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Sol LeWitt, a pioneer of conceptual art, created during his career over 1350 wall drawings, including the Wall Drawing #736 (1993) at the Center for Contemporary Art Luigi Pecci in Prato (Prato, Italy). The painting, executed by Andrea Marescalchi and Antony Sansotta under LeWitt’s instructions, features a grid of coloured rectangles obtained by overlapping different layers of inks. During a 2021 restoration by the Wall Paintings and Stuccoes Department of the Opificio delle Pietre Dure (Firenze, Italy), an in-depth investigation of the composition and the materials used by LeWitt’s assistants in producing Wall Drawing #736 was performed. A multi-analytical approach entailing Raman spectroscopy, high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to diode array and high-resolution mass spectrometry, gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS), and pyrolysis coupled with GC–MS was applied. Our results revealed the use of animal glue, shellac resin, paraffin wax, linseed oil, and various organic pigments. The binder in the preparation layer was identified as poly(vinyl acetate), while poly(n-butyl methacrylate) was determined as a fixative. This research provided valuable insights into LeWitt’s techniques. The acquired knowledge on the paint technique is highly relevant in supporting conservators in restoration and consolidating the many wall drawings produced exploiting the same technique all over the world.

Abstract Bone fractures cause acute inflammation that, despite being important for initial repair, may delay the healing of the damaged bone. Parenteral injection of dietary protein has been shown to decrease inflammation and accelerate the repair of skin wounds and other inflammatory pathologies. Thus, our aim was to evaluate whether the intraperitoneal (i.p.) immunization with zein, an abundant protein in rodent chow, would favor bone healing. Wistar rats received i.p. immunization: saline (SG), adjuvant (AG) and zein associated with adjuvant (ZG). Then, a 2 mm of defect bone was performed on the right tibia, and on days 7, 14, 28 and 45 thereafter, analyses were performed. The results showed that the injection of zein reduced inflammation without impairing bone mineralization. Moreover, biomechanical tests demonstrated higher levels of maximum force (N) in ZG, indicating better mechanical resistance in relation to the others. The computerized tomography also indicated lower levels of medullary content in the ZG than in the SG, suggesting the absence of trabeculae in the medullary region in the ZG. These findings suggest that the injection of zein in previously tolerated animals may improve bone repair, leading to mechanically functional bone formation.

ABSTRACT Objective: This study aimed to report the experience of medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaws (MRONJ) in osteoporotic patients for nine years, and their associated initiating factors. Materials and methods: The numbers of invasive oral procedures (IOP) (tooth extraction, dental implant placement, and periodontal procedures) and removable prostheses performed from January 2012 to January 2021 were obtained from the digital records of a large public dental center. There were an estimated 6,742 procedures performed in patients under osteoporosis treatment. Results: Two cases (0.03%) of MRONJ were registered in nine years amongst patients with osteoporosis who had dental treatment at the center. From the 1,568 tooth extractions, one patient (0.06%) developed MRONJ. There was also one case from the 2,139 removable prostheses delivered (0.05%). Conclusions: The prevalence of MRONJ associated with osteoporosis treatment was very low. The protocols adopted seem to be adequate for the prevention of this complication. The findings of this study reinforce the rare frequency of MRONJ associated with dental procedures in patients submitted to the pharmacological management of osteoporosis. An integral analysis of systemic risk factors and oral preventive strategies may be considered regularly in the dental treatment of these patients.

Seat tilting wheelchair features can increase the comfort and safety of the user. Although many power wheelchairs have tilting mechanisms, they are often designed with a specific wheelchair model in mind. In this study, a design process for seat tilting mechanisms that can be applied to most rear-wheel drive wheelchair models is developed. Equations were developed to describe the geometrical and load constraints that were used to size the electric actuator that powers the system and define its position. Finally, the equations were used to create the seat tilting mechanism of a prototype wheelchair, which was then tested. The equations yielded coherent results which showed that advantageous actuator positions from a load minimization perspective usually require dimensions that cannot be found in commercial actuators. Also, there are positions in which the load increases exponentially, which should be avoided. The tests showed that the system was able to function properly on the prototype wheelchair and that the actuator position affected the time taken for the actuator to execute different parts of the tilting movement. The design process presented here was successful and modelled by general equations that can be applied to most front-wheel drive wheelchairs. It presents a low-cost option for the design of seat tilting systems, which can increase their accessibility. Developing new systems to provide improvements in assistive technologies is fundamental for social reintegration and quality of life improvement. Wheelchairs with a seat stabilization system for moving through inclined terrain can provide greater comfort and safety to the user. Adding low-cost functionalities to wheelchairs is essential to make them more accessible to people, therefore, this paper provides a design method of a new seat stabilization system applied to low-cost wheelchairs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sol LeWitt, a pioneer of conceptual art, created during his career over 1350 wall drawings, including the Wall Drawing #736 (1993) at the Center for Contemporary Art Luigi Pecci in Prato (Prato, Italy). The painting, executed by Andrea Marescalchi and Antony Sansotta under LeWitt's instructions, features a grid of coloured rectangles obtained by overlapping different layers of inks. During a 2021 restoration by the Wall Paintings and Stuccoes Department of the Opificio delle Pietre Dure (Firenze, Italy), an in-depth investigation of the composition and the materials used by LeWitt's assistants in producing Wall Drawing #736 was performed. A multi-analytical approach entailing Raman spectroscopy, high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to diode array and high-resolution mass spectrometry, gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS), and pyrolysis coupled with GC–MS was applied. Our results revealed the use of animal glue, shellac resin, paraffin wax, linseed oil, and various organic pigments. The binder in the preparation layer was identified as poly(vinyl acetate), while poly(n-butyl methacrylate) was determined as a fixative. This research provided valuable insights into LeWitt's techniques. The acquired knowledge on the paint technique is highly relevant in supporting conservators in restoration and consolidating the many wall drawings produced exploiting the same technique all over the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objetivo: avaliar os efeitos da prática do Pole Dance Fitness em pessoas que possuem lombalgia. Materiais e métodos: foram realizados: anamnese, avaliação antropométrica e de composição corporal, preenchimento do IPAQ, da EVAD, e a realização simultânea do Teste de Kendall (1995) e análise eletromiográfica dos músculos reto abdominal (RA), oblíquo externo (OE) e paravertebrais lombares (PL). A flexibilidade de coluna vertebral e membros inferiores foi avaliada pelo teste de sentar e alcançar de Wells. O aparelho Perina-Biofeedback foi utilizado para avaliação da força de contração dos músculos do assoalho pélvico (MAP). As sessões de treinamento foram realizadas por oito semanas. Resultados: Houve redução do peso corporal (1,4%), do percentual de gordura (3,72%), da circunferência abdominal (4,64%), do IMC (1,3%), da Razão cintura-quadril (13,54%) e da percepção de lombalgia (38,3%). A flexibilidade aumentou em (3,27%). A atividade eletromiográfica dos músculos RA e OE diminuiu (19,1% e 66,9%), respectivamente, enquanto dos PL aumentou (19%). O teste de Kendall (1995) revelou uma melhora na estabilização da coluna lombar. A avaliação da força dos MAP revelou melhora na coordenação de recrutamento. Conclusão: Conclui-se que oito semanas de treinamento na modalidade Pole Dance Fitness foram eficientes para a redução da percepção da dor lombar, do percentual de gordura corporal e da atividade mioelétrica dos músculos reto abdominal e oblíquo externo, aumento da força e da atividade mioelétrica dos músculos paravertebrais lombares.

We report a simple and efficient strategy to enhance the fluorescence of biocompatible biindole diketonates (bdks) in the visible spectrum through difluoroboronation (BF2bdks complexes). Emission spectroscopy testifies an increase in the fluorescence quantum yields from a few percent to as much as >0.7. This massive increment is essentially independent of substitutions at the indole (-H, -Cl, and -OCH3) and corresponds to a significant stabilization of the excited state with respect to non-radiative decay mechanisms: the non-radiative decay rates are reduced by as much as an order of magnitude, from 109 s−1 to 108 s−1, upon difluoroboronation. The stabilization of the excited state is large enough to enable sizeable 1O2 photosensitized production. Different time-dependent (TD) density functional theory (DFT) methods were assessed in their ability to model the electronic properties of the compounds, with TD-B3LYP-D3 providing the most accurate excitation energies. The calculations associate the first active optical transition in both the bdks and BF2bdks electronic spectra to the S0 → S1 transition, corresponding to a shift in the electronic density from the indoles to the oxygens or the O-BF2-O unit, respectively.

Introdução: Caminhada e corrida são atividades amplamente praticadas pela população que busca benefí­cios fí­sicos e mentais, pois contemplam o indiví­duo de forma integral. Objetivo: Investigar o perfil dos praticantes de atividade fí­sica ao livre em uma cidade de cidade do interior de Minas Gerais. Materiais e Métodos: Foi utilizado um questionário estruturado composto por 19 perguntas sobre atividade praticada, frequência, objetivos e dados referentes à prescrição e acompanhamento dessas atividades. Participaram deste estudo 228 sujeitos de ambos os sexos, acima de 18 anos, praticantes de corrida e/ou caminhada há pelo menos 3 meses nos espaços públicos da cidade de São João Del-Rei, Minas Gerais. Resultados: Dos 228 entrevistados, 50,66 % eram mulheres. Do total, a maioria, (68,44%) corre e 27,84% iniciaram a atividade para melhorar o condicionamento fí­sico, sendo que 61,5 % não possuem orientação de um profissional de Educação Fí­sica e 65,49 % não tenham tido lesões relacionadas à prática de corrida ou caminhada. A maior parte dos entrevistados (61,06 %) se sentem inseguros no local em que realizam a prática. Conclusão: Há uma equivalência entre os sexos sobre a prática de atividade, sendo que a maioria pratica a corrida. A maioria relatou não ter acompanhamento profissional e nunca ter tido lesões relacionadas à prática. A insegurança relacionada às condições de calçamento e trânsito de carros no local da prática foram mencionadas por mais da metade dos entrevistados.

Abstract We propose a new species of the troglobitic genus Spelaeogammarus da Silva Brum, 1975, with data on its distribution, ecology, aspects of behavior, and conservation status. Spelaeogammarus ginae sp. nov. occurs in a single cave in the Serra do Ramalho karst area, of the northeastern Brazilian semi-arid region. We also provide new data on the distribution and conservation status of its congener, Spelaeogammarus spinilacertus Koenemann and Holsinger, 2000 that occurs in the upper phreatic aquifer inside caves from Chapada Diamantina domain. Both species occur in caves in the state of Bahia, northeastern Brazil.

Periodontal disease (PD), characterized by chronic inflammation associated with dysbiosis, has been linked to several pathologies in the human body. Recent studies reveal a strong association between PD and cancer. The objective of this article was to carry out a narrative review of the literature on the relationship between both diseases. A search was performed in the Virtual Health Library (BVS), PubMed and Wiley Online Library databases, with the health descriptors (DECs) in Portuguese: “Doença Periodontal” and “Carcinogênese” and “Neoplasma”, and their correspondents in English, “Periodontal Disease” and “Carcinogenesis” and “Neoplasm”. The inclusion criteria were complete articles published in English, Portuguese and/or Spanish from 2010 to 2020, resulting in 22 articles. It was found that, although the inflammatory process resulting from PD occurs locally in the oral cavity, the inflammatory cells and their products, the periodontopathogens -- responsible for this inflammation together with the host’s immune response -- and the bacterial components can act on the organism in general. Consequences are possible changes in the cell cycle, cell proliferation, apoptosis, immune and inflammatory responses. In addition, periodontal pathogens are able to interact directly with cells in the body and thus stimulate carcinogenesis, tumor progression and/or metastasis. These facts studied in conjunction with epigenetics have revealed a positive association between several cancers and PD. It was concluded that, although some mechanisms involved in the association remain uncertain, epidemiological studies have added a new panorama for the correlation

In order to provide a profile of the elderly people assisted by the Naval Dental Center (Odontoclínica Central da Marinha), it was performed an epidemiological survey seeking to outline the oral conditions and reported changes in eating habits in this population. A cross-sectional study aimed to describe the prevalence of edentulism and functional dentition in a population of 675 elderly aged more than 60. The impact of functional dentition (FD) on quality of life of these people was assessed, and the association of FD with changes in eating habits was evaluated. The following variables were collected: number of full and partials removable dentures user, number of implants and natural teeth. The participants were inquired about changes on eating habits due to oral status. Data analysis has shown that the average number of natural teeth was 15.7 ± 7.9, 24.1 had severe dental loss, 64.0% did not present functional dentition and 23.5% reported changes in eating and chewing in the last 6 months. It was concluded that a large number of the elderly people evaluated presents several missing teeth which may negatively have impacted on their oral related quality of life.

Curcumin has been demonstrated to exhibit photosensitized bactericidal activity. However, the full exploitation of curcumin as a photo-pharmaceutical active principle is hindered by fast deactivation of the excited state through the transfer of the enol proton to the keto oxygen. Introducing an asymmetry in the molecular structure through acting on the phenyl substituents is expected to be a valuable strategy to impair this undesired de-excitation mechanism competing with the therapeutically relevant ones. In this study, two asymmetric curcumin analogs were synthesized and characterized as to their electronic-state transition spectroscopic properties. Fluorescence decay distributions were also reconstructed. Their analysis confirmed the substantial stabilization of the fluorescent state with respect to the parent compound. Nuclear magnetic resonance experiments were performed with the aim of determining the structural features of the keto–enol ring and the strength of the keto–enol hydrogen bond. Electronic structure calculations were also undertaken to elucidate the effects of substitution on the features of the keto–enol semi-aromatic system and the proneness to proton transfer. Finally, their singlet oxygen-generation efficiency was compared to that of curcumin through the 9,10-dimethylanthracene fluorescent assay.

The novel zinc(II) µ-oxo-bridged-dimeric complex [Zn2(µ-O)2(BMIP)2] (BMIP = 1,3-bis(5-methoxy-1-methyl-1H-indol-3-yl)propane-1,3-dione), 1, was synthetized and fully characterized. The spectral data indicate a zincoxane molecular structure, with the BMIP ligand coordinating in its neutral form via its oxygen atoms. Structural changes in 1 in dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) were evidenced by means of spectroscopic techniques including infrared absorption and nuclear magnetic resonance, showing DMSO entrance in the coordination sphere of the metal ion. The resulting complex [Zn2(µ-O)2(BMIP)2(DMSO)], 2, readily reacts in the presence of N-methyl-imidazole (NMI), a liquid-phase nucleoside mimic, to form [Zn2(µ-O)2(BMIP)2(NMI)], 3, through DMSO displacement. The three complexes show high thermal stability, demonstrating that 1 has high affinity for hard nucleophiles. Finally, with the aim of probing the suitability of this system as model scaffold for new potential anticancer metallodrugs, the interactions of 1 with calf thymus DNA were investigated in vitro in pseudo-physiological environment through UV-Vis absorption and fluorescence emission spectroscopy, as well as time-resolved fluorescence studies. The latter analyses revealed that [Zn2(µ-O)2(BMIP)2(DMSO)] binds to DNA with high affinity upon DMSO displacement, opening new perspectives for the development of optimized drug substances.

OBJECTIVES: Epidemiological studies have shown a relationship between long-term use of proton pump inhibitors and bone metabolism. However, this relationship has not yet become established. The aim of the present study was to analyze the mechanical properties and bone mineral density (BMD) of rats that were subjected to long-term omeprazole use.METHODS: Fifty Wistar rats weighing between 200 and 240 g were divided equally into five groups: OMP300 (omeprazole intake at a dose of 300 µmoL/kg/day); OMP200 (200 µmoL/kg/day); OMP40 (40 µmoL/kg/day); OMP10 (10 µmoL/kg/day); and Cont (control group; intake of dilution vehicle). The solutions were administered for 90 consecutive days. After the rats had been sacrificed, their BMD, the mechanical properties of the dissected femurs and their serum Ca++ levels were analyzed.RESULTS: The BMD of the OMP300 group was lower than that of the controls (p = 0.006). There was no difference on comparing the OMP200, OMP40 and OMP10 groups with the controls. The maximum strength and rigidity of the femur did not differ in the experimental groups in comparison with the controls. The OMP300 group had a statistically lower serum Ca++ concentration than that of the controls (p = 0.049), but the other groups did not show any difference in relation to the controls.CONCLUSION: Daily intake of 300 µmoL/kg/day of omeprazole decreased the BMD of the femur, but without changes to the rigidity and strength of the femur in adult rats.