using 24-well plate methodology showed lethality and juvenile mollusks with LC90 values of 53.9 and 25.0 ppm after 48 h, respectively, and on their spawning with an LC90 of 66.2 ppm after 48 h. Additionally, the nanoemulsion exhibited an LC90 value against the infective form of the parasite Schistosoma mansoni of 11.5 ppm after 4 h. This pharmaceutical formulation acted inhibiting the acetylcholinesterase activity and was not toxic for Mellanoides sp. This result suggests the use of this nanoformulation as a promising alternative in the control of Biomphalaria glabrata and the transmission of schistosomiasis.

Monoterpenes are secondary metabolites of plants belonging to the terpenoid class of natural products. They are the most abundant components of essential oils that are generally considered to have various pharmacological properties. These compounds are reported to have antidiabetic effects in recent years. Due to nature’s complex biosynthetic machinery, they also exhibit a reasonable degree of structural complexity/diversity for further analysis in structure-activity studies. Therefore, monoterpenes as antidiabetic agents have been investigated by recent in vitro and in vivo studies extensively reported in the scientific literature and claimed by patent documents. The purpose of this survey is to provide a comprehensive and prospective review concerning the potential applications of monoterpenes in the treatment of diabetes. The data for this research were collected through the specialized databases PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect between the years 2014 and 2022, as well as the patent databases EPO, WIPO, and USPTO. The research used 76 articles published in the leading journals in the field. The main effect observed was the antidiabetic activity of monoterpenes. This review showed that monoterpenes can be considered promising agents for prevention and/or treatment of diabetes as well as have a marked pharmaceutical potential for the development of bioproducts for therapeutics applications.

Background. Respiratory monitoring of mechanical ventilation (MV) is relevant and challenging in COVID-19. Mechanical power (MP) is a novel and promising monitoring tool in acute distress respiratory syndrome (ARDS), representing the amount of energy transferred from the ventilator to the patient. It encompasses several setting parameters and patient-dependent variables that could cause lung injury. MP can therefore be an additional tool in the assessment of these patients. Objective. This study aims to evaluate respiratory monitoring through MP and its relationship with mortality in patients with COVID-19-related ARDS (CARDS) under mechanical ventilation (MV) and prone position (PP) strategies. Methods. Retrospective, unicentric, and cohort studies. We included patients with CARDS under invasive MV and PP strategies. Information regarding MP, ventilation, and gas exchange was collected at 3 moments: (1) prior to the first PP, (2) during the first PP, and (3) during the last PP. We tested the relationship between MP and VR with in-hospital mortality. Results. We included 91 patients. There was a statistically significant difference in MP measurements between survivors and nonsurvivors only in the last prone position (p

Small rural properties are common in regions of the interior of the state of Minas Gerais, making the production of animals in a rustic system, such as the raising of swine in an extensive or semi-extensive system, expressive. The objective was to evaluate the profile of producers and consumers of free-range swine in the Alto São Francisco Region - MG. The research was carried out in the municipality of Bambuí - MG, located in the center-west of Minas Gerais. Participate in the survey 8 producers from the Bambuí region 20 Bambui residents informed at the free fair that they accept to participate in the. It was used with 21 questions. The analysis was carried out with the help of Excel® spreadsheets in Microsoft Office Excel 19. The results show the dissemination of products through marketing is the main factor that influences electronic data on the growth of the activity. The analysis of data obtained through the producers can affirm that dissemination and structuring of the swine sector are necessary. This procedure will enable better production and commercial rates in alternative systems. There are possibilities for trade in products from country systems to be marketed and to expand further. However, the lack of guidance from government agencies and specific information hinders this process of growth and structuring of the sector. They indicate that the pork purchased is acquired through the local fair, where the price and origin of the products are the most relevant factors at the time of purchase.

Compreender finanças bem como administração financeira pessoal são temas em evidência atualmente no Brasil, em função da instabilidade econômica. O objetivo do presente estudo foi identificar as práticas de administração financeira adotados pelos alunos do ensino médio de uma escola da rede estadual de ensino no município de Unaí-MG. Para tanto, foi realizado uma pesquisa com 42 alunos do ensino médio de uma escola da rede estadual de ensino. A pesquisa e classificada como exploratória, descritiva, bibliográfica, de campo, e quantitativa quanto à natureza dos dados. Os principais achados do estudo evidenciam que a maioria dos estudantes possuem fonte própria de renda, sendo esta fonte o trabalho; a remuneração da maioria dos estudantes e até um salário mínimo; a maioria faz registros das receitas e despesas, e o meio utilizado são as anotações em caderno; no que tange a relação dos estudantes com as finanças pessoais, 45% gastam no limite do que ganham e 23% gastam mais do que ganham, justificando, pois 55% não investem parte da sua renda, e o motivo para 27% e não sobrar dinheiro.

Abstract Novel Immunological and Mass Spectrometry Methods for Comprehensive Analysis of Recalcitrant Oligosaccharides in AFEX Pretreated Corn Stover. Lignocellulosic biomass is a sustainable alternative to fossil fuel and is extensively used for developing bio-based technologies to produce products such as food, feed, fuel, and chemicals. The key to these technologies is to develop cost competitive processes to convert complex carbohydrates present in plant cell wall to simple sugars such as glucose, xylose, and arabinose. Since lignocellulosic biomass is highly recalcitrant, it must undergo a combination of thermochemical treatment such as Ammonia Fiber Expansion (AFEX), dilute acid (DA), Ionic Liquid (IL) and biological treatment such as enzyme hydrolysis and microbial fermentation to produce desired products. However, when using commercial fungal enzymes during hydrolysis, only 75–85% of the soluble sugars generated are monomeric sugars, while the remaining 15–25% are soluble recalcitrant oligosaccharides that cannot be easily utilized by microorganisms. Previously, we successfully separated and purified the soluble recalcitrant oligosaccharides using a combination of charcoal and celite-based separation followed by size exclusion chromatography and studies their inhibitory properties on enzymes. We discovered that the oligosaccharides with higher degree of polymerization (DP) containing methylated uronic acid substitutions were more recalcitrant towards commercial enzyme mixtures than lower DP and neutral oligosaccharides. Here, we report the use of several complementary techniques that include glycome profiling using plant biomass glycan specific monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to characterize sugar linkages in plant cell walls and enzymatic hydrolysate, matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) using structurally-informative diagnostic peaks offered by negative ion post-secondary decay spectra, gas chromatography followed by mass spectrometry (GC–MS) to characterize oligosaccharide sugar linkages with and without derivatization. Since oligosaccharides (DP 4–20) are small, it is challenging to mobilize these molecules for mAbs binding and characterization. To overcome this problem, we have applied a new biotin-coupling based oligosaccharide immobilization method that successfully tagged most of the low DP soluble oligosaccharides on to a micro-plate surface followed by specific linkage analysis using mAbs in a high-throughput system. This new approach will help develop more advanced versions of future high throughput glycome profiling methods that can be used to separate and characterize oligosaccharides present in biomarkers for diagnostic applications.

Chagas disease therapy still relies on two nitroderivatives, nifurtimox and benznidazole (Bz), which have important limitations and serious adverse effects. New therapeutic alternatives for this silent disease, which has become a worldwide public health problem, are essential for its control and elimination. In this study, 1,2,3-triazole analogues were evaluated for efficacy against T. cruzi. Three triazole derivatives, 1d (0.21 µM), 1f (1.23 µM), and 1g (2.28 µM), showed potent activity against trypomastigotes, reaching IC50 values 10 to 100 times greater than Bz (22.79 µM). Promising candidates are active against intracellular amastigotes (IC50 ≤ 6.20 µM). Treatment of 3D cardiac spheroids, a translational in vitro model, significantly reduced parasite load, indicating good drug diffusion and efficacy. Oral bioavailability was predicted for triazole derivatives. Although infection was significantly reduced without drug pressure in a washout assay, the triazole derivatives did not inhibit parasite resurgence. An isobologram analysis revealed an additive interaction when 1,2,3-triazole analogs and Bz were combined in vitro. These data indicate a strengthened potential of the triazole scaffold and encourage optimization based on an analysis of the structure–activity relationship aimed at identifying new compounds potentially active against T. cruzi.

Solid Lipid Nanoparticles (SLNs) are drug delivery systems with important advantages over conventional nanosystems. Considering previously reported pharmacological and physicochemical properties of Platonia insignis seed butter (BBI), this work aimed at developing, characterizing and performing toxicological and antioxidant studies of SLNs produced from BBI. The GC-MS analysis identified palmitic and oleic acids as the major compounds. Three SLN prototypes were developed through high-shear homogenization followed by ultrasonication. During a 180-day stability evaluation, the formulation SLN/TW-1.5 presented greater stability since pH was around 6.0, as well as a lesser variation of the PdI (Polydispersity Index), particle size and Zeta Potential (ZP), confirmed with Raman Spectroscopy and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). The CC50 in macrophages was around 249.4 µg∙mL−1 for BBI, whereas the CC50 value for SLN/TW-1.5 was 45.2 µg∙mL−1. Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) showed a marked in vitro antioxidant activity for BBI and SLN/TW-1.5. After in vivo SLN/TW-1.5 administration in Zophobas morio larvae, assessment of reduced glutathione (GSH), nitrite (NO2−) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) demonstrated antioxidant activity. Thus, the intrinsic physicochemical properties of BBI allowed the development of an optimized nanoformulation with high stability indexes, besides the great potential for antioxidant applications.

Drylands are vast and face threats from climate change and human activities. Traditional reviews cannot capture interdisciplinary knowledge, but bibliometric analysis provides valuable insights. Our study conducted bibliometric research of scientific production on climate change and land degradation in drylands using remote sensing. We examined 1527 Scopus-indexed publications to identify geographic and thematic hotspots, extracting leading authors, journals, and institutions. China leads in publications, followed by the US, Germany, and Australia. The US has the highest citation count. Collaboration networks involve the US, China, and European countries. There has been an exponential increase in remote sensing of land degradation in drylands (RSLDD) publications since 2011. Key journals include “International Journal of Remote Sensing” and “Remote Sensing of Environment”. The analysis highlights the growing interest in the field, driven by Australia, the US, and China. Key areas of study are vegetation dynamics and land use change. Future perspectives for this scientific field involve promoting collaboration and exploring emerging technologies for comprehensive land degradation and desertification research.

This narrative review provides an overview of the application of endoscopic ultrasound-guided biliary drainage (EUS-BD), including EUS-guided gallbladder drainage (EUS-GBD), for the treatment of malignant biliary obstruction. EUS-BD has demonstrated excellent technical and clinical success rates, with lower rates of adverse events when compared with percutaneous trans-hepatic biliary drainage (PTBD). EUS-BD is currently the preferred alternative technique for biliary drainage (BD) in patients with distal malignant biliary obstruction (DMBO) after failed endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). Particularly, this review will focus on EUS-BD performed with the use of lumen apposing metal stent (LAMS). The introduction of these innovative devices, followed by the advent of electrocautery-enhanced LAMS (EC-LAMS), gave the procedure a great technical implementation and a widespread application.

Schistosomiasis is a tropical disease transmitted in an aqueous environment by cercariae from the Schistosoma genus. This disease affects 200 million people living in risk areas around the world. The control of schistosomiasis is realized by chemotherapy, wastewater sanitation, health education, and mollusk control using molluscicidal agents. This work evaluates the effects of a nanoemulsion containing essential oil from Myrciaria floribunda leaves as a molluscicidal and cercaricidal agent against Biomphalaria glabrata mollusks and Schistosoma mansoni cercariae. The Myrciaria floribunda essential oil from leaves showed nerolidol, β-selinene, 1,8 cineol, and zonarene as major constituents. The formulation study suggested the F3 formulation as the most promising nanoemulsion with polysorbate 20 and sorbitan monooleate 80 (4:1) with 5% (w/w) essential oil as it showed a smaller droplet size of approximately 100 nm with a PDI lower than 0.3 and prominent bluish reflection. Furthermore, this nanoemulsion showed stability after 200 days under refrigeration. The Myrciaria floribunda nanoemulsion showed LC50 values of 48.11 µg/mL, 29.66 µg/mL, and 47.02 µg/mL in Biomphalaria glabrata embryos, juveniles, and adult mollusks, respectively, after 48 h and 83.88 µg/mL for Schistosoma mansoni cercariae after 2 h. In addition, a survival of 80% was observed in Danio rerio, and the in silico toxicity assay showed lower overall human toxicity potential to the major compounds in the essential oil compared to the reference molluscicide niclosamide. These results suggest that the nanoemulsion of Myrciaria floribunda leaves may be a promising alternative for schistosomiasis control.

Abstract To evaluate the association of body temperature with mortality in septic patients admitted to the ICU from the ward. In addition, we intend to investigate whether the timing of antibiotic administration was different between febrile and afebrile patients and whether this difference contributed to mortality. This is a retrospective cohort study that included sepsis patients admitted to the ICU from the ward between July 2017 and July 2019. Antibiotic administration was defined as the initiation of antimicrobial treatment or the expansion of the antimicrobial spectrum within 48 h prior to admission to the ICU. Regarding vital signs, the most altered vital sign in the 48 h prior to admission to the ICU was considered. Two hundred and eight patients were included in the final analysis. Antibiotic administration occurred earlier in patients with fever than in patients without fever. Antibiotic administration occurred before admission to the ICU in 27 (90.0%) patients with fever and in 101 (64.7%) patients without fever (p = 0.006). The mortality rate in the ICU was 88 in 176 (50.0%; 95% CI 42.5–57.5%) patients without fever and 7 in 32 (21.9%; 95% CI 6.7–37.0%) patients with fever (p = 0.004). In the multivariate analysis, absence of fever significantly increased the risk of ICU mortality (OR 3.462; 95% CI 1.293–9.272). We found an inverse association between body temperature and mortality in patients with sepsis admitted to the ICU from the ward. Although antibiotic administration was earlier in patients with fever and precocity was associated with reduced mortality, the time of antibiotic administration did not fully explain the lower mortality in these patients.

Este artigo tem como objetivo socializar os achados de pesquisa acerca dos conhecimentos docentes no contexto de uma prática desenvolvida sob a perspectiva interdisciplinar, em especial, no que diz respeito à Educação Estatística. Essa foi realizada, de forma online, devido à pandemia da COVID-19, com estudantes dos anos finais do Ensino Fundamental. Nessa proposta de estudo, conceitos estatísticos foram abordados junto a conteúdos de Língua Portuguesa e Inglesa, a partir de uma atividade que envolveu a produção e a divulgação de textos sobre “mulher” e “igualdade de gênero”. Essa prática foi partilhada em um dos encontros do Grupo Colaborativo de Formação de Professores em Educação Estatística (MoSaiCo Edu), o qual foi gravado, transcrito e analisado, de forma qualitativa, tendo em vista os estudos produzidos por Lee S. Shulman nesse âmbito. A partir desses registros verbais, foram selecionados trechos da narrativa da professora de Língua Portuguesa que se relacionaram à Estatística. Como resultados, destaca-se a mobilização de conhecimentos estatísticos, contextuais e curriculares horizontais, fundamentais para a construção de um ambiente de aprendizagens aos discentes. Nesse sentido, defende-se uma formação estatística do professor de forma ampla, já que a Estatística propicia a realização de práticas interdisciplinares e colaborativas. Por meio desses resultados, portanto, pode-se evidenciar as potencialidades ao processo pedagógico, de práticas desenvolvidas sob o ponto de vista interdisciplinar e que abordam conceitos estatísticos, desde que o professor tenha conhecimentos profissionais inerentes a essa área, circunstância que pode contribuir na aprendizagem dos educandos e na superação da fragmentação da educação.