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Lead (Pb) is one the 10 chemicals of major public health concern listed by the World Health Organization. One reason for Pb occurrence in food is agricultural practices. In this context, organic production systems are highlighted for not using pesticides, which may result in less chemical contamination in food. Considering that, this systematic review (SR) and meta-analysis was conducted aiming to investigate if there are differences in Pb levels in organic (OLV) and conventional leafy vegetables (CLV). This SR and its protocol (PROSPERO CRD42022306048) were based on PRISMA. Only analytical, cross-sectional studies which reported data on the analysis of Pb in OLV and CLV were included. Searches were conducted in 12 electronic databases besides manual searches in articles, directory, and archives of thesis and dissertations. No restrictions regarding language or publication period were applied. After the selection stages, 24 studies were included, of which 22 (91.67%) presented low risk of bias, while two (8.33%) presented medium risk. Significant difference (p = 0.008) was observed in the meta-analysis considering results in fresh weight (mean difference = 0.01 mg/kg), indicating an inferior concentration of Pb in OLV, being classified as evidence of 'moderate certainty', which answers our research question. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors analyze the efficacy of a cooperative method associated with self-regulated strategy development (SRSD) for argumentative writing compared with a SRSD single approach. Seven teachers and 230 ninth-grade students from three middle schools participated in the present study in which teachers were part of a practice-based professional development program. Schools were assigned either to the experimental group or to the comparison group. Over a three-month period, all students were taught SRSD strategies. After this period, students from the experimental group participated in a cooperative setting, whereas the comparison group followed the SRSD only. The results indicated that students in the experimental group made statistically significant greater gains in structural argumentative elements and in the quality of writing texts immediately after the intervention and one month later. Thus, the study provides evidence for the benefits of adding a cooperative setting to SRSD in implementing argumentative writing skills.

Young people and their families around the world are especially vulnerable to macroeconomic hard times. This study sought to provide a more comprehensive view on how families with emerging adult children can successfully overcome economic distress. Specifically, we examined the links between economic strain—that is, the subjective perceptions of one's current and future financial situation—family ritual meaning, family problem‐solving communication, and quality of life, as reported by emerging adults and their parents. Data were collected from 1017 individuals nested in 334 families living in Portugal in 2016/2017. Results from multilevel modeling provided evidence for a negative impact of economic strain on family members' quality of life (β = −0.30, p < 0.001); and for the role of family ritual meaning (β = 0.01, p = 0.022), but not family problem‐solving communication, as a buffer against the negative effect of economic strain on quality of life. Findings also suggested that the subjective evaluations that family members formulated about their financial situations played a greater role than objective economic conditions (e.g., income) in establishing a deeper understanding on the impact of economic demands on individuals and families' lives in today's complex financial world. This study provides a significant contribution to family economic stress research, advancing family ritual meaning as a key family dynamic contributing to positive adaptation to economic distress. The implications of these findings for clinical interventions include the potential benefits of symbolic forms of family communication in the work carried out with economically stressed family members. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This systematic review (SR) and meta‐analysis integrates the results of studies on the occurrence of staphylococcal enterotoxin (SE), the knowledge related to the profile of the foods most often involved, and the types of SE found. The study followed the guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Items for SR and Meta‐Analyses, and its protocol was registered on the PROSPERO platform (CRD42021258223). Primary cross‐sectional studies that report the analysis of SEs in food contaminated by Staphylococcus spp. were selected. All stages of study selection and data extraction were performed by two researchers independently, and in cases of conflicts, a third researcher was consulted. To assess the risk of bias, we used the critical appraisal checklist of the Joanna Briggs Institute. A total of 3012 reports were listed initially and 217 after the search update. After removing the duplicates, 2535 studies were found combining all databases and manual searches. Thus, 38 studies were included in this SR. In the meta‐analysis, group 1 (dairy products) showed a prevalence of positive samples for SE of 15.38%, group 2 (meat products) 1.78% and group 3 (other foods) 27.11%. The results showed a considerable prevalence of SE in food contaminated by Staphylococcus spp., especially in group 3, which included mixed and ready‐to‐eat foods. This SR contributes to the study of the epidemiological profile and highlights the importance of adopting more effective prevention measures and policies aimed at improving public health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Alveolar preservation techniques for esthetic or functional purposes, or both, are a frequently used alternative for the treatment of post-extraction sockets, the aim of which is the regeneration of the lesion and the preservation of the alveolar bone crest. Methods: Studies published in PubMed (Medline), Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases up to January 2024 were consulted. Inclusion criteria were established as intervention studies, according to the PICOs strategy: adult subjects undergoing dental extractions (participants), with alveoli treated with bone mineral grafts and collagen membranes (intervention), compared to spontaneous healing (comparison), and observing the response to treatment in clinical and radiological measures of the alveolar bone crest (outcomes). Results: We obtained 561 results and selected 12 studies. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool, and methodological quality was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute. Due to the high heterogeneity of the studies (I2 > 75%), a random-effects meta-analysis was used. Despite the trend, no statistical significance (p > 0.05) was found in the experimental groups. Conclusions: The use of bone mineral grafts in combination with resorbable collagen barriers provides greater preservation of the alveolar ridge, although more clinical studies are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1) Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an irreversible disorder of the central nervous system associated with beta-amyloid protein (Aβ) deposition and accumulation. Current treatments can only act on symptoms and not the etiologic agent. Neprilysin and α-bisabolol have been shown to reduce the aggregation of Aβ, suggesting a potential interaction between both molecules, leading to increased proteolytic activity on Aβ aggregates. (2) Methods: Computational simulations were conducted to explore the interaction between murine neprilysin [NEP(m)] and α-bisabolol and their effects on enzymatic activity. NEP(m) structure was predicted using comparative modeling, and the binding pattern to α-bisabolol and its effects on leu-enkephalin binding were explored through docking calculations and molecular dynamics simulations, respectively. (3) Results: The findings suggest that α-bisabolol stabilizes the Val481-Pro488 segment of NEP2(m), which directly interacts with the peptide substrate, enabling an optimized alignment between the catalytic residue Glu525 and leu-enkephalin. (4) Conclusions: This computational evidence strongly supports the notion that α-bisabolol stabilizes peptide substrates at the NEP2(m) catalytic site, leading to the positive modulation of enzymatic activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work a broadband Magnetoelectric (ME) dipole antenna for the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) applied to nanosatellites is proposed. The antenna consists of a reflective cavity with open walls containing four gaps to enhance the axial ratio (AR) bandwidth. Additionally, it includes two ME dipoles formed by two pairs of vertical and horizontal copper plates, one of which is trapezoidal and a T-Γ-shaped cross-feeding structure. A prototype was designed and subsequently manufactured and measured. The experimentally obtained results exhibit consistent agreement with simulated outcomes, demonstrating that the antenna has a wide impedance bandwidth of 111.36% from 1.13 GHz to 1.62 GHz for the Voltage Standing Wave Ratio (VSWR) ≤ 2 and a 3 dB AR bandwidth of 120.45% from 1.10 GHz to 1.63 GHz. Within this range, high gain (≥8.5 dBi) and high radiation efficiency (90%) can be achieved. Furthermore, the antenna exhibits right-hand circular polarization (RHCP) and possesses good unidirectional radiation characteristics with a high front-to-back ratio (≥ 20 dB). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]