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Ionic liquid crystals (ILCs), a class of soft matter materials whose properties can be tuned by the wise pairing of the cation and anion, have recently emerged as promising candidates for different applications, combining the characteristics of ionic liquids and liquid crystals. Among those potential uses, this review aims to cover chromogenic ILCs. In this context, examples of photo-, electro- and thermochromism based on ILCs are provided. Furthermore, thermotropic and lyotropic ionic liquid crystals are also summarised, including the most common chemical and phase structures, as well as the advantages of confining these materials. This manuscript also comprises the following main experimental techniques used to characterise ILCs: Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Polarised Optical Microscopy (POM) and X-Ray Powder Diffraction (XRD). Chromogenic ILCs can be interesting smart materials for energy and health purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Investigacion & Educacion en Enfermeria is the property of Universidad de Antioquia, Facultad de Enfermeria 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.)

Electrochemotherapy (ECT) is a treatment modality that combines the electroporation of cell membranes with chemotherapy to facilitate the transport of non‐permeant molecules into cells. Several canine and feline studies have shown promising results, suggesting that ECT can be a valid adjuvant or alternative treatment option for some tumours. The objective of this paper is to provide a bibliographic review of the principles and applications of ECT in veterinary medicine and to compare to its use in human medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is the first to explore the psychosocial experience of young Portuguese adults at genetic risk for hereditary amyloid transthyretin amyloidosis with polyneuropathy (hATTR-PN). The work focuses on the developmental peculiarities of their experience with the disease. Sixteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with young adults coming for pre-symptomatic testing (PST) at a single genetics outpatient center in Portugal. The data were analyzed qualitatively. The main findings suggest that four themes mark the psychosocial experience of the young adults interviewed. The first refers to the development of psychological representations, namely beliefs, mental representations, and social perceptions about hATTR-PN. The second regards the experienced and anticipated psychosocial impacts, namely, suffering, anxiety, and relief related to the disease. The third is related to using strategies such as performing PST, strategies focused on emotional regulation and the meaning of hATTR-PN, and social strategies to deal with these impacts over time. Finally, the fourth aspect concerns the perceived and expected support for the participants' needs provided by social contexts, that is, family and genetic counseling. In a period of life also marked by qualitatively different characteristics and developmental tasks from other life cycle stages (e.g., identity explorations, instability, and independent decision-making), experience with the disease can add psychosocial challenges to young adults at risk for hATTR-PN. Genetic counseling practices and health policies can be optimized to respond to the psychosocial needs of young adults. Future research should deepen the understanding of the psychosocial experience of individuals and families with late-onset hATTR-PN to improve the clinical response in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetes mellitus is a prevalent chronic autoimmune disease with a high impact on global health, affecting millions of adults and resulting in significant morbidity and mortality. Achieving optimal blood glucose levels is crucial for diabetes management to prevent acute and long-term complications. Carbohydrate counting (CC) is widely used by patients with type 1 diabetes to adjust prandial insulin bolus doses based on estimated carbohydrate content, contributing to better glycemic control and improved quality of life. However, accurately estimating the carbohydrate content of meals remains challenging for patients, leading to errors in bolus insulin dosing. This review explores the current limitations and challenges in CC accuracy and emphasizes the importance of personalized educational programs to enhance patients' abilities in carbohydrate estimation. Existing tools for assessing patient learning outcomes in CC are discussed, highlighting the need for individualized approaches tailored to each patient's needs. A comprehensive review of the relevant literature was conducted to identify educational programs and assessment tools dedicated to training diabetes patients on carbohydrate counting. The research aims to provide insights into the benefits and limitations of existing tools and identifies future research directions to advance personalized CC training approaches. By adopting a personalized approach to CC education and assessment, healthcare professionals can empower patients to achieve better glycemic control and improve diabetes management. Moreover, this review identifies potential avenues for future research, paving the way for advancements in personalized CC training and assessment approaches and further enhancing diabetes management strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Interdisciplinary Debates is the property of Instituto de Ensino e Pesquisa Periodicojs 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.)

Phosphorus (P) is a critical element for life, and wastewater treatment systems can be strategic points for its recovery, thereby avoiding eutrophication pollution in nature. The aim of this research was to investigate P recovery via struvite, namely in terms of the influence of operating parameters, coexisting interfering ions, and seeding. This paper focuses on synthetic solutions, although an assessment was performed on wastewater. The results of the assessment indicated that, in the synthetic solution, the minimum concentration for struvite precipitation is about 30 mg P/L, and that the Mg/P molar ratio of 1 promotes P removal efficiency with less contribution from other minerals. In order to assess the results in terms of real-world scenarios, the influence of coexisting ions (calcium and sodium) was investigated. Calcium was shown to have the greatest impact on the process, as 80% was removed for an initial concentration of 200 mg Ca/L. Indeed, these experiments generated an amorphous precipitate that did not contain struvite. The utilization of biomass ash (size < 63 µm) as seeding in crystallization increased the P removal efficiency compared to the sample without seed and helped to control the pH. The precipitation experiments with wastewater demonstrated good P removal efficiencies (over 90%) but indicated a reduction in the purity of the final product (struvite was a minor crystalline phase identified in XRD—15%wt). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of this article is to examine how the confluence of the oil disaster and the new coronavirus pandemic had a negative impact on the work and livelihood of artisanal fishing communities in Pernambuco within a short span of time. Eighty people were interviewed (60 of them fishers) along the entire coastline of Pernambuco from October 2019 to February 2020, and through remote surveys from March to April 2020. The category "work culture" and its idea of experience as defined by E.P Thompson forms the basis of our analysis. Our results show that these two tragedies (the oil crisis – felt most strongly from October 2019 to January 2020 – and the ongoing coronavirus pandemic that began in March 2020) presented formidable challenges towards the reproduction of the work culture that is produced by artisanal fishers in Pernambuco. This is seen in the experiences that were lived and told by the same Brazilians who currently reside in these fishing communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Gastric cancer is the fifth most common malignant tumor worldwide. Many attempts have been made over the years to investigate the relationship between tumor markers and the risk of recurrence. This study aims to explore the predictive value of tumor markers measured in peritoneal washing during staging laparoscopy, regarding peritoneal carcinomatosis and mortality within 1 year. Methods: Patients with locally advanced gastric cancer, staged as at least usT2anyNM0 were submitted to staging laparoscopy in a Portuguese single center. CA 19.9, CEA, CA 125, and CA 72.4 were measured in the peritoneal washing after being harvested during staging laparoscopy. Results: Thirty-eight patients were enrolled. After 1 year, 20 patients did not recur (52.5%), 11 (28.9%) developed carcinomatosis, and 7 (18.4%) had distant metastasis. Mortality reached 23.7% (n = 9). A statistically significant prediction of carcinomatosis was obtained for CA 125 (cutoff: 107.6 U/mL (p = 0.019)) and CEA (cutoff: 2.0 ng/mL (p = 0.020)) with 87.5% and 75% sensitivity, respectively. Prediction of mortality was significant for CA 125 (cutoff: 103.8 U/mL (p = 0.044)) and CA 125 + CEA (p = 0.030). CEA and CA 125 had NPVs of 87.9% and 93.1% regarding PC, respectively. NPVs of 88.9% and 89.2% were met concerning mortality, for the same tumor markers. Conclusion: Performing the peritoneal liquid harvest during staging laparoscopy makes this analysis cost effective, reproducible, and does not add further morbidity. CA 125 and CEA, individually and in association, are good predictors of progression of disease and mortality within a year of staging laparoscopy in GC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Foco (Interdisciplinary Studies Journal) is the property of Revista Foco 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.)

Simple Summary: Glioblastoma (GB) is the most common and aggressive type of malignant brain tumor; however, despite advances in treatment modalities, it remains largely incurable. Current therapeutic protocols are ineffective, and temozolomide (TMZ), the main chemotherapy used in GB treatment, has a high resistance rate. Aberrant O-GlcNAcylation is related to the tumorigenesis of several tumor types, and targeting O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) is a possible therapeutic target for some tumor types. Here, we investigated the effect of OGT inhibition on cellular proliferation, cell death, and autophagy, as well as whether it could improve the effect of TMZ on cell viability. Our findings indicated that targeting OGT shows promising potential as a therapeutic strategy for treating GB. Glioblastoma (GB) is the most aggressive primary malignant brain tumor and is associated with short survival. O-GlcNAcylation is an intracellular glycosylation that regulates protein function, enzymatic activity, protein stability, and subcellular localization. Aberrant O-GlcNAcylation is related to the tumorigenesis of different tumors, and mounting evidence supports O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) as a potential therapeutic target. Here, we used two human GB cell lines alongside primary human astrocytes as a non-tumoral control to investigate the role of O-GlcNAcylation in cell proliferation, cell cycle, autophagy, and cell death. We observed that hyper O-GlcNAcylation promoted increased cellular proliferation, independent of alterations in the cell cycle, through the activation of autophagy. On the other hand, hypo O-GlcNAcylation inhibited autophagy, promoted cell death by apoptosis, and reduced cell proliferation. In addition, the decrease in O-GlcNAcylation sensitized GB cells to the chemotherapeutic temozolomide (TMZ) without affecting human astrocytes. Combined, these results indicated a role for O-GlcNAcylation in governing cell proliferation, autophagy, cell death, and TMZ response, thereby indicating possible therapeutic implications for treating GB. These findings pave the way for further research and the development of novel treatment approaches which may contribute to improved outcomes and increased survival rates for patients facing this challenging disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer is a substantial global health problem both in humans and animals with a consistent increase in mortality and incidence rate. The commensal microbiota has been involved in the regulation of several physiological and pathological processes, both within the gastrointestinal system and at distant tissue locations. Cancer is not an exception, and different aspects of the microbiome have been described to have anti‐ or pro‐tumour effects. Using new techniques, for example high‐throughput DNA sequencing, microbial populations of the human body have been largely described and, in the last years, studies more focused on companions' animals have emerged. In general, the recent investigations of faecal microbial phylogeny and functional capacity of the canine and feline gut have shown similarities with human gut. In this translational study we will review and summarize the relation between the microbiota and cancer, in humans and companion animals, and compare their resemblance in the type of neoplasms already studied in veterinary medicine: multicentric and intestinal lymphoma, colorectal tumours, nasal neoplasia and mast cell tumours. In the context of One Health, microbiota and microbiome integrative studies may contribute to the understanding of the tumourigenesis process, besides offering an opportunity to develop new diagnostics and therapeutic biomarkers both for veterinary and human oncology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thyroid diseases affect a considerable portion of the population, with hypothyroidism being one of the most commonly reported thyroid diseases. Levothyroxine (T4) is clinically used to treat hypothyroidism and suppress thyroid stimulating hormone secretion in other thyroid diseases. In this work, an attempt to improve T4 solubility is made through the synthesis of ionic liquids (ILs) based on this drug. In this context, [Na][T4] was combined with choline [Ch]+ and 1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-3-methylimidazolium [C2OHMiM]+ cations in order to prepare the desired T4-ILs. All compounds were characterized by NMR, ATR-FTIR, elemental analysis, and DSC, aiming to check their chemical structure, purities, and thermal properties. The serum, water, and PBS solubilities of the T4-ILs were compared to [Na][T4], as well as the permeability assays. It is important to note an improved adsorption capacity, in which no significant cytotoxicity was observed against L929 cells. [C2OHMiM][T4] seems to be a good alternative to the commercial levothyroxine sodium salt with promising bioavailability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The demand for fresh water is increasing daily, requiring industries to take action to reduce the need for fresh water. Winemaking industries represent a massive hydric impact by combining the water consumed and the high volume of wastewater produced. The sun-driven photooxidation process has been widely employed in removing wastewater pollutants. This work employed four photosensitizers, Rose Bengal, AlPcS4, ZnPcS4, and TPP, for water reuse in cellars. A secondary effluent has been investigated as a water matrix. Of all the photosensitizers (PS) employed, ZnPcS4 showed better chemical oxygen demand (COD) (23%) and phenolic (TPh) (81%) removal. The effect of pH and concentration was also assessed for ZnPcS4. The phenolic content removal was found to be highly dependent on the solution's pH, as alkaline solutions improve the singlet oxygen quantum yield where the use of a pH = 11 reached 42% and 81% of COD and TPH removal. However, a pH higher than 7 showed higher PS bleaching than pH = 7. Three different PS concentrations were evaluated: 3 × 10−6, 5 × 10−6, and 1 × 10−5 mol/L. The optimal PS concentration was found to be 5 × 10−6 mol/L. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors conducted a study on treating synthetic dairy wastewater using aerobic granular sludge (AGS) in a laboratory-scale continuous flow reactor (CFR) system. The system consisted of an anaerobic reactor, an aerobic reactor, and a settling sedimentation tank, with different hydraulic retention times tested over a 90-day period. The study monitored sludge characteristics and effluent treatment performance and found that the system achieved excellent removal rates for chemical oxygen demand and total carbon, exceeding 90%. As a result, the effluent met Portuguese laws for direct release into the water environment. Moreover, the study found that the AGS system improved the sludge sedimentation capacity from 272 to 80 mL/g, demonstrating its effectiveness as a viable treatment alternative for this type of effluent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water resources are under pressure worldwide, resulting in scarcity and deterioration of freshwater quality. According to European directives, we could reduce the pressure on water resources in urban areas by increasing the reuse of treated wastewater, reducing the impact on water bodies, and promoting water recycling through multiple uses of urban wastewater. Besides the need to address water supply challenges, wastewater treatment systems show environmental stewardship and innovative practices. Using reclaimed water for agricultural irrigation is gaining interest because of the drought conditions experienced in Europe over the past few years. Furthermore, using treated wastewater for agricultural irrigation may help to restore nutrients (N and P) to natural biogeochemical cycles. This review highlights the importance of water reuse, current legislation, and existing technologies to implement in wastewater treatment systems to meet the minimum requirements to produce reclaimed water to reuse in agricultural irrigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to evaluate and discuss the digital competence of academics at universities, to identify challenges and define recommendations for policy. This study was conducted through collaboration between the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission and Metared of the Universia Foundation, surveying 30,407 participants who present the perceptions of their own digital competence levels. These self-reflections took place in universities in seven countries, namely Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Peru, Mexico and Portugal, and used the Check-In tool, which consists of 22 questions based on the European Framework for the Digital Competence of Educators—or 'DigCompEdu' framework. A descriptive statistical analysis was performed, followed by a qualitative evaluation. Almost 70% of the academics have an average intermediate level of competence when the data is aggregated, with results varying in each DigCompEdu area according to the specific question asked. There is no significant difference between young and senior academics, as well as between men and women. The results present a discussion of whether the age and gender of educators and their work environment have an impact on their digital competence level, and at the same time highlights the areas in which educators perceive themselves to be most and least competent. It shows how the amount of institutional support that is offered affects the academics' perceptions of their level of digital competence. On the basis of the results, recommendations are presented for higher-education institutions, with the aim of supporting the professional development of their academics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The search for novel materials and technologies with improved performance increased in the last decades. In particular, ionic liquid crystals (ILCs), a modern class of advanced materials that benefits from the synergistic properties of ionic liquids and liquid crystals, are playing an important role in different areas of knowledge, attracting the interest of the academia and industry, driven by their peculiar tailoring ability. Herein, it comprises a brief synopsis of several pyridinium and picolinium ILCs previously prepared to understand how their mesomorphism and conductivity profiles are affected by small structural changes in terms of the methyl group position and alkyl chain length, providing important insights into future design of functional materials by a simple anionic exchange. Moreover, microwave-assisted reactions were emphasised as a simple and greener synthetic method to prepare ionic liquid crystals through alkylation, which can also be applied to other organic salts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Paulista de Pediatria is the property of Assocoacao de Pediatria de Sao Paulo 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.)

Nowadays, organic salts and ionic liquids (OSILs) containing active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) are being explored as drug delivery systems in modern therapies (OSILs-API). In that sense, this work is focused on the development of novel OSILs-API based on amphotericin B through an innovative procedure and the evaluation of the respective biological activity against Leishmania infantum. Several ammonium, methylimidazolium, pyridinium and phosphonium organic cations combined with amphotericin B as anion were synthesized in moderate to high yields and high purities by the water-reduced buffer neutralization method. All prepared compounds were characterized to confirm the desired chemical structure and the specific optical rotation ([α]D25) was also determined. The biological assays performed on L. infantum promastigotes showed increased activity against this parasitic disease when compared with the starting chloride forms and amphotericin B alone, highlighting [P6,6,6,14][AmB] as the most promising formulation. Possible synergism in the antiprotozoal activity was also evaluated for [P6,6,6,14][AmB], since it was proven to be the compound with the highest toxicity. This work reported a simple synthetic method, which can be applied to prepare other organic salts based on molecules containing fragile chemical groups, demonstrating the potential of these OSILs-AmB as possible agents against leishmaniasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate cost-effectiveness and costs of fall prevention exercise programmes for older adults.Design: Systematic review.Data Sources: Medline, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, National Institute for Health Research Economic Evaluation Database, Health Technology Assessment database, Tufts Cost-Effectiveness Analysis Registry, Research Papers in Economics and EconLit (inception to May 2022).Eligibility Criteria For Study Selection: Economic evaluations (trial-based or model-based) and costing studies investigating fall prevention exercise programmes versus no intervention or usual care for older adults living in the community or care facilities, and reporting incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) for fall-related outcomes or quality-adjusted life years (QALY, expressed as cost/QALY) and/or intervention costs.Results: 31 studies were included. For community-dwelling older adults (21 economic evaluations, 6 costing studies), results ranged from more effective and less costly (dominant) interventions up to an ICER of US$279 802/QALY gained and US$11 986/fall prevented (US$ in 2020). Assuming an arbitrary willingness-to-pay threshold (US$100 000/QALY), most results (17/24) were considered cost-effective (moderate certainty). The greatest value for money (lower ICER/QALY gained and fall prevented) appeared to accrue for older adults and those with high fall risk, but unsupervised exercise appeared to offer poor value for money (higher ICER/QALY). For care facilities (two economic evaluations, two costing studies), ICERs ranged from dominant (low certainty) to US$35/fall prevented (moderate certainty). Overall, intervention costs varied and were poorly reported.Conclusions: Most economic evaluations investigated fall prevention exercise programmes for older adults living in the community. There is moderate certainty evidence that fall prevention exercise programmes are likely to be cost-effective. The evidence for older adults living in care facilities is more limited but promising.Prospero Registration Number: PROSPERO 2020 CRD42020178023. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Nativa is the property of Revista Nativa 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.)

Augmented Reality (AR) solutions are emerging in multiple scenarios of application as Industry 4.0 takes shape. In particular, for remote collaboration, flexible mechanisms such as authoring tools can be used to generate instructions and assist human operators as they experience increased complexity in their daily tasks. In addition to the traditional handicap of ensuring instructions can be intuitively created without having to understand complicated AR concepts, another relevant topic is the fact that the quality of said instructions is not properly analyzed prior to the tools being evaluated. This means that the characteristics of the visual content are not adequately assessed beforehand. Hence, it is essential to be aware of the cognitive workload associated with AR instructions to assert if they can be easily understood and accepted before being deployed in real-world scenarios. To address this, we focused on AR during sessions of remote guidance. Based on a participatory process with domain experts from the industry sector, a prototype for creating AR-based instructions was developed, and a user study with two parts was conducted: (1) first, a set of step-by-step instructions was produced, and their visual characteristics were evaluated by 129 participants based on a set of relevant dimensions; (2) afterward, these instructions were used by nine participants to understand if they could be used to assist on-site collaborators during real-life remote maintenance tasks. The results suggest that the AR instructions offer low visual complexity and considerable visual impact, clarity, and directed focus, thus improving situational understanding and promoting task resolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel ionic liquid crystals based on pyridinium and methylpyridinium cations with a dodecyl chain and bromide as anion have been prepared and characterised. [C12Pyr][Br] and [C12-n-Pic][Br] (n = 2, 3 or 4) were studied in order to understand the influence of the methyl group position in the mesomorphic behaviour. Neat microwave-assisted reactions were carried out to synthesised [C12Pyr][Br], [C12-3-Pic][Br] and [C12-4-Pic][Br] as a sustainable approach, leading to significantly reduced reaction times (35 min vs. 48 h in conventional method). All prepared compounds were characterised by spectroscopic techniques (1H and 13C-NMR; ATR-FTIR), Elemental Analysis, Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Polarised Optical Microscopy (POM) and X-Ray Powder Diffraction (XRD). It was observed that the presence of water highly influences the phase transformations. Nevertheless, thermotropic smectic phases were detected for all materials with a layer spacing between 20 and 35 Å, compatible with a bilayer interdigitated or tilted lamellar arrangement of the cation's alkyl chain. This work also indicates new routes for preparing ionic liquid crystals with various functionalities ruled by the synthesis design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While there are good Budget Impact Analysis (BIA) guidelines, studies still register potential bias. To do this, we compared the results between theoretical and real-world evidence (RWE) expenditures for medicines for Hepatitis C: boceprevir (BOC) and telaprevir (TVR). While both are not currently recommended in treatment guidelines following recent developments, this is an emblematic case because for 4 years these medicines consumed considerable resources. Theoretical results and RWE expenditures were compared regarding the incorporation of BOC and TVR in 2013–2014 into the Brazilian Public Health System. Theoretical values were extracted from Commission for Technology Incorporation Report and RWE expenditures were extracted from the administrative data records using deterministic-probabilistic linkage. The estimated number of patients treated (BOC+TVR) was 13,012 versus 7,641 (real). The estimated purchase price for BOC was US$6.20 versus US$11.07 (real) and for TVR was US$42.21 versus US$84.09 (average/real). The estimated budget impact was US$285.16 million versus US$128.58 million (real). This study demonstrates appreciable divergence (US$156.58 million) between the theoretical budget impact and RWE expenditures due to underestimated purchase prices and overestimated populations. The greater the degree of accuracy the more reliable and usable BIAs become for decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sewage sludge (SS) from urban wastewater treatment is still an environmental, economic, and social problem. Current SS management is not consensual, and more alternatives are required to recover some valuable compounds, such as nutrients and organic matter. This study investigates the use of green liquor dregs from the pulp and paper industry—GLDs—as an adjuvant of drying, to develop a product for agronomic applications, focusing on the rheological behavior. The rheological properties were assessed for anaerobically digested sludge (ADS). The limit viscosity of raw ADS was about 0.005 Pa·s in the case of 5% TSs (total solids) increasing to 0.51 Pa·s for 20% TSs. From the oscillatory tests, the ideal viscous flow below 10% TSs was observed, whereas a viscoelastic–solid behavior was detected for a higher concentration of TSs. The addition of GLDs to the ADS reduced the consistency index, reducing the shear resistance of the material. Rheological assays showed that GLDs may facilitate sludge handling (e.g., extrusion) from the dewatering unit to the dryer. Overall, the addition of GLDs to ADS showed to be a viable option for drying and subsequent soil application. Reusing both residues promote the transition from a linear to a circular economy in the wastewater treatment sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The search for alternative and effective therapies to fight cancer is one of the main goals of the pharmaceutical industry. Recently, ionic liquids (ILs) have emerged as potential therapeutic agents with antitumor properties. The goal of this study was to synthesize and evaluate the bioactivity of different ILs coupled with the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) valproate (VPA) as an antitumor agent. The toxicity of the prepared ionic liquids was evaluated by the MTT cell metabolic assay in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y and human primary Gingival Fibroblast (GF) cell lines, in which they showed inhibitory effects during the study period. In addition, low cytotoxicity against GF cell lines was observed, suggesting that these compounds are not toxic to human cell lines. [C2OHDMiM][VPA] demonstrated an outstanding antitumor activity against SH-SY5Y and lower activity against the non-neoplastic GF line. The herein assessed compounds played an important role in the modulation of the signaling pathways involved in the cellular behavior. This work also highlights the potential of these ILs-API as possible antitumor agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Physical activity mass media campaigns can deliver physical activity messages to many people, but it remains unclear whether they offer good value for money. We aimed to investigate the cost-effectiveness, cost-utility, and costs of physical activity mass media campaigns. Methods: A search for economic evaluations (trial- or model-based) and costing studies of physical activity mass media campaigns was performed in six electronic databases (June/2021). The authors reviewed studies independently. A GRADE style rating was used to assess the overall certainty of each modelled economic evaluation. Results were summarised via narrative synthesis. Results: Twenty-five studies (five model-based economic evaluations and 20 costing studies) were included, and all were conducted in high-income countries except for one costing study that was conducted in a middle-income country. The methods and assumptions used in the model-based analyses were highly heterogeneous and the results varied, ranging from the intervention being more effective and less costly (dominant) in two models to an incremental cost of US$130,740 (2020 base year) per QALY gained. The level of certainty of the models ranged from very low (n = 2) to low (n = 3). Overall, intervention costs were poorly reported. Conclusions: There are few economic evaluations of physical activity mass media campaigns available. The level of certainty of the models was judged to be very low to low, indicating that we have very little to little confidence that the results are reliable for decision making. Therefore, it remains unclear to what extent physical activity mass media campaigns offer good value for money. Future economic evaluations should consider selecting appropriate and comprehensive measures of campaign effectiveness, clearly report the assumptions of the models and fully explore the impact of assumptions in the results. Review registration: https://bit.ly/3tKSBZ3 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In addition to their direct pathogenic effects, arthropod-borne (arboviruses) have been hypothesized to indirectly contribute to hospitalizations and death through decompensation of pre-existing comorbidities. Using nationwide data routinely collected from 1 January 2014 to 31 December 2019 in Brazil, we investigated whether local increases in arbovirus notifications were associated with excess hospitalization. Methods: We estimated the relative risks for the association between municipality- and state-level increases in arboviral case notifications and age-standardized hospitalization rates (i.e., classified as direct or indirect based on ICD-10 codes) using Bayesian multilevel models with random effects accounting for temporal and geographic correlations. For municipality-level analyses, we excluded municipalities with <200 notifications of a given arbovirus and further adjusted the models for the local Gini Index, Human Development Index, and Family Healthcare Strategy (Estratégia de Saúde da Família) coverage. Models for dengue, Zika, and chikungunya were performed separately. Results: From 2014 to 2019, Brazil registered 7,566,330 confirmed dengue cases, 159,029 confirmed ZIKV cases, and 433,887 confirmed CHIKV cases. Dengue notifications have an endemic and seasonal pattern, with cases present in 5334 of the 5570 (95.8%) Brazilian municipalities and most (69.5%) registered between February and May. Chikungunya notifications followed a similar seasonal pattern to DENV but with a smaller incidence and were restricted to 4390 (78.8%) municipalities. ZIKV was only notified in 2581 (46.3%) municipalities. Increases in dengue and chikungunya notifications were associated with small increases in age-standardized arbovirus-related hospitalizations, but no consistent association was found with all-cause or other specific indirect causes of hospitalization. Zika was associated to increases in hospitalizations by neurological diseases. Conclusions: Although we found no clear association between increased incidence of the three arboviruses and excess risks of all-cause or indirect hospitalizations at the municipality- and state-levels, follow-up investigations at the individual-level are warranted to define any potential role of acute arbovirus infection in exacerbating risks of hospitalization from underlying conditions. Author summary: Although generally mild and self-limiting, infections with Dengue (DENV), Zika (ZIKV) and Chikungunya (CHIKV) arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) can progress to severe complications requiring hospitalization and/or cause death. It has also been hypothesized that arbovirus infections may indirectly lead to hospitalizations or death by decompensating pre-existing comorbidities. We investigated whether increases in notifications of confirmed arbovirus cases in Brazil between 2014 and 2019 were associated with excess hospitalizations from any cause, from arboviruses, or from specific indirect causes (e.g., diabetes). Our findings indicate widespread and seasonal circulation of DENV, ZIKV, and CHIKV in Brazil. In municipalities with at least 200 notifications of a given arbovirus during the study period, increased incidence of confirmed dengue, and chikungunya cases were all associated with small increases in hospitalizations directly caused by arboviruses but were not consistently associated with excess all-cause or indirectly caused hospitalizations. Increases in Zika was associated to increases in hospitalizations by neurological diseases. Nevertheless, this study is limited by the ecological design, and follow-up studies are needed to investigate if arboviruses infections can, at the individual-level, exacerbate pre-existing comorbidities and lead to hospitalizations by indirect causes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Rare disease Background: Schwannomas are benign tumors and their appearance in the pelvic region is rare and poses a major diagnostic problem. They can be sporadic or associated with genetical syndromes. They have a slow growth rate and may be asymptomatic for many years. Symptoms are usually nonspecific and due to compression of adjacent structures. Abdominal imaging modalities may not be able to differentiate a benign schwannoma from a malignant retroperitoneal tumor. This report is of a case of a 68-year-old woman presenting with recurrent abdominal pain and a diagnosis of a presacral retroperitoneal benign schwannoma that mimicked an ovarian tumor on pelvic magnetic resonance imaging. Case Report: The patient had a history of a femoral hernia repair and recurrent lower abdominal pain. Pelvic imaging raised the suspicion of a primary ovarian tumor. The mass appeared to have clear cleavage planes with the surrounding structures, so the patient was proposed for an exploratory laparotomy. Prior to the surgery, an additional pelvic computed tomography (CT) was performed (10 months after the first one), which did not show progression of the disease. The histological examination result was compatible with a benign retroperitoneal schwannoma and not an ovarian tumor. Conclusions: This report highlights that the diagnosis of retroperitoneal and pelvic masses can be challenging. In women, a primary ovarian tumor should be excluded on imaging and the diagnosis of a benign tumor, such as schwannoma, must be confirmed by histopathology, either preoperatively or following tumor resection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The peripheral nerve sheath tumors are relatively common neoplasms, belong to the soft tissue sarcomas group, and are poorly investigated in veterinary medicine; the diagnosis is complex, and therapeutic options are limited. The platelet-derived growth factor receptors, namely the β subunit, are an important class of tyrosine kinase receptors that can be activated by genetic alterations and contribute to the process of carcinogenesis, so the inhibition of this receptor is an important therapeutic target. Using the immunohistochemical technique, this study aims to evaluate the expression of this receptor in 19 samples, 10 malignant and 9 benign tumors. The results showed that the majority of benign tumors, about 67% of cases, expressed the receptor in less than 25% of neoplastic cells and, in 80% cases of malignant tumors, the receptor was expressed in more than 25% of neoplastic cells. It was also found that, in the larger tumors, the expression of this receptor was significantly higher. With these findings it seems reasonable to speculate that the drugs able to inhibit this receptor, such as toceranib, may be considered in the therapeutic approach of these tumors. As in humans, the prevalence of tumors in companion animals is increasing dramatically and there is a strong need for research on new pharmacological agents particularly for the treatment of those tumors that are resistant to conventional chemotherapy agents such as soft tissue sarcomas (STS). Because malignant (MPNST) and benign peripheral nerve sheath tumors (BPNST) are relatively common STS in dogs, the aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the immunohistochemical (IHC) expression of PDGFR-β, contributing to its characterization as a potential target for their treatment. A total of 19 samples were included, 9 histologically classified as benign and the other 10 as malignant. The results showed diffuse immunoexpression in the cytoplasm of neoplastic cells. Six (66.7%) BPNST expressed the receptor in less than 25% of neoplastic cells and only three (33.3%) exhibited labelling in more than 25% of neoplastic cells. In contrast, all MPNST expressed PDGFR-β, and in 8 (80%) of these samples, the receptor was expressed in more than 25% of neoplastic cells, and only 2 (20%) cases expressed the receptor in less than 25% of neoplastic cells. PDGFR-β expression was significantly higher in MPNST and larger tumors, suggesting that drugs able to inhibit the activity of this tyrosine kinase receptor, such as toceranib, may be considered in the approach of unresectable tumors and/or in the context of adjuvant or neoadjuvant therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy sustainability represents an important research topic for aiding decreasing energy dependence and slowing down climate changes. In this context, solutions using thermal energy storage through rock start to emerge, due to its natural benefits, when compared to more polluting alternatives. To understand whether a rock material can be considered a good thermal energy storage material for such solutions, it is necessary to evaluate the physical, chemical and thermal properties of such materials. Therefore, it becomes essential to understand how heat propagates in the rock and how voids influence the thermal properties. To achieve these goals, hematite ore from Moncorvo, Northeastern Portugal was used, in particular, to study the effect of grain size on thermal properties for three different sized lots. Chemical and physical changes between heated and unheated lots were detected using X-ray diffraction and particle size, as well as X-ray fluorescence analysis. Regarding thermal properties, a hot wire method approach was used with seven thermocouples. Additionally, a thermal inversion model to simulate the heat exchanges was also proposed, allowing changing the properties of the constituents, to fit the theoretical and experimental temperature curve. Furthermore, the model reveals how heat propagates inside the reservoir filled with hematite ore. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Leptospirosis is an important public health problem affecting vulnerable urban slum populations in developing country settings. However, the complex interaction of meteorological factors driving the temporal trends of leptospirosis remain incompletely understood. Methods and findings: From March 1996—March 2010, we investigated the association between the weekly incidence of leptospirosis and meteorological anomalies in the city of Salvador, Brazil by using a dynamic generalized linear model that accounted for time lags, overall trend, and seasonal variation. Our model showed an increase of leptospirosis cases associated with higher than expected rainfall, lower than expected temperature and higher than expected humidity. There was a lag of one-to-two weeks between weekly values for significant meteorological variables and leptospirosis incidence. Independent of the season, a weekly cumulative rainfall anomaly of 20 mm increased the risk of leptospirosis by 12% compared to a week following the expected seasonal pattern. Finally, over the 14-year study period, the annual incidence of leptospirosis decreased significantly by a factor of 2.7 (8.3 versus 3.0 per 100,000 people), independently of variations in climate. Conclusions: Strategies to control leptospirosis should focus on avoiding contact with contaminated sources of Leptospira as well as on increasing awareness in the population and health professionals within the short time window after low-level or extreme high-level rainfall events. Increased leptospirosis incidence was restricted to one-to-two weeks after those events suggesting that infectious Leptospira survival may be limited to short time intervals. Author summary: To determine the role of meteorological variables, seasonal variation and temporal trends in the incidence of leptospirosis, we investigated the time series of leptospirosis incidence amongst residents of Salvador, Brazil, from 1996 to 2010. Exploratory and confirmatory statistical methods detected associations between meteorological anomalies and disease incidence. Results showed the importance of extreme meteorological conditions, particularly rainfall, as short-term predictors of leptospirosis incidence. In addition, we found a long-term decreasing trend in disease incidence over the observation period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The animal cancer burden is essential for the translational value of companion animals in comparative oncology. The present work aims to describe, analyze, and compare frequencies and associations of tumors in dogs and cats based on the Animal Cancer Registry created by Vet-OncoNet. With 9079 registries, regarding 2019 and 2020, 81% (n = 7355) belonged to dogs. In comparison, cats have a general one-year right advance in the mean age of cancer diagnosis compared to dogs. The multivariate topography group analysis shows a distinct pattern between the two species: dogs have higher odds of cancer in the genito-urinary system, spleen, soft tissue tumors and skin, while cats show higher odds for tumors in the eyes, digestive organs, nasal cavity, lymph nodes, bones and mammary glands. Regarding morphologies, dogs are overrepresented in mast cell tumors (MCT), melanomas, and hemangiosarcomas. While cats are overrepresented in fibrosarcomas, lymphomas (T and B-cell), in malignant mammary tumors, and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Females have greater odds only in the mammary gland, with males having greater odds in six of twelve topographies. This study is the first outcome of continuous animal cancer registration studies in Portugal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cork boiling wastewater (CBW) is a highly polluted and difficult to treat effluent resultant from the cork manufacturing industry. This study aims to evaluate a new, reliable, efficient, and sustainable process to treat this effluent. This paper tested electrocoagulation as a pre- and post-treatment to improve the already existing physicochemical treatment in a cork production facility in Portugal. In the physicochemical procedures (PC), the addition of different volumes of coagulant (ferric chloride (III) 40% w/w), neutralizer (sodium hydroxide, 32% w/w), and flocculant (polyacrylamide, 0.2 g/L) were evaluated. Electrocoagulation (EC) was performed in a bench-scale reactor, using aluminum and stainless-steel electrodes. For EC, different initial pH, current density, and current tension values were tested. When electrocoagulation was used as a post-treatment, better performances were achieved. However, treatment costs were increased significantly. Coagulation/flocculation offers a viable and cheap treatment, achieving removal efficiencies of 88.2%, 81.0%, 76.9%, and 94.2% for total chemical oxygen demand (tCOD), total carbon (TC), total nitrogen (TN), and soluble chemical oxygen demand (sCOD), respectively. With a PC-EC combination, it is possible to achieve removal efficiencies of 92.4%, 88.0%, 91.4%, and 91.4% for tCOD, TC, TN, and sCOD, respectively. The increased TN removal efficiency can translate into great benefits for certain discharge conditions and should be taken into consideration for improving the sustainability of cork industry. On the other hand, when EC is used as a pre-treatment, there are no benefits either in terms of treatment performance or operating costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ferrocene-based porous organic polymers (FPOPs) were prepared from phenol-formaldehyde polymer (Bakelite) and phenol as starting materials; and two possible mechanisms for polymerization were discussed. Solid-state 13C CP-MAS NMR, FTIR, powder XRD, elemental analysis and ICP (Fe, Na, B) were performed to characterize the prepared materials. The two synthetic approaches produced polymers with different pore sizes: the FPOP synthesized through Bakelite presented a higher surface area (52 m2 g−1) when compared to the one obtained by the bottom-up polymerization from phenol (only 5 m2 g−1). Thermogravimetric analysis confirmed the thermal stability of the material, which decomposed at 350 °C. Furthermore, cyclic voltammetry (CV) of the new FPOP on modified electrodes, in ACN and 0.1 M TBAP as an electrolyte, showed fully reversible electron transfer, which is similar to that observed for the ferrocene probe dissolved in the same electrolyte. As a proof-of-concept for an electrochromic device, this novel material was also tested, with a color change detected between yellow/brownish coloration (reduced form) and green/blue coloration (oxidized form). The new hybrid FPOP seems very promising for material science, energy storage and electrochromic applications, as well as for plastic degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Boletín Latinoamericano y del Caribe de Plantas Medicinales y Aromáticas is the property of Universidad de Santiago de Chile 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.)

Commitment to the CD4+ or CD8+ T cell lineages is linked to the acquisition of a functional program broadly defined by helper and cytotoxic properties, respectively. The mechanisms underlying these processes in the human thymus remain largely unclear. Moreover, recent thymic emigrants are thought to have some degree of plasticity, which may be important for the shaping of the immune system and adjustment to specific peripheral needs. We show here that IL-4 induces proliferation-independent de novo synthesis of CD8αβ in human CD4 single-positive (SP) thymocytes, generating a stable CD8SP population that features a diverse TCRαβ repertoire, CD4 expression shut-down and ThPOK downregulation. IL-4 also promotes an innate-like program in both CD4SP and CD8SP thymocytes, characterized by Eomes upregulation in the absence of T-bet, in line with its recognized role in the generation of thymic innate-like CD8+ T cells. The clinical relevance of these findings is further supported by the profile of IL-4 production and IL-4 receptor expression that we identified in the human thymus. Importantly, human cord blood CD4+ T cells preserve the ability to generate Eomes+ CD8+ T cells in the presence of IL-4, with implications in neonatal immunity. Our results support a role for IL-4 in the dynamic regulation of human thymocyte plasticity and identify novel strategies to modulate immune responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal Public Administration & Social Management / Administração Pública e Gestão Social is the property of Administracao Publica e Gestao Social 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.)

Electronic‐skin (e‐skin) is pursued, as of the 21st century, to mimic the sensory capabilities of human skin for several applications. Pressure is one of the key stimuli in e‐skin technology, frequently detected using piezoresistive sensors, which consist of film layers commonly micro‐structured to improve their performance, either through expensive photolithography techniques or other poorly customizable approaches. The authors' group recently introduced laser engraving as a low‐cost yet highly customizable micro‐structuring technique to produce molds, despite the limited resolution. Combining laser engraving with shrinking polymeric films (SPFs) to fabricate molds is an innovative strategy to greatly improve the performance of the sensors, allowing for thinner and highly conformal sensor layers while minimizing costs. Shrinking these SPFs after their engraving yields smaller yet high aspect ratio cavities. Herein, all the laser engraving parameters are thoroughly investigated to optimize SPF molds (arrays of 10 µm vertical lines spaced by 200 µm, engraved with 3% laser power, 25% speed, and 0.04'' between laser and substrate) to produce e‐skin piezoresistive sensors with a sensitivity of −1.4 kPa−1 below 10 kPa, a 1.4 ms recovery time, and a capability to detect distinct body movements, illustrating the great potential for health monitoring applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Brazilian Journal of Surgery & Clinical Research is the property of Master Editora 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.)

Sewage sludge (SS) formed in wastewater treatment plants can contain organic matter and nutrients in concentrations that are valuable for amending poor soil. This work aims to compare the performance of six residues not only as drying adjuvants of SS but also as improvers agents in agronomic properties of the final product. According to criteria in line with circular economy and industrial ecology, the selected adjuvants were weathered coal fly ash (CFA), bottom biomass ash (BBA), green liquor dregs (GLD), lime mud (LM), eggshell (ES), and rice husk (RH). The main physicochemical properties of these materials were determined. Then, small cylinders with and without 0.15 g adjuvant/g SSwet basis were shaped at room temperature and dried at 130 ºC in a moisture analyzer to evaluate the drying kinetics. The profiles were modeled, and the main parameters determined. Furthermore, several relevant parameters for agronomic applications of the final products were determined, such as pathogen contamination, acid neutralization capacity (ANC), and oxygen uptake rate (OUR). Adding BBA to SS (named as SS_BBA product) promoted the highest diffusion coefficient (2.55·10−7 m2/s) and drying rate (41.6 g H2O/kg min). On the other hand, SS_ES showed a positive impact in almost all agronomic parameters, with an ANC of 0.166 g CaCO3/g, OUR of 10.18 mmol O2/kg organic matter h, and germination index of 29.1%. In general, the results indicate that several residues can be used to improve not only sludge drying but also the final properties of the product for soil applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Psicologia: Revista da Associacao Portuguesa Psicologia is the property of Associacao Portuguesa de Psicologia 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.)

Investigations were made on the application of aqueous ethyltrimethylammonium hydroxide (ETMAH) as an alternative developer solution (compared to the de facto standard aqueous tetramethylammonium hydroxide or TMAH) for mainstream lithographic technologies; extreme ultraviolet (EUV), ArF immersion (ArFi), KrF, and i-line. Results show that for EUV, ETMAH at a specific developer concentration allows mitigation of resist-based stochastic defects while maintaining lithographic performance. It was also found that the ETMAH developer solution is compatible with the ArFi, KrF, and i-line lithography (ultimate resolution and line width roughness was maintained). For EUV, ArFi, and KrF lithography which utilizes chemical amplification resist (CAR) material platforms, sensitivity remained constant. For i-line lithography, sensitivity was observed to decrease by roughly 25%–30% when ETMAH was utilized, attributed to the different dissolution mechanism of the novolac-based resist compared to CAR. Nevertheless, these results show the viability of ETMAH as an alternative developer solution for mainstream semiconductor lithography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]