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Flowability is an important characteristic of handling process for efficiency and reliability purpose of post-harvest operations, which are governed by the physical properties of the product. Physical properties determination is an important factor for formulation of machinery projects and sizing of post-harvest operations, which may impact considerably on the products quality, influencing directly the operation cost and company profit. Thus, the objective of this work was to evaluate and determinate some physical properties (repose angle, unit and bulk density, porosity and color coordinates, particle size, moisture content, water activity, angle of internal friction and effective angle of internal friction) of coffee, such as to evaluate the influence of different roast and grinding degrees over these properties. Crude grain coffee (Coffea canephora and Coffea arabica), dehulled and dried were used. These were roasted at two levels: medium light and medium-dark brown, which Agtron numbers are, respectively, SCAA#65 and SCAA#45. After roasting process, grains were grinded at three particle sizes (thin, medium and thick). Both particle size and roast degree significantly affected physical properties of coffee. Coffee samples roasted at medium dark level obtained lower values of moisture content, water activity, repose angle, bulk and real density. Coffee samples grinded at level thin presented an increase of angle of internal friction and effective angle of internal friction, repose angle, bulk and real density, porosity and decrease of water activity values.

Intravenous drug users (IDUs) with hepatitis C virus (HCV)/human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-coinfection are recognised as a high-risk, vulnerable group. Between February 2015 and April 2018, a single-centre, non-interventional cohort study was conducted in an outpatient setting, to evaluate the sustained virologic response (SVR12) and assess treatment uptake models. The study included 385 former or recent IDUs divided into two groups: A-without use of opioid substitution treatment (OST) and B-patients taking opioid substitution; patients in group B received OST and self-administered therapy (B1) or OST and therapy under DOT (B2). Patients were characterised by demographic and clinical features and compared for treatment response. Correlations between SVR12 and independent variables were determined by logistic regression. Patients were mostly males (88.3%) with a mean age of 46 ± 5 years and HCV genotype 1a (63.7%). Approximately 28% were treatment-experienced and 84.9% received sofosbuvir/ledipasvir. The mean CD4+T count was 649 cells/mm3, and most individuals were on antiretroviral therapy with undetectable viral loads (97.4%). SVR12 was achieved in 94.8%, and only eight patients relapsed. No significant differences were found in treatment effect between individuals taking opioid substitutes under different treatment models. Correlations were found between HCV viral response and both HIV suppression and albumin levels. IDU with HCV/HIV coinfection, including individuals on self-administration of HCV therapy and opioid substitution treatments or in DOT programmes, are no longer considered a difficult-to-treat group, as they achieve high rates of SVR12. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of RPDI - Revista Portuguesa de Doenças Infecciosas is the property of Sociedade Portuguesa de Doencas Infecciosas e Microbiologia Clinica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of RPDI - Revista Portuguesa de Doenças Infecciosas is the property of Sociedade Portuguesa de Doencas Infecciosas e Microbiologia Clinica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

A conceptual and integrated analysis of the UASB/Polishing Pond system is presented in relation to the removal of specific constituents not normally covered in the pond's literature, namely surfactants (linear alkylbenzene sulphonate, LAS), micropollutants (phthalates and bisphenol A) and sulfide. Experimental studies carried Out on a small full-scale UASB/PP system have shown limited overall removal efficiencies for some constituents (53% to 70% for phthalates and 50% for LAS), but excellent removal levels for bisphenol A (around 99%) and sulfide (no trace concentrations were detected in the second and third ponds of the series). Further research is needed to investigate possible limitations and to identify means to improve the performance of the UASB/PP system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To (1) describe secular trends in gross motor coordination (GMC) scores by sex and age; (2) investigate GMC trends adjusted for concomitant secular trends in height, weight, and overall physical fitness; and (3) examine trends in children's frequencies within different GMC categories., Method: The sample comprises 1562 Peruvian children (690 in 2009 and 872 in 2019), aged 6-11 years, from Junín (a high-altitude region). GMC was assessed with the KörperkoordinationsTest für Kinder. Physical fitness was assessed with handgrip strength, standing long jump, and shuttle-run test. Height and weight were measured with standardized protocols. Analysis of variance, covariance, and logistic regression were used., Results: A negative secular trend in GMC (based on raw scores) for boys and girls aged 6-8 years was observed. However, a positive trend was observed at 11 years of age but only in boys. Finally, there were no significant changes in the likelihood of children having below-normal GMC from 2009 to 2019., Conclusions: Secular trends in GMC were negative in Peruvian children, especially at 6-8 years of age. Further, body size and physical fitness trends did not affect the negative secular trend. A high prevalence of children had below-normal GMC in both 2009 and 2019.

Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that emerges in childhood and its symptoms continue through adulthood. The Adult Developmental Coordination Disorders/Dyspraxia Checklist was the first instrument used to screen adults with possible DCD. The psychometric characteristics of the Uzbek version of the scale were explored. An independent translation of the questionnaire from the original version into the Uzbek language was made. The sample comprised 301 Uzbekistan adults, aged between 17 and 42 years old (M = 20.66; SD = 2.26). Analyses were performed using R software (4.1.0). Descriptive analysis, exploratory factor analysis, and evidence of reliability in terms of internal consistency were assessed using the psych package (2.1.6), intraclass correlation coefficients were assessed using the irr package (0.84.1), and weighted Kappa were assessed using vcd package (1.4-10). To analyse the factor structure of the ADC scale, when applied to an Uzbekistan sample, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was performed. In the Uzbek version, a one-factor structure was identified, and moderated psychometric properties were found, which makes it a possible alternative to the original scale when applied to adults. This Uzbek version reduces respondents' fatigue since it is smaller than the original one. More studies are needed to confirm the cut-off scores of this new version.

Physical activity is associated with a host of positive health outcomes and is shaped by both genetic and environmental factors. We aim to: (1) estimate sibling resemblance in two physical activity phenotypes [total number of steps∙day -1 and minutes for moderate steps per day (min∙day -1 )]; and (2) investigate the joint associations of individual characteristics and shared natural environment with intra-pair sibling similarities in each phenotype. We sampled 247 biological siblings from 110 nuclear families, aged 6-17 years, from three Peruvian regions. Physical activity was measured using pedometers and body mass index was calculated. In general, non-significant variations in the intraclass correlation coefficients were found after adjustment for individual characteristics and geographical area for both phenotypes. Further, no significant differences were found between the three sib-ship types. Sister-sister pairs tended to take fewer steps than brother-brother ( β = -2908.75 ± 954.31). Older siblings tended to walk fewer steps ( β = -81.26 ± 19.83), whereas body mass index was not associated with physical activity. Siblings living at high-altitude and in the Amazon region had higher steps/day ( β = 2508.92 ± 737.94; β = 2213.11 ± 776.63, respectively) compared with their peers living at sea-level. In general, we found no influence of sib-types, body mass index, and/or environment on the two physical activity phenotypes.

The physical fitness of children is an important marker of health, and monitoring its temporal changes provides important information for developing interventions. We aimed to: (1) describe secular trends in physical fitness across age, within each sex, in Peruvian schoolchildren; and (2) verify if these trends are also present when adjusted for changes in height and weight. We sampled 1590 children (707 in 2009; 883 in 2019), aged 6-11 years. Physical fitness was assessed with four tests from the EUROFIT battery. ANOVA and ANCOVA statistical models were used. Results showed that with increasing age, girls and boys were significantly stronger in all PF tests, except for the case of flexibility in girls. In 2019, girls were stronger (handgrip) and more flexible than in 2009; but lower values were evident in standing long jumps in both sexes. Age-by-year interactions were statistically significant for agility in both sexes, with significant differences occurring at different ages. These trends did not change when adjusted for temporal changes in height and weight. Our research provides important data for local governments to implement public policies and practices to improve physical fitness levels in children.

This study models children's musculoskeletal fitness (MSF) developmental trajectories and identifies individual differences related to effects of time-invariant, as well as time-varying covariates. A total of 348 Portuguese children (177 girls) from six age cohorts were followed for three years. MSF tests (handgrip strength, standing long jump and shuttle run), age, body mass index (BMI), socioeconomic status (SES), gross motor coordination (GMC) and physical activity (PA) were assessed. Data were analyzed using multilevel models. Between 5 and 11 years of age, boys outperformed girls in all three MSF tests ( p < 0.05). Birth weight was positively associated with shuttle run performance ( β = -0.18 ± 0.09, p < 0.05). BMI was positively associated with handgrip strength ( β = 0.35 ± 0.04, p < 0.001) and shuttle run performance ( β = 0.06 ± 0.01, p < 0.001), but negatively associated with standing long jump performance ( β = -0.93 ± 0.23, p < 0.001). GMC was positively associated ( p < 0.001) with all three MSF tests, while PA was associated with standing long jump ( β = 0.08 ± 0.02, p < 0.05) and shuttle run ( β = -0.003 ± 0.002, p < 0.05) performance only. No school environment effects were found, and SES was not related to any MSF tests. Children's MSF development showed a curvilinear shape with increasing age, with boys outperforming girls. Weight status and physical behavior characteristics predicted MSF development, while environmental variables did not. Examining potential longitudinal predictors of MSF across multiple dimensions is important to gain a more holistic understanding of children's physical development as well as to future interventions.

Purpose: This study aimed to describe longitudinal trends in children's moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and to investigate associations with individual, familial, and school characteristics., Methods: A sample of 341 Portuguese children age 5-10 yr (173 girls) from six age cohorts was followed over 3 yr using a mixed-longitudinal design. Physical activity, body mass index (BMI), gross motor coordination, and musculoskeletal fitness were assessed annually. Information on socioeconomic status and school characteristics was collected and analyzed with mixed models., Results: MVPA shows a similar declining trend in both sexes, but on average, boys exceeded the World Health Organization recommendations of 60 min·d -1 . The best model showed that boys spend, on average, more time in MVPA than girls. Children with lower BMI are less prone to the decline in MVPA, whereas higher levels of musculoskeletal fitness were associated with lower declines in MVPA. Of all school characteristics, only playground dimension was related to MVPA decreasing trajectories., Conclusions: MVPA systematically declines from 5 to 10 yr of age in both boys and girls, but boys remained more active than girls across the age range. The best predictors of MVPA decline are sex, BMI, musculoskeletal fitness, and school playground dimension., (Copyright © 2022 by the American College of Sports Medicine.)

The aim of this research was to determine the sustainability of a given ten-week motor skills training program for children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD). Children with DCD in four kindergartens in the Khorezm region of Uzbekistan were selected to take part in the study. Participants were 24 children between 4 and 6 years old (5.25 ± 0.13 years), assigned to an intervention group (IG: 17 children; 10 boys) and a control group (CG: 7 children; 4 boys). The Movement Assessment Battery for Children (MABC-2) was used to assess motor competence pre-intervention, post-intervention, and retention test measurement after 18 months. The retention test results for the IG indicated a decline in all three motor domains of MABC-2. Despite this, the results that were acquired during the retention test came out to be better than the results that were achieved during the pre-test. At the same time, children who were allocated to the CG maintained their performance. The findings suggest that a preschool-based motor skill training program has the potential to increase motor skills in children with DCD. However, the positive benefits produced by the intervention may decrease over the course of time if the intervention is not continued.

We estimated sibling resemblance in health-related physical fitness (PF) and examined how individual characteristics and shared natural environment accounted for sibling similarities. The sample comprised 656 sibling pairs and 102 triplets (6-15 years of age), from three geographical areas of Peru. PF components included morphological (waist circumference, sum of skinfolds), muscular (handgrip strength, standing long jump), and motor (shuttle-run). Body mass index (BMI) and somatic maturation were also assessed. In general, sibling intraclass correlations differed significantly across sib-ship types for waist circumference and handgrip strength but were the same for sum of skinfolds, standing long jump, and shuttle-run. Further, in general, both individual characteristics and geographical area of residence significantly influenced the magnitude of sibling resemblance as well as the mean levels of PF. In conclusion, individual characteristics and shared natural environment jointly influenced the expression of PF in Peruvian siblings, revealing the importance of these features when designing individualized programs promoting fitness., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

The present study aimed to investigate the effect of a motor skills training program in children with DCD considering their gender. The Movement Assessment Battery for Children (MABC-2) classified the children and assessed their skill changes over time. The study was implemented at four kindergartens in the Khorezm region of Uzbekistan. In the study, all the children suffered from DCD (5.17 ± 0.70 years; 10 girls), and all the indicators of MABC-2 were less than 16%. The participants were divided into an experimental group ( n = 17), receiving ten weeks of motor skills training program for 45 min twice per week; and a control group ( n = 7), which proceeded with exercises of everyday living. The ANCOVA showed differences between the groups in the post-test concerning each domain: manual dexterity (F (1, &nbsp; 20) = 18.703, p < 0.001; η 2 = 0.471); aiming and catching (F (1, &nbsp; 20) = 9.734, p = 0.005; η 2 = 0.317); balance (F (1, &nbsp; 20) = 35.140, p = 0.000; η 2 = 0.626); and total MABC-2 test score (F (1, &nbsp; 20) = 66.093, p < 0.001; η 2 = 0.759), with all the children in the EG exhibiting better results. The Wilcoxon test revealed statistically significant differences for the EG between moments for all the variables ( p < 0.001) but not for the CG ( p > 0.050). The effectiveness of the intervention program was similar across both genders. The study suggests that a 10 week motor skills training program can increase the quality of children's motor competence and represent a valuable procedure for physical education specialists to enhance motor competence for children with DCD.

This study investigated the associations between biological and environmental factors and gross-motor coordination (GMC) in Peruvian children and adolescents. The sample comprised 7401 boys and girls, aged 6-14 years, recruited from three geographical regions: sea-level, Amazon and high-altitude. Biological variables included age, sex, height, BMI, physical fitness, stunting, and maturational status. Environmental influences included geographical region and school characteristics. Gross-motor coordination was tested with the Körperkoordinationstest für Kinder and the data analyzed by multilevel logistic regression. Results showed a high prevalence of below normal GMC scores. Sex, age, geographical area, biological maturation, BMI (normal versus overweight/obesity), and stunting were all significant predictors of GMC. There was also an interaction between age, sex, and geographical area indicating that older girls who lived at sea-level and high-altitude were more likely to display below normal GMC scores. The school context was less important in predicting GMC problems than the interplay between biological characteristics and geographical region. These results suggest that early identification, as well as educational and pediatric care interventions, are of importance in reducing below normal GMC among Peruvian children and adolescents., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

We propose a guideline about the risk, prevention and treatment of infection in the patient under immunomodulatory or immunosuppressive therapy in the context of autoimmune or autoinflammatory disease. It is divided into three sections: drugs and associated risk of infection; immunizations; risk, prevention, and treatment of specific infections. The treatment of autoimmune diseases involves the use of immunosuppressive or immunomodulatory therapies, with an increasing number of new drugs being used. It is associated with an increased risk of infection, which may be present globally or only for specific agents, varying widely depending on the pharmacological class and even within the same class. The prevention strategy and clinical management need to be individually tailored and there are several key factors: characterization of the disease that prompts the immunosuppression, understanding of the mechanism of action of the immunosuppressive drug, knowledge of previous infections, recognition of risk factors, laboratory test results, vaccine administration, monitoring of clinical signs and symptoms and patient education.

We use a multivariate multilevel model to study the links between physical fitness (PF) and gross motor coordination (GMC) and investigate the influence of predictors affecting their levels across age. We sampled 7918 Peruvians, aged 6-15 years, from sea-level, Amazon region and high-altitude. Composite markers of GMC and PF were derived (GMC z and PF z , respectively). BMI, biological maturation, and stunting were assessed. School characteristics were obtained via an objective audit. School contexts explained 35% of the associations between PF z and GMC z , whereas children's characteristics explained 65% of the total variation. On average, with increasing age, there was a greater increase in GMC z (β = 0.79 ± 0.04, P < .001) than in PF z (β = 0.15 ± 0.03, P < .001); boys outperformed girls (PF z , β = 3.25 ± 0.08, P < .001; GMC z , β = 1.58 ± 0.09, P < .001); those with lower BMI and ahead in their maturation had higher PF z (β = -0.13 ± 0.01, P < .001; β = 1.09 ± 0.05, P < .001, respectively) and GMC z (β = -0.18 ± 0.01, P < .001; β = 0.39 ± 0.06, P < .001, respectively) levels. Stunting was negatively related to PF z (β = -0.30 ± 0.07; P < .001) and GMC z (β = -0.30 ± 0.08, P < .001) and high-altitude Peruvians had significantly lower GMC z (β = -0.93 ± 0.33, P < .001), and those living in the Amazon region had significantly higher PF z (β = 1.21 ± 0.58, P < .001) compared to those living at sea level. A higher number of students was negatively related to PF z (β = -0.016 ± 0.006, P < .001) and positively with GMC z (β = 0.005 ± 0.003, P < .001); the duration of physical education classes was positively associated with PF z (β = 0.70 ± 0.32, P < .001) and GMC z (β = 0.46 ± 0.15, P < .001); and the existence of policies for physical activity was only negatively associated with GMC z (β = -1.17 ± 0.34, P < .001). In conclusion, PF z and GMC z were positively correlated and child- and school-level traits predicted their levels., (© 2020 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Despite constituting part of the human commensal flora, Corynebacterium pseudodiphtheriticum has been recognized as a potentially infectious agent, most frequently in immunocompromised patients or individuals with other morbidity factors, but significant association to comorbid states remains unproven. This study's purpose was to assess clinical significance, risk factors for infection and antimicrobial susceptibility of C. pseudodiphtheriticum isolates. A retrospective observational study was conducted. Relevance of isolation was determined by clinical, laboratory, and imaging criteria. Forty-nine isolates occurred in 47 episodes. Colonization was assumed in 12% and infection in 78%, of which 51% were nosocomial. Patients with infection were older, with male predominance; both age and gender were statistically significant (p < 0.05) between infection and colonization groups. Although dyslipidemia (58%), arterial hypertension (58%), invasive procedures (56%), and chronic lung disease (50%) were prevalent in the infection group, no comorbidity was a significant risk factor for infection compared with colonization. Charlson comorbidity index showed no statistically difference between groups. Mortality rate was 14% in infection. Respiratory samples were the main isolation product; all tested strains were susceptible to amoxicillin/clavulanate and vancomycin. Resistant strains were observed for clindamycin (77%) and erythromycin (48%). C. pseudodiphtheriticum isolation was associated with infection in most cases. Despite the high prevalence of comorbidities and invasive procedures, no factors other than age and gender were significantly associated with infection. Although C. pseudodiphtheriticum may constitute a contaminant or colonizer in clinical samples, positive cultures in patients with signs and symptoms consistent with infection should not be neglected.

Background: Gross motor coordination (GMC) is a potential correlate of lifestyle behaviours and health outcomes in childhood and adolescence., Aims: The aim of this study was to examine how sex, age, biological maturation, overweight, stunting, and physical fitness are associated with GMC in children and adolescents from Peru, and to examine associations between geographical area of residence, school-level characteristics, and GMC., Subjects and Methods: The sample included 7408 subjects, aged 6-14 years, from sea level, Amazon and high-altitude regions of Peru. A composite marker of total coordination was derived by the sum of scores from each test (GMC T ). Overweight was identified using BMI, and biological maturation, physical fitness, and stunting were assessed. School characteristics were obtained via an objective audit., Results: Boys ( β = 12.23 ± 0.90) and older children ( β = 13.37 ± 0.64) had higher GMC T than girls and younger children, respectively. Overweight was associated with lower GMC T ( β = -5.23 ± 0.80), whereas fitness was positively associated with GMC T ( β  = 6.30 ± 0.25). Biological maturation was not a predictor; however, stunting was negatively associated with GMC T ( β = -3.71 ± 1.56). Subjects living in the Amazon had higher GMC T than those at sea level ( β  = 16.57 ± 4.73). Five of nine school-level predictors (number of students, playground area with obstacles, multi-sports roofed, frequency and duration of Physical Education classes) were significant predictors of GMC T ., Conclusions: Child- and school-level variables were significantly associated with GMC T in this sample. These findings are important for the Peruvian community, especially school principals, councils and physical education teachers, helping them to define more efficient strategies and action plans to increase motor coordination in children.