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The aim of this study was to evaluate the physicochemical composition and antibacterial activity of Brazilian propolis extracts from different types, concentrations, and extraction solvents and from different regions in Brazil. A total of 21 samples were analyzed, comprising 14 samples from Apis mellifera (12 green, 1 brown, and 1 red) and 7 samples from stingless bees (3 mandaçaia, 2 jataí, 1 hebora, and 1 tubuna). The analyses performed were dry extract, total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activity (DPPH and ABTS). The antibacterial activity was performed by Determination of Minimal Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and Minimal Bactericidal Concentration (MBC). The results showed that very low levels of phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity decreased the antimicrobial activity of the propolis extracts from tubuna and jataí. However, there was no correlation between the increase in propolis concentration in the extract, and the increase in antimicrobial activity. The highest TPC and antioxidant activity was obtained for green propolis extract made with 70% raw propolis that presented similar antibacterial activity to the samples formulated with 30% or less raw propolis. The aqueous propolis extract showed lower antimicrobial activity compared to the alcoholic extracts, indicating that ethanol is a better solvent for extracting the active compounds from propolis. It was observed that the MIC (0.06 to 0.2 mg/mL) and MBC (0.2 to 0.5 mg/mL) values for Gram-negative bacteria were higher compared to Gram-positive bacteria (MIC 0.001-0.2 mg/mL, and the MBC 0.02-0.5 mg/mL). The propolis extracts that exhibited the highest antimicrobial activities were from stingless bees hebora from the Distrito Federal (DF) and mandaçaia from Santa Catarina, showing comparable efficacy to samples 5, 6, and 7, which were the green propolis from the DF. Hence, these products can be considered an excellent source of bioactive compounds with the potential for utilization in both the pharmaceutical and food industries., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Gomes et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

There is limited knowledge regarding the blockade of cysteinyl leukotriene receptors (CysLTRs) and their effects in teleost fish. The present study investigated the effects of Zafirlukast, antagonist of CysLTR 1 receptor, on the foreign body inflammatory reaction in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). Zafirlukast-treated tilapia demonstrated a decrease in the formation of multinucleated foreign body giant cells and Langhans cells on the round glass coverslips implanted in the subcutaneous tissue, along with a significant reduction in white blood cell counts and decreased production of reactive oxygen species. There was an increase in serum levels of α2-macroglobulins, as well as a decrease in ceruloplasmin and haptoglobin. Zafirlukast treatment led to a significant decrease in the area of splenic melanomacrophage centers and a reduction in the presence of lipofuscin. These findings highlight the potential anti-inflammatory effects of zafirlukast treatment in tilapia and indicate its action on CysLTR 1 receptor, modulating the innate immune response of tilapia during the foreign body reaction. The comprehension of chronic inflammation mechanisms in fish has become increasingly relevant, especially concerning the utilization of biomaterials for vaccine and drug delivery., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Cardiovascular and metabolic diseases such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and obesity develop long-term fibrotic processes in the heart, promoting pathological cardiac remodeling, including after myocardial infarction, reparative fibrotic processes also occur. These processes are regulated by many intracellular signaling pathways that have not yet been completely elucidated, including those associated with microRNA (miRNA) expression. miRNAs are small RNA transcripts (18-25 nucleotides in length) that act as posttranscriptionally regulators of gene expression, inhibiting or degrading one or more target messenger RNAs (mRNAs), and proven to be involved in many biological processes such as cell cycle, differentiation, proliferation, migration, and apoptosis, directly affecting the pathophysiology of several diseases, including cardiac fibrosis. Exercise training can modulate the expression of miRNAs and it is known to be beneficial in various cardiovascular diseases, attenuating cardiac fibrosis processes. However, the signaling pathways modulated by the exercise associated with miRNAs in cardiac fibrosis were not fully understood. Thus, this review aims to analyze the expression of miRNAs that modulate signaling pathways in cardiac fibrosis processes that can be regulated by exercise training.

Iron ore tailings (IOTs) need to be properly managed to mitigate the environmental, social, and economic impacts of mining activities. To cope with this issue, we use data envelopment analysis (DEA) to evaluate alternatives for using IOT in the construction sector. The classical and weight restriction output-oriented DEA models were used in this analysis. The results show that the ranking of alternatives depends on the aspect being evaluated. Concrete block is the most environmentally friendly alternative when analysing both models. For both social and economic aspects, ceramics produced better results in the classical model, whereas Portland cement showed better outcomes in the weight restriction model. In this sense, the results suggest great potential for the use of IOT in the construction sector, enabling the reduction of risks and social and environmental impacts of tailings dams., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Purpose: With the COVID-19 pandemic, online high-stakes exams have become a viable alternative. This study evaluated the feasibility of computer-based testing (CBT) for medical residency applications in Brazil and its impacts on item quality and applicants' access compared to paper-based testing., Methods: In 2020, an online CBT was conducted in a Ribeirao Preto Clinical Hospital in Brazil. In total, 120 multiple-choice question items were constructed. Two years later, the exam was performed as paper-based testing. Item construction processes were similar for both exams. Difficulty and discrimination indexes, point-biserial coefficient, difficulty, discrimination, guessing parameters, and Cronbach's alpha coefficient were measured based on the item response and classical test theories. Internet stability for applicants was monitored., Results: In 2020, 4,846 individuals (57.1% female, mean age of 26.64 ± 3.37 years) applied to the residency program, versus 2,196 individuals (55.2% female, mean age of 26.47 ± 3.20 years) in 2022. For CBT, there was an increase of 2,650 (120.7%) applicants, albeit with significant differences in demographic characteristics. There was a significant increase in applicants from more distant and lower-income Brazilian regions, such as the North (5.6% vs. 2.7%) and Northeast (16.9% vs. 9.0%). No significant differences were found in difficulty and discrimination indexes, point-biserial coefficients, and Cronbach's alpha coefficients between the 2 exams., Conclusion: Online CBT with multiple-choice questions was a viable format for a residency application exam, improving accessibility without compromising exam integrity and quality.

The COVID-19 pandemic is already considered one of the biggest global health crises. In Rio Grande do Norte, a Brazilian state, the RegulaRN platform was the health information system used to regulate beds for patients with COVID-19. This article explored machine learning and deep learning techniques with RegulaRN data in order to identify the best models and parameters to predict the outcome of a hospitalized patient. A total of 25,366 bed regulations for COVID-19 patients were analyzed. The data analyzed comes from the RegulaRN Platform database from April 2020 to August 2022. From these data, the nine most pertinent characteristics were selected from the twenty available, and blank or inconclusive data were excluded. This was followed by the following steps: data pre-processing, database balancing, training, and test. The results showed better performance in terms of accuracy (84.01%), precision (79.57%), and F1-score (81.00%) for the Multilayer Perceptron model with Stochastic Gradient Descent optimizer. The best results for recall (84.67%), specificity (84.67%), and ROC-AUC (91.6%) were achieved by Root Mean Squared Propagation. This study compared different computational methods of machine and deep learning whose objective was to classify bed regulation data for patients with COVID-19 from the RegulaRN Platform. The results have made it possible to identify the best model to help health professionals during the process of regulating beds for patients with COVID-19. The scientific findings of this article demonstrate that the computational methods used applied through a digital health solution, can assist in the decision-making of medical regulators and government institutions in situations of public health crisis., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Barreto, Veras, Cardoso, Fernandes, Medeiros, Bezerra, Andrade, Pinheiro, Sánchez-Gendriz, Silva, Rodrigues, Morais, dos Santos, Paiva, Andrade and Valentim.)

Gamete size variation between the sexes is central to the concept of sex roles, however, to what extent gamete size variation within the sexes relates to sex role variation remains unclear. Comparative and theoretical studies suggest that, when clutch size is invariable, polyandry is linked to a reduction of egg size, while increased female-female competition for mates favors early breeding when females cannot monopolize multiple males. To understand whether and how breeding phenology, egg size, and mating behavior are related at the individual level, we studied the reproductive histories of 424 snowy plover females observed in the wild over a 15-year period. Egg size, but not polyandry, were highly repeatable for individual females. Consistent with theoretical predictions, we found that polyandrous females were the earliest breeders and that early clutches contained smaller eggs than clutches initiated later. Neither egg size nor mating behavior showed clear signs of an age-related deterioration, on the contrary, prior experience acquired either through age or local recruitment enabled females to nest early. Taken together, these results suggest that gamete size variation is not linked to mating behavior at the individual level, and, consequently, the adaptive potential of such variation appears to be limited., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Society for the Study of Evolution (SSE).)

Introduction: Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) have been described as structures composed of DNA and proteins, such as elastase and myeloperoxidase, that are able to kill bacteria extracellularly. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the role of NETs in bone resorption observed in pulp infection-induced apical periodontitis in mice., Methods: Apical periodontitis was experimentally induced by exposing the dental pulp of the mandibular first molar of mice to the oral microenvironment. The expression of NETs was evaluated by immunofluorescence in mice and biopsies of apical periodontitis. Mice were treated with vehicle or DNase I to degrade NETs, and the samples were collected after 7 days. The size of the apical lesion and the osteoclast number were determined in hematoxylin-eosin- and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase-stained sections, respectively. Osteoclast differentiation and function markers were evaluated by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The level of NETs in the serum was determined by the myeloperoxidase-DNA PicoGreen assay., Results: We first confirmed the presence of neutrophils and NETs at the site of the lesion in mice and in biopsies of patients with apical periodontitis. The treatment of mice with DNase I reduced the level of NETs in the serum and led to a reduction in apical lesion size and alveolar bone resorption. This effect was associated with a reduction of local inflammatory infiltrate and a reduced number of osteoclasts. We found that the increased expression of Acp5, Ctsk, and Rankl genes associated with osteoclast formation and function were abrogated by the absence of NETs., Conclusions: Our data highlight NETs as an important player in the pathogenesis of apical periodontitis with regard to the local inflammation and consequent bone resorption after pulp infection., (Copyright © 2023 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The effect of the ionic liquids (ILs) 1-methyl-3-tetradecylimidazolium chloride ([C 14 MIM][Cl]), 1-dodecyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([C 12 MIM][Cl]), and 1-decyl-methylimidazolium chloride ([C 10 MIM][Cl]) on the structure of bovine serum albumin (BSA) was investigated by fluorescence spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy, small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Concerning the fluorescence measurements, we observed a blue shift and a fluorescence quenching as the IL concentration increased in the solution. Such behavior was observed for all three studied imidazolium-based ILs, being larger as the number of methylene groups in the alkyl chain increased. UV-vis absorbance measurements indicate that even at relatively small IL/protein ratios, like 1:1 or 1:2, ([C 14 MIM][Cl]) is able to change, at least partially, the sample turbidity. SAXS results agree with the spectroscopic techniques and suggest that the proteins underwent partial unfolding, evidenced by an increase in the radius of gyration ( R g ) of the scattering particle. In the absence and presence of ([C 14 MIM][Cl]) = 3 mM BSA R g increases from 29.1 to 45.1 Å, respectively. Together, these results indicate that the interaction of BSA with ILs is divided into three stages: the first stage is characterized by the protein in its native form. It takes place for protein/IL ≤ 1:2, and the interaction is predominantly due to the electrostatic forces provided by the negative charges on the surface of BSA and the cationic polar head of the ILs. In the second stage, higher IL concentrations induce the unfolding of the protein, most likely inducing the unfolding of domains I and III, in such a way that the protein's secondary structure is kept almost unaltered. In the last stage, IL micelles start to form, and therefore, the interaction with protein reaches a saturation point and free micelles may be formed. We believe that this work provides new information about the interaction of ILs with BSA., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2023 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)

The effect of daily ingestion of polypropylene microplastic on the health of tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus, was evaluated. 60 fish (± 200 g) were placed in 6 aquariums (n = 10, 100 L each), constituting the following treatments: Control (without the addition of polymer), fed with 100 and 500 µg of polypropylene/kg of body weight (b.w.), respectively. After 30 days of feeding, the animals were submitted to blood collection for hemogram and biochemical study and later euthanized for gut microbiological analysis, somatic index of liver, spleen, heart, kidney, stomach, and intestine. In the serum biochemical study, an increase in cholesterol and serum Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST) activity levels was observed in animals treated with 500 µg of polypropylene. Tilapia-fed polypropylene in the diet showed an increase in thrombocyte and total leukocyte counts, marked by a significant increase in the number of circulating lymphocytes. The results of the somatic study revealed a significant increase in the stomach, liver, and heart of tilapia fed with the polymer. Increase in the number of Gram-negative microorganisms and decrease in mesophilic aerobic microorganisms were observed in the gut of fish exposed to the polymer, including a dose-response effect was observed for these analyses. Therefore, tilapias fed daily with diets containing polypropylene for 30 consecutive days showed deleterious effects, resulting in systemic inflammatory disturbs by altering liver functions, leukocyte profile, and organ morphometry, as well as changes in the intestinal microbiota. Such results demonstrate the impairment of fish health, highlighting the need for further studies that evaluate the impact of microplastics on aquatic organisms., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Aedes aegypti is the principal vector of the arboviruses-yellow fever, dengue virus, chikungunya, and zika virus. Given the epidemiological importance of this mosquito, its capacity to adapt to different habitats, and its resistance to many types of control measures, systematic research into the genetic variability of the populations of this mosquito is one of the most important steps toward a better understanding of its population structure and vector competence. In this context, the present study verified the presence of distinct genetic lineages of Ae. aegypti in areas with high infestation rates, based on the analysis of microsatellite markers. The samples were collected in nine municipalities with high building infestation rates in the Mid-North region of Brazil. Six microsatellite loci were genotyped in the 138 samples, producing a total of 32 alleles, varying from one to nine alleles per locus in each of the different populations. The AMOVA revealed greater within-population genetic differentiation with high fixation rates. The general analysis of population structure, based on a Bayesian approach, revealed K = 2, with two Ae. aegypti lineages that were highly differentiated genetically. These data on the connectivity of the populations and the genetic isolation of the lineages provide important insights for the development of innovative strategies for the control of the populations of this important disease vector.

Seafloor methane emissions can affect Earth's climate and ocean chemistry. Vast quantities of methane formed by microbial decomposition of organic matter are locked within gas hydrate and free gas on continental slopes, particularly in large areas with high sediment accumulations such as deep-sea fans. The release of methane in slope environments has frequently been associated with dissociation of gas hydrates near the edge of the gas hydrate stability zone on the upper slope, with discharges in greater water depths less understood. Here we show, using data from the Rio Grande Cone (western South Atlantic), that the intrinsic, gravity-induced downslope collapse of thick slope sediment accumulations creates structures that serve as pathways for gas migration, unlocking methane and causing seafloor emissions via giant gas flares in the water column. The observed emissions in the study region (up to 310 Mg year -1 ) are three times greater than estimates for the entire US North Atlantic margin and reveal the importance of collapsing sediment accumulations for ocean carbon cycling. Similar outgassing systems on the Amazon and Niger fans suggest that gravity tectonics on passive margins is a common yet overlooked mechanism driving massive seafloor methane emissions in sediment-laden continental slopes., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Studies investigating the association between functional capacity and quality of life (QoL) in individuals with chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy (CCC) usually do not include a gold-standard evaluation of functional capacity, limiting the validity and the interpretation of the results. The present study is a cross-section analysis aiming to evaluate the association between functional capacity (quantified by cardiopulmonary exercise test [CPET]) and QoL in individuals with CCC. QoL was assessed using the SF-36 questionnaire. Sociodemographic, anthropometric, clinical, cardiac function and maximal progressive CPET variables were obtained from PEACH study. Generalized linear models adjusted for age, sex, and left ventricular ejection fraction were performed to evaluate the association between CPET variables and QoL. After adjustments, VO2 peak and VO2 AT were both associated with physical functioning (β = +0.05 and β = +0.05, respectively) and physical component summary (β = +0.03 and β = +0.03, respectively). Double product was associated with physical functioning (β = +0.003), general health perceptions (β = +0.003), physical component summary (β = +0.002), and vitality (β = +0.004). HRR≤12bpm was associated with physical functioning (β = -0.32), role limitations due to physical problems (β = -0.87), bodily pain (β = -0.26), physical component summary (β = -0.21), vitality (β = -0.38), and mental health (β = -0.19). VE/VCO2 slope presented association with all mental scales of SF-36: vitality (β = -0.028), social functioning (β = -0.024), role limitations due to emotional problems (β = -0.06), mental health (β = -0.04), and mental component summary (β = -0.02). The associations between CPET variables and QoL demonstrate the importance of CPET inclusion for a more comprehensive evaluation of individuals with CCC. In this setting, intervention strategies aiming to improve functional capacity may also promote additional benefits on QoL and should be incorporated as a treatment strategy for patients with CCC., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2022 Vieira et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

To identify activation pathways and effector mechanisms of innate immunity in fish has become relevant for the sanitary management of intensive fish farming. However, little is known about the blocking of cysteinyl leukotrienes receptors (CysLTRs) and their effects in teleost fish. Our study evaluated the anti-inflammatory effect of 250 and 500 μg zafirlukast (antagonist of CysLTRs)/kg b.w., administered orally in the diet, during acute inflammatory reaction induced by Aeromonas hydrophila bacterins in Oreochromis niloticus. 80 tilapia were distributed in 10 aquariums (100L of water each, n = 8) to constitute three treatments: Control (inoculated with A. hydrophila bacterin and untreated); Treated with 250 μg or 500 μg of zafirlukast/kg b.w. and inoculated. To be evaluated in three periods: 6, 24 and 48 h post-inoculation (HPI), totaling nine aquariums. A tenth group was sampled without any stimulus to constitute reference values (Physiological standards). Tilapia treated with zafirlukast demonstrated dose-response effect in the decrease of accumulated inflammatory cells, strongly influenced by granulocytes and macrophages. Zafirlukast treated-tilapia showed decrease in blood leukocyte counts (mainly neutrophils, and monocytes) and reactive oxygen species production. Treatment with zafirlukast resulted in down-regulation of ceruloplasmin, complement 3, alpha2-macroglobulin, transferrin and apolipoprotein A1, as well as up-regulation of haptoglobin. Our study provided convincing results in the pathophysiology of tilapia inflammatory reaction, considering that treatment with zafirlukast, antagonist of cysteinyl leukotriene receptors, resulted in a dose-response effect by suppressing the dynamics between leukocytes in the bloodstream and cell accumulation in the inflamed focus, as well as modulated the leukocyte oxidative burst and the acute phase protein response., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Metals are considered one of the biggest environmental problems, due to their toxicity and the complexity of removal. This study evaluated the bioaccumulation capacity of water contaminating metals by fungal isolates of Lentinus and Panus species, to elucidate the bioremediation processes of metal contaminated effluents. Initially, tests were performed with fungal isolates using a mixture of metals, aluminum, iron, copper, lead, chromium, nickel and zinc. Lentinus crinitus 154L.21 was the most promising fungus for the removal of metals in the mixture. Based on these data, the potential application of this fungus for the treatment of galvanic and tannery effluents was evaluated. For galvanic effluent, no detectable copper, chromium, and nickel was removed; however, for tannery effluents, reductions in aluminum concentrations from 204.1 to 3.7 mg L -1 (≅98% removal), chromium from 1199.6 to 20.4 mg L -1 (≅98% removal) and iron from 22.6 mg L -1 (100% removal) to an amount lower than the detection limit were observed. These data indicated that L. crinitus 154L.21 removes metals from industrial effluents, being an important route for bioremediation processes., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Regulation of inflammation is a critical process for maintaining physiological homeostasis. The λ-carrageenan (λ-CGN) is a mucopolysaccharide extracted from the cell wall of red algae ( Chondrus crispus ) capable of inducing acute intestinal inflammation, which is translated into the production of acute phase reactants secreted into the blood circulation. However, the associated mechanisms in vertebrates are not well understood. Here, we investigated the crucial factors behind the inflammatory milieu of λ-CGN-mediated inflammation administered at 0, 1.75, and 3.5% (v/w) by i.p. injection into the peritoneal cavity of adult zebrafish (ZF) ( Danio rerio ). We found that polymorphonuclear leukocytes (neutrophils) and lymphocytes infiltrating the ZF peritoneal cavity had short-term persistence. Nevertheless, they generate a strong pattern of inflammation that affects systemically and is enough to produce edema in the cavity. Consistent with these findings, cell infiltration, which causes notable tissue changes, resulted in the overexpression of several acute inflammatory markers at the protein level. Using reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography followed by a hybrid linear ion-trap mass spectrometry shotgun proteomic approach, we identified 2938 plasma proteins among the animals injected with PBS and 3.5% λ-CGN. First, the bioinformatic analysis revealed the composition of the plasma proteome. Interestingly, 72 commonly expressed proteins were recorded among the treated and control groups, but, surprisingly, 2830 novel proteins were differentially expressed exclusively in the λ-CGN-induced group. Furthermore, from the commonly expressed proteins, compared to the control group 62 proteins got a significant ( p < 0.05) upregulation in the λ-CGN-treated group, while the remaining ten proteins were downregulated. Next, we obtained the major protein-protein interaction networks between hub protein clusters in the blood plasma of the λ-CGN induced group. Moreover, to understand the molecular underpinnings of these effects based on the unveiled protein sets, we performed a bioinformatic structural similarity analysis and generated overlapping 3D reconstructions between ZF and humans during acute inflammation. Biological pathway analysis pointed to the activation and abundance of diverse classical immune and acute phase reactants, several catalytic enzymes, and varied proteins supporting the immune response. Together, this information can be used for testing and finding novel pharmacological targets to treat human intestinal inflammatory diseases., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Charlie-Silva, Feitosa, Pontes, Fernandes, Nóbrega, Gomes, Prata, Ferraris, Melo, Conde, Rodrigues, Aracati, Corrêa-Junior, Manrique, Superio, Garcez, Conceição, Yoshimura, Núñez, Eto, Fernandes, Freitas, Ribeiro, Nedoluzhko, Lopes-Ferreira, Borra, Barcellos, Perez, Malafaia, Cunha, Belo and Galindo-Villegas.)

In 2022, an important international report was published on the "value of death" not only in the field of health, but in relation to human societies in general. This report proposed to reimagine systems related to end of life in which death is understood not only as a physiological event but also as a relational and spiritual phenomenon with a value of its own and inseparable from life. It identifies the low priority given by most governments worldwide to the issue of alleviating suffering and supporting bereavement, evidenced by the low investment in palliative care. At the same time, we are witnessing in Brazil changes that threaten the feasibility of palliative care policies in primary health care. The denial of finitude within health systems is reflected in global indicators such as the quality of death index of The Economist magazine, in which Brazil ranks 42nd, the global atlas of palliative care of the World Hospice and Palliative Care Alliance, where Brazil is in level 3b, and the global trends in opioid consumption of International Narcotics Control Board of the World Health Organization, in which opioid consumption in Brazil is in the hundreds of doses per million inhabitants per day. Despite notable advances in the legislative and executive fields with regard to palliative care, the Brazilian Unified National Health System (SUS) and primary health care have suffered important structural setbacks that will impact the design of public policy for palliative care. The goal of this article is to undertake an initial analysis of the impacts of current policies within this context and their repercussions in the construction of a solid policy for palliative care.

Introduction: Heart rate control by the autonomic nervous system (ANS) is impaired in heart transplant (HT) recipients, leading to increased resting heart rate, metabolic demand, and fatigue, which can impair their quality of life (QoL). In this study, we hypothesized the association of hemodynamics and autonomic function as predictors of QoL in HT recipients., Methods: This is a cross-sectional study conducted with HT recipients aged ≥ 18 years at ambulatorial accompaniment. Blood pressure was used for hemodynamics assessment, and heart rate variability (HRV) was used for ANS assessment. QoL was assessed by the 36-item Short Form Health Survey. The significance level was set as P≤0.05., Results: Twenty-two volunteers were included in the study. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) and double product (DP) were significantly negatively associated with the physical functioning domain of QoL. DP, the number of consecutive normal RR interval differences > 50 ms (NN50), and the percentage of normal RR intervals that differed by > 50 ms from the adjacent interval (PNN50) exhibited negative association with the physical role domain. NN50 and PNN50 were significantly associated with bodily pain, social functioning, and emotional role domains. SBP was negatively associated with the vitality domain. Considering general and mental health domains, no variable demonstrated significant association. DP, NN50, and PNN50 were negatively associated with the total score of QoL., Conclusion: This study demonstrated DP and HRV as predictors of QoL in HT recipients. These innovative results can become a relevant therapeutic target for improving QoL in HT recipients prior to its deterioration.

Background: Astaxanthin, classified as a xanthophyll, has antioxidant properties about 500 times greater than α-tocopherols and ten times greater than β-carotenes. Based on the antioxidant activity of this carotenoid, this study aimed to evaluate the shelf-life of tilapia fillets (Oreochromis niloticus) fed with astaxanthin, by determining the microbiological quality (colimetry, counts of mesophilic and psychrotrophic microorganisms), physicochemical analyses (colorimetry, pH, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS)) and sensory analysis., Results: Tilapia supplemented with astaxanthin presented a reduction in the counts of microorganisms (mesophiles and psychrotrophics) and lower lipid oxidation index (TBARS), when compared to fillets of control fish. Colorimetric changes of fillet degradation were observed, associated with increased pH during storage, as well as loss of brightness and texture in addition to worsening of appearance and odor. These deteriorating changes were minimized using astaxanthin., Conclusion: Our results demonstrate the beneficial performance of astaxanthin in the shelf-life of tilapia fillets stored under refrigeration. Therefore, dietary supplementation with astaxanthin (100 and 200 mg kg -1 of feed) improves the microbiological and physicochemical quality of tilapia fillets during 50 days of shelf-life. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.)

The use of Poly (lactic acid) (PLA) as a slow-release vehicle for vaccines has attracted the attention of researchers, since its insertion improves the uptake of them, and reduces side effects or by stimulating recruited defense cells, assisting immunity without the need for booster vaccine doses. Seeking to develop new strategies for the administration of drugs and vaccines in aquaculture, we evaluated the biocompatibility and biodegradation of polymeric PLA devices and PLA plus vitamin E devices, implanted through subcutaneous (SC) and intraperitoneal (IP) routes in Nile tilapia. To carry out this study, 84 male tilapia (initial 243.82 ± 56.74 g; final 400.71 ± 100.54 g) were randomly distributed in 3 tanks ( n  = 28 fish per treatment/tank). The devices were prepared in two formulations: neat PLA (containing 100% PLA) and PLAVE (PLA plus vitamin E) implanted using a commercial AnimalTag® applicator, and non-implanted fish (control). Fish were sampled 15, 30, 60, and 120 days post-implantation (DPI). Blood analysis was used to access blood cells and blood smear for differential leucocytes count. Serum biochemistry to evaluated changes in serum proteins and glycemia. Histopathological investigation using hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) was used to assess polymer-tissue interaction. Histochemistry and immunohistochemistry was used to detection immune cells and phagocytes in capsule, and analyses of melanomacrophage centers (MMCs) to morphometric evaluation and percentage amount of melanin, hemosiderin and lipofucsin pigments. Histopathological study revealed an increase of capsular formation and inflammatory cell infiltration in PLAVE-implanted tilapia through SC route (15 DPI). Tilapia implanted with PLAVE and PLA (SC) presented mast cells and eosinophilic granular cells during 15, 30, and 60 DPI, with a decrease in these cells in the fibrous capsule around the polymer at 120 DPI. PLAVE implanted tilapia SC at 60 DPI showed significantly phagocytosis points than other groups. Phagocytic cells (F4/80+) were observed near to biopolymers in phagocytosis sites. Lipofuscin at 120 DPI in spleen melanomacrophage centers were significantly high in PLAVE implanted tilapias when compared to fish with PLA implants and control. The serum biochemical study of tilapia did not reveal changes in cytotoxicity and liver function in implanted fish. The absence of side effects in hematological and biochemical findings, including the absence of mortality after device implantation, proves its clinical safety. PLA implants in tilapia have demonstrated biocompatibility, biodegradation, clinical safety, and excellent evolution of foreign body inflammatory responses., (© 2022 The Author(s).)

Introduction: Mortality data make it possible to develop indicators to guide the planning of health promotion and prevention actions in order to reduce mortality from preventable causes. However, there are no publications on physicians' mortality in the state of Espírito Santo, Brazil., Objectives: To describe mortality distribution and potential years of life lost from 2006 to 2015 among physicians who lived in Espírito Santo., Methods: This is a descriptive study of secondary data from the Mortality Information System of the Brazilian Ministry of Health. The distribution of socio-demographic variables and of basic cause of death was studied by absolute and relative frequencies. Potential years of life lost in each death were considered the years remaining from age at death up to the age limit of 70 years., Results: There were 20 deaths of female physicians (14.5%) and 118 (85.5%) of male physicians, with predominance of whites (87.9%) and married (56%) individuals. The main causes of death were neoplasms (39.1%), diseases of the circulatory system (19.6%), and external causes (19.6%). The majority of female and male deaths occurred from 60 to 69 years, but average death was significantly lower among women compared to men (respectively 58.3 and 67.0 years). Potential years of life lost totaled 1,226 years, with a mean of 14.6, which was greater in women (20.4) compared to men (13.4)., Conclusions: Mortality trends observed in the general population were also present among physicians in Espírito Santo. However, contrary to the general population pattern, average death age was lower in women. Early mortality caused many lost years of life, especially among women., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest: None

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common childhood cancer worldwide, and it is characterized by the production of immature malignant cells in the bone marrow. Computer vision techniques provide automated analysis that can help specialists diagnose this disease. Microscopy image analysis is the most economical method for the initial screening of patients with ALL, but this task is subjective and time-consuming. In this study, we propose a hybrid model using a genetic algorithm (GA) and a residual convolutional neural network (CNN), ResNet-50V2, to predict ALL using microscopy images available in ALL-IDB dataset. However, accurate prediction requires suitable hyperparameters setup, and tuning these values manually still poses challenges. Hence, this paper uses GA to find the best hyperparameters that lead to the highest accuracy rate in the models. Also, we compare the performance of GA hyperparameter optimization with Random Search and Bayesian optimization methods. The results show that GA optimization improves the accuracy of the classifier, obtaining 98.46% in terms of accuracy. Additionally, our approach sheds new perspectives on identifying leukemia based on computer vision strategies, which could be an alternative for applications in a real-world scenario., (© 2022. The Author(s) under exclusive licence to Society for Imaging Informatics in Medicine.)

Background: Little is known about place of death in Latin America, although this data are crucial for health system planning. This study aims to describe place of death and associated factors in Latin America and to identify factors that contribute to inter-country differences in place of death., Methods: We conducted a total population observational study using death certificates of the total annual decedent populations in 12 countries (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Ecuador, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay) for the most recent available year (2016, 2017, or 2018). Data were analysed regarding place of death and multivariable logistic regression with place of death as the dependent variable was used to examine associated clinical and sociodemographic factors (independent variables) in each of the countries., Results: The total study sample was 2 994 685 deaths; 31.3% of deaths occurred at home, and 57.6% in hospitals. A strong variation was found among the countries with home deaths ranging from 20% (Brazil) to 67.9% (Guatemala) and hospital deaths from 22.3% (Guatemala) to 69.5% (Argentina). These differences between countries remained largely unchanged after controlling for sociodemographic factors and causes of death. The likelihood of dying at home was consistently higher with increasing age, for those living in a rural area, and for those with a lower educational level (except in Argentina)., Conclusions: Most deaths in Latin America occur in hospitals, with a strong variation between countries. As clinical and sociodemographic factors included in this study did not explain country differences, other factors such as policy and health care system seem to have a crucial impact on where people die in Latin America., Competing Interests: Competing interests: The authors completed the ICMJE Unified Competing Interest Form (available upon request from the corresponding author) and declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2022 by the Journal of Global Health. All rights reserved.)

Aerobic exercise training (ET) produces beneficial adaptations in skeletal muscles, including angiogenesis. The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) is highly involved in angiogenesis stimuli. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying capillary growth in skeletal muscle induced by aerobic ET are not completely understood. This study aimed to investigate the effects of volume-dependent aerobic ET on skeletal muscle angiogenesis involving the expression of miRNAs-27a and 27b on RAS and oxidant-antioxidant balance. Eight-week-old female Wistar rats were divided into three groups: sedentary control (SC), trained protocol 1 (P1), and trained protocol 2 (P2). P1 consisted of 60 min/day of swimming, 5×/week, for 10 weeks. P2 consisted of the same protocol as P1 until the 8th week, but in the 9th week, rats trained 2×/day, and in the 10th week, trained 3×/day. Angiogenesis and molecular analyses were performed in soleus muscle samples. Furthermore, to establish ET-induced angiogenesis through RAS, animals were treated with an AT1 receptor blocker (losartan). Aerobic ET promoted higher VO 2 peak and exercise tolerance values. In contrast, miRNA-27a and -27b levels were reduced in both trained groups, compared with the SC group. This was in parallel with an increase in the ACE1/Ang II/VEGF axis, which led to a higher capillary-to-fiber ratio. Moreover, aerobic ET induced an antioxidant profile increasing skeletal muscle SOD2 and catalase gene expression, which was accompanied by high nitrite levels and reduced nitrotyrosine concentrations in the circulation. Additionally, losartan treatment partially re-established the miRNAs expression and the capillary-to-fiber ratio in the trained groups. In summary, aerobic ET promoted angiogenesis through the miRNA-27a/b-ACE1/Ang II/VEGF axis and improved the redox balance. Losartan treatment demonstrates the participation of RAS in ET-induced vascular growth. miRNAs and RAS components are promising potential targets to modulate angiogenesis for combating vascular diseases, as well as potential biomarkers to monitor training interventions and physical performance.

The increasing demand for the elemental determination of petrochemical samples by inductively coupled plasma techniques requires the development of suitable sample preparation methods that permit high sample throughput and are in accordance with green chemistry recommendations. For this aim, the development of microwave-induced combustion (MIC) method has been attempted to completely digest petroleum coke samples and address quantitative determination of elements, such as Ag, Al, Ba, Ca, Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Ni, Pb, Sr, V and Zn, by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP OES). A sequential procedure to evaluate the sample mass and the solution to retain the analytes quantitatively was first conducted. Satisfactory results were obtained (residual carbon content in final solutions was lower than 0.5%) by digesting 400 mg of samples using 20 bar of oxygen and analytes were quantitatively retained in a dilute acid solution such as 4.2 mol L -1 HNO 3 . An agreement better than 87% was achieved using certified reference materials and the performance of the proposed method was also compared to that of the standard procedure recommended by the American Society of Testing and Materials ASTM D 5600. Despite both methods producing similar results, the proposed method by MIC was much simpler, offered a higher sample throughput and the digests were compatible with ICP OES measurements avoiding interferences in the determination step compared the ASTM D 5600 method. These results clearly demonstrated that the proposed MIC method in combination with ICP OES could be a promising alternative to obtain quantitative information about the elemental composition of petroleum coke.

Despite the significant increase in the generation of SARS-CoV-2 contaminated domestic and hospital wastewater, little is known about the ecotoxicological effects of the virus or its structural components in freshwater vertebrates. In this context, this study evaluated the deleterious effects caused by SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein on the health of Danio rerio, zebrafish. We demonstrated, for the first time, that zebrafish injected with fragment 16 to 165 (rSpike), which corresponds to the N-terminal portion of the protein, presented mortalities and adverse effects on liver, kidney, ovary and brain tissues. The conserved genetic homology between zebrafish and humans might be one of the reasons for the intense toxic effects followed inflammatory reaction from the immune system of zebrafish to rSpike which provoked damage to organs in a similar pattern as happen in severe cases of COVID-19 in humans, and, resulted in 78,6% of survival rate in female adults during the first seven days. The application of spike protein in zebrafish was highly toxic that is suitable for future studies to gather valuable information about ecotoxicological impacts, as well as vaccine responses and therapeutic approaches in human medicine. Therefore, besides representing an important tool to assess the harmful effects of SARS-CoV-2 in the aquatic environment, we present the zebrafish as an animal model for translational COVID-19 research., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Studies on the degradation dynamics of landfill leachate indicate that the microbial community profile is a valuable and sensitive tool for landfill monitoring programs. Although knowledge about the microbial community can improve the efficiency of leachate treatment systems, little is known about the microbial profile changes that occur throughout the leachate attenuation process. In the present work, an exploratory analysis of the microbial community profile of the MSW leachate treatment system in the municipality of Osório (Brazil) was conducted. In this way, a comprehensive analysis of chemical parameters, isotopic signature and microbial profile data were applied to monitor the changes in the structure of the microbial community throughout the leachate attenuation process and to describe the relationship between the microbial community structure and the attenuation of chemical and isotopic parameters. From data analysis, it was possible to assess the microbial community structure and relate it to the attenuation of chemical and isotopic parameters. Based on massive parallel 16S rRNA gene sequencing, it was possible to observe that each leachate treatment unit has a specific microbial consortium, reflecting the adaptation of different microorganisms to changes in leachate characteristics throughout treatment. From our results, we concluded that the structure of the microbial community is sensitive to the leachate composition and can be applied to study the municipal solid waste management system., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: This paper assesses the availability and quality of death certificate data in Latin America and the feasibility of using these data to study place of death and associated factors., Methods: In this comparative study, we collected examples of current official death certificates and digital data files containing information about all deaths that occurred during 1 year in 19 Latin American countries. Data were collected from June 2019 to May 2020. The records for place of death and associated variables were studied. The criteria for data quality were completeness, number of ill-defined causes of death and timeliness., Results: All 19 countries provided copies of current official death certificates and 18 of these registered the place of death. Distinguishing among hospital or other health care institution, home and other was possible for all countries. Digital data files with death certificate data were available from 12 countries and 1 region. Three countries had data considered to be of high quality and seven had data considered to be of medium quality. Categories for place of death and most of the predetermined factors possibly associated with place of death were included in the data files., Conclusions: The quality of data sets was rated medium to high in 10 countries. Hence, death certificate data make it feasible to conduct an international comparative study on place of death and the associated factors in Latin America.

This study aims to demonstrate the applicability and importance of zebrafish (Danio rerio) model to study acute and chronic inflammatory responses induced by different stimuli: carrageenan phlogogen (nonimmune); acute infection by bacteria (immune); foreign body reaction (chronic inflammation by round glass coverslip implantation); reaction induced by xenotransplantation. In addition to the advantages of presenting low breeding cost, high prolificity, transparent embryos, high number of individuals belonging to the same spawning and high genetic similarity that favor translational responses to vertebrate organisms like humans, zebrafish proved to be an excellent tool, allowing the evaluation of edema formation, accumulation of inflammatory cells in the exudate, mediators, signaling pathways, gene expression and production of specific proteins. Our studies demonstrated the versatility of fish models to investigate the inflammatory response and its pathophysiology, essential for the successful development of studies to discover innovative pharmacological strategies., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.)

Background: Transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) improves autonomic balance and reduces oxidative stress in subjects with chronic diseases, that decreases the risk of low-grade chronic inflammatory diseases, including cardiovascular diseases. However, these beneficial effects have never been demonstrated in healthy subjects. Objectives: To evaluate the acute effects of TEAS on autonomic balance and oxidative stress of healthy subjects., Methods: A randomized clinical trial was conducted with male healthy subjects (18-30 years old), randomly allocated to control (no intervention; n = 14), placebo (placebo intervention; n = 14) and TEAS group (at PC5 and PC6 acupoints; n = 13). The protocol consisted of accommodation (20 min), intervention (40 min), and recovery (30 min) periods. The acute effects of TEAS on hemodynamics were studied through measurements of heart rate, blood pressure and double product; on the autonomic nervous system by assessing heart rate variability; and on oxidative stress by quantifying reactive oxygen species in saliva samples, collected at the end of each period., Results: TEAS increased heart rate and double-product compared to control and placebo groups ( p < 0.01). Moreover, TEAS increased sympathetic and reduced parasympathetic tonus, increasing the sympathovagal balance compared to the control and placebo groups. However, TEAS exerted no effect on oxidative stress in saliva samples., Conclusion: In healthy subjects, TEAS at PC5 and PC6 acupoints acutely improved autonomic balance, increasing sympathetic and reducing parasympathetic tonus, reflecting little improvement on hemodynamic responses. Whether it could be used as a cardioprotective strategy remains uncertain since it exerted no effect on oxidative stress.

Despite advances in treatments and therapies, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remain one of the leading causes of death worldwide. The discovery that most of the human genome, although transcribed, does not encode proteins was crucial for focusing on the potential of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) as essential regulators of cell function at the epigenetic, transcriptional, and post-transcriptional levels. This class of non-coding RNAs is related to the pathophysiology of the cardiovascular system. The different expression profiles of lncRNAs, in different contexts of CVDs, change a great potential in their use as a biomarker and targets of therapeutic intervention. Furthermore, regular physical exercise plays a protective role against CVDs; on the other hand, little is known about its underlying molecular mechanisms. In this review, we look at the accumulated knowledge on lncRNAs and their functions in the cardiovascular system, focusing on the cardiovascular pathology of arterial hypertension, coronary heart disease, acute myocardial infarction, and heart failure. We discuss the potential of these molecules as biomarkers for clinical use, their limitations, and how the manipulation of the expression profile of these transcripts through physical exercise can begin to be suggested as a strategy for the treatment of CVDs.

Cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy (CAN) is a debilitating condition that mainly occurs in long-standing type 2 diabetes patients but can manifest earlier, even before diabetes is diagnosed. CAN is a microvascular complication that results from lesions of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nerve fibers, which innervate the heart and blood vessels and promote alterations in cardiovascular autonomic control. The entire mechanism is still not elucidated, but several aspects of the pathophysiology of CAN have already been described, such as the production of advanced glycation end products, reactive oxygen species, nuclear factor kappa B, and pro-inflammatory cytokines. This microvascular complication is an important risk factor for silent myocardial ischemia, chronic kidney disease, myocardial dysfunction, major cardiovascular events, cardiac arrhythmias, and sudden death. It has also been suggested that, compared to other traditional cardiovascular risk factors, CAN progression may have a greater impact on cardiovascular disease development. However, CAN might be subclinical for several years, and a late diagnosis increases the mortality risk. The duration of the transition period from the subclinical to clinical stage remains unknown, but the progression of CAN is associated with a poor prognosis. Several tests can be used for CAN diagnosis, such as heart rate variability (HRV), cardiovascular autonomic reflex tests, and myocardial scintigraphy. Currently, it has already been described that CAN could be detected even during the subclinical stage through a reduction in HRV, which is a non-invasive test with a lower operating cost. Therefore, considering that diabetes mellitus is a global epidemic and that diabetic neuropathy is the most common chronic complication of diabetes, the early identification and treatment of CAN could be a key point to mitigate the morbidity and mortality associated with this long-lasting condition., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: De Lorenzo A is an employee of the National Institute of Cardiology. Mediano MFF is an employee of Evandro Chagas National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation. Rodrigues Jr LF is an employee of the National Institute of Cardiology and of the Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro., (©The Author(s) 2021. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

Cardiovascular diseases are among the main causes of mortality in the world. There is evidence of cardiovascular harm after exposure to low lead or mercury concentrations, but the effects of chronic exposure to the association of low doses of these toxic metals are still unknown. This work evaluated after 4 weeks, the association effects of low concentrations of lead and mercury on blood pressure and vascular resistance reactivity. Wistar rats were exposed for 28 days to lead acetate (1st dose of 4 μg/100 g and subsequent doses of 0.05 μg /100 g/day to cover daily losses) and mercury chloride (1st dose of 2.17 μg/kg and subsequent doses of 0.03 μg/kg/ day to cover daily losses) and the control group received saline, i.m. Results showed that treatment increased blood pressure and induced left ventricular hypertrophy. The mesenteric vascular reactivity to phenylephrine and the endothelium-dependent vasodilator response assessed by acetylcholine did not change. Additionally, reduced involvement of vasoconstrictor prostanoids derived from cyclooxygenase was observed in the PbHg group. By other regulatory routes, such as potassium channels, the vessel showed a greater participation of BK Ca channels, and a reduction in the participation of K v channels and SK Ca channels. The endothelium-independent smooth muscle relaxation was significantly impaired by reducing cGMP, possibly through the hyperstimulation of Phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE5). Our results suggested that exposure to low doses of lead and mercury triggers this compensatory mechanism, in response to the augment of arterial pressure., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Iron ore tailings (IOT) from tailings dams cause significant environmental, economic, and social impacts, which has motivated the search for reuse alternatives. In this scenario, the present work uses reverse logistics to size the resources required to reuse the IOT for road infrastructure. A reverse logistics system was modelled to transport the IOT from the tailings dam to a processing plant and then to the construction site of a road. Resource capacity constraints and operational limitations were considered, and the economic feasibility of the system was analysed. Two scenarios for tailings transportation on the dam/plant route were simulated aiming at a cost less than R$ 25 (US$ 6.13) per tonne: (1) trucks; and (2) conveyor belts. The economic feasibility of both scenarios was proven, with scenario 1 presenting the most promising results - a transport distance of 290 km within the established price limit. This methodology can thus be applied to encourage the large-scale reuse of IOT.

A new procedure is proposed for the determination of metal contaminants (Cr, Fe, Mg, Mn, Na and Ni) in polymeric diphenylmethane diisocyanate (PMDI), a raw material used to produce polyurethane polymers. The feasibility of using Zeeman-effect background correction graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GF AAS) and direct sampling (DS) was evaluated. Calibration using aqueous standard solutions was feasible and chemical modifiers as well as reference materials for this purpose were unnecessary. Relatively high sample masses (up to 23 mg) were used allowing very low limits of detection ranging from 0.06 ng g -1 to 1 ng g -1 (Fe and Mg) up to 3  ng g -1 (Ni), with relative standard deviation lower than 15%. The following parameters were evaluated: pyrolysis and atomization temperatures , sample mass, as well as the use of low sensitivity conditions (Zeeman effect background correction magnetic field strength adjustment and the use of a secondary wavelength for Fe and Na determinations, respectively). Results were compared with those obtained by microwave-assisted digestion and microwave-induced combustion with subsequent analytes determination by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) and by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). No significant difference was observed between the results obtained by DS-GF AAS, ICP-MS and ICP-OES after both digestion systems. The proposed DS-GF AAS method allowed the determination of six elements in PMDI (which is considered as a complex matrix) with limits of detection lower than those achieved by other methods. This new procedure can be used as quality control of polyurethanes industry for ultra-trace inorganic impurities., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Ocean warming related to climate change has been proposed to cause the dissociation of gas hydrate deposits and methane leakage on the seafloor. This process occurs in places where the edge of the gas hydrate stability zone in sediments meets the overlying warmer oceans in upper slope settings. Here we present new evidence based on the analysis of a large multi-disciplinary and multi-scale dataset from such a location in the western South Atlantic, which records massive gas release to the ocean. The results provide a unique opportunity to examine ocean-hydrate interactions over millennial and decadal scales, and the first evidence from the southern hemisphere for the effects of contemporary ocean warming on gas hydrate stability. Widespread hydrate dissociation results in a highly focused advective methane flux that is not fully accessible to anaerobic oxidation, challenging the assumption that it is mostly consumed by sulfate reduction before reaching the seafloor.

Autoimmune diseases are the third highest cause of mortality in the world, and the identification of an anti-nuclear antibody via an immunofluorescence test for HEp-2 cells is a standard procedure to support diagnosis. In this work, we assess the performance of six preprocessing strategies and five state-of-the-art convolutional neural network architectures for the classification of HEp-2 cells. We also evaluate enhancement methods such as hyperparameter optimization, data augmentation, and fine-tuning training strategies. All experiments were validated using a five-fold cross-validation procedure over the training and test sets. In terms of accuracy, the best result was achieved by training the Inception-V3 model from scratch, without preprocessing and using data augmentation (98.28%). The results suggest the conclusions that most CNNs perform better on non-preprocessed images when trained from scratch on the analyzed dataset, and that data augmentation can improve the results from all models. Although fine-tuning training did not improve the accuracy compared to training the CNNs from scratch, it successfully reduced the training time., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Gamification involves incorporating elements of online games, such as points, leaderboards, and badges into non-game contexts, in order to improve engagement with both employees and consumers. The main point of this paper is, to sum up, what previous authors investigated in the field of Gamification. An analysis of the literature covering 50 papers from 2011 to 2016 was conducted, using Leximancer software, to determine and shape the main themes and concepts proposed in gamification papers. Answering our research question, "What guidelines may provide to future research, the key themes and concepts found in published scientific papers on gamification?", we conclude that the researchers identified eight themes (gamification; game; use; users; business; points; engagement; learning) and twenty-eight related concepts. The present systematic review contributes to establishing possible guidelines for prospective studies, based on the analyzed papers, considering particularly their 'Conclusions' and on the 'Future research' sections, integrating game design contents in business, learning and education. Further, highlights the usefulness of Leximancer for qualitative content analysis, in this field of research.

The oxygen transfer rate (OTR) has a significant impact on the design and operation of vertical flow constructed wetlands (VFCWs) intended for organic matter removal and nitrification. Despite its key role, the information on real oxygen input in VFCWs is limited, being usually estimated by mass balance (stoichiometry), through which is calculated only the oxygen consumption rate (OCR). In this study, for the first time, the gas tracer method was applied to evaluate the oxygen transfer capacity of a real-scale VFCW (24.5 m 2 ) applied to the treatment of domestic wastewater. Propane was used as tracer. The OCR and the OTR were evaluated in VFCW under hydraulic loading rates (HLR) of 60, 90, and 120 mm d -1 corresponding to recirculation rations of 0%, 50%, and 100%. The OTR in standard conditions (20 °C) ranged from 120 to 176 g O 2  m -2  d -1 . The highest OTR was found for the lowest HLR. For the operating conditions tested, the OTR obtained with gas tracer were higher than the OCR calculated by stoichiometry in VFCW, which ranged from 20.6 to 27.8 g O 2  m -2  d -1 . Besides, the OTR were sufficient to satisfy the VFCW oxygen demand for organic matter removal and nitrification. These results show that the gas tracer method for OTR determination may allow advances on the understanding of treatment processes and on the design of new VFCWs since its treatment performance requires aerobic conditions., (Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier B.V.)