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Community engagement is a key pathway for incorporating social considerations into the development of utility-scale renewable energy facilities. Prior literature recommends meaningful, early community engagement to both improve siting outcomes and empower the public to participate in decision-making, but there is no recent nor comprehensive understanding of industry experiences with engagement. This study provides a critical contribution by revealing the practices and perspectives of project developers. We draw upon a survey of 123 professionals employed at 62 unique companies across the United States. We demonstrate that developers are highly concerned about the impact of community opposition on project deployment, and that they already use a variety of engagement strategies and adjust project designs in response to community feedback. However, the public is generally not made aware of project proposals until after land for the project is secured, and industry expenditures on engagement activities pale in comparison to other project development costs. We draw upon Arnstein's ladder of citizen participation to operationalize the engagement preferences of developers, and find that the majority of developers prefer that members of the public provide input but not recommend or make decisions. We characterize this preference as ‘halfway up the ladder’, compared to the idealized vision of full citizen empowerment envisioned in narratives of just transition. These findings contribute to discussion of the role and potential for community engagement to attend to justice in the energy transition.

Objectives: Among Aboriginal children, the year between birth and 1 year of age has the highest mortality rate compared with any other age. Prompt administration of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) leads to better outcomes and a lower likelihood of ongoing sequalae. Current education on infant CPR is not provided to parents except in certain circumstances in a neonatal intensive care unit. Currently, there are no identified CPR education courses specifically available for Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people, meaning that current infant CPR education courses are not culturally responsive. Design: Partnering with an Aboriginal community from the Bindjareb region of the Western Australian Noongar nation, the researchers used a co-design approach and an Aboriginal Participatory Action Research (APAR) design to explore how to deliver culturally safe and responsive infant CPR community education. This resulted in the development of the Koolangka Infant Life Saving Education Framework (KILSEF), which can be used to guide future planning and delivery of culturally safe and responsive community level infant CPR education. Results: The study findings identified that members of the Aboriginal community were very interested in receiving infant CPR education, but the barriers identified from mainstream CPR course delivery need to be removed for the community to benefit from culturally responsive ways of learning. Culturally responsive community CPR education should be provided in culturally safe places and the focus of learning should be on the practical applications of CPR and less on the academic pre-reading and written requirements. Explanations should be provided in lay terms and patience is required to communicate ideas in ways that facilitate understanding, and the course may need to be delivered over several days to accommodate community participant availability. Conclusion: Addressing Aboriginal community concerns and barriers allowed for the implementation of culturally responsive infant resuscitation education which was highly valued by community members and led to increased community confidence and participation in CPR education.

Direct laser acceleration of electrons during a high-energy, picosecond laser interaction with an underdense plasma has been demonstrated to be substantially enhanced by controlling the laser focusing geometry. Experiments using the OMEGA EP facility measured electrons accelerated to maximum energies exceeding 120 times the ponderomotive energy under certain laser focusing, pulse energy, and plasma density conditions. Two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations show that the laser focusing conditions alter the laser field evolution, channel fields generation, and electron oscillation, all of which contribute to the final electron energies. The optimal laser focusing condition occurs when the transverse oscillation amplitude of the accelerated electron in the channel fields matches the laser beam width, resulting in efficient energy gain. Through this observation, a simple model was developed to calculate the optimal laser focal spot size in more general conditions and is validated by experimental data.

Driven by favorable economics, policy factors, and decarbonization goals, large-scale solar (LSS, defined here as ground-mounted photovoltaic projects ≥1 MWDC) has expanded rapidly in recent years, with more than 90 gigawatts (GW) now installed across the United States. Growth in LSS deployment is anticipated to accelerate in response to growing electricity demand and utility, state, and federal decarbonization goals. This continued expansion hinges, in part, on the continued support of local residents and decision-makers in communities hosting LSS projects. Understanding the perceptions and attitudes of existing LSS neighbors is critical to inform and enable future LSS deployment, and to improve outcomes for those host communities.As of 2022, there were more than 10 million U.S. homes within 3 miles of LSS plants. Yet, until recently, no comprehensive study had examined the experiences and perceptions of these LSS neighbors. In 2023, a Berkeley Lab team worked with the University of Michigan and Michigan State University to conduct the first-of-its-kind nationally representative survey of LSS neighbors as part of the Community-Centered Solar Development research project. The survey effort ultimately collected 984 responses from residents within 3 miles of existing LSS projects. The survey results are available for download via the full summary analysis slide deck report, as well as a shorter (~4 page) summary brief. The survey instrument (questionnaire) is also available for download for those interested in understanding the survey design or replicating questions in future research.

In order to meet decarbonization goals, the number of large-scale solar (LSS) facilities in the US is expected to increase considerably. The advantages of LSS over fossil-fueled power generation are numerous and well documented. However, residents living nearby proposed and existing LSS sites have voiced a number of concerns about LSS, including its possible impacts to farmland and agricultural production, biodiversity, stormwater runoff, home and property values, as well as concerns about solar panels' toxicity and safety. While rapid expansion of LSS currently relies on officials permitting and residents being willing to host these systems, the appetite for LSS in some communities may be waning. Here we examine the perceived benefits and burdens of recent LSS developments, conducting 54 interviews with a broad set of stakeholders including residents, officials and developers at seven LSS sites across the US. We focus on identifying residents' most common concerns regarding LSS systems across states, site types, landscapes and ownership structures. We find concerns are associated with either LSS development processes or impacts, and center on the type and amount of information provided, the community's influence over project design, the efficacy of community subscription efforts, as well as projects' economic, environmental, and visual and landscape impacts. Importantly, we also investigate strategies that have been employed to improve perceptions and project outcomes, which include increasing in-person engagement, more explicit discussion of project tradeoffs, third-party intermediaries acting as community champions, and explicit requirements for meaningful local economic benefits.

In 2023, Berkeley Lab conducted the first of its kind survey of industry professionals with direct experience working in community engagement and permitting of land-based, utility-scale wind and solar energy facilities in the U.S. The survey solicited information about project timelines over the last five years, leading causes of project delays and cancelations, community opposition, experience with permitting authorities, community engagement, comparisons between wind and solar, and other related topics. A total of 123 individuals responded to the survey for a response rate of 19.2%. Respondents were employed at 62 unique companies, which together are responsible for approximately half of the wind and solar developed from 2016 to 2023.

Abstract Background Older adults are insufficiently physically active, despite its importance for healthy aging. To develop appropriate physical activity interventions, it is necessary to understand their physical activity. This study applies a theoretical perspective, the COM-B model, and a mixed-method design to examine what influences older adults’ physical activity levels with three questions: (1) What individual and external factors predict older adults’ physical activity levels? (2) What do older adults perceive as influencing their levels of physical activity? (3) To what extent do the quantitative results on older adults’ physical activity levels agree and disagree with the qualitative findings on older adults’ physical activity levels? Methods A convergent mixed-method design was used with questionnaire (n = 334) and interview (n = 14) data from adults 65 years and older. Regression analyses were used for quantitative measurements: physical activity, age, subjective socioeconomic status, health status, capability, opportunity, motivation, and depression. Content analysis was applied to the qualitative data. The two forms of data were then integrated to provide greater insights than would be obtained by either dataset separately. Results The regression analyses showed that previous physical activity, current motivation, health status, and age significantly predicted older adults’ physical activity levels. The content analysis revealed that participants addressed all subcomponents of the COM-B model, indicating its pertinence in understanding how older adults discuss their current physical activity levels. The integrated findings showed convergent and divergent results. Overall results indicated that previous physical activity engagement, present motivation, capability, and opportunity influenced older adults’ physical activity levels. Conclusions This study is the first to use this mixed-methods design to examine factors influencing physical activity levels among older adults living in rental apartments with community hosts. The integrated result reveals convergence for findings on motivation and physical capability but divergence on psychological capability, opportunity, and previous physical activity. The findings underscore a complex interplay of factors influencing older adults’ physical activity levels and indicate relevance for the COM-B model. The results can guide future research on theoretically informed interventions to promote physical activity and healthy aging. Future research should clarify the role of opportunity for older adults’ physical activity.

Wetlands are responsible for 20%–31% of global methane (CH4) emissions and account for a large source of uncertainty in the global CH4 budget. Data-driven upscaling of CH4 fluxes from eddy covariance measurements can provide new and independent bottom-up estimates of wetland CH4 emissions. Here, we develop a six-predictor random forest upscaling model (UpCH4), trained on 119 site-years of eddy covariance CH4 flux data from 43 freshwater wetland sites in the FLUXNET-CH4 Community Product. Network patterns in site-level annual means and mean seasonal cycles of CH4 fluxes were reproduced accurately in tundra, boreal, and temperate regions (Nash-Sutcliffe Efficiency ∼0.52–0.63 and 0.53). UpCH4 estimated annual global wetland CH4 emissions of 146 ± 43 TgCH4 y−1 for 2001–2018 which agrees closely with current bottom-up land surface models (102–181 TgCH4 y−1) and overlaps with top-down atmospheric inversion models (155–200 TgCH4 y−1). However, UpCH4 diverged from both types of models in the spatial pattern and seasonal dynamics of tropical wetland emissions. We conclude that upscaling of eddy covariance CH4 fluxes has the potential to produce realistic extra-tropical wetland CH4 emissions estimates which will improve with more flux data. To reduce uncertainty in upscaled estimates, researchers could prioritize new wetland flux sites along humid-to-arid tropical climate gradients, from major rainforest basins (Congo, Amazon, and SE Asia), into monsoon (Bangladesh and India) and savannah regions (African Sahel) and be paired with improved knowledge of wetland extent seasonal dynamics in these regions. The monthly wetland methane products gridded at 0.25° from UpCH4 are available via ORNL DAAC (https://doi.org/10.3334/ORNLDAAC/2253).

Prolonged hyperglycemia conditions are a risk factor for chronic degenerative diseases such as diabetes and obesity. Testosterone is known to cause muscle hypertrophy, reduced fat mass, and increased body strength. The study aimed to verify possible alterations and differences in the influence of testosterone on the physical performance in post-exercise conditions of young and old animals with alloxan-induced hyperglycemia. We randomly assigned 32 young Wistar rats to groups of untreated non-diabetic young, treated non-diabetic young, untreated diabetic young, and treated diabetic young rats, and 32 aged Wistar rats to groups of untreated non-diabetic elderly, treated non-diabetic elderly, untreated diabetic elderly, and treated diabetic elderly rats, with eight animals each group. The treated non-diabetic and treated diabetic groups received injections of 15 ​mg/kg weight Durateston™. All the trained groups performed aquatic training with an overload of 5% of the body mass. Following the experiment, we anesthetized and euthanized the animals after exercise (exhaustion). Hemoglobin, erythrocytes, and hematocrit values were higher in the treated groups. The treated diabetic elderly group had the highest leukocyte and neutrophil counts compared to the untreated young groups (p ​

Abstract Background Chagas disease (CD), a neglected parasitic disease caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, poses a significant health threat in Latin America and has emerged globally because of human migration. Trypanosoma cruzi infects humans and over 100 other mammalian species, including dogs, which are important sentinels for assessing the risk of human infection. Nonetheless, the serodiagnosis of T. cruzi in dogs is still impaired by the absence of commercial tests. In this study, we investigated the diagnostic accuracy of four chimeric recombinant T. cruzi IBMP antigens (IBMP-8.1, IBMP-8.2, IBMP-8.3, and IBMP-8.4) for detecting anti-T. cruzi antibodies in dogs, using latent class analysis (LCA). Methods We examined 663 canine serum samples, employing indirect ELISA with the chimeric antigens. LCA was utilized to establish a latent variable as a gold standard for T. cruzi infection, revealing distinct response patterns for each antigen. Results The IBMP (Portuguese acronym for the Molecular Biology Institute of Paraná) antigens achieved area under the ROC curve (AUC) values ranging from 90.9% to 97.3%. The highest sensitivity was attributed to IBMP-8.2 (89.8%), while IBMP-8.1, IBMP-8.3, and IBMP-8.4 achieved 73.5%, 79.6%, and 85.7%, respectively. The highest specificity was observed for IBMP-8.4 (98.6%), followed by IBMP-8.2, IBMP-8.3, and IBMP-8.1 with specificities of 98.3%, 94.4%, and 92.7%, respectively. Predictive values varied according to prevalence, indicating higher effectiveness in endemic settings. Conclusions Our findings underscore the remarkable diagnostic performance of IBMP-8.2 and IBMP-8.4 for the serodiagnosis of Trypanosoma cruzi in dogs, representing a promising tool for the diagnosis of CD in dogs. These chimeric recombinant antigens may not only enhance CD surveillance strategies but also hold broader implications for public health, contributing to the global fight against this neglected tropical disease. Graphical Abstract

Abstract Background Schizophrenia (SCZ) is a severe mental disorder of multifactorial origin in which the role of amino acids is relatively unknown. Based on the hypothesis that there is an imbalance in amino acid levels in individuals with SCZ compared with healthy controls (HCs), the aim of this study was to identify the 20 proteinogenic amino acids involved in protein synthesis. Methods This study included 43 sex‐ and age‐matched individuals: 20 HCs and 23 with SCZ diagnosed using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders criteria. Using proton nuclear magnetic resonance, we identified the serum levels of the 20 amino acids proteinogenic. We perform multivariate statistical exploratory analyzes to identify compounds, quantify, and identify the main biomarkers of SCZ. Results We identified the serum levels of 19 of the 20 amino acids. Cysteine, the main precursor of glutathione, was not detected. Multivariate exploratory analysis identified lysine, Tryptophan (TRP), and glutamate as possible biomarkers of SCZ. Both lysine and TRP levels were lower and glutamate levels were higher in individuals with SCZ than in HCs. The observed reduction in plasma TRP levels in SCZ was attributed to the activation of the kynurenine pathway and has implications for serotonin synthesis. A strong positive correlation was observed between lysine and TRP, and a weak negative correlation between lysine and glutamate. This result is consistent with the lysine catalysis process because lysine degradation generates glutamate and favors an increase in dopamine. Conclusions The results are consistent with the lysine catalysis process because lysine degradation generates glutamate and favors an increase in dopamine. We were unable to identify any studies suggesting a relationship between lysine catabolism and SCZ pathophysiology, but we recognize this association as innovative.

Large-scale solar (LSS, defined here as ground-mounted photovoltaic projects ≥1 MWDC) has grown rapidly in the U.S., accounting for nearly half of new electric generating capacity added to the U.S. grid in 2022. All sources of electricity bring positive and negative impacts to hosting communities and the rapid growth of LSS has increased the urgency to understand those impacts. Yet, information about the potential positive and negative impacts of LSS on host communities, and the factors or drivers leading to support or opposition to a project, is lacking. This information gap limits how project developers, municipalities, and local siting authorities can address community concerns and appropriately align proposed projects to best suit and benefit local communities.As part of Berkeley Lab’s Community-Centered Solar Development (CCSD) project, this research set out to explore deep insights and perceptions from LSS stakeholders that only qualitative data can provide to identify key factors driving project success or threatened failure. Case studies, such as those utilized in this research, are uniquely adept at capturing the subjective experience of individuals and at identifying variables, structures, and interactions between stakeholders. Our case studies included 54 semi-structured interviews across 7 different LSS sites, representing a diversity of geographies, project sizes (MW), site types (i.e., greenfield, agrivoltaic, and brownfield / contaminated sites), zoning jurisdiction types, and more (Table 1). In addition to local residents living in close proximity to these LSS sites, we interviewed other key stakeholders involved in the projects such as developers, decision-makers, utility representatives, landowners, and individuals from community-based organizations. The overarching aim of this case study research was two-fold: (1) to inform subsequent tasks in the CCSD research project (including an upcoming national survey of LSS neighbors), and (2) to provide insights into the following set of research questions:-What are the key positive and negative drivers leading to support and opposition to LSS projects?-To what extent do LSS projects exacerbate or mitigate perceived inequities and marginalization within hosting communities and how can those inequities be mitigated going forward?-What strategies can communities employ to align LSS development with local land-use plans and community needs and values?The research findings and next steps are described in this slide deck report.

Introdução: A gravidade da tuberculose depende da interação entre a resposta imune do hospedeiro e a virulência do Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). Pouco se conhece sobre a associação entre a caracterização genotípica e os aspectos clínicos da doença. Objetivo: Determinar os fatores de virulência micobacterianos associados a tuberculose disseminada, extrapulmonar e a forma pulmonar cavitária de isolados de pacientes com tuberculose ativa atendidos no HC-FMUSP de 2014 a 2020. Método: Análise de amostras de conveniência de isolados de Mtb de pacientes com diagnóstico de tuberculose ativa. Os prontuários clínicos foram consultados para avaliar os dados demográficos, clínicos e desfecho. Os isolados de Mtb foram sequenciadas pela plataforma Ion Torrent. A árvore filogenética baseada nos polimorfismos de nucleotídeo único do coregenoma foi construida com o método de máxima virossimilhança pelo programa REALPHY. Além disso, os linhagens e sublinhagens dos isolados foram determinados utilizando TB profiler. A presença dos genes de virulência foi avaliada através do programa Virulence Factor Database (VFDB) e confirmada por curadoria manual. Os genes com variabilidade > 5% foram incluidas na análise bivariada com qui quadrado para avaliar a associação com a forma disseminada, acometimento extrapulmonar e pulmonar cavitária. Resultados: No total, 141 isolados clínicos de Mtb foram sequenciados, 65% foram de pacientes de sexo masculino, a mediana de idade foi de 44 anos e 36% (n = 50) foram imunocomprometidos. A forma pulmonar localizada foi a mais comum (65%, n = 91), seguida da forma disseminada (26%, n = 37) e extrapulmonar localizada (9%, n = 13). A maioria dos isolados pertenceram a linhagem euroamericana (99%, n = 140), predominantemente da sublinhagem LAM. Na árvore filogenêtica, não evidenciamos cluster de acordo com as formas clinicas avaliadas. Foram analisados 69 genes de virulência, 84% (n = 58) foram constitucionais do Mtb por estar presentes em 100% das amostras. Cinco genes mbtB, EspB, PPE, espK e plcD tiveram variabilidade > 5% entre as amostras. Não observamos associação entre os genes avaliados e a presença de tuberculose com acometimento extrapulmonar, forma disseminada ou pulmonar cavitária. Conclusão: Não encontramos associação entre os genes de virulência analizados e a gravidade da tuberculose. A avaliação do genoma completo de Mtb pode completar a presente análise.

No Brasil, o câncer infantil é a maior causa de morte por doenças na população pediátrica, sendo a Leucemia Linfoide Aguda (LLA) o tipo mais comum. O diagnóstico e tratamento do câncer causam mudanças nos papeis sociais da criança e seus familiares e podem eliciar sentimentos como medo, ansiedade, culpa, raiva e desencadear transtornos psicológicos. Muitas vezes, o diagnóstico passa a ser uma vivência familiar, e não mais exclusivo da criança que o recebe, justamente por ser um evento inesperado que acarreta em mudanças de hábitos e rotinas de toda a família. Dessa forma, é importante pensar na psicoeducação como elemento indispensável na compreensão e desenvolvimento de estratégias de enfrentamento para a criança e familiares que recebem o diagnóstico de leucemia. Apresentar a psicoeducação como intervenção psicológica indispensável para a compreensão da doença e tratamento, desenvolvimento de estratégias de enfrentamento e atenuação de sentimentos como medo, ansiedade e culpa dentro do diagnóstico onco-hematológico infantil. Trata-se de um estudo descritivo e exploratório, conduzido na rotina do Serviço de Psicologia Hospitalar do Graacc – Grupo de Apoio ao Adolescente e à Criança com Câncer, em São Paulo, no período de junho a agosto de 2024. Utilizamos a pesquisa retrospectiva de evoluções de prontuários no sistema Tasy e as planilhas diárias de controle de atendimentos do Serviço de Psicologia Hospitalar. A amostra foi composta por 08 pacientes em acompanhamento psicológico pelo Serviço de Psicologia, sendo 06 do sexo masculino e 2 do sexo feminino, com idades entre 2 e 14 anos e diagnóstico de leucemias e linfomas. Para o processo de psicoeducacão, utilizamos o Manual Infantil, o Manual do Adolescente e o Manual de Leucemia Infantil, do Projeto Casinha. Corroborando com os dados da literatura, constatamos a eficácia da utilização da intervenção em crianças diagnosticadas com câncer. Verificamos que a comunicação direta e honesta com crianças, adolescentes e seus familiares sobre a doença, tratamento e prognóstico permitiu melhor adaptação, aumentando os níveis de informação e de conscientização de pacientes e cuidadores, reduzindo os estados emocionais negativos e desenvolvendo estratégias de enfrentamento mais eficazes, eliminando falsos conceitos e fantasias. Verificamos que a psicoeducação no contexto onco-hematológico também pode englobar informações sobre procedimentos invasivos, tratamentos específicos e hospitalizações constantes, esclarecendo dúvidas que a criança, adolescente e família venham a apresentar. Dessa forma, viabilizar a psicoeducação de elementos importantes envolvidos no processo de adoecimento por câncer infantil torna o adoecer compreensível para a criança e seus familiares, possibilitando o desenvolvimento de estratégias de enfrentamento eficazes para o momento vivenciado.

O presente artigo tem o objetivo de examinar o processo de desestatização da Companhia Docas do Espírito Santo (Codesa), investigando as características que o tornam inédito no contexto de um amplo processo de privatizações e modernização do setor portuário brasileiro, iniciado nos anos 1990. Proceder-se-á neste sentido a uma investigação acerca do hibridismo de modelos de exploração que rege o setor, refletindo a ambiguidade conceitual presente na matriz constitucional e no marco legal infraconstitucional, em especial no que tange ao conceito de “serviço público” aplicado aos serviços portuários. O método a ser empregado é o de pesquisa básica, visando à melhor compreensão da matéria. A hipótese adotada é de que serviços portuários representam sempre serviços públicos, tendo em vista o grande interesse social envolvido, não importando o regime jurídico que lhes seja aplicado – arrendamento ou autorização. O leilão de transferência da Codesa à iniciativa privada acentua o hibridismo setorial e evidencia a ocorrência de prestação de serviço público em regime privado.

ABSTRACT: This study assessed the efficacy of magnesium sulfate and ketamine hydrochloride in reducing the demand for propofol, remifentanil, and postoperative rescue analgesia in cats undergoing elective ovariohysterectomy. Thirty cats were premedicated with acepromazine (0.05 mg/kg) and morphine (0.3 mg/kg) intramuscularly and induced to unconsciousness with propofol for orotracheal intubation. The continuous infusion (CI) of propofol and remifentanil were started and animals and were randomly allocated into three groups: the magnesium sulfate group (MG) received one bolus (50 mg/kg) and CI (80 mg/kg/h) of magnesium sulfate; the ketamine group (KG) received bolus (0.5 mg/kg) and CI (1.8 mg/kg/h) of ketamine hydrochloride; the control group (CG) received bolus and CI of 0.9% saline solution. Cardiovascular and respiratory functions, extubation time, and rescue postoperative scores were assessed and data were described with a significance level of 95% (P < 0.05). The infusion period of treatments was 21.5 ± 3.4 and 21.0 ± 2.4 minutes in the KG and MG, respectively (P = 0.194). The infusion rates of remifentanil (P = 0.336) and propofol (P = 0.716) were similar between groups. Analysis of the postoperative pain scales revealed no significant intergroup differences in rescue frequency, rescue score, and time to the first rescue analgesia. In conclusion, the proposed protocols were safe and effective, yet it is noteworthy that both magnesium sulfate and ketamine failed to demonstrate significant additional postoperative analgesic or adjuvant anesthetic effects.

A high-flux beamline optimized for non-resonant X-ray emission spectroscopy (XES) in the tender X-ray energy range has been constructed at the BESSY II synchrotron source. The beamline utilizes a cryogenically cooled undulator that provides X-rays over the energy range 2.1 keV to 9.5 keV. This energy range provides access to XES [and in the future X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS)] studies of transition metals ranging from Ti to Cu (Kα, Kβ lines) and Zr to Ag (Lα, Lβ), as well as light elements including P, S, Cl, K and Ca (Kα, Kβ). The beamline can be operated in two modes. In PINK mode, a multilayer monochromator (E/ΔE ≃ 30–80) provides a high photon flux (1014 photons s−1 at 6 keV and 300 mA ring current), allowing non-resonant XES measurements of dilute substances. This mode is currently available for general user operation. X-ray absorption near-edge structure and resonant XAS techniques will be available after the second stage of the PINK commissioning, when a high monochromatic mode (E/ΔE ≃ 10000–40000) will be facilitated by a double-crystal monochromator. At present, the beamline incorporates two von Hamos spectrometers, enabling time-resolved XES experiments with time scales down to 0.1 s and the possibility of two-color XES experiments. This paper describes the optical scheme of the PINK beamline and the endstation. The design of the two von Hamos dispersive spectrometers and sample environment are discussed here in detail. To illustrate, XES spectra of phosphorus complexes, KCl, TiO2 and Co3O4 measured using the PINK setup are presented.

Abstract Orthobunyavirus oropouche ense virus (OROV), the causative agent of Oropouche fever, is widely dispersed in Brazil and South America, causing sporadic outbreaks. Due to the similarity of initial clinical symptoms caused by OROV with other arboviruses found in overlapping geographical areas, differential diagnosis is challenging. As for most neglected tropical diseases, there is a shortage of reagents for diagnosing and studying OROV pathogenesis. We therefore developed and characterized mouse monoclonal antibodies and, one of them recognizes the OROV nucleocapsid in indirect immunofluorescent (IFA) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) assays. Considering that it is the first monoclonal antibody produced for detecting OROV infections, we believe that it will be useful not only for diagnostic purposes but also for performing serological surveys and epidemiological surveillance on the dispersion and prevalence of OROV in Brazil and South America.

Abstract To investigate de effect of PAb gel on the bone tissue of rats submitted to Bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaws (BRONJ). Initially, 54 animals were submitted to BRONJ model by Zoledronic Acid (ZA) (0.1 mg/kg 3x/wk for 9 wk, ip), followed by the 1st upper left molar extraction at the 8th wk. After tooth removal, the animals were divided into 3 groups, ZA that received placebo gel or PAb gel that received 1% PAb gel, inside the dental alveolus. The control Group (CONTROL) received 0.1 mg/kg of 0.9% saline and then placebo gel. Three weeks after tooth extraction, the animals were euthanized, and maxillae were colleted for macroscopic, radiographic, histological and Raman spectomery assays. Additionally, GSK3b, beta-catenin, and Runx2 mRNA expressions were determined. Blood samples were collected for the analysis of Bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (BALP) levels. PAb gel improved mucosal healing, increased the number of viable osteocytes, while it reduced the number of empty lacunae, as well as the amount of bone sequestration. Furthermore, PAb gel positively influenced the number and functionality of osteoblasts by stimulating Wnt signaling, thereby inducing bone remodeling. Additionally, PAb gel contributed to improved bone quality, as evidenced by an increase in bone mineral content, a decrease in bone solubility, and an enhancement in the quality of collagen, particularly type I collagen. PAb gel mitigated bone necrosis by stimulating of bone remodeling through Wnt signaling and concurrently improved bone quality. PAb gel emerges as a promising pharmacological tool for aiding in BRONJ therapy or potentially preventing the development of BRONJ.