Search

This study illuminates how existential needs and spiritual needs are connected with health care ethics and individuals' mental health and well-being. The term existential needs is defined as the necessity of experiencing life as meaningful, whereas the term spiritual needs is defined as the need of deliverance from despair, guilt and/or sin, and of pastoral care. It discusses whether or not patients' needs are holistically addressed in Western health care systems that neglect patients' existential and spiritual needs, because of their biomedical view of Man which recognizes only patients' physical needs. It excludes a holistic health care which considers all needs, expressed by patients in treatment of mental illness. Addressing all needs is important for patients' improvement and recovery. For some patients, this is the only way to regain their mental health and well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clinical nursing supervision enables supervisees to reflect on ethically difficult caring situations, thereby strengthening their professional identity, integrating nursing theory and practice, and leading to the development of ethical competence. The aim of this study was to develop an understanding of the core ethical issues of clinical nursing supervision, using previous research as well as philosophical analysis of the theories of three moral philosophers: Harald Ofstad, Richard Hare and Carol Gilligan. The ultimate aim of this study was to develop a general model for ethical decision-making and to establish its relevance for clinical nursing supervision. The findings highlight four important values for the development of a basis for ethical decision-making. These values are caring, dignity, responsibility and virtue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Echinococcus multilocularis eggs are deposited on the ground with the faeces of the carnivore definitive hosts. A reliable assessment of the spatial distribution of E. multilocularis eggs in environments used by humans is crucial for the prevention of alveolar echinococcosis (AE). This study was conducted in 192 rural and 71 urban vegetable gardens in AE endemic areas of north-eastern France. Its objective was to explore the relationship between the spatial distribution of E. multilocularis estimated from the collection and molecular analysis of two types of samples: faeces and soil. A total of 1024 carnivore faeces and 463 soil samples were collected and analysed by real-time PCR. No fox droppings and no positive soil samples were collected from the urban gardens. Positive soil samples, positive carnivore faeces, or both, were found in 42%, 24% and 6% of the sampled rural gardens, respectively. No significant association was found between the detection of E. multilocularis in soil samples collected from 50 gardens during a single sampling session and the extent and frequency of deposits of fox and cat faeces collected during repeated sampling sessions conducted in the previous months. In 19/50 gardens, E. multilocularis was detected in the soil while no positive faeces had been collected in the previous 12 months. Conversely, in 8/50 gardens, no soil samples were positive although positive faeces had been collected in the previous months. Collecting and analysing faeces provide information on soil contamination at a given time, while analysing soil samples provides an overview of long-term contamination.

Background: Continuous monitoring of pulse oximetry (S pO 2 ) is recommended during the 6-min walk test (6MWT) to ensure that the lowest S pO 2 is recorded. In this case, severe exercise-induced desaturation (EID; S pO 2 < 80%) triggers walking interruption by the examiner. Our main objective was to assess the impact of this approach on 6MWT distance in patients with chronic respiratory diseases and, second, to evaluate the safety of the test without interruption due to severe EID., Methods: 6MWTs with continuous monitoring of S pO 2 were prospectively performed in subjects with chronic respiratory disease. The participants were randomly allocated to walk with or without S pO 2 real-time assessment. S pO 2 visualization during the test execution was available only in the first group, and walking interruption was requested by the examiner if S pO 2 < 80%., Results: One hundred forty-five participants were included in each group (68.6% females, 62 [52-69] y old) without differences in demographic and resting lung function parameters between them. The main respiratory conditions were COPD ( n = 101), asthma ( n = 73), pulmonary hypertension ( n = 47), and interstitial lung disease ( n = 39). The walked distance was similar comparing groups (349.5 ± 117.5 m vs 351.2 ± 105.4 m). Twenty-five subjects presented with severe EID in the group with real-time S pO 2 assessment, and 20 subjects had severe EID in the group without real-time assessment respectively (overall prevalence of 15.5%). The 23 participants who had their test interrupted by the examiner due to severe EID in the first group (2 subjects stopped by themselves due to excessive symptoms) walked a shorter distance compared to the 11 subjects with severe EID without test interruption in the second group (9 subjects stopped by themselves due to excessive symptoms): 240.6 ± 100.2 m versus 345.9 ± 73.4 m. No exercise-related serious adverse events were observed., Conclusions: Interruption driven by severe EID reduced the walked distance during the 6MWT. No serious adverse event, in turn, was observed in subjects with severe desaturation without real-time S pO 2 assessment., Competing Interests: The authors have disclosed no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 by Daedalus Enterprises.)

Objective: To compare health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and work productivity in axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) and non-axSpA patients with chronic back pain of < 2 years (2 y)., Methods: Baseline and 2 y data of patients included in the SPondyloArthritis Caught Early cohort were analyzed. HRQoL was assessed by the physical (PCS) and mental component summary (MCS) scores of the 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey; and presenteeism, absenteeism, work productivity loss (WPL) and activity impairment (AI) by the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment questionnaire. Linear or zero-inflated negative binomial regression was conducted to compare 2 y outcomes between groups (axSpA and non-axSpA), adjusting for the baseline value, sex, age and use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs., Results: There were 265 axSpA and 108 non-axSpA patients: males 52% vs 26%, mean age 29 vs 31 years, respectively. At baseline, non-axSpA patients showed worse PCS (mean 28.6 axSpA vs 26.6 non-axSpA), presenteeism (31.1% vs 37.3%), absenteeism (8.2% vs 10.3%), WPL (34.7% vs 44.1%) and AI (39.6% vs 48.5%). MCS was not impaired in either group. After 2 y, PCS, presenteeism, WPL and AI significantly improved in both groups; absenteeism only in axSpA. In multivariable analysis, axSpA (vs non-axSpA) was associated with 22% less WPL (incidence rate ratio [95% CI]: 0.78 [0.62; 0.98]) and 18% less AI (0.82 [0.69; 0.97])., Conclusion: HRQoL and work productivity are more impaired in non-axSpA (vs axSpA) at baseline and still after 2 y. Although most outcomes improve in both groups, axSpA is associated with larger improvements in work productivity and activity impairment., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Rheumatology.)

To compare the effect of an intensity-controlled exercise program (ICEP) and a nonintensity-controlled exercise program (non-ICEP) on the variables responsible for blood pressure regulation in hypertensive older adults. 95 hypertensive older adults (65.40 ± 7.48 years/22 males and 73 females) performed hemodynamic, functional fitness, and biochemical evaluations before and after 12 weeks of the multicomponent exercises which included walking, muscle strength, hydrogymnastics, Pilates, dynamic balance, agility, flexibility, and others. A significant improvement was observed in general functional fitness index (GFFI: p ≤ 0.000, d  = 0.35), nitrite (NO 2 - : p ≤ 0.000, d  = 0.49), systolic blood pressure (SBP: p ≤ 0.000, d  = 0.65), diastolic blood pressure (DBP: p ≤ 0.013, d  = 0.40), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS: p ≤ 0.007, d  = 0.78), activity of the endothelial superoxide dismutase enzyme (ecSOD: p ≤ 0.032, d  = 0.41), double product (DP: p ≤ 0.015, d  = 0.43), and waist-hip ratio (WHR: p ≤ 0.000, d  = 0.44) for ICEP. Only GFFI ( p ≤ 0.047, d  = 0.12), TBARS ( p ≤ 0.000, d  = 0.77), SOD ( p ≤ 0.025, d  = 0.25), DP ( p ≤ 0.046, d  = 0.26), and BMI ( p ≤ 0.018, d  = 0.02) presented better results in non-ICEP. When the effect of the groups (controlled by age, BMI, and sex) was evaluated, an increase was observed in the NO 2 - , TBARS, and SOD and a reduction in the SBP and WHR variables in the ICEP group compared to the non-ICEP group. Twelve weeks of engagement in a controlled-intensity exercise program was enough to improve the level of functional fitness and variables regarding blood pressure regulation in hypertensive older adults. Conversely, physical exercise performed without intensity control was related to the limited effect on such variables., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Roberta Fernanda da Silva et al.)

This study presents fibers based on methacrylic acid-methyl methacrylate (Eudragit L100) as Cu(II) adsorbents, resulting in antimicrobial complexes. Eudragit L100, an anionic copolymer synthesized by radical polymerization, was electrospun in dimethylformamide (DMF) and ethanol (EtOH). The electrospinning process was optimized through a 2 2 -factorial design, with independent variables (copolymer concentration and EtOH/DMF volume ratio) and three repetitions at the central point. The smallest average fiber diameter (259 ± 53 nm) was obtained at 14% w / v Eudragit L100 and 80/20 EtOH/DMF volume ratio. The fibers were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), infrared spectroscopy in attenuated total reflectance mode (FTIR-ATR), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The pseudo-second-order mechanism explained the kinetic adsorption toward Cu(II). The fibers exhibited a maximum adsorption capacity (q e ) of 43.70 mg/g. The DSC analysis confirmed the Cu(II) absorption, indicating complexation between metallic ions and copolymer networks. The complexed fibers showed a lower degree of swelling than the non-complexed fibers. The complexed fibers exhibited bacteriostatic activity against Gram-negative ( Pseudomonas aeruginosa ) and Gram-positive ( Staphylococcus aureus ) bacteria. This study successfully optimized the electrospinning process to produce thin fibers based on Eudragit L100 for potential applications as adsorbents for Cu(II) ions in aqueous media and for controlling bacterial growth.

Introduction: Air quality is directly affected by pollutant emission from vehicles, especially in large cities and metropolitan areas or when there is no compliance check for vehicle emission standards. Particulate Matter (PM) is one of the pollutants emitted from fuel burning in internal combustion engines and remains suspended in the atmosphere, causing respiratory and cardiovascular health problems to the population. In this study, we analyzed the interaction between vehicular emissions, meteorological variables, and particulate matter concentrations in the lower atmosphere, presenting methods for predicting and forecasting PM2.5., Methods: Meteorological and vehicle flow data from the city of Curitiba, Brazil, and particulate matter concentration data from optical sensors installed in the city between 2020 and 2022 were organized in hourly and daily averages. Prediction and forecasting were based on two machine learning models: Random Forest (RF) and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) neural network. The baseline model for prediction was chosen as the Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) model, and for forecast, we used the naive estimation as baseline., Results: RF showed that on hourly and daily prediction scales, the planetary boundary layer height was the most important variable, followed by wind gust and wind velocity in hourly or daily cases, respectively. The highest PM prediction accuracy (99.37%) was found using the RF model on a daily scale. For forecasting, the highest accuracy was 99.71% using the LSTM model for 1-h forecast horizon with 5 h of previous data used as input variables., Discussion: The RF and LSTM models were able to improve prediction and forecasting compared with MLR and Naive, respectively. The LSTM was trained with data corresponding to the period of the COVID-19 pandemic (2020 and 2021) and was able to forecast the concentration of PM2.5 in 2022, in which the data show that there was greater circulation of vehicles and higher peaks in the concentration of PM2.5. Our results can help the physical understanding of factors influencing pollutant dispersion from vehicle emissions at the lower atmosphere in urban environment. This study supports the formulation of new government policies to mitigate the impact of vehicle emissions in large cities., Competing Interests: AS was employed by Perkons S.A. The remaining 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 © 2024 Chaves, da Silva, Mercuri and Noe.)

Objective: To assess the relationship between internet addiction, quality of life, and sleep problems among adolescents., Method: This research was conducted with a representative sample of 875 adolescents. This cross-sectional study used the Internet Addiction Test, Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory™ version 4.0, Pediatric Daytime Sleepiness Scale, and sleep duration. Sociodemographic factors were also analyzed. Structural equation modeling was used to investigate relationships between variables., Results: After adjusting the model for covariances between the latent variables of daytime sleepiness and correlations between the physical and emotional domains of quality of life, the authors obtained satisfactory fit indices (RMSEA = 0.031, CFI = 0.926, TLI = 0.909, SRMR = 0.058). Internet addiction was positively associated with daytime sleepiness (rho = 0.549, p < 0.001) and negatively associated with quality of life (rho = -0.173, p < 0.001). By contrast, sleep duration was negatively associated with daytime sleepiness (rho = -0.089, p = 0.007), positively associated with quality of life (rho = 0.105, p = 0.014), and dependent on school shift (rho = 0.453, p < 0.001)., Conclusions: Adolescents with higher levels of internet addiction had lower perceptions of quality of life and higher daytime sleepiness. Moreover, sleep duration had a positive correlation with quality of life. Given its detrimental effects on quality of life and daytime sleepiness, parents should better supervise internet use in adolescents., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Sociedade Brasileira de Pediatria. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.)

Background: Reconstruction of large mandibular defects requires reestablishment of mandibular continuity with bone and soft tissue. The microvascularized fibula flap (MFF) has the advantage of providing both, with adequate length, low resorption rate, low infection risk and possibility of dental implant insertion. It can be adapted to mandibular defects in many different ways., Purpose: This retrospective study will present and evaluate the results of the male-female joint technique for flap positioning and fixation., Methods: The technique consists of designing osteotomies on the binding edge of the MFF and recipient jaw, increasing bone contact from one to five faces. Patients submitted to mandibular reconstruction through this technique were included and evaluated regarding systemic compromise, complication occurrence as well as primary and long-term stability., Results: Ten patients underwent mandibular reconstruction with the male-female joint technique. Sixteen joints were applied, and excluding an early loss due to vascular failure, all remaining 14 joints healed uneventfully. None showed signs of early or late mobility., Conclusion: Fitting the MFF through a male-female joint that provides greater bone contact may improve stability and reduce screw loosening and mini-plate removal rates., Competing Interests: Conflict of interestThe authors declare no conflict of interest., (© The Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons of India 2021.)

Introduction: Occupational stress affects health professionals; however, no literature was found on the middle-range theory for this outcome in health professionals., Methods: Methodological study for the theoretical validation of a nursing diagnosis using the theoretical framework of Walker and Avant and the Betty Neuman systems models. The research was conducted in five stages: comprehension of the system model; selection and review of studies; development of the conceptual-theoretical-empirical structure; elaboration of a diagram and proposition of a nursing diagnosis; and evaluation of the empirical adequacy of the theory and validity of the system model. These steps were conducted using a scoping review and a sample of 138 articles selected in the Scopus, Web of Science, MEDLINE/PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, LILACS, Science Direct, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar databases. A data extraction instrument was developed, and study variables (attributes, antecedents, and clinical consequences) were analyzed using descriptive statistics (absolute and relative frequencies) and presented in tables., Results: The middle-range theory comprised 16 concepts, 20 propositions, and one diagram. A total of 15 related factors, 29 defining characteristics, six at-risk populations, and one associated condition were indicated to propose the nursing diagnosis for occupational stress., Conclusion: The middle-range theory supported elaborating elements to propose a nursing diagnosis for occupational stress., Competing Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (© The Author(s) 2024.)

Rapid methods for amino acid determination are desired to reduce running times, and the main factors involved in the rapid separation of these compounds in HPLC are the columns, solvents, and gradient. The present study refers to a method optimization to rapidly analyze 19 amino acids in RP-HPLC/DAD with pre-column derivatization using o-phthalaldehyde. To evaluate the method's robustness, Indian Pale Ale-IPA beers and wines from the San Francisco Valley-SFV and Chapada Diamantina-CHD, Brazil, were analyzed. The method showed acceptable linearity (R 2  > 0.992), precision (CV < 3.96%), recovery (74.2-113%), detection limits (<0.56 mg/L), and quantification limits (<3.62 mg/L) and separation gradient in 18.5 min. IPA beers were discriminated from wines by arginine, asparagine, tryptophan, alanine, phenylalanine, and tyrosine contents. Furthermore, CHD wines were discriminated from SFV wines by asparagine, glutamine, arginine, cystine, tyrosine, and leucine. In conclusion, a rapid method for amino acid determination was optimized and validated for wines and beers., 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 © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The Berlin algorithm was developed to help diagnosing axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), but new studies suggest some features typical of SpA are less specific than previously assumed. Furthermore, evidence is lacking for other SpA subtypes (e.g. peripheral SpA). We aimed to review the evidence on the performance of SpA features for diagnosing each SpA subtype., Methods: Systematic literature review of studies reporting the diagnostic performance of ≥ 1 SpA feature in patients with suspected SpA. The external reference was the rheumatologist's diagnosis of SpA. Meta-analysis was performed, separately for each SpA subtype, to estimate pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive (LR+) and negative (LR-) likelihood ratios. Meta-regression assessed the effect of covariates (e.g. feature's prevalence) on each feature's performance., Results: Of 13 844 articles screened, 46 were included. Sacroiliitis on magnetic resonance imaging, damage on pelvic radiographs and elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) had the best balance between LR+ and LR- (LR + 3.9-17.0, LR- 0.5-0.7) for diagnosing axSpA. HLA-B27 had an LR+ lower than anticipated (LR + =3.1). Inflammatory back pain (IBP) had low LR + (LR+∼1), but substantially decreased the likelihood of axSpA when absent (LR-=0.3). Conversely, peripheral features and extra-musculoskeletal manifestations showed high LR + (LR+ 1.6-5.0), but were as common in axSpA as no-axSpA (LR-∼1). The specificity of most features was reduced in settings when these were highly prevalent. Limited data precluded a detailed analysis on diagnosing other SpA subtypes., Conclusion: Imaging features and CRP have good diagnostic value for axSpA. However, the specificity of other features, especially HLA-B27 and IBP, is lower than previously known., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Rheumatology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Streptococcus pneumoniae causes serious illnesses, such as pneumonia, bacteremia, and meningitis, mainly in immunocompromised individuals and those of extreme ages. Currently, pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) are the best allies against pneumococcal diseases. In Brazil, the 10-valent and 13-valent PCVs have been available since 2010, but the threat of antimicrobial resistance persists and has been changing over time. We conducted a systematic review of the literature with works published since 2000, generating a parallel between susceptibility data on isolates recovered from colonization and invasive diseases before and after the implementation of PCVs for routine childhood use in Brazil. This systematic review was based on the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Literature Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Despite the inclusion of PCVs at a large scale in the national territory, high frequencies of non-susceptibility to important drugs used in pneumococcal diseases are still observed, especially penicillin, as well as increasing resistance to macrolides. However, there are still drugs for which pneumococci have a comprehensive sensitivity profile.

Overcoming the challenge of creating thick, tissue-resembling muscle constructs is paramount in the field of cultivated meat production. This study investigates the remarkable potential of random cellulose acetate nanofibers (CAN) as a transformative scaffold for muscle tissue engineering (MTE), specifically in the context of cultivated meat applications. Through a comparative analysis between random and aligned CAN, utilizing C2C12 and H9c2 myoblasts, we unveil the unparalleled capabilities of random CAN in facilitating muscle differentiation, independent of differentiation media, by exploiting the YAP/TAZ-related mechanotransduction pathway. In addition, we have successfully developed a novel process for stacking cell-loaded CAN sheets, enabling the production of a three-dimensional meat product. C2C12 and H9c2 loaded CAN sheets were stacked (up to four layers) to form a ~300-400 μm thick tissue 2 cm in length, organized in a mesh of uniaxial aligned cells. To further demonstrate the effectiveness of this methodology for cultivated meat purposes, we have generated thick and viable constructs using chicken muscle satellite cells (cSCs) and random CAN. This groundbreaking discovery offers a cost-effective and biomimetic solution for cultivating and differentiating muscle cells, forging a crucial link between tissue engineering and the pursuit of sustainable and affordable cultivated meat production., 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 © 2024 Santos, Guadalupe, Albergaria, Almeida, Moreira, Copola, Paula, Neves, Santos, da Silva, Jorge and Andrade.)

Background: Bushmeat is a resource exploited by thousands of people around the world, especially in tropical and neotropical regions, constituting an important source of protein and income. But what is known, so far, about the consumption and trade of wild vertebrate meat (hereinafter "bushmeat") in a megadiverse country like Brazil? This question was answered through a systematic survey of publications on the consumption and trade of wild vertebrate meat made in Brazil between 2011 and 2021., Methods: We selected 63 scientific articles available on "Google Scholar," "Science Direct," "Scopus," " Web of Science" and "Portal de Periódico da CAPES." The articles were categorized as: exclusive to (1) consumption or (2) bushmeat trade, totals of 54 and three articles, respectively; both (3) consumption and trade bushmeat, totaling six articles. We applied a nonparametric Spearman's correlation analysis to verify the association between the number of papers and the species richness of wild vertebrates cited for consumption by Brazilian state., Results: The results revealed that the publications were concentrated in the Northeast (36), North (26) and Southeast (1) regions, distributed across 16 states of the federation. These data reinforce the need for more researches in states and other regions of the country. Our research hypothesis was confirmed, since the richness of species cited for meat consumption was positively associated with the amount of work carried out by the states of the federation. We identified a total of 321 species of wild vertebrates mentioned in the categories involving the consumption of bushmeat. We had a greater bird species richness mentioned for consumption (170) to the detriment of mammals (107), reptiles (40) and amphibians (4). Furthermore, in the articles involving the bushmeat trade categories we had 57 species of vertebrates mentioned, with mammals being the most representative in terms of species richness (29), to the detriment of birds (20) and reptiles (8). These data reinforce that birds and mammals have been the groups most used both for consumption and trade in bushmeat in the country's regions, and it is necessary to mitigate the hunting exploitation of these groups. We recorded that socioeconomic, biological, environmental and sociocultural factors were the most cited predictors of the consumption and trade of bushmeat in the articles. We identified that the bushmeat trade chain is dynamic and ramified, made up of several actors, including specialized and diversified hunters, intermediaries, market sellers, market vendors, restaurant owners and final customers. Public markets and open-air fairs were the most cited places for buying and selling wild meat in commerce., Conclusions: In general, our results indicate that we have made significant advances in publications on the consumption and trade of bushmeat in Brazil over the last few years. However, we highlight the need to better understand the patterns of consumption and trade of bushmeat in different regions of the country, as well as the factors associated with the dynamics of the trade chain and uses of wildlife by local communities. We emphasized that a multidimensional understanding of hunting activities is important to face socio-ecological problems and improve the conservation of target species which have continually been explored for uses by populations in different regions of the world., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background: Sexual and gender minorities (SGM) experience higher rates of discrimination and violence when compared to cis, heterosexual peers. However, violent crimes and other hate incidents against SGM persons are consistently not reported and prosecuted because of chronic distrust between the SGM community and police. Brazil is one of the most dangerous countries for SGM persons globally. Herein, we describe the development of a mobile health intervention to address the rampant violence against this population, the Rainbow Resistance-Dandarah app., Methods: We conducted community-based participatory research (CBPR) between 2019 and 2020. The study started with in-depth interviews (IDIs) and focus group discussions (FGDs) with representatives of the SGM community from Brazil. Descriptive qualitative data analysis included the plotting of a 'word cloud', to visually represent word frequency, data coding and analysis of more frequent themes related to app acceptability, usability, and feasibility. A sub-sample of SGM tested the app and suggested improvements, and the final version was launched in December 2019., Results: Since the app was launched in December 2019, the app recorded 4,114 active SGM users. Most participants are cisgender men (50.9%), self-identified as gay (43.5%), White (47.3%), and aged 29 or less (60.9%). FGDs and IDIs participants discussed the importance of the app in the context of widespread violence toward SGM persons. Study participants perceived this mHealth strategy as an important, effective, and accessible for SGM surviving violence. The CBPR design was highlighted as a key strategy that allowed SGM persons to collaborate in the design of this intervention actively. Some users reported how the panic button saved their lives during violent attacks., Conclusions: Rainbow Resistance-Dandarah app was endorsed as a powerful tool for enhancing reporting episodes of violence/discrimination against SGM persons and a key strategy to connect users with a safe network of supportive services. Results indicate that the app is an engaging, acceptable, and potentially effective mHealth intervention. Participants reported many advantages of using it, such as being able to report harassment and violence, connect with a safe network and receive immediate support., (© 2023. BioMed Central Ltd., part of Springer Nature.)

Rauvolfia species are well known as producers of bioactive monoterpene indole alkaloids, which exhibit a broad spectrum of biological activities. A new vobasine-sarpagan-type bisindole alkaloid (1: ) along with six known monomeric indoles (2, 3/4, 5: , and 6/7: ) were isolated from the ethanol extract of the roots of Rauvolfia ligustrina . The structure of the new compound was elucidated by interpretation of their spectroscopic data (1D and 2D NMR and HRESIMS) and comparison with published data for analog compounds. The cytotoxicity of the isolated compounds was screened in a zebrafish ( Danio rerio ) model. The possible GABAergic (diazepam as the positive control) and serotoninergic (fluoxetine as the positive control) mechanisms of action in adult zebrafish were also evaluated. No compounds were cytotoxic. Compound 2: and the epimers 3: /4: and 6: /7: showed a mechanism action by GABA A , while compound 1: showed a mechanism action by a serotonin receptor (anxiolytic activity). Molecular docking studies showed that compounds 2: and 5: have a greater affinity by the GABA A receptor when compared with diazepam, whereas 1: showed the best affinity for the 5HT2AR channel when compared to risperidone., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (Thieme. All rights reserved.)

Brazil is the largest producer of oranges worldwide, as well as one of the largest producers of orange juice. Alcoholic fermented beverages have been considered a marketable alternative for oranges. In this study, four S. cerevisiae commercial yeasts were evaluated for metabolites generated during orange juice (cv. 'Pêra D9') fermentation. Alcohols, sugars, and organic acids were evaluated by HPLC-DAD-RID during fermentation, and phenolic compounds were analyzed in fermented orange. Orange juice and fermented oranges were also subjected to digestion simulations. The yeasts presented an adequate fermentation activity, based on sugar consumption, and high ethanol (>10.5%) and glycerol (4.8-5.5 g/L) contents. The yeast strains T-58 and US-05 produced high levels of lactic acid. Phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity did not differ amongst yeasts, presenting hesperidin levels between 115 and 127 mg/L, respectively. The fermented orange showed a >70% bioaccessibility, compared to juice, especially for catechin, epigallocatechin-gallate, procyanidin-B2, rutin, and procyanidin-B1., 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 © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: For Brazilian adults, pneumococcal vaccines have been usually taken only by those who are at higher risk for development of pneumococcal diseases. Since populations from lower socioeconomic status are at high risk of acquiring pneumococcal infections, we investigated the carriage prevalence, colonization risk factors, capsular and surface protein types, and antimicrobial resistance among pneumococcal isolates recovered from adults living in a Brazilian urban slum., Methods: Between September-December 2016, we conducted a cross-sectional study among individuals aged ≥ 18 years who attended a public primary clinic in Niterói/RJ, Brazil. Pneumococci were isolated by culture on sheep blood agar plates with and without gentamicin. Antimicrobial susceptibility was determined for all isolates. We used PCR to determine capsular types, PspA families (Fam) and pilus islets (PI)., Results: Of 385 adults, 32 (8.3 %) were pneumococcal carriers. Three carriers had two different pneumococci, totaling 35 isolates. After multivariate analysis, smoking, previous hospitalization, alcohol consumption and co-habitation with children aged < 6 years increased the odds of pneumococcal carriage, but antibiotic use in the previous 2 weeks was found to be a protective factor. Fourteen different serogroups/serotypes were detected and the prevalent ones were 9 N/L, 10A, 15B/C and 35F/47F (n = 3; 8.6 % each). Non-typeable (NT) isolates made up 31.4 %. All isolates were susceptible to chloramphenicol, levofloxacin and vancomycin. We found eight (22.9 %) penicillin non-susceptible pneumococci (PNSP) with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 0.38-1.5 μg/mL. The two (5.7 %) erythromycin-resistant isolates had MIC > 256 μg/mL, cMLS B phenotype and the erm(B) gene. Twelve (34.3 %) and 17 (48.6 %) isolates had PspA Fam1 and Fam2, respectively. Three (8.6 %) isolates had genes for pilitwo PI-1 and one PI-2., Conclusion: We detected a low frequency of pneumococcal carriage among the adult population, but a high diversity of serotypes. Frequencies of PNSP and NT isolates resistant to antimicrobial agents are concerning., 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 © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Buccal drug administration may be chosen as a medication route to treat various diseases for local or systemic effects. This study proposes the development of a thermosensitive hydrogel containing curcumin-loaded lipid-core nanocapsules coated with chitosan to increase mucoadhesion, circumventing several limitations of this route of administration. Hydroxypropylmethylcellulose and Poloxamer ® 407 were incorporated for hydrogel production. Physicochemical characterization parameters, such as particle size distribution, mean diameter, polydispersity index, zeta potential, and morphology, were analyzed. Spherical homogeneous particles were obtained with average diameter, of 173 ± 22 nm for LNCc (curcumin lipid-core nanocapsules) and 179 ± 48 nm for CLNCc (chitosan-curcumin lipid-core nanocapsules). A PDI equal to 0.09 ± 0.02 for LNCc and 0.26 ± 0.01 for CLNCc confirmed homogeneity. Tensile analysis and washability test on porcine buccal mucosa indicated higher mucoadhesion for hydrogels in comparison to the nanocapsules in suspension, remaining on the mucous membrane up to 8 h (10.92 ± 3.95 µg of curcumin washed for H-LNCc and 28.41 ± 24.47 µg for H-CLNCc) versus the latter, which remained washed on the membrane for 90 min only (62.60 ± 4.72 µg for LNCc and 52.08 ± 1.63 µg for CLNCc). The irritant potential (IR) of the formulations was evaluated by the hen's egg chorioallantoic membrane test (HET-CAM), with no irritation phenomena observed. Formulations were tested for their efficacy in an in vitro model against oral squamous cancer cell line, showing a significant reduction in cell viability on all tested groups. These findings demonstrated that the proposed nanosystem is mucoadhesive and has potential to deliver buccal treatments., (© 2022. Controlled Release Society.)

Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) represent a global challenge and an even more staggering concern when related to microorganisms capable of resisting and surviving for long periods in the environment, such as Acinetobacter spp. Strategies that allow a reduction of pathogens from hospital environments represent an additional barrier in infection control protocols, minimizing transmission to hospitalized patients. Considering the antimicrobial properties of copper, here, the bacterial load and the presence of Acinetobacter spp. were monitored on high handling surfaces covered by 99.9% copper films on intensive and non-intensive care unit bedrooms in a tertiary care hospital. Firstly, copper-coated films were able to inhibit the adhesion and biofilm formation of A. baumannii strains in in vitro assays. On the other hand, Acinetobacter spp. were isolated from both copper-coated and uncoated surfaces in the hospital, although the majority was detected on surfaces without copper. All carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii isolates identified harbored the bla oxa-23 gene, while the A. nosocomialis isolates were susceptible to most antimicrobials tested. All isolates were susceptible to polymyxin B. Regarding the total aerobic bacteria, surfaces with copper-coated films presented lower total loads than those detected for controls. Copper coating films may be a workable strategy to mitigate HAIs, given their potential in reducing bacterial loads in nosocomial environments, including threatening pathogens like A. baumannii., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

One of the largest accidents with mine tailings happened in Brazil in 2015, with the rupture of the Fundão dam, and the physical characteristics of these tailings make it difficult to recover degraded areas. Hymenaea courbaril is a tree species native to Brazil that has low nutritional and water requirements, besides its capacity for survival in contaminated environments. In this study we hypothesized that inoculation with diazotrophs would improve the growth and physiology of H. courbaril in tailings, favoring the reforestation process aiming the recovery of the accident site. Every 20 days for 60 days, we investigated the morphophysiology of H. courbaril grown in iron mine tailings or soil, with the addition of nitrate (N-positive control), non-inoculation (negative control) or inoculation with native diazotrophic bacteria previously isolated from the tailings (UNIFENAS100-569; UNIFENAS100-654 and UNIFENAS100-638). We found that H. courbaril has survival capacity under mine tailings, with no growth alteration in the tailings, although there were signs of reduced ability for photoprotective responses. Inoculation with diazotrophic bacteria improved physiological aspects of H. courbaril and strain UNIFENAS100-638 was the most effective in favoring total growth of plants, net photosynthetic rate and root morphology under mine tailings. The survival capacity and growth of H. courbaril indicates the possibility of its use for reforestation in areas degraded by mine tailings. Further studies are necessary in field conditions and with a larger experimental period to more thoroughly understand H. courbaril tolerance., 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 © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), particularly ankylosing spondylitis was historically considered a male's disease and has been under-recognized in women. Emerging evidence reveals sex differences in pathophysiology, disease presentation and therapeutic efficacy., Objective: To identify differences between sexes in a Portuguese cohort of patients with axSpA regarding clinical manifestations, disease activity, functional capacity, patient related outcomes and presence of sacroiliitis on x-ray or magnetic resonance imaging., Methods: Patients with ≥18 years fulfilling the ASAS- Assessment of Spondyloarthritis International Society classification criteria for axSpA registered in the electronic Rheumatic Diseases Portuguese Register (Reuma.pt) were included in this multicentric cross-sectional study. Sociodemographic data, clinical features and imaging were collected from the first record in Reuma.pt. These variables were compared between sexes using Mann-Whitney test and Chi-Square test. Variables with a significant association with variable sex were considered in the multiple variable analysis to adjust the sex effect on the outcome variables. Statistical analysis was performed with R version 4.0.2 and p <0.05 was considered statistically significant., Results: A total of 1995 patients were included, 1114 (55.9%) men and 881 (44.1%) women. Men had an earlier disease onset (25.1 vs 28.4, p <0.001), were younger at diagnosis (26.9 vs 30.4, p<0.001) and were more frequently smokers (32.1% vs 15.7%, p <0.001). Comparing to women, men had worse Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Metrological Index scores (4.0 vs 3.4, p<0.001), higher levels of C-Reactive Protein (10.5 vs 6.9 mg/L, p <0.001) and were more often Human Leukocyte Antigen-B27 positive (67.8% vs 54%, p <0.001). In contrast, women more frequently had inflammatory bowel disease (8.8% vs 4.9%, p =0.004), higher levels of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (25.0 vs 21.0mm/h, p=0.003) and worse patient-related outcomes- Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (5.7 vs 4.5, p<0.001), Patient Global Assessment (60.0 vs 50.0, p <0.001) and fatigue (6.2 vs 5.0, p <0.001)., Discussion: In this large multicentric study from a Portuguese axSpA cohort, we confirmed sex differences in patients with axSpA. This work brings awareness to these differences, resulting in less underdiagnosis and misdiagnosis, optimizing treatment strategies, and improving outcomes in axSpA.

Triclosan is an antimicrobial agent widely used in personal care products and an emerging contaminant with potential to have harmful effects to edaphic organisms. This study aimed to evaluate the impacts of exposure to triclosan on the microbiota, plants, and edaphic animals using isolated bioassays and a microcosm scale representation (multispecies system). Among the isolated bioassays, the phytotoxicity test with Lactuca sativa, avoidance test with Eisenia andrei, and acute toxicity with E. andrei and Armadillidium vulgare were used. The multispecies system used seeds of L. sativa and Sinapis alba, together with earthworms and terrestrial isopods. This system also evaluated microbial activity through alkaline phosphatase and the metabolic profile using Ecoplate™, BIOLOG microplates. Exposure to triclosan impacted seedling growth in the isolated bioassay and germination and root growth in the microcosm scale assay; it also caused mortality in terrestrial isopods, earthworm avoidance and alteration of alkaline phosphatase, and the consumption profile of carbohydrates and carboxylic acids in the microbiota. The ecotoxicological effects evaluated in the multispecies system were perceived even in low concentrations of triclosan, indicating that the interaction of this xenobiotic with the environment and organisms in a more realistic scenario can compromise ecosystem services., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Increasing temperatures and extended drought episodes are among the major constraints affecting food production. Maize has a relatively high temperature optimum for photosynthesis compared to C 3 crops, however, the response of this important C 4 crop to the combination of heat and drought stress is poorly understood. Here, we hypothesized that resilience to high temperature combined with water deficit (WD) would require efficient regulation of the photosynthetic traits of maize, including the C 4 -CO 2 concentrating mechanism (CCM). Two genotypes of maize with contrasting levels of drought and heat tolerance, B73 and P0023, were acclimatized at high temperature (38°C versus 25°C) under well-watered (WW) or WD conditions. The photosynthetic performance was evaluated by gas exchange and chlorophyll a fluorescence, and in vitro activities of key enzymes for carboxylation (phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase), decarboxylation (NADP-malic enzyme), and carbon fixation (Rubisco). Both genotypes successfully acclimatized to the high temperature, although with different mechanisms: while B73 maintained the photosynthetic rates by increasing stomatal conductance (gs), P0023 maintained gs and showed limited transpiration. When WD was experienced in combination with high temperatures, limited transpiration allowed water-savings and acted as a drought stress avoidance mechanism. The photosynthetic efficiency in P0023 was sustained by higher phosphorylated PEPC and electron transport rate (ETR) near vascular tissues, supplying chemical energy for an effective CCM. These results suggest that the key traits for drought and heat tolerance in maize are limited transpiration rate, allied with a synchronized regulation of the carbon assimilation metabolism. These findings can be exploited in future breeding efforts aimed at improving maize resilience to climate change., 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 © 2021 Correia, da Silva, Vaz, Carmo-Silva and Marques da Silva.)

Plants are increasingly exposed to events of elevated temperature and water deficit, which threaten crop productivity. Understanding the ability to rapidly recover from abiotic stress, restoring carbon assimilation and biomass production, is important to unravel crop climate resilience. This study compared the photosynthetic performance of two Triticum aestivum L. cultivars, Sokoll and Paragon, adapted to the climate of Mexico and UK, respectively, exposed to 1-week water deficit and high temperatures, in isolation or combination. Measurements included photosynthetic assimilation rate, stomatal conductance, in vitro activities of Rubisco (EC 4.1.1.39) and invertase (INV, EC 3.2.1.26), antioxidant capacity and chlorophyll a fluorescence. In both genotypes, under elevated temperatures and water deficit (WD38°C), the photosynthetic limitations were mainly due to stomatal restrictions and to a decrease in the electron transport rate. Chlorophyll a fluorescence parameters clearly indicate differences between the two genotypes in the photoprotection when subjected to WD38°C and showed faster recovery of Paragon after stress relief. The activity of the cytosolic invertase (CytINV) under these stress conditions was strongly related to the fast photosynthesis recovery of Paragon. Taken together, the results suggest that optimal sucrose export/utilization and increased photoprotection of the electron transport machinery are important components to limit yield fluctuations due to water shortage and elevated temperatures., (© 2020 The Authors. Physiologia Plantarum published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Scandinavian Plant Physiology Society.)

Prediction of retention times (RTs) is increasingly considered in untargeted metabolomics to complement MS/MS matching for annotation of unidentified peaks. We tested the performance of PredRet (http://predret.org/) to predict RTs for plant food bioactive metabolites in a data sharing initiative containing entry sets of 29-103 compounds (totalling 467 compounds, >30 families) across 24 chromatographic systems (CSs). Between 27 and 667 predictions were obtained with a median prediction error of 0.03-0.76 min and interval width of 0.33-8.78 min. An external validation test of eight CSs showed high prediction accuracy. RT prediction was dependent on shape and type of LC gradient, and number of commonly measured compounds. Our study highlights PredRet's accuracy and ability to transpose RT data acquired from one CS to another CS. We recommend extensive RT data sharing in PredRet by the community interested in plant food bioactive metabolites to achieve a powerful community-driven open-access tool for metabolomics annotation., (Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: To develop and validate an instrument about nutritional knowledge and feeding practices to be used in children aged 7-11 years, based on the latest Brazilian Food Guide., Methods: Review on the subject; instrument creation; content validity with two groups of judges: first, nutritionists and, after adjustments, a multidisciplinary group (content validity index [CVI]); FACE validity; reproducibility analysis (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC], level of agreement, and kappa [k]); internal consistency analysis (Cronbach's alpha[α]) and construct validity (Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin and exploratory factorial analysis). The sample was calculated, considering at least ten subjects for each question of the questionnaire., Results: There was a final sample of 453 children (53.6% girls), with a mean age of 9.45 years (SD = 1.44). The content validity showed a CVI ≥ 0.80 for relevance in 62.3% of the items for nutritionists' group and 100% of the items for the multidisciplinary group, clarity (49.4%, 91.8%), and pertinence (58.8%, 98.4%), respectively. The test-retest showed a level of agreement of 84.3% and k = 0.740 for the Knowledge dimension and ICC = 0.754 for the Food Practices dimension. The internal consistency showed α = 0.589 for the Knowledge dimension and α = 0.618 for the Food Practices dimension. For the construct validity, Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin was 0.724 and exploratory factorial analysis showed a variance of 47.01 with varimax rotation and defined five factors for the Practices Dimension., Conclusion: The Food Knowledge and Practices Questionnaire (Questionário de Conhecimento e Práticas Alimentares [QCPA]) instrument showed validity and reliability to assess nutritional knowledge and food practices in children aged 7-11 years., (Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda.)

Rutin is an important flavonoid consumed in the daily diet. It is also known as vitamin P and has been extensively investigated due to its pharmacological properties. On the other hand, neuronal death induced by glutamate excitotoxicity is present in several diseases including neurodegenerative diseases. The neuroprotective properties of rutin have been under investigation, although its mechanism of action is still poorly understood. We hypothesized that the mechanisms of neuroprotection of rutin are associated with the increase in glutamate metabolism in astrocytes. This study aimed to evaluate the protective effects of rutin with a focus on the modulation of glutamate detoxification. We used brain organotypic cultures from post-natal Wistar rats (P7-P9) treated with rutin to evaluate neural cell protection and levels of proteins involved in the glutamate metabolism. Moreover, we used cerebral cortex slices from adult Wistar rats to evaluate glutamate uptake. We showed that rutin inhibited the cell death and loss of glutamine synthetase (GS) induced by glutamate that was associated with an increase in glutamate-aspartate transporter (GLAST) in brain organotypic cultures from post-natal Wistar rats. Additionally, it was observed that rutin increased the glutamate uptake in cerebral cortex slices from adult Wistar rats. We conclude that rutin is a neuroprotective agent that prevents glutamate excitotoxicity and thereof suggest that this effect involves the regulation of astrocytic metabolism.

In this study we prepared annatto-loaded cellulose acetate nanofiber scaffolds and evaluated both in vitro cytotoxicity and potential for wound healing in a rat model. Annatto extract, which has been used to accelerate wound healing, was added to cellulose acetate polymer and the resulting material was used to produce nanofiber scaffolds via electrospinning. Physicochemical, and thermal evaluation of the resulting nanofiber mats showed that incorporating annatto did not significantly affect the thermal or chemical stability of the polymer. Annatto extract did not demonstrate cytotoxicity in the HET-CAM assay or MTT assay for fibroblast culture. Scanning electron microscopy of the fibroblasts confirmed that cells spread and penetrated into the nanofiber. In vivo experiments confirmed that cellulose acetate retained its biocompatibility when associated with crude annatto extract, and suggested that dose/response modulation occurs between the annatto-functionalized nanofibers and mast cells, indicating the potential of this material for wound healing applications., (Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Melanoma is a type of skin cancer with an elevated incidence of metastasis and chemoresistance. Such features hamper treatment success of these neoplasms, demanding the search for new therapeutic options. Using a two-step resin-based approach, we recently demonstrated that cytotoxic prodiginines bind to the inhibitor of apoptosis protein, survivin. Herein, we explore the role of survivin in melanoma and whether its modulation is related to the antimelanoma properties of three cytotoxic prodiginines (prodigiosin, cyclononylprodigiosin, and nonylprodigiosin) isolated from marine bacteria. In melanoma patients and cell lines, survivin is overexpressed, and higher levels negatively impact survival. All three prodiginines caused a decrease in cell growth with reduced cytotoxicity after 24 h compared to 72 h treatment, suggesting that low concentrations promote cytostatic effects in SK-Mel-19 (BRAF mutant) and SK-Mel-28 (BRAF mutant), but not in SK-Mel-147 (NRAS mutant). An increase in G1 population was observed after 24 h treatment with prodigiosin and cyclononylprodigiosin in SK-Mel-19. Further studies indicate that prodigiosin induced apoptosis and DNA damage, as detected by increased caspase-3 cleavage and histone H2AX phosphorylation, further arguing for the downregulation of survivin. Computer simulations suggest that prodigiosin and cyclononylprodigiosin bind to the BIR domain of survivin. Moreover, knockdown of survivin increased long-term toxicity of prodigiosin, as observed by reduced clonogenic capacity, but did not alter short-term cytotoxicity. In summary, prodiginine treatment provoked cytostatic rather than cytotoxic effects, cell cycle arrest at G0/G1 phase, induction of apoptosis and DNA damage, downregulation of survivin, and decreased clonogenic capacity in survivin knockdown cells., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The collapse of the Fundão dam in Mariana, MG, in 2015 resulted in the overflow of more than 50 million m 3 of mud containing mine tailings, leaving a path of destruction and immeasurable social and environmental consequences. Tailings' chemical and physical assessments revealed the presence of some elements at levels higher than those allowed by Brazilian guidelines. The tailings also showed high density, which restricts vegetation recovery. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the effects of mud containing mine tailings from the Fundão dam on the germination and initial growth and development of three plant species: millet, maize, and sorghum. These species were cultivated on substrates with five tailings proportions: 0 T (100% sand), 25 T (25% tailings + 75% sand); 50 T (50% tailings + 50% sand); 75 T (75% tailings + 25% sand); and 100 T (100% tailings). In experiment I, the germination and initial growth of seedlings (plants with 1 or none fully expanded leaf) in these substrates were evaluated. In experiment II, growth parameters, photosynthetic efficiency (gas exchange and chlorophyll a fluorescence), metal accumulation, and plant root morphology of the same species were evaluated at the three fully expanded leaves vegetative stage (V3). Overall, the germination of seedlings and the initial growth of the three species analyzed were not affected by the presence of tailings. However, in plants at the V3 stage, morphophysiology variations differed among species, given that their growth, biomass accumulation, and root dynamics were altered. Proportions of tailings in the substrate did not influence the absorption of iron or manganese by the studied plants. At the V3 stage, maize was the most tolerant, with a more robust root system, and showed fewer morphological changes and greater water use efficiency than the other studied species.

Conventional strategies (Turkevich's, and modified Turkevich's methods) often synthesize gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). These pathways produce AuNPs using toxic chemistries to reduce Au(III) and stabilize Au(0) atoms upon the AuNP surfaces. To overcome the disadvantages of conventional approaches, chitosan and chitosan-based materials associate with Au(III) to produce composites. Chitosan and derivatives reduce Au(III) and stabilize AuNPs, promoting biocompatibility to the composites, following approaches in-situ. In this review, we report methods to develop chitosan/AuNPs-based composites. The main criticism is about the mechanism of composite formation. Also, we highlight applications of chitosan/AuNPs-based devices in the biomedical arena. We report the synthesis of biosensors, drug delivery devices, scaffolds, antimicrobial coatings, and others. The major criticism is concerning the material design and the lack of data regarding the composite biocompatibility. We support a critical viewpoint., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a critical health problem worldwide, with a high incidence rate and potentially severe long-term consequences. Depending on the level of mechanical stress, astrocytes react with complex morphological and functional changes known as reactive astrogliosis. In cases of severe tissue injury, astrocytes proliferate in the area immediately adjacent to the lesion to form the glial scar, which is a major barrier to neuronal regeneration in the central nervous system. The flavonoid agathisflavone has been shown to have neuroprotective, neurogenic, and immunomodulatory effects and could have beneficial effects in situations of TBI. In this study, we investigated the effects of agathisflavone on modulating the responses of astrocytes and neurons to injury, using the in vitro scratch wound model of TBI in primary cultures of rat cerebral cortex. In control conditions, the scratch wound induced an astroglial injury response, characterized by upregulation of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and hypertrophy, together with the reduction in proportion of neurons within the lesion site. Treatment with agathisflavone (1 μM) decreased astroglial GFAP expression and hypertrophy and induced an increase in the number of neurons and neurite outgrowth into the lesion site. Agathisflavone also induced increased expression of the neurotrophic factors NGF and GDNF, which are associated with the neuroprotective profile of glial cells. These results demonstrate that in an in vitro model of TBI, the flavonoid agathisflavone modulates the astrocytic injury response and glial scar formation, stimulating neural recomposition.

Rubisco is central to carbon assimilation, and efforts to improve the efficiency and sustainability of crop production have spurred interest in phenotyping Rubisco activity. We tested the hypothesis that microtiter plate-based methods provide comparable results to those obtained with the radiometric assay that measures the incorporation of 14CO2 into 3-phosphoglycerate (3-PGA). Three NADH-linked assays were tested that use alternative coupling enzymes: glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) and glycerolphosphate dehydrogenase (GlyPDH); phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) and malate dehydrogenase (MDH); and pyruvate kinase (PK) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). To date there has been no thorough evaluation of their reliability by comparison with the 14C-based method. The three NADH-linked assays were used in parallel to estimate (i) the 3-PGA concentration-response curve of NADH oxidation, (ii) the Michaelis-Menten constant for ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate, (iii) fully active and inhibited Rubisco activities, and (iv) Rubisco initial and total activities in fully illuminated and shaded leaves. All three methods correlated strongly with the 14C-based method, and the PK-LDH method showed a strong correlation and was the cheapest method. PEPC-MDH would be a suitable option for situations in which ADP/ATP might interfere with the assay. GAPDH-GlyPDH proved more laborious than the other methods. Thus, we recommend the PK-LDH method as a reliable, cheaper, and higher throughput method to phenotype Rubisco activity for crop improvement efforts., (© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology.)

Objective: First-trimester screening for pre-eclampsia (PE) is useful because treatment of the high-risk group with aspirin reduces the rate of early PE with delivery at < 34 weeks' gestation by about 80% and that of preterm PE with delivery at < 37 weeks by 60%. In previous studies, we reported that the best way of identifying the high-risk group is by a combination of maternal factors, mean arterial pressure (MAP), uterine artery pulsatility index (UtA-PI) and serum placental growth factor (PlGF). An alternative biochemical marker is pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A), which is used widely as part of early screening for trisomy. The objective of this study was to examine the additive value of PlGF and PAPP-A in first-trimester screening for preterm PE by maternal factors, MAP and UtA-PI and define the risk cut-off and screen-positive rate to achieve a desired detection rate of PE if PAPP-A rather than PlGF was to be used for first-trimester screening., Methods: This was a non-intervention screening study. The data were derived from prospective screening for adverse obstetric outcomes in women with singleton pregnancy attending for a routine first-trimester hospital visit. Patient-specific risks of delivery with PE at < 37 weeks' gestation were calculated using the competing-risks model to combine the prior distribution of gestational age at delivery with PE, obtained from maternal characteristics and medical history, with multiples of the median (MoM) values of MAP, UtA-PI, PlGF and PAPP-A. The performance of screening in the total population and in subgroups of women of white and black racial origin was estimated. McNemar's test was used to compare the detection rate, for a fixed screen-positive rate, of screening with and without PlGF and PAPP-A. Risk cut-offs and screen-positive rates to achieve desired detection rates of preterm PE were determined in screening with and without PlGF and PAPP-A., Results: The study population was composed of 60 875 singleton pregnancies, including 1736 (2.9%) that developed PE. There are three main findings of this study. First, the performance of first-trimester screening for PE by a combination of maternal factors, MAP, UtA-PI and PlGF is superior to that of screening by maternal factors, MAP, UtA-PI and PAPP-A; for example, in screening by maternal factors, MAP, UtA-PI and PlGF, at a screen-positive rate of 10%, the detection rate of PE with delivery at < 37 weeks' gestation was 74.1%, which was 7.1% (95% CI, 3.8-10.6%) higher than in screening by maternal factors, MAP, UtA-PI and PAPP-A. Second, addition of serum PAPP-A does not improve the prediction of PE provided by maternal factors, MAP, UtA-PI and PlGF. Third, the risk cut-off and screen-positive rate to achieve a given fixed detection rate of preterm PE vary according to the racial composition of the study population and whether the biomarkers used for screening are MAP, UtA-PI and PlGF or MAP, UtA-PI and PAPP-A. For example, in screening by a combination of maternal factors, MAP, UtA-PI and PlGF in white women, if the desired detection rate of preterm PE was 75%, the risk cut-off should be 1 in 136 and the screen-positive rate would be 14.1%; in black women, to achieve a detection rate of 75%, the risk cut-off should be 1 in 29 and the screen-positive rate would be 12.5%. In screening by a combination of maternal factors, MAP, UtA-PI and PAPP-A in white women, if the desired detection rate of preterm PE was 75%, the risk cut-off should be 1 in 140 and the screen-positive rate would be 16.9%; in black women, to achieve a detection rate of 75%, the risk cut-off should be 1 in 44 and the screen-positive rate would be 19.3%., Conclusion: In first-trimester screening for PE, the preferred biochemical marker is PlGF rather than PAPP-A. However, if PAPP-A was to be used rather than PlGF, the same detection rate can be achieved but at a higher screen-positive rate. © 2020 Authors. Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology., (© 2020 Authors. Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.)

Hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) functions as an important signaling molecule in plants during biotic interactions. However, the extent to which H 2 O 2 accumulates during these interactions and its implications in the development of disease symptoms is unclear. In this work, we provide a step-by-step optimized protocol for in situ quantification of relative H 2 O 2 concentrations in wheat leaves infected with the pathogenic bacterium Pseudomonas syringae pv. atrofaciens ( Psa ), either alone or in the presence of the beneficial bacterium Herbaspirillum seropedicae (RAM10). This protocol involved the use of 3-3'diaminobenzidine (DAB) staining method combined with image processing to conduct deconvolution and downstream analysis of the digitalized leaf image. The application of a linear regression model allowed to relate the intensity of the pixels resulting from DAB staining with a given concentration of H 2 O 2 . Decreasing H 2 O 2 accumulation patterns were detected at increasing distances from the site of pathogen infection, and H 2 O 2 concentrations were different depending on the bacterial combinations tested. Notably, Psa -challenged plants in presence of RAM10 accumulated less H 2 O 2 in the leaf and showed reduced necrotic symptoms, pointing to a potential role of RAM10 in reducing pathogen-triggered H 2 O 2 levels in young wheat plants., (Copyright © 2020 Carril, da Silva, Tenreiro and Cruz.)

We report the synthesis of water soluble cyclodextrin (CD) polymers prepared by crosslinking pyromellitic dianhydride (PMDA) with two CD derivatives (methyl-β-CD - MβCD and (2-hydroxy)propyl-β-CD - HPβCD) and their evaluation as functional sub-micron sized carriers in the development of antiretroviral drug delivery systems. Using the protease inhibitor lopinavir (LPV) as model drug, LPV loaded CD polymers (pHPβCD and pMβCD) were prepared and fully characterized. The physicochemical characterization and in vitro drug release confirmed the successful synthesis of pHPβCD and pMβCD, the formation of sub-micron sized particles and a 12-14 fold increase in LPV solubility. Cytotoxicity assays indicated that both pHPβCD and pMβCD were able to improve the safety profile of LPV while the viral infectivity assay revealed a concentration independent anti-HIV-1 effect for both pHPβCD and pMβCD with a maximum percentage inhibition (MPI) of 79 and 91% respectively. After LPV loading, the antiviral profile of pHPβCD was reversed to the sigmoidal dose-response profile of LPV, while pMβCD maintained its dose-independent profile followed by a LPV mediated increase in viral inhibition. Overall, both pHPβCD and pMβCD demonstrated anti-HIV-1 activity, while drug loaded pMβCD indicated its potential as functional sub-micron sized drug delivery polymers for achieving synergistic anti-HIV activity., 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 © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The Fundão dam was designed to store iron mine tailings in the region of Mariana, MG, Brazil. When it ruptured, the tailings overflowed. These tailings affected the soil due to the formation of a thick crust as a result of drying (compaction) and hindered the natural revegetation process. In this context, the use of organic fertilizers, including vermicompost, is method of reducing the physical limitations on root growth caused by soil properties and changing soil-metal interactions. For this reason, vermicompost was added to iron mine tailings, and its morphological and physiological effects on maize, millet and sorghum plants were studied. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse using 6 dm 3 pots. The plants were subjected to three treatments: mine tailings, mine tailings + vermicompost, and a reference soil. From the V3 stage onwards, biweekly growth, leaf gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence evaluations were performed. At the end of the experiment, dry biomass and metal, macro- and micronutrient contents were quantified, and the root morphology was evaluated. The tailings created physical limitations on root growth and had low nutrient content as well as high concentrations of chromium, iron and manganese. The addition of vermicompost favored increases in shoot and root dry biomass, increases in root length, volume, surface area and diameter, and the absorption of macro- and micronutrients, which was reflected in the growth of the studied species. In addition, vermicompost led to greater investment in thick and very thick roots, and in general, the plants showed no symptoms of metal toxicity. Considering the characteristics of the studied tailings, it can be concluded that vermicompost favors the growth of plant species and may be a viable method for beginning the recovery process in areas containing iron mine tailings., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)